Hello Dear,

Nice to meet you,My Name is Sgt. Imas Annisa Renteria, I am from the United States of America. Nice to meet you,My Name is Sgt. Imas Annisa Renteria, I am from the United States of America.

I am a United States of American soldier working as a United Nations peacekeeping troop in Syria, on war against terrorism,

I am single, but am an orphan, i currently live in a military camp in Damascus Syria, I am 32 years old.





True love has never recorded forgotten memories. I often have the right words to show how much I value you to tell you all about myself, And mostly the amount of your response and your interest in me will decide if our relationship stands or not stand. The distance that cannot kill true friendship is possible to find New love despite These phrases with you being far away. I know our friendship brings happiness and it will bring good memories to our minds and lives.







I am really happy to have you here as my best friend and I pray that this will lead us to our long awaited destiny. my good friend,Honestly,I am looking for a faithful, honest and truthful person.I want a person that is humble,honest,faithful,trustworthy in terms of mutual benefit. Love is in the heart and it goes with feelings, i would like to know things you like and things that you don' t like because I believe that everybody has their own principles.







My good friend i also want you let you know that am using the military camp computer to message with you, i do not use the telephone because we are not allowed to make calls here in the military camp for security purposes.please try to understand if it takes time for i respond to you, because am always busy due to my risk job nature,which happens that, A few days ago, our soldiers had met and exchanged bullets with some terrorists and finally three of our soldiers were injured in the event, while more than sixteen of the terrorists were killed, as a nurse in the army. My group and I rushed to provide medical attention to our men who were wounded at the scene while the sixteen terrorists were shot to death.







Please I would like to know everything about you in detail as I explained myself to you.





Have a nice working day,

Yours Angel Annisa.
Chinese embassy condemns UK side's hyping up of so-called "Chinese spies"

Xinhua) 10:09, September 16, 2023

LONDON, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom (UK) on Friday strongly condemned the hyping up of the so-called "Chinese spies" by the UK side.

"The allegations of the so-called 'Chinese spies' hyped up by the UK side are a self-staged farce that is totally groundless. We have made a serious demarche to the UK side and we strongly condemn it," a spokesperson for the embassy said in response to a question concerning reports in British media following the UK Parliament's discussion of the so-called "Chinese spies."

"It only shows that some British politicians have reached a point of hysteria and how egregious they have become when it comes to China. Their baseless slanders and accusations against China seem more of a cover-up of their own incompetence and failure in solving the UK's own political, economic and social problems and are aimed at deflecting the attention of the public," the spokesperson said.

China-UK relations must be built on the principles of mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, the spokesperson said.

"I would like to make it clear to the UK side that China will never accept its unfounded attacks and slanders. If the UK still wants to cooperate with China, it must immediately stop this political farce, which is even detested by people here in the UK," the spokesperson added.

The Sunday Times recently disclosed that the UK police arrested two men in March, including a Parliament researcher who was charged of spying for China. In a statement released by his lawyers, the man said he is "completely innocent" and felt "forced to respond" to the accusations.

The report sparked discussions within the British Parliament about the so-called "Chinese spies." In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning rejected the allegation of spying, calling it "political manipulation" and "malicious slander" earlier this week.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie)
A sergeant who was sentenced in May to 25 years in prison for fatally shooting a Black Lives Matter protester in Texas is still in the Army, according to the service.

Daniel Perry fatally shot Garrett Foster during an Austin protest in July 2020. The law firm representing Perry told Military.com it is aiming to keep him in the Army pending a military separation board decision or a pardon from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.

Foster, an Air Force veteran who was carrying an AK-47 rifle, was protesting the Minneapolis Police killing of George Floyd when Perry shot him with a handgun. Both Perry and Foster are white and were legally carrying their weapons at the time of the shooting, according to the Texas Tribune.

Read Next: 2 Marine Corps Ospreys Diverted After 'Cockpit Caution' Warnings Force Landing in Japan

"Sgt. Perry's current duty status is in civilian confinement and is pending separation from the Army," Bryce Dubee, a service spokesperson, told Military.com on Thursday, adding that Perry is not getting paid by the military and his status in the Army is administrative.

After he was convicted in April, the Army said it reviewed the evidence released by the Travis County District Court where Perry was tried and sent the information to the service's Criminal Investigation Division "to conduct an independent review of the allegations contained within the document," Dubee told Military.com before Perry's sentencing in May.

A spokesperson for Perry's Alaska-based unit told Military.com in May that the 11th Airborne Division "initiated an administrative separation under Army Regulation 635-200 due to his conviction."

So far, that separation board has not executed a final action as to whether Perry is going to stay in the military or not, or what kind of discharge he would receive if he were kicked out.

Military.com asked the Army why it has taken this long to determine Perry's separation status, what would happen if the CID's "independent review" proved at odds with the civilian sentencing, and whether there is any chance that Perry could return to duty as his lawyers hope.

Dubee, the Army spokesperson, did not directly answer the questions but showed the publication a regulation that says a soldier subject to discharge based on a conviction would not be booted until the outcome of an appeal is determined, among other legal thresholds.

Legal representatives for Perry said that they have sought to appeal the noncommissioned officer's sentencing and have previously indicated they would try for a new trial after what they categorized as "political prosecution."

Perry, who was working as a ride-share driver at the time, argued in court that Foster raised the AK-47 at him first, but witnesses testified otherwise and prosecutors highlighted the Army NCO's use of violent online rhetoric prior to the deadly shooting as motivation. He was then sentenced by judge and jury to 25 years in prison.

Last month, Perry's attorneys submitted a petition to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles. Ashley Haisler, a paralegal with the O'Connell West law firm that is representing Perry, told Military.com that if the pardon petition goes through, their goal is to keep Perry in the Army.

"We did the board and they said they have to send it up and it's going to be a much higher decision, but they haven't gotten back to us," Haisler said. "So we're letting that be, [but] if he is pardoned and hasn't been removed from the Army, then he'll still be in the Army. So, that's our ultimate goal."

Haisler said that Perry's attorney, Doug O'Connell, went to Fort Wainwright, Alaska, over the summer to request an honorable or other than honorable discharge from Perry's separation board in the event that his pardon is rejected or the Army moves to separate him anyway.

While unlikely, allowing Perry -- who was sentenced by a judge and jury of his peers for murder -- to remain in the Army if pardoned would present a contentious and largely unprecedented legal question for the service.

Haisler said that Perry's attorneys have not received a response from either the Army separation board or the Texas pardon board yet.

Abbott's office did not return Military.com's requests for comment asking whether Perry's pardon has been initiated or if the governor still intends to approve one. Online records state that Perry is up for parole in October 2035. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles said it had not yet determined whether to recommend a pardon for Perry.

The Associated Press reported in May that the board "which is stacked with Abbott appointees -- is reviewing Perry's case on the governor's orders."

Military.com submitted a request for records with the Texas Department of Justice to determine the status of Perry's pardon.

Meanwhile, court records showed that Perry fantasized about shooting "looters" in the months leading up to the protest in 2020.

"I am imagining standing on a rooftop with a megaphone and a MAGA [Make America Great Again] hat saying looters will be shot, leave the area immediately and then count down to zero or when they start breaking down the front door just opening up like it is open season," Perry wrote in a message to another user on Facebook, according to the court records.

"I might go to Dallas to shoot looters," he said in another message law enforcement extracted from Perry's social media accounts.

Perry has served in the Army as an infantryman since 2012. He deployed to Afghanistan once in 2012 and, as of the spring, was assigned to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 11th Airborne Division, at Fort Wainwright.

Following the sentencing in May, Foster's mother, Sheila, addressed the court, according to The Associated Press.

"After three long years, we're finally getting justice for Garrett," she said. "Mr. Perry, I pray to God that one day, he will get rid of all this hate that is in your heart," she said.

-- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence.

Related: Texas Judge Denies New Trial for Army Sergeant Convicted of Killing Air Force Veteran During 2020 Protest
Americas richest man appears to be going through something of a public image crisis in Ukraine, with leading public figures across the country accusing Elon Musk of being selfish, ignorantand an alien, even.

The outpouring of criticism and insults comes days after the Tesla founder said he rejected a request from the Ukrainian military to re-activate his satellite communications system, Starlink, to help with an attack on Russian forces in the Crimean peninsula last year.

Musk, for his part, has blamed the U.S. government, arguing that sanctions against Russia in the Kremlin-occupied region left him with no choice but to deny the request. But prominent Ukrainian politicians, businessmen, and media professionalswho spoke with The Daily Beast about their views on Musk in the aftermath of the Starlink controversyarent quite buying it.

What Musk has done was an unfriendly act against Ukraine, a present for Putin , Svyatoslav Dubina, a Ukrainian platoon commander, told The Daily Beast.

Starlink began providing a nationwide service to Ukraine in February 2022, after a Ukrainian minister appealed to Elon Musk for help on Twitter. The service was initially funded by SpaceX, but the Pentagon reached a deal with the company to purchase the Starlink service for Ukraine in June. The service, which provides high-speed internet access to remote areas, has been an invaluable resource for the Ukrainian resistance effort.

The U.S. Government Cant Allow Elon Musk the Power to Intervene in Wars

We depend on Starlink. It plays a number one role, together with drones and artillery on the front, in our war against the occupiers, Serhiy Leschenko, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelenskys chief of staff, told The Daily Beast.

For Garik Korogotsky, one of Ukraines leading philanthropists, Musk has gone from being a hero of Ukraine to a person he views as seriously sick with a God complex after the Crimea ordeal.

Musk made a fatal mistake, a wrong moral choice, he said. Ukraine does not like its dependence on Musk, and the United States should put an end to its dependence on him very soon.

Some of those on the front lines shared similar concerns: U.S. law enforcement agencies and courts should be looking into Musks influence on the course of history; a private company cannot be controlling the security systems of other countries, said Dubina, the platoon commander.

Betrayal

Meanwhile, Russias state media has been spotlighting Musks decision to deny Ukraines request in Crimea as a victory for the Kremlin. Shortly after news of the Crimea incident broke, Russian President Vladimir Putin heaped praise on the Tesla founder, likely fueling the outrage against Musk in Ukraine.

Musk is an active and talented businessman and he is succeeding a lot, including with the support of the American state, the Russian President said this week. As far as private business and Elon Musk is concerned, he is undoubtedly an outstanding person.

Peter Zalmayev, a prominent Ukrainian TV presenter, recently told his viewers that he believes Musk is influenced by Russian propagandabefore cracking a joke about Tesla bumper stickers that read: I bought this car before I knew that Elon was crazy.

Speaking with The Daily Beast, Zalmayev echoed concerns of other Ukrainians who believe its very risky to rely on one individual when it comes to Starlink for Ukraine.

As far as the messaging goes, Musks voice is so amplified, it is very disturbing. In Ukraine, truth is our key appeal to the world, he said. We understand that nations represent their often narrowly divided interests. But the unity around Ukraines defense showed that the truth is still there.

The ex-governor of the Donetsk region, Serhiy Taruta, knows all too well the price Ukraine is paying for Putins brutal war after witnessing the destruction of his hometown of Mariupol.

Musk helped us a lot in the beginning of the war, we should not cross that out and nowand he should come to Ukraine and see with his own eyes the level of destruction, Taruta told The Daily Beast on Friday. Over 100,000 people died from Russias violence in my home city of Mariupol. Let Musk imagine that one of his 11 kids was kidnapped that is what we feel, when our territories get occupied.

Others, like Ivan Petukhovthe Vice President of the Ukrainian League of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, which represents 10,000 businessmen across the countryhave chalked up the matter to a simple lack of intellect.

Every Ukrainian has turned away from Musk, Petukhov told The Daily Beast. He stabbed us in the back, and he is not smart.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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A Shiprock woman faces up to eight years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to involuntary manslaughter in connection with a fatal car crash last year.

Courtney Frank, 19, a member of the Navajo Nation, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge after acknowledging responsibility in court and in a plea agreement that she was fully responsible for an incident in which she drove her car over the center line of Mesa Farm Road in Shiprock on Sept. 28, 2022, and collided head on with another vehicle, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Mexico.

The driver of the other vehicle, a woman, was killed in the crash. Court documents state Frank was intoxicated at the time of the incident.

Frank remains on conditions of release, which require her to wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet, until her sentencing hearing, which has not been scheduled. She faces three years of supervised release upon completion of her sentence.

The case was investigated by the Farmington agency of the FBI with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and New Mexico State Police.

This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Shiprock's Courtney Frank pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter
Shoplifters are filming themselves stealing to post on TikTok amid a 25 per cent rise in robbery and abuse, a business chief has claimed.

Muntazir Dipoti, the president of the Federation of Independent Retailers, said there are 850 incidents of theft or verbal abuse across its 10,500 members each day.

Mr Dipoti said this represents a 25 per cent uptick compared with last year.

He said one retailer had died from a heart attack when he confronted shoplifters and another had to call armed police after around 100,000 worth of damage was caused to their store.

People are increasingly likely to steal every day items such as tins of spam as cost-of-living pressures mount, Mr Dipoti said.

Retailers have also reportedly witnessed a rise in youths filming themselves stealing from shops to post on social media such as TikTok.

Security issues

Mr Dipoti is calling on the Government to give a grant of 1,500 to independent retailers to improve their security.

He said: The majority of retailers have CCTV but their cameras might not be the latest technology, for example HD cameras, we feel 1,500 would suffice to get them where they need to be.

Retailers would feel like theyve been listened to and supported and itll give them that confidence.

In the last six months weve had 30 or 40 shops close and theyre saying they cant keep up with theft and with rising costs because of the cost-of-living crisis, its not just affecting normal people, its affecting businesses as well.

Its a sad situation unfortunately.

Mr Dipoti said retailers feel so unsafe after a member in Scotland died when he attempted to tackle teenagers who were stealing and verbally abusing him.

He said: He died on the spot. The retailers feel so unsafe, we shouldnt feel so unsafe.

You do think am I going to be coming back home tonight or not?, you just dont know.

A shopkeeper in the West Midlands was also forced to evacuate his store and call armed police after one person caused between 70,000 and 100,000 worth of damage, Mr Dipoti said.

He said: This guy walked into the shop, he was completely out of it, took his top off and opened a couple of wine bottles and started drinking it, then started throwing bottles.

The worker got all of the customers out of the shop and there was an off-duty police officer there who rang the police and asked for armed officers.

In 12 or 13 minutes he caused 70,000 to 100,000 worth of damage.

Epidemic

Dame Sharon White, the boss of John Lewis, previously said shoplifting has become an epidemic, with incidents not always investigated by police.

On Tuesday, a shoplifting row sparked a protest after a beauty shop owner was filmed choking a woman he accused of stealing.

Sohail Sindho, 45, the proprietor of Peckham Hair and Cosmetics, in south London, was seen restraining the woman, who he claimed attempted to take items from his shop.

Police said a woman had been arrested on suspicion of assault and later bailed.

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Purple flags are planted at Liberty Park in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2020, to recognize victims of domestic violence. | Yukai Peng, Deseret News

In the weeks since Utah rolled out a new program that standardizes how law enforcement interacts with victims of domestic violence, service providers around the state are seeing a dramatic increase in referrals.

And shelters are filling up, with more victims being turned away.

On July 1, all law enforcement officers in Utah who responded to a report of intimate partner violence began conducting a lethality assessment, which helps determine the risk level for the victim.

Now, the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition says theres been an 83% increase in victim referrals to service providers, stemming from the lethality assessments.

Related

Its doing exactly what it was intended to do. High risk survivors are being identified more consistently and they are being referred to the services they need. That wasnt happening before, said Erin Jemison, public policy director for the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition.

However, the increase in victims being referred to shelters is stressing the system. In the six months leading up to the new program, 59 victims were unable to get into a shelter, Jemison says.

In July alone, 36 victims were unable to get into a shelter. Thats a 235% increase.

Those victims are still getting services, but the spike in demand highlights the need for more funding, Jemison says.

Passed during the 2023 general session with unanimous approval from lawmakers, SB117 mandates all officers conduct a lethality assessment with victims of intimate partner violence. The assessment includes questions like: Has the person ever used a weapon against the victim? Has the person threatened to kill the victim or the victims children? Is the person violently or constantly jealous?

The Department of Public Safety will then analyze the assessment. Based on the number of yes answers, with extra weight added to questions dealing with immediate safety or a crime, the victim is connected in that moment with a 24-hour domestic violence hotline.

The hotline advocate then uses the assessment, encouraging the victim to access resources like legal services, crisis counseling or a shelter.

Related

Lethality assessments have been used by law enforcement in Utah for years, with a pilot program initially rolled out in 2015. Since then, roughly half of the states police departments began using them when responding to reports of intimate partner violence, according to the Department of Public Safety.

Still, many of the states agencies, including the Salt Lake City Police Department, did not adopt the program. And even with the departments that did, there was no centralized, standardized model. If a department conducted an assessment, it might not be shared with different departments who interact with the same perpetrator on a different call. It also might not end up in front of the judge hearing the case.

That cohesion does make an impact, especially for survivors, said Mikaylee Gray, the prevention program coordinator with the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition.

Everyone theyre interacting with is saying the same thing, said Gray. They are being told the level of risk that theyre experiencing, and then theyre also hearing that from the service provider.

The statewide program took effect on July 1, but the Department of Public Safety since May had been operating its own pilot program with 58 law enforcement agencies.

According to data from the coalition, in May and June there was a 55% increase in lethality assessments conducted by police that were then referred to service providers. Then in July, that number jumped to 83%.

Around 93% of those assessments conducted in July were scored as high danger, meaning the victim is in a potentially lethal relationship.

Additionally, between January to June 2023, the state averaged 238 high danger assessments each month. Once the statewide program took effect in July, the state reported 611 high danger assessments, a 127% increase.

Advocates say the recent spike doesnt necessarily mean theres been an increase in intimate partner violence, but rather more high risk victims are being connected to services.

We started to see those high risk folks who we werent seeing before, said Jemison. The research shows that the highest risk domestic violence victims, theyre calling the police, but theyre often not getting the broader services. Theyre not getting shelter access, safety planning, therapy, all of those things. This program is meant to help that connection happen.

The increase in referrals puts a spotlight on the need for funding for domestic violence service providers, advocates say. Lawmakers in 2023 approved a record $30 million for services  but federal funding started to dwindle in the last several months. So overall, providers in Utah saw a roughly 16% increase in total funding, according to the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition.

Even with the 16% increase, lots of our agencies have to get rid of certain positions, specifically positions answering hotline calls. So were asking these agencies to, with less people answering the calls, do almost 85% more work, said Gray. That speaks really loudly to how important lasting and supportive funding for domestic violence service providers is.
So Donald Trump is going to be on trial right in the middle of primary season. Wild!

That begs many questions about how this is all going to play out. Questions like: Will legal restrictions on Trumps movement prevent him from holding campaign events? What if he wont stop interrupting witnesses and the judge, or calls on his supporters to disrupt the trial?

How much can Trumps lawyers use the timing to their advantage in court? Can they suggest that jurors vote not guilty because theyre uncomfortable with the timing of the trial or its potential effect on the election?

Ben Mathis-Lilley takes on these questions and more.

Plus: Dennis Aftergut unpacks a new judicial trend that bodes terribly for Trump.

Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images.

Everybody hates Mitt Romney and also, everyone loves Mitt Romney. Where do we put him in the GOPs daisy chain of weakness? Dahlia Lithwick reflects on his legacy and the state of the party hes leaving behind.

Conservatives who like to complain that Hunter Biden is getting special treatment have it the wrong way around. Hunter Biden is a deeply flawed man who made many bad decisions, but it is improbable that those decisions would have triggered prosecution if he werent the presidents son, Mark Joseph Stern writes. He looks at the case against the younger Biden and concludes that Supreme Court precedent seems to be in his favor.

Walter Isaacsons got a 600-page biography of Elon Musk out. Laura Miller read it, and shes here to report that it doesnt tell you all that much about Musk himselfbut it does tell us about someone even worse.

Hulu

Nadira Goffe has a bone to pick with Hulus new show The Other Black Girl. The series flattens a complex subject into a caricature, much like the recent Black horror films Bad Hair and They Cloned Tyrone. Goffe explains why its time to retire the Black woman hair trope in film and TV.

Want Natasha Lyonne to help you solve the New York Times crossword? John Lithgow to paint your dog? Now its possible! Jenny G. Zhang ranks every dream offer from Hollywoods Union Solidarity auction.

Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Wait, were those actually dead aliens that were presented in front of the Mexican legislature? Ben Mathis-Lilley tries to get to the bottom of it.

 much like, er, Mitt Romney? Luke Winkie shares the results of his quest to internalize the dark essence of the outgoing senatorby replicating his cursed culinary creation.

We hope you have a great weekend, no matter how you feel about large bodies of water! Thanks so much for reading, and well see you on Monday.
A Nightmare on Elm Street imagined sleep as a vulnerable and dangerous state of semi-consciousness where our worst fears come to malevolent life. Sleep, Jason Yus chilling genre feature, takes that notion and wields it for inventive terror and comedy. The story of a young couple dealing with nocturnal behavior and phenomena of a perplexing and petrifying sort, its a directorial debut of poised peril that should inspire both laughs and a few sleepless nights following its North American premiere at this years Toronto International Film Festival.

South Korean director Yu proves himself extremely comfortable behind the camera with Sleep, if not quite as snug as Hyun-su (Parasites Lee Sun-kyun) is when lying in bed beside his pregnant wife Soo-jin (Jung Yu-mi). Nonetheless, its Soo-jins snores that open the film, interrupted by the discovery of her husband sitting upright in the dark. Somethings inside, he mutters before falling backwards into an unshakable slumber, leaving Soo-jin to investigate the ominous loud noises coming from somewhere in their cozy apartment.

The source of that banging is almost as mysterious as the fact that Hyun-su isnt disturbed by it. It is, however, plenty bothersome to the couples fluffy Pomeranian Pepper as well as the buildings new downstairs tenant and her son, who arent shy about complaining about the constant clamor emanating from Hyun-su and Soo-jins residencea problem that also, apparently, bugged their prior neighbor, whose grouchy and creepy conduct is routinely mocked by Hyun-su and Soo-jin.

Unfortunately for the newlyweds, whose wedding portrait boasts Pepper on their laps, peace and quiet is not in their immediate future. Together we can overcome anything, reads a plaque adorning their living room wall. Soo-Jin fervently believes it, even once her spouse begins exhibiting unsettling behavior. While in deep sleep, Hyun-sua somewhat successful actor trying to keep his career afloatresponds to cheek and neck itchiness with excessive violence, thereby costing him his current gig. Hyun-su doesnt remember any of this somnambulant craziness, but with the evidence literally staring him in the face, he concedes that something must be done. Soo-jin wants him to seek professional treatment (leading to his amusing reply, Wait, which doctor should I see?) and quickly takes matters into her own hands by bringing him to a clinic where an expert explains that Hyun-su is suffering from an REM disorder and then hands them a brochure whose illustrations exactly mirror their experiences.

Courtesy of TIFF

Yu shoots Sleep with silky portent, his camera teasing and concealing monstrous sights and forces just outside the frame, so its no surprise when talk about the supernatural materializes, first courtesy of Soo-Jins understandably worried mom. Soo-Jin initially wants nothing to do with her mothers old-world superstitions nor her favorite kooky shaman, and she certainly doesnt care about the bujeok (i.e., charmed talisman papers) shes told to hide around the home as a way to ward off evil spirits. Still, with modern medicinebe it pills or the doctors advice to avoid booze and safeguard the apartment with doorbells and padlocksfailing to prevent tragedy, Soo-jin grows increasingly distressed. That desperation only mounts once she delivers their child, who instantly becomes the family member most at risk from Hyun-sus sleepwalking exploits.

Split into three chapters, Sleep drums up tension via Yus sinister stewardship and confined setting. Taking place largely in Hyun-su and Soo-jins apartment, the actions claustrophobia builds methodically, with each successive incident providing the wife and new mother with additional logistical dilemmas regarding how to keep Hyun-su from doing the insane and unthinkable once he chooses to get 40 winks. Eyes are a recurring motif throughout, with the director fixating most intently on Soo-jins retinas to gaugeand conveyher suspicion, anger and despair. Jung Yu-mis performance assuredly straddles the line between serious and jokey, her characters reasonable alarm offset by her staunch belief that nothing can destroy her marriage so long as she and Hyun-su remain unitedand, additionally, that no matter their troubles, Were not a dysfunctional family!

Courtesy of TIFF

Protestations to the contrary, Soo-jin and Hyun-su arent operating at peak marital capacity, and Sleep playfully maintains intrigue by refusing, until its finale, to reveal whether the pairs predicament is a result of the paranormal or the psychological. Upon losing his latest role, Hyun-su wants to quit acting altogether, and that cut-and-run attitude (which Soo-jin rejects) suggests that perhaps his condition is the byproduct of marital and parental anxieties he wants to flee. Such suspicions are underscored by his initial enigmatic utterance, Somethings inside, which could refer to their flat, their unborn child, or his own creeping doubts. Yu hints at multiple explanations in order to keep audiences on their toes, all while ratcheting up the lunacy, which soon drives Hyun-su to take drastic measures to constrain himself, none of which permanently do the trick.

Encased in near-perpetual gloom, the better to amplify its unreal mood, Sleep leaps forward in time for its final section, whose definitive revelations arrive only during the closing minutes. Ultimately, though, everything is up for debate, and moreover, conclusiveness is largely beside the point. Like its protagonist, Yus efficient script operates in that hazy gray area between the concrete and the intangible. It toys with sight and blindness, reality and fantasy, waking and dreaming, protectiveness and menace with a confident hand. Additionally, its aided by solid turns from both Jung Yu-mi as a woman torn between loyalty and distrust, and Lee Sun-kyun as a man who doesnt know how to keep himself from being a potential monster (to himself, and others)largely because hes incapable of comprehending the nature of his thoughts, feelings and actions.

Courtesy of TIFF

Hyun-su and Soo-jin may not think their ordeal is very funnyespecially once it inspires escalating maternal maniabut Sleep shrewdly augments its unease by indulging in bleakly goofy humor. Nods to more than a couple of horror classics (including The Shining) confirm that Yu has studied at the feet of his illustrious predecessors, even as he demonstrates a distinctively dark, demented touch all his own. Infused with pulse-pounding paranoia and tantalizing ambiguity, its an impressive debut on which no genre fan should, ahem, sleep.

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The removal of Soviet symbols from Kyiv's Hero City monument in Halytska Square is nearly completed, the Kyiv City Administration reported on Sept. 15.

Deputy Administration Head Hanna Starostenko said that employees were finishing work on the monument, an undertaking she described as "decommunization in action."

The monument in Halytska Square (formerly Victory Square) is a 30-meter-tall obelisk celebrating Kyiv's status as a Soviet Hero City in World War II.

Read also: Kyiv, Moscows opposing attitudes toward Soviet past shape two different futures

The city administration said they removed explicitly Soviet elements from the obelisk.

Workers removed stars from the side of the monument and Russian-language annotation. They also altered the date on the monument from "1941" to "1939," the year Ukrainian historians consider the official start of World War II.

In August, the Soviet coat of arms was removed from Kyiv's Motherland Monument and replaced with the Ukrainian Tryzub, or trident.

The administration has approved a list of 69 Soviet memorials, monuments, and decorative objects in the city to be dismantled or replaced.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A bill that would introduce speed safety cameras in six California cities, including Los Angeles, Long Beach and Glendale, is now awaiting Governor Gavin Newsom s signature or veto.

AB-645, which passed in both houses of the State Legislature this week, would allow speed cameras to be installed in school zones and in areas where people are prone to speeding.

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, speeding is a factor in 31% of all traffic fatalities, Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Burbank), one of the bills sponsors, told KTLA in July. If we want to stop traffic fatalities and injuries, weve got to slow people down.

The bill also targets speeders in San Francisco, San Jose and Oakland.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan explained his support.

Street vendors raided in Fullerton

We need to invest in technology, education and continued enforcement, and this is part of the enforcement strategy to hold people accountable for following our traffic laws, he said.

The speed cameras would photograph the license plates of drivers going 11 miles per hour or more over the speed limit in any given area. Those who are caught speeding would then get tickets in the mail.

While the aim is to make streets safer for drivers and pedestrians, some question the approach.

So now what were basically doing is taxing the people that live in these communities to pay for traffic and road improvements that the government sort of hasnt done, said Tracy Rosenberg, the advocacy director of Oakland Privacy.

Rosenberg says cameras are a lazy approach to addressing the lack of proper infrastructure. Shes also concerned about personal information being stored by cities.

Mahan and other supporters say the speed cameras will not be invasive and will also not intentionally target low-income communities.

Its really about making sure people adhere to our traffic safety laws. Speeding can save a minute or two, but slowing down can save a life and we need to remind people of that and hold them accountable to following laws to keep our neighbors safe, Mahan said.

When the cameras are installed, the pilot would last for about five years.

Newsom has until October 14 to sign the bill.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
A man suspected in the kidnappings and rapes of women in Stanislaus County in 2017 and 2018 has been taken into custody in Utah through the work of the cold-case unit of the Stanislaus County District Attorneys Office, according to an office spokesman.

Ivan Romo, 25, was arrested Wednesday while at work at a construction site. He is being held at the Salt Lake County Jail.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Wendell Emerson said Romo is fighting extradition to Stanislaus County and it could take several weeks before he is booked at the Public Safety Center here.

Emerson said prosecutors expect to file charges in the coming weeks against Romo in the kidnappings and rapes. He said cold-case investigators took a deeper look at the case based on new developments. He declined to provide details at this time.

The cold-case investigators obtained an arrest warrant for Romo. One of them was there when officers from the Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake took him into custody Wednesday, according to Sgt. Melody Cutler, a UPD spokeswoman.

Cutler said Romo did not resist arrest.

A Unified Police Department Facebook post states Romo was a Modesto resident and is suspected in the kidnappings and rapes of prostitutes. Cutler said Romo had been living in Utah for at least five years, based on her departments records. He was living in an apartment in Midvale, a Salt Lake City suburb, at the time of his arrest, she added.

Emerson said he could not comment on the Facebook post. His departments Facebook post states Romo is suspected in the kidnappings and rapes of multiple women in Stanislaus County.

The post states the Stanislaus County Sheriffs Department helped in the investigation. It asks anyone with information about the case to call the DAs Office bureau of investigations at 209-525-5500.
I stayed in 3 luxury lodgings during a 2-week trip to Italy. My favorite was a villa in the countryside with a spacious pool and no air conditioning.

I took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Italy with my family in August.

We stayed in a hotel in Rome, a villa in Umbria, and a penthouse in Cinque Terre.

All three lodgings were luxurious, but the villa in Umbria was the best, even without AC.

I went to Italy with my family for two weeks in August.

I got to go to Italy over the summer. Samantha Grindell/Insider

I went to Italy with my dad, stepmom, sister, her partner, and my fiance, and we had big plans to eat our weight in pasta over the course of our two-week stay.

We flew into Rome, and then we road-tripped to Umbria and Cinque Terre in a van to explore more of the country. (My dad's ability to drive a manual transmission vehicle filled with six humans and all of their luggage up tiny, winding roads in a foreign country will never cease to amaze me.)

I was over the moon to be in Italy at all, but we were also lucky enough to stay in a luxurious lodging in each city. I loved each place we stayed  though I did have a favorite.

Our first stop was the Antico Albergo del Sole al Pantheon in Rome.

A room in Antico Albergo del Sole al Pantheon. Samantha Grindell/Insider

Antico Albergo del Sole al Pantheon is the oldest hotel in Rome, as it was built in 1467, according to Hotels.com. The four-star hotel is located in the Piazza della Rotonda, where the Pantheon sits.

Although it's hundreds of years old, the hotel was renovated in 2020, so it has a modern feel.

I stayed in one of its 27 rooms with my fiance, and it had a comfortable bed, a large closet, and a spacious bathroom, which I didn't expect based on my last trip to Europe. At the time of writing, rooms ranged in price from 248 euros to 540 euros, or about $264 to $575, depending on the view and style of the space.

We also appreciated that our room came with USB plugs instead of only Italian-prong outlets because we forgot our international charger (even the best-made packing lists go awry).

The room was gorgeous, but what made it truly feel luxurious was the staff's attention to our needs throughout our stay.

Our bed was made every time we left the room, we had more fresh towels than we could ever need, and on more than one occasion, we came back to a fruit tray waiting for us.

Looking out of our window and seeing the Pantheon was unreal.

The view from Samantha Grindell's room in Antico Albergo del Sole al Pantheon. Samantha Grindell/Insider

The inside of Antico Albergo del Sole al Pantheon was amazing, but the views were what made it a once-in-a-lifetime stay.

The Pantheon was literally right outside of the hotel, and it took my breath away to see a piece of ancient history every time we looked out of our window.

Plus, because the hotel was just steps away from a tourist stop, there were several restaurants in the square, which made grabbing a late-night glass of wine or gelato a breeze.

I was also surprised by how much I loved the hotel's bar.

The bar was a nice surprise from the hotel. Samantha Grindell/Insider

Antico Albergo del Sole al Pantheon had a bar, which is pretty standard for a four-star hotel.

But like everything else at the hotel, the service was next level. The bartender made specialty cocktails  including the best espresso martini I've ever had  and the bar turned into an elaborate breakfast buffet every morning.

It put any American buffet to shame, as it featured everything from fresh pastries and fruit to meats and cheeses, and every single item was delicious.

We prioritized exploring the dining experiences the city had to offer, but it was nice to have amazing food at our home base too.

Next, we headed to a villa in Umbria, the countryside.

The villa in Umbria. Samantha Grindell/Insider

The 250-year-old villa sits on a large property on a hill in Umbria. It's full of olive trees and lush greenery, and since it's on a hill, you can see stunning views of the Italian countryside. My family reserved the villa on Vrbo, where it's listed for an average of $399 a night.

The house has four bedrooms that can sleep seven people, as well as several outdoor spaces for guests to enjoy, including a pool.

The host, Countess Stephanie, lives in a smaller home that's attached to the big house.

I was overwhelmed by the views.

A view from the property. Samantha Grindell/Insider

The house itself was wonderful, but the views of the surrounding area were gorgeous.

I loved wandering the property to see different areas, and because the house is in a quiet area, we could hear wildlife throughout the evenings as well.

The host made the experience of staying in the villa incredible from the start.

The lunch that awaited my family when we arrived. Samantha Grindell/Insider

Stephanie decorated the interior of the three-story house so it felt both historic and comfortable, so it was easy to make ourselves at home.

The villa stay would have been great no matter what, but Stephanie's attention to our needs took it to the next level.

For instance, she had a lunch spread waiting for us on our arrival that immediately made us feel welcome, she took our laundry on day one to a cleaning service so we left the villa with clean clothes, and she helped my dad set up dinners with a private chef at the villa for two of the nights during our stay, which became two of our favorite evenings of the whole trip.

Stephanie also invited us to her house to chat over Prosecco one evening, which was a highlight of our time in Umbria.

We spent hours lounging by the villa's private pool.

The pool is surrounded by lush greenery. Samantha Grindell/Insider

During my trip to Italy, a heat wave hit the country, so my family was particularly grateful for the spacious pool at the villa.

It had several lounge chairs, two of which were under the shade of trees, and a hammock near it. The pool is also only a short walk from the house, which made it easy to bring down lunch or snacks as we swam.

Lights by the pool allowed us to take a few night swims during our stay as well.

I was also thrilled when Stephanie told us the pool had its own bathroom and an outdoor shower for added convenience.

I felt completely relaxed floating in the pool as we overlooked the surrounding hills and sipped on wine. I never wanted to leave.

The villa didn't have air conditioning, so we slept with the windows open.

The host advised sleeping with the windows open. Samantha Grindell/Insider

It's still very common for Italian homes to not have air conditioning, so I wasn't surprised the villa didn't have it considering how historic the property is.

Stephanie recommended we close the windows in the house during the hottest part of the day and open them in the late afternoon to keep it as cool as possible.

Although it was hot during our stay, it cooled down at night, so sleeping with the windows open felt lovely. My fiance and I were staying in a room in the basement of the house, and we even got a bit chilly in the night.

Our rooms and the common spaces had wall fans, which helped too. Stephanie also had plenty of citronella candles around the house as well as screens on most of the windows, so bugs weren't a big concern.

Plus, thanks to the plethora of outdoor spaces, we were barely inside.

There were multiple terraces in the home. Samantha Grindell/Insider

My family and I really only went inside the house to sleep, shower, and cook, because the property was so beautiful that we wanted to be outside, no matter how warm it got.

We spent a lot of time on the home's front patio, taking in the views, and we ate meals at the covered patio that was detached from the house. My dad and stepmom also loved sitting on their private veranda that was attached to the primary bedroom.

Our final stop of the trip was a penthouse villa in Cinque Terre.

The penthouse in Monterosso, Cinque Terre. Samantha Grindell/Insider

The penthouse was in Monterosso, the largest of the five villages that make up Cinque Terre. We reserved it on Airbnb, where it starts at $564 a night.

It had four bedrooms and three bathrooms, two of which were en suites.

But the best part of the penthouse was its location on the side of a large hill, as it faced the Mediterranean Sea. It had three terraces to take in the views.

Other apartments sat nearby, so I could hear other visitors or locals chatting when spending time on the patio. I loved the local charm.

The property had been updated recently, and the interior had a modern feel.

The penthouse had been renovated in recent years. Samantha Grindell/Insider

The penthouse's interior reminded me of nice beach properties I'd stayed at in the US but with an Italian flair. It had everything we could need, from a spacious kitchen to the rooftop terrace.

The flooring throughout the residence was tile, which was ideal for when we came trekking back from the beach, and there was a washing machine we could use at our leisure.

Large windows in the sea-facing rooms ensured you could see the water no matter where you went, but there were large shades you could pull down to keep the heat out as well.

The bedrooms stayed cool thanks to air-conditioning units and thick blinds.

The bedrooms were air-conditioned. Samantha Grindell/Insider

The villa was air-conditioned, and each room had its own wall unit that was temperature-controlled.

We kept our bedroom doors shut when we weren't in them, which ensured they were cool when we returned from sitting at the beach or exploring other villages.

Each room had plenty of closet space as well, which was a pleasant surprise.

The villa's views were breathtaking.

The views were the biggest selling point of the space. Samantha Grindell/Insider

Our uninhibited view of the Mediterranean Sea was definitely the best part of the penthouse, though the interior was perfectly comfortable too.

I would warn visitors who have never been to Cinque Terre that you do have to walk up some pretty steep steps and hills to get to the penthouse. It was only a 10-minute walk, but it felt tough in the midday heat.

The uphill walk was more than worth it for the views, though.

Everywhere we stayed was incredible, but the villa was special.

I would go back to the villa in a heartbeat. Samantha Grindell/Insider

I still can't believe I got to visit any of these cities, let alone stay in a luxury hotel and two villas.

They were all wonderful places to stay, but the villa in Umbria made the most impact on my whole family.

Of course, the house was stunning, its views were unbelievable, and amenities like the pool and patios made the property stand out. But the way the spaces encouraged my family to spend quality time together and the experiences Stephanie created for us took it to another level.

When I think back on our trip, I remember the days spent lounging by the pool with my fiance, chatting with my dad over a glass of wine as we took in the scenery, and giggling on the detached patio with my sister as our family dined together.

It was the people who made the vacation, but the Italian villa added more than I could have imagined to it.

Read the original article on Insider
Mosquito-borne illnesses could increase with a continued rise in global temperatures, a new study has revealed.

The University of Michigan (UM) published research on PLOS that revealed the long-term impact of rising temperatures on communities in Brazil with regard to diseases like Zika and dengue  and the findings should put health organizations on alert.

What did the study find?

In a study of four Brazilian cities to discover the transmission potential of diseases typically passed on by mosquitoes, UM found that increasing temperatures could lead to a 20% rise in cases in the next three decades.

The data, discussed in an article on Mongabay, centers around the cities of Manaus, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo.

Why should we be concerned?

It was anticipated that extreme heat in Manaus would lead to a fall in the rate of spread of illnesses such as Zika and dengue. However, that was not the case. More worryingly, areas with typically lower temperatures, such as Sao Paulo, are now at greater risk because temperatures are increasing to the point where outbreaks are more likely.

Co-author of the UM study Andrew Brouwer said, per Mongabay, We were expecting a consistent drop in the projections for risk of arboviral diseases in the hottest regions of the country, but most of the scenarios showed higher levels than we have today. There will probably be sporadic outbreaks in the coolest regions that will become increasingly common as temperatures rise.

So hotter conditions in more areas increase the likelihood of transmission of the diseases, and warmer temperatures over the course of a year will increase the amount of time people will be at the most risk from infection.

Brouwer added, Brazilian health agencies need to be prepared not only for the increased incidence of diseases like dengue and Zika, but also for longer transmission seasons and broader geographic areas of occurrence.

The study was also concerned with the effects of rainfall because mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, but it turns out drought is also a problem because people store water in their homes in these conditions, effectively bringing the risk of disease inside.

How can this be prevented?

A separate study from researchers in the Minas Gerais area in Brazil found that deforestation was a notable factor in the increase of mosquitoes.

When biodiversity is reduced in the form of tree felling and habitat destruction, mosquitoes have fewer predators, allowing them to reproduce faster and increasing their chances of survival.

Mongabay quoted study researcher Servio Pontes Ribeiro, who said: Well-maintained and preserved forests fragment the mosquitos population and end up dissolving it.

Ensuring you are not supporting businesses and retailers who benefit from deforestation, especially in Brazil, is important to prevent the increasing spread of mosquitoes and the diseases they carry.

Further, the need to decrease global temperatures is apparent in the findings of the UM study. You can help by trying to reduce your day-to-day activities that produce carbon pollution. Driving an electric car and taking advantage of clean solar energy to power your home are just two ways to do this.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
The looming threat of a government shutdown at the end of September and strikes impacting the country from Hollywood to Detroit are likely to lead this weeks Sunday news shows.

Congress has just two weeks to pass a budget before a shutdown begins, and some members arent asking if there will be a shutdown, but rather how long it will last.

Conservatives in the House have pushed Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who will highlight Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures this week, for deeper spending cuts than he agreed to with Democrats earlier this year, as well as for an impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), one of the Speakers allies who made headlines this week after dissing the Freedom Caucus, saying shes not a member of the burn-it-all-down caucus anymore, will also appear on the show.

Greene was kicked out of the group earlier this year over internal conflicts and her relationship with McCarthy. The Freedom Caucus is among the groups pushing McCarthy the hardest away from making a budget deal with Democrats.

Democrats leader in that fight, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), is scheduled to appear on ABCs This Week. He said this week that House Democrats will not assist Republicans in passing rule measures that would enable spending votes without the consent of the dissenting far-right Republicans.

Extreme MAGA Republicans temporarily hold the gavels; the extreme MAGA Republicans are responsible for passing the rule, Jeffries told reporters Thursday.

As politicians quarrel over budgets in Washington, workers hit the streets across the country in strikes against the movie industry and automakers.

United Auto Workers (UAW) began a historic strike Friday against three major automakers  Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. The union is demanding increased wages, shorter work weeks and better retirement benefits.

Rustbelt Reps. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), who represent districts containing UAW factories, will appear on CBSs Face the Nation. Dingell backed the strikes in a statement Friday.

Auto workers deserve a decent wage and benefits, and need to be assured that as the industry undergoes transition, their livelihoods are safe, and they wont be left behind, she said.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who was in Detroit Friday to back the UAW strike, will also appear on CNNs State of the Union.

The fight you are waging here is not just about decent wages and working conditions and pensions in the automobile industry, Sanders told the crowd. It is a fight to take on corporate greed and tell the people on top this country belongs to all of us, not just a few.

In Hollywood, both actors and writers continue their strikes  the first time in more than 50 years that both unions are on strike at the same time. Actor and director Sean Penn will be on Face the Nation to discuss the ongoing stalemate.

The ever-present 2024 election will also be a major topic of discussion, as three presidential candidates make their cases on the Sunday shows.

Former President Trump will have NBCs Meet the Press all to himself for an exclusive interview with new host Kristen Welker.

Pre-released clips from the interview show Trump touching on topics from the UAW strikes to revelations about his legal cases to potential picks for a vice president.

Republican presidential candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and former Vice President Mike Pence will also be featured on shows this weekend  on Fox News Sunday and State of the Union, respectively.

Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this weeks Sunday talk shows:

ABCs This Week  House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.); Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C); Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Program.

NBCs Meet the Press  Former President Trump.

CBS Face the Nation  Reps. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.); actor and director Sean Penn.

CNNs State of the Union  Former Vice President Mike Pence; Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Fox News Sunday  Vivek Ramaswamy; Reps. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.).

Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures  House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.); Reps. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.).

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A murder suspect from Ohio was shot by a homeowner while invading a residence in Georgia, deputies say.

Officials discovered Michael Brooks II, 28, was wanted for the fatal stabbing of 77-year-old Emily Foster in Columbus less than a week prior.

Brooks entered a home in Fayette County, Georgia, at around 2 a.m. Sept. 14, the Fayette County Sheriffs Office said in a Sept. 15 news release.

Deputies went to the home after receiving a call about a burglary in progress, according to the release. They arrived and determined the homeowner was forced to defend his family and had shot the suspect in self-defense, deputies said in the release.

The suspect had approached multiple houses in the neighborhood before targeting the residence in question, deputies said. The family at the home said they did not know Brooks.

He was taken to the hospital, where he is currently recovering from his injuries, deputies said. When hes discharged, hell be served with an arrest warrant for Fosters stabbing in Columbus, according to Fayette County officials.

Foster, a former employee of Ohio State University, was stabbed to death near the schools campus on Sept. 9.

People are just completely stunned, Curt Steiner, a longtime friend and colleague of Foster, told The Columbus Dispatch. She just loved that neighborhood, and its so tragic that she would meet her maker there.

Outside the Georgia home where Brooks was shot, deputies found a red Ford F-150 they said had been reported stolen out of Ohio. Officials said Brooks carjacked the truck in Kettering and used it to travel over 500 miles to Fayette County.

Brooks faces charges of home invasion, burglary and theft by receiving in Georgia, according to the release.

The sheriffs office believes Brooks acted alone.

This is an open investigation, the sheriffs office said.

Fayette County is about 25 miles southwest of Atlanta.

77-year-old stabbed to death near university where she used to work, Ohio police say

Mom was brutally killed almost 30 years ago, VA cops say. A man just turned himself in

Soldiers of Christ beat and starve woman to death, put her in car trunk, GA cops say

Woman vanished 4 years ago, GA cops say. Now a mom and daughter charged with murder
An Idaho county Republican committee has sued the Idaho Republican Party, escalating a fight within the state over who controls the heart of the predominant party.

Leaders of the Bingham County Republican Central Committee took the Idaho Republican Party to court Thursday in an attempt to stop the state party and its head, Dorothy Moon , from overruling the county partys election of a new chairman.

The lawsuit takes aim at Moon, a former legislator who was elected to chair the states Republican Party in July 2022.

Were pushing back a little bit against getting overhanded, Matt Thompson, who was elected chair of the county central committee in July, told the Idaho Statesman on Friday. The way Dorothy Moon has been running the Republican Party  she wants it the way she wants it, and thats all shell accept.

County central committees in Idaho consist of precinct members chosen by local voters in May primary elections. Those committees also select four representatives  a chairman, a state committeeman, state committeewoman and a youth committee member  who make up part of the State Central Committee. The State Central Committee then elects a state party chair and also makes decisions about party doctrine and endorsements at seasonal meetings.

When the chair of the Bingham County Central Committee announced he would resign earlier this summer, the committee held an election for a new chair in July, according to a complaint filed in the 7th Judicial District. A month later, Moon sent a complaint to the county party, saying the election had been improper because of inadequate notice to members and because two people attended the meeting virtually. Two weeks later, Moon announced the July election had been void and called a new election to select a chair on Sept. 18.

The county committees lawsuit aims to stop Moon from taking over its election, at the same time that the clock is ticking to select nominees to replace the Bingham County prosecutor, who is resigning later this month.

Were tired of the infighting, were tired of the strategies that are trying to tear our party apart so that certain people can get their way, Bingham County State Committeeman Ben Fuhriman told the Statesman. He said the state party under Moons leadership has similarly intervened in county elections across the state in an effort to give far-right GOP members a stronger grip on the party.

Judge Darren Simpson on Friday granted the committees request to prevent Moon from holding a separate meeting, according to the committees attorney, Greg Chaney. A hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 28.

Chaney is a Caldwell attorney who served four terms in the Idaho House before losing his bid for the state Senate last year. He was often criticized in office for his opposition to the influence of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, a far-right think tank that holds sway over many in the party.

Id like to think that Dorothy is just trying to do what she thinks is right, Fuhriman said. But the pattern is there. Their goal seems to be to go around to every county they can, especially the smaller counties that arent really functioning at a high level, and try to take over, get people in the executive committees voting positions, so that when they have their state meetings, they can do whatever the heck they want with a rubber stamp.

In an email, Moon called the lawsuit completely without merit and self-contradictory. She said the election of the new chairman was held before the former chairman officially resigned, violating the Idaho Republican Partys rules.

Moon said her decision to void the election could have been corrected if the county central committees vice chair had called a new election, but that the simple remedy did not happen. She would not have voted at her planned meeting, she added, and believed that Thompson would have likely been elected chair.

What happened in Bingham County?

The Bingham County Republican Central Committees chair announced at a meeting in June that he would resign because he was moving out of Idaho. On July 13, he emailed the central committee and noted that there would be an election to select a new chair on July 20. His last day would be Aug. 1.

That day, the committee elected Thompson, though two people were not allowed to vote. One was an alternate precinct committee person who doesnt get a vote, according to the lawsuit, and the second was barred from voting remotely.

Fuhriman said the state party implemented a new rule in June that prevented members from casting votes in secret ballot elections virtually, but that its unclear whether the rest of the committee can proceed with the election in person. He said the county attempted to follow the intent of the rule by preventing the virtual attendee from voting during the election.

On Aug. 21, Moon sent the countys committee a complaint from an anonymous person alleging the rules had not been properly followed during the election, and that adequate notice for the meeting was not provided, according to the lawsuit. Part of the problem, Moon said in her email to the Statesman, was that the election of a new chair was held before the former chair had officially resigned.

In its lawsuit, the committee said it provided adequate written notice of seven days, and that it followed the electronic requirement by excluding the member who attended virtually from voting. The lawsuit also said that state party rules and the countys bylaws do not say that the election for a new chair must happen after the current chairs resignation.

Moon sent another letter on Sept. 5 to the central committee, notifying it that she had determined its July election was void, and she later scheduled a new election for Sept. 18, a date when the lawsuit alleged multiple frequent attendees were known to be out of town.

A group called the Bingham County Conservatives sent out a notice about Moons planned meeting before Moon had even notified the central committee, according to the lawsuit.

The central committee appealed Moons decision Thursday.

Thompson said he fears Moons moves left the committee without a leader at a time when it needs to make critical decisions. Hes scheduled his own meeting for Sept. 21 to select candidates to fill the soon-to-be vacant county prosecutor attorneys job. The current Republican attorney, Paul Rogers, plans to resign Sept. 22. If an elected county official vacates an office in Idaho, the officials party has 15 days to send three recommended replacements to the county commission.

Were nervous that were not going to be able to move forward with that work and Bingham County is going to be without a prosecuting attorney because we dont have a functioning central committee, because the state (party) has stepped in and interfered with our work, Fuhriman said.

Thompsons appeal of Moons decision was sent to the first vice chair of the state central committee, Daniel Silver, according to the lawsuit. Silver replied the same day, telling Moon she could not hold a new election until the appeal went forward, which includes review by the state partys Judiciary Committee.

I am concerned that you scheduled a reorganization meeting for Sept. 18, Silver wrote in his letter, which was obtained by the Statesman. Attempting to proceed with reorganization and ignoring their appeal is in violation of the IDGOP State Party rules.

He added that Moons Sept. 18 meeting is not permitted to continue at this time. Silvers letter also noted that Moon has sent out multiple letters of investigation to several counties and legislative districts over the past year.

The lawsuit asked the court to prevent Moon from holding her planned meeting while the appeal process occurs, which a judge granted Friday.

A systematic conspiracy

The lawsuit accuses Moon of conducting similar schemes in other counties.

This is a continuation of a systematic conspiracy by Moon and her allies to declare county elections void and call for new ones under circumstances carefully manipulated and choreographed to elect persons sympathetic to Moon and her aims, according to the lawsuit.

In southeast Idahos Power County, Laura Anderson, one of three Republican precinct committee members, said an election was held to fill various offices in December, according to a court filing. In February, Moon said its election had been void and announced another election.

Mark Fuller, a vice chair of the state party, told Anderson the meeting would begin at 7 p.m. March 21, according to the filing. When Anderson arrived at 6:35 p.m., she learned the meeting had already begun and the election had already been held.

Because I wasnt there to nominate an alternative, the position of state committeewoman was filled by someone far more sympathetic to Chairwoman Moon than the person whose December election had been declared void, Anderson said in the filing.

Fuller, reached by phone, declined to comment.

Thompson, the recently elected committee chairman, said hes tired of the infighting and the Idaho Freedom Foundations influence in the party. He said the Boise-based organization targets people it doesnt think are sufficiently conservative, calling them Republicans in Name Only.

It just seems like the Idaho Freedom Foundation wing of it wants to call the rest of us RINOs and they have no idea what our politics are, he said. But they just stand over in the corner and call everybody else RINOs if youre not part of their clique.  We need to all work together instead of working against each other.

The Freedom Foundation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Ukrainian military liberated Andriivka and continued offensive operations near Bakhmut and in the west of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, as the tactical situation in the south of Bakhmut worsens for the Russian troops.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW), referring to the Russian soldiers

Details: The Ukrainian General Staff and other Ukrainian officials reported that Ukrainian forces liberated Andriivka on 14 September and achieved partial success near Klishchiivka.

On 15 September, the Ukrainian 3rd Separate Assault Brigade reported that its personnel liberated Andriivka and "completely destroyed" the Russian 72nd Separate Motorised Rifle Brigade (3rd Army Corps) after surrounding them.

The General Staff of Ukraine reported that Ukrainian troops continue offensive operations in the west of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast and cause significant losses to Russian manpower and equipment near Verbove.

According to the ISW, units of the 72nd Brigade previously suffered significant losses during localised Ukrainian counterattacks in the Bakhmut area in May 2023 and were probably completely degraded. The Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade stated that the liberation of Andriivka opens up opportunities for a breakthrough on the southern flank of Bakhmut and that fighting continues in the area.

The Russian military acknowledged that the tactical situation south of Bakhmut is deteriorating for them and expressed concern that Ukrainian forces could threaten the Russian group in Bakhmut.

To quote ISW's Takeaways for 16 September:

Ukrainian forces liberated Andriivka in the Bakhmut area on 14 September and continued offensive operations near Bakhmut and in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast on 15 September.

Russian State Duma Deputy and former Deputy Commander of the Southern Military District (SMD) Lieutenant General Andrei Gurulev complained about lying within the Russian military and highlighted the effectiveness of Ukrainian air defences against Russian helicopters.

Ukrainian forces conducted naval drone strikes on Russian ships in the Black Sea on 14 September.

Russian forces conducted another series of Shahed-131/-136 drone strikes targeting Ukrainian rear areas on 15 September.

Russian State Duma Defense Committee Chairman Andrei Kartapolov explicitly stated that mobilised personnel will only demobilise at the end of Russias "special military operation."

The Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) continues efforts to assume control over the Wagner Groups operations in North Africa and may have assigned former commander of the Aerospace Forces (VKS) Sergei Surovikin to this task.

Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, near Bakhmut, along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line, and in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast and advanced in some areas on 15 September.

Russian occupation authorities continue efforts to strengthen ground lines of communication (GLOCs) connecting occupied southern Ukraine to Russia and occupied Crimea.

Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron!
Tarrant County Judge Tim OHare is calling the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton an unbelievable waste of taxpayer dollars.

In a post on the social media site X, shortly after Paxton was acquitted of all impeachment articles by the Texas Senate, OHare appeared to blame corrupt media sources for the impeachment saga, which has expose divisions within the state GOP party.

Here are two important lessons for Republicans, wrote OHare, a Republican serving his first term as Tarrant Countys top official. Republicans should NEVER, EVER buy, read, watch or consume anything from corrupt media sources. We all know who they are.

He continued with, Republicans should NEVER, EVER repeat anything published by the corrupt media. They are simply untrustworthy.

Here are two important lessons for Republicans:



1. Republicans should NEVER, EVER buy, read, watch or consume anything from corrupt media sources. We all know who they are.



2. Republicans should NEVER, EVER repeat anything published by the corrupt media. They are simply  Tim O'Hare, Tarrant County Judge (@TimothyOHare) September 16, 2023

A commenter responded that Paxton, who was accused of corruption and abuse of office by the Texas House in May, is an enormous embarrassment and called Senate Republicans cowards for putting politics over responsibility. ... There was a time when Republicans were willing to do what was right, sadly those days are gone.

OHare responded, Were pretty busy trying to stop leftists from telling little girls and boys they can change their sex, putting porn in school libraries and teaching kids that America is a terrible place.

The commenter reacted with, Absolutely none of that is happening. You and your ilk are spending all your time building enormous mountains out of nothing to scare weak minded people into giving you money and power. Your only goal is power and how you get it is unimportant to you.

To which OHare wrote, Now youre simply being dishonest.

Read more of the latest reaction to the Paxton verdict here.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Police say a teen was wearing an ankle monitor when he shot and killed a man last month in the Soulsville area.

Eugene McShane, 18, was charged this week with first-degree murder.

Police said on August 21, dispatchers received a call from someone in the 600 block of Edith Avenue who said they had been shot.

Man fatally shot in Soulsville

When officers arrived, they found Jalen Murray in an alley. He later died at the hospital.

Murrays mother told investigators her son had been at YouthBuild in the 1100 block of Mississippi right before he was shot.

One severely injured in AR drive-by shooting: WMPD

YouthBuild provides job training and educational opportunities to at-risk kids who have dropped out of school and is only 800 feet from where Murray was found.

According to police, camera footage showed Murray leaving the school that day with five other males. They said staff were able to identify all the males, including McShane.

According to police, a witness said he left YouthBuild with McShane and Murray, and when they got to the Alley between Edith and Saxton, he heard McShane tell Murray to give him his gun.

The witness said McShane pointed a black handgun at Murray and fired one to two shots. After he fired the shots, the witness said McShane went through Murrays bag and took a gun.

Investigators said at the time of the shooting, McShane was wearing a GPS ankle monitor that placed him at the same location where Murray was located, around the time the 911 call was made.

McShane is being held without bond. He is scheduled to be back in court on September 25.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted on Saturday of corruption charges, following an articles of impeachment trial which included misconduct, bribery, and corruption allegations.

In May, his fellow party members voted to impeach him, concluding he may have committed numerous crimes and that he abused his position to help his friend and donor Nate Paul, an Austin real estate developer.

Following the 121-23 House vote in May, he was immediately suspended him from office as he awaited trial in the state Senate, where his wife, Angela Paxton , is a member. The trial began on Sept. 5. On Saturday, he was acquitted by Senate Republicans (his wife attended the trial, but was not allowed to vote), as The Associated Press reports. All but two Senate Republicans voted to acquit Ken Paxton in each of the 16 impeachment articles (he was charged with 20, but the Senate voted separately to dismiss four impeachment articles, which were not addressed at trial).

Paxton was not in attendance for the proceedings on Saturday, though he released a statement following the verdict.

Today, the truth prevailed. The truth could not be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors, Paxton said. Ive said many times: Seek the truth! And that is what was accomplished.

Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott welcomed Paxton back to his position on Saturday. The jury has spoken. Attorney General Ken Paxton received a fair trial as required by the Texas Constitution, Abbott posted on X, formerly Twitter. I look forward to continuing to work with the Attorney General to secure the border and protect Texas from federal overreach.

The acquittal may have reinstated Paxton into office, but his legal troubles are far from over. Hes under criminal indictment on 2015 securities fraud charges prior to his taking office, after he allegedly defrauded investors in a tech startup (he pleaded not guilty to two felony counts)  though he has yet to stand trial.

He has also been under FBI investigation for allegedly using his office to help a donor, allegedly opening a legal defense fund and accepting $100,000 from an executive who was under investigation by Paxtons office for Medicaid fraud. Additionally, hes under FBI investigation and faces losing his ability to practice law in the state due to his alleged role in baselessly attempting to overturn the 2020 election.

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The embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton avoided an impeachment conviction on Saturday with Texas Republican-majority state Senate determining his alleged corruption with a top donor didnt warrant a conviction.

The vote came after a contentious impeachment trial that split Republicans for and against Paxton. The first to levy corruption allegations were the hand-selected members of Paxtons own office, who said they turned on their boss after he ignored their pleas to quit giving the real-estate tycoon Nate Paul special treatment.

Paxton, 60, was then hit with 16 impeachment charges in May. Most notably, he was accused of thwarting a federal fraud probe into Paul by hiring an outside attorney to scrutinize federal search warrants for Pauls home and businessesa move that puzzled those closest to Paxton and later unraveled a slew of other wrongdoings.

Four whistleblowers left Paxtons office after they dished to FBI agentsinformation they later revealed to the public in a lawsuit against Paxton. They accused Paxton of accepting bribes from Paul, ordering top staffers to research ways to help Paul, and concocting phony COVID-19 gathering restrictions to postpone Pauls foreclosure auctions.

Details of Texas AG Ken Paxtons Scandal Shock House Panels Conscience

Those accusations were central to Paxtons impeachment trial, which called on whistleblowers to testify but didnt require Paxton to take the stand or even attend most days.

Jeff Mateer, the former second-in-command to Paxton, testified on Sept. 6 that Paxtons relationship with Paul was perplexing from the jump. He said he feared Paxton was being blackmailed, but said he couldnt protect him because he didn't want to be protected.

Mateer testified that the reasoning behind Paxtons relationship with Paul came into focus once he learned Paxton was having an affair with a woman Paul was tied to. Mateer said Paxton had been seeing his old mistress againa woman on the payroll of Pauls construction company despite not being qualified for the gig.

That testimony was backed up by details uncovered in a House investigation, which revealed Paxton used a burner phone and a pseudonym to hail Ubers to visit his secret lover. While defense attorneys insisted the affairthe second of Paxtons careerwas irrelevant to Paxtons impeachment, witnesses testified otherwise.

Mateer said the hidden relationship answered the question as to why Paxton was willing to stick his neck out for Paul, a shady Austin businessman who was arrested by the feds on undisclosed charges in June.

I concluded that Mr. Paxton was engaged in conduct that was immoral, unethical, and I had the good faith belief that it was illegal, Mateer said.

Developer at Center of Texas AGs Impeachment Scandal Arrested by Feds

Today, the truth prevailed. The truth could not be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors. Ive said many times: Seek the truth! And that is what was accomplished, Paxton said in a statement shortly after the vote.

Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa issued a statement, saying its clear that the fix was in from the beginning.

As long as Republicans control our government, elected officials wont face consequences for ethical or criminal offenses. In true Texas Republican fashion, Paxton crime organization beneficiary Lt. Governor Dan Patrick and his Republican minions placed the reputation of their friend and the will of his campaign donors above the rule of law, he said.

Paxtons impeachment and removal was a shakeup to the Texas GOPs status quo. Nearly half of the state representatives60 out of 121 totalwho voted to impeach Paxton were Republicans, some of whom once considered him a close ally. Republican Rep. Jeff Leach, who called Paxton a mentor and a brother in Christ, had encouraged his Senate colleagues to vote to convict in closing arguments on Friday.

I have loved Ken Paxton for a long time, Leach said. Ive done life with Ken Paxton. Weve traveled together. Attend church together. Ive block-walked for Ken. Ive donated to Ken. Ive supported Ken, Ive asked others to do the same Which is one of the reasons this is so difficult for me and many of our House members, and I know will be for many of you as well."

Paxton was the first statewide Texas official to be impeached in 48 years. The last was Gov. James E. Ferguson but he evaded conviction in 1975 and remained in office. The former Gov. James Pa Ferguson was impeached and convicted in 1917 after senators determined hed misallocated public funds away from the University of Texas and received $156,000 from an unnamed source.

The structure of Fergusons trial varied greatly from Paxtons. He testified over five days and attended each session. Paxton, meanwhile, did not testify and was notably absent from the Senate chambers as early as the afternoon session on Sept. 5, the first day of the trial.

Paxtons impeachment hearing isnt the only turmoil he finds himself in.

He was recently named in a lawsuit by the states bar, which accused him of misconduct for asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the 2020 election despite having no proof of widespread voter fraudan offense that could see him disbarred.

And he still faces the possibility of jail time as he battles securities fraud charges, stemming from his first few months in office as Texas top prosecutor. He is scheduled to go to trial in Houston next year on first-degree felonies that carry a punishment of up to 99 years in prison if convicted.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott , who remained relatively quiet over the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton , reacted to the Senates acquittal vote Saturday with measured praise, calling Paxton an outstanding top law enforcement officer.

Abbott said Paxton received a fair trial as required by the state constitution.

Attorney General Paxton has done an outstanding job representing Texas, especially pushing back against the Biden Administration, Abbott said in a statement. I look forward to continuing to work with him to secure the border and protect Texas from federal overreach.

Paxton was acquitted by the Senate on Saturday on all articles of impeachment related to allegations of corruption and abuse of office. The historic vote closes the chapter of a three-month saga that has highlighted stark divides within the states Republican Party. Read the latest here.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) was acquitted on 16 articles of impeachment in a Texas state Senate trial Saturday.

Paxton was impeached by the Texas state House of Representatives for alleged inappropriate favors done for donors, interference in federal investigations and retaliation against whistleblowers. The Texas state House also unveiled new evidence against Paxton last month, including a fake Uber account he used with a real estate investor whose connections to Paxton had already been scrutinized in the earlier impeachment.

If a conviction occurred on just one of the articles Paxton faced, he would have been ousted. After eight days of witness testimony and another day of closing arguments, jurors cast their votes on each article on the Senate floor Saturday.

Why was Ken Paxton acquitted?

FILE - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement at his office, May 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. The Texas Senate is set to gavel in Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023, 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 America's largest red state.(AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton makes a statement at his office May 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)

Its not fully clear why he was acquitted, but one can look at a divide in Texas Republicans on Paxtons guilt for some answers. A University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll released earlier this month found 24 percent of the Republicans who were asked if Ken Paxton took actions while Attorney General that justify removing him from elected office said he did, 32 percent said he didnt, and 43 percent said they didnt know or had no opinion.

In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, the Republican Party of Texass official account posted a statement in support of Paxton after his impeachment by Chairman Matt Rinaldi.

Today, after a trial in which the House could muster no evidence of a crime, the Texas senate overwhelmingly voted to acquit Attorney General Ken Paxton of all counts, Rinaldis statement read.

These comments come despite the same Texas state House that voted to impeach Paxton having a Republican majority.

The 2024 Republican Party presidential nominee front-runner, former President Trump, has also thrown his support behind Paxton. RINOS  a term meaning Republicans in name only  were attempting to overturn Paxtons election last fall, he said in a Truth Social post this week.

Texas Attorney General Paxton was easily re-elected last November, but now establishment RINOS are trying to undo that Election with a shameful impeachment of him, Trump wrote Thursday in a Truth Social post. Who would replace Paxton, one of the TOUGHEST & BEST Attorney Generals in the Country? Could it be a Democrat, or even worse, a RINO?

What were the voting results?

According to Nexstar station KXAN in Austin, Texas, none of the votes on the articles were able to meet the threshold of 21 senators in favor of convicting. The closest any vote was able to get to the threshold was 14 votes, which 12 of the articles reached.

Only two Republican senators joined Democrats to convict on some of the counts, Kelly Hancock and Robert Nichols. Paxtons wife, a state senator herself, could not vote on the articles.

What was Paxton accused of?

This undated photo provided by the Austin Police Department shows Nate Paul. Paul, the businessman at the center of the scandal that led to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons historic impeachment, is set to make an initial appearance in federal court Friday, June 9, 2023, following his arrest by the FBI. (Austin Police Department via AP)

This undated photo provided by the Austin Police Department shows Nate Paul, the businessman at the center of the scandal that led to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons historic impeachment. (Austin Police Department via AP)

Paxton was accused of alleged inappropriate favors done for donors, interference in federal investigations and retaliation against whistleblowers.

Paxtons relationship with Nate Paul, a real estate developer and donor to the Texas attorney general, was especially scrutinized during the impeachment process. He faced allegations including illegitimate intervention in litigation by Paul and in return, Paul paid the Paxton back with a remodel of his house and finding a job for a Paxton affair partner who was a former staffer in his wifes office.

What does this mean?

After being suspended from his position since his impeachment in the state House in May, Paxton will return to office. He also faces a securities fraud trial for two felony charges he was indicted on in 2015. Discussion on a trial date is suspended until October.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Texas Senate voted to acquit Attorney General Ken Paxton on all 16 articles of impeachment Saturday, marking the end of a stunning saga that has divided the ruby red states GOP.

Paxton, a Republican, dodged removal from office amid allegations of corruption and bribery, which would have required 21 votes from a jury of 30 senators to convict on any of the articles of impeachment. The states highest law enforcement official was only the third office holder in Texas nearly 200-year history to be impeached.

"Today, the truth prevailed. The truth could not be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors," Paxton said in a statement issued shortly after his acquittal.

Paxton, who was suspended from office after he was impeached by the Texas House, will be allowed to resume his duties.

The attorney general was not present when the Senate cast its votes. Paxtons wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton , sat as a non-voting member of the court and did not participate in private deliberations. Paxtons Senate trial began Sept. 5, with Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick serving as judge and the senators as jurors.

Paxtons career has been riddled with scandal: He has been under FBI investigation for years over accusations that he used his office to help a donor and was separately indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, though he has yet to stand trial.

His impeachment followed an investigation by a Texas House committee that concluded Paxton may have committed numerous crimes and that he had abused his office to help his friend and donor Nate Paul, an Austin real estate developer.

The GOP-controlled Texas House voted overwhelmingly to impeach Paxton in May, and House impeachment managers served as the prosecution in the Senate trial.

Support from the GOP had begun to fray as Paxtons position grew increasingly precarious.

Cornyn (R-Tex.), a former Texas attorney general, called the allegations deeply disturbing, and Rep. Chip Roy, who worked for Paxton, called for his resignation. Former Rep. Louie Gohmert wrote that pursuing Paxton is not an example of corrupt prosecution; and Konni Burton, a former Texas state senator who had the most conservative voting record, said she believed Paxton abused the office.

The attorney general has closely aligned himself with former president Donald Trump, who jumped to defend him against establishment RINOs  Republicans in name only  earlier this week.

Trump celebrated Paxton's acquittal on Truth Social Saturday, calling it a "great and historic Texas sized VICTORY."

Several Texas Republicans also took to social media to congratulate Paxton following his acquittal.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Gov. Greg Abbott noted Paxton's efforts to push back against Biden administration policies.

"I look forward to continuing to work with the Attorney General to secure the border and protect Texas from federal overreach," Abbott wrote.

Sen. Ted Cruz echoed this sentiment and called Paxton the "most effective conservative AG in America," adding that he looked forward to seeing him back in office.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted Saturday on all articles of impeachment related to allegations of corruption and abuse of office. The historic Senate vote closes the chapter of a three-month saga that has highlighted stark divides within the states Republican Party.

The Saturday vote, which followed a two-week trial in which senators acted as jurors, allows Paxton to return to work after being suspended in May. None of the votes on each impeachment article came close to the 21 votes needed to sustain it. It would have taken only one article to permanently remove Paxton from office.

A serious tone lingered over the room as senators each took turns casting their ballots, one-by-one, article-by- article. Rain and thunder from a late-summer storm could occasionally be heard outside the Texas Capitol. Paxton did not attend the session but issued a statement after, calling the House impeachment a kangaroo court.

Today, the truth prevailed, Paxton said. The truth could not be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors. Ive said many times: Seek the truth! And that is what was accomplished.

The weaponization of the impeachment process to settle (political) differences is not only wrong, it is immoral and corrupt. Now that this shameful process is over, my work to defend our constitutional rights will resume.

After the acquittal, lawyers for Paxton called the impeachment a joke.

It was a joke for us to have to go through this, that is Ken Paxton, his family, as well as the senators and everyone else, Cogdell told reporters.

Attorney Tony Buzbee thanked Paxtons legal team and said hes proud of the case they presented. This was a Herculean task, to put together a defense when we really didnt know what we were defending, he said.

But the acquittal by the Senate does not mark the end of Paxtons legal troubles. He is still under a felony indictment for securities fraud from 2015, and federal prosecutors have reportedly taken grand jury testimony a former aide who testified during the impeachment trial.

Its unclear how Saturdays decision will impact the federal probe into Paxton, if at all.

I dont speak for the FBI, said Dan Cogdell, one of Paxtons attorneys in the impeachment trial. I try not to.

And as for the securities fraud case: Those people ought to think about going forward on that case, said Cogdell, who represents Paxton in that matter.

Thats been a BS case since day one, he said. That case, like this one, should have never been brought. They ought to dismiss it. If they dont dismiss it, well try them and beat there just like we beat him here.

The extraordinary impeachment proceedings, in which the Republican-controlled legislature weighed whether to oust a powerful and influential leader within its own party  as well as a fervent ally of former President Donald Trump  was fraught with consequences for the future of GOP politics in Texas.

Politics were clearly a factor, said Royce West, a Dallas Democrat whose district includes part of Tarrant County.

The question is, did it outweigh the oath of office? he said. Youve got to ask each individual that question. It did not outweigh my oath of office.

Sen. Kelly Hancock, a North Richland Hills Republican, was among two senators who voted to convict Paxton on some of the articles.

It was my constitutional obligation to seek the truth based on the facts made available through witness testimony and all documents admitted into evidence, then vote accordingly, Hancock said in a statement. My vote on each article reflects that responsibility, and none was taken lightly.

Sen. Tan Parker, a Flower Mound Republican, voted against sustaining the articles. He said he meticulously analyzed hours of testimony and documents and concluded the attorneys for the impeachment managers did not prove Paxtons guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The evidence didnt warrant overturning a democratic choice made by Texas voters, he said in a statement.

The impeachment trial also highlighted tension between leadership of the Texas House and Senate. Both chambers have a Republican majority.

After the Senate vote, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presided over the trial, lambasted the House for what he characterized as a reckless and wasteful rush to impeach Paxton. He said he will push to amend the state constitution to change the rules for such procedures and demand an audit of taxpayer money spent by the House.

House Speaker Dade Phelan pushed back.

Its extremely unfortunate that after hearing the impeachment managers evidence, the senators declined to remove Paxton from office, he said.

To be clear, Patrick attacked the House for standing up against corruption, he said. His tirade disrespects the constitutional impeachment process afforded to us by the founders of this great state. The inescapable conclusion is that todays outcome appears to have been orchestrated from the start, cheating the people of Texas of justice.

Rep. Andrew Murr, a Junction Republican and House impeachment manager chair, maintained that the lawyers and House members who presented the case showed considerable, uncontested, controverted evidence of Mr. Paxtons corruption.

Paxton, elected in 2015 and now in his third term, was accused of abusing his office to benefit Nate Paul, an Austin real estate investor and political donor. The House voted 121-23 in late May to send articles of impeachment to the Senate.

The articles before senators included charges of disregard of official duty, constitutional bribery, conspiracy and attempted conspiracy, misapplication of public resources, misappropriation of public resources, dereliction of duty, unfitness for office and abuse of public trust.

Paxton denied wrongdoing, pleading not guilty at the trials start. He did not take the stand, nor did he attend his trial except for part of the first day and the closing arguments. His lawyers during the Senate trial delivered fiery questioning of witnesses to raise doubts about the evidence.

The House impeachment managers acting as the prosecution tried to build a case that Paxton gave Paul legal help while accepting from him home renovations and a job for a woman with whom he was having an affair.

Whistleblowers had reported the alleged misconduct to the FBI. Some of the former employees filed a lawsuit claiming they were retaliated against. Paxton tried to get the state to pay a $3.3 million settlement using taxpayer dollars, which prompted the legislative probe.

Some of the former employees watched from the Senate gallery as the lawmakers announced their decision.

House impeachment manager Rep. Andrew Murr, left, speaks at a press conference after Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted of all charges in his impeachment trial at the Texas Capitol on Saturday, Sep. 16, 2023.

Mr. Paxtons attorneys like to remind everyone that he was elected by 4.2 million voters, Rep. Andrew Murr said in his closing argument for impeachment, but they have blindly ignored the fact that he ultimately ended up serving one person: himself.

Paxton was accused of enlisting an outside attorney to investigate complaints Paul had about legal troubles he was facing. Paxton also allegedly intervened in a lawsuit between Paul and a nonprofit organization and gave Paul access to information that wasnt public.

The prosecution also argued Paxton took steps to hide his misconduct, using an encrypted messaging app and burner phones.

I believe that I was a witness to criminal activity that had occurred by General Paxton, testified Ryan Vassar, a former deputy attorney general who reported Paxton to the FBI and sued the office.

Attorneys for the House impeachment managers called more than a dozen witnesses before resting their case Wednesday. Paxtons attorneys called four witnesses Thursday before resting. Buzbee, one of Paxtons attorneys, argued Friday the case against Paxton is based on assumptions and jumping to conclusions.

You know what my dad used to tell me, assumptions make an ass out of you and me, and thats been this entire case, Buzbee said.

Paul believed he was being targeted by law enforcement, namely through the alteration of search warrants for his home and businesses, according to testimony throughout the trial. Whistleblowers and other witnesses have said the claims were a conspiracy, but Paxtons attorneys have questioned why they werent investigated more in-depth by those in the attorney generals office at the time.

Buzbee says Paxton just wanted find the truth.

This guy thought he was being targeted by the FBI, Buzbee said. He can identify with that. Heck, we see it here.

The attorneys have disputed that Paxton took bribes and have maintained that the Paxtons paid for their own home renovations. At one point, Buzbee showed a witness financial documents and photos of Paxtons kitchen, pressing him on whether there were any changes to countertops and cabinetry.

The witness, Paxtons former personal aide, said it appeared not. The prosecution suggested perhaps Paxton decided to forgo the upgrades when he realized he was under scrutiny.

Buzbee also argued that Pauls hiring of a woman Paxton is accused of having an affair with was not a bribe; rather, she applied for a job that she got on merit.

The woman, Laura Olson, was called to testify by the prosecution but was deemed unavailable, reportedly intending to plead the Fifth Amendment.

Sen. Angela Paxton of McKinney, the attorney generals wife, was required to be present for the proceedings but did not have a vote on whether to convict or acquit. Her office did not immediately return a request for comment.

She did share a Bible verse in a social media post:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
People gather for an anti-government demonstration at the Vencesla's Square in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023. Thousands of Czechs rallied on Saturday against the government demanding its resignation. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

PRAGUE (AP)  Thousands of Czechs rallied in the capital on Saturday to demand the governments resignation over high energy and other prices as well as the war in Ukraine.

The protest united far-right with far-left forces and was the third such rally at Pragues Wenceslas Square this year that was organized by a new political party known as PRO.

The demonstrators repeatedly chanted a message for the five-party ruling coalition to "resign.

The head of the populist group, Jindrich Rajchl, blamed the government for following orders from Brussels, criticized the countrys support for Ukraine and its close ties with the United States.

His group, whose name in English stands for Law, Respect, Expertise, has no seats in parliament.

Some demonstrators demanded the country quit NATO.

The protesters were planning to march to the Interior Ministry building in Prague.
Inez Arakaki hugs her son, Zachary, at a makeshift memorial for mass shooting victims in Monterey Park. Some gun control bills inspired by the shooting are close to being adopted in Sacramento. ( Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times)

A mass shooting that killed 11 people on the eve of Lunar New Year in Monterey Park has helped inspire the passage of several gun control bills in Sacramento, including legislation to restrict gun sales by state and local agencies and make it more difficult for convicted criminals to keep guns.

More than half a year after the massacre, several gun control bills appear to be headed to the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom for his signature, bringing the legislation one step closer to becoming law.

Assemblymember Mike Fong (D-Alhambra), whose district includes Monterey Park, introduced AB 732, AB 733 and AB 1638 this year. The first two measures passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on Sept. 1 and now have to be finalized before leaving the Assembly and being sent to the governor for his approval or veto. AB 1638 already cleared the Legislature and was presented to Newsom on Monday. The governor has not voiced support for Fong's bills but has signed into law other gun control measures in the last few months.

"Thank you to my colleagues and members of the community for your overwhelming support of gun safety," Fong said in a statement.

Read more: L.A. County prohibits departments from selling guns

A gunman, 72-year-old Hemet resident Huu Can Tran, killed 11 people and wounded nine others at a dance studio during a Jan. 21 shooting in Monterey Park, known as the "first suburban Chinatown." Tran died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Torrance the next day.

Twelve days before Tran opened fire at Star Ballroom, he went twice to a police station in Hemet and voiced paranoid thoughts to authorities, telling them that his family tried to poison him and had defrauded him, according to documents from the San Gabriel Police Department. He had been arrested in November 1990 on suspicion of illegally possessing a firearm, police records show.

AB 732 would increase the roles of probation officers, prosecuting attorneys and the court to make sure that guns are relinquished after a conviction, meaning the court won't be able to close a case until the firearm has been taken from a convicted criminal. The bill would require a designated person to provide to the California Department of Justice updates about convicts who are prohibited from being armed and about efforts to collect their firearms.

People prohibited from owning firearms include those who were convicted of a violent or felony misdemeanor, who were placed under a domestic violence or any other restraining order or who struggle with severe mental illness.

AB 732 was amended to require the Department of Justice to keep a complete record regarding steps to ensure that a person prohibited from owning a gun no longer has firearms. The Department of Justice will also be allowed to give local law enforcement and the district attorney access to an electronic portal with information about prohibited people.

AB 733 would prohibit local and state agencies from selling firearms, firearm parts, body armor and ammunition. It was passed with amendments that address law enforcement concerns about officers' ability to purchase their service firearms.

AB 733 was also amended to delay the prohibition of sales by local and state agencies until Jan. 1, 2025, and add certain exemptions to allow government agencies to sell firearms, such as when they sell to a licensed firearm dealer who agrees to resell the items only to a law enforcement agency.

In the event of a disaster or mass shooting in an area where 5% of the population speaks a language other than English, AB 1638 would require that the local agency provide emergency information in the other language spoken by that population.

Read more: Healing a shattered community: Monterey Park shooting survivors return to dance

The Riverside Sheriff's Assn. argued against AB 733, saying that although members "understand the author's perspective about the government being in the business of selling firearms to the public, we believe there are some persons and entities to whom a law enforcement agency should be able to transfer firearms."

The National Rifle Assn. Institute for Legislative Action, the lobbying arm of the NRA, released a statement opposing the passage of AB 732 and AB 733.

"It's important that you contact your legislators and urge their opposition to the many anti-gun bills that could come up for a vote," it said.





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra was a staple of the brand's fashion show between 1997 and 2018.

Worn by a top model every year, the lingerie was always extravagant and covered in diamonds.

Each bra was highly valuable, with the most expensive being worth $15 million.

The Fantasy Bra was first introduced by Victoria's Secret in 1996 via a massive New York City billboard.

A billboard showing Claudia Schiffer wearing the Fantasy Bra in 1996. Evan Agostini/Getty Images

Worn by Claudia Schiffer, the diamond-encrusted lingerie was dubbed the "Million Dollar Miracle Bra."

It was only modeled for the Victoria's Secret catalog and advertisements, like the massive one displayed in New York City.

Tyra Banks wore the next one in 1997.

Tyra Banks models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 1997. Ron Galella/Getty Images

The "Diamond Dream Fantasy Bra" was much more understated than the original. It was crafted from white satin, lined with diamonds, and had one 42-carat teardrop gem hanging from its center.

Though the bra cost $3 million, it was never modeled on the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show runway  only at a private event held later.

Gisele Bundchen modeled the "Red Hot Fantasy Bra" to close the year in 2000.

Gisele Bundchen models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2000. DMIPhoto/Stringer/Getty Images

The ruby-covered bra and the matching panties modeled by Bundchen were the most expensive lingerie set created by Victoria's Secret, costing $15 million when they were made.

Heidi Klum sparkled in 2001 when she donned a less colorful but equally extravagant version of the garment.

Heidi Klum models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2001. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Called the "Heavenly Star Fantasy Bra," the sparkling white piece was decorated with 1,200 Sri Lankan pink sapphires, 2,300 round white diamonds in a wave pattern, and a 90-carat diamond in the middle.

It cost $12.5 million on its own, making it the most expensive bra in the world, according to the Guinness World Records. It was also the first Fantasy Bra modeled during the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Karolina Kurkova was chosen to debut the 2002 "Star of Victoria Fantasy Bra."

Karolina Kurkova models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2002. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

The $10 million piece had a floral theme, with 1,150 rubies in the shapes of roses, 1,600 emeralds placed like leaves, and diamonds creating smaller flowers around them.

Like its predecessor, this Fantasy Bra also featured a massive diamond in its center  this one a 60-carat Mouawad Mondera stone.

Klum returned in 2003 with an $11 million bra that took 370 hours to make.

Heidi Klum models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2003. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Dubbed the "Very Sexy Fantasy Bra," the 2003 design was a chainmail-style piece made from a mix of 2,809 white diamonds, yellow-orange sapphires, rhodolites, and amethysts.

It also featured the Mouawad Excelsior Diamond a 69-carat piece cut from the second-largest diamond in the world  hanging from its center.

Likely because it was see-through, Klum modeled it on the runway over a standard red bra.

2005 was the year of the "Sexy Splendor Fantasy Bra."

Gisele Bundchen models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2005. Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Modeled by Gisele Bundchen, the see-through piece cost $12.5 million and was crafted from 22 rubies and 2,900 pave-set diamonds in a floral pattern.

Hanging from its middle strap was the 101-carat Mouawad Splendor Diamond pendant.

Kurkova modeled her second Fantasy Bra in 2006.

Karolina Kurkova models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2006. Thomas Concordia/Stringer/Getty Images

The "Hearts on Fire Fantasy Bra" was one of the most dazzling ever seen on the Victoria's Secret runway.

Valued at $6.5 million, the silver bra was covered in tiny diamonds from its straps to its cups. It also had two thin straps in the middle with a 10-carat, flower-shaped pendant hanging from it.

Victoria's Secret put a holiday twist on the famous lingerie in 2007.

Selita Ebanks models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2007. Gabriel Bouys/Getty Images

The diamond-covered "Holiday Fantasy Bra"  modeled by Selita Ebanks  stood out thanks to the rubies, emeralds, and yellow sapphires arranged in the shape of holly across its cups.

Its Mouawad gems totaled 1,662.51 carats.

Victoria's Secret fans saw the dark side of the Fantasy Bra in 2008.

Adriana Lima poses with the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2008. AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Adriana Lima modeled the $5 million "Black Diamond Fantasy Miracle Bra."

It was covered in black diamonds and had strings of rubies and white diamonds across it, totaling 3,900 gems.

Victoria's Secret kept the edgy aesthetic going in 2009.

Marisa Miller models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2009. George Napolitano/Getty Images

The black "Harlequin Fantasy Bra" modeled by Marisa Miller was lined with white diamonds and decorated with brown gems in crisscross shapes across it  the work of Italian jeweler Damiani.

The $3 million piece also included a 16-carat heart-shaped diamond hanging from its center.

But the Fantasy Bra returned to its roots in 2010.

Adriana Lima models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2010. Slaven Vlasic/Stringer/Getty Images

Adriana Lima modeled the "Bombshell Fantasy Bra," a $2 million tan garment covered in 3,000 diamonds, sapphires, and topaz stones in shapes inspired by stars and constellations.

It took 1,500 hours for Damiani to create the piece.

The 2011 "Fantasy Treasure Bra" was blue and lined with pearls.

Miranda Kerr models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2011. Timothy A. Clary/Getty Images

Modeled by Miranda Kerr, the $2.5 million bra  designed by London Jewelers of New York  was covered in a mix of 3,400 diamonds, citrines, aquamarines, and pearls, the latter of which were also strung in rows beneath its cups.

Like other Fantasy Bras before it, the 2011 piece also had massive white and yellow diamonds around 8 carats each that hung from its center.

Alessandra Ambrosio was selected to walk the 2012 runway in the "Floral Fantasy Bra."

Alessandra Ambrosio models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2012. Antonio de Moraes Barros Filho/Getty Images

Another London Jewelers of New York creation, the peach-colored bra was valued at $2.5 million.

It had amethysts, sapphires, rubies, and diamonds in the shapes of flowers over 18-karat pink and yellow gold, as well as a 20-carat radiant-cut diamond hanging from a sparkling pendant.

The "Royal Fantasy Bra" was worn by Candice Swanepoel in 2013.

Candice Swanepoel models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2013. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

Designed by Mouawad, the "Royal Fantasy Bra" featured 5,400 multicolored gems  a mix of diamonds, rubies, and sapphires  and 18-karat yellow gold.

Its center stone, which was adorned with a diamond bow, was a 52-carat, pear-shaped ruby.

2014 was the first and only year Victoria's Secret created two Fantasy Bras.

Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2014. Michael Stewart/Getty Images

Crafted over 1,380 hours by Mouawad artists, the "Dream Angels Fantasy Bras" stood out thanks to an array of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and multicolored gems over 18-karat gold.

Adriana Lima modeled the blue version and Alessandra Ambrosio modeled the red. Each cost $2 million.

The 2015 Fantasy Bra modeled by Lily Aldridge had a summer flare.

Lily Aldridge models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2015. Taylor Hill/Getty Images

Called the "Fireworks Fantasy Bra," the $2 million piece was covered in 6,808 gemstones.

White diamonds covered its cups, while multicolored sapphires, garnets, amethysts, topazes, tourmalines, peridots, quartzes, citrines, and tsavorites were used to create the firework-esque swirls across them.

Jasmine Tookes dazzled in the 2016 "Bright Night Fantasy Bra."

Jasmine Tookes models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2016. Martin Bureau/Getty Images

Created over the course of 700 hours by Aziz & Walid Mouzannar, the $3 million bra was one of the most luxurious ever created for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

The geometric piece featured 9,000 diamonds and emeralds in round clusters, creating a cutout effect over its cups.

Lais Ribeiro sported the "Champagne Nights Fantasy Bra" in 2017.

Lais Ribeiro models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2017. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

This $2 million piece was created with 6,000 white diamonds, yellow sapphires, and blue topazes.

While the bra featured a signature stone hanging from its center  a giant blue topaz  its golden collar with a second loose gem was entirely unique.

Elsa Hosk modeled the final Fantasy Bra created by Victoria's Secret.

Elsa Hosk models the Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra in 2018. Michael Stewart/Getty Images

Designed by Atelier Swarovski, the $1 million "Dream Angels Fantasy Bra" was a netted bralette covered in 2,100 tiny diamonds.

It also had diamond-encrusted rope straps and a matching body chain that sat across it.

Read the original article on Insider
WASHINGTON  Hunter Biden s indictment on federal gun charges Thursday sets up the potential for a trial overlapping with his fathers re-election campaign.

Best case scenario? The charges are resolved quickly.

Worst case scenario? Hunter Biden is found guilty shortly before voters decide whether to give President Joe Biden a second term.

While the legal timeline is difficult to predict, Hunter Bidens attorney doesnt appear to be aiming for a quick resolution.

Usually, a trial date is set about 100 days from an indictment. Abbe Lowell has named several ways he plans to fight the indictment, making it unlikely his client would assert his right to a speedy trial.

Lowell argues the charges are barred under a plea agreement that fell apart in July.

He also asserts the charges  based on Biden allegedly possessing a revolver despite restrictions against people addicted to narcotics owning firearms  are unconstitutional. And Lowell said theres evidence, which he declined to identify, that will exonerate Hunter Biden when and if there is a trial.

On the facts, we think well have a defense, Lowell said Friday on ABCs Good Morning America.

President Joe Biden, and his son Hunter Biden arrive at Fort McNair, Sunday, June 25, 2023, in Washington.

Given the pretrial motions expected to be filed, the case may not get resolved until next spring or summer, said former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani, president of West Coast Trial Lawyers. It could go into the fall, though stretching it past the November elections might be challenging.

I dont know if it could get quite past the general election, Rahmani said. You either want to resolve it now or push it past it.

But William Bike, a communications expert and author of a how-to guide called Winning Political Campaigns, is doubtful delaying the case beyond the election would help President Bidens political future.

Conservative media and the Republicans will continue to bring up every legal motion and court ruling in that intervening time to keep the issue in front of the public, he said.

Bike said the federal charges against Hunter Biden are definitely a problem for his father and go hand-in-hand with the impeachment inquiry launched this week by House Republicans. Even if that inquiry fizzles out, it could still generate enough headlines, along with developments in Hunter Bidens criminal case, to give the impression to voters that where theres smoke, there must be fire.

And so the Biden advantage over (Donald) Trump on the honesty issue itself goes up in smoke, he said.

Its Trump, however, who will be spending significant time in a courtroom. The former president, and frontrunner for the GOP nomination, faces six criminal and civil trials during the next year. The first, a civil trial in New York against Trumps company, could start next month.

On Jan. 15, the same day as the Iowa caucuses, Trump is due in court to determine damages in E. Jean Carroll's defamation lawsuit.

In March, Trumps trial on federal charges he conspired to steal the 2020 election is tentatively scheduled to begin.

Republicans, including those vying with Trump for the nomination, have denounced the charges against him, accusing Democrats of weaponizing the Justice Department. Theyd also attacked the defunct plea agreement between Hunter Biden and federal prosecutors as a sweetheart deal.

Now that that the Justice Department has filed charges against Hunter Biden that could land him in jail, that diminishes the weaponizing argument and takes away charges of favoritism, said Todd Belt, professor and director of political management at George Washington University.

In a strange way, it actually reflects much more positively on (President) Biden, he said.

While the president would obviously have preferred not to deal with the indictment of his son, Belt added, voters have traditional been able to disentangle the actions of a candidate from those of friends and family members.

The number one issue going into the election will be the issue that is in every election, he said, and that is the economy.

Contributing: Bart Jansen.

The charges Hunter Biden indicted on federal gun charges for allegedly lying about drug addiction

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hunter Biden trial timeline may collide with father's 2024 campaign
Tom Mueller helped Elon Musk set up SpaceX in 2002.

Mueller went from playing with toy rockets in Idaho to shaping one of the world's most innovative firms.

He now runs his own company, Impulse Space, and is trying to beat Musk in the race to Mars.

Tom Mueller may not be a household name, but he was Elon Musk's righthand man at Space X for about two decades.

Mueller spoke to Walter Isaacson for his new biography of Elon Musk, revealing the demanding billionaire's biggest weaknesses and what it was like working for him.

From growing up in rural Idaho to becoming SpaceX's propulsion chief, here's how Mueller became a leading figure in the aerospace world.

Mueller spent his college summers logging in Idaho before moving to Los Angeles

Mueller grew up just 100 miles from the border of Canada in the town of Saint Maries, population 2,500. Passionate about science fiction, he started building rockets aged 14.

With a father who worked as a lumberjack, Mueller took up the chainsaw during his summer vacations from the University of Idaho in the mid-1980s.

He still has "the rough-hewn look of a future lumberjack," according to Isaacson. But growing up around machines and tools also informed his passion for science and rocket building. "Being hands-on gave me a feel for what would work and what wouldn't," he tells Isaacson.

After graduating, Mueller moved to Los Angeles to start his career in aerospace, getting a job working on aircraft at TRW and becoming a member of the Reaction Research Society, America's oldest amateur rocketry club.

Musk and Mueller devised SpaceX on a Super Bowl Sunday

One Sunday in January 2002, Mueller was working on a homemade rocket in a garage with friends when he was told the internet millionaire Musk, who'd just sold PayPal to Ebay for $1.5 billion, wanted to meet him.

They arranged a meeting for the following weekend, which happened to be Super Bowl Sunday, at which they sketched out plans for the first SpaceX rocket.

"We watched like maybe one play, because we were so engaged in talking about building a launch vehicle," Mueller told Isaacson.

Along with Chris Thompson, the trio set up what was known as Space Exploration Technologies Corporation before becoming SpaceX later that year. Mueller was made head of propulsion  calculating how to safely create enough thrust to get the rockets off the ground.

"I was very lucky that I met the right visionary and because of my passion for rocket engineering I was invited to this opportunity that became SpaceX," he said of the meeting at a 2018 commencement speech at the University of Idaho.

Mueller's rocky start with Musk

Mueller made a misstep when he started working at SpaceX. Not wanting to risk his finances if the venture failed, he asked Musk to put two years' worth of compensation into escrow.

Musk agreed, but Isaacson writes that this meant Musk considered "Mueller an employee, rather than a cofounder, of SpaceX."

"You cannot ask for two years of salary in escrow and consider yourself a cofounder" Musk told Isaacson. "There's got to be some combination of inspiration, perspiration, and risk to be a cofounder."

Elon Musk with a SpaceX rocket in March 2004 in El Segundo, Los Angeles. Paul Harris/Getty Images

"A maniancal sense of urgency is our operating principle"

At SpaceX, Mueller got the chance to fulfill his childhood dream of working on rockets. But he was also working for an "insane" boss who managed SpaceX through aggressive scheduling, a learn-by-failing mantra, and taught his employees to never say no to him.

"If you were negative or thought something couldn't be done, you were not invited to the next meeting," Mueller recalls in Isaacson's biography. "He just wanted people who would make things happen."

On presenting an already cut-down schedule for a Merlin engine, Musk complained that they had to move faster, per Isaacson's book. "How the fuck can it take so long?" Musk asked. "This is stupid. Cut it in half."

When Mueller told him that was impossible, he was held back after the meeting and told that if he wanted to remain in charge of engines he should give Musk what he asked for.

"I learned never to tell him no," Mueller says. "Just say you're going to try, then later explain why if it doesn't work out".

Sometimes the sense of urgency made the impossible happen, Mueller says of Musk's operational style in the biography. But it was also his biggest weakness: "If you give them a schedule that's physically impossible, engineers aren't stupid. You've demoralized them. It's Elon's biggest weakness."

In May 2014 he became CTO of propulsion, leading the development of the Merlin rocket engine that powers the Falcon 9 rocket, and the Draco engines that power the Dragon spacecraft.

"I am very proud of what we have achieved at SpaceX," Mueller told the University of Idaho in 2018.

Mueller's Mars race with Musk

Mueller left SpaceX in late 2020 and, thanks to significant investor encouragement from the likes of Peter Thiel, founded his own company, Impulse Space. It's building a spacecraft that can cost-effectively deliver "multiple payloads to unique orbits from a single launch," per its website.

Impulse is also teaming up with Relativity Space, which successfully launched the world's first 3D printed rocket earlier this year. They aim to delivery the first commercial payload to Mars in 2026 with Relativity Terran R launch vehicle, which uses Impulse rockets.

If they succeed, Mueller will be part of the team that beats Musk to his goal of being the first to reach Mars.

Mueller still hopes to go to space himself. "My bucket list would be to go the moon and ride an electric dirt bike on the moon," he told the Pathfinder podcast.

Mueller did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Three Tacoma police officers are officially on trial for the alleged murder of an unarmed 33-year-old Black man.

Manuel Ellis, Manny to family and friends, died in March of 2020 after he was stopped while walking home.

Cell phone video shows just how violent his death was. Tacoma police officers tazed, tackled, and repeatedly punched the 33-year-old man, at one point squeezing his neck so hard, that he protested.

I cant breathe, sir, Ellis was recorded saying, twice.

Still, it would take one very long year of protests and a rare investigation by Attorney General Bob Ferguson for the officers to be charged in Elliss death.

Late Monday afternoon the Ellis family released a statement that reads in part, Our hope is today, September 18, 2023, will help mark a turning point in the history of our country in favor of truth and justice.

It then goes on to say, Government officials have long been complicit in ensuring a climate of zero accountability for police misconduct. This cannot stand.

Security has been tightened for this case. In fact, journalists are not allowed on the third floor where the trial is being held unless they have a special white badge. And there are just five badges for journalists.

There wasnt visible evidence of heightened security and no need for it, at least not yet. But make no mistake, what is beginning here in this courthouse is already historic.

The officers accused of brutally beating Manny to death have pleaded not guilty. They stood in the Pierce County Superior courtroom where their fate will be decided in the next few months.

Tacoma Police officers Matthew Collins and Christopher Burbank, both white, were both charged with 2nd-degree murder and 1st-degree manslaughter. Timothy Rankine, who is Asian American, was charged with 1st degree manslaughter.

A crucial issue is what actually killed Manny Ellis - the brutal beating and the spit hood placed over his head or his damaged heart and the methamphetamine that the Pierce County Medical Examiner says Ellis had in his system.

It prompted this exchange between Judge Bryan Chushcoff and a lawyer representing the state.

You dont think it has anything to do with his death, of course? asked Judge Chushcoff. So theyre right about that part?

I dont know that I would say it had nothing to do with his death, replied Henry Phillips, a lawyer for the prosecution. Some of our experts opined that it increased the need for oxygen which he was then deprived of because of the actions of the defendants.

We were told all 150 potential jurors filled out the extensive questionnaire they received on Monday. Sixty-five of them will be in the courtroom tomorrow. Anyone with a major hardship will be immediately excused.

Then, the hard work to impanel this jury will begin.

It could take two weeks.
Former President Donald Trump on Friday suggested that people need identification to purchase groceries, repeating a wild claim hes pushed in the past.

You have voter ID to buy a loaf of bread. You have ID to buy a loaf of bread, he said at a summit of the Concerned Women for America, a conservative group, in Washington, D.C.

"You have voted ID to buy a loaf of bread" -- Trump still doesn't know how buying groceries works pic.twitter.com/XI61Qva8yA  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 16, 2023

Trump has made similar assertions over the years. During a 2018 rally, he stated that you need a picture on a card, you need ID, to buy groceries. Months later, he suggested that theres an ID requirement for cereal purchases.

In 2019, the former president received pushback for another supermarket-related claim when he said grocery stores would work along with federal employees amid a government shutdown.

Local people know who they are when they go for groceries, he said at the time. Thats what happens in times like this  they know the people, theyve been dealing with them for years, and they work along.

Social media users mocked this weeks bread remarks from Trump, quipping that they got carded for pumpernickel the other day.

Tell me you've never bought bread before without actually saying it.  Double_Anarchy (@Double_Anarchy3) September 16, 2023

"I just need you to find me 11,780 loaves"  Gerry McK (@GMcK2012) September 16, 2023

Wish we had video of him at a checkout counter befuddled by scanners.  _  (@SundaeDivine) September 16, 2023

has he ever bought groceries?  Zachary Pleat (@zpleat) September 16, 2023

Can confirm I had to show my social security card for the rye I bought today.  The Chud Report (@TheChudReport) September 16, 2023

Related...
Former President Trump attacked Justice Department (DOJ) special counsel Jack Smith after the prosecutor asked for a partial gag order in the trial related to Trumps alleged effort to overturn the 2020 election.

Deranged Jack Smith, hes the prosecutor, hes a deranged person, wants to take away my rights under the First Amendment, Trump said during a speech Friday at the Concerned Women of America conference in Washington. He wants to take away my right of speaking freely and openly.

Never forget our enemies want to stop us because we are the only ones that can stop them, the former president continued. They want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom.

Smith requested a limited gag order to prevent Trump from saying certain prejudicial extrajudicial statements, seeking a narrow, well-defined restriction on what the former president can say about the case.

The order would include limiting what he can say about court testimony and witnesses in order to prevent interference in the trial.

The defendant knows that when he publicly attacks individuals and institutions, he inspires others to perpetrate threats and harassment against his targets, prosecutors wrote in the filing.

Since the indictment in this case, the defendant has spread disparaging and inflammatory public posts on Truth Social on a near-daily basis regarding the citizens of the District of Columbia, the Court, prosecutors, and prospective witnesses, DOJ continued.

Trumps attorneys have opposed such an order.

These people are sick, Trump said on Friday. They want to silence me because I will never let them silence you, never.

And in the end theyre not after me, theyre after you, he added. I just happened to be standing in their way, unfortunately for me, but youre lucky.

Trumps looming legal woes include four federal indictments with charges related to falsification of business records, mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House and his alleged efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election to President Biden.

In this federal election interference case, led by Smith, the former president was charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S., alongside obstruction and other lesser charges.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former President Donald Trump responded furiously to the special counsel's request for a gag order prohibiting him from attacking prosecutors, witnesses and the judge in his federal indictment over attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

"Im campaigning for President against an incompetent person who has WEAPONIZED the DOJ & FBI to go after his Political Opponent, & I am not allowed to COMMENT?" Trump wrote on Truth Social soon after the news of the request broke Friday. "How else would I explain that Jack Smith is DERANGED, or Crooked Joe is INCOMPETENT?"

U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan unsealed a court filing on Friday afternoon that revealed special counsel Jack Smith had asked for the order, which he argues the court must grant because Trump's continued verbal attacks undermine the fairness of the case.

Trump, who has for years taken to social media to attack his political opponents, also retains great influence over his followers, some of whom have in several cases harassed figures the former president has attacked on social media  examples that Smith cited in his papers arguing for the gag order.

The former president, who remains the leading contender to win the Republican nomination for president in 2024, has continually argued that all his indictments are unfair, and he has also insisted that he will not receive a fair trial in Washington, D.C.

Later Friday, Trump again hit Smith while speaking at the Concerned Women for America summit in Washington, D.C., saying "they want to take away my freedom" and First Amendment rights.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his gratitude for the recent support he has received from Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and claimed he could achieve peace in Ukraine in a day during an interview aired by U.S. news channel NBC News on Sept. 15.

Read also: Why Vladimir Putin is losing the information war to Ukraine

During the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, Putin said he was pleased with Trumps previous remarks, in which the former president pledged to resolve all burning issues within several days, including the Ukrainian crisis.

I like that he (Putin) said that. Because that means what Im saying is right, said Trump.

I would get him into a room. Id get (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy into a room. Then Id bring them together. And Id have a deal worked out.

Read also: Francis Fukuyama on Western attitudes towards Russia and 'overemphasized' corruption  interview

In the NBC interview, Trump confidently claimed that if he were re-elected as president, he would solve the war problem within 24 hours, but did not provide any details of his plan, saying it might interfere with his deal making.

If I tell you exactly, I lose all my bargaining chips, Trump said. I mean, you cant really say exactly what youre going to do. But I would say certain things to Putin. I would say certain things to Zelenskyy.

Despite persistent questioning by the journalist, Trump gave no clear strategy for ending the conflict.

When asked whether he would allow the Kremlin to retain Ukrainian territory that Russian forces had illegally seized by force, he responded that he would make a fair deal for everyone.

The vast majority of Ukrainians  around 84% according to recent polling  are against peace talks with Russia until Moscow has removed all of its invasion forces from Ukrainian territory, including Ukraines Crimean Peninsula, up to Ukraines internationally recognized borders of 1991.

Read also: The Kremlin is burying itself deeper and deeper - opinion

NBC added that Trump continues to lead in Republican polls as the frontrunner for the 2024 U.S. presidential race.

Putin also commended Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla and SpaceX, as a talented and exceptional individual, on Sept. 12. Earlier, a scandal had erupted over whether Musk had foiled a Ukrainian attack on the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol by denying the Ukrainian Armed Forces access to his Starlink satellite Internet service.

Putin also dismissed the investigation against former U.S. President Donald Trump as politically motivated persecution.

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
Donald Trump is open to picking a female running mate for the 2024 presidential election, the former president said in an interview scheduled to air Sunday.

I like the concept, but were going to pick the best person, Trump told NBC's "Meet The Press" host Kristen Welker when asked if he was leaning toward choosing a woman. But I do like the concept, yes.

Trump said he hadnt given it much thought yet, but told Welker, You always do a little bit, but I really dont think its time. I want to win.

In the interview, Welker floated the possibility of South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem , who recently endorsed Trump while appearing alongside him at a fundraiser in her home state.

Trump called her fantastic and said she was someone he would consider choosing.

Nikki Haley, one of Trump's many primary contenders, is also among the potential candidates. Haley previously served as governor of South Carolina and then as ambassador to the United Nations, after being nominated by Trump.

Some of the male presidential candidates are also seen as potential picks.

Entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy has gone so far in his support for the former president as to pledge to pardon him if elected. Trump has expressed openness to having Ramaswamy as his running mate, but Ramaswamy has said he has no interest in the No. 2 spot.

In addition, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott's refusal to attack Trump suggests that he could be keeping his options open to an invitation to the Trump 2024 ticket.

Trump and his former vice president Mike Pence have recently stepped up attacks on each other on the campaign trail, effectively ruling him out of the 2024 veepstakes.
Phil Jensen wore a bright red T-shirt with Donald Trumps mug shot and NEVER SURRENDER! printed on it to the former presidents rally in Rapid City, South Dakota, last week. The longtime state legislator loved the shirt so much, he planned on giving half a dozen to his friends and family.

He looks defiant, Jensen said of the photo taken at an Atlanta jail after Trump was indicted over his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state.

And I love it because he has every right to be, the South Dakota Republican said. He was railroaded.

In more than 40 interviews with CNN in Iowa, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Alabama, South Dakota and Texas, Trump supporters said the 91 criminal charges in four separate cases against him have only deepened their support of the former president. They repeated Trumps unfounded claims that he was the subject of a politically motivated witch hunt and said they believed the charges showed the system was rigged against him  and, by extension, them.

A majority of Americans think that the charges against Trump are valid and that he should be prosecuted, recent polls show, but Trump maintains a tight grip on the Republican Party and his front-runner status in the 2024 GOP presidential primary is undisputed.

What theyre doing to him is persecution, said Corey Bonner of Texas. Theyre going after an old American president, theyve been going after him since the beginning, they havent stopped, and theyre not going to stop. And this is where we have to stand up and fight.

At a summer gathering for Alabama Republicans, 81-year-old retired schoolteacher Carolyn McNeese echoed Trumps attacks on the prosecutors who have charged him and said she thought they were evil.

They want him out because theyre scared of him, McNeese said.

Those interviewed said they believed that President Joe Bidens son Hunter was the one who needed to be charged and that Republicans faced a different standard under the justice system. And some said that perhaps Trump did commit crimes, but it didnt change their opinion of him because, as Texas resident Bobby Wilson put it, We all have sinned; we all have some things that weve done.

Hes probably guilty, but it doesnt matter, said Jace Kirschenman, an 18-year-old in South Dakota who works in construction.

He said nothing could deter him from voting for Trump next year.

You show me a perfect person in this world, and Ill show you a blue pig with wings, said Corey Shawgo, a 34-year-old truck driver in Pennsylvania who attended Trumps rally in Erie. Everyone makes mistakes.

Like many other Trump supporters interviewed, Scott Akers of Alabama immediately pointed to Hunter Biden when asked about Trumps mounting legal peril.

We have something finally start to come out about the connection between Hunter Bidens shady dealings and his father and then, like two days later, theres a federal indictment, Akers said. The timing of it is very ironic.

The presidents son has been the subject of investigations by House Republicans and the federal Justice Department. The House GOP probe has so far failed to surface any evidence showing Joe Biden profited from his sons business dealings, but it has found that the younger Biden used his fathers names to help advance deals. Separately, Hunter Biden was indicted on Thursday by special counsel David Weiss in connection to a gun he purchased in 2018.

This countrys a powder keg

Intertwined with their outrage over the indictments, some Trump supporters are raising the specter of heightened political violence if Trump were to be convicted.

This countrys a powder keg. You know, weve bout had it, said Frank Yurisic, 76, who attended Trumps Pennsylvania rally.

I think there could very well possibly be violence, Yurisic said. If they march on Washington, Ill be one of the ones there. I dont think they realize how upset the people are in this country about whats going on.

South Dakota state Rep. Phil Jensen is seen at Trump's rally in Rapid City on September 8, 2023. - Kate Sullivan/CNN

The predictions of possible violence made by some Trump supporters in interviews with CNN echo Trumps warnings of what could happen were he to be convicted.

Before Trumps first indictment in March, he had warned about potential death and destruction if a Manhattan grand jury were to indict him on charges related to a hush money payment to an adult film star. When asked in an Iowa radio interview in July how he thought his supporters would react if he did ultimately end up behind bars, Trump said, I think its a very dangerous thing to even talk about because we do have a tremendously passionate group of voters.

Therell be backlash, and itll probably be severe, said Jim Vanoy, an 80-year-old Trump supporter who lives in Alabama. He said he thought there would be a good degree of violence if Trump is convicted.

Rachel Kleinfeld, a senior fellow in the democracy, conflict and governance program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said the US has seen vastly increased political violence since Trump took office in 2017.

He unleashed some of the worst parts of the American id in normalizing violence as a way to solve political differences. And so were seeing neighbors killing neighbors, people killing business owners over political disputes all over the country, she said.

But Kleinfeld pointed to the lengthy prison sentences meted out to some participants in the deadly January 6, 2021, insurrection at the US Capitol as a potential deterrent to political violence. Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right militia group Oath Keepers, was sentenced to 18 years in prison and Enrique Tarrio, the former head of the far-right Proud Boys, was sentenced to 22 years. Kleinfeld also noted the two-and-a-half-year prison sentence handed down to an Iowa man for threatening Arizonas attorney general and a Phoenix-area election official.

What were seeing now is a summer of a lot of accountability, where people are starting to be held to account for violence, and that is the best possible thing for reducing future violence, she said.

Trump supporter Amanda Hamak-Leon and her boyfriend are seen at his Rapid City, South Dakota, rally on September 8, 2023. - Kate Sullivan/CNN

Trump continues to defend his supporters who were part of the January 6 mob and said in a recent interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that there was love and unity among those who had gathered in Washington that day.

His lies about the 2020 election, which fueled the riot at the Capitol, were repeated on the campaign trail by his supporters in interviews with CNN. Many said they felt confident in Trumps chances in a rematch with Biden in 2024.

Unless they convict him of something, I dont care, said Mark Roling, 63, of Pennsylvania. In fact, I kind of like it. Every time they indict him, he gets stronger.

Im being indicted for you

Trump has widened his polling lead over the rest of the GOP field since his first criminal charges were announced this spring, and his campaign has reported fundraising boosts in the wake of his indictments. That has vexed many Democrats, independents and more moderate Republican voters, who question how his supporters arent turned off by the serious and numerous criminal charges against Trump and believe the indictments should disqualify him from a second term as president.

Hes making a psychic connection between his troubles with government and peoples troubles with government. And its working, said Craig Shirley, who has written four books on former President Ronald Reagan and has been a Republican strategist for decades.

So many Americans have had bad experiences with government over the years, Shirley said. Theyve had bad experiences with the IRS. Theyve had bad experiences with police forces. Theyve had bad experiences with school boards. Theyve had bad experiences with any manifestation of some form of government, and that has made them more and more anti-establishment.

Trump has been intentional on the campaign trail about making his supporters feel like his indictments are personal to them. Im being indicted for you, he says at every rally. Theyre not coming after me, theyre coming after you, and Im just standing in their way.

Its very much like a family protecting one of their own, Whit Ayres, a veteran GOP pollster, said of how Trumps supporters have rallied around the former president.

He came down the escalator in 2015, saying, I am doing this for you. I am your protector. I am the only one looking out for you. And an attack on me is an attack on you. And he has been beating that drum now for eight years, and its accepted as true by millions of his supporters, Ayres said.

The day after Trump was booked at the Fulton County jail in Atlanta, his campaign said it had the highest-grossing fundraising day of the entire campaign to date, raising $4.18 million. A few days later, the campaign said it had raked in nearly $3 million off mug shot merchandise alone.

A vendor sells T-shirts featuring Trump's mug shot outside his Rapid City, South Dakota, rally on September 8, 2023. - Scott Olson/Getty Images

But the market for mug shot merchandise extends well beyond the official campaign store as private vendors see their sales skyrocket.

This is the new Lets Go Brandon, said Sam Smith, a private vendor at Trumps Rapid City rally, referring to the right-wing slogan used to insult Joe Biden. Smith, who travels around the country to sell merchandise outside the former presidents events, said he made solid money for two years off Lets Go Brandon products.

Longtime Trump supporter Amanda Hamak-Leon bought matching mug shot T-shirts on Amazon that said WANTED FOR PRESIDENT for her and her boyfriend to wear to Trumps rally in Rapid City.

It really ticked me off, Hamak-Leon said of Trumps indictments. I just feel like now for six-plus years theyve been going after him with anything that they can, taking shots in the dark. It just makes me like him more that he just keeps going and is not letting this stop him.

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Former Trump lawyer Jenna Ellis is a co-defendant in his Georgia election interference case.

She says she'll no longer support the former president due to his "narcissistic" tendencies.

Ellis said she "simply can't support him for elected office again."

Jenna Ellis, one of Donald Trump's former lawyers who is a co-defendant in Georgia, has turned on the former president.

Ellis said she would not support his third bid for the presidency because of his "narcissistic" tendencies.

"I simply can't support him for elected office again," Ellis said on her show on American Family Radio, a right-wing Christian network. "Why I have chosen to distance is because of that frankly malignant narcissistic tendency to simply say that he's never done anything wrong."

Trump had already turned on Ellis earlier this year when she expressed support for his 2024 rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis .

Trump and 18 of his associates, including Ellis, were charged in Georgia relating to their efforts to overturn Biden's election victory in the state.

Prosecutors say that the group attempted to organize a scheme to use "fake" Electoral College electors to vote in favor of the former president.

Ellis faces charges of racketeering and soliciting a public official to violate their oath of office. She turned herself in last month and was released on $100,000 bond.

Trump, meanwhile, faces 13 charges including racketeering, solicitation of violation of oath by a public officer, conspiracy, making false statements and writings, and filing false documents.

Ellis gained national attention when she became an adviser for Trump in late 2019 after the former president was reportedly impressed by her TV appearances.

On her show on Thursday, Ellis spoke with another right-wing host, Steve Deace, about her changed views on Trump.

Deace spoke critically of the former president at length, particularly his inability to admit fault and lack of religiousness. He added that Trump "needs Jesus again" and ought to admit he "not God."

Ellis responded that Deace had "perfectly articulated exactly how I as a voter feel."

"I know him well, as a friend, as a former boss, I have great love and respect for him personally," Ellis said. "But everything that you just said resonates with me as exactly why I simply can't support him for elected office again."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Trump on Friday continued his attack on GOP lawmakers messaging on abortion, claiming they dont know how to explain it properly.

A lot of politicians who are pro-life do not know how to discuss this topic, Trump told the audience at the Concerned Women of American conference in Washington, D.C. And they lose their election. We had a lot of election losses because of this because they didnt know how to discuss it.

The former president also maintained his belief that while the Supreme Courts Dobbs v. Jackson decision last year  which overturned Roe v. Wade and a federal right to abortion  was a major accomplishment, but hurt Republicans because of the rhetoric.

Disappointing 2022 election results, where Republicans failed to win the Senate and secured a much tighter majority than expected in the House, have been blamed on the importance of the abortion rights issue in the months following the Dobbs decision.

When they do talk about it correctly, its an issue that really can be positive because we do have to hold on to office, we do have to win, Trump continued. And we can win elections on this issue, but its very delicate, and you know, explaining it properly is an extremely important thing. You have to be able to speak and explain it properly.

I listen to people talking about it and they dont know what to say, he added.

Messaing on abortion rights has been a rife debate within the GOP, especially for 2024 presidential candidates. While some have embraced hard-line anti-abortion rights positions, others have been less clear.

Presidential candidate Nikki Haley, for example, has argued that making abortion rights a banner issue for the 2024 race could scare off suburban women voters, who are more likely to care about the issue.

Much of the discussion is centered on a national abortion ban, federal policy mirroring abortion bans in many conservative states. While Republican candidates like former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.) have both embraced a national policy, others like Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have seemingly avoided the topic altogether.

Trump previously stated that the Dobbs decision was likely a negative for the GOP in 2022 earlier this month.

Its probably cost us politically because the other side got energized, he said at a rally in South Dakota. You know, theyre the radicals, not the pro-lifers. But now pro-lifers have a tremendous power to negotiate.

His comments sparked sparked criticism from Pence, who has made abortion one of the most important issues of his campaign.

The former president actually suggested that we lost elections in the midterms because we overturned Roe v. Wade, Pence said earlier this month. I dont believe that for a second.

Trump on Friday also took the opportunity to rail against California policies that protect transgender students from parents that do not accept their identities.

The California state government has pushed against policies forcing students to have their transgender identities outed to their parents without their consent. The state has also welcomed minors from other states into California to receive gender-affirming care.

We will prosecute those involved in this sick California scheme for violating federal laws against kidnapping and sex trafficking, the former president said. Its really sex trafficking, child abuse and a deprivation of civil rights.

He added that he would also reenact a ban on transgender members of the military.

The moves come as Republicans nationwide increase scrutiny and regulation on transgender people, especially minors, including regulating gender-affirming care and recognition in school.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
US President Donald Trump is pleased that he was praised by Russian President Vladimir Putin , who said he supported Trump's intention to end the Russian war against Ukraine in one day.

Source: Trump in an interview with NBC News

Details: Trump reiterated that if he is re-elected as president, he will stop the war within 24 hours, although he did not provide details of how he is going to do it: "If I tell you exactly, I lose all my bargaining chips. I mean, you cant really say exactly what youre going to do. But I would say certain things to Putin. I would say certain things to Zelenskyy".

Last week, Putin said at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok that he had heard Trump's words about his intention to resolve the conflict within a few days: "We cannot help but feel happy about it."

Trump said he was pleased by those comments: "I like that he said that. Because that means what Im saying is right. I would get him into a room. Id get Zelenskyy into a room. Then Id bring them together. And Id have a deal worked out".

Trump did not specify what this agreement would consist of or whether it would preserve Ukraine's territorial integrity, only saying that it would be "a fair deal for everybody".

Background:

In July, Trump said that if he won the US presidential election, he would force the presidents of Ukraine and Russia to conclude a peace agreement.

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In his latest gaffe-laden speech, Donald Trump appeared to suggest former President Barack Obama was running in 2024 as he warned that cognitively impaired President Joe Biden could lead the country into World War Two if he wins re-election.

During his remarks at the Washington DC Pray Vote Stand Summit on Friday, the former president said: We have a man who is totally corrupt and the worst president in the history of our country, who is cognitively impaired, in no condition to lead, and is now in charge of dealing with Russia and possible nuclear war.

Just think of it. We would be in World War Two very quickly if were going to be relying on this man, and far more devastating than any war, he continued as dramatic music swelled in the background.

There will never be a war if that happens there will never be a war like this. It will obliterate everything there is, everybody, it will obliterate every country.

In the past, Mr Trump has frequently said that Mr Biden would lead the country into the Third World War and the gaffe may have gone unnoticed had he not continued to stumble over his words confusing his political opponents with each other.

The former president said he was beating Mr Obama, the 44th president, in the 2024 election polls and then appeared to suggest he had beaten him in 2016 before correcting himself that his opponent then was Hillary Clinton.

Commentators on X, formerly known as Twitter, were left unimpressed and agog by Mr Trumps word salad of a speech.

Former NBCUniversal executive Mike Sington posted: Trump has lost it, hes demonstrating how cognitively impaired he is. Watch him ramble, stumble on his words, blank out, then turn to reading the teleprompter to save himself, reading it intently. And he still misspeaks.

MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan tweeted: 77-year-old Trump last night was so confused and incoherent that he suggested Obama was his opponent in 2024, also suggested he beat Obama in 2016, and seemed to think we were on the verge of Word War *2*.

He added: I can only imagine the headlines if 80-year-old Biden had said this.

Former Trump White House staffer, now co-host of The View, Alyssa Farah Griffin, wrote: Ive been outspoken over my concerns about Bidens age. But being consistent: This is a word-salad mess. Trump seems confused about who he ran against in 16. Hes just 3 years younger than Biden.

America deserves better, she concluded.

At another event on Friday, the former president also repeated the bizarre claim that Americans need to show ID to buy a loaf of bread.
Florida Republicans scrapped a loyalty pledge Friday that was required for candidates to get on the presidential primary ballot, a move requested by allies of former President Donald Trump that demonstrated his continued dominance of the party  even in a state led by his top GOP rival.

Trump's ability to exert his will on Florida Republican leaders is an embarrassment for Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose allies worked unsuccessfully to keep the loyalty pledge.

This combination of photos shows Republican presidential candidates former President Donald Trump, left, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the Republican Party of Iowa's 2023 Lincoln Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, Friday, July 28, 2023. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) ORG XMIT: WX206

Joe Gruters, a state senator from Sarasota and former Florida GOP chair who has endorsed Trump, led the push to rescind the loyalty pledge.

Gruters said it passed on an "overwhelming voice vote."

The Republican Party of Florida adopted a requirement this year that GOP presidential contenders pledge to support the party's eventual nominee in order to appear on the March 19 primary ballot.

Trump rejected a similar pledge that was put forward by the Republican National Committee as a requirement for participating in the primary debates.

Why would I sign it?" Trump said on Newsmax. I can name three or four people that I wouldnt support for president. So right there, theres a problem.

Winning the loyalty pledge fight is another sign that Trump holds more sway with many Florida Republicans than DeSantis, despite the governor leading the state since 2019.

Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis looks into the crowd after speaking as supporters of former President Donald Trump hold up signs during the Ashley's BBQ Bash fundraiser, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2023, at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

While DeSantis has the backing of many Republicans in the Legislature, most of the state's GOP congressional delegation has endorsed Trump and a July poll from Florida Atlantic University shows Trump leading DeSantis in Florida among GOP voters by 20 percentage points.

This persistent support continues to bolster Trumps strong and steady position within the party," FAU political science professor Kevin Wagner said in July.

Gruters said there would be an outcry if the Florida GOP tried to keep Trump off the ballot because he refused to sign the loyalty pledge.

I think the party did the right thing," Gruters said. "We do not want to create unnecessary road blocks for qualified candidates for president, and I think once again this shows the Republican Party of Florida and the base loves the former president."

The president is battling a lot of different fights on a lot of fronts, certainly it shouldnt be with the party," he added.

Hyped as the strongest potential GOP challenger to Trump, DeSantis has dropped in the polls and experienced significant turmoil in his campaign since launching in May. National polling has DeSantis in a distant second place, far behind Trump, in the GOP primary and he also trails by big margins in early voting states.

Trump's dominance in Florida is particularly notable, though, because it's the state where GOP voters know DeSantis best. Losing Florida likely would end his presidential campaign.

Having party activists buck him on the loyalty pledge could be viewed as a sign that there are cracks in DeSantis' Florida base of support.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Donald Trump convinces Florida Republicans to ditch loyalty pledge
Theyre more conservative than other Republicans. More likely to be men. Less likely to have graduated from college.

And theyre way more confident theyve made up their minds, even though the first primary or caucus is still four months away.

Thats the coalition former President Donald Trump has assembled in asserting his dominance over the Republican presidential primary.

Examining the voters assembled behind Trump  and the minority who are backing other candidates  is essential to understanding how he came to dominate the fight for the GOP nomination. It also underscores the uphill climb Trumps opponents have to unseating the former president as the leader of a Republican Party hes reshaped in his own image. Call it a pre-mortem autopsy for the primary, which feels close to being over despite Trumps well-documented judicial headaches.

What was once an emerging two-man race between Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis instead now looks like a runaway train. Two major national polls this week showed Trump at or above 60 percent among Republican primary voters, a commanding lead far greater than early in the year, when Trumps average share of support was in the low-to-mid 40s.

In order to get a full profile of the voters who are with Trump and those who arent, I used additional data provided by Quinnipiac University from a poll the school released this week showing Trump with a 50-point lead over DeSantis, 62 percent to 12 percent.

This analysis combines all respondents who chose another candidate rather than looking at DeSantis supporters, for example, because the individual non-Trump candidates dont have enough voters to form a meaningful sample on their own.



Even though DeSantis and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy  the second- and third-place candidates in the Quinnipiac poll  are mostly running to Trumps right, the former presidents supporters are consistently more conservative than the voters who back other candidates.

In the Quinnipiac poll, 46 percent of the Republican and Republican-leaning independent voters who said they support Trump in the primary identified as very conservative. Among the voters who chose other candidates, only 22 percent were very conservative. That means Trumps voters are more than twice as likely as other candidates supporters to self-describe as very conservative.

Just 21 percent of Trump supporters say theyre liberal or moderate  but 39 percent of non-Trump voters come from the primary electorates left flank.



That doesnt mean DeSantis, Ramaswamy or any of the other Trump challengers would be well-served to tack left. Self-identified liberals and moderates only make up 29 percent of Quinnipiacs sample of Republicans, and entrance and exit polls from 2016 suggest theyre also distinct minorities in the early states of Iowa (15 percent), New Hampshire (29 percent) and South Carolina (18 percent).

Ideology isnt the only defining cleavage between Trump and non-Trump Republican voters. Education polarization has roiled American politics over the past two decades, particularly among white voters, who are increasingly divided between more-educated voters moving toward Democrats and those with lower levels of educational attainment becoming more Republican. The same rupture exists within the GOP.

According to the Quinnipiac poll, 54 percent of Trumps white supporters were without college degrees and 15 percent of them had four-year degrees. For the other candidates white voters, 36 percent had no college degrees and an equal share had four-year degrees.

Given the gender gap between the parties, Trumps alleged misconduct and his comments about women, its not a surprise that men made up a majority of his Republican supporters. But the margin is not that lopsided: 42 percent of Trump voters in the primary were women in the poll, and the former president was the top choice of Republican women by far.



One of the most striking differences between Republican voters who said they want Trump again and those who dont is their respective levels of commitment.

Across polls, Trump voters are disproportionately likely to say their minds are made up. In the Quinnipiac poll, 68 percent of Trumps supporters said they were firmly set on their choice. But among the GOP voters who chose other candidates, only 16 percent had fully decided on a nominee.

Thats also the case in the states with early caucuses or primaries. In a Monmouth University-Washington Post poll of Republican primary voters in South Carolina released this week, three-in-four Trump voters, 76 percent, said they were definitely backing him. Only 23 percent said they would even consider someone else.



But the numbers are almost flipped for those who picked another candidate. Just a third of those voters said their support was definite.

Not only are Trump voters more committed and unlikely to be moved off the former president, those currently aligned with other candidates arent necessarily all dead-set against him. In a Fox News poll out this week, 65 percent of all Republicans said they would definitely vote for Trump in the primary, but another 22 percent said they might vote for him.

That combines for 86 percent of Republicans who definitely or might vote for Trump, far greater than for DeSantis (66 percent), Ramaswamy (57 percent) or former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley (42 percent), the next three candidates behind Trump in the poll.

Essentially, the Republican primary has boiled down to a majority of voters who would pick Trump  and most of them are sure about it. They represent what has become the most influential voting bloc in the party: more conservative voters with lower levels of educational attainment.

Banking on something happening to disrupt that  whether its another legal bombshell or an early-state electoral upset  may be Trumps opponents best hope, but it isnt much of one.
In an unprecedented decision, Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee announced on Thursday that he will allow not only a press pool, cameras and laptops to be present in the courtroom during the election interference trial of former President Donald Trump , but that the entire proceedings will be livestreamed on YouTube as well. That stream will be operated by the court.

Trump and 18 co-defendants are slated their trial on October 23rd. Tsplhey're facing multiple racketeering charges surrounding their efforts in the state of Georgia to subvert and overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, what Fulton County DA Fani Willis describes as "a criminal enterprise" to unconstitutionally keep the disgraced politician in power. Trump has pled not guilty to all charges.

While recording court proceedings can be an uncommon occurrence in some jurisdictions, the state of Georgia takes a far more lax approach in allowing the practice.

Georgia courts traditionally have allowed the media and the public in so that everyone can scrutinize how our process actually works, Atlanta-based attorney Josh Schiffer, told Atlanta First News. Unlike a lot of states with very strict rules, courts in Georgia are going to basically leave it up to the judges.

For example, when Trump was arraigned in New York on alleged financial crimes, only still photography was allowed. For his Miami charges, photography wasn't allowed at all. This means that the public will not be privy to the in-court proceedings of Trump's federal election interference case, only the Georgia state prosecution.
Two dead as Russians attack car with anti-tank missiles near border in Kharkiv Oblast

Russian forces attacked a civilian car with an anti-tank weapon near the border village of Strilecha in Kharkiv Oblast on Sept. 16, killing two people and injuring another, the local prosecutor's office reported on the Telegram messenger app.

Preliminary information suggests that the Russians attacked the car using anti-tank guided missiles.

Read also: Schools set up in Kharkiv metro to protect Ukrainian kids

As of 3 p.m., it was confirmed that two civilians, a man and a woman, had been killed in the Russian attack, while one other civilian had been injured. Further details regarding the aftermath of the attack are still being determined.

Read also: Russian military strikes Kharkiv four times with missiles

Additionally, today around 11 a.m., Russian forces shelled the village of Petropavlivka in the oblasts Kupyansk District with artillery. A 23-year-old civilian man sustained injuries as a result of the shelling.

Read also: Kharkiv needs $10 billion to rebuild  mayor

Around the same time, the invaders also targeted the town of Kozacha Lopan with artillery, damaging residential buildings and kiosks.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Lexington police have charged two teens in connection with a shooting that injured two people, including a juvenile, late Friday.

Juan Luis Esparza, 19, and Juan Pablo Esparza, 18, were both arrested at the scene of the shooting on the 1200 block of Alexandria Drive, Lexington police said in a news release. Police said the shooting happened during what they described as a disorder.

Police said they found a man and a juvenile suffering from gunshot wounds when they were called to the scene at 11:26 p.m. Both were taken to a local hospital with injuries that were not thought to be life-threatening.

Juan Luis Esparza is charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault, first-degree wanton endangerment and carrying a concealed deadly weapon.

Juan Pablo Esparza is charged with first-degree wanton endangerment.

Both were being held in the Fayette County Detention Center.
The president of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union shot back at Ford after the automaker announced they will temporarily lay off hundreds of workers, citing strike-related supply chain issues.

Lets be clear: if the Big Three decide to lay people off who arent on strike, thats them trying to put the squeeze on our members to settle for less, UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement Saturday.

UAW began a strike against the Big Three automakers  Ford, General Motors and Stellantis  early Friday morning, a first in the unions history, after negotiations failed before reaching the end of the workers contracts. The union is demanding increased wages, shorter work weeks and better retirement benefits.

Fain said small portion of workers will be on strike at a time, only giving hours notice to the automakers, in order to keep the companies guessing. The striking workers included about half the workforce at the Wayne, Mich., plant outside Detroit.

Ford announced Friday that it temporarily laid off about 600 workers at the plant on Friday, just hours after other workers began a strike.

This layoff is a consequence of the strike at Michigan Assembly Plants final assembly and paint departments, because the components built by these 600 employees use materials that must be e-coated for protection, Ford said in a statement to CBS News. E-coating is completed in the paint department, which is on strike.

Fain said that the UAW will continue to support the laid off workers, and that the threats do not scare them.

Their plan wont work. The UAW will make sure any worker laid off in the Big Threes latest attack will not go without an income, he said. Well organize one day longer than they can, and go the distance to win economic and social justice at the Big Three.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.) announced he plans to join picketers at the same Michigan plant on Saturday.

I know which side Im on, the freshman senator wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. As long as these brave workers continue to walk the picket line, my entire team and I will have their backs.

We will support them any way we can until they reach a fair deal, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WENTZVILLE, Mo.  Ford announced layoffs of nearly 600 autoworkers at its Michigan assembly plant Friday, citing a historic UAW strike as the reason for the layoffs, according to several national reports.

Around 13,000 workers nationwide, or less than 10 percent of the UAWs total hourly workers, have walked out. Many spent Friday on the picket lines, and its part of a calculated strategy to try to make the unions strike funds last longer.

Locally and nationally, Wentzville, Missouri is the focus of a new strategy by UAW workers. Wentzville worker walkouts began close to midnight Friday in an unusual way. UAW Local 2250 is trying to send a message that whats happening here could happen in another community next.

This strategy will keep the companies guessing, said Shawn Fain, UAW President. It will give our national negotiators maximum leverage and flexibility in bargaining.

GM Fairfax plant in KCK could go idle soon amid UAW strike

Among the unions demands, a 36% pay raise (down from the original ask of 40%), medical benefits after retirement, and a four-day work week. The CEO says its unrealistic and could crush not just automotive companies, but damage the nations economy.

No one wins. The employee doesnt win and the communities suffer. At General Motors, for every one job we have, it supports six other jobs in the economy, said General Motors CEO Mary Barra.

Walkouts range from Wentzville to Toledo to Detroit, where a large crowd gathered late Friday afternoon. Taking your demands to the table, said one Detroit worker addressing a crowd.

Winter gas is returning: What does that mean for your wallet?

This strike is rather unprecedented in modern history. Its the first time the UAW is striking against three automaking giants  General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis  at the same time.

As for Wentzvilles workers on strike, many continue to picket Friday evening outside several entrances to the GM plant.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Not a single suspect has been prosecuted in the UK for spying for China, compared with almost 150 in the US in the past three years alone, the Telegraph can disclose.

Intelligence sources said that UK authorities have failed to charge any agents suspected of espionage or interference on behalf of the Chinese state or enterprises linked to the ruling regime. That is despite the disclosure by the head of MI5 last year that the number of investigations being run by the domestic intelligence agency had increased seven-fold in just four years.

However, a Telegraph analysis of cases in the US suggests at least 146 individuals have been indicted. Those cases include 46 people associated with a single plot.

The disclosure has prompted demands for the UK to toughen its stance on Chinas spy network in the UK.

It emerged in September that two men, including a parliamentary researcher, had been arrested under the Official Secrets Act amid allegations they had spied for China. The men under criminal investigation, who both deny the accusations, were arrested in March and bailed until next month.

Highly unlikely that the men will be charged

But it remains highly unlikely that the men will be charged under the Official Secrets Act, which dates back to 1911, and which the intelligence services have condemned as outdated. The parliamentary researcher, who is in his 20s, issued a statement through his lawyers protesting his innocence, denied being a Chinese spy and instead said he had spent his career trying to educate others about the threats presented by the Chinese Communist Party.

Telegraph investigations have confirmed that no one ever suspected of spying for China has been prosecuted in the British courts.

In contrast, an analysis of federal indictments and court reports suggests that since 2020

US authorities have pursued cases against almost 150 individuals for offences such as democratic interference, theft of technology, espionage and harassment of dissidents. Individuals linked to Chinese spying agencies have also been charged with more minor crimes such as wire fraud and tax dodging in order to get a conviction and disrupt networks.

Ardent critics of the Chinese regime, including senior members of the Conservative Party, have accused the Government of being too soft in the pursuit of alleged Chinese spies.

Easier to pursue agents

Security services have repeatedly complained that the Official Secrets Act, which is more than 100 years old, is so out of date that it makes prosecutions almost impossible. A new National Security Act, which became law earlier this summer, will make it easier to pursue agents trying to influence British politics.

The Act introduced an offence of foreign interference, making it illegal for spies to meddle in elections or disrupt the workings of parliamentary democracy in the UK. Working covertly for a foreign hostile power will now become a criminal offence.

Iain Duncan Smith , the former Conservative party leader and joint chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), an international group established to counter the Beijing regime, said the stark contrast between the Uk and the US in pursuing alleged spies highlighted Westminsters weak position.

The UK security services have had very poor legislation for pursuing spies, Mr Duncan Smith said. The Act has not been fit for purpose for a long time. The new legislation will make it easier but the bigger problem is politicians lack of will to go after China. The current policy towards China is not to criticise it

When it comes to spying, Chinas breaking of rules and breaking of treaties, Britain does nothing. America has the intent to go after spies but do we? The UK has a false dichotomy. The belief is if we say anything China will stop talking. Its a weak position.

Chinese activity of concern

Ken McCallum, the director general of MI5, revealed in a rare speech in 2022 that the domestic intelligence agency had more than doubled its efforts against China in recent years and was running seven times as many investigations over Chinese activity of concern than in 2018.

MI5 also issued an alert to Parliament, accusing Christine Lee, a UK-based lawyer, of being knowingly engaged in political interference on behalf of the Chinese Communist party. She denies the allegation saying it is false and is suing MI5 for breach of human rights. The decision to issue the alert was taken after the authorities concluded the official secrets Act was not suitable for bringing a prosecution against her. MI5, working with counter-terrorism police, is understood to have issued other alerts to disrupt Chinese spy networks.

But hawks who have demanded that the UK take a harder line on China have become frustrated in recent months that Rishi Sunak has instead sought to boost economic ties between the two countries and soften criticism of Chinas human rights and other abuses.

Cases in the US include the conviction last year of Dr Xiaorong You, 59, an industrial chemist, who was sentenced to 14 years in jail for economic espionage, possession of stolen trade secrets and wire fraud. Yanjun Xu, a Chinese intelligence officer, was sentenced to 20 years in jail in 2021 for economic espionage and conspiracy to commit trade secret theft. Xu was extradited to the US from Belgium to stand trial.

A Home Office spokesperson said: We are committed to keeping the British public safe, which is why our National Security Act includes a range of measures to deter states from operating against the UK.

It will make working covertly for a foreign hostile power a criminal offence, and increase the number of prosecutions against those who put our national security at risk.

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Russia is likely able to create a significant stockpile of air-launched cruise missiles to use against Ukraine's critical infrastructure this winter, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on Sept. 16.

The ministry cited data from open sources indicating that Russias military has used fewer of those missiles since April, while Russian leaders have emphasized efforts to increase the rate of cruise missile production.

Throughout the fall of 2022 and winter of 2023, Russia launched a series of mass missile and drone strikes against Ukraine's energy facilities, killing dozens of civilians and causing nationwide blackouts.

For these strikes, Russia primarily used air-launched cruise missiles, particularly the Kh-101 model, also known for its NATO reporting name AS-23a KODIAK, the U.K. Defense Ministrys latest intelligence update said.

Russia uses strategic bomber aircraft to release these munitions from deep within Russian territory," the update adds.

Read also: Shmyhal: Energy infrastructure will be ready for winter within next month

Ukraine is strengthening its air defense to prepare for Russia's potential mass attacks on critical infrastructure facilities this year, Air Force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on Sept. 3.

President Volodymyr Zelensky also warned that Russia will likely recommence attacks on Ukraine's energy system during the fall and winter months.

According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Ukraine has repaired 80% of the main power grids and high-voltage stations to their pre-war condition after Russia severely hit almost half of the country's energy system.

Read also: Svitlana Romanko: Clean energy, green jobs as keys to securing Ukraines energy security

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The UK National Crime Agency (NCA) has closed an investigation into alleged sanctions evasion by Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman, the agency's spokesman told news agency Bloomberg on Sept. 15.

"The NCA can confirm that it will take no further action against Mikhail Fridman based on the warrant executed at Athlone House in December 2022," he said.

Inquiries are ongoing in relation to associated suspects who fall under the wider investigation.

Read also: Ukraines economic security agency charges Russian oligarch Fridman with money laundering

Fridman is a Russian billionaire, and the co-owner of a number of companies, including Alfa-Bank and Morshynska mineral water brand. The oligarch also holds Israeli citizenship.

The NCA arrested Fridman on suspicion of money laundering. He was later released on bail. More than 50 officers were involved in the large-scale searches of the businessman's London home. The searches resulted in the seizure of a number of digital devices and a significant amount of cash.

Read also: The Ukrainian business holdings of Russias oligarchs

On Sept. 5, Ukraines SBU security service charged Fridman with 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 (under Part 3 of Article 110-2 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

According to the SBU, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Fridman "injected" about RUR 2 billion ($20.7 million) into the military plants of the Russian Federation.

Read also: Fridman company threatens to sue Ukraine over JSC Sense Bank nationalization

The Russian oligarch faces up to eight years in prison with confiscation of property if convicted in Ukraine.

Fridman was the subject of an investigation by Ukrainian journalist Mykhailo Tkach and refused to answer the question whether he considers Russian dictator Vladimir Putin a war criminal, citing a "ban from lawyers."

In February 2022, the European Union imposed sanctions on fellow businessman Petr Aven, as well as Fridman, because of the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In August 2023, Fridman was also sanctioned by the United States.

Last September, Fridman was sanctioned by Ukraines National Security and Defense Council.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russia may have the capability to amass significant quantities of cruise missiles, raising concerns about the possibility of renewed attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure during the upcoming winter season, the UKs Defense Intelligence wrote in their morning Ukraine report on Sept. 16.

Drawing from open sources, intelligence reports indicate that Russia has been firing fewer cruise missiles at Ukraine since April, while at the same time Russian leaders said they intended to boost missile production.

The report specifically highlights the use of air-launched cruise missiles, notably the modern AS-23a KODIAK (Raduga X-101), in Russian offensives from October 2022 to March 2023. These missiles are launched from within Russian territory, from strategic bombers.

Read also: Ukraine can expect more blackouts this winter  but how many and for how long?

Earlier, Andriy Yusov, a representative of Ukrainian militarys Main Intelligence Directorate or HUR, revealed that Russia has been manufacturing dozens of Kalibr cruise missiles and a smaller quantity of Iskander missiles each month. He emphasized that Russias missile production capacity remains limited, insufficient to cover present launch rates and to replenish stockpiles to pre-invasion levels.

Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraines National Security and Defense Council, has warned that there may be renewed attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure by Russia this winter. He said that the upcoming Ukrainian winter is expected to be exceptionally challenging.

When asked about the potential severity of the upcoming Russian winter missile campaign compared to the previous one, Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the Presidents Office, pointed out that Ukraines energy system is currently in a much worse state than last year.

Read also: Ukraine can expect more blackouts this winter  but how many and for how long?

Despite the likelihood of continued Russian attacks on Ukraines energy infrastructure during the upcoming winter, UK intelligence notes that Ukraine demonstrated its capability to maintain the energy grid even in wartime conditions last winter, thanks to a qualified workforce and relevant experience.

From October last year, Russia launched a series of massive missile strikes on Ukraines energy infrastructure. Over several months, Ukraine endured more than 10 waves of extensive Russian bombardments, with the enemy employing dozens of missiles of various types and ranges.

Due to capacity shortages in the energy system, Ukraines Ministry of Energy had to implement power outages for consumers. Nevertheless, despite the challenging winter for Ukrainians, the enemy failed to achieve its goal of causing a complete blackout in Ukraine.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
British authorities on Friday officially declared the mercenary Wagner Group a terrorist organization Friday.

The decision comes more than a week after the order was introduced in Parliament. It bans membership in Wagner or any support for the group that has been seen as a key player in Russias invasion of Ukraine.

The Wagner Group was added to a list with 78 other proscribed organizations, including the Islamic State Group, the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Northern Ireland paramilitaries, the U.K. Home Office reported.

This order comes into force with immediate effect and will make belonging to the Wagner Group or actively supporting the group in the UK a criminal [offense], with a potential jail sentence of 14 years which can be handed down alongside or in place of a fine.

Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said in a statement that declaring the organization a terrorist group sends a clear message that the UK will not tolerate Russias proxies and their barbaric actions in Ukraine.

According to a release from last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky requested the group be treated as a terrorist organization.

The UK has consistently called out the violent and destructive actions of Wagner Group, and included the group in a first wave of sanctions against Russia in early 2022, the release said.

In July 2023, the U.K. sanctioned 13 individuals and businesses that were linked to the group.

The groups founders, Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin, were killed with several others in a plane crash in August. Russian authorities have said the crash is still under investigation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(Bloomberg) -- Ukraine is defying Russias effective blockade of its Black Sea ports by sending empty ships to collect grain for the first time since the collapse of a deal guaranteeing safe passage almost two months ago. Two ships were sailing Saturday toward the port of Chornomorsk to load wheat for Africa and Asia, Ukraines infrastructure minister said.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The European Union ended a ban on Ukrainian crop imports in five of its eastern countries, prompting Poland, Hungary and Slovakia to quickly announce a return to unilateral restrictions. Meanwhile, Russia is tightening its grip on the world wheat export market after another huge harvest.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un capped his visit to Russia by viewing next-generation missile systems at an airfield near Vladivostok and meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. Hes expected to return to Pyongyang on Saturday. Kim inspected Russias Kinzhal missile system, supersonic bombers and the latest weapons on the MiG-31 missile carrier, Russias defense ministry said.

Kyivs forces are on the offensive south of Bakhmut, deputy defense minister Hanna Malyar said on Telegram. They achieved ad partial success in Verbove and Novoprokopivka in Zaporizhzhia region in Ukraines south.

Latest Coverage

Three Nations Challenge EU Move With Own Bans on Ukraines Crops

Grain Ships Head For Ukraines Black Sea Port, Defying Russia

Kim Jong Un Meets Russian Defense Minister, Inspects New Missile

Flood of Russian Wheat Halves World Prices From Wartime High

Poland Will Ban Border Crossings by Russian Cars From Sunday

Markets

Oil rose for a third straight week  and a 10th out of the past 12 weeks  as the market continued to tighten on the back of supply curbs from Saudi Arabia and Russia.

Wheat futures rose above $6 a bushel but remains near multi-month lose as traders balance the impact of dry weather on crops in key exporters against bumper harvests in parts of the Northern Hemisphere, including Russia.

Coming Up

US-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group meets on Sept. 19

UN General Assembly from Monday

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Claims of new successful drone attacks on Russian warships of the Black Sea Fleet remain unconfirmed as of Saturday, though two ships in question were seen under tow in Sevastopol.

Observers quickly noticed the appearance of Russian Project 1239 Bora-class missile corvette Samum under tow in Sevastopol after a Ukrainian  Sea Baby  uncrewed surface vessel attack Thursday outside Sevastopol. A picture appears to show the hovercraft's stern sitting low in the water with tow boats connected to bow and stern lines, though obvious evidence of damage remains unseen.

https://twitter.com/CovertShores/status/1702956427168428385

Satellite imagery also captured the Black Sea Fleet flagship Admiral Makarov , a Project 11356R Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate, under tow in Sevastopol harbor on Saturday. The image shows what appears to be smoke from the ships funnel and again lacks clear evidence of damage from an attack.

https://twitter.com/Flash_news_ua/status/1703051834141688236

Ships in a large, dispersed naval base like Sevastopol are commonly towed from one mooring to another. So the ships' appearance with towboats does not conclusively indicate theyve suffered damage. Conflicting reports say Makarov, once claimed sunk by Ukrainian anti-ship missiles in the Black Sea and later damaged in a mass USV attack on Sevastopol in October , was damaged in the missile strike on the shipyard drydock September 13 .

However, two ships in particular remain unseen after a reported Ukrainian attack on September 14 , the two Project 22160 patrol ships Vasily Bykov and Sergei Kotov. Ukraine released video of the claimed attack in the Black Sea using USVs. It appears neither ship has returned to port in the Black Sea as of Saturday.

https://twitter.com/Tendar/status/1702384677460250659?s=20

Exactly where the September 14 attack took place remains unclear, though the Bykov in particular operated far from occupied Crimea near the Romanian coast when it boarded the Palau-flagged freighter Sukru Okan in August.

A Ukrainian naval source told The War Zone on Saturday that the Bykov, previously claimed damaged off Odesa early in the war, was struck below the waterline and flooding. The source also said the attack destroyed the Tor SAM system parked on the ships flight deck for additional point defense. The Kotov was also reportedly holed above the waterline according to the source. We could not independently confirm these claims at this time.

Between the fog of war and numerous false alarms regarding attacks on ships in the Black Sea, its best to take all claims with a grain of salt until we see definitive proof otherwise. Only when the ships return to Sevastopol, Novorossiysk, or elsewhere, or end up lost at sea, will the results of the attacks become more clear.

Before we head into the latest from Ukraine, The War Zone readers can catch up on our previous rolling coverage here .

The Latest

Another long campaign of Russian air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) attacks could be on the horizon for Ukraine this winter, per the latest intelligence update from the British Ministry of Defense. Waves of Kh-101 (NATO: AS-23 Kodiak) , other missiles, and drones bombarded Ukrainian energy infrastructure last winter as Kyiv and its Western supporters scrambled to build a layered air defense system .

The intelligence update noted that since April 2023 , Russia has used fewer ALCMs while internally highlighting increased missile production. There is thus a realistic possibility Russia will again focus these weapons against Ukrainian infrastructure targets over the winter.

https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1702922014741155895

On a related note, Russia attacked the city of Kharkiv with 9K720 Iskander (SS-26 Stone) missiles after a pause in strikes on the battered border city . At least four impacts were reported as smoke rose over Kharkiv.

https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1702966852543021551

Ukrainian Special Operations Forces revealed details about its operators involvement in the devastating cruise missile strike on the Sevastopol shipyard in occupied Crimea . The attack severely damaged the Project 775/II Ropucha-class landing ship Minsk and Project 636.3 Improved Kilo-class submarine Rostov-on-Don.

https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1701788035719868874 https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1702375690249650609 https://twitter.com/bradyafr/status/1702359172061266171

Like the August raid on Olenivka and Mayak , the SOF team reportedly approached Sevastopol by boat and used underwater delivery means to reach mainland. The team identified targets and corrected fire with the help of special technical assets, before confirming direct hits on the targets and conducting a successful exfiltration.

https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1702932595095253207

Since the first small drone struck the Black Sea Fleets headquarters in August 2022 , Russia has taken great steps to protect its considerable military infrastructure in Sevastopol. An SOF team infililtraing Sevastopol is impressive, but exactly how much of the story is true or not is unknown. Correcting fire for cruise missile and long-range drone attacks is a bit of a puzzling claim, but there is still so much we don't know about the operation and what exact weapons were used and how.

Theres now footage of Ukrainian forces taking the bombed-out hamlet of Andriivka . Soldiers with the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade entered the ruined streets to find what Russians remained surrendering. Seeing the surrender, Russian artillery reportedly opened up on their positions.

https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1702970659377234429 https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1703013149098578112

Also south of Bakhmut, Ukrainian forces have taken the similarly ruined town of Klishchiivka just to the north of Andriivka. New video shows Ukrainian troops walking among the cratered and splintered streets, shelling having reduced the town to something of a violent tornados damage path.

https://twitter.com/666_mancer/status/1702703903945503070 https://twitter.com/UKikaski/status/1702975299774709764 https://twitter.com/Azovsouth/status/1702785544676106610

One of Ukraines U.S.-supplied M7 Bradley Fire Support Team vehicles (BFIST) made an appearance with troops of the 46th Separate Airmobile Brigade. Ukraine received four M7s from the U.S. , each with a target designation system in lieu of TOW missile launchers to direct artillery fire. This particular M7 is also equipped with the Bradley Reactive Armor Tiles (BRAT) kit, an explosive-reactive armor (ERA) kit for the Bradley family you can read more about here .

https://twitter.com/Archer83Able/status/1702938652018348401

Also on the topic of U.S. aid, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante revealed in remarks Friday that in addition to regular supplies of equipment and ammunition, the U.S. gave Kyiv "industrial-sized 3D printers." Each printer the size of a truck, the machines were "a game changer" in shortening the turnaround time for hard-to-source parts and equipment.

https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1703001403080282175?s=20

On the Russian side, it appears Moscow has pressed a modernized Ukrainian variant of the legacy BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle into service with its units. Some of the BMP-1U Shkval variants were seen in a video released through the Russian Ministry of Defense.

https://twitter.com/AndreiBtvt/status/1703017333009125594

Ukraine produced a limited number of BMP-1Us in the early 2000s, the old 73mm turret replaced with a larger turret equipped with a 30mm autocannon, 9M113 Konkurs anti-tank missile launchers, and a 30mm AGS-17 automatic grenade launcher. On account of a bigger weapons suite, the Shkval can carry only six infantry instead of the standard eight. The type has seen considerable service during the war in Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/blukraine/status/1509539961196138507 https://twitter.com/SalmelaJS/status/1512824934757769223 https://twitter.com/Heroiam_Slava/status/1696578884945224021

Russia also captured a number of BMP-1Us during its 2008 war with Georgia. The Chadihan National Army operates 42 BMP-1Us, some of them appearing during an Independence Day parade in the capital of NDjamena on August 11, 2023.

https://twitter.com/AndreiBtvt/status/1703017338956599316 https://twitter.com/HammerOfWar5/status/1620485953877078016

Three U.S. senators have called for an investigation into claims Elon Musk ordered SpaceX to disable StarLink satellite communication service to disrupt a Ukrainian attack on the Black Sea Fleet after conversations with Russian officials, NBC News reports .

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), all members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have asked Secretary of Defense Gen. Lloyd Austin for information on the reports that emerged from reporting in author Walter Isaacsons coming biography of Musk.

https://twitter.com/ckubeNBC/status/1702608520342802770

There's also a curious weapon configuration seen in a video from Ukrainian trenches making the rounds. A Ukrainian soldier equipped with an AR15/M16 pattern rifle missing a few pieces, namely the handguard protecting the user from the hot barrel and gas tube.

https://twitter.com/noelreports/status/1702794946057470076?s=46\u0026t=WGR8ATVuYlDW934sMHUUhQ https://twitter.com/historicfirearm/status/1702800019483484496?s=20

That barrel and gas tube will get extremely hot without much firing.

Thats all for now. Well update this story when theres more to report on Ukraine.

Contact the author: stetson.payne@thewarzone.com
Even as its counteroffensive has seemed to slow down after incremental successes in the Robotyne-Verbove sector of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine is claiming progress in the longer-term fight in Donetsk Oblast south of war-torn Bakhmut.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday thanked the Third Separate Assault Brigade for capturing the small hamlet of Andriivka, about five miles south of the embattled coal mining city that has been the focus of so much fighting for well over a year.

https://twitter.com/front_ukrainian/status/1702744953632292868 https://twitter.com/NOELreports/status/1702779941996068926

As a result of a lightning operation, the Russian garrison of Andriivka was surrounded, cut off from the main forces and destroyed, the Third Separate Assault Brigade said Friday on its Telegram channel. It also said that in two days, it eliminated the Russian 72nd Brigades chief intelligence officer, several other officers, most of the troops and a significant amount of equipment.

It also used drones flying over the ruined remains to urge Russian troops to surrender.

https://twitter.com/astraiaintel/status/1702708926783820118

The capture and holding of Andriivka is our way to a breakthrough on the right flank from Bakhmut, and the key to the success of all further offensives, the brigade said. We pay a high price for the results of these battles. And the blood of each of our fighters will be repaid only with blood.

https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1702649189392384005 https://twitter.com/IAPonomarenko/status/1702611773197541529?s=20

The Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) did not specifically deny the Ukrainian claims, saying only that its ground forces, artillery and tactical aviation repelled four attacks by [Ukrainian] assault groups in the nearby villages of Klescheevka and Mayorsk."

The enemy's losses amounted to up to 275 Ukrainian troops, four armored fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, three U.S.-made M777 howitzers, as well as one Gvozdika howitzer, the Russian MoD claimed.

https://twitter.com/GloOouD/status/1702427291157143678?s=20 https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1702719594064970181?s=20

Andriivka has been hotly contested for months, with Ukraine having recaptured it in July and the Russians taking it back later. Consisting of just a few dozen homes, Andriivka has tactical significance sitting along a road and railway running north into Bakhmut.

First of all, Andriivka is full control over the railway, which is a support line for further offensive, Maksym Zhorin, Deputy Commander of the 3rd Assault Brigade, said Friday on his Telegram channel. It is a necessary bridgehead for further progress, because the task of the Ukrainian forces in this direction is to encircle Bakhmut, and without Andriivka it is impossible to achieve this.

The battles for this settlement were very difficult, he added. The enemy constantly transferred reserves, because for them even the thought of losing Bakhmut is a nightmare. They killed so many of their personnel here that it is logically impossible to explain it.

Ukrainian forces claim they have once again captured the small Donetsk Oblast hamlet of Andriivka, south of Bakhmut, seen at the bottom left of this satellite image. (Google Earth image)

Bakhmut city fell into Russian hands on May 21 after a long battle with heavy casualties on both sides. Continued fighting around there has been ongoing, as Ukraine tries to keep Russian forces pinned down and unable to reinforce its defense against Kyivs main lines of effort.

Over the course of the nearly four-month-old counteroffensive, Ukraine has focused its main attack vectors south from Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast toward Tokmak and Melitopol, as well as from Velyka Novosilka south toward the Azov Sea port of Berdiansk in western Donetsk Oblast.

https://twitter.com/TheStudyofWar/status/1702783834813600081

Clearly, Russia is reinforcing those areas in the hope to stop the Ukrainian advance and perhaps even close the salient created during the counteroffensive. Whether Ukraine's ongoing effort near Bakhmut will keep enough Russian forces away to prevent that remains to be seen.

Before we head into the latest news from Ukraine, The War Zone readers can catch up on our previous rolling coverage here .

The Latest

In an unusually blunt assessment calling for more honest analysis of the so-called special military operation, a former military commander of the Southern District turned Russian parliamentarian says the Ukrainian counteroffensive has switched tactics and gained enough ground to make Russian helicopters and artillery much less effective.

While still maintaining that Russia will prevail, Russian Duma member Andrey Gurulev said Friday on his Telegram channel that Ukrainian forces have switched to squeeze-out tactics, they are massively using cluster shells , inflicting fire on the strong points of our units and assault groups. They have a lot of ammunition, they are trying to burn out absolutely everything.

https://twitter.com/CasualArtyFan/status/1701272499042783299

That in turn is forcing Russian troops to retreat deeper, said Gurulev, who did not specify any locations. Not far, but in some places they lost up to 10 kilometers of territory. The enemy has somewhere occupied our defensive positions, which are very well equipped with our own hands.

The territory recaptured by Ukraine created conditions for the impossibility of using anti-tank missiles by our helicopters; due to the deflection of the line, they became accessible to enemy [man-portable air defense systems] MANPADS. The efficiency of our helicopters has decreased.

If this assessment is accurate, thats a huge change from the beginning of the counteroffensive nearly four months ago when Russian Ka-52 Alligator and other attack helicopters were causing havoc for Ukraines armor. You can read more about that in our story here .

In addition to keeping Russian rotary wing aviation at bay, Ukraine has learned to work with our very well-made minefields. They competently clear them of mines, inflicting artillery fire and using trawls.

While it has improved its counter-battery warfare, with some positive results, Russian artillery is no match for the range and maneuverability of Ukrainian fires, Gurulev said.

Basically, all of [Ukraines] guns are installed in depth at a distance inaccessible to our artillery. An estimated two artillery brigades were concentrated in the hottest directions, not counting the artillery of local brigades. We burned a lot of their towed artillery, they switched to using self-propelled guns. Our people say that it is very difficult, almost impossible, to catch them; after the second sighting shot they move and change position.

https://twitter.com/GloOouD/status/1701610579750986034

Ukrainian drones are also a huge problem for Russia.

They have a lot of unmanned vehicles and even more, said Gurulev. We have also adapted here, and over the last two to three weeks we have effectively begun to destroy them. Verba and Strela-10 air defense systems work well against UAVs. But the [Ukrainians] have a lot of drones, they use them wisely, you see these attacks not only at the front, but also in our deep rear.

Ukraine is putting up a fierce fight, but a bigger threat is dishonesty about the course of the war, Gurulev argued.

Russian forces are adapting, but it is foolish to deny that today NATO is fighting against us with all its advanced technologies, he said. We will win in any case, but victory is separated from us only by one serious problem of ours - lies. Yes, there is less of it than there was at the beginning of the [special military operation], but it is there. There are at different levels, they talk about it in the troops. False reports, unfortunately, lead to poor decisions at many levels. This is there, let's acknowledge it and fight it, otherwise there will be trouble.

https://twitter.com/wartranslated/status/1702662131785544190?s=12\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A

Much has been made about the training Ukrainians received from the U.S. and allies for the counteroffensive, ranging from it being too short to not geared toward the realities on the ground.

In a story about this grinding effort, Financial Times on Friday published an interview with a soldier holding the latter point of view.

If I only did what [western militaries] taught me, Id be dead, Suleman, a special forces commander in the 78th regiment, told the publication. American, British and Polish soldiers he trained with offered some good advice but also bad advice . . . like their way of clearing trenches. I told them: Guys, this is going to get us killed.

https://twitter.com/shashj/status/1702625575502811492?s=20

Ukrainian officials claim that the Russian Bora class missile hovercraft Samum received extensive damage after being hit on the starboard side by a Ukrainian  Sea Baby  uncrewed surface vessel.

The attack took place near the entrance to Sevastopol Bay Thursday and the Samum had to be towed back to port, according to the Ukrainian Novoe Vremia news outlet, citing its sources in the Ukraines Security Service (SBU).

https://twitter.com/Gerashchenko_en/status/1702704692248133847

The Russian Defense Ministry, however, said that the Samums onboard armaments destroyed the USV before it could cause any damage.

Meanwhile, an image published by the Black Sea Fleet Telegram channel purported to show the ship Friday undamaged in Sevastopol. The angle of the photograph, however, obscures most of the Samum's hull. Still, major damage would be visible.

https://twitter.com/Capt_Navy/status/1702694247080562707

Add Belgium to the list of nations helping train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 Vipers .

On Friday, the Belgian government announced its approval to join the international F-16 coalition.

Under the plan, six Ukrainian instructors and four mission planners will be trained in Belgium so that they can subsequently train Ukrainian pilots and other personnel on F-16s, Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder said, according to the Belgian Le Soir news outlet.

In addition, in the coming weeks, the Belgian Defense Ministry (MoD) will send three troops to a training center for Ukrainian F-16 pilots in Denmark. Next year, according to the plan, the Belgian MoD will send two two-seat F-16BMs to Denmark for advanced training, as well as a contingent of about 50 military personnel, mostly technicians, who will be responsible for supporting the F-16s.

"In addition to this important contribution to the preparation and commissioning of F-16s, our government is officially pledging its support to help implement this new capability, essential to the modernization of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," Dedonder said.

Dozens of F-16s have been pledged to Kyiv and more could follow.

https://twitter.com/heroiam_slava/status/1702722550390824975

The Sept. 13 Ukrainian cruise missile attack on Sevastopol has created a cascading series of problems for the Russian Black Fleet (BSF) headquartered there, according to the U.K. Defense Ministry (MoD).

The attack almost certainly functionally destroyed the Ropucha class landing ship Minsk and caused catastrophic damage to the Kilo class diesel-electric attack submarine Rostov-on-Don (B-237), the MoD said in a tweet.

https://twitter.com/defencehq/status/1702557381501026323?s=12\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A

Any effort to return the submarine to service is likely to take many years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars, the MoD said.

That takes one of four cruise-missile-capable submarines that have been wreaking havoc on Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure out of service.

Beyond that, because the attack took place on vessels in dry docks, there is the very real possibility that the complex task of removing wreckage from the dry docks will place them out of service for many months. This would present the BSF with a significant challenge in sustaining fleet maintenance.

https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1702561936179630440

Additional satellite imagery that emerged on social media gives an even better view of the damage inflicted on the Minsk.

https://twitter.com/osinttechnical/status/1702755014081495260?s=12\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A

In his own analysis based on the MoD imagery, submarine warfare analyst H. I. Sutton said it appears likely the Rostov was struck on the bow, where the submarine has six torpedo tubes and sonar systems.

https://twitter.com/CovertShores/status/1702649047167688729

Against the backdrop of increasing demand from Ukraine and concern about domestic needs, the Pentagons top weapons buyer said the U.S. is on track to produce 100,000 155mm artillery shells per month in 2025.

The current rate is about 20,000 a month, up from about 14,000 a month six to eight months ago, William LaPlante, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, said Friday during a Center for A New American Security (CNAS) Virtual Fireside Chat.

By next spring that rate should increase to 57,000 per month before nearly doubling the following year.

LaPlante updated a previous Pentagon estimate that suggested the U.S. would boost its 155mm shell production to about 80,000 rounds per month, which you can read more about here . So far, since the start of the all-out war, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with more than two million 155mm rounds .

The 155mm round production conversation between LaPlante and moderator Stacie Pettyjohn, Senior Fellow and Director of the CNAS Defense Program, starts at about the 28-minute mark in the YouTube video below.

https://youtu.be/ikHQgHYdplg?t=1686

The long-discussed decision by Germany to send Ukraine air-launched Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missiles could be made in the next week or two, according to Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius.

If it takes another week or two until a decision is made, then so be it, Pistorius said at the first Westphalian Peace Conference in Munster, according to the German Tagesshau news outlet . The ongoing debate doesn't mean any hesitation on the part of the federal government, the publication explained.

"The Federal Republic of Germany must show this level of prudence, even if it is difficult for our Ukrainian friends to understand," Pistorius said.

With a stated range in excess of 310 miles according to manufacturer MBDA , Taurus reaches further than any other weapons delivered to date and is a "highly complex industrial product," said Pistorius. "We're not talking about programming a coffee machine."

You can read more about Taurus in our story here .

https://twitter.com/clashreport/status/1702618787000815811?s=20

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a Putin ally whose troops are fighting in Ukraine, is in a coma, according to the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR).

Indeed, there is information that Kadyrov is in a serious condition and that the diseases that were there have worsened and became the cause of this condition, GUR spokesman Andrii Yusov said Friday on his Telegram channel.

The GUR claim could not be independently verified.

https://twitter.com/front_ukrainian/status/1702743411839651889?s=12\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A

Russias TOS-1A multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) is a terrifying weapon, firing rockets using thermobaric, or fuel-air explosive, warheads. These use surrounding oxygen to create a high-temperature explosion. Also sometimes referred to as vacuum bombs, they include a fuel container with two separate explosive charges .

From our previous report :

Once the target is hit, the first explosive charge allows the fuel container to open and disperse a cloud of fuel, and the second charge ignites the incendiary fuel cloud which results in the fiery explosion and a subsequent oxygen-sucking vacuum. The detonation of the rockets causes such a rapid and drastic change in air pressure that taking shelter within a trench or cave, behind a reinforced barrier, or, in some cases, even inside of an armored vehicle would fail to protect a human.

The video below purports to show Ukrainian troops in the aftermath of an attack by this system, with at least one soldier retching after surviving.

https://twitter.com/markito0171/status/1702569305240375682

A donated Ukrainian Leopard 2A6 main battle tank is seen in this video below being used as an indirect fire platform, shooting several rounds at a Russian position in a tree line near Robotyne with its 120mm L55 smoothbore main gun.

https://twitter.com/osinttechnical/status/1702417763090735575?s=12\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A

And finally, war exacts a heavy price on those who fight. In this video below, a Russian soldier who reportedly returned from the front decides to have some fun showing off a hand grenade to some children. After pulling the pin, explosive hijinks ensued.

https://twitter.com/saintjavelin/status/1702666667786932539?s=46\u0026t=BQRSNakUKt7_8ssZiGBW-A

That's it for now. We'll update this story when there is more news to report about Ukraine.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
Key developments on Sept. 15:

General Staff confirms liberation of Andriivka in Donetsk Oblast

Russia attempts to destroy Ukrainian bombers overnight; Ukraine downs all 17 drones

Ukraines military says Russia accidentally dropped aerial bomb on occupied Nova Kakhovka

Belgium to train Ukrainian pilots, provide F-16s for training

Bodies of 51 fallen soldiers returned to Ukraine

Ukraine has liberated the village of Andriivka in Donetsk Oblast, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on Sept. 15.

Andriivka is located around three kilometers south of the embattled Klishchiivka and less than 10 kilometers south of occupied Bakhmut.

"In the course of the assault, (Ukrainian forces) captured Andriivka in the Donetsk Oblast, inflicted significant losses on the enemy regarding manpower and equipment, and gained a foothold in the achieved territories," the General Staff wrote on Facebook.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar announced the liberation of the settlement on Sept. 14. However, the 3rd Assault Brigade fighting around Bakhmut denied it later in the day, saying that the fighting continued in Klishchiivka and Andriivka. Maliar corrected her statement after that.

However, on the morning of Sept. 15, Maliar again reported that Andriivka was liberated by Ukrainian forces throughout fighting the previous day, referring to the report by the General Staff.

"It was difficult, and yesterday's situation changed dynamically several times," Maliar explained the contradicting reports.

Later in the day, the 3rd Assault Brigade also confirmed that the settlement had been retaken, adding that Ukrainian forces dealt a crushing blow to the Russian 72nd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade during battle.

"As a result of a fulminant operation, the Russian garrison of Andriivka was surrounded, cut off from the main forces, and destroyed," the brigade wrote on Telegram.

According to the 3rd brigade's report, the Russian formation lost its chief of intelligence, three commanders, almost all of its infantry, including officers, and a significant amount of equipment.

The General Staff said that Ukrainian forces inflicted heavy losses on Russian troops when liberating Andriivka as a part of offensive operations around the nearby Klishchiivka village, in which they have also achieved partial success.

The Kastus Kalinouski Regiment reported on Sept. 15 that Klishchiivka was also liberated; however, it soon deleted its statement.

Read also: Russias southern mistake  Surovikin lines, Gerasimov tactics

Russia tried to destroy Ukrainian bombers overnight; Ukraine downs all 17 drones

Ukrainian forces shot down all 17 Shahed 131/136 kamikaze drones launched by Russia in the direction of Khmelnytskyi Oblast overnight on Sept. 15, the Air Force reported.

According to the Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat, Russia targeted Ukrainian bombers in its latest attack.

Ihnat said it was Russias response to an attack against its shipyard in occupied Sevastopol, Crimea, that took place earlier in the week.

On Sept. 13, Sevastopol's Sevmorzavod Shipyard in occupied Crimea suffered a strike that reportedly destroyed a Russian landing craft and seriously damaged a submarine. British Sky News reported, citing unnamed Ukrainian and Western sources, that Ukraine had used the U.K.-supplied Storm Shadow missiles to carry out the attack.

According to the Air Force, Russia launched drones at Ukraine from the Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia's Krasnodar Krai.

As the Shaheds approached Khmelnytskyi Oblast along different routes, they were tracked and destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses with the support of fighter aircraft and mobile fire groups, the Air Force reported.

The Khmelnytskyi Oblast hosts the Starokostiantyniv Air Base, where the 7th Tactical Aviation Brigade, operating Su-24 aircraft, is stationed.

Russian forces tried to target the air base in July in a missile strike. Ihnat commented at the time that the attack was ineffective because the Air Force had protocols in place to protect the aircraft.

Read also: Timothy Snyder: If you want peace, Crimea has to be a part of Ukraine

Ukraines military reports Russia accidentally dropping aerial bomb on occupied Nova Kakhovka

According to the spokesperson of Ukraine's Southern Operational Command, Natalia Humeniuk, Russian forces accidentally dropped an aerial bomb on occupied Nova Kakhovka in Kherson Oblast, causing casualties and damage in residential areas.

Humeniuk said on Sept. 15 that Russian forces intended to fire the bomb at the Ukrainian-held right bank of the Dnipro River, but the launch failed, and the ordnance instead fell on the occupied city.

"In an attempt to deliver another airstrike with guided aerial bombs against the Beryslav area... (Russian forces) dropped one of the guided aerial bombs on Nova Kakhovka in a residential area, causing damage to several apartment buildings," Humeniuk said.

"According to preliminary information, there are casualties among the local population," she said.

According to Humeniuk, Russia is attempting to blame the Ukrainian military for the attack.

The local Telegram channel Nova Kakhovka/Novosti published footage of the incident's consequences, showing extensive damage to residential buildings.

Suspilne news outlet reported that four multi-story buildings were damaged.

Belgium to train Ukrainian pilots, provide F-16s for training

Ludivine Dedonder, Belgian Defense Minister, confirmed in a statement on Sept. 15 that her country joins the international coalition to train Ukrainian personnel on F-16 fighter jets.

Six Ukrainian instructors and four mission planning specialists will undergo training in Belgium to further teach pilots in Ukraine, according to Dedonder.

Also, in 2024, Belgium will deploy two F-16B aircraft in Denmark for advanced training.

Belgiums Defense Ministry will also send three instructors to a training center for Ukrainian pilots in Denmark, the minister said. A contingent of about 50 Belgian soldiers, primarily technical personnel, will support the deployment.

The first Ukrainian pilots began training on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark earlier in August.

Former Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said it would take at least six to seven months before Ukrainian pilots and technicians can operate the aircraft.

On July 11, Reznikov first reported that Belgium was one of the 11 countries to form the fighter jet coalition, a group of 11 countries that pledged to assist Kyiv with training its pilots on F-16s and acquiring the aircraft.

Greece and the U.S. have also pledged to join the training efforts. So far, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Norway have promised to provide dozens of their own F-16s to bolster the Ukrainian Air Force.

Read also: Deadly drone arms race intensifies as Ukraine, Russia embrace the future of war

Bodies of 51 fallen soldiers returned to Ukraine

On Sept. 15, the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of the Prisoners of War reported that the bodies of 51 fallen Ukrainian soldiers were retrieved from Russian-occupied territories.

According to the report, Ukrainian authorities have repatriated the bodies of 1,832 Ukrainian defenders since the start of the full-scale invasion.

In the previous transfer on Aug. 29, Ukraine managed to retrieve the bodies of 84 fallen soldiers.

The process of retrieving the fallen defenders continues in accordance with the Geneva Convention, the eadquarters added.

"Ukraine will continue the search and return of the bodies of all our heroes who gave their lives in the battles for Ukraine's independence," the Headquarters wrote on Telegram.

Read also: Deliberate murders of Ukrainian children by Russian soldiers reveal culture of impunity

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Ukraine reported an attack by drones on two warships in the southwestern part of the Black Sea.

It claims to have struck and damaged two of Russia's Project 22160 ships in the attack.

Ukraine's spy chief says that even if the drones are blown up near the ship, they can cause damage.

Ukraine's naval drones are capable of inflicting extensive damage on Russian warships even if they don't directly hit them, the country's intelligence chief said.

Speaking to Radio Svoboda late last month, Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said that Ukraine had used a sea drone to target Russia's Admiral Essen frigate in Sevastopol Bay.

He told the outlet that the drone was destroyed as it approached the warship, but that it was still able to cause enough damage to the vessel to put it into dock for repairs for months.

"It seemed unsuccessful," he said of the attack. "But the blast wave, because it was destroyed about 100 meters from the ship, and the charge was quite powerful, the wreckage completely damaged some of the ship's electronic equipment, antennas, certain systems, and the hydroacoustic system."

Ukraine claimed on Thursday that it had also used sea drones to carry out a successful attack on two Russian warships in the southwestern part of the Black Sea.

Ukraine's Strategic Communications Directorate wrote in a Telegram post that it had struck and damaged two of Russia's Project 22160 ships in the attack, which video footage appeared to show was carried out by sea drones.

Russia's "Vasily Bykov" patrol ship at a celebration of Navy Day 2020. President of Russia

Russia's Black Sea Fleet has four Project 22160 ships  the Vasily Bykov, the Dmitry Rogachev, the Pavel Derzhavin, and the Sergey Kotov, Ukrainska Pravda reported.

Project 22160 ships can take up to 80 people on board and are equipped with a 57mm -220 naval artillery weapon, which is designed to attack air, surface, and coastal targets, per Naval Technology.

They also feature two 14.5 mm heavy machine guns, two DP-65 grenade launchers, and a Gibka air-defense missile turret mount, per the site.

Ukraine has frequently utilized sea drones in its fight against Putin's forces.

The country recently used an experimental sea drone to target a Russian missile ship off the coast of occupied Crimea, Ukrainian sources claimed.

The Security Service of Ukraine said that a Sea Baby drone, which can operate in poor weather conditions and are difficult to detect behind high waves, was used to carry out the attack.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The attacks on the Russian submarine Rostov-on-Don and the landing ship Minsk on the night of 13 September were carried out by the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Source: Press service of the Special Operations Forces

Details: Special forces officers revealed certain details of the operation.

The officers received information from several sources about the likely location of the Minsk large landing ship and the Rostov-on-Don diesel-electric submarine at one of the ship repair enterprises in temporarily occupied Sevastopol.

In order to identify targets, guide and direct fire, and conduct reconnaissance at the operational depth of the Russians, they involved operators of the Special Operations Forces.

The group approached a safe place by boat and moved to the shore using underwater delivery vehicles.

After successful infiltration (penetration into certain Russian positions  ed.), the soldiers began to perform the main part of the operation. With the help of special reconnaissance equipment, identification and targeting were carried out.

During the direct hit (the Ukrainian Air Force used Storm Shadow cruise aircraft missiles - ed.), the group carried out fire adjustments and confirmed the destruction of targets.

The video shows the aftermath of the attack.

After that, the soldiers of the Special Operations Forces conducted a successful exfiltration (withdrawal of soldiers from the scene of hostilities  ed.).

Quote from Special Operation Forces: "All this became possible thanks to the professionalism and audacity of our soldiers!

This information is published after a certain time, taking into account operational security and making the enemy understand that there is no longer a safe place for them. Let's move on!"

Background:

On the night of 12-13 September, the occupation authorities of Sevastopol claimed that a missile attack caused a fire to break out at a shipyard near Kilen-balka, and the Russian Ministry of Defence reported an attack by missiles and uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) that damaged two ships.

OSINT researchers reported that a Ropucha-class large landing ship and a Kilo-class submarine were damaged at a shipyard in occupied Sevastopol. The Russian Telegram channel Baza wrote that the attack damaged the Minsk large landing ship and the Rostov-on-Don diesel-electric submarine, which was launched only in 2014 and is the carrier of Kalibr cruise missiles, which the Russian Federation is firing on peaceful cities in Ukraine.

According to UK Intelligence, the Russian large landing ship Minsk and the Rostov-on-Don diesel-electric submarine, which were in Sevastopol undergoing dry-dock repairs, sustained critical damage due to a strike by Ukraine.

On the afternoon of 13 September, Lieutenant General Mykola Oleshchuk, Commander of the Ukrainian Air Force, thanked Ukrainian pilots for the explosions in temporarily occupied Sevastopol.

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 Armed Forces have had certain gains in the area of Klishchiivka on the Bakhmut front and partial success in the vicinity of Verbove and Novoprokopivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Source: Hanna Maliar , Deputy Defence Minister of Ukraine, on Telegram

Quote: "The most active hostilities are now taking place on the Bakhmut front. There are ongoing offensive operations south of Bakhmut.

The situation is intense in Klishchiivka and Kurdiumivka. As a result of offensive actions in the area of Klishchiivka, our defence forces have made certain advancements.

The enemy failed to break through our defences in the areas of Yahidne and Bohdanivka, Donetsk Oblast."

Details: On the Melitopol front, the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue the offensive operation, inflicting significant losses in manpower and equipment on the Russian forces, and forcing them to withdraw from their positions, Maliar asserted.

"We have partial success in the areas of Verbove and Novoprokopivka, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, ousting the enemy from the occupied positions and gaining a foothold on the achieved frontiers," she wrote.

On the Kherson front, Ukrainian forces are conducting counter-battery measures, destroying Russian supply depots and hitting targets in their rear.

Maliar also said that in the northern areas bordering the Russian Federation, the Russians continue to maintain a grouping of troops to cover the state border, as well as carry out active sabotage work in order to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian troops to more active parts of 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!
DONETSK OBLAST  Ukrainian soldier Oleksandr Navarenko says his unit was under heavy Russian tank fire last summer in Zaporizhzhia Oblast when the idea for a life-saving robot came to him.

Why use people when you can use machines? the 59-year-old combat engineer told the Kyiv Independent, wondering why humans still perform dangerous military tasks.

Since last summer, Navarenko, part of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade that is now fighting near the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, has developed two prototypes of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) designed to help front-line troops in their treacherous assault missions.

The first version dropped anti-tank mines that Navarenko says wounded Russian troops. The second, which has yet to be tested on the battlefield, can quietly approach enemy positions on any terrain and shoot rocket-propelled grenades. At the moment, both versions are still in the development stage.

Unlike drones, now ubiquitous and indispensable tools of war on both sides, unmanned ground vehicles have yet to become integral parts of combat operations in the war in Ukraine.

While the West has provided some UGVs to Ukraine for evacuations and infantry fire support, the amount isnt nearly enough to make a noticeable difference, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Ukrainians on and off the battlefield are trying to change this. In addition to soldiers like Navarenko, Ukrainian tech companies are testing designs of UGVs. The Digital Transformation Ministry, for its part, is working to convince Ukraines military to adopt new innovations a quickly as possible.

Ukraine's Defense Ministry also had a meeting with Armed Forces representatives and other ministries titled "Ground Robotic Systems" at the end of June as part of an effort to develop and integrate ground-based robotic systems into military operations.

Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov says that while integrating these developments takes time, it isnt impossible.

Drones are a successful example, with 62 models officially used on the front lines  a major jump from just seven in February before a fast track system to speed up the approval process was launched, according to Fedorov.

While the development of UGVs still has a long way to go, both Ukrainian and Russian inventors have launched many of self-initiated projects like Navarenkos work, hoping their use on the battlefield could be a game changer if they prove to be effective.

This is the most technologically advanced war in human history. It is innovations and tech solutions that will help Ukraine win, Fedorov said.

Ukrainian soldiers walk to their fighting position, in the direction of Bakhmut frontline in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on August 21, 2023. (Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Robot innovations

Among the startups that emerged in the wake of the war is SkyLab, a Ukrainian defense company making drones and UGVs co-founded by Yevhen Rvachov.

SkyLab began with the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Its products include Shoolika mk6 attack drones, which the company says are immune from being jammed by electronic warfare  the usual vulnerability of UAVs.

A year into developing drones for the army, lead engineer Rvachov, a 38-year-old from Kharkiv, says he had a product vision of something else that could be as powerful as UAVs on the battlefield.

It was a day in March 2023, right after his colleagues had gone home. He began to wonder why there was a lot of focus on UAVs and little emphasis on ground logistics systems.

And that is how the Sirko-S and Sirko-S1 robots, remote-controlled cars that can carry weapons or equipment of up to 150 and 200 kilograms of weight respectively, were born.

It took roughly two months to perfect the first UGVs 3D design, Rvachov said.

But even then, its performance at a training ground in May didnt satisfy the engineer, and he decided to opt for a completely new model  Sirko-S1.

In comparison to the first model, the Sirko-S1 is heavier due to its metal composition  making the platform more stable when something is put on top of it  and has two cameras, which include a night-vision lens.

The Sirko-S1 model is priced at $8,000-10,000, according to its co-creator.

Read also: Deadly drone arms race intensifies as Ukraine, Russia embrace the future of war

But the machines are susceptible to landmines  just like any equipment or car, and Rvachov believes it would be fairly easy for Russian forces to spot them due to their meter-long size.

Samuel Bendett, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security told the Kyiv Independent that in general, UGVs are susceptible to enemy fire and that a single-use kamikaze type may be more effective as a way to expose enemy positions, he said.

Nevertheless, Rvachov is eager to get through the bureaucratic process with the Defense Ministry so his UGV innovations can finally help soldiers on the battlefield. Neither of his robots has been used on the front line yet as of early September.

It is better to lose $8,000-10,000 than a person, Rvachov said.

Our main goal is to use robotic systems as much as possible so military personnel don't lose their lives, and (dont have to) take any risks  not even a minute to perform an operation.

Yevhen Rvachov, a co-founder and lead engineer of Ukrainian defense company Skylab, tests Sirko-S1 on a training ground at an undisclosed location in Ukraine on Sept. 6, 2023. (Courtesy)

Long and expensive bureaucratic process

The government has been encouraging innovators to submit their ideas that would help the military via Brave1, a government platform that provides informational and financial support for defense tech projects.

The platform, launched in April 2023 by co-founders that include the Digital Transformation Ministry, the Defense Ministry, and the General Staff, has seen over 500 defense tech developments registered on its platform, according to Brave1.

Brave1 said that it had handed grants to about 40 defense tech projects as of early September, ranging from $5,000 to $30,000.

According to Brave1s Project Lead Nataliia Kushnerska, the platforms core priorities are unmanned robotics systems  including UGVs and UAVs, as well as radio-electric warfare.

Kushnerska explained that each registered idea is reviewed by over 500 General Staff niche experts, and receives a grant and other forms of support if it scores medium or high marks.

We have to move fast as the time costs the highest price  our defenders' lives and health, Kushnerska said, explaining the organizations fast track system to help individuals outside of the military world get through the bureaucracy process quickly.

Read also: Fighting smarter: Ukraines transformation into a military innovator

But bureaucracy, which inventors say is still very long and expensive, often discourages the process, according to Olena Babykina, head of Brave Inventors, a platform assisting war-time innovations, launched in December 2022 by the digital gambling company Cosmolot.

The reality faced by many inventors, Babykina said, is that there is almost always a lack of financial resources in the team, and they cant afford to wait out the lengthy bureaucratic process.

Bendett from the Center for a New American Security said that resources are very limited on both the Ukrainian and Russian side to develop effective UGVs at the moment.

To support more than 75 inventions registered on the platform, Brave Inventors help to get financing from private businesses and other donors, according to Babykina.

Creating the prototype is always the most challenging step, and an idea without one is almost doomed because you have to sell something that doesnt exist, she added.

There is always a long process of testing and improving the model before trying to get permission from defense authorities to deliver the product to the front line, which, if lucky, takes months, Babykina said.

And that is why there is usually a more practical procedure in which inventors ask some military units to test the prototype and ask for feedback to improve the model, according to Babykina.

She added that most Ukrainian tech products available on the front line are no names that have become popular thanks to word of mouth.

When that product is brought to a near-perfect level, inventors hand it over to the military, according to the head of Brave Inventors.

Ukrainians are extremely talented, hardworking, and selfless people, therefore this extraordinary potential must be developed and protected, Babykina said.

Our country is much smaller in terms of human resources, so we need to be stronger in terms of technology.

Read also: As counteroffensive presses forward in southeast, every meter costs a life

______________________________________________________

Note from the author:

Hi, this is Asami Terajima, the author of this article.

Thank you for reading our story. While reporting for this story, I was amazed to see the work of Ukrainian innovators on and off the battlefield. I am aware of the sacrificade made for each assault operation as the counteroffensive rages on, so I hope that effective UGVs that would help soldiers reach the front line as quick as possible.

To help the Kyiv Independent continue reporting on the ground, please consider becoming our supporter.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The Russian military is expressing concern over the fact that on 14 and 15 September, Ukrainian troops crossed the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast.

Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW), citing the Russian military

Details: The Russians claimed that Ukrainian forces intensified their activities on certain islands in the Dnipro delta near the Antonivka Bridge to consolidate their positions and prepare for an offensive on the left bank of Kherson Oblast.

ISW estimates that Russian forces probably do not have the manpower necessary to defend against an attack on this area of the contact line, given that the Russian command has moved several units from Kherson to Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The Russian forces acknowledge that they lack the capability to conduct their own river crossing operations in the area, in particular due to a lack of artillery shells.

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!
Editors Note: This is issue 102 of Ukrainian State-Owned Enterprises Weekly, covering events from September 9-15, 2023. The Kyiv Independent is reposting it with permission.

Ukrainian SOE Weekly is an independent weekly digest based on a compilation of the most important news related to state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and state-owned banks in Ukraine. This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union within the project Supporting Ukraine in rebuilding and recovery implemented by the KSE Institute. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the editorial team of the Ukrainian SOE Weekly and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

Corporate governance of SOEs

Law merging GTSOU and MGU goes into effect; procedure to dissolve MGU initiated. On Sept. 2, Law No. 3293-IX on the corporate governance of the Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTSOU) went into effect after it was published in one of the official newspapers, Holos Ukrayiny.

According to YouControl, the procedure to end Main Pipelines of Ukraine (MGU) as a legal entity began on Sept. 5. The shares of MGU are held by the Energy Ministry.

In SOE Weekly Issue 100, we reported that President Zelensky signed a law on the merger of MGU and GTSOU. Law No. 3293-IX was known earlier as Draft Law No. 9311-1-d.

The law makes it possible to reform corporate governance of GTSOU. There are two stages to this process:

First, MGU is to be merged into GTSOU, disappearing as a separate entity. The Energy Ministry gets the shareholder rights in GTSOU. The shares of GTSOU are now owned by MGU. The company then gets a new charter and a supervisory board as a governing body.

After the merger is completed, GTSOUs new supervisory board should be appointed by Oct. 31. In the interim, the current members of MGUs supervisory board will serve as GTSOUs supervisory board.

In Issue 97, we reported that Ukraine promised the IMF to complete the corporate governance reform of GTSOU by the end of October 2023. Under that commitment, Ukrainian authorities must transfer GTSOUs shares from MGU to the Energy Ministry and adopt a new GTSOU charter.

Read also: This Week in Ukraine Ep. 25  Ukraine puts first oligarch behind bars

The charter must be developed with Ukraines energy regulator and the Energy Community Secretariat and approved by the end of July 2023 (a structural benchmark, carried over from the original IMF Memorandum, which we discussed in Issue 82).

With Law No. 3293-IX now in force, the Ministry of Energy can amend GTSOUs charter, one and a half months after it was due.

This will pave the way for a competitive, transparent, and merit-based nomination procedure for the new supervisory board. According to the IMF Memorandum, such a board should be appointed by the end of October 2023 (a new structural benchmark, added after the first review of the IMF program).

See Issues 82, 89, 97, 98, and 100 for more detail on the GTSOU law.

Energy sector

Ukrnaftoburinnya reportedly made Hr 700 million ($19 million) in profit in the first half of 2023, before it was transferred under Ukrnafta. On Sept. 12, Ukrnaftas CEO Sergii Koretskyi said on his Facebook page that Ukrnaftoburinnya made Hr 700 million ($19 million) in the first half of 2023.

This figure is most likely unaudited. We were not been able to identify any official reporting by Ukrnaftoburinnya or Ukrnafta on profits.

Koretskyi said that on June 29, Ukrnafta received permission from the Anti-Monopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) to manage the corporate rights of Ukrnaftoburinnya, and on July 7, the asset transfer acts were signed.

As the first half of 2023 ended on June 30, this suggests that the profits that Koretskyi is referring to were made under previous management of Ukrnaftoburinnya.

He also said that, according to agreements with the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA), 90% of the net profit would go to the state budget.

According to YouControl, Ukrnaftoburinnyas previous owners were Ares Systems Ltd (22.49%), Deripon Commercial Ltd (22.49%), JKX Ukraine B.V. (10%), and Ariana Business Limited (22.49%). The media reported that the company was associated with businessmen Ihor Kolomoisky, Pavlo Fuks, and Vitaliy Khomutynnik.

Ukrnaftoburinnya is one of the largest private gas producers in Ukraine, extracting 725.4 million cubic metres in 2021. According to Ekonomichna Pravda (EP), its 2021 net profit was Hr 5.65 billion ($153 million). In 2022, this fell to Hr 3.77 billion ($102 million).

In SOE Weekly (Issue 84), we reported that ARMA received all shares of Ukrnaftoburinnya after the asset was seized in connection with a criminal investigation into the development of Ukraines Sakhalin gas field in April. See more about this case in Issue 84.

In Issue 86, we reported that on April 27, Ukrnaftas CEO Sergii Koretskyi asked the Economy Ministry to hand the corporate rights of Ukrnaftoburinnya to Ukrnafta.

Read also: Ukraine Business Roundup  Issue 1

In Issue 90, we reported that on 23 May, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the proposal of ARMA and the Defense Ministry to transfer the corporate rights of Ukrnaftoburinnya to Ukrnafta.

As we reported in Issue 92, Ukrnafta said on June 14 that it signed agreements to manage Ukrnaftoburinnya assets on ARMAs behalf. Ukrnafta stated that it would start managing the assets after receiving a merger clearance from the AMCU.

As we wrote in Issue 96, AMCU allowed Ukrnafta to manage the corporate rights of four companies: PrJSC Ukrnaftoburinnya, East Europe Petroleum LLC, Sakhalinske LLC, and Sirius-1 LLC.

The AMCUs approval follows changes in the law on improving state property management and increasing the effectiveness of the sanctions policy. For more detail, see Issue 96.

Naftogaz remains the supplier of last resort until the end of martial law. On Sept. 12, the Cabinet of Ministers decided that Naftogazs subsidiary, Naftogaz of Ukraine Gas Supply Company, would act as the supplier of last resort (SoLR) in the gas market until six months after the end of martial law.

This means that Naftogaz will supply gas to customers who cannot get it from other providers, during a crisis or otherwise, within 60 days, tops. According to the Cabinets resolution, Naftogaz will retain this role without a competitive tender.

Pursuant to the Law on the Natural Gas Market, the SoLR is determined by tender for three years at a time. However, Law No. 3293-IX on the merger of MGU and GTSOU (discussed above) contains amendments that waive this requirement until six months after martial law ends.

Earlier, Naftogaz of Ukraine Gas Supply Company said that its term as SoLR expired on July 22.

According to the company, following the start of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the inability of competitors to supply gas to households at a reduced rate, 10.6 million more households became customers of Naftogaz of Ukraine from May 1, 2022. The total number of households served increased to 12.4 million.

Infrastructure

Former Infrastructure Minister Pyvovarsky interviewed about his criminal case. Former Infrastructure Minister Andriy Pyvovarsky, suspected of abuse of power that caused almost $50 million in state losses, was interviewed last week by Forbes Ukraine. We selected the key points.

On why the prosecutions estimate of damages increased from $30 million to almost $50 million:

Initially, the opinion of the State Audit Service served as the basis for estimating the arrears  which is how the damage is qualified in my criminal proceedings  at more than $30 million. It was based on a simple mathematical exercise that calculated the amount of ship dues not received by the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority (USPA) (from the date the ministerial order applied) to July 2021. Why this date was chosen is still a mystery to me."

Then the detectives took a much simpler route: After announcing suspicion to me, they replaced the State Audit Services opinion with a letter from USPA listing ship calls and the amount of harbor dues paid from July 2021 to April 25, 2023.

The April date was used because in early 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers removed the provision on the distribution of harbor dues from the order due to the difficult financial situation of USPA caused by Russian aggression in Ukraine. That is, it was not because the rule was illegal. It was a political decision driven by the war.

Read also: Poland, Hungary, Slovakia to extend bans on Ukrainian grain

On a possible settlement agreement with the prosecution:

I was not personally offered to enter into a settlement agreement. But there could have been informal conversations between the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) detectives and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office (SAPO) prosecutor with my lawyers about helping to return the money, received by TIS (the private company that received half the harbor dues as per the ministerial order in question), to the Ukrainian budget.

Firstly, to plead guilty to a crime, you must commit it. I have not committed any offense. How can I take individual responsibility for the collective actions of a large number of people? This means that the entire executive branch of government, which approved the draft order, made a mistake.

Secondly, a guilty plea would still mean a criminal record, which would ruin my career. For me, making such a deal would be the end of my career. Even the existence of this case has ruined my plans for the future. I will never be able to work with private equity funds or international organizations again, and I will not even be able to open a company abroad to launch an investment fund, for example. I have been stigmatized. Until I get an acquittal, Western banks will see potentially corrupt written next to my name. That is why it is important for me to get an acquittal in court.

On his forecast for the case:

There are two strange things about my case. Firstly, there is no injured party. NABU independently identified USPA as the injured party. At the same time, in response to a lawyers request, USPA said that it had not asked law enforcement agencies to recognize it as an injured party.

There is also no beneficiary in the case. NABU says that the actions were taken in favor of a private company, but the company itself is qualified as a witness in the case. Imagine this situation: There is no victim, no beneficiary. And then, there is me and Volodymyr Shulmeister (former First Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, also charged in this case).

On the timeframe for consideration of the case:

Lawyers say that it will take more than six months to study the case file  180 volumes. Then the case will be reviewed by the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC). We want to get an acquittal before 2025, when the term of prosecution expires and the case is closed.

As we reported in SOE Weekly Issue 85, NABU and SAPO served Pyvovarsky with a notice of suspicion for allegedly causing over $30 million in damage to the state in 2015 by signing a mistrial order that allowed private companies to charge half the harbor dues at Pivdenny seaport.

Read also: Court arrests pro-Russian lawmaker Shufrych without bail

Pyvovarsky argued that the suspicion was unfounded, because according to the Law On Sea Ports of Ukraine, proceeds from tonnage tax are distributed between the user of the ports harbor (in this case, USPA) and the owner of the operational harbor (in this case, private company TIS). He posted the courts bail of Hr 10 million ($271,000).

The charges against him were later amended, accusing him of causing $43.6 million in damages.

In Issue 99, we reported that the HACC extended procedural duties, including pre-trial restrictions, for Volodymyr Shulmeister, former First Deputy Minister of Infrastructure. As we wrote in Issue 82, in April 2023, the HACC imposed a measure of restraint on Shulmeister, including a bail of Hr 4 million ($108,000).

As we also reported in Issue 99, SAPO announced that the pre-trial investigation was completed and the NABU detectives were instructed to open the case file to the defence for review.

For a detailed overview of the Pyvovarsky case, see SOE Weeklys Issues 76, 77, 79, 80, 82, 83, 85, 88, 98, and 99.

Other sectors

HACC charges former Health Minister Stepanov in absentia, alleging a Hr 450 million international corruption scheme at Polygraph Combine Ukraina. On Sept. 14, SAPO reported that the HACC ordered the arrest of the former CEO of Polygraph Combine Ukraina, suspected of embezzling and laundering Hr 450 million ($12.2 million).

Polygraph Combine Ukraina specializes in producing passports, ID cards, and other secure documents and printing products.

The court agreed with the prosecutors motion to detain. The investigating judge will determine the detention parameters after the suspect is brought in.

Read also: Biden appoints Penny Pritzker as US representative for Ukraines economic recovery

SAPO did not name the suspect, but the details they revealed point to Maksym Stepanov, who used to work as the CEO of Polygraph and later, as the health minister.

As we wrote in SOE Weeklys Issue 98, NABU and SAPO reported that they exposed a massive misappropriation scheme at Polygraph. Over Hr 450 million ($12.2 million) has been stolen, they said.

Read about Stepanovs initial charges in Issue 98.

In Issue 99, we reported that in 2021-2023, the Cabinet of Ministers under Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal made a series of decisions that allowed the notorious document producer of the 2000s, the former EDAPS consortium, to monopolize the industry again.

Privatisation

SPFU puts VolynTorf up for privatisation with a starting price of Hr 190 million. On Sept. 12, the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU) announced that it would be auctioning the peat briquette plant VolynTorf on Oct 6.

The auction will be held on Prozorro.Sale. The starting price is Hr 190.2 million ($5.2 million) excluding VAT. The deposit fee to participate is Hr 38 million ($1 million) excluding VAT. That is, the deposit fee is 20% of the starting price, as required by law.

According to the SPFU, VolynTorf is a profitable company specializing in the production of peat briquettes. VolynTorf generated Hr 90.4 million ($2.5 million) in revenue in the first half of 2023 and Hr 200 million ($5.4 million) in revenue for the whole of 2022. The company earned Hr 6.2 million ($168,000) in net profit in the first half of 2023 and Hr 10.6 million ($287,000) in net profit for 2022.

Read also: Government approves half of 2024 budget to be spent on defense, security

As of June 30, VolynTorf had no overdue accounts payable. Current accounts payable amounted to Hr 20.2 million ($548,000). This number includes Hr 8.9 million in settlements with the state budget and Hr 2.6 million in payroll.

In total, the facility has 109 units of real estate (production, warehouse, administrative premises, etc.) with a total area of over 21,000 square meters. The company employs 302 people and has 164 vehicles on its balance sheet. VolynTorf also includes a separate division, Manevychi Peat Plant.

Peat is not a strategic fuel for Ukraines energy sector. According to the State Statistics Service, its total share in the countrys energy balance is less than one per cent, so the SPFU wants to privatize these companies.

In SOE Weekly Issue 96, we reported that the SPFU sold peat briquette plant RivneTorf for Hr 205 million ($5.6 million), a more than fourfold increase from the starting price of Hr 47.1 million ($1.3 million). For more detail, see Issue 96.

Confiscation of Russian-owned assets, nationalization, and asset seizure

Seized Glusco petrol station chain moved from Naftogaz to Ukrnaftas management. On Sept. 12, Naftogazs CEO Oleksiy Chernyshov reported that the Cabinet Ministers decided to place the chain under Ukrnaftas management.

The Cabinets resolution was not publicly available at the time of writing.

Chernyshov wrote that the Cabinet ordered to reimburse Naftogaz Oil Trading for the money it had spent relaunching the seized stations. Both Ukrnafta and Naftogaz Oil Trading are part of Naftogaz Group and continue to operate.

In its article about Rostyslav Shurma, the deputy head of the Presidents Office, Ukrainska Pravda (UP) suggested that this transfer was an outcome of a competition between Shurma and Chernyshov, and called it a public slap in the face that Shurma gave Chernyshov.

On Sept. 13, the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) explained that under the management agreement, Ukrnafta must pay at least Hr 5 million ($135,000) per month into the state budget, regardless of financial results.

Ukrnafta also must pay 85% of its profits from managing Gluscos assets into the state treasury, ARMA stated.

Ukrnaftas CEO Sergii Koretskyi commented on the Cabinets decision on his Facebook page. According to him, Ukrnafta has enough experience and resources to manage and operate the Glusco network. Koretskyi also promised to report on the results.

Read also: Kenneth Rogoff: Europe must lead Ukraines reconstruction

The Glusco chain, which includes 81 petrol stations, oil depots, and other property, was formed from Rosnefts retail business, which international trader Proton Energy Group S.A. bought through its sister company Glusco Energy S.A. in 2016.

Until the end of 2021, the network was owned by Israeli businessman Nisan Moiseev. He is an associate of Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, who was charged with treason but given to Russia in a prisoner exchange. Moiseev said that he was Medvedchuks friend but the two had no business relations.

In May 2022, the Cabinet gave Naftogaz Oil Trading 170 Glusco filling stations to manage. They now operate under the U.GO brand.

On June 30, the Cabinet appointed Olena Duma as the new chief of the ARMA.

As we reported in SOE Weeklys Issue 99, on July 25, ARMA said that it suspected that Naftogaz Oil Trading, which operated the seized Glusco chain, did not submit or properly document information on its activities.

On Aug. 3, ARMA unilaterally terminated its petrol station management agreement with Naftogaz Oil Trading, alleging that the manager systematically provided false information about revenues from petrol pumps and oil depots. ARMAs chief Olena Duma said the state budget only got Hr 1.5 million ($40,000) in revenue in over a year.

Naftogaz disagreed with this conclusion and said the management change was illegal. The company said that it reported the management results to ARMA every month and received no complaints about data inaccuracy. The company said that it planned to continue managing the network.

Later, Naftogaz CEO Oleksiy Chernyshov sent a letter to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, stating that Hr 280 million ($7.6 million) had been spent to restore the operation of these assets and the management agreement for the filling stations should not be terminated until these costs are compensated.

On Aug. 8, ARMA reported that the Energy Ministry supported its proposal to transfer the Glusco network to the management of Ukrnafta under a special procedure.

As we reported in Issue 100, Chernyshov told Ekonomichna Pravda (EP) that Naftogaz is not in the business of managing petrol stations  the company was ready to give back the assets but needed its investments back.

Naftogaz owns 50% + 1 share of Ukrnafta. In Issue 68, we reported that the shares of Ukrnafta (other than those owned by Naftogaz) were seized for the needs of the state and transferred to the Defense Ministry.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine liberates Andriivka; fighting ongoing in Klishchiivka

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The United States and Germany are discussing the transfer of ATACMS and Taurus long-range missiles to Ukraine. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that it is up to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to decide how they will use the US missiles.

Source: joint press conference of Blinken and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock; European Pravda

Details: Blinken, commenting on the possibility of providing ATACMS missiles, noted that when transferring each weapons system to Ukraine, a number of factors are taken into account.

"Ukrainians should be able to use them effectively. Also, new complex systems require maintenance, and, of course, we do this. They need to be able to maintain them on time, and this doesn't happen automatically. And then they should fit into a holistic military programme that makes sense to help Ukraine achieve its goals," the Secretary of State stressed.

He added that the way Ukrainians use these weapons is "their business".

"And it's up to them to make decisions about what can be most effective when it comes to restoring their territorial integrity. In line with our own policy, we do not encourage or allow the use of our weapons systems outside of Ukraine. But again, this is the decision of Ukraine," Blinken said.

In particular, Baerbock noted that possible concerns about strikes on the territory of the Russian Federation are not an argument when considering the issue of providing Ukraine with long-range weapons since the country has the right to self-defence.

"The argument is that there are sensitive issues that need clarification, especially for our Taurus system, and it's not as simple as it might seem at first glance. Therefore, the federal government, the defence minister, the chancellor and I have repeatedly said this over the past weeks, and we have made it clear repeatedly that we are conducting intensive discussions and exploring what we can do," the German minister said.

Background: Earlier, the WSJ reported that the United States is approaching the provision of ATACMS to Ukraine, and they are considering transferring a limited number of missiles.

Germany has not yet made a decision on the Taurus missiles, but Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba is convinced it's only a "matter of time".

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!
Agriculture workers adjust a trellis to support bitter melon, Sept. 5, 2023, in Homestead, Fla. Undocumented workers live in fear and anxiety after a new law signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The law targets them and employers with 25 or more employees which mandates they verify that their workers are legally allowed to work. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier).

MIAMI (AP)  For many in Floridas vast immigrant community, daily life in recent months has become one governed entirely by fear.

Some try to drive as little as possible and make fewer trips to the supermarket. Others no longer take their children to the park and worry about allowing them to attend school. Others still are hiding out  avoiding travel to other states, not getting regular medical check-ups, or closing their businesses and leaving town. And many are just on high alert  all because of a new immigration law Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in May.

One of the strictest in the nation, the law criminalized transporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status into the state, invalidated any U.S. government identification they might have and blocked local governments from providing them with ID cards. Florida hospitals that receive Medicaid are now mandated to ask patients about immigration status and businesses employing 25 or more people must verify their workers legal status.

Other aspects of the law go into effect next year.

DeSantis, who is running for president, signed the bill in hopes of appealing to conservative voters and has criticized President Joe Bidens administration for the massive influx of migrants at the southern border.

You have a duty to ensure that these borders are secure, DeSantis said at the time, signing the law a day before federal immigration rules enacted during the pandemic ended.

Since then, Associated Press interviews with a dozen immigrants found that daily routines have been upended for fear of being detained, separated from their families and deported.

For one woman, who asked not to be identified for fear of being detained, the change in the law has left her feeling like she traded one world of fear for another.

I imagined that we were coming to the U.S. to have a better life, to be calmer, but that was not the case," she said. There is always the fear that something could happen to us.

The 31-year-old single mother of four fled the violence of Honduras for the safety of the U.S. two years ago. Upon arrival, she sought asylum and worked as a house painter to support her daughters and her mother, who still lacks permanent legal status after crossing into the U.S. illegally six years ago.

Before the new law passed, the woman says her mother helped out by driving her grandchildren to school. Now, she is afraid police will ask her to show a drivers license and detain and deport her for not having one.

She tries not to go out too much, she is being be very careful, she said.

The new law also cost the woman her painting job.

She says her employer  a Salvadoran man also without permanent legal status  abruptly closed his business and left the state. Though she found another job, she worries about supporting her family  she doesn't have the economic resources to move elsewhere.

___

Florida is home to about 4.6 million people that are foreign-born, and nearly three-quarters are from Latin America and the Caribbean. At least 825,000 lack permanent legal status, according to the most recent Pew Research Center survey from 2017. And about half of those people contribute to Floridas workforce and economy in key industries including agriculture, construction, hospitality and more, according to the American Business Immigration Coalition.

(The law) is impacting their ability to just go about their day like they used to, said Shalyn Fluharty, an immigration attorney and executive director of the nonprofit law firm American for Immigrant Justice.

Experts like Fluharty characterize the law as vague and confusing, asserting that it raises concerns of mandatory detention, arrests and felony convictions for individuals who have no way of knowing they could be a target, including U.S. citizens who may be transporting immigrants without permanent legal status into the state.

Whether or not you should be afraid really kind of depends on your unique, individualized, factual circumstances, Fluharty said. Her advice: If you are afraid, consult with a lawyer.

But not everyone can contact a lawyer.

Many have simply changed their way of living  even families of mixed legal status, with some members being U.S. citizens and others without permanent legal status.

Salvador Rosas, a 22-year-old college student, was born in central Florida along with his two brothers. While Rosas and his siblings are U.S. citizens, other family members are not. Their parents, who came to the state in 1999 after leaving Mexico, and their grandmother are living in the country illegally.

Before the new law passed, the family used to drive to Chicago once or twice a year to visit Rosas' grandmother. Now, with fears of being detained and separated, Rosas' parents and grandmother have mutually canceled all travel plans  even with 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) between them.

Thats very hard already, he said.

Rosas' mother has lived many years separated from her family in Mexico, and now, it is going to be like a separation between states," he said.

Despite being a U.S. citizen, Rosas himself fears being detained while traveling and returning to Florida.

___

Rosas' and others' fears are not unfounded  authorities are already enforcing the law.

A Mexican man who arrived in Florida a year ago was arrested last month while returning from a work trip to Georgia. The Mexican consulate told the AP that the man was stopped by police for driving a van with window tints that appeared darker than the legal limit.

He was arrested and later charged with not having a valid driver's license and multiple counts of smuggling illegal individuals into the state, according a Florida Highway Patrol report and court documents. A police report showed that six other people were in the vehicle with the man, including a minor.

The man's arrest echoes the experience of another immigrant who spoke with the AP.

A 45-year-old Mexican man, who asked not be identified for fear of being deported, said a routine traffic stop in 2011 led to a monthlong detention and his later deportation for not having a drivers license.

His wife was pregnant at the time and although he reunited with his family after crossing the border illegally five months later, he missed the birth of his second child.

After Florida's law passed, he moved 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) northwest to Wisconsin with his wife and three children after the law passed. The move was worth it. He said he feels comfortable, calm, more confident in the Midwest state  a far cry from Florida, where he felt "anxious, pressured and afraid of any police.

Im not going to leave my family alone, he said. Ive been through that once.
The US is ramping up its artillery production to continue aiding Ukraine and resupply its stockpile.

A Pentagon official said the US aims to be producing 100,000 155mm artillery shells by 2025.

The announcement comes amid reports Russia is already out-producing the West in ammunition.

The US is rapidly expanding the production of conventional 155mm artillery shells, a top Pentagon official said on Friday, as Washington looks to replenish its stocks of a munition that has played a key role in Ukraine's fight against Russia.

Artillery has been a central component of the nearly 19-month-long war, with both sides expending huge amounts of ammunition on a daily basis. Because of this, Ukraine continues to burn through its arsenal of 155mm shells, straining the stockpiles of its Western military backers  including the US.

To remedy the situation, Washington is fiercely ramping up production of these crucial munitions as part of a larger effort to continue aiding Ukraine and strengthen its own defense industrial base.

Ukraine's ammunition troubles, meanwhile, are seemingly exacerbated by the fact that Russia in recent months has managed to circumvent Western sanctions and produce munitions at a rapid rate that exceeds even the country's pre-war levels. Russia is now producing more ammunition than the US and Europe, with one senior Estonian defense ministry official telling The New York Times this week that Russia's current production is seven times that of the West.

"Militaries have a strong tendency to think that war will be really short," Mark Cancian, a retired US Marine Corps colonel and a senior advisor with the Center for Strategic and International Studies' security program, told Insider. "But every country struggles with munitions production as war goes on beyond a few months."

The US has already upped its production levels this year

Earlier in the year the US was producing about 14,000 shells a month; it has since doubled that figure to reach 28,000 shells a month right now, Bill LaPlante, the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said this week at a virtual fireside chat hosted by the Center for a New American Security, a Washington-based think tank.

"We're going to be at 57,000 a month next spring," he said, later adding that this figure will probably be closer to 65,000 a year from now. But that's not the end game.

"We're going to be at 100,000 per month in 2025," LaPlante said. "We're mindful of that fact that at that point, we'll be producing more than, I don't know, historically has been produced in decades."

Ukrainian soldiers fire an M777 during an operation to target trenches of Russian forces in the Donetsk Oblast on August 6, 2023. Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

LaPlante's comments on Friday cited figures that were higher than those offered by the US Army last month during similar discussions about 155mm production.

Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Douglas Bush told reporters in early August that the US was manufacturing up to 24,000 155mm shells a month at the time, with the goal of expanding that to more than 80,000 shells a month over the course of the following year.

Bush said at the time that increased production will help replenish Washington's stockpiles and continue to provide support for Ukraine. But he also acknowledged that the US is expecting requests for shells from its other allies who want to be able to defend themselves.

"They're hitting the limits of what the US is comfortable sending," Cancian said. "Military planners are saying we don't want to go below this level because of the possibility of other conflicts."

The Army expects production will eventually give way to over one million shells a year, Bush said in August, which falls in line with what LaPlante said on Friday.

Western officials, meanwhile, believe Russia is on track to manufacture two million artillery shells a year, the Times reported this week. Manufacturing costs are much lower in Russia than in the West, in part, because the country churns out low-quality equipment, the outlet reported.

According to the latest Pentagon data, the US has already provided Ukraine with over 2 million 155mm artillery rounds as part of the nearly $44 billion in security assistance that Washington has committed to Kyiv since Russia's full-scale invasion began last year. This military aid also includes just shy of 200 howitzers that can be used to fire the 155mm munitions.

A Ukrainian soldier carries 155mm shells for M777 artillery at a artillery position in the Donetsk Oblast on August 6, 2023. Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

But relentless artillery duels have cause Ukraine to expend its 155mm shells at a very high rate, with US officials saying at one point that Kyiv's soldiers were firing thousands of rounds on the battlefield each day.

Facing pressure to ensure the Ukrainian military had enough ammunition to continue the tempo of its offensive operations, the US was forced to explore alternative solutions to continue it support. Such a dilemma eventually led to the Biden administration's decision in July to arm Kyiv with deadly  and controversial  cluster munitions, which White House officials said was necessary to help sooth Ukraine's strained stockpiles of conventional munitions. The high-profile cluster munitions have since been used to hammer Russian positions on the battlefield with great effect.

Ramping up production takes time and money

The US has to establish new manufacturing lines to build the shells themselves; invest in the ability to pack the shells with explosives; and ramp up production of the charges that go behind the shells to propel them out of heavy artillery equipment such as howitzers, Insider previously reported.

"It's a question of hiring enough people," Cancian said. "In peacetime, factories tend to work what they call a "1-8-5" or one shift a day, eight hours a day, five days a week."

A steel worker moves a 155 mm M795 artillery projectile during the manufacturing process at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pa., Thursday, April 13, 2023. AP Photo/Matt Rourke

"If you want to ramp that up to say, two shifts a day, or three plus weekend work, you just have to hire a lot of people and train them up," he added, noting that production plants are often in remote locations that lack large workforces nearby, he added.

Even as the US works to stock up over the next year and beyond, ammunition struggles will continue to be a problem as long as the war in Ukraine rages on, Cancian said.

"Long wars need a lot of munitions, and munitions have just never competed very well in the budget process," he said. "It took this war to give priority to the munition stockpile."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Launch of the ATACMS missile from the M270 MLRS in South Korea in 2017

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden is reportedly not planning to make a decision regarding the transfer of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine during President Volodymyr Zelenskyys upcoming visit to Washington next week, U.S. news website Axios reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.

The source said that discussions are still ongoing within the Biden administration regarding the supply of ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. This issue was reportedly raised by Ukrainian officials during U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinkens visit to Kyiv last week.

Read also: Biden close to decision to supply Ukraine with ATACMS missiles  FT

The White House has declined to comment on this matter.

Previously, the Kremlin had warned that supplying longer-range missiles would cross one of its red lines. However, every time the U.S. and its allies have previously provided news weapons to Ukraine, which Moscow criticized similarly, there has usually been only a muted response, or no response at all.

Read also: Zelenskyy, Duda to Meet in New York during UN General Assembly

The meeting between Zelenskyy and Biden is scheduled for Sept. 21 at the White House. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan has suggested that a new package of military aid for Ukraine might be announced next week.

The United States announced on Sept. 6 that it would provide Ukraine with depleted uranium tank rounds as part of a $175 million aid package.

The next day, on Sept. 7, the United States revealed a package of up to $600 million in aid, including equipment to support anti-aircraft defense and ammunition.

U.S. television news channel ABC News previously reported, citing sources, that the United States might include long-range ATACMS missiles in a future military aid package to Ukraine. According to U.S. newspaper the Wall Street Journal, Washington could approve the transfer of a limited number of ATACMS missiles to assist Ukraine in its defense efforts.

U.S. television news channel CNN reported on Sept. 12 that the likelihood of a positive decision regarding ATACMS was now much higher than before. Similar information has been reported by several other major Western media outlets.

However, the Pentagon has not yet confirmed that the United States is close to making a decision on providing long-range missiles to Ukraine.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
North Korea may increase the supply of artillery ammunition to Russia, but this is unlikely to have much significance for the course of the war against Ukraine.

Source: Mark Milley , Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States; European Pravda with reference to The Guardian.

Details: Milley noted that the recent meeting in Russia between North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to force North Korea to provide Moscow with Soviet-era 152mm artillery shells.

But he said it was not yet clear how much or how soon the ammunition would be provided.

"Would it make a huge difference? Im sceptical of that," Milley said.

As he said, although he doesn't want to downplay the importance of the weapons assistance, "I doubt that it would be decisive."

Foreign governments and experts speculate that Kim is likely to supply ammunition to Russia in exchange for advanced weapons or technology.

Background:

Kim Jong-Un and Vladimir Putin met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome on Wednesday. On the day of Kim's arrival in the Russian Federation, North Korea launched two ballistic missiles near its eastern coast.

The EU has declared it was ready to take measures against North Korea if it supported Russia in its war against Ukraine.

The United States has also threatened to aggressively enforce existing sanctions against Pyongyang and impose new ones if North Korea provided Russia with weapons for its war in 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!
Colorado has joined several states in which watchdog groups have headed to court, hoping to use the 14th Amendment to bar Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot.

It is not off the table that Arizona could join the drive to deny the former president a spot on the presidential ticket.

Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes has told both KTAR and The Arizona Republic that he doesnt believe he has the authority to reject Trump, given an Arizona Supreme Court ruling last year. But he also made it clear that he doesnt agree with that ruling and is still looking into the possibility of bouncing the Republican front-runner off the ballot.

The secretary believes that this is an open question, his spokesman Paul Smith-Leonard told me recently. Hes consulting legal experts, hes looking at past precedents and he is deciding how to decide on this question.

Respectfully, Mr. Fontes. Dont go there.

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes says he doesnt believe he has the authority to keep Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot, but he's still looking into the possibility.

What is Section 3 of the 14th Amendment?

This is surely one of dumbest, most undemocratic ideas to come down the electoral pike in a long while. And in Arizona, that is saying something.

There is growing talk among legal scholars, including some respected conservatives, that the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution could and should be used to stop the Trump juggernaut.

Is Trump blocked from the 2024 ballot? The Constitution could keep him out of the running.

Specifically, Section 3, the post-Civil War amendment that disqualifies from office anyone who previously has taken the oath of office to support the Constitution then engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the government.

The scholarly set, along with a fair number of anti-Trump Republicans and Democrats, would tell you that Section 3 has Trumps name written all over it.

What's wrong with using the 14th Amendment?

The problem is this:

Who decides whether Trump  or Arizona Sens./fake electors Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern or U.S. Reps. Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar  engaged in insurrection or rebellion?

None of them has been charged with that crime (U.S. Code Section 2383), let alone been convicted.

Do I get to decide if their actions have disqualified them from the ballot? Do you?

Does Fontes?

A voter places a ballot in a drop box on Aug. 02, 2022, in Phoenix.

Trump is charged with trying to obstruct a federal proceeding, in this case the certification that Joe Biden won the presidential election. But special counsel Jack Smith didnt charge Trump with engaging in rebellion or insurrection, and I assume he wouldnt have been shy about doing so had he thought he could get a conviction.

So who gets to decide if obstruction is close enough to insurrection to deny Trump a spot on the ballot?

Do I get to decide? Do you?

Does Fontes?

For three years now, Republicans have been complaining that our elections arent fair, that Trumps opponents had their thumb on the scale. That there was a conspiracy to rob We the People (meaning, them) of our constitutional right to select our leaders.

Now comes this 14th Amendment stunt to reinforce their beliefs.

Are Republicans dishonest? Democrats immoral? Why toxic polarization threatens American democracy.

Ive heard all the high-minded constitutional talk of how you dont have to be charged or even convicted of insurrection to be disqualified for insurrection. How it is self evident that Trumps actions amounted to insurrection.

With every poll thats released, I can smell the desperation of those who say we need to protect our country from the scourge that is Trump.

They want to prevent democracy in order to save democracy.

They want to ignore due process in order achieve justice.

If Trumps opponents are truly that terrified that he might win, heres an idea:

Nominate a candidate who could beat him.

Find someone who isnt a tottering 81-year-old to put forth as the next leader of the free world  someone who doesnt look like he should be running for president of the Golden Acres rest home.

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.

Ultimately, if Fontes or any other secretary of state decrees that Donald Trump is not qualified to run for president, there will be a four-year coast-to-coast serenade of I told you sos from the likes of Kari Lake, Marjorie Taylor Greene and the rest of the MAGA chorus.

Laurie Roberts of the Arizona Republic.

Then itll land in the courts. And I think we all know which court will have the final say.

Dont do it, Secretary Fontes. You want to beat Trump? Do it the old-fashioned, fundamentally, quintessentially American way.

Lets vote.

Laurie Roberts is a columnist for the Arizona Republic, where this column first ran. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @LaurieRoberts

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 Arizona Republic: Kicking Trump off 2024 ballot using the 14th Amendment a dumb idea
Valley Metro and Phoenix are asking residents to provide their feedback on a recommended light rail route for the Maryvale area in west Phoenix.

The West Phoenix High-Capacity Transit Alternatives Analysis will study how to improve high-capacity transit in the high-transit usage area, according to Valley Metro.

The plan has recommended a light rail route from Central Avenue west on Indian School Road, south on 75th Avenue and west on Thomas Road.

Phoenix light rail extensions and adjustments are set to go forward despite a lack of funding in the new Proposition 400.

Local leaders say two Phoenix light rail extensions will proceed, despite Arizona lawmakers' ban on funding for them in a regional transportation tax proposal that Maricopa County residents will vote on this November.

The regional half-cent sales tax, known as Proposition 400, funds Valley highways, roads and public transportation. Mayors across Maricopa County approved a plan to allocate some of the half-cent sales tax to light rail extensions but needed legislative approval before submitting the proposition to county voters.

Valley Metro announced that the project team will conduct two public meetings and hold an open public comment period to collect input on the recommended transit route and mode for west Phoenix. Both meetings will feature identical presentation materials and will be available in both English and Spanish.

Presentation materials along with a public comment form to submit feedback will be available on the project website through Oct. 6.

The digital flyer with more information can be viewed here .

Meetings will be held on the following dates

Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023 (virtual)

6 p.m.

Join online at valley-metro.webex.com

Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023 (in person)

6-8 p.m.

Desert West Community Center

6501 W. Virginia Ave., Phoenix

Underway: Phoenix light rail extensions move forward despite gutted funding in new Proposition 400

Republic reporter Taylor Seely contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Phoenix asks residents to give feedback on Maryvale light rail route
At the end of February, Capt. Levi Coman wrote a letter home telling his family about the victory at Fort Donelson. But on March 6, 1862, he wrote his wife again about a new battle the regiment was facing:

Dear Mattie, I dont know as I have the right date to my letter, but I know it is Friday.

Our regiment started across to Fort Henry yesterday evening and are to take (a) very slow march and will probably get there tomorrow night, only twelve miles. This diarrhea which everybody from the Colonel (Charles Woods) down has had took hold of me the other day and happened to have me when we got our orders to move and I could not go with the company. I remained here with Dr. Pierce occupying part of his tent. There are about a hundred more here most all sick with diarrhea. There are only two commissioned officers left. The Dr. says he will let me follow tomorrow morning and the Colonel has promised to send back his horse or a team for me.

Veterans column: Newark's Capt. Levi Coman heads to Confederate-held Fort Donelson

I was sorry not to be able to go on with my company, but am in hopes that by staying here today I may get a letter from you. I have only received one since I left you, I know you have written and that letters are on the way for me. And you may be always sure I write you at the very least twice a week and under any and all circumstances you shall have one once a week.

I am very comfortably fixed here and have many of the comforts which I could have at home. Its a little tough but Im not sorry Im in the army. I will write you from Fort Henry if possible. We do not however stop there. Our ultimate destination I learned is Florence, Alabama which you will see is at the head of navigation on the Tennessee River. My impression is that we will stop and fortify that point but may strike camp at once for some point on the Mississippi. You had better direct your next letter to Fort Henry, Tenn., it will be forwarded.

Today I am better, (and) shall start across tomorrow morning. I have no letter from you yet. No mails come for four days, I know it is not your fault, but its a little tough. I am patient. I will hope on. Someday I will get four or five in a pile.

Veterans column: Newark's Levi Coman assembles 76th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company C

Our regiment was just paid off the other day. I enclose (to) you our State agent's receipts for $320 also for $260. You will call at the office of the County Treasurers Office, sign receipts and draw the amounts, placing them to your credit at Bank of Robbins Loring & Warner. You may pay to Mr. Preston two hundred dollars being part of my company account for boots and taking his receipt therefore. Pay Oren Vinny $10 and take up my note for that amount. I would like to have you pay Noahs wife or mother $10 taking a receipt. Noah left me the other day. He was very homesick & worthless. I would not pay him what was due but was willing to send it to his folks, he may work his way home as best he can. I should secure a better one before long. I will write you further as to amounts which I desire paid. I want you to live well and happily. Dont try to lay up much money, be happy and comfortable at all hazards.

Goodbye my dear good-bye little ones. When we find another stopping place I will write you good and long. It really looks as if we were finishing up the work, Heaven speed the day. Goodbye dearest. God Bless you all. Levi.

Doug Stout is the Licking County Library Local History Coordinator. You may contact him at 740.349.5571 or dstout@lickingcountylibrary.org.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Veterans column: Coman, fellow soldiers fall ill on way to Fort Henry
One of the two cubs named in a Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center fundraiser.

The Scottsdale-based Southwest Conservation Center raised nearly $20,000 by allowing the public to vote on the names of two orphaned mountain lion cubs, the conservation center said.

After the three-week voting period, Echo and Dash were the names that voters chose for the two orphaned brothers.

A total of 3,852 votes were cast by 423 donors across Arizona and the Midwest. Each vote cost $5, which resulted in a total of $19,260 raised, according to an announcement from the center. The losing names were Alpine and Apache, along with Zion and Bryce.

Donors had the opportunity to vote an unlimited number of times for any of the names. This led to "the highest amount of donations ever collected for a naming contest by the nonprofit," according to the announcement.

Looking back: Orphaned mountain lion cubs found a home in an AZ sanctuary. Now, they need names

We are incredibly thankful and excited about the journey ahead in helping to raise and rehabilitate the two cubs here at Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center, said the director and founder of the conservation, Linda Searles

About three months ago, rescuers discovered the male siblings, who were only a few weeks old at the time, in a den in Alpine. Biologists from the Arizona Game & Fish Department, who were monitoring their mother with a tracking device, noticed that she had stopped moving, according to Taylor Blackden, the marketing and events coordinator for the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center.

The mama mountain lion died from injuries she suffered when she was struck by a vehicle, but not before she nearly reached her cubs' den, Blackden said.

While technically considered orphans, the cubs have found their permanent home at the Scottsdale conservation center, Blackden said.

These cubs were deemed "non-releasable" into the wild because their mother never had the opportunity to teach them essential survival skills for the wild, Blackden explained.

Echo and Dash, the two recently named mountain lion cubs at the Southwest Conservation Center in Scottsdale.

The two brothers today are healthy, energetic and adorable, having recently lost all of the baby spots on their fur.

When the cubs get a bit bigger and the weather a bit cooler, the conservation center will introduce the cubs to outside play and eventually to adult mountain lions Ash and Nocona.

The two cubs will join the other six mountain lions at the conservation center, with plans for Echo and Dash to become part of the centers educational tour route.

The fundraiser will benefit not only the mountain lions but the entire facility, including for medical care, food, vaccinations, future rescues, and permanent residence for sanctuary residents, according to the announcement.

Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center specializes in rescuing and rehabilitating injured, displaced and orphaned wildlife. Animals that cannot be returned to the wild find sanctuary at the facility. Over nearly 30 years, Southwest Wildlife has rehabilitated thousands of animals, with a success rate of over 70% in releasing them back into their natural habitat, the sanctuary said.

Republic reporter Jose R. Gonzalez contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Rescued mountain lion cubs named in Scottsdale sanctuary fundraiser
A Washington state man was fatally shot outside of his home by a scared driver after he slowed down traffic to help deer pass, according to a police report.

Dan Spaeth, 37, was standing outside his home in Snohomish County on Sept. 7 with his wife to alert passing drivers that deer were crossing the road, according to an affidavit of probable cause first obtained by The Seattle Times.

Just before 8 p.m., Spaeths wife called 911 to report her husband had been shot a single time by someone in a passing vehicle. His wife said the two were on their property when she heard a loud pop and turned to see her husband lying in the road with a gunshot wound to his chest, according to the affidavit. Spaeth died at the scene.

The next day, on Sept. 8, officers with the Snohomish County Sheriffs Office arrested 22-year-old Dylan Picard in connection to the shooting, The Washington Post reported Friday. When a sergeant asked if Picard knew why he was being arrested, Picard allegedly told the officer, I shot somebody.

Picard later told investigators he saw Spaeth yell at a passing vehicle and hit the car with his hands. Picard became scared and grabbed his loaded gun, according to the affidavit.

Picard allegedly fired one shot out of his open passenger window to scare the male and female but did not know he had hit someone. He has been charged with second-degree murder.

Its the latest senseless shooting in the U.S. by individuals reacting with gun violence to otherwise harmless situations. In April, two cheerleaders in Texas were shot after one of them accidentally entered the wrong car. In May, a 14-year-old girl in Louisiana was shot by a man after she was playing hide-and-seek on his property. In August, a 9-year-old girl riding her scooter in Chicago was shot by a man who later told police he was upset over noise.

Thelistgoeson.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help the Spaeth family in this very difficult time and the difficult times to come, according to the organizer.

Related...
As Donald Trump travels the country for court dates and campaign stops, making a bid to return to the office he was voted out of in 2020 (in an election hes accused of illegally trying to overturn), his wife has been notably absent  leaving many to wonder, Wheres Melania?

When newly minted Meet the Press host Kristen Welker asked the former president if well see ( Melania ) on the trail soon, Trump was vague in his response.

Yeah. Pretty soon, he replied in an interview airing Sunday. When its appropriate, but pretty soon.

Trump told Meet the Press that the former first lady has been busy taking care of the couples 17-year-old son in recent months. He also claimed he likes to keep her away from the nasty and mean world of politics.

Shes a private person, a great person, a very confident person, he said of his wife of 18 years. And she loves our country very much.

Presidential candidates typically campaign with their spouses by their side. But the Trumps largely guarded personal relationship is coming into sharper focus as the 77-year-old politician faces multiple criminal indictments that could land him in prison.

A banner asking Wheres Melania? flew over Iowa when Trump was there last weekend.

One of Melania Trumps more notable travels with her husband came in June 2018, when she accompanied him to Andrews Air Force Base wearing a jacket with the text I really dont care, do U? written on the back. The fashion choice  which she said was a message to the media  came while news of her husbands alleged coverup of a 2006 affair with a porn star was splashed across headlines nationwide.

Melania has also famously avoided holding Trumps hand in public on more than one occasion.

Despite keeping a low-profile while serving as first lady, the Slovenian immigrant launched a Be Best initiative intended to combat bullying during her husbands time in the White House.

_____
The White House reiterated on Friday that President Biden would not pardon his son Hunter Biden if he is convicted of a crime.

When asked if Biden would commute his sons sentence if convicted on gun charges, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said no. This marks the first definitive answer the administration has given since Hunter Biden was formally charged on Thursday, though a similar message was first floated in July.

Ive answered this question before, Jean-Pierre said, referencing the July briefing. It was asked of me not too long ago, a couple of weeks ago, and I was very clear, and I said no.

Hunter Biden was indicted on three felony gun charges, alleging that the younger Biden illegally purchased a gun while on drugs. The charges could carry a 10 year sentence if convicted.

His attorney has denied the charges, and said their constitutionality is very much in doubt

It is a unique and unjustified charge. Hunter owned an unloaded gun for 11 days, attorney Abbe Lowell said Thursday. There has never been a charge like this that has been brought in the United States.

The presidents son is also under investigation by a federal special counsel for alleged tax misconduct and by a Republican House investigation into prior business deals.

Special Counsel David Weiss stated in court filings that he intends to finalize charges related to the tax misconduct by the end of the month.

Republicans allege that Biden used his position to garner lucrative deals for his son. Members of the House GOP have used the claims to push for an impeachment inquiry against the president.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
When Teyonna Ridgeways mother fell ill and eventually passed away in March, she was devastated.

It was a nightmare, Ridgeway said. She was in and out of the hospital and toward the last few months I told her you have to have this document.

During those last months, Ridgeway and her mother sat down and created a health or medical directive. It appointed Ridgeway as her mothers healthcare agent and put her in charge of making medical decisions on her behalf.

Because I had this healthcare directive, because I had put life insurance on my mother five years ago, though I was so devastated that she was transitioning, I did have some level of peace that I had prepared for this moment, Ridgeway said.  I knew exactly what to do.

Black Women Will

Ridgeway was in the perfect position to advise her mother because she has been working for years to assist other Black women on end of life planning. She works as the marketing director for the non-profit organization, Black Women Will. It focuses on estate planning and the creation of wills and health directives.

Not just helping women to get their wills done but guiding them through the process of making the decisions that will influence their wills and then we really pride ourselves on shifting the energy from morbid to motivational, Ridgeway explained.

The organization has a yearly Black Women Will event in Atlanta where lawyers and experts help attendees plan out their estates, wills and directives. Ridgeway says this type of work is especially important for Black women.

Its important for Black women because we so often are the leaders in our communities and families and we need to take a step back and make sure that we have these documents in place because if something happens to us then its outlining who is the next person in charge, Ridgeway explained. Because we often have a way we want to have things done we need to take the time to do this so that the power of the decisions are in the right persons hands.

She says people often misinterpret what goes into a will thinking that if they dont have a lot of assets, they dont need to create one. Ridgeway says that is simply untrue.

With the will, if you have a house, outlining whos going to get that house. Or if you have a car, whos going to get that. In addition to if you have minor children and something happens to you, unfortunately, or happens to you and your partner, who will be the guardian of your minor children? she said.

Ridgeway advises that Black women take three steps to begin the process of planning their estate and creating a will.

Steps to Start Planning

Set a Deadline

Start by marking a date three months in the future on your calendar. By that day, make sure you have started the process of planning your estate and will. Ridgeway says in those 3 months, women should work to find an attorney and start thinking through how they would like their assets divided.

Literally put it on your calendar, Ridgeway advised. Set a deadline to make the comittment to yourself that youre going to do this. Youre not going to procrastinate and you can check this off your list.

Check with Employer

Estate planning, especially if you are trying to set up a trust, can be expensive. For that reason, Ridgeway suggests checking with your employer to see if any type of assistance, legal or otherwise, is offered.

Check with your companies HR department to see if there are any opportunities to complete your will using your employee benefits. The employee assistance programs that some companies offer, they may offer a portion of this support or finding an attorney, Ridgeway said.

Black Women Will recommends checking with your companies HR department before reaching out to attorneys on your own just in case assistance is available through work.

Organize Assets and Accounts

Organizing your assets and accounts can feel like a lot of work. However, its integral to planning properly.

This is kind of one of the meaty pieces that takes people out to be honest because it is thinking about what you own and it can feel a bit overwhelming. Ridgeway said.

Black Women Will offers a free estate planning playbook to help. Ridgeway says the resource helps people outline their assets and accounts and think through who they want to inherit those.

DIY Planning Options

Ridgeway also advises that there are some planning options and steps that can be done on your own. While an attorney is recommended, online resources like Legal Zoom may be able to assist women looking for affordable alternatives to creating a simple will.

Ridgeway also encourages people to set up beneficiaries on their bank accounts. She says it is a generally simple process that can be done by contacting your bank yourself. Ridgeway says taking these early steps to start the process of planning are important not just to Black women but to the ones they love as well.

Life is going to happen and death is a part of the cycle of life, Ridgeway said. We cant avoid it but we as Black women well try to shift the conversation and narrative so it is more empowering. Ultimately you have to handle your business for yourself and your loved ones.

The post Why Black Women Need to Prioritize Estate Planning, Wills appeared first on 21Ninety.
He got away.

Prosecutors couldnt show where Ken Paxton got money, or gifts, or even a granite kitchen countertop.

So, despite a laser-focused closing argument detailing various mismanagement by Attorney General Ken Paxton, House lawyers were unable to convince the Texas Senate that he orchestrated a fortuitous series of events in favor of his very good friend, Austin developer Nate Paul.

In one telling moment of testimony during the week, an associate deputy attorney general said he works for Paxton, not for the people of Texas.

Austin Kinghorn had described the states civil litigators as Paxtons law firm.

That was the gist of both the prosecution and the defense: that (1) Paxton ran the states law firm for his own benefit or Pauls, or (2) Paxton was elected with 4.3 million votes and constitutionally can run the office as he pleases.

The Senate, 31 elected officials who often argue as well that their authority comes from the voters, chose (2).

Theatrical defense attorney Tony Buzbee , a Houston character straight out of a made-for-TV movie, pointed and pivoted in his closing statement as he drawled that Texas first impeachment trial of a statewide official in 96 years was about nothing and a political witch hunt in which there aint no evidence.

Buzbee once again repeated an old claim that Paxton got blamed over new granite kitchen countertops that were never installed at his then-home. A witness actually only testified about hearing that Paul might help arrange new countertops.

But too much of the case rested only on what witnesses heard, not what Paxton gained.

The evidence sounded powerful in May, in a Texas House vote where 60 Republicans agreed to send the case to the Senate.

But over the summer, impeachments and trials of Republican officials became a partisan win-at-all-costs issue. Ken Paxton, little known and mostly disliked as recently as a year ago  57% of Republicans chose someone else in the first 2022 primary  became a national poster child for legislative overreach.

In the end, with Paxton booked on Tucker Carlsons show and former President Donald Trump marshaling support, the senators decided to leave Paxtons fate to district court prosecutors and to a lurking FBI investigation. Paxton remains free on felony bond in an old Collin County securities case.

At various times in closing arguments Friday, Buzbee laid the blame for Paxtons woes on:

 The Bushes, referring to former President George W. Bush and his late father, President George H.W. Bush, two of the most decent human beings to occupy the White House regardless how you might feel about their politics.

The Bush era in Texas ends today, Buzbee said. They can go back to Maine!

 The Biden administration and its FBI and its Department of Justice, later mentioned simply as the feds.

 The lobbyists.

 The Ashcroft law firm, the Austin office of a national firm that has a lawyer working for Paxtons accusers.

 And House Speaker Dade Phelan of Beaumont, for being so drunk while presiding days before Paxtons impeachment.

For good measure, fellow defense attorney Dan Cogdell of Houston mentioned a decorated former Texas Ranger who testified against Paxton, saying, His milk carton has expired.

House Impeachment Manager Rep. Andrew Murr, R - Junction, makes closing arguments at the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton at the Capitol on Friday September 15, 2023. Jay Janner/American-Statesman/USA TODAY NETWORK

The Houses lead prosecutor was Rep. Andrew Murr, a Junction lawyer with a mustache more befitting Judge Roy Bean.

Standing stiff as a West Texas fence post, he recited the 16 accusations against Paxton and the evidence presented for each.

During the defenses closing argument, Buzbee had showed a cartoon donkey and a mocking photo of prosecutor Rusty Hardin.

Murr, on the other hand, played sound bites of exact witness testimony on most of the 16 articles of impeachment.

Buzbees showboating plays well in a Houston courtroom. But Murrs was meant for the jury of 30 veteran senators.

Murr focused on Paxtons peculiar hiring of an inexperienced outside attorney to embark on a wide-ranging investigation of all the courts and law enforcement agencies involved in cases against Paul.

Although Buzbee had said Paxton had no secret email accounts, a former aide testified that he often used personal email accounts and the aides own email account for stealth communications, along with extra phones with encrypted messaging apps.

Murr also called back to Cogdells milk carton remark, saying Paxton threw the former Texas Ranger, David Maxwell, out like garbage. ... That is a godless, rudderless morality.

Rep. Jeff Leach of Paxtons home Collin County started in on what sounded more like a legislative floor speech, saying Paxton was a longtime friend and brother in Christ who erred. Buzbee broke in to object accurately that the personal testimony wasnt introduced as evidence.

Sounding more like a genuine judge every day, presiding Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick overruled Buzbee and said, The jury will decide the evidence.

The senators made their decision.
Elon Musk , founder, CEO and chief engineer/designer of SpaceX, speaks during a news conference in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020. | John Raoux, Associated Press

Elon Musk is expected to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday as the tech titan continues to fight accusations that hes letting antisemitism run rampant on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

The meeting is the latest step in a campaign by Musks Jewish friends and allies, and executives of his social media company, to stave off the mounting controversy, according to The Washington Post.

Musk, Netanyahu and other tech leaders are expected to discuss artificial intelligence, among other topics, The Associated Press reported. The visit in Silicon Valley was added onto the prime ministers already planned trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Elon Musk faces antisemitism accusations

Unnamed sources told The Washington Post that the meeting is aimed at improving Musks image as he continues to spar with the Anti-Defamation League over free speech issues.

The Anti-Defamation League has accused Musk of allowing antisemitism and hate speech to spread on X, the AP reported. The Leagues director, Jonathan Greenblatt, has criticized Musk for engaging with X users who attack the Jewish community.

Related

For his part, Musk has claimed that the Anti-Defamation League is out to sink his social media platform. Hes repeatedly complained about the organization on X, including by sharing memes that mock its work.

Musk has also threatened to sue the Anti-Defamation League for defamation.

He said the league was responsible for a 60% drop in revenue at X, the AP reported.

But Musk has also posted about his opposition to antisemitism.

To be super clear, Im pro free speech, but against anti-Semitism of any kind, he said on Sept. 4.

Elon Musk vs. the Anti-Defamation League

Although X has not yet filed a lawsuit against the Anti-Defamation League, The Washington Post reported that top X executives are planning for one.

The proposed lawsuit, which has not been filed, would dispute the methodologies used by the ADL and other advocacy groups as evidence that inaccurate, hateful and violent posts have surged on X, the article said.

Advertising experts told the Post that its misguided to blame rising concern about hate speech for Xs financial issues.

Its clear Twitters drop-off in ad revenue started months ago as a result of changes the platform made to ad formats, Sara Livingston, a marketing analytics consultant, told The Washington Post.

Leaders at X have also struggled to quiet potential advertisers concerns about Musks online behavior, which is often controversial.

For example, in May, Musk faced intense pushback for criticizing George Soros, a prominent financier who is regularly the target of antisemitic attacks, as CNN reported at the time.

Musk compared him to X-Men villain Magneto, who like Soros was a survivor of the Holocaust, and said he hates humanity, CNN reported.

Musk also turned to Netanyahu for help in the wake of that scandal, according to The Washington Post.

This summer, Netanyahu smoothed things over, the Post reported. Netanyahus government minister tasked with fighting antisemitism made of point of saying that Musks comments were not antisemitic, despite widespread outcry in Israel.
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE)  One of the candidates in Californias 2024 Senate election stopped in Fresno on Saturday as part of a meet and greet with potential voters.

Katie Porter was at the Fresno Democratic Club Headquarters in Downtown Fresno. Her visit follows a report earlier this month in the San Joaquin Valley Sun suggesting Central Valley voters were being ignored by Porter.

During the meet and greet, Porter spoke to potential voters about her candidacy for the U.S. Senate and what she intends to do in the role if voters select her in November 2024.

Katie Porter is not the only candidate in the running to represent California in the U.S. Senate. Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee are also on the campaign trail in the race to succeed retiring Senator Dianne Feinstein.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com.
My first reaction to Mitt Romneys decision not to seek re-election was sadness. Hes a decent and honorable man, and we need more of them in Washington, not fewer.

And since Joe Bidens age (and the ages of Sens. Mitch McConnell and Dianne Feinstein, as well as Donald Trump ) has been a major topic of conversation of late, it was refreshing to see a politician of a certain age (in Romneys case, 76) voluntarily relinquish power before he starts missing a step.

On the other hand, Romneys exodus is a net negative for those of us who believe in liberal democracy. Its yet another name on the long list of decent conservatives who have been put out to pasture during the Trump era.

Biden Should Step Aside, But Its Never Going to Happen

Leaders like Romney are repeatedly quitting and writing (or being the source for) a goodbye cruel world book on the way out the door, instead of standing their ground and fighting.

True, many of the erstwhile Republicans who ran afoul of Donald TrumpIm thinking Jeff Flake, Bob Corker, Liz Cheney, Adam Kinzinger , et al.were effectively pushed out. But on Wednesday, Romney said hes confident he would win re-election in Utah in 2024an assertion that seems consistent with recent polling. Instead of bailing, why not stick around and fight the good fight, like Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp?

What is more, there is some major cognitive dissonance in Romneys rhetoric. For example, he says its time for a new generation of leaders. Theyre the ones that need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in. But as Michelle Goldberg notes in The New York Times, The problem with this argument is that Romney despises the next generation of Republican leaders.

Does Romney really want them making the decisions that will shape the world? Does he even care what happens after hes gone?

Right-Wing Influencers Deny Reality by Claiming Neo-Nazis Are Feds

The rising stars in todays GOP are people like Sens. Josh Hawley and Ted Cruz, who Romney says, put politics above the interests of liberal democracy and the Constitution. And of Ohios junior senator, he said, I dont know that I can disrespect someone more than J. D. Vance. And he does not seem to believe that these three individuals are anomalies. A very large portion of my party really doesnt believe in the Constitution, he told author McKay Coppins.

Its tough to weigh the two conflicting outcomes: 1) if Romney stays, he just gets old, or 2) Romneys replacement likely wont show the kind of courage Romney displayed when twice voting to convict Trump at his impeachment trials (see Romneys Utah Senate colleague, Mike Lee).

Wouldnt Romneys best option be to risk growing old in the Senate?

Romney believes that serious challenges, like mounting national debt, climate change and the ambitious authoritarians of Russia and China, are not being adequately addressed by Biden or Trump. And while (all things being equal) these issues could be tackled more vigorously by someone under the age of 80, does Romney really believe that his values and philosophy, as they pertain to these important issues, will be advanced if a more Trump Republican replaces him in the Senate?

The Right Needs to Ask: Why Do These Racists Keep Getting Hired by Us?

So why is he really leaving? My guess is that Romney doesnt need this heartache. Hes rich. He wants to spend his twilight years with his beautiful family. He simply wants to retire, and thats his right. But if hes not going to stay and fight, at the very minimum, he should have focused on succession planning.

If Romney cares about leaving a lasting legacy, he would have prioritized identifying, training, promoting, and otherwise grooming a group of young, like-minded conservatives in Utah who share his values and philosophy. In other words, he should have built a machine. This necessarily requires being involved in the state and local Republican parties, which control money, ballot access, registration of voters, etc. His political aides could have managed it and made this project a priority from day one.

But according to Chuck Warren, a GOP consultant who has worked for several Utah Republican campaigns (including the late Sen. Orrin Hatchs last one), I just dont think its something [Romneys] engaged in, and he didnt have anybody in his political circle who said, Go do this. I just think he felt like, its not worth my time.

In fairness, Romney may not be temperamentally suited to the kind of schmoozing required to build a movement. According to Coppins reporting, Romney didnt have many real friends in Washington, [and] ate dinner alone there most nights Regardless, for anyone who wants their values and ideas to outlive them, this effort is most certainly worth their time. If only the non-Trumpy Republicans saw that.

And its not just Romney. Look no further than Arizona, where two-term Republican governor Doug Ducey failed to effectively pass the torch to a sane successor. The infrastructure built by Sen. John McCain was not tended to, and today the Arizona GOP is in shambles.

Republicans Are Insane to Make Heroes Out of Jan. 6 Rioters

Make no mistake: The MAGA forces are starting up think tanks and hosting conferences. They are identifying fellow travelers and placing them in high-profile campaigns. But when it comes to creating this sort of movement or infrastructure, Yeats line about The best lacking all conviction, while the worst being full of passionate intensity rings true.

Mitt Romney is a good and decent man, but there is little reason to believe that he will ensure the torch is passed to someone more like him and someone less like Mike Lee. That might happen, but it wont be the result of prior planning.

Without a successor, there is no success. So if any other Never Trumpers still in office are listening, feel free to retire. But first, do the legwork and plan for your successor.

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Before allegedly choking his pregnant girlfriend to death and placing her body in the trunk of his car, a Wichita man searched the internet for information on weapons that can kill, choke holds and snapping necks, newly released court documents say.

Alexander J. Lewis cellphone web browsing history also included inquires about abortion, stun guns, lethal weapons and murder, according to a probable cause affidavit released by a Sedgwick County judge.

The web searches coincide with the Aug. 26 death of 19-year-old Zaiylah Q. Bronson, a Wichita State University student who had been dating Lewis, 22, since January and was about 16 weeks pregnant with a baby boy. Wichita police last month announced that officers found her body in the trunk of Lewis Kia Rio parked outside of his apartment near 21st and Rock after Lewis and his mother both called 911.

A defense attorney for Lewis, who is charged with capital murder in the case, declined to comment on the contents of the affidavit Thursday. Lewis has not yet had a chance to enter a not-guilty plea to the capital murder charge.

According to the affidavit, Lewis killed Bronson in her apartment, 3945 E. 17th St., across from the south side of WSU, after they spent the night fighting. Surveillance video from the apartment complex that was obtained by police shows Lewis parking his Kia outside of Bronsons apartment building around 10:30 p.m. on Aug. 25. He spent around two minutes manipulating items in the car trunk before going to her door, where he was let in, the affidavit says.

Less than 12 hours later, Lewis was recorded by surveillance cameras carrying a blanket-wrapped bundle with feet dangling out from Bronsons apartment and loading it in the Kias trunk, the affidavit says. An ax and a shovel were also in the trunk, which Lewis told police he had been using for storage.

According to the affidavit, Lewis troublesome web searches started Aug. 25, when he browsed for information regarding stun guns, lethal weapons, and weapons that can kill.

His cellphone browsing history showed additional searches the next morning for choke hold, several for abortion, two for snapping necks and others for murder, the affidavit says. He was with Bronson in her apartment for at least some of those.

The apartment surveillance cameras last recorded Bronson alive at 8:13 a.m. on Aug. 26, when the couple took a dog out into the courtyard for a few minutes.

Lewis searched the web for choke hold at 8:02 a.m. and for snapping necks at 8:51 and 8:52 a.m., the affidavit says. His searches for murder took placed between 10:57 and 11:06 a.m., according to the document.

At 10:15 a.m., Lewis left Bronsons apartment alone, went to his parked car and moved it closer to Bronsons door, the affidavit says. He got a black backpack from the trunk of the car and went back inside Bronsons apartment. Police later found duct tape, bottled water, clothes, flashlights, towels and trash bags inside of the backpack.

At 10:24 a.m., the surveillance cameras recorded Lewis carrying Bronsons body out of the apartment and at 10:27 a.m. carrying the backpack and the dog. He drove off after that, the affidavit says.

Lewis returned to the apartment briefly at 10:42 a.m. then left again.

Police showed up at 11:36 a.m., after the 911 calls, according to the affidavit.

Authorities tracked Lewis to his apartment using a location ping on his cellphone and arrested him after he answered a knock at his door. He told officers Bronson was in his car trunk, saying: I got scared. I was over at her place; I didnt know what to do, the affidavit says.

He told police Bronson broke up with him earlier on Aug. 25 after an argument. When he went over to her apartment that night, she was on the phone with another male, which upset him, the affidavit says he told police.

Lewis told police he argued with Bronson throughout the night and that eventually he wanted her to stop talking so he grabbed her around the neck with his arm and squeezed until she stopped moving, the affidavit says.

He told police he panicked, checked for vital signs and then wrapped her body in a blanket he took from her bed when he couldnt find a pulse or other signs of life, the affidavit says he told police.
Jaswant Singh Chail, 21, broke into the castle grounds with a loaded crossbow on Christmas Day 2021.

He subsequently pleaded guilty to a charge under the Treason Act, the Metropolitan Police said.

Two years later, Chail's lawyer told a court he was "embarrassed" in an apology to King Charles III.

The crossbow-wielding intruder who broke into the grounds of Windsor Castle on Christmas Day 2021 with the aim of killing Queen Elizabeth II is "embarrassed" by his actions, his lawyer said.

Jaswant Singh Chail's lawyer told a court in London on Friday that he'd written an apology letter to King Charles III and the royal family regarding his plot to kill the late queen, who died September 8, 2022, Sky News reported.

Speaking on his behalf at the hearing, lawyer Nadia Chbat said Chail's letter to Charles expressed his "sadness" and "distress" at how his actions impacted the royal family.

"He has apologized to the Royal Family and His Majesty King Charles," she said. "He is embarrassed and ashamed he brought such horrific and worrying times to their front door. He has expressed relief no one was actually hurt. It is important to him there was a surrender."

King Charles III in York in April. Max Mumby/Getty Images

Chail was 18 when he was discovered on the grounds of Windsor Castle armed with a loaded crossbow. According to the Metropolitan Police, he told the law-enforcement officer who apprehended him: "I am here to kill the Queen."

The BBC reported that Chail posted a Snapchat video moments before he entered the castle grounds, saying "I'm sorry, I'm sorry for what I've done and what I will do."

"This is revenge for those who have died in the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre," he added. "It is also revenge for those who have been killed, humiliated and discriminated on because of their race."

Chail's recent statements, made on his behalf by his lawyer, came after a court had heard weeks of evidence about his mental health.

He was present at the hearing via a video link from Broadmoor, a high-security psychiatric hospital.

Earlier this week the court heard from Dr Christian Brown, Chail's psychiatrist at the hospital, who said he'd identified his patient with three features of psychosis, according to The Guardian.

"He believed at the time his entire life was leading to this point," Brown said. "From an early age he had vague plans of doing something dramatic."

Read the original article on Insider
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul (D) hit back at Republicans in the Badger State on Friday after the state Senate voted to oust the top elections official in the state, claiming we have had consistent attacks on our democracy in Wisconsin.

On MSNBCs Morning Joe, Kaul said the administration had seen relentless attacks on our election officials in Wisconsin for years now.

Whats really interesting is going back to about 2015, Wisconsin had a nationally recognized Government Accountability Board that oversaw the administration on elections. Republicans were unhappy with them, he continued. So they replaced that board with what is now the Wisconsin Election Commission.

They then got rid of the first administrator of that commission, and now theyre going after the next administrator of the commission, he added.

Kauls comments one day after the state Senate, which has a Republican supermajority, voted to oust Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe , who is a nonpartisan official.

The push to remove her came amid the backdrop of election skepticism and denialism in the state following the 2020 election results, with some baselessly accusing of her being a part of a scheme to affect the outcome of the last presidential election, according to The Associated Press.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected an effort after the 2020 election to overturn the results  one of several swing states where efforts were made to try to change the outcome of the last election in former President Trumps favor.

Kaul filed a lawsuit against Senate Republicans vote to impeach her and Wolfe has said shell continue in her rule amid pending litigation. The Wisconsin attorney general said in Fridays interview that he was confident the suit would be won.

The vote to fire Wolfe comes as Republicans are mulling impeaching liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz should she decide not to recuse herself from several redistricting cases that the state Supreme Court has been asked to weigh in on.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
SAN DIEGO  A woman was found dead Friday in a fall from the U.S.-Mexico border wall, authorities said.

The incident occurred around 2:36 p.m. at Drucker Lane and Siempre Viva Road in Otay Mesa, the San Diego Police Department told FOX 5.

The woman had to scale two major walls, one that was 17 feet and another, the one she fell from, that was 30 feet, according to police.

PHOTOS: San Diego sky lit up by rocket blazing over county

There has been a 162% increase in falls and severe and fatal injuries in the last three years, according to Consulado General De Mexico.

Her death remains under investigation.

FOX 5s Jaime Chambers contributed to this story.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
Four women came forward to British media to accuse the comedian Russell Brand of sexual misconduct. Lester Cohen/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

A woman says she was 16 years old when the comedian Russell Brand sexually assaulted her.

British media published an investigation Saturday reporting that four women have accused Brand of sexual misconduct.

The woman who was 16 said she now believes Brand groomed her.

A woman has alleged that the comedian and media personality Russell Brand sexually assaulted her during a tumultuous three-month relationship that occurred when she was 16, according to an investigation published Saturday by British media.

A joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times of London, and Channel 4 Dispatches reported that four women accused Brand of sexual misconduct and predatory behavior  including rape and sexual assault  between 2006 and 2013.

In response to the investigation, Brand released a video statement denying all allegations of wrongdoing, but conceded that he was "very promiscuous" during the period in question.

"Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute," Brand said in his statement, adding that his relationships were "absolutely always consensual."

An attorney representing Brand did not immediately respond to Insider's request for additional comment.

The woman who said she was 16 during her relationship with Brand said the comedian first approached her in Leicester Square after she had been shopping. She said he riffled through her purchases, pulled out a dress, and said, "You're going to wear this on our date this week." The woman, who was identified throughout the investigation as "Alice," said Brand was 30 years old at the time.

Alice said she took a taxi to Brand's home and recalled the driver begging her not to go inside, saying, "Please, I'm asking you not to go in there, you could be my little girl, and I would want someone to do this for her." Alice said she ignored the driver's warnings and entered into a three-month relationship that she described as emotionally abusive.

Alice told reporters Brand was ecstatic to learn she was a virgin and became "preoccupied" with her innocence and purity.

"He was like, 'Oh my God, my baby, my baby,' and picked me up and cradled me in his arms like a child and was stroking my hair. He's like, 'You're like my little dolly,'" Alice said.

She also said Brand referred to her as "the child," instructed her to read the book Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, and told her to lie to her parents. Alice and one of her relatives who corroborated her story to British media described Brand's actions as "grooming."

Alice told reporters the relationship ended after a sexual assault in which Brand forced his penis down her throat, choking her, refusing to stop. Alice said she ultimately punched him in the stomach and started to cry.

"I knew at that point that he didn't care about hurting me physically or emotionally," Alice told reporters. "It shouldn't take you having to punch someone and to wind them to get them off you. It shouldn't be a physical fight."

Read the original article on Insider
A woman was seriously injured in a wrong-way crash that closed part of Route 101 in Hampton, NH on Friday night.

According to state police, on Friday, September 15 around 9:36 p.m., Troopers responded to Route 101 East in the vicinity of the Interstate 95 interchange for a report of a two-car crash, involving entrapment.

Investigation shows Eric Jenkins, 22 the driver of a 2020 Chevrolet Malibu was traveling the wrong way in a westerly direction along Route 101 East.

While traveling the wrong way he collided head-on with a 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage, operated by Melisa Kizoglu, 23, of Hampton.

Kizoglu was trapped in her vehicle and later extricated by EMS.

The crash sent debris across Route 101 and all travel lanes of Route 101 East remained closed at Exit 12 and the flow of traffic was rerouted onto Route 111 and Route 27 in the Town of Exeter for over three hours. Eventually, Route 101 East was fully reopened to traffic at approximately 1:42 a.m.

Kizoglu, was stabilized at the scene by EMS and airlifted via Boston Medflight helicopter to a Boston hospital with serious injuries.

Jenkins, was transported to a local hospital as a precaution.

The crash remains under investigation, anyone with information about it is asked to contact Trooper Brighton at Clark.A.Brighton@dos.nh.gov or by calling New Hampshire State Police at (603) 223-4381.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

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I did the Disney College Program twice at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

I became very familiar with the souvenir options, but not everything is worth the money.

If you're looking for a high-value gift, opt for a mug, trading pins, or Christmas ornaments.

I loved participating in the Disney College Program  where students and recent grads can work at the theme parks for a semester  so much that I did it twice.

During my time as a Disney World employee, I regularly watched countless weary-eyed parents search for the perfect souvenirs for their children in notoriously busy stores like Disney Springs' World of Disney (where I worked) and Magic Kingdom's Emporium.

Shopping at Disney World can be downright chaotic. Plus, by the time people go hunting for memorabilia, they're usually exhausted from a long day at the parks and can barely think straight.

To save guests a little stress, I put together a list of souvenirs that I think are actually worth it.

Pandora charms are the gift that keeps on giving

Charm bracelets are an adorable way to commemorate your Disney vacation.

The Disney x Pandora collection has charms inspired by fan-favorite characters and movies as well as holidays. It makes it easy to add a new charm every time you visit.

Disney pins are affordable and fun to trade

You can try to trade pins with park employees and other guests. Fiona Clair

Pin trading is a beloved pastime for guests and park employees alike  I always relished the moments when a guest would ask to check out my lanyard and offer up a trade.

You can find standalone pins and starter sets at stores across Disney property, and trading with others in the parks can often land you retro or even limited-edition pins.

Photo frames are a fun way to remember the trip

As far as Disney souvenirs go, photo frames are definitely on the more affordable end. They're a fun, on-brand way to preserve your family photo on the bookshelf back at home.

Since they're typically pretty flat, frames are also super easy to pack.

I think the popular bags are worth it for serious Disney lovers

There was a Small World-inspired Loungefly backpack. Fiona Clair

If you're in the market for a new handbag or backpack, check out the Dooney & Bourke and Loungefly displays at the Emporium or World of Disney.

Both brands offer high-quality bags with a wide range of stylish designs showcasing different characters and attractions.

Pro tip: No two Dooney & Bourke bags are the same because of how the prints are cut  I've watched guests spend half an hour inspecting each one to find their favorite.

Silhouette portraits are popular gifts for loved ones

Old-fashioned silhouette portraits are one of the most popular Disney souvenir ideas, and for good reason. For $10 a face and $13 for the frame, you can take home a beautiful work of art that only takes a few minutes to pose for.

There are silhouette carts on Main Street USA and Liberty Square in Magic Kingdom, the France Pavilion in Epcot, and near Crystal Arts by Arribas Brothers in Disney Springs.

Coffee mugs can be used every day

I think mugs are a high-value souvenir. Fiona Clair

Coffee mugs are usually budget-friendly souvenirs that you can use every day for your morning cup of joe, making them a worthwhile purchase.

Just be sure to choose a unique one you truly love  you can find cheaper, basic Disney-themed mugs at stores like Walmart and Target.

A few of my favorites at the parks include the iconic Chip Mug from "Beauty and the Beast" and the Jose Mug from Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room.

Christmas ornaments never go out of style

Ye Old Christmas Shoppe in Magic Kingdom's Liberty Square and Disney's Days of Christmas in Disney Springs (which are open year-round) have massive collections of ornaments for every style and budget.

I think these are great because they can be used around the holidays every year. You can even pay extra to get a personalized ornament if you want.

Autograph books can store endless memories

I like looking back through my old autograph books. Fiona Clair

If you're visiting with young children and plan on meeting characters in the parks, an autograph book is a great way to hold on to the memory of each interaction.

I actually still have mine from my first trip to Disney World when I was 10, and I love flipping through the pages.

Some of the best souvenirs double as experiences

From spending $1 a pop on a collectible pressed penny you crank out yourself to $250 for a custom lightsaber you build in Savi's Workshop at Hollywood Studios, Disney offers tons of souvenir experiences at different price points. The immersive aspect is half the fun.

It's easy to buy basic Disney merch outside of the parks, so an item that has an experience tied to it is definitely worth the cost.

Read the original article on Insider
(Bloomberg) -- A brutal, grinding war in Ukraine. Governments overthrown in Niger and Gabon. Lingering hostility over the Covid-19 pandemic and the unequal distribution of life-saving vaccines.

Most Read from Bloomberg

With dozens of world leaders descending upon New York for the United Nations General Assemblys annual gathering, global problems are showing up fast and thick at the world bodys door  with no solutions in sight. And many countries are starting to look elsewhere to do something about them.

The UN, once the central forum for trying to solve geopolitical disputes, is increasingly on the sidelines of the new global politics, unable to keep up with the array of shocks, crises and coups that seem to be fracturing the world. Thats been evidenced by its powerlessness to intervene in places where in years past it would have been front and center  Nigers coup this summer, for example, or Haitis most recent plunge into chaos.

Its a plight that even the US  which helped shape the UN at its founding in a push to cement American leadership  has come to acknowledge. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made that clear in a speech last week, describing the upheaval in almost apocalyptic terms.

What were experiencing now is more than a test of the post-Cold War order  its the end of it, Blinken said. Forging international cooperation has gotten more complex. Not only because of rising geopolitical tensions, but also because of the mammoth scale of global problems.

Of course, officials have been declaring the UN irrelevant and predicting its demise for so long that its practically a cliche. But the sense of malaise feels particularly acute this year. As the Ukraine war grinds on, the Security Council has been paralyzed because of Russias place as a permanent member of that body.

If the countries that dominate the UN keep resisting reform, the global south will have no choice but to seek options outside the UN system, including those offered by China, a developing-nation diplomat said, asking not to be identified to speak frankly.

Russia is now weighing weapons deals with North Korea in open violation of UN sanctions it once voted for. The UN brokered a deal to export Ukrainian grain despite the conflict, only to see it collapse when President Vladimir Putin walked away, a decision that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said would strike a blow to people in need everywhere.

The UN is as it has been  the divisions in the world order have prevented its effective functioning for some time now, said Manoj Joshi, a distinguished fellow at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think tank.

Strong-Arming Ukraine Would Backfire for West, Czechs Say

Other countries that have long sought to shake up the UN now look beyond it. India and Brazil, long advocates for such reforms, are steering more of their energy toward the BRICS grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Indias also focusing on the so-called Quad that consists of the US, India, Japan and Australia.

China, with an eye to displacing the US, has led the global effort to disrupt the existing world order, pushing to expand BRICS in August by inviting Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Argentina, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates, the first expansion of the group in over a decade.

We should help reform global governance, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told the BRICS leaders in a speech deploying thinly veiled criticism of the West. Ganging up to form exclusive groups and packaging their own rules as international norms was unacceptable, he said.

Its a telling sign that this year, President Joe Biden will be the only leader from among the five permanent members of the Security Council to show up in person at the General Assembly debate. The heads of state from China, Russia, France and the UK are all staying home.

Some nations put the blame squarely at the feet of the US. After seeking UN Security Council blessing for its 2003 invasion of Iraq, the US went ahead anyway when the body declined to do so. Former President Donald Trump shook the organization to its core with his decision to quit the World Health Organization, a move Biden later reversed.

US officials have repeatedly acknowledged the need to make the United Nations reflect the world as it is, not as it was at the world bodys founding after World War II. But the US voice has also been diminished given the possibility that Trump could return to the US presidency in 2025 and shake it up once again.

Its been true for a while that the United Nations is not the only game in town, and thats increasingly the case, said Stewart Patrick, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. You do have fissures that have emerged, and one problematic aspect is that those fissures run not simply east-west, but also north-south.

North Korea Says Putin May Visit After Epoch-Making Talks

Theres also outright internal animosity. Much of the problem can be traced to the Covid-19 crisis, when poor countries felt abandoned by richer ones that hoarded vaccines. A similar fault line is emerging over the climate crisis, with low-income countries resentful that rich ones responsible for most of the worlds pollution are asking them to limit their own output.

Many low-income countries now find themselves looking for new partners or wondering if the only viable course of action is to try to solve their problems alone, Mark Suzman, the chief executive of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, wrote in Foreign Affairs.

Even those governments that want the UNs support find themselves shut out. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has long sought access to the UN system or at least its protection  an idea that the leadership in Beijing has refused to countenance.

Its very disappointing that the Security Council isnt able to respond in an effective way to serious breaches of security around the world, Taiwans de facto ambassador to the US, Hsiao Bi-khim, said in an interview. Were all aware of our shared interests and agenda in keeping global peace. Thats why the UN was founded.

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A New Mexico family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the City of Farmington and three Farmington police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Robert Dotson while responding to a domestic violence call at the wrong house.

Attorneys for both sides have given dueling narratives of what happened around 11:30 p.m. April 5, when Farmington police responded to the incorrect address and shot and killed Dotson, who answered the door armed with a gun.

When Dotson, 52, pushed the door open he appeared to grip the weapon and then point it at one of the officers, Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe said after the shooting, citing body-camera video.

The lawsuit claims the officers applied excessive, unnecessary force and shot Robert Dotson to death while he was standing in his doorway.

Their extreme, unreasonable actions  demonstrate an utter and reckless disregard and conscious indifference for the rights of Plaintiffs and the life of Robert Dotson, the suit says.

Further, it says the City of Farmington failed to properly train and monitor the Defendant officers in proper use of force.

Dotsons family is suing for unspecified damages.

The officers were identified in the lawsuit as Daniel Estrada, Dylan Goodluck and Waylon Wasson. They were put on administrative leave after the shooting.

This case is undeniably tragic. Not only for the Dotson family but also for the officers, Luis Robles, the attorney for the three officers and the City of Farmington, told CNN. The officers didnt go to the Dotson house with any intention to use deadly force. But because Mr. Dotson pointed a gun at the officers, that gave them no other choice but to shoot him.

Farmington Police Department bodycam footage shows officers standing outside the front door of Robert Dotson's home. - Farmington Police Department

Immediately after the shooting, the New Mexico Department of Public Safety announced it had opened an investigation into the incident and would forward the results of its inquiry to the local district attorney for review. CNN has reached out to state police for information on the status of their investigation. CNN also has reached out to the 11th Judicial District Attorneys Office.

The police bodycam footage shows officers standing outside the front door of Dotsons home, asking a dispatcher to confirm the house number.

After no one answers the door, police start walking away. Dotson answers the door with a gun in his hand, and all three officers open fire, New Mexico police said, citing the body-camera footage.

I am just heartbroken by the circumstances surrounding this. Mr. Dotson was not the subject of the call, Hebbe said in a video posted on Facebook after the shooting. This ending is just unbelievably tragic. Im extremely sorry that were in this position.

Dotson and his wife, Kimberly Dotson, believed that they heard a knock on their door so Robert Dotson put on his robe and went downstairs to answer the knock. For personal protection, he picked up the handgun which was kept on top of the refrigerator in the Dotson residence, not knowing what he might encounter at that late hour, the lawsuit states.

Mr. Dotson opened his front door and was blinded by police flashlights. The police did not announce themselves, and Mr. Dotson had no idea who was in his yard shining bright lights at him, it continues.

Upon hearing the gunshots, Kimberly Dotson came downstairs, also clad in a robe, to find her husband lying in the doorway bleeding, the lawsuit says.

She fired outside at whoever had shot her husband. The Defendant Police officers then fired at Mrs. Dotson  another 19 rounds. Fortunately, she was not hit, the lawsuit says.

In a statement at the time, state police said Kimberly Dotson put the gun down and complied when she realized they were police officers.

The Defendant police officers finally announced themselves, and Kimberly Dotson told them that someone had shot her husband and requested their help, the lawsuit says. She did not realize even at that moment that the three police officers had killed her husband.

The officers handcuffed and detained Kimberly Dotson and her two children and did not disclose to investigators that they were at the wrong address, the lawsuit says.

CNNs Taylor Romine and Josh Campbell contributed to this report.

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New York Yankees relief pitcher Anthony Misiewicz is taken off the field after being injured during the sixth inning of the team's baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

PITTSBURGH (AP)  Yankees reliever Anthony Misiewicz was released from Allegheny General Hospital after taking a line drive to the face, and New York placed him on the seven-day concussion injured list Saturday.

The 28-year-old was struck by a 100.6 mph liner from Pittsburgh's Ji Hwan Bae in the sixth inning of a 7-5 win on Friday. With two runners on, Misiewicz couldnt get his glove up in time for an attempted catch.

The left-hander was treated by medical personnel while down for several minutes. He was then able to walk to a cart with a towel against the left side of his face.

I saw Anthony last night when he got back from the hospital, Yankees manager Aaron Boone said on Saturday. "I was able to stop by his room and see him. He was in good sprits. Looked and sounded pretty good. He's definitely got some (concussion-related) symptoms today. But, I think, all things considered, he's doing pretty well.

I think he'll be over here a little bit later. I think he's going to see the doctor here again tomorrow and then, obviously, when we get back to New York, he'll go through more battery (of tests), see our doctors and everything.

Misiewicz was alert and oriented, the Yankees announced Friday. He was assessed by Pirates team doctors before being moved to a hospital for further testing.

I just know he was good enough last night to be released from the hospital, which was obviously really good news, Boone said. That's about as scary as it gets, right? When you see something like that and you see him down, pretty much right away out there, you at least have a decent feeling in how he was able to communicate and answer questions, and then sit up. Getting to see him last night even felt like, all things considered, was in a pretty good spot.

Since being promoted from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sept. 10, Misiewicz is 1-0 with a 10.13 ERA in three appearances for the Yankees. He pitched a scoreless inning his first two times out for New York, his first two games in the majors since being claimed off waivers from the Detroit Tigers on July 6. Misiewicz was then tagged for three runs on two hits and one walk in 2/3 of an inning Friday.

In addition to placing Misiewicz on the IL, the Yankees activated right-hander Ian Hamilton from the 15-day IL after his recovery from a right groin injury. He has not pitched since Aug. 30.

I won't use him multiple innings right away, Boone said. He'll be in, potentially, a high-leverage situation today. But he's been able to throw the whole time. Even when he went down, two days after, he was playing catch. A few days later, he was on the mound throwing bullpens. He hasn't missed a lot of time and he really hasn't missed any time throwing.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Summit of G77 and China opens in Havana

Xinhua) 10:12, September 16, 2023

Delegates attending the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China pose for a group photo in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 15, 2023. Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended the summit. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

HAVANA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China kicked off at the Palace of Conventions in Havana, Cuba, on Friday.

The meeting, running through Saturday, gathers delegations from more than 100 countries.

The opening ceremony was attended by Cuba's socialist revolution Army General Raul Castro.

During his welcoming speech, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel highlighted China's efforts to promote international cooperation worldwide.

He said that cooperation, solidarity, and human progress without exclusions are vital to helping tackle today's world challenges.

"Thanks for accepting the invitation that unites us today in defense of the future and the large majorities that comprise such a vast concept of humanity," he said.

Diaz-Canel also denounced the six-decade-long U.S. embargo on the Cuban population, which has caused huge economic and humanitarian damages, calling on participants to fight for the right to development.

Speaking at the summit's opening ceremony, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the voice of the Group of 77 and China will always be essential for the UN system.

Terming the group as "a champion of multilateralism," Guterres called on G77 and China to "champion a system rooted in equality; champion a system ready to reverse the injustice and neglect of centuries; and champion a system that delivers for all humanity and not for the privileged."

More financial support is required to help Global South nations tackle climate change's impact, he added.

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended the summit.

"China is the world's largest developing nation and a natural member of the Global South. We are ready to work with Cuba and other G77 members to open a new chapter in South-South cooperation in quest for greater development through stronger solidarity, build a Global South community with a shared future, and usher in a new era of common development," he said.

Li proposed the following in respect of cooperation between the G77 and China: staying true to the original aspiration of the G77 for independence and greater collective strength through unity; advocating equity, justice and inclusiveness; pursuing development, revitalization and win-win cooperation.

"China remains committed to building an open, inclusive and mutually beneficial system for South-South scientific and technological cooperation," Li said.

Cuba took on the rotating presidency of the G77 and China this January.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel receives Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, ahead of the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 15, 2023. Cuba took on the rotating presidency of the G77 and China this January. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaks at the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie)
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a lawsuit Saturday against five major oil companies and their subsidiaries, seeking compensation for damages caused by climate change.

The suit, filed in San Francisco County Superior Court by Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta , accuses the companies of knowing about the link between fossil fuels and catastrophic climate change for decades but suppressing and spreading disinformation on the topic to delay climate action. The New York Times first reported the case Friday.

The suit also claims that Exxon, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and BP  as well as the American Petroleum Institute industry trade group  have continued their deception to today, promoting themselves as green with small investments in alternative fuels, while primarily investing in fossil fuel products.

It seeks to create a fund that oil companies would pay into to help the state recover from extreme weather events and prepare for further effects of climate change. It argues that California has already spent tens of billions of dollars on responding to climate change, with costs expected to rise significantly.

The companies that have polluted our air, choked our skies with smoke, wreaked havoc on our water cycle, and contaminated our lands must be made to mitigate the harms they have brought upon the State, the suit says.

Shell and API said the question of how to address climate change should be dealt with in the policy arena.

"We do not believe the courtroom is the right venue to address climate change, but that smart policy from government and action from all sectors is the appropriate way to reach solutions and drive progress," Shell spokesperson Anna Arata said in an email.

"This ongoing, coordinated campaign to wage meritless, politicized lawsuits against a foundational American industry and its workers is nothing more than a distraction from important national conversations and an enormous waste of California taxpayer resources," API Senior Vice President and General Counsel Ryan Meyers said in a statement. "Climate policy is for Congress to debate and decide, not the court system.

California's legal action joins dozens of similar lawsuits brought by seven other states and many municipalities seeking to hold major polluters accountable for allegedly lying about their role in causing climate change.



Eight California local governments filed some of the countrys first climate lawsuits in 2017 and 2018 that are now in state courts. Bonta's filing makes California the largest economy to join the campaign against oil companies. California is also one of the countrys top oil and gas producers, and Chevron, one of the defendants, is headquartered in the state.

A spokesperson for Newsom said the timing was motivated in part by the Supreme Court's decision in April to allow existing suits from local governments to proceed in state court, rather than be moved to federal courts as oil companies wanted. State courts are seen as friendlier venues for plaintiffs seeking climate damages because they're generally more receptive to considering state laws that deal with climate change.

"All these cases got tied up in years of procedural wrangling; oil companies doing everything they could to drag their feet," said spokesperson Alex Stack. The "Supreme Court finally let these cases go forward this spring  the state as a whole is joining cities and counties."

California officials have been contemplating legal action against oil companies for years, since at least the early 2010s, when former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown was serving as California attorney general. The state did sue coal companies and automakers before that, alleging public nuisance harms stemming from climate change, but the Supreme Court rejected the arguments.

The links between oil companies and efforts to downplay the effects of climate change have become clearer since then, a former top California legal official said.

"At that time there was less information about the ongoing and continuing efforts by oil companies to mislead and misrepresent on the record," said Ken Alex, a former senior assistant attorney general under Brown who led the office's environmental section. "I don't think we had the same level of information that they have now about that conduct."

The evidence has continued to pile up. A study published this year from Harvard University and the University of Potsdam in Germany found that Exxons climate models from 40 years ago were spot on.

California joining the legal parade against oil companies could prove significant.

"Having California participate is a big deal," Alex said. "These are difficult cases. They have five defendants who have endless resources; it's not simple to prove what they need to prove in terms of misrepresentation."
Kevin Costner is trying everything to get his character back on "Yellowstone."

However, research shows viewers aren't too keen on John Dutton anymore.

Regardless, it doesn't seem like he's returning anytime soon.

Kevin Costner may desperately want to return to "Yellowstone" but many viewers simply don't care about the head Dutton clan member as much as they did five years ago.

In May, it was confirmed "Yellowstone" would officially end with season 5. Both Costner and "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan said that his departure stemmed from disagreements about conflicting schedules. Costner is filming a movie series called "Horizon: An American Saga" and said recently that Sheridan's decision to split season five into two parts was the reason he left.

However, Costner  who is also engaged in a public divorce with wife Christine Baumgartner  is reportedly insisting on a return to the hit show, per a report from Puck .

When meeting with Sheridan in July to discuss his possible return, Puck reported the actor brought out stipulations, including a larger paycheck and significant control of scripts. The demands did not go over well with Sheridan, Puck News reported.

The outlet noted that whether or not Costner returns probably doesn't matter to audiences. According to social media analytics firm ListenFirst, the term "John Dutton" drove 44% of views for the show during its first season. During its latest season, that number dropped to 14%. Puck also cited Paramount viewer studies that suggested audiences would not mind if the show moved away from Costner.

Instead, Costner has been outshined by characters like his fictional daughter Beth, played by Kelly Reilly, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Regardless, it does not appear that Costner will return to the show anytime soon.

During a September 1 divorce hearing concerning child support, Costner said he would consider suing the show for his pay for the second half of season 5, per Puck.

Costner said in a previous court filing for his divorce that he was meant to receive "back-end contractual participation rights" for the show but said that "so far in 2023 I have yet to receive any participation compensation from 'Yellowstone.'"

Unnamed sources told Puck that Costner was already paid for season 5B, but he believes that Paramount is in breach of its contract because it revoked the return offer for future seasons.

Costner's threat to sue most likely led Chris McCarthy, CEO of Paramount Networks Media Networks, to give up on the idea that Costner would come back and negotiate a return, Puck reported.

Representatives for Costner did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Read the original article on Insider
When Fonda Bryant called her aunt to ask if she wanted her shoes, her aunt knew something wasn't right.

"She said, 'Are you gonna kill yourself?'" Bryant remembers. "And I said, 'Yes.' And she went into action, like a superhero. And she saved my life."

Unknown to herself or her family, Bryant was suffering from depression that took her to the brink of suicide. Her experience echoes a growing suicide crisis across the nation.

September marks National Suicide Prevention Month, spotlighting the pressing need for continued awareness of the signs of suicide and methods to prevent it. But even as conversations about mental health have become more common in public spaces, statistics show the continued challenges of speaking up for help.

Fonda Bryant launched an initiative to put up signs with the suicide hotline throughout North Carolina's parking garages.

How to help someone who is suicidal?

Although 47% of American adults receive mental health care in a given year, the average delay between the onset of symptoms and the receiving treatment is a staggering 11 years, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. An American Psychiatric Association study found that over a quarter of American workers are unsure of how to access mental health care through their employer.

The rate of suicide rose 2.6% from 2022 and 5% the year before, after declining in 2019 and 2020, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

"Things are not good. We have not been able to put a persistent, visible dent in suicide rates in the U.S.," Dr. J. John Mann, a professor of translational neuroscience at Columbia University in New York and the director of the Conte Center for Suicide Prevention, told USA TODAY.

Suicide is rarely an isolated condition, and often accompanies a mental illness or other condition.

For Bryant, that diagnosis was depression, one with a close correlation to suicidality.

Bryant said her suicide attempt was the culmination of a lengthy struggle with depression. As a single mother working full time and facing a tight financial situation, Bryant began to feel that her daily stress was becoming unmanageable.

"It was like every move that I made took great energy, took great effort, even talking, washing yourself, just getting through today," she said. "It felt like I was walking in molasses."

"It's very rare to see a suicide, death, or even an attempt outside the context of a psychiatric illness, half the time that illness is a depression," Mann said.

Mental health woes can carry social sigma

As a suicide survivor, Bryant says the enduring stigma surrounding depression and mental illness remains one of the largest barriers for those suffering to receive help.

"We get blamed for mass killings," Bryant said. "Who wants to go and put that out there, that you have a mental health condition, when we can lose our jobs? So that's why we don't say anything."

That stigma often takes effect in the form of comments that those suffering from depression encounter when they share their symptoms. Those could include suggestions to get out more, increase exercise, socialize, or other advice that glosses over the severity of a psychiatric diagnosis.

"If you've got a broken leg, You need to see somebody to get the cast, get some orthopedic surgery, rest, and let it heal, then walk around," Mann said. "Depression is the same thing. Get it treated, and then start socializing, then start improving your academic performance again, and all of those other things. It's not the other way around."

Statistics show that stigma may dissipate as more Americans learn about suicide prevention techniques.

Fonda Bryant is now a trainer in QPR (Question Persuade Refer) Suicide Prevention methods.

About "94% of people believe that you can prevent suicide, and over 80% want to do something to help someone," Jill Harkavy-Friedman, senior vice president of research at the American Federation for Suicide Prevention, told USA TODAY. "So I think those are signs that the stigma is being reduced. The problem is that only 30% of people have any idea how to know when someone is at risk and what to do."

What does depression look like?

What's the most effective way to spot the signs of depression? Mann said it all comes down to noticing changes in behavior. "That person isn't their normal self. They've gone quiet. They're struggling. The mornings are particularly difficult. Work performance goes down. Educational performance goes down," Mann said.

When it comes to heading off a suicide attempt, the best course of action can be a simple, direct check-in, like Bryant's life-saving conversation with her aunt.

"If you're worried about someone, the first step is to trust them, and have a conversation with them, and it can start off with simply, 'How are you doing?'" Harkavy-Friedman said. "You don't have to become a therapist. You just want to open the door to say, 'I care about you. I wonder if you're feeling so bad that you've thought about taking your life.'"

Mann stressed the importance of a face-to-face conversation. "When you see somebody and you ask them how they're doing, look at them when they're giving you the answer. Think about what the answer means in relation to what you already know about them and how they're doing."

Fonda Bryant and her son Wes in 1995.

More: New Mexico governor's temporary gun ban sparks court battle, law enforcement outcry

'You're not alone. Need help?'

Bryant decided to turn her experience into action after another brush with suicide in 2014 at a parking deck in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina. Bryant said a voice told her to get back into the car. She kept her eyes on the moon for the drive back home, collapsing in tears the moment she parked.

The experience kickstarted her campaign to put up signs reading "You're Not Alone. Need Help?" along with the suicide prevention hotline around the perimeters of every parking garage in North Carolina.

Her efforts led to a bill introduced by Sen. Paul Feeney, R-MA, to mandate parking garages across the state to install the signs. The bill was introduced as the Fonda Bryant Suicide Prevention Signage Act in the North Carolina General Assembly by North Carolina State Rep. Carla Cunningham in April. Bryant is hoping it will be passed this month.

"When you're struggling, a lot of times you feel like you're by yourself, even though you know there's other people out here," Bryant says. "I don't want a lot of stuff on them. I just want, 'you're not alone' " on the parking signs.

Cybele Mayes-Osterman is a breaking news reporter for USA Today. Reach her by email at cmayesosterman@USAToday.com. Follow her on X at @CybeleMO

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: A suicide survivor is fighting mental health stigma one sign at a time
Nelson Countys chief prosecutor is conducting a review of statements from Sheriff David Hill during the course of an investigation into an August 2021 incident at the countys high school and whether those statements cast significant doubt on the credibility and reliability of the sheriff as a witness, according to a Sept. 11 letter from the county prosecutors office.

Nelson County Commonwealths Attorney Daniel Rutherford wrote in the letter to Hill, which The News & Advance and The Nelson County Times obtained through a Virginia Freedom of Information Act request, that he is in receipt of correspondence from special prosecutor, Scott C. Hook, the commonwealths attorney for Fauquier County, regarding statements the sheriff made that could potentially amount to Brady material.

The legal definition of Brady material, according to www.merriam-webster.com is evidence known to the prosecution that is favorable to a defendants case and material to the issue of guilt or to punishment and that prosecution is obligated to disclose to the defense  or exculpatory evidence known to the prosecution that must be disclosed.

As the elected Commonwealths Attorney for Nelson County, I am charged not only with advocacy for the Commonwealth, but with the special responsibilities attendant to being a minister of justice, Rutherford said in a statement. Among these are the necessity to ensure the reliability and integrity of witness testimony presented in criminal proceedings.

Rutherford said at this time he is limited on what he can discuss other than the letter and enclosed correspondence from Hook to Nelson Circuit Judge Mike Doucette, which he included in the FOIA release. Rutherford said his office will be reviewing concerns expressed by Hook regarding statements the sheriff made and address such concerns.

In a statement Friday from Hill, the sheriff said he welcomes an all-inclusive review.

Im confident that that our great citizens of Nelson County will see through the smoke, Hill said in the statement. I have faithfully served as Sheriff since 2016, and its apparent that this is just another political ploy by [Rutherford], as early voting starts next week. This effort is an attempt to interfere with people who want to make good decisions.

In the Aug. 22 letter from Hook to Doucette, the Fauquier County prosecutor wrote on April 22, 2022, Doucette appointed his office to investigate the matter involving Hill and a potential assault on a minor T.H.

The prime concern of your Commonwealths Attorney was whether as assault was committed by Sheriff Hill on the above referenced minor and that was my starting point in this investigation, Hook wrote.

After reviewing the video and interviews and after visiting Nelson County High School to review the scene, Hook wrote he observed while Hills actions may show lack of command on the situation, I cannot find that he exceeded his mandate as Sheriff. The juvenile was in a highly agitated state due to the assault that occurred on his cousin and appeared to be disregarding the commands of law enforcement, according to Hooks letter.

Hook found the juvenile lacked any intent to assault law enforcement officers and Hill also lacked intent to assault the minor, Hook wrote.

Second, it became readily apparent that there were several concerning statements made by the Sheriff during the local investigation into charging the minor, as well as during the investigation by the State Police, Hook wrote. I was not appointed to determine is the statements would amount to Brady Material issues and I will not offer my opinion on those statements. I have conveyed my concerns to your local Commonwealths Attorney as I feel he would be the proper person to determine whether they affect the ability of local law enforcement to testify in court.

On Aug. 26, 2021, a then-sophomore at Nelson County High School, Tilor Lewis Harper, had two of his teeth chipped as two officers wrestled him to the ground. The school division said the student became confrontational; the boys mom said he was just checking on his cousin who was involved in a fight broken up by the officers. A 58-second video posted on social media shortly after the incident shows the minor on the ground while the officers work to handcuff him with some students screaming at the men to get off the student.

Virginia State Police investigated the incident, and Harper later faced felony assault charges in juvenile court that a Nelson prosecutor confirmed were nolle prosequi, or nor pursued.

On Sept. 4, 2021, a rally in support of Harper was held outside the Nelson County courthouse, with about 50 protesters and about seven counter-protesters turning out in Lovingston.

In his Sept. 15 statement, Hill wrote he was cleared of any wrongdoing last year at a great expense to the citizens of Nelson County.

Now, here we are, well over a year later, theyre trying to tarnish my name and career, Hill said.

He pointed to Virginia State Board of Elections campaign finance records that list Rutherford as a contributor to the campaign of Mark Embrey, who is challenging Hill in the Nov. 7 election. An immediate response from Rutherford was not available Friday.

My career illustrates my dedication and sacrifices for our citizens, Hill said in the statement. Our office will continue to move forward.
MADISON HEIGHTS  The two candidates for Amherst County Commonwealths Attorney in the Nov. 7 election  incumbent chief prosecutor Lyle Carver and challenger Rich Gilman  addressed residents during a public forum Tuesday, each making his case on why voters should elect him.

Carver, a Florida native who moved the Lynchburg area to attend Liberty Universitys School of Law, has worked 16 years in the Amherst County Commonwealths Attorneys Office, the past eight as the chief elected prosecutor. This years election, his third, is his first contested race since heading the office of 10 employees.

Gilman, who was raised in Indiana and moved to Central Virginia in 1989, went to law school after selling a health care company he started and currently is a partner for Day Law Group in Lynchburg, working mainly in civil litigation.

Both attorneys gave their viewpoints during a Sept. 12 forum the Amherst County branch of the NAACP hosted at Monelison Middle School.

Carver, who has served in his current position since mid-2015, said his top priority is the timely and efficient administration of justice.

We have hundreds of cases at any given moment and so our job within the office is to remember that even if we have hundreds of cases, each of those individual cases represents people and each of the people  its likely going to be the biggest thing going on in their lives at that time, Carver said. So we have to take every case seriously and do our best for victims, for our community and just work to see that justice is attained.

He refers to his office as Team Amherst and said its priority is working with law enforcement to make the Amherst community a safer place and ensure victims are protected and taken care of.

Gilman said he is running to bring positive change to the office and county law enforcement.

 We have some serious issues within this county, Gilman said. We have a huge drug problem. Meth is on our streets in a quantity weve not seen before. We have, if you talk to public safety, fentanyl  the number of overdoses and deaths within this community are on the rise.

Gilman said several unprosecuted murders and a catch and release system within the law enforcement community concerning offenders are areas that need addressing. He said he believes plea bargaining is overused in the Amherst court system and we will do more to hold criminals feet to the fire.

Serious drug cases, violent crime cases and cases against children, there would be no plea bargaining, Gilman said.

Gilman said the county needs strong leadership and he is a supporter of Jimmy Ayers, a former Amherst County sheriff who is running again for the position eight years after retiring from the role.

You have the ability to hire a strong sheriff, Gilman said. You need to hire a strong commonwealths attorney that will dovetail into that and actually resolve some of these issues with drugs, crime and other things that are plaguing our community.

Carver has said his experience matters in leading the office and he is dedicated to serving the community each day.

Its a blessing to serve Amherst County and Im grateful to do it, Carver said. My entire adult life has been about service  I love Amherst County. Ive chosen to make this my home and raise my family here.

Both candidates said they would work to hire highly qualified prosecutors and employees based on merit and addressed various topics during the public forum. Carver said his office has worked to hire solid, experienced people.

Based on state staffing standards, we are short-handed, Carver said. Were operating with less people than we should be based on the number of cases we deal with in Amherst County. I anticipate more positions coming in the future...

Gilman said if elected he would be at his desk at 6:30 a.m. morning and probably be the ones to turn the lights off at night. I would be doing in an a way that is transparent and honest, he said of the job. We would protect the victims and we would also increase the safety of this community.

Carver said he appreciates the forum allowing residents and candidates to come together, learn from one another and challenge each other.

Were only going to be better for it, he said.
MADISON HEIGHTS  The four candidates vying to become Amherst Countys next sheriff spent an hour of face time with voters during a Sept. 12 public forum giving their positions on various topics and issues facing law enforcement.

The event, hosted by the Amherst County branch of the NAACP, drew a few hundred people to Monelison Middle Schools gym who gathered to hear from the four candidates, two retired from the Amherst County Sheriffs Office and two currently serving in it, who will take the reins of the office when Sheriff E.W. Viar retires at the end of the year following two terms.

Former Amherst County Sheriff Jimmy Ayers, Amherst County Sheriffs Maj. Eric Elliott, county deputy R. Dale Meeks Jr. and former Amherst Sheriffs Capt. Mike Robinson are on the ballot in the Nov. 8 election. Each were asked to give their statements on why they are running and weigh in on issues such as community policing, unsolved murders in the county and what they view are the biggest challenges facing the sheriffs office moving forward.

Ayers, who served as sheriff from 1996 to 2015, said he has spent nearly 40 years in various public safety roles and his entire adult life has been about serving the people of the community. He decided earlier this year to come out of retirement to steer the office in a new direction he said is much needed and he has expressed concerns with how the department has been run.

He said his love for the county he has called home for 60 years is the main reason hes running again.

Over the last several years since my retirement, there are things I have seen in our community that I didnt think was right, Ayers said. Folks in the community have come to me asking if I could run for this office. As Ive always been told, when you sit back  say nothing, do nothing  how do you expect anything to be any different?

Elliott, who has served more than four decades in law enforcement and is second-in-command for the department of about 60 employees, has Viars endorsement for the position.

The reason I feel like I should be elected sheriff is due to my years of law enforcement experience, my knowledge and my love for this county and I feel like I can bring some refreshed and renewed knowledge to the department and the citizens of the county, Elliott said.

Meeks said he is been in the sheriffs office for about 3  years and he doesnt view that as a weakness and if he elected he would follow a local tradition of field deputies assuming the top law enforcement post. He said the landscape of law enforcement has changed following the May 2020 death of George Floyd that deeply affected the nation and he is well-versed in crucial training that he said he will ensure stays with the department and continues to improve.

He said he worked in manufacturing from 1993 to 2019 at a couple different facilities in and around Amherst County.

I had the opportunity to make a lot of friendships and connections with people in the county that live and work in our county. We had many conversations about the concerns of the county and I think thats going to help me out because I know what the people are looking for in leadership, Meeks said.

Robinson, who worked for the Amherst County Sheriffs Office from 1992 to 2015, said though retired he still works daily in the law enforcement community.

This is something that I think the public has mandated, that there be a change and that we move forward and not backwards. Ive served the public safety sector of this county my entire adult life, starting with Monelison Fire and Rescue, which I still serve today as the president of the board, Robinson said. I have a servants heart and I have a desire to continue to serve my community, the citizens of Amherst County and those who visit it.

Robinsons call for change in leadership has come from numerous discussions with residents in recent months, he said.

The citizens have lost confidence within the sheriffs office and its ability to communicate with the citizens, Robinson said. Many citizens have expressed their desire for professionalism and accountability through the ranks of the department. High-profile cases and increased crime must be addressed professionally. I have a proven track record of providing character-driven leadership to the sheriffs office and I would like to share that knowledge and my vision to the current members of the sheriffs office and those that will come in the future.

Ayers, who served 7 years as a District 3 member of the Amherst County Board of Supervisors, stepped down from that role in July to focus on the sheriff campaign. He said the figures in drug arrest roundups were much higher during his 20-year tenure leading the department, calling current numbers of those arrested from drug busts absolutely pitiful.

We look at cases in our community that weve seen, the way families and victims have been impacted, this is not the way we should be, Ayers, who worked 30 years overall in the department, said. God has given me the ability to serve and my willingness to serve is just as strong today as it was when I started in 1985.

He said it breaks my heart that a lot has failed and it should not in addressing community policing and interactions among the sheriffs office and public today compared to when he led the department.

Elliott said community policing is vital and deputies should be available to address issues the public has and if they are not available someone from the office should do so. Residents shouldnt have fear when they see an officer coming their way, he said.

We need to have our deputies patrolling the streets and neighborhoods where they can come and greet citizens where they can consider calling them by name, Elliott said.

Meeks said residents being familiar with who deputies are is a trust-builder that benefits everyone.

Turnover in the sheriffs office prevents a lot of that from happening, Meeks said. If we can prevent the turnover, we can get everybody familiar with the deputies out there helping you guys out. The trust between the sheriffs office and citizens of Amherst County is important.

Robinson said if elected the department under his leadership will be transparent and open with residents and criminal behavior in the county will not be tolerated.

We can only have a safe and prosperous community if we work together, Robinson said. The important relationship begins with trust, and trust is earned. It is not given to a title  it is gained through the development of strong, lasting relationships  I will guarantee that we will police our community together  we will treat people fairly and justly, and together we will make our county a safe place again.

On the topic of several unsolved murders in the county, Ayers said those cases need to investigated properly and if anything is improper, those that created that situation must be held accountable.

There is no excuse, absolutely no excuse, for not communicating with the families of your victims and/or the victims that are left behind to try to get their life on some track because of the devastation that they have had to incur, Ayers said. I can assure you  I have done that and I will continue to do that and the families of my county will be served to the best of our ability to make sure that they are taken care of and someone is held accountable for what was done to them.

Elliott said the sheriffs office has assigned some deputies to investigate all unsolved cases, including murder, and that would continue under his leadership. Meeks said under his leadership those unsolved homicides would be addressed and he will get the information he and the public need and he will get up to speed in revisiting evidence and re-interviewing witnesses, among others.

Rest assured, I will be proactive and keep you informed on any new developments in these cases, Meeks said.

Robinson said he will lead a team process in evaluating those cases and bring in a fresh set of eyes to see what has been and not been done. He said a homicide case in which the murder suspect was released in December because of a chain-of-custody issue with a murder weapon is inexcusable. That case, the June 2019 homicide of Doris Puleio on Bobwhite Road in Amherst involving former defendant Justin Jay Sales, has received much attention during the election season and was the subject of a lengthy Jan. 30 Facebook post from Ayers voicing criticism in the way the investigation was handled.

The murder case against Sales was dropped in December 2021 because of evidentiary-related matters and an availability issue involving a key witness, Amherst County Commonwealths Attorney Lyle Carver said at the December 2021 hearing. After leaving Amherst County, Sales was arrested on other violent charges in New Hampshire and is undergoing prosecution there.

Robinson said the public has a right to know what went wrong and, though not mentioning the case specifically by name, said the Sales murder charge being dropped is an example of the current administration failures. He said he will form a cold case investigative team to address any open murder cases that have not been solved.

The candidates also discussed the negatives effects of drugs in the community, the need to retain and attract quality employees and address challenges such as getting more deputies to more rural areas of the county. Each also spoke about his plan for the department in the first 90 days of assuming leadership.

Ayers said he entered an agency with antiquated, out-of-date policies and with the help of many others built an office to be proud of.

I was very proud of what I left behind, just as Im proud of the support the community has given me over the past several months in my run for this position again, Ayers said. A lot of people have said what in the world are you thinking about? Again, its about the love and you as a community and my willingness to serve is not diminished.

Elliott thanked the public for all the support hes received in recent months.

I have a total of 43 years of law enforcement experience, Elliott said. There is no doubt in my mind  I have the knowledge and the know how to get this job done.

Meeks said staffing is a bare minimum in the sheriffs office, which he would work to improve. He spoke of a recent conversation with a business owner in the northern end of the county about a larceny the week before and how it took more than two hours for a deputy to respond. While he said he understands it was a non-emergency situation in that case, he feels the department can do better in general in such responses.

Recruiting will be a continuous operation under my leadership so I can stop the turnover rate and build the staffing to the fullest capacity, Meeks said.

Robinson expressed his gratitude for the overwhelming support hes received from the community.

It is an honor to be able to run for sheriff of this county, Robinson said. I love this county. I always have.

Early voting starts Sept. 22 at the Amherst County courthouse where the registrars office is located. The NAACP branch will hold similar forum for candidates for open seats on the Amherst County School Board, which is set for 7 p.m. Sept. 26 in the Monelison Middle School gym.
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New Delhi: The C-295 transport aircraft, built by Airbus Spain is on its way to India. The Indian Air Forces first aircraft, out of stipulated 56 airliners, is being flown by Group Captain PS Negi and is set reach Vadodara in next few days.

The aircraft was received by Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari in Spains Seville on September 13. A formal induction ceremony is set to take place at Hindon airbase on September 25.

Notably, India had signed a deal with aviation giant Airbus in 2021, for manufacturing & delivery of 56 aircrafts. As part of the Rs 21,935 crore deal, the fleet of C-295 aircrafts will replace the IAFs ageing Avro-748 transport fleet.

Indian Air Forces first C-295 transport aircraft left today for India from Spain. The aircraft is being flown by Group Captain PS Negi and will make stopovers in Malta, Egypt & Bahrain before reaching Vadodara in the next few days: IAF officials The aircraft was received by pic.twitter.com/z8w1wHpDl7  ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2023

How C-295 aircrafts will add power to Make in India

While taking possession of 1st aircraft in Seville, the IAF chief termed it a major milestone not just for IAF but for the whole nation.

For IAF it improves our tactical airlift capabilities and for nation, it marks the beginning of a new era, the IAF chief had said.

The fleet of military aircrafts, meant for incorporation in the Indian Air Force (IAF) will not only give it more teeth but will give big impetus to Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan.

It may be noted that IAF is set to get 56 C-295 military aircrafts as per deal. Out of these 56, 16 aircrafts will be manufactured in Spain & delivered to India while 40 jets will be indigenously built at Vadodara manufacturing facility, as part of joint venture between Airbus & Tata.

PM Modi had laid the foundation stone of Vadodara manufacturing facility, in October 2022.

The aircraft has the capacity to fly upto 71 personnel or 45 paratroopers. It can fly at a high speed of 480 km/hr and is equipped with a rear door to enable quick para-dropping of troops & cargo.

The assembly of these aircrafts at Vadodara facility will not only enhance countrys technical prowess to build homegrown airlines but will generate many employment opportunities while opening new avenues for such ventures in future.
The Nebraska Broadband Office is moving to the next phase of efforts to ensure access to reliable broadband for all Nebraskans. As part of this effort, there will be ongoing public engagements across the state, including a series of nine public meetings and an open comment period from Monday
The United States has reached an agreement with Nigers military leaders to resume flying drones and manned aircraft out of air bases in the country more than a month after a coup halted all those activities there.

Since the July coup that removed President Mohamed Bazoum, the approximately 1,100 US military personnel deployed in the West African country have been confined to their military bases. But last week the Pentagon said some military personnel and assets had been moved from the Air Base 101 near the capital city Niamey to another one in Agadez. According to General James Hecker, the head of US Air Forces for Europe and Africa, in recent weeks some of those intelligence and surveillance missions have been able to resume due to US negotiations with the junta.

Through the diplomatic process, we are now doing,  (now) were doing a large amount of missions that we were doing before, Hecker said.

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed in a statement that the US was flying missions again but said they were confined to protecting its forces. The US military has made Niger a main regional outpost for its wide-ranging patrols with armed drones and other counter-terrorism operations targeting Islamic fighters and rebel movements that have seized territory in the region, massacred civilians and fought the armed forces.

The bases are a critical part of Americas overall counterterrorism efforts in West Africa. The US has also invested years and hundreds of millions of dollars in training Nigerien forces. West Africa recorded more than 1,800 rebel attacks in the first six months of this year, which killed nearly 4,600 people.
This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
Despite the 600 million spent by the European Union on training security personnel in the Sahel, the countries in the region had failed to bolster democracy, the head of EU diplomacy Josep Borrell has admitted in the wake of a series of recent coups, the latest of which were in Niger and Gabon.

Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg earlier this week, the EUs top diplomat told MEPs that the millions spent in military training in the Sahel had not helped armed forces support democratically elected governments. This is despite hundreds of millions of euros spent by the bloc over the past ten years on civilian and military missions in the Sahel, including training of some 30,000 members of the security forces in Mali and Niger, and 18,000 military personnel, said Borrell during a debate with the MEPs. This did not serve to consolidate armed forces which support the democratic governments but rather armed forces which overthrow them, he admitted.

Borrell, who serves as the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, added that he did not see a bright future for a civilian training mission working with Nigers interior security forces. Borrell, however, sought to defend the European activities in Mauritania, Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali, and Senegal because, as he insisted, the Sahel remains a strategic region for the security of Europe and the control of migration.

Asked what the EU could do, the EUs top diplomat insisted on the need to not abandon the Sahel and to support the efforts of the ECOWAS, in particular in Niger. But he added that there might have been too much of an EU focus on building up militaries and not enough work done with civil societies in the region. Should we revise our Sahel policy? Well, yes, its absolutely right that we should have a more strategic approach and less tactical approach, Borrell said.
Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles has expressed her appreciation for the logistical support provided by Moroccos Royal Armed Forces (FAR) to Spanish rescuers, enabling them to carry out their mission effectively following the earthquake that struck several Moroccan provinces on September 8.

During a visit to a military base in Guadalajara, central Spain, Robles praised the deployment of FAR helicopters to transport Spanish rescuers to hard-to-reach areas. She also commended the collaboration of Moroccan authorities with the Spanish team to provide necessary support to the affected populations.

The Spanish rescuers will stay in Morocco for as long as necessary, she continued, highlighting that the Spanish search and rescue teams have been delighted with the hospitality and support of the local population.

Just hours after their arrival in Morocco, the Spanish rescuers expressed their admiration for the professionalism of Moroccan teams and their efforts in rescue, evacuation, and care for the injured in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Tunisian civil society organizations have sounded the alarm about the precarious situation of Sub-Saharan migrants in Sfax, in southeastern Tunisia, calling for urgent intervention to assist this vulnerable group.

Approximately 500 migrants, including women and children, have gathered at Beb Jebli, the central square of the city of Sfax, amid a rise in violence against the migrants in the countrys second-largest city, Tunisian and international NGOs said in a joint statement released by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES).

These individuals, including women and children, are in a precarious health and human situation, living in frightening conditions, without shelter, access to water, or food, the statement said.

After a series of mass expulsions amid rising tensions with the local population, several migrants managed to return to Sfax, where, deprived of everything, they stay on the streets, on the ground, in very precarious conditions, the NGOs pointed out.

They also denounced the obstruction of relief efforts, as many humanitarian organizations are still awaiting permits to intervene and provide assistance to these individuals.

As a major economic and industrial centre in southern Tunisia, the city of Sfax has witnessed violent clashes between African migrants and the local population, which demanded their departure following the death of a young Tunisian in clashes with migrants.

In February of this year, a speech by President Kais Saied caused an uproar both locally and internationally, with his remarks being considered violent and racist toward Sub-Saharan African migrants.

Several African countries, including Cote dIvoire and Mali, organized repatriation operations for their nationals in Tunisia due to the increase in attacks and hostility towards the Sub-Saharan community against a backdrop of an official discourse described as racist.
As rescue and relief efforts continue unabated in the earthquake-hit areas, King Mohammed VI ordered that children who lost their parents to be given status of adoptees of the nation, in a gesture of national solidarity.

The earthquake that struck a week ago was the deadliest since 1960 killing nearly 3000 people, destroying villages in the High Atlas mountains and leaving many orphaned children.

As part of a series of measures ordered by the King in response to this disaster, taking care of orphaned children was given utmost priority, said a statement of the Royal palace.

Under Moroccan legislation, adoptees of a nation are offered education, healthcare and support until they finish their studies in addition to priority in civil service employment.

This status is given to children whose parents died or were disabled while defending Moroccos territorial integrity or while contributing to peacekeeping and other national lofty missions.

Since the earthquake struck, the King has ordered a swift response to rescue people in affected areas and ensure they have aid. He also visited a university hospital in Marrakech where he offered support to the injured including a blood donation.

The King also gave instructions to set up a special fund in response to the disaster and urged swift reconstruction as well as financial aid to affected households.

So far 50,000 homes are known to be damaged in the High Atlas and the state will offer 140,000 dirhams for the reconstruction of each demolished home and 80,000 for partly damaged houses.
Earthquake-hit Morocco has been playing a central role in ensuring security and stability in Europes southern borders and its autonomy plan for the Sahara requires serious western attention, wrote the Financial Times.

As Moroccan authorities and army maintain steady efforts to rescue and shelter population in earthquake-hit villages in the Atlas Mountains, Richard Shirreff of the Financial Times grabbed the context to raise the Wests awareness of Moroccos role in the region.

Moroccos vow to rebuild after the earthquake which has claimed almost 3,000 lives is both ambitious and extremely necessary. This country of 37mn people has led every metric of economic development in Africa and sees itself as a fount of stability in the region, he said.

He shed light on Moroccos efforts to stabilize the Sahel through investing in the African regions development and also through mediating in conflicts and peacekeeping.

King Mohammed VI has mediated conflicts across the Sahel, helped to negotiate over a hundred co-operation agreements and deployed more than 70,000 UN peacekeepers. Morocco is also the second-largest investor in economic development on the continent and a crucial guarantor of its food security, Shirreff said.

Morocco is a uniquely positioned ally: even before this terrible disaster, we should have been far more closely engaged. As an intelligence and counter-terrorism partner, they have stopped more than 300 attempted attacks since 9/11. On migration, over the past five years they have taken down more than a thousand human trafficking networks and prevented upwards of 300,000 illegal crossings, he said.

Moroccos plan for the autonomy of the Western Sahara  supported by the US and other international allies as a solution to prolonged bouts of regional conflict  requires our attention as part of a considered strategy. Above all, we need to show that we understand that the regions future must be forged by those who will live it, Shirreff said.
I think it might be nicer if something more to do with her life and work stood as a monument to her, this seems rather morbid (it also sucks the way her grave is treated by everyone and especially creeps like Hugh Hefner). It sometimes feels like her death and certainly her looks are all people remember of her.



Though I do get why no one would want to live on the property as it is with fans lurking around and leaving stuff, but I imagine they'd just be building some unaffordable mansion on the property anyway.

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...but I imagine they'd just be building some unaffordable mansion on the property anyway.



Or Condos.

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Condos could at least house some folks with normalish money, I'd support that unless there was something about the architecture and not just the sad memories making this place a landmark.

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Wasnt there a recent press conference on this? Like, I thought it was confirmed that they were not moving forward with the decision. There would be a riot if they are.

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Glory of Snow LLC sold the property to Glory of Snow Trust in July for $8.35 million

Sold?

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The right hand gave it to the left hand andomg is that a tax break??



Edited at 2023-09-16 03:06 pm (UTC)

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for her being one of the biggest stars of her time, her house seems modest and charming.

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People need to stop tearing down midcentury homes to build shitty McMansions. Looking at you Chris Martin, you bitch

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Which is weird because his partner Dakota Johnson loves mid-century!

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Whoa, I forgot they were together. He tore down a gorgeous home in 2022. Just evil and wasteful.

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Let it get torn down. The city does not need to use tax dollars to help ensure the upkeep of a house a famous person died in. Her career is her legacy.

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Agreed. I've always been torn on historical buildings and their significance, and whether or not they should be allowed to exist or not and just..you know...sit there. If they turned it into a museum or something useful maybe but even that isnt great because we dont need buildings full of stolen or morbid artifacts. There are too many people out there who need homes. A building is just a fucking building the same way a statue is just a statue. I guess Im team tear buildings down to make affordable housing for poor or free housing for homeless people, not rich people who need mansions. Dont tear it down if you're just gonna sell the property to a billionaire. Thats where Im at.



Edited at 2023-09-16 03:37 pm (UTC)

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i hate to say it because her legacy is so dear to so many people, but that money could go toward more important things like homelessness or shelters for victims of spousal abuse.

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the city would not be funding anything unless the property is being rehabilitated into reuse for the general public, as with historic buildings downtown being converted into subsidized housing. it's an administrative action more than anything else.

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So then it could be deemed a landmark but the owners are forced to keep it as is? Genuinely asking because I've seen a lot of cities that create landmarks with the sole purpose of helping to fund the upkeep.

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this whole idea of llc's and investment firms buying houses should not be legal.

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I agree totally with the big company kind of LLCs but anyone can become an LLC as a way to protect privacyits good for people with stalkers. There needs to be some sort of reform though for sure

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To add to the commenter above, Id be surprised if this was owned by a larger investment firm like a Blackrock. This wreaks of gaudy wealthy people who are looking to capitalize on the property in some way shape or form. So it could be just one or several individuals who register an LLC with a state division of corporations, invest money into it to purchase property. Depending on how its all structured and where it was registered, its likely providing some type of tax shelter as well. Rich keep getting richer

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A single person can be an LLC. You do it to protect you against lawsuits which can be its own issue.



Edited at 2023-09-16 03:08 pm (UTC)

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Its really fucking up home buying. All the single family homes in my area are always snatched up and then a for rent posting shortly follows. I know several blocks of rentals from just one LLC.

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I have icky feelings about how NIMBYs use historical preservation to block new housing but honestly this is potentially significant.



that being said - what to do with it? like what would honestly be a benefit to the world at large for it to be a private home?

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this is brentwood, there is approximately zero chance that the property would become anything other than a huge gaudy mansion too large for the lot. i get where you're coming from but this is not a neighborhood where there is a real argument against this kind of preservation, compared to other parts of la where affordable housing is both needed and welcomed

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What's the public interest in a private home where people can't see or tour getting tax writeoffs by being a historic property?

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Yeah thats what sucks. It shouldnt be torn down then.

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I thought that influencer who looks like her and has a dorky looking husband lives in that house

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that's what i came to say. her obsession with marilyn is a bit weird tbh.

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She bought a house that Marilyn rented for like 6 months. Honestly that woman gives me the creeps like no other

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and said she found a random rafter with marilyn's signature on it, why would she bother signing that?

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These girls who skinwalk Marilyn freak me out. Jeri Mae James is another whos copying Marilyn down to the voice and mannerisms.

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Jasmine Chiswell lives in an LA home that Marilyn rented earlier in her life but she doesn't do the Marilyn shtick anymore. And for some reason a lot of online sources think it's this house.

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Considering how every single physical trace of her is treated like a morbidly fascinating thing (specially by white males and the Kardashians), wouldnt it be best to you know just let it be demolished?

Honoring her work and legacy in the industry would be best (imo) than treating absolutely everything she touch like wank material

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i guess i'm the voice of dissent here but movie star mansions are one of the last cool and distinct elements of la architecture. maybe people haven't driven around here lately but it's sad to see these majestic palatial homes designed by some of the masters of the craft for influential tastemakers torn down and replaced by black and white modern farmhouse cookie cutter suburban bullshit. some are just dangerous to live in full time bc of earthquake damage etc like ramon novarro's home in los feliz (my favorite home, mayan art deco!!!!!!!!, which seems destined for the chopping block any day now) so i get that i guess but if the property is still livable...

not to mention how many of these homes were built by marginalized architects like paul revere williams, much of whose patronage came from movie people. that's also part of la's legacy and should be celebrated!

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Also the environmental impacts of tearing down livable homes are shocking

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yeah, apart from seismic damage many of these homes are functionally fine and of much, much, much sounder built quality than you could acquire today. many could stand for centuries and certainly become other types of housing through adaptive reuse in the future (think of the georgian and victorian homes in london that were eventually split up into flats). our throwaway culture has us even thinking of livable housing as disposable lol

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I used to love walking through Los Feliz, so many beautiful homes and unique history

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you're the voice of reason in this post, girl. your comments are great.

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Maybe turn it into a museum on her and use the money from the ticket-sales for the upkeep?

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I read a good explanation of why thats not feasible and its basically hugely expensive and the neighborhood would fight it.

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yeah that makes sense, I wouldn't want to live with a random crowd near my house all the time.

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Besides the house being in a quiet residential neighbourhood, Marilyn didn't have descendants so she left her possessions to Lee Strasberg, whose wife ended up auctioning them off as well as selling her image rights. There's no "keeper" of Marilyn's legacy in the way similar to the Presleys, for example.

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Matt Baume just came out with a great video on Some Like It Hot, sensitively handled to my surprise.







Marilyn had horrible struggles.

The only person Ive heard have a deeply intelligent take on her as her old roommate and lifelong friend was Shelley Winters. She understood her deep pain and could articulate her behavior and her fear, loneliness, and trying to live after a childhood of severe abuse. And her endometriosis and chronic pain, and her many miscarriages. Sadly doctors and men dgaf about women so the field has barely progressed. Fuck them for that.



Edited at 2023-09-16 03:28 pm (UTC)

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If the only thing that makes this house significant is that MM died there, I dont think it should be granted historic status. If the house has architectural impact, thats a different discussion. But otherwise, I think its fine to demolish it.

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The EU needs to realize that when it points one investigatory finger at Chinese EV subsidies, three more point back at it.

Among the ironies behind the EU launching an investigation into Chinese EV subsidies is the fact that Europes own automakers also take advantage of China's low cost manufacturing base for vehicles.

Renault, for instance, markets its Dacia Spring as Europe's most affordable EV, according to Bloomberg, yet the vehicle is manufactured in China's Hubei province. It is priced at 20,800 ($22,300) in France, the report says.

Meanwhile Chinese company BYD is pushing its most affordable vehicle in Europe at a price of 38,000. Bloomberg lists several other models that price cheaper in China than in Europe here.

But that didn't stop Commission President Ursula von der Leyen from saying earlier this week that: Global markets are now flooded with cheaper Chinese electric cars, and their price is kept artificially low by huge state subsidies."

She claimed: This is distorting our market, and as we do not accept this distortion from the inside in our market, we do not accept this from the outside.

But, as Bloomberg notes: "Models from Chinese-owned brands including MG, Polestar and Nio sell for much more in key European markets than back home."

Recall earlier this week we wrote that the EU had launched an investigation into Chinese subsidies for electric vehicles.

Speaking to parliament recently, von der Leyen said: Their price is kept artificially low by huge state subsidies. This is distorting our market. And as we do not accept this distortion from the inside in our market, we do not accept this from the outside.

China fired back in state mouthpiece The Global Times, which published a rebuttal late on Wednesday, claiming that the EU's probe would likely "backfire" and that the EU's economy would suffer as a result.

The publication said that "...as the EU wields trade protectionist measures to suppress China's EV industry, the European economy may suffer."

The article claims that the EU isn't bothered by the subsidies, but rather "the rapidly growing market influence of Chinese EV companies" and "the concern that homegrown European enterprises may be unable to compete."

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"Clearly, Europe is afraid," The Global Times wrote. "They are afraid of competition from China, so they want to seek trade protectionism as a protective umbrella for European auto makers who are slowly transitioning toward electrification."

By Zerohedge.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The United States has expressed disappointment at the lack of progress in the latest round of EU-facilitated talks between Balkan neighbors Serbia and Kosovo aimed at normalizing relations.

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell signaled frustration at Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti after the talks in Brussels on September 14, which also involved Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

The negotiations are part of a decade-long U.S. and EU diplomatic push to repair some of the wounds from bloody internecine wars in the 1990s, after the breakup of Yugoslavia.

"We are disappointed that progress was not made today," a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement to RFE/RL's Balkan Service. "As weve repeatedly said, the EU-facilitated Dialogue is the only path forward for Kosovo and Serbia."

Serbia refuses to recognize its former province's 2008 declaration of independence, and tensions between ethnic Serbs and Kosovar institutions spilled over into violence against NATO peacekeepers in May after locals boycotted local elections in four mostly Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo. Related: Gas Markets Stabilize As Freeport LNG Roars Back To Full Power



Belgrade also continues to unilaterally support ethnic Serbs through parallel institutions and ethnic-based political parties, which Pristina regards as illegal meddling.

Vucic and Kurti orally agreed to advance the normalization process at mediated talks in February, although specific follow-up steps have failed to materialize.

"We expect both countries to take seriously their obligations under the agreement on the path to normalization they reached earlier this year," the State Department said. "Time is running out."

It demanded progress including the establishment of an association of Serb-majority municipalities, as Pristina pledged a decade ago but has avoided laying the legal groundwork for.

The State Department said it was "united" in support of the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue with the informal decision-making group, known as the Quint, that includes Britain, France, Germany, and Italy.

"We will be consulting internally and with our European partners on next steps," it said.

Borrell, who mediated the September 14 negotiations and has said he sees resolving the long-running dispute between Belgrade and Pristina as essential to their efforts to join the European Union, said that Kurti rejected Brussels' compromise proposal.

Kosovo under Kurti has insisted that Serbia first recognize its independence before relations can be normalized.

"Kurti was not ready to take a step forward," Borrell said, adding that the Kosovar leader "insisted instead on formalizing de facto recognition as the first step."

Vucic, who accepted the compromise offer presented by the EU, said the talks were "unsuccessful," blaming Kurti for the lack of progress.

Kurti said there was "full readiness" from Kosovo to work out an agreement but accused Vucic of "sabotaging" the talks.

Kurti also claimed the European Union had sided with Belgrade, saying Brussels "only adopted Serbia's conditionality" of establishing an association of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo, which was "unacceptable" to Pristina.

Western patience with Kurti appeared to wear thin in May and June after Pristina ignored outside warnings and tried to forcibly install four mayors in mostly Serbian northern municipalities following boycotted by-elections to fill posts vacated by protesting Serbs.

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The resulting tensions erupted into violence that injured dozens of NATO KFOR peacekeepers and some ethnic Serb protesters.

Weeks later, Serbian authorities detained three Kosovar police officers near their mutual border under unclear circumstances and held them for days.

Relations between Serbia and Kosovo, where ethnic Albanians are a majority, have been on edge for decades.

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.

By RFE/RL

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
A Russian Red Cross truck carrying humanitarian aid entered Nagorno-Karabakh from the Azerbaijani city of Aghdam on September 12.

It was the first delivery of supplies to the territory in nearly three months, since Azerbaijan shut down all traffic on the Lachin corridor, the only road connecting the Armenian-populated region to the Republic of Armenia.

It was also the first use in some three decades of the road connecting Aghdam with Karabakh's de facto capital Stepanakert.

Baku had been pushing since July for Nagorno-Karabakh to be supplied from the Azerbaijani side. That proposal was welcomed by the EU, which brokers Armenian-Azerbaijani peace talks, but strongly opposed by Karabakh Armenians, who saw it as a legitimization of Azerbaijani rule.

But on September 9, the authorities in Stepanakert announced that they'd agreed to receive Russian aid through the Aghdam road "in exchange for Azerbaijan restoring the import of humanitarian goods from Armenia via the Lachin road through the Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)." (The Russian Red Cross is not part of the ICRC.)

The following day the delivery was stalled, as the Russian truck, accompanied by an Azerbaijani Red Crescent vehicle, was stopped in the Azerbaijani town of Barda, about 50 kilometers from Aghdam. It finally entered the region two days later. The aid reportedly included food, blankets, and hygiene and childcare products.

But now that it has gone through, Azerbaijan is still not opening the Lachin road.

Dozens of aid-laden trucks sent by Armenia and France continue to wait on the Armenian side of the border, across from the Lachin checkpoint that Azerbaijan set up in April.

Statements by Hikmet Hajiyev, the Azerbaijani president's top foreign policy advisor, indicate that Baku does not consider the one-off aid delivery to constitute the opening of the Aghdam road and thus does not consider its conditions to have been met.

"We continue to engage with @ICRC to ensure the soonest and simultaneous opening of Agdam-Khankandi and Lachin-Khankandi roads for ICRC convoyed trucks as agreed in the telephone conversation between @presidentaz and @SecBlinken on September 1st.

"12 calendar days have passed since then, but illegal regime subordinated to Armenia refuses to allow this passage and opening of roads. We urge our international partners to redouble their efforts and exert pressure on Armenia and its proxy/subordinated illegal regime to end this destructive policy," he posted in English on X on September 13. (Khankandi is the Azerbaijani name for Stepanakert.)

And on September 10, while the Russian aid truck was held up in Barda, Hajiyev wrote that the aid truck's delivery was "a separate deal and shouldn't be confused with the suggestion on simultaneous opening of Agdam-Khankandi and Lachin-Khankandi roads for ICRC delivery."

Artak Beglaryan, a former senior Karabakh official, in response, accused Azerbaijan of "repeatedly attempting to raise its negotiation threshold and delay the process, while maintaining pressure on the Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] side and continuing the genocide.

(The Karabakh authorities characterize Azerbaijan's now 9-month-old blockade and resulting food and supply shortages as an act of genocide. This assessment was shared by Luis Moreno Ocampo, a founding prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, who reported that the blockage of the Lachin corridor amounts to genocide by starvation.)

New de facto president in Nagorno-Karabakh

The decision to accept the aid delivery via Azerbaijan was made just hours after Nagorno-Karabakh got a new de facto president.

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Samvel Shahramanyan, the interim president and a former Security Council secretary, was chosen by the parliament on 9 September to replace Arayik Harutyunan, who resigned eight days earlier.

Like previous elections in Nagorno-Karabakh (which have generally been decided by popular vote rather than MPs), this one was denounced as illegitimate by Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia, Pakistan, Britain, Moldova, Romania, Uzbekistan, and the EU.

The EU did note, however, "that it is important for the Karabakh Armenians to consolidate around de facto leadership that is able and willing to engage in result-oriented discussions with Baku."

By Heydar Isayev via Eurasianet.org

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A 30-year-old man accused of killing a 71-year-old Fort Calhoun woman was ordered Friday to be held on no bail.

William Paul Collins has been charged in Washington County Court with first-degree murder, two counts of using a weapon to commit a felony, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of a deadly weapon by a prohibited person, first-degree assault, burglary, possession of a stolen firearm and theft.

The charges stem from the Aug. 13 killing of Linda Childers.

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 at 1:19 a.m. Aug. 14, a paramedic from Fort Calhoun Fire and Rescue responded and pronounced her deceased.

Collins appeared in court for the first time Friday after being extradited from Texas. He was arrested earlier this month after authorities tracked him down in a Galveston County RV park.

Authorities have said Collins traveled the Midwest, had friends in Omaha and that it does not appear there was a connection between Collins and Childers, according to the Washington County Pilot-Tribune & Enterprise.

Washington County Attorney Scott Vander Schaaf told the newspaper that Childers death appears to have been an act motivated by money, and it appears to be something that was done out of haste or necessity.

According to court documents, Childers was killed during a burglary.
One of Colorados most-wanted sex offenders was arrested in Council Bluffs on Thursday in connection with the sexual assault of a woman who was found dead in a motel room this month.

Jesse William Smith, 49, of Denver was arrested Thursday  one week after Natalia Victoria Manriquez Sepulveda, 35, was found dead at a Super 8 Motel in Council Bluffs. Smith has not been charged in relation to Sepulvedas death, but he is accused of sexually assaulting her on the same day that her body was found.

Police were called to the Super 8 Motel in Council Bluffs around 3 p.m. on Sept. 7 for reports of an unresponsive person. Sepulveda, who worked as a housekeeper at the motel, was found dead inside of a room under suspicious circumstances.

On Wednesday, police released photos from surveillance video of a person of interest in the killing. Tips from the public assisted the department in identifying the man as Smith.

Smith was located Thursday at a duplex in Council Bluffs during the execution of a search warrant. He was booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail and has been charged with being a fugitive from justice and third-degree sexual assault.

Sgt. John Focht of the Council Bluffs Police Departments Criminal Investigations Division confirmed Friday that the sexual assault charge is related to Sepulveda. Focht said the investigation is ongoing, and investigators are awaiting the results of Sepulvedas autopsy and toxicology reports before deciding on any further charges for Smith.

According to a video released by Denver police in 2021, Smith has an extensive criminal history, including three sexual assault convictions from 1999, 2003 and 2006. Two of those convictions involved children.

Smith is currently on parole in Colorado and has multiple arrest warrants from the state for a parole violation and failing to register as a sex offender. As of August, he was ranked No. 2 on the list of most-wanted sex offenders in the state.

Council Bluffs investigators believe that Smith had been living under an alias in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area for years in an effort to evade charges in Colorado, according to a press release from the department.

Smith is scheduled to appear in Pottawattamie County Court for a preliminary hearing next week.
The Ahafo regional chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party Kwabena Owusu Sekyere says any fair-minded Ghanaian will concede that the current Inspector General of Police Dr. George Akuffo Dampare is the best Ghana has had in many years.



According to him, the operations and public confidence in the Police since the IGP assumed office have scaled up.



Lets stop stabbing hardworking people in the back. What this man is doing is obvious for every Ghanaian to see. Even if you dont like him you can tell that the police service is much better under him. Because we are so used to doing wrong, we cant accept people who are transformational. Its sad to have a journalist like Paul Adom Otchere attack such a man who work is so clear to all, its not fair.



 All other IGPs in the past did their part and have left but if you look at the changes, the visibility, the public confidence in the service and all you can tell that hes the best Ghana has had in many years and we must protect and defend people like that. In my region, I see police people on motorbikes everywhere you pass and we are allowing a few jealous individuals to destroy such a person. That is not right and we must speak up, he told Kumasi-based Angel FM on Friday, September 15, 2023.



The IGP on Tuesday appeared before the parliamentary ad hoc committee probing the leaked tape of some police officers plotting his removal. His accusers had already appeared before the committee.



The committee on a break is set to resume sitting on October 2 2023.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









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The Eastern Regional Police Command has arrested a Customs Officer of the Tema Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Daniel Akro Adjei and his accomplice, John Annan for the unlawful demolition of a public toilet facility in Aburi.



The 12-seater KVIP toilet facility which has been serving the community for about 40 years now is located at Asuafum community, a suburb of Aburi, the Municipal capital of the Akuapem South in the Eastern Region.



The suspect, once a Gospel Artiste, who built a warehouse store close to the toilet facility, without a permit on Wednesday led a hired security task force and a bulldozer to the site and allegedly demolished the only facility that served the majority of residents without toilet facilities in their homes.



The Municipal Chief Executive Officer of the area, Frank Aidoo, who confirmed the incident to DGN Online said he had a report about the incident and rushed there with the Police.



The MCE said the suspect when questioned claimed he purchased the land where the public facility is located two years ago.



Frank Aidoo noted that the said landowner of the area is even standing trial at the court over the said land the suspect claimed he bought, adding that the Assembly hasnt granted any permit for the sale of the land and also the construction of any building on the land.



He noted his outfit ordered the arrest of the suspects, by the Aburi Police and have been handed over to the Regional police command to assist in an investigation.



Meanwhile, the community prays that justice will be served, and measures will be taken to immediately construct a public toilet to replace the demolished one to curb possible rise in open defecation in the area.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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STC Boss, Nana Akomea has asked former President John Mahama to apologize for saying the courts are packed with 'NPP judges'.



The NDC flagbearer at the third annual lawyers conference of the NDC in Akosombo said: We know they [NPP] have packed the courts because they fear accountability when they leave office. We must be prepared as NDC lawyers to go to the bench to balance the current situation



Nana Akomea speaking to this in a panel discussion on Peace FM's morning show 'Kokrokoo', said the former President's comment is "disgusting" and should apologise "because very soon people will be looking into the background of every judge..."



Listen to him in the video below





Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah, a Deputy Director of Communications of the ruling NPP has petitioned the The Special Prosecutor to take immediate action on the Airbus corruption saga.



"I write to you to officially call for urgent action on the Airbus SE corruption . . . It's been over a year and the public is still in the dark as to where you're with the investigations.



Whereas I do not doubt the competence of your office to get to the bottom of this massive international corruption, I respectfully submit and appeal to your good office to take immediate action in helping the people of Ghana to put this matter behind us," he stated.



According to him Airbus SE has admitted to paying nearly $4 billion to resolve foreign bribery and other charges with authorities in the United States, Britain and France, hence the need for the Special Prosecutor to act on the case to put this matter behind us.



"The aircraft maker has also admitted using intermediaries over several years to bribe government officials and airline executives in order to win lucrative contracts the world over including Ghana.



"Again, the company admitted hiring the brother of a top elected Ghanaian official as its consultant in the sale of the aircraft. Also, Airbus confessed paying the said consultant through a third party when its Compliance Unit raised red flags about the close relationship between the consultant and the top elected official who was a key decision maker in the purchase of the military aircraft," the petition added.



Read below the full statement





PETITION: Request For Action On The Airbus Corruption



Please accept my compliment.



I write to you to officially call for urgent action on the Airbus SE corruption.



As you are aware Airbus SE has admitted to paying nearly $4 billion to resolve foreign bribery and other charges with authorities in the United States, Britain and France.



The aircraft maker has also admitted using intermediaries over several years to bribe government officials and airline executives in order to win lucrative contracts the world over including Ghana.



Again, the company admitted hiring the brother of a top elected Ghanaian official as its consultant in the sale of the aircraft. Also, Airbus confessed paying the said consultant through a third party when its Compliance Unit raised red flags about the close relationship between the consultant and the top elected official who was a key decision maker in the purchase of the military aircraft.



And rightly so, your good office has signalled its intention to delve into the matter.



It's been over a year and the public is still in the dark as to where you're with the investigations.



Whereas I do not doubt the competence of your office to get to the bottom of this massive international corruption, I respectfully submit and appeal to your good office to take immediate action in helping the people of Ghana to put this matter behind us.



The Airbus corruption is the biggest corruption case ever. Indeed, payment of bribes were made and received, and the biggest beneficiary as alleged was former President John Mahama, codenamed as GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1 in the US Court documents.



Again, documents were falsified in making the payments to disguise the payment of bribes to GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1.



GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL 1 is on the record of the Court as the recipient of the corrupt proceeds from this transaction.



Paragraph 136 of the US Court documents actually described Government official I as having a reputation for bribe taking.



It reads:



"Government Official 1" had such a reputation as a prolific bribe-collector that within three weeks of the election of the incoming Government, AND BEFORE IT WAS SWORN IN, Airbus reached agreement with brother of "Government Official 1," described in the US version of Court documents as "Individual 1."



Respectfully, everyone who is privy to the core details of the series of court documents published by the Department of Justice (DOJ) of the United States and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) of the United Kingdom cannot allege ignorance of the persons who have brought our nation into this international shame.



Bearing in mind the above realities, it is most unfortunate that your good office has, for political expediency, treated Mr Mahama with kids gloves.



Like most Ghanaians, I have grown sceptical about the lip service being paid to such a huge international corruption involving our former President.



I may not be a lawyer, but I suspect if those countries can benefit in fines from Airbus for corruption which our country was the real victim, then we believe that your investigations if it yields success can create an even bigger case for Ghana to also seek compensation from Airbus for the damage caused to our national treasury.



Respectfully sir, the nonchalant attitude being deployed on this matter ought to give way to real action.





Thank you.





Yours sincerely,



Ernest Kofi Owusu Bempah

Deputy Director of Communications, NPP

Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Government Spokesperson, Kofi Tonto, has advised the Electoral Commission (EC) to expand the district centers so as to encourage people to participate in the process.



He noted it is very discouraging when the district offices of the Commission are too far from the people and they have to either spend huge money or travel long distances to go and register their names.



"In some places, one will have to spend like close to 400 cedis just for transport fare if he or she wants to go and register. This is not encouraging. Expand the centers. Why don't you zone the areas to make it easily accessible to the people?", he said on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show.



Mr Tonto further appealed to his own political party, the New Patriotic Party and the opposition National Democratic Congress to quit playing politics with the ongoing limited registration by the EC but join forces to encourage every eligible Ghanaian to acquire his or her Ghana Card.



According to him, the parties should focus their energies on educating and supporting Ghanaians who don't have Ghana Card.



He supported the idea that Ghana Card should be the mode of identification for voting, so appealed to all political parties to ensure "every Ghanaian who has attained the age of 18 gets the Ghana Card".



"I'm a staunch member of the NPP but for Ghana to collapse, I will choose Ghana over NPP", he charged his colleague politicians, stressing the Ghana Card is the turning point for the nation.









Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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Director of Elections and IT of the opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, Dr. Edward Omane Boamah, has refuted claims of his Membership on the Board of Directors of Afrah International Hospital in Accra.



This follows allegations trending that he served as a Board Member of the Afrah International Hospital and also awarded a payroll contract to the current Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.



However, reacting to the statement in a post on his Facebook, he noted that  Ive never served as a Board Member and was never practitioner in charge at Afrah International Hospital.



According to him, It is important to clarify that I have never served as a Board Member or a Practitioner in-charge at Afrah International Hospital. That fact can be verified by the Registrar Generals Department and the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency, the official repositories of such information.



The former Minister for Communications explained for the avoidance of any doubt let me add that I am neither a partner nor a shareholder of the hospital.



I have only practiced medicine part-time at the Afrah International Hospital, a matter of public knowledge. Anyone who doubts this information can search for the truth from the regulatory bodies mentioned above.



We must understand that disease does not discriminate based on political affiliations. It does not know NDC or NPP. I, therefore, urge all to refrain from impugning the professional integrity of medical practitioners and their practice he noted.



He added that I remain a loyal activist of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) whose dedication to HE John Dramani Mahama is abundantly obvious.



Let me make it abundantly clear, I never awarded any payroll contract to Bryan Acheampong. The Ministry of Communications is not in charge of payroll. How could I have awarded such a contract? Okudzeto, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, and I returned our official vehicles before leaving the office. We didnt even think of buying them the statement said.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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A presidential aspirant of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Kennedy Agyapong says his recent showdown comments made during the partys super delegates conference means I am going to prove to you that I will beat you during the elections and not the other way around as it was misunderstood by others.



Mr. Agyapongs showdown comments were met with mixed reactions, whereby some people have accused him of being disrespectful to the partys leadership and that his action was unpresidential, while others have defended his right to free speech.



The NPP firebrand was accused of threatening President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in a viral video during the partys special delegates conference which the party Disciplinary Committee subsequently invited him to explain his utterances.



However, speaking for the first time on the matter, he said his showdown comment was misunderstood.



He explained that Showdown simply means I am going to prove to you that I will beat you during the elections, he said, adding I mean, it is only the NPP that will call you to the disciplinary committee when you say showdown.



Will the vice president also be invited to face the disciplinary committee when he jokingly said he will give [John Dramani] Mahama a showdown?



His campaign manager, Kwame Owusu, also explained that the term showdown was used to convey Agyapongs strong determination to emerge victorious in the November 4 polls.



He added that whether or not the confrontation was directed toward the Vice President, are you concerned about the meaning of confrontation? Because I think the showdown is basically a decisive point of either a confrontation or a contest. In that regard, if it is addressed to the Vice president it only then meant that come November no matter what happens he is going to be a victor.



And so that is a showdown, a decisive confrontation, and contest It is not a threat, it is nothing for us to be worried about, it is just a simple language probably expressed in a different form, he stated.



He also reassured that Agyapong is willing to fully cooperate with the partys disciplinary process.



In relation to that, his outfit is organizing a mega health walk dubbed Showdown Walk which is expected to take place tomorrow starting from Ayimensah Toll Booth to the Premises of Oman FM in Madina where he will be addressing the participants.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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The Deputy General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Haruna Mohammed, has described the public apology of the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, as a sign of maturity.



To him, it was an indication that the action will impact positively on the image of the NPP.



He has, therefore, urged all party members to accept Adowa Safo's apology in good faith.



Adwoa Safo on Thursday, September 14, 2023, rendered an unqualified apology to the leadership of the NPP, particularly President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the Chief of Staff, Madam Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Majority Leader and other party bigwigs over her actions in the recent past.



The Dome-Kwabenya MP in a video explained that her long absence in Parliament was due to some challenges she faced in her life, including family issues.



Adwoa Safo in her long absence in Parliament was dragged to the Privileges Committee of Parliament in 2022. Some NPP members even wanted her seat to be declared vacant.



In what appeared to be a banter between the Dome-Kwabenya MP and her party, the MP occasionally came online through live videos to defend her actions.



However, in her apology video, Adwoa Safo urged the party's leadership, including the party members, particularly those in her constituency to forgive her actions.



I would like to use this opportunity to apologise to my New Patriotic Party members, the leadership. Firstly to the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, our mother, the Chief of Staff Hon. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Majority Leader Osei Kyei- Mensah Bonsu and the entire leadership of Parliament, my colleague MPs, Majority caucus.



I would like to apologise to all of you for my behaviour sometime back. I would like to say that it wasnt intended or planned to disrespect you all.



I was faced with so many personal and family issues. I would like to plead with you in the name of the Lord, my regional executives, Greater Accra, constituency executives, the headquarters of NPP, the General Secretary and National Chairman and all your workers. I beg all of you, supporters, and sympathisers, who love the party and loved me and have faith in the constituency, please forgive me for all that has happened.



I would like to use this opportunity to apologise to my New Patriotic Party members, the leadership. Firstly to the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, our mother, the Chief of Staff Hon. Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, Majority Leader Osei Kyei- Mensah Bonsu and the entire leadership of Parliament, my colleague MPs, Majority caucus.



The NPP Deputy General Secretary in his reaction to the MP's apology in a radio interview on Accra-based Citi FM on Friday, September 15, 2023, welcomed the apology and urged everyone to forgive her.

Source: graphic.com.gh









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This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

The liftoff took place after Russia's first lunar mission in nearly 50 years failed last month.

Two Russian cosmonauts and an American astronaut docked with the International Space Station on Friday after blasting off amid raging tensions between Moscow and Washington over Ukraine.

Earlier Friday Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub and NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard the Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft.

The crew docked at the ISS three hours later, the Russian space agency said.

At the orbiting station, the trio will join three Russians, two Americans, a Japanese astronaut and a representative of the European Space Agency.

The liftoff took place after Russia's first lunar mission in nearly 50 years failed last month.

The ISS is a rare venue for cooperation between the United States and Russia, whose ties broke down after Moscow unleashed its offensive in Ukraine last year.

Kononenko alluded to the tensions during a pre-flight press conference on Thursday, saying that "unlike on earth" cosmonauts and astronauts took care of each other in space.

"We hear each other there, and we understand each other, and we are very sensitive to our relationships," he said. "We always take care of each other."

'ISS legacy'

O'Hara praised the station's "legacy" and said it had been bringing the countries together.

The ISS has been a rare venue for cooperation between the United States and Russia.

"I'm excited to get on board and see the crewmates who are waiting for us," she added.

Kononenko, 59, and Chub, 39, were scheduled to spend a year on the ISS, while O'Hara, 40, was to spend six months aboard. It was the first mission to space for both O'Hara and Chub.

Chub said that travelling to space was his "childhood dream" and he had dedicated "all his life" to reaching that goal.

The three take over from Russians Dmitry Petelin and Sergey Prokopyev, as well as NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, who have spent one year aboard the ISS.

While that trio was initially supposed to return in March, their mission had to be extended after their vessel, the Soyuz MS-22, suffered a coolant leak following damage from a suspected tiny meteoroid.

They will now return to Earth on the MS-23, according to Roscosmos.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is looking to strengthen space cooperation with China as Western condemnation and sanctions over Moscow's offensive in Ukraine intensify.

Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub and NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara lifted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

On Wednesday, Putin hosted the reclusive leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, at the new Vostochny spaceport in Russia's Far East region, and the two discussed the possibility of sending a North Korean into space.

Last month, Russia's Luna-25 module crashed on the Moon's surface after an incident during pre-landing maneuvers, in a huge embarrassment for Moscow.

The mission was meant to mark Russia's return to independent lunar exploration in the face of financial troubles and corruption scandals, and its growing isolation from the West.

Moscow last landed a probe on the Moon in 1976, before shifting away from lunar exploration in favor of missions to Venus and building the Mir space station.

 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:

Members of U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's Scientific Development Squadron VXS-1 dropped 18 SOFAR Spotter buoys ahead into the Gulf Coast of Hurricane Idalia in partnership with the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) Hurricane Coastal Impacts (NHCI) on Monday, August 28, 2023. (U.S. Navy Photo / Released). Credit: U.S. Navy

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's Scientific Development Squadron (VXS) 1 mobilized a crew for a NP-3C Orion operation with less than 24 hours' notice to airdrop 18 SOFAR Spotter buoys in the Gulf of Mexico ahead of Hurricane Idalia on Monday, August 28. The VXS-1 crew personally deployed the buoys from the aircraft on behalf of researchers working with the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) Hurricane Coastal Impacts (NHCI).

VXS-1 airdropped the Spotters hours before Hurricane Idalia made landfall near Keaton Beach, Florida at approximately 7:45 a.m. EDT. The squadron deployed the fleet of Spotters into the path of the hurricane from 1,000 feet aboard the P-3 traveling at 150 mph. The buoys observed Hurricane Idalia's wave height, sea surface temperature, and barometric pressure in real-time between the afternoons of Monday, August 28 and Wednesday, August 30. The precisely executed drop enabled the Spotters to make direct observations near the eye wall and dangerous right-front quadrant of Idalia.

"The team pulled together quickly to execute the mission and aid the researchers with an opportunity they couldn't lose," said Project Director Lt. Cmdr. Nicholas Peter. "Hurricane Idalia intensified quickly and we're proud of the squadron's readiness and ability to meet our mission as the Navy's only research squadron."

The 10 Spotters continue to make real-time observations of wave conditions off the northwest coast of Florida. The data collected by the buoys will contribute to and improve existing forecast models and enable better understanding of hurricane dynamics, prediction of hurricane impacts, and be used to protect coastal communities. The NHCI project is focused on creating models for the U.S. Gulf Coast, Florida Coast and Eastern Seaboard. VIDEO: Members of U.S. Naval Research Laboratory's Scientific Development Squadron VXS-1 drop SOFAR Spotter buoys ahead into the Gulf Coast of Hurricane Idalia in partnership with the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) Hurricane Coastal Impacts (NHCI) on Monday, August 28, 2023. Credit: U.S. Navy

"Our unique mission and ability to operate around the world, enabling research for the Department of the Navy and its partners is crucial to scientific and technological innovation," said Commanding Officer Cmdr. Aaron Roberts. "Airborne data-collection missions like the Idalia operation facilitate the next generation of scientific research and environmental prediction, keeping civilians and military members safe from extreme events."

The NHCI program consists of numerous government, industry, and academic partner organizations. These organizations are broken into five tasks and ten teams, with each team focusing on a specific task based on the team's expertise and the resources they have available. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL)'s Marine Meteorology research team out of Monterey, California is assigned Task 0 while VXS-1 contributes operationally as demonstrated with the airdrop ahead of Hurricane Idalia.

The Marine Meteorology team uses NRL's proprietary Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Mesoscale Prediction System for Tropical Cyclones (COAMPS-TC) and 11-member prediction ensemble system to accurately create hindcasts of hurricanes detailing the tropical cyclone track, size and intensity for retrospective analysis to contribute to atmospheric reforecasts and reanalyses. COAMPS-TC also provides real-time updates to other NHCI teams for timely prediction and operational readiness.

The NHCI aims to predict coastal impacts during hurricane seasons 2022-2024. These research-grade forecasts will facilitate innovation to better prepare coastal communities for extreme weather events. Since 1980, extreme weather events have cost the U.S. 1.8 trillion dollars and are expected to increase in intensity and frequency according to NOPP.
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

If you looked up 66 million years ago you might have seen, for a split second, a bright light as a mountain-sized asteroid burned through the atmosphere and smashed into Earth. It was springtime and the literal end of an era, the Mesozoic.

If you somehow survived the initial impact, you would have witnessed the devastation that followed. Raging firestorms, megatsunamis, and a nuclear winter lasting months to years. The 180-million-year reign of non-avian dinosaurs was over in the blink of an eye, as well as at least 75% of the species who shared the planet with them.

Following this event, known as the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction (K-Pg), a new dawn emerged for Earth. Ecosystems bounced back, but the life inhabiting them was different.

Many iconic pre-K-Pg species can only be seen in a museum. The formidable Tyrannosaurus rex, the Velociraptor, and the winged dragons of the Quetzalcoatlus genus could not survive the asteroid and are confined to deep history. But if you take a walk outside and smell the roses, you will be in the presence of ancient lineages that blossomed in the ashes of K-Pg.

Although the living species of roses are not the same ones that shared Earth with Tyrannosaurus rex, their lineage (family Rosaceae) originated tens of millions of years before the asteroid struck.

And the roses are an not unusual angiosperm (flowering plant) lineage in this regard. Fossils and genetic analysis suggest that the vast majority of angiosperm families originated before the asteroid.

Ancestors of the ornamental orchid, magnolia and passionflower families, grass and potato families, the medicinal daisy family, and the herbal mint family all shared Earth with the dinosaurs. In fact, the explosive evolution of angiosperms into the roughly 290,000 species today may have been facilitated by K-Pg.

Angiosperms seemed to have taken advantage of the fresh start, similar to the early members of our own lineage, the mammals.

However, it's not clear how they did it. Angiosperms, so fragile compared with dinosaurs, cannot fly or run to escape harsh conditions. They rely on sunlight for their existence, which was blotted out.

What do we know?

Fossils in different regions tell different versions of events. It is clear there was high angiosperm turnover (species loss and resurgence) in the Amazon when the asteroid hit, and a decline in plant-eating insects in North America which suggests a loss of food plants. But other regions, such as Patagonia, show no pattern.

A study in 2015 analyzing angiosperm fossils of 257 genera (families typically contain multiple genera) found K-Pg had little effect on extinction rates. But this result is difficult to generalize across the 13,000 angiosperm genera.

My colleague Santiago Ramirez-Barahona, from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, and I took a new approach to solving this confusion in a study we published in Biology Letters. We analyzed large angiosperm family trees, which previous work mapped from mutations in DNA sequences from 33,000-73,000 species.

This way of tree-thinking has laid the groundwork for major insights about the evolution of life, since the first family tree was scribbled by Charles Darwin.

Although the family trees we analyzed did not include extinct species, their shape contains clues about how extinction rates changed through time, through the way the branching rate ebbs and flows.

The extinction rate of a lineage, in this case angiosperms, can be estimated using mathematical models. The one we used compared ancestor age with estimates for how many species should be appearing in a family tree according to what we know about the evolution process.

It also compared the number of species in a family tree with estimates of how long it takes for a new species to evolve. This gives us a net diversification ratehow fast new species are appearing, adjusted for the number of species that have disappeared from the lineage.

The model generates time bands, such as a million years, to show how extinction rate varies through time. And the model allowed us to identify time periods that had high extinction rates. It can also suggest times in which major shifts in species creation and diversification have occurred as well as when there may have been a mass extinction event. It shows how well the DNA evidence supports these findings too.

We found that extinction rates seem to have been remarkably constant over the last 140240 million years. This finding highlights how resilient angiosperms have been over hundreds of millions of years.

We cannot ignore the fossil evidence showing that many angiosperm species did disappear around K-Pg, with some locations hit harder than others. But, as our study seems to confirm, the lineages (families and orders) to which species belonged carried on undisturbed, creating life on Earth as we know it.

This is different to how non-avian dinosaurs fared, who disappeared in their entirety: their entire branch was pruned.

Scientists believe angiosperm resilience to the K-Pg mass extinction (why only leaves and branchlets of the angiosperm tree were pruned) may be explained by their ability to adapt. For example, their evolution of new seed-dispersal and pollination mechanisms.

They can also duplicate their entire genome (all of the DNA instructions in an organism) which provides a second copy of every single gene on which selection can act, potentially leading to new forms and greater diversity.

The sixth mass extinction event we currently face may follow a similar trajectory. A worrying number of angiosperm species are already threatened with extinction, and their demise will probably lead to the end of life as we know it.

It's true angiosperms may blossom again from a stock of diverse survivorsand they may outlive us.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
About 7,000 local residents are served by drinking water systems that use source water contaminated by elevated levels of the so-called forever chemicals known as PFAS, according to newly released state data. Those systems, 10 of them, are found across Saratoga and Warren counties and contain one of the two most commonly used PFAS chemicals  PFOS and PFOA  at a level that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now says is unsafe.

None of the water systems in Washington County detected PFAS at that threshold in 2022.

The water systems testing positive for elevated PFAS levels, according to 2022 New York State Department of Health data, are: Alpine Estates, Northwood Water Company, Kayadeross Acres, Middle Grove Mobile Park, Whispering Pines Mobile Estates, the Village of South Glens Falls, Loughberry Mobile Home Park, London Square Apartments, Diamond Point Water District, and Colebrook Trailer Court.

Earlier this year, South Glens Falls installed treatment, known as granular activated charcoal filter technology, to help eliminate PFAS from its system. But water systems are not required to treat for PFAS unless the water reaches a certain threshold, known as a maximum contaminant level. Systems have to test positive for either one of the chemicals at 10 parts per trillion before treatment is required.

Just one water system in Saratoga, Warren or Washington counties met that threshold where treatment is required: Alpine Estates.

That neighborhood, which serves just 40 people, tested positive for PFOS at an average level of 10.25 parts per trillion and PFOA at an average level of 15 parts per trillion in 2022. That means Alpine Estates is required to notify residents and remediate the issue.

The other neighborhoods in the area that tested positive for one or both of the two regulated PFAS chemicals arent required to pursue treatment under current New York state law. A proposed federal EPA rule would require systems to treat the water if either of the chemicals is present at just 4 parts per trillion.

The largest water systems in this area did not appear to have much, if any, PFAS contamination detected in 2022.

Clifton Park Water Authority, which serves 35,000 people in Saratoga County, detected an average level of 1.1 part per trillion of PFOS last year and did not detect PFOA at all. The city of Glens Falls, which serves 14,000, did not detect PFOS but detected an average of 2.8 parts per trillion of PFOA, according to the data.

Other relatively large systems that did not detect either of the two regulated PFAS chemicals in 2022 include: Halfmoon Water District, Burnt Hills-Ballston LK WD, Wilton Water & Sewer Authority, Saratoga Water Services, Ballston Spa Village, Moreau Water District #2 (Queensbury), Mechanicville City, and Corinth Village.
Warren County to pay the SPCA of Upstate New York $8,000 a month to handle dog seizure, control and shelter, as well as animal cruelty prevention response and support throughout the county. The County reached an internal agreement on this issue at a meeting on August 22, but finalized it with an official vote at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, September 12.

The monthly fee of $8,000, or annual fee of $96,000, will alleviate a burden on the Warren County Sheriffs Department, which is often tasked with dealing with animal cruelty cases without adequate training to do so.

This decision came after the SPCA notified the county that it was in financial risk last April. The estimates of costs needed then were about $100,000.

We guarantee that the SPCA will be continually available to handle animal cruelty cases. They will also handle dog control cases, Warren County Administrator John Taflan said during the Board of Supervisors meeting on September 12.

The County Sheriffs office estimates about 1,000 animal cruelty calls a year, and that only about 10% of which justify animal cruelty investigation. In this agreement, the SPCA has agreed to take these calls and contact the individuals who made the complaint, according to Taflan.

However, for cases that need to be investigated further, the SPCA will contact the County Sheriffs dispatch. SPCA has also agreed to conduct training for all Warren County Sheriffs patrol officers twice a year to adequately handle those cases, Taflan said.

We guarantee that the SPCA will be continually available to handle animal cruelty cases. They will also handle dog control cases, Taflan said. Its come to our attention that several patrol officers have picked up stray dogs across the county and have taken them home at night because theres no place to put them currently.

Officers will have a code to get into the SPCA building so they can shelter found dogs after hours. SPCA will then get in touch with municipality dog control officers and work with them to re-home the dogs, Taflan said.

At the municipality level across the county, the only form of animal control is dog control which is paid for by the licensing fee that dog owners pay when they purchase a dog. The SPCA can handle a wide range of animal neglect cases from dogs and cats to horses.

While all the Board of Supervisors agreed that the SPCA of Upstate New York fulfills a vital need that should be addressed, some had concern with the amount that the county would pay.

Queensbury Supervisor Bradley Magowan was the loudest in his questioning of the deal and thought that dog owners should be the ones to foot the bill in some way, though he did not have particulars at the county meeting.

This does seem to be a lot of money, Town of Chester Supervisor Craig Leggett said. It seems to be twice as much as I would expect it to be. This contract needs to be monitored to see where the county is saving money, or where it needs to spend the money.

Claudia Braymer, Supervisor from Glens Falls, while supportive of the agreement, also thought that there should be a fee breakdown to see where the costs are going exactly.

This particular contract fills a service that needs to be done, Queensbury Town Supervisor John Strough said. Through my years of service to the community I have never met an animal control organization that is as professional as SPCA of Upstate New York. I think were fortune to have the SPCA do this for us for what I feel is a reasonable price.

Magowan joined the rest of the board voting for the contract.
ATLANTIC CITY  Shawn Rinnier believes he has a strong case for his Save-A-Lot store to receive the contract for a new grocery store from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.

The store is one of four that submitted proposals to CRDA in the authoritys new move to bring a full-service grocery to the city, describing it as an end to the citys status as a food desert.

If the CRDA board backs one of the other proposals, well, hes going to have to see how things go. But there is a possibility that the Save-A-Lot location in Renaissance Plaza would stop making economic sense if there is a new, subsidized grocery around the corner, Rinnier said in a recent interview.

We would have to reassess our position, he said. I do believe Atlantic City is a one-grocery-store town.

Just changing locations could have an impact on the stores reputation, Rinnier said. There have been multiple complaints from customers about panhandling and other problems at the Renaissance Plaza location.

Renaissance Plazas tough, he said. Its intimidating to some of our customers to come in and shop at the store.

A new, more vibrant store could allow a fresh start, with rules outlined for employees, shoppers and others.

We can have more discipline with staff at a new location and start off on the right foot, Rinnier said.

Atlantic City man admits to armed store robbery An Atlantic City man on Tuesday admitted robbing a Pleasantville grocery store at gunpoint two years ago.

Shoppers have raised issues with Renaissance Plaza for years.

Residents have complained about the behavior of drug and alcohol users who hang out around the Pay Less Liquor store there and beg for money from those going to the grocery store so they can buy more alcohol.

They also have sex, drink and do drugs in the open view of youngsters at a nearby preschool, residents say.

Shoppers say they dont feel safe, and dont understand why the behavior is allowed.

Community activist and Zoning Board member Andra Williams has video of a man who took down his pants and cleaned himself across the street from the Gateway Center Headstart Early Education Center at New York and Arctic avenues.

Its sickening when the children from the school peer out of the window and can look at a man indisposed, cleaning himself, Williams said. We have to get that taken care of. When we can look at a man buttocks out and literally wash himself in public, its horrible.

Renaissance Plaza takes up the block bounded by Atlantic, Arctic, New York and Kentucky avenues. It is just a block from City Hall, the county building and the public library.

Police Chief James Sarkos is asked regularly about what the city and the Police Department are doing to stem antisocial behavior there and protect families and children.

Atlantic City neighborhood group promotes local food markets The Chelsea Economic Development Corp. is using the second anniversary of a local market to promote similar neighborhood businesses.

Special police officers and social workers have been assigned to Renaissance Plaza, officials said at a recent CitiStat meeting where residents and business owners bring problems to officials.

A city social worker has devised a plan to address the issues there, and around the nearby AtlantiCare and Gateway complexes, according to Director of Health and Human Services Jarrod Barnes.

Barnes said the social work plan is to offer services and encourage people not to loiter in the area.

Sarkos has said the plaza is private property so the police have limited jurisdiction there. But he said there are now two shifts of neighborhood coordination officers and they will spend time helping to deal with the problems there.

Just last week, officers arrested someone observed making a drug sale in the plaza, the Police Department said.

The CRDA has sought for years to get a new full-service grocery store in the city. There are multiple small food stores in neighborhoods throughout the city, but the last full-service store shut down well over a decade ago.

In 2021, CRDA agreed to spend $18.7 million to build a 44,000-square-foot supermarket at Baltic and Indiana avenues, leasing it for $1 a year for a new ShopRite to be operated by Village Super Market. State officials gathered for a high-profile groundbreaking, but nothing else happened for more than a year.

By late 2022, after years of negotiations, the talks ended and CRDA said it would seek new proposals.

This spring, four companies submitted proposals for a new contract, including Save-A-Lot under the company name Save Hilly Stores and a new proposal from Village Super Market. Also submitting proposals were JAS Group Enterprise and Bailing International Firm.

JAS Groups plan includes 120 apartments, along with a grocery store, while Bailing Internationals plan calls for a 55,000-square-foot facility. Most of that would be for a grocery store, along with room for restaurants and other food vendors.

So far, the CRDA board has not discussed the proposals at its meetings.

Rinnier said he expected a decision by August.

Were going to be patient, he said.

Karen Martin, director of communications and marketing for the CRDA, said she expects an update on the proposals at the Sept. 19 meeting of the authority board of directors. As of Tuesday, no agenda had been posted for that meeting, which is set to be held over the phone at 2 p.m.

Rinnier said he was under a confidentiality agreement that prevented him from talking about the proposal his company submitted in detail, but he cited the companys work in Camden as a model for what he would like to do in Atlantic City.

In 2020, Rinnier said, the company acquired 14 new stores, including one in Camden. Soon after, the company bought a retail space that had been home to a Price Rite. After an extensive remodeling, the store moved across the street, similar to how he would want to build and move in to a new Save-A-Lot around the corner on a CRDA-owned lot on Baltic Avenue.

CitiStat Briefs: City clears vagrants, debris out of vacant Madison Hotel After a complaint came in about homeless people breaking into the vacant Madison Hotel on th

In 2021, the new 21,000-square-foot Camden store opened, and the company produced a video with community members and Camden officials describing the importance of the store. Rinnier said he has a similar vision for Atlantic City, with nutritious produce and groceries, and a full stock of specialty foods that will appeal to the numerous cultural backgrounds that make up the city.

Rinnier said he sees a lot of opportunity in Atlantic City.

We love being in Atlantic City. Its just a matter of putting ourselves in a position where we get the right store, he said.
NORTHFIELD  Two Delaware teenagers armed with a handgun were tracked back to their home state after they broke into a home and stole a vehicle, police said.

The suspects, who are 16 years old and from Wilmington, were arrested by Delaware State Police and charged with multiple weapons and robbery charges, Northfield police said.

At 8:45 a.m. Saturday, police arrived at Shore Road and Mimi Court for a head-on motor vehicle crash. Six suspects fled on foot from a stolen vehicle, which was left at the scene, heading east toward Wabash Avenue. The victim of the crash suffered serious injuries and was transported to a hospital, police said.

Minutes later, police were called for a home invasion with a handgun in progress in the 2000 block of Wabash Avenue. Sgt. Justin Heller responded and saw a Porsche that was stolen during that home invasion leave the scene.

Police pursued the Porsche but backed off due to the extremely dangerous driving of the suspects. The car was tracked to an apartment complex in Wilmington, where the two 16-year-olds were arrested by Delaware State Police.

The two teens were charged with conspiracy, robbery, burglary with attempted bodily injury with a handgun, unlawful possession of a handgun, unlawful use of a handgun, theft of a motor vehicle, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, assault by auto and leaving the scene of an accident with serious bodily injury.

Northfield police are requesting an extradition of the two teens. The handgun was not recovered, and the other four suspects are still at-large, police said.
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A statewide organization that has advocated for open government for more than two decades is pushing for a model ordinance for transparency in New Jerseys public institutions.

The ordinance would go further than the states Open Public Meetings Act by calling for records to be posted online, meetings to be held both in person and remotely, and adjustments to be made to agenda requirements.

The New Jersey Foundation for Open Government plans to distribute the proposed law soon in the hopes that all municipalities in the state would adopt it, thereby improving transparency.

Fran Brooks, a member of the foundations board of directors, said government transparency allows the public to know how their tax dollars are being spent, and to hold elected officials accountable as representatives of the public.

Citizen participation is the key to everything, Brooks said.

Meanwhile, people often dont have the time to attend council meetings or file public comments, which makes it easier for governments to conduct business however they want.

The foundations proposal comes at a time when state lawmakers continue to chip away at what is and isnt public information.

It also follows a 2021 review by the foundation of 89 public bodies performance under the Open Public Meetings Act, also known as the Sunshine Law.

Winding up a summer road trip, Sen. Cory Booker visits Cape May shops U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., visited all 21 New Jersey counties this week as part of an end-of-summer tour, including Cape May on Wednesday.

The report found that of the public entities examined, none was more than 60% compliant with the basic components of the Open Public Meetings Act.

Those components were:

1) A published 48-hour advance special meeting notice

2) A proper notice statement included in meeting minutes

3) Adequate information and reasons for closed sessions

4) Adequate details of closed session participation

5) Comprehensive minutes of meetings

6) Closed session minutes that reveal the topics discussed

Atlantic City condo residents seek help with noise from beach bar A group of Ocean Club Condominium residents complained about loud music from a beach bar blighting their neighborhood during Wednesday's CitiStat meeting in Atlantic City.

Performance varied across the six areas tested, with roughly half of the public bodies complying with the advance notification of special meetings, a two-step process that involves sufficient information about the meeting and providing the information to two local newspapers.

In general, where bodies performed the worst surrounded boards executive sessions and the minutes provided of those meetings once the issue had been resolved.

The Open Public Meetings Act says all meetings of public bodies should be open to the public, with some exceptions.

Public bodies can enter closed sessions without public notice or during a public meeting for several reasons, including discussion of legal investigations, matters made confidential by state or federal law, and personnel matters. No formal actions can be taken in a closed session. But boards must provide a reason for the closed session. Once in executive session, minutes must be kept and made available once the necessity of the closed session has passed, according to the law.

Only 6% of the boards met all three of those criteria (Nos. 4, 5 and 6), the report found.

John Paff, another foundation board member, said boards should be able to get minutes online the day after they approve the minutes.

Paff acknowledged that other work may keep clerks from posting that quickly, but he believes the information should be made available as soon as possible.

Thats really the most important aspect, because everything else they do in public. Thats where the important things happen. They need to account for that and not be vague, Paff said.

Whistleblower lawsuit targets Atlantic City Housing Authority board, attorneys The former interim executive director of the Atlantic City Housing Authority has sued her former employer, alleging her attempts to stop fraudulent activity there were thwarted by the board and its attorneys.

Though minutes are not required to be posted online, doing so allows residents to easily access this information.

One of the proposed changes to the Open Public Meetings Act proposed by the foundation would be to ensure minutes of closed sessions are available online.

The Press of Atlantic City looked at four towns websites to asess some of the performance areas the foundation tested. The towns  Egg Harbor Township in Atlantic County, Stafford Township in Ocean County, Vineland in Cumberland County and Lower Township in Cape May County  were selected as fairly representative of the region.

Egg Harbor Township has detailed Township Committee meeting minutes and agendas posted online. As of July 25, minutes from the July 19 committee meeting had been approved and posted online.

However, the townships planning and zoning boards had no meeting minutes posted on their website.

Vineland City Councils meeting minutes were also updated, although some dates reflected the time the files were added, not the dates of actual meetings.

Egg Harbor, Stafford and Lower townships all provide reasons for entering a closed session in their regular meeting minutes, but dont have closed session minutes posted online.

Stone Harbor council votes to censure mayor A growing split between the mayor and Borough Council in Stone Harbor resulted in a council vote to censure Mayor Judith M. Davies-Dunhour over comments made at the previous meeting.

Vineland did appear to have closed session minutes online and does not indicate entering a closed session in any of their 2023 council meeting minutes.

All four of the towns examined record and post their council meetings either on their YouTube channel or on their website.
Its not time to panic about climate change. Its past time.

Usually, panic is the wrong response to almost every situation. It implies irrational overreaction to threats, often producing unproductive or harmful handling of them.

Yet the existential threat that climate change poses to life on Earth requires at least an element of panic as a catalyst to a meaningful, sustained response.

Worry and concern haven't worked.

Globally, June of this year was the hottest June on record, going back almost two centuries when the United States and Britain first began tracking atmospheric temperatures.

On July 3, the hottest daily mean global temperature ever was reached at 62.69 degrees Fahrenheit. The next day set another record. So did the next and the next. From July 3 through July 29, the Earth experienced 29 consecutive hottest days  in any month, in any year, ever.

The frightening climate numbers are difficult to ignore. Whether or not panic is warranted, our anxiety is rising, almost in concert with the inexorable increase in global temperatures.

Young people feel the most urgency about climate change, which makes sense. They have the longest time left to live on a planet enduring uncontrollable wildfires, unbearable heat waves, glacial melting and the warming of both the deepest seas and the blankets of air above them. Young people face stronger hurricanes unleashed by warmer oceans and more destruction of the life-saving trees that combat global warming by removing carbon dioxide from the air and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.

China and India protest that they are being asked to burn less fossil fuel and release fewer greenhouse gases just as they become economic powerhouses. The United States, Japan, Germany and other industrialized nations did not have to do that in earlier decades when they were rapidly developing.

China and India are right: The evolving requirements of responsible global stewardship are unfair. Their economies happen to be booming in a more perilous era, one in which the very future of life on Earth hangs in the balance.

Such inequity is no excuse for inaction on their part.

International resolve is growing against the ravages of climate change. The Paris Agreement, an international treaty adopted in 2015, has been signed by 193 countries plus the European Union, pledging to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and give developing nations money to fight global warming. The historic accord aims to limit the global temperature increase this century to 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) while pursuing efforts to hold it to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). Even those relatively modest temperature hikes would cause more destructive climate events.

Disgracefully, former President Donald Trump pulled the United States from the Paris Agreement. His successor, President Joe Biden, restored U.S. membership on his first day in office.

More ambitiously, the European Union has joined China and 69 other countries that combined emit three-quarters of all greenhouse gases in pledging to reach zero net emissions by 2050. More than 1,000 cities worldwide, including Los Angeles and Houston, are part of the same initiative.

Not surprisingly, even such a dangerous threat as climate change has been politicized. Conservative commentators blame environmentalists longstanding opposition to nuclear power for contributing to climate change. Nuclear power production does not emit greenhouse gases, but it entails other risks involving the storage of spent fuel rods and the cataclysmic, if rare, danger of nuclear meltdown.

France has gone against the grain of most other industrialized countries in obtaining more than two-thirds of its energy from nuclear power, compared with just one-fifth in the United States.

While weve picked up the pace in belatedly mitigating climate change, its still far from enough. If we want to save our grandchildren and their grandchildren from even worse natural catastrophes, we will have to do far more.
(Photo : Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Senators begin deliberations over Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial after a two-week-long trial related to counts of bribery and abuse of public trust.

The Senate has begun deliberations for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial, who is currently facing 16 articles of impeachment, including bribery and abuse of public trust.

In a statement, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told the 30 state senators who would be acting as jurors in the case that they would only be allowed to go home at night and are mandated not to speak to anyone about the trial or watch any news coverage until it is over.

Ken Paxton Impeachment Trial

If a verdict against Paxton is not reached by Sunday evening, Patrick said that he would consider sequestering the senators. The state's attorney general attended the trial on the first day and the last day after he pleaded not guilty last week. He has denied any and all wrongdoing.

The situation comes as Republican lawmakers hold a 19-12 majority in the Texas Senate and the state requires a two-thirds majority, which equates to 21 votes, to convict Paxton of any of the charges brought against him, as per CBS News.

Paxton's wife, Texas Sen. Angela Paxton, has also been barred from voting or participating in the deliberations of her husband. However, she still counts toward the number of senators that are necessary to convict, which means that the state would still need 21 votes.

The defense team for the attorney general has sought to dismiss the impeachment vote against him as a political "witch hunt" and partisan fight within the GOP against Paxton himself. He is considered to be a close ally of former United States President Donald Trump.

On the other hand, House impeachment manager Jeff Leach, who also represents Paxton's home base in Collin County, Texas, argued that while the attorney general is a "dear friend and political mentor," the people of the state deserve answers.

Patrick, who presided over the trial of Paxton, said that it was not sure how long the jury was going to deliberate. He argued that it could take hours or even days before the senators reach a definitive decision, according to CNN.

Read Also: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders Seeks Overhaul of State's Records Law Amid Lawsuit

Senators Begin Deliberations

There are only two Texas statewide officials who have ever been successfully removed from office following a conviction in an impeachment trial. These were Gov. James Ferguson and 1917 and District Judge. O.P. Carrillo in 1975.

The two-week trial at the Texas State Capitol in Austin ended on Friday when both the House impeachment managers and Paxton's legal team were given one hour each for their closing arguments.

Republican state Rep. Andrew Murr, who is the chair of the House impeachment managers, said on Friday that the attorney general may claim to be one of them but argued that he had no regard for the principles of honor and integrity.

Additionally, Murr criticized the defense of the attorney general, who he claimed only fought back by saying that Paxton did not do the actions that he was accused of and that it does not matter because he won the election. Murr called the arguments "godless, rudderless morality," said the New York Times.

Related Article: GOP Senator Mitt Romney Stands Down on Senate Reelection Bid

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Theres a direct link between the disastrous direction of America and the lack of free speech and diversity at its top universities.

In a recent study by the nonprofit Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), Americas most prestigious institution of higher education, Harvard University, ranked at the very bottom for freedom of speech among the 248 schools graded, with a rating of zero. In other words, the research considers free speech on campus to be nonexistent.

Also ranked near the bottom were other elite schools like Washington, DCs Georgetown University (ranked 245th), Northwestern (242), Dartmouth (240), University of Pennsylvania (247), Fordham (244), Stanford (207), Yale (234). Many of the lowest-ranked colleges in the freedom survey also happen to be at the head of the class of top college listings.

The study surveyed students and examined the institutions responses to censorship  or de-platforming  attempts. Among the most shocking findings are that the worst-ranked schools, like Harvard, had a censorship success rate of 81 percent.

Apparently, all it takes for someone to be silenced in a place thats supposed to be a safe space for controversial debate and discussion is for someone to take offense and run to the principals office.

It also turns out that conservatives are more tolerant than leftists, since 72 percent of students said that they wouldnt want to allow a right-wing speaker on campus, while only 43 percent said that theyd object to a liberal guest. Meanwhile, only 73 percent of respondents say that its not OK to use violence against a campus speaker. I say only because  whats the deal with the 27 percent who feel that its totally normal and cool? Imagine if this figure was extrapolated to society as a whole, with over a quarter of people feeling that its OK to put a beatdown on someone with an opposing view.

In the wake of the Supreme Courts overturning of Roe v. Wade last year, half of all students surveyed admitted that its difficult to discuss the issue on campus, or transgender rights, racial inequality, and gun control. The result? Self-censorship to avoid offending. Kind of like in society in general.

It didnt used to be this way. Nor do the same kind of taboos exist in other Western cultures, like here in France. Although perhaps thats changing, as some of these anti-freedom and censorship values make their way across the Atlantic and into Europes elite schools, in particular, and then trickle down through establishment diktat and propagated through mainstream channels.

Why are the most elite schools breeding grounds for authoritarian groupthink? Because theyre cozy little clubs dominated by establishment figures who are largely products of the same institutions themselves, and no one wants to be disinvited from their cliquey soirees. Theyre also the same kind of figures who dominate the halls of policy-shaping power.

While it may be tempting to dismiss the idea of a deep state as conspiratorial, its an apt description of the career bureaucrats who squat the corridors of power in Washington, steering policy and outlasting any single presidential administration  and who are overwhelmingly graduates of these same elite colleges.

A study conducted by Indiana University Bloomington professor Jacob Bower-Bir in 2021 found that Cabinet-level appointees for the vast majority of government departments and agencies were overwhelmingly graduates of Ivy League or elite universities, and that of all U.S. presidents since John F. Kennedy, only George H.W. Bushs Cabinet was under 50 percent elite pedigreed. The most affected departments? The State Department and the presidents National Economic Council  which would explain the current dismal state of US foreign policy and economy.

Another analysis by Politico in 2021 found that 41 percent of senior- or mid-level Biden White House staffers  or 82 people out of 201 aides analyzed  have Ivy League degrees, (compared with just 21 percent for Trumps White House staff).

Its no wonder the Biden administration has just been spanked by the courts, issuing and upholding on appeal an injunction earlier this month in a lawsuit filed by the attorney generals of both Louisiana and Missouri. The ruling bars Biden officials from urging, encouraging, pressuring, or inducing the removal and suppression of protected speech online, as they stand accused of doing against inconvenient Covid-related narratives that contradicted the administrations agenda.

Perhaps officials wouldnt have the need to suppress contradictory information and analysis, on everything from Covid to foreign policy, if the bureaucratic elites had been forced to consider radically opposing thought back in a risk-free college laboratory setting. Just maybe, exposure to intellectual variety could have convinced them of the value of diversity being more than just skin-deep. It all seems preferable to being mugged by reality mid-career while fumbling the countrys critical interests.
And I just keep thinking about this right now. The Iranian people are standing up because they have hope.

[Were] sitting right now in this moment of epic hope and fear. ... A friend of mine who knew Desmond Tutu said he once told her, Fear makes you lie down. Hope makes you stand up. 

The first time I meet my aunt  and my mom hasnt seen her sister in 40 years  is over the dead body of my grandma. And all of this because of that government.

[My aunts] are like, Please, just wait. Let them come say goodbye. 

And so, we took the taxi from Toronto, and the hospital is like, Shes dead. We have to move her. 

I just knew I needed to get her to her mom. But her mom died.

Jenks wept in the Detroit airport waiting for her mother to land. She was delayed because of snow.

[We] had a connection in Detroit. We [were] racing the clock of my grandmother dying.

[But] we had to change things to fly my mom to Toronto. I was coming from Seattle, and my mom was coming from Dayton.

My mom had just gone to Dayton, Ohio. Her cousin lived there who she hadnt seen in 50 years. They wanted to give her a couple of days to get back to just have this [moment].

My grandmother was very sick with Parkinsons. ... [She] was dying. But [my aunt] didnt tell my mom.

My grandmother lived with [one of my aunts] most of her time in Toronto.

But even reunions were bittersweet.

In the decades that followed, members of Jenks' family escaped to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

[Maybe that's why] I lost my baby this way.

Or I took it for granted that I didnt lose any babies or toddlers.

Maybe because I was so proud or happy.

She had five daughters. She was a mother [at a time when] you lost babies a lot. You lost them to polio. You lost them to measles. You lost them to whatever.

And I just keep thinking about this right now. The Iranian people are standing up because they have hope.

[Were] sitting right now in this moment of epic hope and fear. ... A friend of mine who knew Desmond Tutu said he once told her, Fear makes you lie down. Hope makes you stand up. 

The first time I meet my aunt  and my mom hasnt seen her sister in 40 years  is over the dead body of my grandma. And all of this because of that government.

[My aunts] are like, Please, just wait. Let them come say goodbye. 

And so, we took the taxi from Toronto, and the hospital is like, Shes dead. We have to move her. 

I just knew I needed to get her to her mom. But her mom died.

Jenks wept in the Detroit airport waiting for her mother to land. She was delayed because of snow.

[We] had a connection in Detroit. We [were] racing the clock of my grandmother dying.

[But] we had to change things to fly my mom to Toronto. I was coming from Seattle, and my mom was coming from Dayton.

My mom had just gone to Dayton, Ohio. Her cousin lived there who she hadnt seen in 50 years. They wanted to give her a couple of days to get back to just have this [moment].

My grandmother was very sick with Parkinsons. ... [She] was dying. But [my aunt] didnt tell my mom.

My grandmother lived with [one of my aunts] most of her time in Toronto.

But even reunions were bittersweet.

In the decades that followed, members of Jenks' family escaped to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

[Maybe that's why] I lost my baby this way.

Or I took it for granted that I didnt lose any babies or toddlers.

Maybe because I was so proud or happy.

She had five daughters. She was a mother [at a time when] you lost babies a lot. You lost them to polio. You lost them to measles. You lost them to whatever.

And I just keep thinking about this right now. The Iranian people are standing up because they have hope.

[Were] sitting right now in this moment of epic hope and fear. ... A friend of mine who knew Desmond Tutu said he once told her, Fear makes you lie down. Hope makes you stand up. 

The first time I meet my aunt  and my mom hasnt seen her sister in 40 years  is over the dead body of my grandma. And all of this because of that government.

[My aunts] are like, Please, just wait. Let them come say goodbye. 

And so, we took the taxi from Toronto, and the hospital is like, Shes dead. We have to move her. 

I just knew I needed to get her to her mom. But her mom died.

Jenks wept in the Detroit airport waiting for her mother to land. She was delayed because of snow.

[We] had a connection in Detroit. We [were] racing the clock of my grandmother dying.

[But] we had to change things to fly my mom to Toronto. I was coming from Seattle, and my mom was coming from Dayton.

My mom had just gone to Dayton, Ohio. Her cousin lived there who she hadnt seen in 50 years. They wanted to give her a couple of days to get back to just have this [moment].

My grandmother was very sick with Parkinsons. ... [She] was dying. But [my aunt] didnt tell my mom.

My grandmother lived with [one of my aunts] most of her time in Toronto.

But even reunions were bittersweet.

In the decades that followed, members of Jenks' family escaped to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

[Maybe that's why] I lost my baby this way.

Maybe because I was so proud or happy.

Or I took it for granted that I didnt lose any babies or toddlers.

She had five daughters. She was a mother [at a time when] you lost babies a lot. You lost them to polio. You lost them to measles. You lost them to whatever.

She had five daughters. She was a mother [at a time when] you lost babies a lot. You lost them to polio. You lost them to measles. You lost them to whatever.

Her grandmother said:

Or I took it for granted that I didnt lose any babies or toddlers.

Maybe because I was so proud or happy.

[Maybe that's why] I lost my baby this way.

In the decades that followed, members of Jenks' family escaped to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Her paternal grandparents, an uncle and three aunts went to the U.K.

Her grandmother and two aunts went to Canada.

While Jenks and her immediate family stayed in the United States.

But even reunions were bittersweet.

Toronto 2019

My mom had just gone to Dayton, Ohio. Her cousin lived there who she hadnt seen in 50 years. They wanted to give her a couple of days to get back to just have this [moment].

My grandmother lived with [one of my aunts] most of her time in Toronto.

My grandmother was very sick with Parkinsons. ... [She] was dying. But [my aunt] didnt tell my mom.

[But] we had to change things to fly my mom to Toronto. I was coming from Seattle, and my mom was coming from Dayton.

[We] had a connection in Detroit. We [were] racing the clock of my grandmother dying.

Jenks wept in the Detroit airport waiting for her mother to land. She was delayed because of snow.

And she died.

I just knew I needed to get her to her mom. But her mom died.

And so, we took the taxi from Toronto, and the hospital is like, Shes dead. We have to move her. 

[My aunts] are like, Please, just wait. Let them come say goodbye. 

The first time I meet my aunt  and my mom hasnt seen her sister in 40 years  is over the dead body of my grandma. And all of this because of that government.

[Were] sitting right now in this moment of epic hope and fear. ... A friend of mine who knew Desmond Tutu said he once told her, Fear makes you lie down. Hope makes you stand up. 
I did not know what it was until I stood up and my friend told me that I was stabbed with a knife. I got 17 stiches."

I felt that somebody hit me from behind, and I fell on the ground.

I was wounded on the fourth day.

On the first day, the government did not shoot at people. They only told people to go home, otherwise they would shoot.

They say being forced to take Iranian names for legal purposes is just one of many injustices imposed upon Kurdish people.

Kurdish women from Iran say it is important to them that she be remembered by this name.

But her Kurdish name is Jina.

In the year since she was murdered, the name Mahsa Amini has been repeated around the world.

Over the next few months, hundreds of protesters were killed as the government responded to cries for Women, Life and Liberty with deadly violence.

What started as a funeral march quickly exploded into protests across the country and around the world.

People started going to the graveyard around midnight. The government blocked the roads and tried to keep the time of her bodys arrival a secret.

Her body was brought back to the city of Saqqez, and the government threatened her family to keep quiet.

But when we saw on social media that Jina was murdered, I went to the cemetery, even though the government did not want people to go.

I was going to work two days a week as a nurse in a clinic.

But when Amini died in the custody of the morality police, everything changed.

If I went out, I had to wear clothes that followed their restrictions.

I did not encounter the morality police, because my family was very religious.

But I would break the lock and go out.

He locked the door behind him when he left the house in the mornings.

 ... why do you want to follow such women? "

Why the hell did you shave your hair?

My husband fought with me when I shaved my hair.

My family didnt support me, because divorce was taboo.

They would not let me, because only the man has the right to divorce.

I visited the court for seven years but didnt manage to get a divorce.

Im shocked now when I think about that time. I wonder, How did I survive that?

He was 33, and I was 13. I had my son at 15.

My family forced me to get married at the age of 13. They forced me to quit school.

I suffered a lot from my family and the Iranian regime. Women are objects, according to the government.

The 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, whose Kurdish name was Jina, led to protests in Iran and around the world. Before Amini's death, Zhina says she always followed her family's orders.

But can you imagine someones hair could be a reason for their death?

It wasnt about not wanting to wear headscarves.

I shaved my hair the first day of the protests.

I did not know what it was until I stood up and my friend told me that I was stabbed with a knife. I got 17 stiches."

I felt that somebody hit me from behind, and I fell on the ground.

I was wounded on the fourth day.

On the first day, the government did not shoot at people. They only told people to go home, otherwise they would shoot.

They say being forced to take Iranian names for legal purposes is just one of many injustices imposed upon Kurdish people.

Kurdish women from Iran say it is important to them that she be remembered by this name.

But her Kurdish name is Jina.

In the year since she was murdered, the name Mahsa Amini has been repeated around the world.

Over the next few months, hundreds of protesters were killed as the government responded to cries for Women, Life and Liberty with deadly violence.

What started as a funeral march quickly exploded into protests across the country and around the world.

People started going to the graveyard around midnight. The government blocked the roads and tried to keep the time of her bodys arrival a secret.

Her body was brought back to the city of Saqqez, and the government threatened her family to keep quiet.

But when we saw on social media that Jina was murdered, I went to the cemetery, even though the government did not want people to go.

I was going to work two days a week as a nurse in a clinic.

But when Amini died in the custody of the morality police, everything changed.

If I went out, I had to wear clothes that followed their restrictions.

I did not encounter the morality police, because my family was very religious.

But I would break the lock and go out.

He locked the door behind him when he left the house in the mornings.

 ... why do you want to follow such women? "

Why the hell did you shave your hair?

My husband fought with me when I shaved my hair.

My family didnt support me, because divorce was taboo.

They would not let me, because only the man has the right to divorce.

I visited the court for seven years but didnt manage to get a divorce.

Im shocked now when I think about that time. I wonder, How did I survive that?

He was 33, and I was 13. I had my son at 15.

My family forced me to get married at the age of 13. They forced me to quit school.

I suffered a lot from my family and the Iranian regime. Women are objects, according to the government.

The 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, whose Kurdish name was Jina, led to protests in Iran and around the world. Before Amini's death, Zhina says she always followed her family's orders.

But can you imagine someones hair could be a reason for their death?

It wasnt about not wanting to wear headscarves.

I shaved my hair the first day of the protests.

I did not know what it was until I stood up and my friend told me that I was stabbed with a knife. I got 17 stiches."

I felt that somebody hit me from behind, and I fell on the ground.

I was wounded on the fourth day.

On the first day, the government did not shoot at people. They only told people to go home, otherwise they would shoot.

They say being forced to take Iranian names for legal purposes is just one of many injustices imposed upon Kurdish people.

Kurdish women from Iran say it is important to them that she be remembered by this name.

But her Kurdish name is Jina.

In the year since she was murdered, the name Mahsa Amini has been repeated around the world.

Over the next few months, hundreds of protesters were killed as the government responded to cries for Women, Life and Liberty with deadly violence.

What started as a funeral march quickly exploded into protests across the country and around the world.

Her body was brought back to the city of Saqqez, and the government threatened her family to keep quiet.

People started going to the graveyard around midnight. The government blocked the roads and tried to keep the time of her bodys arrival a secret.

But when we saw on social media that Jina was murdered, I went to the cemetery, even though the government did not want people to go.

But when Amini died in the custody of the morality police, everything changed.

I was going to work two days a week as a nurse in a clinic.

I did not encounter the morality police, because my family was very religious.

If I went out, I had to wear clothes that followed their restrictions.

He locked the door behind him when he left the house in the mornings.

But I would break the lock and go out.

Why the hell did you shave your hair?

 ... why do you want to follow such women? "

My husband fought with me when I shaved my hair.

My family didnt support me, because divorce was taboo.

They would not let me, because only the man has the right to divorce.

I visited the court for seven years but didnt manage to get a divorce.

Im shocked now when I think about that time. I wonder, How did I survive that?

He was 33, and I was 13. I had my son at 15.

My family forced me to get married at the age of 13. They forced me to quit school.

The 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, whose Kurdish name was Jina, led to protests in Iran and around the world. Before Amini's death, Zhina says she always followed her family's orders.

I suffered a lot from my family and the Iranian regime. Women are objects, according to the government.

But can you imagine someones hair could be a reason for their death?

It wasnt about not wanting to wear headscarves.

I shaved my hair the first day of the protests.

But can you imagine someones hair could be a reason for their death?

It wasnt about not wanting to wear headscarves.

I shaved my hair the first day of the protests.

Zhina

a 32-year-old Kurdish Iranian living in Iraq

The 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, whose Kurdish name was Jina, led to protests in Iran and around the world. Before Amini's death, Zhina says she always followed her family's orders.

My family forced me to get married at the age of 13. They forced me to quit school.

I suffered a lot from my family and the Iranian regime. Women are objects, according to the government.

Im shocked now when I think about that time. I wonder, How did I survive that?

He was 33, and I was 13. I had my son at 15.

I visited the court for seven years but didnt manage to get a divorce.

They would not let me, because only the man has the right to divorce.

My family didnt support me, because divorce was taboo.

He said,

My husband fought with me when I shaved my hair.

 ... why do you want to follow such women? "

Why the hell did you shave your hair?

But I would break the lock and go out.

He locked the door behind him when he left the house in the mornings.

I did not encounter the morality police, because my family was very religious.

But when Amini died in the custody of the morality police, everything changed.

If I went out, I had to wear clothes that followed their restrictions.

Her body was brought back to the city of Saqqez, and the government threatened her family to keep quiet.

I was going to work two days a week as a nurse in a clinic.

But when we saw on social media that Jina was murdered, I went to the cemetery, even though the government did not want people to go.

Turkmenistan

Saqqez

Tehran

Iran

Iraq

Saudi

Arabia

People started going to the graveyard around midnight. The government blocked the roads and tried to keep the time of her bodys arrival a secret.

What started as a funeral march quickly exploded into protests across the country and around the world.

Over the next few months, hundreds of protesters were killed as the government responded to cries for Women, Life and Liberty with deadly violence.

Amnesty International reported 22,000 people detained, including children being held and tortured.

In the year since she was murdered, the name Mahsa Amini has been repeated around the world.

Teenage schoolgirls joined the fray, marching and protesting online.

But her Kurdish name is Jina.

Kurdish women from Iran say it is important to them that she be remembered by this name.

On the first day, the government did not shoot at people. They only told people to go home, otherwise they would shoot.

They say being forced to take Iranian names for legal purposes is just one of many injustices imposed upon Kurdish people.

I was wounded on the fourth day.

I felt that somebody hit me from behind, and I fell on the ground.

I did not know what it was until I stood up and my friend told me that I was stabbed with a knife. I got 17 stiches."

I knew how to give medical treatments, so I looked for wounded people to care for.

I went to the protests even after that day.

The pharmacies and hospitals would not give us medicine, because they are all under government control.

Saqqez, Iran

On the sixth day, we were gathering at Zindan roundabout.

Saqqez River

Since I was in the middle, I had only about 15 shotgun pellets on my chest and arm.

Armed police came towards us. They shot directly at the protesters.

But there were other people who were wounded very badly.

They accused me of going to the protests. I denied it, but they told me they have video and pictures. They knew that I treated some wounded people.

I turned off my phone and left the house with the same clothes that I was wearing.

When I got home, the Iranian intelligence called and asked me to go to their office.

It was my husband who told the intelligence about me.

I feared I would have the same fate as Jina Amini and others. I was confused and in pain, since I had been stabbed and shot.

In the Kurdish region of Iraq and Iran, goods and people cross the two nations mountainous border by night.

Zhina fled to the city of Bukan, where she met smugglers who planned her trip to the Iraqi side of the Kurdish region.

Azerbaijan

Turkmenistan

Caspian

Sea

Turkey

Tehran

Bukan

Iraq

Iran

Before crossing the mountain, I asked a family in the village to give me mens clothes to hide the fact that I am a woman.

You could hear your own breathing.

We left at 2 a.m. It was very silent over the mountain.

We were scared to make any noise.

I could see a bit in front of me that there was a pathway where people have been before.

I was raised in a way that women cannot do things by themselves or travel alone.  

In my previous life as a woman [in Iran], I had never even been to the market by myself.

I was never free over there.

This built up, and when an opportunity arose, we had to let it out ...

To protest, to say women also exist ...

To say we are equal to men.

We need the right to study and to wear what we want.
A woman accused of a fatal collision on the Interstate 74 bridge walkway wants a review of her detention under the Illinois SAFE-T Act.

In 2022, the Rock Island County States Attorneys Office filed numerous charges against Chhabria Harris, 47, of East Moline, accusing her of being the driver that, on May 22, 2022, hit Ethan Gonzalez, 21; Anthony Castaneda, 18; and Charles Bowen, then 22. Gonzalez and Castaneda both died. Bowen was seriously injured but survived.

That criminal case includes charges of reckless homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol.

Change of plans: Detention hearing set

The afternoon hearing on paper was expected to either be a plea hearing resulting from an agreement with prosecutors or a trial-setting date, according to court records.

Instead, the attorneys and Judge Frank Fuhr set a detention hearing for Oct. 24 and a further status hearing on the case for Nov. 8.

Harris has been in custody since her arrest, held on $2 million bail. To be released under the old system, she would have to post a $200,000 bond.

The Pretrial Fairness Act, which eliminates cash bail, was passed and signed in 2021 as part of the SAFE-T Act. It has been amended and faced legal challenges, but is expected to go into effect on Monday. It will make Illinois the first state where solely non-monetary factors, such as danger and flight risk, determine if a person is detained before their trial. Judges will make rulings on detention based on those factors.

Amendments passed in 2022 provided more guidance on topics like the detention net of detainable offenses, trespass violation and how the transition to the non-cash bail system is to work.

Jail assault charges

Prosecutors also charged Harris this year with two counts of aggravated battery for an attack on another inmate that authorities allege happened May 28 at the jail, court records state. Underlying the charge is an accusation that Harris struck the other woman about the head and body.

That case remained pending as of Friday.

Civil actions

The collision on the bridge also led to attorneys filing several lawsuits on behalf of Bowen, and Gonzalezs and Castanedas families. Among the defendants named in the suits are Bettendorf and Harris.

Those cases also remained pending Friday.

Lee Enterprises reporter Brenden Moore contributed to this report.
The Rock Island County States Attorney announced Friday that East Moline police officers acted appropriately during an arrest in which the suspect died while in custody.

The officers detained the man during a burglary investigation that began just before 1 a.m. on Sept. 6 in the 400 block of 17th Avenue, according to the Rock Island County Integrity Task Force. The man, later identified as Louis B. Griffin, 62, of Silvis, became unresponsive during the arrest and died at a hospital.

The task force investigates incidents involving law enforcement. It is comprised of Illinois State Police and members of the countys policing agencies. The department under investigation does not contribute personnel to the team conducting the inquiry.

Once the investigation is complete, the task force provides the evidence to the states attorney, who then determines whether the officers involved in the incident acted correctly.

In relation to Griffins death, Adam Zimmer, the officer who first caught him, was justified in making the arrest and using force to do so, according to a news release issued Friday by the task force and the states attorneys office.

In this incident, Louis was identified as a suspect in a burglary and was fleeing from police, the release said. Officer Zimmer, while wearing his official police uniform, was in a marked police vehicle using lights and sirens, and used verbal commands for Griffin to stop. Griffin continued to flee on his bicycle for several blocks while being told to stop.

Officers handcuffed Griffin during the arrest but the position of his head and face would not have restricted his breathing, the release said. They noticed Griffin's distress almost immediately, removed his handcuffs and began trying to help him.

When Griffin became unresponsive, officers called for emergency medical services about a minute after the arrest, the release states. While waiting for help, they gave Griffin two doses of Narcan, used an automated external defibrillator on him and began CPR.

The East Moline Fire Department arrived, took over Griffins emergency care and he was sent to Genesis Health Systems Silvis campus. The hospital pronounced him dead at 1:58 a.m.

The preliminary autopsy results showed no signs of obvious trauma or injury to the body, and found the death attributable to cardiac arrest and natural causes.

The examination also showed signs of abnormal heart enlargement and blockages, the release states.

Results of toxicology tests were pending as of Friday.

Griffins medical records showed doctors had previously diagnosed him with cardiovascular and endocrinal conditions.

The release states that police also searched Griffin and found a substance in a pants pocket and a backpack that tested positive for methamphetamine. He also had two glass pipes which also contained suspected methamphetamine.

The evidence in this case does not support filing any charges at this time, according to the release. The States Attorney will continue to review any additional information that is obtained or discovered regarding this incident. If any new or relevant evidence is discovered, the case will be reviewed for further consideration."

The newspaper has posted the full release, which includes more detail, on its website.

East Moline house where 15 people were found squatting with nine dogs
Former 7th Ward Ald. Derek Cornette is suing to overturn the Davenport City Council's decision to remove him from office.

Cornette's attorney, Mike Meloy, said he filed a motion in Scott County court Friday arguing that Cornette's due process rights were violated when the city did not give Cornette enough notice of the hearing to prepare a defense, that the hearing itself was unfairly conducted, and that the evidence wasn't sufficient to remove Cornette from office.

Meloy also filed a request for a temporary injunction to prevent Mayor Mike Matson from temporarily filling the 7th Ward seat until the court rules on the case.

The council voted 7-3 to remove Cornette from office last week following a two-hour hearing in which the city's legal department outlined allegations of harassment of female employees and intoxication at council meetings. The legal department presented voicemail recordings, a video and statements from employees.

Under Iowa law, city elected officials may be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of the entire council after it hears written charges on the cause for removal.

The chapter includes eight reasons a public officer can be removed, including for "willful misconduct or maladministration in office" and for "intoxication, or upon conviction of being intoxicated," which were the two arguments the city made.

Meloy made objections to testimony given during the Sept. 7 hearing, and made motions that Mayor Mike Matson and Ald. Kyle Gripp recuse themselves, which were denied. Meloy argues in the suit that Gripp, being named a "victim" in the charges against Cornette, and Matson, who'd made comments before the vote asking council members whether they condoned Cornette's behavior, were biased against Cornette.

Cornette says the effort to remove him is an attempt to interfere in the election, which he's one of four candidates who've filed for the 7th Ward seat.

"Ald. Cornette is being retaliated against by the city of Davenport and the mayor, in our opinions, because of public comments he's made concerning the 324 Main St. building collapse," Meloy said, as well as his stances on other public issues.

The city said during its hearing that it had a duty to take action to protect its employees from harassment, and that meetings with the HR director pre-dated the building collapse.

Meloy's arguments echo a 2017 case when the Muscatine City Council voted to remove then-mayor Diane Broderson from office. A judge ruled that Broderson had been wrongly removed, and she won re-election later that year.

The 7th Ward seat is among all 11 Davenport city offices up for election this fall. The city primary is Oct. 10 and the regular election is Nov. 7.

Cornette has filed to run for the seat and has said he intends to stay in the race. Three others have filed to challenge Cornette: Mhisho Lynch, a realtor and owner of Lynch Heating and Plumbing, William Pamperin, a retired railroad engineer, and Scott Ryder, a realtor.

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.
The trembling started in Aishia Lankford's right foot and moved up her body as she sat on a pew inside the Scott County Courthouse.

The mother of Breasia Terrell trembled as dozens of friends, family and law enforcement officers entered Courtroom No. 3 Friday morning. She trembled as they filled the pews behind her, lined the walls on each side of her, and even filled the jury box in front of her.

They assembled to hear Judge Henry Latham's verdict in the state's case against Henry Earl Dinkins. He was charged with kidnapping and killing Breasia on July 10, 2020.

Latham told the court he could give his verdict and file his written decision with the court. But he chose to read his findings. He started at 9:11 a.m. and for the next 42 minutes Lankford trembled.

At 9:53 a.m., as Latham formally pronounced Dinkins guilty of first-degree kidnapping and first-degree murder, Lankford slumped forward. The trembling finally stopped.

Latham thanked those in the courtroom and said Dinkins will be sentenced at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 11.

Talking with Breasia

Outside the courthouse, after tear-filled embraces from relatives and the crush of media cameras, Lankford found a quiet spot behind a large pillar. She smiled as she wept softly.

"I talk with Breasia all the time. Every day," she said. "Sometimes I go to the place they found her. Sometimes I go to that mural up on the Hilltop. Sometimes I'm just sittin' somewhere.

"I always apologized. I told her I'm sorry for what happened. I told her I'm sorry I didn't protect her, that I wasn't there to protect her. I always told her I was going to do my best to make sure she got justice."

As more relatives and friends found her, Lankford fell silent for a moment.

"Today I'm going to tell Breasia she won," Lankford said after a moment. "Today I get to tell her that the judge said her little brother helped the police solve this case.

"Today, I finally get to tell my baby that her brother was there for her."

A little brother's words

Latham said the testimony and evidence given by Breasia's younger brother  identified as D.L. in the courtroom  was crucial in solving the case.

The judge called the boy's testimony "remarkable." D.L. was 8 years old when Breasia disappeared. He is now 11 and testified in court.

During his testimony, D.L. told the court how he and Breasia spent the night with Dinkins and his girlfriend, Andrea Culberson, in her apartment.

He testified that he saw Dinkins leave with Breasia in the early morning of July 10, 2020, and how Dinkins later picked him up and drove him to the Clinton Walmart.

Latham pointed to D.L.'s interviews with police, and how he told investigators about putting the battery back in Dinkins' cellphone while Dinkins was in the Walmart. That action allowed investigators to track Dinkins' movements.

Latham said he found the testimony of every single state witness credible  except for D.L.'s testimony about seeing Dinkins shoot Breasia.

The arguments and testimony lasted 14 days, included 51 witnesses and roughly 70 hours of testimony and concluded Aug 29.

A little girl lost

In the early morning of July 10, 2020, Breasia was taken from an 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.

Dinkins was granted a change of venue, moving the trial to the Cedar Rapids Courthouse in Linn County. As jury selection started on Aug. 8, Dinkins asked for a bench trial. The trial was moved back to Scott County with Latham hearing the case.
Hours after Henry Earl Dinkins was found guilty of the 2020 kidnapping and murder of Breasia Terrell, some of the law enforcement officers who investigated her disappearance and death gathered at the Davenport Police Department.

Judge Henry Latham delivered the decision at 9:53 a.m. Friday. The press conference marked the end of a case that started with the July 10, 2020 report of a missing 10-year-old girl.

Davenport Police Chief Jeff Bladel and Scott County Attorney Kelly Cunningham spoke to those assembled Friday. Both said they would like to "keep the focus on Breasia and her family."

"Our thoughts have been and will continue to be with Breasia and her family who continue to experience the trauma of her loss," Bladel said. "I am deeply grateful for the dedicated work of the men and women of the Davenport Police Department who have spent countless hours over the past three years diligently working on this case. Because of their unrelenting effort, justice was brought on behalf of Breasia."

Cunningham asked the community to keep Breasia and her family "in their prayers."

Bladel said more than 60 search warrants were served related to Breasias disappearance. The search involved aircraft, drones, kayaks, boats, all-terrain vehicles, command centers and countless other types of support along with hundreds of personnel.

He thanked the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Scott County Sheriffs Office, Clinton County Sheriffs Office " ... and over twenty other local, state, and federal partners for their excellent work in the investigation and prosecution of this case."

Cunningham said during the 17-day trial, the prosecution called 51 witnesses to provide testimony  a list that included including investigators, forensic experts, canine handlers and family members. She said over 900 exhibits were offered and admitted as evidence.

"Id like to thank the court and Judge Latham for his service and care in reaching this decision. Id also like to recognize the diligent work and tireless efforts put forth by law enforcement to bring justice for Breasia," Cunningham said. "This case demonstrates the outstanding partnership and collaboration between prosecutors and law enforcement who are dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of our community."

Bladel added the "tragic and horrific crime" ... "touched everyone in our organization" and many throughout communities in Scott County and across the state. He called said a "team effort" lead to the arrest and conviction of Dinkins.

He then said "this day is really about Breasia. We should pause and not forget about Breasia."
Two GOP presidential hopefuls made eastern Iowa swings this week ahead of a big candidate corral in Des Moines.

Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy were in the Quad-Cities area this week, and curious Iowans and possible caucus-goers came to hear their messages after seeing them on TV during the debate.

Haley held an agriculture policy roundtable and town hall at a farm in Clinton County.

With John Deere green farm equipment as a backdrop, Haley told an audience that she'd prevent China from buying any U.S. farmland.

"We're not going to let the Chinese buy any more of our U.S. soil and we're going to take back what they've already purchased," Haley said Friday.

In 2020, about 550,000 acres of Iowa farmland was foreign-owned, according to analysis from the Iowa Farm Bureau. Iowa has laws on the books prohibiting foreign countries from owning farm land. Though, there are some exceptions for farm ground purchased before 1980 or if its used for agriculture research.

Haley is the former South Carolina governor and U.S. Ambassador to the UN.

Haley said she supported year-round E-15 and would work to encourage more U.S.-energy sources, including ethanol, in response to a question about her support for the corn-based fuel additive.

Among those in the audience were several Ukrainian families who settled in DeWitt with the help of an area nonprofit Iowa Nice.

Haley has been among the most outspoken candidates in continuing U.S. support for Ukraine as the country fights a Russian invasion. Angela Boelens, an Augustana professor and founder of the nonprofit, said several families met with Haley ahead of time meet her and to thank her.

"I thought it would be a great idea for her to actually see the faces of some of the people to whom this is really, really important," Boelens said. "And they wanted to come here and thank her. Our families that are here from Ukraine right now are friends, they're adding to our economy, they're buying homes and cars."

Boelens said she decided she would support Haley after seeing her on the debate stage aggressively defend the U.S.'s role in supporting Ukraine and its allies.

"This is not a short game, it's a long game with Putin, and I think Nikki Haley, unlike the other Republican candidates, I think she gets that," Boelens said.

Michael and Mariah Savochka, a couple in their mid-20s who live in Clinton, said they appreciated Haley contrasting herself with former President Donald Trump.

Haley said she disagreed with Trump on spending and growing the national debt: "they spent like drunken sailors;" on his Ukraine stance that "we should hand it over to Russia is incredibly wrong;" and on Jan. 6: "He thinks Jan. 6 was a beautiful day, I think it was a terrible day. I hope it never happens again."

Mariah Savochka has worked elections in Clinton County the past several years, and said Trump's claims of the 2020 election being stolen troubled her.

"The consistent suggestions that it could have been rigged, I don't see how it could happen - at least in our county and our state," she said.

Michael said he voted for Trump in 2020, but if he's the nominee he "would really have a hard time voting for him again."

Trump is expected to make a visit to nearby Maquoketa next week in a swing through Iowa.

Vivek Ramaswamy

Vivek Ramaswamy, an Ohio bio-tech entrepreneur spoke to a couple hundred in Bettendorf earlier this week following a policy speech in Washington D.C. where he outlined how he would implement his plan to cut the federal workforce by 75% and eliminate several departments including the FBI.

"If we see government agencies that should no longer exist because they have become so corrupted that they can't be reformed, like the FBI or the IRS or the ATF, or the CDC, or the U.S. Department of Education, we're not going to tinker around the edges, we're going to go in there an shut them down," Ramaswamy said to applause.

At Ramaswamy's event, which he said was his 100th event, several attendees told the Quad-City Times they had never caucused before.

Jana Nichols, 56, of Davenport, said after hearing Ramaswamy speak, she picked up a pledge card and decided she would "definitely support him."

"He just made sense," Nichols said. She's been a Trump supporter, but she thinks the country "needs someone a little calmer, a little more honest."

"I wasn't sure until tonight," she added.

An educator, she says parents should have more of a say in their children's education and supports Ramaswamy's idea to completely eliminate the U.S. Department of Education.

Hannah Wolters, 31, of Davenport, also hasn't caucused before. She wasn't sure if she would in 2024 nor do she and her husband normally attend candidate events, but they were impressed by Ramaswamy's debate performance and their curiosity sparked.

Wednesday was Ramaswamy's third public visit to Scott County, having come in February and June.
SEPTEMBER 17The Newcomb Presbyterian Church, 2619 N. Division St., Davenport, will have a dedication service for their new stained-glass window done by Eric VanHese at 10 a.m., Sunday, Sept. 17.

SEPTEMBER 24The Jenny Lind Chapel in Andover, Illinois, will host its annual Hogmassa (High Mass) worship service at 4 p.m., Sunday, September 24. The speaker will be the Rev. Wayne Miller, retired Bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The sermon will be in English. Bishop Miller is a graduate of Augustana College, Rock Island, and the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago.

The liturgy will be led by Mark Safstrom, PhD, Associate Professor of Scandinavian Studies at Augustana College. The service will be recorded but not live-streamed. The video recording will be uploaded shortly thereafter, and the link will be on the chapel web site at jennylindchapel.org, where you can find further information about Bishop Miller.

SEPTEMBER 26Author and radio host Eric Metaxas and Quad Cities native and patriot Kari Lake are set to speak at The Quad Cities Prayer Breakfast.

On Saturday, September 23, Keynote Speaker, Author and radio host Eric Metaxas and special guest Quad Cities native and patriot Kari Lake, will speak at the 29th Annual Quad Cities Prayer Breakfast. Breakfast is from 9-10 a.m. and program from 10 a.m.-noon at the RiverCenter in Davenport. Also joining them is musical guest, The Browns.

Register at QCPB.org for free tickets. Call 563-322-7777 for more information.
(Photo : Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

French President Emmanuel Macron said that an ambassador is being held hostage in Niger by military coup leaders and was being refused food.

French President Emmanuel Macron claims that his country's ambassador is being held hostage in Niger amid a region-long military coup.

Macron also accused military rulers in the region of blocking food deliveries to the country as they continue to hold power. On Friday, the French president said the ambassador only lived off "military rations."

French Ambassador Held Hostage

He added that his country currently has an ambassador and diplomatic staff hostage in the French embassy. The situation comes after Niger's military leaders told French ambassador Sulvain Itte that he had to leave the nation after the ousting of President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26.

However, the 48-hour ultimatum given for the ambassador to leave, issued in August, passed with him still in place as the French government refused to comply with the order or to recognize the military government as a legitimate administration, as per Aljazeera.

The military coup in Niger has received condemnation from France and most of the country's neighboring nations. The French president added that the envoy could not leave the country and had become persona non grata while being denied food.

Macron was also asked whether or not France would consider bringing the trapped individual home, and he responded by saying that they would do whatever they agreed with Bazoum. He noted that this was because he is the legitimate authority and claimed he speaks with the leader daily.

France is known to keep roughly 1,500 soldiers deployed in Niger and noted earlier this month that any redeployment could only be negotiated with President Bazoum. The nation's new leaders have torn up military cooperation agreements with the European country and asked its troops to leave the region immediately.

During an interview, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said that Itte was still working while being held hostage in Niger. According to CNN, he is being very helpful through his contacts and his small team.

Read Also: Brazil Sentences Rioter to 17 Years in Prison for Storming Capital in January

Niger Military Coup

Following the Niger military's seizure of power in the region, West African countries froze financial transactions, closed their borders with the nation, and cut off most of its electricity supply. These were all made to pressure the generals to restore Constitutional order.

The new leaders are spearheaded by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who has not budged despite criticism. However, Niger is now being strangled by sanctions and other penalties that are hurting the country's economy. Food prices and shortages are growing, and many medicines have become increasingly scarce.

In a statement, the managing director of Oriba Rice, Ahmed Alhousseini, said that closing Niger's borders was like depriving its citizens of air. The coup in the region was the sixth in less than three years in West Africa.

Bazoum is believed to have remained imprisoned while his family was at home, surrounded by military barracks and invisible from the outside. However, in Niamey, few openly regret the ousted president, and many others have instead welcomed the new military rule, said the New York Times.

Related Article: US Sanctions 5 Companies Based in Turkey Aimed at Russian Economy

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A federal judge must independently approve a proposed settlement before he'll dismiss a court case against the Rapid City Area School District for allegedly using physical force to restrain an autistic child, as well as seclude him in the corner of an elementary school classroom called "Hawaii," according to court documents.

In February 2022, the parents of the child who attended Knollwood Elementary School in Rapid City filed a civil suit against various Knollwood Elementary staff, the Rapid City Area School District, the Rapid City School Board and the South Dakota Department of Education.

The complaint summarized nine different incidents where staff physically restrained and/or secluded the eight-year-old, four-foot-tall, 65-pound boy in a corner of a classroom referred to as "Hawaii." The defendant's response admitted the area existed, but did not admit to any improper treatment of the child.

The photo of the area shows what appears to be cubicle dividers and some sort of padded material creating a makeshift cage.

Above the dividers on the wall were decorative signs that read "aloha," "let's be mermaids," and "relax." A laminated piece of printer paper listed six "Hawaii Guidelines:" "One person at a time." "Quiet." "Do Not Distract Others." "Get Calm." "Return to work." "Make up any missing work."

On Oct. 4, 2019, the child's father came to the classroom to see his son crying on the floor in the "makeshift animal pen," the complaint described.

"We went into the school to pick him up and they had him in the manmade torture chamber," the father said.

The incident is one of nine the parents claimed happened between Sept. 4, 2019 and Oct. 7, 2019, when the parents pulled him out of the school and began to seek legal recourse.

In one of the alleged incidents, four staff members restrained the child for 22 minutes after he tried to leave the school. In another, he was restrained for 34 minutes after becoming upset and kicking items after he wasn't allowed to have his favorite writing tool.

In yet another, six staff members restrained him and then placed him in "Hawaii" for 20 and 10 minutes, respectively.

The father said neither he nor the boy's mother were told about the incidents, which was a requirement of his behavior intervention plan. The plan did allow for emergency physical interventions as a last resort, but did not allow seclusion, according to the lawsuit.

It took a couple years to find legal counsel, the father said, and then they filed the case.

"It was just a matter of finding a law firm that wanted to battle the school district," he said.

Right now, the parents are representing themselves. The father said he fired their legal counsel because they wanted to take the case to trial and not settle.

"We don't want him to have to relive anything," he said. "We don't want him to hear any of the incidences anymore. None of that. We want that as far from his mind as possible."

On August 28, the parents and the defendants filed a joint motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

The bare-bones document simply stated the parents, the school employees, the Rapid City Area School District and the Rapid City School Board agree the case should be dismissed. The document does not include the South Dakota Department of Education as one of the parties agreeing to the dismissal.

The father confirmed to the Journal they agreed to a settlement. He said they settled for the "average" amount awarded in South Dakota, but would not state an amount.

"I came to that amount knowing Judge Piersol wouldn't accept it," he said, believing the judge may require a higher amount before dismissal.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence Piersol wrote in a Sept. 6, 2023 order that after guardianship matters for the child are resolved, and if an attorney representing the interest of the child and the guardianship approve of the "settlement as proposed," the court would have to be separately satisfied that the proposed settlement is in the best interests of the child.

The judge did not address the amount of the settlement or specifically indicate if the proposed amount is the reason he intends to review it before dismissal.

The Journal reached out to the school district for comment on the case. Communications Manager Bobbi Schaefbauer said, "Due to district rules and regulations and South Dakota State Law, Rapid City Area Schools cannot comment on student or personnel matters."

She stated the only publicly available information is at Board of Education meetings.

Recent meeting minutes show the board went into executive  closed  session a couple times in mid-July and in August before the dismissal was filed to discuss legal matters, but what legal matters is not clear.

The Journal also reached out to Michael Hickey, the lead attorney for the defendants, but did not hear back.
The Ravalli County Sheriffs Department Man Up Crusade recently donated $7,000 to SAFE in the Bitterroot, in its continued campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence. The contribution pushes the total amount donated to the local shelter just over $30,000 since the Ravalli County Sheriffs Department began participating in the program.

Man Up is a nonprofit rodeo campaign with the mission to reduce domestic violence and contribute to social change by promoting safe and healthy relationships through education, advocacy and funding community services and programs that share their vision.

Every year since 2018, during the Ravalli County Fair, the sheriffs department has partnered with the Rockin RC Rodeo to raise funds for SAFE. One bull and one bronc are powdered with purple chalk that creates a cloud around the animal as it busts out of the chute. If the contestant makes their eight-second ride, they receive $200 and a 2021 Montana Silversmiths Man Up belt buckle. The bull and bronc are sponsored by local individuals and business donations, with the balance of the donations go to SAFE.

This years Silver Sponsors, who contributed $1,000 or more, include Lucky Bail Bonds, Wimps Body Works and Taco Del Sol. Bronze Sponsors, who contributed up to $999 include, J&J Painting, Als Cycle, Victoria and Ron Wirth, and AB Photography. Als Cycle and Taco Del Sol have contributed every year since the Ravalli County program began.

The Man Up Crusade was founded in 2012 by Sheriff Kieran Donahue, of Canyon County, Idaho and his wife Jeanie. Donahue and his wife have been involved in rodeo for most of their lives and felt that the strength and old-west ethics of the American cowboy and cowgirl would make them appropriate ambassadors to take on this difficult issue.

The cowboy is an iconic image of strength and fortitude that has transcended generations not just in the west but throughout the United States and many other countries, Donahue said. That is why I felt it was so important to involve this lifestyle from the very beginning. The cowboys and cowgirls can once again lead by example and together with rodeos enduring fans show that by working together we can make a difference.

Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior by an intimate partner against another. The consequences of domestic violence can cross generations and truly last a lifetime. Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton said that the department became involved with the Man Up Crusade due to the sheer volume of domestic violence related calls they respond to.

We got into it because quite frankly, 50% of our calls are domestic violence-related in one way or another, Holton said. Whether its the actual assault, or the order of protections, or the no-contact orders, or the harassing phone calls  if we could do away with domestic violence overnight, we would have 50% of our time to do something different.

According to national statistics on domestic violence, one in four women and one in seven men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime. Every 9 seconds in the U.S. a woman is assaulted or beaten. On average, three women and one man are killed by their intimate partner every day in the U.S. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women  more than car accidents, muggings and rapes combined. Studies suggest that up to 14 million children witness some form of domestic violence annually.

The great thing about the Man Up Crusade is its really about pushing breaking the cycle, Holton said. Because people that grow up in in violent households are future victims and perpetrators of family violence. So breaking that cycle, educating kids, finding a safe place for people to go and learn that thats not normal. You know, raise our kids to know thats not normal behavior.
As LGBTQ+ advocates continue arguing with lawmakers over a state law restricting drag performances, the Bozeman community is questioning the future of its drag events.

In May, Montana legislators passed House Bill 359, which prohibits drag events on any property that receives state funding. The law also prohibits minors from being at sexually oriented events, allowing children and their parents to sue people who they think are in violation.

In late July, a federal judge, Brian Morris, issued a temporary restraining order against the law. Plaintiffs argued that HB 359 violates First Amendment free speech protections and offers vague and overbroad definitions that could be used to prosecute people. In his ruling, Morris said the bill suffers from constitutional maladies.

The decision came two days before Montana Pride in Helena, which played a part in Morris reasoning for issuing the restraining order.

The plaintiffs asked Morris to issue a preliminary injunction, which he has not ruled on yet. According to Tyler Gilman, the courts clerk and public information officer, Morris will not comment on when he will make the decision. In the meantime, HB 359 cannot be enforced while the ruling is pending because of the temporary restraining order, Gilman said.

Drag performers and community members in Bozeman echoed plaintiff arguments, especially because of how LGBTQ+ people could be censored using the laws definitions.

A slap in the face to drag performers

Tierney Hula is a trans student and the drag chair for the Queer Straight Alliance at Montana State University. He said the laws enforcement would hurt their groups ability to reach and connect with the community.

Hula said he is worried that the bill is worded so vaguely that it could be used to hurt transgender students, faculty and staff at MSU if someone thinks they are dressing in drag.

QSA is planning a drag show for Oct. 7, and has a tradition of holding at least two drag performances each year for the past 15 years, Hula said, both on campus and off campus. He said he believes there is a way to perform drag that is child-friendly. While most drag performances are meant for audiences over 18, he said, drag itself is not inherently sexual, as HB 359 implies it is.

Keldon Joyner, a co-executive director of the Imperial Sovereign Court of the State of Montana, said the legislators should not have been the ones to create definitions defining drag. The ISCSM advocates for LGBTQ+ people with drag events, and organized Bozeman Pride this year.

The other thing that is ultimately a slap in the face, Joyner said, is we have this bill that has legally defining definitions of what it means to be a drag queen or a drag king that were given to us by people that have had little  if not, no experience  within the drag community and the queer community.

Hula said he protested HB 359 and performed in drag on the steps of the state capital earlier this year. Drag can sometimes be educational, he said, and include conversations and criticisms about gender norms.

Drag shows are a ton of fun, Hula said. I think getting people out to experience this aspect of queer culture with us and inviting them in is a great way to build strong allies, strong relationships and a better sense of equality on campus.

Some of QSAs drag shows raise money to donate to LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, Hula said, which would be dampened by the law.

Hula said QSA members were told by MSU legal counsel that HB 359 could prevent any on-campus drag events, but were not told anything definitive. Mike Becker, director of the MSU News Service, said the university will assess all on-campus events and follow state law if HB 359 goes into effect.

Bozeman Public Library Director Susan Gregory said there has never been a drag story hour at the library, and there are no plans for drag events in the future. State Librarian Jennie Stapp said there has never been a drag story hour at any public library in Montana.

Joyner said restricting drag performances would take away a space that can be helpful for people exploring their identity, especially LGBTQ+ youth.

In May, the ISCSM offered to help sponsor and perform in drag at Bozeman School Districts Queer Prom, Joyner said, but the district did not allow the partnership. Bozeman schools Superintendent Casey Bertram said the district made its decision because it was concerned about being held liable under HB 359, which was in effect at the time.

Bozemans LGBTQ+ community under threat

Some performance venues have started getting cold feet about hosting drag shows, Joyner said. Shows at bars  which already prohibit minors and wont be affected as much  and private businesses are still possible, he said. The Eagles Club and Ballroom hosted two drag shows during Bozeman Pride. Lisa Calhoun, the clubs general manager, declined a request for an interview and said she wanted to spend more time reviewing the law and talking with drag event organizers.

While local businesses are deciding where they stand on drag events, LGBTQ+ people face threats of violence for celebrating the art form.

Hula said the QSA received two threats from anonymous email addresses last year, which were sent using an encrypted email service. The FBI was involved in investigating the threats, he said.

They told us we needed to shut down the event, which they called a grooming event, Hula said. Otherwise, they would go there and send all of the participants to an early death in hell. It contained Islamophobic rhetoric and Christian nationalist rhetoric as well.

Hula said the second threat came a week later.

The second one threatened to not rest until the groomers  which they meant to reference LGBTQ+ people  and colored people were expelled from Montana State University and the state of Montana, he said. This also included a link to a video of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, harassing a trans person.

Receiving threats like these is a reminder that some people think trans people are dangerous, Hula said. He said he is sometimes called slurs while walking around campus and sees posters vandalized with homophobic messages. Sometimes, Hula said, there are homophobic conversations on Yik Yak, an anonymous discussion app for people to talk with others in a five-mile radius.

Despite the law and threats of danger, some community members said it is worth holding drag events for the sense of belonging they can bring.

Jamie Winter, manager of the Country Bookshelf, said the bookstore staff will not let the law stop from them creating a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ people. In May, she said, the Bookshelf held a drag story hour which absolutely packed the store.

Aggressive protesters holding inflammatory signs were drawn to the storefront, Winter said. The commotion made some staff afraid to leave for their lunch break, but she said the positivity from supporters outshone the threatening messages.

One woman said it was the safest that shes ever felt in Bozeman, Winter said. Its the things like that that show just how important it is for us to have those kinds of events and make sure that it is well known that were a safe space for any group.
The 2023 legislative session wrapped up less than five months ago. Many bills dont go into effect until Oct. 1 of this year, Jan. 1 of next year, or later. But several of the bills that became law this spring and summer are already having a noticeable impact in Montana.

Perhaps the most stark example of this is prosecuting human trafficking. Before the 2023 Legislature, no one had ever been convicted under Montanas old laws against human trafficking, with the outdated laws not providing law enforcement the tools they needed. That changed in July when prosecutors in Gallatin County charged 18 people on prostitution and human trafficking counts.

What was the reason for the sudden change? House Bill 112 by Billings Republican Rep. Jodee Etchart, which strengthened Montanas laws against human trafficking and went into effect on April 19.

Also on the matter of public safety, the vacancy rate of prison guard and correctional officer positions at the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge has been reduced by about half since the Legislature enacted pay increases and made a major investment in the prisons infrastructure.

Housing is another area of concern thats beginning to see positive impacts from work done in the recent legislative session. Cities are updating their zoning codes to be more friendly toward building affordable starter homes, with some, like Whitefish, explicitly saying they wouldnt have done so without a mandate from the Legislature. One new law passed by Republicans is already being credited with the creation of 162 new housing units in Missoula.

Senate Bill 295 from Ethridge Republican Sen. Butch Gillespie set the stage for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to begin taking steps for Montana to assume management of grizzly bears. Thanks to that legislation, the state should be ready to conserve and manage grizzly populations when the federal government relinquishes its control over the bears.

And perhaps most obviously, hundreds of thousands of Montanans now have more money in their pocket thanks to tax relief passed by Republicans. Families have received thousands of dollars in property tax and income tax rebates in the few short months since legislators left Helena.

Whether its public safety, housing, wildlife conservation, tax relief, or any of a whole host of other issues, the Legislature has a real, tangible impact on the lives and wellbeing of Montanans. Even more good results will be on the way as additional legislation goes into effect.




Kathmandu, Nepal, September 16, 2023: Four people, including three members of the same family, were killed in Gaihrigaon, Tinkune of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Ward No. 32 on last night.





Four dead bodies were found on Saturday morning. The dead bodies are identified as Kumar Bhujel, 55, of Dolakha, his wife Ambika Bhujel and mother Shubhadra Bhujel. Another deceased has been identified as Navin Rai, 19 of Morang.





It is said that Kumar's mother Shubhadra came to Kathmandu from home a few days ago while others deceased are the employees of the same mill.





According to the police, the bodies of the four people who were killed were found with sharp weapons in different parts of their bodies. The bodies of the four murdered persons have now been taken to the Trivi Teaching Hospital, Maharajganj for post-mortem.





The police have arrested 28-years old Dipendra Rai on suspicion of being involved in the incident. According to the police, he was arrested with blood on his clothes and shoes. Arrested Rai, who had also consumed alcohol, took a taxi and reached Nayabaneshwar police circle in Tinkune.




Reputable journalists at respectable publications often view some tabloid reporters as ants at a picnic, sure to intrude and annoy.

To the decent practitioners of newspapering, the devious run the gamut from disapproval to disdain to disgust as they employ extortion and entrapment to target celebrities and pander to the tasteless readers who revel in other peoples woes.

Which brings us to Sandie Jones The Trade Off (Minotaur, $29, 304 pages), set at The Globe in London, where editor Max Forsythe offers relative novice Jess Townsend a job. Maxs deputy, Stella Thorne, is the most prodigious producer of stories, and media mogul Peter Kingsley stands atop the pyramid.

But all is not well in the newsroom. Gangster Ray McAllister, soon to be paroled from prison, threatens to kill Max and Stella for allegedly engineering his conviction via a frame-up. And a young chef commits suicide after photoshopped images unfairly tar her reputation.

As others find themselves in danger, Jones devises a thrill ride filled with an abundance of twists. And she weighs the shifting amounts of guilt, corruption and fabrication attributable to each member of The Globe quartet.

Jones, who lives in London with her husband and three children, has earned praise for her previous five works of crime fiction. In The Trade Off, she further escalates her authorial expertise and the breadth of her dexterity.

Thrillers and domestic-suspense novels are fine, but sometimes only whodunits fit the desired bill, especially if they contain three murders that may or may not be connected.

Thats the treat that arrives in The Lady from Burma (Minotaur, $28, 336 pages), the fifth entry in Allison Montclairs series starring former British spy Iris Sparks and war widow Gwendolyn Bainbridge, the co-proprietors of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau in post-WWII London.

First to die is the title character, Adela Remagen, whos about to succumb to lung cancer and consults Iris and Gwen to find a new wife for her husband, Potiphar Remagen, an entomologist. When shes discovered dead in Epping Forest, the initial cause is suicide, but a sharp-eyed constable, Hugh Quinton, has different ideas.

The second is Oliver Parson, a malevolent mosquito who handles Gwens affairs since she was declared mentally ill after the war death of her husband. His father, Lord Harold Bainbridge, leads Bainbridge Limited, at which Gwen is entitled to a seat on its board. Parson is beaten to death.

And the third  youll have to wait for the surprising identity  is shot through the throat.

But no worries. Iris and Gwen are on the case  and in peril.

Each of Montclairs novels depends on a clever plot, two sympathetic and savvy heroines and spectacularly loathsome villains. Expect further engaging entries in this splendid series, with echoes of the Golden Age of British mysteries.

***

Of all the worlds renowned metropolises, only Paris qualifies for the appellation as the City of Light.

But dark deeds diminish that glow in The Paris Mystery (Vintage, $17, 320 pages), the first in Kirsty Mannings projected series featuring reporter Charlotte Charlie James.

Charlie has left her faithless husband and her home in Australia to work in a major British newspapers Paris bureau. But she has barely arrived when she finds herself amidst murder among Paris high society in 1938.

Told by editor George Roberts to cultivate a relationship with British aristocrat Lord Rupert Ashworth and his American-born wife, Lady Eleanor, Charlie does so. But at one of Eleanors soirees, banker Maxime Marchand is fatally stabbed, and Amelia Milly Goldsmith, an American heiress and a correspondent for a U.S. magazine, is taken into custody.

Among the diverse other characters are Conrad Mackenzie, a former Alabamian, photographer and assistant to Eleanor; sophisticated Violet Carthage, an aide to George and lover of fashion designer Aleksandr Ivanov; and Commander Edward Rose-Thomas, a military attache to the British Embassy.

Manning, who lives in Melbourne, Australia, sets the table with precision, prepares a banquet of savory puzzles and concludes the festivities with an aperitif that makes Agatha Christies storied shocker in The Witness for the Prosecution look bland.

A story of old money, new money and no money, of past love, illicit love and true love, The Paris Mystery shimmers with promise for Manning and her reportorial sleuth.

Books set in Virginia Books set in Virginia Misty Of Chincoteague She's My Dad The Shaman of Turtle Valley Bridge to Terabithia Meet Felicity: An American Girl (American Girls: Felicity, #1) Wish You Were Here (Mrs. Murphy, #1) The Fallen Snow Big Stone Gap (Big Stone Gap, #1) The Diva Runs Out of Thyme (A Domestic Diva Mystery, #1) The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks True Places Boat Girl: A Memoir of Youth, Love & Fiberglass Be Still My Soul (The Cadence of Grace, #1) Murder With Peacocks (Meg Langslow, #1) The Known World Rest in Pieces (Mrs. Murphy #2) The Winter Calf (Maple Gap #1) Gray Mountain The Kitchen House Absolute Power To Have and to Hold The Unlikely Disciple: A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University Sea Star: Orphan of Chincoteague (Misty, #2) Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County: A Family, a Virginia Town, a Civil Rights Battle The Dying of the Light The Killing Hour (Quincy & Rainie, #4) Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, #1) Weird Virginia: Your Travel Guide to Virginia's Local Legends and Best Kept Secrets Crazy, VA (Lil and Boris, #1) Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger, #1) The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, #2) A Little Maid of Virginia The Next Accident (Quincy & Rainie, #3) Split Second (Sean King & Michelle Maxwell, #1) I, Alex Cross (Alex Cross, #16) First Lady (Wynette, Texas, #4) Dead of Night (Doc Ford Mystery, #12) Tail Spin (FBI Thriller, #12) Miss Ophelia Candle in the Darkness (Refiner's Fire, #1) In the Land of Cotton Boy in the Ivy: The Inner Child of a Buried Man Killer Sweet Tooth: A Daphne Martin Cake Mystery Jericho Heartsick Imagining Reality His Everlasting Love: 50 Loving States, Virginia The Killer Angels (The Civil War Trilogy, #2)
Henrico County police said they're investigating a series of fights between high school students that also resulted in a crash on Friday.

School resource officers assigned to Highland Springs High School at 200 S. Airport Drive were alerted to a fight that started following a pep rally, police said.

A school nurse treated two students for minor injuries received during the rally, where pepper spray was used, police said.

Fights later started at a nearby shopping center, police said. A driver of a sport-utility vehicle also struck a U.S. Postal Service van, overturning it and ejecting the driver, police said.

The van's driver was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries. Two juveniles also struck by the SUV suffered minor injuries and drove themselves to the hospital for treatment, police said.

The female adult driver of the SUV has been charged with reckless driving.

The crash and fights are under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call (804) 780-1000.
The Richmond Egyptian Festival is high-touch: Using henna dye, young artists fashion botanical and floral patterns on the hands and arms of visitors.

The festival  at St. Mary and St. Philopater Mecurius Coptic Orthodox Church in western Henrico County  is also high-tech: Anyone with an appetite can order traditional Egyptian fare online. Curbside pickup is available.

Ibram Bector, 24, a newly minted graduate of the University of Virginia who was born and raised in a small village in the farm belt of Egypt a four-hour drive south of Cairo and came to the U.S. at age 6, supervised the online sales.

It brings the community together, Bector, now a manager in Northern Virginia for the worldwide grocery chain Aldi, said of the festival, which opened Saturday morning and runs through Sunday night. It is a chance to showcase our culture  to highlight our heritage.

Offerings include falafel, deep-fried balls of ground chickpeas; yellow rice; vegetables; and  for those with a sweet tooth  such customary desserts as basbousa, a honey cake, and kunafa, lightly fried dough infused with honey. All can be washed down with cups of thick Egyptian coffee prepared in small brass pots.

The festival, which last year drew 3,000 people, also offers a taste of the diversity that now defines Henrico, which has been transformed in barely a lifetime from a quiet, heavily white rural county to a bustling, multi-hued suburb. There are, however, new twists on some of the old fears.

Fahiem Fahiem, a cafeteria supervisor for the Henrico public school system who, with his wife and two children, helped organize the festival, said his earliest days in the Richmond area were reassuring  that I experienced a very nice, welcoming community.

But after the Islamic terror attacks in New York, Pennsylvania and Northern Virginia on Sept. 11, 2001, he said, Things started to change. I was harassed on the GRTC bus. People started looking at me, a person of a different color, as if I was a terrorist.

Fahiems 18-year-old daughter, Mary  wearing a bright blue, embroidered abeya, an almost-floor-length gown popular with Egyptian men and women  said assimilation is easier for young people.

A chemical engineering student at Virginia Commonwealth University, Mary Fahiem recalled encounters with contemporaries, I grew up being the first Egyptian person they met. Most of my interactions are with the younger generation. The younger generation is less quick to judge than the older generation.

Meagan Wells and Amy Stephens, both kindergarten teachers at Nuckols Farm Elementary School, attended the festival as a gesture to a school employee who is Egyptian and to three Egyptian families whose children are students there.

Wells, sporting a freshly drawn, vine-like henna pattern on her left hand and accompanied by her 6-year-old twins, Landon and Samantha, said  as they readied for a tour of the church sanctuary  that the festival was a great opportunity for her children to learn about different cultures and faiths.

The church  named for Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, and Philopater Mecurius, an ancient Roman soldier and Christian who fought with two swords, one given him by an archangel  is one of four Coptic Orthodox congregations in the Richmond area.

The denomination is ancient, founded and based in Egypt in the aftermath of Christs crucifixion, and has a presence across the Middle East and Africa.

Festival organizers estimate that about 3,000 Egyptian families have settled in the Richmond area over the past 50 years and that about 1,000 are Coptic.
The Hopewell plastics plant that has been put on notice with the Environmental Protection Agency leaked harmful gases into the air again on Friday, according to a Hopewell city spokesperson.

Records and statements from state environmental regulators show it was the third such leak since the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported on environmental violations by the company earlier this year.

An AdvanSix spokesperson said the leaks did not pose a hazard to the community.

On March 29, a malfunction at one of the plants ammonium sulfate towers leaked 782 pounds of nitrogen oxide, according to a violation notice from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. The chemical is harmful to humans at high levels, and contributes to acid rain and nitrification of the James River.

On June 28, the company itself said it reported a leak of ammonia. Ammonia is a gas toxic to humans and can cause fish kills in rivers. The leak required Hopewells fire department and hazardous materials team to respond to the plant, with two individuals evaluated at the scene.

Friday mornings leak was of a chemical called oleum, city officials said. The EPA says oleum is a regulated toxic substance. The company said it did not yet know how much was released.

Kayla Hawkes, a city spokesperson, said: The release was contained, there were no injuries associated with the event and we believe that there is no risk to the community, which was also communicated in a public statement by Hopewell Fire Department earlier this morning.

AdvanSix confirmed the oleum leak and that it notified the Hopewell Fire Department and that a shelter in place order was temporarily announced out of an abundance of caution.

The leak appears to endanger the companys consent order with the EPA, which specifically cites mechanical integrity and corrosion issues with the plants oleum and ammonia piping.

A consent order is a legal agreement used by regulators to bring offending parties into legal compliance with laws such as the Clean Air Act. It is used by agencies in lieu of more aggressive legal action, like an injunction on the facilitys operations.

A spokesperson for AdvanSix, Janeen Lawlor, explained that on March 29, one of the plants emission control devices experienced a malfunction resulting in a brief excess emission event, which the company promptly self-reported to its regulators.

The June 28 leak occurred while a pipe was being serviced.

The cause of Fridays oleum leak was not known.

Lawlor said none of the three leaks posed a risk to the community and that the ammonia release was a brief, 15-minute event that occurred when a pipe was being installed. Lawlor did not answer questions about how much ammonia was released.

McClellan has voiced her concerns with AdvanSix.

In April, she wrote an open letter to the companys CEO, Erin Kane, tasking the company to show how it would prevent future violations and begin talking to affected residents.

Hopewell residents deserve transparency and accountability regarding these toxic chemical releases, McClellan said.

A month later, she met with Kane and the companys lawyers. Executives promised McClellan transparency, but later backtracked on the advice of their lawyers, according to Shahid Ahmed, communications director for McClellan.

I am incredibly frustrated with the runaround my staff and I have received from AdvanSix. The company has displayed a concerning pattern of Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act violations and has yet to offer additional information or take action to prevent future violations, McClellan said in a statement.

Ahmed said they heard of the June 28 ammonia leak from constituents and a local news story. Ahmed said the company has released minimal information.

Language in the order says the agreement shall terminate immediately upon receipt by Respondent of notice from EPA finding that an imminent and substantial endangerment to public health, welfare, or the environment has occurred.

Both the EPA and the Virginia DEQ said they were still evaluating the latest releases. EPA spokesperson Shaun Eagan said that as of now, the order is still in effect.

The Hopewell factory is one of the worlds largest production sites for caprolactam, a chemical used to make a strain of nylon known as Nylon 6, a product that shows up in seat belts, tires, clothing and rugs.

The plant sits at the southern end of the small city, within a mile of more than 900 residences, including public housing projects and a more affluent stretch of the neighborhood known as City Point.

Another western Henrico shopping center sells for almost $10 million The four-tenant, 58,000-square-foot building houses a Michaels arts and crafts store and three other tenants.

Pollutants released from the plant create potential health hazards in a community with one of the highest rates of poverty in Virginia. Hopewells life expectancy is five years lower than the state average. Its cancer mortality rate is nearly double the state average, and its rates of hospitalization for asthma stand at three times the Virginia norm, according to state data.

The citys public health district said the Hopewell health trends are concerning, but hesitated to draw any clear links.

Politicians like McClellan have been less hesitant. Hopewell City Manager Concetta Manker said residents deserve and demand a city that is safe and free from pollution. State Sen. Joe Morrissey, D-Richmond, called the releases indefensible.

From the Archives: 27 photos of Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn Willow Lawn
(Photo : FREDERICK FLORIN / AFP) (FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP via Getty Images)

The Polish government is under pressure by the parliament over the cash-for-visas scandal that alleged hundreds of thousands of work visas were issued quickly in exchanged for money.

The country's upper house of parliament pressures the Polish government over the controversial cash-for-visas scandal.

The speaker of the country's upper house of parliament, Tomasz Grodzki, said that the issue was causing the ruination of the nation's international reputation as a responsible democracy. The government has also released only a few details, but reports from media outlets claim that migrants paid up to $5,000 to quicken their work visa applications.

Poland's Cash-for-Visas Scandal

So far, seven people related to the scandal have been charged, none of whom are public officials. Poland's Deputy Foreign Minister Piotr Wawrzyk was fired last week following the revelation of the allegations.

The dismissal of the public official came on the same day as Poland's Anti-Corruption Bureau (CBA) searched the foreign ministry. Additionally, the director of the agency's legal service has been fired.

The foreign ministry, which is currently facing an audit in relation to the cash-for-visas scandal, said that it would terminate all contracts for outsourcing companies that have been handling visa applications since 2011, as per BBC.

Additionally, opposition MPs said that up to 250,000 visas for people who were from Asia and Africa were issued irregularly by outsourcing companies. However, the Polish government disagreed with this figure, saying that only several hundred were issued.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the leader of the opposition Civic Platform party, Donald Tusk, said that anyone who wanted to get from Africa to Poland goes to the embassy, buys a stamped visa at a special stand, fills in their details, and immediately gets served.

But Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki accused Tusk of trying to stir up problems for his governing Law and Justice Party (PiS). He also denied that there was a widespread issue regarding the issuance of work visas.

The allegations could severely damage the ruling party, which is already campaigning on an anti-immigration platform. Polish authorities said that the scheme may have involved several hundred Polish work visas being given out to countries in the Middle East, including India, the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, according to DW News.

Read Also: Western Sources Speculate on Whereabouts, Status of China's Defense Minister

Controversial Situation

Polish media outlets reported the scandal coming to light after other European Union states noticed an unusually high number of migrants entering with Polish visas. Migrants who hold such visas are meant to stay and work in Poland.

But they can also travel to other nations within the EU, including Germany, because Poland is part of the border-free Schengen area. The scandal first surfaced in the media at the end of August.

The controversy comes as Poland's government touts its tough-on-immigration credentials. The foreign ministry also released a statement, seeking to place the blame on opposition politician Radoslaw Sikorski, who last served as the country's foreign ministry in 2014.

In a Friday evening statement, Morawiecki said there is no problem with illegal immigrants in Poland. He added that Tusk is simply trying to create an "alternative false reality" and wants to make political hay with the issues at the foreign ministry, said Politico.

Related Article: Macron Claims French Ambassador is Being Held Hostage in Niger Amid Military Coup

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The Jewish community in the Richmond area is celebrating new beginnings with the observance of Rosh Hashana  the Jewish New Year  this weekend.

It is the beginning of the most important days of our year where we work and come together, but we also do a bunch of self-reflection on the year that has gone past, said Daniel Staffenberg, CEO of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond. We ask for forgiveness from those that we may have harmed, we celebrate the good, and we promise to work to be better in the year ahead.

Rosh Hashana, meaning head of the year, runs from Friday sunset to Sunday night. The Jewish High Holiday marks the beginning of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar.

It also marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection that ends with Yom Kippur, which is the Day of Atonement that is considered the holiest day of the Jewish year.

Its giving us the opportunity to renew our lives, said Rabbi Sherry Grinsteiner of Congregation Or Atid in Henrico County. During this time, we have the opportunity to reexamine and rethink our actions of the past and recommit to living a better life according to what is right in the eyes of God.

Holiday traditions include the sounding of a rams horn called the shofar, lighting candles each evening, and eating challah and apples dipped in honey.

Since the Jewish community became established in Richmond more than 250 years ago, members of the faith have found acceptance, as the city offers support with such ventures as declaring May as Jewish American Heritage Month.

Richmond is now a standing community for the Jewish community, Staffenberg said. Our schools and our interfaith neighbors have been outstanding partners for decades and continue to do so in working together.

There are always those in our world who look to do harm or use this as an opportunity to bring anybody down, but our community has invested heavily in security and operations and training to make sure that all of our synagogues and all of our agencies are extremely welcoming and safe for all worshippers, he added.

During Rosh Hashana, Richmond-area synagogues and Jewish organizations have extended open arms to all who wish to celebrate having a fresh start.

Our synagogues throughout the community are all extremely welcoming, Staffenberg said.

From the Archives: Old Richmond buildings
After the handshakes, the platitudes and the lunch of Kamchatka crab dumplings, the outcome of the talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stayed hidden.

But the summit's location  Russia's Far East spaceport  offered a big clue.

By choosing the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Putin has signaled his readiness to share Russian rocket and space technology with Pyongyang in exchange for access to North Korea's mammoth arms stockpiles for the war in Ukraine.

The move underscored Russia's estrangement on the world stage and the shrinking circle of friends that Moscow can rely on, thanks to the 18-month-old invasion. At the same time, it heralds new threats for stability in northeast Asia and beyond.

The nearly five hours of talks Wednesday between Putin and Kim marked a new high point in the ties between the old allies  a relationship that dates back nearly eight decades to Soviet leader Josef Stalin and Kim's grandfather, North Korean founder Kim Il Sung.

North Korea has relied on Soviet-designed weapons since the 1950-53 Korean War and has some of the worlds largest ammunition stockpiles, estimated at tens of millions of artillery shells and rockets.

Russia is eager to tap that trove after having spent a significant share of its arsenal in fighting Europes largest ground conflict since World War II, with thousands of shells fired daily by each side.

Western officials saw the summit with North Korea as an effort by Putin to secure a potential arms bonanza for his military.

It looks like theyre very focused on the artillery shells (and) the multiple-rocket launchers for battlefield use, said John Park, director of the Korea Project at the Harvard Kennedy Schools Belfer Center. These are things that can be immediately applied in terms of this war of attrition that is playing out in Ukraine.

U.S. officials have cast it as a sign of desperation by Putin. Russia was scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for help because its having trouble sustaining its military, said James OBrien, head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination at the U.S. State Department.

Putin, however, didnt seem to care about the optics of meeting with Kim, with the West now considering both leaders to be pariahs.

For Russia, its simply that the ends justify the means, said James Nixey, director of the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House, a London-based think-tank. Its perfectly comfortable with alliances of any shape form on nature as long as they serve perceived Russian national interests.

The need for munitions in the Ukraine war is hardly one-sided. In addition to Western supplies of new tanks, missiles and other weapons systems, the U.S. and its allies have drained the stockpiles of Soviet-era arms and munitions in Central and Eastern Europe and beyond to help President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

With both Russia and Ukraine digging in for what could be a long war, the North Korean munitions could offer Moscow a critical lifeline as it tries to boost its domestic arms output. North Korea also could increase its ammunition production at Russias behest.

Its the immediate benefit of existing stockpiles and also the potential to crank up on the production side if they want to go that direction as well, Park said.

Yang Uk, a security expert at South Koreas Asan Institute for Policy Studies, noted that in addition to Soviet-designed armaments, North Korea also could share some of its latest military equipment.

Amid tensions with the South, Pyongyang has heavily relied on artillery and developed long-range systems that could add capabilities that Moscow lacks.

Beyond merely transferring ammunition, there is also a strong possibility that North Korea would be willing to provide Russia with some of the advanced weapons systems it developed and publicly boasted about to be used for the war in Ukraine, Yang said.

At Vostochny, Putin and Kim traded mutual praise and assurances of friendship, alluding to their historic alliance.

Putin mentioned the Soviet support for Pyongyang in the Korean War, while Kim referred to Russia's campaign in Ukraine as a just fight against hegemonic forces to defend its sovereign rights, security and interests."

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, noted the summit also served both leaders' domestic and foreign policy agendas.

Putin and Kims diplomatic display is meant to claim success in challenging the U.S.-led international order, avoiding over-reliance on China, and increasing pressure on rivals in Ukraine and South Korea, he said. The summit defiantly linked pariah state behavior in Europe and Asia.

Asked by reporters at the spaceport whether Russia and North Korea could cooperate in space, Putin responded: Thats why we came here. He added that Kim showed a "big interest in rocket technologies.

While Russia has previously avoided sharing sensitive know-how with Pyongyang, analysts point out that Moscow could now facilitate such transfers as a way of hurting the U.S. and its allies.

Russia profits from the destabilization of the international system, Nixey said. If Russia is giving the Western powers one more problem to worry about other than itself, then it actually aids the overall Russian cause."
The owner of the Glenwood Farms apartment complex in eastern Henrico County patched the hole in Kinisha Hutchersons ceiling that came from the leaking toilet upstairs, but theres already a blister forming in the paint from leaking water.

The toilet still wobbles and the wood panel she placed under the kitchen drain  after the New Jersey-based landlord, Apex Glenwood LLC, said it fixed that leak  is damp to the touch and sprouting black splotches of mold.

The vent on the water heater  which Apex installed after she and her kids went two days without hot water  isnt installed correctly, like more than 140 others around Glenwood Farms, which means it could emit exhaust gases into her kitchen. When she opened the utility closet door to show a visitor, a dozen roaches scurried out.

Glenwood Farms contains 294 apartments on portions of six blocks in a part of Henrico that is east of Mechanicsville Turnpike and south of Laburnum Avenue.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reviewed hundreds of pages of court records and Henrico officials citations directing Apex to fix building code violations  the rules that are meant to ensure housing is safe and habitable. The review shows that from 2018 to present, apartments at Glenwood Farms were at times unheated and leaked sewage onto the ground outside. Many had floors that had rotted away and dangerous electrical and gas installations.

And it can take months  sometimes never  for the landlord of the Glenwood Farms apartments to fix anything  even when ordered to by the county or by a court.

Henrico inspectors have found approximately 1,800 violations of building code violations since the owner bought the complex in 2018.

Theres little local officials in Virginia can do when landlords will not fix code violations designed to ensure tenant safety and health. It took more than a year for Henrico to get this summers court order directing Apex to fix faults dating back to 2019. Few tenants know, or can find a lawyer to help them through the obscure court process outlined in Virginia law. A bill that Del. Cia Price, D-Newport News, proposed to allow cities and counties to act on their behalf died in a House committee this year.

Henrico officials have gone to court 116 times to force Apex to make repairs. They have won court orders for fines totaling $65,000  and have had to turn these over to a private firm for collection.

Usually, when we find something, the property owner will work with us to fix it, but this one would rather take it to court and pay the lawyers, said Gregory H. Revels, the countys building official in charge of construction permits and inspections.

Glenwood Farms is owned by a shell called Apex Glenwood LLC. Court records show its managing member is New Jersey businessman Aron Puretz, who is president of Apex Equity Group, a Newark, New Jersey, firm that acquires, develops and sells equity interests in apartment communities. Apex Equitys website lists Glenwood Farms as among the properties it has acquired.

Apex and Puretz did not respond to repeated Times-Dispatch requests for comment, except to say the propertys on-site manager would respond after the weekend.

Hutcherson won a court order directing Apex Glenwood LLC to make repairs and allowing her to withhold some rent.

I filed in November and theres still things that arent fixed, she said. When they say they fix it, they dont do it right.

There was a hole in the kitchen floor. They just came and rolled out new layers, she said. The crumbling joists there, and the ones that the hole in the ceiling exposed, were left untouched.

Breonja Rainey, a former tenant, said she left Glenwood Farms because she could not get Apex to fix problems ranging from leaking sewage to overloaded wiring to rat and roach infestation.

Nothing was ever repaired, and we went to court and they said that they would fix things and never did, she said. They came one day after that and never again.

Rainey added: I had feces coming from my toilet into my front yard; they laid dirt over it. They really put a Band-Aid on everything.

She said she could not use anything electric in her kitchen and bathroom at the same time without the power going out.

It was no insulation in the home, in the winter it was so cold inside you can see yourself talk, she said. It was mold underneath the floors and bathroom ... the walls were coming apart from the floors, she said, adding there were real big rats and mice biting through the thin walls. I had giant flies coming from out of the utility closet when days were really hot.

Christa Pierce said shes got a hole in her kitchen floor and can see the ground below, which has let lots of mice in.

I also have had a stopped-up tub for days, which is an emergency issue that wasnt addressed until four days after contact with Glenwood Farms, she said.

I contacted the county building inspectors to come out to inspect my apartment. The building inspectors wrote up violations for my unit which have been the same violations for over a year or more that they have yet to fix correctly, she said.

She said Glenwood Farms tried to evict her, saying she had not paid her rent, but she was able to prove that she had.

The verdict was they were ordered to fix all issues in my unit. We are still waiting on these issues to be addressed, she said.

Pierce said that while she waited for her tub to be fixed, Apex sent her to an empty unit in the complex, which had no power and no hot water; when she complained, they sent her to the complexs Airbnb unit. She says it was filthy and had a hole in the ceiling, with the collapsed Sheetrock lying on the floor.

Tenants have gone to court and, after a process that can take several hourslong hearings, gotten court orders telling the landlord to fix the problems. For tenants, it means taking days off work that are hard for them to afford. For those who do not have a car, it can mean a long walk, a longer bus ride and then a transfer for yet another long bus ride.

Sometimes, it can take months for something to happen. Sometimes nothing does, said Lonnie Nunley, a Hunton Andrews Kurth attorney who has, pro bono, helped at least 30 Glenwood Farms tenants get at least that far.

Tenants are afraid to complain, for fear they will be put out, according to Nunley, Henrico officials and court records.

Many just feel they need to suck it up ... they are people who are at the end of their ropes, Nunley said.

A lot of them are scared ... afraid theyll be evicted if they complain, Hutcherson said.

Botched repairs

When Apexs staff did fix problems, they often did not do it correctly.

County inspectors found electrical, plumbing and structural repairs to fix failing floors that Apex never sought a permit for, which means county officials never reviewed the plans to be sure wiring was safe; floors, joists and beams were strong enough; and connection to sewer and gas lines was adequate. The final work was never inspected.

That can be serious: Many of the 140 gas appliances that Apex installed were not done properly so that exhaust gases vented into living space, with some vents installed dangerously close to combustible material, Revels said.

You shouldnt have to move your mattress to the living room because stuff is leaking down from the toilet upstairs, Revels said. We found a hole in the ceiling, and you could look through and see the sky.

Years of complaints

For the first three years after Apex bought the property, Henrico building inspectors could come only in response to tenant complaints.

But a few months after building inspector John Butler, responding to tenants complaints, confirmed that sewage had leaked onto the ground by 3501 Carlton Road, on the southwestern corner of the complex, and two blocks away in the complexs center, and confirmed that sewage had backed up into the bathtub in another unit, the Board of Supervisors decided enough was enough.

They approved giving building officials authority to inspect without having to respond to tenants complaints. Henrico became the first Virginia county to take a step to tighten oversight of rental housing. Some Virginia cities, including Richmond, Roanoke, Newport News, Lynchburg and Danville, took similar steps to deal with substandard rental housing.

It took three weeks to repair the Carlton Road leak, during which time people in the building did not have working bathrooms or showers.

Building inspectors continued finding major violations. These included December 2021 inspections that found one unit with no heat and a stove and oven that were not working; another with no heat; and one with no heat and a water heater that was not standing upright. The floor beneath it had failed, and a vent was not properly connected so gas was emitted into the unit.

In February 2022, Henrico Building Inspector Steve Eads found the kitchen subfloor in a unit at 2730 Byron St. had completely given way.

Over one two-week period in March 2022, building inspectors found one Bolling Road unit with rotted and unsound kitchen and utility room floors, a loose handrail on the stairway, kitchen outlets that did not work and bedroom and living room outlets with open grounds, and front and rear doors that did not close completely.

Another unit had a bedroom outlet that was charred and not working, rotted joists and subfloor and a toilet that was not securely fastened to the floor.

The kitchen floor in another unit had sagged so much that it pulled the cabinets away from the walls  there was an open hole in the floor, as well. Rotted subfloors and joists in another unit meant the structure was unsafe; the toilet here also was not attached securely to the floor.

Alarming problems

When County Manager John Vithoulkas saw a deed of trust filing in the Circuit Court record room showing that Apex had refinanced the property, he thought the lender might want to know something about the state of the property.

So he wrote the firm, Argentic Loan Services, that lent Apex $13 million, to point out the code violations on a property the New Jersey firm had purchased for $8.5 million. At the time he wrote, Glenwood Farms was assessed for property taxes at $7.7 million.

Court records show Apex charges tenants a total of $199,231 a month  an increase of $132,933 a month since 2018 when Apex acquired the property.

That was nearly $49,000 a month more than what Apexs mortgage payments were, according to a court filing from Argentic detailing the seven months of unpaid interest at the time it asked Henrico Circuit Court to appoint a receiver.

Vithoulkas told Argentic about the improperly installed gas appliances, sewer overflows, electrical hazards including loose and arcing outlets, missing and inoperable smoke detectors, furnaces and water heaters that did not work, and rodent and cockroach infestations.

The number and frequency of the issues are alarming, he wrote in March 2022.

Henrico officials spoke with Aron Puretz, managing member of Apex Glenwood, and other representatives of Apex Glenwood on multiple occasions regarding the issues at the property. Apex Glenwood has not provided any indication that it has a plan for remedying the issues, which persist and continue to adversely affect the occupants, Vithoulkas wrote.

After Apex stopped making mortgage payments in June 2022, according to Argentics director of asset management, Bruce Rickert, he came to Henrico to see for himself.

During a visit in September 2022, Rickert found evidence of pervasive, unrepaired plumbing leaks and severe mold in one bedroom caused by sewage leaks in the ceiling, he said in an affidavit filed with Argentics still-pending petition to put the property into receivership.

Rickert said he saw one bathroom with a toilet that did not work on a floor that was heavily damaged by repeated toilet overflows. The tenant had to wash using a large pan of water because the bathroom sink leaked so badly.

In one bedroom, unusable because of water leaking from the roof, Apex had left a hole in the ceiling unrepaired.

Sunlight coming from the damaged roof is visible from the bedroom. The tenant has been forced to move her mattress to the living room to avoid getting wet, Rickert said.

The strong smell of sewage was noted coming from the crawl space in several of the buildings, while he saw exposed wiring in some units.

Tenants said Apexs on-site manager threatened them with retaliation or eviction when they raised concerns about the state of their homes, he added.

Ongoing problems

Problems persist, despite Argentics bid to put Glenwood Farms into receivership, so that another specialist property manager could get started on the repairs detailed by Rickert, the county and the Virginia Housing Development Authority in court records.

This summer, a Henrico inspector found a unit with an inside temperature of 83 degrees because the air conditioner was not working.

Other recent inspections found the porch railing on a unit was not secure and would be unable to keep a person from falling off, floor and ceiling damage from leaks in other apartment, rodent infestation and improperly done electrical work, ducts lying on the ground in the crawl space, exposed wiring, and holes in the outside and inside walls.

A big part of whats frustrating for Henrico officials is that the county has tools to help landlords if they need to fix up aging affordable or subsidized housing, including financial help and access to tax credits, said Eric Leabough, director of Community Revitalization.

The county has signed agreements with five apartment communities that have so far funded work on 1,094 apartments, involving $54 million of hard construction costs.

At the biggest, St. Luke apartments  the former Essex Village  the work involved among other things the repair of damaged subflooring; new heating and air conditioning; new water heaters; replacing doors, light fixtures and bathroom items; and new smoke detectors.

Revels, the county building official, thinks state laws need beefing up, including stiffer fines and revocation of a companys registration to do business in Virginia.

Apex figures paying fines is cheaper than actually fixing anything, he said.

The unseen barriers hindering affordable housing in your town The unseen barriers hindering affordable housing in your town Traditional zoning practices prevent the development of 'missing middle housing' The cost of middle housing is similar to single-family building, but zoning prevents these types of multifamily dwellings Efficient cost models could be implemented for missing middle-style development Regulations create difficult requirements to meet Suburbs, townships, and sprawl take away from city tax revenue that can be used on low-income housing
ODDS AND ENDS

SENSORS: Albemarle High School has installed vape-sensing detectors in student bathrooms. An estimated 2.5 million middle and high school students nationwide say they vape using e-cigarettes, according to a federal survey.

MANHUNT: Crews searched a remote corner of western Virginia after a suspect fled from police in eastern Tennessee on Wednesday, officials said. Jason Dockery, a suspect in a fatal shooting in Tennessees Anderson County, fled into woods after a pursuit ended in Ewing, Virginia. Law enforcement officials told residents to lock homes and secure vehicles.

IN THE NEWS

Virginia library faces potential shutdown

A Virginia library could soon be shuttered over a dispute about childrens books that expose readers to gay, lesbian and transgender characters. The Samuels Public Library in Front Royal is one of many libraries embroiled in conflict over books with LGBTQ+ themes. But the Warren County Board of Supervisors has taken the additional step of voting to withhold 75% of its appropriation to Samuels unless the library board revises its bylaws to give the county more of a say in its governance. The library says it will run out of money at the end of the month if the funds aren't released.

Lisa Varga, executive director of the Virginia Library Association, said the threat over the librarys funding is what makes the challenge at Warren County unique.

Books are being challenged all over both in school and public libraries, but really nothing like the tactics that have been used in Warren County, she said.

Talks to reach a compromise are ongoing.

NAME: Spotsylvania students who want to go by a nickname will have to submit a form signed by a parent or guardian.

The school board approved the policy last month. Ensuring Privacy, Dignity and Respect for All Students is based on model policies governing the treatment of transgender students released in July by the Virginia Department of Education under the direction of Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

Spotsylvanias policy requires school employees to refer to a student only by the name on the students official record or by any nickname commonly associated with the name that appears in the students official record.
Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said Wednesday that he will not run for reelection, ending a storied two-decade political career that included the 2012 Republican GOP nomination for president.

Romney, 76, said the country's many challenges call for a younger generation of leaders. He said the U.S. would be better served if the two front-runners for their parties' 2024 presidential nominations  Democratic President Joe Biden, 80, and Republican former President Donald Trump, 77  stepped aside.

"The times we're living in redemand the next generation step up and express their point of view and to make the decisions that will shape American politics over the coming century," Romney said.
'WE GOT IT DONE'

In a ceremony marked both by praise for bipartisan cooperation in the General Assembly and celebration of his administration's eff orts, Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Thursday signed a much-delayed state budget.

The budget, which legislators approved last week in a special session, more than six months later than its supposed due date, sets $1 billion of tax relief.

Youngkin later told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he plans to seek additional tax relief when he presents the next two-year budget in December.

He had proposed cuts in the top income tax and the corporate tax rate, but the General Assembly opted for one-time rebates.

"I'm pleased it delivered on behavioral health, education, and tax relief priorities. But there's more work to be done for next year, including additional tax relief," Youngkin said in an email.

It also provides for additional spending on schools, behavioral health, law enforcement and natural resources, beyond what the General Assembly approved last year for fiscal years 2023 and 2024.

In signing the measure on the steps of the Virginia Capitol, Youngkin did not exercise his option to propose amendments, which would have returned the 758-page budget to the legislature for members to consider those suggestions.

"Today is not about issues, it is not about politics, it is about results ... we came together and we got it done," Youngkin said.

"Candidly," he said, it took longer than he thought it should.

But the budget delivered what Youngkin described as historic, unprecedented tax relief amounting to $1 billion on top of the $4 billion lawmakers approved last year that is already incorporated in this budget.

For a typical family, the budget's one-time tax rebates of $200 for individuals and $400 for couples filing jointly, plus the increase in the standard deduction to $8,500 for single filers and $17,000 for joint returns, amounts to $2,200 in lower taxes, Youngkin said.

The budget reinstates the sales tax holiday for essential items including school supplies, clothing and shoes.

"We're funding workforce development across the commonwealth. ... We are not building a Virginia that simply competes for economic opportunities. We are building a Virginia that competes to win," he said.

Youngkin said the additional $653 million for public schools, on top of the increases already built into the budget from last year's General Assembly session, will include $418 million to support a push to catch up on learning losses during the pandemic and to crack down on the chronic absenteeism that is holding many students back.

"It all starts in the classroom," he said.

The $418 million will fund a high-intensity tutoring program, of three to five hours a week, and families "will not have to pay a penny back," he said.

In addition, the budget provides for a 2% pay increase for teachers, on top of the 10% already included in the budget from last year's assembly action.

"These quiet heroes deserve it and we must acknowledge the incredible work they do," he said.

Youngkin said the budget took what he called a "significant first step" toward transforming Virginia's behavioral health system by including an additional $170 million to fund, among other things, more crisis receiving centers, crisis stabilization units and mobile crisis teams.

The money will also expand hospital-based psychiatric care and efforts to recruit, retrain and train people to fill the thousands of vacancies across the system, particularly for community mental health care.

The budget also aims at addressing pay issues that have slowed police agencies' recruitment efforts.

Youngkin said Virginia has been turned around since he took office, now seeing some of the fastest job growth in the nation as it emerges from what he described as a time when murder was rising, academic standards in public schools had slipped, and the economy was stagnating.

"Right now, we're in the middle of change," he said. "Change to the way Virginia operates. Change to a culture of winning and change to governing in a way that reflects real results. This represents the reawakening of that spirit of Virginia. It means that you keep more of your hard-earned money because it's yours, not the government's."

House of Delegates Democrats, meanwhile, took the occasion to make political points, too.

"The final budget is a win for the Virginia families by putting money back in the pockets of hardworking Virginians, making historic investments in our public education system, and protecting abortion access for women who rely on Medicaid and experience tragic fetal abnormalities," the caucus said in a written statement.

"Despite every House Republican voting in favor of a budget bill that would have deprioritized our public schools, Democratic conferees refused to leave the negotiating table until a deal was reached that put hardworking Virginians before profitable corporations," the statement said.

Sen. Janet Howell, D-Fairfax, co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee, picked up a line from Youngkin's remarks, as she stressed the budget's increases in public school supports and mental health.

"The budget also prioritizes the areas I have often spoken about as 'promises kept,'" she said.

"It makes significant investments to unwind the K-12 support cap from the Great Recession, increases teacher and state employee pay, provides funding to lower the cost of higher education in the form of both operating support and need-based aid, and provides funding in the area of mental health," Howell said in a statement.

Dave Ress (804) 649-6948 dress@timesdispatch.com

State budget: What happened Thursday

THE BUDGET: Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Thursday signed a bipartisan state budget that lawmakers approved in a special session last week. He made no amendments.

THE HIGHLIGHTS: Included are about $1 billion in tax relief and funding increases for public education and mental health. It also provides funding for an extra 2% raise for state workers starting in December and $200 million in new resources for economic development-related site acquisitions.
Drugs and vehicles seized in five Cancun search operations

Cancun, Q.R.  Four males were arrested after Cancun authorities searched five properties. On Friday, the State Attorney Generals Office reported on the searches and arrests of the four males.

The five search operations were in coordination with the Secretariat of Citizen Security, as well as federal and municipal authorities. During the searches, various narcotics along with vehicles were seized.

One property was searched in SM 248, while the other four were located in the Valle Verde neighborhood. In all five searches, police found drugs that were seized along with vehicles.

Men were arrested and drugs and vehicles seized in the five Cancun property searches. Photos: FGE September 15, 2023.

During the proceedings, Pedro N, Sergio Ivan N and Omar N were arrested for drug dealing, as well as a woman for disobedience and resistance by individuals, the FGE said in their public statement.

Elements from different corporations such as the Navy, the Secretariat of National Defense (Sedena), the Municipal Secretariat of Public Security and Transit, as well as the Tourist Police, also participated in the searches.
Mexico celebrates 213 years of Independence

Mexico City, Mexico  Millions of people across the country celebrated the 213th Anniversary of the Independence of Mexico.

On Friday night, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador led the ceremony of the 213th Anniversary of the Grito de Independencia (Cry of Independence) from the main balcony of the National Palace.

The largest celebration was in central Mexico City where thousands of people gathered in the Zocalo. From there, Lopez Obrador waved the patriotic labarum that he received from the escort of cadets of the Heroic Military College in the Hall of Ambassadors.

Later, accompanied by members of his Cabinet, he watched the fireworks that illuminated the first painting of the capital.

President Lopez Obrador said that Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla gave his life for the Independence of Mexico and justice by proclaiming the abolition of slavery.

Thousands gathered in the Plaza de la Constitucion of Mexico City Friday night in celebration. Photo: AMLO September 15, 2023.

He recalled that in the battle of Monte de las Cruces, on October 30, 1810, priest Miguel Hidalgo, in an act of humanism, decided to protect the lives of thousands of members of the Insurgent army made up of the people and royalists, belonging to the viceregal forces. Until 1824 he was recognized as the Father of the Nation after the triumph of the independence movement.

The rest of the evening was celebrated with music in the Plaza de la Constitucion, Mexico Citys main public square.

Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama waves the Mexican flag in celebration of Grito de Independencia. Photo: CGC September 15, 2023.

Similar shows were seen around the country including the state of Quintana Roo where each of the 11 municipalities participated with their own celebrations. From the states capital city of Chetumal, Governor Mara Lezama gave the traditional Cry of Independence from the central balcony of the Government Palace.

In the presence of thousands, the Governor gave the harangue and everyone chanted: Long live national independence! Long live the Heroes who gave us homeland and freedom! Long live Miguel Hidalgo! Long live Jose Maria Morelos !, Long live the women of Quintana Roo! and Long live Mexico!

Lezama celebrated the Cry of Independence from the states capital city of Chetumal. Photo: CGC September 15, 2023.

During the ceremony for the 213th Anniversary of the Cry of the Independence of Mexico, Mara Lezama waved the Mexican flag while a choir sang the Quintana Roo and Mexican National anthems, closing the honors to the Flag of Mexico.
Pair detained for free diving in protected Akumal waters

Akumal, Q.R.  Two people and their fishing gear have been seized by state authorities. On Wednesday, the Secretaria de Marina located the two illegal free divers in Akumal waters.

Personnel from the Mexican Navy, together with inspectors from the National Commission of Aquaculture and Fisheries (Conapesca) and the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp), detained two men and seized fishing gear and catch.

They were detained after they were found dive fishing within the Akumal Fishing Refuge in Riviera Maya.

Through a press release, the Secretary of the Navy announced that naval personnel belonging to the Ninth Naval Region and the Fifteenth Naval Zone, in coordination with fisheries inspectors belonging to the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (Conapesca) and the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas (Conanp), carried out the precautionary retention of lobster, scale products, snorkeling equipment and fishing gear.

The men were located Wednesday while naval personnel and federal fisheries inspectors were carrying out maritime inspection and surveillance tours in the vicinity of Puerto Aventuras and Playa del Carmen.

During these tours, they found two male people who were practicing apnea diving (free diving) in the middle of a protected area called Akumal Fishing Refuge.

At the time of inspection, elements found 15 specimens of lobster and approximately six kilograms of scale product, specifically three chac-chi, a boquinete, a horse mackerel and a snapper.

Two men, their gear and catch were seized for illegally fishing in a protected area of Akumal.

Photo: Secretaria de Marina September 13, 2023.

They also found two pairs of fins, two scopes with tubes, three steel rods and a hook.

Given the forcefulness of the infraction, naval personnel and federal authorities participating in the operation proceeded with the precautionary retention of the marine product and fishing equipment. The two people were transferred to Puerto Aventuras for the corresponding procedures before Conapesca.

It is the fourth time in the past several weeks that state fisheries have located illegal fishing activities along the coast of Quintana Roo. Last week, a vessel from Progreso, Yucatan was found illegally fishing off the island of Cozumel. On board, inspectors found three tons of shark meat.
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AFP is now planning to increase its presence in the West Philippine Sea, as confirmed by Western Command Chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos.

The officials announced this effort because they believe that China is conducting massive illegal coral harvesting in Rozul Reef.

AFP Alleges China of Illegal Coral Harvesting in WPS

According to Rappler's latest report, the Armed Forces of the Philippines suspects the Chinese government of conducting illegal coral harvesting in WPS.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, during a press briefing, Carlos announced that there's a resurgence of Chinese ships swarming around WPS.

He claimed that the main goal of these vessel swarms is to conduct massive harvesting of corals in Rozul Reef. Recently, AFP sent their divers to the reef to check the status of the corals, as reported by ABS CBN News.

To their surprise, the AFP divers confirmed that there was indeed a recently-conducted coral harvest.

"Wala nang natira in the area (there was nothing left in the area)," described the AFP Western Command chief.

Alberto said that since Chinese vessels were occupying the area in July-before the Armed Forces of the Philippines were able to drive them away-they believed that China was behind the activity.

Carlos said that the situation in Rozul Reef is very alarming since Filipinos are supposed to be the ones enjoying the resources in Rozul, which is the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

He added that it is alarming for AFP since the illegal coral harvesting might make them look like they are not protecting the West Philippine Sea from China.

Read Also: US Intel Claims Chinese Spy Balloon Program Suspended-Here's Why

AFP To Increase Presence in WPS

Illegal coral harvesting can negatively affect not just the West Philippine Sea's Rozul Reef, but also the country's food security.

AFP said that they discovered that around 40 Chinese vessels were still swarming in the Rozul Reef as of Sept. 15.

This just shows that the coral harvesting issue in the area might continue since Chinese ships are still there.

To resolve this conflict, the Armed Forces of the Philippines confirmed that it will increase its presence in WPS.

Aside from this, the military department will also encourage allies to take action that will favor the Philippines when it comes to protecting the West Philippine Sea from illegal activities.

Related Article: France-Philippines Defense Cooperation Upgrade Expected; PH Could Receive Submarines

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Holy Cow! History is written by novelist, former TV journalist and diehard history buff J. Mark Powell. Have a historic mystery that needs solving? A forgotten moment worth remembering? Please send it to
ROWESVILLE  Minority farmers from throughout the Southeast descended upon Orangeburg County Sept. 8 to network and share techniques in crop management and learn about new technologies and crop varieties.

About 200 to 300 individuals, including farmers and agricultural organization members, attended the National Black Growers Council model farm field day and took a tour of three farms owned by Mahogany Farms LLC Rowesville farmer Antron Williams.

It is about networking and sharing information about different technologies learning about different chemicals and chemistry on crops, said Dexter Gilbert, assistant chairman of the National Black Growers Council. It is great networking for the farm community as a whole.

Gilbert, a third-generation farmer who farms about 5,800 acres of cotton and peanuts, traveled from the Panhandle of Florida to attend the NBGCs sixth field day of the year and the first one ever in South Carolina.

Attendees hailed from 10 to 12 states, including Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Virginia, Kentucky and Texas.

National Black Farmers Council Lawrence Conyers, and Arkansas-based farmer, left, and Rowesville area farmer Antron Williams, right, inspect the new features on a John Deere

The NBGC is a group of multigenerational producers who advocate for the best interests of Black farmers locally, statewide and nationally. The group promotes agriculture in the United States and abroad. The NBGC began in 2006 and field days have been held by the organization since 2010.

The NBGC Board of Directors consists of 12 farmers who operate farms in 11 Southern states from Virginia to Texas. Collectively, the board farms nearly 60,000 acres of row crops.

Gilbert said networking is the most important thing for the minority farmer, who can often face challenges especially when it comes to access to capital and finding good land to lease or purchase.

Minority landowners have dropped over the years tremendously, Gilbert said. If you didnt inherit the farm or marry into it, it is very tough.

There is help there if you can get qualified for it, Gilbert said. You have to go through the process to get there. It has gotten better over the years.

Williams said it was his honor to host the farmers throughout the Southeast. He farms about 550 acres of corn, cotton, soybeans and sorghum. It is all non-irrigated.

National Black Farmers Council The National Black Growers Council held a Model Farm Series/Farm Field Day at local NBGC member Antron Williams' Mahogany Farms LLC in Rowesville.

This gives an opportunity for Black farmers to network with other Black farmers and to network with industry folks, Williams said. With us farming, networking is so key.

Williams, 40, said as a first-generation farmer, he is proof that farming can be done. He has been farming since 2005.

It has not been easy, but it is doable, Williams said. Whatever your goals are, set out a plan and go forward even if somebody says it is impossible. If you really want to do it, you can work at it and do it.

As part of the field day tour, farmers were able to learn about the different corn varieties and the effects of fungicide applications on crop yields and management.

Farmers were also able to learn about technologies related to John Deere in tractors, planters and row-crop sprayers. Farmers were also able to visit a soybean field and learn more about soybean varieties and herbicide and fungicide applications.

Farm Credit System chief credit officer Isaac Bennett, who lives in Texas but is originally from South Carolina, hosted the tour in partnership with the NBGC. The Farm Credit System and the NBGC have had a partnership for a decade.

Orangeburg County is really where I started my career, Bennett said. For me this has kind of been full circle.

Bennett holds a masters degree in agribusiness from South Carolina State University and still owns property in Orangeburg. He hosted a dinner for the visiting farmers the night before the field day.

Bennett said one of the reasons the NBGC wanted to come to South Carolina is an opportunity for membership growth.

There are probably a number of minority farmers in the area that are just not familiar with the National Black Growers Council, Bennett said. They do a good job of educating and supporting. Some farms are large and some are small.

Bennett expressed pleasure at seeing 24 high school students from the South Carolina Governors School of Agriculture in attendance.

We know the average age of farmers is getting on up there, Bennett said. Here this is a group of young people who obviously have shown some interest in agriculture and hopefully we are cultivating the next generation.

Bennett said the unique challenge facing minority farmers is access to capital.

Just understanding the process, what information is needed putting together a financial plan, laying out budgets and goals, Bennett said. It is expensive. It is not a very inexpensive job. You look at this equipment, the costs of purchasing the land is not easy.

Bennett said FCS does have a young beginners and small farmer program.

The whole idea is to network with an organization like this so they can tell us what their needs and maybe we can customize some programs that will help them to sustain agriculture, Bennett said.

Jaquez Perry, 2022 graduate of the South Carolina Governors School of Agriculture, continues to work on his family farm in Georgia while currently a student at South Carolina State University.The 20-year-old grows about 800 acres of corn, cotton, soybeans and peanuts. The family also raises cows.I wanted to see what they had to say about farming and make growers a lot better, Perry said, noting that during the tour he learned more about different corn products and soybean spray treatments. He is hoping to take what he learns back to his farm in Georgia.

I was born into farming; I guess it was just natural, Perry said when asked how his education at the Governors School helped him.

Trip Steigarwald, who is also a student at the Governors School, came on the field day as part of a discovery mission.

Steigarwald has been at the Governors School since 2022. He is on the environmental natural resources track through the college with plans for entry into forestry.

Steigarwald said going on the field day has also helped broaden his horizons.

Agriculture is so much bigger and to say to only focus on natural resources would be very narrow-minded having a wide view of what is currently happening is important to me especially, he said. Going out on this farm tour, I am able to see what is being grown and how I can help with that or maybe I can offer someone else more advice on that.

Gregory Jenkins, who grew up on his grandparents family rice farm in Green Pond, now wants to transform the once-active farm into a 100-acre horse ranch  Franklin and Bell Legacy Farm.

Currently he has five horses.I am rebuilding what my grandparents started as far as farming in Green Pond, he said. I love horses.Jenkins flew in from Austin, Texas, to participate in the tour.

Jenkins came to the event to learn more about planting crops such as hay and grass to serve as feed for his horses.

Meeting folks and hopefully they will help share about how to keep the ground fertile to get started, Jenkins said. I know the basics, but as far as the technical aspects of it I just want to gain more information.

Farmers are the backbone of our economy, Sen. Vernon Stephens, D-Bowman, said, noting that as a representative of rural South Carolina counties, he has a passion for farmers.

Your worth does not go unnoticed. There are a number of us who will keep agriculture in the forefront as we legislate on a daily basis.

Stephens, who farmed during high school through 2002, says, I have a love for the farm. He is concerned about the plight of farmers, especially small farmers.

We have too many folks who are actually selling the farmland for manufacturing, for housing developments, Stephens said. In order for us to continue to feed South Carolina, feed America, we are going to have to come up with some kind of moratorium on selling land. I hope it never gets to that. Our farmers should have that option of determining what they can and what they cant do with their land.

Stephens said he is pleased with the state being able to host the event. South Carolina has been looking at different pieces of legislation that will help ease the burden or red tape for farmers in getting needed loans.

How can we retain the family farm? he said. We can never forget about farmers.
Four years earlier, Capricorn Records had released The Allman Brothers Band. It released Brothers and Sisters August 1973. That record, the bands fourth studio album, and the 1969 record lifted my spirits during the difficult summer of 1973. Living in the musty basement of a brick house along Highway 78 I wore both albums out. The Beatles had broken up and I needed new music heroes. I found them in the Allman Brothers, and they hailed from Macon, Georgia, less than two hours away.

Driving to Macon was out of the question. I worked full time as a ticket agent at the bus station, took a full load of courses, and taught classes as a grad assistant. I sensed, though, that someday somehow I would see where the boys made that marvelous music. In the years to come I drove to Macon seven times but I could never work Capricorn Records into my schedule. Trips to interview an attorney for a book, to speak to the Georgia Huguenot Society, and a drive to see Georgias folk drama, Swamp Gravy, stage my play took me through Macon but time was short as always.

And so my Allman Brothers wish list languished. On it were four items: Rose Hill Cemetery, Capricorn Records, the Big House (Allman Brothers residence/museum), and perchance someday meet legendary musician Chuck Leavell who lived south of Macon. The chance to meet him was coming in a surprising way.

In the fall of 1973 my department chair called me into her office. Im sending you to Columbia, South Carolina, to teach for six months at a small college. Six months led to many years. That difficult summer of 1973 was to be my last living in Georgia, but the move to Columbia opened doors. In 2018 I wrote features for an excellent magazine. My last assignment for the magazine was to profile Chuck Leavell. Things went well with the February 2019 interview and subsequent feature and I made several trips back to Charlane Woodlands, Chuck and wife Rose Lanes home, to write a feature on Rose Lane.

As a result of my work, Chuck asked me to co-write his memoir. Recently he invited me to stay at his place and attend a September 6 event at Capricorn where he was to discuss a book recalling the Allman Brothers days when they were known as the Allman Joys.

Mercer University now operates Capricorn as Capricorn Sound Studios. I stood where the music had been laid down for all to hear. Songs filled my head as I looked at the piano Chuck had given the studio. Jessica came to me as clear as a bell. Trouble No More and Every Hungry Woman played in my head, as did Dreams. The next day I thought of Rambling Man as I rolled down Highway 41 in Macon. Id come full circle since that difficult summer of 1973.

Those longhaired, rough and rowdy boys blessed us with a new genre of music, Southern Rock, and they had saved me when I most needed saving. Way, way back in 1973 the idea formed that someday I would make it to Macon and see where legends had risen, and I did.

Other bands added to Southern Rock, among them Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Marshall Tucker Band, and much later the Black Crows, but its the Allman Brothers I go back to time and time again. Trips to visit Chuck Leavell as I co-write his memoir of tree farming and rock music have given me the chance to visit Rose Hill Cemetery where Duane and Greg Allman sleep, Capricorn Sound Studios, and the Big House where the Brothers lived.

Sometimes you just have to wait and hope things will play out as you wish. My old car is long gone, my girls are grown, and my hair is silver. That music, though? Its as good as ever, as good as it was when I played it over and over in the musty basement of a house that still stands.
Dalondo Moultrie is the assistant managing editor of the Seguin Gazette. You can e-mail him at dalondo.moultrie@seguingazette.com .
"Il mange avec des rations militaires": l'ambassadeur de France au Niger "en otage" accuse Macron

Emmanuel Macron a declare vendredi que l'ambassadeur de France au Niger etait pris en "otage" par les militaires au pouvoir et ne se nourrissait plus que de "rations militaires".





Les militaires, qui ont renverse le president Mohamed Bazoum et pris le pouvoir le 26 juillet, avaient ordonne fin aout l'expulsion de l'ambassadeur de France, apres le refus de Paris de se conformer a un ultimatum exigeant son depart. La France continue depuis de s'opposer a ce depart, arguant que ce gouvernement n'avait aucune autorite pour fonder une telle requete.





"Au Niger, au moment ou je vous parle, nous avons un ambassadeur et des membres diplomatiques qui sont pris en otage litteralement a l'ambassade de France", a declare le chef de l'Etat lors d'un deplacement a Semur-en-Auxois (Cote-d'Or, centre-est de la France).

"On empeche de livrer la nourriture. Il mange avec des rations militaires", a-t-il ajoute, dans une allusion aux militaires qui ont renverse le president .





L'ambassadeur Sylvain Itte n'a "plus la possibilite de sortir, il est persona non grata et on refuse qu'il puisse s'alimenter", a martele Emmanuel Macron.

Sylvain Itte "travaille" et restera a son poste tant que le President Macron le souhaite, a declare pour sa part la ministre des Affaires etrangeres Catherine Colonna.

"Il reste tant que nous souhaitons qu'il reste. C'est une decision qui appartient au president de la Republique", a-t-elle martele.

Mohamed Bazoum est toujours considere par la France comme le chef de l'Etat legitime du Niger.





Expulsion de l'ambassadeur ordonnee





Les militaires, qui ont renverse le president Mohamed Bazoum et pris le pouvoir le 26 juillet, avaient ordonne fin aout l'expulsion de l'ambassadeur de France , apres le refus de Paris de se conformer a un ultimatum exigeant son depart.





La France continue depuis de s'opposer a ce depart, arguant que ce gouvernement n'avait aucune autorite pour fonder une telle requete.





avec AFP




Ukraine released footage on Saturday (16 September) of troops moving through a war-ravaged settlement in the Donetsk Oblast after Kyiv announced its recapture.

Video published by Ukraines 3rd Assault Brigade showed troops moving through rubble in Andriivka, 6 miles (10km) south of the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut after three months of intense fighting.

The clip also shows soldiers taking cover behind a broken wall amid mortar fire.

It comes after Ukraine announced a tactical victory in the southern Zaporizhzhia region, taking back the village of Robotyne in late August.
SIOUX CITY  Patrick Jacobson-Schulte was inaugurated as Briar Cliff Universitys 12th president on Friday.

Colleagues of Jacobson-Schulte as well as his family spoke at the event, praising his leadership and wishing him luck in the position.

Jacobson-Schulte was selected in March after serving as the interim president since July 2022. He was chosen to replace Rachelle Keck, who was tapped to become president of Grand View University. Before becoming president, Jacobson-Schulte was the universitys vice president of finance.

I thank you all for your faith in me, Jacobson-Schulte said. I truly believe my role and life here at Briar Cliff University was a calling.

Jacobson-Schulte said the event is a celebration of the institution. Jacobson-Schulte shared a story of St. Francis of Assisi, who was asked by Jesus to rebuild his church around the world.

It has been noted that Francis listened as he was called, he said.

He said the 12 foundresses of Briar Cliff focused their efforts on rebuilding Gods church by building the university.

The sisters listened as they were called, he said. That legacy lives on.

Jacobson-Schulte the university is still to this day providing the same type of life-changing opportunities and

Three of Jacobson-Schultes children, Finn, Lillah and Idaia, gave the keynote speech. The three children shared stories about their father and what he brings to the university.

Looking back at how we were raised, we realized that if he goes about supporting the Briar Cliff community in the same way that he supported us and continues to support us, youll be in good hands, Lillah said.

He began his college career at Saint Johns University  a private, Catholic Benedictine institution. He studied there only a year before his education was put on hold when he got married and had a child.

He subsequently finished his degree in economics at Saint Cloud State University, taking night courses and continued to get his masters and doctorate, while raising his children.

20 plus years, I completed three degrees while raising four children, Jacobson-Schulte said.

Lillah said the family got to watch in real-time as their dad became the first in his family to graduate from college. The effort he put into pursuing his education while encouraging his children in their educations left a lasting impact on his children.

Finn said his father set them up to succeed in any academic ventures they pursued. While he encouraged academic success, Finn said his father also encouraged having fun, with spontaneous dance parties or hobbies.

With all his children out of the house and off to college, it seems like my dad needed some new kids ... and it seems like you all here today are that lucky bunch, Idaia said.

Idaia said she believes Jacobson-Schulte will do his best to create a supportive environment for the students to pursue their passions and set themselves up for success.

Jacobson-Schulte said being a parent is the most important job God has given him.

As a parent, we think about what it is our children need, we worry about each and every thing, each and every day, he said. I bring that same lens to everything I do here at Briar Cliff.

Chair of the Briar Cliff Board of Trustees Stephen Stouffer, Diocese of Sioux City Bishop R. Walker Nickless and President of the Sisters of St. Francis Sister Kathy Knipper conducted the installation ceremony, honoring Jacobson-Schulte with the presidential medallion.

Nickless, Stouffer, Mark Rossi, chair of faculty senate; Shane LaDage, president of staff assembly, Payton Hilts, president of student government, and Mayor Bob Scott gave pledges of support for Jacobson-Schulte from the different groups they represented.
TikTok is now preparing to enter the consumer market's price war, which is dominated by Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and other big competitors.

As its first step, the Bytedance-owned video platform is expected to launch its steep holiday discounts. If you are among the excited TikTok users, here are the major details you need to know.

Price War 2023: TikTok Prepares Its Steep Holiday Discounts

According to Time Magazine, TikTok's steep holiday discounts could arrive as early as October. The platform's sales offer is expected to last for a month, allowing holiday shoppers to enjoy very cheap products.

Once the month-long steep holiday discount effort of TikTok begins, it will rival the sales offers of Amazon and other giant competitors.

As part of TikTok's upcoming holiday initiative, the video platform will host training sessions, which are expected to start before September ends.

These training sessions will help merchants who are using the official TikTok Shop. Aside from this, TikTok could also offer sales discounts of up to 50%, which analysts expect to encourage sellers to participate in the app's Black Friday version.

A TikTok spokesperson explained that the video app is betting on the holiday period this 2023, which experts estimate to generate around $284 billion.

Although it is unsure if TikTok can effectively compete with the discount offers of Walmart, Amazon, and other competitors, the app's popularity can give it a great advantage against them.

TikTok is estimated to have around 150 million monthly active users in the United States alone this 2023. Aside from its very entertaining viral videos, the app's marketplace is also gaining traction, thanks to the creativity of TikTok influencers.

Read Also: #SHRINKFLATION: Top French Retail Chain Pressures Companies by Putting Price Warnings on Products

Preparing for TikTok's Steep Holiday Sales

The upcoming TikTok steep holiday discount initiative is certainly exciting. But, as a consumer, you still need to prepare for it to avoid getting scammed.

Luckily, WNCT provided some tips you can follow when ordering goods on the TikTok Shop:

Instead of a debit card, try using your credit card.

Avoid being an impulse buyer. If the products are very cheap, but won't be of any use to you, don't buy them.

Before placing your orders, try researching the seller.

Check for the reviews. If you see negative comments from other shoppers, such as unresponsive sellers, buy from another TikToker instead.

These are just some of the things you can do to enjoy a hassle-free TikTok shopping experience. You can click here to learn more.

Related Article: Arm's Initial Public Offering Prices Shares at $51, Hitting Top of Expected Range

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
PONCA, Neb.  The 18th Annual Missouri River Outdoor Expo is a dream come true for lovers of the outdoors.

The two-day event at Ponca State Park features more 100 hands-on activities and demonstrations including outdoor cooking, archery, log rolling and a tomahawk range.

Kraig Bushnell and Doug Adams, both of Bellevue, Nebraska, brought four boys, members of the local RoyalRangers USA Christian scouting group, to the expo.

All the cool things they offer, all the sporting goods, the camping, the cooking theres all kinds of activities for these young boys, Bushnell said when asked why they made the trip to Ponca for the Expo. This is the stuff we want to teach them, how to cook, how to build a fire, how to shoot archery, all the cool stuff.

Davis Scrabeck, 12, Bellevue, Neb., was looking forward to the hands-on demonstrations.

I think its amazing. I am really excited for the archery and herpetology, Scrabeck said.

This was the second trip to the Expo for Adams.

We came up here last year just the three of us leaders. We didnt bring any boys. We just wanted to see what its all about and its great. All the outdoor activities, it fits right into what we do, Adams said.

After recently taking up the sport of fly fishing, Adams was excited about the fly fishing clinic in the riverfront exhibition area.

The programs were split into three areas, the riverfront exhibition, resource and education center and the Eric Wiebe shooting complex.

Visitors could enjoy bowfishing, a canine aquatics competition, youth casting contest, family outdoor cooking demonstrations, archery, deer processing and pony rides.

Andy Weekly was helping to run a food stand to support the Norris Trap Team, a school trap team in Lancaster County, Neb., south of Lincoln.

On Saturday morning they were serving biscuits and gravy for breakfast, and walking tacos for lunch.

This is our first year actually doing this and we are looking forward to this and seeing how it goes, Weekly said.

We have about 85 kids on the team this year. Last year we had the state champion in the state of Nebraska on the team.

The young and the young-at-heart were enjoying the smores booth.

Wendy Hilgenkamp, a volunteer with the Nebraska Master Naturalists, was helping visitors make the sweet treats,

They called and asked if I wanted to make smores and I said, of course I do, Hilgenkamp said.

There are so many families that come through. It gives them a great opportunity to do something together as a family. Maybe theyve never cooked smores before or maybe theyve cooked them in a different way than we do.

They were using cookies made out of chocolate and graham crackers instead of single graham crackers and chocolate bars.

Its just a lot of fun. Its just a great way to spend time outside with family.

The outdoor expo continues Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Ponca State Park.
The narrator of T.S. Eliots The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, perhaps the greatest lament of the middle-aged man in all of Western literature, complains that he has measured out my life with coffee spoons. Chris Wilcha, the director of the new documentary Flipside, has measured his in abandoned hard drives. The movie, which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this week, is a patchwork quilt of the documentaries Wilcha has begun and abandoned over the past 20 years, on subjects ranging from Ira Glass to the legendary jazz photographer Herman Leonard. But its also a chronicle of the success that bred that string of failures, and the attempt to reconcile what his life has become with what he thought he wanted it to be.

Wilcha is best known for The Target Shoots First, the autobiographical documentary he shot while working at the Columbia House music clubthe one that used to reel in new members by offering 12 CDs for a pennyin the mid-1990s. As a self-proclaimed product of Generation X whose first job was working in a record store, Wilcha was deeply ambivalent about joining the ranks of the corporate conglomerates that the punk bands he played in and loved considered their mortal enemy. (Target has never been officially released on video, owing to its use of clips from the band that personified the tension between anti-corporate ethics and mainstream success: Nirvana.) But as he reflects in Flipside some 30 years later, he quickly discovered that you cant pay your rent by not selling out. Hired into the marketing department at the age of 22 after graduating from New York University with a degree in philosophy, he found himself translating Gen X tastes for his older co-workersone meeting involves determining whether the term heavy metal has become passewhile being given increasing authority over the writers and artists who create the companys all-important catalogs. Even as he grows more adept at wielding his power over people many years his senior (in one painful exchange, a thirtysomething writer processes the humiliation of Wilcha kicking him out of a meeting), Wilcha grows increasingly convinced that he is on the wrong side of the managerialcreative divide. So its a little surprising to learn from Flipside that, after Target became a minor sensation and Wilcha won an Emmy for the TV version of This American Life, he has spent most of the past 15 years directing commercials. I started the decade as a filmmaker, he reflects. Now Im a salesman.

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The Target Shoots First is not only a generational document but a technological one, a product of the moment when collating video diaries of everyday life became accessible to anyone who could afford a video camera. (See also the first episode of Telemarketers, which is built around smeary standard-def footage of the drudgery and debauchery in a New Jersey call center.) Flipside, by contrast, emanates from an era when the standardizing of digital video collapses every moment into an eternal present. Unlike the ancient-seeming clips from the last millennium, the footage Wilcha shot of Leonardwhose iconic images of Dexter Gordon, Billie Holiday, and many others are instantly recognizable, even if he is notalmost 15 years ago isnt noticeably distinct from the stuff he shot last year. The timelessness of digital video underlines Wilchas account of how, especially in the context of getting married and raising a family, a decade can go by in a flash, and suddenly your side hustle has turned into your main gig. But it might also contribute to the sense of permanence that has allowed so many of his projects to accumulate unfinished, the shelves filled with portable hard drives, the file drawers bulging with Hi8 tapes and CD-Rs. That footage might never decay, but the people captured on it do, as does the person they entrusted with telling their stories.

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That might be why Wilcha frames Flipside around his relationship to his local record store, where as a teenager in the 1980s he often opted to get paid in music instead of cash. Flipside Records has certainly seen better days (as, from the looks of it, has its hometown of Pompton Lakes, New Jersey). The shoebox-shaped storefront is crammed floor to ceiling with worn LPs, with aisles barely wide enough to squeeze past another browser, and the days when owner Dan Dondiego could take on any kind of a staff seem to be long past. Wilchas abortive attempt to make a movie about his formative teenage haunt seems to weigh on the filmmaker particularly heavily, given how it might have helped revive the stores ailing fortunes. And yet his attachment to it also seems to weigh him down. Like the closet in his childhood bedroom, filled with an indiscriminate mixture of heirlooms and random junka copy of Erik Barnouws history of documentary film sits beside a barf bag from his first airplane flightFlipsides bulging bins overflow with more history than one person could ever absorb, which begins to feel like more of a burden than a comfort. Judd Apatow, who first lured Wilcha to Los Angeles to shoot a making-of documentary about Funny People, says that hed lose a piece of himself if he got rid of his concert T-shirts from the 1990s. But for Wilcha, pruning his archives, both filmic and personal, turns out to be just what he needs, a way of focusing on what hes accomplished rather than what he left undone. Given that hes got a stable family and a job that probably pays pretty well, it shouldnt be that hard to count his blessings. Yet he has to let go of a particularly Gen X hangup, the idea that a person in their 50s should be held to a 20-year-olds idea of the ideal life.

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Wilcha lets it go, in part, by selling off his old records and tapes. (The CDs that Columbia House sold for fractions of a cent have gone back to being near-worthless.) But instead of condemning his once-precious possessions to molder on Flipsides shelves, he sells them to a new, competing store, a spare, well-lit enclave where hes surprised to find that his lowly cassettes have become prized artifacts for a new generation.

Its the same discovery made by Hirayama (Koji Yakusho), the main character in Wim Wenders Perfect Days, a Japanese toilet cleaner who plays tapes of vintage rock in his van as he watches the Tokyo skyline slip by his windows. (The movie, which has been selected as Japans Oscar submission, will open later this year; Flipside is currently seeking distribution.) Hirayamas fondness for reading Faulkner before he turns in at night suggests an inner life belied by his lowly occupation, but the movie doesnt condescend to the toil of a physical laborer. He treats each public toilet he cleans with methodical care, using a mirror to check that even unseen corners are cleaned, and losing himself in the ritual of work. His life is solitary and orderly, but not empty. He savors the small pleasures, like the farewell wave from the lost child he guides back to his mother, or a womans laugh when he shows her how to work a transparent stalls polarized doors. Wenders shots linger on what D.W. Griffith called the wind in the trees, the poetry of everyday life that movies can capture so well, even if they rarely bother to.

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When Hirayamas teenage niece unexpectedly comes to stay with himwe havent even suspected to that point that this taciturn man even has a familyhes unsettled by the disturbance to his routine, and he bolts like a scared rabbit when she starts undressing for bed. But she marvels at the strange plastic rectangles he slips into his tape deck, even if hes so out of touch that when she asks him if she can find the music on Spotify, he thinks its a store. A younger co-worker hips him to the fact that the cassettes are worth money, some upwards of $100 apiece. The movie never explains what might have triggered this vogueWenders himself says hes mystified by it, although he enjoys watching his grandchildren get into listening to music offlinebut theres a hint in the tactile satisfaction of Hirayamas daily routine. When he takes his niece to a favorite park, they both sit and point their devices toward the sky, but theyre facing in opposite directions: Shes using her cellphone to take a selfie; hes using a film camera to take a picture of a tree. As Herman Leonard explains in Flipside, shooting on film forces you to pick a decisive moment rather than choose among a string of them, and to live with the result no matter what your intentions were. Like Chris Wilchas closet, Hirayamas is also filled with boxes, each holding snapshots from a different month, but he goes back and culls them, tearing up the photos hes not pleased with so what hes left with is a chosen record, not a muddle of junk.

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Related From Slate The Most Revealing Part of the Louis C.K. Documentary Isnt the Allegations Read More

Cassettes, the writer Rob Sheffield said in the movie Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape, are marked the way the human body is marked, by the space and time it passes through. You can tell one thats been played hundreds of times from one thats never been out of its case just by holding it in your hands. The very imperfections that led earlier generations to shun tapes makes them attractive to a new one, for whom inconvenience and decay are like rare ingredients used to spice up a familiar dish. Chris Wilcha is haunted by the possibilities he never realized, and although Perfect Days never gives us more than a hint about Hirayamas past, the tears that flood his eyes in one extraordinary close-up suggest hes known both the joy and the pain that life has to offer. Theyre marked by their survival, the distance between then and now, and the scars and the regrets are part of what makes them who they are. The longer they run, the less perfect they become, and the more uniquely themselves.
Meeting industry leaders at the 11th annual UK Beauty Trends & Innovations Conference is a great way to learn, network, and grow your business. If youre serious about success in the beauty industry, this conference is a must-attend event.

Here are some specific benefits of meeting industry leaders at the conference:

Get advice on how to launch a new product or service. Industry leaders can share their insights on what it takes to be successful in the beauty industry. They can also provide advice on how to avoid common pitfalls and mistakes.

Industry leaders can share their insights on what it takes to be successful in the beauty industry. They can also provide advice on how to avoid common pitfalls and mistakes. Learn about new technologies and trends. Industry leaders are always at the forefront of new technologies and trends in the beauty industry. By meeting them, you can learn about the latest developments and how you can incorporate them into your own business.

Industry leaders are always at the forefront of new technologies and trends in the beauty industry. By meeting them, you can learn about the latest developments and how you can incorporate them into your own business. Get feedback on your business plan or marketing strategy. Industry leaders can provide valuable feedback on your business plan or marketing strategy. They can help you to identify areas where you can improve and make your business more successful.

Industry leaders can provide valuable feedback on your business plan or marketing strategy. They can help you to identify areas where you can improve and make your business more successful. Get access to funding opportunities. Industry leaders may be able to connect you with potential investors or funding partners. This can be a great way to secure the money you need to grow your business.

Click the red button to register to attend The 11th annual UK Beauty Trends & Innovations Conference on September 27-28, 2023

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Featured Events, Contests and Awards

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September 27, 2023, London, England

Forty three beauty visionaries will share their expertise on the hottest trends and show stopping innovations to dominate online and in-store. Featuring the latest digital and tech, social media, influencer marketing and retailer insights  to stay irresistibly on trend.

Reuters Events: Customer Service And Experience East 2023

November 07, 2023, Brooklyn, United States

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This event brings together senior leaders from the worlds most influential brands to shape service & experience as disciplines across industry lines. Arm yourself with the insights, metrics & strategies you need to rally your organization around CX and deliver a unified, frictionless experience.

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This weekly listing of small business events, contests and awards is provided as a community service by Small Business Trends.

You can see a full list of events, contest and award listings or post your own events by visiting the Small Business Events Calendar.
What is a grant writer? A grant writer, as the name suggests, is a professional who specializes in composing proposals that secure grants. Their responsibilities dont just end at writing; they encompass extensive research to identify suitable grants.

These experts are adept at crafting high-level letters of intent and diligently scour multiple public and private sources to uncover potential funding opportunities.

What Does a Grant Writer Do?

A grant writer plays an indispensable role in sourcing funds for organizations and projects. The essence of their job lies in understanding the objectives, needs, and goals of the organization theyre representing.

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They translate this understanding into a coherent, structured proposal that highlights the significance and feasibility of the intended project or initiative. Their work involves research, collaboration with subject matter experts, and adhering to strict grant application guidelines.

Grant Writing Job Market

The government doesnt collect labor statistics on grant writing. Although some of the anecdotal information theyve put together says most current grant writers are self-employed. They charge hourly rates somewhere between $20 to $100 dollars for grant writer services.

Other information puts the job growth to 2030 at 9%. The median salary for this year for all grant writers was $49,554.

Popular industries for grant writers include government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Other more specific places like community health centers need consistent funding too.

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Heres an outline from the bureau of labor statistics.

READ MORE: how to get a small business grant

Benefits of a Career Writing Grant Proposals

A grant writing career can be rewarding. Maybe youre looking at working with research grants, and opportunities for nonprofits or small businesses. Becoming a grant writer has some great advantages.

Heres a list of some of the things that youll enjoy about working at grant writing and coming up with grant proposals.

Youll Be in Demand  Many different industries are looking for grant writers. You might also be able to work for a nonprofit organization. Another specific industry that hires to write grants is government organizations. Snd technical writing, which includes grant writing, is expected to grow.

Many different industries are looking for grant writers. You might also be able to work for a nonprofit organization. Another specific industry that hires to write grants is government organizations. Snd technical writing, which includes grant writing, to grow. You Can Be Your Own Boss  Grant writers generally set their own schedules. As sole proprietors, they can pick the clients they work with and set their own prices.

Grant writers generally set their own schedules. As sole proprietors, they can pick the clients they work with and set their own prices. Youll Be Learning Something Everyday  You might be drafting proposals for a nonprofit organization, or you might be working at getting grants for small businesses. Regardless of the approach, youll be writing grants and learning something new every day. Its a challenging and rewarding career. Grant writers interact with a wide range of people and organizations as well as other grant writers to make it more interesting.

You might be drafting proposals for a nonprofit organization, or you might be working at getting grants for small businesses. Regardless of the approach, youll be writing grants and learning something new every day. Its a challenging and rewarding career. Grant writers interact with a wide range of people and organizations as well as other grant writers to make it more interesting. Youll Make a Difference  Securing grants can help an organizations mission. Grant writers help individuals and businesses get the cash they need for a cause.

Securing grants can help an organizations mission. Grant writers help individuals and businesses get the cash they need for a cause. Youll Make a Good Income  The average base salary for a grant writer in America is $56,251 a year. This of course depends on the organization you work for. If you freelance, you can make a different hourly rate and more money.

How to Become a Grant Writer

Do you want to write grants for a living? This is a good career path if you want to be self-employed. Along with strong organizational skills, you need to follow these steps to get started as a grant writer.

1. Get The Right Education

Employed grant writers usually have degrees in communications or English. An undergraduate degree in journalism helps. This type of education can give you a competitive edge. And help you to develop your writing skills.

Getting an education from community colleges helps too. A vocational diploma can help you land a first job doing volunteer work for public foundations.

2. Hone Your Grant Writing Skills

Writing a good grant proposal is a skill. Enroll in an online grant writing course. Best to look for one that will supply you with a grant writing certification. Heres an overview of some of the options you have online.

Starting out with creative writing skills builds a foundation to get crucial funding for clients.

You might be able to skip getting a higher education by taking this route to become a grant writer. Either way, youll need to follow grant guidelines carefully.

3. Put A Portfolio Together

Establishing trust is a vital part of a grant writers career trajectory. A comprehensive portfolio acts as a testament to a grant writers skills, experience, and success rate.

Including success stories, acknowledgment letters, and quantifiable results can make the portfolio more compelling.

For budding grant writers lacking in professional experience, volunteering not only provides an opportunity to build a portfolio but also demonstrates proactiveness, an understanding of the non-profit ecosystem, and a genuine commitment to community development.

4. Pick an Employment Model

Writers in this industry can work on a full-time, part-time, contract, or on freelance basis. You can also be self-employed. If you decide to work at grant funding for yourself, youll need to decide how much to charge.

Grant Writer Employment Models

To better understand the diverse career opportunities in grant writing, heres a comparison table of different employment models available for grant writers.

Employment Model Description Pros Cons Full-Time Working for a single organization or company on a regular basis. Steady income; Benefits provided Limited flexibility; Tied to one client Part-Time Working for an organization for a limited number of hours weekly. More flexibility; Possible benefits Less income; Possibly multiple clients Contract Working for a specific project or a set period. Defined tenure; Specific projects No long-term job security Freelance Self-employed and working for multiple clients. High flexibility; Diverse projects Inconsistent income; No benefits Self-Employed Owning a business providing grant writing services. Total control; Business benefits High responsibility; Business overheads

5. Advertise

The digital age offers numerous platforms for grant writers to showcase their expertise and attract potential clients.

Beyond the traditional website, leveraging platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Instagram can help in networking with non-profit organizations, philanthropists, and other stakeholders.

By sharing insights, success stories, and testimonials, grant writers can underscore their expertise and stand out in a competitive market. Additionally, hosting webinars, workshops, or speaking at conferences can further establish their authority in the domain.

6. Fostering Strong Relationships

The role of a grant writer isnt limited to penning down compelling proposals. They often act as the bridge between organizations and potential funders.

This requires impeccable interpersonal skills to foster positive relationships and facilitate effective communication.

Cultivating these relationships can lead to referrals, repeat business, and a reputation for being not just a writer, but a strategic partner in an organizations growth and success.

Small Business Opportunities for Grant Writers

Now you know how to become a grant writer. Youve spent time researching grants and learning how to write a grant proposal. The next step is to work for someone or start your own business.

If you are an experienced grant writer, you can start a business. Heres how.

Define the market. Maybe grant money for nonprofits? Maybe youll be securing funding for SMBs? Then you need to research the sources for funding. Then grant writers need to market their organization. See #5 above.

What Skills Are Needed for Grant Writing?

The grant writing process requires certain talents. Like the following.

You need to understand how data entry can make a difference to a grant application. Both historical and future numbers should be blended in the application process.

A typical day will make the most of your writing skills. Youll need to use business language and emotional words and phrases.

This is project-based work. That means you need to be both process and detail orientated.

How Much Money Do Grant Writers Make?

Youll be in line to make a decent amount using your grant writing services. The average base salary according to Indeed is $56,297 dollars per year.

At the top end, successful grant writers working for places like Friends of the Children make $88,478 yearly. Other organizations like BRAZOSPORT COLLEGE pay $69,021 per year.

You can make more by honing your skills to attract more potential donors. And add to your profits by working for more than one organization as a freelancer.

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What is a social engineering attack? Social engineering attacks refer to a wide range of tactics that rely on human error rather than vulnerabilities in systems. Hackers employ social engineering to trick users into getting money, collecting sensitive information, or installing malware on their computer systems.

In this article, we will explore critical types of social engineering attacks and how you can prevent them. Lets dive in:

Social Engineering Attacks  An Overview

Humans are the weakest link in cybersecurity. It often requires time, talent, and high-tech resources to find a vulnerability in systems and exploit it. But human hacking is a lot easier than that.

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There is no surprise that 95% of cybersecurity issues are traced to human error. Hackers or threat actors take advantage of human behavior and natural tendencies to trick them into gathering sensitive information, obtaining money, or installing malicious software.

There are four predictable phases of most social engineering attacks:

Hackers gather necessary information about their targets. The more information hackers have, the better prepared they are to trick users

In the second phase, hackers try to build rapport and relationships with their target through a variety of tactics

In the third phase, hackers or threat actors will infiltrate the target using information and rapport

The fourth phase is the closure phase  once hackers get money or sensitive data like login credentials or bank account information, they end the interaction in a way to avoid suspicion

READ MORE: What is Cybersecurity

Social engineering attacks cost companies big money. Social engineer, Evaldas Rimasauskas, stole over$100 million from Facebook and Google through social engineering. In another social engineering attack, the UK energy company lost $243,000 to fraudsters.

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With small businesses having more security awareness, hackers are likely to employ social engineering schemes more to exploit human behavior.

In fact, social engineering, according to ISACAs State of Cybersecurity Report, is the leading method of cyberattacks.

Social Engineering Techniques to be Aware Of

Here are frequently used social engineering tactics threat actors employ to trick users into getting money or divulging sensitive information:

Baiting Attacks

Quid pro Quo

Phishing Attacks

Spear Phishing Attacks

Scareware Threats

Pretexting Scams

Tailgating

Baiting Attacks

Baiting attacks exploit humans greed, curiosity, and fear. In such an attack, hackers create enticing bait for the target to take it. As the victim goes for the bait, their computer system gets infected.

Threat actors conduct baiting attacks through both  physical media and digital forms.

In a physical batting attack, a hacker would leave physical media (like an infected pen drive or CD) on the companys premises to be discovered by its employees.

The media would have names like the Employee Bonus Scheme or something like that. Once any employee plays this infected media on their system, it will infect the system. And through the internal network, it can infect other systems as well.

Cybercriminals can create a fake website having a malicious link to download a popular TV series or a movie for free. When someone clicks on such a link, it can install malware on their system.

Quid pro Quo

Quid pro quo attacks capitalize on a basic human tendency to reciprocate favors. By offering seemingly beneficial assistance or advice, hackers exploit individuals willingness to return the favor.

In the context of cyberattacks, this favor might be permitting remote access, downloading an unknown file, or divulging sensitive information. These attacks prey on the unsuspecting nature of people, often portraying themselves as tech support or customer care agents.

By understanding the mechanisms behind these attacks, individuals can be better prepared to recognize red flags, ask the right questions, and resist being manipulated by malicious actors.

Phishing Attacks

Phishing remains one of the most prevalent and potent forms of cyberattack. At its core, phishing exploits human psychology, particularly trust and curiosity.

By mimicking the visual cues and tone of legitimate businesses, hackers craft persuasive messages that dupe recipients into taking desired actions. These actions can range from inputting login credentials on sham websites to downloading malware-laden attachments.

With advances in technology, these counterfeit sites and messages have become increasingly sophisticated, making it even more challenging for the average user to differentiate between genuine and fraudulent communications.

The best defense against phishing lies in continuous education, awareness, and staying updated with the latest cyber threats. Using multi-factor authentication and verifying any suspicious communication through official channels are also effective ways to guard against phishing attacks

According to a CISCO report, 86% of companies reported having an employee trying to connect to a phishing website. The report also stated that phishing attacks accounted for 90% of data breaches.

Educating your employees about how to spot phishing websites and installing an anti-phishing tool to filter phishing emails can effectively prevent phishing attacks.

Spear Phishing Attacks

Unlike generic phishing attempts, spear phishing is highly targeted and often meticulously researched. Attackers can spend considerable time studying their potential victim, gathering information from social media profiles, organizational websites, or other public sources.

The gathered details make the fraudulent communication seem more credible and relevant, thus increasing the likelihood of the target taking the bait.

Its crucial for individuals to exercise extreme caution when responding to unsolicited emails, especially when they contain hyperlinks or request confidential information.

Periodic training sessions on email security for staff members can also help in recognizing and warding off such attacks.

Scareware Threats

The effectiveness of scareware is rooted in its ability to generate a sense of urgency and panic. By making users believe their systems are infected or at risk, attackers rush them into hasty decisions, bypassing their typical cautious behavior.

What makes scareware even more dangerous is its evolution: from simple pop-up ads to sophisticated programs that mimic legitimate system warnings.

Regularly backing up essential data, staying informed about current scareware tactics, and avoiding panic-driven decisions can be instrumental in staying protected against such threats.

Pretexting Scams

Pretexting is a crafty technique where the scam artist becomes a storyteller, weaving narratives designed to lull victims into a false sense of security. These scams are dangerous because theyre often intertwined with truth, making the deception harder to spot.

Its essential to foster a culture of skepticism, especially when receiving unsolicited communications. Encouraging staff and individuals to ask probing questions and to double-check any suspicious claims can thwart pretexting efforts.

Tailgating

In a tailgating attack, an unauthorized person exploits human trust to enter secured premises. Without genuine access rights, they closely follow an authorized individual into areas like employee workstations, server rooms, or other restricted zones.

Typically, attackers use diversion tactics, such as pretending to carry a cumbersome box, mimicking a fellow employee, or even portraying a maintenance worker. For instance, imagine a person struggling with a large package at your companys main entrance.

An empathetic employee, trying to be helpful, opens the door with their access card, inadvertently granting access to a potential threat. This act of kindness, although well-intentioned, can lead to security breaches, data theft, or other malicious activities.

To mitigate such risks, its crucial to instill a robust security culture, emphasizing the importance of challenging unfamiliar faces and enforcing rigorous digital and physical authentication measures.

A Comparison of Social Engineering Techniques

Understanding the diverse techniques of social engineering attacks is crucial for prevention. Below, weve compiled a comparison table to provide a concise overview of these techniques, their descriptions, and recommended preventive measures.

Technique Description Prevention Baiting Uses enticing bait to introduce malware. Be cautious of unknown downloads or physical media. Quid pro Quo Offers fake tech solutions for data access. Avoid unsolicited tech help. Phishing Sends counterfeit emails or messages resembling legitimate sources. Educate employees; use anti-phishing tools. Spear Phishing Targeted phishing at specific individuals or entities. Train employees on latest spear phishing tactics. Scareware Uses fear-driven pop-ups leading to malware or fake purchases. Update browsers; use reputable antivirus. Pretexting Impersonates authorities to obtain personal data. Verify authenticity of requests. Tailgating Gains unauthorized access by following authorized personnel. Enforce strict authentication policies.

READ MORE: What is Phishing

What is the Most Common Way Social Engineers Gain Access?

Phishing is the most common way social engineers employ to trick users into clicking malicious links or visiting malicious websites to spread malware.

Social engineers often make phishing attempts through emails, social media sites, phone calls, or text messages to exploit human error.

How Can You Protect Yourself from Social Engineering?

The following are some proven tactics for preventing social engineering attacks:

1. Train Your Employees

Social engineering attacks exploit human behavior and natural tendencies. Therefore, training your team members goes a long way to building a positive security culture.

Make sure you train your employees to:

Avoid opening emails and attachments from unknown sources

Avoid sharing personal or financial information over the phone

Be careful of tempting offers

Learn about malicious software like rogue scanner software

Avoid sharing personally identifiable information on social networking sites

You can also hire an outside security consultant to conduct workshops on cybersecurity

2. Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication

Cybersecurity in your business depends significantly on authentication methods your employees and vendors use.

To strengthen security, you should enforce multi-factor authentication. It is an effective way to allow access to legitimate users and keep cyber criminals away.

3. Install Anti-Virus Software

Leading antivirus and antimalware software can help prevent malware from coming through emails. Also, a good tool can warn your employees when they stumble upon a malicious site.

4. Evaluate Your Preparedness

You should regularly test your defense against social engineering attacks. Practicing and running drills from time to time can help your team members better prepare for any social engineering attack.

READ MORE:
Understanding a zoning variance begins with familiarizing oneself with zoning ordinances. These ordinances delineate how properties are utilized in specific areas.

When effectively implemented, they ensure functions such as maintaining residential zones free from industrial influences.

They also specify land uses for agricultural, commercial, and other purposes. While a city council sets the usage rules through ordinances, a zoning variance acts as an exception, awarded on an individual basis

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What Is a Zoning Variance?

A zoning variance is a formal exception to the rules set by local zoning ordinances. Essentially, its a permit that allows property owners to use their land in a way that would otherwise be prohibited by standard zoning laws.

This could be because they want to make modifications to an existing building, construct something new on empty land, or even use the property for a purpose that isnt allowed under its current zoning designation.

The core of a zoning variance is to provide flexibility where strict adherence to zoning requirements would result in undue hardship or prevent the reasonable use of ones property.

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How Does Variance to Zoning Ordinance Work?

When property owners envision a different use for their land or building that isnt aligned with existing zoning ordinances, they must apply for a variance.

This request signifies their intent to deviate from the current zoning regulations. The process typically involves submitting a detailed application to a local zoning board or a similar governing body, explaining why the variance is necessary.

There are often two types of variances: area and use. An area variance might involve requests like reducing the required setback from the road, while a use variance would pertain to changing the propertys designated purpose, like turning a residential property into a commercial one.

Once the application is submitted, a public hearing is often scheduled, giving neighbors and other stakeholders an opportunity to express support or concerns.

The board then evaluates the request based on specific criteria, like whether the current zoning creates unnecessary hardship or if the variance would adversely affect the public interest.

Its crucial to remember that zoning regulations, as well as the criteria for granting variances, can vary significantly between municipalities, counties, and states.

Thus, understanding the specific procedures and requirements of ones local jurisdiction is essential when considering a variance.

Generally, this is how a real estate variance works.

An application for a variance is submitted. These go to a Planning Department.

The application is advertised. This is in a newspaper, through a sign on the land in question, and on a website.

A public hearing gets held to consider the requested variance. The applicant gets to talk to the Planning Commission first. That commission then votes on the request for a variance.

The Board of Commissioners gets the final say on any variance application. This decision is final. If a zoning variance request gets denied, you can submit a new one six months later.

Types of Zoning Variances

Basically, there are two different types of zoning classification types. Property owners can apply for either one. The zoning board of appeals sets the rules for either type.

Use Variances

An area variance allows land to be used for purposes otherwise under zoning restrictions. Applicants could be looking at obtaining a zoning change for commercial use in a residential area.

They might want to change existing ordinances to allow an existing property to allow multiple dwellings. The requested zoning changes might ask for industrial use in a commercial area.

These required changes can be contrary to how the surrounding neighborhood gets used. There is a heavy burden of proof for a property owner to prove unnecessary hardship.

Area Variances

An area variance can include putting a fence on the property line or building an extension to a house. These variances allow for use of the land in a way thats otherwise restricted based on physical requirements or dimensions.

An area variance usually needs to show it wont negatively impact the surrounding neighborhood. An area variance needs to make sure theres minimal impact on the environment.

That includes factors like land drainage on the property. Traffic congestion and noise are also included before a final determination is made.

Comparing Use Variances and Area Variances

To better understand the intricacies of zoning variances, its essential to differentiate between Use Variances and Area Variances. Heres a brief comparison:



Criteria Use Variances Area Variances Definition Allow land to be used for purposes otherwise restricted by zoning. Permit use of land in ways restricted based on physical requirements or dimensions. Examples Change for commercial use in a residential area or multiple dwellings. Fence on the property line, building extensions, or other physical alterations. Concerns May contradict how the neighborhood is typically used. Heavy proof of hardship. Must show minimal impact on the environment and neighborhood. Purpose Allows fundamental changes to land use beyond existing zoning types. Allows changes to land use within the constraints of physical or dimensional limitations. Impact Can be significant, often changing the essence of the land's use. Generally limited, focusing on specific changes without altering the broader use of the property.

What Is an Example of a Zoning Variance?

A zoning variance is important for several reasons. They dont change the zoning of the real estate. The landowner gets to use private property and maybe build structures in a way that otherwise wouldnt be permitted.

They get legal permission to use the land under a waiver of regular zoning ordinances.

Here are some examples affecting a residential district:

Applying to put up a building higher than one thats usually permitted can affect real estate.

An applicant might want to put up a fence in their neighborhood.

Changing a single-family building into a multi-family one.

Why Zoning Variance Matters in Business

Zoning laws matter for brick-and-mortar businesses, and others. For example, each city might only allow zoning permits for retail stores in certain areas.

Here are five ways variances might affect your bottom line.

Some Businesses Can Be Banned: The property might be zoned for commercial or residential use. Obtaining a zoning variance might not be possible.

The property might be zoned for commercial or residential use. Obtaining a zoning variance might not be possible. Is There Enough Parking?: If not look to reasonable use as a reason for a variance. These public facilities come into play.

If not look to reasonable use as a reason for a variance. These public facilities come into play. Can You Change The Property?: Can you upgrade to increase property values? Look for a nonconforming use from a previous bylaw.

Can you upgrade to increase property values? Look for a nonconforming use from a previous bylaw. When Your Business is Home Based: Nearby property owners might come into play if youre renting out rooms. You might need to poll them before you go to the Zoning Board.

Nearby property owners might come into play if youre renting out rooms. You might need to poll them before you go to the Zoning Board. If You Want To Build On Vacant Land: As the owner, youll be involved in this time-consuming process. You might need a use variance.

How Can You Apply for Zoning Variances?

Zoning regulations serve as a foundational framework for urban and suburban development. Seeking variances to these rules requires interaction with local administrative entities, predominantly the Zoning Board.

While the procedure for obtaining a zoning variance may vary slightly depending on location, lets delve deeper into the New York State process.

1. Determine Zoning Designation

Begin by pinpointing your propertys zoning designation. Local city or municipality offices are your go-to resource for this information.

They may provide you with a comprehensive Zoning and Land Use Application, which gives an overview of the current zoning rules applicable to your property and highlights any restrictions.

2. Apply to Local Zoning Board

The next step is formalizing your intent by approaching the Local Zoning Board. Ascertain their meeting schedule, as submissions for variance requests typically have deadlines before the actual meeting date.

As the property owner, you should be ready to provide robust supporting documents. These might include architectural blueprints, detailed plans, land surveys, and any other pertinent material that strengthens your case.

3. A Hearing is Granted

Once your application is in order, affected neighboring property owners are informed of your request. This is to ensure transparency and give them an opportunity to voice concerns or support. Subsequently, a formal hearing date is set.

As you present your case during the hearing, emphasize the economic aspects. Highlight points like the propertys inability to yield reasonable returns without the requested variance or potential challenges in selling the property without the desired changes.

4. A Final Determination

The climax of this journey might require you to face a more significant governing body. In many cases, this could be a City Council or another authoritative municipal entity.

They will review the recommendations from the Zoning Board of Appeals or a comparable administrative body and make the ultimate decision.

If your request for a use variance or similar adjustment gets the green light, the formal approval comes through the Zoning Board of Appeals or the relevant governing board. Always remember to stay updated on local regulations, as nuances can change based on jurisdiction.

A few tips:

Remember things like scenic areas are protected. They look after wetlands, etc.

Essential character, concerns upholding the atmosphere of a neighborhood.

Long story short, there are public welfare categories to be aware of, like public use. This spells out the unwavering right of the public to the land.

What Is the Difference Between a Variance for Zoning and Non-conforming Use?

A nonconforming use is a change to the zoning. However, the existing use is still allowed. On the other hand, a minimum variance is an exception to existing zoning laws.

Heres something else to consider. Variances are like conditional use permits. Both are limited. However, obtaining a variance is about demonstrating hardship. An owner needs to prove not getting one will adversely affect their business.

Does a Property Owner Need a Zoning Variance to Start a Home-based Business?

Basically, that depends on your local jurisdiction and the type of business you want to run. Zoning laws shouldnt apply if youve got no employees or walk-up trade.

There are signage laws in municipalities. Plus the type of merchandise you are producing and putting up for sale might be restricted. Think fertilizer and chemicals.

In the end, you can run a home-based business but must adhere to local and state laws. Remember to consider taxes and insurance requirements too. Theres not only the property to consider.

These can be complicated. Watch out for selling part of a lot and the rest is non-conforming. Thats a self-created hardship and you likely wont get a variance.

Heres a great example of how variances work in the city of Edmonton, CA.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/pentagon-to-interview-kabul-airport-attack-witnesses-amid-calls-for-transparency-1113410130.html

Pentagon to Interview Kabul Airport Attack Witnesses Amid Calls for Transparency

Pentagon to Interview Kabul Airport Attack Witnesses Amid Calls for Transparency

The Pentagon will interview nearly 20 soldiers who witnessed the Kabul airport attack and were not included in the original investigation.

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Nearly 20 US military personnel who were injured in a suicide bombing during the United States chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan will be interviewed about the incident after their public comments about the attack increased public and congressional scrutiny.The firsthand witnesses were not among the more than 130 people who were interviewed during the militarys investigation of the attack. The interviews were ordered by General Michael E. Kurilla, who oversees US Central Command to ensure we do our due diligence, a spokesperson for the Army said in a statement.The soldiers were not interviewed previously because they were being medically evacuated after the attack, US Army Central said last month.The order to conduct the interviews does not reopen the investigation, but Kurilla could decide to do so if new information warrants it. One of the soldiers set to be interviewed is Marine Sergeant Tyler Vargas-Andrews, who lost multiple organs and two limbs in the attack. Vargas-Andrews testified to the House Foreign Affairs Committee in March that the withdrawal was a catastrophe, and that there has been an inexcusable lack of accountability and negligence, in the follow-up to the attack.In an interview with US media, Vargas-Andrews, a sniper, said he believes he had the suicide bomber in his sights before the attack, but was told to stand down by his superiors.A 2022 CENTCOM investigation determined the attack was not preventable at the tactical level without degrading the mission to maximize the number of evacuees" and "was not the result of any act of omission or commission by forces on the ground.The attack occurred on August 26, 2021, as US allies and Afghan refugees desperately tried to reach the Kabul airport for evacuation. Some 170 Afghan civilians died in the attack, along with 13 US military personnel. Three days later, the US conducted a drone strike that killed seven Afghan children and three adults. The Pentagon originally called the bombing a righteous attack on another suicide bomber, but later admitted it was a tragic mistake.As many as 78,000 Afghans who worked for the US government and, depending on the estimate, between several hundred and several thousand US citizens were left behind during the withdrawal.In April, US officials announced the Taliban executed the man behind the suicide bombing, who was reportedly a member of Daesh**.Last month, families of 11 of the 13 soldiers who died in the attack called for more transparency.Kurilla ordered Lt. General Patrick D. Frank to review public testimony about the attack in June. The interviews will start in the coming days and Frank has been asked to provide an update to Kurilla within 90 days. Kurilla also told Frank to take whatever time is necessary to make sure the witnesses have had a chance to speak and share their experience and perspective.** Taliban is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities**Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS/IS-K) is a terrorist group banned in Russia

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/80th-anniversary-of-the-wwii-liberation-of-novorossiysk-1113419109.html

80th Anniversary of the WWII Liberation of Novorossiysk

80th Anniversary of the WWII Liberation of Novorossiysk

On September 16, 1943, the Soviet Red Army dealt a serious blow to Nazi German forces by driving them from the city of Novorossiysk.

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The liberation of Novorossiysk was accomplished thanks to a complex military operation involving the combined efforts of the Soviet ground and naval forces. The Soviet forces success in penetrating the Nazi German defenses in the region also allowed the USSR to completely liberate the Taman Peninsula. The battle for Novorossiysk became the final stage of a greater battle fought by the Soviets against the Nazis for the Caucasus region  a battle that the USSR won.Explore Sputnik's infographic to find out more:

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/authorities-of-russias-primorsky-territory-mulling-ballet-tours-to-north-korea-1113422102.html

Authorities of Russias Primorsky Territory Mulling Ballet Tours to North Korea

Authorities of Russias Primorsky Territory Mulling Ballet Tours to North Korea

The issue of organizing a performance of ballet dancers from Russias Primorsky Territory in North Korea is under discussion, Governor Oleg Kozhemyako said on Saturday, adding that it is important to examine suitable conditions for the performance.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Primorsky Territory this morning. Local authorities will discuss many issues with Kim, including the prospects of exchanging school groups for health vacations, Kozhemyako said earlier in the day. The North Korean leader also attended the "Sleeping Beauty" ballet performed on the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. "We are discussing the issue of whether we can perform in [North] Korea. Therefore, in order to do that, we need to see how well the halls match in terms of ... bars, depth, backstage. Especially the ballet stage. I think after our experts' research, we will conduct cultural exchanges since we are close to each other," the governor told reporters. This is Kim's first visit to Russia since 2019. On Wednesday, the North Korean leader held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny spaceport in Russia's Far East.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/biden-picking-pritzker-to-oversee-ukraines-economic-recovery-not-a-good-sign-1113414067.html

Biden Picking Pritzker to Oversee Ukraine's Economic Recovery 'Not a Good Sign'

Biden Picking Pritzker to Oversee Ukraine's Economic Recovery 'Not a Good Sign'

It seems the Biden administration doesnt care about anyone being qualified for anything, something that also pertains to Penny Pritzkers new job, political organizer Diane Sare told Sputnik.

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President Joe Biden appointed Penny Pritzker - an entrepreneur and former commerce secretary - as the first-ever US special representative for Ukraines economic recovery.Biden added that the 64-year-old will work in lockstep with the Ukrainian government, as well as American allies and partners, international financial institutions, and the private sector to drive Washingtons efforts to help rebuild the Ukrainian economy.Pritzkers appointment for the post is not a very good sign, Diane Sare said in an interview with Sputnik.Pritzker, who served as Secretary of Commerce from 2013 to 2017, is known for being one of the esteemed billionaire heirs of the prestigious Pritzker dynasty. This powerful family is renowned for their vast wealth, firmly establishing them as one of the most affluent households in the US. She's the only one to have served in the White House, and she's also known for being a major fundraiser for both Barack Obama and Joe Biden.The 2024 candidate for the New York US Senate recalled that Pritzkers great-grandfather came to the US from Ukraine, so she has Ukrainian roots.When asked what in Pritzker's personal and professional experience makes her qualified for this job from the Biden administrations point of view, Sare said that she thinks this administration doesn't seem to care about anyone being qualified for anything.On Pritzker's duties as the US special representative for Ukraines economic recovery, Sare said that she would have given her thoughts on the matter if she could understand why they [the Zelensky regime] think they're going to have an economic recovery without entering into peace talks."I don't really know what responsibilities she could have for organizing an economic recovery when there has not been declared an end to [NATOs proxy] war [with Russia] or any negotiations for peace. I don't know how you can have a recovery if it's not in the context of a broader plan for stabilization of the region. I mean, she was very much involved in the situation in Ukraine eight years ago, and the economy has only gotten worse and worse since then. So I really don't know what their metrics are or what they're talking about, Sare concluded.The Biden administration has provided the Kiev regime with over $76 billion since the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine. This generous support includes $46.6 billion in military aid and an additional $26.4 billion in financial assistance.Republicans and Democrats have expressed their frustration with the financial aid that Washington has been providing to Ukraine. GOP lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene believes it's high time to put an end to this financial flow, while House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is calling for stricter oversight of the money being sent.

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China invites joint efforts to develop China-Europe Railway Express

Xinhua) 10:20, September 16, 2023

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, reads a congratulatory letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum and delivers a speech in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

NANJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang read a congratulatory letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum on Friday in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province, and delivered a speech, calling for joint efforts to develop the China-Europe Railway Express.

Ding, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said as a flagship project and a landmark brand of the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Europe Railway Express has explored a path of development featuring consensus building, win-win cooperation, and vitality. He said it has become a popular international public good and won widespread praise from the international community.

Ding called for joint efforts, unity, and coordination to develop the China-Europe Railway Express, open up a broader path for the common development of countries along the routes, and inject new impetus and vitality into the recovery of the world economy.

He stressed that the first thing is to jointly build an efficient transport system for the China-Europe Railway Express, accelerate the establishment and improvement of multilateral and bilateral inter-governmental cooperation mechanisms for the China-Europe Railway Express, promote the convergence of rules and standards, and continuously consolidate the foundation of international cooperation for the China-Europe Railway Express.

"Secondly, we should jointly build a safety governance system for the China-Europe Railway Express, strengthen security risk management along the lines, deepen information exchange and cooperation, strengthen law enforcement cooperation, improve emergency response capabilities, create a safe and stable development environment for the China-Europe Railway Express, and jointly set a model for international transport safety," Ding said.

He said the third thing is to explore new international transport routes and accelerate the formation of a diversified pattern of the China-Europe Railway Express while building and maintaining existing transport routes.

"Fourthly, we will jointly build an innovative development system for the China-Europe Railway Express, promote the IT application, digitization, and intelligent construction, accelerate the application of green and environmental protection technologies, and make it more beneficial to the people of countries along the routes," he added.

First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Roman Sklyar read a written message from Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and delivered a speech at the opening ceremony.

After the opening ceremony, Ding met with Roman Sklyar to exchange views on China-Kazakhstan relations and bilateral cooperation in various fields.

The forum, which opened on Friday, was themed "Deepening Interconnectivity and Promoting Win-Win Cooperation." Experts and scholars from home and abroad, entrepreneurs, government officials, and representatives of international organizations attended the opening ceremony.

Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Roman Sklyar after the opening ceremony of the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province, Sept. 15, 2023.

Ding read a congratulatory letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum on Friday, and delivered a speech. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie)
Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) announced that the agency is fining TikTok with $367 million due to the company's way of handling data from children.

Read Also: TikTok Search Results Now Provide Wikipedia Links for Additional Information

Ireland Investigates TikTok

In 2021, DPC announced that an investigation will run against TikTok. The commission investigated if the social media giant was in compliance with Europe's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) laws. In August, the decision was finalized before the formal announcement.

Upon investigation, DPC noted that TikTok was setting children's accounts as public by default. This implied that kids have access to other features that are not appropriate for them. Moreover, the videos posted by the children are also viewable to the public by default.

In 2021, TikTok updated its privacy settings for minors. However, the tightened security only applied to 13 up to 15 years. The new setting allowed the age group to private their account by default.

DPC Fines Social Media Platforms

TikTok is only one among other platforms that was fined by the commission after failing to comply with the regulations. In 2022, Meta was fined with over $400 million after allowing teen Instagram users to create business profiles.

Although TikTok has been putting some efforts to protect children's privacy, these efforts still seem lacking. TikTok also launched its Family Pairing feature but the implementation is still questionable for DPC.

Related Article: TikTok Expands Creativity Program Beta Outside US
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/first-50-specialists-of-russian-emergency-ministry-arrive-in-flood-hit-libya-1113416746.html

First 50 Specialists of Russian Emergency Ministry Arrive in Flood-Hit Libya

First 50 Specialists of Russian Emergency Ministry Arrive in Flood-Hit Libya

The first 50 specialists of Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) have arrived in Libya to conduct search and rescue operations, the ministry told Sputnik.

2023-09-16T09:11+0000

2023-09-16T09:11+0000

2023-09-16T09:11+0000

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On Friday, the ministry said the third aircraft with an aeromobile hospital departed for Libya to help those affected by the devastating floods. "The first 50 specialists of the Russian EMERCOM have arrived in Libya. Russian specialists from the Leader Center will go to the city of Derna to carry out search and rescue operations," a ministry's representative said, adding that the specialists are equipped with all necessary instruments. Torrential rains hit Libya on September 10, brought by Storm Daniel. They caused destructive flooding in the country's east, where the cities of Susah and Derna were declared natural disaster zones, and air and sea ports were temporarily shut down. Curfews were imposed in several flood-affected cities. As of Thursday, the number of flooding casualties exceeded 11,000, with around 20,000 people still unaccounted for, the regional broadcaster reported, citing the Libyan Red Crescent. On Wednesday, the mayor of Derna, Abdulmenam Al-Ghaithi, said that the death toll from flooding in the city may reach from 18,000 to 20,000.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/how-aging-infrastructure--missed-maintenance-contributed-to-severity-of-libya-floods-1113409656.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/hormone-disrupting-chemical-found-in-nine-out-of-ten-europeans-study-shows-1113416468.html

Hormone-Disrupting Chemical Found in Nine Out of Ten Europeans, Study Shows

Hormone-Disrupting Chemical Found in Nine Out of Ten Europeans, Study Shows

The chemical in question is Bisphenol A aka BPA which is often used in plastic packages and therefore praised by food industry. According to some researchers, BPA may disrupt human hormones and lead to serious conditions, including breast cancer and neurodevelopmental disorders.

2023-09-16T11:15+0000

2023-09-16T11:15+0000

2023-09-16T11:16+0000

beyond politics

science & tech

health

plastic

hormones

cancer

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Bisphenol A aka BPA  a chemical allegedly responsible for hormone disruption - was found in the bodies the vast majority of adults in Europe, a report by the European Environment Agency has found. Scientists analyzed urine samples of roughly 2800 people from nearly a dozen countries, including Switzerland, France and Germany."A recent Horizon 2020 research initiative, HBM4EU, measured chemicals in people's bodies in Europe and detected BPA in the urine of 92 percent of adult participants from 11 European countries," the watchdog said in an official statement. The agency warned that Bisphenol A found in samples exceeded maximum levels from 71 to 100 percent which meant that population exposure to BPA in Europe is too high and constitutes a potential health concern.According to much research, BPA may affect hormones and cause health disorders including infertility, obesity and various types of cancer. Bisphenol A is widely used in FMCG industries and may be found in common plastic food containers millions of people use on a daily basis. Previously it was even used as a component for baby bottles, but most countries outlawed such practice a decade ago.Less Gloom and Doom OutlookHowever, some experts disagree with the report. The European Medicines Agency stressed that the link beween Bisphenol A and hormone-related disorders has not been properly demonstrated in a study in animals or humans.Yet the agency acknowledge the importance of further constructive dialogue, stressing that they use different risk assessment approaches and do not rule out the possibility that further research will prove BPA more dangerous.Nevertheless, the governments plan to reduce exposure of their population to BPA. Paris has gone so far as to completely ban it while other western nations plan to limit the use of the likely-dangerous chem.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230602/us-companies-knew-forever-chemicals-health-risks-from-the-start---report-1110857658.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221018/majority-of-us-waterways-contaminated-by-cancer-linked-forever-chemicals-analysis-reveals-1102059614.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/italian-pm-announces-extraordinary-measures-to-deal-with-migration-crisis-1113417532.html

Italian PM Announces Extraordinary Measures to Deal With Migration Crisis

Italian PM Announces Extraordinary Measures to Deal With Migration Crisis

- Italy will take "extraordinary measures" to deal with an influx of migrants that has become unbearable for the country this year, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said.

2023-09-16T10:15+0000

2023-09-16T10:15+0000

2023-09-16T10:15+0000

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giorgia meloni

european union (eu)

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"The Italian government intends to take immediate extraordinary measures to deal with the number of migrants landing on our coast," Meloni said in a video posted on X on Friday. Among the measures to be adopted on Monday is an increase in the time migrants can be held in detention centers from 12 to 18 months, the maximum allowed under European law. Another step will be the strengthening of repatriation centers, which will be entrusted to the Italian Defense Ministry. Migrants will stay in these facilities for the entire duration of their refugee status processing before a decision is made. An additional measure would be to build more reception centers in areas of low population density. Meloni also said she had invited European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to visit the Italian island of Lampedusa, which has been hit by the crisis, "to make sure that the situation is serious," and asked European Council President Charles Michel to put the migration issue on the agenda of the European Union summit in October. The Italian prime minister added that the EU should immediately launch a mission to stop ships carrying migrants from setting sail. On September 13, Lampedusa authorities declared a state of emergency after more than 8,000 undocumented migrants arrived on the island in three days, which is more than its permanent population. Italy is seeking a solidarity approach from the EU in solving the migration problem, blaming the flow of undocumented immigrants on the ships of various NGOs involved in rescuing refugees in the sea straits closest to Italy. Meloni said that Italy "has been left alone" to deal with the migration crisis.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230805/some-21000-migrants-slipped-into-uk-undetected-in-2022--reports-1112410735.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230810/migration-crisis-to-cost-new-york-city-12-billion-over-three-fiscal-years---mayor-adams-1112496672.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/jeffrey-sachs-us-sanctions-against-russia-and-china-destined-to-fail-1113405612.html

Jeffrey Sachs: US Sanctions Against Russia and China Destined to Fail

Jeffrey Sachs: US Sanctions Against Russia and China Destined to Fail

The US overestimated its capabilities when trying to undermine Russia and China's economies, the Columbia University economist told Sputnik's New Rules podcast.

2023-09-16T12:00+0000

2023-09-16T12:00+0000

2023-09-16T18:32+0000

jeffrey sachs

china

russia

washington

brics

european union (eu)

joe biden

opinion

nord stream

international monetary fund

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Sanctions have failed to bring Russia to its knees, as the nation's economy has proved to be far more resilient than Western policymakers ever imagined.Back in March-February 2022 they projected that a bunch of restrictions would be effectively a knockout punch against the Russian economy, that they would bring military production to a halt and that they could even potentially cause mass political unrest. None of that has materialized. Why did Western analysts get Russia so wrong?"Russia not only has vast domestic capacity in the economy, which Western analysts underestimated, but it has continuing trade links with most of the world and oil that it didn't sell to Europe directly, it sold to Asia. And a lot of that oil turned around and came back to Europe anyway at higher prices for Europe, but through Asian middlemen. So the sanctions regime is generally a failure. And in the case of Russia, it failed in two fundamental ways. One, not achieving at all the aims of the sanctions. And two, not even hindering the Russian economy to any significant extent," the professor continued.What's Behind Russia's Economic Resilience?Western politicians have a long record of belittling Russia's economy. Barack Obama used to call the Russian economy small, weak, isolated and "in tatters"; late Senator John McCain went even so far as to smear Russia as "a gas station masquerading as a country"; late ex-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright predicted that Russia would be "economically crippled and strategically vulnerable" after launching its special operation in Ukraine; Joe Biden asserted to the press in March 2022 that the Russian ruble was almost "reduced to rubble.""So there was a lot of ignorance, I would say, in the West or make believe or wish fulfillment in Western capitals, especially Washington, about what Russia can and can't do and what would happen with the sanctions. I remember at the start of the sanctions, of course, in the conversations that I had with Washington, they really did believe this was the absolute definitive weapon cutting Russia out of SWIFT. This was going to be it. This was somehow so dramatic, it would decisively end the conflict. Yeah, completely naive."Who Has Forged the Biggest Alliance?In addition, the US miscalculated its capability of drumming support for its initiatives, according to the professor. It has turned out that the US alliance is not that big, actually. The US has the UK, the EU, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, but the group constitutes just 10 to 12% of the world population, meaning that it's not a dominant power, he noted.When one looks at the gross domestic product (GDP) indicator, one would see that the main industrialized powers, known as the Group of Seven (G7), constitute about 30% of world GDP measured at international prices. At the same time, BRICS 11, the expanded version of the five-member group of developing nations, accounts for 37% of world output, seven percentage points greater than the G7. And all BRICS members are actively engaged with Russia, the professor emphasized.Why US Can't Stop China's RiseAnother member of BRICS, China, has also been targeted by Washington, being seen as the most "comprehensive and serious challenge" to US security. However, most recently, US thought leaders declared the end of China's economic miracle while US President Joe Biden called the People's Republic a "ticking time bomb.""China is a ticking time bomb ... China is in trouble. China was growing at 8% a year to maintain growth. Now close to 2% a year," the US president claimed in early August, misstating the nation's growth indicators. In reality, in the second quarter of 2023 the Chinese economy expanded by 6.3% year-on-year which is the highest in the world among major economies.The economist explained that advanced complex economies sometimes face slowdowns and even recession. That happened to the US; that happened to Europe. "But to use the early glimmerings of a little bit slower growth than had been forecast to mean the end of China's growth prospects is absurd," he said.Besides, there's no evidence whatsoever that China is getting stuck at the level of economic development, he continued: "China is a powerhouse of scientific research, a powerhouse of innovation, a powerhouse of new productivity, and it has a worldwide market for its export goods." And the US is trying to break this, the economist underscored.Still, US policymakers have apparently forgotten that there is a big world out there, the professor highlighted. Even if China's ability to export to the US is curtailed by Washington, "China will develop continuing robust trade relations with most of the world and will continue to have, in fact, export-led growth with most of the world or much of the world," he said.Who is the Biggest Loser From Sanctions?While Western sanctions have failed to cripple Russia's economy and hinder China's rise, they at the same time have given a boost to the development of the two countries, prompting them to explore new markets, develop new technologies and forge new partnerships.For instance, over the past two years, one has seen Chinese auto companies become major players on the international market, even overtaking German car producers. And one of the major markets for Chinese cars has been the Russian market, in large part because last year a lot of Western brands, a lot of Japanese brands left the Russian market, which created a void that the Chinese companies could fill."If there is a particular loser from all of this, it's the German industry which had probably the closest symbiotic relationship with the Russian economy over the last 30 years," added the professor.Germany is the only G7 nation that will see economic contraction this year, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF attributes the trend to weak production output as well as a contraction in two consecutive quarters (Q4 in 2022 and Q1 in 2023). The latter factor prompted international economists to conclude in mid-July that the country had fallen into a technical recession.The destruction of the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines, as well as Berlin's decision to follow in Washington's footsteps and slap energy sanctions on Russia, backfired on German manufacturers, leading to relocation of businesses and, eventually, deindustrialization."All of the fervor against Nord Stream, for example, was a part of the US desire to ensure that Germany and Russia never got too cozy economically," Sachs remarked.So, in the end, the Western sanctions policy has not led to any kind of a deep, prolonged crisis for either Russia or China. Quite the contrary, according to the professor."The more energetic and dynamic part of the world, the faster growing part of the world quantitatively, is not on the US-European side of the story," Sachs concluded.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230825/pepe-escobar-brics-11---strategic-tour-de-force-1112882830.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230914/us-plan-to-contain-china-rehearsed-in-ukraine-1113365490.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230803/chinas-rare-earth-metals-ban-hits-us-chip-trade-restrictions-where-it-hurts-1112340326.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230908/most-austrians-believe-russia-sanctions-harm-eu-citizens---survey-1113215654.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230824/whats-behind-decline-of-germany-1112852729.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/krasukha-russias-new-unrivalled-electronic-warfare-system-1113415601.html

Krasukha: Russia's New Unrivalled Electronic Warfare System

Krasukha: Russia's New Unrivalled Electronic Warfare System

The Russian Ministry of Defense has released a video of the use of the Krasukha-S4 EW system in the special military operation zone in Ukraine. How does this system works and what about its efficiency? Sputnik explores.

2023-09-16T10:02+0000

2023-09-16T10:02+0000

2023-09-16T10:02+0000

military

russia

ukraine

krasukha-4

electronic warfare system

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What's Krasukha Needed For?The Krasukha-S4 is created to render spy satellites, ground-based radars, and airborne systems completely ineffective. It achieves this by generating jamming signals that target core radar frequencies and other radio-emitting sources.The main purpose of the Krasukha system is to protect command posts, troops and air defenses from aerial reconnaissance and high-precision weapons. The EW system closely interacts with air defense systems, which destroy an enemy object after receiving its location from Krasukha-S4.In addition, the system successfully engages unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) flying at extremely low altitudes. Krasukha's software and hardware systems have the ability to disrupt a drone's on-board equipment, effectively rendering the UAV blind and helpless. This forces the aircraft to climb to higher altitudes, placing it within the reach of the Russian air defenses, which then annihilate the target.Unique Characteristics According to Russian expert Roman Nasonov, Krasukha-S4 is the most effective system in its class. It is capable of creating radio jamming in a wide range of frequencies, without restrictions in azimuth and elevation.The system can effectively engage any air target. The range of a Krasukha-S4 complex, consisting of two vehicles, is more than 300 kilometers (186 miles).Krasukha-S4's wheelbase is a four-axle Kamaz all-terrain vehicle, so the mobile complex can operate in any area, at temperatures ranging from minus 50C to plus 50C degrees.Start of Mass Production Krasukha-S4, developed by the Radioelectronic Technologies Concern KRET, a holding company under the Russian state-owned Rostec Corporation, was created in 2009 and went into mass production for its electronic warfare system in 2011.After a span of two years, the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) acquired the inaugural batch of Krasukha-S4 systems. This technology, as highlighted by KRET, possesses the capability to be utilized for airborne warning and control systems (AWACS) as well.Use in Special Op Zone The MoD recently unveiled a video showcasing the Krasukha-S4, jamming a reconnaissance drone belonging to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF). This incident took place within the Russian territory of the special military operation zone in Ukraine.The ministry also quoted a crew member of the Krasukha-S4 vehicle who stated that "throughout the special operation, the ES system proves its effectiveness." He added that they implement their combat mission quite successfully.In addition to UAF drones, the Krasukha-S4 effectively countered enemy ballistic missiles and aircraft, the crew member pointed out.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/moscow-sees-us-courts-verdict-on-businessman-klyushin-as-politically-motivated-1113415063.html

Moscow Sees US Court's Verdict on Businessman Klyushin as Politically Motivated

Moscow Sees US Court's Verdict on Businessman Klyushin as Politically Motivated

Moscow considers Vladislav Klyushins sentence as politically motivated move based on groundless allegations, Russian Foreign Ministry representatives told Sputnik.

2023-09-16T07:51+0000

2023-09-16T07:51+0000

2023-09-16T07:51+0000

world

russian foreign ministry

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Earlier on Thursday, a US court sentenced Russian businessman Vladislav Klyushin to nine years in prison on charges of security fraud and wire fraud.We regard the recent decision of the district court in Boston to sentence Russian citizen Vladislav Klyushin .to 9 years in prison and multimillion-dollar compensation as politically motivated, the Foreign Ministry stated.They believe that the charges brought against him are completely far-fetched and fabricated.The Foreign Ministry added that during the process, the evidence base was reduced exclusively to unfounded allegations."Our compatriot, extradited to the United States from supposedly "neutral" Switzerland, was in fact convicted only for being a Russian citizen. He became another victim of the fanatical Russophobia that now reigns in the power structures overseas," the representative added."The verdict against Klyushin, the father of five children, who refused to cooperate with the investigation and was sentenced to a long prison term, is yet another example of the bias and punitive orientation of the American justice system, which unquestioningly carries out overt political orders," the Foreign Ministry said.We will continue to demand from the US authorities an end to the legal arbitrariness against Russian citizens, they added.Our embassy in Washington will provide Klyushin with the necessary assistance in the fight for his rights and legitimate interests, the Russian Foreign Ministry concluded.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230907/defense-says-will-appeal-verdict-after-klyushin-sentenced-to-9-years-in-us-prison-1113181720.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/nato-military-committee-chair-admits-kievs-requests-for-arms-exceed-alliances-capacity-1113424522.html

NATO Military Committee Chair Admits Kiev's Requests for Arms Exceed Alliance's Capacity

NATO Military Committee Chair Admits Kiev's Requests for Arms Exceed Alliance's Capacity

The Chair of the NATO Military Committee Adm. Rob Bauer admitted on Saturday that Ukraine's requests for arms exceeds the volume of production by the alliance.

2023-09-16T21:24+0000

2023-09-16T21:24+0000

2023-09-16T21:24+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukraine

russia

kiev

nato military committee

nato

sergey lavrov

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"The volume of the weapons and the ammunition that Ukraine requires is huge  The scale and the volume of what is used is going beyond our production capacity," Bauer said at a press conference in Norway. The Military Committee Chair also said that NATO countries that decide to supply weapons and ammunition to Ukraine have to think about the risks for their own security. In this regard, the military official called on the NATO countries to address issues of increasing production capacity in the defense sector more quickly and efficiently. Moscow has condemned foreign military supplies to Ukraine. In April 2022, Russia sent a diplomatic note to all NATO countries on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/nato-to-hold-largest-military-drills-since-cold-war-in-2024-1113423296.html

NATO to Hold Largest Military Drills Since Cold War in 2024

NATO to Hold Largest Military Drills Since Cold War in 2024

NATO will hold its largest exercises since the Cold War dubbed Steadfast Defender in Germany, Poland and three Baltic states in 2024, Chair of the Military Committee Adm. Rob Bauer said on Saturday.

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2023-09-16T18:16+0000

military

tobby bauer

nato

military drills

germany

poland

baltic states

cold war

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"In 2024, the Alliance will be holding its largest collective defense exercise since the Cold War: STEADFAST DEFENDER. Over 40,000 troops from across the Alliance will exercise in Germany, Poland and the three Baltic States," Bauer was quoted as saying by NATO at a joint press conference with the head of the Norwegian armed forces, Eirik Kristoffersen. The alliance is stepping into a "new era of collective defense," Bauer added. Steadfast Defender is an annual NATO-led exercise designed to ensure that the alliance's forces are trained, able to operate together, and are ready to respond to any threat from any direction.Meanwhile, Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chief of staff of the Italian armed forces, was elected Saturday as the new chairman of NATO's Military Committee and will take office in six months, the alliance said.The same meeting also decided to retain the current chairman of NATO's Military Committee, Adm. Rob Bauer, for another six months."On 16 September 2023, the NATO Chiefs of Defence agreed to extend the mandate of the current Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer for an extra 6 months, and elect the Italian Chief of Defence, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone as his successor," NATO said in a statement following a meeting of the alliance's chiefs of staff in Oslo.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230911/natos-steadfast-defender-drills-near-russia-signal-blocs-shift-to-war-footing-1113292863.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/normalizing-israel-saudi-relations-possible-but-not-certainty---us-sec-of-state-blinken-1113412491.html

Normalizing Israel-Saudi Relations Possible, But Not Certainty - US Sec of State Blinken

Normalizing Israel-Saudi Relations Possible, But Not Certainty - US Sec of State Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia is possible but not certain.

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saudi arabia

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"It is very much possible; it is not at all a certainty," Blinken told reporters. The United States expects progress to be made on a number of issues pertaining to improved Israel-Saudi relations, Blinken said. However, Blinken acknowledged that ironing out the differences between the two countries remains a challenge. Blinken emphasized that there is no guarantee of reaching an agreement and added that a potential deal cannot be and will not be a substitute for a two-state solution in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. In August, National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby confirmed that talks on normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel are ongoing but they are not at the point of reaching an agreement.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/output-from-unsc-meeting-on-ukraine-with-zelenskys-participation-will-be-zero---russias-un-envoy-1113423111.html

Zero Results Expected From Zelensky 'Show' at UNSC - Russia's UN Envoy

Zero Results Expected From Zelensky 'Show' at UNSC - Russia's UN Envoy

There will be no output from the high-level meeting of the UN Security Council on Ukraine with the participation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, as it will be another "show" with the Ukrainian president in the leading role, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia told Sputnik.

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The UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine is scheduled for September 20. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will take part in the meeting, which is expected to be attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as well, Nebenzia detailed."Of course, Russia will participate in the upcoming high-level meeting of the Security Council on Ukraine, as in all previous meetings of the Council on this issue. The head of the delegation, Minister Sergey Lavrov, will represent our country," Nebenzia said in an interview.He added that Russia was sad to see that the UN could now be used for "self-parody." "They do not care at all about the established practice of its work, about the substantive side of the discussions, about the authority of this body," the ambassador concluded.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230915/lavrov-zelenskys-peace-plan-aimed-at-strategically-defeating-russia-1113394913.html

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Retirement communities, which are referred to as "silver towns" in Korea, offer assisted living. Some Korean American retirees consider moving to Korea and living out their twilight years in such places, which provide higher-quality services, health care and meals than those in the U.S. at more affordable prices. gettyimagesbank



By Dami Kim



DALLAS  With birthrates hitting an all-time low and life expectancies getting longer due to extensive yet affordable health care in Korea, serving seniors has become big business in the country.



Major conglomerates like Samsung and Lotte have built or are in the process of building retirement communities, which are also called "silver towns" in Korea.



Silver towns are communities designed specifically to cater to the elderly.



Koreans like Choi Hee who are nearing retirement say silver towns are not for everyone.



"They're made for the top 1 percent of Korea. My husband and I did quite well for ourselves, but we still don't think we'd have enough to enter a luxurious silver town with our retirement funds. Not to mention, there are waiting lists for a lot of the popular communities," Choi said.



As Choi mentioned, having sufficient funds is not the only requirement. There are usually waiting lists and these lists average anywhere from six months to a whopping five years for top-tier silver towns. That is some serious competition.



But Koreans should brace themselves for even more competition in the following years as there is a new interested party in the world of luxurious retirement spots: Korean Americans.



Retiring in an assisted living senior community in the U.S. is very costly. Genworth, a long-term care financial company, reported that seniors wanting to reside in an assisted living facility with around-the-clock nursing staff are spending anywhere between $3,500 and $10,500 a month per person.



High monthly costs, quality of care, language barriers, convenience, outdated living spaces and food choices are some of the many reasons Korean American seniors like Jason Hong are looking forward to entering a silver town in Korea.





Jason Hong, right, and his wife, who are Korean Americans, pose during their trip to Scotland in this undated photo. The couple is contemplating where to settle after retirement, with Korea as one of the options. Courtesy of Jason Hong
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/russian-army-repels-34-attacks-by-ukrainian-troops-in-artemovsk-direction-1113419245.html

Russian Army Repels 34 Attacks by Ukrainian Troops in Artemovsk Direction

Russian Army Repels 34 Attacks by Ukrainian Troops in Artemovsk Direction

The Russian armed forces repelled 34 attacks by the Ukrainian military in the Artemovsk (Bakhmut) direction over the past week, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday, adding that more than 1,700 Ukrainian servicepeople were killed or injured in the area during the period.

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2023-09-16T12:31+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukrainian crisis

ukrainian counteroffensive attempt

russian defense ministry

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"Over the past week in this [Bakhmut*] direction, units of the Southern group repelled 34 attacks by Ukrainian units, with the enemy losing more than 1,700 servicepeople, who were killed and wounded, as well as 16 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 34 vehicles and 12 field artillery pieces," the ministry said in a statement. In addition, the Russian armed forces destroyed five Ukrainian military aircraft at an airport near the Ukrainian city of Krivoi Rog, the ministry added. At the same time, Russian air defense systems shot down 270 Ukrainian drones and 19 HIMARS MLRS missiles in the past week, the ministry said, adding that the naval aviation and ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet destroyed 12 unmanned boats and three boats with Ukrainian landing groups in the Black Sea. Besides, the Russian armed forces repelled eight attacks of the Ukrainian army in the direction of South Donetsk in the past seven days, as a result of which over 1,100 Ukrainian servicepeople were killed or wounded. About 15 armored vehicles, 22 vehicles and seven artillery pieces were destroyed. In the Zaporozhye direction, the Russian army repelled 18 attacks by the Ukrainian military.*In 2015, Artemovsk was renamed as Bakhmut as part of the Kiev regime's "de-communization" policies and the overall bid to distance it from Russia and shared Russo-Ukrainian history.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230913/somebody-has-to-do-it-why-volunteers-fight-in-artemovsk-1113338210.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/slovakia-extends-ban-on-ukrainian-grain-imports-until-end-of-2023-1113420596.html

Slovakia Extends Ban on Ukrainian Grain Imports Until End of 2023

Slovakia Extends Ban on Ukrainian Grain Imports Until End of 2023

Slovakia has extended a ban on imports of Ukrainian grain until the end of 2023, the country's government said on Saturday.

2023-09-16T13:25+0000

2023-09-16T13:25+0000

2023-09-16T13:25+0000

economy

ukrainian crisis

grain

grain exports

grain supply

european commission

slovakia

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"The Slovak government has extended the ban on imports of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds from Ukraine until the end of this year," the government said in a statement. Meanwhile, Polish Agriculture Minister Robert Telus said the bans on Ukrainian grain imports were in Kiev's interest. "In February this year, 114,000 tonnes of grain passed through Poland in transit, in March it was 120,000 tonnes, and in June, when we introduced restrictions, it was 260,000 tons," Telus said. The same trend is observed in all countries bordering Ukraine, he said, adding that the data show that grain transit is higher during import restrictions. On September 15, the European Commission announced it would lift a ban on duty-free Ukrainian grain imports to five neighboring EU countries and demand that Kiev introduce export controls. On the same day, Poland introduced an indefinite ban on Ukrainian grain imports.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230905/russia-may-hit-national-grain-export-record-in-2023-2024-agricultural-year-1113137426.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/zelensky-will-visit-washington-next-week-uaw-strikes-in-us-1113410940.html

Zelensky Will Visit Washington Next Week; UAW Strikes in US

Zelensky Will Visit Washington Next Week; UAW Strikes in US

Ukrainian President Zelensky will visit Washington next week in order to drum up support for the US's support for Ukraine and The United Auto Workers began... 16.09.2023, Sputnik International

2023-09-16T04:06+0000

2023-09-16T04:06+0000

2023-09-16T11:57+0000

the critical hour

radio

ukraine

us automakers

haiti

niger

uaw

strikes

france

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Washington next week; UAW strikes begin in the US Ukrainian President Zelensky will visit Washington next week in order to drum up support for the US's support for Ukraine and The United Auto Workers began striking against Big Three automakers today over wage benefits and work schedules.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will visit Washington next week. Dr. Radhika Desai, author and professor in the Department of Political Studies and Director of the Geopolitical Economy Research Group at the University of Manitoba in Canada, joins us to discuss this upcoming visit. Dr. Desai says the visit is really a staged event in order to drum up support for the US's support for Ukraine. Dr. Desai says the support for Ukraine is waning in the US for two reasons. She says the first reason is that the ordinary American is asking why we are giving billions and billions of dollars to Ukraine for an unclear rationale and at a time where there are so many needs in the United States. The second reason, she says, is because members of Congress are now questioning the aid as they are going into an election year, will be questioned on the aid and don't see Ukraine making gains despite the almost 50 billion dollars that the US has given to them.UAW Strikes begin in the US against the country's Big Three Automakers in the country over wages benefits and work schedules after weeks of acrimonious talks. Dr. Jack Rasmus, professor of Economics and Politics at St. Mary's College in California, says the last negotiations were a disaster in 2019 because of unethical actions of the unions. He says the unions now have new leadership and will be fighting for more for the workers since the automobile companies are now flush, giving their CEO's 40% raises.The Dominican Republic shut all land, air and sea borders with Haiti today in a dispute over Haitis plans to construct a canal in Haiti that shares the Massacre River with the Dominican Republic. Kim Ives, an editor and investigative journalist at Haiti Liberte, says that this action happened when there was less than one hundred feet left to finish the project. He says Dominican President Luis Abinader is trying to posture as an ultra-nationalist before the upcoming elections. Kim says this is a brutal, unjustified wall that President Abinader is putting up in addition to the concrete wall already constructed.Ajamu Baraka, former VP Candidate of the Green Party, and Dr. Jemima Pierre, Professor at the Institute for the Study of Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, a member of the Black Alliance for Peace, and an editor of the "Black Agenda Review," segment of the Black Agenda Report, join us to discuss Haiti. The US military has resumed drone crewed aircraft operations in Niger more than a month after the coup halted these activities. Dr. Jemima Pierre says we have to remember that the US never declared this a coup d'etat in the first place and that behind the scenes discussions between the US and the Haitian military government never stopped. She says it should also make us wonder about France's relationship with the US. Ajamu Baraka agreed, saying that the stakes are so high for the US that there is a real possibility that if it comes down to a question of protecting US interests vs. a united front with the French against the Africans, the US will advance its own interests.Jim Kavanagh, whose work can be found at Jim' Kavanagh's Substack, thepolemicist.net, and Steve Poikonen, host of AM WakeUp & SlowNewsDay live on Rokfin & Rumble,come together to discuss Ukraine. Ukrainian armed forces speaker Sarah Ashton-Cirillo said Ukraine would hunt down and kill Russian journalists in the name of "God, freedom and total liberation." Jim Kavanagh says the video looks and feels like a Saturday Night Live skit, that it's bizarre, and that Ashton-Cirillo seems to be making a specific threat to a specific journalist of assasination. He says the Ukranians are no longer ashamed of these actions and that Americans should not underestimate the well-thought fascism that is being played out in a country we support. Steve Poikonen says the underlying implications of the video shows the Ukrainian government is going to continue to stalk and murder journalists who cover the conflict and that this action is not OK.The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comCatch us at 105.5FM, 104.7FM, 102.9FM, 1390AM, 1140AM

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radio, ukraine, us automakers, haiti, niger, uaw, strikes, france, 
In a presidential contest cycle, Senate races dont get the same kind of attention when theres still a year to go until Election Day. But the start of the second fundraising quarter earlier this month brought a host of new candidate names  some declared and some still biding their time  that will help shape the race for control of the chamber in 2024 and the ultimate power dynamics for whoever is president in 2025.

With more candidates launching their campaigns this month, the prospect of competitive primaries has become more real  especially on the Republican side. Thats especially true in the top three seats most likely to flip, which represent the GOPs best chances to pick up the one or two seats theyd need to control the chamber, depending on who wins the presidency. (Rankings are based on CNNs reporting, fundraising figures and historical data about how states and candidates have performed.)

West Virginias GOP primary  mainly between the governor and a congressman  was already brewing, but its looking even more contentious with outside groups like the Club for Growths political arm touting the millions theyre planning to spend. This race will be a marquee battle between the national GOPs more establishment forces and the conservative outside group. And, as in other races like Montana and Nevada, this one will test the National Republican Senatorial Committees new strategy of picking sides in primaries.

Its impossible to talk about Republican primaries without discussing former President Donald Trump. Ever since 2016, loyalty to him has been a key litmus test for the GOP  often much more than actual conservatism. But adherence to his election conspiracy theories has sometimes hurt Republicans in general elections, with the 2022 midterms being a prime example.

The chairman of the NRSC, Montana Sen. Steve Daines, has endorsed Trump. And for now, at least, the former president appears to be playing along. CNN reported that hes informed two House Freedom Caucus members whom hes previously backed  in West Virginia and Montana  that they wont have his support for the Senate. (In Montana, Rep. Matt Rosendale hasnt yet announced his campaign but is expected to challenge the NRSCs preferred candidate.)

This months ranking isnt all about primary drama, however. In Pennsylvania, Republicans breathed a major sigh of relief in May when election denier Doug Mastriano, fresh off his 15-point gubernatorial loss, decided not to run. The expectation that Dave McCormick will get into the race with a clearer lane  and the GOPs lack of candidates right now in other states  bumps the Keystone State up one spot on this list as slightly more likely to flip.

Overall, the Senate map remains an offensive opportunity for Republicans. Democrats hold seven of the 10 seats most likely to flip next year, an independent holds one and Republicans hold two  a breakdown thats unlikely to change much, although the order of the ranking will likely evolve in the months to come.
The General Federation of Womens Club of North Carolina (GFWC of NC) Statesville Womans Club (SWC) recently their September meeting at Forest Park Presbyterian Church.

Club Historian and Past President Linda Lavinder was the guest speaker and spoke about the history of GFWC, GFWC of NC and SWC. She discussed how projects start at the national level and filter through the state, district and to the local club. She then described how the community service programs were started as departments that specialized into different interests such as arts; environment; education and libraries; health and wellness; and Civic engagement and outreach.

Although divided into different groups, members still come together to support club projects. It was with the interest of getting a library started in Statesville in the early 1920s that became one of the main building blocks of how the SWC began. In the clubs early history, the club provided a night school at the clubhouse for girls who wanted to finish their education but needed to work during regular school hours. The club works to strengthen citizenship, reduce crime and bring awareness to domestic violence issues. During the Great Depression the club offered the kitchen to be used as public cannery and started a hot soup lunch program in the public schools with the canned food donated to the clubhouse. One of the greatest efforts that took place in the clubhouse was selling war bonds, which were used to help purchase several carrier ships.

The club will be hosting a fundraising event Taste of Iredell on Oct. 7 from 6-9 p.m. at the Historic Clubhouse located at 515 W. End Ave. in Statesville. This years theme is Bridging the Gap of Homelessness with event proceeds being split between The Bridge Academy of the Statesville YMCA and the SWC historic clubhouse capital campaign.

The tickets for this indoor/outdoor event will be limited to 150. Admission ticket of $50 includes sample size portions of appetizers, main dishes, desserts and brews from more than a dozen local restaurants and caterers, with one complimentary alcoholic beverage. Tea, water, additional coffee stations and a cash bar will be available. The event will also feature South Iredell High School Honors Strings, directed by Leslie Overcash.

A cooler with Top Shelf Spirits Giveaway Drawing will also take place. Tickets are $5 each, $20 for five or $35 for 10 (must be 21 or older to purchase tickets). The drawing will be held at Taste of Iredell. There is no need to be present to win. Proceeds from the giveaway drawing will also be split between The Bridge Academy of the Statesville YMCA and the SWC historic clubhouse capital campaign.

Tickets for both Taste of Iredell and cooler with Top Shelf Spirits Giveaway Drawing may be purchased from club members or by visiting the club website at www.statesvillewomansclub.org.

For information about renting the GFWC of NC Statesville Womans Clubs Clubhouse for your meeting or event, email the club at Statesvillewomansclub@gmail.com or call 704-761-8208. The club website is www.statesvillewomansclub.org. Also, be sure to like and follow the club on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For details on joining the GFWC of NC Statesville Womans Club,
The U.S. Air Force has developed a method of launching AGM-158 JASSMs (Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile) from C-130 transport aircraft. JASSM is the third family of GPS guided smart bombs to be developed and is the most expensive. The original JDAM bomb kit (added to 500, 1,000 and 2,000 pound bombs), cost $26,000 each. The longer range JSOW (JDAM with wings and more powerful guidance system), cost $460,000 each. The even longer-range JASSM, which has its own jet engine compared to the pure glider JDAM and JSOW, costs over half a million dollars for the 400 kilometer version to over a million dollars for the 900 kilometer JASSM ER.

JASSM missiles are 1,045 kg (2,300 pound) weapons that are basically 455 kg (1,000 pound) JDAMS (GPS guided bombs) with a jet engine added. JASSM was designed to go after enemy air defense systems or targets deep in heavily defended (against air attack) enemy territory. The reason for buying these is to have something to deal with air defenses of a nation like China. The air force and navy planned to buy over 5,000 JASSM, but there has been opposition in the military and in Congress. The missiles are ten times more expensive than a JDAM bomb of the same weight. But the aviators make the argument that many aircraft and pilots would be lost if the air defenses of a nation like, perhaps China, were attacked without using JASSM.

JASSM is stealthy and uses GPS and terminal (infrared) guidance to zero in on heavily defended targets (like air defense sites.) The terminal guidance enables the missile to land within three meters (ten feet) of the aiming point. If there were a war with North Korea, for example, JASSM would be essential to taking out enemy air defenses, or any other targets that have to be hit early in a war before air defenses can be shut down. This capability is apparently what attracted the South Koreans, who now have F-15K aircraft that can carry JASSM.

JASSM was designed to handle the most modern Russian surface to air missiles, which are also being sold to China. North Korea has older stuff, and can't afford the newer Russian SAMs. But even these older air defenses can be dangerous, and are best addressed with long range missiles. There is a need for a missile like JASSM, at least one that works and that is one reason why methods were developed to carry and launch them from C-130 transports. This allows for airstrikes quickly, even when there are not jet fighter-bombers available to do the job. The test of this concept was carried out in a MC-130J, a special operations aircraft, but any C-130 will do.

This is not the first time C-130s and other air transports have been used to deliver bombs or launch missiles. During the Vietnam War the air force developed a 6.2 ton fuel-air explosive to create helicopter landing areas in forests. This bomb was later used to attack the enemy, and was even dropped from heavy-lift helicopters. In the 21st century a 9.8 ton high-explosive bomb was developed for delivery by C-130s. The Americans tested launching a Minuteman ICBM from a cargo aircraft. It worked, but never became a regular option for launching ICBM, which are launched from land-based silos. Israel developed some SRBM (Short Range Ballistic Missiles) to be dropped and launched from air transports to provide realistic targets for the Israeli Arrow BMD (Ballistic Missile Defense) system. The use of C-130s to carry and launch JASSM is intended to become a standard option.

The C-130 Hercules has been in service since 1956, with over 3,000 built and many fly for over 30 years. The main version of the C-130 in service is the C-130H. It has a range of 8,368 kilometers, a top speed of 601 kilometers per hour, and can carry up to 18 tons of cargo, 92 troops, or 64 paratroopers. The latest version, the C-130J, has a top speed of 644 kilometers, 40 percent more range than the C-130H, and can carry 20 tons of cargo. The C-130 has been exported to over 50 countries.
On Sept. 23, state parks across Virginia, including Hungry Mother, will celebrate National Public Lands Day (NPLD), the nations largest single-day volunteer effort for public lands.

NPLD, now in its 30th year, highlights the vital impact of public lands on well-being, from the air to the spaces people inhabit, and it brings together thousands of volunteers across the country, fostering community, teamwork and the enjoyment of public lands for education and recreation.

In Virginia, the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), the states lead natural resource conservation agency, manages nearly 130,000 acres of land, including nearly 80,000 acres of public land across 41 state parks.

Since 1936, Virginia State Parks have provided citizens a fun, safe place to connect with nature, learn and participate in outdoor recreation, said DCR Director Matt Wells. For National Public Lands Day, we invite Virginians to support their state parks by volunteering to help restore, improve and protect the lands they cherish, preserving them for future generations to enjoy.

Theres a state park within an hours drive of every Virginian, and each park depends heavily on volunteers for everything from trail maintenance to interpretative programs. In 2022 alone, volunteers across the state donated 210,693 hours of service, equivalent to 101 full-time employees.

Our skilled and passionate volunteers play a vital role in our mission to protect, conserve and enhance our natural resources, said Virginia State Parks Director Dr. Melissa Baker. Without them, the parks that millions of visitors have come to love would not be the same.

Established and new volunteers are invited to Virginia State Parks for NPLD. They can choose from more than 30 NPLD events, including invasive species removal, shoreline cleanup, habitat restoration and environmental education activities.

Hungry Mother State Park in Marion will host a special Trailgate event for the day.

Interested individuals and families are invited to join park staff at the Spillway below the dam for Trailgate, which is described as being like a tailgate but more nature-centric.

Various stations for all ages will be available as well as hikes throughout the day.

National Public Lands Day is a reminder that the preservation of our natural treasures depends on the dedication of volunteers, said Katie Gibson, chief ranger of visitor experience at Douthat State Park, in Millboro. Their efforts embody the spirit of unity and stewardship that ensure the beauty, diversity and wonder of these spaces remain accessible and protected for generations to come.

Volunteers should dress for the weather and the project and bring water, insect repellent and sunscreen.

Standard parking fees, such as trailhead parking, will be waived at most state parks for NPLD. The parking fee at Grayson Highlands and the admission fees for Natural Bridge and Southwest Virginia Museum will not be waived. To learn more, go to www.virginiastateparks.gov/parking-fees.

NPLD also coincides with Bike Your Park Day. Visitors and volunteers are encouraged to bring their bikes to their park on Sept. 23.
Emory & Henry held its fifth contracting ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 6, in Byars Hall recognizing Cadet Thomas Peery, 25.

Cadet Peery is a third-year student from Chilhowie, majoring in religion. He is a Virginia Army National Guard member and has been a varsity wrestler.

[Peerys contracting] was a special event for Emory & Henry. Thomas is the son of our Director of Human Resources, Tracy Peery, and he is now contracted with a future opportunity to serve as a commissioned officer in the United States Army, said President John W. Wells.

Unlike non-contracted cadets, a contracted cadet is considered a military member and will gain the rank of second lieutenant (2LT) upon graduation. The contracting ceremony allowed Peery to declare his oath to serve in the United States Army. Contracting is an important part of a cadets journey through ROTC (Reserved Officer Training Corps), as it shows their commitment to being a future leader in the military.

Emory & Henry partnered with East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in 2018 to bring the ROTC program to its campus. Three students have been commissioned as officers in the US Army since then, and ten are currently in the program.

According to LTC Jared Powell, professor of Military Science at ETSU, Peery has met all academic, physical and training requirements to earn this opportunity. He will go on to represent himself, Emory & Henry, Southwest Virginia and the United States Army with distinction as a commissioned officer.

Powell administered the contracting oath. Attendees included Peerys family and friends, Provost and Executive Vice President Michael Puglisi and President John W. Wells, among others.

To learn more about the program, visit www.ehc.edu/rotc.
A 22-year-old Roanoke man pleaded no contest in Floyd County Circuit Court Tuesday on abduction charges involving two 14-year-olds from Indian Valley.

Laying out the case for the court, Commonwealths Attorney Eric Branscom said one of the two 14-year-old girls, after having her smartphone taken away by her parents for violating the rules, found an older one in the house and used its wi-fi capability to text Shameek Nyrell McEntyre, who she knew by another name, to ask for marijuana.

He agreed, Branscom said, to meet her and her friend at the end of the driveway at their home.

McEntyre arrived in an SUV about an hour later (after 10 p.m.) and met with the girls, who had left the house to take their dog for a walk, Branscom said.

McEntyre told the girls he did not have the drugs with him, but would take them to a gas station to take care of things. Instead of stopping along Route 8 toward Christiansburg, Branscom said, McEntyre turned toward Roanoke.

Both girls were in the back, and McEntyre had one come up to the front seat, Branscom said, and he demanded oral sex from her while he was driving. She refused and they started telling him they wanted him to stop the car and let them out.

McEntyre drove into Roanoke and stopped at a Sheetz Store where he sent one girl with money into the store to buy a drink and had the other pump gas, before taking them to a park on Peters Creek Road, where he wanted sex and other things, Branscom said.

Instead, the girls ran from the SUV, and McEntyre threw the slushee onto one. They found an open Seven-11 and called their parents. Roanoke County, State Police and Floyd County Sheriffs deputies responded to the calls.

This was an adult abducting these two girls with the intention of sex and defiling them, Branscom said.

In interviews with the police, McEntyre said he had met at least one of the girls before, had exchanged texts and revealing photos, Branscom said.

He argued that McEntyre was child sexual predator who deserved serious prison time for his crimes.

McEntyre did not testify but said in a statement before sentencing that he got caught up with something that was out of his control.

I am not a bad man, he said. I am a good man.

Judge Mike Fleenor, in remarks before sentencing, said McEntyre is an adult, the victims are children, and that was an overriding issue in the case.

The judge gave McEntyre five consecutive years on each of the two chargers for a total of 10 years in prison and six suspended.

He has been in jail since his arrest earlier this year, and that eight months will be considered part of the time. McEntyre will also face two years of supervised probation after his release.

In victim impact statements, the mother of one of the girls said her daughter was a different person who is afraid of the dark and of strangers.

The plea and sentencing took much of the morning session of the Court docket on Tuesday while a bench trial of Melanie Dee Drayer of Pilot consumed more than two hours of afternoon time.

Drayer, charged with obtaining money under false pretenses, exploiting a senior citizen and embezzlement pleaded not guilty on all counts.

She said she borrowed more than $30,000 by use of a power of attorney over a woman she was supposed to be caring for at a nursing home.

Branscom introduced piles of documents, including copies of cancelled checks made out to Drayer and signed by her under the power of attorney, along with testimony of social workers, accountants and a state police investigator.

However, no documents showing any approval from her client were presented, and Drayer did not provide any documents of a loan she said she was seeking to pay back the money.

The situation became apparent when two large checks to the nursing home bounced, and the facility filed suit to recover the funds.

Her attorney argued that the prosecution did not prove the charges, but Judge Fleenor found her guilty of all three charges.

She will be sentenced on Oct. 17.

In other cases, before the court, including some from last week:

Falesha Stephanie Kay Holdren of Christiansburg was found guilty of violating her probation on a hit and run conviction, and was sent to prison for six months with three years, six months remaining on probation.

Michael A Reed of Floyd pleaded guilty to possession of methamphetamine and was given a two-year suspended sentence and a $200 fine plus court costs.

Andrew Jack Meyers of Willis was granted deferred disposition for two years on charges of attempted malicious wounding and destruction of property.

Kimberly Michelle Hamby of Independence pleaded guilty to petty larceny and was given a six-month suspended sentence.
A Longview man pleaded guilty this week to threatening his ex and spraying bear Mace in the persons face.

David Jeremy Fox, 44, of Longview, was sentenced Wednesday to almost two years in prison.

He was sentenced to 364 days in county jail for a fourth-degree assault charge, but 324 days were suspended as credit for time served. Two charges were also dismissed, including a felony charge for violating a court order.

While wearing a striped jail uniform Wednesday, Fox waved his right to be present for a future restitution hearing.

Fox sprayed the victim with bear Mace and slashed the persons tires during a fight over car keys, his ex told police when they were called to West Longview on Aug. 1. Court records state the victim said they were sprayed when opening the truck door to grab the keys from Fox, who was standing beside the vehicle.

The two were prevented from being in contact due to an Oregon court order after Fox threatened his exs child, the report states.

The probable cause statement says Fox sent his ex text messages that day saying he would shoot every last one of you in the head.

Fox sent another text message saying, I will get there, when I do, and I aint gonna aim, I am just gonna shoot through your walls.

According to court documents, Fox has been charged in the past with theft, bail jumping and forgery multiple times.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin visit the Vostochny Cosmodrome space launch center in the Russian Far East, Sept. 13, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency the following day. Yonhap



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met with Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and inspected Russia's nuclear-capable bombers, missiles and a warship Saturday after he arrived in Russia's far eastern city of Vladivostok, Russian media reported.



Kim has been touring Russia's Far East after his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday at the Vostochny space center amid growing concerns over possible military cooperation between the two countries.



Russia's TASS news agency reported Kim arrived at the Knevichi airfield in Vladivostok on Saturday, where he was greeted by Shoigu and an honor guard.



Guided by Shoigu, Kim looked at Russia's nuclear-capable strategic bombers  Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3  and its latest hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, according to news reports.



Later in the day, Kim and Shoigu also inspected the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate of Russia's Pacific Fleet moored in Ulysses Bay in the port city, according to TASS.









Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, briefed Kim on the characteristics of the ship and its weapons, it said.



On Friday, Kim visited a Russian aircraft plant that produces advanced fighter jets, including the Sukhoi Su-35, in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.



During his trip to the Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant, Kim said he was "deeply impressed" with the advanced state of Russian aerospace and aviation technology, according to Pyongyang's state media.





North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, is given a tour of an aircraft cockpit during his visit to the Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a city in Russia's far eastern region, Sept. 15, in this photo released by the North's official Korean Central News Agency. Yonhap
Inspired by local centennial celebrations, members of the Century Club of Longview investigated their organizations history and presented their findings in May through a special program called Century Club: The Early Years.

The program was held in the Mary J. Otteraaen Room of the Longview Public Library and focused on the first decade of the groups activities, according to a press release from the organization.

The group found information from secretarial minutes and scrapbooks containing news articles about group events in the librarys Longview Room. Members compared the clubs activities then to the ones they have today and examined the historical influences of the time period on the club.

The Century Club began in 1929 as a womens study group that met in the basement of the Longview Public Library, and emphasizes learning about the local community and the world at large. Club activities include hosting programs that present local and world views of history, culture, the arts and education.

Longview Room coordinator Angela Stephenson assisted club member Melanie Jechort with the majority of her research.

For those unable to attend the Early Years presentation, the Century Club also presented a streamlined version in June.

Club members are planning to hold other historical presentations on subsequent decades in the next several years, and will celebrate their own centennial in 2029.
The next regular public meeting of the Fort Vancouver Regional Libraries Board of Trustees will be held 6 p.m. Monday at the Battle Ground Community Library, Battle Ground. The meeting will be in hybrid format, and the link to attend online can be found at www.fvrl.org/board-trustees.

The Longview Accessibility Advisory Committee will hold a regular meeting at 4 p.m. Monday in the citys second-floor training room, 1525 Broadway St. Longview. Agendas will be made available the Friday before the meeting at www.mylongview.com under Agendas & Minutes.

The Longview Parks & Recreation Advisory Board will hold a regular meeting at 5 p.m. Monday in the citys second-floor training room, 1525 Broadway St. Longview. The meeting is also available via Microsoft Teams Webinar. The agenda is available at www.mylongview.com under Agendas & Minutes.

The bimonthly meeting of the Area Agency on Aging and Disabilities of Southwest Washington Council of Governments will be held 1 p.m. Friday at 201 NE 73rd St., Vancouver. Call 360-735-5721 three days before the meeting to discuss disability accommodations if needed.
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill likely to ultimately fail that would prevent states from banning gas-powered cars.

While the Democrat-controlled Senate is not poised to bring the bill to the floor for a vote, debates over greenhouse gas emissions, fuel prices and the Washington state Climate Commitment Act have brought discussions about the pros and cons of gas- and electric-powered cars into the limelight.

The bill passed in the House 222-190 on Thursday and received support from Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Spokane, who leads the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

In a House Rules Committee hearing this week, McMorris Rodgers said the bill is about keeping transportation affordable and embracing the legacy of the American auto industry.

Gov. Jay Inslees office remains dedicated to its plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered vehicles in Washington by 2035, following in the footsteps of Californias push toward zero-emission vehicles.

Inslee spokesperson Mike Faulk said Thursdays House bill was an act of chest-beating that he doesnt believe will make any lasting change.

The reason behind this bill is that people who are connected to the fossil fuel industry are trying to protect the fossil fuel industry, Faulk said. Theyre not really trying to protect consumers. Theyre not really trying to protect anybody except those who are trying to wine and dine them.

Sen. Mark Schoesler, R-Ritzville, said on Thursday he disagrees with Inslees push toward electric vehicles.

Whether its your washing machine, your car or your stove: Let the market decide what machines they want, and theyll make good decisions, Schoesler said.

Under the states current plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, gas-powered cars would not be banned outright come 2035, and sales of used vehicles with internal combustion engines would continue.

Historically, air quality standards have been regulated at the federal level. But the federal government granted California permission to make its own regulations more than 60 years ago. Other states that wanted to take after California were given permission by the federal government to do so and adopt Californias standards over the federal governments. Washington was one of those states.
Oregon volleyball picked up a road win over a top 10 opponent.

The No. 7 Ducks edged No. 8 Pittsburgh 3-2 (26-24, 25-17, 18-25, 20-25, 15-13) Thursday night at Fitzgerald Field House.

It was a second straight win over a ranked team for Oregon (8-1), which narrowly outhit Pitt .227 to .220.

Morgan Lewis and Mimi Colyer each had 19 kills and Hannah Pukis had 45 assists and 19 digs. Georgia Murphy added 13 digs and 10 assists.

Torrey Stafford and Olivia Babcock each had 16 kills for Pittsburgh (6-2), which led the first set 24-21 before five straight points by Oregon, including a pair of kills by Gabby Gonzales (10 kills).

The Ducks took a 15-13 lead in the second and scored eight of 10 to pull away, with Colyer eventually closing the frame with a kill.

Pitt jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the third and though Oregon got within three it could never close the gap.

UO led 10-6 in the fourth but Pitt rallied to take a 21-17 lead and closed with back-to-back aces by Valeria Vazquez Gomez to even the match.

The teams went back and forth in the fifth with Pitt scoring four straight to take an 11-10 lead. Oregon closed the match with three straight points, with Lewis delivering the winning kill.
Huawei Technologies Co.'s controversial Mate 60 phones use SK Hynix Inc. memory that has been available for years, TechInsights found after disassembling multiple devices.

The particular Hynix modules have been available since at least 2021, when TechInsights first came across them in a Lenovo Group Ltd. handset. Huawei also used the memory in its Mate X3 and P60 Pro devices earlier this year, the researchers said.

Huawei's latest phones have ignited celebration in China and consternation in the US, thanks to their advanced made-in-China processor. Icheon-based Hynix was drawn into the debate when its components were identified in a TechInsights teardown of the Mate 60 Pro for Bloomberg News.

Not sure which

mobile to buy?

Hynix said it hasn't done business with Huawei since US sanctions were imposed on the Shenzhen-based company and is looking into the matter.

Washington officials have also started a probe into the Mate 60 Pro and its processor. Republican lawmakers on Thursday pressed the Biden administration to completely cut off Huawei and its chipmaker, Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp., from American suppliers, arguing that Huawei's device demonstrates the ineffectiveness of the sanctions imposed on those firms so far.
Irish regulators on Friday handed out a 345-million-euro ($369-million) fine to TikTok over data breaches, part of a battle between the European Union and big tech firms on issues from tax avoidance and hate speech to data privacy and monopolistic practices.

Here is a summary of the tussles between the tech giants and Brussels.

- Privacy -

Ireland issues the most stringent fines on this front as Dublin hosts the European offices of several big tech firms and data privacy is enforced by local regulators.

Friday's massive fine against TikTok for mishandling children's data came just four months after Ireland hit Meta with a record penalty of 1.2 billion euros for illegally transferring personal data between Europe and the United States.

Luxembourg had previously held the record for data fines after it slapped Amazon with a 746-million-euro penalty in 2021.

- Stifling competition -

Brussels has doled out over eight billion euros in fines to Google alone for abusing its dominant market position.

In 2018, the company was fined 4.3 billion euros -- the EU's biggest ever antitrust penalty even after it was reduced to 4.1 billion euros -- for using its Android mobile operating system to promote its search engine.

The firm has also incurred billion-plus fines for abusing its power in the online shopping and advertising sectors.

The European Commission, the EU's executive, recommended in June that Google should sell parts of its business and could face a fine of up to 10 percent of its global revenue if it fails to comply.

Apple has also been in the EU's sights, with Brussels investigating its dominance among music streaming apps.

- Taxation -

The EU has had little success in getting tech companies to pay more taxes in Europe, where they are accused of funnelling profits into low-tax economies like Ireland and Luxembourg.

In one of the most notorious cases, the European Commission in 2016 orderedApple to pay 13 billion euros in back taxes in Ireland after ruling a sweetheart tax deal with the government was illegal.

But EU judges overturned the decision saying there was no evidence the company had broken the rules, a decision the commission has been trying to reverse ever since.

The commission also lost a case involving Amazon, which it had ordered to repay 250 million euros in back taxes to Luxembourg.

- Disinformation, hate speech -

Web platforms have long faced accusations of failing to combat hate speech, disinformation and piracy.

The EU's Digital Services Act is designed to force companies to tackle these issues or face fines of up to six percent of their global turnover.

The law came into force in August for 19 major platforms, including TikTok, Facebook and YouTube, before its wider rollout next year.

- Paying for news -

Google and other online platforms have also been accused of making billions from news without sharing the revenue with those who gather it.

To tackle this, the EU created a form of copyright called "neighbouring rights" that allows print media to demand compensation for using their content.

France has been a test case for the rules and after initial resistance Google and Facebook both agreed to pay some French media for articles shown in web searches.
Antonio Rangel, a behavioral economist and professor at the California Institute of Technology, knows how to get you to grab a cereal box off a supermarket shelf using product placement and consumer habits. And he said Google understands the same tricks, which is why the tech giant has fought so hard to keep itself as the default search engine on mobile phones.

If I can move your eyes, if I can manipulate your fixations, I can manipulate your choices quite a bit, Rangel said as an expert witness called by the US government in its landmark antitrust trial against Alphabet Inc.'s Google.

Rangel said in testimony Wednesday and Thursday that his research on the prime placement of cereal boxes in stores was relevant to his assessment of search engine defaults. He found that getting prominent real estate on a web browser or mobile phone discourages people from switching to rival search engines. Consumers are reluctant to change behaviors that have hardened into habit, he said.

Search engine defaults generate a sizable and robust bias towards the default, Rangel said. Defaults have a powerful impact on consumer decisions. Often consumers don't even realize they are making a choice by default and they don't know how to change it, he said.

Rangel's testimony addresses a key point in the government's biggest tech monopoly trial of the last two decades, which opened Tuesday in Washington. The US Justice Department alleges that Google illegally maintains a monopoly in online search by paying more than $10 billion a year to tech rivals, smartphone makers and wireless providers in exchange for being set as the preselected option, or default, on mobile phones and web browsers. Google argues the company has won market share because it has the best search engine, not because of a lack of competition.

The trial, which is expected to last 10 weeks, could have broad implications for the $1.7 trillion company, which has remade communications and information retrieval in the modern internet era. The Justice Department is seeking to establish, in this trial phase, that Google violated the law; if District Judge Amit Mehta rules that it did, he might seek a second proceeding that would include options for remedy. The government could push for the biggest forced breakup of a US company since AT&T was dismantled in 1984, unwinding Google Search from its other businesses, like Maps or its Android operating software.

Rangel testified that Google showed, through its actions, that it believed in the power of default settings. Google employs a Behavioral Economics Team, which conducted experiments on the company's products to see how it would affect the behavior of people using them, he said.

In one, advertisers looking to spend money on Google were asked to enter a maximum daily budget into an interface with no default settings. The team tested adding a $10 default to increase spending among low-budget advertisers  and it worked, Rangel said. The new default setting generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue for Google, he said.

Google has also felt the power of defaults on the losing end. Employees working to develop Google Podcasts complained internally about how defaults were preventing uptake of the product. A Google employee said in an email cited by Rangel that while the team felt that they offered an equivalent or better user experience, Apple Podcasts have a significant advantage because the app is included on iPhones. This goes to show the power of the default, the Google employee said.

Time and again, Google acted to remain the default search engine on mobile devices and browsers, Rangel said. In 2007, Google chief economist Hal Varian called the default home page a powerful strategic weapon in the search battle. In 2014, Google determined that Android users rarely stray away from pre-loaded apps.  And in 2015, Google described potentially losing the deal with Apple for it to remain the default search engine on Safari browsers as a code red.

Our brand is in good standing among iPhone usersbut our position is still very vulnerable if defaults were to change, one Google employee said in an email cited by Rangel.

Rangel also concluded the effect of a search engine default is stronger on mobile devices than on personal computers because of their size and user interface.

In 2012, Apple changed the mapping default on iPhone from Google Maps to its own new product, Apple Maps. Rangel said the impact of that switch was immediate, very sizable and lasts quite a while. The exact numbers were redacted from public view.

Apple Maps became the dominant map application on iPhone even though it had quality problems, he said.

In another instance in 2020, privacy-focused browser Brave Software Inc. switched its default search engine to DuckDuckGo in four countries: Germany, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. The company found that a sizable number of users stuck with DuckDuckGo because of the switch, Rangel said.

In its defense, Google argued that superior product quality mattered the most.

When Google attorney John Schmidtlein asked Rangel if bias toward a default is greater than bias toward a superior product, Rangel gave a nuanced answer. It's going to be dependent on the savviness of the consumer and other experiences, he said. All other things being equal, if they are not satisfied with the searches, they are more likely to enter the explicit mode to switch to another product or browser down the line.

Schmidtlein then asked whether Rangel agreed that companies typically use consumer demand as a proxy for consumer preference.

I think that companies are in the business of maximizing profits, and they will use consumers' demand to build models about what consumers would do, Rangel said. And that's not the same thing as preferences.
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

After an onslaught of about 150 lightning strikes hit one of California's most drought-stricken regions last month, sparking more than two dozen fires, the flames spread quickly across the rugged wilderness of the state's northwest corner.

Over the ensuing days, the fires, growing dangerously close to rural communities and a major thoroughfare, also threatened a piece of crucial infrastructure: the only transmission lines that provide power to Del Norte County's 27,000 residents.

On Aug. 18, three days after the fires erupted, Pacific Power warned its customers about possible electricity disruptions as the Smith River Complex wildfires ballooned, but officials were focused on issues that appeared more urgent: issuing the first of many mandatory evacuations for rural North Coast residents and shuttering a large section of U.S. Route 199.

But just hours later, the utility updated its outlook: Widespread outages were imminent.

"It was a surprise, I think, to everyone that the fire was that close and that the power would be shut down in that short a time frame," said Eric Wier, city manager for Del Norte County's largest population hub, Crescent City. "We thought we would have a couple of days to plan."

An hour later, the entire county was dark, with no estimate for when power might be restored. Businesses closed, while county officials alerted residents to "plan for a multi-day" outage, warning that radio might be "the most reliable way to stay up to date."

"Multi-day" turned out to be a best-case scenario.

For more than three weeks, Pacific Power remained unable to re-energize its two transmission lines that link Crescent City and Del Norte County to the power grid, as flames raged along the lone power line corridor, jeopardizing safety and damaging infrastructure.

However, a backup plan was in the works. Within days of the widespread outage, officials began bringing homes and businesses back online through a patchwork of generator-powered microgrids that could run separately from the fire-threatened transmission linesforming what appears to be the state's largest and longest-running microgrid operation powered by large generators.

"This was one of those all-hands-on-deck moments," said Stefan Bird, the chief executive of Pacific Power, a branch of PacifiCorp that provides electricity to 800,000 across Northern California, Oregon and Washington. "The scale of deployment in this case was unprecedented."

With assistance from Pacific Gas & Electric, Pacific Power's utility counterpart to the south, officials brought in dozens of tractor-trailer-sized generators, restoring electricity across Del Norte County one section at a time. Within a week, all non-evacuated residents had their lights back on, without any usage restrictions. The backup power continued running without any reported interruptions until the main lines were safely re-energized Sundayalmost a month after the initial shutoff.

"For the first time, an entire county's electric needs were supplied by commercial generators powering substations, providing temporary electrification for the community," state Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), who represents Del Norte County, said in a statement. "This was a remarkable achievement, all things considered."

Although McGuire said the novel response surely helped limit the mounting damage from the wildfiresbusinesses and residents have already reported losing thousands of dollars, as reported by the Wild Rivers Outpost, and firefighters have confirmed at least 12 structures destroyed in the blazehe said "the size and scope of these forest fires," which would become the state's largest of the year, "are staggering."

Microgrids in a matter of days

Once power was lost Aug. 18, local, state, federal and utility officials began coordinating emergency procedures: setting up temporary shelters with power stations, air-conditioning and water supplies; providing small-scale generators to medically vulnerable residents; and determining what other crucial facilities needed backup power.

"You don't realize the amount of ripple effects that can happen when all of a sudden you don't have a critical infrastructure piece, like power. It is life or death for a lot of people," Wier of Crescent City said. "Being a rural community, not everyone is on community-supplied water  [so] as soon as that power goes out, they don't have water either."

Officials worried about how dialysis patients would receive their treatment, how well-water homes would flush toilets and when people would start running out of food as refrigerators warmed. Issues only mounted as time without power grew: after just 24 hours, some of the county's small-scale generators, including at the jail and a shelter, started to fail, Wier said.

"We didn't know what the length was going to be," Wier said. "I didn't think bringing in generators to power an entire community was even a possibility."

Del Norte County, which covers 1,200 square miles, and Crescent City, home to about 6,000 residents and the county's only incorporated city, are powered entirely by two redundant transmission lines, according to Pacific Power. The separate lines with built-in backups provide some resiliency, but not against physical threats, as they run along the same corridor from Oregon.

"Without those lines, [these areas] are effectively islanded," Bird of Pacific Power said, which is why locally based power was a viable solution.

Within two days, Pacific Power and its partners had transported and connected the first of the large, commercial-grade generators, restoring power to essential businesses such as grocery stores, gas stations and pharmacies.

Four days after the shutoffswhen the fires had spread to 40,000 acres, still without any containmentdozens of diesel-fueled generators had been installed, providing power to 4,000 customers in the Crescent City area, according to updates from Pacific Power. An additional 3,000 customers were brought online the following day as generators were set up at more substations.

By Aug. 25seven days after the initial outagenearly all of Del Norte County had power restored, officials announced. (Mandatory evacuation zones still did not.)

PG&E provided the majority of the large-scale generators through mutual aid and also lent utility crews for emergency support, said Angie Gibson, PG&E's vice president of emergency preparedness and response.

"We were able to mobilize close to 40 megawatts of generation up to six of their substations up at Pacific Power, as well as to the Pelican [Bay] State Prison," Gibson said. At each substation, several of the 1.5- or 2-megawatt generators were connected, working together to be able to pick up the full load, she said.

"We have the opportunity to share innovation," Gibson said. "The customers up there are amazing  we're very privileged to be able to do this for them."

PG&E has been building up its fleet of backup generators in an effort to minimize interruptions during "public safety power shutoffs," which are increasing with frequency, especially in Northern California as climate change accelerates extreme wildfire growth. Since the deadly 2018 Camp fire, which was sparked by PG&E power lines, utilities have used the planned shutoffs to reduce unintentional sparks during elevated fire-risk conditions, often leaving unaffected areas inadvertently without power.

PG&E also has rolled out these larger-scale generators during other emergencies, such as this winter's drenching stormsoften placing them at several locations to minimize outages. During those storms, PG&E distributed 267 megawatts of backup power from the large generators, Gibson saida much larger scale than in Del Norte County, but spread across several service areas and crises.

"When you make those investments, it does allow you to do different things in emergencies," said Michael Wara, the director of the Climate and Energy Policy Program at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. "It's creating resilience, and that's what we need to doparticularly up in that neck of the woods, given the fire risk."

During the wildfire response, Pacific Power utilized 44 commercial-grade generators to power 13,000 customers across Del Norte County and distributed more than 200 residential generators, said Tiffany Erickson, a spokesperson for PacifiCorp. Each generator averaged about 47,000 gallons of diesel every 24 hours, she said, refueling two to three times a day.

Although powering an entire community on diesel generators is "certainly not as cost effective" as standard power sources, Bird said, Pacific Power was "grateful for the ability to be able to provide this solution."

The total cost of Pacific Power's operation was not yet available, Erickson said, but she noted that customers would be charged at existing rates for the three-week period of generator power.

"I can't say enough about Pacific Power and the job that they were able to do to really respond to this disaster in a timely fashion," Wier said, "and do something that I don't think has ever been done before."

A more resilient future

Although the diesel-fueled generators proved vital for Del Norte County, Wara pointed to Native American tribes in nearby Humboldt County that have turned to more sustainable microgrids with a combination of solar, batteries and natural gas.

The Blue Lake Rancheria tribe, northeast of Eureka, has invested in a complex system of green energy that proved stable even during surrounding outages from wildfire prevention shutoffs and an earthquak.. And some utility companies have taken similar steps; in the desert of Borrego Springs, San Diego Gas & Electric Co. has built a microgrid of lithium-ion batteries, in hopes of keeping power on during inevitable emergency outages.

Rachel McCain, the natural resources director for the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation in Del Norte County, said tribal leaders there are increasingly thinking about ways to improve utility independence.

"It's definitely higher on the list after all this," McCain said. "We do have a rich fire history, but the intensity we saw this year and the rate of growth was not something we usually deal with. This is definitely the biggest fire we've dealt with in about 30 years."

Bird said his team is also considering ways to make the county more resilient and sustainable.

"This new reality that we're in of extreme weather, the threat of wildfireit's just bigger than any single company, industry or community," Bird said. "That challenge is continuing to exist across the West as we move forward, so there's a lot to do."

And the emergency in Del Norte County isn't over.

The Smith River Complex fire, which jumped the border into Oregon, has burned 86,000 acres, mostly in the Six Rivers National Forest, and is just 21% contained, according to fire officials. Air quality in the region remains low and fuels are dry, as the blaze burns in the state's only location still facing moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

"That [power] could go off anytime; the fire is still burning; the trees could still fall," McCain of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation said. "I'm happy that Pacific Power was quick in their response, and I do think they did a good job, but we need some sort of power system that doesn't require that much work. We can't just run diesel generators for everything."

Pacific Power said it is determining "what long-term system upgrades can also provide an alternate solution, including new transmission lines and redundant infrastructure," said Erickson, the company spokesperson.

McGuire, the state senator, called for more readily available backup generation and a second set of transmission linesboth expensive ventures.

"This fire did highlight the lack of resources immediately available in this remote and beautiful region of the Golden State," McGuire said. "We know with a changing climate, all utilities must be better prepared to have resources on the ground and in the impacted county they serve."

2023 Los Angeles Times.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
AUSTIN  Ken Paxtons fate is in the hands of a jury of his political peers.

Unlike an American criminal trial, where 12 jurors are selected from a pool to listen to arguments and render verdicts, Paxtons impeachment features 30 state senators as jurors.

Potentially burdened by political entanglements and biases, the senators will decide whether the suspended attorney general is convicted on some or all of the charges against him. If hes convicted on just one of the articles, hell be removed from office.

The senators decisions will be made under continuing pressure from Paxtons supporters and detractors, who have made it clear that what happens in the jury room will impact their political careers.

If youre just a regular citizen and you get pulled in for jury duty, no one is going to try and get you fired, Plano-based Republican consultant Vinny Minchillo said. No one is going to try to find a candidate to primary you and take your job if you dont vote the right way.

On Friday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is serving as judge in the trial, read the articles of impeachment to jurors. He instructed them to have no contact with anyone outside the jury room during their deliberations and to stay off their cell phones, except in cases of emergency. After closing arguments, Patrick gave jurors their formal instructions as spectators in the gallery observed the historic impeachment trial.

A two-thirds majority is needed for conviction, which means the prosecution had a heavy lift to remove Paxton from office, Minchillo said. Senators deliberated into the early evening Friday but no verdict was announced.

Paxtons wife, Sen. Angela Paxton of McKinney, attended the proceedings but is recused from voting.

The prosecution needed to have something overwhelming or a smoking gun, Minchillo said. The senators are saying you better give me a real good reason to convict.

In an American courtroom, evidence is the key factor to how a jury deliberates. Rarely are juror decisions made under political pressure.

I do know that there are personal relationships and lots of politics, but Im hoping and praying that theyll take their oaths seriously, said former state Rep. David Simpson, a Republican who lives in Avinger.

Its hard to predict what verdict the senators will issue for Paxton, said Collin County Republican Party Chairman Abraham George.

Thats the million dollar question, he said. I cant tell you for sure how they will vote.

In the hands of senatorsTexas hasnt had an impeachment trial of a statewide leader since James Pa Ferguson was convicted and removed from office in 1917.

In May, the Texas House impeached Paxton by an overwhelming 121-23 vote, including a majority of Republicans.

The House and Senate, however, are rivals of sorts, so Paxtons conviction is an open question: During the legislative session the House and Senate were at odds over several critical issues, including the mechanics of an $18 billion property tax cut. Since the Paxton impeachment originated in the House, some Senate Republicans may not want to cosign their findings.

Still, many Republican senators could be disturbed by the allegations against the attorney general.

Votes on pre-trial motions to dismiss offer some clues, but its still unclear how the senators will vote.

Democrats united: The Senates 12 Democrats are poised to vote to convict Paxton. The Republicans have a more complicated process. Clues on how Republicans feel about the trial, perhaps, came with their votes on pre-trial motions to dismiss the case.

Six solid GOP votes for Paxton: Six GOP senators backed every motion to dismiss, signaling strong support for Paxton. They are: Sens. Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham, Bob Hall of Edgewood, Tan Parker of Flower Mound, Paul Bettencourt of Houston, Donna Campbell of New Braunfels and Brandon Creighton of Conroe. Parker, Campbell and Bettencourt are up for reelection in 2024.

Five swing votes: Five Republicans voted for at least one motion to dismiss, suggesting they have not yet made up their minds on the evidence and are widely considered swing voters. They are Charles Schwertner of Georgetown, Bryan Hughes of Mineola, Brian Birdwell of Grandbury, Charles Perry of Lubbock and Kevin Sparks of Midland.

Seven Republicans who could vote to convict: Seven Republicans sided with Democrats in voting against dismissing all of the motions to dismiss. That list includes Kelly Hancock of North Richland Hills, Joan Huffman of Houston, Mayes Middleton of Galveston, Robert Nichols of Jacksonville, Phil King of Weatherford, Drew Springer of Muenster and Pete Flores of Pleasanton.

Prosecutors need to get nine GOP senators to join Democrats in convicting Paxton of one or all articles of impeachment.

Paxton, a McKinney Republican in his third term, is a former member of the House and Senate.

I feel like this cake was baked on the first day, said Minchillo, who predicts an acquittal. The senators are not particularly movable. When they get to the jury room, they already know how things are going to go.

Others predicted Paxton would be ousted from office.

Once theyve made the decision to let all the dirty laundry get aired, they were pretty much sealing the fate of Paxton, as well as signaling what they were going to do, said Mark Jones, a political scientist at Rice University.

Politics or evidence

The trial, nearly two weeks long, featured a sometimes tense battle between lawyers on both sides. Paxtons team sought to unravel the prosecutions star witnesses, which were mainly the whistleblowers who reported the attorney generals actions to the FBI.

On Wednesday, one of the most dramatic days of the trial, the prosecution rested prematurely, which was followed by the defense asking for a directed verdict dismissing the case. The motion was eventually withdrawn.

That drama followed the revelation that Paxtons alleged mistress was at the Capitol, but deemed unavailable to testify.

Minchillo, the GOP consultant, said testimony from the alleged mistress could have helped prosecutors sway conservative Republicans, particularly with Angela Paxton in the room.

The work of the defense has been praised by many Paxton supporters, including Luke Macias, director of the Defend Texas Liberty PAC.

It is concerning that were going through this process, Macias said during an interview with The Dallas Morning News and KXAS-TV.

He added: Wed be really surprised if any of these senators vote to impeach Ken Paxton.

Others say the evidence clearly shows Paxton is unfit for office and GOP senators will convict Paxton  even if it makes them uncomfortable.

The facts and the information are very compelling, said Jason Villalba, Chairman and CEO of the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation. Its a coin toss right now, but if I had to bet a dollar, Id bet on conviction.

The vote, however, could be unpredictable.

The evidence is quite clear, but when youre dealing with senators who have political considerations and not just the facts, its a different analysis, Villalba said.

The overriding factor in the jury vote could be politics.

And it will be hard for GOP senators to stand up against the partys insurgents who are supportive of Paxton, said Dr. Bob Deuell, a former state senator from Greenville.

I dont know what Republican stands up and makes the prosecutions points for them, he said. Theyre not strong enough and theyre still worried about reelection.

Republican senators could be wary of what they say during deliberations because their comments could be repeated and used against them in upcoming political fights.

Pressure also is being exerted from anti-Paxton supporters, said Wayne Richard, a Plano businessman who is considering challenging incumbent state Rep. Matt Shaheen, also of Plano, in the 2024 GOP primary. Richard was recruited to run by pro-Paxton Republicans because Shaheen voted to impeach the attorney general, as did every other Collin County House member.

Republicans that voted to move forward with the proceedings are the ones going to be more likely to find him guilty of at least one of the charges knowing that itll only take one charge of guilt to remove him from office, Richard said. Hes (Paxton) got an uphill battle to get out of this.

Ambition was also at play, Richard said.

There are numerous people who will be voting on this with political aspirations, he added. Its difficult to know how theyre going to vote.

Richard said Texans for Lawsuit Reform, a group that backed former Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman in the 2022 GOP primary against Paxton, was actively lobbying senators to convict Paxton. A group called Texans Against Public Corruption sent Richard a text calling for Paxtons conviction, Richard said.

Theres pressure coming from both sides, he noted.

Simpson, the former state representative, said lessons can be learned from the historic impeachment trial.

Whats critical is that when were confronted with wrongdoing that we admit it, forsake it, ask for forgiveness and move on, he said. Its been a sobering experience. Hopefully we dont have to go through it again for another 100 years.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met Saturday with the Russian defence minister in Vladivostok, where he inspected state-of-the-art weapons including a hypersonic missile system on the latest leg of a rare visit outside his country.

Upon arriving in Vladivostok, a Pacific port city near the Chinese and North Korean borders, Kim was greeted by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and an honor guard.

The pair were seen smiling as they inspected some of Russia's nuclear bombers at an airfield before boarding a warship, a video released by the Russian defence ministry showed.

Kim's extended tour of Russia's far eastern region, which began on Tuesday, has focused extensively on military matters, as evidenced by his own officer-dominated entourage, a symbolic exchange of rifles with President Vladimir Putin and a tour of a fighter jet factory in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

Historic allies, Russia and North Korea are both under rafts of global sanctions -- Moscow for its Ukraine assault, Pyongyang for its nuclear tests.

Kim's first official visit abroad since the coronavirus pandemic has fanned Western fears that Moscow and Pyongyang will defy sanctions and strike an arms deal.

Moscow is believed to be interested in buying North Korean ammunition to continue fighting in Ukraine, while Pyongyang wants Russia's help to develop its internationally condemned missile program.

The Kremlin has said no agreement has or will be signed.

After meeting Kim on Wednesday at the Vostochny cosmodrome, roughly 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles) from Moscow, Putin talked up the prospect of greater cooperation with North Korea and the "possibilities" for military ties.

At the Knevichi airfield in Vladivostok on Saturday, Kim was shown strategic Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3 bombers.

"These aircraft form the air component of Russia's strategic nuclear forces," the defence ministry said in a statement.

According to footage released by Moscow, Kim was shown carefully listening to senior representatives of the Russian military and inspecting the aircraft.

Russian officials also showed the reclusive leader a range of fighter jets as well as a hypersonic, air-launched Kinzhal missile system.

Kim and Shoigu then boarded the Marshal Shaposhnikov, an anti-submarine destroyer, where the head of the Russian navy, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, explained the characteristics of the warship and the weapons it carries including Kalibr cruise missiles.

Russia uses Kinzhal and Kalibr missiles to assault Ukraine. Later in the day Kim watched a production of The Sleeping Beauty, one of the most popular classical ballets, in the company of Russian officials.

Regional governor Oleg Kozhemyako said talks with the North Korean leader would take place on Sunday, and the two would discuss tourism and culture, among other topics.

'Troubling' cooperation

Kim is visiting Russia as Putin seeks to bolster alliances with other world leaders ostracised by Western countries.

Kim and Putin's gifting each other rifles at the spaceport summit on Wednesday further fuelled speculation that an arms export deal could be on the table, despite Western warnings.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that no agreements had been signed during Kim's trip, and "there was no plan to sign any."

While meeting Kim, Putin accepted an invitation to visit North Korea and offered to send a North Korean to space, which would be a first.

Moscow also mentioned the possibility of helping North Korea manufacture satellites, a prospect that has alarmed Washington.

The cooperation announced during Kim's Russia trip is "quite troubling and would potentially be in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions," U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters after the leaders' summit.

North Korean satellites, he noted, have been used to develop Pyongyang's ballistic missiles.

Pyongyang recently failed twice in its bid to put a military spy satellite into orbit. (AFP)
Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Berkshire Bank that provides various banking products and services. It offers various deposit accounts, including demand deposit, interest-bearing checking, regular savings, money market savings, time certificates of deposit, and retirement deposit accounts; and loans, such as commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, consumer, and residential mortgage loans. The company also provides wealth management services comprising investment management, trust administration, tax return preparation, and financial planning; and investment products and brokerage services. In addition, it offers electronic banking, commercial cash management, online banking, small business banking, asset based lending, and mobile banking services; and debit cards and other electronic fee producing payment services to transaction account customers. The company serves personal, commercial, non-profit, and municipal deposit customers. It also has financial centers in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The company was founded in 1846 and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
Webster Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Webster Bank, National Association that provides a range of financial services to individuals, families, and businesses in the United States. It operates through three segments: Commercial Banking, HSA Bank, and Consumer Banking. The Commercial Banking segment provides commercial real estate and equipment financing, business banking, asset-based lending, and commercial services; public sector finance; mortgage warehouse financing; treasury management services; credit, deposit, and cash flow management services; and wealth management solutions to business owners and operators, including trust, asset management, financial planning, insurance, retirement, and investment products, as well as derivative, treasury, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and trade products and services. The HSA Bank segment offers health savings accounts, health reimbursement arrangements, flexible spending accounts, and commuter services that are distributed directly to employers and individual consumers, as well as through national and regional insurance carriers, consultants, and financial advisors. The Consumer Banking segment provides consumer deposit and fee-based services, residential mortgages, home equity lines, secured and unsecured loans, and credit cards to consumers; and small business banking products, such as credit, deposit, and cash flow management to businesses and professional service firms. It also offers online and mobile banking services. Webster Financial Corporation was founded in 1935 and is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.
Sacombank keen to acquire stake in Bamboo Airways

By Hai Dang Sat, September 16, 2023 | 11:36 am GTM+7

Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange-listed Sacombank is taking procedures to acquire a stake in Bamboo Airways, one of its debtors, as the airline is seeking strategic investors.

Phan Dinh Tue, a board member of Bamboo Airways, shared the information at an extraordinary shareholders' meeting on Friday. Tue served as Sacombanks deputy CEO and board member from 2022-2026 before joining Bamboo Airways.

The Bamboo Airways board at an extraordinary meeting on September 15, 2023. Photo courtesy of Bamboo Airways.

As a large financier of Bamboo Airways, Sacombank is interested in the former's restructuring. However, the bank must receive approval from authorities to invest in the airline as aviation is its non-core business.

Bamboo Airways, among the biggest air carriers in Vietnam, owes around VND3 trillion ($125 million) to Sacombank, according to local media.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh last month asked ministries, including the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV), to help Bamboo Airways overcome its difficulties. As a result, the SBV, the country's central bank, has taken charge of reviewing banks that are qualified to purchase a stake in Bamboo Airways.

At the meeting, shareholders passed changes regarding the carrier's board. As such, Le Thi Truc Quynh, Bamboo Airways deputy CEO, was elected to join the board for the 2023-2028 term, along with Le Thai Sam, Le Ba Nguyen, Nguyen Ngoc Trong and Phan Dinh Tue. Quynh had held positions at a number of Vietnamese banks and was a deputy CEO at FLC Group, the former parent firm of Bamboo Airways, until February this year.

Meanwhile, the supervisory board will admit three news members  Nguyen Thi Hong Cam, Pham Van Hung, and Nguyen Dang Khoa  after dismissing the previous ones. Besides, the number of Bamboos legal representatives will be reduced to two, just chairman and CEO.
CARBONDALE  Seven long years in a Philippines jail  accused of a crime he didnt commit, which the court there would eventually clear him of  taught Southern Illinois University Carbondale researcher Raymund Narag that in some justice systems the process itself is the punishment.

Now his work, informed by that harrowing experience, focuses on preventing such abuses from befalling others. Narag, an associate professor in the School of Justice and Public Safety, examines comparative criminology and criminal justice, studying the criminal justice systems in Asia, with a special focus on the Philippines, and how they respond to crime and deal with offenders.

My area of research emanated from my profound personal experience as a falsely accused person held for almost seven years in the most crowded jail system in the Metro Manila, Narag said. Using his research findings and training experiences, Narag provides policy recommendations to legislators and government actors. He also presents his findings to the media and on social media, pushing public opinion toward reforms when needed.

I am an advocate for a more equitable criminal justice system, Narag said. I advocate for better policing, for more efficient court systems and for better correctional rehabilitation practices.

Narag conducts empirical research to understand criminal justice realities on the ground where they affect real people. Making use of his extensive personal experiences and connections, he attempts to understand the conditions of individuals experiencing incarceration from various vantage points, including inmates, jail and prison officers, judges and other court actors.

I utilize research done in the United States and other countries to provide a theorical lens of analysis, he said. For example, I use the structural-organizational and cultural lens in explaining different criminal justice outcomes.

Using his findings, Narag designs training programs for all participants in the criminal justice system. He conducts training sessions on the principles of effective correctional management, which are inspired by reading the vast U.S. research literature but which he then tailors for use in the Asian and Filipino administrative, political and cultural realities.

The work comes with many challenges, including the social and political norms in the Philippines, which includes a harsh and punitive approach to crime.

Policy makers tend to resort to penal populism, where detention is utilized as a first resort, even for minor offenses, Narag said. This leads to the over-congestion of jails and prisons, prolonged trial detentions and exorbitant costs of running the correctional system.

Add to that the limited knowledge on best practices in running the correctional system effectively. Many correctional officers in the Philippines use different informal coping mechanisms, due to the limitations in facility, space, resources and personnel, which are against the principles of effective correctional management. Those practices become an integral part of prison management, which breeds inequality of treatment, corruption and violence within the system.

All these need to be addressed systematically, Narag said. My immediate goal is to bring light to the interconnectedness of the problem.

Narag promotes a framework called input-throughput-output aimed at making the system more rational and efficient. It includes concepts such as police focusing their efforts on more serious crimes and using detention only as a last result  an input.

The courts should work on shortening its throughput aspect by improving the pace of case disposition and minimizing postponements and delays in court hearings, Narag said.

Finally, the corrections system can maximize their output by introducing alternatives to incarceration, such as the use of parole and probation, house arrest, furloughs and other mechanisms, he said.

Narag also is promoting training reforms, such as criminogenic risk assessment tools inspired by Western theories and paradigms but modified to fit the Filipino cultural realities. Philippine jails, prisons, and parole and probation agencies have pilot-tested the tools, which employ the risk and needs and responsivity principles in correctional management.

This makes the intervention more focused, less intrusive and more effective, Narag said. It has been a very slow process of change, but there are now efforts in the Philippine Congress to introduce legislation creating the Department of Corrections, the modernization and expansion of the Parole and Probation Agency, and the introduction of the Second Chance Act Legislation.
NWTF South Carolina chapters and partners gathered on the opening day of dove season for an afternoon of camaraderie and hunting heritage success.

As part of the NWTF Wheelin Sportsmen program, over 25 individuals  including volunteers and disabled veterans  descended upon the Long Cane Ranger District of the Sumter National Forest in South Carolina to enjoy the opening day of the states dove season.

Over the years, the USDA Forest Service has facilitated NWTF events in the national forest, and this year was no different.

From May until the day before the hunt, the Forest Service planted, maintained and prepared the field for our opening-day hunt on Saturday afternoon, said Gary Peters, NWTF South Carolina Wheelin Sportsmen coordinator. Almost all of the 60-acre dove field was planted with wheat, millet, sesame or sunflower, all preferred dove foods.

Likewise, leading up to the event, the NWTF State Chapter, as well as the local NWTF Foothills and Neil Gobbler Cost chapters, combined resources and began recruiting hunters from across the state to the event, thanks to the help of like-minded organizations, like The Fallen Outdoors, Greenwood County Veterans Affairs and Waymaker Off-Road Wheel Chairs.

Seeing everyone from all these organizations working together to make this experience a good one for our mobility-impaired hunters was simply amazing, said Billie McCarter, NWTF South Carolina State Chapter board member.

With a well-maintained dove field and a group of volunteers and hunters, the scene was set for a picture-perfect opening day of a beloved end-of-summer tradition.

Dove opener For each bird harvested, hunters donated a wing to the annual population-monitoring program conducted by the South Carolina Department of Natu

One hunter shot all of his allotted 50 shells [max two boxes per hunter on public fields]; he got two doves and had a huge smile, said Peters. The group as a whole bagged approximately 20 doves.

For each bird harvested, hunters donated a wing to the annual population-monitoring program conducted by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Small Game Program.

After packing up all the gear, hunters and volunteers shared fellowship, eating dinner in the parking area and telling stories as they cooled off in the sun-setting shade.

The NWTF Anderson County Chapter donated two memberships to any hunter who was not a current member of the NWTF. As the hunters departed, they were already looking forward to their next hunt.

The Wheelin Sportsmen program began in October 2000 as the NWTF recognized the need to help people with mobility impairments enjoy the outdoors by participating in hunting and shooting sports.

Wheelin Sportsmen events provide participants an opportunity they may not be able to have on their own due to the lack of hunting land access, lack of knowledge of how to return to the field after an injury or lack of necessary assistance.

Oftentimes the knowledge and experience gained at an NWTF Wheelin' Sportsmen event allows the participants to continue hunting on their own throughout the year.
NEW ORLEANS  Increases in federal flood insurance premiums that are projected to surpass 700% over the coming years are already leading people to back out of home purchases and will likely lead to an exodus of residents and businesses from southern Louisiana, officials told a federal judge Thursday in New Orleans.

The testimony came in a hearing in a lawsuit Louisiana and nine other states filed against the federal government to block sharp increases in national flood insurance rates. A phase-in of the new rates began in 2021. Annual increases are limited to 18%. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said the new method of computing rates has resulted in reductions or little or no increase for most policy holders.

But FEMA figures also show huge impending increases in some Louisiana ZIP codes. State and local officials who testified Thursday said the increases are expected to result in some people in working-class southern Louisiana to abandon their mortgages, try to sell homes that have been in families for generations, or drop their insurance.

Weve already seen a slowdown in new building, said Matt Jewell, president of St. Charles Parish, west of New Orleans.

The implications go beyond blows to the real estate market and tax revenue. Officials said lower revenue could also hamper flood prevention and mitigation efforts. And some federal disaster programs require people in certain areas to have flood insurance  which the officials argued is becoming unaffordable.

State attorneys said during arguments before U.S. District Judge Darrel Papillion that participation in the National Flood Insurance Program requires that local governments adopt building-elevation policies and flood-control efforts that often require taxes  approved by voters believing the mitigation efforts will hold rates down.

They turned us into liars, state Solicitor General Liz Murrill told Papillion.

Papillion was hearing arguments on the federal governments motion to dismiss the suit and on the states motion for an injunction blocking the rate increases pending further court proceedings. It was unclear if he would rule Thursday.

Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia are the other states listed as plaintiffs, along with some local governments and flood control bodies in Louisiana.

FEMA has said its new premium system is an improvement over past methods, incorporating data that wasnt used in the past, including scientific models and costs involved in rebuilding a home. The agency has said the old method could result in people with lower-valued homes paying more than a fair share, while those with higher-value homes pay relatively less.

A return to the old system of calculating premiums would not guarantee a reduction of rates, Justice Department attorney Yoseph Desta argued.

He and other government attorneys argued Thursday that the new rate plan had been in the works for years, that the states had plenty of opportunity for input, and that the lawsuit, filed months after the phase-in began, was filed too late. They also argued the states have no standing to sue over the rates set by the National Flood Insurance Program.
Ambassador of Poland to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the embassy in central Seoul, Aug. 29. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



By Kwon Mee-yoo



In a climate of increasing global uncertainties, the diplomatic relationship between Korea and Poland is flourishing, particularly in the realm of defense and arms cooperation.



Recent high-level visits and strategic agreements have cemented this alliance, with Poland's acquisition of Korean-made FA-50GF fighter planes serving as a notable symbol of the deepening ties. As both nations navigate complex regional and international landscapes, their strengthened partnership in defense signifies a mutual commitment to long-term security and stability.



"I think it is my luck in my life that (as an ambassador) I am in the best place at the right moment," Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski said during an interview with The Korea Times, Aug. 29.



His remark captures the timing of a Korea-Poland relationship that's not just flourishing, but literally "armed" for success.



Before stepping into the diplomatic arena, Ostaszewski was an academic with a focus on international relations in contemporary Asia. A strong advocate for Korean studies, he served as a visiting professor at Kyungpook National University in Daegu from 2008 to 2012 and at Seoul National University in 2015.



As he nears his sixth year as ambassador since taking on the role in September 2017, Ostaszewski has witnessed and contributed to the blossoming ties between Korea and Poland. This period of diplomatic relations reached a milestone in 2019 in time for their 30th anniversary, and has since escalated to unprecedented levels of collaboration in the defense and energy sectors.



This transition from academia to diplomacy has been, for him, a deeply rewarding experience.



"One of the best things is that you can match theory with practice," Ostaszewski said, emphasizing that he sees the diplomatic post as an extension of his academic career in international relations.



"(Becoming an ambassador) is not just an accident in my life. I am fully satisfied now as I wrote books and practiced many issues and now I can present this to the public as part of my job."





Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski, third from left, poses in front of the first K9 self-propelled howitzer to be exported to Poland at Hanwha Aerospace plant in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Oct. 19, 2022. Courtesy of Hanwha Aerospace



Long-term defense partner



The defense sector stands as a cornerstone in the Korea-Poland partnership, particularly as Poland allocates roughly 4 percent of its GDP to defense  making it the highest level within NATO. This heightened focus on defense comes in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Poland is keen on bolstering its military power to fend off any prospective threats.



Ostaszewski noted that the acquisition of military equipment is not a short-term task but a long-term strategic move.



He cited the purchase of about 1,000 K2 tanks from Korea, which is not a simple transaction. "It's not like buying cookies. It's a long-term commitment and transfer of technology is also important," he said.



He noted that the decision to import weaponry from Korea was not made lightly, especially given the geopolitical tensions and the war in the region. The selection process involved many competitors and Korea was deemed most suitable for Poland's needs, according to the ambassador.



In October 2022, Ostaszewski was present at the delivery ceremony for Poland's first batch of K9 self-propelled howitzers and K2 tanks and he attended a similar event for FA-50GF fighter planes in June this year.



He found these events to be some of the most important ceremonies he has attended, particularly because it involved not just signing paperwork, but actually "touching the product."



"First, you have negotiations and sign MOUs, but if you are lucky enough and participate in many stages, you touch the product  something not only on the paper," the ambassador said.



"Seeing the tanks and planes, which have been produced in Korea, but have my flag, it came real. It is something you see when a new chapter opens."





Polish President Andrzej Duda and Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak listen to explanations of Korea Aerospace Industries CEO Kang Goo-young on Korea's FA-50, KF-21 and Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) during the International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Kielce, Poland, Sept. 6. Courtesy of KAI



He stressed that hardware alone isn't sufficient for military exercises and training operators involves a complex and specialized set of knowledge and resources. According to the ambassador, eight Polish pilots visited Korea to receive training from the Korean Air Force.



"Training is very important ... It's not like with a mobile phone, hit some buttons," Ostaszewski said.



"To train a pilot for a modern fighter plane, fully packed with computers, it takes about over a year. Training a pilot for such a sophisticated equipment could be comparable to a division (of soldiers) before the World War II," he added, emphasizing the importance of continued cooperation after initial arms exports from Korea to Poland.



After importing the 12 initial FA-50GF aircrafts, Poland plans to bring 36 more FA-50PL planes, an upgraded version tailored for Poland from 2025 to 2028. The first batch of tanks and fighter planes were produced in Korea and delivered to Poland, but part of the remaining deal would be produced both in Korea and Poland.



Poland currently holds the top spot for Korean business interests in Central Europe, spans across various industries involving more than 400 Korean companies, including major conglomerates and their suppliers.



Ostaszewski emphasized that Poland is not just a recipient of Korean investment, but a strategic partner that offers a gateway into the broader European Union market.



"Poland offers very good conditions for business and serves as a pathway into the European Union market," he said.





President Yoon Suk Yeol shakes hands with Polish President Andrzej Duda after a summit and joint press conference at the presidential palace in Warsaw, Poland, July 13. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon
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As we sit in the comfort of our Caribbean homes and look on in horror at the merciless genoc
When I set out to be a food writer, I never thought my specialty would be food, but instead the people making the food. I love food, but I have always loved people more. Except for one thing  pastry.

In many ways, I am like a pastry: created out of way too much effort, with the intention of bringing a small, frivolous joy into the world.

I have a running list of pastries that have changed my life. I encountered many of them while abroad, subsidized by generous financial aid at my college, but on a tight budget. I couldnt afford restaurants, so I lived off pastries instead.

The oversized Zimtschnecken (cinnamon snail) at the Zeit fur Brot in Berlin, my grandmothers hometown: growing up in the States with a German mom, I never knew that I could feel at home the way I did in a cafe full of serious people in shared resplendence of a not-too-sweet but very rich pastry.

The kakaos csiga (chocolate snail) at an unmarked bakery in Budapest: I was dead to the world going through my first heartbreak and this perfect pastry, made with a dough that had the best parts of brioche and croissant, unlike anything I had seen before, reminded me that there was more life to come.

The pain aux raisin from the cafe near where I worked in Bad Wildungen, Germany: something about the custard filling and the watery cappuccino, shot out of a machine at 5 a.m., made me feel like I could handle being an adult.

In my field research, I have become a connoisseur of pastry of all kinds. Here are my favorites in Tucson and the surrounding areas.

Note: in an attempt to keep this list at a reasonable length, I am not venturing into other kinds of baked goods like bread, cake or cookies. I am leaving out some of my favorite bakers and bakeries, but thats because I love them for something other than pastry. If Im missing your favorite pastry, let me know: elueders@tucson.com.

Croissant

in Southern Arizona: Patisserie Jacqui, 91 Main St., Bisbee

My favorite plain croissant is in Bisbee at Patisserie Jacqui. They use Barrio Grains Sonoran wheat flour and her lamination has the most beautiful honeycomb Ive seen in Southern Arizona. What impresses me is the flawless balance: oftentimes a crust can be just a bit too dense or too delicate, the interior slightly too chewy or too full of air. Owner Jackie Oatmans are a Goldilocks croissant, nailing all the pastrys defining traits down a perfect center.

When I lived abroad, I was able to visit Paris, but on a budget that meant I couldnt eat in restaurants, only bakeries. Parisian bakers make yearly lists of their best croissant makers and I planned my day around visiting the winners. Jackies croissants are the first Ive had stateside that could have been on my itinerary.

My favorite plain croissants in town are at Houldens Rise Above. Though I appreciate owner Hannah Houldens strong values and dedication to providing vegan pastries to Tucsonans, her croissants are superlative regardless, with beautiful layers. The fact that theyre vegan only adds to the miracle.

Note: For those of us with gluten intolerances, Patisserie Jacquis passionfruit cheesecake is gluten-free heaven.

Almond croissant

One of the biggest shocks of my time as food writer was when the barista at The Loops Ren Coffeehouse told me that they had been baking their croissants in a toaster oven for the first several years of their operation. Im happy for their talented team that they now have a proper bakery in their sister location on the other side of St. Philips Plaza. Whatever they put in the almond frangipane should be a controlled substance.

Bonus tip: Recently, 5 Points bakery manager Chandler Donald debuted a collab with Ren of some heavenly orange cardamom brioche rolls. Lets hope their partnership continues!

Pain au Chocolat

We didnt start out on the right foot. I am not an early riser on the weekends, so I would never get to the Rillito Farmers Market in time for the choice picks on Sunday. What I tried seemed stale, so I initially wrote them off  until my dog had a vet appointment before work on the far east side of town. I figured, lets get a head start and visit Cafe Francais right when they open. Im so grateful I gave them a fair chance.

When I got there in the morning, the pastries were still warm, the chocolate in the pain au chocolat slightly melted. The confection is gorgeous, with a beautiful wash and crust. Its especially delicate, soft and airy, which could contribute to how quickly they can get stale, but at the ripest moment is a pleasure unlike any Ive had in the realm of Tucson pastries.

Kouign Amann

I recently visited the woman who had this job before me in her new home on Long Island. When I mentioned that my favorite food is pastry, she immediately asked if I had tried 5 Points kouign amann. I replied immediately: of course I have! Its one of three spots in Tucson that regularly bakes the outrageously buttery pastry (one is the cottage baker Cals Bakeshop, who also does cronuts, and the other is Cafe Francais, which sells great, enormous ones for $11-$16, depending on the filling). I like 5 Points best because its less heavy than the others, but still decadent, with a uniquely tangy filling.

Turnover

La Estrella Bakery, multiple locations

La Estrella is renowned for its doughnuts, which are my favorite in town. When the list of outstanding treats and pan dulce hits the floor  doughnuts, tortillas, conchas, elotes, orejas, empanadas, to name a few  you would be forgiven for not noticing the cherry turnovers. But La Estrellas turnovers have the airiest puff pastry in town. The delicate pastry is not too sweet, but its dusted with crystal sugar that creates a mouthwatering balance. The dough could be filled with practically anything, but the sour note of cherry rounds out a truly outstanding pastry.

Bear Claw

Le Buzz, multiple locations

My dads favorite pastry is a bear claw, so whenever I see one, I pick one up for him. When they lived on the west side of town, my parents go-to spot was Village Bakehouse, where they have especially soft, almost bready bear claws coated in a gently crispy layer of icing. But when wed drive up to Mount Lemmon, wed always make a stop at Le Buzz to pick one up there.

Im not anti-danishes, but theyre rarely my go-to pastry  unless Im at Le Buzz, where they make them extra delicious. Beyond the bear claw, theyll also make danishes with fillings like Nutella that I would otherwise think are too sweet, but somehow Le Buzz pulls it off.

Briwat

La Merguez

La Merguezs food cart is hard to track down. They dont pop up much, so make sure to follow them on social media to hear about their upcoming events or locations. Though the heart of their menu is variations of the eponymous Moroccan lamb sausage sandwich made with Holy Focaccias semolina Khobz bread  painstakingly optimized to be as close to co-owner Zak Boucettas memories of his youth in Tangier, Morocco  the showstopper pastry is briwat. The phyllo pastry is filled with a blend of cheese and spices that perfectly straddle sweet and savory, so if you dip it in imported honey, its dessert, or in harissa, its a snack. Its not just special because it can only be found at one place in Tucson, its a shame that the treat is not more widely available here.

Choux

Okashi Ice Cream and Confections

As a kid, I thought eclairs were the most special dessert in the world. At the time, I was entranced by the mirror-like chocolate ganache and no food had me in a firmer chokehold than pastry cream. I hardly paid attention to choux, the vehicle for my cravings. As Ive matured, Ive come to appreciate that vehicle for its versatility and craft.

Like many pastries, choux is not easily made, and Im astonished by anyone who can make it as reliably as Dean Blair of Okashi Ice Cream and Confections. His matcha choux is marvelously, deceptively light, from the air-puffed crust to the grass green pastry cream. And unlike the sordid eclairs of my youth, these matcha choux are not too sweet.

Okashis menu can change by the week, which allows Dean to offer pastries you cant find anywhere else in Tucson, like eggy, spongy caneles or the traditional-style kouign amann (which looks more like a cake than a croissant). Stay up to date on his most recent offerings on his social media.

Cannoli

To me, cannolis connote a very specific mood. While most pastries can be enjoyed with a cup of coffee and some fruit for breakfast, I am usually eating cannolis by themselves, in my parked car, in the late afternoon of a particularly hard day. If you see me with a cannoli, that may suggest that I had to break glass in case of emergency, because the level of decadence the deep-fried, mascarpone-filled treat achieves is one saved only for the direst situations  not because I avoid eating unhealthy food, but because when something is so healing, it must be reserved only for the most sacred uses. The only place I get my cannolis in Tucson is Roma Imports, because they make them well (not a whiff of staleness or sogginess and generous chocolate chippage)  and its closest to my house.

When in a cannoli mood, I dont usually have the presence of mind to drive across town to Mafia Kitchen, Viros Bakery or Fortunatos, so, unfortunately, I cannot attest to those cannolis.

Pastizzi

Malta Joe's

Tucson is very lucky to have Malta Joes pastizzi factory and food truck. Pastizzis are a Maltese treat, shaped like sfogliatelle (which you can get at Roma Imports), but with more diverse usage. They are nearly impossible to find in the U.S.  major cities like Chicago and Los Angeles dont have large enough Maltese populations to have a bakery. People will detour to Tucson en route from California to Texas to introduce their kids to the pastry that can be made savory or sweet, but always will have a multi-layered shell, which is, in Joes case, shaped by hand.

What makes Joes pastizzi particularly special is that the fillings are as notable as the delicate pastry. His split pea curry is dynamic, flavored with aromatics and spices that bring life to the delectable, but mild, canvas of the pastizzi shell. Other bakeries might be able to recreate the pastry, but he excels at bringing the flavors of Malta to us in the fillings as well.

Rugelach

Though Tucson has a vibrant Jewish community, we lack a robust Jewish food scene in town. There are only two reliably Kosher eateries in Tucson: the snack counter Cafe at the J and Nadines Bakery.

Rugelach is one of my favorite desserts  I especially love the chocolate fudge filling and the soft bite of the pastry, made to soak up coffee  and for most of the year in Tucson, you cant find them anywhere. Of the entire year, this week, the one leading up to Rosh Hashanah, you can find them at Nadines, in all kinds of flavors: chocolate, cinnamon nut, raspberry and apricot. (Some years, you can get raspberry ones at Beyond Bread around Hanukkah.)

If youre craving rugelach during any other time of the year, though, the closest you can get would be what Nadines calls a chocolate almond tea biscuit. Laced with fudge on top, the soft, slightly sweet biscuit is wrapped around a chocolate almond filling. Though the texture is a bit different than rugelach, the biscuit hits the same needs of potent chocolate flavor with a base that pairs well with coffee, in case a craving hits off-season. Both the rugelach and biscuit are Kosher, but Nadines rugelach are Kosher dairy.

For those of us who love rugelach but are gluten-free, Dedicated also makes the Jewish pastry leading up to Rosh Hashanah.
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Sept. 15. AP-Yonhap





The United States will press for further action over North Korea's provocations and other breaches of international law, a senior U.S. official said Friday, after a recent summit between Pyongyang and Moscow deepened concerns about a potential arms deal between them.







National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan made the remarks, assessing that North Korea's talks with Russia over its potential supply of weapons for use in the war in Ukraine have continued to "advance."







North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a rare summit at a Russian spaceport Wednesday, as Kim apparently wants military technology cooperation from Russia with Putin seeking more ammunition from the North.







"We will continue to press for further action in New York in response to provocations and other steps that North Korea takes that are in violation of international law," Sullivan told a press briefing on President Joe Biden's plan to attend the U.N. General Assembly next week.






Arizona added more than 2,300 clean-energy industry jobs last year, falling just shy of the states pre-pandemic employment levels but matching the nation for job growth in the sector, a new report said.

The annual Clean Jobs America report by Environmental Entrepreneurs  or E2  said the bulk of the 61,583 clean-energy jobs in the state were in energy-efficiency fields, like efficient lighting, heating and insulation. But Arizona also had almost 12,000 jobs in renewable energy industries and more than 4,000 in clean vehicles.

It was the second straight year of clean-energy job growth in the state, which is slowly climbing back from a sharp drop in jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The addition of 2,374 jobs in 2022 brought the state just shy of the 61,944 pre-pandemic jobs  but Arizona is not the only state still feeling the effects of the pandemic.

Actually a lot of states havent returned to 2019 employment levels, said Michael Timberlake, communications director for E2. Its about 50-50 on states that have fully surpassed their pre-COVID numbers.

Timberlake said the U.S. as a whole lost more than 600,000 clean-energy jobs in the depths of the pandemic, but had regained about half the lost jobs by the end of 2020, for a total of just over 3 million. By 2022, the E2 report said, the number had climbed back above 3.3 million  just short of the 3.4 million recorded in 2019.

The industry had a lot of room to grow, you had all the jobs that were going to be created that got stalled, pushed back, delayed, canceled, like a lot of projects were canceled, Timberlake said of the pandemic drop.

And then obviously, the people you know, getting people back to work  a lot of that was just the whole industry getting back on track, he said.

The report said construction was the largest clean-energy industry for Arizona in 2022, with 35,923 employees accounting for more than half the total in the state. Timberlake said construction includes everything from building solar and wind farms to installing energy-efficient systems in peoples homes.

Energy efficiency was the largest sector of jobs in Arizona, followed by renewable energy, like solar, wind and geothermal jobs.

I think, unsurprisingly, Arizona has a very high percentage of solar energy jobs, Timberlake said of the 9,627 solar-power jobs in the state in 2022. That was the sixth-highest among states.

Clean vehicles were another area where the state performed relatively well, bolstered by the presence of electric vehicle manufacturers like Lucid Motors and Nikola Motors.

Greater Phoenix Chamber Chief Innovation Officer Jennifer Mellor said those auto manufacturers are part of a ripple effect attributable to the states overall welcoming business climate.

Weve been very, very successful in recruiting new companies and new industries outside of clean energy, in addition to clean energy, Mellor said, citing the growth of semiconductor and healthcare jobs in the state.

Whats happening is were seeing this rippling effect of other companies related to those electric companies, related to those electric vehicles and others that are coming into the market, Mellor said.

The increase in clean-energy construction jobs came during a time of a significant labor shortage in the construction industry over the last several years, Mellor said. Thats an area she said the chamber is working to improve.

Thats actually something the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation had been heavily working on through our Build Your Future Arizona campaign, and really trying to change the perceptions of the trades and encourage others to go into those high-wage, high-demand opportunities, she said.

Most of the states clean-energy jobs were in Maricopa County, which was sixth-highest in the nation with 47,775, according to the report. Pinal County was 23rd in the nation for clean-energy job growth, climbing just over 50%, from 857 in 2021 to 1,289 in 2022, the report said.
Attorney General Kris Mayes announced an investigation into the fake elector submissions in the 2020 Presidential Election. Arizona Statute 16-212 states certificates must accurately reflect the popular vote. Although Biden won by 10,457 votes, representatives of the Republican Party cloned the official state form, lied about the results, and gave Arizonas electoral votes to Trump.

Trump attorney John Eastman devised the plot, Rudy Giuliani promoted it, and 11 Republicans signed the fake certificate. They are: Arizona Republican Party Head Kelli Ward and husband Michael Ward; Republican Senate candidate James Lamond; Executive Director Arizona Republican Party Greg Stafsen; Vice Chair of Gila County Republican Party Samuel Moorhead; Chairman of Cochise County Republican Party Robert Montgomery; State Senator and January 6th participant Anthony Kern; State Representative Jake Hoffman; Conservative Values advocate Tyler Bowyer; former President of Ahwatukee Republican Women Loraine Pellegrino; and Vice President of Arizona Federation of Republican Women Nancy Cottle.

For counterfeiting documents, falsifying results, and trying to steal the election, they should be prosecuted!

Leadawn Anderton

Southwest side
Kevin Canfield Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Kevin Canfield 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

Correction: An earlier version of this story referred to Oasis Fresh Market as a nonprofit; it is a for-profit business. The story has been updated to reflect that.

An Indianapolis-based developer with plans to build a 13-story residential tower and grocery store near the Tulsa Performing Arts Center downtown failed to meet his Friday deadline to close on the purchase of the property, a PAC official said.

Mark Frie, CEO of the PAC, said the PAC Trust would discuss the matter at its meeting Monday afternoon, but he provided no other details.

The PAC Trust and the developer, Flaherty & Collins Properties, have for years been working to develop the PAC-owned parking lot directly across Cincinnati Avenue from the Performing Arts Center between Second and Third streets.

The latest iteration of the proposed development called for a 20,000-square-foot supermarket, a 13-story residential tower, 478 parking spaces, 10,000 square feet of first-floor commercial and retail space, and an Origin Hotel  a boutique property with about 120 rooms.

The PAC Trust in December agreed to give Flaherty & Collins until the end of June to close on the property, a deadline that was later extended to mid-September.

Frie said last week that failure to meet the 7 p.m. Friday closing deadline would render the trusts contract with the developer null and void and trigger a period of time for the trust to respond  which would get us to our board meeting.

When the extension was granted, Ryan Cronk, vice president of development for Flaherty & Collins, told trustees the company would use the time to finalize construction documents, get city permits for the project and secure tax credits.

That way, Cronk told trustees, he would be ready to begin construction at the time he closed on the property.

He also announced that Flaherty & Collins had signed a lease with Oasis Fresh Market to operate a 20,000-square-foot supermarket as part of the $108 million development.

The citys first Oasis Fresh Market opened in May 2021 at 1725 N. Peoria Ave., ending a yearslong effort by north Tulsa residents to get a grocery store that sells fresh fruits, vegetables and meats.

The grocery store and its owner, A.J. Johnson, have come under scrutiny in recent months.

Plans to expand the Oasis Fresh Market model stalled earlier this year after the state Legislature passed on a request for $30 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding.

The companys plan to use the funds to build four more stores ran aground amid concerns regarding the leadership structure of a companion nonprofit.

The Tulsa PAC Trust has owned the proposed development property since 1977. In 2021, trustees voted to sell the land to Flaherty & Collins for $5.5 million.

Neither Cronk nor Johnson responded to calls for comment Friday.



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Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Lenzy Krehbiel-Burton Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

After 24 years with Tulsa Public Schools, Ebony Johnson is taking on a new position.

Named to the role on Aug. 23 by the Tulsa school board, Saturday was Johnsons first day as TPS interim superintendent after the district reached a mutual separation agreement with former Superintendent Deborah Gist.

Im paying it forward by pouring back into the city that has me in this seat, she said in an interview Friday. And our students need stability. They need heart. They need love. They need a visionary. They need hope and opportunity. And those are all the things that I plan to lead with. And I believe that Tulsa Public Schools needs this now more than ever.

Sometimes theres a calling. And you answer it, and you understand it when you answer it.

With the district still facing a threat of a potential state takeover, Johnsons short term plan focuses on how to shift the narrative around the district, including an emphasis on literacy. She would like to get more family members helping to improve student attendance, in addition to programs already in place as part of the Board of Educations five-year strategic plan.

Johnson has already met with State Superintendent Ryan Walters, who publicly vowed at the Oklahoma State Board of Educations August meeting to seek additional authority for more drastic action regarding TPS accreditation status if he does not see adequate progress made within two to three months.

Johnson has also met with two members of the Oklahoma State Board of Education, Tulsas Don Burdick and Kendra Wesson, and taken them on tours of three elementary schools  Anderson, Council Oak and Unity Learning Academy  to help them better understand the district, its needs and its challenges.

Ill say that when Superintendent Walters came, he was very clear with me that he would work closely with me to know and understand how he can help, Johnson said. Whatever that help looks like, he is willing to support us with that. He didnt specifically call out a monetary set of resources, but he continued to express an offer to help Tulsa Public Schools in whatever way were going to need help to meet the goals.

Ill say as far as the board members, they did pretty much the same and asked that we let them know how they can continue to support us.

Previously TPS chief learning officer, Johnson is the second Black woman  following LaVerne Ford Wimberly, who served in an interim capacity  and third woman in district history to serve as superintendent.

Similar to Gist and Wimberly, Johnson is a TPS graduate. She went to Walt Whitman, Anderson, Gilcrease and McLain as a student, and her youngest child still attends school in the district.

For her, those ties bring an extra layer to her new job.

It makes the position that Im in both personal and professional, Johnson said. Its mostly because I am Tulsa and its exciting. Its exciting to know that the students who are at McLain right now can resonate with the fact that I was once a student in the same hallways, and I think that thats critically important.

The majority of our student population in Tulsa Public Schools are Black and brown students. Representation matters, and I think its critically important that they see themselves as students who have the capability and the opportunity and the resources to go as far as they would like to go.



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Tulsa Public Schools interim Superintendent Ebony Johnson full interview Part 2
On Sept. 16, 1893, more than 100,000 settlers swarmed onto a section of land in Oklahoma known as the "Cherokee Strip."

More than 100,000 people on horseback, in covered wagons and on foot participated in a land run that opened seven million acres in Oklahomas Cherokee Strip to settlement.

The run has been described as the most spectacular competitive event in history. The land run into the strip or, more accurately, the Cherokee Outlet, involved land that became Alfalfa, Ellis, Harper, Kay, Garfield, Grant, Woods, Woodward, Major, Noble and Pawnee counties.
DETROIT  Dr. Starling Tolliver knew she wanted to become a doctor. Yet, as a Black girl growing up in Akron, Ohio, it was a dream that felt out of reach.

She rarely saw doctors who looked like her. As a child, she experienced severe hair loss, and struggled to find a dermatologist who could help.

Tolliver made a pact with two childhood best friends to become doctors who would care for Black and underserved communities like their own. Now 30, she is in her final year of dermatology residency at Wayne State University in Detroit.

She plans to spend her career caring for the bodys largest organ, where differences in melanin give humans the skin colors underpinning the construct of race. In dermatology, only 3% of U.S. doctors are Black.

Despite her success, the girls pact remains unfulfilled. While her friend Charmaine became a nurse, Maria, who wanted to become a pediatrician, was killed in their hometown at the age of 19.

Her friend's death only strengthened her resolve.

"Im going to continue to go on this path of medicine," Tolliver said. "Not only for myself, but for Maria, and to potentially help others in the future from similar backgrounds as mine know that they can do it as well.

But more than two months after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in college admissions, concerns have arisen that a path into medicine may become much harder for students of color. Heightening the alarm: the medical field's reckoning with longstanding health inequities.

Black Americans represent 13% of the U.S. population, yet just 6% of U.S. physicians are Black. Increasing representation among doctors is one solution experts believe could help disrupt health inequities.

The disparities stretch from birth to death, often beginning before Black babies take their first breath, a recent Associated Press series showed. Over and over, patients said their concerns were brushed aside or ignored, in part because of unchecked bias and racism within the medical system and a lack of representative care.

A UCLA study found the percentage of Black doctors had increased just 4% from 1900 to 2018.

But the affirmative action ruling dealt a serious blow to the medical field's goals of improving that figure, the American Medical Association said, by prohibiting medical schools from considering race among many factors in admissions. The ruling, the AMA said, will reverse gains made in the battle against health inequities.

The consequences could affect Black health for generations to come, said Dr. Uche Blackstock, a New York emergency room physician and author of LEGACY: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine.

It's really about holding these larger organizations, institutions accountable and saying: Right now, were in a crisis  a crisis of humanity, Blackstock said.

With affirmative action off the table at predominantly white institutions, historically Black colleges and universities may see an increase in applications, said Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice, president and CEO of Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.

The college, which typically has 115 openings for new medical students, receives between 7,000 and 9,000 applications per year, a number Rice said she believes will increase in light of the Supreme Court ruling. HBCUs have long served as a direct pipeline of Black doctors.

Experts say diversity is especially needed within specialty medicine. In dermatology, just 65 of the 796 applicants for residencies in 2020 were Black, data from the Association of American Medical Colleges shows. Only 39 were Latino.

For a field focusing on the skin, the unequal access among patients of color is stark: Patients of color are half as likely as white patients to see a dermatologist for the same conditions.

The consequences can be devastating.

The skin is a window to the rest of your health, said Dr. Ginette Okoye, professor and chair of dermatology at Howard University, who is a programming lead for the American Academy of Dermatologys Pathways program.

If you have kidney disease, if you have cancer, sometimes those clues show up on the skin first. We are able to preemptively diagnose cancer sometimes just by the way a specific rash shows up on the skin," Okoye said. "Thats pretty impactful.

Black men are more likely to die of melanoma, compared with men of other races, according to a study co-authored last month by dermatologist Dr. Ashley Wysong in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. They also are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage, when the condition is more difficult to treat. Melanoma is the most invasive and serious form of skin cancer.

The reasons for the different cancer rates are unclear, and more research is needed to understand in particular how economic and social conditions impact the cancer rates, Wysong said. The study found survival rates in men with melanoma were highest among white men, 75%, while the survival rates were lowest among Black men at only 52%.

Without affirmative action as a tool, career programs focused on engaging people of color could grow in importance.

Tolliver credits her success in becoming a dermatologist in part to a scholarship she received through Ohio State Universitys Young Scholars Program, which helps talented, first-generation Ohio students with financial need. The scholarship helped pave the way for medical school, but her involvement in the Pathways residency program also was central.

Dermatology also is working to diversify its textbooks to help improve the spectrum of skin colors so doctors can be better equipped to diagnose and provide equitable care, said Dr. Adam Friedman, chair of dermatology at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Washington, D.C.

But targeted programs to diversify the pipeline of talent are crucial for the future of medicine, Friedman said.

Our patients are looking for us, and that kind of pushed forward my love for this field, Tolliver said. And that really has been my goal ongoing from when I was a little girl: for Black women to see the beauty of themselves, within themselves.

Racially diverse nurses can improve patient outcomes, but representation in the US health care system is strikingly uneven Racially diverse nurses can improve patient outcomes, but representation in the US health care system is strikingly uneven Latinx representation among registered nurses across the US Black representation among registered nurses across the US
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has requested Korea's cooperation in nuclear power, res development and the defense industry as part of reconstruction efforts of the war-ravaged country, Seoul officials said Saturday.

A delegation of government officials and business representatives who visited Kyiv this week to discuss South Korea's potential involvement in reconstruction projects, estimated to be worth around 1,200 trillion won ($902 billion), returned home Saturday morning.

During a meeting with them Wednesday, Zelenskyy called for cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, particularly expressing interest in Korea's expertise in large-scale atomic power technology, the delegation said.

Zelenskyy also expressed hopes for Korea's assistance in solar power generation technology and the development and expansion of oil-refining facilities, the members added.

"President Zelenskyy seemed to envision a partnership between Ukraine and Korea in the energy sector, with a focus on the European Union market," a member of the delegation said.

Zelenskyy also proposed a joint effort in mining lithium, a vital component of rechargeable batteries, as Ukraine possesses substantial deposits in its eastern region.

In the realm of defense, Zelenskyy suggested combining Korean defense manufacturing technology with Ukraine's intelligence on Russia to create advanced weaponry that could be exported to European countries, the delegation said.

In addition, the president expressed hopes for Korea's involvement in various other sectors, including automobile manufacturing, dam restoration and the construction of a high-speed railway line connecting Kyiv and Warsaw, Poland.

During the meeting, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong, who led the delegation, reaffirmed Korea's commitment to actively supporting Ukraine's reconstruction efforts.

He said the high-speed railway project could move forward promptly and that both the Korean government and businesses were eager to collaborate on nuclear energy, lithium extraction, automobiles and various construction projects, according to delegates.

Korea plans to dispatch a second economic delegation, led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, to Kyiv later this year. (Yonhap)
As ranked-choice voting has gained traction in some areas of the nation, Oklahoma advocates say it would have benefits such as less negative campaigning, though many officials remain skeptical.

Members of Oklahomas House Elections and Ethics Committee weighed potential policies governing ranked-choice voting, including a municipal-level ban, during an interim study Tuesday at the state Capitol. Interim studies dont generate official reports or recommendations but are often used to guide future legislation.

A coalition of voter advocacy groups, Rep. Mickey Dollens, D-Oklahoma City, and Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce say preference-based voting gives a greater voice to third-party and independent voters.

Since last year, however, five states have opted to ban municipalities from using ranked-choice voting in their elections. Model legislation was finalized last month by a Virginia-based lobbying group that may be used in other states to ban ranked-choice voting. A lawsuit filed by the Democratic Party in Washington, D.C., seeks to block ranked-choice voting for fear that it could disenfranchise low-income and minority voters.

How the system works Instead of selecting a single candidate per race, voters in jurisdictions with ranked-choice voting rank candidates by their preference from first to last. If a single candidate doesnt win a majority of first-place votes when ballots are first counted, the candidate with the least number of first-place votes is eliminated, and second-place votes from those ballots are distributed to remaining candidates. This process continues until theres a majority winner.

Ranked-choice voting eliminates the need for runoff elections, which Oklahoma uses in any primary contest in which a single candidate doesnt get a majority of votes. That could equate to millions of dollars in savings for the state in the coming decades, said Cindy Alexander, a volunteer with Rank the Vote Oklahoma. The savings would offset the potential cost of implementing ranked-choice voting, she said in an interview with Oklahoma Watch prior to the interim study.

During her presentation to lawmakers, Alexander noted that the state government spent between $800,000 and $1 million to conduct 18 runoff elections in 2014, with additional costs for county governments.

Four of the five speaking during the interim study Tuesday were critical of ranked-choice voting, raising concerns that its overly complex or mostly supported by left-leaning organizations.

State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said Oklahomas voting machines arent capable of reading ranked-choice ballots. He said it would take at least a year to send requests for proposals and purchase capable machines, likely at a cost exceeding $10 million.

More money would be needed, he said, to educate voters and election officials of the changes. When Alaska voters approved a ballot initiative implementing ranked-choice voting, the state Legislature appropriated $1.6 million to launch an education campaign.

Ill be honest: Im confused by ranked-choice voting, Ziriax told lawmakers. As you can imagine, if Im confused, how does the general public respond to it? I would not want to be the one to have to go out and explain it to voters.

Asked whether the state would be capable of tallying ballots and reporting results on election night under a ranked-choice voting system, Ziriax said probably not.

That would be my concern, Ziriax said. For me personally, one of the things that really helps give voters confidence in elections here in Oklahoma is you may have to stay up until 11 or 12, but in general you know when you go to bed who won the election.

Alexander argued that ranked-choice voting more accurately reflects the will of the people because a candidate with majority support always wins. She cited the 2002 gubernatorial race, in which former Democratic Gov. Brad Henry narrowly defeated Republican Steve Largent with just 43.6% of the overall vote, as an election in which Republicans could have benefited from ranked-choice voting.

The system also tends to reward elected officials who are solutions-oriented and open to compromise, Alexander said. Three Alaska political scientists penned an article in May outlining positive changes in that states Legislature after a voter-approved initiative implementing ranked-choice voting took effect last year. The positives included an expedited state budget agreement.

About 80% of Alaskans surveyed after casting a ranked-choice ballot in November 2022 said it was simple; 9% of respondents said the system was very difficult.

Alexander said voter advocacy groups could consider a veto referendum if the Legislature passes restrictions on ranked-choice voting. Organizers would need to collect at least 57,664 signatures over 90 days to reach the ballot.

That is definitely the playbook thats circulating, Alexander said regarding statewide bans of ranked-choice voting. I would be very concerned that Oklahoma would lose the opportunity to allow better elections and allow the majority of voters to choose who is elected.

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MEXICO CITY -- For Jaime Maussan, a Mexican journalist and longtime UFO enthusiast, they are one of the most important discoveries in the history of humankind.

But for many scientists these two tiny mummified bodies with elongated heads and three fingers on each hand, images of which were beamed around the world this week when they were presented to Mexico's Congress, are an already-debunked - perhaps criminal - stunt.

At Maussan's office, in the Mexico City business district of Santa Fe, staff members carefully carry the two closed boxes with glass lids containing the bodies into a green-screened studio, where Reuters had exclusive access on Friday.

Everyone huddles around to get a better look. The bodies appear ancient and share characteristics with humans: two eyes, a mouth, two arms, two legs. Maussan claims they were found around 2017 in Peru, near the pre-Columbian Nazca Lines.

He says he can prove they are unlike anything known on Earth. On social media and in the hearing, he shared scientific analysis and study results he argues proves the bodies are about 1,000 years old and not related to any known Earthly species.

One of them, described by Maussan as a female, was discovered to have eggs inside, he said.

"It is the most important thing that has happened to humanity," Maussan, 70, said of his crusade to bring awareness to the findings, sitting in his office that is heavily decorated with colorful alien-themed artwork and paraphernalia.

"I believe that this phenomenon is the only one that gives us the opportunity to unite," he added.

Elsa Tomasto-Cagigao, a respected Peruvian bio-anthropologist, is frustrated such claims are still being given publicity, citing similar alleged finds that were found to be frauds.

"What we said before still stands, they are presenting the same rehash as always and if there are people that keep believing that, what can we do?," she said by phone. "It is so crass and so simple that there is nothing more to add."

Previous such finds have been dismissed by the scientific community as mutilated mummies of pre-Hispanic children, sometimes combined with bits of animal parts.

David Spergel, former head of Princeton University's astrophysics department and chair of a NASA report into unidentified anomalous phenomena, said on Thursday that such samples should be made available for testing by the world's scientific community.

A tiny body of a specimen, that Mexican journalist and UFO enthusiast Jaime Maussan says is not related to any known Earthly species and which he presented along with another one to Mexico's Congress earlier this week, is pictured, in Mexico City, Mexico, September 15, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Testing conundrum

Maussan shared on social media and in his presentation the results of DNA and carbon dating tests that he said he commissioned on "the beings."

A Mexican scientist, at the request of Reuters, reviewed the results and concluded they indicated normal life on Earth.

Maussan told Reuters on Friday that the test results were not directly related to the two bodies that he showed Congress this week, however. In fact, he said, they were conducted on an entirely different body, known as Victoria, that remains in Peru.

"They were found in the same place. They have the same physical appearance, they are the same," Maussan said of Victoria and the two bodies he presented in Mexico. Testing was not done on those two bodies in order to avoid damaging them, he said.

Maussan is no stranger to controversy. He has made claims about other remains in the past that have been widely criticized. He participated in a 2017 TV documentary about other remains found near the Nazca Lines, which experts like Tomasto-Cagigao and paleontologist Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi have said appeared to feature doctored mummies.

Now, he has angered Peruvian officials.

Peruvian Culture Minister Leslie Urteaga has questioned how the specimens, which she said were pre-Hispanic objects, left Peru and says a criminal complaint has been filed.

"I'm not worried. I have done absolutely nothing illegal," Maussan said.

How the bodies arrived in Mexico is a question he says he cannot answer. Borrowed by Maussan for the hearing, they are in the possession of a Mexican man, who was in Maussan's office on Friday and who declined to be identified.

When asked how the bodies - whom he called Clara and Mauricio - came to be in his possession, the man replied only that he would reveal all "at the appropriate time."

Jose de Jesus Zalce Benitez, Director of the Health Sciences Research Institute of the Secretary of the Navy, participated in the congressional hearing, bolstering Maussan's claims. Now joining him at his office, he calmly explained his interpretation of the science.

"Based on the DNA tests, which were compared with more than one million species ... they are not related to what is known or described up to this moment by science or by human knowledge," he said.

Julieta Fierro, the scientist at Mexico's National Autonomous University's (UNAM) Institute of Astronomy who reviewed Maussan's test results for Reuters, sees far less mystery in the data.

She said that the presence of carbon-14 in studies done by UNAM proves that the samples were related to brain and skin tissues from different mummies who died at different times.

The proportion of the radioactive carbon-14 isotope that is absorbed by living organisms into their tissue decays over time, which allows scientists to determine the approximate year of death of the specimen.

On other planets, the amount of carbon-14 in their atmospheres would not necessarily be the same as on Earth, she said.

All in all, the results "do not show anything mysterious that could indicate life compounds that do not exist on Earth," Fierro said.

A tiny body of a specimen, that Mexican journalist and UFO enthusiast Jaime Maussan says is not related to any known Earthly species and which he presented along with another one to Mexico's Congress earlier this week, is pictured, in Mexico City, Mexico, September 15, 2023. Photo: Reuters

A tiny body of a specimen, that Mexican journalist and UFO enthusiast Jaime Maussan says is not related to any known Earthly species and which he presented along with another one to Mexico's Congress earlier this week, is pictured, in Mexico City, Mexico, September 15, 2023. Photo: Reuters
DERNA, Libya -- Libyan authorities demanded an investigation on Thursday into whether human failings were to blame for thousands of deaths in the worst natural disaster in the country's modern history, as survivors searched for loved ones washed away by floods.

A torrent unleashed by a powerful storm burst dams on Sunday night and hurtled down a seasonal riverbed that bisects the eastern city of Derna, washing multi-storey buildings into the sea with sleeping families inside.

Confirmed death tolls given by officials have varied. All are in the thousands, with thousands more on lists of the missing. Derna Mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi said deaths in the city could already reach 18,000-20,000, based on the extent of the damage.

He told Reuters he was afraid the city would now be infected with an epidemic, "due to the large number of bodies under the rubble and in the water".

Rescue workers carry a dead body amidst rescue operations in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 13, 2023 in this screen grab obtained from a video. AL-Masar TV/Handout via Reuters

The World Meteorological Organization said the huge loss of life could have been avoided if Libya - a failed state for more than a decade - had a functioning weather agency in place.

"If there would have been a normally operating meteorological service, they could have issued warnings," WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalashe said in Geneva. "The emergency management authorities would have been able to carry out evacuation of the people. And we could have avoided most of the human casualties."

Other commentators drew attention to warnings given in advance, including an academic paper published last year by a hydrologist outlining the city's vulnerability to floods and the urgent need to maintain the dams that protected it.

Mohamed al-Menfi, head of the three-member council that acts as the presidency in Libya's internationally recognised government, said on X that the council had asked the attorney general to investigate the disaster.

Those whose actions or failure to act were responsible for the failure of the dam should be held accountable, along with anyone who held up aid, he said.

General view of the city during the Sunrise, following a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hitting the country, in Derna, Libya September 14, 2023. Photo: Reuters

Usama Al Husadi, a 52-year-old driver, had been searching for his wife and five children since the disaster.

"I went by foot searching for them ... I went to all hospitals and schools but no luck," he told Reuters, weeping with his head in his hands.

Husadi, who had been working the night of the storm, dialled his wife's phone number once again. It was switched off.

"We lost at least 50 members from my fathers family, between missing and dead," he said.

Wali Eddin Mohamed Adam, 24, a Sudanese brick factory worker living on Derna's outskirts, had awakened to the boom of the water on the night of the storm and rushed to the city centre to find it was gone. Nine of his fellow workers were lost, and around 15 others had lost their families, he said.

"All were swept away by the valley into the sea," he said. "May God have mercy upon them and grant them heaven."

International aid

Rescue teams arrived from Egypt, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Qatar. Among countries sending aid, Turkey sent a ship carrying equipment to set up two field hospitals. Italy sent three planes of supplies and personnel, as well as two navy ships that had difficulty offloading because Derna's debris-choked port was almost unusable.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it would release $2 million from its emergency fund to support the victims, calling the floods a "calamity of epic proportions". It added it would send trauma, surgical and emergency supplies from its logistics hub in Dubai.

Rescue work is hindered by the political fractures in a country of 7 million people, at war on-and-off and with no government holding nationwide reach since a NATO-backed uprising toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Graphics: Reuters

An internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) is based in Tripoli, in the west. A parallel administration operates in the east, under control of the Libyan National Army of Khalifa Haftar, who failed to capture Tripoli in a bloody 14-month siege that unravelled in 2020.

Derna has been particularly chaotic, run by a succession of armed Islamist groups, including at one point Islamic State, before being uneasily brought under Haftar's control.

A delegation of GNU ministers were expected in Benghazi in the east on Thursday to show solidarity and discuss relief efforts, a rare occurrence since the eastern-based parliament rejected their administration last year.

Viewed from high points above Derna, the once densely populated city centre was now a wide, flat crescent of earth with stretches of mud. Nothing but rubble and a washed out road were left on Thursday at the site of the dam that had once protected the city. The desert riverbed, or wadi, had already subsided back to a trickle.

Below, the beach was littered with clothes, toys, furniture, shoes and other possessions swept out of homes by the torrent. Streets were covered in deep mud and strewn with uprooted trees and hundreds of wrecked cars, many flipped on their sides or roofs. One car was wedged on a gutted building's second-floor balcony.

"I survived with my wife but I lost my sister," said Mohamed Mohsen Bujmila, a 41-year-old engineer. "My sister lives downtown where most of the destruction happened. We found the bodies of her husband and son and buried them."

He also found the bodies of two strangers in his apartment.

As he spoke an Egyptian search-and-rescue team nearby recovered the body of his neighbour.

"This is Aunt Khadija, may God grant her heaven," Bujmila said.
Vietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in Nanning, the capital city of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China, on Saturday morning to attend the 20th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) slated for September 16-17.

Welcoming the PM at Nanning airport were Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Hung Ba, Envoy at the Vietnamese Embassy in Beijing Ninh Thanh Cong, Vietnamese Consul General to Nanning Do Nam Trung, some other officials of both sides, and representatives of the Vietnamese community in the city.

PM Chinh is accompanied by Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien, Finance Minister Ho Duc Phoc, Chairman of the Commission for Management of State Capital at Enterprises Nguyen Hoang Anh, and Secretary of Lang Son Province Party Committee Nguyen Quoc Doan.

Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs, National Defense, Planning and Investment, Public Security, Transport, Agriculture and Rural Development are also in the PMs entourage.

PM Chinh has been scheduled to have meetings on Saturday with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Liu Ning, and a number of delegation leaders from countries attending the 2023 CAEXPO and CABIS.

During his two-day trip, made at the invitation of the Chinese government, the Vietnamese leader will deliver his important speeches at both events.

The 20th CAEXPO and CABIS have the theme of Building a harmonious homeland, a common destiny to the future - promoting high-quality development of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and building an economic growth center.

Chinas Guangxi young people, in their traditional costumes, welcome Vietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Nanning City on September 16, 2023. Photo: Duy Linh / Tuoi Tre

The CAEXPO and CABIS are one of four important activities that the Chinese government organizes annually, along with the Boao Forum, Davos Tianjin Forum and Shanghai International Import Fair.

The events are part of a series of events commemorating the 20th anniversary of the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership.

As one of Chinas top 10 annual exhibition fairs, this years CAEXPO is the first to be held in the in-person format after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnam has been the ASEAN country with the largest number of participating booths and businesses at each fair so far.

This year, Vietnam continues to have the biggest scale in the bloc with 250 booths in an area of 5,000 square meters.

The PMs two-day trip shows Vietnams respect for this event, the Vietnam - China ties and the ASEAN - China relations.

Among the 19 previous events, Vietnam attended five times at the PM level and 14 times at the Deputy PM level.

The current trip takes place as the two countries are celebrating the 15th anniversary of their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, the highest level of relations between Vietnam and a partner.

Last year, the bilateral trade rose by 5.47 percent year on year to US$175.56 billion, with Vietnams exports to China valued at $57.7 billion, up 3.18 percent, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Vietnam has become Chinas largest trade partner among the ASEAN member countries, and the fourth among the countries in the world.

During the first half of 2023, China invested nearly $1.3 billion in 233 projects in Vietnam, becoming the third largest investors in the country after Singapore and Japan.

As of June 20, 2023, Chinese investors had operated a total of 3,791 investment projects worth over $25 billion in Vietnam, ranking sixth among the countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian nation.

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Check out the latest news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh left Hanoi on Saturday morning for China to attend the opening of the China - ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and the China - ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) 2023 in Nanning City, Guangxi Province. His two-day China visit is made at the invitation of the Chinese government.

Society

-- Police in Ho Chi Minh City said on Friday that they cracked down on a high-class prostitution ring which employed beauty queens, arresting a 34-year-old man and a 24-year-old woman for acting as intermediaries.

-- A delegation led by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue on Friday offered incense to commemorate 56 victims who lost their lives in a deadly apartment block fire taking place in Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi this week.

Business

-- Permanent Vice-Chairman of northern Lang Son Province Duong Xuan Huyen on Friday attended a ceremony to start work on Huu Nghi (Vietnam)  Youyi Guan (China) smart border gate project, organized by the Peoples Government of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Vietnam News Agency reported.

Education

-- Elementary students in Con Co Island, which is over 30 kilometers off the coast of central Quang Tri Province, no longer have to enter the mainland every day for studying as the first elementary school in the island has been set up, confirmed a local official on Friday.

Lifestyle

-- Ho Chi Minh City is set to host its first-ever Short Film Festival between October 27 and 30 this year to promote the citys film industry, honor outstanding short films, seek young talents and facilitate cultural exchange in the industry.

-- A collection of wild bird photos, taken by photographer Vo Rin over the past few years, are on display at a paddy field in suburban Hoi An City, a popular tourist destination in central Quang Nam Province, with an aim at raising public awareness about environmental protection.

World News

-- The European Union on Friday threw its weight behind a plan to protect the Amazon rainforest, pledging to coordinate financial contributions from EU members and making sure the money was spent as intended under its Global Gateway investment scheme, Reuters reported.

-- Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports on Friday after the European Commission decided not to extend its ban on imports into Ukraine's five EU neighbors, according to Reuters.

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The Ho Chi Minh Department of Home Affairs has rejected a rumor that the city would set up Gia Dinh, Saigon, Cho Lon Districts by merging its six inner-city districts.

The rumor about the formation of these three new districts was spread on social media platforms on Saturday morning.

Nguyen Thi Hong Tham, deputy head of the department, confirmed to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that this news is fake, adding that it is not the first time that such rumor about the citys plan to merge its districts has circulated.

A rumor about three plans on merging six inner-city districts in Ho Chi Minh City began circulating on social media platforms on August 4, 2023. Photo: T.M. / Tuoi Tre

Early last month, the city announced the implementation of the governments Resolution 117 on arrangement of administrative units at district and commune levels in the 2023-25 period.

According to this resolution, the city found out that six districts in the city, including Phu Nhuan District and Districts 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, along with 142 wards and communes fail to meet the criteria in terms of acreage and population and thus need merging.

Right after these findings were announced, a rumor about three plans on merging these six districts began circulating on social media platforms on August 4.

Tham affirmed that the city has yet to work out any plan on the issue.

The official added that the department has to work with authorities in 22 districts and Thu Duc City to check if there is any administrative unit which has special criteria, such as having an isolated location, having stable boundaries since 1945, having an important position in terms of national defense and security, and is not subject to the arrangement.

After that, the city will carry out further steps, including drawing up a plan on the merging, submitting it to upper authorities for approval before implementing the merging in 2025, Tham elaborated.

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Police in southern Vietnams Ho Chi Minh City have uncovered a prostitution brokerage racket involving some former beauty queens, one of which sold sex for over US$8,200 per session.

The municipal police said on Friday that they had arrested Ha Thuy Van Anh, 23, a local woman, and 34-year-old Nguyen Thanh Liem, hailing from southern Ca Mau Province, for investigation on charges of prostitution brokerage.

The arrests were made while the police have been expanding their investigation into the prostitution ring led by 26-year-old Vo Thi My Hanh, a former flight attendant who was allegedly brokering sex services for her colleagues, who charged clients US$1,000-3,000.

From the testimonies of Liem and Anh, local police made two raids at Oakwood Residence Saigon Building in District 7 and La Galerie Hotel in Binh Chanh District, catching four couples having sex through the brokerage by the two brokers.

This image shows one of the former beauty queens who engaged in prostitution. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Police

Among the four sex workers caught in red-hand, T.T.H., 36 years old, a former Miss Vietnam World, sold sex for VND200 million ($8,240) and N.N.T.T., 27, a former Miss Tourism Vietnam, prostituted herself for VND45 million ($1,850).

The two others served their guests at a price of VND5 million ($206) each.

Liem and Anh confessed that they had contacted many prostitutes, including models and winners of beauty pageant contests in Vietnam and provided information and images of these sex workers to potential sex buyers for selection.

Many hot girls, beauty queens and runner-ups, TikTokers and models could sell sex at prices ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 per session.

The brokers said they directly charged whoremongers for $1,000-$2,000 per successful sex procurement.

In addition to Liem and Anh, the citys police have coordinated with their colleagues in Hanoi and Hung Yen Province to detain Do Tien Hai and Bui Minh Tuan, respectively, who also worked as sex brokers related to the high-end prostitution led by Hanh.

The municipal police are continuing to expand their investigation and call on those who are accomplices with the above arrested to give themselves up to police office at 459 Tran Hung Dao, Cau Kho Ward, District 1, to receive leniency.

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The wife of a disabled man in Hanoi who was declared dead from a brain hemorrhage donated his organs to save the lives of others, according to his wishes.

D.T.B., 43, passed away but his heart, liver, and two kidneys still survive in the bodies of others, Hanoi-based Viet Duc University Hospital said on Wednesday.

N.T.H., B.s wife, said she and B. got married in 2008 and have raised their son and daughter together despite obstacles and difficulties.

B. worked as a cargo transporter and H. as a rice farmer, scrap trader, and domestic helper to make ends meet.

Her family lived in a nine-square-meter house before recently moving to a larger home.

H. has been undergoing thyroid disease treatment at an oncology hospital over the past eight years. However, the disease developed into thyroid cancer last year.

While receiving treatment at the hospital, she was informed that her husband had collapsed while resting after work.

B. was rushed to the General Hospital of Agriculture where doctors found that he had suffered brain hemorrhage and his heart had stopped beating.

H. hurriedly returned home to see her husband for the last time.

Suppressing the pain of losing her husband, H. requested that his organs be donated, according to her deceased husbands wishes.

According to H., B.s dream of donating his organs was ignited after watching a report on organ donation in 2009 and deciding he wanted his organs to be used to help other continue their lives.

Despite her familys protest, H. had B.s body transported to Viet Duc University Hospital where his organs were donated.

Whenever someone told me that he would hurt, I smiled and replied that was his wish. He left but still did good things for life, H. shared.

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Ham Jee-hye of Precious Neophyte performs during the vinyl release show for "Home in the Desert" at Chicago's Sleeping Village, Sept. 1 (local time). Courtesy of Kyle Decker





By Kyle Decker









CHICAGO  Chicago is a great city for music. That's just a fact. And, honestly, the best stuff is found in the smaller venues. There's no shortage of talent to be found, especially among the hard-working local independent musicians. The same could be said of Seoul, for that matter.







Enter Precocious Neophyte, a Korean-Chicagoan shoegaze/dream-pop outfit that celebrated the vinyl release of its

at Sleeping Village, a bar/cafe/venue in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood, on Sept. 1.







The members of Precious Neophyte stand outside Sleeping Village in Chicago, Sept. 1. Courtesy of Precious Neophyte





Precocious Neophyte (or "Preco Neo" for short) is fronted by Ham Jee-hye and Ethan Waddell. Both should be familiar faces to the aforementioned Seoul scene for their work in bands there. Jee-hye had been in

and

, and Ethan was a member of Table People and Visuals.







Jee-hye and Ethan moved to Chicago in 2018. "The first time I got to Chicago, it was exciting to be in a new environment and meet new people," Jee-hye said. But, like many of us who call the Second City home, Jee-hye mentioned that the long winters often made her sad, although she has started to warm to her adopted city.







Comparing it to the crowds of Seoul she said, "Chicago has a different vibe. It is big, and my neighborhood is very quiet. But I slowly started to like Chicago more and more. I like to walk in my neighborhood and see the giant trees. And I like my place, where there are many windows so I can see the sunlight, birds and sometimes cats on the other side of the building."







In winter 2021, Jee-hye started to record some music with the intention of uploading songs to SoundCloud, not with the expectation of starting a band, just a desire to share her music. She'd met guitarist Brenden Romanowski and drummer Clinton Weber through Craigslist and had played in bands with them before. But, like most things, it got tripped up by the pandemic. They managed to write material but things "fizzled out" before the venues reopened, according to Weber, who joined Preco Neo in May.







Back in July, Precocious Neophyte

at the iconic Empty Bottle and announced their record release show before closing their set. It definitely worked. Several audience members had Say Sue Me shirts on (myself included) and mentioned they'd also discovered Preco Neo after seeing them at the Bottle. So, clearly, the band had left an impression, although that's not surprising.







While the band's sound definitely calls to mind 1980s and 1990s shoegaze like My Bloody Valentine, Preco Neo moves the genre forward and gives it a 2020s sensibility.







"Smashing Pumpkins have been trying to make music like this for over 20 years," commented local musician David Labedz, who was in the crowd that night.







Jee-hye mentions being heavily influenced by New Zealand's Connan Mockasin. "I really like Connan Mockasin's guitar tone. But eventually, because I couldn't make more than two songs like that, I just went back to shoegaze and it felt so comfy. I cannot deny I was influenced by bands like Parannoul, especially their attitude, which is to just keep going, and be very honest and sincere," she said.







Of course, Jee-hye herself is no slouch in the guitar department. "I still keep a lot of the styles of the bands that I played with in Korea," she said, "I especially keep the raw energy, the guitar style and the vibe of the music. So even though the music is different now, things like guitar tone still stay with me."







Jee-hye has also made the bold  and, in my opinion, perfect  decision to sing in Korean, despite being a Chicago-based band.







The merch table at Precious Neophyte's vinyl release party for its album "Home in the Desert" in Chicago's Sleeping Village, Sept. 1 (local time) / Courtesy of Kyle Decker





"It would be great if I could write lyrics in English, maybe more people could listen to my music," she opined, "but I'm not fluent in English and I know I cannot deliver my exact feelings in English. I keep convincing myself that the lyrics are not that important for my music, but most of the time I spend on my music is for lyrics."







As for the possibility of English lyrics? "Maybe someday."







It's worth noting, though, that one-third of their set consisted of English "subtitles" projected onto a screen on stage. Including the track "Korean Lesson #7 (Where is Michael?)," which started off with lyrics containing basic phrases you might find in a Korean language textbook, but gradually got more and more disturbing as the music became more frantic. It will be interesting to see if this facet of their shows continues and includes more songs in future shows.







Clinton Weber, drummer of Precious Neophyte, plays in front of a projection displaying song lyrics during the vinyl release show for "Home in the Desert" at Chicago's Sleeping Village, Sept. 1 (local time). Courtesy of Kyle Decker





Whether or not you understand the lyrics, the longing in her voice is palpable, which adds to the overall themes in "Home in the Desert."







"As an immigrant in this country, I started to think about what home is and what it means from afar," she said. "It is just a personal thing and an old thing, but I don't know, I just feel that there might be a lot on this record that people can relate to regardless of their nationality."







From where I was standing, that certainly seemed to be the case. The band was well-received by the crowd, resulting in a healthy line for the merch table, where they sold vinyl and cassettes of "Home in the Desert," T-shirts and (I can't believe more bands haven't thought of this) gave away print-outs of the setlist as souvenirs.







A copy of Precious Neophyte's setlist from the vinyl release show for the album "Home in the Desert" at Chicago's Sleeping Village, Sept. 1. Courtesy of Kyle Decker





When asked about the music scenes of Seoul and Chicago, she observed, "One similar thing is that there is barely any audience at routine shows."







Which, yes, I can vouch that does happen in both scenes. So, allow me a moment to remind you, dear reader, of the importance of supporting local music. It's cheap, it's fun and it's intimate. Those cover charges are worth it.







A major difference she noted is that after-parties are not as frequent in the Chicago music scene as they are in the Korean one. Which is also true. But Jee-hye doesn't consider this a bad thing. She sees it as "reasonable." "It is very clean, simple, and musicians can save their money and energy," she said, adding that less partying helps keep things more professional. "I'm making many more songs than (my) previous bands did. I think we hung out too much in Korea."







Speaking for myself, I'm looking forward to what Preco Neo does next. And, based on the crowd reaction that night, there are at least several dozen fellow Chicagoans who feel the same way.







Kyle Decker is a Chicago-based author, educator, and punk vocalist. He lived in Daegu from 2013-2018 where he fronted the multi-national punk band Food for Worms and co-organized the Once a Month Punk show series. He currently provides vocals for Bad Chemicals, the punk band from his novel "This Rancid Mill" (PM Press, 2023).
When The Newsreader reaches its Bicenennial episode set in 1988, actor Hunter Page Lochard will feature as a leader of Aboriginal protests which were staged in Sydney.

Hes heavily based on real figures behind those protests, and hes really great. Im really excited for people to see it, said Lucas.

While an Indigenous actor was clearly required for the role, producers were more open for other characters in the series.

For all other characters, it really was blind casting,producer Joanna Werner confirms.

Whoever was best, Lucas agrees. We didnt know when it was written that (variety host) Jerry was going to be Irish. But then Rory (Fleck Byrne) was such a spectacular option and we felt that sort of makes sense.

But Werner outlines while there is diversity in the newsroom, on air there was a much different rule.

Australia was still an incredibly diverse, multicultural society in the 80s. So we wanted to reflect that in our newsroom as well. We were also realistic about the On Air faces that you saw at the time. They were predominantly white and thats what we see in our show.

But the rest of our characters are reflective of Australian society.

The Newsreader continues 8:30pm Sundays on ABC.
While the industry is on tenterhooks awaiting a government outcome on local quotas for streaming platforms, Screen Producers Australia has been advised by the Office of the Arts that the legislation will be delayed until 2024.

The reason for the delay is to enable the Department to seek further data and input to inform their evidence-based and consultative approach.

SPA has been backing a 20% quota for Australian revenue to be reinvested back into Australian production.

Publicly Netflix Australia said it welcomes the regulation but wants it to be sustainable, equitable and evidence-based.

Free TV Australia has concerns about the impact on the cost of production.

In January Arts Minister Tony Burke announced the government would introduce legislation for Australian screen content on streaming platforms in the third quarter of 2023 and to commence no later than 1 July 2024.

The Government now plans to release a refined approach for final targeted consultation in October-November 2023.

This delay will not affect the planned start date.
Some passengers and crew got arrested this summer. d3sign/Getty Images

Chaos plagued airlines and flights this summer.

One passenger made headlines for experiencing diarrhea on a Delta Airlines flight.

A United Airlines pilot received a six-month prison sentence after arriving to work "staggering."

Chaos plagued air travel this summer.

While unexpected cancellations and delays created a stressful summer for many, some reports went beyond long security lines or missing luggage.

Here are seven times travelers and crew were accused of misbehaving on planes this summer.

In June, authorities arrested a flight attendant on suspicion of making a bomb threat to stop her ex-boyfriend and his new lover from flying to Miami.

An airport. Johner Images/Getty Images

In June, Argentinian newspaper La Nacion reported that a flight attendant with Aerolineas Argentinas made a bomb threat before a Miami-bound flight on May 21.

The outlet reported that federal judge Federico Villena identified the flight attendant as Daniela Carbone, and said she made the threat with her daughter's cell phone and used voice distortion software to hide her identity.

Clarin, an Argentinian newspaper, said Carobone's ex-boyfriend and his new girlfriend worked as cabin crew on the flight. Argentina's Airport Security Police arrested Carobine at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires on charges of aggravated coercion, public intimidation, and hindering public service. Carbone faces six years in jail if found guilty, the outlet reported.

Representatives for Aerolineas Argentinas did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

An Air India passenger behaved in a "repulsive manner" and reportedly defecated on the plane's floor during a flight later that month.

A spokesperson said the passenger was secluded for the rest of the flight and issued a warning. Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

A man was arrested during a flight from Mumbai to New Delhi after urinating and defecating on an Air India plane's floor mid-flight, outlets including The Independent and The Times of India reported.

An Air India spokesperson did not share specifics with Insider but confirmed in a statement that a passenger "behaved in a repulsive manner, causing discomfort to the co-passengers."

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"In doing their best to manage the situation in the circumstances, the crew immediately secluded the passenger for the rest of the flight and issued a warning. The passenger was handed over to the security personnel upon landing in Delhi," the spokesperson added.

Also in June, an Alaska Airlines passenger had to be restrained and sedated after trying to fight.

An Alaska Airlines flight takes off. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File

According to an affidavit filed in the US District Court for the District of Alaska, a man was heard screaming in the bathroom before punching the door open and approaching the cockpit with "drool and foam coming out of his mouth."

A flight attendant told prosecutors he blocked the man's advances and asked for a medical expert on board for help. A nurse suggested administering Narcan, which treats drug overdoses, but this caused the man to become combative.

The affidavit said the man "tried to punch and push on people and grab onto them. Three male passengers got up from their seats and came up to the front of the plane to assist."

The man was handcuffed and given sedation medication, according to the affidavit. He told witnesses he was having a panic attack, not an overdose.

The unnamed man faces several charges, including simple assault within the maritime and territorial jurisdiction.

"We do not comment on incidents involving pending litigation," a representative for Alaska told Insider. "We are extremely thankful to our crew members on board Alaska Airlines Flight 183 on June 24 who kept other passengers safe and calm during a troubling situation."

A United Airlines pilot received a six-month prison sentence in July after arriving on a transatlantic flight "staggering" with "glassy" eyes.

A local outlet said the pilot showed "showing signs of obvious drunkenness" when he arrived to work. NadejdaReid/Getty Images

According to French newspaper Le Parisien, a United Airlines pilot showed up to work under the influence of alcohol and had a blood-alcohol level of 0.132%, which is three times the Federal Aviation Administration's limit.

The Local reported that the 63-year-old American pilot told a French court that he only drank two glasses of wine the night before, but authorities said the pilot was "showing signs of obvious drunkenness" when he arrived for work at 3 p.m. on July 23.

"He was staggering slightly, his eyes were glassy, and his mouth pasty," a police officer told The Local. The outlet added that the pilot was fined 4,500 euros and his pilot license was suspended for a year in addition to his prison sentence.

A United Airlines spokesperson told Insider: "The safety of our customers and crew is always our top priority. We hold all our employees to the highest standards and have a strict no-tolerance policy for alcohol. This employee was immediately removed from service and we are fully cooperating with local authorities."

In August, a drunken family argument turned violent, forcing a Ryanair flight to make an emergency landing.

The plane made an emergency landing in Portugal. AlxeyPnferov/Getty Images

Authorities told the Scottish Sun and Canarian Weekly in August that a Ryanair flight was en route to the Canary Islands from Edinburgh, Scotland, when two male family members began "beating each other." The outlets reported that the drunken brawl forced the pilot to make an emergency landing in Faro, Portugal, where authorities waited.

"This flight from Edinburgh to Gran Canaria (04 Aug) diverted to Faro after a small number of passengers became disruptive onboard," a representative for Ryanair told Insider. "Crew called ahead for police assistance and the passengers were removed from the aircraft by local police before this flight continued safely to Gran Canaria. We sincerely apologize to affected passengers for any inconvenience caused as a result of these passenger's disruptive behavior."

Two Swiss Air flight attendants were filmed taking selfies on the wing of a Boeing 777.

Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) August 25, 2023

In August, a video purportedly showing two Swiss Air flight attendants taking selfies on a plane wing hit social media. The video, shared by Breaking Aviation News & Videos on X, formerly known as Twitter, appeared to show a female flight attendant doing different poses before being joined by a male colleague. No passengers were on the plane at the time.

A representative for Swiss Air told Insider that they condemned the "life-threatening" behavior.

"What looks like fun in the video is actually life-threatening," Michael Pelzer told Insider. "The wings of a Boeing 777 are at a height of about five meters [16.4 feet]. Moreover, after landing, even in high temperatures, the wings may be covered with ice. A fall from that height onto the hard surface can be devastating."

Pelzer added that the airline contacted the flight attendants in question.

A flight was forced to turn around after a passenger "had diarrhea all the way through" a Delta Airlines plane.

While not explicitly misbehaving, one of the summer's most talked-about airplane incidents can't be left off the list. Data from Flightradar 24 showed that a flight was two hours into an eight-hour trip from Atlanta, Georgia, to Barcelona, Spain, when it turned back to Atlanta.

An aviation enthusiast shared an audio transmission between the pilot and air traffic control on X after it was recorded on LivaATC.com. The pilot suggested a passenger experienced diarrhea throughout the plane mid-air.

"This is a biohazard issue," a pilot told air traffic control. "We've had a passenger who's had diarrhea all the way through the airplane, so they want us to come back to Atlanta."

A Delta Airlines spokesperson told Insider there was a "medical issue" but did not disclose the nature of the issue.

"Delta flight 194 from Atlanta to Barcelona returned to Atlanta following an onboard medical issue," the statement said.

Flightradar24 data suggested that the flight arrived in Barcelona at 5 p.m. the following day, eight hours later than it was initially scheduled to arrive.

A viral video purportedly showing the aftermath of the incident on the plane had 2.9 million views as of Wednesday.

Read the original article on Insider
Sir Keir Starmer said protecting the UKs borders is an acute security concern as he arrived in Canada for a summit of political leaders.

The Labour leader is set to declare people smuggling, terrorism, climate change and weakening democracy the four major threats to western countries during the latest in a series of engagements on the global stage.

He is expected to warn the joint challenges make up an axis of instability during an appearance at a summit for progressive politicians in Montreal this weekend.

But speaking to broadcasters in Montreal, the Labour leader stressed border security would be at the top of his agenda during the visit.

Ill be talking to political leaders from across the world about shared challenges and concerns, in particular security, he said.

And one of the most acute security concerns in the UK right now is border security, because the Government has lost control of the borders.

That basic rule that it ought to be the UK Government who decides who come to our shores has been conceded by the Government to criminal gangs, who are putting people in boats to go across the Channel.

So that is the particular challenge that we face and that is why Im setting out how we will work with international partners to smash these gangs, restore order to our borders and take a pragmatic approach  get rid of the gimmicks and the rhetoric and actually come up with a solution.

Sir Keir will be joined by shadow foreign secretary David Lammy at the summit in Montreal ahead of an expected visit to Paris next week to meet French president Emmanuel Macron.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper at Europol in The Hague, Netherlands (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

The flurry of international engagements has been seen as a bid to appear statesmanlike and burnish his leadership credentials ahead of a likely general election next year.

Labour officials are emphasising Sir Keirs background as a director of public prosecutions in making the case that he could manage organised immigration crime if handed the keys to No 10.

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No 10 appeared to downplay the significance of the Opposition leaders expected Paris trip, saying it was not unusual.

Sir Keir could also be eyeing a White House meeting with US president Joe Biden in the coming months, whose Bidenomics and landmark green subsidy push has attracted admiration from Labour.

Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, Norways premier Gahr Store and Jacinda Ardern, former prime minister of New Zealand, are among other leading politicians expected at the event this weekend, where Sir Keir is to set out his foreign policy stance.

The Labour leader said climate and economic security would also be discussed at the summit.

A political row has broken out following Sir Keirs indication that Labour would seek an EU-wide returns agreement which would involve taking a quota of migrants from the bloc.

The Tories have seized on the suggestion of closer ties to Brussels, claiming any such arrangement could lead to 100,000 EU migrants coming to the UK every year.

As well as attacks from the right, Labour faced criticism from Matt Wrack, the president of the Trades Union Congress, who told The Guardian Sir Keir was in danger of pandering to right-wing Tory rhetoric on immigration.

Labour dismissed the 100,000 figure as total garbage and insisted any partnership would focus on children with family in Britain rather than formally joining the EUs official quota scheme.

The party said it would deepen intelligence ties with the EU and station more British police on the continent as part of efforts to smash the criminal gangs profiting from small boat crossings.
Brighton's Italian head coach Roberto De Zerbi has a few selection head scratchers ahead of the trip to Man United (Photo: GLYN KIRK)

De Zerbis men head into the contest in fine form, having won three of their opening four Premier League matches this season, scoring 12 goals.

A 1-0 victory at the Amex Stadium overseen by the Italian in May made it three successive league wins for Brighton in meetings with United.

Republic of Ireland international Evan Ferguson, scorer of a hat-trick when Brighton beat Newcastle 3-1 in their last match, is being monitored after the 18-year-old missed the Republic of Irelands two games during the international break due to a knee injury.

The contest could see Spain forward Ansu Fati make his debut after joining on loan from Barcelona on transfer deadline day.

He has only had four or five sessions with us so I want to give him as much time as possible, De Zerbi said. He is a big, big talent. I have worked with him for one week but if you ask me his best position in one month I will know. The same applies to Carlos Baleba (who was also signed on deadline day, joining from Lille), he is a great talent.

De Zerbi also said that Facundo (Buonanotte) and Pervis (Estupinan) are tired after a long travel but are fine.

Heres how Albion could line-up for this one: Bart Verbruggen; Joel Veltman, Lewis Dunk, Jan Paul van Hecke, Igor Julio; Pascal Gross, Billy Gilmour; Solly March, Ansu Fati, Kaoru Mitoma; Joao Pedro.
From the 269 studio apartments, residents can choose from five different apartment types, starting with Lite to Deluxe, each studio includes a stunning ensuite bathroom, double bed, desk, kitchen, and wardrobes. Deluxe apartments are typically around 60% larger than a Lite and enjoy king-size beds, additional appliances, and additional living space (Photo: ugc)

For the first time in Northern Ireland, Vita Student has opened its doors to the worlds best student living experience ready for the 2023/2024 academic year.

The building which boasts 269 beautifully designed ensuite studio apartments offering all in student living has already sold out for this years intake of students and with the raft of benefits which come with being a Vita Student resident.

The all in living experience includes utility bills, super-fast connectivity, a state-of-the-art residents gym, bookable private dining and study rooms, a cinema, a beautiful, design-led hub space which is perfect for getting out of your apartment to meet friends, study and co-work. Residents also get complimentary breakfast, free tea and coffee, housekeeping, and a packed-out roster of events which are centred around wellbeing, community, and maximising studies  Begin Big.

The Begin Big platform supports students through their life at university, from workshops on drafting the perfect CV and graduate employment fairs, to inspiring talks from likes of Brian Cox, the BBC and Adidas.

Whilst the events programme includes private chef experiences with yhangry, where students learn to cook meals and can then recreate them in their daily lives, personal trainers, who host a range of workouts to help improve student wellbeing, brand partnerships with luxury retailers like LOCCITANE and Harvey Nichols, as well as weekly socials on Fridays to bring the community together and experience more of the city.

From the 269 studio apartments, residents can choose from five different apartment types, starting with Lite to Deluxe, each studio includes a stunning ensuite bathroom, double bed, desk, kitchen, and wardrobes. Deluxe apartments are typically around 60% larger than a Lite and enjoy king-size beds, additional appliances, and additional living space.

The all in living experience includes utility bills, super-fast connectivity, a state-of-the-art residents gym, bookable private dining and study rooms, a cinema, a beautiful, design-led hub space which is perfect for getting out of your apartment to meet friends, study and co-work (Photo: ugc)

Situated on the corner of Bruce Street and Little Victoria Street, its ideally located to cater for students from Queens University Belfast and Ulster University. A sustainable development by MRP, the purpose-built student accommodation scheme is the second Vita Student residence to be delivered by MRP with Vita Student Cannon Park in Coventry opening in 2022 and a third Vita Student residence in Birmingham that has recently commenced construction. Construction of the Bruce Street residence commenced in early 2022 and completed within a very swift 18 months construction period by Design & Build Contractors, McAleer & Rushe.

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Max Bielby, chief operating officer for Vita Student. said: The opening of Vita Student Bruce Street is a huge milestone for the brand, our first residence in Northern Ireland. And it couldnt be in a better place, right in the heart of Belfast, residents can easily access the very best of what the city has to offer as well as being within easy reach of the Universities. With previously un-met demand for high quality student accommodation to cater for the cities growing student population, Vita Student Bruce Street will raise standards for student accommodation in the city.

2023 marks the brands 10th year, a milestone we are extremely proud of as the business continues to go from strength-to-strength, redefining the student living experience and supporting residents on their journey through university, so theyre equipped to leave their education and go onto achieve their dreams. We hope that this new residence will continue to leave this positive on students lives for years to come.

The Vita Student building boasts 269 beautifully designed ensuite studio apartments offering all in student living has already sold out for this years intake of students and with the raft of benefits which come with being a Vita Student resident (Photo: u)

Graham Mitchell, development director at MRP, added: We are delighted to unveil the completed development at Bruce Street and see the building populated by students. This milestone is the culmination of many years of hard work by MRP, Vita Group, our team of consultants and contractor, all of whom were united with a vision to elevate the quality of student living in the heart of Belfast, underpinned by the fact that the building is fully let ahead of its first academic year. This is a testament to the Vita Student brand and the quality of the property, and were delighted to have laid the foundations for its success."
Prosecutors confront workers of online news outlet Newstapa at its office in central Seoul, Thursday, as the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office attempted to enter the office in order to seize materials in connection with an allegation of reporting misinformation via an interview conducted in 2021 to discredit then opposition presidential candidate Yoon Suk Yeol. Yonhap



By Lee Hae-rin



The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemned on Thursday Korea's prosecution and the ruling party's intimidation and harassment of news media organizations for allegedly reporting misinformation in an interview which the government claims discredited then-presidential candidate Yoon Suk Yeol in 2022.



The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office dispatched prosecutors and investigators to online news outlet Newstapa and cable channel JTBC, both of which are headquartered in Seoul, Thursday, to seize materials related to their coverage of the interview.



Prosecutors also searched the homes of a Newstapa reporter whose surname is Han and a former JTBC reporter whose surname is Bong.



"These raids and investigations against media outlets are the latest in a concerning trend of media rights violations led by the incumbent government in the Republic of Korea. The IFJ urges the prosecutors to withdraw all investigations against Newstapa, JTBC and the outlets' journalists, and calls on the People Power Party to ensure that press freedom is upheld and protected," the IFJ said in a statement.



The Journalists Associations of Korea (JAK) echoed the IFJ.



"We express concern about the increasing intensity of the government's media suppression as we approach next year's general elections," JAK President Kim Dong-hoon said.



Kim pointed out that the ruling party "targeted political commentators who wrote articles about the story" and "filed defamation complaints against radio hosts who reported on the incident."



"The JAK, along with other major media organizations, is committed to staunchly opposing the ruling party's endeavors to manipulate the media and will dedicate its collective efforts to safeguarding press freedom," Kim said.



The issue centers on the allegation that Kim Man-bae, a key figure in the Daejang-dong development project scandal pushed in the 2010s by then-rival candidate Lee Jae-myung, conspired with Newstapa-affiliated journalist Shin Hak-lim in September 2021 to release false claims via an interview alleging Yoon's connection to the corruption scandal.



Newstapa and JTBC reported the interview last March, just three days before the presidential election, triggering a heated political controversy.



Kim paid 165 million won ($123,500) to Shin after the interview but denied any intention to influence the election, claiming it was a "private conversation."


Marco Greco outside the new venue (Photo: Marco Greco outside the new venue)

Pranzo Italian is moving into the former Edinburgh Woollen Mill store in The Moors Shopping centre from October 5 and a 250,000 refurbishment project to prepare the building is already under way.

A spokesperson said Pranzo already employs around 60 people locally and the move should result in the creation of between 15 and 20 new jobs.

After five years in nearby Ben Rhydding, owner and chef Marco Greco said he is looking forward to the next stage in Pranzo's journey.

"Pranzo Ilkley was the first restaurant we opened. The community here have been so welcoming. The Ben Rhydding restaurant is a small, intimate venue that started life as an Italian cafe bar.

"Weve evolved to serve homemade pasta and a fantastic offering of imported wines from family owned vineyards across Italy.

Our new venue, just minutes down the road, will allow more people to come and enjoy our homemade pasta and the traditional Calabrese food I grew up with. It feels like the right time to move into a new place and the location, in the heart of Ilkley, will be great for the Pranzo style of dining."

Stephen Peace, Operations Director, added: "Over the past 18 months Pranzo has gone through a tremendous growth period. We have put a huge focus on the product and the team to create a brand that will continue to grow over the coming years. We doubled the size of Harrogate last year and in a matter of weeks we will see the new Ilkley restaurant open its doors.
President Putin's engagement with Iran and North Korea to secure ammunition has been ridiculed in the West.

Putin started the war with 20 million artillery shells - dwarfing that available to the West - and even those war stocks appear insufficient.

Similarly, the West is struggling to meet Ukraine's ammunition requirements.

Russian politician slams 'lies' in own military - War latest

Should Kyiv's backers invest in dramatically larger stockpiles of weapons, and does this portend a new era of dramatically increased defence spending?

The nuclear deterrent is relied on for its ultimate security against global superpowers.

But only eight - 4% - of the world's independent nation-states are nuclear powers; although NATO provides a protective umbrella for select non-nuclear states, 85% of states are not members.

Russia's success at holding NATO at bay while invading a non-nuclear neighbour highlights a grave shortfall in deterrence capabilities.

And, with rogue states like North Korea and Iran pursuing nuclear status, the former world security equilibrium is vulnerable, a fresh approach is required.

Although bullets and artillery shells will endure as the building blocks of military capability, the legacy of two brutal world wars led the West to invest in technology to enable greater precision, reducing collateral damage and casualties.

During World War Two, a free-fall bomb launched from RAF bombers would - on average - miss the target by four miles. Even a thousand bomber raids would not guarantee to hit the target.

Today, a Joint Strike Fighter delivers precision - four feet, not four miles - using smaller bombs, with less collateral damage and fewer casualties.

But, technology is expensive, so nations cannot afford significant weapon stockpiles. And, our defence industrial base is not configured to ramp up swiftly in times of war.

So, is Russia's unprovoked aggression a wake-up call and is it time to spend more money on defence?

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Membership of NATO is the UK's ultimate security. We already meet the NATO obligation of spending 2% of GDP on defence - increasing this further risks subsidising our European colleagues.

Instead, we should be spending smarter, providing more cost-effective capability, perhaps even within a new defence paradigm.

Russia's threat to Europe has been diminished - its military has been decimated by Ukraine and will take a decade to recover; however, a new vulnerability has been exposed.

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

Although NATO might provide the UK with national security, our national interests will be increasingly vulnerable, and history suggests that simply battening down the hatches does not make the problem go away.

The answer? The basic need for ships, tanks and aircraft will endure, but the UK is no longer big enough to "do it all alone".

Our protection lies in alliances, and that means making difficult choices about priorities.

In an uncertain world, the UK must be flexible, adaptable, and innovative - all qualities that Ukraine has exploited in its war with Russia.

That needs to be baked into our national defence DNA - currently, it is not.

The UK does not share Russia's evident appetite for casualties, so as an island nation, our contribution needs to be through technology, enabling precision strikes and the spectrum of military capability that has served Ukraine so well.

Russia has an impressive arsenal of equipment but has failed to translate that into battlefield capability.

Operational training is a vital component of credible military capability.

But it is increasingly difficult to conduct realistic live operational training - peacetime safety constraints combined with the huge costs limit the benefits

Consequently, the military conducts an increasing amount of high-end and dynamic training in simulators, but single-service parochialism continues to hinder the development of a pan-defence virtual training eco-system - plug and play - to enable both national and international cost-effective operational training. This is vital for effective and credible military alliances.

Further, the Ukrainian experience of modifying drones overnight to address Russian capabilities highlights the importance of innovation - not just in the lab, but also on the battlefield.

The single services continue to exploit technology, but in parochial stovepipes, and not aligned to national/government initiatives.

Read more: Putin's willingness to overlook Kim Jong Un's nuclear ambitions speaks to his focus on Ukraine victory

But, in a political landscape dominated by a cost-of-living crisis, a crumbling NHS and a looming general election, will anything change?

Although Russia might have been neutered - at least for a decade - rogue nations globally will have been empowered by Russia's experience.

And, terrorist organisations will have watched the Ukrainian "underdog" prevail against a Russian superpower by exploiting technology.

Weaponising drones has huge potential to cause disruption - and carnage - in our open society.

The West might be ridiculing President Putin for his engagement with North Korea in a desperate search for weapons, but we face the same strategic challenge - at least Putin has a plan.
Crimea's parliamentary speaker Konstantinov celebrates switching to Moscow time in the Crimean city of Simferopol

(Reuters) - Russian-installed authorities in Crimea said on Saturday they planned to sell about 100 Ukrainian properties, including one belonging to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament, said the nationalised properties would be sold "soon" and the authorities had held the first eight auctions for the properties of Ukrainian business figures.

The sale contracts amounted to more than 815 million roubles ($8.51 million), Konstantinov said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Russian-installed authorities in Crimea said in February that they had nationalised around 500 properties in Crimea including some belonging to senior Ukrainian politicians and business figures.

Crimea, internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, has been controlled by Moscow since 2014, when Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula, eight years before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

($1 = 95.8000 roubles)

(Reporting by Reuters; Editing by William Mallard)
Members of the Jane Austen Festival (Image: Trevor Porter)

LOVERS of one of England's best-known novelists have turned heads by visiting Trowbridge in period Regency dress to celebrate their literary hero.

Just over 40 members of the Jane Austen Festival in Bath visited a historic Grade 1 listed Georgian townhouse for an afternoon cream tea.

They enjoyed a train ride from Bath and a tour of the county town's Georgian buildings before having afternoon tea at Parade House in Fore Street.

Simon and Carey Tesler, the owners of Parade House, said: It was great for Trowbridge and just shows that we can welcome tourists and bring a lot of money into the town.

The 42 guests were welcomed by Trowbridge town crier Trevor Heeks ringing his bell before enjoying a tour of the Parade House.

The ladies and gentlemen, in period dress, were among the 800 people taking part in the annual Jane Austen Festival which runs until September 17.

When the celebrated author made Bath her home from 1801 to 1806 the city was a thriving spa resort, popular with fashionable society.

This year, the Jane Austen Festival organisers wanted to expand the popular event to new parts of the region.

Fans of the author travelled from around the world for the event, including Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Hawaii, Japan, New Zealand and the United States of America.

Wiltshire Times: Jane Austen fans travelled by train from Bath to visit Parade House in Trowbridge, one of Wiltshires finest Georgian townhouses, for Ladies on Parade, one of the events listed on the festival programme. Photo: Trevor Porter 70138-1

Jane Austen fans travelled by train from Bath to visit Parade House in Trowbridge, one of Wiltshires finest Georgian townhouses, for Ladies on Parade, one of the events listed on the festival programme. Photo: Trevor Porter 70138-1 (Image: Trevor Porter)

Dressed in their Regency finery they were escorted to Trowbridge by Mr Darcy for a private history tour of the house, a champagne afternoon cream tea in the grand ballroom.

They also played Regency parlour games and the ladies were instructed on the language of the fan during a special workshop led by Jenni Trent Hughes in her role as The Queen of Hearts.

Wiltshire Times: Jenni Trent Hughes in her role as Queen of Hearts at Parade House. Photo: Trevor Porter 70138-4

Jenni Trent Hughes in her role as Queen of Hearts at Parade House. Photo: Trevor Porter 70138-4 (Image: Trevor Porter)

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The annual 10-day festival celebrates the life and work of novelist Jane Austen, best known for novels including Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility and Northanger Abbey.

Mrs Tesler said: Our event was so popular, it sold out within an hour and we had to arrange two visits on Sunday and on Wednesday.

Jane Austen was born on December 16 1775, in the Hampshire village of Steventon where her father was the local clergyman.

The novelist lived in Bath from 1801-1806, before moving to Southampton and then the Hampshire village of Chawton after her father died.

She died aged 41 in Winchester in 1817 and is buried in the city's famous cathedral.
Kieran Turnbull (Photo: contributed)

Kieran is staging a Grease Night on September 21 at the college on Thursday, September 21, with doors opening at 5pm for a prompt start at 6pm. The evening will include rounds of trivia in between three to five minute clips from the film, with tickets available on https://ghana.kieranturnbull.uk/events There will also be a dance off halfway through the evening of immersive 1950s fun. Right at the end there will be a singing competition. The night is open to members of public. People are invited to book individually and then to join a team on the night. Kieran is hoping for an audience of around 50 to make it work. He needs to raise 2,500 for the trip and is currently just over halfway there. He needs to raise the full amount by December and is confident he will do so: I'm determined! I'm not going to let myself not do it! As for the reason behind the theme of the night: I'm a big fan of the film and I love musical theatre. I love the story and I love the costumes and I just love the overall vibe of the film. Its a feel-good film.

Kieran is one of a group of 20 Bourne students who have been given the chance to take part in a 15-day volunteer trip led by Plan My Gap Year to Ghana to support with restoration of schools and churches and to teach English to the local children. The renovation project will involve painting, building or improving an aspect in a local village, school or hospital, alongside skilled local trades people. Afternoons will be the community aspect of the trip visiting primary schools to brighten up the lives of young children.
Manchester United's English defender Harry Maguire warms up ahead of the Premier League football match between Manchester United and Brighton and Hove Albion at Old Trafford (Photo: OLI SCARFF)

Hojlund, the 20-year-old striker, looked promising off the bench at Arsenal and led the line on Saturday, when Reguilon came in at left-back. Scott McTominay was the other change in place of Anthony Martial, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Antony, who was allowed a leave of absence following assault allegations made against him.

Harry Maguire, who was relentlessly jeered and scored an own goal while on England duty during in the 3-1 win at Scotland last week, was in with a chance of making the starting XI as there were concerns surrounding both centre backs Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof.

Martinez was struggling with a foot injury but Ten Hag confirmed the Argentina international is fit to start, while Lindelof also struggled with illness during the Arsenal game but played for Sweden during the break and is fit to face Brighton. Leaving Maguire to take his place on the bench.

Erik ten Hag made three changes in total from the Manchester United side who were beaten 3-1 by Arsenal before the international break.

Manchester United XI: Onana; Dalot, Lindelof, Martinez, Reguilon; Casemiro, McTominay; Fernandes, Eriksen, Rashford; Hojlund. Subs: Bayindir, Maguire, Martial, Garnacho, Pellistri, Wan-Bissaka, Evans, Gore, Mejbri.

Brighton made six alterations as Jason Steele, Tariq Lamptey, Mo Dahoud, Adam Lallana, Danny Welbeck and Simon Adingra came in. Ansu Fati was among the substitutes.

Brighton XI: Steele; Lamptey, Van Hecke, Dunk, Veltman; Gross, Dahoud; Adingra, Lallana, Mitoma; Welbeck. Subs: Verbruggen, Julio, Webster, Milner, Pedro, Gilmour, Baleba, Ferguson, Fati.
Johnny Sexton smashed Irelands individual points record as his side edged closer to the Rugby World Cup quarter-finals with a crushing 59-16 bonus-point victory over Tonga in Nantes.

The influential fly-half surpassed Ronan OGaras all-time tally of 1,083 in style with the fourth of his sides eight tries on a balmy evening at Stade de la Beaujoire.

Captain Sexton also kicked a penalty and four conversions en route to moving on to a career total of 1,090 before being withdrawn from a bruising Pool B encounter at half-time ahead of next weeks crucial clash with South Africa.

Tries from Tadhg Beirne, Caelan Doris and Mack Hansen paved the way to victory, with Bundee Akis double and second-half scores from James Lowe and Rob Herring capping Sextons landmark moment.

Vaea Fifita crossed just before half-time to give Tonga hope in the aftermath of Peter OMahonys yellow card, while William Havili contributed three penalties and a conversion.

But the worlds top-ranked nation comfortably maintained their 100 per cent start to the tournament and emerged relatively unscathed moving towards pivotal Paris appointments with the Springboks and Scotland.

Despite the looming threat of the reigning world champions, head coach Andy Farrell named an extremely strong starting XV showing just four personnel changes from last weekends thumping 12-try triumph over Romania.

His side, unfamiliar in white shirts, were once again heavily backed on the terraces and met Tongas Sipi Tau by taking a collective step forwards.

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Sexton slotted an early penalty to increase the volume, but Havili landed a long-range reply to level before Ireland were frustrated to have an Andrew Porter try disallowed for a knock-on by Hansen.

The disappointment proved to be fleeting as Farrells men remained on the front foot, culminating in Beirne collecting Doris pass and touching down under the posts for his third score of the tournament.

Ireland ran in eight tries in Nantes (Andrew Matthews/PA)

Havili landed another audacious penalty from close to halfway to cut Tongas deficit, but their hopes of a first win over the Six Nations champions were swiftly reduced by costly indiscipline.

Lowe was clattered in his own 22 by opposing wing Solomone Kata, gifting Ireland a penalty at the other end of the field from which Doris powered over.

Hansen  one of four men recalled by Farrell  then superbly danced through the opposition defence wide on the right to stretch the scoreboard, leading to Sexton equalling OGaras previous national record.

Sexton overtook his former fly-half rival in memorable fashion to secure the bonus point.

Sexton celebrated wildly after his record-breaking try (Andrew Matthews/PA)

The evergreen 38-year-old rolled back the years by effortlessly slipping through Tongas defence to touch down and then celebrated jubilantly with fans seated behind the posts, before regaining his composure to add a simple conversion.

Ireland were threatening to blitz the stunned underdogs.

Yet Tonga roared back and, during a series of penalties close to the Irish line, OMahony was sin-binned before former All Black Fifita shrugged off an early injury issue to power over.

Ireland changed their entire front row at the break, while wrapping Sexton in cotton wool.

Yet replacement tighthead prop Finlay Bealham departed for a head injury assessment after Havili kicked his third penalty of the evening, requiring the swift return of Tahdg Furlong, before substitute hooker Herring had a try chalked off on review.

Lowe eventually claimed Irelands fifth and official man-on-the-match Aki then propelled himself to the top of the tournaments embryonic try-scoring charts with a quick-fire brace on the back of his two tries against Romania.

Herring sealed another statement Ireland win  a 15th in succession overall  ahead of two critical fixtures in the French capital, with Sextons replacement Ross Byrne landing all four of his conversion attempts.
(Bloomberg) -- Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called for urgent help from the European Union to help curb the flow of migrants as her government prepares to announce new measures as soon as Monday.

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Meloni invited European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to visit Italys Lampedusa to witness a human emergency unfolding as thousands of migrants in boats continue to arrive on the tiny island between Tunisia and Sicily.

Von der Leyen plans to visit Lampedusa on Sunday, her spokesman said.

The premier also urged European Council President Charles Michel to include immigration on the agenda of the EU council in October, she said on social media, and called for an EU mission to stop the illegal departures of migrants headed for Europe.

The Italian government intends to adopt extraordinary measures to deal with the number of arrivals we have seen on our shores, Meloni said, adding the plan will be discussed at a cabinet meeting on Monday. It includes extending the time limit to hold illegal migrants and building new reception structures to host them.

Italy wants to limit migration flows from North Africa by boosting cooperation among authorities aimed at restricting departures. In July, Meloni organized an international conference on development and migration in Rome after earlier that month Tunisia and the EU signed an agreement aimed at building cooperation on migration policy.

The mayor of Lampedusa said Thursday that 7,000 people had arrived in the previous 48 hours alone, CNN reported, and that a point of no return had been reached.

--With assistance from Chiara Albanese and Zoe Schneeweiss.

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(Updates with planned von der Leyen visit to Lampedusa in third paragraph.)

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Marrakesh in the aftermath of the earthquake which hit Morocco on September 8, killing 2,800 and destroying many buidings. (Photo: Lisa Black)

A mother who was on holiday with her son in Morocco when the earthquake struck has described the "scary" scenes as hundreds of panicked people ran through the streets.

Lisa Black, 50, from Loanhead, was in Marrakesh on a 10-day visit with her 25-year-old son, Conor Mason, when Morocco was hit by its worst earthquake in more than a century on Friday last week, September 8. More than 2,800 people have been killed and 300,000 affected. The epicentre of the 6.8 magnitude quake was near Marrakesh, although the worst destruction was felt in isolated village communities in the Atlas mountains.

Marrakesh in the wake of the earthquake which claimed 2,800 lives and affected 300,000 more, with the worst of it felt in the Atlas mountains. (Photo: Lisa Black)

Ms Black and Conor had flown out on September 3  the trip was a treat from her partner Lee Golding. She said they had been enjoying a typical holiday in Morocco, with a visit to the desert and a variety of other trips. "It's an incredible place  the people and everything are just so amazing, I've never been to a country like it."

On the night the earthquake struck they had been out for dinner. "We were walking along, it was about five to 11. We didn't feel the first tremor  I think it was about 4.3  but we saw lots of people running. At first I thought it was a shooting because all the cars stopped, there were people running out of restaurants, screaming.

"Then the 6.8 tremor hit us. I said to Conor 'Just run'  so the two of us ran. People were coming out of everywhere, there was rubble falling and women screaming, passing out, men on their knees praying, it was just crazy. My instinct was to try and help some people, just to get them up off the ground. I think they were just in so much shock and fear. The sheer shock made some of them just pass out. There were hundreds and hundreds of people in the streets. It was very surreal and very scary.

"We got back to the hotel and they said we couldn't go in just then so we were just all out in the streets, everybody was still panicking. I think we eventually got into the hotel maybe about 2am  but I did speak to people at the airport when we were flying home and some of them had to sleep on sun loungers because they wouldn't let them back in."

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Clearing the rubble in Marrakesh after the earthquake damaged many buildings in the popular tourist city. (Photo: Lisa Black)

She said she and Conor went to the Medina  the old town of Marrakesh  the next morning. "It was just to see if we could help anybody and see what the damage was like. It was like a bomb had gone off  buildings down, houses destroyed, especially in the souks."

She said they had visited the Medina on the first day of their holiday and admired the ancient buildings and winding streets. "To compare it the day after the earthquake was like night and day." But she said: "The community is so strong, they were all helping each other, which was amazing to see."

And Ms Black urges anyone with a holiday planned to Morocco to make sure they still go. "It's getting back up and running and they still need the tourism. I've had lots of people asking me if it's safe to go. Yes, it's safe. They are going to look after you even more. Do not cancel your plans."
Damage from flooding is seen in Derna, Libya, on Wednesday (Yousef Murad/AP)

An international children's charity founded in Norfolk has launched an emergency appeal to help people hit by the disasters in Libya and Morocco.

There are fears up to 20,000 people have been killed due to devastating floods in eastern Libya, while the earthquake in Morocco has claimed more than 2,000 lives.

In both countries thousands of others are in desperate need to assistance.

Street Children's emergency appeal was initially centred on Morocco but has been extended to Libya as the scale of the disaster has emerged.

Founder and CEO of Street Child Tom Dannatt, who lives and works in Norfolk, said: If you are looking for ways to help, donate today to Street Child's emergency fund. We will ensure 100pc of all donations received are passed on to highly effective local organisations who are responding on the ground.



"We have witnessed utterly horrific scenes from Libya. Catastrophic flooding that has flattened entire communities, thousands of people missing, and a mounting death toll.

"In light of this, and after careful consideration, Street Child has made the decision to extend our Morocco Response Fund to encompass both Morocco and Libya. This joint appeal will allow us to provide vital support to those affected by the crises in both countries,"

Anna Lloyd, head of church engagement for Street Child said: The Norfolk and Norwich community has been incredible over the past year in supporting the work of Street Child, especially when global emergencies have struck. From Russia's invasion of Ukraine, to the Turkey and Syria earthquakes,

"A school non-uniform day, Sunday church collection or village bake sale can go a really long way.

"Let's rally that amazing Norfolk community spirit to support the people of Morocco and Libya by donating, fundraising and spreading the word about this emergency appeal."

If you would like to give towards the relief effort, please visit street-child.org. Email Anna Lloyd anna.lloyd@street-child.org.
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said Saturday it will introduce a motion calling for the dismissal of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, and take action to open an independent counsel to investigat the case of a young Marine's death.

"We call for the resignation of the Cabinet and will immediately file a dismissal motion for Prime Minister Han Duck-soo," the DPK's floor leader Park Kwang-on read from a resolution during a media briefing after an emergency meeting of party lawmakers at the National Assembly.

"We will also take the necessary steps to push for a special prosecutor's bill to investigate charges of obstructing the investigation into the fallen Marine and covering up the case."

The opposition party has accused the incumbent government of interfering with a military investigation into the death of Marine Cpl. Chae Su-geun, who was swept away by an overflowing stream during a mission to search for victims of torrential rain on July 19.

It had tried to impeach former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup over the case last week, but called off the plan as he offered to step down and his replacement was named earlier this week.

Park also said the DPK lawmakers have also asked the party leader Lee Jae-myung to stop his hunger strike that has lasted for 17 days.

Lee began the strike Aug. 31 against what he called the "incompetent and violent" government of President Yoon Suk Yeol, accusing the Yoon administration of destroying people's livelihoods and democracy and saying fasting is a last resort to stop this. (Yonhap)
By Ju-min Park

SEOUL (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was heading home by train on Sunday, Russian news agencies reported, after a week-long visit to Russia that included talks with President Vladimir Putin on closer military and other cooperation.

A video published by Russia's state-run RIA news agency on Sunday showed Kim walking along a red carpet to his train carriage in the Russian Far Eastern city of Artyom, and waving goodbye to the sounds of a military band.

Artyom is about 254 km (159 miles) from Khasan station on Russia's border with North Korea.

The trip by the North Korean leader, who seldom leaves his country, signifies "a fresh heyday of friendship and solidarity and cooperation is being opened up in the history of the development of the relations between the DPRK and Russia," North Korean state news agency KCNA said, using the initials for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow wanted to develop "equal and fair cooperation" with North Korea despite sanctions imposed on Pyongyang by the U.N. Security Council.

"We have not declared sanctions against North Korea, the Security Council did that. So appeal to the Security Council, and we will develop equal and fair cooperation with the DPRK," Lavrov said in a state TV interview, excerpts of which were broadcast on Sunday.

The Kremlin earlier said it abides by U.N. sanctions, but that it has a right to develop neighbourly relations, including in relation to sensitive topics.

The United States and its allies worry about warming military ties between the two neighbours as Russia presses its invasion of Ukraine and North Korea, a reclusive communist state, proceeds with missile and nuclear development.

South Korea and the United States say military cooperation between North Korea and Russia would violate U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang and that the allies would ensure there was a price to pay.

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called such a military partnership "illegal and unjust", saying the international community would "unite more tightly" to cope with deepening ties between Moscow and Pyongyang, in written responses to the Associated Press on Sunday.

Yoon will head to New York on Monday for the U.N. General Assembly.

WELL PUBLICISED VISIT

Russia has gone out of its way to publicise Kim's visit, dropping repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, a country formed in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union.

On Saturday, Kim met Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who showed the North Korean leader Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships.

Kim and Shoigu "exchanged their constructive opinions on the practical issues arising in further strengthening the strategic and tactical coordination, cooperation and mutual exchange between the armed forces of the two countries and in the fields of their national defence and security," KCNA said on Sunday.

Moscow is discussing joint military exercises with North Korea, Shoigu told Russian media. He visited Pyongyang in July and toured a weapons exhibition with Kim, one of the most striking signs of deepening ties up to that point.

During his trip to Russia, Kim toured Russia's Pacific Sea Fleet, equipped with strategic nuclear submarines among other military vessels, KCNA said, quoting him as praising the fleet for its contribution to peace in the region. He was photographed visiting a control room and inspecting a warship.

This month, North Korea launched its first operational "tactical nuclear attack submarine".

Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of Russia's far eastern Primorsky region, gave Kim a bulletproof vest and six drones produced in the region, RIA news agency said.

(Additional reporting by Maxim Rodionov and Lidia KellyEditing by Daniel Wallis, David Gregorio, William Mallard, Gareth Jones, Susan Fenton and Conor Humphries)
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships on Saturday, accompanied by President Vladimir Putin's defence minister.

A smiling Kim was greeted in Russia's Knevichi airfield, about 50 km (30 miles) from the Pacific port city of Vladivostok, by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who saluted him. The North Korean leader then inspected a guard of honour.

The United States and South Korea fear the revival of Moscow's friendship with Pyongyang could give Kim access to some of Russia's sensitive missile and other technology while helping arm Russia in its war in Ukraine.

Shoigu showed Kim Russia's strategic bombers - the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 - which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons and form the backbone of Russia's nuclear air attack force, Russia's defence ministry said.

"It can fly from Moscow to Japan and then back again," Shoigu told Kim of one aircraft.

Kim was shown asking about how the missiles were fired from the aircraft, at times nodding and smiling.

Shoigu showed him the MiG-31I supersonic interceptor aircraft equipped with "Kinzhal" hypersonic missiles. The Kinzhal, or dagger, is an air-launched ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads.

It has a reported range of 1,500 to 2,000 km (930-1,240 miles) while carrying a payload of 480 kg (1,100 pounds). It may travel at up to 10 times the speed of sound (12,000 kph, 7,700 mph).

Russia's ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, told reporters that Kim's programme was "very intense" and that it was not yet clear how long he would remain in Russia, state news agency RIA reported.

It also quoted Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of Vladivostok's Primorye region, as saying he would have talks with Kim on Sunday on cooperation in sport, tourism and culture.

KIM VISITS RUSSIAN PACIFIC FLEET

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After the aircraft and missiles, Kim inspected the Russian Pacific Fleet's frigate "Marshal Shaposhnikov" in Vladivostok and saw a demonstration of modern missile control systems, RIA said.

South Korea and the United States said on Friday that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia would violate U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang and that the allies would ensure there was a price to pay.

Russia has gone out of its way to publicise Kim's visit and drop repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union.

For Putin, who says Moscow is locked in an existential battle with the West over Ukraine, courting Kim allows him to needle Washington and its Asian allies while potentially securing a deep supply of artillery for the Ukraine war.

Washington has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, which has the world's biggest store of nuclear warheads, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made.

Kim on Friday inspected a Russian fighter jet factory that is under Western sanctions.

He and Putin discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and deepening cooperation when they met on Wednesday. Putin told reporters Russia was "not going to violate anything", but would keep developing relations with North Korea.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there had not been a plan to sign any formal agreements during the visit.

Russian diplomats said Washington had no right to lecture Moscow after the United States had bolstered its allies across the world, including with a visit of a U.S. nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine to South Korea in July.

While in Vladivostok, Kim watched the first act of the ballet "Sleeping Beauty", staged by St Petersburg's Mariinsky theatre, the RIA news agency reported.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Kevin Liffey; Editing by William Mallard, Mark Potter and Nick Macfie)
After days of speculation, its been confirmed that the American XL Bully dog breed will be banned in the United Kingdom.

On Friday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the dogs are a danger to communities and human life and vowed to take the breed off the streets.

The move comes a day after a man died in the Midlands after being savaged by two dogs.

They have previously attacked several other UK citizens, including a two-year-old child.

Sunaks decision, while claiming he "shared the nation's horror" at such attacks, means that the Bully XLs will be prohibited by the end of 2023.

There won't, however, be a mass cull of the dogs. The UK's chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, announced on Saturday that there will instead be an "amnesty", where existing owners will have to register their dogs and take actions such as making them wear a muzzle in public.

In the UK, Bully XLs join four other breeds - the Pit Bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, Dogo Argentino and Fila Brasileiro - which are all banned under a law that prohibits any dog which is "dangerously out of control.

Its clear the American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities.



Ive ordered urgent work to define and ban this breed so we can end these violent attacks and keep people safe. pic.twitter.com/Qlxwme2UPQ  Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) September 15, 2023

Downing Street has been forced to deny that the government had taken too long to ban the Bully dogs.

A spokesman for No. 10 said: "Clearly this breed of dog isn't defined in law so it's right to take the time to consider the best way to put an end to these horrendous attacks that we're seeing".

There are concerns that the ban may not be as easy to enforce as many would hope.

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The American bully XL is, in actual fact, not being recognised as an individual breed by the Kennel Club. That could mean the ban put in place against them may inadvertently outlaw other kinds of dogs.

[Focus] not on the breed but the deed.

In Parliament, there have been calls to overhaul the Dangerous Dogs Act - the law currently in place to prevent canine attacks - with a focus on specific traits as opposed to entire breeds or types.

The Act, put into law in 1991, has long been controversial for its failure to stem the rise of dog attacks and for its apparently misplaced focus on a dog's breed or appearance instead of an individual dog's behaviour.

On Thursday, former Conservative MP Baroness Fookes said: "I suggest that he should be more radical when looking at the Dangerous Dogs Act. It is time that that was sent to the knacker's yard and a new system instituted altogether.

"I say this with some regret because I was the one who introduced it in the other place (the Commons) in the first place, Fookes added.

Her comments come at the same time as those from former police chief Lord Hogan-Howe, who has called for a national amnesty to get such dangerous dogs off the streets.

In 2007, he introduced a similar measure following the death of five-year-old Ellie Lawrenson, who was mauled by a banned pit bull-type dog in Merseyside on New Year's Day.

American XL Bully dogs can weigh up to a staggering 60kg - Wikimedia Commons

The American XL Bully is a relatively new dog breed. Originating in the United States in the 1980s, it was initially a mix between the American pit bull terrier and American Staffordshire terrier, but has since been crossed with other breeds to create an ultra-muscular dog.

Known for its instability and powerful appearance the breed can weigh more than 60kg - and is capable of overpowering an adult.

In the UK, Bully Watch, a group that advocates for a ban on selling and breeding large Bullies, says American Bully XLs or American Bully Mixes have been responsible for a significant 38% of all dog attacks in the county so far this year.

Theyre already illegal in France, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates; while in other countries including Ireland, there are strict rules in place that they must be muzzled and kept on a lead shorter than two metres when theyre in public.

The rules on dangerous dogs across Europe

Although the American Bully XLs banning in the UK is likely to cause other European nations to follow suit, theyre not the most prohibited dog on the continent by a long shot.

That dubious honour goes to the Pit Bull.

Pit Bulls, like this one pictured pulling a weight during the Thailand International Dog Show 2023 in Bangkok, are notorious for their immense strength - Peerapon Boonyakiat/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Interestingly, its not a specific breed, with the colloquial term pit bull used to encompass a wide variety of dogs.

While some professional breeders of the American Pit Bull Terrier have tried to get that particular type recognised as the only true pit bull, they have failed on numerous occasions.

Theyre prohibited in many countries across the globe - ranging from outright bans to restrictions and conditions on ownership.

Known as the top killer of children among all canines, they are banned or restricted in Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey.

In the UK, it is entirely against the law to own, sell, abandon, give away, or breed any kind of Pit Bull Terrier.

The Japanese Tosa was historically bred as a fighting dog - Vadim Kot/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

The Japanese Tosa is subject to the same fate in the UK, where a specific exemption from a British court is required to own and import Tosas legally.

Originally bred in Japan as a fighting dog, it remains the only dog in that country that is still used - legally - in Japanese dog fighting.

In South Korea, it is one of the main breeds used for dog meat, but in Europe its banned in several nations due to its dangerous nature.

Austria, Denmark, France, Iceland, Romania, Malta, Norway and Turkey all have prohibitions or legal restrictions in place on the Tosa at a national level.

Dogo Argentinos are known for their "unsteady temperaments" - Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

In the UK, its also illegal to own the Dogo Argentino breed without authority from the government.

Bred primarily from the extinct Cordoba fighting dog, its known as a big-game hunter as well as trainable in search and rescue and as service dogs.

While some countries value the Dogo, in Europe its often unsteady temperament is recognised as a serious fault.

Nations including Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Turkey have rules in place restricting ownership.

In Ukraine, too, which does not enforce bans or restrictions on dog breeds at a country level, the Dogo appears on the Ukrainian Kennel Clubs dangerous dogs list.

Ukrainian laws allow specific regions to regulate particular breeds, allowing different cities and areas to decide on their own dog prohibitions.

In the 18th century, Fila Brasileiros were used by Brazilian slave owners to retrieve escaped slaves - Wikimedia Commons

The Fila Brasileiro is a Brazilian breed, known for centuries for its aggressive manner.

Often used as a guard dog and for big game hunting, it was notorious in the 18th century for being used by Brazilian slave owners to retrieve their escaped slaves.

Perhaps in part due to the verb "filar" in Portuguese literally meaning "to hold, arrest, grab", suggesting that the Fila is a dog that "bites and does not loosen its grip", as well as its exceptionally strong jaw, it is banned in several nations.

Likely to become very antisocial if not trained effectively, they are known to have killed smaller dogs and other animals as well as human beings.

Banned in the UK since 1991, Norway, Malta and Cyprus have followed suit in Europe, making it illegal to own the breed without specific exemption from a court. In Turkey, the rules are tougher still; there, it is illegal to own and breed a Fila Brasileiro at all.

In Europe, there are only two countries which dont explicitly ban any dogs.

Finland is known as a dog-friendly nation which has no restrictions on importing or breeding any dog breed. It has put in place some rules and regulations around dog ownership though, namely that dogs must be kept on a lead and hybrid breeds of dogs with wolves are prohibited.

In Ireland, there are no laws against importing or breeding any kind of dog breed.

The countrys Dog Breed Specific Legislation, though, has restricted 11 dogs, including three types of pit bulls, Rottweiler, Alsatians and the Japanese Tosa.

Owners must follow prescribed rules, with those specific canines only allowed to be led by those over the age of 16.

Many of them are not permitted in public places without a lead and in others without a muzzle.

Are yearly dog attacks on the rise?

Its estimated that around 100 million people across the globe are attacked by dogs on an annual basis.

While most incidents cause small injuries at worst, an increasing number of people have been severely hurt or killed by out-of-control dogs.

In England and Wales alone, its estimated that attacks have gone up by 34% in the last five years, despite the dog population rising by only 15% in that same time frame.

A 2016 study by Science Direct found that, between 1995 and 2016, the number of European fatalities due to dog attacks increased significantly year on year.

In 2016, 45 Europeans were killed by dogs, a figure which translates to an incidence of 0.009 per 100,000 inhabitants and means that, nearly once a week that year, a European was fatally wounded by a canine.

That number is still going up - and only Luxembourg has avoided fatalities at the hands of dangerous dogs since 1995.

From 1995 to 2016, the largest number of dog-inflicted deaths occurred in Hungary (94 fatalities), France (79), Romania (67), the UK (56) and Poland (49).

Finland, known for its relatively relaxed laws on dog ownership, saw 26 deaths in that period, a larger figure than the combined fatalities of the other Scandinavian nations, Denmark, Norway and Sweden, which recorded 23 killings.

While the ban on dangerous dogs often comes as a relief to many, it is not an exact science, with geographical areas varying hugely in terms of attack numbers.

Across the globe, as in Europe, socio-economic conditions have been found to be directly linked to the number of attacks, but experts say that a bad living situation clearly doesnt make every dog more inclined to violence.

Despite Rishi Sunak telling the British public: "these dogs are dangerous, I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe, some critics are saying the ban on American Bully XLs is simply not enough - and that all dogs in the UK and Europe with even a hint of a violent breed history should be examined far more closely.
Burt Presbyterian church, Co Donegal

Last weekend, First Bangor Presbyterian church celebrated its 400th anniversary, and last night Burt church, a short distance from Londonderry city, held a 350th anniversary service with Presbyterian Rev Dr Sam Mawhinney a special guest.

Located off the busy N13 highway, main Londonderry/Letterkenny road in the townland of Carrownamaddy, Burt church was founded in 1673, when the Rev William Hampton, from Scotland, was ordained as the first minister.

Hampton was the first of 20 ministers to serve the surrounding local community down the years, and, by coincidence, Burts current minister is also a Scot: Glaswegian the Rev Craig Wilson.

Mr Wilson was installed as minister of Burt and Inch Presbyterian churches last year, while continuing to serve the congregations of St Johnston and Ballylennon as minister, for the past 15 years.

As a relative newcomer to Burt congregation, I was unaware of the long and distinguished history of this old church, and the fact that in the early days a service could last up to three hours. There were no pews then and you had to stand unless you brought your own chair. Thankfully, not anymore, said Mr Wilson.

He added: We are a small congregation overlooking Inch Island and siting beneath Greenan mountain and its hill fort built around a thousand years before our church.

"The location is both historic and beautiful, as is the witness the congregation has borne to Christ over the past three and a half centuries.

During Burts long history, two of the congregations former ministers led the Irish Presbyterian church as moderator: Rev William Clerk, minister from 1876-1879 and moderator in 1889, and the Rev Dr William Boyd, who ministered in Burt from 1932-1939 and was moderator in 1967.

In 1700, the son of Burts first minister , the Rev John Hampton, was one of four Donegal clerics who founded the first Presbyterian presbytery at Philadelphia in America.

They were led by the Rev Francis Makemie, from Ramelton, Donegal, who emigrated in 1683 and is recognised as the founding father of today's American mainstream denomination - Presbyterian USA.

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Makemie and his ministerial colleagues were members of the Laggan presbytery in Donegal before they moved to America.

Speaking after last night's service in Burt, moderator Dr Mawhinney, a Dublin church cleric, said: Anniversaries are important and it is fitting that we celebrate and give thanks to God for Burts 350 years of Christian witness in this northerly part. of the island.

"There are 30 Presbyterian congregations in Co Donegal, and, remarkably, 10 of them, including Burt, can trace their roots back to the 17th century, when Scottish settlers brought their Reformed Protestant witness to Ireland.

It was a privilege to be part of the celebrations in Burt."
By Greg Torode and Laurie Chen

BEIJING (Reuters) - General Li Shangfu, a veteran of China's military modernisation drive, rose through the ranks to become defence minister this year. Within six months, he disappeared under the cloud of a corruption probe.

Li grew to prominence under President Xi Jinping's pursuit of military might during his decade in power while China's relations with the United States soured over issues including Taiwan, the democratically governed island that Beijing claims.

But part of Xi's drive to improve his fighting force has been to stamp out corruption that has long plagued China's military and other state institutions.

A leader China's space and cyber warfare development and then head of military procurement, Li, 65, was elevated to defence minister in March.

After he disappeared from public view last month and missed meetings, including with at least once foreign counterpart, Reuters reported on Friday that Li was under investigation in a broad probe over procurement of military equipment.

Reuters could not ascertain what purchases were under scrutiny. China's defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The foreign ministry's spokeswoman told reporters on Friday she was not aware of the situation.

While his post as defence minister is viewed as largely diplomatic and ceremonial, Li is one of China's five state councillors, a cabinet position that outranks other ministers.

He also has a more public role than others on the Central Military Commission, China's top defence body, commanded by Xi. His relations with the United States, which sanctioned Li in 2018 for buying weapons from Russia, have defined his spell in the role.

SANCTIONS OR DIALOGUE

Li's tenure began as Washington was pushing to restore military dialogue and communications that Beijing froze in reaction to a visit last year to Taiwan by the then-speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi.

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Chinese officials have repeatedly said the U.S. should drop sanctions on Li if it wants to resume high-level military communications - a risky dynamic as Washington and Beijing spar over issues ranging from trade to Taiwan.

Beijing in June declined a U.S. request for a meeting with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a high-profile annual security forum in Singapore. Their encounter ended with a handshake.

At the forum, Li warned that conflict with the U.S. would be an "unbearable disaster" but that China sought dialogue over confrontation.

In mid-August, he met high-ranking officials in Russia and Belarus, a show of support for countries diplomatically isolated by the West in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Li was last seen in Beijing on Aug. 29 delivering a keynote address at a security forum with African nations.

TECHNOCRAT ORIGINS

Li's history as a technocrat - he is an aerospace engineer who worked on China's satellite programme - was helpful in trying to meet Xi's goals for the People's Liberation Army (PLA), experts say.

"The operational and technological background of the next Chinese defence minister is especially pertinent given that the PLA aims to become a world-class military by 2049," said James Char, a security scholar at Singapore's S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

In 2016, Li was named deputy commander of the PLA's fledgling Strategic Support Force, an elite group tasked with accelerating the development of China's space and cyber warfare capabilities.

He was then appointed head of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission. Li was sanctioned over the purchase of 10 Russian Su-35 combat aircraft in 2017 and equipment related to the S-400 surface-to-air missile system.

In July, the department took the highly unusual step of issuing a notice that it was looking to "clean up" its bidding process. It invited the public to report irregularities dating back to October 2017, when Li was at its helm. He ran the unit until October 2022.

Li's term at the Central Military Commission highlighted his ties to Xi, who has strengthened his grip across the military. Some scholars believe Li has close ties to Zhang Youxia, a close military ally of Xi, whom Li replaced as head of the department.

Zhang was promoted to first vice chairman of the military commission during the Communist Party Congress last year, with Li following him onto the commission's seven-person governing group.

Despite the uncertainty of Li's absence, analysts say there is probably no shortage of senior military officials who could step into the figurehead role of defence minister. A bigger question is what priority Beijing will continue to place on China's military diplomacy amid ongoing regional tensions.

(Reporting by Laurie Chen in Beijing and Greg Torode in Hong Kong; Editing by John Geddie and William Mallard)
Robert Irwin to co-host Australia's I'm A Celeb credit:Bang Showbiz

Robert Irwin is reportedly set to host 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!'

The 19-year-old television personality and conservationist - who is the son of late wildlife expert Steve Irwin - is set to host the Australian version of the show, alongside Julia Morris, following Dr Chris Brown's departure, according to TVblackbox.

A Network 10 spokesperson told the website: "Any announcements regarding our program schedule for 2024 will be made at our intimate Upfronts presentations.

Meanwhile, Robert and his sister Bindi, 24, recently paid tribute to their father Steve, 16 years after his death

Robert shared a picture of himself as a toddler being held by his dad and wrote: "It's Father's Day today in Australia, and I am sending my love to those who are missing their dad today. I cherish all the good times with my dad and feel grateful to be able to keep his memory and legacy alive."

The legendary wildlife expert died on September 4, 2006 aged 44 following a freak accident with a stingray and Bindi remembered him on the anniversary of the tragedy in a sweet message declaring he would have been a wonderful grandad to her little girl Grace.

She wrote: "Grandpa Crocodile, I know you would've been the most incredible grandfather because you were such an extraordinary dad. Thank you for being an amazing guardian angel for Grace."

The TV personality added a picture which showed her as a child sitting in a boat with Steve holding a baby crocodile.
Bravest of the brave - 14 Royal Marines killed during the 40 Commando tour of Afghanistan

PRIME Minister David Cameron paid tribute to Royal Marines from Norton Manor Camp-based 40 Commando after they handed over control of the deadliest region in Afghanistan to the Americans back in September 2010.

After UK forces formally handed over responsibility for security in Sangin province to the US Marine Corps, Mr Cameron said the deaths of more than 100 British troops in the province had not been in vain.

Our troops have performed magnificently in Sangin and I pay tribute to the thousands who have served, to the over 100 who have given their lives and to the many who have been wounded," he said.

They did not die in vain  they made Afghanistan a safer place and they have made Britain a safer place and they will never be forgotten.

One thousand Royal Marines and other British service personnel were then redeployed in central Helmand.

READ MORE: Remembering the 14 bravest of the brave Commandos killed in Afghanistan.

Defence Secretary Dr Liam Fox said: The level of sacrifice has been high and we should never forget the many brave troops who have lost their lives in the pursuit of success in an international mission rooted firmly in our own national security in the UK.

Of the 337 UK deaths in Afghanistan since 2001, more than a third have been in Sangin.

In the last tour alone, 40 Commando lost 14 of its servicemen.

Taunton's MP Jeremy Browne also praised the contribution of 40 Commando Royal Marines in a speech at the LibDem conference in Liverpool.

He said: They will be returning home to Taunton this autumn without 14 of their men, who have fought and died in an inspiring and heroic quest to bring greater security and stability to the people of Helmand

province.

And the Commanding Officer of 40 Commando, Lt-Col Paul James, thanked County Gazette readers for their support during the Marines deployment in Sangin.

He said: "As we return to Norton Manor Camp after nearly seven months away, I felt it important to publicly recognise and show our appreciation for the overwhelming support your readers have given to the unit.

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It has been magnificent and deeply appreciated.

We have been humbled by the Gazette's Shoulder to Shoulder campaign; the boys are tremendously grateful for all the support shown and very much feel an intrinsic part of Taunton, and Somerset.

Lt-Col James also confirmed 40 Commando would be holding its homecoming parade through Taunton in November.
ISTANBUL (Reuters) -Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday that Ankara could "part ways" with the European Union if necessary when asked about the contents of a European Parliament report on Turkey.

The report, adopted earlier this week, said Turkey's accession process with the 27-member bloc cannot resume under current circumstances and called for the EU to explore "a parallel and realistic framework" for its ties with Ankara.

Turkey has been an official candidate to join the EU for 24 years, but accession talks have stalled in recent years over the bloc's concerns about human rights violations and respect for the rule of law.

"The EU is trying to break away from Turkey," Erdogan told reporters ahead of a trip to the United States. "We will make our evaluations against these developments and if necessary, we can part ways with the EU."

Turkey's Foreign Ministry said earlier this week that the European Parliament report contained unfounded allegations and prejudices and took "a shallow and non-visionary" approach to the country's ties with the EU.

(Reporting by Ezgi ErkoyunEditing by Toby Chopra and Helen Popper)
The world must recommit to the United Nations sustainable development goals if the ambitious targets are to be met, UK ministers and diplomats will urge at a UN summit next week.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been accused of snubbing the gathering in New York, blaming diary pressures for his absence and instead sending a team headed by his deputy Oliver Dowden.

He is not the only world leader expected to miss the summit, which is set to see discussions on the war in Ukraine, artificial intelligence and the threat of climate change.

French President Emmanuel Macron is not expected to attend, while neither is Chinas Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The UN gathering comes only weeks after world leaders met at the G20.

The Deputy Prime Minister will be joined in New York by Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who arrives on Sunday and will hold talks with his US and French counterparts among others during the trip.

While there the UK delegation is expected to focus on stressing the importance of a functioning multilateral system, with calls too for a renewed effort to meet the UNs sustainable development goals by 2030.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine will also be on the agenda, with Mr Dowden  a close ally of the Prime Minister  set to attend UN Security Council sessions during the week.

He will also use an address to the general assembly on Friday to call for countries to co-operate on new technology such as AI, with meetings also due to be held with top tech companies during the American visit.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden will lead the UK delegation (Victoria Jones/PA)

It comes as the UK prepares to host an AI summit in November, with Mr Sunak keen to establish a key role for Britain in harnessing and regulating the technology.

Mr Dowden said: The UK has always worked closely with the UN to create a safer, healthier and more prosperous world.

I look forward to using this year to discuss the challenges and opportunities of AI, so that the benefits of this revolutionary technology are felt fairly across the world, and how Britain can be at the forefront of that effort.

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Alongside this well be announcing new support to tackle climate change, boost global economic growth and prevent future pandemics.

But the principles of the UN are being challenged by Russias appalling actions in Ukraine: deliberately attacking and terrorising civilians and seeking to hold the world to ransom by blocking vital food supplies.

Mr Dowden said he would be challenging Russia over the war.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was at the G20 summit in India earlier this month (Dan Kitwood/PA)

The Foreign Secretary will also stress the need to ensure that international support for Kyiv remains strong, as the war drags on.

Mr Cleverly said: Only a functioning multilateral system can address the complex and interconnected global challenges we are facing.

But our system is under strain, particularly from intensifying geopolitical rivalry. The sustainable development goals are seriously off-track, and we need to come together to recommit and accelerate their delivery by 2030.

He added: Putin is counting on the misguided assumption that he can outlast international support for Ukraine.

We will not be deterred. It is in all our interests to ensure that Russia is defeated and evicted from Ukraines sovereign territory as quickly as possible.
China has customs inspection, quarantine cooperation with 171 countries, regions

Xinhua) 10:23, September 16, 2023

NANNING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- China has established customs inspection and quarantine cooperation with 171 countries and regions, according to a Friday conference on food safety cooperation between Belt and Road countries.

According to the conference, held in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China has signed nearly 400 international cooperation documents on food access.

China's customs authorities will step up their cooperation on food safety governance with relevant authorities in countries contributing to the construction of the Belt and Road, and explore new growth points in food cooperation.

According to customs statistics, China's food trade with Belt and Road countries totaled 553.82 billion yuan (about 77.15 billion U.S. dollars) from January to August this year, a rise of 10.4 percent from the same period last year.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie)
Libyas top prosecutor said he has opened an investigation into the collapse of two dams that caused a devastating flood in a coastal city, as rescue teams searched for bodies Saturday, nearly a week after the deluge killed more than 11,000 people.

Heavy rains caused by Mediterranean Storm Daniel caused deadly flooding across eastern Libya last weekend. The floods overwhelmed two dams, sending a wall of water several meters (yards) high through the center of Derna, destroying entire neighborhoods and sweeping people out to sea.

More than 10,000 are missing , according to the Libyan Red Crescent. Six days on, searchers are still digging through mud and hollowed-out buildings, looking for bodies and possible survivors.

Authorities and aid groups have voiced concern about the spread of waterborne diseases, and the shifting of explosive ordnance from Libya's recent conflicts.

Prosecutor General al-Sediq al-Sour said prosecutors would investigate the collapse of the dams, which were built in the 1970s, as well as the allocation of maintenance funds. He said prosecutors would investigate local authorities in the city, as well as previous governments.

I reassure citizens that whoever made mistakes or committed negligence, prosecutors will certainly take firm measures, file a criminal case against him and send him to trial, he told a news conference in Derna late Friday.

It's unclear how such an investigation can be carried out in the North African country, which plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. For most of the past decade, Libya has been split between rival administrations ? one in the east, the other in the west ? each backed by powerful militias and international patrons. One result has been the neglect of crucial infrastructure.

Local officials in the city had warned the public about the coming storm and last Saturday ordered residents to evacuate coastal areas in Derna, fearing a surge from the sea. But there was no warning about the dams , which collapsed early Monday as most residents were asleep in their homes.

A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said the two dams had not been maintained despite the allocation of more than $2 million for that purpose in 2012 and 2013.

A Turkish firm was contracted in 2007 to carry out maintainance on the dams and build another in between. The firm, Arsel Construction Company Limited, said on its website that it completed its work in November 2012. It did not respond to an email seeking further comment.

Local and international rescue teams were meanwhile working around the clock, searching for bodies and potential survivors in the city of 90,000 people.

Al-Sour called on residents who have missing relatives to report to a forensic committee that works on documenting and identifying retrieved bodies.

We ask citizens to cooperate and quickly proceed to the committees headquarters so that we can finish the work as quickly as possible, he said.

Libyan authorities have restricted access to the flooded city to make it easier for searchers to dig through the mud and hollowed-out buildings for the more than 10,000 people still missing. Many bodies were believed to have been buried under rubble or swept out into the Mediterranean Sea, they said.

The storm hit other areas in eastern Libya, including the towns of Bayda, Susa, Marj and Shahatt. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in the region and took shelter in schools and other government buildings.

Dozens of foreigners were among those killed, including people who had fled war and unrest elsewhere in the region. Others had come to Libya to work or were traveling through in hopes of migrating to Europe. At least 74 men from one village in Egypt perished in the flood, as well as dozens of people who had traveled to Libya from war-torn Syria . (AP)
HA NOI  The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding on regional payment connectivity with their counterparts of ASEAN5 countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.

The central banks have agreed in principle to promote cross-border payment using methods including QR codes  a fast payment, among others. The banks are to work together in building and supervising a risk management system, one in line with local banking regulations.

Once implemented, travellers from member countries are to enjoy numerous conveniences and benefits. For example, payments can be made and processed using QR codes connected to their home country's bank accounts, eliminating the need to exchange and carry cash.

According to the SBV, the MoU was a step towards the greater ASEAN region's economic integration, aiming to further boost regional trade and tourism.

To date, there are nine bilateral QR code payment links in operation among ASEAN countries, with 10 more links in development. Among these, three links are already active, and five more links are being established.

In the near future, it is expected that the MoU will help expand the network of central banks to support cross-border payment, not only within the ASEAN region but also in other countries.

The SBV is currently serving as co-chair in the ASEAN Regional Payment System Working Committee (WC-PSS) for the 2022-24 period, along with the central bank of Thailand.

In this capacity, the SBV has been working together with the Thai central bank to promote cross-border payment connectivity within the region. On a side note, the two countries have adopted QR code payments since the end of 2022.

Cross-border payment is to play an important role in promoting commercial and tourism activities in the future, according to economists and industry experts.

As technology advances, there have been more and more cross-border payment methods including mobile payment and QR code, which have proven to be popular among tourists for their security and convenient features.

A blueprint for the ASEAN Economic Community 2025 (AEC 2025) has identified cross-border payment as one of the solutions to achieve greater regional economic integration and interconnectedness.

Two of the largest beneficiaries are the region's retail and tourism industries. A cross-border payment system will also allow countries to reduce their reliance on foreign currencies, especially for local businesses.

Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region are also likely to benefit greatly from such a system as they can further reduce operation costs by not having to maintain physical point-of-sale machines and their associated costs.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam's seafood exports could suffer over half a billion dollars loss in the event the European Union issues a 2-3 year red card as a measure against the Southeast Asian country's fishing practices, according to industry insiders and policymakers.

An inspection team from the European Commission will visit the country in October this year to evaluate Viet Nam's efforts in combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The evaluation results will be a basis for the EU to consider the removal of its yellow card warning, which was issued six years ago.

According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), the EU's yellow card has resulted in a steady and significant decline in Viet Nam's exports to the EU. Viet Nam's seafood exports to the EU has fallen by nearly 10 per cent in the last five years. By 2022, the EU dropped two places to stay as Viet Nam's fourth largest seafood importer, behind the US, Japan and China.

In 2020, Viet Nam's seafood exports to the EU, made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, failed to reach the US$1 billion mark.

In the event of a 2-3 year ban, the seafood industry will likely be affected. Among the hardest hit are seafood harvesting and processing sectors with a decline forecast by as much as 30 per cent in capacity, putting thousands of jobs at risk.

"A red card will be a huge blow to Viet Nam's market share in the EU and severely hurt the operations of over 60 seafood factories across the country, as well as the livelihood of thousands of fishermen," said VASEP in a statement.

In addition, it will make it just that much harder for the country to build a modern fishing industry in the future.

To make matters worse, more markets have started adopting similar regulations regarding IUU fishing activities including some of Viet Nam's top customers such as the US and Japan.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said this coming inspection in October by the EU Commission is critical to lifting the warning on Vietnamese seafood.

MARD Deputy Minister Phung uc Tien said the central government has been in close cooperation with local authorities to enforce anti-IUU measures, in accordance to Government Decree No.26 and Fisheries Law, and to deal with violations.

He stressed the importance of local authorities in the installation of a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) in Vietnamese boats, as well as the tracking, handling and reporting of fishing data to the central government.

Meanwhile, efforts have been taken to strictly enforce product origin rules and strengthen the process of document legitimisation for shipments.

"It's imperative that we are able to show results and our commitment to removing IUU practices," said the deputy minister.  VNS
HA NOI  Fruit and vegetable exports are poised for a record revenue of US$5 billion this year, driven by favourable conditions from the beginning of this year.

Statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development showed that fruit and vegetable exports were estimated at $3.45 billion in the first eight months of this year, an increase of 57.5 per cent over the same period last year and even exceeding the record value of $3.81 billion set in 2018.

With the rapid growth registered from the beginning of this year, many were optimistic that the fruit and vegetable exports would hit a new record of $5 billion.

The ministry said protocols that Viet Nam signed with China in 2022 helped Viet Nams fruit and vegetable exports to be robust this year, with durian, mango, dragon fruit and banana among products with large export value.

ang Phuc Nguyen, general secretary of the Viet Nam Fruit Association, said the increase in fruit and vegetable exports was driven by the increase in purchases of the Chinese market. In addition, many countries increased imports of vegetables and fruits from Viet Nam as their production was affected by drought and flood.

Statistics of the ImportExport Department under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) showed that fruit and vegetable exports to China reached $2 billion in January  July, representing a rise of 128.5 per cent against the same period last year.

Deputy Director of the MoIT's Import  Export Department Tran Thanh Hai said that there was significant room for fruit and vegetable exports to expand in the remaining months of this year, especially with many festivals which would push up demand in many markets.

Viet Nams supply of fruits and vegetables was abundant in the last two quarters of this year, with around 7.6 million tonnes of fruits to be harvested.

Durian prices of Viet Nam were forecast to continue increasing in September while most supply sources in other Southeast Asian countries ran out as harvest season ended, providing an advantage to Viet Nams fruit exports.

Nguyen expected that durian exports for the full year would reach $1.5 billion. Viet Nams jackfruit export to the Chinese market will also increase sharply in the coming months.

Recently, Viet Nams coconut was granted permission to enter the US. This information has significantly pushed up prices of coconut in the Cuu Long (Mekong) River Delta by up to 50 per cent, from VN15,000  20,000 for ten to VN60,000  65,000. Viet Nam currently ranks seventh in the world in coconut production with a total area of about 188,000 hectares, mainly in Ben Tre, Tra Vinh, Tien Giang and Vinh Long provinces.

Coconut exports were estimated at $900 million last year, making Viet Nam the fourth largest coconut exporter in Asia  Pacific. Currently, there are more than 90 firms which export products made from coconut. This year, the coconut export is expected to reach more than $1 billion.

Nguyen said that if the growth was maintained till the year-end, fruit and vegetable export could hit $5 billion this year, achieving the milestone two years earlier than the target set in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments project of developing major fruit trees by 2025 and 2030.

Pham Tat Thang from the Vietnam Institute of Strategy and Policy for Industry and Trade said that it was critical to build brands, enhance quality to meet the requirements of import markets and promote export via official channels to export sustainably.

The focus should be placed on increasing the export of processed products to increase added value while ensuring stable prices during peak harvest seasons.

Nguyen Nhu Cuong, director of the agriculture ministry's Department of Crop Production, said that for sustainable export, the cultivation of fruits and vegetables must strictly follow the planning to increase competitiveness.

Fourteen fruits were selected to be the key fruits for development to 2025 with a vision to 2030, including dragon fruit, mango, banana, lychee, durian, longan, orange, pomelo, pineapple, rambutan, jackfruit, passion fruit, avocado and custard apple.

The agriculture ministry also said that the management of planting areas and packaging facilities to ensure the quality of products for sustainable exports should be tightened.

Viet Nams fruits and vegetables are present in 27 markets, 15 of which see revenue of more than $10 million.  VNS
HCM CITY  Over 320 exhibitors from 28 countries and regions will introduce their latest woodworking product lines and take part in various activities at the 15th Vietnam International Woodworking Industry Fair to be held in HCM City from September 20 to 23.

It will showcase comprehensive automatic production lines and wood system integration for driving the transformation of the Vietnamese woodworking industry, according to the organisers.

There will be eight themed pavilions from Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, the US, and Taiwan.

The expo will also feature a livestream to showcase the latest technologies from Taiwan and seminars on four key topics: smart factory, keep moving forward simple; green factories towards net zero carbon; machinery health management, smart maintenance; and EU Deforestation Regulation and green supply chains.

Speaking at a press conference earlier this week, Nguyen Chanh Phuong, deputy chairman of the Handicrafts and Wood Industry Association of HCM City (HAWA), said wood products exports were down nearly 26 per cent in the first eight months of this year to US$8.3 billion.

But there have been signs of recovery since May, with exports topping $1.2 billion a month, he said.

From May until now, Vietnamese businesses have also imported large amounts of timber, with its imports going up by 5-10 per cent a month.

This shows that woodworking firms are actively preparing for year-end orders."

He cited a Vietnam Administration of Forestry forecast that exports in the remaining months of the year would reach $6 billion, taking the years total to $14-14.5 billion.

Woodworking firms have invested relatively large amounts in machinery and equipment in recent years, but the use of advanced technologies remains below potential and trails other wood products exporting countries such as China and Poland, he said.

The expo would offer an opportunity for firms to obtain information about machinery and premium materials from countries leading in these areas, he added.

Judy Wang, the president of Yorkers Trade & Marketing Service Co., Ltd., the expo organiser, said: "Our current emphasis is on smart factory solutions, moving beyond individual machine upgrades to integrated production line solutions, reducing product defective rates, and boosting overall production efficiency."

Yorkers is organising the fair jointly with Vinexad National Trade Fair & Advertising JSC and HAWA.

The expo will be held together with the Vietnam International Furniture Accessories, Hardware & Tool Fair at the Saigon Exhibition and Convention Centre in District 7.  VNS
HA NOI  Automobile sales in Viet Nam faced difficulties in August, after growing slightly in July despite a 50 per cent reduction of the registration fee, according a report of Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association (VAMA).

The VAMA reported that its members sold 22,549 vehicles in August, down 9 per cent against the previous month and 27 per cent over the same frame last year.

The breakdown of vehicle sales in August was as follows: 17,335 passenger cars, down 10 per cent; 5,036 commercial vehicles, down 5 per cent; and 169 special-use vehicles, up 14 per cent month-on-month.

This indicates that the automotive market in Viet Nam has faced difficulties in maintaining stable sales, especially in the two key segments of passenger cars and commercial vehicles.

In terms of vehicle origin, sales of domestically-assembled automobiles reached 13,118 units, down 3 per cent, while the number of imported completely built up (CBU) autos was 9,422, down 15 per cent month-on-month.

In the first eight months of this year, VAMA members sold a total 184,554 vehicles of all kinds, down 30 per cent against 2022. Of this amount, passenger cars experienced a 34 per cent decrease, while commercial vehicles and special-use vehicles dropped by 13 per cent and 61 per cent, respectively.

Besides VAMA member units, the Vietnamese auto market also includes other automakers such as Audi, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Subaru, Volkswagen, and Volvo, but they do not disclose business results.

Meanwhile, Thanh Cong Group (TC Group) announced its sales of 3,145 units in August, and 35,191 in the January-August period.

Based on sales reports from VAMA and TC Group, 25,685 units were sold in August, lifting total sales in the first eight months to 219,745 units.

Toyota led the market in August with 3,922 units, up 16.7 per cent from the previous month. It was followed by KIA, Huyndai, Mazda and Ford.

According to industry insiders, the overall decline in sales is attributed to several factors, including economic difficulties and consumer spending constraints. Despite the Government support with a 50 per cent reduction in registration fees for domestically-manufactured and assembled vehicles, sales decreased. The decline in sales was also influenced by cultural factors. The seventh lunar month, which often falls at the end of August in the Gregorian calendar, is the month of the ghost in Vietnamese people's perception. This is traditionally considered a month of reduced spending.

To stimulate the market, car manufacturers have been reducing prices and offering incentives across various product lines. For example, B-segment car models such as Honda City, Hyundai Accent, and Toyota Vios have received incentives from the 50 per cent registration fee reduction, in addition to further support from manufacturers and distributors. Other models, such as the Honda CR-V and Subaru Outback, have also experienced price reductions and discounts. Luxury brands, such as Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, have been offering discounts and incentives to attract buyers.

While there are signs of hope for the future, with predictions of a potential improvement in the domestic auto market in September, industry insiders remain cautious about the overall situation. Purchasing power is not expected to increase significantly in the last months of the year due to economic factors.

Obtaining the same sales volume in 2022 (400,000 vehicles per per year) is considered difficult, and increased inventory pressure may lead to production and business cuts, impacting employment and worker incomes.

According to Nguyen Trung Hieu, a senior expert of VAMA, the market is facing challenges, and although there may be some improvements in the coming months, the overall outlook for the entire year of 2023 is unlikely to match the sales levels of 2022. The market's dynamics will depend on factors such as the expiration of certain policies and the introduction of new vehicles with attractive prices and incentives.  VNS
HA NOI  Experts and executives from global heavyweights were gathering at the "CEO 100 Tea Connect" meeting in HCM City on Thursday to give local authorities advice on green growth policies.

Ricardo Valente, City Councillor for Economy, Employment, and Entrepreneurship, City of Porto (Portugal), said green growth should be considered a must-have for the development of HCM City.

He said a crucial step in promoting green growth involves a mechanism to incentivise firms to act in line with the green regulations set forth by local authorities.

Gabor Fluit, chairman of the EuroCham in Viet Nam, said his chamber, through technology transfer and capacity building, would support HCM City in its vision to become an export hub for the EU.

In the short term, the chamber would launch programmes to help Vietnamese firms comply with the European Green Deal and help the country move one step closer to its carbon-neutrality targets.

Nguyen Thi Mai Thanh, director-general of REE Corporation, said environmental sustainability, emission reduction, and efficient use of natural resources are vital to economic prosperity.

"That's why local authorities should incorporate environmental protection into the education system," said Thanh.

She also said her corporation was investing in roof-top solar panels to unlock the vast potential of solar energy that the city offers and is willing to sell the energy for a price equal to the electricity price in the national grid systems.

Ichisaka Hirofumi, director of External Relations of Osaka City, Japan, said his country had incorporated environmental protection into its legal framework since 1886.

In 1973, Osaka moved one step further by implementing the first business management model in Japan with clear regulations on environmental factors. Thanks to that, the city has maintained stable growth and at the same time been to the forefront of green growth since then.

Phan Van Mai, chairman of the People's Committee of HCM City, said the green growth spirit would act as a catalyst for the city's sustainable growth in the years to come.

He said the city had outlined a roadmap to carbon neutrality in 2050, which was based on four pillars: a high-skilled workforce, green finance and international cooperation, green infrastructure, and green behaviours.

The city also aims to make Can Gio, a district under its administration, reach the net zero targets in 2035, about 15 years sooner than the national targets.

To that end, the city would focus on developing green traffic systems, waste-to-energy facilities, and carbon-credit-generating forests that would turn the district into a plastic-free one.  VNS
NANNING  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with leaders of several leading Chinese conglomerates in Nanning city, Chinas Guangxi province, on September 16 on the occasion of his attendance at the 20th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) there.

Receiving Chairman of the Executive Board of China Railway Chen Yun, PM Chinh praised the companys global reach and sustainability with 381 branches in 105 countries.

Chen said the company is now the main contractor of several urban railway projects in Ha Noi and wind power projects in the Central Highlands province of ak Nong, and a tire manufacturing plant in Viet Nam's southern province of Tien Giang. He expressed interest in engaging in the construction of transportation projects in Viet Nam, such as the North-South and the Lao Cai-Ha Noi-Hai Phong express railways, and the Ha Noi urban metro line.

To develop infrastructure, PM Chinh said Viet Nam is stepping up public-private partnership, striving to have 5,000km of highways, complete the first stage of the Long Thanh international airport and 1,700km of coastal roads from Quang Ninh to Ca Mau by 2030.

According to him, Viet Nam plans to build railway lines such as the Lao Cai-Ha Noi-Hai Phong with a total length of roughly 388km and a cost of US$11 billion, the Vung Ang-Laos with the section in Viet Nam stretching 103km and costing $1.6 billion, and the Ha Noi-HCM City line with length of 1,545km and a combined investment of some $62 billion.

The Vietnamese leader welcomed the Chinese enterprises and the China Railway in particular to expand their operation in Viet Nam in the spirit of harmonising interests and sharing risks.

He suggested the China Railway continue working with relevant Vietnamese ministries and localities to develop new projects in Viet Nam, including the Lao Cai-Ha Noi-Hai Phong express railway linking with the Kunming-Ha Noi-Hai Phong economic corridor.

In a reception for Wang Xiaojun, Deputy General Manager of Power China which ranked 100th on the Fortune Global 500 list and 29th among the top 500 Chinese enterprises in 2022, PM Chinh hailed the companys plan to expand operations in energy in Viet Nam in the near future, especially in wind power and liquefied natural gas electricity projects.

The Vietnamese Government commits to create all possible support to Chinese firms and the Power China in particular, he said, adding that it recently approved the National Power Development Plan for the 2021-30 period with a vision to 2050, with renewable energy sources, especially onshore and offshore wind power, being a foundation of Viet Nam's long-term energy security.

He suggested that the Power China explore cooperation in Viet Nam's priority areas, including infrastructure - one of Viet Nam's three strategic breakthroughs. Specifically, he proposed exploring the possibility of investing in China-Quang Ninh-Hai Phong and Lang Son-Ha Noi-Hai Phong railway lines, with the commitment to translating these ideas into concrete actions and achieving tangible results.  VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam is considered a gateway for Canadian companies that want to develop in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.

Director General of the Indo-Pacific Region, Gabriel Chartier of the Quebec Ministry of International Relations and Francophonie, made the statement at a seminar to evaluate investment potential in Viet Nam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region held in Canada this week, as reported by the Vietnam News Agency on September 15.

Themed "Viet Nam, the door to the Indo-Pacific for Quebec businesses", the seminar has attracted the interest of many businesses and entrepreneurs in Canada's province because it offers an opportunity to reassess the level of awareness and utilisation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) by Canadian businesses after five years of implementation.

In his opening remarks, Director General Chartier emphasised Quebec's special cooperative relationship with Viet Nam. The companies of the province always have a competitive advantage thanks to their closeness in language and culture.

Viet Nam is currently Canada's largest trading partner in the ASEAN region and a leading destination for Canadian goods exported to ASEAN, Chartier said.

He also stated that the Quebec Government always gives priority to Viet Nam and considers the Southeast Asian country a new intersection in the global value chain because of its potential in key fields, including renewable energy.

At the seminar, Viet Namese Trade Counsellor in Canada, Tran Thu Quynh, mentioned that the Vietnamese Government has been promoting investment in infrastructure to strengthen the connection between Viet Nam and Canada in the supply chain.

Quynh shared the latest information on the results of economic, trade, and investment cooperation between the two countries after five years of implementing the CPTPP, so that Quebec businesses can consider capitalising on this agreement in their business strategies.

Nguyen Thi Be, executive director of the Canada-ASEAN Business Council, said the Council's latest report on development plans in ASEAN indicates that Viet Nam is viewed as the place with the most opportunities in the region.

Canada's participation in the new strategic partnership with ASEAN will further enhance the potential for future trade and investment development.

ASEAN is considered the fastest-growing economic region in the world and is expected to be the world's consumption centre by 2030, owing to its market size.

The bloc is currently the fifth largest economy in the world and is emerging as a new global hub for trade, exchange, and innovation.

The Indo-Pacific region is currently the second largest international export market for the Quebec province and is also one of Canada's fastest-growing markets in recent years.

The seminar was also one of a series of events celebrating the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations between Canada and Viet Nam and the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Trade Office in Canada.  VNS
HCM CITY  The LEGO Group on September 15 celebrated the planting of the 50,000th tree at its under-construction factory in the southern province of Binh Duong in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai.

Speaking at a ceremony held to mark the event, Khai applauded the LEGO Group for its efforts to plant 50,000 saplings in place of trees that had to be cut down to build its factory in the Viet Nam  Singapore Industrial Park No.3 and use renewable energy for production.

He said Viet Nam and Denmark established a strategic partnership for the environment, energy and green growth and tackling climate change in 2011.

LEGO has made significant progress in the construction of its state-of the-art plant since it began in November last year.

The Vietnamese Government and local authoritities in Binh Duong Province are creating favourable conditions for the project to achieve its milestones, Khai said.

Preben Elnef, vice president of the LEGO Group, said more than 2,000 construction workers are building the plant and the number would double by the end of 2023.

As construction is underway, we are grateful for the continued support from authorities and our partners, whose collaboration has ensured that we are on track to begin production in the second half of 2024, allowing us to reach even more children with learning through play and creating long-term growth in the Asia-Pacific.

The company completed its planting task with seven different species native to Viet Nam, he said.

The US$1 billion, 44ha factory is designed to be the companys most sustainable anywhere in the world and support its sustainability ambitions to reduce carbon emissions by 37 percent by 2032.

It will be achieved by installing rooftop solar panels and building a solar power plant on a neighbouring piece of land, which together could meet the factorys total energy requirements.

The plant will use the latest energy-efficient production equipment while buildings and manufacturing processes are being designed to minimise energy use.

The company plans to hire 100 employees this year and 500 by the end of 2024.

LEGO, founded in Billund, Denmark, in 1932 by Ole Kirk Kristiansen, sells its products in more than 130 countries.  VNS
In our recent article on the UAW contract battle, we said that this would be a big test for Shawn Fain and the new UAW leadership. We explained that the key question would be whether the new UAW leaders would try to lead a struggle within the limits of what is acceptable to the capitalist system, or whether they would challenge the very system that demands poor wages and conditions. The Flint Sit-Down strike of 193637 and other class-struggle plant occupations threw down the gauntlet to the employers: Who really runs the factorythe workers or the owners?

[Originally published at socialistrevolution.org]

Since our article was published, the UAW has gone on a limited strike, with Brother Fain himself launching what he claimed would be this generations answer to the sit-down strike tactic of the 1930s: a stand up strike. At 12:01 a.m. Friday, September 15, 2023, the UAW struck three plants, one for each of the Big Three: Wentzville (GM) in Missouri; Toledo, Ohio (Stellantis); and the Michigan Assembly Plant (Ford). These three strikes involve around 12,700 workers, less than 10% of the UAW autoworkers membership.

Keep them guessing?

President Fain has said that rather than having all the autoworkers go on strike, the union leaders would choose which particular plants would go on strike at any given time. He claims that this would keep the Big Three guessing which plants would be next.

We think this tactic has many serious weaknesses. For starters, maybe the Big Three might not know exactly what is going on, but many UAW members are left confused as well. There are times where the element of surprise can help win a battle, but is this such an example? When your own forces are disoriented, it can only hurt morale and weaken resolve.

So far, the stand-up strike involves less than 10% of the UAW autoworkers membership / Image: UAW, Facebook

Second, the only way to win a strike is to shut down production. This is the only way to stop the capitalists from reaping new surplus value, which is where profits originate. If the entire UAW went out on strike, the workers would be clear about what they are doing and would create a real sense of solidarity. By shutting down all production, the bosses would be prevented from stockpiling inventory, which they can use to outlast workers in a longer strike. With the limited strike scope of the Stand Up, the Big Three can keep production going and build up inventory while only three plants are down.

Finally, winning a strike depends on building the maximum unity of the workers. This is the power of the union! If some plants are on strike and others are not, the bosses will exploit the potential division within the workforce. Some workers are getting their full paycheck, plus overtime, while others are getting only strike pay.

Remember, 97% of UAW members voted to authorize a strike. With a powerful proletarian army primed and ready to go into battle, why only send in a few battalions at a time? Far better to let everyone know exactly whats going ona total shutdown of productionthan to keep them guessing.

There is an alternative for the UAW leadership

The autoworkers can win a convincing victory, but they should not take this struggle lightly. The last decades show that the American capitalist class will not surrender unless confronted by a working class flexing its real power. The economic laws of the capitalist system demand that the bosses press workers to work more for lessit is not a choice, it is just the way this system works. The Flint strike in the 1930s was conducted by workers determined to beat the class enemy against all odds. They faced down armed police, company thugs, and the National Guard.

The Flint strikers in the 1930s were determined to beat the class enemy against all odds. They faced down armed police, company thugs, and the National Guard / Image: Sheldon Dick, Library of Congress

The UAW can shut down all of the operations of the Big Three. They can also appeal to the broader working class and the labor movement as a whole for help in this battle. They can spread the struggle to nonunion parts of the auto industry, saying that if they organize with the UAW, they can also get pensions, higher wages, and better working conditions as well. Mass pickets and demonstrations can be organized with other striking workers: The Writers Guild, SAG-AFTRA, Amazon, Starbucks and many others.

The UAW can also publicly state that, not only will they refuse to be intimidated by anti-union laws, but if any of these laws are used against them, they will call and organize a national meeting of the labor movement to run independent labor candidates in the elections next year. This would completely change politics in the US. Independent labor would organize workers to fight against both the Democrats and Republicans, who are extremely unpopular but have no real competition.

No help coming from Biden or Trump

With an election year approaching, both major parties are cynically weighing in to win votes.

Biden, who has anointed himself most pro-union president in American history, has declined to endorse the strike. Instead, he issued mealy-mouthed hopes for a win-win settlement and legalistically worded concessions to the autoworkers right to strike. One might wonder where that right was when he and the Democrats illegalized a looming railroad strike last year. Far from moving against the bosses, he and the rest of his party use their control of the government to force strikers back to work and defeat any attempt by workers to cut into corporate profits.

Trump, on the other hand, warns autoworkers that striking to force improved wages and benefits from the Big Three will simply lead to their plants closing and production moving abroad to exploit cheaper sources of labor power. Trumps message to autoworkers is clear: stop fighting, take whatever the companies give you, and just be grateful its not worse.

Where is the political leadership that fully supports efforts by workers to defend our livelihoods against the race to the bottom forced by the crisis of the system? That party has yet to be built, but all the necessary prerequisites are already there.

A historic opportunity

Biden, who has anointed himself most pro-union president in American history, has declined to endorse the strike / Image: UAW, Facebook

Small groups of communist and socialist workers came together to build the UAW against all odds a century ago, and they succeeded. Workers are in a far stronger position today to organize our collective power than our predecessors were in the 1930s. What is lacking is a bold and decisive class-struggle leadership. More than words, the workers need decisive leadership committed to class-struggle tactics that hit the only place that really hurts the bossestheir pocketbooks.

The UAW leaders have a historic opportunity in front of them. A UAW victory would send shockwaves through the labor movement. All workers who recognize this opportunity and wish to seize it must organize together, and we invite you to join the communists of the IMT to help us bring these ideas into the labor movement.
HA NOI  The bronze statue of four-armed Goddess Durga, dating back to the 7th century, has been given back to Viet Nam at a ceremony that took place in London this week.

The statue, about two metres long and around 250kg in weight, was recognised as a World Heritage by the United Nations' cultural organisation (UNESCO). It was looted from the My Son Sanctuary in the central province of Quang Nam in 2008.

The return of the artefact is the result of a long investigation by the US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) into the activities of the art dealer Douglas Latchford, and their collaboration with London's Metropolitan Police to return stolen artefacts to their homelands.

The ceremony was attended by Ambassador of Viet Nam to the UK Nguyen Hoang Long, Minister Counsellor To Minh Thu, Special Agent JP Labbat, Special Agent Robert Mancene from the HSI, the representative of the HSI at the US Embassy in the UK, Tim Hemker, and police Inspector Sophie Hayes.

On June 22, the US Department of Justice issued a press release regarding the resolution of a civil lawsuit, resulting in the seizure of US$12 million from the sale of Southeast Asian artefacts from art dealer Latchford.

Latchford was indicted for wire fraud and other crimes, including the sale of looted Cambodian artefacts on the international art market for several decades.

He had forged documents such as certificates of origin, invoices, and transportation records, as well as falsified documents regarding the country of origin and excavation year of the antiquities.

From 2003 to 2020, Latchford got more than $12 million in payments for selling looted and smuggled antiquities from Southeast Asia to buyers and agents in the United States. He then transferred at least $12 million into a bank account in Jersey in the UK, and used the proceeds to purchase the bronze statue of Goddess Durga.

After his death in 2020, his daughter, Julia Copleston, inherited more than 125 statues and gold artefacts that the authorities accused of stealing from Cambodia, along with monetary assets.

In the settlement agreement, Copleston agreed to return $12 million and the bronze statue of Goddess Durga, which her father had purchased with illegally obtained funds and is currently being held in the UK.

Immediately after receiving the information from the Vietnamese Embassy in the US, the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK contacted the British Foreign Office and relevant authorities to initiate discussions regarding the repatriation of the statue.

At the reception ceremony on Wednesday, Ambassador Long expressed his emotions and gratitude for witnessing such a significant moment when a precious national treasure was returned to Viet Nam.

Long highly appreciated the effective coordination between the HSI and the Metropolitan Police. He also emphasised that the return of the statue took place in a very special context as Viet Nam and the UK were celebrating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations on September 11, and Viet Nam and the US had just upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Partnership during President Joe Biden's recent visit to Viet Nam.

This event would further deepen relations among all parties involved, he noted.

Hemker, representative of the HSI, said the return of the artefact was a proud and beautiful moment, adding that the HSI would continue their efforts to investigate and uncover trafficking networks and return the artefacts to their homelands.

According to Labbat from the HSI, the statue of Goddess Durga was very rare and highly valuable and more than 1,300 years old. It requires special preservation to ensure its proper care and protection.

The statue is currently being kept in a specialised room in London and in a relatively complete state if observed with the naked eye from the outside.

Based on the clothing and jewelry patterns on the statue, archaeologists have assessed that it could be a statue of a queen or a royal consort. There are some cracks and fractures on both ears, as well as on some fingers and the right foot.

The Vietnamese ambassador said the embassy would closely collaborate with relevant domestic authorities, storage and transportation companies, as well as insurance providers to ensure the safe transportation of the statue back to Viet Nam.  VNS
The Viet Nam Publishers Association (VPA) and the Peoples Committee of HCM City will host the annual conference of the Executive Committee of the ASEAN Book Publishers Association (ABPA) and sidelines activities from September 14-19. Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Communist Magazine, President of the VPA and rotating president of the ASEAN Book Publishers Association, Pham Minh Tuan, talks to the media about the event.
BEIJING  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinhs two-day trip to China to attend the opening of the China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) 2023 in Nanning City, Guangxi Province, carries practical meaning, according to Vietnamese Consul General in Nanning o Nam Trung.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency, the diplomat also underlined that this years events mark the 20-year journey of the CAEXPO and CABIS, an effective cooperation model between ASEAN and China that has brought practical benefits to businesses and peoples of ASEAN and China. This is also the first expo to be held in the in-person format after the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Vietnamese PMs participation at the events demonstrates Viet Nams attaching of special importance to the mechanism in general and its 20th edition in particular, contributing to strengthening the substantial partnership between ASEAN and China, said Trung.

He highlighted the sound development of Viet Nam-China relations, noting that this year, the two countries are celebrating the 15th anniversary of their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, the highest level of relations between Viet Nam and a partner.

Following the official visit to China by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in late October and early November 2022 and another to attend the 14th Annual Meeting of the New Champions of the World Economic Forum (WEF) by the Vietnamese PM in June, PM Chinhs participation in the CAEXPO reflects the common perceptions of high-ranking leaders of the two Parties and States on the strengthening of high-level exchanges and meetings for stronger political trust, and more effective and practical cooperation, thus continuing to promote and deepen the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries, stated the diplomat.

He said that the 20th CAEXPO is to take place in the context that ASEAN and China have continued to elevate their partnership, marking the 20-year bilateral strategic partnership. The Vietnamese PMs participation at CAEXPO shows the proactiveness and activeness of Viet Nam in maintaining and strengthening regional cooperation, especially amid the negatively changing world situation.

Meanwhile, the trip also demonstrates the attaching of great attention to locality-to-locality cooperation between the two countries in general and between Vietnamese localities and Guangxi in particular, Trung said. As a gateway for China to ASEAN, especially to Viet Nam, Guangxi plays an important role in the partnership between the two countries.

Commenting on prospects and opportunities for Vietnamese firms through the CAEXPO 2023, Trung said that this year's event will cover 122,000 sq.m with 2,800 indoor booths and 10,000 sq.m outdoor exhibition areas. Along with exhibiting activities, this year, more than 100 trade and investment activities will be held.

CAEXPO 2023 is expected to provide Vietnamese firms with many investment and business opportunities, promoting economic-trade relations between Viet Nam and China as well as China and ASEAN member countries and partners outside the region. Trung noted that over the past 20 years, each edition of the expo has provided chances for Vietnamese firms to reach about 50,000 partners from China and ASEAN. In recent years, total trade and investment deals reached by Vietnamese firms at the event have amounted to about US$50 million.

This year, the Vietnamese booth will cover 3,500 sq.m, he said, holding that CAEXPO has been a favourite playground for Vietnamese firms, evidenced by their active and full participation in all activities of the event for many consecutive years with the highest number of enterprises and booths among the ASEAN member countries.  VNS
BEIJING  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hand his entourage arrived at Nanning airport on Saturday morning, starting his participation in the 20th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) in Nanning City, Guangxi Province of China, from September 16-17, at the invitation of the Chinese Government.

During his two-day stay there, Chinh is scheduled to deliver a speech at the opening of the events, visit Viet Nam's exhibition area and pavilions, and take part in official activities, meet leaders of the host country and of participating countries, and receive top enterprises of China and ASEAN.

With his participation in the event, Viet Nam sends out its clear and consistent message on the foreign policy worked out at the 13th National Party Congress of attaching importance to the relations with China, wishing to strengthen the political trust and multifaceted cooperation, and pushing the economic cooperation and trade, thus making bilateral relations develop in a healthy, stable, substantial and effective way in the time to come.

PM Chinh hopes ASEAN and China are not only each others largest economic cooperation and trade partners but also one of each others most important comprehensive strategic partners for peace, cooperation and development. He also proposes that ASEAN and China closely coordinate to turn the region into a focus of economic growth, among others.

Especially, the PM asks China to broaden its market, raise its quota for transit goods, and accelerate the opening of its door for aqua-agricultural products and fruits from the ASEAN countries, transited through Viet Nam, to enter the Chinese market.  VNS
HA NOI  National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong inh Hue on Saturday hosted Vice President of the Cuban NA Ana Maria Machado who is leading a delegation to the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Ha Noi, saying that this demonstrates the Cuban legislatures support for Viet Nam and the Vietnamese NA in particular.

Hue expressed his delight at growing bilateral ties with various visits, working sessions and cooperation activities at many levels, across different sectors and involving many localities.

Affirming Viet Nam's stance of supporting Cuba and calling for an end to the policy of blockade and embargo against the Caribbean country, he said the Vietnamese NA and himself always strongly support the Cuban NAs bid to become an observer in the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) and enhance its relations with ASEAN. At the recent 44th AIPA General Assembly in Jakarta, the Cuban NA became an observer in AIPA.

He also said he believes that the sharing of experience between the Vietnamese and Cuban legislatures will become more practical and effective.

Machado expressed her delight at attending the conference and conveyed the regards of President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez, Cuban lawmakers and people to Chairman Hue.

She informed the host said the leader of the Cuban NA is preparing to lead a delegation to Viet Nam to mark the 50th anniversary of Fidel Castros visit to the liberated zone in South Viet Nam in Quang Tri Province and the 60th founding anniversary of the Cuban Committee for Solidarity with South Viet Nam (September 25).

Recalling Chairman Hue's visit to Cuba in April that contributed to further tightening ties between the two Parties, countries and legislatures, Machado thanked Viet Nam for assisting Cuba in various areas, demonstrating the sense of solidarity at international forums, including support for the call to lift the embargo on Cuba.

She also thanked the Vietnamese NA for assisting Cuba during the COVID-19 pandemic and endorsing Cuba's observer status in AIPA, and wished to strengthen ties between the two legislatures.

The Cuban NA backs and speaks highly of Viet Nam's hosting of the ongoing global conference with highly relevant topics for sustainable global development, she said, adding that the Cuban delegation actively contributed ideas at sessions and activities of the event.

According to her, Cuba's foreign and sci-tech policies always place a strong emphasis on the role of youth and the continuity of their involvement in these areas.  VNS
HAVANA  Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha's participation at the Group of 77 developing countries and China (G77+China) Summit in Havana from September 15-18 at the invitation of the Cuban Government and his working visit to the country, demonstrate Viet Nam's solidarity and support to Cuba in external relations.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Cuba, Le Thanh Tung, said this is a chance for Viet Nam and Cuba to discuss orientations and measures to continue concretising high-level agreements reached by leaders of the Parties and governments to deepen and strengthen the traditional brotherhood and comprehensive partnership between the two countries.

Viet Nam and Cuba plan to gradually make bilateral economic, trade and investment cooperation on par with their sound political relations, strengthening their collaboration and mutual support at international organisations and multilateral forums, he said, adding that through this, Viet Nam hopes to show the countrys stance and active and responsible engagement in the settlement of international issues.

Ambassador Tung noted that the visit is coincident with the 50th anniversary of Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castros first visit to Viet Nam, becoming the first and only foreign leader to visit the liberated zone in Quang Tri Province.

He underlined that brotherhood, solidarity, all-round cooperation and mutual trust between Viet Nam and Cuba have continued to develop and expand in all fields, reflected in the fruitful outcomes of regular visits by high-ranking leaders of the two sides as well as the exchanges of delegations at all levels among ministries, sectors, socio-political organisations and localities in the first nine months of this year, especially the Cuba visit by National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue from April 18-23.

Participants at the G77+China summit will analyse international situations as well as advantages and challenges facing developing countries, while seeking consensus on orientations and measures to improve the voice and role of G77 in the international political and economic life, as well as the process to reform the global governance towards the target of building a stable and equal international order, promoting collaboration among developing and developed countries, enhancing their cooperation efficiency, especially in science, technology, innovation, knowledge and science-technology development and innovation application on responding to development challenges.

Themed Current Development Challenges: Role of Science, Technology and Innovation, the event is expected to adopt a number of joint statements recognising the significance of the topic in the current world, calling for the narrowing down of the development gap in science and technology among developing and developed countries, and promoting international cooperation in the field, making full use of experience sharing, capacity building and technology transfer in promoting growth of developing countries.

G77 is the largest inter-government alliance of developing countries established in 1984 with 77 founding members, and it aimed to promote South-South cooperation and economic cooperation among members.

As a founding member of the G77, the Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy PM Ha will make positive and important contributions to the success of the summit, while sharing its national views on the theme of the event as well as the countrys experience in designing planning and implementing national strategies in science-technology, digital transformation, green transition, sustainable development as well as international cooperation in these areas.

Viet Nam will also give initiatives and solutions to beef up the South-South cooperation and partnership among developing and developed countries in science-technology and innovation, said the ambassador.  VNS
GUANGXI Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on September 16 hosted Liu Ning, member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Secretary of Guangxi Party Committee, and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in Guangxi province's Nanning city.

Thanking Guangxi for preserving relic sites related to President Ho Chi Minhs revolutionary activities in the province, he said he hopes that Guangxi will continue playing a pioneering role in promoting substantive exchanges and cooperation between the two nations.

Recalling Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's recent tour of the border gate area in Lang Son province and planting of a "friendship" tree there, Chinh said the act manifests importance and top priority attached by the Vietnamese Party and State to the Viet Nam - China relations.

Liu, for his part, affirmed that Guangxi always treasures its friendly and cooperative relations with Vietnamese localities. Following his Viet Nam visit in April, he expressed satisfaction about two-way trade that exceeded US$20 billion in the first eight months of this year.

The Vietnamese PM spoke highly of bilateral cooperation potential and outlined six breakthrough areas for cooperation with Guangxi in the coming time, namely infrastructure connectivity, economic-trade-investment cooperation promotion, expanding people-to-people and youth exchanges, close cooperation in the field of border gates, good implementation of three document on the management of the Viet Nam-China land border, and close cooperation in education and training.

Agreeing with PM Chinhs proposals, Liu affirmed that the Party Organisation, authorities and people of Guangxi will follow common perceptions reached by leaders of the two countries and Parties, expand and deepen friendly exchanges with the Vietnamese localities as well.

He promised to work with Vietnamese ministries, agencies and localities to deepen collaboration in six breakthrough directions proposed by the Vietnamese leader, with a focus on stepping up railway and road transportation connectivity, improving customs efficiency through the pilot "smart border gate" model, strengthening port cooperation, and jointly working on cross-border crime prevention, thus contributing to consolidating and deepening bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to bring practical benefits to localities and their people. VNS
PRETORIA  Vice State President Vo Thi Anh Xuan held talks with South African Deputy President Paul Mashatile on September 15, within the framework of her official visit to the country.

Xuan spoke highly of South Africas leading role in the continent as well as its important contributions to international forums, and congratulated the country on successfully organising the recent BRICS Summit.

For his part, Paul Mashatile welcomed the Vietnamese Vice Presidents visit and described it as an important event taking place on the occasion of the two countries celebrating the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic relations (1993 - 2023).

He expressed his impression with Viet Nams dynamic development achievements as well as its increasing role and position in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific, and emphasised that solidarity and mutual supports in the fight for national independence and freedom are important factors for the two countries to promote multi-faceted cooperation in national construction and development.

The two sides spoke highly of the positive developments in cooperative relations between the two countries over the past three decades.

Viet Nam and South Africa have become important partners of each other in Africa and Southeast Asia. South Africa is currently Viet Nam's largest trade partner in Africa, with two-way turnover reaching nearly US$1.3 billion in 2022. Collaboration in defence-security, economic, agricultural investment, culture, education-training and people-to-people exchanges has also made positive progress.

On the same day, Xuan met General Secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP) Solly Mapaila and Minister of South African Public Enterprises Pravin Ghordan, cut the ribbon at an inauguration ceremony of the Vietnamese Cultural Space in South Africa, and attended a ceremony to mark the 78th anniversary of Viet Nam's National Day and the 30th anniversary of of the diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and South Africa.  VNS
NANNING  Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Nanning city, Guangxi province of China, on Saturday while there to attend the 20th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS).

Both sides expressed their delight at and spoke highly of the progress in Viet Nam-China relationship in recent years, especially since the historical China visit by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong from October 30 to November 1 last year.

PM Chinh conveyed greetings from Party leader Trong, State President Vo Van Thuong, and National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue to Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China Zhao Leji, and Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Wang Huning.

Premier Li also conveyed regards of the Chinese high-ranking leaders and others to their Vietnamese counterparts.

Underscoring the importance of the Viet Nam-China relations in the overall foreign policy of each country, PM Chinh affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State attach great importance to and consider the development of a friendly, stable and healthy cooperative relationship with China a strategic choice and top priority in Viet Nams foreign policy.

In reply, Li asserted that China always considers its relationship with Viet Nam a priority in the overall framework of its neighbourhood policy.

China backs Viet Nams efforts to build and successfully develop its socialist-oriented market economy that suits the country's situation, and stays ready to keep expanding and deepening bilateral substantial cooperation, he said, speaking highly of Viet Nams active and effective participation in and its important contributions to the CAEXPO and CABIS.

Both sides agreed to continue effectively realising the common perceptions reached by their Party leaders to further enhance and deepen bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, as well as the agreements and results achieved during PM Chinhs official visit to China in June this year and other high-level visits.

Accordingly, they will facilitate all-level visits; reinforce substantial cooperation in economy, trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges; maintain their coordination in multilateral mechanisms and forums; manage land borders effectively; and properly control differences while jointly maintaining peace and stability at sea.

The Vietnamese leader highlighted the need for both sides to leverage geographical advantages and complement each other to nurture substantive cooperation in balanced and sustainable development areas.

He proposed that China accelerate the market opening for Viet Nams agricultural and aquatic products, create favourable conditions for the early establishment of Viet Nams trade promotion offices in Chengdu (Sichuan) and Haikou (Hainan), and jointly improve customs efficiency to prevent goods congestion at border crossings.

Viet Nam is ready to create favourable conditions for Chinese firms to do business in the country, especially in large-scale, high-quality and modern technology projects that represent China's level of development, bringing about economic and social benefits, he said.

In his view, the two countries need to strengthen transportation and border infrastructure connectivity, study joint work in planning and building several railway lines in northern Viet Nam, and improve cargo transportation capacity bilaterally and through third countries.

The Vietnamese PM suggested joint efforts to promote tourism cooperation, resolve any lingering issues in several projects in the spirit of harmonising interests and sharing risks, and accelerate the implementation of non-refundable aids from China to Viet Nam.

The Chinese Premier affirmed that China will continue opening its market for Vietnamese goods, especially quality agricultural and aquatic products, expand the scale and improve the efficiency of trade by upgrading border infrastructure, policy connectivity, and the building of smart border crossings. Efforts will be made to promote transactions using the Chinese yuan for trade between the two nations.

He said he has directed relevant Chinese ministries to actively engage with Viet Nam to step up specific cooperation areas and jointly build stable supply and production chains.

Proposing increased people-to-people exchanges and public awareness of bilateral traditional friendship, especially among the young generations, he said the Chinese Government will encourage its citizens to travel to Viet Nam, support the opening of new air routes between the two countries, and hasten the implementation of humanitarian, healthcare, and education assistance projects in Viet Nam.

The two leaders agreed on the importance of managing differences properly, and maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea).

PM Chinh suggested that both sides continue strictly follow the high-level common perceptions and the agreement on the basic principles guiding the settlement of the maritime issues between Viet Nam and China. He called for respect to each other's legitimate rights and interests, settling disputes and differences through peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They also promised to work closely together at global and regional forums.

On the occasion, Li extended his profound condolences to the families of the victims in a tragic fire in Ha Noi on September 12 that killed 56 people.  VNS
An estimated 10,000 young Zimbabweans running away from high unemployment and a broken economy among other factors have turned their backs on local universities and are now studying in Zambia, The Mirror has established.

Lusaka Health Institute alone has an estimated 123 first, second and third-year nursing students, The Mirror was told.

Joseph Mukina an agent who processes applications for Zimbabwean students said that there are at least 200 Zimbabwean students in each of the 58 institutes of higher learning that he deals with. This brings the total number of Zimbabwean students in the country to over 10,000.

A source at Chirundu Border Post said the flood of Zimbabwean students crossing north into Zambia at the start of new semesters cannot be ignored anymore.

An analyst who declined to be named said the migration of students out of the country is a sign of a lack of confidence in the future. He said it proves the economy has collapsed.

Another analyst said Zimbabwe is the most failed State with millions of citizens all over the the region. He said Zimbabwes cold war with Zambia is uncalled for.

It seemed unimaginable in the last few years that Zimbabweans could flood Zambia, a far poorer country. Zimbabwean students have over the years turned from one country for education to another as they find no jobs after qualifying.

First, they turned in hordes to South Africa for higher education but as huge regional populations started to affect job opportunities in that country they started going to Poland four years ago and now it is Zambia which is the new source of higher education.

Parents and students who spoke to The Mirror gave various reasons why Zambia has become their first choice for education. They said that Zambian universities are generally cheaper and fees are paid in the local currency which is stable, unlike the Zimbabwean currency. The fees in Zambia start from as little as $300.

Some students complain that Zimbabwean education is now of poor quality because universities are more focused on making money. One engineering student said that he left a State university here and went to Zambia because one can finish a degree programme without ever setting foot in a workshop. He left the university when he was in year two.

The highest intakes in Zambia are in nursing. The students who spoke to The Mirror said programme restrictions in Zambia are less stringent than in Zimbabwe. Unlike in Zimbabwe, students are not bonded after completing a nursing course.

In Zambia, one can embark on a nursing programme even after several O-level sittings, and students are allowed to resit their O-level English while studying for a degree.

Medicine is another popular programme for Zimbabwean students and this is because Zambians take students from 10 points, said a source.

The Minister of Higher Education, Dr Amon Murwira said he saw nothing wrong with Zimbabweans going to Zambia to further their education.

People would want to twist the story to suit their narrative, but the truth is that everyone has his own choice. We have a lot of Zimbabweans studying in China and other countries and we also have a lot of Zambians in our institutions of higher learning, he said.

The Mirror, however, tried to establish whether Zimbabwe has Zambians in its institutions of higher learning but found none. Foreign students from the region who used to come to Zimbabwe because of political instability in their countries are no longer around.

I am a registered agent. I process scores of applications every day. Programmes in Zambia begin at $300 upwards. Life is cheaper in Zambia, because of the stable currency. Most people take nursing courses, said Mukina

He said that some of the popular institutions are Africa University, Cavendish University (Lusaka), Central African Baptist University, Chreso University, Copperstone University, Eden University, Gideon Robert University, Information and Communications University (ICU), Lusaka Apex Medical University, Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA) (Lusaka).

Rusangu University, South Valley University, St. Bonaventure University, Texila American University Zambia, UNICAF University, University of Lusaka, Victoria Falls University of Technology (VFU), Zambia Catholic University and Zambian Open University

Mukina said he processes hundreds of applications every month from Zimbabweans seeking enrolment at Zambian colleges. Masvingo Mirror
HA NOI  The leaders of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) have praised host country Viet Nam in successfully organising the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians (GCYP) which wrapped up in Ha Noi on Saturday.

During the press conference held following the conclusion of the conference, IPU President Duarte Pacheco and IPU Secretary-General Martin Chungong have both expressed their admiration and high regard for Viet Nam's hosting of the conference.

Secretary-General Martin Chungong emphasised that the results of the conference far exceeded expectations, breaking numerous records, such as having the highest number of delegates ever. He also highlighted that Viet Nam has successfully continued the legacy of 132nd IPU Assembly in Ha Noi in 2015 and introduced innovations that are relevant to the times, with this year theme for the conference being The Role of Youth in Accelerating the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals through Digital Transformation and Innovations."

IPU President Duarte Pacheco noted that when Viet Nam's National Assembly proposed to host the GCYP, the IPU has readily agreed, given the successes of the IPU-132 hosted by Viet Nam in 2015.

The IPU leader however remarked that the conference consensus is only the beginning of the road, the most difficult task is the implementation by all the parliamentarians from more than 60 countries attending the conference. He believed that the legislators, upon returning to their own countries, will make their efforts to realise these proposed actions and measures.

Vu Hai Ha, chairman of National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee and deputy head of the conference organising committee, highlights the meticulous preparation of the 9th Global Young Parliamentarians Conference with strong guidance from the leadership of the National Assembly, particularly from the top legislator Vuong inh Hue and Permanent Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Thanh Man, head of the organising committee.

The conference drew the participation of over 300 delegates from around the world, a significant improvement compared to the second biggest edition of the GCYP which managed to host 200 international delegates.

The conference also made a mark by issuing its first-ever Conference Statement, aimed at promoting the implementation of the Ha Noi Declaration titled "Sustainable Development Goals: Turning Words into Action," which was adopted at the IPU-132.

This seamless connection underscores Viet Nam's determination to promote economic and social development and address global issues, Ha said.

Ha also recalled that in his closing remarks, Vietnamese NA Chairman Hue has stressed that "I believe that in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the future is not simply a straightforward continuation of the past. Developing countries, wealthier nations, or even developed countries, all can return to the starting point. This is our opportunity and the foundation for our cooperation."

Within the conference's framework, the three primary thematic discussions have received lively participation from the international delegates, with the "Digital Transformation" session featuring about 30 presentations, 30 presentations in the "Innovation and Startups", and up to 40 in the "Promoting respect for cultural diversity in support of sustainable development" session, Nguyen Anh Tuan, secretary of the Bac Ninh Province's Party Committee and chairman of the Viet Nam's Young National Assembly Deputies Group, said.  VNS
HA NOI  Leaders of Laos, Venezuela, and Kazakhstan on September 15 sent condolences to Vietnamese leaders upon receiving news of a fire incident, which occurred in the late hours of September 12 night in Khuong inh Ward, Thanh Xuan District, Ha Noi, causing great loss of life and property.

In his message, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone expressed deep sadness and conveyed his condolences to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. He said he believes that under the guidance and care of the Vietnamese Government, agencies, and Ha Noi authorities, the fire victims and their families will overcome difficulties and soon return to normal life. Highlighting the Viet Nam-Laos great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation, he stressed that the Lao Government and people always stand side by side with their Vietnamese counterparts in times of hardship.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sent their messages of condolences to President Vo Van Thuong.

On the same day, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith extended sympathies to Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.

Singaporean foreign minister has also offered condolences and expressed the willingness to support Viet Nam, including treatment of burnt victims.  VNS
HA NOI  Young legislators and experts from around the world discussed the importance of ethics and respect for cultural diversity amid digital transformation and innovations that shape an increasingly integrated world.

In a discussion on Promoting respect for cultural diversity in support of sustainable development at the 9th Global Conference of Young Parliamentarians in Ha Noi on Saturday, Italys Professor Maurizio Bona said both fundamental and applied sciences are subjected to ethical standards.

Acknowledging that progress in science and technology has triggered major societal changes and are key factors for humanity and global impact, the former advisor to the director-general of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) said: Scientists cannot and do not reflect fully the complexity of the needs of the society.

Governments and the United Nations system can hardly do that in my opinion, as they are understandably trapped into a permanent conflict of national interests that sometimes weaken their actions on global issues.

He said that is the role of parliamentarians, who are the representatives of the people.

As part of the collaboration between the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and CERN, the IPU Working Group on Science and Technology is developing a charter on ethics in science and technology, which is expected to be finalised at the 148th IPU Assembly in March 2024.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, has issued recommendations on the ethics of artificial intelligence that have been adopted by the 193 member states, its assistant director-general for social and human sciences, Gabriela Ramos, said in a recorded presentation delivered to the conference.

Prof Jean Tran Thanh Van, scientist and director of the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Education in Quy Nhon Province, underlined the role of science and technology in sustainable development.

Indonesian parliamentarian Putu Supadma Rudana said his country, which has 270 million people belonging to more than 101,340 ethnic groups and with 718 languages spoken across its 17,000 islands, cultural diversity is safeguarded under Article 32 of its constitution.

This ensures the development of their cultural values, through which the government develops the national culture amid globalisation.

Ermina Salkicevic-Dizdarevic, a lawmaker from Bosnia and Herzegovina, believed that cultural diversity can improve peoples well-being and pave the way for a healthy economy.

Even in the digital age, trust is gained not only through social networks but also, more importantly, by face-to-face communication, she said.

Vietnamese National Assembly member Trinh Xuan An said mutual respect would contribute to trust and development instead of conflicts and disputes.

Bui Hoai Son, another Vietnamese lawmaker and the former director of the National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies, called for digital co-operation based on morality to minimise the adverse impacts of digital transformation on privacy and confidentiality.

He also emphasised the role of culture in making development policies.  VNS
HCM CITY  Cuc Phuong National Park, a renowned tourist spot in northern Viet Nam, has once again been named Asias Leading National Park.

This is the fifth consecutive year that the park has been honoured at the 30th World Travel Award (WTA) Asia & Oceania Gala Ceremony held on Wednesday in HCM City.

The park, established in 1962, covers 22,000 hectares of land in three provinces and is known for its exceptional biodiversity and stunning landscapes.

Cuc Phuong National Park is home to numerous rare and endangered species, making it a valuable ecological treasure in Asia.

Its dense forests house over 2,000 plant species and 300 bird species, making it a popular destination for nature enthusiasts and researchers alike.

It attracts over 10,000 visitors annually, many of whom are international tourists.

The park has implemented successful conservation programmes to protect its diverse flora and fauna. It has established rescue and rehabilitation centres for endangered species such as primates and turtles.

In addition, it has involved local communities in its conservation efforts by promoting community-based eco-tourism initiatives, providing alternative livelihoods for locals while promoting sustainable tourism.

Visitors to the park can enjoy a range of ecotourism activities such as hiking trails, wildlife watching, and immersive experiences like staying in ecolodges.

The park also serves as a hub for research and education in biodiversity and conservation, collaborating with various national and international institutions to conduct scientific studies, training workshops, and educational programmes.

Competing with Cuc Phuong National Park were notable parks like Chitwan National Park (Nepal), Fuji-Hakone-Izu (Japan), Kinabalu (Malaysia), Komodo (Indonesia), Minneriya (Sri Lanka), and Taman Negara (Malaysia).

Graham Cooke, founder and president of World Travel Award, praised Cuc Phuong National Park for its biodiversity, successful conservation initiatives, community involvement, ecotourism opportunities, research, and education programmes.

The consecutive award wins for the park have solidified its status as a world-class destination for nature lovers, he said.

Nguyen Van Chinh, director of Cuc Phuong National Park, said: With this recognition, we are taking a significant stride towards becoming a renowned tourist destination not only in Viet Nam but also in Asia at large.

In addition to the renowned Cuc Phuong National Park, Ha Noi, Viet Nams capital city, received three prestigious awards at the World Travel Awards (WTA) ceremony.

The awards, including Asias Leading City Destination, Asias Leading City Break Destination, and Asias Leading City Tourist Board, highlight the capital citys commendable efforts in revitalising and enriching its tourism industry after the pandemic-induced challenges.

The awards not only acknowledge Ha Nois standing as a leading city destination in Asia but also highlight its appeal to travellers seeking unique experiences, particularly in night tours, culinary tourism, and urban exploration.

The World Travel Awards, often referred to as the Oscars of global tourism, were launched in 1993 to acknowledge excellence in the travel and tourism industry.

The annual event celebrates the achievements of industry leaders from around the world.  VNS
What role do focal companies play in affecting suppliers and customers by implementing circular economy practices in their business activities?

Erick Contreras, managing director, BASF Vietnam.

BASF is a leading chemical company headquartered in Germany, and we produce and supply chemical products as raw materials to almost all industries.

For this reason, our products are essential components in the value chain and the sustainability of our solutions serves as a critical driver for the sustainability of the whole system.

BASF has been dedicated to sustainability for over 30 years. In our commitment to become net-zero by 2050, we are not only focused on managing carbon emissions within Scope 1  our own emissions at BASFs sites  and Scope 2  emissions from the energy that BASF is buying  but also addressing the emissions within Scope 3  emissions originating from the raw materials we procure, which significantly contribute to the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) of our final products.

To address this, we actively ascertain the PCF of our raw materials and engage with our suppliers by sharing our knowledge of PCF valuation and calculation methods.

Since 2021, we have initiated discussions with more than 1,300 suppliers, representing around 60 per cent of our raw materials-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Next, we are committed to working collaboratively with our suppliers to identify and implement solutions aimed at reducing product-related emissions. Our goal is to establish the Product Carbon Footprint as a criterion for our purchasing decisions.

Furthermore, we acknowledge the significance of logistics in this equation. It's heartening to see an increasing number of logistics companies in Vietnam adopting low-emission solutions and services, which can greatly support our sustainability goals.

We also actively engage and collaborate with our customers.

Our ongoing research and development efforts are dedicated to creating innovative products that empower our customers to adopt more sustainable practices. For example, projects using bio-based, recycle-enabling, and chem-cycled materials.

Moreover, as material suppliers, we provide transparency by offering Product Carbon Footprint information for our extensive portfolio of over 45,000 products. This empowers our customers  for example, those exporting into EU markets with stringent standards on CO 2 footprints and sustainability  with insights into the GHG emissions associated with the raw materials they source from us, facilitating informed and sustainable choices.

In conclusion, the role of focal companies within the supply chain is pivotal. Our commitment to sustainability encompasses our internal emissions and extends to our suppliers and customers. By collaborating with suppliers to reduce emissions and provide transparent information to customers, we aim to jointly drive a more sustainable and circular economy.

How can enterprises promote collaboration with universities and research institutes on circular economy practices? Does BASF Vietnam or BASF Global have current policies and projects working with academia?

Innovation has always been the key to BASFs success. Annually, we allocate over one-third of our earnings before interest and taxes to innovation, which spans the development of new processes, technologies, and products.

In our research collaborations, we offer scientists from universities and research institutes the opportunity to participate in close-to-practice research projects and thereby create added value for our society by developing innovative solutions. We maintain close relations with many universities and research institutes around the world.

Our Academic Research Alliances focus on research groups from multiple universities with specific research focuses, and thus form a global network of our world-class academic partners. The alliances are complemented by collaborations with around 220 universities and research institutes, as well as a large number of companies.

Regarding our commitment to sustainability and circular economy practices, BASF has set ambitious targets. As previously mentioned, we are resolutely committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Alongside our financial objectives, we have established non-financial targets that underscore our dedication to sustainable solutions.

BASF Vietnam is actively exploring sustainability projects that necessitate collaboration with local universities and institutions. We recognise the invaluable local expertise present in these institutions, which serves as a considerable advantage in our pursuit of sustainable solutions.

We are excited about the potential for these partnerships to drive innovation and contribute to a more sustainable and circular future, and hope we can share more details in the coming time.

BASF Vietnam hands over sixth public playground for children BASF Vietnam handed over a low-carbon playground to the local authorities in Ho Chi Minh City's District 12 on November 3 as a joint effort with the social enterprise Think Playgrounds.

BASF Vietnam: creating chemistry for a sustainable country Chemicals group BASF is driving sustainability through innovations and partnerships across the value chain.
Funding freeze thaws tech startup ambitions, Photo: Shutterstock

Vietnams technology startups are cutting operating costs and reducing staff. Do Huy Dung, CEO of Vietnam Investment Group (VIG), said, Most startups in Vietnam are not profitable yet. Many companies are starting to cut 15-20 per cent of their staff, and the rate could increase to 50 per cent if investors no longer pour in capital.

VIG is pouring capital into dozens of startups such as Elsa, Kid Plaza, Juno, Seedcom, Teko and has also divested capital from many other renowned businesses and startups, such as Petrolimex, Tien Phong Plastic, VNDirect, and MoMo.

Dung explained that investors are becoming more cautious with their ventures. Startups with good ideas and quality products can still be rejected if there are problems with personnel, operations, or financial data.

Vietnams technology market does not have many long-term investors, which is why when the global economy worsens, they quickly withdraw, he said. The difficulty will last longer and startups must prepare solutions, at least in the next 18 months.

According to a fintech report for Vietnam covering the first half of this year, published by market analysis platform Tracxn Technologies, the collective funding into Vietnamese tech startups plummeted by 82 per cent to reach $66 million in the first half of 2023, a notable downturn from the $372 million recorded in 2022.

Fintech, one of the most active venture investing segments over the past few years, suffered the steepest decline with 67 per cent, from nearly $18 million to $6.2 million over the same period last year.

Tracx Technologies analysed that early-stage funding in the first half of 2023 was also 32 per cent lower than the $7.5 million in the second half of 2022. Additionally, the fintech sector in Vietnam has not yet created any unicorns, nor witnessed any acquisitions or initial public offerings within the past two years.

In the context of an increasingly difficult and vulnerable market, experts said that investor tastes are also changing, creating a natural screening for startups to find a more sustainable direction.

Instead of spending on human and financial resources for rapid growth, startups can focus more on products to meet the needs of the market, said Le Hoang Uyen Vy, co-founder and CEO of Do Ventures Fund.

Vy added that in the past, investors often based their evaluation on the startups growth rate and revenue, but now they would ask businesses more about operating costs, the structure between costs and profits in the future. These questions will help companies operate more systematically and aim for long-term growth and performance, Vy said.

Although the gloomy situation still covers technology startups, some fields such as edtech, healthtech, or some fintech industry groups were still attracting the attention of investors.

In Vietnam, the payments and wealthtech industries still saw positive growth. This is also a good opportunity for many startups in Vietnam to take advantage of their resources to bring their products to the international market, said Tran Dinh, head of the fintech department of the Vietnam Blockchain Association (VBA).

From the experience of working with foreign investment funds, Vietnam is still the preferred destination for fintech investors. To help projects connect with potential investors, the VBA has launched the SwitchUp startup accelerator programme on giving projects the opportunity to consult international experts and pitch capital with more than 50 venture capital funds from many countries.

We also implemented the ChainTracer anti-fraud project to contribute to information transparency and the purification of fraudulent projects, increasing investor confidence, said Eric Hung, deputy head of investment promotion at the VBA.

According to the Ministry of Science and Technology, the country currently has over 3,800 startups in the technology sector. Vietnam is also a favourite destination for just over 200 active venture capital funds, including about 40 domestic investment funds.

Despite the decline from the prolonged capital raising market during the funding winter, domestic technology companies with promising digital technology platforms are still a choice for foreign investment funds. According to TechinAsia, Vietnam ranked third in Southeast Asia in terms of total capital in the technology sector in the first half of 2023, behind Singapore and Indonesia.

Vietnamese fintech startups secure a mere $6.2 million funding in 1H/2023 Vietnam's records experienced a significant decline in fintech funding, with the total amounting to a lower-than-expected $6.2 million in the first half of 2023.

Vietnam's edtech startups gain attention from purpose-driven investors Vietnam's edtech market is continuing to receive an influx of fresh capital as home-grown edtech startups receive attention from purpose-driven investors.
Paul Cunningham represented IHG Hotels & Resorts and Adam Riley represented BIM Group at the signing ceremony. The HMA was completed with the advisory of Ark Capital Partners.

InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley Resort is situated at the heart of the Thanh Xuan Valley residential and tourism area, renowned for its distinctive pine city that spans 170 hectares.

The area is surrounded by mountainsides and 50-year-old pine forests, and boasts of eight natural lakes and streams. The resort is located close to Dai Lai and Thanh Cao Lakes, and is less than an hour's drive from Hanoi city centre.

Thanh Xuan Valley was designed to be an ideal destination for residential communities and upscale resort guests, particularly those who appreciate the InterContinental life.

InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley Resort  the first valley resort from the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts brand in Vietnam. Photo: BIM Land

InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley Resort is expected to open in 2027 with 171 hotel rooms and 97 private villas. It will boast a 5-star utility system that meets IHG's global standards, including a high-class restaurant, spa, and wellness area, as well as an infinity pool and conference rooms. The resort will also feature tree top villas, which are first-of-their-kind, luxury hotel rooms amidst the trees.

Guests can enjoy a range of facilities, including a farm, a 10km trekking route, a zip line between the pine forests, parks, and shopping areas.

With attention to detail and an exceptional guest experience, InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley Resort is poised to become a premier destination resort and a valuable addition to the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts luxury global collection.

IHG Hotels & Resorts is not only developing and managing the hotel and resort projects in Thanh Xuan Valley, but also directly managing and operating the Country Club by InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley Resort. This unique Mediterranean-style clubhouse boasts over 11,300 square metres of space and offers many exclusive amenities for upper-class residents.

Tree Top Villas  luxury hotel rooms located between the trees will be a unique highlight of InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley Resort. Photo: BIM Land

At the signing ceremony, Adam Owen Riley, head of hospitality at BIM Group commented, "The signing of InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley Resort marks the sixth collaboration between BIM Land, BIM Group, and IHG, and follows the success of luxury hotels and resorts in Phu Quoc, Ha Long, and Vientiane (Laos)."

"Our goal is to provide unique experiences that are infused with cultural and lifestyle values, and we are excited to partner with IHG to deliver an unparalleled luxury product to the market. Thanh Xuan Valley and InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley Resort aim to not only provide a refreshing experience, but also to redefine the concept of living and community for customers who appreciate natural values, lifestyle, and a special community at Thanh Xuan Valley," Riley continued.

Thanh Xuan Valley residential and tourism area was developed with the vision of becoming an ideal destination for a community of high-class residents and resort guests. Photo: BIM Land

Paul Cunningham, senior director of operations for Southeast Asia and South Korea at IHG highlighted, "The InterContinental brand is renowned for weaving modern luxury design through its collection of iconic properties, from historic buildings to city landmarks and immersive resorts like InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley resort that celebrate local culture and nature."

"As the worlds first and largest international luxury brand with over 200 InterContinental properties around the world, we are confident that the fantastic InterContinental brand experience, combined with its excellent location and the strong partnership between IHG and BIM Group, will make the InterContinental Thanh Xuan Valley Resort project a remarkable landmark in the collection."

BIM Lands real estate ambitions raise $200 million with SGX debut BIM Land JSC, a member of BIM Group, has successfully priced its inaugural US dollar bond for 5-year maturity at 7.375 per cent coupon to be listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX), with the transaction marking the first offshore bond offering by a Vietnamese issuer since 2019 and the first corporate green bond out of the country.

Bim Group and ADB sign $107 million clean energy package The Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $107 million financial package with BIM Wind Power JSC, a subsidiary of BIM Group, to support the operation of an 88MW wind farm in Ninh Thuan province on Vietnams southcentral coast.
Nguyen Quoc Tri - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Vietnams forestry sector has achieved all five targets assigned by the government, including afforestation, forest protection, exploitation of forest products, forest environmental services, and export value. As a result, Vietnam has become the worlds sixth-largest exporter of wood and wooden products, with more than 4 per cent of the global market, the second-largest in Asia, and the biggest in Southeast Asia. Vietnamese wood products are present in more than 163 countries. However, its wood processing industry still faces difficulties in terms of regaining growth momentum from now until the year-end. The exports of wood and timber products depend on the economic growth of many countries, especially the US market, which makes up over half of the total export turnover of Vietnams wood industry. To achieve this years target of $17 billion, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development must coordinate with wood associations to implement support programmes for businesses, like organising trade and brand promotion, planning large timber plantations and high-tech forestry zones, and promoting green transformation in the wood processing industry. Vu Ba Phu - Director Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency There are still many uncertainties stemming from supply constraints, inflationary pressures, shrinking purchasing power, high energy costs, and logistics issues. The main export markets, such as the US and EU, continue to reduce import demand due to the consequences of inflation, economic recession, and low consumer confidence. For European markets, although businesses are interested in new-generation free trade agreements, they still face requirements about technical standards, conformity, and rules of origin. Moreover, the passing of a new EU law banning products linked to deforestation will be a big challenge for Vietnams wood and timber exports to this market. Abundant supply and high inventory in markets, especially Japan and South Korea, led to orders slowing down and export prices of wood falling. The Chinese market has reopened, but the domestic supply chain has not completely recovered, which brings many risks. The Ministry of Industry and Trade is coordinating with ministries, sectors, and localities to implement many trade promotion activities to increase the market penetration of wood and timber products. To Xuan Phuc - Director, Forest Trends There is a wide gap between foreign-invested and domestic enterprises in the factors driving declining export turnover. Similar to other export-oriented industries, the export markets for Vietnams wood and timber products are shrinking. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the export turnover of the industry decreased by 27.5 per cent over the same period last year. However, the momentum for decreasing export turnover is foreign-invested enterprises (FIEs) and domestic manufacturers. The difference is reflected in aspects such as the participation of FIEs and domestic enterprises in the production and export of each specific product group, the characteristics of export products, and the output markets. First are the low value-added products, including wood chips and pellets. Each year, the export turnover of Vietnams wood chips accounts for 15-16 per cent of the total exports of the entire wood industry. This ratio is about 4-5 per cent for wood pellets. There is almost no difference in the decline momentum between FIEs and domestic companies. In H1/2023, the export turnover of Vietnams wood chips decreased by 15.3 per cent over the same period in 2022. Second are the medium value-added products, typically plywood. On average, the export turnover of Vietnams plywoods makes up 6-7 per cent of the export turnover of the industry. The supply chain of plywood production and export is dominated by domestic companies. However, there is an increasing participation of FIEs in the production and export of this type of product. In 2022, 56 of these firms engaged in exports of plywood, compared with just over 360 domestic counterparts. The export turnover of FIEs accounted for almost one-quarter of the industry, while the export turnover of domestic manufacturers represented just over three-quarters. In the first half of 2023, plywood saw a 31 per cent increase in export turnover compared with last years period. The export turnover of FIEs decreased more significantly than that of domestic groups. One reason behind the difference in the decline between the two business groups is that the US Department of Commerce has extended its duties investigation into plywood from Vietnam. As a result, many FIEs decided to postpone or limit the export activities of plywood to the US market. For the high value-added products, FIEs are more active in the export of this product group than the low and medium value ones. For example, chairs are a high value-added item, with export turnover accounting for around 20 per cent of the export turnover of the entire industry. Many FIEs specialise in the production of this product. In 2022, there were around 330 FIEs exporting chairs, compared to just over 1,000 domestic producers. FIEs generated $1.95 billion in the export turnover of chairs, responsible for 65.3 per cent of the total export turnover of this item in Vietnam. Meanwhile, domestic enterprises posted $1 billion for the export turnover of chairs, accounting for 34.7 per cent. The difference between the two groups is also reflected in terms of the markets. Wood products exported to international markets such as the US and EU often have high value-added content, such as chairs and furniture. Many FIEs participate in exporting these high-value products to these markets.
Local political experts and party leaders were watching intently Friday as the Texas Senate deliberated the guilt of Attorney General Ken Paxton, a 1985 Baylor University graduate, in his historic impeachment trial.

No statewide officeholder has faced impeachment since Gov. James "Pa" Ferguson in 1917, and Paxtons trial is only the second in Texas history.

The Texas House on May 27 impeached Paxton by a 121-23 margin and suspended him from office until his Senate trial concludes. He was originally charged with 20 articles of impeachment, which have since been reduced to 16 for this trial.

The articles allege Paxton abused his power to intervene in an investigation against his friend and political donor Nate Paul, cover up an extramarital affair, took bribes and retaliated against whistleblowers who reported his misconduct.

Pat Flavin, the Bob Bullock professor of political science at Baylor, said impeachment trials in state governments are fairly rare because most states are controlled by one political party and usually, politicians would not pursue charges against someone in their own party.

More and more states are controlled by a single party more than say, even 10 or 20 years ago, Flavin said. Another thing that makes this stand out and draw national attention is that its a Republican majority in the House and Senate, a Republican lieutenant governor potentially holding one of their own accountable, which is very different from say, the impeachment of Trump where it was a Democratic Congress leading the way.

Flavin said there is currently a split in the Texas Republican Party between traditional establishment Republicans and a competing Trump strain that includes Paxton. He said the suggestions that Democrats or so-called RINOs  Republicans In Name Only  were behind the impeachment may be a good political strategy. But in fact, a majority of House Republicans have supported impeachment, including ones that were farther right.

Representative Charles Doc Anderson, R-Waco, voted against impeachment and told the Tribune-Herald at the time his vote was based on process concerns, as he said House members did not even know Paxton was being investigated until the articles were revealed, and said members had little time to fully consider the articles before voting to impeach.

Representative Angelia Orr, R-Itasca, whose district includes part of McLennan County, voted in favor of impeachment and said in a statement that the allegations against Paxton were disturbing and serious enough to merit a full Senate trial.

She also noted that 70% of House Republicans voted to impeach, and said she felt it was important for voters to know the investigation was triggered by Paxton asking the Legislature to use $3.3 million of taxpayer money to settle a lawsuit against whistleblowers who he fired after they reported his misconduct to the FBI and Texas Rangers.

Senator Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, who represents Waco, declined comment after the May vote. The Texas Legislature is currently under a gag order, so Orr and Anderson were unable to comment when contacted by the Tribune-Herald this month.

In order to be removed from office, 21 of the eligible 30 Senators must vote to convict Paxton. Anything less means he will be acquitted. The current sway of the Texas Senate is 19 Republicans to 12 Democrats.

Paxton's Waco ties include his time as student body president at Baylor, and he won 64.2% of the McLennan County vote in the 2022 general election.

McLennan County Republican Party Chairman Brad Holland said the impact of the trial will certainly be felt locally, but not to the point of affecting local or state primary elections. He said he doesn't foresee Paxton's troubles fracturing the Republican Party in Texas.

Some people want to make this a wedge issue for the party, Holland said. I think we still stand for what we stand for. The fact that one individual has been accused and gets his day in court shouldnt fracture the party.

Holland said that while many people may try to politicize the impeachment, the trial is a legal process that should not be swayed by politics and should instead be decided on evidence. He said he has been very impressed by the expertise of the legal representation on both sides of the trial.

He said the situation surrounding Paxtons impeachment trial is unfortunate and said nobody wants it to happen, but reserved his judgment on Paxtons guilt and said it is up for the Senate to decide.

As a party, we have been trying to make sure this process is done correctly, and that justice is served, Holland said.

Holland said despite the accusations against Paxton, he has done many good things for Texas and many Texans are proud of Paxtons political record. Holland said Paxton has been instrumental in keeping the power of the federal government in check and allowing Texas to stand for itself and resist federal intrusions into state matters.

Jim Dunnam, a Waco lawyer and former Democrat Texas State Representative who represented parts of McLennan, Falls, Robertson, Leon and Madison counties from 1997 to 2011, served in the Texas House around the same time Paxton did. Paxton was a state representative from 2003 to 2013, and was a state senator from 2013 to 2015 before becoming attorney general.

Dunnam said he didnt have much of an impression of Paxton as a state legislator, calling him an odd duck and non-entity who didnt really seem to have much of an influence within the Legislature. Dunnam said he was surprised that Paxton was able to get to where he is today.

Dunnam said Paxton has largely been able to hold office due to riding the MAGA wave, referring to Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" slogan. He also said Texas suffered from political polarization, and many state politicians have been campaigning on national issues such as immigration that state legislatures have no control over instead of issues that are actually decided in Austin, such as schools, roads, prisons and healthcare.

Dunnam also said Paxton has been given preferential treatment over the delays in his securities fraud cases. Since July 2015, Paxton has been under indictment on charges that he solicited shares of Servergy Inc. to investors without disclosing that he was receiving compensation from the company in return.

The trial has been delayed many times, and Dunnam called it a travesty of justice that the trial has been delayed so long.

Just because of who you are, you shouldnt be treated differently and not have a trial, Dunnam said. Theyve managed to stall it out for so long, that in and of itself is an injustice.

Flavin said the prosecutors in the securities fraud and impeachment trials reached an agreement to postpone the fraud trial until the impeachment trial has concluded.

If Paxton is impeached, Flavin said Gov. Greg Abbott can decide to keep the interim attorney general, Angela Colmenero, or appoint someone else until an election in fall 2024 would select someone to fill the remaining two years of Paxtons term.
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The historic Earle-Napier-Kinnard House is back welcoming visitors for the first time in three years.

The house museum closed amid a reconstruction of nearby Interstate 35 expansion and a pandemic shutdown. During the closure, it saw projects to reinforce of four porch columns, trim trees, add furniture and rearrange rooms.

The result is one of Historic Wacos four houses back in circulation, with a new story about its former Baylor University student boarders added to the home tour script and, possibly, more original furniture and household items artifacts on display than at the other houses.

There were a lot of moving parts on this one, Historic Waco executive director Erik Swanson said.

The house at 814 S. Fourth St., named after the families that lived there for much of its history, started as a two-room brick structure in 1858, built by John Bayliss Earle. After the Civil War, John Napier and his family took over the house, expanding it to its present size and its Greek Revival style.

Napiers daughter Sarah inherited it after marrying David Kinnard Jr. and the couple raised their three children there. Two of the three, daughters Mary and Katy, were the last Kinnards to occupy the house, living on the first floor while renting the second floor rooms to boarders. Mary Kinnard died in 1957 at the age of 94.

Frances Duncan Nalle bought the house in 1958 and began the process of repair and renovation. In 1971, the Earle-Napier-Kinnard House was added to the National Register of Historic Places and later became one of Historic Wacos house museums.

It closed during pandemic shutdowns in spring 2020, although access to the house had been restricted earlier due to construction on the Interstate 35 frontage road, which borders part of the house grounds, and more work along Fourth Street. While the house was closed, Historic Waco officials decided to reinforce its porch columns, with similar work done on the front columns of the McCulloch House. They also moved some pieces from the McCulloch House and the Fort House that were determined a better fit for the Earle-Napier-Kinnard house story.

The houses ground floor was rearranged to match its layout during Mary Kinnards years, returning her bedroom to the front of the house on the first floor. Another major change occurred on the second floor, where a bedroom was returned to how it looked in the early 1940s when Baylor students Abner McCall, Glenn R. Capp and two others boarded at the house while students at Baylor School of Law and Baylor University.

Earle-Napier-Kinnard docent and tour guide Carolyn Casey noted that while McCall, who later became a Baylor president, is better known, Capp was a formidable debater who helped the universitys debate team earn a national reputation over the years and was a formative influence on the schools communications department.

Casey rewrote the tour script to include the boarders room and other items added since it was last open to the public. Daniel McKnight, Historic Waco events and volunteer coordinator, said the house largely reflects its heyday during the Victorian Era that straddled the 19th and 20th centuries.

Returning visitors may notice several additions: rugs in hallways and a rear parlor from the Fort House; a Kinnard household clock in its original location above a dining room fireplace; period pieces of Japanese boars eye china; a 1914 screw-operated nutcracker in the kitchen, complete with its patent illustration; and the boarders room, with a green jacket and cap worn by McCall and three books written by Capp.

Swanson suggested that those visiting the house use the rear entrance and parking accessible from the I-35 frontage road and go the houses rear for admission.

Hours for the Earle-Napier-Kinnard House are 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays with tours given on the hour. Admission is $5, $4 for senior adults and students. Historic Waco members, active military and children 6 and younger are admitted free.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.  Standing at the pulpit of the Birmingham, Alabama, church where four little girls were killed by a Ku Klux Klan bomb in 1963, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said the nation must remember and own the uncomfortable moments of its past in order to move forward.

Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the nations highest court, spoke at the 60th anniversary of the Sept. 15, 1963, bombing at 16th Street Baptist Church.

Today we remember the toll that was paid to secure the blessings of liberty for African Americans and we grieve those four children who were senselessly taken from this earth and their families robbed of their potential, Jackson said.

She said the country should celebrate the great strides that have been made since 1963 but that there is still work to do. The work of our time is maintaining that hard-won freedom and to that we are going to need the truth, the whole truth about our past, Jackson said.

Jackson said she knows that atrocities like the one we are memorializing today are difficult to remember and relive but said it is also dangerous to forget them.

If we are going to continue to move forward as a nation, we cannot allow concerns about discomfort to displace knowledge, truth or history. It is certainly the case that parts of this countrys story can be hard to think about, Jackson said.

Jackson did not mention any of the efforts in Republican-led states to place parameters on how race is discussed in classrooms. Instead, Jackson, who was born in 1970, gave the example of how her own parents made sure, even at a young age, that she learned about what happened in Birmingham, Selma and other battlegrounds of the Civil Rights Movement.

Yes, our past is filled with too much violence, too much hatred, too much prejudice, but can we really say that we are not confronting those same evils now? We have to own even the darkest parts of our past, understand them and vow never to repeat them, Jackson said.

Klansmen had placed a bundle of dynamite outside the church under a set of stairs on that day in 1963. The girls were gathered in a downstairs washroom before Sunday services when the blast exploded at 10:22 am. The explosion killed 11-year-old Denise McNair, and Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Addie Mae Collins, all 14. A fifth little girl, Sarah Collins Rudolph, the sister of Addie Mae, was in the room and was severely injured  losing an eye to the explosion but survived.

The bombing came during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, eight months after then-Gov. George Wallace pledged, segregation forever, and two weeks after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his iconic, I Have a Dream speech in Washington.

Hundreds of people, Black and white, filled the church Friday for the remembrance. The church bell tolled four times as the names of the girls were read. The crowd also stood to honor Rudolph, the fifth little girl in the room that day.

U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell said they were standing on solemn ground where the senseless deaths awakened a slumbering consciousness of America and galvanized the Civil Rights Movement.

For many, Jacksons presence at the church was a poignant moment. Sewell and other speakers on Friday said the lives of the four slain Black girls are in a way intertwined with Jacksons. They said she is the embodiment of what civil rights foot soldiers in the 1960s dreamed would be possible, and the Voting Rights Act and other gains that followed paved the way for the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.

It has been 60 years in the making. Dr. Martin Luther King said that these girls would not have died in vain and our speaker, Ketanji Brown Jackson, is the personification of that today. She is that hope, former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones said.
This week, spineless House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, in fear of being ousted from his precious leadership position by far-right hostage-takers like Floridas Rep. Matt Gaetz and Georgias Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, caved to pressure to mount an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden  based on little more than conjecture, conspiracy theory, and pure political vengeance.

The decision seemed hasty  McCarthy had initially promised not to call for the inquiry without a vote from the House. That followed criticism from McCarthy of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her proceeding without a vote on the 2019 impeachment inquiry of former President Donald Trump for his actions related to Ukraine. (Remember Trumps perfect phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy?)

When asked whether he was being hypocritical  an obvious and rhetorical question  McCarthy dug in:

Im not, because she changed the precedent. I warned her not to do it that way in the process. And thats what she did. Thats what we did.

But McCarthys nothing if not craven and power-hungry. And he did what he had to do to stay in power.

Gaetz was threatening to move to vacate McCarthy from his speakership, which he only narrowly won after 15 grueling votes, while Greene was promising to shut down the government if she didnt get her impeachment inquiry.

If these people sound like children, its because they behave no better than children. Theyre not there to govern or solve real problems for Americans, theyre there to grandstand, get famous, make money, out-Trump each other and play these kinds of childish games.

To prove just how pointless this all is, here are all the reasons the impeachment of Biden is destined to go absolutely nowhere:

McCarthy doesnt have the support.

Theres a reason he chose not to hold a vote on an impeachment inquiry, as he initially promised to do. He doesnt have the votes for starting up this impeachment.

There are as many as 30 House Republicans who do not believe theres enough evidence of wrongdoing to impeach Biden. Among them, Rep. Dave Joyce of Ohio says he is not seeing facts or evidence that would merit an impeachment inquiry. South Dakota Rep. Dusty Johnson says, there is a constitutional and legal test that you have to meet with evidence, and he has not seen that evidence. Rep. French Hill from Arkansas says House Republicans havent even remotely completed their work on the kind of detailed investigations and quality work necessary for impeachment.

Despite all of these reservations, McCarthy is charging on. If he doesnt prove any of the allegations against Biden, he wont have the votes to impeach, either.

McCarthy doesnt have the evidence.

As noted above, Republicans are hesitant to walk down the impeachment road because theres simply no evidence that Joe Biden meets the bar of having committed high crimes and misdemeanors while he was vice president.

In a new 14-page dossier released by the White House, Bidens team breaks down all of the claims by Republicans against the president  that he engaged in a bribery scheme with a foreign national, that the Biden administration interfered with an investigation into his son Hunter, that he got a Ukrainian prosecutor general fired to help Hunters business deals, etc.

Citing FBI sources, independent investigations, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, House Republicans, Trump administration officials and Republicans own witnesses, the report systematically debunks each and every claim.

If McCarthy and Republicans dont trust the White Houses sourcing, they should probably trust their own witnesses.

Biden can use a Trump-era rule.

In January of 2020, Trumps Justice Department declared that impeachment inquiries by the House are invalid unless it takes a formal vote.

Not only is it still on the books, per a Politico report, it is binding on the current administration as it responds to Tuesdays announcement by Speaker Kevin McCarthy to authorize an impeachment inquiry into Biden, again without a vote.

Seems like Biden can thank Trump for this one.

Its politically perilous.

With Bidens flagging polling numbers, theres nothing like a politically-motivated impeachment inquiry to motivate Democratic voters. And Republicans risk turning off their own voters in moderate districts where theres little appetite for these kinds of stunts while real problems go unsolved.

The only thing this does accomplish is keep McCarthy the speaker  for now, anyway. Despite caving to his unruly House members, Gaetz is still threatening to oust McCarthy, even minutes after he announced his impeachment inquiry.
An Omaha surgeon has been charged with manslaughter after prosecutors said he was driving nearly 70 mph over the speed limit when he caused a fatal crash on Dodge Street earlier this month.

Mark A. Carlson, 61, faces one count of manslaughter in connection with the death of 22-year-old Anna Bosma of South Dakota. He remained in the hospital as of Wednesday, according to Deputy Douglas County Attorney Brenda Beadle, and will be taken into custody upon his release.

If convicted of manslaughter, Carlson faces up to 20 years in prison.

According to an arrest affidavit for Carlson, Omaha police officers responded to a crash at 62nd and Dodge Streets at about 10:30 p.m. on Sept. 1. Bosma, who was driving a Chevrolet Cruze, was declared dead at the scene.

Citing witness interviews and security footage, officers now allege that Carlson was either racing or engaged in a road rage incident with a black SUV driven by 26-year-old Cameron Robinson before the crash.

After passing University Drive East, Carlsons Mercedes E63 AMG left the roadway and struck a metal light pole on the north side of Dodge Street with the rear passenger side of his car. Carlson then crossed four lanes of traffic  three westbound lanes and one eastbound  before entering the farthest eastbound lane and colliding with the Chevy Cruze.

Police applied for and were granted a search warrant for the air-bag control module on Carlsons Mercedes. The data showed that only about two seconds elapsed from the time Carlson hit the light pole to the impact with Bosmas car.

At the time of impact with the light pole, according to the affidavit, Carlson was traveling 106 mph with 100% accelerator pedal input, meaning that he was still accelerating at full speed. Half a second before the impact with the Chevy Cruze, the accelerator pedal input remained at 100% and the vehicle was traveling 101 mph.

The speed limit in the area where the crash occurred is 35 mph.

Robinson, the SUV driver who was allegedly racing Carlson, does not face any charges as of Wednesday. Beadle said that Robinson stayed at the scene of the crash and provided a statement to police, but the investigation remains open.

According to his University of Nebraska Medical Center faculty page, Carlson is the director of the Center for Advanced Surgical Technology in addition to being a professor in the department of surgery. He is also a staff surgeon at Omahas VA Medical Center.

A spokesperson for the University of Nebraska Medical Center confirmed on Wednesday that a Mark A. Carlson is on the faculty in the department of surgery, but could not comment further on his employment status or confirm that it was the same person charged in relation to the crash.

A spokesman for the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Health Care System confirmed Wednesday that Carlson is a staff surgeon at the Omaha facility.

We are saddened by the situation, the spokesman said in an email.

Bosma graduated from South Dakota State University in May, according to her obituary, and had just begun an occupational therapy doctorate program at the University of South Dakota. She had a deep love for animals and recently started a Facebook group to organize gatherings for people in Sioux Falls who owned Bernese Mountain Dogs.

She was greatly loved, and she loved greatly in return, her obituary reads.

Omaha World-Herald staff writer Julie Anderson contributed to this report.
On Thursday, September 14 the Intrepid Museum hosted a press preview of its newest permanent exhibition, Final Flight: The Story of a WWII Corsair. On March 18, 1945, Loren Isley, a young, newly-married naval aviator flew from the USS Intrepid on his first combat mission. Unfortunately, it would also be his last. He and his F4U-1D Corsair were shot down near the city of Saiki on Japans southern main island of Kyushu. Fifty years later, a Japanese fisherman found what is believed to be the remnants of his aircraft.

In 2016, Japanese officials returned the Corsair fragments to the U.S. Navy, and they were brought home to Intrepid earlier this year. A dedicated team of Intrepid Museum curators worked diligently to repatriate and preserve the Corsairs pieces but also embarked on an extensive research journey into the pilots history. Their investigation led them to discover the existence of Lorens nephew, Dale, via Ancestry.com, thus forging a connection between the Museum, the Isley family, and the history hidden within these artifacts.

The F4U Corsair was one of the most advanced combat aircraft of its day. Intrepid received its first Corsairs in 1944, and the aircraft then became a core part of Intrepids air group during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. The aircraft was shot down into the Pacific Ocean after it was ordered to strike a naval base near Japan. The new exhibit features fragments from the plane found 78 years later, rare photographs, and an immersive installation.

Through artifacts, photos, and a visually engaging installation of the aircrafts engine and a section of the wing, this exhibit tells the story of the discovery of the aircraft, its young pilot, and the scientific and technical process of preserving artifacts from underwater environments.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo pharmacy is one of 20 in the country to participate in a pilot program to provide residents with more access to technology to monitor their diabetes.

Greenwood Pharmacy, located at 2104 Kimball Ave., is partnering with the American Pharmacists Association Foundation in a project to help community pharmacists get credentialed to prescribe continuous glucose monitors.

Laurel Koester works with Helmsley Charitable Trust, the organization funding the program. Koesters job is to help source grant projects that focus on Type 1 diabetes, which is also called juvenile diabetes. People with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes can take part in the program, as long as they take insulin.

She said that the program came about because CGMs can only be prescribed by a medical doctor but not every community has access to a diabetes specialist.

Pharmacists play a role in the healthcare team and are also someone who is accessible to people in communities, she said. They are trusted sources because theyre embedded in the community.

A news release about the project states that about 90% of Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy and that many pharmacists offer patient care services for people with diabetes, but that does not currently include CGM services.

Koester said the project is creating a certificate training program with an end goal to enable pharmacies to prescribe CGMs, as well as provide services on how to use the device, look at the data and help create a healthcare plan.

Another goal of the project is to help insurance companies realize more people are utilizing CGMs in hopes that more prescriptions will be covered by insurance.

Natalie Haack, who works at a public relations firm that sent the release, said Greenwood Pharmacy was selected based on the patient population it serves, its performance in other projects with the American Pharmacists Association Foundation and its interest in the initiative. Three other Iowa pharmacies were also selected in Iowa City, Maquoketa and Winterset.

Koester said CGMs became the standard of care with people who use insulin around 2018. Before that, the main tool was a blood glucose meter in which patients prick their finger with a small needle to produce a drop of blood to place on a test strip. These finger stick checks measure blood glucose at one moment in time, resulting in people with diabetes having to prick their finger several times a day to monitor their blood sugar.

CGMs are a patch placed on the arm or stomach and the device has a tiny sensor that is inserted under the skin. The CGM also has a transmitter, which sends information  without wires  to a software program on a smartphone or insulin pump where people can constantly check their blood sugar.

Koester described a glucose meter as a snapshot of blood sugar at one particular point in time, while a CGM tells the whole story. The reports can help people decide on when to administer insulin as well as help track how foods they eat affect their blood sugar.

Rob Nichols, a pharmacist at Greenwood Pharmacy, said another benefit of a CGM is to help health care professionals look at a patients diabetes. Professionals who have access to a patients CGM are able to look at the data tracked by the device.

CGMs can also ease parents minds for their children who have diabetes. With a blood glucose meter, parents cant keep a constant eye on their childs blood sugar levels when they are at school. The device can also send alerts to a parents phone when their childs blood sugar fluctuates, even when they are asleep.

Bridget Reed, a registered nurse and the executive director of Focus on Diabetes, said this is a game changer.

A huge fear is if a child has severe low blood sugar, or a hypoglycemic event, it can lead to death if not treated, Reed said. That CGM (allows) people to just live their life how they wanna live it. It has been transformative for people with diabetes.

Reed said it doesnt just help children. She has seen major effects on anyone who uses a CGM. It can also help providers to accurately prescribe medicine in the correct dosages.

I think people are more compliant, theyre more willing to make some important changes because they can see when they eat certain foods how it spikes their blood pressure, she said. It all around influences their care.

Nichols said he hopes to help people in the Cedar Valley have increased access to CGMs, as well as help them navigate the process, because of the pharmacys knowledge about training people on how to use the device and how to evaluate the data. He said pharmacists are also knowledgeable about the insurance process.

Reed said the project is important in helping patients have more access to new technology.

Sometimes in provider offices, it is hard to get some appointments because everybody is just so busy, she said. Having the ability to have this as an option to get connected to technology, get monitored and somebody supporting (them)  I think its a good thing.

Nichols said everyone involved in the process  the patient, the doctor and the pharmacist  will all be in contact with each other.

Were not just dispensing their bodys medication, were evaluating how those diabetes medications are working for people and making suggestions and recommendations to providers and patients on how to maximize the benefit from those medications, he said.

Patient enrollment will go until the end of September. If patients qualify, they will receive monthly monitoring and management services until 2024.

Nichols said anyone who is interested in getting a CGM should call the pharmacy at (319) 234-6673 and a pharmacist can take their information and evaluate their situation to see if they qualify for a device.

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CEDAR FALLS  The Cedar Valley Trails Partnership, in conjunction with the Iowa DNR and George Wyth State Park, will hold a ribbon cutting at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday for the newly paved section of the Cedar Valley Lakes Trail from Kriegs Crossing to the George Wyth Lodge.

By the efforts of the DNR, INRCOG, and Cedar Valley Trails Partnership raising funds through individual donations, a grant was secured with the COVID Relief Recreational Trail Program to complete this 1.4 mile project.

The ribbon cutting will be held at the George Wyth Lodge. There will be a short program followed by refreshments and organized bike rides leaving on the trail at 5:45 p.m.

For more information go online to cedarvalleytrails.org/events.
CEDAR FALLS -- The Cedar Valley Civil War Roundtable will launch its 2023-24 meeting series on Sept. 21.

President Frank McCaw will present a program on the Sixth Iowa Infantry as part of the 7 p.m. meeting on the upper level of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa building, 3117 Greenhill Boulevard, Cedar Falls.

The war experiences of the 6th were similar to other Civil War regiments but in many ways were unique. The 6th participated in several of the West's major battles -- Shiloh, Vicksburg, Chattanooga and Atlanta.

They frequently occupied strategic positions. Several commanding officers were killed, necessitating reassignment of leaders. Organizers say the 6th was a regiment Iowans can look upon with pride.

Zoom connection information will be sent to members prior to the meeting. For additional information, email cvcwrt9@yahoo.com or visit www.cvcwrt.org.
Wash your hands

Recently, I lost my mother to COVID. I miss her so much! I am writing in hopes this message will reach some of these women who use a public restroom and then leave without washing their hands. You know who you are! You are oh-so nasty!

It is people like you as to why this COVID is not going anywhere! You women should be ashamed of yourselves leaving the restroom without washing your hands! Thats just plain nasty!

Pam Berumez, Waterloo

Conversion therapy

Conversion therapy sounds like something pushed by the conservative Republican religious bigots. To force a person into being something that person doesnt want to be is tyrannical. Its like forcing a surgeon to become a bookkeeper, or to force a cook into becoming a truck driver, or visa versa. They should be allowed to be whatever they want to be. Also, if school teachers are forbidden to teach the full truth about American history, such as the cruelty, murder, and theft that was done to the Native American Indians, slavery done to the Blacks, and imprisonment done to the Japanese Americans, to suppress the truth is to promote a lie! Nowadays were suppose to believe lies. Were suppose to believe there was voter fraud, Trump won the election, theres no climate change, a seat belt will save you from all harm. The bigger liar a political candidate is, the more popular and well liked that person is, and the religionists support such a person, and lies.

Herman Lenz, Sumner

Pickleball fan

With the boom in popularity of pickleball around the country and especially the Cedar Valley, I was wondering if the city of Waterloo plans on creating outdoor pickleball courts? Cedar Falls has them, so we were wondering what plans Waterloo City Council has made regarding this increasingly popular form of indoor/outdoor recreation?

Beth Letkewicz, Waterloo
WATERLOO  Five students have been awarded $4,000 to help cover the cost of tuition and other college-related expenses from thanks to scholarships from the University of Northern Iowa Center for Urban Education.

The funding was made possible through the Academic Attainment Fund, which was established with a grant from TruStage, formerly known as CUNA Mutual Fund.

The recipients are:

Sophie Brown of Independence, attending the University of Iowa

William Clark III of Waterloo, attending Coe College

Emily Erdelt of Independence, attending the University of Northern Iowa

Sierra Meeks of Waterloo, attending the University of Arizona

Shaw Meh of Waterloo, attending Hawkeye Community College

To be eligible, students must participate in one of UNI-CUEs TRIO programs, which are federally funded by the U.S. department of Education and hosted by UNI. As long as each student meets eligibility requirements and funding remains available, the $4,000 scholarships may be renewed each year.

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CEDAR FALLS  The University of Northern Iowa invites community members to welcome eight Ukrainian exchange students to the Cedar Valley with a new UNI Gallery of Art exhibition by Waterloo native and Des Moines artist Scott Ross.

The event coincides with the start of UNI Family Weekend, which begins Sept. 29.

While their families and loved ones may be half a world away in the midst of a horrific conflict, this is an opportunity for members of the community to meet these remarkable students and make them feel at home in the Cedar Valley, Director of University Relations Pete Moris said in a news release.

Following Russias invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the exchange students in Iowa were unable to return home. UNI was able to identify merit scholarships as well as contributions from local donors to help provide support to off-set some of the cost of tuition and fees. Even with scholarships, students need to cover costs including remaining tuition, books and room and board.

UNI President Mark Nook will be at the open house to hear from the students, view Ross work and listen to remarks on the exhibition from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sept. 29 at the Kamerick Art Building off of 27th Street.

The exhibition will be on display at the UNI Gallery of Art through Oct. 1 with special gallery hours from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 30. The work will remain on display in the UNI Gallery of Art showcases from Oct. 19 through Nov. 9. Following that, Ross works will be displayed at UNIs Rod Library through February.

Upward of 20,000 Ukrainian amputees face trauma on a scale unseen since WWI
CEDAR FALLS -- Registration is now open for the 17th annual Pink Ribbon Run at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 7 through downtown.

All proceeds and donations go directly to the Beyond Pink Team for distribution to local people living with breast cancer. Runners, walkers and virtual participants can register at beyondpinkteam.org until up to race day. If one registers by Sept. 22, it guarantees a race T-shirt and a $5 discount. Participation will be $35 from Sept. 23 on. Breast cancer survivors can register for free and will be recognized at the event.

Iowa has seen an increase in the number of female breast cancer diagnoses in the past five years. The state now ranks 15th highest in the number of cases, according to the 2023 Cancer Report from the University of Iowa College of Public Health. Organizers say this makes financial support more important than ever.

In 2023, Beyond Pink Team has awarded 71 grants totaling nearly $90,000 to help those in the Cedar Valley with the expenses that come with a breast cancer diagnosis.

Business sponsorships cover race expenses. Warrior Sponsors at the level of $5,000 and above include Oakridge Real Estate, Green State Credit Union, Community Auto Group, Bambinos Sweet and Fluffy Cookie Creations, and KWWL-TV.

Anyone who needs assistance with online registration or has questions should contact Community Main Street at 319-277-0213.

11 political cartoons that get better with age -- even if the politicians don't
WASHINGTON  States and Native American tribes will have greater authority to block energy projects such as natural gas pipelines that could pollute rivers and streams under a final rule issued by the Biden administration.

The rule issued Thursday, which takes effect in November, reverses a Trump-era action that limited the ability of states and tribes to review pipelines, dams and other federally regulated projects within their borders. The Environmental Protection Agency says the new regulation will empower local authorities to protect rivers and streams while supporting infrastructure projects that create jobs.

We actually think this is going to be great for the country,'' said Radhika Fox, assistant administrator for water. Its going to allow us to balance the Biden administration goals of protecting our water resources and also supporting all kinds of infrastructure projects that this nation so desperately needs.''

But Fox acknowledged at a briefing that the water rule will be significantly slimmed down from an earlier proposal because of a Supreme Court ruling that weakened regulations protecting millions of acres of wetlands. That ruling, in a case known as Sackett v. EPA, sharply limited the federal governments jurisdiction over wetlands, requiring that wetlands be more clearly connected to other waters such as oceans and rivers. Environmental advocates said the May decision would strip protections from tens of millions of acres of wetlands.

Fox declined to offer a specific number of waterways that would no longer be protected. But she said the Sackett case "does limit pretty significantly the number of the waters that we expect to be (under federal jurisdiction) when those determinations are made'' by the Army Corps of Engineers.

The administration will work closely with states, tribes and territories on implementing the rule, "but again, what is jurisdictional and not jurisdictional is determined by these very case-specific reviews'' by the Corps, she said.

In a separate action last month, the Biden administration weakened regulations protecting millions of acres of wetlands, saying it had no choice after the high court ruling. The rule defining Waters of the United States marks a policy shift that departs from a half-century of federal rules governing the nations waterways.

The federal Clean Water Act allows states and tribes to review what effect pipelines, dams and some other federally regulated projects might have on water quality within their borders. The Trump administration sought to streamline fossil fuel development and made it harder for local officials to block projects.

The new rule will shift power back to states, tribes and territories.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement that the new rule affirms the authority of states, territories and tribes "to protect precious water resources while advancing federally permitted projects in a transparent, timely and predictable way.

The rule allows states and tribes to work with federal agencies to determine the time frame for review  up to a maximum of one year  but provides a six-month default deadline if local authorities and the federal agency do not agree on a timeline.

The EPA has said states should have authority to look beyond pollution directly discharged into waterways and holistically evaluate the impact of a project on local water quality. The new rule gives local regulators more power to ensure they have the information they need before facing deadline pressure to issue or deny a permit, the EPA said.

Environmental groups said the new rule will make it easier for states and tribes to review projects that could harm water quality.

This rule will help end the regulatory chaos states and tribes have operated under'' since the Trump-era rollback, said Moneen Nasmith, senior attorney at Earthjustice, which represented tribes in Washington state, Nevada and Alaska in a lawsuit against the 2020 rule.

"Now, state and tribal authorities can much more confidently exercise their authority to review and reject'' or add conditions to projects that threaten water quality, Nasmith said.

Industry groups complained that a proposed rule issued last year could lead to unnecessary delays for a range of infrastructure projects, including pipelines, dams and bridges.

Former President Donald Trump argued that states were improperly wielding the Clean Water Act to block needed fossil fuel projects.

New York, for example, has used its review authority to deny certain natural gas pipeline projects. Washington state refused to issue a permit for a coal export terminal in 2017.

In 2020, EPA officials said the Clean Water Act shouldnt be used to hold infrastructure projects hostage and finalized its rule that curtailed state and tribal power.

The Trump rule was tossed by a federal judge in 2021, but a divided Supreme Court later reinstated it. The courts three liberal justices and Chief Justice John Roberts dissented, saying supporters of the rule had not shown that they would be sufficiently harmed by the lower courts ruling.

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After the handshakes, the platitudes and the lunch of Kamchatka crab dumplings, the outcome of the talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stayed hidden.

But the summit's location  Russia's Far East spaceport  offered a big clue.

By choosing the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Putin has signaled his readiness to share Russian rocket and space technology with Pyongyang in exchange for access to North Korea's mammoth arms stockpiles for the war in Ukraine.

The move underscored Russia's estrangement on the world stage and the shrinking circle of friends that Moscow can rely on, thanks to the 18-month-old invasion. At the same time, it heralds new threats for stability in northeast Asia and beyond.

The nearly five hours of talks Wednesday between Putin and Kim marked a new high point in the ties between the old allies  a relationship that dates back nearly eight decades to Soviet leader Josef Stalin and Kim's grandfather, North Korean founder Kim Il Sung.

North Korea has relied on Soviet-designed weapons since the 1950-53 Korean War and has some of the worlds largest ammunition stockpiles, estimated at tens of millions of artillery shells and rockets.

Russia is eager to tap that trove after having spent a significant share of its arsenal in fighting Europes largest ground conflict since World War II, with thousands of shells fired daily by each side.

Western officials saw the summit with North Korea as an effort by Putin to secure a potential arms bonanza for his military.

It looks like theyre very focused on the artillery shells (and) the multiple-rocket launchers for battlefield use, said John Park, director of the Korea Project at the Harvard Kennedy Schools Belfer Center. These are things that can be immediately applied in terms of this war of attrition that is playing out in Ukraine.

U.S. officials have cast it as a sign of desperation by Putin. Russia was scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for help because its having trouble sustaining its military, said James OBrien, head of the Office of Sanctions Coordination at the U.S. State Department.

Putin, however, didnt seem to care about the optics of meeting with Kim, with the West now considering both leaders to be pariahs.

For Russia, its simply that the ends justify the means, said James Nixey, director of the Russia and Eurasia program at Chatham House, a London-based think-tank. Its perfectly comfortable with alliances of any shape form on nature as long as they serve perceived Russian national interests.

The need for munitions in the Ukraine war is hardly one-sided. In addition to Western supplies of new tanks, missiles and other weapons systems, the U.S. and its allies have drained the stockpiles of Soviet-era arms and munitions in Central and Eastern Europe and beyond to help President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

With both Russia and Ukraine digging in for what could be a long war, the North Korean munitions could offer Moscow a critical lifeline as it tries to boost its domestic arms output. North Korea also could increase its ammunition production at Russias behest.

Its the immediate benefit of existing stockpiles and also the potential to crank up on the production side if they want to go that direction as well, Park said.

Yang Uk, a security expert at South Koreas Asan Institute for Policy Studies, noted that in addition to Soviet-designed armaments, North Korea also could share some of its latest military equipment.

Amid tensions with the South, Pyongyang has heavily relied on artillery and developed long-range systems that could add capabilities that Moscow lacks.

Beyond merely transferring ammunition, there is also a strong possibility that North Korea would be willing to provide Russia with some of the advanced weapons systems it developed and publicly boasted about to be used for the war in Ukraine, Yang said.

At Vostochny, Putin and Kim traded mutual praise and assurances of friendship, alluding to their historic alliance.

Putin mentioned the Soviet support for Pyongyang in the Korean War, while Kim referred to Russia's campaign in Ukraine as a just fight against hegemonic forces to defend its sovereign rights, security and interests."

Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul, noted the summit also served both leaders' domestic and foreign policy agendas.

Putin and Kims diplomatic display is meant to claim success in challenging the U.S.-led international order, avoiding over-reliance on China, and increasing pressure on rivals in Ukraine and South Korea, he said. The summit defiantly linked pariah state behavior in Europe and Asia.

Asked by reporters at the spaceport whether Russia and North Korea could cooperate in space, Putin responded: Thats why we came here. He added that Kim showed a "big interest in rocket technologies.

While Russia has previously avoided sharing sensitive know-how with Pyongyang, analysts point out that Moscow could now facilitate such transfers as a way of hurting the U.S. and its allies.

Russia profits from the destabilization of the international system, Nixey said. If Russia is giving the Western powers one more problem to worry about other than itself, then it actually aids the overall Russian cause."

Upward of 20,000 Ukrainian amputees face trauma on a scale unseen since WWI
NEW YORK  A New Yorker upset that the city has been housing homeless migrants on his block has set up a loudspeaker to deliver an unwelcoming message to his new neighbors: "Immigrants are not safe here.

The message, recorded in six languages, blares all day from a loudspeaker on Scott Herkert's well-groomed front lawn on Staten Island, exhorting migrants to go back to another part of the city because the community doesnt want them. It urges people brought to a temporary shelter inside a long-vacant Roman Catholic high school not to get off the bus. The message also claims the building has rats and cockroaches.

It is one of several ways some people have let shelter residents know they are not welcome. Hundreds of protesters have also held a large rally outside the former school, urging the city to house migrants elsewhere.

The women and families placed by the city inside the former Saint John Villa Academy have heard the message loud and clear.

We have to close our eyes and close our ears, said Aminetou El Alewai, a 39-year-old woman from Mauritania who moved into the shelter last week. We are good people. We are not criminals. We came because of problems in our country.

As thousands of migrants continue to arrive in New York City, officials have scrambled to open new emergency shelters, turning to tent facilities, school gyms and parks to comply with a state law requiring housing for the homeless. Though Staten Island is home to only a small fraction of those shelters, they have generated an outsize share of animosity.

The hostile reception coincides with increasingly dire rhetoric from Mayor Eric Adams, who warned last week that the migrant crisis would destroy New York City. The Democrat has insisted that the more than 100,000 who have arrived so far are welcome, but he has said the cost of housing tens of thousands of people could be as much as $12 billion over the next three years. Adams has rejected allegations from advocates of using migrants as props in an ongoing bid for federal money.

Staten Island is known for leaning conservative and Republican in a mostly liberal, Democratic city.

Herkert, a New York state court system employee, also has a tarp on his lawn painted with a profane version of the phrase, No way! Gesturing at the largely empty street in front of his home Tuesday, Herkert said the new shelter has upended his block's quiet charm and brought toilets and dumpsters to the other side of his fence.

While the loudspeaker message  in Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Urdu, Chinese and English  warns that the former school is infested with roaches and mold, Alewai said she has found it to be perfectly clean, if a bit uncomfortable.

As Alewai spoke, parents picked up their children from a neighboring private school, directing nervous glances and, in one case, harsh words at the new arrivals.

I am sorry for the trouble of the woman who was just talking, Alewai said in French. I came as a refugee to New York and they brought me here. Indeed, I am not comfortable here.

Both employees and residents of the shelter said protesters have cursed at and threatened them, frequently playing loud music late into the night. Employee and lifelong Queens native Gabrielle Dasilva said she was recently told to go back to her home country.

A spokesperson for the mayor's office, Kayla Mamelak, said the administration was disturbed to learn about the false messages being played outside the St. Johns Villa Academy respite site and police are working to maintain the peace in the area.

As always, New York City continues to provide care for asylum seekers with compassion and care, she said.

City Councilman David Carr, a Republican who attended Saint John Villa Academy, defended the audio recording as protected First Amendment activity and said his constituents have good reason to worry about the high cost of housing migrants.

This is an opportunity for folks in the neighborhood who are angry to demonstrate that constructively, Carr said. Theyre just trying to ensure that their voices are heard.

John Tabacco, a right-wing media personality and candidate for city comptroller, said he collaborated on the effort with Herkert and the loudspeakers messages have clearly resonated with neighbors.

There have been a lot of concerned citizens out there, and theyve been spending a lot of time doing some good old fashioned civil disobedience, he said.

Around the corner, John Gurriera, a 72-year-old resident of Staten Island, said he was disappointed by the reaction from some of his neighbors, which he described as not very Christian.

This is New York City, he added. We all came from someplace else.

Photos: Chicago, other cities say shelters full, budgets hit by immigration uptick
LONDON  A red sweater adorned with a flock of sheep worn by the young Princess Diana has sold at auction for $1.1 million, many times its presale estimate and a record for an item owned by the late royal.

The playfully patterned wool jumper featuring a single black sheep in a grid of white ones was bought by an unidentified bidder at Sotheby's online Fashion Icons sale.

The auction house had valued it at between $50,000 and $80,000 ahead of two weeks of bidding that ended Thursday. With 15 minutes left until the sale closed, the highest offer stood at $190,000, but leapt to $1.1 million after a final flurry of bids.

The previous record for a piece of Diana memorabilia was $604,800 for a Victor Edelstein-designed ballgown sold by Sothebys in January.

The sale also smashed the existing auction record for a sweater, the $334,000 paid in 2019 for Kurt Cobains green cardigan from Nirvanas MTV Unplugged concert.

The 19-year-old Lady Diana Spencer was photographed in the eye-catching ovine garment at a polo match in June 1981, soon after her engagement to Prince Charles, who was then heir to the British throne.

Diana was already becoming a style icon  and one of the worlds most photographed women  and the moment gave a big boost to designers Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne, who made the sweater for their small knitwear label Warm & Wonderful.

A few weeks later, Muir and Osborne received an official letter from Buckingham Palace explaining that Diana had damaged the sweater and asking whether it could be repaired or replaced. The original was returned, showing damage to a sleeve the designers thought might have been caused by snagging on Dianas diamond and sapphire engagement ring.

A new sweater was knitted and dispatched, and Diana was photographed wearing it with white jeans and a black ribbon tie at an event in 1983. Osborne discovered the original lying forgotten in a box in an attic earlier this year.

Diana, the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry, divorced Charles in 1996, She was killed in a car crash in Paris in 1997 at the age of 36.

Some have speculated that the princess liked the black sheep pattern because she felt like an outsider in the royal family. Emma Corrin sported a replica as the young Diana in season four of The Crown.

Muir and Osborne, who still sell a version of the design, said that while we are forever indebted to (Diana) for the impact this had on our business, our deepest appreciation lies in the knowledge that she shared a unique connection to the black sheep design.

We are thrilled that this cherished sweater has now found a new home, carrying with it the enduring legacy of Princess Diana, the designers said in a statement.

Photos: Remembering Princess Diana, 1961-1997
An Iowa-licensed nurse accused of multiple violations related to her work at three hospitals has agreed to surrender her license.

According to the Iowa Board of Nursing, Rachel Faith Martinez, formerly of Spencer, was disciplined by the board in 2022 for administering medications to hospital patients at a higher frequency than ordered and for failing to document any pain assessments she may have conducted for certain patients.

Later, Martinez was hired to work at another hospital, also unidentified by the board, and was allegedly fired from that hospital for what the board calls similar concerns.

In response to that situation, the board placed Martinezs license on probation for six months beginning in October 2022. Immediately after the probation took effect, Martinez was hired to work at another hospital, which the board has not publicly identified.

While working there, Martinez allegedly procured controlled substances she never documented as having been administered. She also is alleged to have given patients multiple as-needed medications at the same time or within minutes of each other, and to have doled out medications in a manner that didnt conform to a physicians orders. In addition, management at the hospital was informed by the staff that Martinezs patients were over-sedated, the board alleges.

The board charged Martinez with committing an act that may adversely affect the welfare of a patient and with failing to assess or accurately document the status of patients. She and the board recently agreed to settle the case with Martinez relinquishing her license and her right to practice in Iowa. She can apply for reinstatement in one year.

More nursing board actions

Other Iowa-licensed nurses recently sanction by the board include:

 Kevin Call of Utah, who agreed to relinquish his right to practice in Iowa after the board charged him with misappropriating patient medications. The board alleged that while on a travel assignment and working at an unidentified hospital, Call procured medications for patients but never administered the drugs.

Its not the first time Call has been accused of misappropriating patient medications. Records from the state of Utah indicate that in 2013, Call admitted to authorities that he had used a patients ATM card to withdraw $500 from the patients bank account without the patients permission. He also admitted taking $100 from a different patient and various sums of money from four or five other patients without those patients knowledge, according to Utah officials.

A search of Calls locker at the hospital where he worked allegedly uncovered four syringes of oxycodone, plus a large number of other medications for which he had no prescription, licensing officials said. Call later practiced in the state of Montana, where he was accused of using another nurses license number to maintain employment. Calls Montana nursing license was subsequently revoked, and he agreed to surrender his Utah license.

The Utah license was reinstated in 2017 subject to five years of probation. In 2019, the state of Utah terminated the probation and restored Calls license with full privileges, free and clear of any restrictions.

 Kathryn Stange of Des Moines, who agreed to have her nursing license placed on probation for two years. The Iowa Board of Nursing had charged Stange with excessive use of alcohol that might impair her ability to practice nursing with reasonable skill and safety. She was accused of being convicted of drunken driving on three occasions, most recently in November 2022.

With regard to the 2022 conviction, police records indicate that shortly before midnight on the evening of July 23, 2022, authorities in Clarke County were notified of a black Ford Explorer that was weaving in and out of its lane, almost striking other vehicles.

Less than an hour later, Stange called 911 to report that her black Ford Explorer was broken down on Interstate 35. When police arrived, Stange was allegedly sitting in the grass by her vehicle and showing signs of intoxication. A subsequent test indicated her blood-alcohol level was .218, well over the legal limit of .08, police alleged.

Having previously been convicted of drunken driving in 2014 and 2017, she was initially charged with third-offense drunken driving, according to court records. In November 2022, Stange agreed to plead guilty to a reduced charge of second-offense drunken driving.
Everyday thousands of books of sheet music, from Mozart to Metallica to Taylor Swift and everything in between, are printed at Hal Leonard in Winona and shipped to the hands of musicians around the world.

The company Hal Leonard was founded in 1947 as a music store in Winona after the dance band Hal Leonard, which included Harold Hal Edstrom, his brother Everett Leonard Edstrom, and their friend Roger Busdicker, broke up.

Everett started the music store while Harold and Busdicker directed award-winning high school bands in Winona that branched out from the typically played classical music into arrangements of popular music sought by band directors across the country.

During an educational trip to New York Citys Tin Pan Alley to learn about copyright, the company's founders returned with publishing rights to I Wonder Whos Kissing Her Now. Since then, Hal Leonard has grown to become the worlds largest print music publisher.

The 76-year-old company operates two main facilities  its corporate headquarters in Milwaukee and a state-of-the-art administration, production and distribution facility in Winona. Additionally, the company has U.S. offices in Boston, Austin, San Francisco and abroad in Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, the Netherlands, India, Italy, France and the United Kingdom.

Senior Vice President of Winona Operations Brent Halverson said the business is proud of its start in Winona and its ability to maintain its local presence.

I just think its an exciting business, but its also something that has been a long-term pride, Halverson said. To be a part of this community, like a cornerstone business like many businesses that started here, is something were happy to be a part of.

In Winona, Hal Leonard employs around 250 people. Halverson, who started as a temporary employee 37 years ago, said many employees have been with the company for decades.

One of the things I always feel like makes a really big difference here, as the team thats here, is that the workforce here is very collaborative, Halverson said. I feel like the people that take the pride here and stay at Hal Leonard are people with musical interest. Anything from playing in a bar band to dabbling on the guitar to someone who just loves to listen to music but it makes them feel like theyre part of it. And they are, and theyre global now.

Halverson credits the companys innovation for part of its longevity. From old-fashioned plate burning and changing them by hand to todays automation and digital printing, Hal Leonard has grown into the next generation of tools that make work for its employees easier.

Were not just selling books, I think youre cultivating interest in music and I think thats really important, Halverson said. I think itll be interesting to see the future as the digital age comes but I think we certainly will follow our customers' needs.

With music books that range from beginner piano songbooks to popular vocal arrangements in its catalog, among Hal Leonard's top 15 best-selling books, nine are compositions from Taylor Swift.

Bill Stockhausen, Hal Leonards Vice President of Fulfillment and Warehouse Services, works a couple blocks away from the printing operation and oversees the around 3,200 orders leaving the companys 360,000 square-foot warehouse daily.

I think we all have a sense of pride with both the company and the town that the name Hal Leonard is everywhere in the world but starts here, Stockhausen said.

Stockhausen said when Hal Leonards warehouse was designed, the company looked to its employees for their input on how to design a workspace that best fits them.

We have to adapt and strive for continuous improvement, Stockhausen said. Listening to the people we work with has made the outcomes better for them.
The Minnesota Humanities Center is looking for paid discussion leaders in Minneapolis, Mankato and Winona for the spring 2024 series, "Examining Military Service From the Margins," which is funded by the NEH.

This discussion series will bring together veterans and civilians to examine the experiences of female, Black, American Indian, LGBTQ and immigrant service members across U.S. history and to discuss the complicated dynamics with serving a country that limits citizens and service members freedoms. Facilitated by pairs of discussion leaders, each week in the five-week series will examine a different veteran groups experience using historical resources like oral histories, narratives, film, legal documents, poetry, comics and more. To properly understand the complexity of change over time, participants will examine a wide range of time periods, including the Civil War, WWI, WWII, the Vietnam War and the post 9/11 era.

Applicants with military experience, teaching or facilitation experience, and/or representing diverse backgrounds and voices, are encouraged to apply to become a discussion leader by Sept. 25. Paid training will occur Oct. 20-22 at a required weekend retreat at MHC with guest military scholars. Series dates for the spring of 2024 are to be determined. One of the discussion locations will be at the Winona County History Center in Winona.

For more information and to apply, visit www.mnhum.org/program/examining-military-service-from-the-margins.
JUNEAU  A 40-year-old Fond du Lac man faces attempted homicide charges after allegedly attempting to stab his girlfriend in the stomach with a kitchen knife after driving the woman down a remote Dodge County road last month.

Oscar Lopez Toruno had the charge filed against him on Tuesday in Dodge County. He could face up to 40 years in prison and 20 years of extended supervision if convicted.

He faces charges including intimidating a witness in Fond du Lac County and had a preliminary hearing on Thursday where not guilty pleas were entered for the charges against him. He has a status hearing in Fond du Lac on Nov. 17.

According to the criminal complaint:

The Dodge County Sheriffs Office received a report on Aug. 26 from the Fond Lu Lac Sheriffs Office that Lopez Toruno had been arrested for multiple felonies due to a domestic incident between him and his girlfriend. While interviewing the girlfriend, detectives became aware of a second incident that occurred in Dodge County.

The woman told detectives, with an interpreter, about an incident that occurred on Aug. 18 when she found Lopez Toruno in her vehicle after leaving work. The woman said he told her his car had broken down and he needed her assistance to pick it up.

After she got in the car, he drove to a remote area she believed was near Lowell. The woman said he accused her of being unfaithful and presented a kitchen knife with a long blade and wooden handle and attempted to stab her in the stomach. She was able to grab the knife to prevent him from stabbing her and cut her hand during the incident. He also attempted to stab her with a screwdriver while in the vehicle, the woman said.

Eventually she was able to flee from the car, but he caught up to her and they continued to fight on the ground. She was able to convince Lopez Toruno to stop fighting with her if she wouldnt report the incident to the police, the woman said.

They returned to their home in Fond du Lac that night, but she remained fearful of Lopez Toruno, the woman said. She told authorities that around Aug. 24 she told Lopez Toruno that she wanted to separate, and he bit her in the face.

Lopez Toruno was questioned and allegedly admitted to attempted homicide, but said he did not kill the woman because she had a right to live.
RAMALLAH, West Bank  Palestinian politicians on Wednesday raged against dozens of Palestinian academics who had criticized President Mahmoud Abbas recent remarks on the Holocaust that drew widespread accusations of antisemitism.

They lambasted the open letter signed earlier this week by over a hundred Palestinian academics, activists and artists based around the world as the statement of shame.

The well-respected writers and thinkers had released the letter after footage surfaced that showed Abbas asserting European Jews were persecuted by Hitler because of what he described as their social functions and predatory lending practices, rather than their religion or ethnicity.

Their statement is consistent with the Zionist narrative and its signatories give credence to the enemies of the Palestinian people, said the secular nationalist Fatah party that runs the Palestinian Authority.

Fatah officials called the signatories mouthpieces for the occupation and extremely dangerous.

In the open letter, the legions of Palestinian academics, most of whom live in the United States and Europe, condemned Abbas comments as morally and politically reprehensible.

We adamantly reject any attempt to diminish, misrepresent, or justify antisemitism, Nazi crimes against humanity or historical revisionism vis-a-vis the Holocaust, the letter added. A few of the signatories are based in east Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

In Geneva on Wednesday, Deborah Lipstadt, the U.S. special envoy to monitor and combat antisemitism, blasted Abbas comments as overtly antisemitic and distorting of the Holocaust. She said the open letter from the Palestinian academics was stronger almost than what I had to say.

Theres no question about it: These kind of statements must stop, because they do nothing to advance peace, and worse than that, they spread anti-Semitism, Lipstadt told The Associated Press outside an event on antisemitism attended by dozens of diplomats on the sidelines of a session of the Human Rights Council.

The chorus of indignation among Palestinian leaders over the letter casts light on a controversy that for decades has plagued the Palestinian relationship with the Holocaust. The Nazi genocide, which killed nearly 6 million Jews and millions of others, sent European Jews pouring into the Holy Land.

Israel was established in 1948 as a safe haven for Jews in the wake of the Holocaust, and remembering the Holocaust and honoring its victims remains a powerful part of the countrys national identity.

But the war surrounding Israels establishment displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, who fled or were forced from their homes in what the Palestinians call the nakba, or catastrophe. Many Palestinians are loathe to focus on the atrocities of the Holocaust for fear of undercutting their own national cause.

It doesnt serve our political interest to keep bringing up the Holocaust, said Mkhaimer Abusaada, a political scientist at Al-Azhar University in Gaza City. We are suffering from occupation and settlement expansion and fascist Israeli polices. That is what we should be stressing.

But frequent Holocaust distortion and denial among Palestinians has only drawn further scrutiny to the tensions surrounding their relationship to the Holocaust. That unease may have started with Al-Husseini, the World War II-era grand mufti of Jerusalem and a Palestinian Arab nationalist. He was an enthusiastic Nazi supporter who helped recruit Bosnian Muslims to their side, and whose antisemitism was well-documented.

More recently, Abbas has repeatedly incited various international uproars with speeches denounced as antisemitic Holocaust denial. In 2018, he repeated a claim about usury and Ashkenazi Jews similar to the one he made in his speech to Fatah members last month. Last year, he accused Israel of committing 50 Holocausts against Palestinians.

For Israel, Abbas record has fueled accusations that he is not to be trusted as a partner in peace negotiations to end the decadeslong conflict. Through decades of failed peace talks, Abbas has led the Palestinian Authority, the semiautonomous body that began administering parts of the occupied West Bank after the Oslo peace process of the 1990s.

Abbas has kept a tight grip on power for the last 17 years and his security forces have been accused of harshly cracking down on dissent. His authority has become deeply unpopular over its reviled security alliance with Israel and its failure to hold democratic elections.

The open letter signed by Palestinian academics this week also touched on what it described as the authoritys increasingly authoritarian and draconian rule and said Abbas had forfeited any claim to represent the Palestinian people.
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- Theres been a caller alteration successful ownership, but customers tin still count connected Harvest Moon Cafe's meals to enactment nan same.

Brooke Nava Maya and her husband, Alfredo, officially took complete nan Pittsfield Township edifice astatine nan opening of 2023 aft erstwhile owner, Dimitri Tzavaras, retired aft 37 years of moving nan business.

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The brace stayed successful interaction pinch Tzavaras complete nan years, moreover erstwhile moving astatine different jobs. When nan longtime proprietor was fresh to retire, he turned to nan mates to support nan restaurants bequest alive, Nava Maya said.

He knew we would return attraction of it and support it going arsenic Harvest Moon and support nan aforesaid homemade cooking, she said. We ne'er wanted to alteration thing because it was bully nan measurement it was.

Customers tin still find homestyle comfortableness nutrient connected Harvest Moons paper including its celebrated Thanksgiving Feast.

The crockery is made pinch slow-roasted turkey bosom complete homemade dressing and mashed potatoes smothered pinch pan-roasted gravy, cranberry condiment and a broadside of corn.

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Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge (File Photo) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said that the Congress Working Committee (CWC) in Hyderabad will deliberate on upcoming Assembly elections in five states. He also condoled the death of the Army officers and personnel in the Jammu and Kashmir encounter.



While leaving for Hyderabad for the meeting of the partys highest decision-making body meeting, Kharge told the media here, "This happens to be the first CWC meeting after I took charge as the party president."



He said that there is an extended meeting of the CWC on Sunday, where discussions related to the party will be done.



"Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra besides all senior leaders will attend the meeting which will focus on the upcoming elections in five states," he said.



"Discussions on the alliance (INDIA) will be done in the next meeting with our partners," Kharge said.



While replying to a question on Anantnag encounter, the Congress president said, "I pay tribute to the soldiers who laid down their lives in the service of the nation and express my condolences to their families. We stand with them."



The CWC meeting is scheduled from Saturday in Telanganas Hyderabad to finalise the strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections in five states Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram scheduled

later this year.



The three-day's crucial meeting in Hyderabad is aimed at boosting the party's campaign in the poll-bound Telangana, officials said.



The Congress president will chair the CWC meeting.



On Friday, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said he is confident that the Congress would form a government in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram that go to polls later this year.



There could also be a discussion on holding 'Bharat Jodo Yatra 2'.



On Monday, the grand-old party will hold a mega rally in Hyderabad. "We will announce six guarantees for the people of Telangana. We hope that when the elections come, the party will get a clear mandate from the people," Congress general secretary communication incharge Jairam Ramesh said.



The Congress reconstituted the Congress Working Committee, and made some surprise additions last month.



The committee was formed 10 months after Mallikarjun Kharge became the party chief. It has 39 regular members, 32 permanent invitees and 13 special invitees.




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The 'Soul Survivor' rapper has lodged divorce papers following his separation from his wife Jeannie after two years of marriage and sought a joint custody of their child.

Sep 16, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jeezy has sought divorce from wife Jeannie Mai after more than two years of marriage. The 45-year-old "Put On" rapper - real name Jay Jenkins - has separated from the TV host, 44, according to court documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Thursday, September 14.

Jeezy is reportedly asking for joint custody of his and Jeannie's 20-month-old daughter Monaco, and it is understood the pair have a prenuptial agreement in place.

The former couple tied the knot at their home in Atlanta on March 27, 2021 after three years of dating. Due to the Covid pandemic their guests had to be tested two days before.

Jeannie told Vogue at the time, "We were really looking forward to having all of our friends and family there to celebrate. But we had to change all of our wedding plans due to Covid."

"After Jeezy's mother unexpectedly passed, we quickly learned that life is too short. And at the end of the day, Jeezy and I really just wanted to become husband and wife. So we decided to turn our original wedding into a minimony, where we exchanged our vows in front of our immediate family and a few close friends."

Jeezy and Jeannie did not introduce their girl Monaco to the world until five months after her birth in January 2022. Jeannie confirmed her arrival on her YouTube channel in June last year, saying, "(This) might be the most exciting episode I've ever had here on 'Hello Hunnay.' "

"It's time to share the most amazing, exciting, newest member of the 'Hello Hunnay' family. You're going to meet someone very, very special in my life. Somebody new, somebody shiny, somebody who smells so good, like, five months old good."

Jeannie was previously wed to actor Freddy Harteis, 47, for a decade, with the pair splitting partly because he didn't want to have children. Jeezy is also a dad to three other children.

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The missing sweater, once donned by the late Princess of Wales before it was lost, has fetched more than $1 million when it went under the hammer recently.

Sep 16, 2023

AceShowbiz - A previously lost sweater worn by Princess Diana has fetched just shy of 1 million. Made of red wool jumper and emblazoned with white sheep and one black animal, the famous "black sheep" jumper went under the hammer at Sotheby's Fashion Icons auction in New York and online, and fetched 885,000 ($1.1 million).

It's 10 times more than its estimate of between 40,227 to 64,363. On top of that, it's the most anyone has paid for a sweater and the biggest sale of an item belonging to the late royal, according to Sotheby's.

Sotheby's global head of fashion and accessories Cynthia Houlton said, "This exceptional garment, meticulously preserved, carries the whispers of Princess Diana's grace, charm, and her keen eye for fashion."

The piece, which had gone missing for years, was first worn by Lady Diana Spencer at a polo match in 1981 when she was engaged to Prince Charles, who is now King Charles. It was made by the label Warm and Wonderful, and due to Diana's fashion influence, the then-new brand was overwhelmed with demand after she was seen in the garment.

The company said, "Much to our amazement, the first we knew of Lady Diana Spencer wearing the sweater was when we saw her on the front page of one of the Sunday newspapers. Her influence was impactful almost immediately thereafter, leading to a surge in sales and public awareness of our small label, for which we will be forever grateful."

The jumper was sent back to the label for repairs upon the request of Buckingham Palace and they sent a new one. The original got lost and was found gathering dust in an attic.

The design was discontinued in 1994, but a new version was released in 2020 in collaboration with Rowing Blazer. Emma Corrin, who played Diana in "The Crown" in Season Four, wore a replica.

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In a letter obtained by Time, the 'Your Place or Mine' actor announces that he has resigned as a chairman of the board at Thorn, the anti-child sex abuse organization he started with his ex-wife Demi Moore in 2009.

Sep 16, 2023

AceShowbiz - Ashton Kutcher continues to own up to his mistake after receiving backlash for supporting Danny Masterson. The "Your Place or Mine" actor announced that he has stepped down as chairman of the board at Thorn, the anti-child sex abuse organization he started with his ex-wife Demi Moore in 2009, amid the controversy.

"After my wife [Mila Kunis] and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as Chairman of the Board, effectively immediately," the 45-year-old wrote in his letter of resignation published by Time. "I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve."

"As you know, I have worked for 15 years to fight for people who are sexually exploited," he added. "Victims of sexual abuse have been historically silenced and the character statement I submitted is yet another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences. This is precisely what we have all worked to reverse over the last decade."

Ashton went on to "offer my heartfelt apology to all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did. And to the broader advocacy community, I am deeply sorry." He then stated, "I remain proud of what we have accomplished in the past decade and will continue to support Thorn's work. Thank you for your tireless advocacy and dedication to this cause.

Ashton and Mila have issued a public apology for writing a letter in support of their "That '70s Show" co-star Danny. Danny himself was recently sentenced to 30 years to life in prison after being found guilty of two counts of forcible rape against two women.

"We are aware of the pain that has been caused by the character letters that we wrote on behalf of Danny Masterson," Ashton said in a video posted on Instagram. His spouse then added, "We support victims. We have done this historically through our work and will continue to do so in the future."

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A few days prior to the divorce filing, the host of 'The Real' publicly celebrated the 'Leave You Alone' rapper after his memoir 'Adversity For Sale' became a New York Times bestselling book.

Sep 16, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jeannie Mai Jenkins showered Young Jeezy with praise prior to divorce filing. A few days before her husband filed for divorce, the host of "The Real" publicly gushed over the "Leave You Alone" rapper's "strength and wisdom."

On September 5, the 44-year-old TV personality made use of her Instagram account to voice her appreciation of her husband. In a post, she wrote, "Your story has always been an inspiration to me, but seeing it in print has left me even more in awe of your strength and wisdom."

"You invited us into the most intimate corners of your life, where pain and triumph coexist. This moment isn't just a testament to your literary skills baby, but a recognition of your ability to inspire through the power of storytelling," Jeannie went on to marvel. She concluded, "I'm endlessly grateful for your voice in this world. Honored to walk beside you my love," adding a black heart emoji.

Jeannie was celebrating Jeezy after his memoir titled "Adversity For Sale" became one of the New York Times bestsellers. "Today I celebrate a remarkable milestone achieved by my husband, @jeezy, whose memoir 'Adversity For Sale' has soared to the New York Times bestsellers list [book and trophy emojis]," she proudly announced. Near the end of the caption, she added hashtags that read, "#newyorktimesbestseller #adversityforsale."

In the post, the TV host uploaded a video of her and her daughter whom she has with Jeezy. The mother and daughter duo were praying for the 45-year-old spitter's success. "Hi God! How are you? I'm fine. God, I want to thank you for my family. God, I want to thank you for my food and God, thank you because my daddy made the New York Times Best Sellers list," Jeannie said in the video as 20-month-old Monaco repeated phrase by phrase.

Just a few days after the video, Jeannie and Jeezy made headlines as he filed for divorce. According to court documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Thursday, September 14, Jeezy and Jeannie are "currently living in a bona fide state of separation." On the reason behind their split, he allegedly cited that their marriage is "irretrievably broken" with "no hope for reconciliation." He is seeking joint custody of their daughter Monaco.

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Celebrating a new milestone in her sobriety journey, the series regular of 'The Real Blac Chyna' also receives a huge number 1 balloon from her mother and congratulatory message from Unity Service Recovery.

Sep 16, 2023

AceShowbiz - Blac Chyna is celebrating one year of being sober with her loved one. Revealing a new milestone in her sobriety journey, the series regular of "The Real Blac Chyna", whose real name is Angela Renee White, got a sweet kiss from her mother Tokyo Toni.

The 35-year-old socialite was seen celebrating her one-year of sobriety with Tokyo in photos she uploaded via Instagram on Friday, September 15. One of the pictures captured her receiving a kiss and a huge number 1 balloon from her mother. In the snap, she was holding a bouquet of pink and purple flowers in her hands.

Chyna also uploaded a screenshot of an announcement on her phone which reveals the period of time she has been sober. In addition, she unleashed two snaps of decorated cake, which came with a message that read, "Congratulations on your 1 year sobriety, Angela Renee White." The cake seemed to have been sent by Unity Service Recovery, a recovery community organization which supports varying recovery programs, including mental health and substance use disorders.

Along with the snaps, the former "Rob & Chyna" star announced in the caption of the post, "September 14 , 2023 marks my one-year of sobriety this year taught me a lot about myself. I made up my mind on September 14, 2022 that I was done with the alcohol. This process is not easy but I did it, I plan on continuing practicing sobriety."

Chyna went on to write, "I want to thank everybody that has been supporting me with this part of my journey [red and pink hearts emoji]. Angela White is unstoppable, smart, beautiful, brave, a great mother, and a great friend. I'm hoping that when you see this, this will inspire you."

"If you are struggling with any addiction, just know that you can do it and you are worth it," she continued, encouraging other Instagram users to start their recovery. "God loves you. Its so many different apps, and groups that can help you with this journey, and you're not alone. I love you. ~ Angela White [red heart and hands folded together emojis]. P.S ( I couldn't wait to get this 1 year balloon) @queen_tokyotoni."

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Instead of opting for her usual racy looks, the 28-year-old Yeezy architectural designer opts to cover up a little bit when heading to a London Fashion Week show.

Sep 16, 2023

AceShowbiz - Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori continues to turn heads with her choice of style. Instead of opting for her usual racy near-nude looks, the Yeezy architectural designer covered up a little bit when heading to a London Fashion Week show on Friday evening, September 15.

For the event, which was hosted by Ye's ex Irina Shayk, Bianca donned a rather avant-garde fashion. The 28-year-old added her edgy touch to her look with a massive white wig featuring fringe which completely covered her eyes.

Bianca ditched her sheer body tights and traded them for a skimpy white crocheted bodysuit. Despite being more covered up, the Australian continued flaunting her figure with the ensemble that she paired with her signature sweaty perspex pumps.

While Bianca has been experimental with her looks in recent days, Ye continued with his all-black attire. For the fashion show, the Yeezy designer dressed in his go-to black top, black pants and black face cover. The "Jesus Is King" artist also went shoeless for the night out.

In other related news, one of Ye's exes apparently showed subtle support to the couple. Chaney Jones, whom the Chicago emcee dated briefly last year, was caught liking an Instagram post containing new photos of the head-turning couple in Germany.

The said pictures saw them waiting in line for Mustafa's Gemuse Kebap, a popular spot for hearty chicken kebabs in Germany's capital city Berlin, on Thursday, September 14. Bianca, who was usually seen sporting stoic expression, appeared to be in good spirits that day as she smiled at the photographers. In another picture, the couple was seen enjoying their meal while sitting on a park bench in Berlin.

This wasn't the first time for Bianca to opt against her go-to sheer tights-only style during an outing. She was previously seen stepping out in a pair of black biker shorts, though she still bared her nipples in a tiny flesh-colored bandeau top.

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None of the royal family including King Charles wish the Duke of Sussex a happy birthday as he turned 39 years old on September 15 while in Germany for Invictus Games.

Sep 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Prince Harry's birthday has been publicly snubbed by the royal family. The Duke of Sussex marked his 39th birthday on Friday, September 15 in Dusseldorf, Germany as he supported athletes in the Invictus Games along with his wife Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, 42.

A massive crowd sang him happy birthday as he sat on the sidelines to watch Germany and Poland battle it out in volleyball. However, there was silence from all members of the royal family's social media accounts on Friday following months of reported feuds between Harry and the family.

The Royal Family's X account did post about the Duchess of Edinburgh's visit to Wiltshire, and Harry's dad King Charles was spotted today as he made an appearance at St Paul's Church, in Kinross, Scotland.

Last year, the family didn't tweet Harry a happy birthday message as they were grieving for the Queen, who died aged 96 in September at her Balmoral estate in Scotland. The last time Harry was publicly wished a happy birthday was in 2021 when he was tweeted by the late Queen, William and his wife Catherine.

Meghan was also snubbed in August on her 42nd birthday, with no royals publicly sending her well wishes. The Prince and Princess of Wales did wish Meghan a happy birthday last year alongside King Charles and Camilla.

It has been reported Harry and Meghan have barely been in touch with the royals since they left the UK.

The latest snubs come after the fallout from the publication of Harry's "Spare" memoir in which he detailed physical fight with William.

Harry and Meghan have no visit planned to Britain while they're in Germany. They drank beers on Thursday, September 14 night with blood sausages and Wiener Schnitzel at a secret feast in Dusseldorf to mark his birthday. A source told Hello! magazine the event was a "family meal." Harry then returned to their 1,600-a-night hotel to eat birthday cake.

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The 'Sex and the City' actress issues a statement and shares her experience after flying to visit Ukrainian refugees as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations.

Sep 16, 2023

AceShowbiz - Kristin Davis was touched by her visit to meet Ukrainian refugees. The 58-year-old "Sex and the City" actress becomes a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, and visited Chisinau, in the Republic of Moldova amid Russian president Vladimir Putin's ongoing war against Ukraine to see the support being offered there to waves of displaced families.

"I was deeply moved by the remarkable strength displayed by refugees in Moldova. No one plans to become a refugee, and despite the heart-wrenching experience of leaving their homes and loved ones, many are restoring their lives in Moldova," she said.

"This transformation would not have been possible without the kindness of the Moldovan people, who have embraced these refugees, showing them the compassion and support they deserve."

Kristin - who has two adopted children, Gemma Rose and Wilson - visited some of the support structures available to vulnerable groups in Moldova, including refugees. She met with refugee women who work at a community centre supporting women and children, including refugees and unaccompanied children.

The UNHCR said, "In spite of being forced to flee their homes only last year, through their work, these refugee women have found hope away from home and are working together with the host community to offer support to the local Moldovan population."

Francesca Bonelli, the UNHCR Representative in Moldova, said after Kristin's visit, "Amidst the uncertainty of their situation, Ukrainian refugees serve as an inspiring example of resilience, while the Moldovan people, who opened their hearts and homes to refugees without hesitation, embody true solidarity."

"I am grateful to Kristin Davis for her visit and her role in giving voice to the refugees. With her support, more people will have the opportunity to witness the strength and spirit of unity of both Moldovans and refugees."

Since Putin's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, more than six million refugees from Ukraine have crossed borders into neighbouring countries and beyond.

More than 905,000 refugees and third-country nationals have crossed the border into Moldova, which amounts to nearly one for every three Moldovan citizens. While most refugees continued onward, around 117,000 refugees have chosen to stay in the country, most of whom are women and children.

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by Kazi Anwarul Masud

QUADRILATERAL TENSIONS AND INDIAS GLOBAL POLITICS





Tensions borne out of quadrilateral conflicts have once again pushed India to the forefront of global politics. WPR remarks that hosting the G-20 summit in New Delhi further cemented Indias centrality to global politics and multilateralism and caps a year in which PM Narendra Modi strengthened his and the countrys image abroad, including high-profile visits to the U.S. and France. But that strengthened image has obscured some of Indias flaws, starting with the illiberal slide the country has taken under Modi, whose brand of Hindu nationalism has accentuated divisions within the country. Similarly, the poorest Indians were largely hidden from view this weekend in an attempt to project a better image of New Delhi during the summit. The fact that the summit declaration addressed debt relief and climate financing for the Global Southtwo of Indias priorities during its G-20 presidencyhighlights the increasingly prominent role the Global Souths needs are playing in multilateralism as well as the degree to which multilateralism has increasingly become multipolar. But the amount of bandwidth expended in seeking consensus for the summit declaration on the war in Ukraine, as well as several side agreements clearly targeting China, underscored the degree to which the G-20 has shifted from being a platform for collective action to addressing global challenges to becoming an arena for geopolitical competition.





At a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit recently in Goa, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar gave Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari a "Namastey" in greeting. [Photo: Special Arrangement]

NARENDRA MODI WOOED BY JOE BIDEN





Finally, U.S. President Joe Bidens bilateral meeting with Modi in New Delhi and his ongoing visit to Hanoi highlight how states like India and Vietnam, among others, are continuing to boost their ties with the U.S. in unprecedented ways, largely due to concerns about Chinas regional ambitions. But even as they boost ties with Washington, those same states are not necessarily aligning with the U.S. in its competition with China and Russia, nor are they downgrading ties with Beijing and Moscow. Despite the fact that ASEAN nations have been economically close to China and have remained entwined with the Chinese economic web Richard Javed Heydarian of WPR in an article ( 11th September 2023) has remarked that The Roots of ASEANs Dysfunction it is hard to understand the mini-miracle that ASEAN represents. Born in the cauldron of the Cold War, what started as a diverse group of postcolonial nations managed to build an economic community, despite bitter territorial and maritime disputes between them. Moreover, in a region historically committed to non-interference in the internal affairs of its neighbors, the grouping has since evolved into a de facto security community.





The secret sauce of Southeast Asias regional integration was the adoption of an inclusive decision-making process among the founding membersThailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippineswhich were all led by authoritarian regimes in the mid-20th century. In particular, ASEAN adopted the principle of consensus, to ensure that no single member-state dominates the organization and that there is maximum consultation on all collective decisions. Against all odds, despite multiple superpowers jostling for influence in Southeast Asia, ASEAN proved unusually effective in its formative years. But in later decades, its major successes were mainly due to a cocktail of institutional flexibility and decisive leadership that, ironically, at times sidestepped the groupings central tenet of consensus.





CHINESE MUSCLE FLEXING EXPOSES FAULT LINES IN ASEAN





The South China Sea territorial disputes have exposed deep fault lines within ASEAN that have allowed China to veto any robust collective response effectively. Two historical episodes illustrate how ASEAN effectively embraced this minilateral decision-making led by particular member states, rather than insisting on unanimity. In the late 1990s, Indonesia and Malaysia played a critical role in coaxing Cambodias leadership to embrace more democratic politics as a precondition for membership. This explains why, in the face of Cambodias subsequent democratic backsliding, the countrys embattled progressive opposition leaders continue to look to ASEAN for respite today. Just a few years later, ASEAN was also pivotal in stabilizing East Timor after its years-long struggle for independence from Indonesia, Southeast Asias largest nation. Unsure of whether it could count on Jakartas cooperation, Thailand, then acting as ASEANs rotational chairman, called on member states to assist East Timors democratization without the need for consensus.





These exceptions to ASEANs commitment to the consensus had become necessary due to the groups rapid expansion in the 1990s when it hastily absorbed a host of war-torn, post-communist statessuch as Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnamwithout proper preparations. The result was a more inflexible, conservative turn in ASEANs decision-making process toward the absolute insistence on unanimity, in order to hold what had become a motley crew of disparate regimes together. It also didnt help that ASEANs founding generation of leaders were largely supplanted by unstable regimes and/or mediocre successors who lacked a deeper sense of regional unity.





FROM CENTRALITY TO PERIPHERALITY THE SAD STORY OF ASEAN





The sorry state of ASEAN has been on full display in recent years. To begin with, the regional body has been embarrassingly ineffectual in dealing with Myanmars horrific civil war. Because of ASEANs insistence on unanimity, the regional body has failed to agree on any decisive mechanism to hold the military junta in Naypyidaw to account for its escalating brutality against the pro-democracy armed opposition and ethnic militias. On the contrary, member states such as Thailand have continued to maintain robust economic and strategic ties with Myanmars regime, which has unleashed unfathomable violence on its own people since toppling the democratically elected government two years ago. In the words of former Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa, ASEAN has been at a loss over Myanmar, haplessly wavering over whether or not to expel the junta and engage with the opposition government-in-exile.





CHINESE POWER TO VETO SOUTH CHINA SEA TERRITORIAL DISPUTE





Meanwhile, the South China Sea territorial disputes have exposed deep fault lines within ASEAN that have allowed China to veto any robust collective response effectively. In particular, Cambodia, which deeply relies on Chinese largesse, has consistently sought to block even the discussion of the maritime disputes at ASEAN gatherings and publicly lambasted the Philippines for bringing an arbitration case against China over them in 2016. More recently, Cambodia also blocked proposals to hold all-ASEAN naval drills near the South China Sea. This largely explains why Chinas brazen harassment of Philippine vessels in recent months drew condemnation from a whole host of nations, including neutral powers such as India and South Korea, but not from ASEAN, which remained largely missing in action.





As expected, last weeks summit fell short of even slapping China on the wrist for its systematic harassment of the fishing fleets and oil exploration vessels of multiple Southeast Asian claimant states in the South China Sea. Even worse, Beijing got away with once again dragging its feet on negotiating a legally binding maritime Code of Conduct, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, to address the South China Sea disputes. To put things into perspective, as early as the 1980s, the Philippines had proposed such a legal regime following violent clashes between Vietnam and China in the Spratly Islands. A full generation later, China has only agreed to a draft of guidelines for such a Code of Conduct, with a vague promise to finalize the decades-old negotiations by the middle of this decade.





Frustrated by ASEANs inaction on Chinas behavior, key member states have embraced a range of unilateral strategies. For its part, the Philippines has been solidifying its defense ties with the U.S., in particular, and the West more broadly, while Indonesia and Vietnam have been ramping up their defense spending to keep Chinas naval ambitions in check. A better way forward, however, would be a return to multilateral diplomacy, in the form of issue-focused cooperation among like-minded regional states. As a start, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam could begin negotiating a maritime Code of Conduct among themselves based on the UNCLOS, while also seeking to resolve their own overlapping claims in the South China Sea based on the 2016 arbitral tribunals ruling in the case brought by the Philippines against China.





POINTS OF CONFLICT BETWEEN INDIA AND CHINA





There are many points of conflict between India and China. One of the main reasons for the current tensions is The Masood Azhar issue: Masood Azhar is the founder and leader of Jaish-e-Mohammed, an Islamic militant group that is highly active in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India has accused him of being behind several terrorist attacks on its soil and has sought to designate him as a global terrorist by the United Nations Security Council. members. The NSG issue: China has also been opposed to Indias entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), a group of 48 countries that control the export of nuclear materials and technology.





India, which is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, has been seeking membership in the NSG since 2008, with the support of the United States and other major powers. However, China argued that India does not meet the criteria for joining the NSG and has insisted on a two-step criteria for joining the NSG for India to sign NPT first. The Dalai Lama issue: Dalai Lama is the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, who fled from Tibet to India in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. He has been living in exile in India ever since and is regarded by China as a separatist leader who seeks to split Tibet from China. India, on the other hand, has granted him asylum and allowed him to carry out his religious and cultural activities. The border between China and India is disputed at multiple locations, especially along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which is a de facto boundary that separates the two countries in the Himalayan region.





LINE OF ACTUAL CONTROL BETWEEN INDIA AND CHINA





The LAC is not clearly demarcated, and both sides have different perceptions of where it lies. This leads to frequent incidents of transgressions and stand-offs between the Chinese and Indian troops, who patrol the border areas. The most recent and serious clash occurred on June 15th, 2020 in the Galwan Valley causing death to both Indian and Chinese soldiers. Additionally, both China and India have been competing to build infrastructure along the border areas, such as roads, bridges, airstrips, and military bases. These projects are aimed at improving the connectivity and mobility of their forces, as well as asserting their claims over the disputed territories.





However, they also increase the chances of confrontation and escalation between the two sides. Additionally, Chinese claim of the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of China in the land claim in a newly published map ahead of the G-20 summit has irked India. Indias Foreign Minister Jaishankar Subhramanyam also dismissed Chinas claim as Making absurd claims on Indias territory does not make it Chinas territory . If the US wants to retain its primacy in global politics China wants to claim its uncontested supremacy in Asia Pacific region. In August this year Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi informally spoke to Chinas President Xi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, where the premier highlighted New Delhis concerns about their unresolved border issues.





Indias foreign ministry said the two leaders agreed to intensify efforts to de-escalate tensions at the disputed border and bring home thousands of their troops deployed there. The disputed boundary has led to a three-year standoff between tens of thousands of Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Ladakh area. A clash three years ago in the region killed 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese. 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, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said after the two leaders meeting. Indian and Chinese military commanders had met earlier this month in an apparent effort to stabilize the situation. A border, dubbed the Line of Actual Control, separates Chinese and Indian-held territories from Ladakh in the west to Indias eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims in its entirety. India and China had fought a war over their border in 1962. China claims some 90,000 square kilometers (35,000 square miles) of territory in Indias northeast, including Arunachal Pradesh with its mainly Buddhist population. India says China occupies 38,000 square kilometers (15,000 square miles) of its territory in the Aksai Chin Plateau, which India considers part of Ladakh, where the current faceoff is happening.





BIRTH OF INDIA AND PAKISTAN





Conflict with Pakistan began with the differing interpretation of the two nations theory between Mohammed Ali Jinnah and Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Ballav Bhai Patel, and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Since no solution could be found India and Pakistan were born as two separate states. The Galwan episode convinced Indian foreign policy architects that dependence on China has to be reduced and promote free trade negotiations with the European Union and the United Kingdom, as well as the Resilient Supply Chain Initiative with Japan and Australia. These changes to its economic engagement with China have also been buttressed by Indias deepening strategic relationship with Western democracies.





For example, U.S.-India defense trade has grown from near zero in 2008 to over 20 billion USD in 2020. Most recently, Washington and New Delhi launched the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies to expand their strategic technology partnership and industrial defense cooperation. The two militaries have also regularized several exercises, which now bring together the navies of Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, collectively known as the Quad. As New Delhi has hardened on Beijing, it has deepened its relationship with the United States and other Indo-Pacific partners. This also comes at a time of growing economic challenges and mutual mistrust between India and China. Inevitably, New Delhis new foreign policy direction will clash with Chinese interests and could likely lead to new challenges for managing the border disputes in 2023.





CONCLUSION





It is the impression of the writer that given the undying enmity of Pakistan and Chinas aim to be the supremo in Global South India despite its desire to remain non-aligned would have no alternative but to join organizations like QUAD, a free trade negotiations with the European Union and the United Kingdom, as well as the Resilient Supply Chain Initiative with Japan and Australia. These changes to its economic engagement with China have also been buttressed by Indias deepening strategic relationship with Western democracies.





For example, U.S.-India defense trade has grown from near zero in 2008 to over 20 billion USD in 2020. Most recently, Washington and New Delhi launched the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies to expand their strategic technology partnership and industrial defense cooperation. The two militaries have also regularized several exercises which now bring together the navies of Australia, India, Japan and the United States, collectively known as the Quad. As New Delhi has hardened on Beijing, it has deepened its relationship with the United States and other Indo-Pacific partners. This also comes at a time of growing economic challenges and mutual mistrust between India and China. Inevitably, New Delhis new foreign policy direction will clash with Chinese interests and could likely lead to new challenges for managing the border disputes in 2023.





Kazi Anwarul Masud is a retired Bangladeshi diplomat. During his tenure, he worked in several countries as the ambassador of Bangladesh including Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea and Germany
Instagram Celebrity

The 'Get Him to the Greek' actor is quick to vehemently deny any wrongdoings following accusations that he raped, sexually assaulted, and emotionally abused multiple women.

Sep 17, 2023

AceShowbiz - Russell Brand released a furious denial of accusations of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse levelled at him by four women in a video monologue lasting nearly three minutes.

The under fire 48-year-old comic, dressed in a white vest under a flowery, open shirt, attacked the "mainstream media" in his 2 minute, 45 second denial and stated it was part of a "serious, concerted agenda" to control "spaces" such as his YouTube channel.

For the past several years, Russell has used his YouTube channel to address the "establishment," "mainstream media" and has given a talk show appearance in which he questioned how people profited during the Covid pandemic.

He added he had witnesses who could "directly" contradict the "narrative" he was part of - which he said left him feeling "attacked." Russell also promised to "look into this matter" as he considered it "very serious" - before urging his fans to "stay free."

His statement in full from a video he called "So This Is Happening" is as follows, "Now, this isn't the usual type of video we make on this channel where we critique, attack and undermine the news in all its corruption because in this story, I am the news."

"I've received two extremely disturbing letters or a letter and an email. One from a mainstream media TV company, one from a newspaper listing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, as well as some pretty stupid stuff like community festival should be stopped, that I shouldn't be able to attack mainstream media narratives on this channel."

"But amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks, often very serious allegations that I absolutely refute. These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies."

"And as I've written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous. Now, during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that."

"Then almost too transparent, and I'm being transparent about it now as well. And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question, is there another agenda at play?"

"Particularly when we've seen coordinated media attacks before, like with Joe Rogan, when he dared to take a medicine that the mainstream media didn't approve of, and we saw a spate of headlines from media outlets across the world using the same language."

"I'm aware that you guys have been saying in the comments for a while, 'Watch out, Russell. They're coming from you. You're getting too close to the truth. Russell Brand did not kill himself.' "

"I know that a year ago there was a spate of articles, 'Russell Brand's a conspiracy theorist, Russell Brand's right wing.' I'm aware of news media making phone calls, sending letters to people I know for ages and ages."

"It's being clear to me, or at least it feels to me like there's a serious and concerted agenda to control these kind of spaces and these kind of voices. And I mean, my voice along with your voice. I don't mind them using my books and my standout to talk about my promiscuous consensual conduct in the past."

"What I seriously refute are these very, very serious criminal allegations. Also, it's worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narrative that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently, in what seems to me to be a coordinated attack."

"Now, I don't want to get into this any further because of the serious nature of the allegations, but I feel like I'm being attacked and plainly they're working very closely together."

"We are obviously going to look into this matter because it's very, very serious. In the meantime, I want you to stay close, stay awake, but more important than any of that, if you can, please stay free."

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The Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA), with Dr Paul Watters of Cyberstronomy, have released a new report, Consumer Risks from Piracy in the Philippines, that once again highlights the possible dangers Filipino consumers face when accessing pirate sites.

The report found that Filipino consumers visiting pirate streaming sites are 21.66 times more likely to be infected with malware compared to mainstream sites (with a verifiable detection rate of 10%[1]). When visiting pirate torrent sites, Filipino consumers are 16.66 times more likely than mainstream sites to be infected with malware (with a verifiable infection rate of 18%). Those consumers impacted can be infected with some of the most serious malware types, such as trojan horses that could be used for lateral movement and remote access by sophisticated attackers.

The Consumer Risks from Piracy in the Philippines report builds off a 2022 report by Cyberstronomy, Time to Compromise, which looked at malware risks in Asia-Pacific and found that a typical user visiting a pirate site could be infected by ransomware, several trojan horses, and other Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs) within 42 seconds on a Windows machine and within 1 minute and 18 seconds on an Android device. The results of the 2022 report supported the hypothesis that there is a nexus between piracy and malware infections, where site operators generate significant revenue from allowing malicious ads to be placed on their sites. Malware can in turn gain access to consumer PCs and mobile devices, and all of the data held in storage, but also access to banking login details and other sensitive logins[2].

Matt Cheetham, General Manager of CAP, noted, Evidence continues to mount that far from being a victimless crime, piracy can victimize consumers. Cheetham also noted that it is more timely than ever that the site blocking legislation recently introduced into the Senate by Senators Estrada and Villar passes quickly. We look forward to the successful passage of site blocking legislation in the Senate that will allow the Philippines to both protect its consumers from online harm posed by pirate sites and grow its economy, said Cheetham.

Visit our Piracy page to access the full report. Available to AVIA members only. Click here for the infographic.
Gemini Edibles and Fats India Ltd (GEF India), the marketers and refiners of Freedom Healthy Cooking Oils, as a part of their efforts to promote sustainable and eco-friendly practices, will distribute 10,000 Eco-friendly Seed Ganesha Boxes. People are getting conscious about the vicissitudes of climate change and rapidly adopting sustainable religious celebrations by worshipping eco-friendly Ganesha, as the immersion of these idols have no debilitating effect on the water bodies. To encourage this Freedom Healthy Cooking Oils will distribute 7,000 Eco-friendly seed Ganesha boxes in Hyderabad & 3,000 Eco-friendly seed Ganesha boxes in Bangalore. Mr. Chetan Pimpalkhute, DGM Marketing, Freedom Healthy Cooking Oils along with the team flagged off vehicles to distribute the Eco-friendly seed Ganesha to the apartment complexes like Rainbow Vista (Phase 1&2), Malaysian Township, Aparna Sarovar, NCC Urban. Madhapur, Swanlake Apartment, Moosapet, Ridge towers, IDPL, My Home jewel, Indis one city KPHP, Satellite Township, Kompally, Satyanarayana enclave Chanda Nagar etc, in the city.

The culture of installing a Murthi of Lord Ganesha is a tradition and has been going on for years. The murthis are normally made of Clay or Plaster of Paris and also painted with commercial paints to give them a real to life look and charm. The problem is the materials and the finishing products going towards the preparation of the murthi are toxic and also not good for nature, as they may have a harmful effect on soil and water bodies. To keep the environmental impact of the Ganesh festival to a minimum, people have started having clay and soluble Ganesh Murthi with manure and plant-able seeds. Once immersed in the pot, the Ganesh idol grows into a plant, with the seeds available in the murthi. Freedom Healthy Cooking Oils  Green Ganesha initiative serves as a testament to their conscious endeavour to mitigate environmental harm without compromising on the festivities.

Speaking about the initiative Mr. P Chandra Shekhara Reddy, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Freedom Healthy Cooking Oils said, It is a part of our tradition to celebrate the Ganesh festival by placing the Murthi of Lord Ganesha in our homes. To help people celebrate the festival with traditional fervour and protect the environment, Freedom Healthy Cooking Oils has decided to distribute 10,000 eco-friendly Seed Ganesha Murthi. We have been distributing the eco-friendly seed Ganesha Murthis for 5 years. With the Green Ganesha initiative we give the people freedom to celebrate the festival with traditional fervour with a sustainable and eco-friendly way.
Ingka Group, the biggest IKEA retailer, has awarded its global ad account to McCann, as the company looks to streamline its agency operations.

After a thorough process, the advertising agency McCann with its base in Madrid, has been procured for the global assignment. According to reports the account will be run out of McCann Spain which already has a working relationship with IKEA.

It is the first time, IKEA has given its ad account to a single agency. With this, McCann will handle Ikea retail for the Ingka Group, which consists of 379 Ikea stores across 31 markets.

Licca Li, Acting Global Marketing Manager, Ingka Group said: As one of the most trusted brands in the world, we have the responsibility to show how we are leading from our vision and purpose; that we are siding with the many through our affordable range and actions we take as a company for people and the planet. I am excited to see how this shift gives us the opportunity to connect to more people with a stronger voice.

The Global Marketing team of Ingka Group is in lead of this transformational change, whilst the operating team is the Marketing team of IKEA Spain. McCann Spain was chosen after the collaboration between the IKEA Global Marketing team and the Marketing team at IKEA Spain. The new approach allows to secure simplified and impactful processes that supports creative quality, with the ambition to stronger position IKEA in all markets.

Gabriel Ladaria, IKEA, Spains Marketing Director, shares: We are very excited that McCann has been finally chosen as winner, with us as the operating team. It makes us proud and serves as an acknowledgment for the work that has been carried out for the IKEA brand in Spain for years now. It also comes with the responsibility to build up and strengthen the emotional connection with consumers from all Ingka Group countries in a solid and consistent way, while leaning on the strengths that have shaped how we communicate at IKEA Spain and positioned the IKEA brand as the benchmark it is today.

The new approach and partnership starts in September 2023, and the outcome of this plans are to be visible during spring 2024.

We are humbled and excited to be appointed as IKEAs first global brand marketing partner, says Daryl Lee, Global CEO, McCann Worldgroup and McCann and continues: IKEAs vision to create a better everyday life for the many people, based on universal truths, is perfectly aligned with our global philosophy of Truth Well Told. Our teams that collaborated around the world, brilliantly led by McCann Spain, cannot wait to launch an enduring brand platform that resonates globally and further builds IKEAs leadership position in every market.

In the region, IKEA retail stores are operated by Al Futtaim Group and Ghassan Ahmed Al Sulaiman Furnishing Co. Al-Futtaim group holds the franchise rights for the store in four countries: Egypt, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. In Saudi Arabia, IKEA stores are operated by Ghassan Ahmed Al Sulaiman Furnishing Co.

Fp7 McCann had also recently worked on IKEAs latest regional campaign, Bring on the Mess. In this, IKEA was seen accepting a challenge where people make messes and let IKEA provide them with their storage solutions.
The Sunday Guardian Foundation has constituted the Will of Steel Awards. The Ram Jethmalani Prize in Journalism, a distinguished jurist under the esteemed Will of Steel Awards, has been established on the 14th day of September to commemorate the birth centenary year of the illustrious Shri. Ram Jethmalani. This prestigious prize, recognizing outstanding contributions in journalism, reflects the spirit of democracy, public welfare, dissemination of information, and transparencyvalues championed by the legendary humanist who left an indelible mark on jurisprudence, governance, and democracy.

In a grand celebration of excellence in journalism, the inaugural winners of the Will of Steel Awards  Jethmalani Prize for Journalism have been announced.

The awards were presented by Arjun Ram Meghwal, Minister of Law and Justice of India, Mahesh Jethmalani, Rajya Sabha MP, and Kartikeya Sharma, Member of Rajya Sabha. The diverse categories highlight the various areas in which journalists contribute towards the betterment of society, making a profound impact on our nation's progress and the welfare of its citizens.

The first category, "Journalism in Service to Humanity," celebrates exceptional contributions that promote democracy, good governance, and unity among all citizens. The winner, Aditya Raj Kaul, Executive Editor of TV9 Network, received a Gold Medal and an Award Purse of Rs 14,00,000.

The second category, "Legal Journalism," recognizes effective mass media dissemination of accurate legal information in the public interest. The winner in this category was Bar & Bench, received a Copper Medal and an Award Purse of Rs 1,11,000.

The third category, "Empowerment," lauds initiatives that effectively promote gender empowerment and upliftment of tribal and marginalized groups. The winner, Hina Rohtaki, Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, received a Copper Medal and an Award Purse of Rs 1,11,000.
TikTok has incurred a hefty 345 million penalty for violating EU regulations related to the handling of children's personal data, which encompassed shortcomings in safeguarding the content of underage users from public visibility. The European Union asserted that the Chinese video platform had violated numerous GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) provisions.

The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has made its final decision on TikTok Technology Limited (TTL) after investigating its actions between July 31, 2020, and December 31, 2020. The inquiry focused on whether TTL followed privacy rules, specifically regarding child users on TikTok, including settings and age verification.

After the investigation, the DPC initially proposed that TTL had violated several GDPR rules. However, objections were raised by authorities in Italy and Berlin. Berlin sought to add a violation regarding the fairness principle, while Italy wanted to reverse TTL's compliance status with age verification rules.

Since consensus couldn't be reached, the DPC referred the objections to the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) for resolution. The EDPB made its decision on August 2, 2023. It directed the DPC to include a new violation related to fairness, as requested by Berlin, and to update the order for compliance, considering this new violation.

TTL is now required to make necessary changes within three months of receiving the DPC's decision notification and is also facing administrative fines totaling 345 million.
Indias most legendary storyteller Yash Raj Films (YRF) is coming together with the worlds leading streamer, Netflix to form a new multi-year creative partnership. The two iconic entertainers will collaborate to create films and series to bring defining stories to audiences in India and across the world.

The first project to come out of this partnership is the character-driver thriller, The Railway Men, a four-part series starring R. Madhavan, Kay Kay Menon, Divyendu Sharma and Babil Khan, which is directed by debutant director Shiv Rawail.

The second, Maharaj, is a film marking the debut of actor Junaid Khan and also stars Jaideep Ahlawat, Sharvari & Shalini Pandey. The film is directed by Siddharth P. Malhotra, whose last film Hichki was a global hit.

Monika Shergill, VP, Content, Netflix India, said, We are passionate about serving our broad audiences with series and films that they connect with and love, and we want to do more of this. Yash Raj Films have defined the essence of Indian film-making. They are one of the most respected storytellers in the industry. From Kabhi Kabhie to Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, War to Pathaan, their signature stories have been part of our lives and continue to fuel the zeitgeist. Together, we are confident that we can entertain the world with quality films and series like never before.

Akshaye Widhani, CEO, Yash Raj Films said, YRFs mission is to create entertaining, inspiring and extraordinary stories from India for the world. Netflix is the biggest streamer in the world and offers us an opportunity to tell our stories in over 190 countries. Their belief in the content-first approach, is noteworthy and synergistic with our ethos. This partnership will certainly push YRF as a storyteller to new audiences and allow them to consume Indian stories in their own languages too. India is a young and aspirational country. We have 1.4 billion stories to tell the world. We want to showcase our content, as well as provide a platform for our brilliant homegrown talent to a global audience.

Inspired by true stories, The Railway Men is a show based on the deadly gas leak in the central Indian city of Bhopal. A cloud of toxic gas escaped from a pesticide plant, on the night of 2nd December 1984, in the city of Bhopal that injured and claimed thousands of lives. This is the untold story of the unsung heroes, who rose to the occasion that night to save the city and its people. This is the story of their courage, their sense of duty and their humanity.

Also inspired by true events, Maharaj, is an incredible David vs Goliath story set in the 1800s, about how a regular man, journalist by profession, takes on a powerful role-model of society, hailed by many as a messiah for the masses. The fearless reporter uncovers a series of incidents that shake the very foundation of society.
Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Saturday that the partys top leaders will deliberate on evolving a strategy for upcoming assembly polls in five states in the Congress Working Committee that is scheduled today in Hyderabad. This is the first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee, the partys top decision-making body under Mallikarjun Kharges presidency.

Talking to reporters, Kharge said that Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi, would be present at the meeting. This is the first CWC meeting after I took charge as the party president. An extended working committee meeting will also take place tomorrow, where discussions related to the party will be conducted. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and all senior leaders will be present in the meeting to have discussions regarding the upcoming elections in 5 states and plan accordingly. Discussions on the alliance (INDIA) will be done in the next meeting with our partners in the alliance, Kharge said.

Kharge left for Hyderabad this morning to chair the meeting there. On Friday, while briefing mediapersons in Rangareddy, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said that the CWC will hold meetings over the next two days to strategize against the BJP, which he termed their principal enemy in politics.

Venugopal said, we will hold the first CWC (Congress Working Committee meeting) in Hyderabad in which the preparations for the upcoming elections will be discussed. We have invited 90 people, out of whom 84 will attend. He further said that an extended CWC meeting will also be held on September 17 and a public rally will be organized on the same day.

We invited 159 people and 149 people will attend the extended CWC meeting on September 17. We will organize a Vijayaberi public meeting  on the same day. On September 18, our leaders, apart from MPs, will go to all Assembly constituencies, he said. After the rally on the same evening, the Congress president will flag off the cavalcades of CWC members, PCC presidents, CLP leaders, and others to the 119 Assembly constituencies of Telangana.
The Hank Williams legend has endured, to say the least.

The Alabama-born country icon would have turned 100 years old on Saturday, and Montgomery will host a fitting celebration of one of its proudest sons.

The Hank Williams Museum will present the Hank Williams Centennial Birthday Celebration all weekend. The agenda includes live music from Leona & Ron Williams and Perley Curtis Band on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the museum, 118 Commerce St. On Sunday, you can see Gene Watson, Jason Petty and Zachariah Malachi & The Nashville Counts at 2 p.m. at the Davis Theatre (251 Montgomery St.). Learn more.

In the meantime, we wanted to help you better understand the legend of Hank Sr., father to country star Hank Williams Jr. and grandfather to Hank III. With the help of bios found at the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Hank Williams Museum, here are a few facts you might not know about The Hillbilly Shakespeare.

MORE: Hank Williams at 100: Tip your hat to the country icon by visiting these sites in Alabama

Hank Williams at 100: The country-music kings 10 best songs

Born in Bama

Williams was born in Mt. Olive, Ala. During his youth, he also lived in Greenville before his family settled down in Montgomery, Ala. His birth certificate actually says near Garland, Butler County, located 50 miles south of the Alabama capital.

His dads jobs

The Country Music Hall of Fame bio says his parents were probably strawberry farmers when he was born, but his father Lon later worked for logging companies around Georgiana in South Alabama.

Hes a Poet!

Well, yes hes a musical wordsmith, but Williams attended Sidney Lanier High School before dropping out of school at the age of 16. Their mascot: The Poets. Seems fitting!

His first name is...

He was born Hiram Williams before assuming the nickname Hank. He was actually named after Hiram I of the Bibles Book of Kings.

His first hit

According to the Hank Williams Museum, Move It on Over became his first single for MGM in 1947. It was an instant hit, climbing into the top five of the country charts.

Peak Hank

The greatest years of Williams legendary career came in 1950 and 1951, and he was one of the most successful touring acts in country music.

The Bennett bump

The country hall of fame notes that while songs like Honky Tonkin were often covered in the pop market, Tony Bennetts 1951 cover of Cold, Cold Heart gave him widespread fame as a songwriter.

His Opry debut

Williams performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville for the first time in 1949. He played an unprecedented six encores.

Thick songbook

Williams recorded 225 songs in five years during his career. Of those, he wrote 128 of the songs.

A marvelous tribute

More than 25,000 people attended his funeral on Jan. 4, 1953. He is buried at Oakwood Cemetery Annex in Montgomery.

An unstoppable legacy

Shortly after his death, Williams music continued to connect with the public including number one hits like Ill Never Get Out of This World Alive, Your Cheatin Heart, Kaw-Liga and Take These Chains From My Heart.

He won a Pulitzer

Williams was awarded a special posthumous Pulitzer Prize in 2010. The Pulitzer site says: For his craftsmanship as a songwriter who expressed universal feelings with poignant simplicity and played a pivotal role in transforming country music into a major musical and cultural force in American life.

Famous forever

In 1961, Williams was one of the first inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame, alongside Jimmie Rodgers and Fred Rose.

Loki played Hank Sr.

Actor Tom Hiddleston starred as Williams in the 2016 biopic I Saw the Light, which follows the musical career and personal life of the country legend. Fellow Marvel star Elizabeth Olsen starred as Audrey Sheppard Williams.

George Hamilton, too! (And nearly the King)

Nearly 50 years before Hiddleston took on the daunting role of portraying the legend on the big screen, George Hamilton played him in the 1964 film Your Cheatin Heart, co-starring Susan Oliver as Audrey Williams and Red Buttons as Shorty Younger. Cool tidbit: MGM originally considered Elvis Presley to play Williams as a follow-up to Jailhouse Rock, but his manager Col. Tom Parker declined.
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This is an opinion column.

Alabama governments rolled out more than a billion dollars in subsidies and incentives for a Thyssenkrupp Steel Plant in Mobile in 2007.

All for the promise of 2,000 jobs.

A lot of people thought it was worth it. Even if the subsidies amounted to some $536,500 per job.

Progress, right? The deals are outlined by the nonprofit Good Jobs First.

In 2018 state and local governments offered $900 million in incentives to lure a Toyota-Mazda plant to Huntsville.

It was a coup, and the plant promised 4,000 jobs. What a bargain at a mere $225,000 in incentives for each worker.

Never mind that it just gave free room and board to an international giant whose revenues that year were more than twice the total tax collected by the state of Alabama.

Thats how we roll.

I can go on.

A $429 million dollar incentive deal for Bayer Cropscience was projected to bring 180 jobs. Roll Tide.

Alabama governments offered a $234.6 million package for Hyundai to bring 2,000 jobs, a plum at only $117,300 per job.

A $158 million subsidy plan for Airbus promised 1,000 jobs, at a cost of only $158,500 per job.

Honda got a $158 million incentive deal, or $105,333 for every proposed job.

Alabama never minded giving away the farm for the promise of jobs, jobs, jobs. Its worth it, seemingly every politician says. Because jobs are everything. Until they are nothing at all.

On Friday, the home health care company Health at Home announced that it would exit Alabama permanently, leaving 785 Alabamians jobless. The company cited the states refusal to expand Medicaid as a key reason.

The current reimbursement and regulatory environment for Medicaid-funded home care has made it difficult to recruit, hire and retain workforce and we have not been able to overcome these challenges in the state of Alabama, a company spokeswoman told AL.coms Hannah Denham.

Alabama, a state that takes from the federal government more than twice what it pays in taxes, has refused to expand Medicaid on the basis of federal animus, obstinance, politics, complete disdain for the tens of thousands of Alabamians who need Medicaid for their very survival, and the excuse that it would cost too much.

Alabama continues to complain that expanding Medicaid is too expensive, so this year it turned down more than $2 billion in federal money  with a B  rather than spend about $225 million per year to expand coverage to 300,000 Alabamians who desperately need it.

This despite pleading by UAB, the states largest employer, and studies that have shown expanding Medicaid would not only fuel a boom in jobs, jobs, jobs, but help save struggling hospitals in the state, which in turn would save jobs and save lives.

On Friday, the same day Help at Home confirmed its departure from Alabama, Brookwood Baptist Health said it will close labor and delivery units in both Birmingham and Shelby County, the most recent cutbacks in healthcare across the state. At least 17 Alabama hospitals, not counting those closures, have shut their doors since 2010.

In a state that ranks in the bottom five in health.

In a state where helping people is condemned as welfare. But handing subsidies and incentives and cash to corporate behemoths is an investment.

This century alone, according to Good Jobs First, Alabama entered into 13 megadeals with corporate titans, offering $3.6 billion in concessions. That comes out to an average of $280 million per deal.

Politicians can claim expanding Medicaid is too costly, or a political statement, or a stand on some kind of manufactured principle.

What they are really saying is that they dont give a damn about Alabamians.

John Archibald is a two-time Pulitzer winner at AL.com.
As of now SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corporation) has over 5.000 Starlink satellites in orbit. The number was achieved with the August 26 use of a SpaceX Falcon 9 SLV (Satellite Launch Vehicle) carrying 22 Starlink satellites, raiding Starlink count to 5,005. Ultimately, SpaceX wants to have 30,000 Starlink satellites in orbit. This would provide the entire planet with low-cost, high-speed Internet access via a multiple-satellite ISP (Internet Service Provider) system. Users will need a small ground station consisting of a small satellite dish and a special modem, costing $600 with service costing $90 a month. In large quantities these stations cost about $100 each. Some nations will not allow their citizens to access Starlink while others seek to regulate what portions of the Internet users can access. This has been the experience of major competitors like ViaSat and HughesNet. When all the Starlink satellites are in orbit, Starlink will be the planets major provider of satellite Internet service. Starlink needs about ten million monthly fee paying customers to be profitable.

The original gen1 Starlink system was designed to expand to over 40,000 satellites if demand by paying customers was large enough to justify and pay for it. Starlink gen2 is designed to provide so much more customer bandwidth (data transmission) that far fewer Starlink satellites will be needed. That could be up to 90 percent less than gen1. Gen2 is designed to operate more efficiently over countries that outlaw Starlink as an ISP. Nearly half the Internet users on the planet live in countries that heavily censor Internet use. Starlink makes it much more difficult to censor Internet users. Originally designed to provide affordable high-speed Internet use to those in remote areas, Starlink discovered it had gained a lot of new customer interest because of its experience in Ukraine.

The gen2 satellites are described as nearly ten times more capable than the gen1 (original) Starlink satellites. Gen2 are designed to work with gen1 satellites and gradually replace them. Gen1 birds are designed to last for about seven years. At that point the satellite gradually loses altitude until it burns up reentering the atmosphere. The true capabilities of gen2 wont be known until some of them are in orbit. Gen1 satellites proved more effective than expected but the list of suggested improvements indicated that a larger gen2 satellite would be the way to go. Eventually this will mean fewer Starlink satellites in orbit but there will still be thousands of them.

The main function of Starlink is to provide cheaper, more powerful and globally available access to the Internet or any other communications network that can pay for the use of the Starlink network. That includes military users that are friendly to Starlink and not considered a threat. The threat nations include China, Russia and several smaller countries like Iran, North Korea and Cuba that are hostile to Internet access they cannot control. China estimates that Starlink is able to increase the speed and throughput of military communications over a hundred times what it is now.

Starlink is not the only multiple-satellite ISP system. There are similar efforts underway in several countries, including Russia and China. These efforts have fallen far behind Starlink in terms of numbers and capabilities. Starlink is unique in that it was the first to enter service and quickly proved it could do what it was designed to do. That included quickly adapting to the needs of military users. This was demonstrated in Ukraine where Starlink was activated over Ukraine days after Russia invaded in February 2022. The first of thousands of free user kits were delivered in less than a week. Currently there are over 100,000 user kits in Ukraine, most of them serving as small, local ISPs by adding an inexpensive router. As long as the Ukraine War continues, SpaceX and the U.S. government will pay for the service in Ukraine.

In 2022 SpaceX announced a new subsidiary called Starshield with enhanced versions of Starlink technology on larger earth-imaging satellites with sensors to provide whatever sensing capabilities a national security customer wants. This includes photos, real-time video and all manner of data which U.S. military-grade satellite sensors can collect. Potential users include the NSA, CIA and equivalent agencies of American allies.

While Starlink has achieved market dominance in space-based communications for personal and commercial users, that largely consists of high-speed Internet datalinks and inexpensive ground links that can be stationary or moving in a vehicle or ship. Starshield plans to do that same with classified data government agencies collect. Starshield satellites are designed to accept many types of capabilities provided by user-supplied modules designed for compatibility with the Starshield interface. Starshield data and control links use much more robust encryption. Starshield will use larger SpaceX SLVs (satellite launch vehicles) to put new Starshield satellites in orbit. Currently Russia is actively seeking ways to disrupt Starlink service. These attacks are nothing new, because government and military users of space-based communications systems have long worked on improving security.

Starshield is organized to take business away from commercial firms like Blacksky and Maxtar that already have billions of dollars in government contracts to provide persistent imaging, including real-time video, of specific areas on earth. The United States provides these specialized imaging services to Ukraine and that provides superior satellite data on Russian forces than what the Russians can provide to their own troops.

Ukrainians were impressed by the potential for Starlink and rapidly came up with new uses, some of them military. This gave Starlink a realistic test under very adverse conditions. So far this has been a success even though Russia, apparently with some help from China, is seeking ways to shut down or disrupt Starlink.

Another advantage of Starlink was the rapidity of upgrades or modifications to deal with problems, including Russian efforts to jam or disrupt performance in Ukraine. Not only were the Russians unable to disable Starlink, but found its encrypted signals far superior to communications Russian troops had to use in Ukraine. Worse for the Russians was the Ukrainian ability to rapidly integrate Starlink with Ukrainian communications and fire control systems.

Before Gen2 satellites were ready, SpaceX pointed out that it could put additional Starlink satellites into orbit faster and more cheaply than Russia or anyone else could destroy them. This capability was part of the Starlink design that not only allowed satellite and user software to be quickly updated, but new Starlink satellites often had new features added to improve performance and that included more resistance to hacking and jamming. Complaints that Starlink satellites would become so numerous that they would be a hazard for other satellites are unproven and even less likely once the gen2 satellites are operating. Starlink operates in LEO (low earth orbit) between 300 and 600 kilometers from earth, where there is already a lot of space junk too small to quickly fall back into the atmosphere and burn up. Any plans to destroy a lot of Starlink satellites would make the situation worse without shutting down Starlink services. If left alone the gen1 and gen2 Starlink satellites are designed to burn themselves up in the atmosphere when no longer operational.

China sees Starlink as a serious threat to its current government Internet censorship and control over the population, as well as the political reliability of its military. Thats no speculation because its already happening, often live on TV, in Ukraine. China has not yet come up with a workable plan to disrupt or destroy Starlink, and considers Starlink a major obstacle to China eventually becoming the most powerful military force on the planet. That was supposed to happen before 2050. With Starlink it may take longer.

Starshield also aims to provide users with a dominant position in space-based sensing. Starshield is meant to be cheaper and more responsive than any existing competitor in providing a wider array of earth sensing capabilities. SpaceX has not revealed the schedule for lifting Starshield satellites into orbit, and some may already be there testing the services Starshield will provide. Starshield activities will be less public than Starlink, which is how intelligence agencies like it.
Security video indicates Colorado Rep. Lauren Boeberts team was blowing smoke when they said the congresswoman wasnt vaping in the Denver theater that gave her the boot Sunday.

Boebert and a male friend were asked to leave the Buelle Theater during a performance of the Beetlejuice musical where witnesses said the right-wing representative was speaking loudly, waving her arms, vaping and being generally disruptive.

On social media platform X, Boebert admitted to laughing and singing too loud, but her staff denied she vaped  even after a pregnant theatergoer asked the 36-year-old lawmaker to put away the device, according to the Denver Post.

Denver station 9News obtained in-house video from the theater that seems to confirm Boebert was acting in a completely obnoxious fashion, which included puffing smoke and being dismissive toward a woman seated behind her who took issue with the Republican firebrands behavior.

She also appeared to take selfies with the flash on during the performance.

Boebert staffers said a fog machine was to blame for the smoke in the audience. Boebert was seen on video flipping off employees as she left.

Boebert joked on Twitter she would like to know how the show ended, though witnesses said she was familiar enough with Beetlejuice to sing along with the live performance.

2023 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A 20-year-old man was killed in a Friday-evening crash that injured four other people, including a 1-year-old.

Kevin M. Clements, a 20-year-old from Grant, died at Huntsville Hospital after the crash, according to state troopers. The crash happened about six miles east of Arab on Alabama 69 in Marshall County at about 5:30 p.m.

Clements was a passenger in a Nissan Cube that collided head-on with a GMC Sierra, said Senior Trooper Justin ONeal, a spokesman for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, in a press release. ONeal said Clements was not wearing a seat belt.

RELATED:

The 20-year-old driver and a 1-year-old passenger of the Cube, along with the 61-year-old driver and 60-year-old passenger of the Sierra were all taken to an area hospital for treatment.

Troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agencys (ALEA) Highway Patrol Division are continuing to investigate the incident.
A 38-year-old man was arrested in connection with the gun authorities say was found Thursday in a students backpack at a north Alabama elementary school.

Randy Keller, 38, of Cherokee, was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor stemming from the incident at Cherokee Elementary School, the Colbert County Sheriffs Office told WHNT on Friday. Keller was arrested on Thursday.

According to a statement Thursday from Colbert County Schools Superintendent Chris Hand, a firearm was found in the backpack of an elementary school student at Cherokee Elementary in Cherokee at the start of the school day.

The firearm was secured by a teacher, the school principal and the school resource officer, Hand said.

Both the school and Cherokee High School were placed in a state of heightened awareness which was later withdrawn. According to the school, at no time was it in lockdown.

The student involved in this incident, along with the weapon, have been removed from the campus and turned over to law enforcement officials, Hand said.

Colbert County Sheriff Eric Balentine said it appeared the student was unaware the gun was placed in the backpack.

To start his day he opened his backpack and discovered a firearm in which time he immediately notified his teacher, the sheriff said, according to WHNT. Our SRO took care of the weapon and made sure it was clear and safe. It was determined by my investigators that they feel that the parent was possibly responsible for the weapon being in the backpack.
There has been criticism of President Joe Bidens rambling performance at his Hanoi press conference and not just from partisan outlets. But there was also substance, both good and bad, in his remarks that indicate two important aspects of the administration. The use of diplomatic boilerplate to cover actions that speak louder than words, and the obvious differences in policy agendas within the executive branch which Biden merely repeats without being able to reconcile, giving the impression he is merely a placeholder and not the true leader.

Biden raised eyebrows with his claims about not wanting to contain or hurt China, and that Were all better off if China does well -- if China does well by the international rules. It grows the economy. It is clear that we (meaning not just America but the world) are worse off if the Beijing communist regime is doing well at expanding its power and influence given its aggressive nature. Its economy is what provides the means for it to expand its military and acquire strategic assets both at home and abroad. Biden was right to hope that Chinas current economic problems make an invasion of Taiwan less likely by reducing its capabilities.

Bidens trips to India and Vietnam were to strengthen alliances around the world to maintain stability which means containing Chinese expansion. A Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was declared with a former enemy in Hanoi. India has moved from nonalignment to active membership in the Quad with the U.S., Japan, and Australia, all building up their military strength to counter Beijings threats. The agreements signed in New Delhi stressed U.S.-India defense industry cooperation and the shifting of supply chains away from China (also mentioned in Vietnam). Yet, Biden claimed were not looking to decouple from China. What Im not going to do is Im not going to sell China material that would enhance their capacity to make more nuclear weapons, to engage in defense activities. Here, Biden is trying to straddle two competing interests; the national security concern of a rising hostile power that has been stealing as well as developing advanced weapons technology and business concerns which have foolishly hopped into bed with China for cheap labor and an illusionary mass market (which Beijing will never allow to be dominated by foreigners). The trips to China by secretaries Janet Yellen (Treasury) and Gina Raimondo (Commerce) have been to appease both Beijing and the Chamber of Commerce (who may donate to Bidens campaign to avoid a return to President Donald Trumps harder line).

Presidents since George H.W. Bush have tried to use trade to induce China to behave. There is Bushs infamous letter to Deng Xiaoping soon after the Chinese reformer had ordered the Tiananmen Square massacre. In it, Bush notes the clamor for stronger action remains intense. I have resisted that clamor making clear that I did not want to destroy the relationship you and I have worked hard to build. Bush vetoed economic sanctions passed by Congress. After the Korean crisis of 2010 which saw large naval exercises by China and Russia in support of Pyongyang and competing U.S. and allied demonstrations supporting Seoul, President Barack Obama told a group of Chinese and American business leaders meeting in Washington on the sideline of the U.S.-China summit that he counted on them to keep the peace. The joint statement at the end of that 2011 summit read The United States reiterated that it welcomes a strong, prosperous, and successful China that plays a greater role in world affairs. The policy behind this statement was the pivot of American power and focus from the Middle East to Asia.

President Trump broke this narrative. His 2017 National Security Strategy stated, These competitions [China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea] require the United States to rethink the policies of the past two decades -- policies based on the assumption that engagement with rivals and their inclusion in international institutions and global commerce would turn them into benign actors and trustworthy partners. For the most part, this premise turned out to be false. President Bidens security team has continued most of Trumps policies (except for Iran) without, of course, acknowledging doing so. But Biden seems to have lost control of other parts of his administration which are pursuing polices that undermine national security (and much more) as they promote their own anarchial agendas.

The business lobby has already been mentioned, but the Green lobby is even more dangerous. The contradiction in policy was painfully evident in Hanoi. Biden proclaimed a commitment to economic growth both at home and worldwide. If everybody in the world had a job they get up in the morning and wanted to go to and thought they -- and they could put three squares in the table for their family, no matter where they live, the whole world would be better off he said. Correct, but not the Green goal. And Biden quickly moved to their anti-growth ideology in the same presentation, blaming the climate crisis on the countries that cleared their land and put cattle on there and farming and -- and did all the things that -- and increased development, they, in fact, are the ones -- the reasons why -- the main reason why weve gotten as far down the road to disaster here as we have. This is Chinas argument, posturing as the leader of the developing world. The West must retreat economically so the rest can advance. The United Nations has based its agenda on this notion. China and India are todays largest emitters of greenhouse gases, but it is alleged emissions from burning fossil fuels over the past 150 years are responsible for the warming happening today. Over that period, the U.S. has cumulatively emitted the most of any country. So, development is bad, except for those non-western lands who still want to develop more.

The Greens constantly reference preindustrial times. It is the UN goal to keep temperatures from rising 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels (a target developing countries reject). The claim is human activity, rather than the natural cycle of heating and cooling seen throughout history, is the threat. The UN put out a list of activities that create climate change: it covers everything involved in modern civilization: power, manufacturing, transportation, food, and consuming too much. The issue is about ideology not science. This list reflects the Lefts long hate campaign against middle-class life and the capitalist system that spreads affluence throughout the population. In his long diatribe When Corporations Rule the World David Korten argued A life free from fashion fads, impulse buying, junk foods, useless gadgets, and the long hours of work required to buy them, is a life free from much of what alienates us from the life of community, family and nature. His book won praise from Ralph Nader, Klaus Schwab (World Economic Forum), and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, among others.

As I have argued at length before, the climate crisis solves the Lefts main problem in selling a socialism that cannot create a better material life. If growth is bad, then capitalism must be ended because it produces growth. Sustainable economies will have to be managed from the top to be fair in distributing what little is available. Yet, this left-wing argument has no appeal outside privileged western circles. Last years UN climate summit produced no commitment to end fossil fuels, not even coal, which is abundant and secure across the world. This years UN climate summit will do even less, being held in the oil kingdom of Dubai with an agenda that will require robust growth to provide for the 17 identified social goals (Climate Action was assigned unlucky #13).

It is these traditional pursuits of wealth and power that drive Great Power rivalry. They must be at the core of wise and responsible national policy but are not in an administration where confusion extends far beyond the White House.

William R. Hawkins is a former economics professor who served on the professional staff of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee. He has written widely on international economics and national security issues for both professional and popular publications.

Image: RawPixel.com
As the calendar turns to another school year in 2023, the education landscape is evolving rapidly, with technology playing an increasingly pivotal role in the learning process. Especially on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, and with the resurgence of new mutations, the possibility of remote education still playing a prevalent role going forward is certainly on the table.

While this digital transformation towards increased virtual learning has brought immense benefits, it has also opened the door to an increased threat of cyberattacks. And although the Biden administration has attempted to talk tough on making cybersecurity a higher priority matter, to put it simply, they have not done nearly enough, as already in 2023, 48 school districts have been hit by ransomware attacks, which is three more than in all of 2022.

As a result of these attacks, sensitive data that includes medical records, psychiatric evaluations, and sexual assault reports have been compromised. To ensure a safe and secure learning environment for the 2023-2024 school year, institutions, parents, and students must join forces to protect themselves from cyberthreats.

Over the past several years, our educational institutions had become prime targets for cybercriminals. Whether it's a K-12 school, a college campus, or a remote online learning platform, all have been susceptible to various forms of cyberattacks.

The consequences of a successful breach can be devastating, not only compromising sensitive student and staff data, but also disrupting the learning process itself. Therefore, it is imperative that schools take proactive measures to safeguard their digital infrastructure.

One obvious way schools can address this is by prioritizing cybersecurity education and training for both students and staff. Cybersecurity should be integrated into the curriculum earlier, especially as elementary school aged children are seemingly handling online devices at younger ages than ever before.

Similarly, teachers and administrative staff must receive regular training to stay updated on the latest cyberthreats and best practices for prevention and response. By empowering the entire school community with knowledge and awareness, America can create a culture of cybersecurity that acts as a strong defense at the local level.

Moreover, schools should invest in robust cybersecurity systems and protocols. This includes regularly updating and patching software, employing firewalls and intrusion detection systems, and implementing strong password policies. Encryption should be used to protect sensitive data, and access controls should be in place to ensure that only authorized individuals can access certain information. Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments are essential to identifying and addressing weaknesses in the system before cybercriminals exploit them.

Parents also play a crucial role in protecting their children from cyberthreats. In an era where students are increasingly using personal devices for remote learning, parents must take steps to secure these devices and educate their children about online safety. Here are some key steps parents can take:

Set clear boundaries: Establish rules for screen time and online activities. Ensure that children understand the importance of not sharing personal information online and the potential consequences of doing so.

Use parental control software: Install parental control software on devices to monitor and restrict access to certain websites and apps. These tools can help parents keep a close eye on their children's online activities.

Educate children: Talk to your children about the risks of cyberbullying, online predators, and email phishing scams. Encourage open communication so that they feel comfortable reporting any suspicious online behavior.

Secure devices: Ensure that all devices used for remote learning are kept up to date with the latest security patches and have strong, unique passwords. Teach children about the importance of strong passwords and two-factor authentication.

Lead by example: Be a positive role model for your children when it comes to online behavior. Show them how to use the internet responsibly and safely.

Students, too, have a responsibility to protect themselves from cyberthreats. In an era where digital literacy is as important as traditional literacy, students must take an active role in safeguarding their online presence. Here are some steps students can take:

Practice good password hygiene: Create strong, unique passwords for all online accounts and consider using a reputable password manager to keep track of them.

Beware of phishing: Be cautious of unsolicited emails, messages, or links from unknown sources. Verify the authenticity of messages before clicking on any links or sharing personal information.

Keep software updated: Regularly update the operating system and software on your devices to patch vulnerabilities that cybercriminals could exploit.

Secure your social media: Review and adjust privacy settings on social media accounts to limit what information is visible to the public. Avoid sharing personal information that could be used against you.

Report suspicious activity: If you encounter cyberbullying, harassment, or other forms of online threats, report them to a trusted adult or school authority. Reporting such incidents is crucial to stopping them and protecting others.

In conclusion, the 2023 school year brings with it unprecedented opportunities for learning and growth, but it also carries new challenges in the form of cyberthreats, both domestic and from overseas. To protect the future of education and ensure a safe and secure learning environment, schools, parents, and students must work together. Schools must invest in cybersecurity education and robust security systems, parents must educate and protect their children online, and students must become responsible digital citizens. Only by joining forces and taking proactive measures can we navigate the digital landscape safely and ensure that the pursuit of knowledge remains unimpeded by cyberthreats.

Julio Rivera is a business and political strategist, cybersecurity researcher, Editorial Director for Reactionary Times, and a political commentator and columnist. His writing, which is focused on cybersecurity and politics, has been published by many of the most respected news organizations in the world.

Image: Picryl
In 1977, the Likud Party, led by Menachem Begin, won Israel's parliamentary elections after 29 years of Labor Party rule in the country; Begin became prime minister. His political opponents called him a fascist, a hooligan, and a warmonger. He aroused violent hatred. But fascist and warmonger led to a full-fledged peace treaty with Egypt, signed on the front lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 26, 1979. Begin received the Nobel Prize for this peace, which has lasted 44 years.

After Begin came to power, the Labor Party, still recently ruling the country, accused the new prime minister of failing to lead the country and leading it to collapse. In 1977, in handing over the post of prime minister to Menachem Begin, his predecessor in office, Labors Yitzhak Rabin, named Iraqs nuclear preparations as one of the main strategic dangers threatening Israel. Encouraged by the reactor startup, in August 1980 Saddam Hussein made an unprecedentedly harsh speech threatening to wipe Tel Aviv off the map. In June 1981, on Begins orders, Israeli aircraft destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor, denying Saddam Hussein the ability to build a nuclear bomb. The reactor was severely damaged and deemed unrecoverable. Begin said at the time: We will in no way allow the enemy to develop weapons of mass destruction against the people of Israel. Many foreign governments, including the United States, denounced the military operation, and the U.N. Security Council unanimously passed a resolution of condemnation. The Israeli leftist opposition also criticized the act. The U.N., the U.S., and the Israeli opposition criticized Begin essentially for his defense of the citizens of the Jewish state against attempts to destroy it by an Iraqi dictator and aggressor.

Now, if the Israeli government, in self-defense against Irans continued promises to wipe Israel off the map, launches a pre-emptive attack on the countrys nuclear arsenal, the same players will condemn its actions. Despite the adage, The best defense is offense, all of little Israels preventive military actions have been consistently condemned.

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Judgment Day War, in which the attacker was not Israel but Arab countries, its important to remember how dangerous it is for the small territory of Israel to be attacked by enemies, and how important to the existence of that country are its preventive strikes against enemies who threaten to destroy it.

Jonathan Gruber, a well-known documentary filmmaker in the United States, who often made films on Jewish and Israeli themes as well as on the Holocaust, created the film Upheaval with the aim of exploring Begins image as fully as possible. As he got to know Begin more and more, Gruber came to realize that this politician:

[W]as shaped by the Holocaust, by European anti-Semitism, and by his experiences in World War II. And everything he did while in opposition or leading the country seemed to be based on his family's experience and the memory of six million murdered Jews.

Holocaust denial is a contagious pastime, turned against Jews as liars. However, due to the all too obvious failure of this version, few people use it. More credible is the comparison of Israelis to Nazis because of their policies toward Palestinian Arabs. When a people are comparable to the Nazis, all means are good against them. The main significance of this comparison is to gain legitimization to punish the guilty. Since the Israelis, a largely Jewish population, are now akin to Nazis, they are no longer victims, as they largely were during the Holocaust, but aggressors who caused the misfortunes of others, and therefore should be condemned and punished. This equating of Israelis with Nazis is the concoction of a blood libel. Previously, the Nazi monsters murdered Jews without guilt or right. Now, elevating Jews to the notoriety of the Third Reich may authorize extreme measures against Israelis on legal grounds.

But what is forbidden to others is permitted to Jews themselves. In connection with attempts at judicial reform in Israel, opposition protests have been accompanied by illegitimate insults calling conservative opponents Nazis. Like his predecessor Begin, Netanyahu has been honored with the title fascist. At one demonstration, a portrait of the current prime minister appeared with Adolf Hitlers autobiographical inscription, Mein Kampf.

Israelis do not have the privilege of devaluing the memory of Jews murdered in the Holocaust by calling each other Nazis. To employ cheap and accusatory attacks is to downplay the tragedy of European Jews in World War II, and Israelis have no right to insult the memory of their ancestors. Leftist Israelis label their countrymen Nazis to the amazement and satisfaction of anti-Semites; and they rejoice when they hear confirmation of their assertions. Such exclamations and insults of disputing Israelis embolden the anti-Semites, for through these Jewish wars they self-assert themselves as fighters for truth.

Why do some Israelis, easily forgetting the Holocaust, call each other Nazis? Perhaps these cases are manifestations of so-called auto-antisemitism or Jewish antisemitism, described by Theodor Lessing in 1930 in his book Jewish Self-Hatred. Lessing saw before him a well-known Austrian anti-Semite, Otto Weininger, a talented young Jewish philosopher who had published an anti-Semitic book, Sex and Character, in Vienna in 1903. Weiningers book contributed to a typically Viennese saying: anti-Semitism is not taken seriously until it is adopted by the Jews themselves. However, Jewish self-hatred before the establishment of the state of Israel was an attempt by Jews to escape the humiliation and hostility that caused them to deny their own identity. But Israelis are in their own country in which they are the ruling majority. Why do they display such intense self-loathing? Could it be that they too are drawn to their Jewish origins and belonging to Israel? Perhaps these Israelis want to look good in the eyes of the purveyors of progressive thinking propagated by mainstream media journalists and analysts, especially American ones, who often portray Israel in a negative light. They want to be comme il faut.

Recently, the Iranian authorities decided to capitalize on the desire of Israelis to insult each other by calling one another Nazis. The Israeli Security Agency (Shabak) published the results of an investigation following the appearance on social media of an edited photograph of Major General Yehuda Fuchs, commander of the Central Military District, in which he is depicted in a Nazi uniform against the background of the flag of the National Socialist Party of Germany, with a Hitler mustache. The report said that the account from which the picture was published is highly likely to be fictitious and operated from Iran. The Iranians have learned to find weaknesses in angry Israelis, exploit them, mislead their enemies, and cynically manipulate their habits to create chaos in Israel. The struggle for democracy is proceeding with an intensity that threatens Israels security. Will Israelis be smart enough not to follow the example of all their Arab neighbors and avoid the civil bloodshed that took place during the Arab Spring?

Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required.
The Dallas Independent School District (DISD), the second largest in Texas, has partnered for years with the North Texas Alliance to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy in Teens (NTARUPT), a radical sex group that has been known to promote gender mutilation.

Disguised as a curriculum to reduce skyrocketing teen pregnancy rates, NTARUPT has received funding from the federal government, the City of Dallas, and various private and public organizations. Grants from the Office of Population Affairs (OPA) through the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services have funded partnerships with Uplift Education, the largest charter school network in North Texas, and the University of Texas at Austins Steve Hicks School of Social Work.

In 2018, this writer reported that the City of Dallas voted overwhelmingly to spend $300,000 of taxpayer money to fund NTARUPT for one year. The companys website linked children to Planned Parenthood to murder babies in the womb while the Bedsider Blog that promised to heat up your weekends with sex tips. Students were introduced to sensual games they could play while putting condoms on their sex partners.

Since then the city government has continued to fund NTARUPT programs.

L ast year Healthy Futures of Texas (HFT) acquired NTARUPT and the Texas Campaign to Prevent to Teen Pregnancy (TCPTP) and launched the Texas Is Ready Coalition. The groups advocate against abstinence-only sex and parental opt-in, which is now required by law in Texas schools. DISD confirmed to the Dallas Express that it recently adopted an after-school program, Positive Prevention Plus, which is managed by NTARUPT.

According to Robyn Harris, the executive director of Dallas ISDs communications team, This is a voluntary after-school program for 9th graders that parents can choose to opt their teens into. It provides information on teen pregnancy prevention and healthy relationships.

However, HFTs website reveals that it offers far more than mere advice on pregnancy prevention and healthy relationships. The organizations website promotes the Resource Center, formerly the AIDS Resource Center, for LGBTQIA+, transgender hormone usage, surgeries, and other transgender services. The resource page links to another group, Sex,etc, which promoted National Masturbation Month for young adults and offers step-by-step instructions in the Condom Game. The website provides a Crash Course in Gender & Gender Identity, claiming that sex and gender are unrelated while promoting the use of transgender hormones and surgeries. As expected with the promotion of radical sex is information on abortion with an attack on the overturn of Roe v. Wade. The HFT resource Bedsider gives teens a list of resources for sex and birth-control methods and an abortion provider finder for clinics nationwide. Despite a recent Texas law which bans young children from drag queen events, HFTs resource center educates students about The Importance of Drag Queens.

Included in the HFTs educational curriculum is a Pride Guide to STIs, which instructs young teenagers on how to hide their breasts and other genitalia to look more like the opposite sex. Both chest-binding and tucking have been known to cause numerous health problems, including breathing difficulties, broken ribs, changes to the spine, damaged blood vessels, urinary tract infections, and digestive and neurological issues.

Funding for a radical sex curriculum, which promotes an unhealthy lifestyle associated with mental health issues and suicide, comes from both the federal government and high-profile local organizations.

According to Dallas Express, as part of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services gave $5.2 million of taxpayer money to HFT for FY2015-FY2020. Form 990 tax filing for 2021 shows strong local support among key institutions for HFT: $279,477 from Alamo Colleges, $100,000 from the Episcopal Health Foundation, $150,000 from Houston Endowment, $96,871 from Methodist Healthcare Ministries, $75,000 from the Rockwell Fund, $75,000 from the HEB Foundation, $100,000 from the Nancy Smith Hurd Foundation, and $250,361 from the Texas Foster Youth Initiative.

Its highly concerning that these prominent organizations are funding such a radical sex education curriculum and disregarding the spiritual and emotional damage on teens and their families.

The issue is not whether we need programs to prevent teen pregnancies but why the federal government supports LGBTQ programs while allegedly trying to solve the mental health consequences. As a solution to the teen mental health and suicide crisis, the federal government throws yet more taxpayer dollars after Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs that are a Trojan horse for interjecting radical sex education into the classroom. As planned, we have become a nation of America-hating, dumbed down, violent, mentally deranged activist youth.

Carole Hornsby Haynes, Ph.D. is an education policy and curriculum consultant. chaynes777@gmail.com

Image: Marco Versh Professioanl Photographer
Dove went woke 20 years ago, but it doubled down by hiring BLM and fat liberation activist Zyahna Bryant. Bryant made a name for herself in 2020 with her damaging, race-based attacks on Morgan Bettinger. For that reason, theres a growing Boycott against Dove. Bryants Dove video, however, is a useful insight into Americas societal collapse.

Dove, founded in 1957 in America but now part of the British brand, Unilever, grew on its promise that it wont dry your skin like ordinary soap will. This marked a change from pre-1957 soap products that still had their roots in lye. As the years passed, Dove lost its unique place in the market because most soaps today contain emollients that wont dry your skin. Dove was faced with a problem: It had to rebrand itself. It went for the woke.

In 2004, Dove decided to stop using obvious models to advertise its soaps and to start using models who aligned with real customers. Its Campaign for Real Beauty wasnt a bad idea. Indeed, it was a very good idea, first, because it won awards and, second, because it helped sales.

Heartened by the campaigns success, Dove went down the diversity pathway with mixed results. In 2011, it allegedly made the mistake of using a black woman in the before picture and a white woman in the after picture. In 2017, it created an ad that was meant to show that women of all races are Dove sisters under the skin but, instead, it managed to offend the usual suspects. Dove, of course, groveled.

Image: Zyahna Bryant. Twitter screen grab.

By now, Dove is aggressively woke. If you go to its about page, a rough count says that 85% of the women pictured are minorities. Its not just that, though. Dove has also hopped onto the gender diversity bandwagon: We care about all women, female-identifying and non-binary people. Dove, its not just for women anymore.

On the same page, Dove promotes its research into the real truth about beauty, explains that its taking on the world of gaming, talks about hair pride for black women (which really is an important issue in the black community), promises that its breaking down narrow beauty stereotypes, and so much more. The latest breakdown in beauty stereotypes came when Dove hired Zyahna Bryant, a fat liberation activist, to do an Instagram post to promote its product.

The fat acceptance or fat liberation movement is meant to make people who have excess avoirdupois feel comfortable in their own skin. The problem, of course, is that obesity is objectively unhealthy, so the fat liberation movement is like encouraging people to smoke cigarettes.

The movement has a racial component because Black women have problems with obesity, with disastrous effects on their health. If you urge them to lose weight, youre being racist. But if you celebrate their weight, youre killing them. For those who care about a healthy black community, its a lose-lose proposition.

Bryant has other baggage. During the height of the George Floyd BLM riots, this proud BLM activist attacked a University of Virginia college student whose academic career, life goals, and mental health were destroyed when UVA happily used Bryants statements to kick Morgan Bettinger off campus. Bettinger has sued UVA, and we can only hope her suit is as successful as the suit Gibson Baker filed against Oberlin.

No wonder, then, that theres a rising boycott against Dove because of its partnering with Bryant, just as there was against Bud Light for partnering with Dylan Mulvaney. Both companies have chosen as their public faces people who symbolize the attack on American norms and ordinary Americans.

And speaking of the attack on American norms, theres a fascinating nugget at the very beginning of Bryants Dove video:

Dove has gone completely woke. Meet fat liberation activist Zyahna Bryant, the new face of the company. She ruined the life of a white student, Morgan Bettinger, over a misheard remark. pic.twitter.com/DmXAnPOdGV  Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) September 14, 2023

Did you catch that? We should be center the voices and experiences of the most marginalized people and communities at all time. That means inverting the societal bell curve, which is a recipe for collapse.

This is what the normal societal bell curve looks like:

A healthy society doesnt discriminate against the outliers, but it doesnt centralize them either. It focuses on the well-being of the norm. However, what the left wants is to move the outliers to the center of society:

A society cannot function if all of its energies, laws, and resources are given to the margins, whether its encouraging women to be dangerously fat, attacking people on racial grounds, or relentlessly celebrating statistically deviant sexuality (e.g., at the White House, in classrooms, or with awareness days littering the calendar).

Putting aside Doves offensive obsession with race and aberrant genders, Im actually grateful for Byrants explicit statement about what leftists really want to do for our society: They want to turn it upside down, making it a minority-controlled nightmare for the majority of ordinary peoplepeople of all races, colors, creeds, etc.who are just trying to live their lives.

UPDATE: I was reminded of this 1931 video. You won't be seeing the likes of this again:
In an exclusive report, The Epoch Times writes:

An armed man was arrested by police at an event attended by Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Photos provided to The Epoch Times show the man, who was wearing a shirt with "EMS" on the back, being held in handcuffs by police officers outside the event venue in Los Angeles on Friday afternoon. Multiple police vehicles were at the scene.

As the candidate himself revealed on X, the potential assassin carried a United States Marshals badge:

I'm very grateful that alert and fast-acting protectors from Gavin de Becker and Associates (GDBA) spotted and detained an armed man who attempted to approach me at my Hispanic Heritage speech at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles tonight. The man, wearing two shoulder holsters with loaded pistols and spare ammunition magazines was carrying a U.S. Marshal badge on a lanyard and beltclip federal ID. He identified himself as a member of my security detail. Armed GDBA team members moved quickly to isolate and detain the man until LAPD arrived to make the arrest. I'm also grateful to LAPD for its rapid response. I'm still entertaining a hope that President Biden will allow me Secret Service protection. I am the first presidential candidate in history to whom the White House has denied a request for protection.

Im very grateful that alert and fast-acting protectors from Gavin de Becker and Associates (GDBA) spotted and detained an armed man who attempted to approach me at my Hispanic Heritage speech at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles tonight. The man, wearing two shoulder pic.twitter.com/vvJc0Gtk4o  Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) September 16, 2023

It is absolutely outrageous that the feds denied RFK Jr.'s request for protection last July. Via The Hill:

Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Friday that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) denied his request for Secret Service protection. "Since the assassination of my father in 1968, candidates for president are provided Secret Service protection. But not me," Kennedy said on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. "Our campaign's request included a 67-page report from the world's leading protection firm, detailing unique and well established security and safety risks aside from commonplace death threats," he added. The Secret Service is authorized to protect major presidential and vice presidential candidates and their spouses within 120 days of a general presidential election. The Homeland Security secretary, in consultation with an advisory committee of House and Senate leadership, determines which candidates are in that "major" category. The 2024 election, in which Kennedy is a candidate, is more than 460 days away. Reached for confirmation, the Secret Service referred The Hill to DHS, which did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of DHS, who has lied about the border being secure and has bungled his job, bears ultimate responsibility for denying protection. But in the wake of the Secret Service declaring that it could not determine who secreted cocaine in the world's most heavily monitored building, the White House, that agency has also lost credibility in its senior ranks.

RFK Jr.'s very name attracts assassins, and his father was killed not far from the site of the current incident. He is, by a wide margin, the leading announced opponent for President Biden's campaign, which makes him "major" by any reasonable understanding of the term.

It's almost as if assassination of an inconvenient opponent is okay with Team Biden.

A couple of weeks after being denied protection, campaign chairman Dennis Kucinich noted the rise of assassinations. He could have mentioned that a transformative former prime minister of Japan was also recently shot dead in a country where private ownership of handguns is virtually nonexistent.

Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio who recently promised to get rid of corruption and lock up the country's drug runners, was shot and killed at a political rally in Quito, the capital. Mr. Villavicencio, 59, was killed on Aug. 9, less than two weeks before a special presidential election. He was known for speaking out against drug gangs, and while he wasn't a front-runner, his death has caused increased concern about organized crime. "The killing of Mr. Villavicencio proves how volatile the political climate has become," Mr. Kucinich said in a press release sent to The Epoch Times. "Yesterday the FBI confronted a man who had threatened President Biden, an incident that led to the man being shot dead by government agents."

It is time now for Sec. Mayorkas to reverse the decision and provide protection for the president's leading intra-party opponent. To stay the current course invites other potential assassins. I am deeply concerned that the current polarization invites crazed individuals to attempt to change the course of history with a bullet.

Photo credit: X.
China willing to help advance global transition to green energy: vice premier

Xinhua) 10:28, September 16, 2023

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- China is ready to work with all other countries to establish partnerships for clean energy cooperation and accelerate the global transition towards green energy to respond to climate change and ensure energy security, said Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing Friday.

Zhang made the remarks while addressing the opening ceremony of the World Geothermal Congress 2023 in Beijing.

Zhang noted that the development of clean energy in China has maintained strong momentum in recent years. The country will continue to build up its capability to supply all types of clean energy, including geothermal energy, he said.

China will also increase the percentage of clean energy in overall energy consumption, spur innovation of green and low-carbon technologies, and establish an energy system that is clean, safe, and efficient, the vice premier said.

This year's World Geothermal Congress, China's first time hosting the event, is scheduled from Friday to Sunday with the theme "Clean Geothermal, Green Earth."

Over 1,400 guests from 54 countries attended this congress, hosted by the National Geothermal Energy Center and organized by the Sinopec Group. There will be a concurrent Geothermal Energy Development Technology and Equipment Exhibition featuring the largest venue and widest array of exhibits in the history of the event.

China has topped the world in terms of direct usage of thermal power. The country is capable of heating or cooling a total area of 1.33 billion square meters by the end of 2021, Guo Xusheng, head of the technical commission at the National Geothermal Energy Center, said at this year's event.

By 2025, China will expand the area with access to geothermal heating and cooling by 50 percent from the 2020 figure and double the installed capacity of geothermal power generation from the 2020 level.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie)
Iran continues to be the main threat for neighboring Iraq. There are many reasons for this, some of them quite ancient. For example, Iranians are largely members of the Shia branch of Islam. Only about ten percent of Moslems are Shia. Iranians are also ethnically different then their many Arab neighbors. The Iranians, or Persians, are Indo-Europeans who migrated from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf area thousands of years ago and have been dominating or fighting the indigenous Semites (mainly Arabs) ever since. Being Shia gives the Iranians one more reason to fight their Arab neighbors. The Kurds are a smaller Indo-European group that arrived in the region and did not lose their ethnic and linguistic characteristics. When Islam showed up, most Kurds pretended to convert and that is something else that rankles their Arab neighbors. While the Iranians are a persistent threat to Arabs, the Kurds are more of a curiosity or, at worst, an annoyance.

An example of this is the efforts by Iran to gain control of Iraq, which has a large Shia Arab majority. Iran is losing influence inside Iraq. This is mainly because Iran is ruled by a Shia religious dictatorship that condones aggressive interference in neighboring countries. Iraq has long been the main recipient of this meddling. Iran seeks more economic and political influence in Iraq. This is made easier by Iraqs internal problems, which are largely the result of rampant and persistent corruption. Historically, what is now known as Iraq was seen as the most corrupt region in the Middle East, if not the world.

According to international surveys of corruption, Iraq is no longer the most corrupt country in the world. For the last 30 years Transparency International has monitored corruption worldwide and reported their findings annually. The corruption is measured on a 1 (most corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt) scale. The nations with the worst score are currently Syria (score of 14), South Sudan (12) and Somalia (12). The least corrupt nations are currently Denmark and New Zealand, each with a score of 88. Iraq does better than you would expect with a corruption score of 23 in 2022, up from 21 in 2020, 20 in 2019, 17 in 2017-18 and 16 in 2013.

Iraqs reduction in corruption played a part in convincing a growing number of formerly pro-Iran Iraqis to change their minds about backing Iran. The current Iranian government has been an economic, diplomatic and military disaster for everyone in the area, not just Iranians. Few Iraqis want to emulate Iran and this now includes Iraqi members of pro-Iran militias. Initially Iran encouraged and maintained pro-Iran attitudes in Iraq by supplying Iraqi militiamen with weapons and regular cash payments. Growing economic problems inside Iran reduced the money available to pay the Iraqi militiamen enough to keep them loyal to Iran. The longer the Iraqi militiamen went unpaid, the less willing they were to serve Iranian interests. How much is left is questionable.

Iraqis were also put off by the brutality Iran used to suppress the hijab protests'' that began nearly a year ago and only began to diminish earlier this year because so many women were simply not wearing hijabs to cover their hair. There were too many of these women for the Iranian government to arrest or otherwise punish. The Iranian government has not given up on enforcing the use of hijabs and is seeking ways to force women to comply. A proposed new law would criminalize failure of women to wear hijabs but the government is unsure what impact trying to enforce such a law would have. Most women and many men oppose the hijab restrictions and consider these laws another reason to overthrow the religious dictatorship that has misruled Iran for decades

Iraqis see this Iranian obsession over the hijab as odd and scary because this is the sort of thing Iran would try to impose on Iraqis if it could. Iraq and Iran were long known as much less fanatic about this sort of thing than, say, the Saudis. That is changing in Saudi Arabia, as it already has in Iraq and, until recently, Iran.

September 12, 2023: In Baghdad, 18 policemen were sentenced to jail terms of up to three years for failing to stop Iraqi protestors from entering the Green Zone and attacking the Swedish Embassy. This was a protest against Swedes who had earlier burned pages from the Koran, the Islamic holy book that must be respected by believers and non-believers. This often causes problems between Moslem and Western nations. The Green Zone is a guarded and relatively safe place for Iraqi politicians and embassies. It is a nuisance for most Baghdad residents. The zone did not exist twenty years ago. The zone was built by coalition forces after 2003 as a well-protected area in downtown Baghdad. The Zone was turned over to Iraqi soldiers and police a year before the last foreign troops left in 2011. Iraqi politicians and their families moved in along with some government agencies that required heavy security. Embassies remained as well. Iraq handled the security and did a good job. Before that it was handled by American troops and American security contractors. This ten square kilometer (four square mile) sanctuary in downtown Iraq was long a safe refuge for Americans and senior Iraqis. Most Baghdad residents wanted the Green Zone, and the way it disrupted major traffic patterns, eliminated after the Americans left. But rich and powerful Iraqis wanted to live in the Green Zone, as protection from criminals and terrorists, both of whom murder, kidnap, and rob the rich. The Green Zone lives on, under Iraqi management. But the Green Zone also became the target of increasingly frequent and well-attended demonstrations protesting the inept and corrupt government.

September 10, 2023: Turkey has resumed the use of armed UAVs and helicopters to attack PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) forces in northern Iraq. The PKK is a Turkish Kurd separatist group that regularly takes refuge in northern Iraq to avoid Turkish attacks. The Iraqi government, as well as the local Kurdish government protest these Turkish intrusions but do not try to stop the Turks nor do they actively resist the PKK intrusion. Iraq ignores Turkish requests that Iraq declare the PKK terrorists.

September 3, 2023: In the north (Kirkuk) Iran-backed militias fought with Kurds. Iran wants to prevent the autonomous Iraqi Kurds from gaining control of Kirkuk. There are two separate armed Kurd factions defending the Kurdish north and the factions are often rivals. This limits the Kurdish ability to halt Iranian operations in Iraq.

September 2, 2023: In the north (Kirkuk) ethnic violence between Kurds and Arabs left three Kurds dead from gunshot wounds. Kirkuk is the home of Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen. The largest non-Kurd group in Kirkuk are Turkmen, Turks from Turkmenistan in Central Asia not Turkey. The Turkmen are not united and are divided by politics, although most favor alliance with the Kurds. Turkmen also divided by religion with some being Sunni, Shia or Catholic. The inability of the Turkmen to unite is exploited by the Shia Arab government in Baghdad as well as Iran. Most of the non-Kurds in Kirkuk province would rather be ruled by the more efficient and less corrupt Kurdish government of the north than the Arab dominated national government.

August 28, 2023: In the north (Erbil, the capital of the Kurdish north) a French commando was killed while working with Iraqi forces against Islamic terrorists in the area. That makes three French soldiers killed in the last week. There are 600 French soldiers in Iraq to train Iraqi forces and that often includes the French soldiers accompanying the Iraqis on operations against ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) forces in the area. European as well as American forces are in Iraq to provide training. This effort has, over the past two years, reduced but not eliminated the ISIL presence in the area. ISIL is active across the border in Syria as well.

August 24, 2023: In the Kurdish north, two Turkish UAVs used missiles to kill seven PKK members who were using northern Iraq as a base.

August 11, 2023: In the Kurdish north, Turkish UAVs attacked several PKK targets today and yesterday. The attacks killed 19 PKK gunmen. This was in retaliation for earlier PKK attacks that killed six Turkish soldiers.
A federal appeals judge is letting Texas keep those buoys for the time being. He has Governor Greg Abbott doing his best Texas version of Maurice Williams's "Stay ah just a bit longer." This is the story:

In issuing a preliminary injunction to remove the barrier, Ezra wrote, "Governor Abbott announced that he was not 'asking for permission' for Operation Lone Star, the anti-immigration program under which Texas constructed the floating barrier. Unfortunately for Texas, permission is exactly what federal law requires before installing obstructions in the nation's navigable waters." The New Orleans-based federal appeals court granted the state's request to halt the temporary injunction, but did not provide further details. A hearing date has not been set yet. The 1,000-foot-long string of buoys, separated by serrated saw blades and supporting a submerged mesh net, has floated in the middle of the river next to Eagle Pass since July, sparking protests from the Mexican government and migrant advocates alike.

The story is not over, but I do think this is a short-term victory for Texas. It will allow Texas to make the case in appeal that the Biden administration's border negligence left no other choice than to stop the human traffic.

Perhaps Texas will lose in the end. The courts may end up agreeing with Judge Ezra that a state cannot do this. On the other hand, the court could issue an opinion that a state has the right to protect itself from federal irresponsibility.

As a Texas resident, but more importantly a U.S. citizen, I'd like to see the federal courts tackle this issue. The border chaos is not only a humanitarian crisis, as we saw in a recent U.N. report, but an economic mess, as the mayor of New York City can tell you.

So the buoys can stay just a little bit longer.

PS: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.

Image: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service.
Jamelle Bouie's "Republicans Don't Mind the Constitution. It's Democracy They Don't Like" should win the New York Times' op-ed columnist an "Excellence in Demagoguery through Equivocal Language" award. How does he manage that? Let me explain.

Bouie distinguishes between the "Constitution" and "values." This dichotomy is sometimes cast as the difference between the "original Constitution" and the "living Constitution." The latter is understood as whatever liberals want at a given moment in time and decide to read into the Constitution. That tactic, as Harvard professor Mary Ann Glendon pointed out, generated the bogus approach of "rights talk" (of which Roe v. Wade was the consummate example): the elimination of democratic debate because policy issues were constitutionalized, turned into ersatz "rights" that were removed from policy fora.

Dobbs began to roll back the excesses of "rights talk," a trend this Supreme Court is likely to foster. So resort to the "living Constitution" approach to ensconce liberal policy as constitutional obligation is rarer.

Our author doesn't resort even to that tactic, because there's something even more invidious going on here: the delegitimization of the Constitution itself. Whereas, once upon a time, we could try to summon the hidden "living Constitution" from the dry parchment of the written document, the left's latest tactic is to see the Constitution itself not so much part of the solution as the problem. Opposition to the Electoral College has morphed into opposition to the Senate (how dare those 500,000 Wyoming deplorables outvote 40 million Californians?) and the "illegitimacy" of the Supreme Court (now that it can't be counted on to impose the "living Constitution").

But, in the end, all those aberrations are grounded in the Constitution itself. The Bouies of the world have just pointed out that problem before the rest of the left has.

The Constitution is another privileged document, the product of dead white North American males who entertained preposterous ideas such as a constitution or law is what is written down on paper, neither less nor more. (Tell that to members of Congress who think their contract with ratifying states that the Equal Rights Amendment either become law or die in seven years is infinitely malleable by a simple majority, or that what "sex" meant in the text of that amendment in 1972 is binding on today's infinitely expanding gender polyhedron.)

No, for the Bouies of the world, there is the Constitution and "values." "Part of the long fight to expand the scope of American democracy has been an ideological struggle to align the Constitution with values that the constitutional system doesn't necessarily need to function."

Most people would call that "policy-making" and the process by which it is adopted "politics." Once upon a time, people would also know that the policy-making process is constrained by the Constitution's explicit text.

Not today.

For Bouie, those "values" are paramount: "We the People" did not "ordain and establish this Constitution." We (not sure who besides Jamelle Bouie and the New York Times editorial page) adopted these undefined values.

Once, we tried to smuggle those undefined values, emerging from the gaseous penumbrae of liberal nebulae, into the Constitution through "substantive due process." Since that project now appears dead, we need to give those values a standing of their own. And to measure the Constitution against them.

At different points in time, political systems of various levels of participation and popular legitimacy (or lack thereof) have existed comfortably under [the Constitution's] roof. ... [W]e're beginning to see ... that our constitutional system doesnt necessarily need democracy, as we understand it, to actually work [emphasis added].

Not sure who Bouie's "we" is. I assume he thinks it's "we, the people," though, in reality, it's "we, the people who agree with Jamelle Bouie and his constitutional interpretations." And if the Constitution doesn't happen to guarantee the outcome we deem "democratic," well...then perhaps we need to question the Constitution.

This from self-proclaimed "defenders of democracy" and self-anointed advocates of the "rule of law."

Perhaps we might finally be as honest as the child who pointed out that these emperors are buck naked in their naked power-grabs. They're arguably the "insurrectionists" whose undermining of constitutional order is deeply corrosive if less apparent.

Because they aren't getting their way. How "undemocratic"!

John Grondelski (Ph.D., Fordham) was former associate dean of the School of Theology, Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey. All views herein are exclusively his.

Image: Josh Hallett.
It's astonishing how similar Italy and its problem with illegal migrants rolling in from its south is to Texas with all its problems with incoming illegals. Douglas Murray at the New York Post, wrote a fine piece yesterday about how it looks from the ground there.

Now, Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, is looking to take some Gov. Greg Abbott-type action.

Yesterday she issued a vow to the European Union to take "extraordinary measures" if the EU doesn't blockade the migrant boats which are currently flooding the Italian island of Lampedusa, situated halfway between Sicily and the Tunisian coast in the Mediterranean. Some 7,000 illegal migrants have rolled in, which is more than the permanent population of Lampedusa itself. She's furious, and suggested that if the European Union doesn't bother to enforce immigration law with a joint naval blockade of its own, then she's sending in the Italian navy to take care of the matter.

Here's her address which (unfortunately for us), is only in Italian:

Lavoriamo ogni giorno per mantenere gli impegni che abbiamo sottoscritto con voi, in ogni ambito, a partire dal ripristino della legalita e nel contrasto allimmigrazione illegale. pic.twitter.com/taHCjmNapy  Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) September 15, 2023

The gist of it is getting around, though:

BREAKING:



Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Lampedusa tomorrow

together with Giorgia Meloni.



Meloni stated yesterday that unless von der Leyen travels to Lampedusa and the EU launches a naval action in the Mediterranean Sea, Italy will introduce its own naval blockade. pic.twitter.com/ygP6XIsJmZ  Visegrad 24 (@visegrad24) September 16, 2023

Which makes sense. Italy is a sovereign nation and has every right to defend its sovereign borders, EU or no EU. The European Union can legislate all its likes around its own affairs, but with Italy threatened with an invasion from a non-EU country, it's within its rights to take action, although the EU doesn't see it that way.

Still, EU President Ursula von den Leyen has quickly responded, saying she would come to the border, or rather, island, presumably to placate Meloni. Based on what we've seen of her in Ukraine, she likes disaster tourism done in first-class comfort, and is a fan of stern warnings. She's on the same page as Joe Biden.

Not only does Italy parallel Texas geographically, situated at the southern center of the European continent, just as Texas is with rest of the United States to its north, it's also the intake point for millions of illegal migrants, who, like those coming into Texas, are directed and enabled by criminal cartels in nations to the south of it -- Tunisia rather than Mexico. And like Texas, Italy is dealing with an indifferent central socialist government it supposedly must answer to as a member of the European Union, which of course doesn't care in the least if Italy is overrun by low-value migrants with few skills, no education, low social capital, a ravenous appetite for welfare services, and no intention of assimilating.

That's Italy's problem, let them deal with it. Germany has already told Italy to not send them there.

What triggered the migrant surge was a deal the European Union brokered with Tunisia to keep the boats at home and the cartels at bay, in exchange for a hundred million dollars. The EU check has not been sent, so the migrant boats are flowing again to Italy, which is paying a heck of a lot more than a hundred million to take in the illegal migrants and find some place to take them if they can.

And the migrants are behaving like this:

R.I.P. Lampedusa, Italy. Once a quaint little island with 6,000 residents.



This is the result of the greatest betrayal in history. Our grandchildren will hate us.pic.twitter.com/ihpo7bTQ8s  End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 14, 2023

Lampedusa was an idyllic Italian island with approx 6,000 residents until this week 7,000 fighting aged, male, African illegal immigrants in over 100 boats stormed the island in a single day.



This CANNOT be described as anything other than an invasion. pic.twitter.com/40GZRuxF4l  Jayda Fransen (@JaydaBF) September 14, 2023

...fleeing war and torture, as the EU propaganda and mainstream media says. (I see a lot of flaming sarcasm from the Italian and some other European posters of these videos)

Continuano senza sosta gli sbarchi a #Lampedusa di #migranti che scappano dalla fame, dalla guerra e dalle torture. pic.twitter.com/BOL2udNt64  Francesca Totolo (@fratotolo2) September 16, 2023

Lampedusa was once a quaint island with 6,000 Italian residents.



Yesterday over 8,000 illegals stormed the island after arriving on fleets of boats.



This is what the island looks like now:pic.twitter.com/bV34xz5GR0  End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) September 13, 2023

Italy has called a 6 month State of Emergency as the George Soros led invasion escalates



The Sicilian island of Lampedusa saw more than 5,000 male immigrants arrive in 36 hours.



Soros wanted compensation for Italy to house his illegal immigrants so Giorgia Meloni could pic.twitter.com/4Pcf9fnwJZ  UK Justice Forum  Latest Video News Updates! (@Justice_forum) September 14, 2023

Tensions rise on Italy's Lampedusa island  as migrants demand food and housing



pic.twitter.com/dCxkvnKsk3  Clown World   (@ClownWorld_) September 14, 2023

More brain surgeons and scientists on their way to #Lampedusa pic.twitter.com/qOiwmuHtqD  Paul Golding (@GoldingBF) September 15, 2023

Thousands more boat migrants showed up in Lampedusa, Italy today. The situation has officially gotten out of hand. pic.twitter.com/zmlJZFsx4L  Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) September 15, 2023

Lampedusa, Italy...



A military-age illegal who just invaded Italy celebrates by putting his hands on a volunteer's buttocks.



Are authorities going to act shocked and outraged when he rapes a woman tonight!?



When will these open-border left-wing women wake-up? pic.twitter.com/yDsEXVtro8  Amy Mek (@AmyMek) September 14, 2023

German and French tourists on the island who will return to their homelands have been seen dancing with the migrants:

Tourists in Lampedusa celebrating and dancing with migrants who have recently arrived on the island.



pic.twitter.com/UjXW45LxRL  Clown World   (@ClownWorld_) September 15, 2023

The press reported that it was a kumbaya moment for everyone, but the Italian sources I have seen on Twitter say it was tourists, not Italians out dancing, and well, they do look like pasty German tourists.

As for the Italian citizens of Lampedusa, who are overrun with literally more migrants than the island's permanent population, they are angry and protesting -- much the same way the border towns of the Texas have swung red and shifted their voting patterns in protest.

La gente esta furiosa en Lampedusa! Estan hartos de la invasion que estan sufriendo por culpa de las politicas de la UE y que estan provocado este CAOS.



Donde esta bloqueo naval que prometio Meloni? Ha traicionado a sus votantes... y al resto de sus seguidores europeos? pic.twitter.com/0kvmwxEQ5c  Bakalaofresco  (@bakalaofresco) September 16, 2023

Italian residents in Lampedusa have had enough of the migrant situation



pic.twitter.com/W9gmZc6tef  Clown World   (@ClownWorld_) September 16, 2023

Listen to them: They sound like real Italians.

Now Meloni vows to take matters into Italy's hands if she can't get results from Europe. She ought to pull out entirely from the EU but that may not be practical now. Given the EU's indifference to enforcing its own payoffs to countries like Tunisia, why should she defer to the EU on a naval blockade? They'll just treat her the way they treated Tunisia.

For that, she's calling to take matters into her own state's hands. She ought to do it, not just to protect Italy, but to teach the EU a lesson. If she takes Italy out of the EU bloc, she ought to forge an alliance with the Brexited-U.K., and ... Gov. Abbott of Texas.

Image: Twitter screen shot
Google is coming up on its fourth day in court with the DOJ over antitrust allegations in the departments recently filed lawsuit, and it claims that the departments lead lawyer, Jonathan Kanter, is biased against the company.

But the judge whos overseeing the case, U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema, isnt biting. Brinkema essentially rejected Googles claim. Calling it a red herring defense and saying Google needs to focus on whether or not its ads platforms is anti-competitive. Googles most recent method for defense follows along with its beliefs that the case is without merit. In the past Google said the lawsuit was deeply flawed.

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And it seems Google claiming DOJ lawyer Jonathan Kanter is biased is part of that argument. In its Thursday hearing, it was revealed that Google allegedly tried to hide evidence of its antitrust violations. Evidence presented by Kenneth Dintzer alleged Google also trained employees to avoid the use of certain words and phrases that make them sound like monopolists. In attempts to obscure any proof that Google was operating an illegal monopoly. It was also alleged that Google had commonly told employees to use its internal chat tool with history off.

Google failed to provide documents to the DOJ

Google having its claims rejected that the DOJ is biased isnt the only new development from the most recent hearing. Brinkema also notes that Google seems to have failed to provide millions of documents to the court regarding this case. According to Brinkema, Google needs to get the case more focused.

As Google was well past the deadline in handing the documents over. Remarks from Brinkema lead to potentially further challenges for Google as the case continues. The case is expected to last around 10 or so weeks. But its entirely possible that it could end up being shorter or longer. Regardless of the length of the case Google is most certainly facing some difficulties.
(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 16 - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni are set to visit Lampedusa on Sunday after the latter invited the former come and see scale of the migrant emergency for herself.

EC spokesman Eric Mamer confirmed via X on Saturday that von der Leyen would be in Lampedusa, Italy's southernmost tip, the following day.

Meloni said in a video message on Friday that Italy is under "unsustainable pressure" due to the large number of migrant boats arriving at Lampedusa from North Africa.

Around 127,000 migrants have entered Italy so far this year, approximately twice as many as in the same period in 2022.

The premier said her government will pass extraordinary measures to deal with the emergency at a cabinet meeting on Monday, She added that she had written to European Council President Charles Michel asking for the issue of migrants to be on the agenda of the October EU summit, saying that she would request a European mission to stop migrant boats departing.

She said the length of time people can be kept at CRP centres for those who entered Italy illegally and are awaiting repatriation will be extended to up to 18 months as part of the new measures.

She said the maximum time that asylum seekers can be kept at reception centres will remain at 12 months.

Meloni also announced that the defence ministry would set up new reception centres for migrants.

French President Emmanuel Macron will speak to Meloni about the issue of migrants, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne told Bfm TV on Saturday.

"The time has come for solidarity with Italy, but also for the EU to mobilize,' Borne said.

A three-way videoconference on the migrant crisis in Lampedusa took place on Saturday afternoon involving the interior ministers of Italy, France and Germany, Matteo Piantedosi, Gerald Darmanin and Nancy Faeser, along with Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson, sources in Darmanin's entourage said.

DPA, meanwhile, reported that Faeser has announced that Germany is reactivating the voluntary solidarity mechanism established at the EU level in 2022 under which it receives asylum seekers from Italy.

This week Berlin suspended the mechanism and said it would only resume when Germany can once again transfer asylum seekers arriving on its territory back to Italy on the basis of the Dublin Regulation mandating that asylum applications be processed in the country of first entry.

On Friday Faeser said the mechanism had been suspended because "Italy has shown no willingness to take people back through the Dublin procedure", but she immediately added that: "now, of course, it is clear that we also fulfill our obligation of solidarity", DPA reported.

Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Saturday called for the United Nations and NATO to be involved in efforts to halt the flow of migrants from North Africa to Italy.

"Maybe even Europe is not sufficient to address the migrant question, given what is happening in Africa," Tajani said in a telephone link to a regional meeting of his Forza Italia (FI) party in Naples.

"Strong action on the international level is needed.

"NATO, the United States and the UN must be more present and they must be part of the solution".

Around 100 residents of Lampedusa, including Deputy Mayor Attilio Lucia of the League party, on Saturday halted traffic towards the town hall in protest over a rumour that a tent camp for migrants was being set up at the former Loran military base on the island.

Agrigento Police Chief Emanuele Ricifari said there was no truth in the rumour.

There was also tension at the island's migrant hotspot as people there protested at long waits to be transferred off the island.

A baby died on a migrant boat overnight close to Lampedusa, sources said on Saturday.

The baby died shortly after his mother gave birth to him on the boat, the sources said.

The boat was rescued by a port authority vessel and the baby's body was put in a while coffin and taken to the island's cemetery.

Another baby, a five-month-old boy, died on a migrant boat headed to Lampedusa earlier this week.

"Tragically, I'm not surprised," said Matteo Maria Zuppi, the president of Italian bishops conference CEI.

"It's a tragedy. Little ones and grown-ups are losing their lives. "There's a debate about how to address waves of arrivals like this.

"But we must remember that people's lives are scared and we must save them". (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 16 - Pope Francis on Saturday called on believers to repent their "ecological sins".

"With the help of God's grace, let us adopt lifestyles marked by less waste and unnecessary consumption," the pope said via Twitter in a post with the hashtag #SeasonOfCreation.

The pope has spoken out frequently about the need to combat the climate crisis.

The message was posted in the run-up to the publication on October 4 of the second version of his Laudato Si' (Praise Be to You) encyclical.

In the 2015 encyclical "on care for our common home", the Argentine pontiff criticized consumerism and environmental degradation, and called for action to combat global warming.

(ANSA).


Eswatini is known for its peace.

Its a pity our peace came under threat or was shaken almost to the core by the civil unrest that began in 2021 and understandably subsided this year. In our earnest context, we have our own measurement for peace. Basically, we base our peace index on absence of war and violence.

When there is no war or violence, we usually say we are enjoying the fruits of peacefulness. In peace studies and conflict resolution and management, I was made to understand that this particular measurement is correct. I have no qualms with this definition even though I humbly challenge emaSwati to go a little bit deeper in their analysis, definitions and interpretations of peace.

Scholars educate us that peace manifests in two ways  negative peace and positive peace. EmaSwati should ask themselves whats the type of peace they have at this moment? This is an honest and productive question that will ultimately help us understand and interpret what kind of time we are living in now. The Global Peace Index released by the Institute of Economics and Peace is comprised of 23 indicators that cover both the internal and external measures of peacefulness for 153 nations. Of course, the definition used for peace is absence of violence or absence of the fear of violence. However, I must mention that this approach actually measures what can be termed negative peace.

In contrast to negative peace that thrives in absence of violence or the absence of the fear of violence and war, positive peace, on the other hand, is about the appropriate attitudes, institutions and structures which when strengthened, lead to a more peaceful society.

The term positive peace was first introduced into academic literature by the Norwegian pioneer of peace research Johan Galtung. Galtung distinguished between two types of peace - negative peace, which is defined by the absence of war and violence, and positive peace, which is defined by a more lasting peace, built on sustainable investments in economic development and institutions as well as the societal attitudes that foster it.

Perspectives will change if we give ourselves quality time to dissect and reflect on the quality of peace that we have been cherishing from the days of our forefathers. Do we have a negative peace or positive peace? Let us look at the pillars of peace as illustrated by the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) and supported by the United States Institute of Peace, Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution, Institute for Peace and Dialogue in Switzerland.

Before I delved into those eight pillars, its important that I mention that Eswatini cannot survive with negative peace.

Therefore, emaSwati should push for the positive peace, which has valuable economical, political and social gains.

It is the responsibility of all of us as emaSwati, regardless of position and class, to ensure the realisation of positive peace.

The eight pillars are as follows:

Well-functioning government.

Sound business environment.

Equitable distribution of resources.

Acceptance of the rights of others.

Good relations with neighbours.

Free flow of information.

High levels of human capital.

Low levels of corruption.

These eight factors were found to be associated with peaceful environments and can be seen as both interdependent and positively reinforcing of each other. This means the relative strength of any one pillar has the potential to either positively or negatively influences peace. That was the conclusion of the researchers.



Well functioning government

Government is the main contributor to both negative and positive peace. In our context, it is very important that our government responds effectively to the needs of the people in order to preserve peacefulness in our society. A grumbling and dissatisfied society is a threat to peace. Society may be dissatisfied with lack of communication.

They need a transparent government that will come out of its shelf to explain why it has not built bridges that lead them health centres. They need to know why the government has not built foot bridges, resulting in their family members drowning in the Ngwempisi River, for instance.

A well functioning government is the pillar of peace. The shortage of medical drugs and subsequent protests by patients, high unemployment rate and ever increasing commodity prices are some of the threats to Eswatinis peace. Where the levels of poverty are high, it is suicidal or a risk to increase taxes that become a burden on the shoulders of the people. Taxes should be commensurate with levels of affordability. I have seen nations revolting against high taxes.

It is a fact that a government cannot function well without taxes. No government on earth can stand without taxes. However, the payment of taxes as a universal system should be applied justly and appropriately to ensure that people begin to appreciate the statutory obligation to do so. I am looking forward to seeing emaSwati paying taxes with a smile. A society that pays taxes out of anger and frustration is a threat to peace. In short, a government is all about service delivery.

Sound business environment

As a pillar of peace, the IEP enlightened me to realise the importance of a sound business environment in the preservation of peace. I realise that the late Prime Minister, Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini and his predecessor Cleopas Sipho Dlamini, put emphasis on private sector empowerment and growth.

The environment must permit all emaSwati to thrive. They should have direct access to opportunities of wealth. Lack of capital and other related reasons should be the only factors preventing them from accessing wealth.

The business environment must allow emaSwati to compete fairly. The environment must not deprive them of the opportunity to do business openly and further expand their businesses to the outside world.

Most importantly, businesses should be taxed fairly and justly in order to create jobs. For this fact, Eswatini Revenue Service (ERS) is a very important stakeholder in the creation of positive peace. Businesses, regardless of size and influence, are partners and stakeholders of ERS. ERS is not a police, but a stakeholder. In order to preserve peace, the entity should not just rush to court to get an order to close down a business.

Instead, it must first negotiate with the beleaguered company on how it can effectively address its bottlenecks. The enterprise must appreciate, whenever it is the case, the potential for a restructuring to generate enough income to sustain the business.

Liquidation or closure of companies should be a last resort. I know that there is fear that directors will deliberately evade tax if they are being treated with kid gloves. I am not implying that they must be treated with kid gloves.

Businesses must be made to understand the importance of honouring the statutory obligations to pay taxes in an environment where they are free to explain their frustrations to thee ERS. It is disheartening to see a company that is being owed millions of Emalangeni by government and other agencies closing down because it failed to pay tax. ERS is an agent of the government.

If the company is owed by government, it implies that it is indirectly being owed by the ERS. Harshness in the application of the tax law in such a situation becomes a threat to peace. I agree with the philosophy that strong private sector conditions are essential for employment and economic growth. They ensure that there is a viable tax base upon which governments can fund other critical services which the private sector cannot.

These factors are critical to fostering a peaceful environment, noted the Institute of Peace.

Institutional factors include ease of business administration, capacity for innovation in terms of technological readiness, and access to human capital in education and training. Other factors were the quality of associated institutions and the strength of property rights.

Equitable distribution of resources

I need not to expand on this subject. In fact, there is no world without resources. A scratch beneath the surface will show you that resources are the cause of wars. The Russia-Ukraine war is not about attitudes and human rights or rather the show of superiority, but the direct interest is in the resources, and how to preserve them. Identity and territorial integrity may play a part here and there, but oftentimes the preservation of resources is fundamental in the decision to go to war.

If Ukraine joins NATO; I would lose this and that, I must attack. If I dont join NATO; I may lose this and that, those are the fears, may I say it today. Almost all the time, the fear is about losing resources. Eswatini has four regions  Hhohho, Lubombo, Shiselweni and Manzini. Developmental focus shouldnt be only on Manzini and Hhohho. All the four regions must be treated equally in terms of distribution of resources.

There is no least important region that does not need quality services. According to the Institute of Economics and Peace, the equitable distribution of resources in society refers not just to income distribution but also to the evenness of the broader development process such as whether people have access to basic needs like healthcare, transportation, education or access to just legal processes.

Acceptance of the rights of others

The acceptance of the rights of others symbolises societal maturity. It does not mean we have to love those rights, but we have a responsibility to accept them. Those whose rights have been accepted should also embrace the rights of other groups of society. Let me make an example, the heterosexuals should accept the rights of the homosexuals, and the homosexuals should also accept the rights of the heterosexuals.

It is a pity when a homosexual persuades a heterosexual to be a homosexual, but the homosexual, for instance, takes offence when there is a campaign by heterosexuals to persuade homosexuals to be heterosexuals. In 2018, I was in France, and a gentleman who happened to be gay kissed my forehead without my consent and I reacted angrily because I had declared that I am a heterosexual. That was sheer and highly disturbing misconduct that I reported to the authorities in Paris, those who organised the HIV Science Fellowship. This guy apparently scoffed at the importance of accepting my right to be heterosexual. Heterosexual means sexually or romantically attracted to men if you are a woman and women if you are a man. Politically, the same applies

EmaSwati should accept that politics is not a one-size-fits all. There are political differences at play. They must accept the fact that democracy manifests in many forms - direct democracy, representative democracy, constitutional democracy, parliamentary democracy, presidential democracy, monitory democracy, etc. I cannot dwell much on the remaining self-explanatory pillars of peace  good relations with neighbours, free flow of information, high levels of human capital and low levels of corruption. I am looking forward to seeing appropriate attitudes, institutions and structures adequately strengthened to preserve or lead to a more peaceful society.
American XL bully dogs will be banned by the end of the year following a series of attacks, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said.

It comes after it emerged a man had died after being attacked by two dogs  suspected to be bully XLs  in Staffordshire and following a video of another attack that went viral when an 11-year-old girl suffered serious injuries.

Here is a look at what the move might mean.

 What will happen if you own an American XL bully dog?

Owners of the dog will not see their pets culled but will likely face new restrictions  including a requirement to have the dogs neutered.

Its clear the American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities. Ive ordered urgent work to define and ban this breed so we can end these violent attacks and keep people safe. pic.twitter.com/Qlxwme2UPQ  Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) September 15, 2023

The Chief Veterinary Officer confirmed on Saturday that there would be an amnesty approach, echoing the way the ban on pit bull terriers under the Dangerous Dogs Act was introduced in the 1990s.

Professor Christine Middlemiss confirmed that owners will need to register their American XL bully, with the dog required to be neutered and muzzled and on a lead when in public.

They will also need to be insured.

She stressed that anyone complying with new restrictions will be able to keep their dog.

 What are American XL bully dogs?

American kennel clubs have different definitions of what an American XL bully is but it is not recognised as a specific breed by the UKs The Kennel Club, dog expert witness Colin Tennant told the PA news agency.

The American Bully Kennel Club defines the American XL bully as a crossbreed of the American pit bull terrier, olde English bulldogge, English bulldog and the American bulldog, while the American Dog Breeders Association defines it as a crossbreed of the American Staffordshire terrier and the American pit bull terrier.

Pit bull terriers are banned in the UK (PA)

 Why are they not defined as a breed in the UK?

The dog is not recognised as a specific breed by The Kennel Club.

It could be hard to define and some fear a ban could inadvertently outlaw a range of other dogs.

 How does identifying a dog as a banned breed work?

Police or dog experts can judge the type of dog.

Mr Tennant said this is done with lists of characteristics, so it can be classed as a banned breed if it ticks the boxes, even if the dog is crossbred with a breed which is not banned.

Will this make it difficult to enforce a ban?

Ministers were quick to acknowledge that the details of the ban, and the exact definition of the breed, would need to be worked out.

But officials appear confident that a consensus can be reached that will target a ban specifically on the American XL bully.

The chief veterinary officer said officials would work with vets, dog experts, the police and NGOs to find an appropriate breed definition.

 Which dogs are already banned in the UK?

In the UK, it is against the law to own certain types of dog.

According to the Government website, these are the pit bull terrier, Japanese Tosa, dogo Argentino and fila Brasileiro.

A dogo Argentino (Alamy/PA)

It is also against the law to sell a banned dog, abandon a banned dog, give away a banned dog, and breed from a banned dog.

 What happens if you own a banned dog?

The police or local council dog warden can take it away, even if it is not acting dangerously and there has not been a complaint made.

A police or council dog expert will judge what type of dog it is and whether it is (or could be) a danger to the public. The dog will then either be released or kept in kennels while the police (or council) apply to a court.

It is the owners responsibility to prove the dog is not a banned type. If it is proved, the court will order the dog to be returned. If the owner cannot prove it (or they plead guilty), they will be convicted of a crime.

The owner can get an unlimited fine or be sent to prison for up to six months (or both) for having a banned dog against the law. The dog will also be destroyed.

If the dog is banned but the court thinks it is not a danger to the public, it may put it on the Index of Exempted Dogs and let the owner keep it.

The owner will be given a certificate of exemption, which is valid for the life of the dog, and comes with a number of conditions.

The dog must be neutered, microchipped, kept on a lead and muzzled at all times when in public, and kept in a secure place so it cannot escape.

The owner must take out insurance against the dog injuring other people, be aged over 16, show the certificate of exemption when asked by a police officer or council dog warden, either at the time or within five days, and let the Index of Exempted Dogs know if the owner changes address, or the dog dies.
Actor and comedian Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse during a seven-year period.

Four women have alleged sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013, when he was at the height of his fame, working for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 as well as starring in Hollywood films.

He also faces allegations of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

EXCLUSIVE: Russell Brand denies accusations of rape, sexual assault and controlling and emotionally abusive behaviour. Five women share their stories with @C4Dispatches in a joint investigation with @thetimes. Watch Russell Brand: In Plain Sight tonight at 9pm on @Channel4 pic.twitter.com/gmVMCAsh2B  Channel 4 Dispatches (@C4Dispatches) September 16, 2023

Brand vehemently denies the allegations and in a video posted online on Friday, stated all of his relationships have been consensual, before accusing the media of a co-ordinated attack.

In the clip, the 48-year-old claimed he was facing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks.

Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute, he said.

These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies and as I have written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.

He continued: Now during that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual. I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well.

To see that transparency metastasised into something criminal, that I absolutely deny, makes me question is there another agenda at play.

The allegations include one woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by Brand during a three-month relationship when she was 16 and still at school.

The woman described his behaviour towards her as grooming as he would allegedly provide her with scripts on how to deceive her parents into allowing her to visit him.

In 2020, the woman contacted Brands literary agent at the time, who was also the co-founder of Tavistock Wood.

A statement given to the PA news agency said: Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him. TW has terminated all professional ties to Brand.

Another woman alleges that Brand raped her at his Los Angeles home, while a third claims that Brand sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in Los Angeles and threatened to take legal action if she told anyone of the allegation.

A fourth woman claims she was sexually assaulted by Brand and alleges that he was physically and emotionally abusive towards her.

In a statement, Channel 4 said: Channel 4 is appalled to learn of these deeply troubling allegations, including behaviour alleged to have taken place on programmes made for Channel 4 between 2004 and 2007.

We are determined to understand the full nature of what went on. We have carried out extensive document searches and have found no evidence to suggest the alleged incidents were brought to the attention of Channel 4. We will continue to review this in light of any further information we receive, including the accounts of those affected individuals.

We will be asking the production company who produced the programmes for Channel 4 to investigate these allegations and report their findings properly and satisfactorily to us.

In the many years since the alleged incidents took place, there has obviously been extensive change in Channel 4s management and commissioning teams. Today, Channel 4 has a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour and has a robust Code of Conduct. We require all suppliers to have in place rigorous safeguarding policies and provide whistleblowing support, including Channel 4s Speak Up facility.

We are committed to ensuring our industry has safe, inclusive and professional working environments.

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, the actor and comedian previously said he had no regrets about his previous sexual behaviour, claiming to have had intimate relationships with hundreds of women in the past.

Comedian Russell Brand in 2006 (Ian West/PA)

In 2008, Brand made headlines for his BBC Radio 2 prank, now known as Sachsgate, when he left a lewd voicemail for Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs  who died in 2016  about his granddaughter.

A BBC spokesperson said: Russell Brand worked for a number of different organisations of which the BBC was one. As is well known, Russell Brand left the BBC after a serious editorial breach in 2008  as did the then controller of Radio 2.

The circumstances of the breach were reviewed in detail at the time. We hope that demonstrates that the BBC takes issues seriously and is prepared to act.

We will always listen to people if they come forward with any concerns, on any issue related to any individual working at the BBC, past or present.

Brand was married to US pop star Katy Perry from 2010 to 2012 but is now married to Laura Gallacher, the sister of presenter Kirsty, and the pair have two children, Mabel and Peggy.

Russell Brand and Katy Perry (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

On Saturday, Kirsty reposted Brands video on her Instagram story, along with a big red love heart, but the message later appeared to have been deleted.

In recent years, Brand has seemingly become a prominent conspiracy theorist, including his appearance on Newsnight with Evan Davis when he said he was open minded about whether the 9/11 terror attacks had been faked by the American government.

With almost seven million followers on YouTube, Brand has used the social media outlet to cover topical news stories, including alleged misinformation surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic and being an outspoken sceptic of the vaccine.

Some of the most popular videos on Brands channel include suggesting a global Covid-19 cover-up and the Great Reset conspiracy theory which claims a global elite is using the pandemic to enforce radical social change.

His new live comedy show, Russell Brand Bipolarisation, has four dates left in September, including at Wembley Park Theatre on Saturday.

Russell Brand: In Plain Sight airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 4.
President Biden leads both former President Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in hypothetical matchups in the key swing state of Michigan, according to a new poll.

A poll from Susquehanna Polling & Research shared first with The Hill found Biden leads Trump by 3 points, 46 percent to 43 percent, and DeSantis by 6 points, 48 percent to 42 percent. Eight percent in both questions said they would support another candidate.

Michigan is likely to be one of the most hotly contested states in the 2024 presidential election, having voted for Trump in the 2016 election before flipping to Biden in 2020. The state was critical to both of their victories.

Susquehanna Polling & Research President Jim Lee told The Hill that Bidens 3-point lead over Trump shows Michigan is about the same as what Biden won the state by in 2020.

The poll is reason for optimism for Biden, whose approval rating has remained in the low 40s in recent months. A CNN poll released last week had Bidens rating down to 39 percent from 41 percent in July.

But Lee said one concern for Biden is he is underperforming with Democrats, only receiving support from 87 percent to Trumps 90 percent of Republicans. He noted that exit polls showed Biden winning 97 percent of Democrats in Michigan in 2020 to Trumps 94 percent of Republicans, meaning the current president has ground to make up.

But Biden leads Trump among independents and non-affiliated voters, which were critical to his win, 44 percent to 37 percent.

Lee added that Bidens margins in other swing states like Arizona and Georgia were closer than in Michigan, but Bidens lead is still within the polls margin of error.

Polling has largely shown Biden in a close match with most of his potential Republican challengers for the election.

Biden led Trump by 1 point nationwide in a Quinnipiac University poll released Wednesday. A Morning Consult poll released Tuesday showed Biden ahead of Trump by 2 points and ahead of DeSantis by 5 points.

The Susquehanna poll also showed Trump with a massive lead over his GOP opponents among registered Republicans in Michigan. The former president had support from 65 percent, while DeSantis came in second with 18 percent.

All other candidates support was in the single digits. The state could be crucial to determining if Trump ultimately wins the nomination or if another candidate could close in on him, as it is one of the first to vote in the GOP nominating process.

Political consultant and Susquehanna strategic partner Garrett Biggs said Trump is almost a slam dunk to be the Republican nominee but will need to expand his coalition to close the gap with Biden for independent voters.

Campaigns are about message and repetition, and the message will have to aim more to independent moderate voters to win swing states like Michigan, Biggs said.

The poll was conducted among 700 registered voters, including 219 Republicans who plan to participate in Michigans presidential electoral process, from Sept. 7-12. The margin of error for the entire sample was 3.7 points.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The family of a man fatally shot in New Mexico by police officers responding to the wrong house sued the department for wrongful death and other claims in federal court, according to a complaint filed on Friday in the U.S. District Court of New Mexico.

Robert Dotson, 52, was shot and killed in the doorway of his house in Farmington after local police officers opened fire after they said they saw he had a gun.

Police knocked on Dotson's door at 11:30 p.m. on April 5, according to the complaint filed in court. Dotson grabbed his gun from the top of the refrigerator and went to open the front door. The complaint says "police vehicles were parked down the street and did not have their lights on."

Three officers standing outside the door immediately opened fire, according to the complaint. Dotson was hit by 12 bullets. His wife, Kimberly, wearing just her robe, came down the stairs to find out what happened, the complaint says, and the officers fired an additional 19 bullets at her but missed.

Police handcuffed the wife and her two children and placed them in separate vehicles and took them to the police station, according to the complaint. "There was no attempt, or even apparently a thought, about preserving the dignity" of the new widow and her family, the complaint says.

New Mexico State Police issued a statement saying that Farmington police were responding to a domestic violence call but went to the wrong address.

The statement said the officers identified themselves as police, but no one answered. Body camera footage shows that as the officers backed away from the house, the homeowner opened the screen door armed with a handgun.

In a video statement, Farmington Police Chief Steve Hebbe acknowledged the mistake and said he was "heartbroken by the circumstances."

Reporting was contributed by Stephen Smith.

State of emergency declared for Maine, Massachusetts ahead of Hurricane Lee's arrival

Thousands of autoworkers go on strike against Big 3

"CBS Evening News" headlines for Friday, September 15, 2023
US car workers striking against the nations three biggest automakers are waging  a fight against the outrageous level of corporate greed seen across the country, Bernie Sanders said on Friday.

The liberal US senators remarks came on Friday afternoon during a rally with the United Auto Workers in Detroit, Michigan, kicking off the first day of the unions Stand Up strikes against General Motors, Stellantis and Ford.

Related: Auto worker strike explained: the pay gap, the talks and what Biden is doing

During his speech at the rally, Sanders told the crowd: The fight that you are waging here is not only about decent wages, decent benefits and decent working conditions in the automobile industry. No. The fight you are waging is a fight against the outrageous level of corporate greed and arrogance that we are seeing on the part of CEOs who think they have a right to have it all and could [not] care less about the needs of their workers.

He continued: The fight you are waging is to rebuild the struggling middle class of our country that was once the envy of the world.

Sanders also asserted that the CEOs and stockholders of the USs biggest carmakers make out like bandits.

We refuse to live in an oligarchy, Sanders said. We refuse to accept a society in which so few have so much and so many have so little.

Among those who watched the Vermont senators speech was Chris Sanders, a worker at the Ford plant in Dearborn, Michigan, for 10 years. Sanders, 54, told the Guardian that significant media attention and focus on the economic effects of the strike on businesses and consumers misses the point.

The question that should be asked is what has 20 years of not paying our fair share cost the economy? he said. If we learned [anything] from the Covid-19 pandemic, we learned that putting money in the hands of real people is what keeps the economy going, because what creates jobs are not billionaires.

What creates jobs is having money in the hands of real people spending it or saving it, because they are spending it on products that create demand.

Chris Sanders noted the Ford plant had been holding job fairs and had trouble hiring because the starting wages of about $16 an hour no longer compete with other jobs. No one ever has a problem with the executives getting paid $21m to $27m, and hourly labor and benefits is less than 5% of the total cost of a vehicle, he said. They just always want to put it to the greedy autoworker and Im so damn tired of it.

Michigans governor, Gretchen Whitmer, it secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, and lieutenant governor, Garlin Gilchrist II, gave introductory speeches at the rally before the UAW president, Shawn Fain, brought on Sanders, who is an independent but caucuses with Democrats.

Its time to pick a side, Fain said while introducing Sanders. Either youre with the billionaire class or youre with the working class.
Authorities are taking no chances with convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante, who is now being held at Pennsylvanias most advanced and expensive prison.

Cavalcante woke up Thursday inside the State Correctional Institution Phoenix, a maximum-security facility in Montgomery County, which once also housed the likes of disgraced comedian Bill Cosby. Cavalcante is currently being kept in what officials described as a specialized observation unit, Patch reported.

Dubbed a state-of-the-art facility by Pennsylvanias Department of Corrections, SCI Phoenix is significantly more notorious than the facility Cavalcante escaped from on Aug. 31. Surveillance video from that morning shows the 34-year-old former fugitive scaling a wall in the yard area of Chester County Prison and then up onto the roof  all the while going unnoticed by a guard in a watchtower.

For two weeks, Cavalcante eluded law enforcement officers by breaking into homes and taking food, stealing a delivery truck and even altering his appearance. He planned to make his way to Canada, but law enforcement got their big break in the case overnight Wednesday, when a plane fitted with a thermal imaging camera picked up his heat signal. Authorities managed to track him to a wooded area and then surrounded him.

Even then, Cavalcante attempted to flee, prompting authorities to release a K9 named Yoda, who has been credited with subduing him.

From there, he was quickly arraigned at the Avondale barracks on an escape charge, and then shuttled to the supermax facility, where he will serve out a life sentence for murdering his girlfriend.

SCI Phoenix, Pennsylvanias newest detention center, opened in 2018 as a replacement for State Correctional Institution Graterford, which was built in 1929. The 3,422-bed prison, which has significantly more space and modern security features, cost $400 million.

So far, no one has been able to break out of the pricey prison.

_____
By Ayman al-Warfali and Ahmed Elumami

DERNA, Libya (Reuters) -Residents of Derna in eastern Libya were counting their losses from a flood that devastated swathes of the coastal city as the search for the missing continued on Saturday for a sixth day and more bodies were pulled from the sea.

Central Street, once a focus of economic activity in Derna lined with shops, was largely deserted, the silence broken only by the sound of the wind whistling past mangled buildings as a few people sat disconsolate in the road, sipping coffee and surveying the damage.

"The first thing I'm afraid of is that this will take a long time," said 44-year-old teacher Tarek Faheem al-Hasadi, whose wife and five young grandchildren were killed in the flood. He and his son survived by climbing onto the roof.

"This needs persistence and I'm afraid that the support that is coming is temporary," he said between tears, standing guard in front his ruined home, but adding that he was determined not to leave the area.

A three-storey building standing opposite had been swept 60 metres (200 feet) down the road by the floodwaters, Hasadi said.

At Derna's seafront, where a wrecked car could be seen perched on top of concrete storm breakers and driftwood was strewn across muddy pools, diggers worked to clear the path for rescue teams and a helicopter scanned the sea for bodies.

Entire districts of Derna, with an estimated population of at least 120,000, were swept away or buried in brown mud after two dams south of the city broke on Sunday night unleashing torrents of floodwater down a usually dry riverbed.

The International Organization for Migration mission in Libya has said that more than 5,000 people were presumed dead, with 3,922 deaths registered in hospitals. About 38,640 were displaced in the flood-stricken region.

The true death toll could be far higher, officials say.

"The situation is very, very tragic," said Qais, a rescue worker from Tunisia at the seafront who only gave his first name. "We have never seen such damage caused by water."

More than 450 bodies had been recovered in the past three days from the seashore, including 10 from under the rubble, said Kamal Al-Siwi, the official in charge of missing people.

"The work is ongoing and is very, very, very complicated," he told Reuters. "This operation in my opinion, needs months and years."

MASS GRAVES

The World Health Organization said on Saturday it had flown in enough emergency aid to reach nearly 250,000 people affected by Storm Daniel across eastern Libya, including essential medicines, surgery supplies and body bags for the deceased.

Saudi Arabia announced the departure of its first aid flight to Libya and Russia said the third of its aid flights had arrived carrying a mobile hospital.

An Italian naval ship docked in Derna with supplies including tents, blankets, water pumps and tractors, Italy's Embassy in Libya said, posting photos of smaller vessels bringing equipment ashore.

More than 1,000 people have been buried in mass graves, according to the United Nations, drawing warnings from aid groups about the risk of contaminating water or causing mental distress to families of the deceased.

The head of Libya's National Centre for Disease Control, Hayder Al-Sayah, said there was little risk from corpses unless they were carrying diseases, but that recorded cases of diarrhoea had risen to 150 from 55 on Friday due to people drinking polluted water.

Derna has been hit hard by the turmoil and conflict in Libya since the NATO-backed overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi during a popular uprising in 2011.

It was controlled for several years by jihadist militants before forces loyal to eastern-based commander Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) besieged and took control of the city in 2019.

Infrastructure across Libya has been degraded amid the political paralysis of the past decade, and experts had warned that Derna faced potential disaster if maintenance work was not carried out on the dams outside the city.

Libya's continuing political divisions, with rival administrations and parliaments in the east and west, could hamper the aid effort.

(Reporting by Ayman al-Warfali, Ahmed Elumami and Ayman al-Sahli in DernaAdditional reporting by Omar Abdel-Razek in Cairo and Emma Farge in Geneva; Writing by Aidan Lewis; Editing by Helen Popper and Alex Richardson)
MBABANE  While popular Nhlangano businessman Rudolph Mjuda Diamond lies in a coma, there are rumblings among relatives over the management of his businesses and bank accounts.

One of the parties is Lindo Diamond, who describes herself as a 50 per cent shareholder and Director of Diamond Investments (Pty) Ltd, as well as Rudolphs daughter. Lindo and the company obtained an order suspending forthwith any payment from a First National Bank (FNB) account pending a full and detailed account of funds deposited into it.

On the other hand, the respondents argued that payments for Rudolphs medication were made from that account and the order was prejudicial to him. On Thursday, Senior Lawyer Nkosinathi Manzini, reported to the Law Society of Eswatini that he feared for his life after hit men were allegedly hired to kill him and his clients due this matter, which he is handling.

Trustees

He is appearing for the respondents - curator of Rudolfs estate, Hertzal Diamond, Lucky Diamond, who is Rudolfs son and a shareholder in the company, the Bookkeeper/Administrator and trustee in the Diamond Family Trust, Sibongiseni Xaba, Glory Hlophe and Phila and Philani Maseko, who are trustees.

On Friday, Judge John Magagula ordered that in the meantime, should there be need for urgent medical attention for Rudolph (80), prescribed by a registered medical doctor, FNB is authorised and directed to pay for such. Lindo wants the High Court to direct FNB to forthwith restore her credentials to unilaterally transact in, or operate, Diamond Investments account held with the bank. She also prayed for an order directing FNB to acknowledge the companys resolution dated June 28, 2023 and effect the change of mandate on the operation of the FNB account.

Interfering

She further wants the court to interdict the respondents from interfering with the business and communicating with customers and clients. Lindo is also seeking an order interdicting the respondents from making cash requisitions from the company funds in the T-Junction filling station or harassing and intimidating employees.

She prayed that a detailed, transparent and full account of the payments or deposits into the Nhlangano branch account held with FNB. Rudolfs businesses include leased commercial buildings, rental apartments, a school, a church among and a filling station.

In her court application, Lindo submitted that the company was allegedly hijacked by the respondents, in pending proceedings. She alleged that they were taking advantage of the incapacity of Rudolph, who was the executive director prior to falling seriously ill at the end of November 2022. He is unconscious and cannot care for himself or manage his business affairs. Hertzal was granted co-curatorship of the estate of the businessman.

Lindo told the court that she had been running the business with Rudolph until last year or the year before when differences between me and Rudolph emerged after suggestions that I was not his biological daughter, contrary to my birth certificate.

I was not only annoyed but was in fact hurt by the suggestion and decided to take a break from company business, which Rudolph Diamond continued to run until he fell seriously ill at the end of November 2022. Notwithstanding my voluntary stepping aside from the management of the company, I retained my equal shareholding of the company with Rudolph Diamond. I also maintained my directorship in the company, she argued.

Lindo is represented by Sabela Dlamini of Magagula and Hlophe Attorneys. She said prior to an interim order in her and the companys favour, the respondents were happy to let some of the company tenants deposit rentals into a disputed company account held with FNB.

Controlled

Lindo alleged that this was because the respondents unilaterally controlled the bank account. The interim order was issued on August 1, 2023 and it, among other things, interdicted Hertzal, Xaba and Glory Hlophe from dealing with and participating in the management or executive businesses of Diamond Investments. It also interdicted them from logging into the internet banking profile to access funds of the company for whatever purpose.

Lindo alleged that after becoming aware of the interim order, the respondents redirected company tenants to make payments of rentals to the Diamond Family Trust account, which she purported was established in order to evade the applicants challenge of the unlawful power they (or their agents who report directly to them) exercised over the company.

The unlawful instruction to the company tenants and customers was made or given on or about mid-August 2023. Some of the instructions to the company tenants to switch payments from the formal company bank accounts have been made in writing by the second and third (Hertzal and Lucky) respondents. I submit that, on the part of the third respondent as company director, this constitutes carrying on the business of the company recklessly or with an intent to defraud creditors or for a fraudulent purpose within the meaning of Section 199 (1)(c) read with Section 199(1)(e)(ii) of the Companies Act, she told the court.

According to Lindo, the company tenants and customers had commenced making payments to the Diamond Family Trust bank account number 63065183659 held with FNB in payment of goods and services supplied or rendered by the company.This is patently unlawful and respondents must be compelled by this honourable court to withdraw such instruments.

The company funds being misappropriated run into hundreds of thousands of Emalangeni which the respondents inevitably help themselves to at whim. Accordingly, the interests of justice demand that payments made from the said Trust bank account be stopped forthwith pending a full and detailed account of the company funds paid into the Trust bank account, Lindo averred.

She informed the court that the company had a clear right to the funds which arise from its business in which she has a vested interest as a shareholder/director. Lindo accused the Diamond Family Trust and respondents of collectively initiating or pursuing the alleged misappropriation from Diamond Investments. She alleged that they acted in common purpose to steal from the company. The matter is pending in court.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee is directing 900 prospective jurors to appear in court next month for the state's trial against Trump co-defendants Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, both lawyers.

The order comes after McAfee ruled Thursday that former President Donald Trump and 16 others accused of trying to alter the outcome of the 2020 presidential election will be tried separately from Chesebro and Powell, both of whom invoked their right to a speedy trial. McAfee wrote that he "will endeavor to have a jury selected and sworn by November 3, 2023," in the trial of Chesebro and Powell.

On Friday, McAfee ordered subpoenas to be issued for 450 potential jurors to appear Oct. 20, and another 450 potential jurors to be at the Fulton County Court on Oct. 27. The trial for Chesebro and Powell is slated to start on Oct. 23.

Jessica Levinson, legal contributor for CBS News, said 900 is a high number for a jury pool, but understandable given the case.

"Is it very high? Yes," she said. "Is it multiples higher than most trials? Absolutely. Is it exponentially higher than most trials that are happening in America today? Yes, absolutely. But it involves the former president of the United States."

"I think the idea is that so many people will have strong ideas about the defendants," she added.

Each juror will be asked to complete a questionnaire, but attorneys have yet to submit their proposed questions.

Powell and Chesebro, in invoking their right to a speedy trial, asked McAfee to separate their cases both from the rest of the defendants and from each other. McAfee agreed to sever the cases from the other defendants but not from each other. They have both pleaded not guilty.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis wanted all 19 defendants to be tried together, but McAfee argued that was a logistical impossibility.

New details reveal Georgia special grand jury in Trump election case recommended charges for Lindsey Graham

Chesebro stands charged with seven counts related to an alleged effort to submit a false slate of electors from Georgia to elect Trump, and Powell stands accused of coordinating with a data company to access election data. Like all the other defendants in Georgia, they are also charged with RICO violations.

 Jared Eggleston and Melissa Quinn contributed to this report

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Republicans on the House Budget Committee are set to consider the partys long-term blueprint for the nations budget next week, the panels chair confirmed.

Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) told The Hill the committee is preparing to mark up the budget resolution next Wednesday, describing the proposal as a 10-year budget roadmap aimed at restoring fiscal responsibility.

Were fired up about it, Arrington said. Its going to have elements of right-sizing the bureaucracy and the discretionary spending.

The plan wont be signed into law, but it can provide a glimpse into the partys thinking on how the government should be funded over the long term.

It was expected to come out earlier this year but was put on the back burner in the spring as a heated partisan clash over the debt limit dominated attention in Washington for months.

The planned markup also comes as tensions are again on the rise on Capitol Hill amid several spending clashes ahead of a looming deadline this month to prevent a government shutdown.

But Arrington isnt expecting the committees budget markup to be delayed despite the current spending fight.

Ours is a 10-year, not one year, budget, and it includes the spending thats driving the debt, and thats the 70 percent of the budget thats mandatory, he said. Its 90 percent of the growth out into the future.

They complement each other, and a lot of the things that were talking about here have to be done, not only this year, but every year on the discretionary side, he said of the ongoing appropriations process and the budget committees work. And we have that mapped out for the next 10 years.

The plan isnt expected to take on changes to Social Security and Medicare, however. While both programs face threats of insolvency in the years ahead, some lawmakers are doubtful of any reforms to the popular programs in the current congressional session as the election cycle heats up.

Some Republicans are instead looking to a commission to explore changes to the programs, while both parties focus more attention on the discretionary spending Congress is currently debating as part of the annual funding process.

However, Arrington said he plans for the resolution to address mandatory spending as well as the need for reforms to entitlement programs, which account for a chunk of mandatory spending not subject to the annual appropriations process.

Our interest on the debt is about to exceed the entire defense budget, he said. So, we got to work on the mandatory spending, rein it in and bring down the interest payments.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON  A Democratic mayor from New Jersey is planning to sue the Biden administration next week after he was abruptly disinvited from an Eid al-Fitr celebration at the White House earlier this year  a decision he believes was made because his name appears on a terrorism watchlist.

Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed Khairullah, the longest-serving Muslim mayor in New Jersey, told the USA TODAY Network in May that the Secret Service had denied him security clearance so he could no longer attend the gathering of prominent Muslim leaders and President Joe Biden.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which has long opposed the watchlist because the group claims it targets Muslims, said it will file the lawsuit Monday in federal court in Massachusetts in an effort to stop the government from using it. Multiple lawsuits challenging the lists have been working their way through the courts for years.

President Joe Biden speaks during an Eid al-Fitr reception in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on May 2, 2022.

"It's disappointing and it's shocking that this continues to happen under our Constitution which provides that everyone is innocent unless proven guilty. I honestly dont know what my charge, if you want to put it that way, is at this point, to be treated in such a manner," Khairullah told the North Jersey Media Group in May.

Khairullah didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. He promoted the Council on American-Islamic Relations' announcement of the lawsuit on social media late Friday.

Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed Khairullah plans to sue the Biden administration over what he believes is his inclusion on a terrorism watchlist.

The council has called on the Biden administration to suspend FBI dissemination of the Federal Terrorist Screening Dataset, a watchlist that reportedly contains about 1.5 million names. CAIR attorneys examined a copy leaked in January, which appeared to be almost entirely lists of Arabic and Muslim names," the organization said.

In their review, they said they spotted a name and date of birth matching the Prospect Park mayor. Khairullah suspected he had been on a list since 2019, when he began to face interrogations and searches during his travels.

The Prospect Park mayor was born in Syria, and his family fled persecution in 1980. They lived in Saudi Arabia before moving to the United States in 1991.

Contributing: NorthJersey.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Muslim New Jersey mayor barred from White House sues over watchlist
Emergency teams are working to find survivors and retrieve bodies after a massive flood hit Libyas northeast three days ago, killing at least 11,000 people and leaving 10,000 missing.

Eyewitness footage shared on social media showed the devastation after the floods, with collapsed rooftops and tumbled cars amid the rubble of destroyed infrastructure.

Satellite images showed buildings in the worst-hit city of Derna destroyed by water and sand. The coastal citys shores appeared to have been severely eroded.

At least 11,300 people are dead in Derna, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Saturday, revising an earlier estimate, and about 170 people had been killed outside Derna. In Derna alone, at least 10,100 people are missing, the UN report explained.

Local rescue teams continue to search for the missing, according to state media. More than 30,000 people have been displaced, the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Libya said on Wednesday.

Relatives of those still missing told CNN they are terrified. Others who learned of their families tragic fate are devastated.

One resident of Tobruk, a city to the east, told CNN that eight of his relatives died in the flooding in Derna.

My wife Areejs sister and her husband both passed away. His whole family is also dead. A total of eight people are all gone, Emad Milad told CNN. Its a disaster. We are praying for better things, Milad said.

Libya has been riven by political turmoil since civil war erupted in 2014, and now has two rival governments, the eastern parliament-backed government in Benghazi and the internationally recognized government in Tripoli.

Each has reported conflicting numbers for victims following the catastrophic floods in the country. CNN is unable to independently verify the number of deaths or those missing.

Heres what we know so far:

Where did the flood hit?

The flood hit Libyas northeast, which lies on the Mediterranean coast. The worst-hit city is Derna, which sits some 300 kilometers (190 miles) east of Benghazi, the second-largest city in the country. A city of roughly 100,000 people, Derna sustained heavy damage. Whole neighborhoods are believed to have been washed away, according to authorities, and emergency response workers say that hospitals are no longer operational.

Morgues are stacked to capacity and dead bodies have been left on the sidewalks outside, Osama Aly, spokesperson for the Emergency and Ambulance Service in Libya, told CNN Tuesday.

The flooding was also exacerbated by the collapse of two dams, which sent water rushing towards Derna, authorities said Tuesday.

Whos in control in Libya?

Libya is particularly vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters as it has no unified government, but two rival administrations that are locked in a political standoff following a civil war that began in 2014. The country has been in chaos since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

Today, two warring parties are vying for control of the country. The UN-backed Government of National Unity (GNU), led by Abdulhamid Dbeibeh, sits in Tripoli in northwestern Libya, while its rival is controlled by commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA), who support the eastern-based parliament led by Osama Hamad.

A man sits on a damaged car, after a powerful storm and heavy rainfall hit eastern Libya, on Tuesday. - Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters

Derna and the surrounding cities hit by the flood fall under the control of Haftar and his eastern government, which isnt recognized by the international community.

Analysts have said that climate forecasts gave warnings days before the storm hit Libya, but that authorities in the east did not act quickly enough.

The inadequate response, analysts said, also comes from Libyas lack of preparedness in addressing natural disasters, something that the LNA spokesman in the east, Major General Ahmed Al-Mismari, acknowledged on Tuesday.

Libya and the eastern authorities are not equipped to handle this level of damage, Al-Mismari told Al-Arabiya TV Tuesday, adding that at least three different specialist rescue teams are needed.

Whats happening with aid?

Several countries have said they are sending humanitarian aid to Libya, including Egypt, the UAE, Turkey, Italy and Algeria.

Analysts have said that the politically fragmented situation in Libya only complicates rescue missions and international aid delivery. Countries have to decide whether they will send aid to the capital, or to Haftars rival administration in Benghazi.

Most countries have so far sent their aid to Benghazi, the closest major city to Derna and its surrounding towns. Algeria, however, sent its aid to the UN-recognized government in Tripoli, some 1,000 miles away.

Tamer Ramadan, head of international Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Libya, told CNN Tuesday that the issue of rival governments in Libya doesnt affect their operations. We have a good relationship with officials in both governments, he said.

How did the flood happen and what role did climate change play?

The torrential rainfall that has devastated Derna and other cities in Libyas northeast is the result of a very strong low-pressure system, which brought catastrophic flooding to Greece last week before moving into the Mediterranean and developing into a tropical-like cyclone known as a medicane.

As ocean temperatures around the world soar off the charts due to planet-warming emissions, the temperature of the Mediterranean is well above average, which scientists say fueled the storms heavy rainfall.

Flooding in the city of Derna, in eastern Libya on Tuesday. - Jamal Alkomaty/AP

While no formal attribution of the role of climate change in making storm Daniel more intense has been conducted yet, it is safe to say that the Mediterranean Sea surface temperatures have been considerably above average throughout summer, Karsten Haustein, climate scientist and meteorologist at Leipzig University in Germany, told the Science Media Center.

The warmer water does not only fuel those storms in terms of rainfall intensity, it also makes them more ferocious, he said.

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Libya's chief prosecutor announced Friday he has ordered an investigation into the collapse of two overwhelmed dams during the catastrophic floods -- and whether better maintenance could have avoided the disaster.

After Mediterranean storm Daniel brought heavy rains, and widespread flooding, to eastern Libya, two dams near the port city of Derna collapsed earlier this week, wiping out a quarter of the area. The city has been declared a disaster zone.

PHOTO: People search for flood victims in Derna, Libya, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (Ricardo Garcia Vilanova/AP)

MORE: Libya flooding deaths top 11,000 with another 10,000 missing

Decades-old studies showed that the two dams, built in the 1970s primarily to protect the city from floods, suffered cracks and subsidence that may lead to their collapse, according to Libya Attorney General Al-Siddiq Al-Sour.

Al-Sour said around $8 million had been allocated for maintenance that was halted months after it began when the Arab Spring uprising broke out in the country in the early 2010s. Prosecutors are investigating the spending of dam maintenance funds, he told reporters Friday. The investigation would include local authorities as well as previous governments, he said.

"I reassure citizens that whoever made mistakes or negligence, prosecutors will certainly take firm measures, file a criminal case against him and send him to trial," he said.

PHOTO: A view shows the damaged areas, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya, Sept. 13, 2023, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video. (Marwan Alfaituri via Reuters)

A team of 26 prosecutors will also head to Derna to keep a record of victims and identify causes of deaths, he said. His office did not have an accurate tally of deaths as investigations remain underway.

According to the Libyan Red Crescent, at least 11,300 people have died and another 10,100 were reported missing as of Friday in the wake of the destructive floods.

The death toll in Derna could reach upwards of 20,000 people, based on the extent of the damage, Derna Mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi said Thursday.

MORE: Most casualties in Libya floods could have been avoided: World Meteorological Organization chief

Libya's National Center of Meteorology reported that more than 16 inches of rain fell in the northeastern city of Bayda within a 24-hour period to Sunday, according to the flood tracking website Floodlist.

The head of the United Nation's World Meteorological Organization said Thursday that most of Libya's flooding casualties could have been avoided if the divided country had a functioning meteorological service.

Collapse of 2 dams in Libya floods leads to probe originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Delmaine Donson - Getty Images



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It feels like only yesterday when we had to rely on cucumber-scented Nair to get rid of unwanted body hair at home. Before the advent of at-home hair removal devices such as IPL, our options were limited to razors, wax strips, and hair removal creams. However, technology has advanced significantly in recent years, allowing us to save time and money by removing hair from the comfort of our own homes instead of routinely visiting salons.

Now, when it comes to IPL hair removal devices, it's essential to be careful and choose the right device for your needs. To help you make an informed decision, we spoke with leading experts to source the 12 best IPL hair removal devices.

Before intense pulsed lightor IPLhair removal devices became popular, our at-home options were mainly limited to razors, wax strips, and sometimes overly fragrant hair removal creams. And while theres nothing wrong with using those methods to get rid of unwanted body hair, technology has advanced significantly in recent years, allowing us to save time and effort with professional-level options to remove hair from the comfort of home.

IPL devices are designed with special mechanisms that convert light into hair-removing heat, which targets the pigment of hair follicles instead of your skin. According to double-board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon Jaimie DeRosa, When the heat energy reaches the pigment, it damages or kills the hair follicles, preventing hair from growing.



While many of these high-tech tools are practically no-brainers to use, it is important to choose the right device for your specific needs to ensure safe hair removal. To help you make an informed decision, we spoke with leading experts to source the 12 best IPL hair removal devices worth adding to your body care rotation.

Related: The Best At-Home Laser Hair Removal Devices, According to the Pros

IPL Laser Permanent Cooling-Care Hair Removal Device

DeRosa tells Bazaar that this multi-functional IPL hair removal device changes its settings based on the location and depth of the hair you're aiming to remove. It also features an option for red light that can help stimulate collagen. And as an added bonus, the tool aims to remove full-body hair in as little as 15 minutes.

One satisfied customer writes: Been using it for three weeks now and I do notice a difference, my hair growth has really slowed down. The hair on the arms has become thinner and even bald in some places. I will keep using it until it is completely removed. Michelle C.

Shop Now IPL Laser Permanent Cooling-Care Hair Removal Device walmart.com $224.90 Walmart

Laser Hair Removal Device

Another of DeRosa's top picks, this IPL handset is easy to use, and aims to deliver noticeable hair reduction results after four weeks of use.

One satisfied customer writes: Im very hairy all over my body. Ive gotten professional laser treatments and spent well over $2,000 with no results. I have thick dark hair on pale skin and I have seen results in just my 3rd use. Stephanie A

Shop Now Laser Hair Removal Device amazon.com $299.00 Amazon

OG IPL Hair Removal Handset

This hard-working device not only adds a touch of charm to your bathroom shelf, but is also FDA-approved to visibly minimize hair growth after four uses. The tool also contains five intensity settings, and nicely can be used on any part of the body.

One satisfied customer writes: I bought this product out of desperation and did not think it would work. I was wrong! After three weeks of use, I have several large patches of skin on my legs with no regrowth! Its amazing! Cannot wait because in a few months my legs will be completely hairless. Lindie H.

Shop Now OG IPL Hair Removal Handset roseskinco.com $149.00 RoseSkinCo

Pure Fit Intelligent Ultrafast IPL

Bazaar editors and professionals like celebrity aesthetician Joshua Ross agree: This IPL device is one of the best. It features 10 power settings and three removal modes, for expert-level results, along with an automated skin tone sensor to prevent it from accidentally singeing you during the removal process.

One satisfied customer writes: Ive been to salons and spas that offer hair removal treatments and paid for the service. This product gives the same result while saving thousands of dollars by doing your own at home treatments. Maria V.

Shop Now Pure Fit Intelligent Ultrafast IPL amazon.com $319.20 Amazon

Bare+ Ultrafast IPL Device Exclusive Collection

Here's a slightly smaller version of SmoothSkin's powerhouse Pure Fit device, which can be used on your legs, arms, swimsuit line or face. It also contains two treatment options that produce up to 100 flashes per minute.

One satisfied customer writes: "After just 3 weeks, I have already noticed significantly less hair on my legs. My hair does not grow back as fast, so I am excited that this product truly works. Now that I know it works, I am going to use it for my whole body. It is also extremely simple and easy to use. I highly recommend buying this product!" Christine P.

Shop Now Bare+ Ultrafast IPL Device Exclusive Collection currentbody.com $149.00 Currentbody

The Flasher 2.0

Here's another FDA-cleared IPL tool that experts love. This option is a really great value in terms of cost, and it also comes with a warranty which will replace the device if there are any issues with it, adds Ross. Compared to other IPL devices, The Flasher has a wider window that allows for faster treatments with fewer flashes.

One satisfied customer writes: I have to admit, as a former certified laser technician I was initially skeptical about the effectiveness of this device. Not only did it work, but it wasnt painful either! Win/win!!! Kudos Nood! Jessica I.

Shop Now The Flasher 2.0 bluemercury.com $229.00 Bluemercury

IPL Silk-expert Pro 5

According to Ross, this option is particularly well-suited for individuals with sensitive skin and has a remarkably short treatment time. It flashes every 0.5 seconds, so you dont have to worry about missing any spots, and you can get back to business as usual in as little as ten minutes.

One satisfied customer writes:I love this device. I have really dark, thick, coarse hair across my entire body and after 3 months of weekly uses I already have bald patches and significantly finer hair on my swimsuit, legs and arms. Really recommend. RebeccaK

Shop Now IPL Silk-expert Pro 5 amazon.com $349.99 Amazon

Touch Permanent Hair Reduction System

Board-certified dermatologist Ava Shamban recommends the Iluminage Hair Reduction System, as it's especially effective for fair blonde and red hair follicles that are typically more difficult to treat.

One satisfied customer writes: I have had the Iluminage Touch now for over a month and I am very happy with the results! First it was easy to use...all you had to do was open the (beautiful) box and plug it in! After just a few sessions, I have already seen great results! I am now pool ready! NJane

Shop Now Touch Permanent Hair Reduction System nordstrom.com $449.00 Nordstrom

Remington iLight Pro Plus Quartz System

This at-home IPL device comes with its own docking station, along with five adjustable power levels. While I always recommend consulting your dermatologist before starting any new protocol or technology, this one has an added bonus of a built-in skin tone tester indicating if the device and treatment is compatible for your specific skin tone and hair color combination, Shambam adds.

One satisfied customer writes: "This does exactly what I want it to do and it will be helpful for controlling hair growth in the future. Also, other side note, if you can get somebody to help you with this consider doing so. It's really hard to see what you're treating when you start getting at chest level and above. I can imagine the same for areas on your back. Otherwise, get some good magnifying mirrors." Stormyard

Shop Now Remington iLight Pro Plus Quartz System $179.99 Amazon

Infinity Hair Removal Device

For those with brown or black hair and fair to olive skin, this device is a perfect match for removing unwanted hair. It contains five power settings, so you can easily adjust its treatment level, plus, a skin tone sensor to guard against accidental burns.

One satisfied customer writes: "I see so much less hair and my legs are ready for summer after 7-8 treatments. Ive been using it regularly once per month." Youngmommyofthree



Shop Now Infinity Hair Removal Device nordstrom.com $429.00 Nordstrom

RPL Pro

While this tool is technically an RPL (Reactive Pulsed Light) devicewhich is said to be even safer than an IPL onewe still think it deserves a place on our list. With six adjustable energy settings and the option to use it on both your face and body, this essential is worth the investment.

One satisfied customer writes: "This works perfectly if you follow directions & are patient. The unit is easy to use and maneuver around the area you want hair removed. Do wear sunglasses because the laser flashes are very bright." Anonymous

Shop Now RPL Pro amazon.com $399.00 Amazon

IPL Hair Removal Device

For under $100, this painless IPL device is a practically a steal. Plus, the device features a cooling function that soothes skin while preventing it from over-heating.

One satisfied customer writes: "The device is very easy to use and comes with clear instructions. It has multiple settings to accommodate different intensities and features. The device is also relatively painless, which was a huge relief for me. I recommend buying a soothing gel or something if you have thin skin or cannot tolerate the pain on the 9 intensity." KooshaKalhour

Shop Now IPL Hair Removal Device amazon.com $99.99

Is this type of hair removal permanent?

The overall hair loss achieved through IPL is considered to be semi-permanent. According to Shambam, a full course of treatment will damage the majority of hair follicles and significantly slow down the production of hair. However, over time, if the follicle is still functioning, it may produce more hair, albeit thinner, finer, and less dark than before. Eliminating the full function of the follicle is like killing weeds. Its tough! she explains.



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Is the IPL hair removal process painful?

At-home IPL devices typically use a lower amount of energy, so discomfort should be at a minimum and feel like a warm pulse. In contrast, in-office IPL may require numbing to reduce discomfort, which can feel like a hot rubber band snapping against the skin, according to Ross.

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Meet the Experts

Dr. Jaimie DeRosa is a double board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon and founder of DeRosa Clinic Facial Aesthetics based in Boston, Massachusetts.

Joshua Ross is a celebrity aesthetician and the founder of SkinLab based in Manhattan Beach, California.

Dr. Ava Shamban is a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Ava MD in Santa Monica, California.

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Why trust Harper's Bazaar?

For more than 150 years, Harpers Bazaar has been the preeminent fashion and beauty resource for women at every age. We cover whats new and whats next in beauty by working with the worlds leading authorities in dermatology, plastic surgery, cosmetics, skincare, haircare, and fragrance. Every story we publish has been thoroughly researched and vetted by our team of beauty editors and industry experts.

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LOS ANGELES (AP)  The state of California filed a lawsuit against some of the worlds largest oil and gas companies, claiming they deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels now faulted for climate change-related storms and wildfires that caused billions of dollars in damage, officials said Saturday.

The civil lawsuit filed in state Superior Court in San Francisco also seeks creation of a fund  financed by the companies  to pay for recovery efforts following devastating storms and fires. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement the companies named in the lawsuit  Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and BP  should be held accountable.

For more than 50 years, Big Oil has been lying to us  covering up the fact that theyve long known how dangerous the fossil fuels they produce are for our planet, Newsom said. California taxpayers shouldnt have to foot the bill for billions of dollars in damages  wildfires wiping out entire communities, toxic smoke clogging our air, deadly heat waves, record-breaking droughts parching our wells."

The American Petroleum Institute, an industry group also named in the lawsuit, said climate policy should be debated in Congress, not the courtroom.

This ongoing, coordinated campaign to wage meritless, politicized lawsuits against a foundational American industry and its workers is nothing more than a distraction from important national conversations and an enormous waste of California taxpayer resources, institute senior vice president Ryan Meyers said in a statement.

That was echoed in a statement from Shell, which said the courtroom is not the proper venue to address global warming.

Addressing climate change requires a collaborative, society-wide approach, the energy giant said. We agree that action is needed now on climate change, and we fully support the need for society to transition to a lower-carbon future.

California's legal action joins similar lawsuits filed by states and municipalities in recent years.

Californias suit adds to the growing momentum to hold Big Oil accountable for its decades of deception, and secure access to justice for people and communities suffering from fossil-fueled extreme weather and slow onset disasters such as sea level rise," Kathy Mulvey of the Union of Concerned Scientists said in an email.

The 135-page complaint argues that the companies have known since at least the 1960s that the burning of fossil fuels would warm the planet and change the climate, but they downplayed the looming threat in public statements and marketing.

It said the companies' scientists knew as far back as the 1950s that the climate impacts would be catastrophic, and that there was only a narrow window of time in which communities and governments could respond.

Instead, the lawsuit said, the companies mounted a disinformation campaign beginning at least as early as the 1970s to discredit a growing scientific consensus on climate change, and disputed climate change-related risks.

State Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement that the companies "have fed us lies and mistruths to further their record-breaking profits at the expense of our environment. Enough is enough.

Allegations in the lawsuit include faulting the companies for creating or contributing to climate change in California, false advertising, damage to natural resources and unlawful business practices for deceiving the public about climate change.

Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, said in a statement that Californias decision to take Big Oil companies to court is a watershed moment in the rapidly expanding legal fight to hold major polluters accountable for decades of climate lies. ... Californians have been living in a climate emergency caused by the fossil fuel industry, and now the state is taking decisive action to make those polluters pay."

Heavily Democratic California is the birthplace of the modern environmental movement, and the Newsom administration is pushing to expand solar power and other clean energy as the state aims to cut emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2030.

For decades, California was one of the leading oil producers in the country, with a bustling industry that was a pillar in the state economy. The state is now the nations seventh-largest oil producer, according to federal data.

But state regulators have banned the sale of most new gas-powered cars in California by 2035. And Newsom signed a new law earlier this year that gives state regulators the power to penalize oil companies for making too much money, the first of its kind in the country.

While the state is considered a leader in addressing climate change, Newsom has not always lined up with the environmental advocacy wing.

There have been tensions over updates the states aging water delivery system, clashes over new permits for oil and gas wells and what to do with water from rivers swollen by powerful storms, with activists alarmed that diverting too much water would be a death sentence for salmon and other threatened fish species.

Newsom was once a leading voice to shutter the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant  the state's last  but changed course last year and helped pave the way for a potentially longer operating run beyond what had been a planned closing by 2025, leading to criticism from leading environmental groups that has sought its closure.

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Associated Press writer Adam Beam in Sacramento contributed.
DENVER (AP)  Federal officials on Friday renamed a towering mountain southwest of Denver as part of a national effort to address the history of oppression and violence against Native Americans.

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names voted overwhelmingly to change Mount Evans to Mount Blue Sky at the request of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes and with the approval of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. The Arapaho were known as the Blue Sky People, while the Cheyenne hold an annual renewal-of-life ceremony called Blue Sky.

The 14,264-foot (4,348-meter) peak was named after John Evans, Colorados second territorial governor and ex officio superintendent of Indian affairs. Evans resigned after Col. John Chivington led an 1864 U.S. cavalry massacre of more than 200 Arapaho and Cheyenne people  most of them women, children and the elderly  at Sand Creek in what is now southeastern Colorado.

It is a huge step, not only for the Cheyenne and Arapaho people, but also for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, Southern Ute Tribe, Northern Arapaho Tribe, Northern Cheyenne Tribe, and other allies who worked diligently to begin the healing process, bringing honor to a monumental and majestic mountain, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes Gov. Reggie Wassana said after Friday's vote.

Tribal leaders are now focusing their efforts on changing the name of the adjacent Mount Evans Wilderness Area to Mount Blue Sky Wilderness area, which would require congressional action.

Polis, a Democrat, revived the states 15-member geographic naming panel in July 2020 to make recommendations for his review before being forwarded for final federal approval. On Friday, the federal board considered changing several other geographical names submitted from across the country, none as prominent or well-known as Mount Evans.

The name Mount Evans was first applied to the peak in the 1870s and first published on U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps in 1903, according to research compiled for the national naming board. In recommending the change to Mount Blue Sky, Polis said John Evans' culpability for the Sand Creek Massacre, tacit or explicit, is without question.

Colonel Chivington celebrated in Denver, parading the deceased bodies through the streets while Governor Evans praised and decorated Chivington and his men for their valor in subduing the savages, Polis wrote in a Feb. 28 letter to Trent Palmer, the federal renaming boards executive secretary.

Polis added that the state is not erasing the complicated history of Evans, who helped found the University of Denver and Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Evans also played a role in bringing the railroad to Denver, opposed slavery and had a close relationship with Abraham Lincoln, Polis noted.

Studies by Northwestern and the University of Denver published in 2014 also recognized Evans' positive contributions but determined that even though he was not directly involved in the Sand Creek Massacre, he bore some responsibility.

"Evans abrogated his duties as superintendent, fanned the flames of war when he could have dampened them, cultivated an unusually interdependent relationship with the military, and rejected clear opportunities to engage in peaceful negotiations with the Native peoples under his jurisdiction," according to the DU study.

In 2021, the federal panel approved renaming another Colorado peak after a Cheyenne woman who facilitated relations between white settlers and Native American tribes in the early 19th century.

Mestaaehehe Mountain, pronounced mess-taw-HAY, honors and bears the name of an influential translator, also known as Owl Woman, who mediated between Native Americans and white traders and soldiers in what is now southern Colorado. The mountain 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Denver previously included a misogynist and racist term for Native American women.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the federal board took action to eliminate the use of derogatory terms related to Black and Japanese people. The latest moves come amid a reckoning on race relations across the U.S. and under the leadership of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, the nation's first Native American Cabinet member.
BRUSSELS (AP)  A Belgian court on Friday sentenced five men to sentences ranging from 20 years to life in prison on charges of terrorist murder in connection with 2016 suicide bombings that killed 32 people and wounded hundreds at Brussels airport and a busy subway station, the countrys deadliest peacetime attack.

A chief suspect, Salah Abdeslam, had previously been given a 20-year sentence for involvement in a shootout days before the March 22, 2016, attacks and received no further jail time. It happened after police discovered him and another suspect by accident when they inspected what they thought was an empty apartment. Four officers were hurt.

Abdeslam was serving a life sentence without parole in France over his part in attacks that hit Paris cafes, the Bataclan theater and Frances national stadium in 2015. Both the Paris and Brussels attacks were linked to the same Islamic State network.

Taking the stand at a high security court in Brussels on Monday before the jury and magistrates retired to deliberate on sentences, Abdeslam implored them for leniency, insisting that he did not take part in the suicide bombings in Belgium  two at the city's airport and one on a subway train during the morning rush hour - and was not aware of the plot.

I have been demonized. Youve condemned someone who doesnt deserve it, the 34-year-old Frenchman said, according to Belgian daily Le Soir. I ask you to be fair with this last decision, on sentencing.

In total, 10 defendants were involved in what has been the biggest trial in Belgiums judicial history. Two brothers were acquitted of all charges. The other eight were convicted of participating in activities of a terrorist group; six of those eight also were convicted of terrorist murder.

Abdeslam was the only survivor among the Islamic State extremists who struck Paris in November 2015. After months on the run, he was captured in Brussels on March 18, 2016. His arrest may have prompted other members of the IS cell to rush ahead with attack plans on the Belgian capital.

Also convicted of terrorist murder at the trial was Mohamed Abrini, a childhood friend of Abdeslam and a Brussels native who walked away from Zaventem Airport  Belgiums main air hub  after his explosives failed to detonate. He was sentenced to life in prison.

Two others accused of playing a role in the suicide bombing plot  Osama Krayem and Bilal El Makhoukhi  were sentenced to life in prison, while a third, Ali El Haddad Asufi, received a 20-year term.

Oussama Atar, identified as a possible organizer of the deadly attacks on both Paris and Brussels, was convicted of terrorist murder in absentia. He is believed to have died in the Islamic State groups final months of fighting in Iraq and Syria, but was also sentenced to life in prison.

___

This story has been corrected to show that Abdeslam received no new prison sentence.
The Forsyth County District Attorneys Office has dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge against a nurse who had been indicted in the jail-related death of John Neville in December 2019.

Michelle Heughins, a nurse at the Forsyth County Jail, had been charged with involuntary manslaughter in Nevilles death.

The rights of victims in North Carolina are a primary concern of the prosecutors office, the district attorneys office said Friday in a statement.

The victims in this particular case are the surviving family members of John Neville, the district attorneys office said. The family members have expressed their wishes as to the desired outcome for the criminal case: They have asked that the remaining criminal charge against Ms. Heughins be dismissed.

The office of District Attorney Jim ONeill further said, the oath of the district attorney requires we pursue justice, not vengeance. Justice in each individual case must be measured on its merits.

Neville, 56, of Greensboro died at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center on Dec. 4, 2019, a few days after he was taken into custody and brought to the jail on a misdemeanor assault charge out of Guilford County.

John Neville

Nevilles death prompted local protests and a 49-day occupation of Bailey Park led by Triad Abolition Project.

Heughins case had been pending in Forsyth Superior Court.

Heughins was also the only remaining individual defendant in a federal lawsuit filed by Sean Neville, son of John Neville and the executor of John Nevilles estate. The lawsuits civil claims against Heughins and Wellpath LLC, the former health-care provider at the Forsyth County Jail, were dismissed in early July.

A $3 million settlement was reached with the detention officers, Forsyth Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough Jr. and Forsyth County.

The children of John Neville are aware of the facts and evidence learned by investigators in connection with Nevilles death, the district attorneys office said.

In addition, the Neville family members attorney wrote a letter to ONeill, expressing their thanks and their wishes that this case no longer go forward with any criminal prosecution, the district attorneys office said.

The family of John Neville has specifically stated that they do not wish to see any further coverage of their fathers death in the press, the district attorneys office said.

Attorney Jim OONeil argues that public records requested by The News & Observer should remain sealed during a hearing at the Forsyth County Courthouse in Winston-Salem Monday, Feb. 8, 2021. The records could shed light on the actions of deputies in Winston-Salem that led to the death of John Neville while in jail.

At 3:25 a.m. on Dec. 1, 2019, Neville, a father of five children who worked in construction, was booked into the Forsyth County Jail. Kernersville police had arrested Neville on an outstanding warrant for misdemeanor assault on a female.

While he was being booked, Neville told an intake jail official that he had asthma, the lawsuit said. A form from Wellpath showed that the jail medical provider ordered that Neville be given his inhaler four times a day  at 5 a.m., 10 a.m., 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.

That didnt happen, and the last time Neville was able to use the inhaler was at 10:43 a.m. Dec. 1, 2019, the lawsuit said.

Almost exactly 24 hours after Neville was first booked into the jail, detention officers and Heughins went to his cell after his cellmate pushed a button. Neville had fallen from his top bunk  4 feet from the floor  after having seizure-like symptoms. Neville was found sweating with vomit on his clothes and blood around his mouth.

The lawsuit said that although Neville was considered a special needs inmate, he was not immediately sent to the hospital. He was pinned to the floor while Heughins tried to get a pulse, and then he was handcuffed, placed in a restraint chair and taken to a multipurpose room on another floor of the jail.

Neville asked to be turned over so he could breathe. A detention officer told Neville that he was breathing because he was talking and yelling, the lawsuit said.

After three and a half minutes, Neville uttered the last intelligible phrase he ever made, the lawsuit said.

Another detention officer came into the room at one point and told the officers to straighten Nevilles legs. She was in charge of jail operations that night, according to the lawsuit. She made no other suggestions, the lawsuit said.

After five minutes in the prone position, Neville had stopped moving.

Deputies and jail personnel hold John Neville in a prone restraint in his cell.

A detention officer asked Neville if he was OK and Neville groaned a reply. The officer took that as Neville saying he was fine, the lawsuit said.

By the time the bolt cutters removed the handcuffs, Neville had been in a prone position for 12 minutes. Detention officers removed Nevilles blue jumpsuit and left Neville alone in the prone position in the jail cell.

They went back in and started life-saving measures when Heughins noticed Neville wasnt breathing.

Nearly 20 minutes after Neville was first placed in the prone position, Heughins started CPR, according to the lawsuit. Neville had to be revived several times both at the jail and at the hospital before he went into a coma. He was declared dead on Dec. 4, 2019.

An autopsy report said Neville died from a brain injury caused when his heart stopped and his brain was deprived of oxygen. He asphyxiated while being restrained with his arms behind his back and his legs folded up, often referred to informally as hog-tied.
MANZINI  In the quest to defend their president, teachers have vowed to make operations abnormal in schools and sensitise pupils about Mbongwas dismissal.

The destabilisation of operations in schools, according to the teachers, would be done legally through effecting go-slows in schools. A go-slow is a strategy or tactic, especially a form of protest, in which work or progress is deliberately delayed or slowed down. The educators have also promised to hold vigils at government officials homes, where they would be delivering petitions on their grievances, until they get their required responses.

These are some of the resolutions that came from the Swaziland National Association of Teachers (SNAT) extraordinary urgent general council (GC) meeting, which took place at SNAT Centre yesterday.

Decision-making

The GC meeting is the highest decision-making body of the organisation. Over 500 teachers and some members of political affiliations had convened at the SNAT Centre, where deliberations were made on how the teachers union would defend their President, Mbongwa Dlamini, who was fired by government last month.

Mbongwa was dismissed after he was found guilty on all 109 charges of absenteeism, preferred against him by the Teaching Service Commission (TSC). The audience arrived in about 15 buses, while some came in their private vehicles and public transport, clad in their union T-shirts.

Support

As per the norm in such a gathering, they began with vusela exercises, where they were seen singing and dancing to political songs. At some point, they were also seen lifting their president to show him support. In going about effecting the disturbances, SNAT Secretary General (SG) Lot Vilakati said they were going to apply court rules and maintain legality in their actions.

Vilakati said there would be petition deliveries to regional education offices (REOs). These petition deliveries, he said, would be facilitated through structures of regions. The SG mentioned that they would meet through these structures and then report to the GC, to organise dates for the petition deliveries, and thereafter, the petitions would be sent.

He highlighted that there was one government official who they once delivered a petition to, but was now home. He said they hoped to also visit that particular official. It is a known fact that we are Zionists and prayer warriors. In this regard, we will be holding vigils in the homes of some government officials such as the Chairperson of the Teaching Service Commission, who earns about E78 000, Vilakati supposed.

Petitions

He elaborated that they would announce when the visit would be. He reiterated that members should remember to send these petitions to these officials. The SG said even officers of the law once sent petitions to the National Commissioner of Police, William Tsitsibala Dlamini, and got their required demands. He said the same happened for lawyers. Likewise, Vilakati said it was now the time for teachers to follow suit.

There will also be a need to sensitise society on the issue of our president. Wherever there is a teacher, the issue of our president should be known how he was mistreated by government. Even young children need to know about this, said the SG. Addressing the meeting, Vilakati said if he was a history teacher, he would even teach his learners about the issue of their president. He said this to the rapturous applause of the audience.

Meanwhile, the SG asserted that something ought to be done in schools. Let there be no normalcy in schools. Please understand me well here, I do not mean that we should not monitor exams, assist learners with answers during the external examinations, or that we should boycott marking. But be mindful that you are unwell and that you should not go fast when going to teach, he said, also to the applause of the meeting.

Resolutions

Adding to the resolutions, Vilakati said those who would speak ill of the teachers union, be it at schools or anywhere, should be recorded; head teachers included. He said those would be noted so that they would be included on the lists of those who would be visited during the vigils. The SG said he was aware that there were also memos discouraging teachers from attending the GC meeting.

Those too, according to the SG, would be included among the vigils. The same way that government has preached about decentralisation, and so will the work of SNAT be decentralised in the homes of those officials, he said.

Vilakati added that the petition delivery would also be presented to the Ministry of Education and Training. He clarified that a petition was different from a demonstration, in that a petition was delivered to a set destination, unlike a demonstration, which was taken to the streets.

We are not going to make demonstrations but will deliver petitions. As far as I can recall, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Prince Simelane did not revoke the banning of demonstrations. However, he said petition deliveries were not banned, he said.

Responses

Vilakati said essentially, it meant that if their petitions were not replied, they would spend nights at the government officials residences until they received they satisfactory responses. On another note, the SG was of the view that the Recognition Agreement was not complied with. He said the agreement stipulated that meetings were allowed during working hours, as well as the use of schools.

However, Vilakati said the Ministry of Public Service came with a different Recognition Agreement, which was of the assertion that civil servants were banned from participating in political issues and any union politics. According to Vilakati, this was confusing and utterly off side.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met during a high-stakes meeting in eastern Russia this week, underscoring deep ties and possibly cementing a military support and technology deal the U.S. warns will prolong the war in Ukraine.

While no official announcement was made, Western analysts still expect that North Korea and Russia reached an agreement in which Pyongyang will provide Moscow with artillery shells in return for food and critical technology to power nuclear missiles and satellites.

Greg Kennedy, the director of economic conflict and competition research group at Kings College London, said the lack of a formally announced deal probably has the intention to keep people uncertain on the specifications to avoid international scrutiny, especially because it would violate United Nations security resolutions.

The uncertainty is something they can work with, Kennedy said. Without some kind of narrative or some kind of agreement thats been verified by Western press, then youre able to tell whatever narrative or whatever story you want around the world. So in different places, different Russian representatives can say different things.

Kim traveled to the city of Vladivostok in eastern Russia via armored trained at the beginning of this week, making the trip after Russias Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited North Korea in July.

The two leaders met Wednesday and announced that ties remained strong, according to North Koreas Foreign Ministry. Kim said he supported the strategic interests of Russia and vowed to strengthen relations even further. He even invited Putin to visit North Korea.

Kim also toured the Vostochny Cosmodrome, a major launch center in Russia, as North Korea has struggled to get satellites up into space. Kim is extending his stay in Russia, expected to tour Russias Pacific fleet and other facilities in the coming days. North Korea may also seek help with modernizing its navy and air forces.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Friday said there was no deal signed on military-technical cooperation.

No agreements were signed on this issue or on other issues and there were no such plans, he said, according to Russian state-run media outlet Tass.

Details of any forged deal are likely to be revealed over time by Western intelligence officials who are monitoring the situation closely. Sasha Baker, the U.S. acting undersecretary of defense for policy, said the U.S. will try to identify and expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment.

The implications of any deal are high. North Korea, which is still technically at war with South Korea and has robust artillery production, likely has tens of millions of rounds it could deliver to Russia, which is expending high rates of artillery. Any technology provided to North Korea could lead to an emboldened Pyongyang, which has been ramping up nuclear missile testing as tensions rise with South Korea.

The U.S. has warned that North Korea will pay a price if the country supports Russia in the war against Ukraine.

Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said on Thursday they were monitoring the situation and would expect a deal was made.

What were seeing right now is Russia in quite a desperate mode and seeking support from North Korea, she told reporters. Providing any type of ammunition would further continue the war.

Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko also threw himself into the mix this week, saying there could be a three-way alliance among his country, Russia and North Korea.

Summing up all of the developments, Kennedy, of Kings College London, said for Russia, theres a bit of embarrassment here.

This is not the great alliance of World War II or anything like that, he said.

But Kennedy noted that the likely deal means Russia could now fight through the winter while it ramps up production at home.

Anybody who thinks this was going to be over has been hedging their bets, he said of the war in Ukraine. You should probably open your eyes and realize that this is going to be a long term thing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A former legislative director for Texas Rep. Tony Tinderholt of Arlington has come under fire for a vulgar message he sent to a woman on social media, a day after he posed for a photo at a fundraiser with Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn and other conservative figures.

Tinderholt called the comment by Jake Neidert disgusting, adding that it would have been a fireable offense if Neidert hadnt already been terminated from his office this summer.

Neiderts private message on X, formerly Twitter, made a vulgar suggestion to the woman of inseminating her, using a pun that referenced the Sandy Hook school shooting that killed 26 people. The woman posted a screenshot of the message and wrote that Neidert is an active employee of the Texas legislature.

In response, Tinderholt said Neidert had been fired over the summer.

Tinderholt added: This is a disgusting comment. Had he made it while employed by my office, his employment would have been immediately terminated for it.

Neiderts offensive message came to light a day after he posed in a photo at a clay pigeon shoot with a group that included Waybourn and Kyle Rittenhouse, the young conservative activist who was acquitted of shootings in Wisconsin during the civil unrest of summer 2020.

Rittenhouse had shared the photo Wednesday on his X account with a brief message saying it was a great day to shoot clays with the group. He has since deleted it.

Waybourns office said Friday that more than 100 people participated in the widely advertised clay shoot fundraiser.

That being said, I dont have personal knowledge of the social media practices of attendees, but its sad to learn such a message was sent to any woman. The comment is horribly insensitive and should be offensive to anyone, Waybourn said in a statement to the Star-Telegram.

Neiderts twin sister Kelly is the founder of Protect Texas Kids, which has been behind drag show protests across the state, including Fort Worth. Protect Texas Kids has protested alongside white supremacist groups, including Patriot Front, Aryan Freedom Network and the New Columbia Movement, as well as This is Texas Freedom Force, which the FBI has designated as an extremist militia.

Rittenhouse has become a popular figure among some conservatives after his acquittal on the charges of shooting three men  two fatally  during protests sparked by the Kenosha police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man. Rittenhouse, 17 at the time, said he acted in self-defense.

The photo that Rittenhouse posted from the clay pigeon shoot also tagged Cary Cheshire, executive director of Texans for Strong Borders, and Chad Shoemake, former political director of the Texas Republican Party.
A former Kentucky police chief was sentenced Friday to five months behind bars after being accused of stealing more than $25,000.

Jason D. Cross, who was police chief in Columbia, took the money between February 2020 and February 2021, according to a news release from Michael A. Bennett, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, and Kentucky State Police Commissioner Phillip Burnett Jr.

Cross took money from the evidence room at the Columbia Police Department and from a fund used to make undercover drug buys, according to the release.

Cross will be on supervised release for a year after completing his jail time.

Cross, 46, began working as a deputy sheriff in Adair County in March 1999 and then took a job with the police department in Columbia in 2001, ultimately becoming chief. He retired March 1, 2021, according to a court document.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David Weiser said in a sentencing memorandum that the officer who took over as chief after Cross, Junior Murphy, ordered an audit of the evidence room which showed that $18,990 in cash seized in various cases was missing.

One example involved $9,750 that police seized during the search of a motel room.

After officers counted the money and put it in an evidence bag, they gave it to Cross. The bag and money were not in the evidence room during the audit, according to the prosecution memo.

Murphy contacted Cross during the audit and asked if it would show problems.

Cross told him that the $9,750 from the hotel search was in a locked cabinet at the police department, not in the evidence room, the memo said.

When Murphy had a locksmith open the cabinet, he found the evidence bag torn open and the money missing, according to Weisers memo.

Cross later asked Murphy to come and pick up guns and clothing he had that belonged to the police department.

When Murphy got to Cross house, Cross directed him to the dining room, where there were six torn evidence bags on the table with cash on top of each, as well as two envelopes of cash from evidence bags Cross had apparently misplaced, the memo said.

There also was a Ziploc bag with $9,742, representing the missing cash from the hotel room search, but the serial numbers did not match those on the bills police had initially seized and recorded, according to Weisers memo.

Some of the bills Cross turned over to police were crisp $100 bills with consecutive serial numbers  not consistent with what police would expect to seize from a street-level drug dealer, the memo said.

The implication was that Cross replaced the money he took with other cash to cover the theft.

Weiser said that while awaiting sentencing, Cross gave court officials a fantastical account claiming he accidentally took home a plastic box from the office and discovered a month later that it magically happened to contain over $18,000 in cash missing from the evidence room.

Records also showed that Cross had requested $9,000 from the fund to make undercover drug buys, but officers only used $1,995, leaving $7,005 unaccounted for, according to the prosecutor.

Cross attorney told Scott Hammond, a state police detective, in May 2021 that if he was looking for missing drug-buy money, it was under a safe near the police chiefs office.

An officer looked under the safe, which is in a hallway and has legs so there is a space under it, and found a bank bag containing $6,920, Weiser said.

Police speculate that after Cross figured out Hammond was investigating the drug-buy fund, Cross gave the bag of cash to a friend who surreptitiously left it under the safe, according to the prosecutor.

Cross attorney, Frank Mascagni III, said in a sentencing memo that Cross returned the $18,000 and that he had stored about $7,000 under a safe which was never removed from the police department.

There are facts in dispute and certainly the interpretation of those facts remain in dispute, Mascagni said of the case.

Cross entered an Alford plea in the case, meaning he did not admit guilt but acknowledged there was sufficient evidence for a conviction.

The effect in a criminal case is the same as for a guilty plea..
Mexico declared its independence from Spain on Sept. 16, 1810, and established diplomatic relations with the United States 200 years years ago.

The close relationship between the two nations was highlighted Friday at Fresno City Hall, where Mexicos green, white and red flag was hoisted up one of the three flagpoles along P Street in front of the building in recognition of Mexican Independence Day and the contribution of Mexican-Americans to Fresno and the Valley.

Over 50% of our population is of Hispanic origin, Fresno City Council Vice President Annalisa Perea told The Fresno Bee. What this means is that while it is symbolic in nature to raise a flag, its really a reminder to the people that their city has their back.  Its important for us to not only celebrate (the independence anniversary), but also to honor those individuals here in our own city that have contributed to the successes and advances and vibrancy of our city.

The vast majority of Hispanic or Latino residents in Fresno and Fresno County are of Mexican descent, U.S. Census Bureau data shows.

Consul General Adriana Gonzalez Carillo, who heads the Mexican governments consulate in north Fresno, spoke at the ceremony of the importance of the relationship between the U.S. and Mexico.

Raising the flag of Mexico is a symbol of the friendship between our countries, Mexico and the U.S., on the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations, Gonzalez Carillo said. We honor the shared prosperity that as good neighbors we build every day, and celebrate our binational community of more than 3 million Mexicans and Mexican-Americans that live in Fresno and the Central Valley.

Mexican consul Adriana Gonzalez Carrillo dedicated the the Mexican Independence Day ceremony at Fresno City Hall to farmworkers on Sept. 15, 2023.

Gonzalez Carillo and Perea both spoke of the importance of migrant labor from Mexico to the Valleys economy.

It is very important that Fresno recognizes Mexico by raising the flag on this national independence day, because this is also the home of many Mexican men and women for many decades who have come to work looking for a dream and managing to collaborate to enhance the city of Fresno and the Central Valley of California, the consul told The Bee.

The original communities of Mexico  mainly Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacan, Chiapas, which are mainly indigenous communities  are the ones who work in the fields, Gonzalez Carillo added. They are the ones who fight every day so that their children can study and in the future they can dedicate themselves to something else that involves less physical effort.

Perea, who co-sponsored the ceremony with Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer, acknowledged that those farm laborers may not know were honoring them today, but its important for everyone else to acknowledge that 98% of those in the fields are Mexicans.

Without them, we literally would not have food on our tables, Perea added. Its important now more than ever, in Hispanic Heritage Month, to pause and really honor these individuals. Its so easy to go about our day and not think about where our food comes from.

Dyer noted that through the flag-raising ceremony  conducted by an award-winning honor guard from the Autonomous University of Baja California at Ensenada  we only celebrate the independence of Mexico from Spain, but we are also honoring and valuing every person of Mexican descent.

From the farm workers to doctors, teachers, judges, corporate executives and even City Council members, they are difference-makers in our community and we are honored by the celebration they make right here in Fresno, he added.

Dyer was joined by Perea and City Council members Nelson Esparza, Miguel Arias and Mike Karbassi in presenting a proclamation to Gonzalez Carillo. Certificates were also presented by representatives of state Sen. Anna Caballero, Assembly Member Esmeralda Soria, and Congressman Jim Costa.

The Mexican government has had a consulate in Fresno for 92 years; Gonzalez Carillo has been the consul general in Fresno for four years.
By John Morris

LOCKEPORT, Nova Scotia (Reuters) -Lee made landfall as a post-tropical cyclone packing hurricane-force winds in a far western part of Canada's Nova Scotia province on Saturday, flooding roads, downing trees and cutting out power for tens of thousands of people along the North Atlantic coast.

At least one storm-related fatality was recorded on Saturday. A motorist in the U.S. state of Maine died after a tree fell on his vehicle, local media reported.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its latest advisory that Lee was moving north after it made landfall on Long Island, a small island southwest of Halifax, on Saturday. The still-powerful weather system packed maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (100 km/h) with higher gusts, forecasters said.

Lee, now located about 40 miles (60 km) east-southeast of Eastport, Maine and about 130 miles (215) west of Halifax, is expected to weaken steadily during the next couple of days.

It brought strong winds, coastal flooding and heavy rains to parts of coastal Maine and Atlantic Canada.

In the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, around 120,000 people were without power on Saturday as winds knocked down trees and felled power lines. In neighboring New Brunswick, nearly 20,000 people experienced power outages.

"Crews have been able to restore power to some customers ... however, conditions are getting worse. In many cases, especially when winds are above 80 km/h (49.7 mph), it isn't safe for our crews," Matt Drover of the Nova Scotia electric utility said earlier on Saturday.

Winds have reached over 100 km/h (62 mph) in parts of the west and over 90 km/h (56 mph) in downtown Halifax, the largest city in Nova Scotia, he said in a statement. Halifax airport was closed to all flights.

In Maine, nearly 70,000 customers were out of power as of late Saturday, according to website PowerOutages.us.

Fierce waves lashing Nova Scotia's shoreline littered flooded coastal roads with debris in some localities.

"The intensity of the storm is strong," said Paul Mason, the executive director of the Nova Scotia Emergency Management Office. "Storm surge is expected to be the most intense in the afternoon into the early evening."

The storm may bring an additional 1-2 inches (20 to 50 millimeters) of rain in parts of eastern Maine and New Brunswick in Canada, the NHC said, highlighting the risk of flooding in these areas.

"Lee will continue to impact the region tonight with rain or showers, strong winds, and high waves along the Atlantic coast," the Canadian Hurricane Centre said in a statement.

In anticipation of the storm's impact, U.S. President Joe Biden's administration issued an emergency declaration for Maine and Massachusetts, providing federal assistance for the states.

Lee has been churning as a large hurricane over the Atlantic for more than a week, briefly threatening Bermuda but mostly harmless for anyone on land. It marks the second year in a row that such a powerful storm has reached Canada after Hurricane Fiona ripped into eastern Canada a year ago.

(Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa, Idrees Ali in Washington, Maria Caspani in New York, Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, California and Brendan O'Brien in Chicago; Editing by Kim Coghill, Mike Harrison, Diane Craft, Daniel Wallis and David Gregorio)
The Meridian Fire Department responded to five garage fires this month. At least three were caused by the incorrect storage of lithium ion batteries, according to the department.

Lithium batteries are rechargeable and commonly used in electric vehicles and portable electronic devices. The Idaho Statesman asked what kind of batteries caused the fires. Kelsey Winnett, spokesperson for the Meridian Fire Department, did not elaborate except to say that the fires were not caused by charging vehicle batteries.

The department responded to the latest fire on Thursday morning near Eagle and McMillan Roads. No human injuries were reported, but the familys cat died in the fire, the department said.

When crews arrived on scene, they saw the fire was coming from the home garage and were able to put it out.

Meridian Fire Department put out a fire in the 2000 block of Meadowdale Street. It was the fifth garage fire in two weeks.

Firefighters with the Boise and Eagle Fire Departments assisted.

The fire department reminded residents in a news release that they should avoid charging lithium batteries overnight and without supervision.

Thought this summer was toasty? Boise could be as hot as this Southwest city by 2100

Development interests donate to Meridian candidates they favor. See whos giving to whom
The North Carolina man who live-streamed threats in 2021 to detonate alleged explosives in his truck parked on a sidewalk blocks from the US Capitol was sentenced to five years probation Friday after a judge found the man had been suffering from a significant psychiatric episode at the time.

Floyd Roseberry, who pleaded guilty in January to threatening to use explosives, spent a year behind bars in Washington, DC.

During Fridays hearing, Judge Rudolph Contreras said that an expert for the court found that medication Roseberry was on at the time can cause psychiatric episodes for an individual diagnosed  as Roseberry had been  with bipolar disorder.

The judge noted the expert said it was unlikely that Roseberry would have committed his crime were he not on the incorrectly prescribed medication.

Contreras said that the crime was shocking, especially in the wake of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol that same year, but noted that Roseberrys claims at the time that he could have blown up two city blocks and had co-conspirators stationed around DC were entirely false.

The judge also praised Roseberry for intervening to protect a DC prison guard who was attacked from behind by a fellow inmate before Roseberry grabbed the assailant.

The guard suffered a broken jaw from the attack, according to Contreras, and as a result of his actions in protecting the guard, inmates later threw feces and urine at Roseberry.

This selfless act  further indicates his lack of danger to the community, Contreras said.

Before being sentenced, Roseberry told the judge that he was put on the wrong medication before the incident after being overwhelmed by the loss of several family members and attempting to kill himself.

If I had been on the correct medication, this never would have happened, Roseberry said, expressing that he was sorry for what he did and later noting how horrible his time in the DC jail had been.

Roseberrys wife, who was in the audience during the hearing, takes good care of him, Contreras said, adding that she was staying on top of his new medication.

Im very optimistic that that was the worst day of your life, Contreras said, adding that if anything like it happened again, Roseberry would not find the judge so accommodating.

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VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships on Saturday, accompanied by President Vladimir Putin's defence minister.

A smiling Kim was greeted in Russia's Knevichi airfield, about 50 km (30 miles) from the Pacific port city of Vladivostok, by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who saluted him. The North Korean leader then inspected a guard of honour.

The United States and South Korea fear the revival of Moscow's friendship with Pyongyang could give Kim access to some of Russia's sensitive missile and other technology while helping arm Russia in its war in Ukraine.

Shoigu showed Kim Russia's strategic bombers - the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 - which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons and form the backbone of Russia's nuclear air attack force, Russia's defence ministry said.

"It can fly from Moscow to Japan and then back again," Shoigu told Kim of one aircraft.

Kim was shown asking about how the missiles were fired from the aircraft, at times nodding and smiling.

Shoigu showed him the MiG-31I supersonic interceptor aircraft equipped with "Kinzhal" hypersonic missiles. The Kinzhal, or dagger, is an air-launched ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads.

It has a reported range of 1,500 to 2,000 km (930-1,240 miles) while carrying a payload of 480 kg (1,100 pounds). It may travel at up to 10 times the speed of sound (12,000 kph, 7,700 mph).

Russia's ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, told reporters that Kim's programme was "very intense" and that it was not yet clear how long he would remain in Russia, Russian state news agency RIA reported.

KIM VISITS RUSSIAN PACIFIC FLEET

After the aircraft and missiles, Kim inspected the Russian Pacific Fleet's frigate "Marshal Shaposhnikov" in Vladivostok and saw a demonstration of modern missile control systems, RIA said.

South Korea and the United States said on Friday that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia would violate U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang and that the allies would ensure there was a price to pay.

Russia has gone out of its way to publicise Kim's visit and drop repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union.

For Putin, who says Moscow is locked in an existential battle with the West over Ukraine, courting Kim allows him to needle Washington and its Asian allies while potentially securing a deep supply of artillery for the Ukraine war.

Washington has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, which has the world's biggest store of nuclear warheads, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made.

Kim on Friday inspected a Russian fighter jet factory that is under Western sanctions.

He and Putin discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and deepening cooperation when they met on Wednesday. Putin told reporters Russia was "not going to violate anything", but would keep developing relations with North Korea.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there had not been a plan to sign any formal agreements during the visit.

Russian diplomats said Washington had no right to lecture Moscow after the United States had bolstered its allies across the world, including with a visit of a U.S. nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine to South Korea in July.

While in Vladivostok, Kim watched the first act of the ballet "Sleeping Beauty", staged by St Petersburg's Mariinsky theatre, the RIA news agency reported.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Kevin Liffey; Editing by William Mallard and Mark Potter)
A one-year-old child died and three other youngsters were hospitalised after an incident at a New York City daycare, according to reports.

A two-year-old boy is in critical condition, while another two-year-old boy and an eight-month-old girl are both in stable condition.

The one-year-old boy was declared dead at the scene of the Friday incident, the Divino Nino daycare in the Kingsbridge Heights area of the Bronx, says the New York Police Department.

The infants were found unresponsive by staff at the facility, who called 911. When EMS first responders arrived they found two infants in cardiac arrest and called the FDNY for backup, reported CBS News.

The children reportedly ate food at around 1 pm before taking a nap. When staff went to wake them at 2.30pm they were found unresponsive, reported WABC.

The FDNY tested for a carbon monoxide leak and determined that was not the cause.

An investigation is focussing on whether drugs played a role in the death, according to NBC 4 New York.

The facility is licensed to look after up to eight children between the ages of six weeks and 12 years old.

A witness told CBS New York that they heard staff screaming and saw unresponsive toddlers on a mat inside the daycare.

She says a worker was yelling, Theyre dying, theyre dying, as an employee was carrying a child outside.

Police sources told WABC that the daycare owner is fully cooperating with police and helping with the investigation.
Doctors say they're finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish Covid from allergies or the common cold, even as hospitalizations tick up.

The illness' past hallmarks, such as a dry cough or the loss of sense of taste or smell, have become less common. Instead, doctors are observing milder disease, mostly concentrated in the upper respiratory tract.

"It isnt the same typical symptoms that we were seeing before. Its a lot of congestion, sometimes sneezing, usually a mild sore throat," said Dr. Erick Eiting, vice chair of operations for emergency medicine at Mount Sinai Downtown in New York City.

The sore throat usually arrives first, he said, then congestion.

The Zoe COVID Symptom Study, which collects data on self-reported symptoms in the U.K. through smartphone apps, has documented the same trend. Its findings suggest that a sore throat became more common after the omicron variant grew dominant in late 2021. Loss of smell, by contrast, became less widespread, and the rate of hospital admissions declined compared to summer and fall 2021.

Doctors now describe a clearer, more consistent pattern of symptoms.

"Just about everyone who I've seen has had really mild symptoms," Eiting said of his urgent care patients, adding, "The only way that we knew that it was Covid was because we happened to be testing them."

How do Covid symptoms progress?

Though three doctors interviewed said Covid commonly begins with a sore throat these days, they gave differing descriptions of the severity.

Dr. Grace McComsey, vice dean for clinical and translational research at Case Western University, said some patients have described "a burning sensation like they never had, even with strep in the past."

"Then, as soon as the congestion happens, it seems like the throat gets better," she said.

Along with congestion, doctors said, some patients experience a headache, fatigue, muscle aches, fever, chills or post-nasal drip that may lead to a cough  though coughing isn't a primary symptom.

McComsey said fatigue and muscle aches usually last a couple of days, whereas congestion can sometimes last a few weeks.

She estimated that only around 10-20% of her Covid patients lose their sense of taste or smell now, compared to around 60-70% early in the pandemic.

Eiting said he's not seeing a lot of diarrhea lately, either  a more common symptom in the past.

For the most part, the doctors said, few patients require hospitalization  even those who show up at emergency rooms  and many recover without needing the antiviral pill Paxlovid or other treatment.

"Especially since July, when this recent mini-surge started, younger people that have upper respiratory symptoms  cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever and chills  99% of the time they go home with supportive care," said Dr. Michael Daignault, an emergency physician at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California.

Why Covid seems milder now

Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, attributed the mild symptoms that doctors are seeing to immunity from vaccines and previous infections.

"Overall, the severity of Covid is much lower than it was a year ago and two years ago. Thats not because the variants are less robust. Its because the immune responses are higher," Barouch said.

Other doctors think that omicron itself also changed the presentation of Covid symptoms, since some studies have shown that early versions of it werent as good as previous variants at infecting the lungs.

The most prevalent subvariant circulating now is EG.5, followed by a strain called FL.1.5.1. Together, those two appear to be driving an uptick in Covid infections, though scientists are also watching BA.2.86, a variant with a large number of mutations that looks significantly different from previous versions of omicron. Though cases of BA.2.86 are rising in the U.S., it isnt among the top variants circulating.

Barouch said the new booster shots should be effective against those three strains and others.

Who is being hospitalized?

The U.S. is recording around 19,000 Covid hospitalizations per week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The weekly average rose around 80% from early August to the beginning of September.

Hospitalization rates are highest among people ages 75 and up, followed by babies under 6 months and adults ages 65 to 74. Most people hospitalized for Covid since January had not received a bivalent booster, according to the CDC.

Older people in particular may have waning immunity if they havent been infected or vaccinated recently, Daignault said.

"Thats why the priority should be to vaccinate that particular group of patients with the fall booster," he said.

Daignault said emergency rooms generally arent seeing the shortness of breath, low oxygen rates or viral pneumonia that led some patients to be put on oxygen tubes or ventilators in the past.

Instead, he said, the typical Covid patients hospitalized in Burbank are older and suffering dehydration, loss of appetite, weakness or fatigue.

What does long Covid look like now?

A study published this month found that long Covid rates declined once omicron became the dominant variant. Researchers dont know if milder disease contributed to that trend, or if population immunity was largely responsible.

But McComsey  a principal investigator for the National Institutes of Healths RECOVER Initiative, which studies long Covid  said she's still seeing new cases of long Covid. Rapid heart rate and exercise intolerance are among the most common lingering symptoms, she said.

Each re-infection brings a risk of long Covid, McComsey added, so she doesn't think people should ignore the current rise in infections.

"What were seeing in long Covid clinics is not just the older strains that continue to be symptomatic and not getting better  were adding to that number with the new strain as well," McComsey said. "Thats why Im not taking this new wave any less seriously."
Toby Green in Compact:

Since 2021, military coups have ousted governments across much of West and Central Africa. The wave of coups started in Chad (April 2021), then spread to Mali (May 2021), Guinea (September 2021), Burkina Faso (January and September 2022), Niger (July), and most recently Gabon, where the Bongo family was dislodged from power after ruling the country since independence. All of these are former French colonies, so this chain of events indicates that the postcolonial settlement that has prevailed across Francafriquedefined by a shared French-controlled currency, the CFA, and the presence of French military basesis in crisis.

The overthrow of elected leaders has usually been greeted by widespread public approvaland the main exception to this is itself telling. In Chad, where there were large protests against the seizure of power, the coup was led by Mahamat Deby after the death of his father, Idriss, who had been in power for more than 30 years. In other words, Chadians didnt protest because this was a coup, but becauselike citizens of neighboring countries who celebrated the recent military coupsthey wanted to be rid of the old elite.

Sixty years after political independence, in which promises of democratization and development have offered scant benefits for the vast majority of people, the Western-led global order has failed Africa. And this is where the wave of coups intersects with another story from the Global South: the growing clout of BRICS nations, lately on display in various attempts to develop alternatives to dollar hegemony.

More here.
MILAN (AP)  European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to travel Sunday to the Italian island of Lampedusa, which was overwhelmed with thousands of migrants arrivals this week, at the invitation of Italys premier, who is calling for a naval blockade of North Africa.

Von der Leyens spokesman, Eric Mamer, confirmed on Saturday that she would make the trip at the invitation of Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni.

Tensions on the small island were rising Saturday, as both residents and migrants chafed at the long wait times to transfer people from the crowded reception center to the Italian mainland. Nearly 7,000 migrants arrived on Lampedusa from Tunisia this week, and the Red Cross said that 3,800 remained on the island on Friday.

Media reports indicated that was down to about 2,000, with authorities working to transfer most of those by the end of Saturday.

Residents gathered in the center of town Saturday to protest plans to put up a tent city on Lampedusa, and demanded a meeting with a Sicilian regional law enforcement official. A representative told the official that islanders have run out of patience after three decades of coping with arrivals.

Meanwhile, footage aired by SKY TG24 showed police using shields to prevent migrants inside the reception center from surging to the gate. Elsewhere, migrants sat along a roadside looking fatigued in the heat, waiting for a transfer.

Migrants continued to arrive Saturday, but in far smaller numbers, around 500. They included the body of a newborn, who reportedly was born during the crossing. The mother was being treated at a clinic on the island.

On Saturday, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi called for concrete measures aimed at blocking the departures at their origins during a video conference with his French, German and Spanish counterparts, and EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson.

The group agreed to work on an operational response during an upcoming gathering of EU justice and interior ministry officials later this month.

Meloni on Friday vowed extraordinary measures to deal with an influx of migrants, calling anew for a naval blockade of North Africa and saying that Europe needs a paradigm change to deal with issues pushing migration, including conflict, instability, soaring grain prices and climate crises.

Obviously, Italy and Europe can't welcome this massive influx of people, especially when these migrant flows are being managed by unscrupulous traffickers, she said.

Most of the migrants arrived from Tunisia, despite an EU accord with the North African country to stem smuggling operations in exchange for economic aid.

The crisis is causing tensions in Melonis government, as the head of the League, Matteo Salvini, has raised his criticism on the EU-Tunisia deal.

As Meloni hosts von der Leyen in Lampedusa, Salvini on Sunday has invited French far-right leader Marine Le Pen to an annual League rally in the northern Italian town of Pontida.

___

Follow APs coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
By David Shepardson

(Reuters) -Negotiators for the United Auto Workers and Ford had "reasonably productive discussions" toward a new contract, the union said on Saturday, while officials at Chrysler parent Stellantis said the UAW had rejected a plan to save jobs at an Illinois factory.

About 12,700 UAW workers remained on strike for a second day as part of a coordinated labor action targeting three U.S. assembly plants - one at each of the Detroit Three automakers.

Union negotiators and representatives of General Motors, Ford and Stellantis resumed talks on Saturday, a day after the UAW initiated the most ambitious U.S. industrial labor action in decades.

There was no sign of a breakthrough as of Saturday afternoon.

However, the UAW comment about the tenor of talks at Ford was more positive than the union's characterization of progress ahead of the kickoff of the strikes. On Thursday, Ford CEO Jim Farley said the UAW's proposals would push the company to bankruptcy, adding that there was "nothing going on" in negotiations.

"As we have said all along, Ford has bet on the UAW more than any other company. We are committed to reaching an agreement with UAW that rewards our workers and allows Ford to invest in the future. We have to win together," Mark Truby, Ford's chief communications officer, said in a statement.

Stellantis said on Saturday it had hiked its offer, proposing raises of 20% over a four-and-a-half-year contract term, including an immediate 10% hike. That matches proposals from GM and Ford.

The automakers said the proposals work out to a cumulative 21% hike over the period, but they are still significantly below the 40% wage hike the UAW is demanding through 2027. The union's wage demand includes a 20% immediate increase.

Mark Stewart, the North American chief operating officer for Stellantis, told reporters on Saturday the UAW rejected a proposal to keep an assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois open, noting that the company's offer had been contingent on reaching agreement before the contract expiration.

Stewart declined to offer specific details, but added that Stellantis was still willing to talk about the facility's future. He described the company's latest offer as "very compelling."

Stellantis also said it is offering more than $1 billion in retirement security improvements and other increases in benefits.

"This is not about greed," he said, "This is about sharing success."

'GO THE DISTANCE'

The strikes have halted production at three plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri that produce the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet Colorado, along with other popular models.

Automakers have said they need cost-competitive contracts because of the need to spend billions of dollars to make the transition to electric vehicles (EV), while workers note U.S. automakers have enjoyed robust profits over the last decade and had hiked CEO salaries by 40% on average since 2019.

On Friday, Ford said it was indefinitely laying off 600 workers at a Michigan plant because of the impact of the strike at the facility, which makes the Bronco SUV, and GM told some 2,000 workers at a Kansas car plant that their factory likely would be shut down next week for lack of parts, stemming from a strike at a Missouri plant.

Stellantis said on Saturday it does not anticipate any other plants being disrupted by the strike at its Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio.

UAW President Shawn Fain called the reports of planned layoffs of non-striking workers an attempt by the automakers to "squeeze" union members into accepting a weaker settlement.

"Their plan won't work," Fain said in a statement. "We'll organize one day longer than they can, and go the distance to win economic and social justice at the Big Three."

Besides higher wages, the UAW is demanding shorter work weeks, restoration of defined benefit pensions and stronger job security as automakers make the EV shift. The union also wants an end to so-called "two-tier" wages, while automakers have proposed cutting the number of years needed to reach top pay levels from eight to four years. The UAW said the automakers have rejected many key demands.

The automakers have said the UAW demands could hike the current mid-$60-per-hour labor cost to more than $150 an hour. GM said on Thursday the UAW wage and benefits proposals would cost it $100 billion, while Ford's Farley said the a 40% UAW wage hike would "put us out of business."

U.S. President Joe Biden, who faces re-election next year, called on Friday for the auto companies to reward workers just as executives' salaries have risen. "The companies have made some significant offers, but I believe they should go further to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts," he said.

(Reporting by David Shepardson and Joseph White; Editing by Paul Simao)
Members of the Wagner Group military company sit atop of a tank on a street in Rostov-on-Don, Russia (AP)

The UK has formally banned Russia's mercenary Wagner Group as a terrorist organisation weeks after the death of its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The government order, approved on Friday, makes it a criminal offence to be a member or a supporter of the paramilitary group in the UK.

The Russian mercenary organisation, Wagner Group, has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation today after an order was laid in Parliament on Wednesday September 6, the Home Office said in a statement.

Apart from joining the group or showing support, arranging meetings for the group and displacing Wagner's flag or logo will also be considered a criminal offence.

Those found guilty of violating the order will face a potential prison sentence of up to 14 years, which can be handed down alongside or in place of a fine, it added.

The move puts Wagner in the same category as the Islamic State group, the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Boko Haram in Africa and Northern Ireland paramilitaries among others.

The Wagner Group is a private military company that was under the control of Prigozhin until his reported death in a plane crash on 23 August.

It has been a key part of Moscows fighting force in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Home secretary Suella Braverman proposing the ban last week said Wagner has been "involved in looting, torture and barbarous murders".

Calling the group a "threat to national security", Ms Braverman added:"They are terrorists, plain and simple - and this proscription order makes that clear in UK law."

The ban will allow UK authorities to seize the organisations assets in a symbolic move as Wagner is not known to operate in Britain.

Wagner cut its teeth in deployments to Crimea  illegally annexed by Russia in 2014  and eastern Ukraines Donbas region in the aftermath of that act and has since dispatched troops to several conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, including the Syrian Civil War.

The ban came into force following a recommendation by the parliaments influential Foreign Affairs Committee in July that Wagner be outlawed. The committee said British authorities had underplayed and underestimated the threat posed by the mercenary group.

The committee said Wagners future was uncertain after Prigozhins short-lived armed mutiny against Russias top military leaders in June. The lawmakers said Britain should take advantage of the confused situation to disrupt Wagner.

Several other allies of Ukraine have sanctioned Wagner's leaders, and earlier this year, the Lithuanian and Estonian legislatures passed resolutions declaring it a terrorist organisation. The US has designated the Wagner Group as a transnational criminal organisation.
PITTSBURGH (AP)  Yankees reliever Anthony Misiewicz was struck in the face by a line drive off the bat of Pittsburgh's Ji Hwan Bae in the sixth inning of New York's 7-5 victory on Friday night.

Bae hit a 100.6 mph liner up the middle with two runners on in the bottom of the sixth inning. The left-handed Misiewicz raised his glove in an effort to catch it. The glove didn't make it in time. The ball hit Misiewicz in the face and rolled into right field.

The 28-year-old Misiewicz laid on the ground for several minutes while being tended to by medical personnel. He stood up and made his way to a cart with a towel pressed to the left side of his face.

Misiewicz was assessed by Pittsburgh's team doctors, who described him as alert and oriented, before being taken to a hospital for further testing.

Misiewicz underwent several scans but the results were not immediately available.

They felt like (he was) in a pretty good spot, New York manager Aaron Boone said. But, you know, just hoping and praying for the best as far as results.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
The actor and comedian, 48, addressed the allegations ahead of a 90-minute U.K. 'Dispatches' special investigation episode set to air Saturday

Russell Brand/YouTube Russell Brand posted a video on social media Friday where he addressed what he says are "criminal" allegations made against him

Russell Brand is denying what he says are very serious criminal allegations made against him related to past promiscuous behavior.

In a new video shared on his social media on Friday, Brand, 48, said he absolutely refutes the claims and described them as "extremely egregious and aggressive attacks."

Ive received two extremely disturbing letters, or a letter and an email, one from a mainstream media TV company, one from a newspaper, listing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, he began in the video. But amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks, are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute.



Although Brand did not name the TV company or newspaper, his video comes ahead of a new special investigation episode of U.K. current affairs show Dispatches airing Saturday night.

In the lead-up to the show airing, multiple U.K. outlets including The Evening Standard have reported that Channel 4 presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy had sparked speculation about the content of the Saturday show after a since-deleted post on X (formerly known as Twitter) he wrote saying, "Somethings up," and including a screenshot of the show.

Channel 4 did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

Related: Russell Brand Says Marriage to Amazing Katy Perry Came During Chaotic Time in His Life

As the video continued, Brand then addressed the timeframe of the allegations and insisted that all relationships he had during a period of self-described "promiscuity" were "consensual."

These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies. And as Ive written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous. Now during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual.

I was always transparent about that then  almost too transparent. And Im being transparent about it now as well. And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal, that I absolutely deny, Brand added.

The actor then went on to discuss that he felt his "voice" was not approved of by mainstream media and speculated that there was an agenda to control his voice.

I dont mind them using my books and my stand-up to talk about my promiscuous, consensual conduct in the past, he continued with his response. What I seriously refute are these very, very, serious criminal allegations."



"Also, it's worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct apparently, in what seems to me to be, a coordinated attack," Brand added.



Now, I dont want to get into this any further, because of the serious nature of the allegations, but I feel like Im being attacked and plainly they are working very closely together," he said.

Related: Russell Brand Expecting Baby No. 3 with Wife Laura Gallacher: 'Love Is Real'

The actor concluded, We are obviously going to look into this matter because it's very, very, serious. In the meantime, I want you to stay close, stay awake, but more important than any of that, if you can, please stay free.

Representatives for Brand did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for additional comment.

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.



Channel 4 has listed a 90-minute special Dispatches investigation episode on its TV guide, airing from 9 p.m. to 10:35 p.m local time. The episode will replay on Sunday night on Channel 4 at 10:50 p.m local time.



No other details have been disclosed about the content of the show at this time.

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Read the original article on People.
A Seattle police officer under international scrutiny for laughing on video over the death of a young woman fatally hit by a patrol car said his laughter and joking was taken out of context.

Officer Daniel Auderer, who is also vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, responded to a scene on Jan. 23 where another police cruiser going 74 mph fatally struck 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula at a crosswalk.

Body-worn camera footage released Monday shows Auderer speaking on the phone after responding to the incident, where he appears to make light of Kandulas death. Auderer said he was on the phone with guild President Mike Solan to update him on the crash.

A photo of Jaahnavi Kandula is seen with flowers, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023, in Seattle, at the intersection where she was killed by a Seattle Police officer driving north while responding to a nearby medical incident.

Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway, Auderer said in the video, misstating Kandulas age. She had limited value.

Auderer said the officer whose vehicle struck Kandula was going 50, claiming that wasnt reckless or out of control for a "trained driver". He confirmed Kandulas death to Solan and later laughed, adding No, its just a regular person.

Auderer, union claims comments taken out of context

In a statement dated Aug. 8 to Seattle's Office of Accountability, which was released by the guild Friday, Auderer said his comments were taken out of context, claiming that he was mocking lawyers and laughing at how such incidents are litigated.

I understand that without context the comment could be interpreted as horrifying and crude, Auderer said. Without context the comment is insensitive to the family of the victim when in reality I was involved in a conversation regarding the callousness of the legal system.

Auderer added that he believed the conversation was private and not being recorded.

LAWSUIT: Settlement reached over cop pepper-spraying Black, Latino soldier in 2020 traffic stop

The Seattle Police Officers Guild also claimed lack of context in a statement Friday, without which the audio was horrifying and has no place in a civil society.

The union said Auderer took ownership of his actions as soon as he learned about the video and requested Betts consider rapid adjudication, which is an expedited process to investigate police misconduct.

Watchdog agency investigating incident

The Seattle Office of Police Accountability is investigating the January incident after receiving a complaint from a Seattle police employee early last month. The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is also conducting a criminal review of the incident.

The Seattle Police Department said the footage was "identified in the routine course of business by a department employee, who, concerned about the nature of statements heard on that video" reported their concerns up the chain of command.

FEDS: Former LA deputy who arrested man for no reason will plead guilty to civil rights charges

Auderers comments follow a federal judges decision to end most federal oversight of Seattle police.

The Seattle Times reported that the judge ruled the department had achieved full, sustained and lasting compliance under a 2012 consent decree that was meant to address concerns about use of force, community trust and other issues.

Consulate General of India: Handling of Kandula's death 'deeply troubling'

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco called the handling of Kandulas death "deeply troubling."

The consulate said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that they have contacted state and local authorities in addition to officials in Washington, D.C., demanding a "thorough investigation" and "action against those involved in this tragic case."

On Wednesday, Kandulas family said it was "truly disturbing and saddening to hear insensible comments" that were made on the body-camera footage.

"Jaahnavi is a beloved daughter and beyond any dollar value for her mother and family," the family said in a statement. "We firmly believe that every human life is invaluable and [should] not be belittled, especially during a tragic loss.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Seattle cop defends video showing laughs, jokes after woman's death
The petition drive against the $90 million, 85-acre project in the South River Forest is already the subject of an ongoing court battle over whether it holds legal muster, with attorneys for the city having called the effort futile and invalid.

ATLANTA (AP)  Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock on Friday urged Atlantas mayor to be more transparent in how city officials handle a petition drive led by opponents of a proposed police and firefighter training center, saying he is closely monitoring the issue.

Warnocks letter comes after weeks of calls from Stop Cop City activists who were furious that the states top Democrats had stayed largely silent over the citys plan to adopt a signature-matching verification process. Activists and prominent voting rights groups have decried the restriction as voter suppression.

I am concerned by the past application of signature match in Georgia that likely led to discrimination and potentially the disenfranchisement of eligible voters, Warnock wrote as he asked Mayor Andre Dickens more than a dozen specific questions, including why officials plan to use a signature-matching process and how residents can fix potential errors to prevent their petition from being tossed.

I urge the City to err on the side of giving people the ability to express their views, including by establishing clear and transparent deadlines regarding timelines and requirements and by using any discretion available to the City under the law to accept and count all lawfully collected signatures, the senator wrote.

A spokesperson for Dickens did not immediately comment.

The petition drive against the $90 million, 85-acre project in the South River Forest is already the subject of an ongoing court battle over whether it holds legal muster, with attorneys for the city having called the effort futile and invalid.

Sen. Warnock calls on Atlanta to be transparent about Stop Cop City referendum (Photo Credit: Screenshot/YouTube.com/Scripps News)

Activists say theyve gathered more than 116,000 signatures from Atlanta residents, far more than the legal requirement to get a referendum on a ballot. But the campaigns status was further muddied on Monday, when organizers carrying boxes full of signed petitions were shocked to be told that the clerk was legally barred from beginning the process of verifying the forms, saying organizers had missed an Aug. 21 deadline. The deadline had been previously extended until September by a federal judge, but an appellate court on Sept. 1 paused the enforcement of that order, throwing the effort into legal limbo.

That announcement from the city prompted a federal judge overseeing the case to accuse officials of moving the goalposts on the campaign, saying they have directly contributed to a widespread sense of confusion over the matter. In a statement responding to the judge, Atlanta officials denied having ever changed their stance on the petition drive and said that even though they do not believe the referendum push is valid, they issued the petition in a gesture of goodwill and good faith.

Dickens and others say the training facility 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 in a poor, majority-Black area.

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The post Sen. Warnock calls on Atlanta to be transparent about Stop Cop City referendum appeared first on TheGrio.
If you've always dreamed of being an astronaut, well, we have some exciting news. While you might not be able to join the next flight into outer space, your name could. By making a reservation with NASA, you will be able to have your name sent to Mars on their next mission. So, what does that mean, exactly?

It's a fun gimmick to get people interested in space and to pay attention to the missions. The last time NASA invited people to send their names was in 2020 for the Mars rover mission, and a whopping 11 million people signed up.

How did the names get to Mars? A placard was installed on the Perseverance Mars rover which contained a microchip of all 11 million names. That's a lot of names!

If you missed the past mission, no worries. There is always a new mission in the works. In fact, the next mission is scheduled for sometime in the mid-2020s. You can make a reservation now at NASA's reservation page.

And there is no cost to register and send your name. All you have to do is fill out the form with your name, location and email address. Once submitted, you will receive a commemorative boarding pass and will earn frequent flyer miles when the mission is complete.

Related: NASA Reveals the 4 Astronauts Who'll Participate in Upcoming Moon Mission

View the original article to see embedded media.

The spacecraft for the next mission hasn't been identified yet but you will get updates as the mission gets closer through your email. You will also be informed of events like the launch and the landing.

And, don't forget about your boarding pass! Once you retrieve your pass from the boarding pass page, you can either print it off for framing or embed the HTML code of the pass onto your blog or social media so that you can share your boarding pass for others to see.

Related: Everyone Is Talking About 'UAPs' Right NowHere's What They Are and How They're Different From UFOs

You will also earn frequent flyer points and an account will be established with the first mission you put in a reservation for. This is where NASA keeps track of all of the missions you have sent your name on. The points are just a way of tallying up all of the missions you participated in. You can go to the frequent flyer page at any time to check your progress.

Next Up: 150 Useless Facts That You Just *Have* To Know
A Starbucks supervisor is getting ready to buy a new set of wheels, thanks to the loving concern of her coworkers  and an entire college campus.

Karen Collinsworth, 65, has been living near the Marshall University campus in Huntington, West Virginia, for decades, and for much of that time, shes been working at Starbucks, supervising a youthful staff while serving students and faculty.

Starbucks Barista Karen Collins (Courtesy Jaiden Horn)

Ive been here since 1976. I fell in love with Huntington. Im from outside of Columbus, Ohio, Collinsworth tells TODAY.com over the phone during a short break in her shift. Ive been in the food industry since 1978 and that is my passion. Ive loved waiting tables, I just do. Your customer service develops and you just want to please people.

For Collinsworth, making people happy has become her signature trait, according to her fellow Starbucks employees.

I love coming into work knowing that shes gonna be there. I talk to her about literally everything, Cassie Gray, a sophomore at Marshall who works at Starbucks with Collinsworth, tells TODAY.com. Shes like my mom when Im away from home and cant talk to my mom. So its just like a relief, being able to go in there and talk to her and knowing that shes going to help me work through whatever.

Starbucks Barista Karen Collins (Courtesy Jaiden Horn)

Collinsworths reputation for kindness might explain why an entire campus full of students and faculty came to her aid when they heard she was having trouble with her 2004 Kia which was running on its last legs.

She had been having a lot of problems with the car in the past with her battery and it just not starting and her neighbors were having to give her jumpstart and things like that, Jaiden Horn, another sophomore at Marshall and co-worker of Collinsworth, tells TODAY.com.

She actually has had car problems probably the entire time Ive known her, Gray says. But Karen doesnt like to talk about it because she didnt want people feeling bad for her or anything like that.

Both co-workers say, though, that in the past six months, Collinsworths car trouble has ramped up big time.

One day she came into work, and she was like, Yeah, somebody stole my catalytic converter last night, my car just isnt doing well, Horn says, adding that in addition to the catalytic converter, Collinsworth car was broken into again days later and had items stolen from its interior. And at that point, we all said, Well, she cannot be driving this car anymore. Its barely running.

Starbucks Barista Karen Collins (Courtesy Jaiden Horn)

Gray says on a Saturday in late August, she and a few other baristas including Jaiden were working. She saw a post on anonymous social media app YikYak wishing that they could donate some money to Collinsworth to help her out.

We all just kind of talked about it and we floated around the idea of starting a fundraiser for her, Gray says. After work when I got back to my dorm, I decided to just make it because I figured even if we couldnt raise that much money, any amount would help her. It was just kind of like a spur of the moment (thing).

And so, the GoFundMe We Love You Karen was started to help her buy a working car and ensure she wouldnt have to worry about monthly bills, according to the page authored by Anonymous Baristas. To date, the fundraiser has raised over $40,000 for Collinsworth.

The original goal was $10,000. Horn says her co-workers all shared the fundraiser on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Yik Yak, and that goal was met in the first 24 hours.

It circulated pretty quickly that way and donations were very nearly immediate, Gray says. It was just amazing to see, honestly.

Gray, Horn and the others had intended to surprise Collinsworth with the fundraiser once it was done, but it spread so quickly that a neighbor broke the news to her instead.

I was taken aback when I found out. It was very overwhelming. I knew these kids loved me because I love them, Collinsworth says. But for them to be 19-year-old college students  They have so much going on in their life, but then to take care of their Starbucks mom, Karen. Thats just how big their hearts are.

Starbucks Barista Karen Collins (Courtesy Jaiden Horn)

There are big donations, the highest being a $5,000 donation from Marshall University president Brad Smith, but most of the more than 1,200 donations are much smaller.

All the $5 donations meant more to me than $1,000 or $3,000, Collinsworth says. It was just precious coming from these college kids that cant afford a cup of coffee. Just goes to show you their kindness.

Collinsworth says initially she was just looking to fix her old car, but now that shes received such a sum, she is thinking about treating herself to a Subaru. This weekend shell be going car shopping  all while thinking of what Horn, Gray and all the other baristas, faculty and students did for her.

I know those kids love me and thats what makes my life worthwhile, Collinsworth says. They didnt have to do something for me like this. Its just enough knowing that Im so cared about.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Austin, Texas  Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted Saturday in the GOP-controlled state Senate on all 16 articles of impeachment, which included counts of bribery, dereliction of duty and disregard of official duties.

Paxton, who has been suspended since May, when he was impeached by the Texas House, was reinstated as attorney general on Saturday.

Although more than 60 Republicans in the Texas House crossed party lines in May to impeach Paxton, his hold on the state Senate remained solid, and only two Republicans voted to remove him from office on any of the counts.

After the vote, Paxton called the impeachment a "sham" in a statement posted to social media. He said he was "grateful for the state senators who followed the law and refused to overturn an election."

"The weaponization of the impeachment process to settle political differences is not only wrong, it is immoral and corrupt," Paxton said.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presided over the Senate trial and is a close ally of Paxton, said, "Millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted on this impeachment," and blasted the House for pushing through the impeachment.

Texas state senators acting as jurors vote on the articles of impeachment against suspended Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Austin, Texas. / Credit: Eric Gay / AP

"It should have never happened this year, and it should never happen again," Patrick said, indicating the Texas Constitution should be amended.

Former President Donald Trump, an ally of Paxton's, posted on his social media platform Truth Social praising Patrick and called on Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan to resign.

"Congratulations to Attorney General Ken Paxton on a great and historic Texas sized VICTORY," Trump wrote. "I also want to congratulate his wonderful wife and family for having had to go through this ordeal, and WINNING!"

After the verdict, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who had remained mum throughout the impeachment process, issued a statement in support of Paxton.

"The jury has spoken. Attorney General Paxton received a fair trial as required by the Texas Constitution. Attorney General Paxton has done an outstanding job representing Texas, especially pushing back against the Biden Administration," Abbott said. "I look forward to continuing to work with him to secure the border and protect Texas from federal overreach."

Paxton is a former state senator and his wife, Angela Paxton, is currently a state senator. She was barred from voting in the proceedings, but since she attended the trial, the state still needed 21 of the 31 senators to vote to convict.

Paxton had denied all wrongdoing. He did not attend the trial except for the first day, when he pleaded not guilty. He did not attend the final vote.

Paxton is a close ally of former President Donald Trump, and the former president posted ahead of the trial's last day in support of Paxton, calling it a "shameful impeachment."

What was Ken Paxton accused of?

In May, the Texas state House voted overwhelmingly to impeach Paxton on a 121-23 vote. The Senate decided to hear arguments on 16 of the articles of impeachment. After he was acquitted, the Senate voted to dismiss the other four articles of impeachment.

The accusations stem from Paxton's involvement with Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who has been indicted in a separate 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 said Paul provided extensive favors for Paxton, including providing home renovations and employing a woman with whom Paxton was allegedly having an affair.

Paxton's defense sought to prove his impeachment was just an attempt to settle a score by political opponents in the state House and his own former aides. In his closing argument, his lawyer, Tony Buzbee, accused the Bush family  in particular, George P. Bush, who challenged Paxton in a primary in 2022  of manufacturing the impeachment allegations.

"The Bush era ends today in the state of Texas," Buzbee said. "They can go back to Maine."

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is interviewed inside his Austin office, Oct. 7, 2015. / Credit: Mark Mulligan/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images

After the whistleblowers came forward, some resigned, but others were fired. Those who were fired filed a lawsuit in November 2020 alleging that they had suffered retaliation. On Feb. 10, Paxton announced the attorney general's office had settled the lawsuit for $3.3 million. On Feb. 21, Paxton put a line item in the budget for the $3.3 million to settle the lawsuit with taxpayer money.

That request led the state House to open an investigation into Paxton. On May 23, the House General Investigating Committee went public about its probe into the proposed whistleblower settlement. According to the committee, the settlement would prevent a trial and the details from becoming public.

On Thursday, the defense called the attorney general's director of human resources, Henry De La Garza, who testified that the whistleblowers were not fired for retaliation but rather for "egregious" policy violations.

What is the reaction at the Capitol?

Paxton's wife, Angela Paxton, who was barred from voting or participating in deliberations, posted on social media a Bible quote after the verdict.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything," she posted.

Paxton, meanwhile, posted a photo of Angela Paxton and wrote "I love this woman. Isn't she beautiful?"

Republican state Sen. Charles Schwertner, who voted to acquit on all the counts, issued a statement afterward saying he was "proud of the deliberate and measured way the Texas Senate conducted the impeachment trial."

Paxton's impeachment in May had sent shockwaves through the Capitol, especially since Republicans hold a sizeable majority in the state House. Phelan, who oversaw the impeachment vote in the House, blasted the verdict, saying in a statement Saturday that it was "extremely unfortunate that after hearing and evaluating this evidence, the Texas Senate chose not to remove him from office."

"The Senate's refusal to remove Ken Paxton from office is, however, not the end of this matter," Phelan said. "Ken Paxton is subject to multiple other lawsuits, indictments and investigations. If new facts continue to come out, those who allowed him to keep his office will have much to answer for."

State Rep. Andrew Murr, chair of the House impeachment board of managers  who gave the opening and closing statements  said the trial "painted an accurate and clear picture of an out-of-control Attorney General who refused to listen to the desperate warnings of his conservative lawyers."

When asked about possible retaliation by Paxton and his allies, state Rep. Ann Johnson, the Democratic vice chair of the board of managers, said that she was "proud" that the Texas House said "the public trust is more important than politics."



"Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in the state of Texas at this time, and the Republicans in the Senate returned him to the job of top cop," Johnson said.

What happened at Paxton's impeachment trial?



The trial featured dramatic testimony from former top Paxton aides. All conservative Republicans, they testified that they were concerned about Paxton's relationship with Paul. Paxton's former top lieutenant, Jeff Mateer, testified that part of his job was to "protect the attorney general," but he "failed."

Paxton publicly called the whistleblowers "rogue employees." His lawyers questioned why the whistleblowers went to the FBI, rather than to Paxton, with their concerns.

Witnesses said that amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as Texas promoted a policy of opening up, Paxton allegedly rewrote the state's policy to exclude foreclosure sales  a policy that appeared to benefit Paul. Former deputy first assistant Ryan Bangert testified that Paxton's insistence was "bizarre," and he was "acting like a man with a gun to his head."

"I believed, based on my experience over the previous nine months, that the attorney general had abandoned his obligation to work on behalf of the interests of the people of Texas to serve the interests of one person  Nate Paul," Bangert said.

Former Deputy Attorney General for Legal Counsel Ryan Vassar, meanwhile, testified that Paxton pressured him and Bangert to provide legal opinions that would have prevented foreclosure on some of Paul's property amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

What does this have to do with Paxton's alleged affair?

Paxton's defense tried to separate the affair allegations from the articles of impeachment. The ninth count alleged Paxton "benefited from Nate Paul's employment of a woman with whom Paxton was having an extramarital affair." Paxton was acquitted on that count 18-12.

On Friday, defense attorney Tony Buzbee said, "We know why they mentioned Laura Olson," the woman with whom Paxton allegedly had an affair. "They want to shame him."

"If this impeachment is about marital impropriety, then line up," Buzbee said.

Olson herself was called to the stand on Wednesday morning, although her appearance was then postponed and then canceled for reasons that were not disclosed.

Mateer, the former top aide to Paxton, testified that the alleged affair is "relevant" to the allegations because it "answered one of the questions I kept struggling with."

"Why would General Paxton jeopardize all this great work that we've been doing in the Office of the Attorney General," Mateer continued. "Why would he be engaged in these activities on behalf of one person, all these different things?"

Paul allegedly hired the woman with whom Paxton had an affair, and Paxton allegedly paid for an apartment in Austin for her.

Paxton's former chief of staff, Katherine "Missy" Cary, testified in the trial's second week about the impact of Paxton's alleged affair on the attorney general's office.

"The ethics advice in 2018 was when you try to keep things secret when you are a statewide elected official who is running for office, it can be ethically, legally and morally challenging  and it was beginning to bleed over to people in the office," Cary said.

According to Cary, around 2018, there were complaints in the office from security and travel details about hours and conducting non-state business, such as the alleged affair. Further, Cary said Angela Paxton used to call the office regularly to ask about her husband's schedule or his whereabouts, which led to complaints from the office staff members that they were "uncomfortable."

Cary said that during lunch one day, she ran into Paxton, who was with the woman with whom he allegedly had an affair, and he referred to her as his realtor. Cary also testified that in the summer of 2018, she confronted Paxton, who confirmed the affair. She said he was "contrite" and "listened to what I had to say very carefully" about the "ethical implications" of having an affair.

"There's ethical risks, there's political risks, there's legal risks  these things can open one up to bribery and misuse of office, misuse of state time," she said.

Cary recalled the 2018 meeting with Paxton and his wife with top aides. Cary said "my heart broke" for Angela Paxton. Cary told senators she believed he had ended the affair, but she learned in 2019 that it was still going on. Cary testified that she spoke to him again about the alleged affair, but Paxton was "frantically upset" and said he "still loved" the woman with whom he was allegedly having an affair.

"Imagine if we impeached everyone here in Austin that had had an affair  we'd be impeaching for the next 100 years," Buzbee said. Cary declined to respond. "Just because someone had an affair doesn't mean that they're a 'criminal,' does it? That would be incredibly hypocritical, would it not, if somebody said 'this guy is a criminal because he had a marital indiscretion?'"

Cary replied that she wouldn't say something like that.

Paxton's former top assistant Andrew Wicker, described as a "second son" to Paxton, testified on Thursday about the alleged affair.

What are the criminal charges against Paxton, and is that case affected by the impeachment?

Paxton was indicted in 2015 by a Collin County, Texas, grand jury on two first-degree felony charges of securities fraud and a third-degree felony charge of failure to register. He has pleaded not guilty, and he has successfully delayed a trial in the case while he's in office.

The impeachment case is completely separate from those allegations, and Paxton still faces a trial on those charges.

"CBS Weekend News" headlines for Saturday, September 16, 2023

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Cedric Durand in Sidecar:

In a 1977 lecture at the College de France, later published in How to Live Together, Roland Barthes explored a fantasy of a life, a regime, a lifestyle that was neither reclusive nor communal: Something like solitude with regular interruptions. Inspired by the monks of Mount Athos, Barthes proposed to call this mode of living together idiorrhythmy, from the Greek idios (ones own) and rythmos (rhythm). Fantasmatically speaking, he says, there is nothing contradictory about wanting to live alone and wanting to live together. In idiorrhythmic communities, each subject lives according to his own rhythm while still being in contact with one another within a particular type of structure.

Although in Barthes view this unregimented lifestyle would be the exact opposite of the fundamental inhumanity of Fouriers Phalanstery with its timing of each and every quarter hour, his vision is similarly utopian. But whereas Fourier proposed a plan for an organized, enclosed community, Barthes was not so much sketching a model as seeking to define a zone between two extreme forms of living: an excessively negative form: solitude, eremitism and an excessively assimilative form: the convent or monastery. Idiorrhythmy is thus a median, utopian, Edenic, idyllic form: a utopia of a socialism of distance. In this middle way between living alone and with others, the interplay between individuals is so light and subtle that it allows each to escape the diktat of heterorhythmy, where one must submit to power and conform to an alien rhythm imposed from outside.

More here.
Kimyah and DJ, who spent over four months in Cleveland Clinic's NICU, are the hospital's youngest surviving premature twins

Annie O'Neill/Cleveland Clinic Twins Kimyah and DJ

After over four months, the youngest surviving premature twins born at the Cleveland Clinic have graduated and are finally home!

Kimyah weighed 12 oz. and DJ weighed 15 oz. when they were born at 22 weeks, the hospital said in a news release. At the time, the babies had a 10% to 20% chance of survival, while developmental delays were possible but unknown.

It was another scary moment for their mother, Kimberly Thomas. She knew something was wrong when she started leaking amniotic fluid, which cushions and protects the fetus during development in the uterus, before their birth, according to the hospital.

By the time she got to the hospital she was already four centimeters dilated.

Annie O'Neill/Cleveland Clinic Twins Kimyah and DJ

Little DJ and Kimyah had to be resuscitated and intubated after the October 2022 delivery. The twins were then rushed into the NICU.

Mom Kimberly Thomas said she remembered thinking Kimyah was "too small" as she was whisked away to the NICU.

"Kimyah was around the size of a soda can, and DJ was slightly larger," according to the hospital's news release. Nurses were even able to hold them together in the palm of their hands.

Related: World's Most Premature Baby, Who Had 0% Chance of Survival, Celebrates 1st Birthday: 'Miraculous'

Dr. Firas Saker, the medical director of the Cleveland Clinic Children's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Mayfield Heights, Ohio, said that mom wanted doctors to do "everything we could for her twins," per the hospital.

Never miss a story  sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.



Damante Jackson, the babies' father, told Good Morning America that doctors told them that if the twins survived, it wasn't likely they would "make it the first three days." Even if DJ and Kimya don't remember it, "it was hard for them," he added.

Related: Alabama Boy Makes New Record as World's Most Premature Baby to Survive, Mom Says He's 'Very Active'

Thomas spent every night in the NICU after they were born, the hospital shared. She couldn't even hold them for a month because their skin was fragile.

"I would then go into the NICU just to talk to my babies," she said. "I don't think there was one day I didnt spend at least a few minutes with them."

Saker said he believes Kim's involvement was important to their development and helped them "overcome their obstacles."

Annie O'Neill/Cleveland Clinic Damante Jackson and Kim Thomas and their twins Kimyah and DJ

Thomas said their stay in the NICU had many ups and downs, including when Kimyah had a minor brain bleed and DJ had a lung collapse.

However, the family remained optimistic and celebrated each milestone, from Thanksgiving to baby showers.

Finally, after 138 days, the babies were finally ready to go home. Thomas told GMA that everyone came to show their support.

Related: Couple Postpones Wedding After Daughter's Premature Birth  But NICU Nurse Says 'Get Married Here'

There were still some challenges for the twins after their stay, the hospital noted. According to Thomas, Kimyah and DJ "needed to remain on oxygen since their lungs were so underdeveloped," and she also needed to check their blood oxygen saturation levels.

The babies wore pink and blue caps and gowns as part of a graduation ceremony from the hospital. As the family made their way out, the staff filled the hallways and cheered.

Annie O'Neill/Cleveland Clinic Twins DJ and Kimyah

Saker told GMA that it was an "emotional" moment for hospital staff, while one nurse admitted she doubted "that we would see that day," which made the experience even more "incredible."

The doctor said the babies are doing well and are being monitored, though it will be years before they can tell if the twins will have any developmental delays, according to the hospital.

Now, with the twins nearing their first birthday, their mom told the hospital that Kimyah and DJ are "trying to do everything by themselves."

Kimyah and DJ are very active and love exploring," their mom said, noting that their journey taught her a very valuable lesson: "You have to stay positive and focus on the outcome you want."

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YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 16, ARMENPRESS. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Saturday evacuated 8 patients from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia for urgent treatment, the Nagorno-Karabakh Ministry of Healthcare announced in a statement.

All patients were accompanied by their attendants.

Nagorno-Karabakh hospitals have suspended normal operations due to the Azerbaijani blockade.

18 children are hospitalized in the Arevik clinic in Nagorno-Karabakh. 3 of them are in neonatal and intensive care.

Another 72 patients are hospitalized in the Republican Medical Center of Nagorno-Karabakh. 6 of the patients are in intensive care, 4 of whom are in critical condition.

Lachin Corridor, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the rest of the world, has been blocked by Azerbaijan since late 2022. The Azerbaijani blockade constitutes a gross violation of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement, which established that the 5km-wide Lachin Corridor shall be under the control of Russian peacekeepers. Furthermore, on February 22, 2023 the United Nations highest court  the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - ordered Azerbaijan to take all steps at its disposal to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin Corridor in both directions. Azerbaijan has been ignoring the order ever since. The ICJ reaffirmed its order on 6 July 2023.

Azerbaijan then illegally installed a checkpoint on Lachin Corridor. The blockade has led to shortages of essential products such as food and medication. Azerbaijan has also cut off gas and power supply into Nagorno Karabakh, with officials and experts warning that Baku seeks to commit ethnic cleansing against Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The show I came to after abandoning Jailer was Who is Erin Carter?

One of the characters in the film is a boy of six or so, who plays Rajinikanths grandson. Due to no fault of his, I found the little guy utterly unbearable. (Image: DC)

As an honorary Tamilian, to fulfill my cultural obligation to Rajiniknath  another honorary, if slightly more famous, Tamilian  I watched Jailer the other day at home. I didnt last long. While I could write a piece listing out the many reasons for my premature exit, Ill stick to the one thats germane to this one: the kid.

One of the characters in the film is a boy of six or so, who plays Rajinikanths grandson. Due to no fault of his, I found the little guy utterly unbearable. He was obviously written by someone who miraculously attained adulthood by never having gone through childhood himself. In the name of humour and quirkiness, the child is made to say things that dont sound anything like a kid, even a highly precocious one, would or could say in real life without getting his ears boxed. (Go ahead, Society for Prevention of Imagined Cruelty to Fictitious Children, cancel me.)

The kid, we are told, has a YouTube channel of his own, and posts videos on it every day. And his able assistant/cameraman in this endeavour is his indulgent grandfather. The childs mother and grandmother are not just okay with this but are passive enablers whose main job seems to be tolerating the boys patently unfunny quips. And this is all supposed to be terribly cute. If I have to explain why this is so many kinds of wrong, then I guess this piece, too, is going to be as pointless as most of my others.

The show I came to after abandoning Jailer was Who is Erin Carter? What stunned me in this otherwise mediocre show was the performance of the child actor, Indica Watson, who plays Harper, the pre-teen daughter of the protagonist. In this by-the-numbers show, Watsons depiction of trauma induced by her disturbing if hazy past, and uncertainty that stems from being in the care of an unreliable parent, is something to behold. Buddha-like one minute, inexplicably immature the next, an equal-parts mixture of vulnerability, strength and utter believability, she is all things children are. And for this we have to give the writer almost as much credit as young Ms Watsons formidable thespian abilities.

As luck would have it, soon after, I watched a film called Are you there God? It's me, Margaret, based on Judy Blumes landmark 1970 middle-grade novel of the same name. It was filled with flawless performances by a host of child actors playing, can you believe it, very convincing children. In contrast to Indica Watsons moving performance as a child grappling with trauma, Abby Ryder Fortson plays the eponymous Margaret, a child in a normal-ish family going through normal-ish growing pains, with charm and understanding. One would think the latter is an easier character to essay. It isnt, actually. Both are hard. Because the very act of being a child is hard. Period. And we, who were all once children, seem to have forgotten this if our popular culture is anything to go by.

That a movie in which a primary school student is not just allowed to run his own YouTube channel but encouraged by his caregivers has made hundreds of crores without a single person caring tells us more than a little about our great culture.

Jailers depiction of children, unfortunately, isnt an anomaly. Has anyone seen a mainstream Indian film or show in which they have believable characters who happen to be children? How often do we get to watch a film in which a child has been written with sensitivity without the sentimentality, with humour without the inappropriateness, with empathy without the patronizing? (You cant say the Apu Trilogy or Malgudi Days. How long can we rest on those wonderful depictions of childhood?) Lets be honest. If we must rack our brains to come up with ten films in a country that makes thousands every year, I rest my case.

Of late, weve made it a habit to come at the bottom of several indexes. Yes, yes, there isnt a shred of truth in them and they are all the work of vested interests who want to undermine our greatness. But if there was such a thing as an Understanding Children Index, I think we Indians (or is it Bharatvasis?) would come pretty much at the bottom of that one, too. As parents, caretakers and adults, we veer between allowing children to think they are superhuman, and cater to their every whim, or see them as subhuman and send them to Kota knowing full well they could become a statistic.

Why is that we dont seem to get children? In art, literature, popular culture, and, most importantly, in real life, why do I keep getting the feeling we are missing the point? Is it because most of our ancient literature  our current yardstick for everything  was centred around the sacrifice of young ones to maintain the status quo of brittle old men? And how that was seen as noble.

I wonder what it would be like to be a child in our wonderful land today. Are they all desperately searching for that elusive being they have heard of, read about, and referred to every now and then as the one who is going to make sure everything is okay, but never seen: the grown-up?
Gary Edward Holcomb in LA Review of Books:

IN THE SUMMER of 1929, Claude McKay related to his close friend, the eminent bohemian Louise Bryant, an anecdote about a late night of revelry in the Paris studio of John Glassco and Graeme Taylor, two young, out expat Canadians.* McKays letter recounts that he proposed to the gathering a nice bi-sexual party. Clearly enjoying himself, he then says that his suggestion offended one of the roisterers, who snapped, You know, Claude, you have a reputation for being a homo. The Harlem Renaissance authors retort would draw on Gertrude Ma Raineys defiantly lesbian tune, Prove It on Me Blues, released a year earlier. To the offended partier, McKay responded, Sure  I sleep with all the boys, but only the aristocratic ones, and so its hard to prove anything on me.

As well as McKays correspondence, his poetry expresses gay love, his fiction brims with queer content, and his memoirs speak directly about his homosexuality. The record of McKays divergent sex life, however, isnt limited to the Jamaican authors own writings. Buffy Glasscos 1970 Memoirs of Montparnasse gives McKay, one of the white memoirists many gay lovers, the queer-coded name Jack Relief. Up against such oppressive ideological apparatuses as the Comstock laws, queer Harlem Renaissance writers were compelled to be chary about exposing their private lives.

More here.
Today's news: Afghan Taliban have arrested 18 members of an NGO. Japan has a record number of centenarians, 73.74 per 100,000 people. Five Indonesians in six prefer democracy to strongman rule. Not seen for weeks, Chinas Defence minister is thought to be under investigation for corruption. Ignoring warnings, hundreds of devout Jews, many with young children, are on pilgrimage to the Ukrainian city of Uman. Turkey and Russia resume talks over building a natural gas hub in Turkey.

ASIA

Fears of a food crisis in Asia are growing, as rice prices surge. In a note, the HSBC bank reports that output disruption in one economy could have a greater impact on others than in the past. Erratic weather and restrictions by several nations (like India) have reduced global supplies.

AFGHANISTAN

The Taliban have arrested 18 people, including a foreigner, from an Afghanistan-based NGO, the International Assistance Mission, as part of their crackdown on the humanitarian sector since they came back to power two years ago. The organisation in question was raided by the Taliban twice before. Those arrested were taken to Kabul.

JAPAN

The number of Japanese centenarians now stands at 92,139, with an increase of 1,613 in 12 months, up for the 53rd consecutive year. Some 81,589 are women (88.5 per cent of the total), against 10,550 male centenarians. The oldest woman is Fusa Tatsumi, 116, while the oldest man is Gisaburo Sonobe at 111. Japan has an average of 73.74 centenarians per 100,000 people.

INDONESIA

Indonesians overwhelmingly prefer democracy (85 per cent), however imperfect it may be, over rule by a strongman, a report by the Pew Research Center found, based on a survey of more 13,000 adults in some Asian nations. Conversely, half and more respondents in Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore prefer a strong leader.

CHINA

Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu has not been seen in public for over two weeks and is the subject of rumours and speculation that he might be under investigation on charges of corruption. After less than a year, he seems to have lost his post and be the subject of an enquiry related to the purchase of military equipment that saw the removal of other senior officers.

ISRAEL  UKRAINE

Ignoring warnings by Israeli and Ukrainian authorities, hundreds of Jews, adults and children, even very young ones, left Israel on a pilgrimage to Uman, in war-torn Ukraine, to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which also marks the beginning of the civil new year, at the grave site of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, one of the great leaders of Hasidism, who died more than 200 years ago. Last April, 21 people were killed in an explosion in Uman.

TURKEY  RUSSIA

Turkey's Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Alparslan Bayraktar, told the Tass news agency that negotiations with Russia on a natural gas hub in Turkey continue. The project had been delayed due to the earthquake and Turkeys presidential elections. Work can now resume as a "national priority".

TAJIKISTAN

The presidents of the five Central Asian countries met in Dushanbe this week. In addition to the traditional "visit to the orchards" in Tajikistan, they discussed logistical issues in the region. The leaders also discussed the upcoming Central Asia-US summit in New York on 19-20 September. Tajik President Emomali Rahmon held one-on-one meetings with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The new prelate will work alongside Archbishop Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi, who was recently elected president of Caritas Internationalis. In the Japanese capital since 2009, the 49-year-old heads he Shinsei-Kaikan Catholic cultural centre in Tokyo. His ministry is especially dedicated to young Japanese. He talked recently to AsiaNews about his predecessor, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Paul Kazuhiro Mori, who passed away earlier this month.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis has appointed Fr Andrea Lembo, an Italian PIME missionary in Japan since 2009, as the new auxiliary bishop of Tokyo, to work closely with Archbishop Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi, who has led the Catholic community in the Japanese capital since 2017 and has served as president of Caritas Internationalis since last May.

The Archdiocese of Tokyo has not had an auxiliary bishop since 2018, when the pope accepted the resignation of Bishop Kazuo Koda.

Fr Lembo was born in Treviglio, in the province of Bergamo (Italy), on 23 May 1974. A member of PIME in 2003, he was ordained a priest in 2004. After serving a few years in missionary outreach in Italy, he was sent to Japan in 2009.

In the Archdiocese of Tokyo, he was coadjutor in the parishes of Itabashi and Narashino and then parish priest in Fuchu. During his ministry he was always very close to young people, including those who suffer from severe social withdrawal. A former PIME's regional superior for Japan, he became PIME regional superior for East Asia this year.

In 2022, Archbishop Kikuchi asked him to become the guardian of the legacy of Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Paul Kazuhiro Mori, who died a few days ago at the age of 84, and head the Shinsei-Kaikan Catholic cultural centre in Tokyo.

At the time of his predecessors funeral at Tokyos cathedral, he spoke to AsiaNews about the late prelates great openness towards people and vis-a-vis Japanese society.

"Here in Tokyo, one experiences the smallness of being Christian, said the new auxiliary bishop speaking to AsiaNews some years ago. If I told people at an intersection that I was a priest, no one would understand what my job was. You really live up to the image of the mustard seed."

Yet, there is room to proclaim the Gospel. It is found "in the questions I encounter, in the young people I meet. ' Where am I really going? What is the meaning of my life?' These questions call into question freedom in a context where everything seems already defined. There is room for the fundamental answer: Jesus is the fulfilment of your humanity.

"In this great mechanism that is perfect, a reference to Japanese society, you are not a cog, you have your own dignity. You can take your freedom in your own hand and experience it. Either we proclaim the humanising power of the Gospel or we risk reducing faith to a ritual celebration.
One smart way to make money off it, if you can get it for cheap, that is, would be to disassemble it and sell it for parts. So long as you can save most of them. We wouldn't hold our breath for the engine, a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 pumping out 450 horsepower and 410 pound-feet (556 Nm) of torque, as it looks beyond repairable.The same goes for the entire front end of this 2023 Ford Mustang GT, which was completely destroyed. The doors, side windows, rear quarter panels, and the entire back end survived the impact that rendered this muscle car useless. Most of the dashboard panel and interior components can probably be saved. The same goes for the seats, though you will have to source the airbags that were deployed during the impact.The mileage of this black-on-red pony car born during the 2023 model year at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan is unknown. We also do not know the details behind the crash that destroyed it, as the Copart listing, which you can access here , does not reveal these details. In fact, it doesn't reveal anything else about it other than it will go under the online gavel part of an upcoming lot.We'd advise interested parties to take a trip to Atlanta, Georgia, and check out the wreckage in person. They should preferably be accompanied by a mechanic with good knowledge of Ford's previous-gen muscle car, as some of the tips they could give you might make you say yes or no to it. You should get in touch with the vendor if you plan on inspecting it in the flesh, as it might be available by appointment only.That said, would you buy it? And if so, how much would you be willing to cough out for it, assuming that the engine might be irreparable? Hold that thought while we remind you that the Ford Mustang is now in the S650 generation . The automaker is accepting orders for it, and the first reviews are out already.The lineup comprises the usual EcoBoost and GT models, with their 2.3L EcoBoost and 5.0L V8 engines, respectively, in both coupe and convertible body styles. The entry-level is listed from $30,920 before destination, and the Dark Horse tops them all, priced from $59,270. The range-topper is the Dark Horse Premium, which starts at $63,265. And we cannot wait for the new Shelby GT500 to roll out.
Earlier this week, a bunch of researchers and politicians fronted by a known ufologist, conspirationalist, and journalist presented what they claimed were the bodies of two 1,000-year-old non-human beings to the Mexican Congress. Those bodies are non-human, alright, but they're not alien.

Photo: YouTube/Maussan TV

The spectacular claims: pregnant aliens that lived among humans

Photo: YouTube/Maussan TV

Smoke and mirrors, and outright lies

Photo: YouTube/Maussan TV

Photo: YouTube/Maussan TV

We said this before , but just to make sure: September 12, 2023, will go down in history either as a watershed moment for offering irrefutable proof of the existence of alien life and the global conspiracy to keep its existence away from public knowledge or as the biggest stunt in TV.The scientific community has already voted for option number 2, discrediting claims that alien bodies were offered as proof.Jaime Maussan, the well-known Mexican journalist behind the entire "reveal," is most likely using pseudoscience to deceive the public again, scientists believe. And those "alien" mummies that he unboxed to great fanfare before the Congress are fakes  doll-like creations he put together to make a point.During the live public hearing on the topic of UAPs (unidentified aerial phenomena, or UFOs) in the Mexican Congress, Jaime Maussan brought out two small cases containing what he claimed were the desiccated remains of non-human beings that had lived among humans over a millennia ago. One of them had been pregnant, while the other had precious metals inside, presumably as some sort of religious ritual.Maussan had put together an entire team for the presentation, including Avi Loeb, professor of astrophysics at Harvard University, and former U.S. pilot Ryan Graves, who, just two months before, had appeared before the U.S. Congress to give testimony of his own experience with UAPs. Graves has since walked back on the unfortunate association with Maussan Alleged scans and extra details about the aliens were provided, painting a picture of beings that, though humanoid, possessed very non-human-like abilities, like a retractable neck. The bodies had been discovered in 2017 in the mines on the Nazca Lines in Peru, where similar discoveries had been made before  coincidence or not, also by Maussan.Maussan is a local celebrity in this field, as you may have inferred. He runs the Tercer Milenio channel and has spoken before of his findings and even of his own alien encounters. He's also come to blows repeatedly with scientists calling him out for his allegations.His previous "alien" discoveries were debunked, including one of a similar mummy that turned out to be a child with a deformed head. Two more mummies from the same 2017 batch as the one containing the more recent two were shown to be "dolls."Maussan claimed the bodies had been carbon-dated by researchers from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) and analyzed by independent researchers. Samples and all collected data had been made publicly available, too, he claimed, because the world had the right to know Maussan was adamant: this was a historical moment that proved beyond any doubt that "we are not alone in this universe." That may be so, but he's yet to prove it, the scientific community is saying back.Perhaps name-dropping UNAM was the biggest flaw in the plan because researchers from the university and the administration itself are quick to distance themselves from the alien story. If these are alien bodies, UNAM was not involved in any kind of research or thorough analysis of samples."Of course, it was all made up," Julieta Fierro, researcher at the UNAM Institute of Astronomy, says in a statement.Maussan never worked with UNAM on this and probably couldn't have, even if he wanted to, because he lacks credit with the community , given his previous lies. She pointed out that a desiccated body like that would require more than an X-ray to determine whether it was human or not and that Maussan couldn't have brought it into Mexico from Peru without leaving a paper trace, which doesn't exist, or without involving the authorities.Flavio Estrada, a forensic archaeologist who analyzed the other Nazca alien mummies for the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of the Public Ministry in Peru, has also gone on the record on the latest reveal. The aliens are dolls made from animal and human bones "held together with synthetic glue," covered in fake skin and dust, he said. The only real part about Maussan's story is that they're non-human.Physical anthropologist Guido Lombardi, who also conducted research on the previous (debunked) discoveries, agrees. These tiny "aliens" are fakes, assembled out of parts specifically to back up the misleading story of a groundbreaking discovery."What happened yesterday in the Mexican Congress was a spectacle, with information that is not necessarily verifiable, the product of fanaticism that is more about media spectacle and political gain than explaining the phenomenon of possible life beyond our planet," Raul Trejo Delarbre, researcher at the Institute for Social Research and a doctor in sociology from the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences at UNAM, says.In a statement, UNAM points out that there is no verifiable data yet to confirm the existence of life beyond Earth and that all theories on this must go through a rigorous scientific process before they're made public. This was not it, they're saying.Maussan's findings and the subsequent research would have had to be published in peer-reviewed publications. Not only has that not happened, but it doesn't seem like Maussan is keeping his promise that available data will be offered for free analysis.If aliens do exist and may have even made contact with the human species, these tiny ET-like mummies don't prove it.
EV

The Japanese automaker is so present these days across the news that everything seems to revolve around them, sometimes. If you look at the rumor mill, the 2024 Land Cruiser that was just born as a sibling to the J250 Lexus GX is already having a baby  a compact, rugged body-on-frame compact version that will probably feud with Mercedes' mini-G-Class if and when the Germans release it.Or maybe you want to talk about the whispers that a Corolla Cross-based pickup truck is in the making to try and give the Hyundai Santa Cruz and Ford Maverick unibody compact pickup trucks a run for their money? Even the dealerships have nothing to complain about  special editions from the GR side of things are coming, the 2024 Grand Highlander is ready to rock your family in a three-row configuration, and the 2024 Tacoma mid-size pickup truck superstar is just around the corner.But, of course, that is not all. There's also the imaginative realm of digital car content creators to keep us company in our sweet dreams of future Toyotas. And there's no need to take our word for granted, as we have a prolific pixel master to give you an eloquent example. Dimas Ramadhan, the virtual automotive artist behind the Digimods DESIGN channel on YouTube, has recently taken up the task of revealing a refreshed Toyota Corolla - in sporty sedan attire.That's the latest in a long line of Toyota-focused digital projects, by the way  just recently, he also envisioned stuff like an all-new, third-generation Toyota RAV4, the popular 2024 Land Cruiser in pickup truck form and with heavy-duty dually responsibilities, plus the 2024 Tacoma HD giving it a helping hand, among many others. Now, finally, there's also time to think about the passenger cars, not just the crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks in the 'Yota family.As far as the unofficial 2025 Toyota Corolla Sedan presentation shown in the video feature embedded below is concerned, this could easily pass as an all-new generation given the extensive level of modifications. However, it's probably safe to take all this with a grain of salt as Toyota probably won't spend top dollar on a simple redesign to switch the best-selling Corolla nameplate on the Lexus IS platform.On the other hand, using the sporty luxury sedan as a template made the hypothetical Toyota Corolla Sedan a lot sportier than anyone could have imagined  and the excellent integration of new styling elements only helps with the perceived feistiness. Well, that brings us to a neat idea  what if Toyota starts to offer a GR Corolla version for every one of its body styles, not just the hatchback? Wouldn't running around in a GR Corolla Sedan would be utterly fantastic, giving headaches to the Honda Civic Type R in the other lane?
Google has just released a new Android Auto update, allowing users to try out the next version before the production launch starts.

Only available in the beta stage

Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution

Manual downloads are available for everybody

Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution

No changelog, but don't expect anything big

Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution

Don't download this build if

Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution

Unsurprisingly, many people rush to download new Android Auto versions, hoping the updates bring substantial improvements and new features.The disappointment is typically quite big, especially because Google doesn't use these updates to ship new features. The focus is typically on fixing bugs and improving the overall performance, with some new builds also witnessing the gradual rollout of experiments enabled only for a small set of users.Android Auto 10.5 is now live, and here's what you need to know before downloading the new version.Android Auto 10.5 is currently in the beta stage, so its purpose is to allow users to test the release before Google begins the rollout to production devices.The Android Auto beta program expanded last year, and since then, Google significantly accelerated the release pace in both the testing and stable channels. The concept is very simple.With t he beta program , Google allows power users to test new Android Auto builds before everybody else. These users are supposed to provide feedback and submit bug reports, giving Google more information on what to fix before the release to everybody else begins. Eventually, Google will ship more stable Android Auto updates with a lower likelihood of bugs.Everybody wins from this effort. Google receives additional feedback, while users get the chance to participate in the Android Auto development phase and try out new features and improvements early.Google ships a pre-release Android Auto version as part of its beta program. You must be a registered tester to receive these builds.On the other hand, Android Auto users can download these updates by sideloading the new build . Sideloading refers to manually installing an Android application on a mobile device using the stand-alone APK installer.The process involves downloading the APK file and manually launching the installation. Users must grant the necessary permissions, allowing Android to install applications from third-party sources. By default, the operating system only allows applications published on the Google Play Store.Android Auto 10.5 beta comes without a changelog, but if you've been part of the testing program for more than an update, you probably already know this isn't a surprise.Google uses a very frustrating approach that involves sharing changelogs only when major new Android Auto features are available. In this case, the company doesn't just offer a changelog but publishes a blog post to detail the improvements.Android Auto 10.5 beta doesn't seem to include major changes. I installed the beta on my smartphone but couldnt notice any new features. Google's focus has most likely been on polishing the app performance, and if new features are available, the company will probably enable it in stages.You can use the comment box after the jump to let us know if you noticed something new in this Android Auto beta build.Most people rush to download new Android Auto builds without caring if they're part of the beta program or shared in the stable channel.However, you shouldn't download this Android Auto 10.5 update if you don't know the purpose of a beta release. Google ships these builds to collect update feedback and test a new version's reliability. It expects users to share this feedback, so if you're unfamiliar with the process, you should wait for the stable release.Android Auto beta builds come with an increased likelihood of bugs. Because they're pre-release versions of Android Auto, they are unrefined and unpolished  that's actually your role in the whole release process; you must contribute with reliability data, helping Google prepare an update for prime-time. If you notice anything unusual, including bugs and other performance problems, you must report them to Google, giving the company extra time to address everything before a build makes its way to stable users.Bugs are common in beta builds, though any long-time Android Auto users will tell you the same applies to stable releases, too. Android Auto suffers from major reliability problems, and bugs breaking down various features, including voice commands, are nothing unusual.Eventually, you shouldn't download Android Auto 10.5 beta if you use the app as your daily driver. Android Auto could stop working on your device if something goes wrong and you encounter a critical bug. You must be familiar with the sideloading of another Android Auto build, therefore being able to return to the previous version that worked correctly on your device.If everything runs correctly, Google should start the Android Auto 10.5 rollout in the stable channel in approximately one week. At that point, the new version should already be considered stable enough to leave the beta phase.
Akio Toyoda is no longer the CEO of Toyota, but that did not reduce the criticism about how the Japanese automaker is dealing with electrification. It seemed that the new CEO  Koji Sato  would follow Toyoda's steps, but he created two major divisions to care for the company's future. The Hydrogen Factory and the BEV Factory are self-explanatory. However, the BEV Factory laid out its plans, showing that Toyota's strategy changed a bit.

Photo: Toyota

SUV

Photo: Toyota

WLTP

Before Sato-san took the helm, solid-state cells would be initially used only on hybrid vehicles. Gill Pratt's explanation for that was pretty convincing. Toyota's chief scientist said that hybrids have a more demanding use, with frequent and deep charging and discharging. If the solid-state batteries did well in that test, they would excel when applied to battery electric vehicles (BEVs). It looks like the Japanese carmaker has no reserves about durability anymore. Toyota disclosed that it achieved a breakthrough that made these cells last longer despite the rapid charging and discharging that they are expected to offer. Although it did not elaborate on that, this technological advancement seems to be the reason for the plans to change. The Japanese carmaker will have these batteries in its next generation of BEVs by 2027 or 2028. It is not clear if it will take these four to five years to validate the new cells or if it just wants to stick to the schedule it had previously established.According to the company, the new solid-state batteries will have a greater tolerance to high voltages and temperatures. With that, they will be able to charge from 10% to 80% capacity in 10 minutes or less. A battery pack with these cells will offer 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) of range. Expect these BEVs to have similar warranty periods as those the bZ4x has. To the surprise of no one, Toyota said it will focus on reliability  for all its battery packs. Curiously, Toyota has already talked about these components in June . I'll remind you of that in a bit, not before talking about what is really new.Several car companies have released electric SUVs, which have a large frontal area. Toyota is among them, as the bZ4x proves. That will apparently also change. The Japanese automaker said it will focus on aerodynamics and weight reduction. Although it did not elaborate on what it will do to make its BEVs lighter, the Japanese carmaker anticipated its battery packs will be much thinner than they currently are.Instead of the 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) height they currently have, Toyota's future components will be 12 cm (4.7 in) tall. The company's final goal is to make a battery pack that is not higher than 10 cm (3.9 in). The Renault Megane E-Tech and the MG4 already have components with a thickness of 11 cm (4.3 in). Ironically, the Megane E-Tech is an. The rendering Toyota released suggests it will try to sell what Volkswagen called a "flat vehicle," which is a low and long car. It may also be the case that the thinner battery pack will allow the Japanese car company to make lower SUVs.In June, Toyota had already said that it was pursuing drag coefficients of less than 0.2 with a "new technology to reduce aerodynamic drag in any shape" developed with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. A smaller eAxle would also allow rear passengers to sit lower. We're still waiting to hear about this technology to make any car more aerodynamic. It seems the thinner battery pack will help with these efforts.As Toyota already disclosed back then, it is developing three main battery packs. The only news about them is that they now seem to have names. Popularization will use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells . The automaker also refers to it as "Popularized" and promises it will have higher energy density. Another edge it will offer is the bipolar technology.The other two are called Performance and High-Performance. Both use ternary cells (probably NMC), and the only difference is that High-Performance has more nickel in its cathodes.Popularization will give BEVs a range that is 20% better than that of the bZ4x. If you consider the EPA range, that's 302 miles (486 kilometers) instead of 252 miles (406 km). If your reference is thecycle, the range would jump from 516 km (321 mi) to 619 km (385 mi). Performance will improve that figure to 800 km (497 miles), while High-Performance targets 1,000 km (621 miles) of range.The still-unnamed battery packs with solid-state cells should allow the vehicles they power to run the same distances, which confirms their main advantage is reducing charging times. A second-generation solid-state battery should improve that by 20%, or to 1,200 km (746 miles). These BEVs should use large castings, just like Tesla does with the Model Y and should do with the Cybertruck.
16 September 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

Azerbaijan continues its reforms in the social sector. The care of the state for its citizens increases day by day. The decision adopted by the Tarif Council on September 15, 2023, regarding the amendments to the Law "On Medicines" is one of the steps taken in this direction.

According to the new law, from now on the Tariff Council will set the maximum prices for medicines, and the companies are allowed to sell their products at any price on a condition that the price should not exceed the price set by the Council. However, prior to the adoption of the new law, prices of medicine had been set by the Tariff Council and the pharmacies had sold the medicines only at these prices, which was contrary to the requirements of the market economy.

The previous law could be seen as plausible for the population in the short run, but it is doomed to fail in the long run. In other words, the previous type of regulation reminds us of the socialist type of regulation and since it suffocates the competition after a certain time the prices hike. It has been proven for a long that no administrative measure cannot control the price but only competition. Because there are too many unpredicted expenditures in periods of the research and production of any science-based products, including pharmaceutics, and governments usually do not consider these expenditures when they set prices. In this case, as the pharmaceutical companies cannot make money, they stop manufacturing products which paves the way for a deficit of products.

The less products means more increase in prices. On the contrary, if companies can sell their products at the prices that please them, they will make more products. In this case, since the number of companies and products increases, there will be competitive conditions and the prices will be stabilized at a convenient amount. Let us not forget that, no company can survive if it sells any products below than producing cost.

That is why, the modern economy requires governments interfere to the businesses not too much such as setting prices and so on, but to create competitive conditions through invisible hands as described by Adam Smith.

Besides, currently, the registration process takes more than 9 months, which means that it takes more than 1 year for a new medicine to enter the Azerbaijani market. In the corresponding law, the registration of medicinal products was determined within a maximum of 4 months. This includes both the reduction of the standard registration process and the recognition of foreign (international) registration. Simplification will stimulate the import of drugs to Azerbaijan and improve the supply of drugs to the population. Thus, it will ensure that the period of registration of drugs is 1-4 months.

Moreover, the amendment includes the introduction of electronic prescriptions which require not the name of the medicine but the active substance (international non-patented name). This will have a positive effect on the strengthening of the control of prescribed medicines and will reduce the population's unnecessary dependence on various trade names and increase the opportunity to choose a drug at a more appropriate price. More precisely, electronic prescriptions will enable the patient to buy the medicine that suits his/her wishes and budget among many drugs with the same composition.

In a nutshell, with the help of this amendment, medicines will be more available, the number of varieties will be increased, create a more favorable competitive environment in this field, and it will pave the way for decreasing of the prices.

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Qabil Ashirov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @g_Ashirov

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16 September 2023 18:15 (UTC+04:00)

Editorial

It is clear that the policy pursued by the United States is based only on its own interests, and hypocrisy, betrayal, and treachery have risen to the level of state policy.

On one hand, the United States supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, considers Abkhazia and South Ossetia as part of Georgia, Transnistria as part of Moldova, Donbas and Crimea as an integral part of Ukraine, and also supports these countries on all international platforms, on the other hand, the United States did not provide any support to Azerbaijan, whose territory had been under the invasion for almost 30 years. Moreover, it took steps that suited the interests of invader Armenia.

If a small part of the support provided to Ukraine today had been provided to Azerbaijan, our lands would not have stayed under the invasion so long.

As a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, the United States also did not conduct any work; the co-chairs made tourist trips and made routine statements. This organization and one of its co-chairs, the United States, did everything possible to keep the conflict frozen for many years. Millions of dollars were allocated annually to the so-called regime in Garabagh under the guise of mine clearance. The separatists visited the United States and raised funds under the name aid to Garabagh. It was in the USA that the department of the criminal regime of Garabagh was created. Representatives of the regime visited America and held meetings at various levels. All this is an indicator of the US attitude towards resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. Although support for Azerbaijan's territorial integrity was expressed on the surface, behind the scenes support was given to the separatist regime in Armenia and Garabagh.

The United States, as a hegemonic power, created the image of an enemy that would frighten the international system in order to dictate its will to the whole world, and declared Islam the main enemy of the civilized world. This is a country where Islamophobia has risen to the level of state policy, it has not only interfered in the internal affairs of various countries in the name of fighting terrorism but has also targeted Muslim countries. As a result of the Arab Spring scenario, governments in the Middle East were overthrown and civil conflicts were encouraged. Countries such as Iraq and Libya were attacked, where such a scenario was impossible.

After creating an image of Iraq as having "nuclear weapons", they invaded the country, killing one million Iraqis, destroying cities and villages, taking control of the country's national wealth, and continuing to plunder it so far.

The civil conflict that began in Libya after the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi still cannot subside. The killing of millions of people, the destruction of economic infrastructure, cities and villages in the Middle East, and the fact that this problem will continue for many years is the result of the "democracy" that America brought to the East.

Today, the United States which is considered the country responsible for the shameful scandals at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay for the torturing and murdering of Muslims, presents itself as a patron of human rights.

All points of tension in the world are created according to the desires and plans of the United States. All political games have one goal - to ensure American interests in any region or country and to control and exploit the resources of the region or country. The US is not interested in democracy, human rights, peace and stability. Most of South America, Africa, and Asia became a testing ground for American political games.

Azerbaijan has also been suffering from US geopolitical games for many years. In our country, attempts were made to carry out coups d'etat. Consistent work was carried out in the direction of financing and training the political opposition, involving the NGO sector and the media in political games, that is, in a word, creating an atmosphere of civil disobedience in the country. The main goal of this country is to form a government in Azerbaijan that is unquestioningly subordinate to the interests of the United States and to legitimize the invasion of Azerbaijani territories. However, these attempts and numerous plans did not come true.

The United States tried to Syrianize Azerbaijan and several times prepared a plan for color revolutions to prevent the country from strengthening, developing, and liberating occupied Garabagh. But thanks to the unity of the government and the people, none of these evil plans came to true.

Realizing that after the 44-day war, the unity of the government and the people in Azerbaijan has strengthened, today the United States is changing its tactics and is trying to use not the opposition, which is in trouble, but LGBT which is a great threat to national values, feminists who promote immorality, and people NO TO WAR, trying to devalue the Victory in the Patriotic War. The US also provides funds to these groups through USAID, and these groups are led by Samantha Power, who has pro-Armenian, anti-Turkish, and anti-Azerbaijani positions.

Azerbaijan managed to resist any pressure and liberated its lands from occupation on its own. Of course, the existence of Azerbaijan with such strength and courage does not correspond to the interests and goals of the United States, France, and other similar countries. Therefore, today official Washington is not making serious efforts to resolve the problem between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but is only creating an illusion.

According to the agreement reached at the last meeting in Washington, on September 1, roads in the region should have been opened and the Agdam-Khankendi road should have been operational. Although Blinken asked for the opening of both the Lachin and Aghdam roads during negotiations with the Azerbaijani leadership, the US stepped back from its position rather than put pressure on the Armenian leadership and separatists in Garabagh who resisted the agreement. Today, both the State Department and Congress are talking only about the need to open the Lachin road.

Unable or unwilling to satisfy the separatist group, the United States is now trying to accuse Azerbaijan of lack of courage and hypocrisy.

We have also witnessed the hypocrisy of the United States regarding the elections in Garabagh- after the elections on September 9, leading states and organizations declared that they did not recognize the illegal regime and its elections, but Washington chose to remain silent. Only after pressure from Azerbaijan, the US State Department at the level of its ordinary representative obliged to verbally declare that it did not recognize the elections.

A representative of the US State Department sent Louis Bonin to the region, but this visit did not contribute to solving problems in the region and was inconclusive. Because the US is insincere in its intentions and is not interested in peace. Otherwise, US State Department representative Yuri Kim would not have spoken about the non-existent rights of the people of Nagorno-Garabagh in her speech in Congress. The United States ignores today's realities and is making serious efforts to legitimize the military junta in Garabagh.

In fact, today the United States, together with France, is a party that does not allow the process of reintegration of the Armenian minority in Garabagh, and stimulates revanchist forces in Armenia. Thanks to such an open pro-Armenian policy of France, today Paris is completely isolated from regional processes and has lost hope of mediation. If this happens, the same fate awaits the United States, which behaves in the region as Christian missionaries.

It would be naivity to think that Armenia will be benefitted from the current hypocritical policy of the USA. This policy will not benefit anyone. An obstacle to the reintegration process is created in Azerbaijan with the Armenian minority living in its territory, and Armenia becomes a "second Ukraine". The United States, which incited Ukraine to war with Russia and manipulated the supply of weapons and ammunition to make Kyiv completely dependent on itself, has actually sacrificed Ukraine today. After the death of tens of thousands of Ukrainians, the destruction of cities and villages, and the occupation of almost 25 percent of the country, the United States now wants to force Ukraine to come to terms with its territorial occupation. Just as he tried to push Azerbaijan to come to terms with the occupation of its lands for 30 years.

In this war, in which Ukraine is sacrificed, the USA earns a lot of money and takes complete control of the European gas market with LNG (liquefied natural gas). Due to the damage to the environment, LNG, which is almost as dangerous as black coal, has begun to dominate the European market, but so far no environmental organization, ecoactivists, etc. cannot raise voices to protest.

The situation in which the USA is dragging Ukraine reminds us of the war in Georgia in 2008. Even then, the USA, which incited M. Saakashvili to war with Russia, later backed out, as a result of which Moscow officially formalized the occupation of Georgian territories under its control.

The US tried to turn Turkiye into a "second Syria" and attempted a coup in 2016 by the FETO organization it created and financed. Only thanks to the determination of the Turkish leadership and the support of the people, Turkiye was able to escape from this danger. But even today, terrorist organizations fighting against Turkiye receive instructions, weapons and funding directly from the United States.

The United States, which destroyed Afghanistan and then returned to power the Taliban, which it shamefully fled and declared terrorists, but in fact created itself, shows its true nature at every step by implementing projects of this type. During the 20-year occupation, America did not build a single road or school in Afghanistan.

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16 September 2023 16:10 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan's Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population Sahil Babayev has met with newly appointed World Bank Country Manager for the country Stefanie Stallmeister, Azernews reports.

During the meeting, Minister Sahil Babayev hailed the successful cooperation between the Ministry and the World Bank, stressing the importance of the projects implemented jointly over the past period.

Babayev emphasized the important role of the "Employment Support Project" in expanding the self-employment program in Azerbaijan and supporting the access of vulnerable groups to small business.

The meeting also focused on the social reforms and achievements, strengthening of social protection of vulnerable groups, expansion of active employment programs and other issues.

Stefanie Stallmeister also praised the fruitful cooperation between the World Bank and the Ministry over the past period.

The parties exchanged views on the current cooperation agenda, the implementation of the "Employment Support Project" as well as prospects for future cooperation.

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16 September 2023 22:30 (UTC+04:00)

Rena Murshud Read more

COVID-19, which is just being forgotten, is looming out again with another name - Eris.

The emergence of the Eris variant, first seen in Indonesia and then in Turkiye, brought many questions to mind. How dangerous is this variant? What is the rate of spread? Is there any fear of coming to Azerbaijan? Will there be another lockdown again? How long will it take?

According to the research conducted by Azernews, it seems that during a period when the virus is alive it continues to be transmitted, its new variants have become common. It has been seen in more than 50 countries in the world and the Eris variant is becoming further widespread.

This new variant, which is quick to spread, generally resembles the common cold. It causes symptoms such as runny nose, cough, weakness and nausea. There may be loss of taste and smell. People with such symptoms should rest at home for a week and avoid social gatherings. If this is done, the epidemic will be prevented from spreading in society.

The first rule is the hygiene, i.e. the use of a mask in this process. People who are sick should not mix up with society. If one has to come together with other people, that person should use a mask. There is currently no reason for healthy people to use a mask. However, people with chronic diseases, elderly people, and immunocompromised people need to protect themselves. It is already clear to everyone how to protect themselves during the pandemic period.

COVID-19, which first appeared in Wuhan, China, in 2019, has mutated many times. It continued to spread to every corner of the world with different variants. During this process, the World Health Organization (WHO) determined some of the emerging variants as "concerning variants".

The Alpha variant, which was first detected in England in September 2020. So much so that it influenced England at that time. It spread all over the world. With the increase of the Delta variant, it disappeared.

The Beta variant was identified in South Africa at the end of 2020. It quickly spread to other countries. It was stated that Beta is 50 percent more contagious than the first type of coronavirus.

The Delta variant was first identified in India in September 2020. It spread all over the world in a short time. It has become the most dominant variant of the coronavirus.

The Gamma variant was detected for the first time in passengers traveling from Japan to Brazil in January 2020. It caused many deaths in Brazil.

The Omicron variant appeared in South Africa in November 2021. It was determined to be more contagious than Delta. It spread rapidly all over the world. Two subspecies of the Omicron variant, Eris and Pirola, began to spread rapidly all over the world.

Eris, a subtype of the Omicron variant, was first seen in Indonesia in February 2023. The World Health Organization evaluated it as a "variant to watch" in the report published on August 9.

Pirola, first seen in 2023, is a subspecies of the Omicron variant. After it was detected, it started to spread around the world.

First of all, there is no need to worry because all the reported cases are mild cases. There is no serious illness. Deaths related to COVID-19 are decreasing in the world.

It is not yet known whether it will come to Azerbaijan. We hope that we will not go back to the old times again and face a chaotic epidemic like in the 2020-2021. Because this virus has learned to live with humans over time. It changed itself through mutations. It learned how to live together without killing people or making them seriously ill. Over time, people gained immunity either by being vaccinated or by contracting the disease. Since social immunity has been gained, there will not be such a chaotic return.

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Rena Murshud is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @RenaTagiyeva

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16 September 2023 15:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Emin Sevdimaliyev, Day.az

President Ilham Aliyev visited Tajikistan, during which the head of state took part at the 5th Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia as the guest of honour. In the context of this visit, it is necessary to analyze several key points that will highlight the importance of the participation of President Ilham Aliyev.

Let's start with the fact that President Ilham Aliyev became the first head of state in history from outside the region to receive an invitation to a summit of regional countries. The very fact of such an invitation from the countries of Central Asia, which in recent years have significantly increased their authority and importance on the world agenda, indicates a significant level of high respect and trust that is shown to President Ilham Aliyev.

And this should not come as a surprise. Of course, in many ways global politics is a reflection of life and follows similar rules. Heads of state, like all people, prefer and enjoy doing business with colleagues whom they respect and trust. The systematic policy pursued by Azerbaijan makes the country a reliable partner, whose behavior is assessed as rational and amenable to analysis. And predictability of policy is not a negative aspect; on the contrary, it instills peace of mind in foreign heads of state and allows them to build relationships with minimal risks.

The second point that needs to be emphasized is related to the increasing influence of Azerbaijan in recent years. And if we have repeatedly said that Azerbaijan is becoming an important partner for Western countries, due to Bakus contribution to the energy security and economic growth of the old continent, then the topic of the importance of Azerbaijan for the countries of Central Asia deserves more detailed consideration. Recent changes in global politics, especially tensions in Eastern Europe, are creating significant constraints on the operations of European companies. The logistics disruption between Europe and China has become one of the biggest challenges that companies in both Asia and Europe are trying to solve.

Against the backdrop of these events, a serious need has arisen for the use of alternative logistics and transport routes. The main hope was the Middle Corridor, which would become a bridge from Europe to China. Azerbaijan and the countries of Central Asia play a special role in this route due to their strategic geographical location. And it is cooperation between Azerbaijan and the countries of Central Asia that is a key element for the functioning of the transport route. President Ilham Aliyev noted in his speech that Azerbaijans opportunities in the field of transport and logistics are available to the countries of Central Asia:

Our brothers in Central Asia know that Azerbaijans entire transportation and logistics infrastructure is available to them, the head of state noted.

In the context of the speech of President Ilham Aliyev, it is important to note specific areas of work in the development of the countrys transport potential. In particular, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the work on modernizing the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and expanding the capabilities of the shipyard: Given the growing demand of the shippers from Central Asia, we are actively working on expanding the capabilities of our shipyard. Upon the completion of investment projects, the number of manufactured tankers and dry cargo vessels will be increased from current 6 to 10-15 vessels annually, the head of state emphasized.

Having considered the speech of President Ilham Aliyev, it becomes clear that the development of railway and sea transport are two elements of a single strategy. Thus, Baku will be able to provide a greater volume of traffic along the Middle Corridor, which will have a beneficial effect on the economy of Azerbaijan, and will also give impetus to the economic growth of other countries participating in the route. Ultimately, this will lead to improved trade performance between countries.

This brings us to the fact that Azerbaijan and the countries of Central Asia are important countries for each other not only in the field of transport cooperation. Of course, the presence of joint large strategic projects is an important step that allows us to move mutual relations to a higher level. However, the foundation of all subsequent achievements is mutual trade. In modern politics, trade is the foundation on which long-term relationships are built, and therefore it is not surprising that President Ilham Aliyev has focused on issues of trade and investment.

Last year the trade turnover of Azerbaijan with the Central Asian countries increased more than 3 times. During 7 months of this year  for another 50%. Joint investment funds have been established, and with over $1 billion of investments for the coming 3 years have been agreed. We are already implementing many projects in the sphere of industrial cooperation, machine-building, automobile industry, shipbuilding and agriculture, namely cotton production, sericulture, horticulture and livestock farming. Investment projects in hotel business and tourism are at the initial stage of implementation. We see the interest of Central Asian companies in the Alat Free Economic Zone established recently in Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev said.

Thus, Azerbaijan and the countries of Central Asia remain important partners for each other, whose relations extend to a large number of important areas, including investment, trade, transport, agriculture and others. President Ilham Aliyev's participation at the Dushanbe summit, as the first-ever invited head of state from outside the region, highlights the strategic nature of the relationship between Azerbaijan and the brotherly countries of Central Asia and will no doubt create additional opportunities for expanded cooperation in the future.

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16 September 2023 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

Participants of the 33rd meeting of the Coordination Council of Prosecutors General of the CIS member states and the 4th meeting of Prosecutors General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member states have visited the Alley of Honors to pay tribute to National Leader, founder, and architect of the modern, independent Azerbaijani state Heydar Aliyev, Azernews reports.

They also visited the grave of outstanding ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva.

The Prosecutors General then commemorated Azerbaijani heroes who gave their lives for the countrys independence and territorial integrity and placed a wreath at the Eternal Flame monument.

They also joined a tree-planting ceremony in the Central Park.

The participants of the 33rd meeting of the Coordination Council of Prosecutors General of the CIS member states and the 4th meeting of Prosecutors General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member states paid tribute to National Leader Heydar Aliyev in recognition of his important role in the development of Azerbaijan and the protection of human rights and freedoms.

The 30th meeting of the Coordination Council of General Prosecutors of the CIS member states was held in a video conference format on October 8th. At the meeting, Prosecutor General Kamran Aliyev noted the importance of adequately adapting to the new challenges of society and ensuring transparency in the activities of the prosecution authorities of the Republic of Azerbaijan. He also highlighted the new structure of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which was approved by the Decree of President Ilham Aliyev on June 10th, 2020.

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16 September 2023 16:48 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov at a meeting with US State Department's Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Louis Bono said that the reiteration of the Armenian side's claims by the US is unacceptable, Azernews reports.

During the meeting, Jeyhun Bayramov emphasized the unacceptability of the Armenian side's repeated claims among international partners, including the US, who are well-informed about the situation in the region.

The minister underscored that despite Armenia's constant military and political provocations, its smear campaign against Azerbaijan, and its support for separatism on Azerbaijani territories, Azerbaijan continues to maintain a constructive position.

Previously, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry responded to recent allegations of US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim regarding the use of Lachin-Khankendi road.

In order to prevent the illegal transfer of manpower, ammunition, mines, as well as other military means from Armenia to Armenian armed formations on the territory of Azerbaijan, carried out contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, and adequate to the unilateral establishment by Armenia of a border checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road on the border with Azerbaijan on April 22, a border checkpoint was established at 12:00 (GMT+4) on April 23 by the units of the State Border Guard Service of Azerbaijan at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road on the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, on the border with Armenia.

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16 September 2023 20:11 (UTC+04:00)

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov received the newly appointed Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the country Essam bin Saleh Al-Jutayli, Azernews reports with reference to Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

The Ambassador presented the Foreign Minister with copies of his credentials.

Jeyhun Bayramov wished the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia success during his diplomatic mission to the country. Speaking about the bilateral and multilateral cooperation agenda between Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia in various fields, including political, economic, energy security, humanitarian, etc., he emphasized the important role of mutual visits and contacts in the development of relations. In particular, the demonstration of mutual solidarity within the framework of international organizations and support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan were noted with satisfaction. The importance of mutual visits of foreign ministers and consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries was emphasized.

The Ambassador spoke about the development of relations between the two countries and recent bilateral meetings. He noted that he would make every effort to further expand trade turnover between our countries

Other issues of mutual interest were discussed at the meeting, the department said.

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16 September 2023 19:35 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has received the newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan Omar Al-Nahar, Azernews reports with reference to the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan.

According to the ministry, Al-Nahar presented copies of his credentials to Bayramov.

The minister congratulated the ambassador on his appointment and wished him success in his diplomatic mission.

During the meeting, they discussed the agenda of bilateral and multilateral cooperation, as well as the prospects for the development of relations between the two countries.

The minister noted that the development of political relations between the two countries will give impetus to further development of bilateral economic ties.

He emphasized the importance of cooperation in the fields of economy, tourism, education, and other areas, as well as the activities of the intergovernmental commission and the significance of high-level mutual visits.

Bayarmov also highlighted the importance of continuing cooperation within regional and international organizations and platforms, including the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),.

Furthermore, he informed in details about the nearly 30-year Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories, Armenian policies of ethnic cleansing, and ongoing provocations by Armenia following the 2020 Second Garabagh war.

The ambassador acknowledged the broad potential for cooperation between the two countries in various spheres and expressed his commitment to further developing relations between Jordan and Azerbaijan during his diplomatic tenure.

The meeting also included an exchange of views on other matters of mutual interest, according to the information provided by the ministry.

The previous ambassador of Jordan to Azerbaijan was Sami Abdullah Ghosheh.

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16 September 2023 18:52 (UTC+04:00)

Turkiye has extended a proposal to lead three-way talks about Azerbaijan's Garabagh region, involving those two countries and neighboring Armenia, while also expressing readiness for four-way discussions that would include Russia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, Azernews reports.

"We conveyed our proposal for a trilateral meeting under our leadership to them (Azerbaijan and Armenia). Beyond the trilateral approach, we also made a quadrilateral proposal," Erdogan said at a news conference in Istanbul ahead of his departure for next week's UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

"There has been no response yet," he said of the four-way proposal, noting that he would discuss the matter with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.

On Turkiye's EU accession process, Erdogan said Ankara would evaluate recent developments. "After these evaluations, we can part ways with the EU if necessary."

The EU is "trying to break away" from Ankara, he said on the European Parliament's 2022 report about Turkiye.

On Sweden's NATO membership bid, he said that if terrorists were being allowed to hold demonstrations under police protection in the Scandinavian country, this showed that Stockholm was failing to "fulfill its duties" under an agreement with Ankara to greenlight its accession to the alliance.

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Ethnic media have long complained about the vast information gap separating them and their audiences from the halls of power in the State Capitol.

Not anymore.

Invited to the first ever conference for ethnic media to meet the leaders and decision makers of Sacramento, policy makers and elected officials accepted with enthusiasm. And so did some 150 ethnic media practitioners from as far north as Humboldt and as far south as Calexico, joined by dozens of comms specialists, journalism school faculty, and CBO representatives.

The event, held at the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in Sacramento on Aug. 31, opened with a networking luncheon headlining secretary of State Shirley Weber and US Census Director Rob Santos; plenary sessions with leaders of top state agencies; a reporters roundtable on how to cover community taboos, and an ethnic media awards ceremony. It counted close to 350 attendees.

Im excited to participate in this ground-breaking event and share what we learned from our communication campaigns, including the 2020 Census and our pandemic response, and the important role that ethnic media played, Maricela Rodriguez, senior advisor for Civic Engagement and Strategic Partnerships in the governors office, emailed in accepting her invitation to speak and encouraging others in state government to attend.

Rodriguez was the opening speaker at the first two plenary sessions for leaders of five state agencies  both filled to capacity by ethnic media, despite being off the record to ensure a candid exchange.

This is an amazing event involving hundreds of people who came for a symposium for ethnic media and for agencies contributing to a variety of programs at the state level, remarked Chris Holben, CEO of Runyon Salzman, looking around as he arrived for the opening lunch. Holben was one of five communications champions recognized for being models of how to work with ethnic media.

Opening doors

Diana Ding, founder and director of Ding Ding TV serving AAPI audiences in the South Bay, moderated the opening plenary session which featured Maricela Rodriguez, Michelle Baass, director of Californias Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), and Susan DeMarois, director of the California Department of Aging. Speakers shared their communication priorities on their most pressing concerns  extreme weather, health care access for MediCal recipients and the challenges of agism in an aging state.

What struck me was how sincere these decision makers were in talking to us, and how willing they are to open the door, remarked Ding. I think they understand that just like CBOs providing direct services, ethnic media are also service providers  we educate the public about what the government is doing and what their resources are.

Ding says the aging population represents a huge opportunity ethnic media havent focused enough on. Government agencies like CDA and DHCS are providing great resources that AAPI audiences like mine dont know are there. We need to be the missing link.

Fatmeh Bakhit, founder and publisher of the Arabic language Al Enteshar, also said the issue of aging was front and center for Arab Americans. This is the first time we get to hear from and meet with public officials, face to face. Each one was important, but it was all of them together that mattered.

Bakhit praised Census Director Rob Santos for speaking from the heart, recognizing all communities as equal.

It was great to build closer relations between minority communities and all levels of government, said Charles Ding, veteran reporter for the Chinese-language World Journal and winner for Breaking News in in-language print media.

He pointed to Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin and Government Operations Secretary Amy Tong, who spoke on broad band access, high speed rail and equity in government contracts, among other issues. Usually, its not easy for us to interview them much less have them speak to us directly.

Engaging with us matters

To me what was most illuminating were the off-the-record sessions with the decision makers. They showed us that they are listening and that engaging with us matters. They know we are channeling our communities, said Pamela Anchang, publisher of Immigrant Magazine serving predominantly African diaspora members.

They see we are building a collective voice and that there is strength in our union, added her husband and co-publisher, Charles Anchang.

Kudos to EMS and CBM, said Francis Espiritu of Philippine News Today, after attending the first two sessions. Its not easy to bring these groups togetheryou hit a home run.

Espiritu said he appreciated the opportunity to pose no-filter questions regarding the budget process, and how officials make decisions on how to spend outreach funds. He also noted the breakfast meeting with several elected officials held the morning after to talk about how to navigate Sacramentos halls of power. Now, he stressed, we have to be more proactive when it comes to advocating for more support from and access to officials.

Nguon ethnicmediaservices
North Carolina officials, politicians, and analysts offered mixed reactions Thursday to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision rejecting the use of race in admissions policies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Harvard.In an email to UNC students and faculty, Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz of defendant UNC-Chapel Hill wroteChief Justice John Roberts wrote the Court's 6-3 majority opinion in both Students for Fair Admission (SFFA) v. UNC and SFFA v. Harvard, two linked cases concerning the use of race when admitting applicants into universities. In the opinion, Roberts wrote that both UNC and Harvard admissionsSFFA v. UNC originates from controversy over the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's admissions process. UNC has long admitted that it uses race as a factor when sifting through student applications, but has maintained that its standards are legal under Grutter v. Bollinger, a 2003 SCOTUS case that allowed affirmative action in admissions.Decisions in both SFFA v. UNC and SFFA v. Harvard directly overturned the affirmative action standards for admissions set by Grutter 20 years ago, stating they violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.Guskiewicz announced that while the university is disappointed with the decision, it will comply.said Guskiewicz.UNC's Board of Trustees, partially appointed by the Republican-led General Assembly, said it willin a statement from Chair David Boliek.In the lead-up to the decision announced Thursday, some academics have proposed ways colleges can circumvent court rulings that place limits on affirmative action. At an April panel discussion hosted at defendant Harvard University, participants stated thatfactors, such as recruiting students from certain geographical areas or eliminating standardized testing, could target a diverse field of potential students.Gov. Roy Cooper heavily criticized the SCOTUS decision, stating it wouldCooper added.N.C. Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial frontrunner Josh Stein took to Twitter to offer more tempered criticism of the rulings, alluding that the decisions will negatively affect diversity on campuses.On the Republican side, former congressman and gubernatorial candidate Mark Walker praised the decision on Twitter.Other GOP gubernatorial candidates, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robisnosn and Treasurer Dale Folwell, have not released statements on the case so far.Dr. Andy Jackson, director of the Civitas Center for Public Integrity at the John Locke Foundation, told Carolina Journal thatsaid Jackson.North Carolina's senior U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis celebrated the decision on Twitter, saying
As School Choice is beginning to take shape in North Carolina: What is your position on what it should evolve into?

3.85% School Choice is only a distraction from the promise of real public education.92.31% School Choice, as it evolves into its best model to serve the public' s education needs, this benefit will provide choices outside of the historic construct supporting the public school monopoly.3.85% School Choice - I cannot see how it serves the Education Industry.
Was it a judicious ploy for Joe Biden's FBI to execute the unprecedented raid of President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate? Yes; the Cheneys despise this former Republican president, and for good reason ... so they say. No; never has a former president been treated with this level of vindictive abuse by those temporarily in power. Who cares? It's Trump. 924 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?



Former President Donald Trump agreed to a $200,000 bond and other release conditions on Monday in the sweeping Georgia racketeering indictment after his legal team met with the Fulton County District Attorney's office.Trump, who is expected to surrender at the Fulton Couty jail later this week, consented to the bond order that includes 13 counts of charges ranging from criminal conspiracy and solicitation, making false statements, and violation of Georgia's version of the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.According to the document signed by Fulton Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee and Trump's three Atlanta-based attorneys reported by local media, the former president is barred from intimidating witnesses, co-defendants, or victims in the case - including on social media - or communicating directly or indirectly with them except through his lawyer.Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis launched a 41-count indictment against Trump and 18 co-conspirators last week, accusing the defendants of attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. The indictment marks the fourth against the former president seeking a second term in 2024.But across all the legal matters, Trump has broadly denied any wrongdoing and has claimed politically motivated forces are targeting him in apropagated by the Biden administration and Democrat prosecutors in New York and Georgia.Former Trump attorney John Eastman, also named in the indictment, reportedly agreed to a $100,000 bond order, according to CNN.The outlet also reported bail bondsman and co-defendant Scott Hall reached a bond agreement at $10,000. Hall, who is facing seven charges in the indictment, must report to pre-trial supervision every 30 days and is also prohibited from communicating with the other co-defendants in the case.Willis ordered Trump and the co-defendants to surrender at the Fulton County Jail for processing by noon on August 25 and has proposed arraignments for the defendants in the first week of September, with a trial scheduled in March 2024.Republican Georgia State Sen. Colton Moore requested in a letter last week to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp for a special session of the state's General Assembly to impeach Willis.Kemp told Fox News the state senator had not provided any evidence to support that assertion.But Moore said in a statement to the outlet,Moore told Fox News Digital.Before Trump agreed to the bond order and other release conditions, he claimed in a post on Truth Social on Monday that the governor wasagainst the impeachment of the district attorney.Trump said.
A spokesperson for President Joe Biden said that when Biden arrived in Maui - nearly two weeks after wildfires swept through western Maui - one of his priorities would be to make sure residents were aware that he hadThe president and First Lady Jill Biden traveled to Maui on Monday - after reporters pressed Biden several times about when he planned to make the trip - to tour the damage to the historic town of Lahaina and the surrounding areas.But in response to the claims made by spokesperson Olivia Dalton - namely that Biden had been there- critics pointed out that onof the deadly fires that have left more than 100 dead and hundreds still missing, the president was actually on vacation.When members of the press caught up with President Biden in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, they asked him directly about the rising death toll in Maui. His response, when asked whether he had anything to say on the subject, was simple:Several days later, when he returned to the White House from his weekend at the beach, staffers kept members of the press corps cordoned off as he walked from Marine One to the West Wing, so far away from them that he couldn't hear their shouted questions.When he left Washington again, headed to Wisconsin for a speech touting his economy, he responded to reporters' shouted questions with nothing more than a smile and a brief wave of his hand.Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald pointed out the disparity in the way that corporate media had covered Biden's failure to answer questions, noting that previous presidents had been vilified for far less.Greenwald said early Monday, prior to Biden's arrival there.Greenwald continued.
Amazon has yet to make its foray into the healthcare industry profitable, The Wall Street Journal reported Sept. 15.

Although Amazon has found success in online shopping and cloud computing, the assumption it will yield similar results in other industries hasn't proven true, according to the publication.

Healthcare, which has been a primary focus for the company's CEO Andy Jassy, hasn't found much success.

Amazon shuttered Halo, its health and fitness device line, on July 31, as well as its virtual care offering, Amazon Care on Dec. 31.

One of the company's first endeavors into healthcare, Haven, a joint endeavor with JPMorgan and Berkshire Hathaway, also disbanded after only three years, and the company's pharmacy unit laid off about 80 employees in July.

Now Amazon is betting on its recent acquisition of virtual and in-person primary care company One Medical despite it having experienced deepening losses before the acquisition and its CEO, Amir Dan Rubin, announcing plans to leave the company later in the year.

Despite this, Amazon says its healthcare business is in its early days and that it is pleased with the progress it is making.

Since it acquired One Medical in February, the company has continued to expand and enter into more partnerships with hospitals.

Meanwhile its pharmacy business, Amazon Pharmacy, has been landing contracts with payers including Centene Medicare Advantage and several Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliates.
After CMS declined to make Greenwood (Miss.) Leflore Hospital a critical access hospital, officals say they have enough cash to pay employees through the end of the month, but beyond that is uncertain, Mississippi Today reported Sept. 15.

The application to become a critical access hospital is still being considered on a federal level. However, on Sept. 13, the Leflore County Board of Supervisors voted against letting the hospital drawdown $1 million from a previously requested line of credit to cover Septembers payroll.

"The hospital, local business community and owners are coordinating efforts with Senate and Congressional representatives in advocating for the appeal of the regional denial," Greenwood Leflore CEO Gary Marchand told Becker's on the critical access designation. "Transportation challenges for the residents and the limited capabilities of nearby hospitals were not fully considered at the regional office."

The hospital has already withdrawn $5 million of the $10 million that was supposed to keep it open until 2024.

"We have disclosed all our efforts to sustain hospital services and (are) trying to understand what changed the county's thinking about the path we have all been on together," Greenwood Leflore CEO Gary Marchand told Mississippi Today on the decision by the board to vote against the $1 million withdrawal.
The first thing you do when your hospital is deemed best in the nation: feel the affirmation, the verification, the pride. The second thing you do: get back to work.

In some ways, executives' jobs get more complicated following a No. 1 ranking, according to Evaline Alessandrini, MD, chief operating officer of Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The hospital was recently named America's best children's hospital by U.S. News & World Report  a first-time feat.

"Why we're so proud of the U.S. News No. 1 ranking is because that, in and of itself, is not the end game, right? It is an affirmation or a verification of the way that we operate. And the way that we deliver care, it's working," Dr. Alessandrini told Becker's. "We're going to keep doing what we've been doing, so in some ways, it makes it easy for me as the chief operating officer. But sometimes, it makes it a little bit hard, too."

With previous No. 1 rankings in certain specialties, Cincinnati Children's saw patient volumes increase up to 25 percent. In a post-COVID world, the system is planning for a 10 to 15 percent rise in high-complexity cases  a prediction that is holding true so far.

And patients aren't just coming from all over the country. They're coming from all over the world.

"Our international audiences have a fairly strong line of sight to the U.S. News rankings, and really utilize those rankings as a filter or decision tool in terms of where they're sending their patients," Dr. Alessandrini said. "It's a big deal, right? If you're traveling internationally, I think it's a good yardstick to use to help people decide where to send their kids for care."

As a result, Cincinnati Children's has been pouring into programs for global patients. The hospital has increased interpreter services, especially for languages less commonly spoken in the U.S. It is ensuring patients use its online "second opinion" program to improve asynchronous access. And it is working to expand the "destination excellence" program, which helps match international families with lodging and other needs.

How do you ensure operational excellence as care gets increasingly complex? You lean into your foundation, per Dr. Alessandrini. The system implements a triad leadership model at every care site  a nurse, physician and operations leader  to ensure all perspectives are represented. Access and flow remain key considerations, so the system crafted a pre-authorization team to ease clinicians' administrative burdens. And as a children's hospital, the organization aims to foster a playful environment, even when the going gets tough.

"We deeply feel that we were built for the complexity, we were built for complex patients," Dr. Alessandrini said. "That's why we are here."



Read more about Cincinnati Children's first place ranking in this this Becker's interviewinterview with CEO Steve Davis, MD.
Physician input is crucial to making and enforcing tough business decisions as financial stressors on the healthcare industry grow in strength, according to leaders at Ballad Health.

The system's CEO, Alan Levine, told Becker's that Ballad, like many other systems and hospitals, has had to reduce service lines. Some of these choices "are not terribly popular with the public," he said, but the Johnson City, Tenn.-based system has found greater acceptance among staff because physicians are part of the decision-making process.

"I can't think of a single decision we've made  and we've made a lot of big ones in the last five years; the consolidation of our trauma program, consolidation of our NICU  every decision that we've made that affects patients, there are physicians sitting at that table guiding us in those decisions," he said.

In August, Ballad promoted several one-hospital chief medical officers to be CMOs across more hospitals in its Southern region. Mr. Levine told Becker's the decision was a natural evolution of a yearslong initiative of putting more physicians in leadership positions.

"We've got physician leadership infused throughout the entire organization," Mr. Levine said. "At this point, I wouldn't do it any other way. I don't think there's any going back."

Ballad Health, which formed in 2018 after two systems with more than 1,000 physicians total merged, has 20 hospitals, about a dozen urgent care locations and more than 150 physician practices.

Between the two states Ballad operates in, Tennessee and Virginia, there are more than 20 former and current physicians who hold leadership positions, Mr. Levine said, including its Southern division CEO, chief physician executive and chief clinical officer.

Amit Vashist, MD, senior vice president and chief clinical officer of Ballad Health, previously served as the chair for the system's hospitalist division, in which he led more than 140 hospitalists. Dr. Vashist said his clinical experience in emergency rooms and ambulatory care clinics, along with his MBA, lent him more credibility among staff.

"Many members of medical staff will tell me that they may not necessarily agree with some of the decisions that I take or Ballad Health may be taking," Dr. Vashist said, "but they have no doubt where I'm coming from, which is from a place of good heart [and] from a place of patient- and community-centered outcomes."
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has filed a lawsuit against IU Health and IU Healthcare Associates, alleging that the Indianapolis-based academic medical center failed to train employees and protect personal health information a year after a physician spoke to the media about a 10-year-old patient's abortion.

The Indiana Office of the Indiana Attorney General announced the lawsuit Sept. 15. Here are 11 things to know about the lawsuit and events that precede it:

1. In summer 2022, a 10-year-old girl and her mother visited an IU Health hospital to terminate the child's pregnancy, which resulted from rape. Neither the girl nor her mother gave authorization for the care team to speak with the media about the case, according to Mr. Rokita's office.

2. "After the abortion, while the mother and daughter were still at the hospital for recovery and observation, they were greeted with a front-page news story in the Indianapolis Star, which described the 10-year-old's case in great detail," the Indiana Office of the AG contends. "This article went public, and the story became worldwide household news after the doctor spoke to a reporter at a political rally."

3. The new story published by the Indianapolis Star July 1, 2022, was about patients traveling to Indiana for abortion services from other states as Indiana prepared to further restrict such medical services. It begins with mention of a physician in Ohio contacting IU Health physician Caitlin Bernard, MD, to refer the 10-year-old, pregnant patient for abortion services. The call came hours after Ohio banned abortions after six weeks; the patient was six weeks and three days pregnant. (Abortion is effectively banned in Indiana as of August 2023.)

4. In July 2022, Mr. Rokita made allegations during an appearance on Fox News that Dr. Bernard had a history of failing to report abortions. Mr. Rokita did not share evidence to support the claim. (Records show Dr. Bernard complied with reporting requirements set by both the Indiana Department of Health and the Indiana Department of Child Services.) Following that TV news appearance, Mr. Rokita said he was "gathering the evidence as we speak, and we're going to fight this to the end, including looking at her licensure." He also said there may be further action if a HIPAA violation occurred.

5. Attorneys for Dr. Bernard sent a cease and desist to Mr. Rokita after his news appearance, noting the false and misleading statements constitute defamation. IU Health responded to the attorney general's claims with the following statement to the media: "As part of IU Health's commitment to patient privacy and compliance with privacy laws, IU Health routinely initiates reviews, including the matters in the news concerning Dr. Caitlin Bernard. IU Health conducted an investigation with the full cooperation of Dr. Bernard and other IU Health team members. IU Health's investigation found Dr. Bernard in compliance with privacy laws."

6. Mr. Rokita went on to file an administrative complaint that resulted in the Indiana Medical Licensing Board conducting a hearing and finding in May 2023 that Dr. Bernard violated HIPAA by improperly disclosing patient information and for improperly de-identifying patient information. The board also found Dr. Bernard violated the Indiana patient confidentiality rule by failing to get patient permission prior to disclosing any information. Dr. Bernard received a letter of reprimand and a $3,000 fine.

7. The medical licensing board rejected accusations from Mr. Rokita that Dr. Bernard violated state law by not reporting the child abuse to Indiana authorities. The board also declined Mr. Rokita's request to suspend Dr. Bernard's license. The board issued no restrictions on her practice of medicine.

8. IU Health issued a statement expressing disagreement with the medical licensing board's determination that Dr. Bernard violated the federal HIPAA law and state patient privacy law, and maintained the physician did not violate privacy laws.

9. In announcing the lawsuit's filing Sept. 15, Mr. Rokita argues that by publicly disagreeing with the licensing board and maintaining that Dr. Bernard's actions were legally compliant, IU Health has "caused confusion" among its 36,000 employees about what conduct is permitted under federal HIPAA privacy laws and the Indiana patient confidentiality rule.

10. The lawsuit consists of seven counts against IU Health: failure to implement or follow administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect the privacy of protected information; failure to document disclosures of personal health information; failure to implement or apply and document sanctions; failure to appropriately train its workforce; failure to notify patients of breach; failure to mitigate harm; and violations of Indiana's Deceptive Consumer Sales Act.

11. IU Health shared the following statement with Becker's in response to news of the lawsuit: "At IU Health, we hold ourselves accountable every day for providing quality healthcare and securing privacy for our patients. We continue to be disappointed the Indiana Attorney General's office persists in putting the state's limited resources toward this matter. We will respond directly to the AG's office on the filing."
Interview: Italy, China play pivotal role in fostering understanding among different cultures, says art strategist

10:28, September 16, 2023 By Zhou Xiaotian ( Xinhua

ROME, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Italy and China are playing a pivotal role in fostering understanding and acceptance among diverse civilizations through a range of cultural communication activities, Rosanna Binacchi, an Italian arts and culture strategist and coordinator, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview recently.

Binacchi worked as a prominent curator for the exhibition "Tota Italia: Origins of a Nation" held at the National Museum of China in 2022. The event featured a collection of 503 artifacts from 26 distinguished museums all over Italy.

"China had the privilege of showcasing exclusive projects and masterpieces of Italian cultural heritage, which had rarely left the country," she said, adding that the success of the exhibition profoundly showcased the value and significance that both nations attached to cultural communication.

Binacchi was responsible for coordinating a working group that involved liaisons between 20 Italian museums in Italy and their counterparts in China. She recalled the experience of working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We overcame differences in customs, operational standards, time zones and language. Both sides exhibited exceptional professionalism, mutual respect and trust, ultimately forming a highly successful partnership," Binacchi said.

The exhibition in Beijing attracted over 300,000 visitors. Binacchi said she was delighted to witness the appeal of Roman culture to the audience in China.

"The success of these cultural exchanges was truly remarkable. The exhibition has made a lasting impression on the audience," she said.

Binacchi said that as two inheritors of ancient civilizations, Italy and China have a rich history of communication, exemplified by Marco Polo and Matteo Ricci, who dedicated themselves to knowledge exchange.

Binacchi envisions marking the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo's death in 2024. She sees the anniversary as an opportunity for fresh exchanges, including in innovative cultural domains that have yet to be extensively explored.

Looking ahead, Binacchi said that contemporary arts and technologies could serve as a bridge, connecting the younger generations of both nations.

"I aspire to see increased collaboration in contemporary art exchanges and cross-pollinations that facilitate mutual understanding and shared visions for the future," she said.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie)
The best time to get up at the weekend is?

My typical weekend starts on a Sunday as I tend to work a Saturday  this is when I get most of my work completed due to a quieter office space. Sunday morning is not so much a lie in as once my eyes open, I can rarely lie on. I also have a dog that is normally staring at me to get up and get him outside. Early morning is my favourite time, I like to sit and embrace the quiet time with a coffee.

Breakfast or brunch?

Oh, what a question. When I am working it is overnight oats with blueberries and some chia seeds as it is easy to prepare the night before. When Im not working, breakfast is a little later and normally some eggs with toast; however, I never say no to brunch especially with a glass of bubbles and my friends  if we can ever get together.

What does an ideal Saturday look like?

My Saturday is a workday so when I get home it is out with the dog, quick shower and chill with my son and my partner, glass of wine, some nice food and then a movie. On occasion it is out for a meal. I always think I would want to go out but in reality, it is home to chill at the end of a busy day.

What would your perfect Sunday be like?

When I get up, I like to sit with a coffee, catch up on the news then its out for a long walk with the dog and his dog cousins. Then its catching up on the normal things which comes with a house. I like to have ideally a late lunch with a glass of wine, read a book, or if I can, meet with family or friends. Self-care is important and I am trying to practice this more, so maybe a relaxing bath and a little pampering.

Do you prefer to be indoors or outdoors?

Outdoors, always. I dont care what the weather is like. I love the beach, its definitely my happy place. I love water and being near it so if I can, walks along the coast and then onto the beach all wrapped up. Recently a group of us from work embarked on some team bonding and went to an outdoor water park  now that was fun.

How have weekends changed as you have gotten older?

Most of my lifes weekends have involved work, so if I were to go out it was normally during the week where it is quieter. I do prefer to have dinner and drinks with friends than stand at a bar. Back when I was a lot younger  which is a while ago  my local would have been McSwiggins or Gillies bar, it seems a little ironic given that I work for Galgorm Collection.

If you could eat out anywhere tonight in NI, where would you go and why?

Indian all the way. I love spicy food and the taste for me is superb. The local Kyber restaurant in Galgorm is amazing and staff are super friendly.

What would you have?

Chicken Madras with a naan bread and a glass of red wine.

At weekends youll always make time to

Take time for me. Make sure my dog gets a very long walk, clean the house and do something for myself.

As my partner works away, if he is home then head to the cinema, see friends together and make sure my gorgeous son updates me on all he is doing.

Do you sometimes work at weekends?

In my role at Galgorm, I typically work Saturdays and its safe to say my work is incredibly important to me. Having worked at Galgorm Collection for over 11 years, Ive been afforded many opportunities to progress in my career and Im always striving to pursue the next project at Galgorm.

Within the Thermal Spa Village, we have recently completed an expansion of our Celtic Sauna which has come at the perfect time as our very own Sauna Master, Pavel, has been named the UK Sauna Master Champion. As a multi-award-winning spa, were always striving to enhance the spa experience for our guests and our team, which is why Im excited to be working on a few more exciting projects  all will be revealed soon.

Read more My Weekend: With Carrick tour guide Adrian Hack

Who would you most like to go for a drink with and why?

My father. He passed away four years ago but he always listened to me and gave advice and the best hugs ever. Although, he didnt drink, so itll be a sparkling water for him.

Are you a weekend cook?

Ask my son Zak and Im sure he would say no. He does love to cook and bless him; he makes me dinner regularly.

I am however known for a great roast beef dinner, but I have to confess that cooking is not something I overly enjoy.

Whats your dream Sunday dinner?

My sister Traceys turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

Who do you normally eat Sunday dinner with and where?

At home with my partner and son, with the dog waiting patiently for the leftovers.

Heading for the cinema? What are you going to see?

Ive just watched The Equalizer 3  amazing. I like all types of movies except scary, and my favourite movie of all time is The Notebook.

Staying in what TV/streaming/catch-up programmes are on the menu?

I love watching Below Deck or anything from David Attenborough.

What are you reading?

I would read anything but as long as it isnt on a Kindle, I have to have a book in my hand. Dan Brown books are brilliant.

Bedtime is?

I have to make sure the house is sitting tidy and my make-up is off before I can begin to wind down. Given the role I work in, I understand the importance of prioritising sleep as part of our overall wellbeing. Once the house is tidy and I have taken off my makeup, I can begin to wind down. Then its up to bed for a quick read then sleep. I am early to bed and up early, very rarely would I be up late.

Get ready to embark on your wellness journey at Galgorm as they celebrate World Wellness Weekend sponsored by Ballygowan. Taking place today from 10am to 12pm, World Wellness Weekend aims to inspire and empower people to make healthier choices and enjoy an active lifestyle with family and friends. Tara Moore has been appointed Irelands ambassador for World Wellness Weekend and is championing a morning of fun, free activities at Galgorm Resort, that have been designed to rejuvenate your body and soul. Adding to the excitement, Cool FM is broadcasting live from the event, bringing the energy and motivational tunes.
Emergency services on the scene of a road traffic collision in Newtownabbey. Picture: Aodhan Roberts/Belfast Telegraph.

Three people were taken to hospital after a crash in Co Antrim.

Emergency services attended the scene near Newtownabbey on Friday evening.

A 25-year-old man who was arrested has been released on police bail pending further enquiries.

The collision happened in the Rathcoole Drive area.

Inspector Patton said: The collision, which involved three vehicles, was reported shortly before 8.30pm.

Officers attended the scene, together with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.

Three people were taken to hospital for treatment for their injuries, which at this time, are not believed to be life-threatening.

A fourth person received medical treatment at the scene. The road, which was closed for a period of time, has now reopened to traffic.

Enquiries are continuing, and we are asking anyone who witnessed the collision, or who might have any information which could assist us, to get in touch.

We would also be keen to hear from anyone who might have captured any dash-cam footage of a dark coloured VW Toureg which we believe was travelling in the vicinity of the M2 and the M5 prior to the collision, as we believe this vehicle may be able to assist us with our enquiries.

The number to call is 101, quoting reference number 1718 of 15/09/23.

The Ambulance Service said five crews were dispatched to the incident.

A NIAS spokesperson said: "The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service received a 999 call at 8.41pm following reports of a multi-vehicle road traffic collision on Shore Road, Newtownabbey.

"NIAS despatched five crews to the incident, supported by a HART (Hazardous Area Response Team) team and an ambulance officer.

Earlier, the fire service confirmed they had sent four appliances from Glengormley, Larne and Central to the attend the scene.

Belfast is being character-assassinated: Architecture chief hits out at Titanic Quarter apartment construction Two separate legal challenges to Troubles Legacy Bill lodged in High Court
MLA says community left shaken by overnight shooting

Police in the Gullion View area of Meigh following a gun attack. Picture: Pacemaker Press.

Police in the Gullion View area of Meigh following a gun attack. Picture: Pacemaker Press.

Police in the Gullion View area of Meigh following a gun attack. Picture: Pacemaker Press.

A man is recovering in hospital after a gun attack in south Armagh.

Shots were fired at a property in Meigh in the early hours of Saturday morning.

One man in his 50s was injured after being struck in the stomach.

Three others in the property were not injured, but left badly shaken, police said.

A local MLA said the community had been shocked by the reckless attack.

The shooting incident occurred at residential premises at the Gullion View area of Meigh.

Police in the Gullion View area of Meigh following a gun attack. Picture: Pacemaker Press.

PSNI Detective Sergeant Stewart said: Shortly before 2am on Saturday, police received a report that a number of shots were fired at a property in the area.

It is believed that a man in his 50s was struck once in the stomach during the incident. He was taken to hospital for injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

Damage was also caused to a kitchen window.

"It is believed that a woman in her 20s, and man in his 30s, and a woman in her 30s were inside the property and, although not injured, were left badly shaken following the incident."

Sinn Fein MLA Liz Kimmins said there was shock in the community.

She urged people to contact the PSNI with information.

The Newry and Armagh MLA said: I unreservedly condemn the shooting of a man in Meigh this morning.

This was a reckless attack, which has left the community shaken.

There is no place for guns on our streets and the people involved in this attack need to get off the back of our communities.

A police investigation and operation is now underway in the area.

Anyone with information on this attack should bring it forward to the PSNI.

The PSNI added: Enquiries are continuing to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and anyone with any information which could assist with police enquiries is asked to contact officers on 101 quoting reference number 119 16/09/23.

Information can also be given anonymously through the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Tributes have been paid to a Co Tyrone mountaineer who died in the Austrian Alps.

Malcolm McDonald, from Dungannon, passed away after an accident.

The 42-year-old had completed the Spartan Trifecta adventure race last weekend, but died after a fall in the mountains on Tuesday.

The Mid-Ulster Mountaineers group paid tribute.

They said: It is with great sadness for all of us this morning to learn of the passing of our esteemed member, Malcom McDonald.

Malcom was a very popular member and was always up for a challenge. There is little peace knowing that Malcom achieved his Spartan goal in Austria and spent his last moments doing something he loved.

They said he will be dearly missed.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family circle and friends at this sad time, they added.

His sister Alison McDonald told Belfast Live that relatives had been left heartbroken by his death.

But we are comforted by the fact that he was living his dream in the mountains and had completed the Spartan Trifecta two days earlier," she said. Life wont be the same without him.

Family members also paid tribute on social media.

His sister Heather, posting under the last photos of him, described him as my darling wee brother.

She added: Im devastated beyond measure. You were full of adventure and joy and I dont know how Im going to survive all of this heartache."

His cousin said: Malcolm McDonald was simply the best and anyone who knew him was truly blessed.

Austrian police said Mr McDonald died following a fall during a mountain climb on Tuesday September 12.
The stars were out in force for the JW Anderson show on day two of London Fashion Week.

Fashion icon Alexa Chung looked ready for autumn in a brown faux fur tasselled cape, oversized white shirt and blue jeans.

British actors Ben Whishaw and Kit Connor mingled before the show, which was held at Camdens Roundhouse theatre.

Fashion editors Anna Wintour and Edward Enninful chatted on the front row as they waited for the Magherafelt-born designers show to start.

Jonathan Anderson sent out an array of characteristically quirky designs for his eponymous SS24 collection.

The invitation for the show was a block of modelling clay which hinted at what was to come on the catwalk.

Some were baggy and oversized, while others were made of clay and had hunched up shoulders.

There were even shorts made from clay  but its unlikely these avant-garde garments will make it into the shops when the collection goes on sale next year.

The street theme continued with skater-style cargo trousers with low waistbands and puffed hems.

The fluid trousers were teamed with mannish blazers and oversized bomber and biker jackets.

The colour palette was a mix of subdued beige, blue and brown tones, mixed with acid brights, like orange and yellow.

Playing with proportions, Anderson added huge circular hoops to skirts (positioned at the hip rather than the hem) and added bursts of feathers to bomber jackets.

There was also a focus on interesting textures, with wet-look leather and nylon alongside the matte clay, plus skirts woven from strips of sparkly fabric.
Irish TV presenter Angela Scanlon thanked the universe as she found out who she will be paired with on Strictly Come Dancing.

The TV star, who hosts BBC Twos Your Home Made Perfect, will dance with Strictly professional Carlos Gu, who joined the line-up last year.

During Saturday nights launch show, Scanlon said: Thank you universeI think Carlos will be able to teach me, he is directI feel like there is a directness that I might respond to, like brutal honesty that Carlos has.

Chinese National Champion Gu made the final four last year partnered with Britains Got Talent finalist and actress Molly Rainford.

Asked if this will be the year he wins, Gu said: Oh yes I have made a better plan and we are going for the glitterball well do it one step at a time, no rush.

Introducing herself on screen, Scanlon, who is the only woman in the UK and Ireland to have their own Saturday night chat show with Ask Me Anything on RTE One, said: Im usually the one asking the question or observing somebody and so I feel really exposed.

The main reasons I want to do Strictly were to properly push myself. I have two children and I feel like Ive been in a haze of nappies for a few years, so I am wholehearted yes.

I did Irish dancing as a kid where youre expressly told to remain stiff as a poker, like imagine an ironing board with a ballgown on. I just want to really get involved, unleash something and I cant wait to get stuck in.

Judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke performed alongside the professional dancers in a group number which featured various songs, including Kylie Minogues Padam Padam.

The judges joined the Strictly professionals for a group number during the launch show (BBC)

The dance was dedicated to Strictly professional Amy Dowden who host Tess Daly described as their Welsh dragon.

The 33-year-old announced in June that she had undergone a mastectomy after discovering she had stage three breast cancer, and would be unable to have a celebrity partner on the show this year.

The opening night show also featured a tribute to the shows late judge Len Goodman, who had been diagnosed with bone cancer and died in April this year.

The celebrities and professional dancers on the Strictly Come Dancing 2023 launch show (Guy Levy/BBC)

Sitting alongside Gu after their pairing was announced, Scanlon said: I think the dancing bit, when I get into it I feel like I maybe dont mind that, but then I realised people are going to actually watch and I shrivel into a shell and the idea of any human watching, never mind multiple, is frightening.

Host Daly said: You said that every Irish person does Irish dancing? to which Scanlon quipped: Yeah Irish dancing and Mass. I mean one is more fun than the other.

Its (Irish dancing) a very solitary vibe, youre kind of, as I said upright, very straight, straight back, but you also dont have to take into account anyone elses limbs. So I dont know how Im going to navigate my way around another humanbut well soon find out I guess.

She was then gifted a glittery memory box for her eldest daughter Ruby, five, who she said was very excited about Scanlon doing Strictly, but added: Shes a bit furious that shes not allowed to come and actually dance with me.

Inside the box was a memento in the form of a piece of the fabric from the launch show dress worn by Scanlon.

Strictly Come Dancing will start on September 23 at 6.15pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Libyas top prosecutor has opened an investigation into the collapse of two dams that caused a devastating flood in a coastal city as rescue teams searched for bodies.

Heavy rains caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel caused flooding across eastern Libya last weekend, with more than 11,000 people killed.

The floods overwhelmed two dams, sending a wall of water several metres high through the centre of Derna, destroying entire neighbourhoods and sweeping people out to sea.

More than 10,000 are missing, according to the Libyan Red Crescent. Six days on, searchers are still digging through mud and hollowed-out buildings, looking for bodies and possible survivors.

People search for flood victims in Derna (Ricardo Garcia Vilanova/AP)

Authorities and aid groups have voiced concern about the spread of waterborne diseases and movement of explosive ordnance from Libyas recent conflicts.

General Prosecutor Al-Sediq al-Sour said prosecutors would investigate the collapse of the two dams, which were built in the 1970s, as well as the allocation of maintenance funds. He said prosecutors would investigate local authorities in the city as well as previous governments.

I reassure citizens that whoever made mistakes or negligence, prosecutors will certainly take firm measures, file a criminal case against him and send him to trial, he told a news conference in Derna on Friday.

It is unclear how such an investigation can be carried out in the North African country, which plunged into chaos after a Nato-backed uprising toppled dictator Muammar Gadhafi in 2011.

For most of the past decade, Libya has been split between rival administrations  one in the east, the other in the west  each backed by powerful militias and international patrons. One result has been the neglect of crucial infrastructure.

Local officials in the city had warned the public about the coming storm and last Saturday ordered residents to evacuate coastal areas in Derna, fearing a surge from the sea.

A man sits by the graves of flood victims in Derna (Yousef Murad/AP)

But there was no warning about the dams, which collapsed early on Monday as most residents were asleep in their homes.

A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said the two dams had not been maintained despite the allocation of more than 2 million dollars for that purpose in 2012 and 2013.

A Turkish firm was contracted in 2007 to carry out maintenance on the two dams and build another dam in between. The firm, Arsel Construction Company, said on its website that it completed its work in November 2012.

Local and international rescue teams were meanwhile working around the clock, searching for bodies and potential survivors in the city of 90,000 people.

Mr Al-Sour called on residents who have missing relatives to report to a forensic committee that works on documenting and identifying retrieved bodies.

The collapse of two dams unleashed a massive flash flood that killed thousands of people (Yousef Murad/AP)

We ask citizens to cooperate and quickly proceed to the committees headquarters so that we can finish the work as quickly as possible, he said.

Libyan authorities have restricted access to the flooded city to make it easier for searchers to dig through the mud and hollowed-out buildings for the more than 10,000 people still missing.

Many bodies were believed to have been buried under rubble or swept out into the Mediterranean Sea.

The storm hit other areas in eastern Libya, including the towns of Bayda, Susa, Marj and Shahatt. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in the region and took shelter in schools and other government buildings.

Dozens of foreigners were among those killed, including people who had fled war and unrest elsewhere in the region.

Others had come to Libya to work or were travelling through in hopes of migrating to Europe. At least 74 men from one village in Egypt died in the flood, as well as dozens of people who had travelled to Libya from war-torn Syria.

Later on Saturday, a local television station reported that Dernas mayor, Abdel-Moneim al-Gaithi, was suspended pending an investigation into the disaster, according to a government decree dated September 14.

Ahmed Amdour was appointed acting mayor for the flood-stricken city, the station said.
Work being carried out in the Titanic area on the new apartment blocks

What is it with Belfast? If its not tearing down buildings of historical importance, its spending many millions on an iconic building like Titanic Belfast, making its waterside skyline famous the world over, then proposing to hide it behind identikit apartment blocks.

Fair enough, this is precisely what was done with the Waterfront Hall  a riverside development of astonishing confidence which began the regeneration of the city centre in 1997 and has since been rendered invisible by massive slabs of corporate architecture.
Will Russia help North Koreas missile programs to get more ammunition to fight Ukraine?

Vladimir Putin, fourth left, and Kim Jong Un, fourth right, toast after their talk at the Vostochny Cosmodrome (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un examine a launch pad during their meeting at the Vostochny cosmodrome (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

In a scene which sounds like its stolen from a movie, North Koreas Kim Jong-Un arrived in Russia aboard his moving fortress train to meet President Vladimir Putin.

Boasting Barbie pink couches and a karaoke booth atop steel plated floors, the bespoke transport choice offered the perfect metaphor for this unlikely new friendship.

On one hand, Putins meeting with the North Korean leader had the hallmarks of PR posturing rather than diplomatic deal-making. On the other hand, an alliance between the two nuclear powers could change the tone of international relations going forward.

Kevin Doyle is joined by freelance journalist and Russia analyst, Jason Corcoran to assess a most unusual friendship.
A Chinese cannabis courier arrested at Belfast International Airport after the pungent plant was clocked by sharp-nosed staff on the baggage carousel has been jailed.

Wan Ka Man (52), of Scales Road, Tottenham, north London, appeared in the dock of Antrim Crown Court on Friday alongside a Mandarin interpreter to be sentenced on one count of possession of the class B drug with intent to supply.

Stony-faced, wearing a black jacket and jeans, Ka Man listened on as the court heard how he had arrived at Belfast International Airport from London Luton Airport earlier this year.

Prosecutors said he had two large blue Travel Hop suitcases stuffed with a combined weight of 23kgs of cannabis when he arrived shortly after 9am on July 17.

Bloodhound-like baggage handlers soon got a whiff of the fragrant marijuana despite it being vacuum-packed inside the cases, the court heard.

When approached by airport police, the self-confessed pot addict uttered only the word cannabis, before going on to claim, during police interview, that he thought the packages contained cigarettes.

He later pleaded guilty and has been on remand since July.

Ka Man was sentenced to 28 months in prison, split evenly between custody and a period of licence, with probation service in his home borough of Haringey, north London.

His Honor Judge Alistair Devlin told Ka Man: The court has allowed you full discount for your guilty plea despite the overwhelming evidence and you being caught red-handed.
The wall before it was transformed

A street artist has transformed a dilapidated gable wall in Carrickfergus with a mural of the towns castle.

Dank  real name Dan Kitchener  jetted in to give a facelift to a town centre building graffitied with the words RIP GFA  a reference to the Good Friday Agreement.

The Londonders unique artwork is created through freehand spray paint.

He never uses grids, stencils, guides or projectors, and he works alone, with no one assisting him.

His talents have seen him become one of the leading figures in street art, painting huge murals around the world in the States, Hong Kong, Japan and Russia.

Dan has also worked with superstars in the music business including Sir Paul McCartney, Kylie Minogue, Fat Boy Slim and Miley Cyrus.

In a social media post revealing his Carrick mural, he said he was exhausted but added: I love the sky. Thats my favourite bit.

He continued: Mural finished. Crazy long sunny day finishing the mural here in beautiful Carrickfergus.

I loved painting this. Everyones been super-friendly and welcoming as ever in Ireland. I love painting here.

Praise was heaped on the artist, who has tens of thousands of followers online, with one person replying: Oh my God, one of your best Dan. That sky.

Dan was working with Northern Ireland Alternatives to create the new mural, which was funded by the International Fund for Ireland (IFI) through the Peace Impact Programme.

IFI chair Paddy Harte said: This project has built up momentum and support in the town through regular community engagement with those that feel that the peace process has left them behind.

With the support of our Peace Impact Programme, people are given confidence and the skills required to develop leadership at a grassroots level, enabling positive change for local communities involved.

Thanks to this partnership with Dank, a once negative space has been transformed into an inspirational, thought-provoking piece of art that will create a positive legacy for everyone in Carrick town centre to enjoy.
A former pastor has appeared in court after being extradited from Canada on charges of historic child sexual abuse.

James Clarke, also known as Henry Clarke, appeared in the dock of Belfast Magistrates Court today accused of offences dating back to the 1960s.

The 81-year-old was charged to court after being brought to Northern Ireland on Friday after an international arrest warrant was issued for him.

Read more Ex-pastor extradited from Canada to NI on suspicion of historic child sex offences

Its alleged that on dates unknown between January 1, 1966 and January 1, 1972 Clarke indecently assaulted a male on two occasions.

He is accused of a third offence of indecent assault on a different male on a date between May 14, 1970 and May 14, 1974.

Clarkes solicitor told the court bail conditions had been agreed with the prosecution and an address approved by police, but which cannot be reported at this stage, had been provided.

The lawyer requested legal aid to be granted as Clarke was now retired and had spent time in custody in Canada.

A police officer asked that in addition to agreed bail terms his passport also be surrendered and that a surety be put forward as conditions of his release.

District Judge Amanda Henderson freed Clarke on those terms in addition to signing his own bail sum of 500.

The case was adjourned until September 22.
The elderly grandmother of murdered Chloe Mitchell broke down in tears as her family pleaded with the people of Northern Ireland not to forget her.

The 21-year-olds brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, also attended the special rally in her memory as the Harryville community came together on Saturday afternoon.

As it weaved its way through Ballymena 80-year-old Maureen McDowell was overcome with emotion.

Her granddaughter, known as `wee Chlo Chlo, was last seen alive in the early hours of Saturday June 3, in the centre of Ballymena, not far from the home she shared with parents Georgina and George.

When Chloe failed to returned a huge search was mounted in the town and along the River Braid  just over a week later her remains were found on June 11. A man is currently custody charged with her murder.

Chloe Mitchell

Read more Former suspect in Chloe Mitchell murder case forced to flee home over safety fears

There were a number of vigils in the aftermath of Chloes tragic death and this latest event was held to keep Chloes name and face in everyones hearts and minds.

Aunt Linda McDowell explained:It is three months now and we want to make sure everyone remembers what happened. It is about remembering Chloe and keeping her in the spotlight.

North Antrim MP Ian Paisley was also there and spoke to the crowd before a minutes silence was held.

"Look at her (pointing to banners with pictures of Chloe) all that was good. Lets just take a wee moment, in quietness, to think of good thoughts of Chloe.

We are also going to say that Chloes name is never going to be forgotten. She is not going to be another statistic of violence against a woman. That is not going to be allowed to happen.

Chloe's brother Philip Mitchell at rally

Pink balloons were then released into the air before a silent walk took place through Harryville to the bandstand area of the town centre.

Chloes aunt said the support from the community has been a source of comfort.

The community has been absolutely fantastic, she added.

People have come out and supported us - oh my goodness, its been unreal.

It means a lot. You dont realise until something like this happens that the community really is there for you in difficult times.

And it isnt only our own community, it has been everyone.

The cards that have been sent to (Chloes mother) Georginas house have come from all around the place - from across Northern Ireland, Dublin, everywhere.

We are so grateful to those who are coming out to support us again on Saturday.

Rally for Chloe in Ballymena

Linda said it wont be a one-off.

The next time we hope to have petitions, she added.

Its okay to march every other week or every month, but it wont get us anywhere. We have to fight a bit more.

Councillor Rodney Quigley knows the family and also praised the community response.

Everyone is thinking of the family - this has had a devastating effect on them and we continue to keep them in our thoughts.

Obviously there was a lot of focus on the family when Chloe died, but then time passes and people can move on.

However, for Chloes poor family, they have been left with a lifetime of pain.

It is important that we dont forget that pain and that we support the family over the difficult days to come.

We want to make sure the focus is kept on the family and on Chloes memory.

He said the strength of the community was seen in how people responded to Chloes death.

The people of Harryville and the wider Ballymena community are strong, and they rally around each other whenever things like this happen, he added.

The focus today is very much on Chloe and to the forefront of the publics mind.

People will not allow Chloes memory to be forgotten, and events like this show that.

.
CLASSICAL music presenter Petroc Trelawny has spoken of his 20-year love affair with Northern Ireland and how fellow broadcaster Sean Rafferty acted as his tour guide.

Petroc brings his Radio BBC 3 breakfast show to these shores this week, with a string of live programmes from loughs throughout the countryside.

Speaking to Sunday Life, he said pal and veteran Belfast radio man Rafferty became his informal guide.

He added: Sean is one of my great friends. He has historic connections, being from Belfast and [having] his career in broadcasting here.

Hes been a brilliant guide and has introduced me to many people in Northern Ireland who have become friends of mine, so its a very special part of my life.

Ive never been to Lough Neagh or Carlingford Lough, so standing on the foreshore, looking across at Co Louth, is something Im looking forward to.

Were very keen to showcase the glorious natural beauty, and radio is magical for doing that because we can draw pictures in peoples minds.

Well hear the sounds of geese and other birds, the sound of water on the loughs, wind through the trees. Its going to be incredibly evocative.

Were also keen to present living culture. Poetry will be very important. Weve got two contemporary poets, Moyra Donaldson and Teresa Godfrey, joining us. Were also celebrating people like Derek Mahon and Seamus Heaney. There will be a lot of live music on the programme as well, a mixture of trad and classical.

The shows are the realisation of a dream for Petroc, who fell in love with Northern Ireland while travelling back and forth from his native Cornwall.

I used to introduce lots of concerts, principally at the Ulster Hall in Belfast, and I fell in love with the city, he said.

Weve broadcast from Derry, Enniskillen, Glenarm and Mussenden Temple in the past, which I really enjoyed.

Northern Ireland has everything you want: stunning countryside, beautiful views, wonderful journeys to make, great roads to drive, wonderful beaches and coastline, great food, drink and hospitality.

BBC Radio 3 Breakfast: Live in NI is on BBC Radio 3 at 6.30am from Monday to Friday
Queens University is offering a course that will try to get to the bottom of Donald Trumps appeal.

It said the lessons, titled The Populism of Bolsonaro and Trump, examines previous populist leaders through the decades.

Along with delving into the appeal of Trump, the course explores how former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro won his term in office.

Like Trump (77), Bolsonaro (68) is facing legal difficulties, with Brazil requesting help from the US to corroborate statements by the ex-presidents former aide Mauro Cid about his role in criminal probes involving Bolsonaro, including into falsified vaccination records and the sale of expensive jewels gifted by foreign governments.

Former Apprentice judge Trump, meanwhile, was indicted for a record fourth time earlier this year.

The former president, who is seeking his second term in the White House, faces criminal cases in New York and Georgia.

In New York he is accused of a hush money scheme, and in Georgia he is accused of election interference in the 2020 presidential race.

Queens University said: The Populism of Bolsonaro and Trump examines previous populist leaders through the decades, while migration is also a topic which has a very long history which is explored in [the course] Immigrants to Medieval England.

There are a range of other courses on this complex topic, including Understanding Refugee Resettlement and Asylum and the Intercultural School, delivered in partnership with the Education Authority.
Petter Landfald from Norway and Tyler McKinlay from Scotland were crowned World Champion and Young Handler World Champion respectively at the World Sheepdog Trials in Co Down.

Petter Landfald from Norway and Tyler McKinlay from Scotland were crowned World Champion and Young Handler World Champion respectively at the World Sheepdog Trials in Co Down.

The world champion sheepdog and handler has been revealed after beating off competition in Co Down.

Norway native Petter Landfald and his dog Max are celebrating the big win at the World Sheepdog Trials which took place at Gill Hall Estate in Dromore.

They went head-to-head with 16 of the worlds best sheepdogs and handlers during three days of qualifiers before emerging victorious on Saturday.

Tyler McKinlay (17) from Lanark in Scotland and her dog, Heatherstane Squiggle, were also named Young Handler World Champion at the event.

John McCullough, Chairman of the World Trial Committee, has congratulated Petter and Tyler on securing their world titles following an outstanding performance.

The standards shown at the trials this week have been exceptional so to walk away with world titles is certainly no mean feat," he said.

"It was an absolute joy to watch Petter and Tyler in action in the competition field over the past few days and especially today (Saturday).

"Huge congratulations to Petter and Tyler  thoroughly well deserved.

Read more No cull expected under American XL bully dogs ban, says chief vet

This is the first year that the trials have had an all-female final in the junior competition.

Mr McCullough said it has been his privilege to host the event in Gill Hall Estate.

"We have welcomed approximately 30,000 spectators alongside 240 handlers from over 30 different countries over the past four days which has hugely boosted many local businesses and the wider economy, he added.

Northern Ireland has a rich farming history and were so proud to have contributed to this by bringing a once in a lifetime event to our shores.

"We hope that everyone who attended throughout the week enjoyed witnessing the incredible partnership between sheepdogs and their handlers.

Meanwhile, CEO of the International Sheep Dog Society Isabel Branch added: The 2023 World Sheepdog Trials have been a huge success and on behalf of the committee, we are delighted.

We have seen lots of tough competition and its a testament to farmers around the world who remain committed to preserving more traditional methods of farming and to promoting the very best in terms of breeding.

Congratulations to Petter and Tyler on your world titles. Being crowned the best in the world at whats known as the Olympics of the sheepdog community, is a remarkable achievement! Sincere thanks to our sponsors  ABP Food Group, Randox Health and Gilbertson & Page Ltd  without your generous contributions, we wouldnt have been able to run such a successful event.

The full list of prize winners can be found on the World Sheep Dog Trials website.
Lightstock

The gospel accounts of Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John give us some information about Jesus childhood. We know about a handful of events, like the familys escape from Egypt and return to Nazareth, His increasing wisdom and visit to the Temple in Jerusalem when He was 12, and obedience to His parents.

The authentic details of Jesus childhood are sparse, but we can learn much from the country and area of His youth: Galilee and Israel. Jerusalem emphasized the convoluted and intricate study of the Old Testament and the rabbis teachings, but Galilees distance from the city offered a somewhat milder approach that showed little respect for legalism. For this reason and dialect differences, the Galileans were often seen as unlearned.

We can assume that Jesus grew up in an atmosphere saturated with the words and teachings of the Old Testament. He likely attended a Jewish school by the time He was six since these were common even in rural areas. Beyond this, the content of His teachings and parables might suggest the everyday sights of His childhood: marriage parties in celebration, shepherds with their sheep, foxes in their lairs, widows looking for lost coins, tax collectors at the door, and the less fortunate in the street. The one aspect we can be sure of is that Jesus childhood fulfilled an essential part of His ministry. Though He was fully God, He grew up as any human does.

Did Jesus work miracles as a child?

If youve ever wondered if Jesus performed miracles as a young boy, an Islamic tradition related to Jesus childhood seems to confirm His miraculous display of power, even as a child. The Quran details Jesus as a miracle-working child who could create birds from clay, raising them from the dead. You may wonder where the Quran got this information about Jesus. It seems to come from a pseudepigraphical gospel called the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. This archaic text is accredited to an author named Thomas the Israelite, and it gives numerous stories related to Jesus miraculous childhood, detailing the years missing in the established Luke gospel.

The Infancy Gospel of Thomas illustrates Jesus performing the miracles mentioned in the Quran with added malicious, sometimes mean-spirited mystic acts. This religious text was popular in North African Coptic Christian communities and would undoubtedly have been familiar to the writer of Surah 5. This is why the Infancy Gospel of Thomas was likely the source of the material in the Quran. However, there are many reasons to deny this portrayal of Jesus childhood. The Infancy Gospel was written long after the gospels, and the author seems unfamiliar with Jewish life and customs of the first century.

The text also assumes the gospel of Luke and must, therefore, have been written after Lukes text was well-known and distributed. The author depends on Luke for his information on Jesus life, the Passover and the Sabbath. It also seems that the early Church Fathers were aware of this late gospel but identified it as sinful. Irenaeus appears to reference it, including it in his life of unreliable non-canonical documents detailed in Against Heresies. Origen and Hippolytus also refer to the Gospel of Thomas in their lists of unorthodox books, though its unknown if theyre referring to the text or the sayings Gospel of Thomas.

Still, theres an even better reason to reject the claims made in the Infancy Gospel of Thomas: They contradict the clear teachings of the reliable accounts of John and Luke. Theres enough reason to trust the historicity of the gospels, and these consistent accounts refute the claims of the Infancy Gospel of Thomas. In the fourth chapter of his gospel, Luke describes the residents of Nazareth responding in shock to Jesus first messianic teaching. They seemed unaware that Jesus could be anything more than a carpenters son. However, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas describes Jesus as a talented child who performed several public miracles in Nazareth. Perhaps more importantly, John explicitly tells us that Jesus first public miracle occurred at the Cana wedding when He turned water into wine, as detailed in John 2:1-11. The Quran and Infancy Gospel claim that Jesus showed people the clear signs throughout His childhood, the eyewitness accounts describe something completely different.

What were the miracles of Jesus?

A miracle of God is an unnatural or extraordinary event that shows or confirms specific messages through a monumental work. Jesus performed plenty of miracles. All of the miracles He performed were to help others, glorify God, and prove that He was who He said He was, the Son of God. In Matthew 8, when He calmed the storm, the disciples were amazed and asked what kind of man Jesus was, noting that even the waves and winds obeyed Him. The gospels record most of the miracles that Jesus performed.

Of course, many things that Jesus did couldnt have been recorded in such short works. John admits that Jesus performed miracles in front of His disciples that werent recorded in the book, adding that if every one of them were recorded, even the whole world wouldnt have room for the books that wouldve been written. Different gospels typically recorded the same miracles, each giving slightly different details. Sometimes, its impossible to know if a specific miracle recorded in the gospels is one documented from different angles or if two separate miracles are being chronicled.

None of the gospel writers are concerned with strict chronology and sometimes dont give all the details we may want to know.

The miracles of Jesus are but are not limited to blind people receiving sight, lepers cleansed, demons cast out, the dead being raised to life, thousands of people being fed, Jesus walking on water and calming a storm, turning water into wine, filling nets with fish and so much more. Most of the miracles recorded in the gospels were healing miracles. While those who received the healing were relieved, the miracles purpose is rarely the alleviation of physical suffering.

The healing miracle always points to the more significant truth that Jesus is the Son of God with authority. The most reasonable inference from the ancient historical record related to Jesus is that He waited until His public ministry to share His power with His disciples and the world He came to save. Unfortunately, He didnt perform miracles as a child.
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The Associated Press reported on a false claim online that Bill Gates is backing efforts to cut down 70 million acres of trees to fight global warming. There is no such plan.
We just want our money so that we can go about doing what we need to do for our citizens without interference from the other towns for doing what we feel is best for this town." Lee Select Board member Gordon Bailey
Governor of Sevastopol Mikhail Razvozhaev speaks on the phone as smoke and flame rise from a burning Sevastopol Shipyard in Crimea after a Ukrainian attack on the shipyard in Russian-annexed Crimea injured 24 people and damaged two ships. Russia's Defense Ministry said Ukraine launched 10 cruise missiles at the shipyard and three sea drones at Russian ships in the Black Sea.
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Almost a combined 75,000 was spent by IDA Ireland and the Department of Foreign Affairs in connection with events and trips as part of this year's St Patrick's Day festival.

Figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs show a bill of 47,133 was racked up in respect of overseas trips taken by three Government ministers for St Patrick's Day 2023.

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Tanaiste Micheal Martins trip to New York and Boston, for which he was joined by three staffers, totalled 23,568, which included 3,702 for Mr Martins business-class flights.

Car hire for the trip amounted to 7,340, while the six-night stay in New York resulted in a 2,531 hotel bill for the Tanaiste and 1,516 for each of the three staffers.

Minister of State with responsibility for international development and Diaspora Sean Fleming also paid a visit to Brazil for St Patricks Day, with the trip totalling 17,349 for the junior minister and two staffers.

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The amount included 8,630 on business-class flights for both Mr Flemming and his private secretary, and economy flights worth 1,839 for the departments counsellor, as well as 496 apportioned under gifts (including shamrock).

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The department also paid 6,215 in respect of Minister of State for European Affairs Peter Burkes St Patricks Day trip to Italy and the Hold See.

The mission, which also included two staffers, saw economy-class flights and hotel accommodation for the three total 3,271, and a gift/shamrock spend of just 33.

Global Ireland

Commenting on the figures, the department said: This years St Patricks Day 2023 programme saw the widest yet engagement by Ireland with ministers reaching out to partner governments and Irish communities on every continent. In all, 36 representatives of the State brought Irelands message to 74 cities in 44 countries.

The department added that St Patricks Day offers an unmatched opportunity to promote Ireland abroad and is an important part of the Governments Global Ireland strategy.

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Meanwhile, over the same St Patrick's Day period, IDA Ireland spent a total of 27,317, records up to July show.

The figures, supplied under a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, reveal 13,818 was spent on flights and 9,850 on hotel accommodation by the agency concerning trips and events around this years St Patricks Day.

A further 735 was spent on transfer costs, while 2,767 was listed under Subsistence and 145 was expensed as Other.

IDA Ireland is responsible for promoting foreign direct investment (FDI) in Ireland, and in a statement accompanying the figures said: To achieve this, IDA Ireland undertakes marketing activity across the globe of which the St Patricks Day campaign is an important element.

It added that some of IDA Irelands activities over this years St Patricks Day period included media and client engagements.

The media engagements saw IDA Irelands interim chief executive Mary Buckley interviewed on NYSE TB and Bloomberg Radio and TV.

Meanwhile, the client engagements included meetings with C Suite Executives in client and target companies, as well as hosting decision makers within client companies at a range of St Patricks Day events over the period.
The Government is set to introduce new measures that will help hard-pressed renters by increasing the 500 tax credit in next months budget.

Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien has been pushing for the tax credit to be increased to almost 800.

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As the Irish Examiner reports, they also plan to introduce measures to encourage small landlords to stay in the rental market with a new tax concession.

The move is to help stop small landlords exiting the market  thousands have left the private market in recent years.

It is believed that the Minister of State Kieran ODonnell is finalising the details of the proposals.

Mr O'Donnell believes new tax incentives for landlords could help them continue with long-term renters.

Meanwhile, the Taoiseach has said tenants would require more rights while Sinn Feins housing spokesperson Eoin O Broin said rents are too high.

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He called for a three-year ban on rent increases in next months budget along with a rent credit.

Mr O Broin said average rents have increased by over 37 per cent for new and existing tenants since 2016.

He is calling on the government to deliver at least 20,000 social, affordable rental and purchase homes in 2024.
The President of Ireland has laid a wreath at a memorial service to rededicate a monument to Garda members who have died in service.

Michael D Higgins joined Minister for Justice Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris at the event at Garda headquarters in Phoenix Park in Dublin.

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The refurbished Garda Monument of Remembrance features the names of more than 1,800 gardai and Garda staff who died while in service since the founding of the Irish police force in 1922.

Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee and Garda Commissioner Drew Harris at a service to rededicate the Garda Monument of Remembrance (Niall Carson/PA)

Family members of some of those Garda personnel whose names are inscribed on the monument attended Saturday afternoons memorial service.

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Three read reflections during the ceremony.

The monument was refurbished as part of the Gardas centenary commemorations.

President Higgins said he was honoured to attend the event.

As a society, we owe a particular debt of gratitude to all those who serve in An Garda Siochana, and in each of our emergency services, he said.

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All those who commit their working lives to An Garda Siochana contribute to the public good, protecting our citizens from harm and assisting them in what are often, for citizens and communities, their darkest, most painful moments.

President Michael D Higgins lays a wreath during the unveiling of An Garda Siochana Monument of Remembrance (Niall Carson/PA)

He added: As President of Ireland, on behalf of all the people of Ireland, I thank them for their service.

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In remembering those taken in the most sudden of circumstances, in some cases most brutally, we are reminded of the bravery which is represented by all of those who have committed their lives to public safety, knowing that on any given day they may find themselves in the gravest of circumstances.

The original Monument of Remembrance was unveiled in 1966.

Ms McEntee said it was a familiar sight in Phoenix Park.

But despite its familiarity, it is very likely we have not understood its meaning or paused to reflect on its solemn significance, she added.

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So today gives us a welcome opportunity to do that.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and Justice minister Helen McEntee at the unveiling of the monument (Niall Carson/PA)

Addressing the service, the minister spoke of the tragedy of the lives lost, and the pain still felt by their families and colleagues.

I realise that the act of remembering can be difficult and painful for some, she said.

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I know too the pain and sense of loss from the death of a loved one, especially a younger person, never fully leaves any of us.

This memorial is not just a list of names. Each person was a much-loved son or daughter, a father or mother, a brother or sister, a friend and colleague, a wife or husband.

Though tinged with sadness, this day and this memorial can also be a source of huge pride and joy.

I hope, for all of you here today, this is an opportunity to remember the best of times.

Mr Harris said the event provided an opportunity to commemorate the lives lost.

Their lives meant so much to so many, he said.

I hope that every day as we pass this monument that we think of those whose names are inscribed here.

I also hope that it will prompt all Garda personnel to think of our own service and the crucial role we all play to keep people safe.
Bots such as ChatGPT may be able to outperform humans at certain creative thinking tasks, scientists believe.

Researchers have found that artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots are capable of a skill known as divergent thinking  a spontaneous thought process or method used to generate creative ideas by exploring many possible solutions.

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When assessed with a type of divergent thinking exercise known as alternate uses tasks, which asks a person to think of as many uses as possible for a simple object, chatbots, on average, performed better than humans.

However, the researchers also found that the best human ideas still matched or exceeded those that came from AI.

Simone Grassini, associate professor in the department of psychosocial science at the University of Bergen, and Cognitive and Behavioural Neuroscience Lab at the University of Stavanger, in Norway, explained: Indeed, this is a remarkable type of ability that AI chatbots display.

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The findings show that AI is better than most humans in creative thinking.

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But we should also remember that we used the divergent thinking task to measure creative thinking, that is, measuring a particular type of creative thinking and not creativity in general.

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Our results show that, at least for now, the best humans still outperform the AI.

For the study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, Prof Grassini and her colleague Mika Koivisto, of the department of psychology at the University of Turku, in Turku, Finland, assigned alternate uses tasks for four objects  a rope, a box, a pencil and a candle  to 256 human volunteers and three AI chatbots  ChatGPT3, ChatGPT4, and Copy.Ai.

The responses were rated on semantic distance  looking at how closely related the response was to the objects original use  and creativity.

The team said that on average, chatbot-generated responses scored significantly higher than the human responses for both semantic distance and creativity.

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The best human response outperformed each chatbots best response in seven out of eight scoring categories  however responses from people had a higher proportion of poor-quality ideas, the researchers added.

Prof Grassini said: Playing around with ChatGPT, I noticed that some of the answers given by the chatbot displayed a good level of creativity.

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I knew that the chatbot would have performed well, but I think it performed even better than what I expected.

The researchers said that while their work highlights the potential of AI as a tool to enhance creativity, it also underscores the unique and complex nature of human creativity that may be difficult to fully replicate or surpass with AI technology.

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Prof Grassini said: It is still to be established whether these capabilities of AI will translate directly on AI systems, replacing human jobs that require creative thinking.

I prefer to think that AI will be helping humans to improve their capacity.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was shown nuclear-capable bombers as he arrived in the far east port of Vladivostok on his visit to Russia.

He also inspected the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate of Russias Pacific fleet and was briefed by navy commander Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov on the ships capabilities and weapons, which include long-range Kalibr cruise missiles that Russian warships have regularly fired at targets in Ukraine.

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Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of the Primorsky region, announced Mr Kims arrival in the city of Artyom  about 25 miles northeast of Vladivostok  before the visit to the airport where he was shown Russias nuclear-capable strategic bombers and other warplanes by Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu and other military officials.

Mr Shoigu also showed off Russias latest missile, the hypersonic Kinzhal which is carried by the MiG-31 fighter jet.

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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signs a book during his visit to a Russian aircraft plant that produces fighter jets in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP)

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After meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin at Russias main spaceport, North Koreas leader reappeared on Friday in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur for a visit to a plant producing Russias Su-57 fighter jets.

Mr Kims plans to see Russian naval ships in Vladivostok could be another hint at what he wants from Russia, possibly in exchange for supplying munitions to refill Mr Putins declining reserves as his invasion of Ukraine becomes a drawn-out war of attrition.

Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency said that during his visit to the aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Mr Kim expressed sincere regard for what he described as Russias rapidly advancing aviation technologies, which he said were outpacing the outside potential threats.

North Korean state media have been reporting Mr Kims activities in Russia a day late.

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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is greeted by employees of a Russian aircraft plant (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP)

Russias cabinet released a video on Friday showing Mr Kim on an elevated platform looking at the cockpit of an Su-57 while listening to its pilot.

His top military officer, army Marshal Ri Pyong Chol, said his leaders visit to the facility added another glorious page to the relations between the countries, KCNA said.

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On Friday, Mr Putin reiterated that Russia would abide by UN sanctions, some of which ban North Korea from exporting or importing any weapons.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that no agreements on bilateral military cooperation were signed after the two leaders meeting on Wednesday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has inspected Russias nuclear-capable bombers, hypersonic missiles and an advanced warship from its Pacific fleet as he continued a trip in the countrys Far East.

After arriving in the city of Artyom by train, Mr Kim travelled to an airport just outside the port city of Vladivostok where Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu and other senior military officials gave him an up-close look at Russias strategic bombers and other warplanes.

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All the Russian planes shown to Kim on Saturday were among the types that have seen active use in the war in Ukraine, including the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers that have regularly launched cruise missiles.

Mr Shoigu, who met Kim during a rare visit to North Korea in July, also showed him one of Russias latest missiles, the hypersonic Kinzhal, carried by the MiG-31 fighter jet, that saw its first combat during the war in Ukraine.

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Kim Jong Un inspects a Russian frigate (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/AP)

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The pair later travelled to Vladivostok, where they inspected the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate of Russias Pacific fleet.

Russias navy commander Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov briefed Mr Kim on the ships capabilities and weapons, which include long-range Kalibr cruise missiles that Russian warships have regularly fired at targets in Ukraine.

Mr Kims visits to military and technology sites this week possibly hint at what he wants from Russia, perhaps in exchange for supplying munitions to refill Vladimir Putins declining reserves as his invasion of Ukraine becomes a drawn-out war of attrition.

Mr Kims trip to Russia, which included more than four hours of talks with the Russian president on Wednesday, comes amid momentum in military cooperation between the countries.

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Videos released by Russias Defence Ministry showed Mr Shoigu greeting Mr Kim at the airport along with honour guards lined up near a red carpet.

Kim Jong Un, centre right, walks down a red carpet (Russian Defence Ministry Press Service via AP)

Mr Kim was seen peering at the Kinzhal missile and gesturing and asking questions about the warplanes capabilities as he discussed technical details with Mr Shoigu and other military officials through translators.

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Mr Kim was also seen talking to Mr Shoigu and Mr Yevmenov about a purported nuclear attack submarine the North unveiled last week as they stepped out of the Shaposhnikov frigate.

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The visit follows Mr Kims tour on Friday of a factory producing advanced Russian warplanes.

Mr Kim in recent months has emphasised the need to strengthen his navy to counter the advanced naval assets of the United States, which has been expanding its combined military exercises with South Korea to counter the Norths growing threat.

Analysts say Mr Kims focus on naval strength could be driven by ambitions to obtain sophisticated technologies for ballistic missile submarines and nuclear-propelled submarines as well as to initiate joint naval exercises between Russia and North Korea.

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Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of Russias Primorsky region, earlier announced Mr Kims arrival in the city of Artyom, about 25 miles north east of Vladivostok.

Mr Kozhemyako released a video showing Mr Kim smiling as he got off his green-and-yellow train and was greeted by children presenting flowers.

After meeting Mr Putin at Russias main spaceport, a location that pointed to Mr Kims desire for Russian assistance in his efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance assets and missile technologies, North Koreas leader reappeared on Friday in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur for a visit to a plant producing Russias Su-57 fighter jets.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signs a book during his visit to a Russian aircraft plant that produces fighter jets in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service/AP)

Experts have said potential military cooperation between the countries could include efforts to modernise North Koreas outdated air force, which relies on warplanes sent from the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency said on Saturday that during his visit to the aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Mr Kim expressed sincere regard for what he described as Russias rapidly advancing aviation technologies, which he said were outpacing the outside potential threats.

North Korean state media have been reporting on Mr Kims activities in Russia a day late while crafting the details to meet government propaganda purposes.
Libyas top prosecutor has opened an investigation into the collapse of two dams that caused a devastating flood in a coastal city as rescue teams searched for bodies.

Heavy rains caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel caused flooding across eastern Libya last weekend, with more than 11,000 people killed.

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The floods overwhelmed two dams, sending a wall of water several metres high through the centre of Derna, destroying entire neighbourhoods and sweeping people out to sea.

More than 10,000 are missing, according to the Libyan Red Crescent. Six days on, searchers are still digging through mud and hollowed-out buildings, looking for bodies and possible survivors.



People search for flood victims in Derna (Ricardo Garcia Vilanova/AP)

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Authorities and aid groups have voiced concern about the spread of waterborne diseases and movement of explosive ordnance from Libyas recent conflicts.

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General Prosecutor Al-Sediq al-Sour said prosecutors would investigate the collapse of the two dams, which were built in the 1970s, as well as the allocation of maintenance funds. He said prosecutors would investigate local authorities in the city as well as previous governments.

I reassure citizens that whoever made mistakes or negligence, prosecutors will certainly take firm measures, file a criminal case against him and send him to trial, he told a news conference in Derna on Friday.

It is unclear how such an investigation can be carried out in the North African country, which plunged into chaos after a Nato-backed uprising toppled dictator Muammar Gadhafi in 2011.

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For most of the past decade, Libya has been split between rival administrations  one in the east, the other in the west  each backed by powerful militias and international patrons. One result has been the neglect of crucial infrastructure.

Local officials in the city had warned the public about the coming storm and last Saturday ordered residents to evacuate coastal areas in Derna, fearing a surge from the sea.



A man sits by the graves of flood victims in Derna (Yousef Murad/AP)

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But there was no warning about the dams, which collapsed early on Monday as most residents were asleep in their homes.

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A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said the two dams had not been maintained despite the allocation of more than 2 million dollars for that purpose in 2012 and 2013.

A Turkish firm was contracted in 2007 to carry out maintenance on the two dams and build another dam in between. The firm, Arsel Construction Company, said on its website that it completed its work in November 2012.

Local and international rescue teams were meanwhile working around the clock, searching for bodies and potential survivors in the city of 90,000 people.

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Mr Al-Sour called on residents who have missing relatives to report to a forensic committee that works on documenting and identifying retrieved bodies.



The collapse of two dams unleashed a massive flash flood that killed thousands of people (Yousef Murad/AP)

We ask citizens to cooperate and quickly proceed to the committees headquarters so that we can finish the work as quickly as possible, he said.

Libyan authorities have restricted access to the flooded city to make it easier for searchers to dig through the mud and hollowed-out buildings for the more than 10,000 people still missing.

Many bodies were believed to have been buried under rubble or swept out into the Mediterranean Sea.

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The storm hit other areas in eastern Libya, including the towns of Bayda, Susa, Marj and Shahatt. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in the region and took shelter in schools and other government buildings.

Dozens of foreigners were among those killed, including people who had fled war and unrest elsewhere in the region.

Others had come to Libya to work or were travelling through in hopes of migrating to Europe. At least 74 men from one village in Egypt died in the flood, as well as dozens of people who had travelled to Libya from war-torn Syria.

Later on Saturday, a local television station reported that Dernas mayor, Abdel-Moneim al-Gaithi, was suspended pending an investigation into the disaster, according to a government decree dated September 14.

Ahmed Amdour was appointed acting mayor for the flood-stricken city, the station said.
Mexico has extradited Ovidio Guzman Lopez, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, to the United States to face drug trafficking, money laundering and other charges, US attorney general Merrick Garland said.

This action is the most recent step in the Justice Departments effort to attack every aspect of the cartels operations, Mr Garland said.

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Mexican security forces captured Guzman Lopez, alias the Mouse, in January in Culiacan, capital of Sinaloa state, the cartels namesake.

Three years earlier, the government had tried to capture him but aborted the operation after his cartel allies set off a wave of violence in Culiacan.

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Januarys arrest set off similar violence that killed 30 people in Culiacan, including 10 military personnel.

The army used Black Hawk helicopter gunships against the cartels truck-mounted .50-calibre machine guns.

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Cartel gunmen hit two military aircraft forcing them to land and sent gunmen to the citys airport where military and civilian aircraft were hit by gunfire.

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The capture came just days before US president Joe Biden visited Mexico for bilateral talks followed by the North American Leaders Summit.

On Friday, Mr Garland recognised the law enforcement and military members who had given their lives in the US and Mexico.

The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fuelling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country, he said.

Mike Vigil, former head of international operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration, said he believed the Mexican government facilitated the extradition, because for someone of Guzman Lopezs high profile it usually takes at least two years to win extradition as lawyers make numerous filings as a delaying tactic.

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This happened quicker than normal, Mr Vigil said, noting that some conservative members of the US Congress had raised the idea of US military intervention if Mexico did not do more to stop the flow of drugs.

Mr Vigil dismissed that idea as political theatre but suggested it added pressure on Mexico to act.

Homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall said that the extradition is testament to the significance of the ongoing cooperation between the American and Mexican governments on countering narcotics and other vital challenges, and we thank our Mexican counterparts for their partnership in working to safeguard our peoples from violent criminals.

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Ms Sherwood-Randall made multiple visits to Mexico this year to meet Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez-Obrador, most recently last month.

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Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has met US homeland security officials (Marco Ugarte/AP)

In April, US prosecutors unsealed indictments against Guzman and his brothers, known collectively as the Chapitos.

They laid out in detail how following their fathers extradition and eventual life sentence in the US, the brothers steered the cartel increasingly into synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

The indictment unsealed in Manhattan said their goal was to produce huge quantities of fentanyl and sell it at the lowest price.

Fentanyl is so cheap to make that the cartel reaps immense profits even wholesaling the drug at 50 cents per pill, prosecutors said. The brothers denied the allegations in a letter.

The Chapitos became known for grotesque violence that appeared to surpass any notions of restraint shown by earlier generations of cartel leaders.

Mr Vigil described Guzman Lopez as a mid-level leader in the cartel and not even the leader of the brothers.

Its a symbolic victory but its not going to have any impact whatsoever on the Sinaloa cartel, he said. It will continue to function, it will continue to send drugs into the United States, especially being the largest producers of fentanyl.
Authorities say the number of deaths in Augusts wildfire in Hawaii has fallen to at least 97.

Officials had put the figure from the fires in Maui at 115, but that has been reduced to 97 after testing showed multiple DNA samples had been used from some of the victims.

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Maui Police chief John Pelletier said 74 of the victims had been identified and confirmed the number of missing people had fallen from 41 to 31.

For the very first time we legitimately have a chance to identify every single person we lost and to reunite them with their family, he said.

Defense POW/MIA Account Agency Laboratory Director John Byrd, left, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier, center, and Maui County Physicians Coroner Dr. Jeremy Stuelpnagel talk about a drop in the estimated number of deaths (Jennifer Sinco Kelleher/AP)

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And so in the midst of all this tragedy, theres a little ray of hope right there and so that really is incredible.

John Byrd, laboratory director with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, said on Friday the number of dead should be considered a minimum.

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He said the lower tally was the normal and natural progression of the long-term forensics investigation.

Determining the death toll from the August 8 wildfire in Lahaina  the deadliest in the US for more than a century  has been especially complicated because of the damage caused by the fire and the chaos as people tried to escape, officials said. In some cases, animal remains were inadvertently collected along with human remains.

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Maui County physicians coroner Dr Jeremy Stuelpnagel said: When the fire broke out, people ran together, they huddled together. Theyre holding each other in those moments. Some of them were even holding pets.
Presto, Gurner made a scandal. After enduring 24 hours of solid social media abuse and, Id wager, a robust backlash within his own circle (one imagines he is heavily reliant on the labour of the tradies whose work ethic he just trashed), Gurner backed down. He said the comments were wrong and he deeply regretted making them. Loading It was a full turnaround from just a few days previous, so who knows what Gurner really believes, but the outrage cycle is one that has become wearily familiar. A public mea culpa is your only hope to quell the bloodlust. As I watched it play out, I found myself feeling sympathy for Gurner, who apparently shut down his social media accounts to make himself a smaller target. Across the country in WA, Indigenous leader Marcia Langton also found herself at the centre of a media pile-on, as a result of off-the-cuff remarks she made in a small forum.

Langton was in Bunbury talking to people about the Voice to parliament, of which she was a key architect, when she made the remark that every time the No case raises one of their arguments, if you start pulling it apart, you get down to base racism. She continued: Im sorry to say it, but thats where it lands, or just sheer stupidity. The comments were widely reported as Langton labelling all No voters racist, and much howling ensued. As she clarified to Nine newspapers chief political correspondent, David Crowe, Langton was trying to say that the claims being made by the No case are based in racism and stupidity  and appeal to racism and stupidity. She said the No campaign was trying to frighten voters into adopting highly racist and stupid beliefs. Indigenous academic and author Marcia Langton addressed the Press Club on Wednesday. Credit: James Brickwood Langton was put in the ridiculous position of having to deny that she, herself, was a racist, for simply identifying that the emperor is naked. Its hardly revolutionary to mention racism in a debate over the plight of Australias Indigenous minority. The pearl-clutching over Langtons comments has been awe-inspiring, the best of it coming from the sections of the media who protest too much for a reason.

Some Australians are racist. Others may harbour prejudice or be open to emotive racist arguments. Its safe to say such people would be easily persuaded by arguments which appeal to emotion and play on fears about Aboriginal people. Elsewhere in our papers this week, reporter Paul Sakkal revealed that is exactly what Advance, one of the No campaign bodies, is instructing its volunteers to do. Loading But Langtons comments were undoubtedly unhelpful to the Yes case  it is perfectly reasonable for voters to have legitimate concerns about constitutional change, and the No campaign is within its rights to appeal to those doubts. This is made easier by the complexity of the proposal, and the fact no one knows yet what the Voices structure or composition would be. And Gurners comments, while wrong and offensive, also held a kernel of truth  it is correct, for example, that employers of office workers have struggled to get their employees back in the building every day, so accustomed have professionals become to working from home. This is frustrating for employers, and represents a quiet revolutionary shift for workers. No industrial action was required to win this great new flexibility. Just a pandemic.

There is no equivalence between Gurner and Langton and, in my view, the formers comments were stupid and the latters were reasonable. But the reaction to both their comments, and the speed at which the furore they incited spun out of control and veered from context, was similar. Conservatives love to lament that you cant say anything any more, and while that is not true, it could be amended to you cant say anything any more without risking unintended and possibly life-ruining consequences. On the upside, this shame cycle, which will undoubtedly be repeated soon with a different set of players, allows us to know who public figures really are. On the downside, it might show us who we really are. Jacqueline Maley is a senior writer and columnist.
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 Australians will head to the polls in October to vote in the first referendum since 1999. This is what you need to know about the Voice to parliament. See all 7 stories . Readers, politicians and commentators have raised a multitude of questions about the proposed Indigenous Voice to parliament. What powers would it have? What issues would it advise on? Who would be a member? Labor and Indigenous leaders decided at the outset that these precise details would be determined after the referendum, should it succeed. Led by the government, parliament would pass a law setting up the Voice and outline how it would work, following a period of consultation with Indigenous communities. The uncertainty about its shape and form has underpinned the No campaign, whose motto is: If you dont know, vote No. Included below are the most pertinent questions about the Voice, answered as far as possible without knowing the details of legislation yet to be drafted. How is the Voice chosen? Exactly how, and how many, Voice members would be picked are among the details that would be determined through legislation in the event of a successful referendum.

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However, according to a set of eight design principles released by the government, members of the Voice would be chosen by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people based on the wishes of local communities to serve fixed terms and would not be appointed by the government. The design principles were agreed upon by a working group of 21 Indigenous leaders appointed by the government to advise it on the referendum. The principles state that to ensure cultural legitimacy, the way that members of the Voice are chosen would suit the wishes of local communities and would be determined through the post-referendum process. This leaves open the door for members to be voted onto the Voice through elections in Indigenous communities, or to be selected by those communities through another mechanism. Professor Megan Davis, one of the leading architects of the Voice, says Indigenous communities expressed a strong desire for elections during the regional consultation process that resulted in the Uluru Statement from the Heart in 2017, which called for a constitutionally enshrined Voice. In the dialogues, there was a huge appetite for direct elections by mob. When I say direct election, there will be some sort of ballot box process that allows people to exercise a vote, Davis says.

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How many members will be on the Voice? There is no certainty around how many representatives could be on the Voice, but the design principles state that members would be chosen from each state and territory, as well as the Torres Strait Islands, and there would be a gender balance. They also state that the Voice would have specific remote representatives as well as representation for the mainland Torres Strait Islander population. Loading These features echo the design model set out in a 2021 report by Aboriginal academics Tom Calma and Marcia Langton, who were commissioned by the Morrison government to consult on how a Voice could be implemented. The report ultimately proposed a 24-member model, comprising two members from each state, territory and the Torres Strait, and a further five members from remote areas, as well as a Torres Strait Islander living on the mainland. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has repeatedly pointed to the Langton-Calma report as an example of how the body could operate. But he has stopped short of committing to adopting this model as the one the government would seek to legislate if the referendum succeeds.

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What is the cost, and will Voice members be paid? The Australian Electoral Commission estimates the referendum will cost about $450 million  a similar price to running a federal election. The May federal budget also allocated $10 million to boost mental health support for First Nations people during the Voice campaign. Its unclear how much the Voice body would cost to operate once established. The body will not deliver programs or policies. But its design principles state it would have its own resources to allow it to research, develop and make representations to parliament and executive government. The Calma-Langton report foreshadows that the Voice would have two full-time paid co-chairs. This would enable the co-chairs to work closely with the CEO and Office of the National Voice to ensure the efficient management of national Voice business, the report states.

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What powers would the Voice have? The Voice would provide advice to parliament, executive government  that is, the federal ministry  and the public service on issues that affect Indigenous Australians.



Its critics say in theory, this could mean offering advice on anything from the location of Australias nuclear submarine base to monetary policy, and warn it that could leave government decisions open to High Court challenges. Loading But Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney has made clear she wants the body to provide advice on four key areas: health, housing, education and jobs. Yes advocates say the body would render itself irrelevant by wading into too many areas. While it is correct that the creation of the Voice could lead to legal challenges, constitutional law academic George Williams told a public hearing on the referendum in April there was no realistic possibility whatsoever that this will give rise to a deluge of litigation. Eminent constitutional silk Bret Walker, SC, told the same hearing: I dont think theres any prospect if this is put into our Constitution that a 10-year review ... will reveal that litigators have been run ragged keeping up with a deluge of cases.

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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 When historians look back on the uncertainty of the past few years they may also remember the positive aspects of how it inspired populations across the world to return to nature, to visit parks and green spaces and explore wild places, big and small, on their doorstep and beyond. They may recall the desire for sea and tree changes, to slow down, to explore our own backyards, to immerse in a destination and, while there, to experience the little (and suddenly more important) things: the blossoming of a flower, the trickle of a river, the peppery aroma of first snow in a forest. We live in a time of dawning truths that tell us that among planet Earths greatest commodities are its wildernesses  the worlds wildest, most wondrous and increasingly rare natural places that have endured despite humanity. There are many lesser-visited natural wonderlands. Pictured: Sumatran orangutan in Gunung Leuser National Park. Credit: iStock The word wilderness itself is powerful and emotive, conjuring images that loop on our social media feeds such as misty forests, clear sparkling streams, the suns shadow falling across a desert dune, a glistening blue polar peak. In times of inner turmoil or outer chaos, or both, including the ravages of climate change, these grandest of places are a clarion call. When we want adventure they are freedom cries to strap on the walking shoes or backpack. When we seek quietude, inner peace, renewal, they ignite a dormant instinct to be in nature. Today wilderness areas are both those natural wondrous places captured in the cross-hairs of our binoculars, as well as those doorstep destinations with which we are more likely to have intimate encounters.

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They are both the places that are still wild in the traditional sense, and those that, though impacted by humanity, have a chance to regenerate, rewild and recover. Classic wilderness areas like the Amazon, Yosemite and Kakadu garner well-deserved attention, but there are many incredible, lesser-visited natural wonderlands, such as those featured below, that are equally worthy of our interest and awe. Shiretoko National Park, Hokkaido, Japan White-tailed eagles near the Shiretoko Peninsula during the winter months along with the drift ice. Credit: Alamy Why go Drifts of ice in the frigid blue waters off the northern island of Hokkaido are like clouds smeared across a clear blue sky. The sea current swirls the chalky ice floes in big, speckled swaths of salty chunks creating an extraordinary dreamlike landscape where the sea and sky meet on the horizon and become one. Tell me more World Heritagelisted by UNESCO in 2005, and covering 387 square kilometres, the park sits to the north of Shiretoko Peninsula, the northernmost point of Hokkaido, one of Japans four main islands. In the indigenous Ainu language, Shiretoko means place where the earth protrudes or more poetically Lands End, which helps conjure just how beautiful, remote and untouched it is. Dont miss The unusual drifts of sea on this coastline are not only ethereally beautiful, they also encourage spring blooms of crucial phytoplankton which support both land and sea food chains through salmon spawning. The healthy population of Ussuri brown bears, related to the grizzly, are best spotted (and more safely seen) from cruise boats along the east coast.

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Essentials Access and accommodation are in the townships of Rausu and Utoro at the east end of the park. See env.go.jp Wadi Rum Protected Area, Aqaba, Jordan Wadi Rum, also known as the Valley of the Moon. Credit: Getty Why go This is an iconic desert landscape, a vast, red, sand-streaked valley of undulating hills and incredible iron oxide-laced rock formations built by nature to withstand the intensity of the desert heat. It is also famous for its links with Lawrence of Arabia. Tell me more Known romantically as the Valley of the Moon, Wadi Rum is Jordans largest wadi  or dry valley  covering 720 square kilometres. As the sun tracks its way across the desert sky, the whole scene can change from sepia to blood red to deep magenta and back again. Add a cloudless blue background and the long silhouette of a camel and this is a desert wilderness in all its glory. Dont miss A night in a Bedouin-style desert camp is a must-do. Half the fun is the journey through the intoxicating desert landscape be it on a donkey, a camel or in a four-wheel-drive Jeep with a Bedouin host in full white thobe and headscarf at the wheel. Essentials The access point, on the edge of the protected area, is the small Wadi Rum village where wandering goats and hessian tents are a contrast to the flash new sandstone visitor centre. See wadirum.jo

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Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, California, US Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, California. Credit: Alamy Why go Known as the Serengeti of the Sea, this marine sensation is an epically rich fantasia of sea kelp, underwater volcano habitats and sea creatures, both big and small. It is within the California Current Conservation Complex, and has tentative status on UNESCOs World Heritage List on account of its huge number and diversity of marine species. Tell me more That this marine oasis is on the doorstep of California, home to a densely packed human population, makes its abundance and richness more remarkable. It stretches about 444 kilometres from San Francisco in the north to its southern boundary at Big Sur, and takes up about one-quarter of Californias extensive coastline. Dont miss The greeny-black underwater depths of Monterey Canyon abuts the coastline creating the perfect conditions for one of the worlds biggest waves  Mavericks, known to crest at 7.6 metres. Spotting the mother of all earthly creatures, the blue whale, is categorised as uncommon but sightings do happen here too. Essentials The park habitats are easily accessed all along the coast at stops on self-drive tours, on barefoot beach explorations and in coastal communities. On the water, the action is on kayak and boat outings, and scuba and snorkel dives. See montereybay.noaa.gov Tropical Heritage Rainforest of Sumatra, Indonesia

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Protected Sumatran Elephants bathing in Gunung Leuser National Park. Credit: Shutterstock Why go If rainforests are Earths oldest living ecosystems, then the Tropical Heritage Rainforest of Sumatra is the heartbeat of an ancient world. This landscape, covering 2.5 million hectares, comprises three unconnected national parks, each occupying terrain along the backbone of Sumatras Bukit Barisan mountain range or the Andes of Sumatra. From their highest points, the land stretches out like a long-lost magical kingdom, such is its exceptional beauty. Tell me more The wilderness area was UNESCO World Heritage Listed in 2004 on account of its intact tracts of exquisite rainforest and unmatched biomass of species. It is the only place in the world where elephants, tigers, rhinos and orangutans coexist. Each of these species is endemic and critically endangered. The survival of Sumatras entire biota relies on them. Dont miss The key species are the Sumatran orangutan, Sumatran tiger (only about 400 remaining in the wild), Sumatran elephant and Sumatran rhino (only about 300 remaining). Also the magical-sounding Malayan sun bears and Sumatran clouded leopards. Essentials Bukit Lawang, accessible via Sumatras largest city Medan, is a village on the edge of Gunung Leuser National Park known for orangutan treks, volcano climbs and waterfall chasing. See bukitlawang.com Pantanal Wetlands, Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia Pantanal wetlands. Credit: Alamy

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Two more tourist destinations have clamped down on Airbnb in the past week, as the global war on the controversial accommodation website continues.

North Devon in the UK has begun a six-week public consultation to ban houses in multiple occupation (HMO) from being let out as holiday accommodation. Councillors argue that this would stop residents from being priced out by landlords looking to make more money from the holiday lettings market.

Supporters of Airbnb hold a rally outside City Hall in New York. Credit: AP/File

Meanwhile, strict new regulations on short-term rentals have come into effect in New York City. The rules mean that rentals shorter than 30 days are only allowed if hosts are officially registered with the city, and the host must be present in the property for the duration of the stay. More than two guests at a time are not allowed, in what has been described as a de facto ban on the platform.

Airbnb, which operates in more than 100,000 towns and cities, has faced a significant backlash since launching 15 years ago. And things seem to have ramped up in 2023.
Washington: US President Joe Biden on Friday called on automakers to concede more to workers who walked off the job at Detroits largest car companies, accusing them of enjoying record profits without sharing them fairly with workers.

The UAW strike at three factories owned by General Motors, Ford and Chrysler-owner Stellantis kicked off the most ambitious US industrial labor action in decades.

United Auto Workers members attend a rally in Detroit. Credit: AP

No one wants a strike, but I respect workers right to use their options under the collective bargaining system, Biden said. I understand their frustration.

The auto companies have made some significant offers in negotiations so far, Biden said.
China's Leadership Enigma: Defence Minister Li Shangfu's Disappearance Sparks International Speculation (Photo: Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation/Wikimedia Common/CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0))

In a series of recent events that have raised eyebrows on the international stage, China's Defense Minister, General Li Shangfu, has been conspicuously absent from the public eye. This sudden disappearance has fueled speculation about a potential corruption purge within China's military ranks.

General Li, who had not been seen in public for approximately two weeks, reportedly missed several key meetings. Rahm Emanuel, the US envoy to Japan, took to social media to highlight the general's absence, suggesting that the "unemployment rate" within the Chinese government had surged. Citing sources from both the US and China, The Wall Street Journal reported that General Li is likely being removed from his position.

This isn't the first such incident involving high-ranking Chinese officials. Earlier this year, Foreign Minister Qin Gang also vanished from public view, an event that remains largely unexplained. When questioned about General Li's whereabouts, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman stated she was "not aware of the situation."

General Li's last known public appearance was on August 29th in Beijing, where he addressed a security forum with African nations. His career, marked by a steady rise through the military and political ranks, has been closely watched by international observers. Like Mr. Qin, General Li is believed to be a favorite of President Xi Jinping. Both their disappearances have sparked discussions about the transparency of Chinese political leadership and the stability of Xi's decisions.

Further fueling the speculation, two generals from China's rocket forces, responsible for controlling land-based missiles, were replaced earlier this year. Additionally, the president of the army's military court was removed shortly after his appointment.

Ambassador Emanuel's tweets, which drew parallels to literary works like Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" and Shakespeare's "Hamlet," highlighted the general's missed meetings and suggested the possibility of house arrest. A Reuters report indicated that Vietnamese officials were informed of General Li's "health condition" as the reason for his sudden withdrawal from a scheduled meeting.

The series of high-profile disappearances, coupled with the unexplained replacement of officials like Foreign Minister Qin Gang, has led to questions about President Xi's leadership and decision-making. Neil Thomas, an expert on Chinese elite politics with the Asia Society Policy Institute, noted that while Xi's leadership seems stable, the affected officials are not part of his inner circle.

Bill Bishop, an analyst, pointed out that the Chinese military has a long history of corruption. Despite Xi's efforts to address this issue, the recent events suggest that corruption remains a significant challenge. The fact that officials like General Li and Mr. Qin, both promoted by Xi, are now under scrutiny raises questions about the effectiveness of Xi's anti-corruption measures.

The unfolding situation comes at a time of increased military activity near Taiwan and tensions in the South China Sea. The absence of key military and foreign ministry figures during such a critical period raises concerns about communication and crisis management.

Ambassador Emanuel's comments, though unusual for a diplomat of his stature, may be an attempt to elicit a response from China regarding the ongoing situation. As the world watches closely, the mystery surrounding the disappearances and the potential implications for China's political landscape remain at the forefront of international discourse.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday reiterated his ambition to achieve a USD 1 trillion state economy with the country aiming to achieve a USD 5 trillion economy.

While inaugurating various development programs at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said, "Our country has become the fifth-largest economy in the world. It is the goal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to achieve a USD 5 trillion economy and it is our (Maharashtra's) goal to achieve a USD 1 trillion economy."

Indian economy is currently ranked fifth and is behind the US, China, Japan, and Germany.

In 2014 when Narendra Modi was sworn in as the Prime Minister, India was the 10th largest economy. In 2022, India became the fifth-largest economy overtaking the UK.

Shinde also hailed the success of the G20 summit headed by India and the soft landing of the Chandrayaan 3 mission on the South Pole.

"The whole world came for G20 and the miracle to bring all these people to India was done by PM Modi. India is the first country to do a soft landing on the south pole of the Moon. This was done by our scientists and PM Modi gave inspiration for it," CM Shinde said.

India recently successfully hosted the G20 summit in the national capital, hosting over 40 global leaders and their delegations.

At the Leader's Summit, the New Delhi Declaration was adopted unanimously with full consensus. A major standout of the declaration was bringing all global powers on the same page and forging consensus on an issue as divisive as the Russia-Ukraine war.

A major and historic takeaway of India's presidency of the G20 Summit has been the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the Group of 20 (G20).

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The Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankar will unfurl the national flag at the new Parliament building on September 17, a day before the forthcoming Session of Parliament, 2023.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will also attend the occasion. The event coincides with both the auspicious occasion of Vishwakarma Puja and the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, Harivansh, Ministers of State of Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghawal and V. Muraleedharan with Leaders of Political Parties in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha and other dignitaries will be present on the occasion.

The government convened an all-party meeting on September 17 for the smooth function of the two Houses in the Special session of Parliament.

The Special Session will see a discussion on Parliament's 75-year journey, starting from the Samvidhan Sabha that first met on December 9, 1946.

A discussion on 'Parliamentary Journey of 75 years starting from Samvidhan Sabha - Achievements, Experiences, Memories and Learnings' will be held in Parliament on the first day of the five-sitting long special session, a parliamentary bulletin said on Wednesday.

Parliament is likely to start functioning from the new building during the session.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that the Opposition named its alliance as INDIA as the old name UPA was associated with scams and corruption.

"They have made a new alliance with a new name. They worked with the name of UPA and indulged in corruption worth Rs 12 lakh crores. Lalu Yadav did corruption worth crores while he was the Railway Minister. They changed their name because they could not come back with the name UPA, hence they had to come up with INDI Alliance," Shah said at a public meeting in Bihar's Jhanjharpur.

"People of this alliance disrespect Ramcharitmanas. They cancel holidays on Rakshandhan and Janmashtami. They link Sanatana Dharma to a number of diseases. All they can do is appeasement," he added.

Shah also thanked the people for standing against the decision of the Nitish Kumar-led government over the cancellation of holidays on Rakshabandhan and Janmashtami in Bihar.

"A few days ago, the Lalu-Nitish government declared that there would be no holidays for Rakshabandhan and Janmashtami in Bihar. I want to thank the people of Bihar for standing against this decision of the Lalu-Nitish government," Shah said.

Earlier, the Bihar secondary education department announced the reduction of holidays for teachers from 23 to 11 days annually, leading to a furore among teachers in the state. Faced with backlash, the government later withdrew its order.

A circular issued by the Director of Secondary Education said, "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."

This is Shah's sixth visit to the state in one year since his party was ousted from power in the state in August 2022. In February this year, he visited Valmikinagar and Patna and addressed Kisan Samagam organized on the occasion of the birth anniversary of peasant leader Sahajanand Saraswati in Patna, in a bid to woo the Bhumihar community that he came from.

On April 2, 2023, Shah visited the state for the fourth time and addressed a public meeting in Nawada and cancelled the program of Rohtas (Sasaram) in view of violence in the area.

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Last time Union Home Minister Shah arrived in Bihar on June 29, and addressed a mega-rally at Lakhisarai in Munger Lok Sabha constituency which is the home turf of JDU President and Lok Sabha MP Lalan Singh.
Slamming US President Joe Biden for his 2024 election bid stating that his age and suitability for the highest position are separate issues, Donald Trump has said that the US President is "not too old" but "grossly incompetent," The Hill reported.

According to a new interview which is set to air Thursday, Trump said, "Age is interesting because some people are very sharp, and some people do lose it, but you lose it at 40 and 50, also."

"But no, he's not too old at all. He's grossly incompetent," Trump said on SiriusXM's "The Megyn Kelly Show.

According to polls, Trump, 77, who is running for president in 2024, will probably face Biden, 80, in the general election.

The former president also disputed polling results that claimed Americans believed Biden was too old to serve as president. In the conversation, he mentioned how many of his friends and world leaders are still mentally sharp far into their nineties.

"No, not, not for the reason of 'old,'" Trump said when asked whether Americans are right to be concerned, adding, "I have friends, Bernie Marcus, that are in their 90s and they're sharp as a tack. They're just, I mean, I would say just about what they used to be. No, not old. He's incompetent," according to The Hill.

Trump has vehemently rejected any attempts to declare him ineligible for the president due to his age, The Hill reported.

The conversation between Kelly and Trump is their first since May 2016 and will air at noon on Thursday.

In 2016, while Trump was running for the Republican presidential nomination, their rivalry had just reached its height.

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The troubles of China's real estate sector continue to cast a long shadow over the country's economic prospects as property investments continue to plummet, The New York Times reported on Friday.

The US-based news daily reported that the construction sites around China appear visibly less busy and construction of apartment towers has faltered because of falling apartment prices.

Quoting data released on Friday for prices of new apartments in 70 large and medium-sized cities across China, Goldman Sachs calculated that prices fell in August at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 2.9 per cent, compared with 2.6 per cent in July.

Moreover, the data shows that new apartments considerably understate the speed and extent of price declines, however, as local governments have put heavy pressure on developers not to cut prices.

Prices of existing homes in 100 cities across China fell an average of 14 per cent by early August from their peak two years earlier, according to the Beike Research Institute, a Tianjin research firm. Rents have fallen 5 per cent.

Apart from this, China's banking sector is also struggling with the repayment of debt payments from defaulters as loans that banks have made to property developers have been defaulted.

According to The New York Times, the main barrier behind the immediate repayment of loans from defaulters is the involvement of loans to the local governments and their financial affiliates.

The central bank, the People's Bank of China, announced on Thursday that it was freeing banks to set aside smaller reserves and start extending more credit. The move was widely seen as intended to accommodate a large batch of bonds that local and provincial governments will issue to pay for their infrastructure projects, reported The New York Times.

Retail sales in August were up 4.6 per cent from a year earlier, as rising energy prices most likely pushed up retail sales, Nomura said.

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A main reason retail sales rebounded was that a year ago, people in China were still living under stringent "zero Covid" measures that restricted their activity.

Beer and wine production dropped from a year earlier, while output rose for bottled water, carried by many Chinese people during outdoor activities, and production of fruit and vegetable juices climbed sharply.
Former US President Donald Trump slammed special counsel Jack Smith hours after the prosecutor asked for a partial gag order to restrict his statements in connection with the trial related to Trump's alleged effort to overturn the 2020 election, The Hill reported.

The "narrowly tailored" gas order has been requested to restrict Trump's continuous "near-daily" social media attacks on people involved in the case.

Trump claimed that Jack Smith wants to take away his rights under the "First Amendment".

During a speech at the Concerned Women of America conference in Washington, Trump said, "Deranged Jack Smith, he's the prosecutor, he's a deranged person, wants to take away my rights under the First Amendment. He wants to take away my right of speaking freely and openly".

"Never forget our enemies want to stop us because we are the only ones that can stop them. They want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom," The Hill quoted Trump as saying.

Trump also stated that his public statements are being limited, while he is the "leading Republican nominee and beating the Democrats".

He also attacked President Biden calling him "incompetent" and accused him of weaponing FBI and the Department of Justice.

"Biden Prosecutor, Deranged Jack Smith, has asked the Court to limit 45th President, and leading Republican Nominee (by more than 50 points, & beating Dems!) DONALD J. TRUMP'S, PUBLIC STATEMENTS," Trump wrote on Truth Social platform.

He added, "So, I'm campaigning for President against an incompetent person who has WEAPONIZED the DOJ & FBI to go after his Political Opponent, & I am not allowed to COMMENT? They Leak, Lie, & Sue, & they won't allow me to SPEAK? How else would I explain that Jack Smith is DERANGED, or Crooked Joe is INCOMPETENT?"

Meanwhile, Jack Smith has requested a limited gag order to prevent Trump from saying "certain prejudicial extrajudicial statements," seeking a "narrow, well-defined restriction" on what the former president can say about the case, The Hill reported.

The order would include limiting what he can say about court testimony and witnesses in order to prevent interference in the trial.

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"The defendant knows that when he publicly attacks individuals and institutions, he inspires others to perpetrate threats and harassment against his targets," prosecutors wrote in the filing.

"Since the indictment in this case, the defendant has spread disparaging and inflammatory public posts on Truth Social on a near-daily basis regarding the citizens of the District of Columbia, the Court, prosecutors, and prospective witnesses," the Hill quoted the DOJ as saying.

The 19-page gag-order request includes numerous Truth Social posts made by Trump since his four-count indictment in August on charges of conspiracy to defraud the US government and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, according to New York Post.

Smith has cited several posts in which Trump refers to US District Judge Tanya Chutkan as "a fraud dressed up as a judge in Washington, DC who is a radical Obama hack and a biased, Trump-hating judge."

The special counsel also referenced a post where Trump bemoans that he cannot get a fair trial in Washington, DC, because it is "filthy and crime ridden" and "over 95 per cent anti-Trump," New York Post reported.

The order has been opposed by Donald Trump's attorneys.

Notably, the multiple legal cases against Trump includes the four federal indictments with charges related to falsification of business records, mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House and his alleged efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election to President Biden.

In this federal election interference case, led by Smith, the former president was charged with conspiracy to defraud the US, alongside obstruction and other lesser charges, The Hill reported.
The Consulate General of India in Vancouver has strongly condemned the assault on a Sikh student in Canada's British Columbia province and called for prompt action against perpetrators.

The 17-year-old Sikh student was either "beer or pepper sprayed" by another teenage student after exiting a public transit bus on his way home on September 11.

The Indian student was assaulted at the intersection of Rutland Rd S and Robson Rd E in Canada's British Columbia, according to a statement by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Consulate General of India in Vancouver stated, "@cgivancouver strongly condemns assault on an Indian national in Kelowna and requests Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators."

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in a statement said, "On September 11th, 2023, just before 4:00pm, Kelowna RCMP were dispatched to a pepper spray incident at the intersection of Rutland Rd S and Robson Rd E. Officers determined a 17-year old Sikh student was either bear or pepper sprayed by another teenaged male after exiting a public transit bus on his way home."

It said there was an altercation on the bus prior to the beer spray incident which resulted in those involved being directed off the bus. Police said that several witness statements have been obtained and the teenaged suspect has been identified.

"After exiting the bus, a second incident occurred where the suspect male deployed bear spray on the victim," it said.

The statement further said, "Bystanders called the police who attended and are actively investigating this incident. Several witness statements have been obtained and the teenaged suspect in this incident has already been identified."

According to the statement, investigators are still collecting CCTV evidence and other relevant information including taking steps to determine the motivation behind crime.

Speaking to CBC News, Kelowna City Councillor Mohini Singh said that the student had only been in the city for around five months and spoke little English.

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She termed the attack "totally unacceptable." She said that the student is in a "state of shock" and is "absolutely traumatized."

"He loves going to school. He has a great rapport with his teachers. No problem there," she said. "He is absolutely traumatized. He's in a state of shock," CBC News quoted Mohini Singh as saying.

Mohini Singh said she met the teenager, and that he was hardly able to lift his head from his chest. She said, "This has sent shockwaves through the community," the councillor said. "The Indo-Canadian community is shocked by this ... this is absolutely despicable."

It's the second attack on a Sikh student in the central Interior city this year. On March 17, another Indian Sikh student Gagandeep Singh was also attacked, according to CBC News report. At the time, Royal Canadian Mounted Police said investigators were carrying out consultations with their hate crimes unit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday paid his tributes to former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on the occasion of the latter's 100th birth anniversary.

PM Modi said Lee's leadership played a key role in Singapore's transformation.

"My tributes to the great Lee Kuan Yew on the special occasion of his 100th birth anniversary. His visionary leadership played a key role in Singapore's transformation. His foresight and relentless pursuit of excellence are a testament to his personal greatness. His work continues to inspire leaders worldwide," PM Modi tweeted on Saturday.

Yew was Singapore's prime minister from 1959 to 1990 and during his rule, Singapore became the most-prosperous country in Southeast Asia.

Born into a Chinese family established in Singapore since the 19th century, Yew's main aim was to retain Singapore's national identity. He understood that the country needed a strong economy to survive as an independent country. He died on March 23, 2015 at the age of 91.

During the recently concluded G20 Summit in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong and discussed bilateral relations between the two nations.

"Lovely to interact with the Prime Minister of Singapore, Lee Hsien Loong," Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Earlier this year, India and Singapore linked their respective online payment systems, Unified Payments Interface (UPI) of India and PayNow of Singapore, for seamless cross-border transactions between the two countries.

The virtual launch function was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.

The linkage of these two payment systems of both countries would enable residents of both countries to the faster and more cost-efficient transfer of cross-border remittances.

People in both countries will be able to send money in real-time via QR-code-based or simply by entering mobile numbers linked to the bank account.

This collaboration will also help the Indian diaspora in Singapore, especially migrant workers and students through instantaneous and low-cost transfer of money from Singapore to India and vice-versa.

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Poland's conservative governing party was hoping to make migration a key campaign theme ahead of the country's national election. But not like this.

The Law and Justice party is being rocked by reports that Polish consulates issued visas in Africa and Asia in exchange for bribes, opening the door for migrants to enter the European Union which some used as a launching pad to enter the United States.

Details about the corruption scandal are coming to light a month ahead of the country's parliamentary elections Oct. 15, leaving Law and Justice struggling to control the damage.

On Friday, a former deputy foreign minister who was dismissed amid reports of his involvement was hospitalized after an apparent suicide attempt.

Law and Justice has been the election frontrunner in a field of several parties, and it's not clear if the affair will dent its support. But opposition politicians have seized on the issue, accusing the government of corruption and hypocrisy, given its strong anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Critics say the governing party raised the specter of immigration to frighten Poles and then offered promises of keeping them secure, while a corrupt cell operating within the diplomatic corps opened a channel for migrants to enter the EU.

This is the biggest scandal we have faced in the 21st century. Corruption at the highest levels of government, bringing a direct threat to all of us. And it's because of people whose mouths are full of phrases about security, Senate Speaker Tomasz Grodzki, an opposition politician, said in a televised address to the nation Friday evening.

Poland has opened its door to Ukrainian refugees, who are primarily white and Christian, but governing party officials have long made clear that they consider Muslims and others from different cultures to be a threat to the nation's cultural identity and security.

Media reports allege Poland's consular sections issued about 250,000 visas to migrants from Asia and Africa since 2021 in return for bribes of several thousand dollars. Poland is a member of the EU's visa-free zone known as Schengen, and once those migrants arrived in Poland they could cross Europe's borders freely.

Szymon Holownia, who leads a center-right opposition party, said the governing party jeopardized the safety of millions of Poles by conducting the disgusting, commercial practice of selling visas."



Government officials acknowledge some wrongdoing occurred.

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The Foreign Ministry announced Friday it had dismissed an official "in connection with the ongoing findings regarding irregularities in the visa issuance process. It said the official was Jakub Osajda, the director of the ministry's office of legal and compliance management. It also announced an audit of its consular department and all consular posts.

That followed the dismissal of the deputy foreign minister in charge of consular matters, Piotr Wawrzyk, last month as the first reports of the scandal appeared in the media. Wawrzyk was hospitalized after a suicide attempt, Polish media reported Friday.

The state prosecutor's office said Thursday it charged seven people suspected of corrupt activities in accelerating visa procedures, with three of them under temporary arrest.

The prosecutor general, Zbigniew Ziobro, said authorities were working to bring the wrongdoers to justice and insisted the scale of the affair was smaller than what the media and opposition claim.

He said Wawrzyk had attempted suicide because he couldn't bear the hatred against him.

Wawrzyk had been responsible for preparing a regulation making it easier for foreign workers from countries including Iran, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates to enter Poland.

According to the Onet news portal, Wawrzyk personally insisted that temporary work visas be issued to groups of people from India who posed as crews working for the Indian movie industry, popularly known as Bollywood.

Onet said the Indians paid $25,000 to $40,000 for the visas hoping to use them to reach the U.S. It reported that U.S. officials had alerted Poland to the matter.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said at a briefing Thursday that he could not confirm the reports, adding, "I wouldn't want to speak to private conversations between our two governments.

The governing party fought back with new election videos on social media seeking to link the leading opposition leader, Donald Tusk, to widespread migration to Europe in his past roles. Tusk was the Polish prime minister from 2007 to 2014, and was president of the European Council, an EU body, from 2014 to 2019.

The government also is holding a referendum along with the election with questions on migration. One question asks voters whether they support accepting thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa as part of an EU relocation plan.

Law and Justice ran on a strong anti-migrant messeage when it won power in 2015, a crisis year for Europe when more than a million refugees and migrants fled from Syria and elsewhere. Party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said then that migrants brought diseases to Europe as well as parasites and protozoa" remarks that were heavily criticized.

The party has refused to accept any of the migrants and refugees who have arrived in the EU in past years. It also built a tall steel wall on its border with Belarus to keep migrants out after large numbers began arriving there in 2021.
By Jack Farchy, Katharine Gemmell and Jonathan Browning

Sanjeev Gupta, whose company GFG Alliance is under the cloud of a fraud and money-laundering investigation, returned to the UK two-and-a-half-years since the probe began.

Gupta, who now lives in Dubai, has traveled to the UK to visit a sick relative as well as for business meetings, according to people familiar with the matter. The Serious Fraud Office is likely to interview the steel tycoon at a time when he is in the country, said one of the people. They asked not to be identified because they werent authorized to speak publicly.

The SFO is investigating suspected fraud, fraudulent trading and money laundering in relation to the financing and conduct of companies within Guptas loose network of businesses. The group has also been under investigation in France over allegations of money laundering and corporate misuse of assets.

Any move to interview would be an escalation of the probe, nearly 18 months after the SFO sent investigators to GFGs offices to demand company balance sheets, annual reports and correspondence related to the case.

The son of an Indian industrialist, Gupta moved to the UK when he was a teenager, and started a commodity-trading business, Liberty House, while studying at Cambridge University. He built up a sprawling web of businesses during a mid-2010s spree buying up distressed metals plants, which earned him the nickname of the savior of steel in the British press.

Prosecutors rounded on GFG after the collapse of its main lender Greensill Capital in March 2021 revealed that it had been borrowing money against expected future invoices, for sales that were merely predicted.

The probes followed revelations surrounding the tycoons trading business Liberty House Group. Four banks stopped working with the company, starting in 2016, after they became concerned about what they perceived to be problems in paperwork provided by Liberty, Bloomberg News reported.

Greensill was Guptas largest source of financing before its collapse. The London-based lender supplied billions of dollars in loans to GFG, many of which were packaged and sold onto investors in funds run by Credit Suisse Group AG. Greensill fell into administration after a key insurance partner didnt renew coverage on loans made to some of its customers.

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GFG previously said that it would fully cooperate with the investigation. In an internal memo sent to staff after the office raids last year seen by Bloomberg, an executive said we have consistently rejected any wrongdoing on our part.

The SFO doesnt comment on its ongoing investigations.
By Iain Marlow

A brutal, grinding war in Ukraine. Governments overthrown in Niger and Gabon. Lingering hostility over the Covid-19 pandemic and the unequal distribution of life-saving vaccines.

With dozens of world leaders descending upon New York for the United Nations General Assemblys annual gathering, global problems are showing up fast and thick at the world bodys door  with no solutions in sight. And many countries are starting to look elsewhere to do something about them.

The UN, once the central forum for trying to solve geopolitical disputes, is increasingly on the sidelines of the new global politics, unable to keep up with the array of shocks, crises and coups that seem to be fracturing the world. Thats been evidenced by its powerlessness tuo intervene in places where in years past it would have been front and center  Nigers coup this summer, for example, or Haitis most recent plunge into chaos.

Its a plight that even the US  which helped shape the UN at its founding in a push to cement American leadership  has come to acknowledge. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made that clear in a speech last week, describing the upheaval in almost apocalyptic terms.

What were experiencing now is more than a test of the post-Cold War order  its the end of it, Blinken said. Forging international cooperation has gotten more complex. Not only because of rising geopolitical tensions, but also because of the mammoth scale of global problems.

Of course, officials have been declaring the UN irrelevant and predicting its demise for so long that its practically a cliche. But the sense of malaise feels particularly acute this year. As the Ukraine war grinds on, the Security Council has been paralyzed because of Russias place as a permanent member of that body.

If the countries that dominate the UN keep resisting reform, the global south will have no choice but to seek options outside the UN system, including those offered by China, a developing-nation diplomat said, asking not to be identified to speak frankly.

Russia is now weighing weapons deals with North Korea in open violation of UN sanctions it once voted for. The UN brokered a deal to export Ukrainian grain despite the conflict, only to see it collapse when President Vladimir Putin walked away, a decision that UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said would strike a blow to people in need everywhere.

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The UN is as it has been  the divisions in the world order have prevented its effective functioning for some time now, said Manoj Joshi, a distinguished fellow at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think tank.

Other countries that have long sought to shake up the UN now look beyond it. India and Brazil, long advocates for such reforms, are steering more of their energy toward the BRICS grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Indias also focusing on the so-called Quad that consists of the US, India, Japan and Australia.

China, with an eye to displacing the US, has led the global effort to disrupt the existing world order, pushing to expand BRICS in August by inviting Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, Argentina, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates, the first expansion of the group in over a decade.

We should help reform global governance, Chinese leader Xi Jinping told the BRICS leaders in a speech deploying thinly veiled criticism of the West. Ganging up to form exclusive groups and packaging their own rules as international norms was unacceptable, he said.

Its a telling sign that this year, President Joe Biden will be the only leader from among the five permanent members of the Security Council to show up in person at the General Assembly debate. The heads of state from China, Russia, France and the UK are all staying home.

Some nations put the blame squarely at the feet of the US. After seeking UN Security Council blessing for its 2003 invasion of Iraq, the US went ahead anyway when the body declined to do so. Former President Donald Trump shook the organization to its core with his decision to quit the World Health Organization, a move Biden later reversed.

US officials have repeatedly acknowledged the need to make the United Nations reflect the world as it is, not as it was at the world bodys founding after World War II. But the US voice has also been diminished given the possibility that Trump could return to the US presidency in 2025 and shake it up once again.

Its been true for a while that the United Nations is not the only game in town, and thats increasingly the case, said Stewart Patrick, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. You do have fissures that have emerged, and one problematic aspect is that those fissures run not simply east-west, but also north-south.

Theres also outright internal animosity. Much of the problem can be traced to the Covid-19 crisis, when poor countries felt abandoned by richer ones that hoarded vaccines. A similar fault line is emerging over the climate crisis, with low-income countries resentful that rich ones responsible for most of the worlds pollution are asking them to limit their own output.

Many low-income countries now find themselves looking for new partners or wondering if the only viable course of action is to try to solve their problems alone, Mark Suzman, the chief executive of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, wrote in Foreign Affairs.

Even those governments that want the UNs support find themselves shut out. Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has long sought access to the UN system or at least its protection  an idea that the leadership in Beijing has refused to countenance.

Its very disappointing that the Security Council isnt able to respond in an effective way to serious breaches of security around the world, Taiwans de facto ambassador to the US, Hsiao Bi-khim, said in an interview. Were all aware of our shared interests and agenda in keeping global peace. Thats why the UN was founded.
Hindustan Zinc, Indias largest & only integrated producer of Zinc, Lead & Silver, has received validation on its near-term & net-zero targets by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). In a groundbreaking achievement, the company becomes the sole Indian company in Mining - Iron, Aluminum, Other Metals sector to secure validated SBTi targets, aligning with the ambitious 1.5C global warming threshold.



Hindustan Zincs ambitious targets include a commitment to reducing 50% of absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions and further reduction of 25% of absolute scope 3 GHG emissions by FY2030 from the base year FY2020 & achieving net-zero emissions across the value chain by FY2050. These target ambitions have been approved by the SBTi as in line with a 1.5C trajectory. The SBTi was formed as a collaboration between CDP, the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the World Resources Institute (WRI), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and the We Mean Business Coalition, to drive ambitious corporate climate action by enabling businesses and financial institutions globally to set science-based greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

Commenting on this milestone, Arun Misra  CEO, Hindustan Zinc said, This validation of our Near-Term and Net-Zero targets by the Science Based Targets initiative marks a significant milestone in our commitment to battle climate change. At Hindustan Zinc, we believe that aligning our emission reduction goals with science-based criteria is both a responsibility and a testament to our dedication towards a sustainable and resilient future for all. We are resolute in our mission to create positive environmental impacts and contribute to a low-carbon economy. We will continue to evaluate our future initiatives to align with positive environmental impact and well-being.
Saturday, September 16, 2023 at 4:05AM

Fitbit

Google might not ditch Fitbit after all, despite its recent troubles. According to 9to5Google, the company plans to release a Fitbit Charge 6 this year, which will restore the physical button. The new wearable will look very similar to the Charge 5, except for the button on the left side, sources tell the website. They also say that it will let you access YouTube Music and Google Maps from your wrist. Youll need a Google account and a minimalist new app to use it, though.

Googles Pixel 8 phones are expected to launch on October 4. We might also get a glimpse of the Fitbit Charge 6 around that time, even though it wasnt mentioned in the event invitation.

Via
Do North Indian Students Encounter Challenges in South India? What's the True Picture?

India, being a land of diversity, culture and tradition; excels in the field of education as well from all the corners of the nation. With respect to language, cultural, and environmental differences, North Indian students studying in South India may need to make a number of adjustments and overcome a number of obstacles, and but obvious; vice- versa. It's crucial to keep in mind that these experiences can differ significantly based on unique situations and the distinctive locations of both North and South India. So, let's have a glance at the following are some typical issues that North Indian students in South India experience:



Language Barrier:

One of the primary challenges for students heading to South India for educational institutions or employment is that the language landscape is different from that of the northern regions. In North India, Hindi is often spoken, however, in South India, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam are the most common tongues. Students from North India may find it challenging to communicate and comprehend their coursework due to the language barrier.



Cultural Differences:

Cultural differences exist between North and South India in terms of traditions, customs, and practices. It may take some time for students from North India to get used to South India's cultural customs and practices, including its festivals, eating customs, attire, and social mores.

Food Preferences: Regarding flavor, ingredients, and preparation techniques, South Indian cuisine differs significantly from North Indian cuisine. It could take some time for North Indian students to become used to the spicier and more frequently made-with-rice cuisine of South India.



Weather and Climate:

South India often has tropical weather, which can be very different from the country's more subarctic climes in the north. For some students from North India, adjusting to the hot and muggy weather can be difficult.



Education System:

South India is home to a number of esteemed educational institutions, yet it may differ from North India in terms of its curricula, instructional strategies, and evaluation procedures. Students from North India would need some time to get used to these peculiarities.



Homesickness:

For students who are distant from home, being away from home can be emotionally taxing. Students who study abroad frequently experience homesickness, and North Indian students in South India may long for their loved ones and the comfort of their own land.



Communication and Social Integration:

When you're new to a place with distinct cultural standards, it might be challenging to form connections and social networks. Students from North India might at first feel alone or find it difficult to connect with their friends.



Hostel and Accommodation Challenges:

It can be difficult to find acceptable housing and get used to hostel life. Students from North India could run across variances in living arrangements, food selections, and daily schedules.



Stereotypes and Misunderstandings:

Students from North India occasionally run into misconceptions or stereotypes about their location, language, and culture. To refute these myths, it's crucial to promote open dialogue and cross-cultural interaction.



Transportation:

For novices, navigating public transit networks and comprehending local transportation routes might be difficult. For students from North India, this may make it challenging for them to commute to and from school or to tour the city.



Dress Code:

Compared to some regions of North India, South India tends to be more traditional in terms of attire. Especially when attending educational institutions, students may need to modify their dress code.



Stereotypes and Prejudices:

Students occasionally may encounter preconceptions or prejudices because of their North Indian heritage, but these experiences are not common and might vary widely.

So, what's the solution for the aforementioned challenges? The answer lies as:

For North Indian students studying in South India, it's crucial to retain an adaptive and open-minded mindset in order to overcome these difficulties. The experience can be improved and rendered easier by participating in cultural exchange, learning the local language, and asking for assistance from other students and university resources. In order to overcome these difficulties, colleges and universities frequently offer support services to out-of-state and overseas students.
Karnataka Government Makes Reading 'Preamble' Mandatory in All Schools

The Karnataka government has made it essential for students and teachers in all of the state's educational institutions, both government-run and private, to read out loud the Constitution's preamble during morning assembly and take an oath to live by the values it upholds.

Siddaramaiah, the chief minister of Karnataka, took part in a reading of the Preamble on Friday in front of the Vidhana Soudha, the state Assembly, in observance of International Democracy Day.

The Preamble reading event was also attended by Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad and fellow cabinet members Dr. G. Parameshwara, Ramalinga Reddy, Eshwar Khandre, and K.J. George.

State minister for Social Welfare, HC Mahadevappa, said, "The citizens need to discharge their basic duties as are enshrined in our Constitution. Hence, across schools and colleges, the reading of the Preamble to the Constitution is being arranged to make children aware of the ideals and principles that went into making it while also informing them of the constitutional responsibilities."

"The Constitution was a gift to all the citizens from BR Ambedkar. It is a sacrosanct statute book stressing fairness and equality. Hence, there is an important purpose behind reading the Preamble. It will help our children understand the basic principles and ideas on which our country was founded," Mahadevappa said.



What is the 'Preamble' in the Constitution of India?:

The "Preamble" of the Indian Constitution is a succinct statement that introduces the instrument and outlines its guiding principles and purpose. It also identifies the source of the document's authority, i.e., the people. It was approved by the Indian Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949, and it went into force on January 26, 1950.



The History of the Preamble of the Indian Constitution:

Jawaharlal Nehru proposed an Objective Resolution in 1946 that outlined the composition of the Constitution. It was adopted in 1947 (22nd January). It influenced the formation of the Indian Constitution, and the Preamble of the Indian Constitution incorporates its modified version. The fundamental principles that the objective resolution emphasized were:
Photo: Virtual Classroom / Google Sites Joseph McLeod, also known as Joey McLeod, in an undated photo.

The Crown is seeking jail time for a former West Vancouver Secondary guidance counsellor who pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.

Joseph Scott William McLeod, known as Joey McLeod in his professional capacity, pleaded guilty to the charge in North Vancouver Provincial Court in August 2022.

At his sentencing hearing Friday, the court heard how McLeod, 41, sent images containing child nudity and child pornography from his phone to a contact via Snapchat, which was flagged by the social media company and his IP address directed to police.

North Vancouver RCMP executed a search warrant at his North Vancouver home in January 2020, seizing his phone and laptop, which had on them dozens of pictures and drawn cartoons, as well as one video, showing prepubescent boys ranging in age from six months to 13 years old, nude or being sexually abused.

Police also seized a two-terabyte hard drive from McLeods home but it was password protected, and despite eight months of police software making 11 billion attempts to crack the password, they were unable to access the data, the court heard.

McLeod had been a Grade 8 guidance counsellor at West Vancouver Secondary since 2017. Prior to that, he was a math teacher in Richmond.

Crown counsel Sean Harvey detailed the varying degrees of harm being done to the young boys in the material seized by police.

He described the five-minute video, which involved a boy between the ages of one and two years old, as being as vile as one could imagine a sexual assault on a child could be.

McLeod hung his head and closed his eyes as Harvey summarized the contents.

Given the circumstances of the case, Harvey said a jail sentences of six to 12 months would be appropriate, emphasizing the unimaginable, grotesque nature of the abuse in the images and video, which targeted the most vulnerable victims in society.

Children forced into abusive pornography are re-victimized every time the images are viewed, Harvey said, and the victims lives are often ruined because of the abuse they received.

McLeod has since left North Vancouver and moved to Ontario, the court heard.

Defence lawyer Claire Hatcher argued McLeod should be given a conditional sentence order, meaning a jail sentence served at home, for up to 24 months, followed by a year of probation.

Hatcher said her client came to court with a profound and profoundly genuine sense of remorse, shame, and ever-developing insight into his life at the time he was accessing photos of children being abused.

Hatcher noted there was no suggestion that McLeod ever behaved inappropriately with any of his students.

McLeod has turned his life around since the time of his arrest, getting off drugs and alcohol and making efforts at his rehabilitation through counselling.

Hatcher noted that McLeods actions led to him losing the career that he loved and that he has also been publicly shamed for his behaviour through the media.

During an interview for a pre-sentence report, McLeod was atypically candid about this pedophilic attraction to young boys, one psychologist remarked.

Two expert reports submitted to the court concluded McLeod was at low risk to reoffend.

Once his sentence is complete, McLeod wishes to help others who have gone through a similar experience, Hatcher said.

Before the hearing was adjourned, McLeod apologized to the court, his family members present, the teaching profession and to the wider community for his actions.

I wish I could apologize directly to the children. The consequences of my sentence are going to be part of my rehabilitation and healing my soul and delivering justice. Again, Im sorry beyond words and I strive to get this right in whatever way I can.

McLeod will be sentenced later in the fall.
Officials, experts say China highly committed to cultural exchanges, call for more respect and sharing among civilizations

Xinhua) 10:41, September 16, 2023

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- China has a great tradition of respecting and embracing other civilizations, and has been highly committed to promoting people-to-people and cultural exchanges between different countries, officials and experts have said.

Attending the two-day 2023 Beijing Culture Forum that concluded here on Friday, they have also emphasized the urgency to advance dialogue and sharing among civilizations in this world of turbulence.

What today's world needs is "not leadership in the old Western colonial sense of leading by dictating other people on how they should behave or by coercing them into doing what they want, but leadership that respects other parties," said David Ferguson, honorary chief English editor of Foreign Languages Press.

"And that is a feature of China's international diplomacy. It has always insisted (that) all countries, no matter how strong or how weak, no matter how powerful, how large or small, should have an equal voice," said Ferguson, who received China's Orchid Awards earlier in September for facilitating cultural exchanges between China and the rest of the world.

"What is very much needed at the moment is a form of leadership that is based on that mutual respect, based on the understanding that every country should have an equal voice, that every country is of equal importance, and behind that that every civilization has strength and is a valid civilization," he added.

Recalling her visit to China recently, Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili, chairperson of the Executive Board of UNESCO, said she "was impressed by the unprecedented investment and high-level commitment (of China) that is being deployed in the field of culture, among many other domains."

Calling the forum "timely and important," she called for "stronger cooperation and occasions of mutual learning, including in the area of culture."

"Culture is the foundation of our societies. It nurtures our mind and souls regardless of our background, origin or status. As such, culture is a global common good that deserves our full consideration for the benefits it brings to people's lives," she said.

"We can not work alone. We need to mobilize our partners, especially if our ambition is to meet global challenges," she added.

China has been promoting cultural exchanges with a basis of equality and mutual benefits, and has shown much respect for other cultures, said Egyptian Culture Minister Nevien El Kilany.

"We appreciate China's unremitting efforts in promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, which has opened a new chapter for cultural exchanges between Egypt and China, as well as among countries worldwide," she said.

Throughout history, exchanges between China and the Middle East, for example via the ancient Silk Road, were "founded on mutual respect, interaction and human sharing that have even strengthened the bonds of humanity," said Jordanian Ambassador to China Hussam Al Husseini.

"It is important we acknowledge and recognize the contribution of each civilization to humanity," he said.

"History tells us that many nations vanished while facing similar challenges, but it also tells the stories of our survival, when we worked together. And our human race needs more than just togetherness in times of crises. We need to enhance our dialogue, so together we can explore ways to face our future challenges," he added.

For centuries, Western countries have been holding the wrong belief that their cultures were better than and superior to others, noted Christine Cayol, vice-president of the Sino-French Cultural Forum.

"The right way is to reexamine our own culture and find our own problems by learning from other cultures, instead of engaging ourselves in judging which culture is superior," she said.

Noting that dialogue among civilizations is key to mutual understanding, Cayol said "culture has nothing to do with controlling, but rather with sharing feelings and emotions."

"Against the backdrop of climate change, geopolitical divisions and other global challenges, we should not just call for cultural cooperation, but emerge ourselves in concrete actions for closer cooperation," said David Gosset, a sinologist and initiator of the China-Europe-America Global Initiative, adding that the priority lies in "avoiding prejudice."

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie)
CHI Memorial Hospital announces the launch of a Neurologic Music Therapy program, a form of rehabilitative treatment to assist stroke, trauma and Parkinsons patients suffering from neurologic deficits in speech and sensorimotor processing. Services are offered by a board-certified music therapist.The event will take place on Monday from 11:30 a.m.-noon at CHI Memorial, 2525 de Sales Ave.Event speakers include Thomas Devlin, MD, PhD, CHI Memorial Neuroscience Institute medical director, Alexandria (Lexi) Rodriguez, MA, MT-BC, NMT-AF, board-certified music therapist at CHI Memorial and Chyela Rowe, PhD, RDT/BCT, creative arts therapist and Arts and Well-being manager at CHI Memorial.




The Chattanooga Division of Transportation announces the following upcoming special event and construction related road closures:Special Events:- Noontunes on BroadBroad Street southbound between Aquarium Way and 3rd Street will be closed every Friday from Sept. 8 through Oct. 27 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. for Noontunes.- For the Culture Community FestivalCentral Avenue between E, 36th Street and E. 37th Street will be closed on Saturday, Sept.16 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. for the For The Culture Community Festival.- University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Home Football GameThe following roads will be closed on Saturday, Sept. 16 from 11 a.m.-midnight: Reggie White Boulevard between the Chattanooga Skate Park north entrance and W. 20th Street (Reggie White will remain closed until 6 p.m. Sunday for the Chattanooga Market); Chestnut Street between W. 17th Street and W. 19th Street; W. 19th Street between Reggie White Boulevard and Chestnut Street; and The westbound right lane of W. 20th Street from Chestnut Street to the HWY 27 bridge.Street parking will be prohibited on Chestnut Street within the closure on the dates/times listed above. Vehicles left within the closure will be towed at the owner's expense.- Day Of Clay FestivalW. 13th Street between Market Street and Cowart Street will be closed on Saturday, Sept. 16 from noon-5 p.m. for the Day of Clay Festival.- Chattanooga MarketReggie White Boulevard between W. 19th Street and the Skate Park access road will remain closed after Saturday's UTC Football Game and will reopen Sunday at 6 p.m.Upcoming Event With High Traffic Impact:- IRONMAN ChattanoogaIRONMAN Chattanooga returns on Sunday, Sept. 24 as we welcome athletes from all across the world to participate in a top-tier competition.The IRONMAN Chattanooga Athletes Village and competition set-up will require the closure of Riverfront Parkway between Molly Lane and Aquarium Way beginning Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 9 a.m. and remaining closed until Monday, Sept. 26 at 9 a.m.A full traffic impact statement will be shared mid-next week for IRONMANs race day.Construction Closures:- CSX Grade Crossing Closures - UpdatesDelays with equipment as resulted in the following locations experiencing extended closure times or changes of dates: 4001 Cromwell Road adjacent to Cromwell Hills  Will now close Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 5 a.m. for 24-36 hours; 3524 Lightfoot Mill Road adjacent to Allied Metals  Currently closed and will not reopen until Saturday, Sept. 16 at noon; and 2899 Harrison Pike adjacent to Sterchi Farm Trailhead  Currently closed and will not reopen until Saturday, Sept. 16 at 1 p.m.The dates and times are estimated only and are subject to change without notice.- 1558 Vance RoadVance Road between Lee Highway and Van Ness Road will close Monday, Sept. 18 for two days for water main replacement. Detours will be posted.- 2508 Dodson AvenueDodson Avenue between Appling Street and Daisy Street will be closed Tuesday, Sept. 19 until Friday, Sept. 22 for a sewer main repair. Detours will be posted.View CDOT's map of events and road closures for full details of these activities and other projects underway in our public space.
Tennessee is one of the top states in the nation for automotive manufacturing strength and the UAW labor union strike "has the potential to be devastating to both the Tennessee and United States economy and manufacturing sectors," the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce said Friday.

Officials said, "Following the failure to reach an agreement on labor contract negotiations by the Sept. 14 deadline, the United Auto Workers (UAW) labor union has initiated a strike aimed at General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis (known as the Detroit Three).

"Although automakers put forth unprecedented economic packages, with wage increases up to 20 percent, UAW held firm in demanding larger wage increases, a four-day work week, and an expanded pension program, among other things.

"As the initial wave of the strike unfolds, over 12,700 autoworkers in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri will be directly impacted. Should the strike continue, up to 145,000 workers will be directly impacted.

"However, this historic strike will have rippling effects across large segments of the entire U.S. economy, impacting approximately 1.5 million American families and leading to potential layoffs and bankruptcies for suppliers and small businesses."

The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and the Tennessee Manufacturing Association said, We urge a swift resolution to the UAW labor union strike that was initiated last night and has the serious potential to spread here to Tennessee.

"Tennessee has been noted as the number one state for both automotive manufacturing strength and recent EV investments. Across our great state, Tennessees automotive manufacturing sector generates over $40 billion in annual economic activityfrom OEMs to small businesses and suppliers that produce goods and services. On average, jobs in this industry are some of the best paying jobs our state has to offer, producing significant income and economic opportunity for middle-class and working families. Automotive manufacturing is a cornerstone of not only Tennessees economy, but the entire U.S. economy.

"Especially now  in the light of global supply chain disruptions and the federal targets set for EVs, it is crucial that we maintain the momentum of American manufacturing and ensure automotive manufacturing companies can remain competitive. Automotive manufacturers have been working to avoid this strike offering generous compensation and significant benefit increases that have so far been rejected. We call on the Biden Administration to use their executive authority to intervene immediately before the strike spreads.

"Executive action must be taken to mitigate the negative impact this strike will have on the Tennessee and larger U.S. economy.

Bradley Jackson, President and CEO, Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry
A man has been sentenced to six years in prison in connection with a brutal drive by execution-style killing on Trailwood Drive in July 2019.

Jamichael Antron Smith pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter.

Gary Dyquanne Cross earlier went to trial in the case and got 25 years for facilitation of first-degree murder. He was said to be the driver of the vehicle involved in the slaying of 28-year-old Tracy Calloway.

Prandel Reid also got a voluntary manslaughter plea. His term was eight years.

Antonio Watkins is due in court on Nov. 6.

The jury in the Cross case watched a home video showing a minivan stop on Trailwood Drive, two people with guns get out, then multiple shots being fired.

Dexter Posey said when the noise finally stopped, he and other neighbors went out to find the victim in his vehicle with multiple gunshot wounds. "There was nothing we could do for him," he said.

Police said Calloway was shot multiple times. There were also multiple bullet holes in the white sedan he was occupying. He was pronounced dead two and a half hours after being shot.

The video from the Posey house showed a minivan stop in the roadway and a silver sedan come around it and stop in front of it. Two people got out of the passenger side of the minivan, including one who was armed with a long gun. Several shots were then heard.

The two people then got back in the minivan and it and the sedan went out of the view of the camera. The minivan was found backed into the front yard up against a duplex at 4617 Trailwood Dr. The victim had frantically tried to get away.

The witness said he was lying in bed when he began hearing what sounded to him like firecrackers up close to his house. It was around 2:30 p.m.

He said he saw "a gray minivan with people running back and forth from it."

The witness said it appeared to be "a driveby" so he ducked down until the gunshots finally stopped. Then he and neighbors headed for the sedan to check on their friend. He was still breathing and they sat him up.

He said of the event, "It's still shocking."

A crime scene specialist said 64 shell casings were found. Most were about four houses down from where the victim's car wound up.

Jerry McElroy said there were so many shell casings that he ran out of plastic number markers and had to start using letters.

He said the shell casings included some from a .40 caliber handgun as well as from a rifle.

Police said a witness stated that the group talked about "going out and shooting someone."

Police said the witness was present at the time of the shooting and that the statements of the witness were backed up by evidence at the scene and the video footage. That witness, who was granted immunity by former District Attorney Neal Pinkston, was the opening state witness.

He said Cross was the driver of the minivan.

The judge asked the media not to give out the name of the witness because of the danger he might face.
A hotel management group that began with the construction of an Embassy Suites near Hamilton Place just keeps growing, members of the Civitan Club were told Friday.

Richard Pauley, who heads up the management group, said Byron DeFoor then bought the quaint 17-room Islands Inn at Vero Beach, Fla., as well as a Sheraton at Madison, Wis.

Turning their attention to Chattanooga, the DeFoors acquired a rundown Days Inn as well as the Marriott and Hotel Indigo (at the former St. Barnabas).

He said the Days Inn was shut down for 30 days as it was completely upgraded. There are some 3,000 Days Inn hotels, and this one is in the top 25, he said.

Another acquisition was the old Downtowner near the Read House that was upgraded to Hotel Bo.

Then the former Bode hotel was acquired on Chestnut Street and converted to the Hotel Clemons in honor of the furniture company that once operated there.

Mr. Pauley said a major acquisition by Byron and Ken DeFoor was the former BlueCross Gold Building on Pine Street. Work was quickly begun to open a Westin hotel in the iconic building.

The Westin is the centerpiece of the brothers' West Village, that includes the whole block at the old Gilman Paint.

Mr. Pauley said the Westin "came out with guns blazing. We opened on a Tuesday and it was sold out on Friday."

However, then came COVID with the brothers keeping the Westin going with its many employees as guests plummeted.

The local Westin has always been in the top 10 of that chain and at one time was second - behind the one at Lima, Peru.

He said the DeFoors are "very unassuming" and are "great to work for." He said they have set up the West Village so it has a family atmosphere.

Mr. Pauley said the management group no longer handles the Embassy Suites or the Sheraton in Wisconsin, but does manage the rest of the growing Chattanooga-based hotel group.
The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Chattanooga Chapter, Inc. will hold its Annual Meeting on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Kingdom Center, at which time the Chapter will present a summary of their community accomplishments for the 2022-2023 year.

Officials said, "It is our hope the community can join us to hear the exciting end of year analysis of how successfully busy we have been as a result of the unwavering support from our sponsors and the community at-large.

"Because of our hard work, we have been designated for the fifth time as model chapter, the highest achievement a chapter can receive by our National organization, headed by our esteemed National First Vice President, Minnie Miller."

Sponsors for the chapters various events will be recognized. The speaker for the occasion is Lakweshia Ewing, a strategic solutions consultant and CEO of Unlearn Everything and Live, LLC. Officers for 2023-2024 will be installed, as well.

A reception will immediately follow the program.








Reaching goals at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is not just a matter of having money; rather, its setting goals - then determining how much money is needed to reach them.

At UTC, our budget will not define our aspirations. Our aspirations will define our budget, Chancellor Steven R. Angle said in his 2023 State of the University address on Friday.

Our vision is not scaled by what we think we can afford. Our vision is based on investments required to drive students success and community impact, he told the audience in the University Center Auditorium. Now is the time to be bold and set stretch goals.

Students are the primary focus at UTC, the reason we exist, Chancellor Angle said. Our core mission is providing an excellent educational experience for students.

He noted:

Fall semester 2023 had the largest freshman class ever at UTC.

More than 92 percent of incoming freshman students have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher.

The graduation rate for student-athletes is 91 percent, and the overall four-year graduation rate has doubled in the past decade.

Talented people - at UTC and in our community - made these 10-year achievements a reality, Chancellor Angle said. What drives our success? Our faculty and staff and their passion to be difference makers in the lives of our students, in our community, our state and our nation. This is our success.

Chancellor Angle looked back at his first State of the University address in 2014, titled Achieving Excellence: Charting a Path to the Future, and said he found that the schools determination has not flagged.

Chattanooga is moving forward, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is fully engaged, he said in his 2014 address. With our focus on quality, community connections and student success, your University is a partner in the economic advancement, cultural health and sustainability of our community.

Expectations are not slowing down, he said, and in the next 10 years, UTC will focus on four areas to address the future success of students and the rest of the UTC family.

Developing a campus community where students, faculty and staff can thrive.

Maintaining and expanding the Universitys relationships with Volkswagen, EPB and Chattanoogas Smart Cities program - among others - making the school an indispensable piece in the regions and Tennessees workforce and economic development.

Promoting innovation to place UTC at the forefront of the vast changes happening in higher education across the world.

Continuing to insist on excellence, from how the campus looks to student success to exceptional teaching, research and service.

As we teach and infuse lifetime learning into the next generation, there are difficult questions that challenge the norm and push us to be inquisitive and, at times, contrarian, he said. Our students are prepared to be problem solvers and critical thinkers.

Working together over 10 years, we have made significant strides as Chattanoogas university, Chancellor Angle said. As we look to this next decade, our actions must be relevant, easily understood, and difference-makers. We must be innovative as we stay true to our values and who we are.

Here is his full address:

Good morning. I am Steve Angle, and I have the privilege of serving as the Chancellor of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Thank you for joining us today for the 2023 State of the University Address.

In 1886, local community leaders launched Chattanoogas University to create a talent pipeline for our region. In 1969, the University of Chattanooga and Chattanooga City College merged to become the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Today, we celebrate 137 years of our University.

As I was preparing for todays State of the University Address, I thought back to my first one in 2014. It was entitled Achieving Excellence: Charting a Path to the Future.

The program contained a brief summary of the talk:

Chattanooga is moving forward, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is fully engaged. With our focus on quality, community connections, and student success, your University is a partner in the economic advancement, cultural health, and sustainability of our community.

Today, in 2023, we remain committed to achieving excellence in all we do.

At UTC, great opportunities come from understanding why we exist, who we are, and our impact on lives, community, and society. Working together over 10 years, we have made significant strides as Chattanoogas university. As we look to this next decade, our actions must be relevant, easily understood, and difference-makers. We must be innovative as we stay true to our values and who we are.

Our aspirations must embrace the increasing pace of technological change. Our plans must be bold leaps forward, not incremental steps down the same path of the past.

We operate in a world of constant disruptions that will only accelerate in the months and years ahead. We spent the last decade preparing for a Founders Day in 2023 that is one of confidence and focus on excellence.

Our 10-year snapshot captures:

The 4-year graduation rate more than doubled, and our six-year graduation rate is up to 53%. For student-athletes, it is 91%.

Research grants increased by 52% to over $14 million.

Donor gifts increased by 131% and we had our biggest fundraising year ever in 2018 with $56.8 million.

University High, a unique dual enrollment program, launched in August. Today, there are 56 high school juniors on our campus taking both high school and college courses.

The largest freshman class ever entered UTC in Fall 2023.

Talented peopleat UTC and in our communitymade these 10-year achievements a reality. What drives our success? Our faculty and staff and their passion to be difference makers in the lives of our students, in our community, our state, and our nation. This is our success.

Our past achievements give us reason to be bold. We are ready.

Our attention now is on the next 10 years as the best ever for UTC. Our focus aligns with President Randy Boyds vision that this will be the greatest decade in the history of the University of Tennessee. UTC will be a leader.

As a dean in California, I was talking with a colleague, Don Dye, Dean of the Anderson School of Business, bemoaning the need to find $60M for a new building to house a planned ag genomics institute. His advice:

There is no shortage of money in this world, but there is a shortage of great ideas. Dont worry, we will find the money because this is a great idea.

Our vision is not scaled by what we think we can afford. Our vision is based on investments required to drive students success and community impact.

At UTC, our budget will not define our aspirations. Our aspirations will define our budget.

Since the year 2010, UTC has had well over $1 billion to support our goals and aspirations. What aspirations will define the next billion dollars?

Now is the time to be bold and set stretch goals.

Our core mission is providing an excellent educational experience for students, and four interdisciplinary focus areas drove our work in the past decade.

The four interdisciplinary areas:

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Health and Managing Wellness

Computational Modeling and Data Analytics

Teacher Education

The progress made has brought added definition to each one. I want to briefly discuss the impact and measurable results.

First and foremost, students. Students, the reason we exist. Students, our core mission. Enrollment, retention, progression, and graduation will all continue to increase.

Our students are among the best in the country. Over 92% of our incoming freshman students have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher. In Fall 2022, 99% of our incoming freshman students received some sort of financial aid, making a college degree an affordable, smart investment. We are providing access and setting our students up for success.

The State of Tennessee is incredibly supportive of higher education. Thanks to the leadership from our local legislative delegation and the support of the Governor, we have:

An outcome-based funding formula that focuses on student success.

Significant investments in capital projects that keep our academic programs relevant and aligned with workforce needs.

The HOPE Scholarship that provides significant amounts of financial aid for students.

The Tennessee Promise that provides tuition-free community college and inspired the UT Promise, a last-dollar tuition scholarship for students with $75,000 or less in family incometwo-thirds of the households in the state of Tennessee.

Excellence in everything we do means linking the academic experience with student life.

A Mocs First Year will build a campus environment that supports a community of learners.

New housing in 2018 led to residential colleges, faculty in residence, and Living Learning Communities. And for this decade, a new 700-bed student housing complex will go on the site of Frist Hall.

While infrastructure is important, an outstanding educational experience for all students remains our priority. Lets look at our four priority areas:

First, Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Our work is directly tied to economic and workforce development in the greater Chattanooga area and beyond. The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is having increasing impact on our campus and in our community. A search for the founding director of our new Center for Regional Economic Research is nearing completion. Several key faculty hires have provided an infusion of new leadership to our academic programs and our community. The goal is to multiply our impact by leveraging campus expertise with investments made by community partners.

In 2018, an alum made a $40 million gift to name the Gary W. Rollins College of Business. We are poised to double the size of the Rollins College with a $30 million commitment as the lead gift toward a $97 million addition to Fletcher Hall. The support of the Hamilton County delegation and the Governor will position us for success.

Health and Managing Wellness is the next area. We have strong programs and are building capacity to meet the needs of Tennessee. The UTC nursing program is currently ranked #1 in Tennessee by Nursing.org and has a 100% NCLEX pass rate.

With the help of our State Delegation, with a special nod to Senator Bo Watson, we are designing a new facility to house our nursing program. The result will be additional new space to sharply increase the number of our nursing graduates and to house a cutting-edge simulation laboratory. As with many projects today, costs have gone up and we are actively raising funds for the project. We will soon announce an $8 million naming gift, which will make this new building a reality.

Initial planning is underway for a second phase facility to house the balance of our health-related programs, potential program expansion, and community partnerships.

Third, Computational Modeling and Data Analytics has evolved to include quantum, transportation, mobility, data analytics, modeling simulation, artificial intelligence, Smart Citiesall huge opportunities for UTC. Our focus is on areas with the potential to redefine our future as a university. The UTC Research Institute brings laser focus on quantum and transportation/Smart Cities.

The growing relationship with Volkswagen will provide new opportunities for our campus and community. During our upcoming trip to Germany, new collaborative initiatives will be explored. Now is the right time to recruit a Director of Economic Development to facilitate our engagement in the economic fabric and development of our city, state, and nation.

Our economic development efforts extend to EPB, which is led by CEO and UTC alum David Wade, and will connect UTC to the EPB quantum network. UTC Research Institute Director Mina Sartipi, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research Reinhold Mann, and the college deans have aligned resources to advance the quantum agenda.

The fourth area is Teacher Education. If we really want to make a difference, teacher education is where it begins. Literacy, preparing for third-grade advancement, dual language learners, and being ready for the workforce or post-secondary educationall are impacted by teachers in the classroom. Teacher preparation is the key, and that means being on the cutting edge and challenging the norm.

An outside review of opportunities last year prepared us for identifying a new teacher education program leader. A proposed center that focuses on Innovation and Excellence in Teacher Education will be the foundation for achieving our goal.

We look forward to working with our faculty, staff, and community partners over the next several months to bring this Center of Excellence to reality. We are poised to be a leader in areas like teacher preparation, rural education, new school models, literacy and leadership. This is important work, and our partnering school systems, community and students are counting on us to get this rightand we will.

Research and creativity are not limited to these four areas; they are part of the fabric of our institution. Across the board, our faculty are scholars in their fields. Their passion and excitement for research, scholarship and creative activities make them outstanding classroom instructors. Our academic programs are aligned with our research goals, with our community, and with the state to have maximum impact.

UTC will lead with four rallying points to focus our work in this decade:

Creating the Moc experience where students, faculty, and staff are positioned for success and thrive.

Leveraging our special place as Chattanoogas university, we are central to the workforce and economic development efforts of this region and Tennessee.

Cultivating a culture of innovation where we lead on the transformational change happening in higher education and in our state, nation and world.

Operating with excellence, from the way our campus looks and feels to student success, and exceptional teaching, research, and service.

The future looks exciting and exhilarating. The technology crossroads of the digital revolution are gaining momentum from the broad availability of generative artificial intelligence and the potential applications of quantum.

As we teach and infuse lifetime learning into the next generation, there are difficult questions that challenge the norm and push us to be inquisitive and, at times, contrarian. Our students are prepared to be problem solvers and critical thinkers. Ginni Rometty, former chief executive of IBM, delivered this point in discussing AI and the workforce:

As an employer, I can give people hard skills, and in the digital world they change every three to five years. It doesnt matter that much. I really need them to understand how to work, how to think, how to problem solve.*

There are new tools to examine with our students so they know the benefits and the limitations of technology and are prepared for leadership positions in the workforce. As business moves into quantum and AI, the educated workforce will need to apply the new technology.

Similarly, updating the skills of those in the current workforce is also important, and our Center for Professional Education is a game changer.

Later this month, we will hold two campus open forums on how UTC should apply generative AI in our instruction, business operations, and research. We will discuss opportunities and pitfalls, gaining valuable input and insights for future discussions and investments that will be required. There are a host of questions to consider, but this is the future. We need to find our place and how it best fits with our focus on students and excellence.

Our greatest asset is our people; we will empower and invest in them. Our faculty and staff will lead the way in finding innovative opportunities to integrate these new tools into everything we do, we teach, and we solve.

The disruptive changes facing higher education are an opportunity for even greater impact of what we do and to increase the value of a UTC degree.

Our students master critical thinking and problem-solving. They need to develop empathy for others and understand the past and cultures so the context of today determines the reality of tomorrow. This is what we do. How we do it will be powered by incredible tools we can use to unlock the potential we see in our students.

Our charge as educators is to stimulate student aspirations driven by technological change. Encourage bold leaps forward that will shape the future. Ask the difficult questions, challenge the status quo, and be an engaged and educated disrupter. And most importantly, pursue excellence in all we do. Together, lets launch the best decade of UTC.

Thank you!

*August 31, 2023, Chronicle of Higher Education Panel about AI and the workforce.




The East Hamilton JROTC Hurricane Battalion on Saturday was hosting the Into the Hurricane Raider Competition at East Hamilton High School.

The event has 33 Raider teams from local and regional JROTC programs competing in one rope bridge, obstacle course, strength tests, and other events.
Cherokee Nations popular docuseries, OsiyoTV, was recently honored as Best Independent Production during the 55th Annual Public Media Awards Gala held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Cherokee Films Tim Rogers, postproduction manager, left; Maggie Cunningham, senior manager of film and video production; Jennifer Loren, senior director; and Colby Luper, production specialist attended the awards ceremony.
Activists hold signs promoting Native American participation in the U.S. census in front of a mural of Crow Tribe historian and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Joe Medicine Crow on the Crow Indian Reservation, Aug. 26, 2020, in Lodge Grass, Mont. A majority of tribal groups won't get the full suite of detailed demographic data from the 2020 census that they had in the previous census. Some of the available numbers are going to be imprecise because of new privacy safeguards recently implemented by the U.S. Census Bureau, according to a new report by the Center for Indian Country Development.
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Returning home from war and readjusting to civilian life is a challenge for many soldiers. More and more veterans are turning to nature-based therapy for help in overcoming their trauma.

The number of individuals developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is only continuing to increase.

According to an estimate from the National Center for PTSD, seven percent of all veterans will have PTSD in their lifetimes. Among female veterans, that number is raised to thirteen percent.

With mental health concerns on the rise, efforts are being made to identify suitable treatments for struggling veterans. So far, spending time in nature has seemed to generate the most successful results.

For centuries, nature has been used to improve health. For instance, the Ancient Greeks have been said to bathe in natural springs to rest and replenish themselves. And during both of the World Wars, doctors offered horticultural therapy to traumatized soldiers returning from combat.

Additionally, studies have shown that being in the outdoors is beneficial for peoples health in general.

Outdoor activity helps lower blood pressure and heart rate, reduces anxiety and stress, and improves the ability to focus.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs states that less than fifty percent of returning veterans in need of mental health services actually receive it.

They face several barriers, such as stigma and shame, but also a lack of access due to travel distance or long wait times. Thats why some veterans are taking matters into their own hands and pushing for more support.

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At one point in time, the Carolina parakeet was alive and well. In the mid-nineteenth century, the birds numbers declined due to habitat loss and hunting. However, the remaining population seemed to be stable, and they were far from becoming extinct.

But by the early twentieth century, they completely vanished. The species was officially declared extinct in 1939. Nearly a century later, scientists are still puzzling over their sudden disappearance, and recently, it seems theyve come close to determining the cause.

The Carolina parakeet was the only parrot that was native to America. The small parrots had brilliantly colored plumage. They had golden heads dotted with orange patches and jade-green bodies.

They traveled in large flocks of about 300 and were quite abundant all over America, inhabiting a significant portion of the eastern United States. The beautiful, colorful birds frequented swampy forests and feasted on a variety of seeds, fruits, and grains.

As European colonizers arrived and settled down in the area, they began clearing away the forests where the parrots lived, mainly for agricultural purposes. They were not fond of the birds because of their habits of traveling in loud, noisy groups and ruining entire crops. Landowners would shoot them to protect their crops.

The Carolina parakeets were sociable birds that had a close bond with each other, so when a member of their flock died, the rest of the birds would gather around to mourn the loss. As a result, this made it easy for farmers to pick them off in one go. And because of their companionable nature, they were often captured and sold as pets.

A Victorian-era fashion trend also contributed to their demise. The plume boom led to an increased demand for feathers, wings, and sometimes even whole bodies of birds to be mounted on middle-class womens hats.

In 1913, the Weeks-McLean Act banned the commercial hunting of migratory birds, but before the law was passed, thousands of parrots, along with herons and egrets, were slaughtered.

After the plume trade ended, Carolina parakeet populations seemed to have bounced back. But then, they were mysteriously gone.

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Nicaraguan bishop goes to international human rights body to fight wrongful imprisonment 'Those concerned with basic human rights should be outraged by the crisis endured by people of faith in Nicaragua'

A Nicaraguan bishop has turned to an international human rights commission after being unjustly convicted and imprisoned by his countrys government under the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega.

Bishop Rolando Alvarez of the Catholic Diocese of Matagalpa was convicted of undermining national integrity following a highly irregular trial, human rights group ADF International said in a statement, adding that he had been preaching on themes of human dignity and justice, denouncing the Nicaraguan governments human rights violations against the Catholic Church and its followers.

The bishop was initially barred from celebrating Mass and later arrested and imprisoned without explanation. He was sentenced to 26 years in prison after a trial he was unaware of, said ADF International, which has filed a petition on his behalf with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. There are no effective legal avenues in Nicaragua, the group said.

Those concerned with basic human rights should be outraged by the crisis endured by people of faith in Nicaragua, said Kristina Hjelkrem, legal counsel for ADF International in Latin America. This is a clear violation of not only his human right to freedom of expression, but also to profess his faith and share his beliefs as a pastor.

The state of religious persecution in the country is worsening, evidenced by the recent arrest of a priest who prayed for Bishop Alvarez earlier this month.

The bishops persecution began on Aug. 4, 2022, when he was prevented from leaving his residence to celebrate Mass. He was forcibly detained for 15 days along with seminarians, priests and a cameraman. On Aug. 19 last year, police arrested Bishop Alvarez and seven other church members without a warrant. He was then placed under house arrest.

Nicaraguan authorities later charged the bishop with undermining national integrity and propagation of false news. He was also found guilty of aggravated obstruction of functions and disobedience of contempt for authority. The charges were based on sermons he had delivered criticizing the governments human rights violations.

Alvarez was stripped of his nationality and citizenship rights under a problematic law. He was sentenced to 26 years and four months in prison and fined almost $5,000. He has been in prison for seven months, deprived of contact with family or legal representation.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and Inter-American Court of Human Rights have previously ordered Nicaragua to release the bishop. The government has ignored these orders.

The Catholic Church in Nicaragua has been targeted by the government since civil unrest erupted in April 2018. Attacks have been made against religious leaders, places of worship and other institutions. The Catholic Church has accused the regime of religious persecution.

Pope Francis has strongly condemned the persecution of Alvarez and the Church in Nicaragua. He has invited all parties to engage in open dialogue for peaceful coexistence.

An ideology in Nicaragua portrays Ortega as being anointed by God  for sacred Nicaragua.

The 2018 protests came after about a decade of deteriorating economic conditions in the country. Protesters, mostly students, demanded democratic reforms and that President Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, step down as they allegedly established a dictatorship marked by nepotism and repression.

During the initial days of the 2018 protests, Ortega requested that the Catholic Church act as a mediator. But his administration also began using brutal force against the protesters and later on Catholic clergy.

Catholic clergy aided and provided sanctuary to protesters and voiced support for the right to protest peacefully. But as a result, Ortega used his government and supporters to persecute clergy members, worshipers and various Catholic organizations.

Hundreds of people died in the protests in 2018.
Terrorists kill 23 pastors, shut down 200 churches in Nigerian state over 4 years

Terrorists have killed 23 pastors and forced the closure of more than 200 churches in Nigerias Kaduna State over the past four years, according to the Rev. Joseph Hayab, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Kaduna State.

Rev. Hayab shared these figures during a meeting with Commissioner of Police Musa Garba and other pastors, according to Sahara Reporters, adding that the meeting was organized to discuss the ongoing crisis affecting the Christian community in the state.

A pastor who was kidnapped on Aug. 8 told the CAN leadership that there are over 215 Christians abducted by the bandits in Birnin Gwari forest. They are still there, Hayab said at the meeting, according to Vanguard. He then urged the commissioner of police to address these and other issues to restore public confidence.

Former Secretary General of the Evangelical Church Winning All, the Rev. Yunusa Nmadu, and other pastors at the meeting also called for action against religious leaders promoting hate speech. They urged the police to investigate those selling hard drugs, linking substance abuse to criminal activities in the state.

Commissioner Garba responded by emphasizing that criminality has no religious affiliation. Security is the responsibility of all and not only that of the government, he was quoted as saying. Garba added that the meeting was aimed at strengthening the relationship between the police and religious leaders and to discuss potential solutions to the ongoing issues.

Kaduna State is one of six states in North-West Nigeria severely impacted by bandit activities. Hundreds have been killed and several others kidnapped in the last four years.

Hayab specifically mentioned that over 115 Baptist churches were forced to shut down in areas ranging from Birni Gwari to Chukun and Kajuru. When you go to many churches now you will see many pastors who come from churches that have been shut down because they cannot continue, he said.

The crisis has forced various denominations, including ECWA, Assemblies of God and the Catholic Church, to close their doors. We are forced to shut down because of insecurity in Kaduna State, Hayab said in a statement.

Late last week, the house of a Catholic priest inside St. Rachael's Parish was set ablaze in a suspected terrorist attack near a major highway and a military checkpoint in Kaduna states Fadan Kamantan area, resulting in the death of a young seminarian, Naam Ngofe Danladi, trapped in the fire, The Punch reported.

Two priests managed to escape the blaze, but the seminarian perished.

The military arrived only after the assailants fled and the church was destroyed, the U.S.-based persecution watchdog International Christian Concern said in a statement.

Last month, two Christians were kidnapped in Kaduna state, two days after gunmen described as terrorists killed a Baptist pastor in another area of the state.

Terrorists invaded the predominantly Christian community of Wusasa, Zaria, and kidnapped the two Christians, brothers Yushau Peter and Joshua Peter, staff members of St. Lukes Anglican Hospital in Wusasa, a community leader in the area said at the time.

The persecution of Christians in Nigeria is particularly severe, with 90% of the over 5,600 Christians killed for their faith worldwide last year being Nigerian, according to persecution watchdog group Open Doors.

In its latest International Religious Freedom Report, the U.S. State Department noted a spike in deadly violence impacting both Christians and Muslims in Nigeria. The NGO Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project reported there were 3,953 civilian deaths from violence across the country in 2022.

"There continued to be frequent violent incidents, particularly in the northern part of the country, affecting both Muslims and Christians, resulting in numerous deaths," the State Department's report on Nigeria said.

"Kidnappings and armed robbery by criminal gangs increased in the South as well as the North West, the South, and the Southeast. The international Christian organization Open Doors stated that terrorist groups, militant herdsmen, and criminal gangs were responsible for large numbers of fatalities, and Christians were particularly vulnerable."

Nigerian Christians and human rights groups have voiced concerns for years that the violence carried out against predominantly Christian farming communities in the Middle Belt states by radicalized herdsmen has reached genocidal levels, as thousands have been killed in recent years.

However, the Nigerian government has rejected claims that the violence is influenced by religious conflicts and insists it's part of decades-old farmer-herder clashes. Data cited by the U.S. State Department suggests that violence targeting Christians accounts for a small fraction of the killings.
Trump, DeSantis take shots at one another at Pray Vote Stand Summit

Former President Donald Trump was the headliner of the Family Research Council's Pray Vote Stand summit in Washington, D.C., Friday night following his GOP competitors in the presidential race who werent shy about making their case to conservative Christian voters.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was the second candidate to take the stage after former Vice President Mike Pence, and from the start, his speech was squarely focused on making his case to voters.

Throughout his speech, DeSantis repeatedly referred to his gubernatorial record, and while he criticized the Biden administration for borrowing and spending this country into oblivion and opening the U.S. southern border to illegal immigration, he acknowledged that the country faces not just a political but a spiritual decline.

He pointed to how some Democrat-led states forced churches to shut down while strip clubs and liquor stores remained open.

Not in the state of Florida. We didnt do that, he said. We protected your right.

DeSantis shared his thoughts on the central role that faith plays in his leadership as Floridas governor.

I don't know how you could be a leader without having faith in God, he said. How do you become a good leader? One of the first things you need to do is put on the full armor of God.

With a warning that America is becoming unmoored from our traditions, faith and even common sense itself, DeSantis spoke about the grave threats now facing religious liberty that have largely been unseen through most of American history.

Describing the battle lines as the fight to restore religious freedom as the Founding Fathers intended, DeSantis outlined a number of specific policies he would pursue as president, including nationwide universal school choice to ensure funding for private non-religious school must also be available to private faith-based schools.

He also vowed to work to ensure Judeo-Christian values and traditions are respected.

Religious expression is a fundamental civil right, he said. If elected, he would seek the repeal of the Johnson Amendment, which, he said, suppresses the speech of our religious leaders.

DeSantis also said sex and gender in government documents will refer to the only two sexes that actually exist and pledged to stop men from competing with females, which he called wrong and unfair.

As he closed, he also voiced a sense of urgency with a thinly veiled criticism of Trump, who is considered the frontrunner for the GOP nomination.

"We must win in 2024. The time for excuses is over ... we need to get the job done. I can tell you this: I will get the job done."

By the time entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy took the stage, the tone of the night had shifted following an emotional plea from Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills.

Ramaswamy, who, if elected, would become the first Hindu to serve as president, spoke less on matters of faith and more about what he called a national identity crisis.

He said he vehemently disagrees with what he called the one bipartisan consensus left, namely that the U.S. is a "nation in decline."

I dont believe that we have to be ancient Rome. I dont think we have to be a nation in decline, he said. I think the truth is, as a nation, were really just a little young, actually. Goin through our own version of adolescence, figuring out who we're really going to be when we grow up.

 The truth is we are still yet a nation in our ascent, maybe the early stages of our ascent. Maybe were not even yet at base camp ... still that shining city on a hill.

At times resembling a young then-Senator Barack Obama in his affectation, rhythm, and even his effervescent optimism, Ramaswamy  a 38-year-old self-identified millennial  said his generation is starved for purpose and meaning.

Were in the middle of a national identity crisis right now.  When you have a black hole that runs that deep, poison fills the void.  We are hungry for a cause. We are starved for meaning and purpose and identity.

While Ramaswamy spoke eloquently on his background as the kid of legal immigrants and the urgent need to eliminate national quota systems, his speechs only real foray into the Christian faith was an illustration from the book of Exodus.

Speaking of the Israelites after they had escaped from Pharaoh in Egypt and wandered in the wilderness, he pointed to humanitys universal desire for worship.

What do they say? We want to go back and be ruled by the Pharaoh, he said. See, if you don't bend the knee to the real thing, youre going to bend the knee to something.

Midway through his speech, Ramaswamy was reportedly asked by a heckler, "Who's your god?" but was unfazed by the question and pressed on with his address. Its unclear whether Ramaswamy heard the comment or who the heckler was.

Above all, he urged Americans to speak up for what they believe, regardless of the cost.

The best litmus test for Americas civic health is the percentage of people who feel free to say what they actually think in public, he said.

Where Ramaswamy seemed to avoid matters of faith and religious liberty, Trump spoke of both as foundational to his 2024 campaign.

Before the former president could even take the stage, however, he paused as the crowd delivered what was easily the loudest reception of the night, one which included chants of USA! USA! USA!

He then wasted no time in reminding the audience of his record of standing in the gap for religious liberty in general and Christians in particular, touching on what he called Americas great Judeo-Christian heritage and his leadership in standing with Israel and reopening the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

No president has ever fought for Christians as hard as I have and I will keep fighting for Christians as long as I can, he said.

Trump later spoke of that fight as a spiritual battle involving evil and demonic forces.

I wanted to and had to stand up to the communists, the Marxists, the atheists, the evil and demonic forces that want to destroy our country, he said. They're destroying our country. I took their fire and I did it gladly. I'm protecting the people in this room; I'm protecting the people of this nation.

And I have to tell you, it's not easy, but it's something that's such an honor to be doing.

Referring to himself as the most pro-life president in American history, Trump received another standing ovation when he said he was proud to appoint the U.S. Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn the moral and constitutional atrocity known as Roe v. Wade.

He also touted his work to reinstate the so-called Mexico City policy, stopping taxpayer funding for what he coined the abortion industrial complex, and being the first sitting president to attend a March for Life rally.

Turning his sights on the 2024 election, Trump described the legal trials and tribulations hes facing after the indictments in Georgia and elsewhere as election interference.

What theyre doing is high-level election interference  just like they stuff ballot boxes, just like they do so many other things, he said. Its happening for a single reason, because Im the only candidate they dont want to run against.

He added, "In South Carolina, Ron is in fourth place now. Im leading by 35 points. ... Were leading by a lot. But Ron has actually dropped to fourth place [in South Carolina]. And hes dropped to second place in other states. And its pretty amazing whats happened.

"Its a beautiful thing to watch. Oh, I shouldnt say that. We have religious people. I should not be saying that, right? But religious people want to win. We want to win. And we want to win because were going to do a great job for the country. We have to finish what we started.

"I will say that  if I wasnt running, or if I was in fifth place or fourth place or third place or 10th place, none of this horrible election interference would have happened. It wouldnt be happening. I wouldnt be going through any trials and tribulations. I wouldnt have had the mug shot."

Trump said while he believes the 2020 election was rigged, America as a nation cannot afford a repeat in 2024.

We didn't lose. It was a rigged election, said Trump. So they rigged the presidential election in 2020 and were not going to allow them to rig the presidential election in 2024 well lose our country, were not gonna have a country.

Denouncing what he called an outrageous attack on Christians everywhere, Trump condemned what he said was the Biden administrations role in getting a D.C. jury to convict five pro-life activists for protesting outside an abortion clinic  all this, he added, while all this while ANTIFA and other groups burn down Portland,Minneapolis, Seattle and other U.S. cities.

The political oppression is immoral and un-American and very dangerous, he said, pledging to appoint a special task force to rapidly review the cases of every political prisoner who has been unjustly persecuted by the Biden administration."

Pledging to never again allow the federal government to target religious believers and other Americans of faith, Trump also made what could be considered more conventional political promises, including regaining energy independence and protecting Medicare and Social Security for seniors.

But it was his promise to bring an end to the war between Ukraine and Russia that led him to point to Scripture.

As the Bible says, Blessed are the peacemakers, and I was a peacemaker, he added. We got out of Syria, we got out of Iraq.

I will prevent World War III  this will be an obliteration of the world, and I will stop that.




Azerbaijan allows single aid truck through blockade in order to deceive the West

On September 9th, news broke that Azerbaijan and Artsakh finally reached a deal to end the 9-month-long blockade. Azerbaijan agreed to lift the blockade on the Lachin corridor in the South, and in return, Artsakh would allow the Azeris to establish a corridor through Aghdam in the north for Russian aid to be delivered. Historically, Armenians have been skeptical of allowing Azerbaijan to create a new corridor through Aghdam, as it creates a host of security issues.

For close observers, the news was cause for both relief and skepticism. Why would an Azeri regime that uses genocidal rhetoric against Armenians suddenly lift the blockade? Had American and Russian pressure finally cracked Baku, or was something more sinister at play?

Within 24 hours, conflicting information began to surface. The 400 tons of aid stuck at the Lachin corridor had not moved and Azerbaijan denied that a deal had been reached. Russian aid coming into Armenia through the Aghdam also appeared to be stalled despite the fact that Artsakh had not backed out from the deal.

On September 12th, Azerbaijan allowed for the passage of a single aid truck through the Aghdam corridor. Western media outlets scrambled to announce that the blockade was over and that aid had finally reached the starving Armenians.

But there was one glaring problem. The single truck was never going to have any type of meaningful impact on a population of 120,000 starving people. To add insult to injury, most of the aid wasnt even food. It included things like pillows, blankets, and toiletries. This was just two weeks after the former Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced that the Christians of Artsakh were on the brink of mass starvation.



So, then, what was Azerbaijans aim?

By allowing a single truck through the blockade, Azerbaijan was able to change Western headlines overnight. Just as the Western press began to condemn Bakus actions, the narrative shifted to a blockade being lifted and aid being delivered. Announcing a deal, backing out, and then distributing videos of a single aid truck passing through Aghdam enabled Azerbaijan to create confusion and alter public perception of the situation.

This tactic is nothing new. The Ethiopian federal government employed the same tactic in its civil war with the region of Tigray. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed declared a ceasefire and the continuation of humanitarian flights to Tigray, while aid agencies on the ground accused him of being disingenuous. When the Ethiopian Government eventually allowed for the entry of aid, it still restricted it to certain regions of Tigray.

Azerbaijans ultimate design for the region is to rid Artsakh of its Armenian Christians and to replace them with Azeri Muslims. It will not let go of this goal easily. Any meaningful change is going to require strong pressure from a global superpower, either Russia or the U.S. in this case. The U.S. can sit idly by and watch 120,000 people starve to death while Russias influence in the Caucasus grows, or it can bolster its bona fides in the region and stand against an autocratic regime that compares Armenian Christians to dogs.

It is also incumbent on the Western press not to feed into Azerbaijans strategy of deception. It will take thorough, investigative journalism to weed through the smoke and mirrors being set up by Baku.
Keep calm and treat COVID as seriously as President Biden

A Medal of Honor ceremony spun sideways Tuesday after President Biden exited the White House East Room before the closing benediction. When asked about it, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Bidens actions were done very purposefully. Explained the press secretary, He left as planned, as it was planned. He left when there was a pause in the program in order to minimize his close contact with attendees who are about to participate in a reception. President Biden apparently sought to minimize contact because his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, has contracted COVID-19 for a second time.

As an added precautionary measure, President Biden wore a mask. We planned for the president to leave when there was a pause in the program so that it would minimize him being in the room. He did just that, said Jean-Pierre. And I also would want to add that before the event started, the president spent a good amount of time with the captain, Capt. Taylor, and his family. And everybody was masked because he wanted to spend that quality, important time.

Captain Larry Taylor was a Vietnam War hero who flew a helicopter into heavy enemy fire to rescue four fellow soldiers. The now 81-year-old veterans sunken eyes and emotional face suggested that likely no civilian can imagine the things he witnessed and experienced during that dreadful conflict. The day rightly should have been about him.

Did I say Biden wore a mask? That lasted less than two minutes, and Biden exited in less than 20 minutes. Biden slipped off his mask during the opening prayer  before he ever approached the lectern  and then it simply disappeared. After Biden finished speaking, he stood  maskless  at Taylors shoulder for two minutes, in which time he touched his face at least twice. Then Biden spent another two maskless minutes bestowing and adjusting the medal  close enough to touch and breathe on Taylor  before walking out of the room  through the audience  without his mask on. The only person to wear a mask after the initial entrance was the young officer who handed the medal to Biden.

For those who want to know, a cursory Google search revealed thats not how Medal of Honor ceremonies normally proceed  not even for President Biden. On July 5, 2022, Biden stayed through all 43 minutes of a ceremony that awarded four Medals of Honor. At a December 21, 2022, Medal of Honor ceremony, when all attendees were wearing masks, Biden kept his mask on until he stepped up to the podium. On that occasion, Biden also forgot to put his mask back on for the first honoree, but then he remembered and put his mask back on for the next two honorees  but again he stayed until the ceremonys end.

On Wednesday, Biden held his mask in his hand while taking the stage at an East Room event. Hello everybody, the president began. Let me explain to the press, Ive been tested again today. Im clear across the board. But they keep telling me, because this has to be 10 days or something, Ive got to keep wearing it. But dont tell them I didnt have it on when I just walked in.

The White House has taken criticism online for both Bidens early exit from the Medal of Honor ceremony and his maskless entry at an event the next day.

Perhaps youre thinking, Whats the big deal? COVID is old news. Newer variants are less dangerous, and the pandemic is over. So, who cares how Biden wears a mask? And youd be right.

The problem is whoever Biden meant by they  the people telling the quadruple-vaccinated president  who also had and recovered from the virus  that he must still wear a mask in public for 10 days merely because he is exposed to a less severe form of COVID  not infected with it. Whomever they are, they still control levers of power, and their petty totalitarianism is so tiresome and unnecessary that even President Biden refuses to abide by their diktats.

The reason it matters is because the COVID tyrants have much more power over ordinary Americans than over President Biden. An uptick in COVID cases has not only launched rumors about a return to the same failed policies, but the vampiric policies themselves have slid out of their unholy graves  or never even went away. Over 100 colleges, including Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and Rutgers, still require students to get the jab, according to an August report by No College Mandates. Not that COVID ever posed a significant risk to college-age adults.

Meanwhile, elementary students in Montgomery County, Maryland were required to wear K-95 masks after three out of 541 students tested positive over 10 days. If the post-pandemic data should have taught us anything, it is that lockdown- and mask-related learning loss inflicts far worse consequences on young children than a possible COVID infection.

Bidens flippant rebellion against his own administrations mask guidance underscores the absurdity of these restrictions on everyone else. If only children in Montgomery County public schools also had the freedom to not wear a mask, tweeted Senator Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Biden could joke about getting in trouble for breaking the rules because he wouldnt really face consequences. Yet Biden wants to stick the rules on ordinary people who lack that same luxury.

Whats clear from these incidents is that even the COVID president doesnt take the risks seriously anymore when it comes to his personal behavior. Will he reimpose mandates forcing the rest of us to pretend it is serious again? On Thursday, a bill to prevent another federal mask mandate failed to gain unanimous consent on the Senate floor  which means someone wants to keep the option open.

Dont tell them I didnt have [my mask] on when I walked in, said Biden. Heritage Foundation research fellow Lora Ries responded, Were right there with you  dont tell us to mask either.

Originally published at The Washington Stand.
What we can all learn from the High Holy Days

Each year during the High Holy Days, which begin with Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) and end 10 days later with Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), I look forward to being able to start anew and gain a new perspective.

Starting anew is what the High Holy Days are all about. We begin this sacred season by celebrating Rosh Hashanah. But instead of the typical new year celebration we might be used to, Rosh Hashanah is more about renewing our faith and changing our hearts to see the good, to believe that revealed blessings are indeed possible for the new year ahead.

British Chief Rabbi, the late Lord Jonathan Sacks (OBM) beautifully described faith as possessing not certainty, but rather the courage to live with the uncertainty.

It sounds simple, but we all know how difficult this can be, especially as uncertainty seems to envelop every area of life. Beyond even our personal challenges, the news were constantly exposed to is often bad news.

The Ukraine war carries on with destruction and hardship at every turn. The world economic situation is shaky. On top of this, we Israelis are keenly aware that our enemies want to destroy the Jewish homeland and bring terror to her people.

And with the number of terror attacks in Israel this past month, the cycle of violence and hatred seems to have taken a turn for the worse.

My mother, who was born in America to a Holocaust survivor from Germany, remembers growing up in New York in the post-Holocaust era. Everything was full of hope, she said. The world pledged never again, economics were on the rebound, and individual freedom was improving by the day.

Hope. A sacred value indeed. As I look at my four children  at the news they consume, the social media they indulge in, and the rhetoric of world leaders they are being raised on  I dont think they would describe the world as predominantly feeding them hope.

And thats why the High Holidays are so important to me. As Rabbi Sacks said, History does not give rise to hope; hope gives rise to history.

I see this time of year as an opportunity to escape the cycle of negative messaging and instead focus on spiritual introspection. These Days of Awe offer an opportunity for a fresh start, an opportunity to escape all of the distracting noise in this world, and a chance to see the light and blessings around us.

And once we open our eyes to see the blessings, they are endless.

Im not saying its easy. Dedicating our time and energy to proactively trying to make the world a better place is no small task. How do we become a source of light and hope to others, when our days are so often focused on self-serving activities like trying to make money, watching the news, and scrolling social media?

According to Jewish tradition, we rely on three core faith principles  repentance, prayer, and charity  to bring about this change of heart. By helping others, we are not only seeing the good in the world, were actually taking part in changing the world for the better. Just as one small candle can bring light to a dark room, our good deeds bring significant light to this dark world.

At the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews (The Fellowship), we take the mandate to help others and bring hope to the hopeless very seriously.

In 2023, this will take the form of over $10 million of aid distributed to 287,000 needy people worldwide: 213,000 will receive food assistance, among them 36,000 people in single-parent households, while 96,000 poor children, including orphans, in Israel and the former Soviet Union will receive clothing and school supplies.

This special High Holy Days distribution is funded by over 600,000 faithful donors, who additionally fund the lifesaving care and aid we deliver every day of the year to people on the brink of despair.

Each year that I witness The Fellowship delivering our holiday assistance, I am so inspired to see the change. People whove faced so much suffering, despair, and loneliness finally feel hope and are able to focus on the blessings in their lives. They might not have much, but when The Fellowship distributes a food box that enables them to celebrate the holiday with food and dignity, they feel like they have it all. This, to me, embodies the true meaning of the High Holy Days.

As the holidays approach, Im thinking of Liyudmyla, her teenage son Andreii, and her mother, Tetiana, who escaped the war in Ukraine with the help of The Fellowship. They are now in Israel and will be celebrating the High Holy Days in the Holy Land for the very first time. After going through such hardship  a bomb fell right near their home in Mariupol, shattering windows and damaging doors  starting a new life can be overwhelming.

But Liyudmyla told us, Like every new beginning, ours also is not so easy, but knowing that The Fellowship is helping us and standing with us makes us believe that we can overcome any obstacles.

Faina, who was born in Poland just prior to World War II, lives in Israel today. She never married and has no family nearby. But, despite living with poverty and loneliness, she has found hope. She now receives food deliveries, medical care, and the necessities for Jewish holidays through The Fellowship.

Thank you so much for the groceries for Rosh Hashanah, she told us. Its so touching that I want to cry. I will have a holiday table, and I will be able to celebrate. I used to go to the synagogue on holidays, but now I have to stay at home because of my vision problems. This is very important help for me.

There is a beautiful Hebrew saying: The end result represents the first intention. So, as I see my team and our wonderful supporters bringing hope to people in need for the New Year, that means this hope is going to be with them for the entire year.

And, on a personal basis, if we start our year with repentance, prayer, and charity, these biblical values of hope, social responsibility, and humbleness will also be with us the whole year.

No matter where we are in life, we have the chance to change our perspective by focusing on the blessings all around us. This High Holy Day season, may we not only help shine light in other peoples lives, but may we experience the hope, care, togetherness, blessings, and charity that we all need.
The tide is turning away from atheism. Why?

Justin Brierley's The Surprising Rebirth Of Belief in God has just been officially released in the US. The following discussion is from his interview about his new book with the Solas Centre for Public Christianity, an apologetics ministry based in Scotland.

What's the 'big idea' in your new book?

'The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God' is a book that I've tried to summarise by its subtitle: 'Why new atheism grew old and secular thinkers are considering Christianity again'.

The Victorian poet Matthew Arnold famously described the 'melancholy, long withdrawing roar' of the 'sea of faith' in his generation, and for the last 150 years the tide of Christianity has continued to recede in the West.

However, in this book I recount the ways in which, after a long spell in the grip of the atheist materialist worldview, we are seeing Western culture begin to open up to the idea of God again  in culture, history, science, philosophy and other areas.

It's not a simple picture  when people get rid of God they tend to replace him with all kinds modern idols and quasi-religious stories. We don't become less religious, we just become religious about different things.

However, I believe the Christian story may be ready to sweep in again and make sense of the many smaller stories people are telling themselves today as they tire of the thin gruel of atheist materialism and the confusion of the post-modern ideologies that have proliferated.

How did writing this book come about?

A couple of years ago when I hosted a conversation between atheist journalist Douglas Murray and New Testament scholar NT Wright, Murray referenced Arnold's line about the sea of faith and said something that struck me hard: 'The sea has a habit of coming back in again. That's the point of tides.'

Murray was saying this in the context of noticing that several of his intellectual peers had recently converted to Christianity. I too had come across a number of surprising stories of adult converts.

I had also been noticing a shift in the conversations I was hosting on my Unbelievable? show. The combative debates between new atheists and Christian apologists were less frequent. In their place I was seeing secular intellectuals such as popular psychologist Jordan Peterson, historian Tom Holland and Douglas Murray himself, finding common ground with many Christian thinkers and questioning the atheist paradigm.

I felt there was a cultural moment here that needed to be captured  I've tried to do that in the book.

Who is the book for?

It is for thinking Christians and non-Christians. Naturally, I have written it from my own perspective as a Christian. But I've always tried hard to take all sides of the argument seriously and I hope that atheists and agnostics find their perspectives fairly represented in this book.

In the end the book is for anyone who is questioning what the ultimate purpose of life is, and whether there is an answer to the problems our culture is running into in an increasingly materialistic, individualist and technology-saturated world.

Why is the 'New Atheism' your starting point? What was the significance of that movement? What will it's legacy be?

In the mid 2000s the New Atheism seemed to vaunt itself as the final step in an inevitable story of the demolition of religious superstition in favour of science and reason. But within a decade or so the movement had imploded under the weight of scandals and divisions within its own community. Once they had agreed that God didn't exist and religion was bad for us, the new atheists couldn't agree on anything else.

We still feel the echoes of that movement in the generally skeptical approach many people take to religious belief. But the movement itself is a shadow of what it was. Few of its key leaders are talking about religion any longer  they have moved on to take various sides in the culture wars.

To that extent the movement simply proved that religion is really difficult to extinguish, as quasi-religious forms of belief now increasingly appear in progressive ideologies around gender and sexual identity, or in right-leaning conspiracy theories and nationalistic fervour.

Ironically, I think the legacy of New Atheism will be that it forced the church to gird its intellectual loins and re-engage its apologetics tradition. For that we can be thankful.

In the introduction you say, "people need a story to live by". What do you mean by that, and why is that significant in the UK in 2023?

Many atheists will say that religion springs from the fact that we are 'story-making' creatures. We need some sense of a purpose and meaning to life. That we aren't just bouncing around chaotically. The atheist may believe that sense of needing a transcendent story to live by is an illusion instilled by evolution which we need to overcome.

But I think that's false. I believe the universal need for a story to live by has something very real that meets it  the Christian story through which billions of people have found a pattern and purpose to life that makes sense of the world.

As our culture has drifted away from that story, people have not simply embraced a rational, science-driven view of reality. All kinds of esoteric stories are springing up in its place, and causing quite a lot of chaos as these competing stories bump up against each other.

I think the modern requirement to invent our stories from scratch is also very exhausting for most people and has contributed to the 'meaning crisis' and the rise in anxiety, depression and suicide. We live in a materially prosperous age in the West, and yet we are more unhappy than our forebears.

I believe that will only change when we return to the true story of a God who created us in his image and who, through an act of cosmic sacrificial love, stepped in to rescue and redeem us along with the whole of creation. That stands over and above every other 'smaller' story we can ever tell ourselves.

When did you first notice the "God conversation" starting to change?

The meteoric rise in popularity of Jordan Peterson in 2018 was a key moment.

Here was a psychologist drawing crowds of thousands of young people to lectures on the book of Genesis. These were essentially the same crowd that would have flocked to hear Hitchens and Dawkins a decade earlier. The big difference was that Peterson wasn't dismissing religion as poisonous  he was showing why the Bible and Christianity has been a source of meaning and wisdom to generations of people.

At the same time the popular historian Tom Holland published his book 'Dominion' in 2019 in which he laid out why he, as a secular person, had come to realise that all the moral instincts he took for granted as a citizen of the West, were actually a result of the Christian revolution.

Along with these examples I noticed more and more secular people pushing back against the simplistic rhetoric of the new atheists (e.g. the journalist Matthew Parris, philosopher John Gray, the comedian Russell Brand) by critiquing their own side, and also taking Christianity a bit more seriously.

What do you make of these public-intellectuals who have moved as far as saying "We need Christianity" (for a shared story, identity, values etc), but who have not said, "I need Christ" (or that they have found him)? Indeed, can the story of Christ be 'useful; if it is not actually true'? Can we have Christian culture without conversions?

I think many of the public intellectuals in this position find themselves conflicted (as Douglas Murray, who calls himself a 'Christian atheist', told me himself). They can see the value of Christianity but they can't bring themselves to believe its supernatural claims.

I think some of them are on a journey towards faith in Christ. Others perhaps can see the cost that would be associated with making that leap, and it is holding them back.

I believe the story of Christ is only ultimately useful if it is indeed true. The benefits of the Judeo-Christian heritage that we enjoy today were won by people who really believed in Jesus. Nowadays we have largely cut off the roots of belief in our culture but the fruits will eventually wither on the vine as they cease to be nourished.

That's why a lot of these intellectuals seem to have a wistful desire for it to be true. The good news is, there's actually really good evidence that the story of Christianity is true. Indeed the only reason it has worked so well for us in the past is because it is true.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a secular document which contains a problem for atheism! Is that true??

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is supposedly a secular document. But it emerged from the Christian West. Documents like that have never emerged out of other religious traditions, pagan cultures or modern atheistic regimes.

Its opening paragraph states 'recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.'

That belief is not one you can derive from science and reason alone. It is a fundamentally theological assumption about humanity which stems directly from Genesis 1: 'So God created humankind in his image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.'

It is a problem for atheists because I don't see how you can believe in such a claim without recourse to something like the Christian view of reality. I believe a lot of humanists try to dodge this fact, so it's helpful when atheists like Yuval Noah Harari honestly acknowledge the difficulty they face by writing:

'[We] got the idea of equality from Christianity, which argues that every person has a divinely created soul, and that all souls are equal before God. However, if we do not believe in the Christian myths about God, creation and souls, what does it mean that all people are 'equal'? Evolution is based on difference, not on equality.'

You describe changing perceptions of what the Bible is in the following rather striking phrase: "from being a book written by ignorant Bronze-age peasants" to one providing "a deep understanding of western culture..... vital to psychological health"! Are people really more open to considering the Bible in 2023 than they were a decade ago?

I think so. Whether you love him or hate him, Jordan Peterson has been a gateway drug for a lot of people to take the Bible more seriously. I don't agree with all of Peterson's conclusions about scripture. But I think he speaks with a lot more nuance and sense than the new atheists did about it.

Likewise, when I read other secular psychologists like Jonathan Haidt and John Vervaeke extolling the value of ancient scriptural wisdom in a culturally shallow age, I think we are seeing the pendulum swing back towards taking the Bible seriously in modern culture.

Sometimes it takes a while for that to percolate down into popular culture, but I've heard from many people myself who have a new appreciation for the Bible because of what those secular thinkers are writing and saying.

Of course it still leaves the question  'It may be useful... but is it really true?'. I believe its a real intellectual option to embrace the best of both worlds. Yes it contains a deep well of psychological truth... and Jesus Christ also really walked out of the tomb..

In terms of Christianity in the West, is the tide coming back in, and is there anything we can do to affect that?

I think we are seeing the tide begin to turn... but it may not turn into a flood for some time yet!

However, the church can at least be making sure that it is preparing itself for the right kinds of questions people are asking.

Too often I see evangelistic and apologetic ministries that are essentially still answering the intellectual criticisms of Dawkins and Hitchens. There's obviously still a place for that, but we also need to be engaging people at an imaginative level. To show them why they really want Christianity to be true... and then show them that it is in fact true.

Young people are often uninterested in the question 'Does God exist?' but are often fiercely invested in issues around justice and equality. We need to start there and point them to the ways in which only Christianity can make sense of that moral instinct and the stories they are telling themselves.

Likewise, many of the adult converts I've met (and those seriously considering faith) have advised the church to 'keep Christianity weird'. People aren't looking for warmed-over humanism or the same platitudinous messaging they are already surrounded by in popular culture. They are looking for an unapologetically different story of reality  and the church shouldn't be ashamed of announcing it.

What are your hopes and prayers for what the book might accomplish?

I hope people on every side enjoy it. I hope that it encourages Christians in their outreach and witness. I hope that it helps to change the narrative around God in our culture. I hope that some skeptics may be persuaded by it. In that sense, my prayer is that it will be a contribution in itself to the surprising rebirth of belief in God in our generation.

Finally then, when does it come out and where is the best place to buy it?

You can order the book now by clicking here Or get yourself a signed copy.

Alternatively become a Gold supporter on Patreon and receive signed copies of both my books plus lots more bonus content.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the book!

This interview is printed here with the kind permission of Justin Brierley and the Solas Centre for Public Christianity.
Who's watching Ming? Digital surveillance in China

It's not just other nations that China is spying upon  it is their own people, especially anyone with a faith in anything other than the Chinese state.

Imagine that someone knows that you're reading this article. They know where you're sitting, and who you're with. They know the last thing you looked at on your phone, the last thing you searched for online, the last time you went to meet people. Your moves are watched  not just by cameras in the street, but online too.

That's a little like what life is like for Ming* in China. Digital technology is increasingly being used to target Christians, and surveillance systems are being used to track people's movements and what they do online. It makes following Jesus and sharing the gospel tough  but Ming is determined to do it, no matter the cost.

Big Brother is watching

The issue of being spied upon by the Chinese state has made the headlines this week, as a parliamentary researcher has been arrested and bailed on suspicion of spying for China. The arrest led to PM Rishi Sunak confronting the Chinese Premier Li Qiang at this weekend's G20 summit in Delhi.

According to Gareth Wallace, Director of Advocacy and Public Affairs for the religious persecution charity Open Doors UK & Ireland, surveillance, whether it's of other countries or its own citizens, is almost second nature to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

"Surveillance is part of the very fabric of life in China; it has 54% of the world's CCTV cameras," Gareth says. "Nine out of the ten most surveiled cities in the world are in China. In one city there are nearly 120 cameras per 1,000 residents  it's a staggering figure."

Many of these CCTV cameras go much further than any we would encounter on our high streets. They can recognise faces, identify someone's race, even someone's mental and emotional state.

Add to this the fact that Chinese citizens are constantly being tracked by their own mobile devices and through state administered apps, like the Covid tracker, brought in with the pandemic and still operational on phones.

Signs of any untrustworthy or unpatriotic behaviour (such as large unregistered meetings, which can be identified by location trackers on phones) are harshly punished, with a person's "social credit score" being adversely affected  this can prevent people from travelling, receiving any state benefits, or being considered for work.

The penalty that Ming could face for distributing Bibles is far worse than this though. "I could be arrested, interrogated and even imprisoned," he says. "But I knew that God called me to share the gospel by distributing Bibles."

Ming has had to go to great lengths to hide his operations. He would load the Bibles into his car in a hidden alley and send a message to his contacts: "I'm on my way to the old place." 'The old place' is code: he knew that citizens' phones were being monitored. Any wrong word could cost him his freedom.

And one day his fears came true. Ming and his friends were arrested. Miraculously, he was set free  but his friends weren't. To make matters worse, they could no longer use the company that Ming and his fellow believers had worked so hard to set up as a cover for their smuggling.

The arrest put Ming firmly on the radar of the authorities, and they remain determined to restrict his Christian activities. "I knew it would be harder to dodge the police and I'd have to live even more cautiously. I'm [officially] not allowed to attend church or even own a Bible anymore," he says. "At first, every one or two months, the police searched my house." They come less often now, but they still regularly search Ming's home.

The great digital takedown

In one way the current digital explosion should be good news for Ming and the many thousands like him in China. It is possible now to share Bibles and other teaching aids online, and on small memory chips. However, the tentacles of the state are intruding here as well.

"We are not allowed to officially purchase a Bible online," shares Moli*, an Open Doors partner supporting the Chinese church. "Last year, a new regulation that restricts and monitors religious online content was rolled out. Right after that, a lot of religious websites and accounts were blocked or removed, and articles disappeared." She adds that there are ways around this, and Christians are still taking risks to share Christian content and messages.

Indeed, Apple was asked to take down an e-Bible from its app store in China and obliged.

"What is required by the law is an official permit that allows churches to post and share religious content," says another partner, Yangyang*. "Our partners shared that they have received phone calls from authorities warning them to remove their religious content posted online."

Like many Christian communities worldwide, Chinese fellowships were able to take their church life online, with meeting apps like Zoom. However, churches fear that these gatherings are being listened in on too.

Restricting the church

House churches like Ming's are illegal. However, even at the state-approved denominations, such as the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, services and church leaders are rigorously monitored.

"Registered churches have cameras installed," says Moli. "Every week, registered churches must have their sermons reviewed, and adjustments in the content are very likely. Some registered churches are unable to preach the gospel fully."

House churches and small groups like Ming's  don't have such cameras. But that's because they're illegal in the first place, and so they operate under the radar. "To avoid getting in trouble, house churches divide themselves into small groups," says Moli. "In bigger groups, police might barge in when they receive reports from neighbours."

Learning to trust

As Moli suggests, the threat of surveillance doesn't just come directly from the authorities. There's always the danger that somebody you know will inform on you. After his arrest, Ming struggled with this.

"I had no one to trust," Ming says. "I felt insecure and isolated. I need to make friends cautiously, since there may be spies pretending to be Christians. I need to stay vigilant."

Life for courageous believers like Ming is likely to get harder, as a partner of Open Doors, Yangyang, recognises. "We are definitely entering an era of more restrictions and challenges," she says. However, the technological boom that has brought such heavy surveillance, also offers new opportunities to evade detection and reach more of China with the gospel. Thankfully, China's house church leaders and evangelists like Ming are creative and resourceful  always finding new ways to stand firm in their faith.

While emerging technology provides opportunities for persecution, it may also be used for good. It is vital that international technology companies acknowledge their responsibilities to promote human rights around the world and take measures to ensure that their products are not used for evil ends.

*Name altered for reasons of security.This is an amended version of a story originally produced for www.opendoorsuk.org.
Will any CofE bishops speak out against Jayne Ozanne's attack on parents?

The attack by gay Anglican activist Jayne Ozanne on parental rights in her campaign to ban conversion therapy should be a wake-up call to Christians who may be apathetic about the debate.

Ms Ozanne, a member of the Church of England's General Synod, made her comment about parents being "the problem, not the solution" in counselling gender-confused children on The Gathering Podcast, hosted by an LGBTQ+ church in Cardiff city centre.

She attacked government ministers for expressing caution about including such children in a ban on conversion therapy.

She said ministers "have committed to ensuring that the ban will include, we've been told, transgender people who are twice as likely to be offered (conversion therapy) or to go through with the most horrific forms of abuse". But she said the government has been telling campaigners that the legislation needs to be "very careful" in relation to trans children.

She complained that the government apparently wants to ensure that "parents have the upper hand here". Arguing that parents' rights should not trump trans children's rights, she declared: "Parents, frankly, most of the time are the problem, not the solution."

But what can be wrong with loving parents being concerned about their child harming themselves with puberty blockers and possibly embarking on a medical journey to bodily mutilation and lifelong suffering?

READ MORE: Conversion therapy ban not a high priority for most voters

Ms Ozanne's comment was highly revealing of the neo-Marxist mindset behind the drive to ban conversion therapy. She clearly believes that the growing transgender trend among school children trumps the biblical Fifth Commandment: "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Exodus 20:12  King James Version).

In her podcast interview she reiterated her view that the government must prevent pastors from praying with people who have asked for help and support to uphold the traditional Christian sexual ethic.

She said: "My biggest concern is that religious practices, i.e. prayer or deliverance ministry, will not be included in this ban or there will be weasel words to allow those practices because they're seen as only prayer."

"Only prayer!" she remonstrated. "Do you know what it's like to be told constantly for years that who you are is sinful and wrong and needs to change or be suppressed? It is what sent me to hospital and so many others. It causes such deep mental health problems and attempted suicide and even completed suicide. So, we have to ensure that the ban correctly captures these harmful practices."

Again, her attempt to smear pastorally-sensitive conversations involving supportive prayer as coercive abuse reflects the same controlling neo-Marxist mindset that overrules loving parental leadership and makes an idol out of state power.

In a set-back for the Ozanne lobby, The Telegraph newspaper reported on Friday September 15 that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak "is expected to delay a promised ban on conversion therapy following disagreements over how the legislation should be worded".

The paper reported: "Ministers said in the summer that a draft Bill banning people from trying to change a child's gender identity or sexuality would be published by the end of the parliamentary session in November.

"But on Thursday, Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the House (of Commons), declined to guarantee that it would be brought out by that time."

There is now no political guarantee that Ms Ozanne and her fellow campaigners will get their way if the Conservatives lose the next General Election to Labour, which is becoming increasingly divided on the transgender issue. It could well be that if Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, became Prime Minister, he would be keen to avoid a divisive debate among his MPs and so let the issue quietly drop.

Ms Ozanne is a prominent member of the Church of England with a high media profile as an Anglican campaigner for a far-reaching ban on conversion therapy. Will any bishops be prepared to speak out against her attack on parental rights?

Given the parlous moral state of the CofE, perhaps one ought not to hold one's breath.

Julian Mann is a former Church of England vicar, now an evangelical journalist based in Lancashire.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and two city council members have questioned and attacked the Catholic Diocese of Clevelands new gender policy, an issue that has generated controversy across Northeast Ohio.

Bibb and councilmen Kerry McCormack and Charles Slife noted their disappointment with the issue. Their views were met by a conservative member of the Ohio House, who stressed that churches dont need clueless politicians telling them what the Bible teaches.

The dioceses policy went into effect Sept. 1. It prevents students and staff from undergoing gender-affirming care and using pronouns different than those affiliated with a persons biological sex. It also requires church or school staff members to notify parents if their child might be transgender. The policy affects students in 80 schools in the eight-county diocese.

The directive has angered many residents, who fear it will harm LGBTQ parishioners, especially children. Supporters say it further supports the churchs belief that God made man and woman for marriage and acting on same-sex attraction is a sin.

Earlier this week, Cleveland officials took to social media to discuss their stances on the policy.

As a Christian, the dioceses policy is a shocking betrayal of the Church teachings that have shaped who I am today, Bibb said in a statement. For me, faith is about universal love and acceptance.

Instead, the new policy forces LGBTQ kids to hide their authentic selves and attend school in fear of persecution for who they are. Rest assured that this policy, along with any expressions of hatred, doesnt go unnoticed.

McCormack, who represents Ohio City, Tremont and most of downtown, posted a short note on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He said he believes the decision will hurt youths.

I attended (Diocese of Cleveland) schools, McCormack wrote. I had many wonderful teachers who taught me about an all-loving God. Teachings I still embrace today. This politically motivated decision will harm young people in our local parochial schools and continue to alienate the Church. WWJD?

Slifes message on X appeared more subtle.

One time, I heard about this guy who walked around saying people should just love everyone, but especially those who society rejected and belittled, wrote Slife, who represents West Park, Kamms Corners and part of the Puritas neighborhood. Anyway, the higher ups didnt like it AT ALL and he wound up getting executed. Wish I could remember his name...

Gary Click, a conservative Republican in the Ohio House from Sandusky County, attacked their statements, particularly Bibbs.

This is what the separation of church and state is all about my friends, Click said on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. Churches dont need clueless politicians telling them what the Bible teaches.

For the record, (Bibb) is clearly clueless about genuine Christianity. He is also apparently clueless about the Constitution and why the First Amendment exists. Lets talk mayor. Id be happy to help you understand.

In a statement earlier this week, the diocese said it has taken existing guidance and practice in matters of sex, sexuality and gender identity and developed them into a formal policy, rooted in scripture and Church teaching, to help ensure that these matters are addressed in a consistent, pastorally sound and authentically Catholic manner across our diocesan and parish institutions and schools.
COLUMBUS. Ohio  Backers and opponents spent more than $37 million  the bulk of which came from out-of-state groups  in the campaign surrounding State Issue 1, the failed proposal to make it harder to change the Ohio constitution, new state records show.

All told, groups trying to defeat the measure outspent the yes side $20.1 million to $17.5 million. However, in the final two weeks before the Aug. 8 election and beyond, the yes side outspent the no side, $13.4 million to $9.7 million. As is the case for most political campaigns, the bulk of the spending for both sides went toward advertising, particularly television.

The numbers include new disclosures the groups filed with the Ohio Secretary of States Office on Friday, documenting campaign fundraising and spending between July 20 and Sept. 8.

The new reports show that, similar to the previous disclosures the groups made in July, the vast majority of the money for both sides of the issue came from out-of-state groups that generally dont disclose their contributors.

For the yes side, the bulk of donations came from four groups, all out-of-state.

The Concord Fund, a conservative dark-money group based in Washington, D.C, gave $6.9 million to Protect Women Ohio, a pro-Issue 1 group, while Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, a top anti-abortion group in Washington, D.C. gave $6.1 million. Protect Women Ohio was formed to defeat an abortion-rights ballot issue in November, but the group redirected its spending toward helping Issue 1 after fundraising by the measures official campaign group lagged.

Although Issue 1 did not directly reference abortion, Republican lawmakers specifically put it up for a vote to try to defeat the abortion measure in November. Had it passed, future constitutional amendments would have needed to get 60% support in a statewide vote to pass, compared to the current 50% standard.

American Policy Coalition, a conservative dark-money group based in Alexandria, Va., gave $800,000 to Protect Our Constitution, the official pro-Issue 1 campaign group. Restoration Action, an Illinois political group with ties to Richard Uihlein, a GOP megadonor from Illinois, gave another $705,000. A handful of Republican congressmen from Ohio also gave to the pro-Issue 1 campaign, either through their campaign committees or affiliate PACs, including Reps. Troy Balderson, Warren Davidson and Brad Wenstrup, who each gave $25,000, Rep. Bill Johnson, who gave $10,000 and Rep. Bob Latta, who gave $4,000.

As was the case earlier in the campaign, the largest donor to One Person One Vote, the main anti-Issue 1 campaign group, was the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a dark-money group from Washington, D.C. which gave $2.5 million. Some of the groups largest individual donors though included Michael Bloomberg, the businessman and former New York City Mayor who gave $250,000, and Lynn Schusterman, a Tulsa, Oklahoma philanthropist who also gave $250,000.

All but $800,000 of the $4.7 million One Person One Vote raised in the final weeks of the campaign came from out-of-state donors. The largest in-state donors included the ACLU of Ohio, which gave $320,000, the Ohio Progressive Collaborative, which gave $250,000 and the Ohio Education Association, a major teachers union, which gave $120,000. Oriana House Inc., an Akron nonprofit that operates a network of halfway houses, community-based corrections facilities and addiction treatment centers around the state, gave $10,000.

Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, a group backing the abortion-rights measure in November, also was active in the campaign to defeat Issue 1 and made a campaign finance disclosure on Friday. The group reported spending $741,337, a mix of spending to defeat Issue 1 and in support of the November amendment, also called Issue 1. Its top donors included Anita Cook of Cleveland, who gave $25,500, Matthew and Seanna Walter of New Albany, who each gave $25,000, and the SEIU Ohio State Council No. 25, which gave $20,000.

Voters overwhelmingly rejected the first Issue 1 in the Aug. 8 election by a 57% to 43% margin. It was a rare defeat for Ohio Republicans, and could bode well for the abortion-rights measure in November, since the August measure was widely seen as a proxy issue for the November vote, given its ramifications for the abortion issue.

Andrew Tobias covers state politics and government for cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer
CLEVELAND, Ohio  Authorities filed new charges Friday against Ohio House Rep. Bob Young that stem from allegations that he violated a protection order in July.

Young, 42, a Republican from North Canton, was also accused of menacing by stalking, according to Barberton Municipal Court records. The filings indicate the case involves an incident that took place on July 31, and it adds to several domestic-related charges against him from this past summer.

Court records do not detail the circumstances of the incident. Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer reached out to Young and his attorney, John Greven, for comment.

In a letter earlier this month, Young told Jason Stephens, the speaker of the Ohio House, that he will resign, effective Oct. 2, as he fears that he has become a distraction. Court records show he has a pretrial hearing that day.

Young has been arrested twice in recent months, first shortly after police say he assaulted two family members in two separate incidents in July. He was picked up earlier this month when police say he contacted one of the people he was barred from contacting as a result of a restraining order connected with the July incidents.

Young has served in the Ohio House since January 2021, after he was elected to the office the previous November. He has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges of assault, domestic violence and violating a protective order, which had been filed earlier.

I will be vigorously defending myself, and Im looking forward to personal and legal vindication as the court process plays out, Young said in his resignation letter to Stephens. I was hopeful that this matter could be resolved before this point, but I can no longer deny the distraction that this matter has caused the Ohio House of Representatives as an institution, as well as my colleagues, with whom I serve.
In a recent story, cleveland.coms noted art and architecture critic Steven Litt flagged the sea change overtaking the art world after the dramatic seizure in place of the Cleveland Museum of Arts iconic ancient Roman sculpture, believed to be of Marcus Aurelius. The seizure was prompted, Litt noted, by a New York City criminal investigation of possible 1960s looting and trafficking of ancient art at the site of the ancient Roman town of Bubon in Southwestern Turkey.

Yet its also part of a shifting moral, legal and ethical landscape thats reshaping the art world, Litt wrote -- impacting both the most prestigious museums, from Cleveland to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the British Museum in London, and smaller ones, such as the Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts, where a bronze bust relating to the Bubon case also was seized.

These tectonic shifts carry uncertain repercussions for any museum with ancient art whose provenance, by virtue of its antiquity, can be hard to trace.

The new climate is evolving almost daily, raising questions about the long-term status of many objects once thought to enjoy the stable, permanent status known in the museum business as repose, Litt wrote. That in turn, he noted, raises a range of new challenges for museum leaders and researchers -- including regarding objects carried off by colonizers and conquerors.

One dilemma for Cleveland and others is royal artwork from the former Benin Kingdom in modern-day Nigeria, subject of a 2021 Cleveland exhibition that noted the 1897 massacre and looting of artwork by British troops (five items in Cleveland are known to have been looted, according to the museum). Complicating the situation is that both the Nigerian government and the current Oba of Benin claim the items.

So how should Cleveland and other art museums handle this situation? The Editorial Board Roundtable offers some thoughts.

Leila Atassi, manager public interest and advocacy:

An object that might be, to some, an educational resource or a curiosity could hold deeply historical and cultural significance to others. Repatriation of artifacts known to have been stolen is a form of restorative justice, and a museum that claims to value the culture and history of its collections should strive to do right by the artifacts original owners.

Ted Diadiun, columnist:

Unraveling this complex problem will be daunting. Its difficult to defend a refusal to return looted art treasures, but also there should be assurance that the returned pieces be treated and displayed safely and reverently. Recall the wanton destruction of historical artifacts by Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria. Priceless, irreplaceable items should not be consigned to the mercy of heedless marauders.

Thomas Suddes, editorial writer:

These dilemmas require some sort of international arbitral panel, perhaps under UNESCO auspices. A countrys culture and history are bound up in its artifacts -- which belong where they originated.

Lisa Garvin, editorial board member:

Like it or not, museums with artifacts of questionable provenance are dedicated to preserving them and educating us about their heritage. My biggest worry is what happens to repatriated antiquities, and that nations are increasingly demanding that objects without a checkered past be returned. Museum-sharing agreements and thoughtful text panels for displayed items would be better than cultural isolationism.

Mary Cay Doherty, editorial board member:

Recently looted or stolen objects should be returned to their rightful owners. But repatriating artifacts that were removed from Africa during European imperialism presents challenges. Nations understandably want control of their cultural property, but, in museums worldwide, these artifacts are also important historical and educational resources. Ideally, museums and governments should collaborate, so artifacts are properly preserved and widely shared.

Elizabeth Sullivan, opinion director:

Some ancient Indigenous artifacts that originated in Ohio now sit in the British Museum, so this isnt a one-way street, but it demands sensitivity from all sides, and resources. An international fund to facilitate investigations and transfers, to help preserve the artwork while honoring its cultural origins, would help. So would more far-reaching partnerships such as that the Cleveland museum forged with Cambodia that has enabled both the return of artifacts and research, while enriching the museums own exhibits.

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* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.

* Email general questions about our editorial board or comments or corrections on this Editorial Board Roundtable to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at esullivan@cleveland.com
Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks at a South Dakota Republican party rally in Rapid City, South Dakota, U.S. September 8, 2023.

WASHINGTON  Donald Trump on Friday attacked special counsel Jack Smith as a "deranged" prosecutor after his office sought restrictions on what the former president can say about his federal election interference case.

"He's a deranged person," he said of Smith, who led two federal investigations into Trump that have yielded criminal indictments.

Trump, who is the leading Republican candidate for the party's 2024 presidential nomination, claimed in a speech Friday night that Smith "wants to take away my rights under the First Amendment."

He "wants to take away my right to speak freely and openly," Trump said at the conference of a conservative Christian women's organization in Washington, D.C.

Trump has previously attacked Smith in similar terms, but his latest broadside came hours after Smith asked U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan for a partial gag order in the D.C. election case.

Trump is charged with four criminal counts in that case, which alleges he perpetrated multiple conspiracies to overturn his loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
EmirMemedovski | E+ | Getty Images

1. Determine how expenses are paid

One of the first conversations a couple moving in together should have is about how expenses will be paid, said Wynne Whitman, co-author of "Shacking Up: The Smart Girl's Guide to Living in Sin Without Getting Burned." Splitting costs evenly is not always fair, experts point out  especially considering that women still earn, on average, 18% less than men, according to a Pew Research Center Analysis of Census Bureau data. "Is every expense split 50-50? " Whitman said. "Is there another arrangement if one partner earns more?" "Making a decision and sticking to it removes a lot of stress."

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After Hailey Pinto and her boyfriend graduated from college in Connecticut, they decided to take a shot at living together. Pinto works remotely from their one-bedroom apartment in Charlotte, North Carolina, where her boyfriend got a job offer at a bank. They don't split their $1,900 monthly rent 50-50 but instead according to their income levels, since it is their biggest expense. "It's almost like a 60-to-40 split," said Pinto, 21. Meanwhile, they share their other expenses evenly. "We try to keep it fair." When it comes to the lease (assuming you're renting), experts recommend that everyone who lives in the apartment be on it.

Is every expense split 50-50? Is there another arrangement if one partner earns more? Making a decision and sticking to it removes a lot of stress. Wynne Whitman author

That way, Whitman said, "both partners are equally responsible and have equal rights." For their part, Temple and her boyfriend also have a third roommate in their Denver rental. All three of them are on the lease of the 3-bedroom apartment, where they share rent according to square footage. As uncomfortable as it sounds, you should also have a talk with your partner about what to do if the relationship ends, including who would stay in the residence, Whitman said: "It's always better to have a plan," she added. Some couples who are first moving in together prepare a cohabitation agreement, in which they outline who gets what, such as the place itself and any furniture, if they go their own ways, experts said.

2. Talk about money like you do the dishes

Just as cleaning the kitchen and vacuuming need to be done on a regular basis, so do certain financial tasks, Whitman said. "Include financial management as one of the chores when making a list of who does what," Whitman said. This includes making sure you're sticking to a budget, getting the bills paid and tackling any debt. Forgoing initial conversations around money "will expose you to risks down the line," said certified financial planner Sophia Bera Daigle, founder of Gen Y Planning in Austin, Texas. You need to learn about each other's spending patterns and debt, Daigle said. Whitman also suggests regular chats about your financial goals, big and small. "If one partner is interested in saving to purchase a home and the other would rather spend every penny on going out, count on a lot of friction," Whitman said.

Couples might have "money dates" once a month to discuss their financial anxieties and aspirations, said Daigle, a member of the CNBC FA Council. "Continuing these conversations will help hold each other accountable," she said. "Make it into a fun topic rather than a taboo." You shouldn't expect your partner to be a mind reader, added Whitman. "Share your views, ask questions, talk about what is and isn't important," Whitman said. Knowing each other's history is also important, she added. "If you have experienced food insecurity, share this with your partner." These discussions can help shed light on your financial behavior.

3. Don't rush to combine finances

Martinedoucet | E+ | Getty Images
As new weight loss medications garnered buzz last year, analysts' forecasts signaled these drugs would be blockbusters, with some of the highest estimates calling for peak sales of at least $100 billion. In recent days, the expectations are moving higher still. The initial projections were made before Wall Street saw the results of Novo Nordisk's Select trial in August. The early readout from that study shows semaglutide, which is sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, could reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack by 20%. The full data from the trial will be shared in mid-November at the American Heart Association conference. It was also before more people began to take these drugs and report on social media about things they were observing. Patients detailed how much weight they were losing or mentioned that their cravings for food and alcohol disappeared. Some observed that after losing weight they no longer needed to use CPAP machines to treat their obstructive sleep apnea. Meanwhile, the companies continued to do scientific research on how these drugs could be used to treat a range of conditions, including liver and kidney disease. Back to the models These developments have fanned the excitement again . In recent days, several analysts have gone back to their models and crunched the numbers again to determine if these projections are too rosy or if they underestimate the category's potential. Guggenheim analyst Seamus Fernandez published a note Tuesday in which he explained how the total addressable market for these so-called incretin drugs could balloon to $150 billion to $200 billion. "We reiterate our BUY ratings on both LLY and NOVO.B-CSE due to the strength of our conviction behind the companies' respective GLP-1 franchises and our growing view that GLP-1 based incretins could be the most prescribed class of pharmaceuticals ever by or before 2031," Fernandez said. He lifted his Lilly price target to $620 from $474, suggesting nearly 8% upside from where shares closed Friday. LLY YTD mountain Eli Lilly shares have soared year to date. Separately, Morgan Stanley analyst Terence Flynn on Thursday said his latest analysis suggests the bull case of worldwide sales for Eli Lilly's Mounjaro of $65 billion by 2030 is achievable. Previously, Flynn's base case scenario called for sales of $44 billion in that timeframe. Mounjaro, which is also known as tirzepatide, is expected to receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration by the end of this year to treat obesity. The drug is already on the market as a type 2 diabetes treatment. NVO YTD mountain Novo Nordisk recently became Europe's most valuable company. Even before this week's rosy forecasts, shares of Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have been climbing. U.S. traded shares of Novo Nordisk, which recently became Europe's most valuable company, are up nearly 41% year to date. Lilly has advanced 57% in 2023. Both stocks are trading above their average price targets, according to FactSet. 'Buy the fear' The success of these companies have had has been bad news for a host of medical device stocks . Dexcom and Insulet , for example, make continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps. Dexcom shares are off by nearly 15% in 2023, while Insulet has tumbled 42%. On Monday, Canaccord Genuity analyst William Plovanic urged clients to "buy the fear." "Our net takeaway: near-term impact is little to none and long-term implications are not easily determined given lack of data. Therefore, we would buy on the pullback, especially diabetes names DXCM and PODD," Plovanic wrote. Other analysts have echoed these sentiments, but medical device stocks have continued to fall. DXCM 3M mountain Dexcom shares have struggled in recent weeks. Plovanic's view is based on many factors, but he mentioned that the costs of GLP-1 medications are high and in the real world  not clinical trials  there is a large drop-off rate for people taking the drugs. "Interestingly, an analysis by pharmacy benefits manager Prime Therapeutics of obese patients (not with T2D) found that only 32% of those observed who started taking GLP-1 RAs (half Ozempic/Wegovy, the rest a mix of Saxenda or Rybelsus) were still taking the drugs 12 months later despite all participants having insurance coverage," he said. It's not known what prompted these people to stop treatment. However, the trend likely means that a portion regained some of the weight they lost while on the therapy. In a cardiovascular trial, two-thirds of participants' weight was regained 12 months after they stopped taking the drugs, Plovanic said. "So in summary, it is expensive, a majority of the patients stopped taking the drug at one year and if you stop, the benefits are reversed quickly in a majority of the patients," he said. All of this would mean that there is still business to be had for companies such as Dexcom and Insulet, according to Plovanic. Hard to ignore Still, it is early days, and the overlaps between obesity and overweight and conditions like heart disease, sleep apnea and other illnesses are hard to ignore. Together, these diseases represent an enormous market, and only a portion of it would need to be treated in order for a company to see large sales gains. GLP-1 medications are already gaining market share. Data provider Iqvia BrandImpact shows that about 30% of brand new diabetes prescriptions are for GLP-1 medications. By comparison, about 23% of all diabetes prescriptions are for drugs in this category. To reach Guggenheim's lofty projection, Fernandez assumed that more than $50 billion in GLP-1 sales will come from patients with diabetes, as treatment with incretin medications becomes the standard of care. GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist. The drug mimics the incretin hormone that is released in the gut. It helps stimulate insulin production, slows how quickly food leaves the stomach and creates a feeling of satiety in the brain. (Mounjaro has a second incretin hormone known as gastric inhibitory polypeptide, or GIP, that has similar effects.) These attributes have helped patients with type 2 diabetes regulate blood sugar levels and have helped people shed pounds. Doctors also have observed falling cholesterol counts and blood pressure levels on occasion, though it's unclear if this is a function of the medicine or weight loss. It also appears to reduce inflammation. Fernandez sees a total addressable market of $140 billion to support patients with obesity. He expects there is a potential for GLP-1 drugs to become as common and widely used, much like statins are used to lower cholesterol. "While it may seem outlandish to put obesity treatments on par with statins, obesity is a visible symptomatic condition that could ultimately result in higher persistence and adherence rates compared to oral diabetic agents that do not impact weight or silent disease such as [hypertension] and dyslipidemia," Fernandez wrote in a research note. Dyslipidemia, or an imbalance of lipids such as cholesterol, can led to severe cardiovascular issues. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 60 million people have this condition. It estimates 120 million people have hypertension, or high blood pressure, and 140 million are obese or overweight. Morgan Stanley's Flynn estimates a 30% share of the diabetes market would generate $109 billion on a worldwide basis for GLP-1 drugs. Layer in a 15% to 30% share of the obesity market and that equates to worldwide sales of $97.4 billion to $194.8 billion. Flynn said he expects Novo Nordisk's Select-Life trial will be helpful in understanding how different diseases are linked to one another and what role GLP-1 medicines can play in their treatment. The study is a 10-year observational follow-up, with data collected twice a year from patients, he said. Information the company is seeking includes how the drugs prevent type 2 diabetes, knee replacement surgery, CPAP device usage and cancer, Morgan Stanley said, adding that results will be shared over the course of 2023 to 2025. Research is ongoing for the use of the medications to treat a long list of ailments, including two phase 3 trials in Alzheimer's disease. Data from those two studies are expected in 2025. The analysts also warned that in order to meet the demand, both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly will need to increase their manufacturing capacity. Guggenheim's estimates also assume that oral GLP-1 drugs that are currently in development are able to come to market a few years from now. -CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed reporting.
MALIBU, California  The most amazing thing about the $2.1 million Rimac Nevera is how easy it is to just get in and drive.

The Nevera is an electric hypercar from Croatia. It sits low  very low  to the ground, and at first glance it looks like the simple act of getting into it could be complicated. But the doors, which lift up and out sort of like a Lamborghini's, cut into the roof just enough to ensure that I don't bump my head as I drop myself into the driver's seat.

Getting underway does take a little bit of learning. Gears are shifted with a big knob to the left of the steering wheel, the power seat's adjustments are hidden in a touchscreen, and switches for the turn signals and headlights are mounted directly on the steering wheel. But once you've got that down, it's simple to operate.

The whole car is like that  simple to operate  its 1,914 horsepower notwithstanding.

One of the first things I noticed as we got underway is that it's easy to see out of the Nevera. That's not a given with cars like this. For example, in Ferraris and Lamborghinis and other low-slung highway rockets, it's often a challenge to see what's behind you. But while the Nevera is definitely low slung, there's just enough of a rear window to make it easy to drive in highway traffic. Good side mirrors certainly help with that.

There's also just enough mechanical noise to remind you that you're in a hypercar. There may not be an engine, but there are four electric motors and they make mellifluous mechanical sounds as the car moves down the road. Not so loud that I couldn't converse with my passenger, Rimac's Ryan Lanteigne, in a reasonable talking voice. It is just loud enough to remind us that we're driving in something special.

And the Nevera is very special indeed  as it should be for its just over $2 million asking price. You'll see why in the video.
The artificial intelligence wave continues to wash over Wall Street, with analysts naming a host of stocks this week that offer more upside. Analysts say these stocks have double-digit growth potential and investors should buy shares now. CNBC Pro combed through Wall Street research to find stocks that are best positioned to gain from AI. They include: Microsoft, Wayfair, Pearson and Broadcom. Wayfair DA Davidson left a recent investor meeting with increased conviction in shares of online furniture and household goods retailer Wayfair, investment bank said recently. "We have a high degree of confidence in management's ability to achieve double digit top line growth and at least a 10% adj. EBITDA margin, in a normalized environment for the home category," analyst Tom Forte wrote. Davidson admitted that the home category is displaying some degree of uncertainty, but Forte says he has confidence in Wayfair management's ability to deliver. "This confidence comes from management's track record of setting and achieving its financial targets over the long-term," he added. Wayfair is a also long term beneficiary of AI, according to the firm. Forte called Wayfair management extremely "tech proficient" and said the stock has more room to run despite shares climbing 116% this year. Pearson The British-based multinational education company is a "self-help transition" story, Morgan Stanley said recently. The bank said the threat of AI was overdone and stood by its overweight rating on Pearson stock. Analyst Luke Holbrook and team see margins getting better with a valuation that's "undemanding." Shares are down 1.4% this year. "Over time, we think generative AI will become ubiquitous, and therefore believe that how companies such as Pearson build solutions on this technology will be a key differentiator," he said. In addition, Pearson's three emerging businesses, including Pearson+, English Language Learning and Workforce Solutions, are poised to "demonstrate double-digit growth," he said. What's more, the company's cost savings programs are firmly in place with divestments and restructuring largely over, bolstering Morgan Stanley's bullish thesis. Investors should take advantage of the buying opportunity, Holbrook added. Broadcom The semiconductor company hasn't been able to match the success of the "AI-levered upside" that Nvidia is delivering, according to Benchmark analyst Cody Acree. Still, Acree is standing by Broadcom following its most recent quarterly report. Broadcom reported a top and bottom line beat in late August. Benchmark called the quarterly results solid, noting that forward financial guidance was especially encouraging. "Double-digit year over year growth," shows increased demand for Broadcom's AI-driven products, he added. Acree says Broadcom is making progress tying its semiconductor revenue to the tech industry's adoption of artificial intelligence. Notably, the stock is up over 52% this year, but Acree says it still has room to run, saying Broadcom is well placed "to participate in macro AI industry trend." Wayfair- DA Davidson, buy "We have a high degree of confidence in management's ability to achieve double digit top line growth & at least a 10% adj. EBITDA margin, in a normalized environment for the home category. ... .This confidence comes from management's track record of setting and achieving its financial targets over the long-term. ... .there has been a lot of hype about the potential for AI to generate sales growth and margin expansion and we consider Wayfair to be one of the most technology proficient e-commerce companies in the market..." Microsoft- Citigroup, buy "We rate MSFT Buy based on our view that cloud-related revenue streams will enable growth to continue at double-digit levels, with operating margin expansion. In the Azure business, we see Generative AI to usher in a next era of growth following the pandemic that catalyzed customer adoption and acceleration in consumption. The launch of Generative AI/Co-Pilot features have enhanced digital productivity and collaboration is seeing an enduring impact, driving incremental demand and adoption for the productivity business." Broadcom- Benchmark, buy "While the Street reacted negatively to AVGO's 3Q results and 4Q guidance that fell short of duplicating the massive AI-levered upside that NVDA posted [earlier], as AVGO's stock sold off as much as 5% in after-hours trading, we believe AVGO delivered a very solid earnings report and gave equally encouraging guidance. Its July quarter sales of $8.876 billion, was $24 million ahead of the Street consensus & was up 5% sequentially and 2% annually, with strength seen from continued double-digit year-on-year growth from its Hyperscale Data Center customers. ... .Well Set to Participate in Macro AI Industry Trend." Pearson - Morgan Stanley, overweight "A self-help transition story. ... .Overweight with 1) margins improving; 2) concerns around the AI threat overdone; (3) emerging businesses doubling to 30% of the revenue mix by 2027e, & valuation undemanding. ... .Risk that generative AI poses to the Higher Ed business is overdone, as large language models (LLMs) trained on the open internet do not provide students with accreditations or the reliable answers of a Pearson textbook. Emerging businesses demonstrate double-digit growth, backed by cash flows from the core A & Q business."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Bihar today, September 16, to address a public meeting in Jhanjharpur of the Madhubani district of the state, as part of the Lok Sabha Pravas Programme of the Bharatiya Janata Party. This visit is a part of BJPs pre-election campaign ahead of the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Union Minister of State Home, Nityanand Rai, spoke to ANI about the purpose of Home Minister Shah's visit. Home Minister Amit Shah is coming to Bihar with the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and under the Lok Sabha Pravas Program, the Home Minister is going to address a huge public meeting in Jhanjharpur, Rai said.

The meeting is expected to be extraordinary, as the people of the Madhubani district have shown great enthusiasm to attend the rally, he said. Each time Shah visits Bihar he addresses the state's development issues, Rai added.

In addition to addressing the public gathering, Shah will also chair a meeting of the Lok Sabha Core Committee. This meeting is expected to draw top leaders of the Bihar BJP, including State BJP President Samrat Choudhary and MoS Home Nityanand Rai, as well as district leaders of the party.

Notably, Shah will inaugurate the Integrated Check Post (ICP) on the Indo-Nepal Border at Jogbani during the visit. He will also remotely inaugurate the SSB battalion headquarters, situated 8 km away from Jogbani.

Amit Shah's frequent visits to Bihar demonstrate the political significance of the state, especially after BJP broke its alliance with the ruling JD(U) in August 2022. Last year, he visited Punia, the capital of the Seemanchal region, and later, in October, he paid a visit to Sitab Diara, the birthplace of the socialist leader Jayaprakash Narayan.

In February this year, Amit Shah visited Valmiki Nagar and Patna, where he addressed the Kisan Samagam organised in honour of the birth anniversary of peasant leader Sahajanand Saraswati. His visit aimed to garner support from the Bhumihar community, from which he hails.

However, his visit in April was marked by the cancellation of a program in Rohtas due to violence in the area. Nevertheless, Shah returned to Bihar on June 29 and addressed a massive rally at Lakhisarai in Munger Lok Sabha constituency, the home turf of JD(U) President and Lok Sabha MP Lalan Singh.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 16)  The Canadian vlogger behind the YouTube channel "Becoming Filipino" is now a Filipino citizen.

"I have officially become a Filipino," Kyle Jennermann  also known as "Kulas"  said on social media as he shared photos from his oath-taking administered by Quezon City Rep. Len Alonte.

"Today marks the beginning of the most important part of my life. I am ready for this. I am filled with belief, inspiration, gratefulness, and love," he added.

The Senate unanimously affirmed House Bill 7185 in May, which paved the way for Jennermann's Filipino citizenship.

Jennermann first visited the country in 2013 through the influence of his Filipinos friends. He said what made him stay was the "way Filipinos always find a reason to be happy."

"I am overwhelmed with the way that being happy was such an intrinsic, cool thing," he previously told CNN Philippines' The Final Word. "No matter what people are going through, there is always a reason to be happy and to share that [happiness with others]."

So far, "Becoming Filipino"  which features the Philippines and its culture  has 1.1 million subscribers.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 16)  Around 500 security personnel will be deployed in the City of Manila for the 2023 Bar examinations, the Manila Police District said.

This years examinations will be held in 14 testing sites nationwide  including the San Beda University and the University of Santo Tomas in Manila  on September 17, 20, and 24.

MPD spokesperson Major Philipp Ines said the security personnel will assist Bar takers as well as help in traffic management as some roads will be closed.

Nananawagan na rin kami doon sa ating mga kababayan kung may mapapansin kayo na mga kahina-hinalang indibidwal base sa kanilang kilos, ipagbigay alam nyo sa aming himpilan, said Ines.

[Translation: We are calling on the public to immediately report to the authorities if they notice anyone acting suspiciously.]

Portions of Dapitan Street and the westbound lane of Espana Boulevard will be closed from 3:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. during the exam dates.

The eastbound lane of Legarda Street, Mendiola Street, and Concepcion Aguila Street will be closed from 2 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the exam days.

Ines reminded Manila residents of the liquor ban within the 500-meter radius of UST and San Beda.

Ambulant vendors are also prohibited near the two universities.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 16)  The Bureau of Customs-Port of Zamboanga (BOC-POZ) on Saturday said the imported rice worth 42 million that it seized early this month could be used by the national government for some of its programs.

BOC-POZ chief Benny Lontok said they have already submitted the recommendation to the BOC central office.

"Ang recommendation po although subject sa approval ni Commissioner and Secretary of Finance, idu-donate po yata sa government program  I dont know po kung Kadiwa or sa DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development), pero iyon po ay pinag-uusapan pa," said Lontok in a forum.

[Translation: Although it is still subject for approval by the Commissioner and Secretary of Finance, the recommendation is to donate for government program  I don't know if it's for Kadiwa or for the DSWD, but that's still being discussed.]

The BOC-POZ issued an order of forfeiture on Sept. 1 after authorities found that the 42,180 sacks of rice in a warehouse in Brgy. San Jose Gusu in Zamboanga City were not covered by the requisite sanitary and phytosanitary import clearance from the Bureau of Plant Industry.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier issued Executive Order No. 39 that puts a price ceiling on rice to cushion the price surge on the food staple caused by hoarding and price manipulation.

Last month, the BOC discovered imported rice worth more than 1 billion in separate warehouses in Bulacan.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 16)  The military on Saturday said it has observed damaged corals in Rozul Reef (also known as Iroquois Reef) in the West Philippine Sea, as it suspects China of conducting harvesting activities in the area.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command (AFP Wescom) reported that Navy personnel spotted the suspected damage during an initial assessment after they drove away Chinese vessels from the reef in July.

Ang ating mga personnel doon, they did a spot inspection and they reported that what they have seen are apparently mga, kumbaga, traces of damage sa mga coral reefs natin don, mga suspected traces nga ng mga hinarvest, AFP Wescom spokesperson Commander Ariel Coloma told CNN Philippines.

[Translation: Our personnel conducted a spot inspection and they reported that what they have seen are apparently traces of damage to our coral reefs, suspected traces of harvested corals.]

Coloma said marine experts would still have to confirm the damage and ascertain its extent.

On Thursday, the AFP Wescom sounded the alarm over the concerning resurgence of Chinese fishing vessels swarming in certain parts of the West Philippine Sea, including Rozul Reef.

The Wescom had said then that previous swarming incidents in that feature of the disputed waters have been followed by reports of massive coral harvesting.

It stressed that the presence of Chinese vessels in the area is a violation of Philippine sovereign rights and jurisdiction since Rozul Reef is within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

However, such activities by China are nothing new, Coloma noted.

In 2019, the Philippines protested the harvesting of endangered giant clams, locally known as taklobos, by Chinese fishermen in Scarborough Shoal. These expensive clams can be sold for thousands of dollars apiece.

Coloma said the Wescom regularly reports on such matters to the AFP headquarters, so that the information may be used for possible filing of diplomatic protests.

Lagi naman tayong nagfa-file ng [We always file] diplomatic protests, and this forms part of those documents, he said.

In 2016, an international tribunal at The Hague invalidated China's sweeping claims over the South China Sea, which includes the West Philippine Sea.

It also recognized the Philippines' sovereign rights within its 200-nautical mile EEZ, where Beijing has built artificial islands, prohibited Filipino fishermen from fishing and interfered in oil exploration activities.

The tribunal did not rule on which country has sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal but said China failed to respect traditional fishing rights of Filipino fishermen there.

Beijing, however, has refused to recognize the landmark ruling.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 16)  Two environmental activists who went missing earlier this month have surrendered to authorities, according to the government's anti-communist task force.

In a Facebook video posted on Friday, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said Jhed Tamano and Jhonila Castro surrendered to the 70th Infantry Battalion in Dona Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan on Sept. 12.

Tamano and Castro were allegedly abducted by four armed men on Sept. 2 in Orion, Bataan. Both are community organizers working with fishermen opposing reclamation projects in Manila Bay.

The NTF-ELCAC's statement came after various progressive and rights groups campaigned on social media, urging the government and the police force to produce the "abducted" activists.

READ: Congress asked to probe alleged abduction of 2 environmental defenders

The task force, however, dismissed their claims and said those were just "propaganda" against the state.

It added that the two female activists left the communist movement to return to their normal lives with their families.

The video also showed Tamano and Castro were visited by officials of the Commission on Human Rights.

READ: Groups claim state forces behind abduction of 2 women activists; PNP, AFP belie claim

Castro's mother, rights groups call for immediate release

But Castro's mother Rose refuted the claim that no report of a missing person was filed, saying they learned about the disappearance a day after the incident.

"Agaran kaming nag-report sa pulis ng Orion [We immediately reported it to the Orion police]," she told a news conference on Saturday. She added that she also contacted for help a certain Justin Gutierrez, who previously introduced himself as military personnel when he visited their home looking for Jolina.

"Hindi niya agad ako sinagot, at sa pagtawag kinabukasan, wala man lang inialok na tulong," she said. "Hindi pa rin siya kumokontak sa amin hanggang ngayon."

[Translation: He did not answer my call immediately. When he picked up the call the next day, he did not even offer help. He has not contacted us until now.]

Castro's mother expressed alarm that the government did not notify them that her daughter was already under their custody. She said the family only learned about it when the NTF-ELCAC streamed the news conference on its Facebook page on Friday.

Bataan Provincial Police's chief public information officer PCapt Carlito Buco Jr., National Security Council Assistant Director General and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya, and Tamano's father, Enrique, joined the news conference.

In the video, Tamano's parents were also seen present during the alleged surrender of the activists.

"Alam naman nila kung saan kami nakatira," she said. "Malimit nga po silang nagpapadala ng tao sa amin, mga nagpapakilalang sundalo o bahagi ng NTF-ELCAC na parating hinahanap si Jonila."

[Translation: They know where we live. They frequently send personnel to our area, who were introducing themselves as military personnel or part of the NTF-ELCAC looking for Jonila.]

Rose, along with human rights groups AKAP Ka Manila Bay, Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment, Promotion for Church Peoples' Response, and Karapatan called for the immediate release of the two activists from government custody.

"We demand the immediate safe release of Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano with no legal reason for state authorities to detain them, they should be released to their families immediately," the groups said in a joint statement on Friday.

They added that the affidavits and statements of Castro and Tamano remain in doubt as these were done under military custody.

The groups also said the absence of the two activists in a joint press conference of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the NTF-ELCAC on Friday only showed authorities were not prepared to present them to the media for questioning.

"The NTF-ELCAC and PNP have failed to prove that no abduction took place," the statement read.

"Unless and until Jonila and Jhed are allowed to speak freely outside of the military's custody, there can be no assurance that their statements are authentic and not delivered under duress," it added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 16)  The country's overall crime rate has posted a decrease of 7.84% from Jan. 1 to Sept. 15 this year compared to the same period last year, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen Benjamin Acorda told a forum on Saturday.

Acorda reported the year-to-date recorded cases were at 140,778, which was 11,975 fewer than 152,753 cases logged in the same period in 2022.

He said the PNP has arrested a total of 54,653 individuals, including 56 wanted persons with rewards, while 34,404 firearms have been confiscated.

Since the start of the year, the PNP also seized over 7.2 billion worth of illegal drugs through 34,496 police operations, according to Acorda.

"However, we acknowledge that there are instances of misconduct and we are taking decisive actions to address them," he also said, adding that the PNP "remains steadfast" in its commitment to cleansing its ranks.

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24 police personnel test positive for illegal drugs  PNP

"From Jan. 1, 2022 to Aug. 30, 2023, we have resolved 4,082 cases involving our personnel resulting in appropriate penalties and disciplinary actions," the PNP chief also said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 16)  The Philippines is ready to send a humanitarian mission to Morocco after the recent magnitude 6.8 earthquake that killed thousands in the country, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said Saturday.

In a statement, Civil Defense Administrator and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said the country sympathizes with all affected communities in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco.

"We are looking into the possible deployment of the Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent (PIAHC) to Morocco. The OCD, as the executive arm of NDRRMC, is already making arrangements for this," he said.

More than 2,000 people died after the powerful earthquake struck on Sept. 8. It was the strongest in more than a century, with the epicenter not far from the popular tourist and economic hub Marrakech.

"We are deeply saddened by the aftermath of the earthquake that hit Morocco. We want to assure Morocco that the Philippines is more than willing to extend assistance to support the ongoing response operations. We are organizing a humanitarian contingent for possible deployment," Nepomuceno added.

READ: What we know about the Morocco earthquake

The team will include personnel from the OCD, 525th Engineering Combat Battalion-Philippine Army, 505th Search and Rescue Group-Philippine Air Force, Bureau of Fire Protection-Special Rescue Unit, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Davao Rescue 911, and the Department of Health.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 16)  Surigao del Norte's governor and House Representative are offering their province as a possible Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) site, citing its "distinct advantage" for the United States and Armed Forces of the Philippines.

In a statement, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers and brother Gov. Lyndon Barbers said they are inviting the military to inspect the province situated on the northeastern tip of Mindanao, and consider adding an EDCA site.

"It has a distinct advantage as it is openly facing the Pacific Ocean yet has an outlet to the West Philippine Sea. The ships can traverse the country from East to West and vice-versa without needing to circle around. This is a very strategic advantage," Rep. Barbers said.

"Setting up an EDCA base would benefit not only the province but the whole eastern regions of the Visayas and Mindanao," Gov. Barbers added.

They said the province will also benefit from "economic prosperity," adding that residents will "have nothing to worry about" as the military presence would "discourage any hostile activity."

A US military official earlier said Manila and Washington are looking into the possibility of creating new EDCA sites in the Philippines on top of the existing nine.

The establishment of four new EDCA sites earlier this year enraged China, which accused the US of endangering peace in the Indo-Pacific region. Beijing added that the western superpower would use the EDCA sites to interfere with China's operations in the Taiwan Strait.
Durga Puja in Singapore: Bengali community returns to the festival with themes of sustainability, equality, inclusivity

The theme of sustainability has joined the two original themes equality and inclusivity in Durga Puja 2023 celebrated by the Singapore Indian Puja Association (SIPA). The Association, which describes itself as the living embodiment of a mission rooted in Solidarity, Inclusivity, Positivity, and Affability, has integrated sustainability in every aspect of its Durga Puja celebrations.

The venue for the SIPA celebrations is the Singapore Sindhi Association and the Durga Puja 2023 dates are October 20 to October 24. Photo courtesy: SIPA

Though it needs no introductions, having been celebrated for centuries, Durga Puja  or, simply, Pujo to everyone everywhere who speaks Bengali  has made even more headlines ever since it was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2021.

Durga Puja 2022 was special for SIPA as Singapore lifted all pandemic-related restrictions from April, and that momentum has been carried forward in Durga Puja 2023. Family reunions are a big part of Pujo for Bengali diaspora across the world, and Bengalis in Singapore are looking forward to that as well.

Durga Puja 2023 will be the second year of post-pandemic pujo, [and] were hoping to see more senior citizens during this pujo as many will be able to invite their parents to join them for Durga Puja in Singapore, said Shirshendu Bhattacharya, one of the senior office-bearers of SIPA, in an interview with Connected to India.

Dhunuchi naach (women dancing with an incense holder to the beat of dhak, or the traditional drums) is one of the highlights of the evening aarti, offered daily during Durga Puja. Photo courtesy: SIPA

Highlighting the sustainability aspect of its celebrations, SIPA said, Our commitment to the environment mirrors our dedication to positivity. By reusing last years idol, we honour tradition and minimise our carbon footprint. Were eliminating single-use plastics, offering filtered water refills, and encouraging attendees to bring tiffin boxes. Prasad (food offered first to the deity and then distributed among the worshippers) will be served on eco-friendly shalpata (tree leaves crafted to make plates).

These are admirable measures, because Durga Puja, splendid and artistic though it is, also generates a lot of non-biodegradable waste, including disposable plastic glasses. SIPA is taking care to see that its Pujo sends out a different message.

Socialising and eating sweets and savouries are the two fun things to do during Durga Puja. Photo courtesy: SIPA

This year, SIPA has got a hearty shoutout from the eminent Indian quizmaster Siddhartha Basu, host of Quiz Time, a landmark show on Indian television, and later of Mastermind India and University Challenge. Basu, who is of Bengali ethnicity, has created a Durga Puja quiz for SIPA and commended the Association on a special video. The video will be officially unveiled by SIPA closer to the Durga Puja dates.

The venue for the SIPA celebrations is the Singapore Sindhi Association and the Durga Puja 2023 dates are October 20 to October 24. Incidentally, the eastern Indian (Bengali) festival of Durga Puja runs concurrently with the northern Indian festival of Navratri (nine nights). Durga Puja is traditionally celebrated for five days, from Shashthi (sixth day) to Bijoya Dashami (tenth day), which is on the same day as Dussehra, the conclusion of Navratri.

Everyone dancing to the beats of dhak. Photo courtesy: SIPA

While the celebrations in India follow the panjika (almanac), organisers overseas sometimes shift their festivities to catch the weekend closest to the actual Durga Puja dates, in order to maximise the community participation. SIPA is following the almanac dates; Saptami (seventh day) and Ashtami (eighth day) of this years Puja are already falling on Saturday and Sunday.

SIPA is a very new organisation; Durga Puja 2023 would be our second Puja, said Bhattacharya. In our first year of Durga Puja, we were able to welcome people from different parts of the [Singapore] community  we had a healthy participation from Odisha, North East, and the northern part of India, and also from the Sindhi community.

In its second year, the Durga Puja festivities by SIPA are set for an even greater degree of community participation.
Ovidio Guzman-Lopez: Mexican drug lord El Chapo's son extradited to US

The US Attorney General has said Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, has been extradited from Mexico to the United States on drug trafficking charges.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez extradited from Mexico to the USA. www.state.gov

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement: "Today, as a result of United States and Mexico law enforcement cooperation, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel was extradited to the United States."

"This action is the most recent step in the Justice Departments effort to attack every aspect of the cartels operations. The fight against the cartels has involved incredible courage by United States law enforcement and Mexican law enforcement and military service members, many of whom have given their lives in the pursuit of justice," he said.

He thanked the Mexican government for the extradition of Ovidio Guzman Lopez.

"The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country," he said.

Guzman was flown to Chicago and landed Friday afternoon, Northern District of Illinois Assistant US Attorney Joseph D. Fitzpatrick told CNN.

The Mexican authorities arrested Ovidio Guzman Lopez in January this year from the northern state of Sinaloa.



He has been in custody since then.



The US government was seeking his extradition over drug trafficking.



Guzman had previously been arrested in October 2019, but was released on the orders of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to avoid bloodshed, and subsequently went into hiding until his arrest in 2023, a CNN report said.



Meanwhile, Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of El Chapo, was recently released from US prison.

She was released after serving nearly two years in drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

We can confirm Emma Coronel Aispuro released from the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) today, September 13, 2023, Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Randilee Giamusso told CNN in an email.


One person does something bad, and so we pass a new law, to forbid anyone else from trying that same thing. That may not be the most thoughtful path toward creating a legal code, but its a routine way of doing things.

Sometimes, though, when we pass a reactive law, were not worried about that crime becoming a trend. We just want to keep our thumb on that one guy. This was the inspiration behind, for example...

5 Ohios Urine Collection Law In 2008, a 56-year-old man named Alan David Patton was caught collecting urine from a bathroom in a park in Dublin, Ohio. Patton was already a convicted sex criminal, so he clearly had something disgusting in mind for the collected urine, even more disgusting than the general concept of public bathroom urine. CDC He probably wasnt checking COVID levels. Authorities charged him with criminal mischief. This broad and ill-defined law landed him a maximum of 60 days in jail, which really didnt seem enough for this weird freak. So, they came up with a new law. Ohio now made it illegal for anyone for to collect bodily substances without consent and for non-medical purposes. The new penalty for this new crime? Six months in prison. Sure enough, three years later, they managed to nab that scamp Alan for trying his old tricks again. This time, hed clogged up a Burger Kings bathroom to keep anyone from flushing, then he ducked in and scooped up some prime urine, spiriting the stuff away in a Burger King bag. Commendably, he made it a point to clear the clog once hed collected that bounty, which meant he left this fast-food bathroom in a better state than most non-trapped counterparts. WooolalaShop/Etsy Officers became suspicious when they noticed his bag didnt smell gross. Advertisement Soon, Patton was in court facing the urine collection charge. His lawyer called the charge a joke, brought in no witnesses, assumed the judge would chuck the case out and was right. The judge found Patton guilty of another criminal mischief offense but not guilty of the dubious bodily substances crime, which had been written just for Patton. The judge did ban Patton from visiting public restrooms, though, just in case he unclogged any more toilets and rendered them usable.

4 The Right to Detain Greg Australian man Greg Kable stabbed his wife to death in 1989. Not cool, Greg. Thanks to some allegedly extenuating circumstances around the sort of argument they were having at the time, he was able to plead guilty to manslaughter. This meant only a couple years in prison. While in there, he was not quite a model prisoner, writing threatening letters to his wifes family, who were caring for his kids while he was away. This counted as a crime and meant an extension to his sentence, but still, he was due for release after five and a half years total. Advertisement His scheduled release came in 1995 and happened to coincide with a state election. Two parties were competing  the Liberal-National Coalition, who were running on a Law and Order platform, and Labor, who were also running on a Law and Order platform. Apparently, the entire world was cracking jokes about Australians all descending from criminals, and the politicians decided a little overcompensation was in needed. Kgbo/Wiki Commons Now, people joke about Australia being fascist. Much better. Advertisement The sitting Parliament passed a new order called the Community Protection Act. If a prisoner due for release was deemed a danger to the public, said the order, they would keep him in prison until they were satisfied he wasnt. Other countries have something similar when considering a prisoner for early release, but they normally cant keep someone in prison beyond their maximum sentence simply because they fear what that prisoner may do. They can only be imprisoned for the crimes they have committed. Thats how sentencing works. Advertisement Obviously, a law such as this one could lead to all kinds of abuse, being applied to various criminals in an arbitrary or discriminatory manner. Fortunately for all future prisoners, New South Wales amended the act to limit its scope. Now, it would only apply to Greg Kable, specifically. Problem solved! Walt Disney Pictures If authentic, this photo of Kable does reveal him to be dangerous. Not exactly, said the High Court, who went on to rule the act unconstitutional. Kable then spent the next 18 years suing the government till a court ruled that they owed him compensation for the additional prison theyd subjected him to.

3 Banning One Kid from Talking About Grass The most formal, institutionalized version of these laws were talking about, which target one single person, came out of the U.K., starting in 1998. They were called anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs), and they lasted till 2014. Police would observe one person engaging in anti-social behavior and then craft a specific prohibition on that one persons activity. If youre unfamiliar with the term anti-social behavior, good, because its a stupid term. With ASBOs, the anti-social actions included such varied stuff as rudeness, racism, begging and loitering. Antony McCallum Thats right. Lollygagging. Advertisement Advertisement Sometimes, this made sense. For example, a 26-year-old was brought up for repeatedly playing Do They Know Its Christmas to annoy his neighbors, an offense that ought lead to life in prison. They issued him an ASBO saying he must not play more loud music. The orders could get a lot more ridiculous, however. A 16-year-old was banned from showing his tattoos. The court could not remove his tattoos, but they banned him from showing them to anyone. A 21-year-old was banned from entering any car park, riding a bicycle or wearing a hat. Two other miscreants were banned from any school grounds unless they were attending a class. These last guys werent sexual predators, if thats what youre picturing. They were brothers, aged 10 and 11, who had been observed throwing stones and lighting gasoline with matches. via BBC Clearly a matter for the court system. Advertisement Perhaps it sounds like the authorities never enforced these orders. They did. Consider, for instance, an 18-year-old forbidden from congregating with three or more other youths, to deter gang activity. They caught him entering a youth club that was holding a session on combatting anti-social behavior. They arrested him. Or consider the woman booked for solicitation and then given an ASBO banning her from carrying condoms. Youd think her dispensing with condoms would worsen things for everyone, but they caught her with condoms later and found her guilty. Then there was the 26-year-old given an ASBO banning him from begging. He violated it and spent two years in jail, then three additional years after begging again. Begging is legal, by the way, absent an ASBO. The silliest ASBO may have been given to a 13-year-old. It forbade him from saying the word grass. Of course, this was because grass is slang, for something unrelated to lawns, but that doesnt make a law forbidding him from saying the word any more sensible. At least when some offenders wound up in court, the judge would refuse to punish them. An ASBO from 2003 forbade an 87-year-old man from being sarcastic to his neighbors. He was arrested for violating the order three separate times, but the judge was not interested in putting him behind bars. Advertisement Advertisement

2 An Anti-Armstrong Law The burgh of Langholm in Scotland has a law on the books that says any Armstrong who enters the town must be hanged. Wow, thats not a very nice law. Which Armstrong sparked this law, and what did he do exactly? Roger/Flickr We bet it was this guy, wasnt it? The Armstrong was Johnnie Armstrong, who lived in the 16th century. The English remember him as a criminal due to his habit of raiding England, while the Scottish remember him as a folk hero, due to his habit of raiding England. In 1530, James V  that was the King of Scotland, not of England  figured Johnnie was getting a little rich for comfort. He rode out to Langholm to eliminate the problem. Advertisement What wants yon knave that a king might lack? said James, when the two met. This sounds like some old-timey riddle, the kind where the answer is always something to do with penises, but the real punchline to this exchange was James men hanged Armstrong, along with all his compatriots. To further put an end to the Armstrong clan, the king made sure Langholm got a law keeping Armstrongs out from then on. Farmer Erik/Wiki Commons RIP Johnnie. We hardly knew ye. Wed probably never know about this old law. Except, in 1972, Langholm received a famous visitor: astronaut Neil Armstrong. Neil wanted to find the homeland of the Armstrong clan, and while there, someone presented him with a copy of the law, so he could read it out. We can find no reports saying the town then immediately hanged him dead, but because no one is above the law, we have to assume they did exactly that. Advertisement Advertisement
Likewise, the Head of State paid tribute to the work promoted by Father Ugo de Censi, who has lifted part of the population in said area out of poverty.

The award was rendered in favor of the aforementioned diocese, represented by its Vicar General Walter Flores and its Auxiliary Bishop, Monsignor Giorgio Barbetta.

In their speeches, both Barbetta and President Boluarte highlighted the role that the late Salesian priest, Ugo de Censi, played in that part of the country mainly in the town of Chacas in favor of the most disadvantaged population.

In her address, the top official pointed out that the aforementioned representative of the Catholic Church left a mark through his speeches, schools, and artistic training workshops.

Remarkable work

Mrs. Boluarte stated that De Censi and his followers developed "the largest process of social inclusion that Peru has ever experienced, without State intervention."

This has been achieved by raising the standard of living in the local farming population, through an increase in the productivity of potatoes and the production of dairy products.

In this regard, the dignitary pledged to visit Chacas soon in order to confirm this social phenomenon in situ.

The top official also affirmed that she will visit the shelters in the Cordillera Blanca (White Mountain Range), which provide accommodation to visitors and athletes.

? En merito a su destacada labor en favor de la comunidad, la presidenta Dina Boluarte entrego la condecoracion Medalla al Merito Ciudadano a la Diocesis de Huari y a monsenor Giorgio Barbetta Manzocchi, obispo auxiliar de la referida diocesis. pic.twitter.com/Xt81Kl8kbr
Full text: Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Zambia on Establishing the Comprehensive Strategic and Cooperative Partnership

Xinhua) 10:53, September 16, 2023

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The People's Republic of China and the Republic of Zambia on Friday issued a joint statement on establishing a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

The following is the full text of the statement:

The Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Zambia on Establishing the Comprehensive Strategic and Cooperative Partnership

At the invitation of President Xi Jinping of the People's Republic of China, President Hakainde Hichilema of the Republic of Zambia paid a State Visit to the People's Republic of China on 10-16 September 2023.

During the Visit, the two Heads of State held talks in a cordial and friendly atmosphere, where they had in-depth exchange of views on China-Zambia relations, China-Africa relations and international and regional issues of mutual interest and reached extensive and important consensus. Premier Li Qiang of the State Council and Chairman Zhao Leji of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China held separate meetings with President Hichilema.

The two Heads of State valued the all-weather friendship between the two countries developed by the older generation of leadership and commended their close political and economic cooperation since the establishment of their diplomatic relations, especially since the relationship entered a new era. The two Heads of State decided to upgrade the bilateral relationship to Comprehensive Strategic and Cooperative Partnership.

1. On jointly building a community with a shared future for mankind

China and Zambia support each other in international affairs, as role models in safeguarding the common interests of developing countries and international equity and justice and active contributors to regional and global peace and development.

(1) The two sides reaffirmed the commitment to real multilateralism, safeguard the UN-centered international system, the international-law-based international order and basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, uphold solidarity and cooperation in the international community, advocate the common values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom shared by humanity and work for a community with a shared future for mankind.

(2) The two sides reiterated their support for the UN authority, agreed that it is necessary to reform the UN and its Security Council to allow for a bigger role of the developing countries, support improved representation and a bigger say of Africa in the Security Council and rectify the historical injustice to Africa. The Zambian side reiterated the importance of the Ezulwini Consensus and thanked China for being the first G20 country to support the AU in joining the group.

(3) The two sides recognized the importance of exploring their own paths to democracy suited to the needs of their people on the basis of their own national realities.

(4) The two sides agreed that human rights are a cause shared by mankind, and that countries should regard the right to existence and development as the most important part of fundamental human rights, and the countries should improve their human rights situation based on their own national realities and the will of their people. Human rights exchanges and cooperation should be conducted on the basis of mutual respect and equality.

(5) The two sides agreed that climate change is a challenge facing humanity and that the international community needs to collectively respond to the challenges. The developed countries shoulder inescapable historical responsibilities over climate change, and should, therefore, take the lead in undertaking emission reductions obligations by a large margin and faithfully honor their commitment to the developing countries regarding financial, technical and capacity-building support.

(6) The Zambian side thanked the Chinese side for the key role it played in the Zambian debt restructuring process as Co-chair of the Official Creditors' Committee under the G20 Common Framework. They further expressed appreciation at the efforts that the Chinese side continues to make for a sustainable solution.

(7) The two sides appreciated the important role played by the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in advancing China-Africa comprehensive strategic partnership, agreed to step up consultations and coordination on FOCAC affairs and jointly implement practical cooperation in all areas under the framework of the Dakar Action Plan (2022-2024).

2. On deepening high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)

(8) Based on the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Zambia on Cooperation within the Framework of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative signed in 2018, the two sides will deepen high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), promote practical cooperation in related areas to achieve more fruitful results, and jointly safeguard the safety of cooperation projects and personnel of enterprises of both sides. The Zambian side highly appreciated the positive role that the BRI had played in promoting national economic development and people's livelihood improvement of the relevant countries since it came into being 10 years ago and wished the 3rd Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation a complete success. Zambia stands ready to step up efforts to develop a synergy between its 8th National Development Plan and the BRI to promote win-win cooperation and common development.

(9) The two sides will establish a green development strategic partnership and enhance cooperation on environmental protection, combating climate change, green economy, and emergency risk response mechanism, among others. The two sides will deepen mutually beneficial cooperation on renewable energy such as photovoltaic power, and electric vehicle industries to promote energy transition and ensure energy security. The Zambian side applauded the Chinese efforts, determination and actions to pursue green and low-carbon development and to participate actively in international cooperation against climate change, and will take them as an opportunity to advance relevant cooperation between the two sides.

(10) The two sides will enhance mutually beneficial cooperation in mineral exploration and mining and industries aimed at value addition. The Zambian side invited Chinese mining businesses to continue active participation in the mining sector. The Chinese side encourages Chinese businesses to invest in Zambia's new-energy battery value chain development so as to support Zambia's efforts to upscale industrial chains and boost its capability for independent development.

(11) At the request of the Zambian side, the Chinese side is ready to support the upgrade and renovation of the TAZARA Railway in line with market and commercial principles.

(12) The two sides welcomed the participation of Chinese businesses in infrastructure development in Zambia through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and other models.

3. On implementing the Global Development Initiative

China and Zambia are active and important forces for international peace and development. Taking the lead in implementing the Global Development Initiative is a concrete step towards further enhancing the bilateral relations.

(13) The Zambian side expressed once again warm congratulations on the success of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), and on the re-election of H.E. Xi Jinping as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the People's Republic of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission. The Zambian side commended China for the great achievements made in the past 10 years of the new era, and recognized that Chinese modernization has created a new model of human advancement which has provided a new option for other developing countries to independently pursue modernization and explore diverse paths towards modernization. The Zambian side stands ready to learn from China's successful experience in its modernization endeavors, and fully believes that under the leadership of the CPC, China will build itself into a great modern socialist country in all aspects, achieve the 2nd centenary goal, and advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation through Chinese modernization.

(14) The Chinese side applauded Zambia's historic political stability and peaceful and friendly relations with countries in the region, and commended its achievements in economic development and improvement of people's livelihood under President Hichilema's leadership. The Chinese side believes that under President Hichilema's leadership, Zambia will fully implement the 8th National Development Plan and attain economic transformation in order to deliver a better life for its people. The Chinese side recognized that President Hichilema will play a bigger and more positive role in safeguarding regional and global peace and development. In this regard, President Xi expressed congratulations on and support for President Hichilema's assumption to the Chair of COMESA as well as the Chair of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation.

(15) The Chinese side reaffirmed its relentless support for the Zambian people's independent choice of development path suited to its national conditions, and for Zambia's efforts to safeguard national independence, sovereignty, security and development interests. The Zambian side reaffirmed its firm adherence to the One-China Principle, recognized that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, and the Zambian side firmly supports the Chinese government's efforts to achieve national reunification. The Zambian side supports China's legitimate measures to safeguard the prosperity and stability of Xinjiang, Xizang and Hong Kong, believes that China is capable of safeguarding its national sovereignty and security and opposes any comments or actions that undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

(16) The Zambian side appreciated the Global Development Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping, which has steered countries to put development back to the core of the international agenda and accelerated the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Chinese side welcomed Zambia's new membership in the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative, and the two sides will promote practical cooperation in various fields under the framework of the Global Development Initiative.

(17) The two sides noted that the year 2024 marks Zambia's 60th anniversary of independence as well as the 60th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties. The commemoration should be an opportunity to bring into full play the political leading role of the head-of-state diplomacy, keep the momentum of high-level exchanges and dialogue, enhance political mutual trust and consolidate the political foundation for the bilateral relations. The two sides stressed that mutual respect, equality and common development are important principles of China-Zambia relations.

The two sides agreed that it would be in the fundamental interests of the two peoples of China and Zambia if they were to enhance practical cooperation and strengthen economic ties. The two sides agreed to designate 2024 as the Year of Business Cooperation.

(18) The two sides will enhance trade cooperation. The Chinese side will invite Zambia to continuously participate in the China International Import Expo. The Chinese side will actively explore the possibility of providing market access to more Zambian products and provide facilitation for holding trade promotion events in China. The Zambian side expressed gratitude towards China for the invitation and appreciation for the series of important measures of China on high-level opening-up. China supports the development of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

(19) The two sides will enhance investment cooperation. The two sides agreed to establish an investment cooperation working group mechanism to promote investment cooperation in areas such as digital economy and green development. The Chinese side encourages more Chinese businesses to invest in Zambia's manufacturing sector through partnerships in order to create more jobs and fulfill social responsibilities. The Zambian side will, by establishing one-stop service platforms and other means, further improve its business environment and provide facilitation for Chinese businesses' investment and operation in Zambia. The two sides will strengthen the development of economic cooperation zones, support the upgrading of those economic cooperation zones in Zambia into industrial chain and supply chain cooperation demonstration zones, and the Chinese side will support Zambia's investment promotion activities in China for the relevant zones.

(20) The two sides will implement the Joint Statement on Deepening Agricultural Cooperation and Ensuring Food Security. The Zambian side will provide necessary support for Chinese investment in Zambia's agriculture sector. The Chinese side encourages Chinese businesses to participate in cooperation throughout the industrial chains of agricultural products and invest in production of fertilizers, pesticides and agricultural machinery in Zambia.

(21) The two sides encourage greater use of national currencies in trade and investment, and help businesses of both countries reduce costs of currency exchange and lower exchange rate risks. The two sides will also create a favorable policy environment for promoting settlements in local currencies and support a greater role of the Chinese Renminbi (RMB) settlement bank in Zambia.

(22) The two sides recognized that a redeveloped Mulungushi Textiles factory with modern efficient technology will align with the Zambian Government's development strategy of industrialization and promotion of agro-processing and value-added exports to China, which also creates jobs and alleviates poverty, especially among the rural communities engaged in cotton growing. The Chinese side encourages well-established Chinese businesses to advance the relevant work in line with market principles.

4. On implementing the Global Security Initiative

The Zambian side supports the Global Security Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping. China and Zambia are ready to jointly implement the Global Security Initiative and contribute to the promotion of lasting peace and development in the world.

(23) The two sides appreciated each other's positive contribution to maintaining regional and world peace and stability. They agreed that all countries should stay committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, adhering to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously, peacefully resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue, and maintaining security in both traditional and non-traditional domains.

(24) The two sides agreed to commit to protection of the safety and lawful rights and interests of each other's citizens and institutions on their territories.

(25) The two sides will further strengthen exchanges and cooperation on peace and security, intensify high-level exchanges between their military forces, and strengthen cooperation in the areas of personnel training, combating transnational crimes, military medicine, equipment and technologies, etc. China will continue to send military medical expert teams to Zambia.

(26) The Zambian side appreciates China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis proposed by the Chinese side. The Chinese side appreciates that President Hichilema and other African leaders formed a peace mission to visit Russia and Ukraine and put forward the African Peace Initiative. The two sides agreed that dialogue and negotiations are the only viable solution and that all efforts conducive to the peaceful settlement of the crisis must be encouraged and supported. The two sides call on the international community to jointly address the spillover effects in food, energy, finance, transportation and other fields, and reduce the negative impact of the crisis on the developing world, especially on African countries. The two sides call on more countries to play a constructive role in the peaceful settlement of the crisis.

(27) The two sides support the cooperation in addressing climate change and maintaining stable and smooth supply and industrial chains, and avoid the politicization and weaponization of energy and food security issues, so as to maintain smooth supply and price stability of energy and food.

5. On implementing the Global Civilization Initiative

The two sides recognized that all countries are faced with common challenges in the pursuit of peace, development and modernization that call for unity, collaboration and dialogue, while division and confrontation still impede international solidarity and cooperation. The two sides agreed to take the lead in implementing the Global Civilization Initiative, by enhancing civilizational exchanges and amity between their peoples.

(28) The ruling parties of the two countries will strengthen party-to-party exchanges and cooperation based on the principles of independence, complete equality, mutual respect and non-interference in each other's internal affairs, by carrying out experience sharing activities in the field of party building and governance.

(29) The Zambian side supports the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping. The two sides applauded the cooperation results between the two countries in culture, tourism, education, public health, youth, think tanks, media and sports, and agreed to enhance cooperation in these fields. The two sides also decided to designate 2024 as the Year of Culture and Tourism.

(30) The Chinese side appreciated Zambia's visa-free policy for Chinese tourists. The Zambian side thanked China for listing Zambia as the second batch of pilot countries for outbound group tours by Chinese travel agencies and welcomed Chinese tourists to Zambia. The two sides agreed to further facilitate personnel exchanges between the two countries.

(31) The two sides will strengthen health cooperation. The Chinese side will continue to support Zambian public health system building and dispatch medical teams to Zambia. The Zambian side expressed gratitude for China's continued support in Zambia's health sector, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

(32) The two sides look forward to the opening of direct flight routes on an early date to further facilitate personnel exchanges.

The two sides agreed that President Hichilema's State Visit to China was a complete success and is of great significance to the development of China-Zambia relations and a high-level China-Africa community with a shared future. President Hichilema sincerely thanked President Xi and the Chinese Government and people for the warm hospitality. President Hichilema invited President Xi to visit Zambia in 2024 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie)
Ella was on holiday in the tourist hotspot of Dubrovnik when she fell

The family of an Aussie cop who suffered horrific injuries after a fall on a European holiday have lashed out at her insurance company for refusing to pay her claim.

Ella Cutler, 26, nearly died after falling 10m from a clifftop in Croatian tourist hotspot Dubrovnik on August 26, fracturing her skull and spine and puncturing both lungs.

Her family have revealed they were told her insurers would not cover her hospital bills or flight back to Australia because she had too much alcohol in her system.

We were told she had a five per cent chance of survival, mother Nicole Cutler told 7 News.

Then to hear the insurance company had let us down, we just went into complete and utter shock.

I cant even begin to explain what that was like. I had never anticipated that the insurance wouldnt help us to bring her home.

A video, shared on the WA Police social media accounts, also links to the GoFundMe campaign raising money to bring Ella back to Australia. Picture: Twitter / WA Police

Most insurance companies will cover you if you have alcohol in your system, but only up to a blood alcohol limit of around 0.19 per cent, according to the Insurance Council of Australia.

That works out to around four times the legal driving limit.

Ella had a blood-alcohol content of around 0.3 when she fell, according to local police.

RAC WA sold Ella her insurance, but a company called Tokio Marine handles and settles claims, according to 7 News.

With her insurers looking likely to refuse her claim, Ellas family have gone public with an appeal to raise the eye-watering $500,000 its estimated will be needed to cover her medical and travel bills.

Her brother Josh has launched a GoFundMe to help raise the money needed to bring the much loved daughter, sister to three brothers, devoted public servant, loving friend to many, and kind soul to everyone she meets home.

Ella, 25 from WA, fell from a wall in the tourist hotspot of Dubrovnik, Croatia

Ella is still recovering in a Croatian hospital. Picture: Twitter / WA Police

A 34-year-old Australian man who fell along with Ella was treated for a broken leg.

Dubrovnik attracts thousands of Aussie visitors each year and is perhaps best known as a filming location for hit TV series Game of Thrones.

Writing on the GoFundMe page, Josh praised the doctors who have treated Ella in Dubrovnik for their amazing care but said they have conveyed the importance of moving her to a bigger hospital with better facilities.

Story continues

They know the best thing for her is to be home where she can feel the full impact of the love from her family, friends, and community.

The world doesnt have enough Ellas, and it needs her.

Ellas colleagues in the WA police force shared a touching tribute to her on social media this week.

Ella is devoted to the community she serves. WA Police would like to thank the community for your support at this difficult time, text over the video reads.

The video, shared on social media, finishes with a still image of Ms Cutler, and the hashtag #BRINGELLAHOME.
Labour likes to claim it's on the side of hardworking people. However, its treatment of motorists shows it regards them with nothing but disdain.

First came London Mayor Sadiq Khan's hated Ulez expansion scheme, a pernicious stealth tax on those who can least afford it.

Now Labour's Welsh government will roll out blanket 20mph speed zones across the country  yet another cash cow masquerading as a public health service.

Wales's Corbynite First Minister Mark Drakeford, who has turned the principality into a laboratory for crackpot socialist ideas, insists his mass, virtue-signalling experiment will save lives.

In fact, there is every reason to believe the scheme will result in more accidents, not fewer. Drivers looking to avoid being caught out by speed cameras are more likely to be distracted by their speedometer. Meanwhile, slow traffic will prompt more overtaking, putting more road users at risk.

First came London Mayor Sadiq Khan's hated Ulez expansion scheme, a pernicious stealth tax on those who can least afford it

Moreover, the financial implications are set to be disastrous. Even the Welsh government's own assessments predict it could hit the economy by an eye-watering 9billion. Faced with such calamity, it's hard to disagree with Welsh Secretary David TC Davies, who describes Mr Drakeford's plans as 'beyond insane'.

Of course, nobody wants reckless driving, particularly in their neighbourhood.

Implementing 20mph limits around schools and other built-up areas is perfectly sensible.

But voters aren't stupid. They know a money spinner when they see one  as demonstrated by the furious backlash in recent weeks against Ulez.

If Rishi Sunak had any sense, he would take this opportunity to put some clear blue water between the two parties and call out this deranged ploy for what it really is: Highway robbery.

Starmer's all at sea

After months of trashing the Government, Sir Keir Starmer this week finally announced Labour's big idea to stop the small boats crossing the channel.

His bold strategy: Accept thousands more migrants from the EU in the vain hope that Brussels will graciously allow us to send back some of those with no legitimate right to be here.

Yet for all the fanfare surrounding the launch of his proposals, it's difficult to find anyone with a kind word to say about them. The Labour-supporting unions have condemned them, as have Left-leaning charities. Even some of Sir Keir's own backbenchers are reported to think the plans unworkable.

Meanwhile, his so-called friends in the European Union, whom he must have assumed would greet his offer of closer co-operation with open arms, have slammed his approach as 'delusional'.

Sir Keir cockily insists he is 'taking control' of the immigration situation. But if he can't even convince his own supporters to back his plans, what chance does he have with the rest of the country?

Sunak shows his steel

The move will not only secure future of Tata's Port Talbot steelworks but also thousands of jobs across the industry

For Britain to have any meaningful industrial strategy, a thriving steel industry remains crucial.

It is vital component for defence, building and all manner of manufacturing. If we can't make our own, we are at the mercy of foreign markets.

So two cheers, then, for the Prime Minister for putting together a 500million support package for Tata Steel that will help it transition to greener, more efficient production methods.

The move will not only secure future of Tata's Port Talbot steelworks but also thousands of jobs across the industry.

That said, the deal represents a vast investment. All concerned must now ensure this will be money well spent.
Rory Stewart is the Norma Desmond of our politics. In the 1950 film Sunset Boulevard, a character tells the one-time Hollywood diva: 'You used to be in silent pictures. You used to be big.' To which Norma drawls: 'I am big. It's the pictures that got small.'

Everyone loves Norma, so scented and actressy, so certain of her greatness. And everyone, we are told, loves Rory. So civilised. So centrist!

Stewart, 50, is the former Conservative Cabinet Minister who was almost the last person to defend Theresa May's premiership and then tried to become Prime Minister before he lost his parliamentary career over Brexit.

In recent weeks, he has been filling theatres doing a double-act with his podcast colleague Alastair Campbell, and last week he published a volume of memoirs about his nine years at Westminster.

The book is vivid and funny, taking us behind the arras and describing the mad steeplechase of ministerial life.

Rory Stewart (pictured), 50, is the former Conservative Cabinet Minister who was almost the last person to defend Theresa May's premiership and then tried to become Prime Minister before he lost his parliamentary career over Brexit

MPs treat each other with casual treachery. Senior civil servants, among them the appalling Simon (now Lord) McDonald of the Foreign Office and a comically snooty Sir Richard Heaton at the Justice Department, are beyond arrogant.

The person Rory really hates  hates, hates, hates  is his fellow Etonian Boris Johnson, who beat him to No 10.

And the person Rory loves? Himself.

All memoirs are self-absorbed but Politics On The Edge is so egomaniacal it should become a psychology textbook. The point of the book, Stewart writes, is to alert the nation to the deplorable condition of our body politic. 'Our Government and Parliament is now in a shameful state.'

His publisher adds: 'We all sense there is something profoundly broken about our politics and Rory is the writer to show us why.'

The first part of that assertion is plain wrong. Some of us feel that Parliament, despite its barnacles, is stronger than it was before 2016. But Stewart is certainly the perfect case study.

His petulance and disdain for vulgar democracy  he writes of 'the daily insolence of voters' and he fought to dilute Brexit  are what brought Westminster to its knees before we finally left the EU. Stewart claims to have been propelled by Europeanism but he writes comparatively little about the Leave v. Remain debate.

Before the referendum, he seemed unfazed. What spurred his subsequent Remoanerishness may simply have been his nakedly personal rivalry with Johnson.

Stewart, son of an MI6 officer, toyed with becoming an 'edgier sort of diplomat, a philosopher or a monk' before taking a tilt at politics. The end purpose was 'effecting fundamental change in our state and society', though quite what that change was, he does not explain.

'For God's sake don't become a Lib Dem,' said Paddy Ashdown, the great Lib Dem swami. 'Lib Dems get nothing done.' Labour was possibly too sweatily meritocratic for refined Rory.

Stewart (pictured above while he was working for the Ministry of Justice in 2018), son of an MI6 officer, toyed with becoming an 'edgier sort of diplomat, a philosopher or a monk' before taking a tilt at politics

And so he wangled himself an interview with David Cameron, then leader of the opposition, and begged for a seat.

His pitch to Cameron was that 'I cared. I didn't want to be rich or famous. The only thing that had ever really motivated me since I was a small child was the idea of public service.' Never wanted to be famous! Rory is impossible to dislike but, please, that claim is delusional.

The man is an elitist peacock, dropping names as freely as a potato lorry spilling spuds on a country corner.

Governors, prime ministers, ambassadors, even a king, are all 'old friends' and they lend him a halo of significance beyond his real achievements. He attends Bilderberg, which is like Davos but more exclusive and secretive.

He drops names like a potato lorry spilling spuds

And he is prone to stunts, be it melodramatically whipping off his necktie in a TV studio  the daftest moment yet in any TV election debate  or going on publicity-prone walks through Afghan deserts or through his Cumbrian constituency.

These are not, by themselves, bad things. As a parliamentary sketch writer, I love politicians who stand out from the dull crowd. But I don't want them laying claim to some sainted modesty.

His role model was Michael Ignatieff, a media celebrity and 'public intellectual' (an unlovely phrase Stewart likes) who became a politician in Canada. 'In politics, you earn your support one handshake at a time,' said Ignatieff. Stewart was too impatient for that.

In his first conversations with Cameron, he demanded a ministerial future. No sooner had he been elected MP for Penrith and The Border than he started musing about becoming PM.

In his first conversations with Cameron, Stewart (pictured above) demanded a ministerial future. No sooner had he been elected MP for Penrith and The Border than he started musing about becoming PM

His book mocks MPs for being careerist and abandoning their principles but he himself was one of the nodding donkeys who always crouched in the gangway at Prime Minister's Questions, the better to be seen on telly cheering hapless Mrs May.

Parliamentary politics is a team game imposed on solipsists. Most buckle down but Stewart thought he should be an exception.

Colleagues disliked his cockiness and one threatened to punch him after they disagreed over Iraq. Stewart claimed that an Iraq expert cited by the MP must be a nobody because Stewart had never heard of him.

Stewart does not name the would-be nose-puncher but it was clearly North Wiltshire's James Gray.

Last week, I asked Gray about the matter. The Middle East expert in question turns out to have been Gray's brother, who was head of the Foreign Office's Middle East department at the time of the Iraq war. Not such a nobody, after all.

Stewart is a gifted mimic and skilfully sends up the likes of Michael Gove (a slipperiness that is almost Gothic), Kwasi Kwarteng and Cameron's zany ideas man Steve Hilton.

There is a good detail about him arriving at the Culture Department to find that his predecessor as Minister, a lank-fringed Lib Dem, had left behind his plastic comb. The story is a tragi-comic capsule of ministerial pointlessness.

We learn, too, of a cabal of senior civil servants called 'the small group' who meet in secrecy to agree government policy. Mandarins repeatedly are shown to regard elected Ministers as tumbleweeds.

One-to-one encounters contain long passages of direct quotation. Unless Stewart made secret recordings, these must be invented.

How accurate is the book?

As the James Gray incident shows, there are two sides to every story. Stewart brandishes the sword of truth  'the place of ethics in politics', no less. That, along with his europhilia and loathing of Boris Johnson, is why he is now every BBC lefty's favourite 'Tory'.

He denounces Johnson as a sloppy liar and a danger to the nation. Fair enough. But anyone making such claims needs to think twice about forming a showbiz double-act with a notorious former New Labour boot-boy.

The book, incidentally, has quite a few factual errors, minor but surprising. It's almost as if Stewart could not be bothered to get other MPs' constituencies right. They're just little people, eh?

Colleagues dislike his cockiness - one threatened to punch him

David Cameron, who never trusted Stewart in politics, called him 'a modern Julian Amery'. Stewart notes that Amery was 'an exotic figure from another age, a friend of foreign potentates, on the wrong side of history over Suez'.

Ignatieff told Stewart that he was seen as 'a self-publicising adventurer, too vain and too naive'. Some will say it is to Stewart's credit that he includes such comments in his book. Others may suspect he is doing so precisely so that he can turn around and say 'see how self-aware I am'.

But is he?

He never grasps how much our national interest was weakened by Remain MPs trying to stop Brexit. Nor is there any recognition that his Boris complex may have been fuelled by their similarities: both eloquent, both a little chaotic, both madly ambitious, both Etonian, and both, regrettably, now out of Parliament.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepping down as working royals was one of the biggest scandals in modern monarchical history.

In what became known as 'Megxit' the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to part ways with the firm in early 2020 and in the three and half years since have launched Netflix and Spotify deal to a somewhat mixed success.

In his memoir Spare, Harry said that everyone from his parents to the Queen and Prince Philip referred to him and Prince William as 'the Heir and the Spare'.

And - perhaps in a bid to avoid Megxit round two - royal families from around the world have given their 'spares' more and more to do - even though some of them are still teenagers.

Princess Alexia of the Netherlands will likely never sit on the throne.

Princess Alexia of the Netherlands will likely never sit on the throne. The royal, who recently celebrated her 18th birthday, is the second child of Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.

The royal recently underwent her first solo engagement , as she christened the Vox Alexia, a ship by Dutch manufacture Van Oord, in Rotterdam

The royal, who recently celebrated her 18th birthday, is the second child of Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands.

Her eldest sister Catharina-Amalia is the heir - but that hasn't stopped the Dutch royals from making sure Amalia gets her time in the limelight.

The royal recently underwent her first solo engagement, as she christened the Vox Alexia, a ship by Dutch manufacture Van Oord, in Rotterdam.

Rather than shy away from the spotlight, the princess looked poised and professional throughout the solo event.

Following the christening, Alexia gave a tour of the ship and chat to the crew, as well as speak to members of the Young Van Oord association.

Alexia recently graduated from UWC Atlantic College in South Wales in May this year, with her parents travelling to the prestigious school to celebrate.

The school is often referred to as 'Hippie Hogwarts' thanks to its progressive approach to education and picturesque castle setting.

Meanwhile, the Spanish royal family have made a song and dance over their 'spare' Infanta Sofia attending the academy.

Meanwhile, the Spanish royal family have made a song and dance over their 'spare' Infanta Sofia attending the academy

At just 16, the teen isn't doing solo engagements just yet, but Queen Letizia and King Felipe were sure to share many snaps of her on her first day

At just 16, the teen isn't doing solo engagements just yet, but Queen Letizia and King Felipe were sure to share many snaps of her on her first day.

The royal family released photos of the King and Queen beaming as they posed with their daughter, who was sat on the boot of the vehicle.

Meanwhile, Princesses Leonor and Sofia have made appearances without their parents.

The sisters recently attended a workshop on innovation and creativity led by the Spanish chef Ferran Adria in Gironda in the Galicia region - without their parents.

Another teen royal coming to the forefront is Danish spare Princess Isabella, also 16.

While Queen Margrethe, 82, recently stripped titles from her youngest son Joachim's four children Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10 - Isabella, and her brother (the heir) Christian, kept their titles.

Last year, the Danish royal family assembled at Fredensborg Castle Church in Fredensborg, to mark Isabella's confirmation - with Crown Princess Mary and Prince Frederik joined by their four children.

She has also taken centre stage at the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen for her grandmother's birthday standing front and centre of all the shots.

The Spanish King and Queen beamed as they posed with their daughter, who was sat on the boot of the vehicle

Sofia, 16, left her residence at 'Prince Pavilion' near Zarzuela Palace to start school at the UWC Atlantic College in Wales

In snaps released yesterday by the palace, Sofia grinned as she walked through the grounds of the school in her casual checked shirt, black crop top and relaxed trousers

Sofia will follow in her sister's footsteps by attending the Welsh school, as Princess Leonor graduated with the International Baccalaureate from the UWC Atlantic College in May

Infanta Sofia of Spain, 16, appeared excited to start the new school year as she toured the grounds of Hippie Hogwarts in photographs released yesterday

In the photographs released yesterday, the teenager could be seen strolling around the grounds in her casual outfit

Another teen royal coming to the forefront is Danish spare Princess Isabella, also 16. While Queen Margrethe, 82, recently stripped titles from her youngest son Joachim's four children Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10 - Isabella, and her brother (the heir) Christian, kept their title

Unveiled: Princess Isabella wore a Max Mara blazer for her confirmation ceremony

Meanwhile, in Monaco 'Spares' Princess Caroline and Princess Stephanie often attend royal engagements.

Prince Albert, 65, attended the screening of the film Rainier III Par Lui Meme at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco to mark the centenary of his late father's birth.

He donned a suit as he smiled in front of the poster next to his sister, Princess Stephanie of Monaco, 58, who was joined by her son Louis Ducruet with his wife Marie, and daughter Camille Gottlieb .

Meanwhile, Princess Caroline , 66, came along with her elder son Andrea Casiraghi and his wife Tatiana Santo Domingo and her daughter Princess Alexandra of Hanover with her partner Ben Sylvester Strautmann.

In Sweden, Prince Carl Philip often attends royal gatherings.

This week the the handsome Prince and his wife Princess Sofia attended the State Opening of Parliament in Stockholm.

Interestingly, Prince Carl Philip was born an heir and then 'became a spare'.

Prince Albert was pictured alongside his sisters, Princess Stephanie of Monaco and Princess Caroline of Hanover

However, Princess Charlene, 45, was not at the event and their eight-year-old twin children Jacques and Gabriella, also did not appear to be there

The King of Sweden has said he felt it 'wasn't fair' that his daughter was made to heir-to-the-throne when a change in succession laws happened in 1980 - stripping his son of his position as King in waiting.

Crown Princess Victoria was two-years-old when the new law was introduced and updated the natural order of succession by stating that the eldest child, regardless of gender, should inherit the throne.

Up until then, her younger brother Carl Philip, who was seven months old, was meant to become King, because the previous law favoured male heirs.

However he was stripped of his Crown Prince title under the new law and Victoria became the heir apparent.

And in an interview released last year with local news channel SVT, the Swedish King, 76, said he felt it had been unfair to apply the new law to his children after they were already born

Also at the opening of parliament was Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, 44, and his wife, Princess Sofia, 38

When the King's first child Victoria was born in 1977, the law of succession meant that if the King had a son, she would be succeeded to the throne.

So when he was born in 1979, Carl Philip became the heir apparent.

However on January 1 1980, a change in the law stated that the first born child should be the heir, regardless of whether they were a boy or a girl.

It was decided that although the King's children were already born, the law would be applied to them retroactively, placing the future of the Monarchy in Victoria's hands and stripping Carl of his Crown Prince title.

Carl Gustaf opposed the decision at the time, and voiced that he still believes the decision to have been unfair in the recent interview.

Carl Gustaf said in the interview, which was recorded in the autumn, that his issue was with the fact that the law had been retroactively applied to Victoria and Carl Philip, when the prince was seven months old.

'It's tricky to have laws that work retroactively. It doesn't seem wise,' he said.

'You can accept the next generation  that's okay. But it was my son who was born, and they got rid of it all,' he said, adding: 'It's quite strange. You can't do that.'

When the interviewer asked him if it had been unfair to strip his son of his title after he'd already been born, he replied: 'Yes, I think so.'
It was a subtle tribute to the designer of her wedding gown: when the Princess of Wales discovered that Sarah Burton was stepping down this week as creative designer of Alexander McQueen, she donned a navy-blue suit by the fashion label.

She has the suit  a blazer and cigarette pants  in a variety of colours including white, black, and this summers ubiquitous colour  Barbie pink, as well as owning numerous gowns and coat dresses.

But it is Kates wedding dress that has become the calling card of the designer, who has gone onto be named Designer of the Year and receive an OBE.

Kate is believed to have chosen Sarah Burton to create the worlds most talked about dress after being impressed by the Alexander McQueen dress that fashion journalist Sara Buys wore for her marriage to the Queens son Tom Parker-Bowles in 2005.

Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship, the Palace said in a statement at the time of the wedding.

Heir comes the bride! Kate looked exquisite in her wedding dress on April 29, 2011

Kate being helped with her train by a footman as she and Prince William arrive at Buckingham Palace after the ceremony

This week, Kate opted for a blue Alexander McQueen suit during a royal engagement. And pictured right, designer Sarah Burton with her Officer of the British Empire (OBE) medal following an Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace

Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship, the Palace said in a statement at the time of the wedding

According to Burton, the dress was a 50/50 collaboration between the designer and the royal, who is believed to have been inspired by the frock that the late actress Grace Kelly wore to her 1956 wedding to Prince Albert of Monaco.

Kate visited the Grace Kelly  Style Icon exhibition about the Hollywood actress at the Victoria & Albert Museum in the year before her 2011 wedding and fashion pundits noticed parallels between the two gowns.

The dress, which featured a Victorian-style corset, which narrowed at the waist and was padded at the hips, underneath a lace bodice, was a closely guarded secret: the designer did not even tell her mother about it.

Even my mum called me and asked me: You would tell me, wouldn't you?, the designer revealed afterwards.

Kate is believed to have chosen Sarah Burton after being impressed by the Alexander McQueen dress that fashion Sara Buys wore for her marriage to Tom Parker-Bowles in 2005

Kate dazzled on her wedding dress in the stunning Alexander McQueen dress

The back of the gown, which had a modest train, of two metres and 70 centimetres, was finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons finished by Rouleau loops.

The lace was created by the Royal School of Needlework, which cut individual flowers  the rose, thistle, daffodil, and shamrock  from antique lace and appliqued them onto ivory silk tulle.

Embroiderer Amanda Ewing, who was part of the team that made the gown, said: We knew who it was for, but it was very secret. We had net curtains up, and cleaners were not allowed into the room and the code on the door was changed.

The back of the gown, which had a modest train, of two metres and 70 centimetres, was finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons finished by Rouleau loops

Kate visited the Grace Kelly  Style Icon exhibition about the Hollywood actress at the Victoria & Albert Museum in the year before her 2011 wedding and fashion pundits noticed parallels between the two gowns

Kate teamed the dress with a 1936 Cartier Halo tiara, loaned to her by the Queen  her something borrowed  and a pair of diamond earrings, created by the jeweller Robinson Pelham  her something new.

A gift from her parents, the drop earrings, which echo the Middleton family coat of arms, were shaped like oak leaves with a pave diamond acorn suspended in the middle.

Her wedding shoes, which were size five and a half, were made of ivory duchesse satin and adorned with lace and crafted by the Alexander McQueen team.

The late Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld said at the time: The dress is classic and goes very well in the Westminster decor. It almost reminds me of (Queen) Elizabeths wedding, the royal weddings in the Fifties.

The dress was believed to have been inspired by the frock that the late actress Grace Kelly wore to her 1956 wedding to Prince Albert of Monaco

Sarah Burton joined McQueen straight out of Central St Martins College in 1997  the first question Lee (as McQueen was known) asked her was: Do you believe in UFOs?

Sadly McQueen, who was her boss, friend, and mentor, committed suicide in 2010 and Burton reluctantly took over the helm.
Sofia Vergara is set to bring the staggering crimes of female drug baron Griselda Blanco to life in an upcoming Netflix drama.

The 51-year-old actress will assume the role of the ruthless Colombian businesswoman who created one of the most profitable cartels in history.

The career criminal, who was only five feet tall, was involved with pickpocketing and prostitution from a young age - but it didn't take long before her crimes began to escalate.

Having been plunged into the cocaine industry by her second husband, who she later killed, Griselda built a thriving drugs empire that saw her earning more than $80 million every month.

Griselda Blanco, who was only five feet tall, was involved with pickpocketing and prostitution from a young age - but it didn't take long before her crimes began to escalate

Sofia Vergara is set to bring the staggering crimes of the female drug baron to life in an upcoming Netflix drama (pictured)

Netflix is now gearing up to release its six-part drama that will explore ' Blanco's lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family'

She embraced her criminal persona - her nicknames were The Black Widow, The Godmother of Cocaine and The Boss - and was not afraid to flaunt her ill-gotten gains.

But things began to unravel after she was incarcerated as authorities sought to press charges against the devoted mother for more than 200 murders.

Griselda went on to serve 10 years behind bars before being deported back to Colombia where she was shot and killed aged 69 as she stepped out of a butcher's shop.

Netflix is now gearing up to release its six-part drama that will explore how 'Blanco's lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family'.

Ahead of its premiere, FEMAIL has laid bare the gruesome details of her crimes.

Griselda Blanco was forced into pickpocketing and prostitution from a young age before her crimes drastically escalated

Griselda Blanco, who was born in Santa Marta, Colombia, grew up in poverty and the lack of money forced her into a life of crime from an early age.

It was claimed that she got caught up on a path of pickpocketing and prostitution with rumors even circulating that she helped kidnap a small boy when she was just 11 years old.

The tale states that she then took it upon herself to fatally shoot the boy after his wealthy parents refused to pay the ransom.

It was claimed that Griselda got caught up on a path of pickpocketing and prostitution with rumors even circulating that she helped kidnap a small boy when she was just 11 years old

She went on to marry a small-time criminal when she was still a teen and the couple went on to have three children together.

The pair later divorced and she is said to have ordered her ex-husband's murder in the wake of their split.

But she went on to find love again with drug trafficker Alberto Bravo who soon got her caught up in the cocaine industry.

The couple used New York as their base as they smuggled drugs into the US - and Griselda appeared to have a knack for it.

Griselda had four sons Michael, Osvaldo, Uber and Dixon (pictured together) but was nicknamed the Black Widow

She used every trick in the book to ensure a profitable trade and her methods even included having lingerie made with secret compartments to hide drugs in.

But it was not all plain sailing.

Griselda soon found herself facing drugs charges and so fled to Columbia in 1975 to avoid US authorities.

Later that year, she began to suspect that Bravo was stealing money from her and the pair got caught up in a shoot out that resulted in his death.

Little detail is known about her third husband but he was also reportedly killed by her hand - earning her the Black Widow moniker.

The drugs baron started earning more than $80 million EVERY month - and was not afraid to flaunt it

By the late 1970s, Griselda had moved to back to the US and settled in Miami where she continued trading and became known as The Godmother of Cocaine.

She became increasingly protective of her illicit empire and sought to eliminate any competition by whatever means necessary.

Reflecting on the case in 1993, The Drug Enforcement Administration said: 'Griselda loved killings. Bodies lined the streets of Miami as a result of her feuds.

'She gathered around her a group of henchmen known as the Pistoleros. Initiation into the group was earned by killing someone and cutting off a body part as proof of the deed...

'She not only killed rivals and wayward lovers, but used murder as a means of cancelling debts she didn't want to pay. A particularly bloody massacre that took place in July 1979 in a Miami shopping center became known as the Dadeland Massacre.'

She also lived up to her persona as she even named her son Michael Corleone - after the crime boss in The Godfather film series with the first installment released in 1972

Griselda Blanco, who was born in Santa Marta, Colombia, grew up in poverty and the lack of money forced her into a life of crime from an early age

And, as a result, the drugs baron is believed to have been responsible for more than 200 deaths - usually carried out in broad daylight by gunmen on motorcycles.

The ruthless violence escalated in the area and plunged the state into an unsettled period coined as the 'Cocaine Cowboy Wars'.

But all the volatility ultimately worked in Griselda's favor.

As she continued to remove her competition from the market, she became one of the wealthiest drug traffickers in the world.

She smuggled more than three tons of cocaine into America every year and raked in more than $80 million per month, according to reports.

And the criminal mastermind did not shy away from outwardly splashing the cash, reportedly shelling out on luxury homes and hedonistic parties.

She also brazenly named her son Michael Corleone - after the crime boss in The Godfather film series with the first installment released in 1972.

Griselda's empire began to crumble before she was shot dead aged 69

Business began to take a downturn after Griselda was found guilty of drugs charges in 1985 and incarcerated.

She received the maximum sentence of 15 years but was still able to run her empire from behind bars.

However, the conviction spurred authorities to attempt to press additional charges against the career criminal - including more than 200 murders.

By 1994, one of her former hitmen - Jorge Ayala - agreed to testify against her and Griselda was charged with three murders.

One of them was that of a two-year-old boy who was fatally shot during a failed assassination attempt of his father - who was one of Griselda's former enforcers.

Business began to take a downturn after Griselda was found guilty of drugs charges in 1985 and incarcerated

The investigation stalled but the drug baron decided to plead guilty in 1998 in a bid to reduce her sentence.

Following her release after 10 years in prison, she was deported to Colombia where she is said to have 'retired' from her life of crime.

But it appeared her past caught up with her and, in 2012, Griselda was shot and killed as she stepped out of a butcher shop in Medellin aged 69.

She still ranks among the most notorious drug lords in history and has been a central figure in documentaries such Cocaine Cowboys (2006) and Cocaine Cowboys 2: Hustlin' with the Godmother (2008) - as well as film The Cocaine Godmother (2017) starring Catherine Zeta Jones.

Netflix's Griselda will be released in January 2024.
Princess Martha Louise of Norway is set to tie the knot to her American businessman partner in her home country next August.

The royal, 51, who describes herself as 'spiritual' and claims to be a clairvoyant, will wed Durek Verrett, who calls himself a 'shaman' at the Union Hotel in Geiranger on August 31, the couple announced on Instagram yesterday.

The announcement comes after several years of difficulty for the Norwegian royals which culminated in Princess Martha's decision to step down as a working member of the family - which she revealed has been filled with 'turmoil' (in a move labelled 'Norway's Megxit').

Eyebrows were raised when the Princess first began dating Verrett, who holds some controversial and pseudoscientific views, including that cancer in children can be caused by 'being unhappy'.

In an interview with the BBC earlier this year, she praised her parents, King Harald an Queen Sonja, for keeping the dialogue open while she made her decision and they worked out the details about how the arrangements would work.

Princess Martha Louise of Norway is set to tie the knot to her American businessman partner Durek Verrett (left) in her home country next August

The princess was previously married to Ari Behn, who she wed in 2002 and had three children together Maud Angelica, 19, Leah Isadora, 17, and Emma Tallulah, 14.

Ari had battled to marry Princess Martha after the pair faced heavy criticism because Mr Behn, a self-styled Bohemian author and artist, was not a traditional partner for a royal.

They married in a lavish ceremony at the historic Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim in 2002 but chose to flee to London ten years later following sustained scrutiny of their married life.

They began divorce proceedings in 2016 because, as Princess Martha said, they had 'grown apart from one another' and 'no longer meet like we did before'.

'We have tried everything over a long period of time, and when we still can't meet where we did before, it's impossible for us to continue,' she said reports Norway's News in English.

In an interview with the BBC this year Martha spoke about her first husband and the 'cristicism' he faced.

She said: 'His mental health depended a lot on him getting criticism in the media.

'But I am not saying it was anyone's fault. It is always how you handle criticism. The press took self-criticism after he died, that they were perhaps a little harsh towards him, and that he only received criticism and was actually a very nice person.'

After the divorce Mr Behn wrote a book Inferno, which critics described as 'oozing with despair and sadness' and describes his struggles with mental health, headaches, hallucinations and difficulty breathing.

The author, whose last book Inferno was described as 'oozing with despair and sadness', also said he feared he would not be around to raise his three daughters. He is pictured at their wedding in historic Trondheim cathedral in May 2002

Queen Sonja, King Harald and Princess Martha Louise attend the unveiling of Norwegian Trekking Association gift for The Queen of Norway 80th birthday in 2017

Promoting the literary work, he told Norwegian newspaper VG: 'I am yesterday's news, even though the world has not yet been told.

'I'm a clown, at worst. At best, I am a publicist and a public actor. For many I'm a fool.'

His words came nine years after a candid interview with Massiv magazine, where he predicted he would die alone and become 'more and more lonely'.

'I'm going to die without the company of anyone, but without being lonely and bitter,' he said. 'It's like I'm never really able to connect with anyone.'

Detailing his struggles, the former royal also revealed his 'bad habit' of drinking from 1.30pm and said it made him worry about his ability to be a good father.

The artist also caused controversy when he alleged Kevin Spacey had touched his balls under the table at a Nobel Peace Prize banquet in Oslo, held in 2007, during a radio interview held ten years later.

'We had a nice conversation, he was sat next to me,' he told radio station P4. 'After five minutes, he says 'Hey, let's go out and have a cigarette' - and then he touched me right on the balls under the table.'

He stopped the advances by saying 'eh, maybe later', he claimed.

Mr Behn and Princess Martha faced heavy criticism after marrying as he wasn't seen as a traditional partner for a royal. He is pictured with her on their wedding day at Trondheim cathedral in May 2002

In a heartbreaking interview years earlier, Mr Behn had also predicted he would 'die alone' and gradually get more and more lonely (He is pictured with Princess Martha in Sweden in 2015, a year before the pair began divorce proceedings)

The princess was previously married to Ari Behn, who she wed in 2002 . They split in 2016, and Ari took his own life on Christmas Day in 2019

Martha Louise and her ex husband Ari had three children together Maud Angelica, 19, Leah Isadora, 17, and Emma Tallulah, 14 (pictured attending the funeral service of Ari Behn)

After the split was finalised in 2017, Princess Martha later began having appointments with Gwyneth Paltrow's shaman Durek Verrett.

With a huge celebrity following, the belief he can talk to the spiritual world and very colourful history, Shaman Durek is hardly your typical royal groom.

But the couple's shared interest in all things spiritual suggests the couple are well-suited, and indeed, and he has previously said of the royals 'over years weve built such a lovely relationship. I love them'.

Born Durek Verrett in Sacramento in November 1974, the groom-to-be claims he first became 'aware' of his shamanic abilities when he was five but that he didn't start training until age 11.

In May 2019 they announced their relationship, although the pair were seeing each other from as early as February, claims W Magazine, citing an Instagram post from the shaman which said his mother predicted he would one day be made happy by a Norwegian princess.

When asked about her decision in comparison with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who also stepped down as senior royals, she spoke about her 'amazing' family, including King Harald and Queen Sonja, and how the dialogue between them has always remained open.

'What I think has been amazing through this whole cycle has been the conversations we have had through it all,' she said.

'From a very young age I remember my mum and dad saying (the King and Queen saying) that we always have to stick together. We always have to talk things through even if it's hard, we have to put all the cards on the table because we are family and we have to work things through.'

The Norwegian royal also discussed how her fiance's controversial 'views' had contributed to how the public viewed her position in the royal family.

She said: 'The Norwegian people I guess... have decided it's best for me to step down because of his views about things.'

Durek, who describes himself as a 'Shaman', was dropped by his publisher shortly after the couple announced their engagement in June 2022 over pseudoscientific claims he made in his book 'Spirit Hacking'.

Among the claims were that children 'can get cancer from being unhappy'.

Durek has also claimed he once came back from the dead, recovering from a month-long coma, by letting his soul 'burn' and he has also spoken of having to undergo a kidney transplant from his sister as a child.

It is unclear why he needed the kidney or how he became wheelchair bound, as he has described. The illness which sent him into a coma is also undisclosed.

Princess Martha Louise and her fiance, American businessman Durek Verrett, will marry next August in her home country, they have announced

The couple (pictured in June 2022) have had a tumultuous few years after the princess, who claims to be a clairvoyant, stepped down from royal duties over Verrett's pseudoscientific views

The shaman is Ms Paltrow's spiritual mentor and a close friend (They are pictured together)

The shaman said that when he introduced her to Ms Paltrow they were 'like sisters'. The pair are pictured together dancing in a field this year. The pair are pictured together in a gushing Instagram post taken at Hamptons, near New York

Elsewhere in the interview, Martha Louise claimed she first began to experience psychic premonitions as a child.

She said: 'When I was little I would see things in you. If you were sad or if you were happy... if you had a pain in your shoulder I would get a pain in my shoulder.

'And I understood that that's a talent and, you know, I could help other people. And that's when the whole ball started rolling.'

In June 2022, the newly-engaged couple appeared in a video together on Durek's Instagram account where the American spiritual guide - whose celebrity clients have included Gwyneth Paltrow, Nina Dobrev and James Van Der Beek - hit back at online trolling they've faced.

He said: 'One, they don't want to see a black man in the Royal Family because there's never been one in the history of the European royal family.

'Second, she's a female - it's different when a royal prince chooses a woman of colour because it's like, "oh he's a man, he can choose whoever he wants".

'But for a princess to choose a man of colour, has never been done in history. So it's really though for a lot of people to be able to handle that.'

The Princess said she decided she wanted to 'earn my own money' which she could only do by giving up her 'money from the state' and paying taxes for the first time in her life.

After giving up her position in the royal family, the Princess revealed she has had to deal with 'lots of scrutiny' - particularly when she takes on new roles.

'Everything you do that's a first, that goes out of the box that you're put in,' she said, adding that press scrutiny has 'continued'.

She added that, in Norway, spiritual beliefs like the ones she holds are 'taboo'.

Her comments echoed an interview she gave on Swedish TV in March, in which she claimed she had 'received the most criticism of anyone in Norway' for her beliefs.

As she sat down with Anna Hedenmo on Min Sanning - which translates to My Truth - the royal said she felt she needed to step back because of public image.

She said: 'I am probably the one in Norway who has received the most criticism of all, I think.'
Noel Pearson has given a rousing endorsement for the Yes campaign as the referendum nears. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Indigenous leader and lawyer Noel Pearson has welcomed a substantial change for the Yes campaign as he says it moves out of the realm of politics and into the hands of the people.

Speaking at a community gathering in Redfern, in Sydney, on Saturday morning, he said the Yes campaign would focus on a message of unity in the lead up to the Voice to Parliament referendum.

Were so very pleased that the politics of division and anger and suspicion and fear generated by politicians is now behind us, he told the crowd in Sydneys inner west.

Weve got the next four weeks to have conversations with our fellow Australians about the power of listening.

Noel Pearson gave a rousing speech about Yes vote on Saturday. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Australians will head to the polls on October 14 to vote on whether to amend the constitution.

The majority of Australians and the majority of the six states must vote yes in order for the referendum to succeed.

This is about recognising the Aboriginal And Torres Strait Island people as the first peoples of Australia, Mr Pearson said.

That is a principle that no one should really have any objection to. It is simply the truth. Its history. Its a fact.

Despite recent polls showing an alarming drop in support for the Yes campaign, the Indigenous leader said he believed Australians would choose to acknowledge the nations first people in the constitution.

Australia is going to be a better country on October 15, he said fervently.

Its a great country now, but on October 15, we will move to a new future.

The community gathering comes as the Yes campaign enters a pivotal stage. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Yes23 spokesman Rachel Perkins said the Yes campaign aimed to bring the country together and make it whole to the packed community gathering on Saturday.

This is a message of friendship that Aboriginal and Torres Strait people are extending to the nation and we are confident that our fellow Australians are going to accept that hand of friendship, she told the cheering crowd.

Its time  to draw a line in the sand and give us the right to have a voice to change our lives.

Ms Perkins explained the Voice to Parliament was simply a modest proposal which would change Indigenous lives for the better.

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No is about the status quo, she said of the opposing Voice campaign.

Yes is for hope, Yes is for unity and Yes is a change for people whose lives are at the bottom rung of the ladder in this country.

Rachel Perkins (left) echoed Mr Pearsons positive outlook on the outcome of the referendum. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

For Indigenous leader Aunty Norma Ingram, the Voice is the opportunity to resolve a lifelong battle for recognition of the nations first people.

She said it was encouraging to see awareness of Indigenous issues and stories had increased ahead of the upcoming referendum.

My parents were fighting for Aboriginal citizens rights in 1938, and we are still here fighting because we (dont) have a voice, she said.

Get out there, people, and vote yes because its not only good for Aboriginal people, its good for all Australians.

Former AFL star Michael OLoughlin agreed that a successful referendum would be the first step in unifying Australia.

Together we can do a lot of incredible things for this great country, the former Sydney Swans player said.

It is a great country but weve got a lot of work to do.

Former AFL player Michael O'Loughlin said the Yes vote would bring a better future. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Reconciliation Australia CEO Karen Mundine said a Yes vote would bring the country together and provide solutions to longstanding problems.

This is a moment in our time when we get to do something positive to move us forward, she said.

This is how we make Australia better.

Indigenous actor Luke Carroll, Tribal Warrior CEO Shane Philips and musician Tim Freedman also gave stirring endorsements for the Yes vote.

All of the Indigenous leaders and activists encouraged attendees to join the 50,000 people who had signed up to the Yes campaign walks in the major cities this weekend.

Ms Perkins said the walks would be an opportunity to demonstrate unity and a desire for change as the Yes campaign enters the crucial final month.

Weve got a month to go and were going to give every day our best shot, she said.

Despite the overwhelming positivity of the Yes campaign, recent polling has revealed the No campaign is leading in every state.

A recent poll shows national support for the Voice plummeted 21 per cent over the past year, with similar declines in every state.
Anna Thomas was scared of dogs when she was growing up. Bitten by a Jack Russell when she was a child, she never thought she would one day be the owner of an XL Bully.

But, now 21 and with a nine-month-old son, she cannot imagine a life without her beloved Ocean.

The Pembrokeshire mum says it has been 'heartbreaking' to see how the UK has condemned the breed after seeing the horrors of the huge dogs viscously attacking innocent bystanders.

Like humans, she claims that some Bullys are brought up in cruel homes because they are bought for the wrong reasons. She says they must now be the target of any new legislation - not gentle family pets like hers.

On Friday, PM Rishi Sunak announced the breed are set to be banned by the end of the year - a decision which has devastated Bully owner Anna.

Now 21 and with a nine-month-old son, Anna Thomas cannot imagine a life without her beloved Ocean (pictured)

Like humans, Anna claims that some Bullys are brought up in cruel homes because they are bought for the wrong reasons

Bear's (pictured) owner says he is gentle and he trusts him to sit with his young daughters

Speaking to MailOnline, she said: 'It's really heartbreaking to see everything that is going on at the minute. The breed is getting such a bad name.

'She's amazing. She does have moments where she gets excited - like any dog - but the love she has!

'My dog is very lazy more than energetic - she would much rather mope around the house and have the odd cuddle with you.

'Ocean does look a bit scary - XL Bullys do have that mean face - but they are the most loving, gentle dogs I have ever come across.

'The day that the news article came out about the attack in Birmingham there was a lady that was in her car with her daughter and the lady didn't get out of the car until she's seen that Ocean had gone back inside the house.

'That broke my heart because Ocean loves kids.'

Ocean, who is seven months old, is just two months younger than Isaac - Anna's son with partner Morgan.

She decided to get her after seeing her sister's four XL Bullys being so loving with her three children.

The Pembrokeshire mum (pictured with Ocean) says it has been 'heartbreaking' to see how the UK has condemned the breed after seeing the horrors of the huge dogs viscously attacking innocent bystanders

Ocean, who is seven months old, is just two months younger than Isaac (pictured) - Anna's son with partner Morgan

Anna says she was scared of dogs before she got Ocean (pictured with Anna's partner Morgan) but she's completely changed her view on all dogs

Anna said: 'If my partner would let me I would have loads! I would love to get a friend for Ocean but that is something I am worried about now with the ban'

Bear's (pictured) owner says he has always had boundaries in place meaning his children aren't left alone with the dog or in a situation which could trigger him

In a video announcement posted to his X - formerly Twitter - account on Friday, the PM said XL Bullys would be banned following a 'pattern of behaviour' that he said 'cannot go on'.

Anna told MailOnline she 'hasn't stopped crying' since she found out.

She said: 'When I first read it I just instantly started bawling my eyes out. Although there was talk about it I didn't think the Prime Minister would be today vowing to put a ban in place. It's heartbreaking. I just look at my dog now and I start crying.

'My sister has four of them. She's absolutely devastated - she's in bits as well.'

Anna added: 'I'll do anything I can to keep my dog. If they say I have to do certain things then I have to follow those rules just to make sure I keep her.

'My biggest fear is that they'll take her away - that's why I've been panicking so much. It's absolutely devastating. I'll do anything I can to keep my dog.

'Of course I wouldn't let them take my dog. There's no way. I'd do anything I could to keep her - she wouldn't harm a fly. She's so soft and gentle.'

Anna says she was scared of dogs before she got Ocean but she's completely changed her view on all dogs.

'I had a bad experience when I was a child with a Jack Russell, so I was quite wary of dogs then - I did grow up quite scared of dogs,' she said.

'In the wrong hands XL Bullys are a force to be reckoned and if you don't bring them up right then that's when problems occur. But in the right hands they are so loving - they are brilliant dogs.

Father-of-four Dan Bussue, who owns a two-year-old XL Bully called Bear, is devastated in light of the news the breed will be banned, as he fears he may 'lose his best friend'

Bear's owner says he has a very strict routine with lots of walking and obedience training

'If my partner would let me I would have loads! I would love to get a friend for Ocean but that is something I am worried about now with the ban. I don't think I'd own another dog other than an XL.'

However father-of-four Dan Bussue, who owns a two-year-old XL Bully called Bear, is devastated in light of the news the breed will be banned, as he fears he may 'lose his best friend'.

'He means everything,' he told MailOnline. 'He's a big integral part of our family.'

But Mr Bussue, from Leicester, said owners need to know what they're getting into with such a 'powerful' dog.

The driving instructor says that while Bear is gentle and he trusts him to sit with his young daughters, he has always had boundaries in place meaning his children aren't left alone with the dog or in a situation which could trigger him.

Mr Bussue said: 'I wouldnt say hes boisterous but he can be clumsy I would say, so we have to be responsible in terms of we dont just leave our baby around him.

'In the house we have a very strict routine with Bear. In his walking routine obviously we do a lot of playing, we do a lot of walking and we do a lot of training, so obedience training as well.'

Regarding the ban, Mr Bussue said that while as an owner he is heartbroken, he can understand why it is set to come into place.

Anna (pictured with Isaac and Ocean) told MailOnline she 'hasn't stopped crying' since she found out the breed would be banned. She said: 'When I first read it I just instantly started bawling my eyes out'

Anna said: 'In the wrong hands XL Bullys are a force to be reckoned and if you don't bring them up right then that's when problems occur. But in the right hands they are so loving - they are brilliant dogs'

Anna - who loves the way Ocean looks after her nine-month-old - insists that the breed are not the problem

He said: 'I knew the commitment going into it but I didnt know the amount of work thats involved, however I have adapted to do that and its become my life. The responsibility that comes with having a big dog.

'They're definitely not for everyone and not everybody should have these dogs. I think theres not enough education about having these dogs in the first place.'

Mr Bussue gets up at 5am to walk Bear, before coming home again at lunch to take him out and then walking him a third time in the evening. He believes there should be a competency test in place for owning any breed of large dog.

XL Bullys are not yet banned in the UK under the Dangerous Dogs Act. However, the PM announced on Friday they would be following a surge of fatal maulings.

The 'mutant' breed of beasts have been behind the majority of fatal dog attacks in the UK since 2021, having slaughtered 10 out of the 14 people mauled in deadly rampages over the past two years.

Deaths caused by dog attacks have more than doubled in the past two years, from four in 2021 to a record 10 in 2022.

Two of four fatal dog attacks in the UK in 2021 involved a Bully XL, with the number increasing to at least six out of 10 last year. Two people have been killed this year by the breed.

On Sunday, 11-year-old Ana Paun from Birmingham became the latest victim to be brutalised by one of the rampaging hounds, with a video of the attack prompting Home Secretary Suella Braverman to seek 'urgent advice' on banning the dogs.

Bear's owner said while as an owner he is heartbroken, he can understand why the ban is set to come into place

Dab Bussue believes there should be a competency test in place for owning any breed of large dog

But Anna - who loves the way Ocean looks after her nine-month-old - insists that the breed are not the problem.

She added: 'She's brilliant with him. There's nobody she loves more than my baby.

'If he's lying down on the rug she'll lie next to him. If we've got the baby monitor and she can hear him on the baby monitor at night time she just lies next to the baby monitor.

'It's so sweet that she loves him so much. It makes me cry, honestly!

'There has been a lot of panic thinking what would happen if they got banned - would they come and take my dog who has done absolutely nothing wrong?

'There has been a few times where I've thought: "Oh my gosh" - because social media does scare people, and I have read things and I've thought: 'What if they're right?'

'But then I feel so bad for even questioning it because I look at my dog, I look at her temperament and I wouldn't change her for the world.

'I don't think they should be banned as a breed but I think there needs to be a lot more put in to seeing where they are going and making sure they are going to people who want them for a family dog.

On Wednesday hundreds of XL Bully owners posted the 'soft side of the breed' on social media

'Unfortunately because of their look and because they look so scary, the wrong sort of people are wanting them. It's sad because the wrong sort of people are wanting them for the wrong reasons and that's giving them a bad rep now.'

On Wednesday hundreds of XL Bully owners posted the 'soft side of the breed' on social media.

Stories spread across Instagram saw the dogs cosied up to babies and kissing toddlers.

Dr John Tulloch, the Lecturer in Veterinary Public Health at the University of Liverpool, said that had XL Bullys not been chosen by organisations to help their criminal activities the breed might not be in the position it is today.

He warned that the rate of dog bites can often be traced back to the communities they are brought up in - with 'almost a straight line' of increase between how deprived a community is and how many dog bites there are.

Dr Tulloch, who was a vet before going into academia, explained: 'Is it to do with how the animals are kept or lifestyles? It's really hard to know.

'We do know that there is a large organized crime element in breeding and selling of dogs.

'I do genuinely believe that if organized crime had decided to look after a different, large, powerful dog, train it and breed it in exactly the same way, encourage it to behave like they're behaving, I think we would have been having exactly the same discussion about a different type of dog.

Stories spread across Instagram saw the dogs cosied up to babies and kissing toddlers

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'Those dogs are in vogue within that party. And by 10 years time it will be a different dog that is bread and looked after treated in the same way and used for the same purposes.

READ MORE: What happened the last time Britain banned dangerous dogs - and the mistakes that the Government must not repeat this time around Advertisement

'You could breed any big dog to be able to be viscous and violent if you treat them in a certain way and bred a certain character.

'I think it's very much the temperament of the dog is going to be how they are bred and how they are looked after and what they are trained and treated to do.

'They're often being kept in horrendous conditions, looked after really badly, beaten up - treated viciously so they are vicious themselves.'

James McNally - known as the Dog Bite Solicitor - added: 'An awful lot is about it's about education, as to the potential dangers that a dog faces, because every single case that we deal with, you can see was entirely preventable.

'It goes back to someone thinking - should I own a dog in the first place.'

As the mercury has been rising over the summer, so have the reports of killer canines setting upon victims including a woman who died after being mauled by Rottweilers and a number of children who have been scarred for life.

Elisa Allen, of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta), said: 'It is an undeniable fact that most serious and fatal dog attacks are by bully breeds.'

On Wednesday hundreds of XL Bully owners posted the 'soft side of the breed' on social media

XL Bullys are not yet banned in the UK under the Dangerous Dogs Act. However, the PM announced on Friday they would be following a surge of fatal maulings

Last week MailOnline exclusively revealed the rise of the Franken-Bully, a 'mutant' breed of the American Bully XL that some experts fear are 'too dangerous to live'.

Underground breeders are creating giant 'mutant crossbreeds' by mating banned pitbulls with legal mastiffs and bulldogs to evade dangerous dogs laws.

It comes amid fresh calls for XL Bullys to be banned in Britain after shocking data revealed the breed has been involved in the majority of fatal dog attacks in the UK since 2021.

Two in four deadly dog attacks in the UK in 2021 involved the XL bulldogs - rising to six in 10 in 2022, and fears there could be many more fatalities if urgent action isn't taken to stop the rise of the generically engineered American crosses from reaching Britain's shores.
Despite hailing from one of the richest and most successful couples on the planet, Phoebe Gates has adamantly stated that she wants to 'be her own person' and 'branch away' from her parents - billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates and ex-wife philanthropist Melinda Gates - and she's done just that.

At age 21, the college student and aspiring designer has already achieved a lot: she has made waves in the world of fashion - receiving invites to coveted New York and Paris Fashion Week shows, elite parties, and star-studded events - as well as racking up some celebrity friends along the way, becoming a viral social media star, and even landing an internship at British Vogue.

And while some may argue that she has gotten to where she is thanks to her wealthy background, both Bill and Melinda have continuously insisted that they are working hard to ensure that their kids 'create their own path.'

In fact, Bill - who has a whopping net worth of $107 billion - has voiced his fears over his kids becoming 'distorted' over 'wealth' on numerous occasions, and he once vowed to use his immense fortune to 'help the poor' rather than his own children.

Despite hailing from one of the richest and most successful couples on the planet, Phoebe Gates has adamantly stated that she wants to 'be her own person'

At age 21, the daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates has already achieved a lot - she has received invites to New York and Paris Fashion Weeks, and even landed an internship at British Vogue

While some may argue that she has gotten to where she is thanks to her wealthy background, both Bill and Melinda have insisted that they want their kids to 'create their own path'

While raising their children, the former couple - who split in May 2021 after 27 years of marriage - did their best to give their three kids - Jennifer, Rory, and Phoebe - a normal childhood.

They made them do chores and split the household work as evenly as possible, while tech mogul Bill has even admitted that he was a stickler about screen time - and didn't allow his kids to have phones until they were age 14.

From what it was really like to grow up in one of the richest families in the world to the strides she's made to become a successful fashion designer to her close bond with her parents - take a look into Phoebe's luxurious life

The exes may have tried to raise their kids as modestly as possible, but their living situation was far from humble. The family grew up in a $131 million mansion in Medina, Washington, that came complete with seven bathrooms, 24 bathrooms, and six kitchens, as well as its own man-made beach, at-home movie theater, gym, and trampoline room.

The property is nicknamed 'Xanadu 2.0,' a reference to the fictional estate in the movie Citizen Kane.

Now, it seems as though Phoebe is still living a pretty lavish lifestyle - which is much more glamorous than the average college student.

She often jets off on extravagant trips around the globe - and makes sure to document her endeavors on her Instagram account, where she has gained more than 314,000 followers.

Phoebe has been adamant about wanting to find success on her own, and not because of her parents. But the 21-year-old has followed in their footsteps in one department - becoming a fierce women's rights advocate just like her mother.

As she continues to speak out about issues like the abortion ban and voters' rights, FEMAIL has rounded up everything you need to know about the youngest Gates child.

From what it was really like to grow up in one of the richest families in the world to the strides she's made to become a successful fashion designer and her close bond with her parents, here's an inside look into Phoebe's luxurious life.

Billionaires Bill and Melinda did their best to give Phoebe a modest childhood - restricting screen time and making her do chores - despite her growing up in a $131 million mega-mansion

Phoebe was born on September 14, 2002 - the youngest of Melinda and Bill's three kids. She is seen as a baby with her siblings, Jennifer and Rory

Despite being one of the richest couples in the world, Bill and Melinda did their best to give their kids a normal childhood - making them do daily chores and limiting screen time

Bill - the creator of one of the biggest tech giants on the globe - once revealed that he was a stickler about screen time when his kids were growing up. He is seen with Phoebe

Strict: He also said he didn't let his kids get cell phones until they turned 14 and never allowed phone use at the dinner table. He and Phoebe are seen during her childhood

Phoebe was born on September 14, 2002, and she is the youngest of Melinda and Bill's three kids.

Faith was also a huge part of Phoebe's childhood, with Bill telling Rolling Stone in 2014: 'We've raised our kids in a religious way. They've gone to the Catholic church that Melinda goes to and I participate in'

Despite being one of the richest couples in the world, the billionaire parents did their best to give their kids a normal childhood, and were even pretty strict - making them do daily chores, limiting screen time, and not letting them get phones until age 14.

Melinda spoke out making her kids help with household work in her 2019 book, The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes The World, and she explained that it was important to her since cleaning and cooking traditionally falls on women more than men.

She also recalled the moment that she decided it was time to divvy up the chores equally to Business Insider in 2019, explaining, 'One night I realized I was still in the kitchen a good 10, 15 minutes after everybody else doing the last-minute things.

'Sometimes in the moment my frustration or anger just comes out. So one night we stood up after dinner and people in the family started to melt away, like, off they go upstairs.

While chatting to a crowd of Harvard students in 2018, the Microsoft founder revealed that he and his ex-wife used the 1970s 'Love and Logic' parenting style while raising their three kids

'We want to strike a balance where they have the freedom to do anything, but not a lot of money showered on them,' Bill explained. Phoebe is seen as a kid

It was revealed in 2014 that Bill will be leaving most of his fortune - estimated to be about $107 billion - to his family's foundation, rather than his kids. Jennifer and Phoebe are seen as kids

'So hand on my hips, I'm, like, "Nobody leaves the kitchen until I leave the kitchen."'

She added that washing dishes together after dinner became a Gates family tradition after that.

Bill - the creator of one of the biggest tech giants on the globe - once revealed that he was a stickler about screen time when his kids were growing up, explaining that he started limiting his children's use of electronics after he noticed that one of his daughters had become obsessed with a video game.

He also said he didn't let his kids get cell phones until they turned 14 and never allowed phone use at the dinner table.

'We often set a time after which there is no screen time and in their case that helps them get to sleep at a reasonable hour,' he explained to the Mirror.

'You're always looking at how it can be used in a great way  homework and staying in touch with friends  and also where it has gotten to excess.

'We don't have cellphones at the table when we are having a meal, we didn't give our kids cellphones until they were 14 and they complained other kids got them earlier.'

Bill said: 'It's not a favor to kids to have them have huge sums of wealth. It distorts anything they might do, creating their own path'

While it seemed as though the family tried to raise their kids as modestly as possible, their living situation was far from humble - they grew up in a $131 million mansion in Washington

The 66,000-square-foot sprawling abode comes with seven bathrooms, 24 bathrooms, and six kitchens, as well as its own man-made beach with sand imported from the Caribbean

Faith was also a huge part of Phoebe's childhood, with Bill telling Rolling Stone in 2014, 'We've raised our kids in a religious way. They've gone to the Catholic church that Melinda goes to and I participate in.'

Phoebe attended the elite Lakeside High School in Seattle - the same school her father graduated from when he was a teen. She is seen as a kid with her dad

While chatting to a crowd of Harvard students in 2018, the Microsoft founder revealed that he and his ex-wife used the 1970s 'Love and Logic' parenting style while raising their three kids.

'Parents should provide an atmosphere of love, acceptance, and empathy while allowing the natural consequences of a child's behavior and actions to do the teaching,' MedicineNet.com says of the technique.

'We want to strike a balance where they have the freedom to do anything, but not a lot of money showered on them so they could go out and do nothing,' Bill explained.

It was revealed in 2014 that Bill will be leaving most of his fortune - estimated to be about $111 billion - to his family's foundation, rather than his kids.

'Our kids will receive a great education and some money so they are never going to be poorly off but they'll go out and have their own career,' he explained to This Morning in 2017.

'It's not a favor to kids to have them have huge sums of wealth. It distorts anything they might do, creating their own path.

'This money is dedicated to helping the poorest. They know that, they are proud of that, they go on trips with us to see the work that's being done.'

When she was younger, she dreamed of being a professional dancer, and spent time studying at the School of American Ballet at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City

She also had a love of reading from a young age - something that she got from her father. She is seen (right) with her siblings

While it seemed as though the family tried to raise their kids as modestly as possible, their living situation was far from humble.

The family grew up in a $131 million mansion in Medina, Washington, which Bill purchased in 1988 and spent seven years transforming into his dream home.

The 66,000-square-foot sprawling abode comes with seven bathrooms, 24 bathrooms, and six kitchens, as well as its own artificial stream (stocked with fish), a man-made beach with sand imported from the Caribbean, a 60-foot swimming pool with an underwater music system, a 200-guest reception hall, a 20-seat movie theater, an at-home gym, and a trampoline room.

Phoebe attended the elite Lakeside High School in Seattle - the same school her father graduated from when he was a teen.

When she was younger, she dreamed of being a professional dancer, and spent time studying at the School of American Ballet at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, as well as the esteemed Juilliard School.

She also had a love of reading from a young age - something that she got from her father.

'My daughter Phoebe and I love reading all kinds of books,' he once gushed on Instagram.

Phoebe is now a student at Stanford University and has made waves in the fashion world, interning at British Vogue and attending New York and Paris Fashion Weeks

After graduating from high school in 2021, Phoebe put her ballerina aspirations on hold, and instead, decided to head to Stanford University, where she switched her focus to fashion

She told WWD that she's always been interested in clothes, but after bonding with a fellow student who was pursuing it as a career, she realized she wanted to make it her job one day

Last summer, she interned with British Vogue, who sent her to Copenhagen to cover Fashion Week - and the trip further cemented her passion

After graduating from high school in 2021, Phoebe put her ballerina aspirations on hold, and instead, decided to head to Stanford University, where she switched her focus to fashion.

She told WWD last year that she's always been interested in clothes, but after bonding with a fellow student who was pursuing it as a career, she realized she wanted to make it her full-time job one day.

'I was like, "Wait, you can do that at this age?" And I remember being so excited,' she gushed to the outlet. 'I've always been interested in sketching and design and I'm a huge writer.'

Last summer, she interned with British Vogue, who sent her to Copenhagen to cover Fashion Week.

And the trip further cemented her passion. She explained: 'It was super interesting, and it was where I was like, "OK, I want to do a bunch more stuff."'

'There is some toxicity in the industry and I have a huge interest in women's health as well, so I wanted to work somewhere where it didn't feel like those were confounding with each other,' she added of her internship.

'I really liked British Vogue because of [editor] Edward [Enninful's] work and he's so progressive with the magazine, so that was a huge choice for me.'

She grew close to Paul McCartney's daughter, designer Stella McCartney, after the two were introduced by her mother - who has also inspired her to want to go on her own path

'I'm my parents' daughter, that gives me immense privilege, but it's not what I'm defined by,' she has said. 'I want to have my own identity, I want to be my own person'

Stella invited Phoebe to attend her show at Paris Fashion Week last fall, where she wowed in a black bra, leather jacket, and white trousers

She grew close to Paul McCartney's daughter, designer Stella McCartney, after the two were introduced by her mother - who has also inspired her to want to go on her own path, rather than following in her parents' footsteps.

'When I was little she would send me stuff and little notes and I'd be so excited. I've been asking my mom forever and ever if I could meet with her,' Phoebe said.

'I felt very connected to her, I feel like because she's been able to use the platform she had, because of who her dad is, and then she took that and instead of being like, "Oh, people define me by this," she took it and she was like, "OK, I have this immense privilege, now I'm going to use it to leverage something."

'What she chose to leverage is to launch a brand that is completely sustainable. So I think we are really deeply connected because that's a lot of what I think about.

Since then, she's continued to make waves in the fashion world, attending numerous events in eye-popping outfits. She's seen at a fashion show last fall

Earlier this month, she attended the Michael Kors runway show at New York Fashion Week in a piercing red dress with a plunging neckline

'Like, "OK, I'm my parents' daughter, that gives me immense privilege, but it's not what I'm defined by."

She also wowed when she walked the red carpet at the Kering Foundation's Caring for Women Gala days later, putting on a daring display in a torso-baring gown

'I want to have my own identity, I want to be my own person, I want to branch away from that, but how do I do that in a way where I can yield some sort of change?'

Stella invited Phoebe to attend her show at Paris Fashion Week last fall, where she wowed in a black bra, leather jacket, and white trousers - which contained an intricate painting of a bird on them.

'They had a ton of different options and they put outfits together, but I was like, "I kind of want to do something more va-va-voom that stands out,"' she recalled of picking out the outfit.

'I went through the stuff and I was like, "I think it'd be really fun to do a bra with the leather jacket." So I did that and I love the hummingbird pants so much, they are so sexy and fun.'

Since then, she's continued to make waves in the fashion world, attending numerous events in eye-popping outfits.

Earlier this month, she attended the Michael Kors runway show at New York Fashion Week in a piercing red dress with a plunging neckline.

She also wowed when she walked the red carpet at the Kering Foundation's Caring for Women Gala days later, putting on a daring display in a torso-baring gown.

Phoebe mingled with some of Hollywood's most elite at the event, as a slew of other stars were in attendance, including Salma Hayek, Christy Turlington, Florence Welch, Olivia Wilde, Zoe Kravitz, Nicole Kidman, Gayle King, Karlie Kloss, and Kim Kardashian, among others.

Despite wanting to 'branch away' from her parents, she has followed in her mom's footsteps by becoming an avid women's rights activist and often speaks out about politics

Despite stating that she wants to 'branch away' from her parents, Phoebe has followed in her mother's footsteps in one department - becoming a fierce women's rights advocate

She often posts about the topic on her social media, especially amid the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year

Despite stating that she wants to 'have her own identity' and 'branch away' from her parents, Phoebe has followed in her mother's footsteps in one department - becoming a fierce women's rights advocate.

She often posts about the topic on her social media, especially amid the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year.

Last June, she shared a photo of herself posing in a bikini as a way to bring 'attention' to the negative impacts that the ban on abortion could have on women across the United States.

'I'm not shy about my body and/or telling you to keep your bans off of it,' she captioned the post.

'Every person deserves access to sexual and reproductive health care. Right now, the Supreme Court is prepared to end the constitutional right to abortion. Join me and millions of other women in our fight for this basic human right.'

She then shared a series of resources and statistics to her Stories, adding: 'Now that I have your attention, [read] this.'

The college student has also posted about a series of other political topics like immigration status and its effects on healthcare, as well as voters' rights.

Back in June, she shared a photo of herself posing in a bikini as a way to bring 'attention' to the negative impacts that the ban on abortion could have on women across the United States

Outspoken: The college student has also posted about a series of other political topics like immigration status and its effects on healthcare, as well as voters' rights

In addition, she often re-shares posts from her mom, Melinda - who is a self-described global advocate for women and girls.

While penning a powerful essay about women's rights to Vogue last July, Phoebe spoke about the enormous impact her mother has had on her, explaining: 'When you're Melinda's daughter, it's easy to be passionate about reproductive health.

'My mom is my hero. She's a brilliant reformer who travels around the world advocating for gender equality.

'When I started college last year, I wanted to become an advocate, like my mom. So I tried to learn as much as I could about making policy, finding the best data, gathering the best ideas, and educating the right people.

'I'm only 19 years old, and I don't know where life will take me, especially not decades from now.

'But I am sure of this: Wherever I end up, I'll still be working to ensure [women's rights].'

The 21-year-old has a close bond with her parents and siblings - but is especially tight with her mom, jetting off on numerous mother-daughter trips together over the years

Phoebe has a close bond with both of her parents, but she is especially tight with her mother

They're often posting sweet photos together and they even jetted off to London for a mother-daughter trip last August. Melinda is seen on the trip

In honor of Phoebe's 21s birthday this week, she uploaded a recording of a sweet conversation she had with Melinda of FaceTime

'You know yourself already. Don't ever forget who you are,' her mother told her. 'Phoebe, you're incredibly good at making friends. Keep those people close'

Phoebe has a close bond with both of her parents, but she is especially tight with her mother.

Phoebe also has a strong relationship with her dad - and accompanied him as his date to the Time 100 event last year

They're often posting sweet photos together and are seen attending events side-by-side, and they even jetted off to London for a mother-daughter trip last August.

Phoebe shared a glimpse into their vacation in a video posted to her Instagram, which showed her mom striking various hip poses while touring the British capital.

'Mom: let's take some photos. OK supermodel,' she wrote in the beginning of the clip, before a montage of pictures of Melinda flashed across the screen.

'My momma sure knows best,' Phoebe added in the caption.

In honor of Phoebe's 21s birthday this week, she uploaded a recording of a sweet conversation she had with Melinda of FaceTime.

'I'm calling you ask you some advice. If you could say anything to me for my 21st year in life, what would your advice be?' Phoebe asked her.

'You know yourself already. Don't ever forget who you are,' her mother replied. 'The other thing I would say is, Phoebe, you're incredibly good at making friends.

On his birthday in June, she posted a touching tribute to the billionaire, while thanking him for 'letting her learn from him every day'

She's also close to her siblings. Phoebe served as one of Jennifer's bridesmaids when she married her longtime boyfriend, Nayel Nassar, in October 2021

The two sisters have continuously gushed over one another online - when Jennifer celebrated her birthday in April 2020, Phoebe called her 'kind, loving, and driven' in an emotional post

'Knowing who your close group of friends are, your most trusted advisors, always keep those people close that way you're never gonna go wrong in life.'

She added: 'Happy 21st birthday, I'm so proud of you. I love you so, so much.'

Phoebe also has a strong relationship with her dad - and accompanied him as his date to the Time 100 event last year.

On his birthday last June, she posted a touching tribute to the billionaire, while thanking him for 'letting her learn from him every day.'

'Dad, thank you for letting me learn from you every day and look up to your intellect and work,' she wrote. 'Most importantly, thank you for being my dad. Love you today and always.'

She's also close to her siblings. Phoebe served as one of Jennifer's bridesmaids when she married her longtime boyfriend, Nayel Nassar, in October 2021, and the two sisters have continuously gushed over one another online.

'Celebrating your love this year was the greatest privilege of my life,' Phoebe wrote after the wedding.

And when Jennifer celebrated her birthday in April 2020, Phoebe called her 'kind, loving, and driven' in an emotional post.

Aunt duties: In addition, she shared a sweet snap of herself cozying up to Jennifer's daughter, who was born in March, in April

While their brother, Rory, is much more private, the siblings all came together to support him when he graduated from the University of Chicago in June 2022

Plus Phoebe shared a snap with Rory in December 2021, which she captioned, 'Coming back these guys,' alongside a heart

'[You're] my confidant. Happy birthday to the most amazing sister,' she added.

Plus, when Phoebe graduated from high school, Jennifer shared a sweet post congratulating her little sister.

'Pheebs - I can't believe this day is here (time flies!) but you are wise beyond your years, and so ready for this next incredible chapter in your journey,' she said.

'I love you, I am immensely proud of you and can't wait for all that's to come at Stanford (!!!) and beyond.'

Phoebe also credited Jennifer with 'teaching her' some of the most important 'lessons' throughout her life and thanked her for constantly 'speaking the truths she needed to hear' in a gushing birthday tribute earlier this year.

'Thank you for teaching me the lessons I needed to know, speaking the truths I needed to hear, and of course showing me how to grow up,' she wrote. 'Happy birthday to the best big sister a girl could ask for.'

In addition, she shared a sweet snap of herself cozying up to Jennifer's daughter, who was born in March, in April.

While their brother, Rory, is much more private and doesn't have a public social media account, the siblings all came together to support him when he graduated from the University of Chicago in June 2022.

Plus, Phoebe shared a snap with Rory in December 2021, which she captioned, 'Coming back these guys,' alongside a heart.

Phoebe's love life became the subject of much media attention after she revealed she was dating a fellow Stanford student last year - and it resulted in her being subject to a slew of racist abuse

When it comes to Phoebe's love life, she's currently dating a fellow Stanford student named Robert Ross

But their romance resulted in Phoebe being subjected to a slew of racist abuse from trolls who criticized her for dating a black man

When it comes to Phoebe's love life, she's currently dating a fellow Stanford student named Robert Ross.

She first confirmed that she was in a relationship with Robert last July when she shared a few photos of herself cozying up to him on Instagram

But their romance resulted in Phoebe being subjected to a slew of racist abuse from trolls who criticized her for dating a black man.

She first confirmed that she was in a relationship with Robert last July, when she shared a few photos of herself cozying up to him on Instagram.

Tons of nasty trolls soon started leaving negative comments on the pictures, with some slamming her for being in a relationship with a person of color and others accusing him of using her for her money.

'Bill about to smash a vase against the wall,' one person commented.

'Bro become a millionaire in a matter of seconds,' another added.

Someone else said: 'Now we know why Bill Gates been tellin' his kids they ain't gon' inherit s**t.'

A different user chimed in: 'Phoebe Gates has a black boyfriend, young brotha do not pull out BE GREAT.'

One person even urged Robert to 'get her pregnant,' while someone else joked that he 'secured the bag.'

Nasty trolls soon started leaving negative comments, with some slamming her for being in a relationship with a person of color and others accusing him of using her for her money

Another tweeted: 'Her net worth is projected [to be] $130 Billion. I don't think he is her equal or they are doing 50/50. Just my guess [though].'

'When Phoebe Gates' boyfriend gets added to the joint checking account,' one person wrote, while sharing a video of a black man doing a celebratory dance.

Someone else shared a video of a black man waving a gun around while swerving his car across a road, stating: 'Phoebe Gates and her boyfriend pulling up to Bill Gates' house for Thanksgiving.'

Despite the horrible comments, Phoebe seemed unbothered by the hate, and has continued to share images with Robert to her social media.

In October, she posted one that showed her in a pink dress posing alongside her beau, who donned a black tuxedo.

Despite the horrible comments, Phoebe seemed unbothered by the hate and has continued to share images with Robert to her social media

On her birthday in September, 2022, Robert posted a carousel of photos with Phoebe to his own feed, which he captioned, 'Happy birthday, my love'

Before Robert, Phoebe was previous linked to a boy who attended her high school named Chaz Flynn (seen)

On New Year's Eve, she also shared a series of snaps with Robert, including one that featured her clutching his face and attempting to lick it.

On her birthday in September 2022, Robert posted a carousel of photos with Phoebe to his own feed, which he captioned: 'Happy birthday, my love.'

Before Robert, Phoebe was previous linked to a boy who attended her high school named Chaz Flynn.

In March, Phoebe responded to the immense backlash she received for the romance during an interview with The Information - and she said she was 'done' with people making fun of her relationship.

When asked what the worst part of being in the public eye was, she admitted: 'The misconceptions and conspiracy theories about my family and my relationship with my boyfriend.

'It's 2023. I'm done being memed for being in an interracial relationship.'

Phoebe has also become a viral social media star for sharing an inside look into the many perks that come being the daughter of one of the richest men in the world

Phoebe has also become a budding social media star over the years, racking up more than 314,000 followers on Instagram and 77,000 followers on TikTok

She often shares an inside look into the many perks that come with being the daughter of one of the richest men in the world

Lavish life: The 21-year-old is also quite the jet-setter, and has traveled to places like Peru (left), Mexico (center), and London (right) recently

Phoebe has also become a budding social media star over the years, racking up more than 312,000 followers on Instagram and 77,000 followers on TikTok for often sharing an inside look into the many perks that come with being the daughter of one of the richest men in the world.

She shares snaps of herself posing in designer clothes, attending elite parties, soaking up the sun on the beach, dining in fancy restaurants, and jetting off to places like Spain, Peru, Mexico, London, Paris, Copenhagen, and New York.

She often shares snaps of herself posing in designer clothes, attending elite parties, soaking up the sun on the beach, dining in fancy restaurants, and heading off on vacation

She's also posted a few clips of her billionaire Microsoft founder father being a normal dad - which gained millions of views.

Her most viewed TikTok is a clip of her dad trying out something he had gotten for Christmas called the Box Ball - a small, red ball that's attached via a bungee chord to a headband.

In the hilarious, seven-second video, which has now been viewed more than eight million times, Bill could be seen attempting to punch the ball but missing it most of the time.

While chatting with The Information, she explained that while she knows most people come to her page because they want a glimpse into her family, she thinks they 'stick around' for her other content.

'I'm pretty realistic that people start following me because of my family name. And people probably find it funny to see my dad being a goof,' she stated.

'But once they follow me, they stick around, and I think some of that is because of the issues that I post about, like women's health.

She's also posted a few clips of her billionaire Microsoft founder father being a normal dad - which gained millions of views

Her most viewed TikTok is a clip of her dad trying out something he had gotten for Christmas called the Box Ball - a small, red ball that's attached via a bungee chord to a headband

While chatting with The Information, she explained that she hoped being so open on social media would end any 'misconceptions' people may have had about her and her family

'I like to bring audiences along to the events I go to, my life at college, what's front of mind for me, that kind of stuff.'

She added that she hoped being so open on social media would end any 'misconceptions' people may have had about her and her family.

'People have a lot of preconceptions about me, so TikTok has been a chance for me to tell my own story and also use the attention my family name might bring to spotlight issues that are important to me, like women's health and sustainable fashion,' she continued.

As for what her parents think about her online presence, Phoebe said that Melinda was 'supportive and curious,' while her dad was less interested.

'[My mom] gets that social is a space that young people need to own and shape. My dad publishes a lot on social, but he doesn't follow it much himself,' she revealed.

But Phoebe insisted that she had no plans to make content creation her full-time career and that it was simply for 'fun.' Instead, she is still focused on becoming a designer.

The 21-year-old also revealed to The Information that she is planning to launch her own startup this year, called Phia, alongside her roommate, Sophia Kianni, who has her own legion of 101,000 followers.

'We're building out an idea to help make fashion more sustainable. We have so much planned for this year and social media is going to be a big part of that,' Phoebe dished up the upcoming project.
When she was a young girl, Hannah Fletcher was fascinated by the make-up on her mother's dressing table. It looked good, smelled wonderful and had an air of feminine mystery about it.

'My first memories are from when I was about four playing with my mum's cosmetics on her chest of drawers,' she says. 'She had the face powder everyone used to plaster over themselves back then, and a big box of eyeshadows and lipsticks.

'While she was doing her make-up, my brother and I used to fight with the powder puffs, covering the carpet in talcum powder. It was such fun.'

Hannah, 48, from Oxshott in Surrey, smiles as she recalls the happy memories. But the smile soon fades because something that was in the make-up this former City high-flier and mother of two played with as achild, or wore in later life, is killing her: Asbestos.

Hannah has mesothelioma, a terminal cancer caused by asbestos which affects the mesothelium, a membrane on the outside of the lungs, heart, intestines and abdomen.

It can cause cancer in any of these, but in Hannah's case, her peritoneum - the lining of the abdomen is affected. There is no cure and, once diagnosed, 60 per cent of patients die within 12 months.

Hannah is at the vanguard of a growing number of British women seeking legal redress against cosmetics companies in the U.S. courts for mesothelioma which they believe was caused by asbestos in their make-up. This summer, American manufacturers Avon and Estee Lauder, and its subsidiary Clinique, reached a 'resolution' with Hannah to avoid going to trial. None of the parties will say what the resolution involved, and the companies denied liability for causing Hannah's illness, but it is thought to have cost them a substantial sum to settle.

Hannah has mesothelioma, a terminal cancer caused by asbestos which affects the mesothelium, a membrane on the outside of the lungs, heart, intestines and abdomen

No one knows for sure how many more British women are in the pipeline, but Hannah's UK lawyer, Harminder Bains, a partner at Leigh Day, says her firm alone is representing at least 20 other claimants.

'I had no idea that my make-up could be hazardous to my health - nobody did, and most people still don't - but there is proof that the cosmetics industry knew and I am so very angry about that,' says Hannah.

'I'm living a half-life right now. I say half because of all the things I can no longer do because of my illness, but also half because of what it means for how long I will be able to carry on. They've taken my life away. I just want people to be aware of the possible danger in their make-up.

But what danger? How can make-up, worn by millions of people every day with no ill effects, be hazardous? Well, because of the talc that's in much of it.

Talc is a naturally-occurring soft clay mineral composed of magnesium, silicon and oxygen. It is mined around the world, the largest producers being China, Brazil, France, India and the U.S.

The mined talc, which can be green, white or grey, is ground into a fine powder valued for its absorbent, deodorant and anti-chafing properties.

The problem is that talc is often found in the same geological locations as asbestos, which is also mined as a naturally-occurring fibrous mineral. And sometimes the talc is contaminated by the asbestos.

According to the Mesothelioma Centre, a U.S. patient advocacy group: 'Even though not every talc deposit is contaminated with asbestos, unfortunately, many of them are. Talc deposits tend to contain highly carcinogenic forms of asbestos, such as tremolite or anthophyllite. These forms are more carcinogenic than chrysotile, the most-used type of asbestos.'

There are six types of asbestos. Tremolite, which is no longer mined because it is so dangerous, has particularly sharp fibres.

Anthophyllite is the rarest and was seldom used in any consumer products, but it is still regarded as being highly carcinogenic.

Hannah is at the vanguard of a growing number of British women seeking legal redress against cosmetics companies in the U.S. courts for mesothelioma which they believe was caused by asbestos in their make-up

READ MORE: Did talcum powder cause the cancer that killed Maureen? Her widower is one of more than 200 people planning a group action against the manufacturers claiming it was contaminated with asbestos and triggered tumours When Maureen Wright was diagnosed with ovarian cancer , both she and her husband Jeffrey were left reeling in disbelief Advertisement

'Finding asbestos-free talc deposits throughout the world has been challenging for manufacturers,' says the Mesothelioma Center. 'A Johnson & Johnson company memo from 1969 unsealed through litigation said it was normal for tremolite asbestos to occur in U.S. talc deposits.'

More than 30,000 people are suing Johnson & Johnson in the U.S. over claims that its baby powder gave them cancer. In 2020, it stopped using talc in its North American baby powder, replacing it with corn starch, but it is still on sale here.

I asked Johnson & Johnson why this was the case. It said the product did not contain asbestos and added: 'The decision to discontinue talc-based Johnson's powder in North America had nothing to do with safety. It was due in large part to a decline in regional demand as a result of misleading talc litigation advertising that caused global confusion and unfounded concern about the safety of talc-based Johnson's Baby Powder.'

It says independent testing by medical experts has confirmed that its products are safe.

'Talc isn't just used by Johnson & Johnson,' says Hannah. 'It's in lots of cosmetics. I visited a beautician a while ago and told her that the products she was using had the potential to contain asbestos. She said she had no idea, but still kept using them. I stopped going to her.'

In 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tested 52 hygiene and cosmetics products and found asbestos in nine of them. And of 1,032 cosmetic talc products tested during legal cases between 1948 and 2017, two-thirds came up positive for asbestos.

In 2021, the UK's Office for Product Safety and Standards, using researchers from the Health and Safety Executive, tested 24 'child appealing' cosmetic products and found one of them contained a single asbestos fibre. It also tested 60 'low-cost' cosmetic products and found small numbers of fibres in two of them.

For consumers like Hannah, the uncertainty over whether their talc products are safe can be confusing. For example, when the FDA - which found asbestos in nine out of 52 products in 2019 - tested 100 more products in 2021 and 2022, it found it in none of them.

I had six products analysed for this feature - two each of Johnson's Baby Powder; Clinique Almost Powder; and Max Factor Facefinity. None contained asbestos.

Cancer UK highlights that the UK's laws today are very strict about the ingredients in cosmetics, and says using them does not cause cancer.

The odds, therefore, are that the talc in your make-up is safe. The problem is that it might not be.

Sean Fitzgerald, a geologist and asbestos expert who has advised Nasa on rock formations, has analysed many cosmetic samples to provide evidence in court cases. He was the expert who analysed mine.

More than 30,000 people are suing Johnson & Johnson in the U.S. over claims that its baby powder gave them cancer. In 2020, it stopped using talc in its North American baby powder, replacing it with corn starch, but it is still on sale here

He says that 20 years ago, he would find around one in ten samples tested positive for asbestos.

'The cosmetics companies seem to be doing better, because now I'm only finding about one in 50 contains asbestos - but that's still too many,' he says.

Because mesothelioma can take between ten and 50 years to develop, Hannah does not know exactly which product used at exactly what time contained the asbestos that proved fatal for her.

Until her first symptoms, she had held senior executive positions with NatWest, Visa, the law firm Linklaters and Avios, part of the International Airlines Group.

'There is a pressure these days on women to try to have it all,' she says. 'Well, I did have it all - and then some. A loving husband, Duncan, and two wonderful children, Holly, 18, and Luke, 12, a beautiful home and a fantastic career. Life had been very kind to me.'

That all changed in 2015 when Hannah went home to Wales to visit her mother, Sally Gaydon, 72, who became alarmed as soon as she saw her.

'I'd gone home for Christmas and my mum just said to me, 'You don't look right,' ' says Hannah. 'I was losing a lot of weight and eventually my mum insisted I went to see my GP.

'He sent me straight to a gynaecologist and that was lucky for me because the gynaecologist at Epsom Hospital [in Surrey] had heard of peritoneal mesothelioma. Within three weeks I was on chemotherapy.'

Most people with mesothelioma die within 12 months, yet after courses of chemo and immunotherapy, and 14-hour surgery at London's Royal Marsden Hospital, Hannah has surpassed all expectations - but not without considerable personal cost. Her spleen, appendix and gall bladder have all been removed, and she has undergone a full hysterectomy.

'It has taken over my life,' she says. 'There were things I had todo before the surgery, because it was so risky. I had to write letters to my children. No one should ever have to do that. They contained advice about life that I could offer as they grew up, thinking I wouldn't be there. Even though I came through the operation, I kept the letters and they're still here for Holly and Luke.'

Hannah's medical battle has represented only half of her fight; she also wanted to raise awareness of asbestos in talc, and to hold cosmetics companies to account.

'I was advised early on by staff at the Royal Marsden that I should seek legal advice,' she says.

'At first, we hadn't considered make-up. My solicitor, Harminder Bains, looked into the places I'd lived, the schools I'd attended, university and my places of work to see whether any of them had had any problems with asbestos. They hadn't.

'I had spent a lot of time in the States and was hearing more and more about the problems with talcum powder. I started looking

into research papers - this was 2017 and there was virtually zero awareness in the UK back then. I began to wonder whether this was the source of the asbestos that was making me ill.'

Talc is a naturally-occurring soft clay mineral composed of magnesium, silicon and oxygen. It is mined around the world, the largest producers being China, Brazil, France, India and the U.S

Harminder was reaching similar conclusions. She partnered with New York attorney Brendan Tully of Simon Greenstone Panatier in order to try to have the case heard in the U.S., where the cosmetics companies were headquartered.

Brendan says: 'The talc issue turned out to be bigger than any0ne expected, with everything from baby powder to children's talcum powder, to expensive perfume powder, eye shadow and blusher, to foot powder used by men.

'Any product made with talc has the potential to be contaminated with a dangerous amount of asbestos fibres. In the 1970s, the cosmetics industry came up with a test for asbestos called the J4-1 test, using X-ray diffraction techniques to identify asbestos in samples. The idea was that the customer and regulators could be assured that their talc product was asbestos free - but their test wasn't sensitive enough to pick up asbestos at concentrations below 1-2 per cent, which could mean millions of asbestos fibres in a container.

'When a more sensitive test, using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), was used to check their results, asbestos was found in many supposedly asbestos free cosmetics.'

Hannah was asked to detail all the times she had bought and used make-up during visits to the States. 'In March 2020, the New York Supreme Court ruled that the case could be heard there, meaning other Brits can now sue in the U.S. too,' says Harminder.

'We sent slides of a biopsy of Hannah's peritoneum to be examined by the pathology department at Mount Sinai,' says Harminder. 'There, Professor Ronald E. Gordon found that Hannah had suffered substantial exposure to tremolite asbestos with a significant amount of talc.'

Put simply, Hannah had asbestos and talc fibres in her peritoneum the site of her cancer, It was an Erin Brockovich moment .

'When they found that, I felt vindicated but also very angry,' says Hannah. 'That my younger self had been exposed to that at a time when the cosmetics industry knew there was asbestos in some of its talc seems cruel.'

I asked Avon, Estee Lauder and Clinique for details of Hannah's 'resolution', and invited them to address the claims that company executives knew about asbestos in talc decades ago.

Only Avon replied. It said: 'Avon has an unequivocable belief in the safety of every talc product it has sold. All talc used by Avon is the highest quality, cosmetic grade and has been tested to confirm it does NOT contain asbestos.'

Estee Lauder did not respond, but it has always insisted its products are completely safe. I also asked the industry body, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA), to comment. It rejected the idea that asbestos could be found in UK products, arguing that their safety is strictly controlled by UK regulations introduced in 2021 to replace EU law.

'Any allegation that talc as used in cosmetic products as sold in the UK is potentially unsafe would be a very serious matter,' it said in a statement. 'We believe that there is no basis for such an allegation. In particular, the sale of talcum powder and use of talc in cosmetic products in the UK is - and has been - subject to a very strict regulatory framework which applies to all cosmetic products in the UK.

'All cosmetic products, and their ingredients, placed on the UK market have to be safe... ingredients are regularly reviewed by independent scientists. If an ingredient were found to be unsafe when used in a cosmetic product, it would be banned. Asbestos is banned in cosmetic products under both the UK and EU Cosmetics Regulations.'

The CTPA said regulations and safety were overseen by the Office for Product Safety and Standards, the body which, with the Health and Safety Executive, found traces of asbestos in three products in 2021.

Hannah's legal battle has taken its toll emotionally and physically. She is tired and losing weight but there is a sense of satisfaction in raising awareness about talc's uncertainties. She remains defiant and optimistic, enjoying each new day with Holly, Luke and Duncan.

'The cosmetics industry really should stop using talc when there are simple and safe alternatives like corn starch,' she says. 'If some lives can be saved in the future, then taking up the fight will have been worthwhile.'
Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi has shared a gushing tribute to his wife Princess Beatrice while sharing photos from the Vogue World gala, while sister Princess Eugenie has revealed a sweet behind the scenes shot of the royals on the way fashionable event.

Edo, 39, who married Beatrice in 2020, shared snaps of the pair at the gala with an adorable caption to his Instagram page.

'My beautiful wife. Bringing joy to my life,' he wrote.

Beatrice and her husband Edoardo loved up as they showed off a PDA during a night out

The royal couple were joined by Beatrice's sister Princess Eugenie, who stunned in a teal frock as she made her first public appearance after giving birth to her son Ernest at the end of May.

Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi has shared a gushing tribute to his wife Princess Beatrice while sharing photos from the Vogue World gala,

Sister Princess Eugenie has revealed a sweet behind the scenes shot of the royals on the way fashionable event

Sharing a snap of the sisters - who are the daughters of Prince Andrew and Sarah, Duchess of York, on the way to the event, Eugenie wrote: 'It was so fun to attend Vogue World: London this week. The event celebrated the UK's rich cultural scene.

'"The arts are under threat in the UK and Vogue World will be a timely reminder of how important they are, how vital a part of our lives, and how much they need our support, Anna Wintour,' she wrote in the caption.

Alongside it was a pic of the sister in the back of the car on the way to the event - dubbed the UK's answer to the Met Gala.

Mother-of-one Beatrice sported a black floral flowing dress as she attended the Vogue World event at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in central London with Edo, who looked dapper in a white tuxedo jacket and black trousers.

As they posed for photographs, Edo kissed his wife, who in turns couldn't help but giggle sweetly during her husband's PDA.

The couple both appeared delighted to be at the event together, as they were snapped beaming, as they had their pictures taken.

The royal was joined by her sister Princess Eugenie (pictured, right) who wore a teal satin gown during the night out

Princess Beatrice appeared to be waving at assembled snappers as she and her sister Princess Eugenie enjoyed a night in London's West End

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's daughters Beatrice and Eugenie appeared to have left their children at home as they enjoyed their evening in the West End.

Eugenie, who donned a satin teal gown with statement shoulders for the Vogue event, also appeared to have left her husband, wine merchant Jack Brooksbank at home.

He may have been looking after the couple's oldest son August, as well as their baby Ernest, who was born on May 30.

As she introduced her second child to the world via Instagram, Eugenie revealed he had been born at the private Portland Hospital in London, weighing 7lbs 1oz, his name pays tribute to his late grandfather, Jack Brooksbank's father George, who died aged 72 in 2021, and Fergie's father Major Ronald Ferguson.

Eugenie also said his name was a tribute to his great great great grandfather George V, whose middle name was also Ernest.

Ernest will not receive a title, however, and  according to rules laid down by George V in 1917 - is not entitled to be called His Royal Highness.

Eugenie's sister and brother-in-law, Princess Beatrice, 35, and Edo Mapelli Mozzi, 39, weren't far behind on the red carpet.

The star-studded performance included several famous faces, including Kate Moss, Ian McKellen, Sophie Okonedo and Stomzy.

The York sisters Beatrice and Eugenie were seen sharing a car during their night out together in London

Princess Eugenie (pictured) made her first public appearance today since giving birth to her second child

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi are pictured at the Vogue event

Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are pictured together at the event on Thursday

For the occasion, Eugenie opted for a turquoise satin dress, fit with pleated detailing and short sleeves.

The royal accessorised the outfit with sparkly diamond earrings and a matching pair of crystal-encrusted heeled pumps.

The mother-of-two opted for an elegant makeup look with a touch of nude lipstick and a classic bronzed eyeshadow look.

Princess Beatrice looked summery in a floral ensemble while joining Eugenie on the red carpet.

The mother-of-one opted for a floral patterned maxi dress fit with gloves for the evening in London, paired with simple black-heeled pumps.

She accessorised the colourful summery outfit with a pair of glamorous drop earrings.

Edoardo looked dapper in a white tuxedo, which he matched with a classic pair of suede loafers.

Eugenie's sister and brother-in-law, Princess Beatrice (left), 35, and Edo Mapelli Mozzi (right), 39, weren't far behind on the red carpet

For the event, Vogue World brought the esteemed magazine to life in a first-of-its-kind show.

Created by BAFTA-winning director Stephen Daldry, show director Emily Burns, and creative producer Fran Miller, the evening covered a wide spectrum of performing arts.

It comes shortly after Eugenie enjoyed a beach trip abroad to Kenya with her friends- apparently leaving her husband Jack and their two sons at home.

The Duke of York's daughter, 33, was pictured in the African country with German model and influencer, Caroline Daur, who shared a number of snaps of the group of friends on Instagram.

The British royal posed for snappers before entering Vogue's evening of fashion fantasia at the West End

For the occasion, Eugenie opted for a turquoise satin dress, fit with pleated detailing and short sleeves

They travelled to Lamu, a small town on Lamu Island, which has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2001.

While the Princess was pictured in a number of photographs lapping up the sunshine and enjoying the scenery, it appears her husband Jack and their two sons, August and Ernie did not join the group.

Eugenie and Jack, who split their time between Windsor and Portugal with her family, welcomed their second child on May 30th. They also share August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, 18 months.

A monochrome selfie posted on Caroline's Instagram, a day before anniversary of the Queen's death, showed the pair seemingly dressed up to go out.

In one of the photographs, Princess Eugenie donned a simple circular necklace and modest top and wore her curled tresses down.

The star-studded event will include several famous faces, including Kate Moss, Ian McKellen , Sophie Okonedo and Stomzy

Edoardo looked dapper in a white tuxedo, which he matched with a classic pair of suede loafers

Princess Beatrice looked summery in a floral ensemble fit with gloves while joining Eugenie on the red carpet

Princess Beatrice accessorised the colourful summery outfit with a pair of glamorous drop earrings

Eugenie seem to make it a mum's night out this evening as she appeared to have left her husband, wine merchant Jack Brooksbank, at home with baby Ernest and their oldest son August

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson 's daughter has been taking some much needed time out of public life since giving birth to Ernest on May 30

Eugenie introduced her second child to the world via Instagram, she revealed he had been born at the private Portland Hospital in London, weighing 7lbs 1oz

Eugenie's second son, Ernest's name pays tribute to his late grandfather, Jack Brooksbank 's father George, who died aged 72 in 2021, and Fergie's father Major Ronald Ferguson

Ernest will not receive a title, however, and  according to rules laid down by George V in 1917 - is not entitled to be called His Royal Highness

Princess Beatrice, who donned a black floral flowing dress, and her sharply-dressed husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi , looked dapper in a white tuxedo jacket and black trousers

Meanwhile Caroline opted for slicked-back hair, dramatic oversized earrings and a feathered, spotty top.

Another image on the Instagram carousel showed the royal on a boat with a group of friends, enjoying a meal and wine on the open water.

Princess Eugenie sported a pair of round oversized black sunglasses and donned a black top.

She parted her chocolate locks so half of her hair was in a bun and the other strands were down.

The mother-of-two looked in high spirits as she smiled for the photograph with her pals.

Princess Eugenie's close friend Julia de Boinville was also amongst the group holidaying last week.

The island, located off the northern coast, is known for its snorkelling, scuba diving, coral reefs and beaches.
Royals from all over the world have headed to Sweden to mark the 50th Jubilee of King Carl XVI Gustaf.

While grand gowns have been worn by princess and queens from Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, it's a young prince that stole the show yet again.

Prince Oscar of Sweden, seven, adorably won over crowds as joined his family to celebrate his grandfather's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm, for the second day in a row.

The little royal, whose elder sister Princess Estelle is heir to the throne, could be seen waving to the crowd and covering his face with his hands as he stood on the royal balcony alongside his relatives.

At one stage, his parents Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel appeared to lean down to chat to the little boy.

Meanwhile, Prince Alexander - the son of Victoria's brother Carl Philip - looked equally adorable in the snaps.

Prince Oscar of Sweden , seven, adorably won over crowds as joined his family to celebrate his grandfather's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm, for the second day in a row.

Royals from all over the world have headed to Sweden to mark the 50th Jubilee of King Carl XVI Gustaf. Princess Victoria is seen holiding nephew Princess Alexender

Members of the Swedish Royal family Prince Alexander, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Daniel, Princess Estell, Prince Carl Philip and Prince Gabriel stand on the Palace balcony looking as the Cortege with King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia ia is driven through central Stockholm

The Swedish royal family put on an elegant display at the third day of King Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm today.

The royal, who is a distant cousin of King Charles, is the first king in the Swedish monarchys more than 1,000-year history to reach 50 years on the throne.

The Swedish royal family put on an elegant display at the third day of King Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm today.

Carl Gustaf , 77, appeared to be in a merry spirit as he arrived at the Royal Palace Church in Stockholm to celebrate his 50th anniversary on the throne.

The royal, who is a distant cousin of King Charles, is the first king in the Swedish monarchys more than 1,000-year history to reach 50 years on the throne.

Today's celebration is the Te Deum, a Swedish religious service, based upon singing of hymns to give thanks.

Among those celebrating the big occasion were Crown Princess Victoria, as well as her children Princess Estelle and Prince Daniel, Princess Madeliene and Prince Carl Phillip.

The royal, who is a distant cousin of King Charles, looked dapper while arriving alongside his wife Queen Silvia , 79.

Carl donned a navy suit which he paired with a white shirt and a silver navy tie.

Queen Silvia looked chic in a baby blue suit, which she paired with a classic pair of nude heels.

Elsewhere, Princess Victoria of Sweden, 46, and Prince Daniel of Sweden, 50, put on a cheery display as they walked into the event.

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia wave at the crowds at the Royal Palace in Central Stockholm,

The king and queen are seen waving to crowds

Prince Oscar of Sweden, seven, joined his family to celebrate his grandfather King Carl Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm today

At one stage, his parents Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel appeared to lean down to chat to the little boy

The little royal, whose elder sister Princess Estelle is heir to the throne, could be seen waving to the crowd and covering his face with his hands as he stood on the royal balcony alongside his relatives

The Swedish royal family put on an elegant display at the second day of King Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm today

It's all smiles as Crown Princess Victoria shares an adorable exchanges with her daughter Princess Estelle. (Pictured left) The Crown Princess lovingly fixes her son, Prince Oscar's hair as her husband Prince Daniel watches

Queen Silva and Prince Oscar of Sweden wave at onlookers from the royal balcony standing next to other Swedish royal family members

The European royals watch the changing of the guards and choir tribute from Stockholm's royal balcony. (Pictured from right) Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Queen Sonja of Norway, Queen Silvia of Sweden, Prince Oscar of Sweden, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and King Harald of Norway

Also on the balcony, from right, were Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, King Harald of Norway, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, Crown Prince Fredrik of Denmark, Crown Princess Mary Denmark, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Princess Estelle of Sweden

The military band get into position at the celebration of King Carl's 50th coronation ahead of the changing of the guards and choir tribute

Victoria, the eldest child of Gustaf, donned a summery floral ensemble for the occasion.

She accessorised the outfit with an elegant purple bonnet and a pair of pointed heeled shoes in a matching shade.

Her husband, Prince Daniel opted for a double-breasted navy suit, a crisp white shirt, and a pale blue tie.

Walking slightly in front of the heir to the Swedish throne was Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden, 44, and Princess Sofia of Sweden, 38.

Princess Sofia, 38, stunned in yellow attire. The royal donned a chic yellow frock, along with an elegant fascinator and matching shoes.

Next to Sofia stood her husband, Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden, the only son of Gustaf and Silvia. The royal looked smart in a sharp navy suit and matching dotted tie.

King Carl Gustaf (left) , 77, looked dapper as he arrived at the Royal Palace Church in Stockholm to celebrate his 50th anniversary on the throne alongside his wife Queen Silvia (right)

Victoria of Sweden (left), the eldest child of Gustaf, donned a summery floral ensemble for the occasion. While her husband, Prince Daniel of Sweden (right) opted for a double-breasted navy suit, a crisp white shirt, and a pale blue tie

Princess Sofia (right), 38, stunned in yellow attire. The royal donned a chic yellow frock, along with an elegant fascinator and matching shoes

Princess Estelle of Sweden adorned a chic blue and white baby blue co-ord along with a big smile while walking behind Princess Sofia

Next to Sofia stood Prince Carl Phillip of Sweden (right), the only son of Gustaf and Silvia. The royal looked smart in a sharp navy suit and matching dotted tie

Princess Madeleine entered Te Deum with her husband Christopher O'Neill donned a stylish blue dress, while Prince Carl Phillip, Princess Sofia, Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar elegantly follow

Sweden's Princess Sofia, Princess Estelle, Princess Madeleine and Prince Oscar get in position for the King Carl Gustaf of Sweden's 50th Jubilee celebration in Stockholm, Sweden on September 15, 2023

Christopher O'Neill, Princess Madeleine and Princess Sofia gracefully sat during the religious service

Sweden's royal siblings, Estelle and Oscar share a conversation before they are seated for the thanksgiving service in Palace Church at the Royal Palace in Stockholm

Second-in-line to the throne, Princess Estelle, 11, is all smiles as she sits between her brother Prince Oscar, who is sporting a sophisticated navy suit, and her father Prince Daniel, Duke of Vastergotland

Sweden's Prince Oscar, seven, and Princess Estelle, eleven, put on an adorable display while attending the religious service.

The little royals entered the Te Deum hand in hand with one another, before taking their seats next to Prince Daniel.

Prince Oscar sported a sophisticated navy suit for the occasion, which featured a medal on the left breast pocket.

Princess Estelle, who is second-in-line to the throne, donned a subtle, baby blue co-ord.

Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary also attended the thanksgiving service in the Palace Church.

The Danish royals coordinated their outfits with a popular colour for the occasion, purple.

Crown Princess Mary looked dashing in a floral lilac dress, which she matched with a deep purple leather clutch bag.

While her husband, the heir to the Danish throne, looked dapper in a navy suit with a matching purple tie.

King Carl ascended to the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973.

He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Vasterbotten, and Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

He married Silvia Sommerlath in 1976, three years after his accession.

The royal couple share three children - Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, Duke of Varmland, and Princess Madeleine of Sweden, Duchess of Halsingland and Gastrikland.

The Swedish royal family also put on a glittering display as they arrived for King Carl Gustaf's Golden Jubilee celebration in Stockholm yesterday.

The Te Deum is a short religious service, where the royals sing hymns to give thanks for King Gustaf's reign on the throne

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (left) and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (right) arrived together at the Royal Palace Church

Princess Madeleine of Sweden (left) and her husband Christopher O'Neil (right) arrived for the Te Deum in style

Crown Princess Victoria wowed in a voluminous orange gown while her sister Princess Madeleine donned a stunning strapless outfit in lilac.

Sister-in-law Princess Sofia chose an eye-catching fuscia pink dress for the evening.

The royals were also joined by King Carl Gustaf, Prince Daniel and Prince Carl Philip in Stockholm.

And following the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, hes the second-longest reigning European monarch alive today, after Queen Margrethe, who celebrated her 50th anniversary on Denmarks throne last year.

The jubilee is four days of celebrations that culminate with a military parade through the capital.

European royals turned out in force to celebrate the golden jubilee of King Carl Gustaf's 50th in Stockholm.

Queen Margrethe of Denmark arrived for the festivities alongside her son Crown Prince Frederik, 55, and his wife Princess Mary, 51, on Thursday.

Meanwhile Queen Anne-Marie of Greece was also among the dignitaries on the guest list for the jubilee events.

King Carl's cousin Queen Margrethe looked chic in a navy coat and a red and white gown underneath.

Prince Frederik looked smart in a sage green suit jacket and grey trousers, while his wife looked typically stylish in a beige suit.

Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik (left) and Crown Princess Mary (right) coordinated their outfits for the event with the colour purple

Crown Princess Mary looked dashing in a floral lilac dress, which she matched with a deep purple leather clutch bag

Carl Gustaf is the first king in the Swedish monarchys more than 1,000-year history to reach 50 years on the throne

Sweden's Prince Oscar, seven, and Princess Estelle, eleven entered the Te Deum hand in hand with one another

Oscar and Estelle put on a sweet display while entering the religious service, before taking their seats next to Prince Daniel (right)

Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, Gustaf is the second-longest reigning European monarch alive today, after Queen Margrethe, who celebrated her 50th anniversary on Denmarks throne last year

Ahead of his Golden Jubilee celebrations, the Royal Court of Sweden shared a new image of the monarch, which was taken in the Royal Palace of Stockholms Hall of State.

Dressed in his admiral uniform, the father-of-three is pictured next to the silver throne, which dates back to Queen Kristinas 1650 coronation and is used in state openings of parliament.

Over his uniform, the King wears a number of medals - including the Order of the Seraphim.

This medal - also known as the 'Blue Ribbon' - is seen as Sweden's equivalent to the UK's Order of the Garter and is the highest honour of chivalry which can be awarded.

On top of this, the monarch also wears the Royal Order of Vasa, the Order of the Sword and the 1840 Order of Dannebrog chain, which can only be given to the monarch's closest family.

The King also appears to be wearing the exact same ceremonial chains he donned for his 1973 regal assurance, when he became the country's youngest ever monarch at 27 years old.

The new portrait of the King, taken by Thron Ullberg, will appear on stamps being issued in Sweden in 2023.
A Thai boy made headlines last week when his dark brown eyes a vibrant blue due to a rare reaction to a Covid drug.

While his side effect was caused by medication that is not used in the US, millions of Americans take drugs that can cause similarly bizarre symptoms.

Some antipsychotic medications can leave sufferers with extremely painful erections that last hours, while drugs to treat Parkinson's have been linked to compulsive gambling.

These are some of the most bizarre symptoms:

No medication is free of side effects which typically range from the innocuous fatigue to the life-threatening skin rash that causes burnt flesh to slough off in sheets

Skin sloughing off in sheets from antibiotics

Common antibiotic medications including sulfonamides, chloramphenicol, penicillins, and quinolones have been known to cause Toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) that causes damage to 30 percent of the skin.

It strikes after a bad reaction to an antibiotic.

The immune system sometimes views an antibiotic medicine entering the body as a foreign invader. This activates immune T cells which then attack what it perceives as harm.

Those misinformed T cells then start attacking cells in the skin's outermost layer called the epidermis, having mistakenly identified normal skin cells as being infected by an outside invader.

Those T cells then inflict damage on skin cells and causing tissue damage, resulting in the characteristic skin blistering and sloughing.

The resulting rash, though rare and affecting around 2 million Americans annually - less than one percent of the population - is a serious medical emergency and heightens the patients risk of dehydration and severe bacterial infection that could enter the blood, such as sepsis.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis is rare though often occurs due to a bad systemic reaction to common antibiotic drugs

It typically requires treatment in the hospital burn unit, where doctors cover the person in ointments and dressings to heal the skin and prevent life-threatening infection.

It also requires IV fluids, as burn-like skin loss can lead to dangerous dehydration and electrolyte loss.

While the condition itself is rare, it is fatal about a quarter of the time.

The death rate due to TEN is estimated to be between 21 to 25 percent based on European cohorts from the 1990s and early 2000s.

A similar death rate is harder to pin down in the US, though a 2018 retrospective study that looked at TEN cases across the US from January 1, 2000, and June 1, 2015, returned a mortality rate of 14 percent.

People over 70 and those with already weak immune systems are at the highest risk of contracting TEN, which down the line can lead to a wide range of health complications.

These can include corneal damage leading to pain in the eyes and fluid leakage, potentially leading to vision loss that requires surgery to prevent.

Endless erections from antipsychotics

Anti-psychotic medications including ziprasidone, sold under the name Geodon, chlorpromazine, also known as Thorazine, and risperidone, marketed as Risperdal, have been blamed for causing over half of all cases of priapism, a prolonged and painful erection generally lasting four hours or more.

If left untreated, priapism can lead to permanent damage to the erectile tissue in the penis and even impotence.

The drugs, which work by balancing dopamine and serotonin levels in the brain to regulate mood and thoughts.

These antipsychotic drugs are antagonists of alpha-1 noradrenergic receptors, which scientists believe is the underlying cause for cases of priapism.

The receptors are located on smooth muscles - the kinds that produce involuntary actions. Activating them is believed to relax those smooth muscles which leads to a widening of blood vessels, allowing for increased blood flow to the penis.

But in the case of priapism, that blood becomes stuck in erectile tissue because smooth muscles cannot contract and outflow of blood is disrupted.

This can lead to tissue damage and death in the penis.

In one case a 22-year-old UK man diagnosed with schizophrenia was prescribed risperidone, which blocks the activity of certain neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin in the brain, which alleviates symptoms of the disease including hallucinations, delusions, and an inability to express emotions in healthy ways.

One week after the man was prescribed 4 mg of risperidone, he developed priapism, which required him to be jetted off to an emergency department for an injection of a drug meant to narrow blood vessels and mimic the effects of adrenaline, which did not work.

The patient refused a procedure that would see doctors inject his penis directly with a medication to reduce blood flow to the penis, and the problem resolved itself.

The patient was then moved to a different antipsychotic called olanzapine and did not see his priapism come back.

Risperidone is believed to increase the odds of experiencing a painfully prolonged erection due to its blockage of -adrenergic receptors which play a crucial role in regulating blood pressure.

Janssen Pharmaceuticals which makes the drug warns that drugs with alpha-adrenergic blocking effects have been reported to induce priapism.

While it's not totally clear how many instances of priapism are linked to antipsychotics, some estimates say that the drugs are responsible for about 50 percent of drug-related priapism.

Sleep-eating from Ambien

Ambien users have increasingly reported nocturnal binges that involve scrounging through the fridge or cooking their sleep, sometimes resulting in dangerous kitchen blazes

Ambien is known to cause a host of weird side effects with many users reporting behaviors that they would never repeat in waking life.

Former top TV actress Roseanne Barr scapegoated the drug for a racist tweet that led to her shows cancellation in 2018.

Meanwhile, Last of Us star Pedro Pascal recently revealed that he waited hours to hear back about winning the role of Joel in the show, only to find out later that he was actually offered the role the day prior but forgot because he had taken Ambien.

Nocturnal eating binges that see sleep-walking users primitively claw through the refrigerator or subconsciously prepare a meal frequently result in waking up with chips in their bed, a jar of peanut butter on the nightstand, or a buildup of dirty dishes in the sink.

More often than not, people are left with no memory, or maybe a very foggy one, of moving around in the middle of the night and, even worse, are powerless to stop it.

The exact mechanism behind Ambien that leads to parasomnias like sleep-walking and sleep-eating is not entirely understood, but it is believed to be a function of binding to central nervous system receptors and activating GABA to promote relaxation and sedation.

The drug's action on the CNS impacts thoughts and behaviors while blurring the line between sleep and wakefulness.

It is estimated to affect between six and seventeen percent of people taking Ambien or its generic equivalent, zolpidem.

That equates to between 230,000 and 646,000 Americans, though that figure is likely far higher given many users of the drug do not report their late-night forays to the kitchen.

A 2020 survey of forty patients on zolpidem found that in 58 percent of cases, sleep-eating, now dubbed a sleep-related eating disorder (SRED), occurred every every time they took their regular dose of 10mg.

Researchers behind the study reported: Twenty-two patients reported total amnesia, and 8 patients reported partial amnesia of SRED episodes. The remaining 10 patients were amnestic during episodes, but the level of amnesia were not well-defined. Overall, patients presented with out-of-control eating with partial/full amnesia.

When the patients stopped taking the drug, their nighttime eating episodes stopped as well.

But anecdotal evidence of the drugs impacts on nocturnal eating is becoming more and more widespread.

One woman named Laura said taking the medication led her to drive in the middle of the night to the store  while asleep  to buy whipped cream. Another woman in New Jersey frequently awakens to find a spoonful of peanut butter in the bed next to her, while yet another in Salinas, California would wake up to a mattress littered with candy wrappers.

These late-night binges, especially when they involve driving, can be dangerous. There have been reports of medication takers setting fires in their kitchens while trying to cook or choking while eating.

The manufacturer of Ambien, Sanofi-Aventis, has long defended its drugs safety, insisting that all reports to the company of risky sleep-eating are forwarded on to the Food and Drug Administration, whose job it is to continually monitor safety reports of approved drugs.

Compulsive gambling from Parkinson's drugs

Drugs to treat Parkinson's often increase the production of dopamine in the brain, which encourages high-risk pleasure seeking behavior that can come in the form of compulsive gambling, overspending, and risky sex

Prescription drugs that stimulate dopamine can cause patients to set down on a path of compulsive, high-risk, pleasure-seeking behavior such as problematic gambling.

Parkinsons disease is an illness that causes a dopamine deficiency in the brain in the pathway that controls muscle movements.

Dopamine is implicated in all kinds of human functioning from falling in love to finding food. Too little of it can lead to depression, attention problems, psychosis, and yes, Parkinsons.

But when common treatments such as L-dopa hit the desire circuit too hard, problematic behaviors can result.

British researchers administered the drug to 15 healthy volunteers and gave another 15 a placebo before giving all 30 people the opportunity to gamble.

Those who took L-dopa placed larger, riskier bets than placebo-takers. Subsequent MRI scans of the volunteers brains showed that the more active dopamine was, the more money the volunteers expected to win.

Many patients do well with these drugs, but about one in six get into trouble with pathological high-risk gambling, hypersexuality, and compulsive shopping.

In March 2012, lawyers on behalf of a 66-year-old Australian man with Parkinsons disease sued the pharmaceutical company Pfizer over claims that its drug Cabaser led him down a path of ruinous gambling that eventually led him to lose his home.

The man began gambling on video poker machines at first with his $850 per month retirement pension. He sold his car for $829 to pay for his habit when his monthly stipend was not enough, pawned his belongings for a little over $6,000, and borrowed another $3,500 from friends and family.

He later took out loans equalling more than $50,000 from four different banks and, in July 2006, sold his home, gambling away a total of $100,000. Once he stopped taking the drug, the problem went away.

It became a massive class-action lawsuit that culminated in Pfizer settling with 172 patients in federal court in Australia for millions of dollars.

Skin changing color from antidepressants

Tyler Monk, from Louisiana, has seen his skin turn black after a mystery reaction to a commonly prescribed anti-depressant

Fluoxetine, known commonly as Prozac, has been shown in some rare cases to enhance melanin production, causing the skin to turn grayish-blue and even black.

Prozac is an extremely common selective serotonic reuptake inhibitor, also known as an SSRI, which block the reabsorption of serotonin after it is released into the gap between nerve cells called a synapse.

Blocking its reuptake and allowing serotonin to remain in the synapse gives it more time to bind to other receptors in the brain, improving nerve cell-to-nerve cell communication which regulates mood.

A case in which Prozac led to drastic skin discoloration went viral last year when 34-year-old Louisiana native Tyler Monk detailed his own experience after his doctor prescribed the drug in 2021 to treat his depression and anxiety.

Within just a week of taking the medication  far too soon for it to have noticeable effects on his mental health  his skin began changing to a grayish-blue color. First, his ears started to change color before it rapidly spread to his neck and his face - before affecting his arms and hands.

Within a week of taking Prozac in May 2021 his skin began changing to a grayish-blue color

Even when he shielded himself from the sun, his skin continued to darken further. And it progressively worsened even after stopping the medication.

Skin discoloration was listed as an infrequent adverse effect of the drug in its initial 1999 FDA approval notice, but cases were detailed in early clinical trials.

The side effects may not be limited to Prozac, though. A 27-year-old woman in the UK was prescribed sertraline, another common SSRI marketed as Zoloft to treat her bipolar disorder. After about four weeks on the drug, she noticed some skin discoloration above her lip but no improvement in her mood.

The problem worsened for three weeks after stopping the medication but eventually stopped showing signs of worsening. It is not known whether her skin ever returned to normal, though in similar cases its not unusual for the problem to continue even when the medication has been cut off.

Scientists posit that SSRIs increase the activity of an enzyme called tyrosinase in cells which kicks off a chain chemical reaction to produce melanin pigments that contribute to skin, hair, and eye color.

Blue-tinted vision from Viagra

The little blue pill could cause a mans vision to match, leading him to see the world through a bluish tint.

It is believed to be caused by inadvertently blocking an enzyme called phosphodiesterase 6 which overly sensitizes rod cells in the retina, which are most effective at picking up blue.

The effect has been seen in men who take the highest recommended dose of the erection-causing medication whose main active ingredient is sildenafil.

A 2020 report in the journal Frontiers in Neurology detailed a case in Turkey in which 17 men arrived at the hospital with vision problems that persisted for more than 24 hours after they'd taken sildenafil.

The men presented with very intensely blue- colored vision with red-green color blindness (i.e., reds and greens appeared to be brownish hues) in addition to other vision problems. Fortunately, in all 17 patients the symptoms had cleared up by 21 days later.

None of the men had prescriptions for the medication, suggesting they were not warned of the possible effect to their vision beforehand, and they started on the highest dose.
A woman who had a nasty hangover was left horrified after discovering her symptoms were actually a sign of cancer.

Amber Orr, from Ballymena in Northern Ireland, woke up with tummy pain and extreme nausea in March 2019 and assumed it was just due to heavy drinking with friends the night before.

However, when the 24-year-old was still suffering from 'unbearable' pain and throwing up days later, her mother rushed her to hospital.

There, doctors discovered the social work student's appendix had ruptured and perform emergency surgery to remove it.

But rather than her medical ordeal being over, further tests revealed that the rupture was triggered by a cancerous tumour in her abdomen.

Amber Orr, from Ballymena in Northern Ireland, woke up with tummy pain and extreme nausea in March 2019 and assumed it was just due to heavy drinking with friends the night before

However, when the 24-year-old was still suffering from 'unbearable' pain and throwing up days later, her mother rushed her to hospital

Amber had been partying with friends in Belfast in spring 2019, when she was 19-years-old.

Despite brushing-off her illness the next day as the after-effects of alcohol, her symptoms lasted for another two days.

She said: 'When I woke up feeling sick, I blamed it on being hungover.

'But as the day progressed, I realised it wasn't a hangover.

'I kept getting this unbearable pain in my side and I was throwing up.'

READ MORE: Girl, 6, had brain cancer symptoms dismissed during phone appointments with GPs who recommended Calpol Indeg Roberts l was refused a face-to-face appointment because of Covid-19 restrictions and was prescribed a bottle of Calpol.Two years later, she was diagnosed with cancer Advertisement

Her mother then took her to Antrim Area Hospital when she showed no signs of getting better.

Medics monitored Amber overnight, suspecting that she had an UTI  an infection of the urinary tract that can cause pain in the lower tummy.

But after spending another 48 hours in hospital, she was rushed into surgery because her appendix  a finger-shaped organ with no known function  had burst. It's usually not clear what causes an appendicitis.

Amber underwent further tests and was sent home.

She assumed her health woes were over until two weeks later when she got a call from the hospital, asking her to come back in.

Once she arrived, medics sat her down and told her that test results showed she had a cancerous neuroendocrine mass  a rare tumour the can develop in many of the body's organs.

Amber's had been located in her appendix, before it was removed, and had also spread to her bowel.

Around 6,000 people in the UK and more than 12,000 in the US are diagnosed with the cancer every year.

Symptoms depend on where the tumour is located. Those in the bowel can trigger diarrhoea, constipation and tummy pains.

Amber said she had 'never thought' that she had cancer.

She added: 'I didn't feel anything. It was more of a numbness. I didn't properly digest the information until months later.

'Cancer is a such a taboo word and subject and to hear it out loud is such a surreal thing.

'My diagnosis also happened so fast that I honestly didn't have time to even think about what was happening to me until the whole thing was over.'

There, doctors discovered the social work student's appendix had ruptured and perform emergency surgery to remove it

But rather than her medical ordeal being over, further tests revealed that the rupture was triggered by a cancerous tumour in her abdomen

Doctors told her that she would require surgery to remove the tumour and chemotherapy to kill any surviving cells.

But the procedure in May 2019, which removed half of her bowel, successfully cleared her of the cancer  meaning she didn't require further treatment.

She has now been in remission for four years.

However, it continues to impact her mental health.

She said: 'I can't count the number of hours I've spent crying and breaking down because of how cancer has made me feel.

'Whether that be physically, from the scars on my body, or mentally, from the anxiety and depression from treatment and fear of it returning.

'You don't realise just how much cancer impacts your mental health.

'My mental health didn't take a hit until after I was in remission.'

Amber is now using her experience to raise awareness of the long-term effects of cancer and the importance of early detection.

She said: 'If my appendix hadn't burst, I wouldn't have found my cancer until it was terminal.

Amber had been partying with friends in Belfast in spring 2019, when she was 19-years-old

Despite brushing-off her illness the next day as the after-effects of alcohol , her symptoms lasted for another two days

She said: 'When I woke up feeling sick, I blamed it on being hungover'

'I try to use my story to encourage others to check themselves and listen to their bodies.

'I also want to give them the confidence to book appointments and stand up for themselves when they feel something isn't right.

'Cancer doesn't discriminate. It doesn't matter your age, gender, or race.

'I want to give back to the places that helped, like the Teenage Cancer Trust and Young Lives vs. Cancer, by fundraising, because without the help of their social workers and nurses, I know for a fact I couldn't have made it out the other side.'

Amber will be starting her degree in social work this month.

She added: 'I am looking forward to getting my degree and hopefully becoming a social worker for the NHS, working specifically with cancer patients.

'If I can help even one person the way that they helped me, I know that I'll be doing something right.

'As much as cancer has changed my life, it doesn't define who I am.

'It shouldn't get to take over my life and make me afraid to live.'
A Florida vape addict smoked a hole in his lung after getting hooked on e-cigarettes in high school.

At the height of his use, Mason Middleton, 19, from Fort Myers, was so addicted he would vape every few minutes and go through as many as four pods a week.

But he was suddenly struck down by sharp pains in his chest earlier this year which left him in such agony he could barely stand.

In August, doctors diagnosed him with a collapsed left lung. Mr Middleton, who is otherwise healthy and works in construction, said doctors could find 'no other reason' for the collapsed lung besides vaping.

He told DailyMail.com: 'I am quitting vaping. I never listened to anyone when they told me that vaping will mess you up, but it will. Don't go through what I went through, it was extremely painful.'

Mason Middleton, 19, from Fort Myers, Florida, (pictured above in hospital) suffered a collapse in his left lung after getting addicted to vapes. He would get through three to four devices a week he was so hooked

Doctors say that it is rare for a lung collapse to happen in a young adult who does not also have an underlying condition. They say this already predisposes the lung to injury, with the vape then causing inflammation and raising the risk of a collapse

Vapes have soared in popularity in the US with an estimated 8.1million Americans  including 3million middle and high schoolers  now puffing on them every week.

But studies now suggest the devices may not be any better for the lungs than traditional cigarettes, the thing they are marketed to help people quit, because vapes also contain toxic chemicals.

Most vapes are manufactured in China but have been flooding into the US for years, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) struggling to regulate the market.

The FDA has restricted fruity flavors in reusable vapes to make them less appealing to youngsters, but is yet to bring in the same rules for disposable vapes  unlike in other countries like the UK.

Mr Middleton said he became 'very, very addicted' to vapes after starting to puff on them from the age of 15.

'I was getting them because I happened to know somebody who knew somebody who knew somebody at school, so I could get them,' he said.

'When I was younger, my dad and mom caught me and grounded me and told me not to do it. But I ignored them and went ahead and did it anyway.

'I was addicted, very addicted, very, very.

'I would use my vapes every day. How often I did depended on what I was doing. If I was working, I wouldn't be sucking on it a lot, but, say, if I was laying in bed, I would be hitting it every three to five minutes.'

The vapes that he used most often were HQD vapes  a Chinese-made product manufactured by Shenzhen Hanqingda Technology, which is based in Shenzhen, China. His favorite flavors were blue raspberry, blueberry lemonade, black ice and apple peach flavors.

Florida's legal limit to smoke and buy vapes is 21 years old, but many youngsters are able to get around the ban thanks to unscrupulous sellers and friends buying the devices for them.

Mr Middleton said he was returning home from his grandfather's  who lived five minutes away  when he said he suddenly felt a sharp pain in the left side of his chest.

'The throbbing [pain] came in waves,' he said.

'By the time I got home I was in immense pain, I could barely walk it hurt so bad, so I went inside and lay down.'

He tried to treat the pain with ibuprofen and went to work the next day, but within hours asked his manager if he could leave to go to the hospital.

X-rays taken at the hospital revealed he was suffering from a collapsed lung  medically termed a spontaneous pneumothorax.

This is where a hole has emerged in the lung that allows air to rush into the vacuum  or empty space with no air  between the lung wall and chest wall.

This stops the lung from inflating and deflating properly, leaving sufferers struggling to breathe, with stabbing chest pains and a rapid heart rate.

The condition is rarely fatal, but doctors say it needs to be treated quickly to avoid the hole getting any worse or a drop in oxygen levels in the blood that can damage internal organs.

It is treated by inserting a tube into the chest to suck air out of the vacuum, restoring it while giving the lung enough time to heal the hole and restore normal breathing without the aid of a machine.

Mr Middleton said the vape he used the most often was HQD, which is made by Chinese company Shenzhen Hanqingda Technology Co, based in Shenzhen, China. Among his favorite flavors were blue raspberry, blueberry lemonade, black ice and apple peach

Mr Middleton had X-rays taken at the hospital which revealed he was suffering from a spontaneous pneumothorax, the medical term for a lung collapse. He said doctors could not find any other reason for it besides vapes

Mr Middleton said the doctors were '90 percent sure' the collapse may have been caused by vaping, adding: 'They could not find any other reason on why I did have a collapsed lung.'

Dr Panagis Galiatsatos, a critical care doctor at Johns Hopkins University, told DailyMail.com it was possible for vaping to cause a collapsed lung.

But, he added, this was unlikely in a healthy patient  and would likely only happen in people who had an underlying condition that weakened the lungs, such as asthma or Marfan syndrome, a genetic condition weakening connective tissue in the lungs.

'You need a predisposition for this to happen,' he said. 'It's not impossible without a predisposition, it is just something that's improbable.'

When someone with an underlying condition smokes or vapes, this triggers inflammation in the lungs further weakening them  and raises the risk of a hole appearing in the wall of the lungs causing them to collapse.

Dr Galiatsatos added: 'Inflammation is going to compromise the lungs.

'If you are doing vaping over and over again, you are going to make the walls of the lungs lose their integrity, become more compliant, and then, in the right situation, that results in a tear.'

Dr Galiatsatos, who is also a spokesman for the American Lung Association, said he has seen two young patients with underlying conditions who vaped suffer from a collapsed lung so far.

He has seen many more smokers with the condition, but said this was likely because smokers tended to be older  with older adults being more at risk for a collapsed lung.

Less than ten percent of Americans have conditions that put them at higher risk of a lung collapse if they start vaping or smoking.

Mr Middleton has no underlying conditions that could cause a collapsed lung.

For treatment, Mr Middleton had a tube placed into his chest to suck air from the space between his lung and chest wall.

By draining air from this area, the vacuum was restored  stopping the lungs from collapsing and giving them time to repair the hole.

The teen was kept in the hospital for three days while doctors gradually reduced the amount of air being sucked from the cavity.

When, on day three, they turned off the machine and his lungs did not collapse, they removed the tube and discharged him.

He has now sworn off vapes  having gone home and thrown away all the devices in his truck and home.

Mr Middleton is pictured above in hospital. Doctors inserted a tube into his chest to suck air from the space between his lungs and the chest wall

He revealed his diagnosis while in hospital (shown) and uploaded video updates on his experience on social media

Mr Middleton has also quit cold-turkey, using nicotine patches for the first week and now relying on candy whenever he has a craving.

'There are two types of cravings to deal with,' he said.

'There is one where you are craving nicotine, but that goes away within the first four to five days.

'But the other is that... you crave the hand motion of bringing it up to your mouth or having [the vape] in your pocket or holding it in the morning, or when you get home.'

Asked how hard it was to quit vaping he said: 'This last week I haven't really had major cravings, but for the last few weeks I have been really having cravings a lot.

'After I eat is a big one, because I would always puff on it right after, and I am also getting irritated a lot faster [by things at work].

'Normally, if someone who I asked to do something didn't do it, I'd be cool with it. But now I am getting annoyed.'

Mr Middleton talks about his struggles with vaping and his health scare in posts on social media and has started a campaign, called #freethelungs, where he encourages others to quit vaping in order to protect their health.

DailyMail.com contacted Shenzhen Hanqingda Technology Co, based in Shenzhen, China, for comment, but did not receive a response.
Frail, elderly patients are stuck in a revolving door of hospital treatment, where they are discharged then swiftly readmitted because shockingly poor aftercare leaves them sicker than they were to begin with, experts have warned.

The situation stems from an NHS policy launched in 2015, designed to address the problem of bed-blockers  the somewhat derogatory term used to describe patients, most of them elderly, who are occupying a hospital bed they dont strictly need.

The protocol, called Discharge To Assess, aims to get patients back home as quickly as possible  even when they have undergone major surgery  so they dont end up stuck in wards for months on end.

Guidelines state that on the day of discharge, a nurse or occupational therapist should visit and assess the patients medical needs before drawing up a care plan. But specialists have told The Mail on Sunday that in a significant number of cases, this simply isnt happening.

Shelia Brown, pictured, died four days after being discharged from hospital in 2021 without adequate health and social support

Shelia Brown, 80, right, was discharged from a North London hospital in January 2021 after four days of treatment for breathing difficulties caused by heart disease. Despite still struggling to breathe, or even get out of bed, the carers and follow-up appointments that the hospital promised never transpire. Her husband, Brian, left, was forced to care for her

Health minister Maria Caufield this week told BBC Radio Fours Today Programme on Wednesday: Were creating 2,000 extra beds almost on a daily basis [because] were getting people discharged in a more timely fashion

This newspapers GP columnist, Dr Ellie Cannon, first raised the alarm last month. Since then we have received a deluge of letters from readers, telling stories of loved ones being turfed out of hospital too soon and sent home with no advice or support in place.

In one appalling case, a 90-year-old was abandoned by hospital transport workers outside his house in the freezing cold with no coat, unable to look after himself and with a catheter still inserted.

Others, in their late 70s and 80s, have been left alone with seeping wounds or unable to get to the bathroom, and one patient with severe heart problems died within a week of discharge after no one came to check up on her.

Discharged with no care... Shelia died four days later Shelia Brown, 80, was discharged from a North London hospital in January 2021 after four days of treatment for breathing difficulties caused by heart disease. Despite still struggling to breathe, or even get out of bed, the carers and follow-up appointments that the hospital promised never transpired. Four days later, the mother-of-two collapsed after walking up stairs and died a short while later. Shed always been active but she came back with a walking stick, which shed never used before, and her breathing was very laboured, says her husband of 60 years, 85-year-old Brian, who was forced to care for her. An investigation into Sheilas death by the hospital ruled that she was discharged too early. Who knows how long I would have had with her, says Brian. But I am sure the hospital robbed me of at least some of that time. Advertisement

Local doctors are so despairing at the situation that one admitted he advises vulnerable patients left without a care plan to simply turn up at A&E. He says it is the only way theyll be looked after enough to stop them deteriorating.

More and more patients are calling our surgery in desperate situations. Theyre alone, immobile, often unable to climb the stairs to get to the bathroom or unable to stand and make themselves anything to eat or drink, with wounds left undressed, and they dont know what to do, says Dr Dean Eggitt, a GP working in Doncaster.

I know there is a terrible problem with bed capacity, but I find myself telling people what to say to emergency doctors to get a bed, even if they dont have an urgent medical problem. I know that the alternative is they are left to deteriorate because theres no one to feed, clothe or look out for them.

Professor June Andrews, a former nurse and expert in the care of older people, adds: I tell families to start preparing their own care plan as soon as a loved one is admitted [to hospital], so things are in place when they come home. You just cant always rely on the NHS to offer care any longer.

The warnings come in the same week that Health Minister Maria Caulfield declared NHS discharge policies were now working.

The MP for Lewes told BBC Radio Fours Today Programme on Wednesday: Were creating 2,000 extra beds almost on a daily basis [because] were getting people discharged in a more timely fashion.

Prof Andrews says that, while many discharges are successful, Ministers are ignoring the significant number of those that arent. Its not that more people should be kept in hospital  it is not the safest of places, she says. But there are clearly too few services to look after people afterwards, and its the job of the Minister to sort this out.

Experts have also accused doctors of denying elderly patients treatment such as physiotherapy, as they as assume they wont get better.

There is often an assumption that if someone is elderly, rehabilitation is basically pointless, says Professor Adam Gordon, consultant geriatrician and president of The British Geriatrics Society. NHS staff need to remember that older people have as much right to proper recovery as any other patient.

Discharge To Assess drastically lowered the threshold for letting patients leave hospital. Unless they need a drip, intensive care, end-of-life care, arent fully conscious or are unable to breathe properly, they can be considered for discharge.

As part of the policy, the NHS is supposed to pay for six weeks of care and rehabilitation immediately after discharge, such as appointments with a physiotherapist and visits from a carer to help with daily tasks.

A  600 million pot of NHS cash is reserved for this service, sparing local councils from dipping into their dwindling budgets.

Mrs Brown, pictured with her husband, Brian, died after being released from hospital too early, according to an investigation

Shelia Brown, pictured with her family, was fit and active up until the time of her death. She was admitted into hospital with breathing problems

But Prof Gordon says: Discharge To Assess only works when theres a rehabilitation element. Currently, many patients are waiting too long for this or it doesnt happen at all and they deteriorate as a result.

Prof Andrews adds: Ageism is definitely reflected in the decisions that staff make when they care for older people in hospital. I often have to remind doctors that our aim is to get patients back to how they were  by offering physio and other rehabilitation.

But I can tell, often, they lack any ambition to do anything more than the bare minimum for them.

Government data suggests that Discharge To Assess may have triggered a rise in readmissions. While figures are not yet available for 2022, between 2015 and early 2020 the number of patients being readmitted to hospital within a month rose by 16 per cent  reaching roughly 941,000.

And between 2021 and 2022, in 13 out of 191 NHS trusts, readmission rates for over 75-year-olds was above the national average  up from eight in 191 the year before.

A major report published last month concluded early discharge protocols for elderly, frail people do not reduce the risk of hospital readmission or death in hospital.

The studys authors  health policy experts from the London School of Economics  blamed the failings on a lack of access to support services after discharge.

Now experts are calling on the Government to take action to prevent more older people ending up back in hospital as the months turn colder. Theres steps both NHS colleagues and the Government can take  and its essential they do so now to avoid further catastrophes this winter, says Prof Gordon.

The NHS needs to start redeploying physiotherapists, specialist nurses and occupational therapists to acute care and A&E, so the staff is in place to help with discharge.

Have you been sent home from hospital and left without care? Write to us at: health@mailonsunday.co.uk Advertisement

The Government should demand NHS Trusts begin recruiting social care staff now in preparation for winter. Ministers could also introduce legislation to ensure that the care that patients can access through Discharge To Assess is consistent across the country.

It is up to local authorities and NHS teams to decide whether a person qualifies for this pot of funding or not, and results can vary.

The wife of a man whod recently had a leg amputated told The Mail on Sunday that their local health chiefs had ruled that NHS Discharge To Assess would no longer fund her husbands after-care. We were told the Trust had recently changed its policy, she said.

Since our last report was published earlier this month, scores more readers have got in touch  with even more shocking stories. See box above.

In one case, a frail 88-year-old man was dropped home in the snow by patient transport services, but with no coat and a catheter still attached. The care that was promised failed to show up  and he died shortly afterward.

A 95-year-old man was discharged to his house alone despite being blind and unable to walk. When a carer eventually arrived a day and a half later, he was found on the floor, having fallen out of his chair.

Meanwhile, the wife of a man dying of blood cancer was forced to move their bed into the living room and become her husbands full-time carer after nurses failed to offer the support she was promised.

These things should not happen, says Prof Andrews. But I am afraid that the problems with finding care  and space  for people is only going to get worse. Doctors tell me that problems with bed capacity are already beginning to rise  and were only in September.

A spokesman from the Department of Health and Social Care said: This year, the Government is providing 600 million through the Discharge Fund to support timely and safe discharge from hospital.

We have also made available up to 7.5 billion in additional funding over two years to support adult social care and discharge.

It is the responsibility of community health and care services, including GPs and social care providers, to communicate with patients and their carers to ensure that changes are managed appropriately to help with their recovery.
When Savannah Miller turned six she asked her parents for a pair of knitting needles. They refused  apparently, they were too dangerous for a child  so Miller got some string and pencils and taught herself to knit with them instead. It took her three years, but she eventually worked it out.

Then the crafty child moved on to spoons; specifically, dyeing wooden spoons various colours.

She practised tie-dye, staining and even learned the Japanese tinting technique shibori. 'By the time I was a teenager,' she says, 'my mum did not have a single wooden spoon in her house that wasn't a different colour.'

The spoons and the knitting were only the start. When she was 14, Miller's friend had a party.

'I can't remember the theme,' she says, but she can remember making  and wearing  a 'Madonna corset', handcrafted with wire, bubble wrap and 'cone boobs' made from tinsel. Three years later, at her school leavers' ball, she designed her own dress.

This time it was a Goldilocks-style frock with a pink gingham corset, puff sleeves and an enormous skirt. 'It was a bit mental,' she says, 'now that I think about it.'

Savannah with her sister, actress Sienna at the Met Gala in 2018

Today, Miller is 44 and still designing. She has a bridalwear business called Savannah Miller; she ran the label Twenty8Twelve for six years with her younger sister, the actress Sienna, 41, and designed capsule collections with Next and Debenhams.

This month she launched her own fashion brand, Vivere.

The clothes are largely workwear. Prices start at 25 and go up to 275, everything is made in Turkey and pieces run to size 18.

There are organic cotton T-shirts, smart silk slip dresses and heavy-looking suit trousers with  Miller says excitedly  elastic waistbands. 'When you get to your 40s, elastication in the waist is a wonderful thing.'

Sadly, there's no bubble-wrap and wire corset with tinsel cone boobs  but there is the best-looking grey turtleneck I've seen in ages. Miller strokes the jumper. 'Yes, I love her.'

I STILL DREAM ABOUT HIM AND IMAGINE THAT HES ALIVE, ITS ALL A JOKE AND HES LIVING IN LA

All of Miller's creations are, it seems, anthropomorphic. 'Oh he's great,' she says, holding up a stiff white shirt. 'She's gorgeous,' she coos, stroking a pleated skirt.

Miller studied fashion at the London art school Central Saint Martins. In her second year, a course friend got her a summer job at Alexander McQueen. The British designer was then in his 30s and had offices in London filled with fashion students doing odd jobs.

For her first week, McQueen's team fobbed Miller off with the rather unglamorous task of photocopying 2,000 pages of images for various moodboards. She was 'glued' to the photocopier for seven days straight, but she didn't care.

McQueen had chosen all the pictures himself  there were portraits of punks, photographs of Ecuadorian tribes  and looking at them was like 'looking into his mind'.

Her course required her to do a work placement, so she stayed at McQueen. After a few months, Miller arrived at the studio to find the designer sitting on a bench alone, staring at a wall.

He said, unblinking, 'You're my new PA.' Miller was only 21; 'I was, like, 'F***!' Still, she agreed and worked under him for the rest of the year.

'I learned more there than I did at Saint Martins,' she says. 'Any one of us would have cut off an arm for him. He was so extraordinary.'

On her wedding day in 2005 with first husband Nick Skinner and baby Moses. The dress was Savannah's own design

When Miller left to finish her degree, McQueen begged her to stay. She refused and 'he never spoke to me again. I guess he felt betrayed because we were like a family.' Although Miller did visit him once, months later, and says he was 'lovely', the designer was also 'a troubled person'.

In 2010, he took his own life. 'I still dream about him and I imagine that he's alive and it's all a joke and he's living in LA,' says Miller. 'I could ramble on about him all day. It was a privilege to work there.'

On the day Miller graduated from art school she also found out she was pregnant. (She now has three children with her ex-husband Nick Skinner Moses, 17, Lyra, 14, and Bali, ten  and is married to aristocrat James Whewell.)

But a pregnancy, or a baby, didn't stop her working: she did stints at Anya Hindmarch, Matthew Williamson and Betty Jackson.

In 2007, Carlos Ortega, founder of Pepe Jeans, asked if she wanted to create a label with her sibling Sienna, who was going out with Jude Law and 'everything she wore was being knocked off by the high street'.

Ortega probably thought the pair were going to open Sienna's wardrobe and quickly copy whatever was in there. The Miller sisters had other ideas for their label, Twenty8Twelve.

The late Alexander McQueen pictured accepting an award in 2002

They designed 'Dickensian-looking' dresses; they used envelopes for clothes labels, stuffed with secret letters to customers; they wrote poems on washable pieces of paper from Japan and sewed them into back pockets of jeans.

The sisters left Twenty8Twelve in 2012 when Sienna's acting career became too big, but they remain close. In 2018, Sienna took Savannah to the Met Gala (see left); in 2022, Savannah wrote an essay for Vogue, in which she called her sibling 'a magical, golden person'.

Sienna helped start her sister's bridalwear career, too. When Savannah got married in 2005, paparazzi camped in trees to get photographs of Sienna and Jude Law.

An American bridal designer, Molly Rosen Guy, saw the pictures of Savannah's dress, which she'd made herself and, in 2013, asked her to collaborate.

Miller agreed, then started her own bridal line shortly after. Last year, Carrie Johnson rented one of Miller's dresses for her wedding party.

Seeing someone in something you made is, says Miller, 'the biggest thrill'. It's happened to her a few times.

A stranger will walk past her in the street, at the airport, in the supermarket wearing a piece of clothing she created. 'I don't speak to them,' she says. 'I just smile.'
Kim Jong-un shook hands with Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu as he visited an airbase in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok on Saturday, 16 September, where he was shown nuclear-capable bombers.

The North Korean leader's trip that has sparked Western concerns about an arms alliance between the two countries.

According to the Russian Defence Ministry, Kim inspected the Tu-160 and the Tu-95 strategic bombers and the Tu-22 long-range bomber from the Russian militarys nuclear-capable bomber force - all three have been used in Ukraine.
In what may be a first for the world of frocks and finery, the world's largest fashion retailer, Shein, is facing a lawsuit that claims its activities amount to organised crime.

Three American designers  Krista Perry, based in Massachusetts, together with Jay Baron and Larissa Martinez, in California  have brought the case under America's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations Act (RICO), which was devised to put mobsters in the clink. They claim the Chinese fast-fashion giant has persistently ripped off their creations and those of others.

The designers are not claiming that Shein is controlled by the Chinese Triads but, they say, the firm's business methods  including the alleged theft of thousands of designs and an ever-changing corporate structure  mean that it is a 'co-ordinated illegal operation', comparable to a mafia and subject to the same law.

According to claims made by the print designer Perry, she created art that subsequently appeared in identical form on Shein's website. When initially she complained to Shein about using her art without approval, she says she was offered $500 (around 400).

'In these cases, Shein quickly apologises, blames an unnamed third party for the misconduct,' the lawsuit says. Also in the court documents filed this summer were pictures of a floral playsuit designed by Larissa Martinez and a similar one sold by Shein (see above right).

The damages sought by the designers are not specified but their lawyer, David Erikson, told NBC News in the US that their objective was to 'rein in [Shein's] bad behaviour, and require them to stop copying US designers'.

Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as Bonnie and Clyde (with Gene Hackman as Clyde's brother Buck) in the 1967 film

Shein has said, 'We will vigorously defend ourselves', and the designers' case has yet to reach court, let alone be upheld. The proceedings will, however, be followed carefully in the world of fashion since they promise to define what can  and cannot  legally be copied.

This isn't the first time Shein has run into trouble. In April this year Yan Tee, a Manchester-based nail artist, accused the company of stealing her designs. Shein was selling stick-on nails featuring the same pattern Tee had posted on her Instagram of a bespoke design she had created for a client. Shein's stick-on nails start at 75p, whereas Tee  self-taught, self-employed  charges about 40 for her designs. The company even used Tee's Instagram images on its website without her permission.

Shein later apologised, saying it 'respects designers and artists, and the intellectual property [IP] rights of others. When legitimate complaints are raised by valid IP rights holders, Shein promptly addresses the situation, and removes the product(s) from our site as a matter of caution while we investigate.'

Indeed, it did remove the items from its site  only for one to reappear a day later. As Tee said at the time, 'Small artists don't have the funds to take them to court. And I think a big part of it is that the copyright laws in China, where they're based, are quite flexible compared to the UK copyright laws.'

Fashion and felony are no strangers. The Hollywood version is one of slick mobsters in tailored suits, or Faye Dunaway's iconic A-line skirt and artfully tilted woollen beret for her role as bank-robbing Bonnie Parker in the 1967 classic Bonnie and Clyde.

The reality, of course, is less attractive. Naples is one of the places where fashion and organised crime overlap in real life. They intersect in the sweatshops on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius controlled by the Camorra, the Neapolitan mafia, that produce clothes, including some of the very finest gowns, for fashion houses in Milan. And they mingle in the port of Naples, through which much of the counterfeit designer wear made in China arrives in Europe.

In the ranking of illicitly traded goods by value, rip-offs are second only to narcotics. In 2007, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)  the club of rich nations  estimated that the import and export of counterfeit products was yielding around $250 billion (then around 130 billion) annually.

By a wide margin the biggest source of fakes was China. All sorts of things are copied without authorisation, from electronic devices to pharmaceuticals, fertilisers to aircraft parts.

On the left is Larissa Martinez's design, and on the right is a Shein product

But knock-off clothing and accessories account for more than half of the global trade in counterfeit goods.

The makers and sellers aren't all gangsters, but the business they're in feeds into organised crime, and some of the profits go towards funding terrorists as well as mobsters.

The Hollywood version of fashion and felony is slick mobsters in tailored suits, like Bonnie and Clyde

Officials say, for example, that weapons used in the 2015 massacre at French magazine Charlie Hebdo were partly financed by the sale of fake Nike sneakers.

The tentacles of terrorist organisations and criminal syndicates extend thousands of miles.

And they almost certainly reach into a boutique or market near you.

John Hooper writes on transnational organised crime for The Economist
H&M sales flatlined over the summer as it lost ground to Zara owner Inditex.

The Swedish fashion chain said sales in June, July and August were 'flattish' year on year. Total sales hit 34.4billion.

Analysts said H&M is being squeezed on both sides  by Zara, which is attracting more aspirational shoppers, and by Primark which offers a cheaper alternative.

And while H&M is struggling, arch-rival Inditex and Primark have both posted solid sales growth this week.

Squeezed: H&M sales flatlined over the summer as it lost ground to Zara owner Inditex

'This is very weak compared to Inditex's accelerating second quarter,' said William Woods, an analyst at broker Bernstein.

Inditex, which also owns the Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear and Bershka brands as well as Zara, saw sales rise 13.5 per cent in the first half of the year to 14.6billion.

The figures were a boost for Inditex chairman Marta Ortega Perez, who last year took the reins at the firm her father founded in 1975.

Similarly, Primark owner Associated British Foods this week revealed sales at the fashion chain this year are on course to be 15 per cent higher than last year.
France might well be our oldest and, over time, our most implacable enemy.

But the history of Anglo-French state visits is longer and warmer than might be expected, a warmth Ive no doubt Charles will feel when he arrives in Paris later this month.

For all the recent hostilities over Brexit, his mother was adored in France  and they will let him know as much.

The first great royal rapprochement was in August 1855, when Charless great-great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria was on the throne.

Queen Victoria in her carriage, right, and Emperor Napoleon III, right, during the Queen's visit to Paris in 1855. This was the first visit to France by a British monarch for 400 years

An illustration showing Napoleon III, Queen Victoria, Princess Eugenie and Prince Albert at the Opera House in Paris with Napoleon III

On a later visit to France, Queen Victoria (seated) was taken to a perfume factory, where the distillation process was explained to her

She became the first British monarch to visit Paris in over 400 years when she was a guest of the Emperor Napoleon III.

The timing, in the middle of the Crimean War, marked a turnaround in the relationship between the two countries, which just 40 years earlier had fought each other at the Battle of Waterloo.

In a gesture of reconciliation Victoria even visit the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte  our bitterest foe as she noted in her journal, as well as touring the Palace of Versailles and Notre Dame Cathedral.

In the last ten years of her life, Victoria travelled to France for seven holidays on the Riviera, travelling under the alias of Madame de la Comtesse de Balmoral, a disguise so thin it never fooled anyone especially as she took up to 100 staff and her own horses and carriages. Huge crowds gathered at the various ports and railway stations along her route.

Her successor, Edward VII, was a huge Francophile, and made many private visits to Paris, where he relished the capitals legendary food, cabarets, and women. Known as Tum-Tum thanks to his ever-increasing waist, when he frequented high class brothels, he used a custom-made chair made by Louis Soubrier which enabled Edward to have sex with two or more coquettes without crushing them!

Edwards pro-French attitude had its political uses since it paved the way for the 1904 Entente Cordiale which cemented the Anglo-French alliance a decade before the First World War. A century later, Elizabeth II marked its 100th anniversary by visiting France and hosting a state visit to Britain by President Chirac.

Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria, was a true Francophile. He made many private visits to Paris where he relished the food, the cabaret - and the women

Edward VII engineered the Entente Cardiale which cemented the Anglo-French alliance a decade before the First World War

The Queen's Grandfather George V in military uniform viewing a battlefield in France in 1914

George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, arrive in Paris in July 1938

George VI and Queen Elizabeth visit a Parisian town hall during the 1938 State

The late Queens grandfather George V undertook a state visit to France in the spring of 1914 a few months prior to the start of the Great War, just as her father, George VI, visited Paris in 1938 ahead of World War II.

George V visited the battlefields several times during the 1914-18 conflict and was badly injured in 1917 when cheering troops caused his horse to rear and fall back on him, fracturing his pelvis.

Elizabeth II made five state visits to France from 1957 to 2014 as well as numerous official visits beginning in 1948 when she was in the early stages of her pregnancy with Charles. (It was during this visit that she heard the legendary Edith Piaf sing La Vie en Rose in a nightclub in the Rue Pierre Charon.)

Outside of the Commonwealth it was the country she visited most, thanks in part due to its proximity across the Channel. It helped that she was fluent in French having been taught it as a child by several tutors. (This skill was also useful in French-speaking Quebec where, for instance, she opened the 1976 Montreal Olympics in French before repeating it in English.)

In May 1967 the equine-loving Queen made a private three-day tour of some of Normandys finest stud farms which she had long wanted to see.

Among her most memorable trips to France was her second state visit in 1972 when she paid a visit to see the Duke and Duchess of Windsor at their home in the Bois de Bologne. The former Edward VIII had throat cancer and died just ten days later.

Queen Elizabeth II with Germaine Coty, the wife of French President Rene Coty during her state visit to France in 1957

Queen Elizabeth II exudes glamour during a state visit in France on April 1957. She is greeted by President Rene Coty

Queen Elizabeth II with Prince Philip at the Paris Opera during a the 1957 visit

Queen Elizabeth and Charles during a private visit to see her uncle, the Duke of Windsor, who was by now seriously ill in May 1972. The Duchess of Windsor is on the left of the picture

Queen Elizabeth is accompanied by Jacques Chiracon a three-day state visit to mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale in April 2004

The Queen's last State visit in 2014 saw her meet President Francois Hollande at the Elysee Palace for a State dinner to mark the 70th anniversary of the Normandy landings

Queen Elizabeth II with French President Francois Hollande at a state dinner at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, following the international D-Day commemoration ceremonies in Normandy

President Macron signs the book of condolence for the Queen after a moving speech paying tribute to Queen Elizabeth II

Her final state visit in June 2014 commemorated the 70th anniversary of the D-Day landings and she joined other heads of state including Barack Obama. It was a poignant visit as she was the only living head of state present who had lived through and served in World War Two.

Elizabeth II was venerated in France and following her death a year ago, President Macron made the moving tribute  To you, she was your Queen.  To us, she was The Queen.  She will be with all of us forever.

Such respect will surely help ensure the success of the visit of Charles and Camilla and maintain the strong bond between the Britains monarchs and the French state.
The state of Alabama is still seeking to execute Toforest Johnson despite harrowing claims from prosecutors, investigators and even the jury that found him guilty that he was convicted of a crime he may not have committed.

Toforest Johnson, 49, was sentenced to death in 1998 for the murder of a Jefferson County sheriff's deputy, even though investigators admitted there was no physical or forensic evidence proving he was responsible.

The 'smoking gun' in the case was a jailhouse phone call allegedly eavesdropped by a woman on a third-party call, where she claims she heard Johnson admit to shooting the deputy.

Now, more than 19 years after the trial, it has emerged that she was paid $5,000 for her testimony, amid claims Johnson was simply recounting the allegations that led to his arrest.

'I think we convicted an innocent man. I feel grief deep in my soul,' said juror Monique Hicks. Her distressing sentiment was echoed by fellow juror Jay Crane, who admitted: 'They don't have the right person in prison.'

At least 14 former judges, prosecutors and officials - including the man who secured his conviction - have called for it to be overturned with Johnson and at least 10 witnesses claiming he was in a club on the other side of Birmingham, Alabama at the time of the shooting.

The father-of-five has now sat on death row for 25 years pleading his innocence.

His heartbroken daughter Shanaye Poole told DailyMail.com: 'This is so much larger than Toforest Johnson how did we get here?'

Toforest Johnson has languished on death row for 25 years for a murder some prosecutors, attorneys and even his own jurors claim he did not commit

Despite waiting decades for execution while pleading his innocence, Johnson's daughter Shanaye told DailyMail.com he is 'one of the most positive people you could meet'

Johnson (seen in a recent picture from Alabama's death row) will learn on October 2 whether the US Supreme Court will review his case

Despite languishing on death row for decades, Johnson's loved ones said he has always remained 'hopeful', with the US Supreme Court set to decide whether to hear his landmark case as early as October 2.

Beth Shelburne, an investigator who has covered Johnson's case for over three years, told DailyMail.com that the inmate's incarceration is a mystery given the numerous voices calling for a retrial.

'It's appalling that there would be this much support behind a new trial... and the state is still actively seeking Toforest's execution,' she said, noting that the renewed push for a retrial has now been fueled by Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr following a nine-month review of the case.

Shelburne is set to cover Johnson's case in new Lava for Good podcast 'Earwitness' premiering on September 19, in which she said it all boils down to one question: 'What is he still doing there?'

Johnson's conviction in 1998 was his second trial after the first resulted in a hung jury the year before, with prosecutors only securing a conviction after a different version of events were allegedly testified to.

He was on trial for the execution-style shooting of Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff William Hardy, who was shot twice in the back of the head while working as an off-duty security officer at a hotel in 1995.

The Alabamian was hastily arrested within hours alongside five other black men. Three were released, and investigators had no witnesses or forensic evidence to tie Johnson or co-defendant Adragus Ford - who was acquitted in a separate trial - to the alleged murder.

Investigative reporter Beth Shelburne has condemned the execution as 'appalling'. She is set to cover the case in upcoming podcast 'Earwitness'

With little else to go off, authorities issued a $5,000 reward - which eventually grew to $20,000 - for information, which led to a flurry of tips from the public. According to Shelburne, the vital tip that landed Johnson behind bars came from a 15-year old girl who later admitted to telling hundreds of lies.

This girls mother contacted police and said she had information about the murder, then immediately hired a lawyer trying to pursue the reward money,' she said.

Shelburne said when the 15 year old girls story fell apart, investigators turned to another witness, a so-called earwitness, a mother who had a teenage daughter who helped her boyfriend make three-way phone calls from the jail without using all his quarters. The mother eavesdropped in on one of these calls and claims she heard Johnson confess to the crime.

This earwitness 'became the star witness - even though this was the only evidence connecting Toforest to the murder,' Shelburne said.

Johnson was convicted for the execution-style shooting of Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff William Hardy, who was gunned down while working security at a hotel in 1995

Shanaye Poole (far left) told DailyMail.com that despite his death penalty conviction hanging over him for two decades, Johnson has 'never used his situation as an excuse to be an absent father'

Johnson's daughter Shanaye Poole was just five years old when her father was convicted, and said she has vivid memories of watching her father being dragged away for the rest of his life.

After making too much noise while 'not understanding what a trial even was', she was escorted out of the courtroom; Poole recalled 'being put on my cousin's shoulders, and I could see through the court window my last vision of my dad as a free man.'

The woman who testified against Johnson admitted to having never met him or heard his voice before the phone call, and Shelburne said the person Toforest was calling told her that 'he said none of the things that she testified to.'

She added that the woman originally came to police with a mild version of the phone call, which escalated and changed over the course of several trials to where she testified to grisly details of the alleged confession.

With Toforest coming from a low-income background in the deep south, he couldn't afford an attorney and was assigned one by the state. At the time in Alabama, court appointed lawyers were paid just $20 per hour for work outside the courtroom, with a $1,000 cap.

'That is appallingly low,' Shelbourne said. 'In contrast, Toforest's co-defendant Adragus Ford's family were able to hire one of the top criminal defense attorneys in the southeast... and Adragus was acquitted.'

The two were given separate trials for the same crime, and prosecutors argued directly contradicting theories in both cases. Ford was acquitted, and Johnson's first trial resulted in a hung jury.

The father-of-five remained in custody. Despite his lawyers presenting 10 different witnesses who testified that Johnson was partying in a club on the other side of the city at the time of Hardy's shooting, the then-21-year-old has not seen freedom since.

The father-of-five has remained in constant contact with his family behind bars, as his daughter said they have 'never doubted his innocence for a second'

Despite claims he was merely recalling the allegations against him during the fateful jailhouse call, the eavesdroppers' testimony was enough for prosecutors to secure not only a guilty verdict, but a death penalty conviction.

Over 19 years later, documents that were allegedly 'misfiled' surfaced, showing the so-called 'earwitness' was paid $5,000 for testifying in court, information which was never revealed to the jury.

'Was my dad's life worth a $5,000 cheque?' Poole lamented.

'Clearly she couldn't have been considering that this person was a son, he's a father, now he's a grandfather, he was a brother, and he had all that taken away from him.'

Despite her father being locked in death row through most of her life, Poole said he has 'never used his situation as an excuse to be an absent father, ever.' She recalled being obsessed with the Tweety Bird cartoon as a child, and he would make sure to send her cards with the character on them at any opportunity.

Over two decades after Johnson's conviction, a new DA reviewed his case and determined that he deserves a new trial

'He always found a way to be a parent and to father me, even with the time and space between us,' she added. 'I would ask him all the time, 'How do you stay so positive?' - I've rarely heard my dad frustrated or down.'

Another aspect of the trial that has cast doubt over the conviction was the apparent insistence of prosecutors to land a guilty plea, as they eventually arrested four other black men and one black girl for the crimes related to Hardy's murder, and argued a different theory over the shooter in each case.

At trial, the state alleged that each of the men was the only killer, because forensic evidence proved there was only one assailant.

The harrowing case has sparked an outpouring of support in Birmingham, Alabama

Supporters of Johnson's retrial launched a 'banner tour' to bring attention to his case, with promotions insisting 'it's not too late to fix this mistake'

Former Alabama Attorney General Bill Baxley, a staunch supporter of the death penalty, has condemned the state's attempts to execute Johnson after reviewing his case

Notably, a death sentence conviction in Alabama is only overturned by the state's attorney general, which is still arguing for his execution. But the state's former hardline Attorney General Bill Baxley, who led the charge in Alabama in the 1970's to reinstate the death penalty and is a staunch advocate for the punishment, is among the strongest voices condemning the scheduled execution.

Baxley says the case landed on his radar when his son, an attorney, asked him to review it. While at first skeptical, especially as proclamations of innocence are hardly rare on death row, after he pored through the court documents Baxley says he was stunned.

'I couldn't believe what I was reading,' he told the Associated Press. 'I was just dumfounded that, in Alabama, a case as weak as that would have gotten to the jury, much less a death sentence... It was just unconscionable for this to stand.'

Baxley's calls for a retrial come as District Attorney Carr has urged officials to grant Johnson a review, filing an amicus brief in June 2020 calling for his conviction to be thrown out and 'a court of competent jurisdiction' to hold a new trial.

'A prosecutor's job is not merely to secure convictions, but to seek justice,' he said at the time, feeling that duty 'requires intervention in this case.'

Despite the complexities of overturning a death sentence, Shelburne said many involved in the case are buoyed by the example of Anthony Ray Hinton, who sat on the same death row as Johnson for 28 years before he was exonerated in 2015.

Hinton was also prosecuted by the same district attorney who sent Johnson behind bars, one reason Shelburne says her initial reaction to hearing Johnson's side was that it 'wasn't shocking to me that somebody innocent could end up on death row.'

Johnson's supporters say they are buoyed by the example of Anthony Ray Hinton, who sat on the same death row as Johnson for 28 years before he was exonerated in 2015

While her hopes have been raised that her father may see a retrial, Poole also condemned how alleged mistakes decades ago have devastated not only his life, but also the lives of his loved ones.

'These are people's lives that we are putting into the hands of others,' she said.

'With my father's case, there was so much oversight, and maybe there wasn't as much diligence put into investigating, utilizing resources  there were so many witnesses who continue to speak on my father's behalf.'

Shelburne said her upcoming series is the result of three years of work on the case, but intends it to be a broader statement on the 'many terrible issues that thousands of people deal with in our criminal justice system.'

'First and foremost, Toforest is black, and black people are disproportionately arrested, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to prison in the United States, certainly in Alabama,' she said.

Across the US, the nation's prison population is 38 percent black, despite just 14.2 percent of the US population being black. In Alabama, 54 percent of the prison population is black, compared to just 26 percent of the state's population, according to Prison Policy.

The phone call confession that was used as the only evidence against Toforest was allegedly merely a recounting of the allegations that led to his arrest

Now two weeks out from the Supreme Court's decision over whether to take his case to a retrial, Shelburne said Johnson - who spends almost 23 hours a day in a 5x8 foot cell - is in good spirits as he awaits his fate.

'Internally, he is settled,' Shelburne said. She added that she has not spoken personally with Johnson due to Alabama's strict laws on communication within death row, but has spoken to numerous relatives, attorneys and elected officials who are in contact with him.

'He obviously wants to get out and wants to be with his family and wants this nightmare to end but internally, he knows that he did nothing wrong, and he is able to find a lot of comfort and peace in that.'

'In America, many people believe that everyone who ends up on death row is there because they deserve to be there and because there is scientific proof that they committed heinous crimes, and this is not the case,' she concluded.

While Poole said her father has remained upbeat behind bars against all odds, she lamented how the allegedly flawed trial has devastated his life.

'He's in a 5x8 foot ell every day all day,' she said. 'It's obviously very repetitive. He has no access to a TV in his cell only one occasionally in a common area, while showers aren't allowed on a daily basis.

She said as a pre-teen, having a father on death row brought up a mixture of emotions, as coming to accept the situation brought on anger, loneliness and confusion why she didn't have a dad at home like her friends.

'When I got older, I thought I understood what the justice system proclaims to be. I was frustrated, like 'okay dad, you say you're innocent, but innocent people don't go to prison if you're not supposed to be there, then why can't you just come home?'

Despite everything, she said she remains hopeful her father might be freed to see her unborn child, which she is expecting in the coming year.

'I have never for one second doubted his innocence,' she said.
They overwhelm staff and steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in goods

A distressing new crime trend known as 'flash rob mobs' is on the rise and likely to cost California a whopping $19billion a year, guidance from the LAPD warns.

The incidents have become increasingly frequent in soft-on-crime California, where detectives in the state's largest police force are now assembling designated teams to tackle the problem.

The groups have been pillaging stores including Nordstrom and Versace.

In response to the recent spate, officials at the Los Angeles Police Department have formed a taskforce, named the the Organized Retail Crime Taskforce (ORCT).

As of the end of last month, the taskforce had made eleven arrests in connection with four cases.

But detectives say the trend is not contained to the Golden State, and will end up costing America $30billion a year unless something is done.

Los Angeles has been hit with a wave of high profile robberies, including stores like Gucci and Saint Laurent

One recent incident included the robbery of a Nordstrom in Topanga Mall in the city, which resulted in a gang of more than 30 making off with $300,000 in goods.

Videos circulating online show the thieves grabbing luxury goods from brands like Yves Saint Laurent, Burberry and Bottega Veneta.

The gang had also deployed bear spray to attack two security guards at the store, allowing them to cause chaos.

Several individuals are seen yanking at security tagged goods and raid clothes rails as what appears to be a member of staff seemingly ushers other shoppers to stay away.

Thieves are seen making for the exit, with one of them carrying a suitcase as well as other pieces of luxury luggage.

The gang had swarmed the store taking armfuls of items, some inadvertently dropping goods amid the chaos, as they maneuvered around shattered glass and overturned mannequins.

The LAPD later confirmed that the group had made off with items worth over $300,000.

The same Nordstrom had previously been looted in November 2021 when robbers again used bear spray on a security guard and stolen designer goods.

One of the thieves is seen here laden down with numerous bags and even a small suitcase

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

Just days before that, bystanders looked on as at least 30 brazen thieves ransacked a Saint Laurent store in Glendale.

Glendale police said the thieves got away with $300,000 worth of merchandise, after they overwhelmed staff in under a minute.

None of the thieves used any weapons in the scheme, and no injuries were reported.

Footage from the store shows a group of hooded and masked thieves running out of the shop with armfuls of merchandise.

They sprinted through a walkway to the curb, where police said 20 getaway cars were waiting for them, and sped away in several directions.

One suspect seemed to have been stopped by an Amazon delivery driver, who was seen tussling with the thief.

An employee later told FOX 11 that 'all merchandise was taken in less than a minute.'

Speaking about the incident to KTLA, Glendale police Sgt. Victor Jackson said there was a 'short pursuit' of the suspects, but police did not locate any of them.

The LAPD have since confirmed that arrests have been made in connection with this incident.

Videos posted online showed a group of thieves wearing dark clothing and masks running into the Yves Saint Laurent store at the Americana at Brand shortly before 5pm Tuesday

The brazen robbery occurred at the upscale Americana at Brand shopping center in Glendale

Most recently, a group of thieves stormed a Macy's department store at Northridge Mall last Sunday and filled bags with $20,000 worth of perfume.

Cellphone video of the crime showed several men dressed in dark hoodies and blue medical face masks loading up bags of what appeared to be cologne and perfume merchandise.

Officers believe that five to ten male suspects were involved and fled in a unlicensed black Infinity.

The LAPD confirmed that the thieves used hammers and brute force to smash the glass cases filled with fragrance brands.

In another case, police arrested six suspects in connection with a robbery at a Nike store in LA, after they were caught with $30,000 worth of merchandise last month.

Officers from Glendale Police Department said they spotted a vehicle without license plates obstructing traffic, and initiated a traffic stop.

During the search of the car, officers found several high-end bags that had an estimated retail value of $3,000.

Surveillance footage captured three people entering the store then walking out shortly after with trash bags that were filled with the stolen footwear.

Two of the arrested suspects had outstanding warrants against them, one of which was for shoplifting.

The detectives also identified two criminal street gangs associated with organized retail theft, authorities said.

Cellphone video of the crime showed several men dressed in dark hoodies and blue medical face masks loading up bags of what appeared to be cologne and perfume merchandise

A Los Angeles Nike store was hit by a pack of thieves who stuffed merchandise into trash bags and took off just days after an area Nordstrom was targeted similarly

A study published last week by the Public Policy Institute of California, they said that there have been significant jumps in commercial burglaries in Southern California.

Commercial burglaries increased during the first year of the pandemic, after a 5.8% uptick in 2022 the rate is 15.7% higher than it was in 2019.

The most recent figures from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce show that Organized Retail Theft costs the state just over $19 billion.

This figure includes lost product costs, higher insurance costs, increased price of goods and unrealized wages.

In announcing the new taskforce, LAPD Chief Michel Moore said in a statement: 'As Chief of Police, my primary duty is to ensure the safety and security of our community members and businesses.

'With that commitment in mind, we are taking an aggressive stance to tackle the escalating issue head-on.

'The task force will consist of highly trained detectives with expertise in theft prevention, sophisticated investigative techniques, and community engagement.

'Their mission is multi-fold: to eliminate the recent incidents of violent robberies at retail establishments, reduce incidents of organized retail theft, and foster a safer shopping environment for everyone.

Los Angeles Chief of Police Michel Moore said that the new taskforce would be taking an aggressive stance on the issue

'Organized retail theft is a $30billion problem in our country.

'Its impact not only affects businesses financially, but also has a broader impact on the overall sense of well-being of our community.

'Most troubling recently has been the escalation of individuals using weapons, fear and terror as they attack retail establishments.

Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers Association, told NBC: 'It feels like we are under assault.

According to Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers Association, it felt like retailers have been under assault from robberies

'Nothing will truly change until we are willing to have difficult conversations about changing policies that are on the books.

'They will see prices go up, they will see stores close, and I don't think any of us want to see that happening.'

In a survey conducted by the National Retail Federation (NRF) in 2022, they said that eight out of ten retailers across the U.S. have reported increased incidents of violence and aggression.

The NRF also found that 54 percent of consumers believe retail crimes like shoplifting have increased since the pandemic.

Their findings found that retailers lost and estimated $94.5billion nationwide, in 2021 alone, and 70 percent of retailers now believe that organized retail crime has become more prevalent in the last five years.

Governor Gavin Newsom, pictured here, has now announced a plan to inject additional funding to the state to help tackle the problem

Last month, Los Angeles Police Protective League spokesperson Tom Saggau told Fox News 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.

Saggau continued: 'Those folks need to be held accountable in a way that they've got to forfeit their freedoms.'

Earlier this week Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom announced a plan for an additional $267 million to help fight organized retail crime.

Newsom said: 'Enough with these brazen smash-and-grabs. With an unprecedented $267 million investment, Californians will soon see more takedowns, more police, more arrests, and more felony prosecutions.

'When shameless criminals walk out of stores with stolen goods, theyll walk straight into jail cells.'
The British son of a painter and decorator from north London has wed the nephew of billionaire steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal at a spectacular event dubbed 'The first Big Fat Indian Gay Wedding'.

The lavish festivities at a luxurious Berkshire venue went on for days as the families of Jake Prior, 28, and Divyesh Mittal, 33, celebrated the two men's nuptials with endless dancing and feasting.

The seemingly unlikely union came about after the two men were long-term partners and both families gave the union their blessing, according to sources.

Show-stopping weddings are nothing new in the Mittal family as Divyesh's sister Shristi was married in 2013 in Barcelona to a Dutch banker in an event which cost around 50 million.

For that ceremony, a small army of 200 butlers, cooks and secretaries was flown into Spain from India and Thailand, and the 500 guests were made to sign confidentiality agreements.

But mystery surrounds who paid for last week's party, the cost of which also would have run into possibly hundreds of thousands of pounds at exclusive five-star hotel Coworth Park in Ascot, Berkshire.

The lavish festivities at a luxurious Berkshire venue went on for days as the families of Jake Prior, 28, and Divyesh Mittal, 33, (pictured together) celebrated the two men's nuptials with endless dancing and feasting

Photos in the Indian media show a spectacular affair with a troupe of Indian dancers on stage joined by Jake and Divyesh dancing side by side (pictured)

But mystery surrounds who paid for last week's party, the cost of which also would have run into several million at exclusive five-star hotel Coworth Park in Ascot, Berks

Photos in the Indian media show a spectacular affair with a troupe of Indian dancers on stage joined by Jake and Divyesh dancing side by side.

The guests were said to be thrilled as a traditional Sangeet was performed, in which relatives from each family take turns to dance and exchange garlands, culminating in the bride and groom - or in this case two grooms - being symbolically brought together by their families.

Photos show cutting a towering multi-tiered wedding cake bedecked with flowers and guests celebrating.

Guests danced to Bollywood hits such as Jalebi Baby and Tere Bina and Divyesh's mother danced to a number called Tum Mile ['I met you'], the emotional theme from a Titanic-style love story movie set against the backdrop of the Mumbai floods of 2005.

The event concluded with a massive fireworks display.

Celebrity website BollywoodShaadis.com described the ground-breaking union as 'the first big Indian gay wedding.'

The event was attended by the great and the good of Anglo-Indian society, including Gopichand Hinduja, part of the richest family in the UK, worth a staggering 35billion.

Divyesh and Jake's backgrounds could not be more diverse.

It is not known what Jake does for a living but he was a director of a dormant consultancy firm called D'Alembert & Ferrat, based at his parents' home in Enfield, Middlesex, which was voluntarily struck off the Companies House register earlier this year.

The spectacular affair, which is said to have gone on for days, concluded with a fireworks display

Guests danced to Bollywood hits such as Jalebi Baby and Tere Bina and Divyesh's mother danced to a number called Tum Mile ['I met you'], the emotional theme from a Titanic-style love story movie set against the backdrop of the Mumbai floods of 2005

Divyesh (pictured) is a director of several Indian companies according to reports, but his father Pramod, 67, claimed to be Britain's biggest bankrupt in 2020, saying he had debts totalling a staggering 2.5billion

The event at hotel Coworth Park (pictured) was attended by the great and the good of Anglo-Indian society, including Gopichand Hinduja, part of the richest family in the UK, worth a staggering 35billion

His father Gerald, 70, and mother Eileen live in a well-to-do area of Enfield in a 1.2million semi-detached house which they bought for 355,000 in 2000. The couple also have a daughter who is younger than Jake.

Gerald is listed as a director of GSP Decorating and Maintenance Services, based at his home.

MailOnline tried to contact the family but without success.

Divyesh is a director of several Indian companies according to reports, but his father Pramod, 67, claimed to be Britain's biggest bankrupt in 2020, saying he had debts totalling a staggering 2.5billion.

The younger brother of Lakshmi Mittal set out his financial situation in an individual voluntary arrangement, in which he claimed that complex loans he took out had ballooned dozens of times over due to interest payments.

He said he owed 170million to his 94-year-old father, 1.1million to his wife, Sangeeta, 2.4million to his son Divyesh and another 1.1million to his brother-in-law Amit Lohia, 48.

Mr Mittal said in his application: 'I have no personal income. My wife is financially independent from me. We have separate bank accounts and I have very limited information regarding her income.'

He estimated his monthly spending at just 2,000 to 3,000 and claimed his family home belonged to an offshore company in which he had 'no financial interest'.

His assets at the time included 7,000 worth of jewellery, several vintage cars and 66,669 worth of shares.

The guests were said to be thrilled as a traditional Sangeet was performed (pictured), in which relatives from each family take turns to dance and exchange garlands

A Sangeet (pictured) culminates in the bride and groom  or in this case two grooms - being symbolically brought together by their families

Celebrity website BollywoodShaadis.com described the ground-breaking union as 'the first big Indian gay wedding.' (Pictured is Coworth Park hotel, where the wedding was held)

The seemingly unlikely union came about after the two men were long-term partners and both families gave the union their blessing, according to sources (Pictured is the wedding venue)

Shristi's wedding extravaganza was set in Barcelona because of Pramod's passion for the famous Catalan modernist architect, Antoni Gaudi.

The celebrations, which stretched over three days, began with a welcome dinner in Barcelona's maritime museum.

On the second day, the 500 guests  who were reported to have been asked to sign confidentiality agreements  were treated to a water and light display at the Magic Fountain in the Montjuic district, accompanied by the theme tune to Chariots Of Fire and an equestrian show with Andalusian and Arabian horses.

The ceremony itself took place in the Oval Hall of the National Museum of Catalan Art, which houses works by Titian and the great Spanish painter Velazquez.

The menu was presided over by double-Michelin starred Catalan chef Sergi Arola, who trained with Ferran Adria of the legendary El Bulli restaurant.

The six-tier wedding cake weighed more than 9 stone.

Pramod had already played host to one overblown wedding, for his elder daughter Vartika.

She was married in a lavish ceremony at the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul in another three-day affair in 2011, described as being grander than Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton the same year.

The Mittal family fortunes stem from the steel empire founded by their father Mohan in India in the 1950s.

Until 2018, homosexuality was in theory punishable by up to 10 years in prison in India, but the law was repealed amid much celebration. Although gay relationships are still frowned upon by a minority of traditional Hindus, the country is far more tolerant of LGBT rights than many Asian countries.
A cure for brain disorder Parkinsons could be found within the next three years, according to researchers at a Scottish university.

Clinical trials of a new drug are under way and experts from Dundee University believe the results could point the way to new treatments.

The disease currently affects one in every 375 adults in Scotland  including comedy legend Sir Billy Connolly. But in April this year, Dundee became the first UK institution to join a US-led programme to test the safety and efficacy of a new drug, which it is hoped can slow the progress of the disorder.

To date, the only medications available are ones that can ease symptoms, such as muscle stiffness or tremors, but there is nothing to stop or reverse the disease.

The new drug, BIIB122, is known as a small molecule inhibitor and is designed to block the effects of mutations in a gene called LRRK2, which are thought to be associated with Parkinsons. The significance of LRRK2 came to light as a result of years of work led in Dundee by Professor Dario Alessi.

Enrolling the first Dundee-based patient into the trial being led by US-based Biogen and Denali Therapeutics was described as a full circle moment for the Dundee team, but it will be roughly three years before the results are known.

Dr Esther Sammler said there were hopes the project could soon lead to a breakthrough.

Dr Esther Sammler, who is the principal investigator for the Dundee arm of the trial, said there were hopes the project could soon lead to a breakthrough.

She told The Herald: Its not like were ten years away  we are hoping to have results within the next two to three years.

I do think that this is such an exciting time.

Dr Sammler was speaking ahead of a Royal Society of Edinburgh talk entitled Curious, to showcase Dundee Universitys quest to cure Parkinsons.

She said: Our understanding of the complexity of Parkinsons has really increased.

Advances in identifying genetic contributors  the genetic mutations that cause Parkinsons or significantly contribute to its development  have helped us to unravel pathways where something goes wrong in the cell, and that knowledge has been used to leverage drugs targets.

The exciting thing is these drug targets are now in clinical trials.
A French politicians has been accused of 'misleading' voters after using heavily enhanced photos of herself on a campaign poster.

The senatorial candidate is shown with a glowing tan and straight white teeth in materials from France's 'Europe Ecologie Egalite' party.

A poster calling on voters to support senatorial candidate Juliette de Causans uses a picture of glamourous-looking woman who looks to be in her 20s.

Voters have, however, complained of being misled after it was revealed the picture used on the poster had been heavily edited to improve the candidate's looks.

An unedited version of the photo instead showed the candidate looking older with less of a glowing tan, and slightly less straight teeth. In fact, the two people look to be entirely different when compared side-by-side.

A heavily edited photo of Juliette de Causans appeared on a campaign poster before a second unedited photo of the candidate emerged

Ms de Causans was later revealed to be in her 40s as an unedited photo of the candidate emerged.

She later admitted enhancing the photos while claiming the edited pictures would help boost her cause, according to The Telegraph.

The senatorial candidate running for the small centrist Europe Ecologie Egalite, which was formed by breakaway supporters of President Macron, also claimed it is within her rights to have a 'beautiful photo'.

Ms de Causans first entered politics in 2021, having previously worked as a schoolteacher, before running to become an MP in the Ardennes.

Candidates standing for Europe Ecologie Egalite were revealed to have used edited photos in their campaign materials

The 2022 election saw Ms de Causans win just 4.28 per cent of votes in the mountainous region.

Potential voters were quick to condemn Ms de Causans for the misleading photos as one Instagram user branded it 'pathetic'.

'You are misleading voters with your campaign photo. It's pathetic, I'm not voting for you anymore. Return to the Ardennes we deserve better,' the Instagram user said.

Candidates also standing for Europe Ecologie Egalite were also revealed to have used heavily edited photos in the campaign materials.

Heavily edited versions of the photos showed the candidate with clearer skin, straighter teeth, and silkier hair.
Nathaniel Walter Radimak, 36, went on a road rage rampage across Southern California that led to several felony convictions including criminal threats, vandalism, assault and elder abuse

A California man known as the 'Tesla road rage guy' has been sentenced to five years in prison for a series of violent attacks across Southern California.

Tesla driver Nathaniel Walter Radimak, 36, went on a road rage rampage between 2022 and 2023 that led to several felony convictions including criminal threats, vandalism, assault and elder abuse.

After Radimak was arrested in connection with one of the attacks, steroids and more than $30,000 in cash were found in his car, the DA office said.

Videos of the violent attacks went viral on social media with one showing Radimak repeatedly battering a Chevy pick-up truck with a pipe on on the southbound lanes of Highway 2 near York Boulevard in Glendale in January.

The Chevy driver captured the disturbing incident on his cell phone which also showed Radimak return to his charcoal-colored 2022 Tesla Model X with no license plates and drive away from the scene.

A California man known as the ' Tesla road rage guy' has been sentenced to five years in prison for a series of violent attacks on cars across Southern California

Tesla driver Nathaniel Walter Radimak, 36, went on a road rage rampage that led to several felony convictions

'Initially you think, 'Should I pin him to the wall with my car?' 'Should I run him down?' 'What should I do?' the driver told KTLA at the time.

'And I tried to stay focused and think, 'I don't want to go from victim to criminal in an instant.'

Later that day, Radimak allegedly followed a couple from a shopping mall in Pasadena and nearly hit their car with his vehicle. Prosecutors said he also struck their vehicle with a metal pole.

Radimak also made headlines after a run-in with a woman and her 93-year-old mother in June in West Hollywood.

She provided pictures showing the suspect and a valet driver involved in a violent physical altercation.

At least ten people told ABC News they had been victims of the man's violent attacks in cities across Los Angeles County.

'I just feel like he is going to get out and be infuriated, especially since all our names are out in public record, for the majority of us,' one woman told the outlet.

'I feel like it's definitely still not over, especially because five years isn't enough.'

After Radimak was arrested in connection with one of the attacks, steroids and more than $30,000 in cash were found in his car, the DA office said

Radimak has been convicted of criminal threats, vandalism, assault and elder abuse

Another woman encountered Radimak on the 101 Freeway, which also took place in November.

'He went around me and completely stopped, and this was on a full freeway, and just got out of the car and started hitting me,' she said.

'I felt if I didn't get away, he would have cracked my window.'

Dashcam footage from the unnamed victim's car led to two of Radimak's eventual convictions.

'We feel like justice has been served, although we also feel that a lot of the victims haven't been heard,' she told ABC.

After Radimak's arrest in February Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said: 'The victims in this case were reasonably terrified by what they experienced, but this reign of terror ends today.

'Motorists in Los Angeles shouldn't have to live in fear of being attacked while simply driving on the freeway.'

Gascon also asked a judge to reject the then suspect's bail application as he was a a flight risk and a danger to the community based on 'his lengthy criminal history which spans nearly two decades and crosses multiple states and jurisdictions.'

The presiding judge granted the prosecutors request stating that since 2004 the defendant has had run-ins with the law in eight different states.

He remains in custody at the Men's Central Jail.
Humza Yousafs latest plan to break up the UK was plunged into disarray yesterday after one of his own MPs condemned it as neither credible or realistic.

The SNP leader claimed winning the most Scottish seats would be enough to trigger independence and begin immediate negotiations with the UK Government.

But within 24 hours the flimsy strategy was already unravelling after an SNP rebellion and Labour declaring it would not countenance the idea.

Veteran Nationalist Pete Wishart dismissed Mr Yousaf and the SNPs Westminster leader Stephen Flynns plan, saying it lacked credibility.

A conference motion being proposed by the pair suggests the SNP will be able to start talks about separation if the party secures more seats in Scotland than any other party at the General Election.

But Mr Wishart warned the SNP would need at least a majority of votes and revealed he will attempt to amend the motion to remove any mention of winning the most seats. Yesterday he told LBC: The only way we will ever secure any credibility, particularly for trying to assert our independence in international fora, has to be on the back of the consent of the majority of the people of Scotland, not in the majority of seats.

Humza Yousafs latest plan to break up the UK is condemned as neither credible or realistic.

Thats the only thing I believe would give us that democratic credibility which would allow us to assert our independence in a meaningful and realistic way.

So Im pretty certain that as we go forward to a conference, therell be a number of amendments coming forward.

I dont think its credible and realistic to try and assert some sort of move towards independence if youre not carrying the majority of people with you.

Scottish Tory constitution spokesman Donald Cameron said: Even the SNPs longest-serving MP is able to pick holes in Humza Yousafs latest strategy to push his independence obsession.

Labours shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves also shot down the plan while campaigning in Rutherglen.

Asked if a Labour government would accept Mr Yousafs demands, she said: No, we wouldnt consider that a mandate in any way to have another referendum.

Pamela Nash of Scotland in Union said: This is a desperate party which is constantly trying to move the goalposts on independence.

A UK Government spokesman said: This is not the time to be talking about constitutional change.
A celebrity chef is suing a vegan activist for six figures claiming she trashed his business online and harassed his diners during angry protests.

Ex-UK chef John Mountain, owner of Fyre Restaurant in Perth, is suing well-known protestor Tash Peterson for defamation, escalating their months-long feud.

Countless social media posts combined with in-person demonstrations inside his restaurant have left Mr Mountain with no other option, he told A Current Affair.

'I constantly get daily death threats, and terrible emails and its just too much,' Mr Mountain said.

Mr Mountain has lived in Australia for seven years after arriving from Britain where he was a celebrity chef who shared an agent with kitchen superstar Jamie Oliver, he also starred in cooking shows the Great British Menu and Chef Race UK v US.

A bitter feud broke out between Mr Mountain and the controversial activist and OnlyFans star after the chef banned all vegans from his venue when one gave him a negative review for his diner's lack of variety.

Perth Chef John Mountain is suing vegan activist Tash Peterson for defamation

Peterson has slammed Mr Mountain online and in person after a feud broke out between the two when the chef banned all vegan diners in his restaurant

Since the ban, Mr Mountain obtained two restraining orders which prevented Peterson from mentioning his name, company or anybody associated with him online, but he says that hasn't stopped her followers online.

'Its not from her direct(ly) that Im getting issues. Its from all the hundreds of thousands of people that look at her posts,' Mr Mountain told ACA.

To prove his point, the celebrity chef has launched a new Instagram account 'onlyfyrefans' to showcase the abuse he receives on a daily basis.

Mr Mountain does not blur the names of people that message him or the language they use, and posting it helps him cope, he says.

'Detest you and your disgusting behaviour,' one person said.

'Attacking a young girl and physically touching her, disgusting. Posing with dead animals, disgusting. Karma will get you,' another said in a message.

'Maybe we should slaughter you on site,' a third threatened.

Peterson herself can no longer participate in the onslaught after copping the retraining orders.

Her actions have seen her barred from all licensed venues in Western Australia for the next year, but Mr Mountain doesn't think the ban is 'harsh' enough.

'Its not been fair that the penalty has never matched the crime,' he claimed.

'Shes gotten away with little misdemeanours, little slaps on the wrist, a couple of hundred here, five hundred dollars there, she doesnt care. So Ive gone for suing her for full defamation (because) its caused me huge amounts of distress,' he added on ACA.

Police charged Peterson with trespassing, remaining in the vicinity of a licensed premises, and disorderly behaviour in a public place after clashing with the chef for the second time outside his Perth restaurant, Fyre, on July 8.

During the demonstration, chaos erupted inside and outside the restaurant.

As patrons dined inside, activists swamped the venue, playing audio of pigs squealing through a megaphone.

In one video posted to Instagram, Ms Peterson enters the restaurant screaming that 'the sounds you hear now are pigs screaming for their lives in carbon dioxide gas champers, they burn from the inside out'.

'You are responsible for their murder if you are not vegan and their blood is on your hands,' she said.

Ms Peterson and Mr Mountain faced off during the clash.

After the run-in, the restaurant on Thursday night shared that Ms Peterson and her boyfriend were now legally barred from entering the premises.

Mr Mountain and Peterson have been caught up in an ongoing dispute after his retsuarant banned vegans

Since the controversy broke out, Mr Mountain claims that staffers have left him because it is all too much to handle.

The controversy started after a vegan diner left a one-star review discussing his 'shortcomings as a chef' that Mr Mountain took personally, leading him to ban anyone who identified as vegan via Facebook.

'Sadly all vegans are now banned from Fyre for mental health reasons. We thank you for your understanding. xx,' he wrote in June.

Since Peterson got involved, Mr Mountain has said that she is 'obsessed' with him and just wants attention.

When asked by ACA if the celebrity chef was only giving the protestor what she wanted, Mr Mountain said that he was just trying to teach her a lesson.

'If shes fined a substantial amount of money, and Im looking at six figures, if shes fined that amount of money shes going to think twice,' he said.

Peterson is now appearing before the courts over her July 8 protests and Mr Mountain is vowing to open steak-only diners, telling ACA that he's eyeing locations on Australia's east coast.
Ford laid off 600 workers at its Michigan plant on Friday - less than 24 hours into a historic United Auto Workers strike.

UAW union members at General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler parent Stellantis ceased work at midnight on Thursday, marking the first time all three have simultaneously gone on strike.

Workers walked out of three plants  one each from the Big Three automakers  in Missouri, Michigan and Ohio, and those picketing the plants were greeted with cheers from enthusiastic fellow union members.

Union leaders are seeking a 40 percent pay rise over four years, pointing out that their bosses received similar pay rises.

Mary Barra, the CEO of GM, on Friday said the unions needed to be 'realistic', and defended her own $30 million salary - a 34 percent increase over four years.

Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors, defended her $30 million salary on Friday

United Auto Workers from Louisville Kentucky rally in support of striking UAW members in Detroit on Friday

United Auto Workers member Patricia Kings attend a rally in Detroit on Friday

'My compensation - 92 per cent of it is based on the performance of the company,' she told CNN.

'When the company does well, everyone does well.'

She said critics need 'to look at the whole compensation package.'

Barra added: 'We think we have a very competitive offer on the table, and that's why we want to get back there and get this done.'

Poll Do you support the United Auto Workers strike? Yes No Do you support the United Auto Workers strike? Yes 491 votes

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She said GM's team was 'the best in the world' and praised them for being 'resilient', but said she was 'disappointed and frustrated' at the stalemate.

Barra, 61, said GM was offering pay raises of up to 21 percent, job security and healthcare.

'Our team is ready to be at the table and we need UAW leadership to get back to the table so we can get these issues resolved and get people back to work.'

Bernie Sanders, speaking at a Friday rally, retorted: 'I say to Ms. Barra, do you have any idea what it's like for one of your workers to survive on $17 an hour?'

Bruce Baumhower, president of the UAW Local 12 in Toledo, Ohio, said the strike was long overdue.

'One thing that drives us crazy is, we went through bankruptcy with Barack Obama in 2008 and the beginning of 2009,' he said.

'And we were told by the president we had to give up huge concessions for them to get the government support to turn their companies around. We did that. And it hasn't been reversed.

'When we came out of bankruptcy, our starting pay at Jeep was $15.78.

'Fifteen years later, it's $15.78. There's something wrong with that.'

Bernie Sanders on Friday told a rally in Detroit he doubted that the CEOs of the car companies knew what it was like to live on $17 an hour

Bruce Baumhower, president of the UAW Local 12 in Toledo, Ohio, said the strike was long overdue, pointing out starting wages at Jeep were $15.78 an hour

The UAW leadership said it plans to resume bargaining on Saturday.

But Ford is already feeling the impact, and has laid off 600 people at their Michigan assembly plant in Wayne.

The company said the layoffs would be temporary, affecting people working in the body construction department and what they termed the 'south sub-assembly area of integrated stamping' - stamping being the shaping of flat sheets of metal into specific dimensions for car manufacture.

'This layoff is a consequence of the strike at Michigan Assembly Plant's final assembly and paint departments, because the components built by these 600 employees use materials that must be e-coated for protection,' said Ford.

Ford uses E-coating - electrodeposition coating - as a means of painting and finishing the parts.

'E-coating is completed in the paint department, which is on strike.'

Similarly, GM told some 2,000 workers at a Kansas car plant that their factory likely would be shut down next week for lack of parts, stemming from a nearby plant being struck.

At a rally on Friday afternoon and at picket lines during the day, union members protested loudly and took special aim at a two-tiered wage system that left new hires without the pay or benefits of seasoned hands.

Workers stand outside the Ford Michigan assembly plant on Friday

UAW President Shawn Fain marches with UAW members through downtown Detroit on Friday

That was unfair and favored investors over workers, they said.

'We're not going to wreck the economy. The truth is we are going to wreck the billionaire economy,' said UAW President Shawn Fain.

The union is demanding a bigger share of profits, shorter work weeks, restoration of defined benefit pensions and stronger job security as automakers shift to electric vehicles.

UAW vice president Chuck Browning, who is leading talks with Ford, told a rally of hundreds of UAW workers in downtown Detroit on Friday afternoon that recent talks have made 'good progress, but we have far to go.'

Joe Biden, who describes himself as the most pro-union president in history, called for the auto companies to reward workers just as executives' salaries have risen.

'The companies have made some significant offers but I believe they should go further to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts,' he said.
Gillian Keegan says students risk ruining their life chances if they take part in a Just Stop Oil plot to paralyse London.

After the Mail revealed the eco-group's 'horrifying' plan to infiltrate freshers' week and build an army of impressionable undergraduates, the Education Secretary urged university bosses to warn students of the consequences that engaging in criminal activity 'could have for their futures'.

And she said institutions must be prepared for 'any heightened risk of unlawful activity taking place' on their campus.

The militant eco-activists will descend on universities in a bid to persuade hundreds of young people to take part in a fresh wave of protests, leaked documents show. The group wants to target freshers' weeks and lure students into attending 'non-violence training sessions', where they will learn how to passively resist arrest.

As well as holding meetings for students worried about climate change, they will stage 'transgressive actions' on campus such as mock oil spills and spraying university buildings with fire extinguishers. It is part of Just Stop Oil's preparations for a 'D-Day' protest  a week-long series of slow marches to blockade roads in the capital in November.

After the Mail revealed the eco-group's 'horrifying' plan to infiltrate freshers' week and build an army of impressionable undergraduates, the Education Secretary urged university bosses to warn students of the consequences that engaging in criminal activity 'could have for their futures' (File Photo)

Over a six-week recruitment drive on campuses, organisers hope to 'mobilise enough students to take action to generate more than 500 student arrests'. They want the youngsters to contribute to their goal of 'overwhelming' police stations and courts with 3,000 activists.

In a letter to vice-chancellors, Mrs Keegan said she was 'extremely concerned'. She wrote: 'I strongly encourage you to ensure that students are aware of the consequences that engaging in any criminal activity could have for their futures. If convicted, students could face fines, community service or even imprisonment. And of course, a criminal record would follow them through their lives.'

Just Stop Oil activists cover the headquarters of Conservative think tank Policy Exchange in orange paint

Starting on September 25, Just Stop Oil activists will flood university cities during freshers' week, the first week of the university year, to encourage students to attend 'big talks' about climate change.

Tory MP Gareth Johnson said: 'This plan by Just Stop Oil is a conspiracy to cause criminal damage and create a public nuisance. It's one thing to protest for a cause, it's another to indoctrinate others to carry out criminal offences. I hope the police come down hard on them over this.'

A Just Stop Oil spokesman said: 'Student supporters are planning to meet with their peers to explain the need for action in the face of the very real threat to their future posed by new oil and gas.'
Police are to hunt down burglars by following the 'digital footprints' they leave behind at the scene for the first time.

Officers will be told to track offenders by tracing the property they steal, such as mobile phones and cars.

They will also attempt to locate criminals who may have unwittingly left a vital clue to their identity if their phone automatically exchanges a 'digital handshake' with the wifi router of the home they raided.

Experts say data left on a victim's router is capable of establishing the phone number of the culprit, enabling police to trace their location.

The College of Policing is today launching a high-tech training package for officers around the country so they can go on the offensive to tackle the scourge which blights millions of lives.

It is part of a drive to catch every burglar if there is 'reasonable evidence' after a landmark agreement between police chiefs to attend every raided property.

The commitment in September last year came after burglary prosecution rates fell below 2 per cent in some force areas. In June, the National Police Chiefs' Council confirmed that all 43 forces are now attending 100 per cent of residential burglaries.

Officers will be told to track offenders by tracing the property they steal, such as mobile phones and cars (Stock image)

Previously, little effort has gone into tracing burglars' phones or the handsets of their victims as it was considered that such time-consuming resources should be utilised for more important cases such as murders or terror attacks.

For years burglary was considered a lower level offence, with victims often forced to track their missing property themselves. But last month police agreed to a new policy to investigate every crime if there is a 'reasonable lead', with no offence too minor to be solved.

It means officers will be forced to act if there is 'tangible evidence' such as footage from CCTV, doorbell cameras, vehicle dashcams, GPS or phone tracking, regardless of the value of any stolen property.

Criminals often leave behind a digital trace that can be used for evidential leads, with wireless connections made with masts and routers which can be tracked. In addition, newer cars are often equipped with 'telematics', which allows stolen vehicles to be traced using GPS technology and on-board diagnostics.

Using the information, officers will not only be able to locate stolen vehicles, but also work out the route the thieves took so they can recover CCTV to assist in prosecutions.

Criminals often leave behind a digital trace that can be used for evidential leads, with wireless connections made with masts and routers which can be tracked (Stock image)

The training aims to broaden the digital knowledge of officers to help solve crimes and bring more burglars to justice.

David Tucker, the College of Policing's head of crime, said: 'Every officer needs to become a digital native so they can identify these offenders and catch them. As the digital landscape advances, so do criminals' tactics and techniques.

'It's so important that our police force stays up to date with new learning which reflects the evolving challenges of modern policing.'

Mr Tucker described burglary as 'an incredibly invasive crime that can leave victims feeling unsafe in their own homes'.

He said the new training package will provide 'more opportunities to spot clues and track suspects so we can catch criminals and keep the public safe'.
Health leaders have urged doctors and the Government to do 'whatever it takes' to ensure next week's strikes do not go ahead.

Junior doctors and consultants are due to walk out together for the first time on Wednesday in what has been described as a 'step too far' and a 'nightmare scenario' for patients.

The heads of England's ten largest teaching and research hospitals have written to the British Medical Association and the Prime Minister to express their 'profound concerns'.

They warned that each escalation 'tests the limits' of what the NHS can manage safely and added: 'Inevitably there will come a point where that limit is exceeded.' They stressed that while previous strikes had primarily impacted on elective care, leading to the cancellation of almost a million appointments, further action also risked hampering their ability to 'maintain safe emergency services'.

Junior Doctors strike outside University College Hospital in London on August 14, 2023

In July, the Government said junior doctors would get pay rises of 6 per cent, along with a 1,250 increase, and hospital consultants will also receive 6 per cent. Health Secretary Steve Barclay has described the deal as 'final' and refused to enter further negotiations (File Photo)

The cost of managing the walkouts  believed to be 1billion so far  was 'having a material impact on the resources available for improving care for the future', they added.

In July, the Government said junior doctors would get pay rises of 6 per cent, along with a 1,250 increase, and hospital consultants will also receive 6 per cent. Health Secretary Steve Barclay has described the deal as 'final' and refused to enter further negotiations.

Seven of the ten trusts who wrote to the PM paid consultants 269 an hour to cover night shifts for striking junior doctors in August, the Health Service Journal reported.
The current death toll could rise again as the search for remains continues

So far, 74 of the deceased have been positively identified, Hawaii officials said

The death toll from last month's horrific Maui wildfires has dropped from at least 115 people to 97, Hawaii officials announced Friday.

The numbers fell a little following further DNA testing that showed officials had in some cases collected multiple samples from the same deceased people.

But John Byrd, laboratory director with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, warned during a press conference Friday afternoon that the current number of dead should be considered a minimum, because it's possible that toll could rise.

The number of those who were missing also fell from 41 to 31, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said.

Determining the death toll from the Lahaina wildfires has been especially complicated after the August 8 blaze reduced much of the historic town to ash.

Caught in a hellscape, some residents died in their cars, while others jumped into the ocean or tried to run for safety. In some cases, animal remains were inadvertently collected along with human remains.

So far, 74 of the deceased have been positively identified, Pelletier said.

Destroyed homes are visible in the aftermath of a devastating wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023

Biden approved an emergency declaration hours after the fire broke out and deployed hundreds of federal workers there to assist with the fallout

A man walks through wildfire wreckage Aug. 11, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii

The Lahaina fire is the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century.

Byrd said the initial death tally was too high for several reasons, adding that the lower tally now was the 'normal and natural' progression of the long-term forensics investigation.

'We look at body bags that come in and we do an initial inventory and we assess how many people are represented there,' he said.

'When you do the first tally of all those that have come in, the number tends to be too high because as you begin to do more analysis and examination you realize that actually youve got two bags that were the same person or you have two bags that were the same two people but you didnt realize that.'

'The numbers start a little too high on the morgue side and eventually settles until at some point its going to be a final accurate number. I would say were not quite there yet,' Byrd said.

Only people who have had a missing person report filed for them with the Maui Police Department are on the verified missing list, Pelletier said. If a missing person report hasn't been filed for someone more than five weeks after the fire, then that person probably isn't actually missing, the chief said.

Dr. Jeremy Stuelpnagel, Maui County physicians coroner, wasn't supposed to start the job until October. But he sped up his start date and arrived on Maui from New York City soon after the fire. Until he arrived, Mauis medical examiner duties were shared with other counties.

'When this happened it was time to drop everything and come here,' he said.

He described how some remains arrived commingled.

'When the fire broke out, people ran together, they huddled together,' Stuelpnagel said. 'Theyre holding each other in those moments. Some of them were even holding pets.'

Stuelpnagel said people working on the identification process are trying to 'reunify people to have them as whole as they're able to be,' before the remains are returned to their loved ones.

The work to reunite fire victims with families involves more than just DNA tests, officials said. Anthropologists are assisting, and officials are gathering clues from dental work and medical devices like pacemakers when possible.

Authorities expressed relief at having a better grasp on the number of dead and those still unaccounted for in the August 8 blaze.

'For the very first time ... we legitimately have a chance to identify every single person we lost and to reunite them with their family," Pelletier said. "And so in the midst of all this tragedy, theres a little ray of hope right there and so that really is incredible.
She then attempted to commit suicide and remains in hospital as a result

The mother, a labor and delivery nurse, allegedly killed her three children aged five, three and eight-months-old at the family home in Duxbury

A Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her three children to death with exercise bands while suffering from post-partum psychosis has been indicted on murder charges.

Lindsay Clancy, 32, was indicted by a Plymouth Grand Jury on Friday on three counts of murder and strangulation.

Clancy allegedly attacked and killed her three children Cora Clancy, 5, Dawson Clancy, 3, and 8-month-old Callan Clancy on January 24 at the family home in Duxbury.

The mother, a labor and delivery nurse, then attempted to take her own life and remains in hospital as a result.

Clancy was suffering severe postpartum depression and had been prescribed an 'over the top' cocktail of pills that her forgiving husband Patrick Clancy believes are to blame for the tragedy.

Clancy allegedly attacked and killed her three children Cora Clancy, 5, Dawson Clancy, 3, and 8-month-old Callan Clancy

Lindsay Clancy, 32, was indicted by a Plymouth Grand Jury on Friday on three counts of murder and strangulation

The mother, a labor and delivery nurse, then attempted to take her own life and remains in hospital as a result

Post partum psychosis is defined by the National Institutes of Health as the severest form of mental illness in that category, and is characterized by extreme confusion, loss of touch with reality, paranoia, delusions, disorganized thought process, and hallucinations.'

It usually occurs within the first six weeks after giving birth and 'warrants immediate medical and psychiatric attention and hospitalization if the risk of suicide or filicide exists.'

Clancy's lawyer, Kevin J Reddington, previously told a judge that the drugs Lindsay had been prescribed left her feeling feeling like a 'zombie'.

A chilling audio of the 911 dispatch call made by Patrick that night reveals the extent of the horror.

Clancy suffered cuts on her wrists and lacerations, which she is believed to have inflicted on herself before jumping from a window of her home.

Patrick found his wife lying outside their home after returning from collecting takeout food for the family.

As first responders arrived on scene and tended to his wife, Patrick could be heard screaming in the home's basement.

There he found the children unconscious and blue with exercise bands around their necks.

The states chief medical examiner would declare the two older children had died of asphyxia, while little Callan had died from complications from asphyxia.

Clancy was arraigned on February 7 from her Brigham and Womens Hospital bed.

Clancy was suffering severe postpartum depression and had been prescribed an 'over the top' cocktail of pills that her forgiving husband Patrick Clancy (second from left) believes are to blame for the tragedy

The tragedy occurred on January 24 at the family home at 47 Summer Street in Duxbury

A well-wisher visits the makeshift memorial that grew in front of the family's Duxbury home

'The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring towards everyone - me, our kids, family, friends, and her patients' Patrick said of his wife

The states chief medical examiner would declare the two older children had died of asphyxia, while little Callan had died from complications from asphyxia

'One of the major issues here is the horrific overmedication of drugs that caused homicidal ideation, suicidal ideation' Reddington said in February.

'They [Lindsay and her husband Patrick] went to doctors repeatedly saying "please help us."

'This was turning her into a zombie...the medications that were prescribed were over the top, absolutely over the top.

'She had medical care and treatment on a regular basis. And her husband was very proactive in trying to protect her and help her with the doctors' medication she was prescribed.

'They went through hell  and they didn't come back,' he said.

He intends to use this as his defense against murder charges. Patrick, her husband, says he has forgiven her.

In a GoFundMe message to friends and strangers who have raised $1million for him, he said: 'I want to ask all of you that you find it deep within yourselves to forgive Lindsay, as I have.

'The real Lindsay was generously loving and caring towards everyone - me, our kids, family, friends, and her patients.

'The very fibers of her soul are loving. All I wish for her now is that she can somehow find peace.'
Hundreds of cancer sufferers in Scotland have turned to private hospitals for life-saving chemotherapy in a bid to avoid lengthy NHS waiting lists.

Scotland has seen the biggest increase in privately funded in-patient admissions of any UK nation, with more than 1,700 cancer sufferers paying for chemotherapy last year.

Private admissions for tests to diagnose serious conditions such as bowel and womb cancers also rose, with 455 patients paying for diagnostic colonoscopy procedures in the first three months of this year alone. It comes as 17,201 people continue to wait more than 18 months on NHS waiting lists in Scotland.

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: 'The crisis in Scotland's NHS on the SNP's watch should never have reached this point.

'Cancer is a devastating diagnosis for anyone to receive. The last thing cancer patients should be thinking about is funding their own treatment. The dire workforce planning by successive SNP health secretaries and the failure of Humza Yousaf's flimsy recovery plan are responsible for this.'

Scotland has seen the biggest increase in privately funded in-patient admissions of any UK nation, with more than 1,700 cancer sufferers paying for chemotherapy last year (File Photo)

An extra 1,225 privately funded in-patient admissions were recorded in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year.

The 12.3 per cent increase was the highest in the UK.

In the same period, England saw a 7.9 per cent rise, data published by the Private Healthcare Information Network (PHIN) shows.

In total 42,890 private 'episodes'  the time patients spent under the care of a private consultant  were recorded in Scotland in 2022/23, an 8 per cent rise on the previous year. Among the procedures were 1,745 chemotherapy treatments, 7,805 cataract surgeries, 4,739 hip and knee replacements and 2,055 endoscopies.

In the first three months of this year, there was a 23 per cent increase in the number of people using private medical insurance to pay for treatment compared with the same period last year.

According to fundraising site GoFundMe, the price of chemotherapy varies greatly but a single dose can cost up to 30,000. The average cost of knee and hip replacements, according to Nuffield Health's Glasgow hospital, is around 15,000, while endoscopies cost 2,026 and the excision of a malignant lesion on the trunk or limbs comes in at 1,934.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf during a visit to the Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Service (RCDS) at the NHS Fife Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy

Dr Iain Kennedy, chairman of BMA Scotland, said: 'The BMA's view, shared by many across Scotland, is that the principle of an NHS free at the point of use is precious and should be something worth defending.

'Sadly, with a lack of investment in the NHS  in particular in its staff  we are sleepwalking into a two-tier system where, faced with long, often agonising waits for treatment, patients who can afford to pay are simply choosing to go privately.'

Speaking at Holyrood on Thursday, Mr Yousaf said Scotland's rate of private treatment was lower than in England and Wales, which have a 16 per cent and 51 per cent higher rate respectively according to PHIN statistics for the first quarter of 2023.

But he said: 'Of course, that will be cold comfort for people who have to dig deep into their own pockets to pay for healthcare.'

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: 'How can the SNP have let it get so bad that patients are having to find the cash to pay for life-saving cancer treatment? Patients in pain and heartbroken families, trying to scrape together cash to pay for care they should be getting on the NHS.' Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said Scotland's heathcare system was 'cascading into crisis after crisis'.

PHIN chief executive Dr Ian Gargan said the number of private in-patient admissions is rising across the UK. But he added: 'When comparing quarter 1 [January-March], 2022 to quarter 1, 2023, Scotland has seen the biggest increase of all the nations.

'The growth we are seeing seems to be related to the long NHS waiting lists... so we would expect the trend to continue.'
The moment a Yes23 campaigner was confronted by a man who stormed into a meeting and demanded that organisers change his mind on the referendum has emerged online.

The private planning meeting on Friday between members of the Yes campaign was disrupted in Albury, on the New South Wales-Victoria border, by Bradley Beaven.

The agitator filmed himself entering the meeting venue before he's met by a female campaigner in a hallway.

He then insists she change his mind and convince him to vote Yes.

After repeatedly telling Mr Beaven that the event was not public before threatening to call the police, he threatened to call the authorities himself.

This is not the first time Mr Beaven has been caught harassing Yes23 campaigners, as he filmed himself doing the same last week in Melbourne.

Bradley Beaven (pictured) tried crashing a private Yes23 campaign meeting before confronting a campaigner and asking her to change his mind about the referendum

After repeatedly telling Mr Beaven that the event was not public before threatening to call the police, he threatened to call the authorities himself

In the video, Mr Beaven immediately introduces himself as a 'vote no-er' which prompts the campaigner to show him the door.

'I'd like you to change my mind,' he asks.

'This is actually not an open meeting, it's a planning meeting for our campaign, so youll see us out on the street doing things,' the Yes campaigner replies.

'Id just like you to change my mind while Im here now, why are you voting yes,' he persists.

The campaigner quickly loses her patience with his line of inquiry as he continues trying to provoke a debate.

'Id just like you to change my mind,' he insists.

'Well, youll see us out and about,' she repeats.

'No, right now,' Mr Beaven demands.

The two then speak over each other about who is being more disrespectful before the campaigner notices Mr Beaven recording the exchange.

'You have not asked my permission to film me,' the campaigner said.

'Ive got my own permission, thank you,' Mr Beaven replies.

After Mr Beaven refuses to leave and continues to film, the woman says that she will get the police involved which appears to inflame him.

'Give the police a call because you should be arrested and charged for treasoning against the people of this country,' Mr Beaven snaps back as he's escorted out of the building.

As he makes his way towards the exit Mr Beaven begins screaming 'VOTE NO' while he was still within earshot of the meeting.

'You sellout traitors of this f****** country.'

Mr Beaven continues screaming as he walks out into the dark, empty streets with two friends, one of whom is wearing a 'f*** the system' t-shirt.

A week before trying to crash the Yes23 organising meeting, Mr Beaven brazenly called another campaigner a 'f***wit' in Melbourne's CBD.

Mr Beaven has confronted Yes23 campaigners before, most recently filming himself in Melbourne's CBD last week doing the same

The agitator approached a male campaigner who was handing out flyers and called him a slew of names including a traitor

Sticking to his familiar script, Mr Beaven also labelled the Melbourne campaigner a 'traitorous f***ing dog' after their altercation.

The man, who was innocuously handing out flyers at the time, quietly stood there and copped the abuse before walking away.

Mr Beaven said the verbal onslaught was warranted because he had been heckled by three Yes campaigners earlier in the day.

He said he only left the area 'because there were children around'.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Yes23 for comment.

There is less than a month until Australians decide if they want to support enshrining an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the constitution.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned of the consequences of a No vote in a speech he delivered in Adelaide announcing the date of the vote.

On October 14 you are not being asked to vote for a political party or a person. Youre being asked to say yes to an idea whose time has come,' Mr Albanese told the audience.

Lets be very clear about the alternative. Voting no means going nowhere. It closes the door on this opportunity to move forward. Dont close the door on constitutional recognition dont close the door on the next generation of Indigenous Australians. Vote yes.'

The question presented to Australians will be: 'A proposed law: to alter the constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Do you approve this proposed alteration?'
Infamous drug lord El Chapo's son Ovidio Guzman Lopez has been extradited from Mexico to the US to face drugs charges.

Lopez was flown to Chicago Friday, where he'll face charges of smuggling huge quantities of meth and fentanyl across the border and into the United States.

The drug lord - who is the son of Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman - is now in US custody ahead of trial, US Attorney General Merrick Garland announced.

Garland said: 'This action is the most recent step in the Justice Departments effort to attack every aspect of the cartels operations.'

The Mexican government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mexican security forces captured Guzman Lopez, alias 'the Mouse,' in January in Culiacan, capital of Sinaloa state, the cartels namesake.

Three years earlier, the government had tried to capture him, but aborted the operation after his cartel allies set off a wave of violence in Culiacan.

Januarys arrest set off similar violence that killed 30 people in Culiacan, including 10 military personnel.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez is pictured during his arrest in January 2023. He was extradited to the United States on Friday to face drug charges

The army used Black Hawk helicopter gunships against the cartels truck-mounted .50-caliber machine guns.

Cartel gunmen hit two military aircraft forcing them to land and sent gunmen to the citys airport where military and civilian aircraft were hit by gunfire.

The capture came just days before U.S. President Joe Biden visited Mexico for bilateral talks followed by the North American Leaders Summit.

On Friday, Garland recognized the law enforcement and military members who had given their lives in the U.S. and Mexico.

'The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country.'

Lopez's father Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is pictured in January 2016. He was convicted of federal drug offenses in 2019 and will spend the rest of his life in ADX Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado

In April, U.S. prosecutors unsealed sprawling indictments against Guzman and his brothers, known collectively as the 'Chapitos.'

They laid out in detail how following their fathers extradition and eventual life sentence in the U.S., the brothers steered the cartel increasingly into synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

El Chapo was convicted of drugs offenses in 2019 and sentenced to die in the infamous ADX Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.

His ex-girlfriend Emma Coronel was released from a halfway house earlier this week.

The indictment unsealed in Manhattan said their goal was to produce huge quantities of fentanyl and sell it at the lowest price.

Fentanyl is so cheap to make that the cartel reaps immense profits even wholesaling the drug at 50 cents per pill, prosecutors said. The brothers denied the allegations in a letter.

El Chapo 's glamorous wife and the mother of their two kids, Emma Coronel Aispuro (pictured) hit the headlines this week after she was freed from jail to start her new life without him

The Chapitos became known for grotesque violence that appeared to surpass any notions of restraint shown by earlier generations of cartel leaders.

Fentanyl has become a top priority in the bilateral security relationship.

But Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has denied assertions by the U.S. government and his own military about fentanyl production in Mexico, instead describing the country as a transit point for precursors coming from China and bound for the U.S.

Lopez Obrador blames a deterioration of family values in the U.S. for the high le

vels of drug addiction in that country.

An estimated 109,680 overdose deaths occurred last year in the United States, according to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

About 75,000 of those were linked to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.

Inexpensive fentanyl is increasingly cut into other drugs, often without the buyers knowledge.
AUBURN  Merrie Elisens is deeply concerned about how actions taken in the present could affect her children and grandchildren.

Elisens was one of more 30 people who attended a climate change strike at the steps of Memorial City Hall in Auburn Friday afternoon. The event, organized by Cayuga Climate Action, urged people to contact their representatives to enact meaningful action on climate change while highlighting recent positive local environmental efforts. State Sen. Rachel May and local officials were in attendance.

After the event ended, Elisens told The Citizen she feels "we're on a collision course for doomsday."

"I think it's really a terrible thing, that our generation is bequeathing this terrible problem to our children and grandchildren," she said. "We're causing problems, we need to solve them."

Elisens also emphasized the importance of cutting down on fossil fuel use and using electric appliances. Banners displayed by people at the strike included sayings like "Climate justice, racial justice, justice for all." Others referenced the climate group and the Black Lives Matter movement, or simply bore images of the Earth.

At the beginning of the strike, Dominic Gambaiani, co-founder of Cayuga Climate Action and an organizer of the event, thanked those in attendance.

Since the strike was held in conjunction with similar events all over the planet organized by climate action group Fridays for Future, Gambaiani said, "Thousands and thousands are striking today and throughout the weekend to demand more from governments in regards to climate action as well as to put pressure on all of our elected officials."

Mentioning hurricanes, floods, wildfires and the subsequent "smoke-filled skies" over the summer, Gambaiani said changes have happened "very quickly" over the last five years.

On the City Hall steps, May said she had reasons for hope about climate change efforts, including all of the people at the event, "the great work that you're doing and knowing that you care," she said. She also mentioned New York state's Climate Leadership & Community Protection Act, which she called "one of the strongest climate bills in the country."

May told the crowd about more legislation, like the state law that will require most buildings to use electric heat and appliances rather than fossil fuels starting in 2026.

"There are a lot of ways that the change is happening and it's happening at the kind of scale we need it to happen at. But we need you keep putting the pressure on us. We need you to keep talking about climate justice because even though that is in our climate law here in New York state, that doesn't mean that it's easy to implement," May said.

Also speaking at the event were Lucy Janssen, owner of the downtown Auburn business Reuse Refuse, and City Councilor Terry Cuddy. Cuddy told the crowd the city is "doing everything it can" to address climate issues. He noted the city was informed by the U.S. Forest Service on Thursday that Auburn has been awarded a $945,000 grant to improve the city's urban forest.

Cuddy also talked about city efforts toward ensuring the city has clean drinking water, saying the council passed a resolution Thursday night requesting that Gov. Kathy Hochul and state and federal representatives develop, implement and fund a total maximum daily load comprehensive watershed plan for Owasco Lake. Cuddy noted that council has asked for the plan for six years, the lake requires such a plan by law and the Owasco Town Council also passed a resolution requesting the state move forward on the plan.

"New York state now knows that they've been failing the people of Auburn, the town of Owasco and anyone who drinks water from Owasco Lake because they are not following the law," Cuddy said.
Head of the gang was led out in a robe and shorts by detectives

Police have arrested several members of the Lone Wolf outlaw motorcycle gang on serious drug charges in western Sydney.

Officers raided several properties in Hebersham and St Clair, about 50km west of Sydney's CBD, in targeted operations this week.

The heavily tattooed national president of the organised crime group, Medhat Mankaryous, was marched out of his home in St Clair by police, in nothing but a robe and garishly coloured board shorts.

The heavily tattooed head of the Lone Wolf outlaw motorcycle gang, Medhat Mankaryous (pictured centre), was marched out of his property in an early morning raid on Friday by officers from NSW police

Multiple officers from the Raptor Squad had earlier barged their way into Mankaryous' home, before they emerged after arresting the gang figurehead.

The 41-year-old was seen handcuffed before he was forced to sit on a chair in the driveway of the property.

Mankaryous was charged with allegedly manufacturing and supplying a large quantity of meth.

He is one of four presidents of the outlaw bikie gang, and faces life behind bars if he is found guilty of the charge.

He was refused bail and fronted Penrith local court on Friday, with his case set to be heard in October.

Mankaryous (pictured centre) was dragged out wearing nothing but a robe and board shorts, before he was led away by officers from the Raptor Squad

Two other men from the gang were also arrested at Hebersham on Tuesday.

One man was arrested at his property and was charged with allegedly participating in a criminal group and stealing a motor vehicle.

Police will allege in court the man was involved in disposing of the vehicle used in a shooting at Connells Point in July last year.

He was denied bail after he was taken to Mount Druitt Local Court later that day and will face Windsor Local Court in late October.

A third man was arrested and charged with allegedly possessing, manufacturing, and distributing meth.

He was denied bail after appearing before Penrith Local Court on Wednesday. He will face court again in November.

Police arrested two other men from the bikie gang in Hebersham in a series of early morning raids on Tuesday. One man (pictured) is seen being led away by officers after they were charged with separate offences

The raids were part of operations conducted under Strike Force Searle, a taskforce set up by NSW Police in October 2022 to investigate the manufacture and supply of methylamphetamine by members of the outlaw group.

It comes after the gang's former boss Erkan 'Eric the Wolf' Keskin was found dead in Turkey in 2022, after he fled Australia more than three years ago.

The raids by NSW Police are part of Strike Force Searle, a taskforce which was set up in October 2022 to investigate the use of methylamphetamine by members of the Lone Wolf motorcycle gang

Keskin maintained control over the Lone Wolf Gang after he left Australia in late 2019 and had links to exiled Comanchero boss Mark Buddle.

Police estimated he had amassed a $50million fortune.
Family doctors will be able to prescribe a nightly pill for insomnia for the first time after the medication was given the go-ahead on the NHS.

The treatment, to be taken half an hour before bedtime, has been found to help sufferers get to sleep more quickly without feeling groggy the next day.

From next week, it will be prescribed to those who have tried cognitive behavioural therapy for the condition without success.

Daridorexant has been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) for long-term sufferers. The pill, taken once a night, costs 1.42 a day.

Nice estimates that around 20,000 patients in England could receive the treatment from GPs in the first year.

One in three people suffer from insomnia at some stage in their lives, with around 7 per cent having chronic problems (Stock image)

One in three people suffer from insomnia at some stage in their lives, with around 7 per cent having chronic problems.

The drug works by blocking the action of two types of orexins, the chemicals that help the body stay awake. Current treatments for insomnia are designed for use only in the short term.
A top nonprofit has beamed striking images onto buildings during New York Fashion week to shame the clothing industry for using Uyghur labor.

The Human Rights Foundation beamed the stark black, white and pink images onto the size of the New Museum in Manhattan, Brooklyn Bridge and a Hyatt hotel in Midtown for their Discounted Lives Campaign.

One showed a classic white t-shirt emblazoned with the phrase '1 in 5 cotton garments are linked to Uyghur forced labor.'

Another showed the headshots of eight Uyghur men and women who suffered horrific abuse including forced sterilization, arbitrary detention, rape and religious persecution.

China currently has one million people in its Uyghur detention camps. Uyghurs are a Turkic ethic group who are native to the Uyghur Autonomous Region in Northwest China, which the CCP refers to as the Xinjiang region.

They speak their own language - similar to Turkish - and consider themselves to be culturally-closer to Central Asian nations than China.

An image projected onto the side of the New Museum in NYC highlights the use of forced Uyghur labor to produce a fifth of the world's cotton cltohing

Another image on the same building highlights the horrifying number of Uyghurs - one million - kept in concentration camps

An image projected onto the Brooklyn Bridge details the fate of some of those detained by China - including rape, forced sterilization and forced labor

The Human Rights Foundation's Discounted Lives campaign aims to raise awareness of Uyghur persecution

China has been accused of carrying out a genocide against the Uyghurs by forcing them to work in camps.

Communist officials are said to believe the Uyghurs pose a terrorism threat - but critics say its dictators are more concerned with maintaining ideological conformity and control of its people.

A spokesperson for the foundation said: 'The Human Rights Foundation is a nonpartisan, non-profit focused on closed societies worldwide.

'Wear Your Values is one of our programs that aims to raise awareness of the fashion industry's complicity in human rights abuses worldwide.
A six-year-old girl returned home from school with a 'disgusting' Father's Day gift, leaving her dad stunned and furious.

The student at Connolly Primary School in the north of Perth came home with a printed activity dice which offered ways it claimed to cheer up dads when they were in a bad mood.

One of the options was a bullet - with instructions to take 'when all else fails'.

Trent Howard said he was 'disgusted' that his six-year-old daughter was given an item which appears to promote suicide from a teacher at Connolly Primary School.

Perth dad, Trent Howard, furious after daughter given 'disgusting' Father's Day gift from teacher. Picture: 9NEWS

'To create this, and distribute this, disgusting,' he told 9News.

'If you've had enough, shoot yourself', what else [could that be interpreted to] say.'

'I have a weird sense of humour, [but] that's not part of any sense of humour to anybody.'

Mr Howard's wife Renea said the teacher told her the gift was meant to be a joke.

'It wasn't funny,' she said.

A psychologist also warned the incident could have wide-ranging impacts for child and parents alike.

'Children can take things very literally, it can play on their minds, they might not have the language to articulate what's distressing them,' psychologist Bailey Bosch told Channel 9.

Ms Bosch added that adults could also be severely 'triggered' by the mention of things like bullets and death.

The 'suggestion' on the activity dice that sparked uproar. Picture: 9NEWS

The shocking incident comes in the middle of a mental health crisis for young Australians.

About 1 in 7 children between the ages of 4 and 17 have recently suffered a mental health disorder in Australia, according to Health Direct.

The WA Department of Education said the school had apologised to parents after a 'serious lack of judgment'.

'While I understand the activity related to confectionary, it was clearly not thought through and should never have happened,' Melesha Sands, Deputy Director General, Schools for the WA Department of Education told NCA NewsWire in a statement.

'The school has since apologised to parents and will not be repeating this activity in future.

'The principal has also apologised directly to a parent who put in a complaint.

'I'd like to also apologise to parents and reiterate this activity was not appropriate for students, which has been discussed with the school.'
READ MORE: Boebert's 'unfaithful' husband Jayson admits HE was the 'root' of the divorce

The controversial lawmaker was seen frolicking with her boyfriend, waving her hands, singing loudly, using flash photography and vaping

Republican firebrand Lauren Boebert has finally apologized for her sleazy behavior during a trip to see Beetlejuice the musical at a Denver theater.

The US Representative, who became a grandma earlier this year aged 36, blamed her divorce and the anxiety of being out in public after she was caught heavy-petting with 'Democrat' boyfriend Quinn Gallagher, waving her hands, singing loudly, using flash photography and vaping.

After being ejected from the show last Sunday, she asked an usher 'Do you know who I am?' and gave a staffer the finger.

'The past few days have been difficult and humbling, and I'm truly sorry' she wrote in a statement.

'There's no perfect blueprint for going through a public and difficult divorce, which over the past few months has made a challenging personal time for me and my entire family.'

The controversial congresswoman initially denied the claims, claimed the vape smoke was actually from a fog machine and issued a sarcastic statement playing down the anger.

But she made a startling U-turn late Friday night blaming her behavior on her 'public and difficult divorce.'

Republican firebrand Lauren Boebert was spotted being fondled by her ' Democrat ' boyfriend Quinn Gallagher

The salacious footage shows Gallagher rubbing Boebert's chest during a performance of Beetlejuice in Denver on Sunday - before she tugged at his crotch

The controversial congresswoman initially denied the claims but made a startling U-turn late Friday night

Shocked viewers have pored over the footage in recent days - and on Friday night unearthed yet another unbecoming detail.

Gallagher can be seen rubbing her chest, while Boebert tugs at his crotch while both are seated. Neither exposes themselves - but the display is an unedifying one.

The GOP lawmaker was asked to leave after ushers noticed her vaping and taking photos on her phone.

She was also singing along loudly and taking selfies with the flash on to the annoyance of other theatregoers.

Addressing the lies she initially told about the incident Boebert said: 'Whether it was the excitement of seeing a much-anticipated production or the natural anxiety of being in a new environment, I genuinely did not recall vaping that evening'.

Surveillance footage shows Boebert, wearing a tight, low-cut gold dress and high heels, making a considerable fuss as she and Gallagher left - taking a selfie as she leaves the auditorium and angrily baring her teeth at staff.

She also gave ushers the finger. The Denver Post spoke to a pregnant woman who says she was sitting behind Boebert, but who was too scared to give her name for fear of MAGA-reprisals.

The woman claims Boebert said 'no,' when asked to stop vaping, sang with her hands in the air, blew vape smoke at her, kissed her date and took repeated videos during the show. Boebert is also said to have told the complainer she was a 'miserable' person.

The eyewitness claims she asked to move seats in the intermission - and that staff at the theater said theirs wasn't the only complaint about the erratic lawmaker.

The woman also told the Post that Boebert's lover Gallagher offered to buy them cocktails as a peace offering, which she had to decline because of her pregnancy.

An incident report noted the two received a warning at intermission about their behavior.

Boebert is seen with Quinn Gallagher being kicked out of a touring performance of the musical 'Beetlejuice' over the weekend in Denver

Lauren Boebert is seen on surveillance camera footage giving ushers the finger on Sunday night at a Denver theatre, after she was kicked out

Security personnel are seen speaking to the congresswoman and Gallagher inside the theater before escorting them out

DailyMail.com can reveal that Boebert and Gallagher, Colorado local and Aspen bar owner, have been dating for several months

But five minutes into the second act, security officials received another complaint about a person being loud and recording the show.

'They told me they would not leave,' an usher said, according to the report.

'I told them that they need to leave the theater and if they do not, they will be trespassing.

'The patrons said they would not leave. I told them I would (be) going to get Denver Police. They said go get them.'

Afterwards, Boebert and her smartly-dressed date were caught on camera walking off through the empty nighttime streets of Denver.

DailyMail.com revealed on Wednesday that Boebert, 36, and Gallagher, 46, a divorced father of a 16-year-old son, have been secretly dating for several months.

According to a well-placed source: 'It's very surprising. I always thought Quinn was a cool guy and a Democrat. His parents would be horrified because they are definitely blue.'

Once outside Boebert's indignation quickly dissipates as she holds her new lover's hand, dances coquettishly and twirls for him in the street as they make their way through the city  a three-hour drive from Gallagher's home near Aspen and even further from Boebert's home in Silt, Colorado.

The two were spotted holding hands as the left the area and walked down the street

Surveillance footage shows and angry Lauren Boebert being escorted from a Denver theater over the weekend for alleged bad behavior

It is not clear when Gallagher and Boebert's relationship became romantic, but the bar owner originally comes from the congresswoman's hometown of Rifle, Colorado, and still has family there

Pictures obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com show Gallagher in his hometown on the outskirts of Aspen where he owns Hooch Craft Cocktail Bar with partner Pat Flannigan.

The pair opened the bar billed as 'rustic and unpretentious,' in April 2016, and became co-owners last year.

Boebert's divorce from Jason, 36, her husband of 18 years and father to her four children, is ongoing after the couple's shock split in May.

At the time Boerbert insisted that she had always been faithful throughout her marriage.

In her statement, the sophomore congresswoman said: 'It is with a heavy weight on my heart that I have filed for divorce from my husband.

'I am grateful for our years of marriage together and for our beautiful children, all of whom deserve privacy and love as we work through this process.

'I've always been faithful in my marriage, and I believe strongly in marriage, which makes this announcement that much more difficult.'

It is not clear when Gallagher and Boebert's relationship became romantic, but the bar owner originally comes from the congresswoman's hometown of Rifle, Colorado, and still has family there.

It is just a stone's throw from the controversial congresswoman's home in Silt.
The White House has altered the transcript of a speech Joe Biden delivered in Maryland to remove his suggestion that black people, Hispanics and veterans were unlikely to have high school diplomas.

The gaffe-prone president was speaking about the economy on Thursday at Prince George's Community College in Largo.

Biden said he was proud of making big corporations pay their fair share of tax, and touted his success in creating 13 million jobs.

But during his speech he also made a major slip-up and implied that minorities and veterans were uneducated.

'We've seen record lows in unemployment particularly  and I've focused on this my whole career  particularly for African Americans and Hispanic workers and veterans, you know, the workers without high school diplomas,' he said.

Joe Biden on Thursday told a gathering in Maryland that he had helped reduce unemployment among black people, Hispanic people and veterans - describing them as 'the workers without high-school diplomas'

The White House, which publishes official transcripts of his speeches, including the 'umms' and 'ahhs', later corrected his words, in an unusual move.

In the transcript, he is quoted as saying unemployment has been reduced 'particularly for African Americans and Hispanic workers and veterans, you know, and the workers without high-school diplomas.'

The president is well known for his slip-ups, exaggerations and embellishments of stories.

On Monday, he used the 9/11 anniversary to claim he recalled 'standing there the next day and looking at the building' in New York - when, in fact, he was in Washington, DC, on September 12, 2001.

'Some have said yesterday and today all has changed for America,' the then-senator from Delaware said from the floor of the Senate, the day after the attacks.

'I pray that is not true. I pray that is not true...The one thing we can not allow to change are the values upon which this country is built.

'For if that were to occur, then they would be able to declare victory, genuine victory.'

Biden also embellished on Monday his recollections of the fateful day, claiming he saw a 'fireball' at the Pentagon on 9/11, when in his book he describes it as 'a brown haze of smoke.'

Joe Biden is seen on Monday, the 22nd anniversary of 9/11, speaking to troops in Anchorage, Alaska. He is the first president not to spend the anniversary at the site of one of the three plane crashes

Planes are pictured crashing into the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001

Joe Biden is seen speaking to reporters outside Congress on September 11, 2001

Biden, seen on September 11, 2001, was chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the time of the attacks

Speaking to troops in Anchorage, Alaska, on Monday, en route home from the G20 summit in Vietnam, Biden told them about his memories from 22 years ago, with typical Biden exaggeration.

'The plume of fire that shot up in the sky in Pentagon - I remember seeing as I got off the Amtrak train on my way to work in the United States Senate,' he said.

Yet in his autobiography, he wrote that the scene was significantly less dramatic: 'I could see a brown haze of smoke hanging in the otherwise crystal-clear sky beyond the Capitol dome.'

Biden, who at the time was chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was photographed on 9/11 speaking to reporters in front of the Capitol.

In his 2007 book Promises to Keep, Biden wrote he was in Washington, DC, the day after the attack: 'I headed back to the Capitol the next morning,' he noted.

A Gannett News Wire report from September 12, 2001, cited by The New York Post, backed up the version in his biography, beginning: 'Delaware Sen. Joe Biden spent Wednesday exactly where he wanted  in the U.S. Senate.'

Archived CSPAN footage also showed Biden speaking from the Senate floor on September 12, 2001, as he and 99 other Senators denounced the cowardly attacks.

The president, who joined the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at age 32, and became its chair in 2001, has frequently spoken about his 'arrest' by the South African police.

On February 11, 2020, Biden told a South Carolina audience that he had been arrested in the African nation.

'This day, 30 years ago, Nelson Mandela walked out of prison and entered into discussions about apartheid,' he told the crowd.

'I had the great honor of meeting him. I had the great honor of being arrested with our U.N. ambassador on the streets of Soweto trying to get to see him on Robben Island.'

Biden did not specify the year, but was in South Africa in 1977.

Biden is seen in December 2013 visiting a memorial to Nelson Mandela outside the South African embassy. Mandela died aged 95 on December 5, 2013

At the end of February 2020, amid intense interest over whether he was actually arrested, Biden told CNN that he was not.

'When I said arrested, I meant I was not able to move,' Biden said, after recounting what had happened to him.

'Cops would not let me go with them. I wasn't arrested, I was stopped. I was not able to move where I wanted to go.'

He did not specify whether that encounter was in Lesotho or South Africa.

Biden has a long history of exaggerating his own biography.

He claimed in January this year, while speaking to students of historically black colleges in Atlanta that he was arrested during civil rights protests - a claim for which there is no evidence.

In September 2021 he told Jewish leaders that he remembered 'spending time at' and 'going to' the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh after the mass murder of 11 people there in 2018: it later emerged he never visited.

The White House said he was referencing a phone call, and misspoke.
A woman who tragically died in an early morning car crash in Perth leaves behind three young children, all under the age of 10.

Tori Pearsall, died after her car veered off Kargotich Road in Mardella, 56km south of Perth at 3.30am last Saturday.

The 27-year-old's Toyota Corolla hatchback crashed into a tree after it went off the road.

Tori Pearsall (pictured), died after her car veered off a road in Mardella, 56km south of Perth, and crashed into a tree last Saturday

The car went up in flames while Mrs Pearsall was inside the vehicle. She died at the scene.

Mrs Pearsall leaves behind her husband Ricky, her high school sweetheart, and their three children.

Mrs Pearsall's sister Kirra Panaia told The West Australian Tori's children meant the world to her.

'To my dearest sister, I love you so much, and this doesnt seem real still... You had my back when the world was against me,' she said.

'You have my word, I have got you and your kids...I will let your memory live on forever sis, I love you, and you make me so proud.'

Tori was moving to another home and was on the way to her sister's place when the crash took place.

The mother of three owned a catering business.

Mrs Pearsall was on her way to her sister's place before she tragically died in the early morning accident after her car (pictured) left the road

It's not clear how the car Ms Persall was driving left the road, after major crash investigators seized the vehicle.

By the time firefighters arrived, the car was engulfed in flames and it was too late to save the woman's life.

A GoFundMe page was set up by Caitlin, a friend of Ms Pearsall, who described Tori as a 'heavenly angel'.

The young mother leaves behind her three children, all under the age of 10

'I'm doing this Gofundme for the [family] so it makes it that little easier to be able to deal with things...big or small it all counts !!' she said.

'Lets help make this just a little easier and help [support] her [family] just like we would if she were here!!!'

Almost $3,340 has been raised so far, after the page was set up on Sunday.
Qantas' board of directors allowed their CEO Alan Joyce to sell a $17 million tranche of shares - despite two requests from Australia's consumer watchdog for information about selling thousands of tickets on already cancelled flights.

Alan Joyce sold more than 90 per cent of his shares in the company while he was CEO on June 1 - five weeks after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) had twice requested documents as part of their investigation, the Australian Financial Review reported.

The first request was made on September 14 last year, and the second on April 26.

The $17million sale was finalised as the ACCC was finishing its investigation of the airline selling tickets on 8,000 flights that had already been cancelled during the pandemic.

Qantas is now facing a $250million fine after the ACCC launched legal action in the federal court.

Former Qantas CEO Alan Joyce (pictured centre with Anthony Albanese and Jodie Haydon) sold more than 90 per cent of his shares in the company weeks after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission requested documents for an active investigation

The ACCC requested the information on April 26 this year, which was their second time requesting documents, before Mr Joyce sold $17 million worth of shares on June 1

The requests for information were made in response to a large number of customer complaints that the ACCC received from aggrieved flyers, a source told AFR.

Qantas is one of the most complained about companies in Australia.

READ MORE: Qantas' nightmare week Qantas offers a groveling apology amid numerous scandals. Advertisement

The notices are not publicly available but they do let the company know the nature of the investigation they relate to.

During these investigations companies are not allowed to discuss matters pertaining to them publicly until any prosecution materialises.

There are no rules preventing employees like Mr Joyce from selling shares during investigations, unless they are acting on information that they know will affect the share price.

Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting that the ACCCs inquiries were disclosable  during an investigation, companies are not permitted to discuss the matter publicly until the regulator proceeds to prosecution.

Even if the ACCC succeeds in enforcing fines of $250million, as it has indicated, the amount would unlikely be material to Qantas share price.

There are also no rules preventing directors buying or selling shares, unless they are acting on information that they know is material to a companys share price that has not been disclosed.

The former CEO, who departed the company on September 6, has faced considerable backlash for selling the shares when he did.

Qantas investors have voiced their fury at Mr Joyce selling his shares at the top of the market for $6.74 each.

Some said that it would have been more appropriate for the embattled boss to hold on to them until he left his position earlier this month.

The $17million sale would not have been as glamorous if he had done so, as Qantas shares closed at $5.61 on Friday.

Mr Joyce left the airliner two months earlier than he had originally planned and since the move they have been shrouded in controversy.

Aggrieved investors have said that the disgraced former-CEO should have held onto the shares until he left the company on September 6

The ACCC's investigation found that Qantas has sold fraudulent tickets for 8,000 flights that had already been cancelled in order to keep slots at the Sydney Airport

A Qantas spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia that they were aware that the ACCC had ran a 'number of investigations' into the company's dealings and confirmed that they had requested information on a number of occasions.

None of these requests had resulted in 'any adverse findings,' the spokesperson added.

'As recently as August 28, the ACCC told Qantas in writing that it was still finalising its investigation. The first time this issue crystallised into legal action was when it was announced by the ACCC on August 31,' they said.

The first request came in September 2022 and the second in April 2023 which varied on June 16.

The variance allegedly followed a discussion between ACCC's lawyers and Qantas over whether the company had supplied all documents pertaining to the April request or if it needed more time to supply them.

The April notice came as the regulator began increasing its scrutiny of slot management at Sydney Airport.

In their final report on the matter, the ACCC alleged that Qantas had been slot-hoarding and began their legal action into the company.

ACCC chairwoman Gina Cass Gottlieb linked the cancellations with Qantas' desire to retain slots at the expense of thousands of passengers who were duped into buying the fraudulent tickets.

'We allege that Qantas made many of these cancellations for reasons that were within its control, such as network optimisation including in response to shifts in consumer demand, route withdrawals or retention of take-off and landing slots at certain airports,' Ms Gottlieb said.

'However, this case does not involve any alleged breach in relation to the actual cancellation of flights, but rather relates to Qantas' conduct after it had cancelled the flights.'
Contaminated food is believed to be the source of a listeria outbreak at a major Queensland hospital, with concerns at least two other hospitals could be affected.

Queensland Health is investigating an outbreak at The Mater Private in Brisbane.

Two more unnamed hospitals in the Metro North Health district and Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service district are also affected.

NSW and Victoria are also affected according to Queensland Chief Health Officer Dr John Gerrard.

'To date there have been nine cases reported across four states, all linked through genetic studies,' he said.

'Five cases were diagnosed in Queensland and four of those people reside in Queensland.'

Mater Private Hospital in Brisbane (pictured) is involved in a listeria outbreak which is also affecting NSW and Victoria

Investigations are underway to locate the cause of the outbreak, with the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes usually transmitted via food.

'The source of infection is currently unknown, as no single common food was able to be linked to all cases,' Dr Gerrard said.

The bacteria is widely found in nature and healthy people who ingest a small amount show no symptoms.

However authorities are concerned about the outbreak in hospitals as high concentrations ingested by immunocompromised people and the elderly can result in invasive listeriosis, which can be deadly.

It is understood the people involved in the outbreak are all over 40.

Infectious diseases experts met with Mater staff this week and have implemented a strategy to minimise the spread.

The federal government's food contamination watchdog OzFoodNet is coordinating the national investigation and response.
A mum with terminal cancer has been evicted from her rental and could be homeless at the very moment she undergoes a surgery to find out how much time she has left.

Jodi Hunter, 48, from South Windsor, NSW, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January and the doctors told her it was terminal.

For her son Thomas, it was like a 'comet' had hit the family.

'We've been through dramas but the difference with this one, instead of us losing a house or a business, or possessions, it's a person,' he said.

The doctors don't yet know what stage Ms Hunter is in and will operate on her in November to learn more.

Jodi Hunter, 48, from South Windsor, NSW , was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January and the doctors told her it was terminal

But in a tough new blow, the family received a legal 90-day no grounds eviction notice from their Church St home of 11 years in late August.

The notice hit them after months of chemo treatments for Ms Hunter, and the timing means they could be without anywhere to live when she goes into hospital again.

The family are looking for another rental, but Mr Hunter said covering the bond was a 'challenge' for them.

Ms Hunter's husband Dale said if they couldn't find somewhere soon, the family would fall into homelessness.

The real estate agency representing the landlord has been contacted but did not respond to questions at the time of publication.

NSW allows a 90-day notice period for no grounds evictions, though the government is looking to reform the law.

The family has established a GoFundMe to help them with their move, which follows years of struggle and hardship.

Ms Hunter has suffered a series of complex medical conditions in her life, including fibromyalgia and osteoporosis.

But in a tough new blow, the family received a legal 90-day no grounds eviction notice from their Church St home of 11 years in late August

Ms Hunter's husband Dale said if they couldn't find somewhere soon, the family would fall into homelessness

Tom, 23, said she had been denied help from the NDIS to date, but the family had submitted another application for assistance.

'You can be as resilient as you want, but sometimes you get to a point where you have to ask for help,' Tom said.

'I'm already feeling so blessed with the help we have had.'

The family has set a $10,000 target and received more than $1000 from 18 donations as of Friday.

The Hunters have three sons together, and Dale has a son from another relationship.

Ms Hunter praised her 'beautiful' husband and three sons for getting her through the 'stressful' days.

'It's not fun, you have to do what you have to do, but I was very lucky. I've got a beautiful husband and three sons who look after me,' she said.

'I couldn't do it without them.'

For Tom, his mum is the 'toughest' woman he knows.

'She is so strong,' he said.

The Hunters have three sons together, and Dale has a son from another relationship

'She is obviously distraught and sad, but I've never met anyone who could probably beat the unbeatable.'

Ms Hunter's maiden name was Smith, and when she married Mr Hunter, she joked that she gained the 'Smunter power' that kept her going.

'Nothing can keep us down, we have Smunter power,' she said.

'Whatever happens, we can do this. Work it out, game plan, day-by-day and we just keep powering on.'
The United Auto Workers and Detroit automaker executives exchanged harsh words on Friday, the first day of the unions unprecedented simultaneous strike against all three of Detroits manufacturers.

After the midnight deadline for a new contract passed, workers walked out of a Ford Motor Co. plant in Michigan, a General Motors Co. factory in Missouri and a Stellantis NV plant in Ohio. Picket lines began in the early hours Friday, and a war of words followed.

At a rally in Detroit Friday afternoon, Union President Shawn Fain said that for eight weeks, the carmakers didnt seem to be able to find the time to show up to bargaining," but were able to make TV appearances.

Theres always money for another stock buyback," he said. They say they cant provide a dignified retirement but theres always another special dividend for Wall Street."

Earlier, GM Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra told Bloomberg TV that she was extremely disappointed and frustrated." Her companys offer of 20% raises over four years, cost-of-living allowances and increases for existing pensioners, she said, was the best in its 115-year history.

This is a strike that didnt need to happen," she said.

Barra gave a series of television interviews Friday morning to make the case that she thought the strike could be over very quickly." After one appearance, the UAW posted on social media network X that during the eight and a half minutes GM CEO Mary Barra appeared on CNN this morning, she earned more money than any autoworker makes in a full work day."

The Business Roundtable, which Barra chairs, sent a statement saying the UAW strike will be felt by workers, businesses and communities beyond the auto industry," and concluded by urging a resolution before the consequences cause broader economic harm." Anderson Economic Group, based in Michigan, has estimated that a 10-day strike could cost the US $5.6 billion.

In an internal memo sent Friday, GM warned workers at a plant in Fairfax, Kansas, the facility may be idled as early as next week due to the strike. The Fairfax plant receives parts from the Missouri GM facility included in the initial UAW walkout.

Ford CEO Jim Farley told CNBC Thursday that unless his final assembly plants got the parts they needed, Ford would need to lay off workers within hours or days." On Friday, the company did just that, laying off 600 workers from the Michigan plant that UAW members were picketing, CNBC reported.

In remarks at the White House, President Joe Biden said that he had been in touch with the union and automakers, and that the companies have made some significant offers."

But I believe they should go further to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts for the UAW," he said.

Ohio Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, who faces a tough reelection fight next year, visited the picket line at the Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo Friday morning. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan Representative Debbie Dingell joined Fain in downtown Detroit on the first day of the strike.

To a crowd, Sanders read off the multimillion-dollar salaries of each Big Three CEOs one by one, admonishing them to end your greed." The crowd booed at the high executive pay figure, but treated Fain like a celebrity. Union members reached to him across the barricade and asking for selfies as he walked toward the stage.

Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri used the walkout to bash Bidens push for more electric vehicle production while backing the workers demands for a raise.

Auto workers deserve a raise - and they deserve to have their jobs protected from Joe Bidens stupid climate mandates that are destroying the US auto industry and making China rich," Hawley posted on X.

Outside Fords assembly plant near Detroit, the large crowds of protesters cheering at passing cars included Denise Bonner and her husband. She said the strike was perhaps their last chance to get a pension before retirement.

Im pushing 60 now, so its really, its not easy work when youre my age," she said. Its hard to walk out, literally."

Groups of strikers were stationed at every entrance and exit to block truck deliveries to the plant, which makes some of Fords most lucrative models, including the Bronco. Ford security people, with little to do, stood outside checkpoint huts and watched the demonstrations unfold.

While most of the workers said they supported the unions approach, some were nervous about making ends meet on the strike of about $500 a week.

Im a little worried," said Diana Osborne, a line worker for 12 years. But were going to make it work."

First Published Date:
Elon Musk and Andrew Tate have backed Russell Brand's claims that he is a victim of a 'co-ordinated media attack', as the comedian took to his YouTube channel to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'very serious criminal allegations' made against him.

The video comes ahead of a much-anticipated Channel 4 Dispatches investigation set to air at 9pm tonight, with speculation building over who or what could at the centre of the investigation.

Sources said the long running current affairs documentary series will feature details about a well-known celebrity, which the Mail have been told are shocking.

There is no indication that Brand will feature in the programme, however, last night he made a video address to fans where he insisted any relationships he had 'during his time of promiscuity' were 'consensual'.

Brand said he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters' from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper which the comedian said listed 'a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, which are untrue'.

Russell Brand has taken to his YouTube channel to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations' ahead of a mystery Channel 4 Dispatches investigation

Elon Musk appeared to back Brand's video, taking to X to respond, telling the comedian 'They don't like competition'

Responding to the Tweet, tech mogul Elon Musk told Brand: 'Of course. They don't like competition'

Amidst his denial of the allegations the comedian and actor said 'we have seen coordinated media attacks before', referring to Joe Rogan announcing he had taken anti-parasite drug Ivermectin to treat his Covid-19 infection during the pandemic.

Brand said he was 'aware of newspapers making phone calls' and 'sending letters' to people he knows for 'ages and ages', claiming he feels that 'there's a serious and consorted agenda to control these kind of spaces', referring to his YouTube channel.

Supporting Brand, YouTuber and self-proclaimed misogynist Tate took to X, posting a cartoon meme of a knight preparing for battle, captioned: 'On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations'.

Alongside the image, he captioned it 'Welcome to the club Russell Brand'.

Tate, who is currently facing charges of rape and human trafficking - which he has denied - in a separate Tweet responded to Brand's video calling it a 'Matrix attack'.

The video also appeared to win the support of tech tycoon Musk, who replied to Brand on X seemingly backing the British star's comments on the media. He said: 'Of course. They don't like competition.'

YouTuber and self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate also took to X to show his support for Brand

Tate took to X, posting a cartoon meme of a knight preparing for battle, captioned: 'On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations'

In a separate Tweet responding to Brand's video he called the allegations made against the comedian a 'Matrix attack'

Both Musk and Brand have experienced similar criticism over the years being branded as conspiracy theorists.

During the pandemic Brand was condemned for airing Covid conspiracy theories and in 2014 he received backlash after claiming he was 'open minded' about the idea the US government might have been behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The Tesla boss has also been known to publicly support conspiracy theorists as some 'have turned out to be true'.

Posting the video on X yesterday, where Brand has 11 million followers, he said: 'These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies. And as I've written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.

'During that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that then and I am being transparent about it now as well.

'And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question is there another agenda at play.'

The comedian, actor and internet personality told his 6.5 million subscribers late on Friday night that there are 'very, very serious criminal allegations' made against him which he 'absolutely refutes'

Brand (pictured with his wife Laura in Bath) said he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters' from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper.

The comedian, actor and internet personality told his 6.5 million subscribers that there are 'very, very serious criminal allegations' made against him which he 'absolutely refutes'

Amongst the 'very serious allegations' made, Brand said there was also a 'litany of astonishing attacks', which he called 'some pretty stupid stuff' including calls for his Community Festival in Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled.

He added: 'I need my voice along with your voice. I don't mind them using my books and my stand up to talk about my promiscuous sexual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very serious, criminal allegations.

'Also its worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently in what seems to be to me a coordinated attack.'

Throughout the clip, he mentioned how subscribers to his YouTube channel had previously written in the comments section 'watch out Russell, they're coming for you'.

Brand closes the video, which has already had 4.9million views since it was uploaded to X at 11.21pm on Friday, by saying: 'In the meantime I want you to stay close, stay awake, but more importantly than any of that - if you can, please - stay free.'

Tonight the comedian will be at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre for his new stand up comedy show, Russell Brand: Biopolarisation.

The event will begin at 6pm and last for us just under two hours.

On the tour's website, it said the show discusses 'rules and rules breaking', 'democracy and freedom'.

It adds: 'We reach conclusions from mass confusion by polling the live audience.'

Amongst the 'very serious allegations' made, Brand said there was also a 'litany of astonishing attacks', which he called 'some pretty stupid stuff' including calls for his Community Festival in Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled

Brand said he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters' from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper

Brand's statement came amid rumours on social media about whether a scandal about a famous person could feature in the investigation airing today.

'Stay free' is a phrase he frequently used to ends his videos on his channel.

Brand's statement came amid rumours on social media about whether a scandal about a famous person could feature in the investigation airing today.

The Channel 4 TV guide simply lists the hotly-anticipated programme as 'New: Dispatches Special. A 90-minute special Dispatches investigation'.

The network confirmed on its online listings yesterday morning that they were showing it at 9pm on Saturday night.

Now, a link to the programme page comes up with a message saying: 'That page cannot be found. Either the address is incorrect or the page is no longer available.'

Radio Times magazine also had the programme in this week's listings, with the description: 'Dispatches - Investigation series covering issues in British society, politics, international current affairs, health, religion and the environment.'

The programme is due to finish at 10.30pm, but will also be repeated on Channel 4 on Sunday at 10.50pm and on Monday on its sister channel 4seven at 9pm.

Among those posting an image on X, formerly Twitter, of the description on the Channel 4 TV guide was the broadcaster's news anchor Krishnan Guru-Murthy, who said: 'Something's up' before quickly deleting the message.

The Channel 4 News anchor and Strictly star's post fuelled more speculation about the 90-minute special. He tweeted a picture of the schedule alongside the caption: 'Something's up' before deleting it around an hour later.

Channel 4 News presenter Krishnan Guru-Murthy posted on X, saying: 'Something's up'

The Channel 4 TV guide simply lists a '90-minute special Dispatches investigation' tonight

Sources close to Mr Guru-Murthy, 53, who has worked for Channel 4 for 25 years, said that he was told to take it down as the nature of the programme is 'sensitive.'

Dispatches has screened various big investigations in recent years.

In July 2018 it revealed for the first time how Facebook decides what users can and can't see on the platform and in 2021 television presenter Davina McCall fronted a programme on the menopause.

In 2005 an episode named Undercover Teacher saw a qualified science teacher, Alex Dolan, going undercover in schools in Leeds and London to expose the 'appalling teaching'.

Channel 4 has not yet returned MailOnline's request for comment.
Chechen warlord and close Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov is 'critically ill', according to Ukrainian military intelligence.

Unconfirmed reports claim he is in a coma and that kidney doctors have been rushed from Moscow to his regional capital Grozny to treat him.

'Indeed, there is information that the war criminal Kadyrov is in a serious condition,' said Andrey Yusov, spokesman for the GUR military intelligence.

'We can confirm that he has had a severe relapse and has been in critical condition for several days.'

Earlier this year there were claims of Kadyrov health problems, with observers noting a rapid weight gain and swollen face.

Chechen warlord and close Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov (pictured together) is 'critically ill', according to Ukrainian military intelligence

Unconfirmed reports claim he is in a coma and that kidney doctors have been rushed from Moscow to his regional capital Grozny to treat him

Kadyrov is a staunch supporter of war in Ukraine, calling on the Russian army to dish out more punishment

Earlier this year there were claims of Kadyrov health problems, with observers noting a rapid weight gain and swollen face

The most recent video published four days ago shows him with close associates and a boy, the son of a crony.

The health of 46-year-old Kadyrov - who has sent tens of thousands of fighters to Putin's war in Ukraine - is the subject of deep speculation in Russia amid claims he is terminally ill.

He is believed to have serious kidney problems.

In one meeting with Putin earlier this year he appeared breathless, bloated and quivering as he read awkwardly from a large font as he reported to Putin.

Reports emerged this week that Kadyrov claimed his former doctor - who was also his health minister and deputy premier - for poisoning him, causing his health problems.

Elkhan Suleymanov, 49, a professor, was fired from his official posts and has not been seen for more than a year.

One version is that he was 'buried alive' on Kadyrov's orders but Chechen sources have denied he is dead, claiming he is now living in Azerbaijan.

Despite this, there have been no confirmed sightings of Suleymanov for a year.

The health of 46-year-old Kadyrov - who has sent tens of thousands of fighters to Putin's war in Ukraine - is the subject of deep speculation in Russia amid claims he is terminally ill

Reports emerged this week that Kadyrov claimed his former doctor (pictured) - who was also his health minister and deputy premier - for poisoning him, causing his health problems

Elkhan Suleymanov (pictured with Kadyrov), 49, a professor, was fired from his official posts and has not been seen for more than a year

Ramzan Kadyrov, Head of the Chechen Republic, inherited the leadership of the region from his assassinated father.

In March after a spate of speculation, Kadyrov insisted he was 'healthy and full of energy' and regularly checked by doctors.

The same month Putin took the unusual step of summoning his eldest son Akhmat, 17, for a one-to-one meeting in the Kremlin.

Ramzan Kadyrov inherited the leadership of the region from his assassinated father.

In early July amid another swirl of health rumours, Kadyrov in a rambling post said he had recorded a film to prove was not dead.

'We are still alive somehow,' he said. 'Anyway, we don't want to live long. We will live a short but decent life.'

Exiled Chechen opposition politician Tumso Abdurakhmanov said at the time: 'His kidneys have completely failed, and dialysis does not help.'

However, since then he has been seen, apparently looking slightly more healthy.

Kadyrov, a father of at least 14 children, is a colonel-general in Putin's national guard.
It may only stand a few inches high. Yet this birch sapling is also, by some measure, the tallest tree in Britain.

For scientists discovered the tiny specimen growing nearly 4,000ft up Ben Nevis - making it the UKs highest-altitude tree.

The lonely birch was found by ecologist Ellie Corsie in the middle of a boulder 3,953ft (1,205m) up the countrys highest mountain.

The previous British altitude record for a native tree was 3,805ft (1,160m) - held jointly by two Scots pines in the Cairngorms.

The trees significant status was confirmed by Sarah Watts, a PhD researcher at the University of Stirling studying mountain woodland restoration.

The small but record breaking birch tree on Ben Nevis

Although finding the tree on the 4,413ft high peak was a surprise, relocating it after its initial discovery proved a challenge.

So last month, after over two hours looking in thick fog, and with help from three passing members of the Moray Mountaineering Club, the tree was located for a second time.

Ms Corsie has named the tree Robs Birch after Rob Brown, a local mountain guide who died in a climbing accident on Ben Nevis in July 2022.

She said: I named this epic tree Robs Birch after Rob Brown, an equally epic and deeply missed local mountain guide who tragically died in a climbing accident on Ben Nevis just over a year ago.

Robs Birch shows that our native trees can naturally regenerate in some of our most extreme and unforgiving environments.

Some, like downy birch, are highly adaptable and can exhibit many different growth forms in different conditions.

Ecologist Ellie Corsie with the record-breaking birch tree that she discovered on Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis, the highest point in the UK

In the lowlands they can grow into magnificently tall, straight trunked trees. But they can also grow high up in the mountains as shorter bushes with twisting branches.

Ms Watts, whose research has helped record 11 new altitudinal records for tree species in Britain, said she was thrilled at the discovery.

She said: Many altitudinal records for trees are from the Cairngorms, which has an abundance of high ground and more favourable climate.

Having the highest altitude native tree in Britian discovered in Lochaber demonstrates the huge potential that this region could have for restoring a diverse range of nationally important woodland habitats, from temperate rainforests near the coast, and birch woodland on mountain slopes, to montane scrub near the summits.

High altitude woodland habitats are extremely rare in Great Britain, with many ecologists highlighting an urgent need for conservation action.

Unsustainable herbivore pressures due to high deer and sheep densities are their biggest threat, with calls for this issue to be tackled if native woodland habitats in Scotland are to return on a large scale.

Matthew Hay, a director of the charity Reforesting Scotland, also welcomed the discovery of Robs Birch.

He said: We have been spearheading a campaign  the Mountain Birch Project  that aims to map and restore our mountains missing birchwoods.

Miss Corsies story is a classic example of how the outdoors community can help us to find rare, high-altitude trees.
Kirsty Gallacher has shown her support for her brother-in-law Russell Brand after he took to social media to 'absolutely deny' a string of 'very serious criminal allegations made against him'.

The Smooth Radio presenter, 47, who is the older sister of Brand's wife Laura, shared the comedian's two-minute video on Instagram with a large red love heart in an Instagram story that she has since deleted.

Brand said he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters' from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper which the comedian said listed 'a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, which are untrue'.

The comedian has since been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by four women during the peak of his fame, according to a joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4.

The allegations claim to have taken place between 2006 and 2013. One of the alleged victims was said to be a 16-year-old schoolgirl. Brand denied the claims to the newspaper and television channel.

Throughout the clip posted last night he insisted any relationships he had 'during his time of promiscuity' were 'consensual' before claiming he is victim of a 'co-ordinated media attack'.

Until now there has been much speculation surrounding what the Channel 4 Dispatches investigation could be about but it has now been confirmed to be an investigation into allegations of Brand's alleged violence against women.

The documentary, that will air at 9pm, investigating Brand's alleged treatment of women and speaking with five alleged victims, four of whom have asked to remain anonymous.

Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse this afternoon following a joint investigation by Channel 4 and The Sunday Times

Kirsty Gallacher has shown her support for her brother-in-law Russell Brand as he took to social media to 'absolutely deny' a string of 'very serious criminal allegations made against him'. He has since been accused of rape and sexual assault. Pictured: Kirsty with her sister Laura Brand

Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse from four women. It comes after he took to his YouTube channel last night to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations'

The Smooth Radio presenter shared Brand's video on her Instagram story this morning with a large red love heart

Ahead of this afternoon's bombshell revelations Brand, 48, last night addressed his fans telling them he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper.

The father-of-two shared the clip to his 6.5 million subscribers on YouTube, as well as on X and Instagram, late on Friday night.

Brand married his wife, who is currently pregnant with their third child, in 2017. Mrs Brand has not commented anything publicly or shared anything on social media since her husband made the video.

Alongside the support of his sister-in-law, Brand also received the backing of tech mogul Elon Musk as well as self-proclaimed misogynist and Youtuber Andrew Tate, before the rape and sexual assault allegations were made public.

Both men appeared to support the British star's claims he had fallen victim to an attack from media outlets.

Amidst his denial of the allegations the actor said 'we have seen coordinated media attacks before', referring to Joe Rogan announcing he had taken anti-parasite drug Ivermectin to treat his Covid-19 infection during the pandemic.

Brand said he was 'aware of newspapers making phone calls' and 'sending letters' to people he knows for 'ages and ages', claiming he feels that 'there's a serious and consorted agenda to control these kind of spaces', referring to his YouTube channel.

It led to rallying cries from Tate, who took to X posting a cartoon meme of a knight preparing for battle, captioned: 'On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations'.

Alongside the image, he captioned it 'Welcome to the club Russell Brand'.

Laura Brand has not commented anything publicly or shared anything on social media since her husband made the video. Pictured: The couple together in July

Elon Musk appeared to back Brand's video, taking to X to respond, telling the comedian 'They don't like competition'

Responding to the Tweet, tech mogul Elon Musk told Brand: 'Of course. They don't like competition'

YouTuber and self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate also took to X to show his support for Brand

Tate took to X, posting a cartoon meme of a knight preparing for battle, captioned: 'On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations'

In a separate Tweet responding to Brand's video he called the allegations made against the comedian a 'Matrix attack'

In a separate Tweet, responding directly to Brand's video, Tate - who is currently facing charges of rape and human trafficking, which he denies - called the allegations a 'Matrix attack'.

And the video seemingly won the support of Musk, who appeared to agree with Brand's comments on the media. He said: 'Of course. They don't like competition.'

Both Musk and Brand have experienced similar criticism over the years being branded as conspiracy theorists.

During the pandemic Brand was condemned for airing Covid conspiracy theories and in 2014 he received backlash after claiming he was open minded about the idea the US government might have been behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The Tesla boss has also been known to publicly support conspiracy theorists as some 'have turned out to be true'.

Posting the video on X, where he has 11 million followers, he said: 'These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies. And as I've written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.

'During that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that then and I am being transparent about it now as well.

'And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question is there another agenda at play.'

Amongst the 'very serious allegations' made, Brand said there was also a 'litany of astonishing attacks', which he called 'some pretty stupid stuff' including calls for his Community Festival in Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled

Brand said last night ahead of the allegations that he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters' from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper

Brand's statement came amid rumours on social media about whether a scandal about a famous person could feature in the investigation airing today

Amongst the 'very serious allegations' made, Brand said there was also a 'litany of astonishing attacks', which he called 'some pretty stupid stuff' including calls for his Community Festival in Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled.

He added: 'I need my voice along with your voice. I don't mind them using my books and my stand up to talk about my promiscuous sexual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very serious, criminal allegations.

'Also its worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently in what seems to be to me a coordinated attack.'

Throughout the clip, he mentioned how subscribers to his YouTube channel had previously written in the comments section 'watch out Russell, they're coming for you'.

Brand closes the video, which has already had 4.9million views since it was uploaded to X at 11.21pm on Friday, by saying: 'In the meantime I want you to stay close, stay awake, but more importantly than any of that - if you can, please - stay free.'

Tonight the comedian will be at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre for his new stand up comedy show, Russell Brand: Biopolarisation.

The event will begin at 6pm and last for us just under two hours.

Tonight the comedian will be at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre for his new stand up comedy show, Russell Brand: Biopolarisation

Brand's statement came amid rumours on social media about whether a scandal about a famous person could feature in the investigation airing today

On the tour's website, it said the show discusses 'rules and rules breaking', 'democracy and freedom'.

It adds: 'We reach conclusions from mass confusion by polling the live audience.'

'Stay free' is a phrase he frequently used to ends his videos on his channel.

Brand's statement came amid rumours on social media about whether a scandal about a famous person could feature in the investigation airing today.

Channel 4 has now revealed the 90-minute Dispatches investigation will centre around accusations against Brand of rape, sexual assault, as well as controlling and abusive behaviour.

Five women will share their stories with the channel as part of a joint investigation with the Times.

The investigation has been conducted over the course of more than a year and will air tonight at 9pm.

Accusations are said to include incidents that took place within the work environment of prime time television shows.

In response to the allegations, Brand told Channel 4: 'These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream and as I've written about extensively in my books, I was very very promiscuous

'What I seriously refute are these very very serious criminal allegations. There are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently in what seems to me to be a coordinated attack.'

The programme is due to finish at 10.30pm, but will also be repeated on Channel 4 on Sunday at 10.50pm and on Monday on its sister channel 4seven at 9pm.
The best friend of a woman who was killed by her hammer-wielding husband has said her friends and family must 'plan for the worst' as his automatic release from prison draws nearer.

Joanna Simpson was killed by British Airways captain Robert Brown at their family home while their two young children cowered in a playroom in October 2010.

Brown, formerly of Winkfield in Berkshire, later dumped her body in a makeshift coffin in Windsor Great Park.

However, he was cleared of murder, having admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, and is likely to be released in November after serving 13 years of a 26-year sentence.

Joanna's best friend Hetti Barkworth-Nanton, who also chairs domestic abuse charity Refuge, told BBC Breakfast that the prospect of Brown's release feels 'very, very real' and has left her feeling 'physically sick'.

Hetti Barkworth-Nanton (pictured) the best friend of Joanna Simpson, who was killed by her hammer-wielding husband, has said her friends and family must 'plan for the worst' as his automatic release from prison draws nearer

Joanna Simpson (pictured right with Ms Barkworth-Nanton and another friend Belinda Skudder) was killed by British Airways captain Robert Brown at their family home while their two young children cowered in a playroom in October 2010

Brown (pictured), formerly of Winkfield in Berkshire, later dumped her body in a makeshift coffin in Windsor Great Park

She told the programme: 'It is terrifying, absolutely terrifying. It is his legal right to be let out of prison unless the Lord Chancellor intervenes with the new power that he was given last year.

READ MORE: Friends of the hammer killer BA pilot's victim issue warning as the Justice Secretary vows to do all he can to keep him in jail Advertisement

'We are all just emotionally exhausted and we continue to fight because we have to fight to protect us, but also to protect the general public but it is exhausting, absolutely exhausting.'

Relatives and friends have urged Justice Secretary Alex Chalk to use new powers which could stop Brown being released automatically and instead get the case reviewed by the Parole Board.

Mr Chalk agreed to meet Ms Simpson's family earlier this year to discuss the killer's release.

When asked if she still has hope his automatic release could be blocked, Ms Barkworth-Nanton said: 'I am determined to retain the hope.

'It is hard when you are facing the reality of endless conversations with the victim liaison team in probation talking about licence conditions and how they may go about trying to protect you, so we have to plan for the worst but we have to retain hope for the best and hope that the Lord Chancellor will use his powers.

'This isn't us trying to block a parole decision where the Parole Board is saying there is no risk to the public.

'There absolutely is risk to the public, but it doesn't refer to the Parole Board, he is automatically let out.

Joanna's friends Belinda (pictured right), Amanda Key (pictured left) and Hetti Barkworth-Nanton (pictured middle)  have been pleading with the Justice Secretary Alex Chalk to keep Brown behind bars until the end of his sentence

Mr Chalk agreed to meet Ms Simpson's (pictured) family earlier this year to discuss the killer's release

'He has been refused access to an open prison because he is deemed a risk, he has been categorised as a critical public protection case because he is a risk.

'It shouldn't be the case that our sentencing laws in these very serious, very callous killings, rely on family and friends of people who have been viciously killed to have to campaign openly in the public to get the right action happening.'

Ms Simpon's mother Diana Parkes told the broadcaster in a pre-recorded interview that it is 'essential for all of us' that Brown remains in prison.

She added: 'He actually brutally killed her with a claw hammer, 14 times hitting her on the head. That is so evil.

'He is toxic, he's a bully, he just should not be let out of prison.'

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: 'Joanna Simpson was brutally killed in a cowardly, senseless attack and needlessly taken from her family.

'The Lord Chancellor met with her loved ones in May and, as he reiterated on Sunday, will continue to give this case his close personal attention.'

Brown was sentenced to 24 years for manslaughter and a further two years for an offence of obstructing a coroner in the execution of his duty.
A body has been found in the hunt for British volunteer fighter Daniel Burke who went missing in Ukraine amid fears he had been murdered by fellow foreign legion soldiers in an alleged row over money.

Ukrainian authorities informed police officers searching for missing Mr Burke, 36, that they had found a body.

The former paratrooper, from South Manchester was reported missing on August 16 this year by his family after they had not heard from him, after he had travelled to Ukraine.

Greater Manchester Police said officers are working with the family of the deceased and the Ukrainian authorities to support the identification of Mr Burke and bring him back to the UK.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes, the force's lead for disaster victim identification said: 'This is an upsetting time for Daniel's family, we have Family Liaison Officers in contact with the family and offering support.'

A body has been found in the hunt for Daniel Burke (pictured), a former paratrooper who went to fight in Ukraine as a volunteer last year

Daniel Burke set up his own volunteer unit in Ukraine called the Dark Angels (pictured)

The detective added: 'My team and I are working with the Ukrainian authorities to make formal identification with a view to repatriating Daniel following that process.

'Daniel's family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.'

Mr Burke went to fight in Ukraine as a volunteer last year, and then vanished from his flat in the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia on August 11.

It was feared that he could have been killed not by Russian soldiers, but by his fellow foreign legion fighters because of reported disputes and jealousy over the amount of money he was receiving in donations.

Ukrainian police combed the fields of Komyshuvakha village on the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia for any sign of Burke's body.

Ukrainian police, already struggling with a heavy caseload since the war began, were investigating claims that Burke could have been killed following disputes over money.

Burke, who had served in Afghanistan with the British army before fighting against ISIS with the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Syria, had travelled to Ukraine to fight as a volunteer last year.

He had told fellow fighters that he was receiving 8,000 a month from American millionaires in donations thanks to his public profile - and there are fears this could have sparked envy among the troops.

It was also reported that police were analysing CCTV footage of Burke's movements in a car that his friend, Australian volunteer Norine Abdelfetah, had lent him on the day he disappeared.

Abdelfetah told police he had dropped Burke off at his apartment on August 11 and had lent the Briton his car for the weekend after he complained about having food poisoning, reports the Telegraph.

The Australian said there was no sign of Burke when he came to collect the car two days later, and a day later, Adbelfetah's colleague, James Sutton, told police.
Russell Brand has today been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by four women during the peak of his fame.

The explosive allegations are claimed to have taken place between 2006 and 2013, while Brand was a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 before then becoming a star in Hollywood.

He also faces allegations of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

The bombshell claims came after Brand posted an astonishing video late on Friday night vehemently denying what he called 'very serious criminal allegations' made against him.

Sharing his 2min 45sec monologue to his 11million followers on X and 6.5 million subscribers on YouTube, Brand lashed out at 'aggressive' media claims as he insisted any relationships he had 'during his time of promiscuity' were 'consensual'.

In the report by The Times, one woman alleges Brand raped her against the wall in his Los Angeles home.

A second woman alleges that Brand assaulted her when he was 31 and she was 16 and still at school. It is claimed the actor referred to her as 'the child' during an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship that lasted for about three months

A third woman alleged the comedian sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in Los Angeles and that he threatened her with legal action if she told anyone.

While the fourth claimed she was sexually assaulted by Brand who she alleges was physically and emotionally abusive towards her.

Russell Brand took to his YouTube channel to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations' ahead of a mystery Channel 4 Dispatches investigation

Brand (pictured with a couple of years ago with his wife Laura in Bath) said he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters' from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper

Among the allegations, which Brand denies, included the alleged rape of a woman (pictured is an image from the trailer of Channel 4's Dispatches, set to air later tonight)

One of his alleged victims was still attending school when she was sexually assaulted by Brand.

Alice - not her real name - who was 16 at the time, was shopping outside Topshop on Oxford Street when Brand approached her and began rifling through her bag. He pulled out a dress and asked her if she would be wearing it on their date.

Their relationship lasted three months and Alice, as well her mother, both described Brand's behaviour as 'grooming'.

Towards the end of the relationship, the woman, now 31, said the comedian sexually assaulted her.

She told the paper: 'I was sat up in the bed up against the headboard, and he forced his penis down my throat and I couldnt breathe. It was just choking me and I couldnt breathe, and I was pushing him away and he wasnt backing off at all.'

Alice said that Brand manipulated women for sex by joking about his sex addiction and countless relationships.

She added: 'I think he was very skillful in the start of making his identity be, Im the womaniser. Im a sex addict. Im inappropriate but its all just a joke, its funny, Alice claims, Its a smokescreen for a lot more of his dark behaviour".'

In late 2020, Alice contacted Brand's literary agent, Angharad Wood, the co-founder of Tavistock Wood, to report the actor's alleged behaviour.

Brand (pictured in 2008) said that during his 'time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual' and that he was 'always transparent about that'

The allegations in The Times came ahead of Channel 4 latest Dispatches investigation (Brand is pictured in a clip on the programme)

She claimed she was told by a lawyer acting on Brand's behalf that he denied the accusations. But in a fresh development tonight, Brand was removed from the websites of Curtis Brown and Tavistock Wood.

The women who have accused Russell Brand 'Alice': She was 16 when she claimed her and Brand entered a three-month relationship. Reportedly referring to her as 'the child' during their fling, she alleged Brand 'forced his penis down her throat'. 'Nadia': She accused Brand of pinning her against the wall of his LA home in July 2012 before allegedly raping her. 'Phoebe': She and Brand reportedly met while at Alcoholics Anonymous. She accused Brand of sexually assaulting her in a bedroom as she screamed for him to stop. 'Rachel': The former runner used to work with Brand when he presented Big Brother's Big Mouth. She claimed Brand flashed his penis at her when in his dressing room and made inappropriate advances towards her. Jordan Martin: Brand's ex-girlfriend alleged he sexually assaulted her in 2014, writing about the reported encounter in her self-published book. Brand has denied the allegations and said his relationships have all been consensual. Advertisement

In a statement about Alice's 2020 allegations, Tavistock Wood tonight said: 'Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him. Tavistock Wood has terminated all professional ties to Brand.'

A second woman, who is named as Nadia claimed to have had consensual sex with Brand in June 2012 in his LA home.

Nadia, who is a businesswoman, said she then visited the actor at his home again on the morning of July 1 where she claimed a naked Brand came bounding out of his bedroom before then assaulting her against a wall.

Recounting the alleged incident to The Times, she said she tried to get away and slipped before then getting stuck on a painting.

At this point hes grabbing at my underwear, pulling it to the side, the woman told the paper.

Nadia alleges Brand then grabbed her and pushed up against her after she told him she wanted to leave.

Hes a lot taller than me. And he has that glazed look in his eye again. And I cant move. And I told him, Get off, get off. Nadia claims Brand pushed her up against the wall and raped her, without a condom.

After the alleged attack, Nadia said she ran out and jumped into her car. She claimed Brand later sent her a text, saying: Im sorry. That was crazy and selfish. I hope you can forgive me.

Nadia later replied, telling Brand he had scared the s*** out of [her] before claiming the actor apologised and claimed she asked him if she needed to be tested for a sexually transmitted disease, which he said she did not.

The Times claimed Nadia decided against pressing criminal charges against Brand  but that the Los Angeles Police Department had been alerted to her alleged assault after she reportedly attended a Rape Treatment Centre in Santa Monica.

The comedian, actor and internet personality told his 6.5 million subscribers that there are 'very, very serious criminal allegations' made against him which he 'absolutely refutes'

Russell Brand is seen posing with Burlesque dancers Vanessa and Valeria at The Brit Awards 2007 Valentine's Day photocall, Earls Court, London, on 13 Feb 2007

Nadia alleged Brand sexually assaulted her against the wall of his LA home (pictured is a trailer for the Dispatches investigation on Channel 4)

The following year, Brand allegedly sexually assaulted another woman in her twenties called Phoebe - which is not her real name - after reportedly meeting her at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

Phoebe said the pair started working together before having a brief sexual relationship, which ended by the time of the alleged attack in early 2013.

She told The Times how Brand allegedly trapped her in a bedroom after realising he wanted to have sex with her.

Phoebe told the paper he grabbed her and put her on the bed before describing how his eyes were eyes were black, like the devil.

She claimed Brand then put his hands down my trousers as she was screaming and fighting for him to get off of her.

I was screaming, and I was like, What are you doing, stop, please, youre my friend, I love you, please dont do this, I dont want to do this, she told The Times.

Phoebe told the paper Brand eventually got off her before he flipped and became super angry, shouting f*** you... youre fired.

A short time later, Brand left the US and moved back to Britain. It was then that serious allegations about his conduct came to light.

In 2014, Brands ex-girlfriend Jordan Martin wrote about their relationship in her self-published book kNot: Entanglement with a Celebrity, in which she renames Brand Randall Grand and herself Dina.

The Times said she declined to be interviewed about the incident but reported that she stood by her account, which detailed their six-month love affair.

In the book, Martin alleged that Brand assaulted her while at Manchesters Lowry Hotel following an argument about her ex-boyfriend.

Writing about the alleged experience, Martin accused Brand of coming up behind her after the incident and sexually assaulting her and alleged he slides his hand down the front her low hanging jeans, into her underwear and forces a finger inside of her.

Controversial comedian Brand lashed out at 'aggressive' media claims as he insisted any relationships he had 'during his time of promiscuity' were 'consensual' (he is pictured in June 2010)

Other allegations concern his alleged behaviour while working as a radio host for the BBC (Brand is pictured visiting SiriusXM Studios on October 14, 2014 in New York City)

Former spouse Katy Perry and Russell Brand attend the 82nd Annual Academy Awards in LA on March 7, 2010

Other allegations reported by the paper claimed that Brands alleged attitude towards women became an open secret in radio and TV production, according to sources.

While hosting his BBC radio show on 6 Music The Times claimed it was told Brand and his co-host, Matt Morgan, would sometimes undress in the studio and encourage guests to do likewise.

Morgan, who no longer works with Brand, told the paper that during his time with the Hollywood star he was never aware of any allegations of serious sexual misconduct against the comedian before insisting he absolutely condemns all form of mistreatment of women.

He added he was 'regretful to learn that a show I was part of made colleagues uncomfortable at times.'

A runner who worked with Brand when he presented Big Brother's Big Mouth alleged the star flashed her and made inappropriate advances at her.

'Rachel' - not her real name - told The Times in a report published today that when she was 24, Brand flashed his penis at her as she walked into his dressing room.

She claims the comedian and actor 'insinuated' she could perform oral sex on him. Rachel said she was shocked by the comment and refused.

The alleged victim said she felt unable to report what had happened and feared that she would lose her job if she complained.

Brand, who has denied all allegations of impropriety made against him, is alleged to have continued to pursue Rachel, despite her rejection.

Russell Brand is pictured taking part in a discussion at Esquire Townhouse on October 14, 2017

One of the four women who today accused Russell Brand (pictured) of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse has claimed she was a victim of sexual assault at his house when he was working in the States

Rachel told The Times that after the incident he invited her to his flat, where they kissed and had sex. They later began a relationship, kept a 'complete secret'.

Brand is alleged to have told her that he was forbidden from having sexual contact with 'anyone working on Big Brother'.

The revelations came ahead of a much-anticipated Channel 4 Dispatches investigation, Russell Brand: In Plain Sight set to air at 9pm tonight.

Last night Brand addressed his fans telling them he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper.

Addressing his fans, the comedian said he had been accused of 'a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, which are untrue'.

His video drew backing for tech billionaire Elon Musk, who owns X - formerly known as Twitter, self-professed misogynist social media star Andrew Tate and Brand's sister-in-law, Kirsty Gallacher.

Amidst his denial of the allegations the 48-year-old actor said 'we have seen coordinated media attacks before', referring to Joe Rogan announcing he had taken anti-parasite drug Ivermectin to treat his Covid-19 infection during the pandemic.

Brand said he was 'aware of newspapers making phone calls' and 'sending letters' to people he knows for 'ages and ages', claiming he feels that 'there's a serious and consorted agenda to control these kind of spaces', referring to his YouTube channel.

He added: 'Amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks, often very serious allegations, that I absolutely refute.

'These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies.

'And as I've written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.

'Now, during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual.

'I was always transparent about that. Then almost too transparent, and I'm being transparent about it now as well.'

Laura Brand, who is expecting their third child, has not commented anything publicly or shared anything on social media since her husband made the video. Pictured: The couple together in July

The host of allegations against Brand (pictured) are claimed to have taken place between 2006 and 2013, while Brand was presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 before then becoming a star in Hollywood. Brand vehemently denies the allegations

Brand continued: 'To see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question, is there another agenda at play?

'Particularly when we've seen coordinated media attacks before, like with Joe Rogan, when he dared to take a medicine that the mainstream media didn't approve of, and we saw a spate of headlines from media outlets across the world using the same language.'

Get Him to the Greek star Brand also said there had been calls for his Community Festival Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled.

Following the father-of-two's bombshell video, he received the backing of disgraced influencer Andrew Tate - who recently won his freedom after months of house arrest amid an investigation into sex trafficking claims against the kickboxer and his younger brother, Tristan, 35.

Supporting Brand, controversial social media star Tate, 36, took to X, posting a cartoon meme of a knight preparing for battle, captioned: 'On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations'.

Alongside the image, he captioned it 'Welcome to the club Russell Brand'.

Tate, who is currently facing charges of rape and human trafficking - which he has denied - in a separate Tweet responded to Brand's video calling it a 'Matrix attack'.

Brand also appeared to win the support of tech tycoon Musk, who appeared to sympathise with him. 'Of course. They don't like competition,' he replied to the comedian's video on X.

Both Musk and Brand have experienced similar criticism over the years being branded as conspiracy theorists.

During the pandemic Brand was condemned for airing Covid conspiracy theories and in 2014 he received backlash after claiming he was 'open minded' about the idea the US government might have been behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The Tesla boss has also been known to publicly support conspiracy theorists as some 'have turned out to be true'.

Elon Musk appeared to back Brand's video, taking to X to respond, telling the comedian 'They don't like competition'

Responding to the Tweet, tech mogul Elon Musk told Brand: 'Of course. They don't like competition'

YouTuber and self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate also took to X to show his support for Brand

Tate took to X, posting a cartoon meme of a knight preparing for battle, captioned: 'On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations'

In a separate Tweet responding to Brand's video he called the allegations made against the comedian a 'Matrix attack'

The comedian, actor and internet personality told his 6.5 million subscribers late on Friday night that there are 'very, very serious criminal allegations' made against him which he 'absolutely refutes'

Later, Brand's sister-in-law Kirsty Gallacher appeared to show her support for the controversial celeb.

The Smooth Radio presenter, 47, who is the older sister of Brand's wife Laura, shared the comedian's two-minute video on Instagram with a large red love heart.

Brand married his wife, who is currently pregnant with their third child, in 2017. Mrs Brand has not commented anything publicly or shared anything on social media since her husband made the video. She has since appeared to delete her Instagram account.

Amongst the 'very serious allegations' made, Brand said there was also a 'litany of astonishing attacks', which he called 'some pretty stupid stuff' including calls for his Community Festival in Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled.

He added: 'I need my voice along with your voice. I don't mind them using my books and my stand up to talk about my promiscuous sexual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very serious, criminal allegations.

'Also its worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently in what seems to be to me a coordinated attack.'

Throughout the clip, he mentioned how subscribers to his YouTube channel had previously written in the comments section 'watch out Russell, they're coming for you'.

Kirsty Gallacher has backed her brother-in-law Russell Brand as he took to social media to 'absolutely deny' a string of 'very serious criminal allegations made against him'. Pictured: Kirsty with her sister Laura Brand

Brand took to his YouTube channel last night to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations' ahead of a mystery Channel 4 Dispatches investigation

Brand's sister-in-law Kirsty Gallacher appeared to show her support for the controversial celebrity, sharing his video with a red love heart.

Amongst the 'very serious allegations' made, Brand said there was also a 'litany of astonishing attacks', which he called 'some pretty stupid stuff' including calls for his Community Festival in Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled

Brand closes the video, which has already had 4.9million views since it was uploaded to X at 11.21pm on Friday, by saying: 'In the meantime I want you to stay close, stay awake, but more importantly than any of that - if you can, please - stay free.'

Tonight the comedian is due to be at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, in London, for his new show, Russell Brand: Bipolarisation.

The sold-out event takes place between 6pm and 9.30pm.

MailOnline understands the sold-out Tuesday performance of the show, at London's Theatre Royal Windsor venue is also still due to go ahead.

Gigs in Plymouth, on Friday, and Wolverhampton, on September 28, are also still listed.

Confused fans have taken to social media to question whether the performance will go ahead.

One said: 'Please can you confirm if the performance tonight is ging ahead and if there is an option for a refund?'

Another added: 'Any chance of a refund? There's a show on at 9pm on Channel 4 that I don't want to miss.'

On the tour's website, it said the show discusses 'rules and rules breaking', 'democracy and freedom'.

It adds: 'We reach conclusions from mass confusion by polling the live audience.'

'Stay free' is a phrase Brand frequently used to ends his videos on his channel.

But hours before he was due to take to the stage, Brand was seemingly removed from the his agency websites.

Following his denial of allegations against him and ahead of the Channel 4 documentary tonight, Brand's PR firm MBC PR and talent agent Tavistock Wood no longer advertise him as a client on their websites. However, it's understood MBC PR still represent him.

The comedian's live gig in front a 2,000 strong audience is set to go ahead tonight at the Troubadour Wembley Park in London

On June 1 2023, talent agency Tavistock Wood was still representing Russell Brand on their website

Today, however, the comedian is nowhere to be seen on the website. Last night he denied 'criminal allegations' in a video online

Russell Brand with Jemima Khan in downtown Manhattan on September 15, 2013. After Katy Perry, Brand had a long romance with the British socialite and film maker. In 2014 they sued a masseuse who had accused them of assault

Russell Brand and wife Laura Gallacher are seen on January 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California

Brand said he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters' from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper

Brand's statement came amid rumours on social media about whether a scandal about a famous person could feature in the investigation airing today.

Brand, an only child from Grays in Essex, became famous thanks to his one-man stand-up shows. For a brief time was the toast of London, sleeping first with supermodel Kate Moss (who regretted her choice) and then allegedly with Moss' friend Sadie Frost, too.

He shot to fame in the noughties as a TV and radio presenter, hosting series including Channel 4's Big Brother's Big Mouth and a BBC Radio 2 show.

The 48-year-old comedian later graduated to Hollywood, starring in films including Rock of Ages, Get Him to the Greek, Despicable Me, and more recently Death on the Nile.

His fame was cemented by the 2008 tome 'My Booky Wook' soon afterwards, in which he told of his heroin addiction and numerous sordid sexual encounters including sex with prostitutes and joyless orgies.

The following year he lost his slot on a BBC Radio 2 show after calling up Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs to boast about having had sex with his granddaughter, Georgina Baillie.

At that time it seemed there was nobody he couldn't charm. In 2010, after a brief courtship, he married dazzling pop star Katy Perry in a seven-day ceremony in India. They had met at the MTV VMA awards when Perry had thrown a plastic water bottle at his head.

By December of 2011, the Brand had fled for divorce from Perry, citing irreconcilable differences.
Long Island has begun the clean up after Hurricane Lee battered parts of the East Coast this morning, as the now downgraded storm prepares to hit Canada.

The storm had been downgraded from a hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone, and lashed New England this morning, bringing storm surge and torrential rains.

After making landfall just below hurricane strength, the storm is to now turn northeast and move across Canada.

The National Hurricane Center predicted hurricane-force winds extending more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) from Lees center with lesser but still dangerous tropical storm-force gusts up to 345 miles (555 kilometers) miles outward.

The storm skirted some of the most waterlogged areas of Massachusetts that experienced days torrential rain earlier this week.

Drone footage captured after the storm passed over Long Island shows the devastation caused, with fixtures missing from homes and roads blocked with water.

This home on Tiana Beach has lost portions of the decking area surrounding the property, and the high tides has pushed the sand further up the beach

Water surges flooded large parts of this road in the Hamptons after surges of up to three feet hit the area

This image taken earlier today shows the extent of the storm which is now a Post-Tropical Cyclone

States of emergency were declared for Massachusetts and Maine, the nation's most heavily forested state, where the ground was saturated and trees were weakened by heavy summer rains.

There were more than 100,000 people without power from Massachusetts to Maine early this morning.

The storm was so big that it was causing power outages several hundred miles from its center. About 25% of Nova Scotia lacked power around midday Saturday

There were reports of trees down in eastern Maine, according to Todd Foisy, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

Utilities reported nearly 200,000 customers without power from Maine to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Nova Scotia's largest airport, Halifax Stanfield International, had no incoming or outgoing flights scheduled Saturday.

Meanwhile Boston Logan International Airport had fourteen flights cancelled, with four delayed.

Images taken after the storm passed show tiles and fixtures ripped from waterfront homes after the storm passed through this morning.

'We have a long way to go, and were already seeing downed trees and power outages,' Foisy said earlier today.

The last update from forecasters said that the storm's center was just off the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia, about 105 miles southeast of Eastport, Maine.

It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and was moving north at a fast clip of about 22 mph.

The storm was so big that it was causing power outages several hundred miles from its center

Utilities reported nearly 200,000 customers without power from Maine to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia

Large mounds of sand can be seen her forced onto the main road near the Shinnecock Inlet, in New York

The storm completely obliterated picket fences that lined the shores of Tiana Beach

Earlier this morning, the National Weather Service said that the storm had now transitioned to a Post-Tropical Cyclone with hurricane-force winds

Emergency lights remain on at a Circle K closed after Hurricane Lee was downgraded to a Post Tropical Storm and started to impact Shelburne, Nova Scotia

In anticipation of the storm's impacts, President Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration for Maine, providing federal assistance.

'We encourage all of those in the path of this large and dangerous storm to remain alert,' White Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told a press briefing.

Forecasters have also warned that dangerous surf and life-threatening rip currents will continue to affect the U.S. East Coast.

Intensity models indicate Lee should begin gradually weakening, although the maximum winds are likely to still be at or just below hurricane strength when its center reaches Nova Scotia.

Satellite images showed the monster scale of the slowly-advancing storm.

Videos emerged this morning on social media showing the devastating storm making landfall.

One video of Salisbury Beach, Massachusetts, shows large waves crashing against the shoreline, hitting properties in the process.

Other videos show impressive waves beating Nauset Beach on Cape Cod earlier this morning.

Footage taken at the town of Marshfield earlier this morning shows large waves crashing against homes and cars.

Steve Makdessi is buffeted by the wind from what was formerly Hurricane Lee and is now a post-tropical cyclone on September 16 in Eastport, Maine

Charles Cantalupo is buffeted by the wind from what was formerly Hurricane Lee in Eastport, Maine

The last update from forecasters said that the storm's center was just off the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia, about 105 miles southeast of Eastport, Maine

On Friday night, National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Jamie Rhome said: 'The story I want you to focus on is the size of this system.

'To give you a reference it is bigger than the state of Maine, that's how big it is.'

Long Islanders were making preparations on Friday, with workers at Billy Joel's home putting sand bags around his Sag Harbor house.

The original building on the waterfront site was demolished in 2019, and a replacement home was built 30 feet above the previous home to combat potential sea rise.

Nantucket and Cape Cod were told on Friday night to brace for strong pre-dawn winds, with gusts of 55-65mph expected from 5am on Saturday until 11am.

Emergency services were warning people to be extremely wary of the coastlines, and avoid going to the sea unless extremely experienced.

New Englanders were also warned about potential power outages.

'Please plan ahead to stay indoors if possible on Saturday and check on your loved ones and neighbors,' said Michelle Wu, mayor of Boston.

The governor of Massachusetts, Maura Healey, joined Maine in declaring a state of emergency and asking the Federal Emergency Management Agency to issue a pre-disaster emergency declaration

 #HurricaneLee's Fury in Marshfield, MA 



Early on Sept 16, Marshfield's coast faced the immense power of Lee. Giant waves, almost claiming a seagull, slammed into homes & cars. Even with Lee's core away from New England, its might is evident as high winds & low pressure send pic.twitter.com/KCp0q8BFdQ  Raw Reporting (@Raw_Reporting) September 16, 2023

Sandbags are stacked in front of Billy Joel's house in Sag Harbor, on Long Island

As the sun rises, you can see the shadow of Lee's higher cirrus clouds as they move north while lower level cumulus clouds over the water shift south with a northerly wind. #NJwx #NYwx #CTwx #NYCwx #LoHudWx #LIwx pic.twitter.com/L6hpmCroGF  NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) September 15, 2023

It's both thrilling and slightly nerve-wracking to witness the towering waves caused by Hurricane Lee this morning! Nauset beach, Orleans, Cape Cod. #HurricaneLee #capecod #massachusetts pic.twitter.com/tjO1RFhfFg  Darius Aniunas (@dariusaniunas) September 16, 2023

She also activated up to 50 National Guard members to help with storm preparations, including operating highwater vehicles to respond to flooded areas.

'As we've seen in recent weeks, severe weather is not to be taken lightly. Flooding, wind damage, downed trees, tree limbs - all these things create real hazards and problems for people,' Healey said.

In Canada, Ian Hubbard, a meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canadian Hurricane Centre, said Lee will not be anywhere near the severity of the remnants of Hurricane Fiona, which washed houses into the ocean, knocked out power to most of two provinces and swept a woman into the sea a year ago.

Vehicles navigate the causeway after Hurricane Lee was downgraded to a Post Tropical Storm and started to impact, in Lockeport, Nova Scotia, September 16

Peggy's Cove is closed to the general public. Avoid all shoreline areas as they pose an extreme risk due to tropical storm conditions that are ongoing.#NSStorm #HurricaneLee pic.twitter.com/oT0OgWjfWF  MBS News (@MBSNewsMaritime) September 16, 2023

Webcams situated in Nova Scotia have already started picking up the inclement weather expected to batter the Canadian region later today

Waves crash in front of Minot lighthouse off the coast of Minot Beach in Scituate, Massachusetts

Kyle Leavitt, director of the New Brunswick Emergency Management Organization, urged residents to stay home.

'Nothing good can come from checking out the big waves and how strong the wind truly is,' he said.
The man was seen wearing two shoulder holsters with loaded pistols and had spare ammunition

An armed suspect posing as a US Marshal was arrested at a campaign event held by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. demanded Joe Biden allow him Secret Service protection after an armed gunman was arrested at his campaign spot - just two miles from where his father was assassinated in 1968.

The Democratic presidental hopeful was speaking at a Hispanic Heritage Month event at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on Friday night when the suspect tried to approach him.

Carrying a US Marshal badge on a lanyard, the man attempted to identify himself as a member of Kennedy's security team.

He was seen wearing two shoulder holsters with loaded pistols with spare ammunition.

The incident took place less than two miles from the former site of The Ambassador Hotel, 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, where RFK was shot and killed in June 1968 after winning the Democratic California presidential primary. The property was later redeveloped as the Robert F. Kennedy Schools after the hotel was demolished in 2005.

'Im still entertaining a hope that President Biden will allow me Secret Service protection,' Kennedy stated after the eerie and scary incident.

The suspect (pictured) was seen wearing two shoulder holsters with loaded pistols and had spare ammunition

The Democratic hopeful was speaking at a Hispanic Heritage Month event at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles on Friday night

The incident took place less than two miles from where his dad was shot on June 5, 1968. Kennedy Sr. died a day later at the Good Samaritan Hospital

Kennedy shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, his thanks for the quick-thinking actions of those around him who were able to intercept the suspect.

'Im very grateful that alert and fast-acting protectors from Gavin de Becker and Associates (GDBA) spotted and detained an armed man who attempted to approach me at my Hispanic Heritage speech at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles tonight,' Kennedy wrote.

'The man, wearing two shoulder holsters with loaded pistols and spare ammunition magazines was carrying a U.S. Marshal badge on a lanyard and beltclip federal ID. He identified himself as a member of my security detail.

'Armed GDBA team members moved quickly to isolate and detain the man until LAPD arrived to make the arrest. Im also grateful to LAPD for its rapid response.

RFK Jr. added he hoped that he would be given Secret Service protection after the incident.

'I am the first presidential candidate in history to whom the White House has denied a request for protection.'

RFK - a longshot for the 2024 Democratic nomination as he trails Biden 76 percent to 9 percent in the poll - lamented last month after the Biden administration denied his request for Secret Service Protection.

The Secret Service typically provides protection to 'major' presidential candidates within 120 days of the election.

The suspect was was seen being arrested by police after claiming to be with Kennedy's security team

Supporters of presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wait in line to enter the Wilshire Ebell Theatre as he celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month in Los Angeles

Kennedy shared an update to his followers on X, adding he hoped President Biden could grant him Secret Service protection

Kennedy took to X, formerly known as Twitter , to thank the quick-thinking actions of those who were able to intercept after the event

Sirhan Sirhan shot Kennedy moments after the U.S. senator from New York claimed victory in California's pivotal Democratic presidential primary in 1968

The incident took place less than two miles from where his dad, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, brother of the assassinated President John F. Kennedy, was shot in the after claiming victory in the California primary that he felt was the key to his own bid for the presidency.

On June 5, 1968, Robert Kennedy had shared excitement about his win to about 2,000 supporters at an Ambassador Hotel rally and was taking a shortcut through the kitchen to a meeting with newsmen when shots rang out.

He was shot multiple times, as five others in the packed kitchen were also struck.

Kennedy lay for a time flat on his back in the kitchen, eyes open, a crowd milling around him. Some observers say they heard him say, as he was lifted into a police ambulance, 'Oh, no. No. Dont'.

Pandemonium broke loose. Roosevelt Grier quickly grabbed the much smaller gunman, wrestled the gun from him and held him for police.

Sirhan Sirhan (pictured) shot and killed Robert F. Kennedy in 1968

Sen. Robert Kennedy and Ambassador Hotel employee Juan Romero pictured moments after RFK was shot by Sirhan Sirhan on June 5, 1968

Sirhan was arrested and found guilty of assassinating New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy in 1968. The assassin maintains that he does not remember the event of the deadly night

Sirhan, 79, is incarcerated at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, in San Diego, California

President Lyndon Johnson and others around the nation, including Kennedys rival on the campaign primary trail, Minnesotas Sen. Eugene McCarthy, expressed shock and sorrow. Johnson ordered the full resources of the FBI thrown into the case and ordered secret service protection for major candidates.

Kennedy was brought first to Central Receiving Hospital where a doctor said he was 'practically dead' upon arrival.

Physicians there administered closed cardiac massage, oxygen and adrenalin. 'At first he was pulseless,' said a doctor who treated him, 'then his pulse came back and we began to hear a heartbeat and he began to breathe a little erratically.'

A team of six surgeons began brain surgery at 3:12 a.m. that lasted about three hours and 40 minutes.

He died almost 25 hours later after being shot at the Good Samaritan Hospital.

Mayor Sam Yorty and Police Chief Tom Reddin told a news conference at the time that a Sirhan Sirhan, then 23, was traced through the .22 pistol used to wound Kennedy and five others, less seriously, and identification was made through a brother, Adel Sirhan, of Pasadena.

Pallbearers (including Robert F. Kennedy Jr. front) carry the coffin of Senator Robert Kennedy to the grave site at Arlington National Cemetery on June 9, 1968

Sirhan has been imprisoned for 55 years since shooting RfK and five others during the shooting at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles

Earlier this year, a California panel denied parole for Sirhan on the grounds that the 78-year-old prisoner continues to lack insight into what caused him to shoot the senator and then-presidential candidate.

Sirhan's attorney lawyer Angela Berry argued against the board's position, saying that Sirhan has demonstrated an awareness of his actions, and his psychiatrists have said for years he is unlikely to be a danger to society if he is released.

Two years ago, a different California parole board had agreed with Berry, voting to release Sirhan, but Gov. Gavin Newson rejected the decision in 2022.

Berry said she believes the new board members on Wednesday were influenced by Newsom and by the lawyers representing Kennedy's widow and some of his children - several relatives of the slain politician are opposed to Sirhan's release, though not all are.

In rejecting Sirhan's freedom last year, the governor said the prisoner remains a threat to the public and hasn't taken responsibility for a crime that changed American history.

'I do feel the board bent to the political whim of the governor,' Berry said after the hearing at a federal prison in San Diego County.

Berry said the aging prisoner also 'wasn't as articulate' when he spoke to the board this time. The board recommended Sirhan do more work to better understand what makes a person a political assassin, she said.
MONTREALAn executive from Aylothe parent company of Pornhubon Friday refuted claims made in a leaked video that went viral this week alleging there is a so-called loophole in the companys age and identity verification protocols being exploited by criminal elements.

Journalist Arden Young from the newly formed nonprofit group Sound Investigations shared a secretly recorded video on social media that showed Mike Farley, who was identified as a technical product manager for MindGeek (now known as Aylo), speaking about what he claimed are his companys shortcomings with security measures.

Farley appears to be complaining about how VP-level and C-suite executives at MindGeek at the time refused to listen to product teams about a flaw in verifying performers who dont show their faces in their videos or photos. He explained that the loophole is how someone can receive verified status by sharing their identification with Pornhub in a way that doesnt require them to show their face in videos.

Farley told the journalist: How are you going to tell me whos in that video if the girls not showing her face? ... That wouldnt hold in court.

He also is recorded saying that he complained to the chief product officer and the legal and compliance officer, an individual named Matt Kilicci. The unnamed chief product officer is said to have rebuffed Farleys concerns, and Kilicci is said to be aware of these concerns but has not taken action to address them. Weve brought it up to the CPO. Weve brought it up to the CLO ... and theyre both telling us its all good. And the CPO is especially telling us like, Fuck off. Its all good. Stop. Like, shut up, Farley told the journalist in a portion of the video.

Running about 12 minutes, the video cuts in and out of conversations between Farley and the journalist.

Farleys LinkedIn profile was screenshotted and posted for the length of the video to give viewers confirmation that he is or was employed by MindGeek/Aylo.

Sound Investigations did not indicate when Farley was recorded or whether these conversations happened before or after the company was acquired by Ethical Capital Partners. There is also no indication as to Farleys employment status at the time the video was shot and now. He has since deleted his LinkedIn profile. Kiliccis LinkedIn profile remains live.

This videos release is simply an attempt to use disingenuous tactics to create a damaging characterization devoid of any fact or truth, Ethical Capital Partners vice president for public engagement Sarah Bain told AVN. The video, which was filmed surreptitiously and never fact-checked, exclusively features an employee with no involvement in the companys compliance measures, content moderation practices, and development and execution of companywide policies. This employee is not, nor has he ever been, part of our content moderation team, is not an executive nor a part of the senior management team, does not manage any employees, and is not privy to any of the information he claims to know, as evidenced by the misinformation stated with respect to our content moderation processes, our verification protocol, and even minor details like the correct names and titles of employees or the company headcount.

Bain didnt indicate whether Farley was still employed at Aylo.

Pornhubs Trust & Safety Center, found on its website, explains how content uploaded to the site by its users undergoes several levels of scrutiny and verification. Several of these programs include reporting to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), a congressionally chartered nonprofit organization that serves as the central authority on CSAM reporting in the United States.

"The truth is, the safety of our community is our number one priority and we believe we have the most robust trust and safety measures of any major tech platform on the internet," Bain said. "The employee in the video erroneously points to the existence of a supposed loophole in the companys moderation practices. What is being referenced is that Aylo platforms let their content creators and performers choose whether to show or to hide their face in their content.

"We are proud to be at the forefront of content moderation on the internet and will continue to work to remain in this position."

Additionally, Pornhub and Aylo-affiliated firms support the StopNCII.org program and the TakeItDown initiative backed by NCMEC. After the company was the subject of a disputed New York Times opinion column by the journalist Nicholas Kristof in late 2020, Pornhub deleted millions of videos uploaded by users that were unverified and told its userbase that identity and age verification is required in order to upload content and monetize.

Young indicated plans to release more videos of Aylo employees speaking about internal problems at the company while being recorded without their knowledge, promoting them on X (formerly Twitter) with the hashtag #PornhubTapes.

Canada follows a one-party recording statute, meaning that only one person in the conversation has to consent.

Video recording laws in Canada are more complex. If audio is recorded in the video, then one would defer to the one-party consent statute that covers audio. However, there are limitations on videoing an individual on private property unless the owner of the property has signage clearly indicating photography is allowed or the owner grants the one filming permission.
Russell Brand's talent agency has severed all ties with him, saying they were 'horribly misled' by the comedian, after a string of allegations were made against him.

Talent agency Tavistock Wood, who represent the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Lily James, Charles Dance, and Dominic West, has confirmed they have terminated 'all professional ties' with Brand, who has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse of four women during the peak of his fame.

One of the alleged victims of sexual assault was said to be a 16-year-old schoolgirl, who claims to have contacted Brand's literary agent, who was also the co-founder of Tavistock Wood, in 2020.

In a statement to MailOnline, the agency said: 'Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him. TW has terminated all professional ties to Brand.'

His image has also been removed from the agency's website.

The allegations, published in an investigation by The Sunday Times in a joint investigation with Channel 4, claim the abuse happened between 2006 and 2013.

It comes as Brand is set to perform in front of thousands in Wembley at a sold out gig tonight. At the time of writing, the show, set to begin at 7pm, had yet to start.

The horrific testimonies from alleged victims come less than 12 hours after the comedian took to social media to vehemently deny 'very serious criminal allegations' late last night.

On June 1 2023, talent agency Tavistock Wood was still representing Russell Brand on their website

Today, however, the comedian is nowhere to be seen on the website. Last night he denied 'criminal allegations' in a video online

It comes as Brand is set to perform in front of thousands in Wembley at a sold out gig tonight

There are allegations from five women. It comes after he took to his YouTube channel last night to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations'

In the video he claimed he had received 'extremely disturbing letters' from 'a mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper which he said included 'a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks'.

Brand said the claims were 'untrue', adding all of his relationships 'during his time of promiscuity' were 'consensual'. He went on to claim he is victim of a 'co-ordinated media attack'.

In the wake of the video he has been removed from the website's of his PR firm MBC PR and Tavistock Wood. But his performance at Troubadour Wembley Park in London this evening will go ahead as planned.

The clip comes ahead of a much-anticipated Channel 4 Dispatches investigation set to air at 9pm tonight, which was investigated in collaboration with the Sunday Times.

Until now it was unknown what the topic of the documentary was set to be but it has now revealed to be a documentary, called Russell Brand: In Plain Sight, investigating Brand's treatment of women.

Brand denied the allegations to the newspaper and television channel.

Russell Brand was accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse this afternoon following a joint investigation by Channel 4 and The Sunday Times

The comedian's live gig in front a 2,000 strong audience is set to go ahead tonight at the Troubadour Wembley Park in London

On June 4 Russell Brand was listed on the website of his PR firm MBC London

As of today, Brand is no longer listed on the website of the talent agency

Kirsty Gallacher has backed her brother-in-law Russell Brand as he took to social media to 'absolutely deny' a string of 'very serious criminal allegations made against him'. The post has since been deleted. Pictured: Kirsty with her sister Laura Brand

The Smooth Radio presenter shared Brand's video on her Instagram story this morning with a large red love heart. The post has since been deleted.

Following Brand's denial of the criminal allegations, the two firms representing him removed him from their website pages.

It is understood, however, that MBC PR still represent him, according to the Mirror.

Following the video, which was made prior to the allegations being made public in the Sunday Times, a number of people came forward in support of the father-of-two, including his sister-in-law Kirsty Gallacher. However, she has since deleted the post.

The Smooth Radio presenter, 47, who is the older sister of Brand's wife Laura, shared the comedian's two-minute video on Instagram with a large red love heart in the now deleted post.

Brand shared the clip to his 6.5 million subscribers on YouTube, as well as on X and Instagram, late on Friday night.

Brand married his wife, who is currently pregnant with their third child, in 2017. Mrs Brand has not commented anything publicly or shared anything on social media since her husband made the video.

Brand has also received the backing of tech mogul Elon Musk as well as self-proclaimed misogynist and Youtuber Andrew Tate.

Laura Brand, who is expecting their third child, has not commented anything publicly or shared anything on social media since her husband made the video. Pictured: The couple together in July

Elon Musk appeared to back Brand's video, taking to X to respond, telling the comedian 'They don't like competition'

Responding to the Tweet, tech mogul Elon Musk told Brand: 'Of course. They don't like competition'

YouTuber and self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate also took to X to show his support for Brand

Both men backed the British star's claims he had fallen victim to an attack from media outlets.

Amidst his denial of the allegations the actor said 'we have seen coordinated media attacks before', referring to Joe Rogan announcing he had taken anti-parasite drug Ivermectin to treat his Covid-19 infection during the pandemic.

Brand said he was 'aware of newspapers making phone calls' and 'sending letters' to people he knows for 'ages and ages', claiming he feels that 'there's a serious and consorted agenda to control these kind of spaces', referring to his YouTube channel.

It led to rallying cries from Tate, who took to X posting a cartoon meme of a knight preparing for battle, captioned: 'On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations'.

Alongside the image, he captioned it 'Welcome to the club Russell Brand'.

In a separate Tweet, responding directly to Brand's video, Tate - who is currently facing charges of rape and human trafficking, which he denies - called the allegations a 'Matrix attack'.

And the video seemingly won the support of Musk, who appeared to agree with Brand's comments on the media. He said: 'Of course. They don't like competition.'

Tate took to X, posting a cartoon meme of a knight preparing for battle, captioned: 'On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations'

In a separate Tweet responding to Brand's video he called the allegations made against the comedian a 'Matrix attack'

Both Musk and Brand have experienced similar criticism over the years being branded as conspiracy theorists.

During the pandemic Brand was condemned for airing Covid conspiracy theories and in 2014 he received backlash after claiming he was open minded about the idea the US government might have been behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The Tesla boss has also been known to publicly support conspiracy theorists as some 'have turned out to be true'.

Posting the video on X, where he has 11 million followers, he said: 'These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies. And as I've written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.

'During that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that then and I am being transparent about it now as well.

'And to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question is there another agenda at play.'

Amongst the 'very serious allegations' made, Brand said there was also a 'litany of astonishing attacks', which he called 'some pretty stupid stuff' including calls for his Community Festival in Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled

Brand said he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters' from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper. Channel 4 and The Times have since published allegations accusing Brand of rape and sexual assault

Brand's statement came amid rumours on social media about whether a scandal about a famous person could feature in the investigation airing today. He is now confirmed to be the topic of a Channel 4 investigation tonight

Amongst the 'very serious allegations' made, Brand said there was also a 'litany of astonishing attacks', which he called 'some pretty stupid stuff' including calls for his Community Festival in Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled.

He added: 'I need my voice along with your voice. I don't mind them using my books and my stand up to talk about my promiscuous sexual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very serious, criminal allegations.

'Also its worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently in what seems to be to me a coordinated attack.'

Throughout the clip, he mentioned how subscribers to his YouTube channel had previously written in the comments section 'watch out Russell, they're coming for you'.

Brand closes the video, which has already had 4.9million views since it was uploaded to X at 11.21pm on Friday, by saying: 'In the meantime I want you to stay close, stay awake, but more importantly than any of that - if you can, please - stay free.'

Tonight the comedian will be at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre for his new stand up comedy show, Russell Brand: Biopolarisation

Channel 4 has now revealed the 90-minute Dispatches investigation will be about Brand's denial of accusations of rape, sexual assault, as well as controlling and abusive behaviour

Brand's statement came amid rumours on social media about whether a scandal about a famous person could feature in the investigation airing today.

Channel 4 has now revealed the 90-minute Dispatches investigation will be about Brand's denial of accusations of rape, sexual assault, as well as controlling and abusive behaviour.

Five women will share their stories with the channel as part of a joint investigation with the Times.

The investigation has been conducted over the course of more than a year and will air tonight at 9pm.

Accusations are said to include incidents that took place within the work environment of prime time television shows.

In response to the allegations, Brand told Channel 4: 'These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream and as I've written about extensively in my books, I was very very promiscuous

'What I seriously refute are these very very serious criminal allegations. There are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently in what seems to me to be a coordinated attack.'

The programme is due to finish at 10.30pm, but will also be repeated on Channel 4 on Sunday at 10.50pm and on Monday on its sister channel 4seven at 9pm.
Border Patrol agents in San Diego have set hundreds of migrants free from buses as the US-Mexico border crisis continues to overwhelm California.

The city is struggling to deal with a surge of migrants in the area and footage captured shows them being let go from overflowing facilities.

A border agent was heard telling one person he could do what he wants as people from countries including China and Pakistan were dropped off on streets on Thursday afternoon.

It comes as Southwest border towns and federal processing centers are overcapacity as a crush of crossings cripples the nation.

There have been over 7,000 illegal crossings across the US-Mexico border on multiple days this week.

Border Patrol agents in San Diego have set hundreds of migrants free from buses as the US-Mexico border crisis continues to overwhelm California

The city is struggling to deal with a surge of migrants in the area and footage captured shows them being let go from overflowing facilities

It comes as Southwest border towns and federal processing centers are overcapacity as a crush of crossings cripples the nation

A video shows at least three white unmarked Border Patrol buses filled with migrants parked in San Diego.

They started releasing several hundreds of people onto the streets. One migrant was told by an agent: 'Youre free to go on and do wherever you want. Youre free.'

He asked: 'Its no problem if I go to Chicago?'

'You can do whatever you want,' the official replied.

Border Patrol in San Diego has reportedly been dealing with 20,000 migrants in custody over the last week - 5,000 more than facilities can manage.

It can't accommodate for more than 15,000 migrants and are sending migrants onto the streets to fend for themselves after processing them at the border.

Similar migrant releases took place in Tucson, Arizona, with agents coming across 2,000 people a day and dealing with packed shelters.

People from the African nations of Senegal, Mauritania, Ghana, Sudan are part of the migrants who have recently made crossings into the US from Mexico.

Those released are now forced to fend for themselves in intense heat and limited resources.

The US Customs and Border Protection has seen Southwest border encounters increase exponentially every fiscal year. So far this year, there have been nearly 2million crossing in the region - a figure that doesn't include August and September.

Cochise County, Arizona, is being slammed with waves of migrants bussed from other counties after crossing the border amid President Joe Biden's lax policies.

'The intellectual avoidance and abandonment with intended consequences' by those leaders in Washington, DC, reference our southern border continues to be a slippery slope for those doing everything we can to protect our quality of life here in Cochise County!' Sheriff Mark Dannels said.

Border Patrol in San Diego has reportedly been dealing with 20,000 migrants in custody over the last week - 5,000 more than facilities can manage

There have been over 7,000 illegal crossings across the US-Mexico border on multiple days this week

'The migrants being released are from outside Cochise County but were bussed to Cochise County, processed and then released,' Daniels noted in a Facebook post.

'I applaud the local [Customs and Border Protections] agents and their leadership for doing all they legally can during this on-going crisis.'

It's unclear exactly how many migrants the processing facilities in Tucson can accommodate or how many have been transported to other locations such as Cochise County.

The US border has seen a flood of migrants from across the world, not just Central and South American nations such as Venezuela and Mexico. There have been migrants from China and other places entering via the porous southern border.

The 2022 fiscal year saw record-breaking numbers of encounters with migrants at the Southwest border with 2,378,944 reported crossings from October to September.

In 2023, through July, there have been 1,973,092 - many of them coming as Title 42 expired.

U.S. Border Patrol officers are turning migrants away after processing them because their facilities are overcrowded and full to max-capacity

Senegalese migrants are amongst the thousands of others that have been turned away from processing facilities and let out onto the streets to fend for themselves.

The number of migrant crossings in August is set to exceed 230,000, according to Fox News.

The jump in crossing has grown in recent years with a mere 458,088 crossing reported in 2020 during the worldwide COVID pandemic.

Most migrant encounters are single adults, at 64.9 percent, but almost 600,000 are individuals in a family unit and there have been 109,298 unaccompanied minors crossing the border.

Issues of overcapacity are happening all across the southern border. Along with Tucson - street releases are happening in the San Diego sector and in Santa Cruz County, California.

Texas is using razor wire to block migrants illegally entering as it battles a challenge from the Biden administration seeking to stop it from building a buoy barrier in the Rio Grande.
The man who was filmed having sex in the toilet on an EasyJet flight to Ibiza with a woman he'd only just met has confessed that he barely remembers her name and 'didn't even get her number'.

Piers Sawyer was travelling to Ibiza to celebrate his 23rd birthday with his older brother Harrison and two friends.

He says he first saw the woman, who was sat in the row in front of him, as he boarded his 7pm Luton Airport on Friday, September 8. The pair started talking and seemingly hit it off, prompting Harrison to suggest they swap seats.

Piers told The Sun that although the pair had sex at 33,000ft and have gone viral after video of a cabin crew member catching them in the act was shared online, he never managed to get her contact details because he was 'so out of it' from drinking all day.

He admitted he has 'thought about the girl' - who described only as being 'good looking' and 23 years old - and says it 'would be good to see her again'.

Piers also revealed that after the flight EasyJet told him he was no longer welcome to fly with them. He and Harrison, 25, were forced to shell out 360 for a TUI flight to Stansted and an Uber home.

Piers Sawyer, 23, was filmed having sex in the toilet on an EasyJet flight to Ibiza with a woman he'd only just met on September 8. He has since confessed that he barely remembers her name and 'didn't even get her number'

Piers (circled) said that although the pair had sex at 33,000ft and have gone viral after video of a cabin crew member catching them in the act was shared online, he never managed to get her contact details because he was 'so out of it' from drinking all day

Piers and the woman, described only as being 'good looking' and aged 23, were caught by an EasyJet cabin crew member having sex on the flight to Ibiza. Piers says after the flight the air carrier informed him he was no longer welcome to fly with them

Footage recorded on the flight showed passengers whooping and screaming with delight when the cabin crew member opened the door to expose Piers and the woman having sex.

The video taken on the flight from Luton appears to show the duo were in no mood to stop early, with the man promptly shutting the door again so they could continue.

A second clip sees them waving their arms defiantly with no hint of blushing as they walk down the aisle of the plane to their seats, while thrilled passengers applauded, cheered them on and yelled 'top girl'.

Piers, speaking to The Sun at his mother's flat in Tunbridge Wells, Kent yesterday, admitted that he doesn't even remember the woman's name.

'It just happened after a long day of drinking,' he recalled, noting how the started throwing back beers at 10am on Friday. 'I didn't even get her number.'

The couple who had sex in the toilet emerged to whoops and cheers on the Easyjet flight from Luton to Ibiza

Passengers whooped and screamed with delight when the cabin crew member opened the door to expose Piers and the woman having sex

The single 23-year-old, who services cars at an Audi dealership, shared how the woman was sitting in front of him and Harrison when she and her friend 'turned round and started speaking to us'.

Harrison asked if they should swap seats and the woman came and sat by Piers.

He said the pair came up with the idea to have sex in the toilet about '40 minutes into the flight'. He claims there were two cabin crew members by the toilets and he is 'pretty sure they saw us walk in'.

The duo were then filmed mid-act when an air steward opened the door and exposed their antics to the entire flight.

'Because I was so out of it, I didn't really care but later on it hit me,' Piers admitted, adding that despite the pair having gone their separate ways at the baggage reclaim that he has since thought of the woman.

He also revealed that although he was on a four-day celebratory birthday trip, he did not have sex with any other women while on holiday.

Piers (pictured holding a small dog) admitted he has 'thought about the girl' since the incident and says it 'would be good to see her again'

His mother Elaine said she was shocked as the 'embarrassing' footage of her son was shared by pals and even discussed on ITV 's Loose Women

It comes after Piers' mother Elaine on Thursday revealed that she was left horrified after her son went viral for having sex on the plane.

Elaine, 51, has told The Sun she was shocked as the 'embarrassing' footage of her son was shared by pals and even discussed on ITV's Loose Women.

The former model said that although it is 'not something a mum wants to see', she doesn't think the pair 'were doing anyone any harm' and claims the steward 'shouldn't have just opened the door'.

'You're aware these things are going to happen at the holiday destination but you don't expect it to happen on the flight,' she told the newspaper.

'You just don't think about stuff sometimes. Yes it's embarrassing but I don't think they were doing anyone any harm.'

An EasyJet spokesperson previously told MailOnline the flight was met by police when it landed on the Spanish party island and the duo were led away.

The incident happened on an easyJet flight from London Luton to Ibiza last Friday (file image)

The spokeswoman said: 'We can confirm that this flight from Luton to Ibiza on September 8 was met by police on arrival due to the behaviour of two passengers onboard.'

Section 71 of the Sexual Offences Act 2004 states that it is illegal to have sex in a lavatory to which the public has access.

Bedfordshire Police, which is responsible for policing at Luton Airport, confirmed to MailOnline that it was not involved in the response. It is also unclear whether any arrests were made in Ibiza.

Nor has it been confirmed how long Piers is banned from flying with the air carrier. MailOnline has approached EasyJet for comment.
Disgraced former Wells Fargo executive Carrie L. Tolstedt has avoided prison time after pleading guilty for her role in the massive phony accounts scandal that roiled the bank in 2016.

Between 2002 and 2016, Wells Fargo employees opened some two million deposit and credit card accounts without the customers' approval or knowledge, in order to pump up key performance metrics, an investigation found.

At a hearing on Friday in Los Angeles, Tolstedt, 63, was sentenced to three years of probation, including six months of home confinement, by US District Judge Josephine Staton.

In addition, she will pay a $100,000 criminal fine and serve 120 hours of community service, on top of $20 million in civil penalties levied by federal regulators.

Wells Fargo previously clawed back about $67 million from Tolstedt's $125 million retirement package -- leaving her with a golden parachute of $58 million before civil and criminal penalties.

Disgraced former Wells Fargo executive Carrie L. Tolstedt has avoided prison time after pleading guilty for her role in the massive phony accounts scandal

Between 2002 and 2016, Wells Fargo employees opened some two million deposit and credit card accounts without the customers' approval or knowledge, an investigation found

Tolstedt pleaded guilty in March to obstructing a bank examination in relation to the phony account scandal, which cost Wells Fargo $3 billion to settle federal civil and criminal probes.

Prosecutors had called for her to serve a year in federal prison, writing in a motion: 'corporate wrongdoers must be sent a clear message that maintaining a lucrative position through criminal behavior is not worth the risk.'

The probation sentence handed down on Friday reflected the punishment sought by Tolstedt's attorneys, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment from DailyMail.com on Saturday.

The statutory maximum sentence for obstruction of a bank examination is five years in federal prison, but Tolstedt's plea agreement called for a prison sentence no longer than 16 months.

In a separate settlement with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Tolstedt agreed to a lifetime ban from the banking industry and a $17 million civil penalty.

Tolstedt also agreed in May to pay a $3 million penalty to settle a Securities and Exchange Commission civil case, without admitting or denying the allegations.

The SEC accused her of misleading investors about the success of Wells Fargo's core business, which involved dubious sales practices used to inflate key performance metrics.

From mid-2014 through mid-2016, Tolstedt publicly described and endorsed Wells Fargo's 'cross-sell metric' as a means of measuring the bank's financial success despite the fact that it was inflated by accounts and services that were unused, unneeded, or unauthorized, according to the SEC.

Wells Fargo previously clawed back about $67 million from Tolstedt's $125 million retirement package -- leaving her with $58 million before civil and criminal penalties

The scandal also toppled former Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf (above at a 2016 Senate hearing), who once called Tolstedt the 'best banker in America'

Before the scandal broke, Wells Fargo was considered to have a sterling reputation among the big banks.

The bank referred to its branches as 'stores,' and once had a policy of trying to get each Wells Fargo customer to have eight financial products with the company.

The bank's sales policies, pushed by top management, were aggressive and unrealistic, according to regulators.

Bank employees were berated for not making bloated sales quotas, which ultimately resulted in many employees gaming Wells Fargo's sales system in order to meet these artificial sales goals.

For example a number of Wells Fargo customers, notably the elderly, were signed up for online banking when they did not have Internet access.

The documents that laid out the charges against Wells Fargo leaned heavily on the behavior of 'Executive A,' described as the head of Wells' community bank business and the regional bank division from 2002 until 2017.

Tolstedt held those positions during that time period.

The scandal also toppled former Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf, who once called Tolstedt the 'best banker in America.'

Stumpf paid a $17.5 million civil fine in 2020, and accepted a lifetime ban from the banking industry.

As a result of the scandal, Wells Fargo remains under a Federal Reserve assets cap that limits the bank's growth, though it is still the fourth-largest US bank.

Since the scandal broke, Wells Fargo has reformed its compensation practices and no longer bases employee pay on selling additional accounts to customers.

The bank has also replaced its chief executive twice, most recently with former Bank of New York Mellon chief Charlie Scharf, who has signaled he plans significant changes to try to win back the trust of regulators.
They met at AA and she worked on a project with him, in-part based at his house

One of the four women who today accused Russell Brand of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse has claimed she was a victim of sexual assault at his house when he was working in the States.

Included among the explosive claims reported by The Times, is the allegation that Brand chased an ex-partner around a bedroom before grabbing her, pinning her to the bed, then kissing her and removing her clothes as she tried to fight him off.

The woman, who The Times have called Phoebe, told the newspaper that she met Brand at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting before working together on a project at several locations, including his West Hollywood home.

The host of allegations against Brand are claimed to have taken place between 2006 and 2013, while Brand was presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 before then becoming a star in Hollywood. Brand vehemently denies the allegations.

Phoebe and Brand had a 'brief' sexual relationship which was over by the time of the alleged attack in 2013, The Times reported.

One of the four women who today accused Russell Brand (pictured) of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse has claimed she was a victim of sexual assault at his house when he was working in the States

The woman, who has been called Phoebe to protect her identity, said she met Brand at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting before working together on a project at several locations, including his West Hollywood home. Pictured is Phoebe - or an actress playing Phoebe - in the Chanel 4 documentary film

The host of allegations against Brand (pictured) are claimed to have taken place between 2006 and 2013, while Brand was presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 before then becoming a star in Hollywood. Brand vehemently denies the allegations

Russell Brand took to his YouTube channel to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations' ahead of a mystery Channel 4 Dispatches investigation

She told the paper she and Brand were alone at his house after a member of staff had left. Phoebe told The Times that said she felt 'trapped' in the room with him when she realised the comedian wanted to have sex with her.

Phoebe, in her 20s at the time, said she was not sure if he was naked or wearing underwear, but he was eventually chasing her while naked.

She claimed that Brand 'grabbed' her, got on the bed and tried to kiss her and take her clothes off as he was pinning her down.

The woman, who was fully clothed, said that his eyes looked 'black, like the devil'.

She said she screamed at Brand, saying 'what are you doing, stop, please... please don't do this, I don't want to do this'. Phoebe said she believed he had his hands down her trousers but she was fighting him off and screaming so loudly that she hoped 'that I could get through somehow'.

The woman said she did not know what the 'actual definition of "sexual assault" is', but said that is what it felt like, adding that Brand 'didn't rape me'.

Brand eventually got off of Phoebe after her repeated 'begging' for him to do so, but at this point he reportedly 'flipped' becoming very angry with her.

She said he was shouting 'f*** you' and told her she was fired as she ran from his house, crying.

Phoebe told The Times she felt she had to come back to work with Brand days later, but after he became aware she told friends about the allegation, he threatened legal action. She said the incident was never reported to the authorities over concerns for her career.

Three sources confirmed to The Times that Phoebe had told them about the allegation at the time, and that two other people knew about it.

The bombshell allegations came after Brand posted an astonishing video late on Friday night vehemently denying what he called 'very serious criminal allegations' made against him.

Phoebe said she believed he had his hands down her trousers but she was fighting him off and screaming so loudly that she hoped 'that I could get through somehow'. The woman said she did not know what the 'actual definition of "sexual assault" is', but said that is what it felt like, adding that Brand 'didn't rape me'

Sharing his 2min 45sec monologue to his 11million followers on X and 6.5 million subscribers on YouTube, Brand lashed out at 'aggressive' media claims as he insisted any relationships he had 'during his time of promiscuity' were 'consensual'.

In the report by The Times, one woman alleges Brand raped her against the wall in his Los Angeles home.

A second woman alleges that Brand assaulted her when he was 31 and she was 16 and still at school. It is claimed the actor referred to her as 'the child' during an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship that lasted for about three months

Phoebe, the third woman alleged the comedian sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in Los Angeles and that he threatened her with legal action if she told anyone.

While the fourth claimed she was sexually assaulted by Brand who she alleges was physically and emotionally abusive towards her.

Brand said he was 'aware of newspapers making phone calls' and 'sending letters' to people he knows for 'ages and ages', claiming he feels that 'there's a serious and consorted agenda to control these kind of spaces', referring to his YouTube channel.

He added: 'Amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks, often very serious allegations, that I absolutely refute.

'These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies.

'And as I've written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.

'Now, during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual.

'I was always transparent about that. Then almost too transparent, and I'm being transparent about it now as well.'

The comedian, actor and internet personality told his 6.5 million subscribers that there are 'very, very serious criminal allegations' made against him which he 'absolutely refutes'

Russell Brand is seen posing with Burlesque dancers Vanessa and Valeria at The Brit Awards 2007 Valentine's Day photocall, Earls Court, London, on 13 Feb 2007

Former spouse Katy Perry and Russell Brand attend the 82nd Annual Academy Awards in LA on March 7, 2010

Controversial comedian Brand lashed out at 'aggressive' media claims as he insisted any relationships he had 'during his time of promiscuity' were 'consensual' (he is pictured in June 2010)

Laura Brand, who is expecting their third child, has not commented anything publicly or shared anything on social media since her husband made the video. Pictured: The couple together in July

Brand continued: 'To see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question, is there another agenda at play?

'Particularly when we've seen coordinated media attacks before, like with Joe Rogan, when he dared to take a medicine that the mainstream media didn't approve of, and we saw a spate of headlines from media outlets across the world using the same language.'

Get Him to the Greek star Brand also said there had been calls for his Community Festival Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled.

Brand married his wife, who is currently pregnant with their third child, in 2017. Mrs Brand has not commented anything publicly or shared anything on social media since her husband made the video. She has since appeared to delete her Instagram account.

Amongst the 'very serious allegations' made, Brand said there was also a 'litany of astonishing attacks', which he called 'some pretty stupid stuff' including calls for his Community Festival in Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled.

He added: 'I need my voice along with your voice. I don't mind them using my books and my stand up to talk about my promiscuous sexual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very serious, criminal allegations.

'Also its worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently in what seems to be to me a coordinated attack.'

Throughout the clip, he mentioned how subscribers to his YouTube channel had previously written in the comments section 'watch out Russell, they're coming for you'.

Kirsty Gallacher has backed her brother-in-law Russell Brand as he took to social media to 'absolutely deny' a string of 'very serious criminal allegations made against him'. Pictured: Kirsty with her sister Laura Brand

Brand took to his YouTube channel last night to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations' ahead of a mystery Channel 4 Dispatches investigation

Brand's sister-in-law Kirsty Gallacher appeared to show her support for the controversial celebrity, sharing his video with a red love heart.

Amongst the 'very serious allegations' made, Brand said there was also a 'litany of astonishing attacks', which he called 'some pretty stupid stuff' including calls for his Community Festival in Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled

Brand closes the video, which has already had 4.9million views since it was uploaded to X at 11.21pm on Friday, by saying: 'In the meantime I want you to stay close, stay awake, but more importantly than any of that - if you can, please - stay free.'

Brand, an only child from Grays in Essex, became famous thanks to his one-man stand-up shows.

He shot to fame in the noughties as a TV and radio presenter, hosting series including Channel 4's Big Brother's Big Mouth and a BBC Radio 2 show.

The 48-year-old comedian later graduated to Hollywood, starring in films including Rock of Ages, Get Him to the Greek, Despicable Me, and more recently Death on the Nile.

His fame was cemented by the 2008 tome 'My Booky Wook' soon afterwards, in which he told of his heroin addiction and numerous sordid sexual encounters including sex with prostitutes and joyless orgies.

The following year he lost his slot on a BBC Radio 2 show after calling up Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs to boast about having had sex with his granddaughter, Georgina Baillie.

At that time it seemed there was nobody he couldn't charm. In 2010, after a brief courtship, he married dazzling pop star Katy Perry in a seven-day ceremony in India. They had met at the MTV VMA awards when Perry had thrown a plastic water bottle at his head.

By December of 2011, the Brand had fled for divorce from Perry, citing irreconcilable differences.
A woman who had a six-month relationship with Russell Brand has claimed she was sexually assaulted by the comedian and presenter - later recounting the incident in a self-published book.

Jordan Martin says she embarked on the fling in February 2007, during which time she alleges that he subjected her to emotional abuse, made her brush her teeth so hard her gums bled so she would taste 'anonymous', and sexually assaulted her.

In a book she published seven years after the relationship ended, kNot: Entanglement with a Celebrity, she described how the relationship unfolded - renaming herself in the account as 'Dina' and Brand as 'Randall Grand'.

One incident at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester, Ms Martin claims, saw Brand become angry when he found out she had been in touch with an ex-boyfriend, snatching a phone from her and tearing the case apart to rip out the battery.

She retreated to a sink elsewhere in the room and Brand, she writes: 'does not say a word. He stands so close to her. He slides his hand down the front of her low hanging jeans [and] into her underwear.'

Jordan Martin and Russell Brand in Hawaii in 2007 as he filmed comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Ms Martin claims that she was a target for verbal abuse during the trip and that Brand accused her of being sexually attracted to her brother after overhearing her laughing and joking on the phone to him

Jordan Martin wrote in a self-published book that Brand - who she renamed 'Randall Grand' - sexually assaulted her at a hotel in Manchester

Russell Brand pictured with burlesque dancers at the Brit Awards in February 2007 - around the time that he and Jordan Martin embarked on a six-month relationship

Russell Brand alongside actress Kirsten Bell in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. In the film, he plays Aldous Snow, a sex-obsessed British pop star

Ms Martin further wrote that she was 'not ready for this intrusion', adding that it was not 'sensual or pleasant'.

Brand, she said, then allegedly walked out of the room without saying anything, leaving her feeling 'confused, uncomfortable and a little stunned'.

Elsewhere in the book, she claims that Brand once forced her to brush her teeth to the point her gums bled.

She wrote that the presenter 'pushes boundaries, controlling other people to fulfil personal perversions for the sake of dominance, or for the sake of something'.

The pair lived together for a short time before the relationship came to an end.

Russell Brand - who now extols himself as a wellness guru to millions of followers - has been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse by several other women in an investigation published today by The Sunday Times and Channel 4.

He vehemently denies the claims, stating in a video he released on Friday: 'Amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute.'

Ms Martin did not speak to The Sunday Times as part of their investigation, except to confirm that she stood by her account in the book, which she maintains is an accurate depiction of their relationship.

But in an interview with The Mail on Sunday in 2015 (for which she neither sought nor received payment) the model, who worked for the likes of Armani and Vivienne Westwood, claimed the presenter behaved in a 'controlling, manipulative (and) cruel' way towards women.

She said that she and Brand lived together in a state of 'unhealthy co-dependency', during which she alleged he begged her not to leave the flat while he entertained a pair of lesbian fans in his bedroom.

On another occasion, he allegedly accused her of being sexually attracted to her own brother, and is said to have cruelly taunted her over her desire for children.

But Ms Martin also alleged that Brand could be controlling, accusing her of going to visit her ex-husband every time she left the flat - despite claims he would regularly boast about his sex with strangers when they were together.

She said in 2015: 'People will say, and I cant blame them, that I shouldnt have put up with it. But its not always as simple as that. Its really hard to explain and make sense of much of what happened.

I was vulnerable, at a low point in my life, and I was living with Russell, an extremely powerful character who would verbally knock me down and then cuddle me ten seconds later.

The pair met several years before they embarked on a relationship while Ms Martin was a student doing part-time work for Channel 5.

On a visit to the MTV studios, where Brand was presenting Dancefloor Chart and request show Select, she says she found him 'kooky' and 'charming' - but even then, she claims, he made her a target of his advances.

She added: 'On one occasion, he tried to kiss me but I turned my face away. He said he couldnt believe I didnt fancy him and that all girls fancied him.

'I thought he was being funny; it was only looking back much later that I realised he was serious.

Jordan Martin detailed the allegations in a self-published book, kNot: Entanglement With a Celebrity, that she released in 2014

The comedian, actor and internet personality told his millions of followers on Friday that there are 'very, very serious criminal allegations' made against him which he 'absolutely refutes'

Brand has lashed out at 'aggressive' media claims as he insisted any relationships he had 'during his time of promiscuity' were 'consensual' (pictured in June 2010)

Amongst the 'very serious allegations' made, Brand said there was also a 'litany of astonishing attacks', which he called 'some pretty stupid stuff' including calls for his Community Festival in Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled

Brand (pictured in 2008) said that during his 'time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual' and that he was 'always transparent about that'

Brand was later fired from MTV in 2001 after coming into work days after the September 11 attacks dressed as Osama Bin Laden.

It was only in early 2007 that Ms Martin later reconnected with Brand, after the end of her first marriage.

She recalled: 'I had known him for a while, so there was this familiarity and when we kissed  though I didnt melt  it just felt right, as though we had done it before.

'What happened next was a whirlwind. He said I might as well move in as I was having problems with my landlord and to my mind, it seemed romantic.

When we had sex it didnt seem natural. It was a case of take your clothes off and put the music on, as if he had gone through the same thing with loads of girls, which of course he had.

Over the course of the relationship, she claims, she stopped working and 'went everywhere' with him - though found herself criticised if she, in Brand's alleged words, 'dressed like a tart'.

She added : A lot of what happened wasnt pleasurable, it didnt come from a good place.

'He said he had invited these two lesbians round, saying that sex would be good with lesbians. He wanted me to get involved, to make it OK for him, to validate it.

'But I decided to make a stand. I was physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted. I couldnt go along with this. I said Id go out for a walk.

'But he didnt want me to go so he stood in front of me, blocking my way. So I just gave up and went into the TV room and blocked it out. It felt horrible.

Afterwards he said it was boring. He was always sad after these encounters.

'His manipulative side was so powerful it was easier to just submit. I got to the point where I thought he must be right  and there was no one else around to tell me any different.

Ms Martin accompanied Brand to Hawaii when he filmed Hollywood comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall alongside big names like Jason Segel, Kristen Bell, Mila Kunis and Paul Rudd.

He appeared as Aldous Snow, a sex-obsessed British pop star who steals the heart of the title character, played by Bell.

She said the filming was soured by the fact that Brand was a relative unknown among star-studded company - something he reportedly resented.

She claims his temper frayed during filming, and he spent all of his time off-set at a bungalow, refusing to socialise - and at one point accused Ms Martin of being sexually attracted to her brother after he overheard them laughing and joking on the phone.

Ms Martin added: 'This was crazy  sick  and I stood my ground and told him so. Why would he say that? Jealousy, the fact that he is an only child? I simply dont know.'

Brand wrote of the trip in autobiography Booky Wook 2: 'I went with a couple of human security blankets: my assistant at the time, Marsha, who was a sweet woman, and a girl I was seeing called Jordan.

'I kept them either side of me as a cushion of femininity. I thought if I took a girlfriend then I wouldnt spend my whole time hankering after women on the set.

But Ms Martin claims that Brand later admitted to sleeping with an extra - the final straw for the model, who ended the relationship. Brand then allegedly wrote an email saying he never wanted to see her again.

'My time with Russell was horrible in many respects, Ms Martin said. But I dont regret it  it has made me the strong person I am today.'

Brand has never challenged Ms Martin on the content of her book. However, on Friday, he released a two-minute-long video in which he 'absolutely refute(d)' the allegations made in The Sunday Times and Channel 4 report ahead of its publication.

Without naming either the newspaper or the TV channel, he said: 'I don't want to get into this any further because of the serious nature of the allegations but I feel like I'm being attacked and plainly they are working very closely together.'

On Saturday, Brand was dropped by talent management agency Tavistock Wood (TW), which had previously stood by him following allegations made by another woman.

In a statement, the agency said: 'Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him. TW has terminated all professional ties to Brand.'
Scotland's benefits quango has stopped using traditional brown envelopes  because they make claimants feel anxious.

The agency has ditched its old stationery as part of a bid to ensure people in Scotland have a positive experience of social security.

Social Security Scotland said it switched to white envelopes after people who used the benefits system claimed brown envelopes triggered feelings of horror.

The quango  overseen by Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville  was set up in 2018. Bosses are keen to take a different approach to the UK Governments Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), which has been criticised as unfair and heavy-handed.

Now it has been revealed that efforts to keep claimants happy even extend to changing the colour of the stationery.

News of the change comes as the quango also steps up efforts to clamp down on benefit cheats, including recruiting extra staff for two more Scottish fraud hubs.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville oversees agency that has changed the colour of its envelopes

Social Security Scotland said it switched to white envelopes after people who used the benefits system claimed brown envelopes triggered feelings of horror.

The agency said: To ensure people in Scotland have a positive experience of social security, we listen to their feedback and make changes to our processes.

One was how we send letters. We moved from traditional brown envelopes to white.

This simple step was taken after we spoke to people with experience of the benefits system who told us the brown envelopes typically used for official letters had left them feeling anxious.

The agency quoted one member of its experience panels as saying: When this big 40-page brown envelope [comes] through your door, you just think I wont bother.

Another claimant spoke of the horror of the brown envelope when you see it on your doorstep.

The agency is responsible for benefits including Adult Disability Payment, which replaced the DWPs Personal Independence Payment (PIP), as well as a series of Best Start payments for those on certain benefits who are pregnant or looking after a child. Other benefits include Carers Allowance Supplement, Funeral Support Payment and the Winter Heating Payment.

The agency added: Deciding to change our envelopes from brown to white was one way we try to give our clients a better experience of social security and reduce stress and anxiety for them.

It is just one way we ensure our service is rooted in our principles of dignity, fairness and respect.

Further online details of the feedback from benefits claimants shared participants negative experiences of the application forms.

One said: The forms and the admin of benefits applications are awful and really put people off.

The PIP application is 40 pages. Once they have done that they then need to sit with someone to pick through their life to decide if they will then be entitled to a payment.

The horror of the assessments really gets to me.

The horror of the brown envelope when you see it on your doorstep. Its all because of how horrible the assessments can be.

The UK-wide DWP previously switched to white rather than manila envelopes for some correspondence  however, it said that was down to a change in Royal Mail sorting and that the new system needs a legible barcode to be printed onto the envelope.

Figures published last week show Social Security Scotlands workforce soared to 3,861 full-time equivalent workers by the end of June  the 19th consecutive quarterly rise in staffing.

A new report by agency officials reveals at least some of those employees were drafted in to try to clamp down on dishonest claims.

The report said: Recruitment has been ongoing across the Counter Fraud branch. External Investigations have successfully recruited some of the staff required for our two additional fraud hubs, in Edinburgh and Inverness.

The Covert Operations function is now fully staffed, while an increasing volume of incoming intelligence necessitated additional investment.

We have continued to invest in specialist training for a variety of roles in the Counter Fraud branch.

A Social Security Scotland spokesman said: Our values of dignity, fairness and respect are at the heart of our service, which we designed with input from the people who use it.

.
'we will always listen to people if they come forward with any concerns'

BBC and Channel 4 have insisted they took all the necessary steps over Russell Brand who has been accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse.

The allegations are claimed to have taken place between 2006 and 2013, while Brand was presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 before then becoming a star in Hollywood.

In a video posted to YouTube and X, formerly Twitter, last night Brand said he 'refutes' the serious criminal allegations. He insisted any relationships he had 'during his time of promiscuity' were 'consensual'.

Brand's attitude towards women is said to have been an open secret in radio and TV production, according to The Sunday Times' sources.

Whilst live on air, Brand made a series of sexual remarks about newsreader Andrea Simmons, calling her a 'sex bomb' and describing her as 'erotic' and saying he wanted to 'go under the desk' while she was reading the news.

In 2008 a ferocious public backlash was sparked after Brand and Jonathan Ross called the much-loved Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs during Brand's show and left lewd messages on his answerphone - including bragging about sex with Sachs's granddaughter Georgina Baillie, with whom he had a brief relationship.

Russell Brand took to his YouTube channel to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations' ahead of a mystery Channel 4 Dispatches investigation

In 2008 a ferocious public backlash was sparked after Brand and Jonathan Ross called the much-loved Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs during Brand's show and left lewd messages on his answerphone

In December 2007, a serious complaint was made by BBC staff to the station's Controller Lesley Douglas (pictured) about Brand's behaviour in the studio, according to The Times

According to The Sunday Times many believe the BBC should been awake to the concerns about Brand's behaviour on his show well before the Sachsgate scandal.

Reportedly, a serious complaint was made by BBC staff to the station's Controller Lesley Douglas about Brand's behaviour in the studio, in December 2007.

The Times has reported that the complaint followed an 'alarming display of aggression and disrespect' by the radio host where he hurled objects in a fit of rage.

It also reported he urinated in a bottle in full view of production staff and a guest - who 'appeared to be a minor' - and had been invited to appear on Radio 2 by a charity.

This alleged complaint and any others that had been made were not mentioned in subsequent official reports into Sachsgate.

Douglas' lawyers have said she 'did not at any time encourage, enable and/or fail herself to take any adequate steps within her power with regard to the conduct of Russell Brand of which she was aware'.

'She is presently unable to provide any further information which may be relevant to the matters raised in this article due to the obligations owed by her to her former employer,' her lawyers added.

Brand left the BBC after the serious editorial breach in 2008 as did Douglas.

The comedian, actor and internet personality told his 6.5 million subscribers that there are 'very, very serious criminal allegations' made against him which he 'absolutely refutes'

Brand's attitude towards women is said to have been an open secret in radio and TV production, according to The Sunday Times' sources. Pictured: During a discussion at Esquire Townhouse on October 14, 2017

A BBC spokesperson said: 'The circumstances of the breach were reviewed in detail at the time. We hope that demonstrates that the BBC takes issues seriously and is prepared to act.

'We will always listen to people if they come forward with any concerns, on any issue related to any individual working at the BBC, past or present.'

Prior to joining Radio 2, Brand had a show on the BBC's 6 Music where he and his co-host Matt Morgan would sometimes take their clothes off in the studio and guest were encouraged to do the same.

Morgan said: 'I stopped working with Russell Brand several years ago. During the time I worked with him, I was never aware of any allegations of serious sexual misconduct against him.

'I absolutely condemn all forms of mistreatment of women. Looking back on the time I spent working on radio at the BBC, I am regretful to learn that a show I was part of made colleagues uncomfortable at times.'

Ofcom fined the BBC 17,500 for a serious breach of its code after finding that Brand's show on 6 Music had faked a competition winner, in July 2008.

While working for the BBC, Brand offered to bring a naked female employee with him when meeting Jimmy Saville.

Russell Brand is accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse. Pictured in Soho, New York in 2013

Brand (pictured in 2008) said that during his 'time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual' and that he was 'always transparent about that'

During the phone call with Saville in May 2007, five years before his crimes were exposed, Brand said: I've got a personal assistant. And part of her job description is that anyone I demand she greet, meet, massages, she has to do it. She's very attractive, Jimmy.'

Brand also worked for Channel 4 hosting its show Big Brother's Big Mouth during which he is said to have had a relationship with a 16-year-old girl who he was controlling and abusive towards.

An employee who worked at Channel 4 told The Times about a meeting in late 2013 or early 2014 where Brand was pitched as a host of a show and concerns about his behaviour were flagged.

'The solution that was offered was that we would take the female staff off the crew - women that have worked hard to get into this industry - now can't work on particular shows because of fear that they might be assaulted or harassed. I was in disbelief,' the employee said.

In a statement, Channel 4 said: 'Channel 4 is appalled to learn of these deeply troubling allegations, including behaviour alleged to have taken place on programmes made for Channel 4 between 2004 and 2007.

In a video posted to YouTube and X, formerly Twitter , last night Brand said he 'refutes' the serious criminal allegations

Other allegations concern his alleged behaviour while working as a radio host for the BBC (Brand is pictured visiting SiriusXM Studios on October 14, 2014 in New York City)

'We are determined to understand the full nature of what went on. We have carried out extensive document searches and have found no evidence to suggest the alleged incidents were brought to the attention of Channel 4. We will continue to review this in light of any further information we receive, including the accounts of those affected individuals.

'We will be asking the production company who produced the programmes for Channel 4 to investigate these allegations and report their findings properly and satisfactorily to us.

'In the many years since the alleged incidents took place, there has obviously been extensive change in Channel 4's management and commissioning teams. Today, Channel 4 has a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour and has a robust Code of Conduct. We require all suppliers to have in place rigorous safeguarding policies and provide whistleblowing support, including Channel 4's Speak Up facility.

'We are committed to ensuring our industry has safe, inclusive and professional working environments.'
The words 'women,' 'girls' and 'females' should be removed from online articles about periods to avoid offending transgender people, a sanitary pad manufacturer is said to have told a website.

The firm Always reportedly issued the edict to the parenting site Good To Know to make content it sponsored 'inclusive'.

Writer Milli Hill told The Mail on Sunday she was 'outraged' when the website changed all mentions of women or girls in her contribution to a recent article about helping teens with their first periods.

'Women' and 'female' were replaced with 'people' or 'bodies' in the piece, entitled 'How can I help with my daughter's first period?'

When Ms Hill raised it with an editor at the website, she was told Always wanted it to use 'inclusive language' because 'not everyone who has periods identifies with the label girl/woman'.

Milli Hill claims that Always asked for references to women and girls to be removed from an article she had written about helping teenagers with their first periods

Sanitary pad firm Always reportedly asked parenting site Good To Know to remove references to 'women', 'girls' and 'females' in articles about periods that it sponsored

Last night, the author accused Always of 'censoring' her to pander to transgender rights activists who claim it is discriminatory to say only women can have periods.

The issue goes to the heart of the row over the erosion of women's rights in the name of inclusivity. 'I was absolutely outraged when I saw the final article, as it was obvious that I had been censored,' said Ms Hill, author of The Positive Birth Book and My Period: Find Your Flow And Feel Proud Of Your Period!.

'My words had been changed to fit an ideological agenda, which is a rather terrifying thought experiment that I don't think the people at Always  in their quest for 'inclusivity'  have given much thought to.'

In the article, Ms Hill wrote that periods were 'a normal part of the experience of being female'. This was changed to remove the word 'female'. Meanwhile, a reference to 'all women' was also amended so it became 'all bodies'.

When Ms Hill asked an editor about the use of gender-neutral language in articles on periods, she was told this was done at the 'request' of Always.

In Instagram messages seen by The Mail on Sunday, the editor told Ms Hill that Always had wanted the website to use 'inclusive language' because 'not everyone who has periods identifies with the label girl/woman'.

After complaining, some of Ms Hill's original quotes were restored. However, the article was later taken down from the website.

Helen Joyce, director of advocacy for the women's rights organisation Sex Matters, said: 'It's bad enough that Always has taken the ideological decision to erase women and girls  its entire customer base  from its communications and advertising. It's downright sinister that the same ideological choice appears to have been foisted on Milli Hill, who's done such important work demystifying and destigmatising periods.'

Last night, Good To Know editor Sophie Bird denied that Always was responsible for the changes made to Ms Hill's quotes

The brand sparked an online debate after removing its 'Venus' sign from packaging in 2019

Ms Hill criticised Always earlier this year for 'dehumanising' women by referring to girls as 'bodies with female sex organs' in a pamphlet explaining puberty to children.

And women threatened to boycott the brand in 2019 when it removed the image of Venus  representing the female sex  from packaging.

Last night, Good To Know editor Sophie Bird denied that Always was responsible for the changes made to Ms Hill's quotes, adding: 'Good To Know takes full responsibility for this error and has taken corrective action to prevent this from happening again.'

Proctor & Gamble, the global firm that owns Always, said: 'At Always we value freedom of expression and will continue to use our voice as a force for good.'

However, Ms Hill rejected the claim that Always held no responsibility for editorial changes.

She added: 'The whole reason the articles on periods were made 'gender neutral' was because of Always  as I was directly informed by one of the editors at Good To Know.'
Russell Brand was met by scores of cheering fans as he arrived at his sold-out Wembley gig hours after being accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse.

Breaking cover this evening, Brand arrived at Wembley's Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre almost an hour late to perform his show Bipolarisation after getting 'stuck in traffic on the M40', before ending his show early ahead of tonight's Channel 4's Dispatch programme which went into further detail about the allegations.

Four women have alleged sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013, when Brand was at the height of his fame, working for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 as well as starring in Hollywood films.

Brand also faces allegations of controlling, abusive and predatory behaviour, following a joint investigation by The Sunday Times, The Times and Channel 4 Dispatches. He has denied all the allegations.

Wearing an open neck black shirt, the 48-year-old comedian appeared to brush aside the allegations as he received a massive round of applause from his audience - with one woman holding a sign saying 'We stand by you Russell. Stay strong. Stay Free. We love you.'

Father-of-two Brand told the crowd: 'I love you. I love you. Thank you. There's some things I cannot talk about and hopefully you appreciate that I'm gonna give you everything I've got.'

He did make a nod to the allegations, however, when a man who looked like him walked past the stage minutes after the gig started, with Brand joking he looked like a body double. 'That might come in handy,' he quipped.

Brand arrived at Wembley's Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre almost an hour later that planned to perform his show Bipolarisation after getting 'stuck in traffic'

A stony-faced Russell Brand has been spotted arriving at a sold-out Wembley gig after today being accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse

One fan in the theatre pictured holding sign with the words 'We stand by you Russell. Stay strong. Stay Free. We love you' scribbled on it.

Brand cracked jokes as he spoke to his sell-out crowd in Wembley on Saturday evening

Brans is spotted departing the Wembley venue after delivering his stand-up routine

Brand is seen putting on sunglasses as he leaves the Wembley venue tonight

People stand outside the Wembley Park Theatre where comedian and actor Russell Brand is performing in northwest London

The show finished abruptly at 9.05pm, while Channel 4's Dispatches kicked off at 9pm, with accusers going into further details about Brand's alleged crimes.

Members of the audience commented that the show came to an 'abrupt' end.

One said: 'I didn't expect it to finish so soon. It was an abrupt end. I know the Dispatches is about to start, he probably had to rush off to watch that.

'It's very weird. I didn't think he'd be late considering he finished the show so soon.'

Nevertheless, Brand received another round-of-applause and a standing ovation as it came to an end. He said: 'Thank you for a wonderful evening.

'I really appreciate you being here. I love you. I'm sorry I was so late. I hope you have enjoyed it. I hope you know I love you. Stay close. Stay awake. Stay free. Thank you.'

Tonight's show comes after four women alleged sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013, when Brand was at the height of his fame, working for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 as well as starring in Hollywood films.

Brand vehemently denies the allegations and in a video posted online on Friday, stated all of his relationships have been consensual, before accusing the media of a 'co-ordinated attack'.

In the clip, the 48-year-old claimed he was facing a 'litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks'.

'Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute,' he said.

'These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies and as I have written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.'

Speaking to fans this evening, Brand cracked jokes about his father and masturbation. He also spoke about changes to his lifestyle.

'I've changed my life - I'm now a vegan and don't look at pornography,' he told crowds.

'I'm trying to love a spiritual life and discern what is real and what is false.'

He later added: 'I know I'm not the only one who doesn't trust authority.'

He made jokes about being a father and dealing with his children, quipping: 'Go to sleep now or I'll burn your f***ing unicorn.'

He added: 'You think this is the real me? 'This is an act!'

Brand strutted on stage as fans cheered, before then beginning to crack jokes

Fans cheered as the 48-year comedian arrived at his gig in Wembley on Saturday evening

Photographers were pictured waiting for Brand as he arrived at his gig about an hour late

Brand was pictured entering the theatre about an hour late looking stony-faced

Brand (pictured arriving) later told fans: 'I love you. Thank you. There's some things I cannot talk about and hopefully you appreciate that'

In the report by The Times, one woman alleges Brand raped her against the wall in his Los Angeles home.

A second woman alleges that Brand assaulted her when he was 31 and she was 16 and still at school. It is claimed the actor referred to her as 'the child' during an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship that lasted for about three months

READ MORE: Listen to moment Russell Brand tells Jimmy Savile he will bring along an attractive naked female assistant who will give him a massage when they meet Advertisement

A third woman alleged the comedian sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in Los Angeles and that he threatened her with legal action if she told anyone.

While the fourth claimed she was sexually assaulted by Brand who she alleges was physically and emotionally abusive towards her.

Audience members in Wembley were reading news reports about the claims on their phones before Brand's gig started, as Rebel Rebel by David Bowie played.

The allegations have not put off fans who have travelled from across the country to watch the show.

Some were still appealing for tickets even after the allegations surfaced this afternoon, with one taking to Twitter asking: 'Looking for two spare Russell Brand in Wembley tonight. DMs open.'

But others on social media said the recent accusations against the actor might have an impact on the mood.

'Is anyone at the Russell Brand gig tonight at Wembley Park? Be interesting to gage audience reaction, because I can imagine the atmosphere will be very low,' one person asked.

Fans were pictured taking their seats in Wembley hours after the allegations against Brand were revealed

Russell Brand took to his YouTube channel to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations' ahead of a mystery Channel 4 Dispatches investigation

Brand (pictured with a couple of years ago with his wife Laura in Bath) said he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters' from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper

Among the allegations, which Brand denies, included the alleged rape of a woman (pictured is an image from the trailer of Channel 4's Dispatches, set to air later tonight)

An announcement played to the theatre said: 'Russell is stuck in traffic on the M40. The start will be closer to 7.40pm. He is 100 per cent on his way. He is looking forward to seeing you soon.'

One of Brand's alleged victims was still attending school when she was sexually assaulted by him.

Alice - not her real name - who was 16 at the time, was shopping outside Topshop on Oxford Street when Brand approached her and began rifling through her bag. He pulled out a dress and asked her if she would be wearing it on their date.

Their relationship lasted three months and Alice, as well her mother, both described Brand's behaviour as 'grooming'.

Towards the end of the relationship, the woman, now 31, said the comedian sexually assaulted her.

She told the paper: 'I was sat up in the bed up against the headboard, and he forced his penis down my throat and I couldn't breathe. It was just choking me and I couldn't breathe, and I was pushing him away and he wasn't backing off at all.'

Brand (pictured in 2008) said that during his 'time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual' and that he was 'always transparent about that'

The allegations in The Times came ahead of Channel 4 latest Dispatches investigation (Brand is pictured in a clip on the programme)

Alice said that Brand manipulated women for sex by joking about his sex addiction and countless relationships.

She added: 'I think he was very skillful in the start of making his identity be, 'I'm the womaniser. I'm a sex addict. I'm inappropriate but it's all just a joke, it's funny',' Alice claims, 'It's a smokescreen for a lot more of his dark behaviour'.'

The women who have accused Russell Brand 'Alice': She was 16 when she claimed her and Brand entered a three-month relationship. Reportedly referring to her as 'the child' during their fling, she alleged Brand 'forced his penis down her throat'. 'Nadia': She accused Brand of pinning her against the wall of his LA home in July 2012 before allegedly raping her. 'Phoebe': She and Brand reportedly met while at Alcoholics Anonymous. She accused Brand of sexually assaulting her in a bedroom as she screamed for him to stop. 'Rachel': The former runner used to work with Brand when he presented Big Brother's Big Mouth. She claimed Brand flashed his penis at her when in his dressing room and made inappropriate advances towards her. Jordan Martin: Brand's ex-girlfriend alleged he sexually assaulted her in 2014, writing about the reported encounter in her self-published book. Brand has denied the allegations and said his relationships have all been consensual. Advertisement

In late 2020, Alice contacted Brand's literary agent, Angharad Wood, the co-founder of Tavistock Wood, to report the actor's alleged behaviour.

She claimed she was told by a lawyer acting on Brand's behalf that he denied the accusations. But in a fresh development tonight, Brand was removed from the websites of Curtis Brown and Tavistock Wood.

In a statement about Alice's 2020 allegations, Tavistock Wood tonight said: 'Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him. Tavistock Wood has terminated all professional ties to Brand.'

A second woman, who is named as 'Nadia' claimed to have had consensual sex with Brand in June 2012 in his LA home.

Nadia, who is a businesswoman, said she then visited the actor at his home again on the morning of July 1 where she claimed a 'naked' Brand came bounding out of his bedroom before then assaulting her against a wall.

Recounting the alleged incident to The Times, she said she 'tried to get away' and 'slipped' before then getting stuck on a painting.

'At this point he's grabbing at my underwear, pulling it to the side,' the woman told the paper.

Nadia alleges Brand then grabbed her and pushed up against her after she told him she wanted to leave.

'He's a lot taller than me. And he has that glazed look in his eye again. And I can't move. And I told him, 'Get off, get off.' Nadia claims Brand pushed her up against the wall and raped her, without a condom.

After the alleged attack, Nadia said she 'ran out and jumped' into her car. She claimed Brand later sent her a text, saying: 'I'm sorry. That was crazy and selfish. I hope you can forgive me.'

The comedian, actor and internet personality told his 6.5 million subscribers that there are 'very, very serious criminal allegations' made against him which he 'absolutely refutes'

Russell Brand is seen posing with Burlesque dancers Vanessa and Valeria at The Brit Awards 2007 Valentine's Day photocall, Earls Court, London, on 13 Feb 2007

Nadia alleged Brand sexually assaulted her against the wall of his LA home (pictured is a trailer for the Dispatches investigation on Channel 4)

Nadia later replied, telling Brand he had 'scared the s*** out of [her]' before claiming the actor apologised and claimed she asked him if she needed to be tested for a sexually transmitted disease, which he said she did not.

The Times claimed Nadia decided against pressing criminal charges against Brand  but that the Los Angeles Police Department had been alerted to her alleged assault after she reportedly attended a Rape Treatment Centre in Santa Monica.

The following year, Brand allegedly sexually assaulted another woman in her twenties called Phoebe - which is not her real name - after reportedly meeting her at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

Phoebe said the pair started working together before having a brief sexual relationship, which ended by the time of the alleged attack in early 2013.

She told The Times how Brand allegedly trapped her in a bedroom after realising he wanted to have sex with her.

Phoebe told the paper he 'grabbed' her and put her on the bed before describing how his eyes were eyes were 'black, like the devil'.

She claimed Brand then put his 'hands down my trousers' as she was screaming and fighting for him to get off of her.

'I was screaming, and I was like, 'What are you doing, stop, please, you're my friend, I love you, please don't do this, I don't want to do this',' she told The Times.

Phoebe told the paper Brand eventually got off her before he 'flipped' and became 'super angry', shouting 'f*** you... you're fired'.

A short time later, Brand left the US and moved back to Britain. It was then that serious allegations about his conduct came to light.

In 2014, Brand's ex-girlfriend Jordan Martin wrote about their relationship in her self-published book kNot: Entanglement with a Celebrity, in which she renames Brand 'Randall Grand' and herself 'Dina'.

The Times said she declined to be interviewed about the incident but reported that she 'stood by' her account, which detailed their six-month love affair.

In the book, Martin alleged that Brand assaulted her while at Manchester's Lowry Hotel following an argument about her ex-boyfriend.

Controversial comedian Brand lashed out at 'aggressive' media claims as he insisted any relationships he had 'during his time of promiscuity' were 'consensual' (he is pictured in June 2010)

Other allegations concern his alleged behaviour while working as a radio host for the BBC (Brand is pictured visiting SiriusXM Studios on October 14, 2014 in New York City)

Former spouse Katy Perry and Russell Brand attend the 82nd Annual Academy Awards in LA on March 7, 2010

Writing about the alleged experience, Martin accused Brand of coming up behind her after the incident and sexually assaulting her and alleged he 'slides his hand down the front her low hanging jeans, into her underwear and forces a finger inside of her'.

Other allegations reported by the paper claimed that Brand's alleged attitude towards women became an 'open secret' in radio and TV production, according to sources.

While hosting his BBC radio show on 6 Music The Times claimed it was told Brand and his co-host, Matt Morgan, would sometimes undress in the studio and encourage guests to do likewise.

Morgan, who no longer works with Brand, told the paper that during his time with the Hollywood star he was 'never aware of any allegations of serious sexual misconduct against' the comedian before insisting he 'absolutely condemns all form of mistreatment of women'.

He added he was 'regretful to learn that a show I was part of made colleagues uncomfortable at times.'

A runner who worked with Brand when he presented Big Brother's Big Mouth alleged the star flashed her and made inappropriate advances at her.

'Rachel' - not her real name - told The Times in a report published today that when she was 24, Brand flashed his penis at her as she walked into his dressing room.

She claims the comedian and actor 'insinuated' she could perform oral sex on him. Rachel said she was shocked by the comment and refused.

The alleged victim said she felt unable to report what had happened and feared that she would lose her job if she complained.

Brand, who has denied all allegations of impropriety made against him, is alleged to have continued to pursue Rachel, despite her rejection.

Russell Brand is pictured taking part in a discussion at Esquire Townhouse on October 14, 2017

One of the four women who today accused Russell Brand (pictured) of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse has claimed she was a victim of sexual assault at his house when he was working in the States

Rachel told The Times that after the incident he invited her to his flat, where they kissed and had sex. They later began a relationship, kept a 'complete secret'.

Brand is alleged to have told her that he was forbidden from having sexual contact with 'anyone working on Big Brother'.

The revelations came ahead of a much-anticipated Channel 4 Dispatches investigation, Russell Brand: In Plain Sight set to air at 9pm tonight.

Last night Brand addressed his fans telling them he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper.

Addressing his fans, the comedian said he had been accused of 'a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks, which are untrue'.

His video drew backing for tech billionaire Elon Musk, who owns X - formerly known as Twitter, self-professed misogynist social media star Andrew Tate and Brand's sister-in-law, Kirsty Gallacher.

Amidst his denial of the allegations the 48-year-old actor said 'we have seen coordinated media attacks before', referring to Joe Rogan announcing he had taken anti-parasite drug Ivermectin to treat his Covid-19 infection during the pandemic.

Brand said he was 'aware of newspapers making phone calls' and 'sending letters' to people he knows for 'ages and ages', claiming he feels that 'there's a serious and consorted agenda to control these kind of spaces', referring to his YouTube channel.

He added: 'Amidst this litany of astonishing rather baroque attacks, often very serious allegations, that I absolutely refute.

'These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies.

'And as I've written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.

'Now, during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual.

'I was always transparent about that. Then almost too transparent, and I'm being transparent about it now as well.'

Laura Brand, who is expecting their third child, has not commented anything publicly or shared anything on social media since her husband made the video. Pictured: The couple together in July

The host of allegations against Brand (pictured) are claimed to have taken place between 2006 and 2013, while Brand was presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 before then becoming a star in Hollywood. Brand vehemently denies the allegations

Brand continued: 'To see that transparency metastasized into something criminal that I absolutely deny makes me question, is there another agenda at play?

'Particularly when we've seen coordinated media attacks before, like with Joe Rogan, when he dared to take a medicine that the mainstream media didn't approve of, and we saw a spate of headlines from media outlets across the world using the same language.'

Get Him to the Greek star Brand also said there had been calls for his Community Festival Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled.

Following the father-of-two's bombshell video, he received the backing of disgraced influencer Andrew Tate - who recently won his freedom after months of house arrest amid an investigation into sex trafficking claims against the kickboxer and his younger brother, Tristan, 35.

Supporting Brand, controversial social media star Tate, 36, took to X, posting a cartoon meme of a knight preparing for battle, captioned: 'On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations'.

Alongside the image, he captioned it 'Welcome to the club Russell Brand'.

Tate, who is currently facing charges of rape and human trafficking - which he has denied - in a separate Tweet responded to Brand's video calling it a 'Matrix attack'.

Brand also appeared to win the support of tech tycoon Musk, who appeared to sympathise with him. 'Of course. They don't like competition,' he replied to the comedian's video on X.

Both Musk and Brand have experienced similar criticism over the years being branded as conspiracy theorists.

During the pandemic Brand was condemned for airing Covid conspiracy theories and in 2014 he received backlash after claiming he was 'open minded' about the idea the US government might have been behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The Tesla boss has also been known to publicly support conspiracy theorists as some 'have turned out to be true'.

Elon Musk appeared to back Brand's video, taking to X to respond, telling the comedian 'They don't like competition'

Responding to the Tweet, tech mogul Elon Musk told Brand: 'Of course. They don't like competition'

YouTuber and self-proclaimed misogynist Andrew Tate also took to X to show his support for Brand

Tate took to X, posting a cartoon meme of a knight preparing for battle, captioned: 'On my way to fight the crazy b***h allegations'

In a separate Tweet responding to Brand's video he called the allegations made against the comedian a 'Matrix attack'

The comedian, actor and internet personality told his 6.5 million subscribers late on Friday night that there are 'very, very serious criminal allegations' made against him which he 'absolutely refutes'

Later, Brand's sister-in-law Kirsty Gallacher appeared to show her support for the controversial celeb.

The Smooth Radio presenter, 47, who is the older sister of Brand's wife Laura, shared the comedian's two-minute video on Instagram with a large red love heart.

Brand married his wife, who is currently pregnant with their third child, in 2017. Mrs Brand has not commented anything publicly or shared anything on social media since her husband made the video. She has since appeared to delete her Instagram account.

Amongst the 'very serious allegations' made, Brand said there was also a 'litany of astonishing attacks', which he called 'some pretty stupid stuff' including calls for his Community Festival in Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled.

He added: 'I need my voice along with your voice. I don't mind them using my books and my stand up to talk about my promiscuous sexual conduct in the past. What I seriously refute are these very serious, criminal allegations.

'Also its worth mentioning that there are witnesses whose evidence directly contradicts the narratives that these two mainstream media outlets are trying to construct, apparently in what seems to be to me a coordinated attack.'

Throughout the clip, he mentioned how subscribers to his YouTube channel had previously written in the comments section 'watch out Russell, they're coming for you'.

Kirsty Gallacher has backed her brother-in-law Russell Brand as he took to social media to 'absolutely deny' a string of 'very serious criminal allegations made against him'. Pictured: Kirsty with her sister Laura Brand

Brand took to his YouTube channel last night to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations' ahead of a mystery Channel 4 Dispatches investigation

Brand's sister-in-law Kirsty Gallacher appeared to show her support for the controversial celebrity, sharing his video with a red love heart.

Amongst the 'very serious allegations' made, Brand said there was also a 'litany of astonishing attacks', which he called 'some pretty stupid stuff' including calls for his Community Festival in Hay-on-Wye to be cancelled

Brand closes the video, which has already had 4.9million views since it was uploaded to X at 11.21pm on Friday, by saying: 'In the meantime I want you to stay close, stay awake, but more importantly than any of that - if you can, please - stay free.'

Brand performed the latest rendition of his show, Russell Brand: Biopolarisation, in Wembley.

MailOnline understands the sold-out Tuesday performance of the show, at London's Theatre Royal Windsor venue, is also still due to go ahead.

Gigs in Plymouth, on Friday, and Wolverhampton, on September 28, are also still listed.

Confused fans have taken to social media to question whether the performance will go ahead.

One said: 'Please can you confirm if the performance tonight is ging ahead and if there is an option for a refund?'

Another added: 'Any chance of a refund? There's a show on at 9pm on Channel 4 that I don't want to miss.'

On the tour's website, it said the show discusses 'rules and rules breaking', 'democracy and freedom'.

It adds: 'We reach conclusions from mass confusion by polling the live audience.'

'Stay free' is a phrase Brand frequently used to ends his videos on his channel.

But hours before he was due to take to the stage, Brand was seemingly removed from the his agency websites.

Following his denial of allegations against him and ahead of the Channel 4 documentary tonight, Brand's PR firm MBC PR and talent agent Tavistock Wood no longer advertise him as a client on their websites. However, it's understood MBC PR still represent him.

The comedian's live gig in front a 2,000 strong audience is set to go ahead tonight at the Troubadour Wembley Park in London

On June 1 2023, talent agency Tavistock Wood was still representing Russell Brand on their website

Today, however, the comedian is nowhere to be seen on the website. Last night he denied 'criminal allegations' in a video online

Russell Brand with Jemima Khan in downtown Manhattan on September 15, 2013. After Katy Perry, Brand had a long romance with the British socialite and film maker. In 2014 they sued a masseuse who had accused them of assault

Russell Brand and wife Laura Gallacher are seen on January 6, 2018 in Los Angeles, California

Brand said he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters' from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper

Brand's statement came amid rumours on social media about whether a scandal about a famous person could feature in the investigation airing today.

Brand, an only child from Grays in Essex, became famous thanks to his one-man stand-up shows. For a brief time was the toast of London, sleeping first with supermodel Kate Moss (who regretted her choice) and then allegedly with Moss' friend Sadie Frost, too.

He shot to fame in the noughties as a TV and radio presenter, hosting series including Channel 4's Big Brother's Big Mouth and a BBC Radio 2 show.

The 48-year-old comedian later graduated to Hollywood, starring in films including Rock of Ages, Get Him to the Greek, Despicable Me, and more recently Death on the Nile.

His fame was cemented by the 2008 tome 'My Booky Wook' soon afterwards, in which he told of his heroin addiction and numerous sordid sexual encounters including sex with prostitutes and joyless orgies.

The following year he lost his slot on a BBC Radio 2 show after calling up Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs to boast about having had sex with his granddaughter, Georgina Baillie.

At that time it seemed there was nobody he couldn't charm. In 2010, after a brief courtship, he married dazzling pop star Katy Perry in a seven-day ceremony in India. They had met at the MTV VMA awards when Perry had thrown a plastic water bottle at his head.

By December of 2011, the Brand had fled for divorce from Perry, citing irreconcilable differences.
Jul 6, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; San Diego Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso (23) at the batting cage prior to playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Former San Diego Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso called out San Diego Union-Tribune beat writer Kevin Acee on Friday over an article about Manny Machado.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, compared Acee to a Ted Lasso character who reports on AFC Richmond in the show. He added that Acee has (zero) clue to be honest.

Kevin Acee = Trent Crimm the independent SMH 0 clue to be honest sad sad  Yonder Alonso (@YonderalonsoU) September 15, 2023

Acees reporting explored the leadership void and cultural issues in San Diego. The piece identified Manny Machado and his attitude as culprits in the behind-the-scenes issues facing the Padres.

To ask a Padres player why no one could confront Machado on these matters is to be looked at as if you have six heads, according to Acees article.

Machado is married to Alonsos sister, Yainee, making Machado Alonsos brother-in-law.

In a second post, Alonso went a step further. He wrote that Manny is a big boy  this is me personally Kevin Acee is a BUM.

Nah , Manny is a big boy

He can take care of his own this is me personally Kevin Acee is a BUM  Yonder Alonso (@YonderalonsoU) September 15, 2023

Alonso played for San Diego from 2012-15 and joined MLB Network ahead of the 2021 season. Alonso reportedly played a role in recruiting Machado to San Diego after taking nicely to the city when he played there.

Acee has covered the Padres full-time for more than a decade.

Alonso, as a former player, clearly could have brought his past experience with Acee into his judgment of the reporting. But the fact that the reporting paints his brother-in-law in a negative light makes it hard to take the criticism at face value.

Alonso also liked a post calling Acee horse****.

Bum @sdutKevinAcee should have his press credentials stripped for going around the clubhouse to make a hit piece on the guy who was clearly a leader and carried the entire team on his back last year to an NLCS. I dont usually @ people but this guy has been horseshit for years  toside19 (@TOside19) September 15, 2023

Even as an MLB employee, Alonso is within his rights to criticize a beat reporter. Bum is hardly the worst name he could have called Acee.

The most curious thing about all of this is what Alonso meant comparing Acee to Trent Crimm.

Crimm befriends Lasso over the course of the show. His reporting evolves over the course of the show to be largely positive.

Alonso probably meant that comp to hit harder than it will.

[Yonder Alonso on X]
Talk about a blunder!

Oakland has missed out on funding from a $267million grant to combat retail theft after its leaders missed the deadline to file an application.

California planned to distribute the money to cities struggling to deal with the rampant looting, which has plagued the state.

But Oakland missed the July 7 deadline to apply for the grant due to alleged technical difficulties - and it has left businesses and residents furious.

Local pastor and community leader Bishop Bob Jackson slammed the city officials and said: 'You didnt have to be a rocket scientist to fill out the grant.'

Oakland Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas admitted she was 'extremely disappointed' to miss out on the grant and added the city administrator was investigating how the mistake happened.

Oakland has missed out on funding from a $267million grant to combat retail theft after its leaders missed the deadline to file an application due to alleged technical difficulties

Oakland Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas admitted she was 'extremely disappointed' to miss out on the grant and added the city administrator was investigating how the mistake happened

The office of California Governor Gavin Newsom announced plans to distribute $267million in grants to cities to help deal with the rising organized retail theft issue.

It publicized the deadline to maintain a 'level playing field'.

But following a legal review, the California Board of State and Community Corrections determined 'the City of Oakland did not meet the necessary requirements for a successful application submission and will therefore, not be eligible for funding consideration.'

The city's Economic and Workforce Development Department collaborated with the Oakland Police Department and community partners to put an application together for the governors Real Public Safety Plan grant opportunity, the City Administrators office told local website SFGATE.

While the police and community partners handed in their materials on time, the development department did not.

'Obviously this outcome is unacceptable,' the City Administrators office said in a statement.

Council President Bas said: 'Community safety is Oaklands top priority, and I am extremely disappointed we missed a grant opportunity to bring more resources to our city.

'The city administrator is investigating what happened in order to prevent this from happening again.'

'You just had to do it in a timely manner,' Bishop Jackson said. 'And because public safety does not seem to be a priority for the leaders in this city, it was not done.'

He added crime is as bad as it has ever been and he does not understand why those in charge did not submit the application on time.

Larceny, which includes retail theft, increased by almost 50 percent in Oakland between 2019 and 2022. There have already been 3,329 reported cases so far this year.

Robbery has increased by 32 percent since 2019 with 1,699 cases reported in 2023 and there have already been 1,734 aggravated assaults in the city compared to 1,577 last year.

California planned to distribute the money to cities struggling to deal with the rampant looting which has plagued the state, including cities like Oakland

Data shows the city's current crime epidemic - in which rates across nearly every major category have increased dramatically since well before the pandemic

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao (pictured in an interview about the crime wave in August), inherited the city's crime woes upon assuming office this year and vowed to make addressing illegal acts her top priority

'That was free money for us to be able to abate a lot of the problems that were having centered on crime right now,' he said.

'We missed the opportunity because we were negligent because we what, we were reading our emails. What why did we do that? What was the whats the problem leaders?'

Businessman Chris Rachal, who owns restaurants Mimosa on Grand and For the Culture, believes the mayor, those in the city council and the city administrator should be held responsible.

'Is an embarrassment really. I mean, when you really think about it, its just an embarrassment,' he said.

'Oaklanders are scared to come out of the house. You know, for the most part. I mean, a lot of people just dont even want to come out the house with the fear of someone, either carjacking them robbing them breaking into their car. And its done quite a quite a hefty job on businesses.'

The Oakland NAACP office hit out at the failure from city officials to apply for the funds.

'We are shocked, perplexed, and furious that the City of Oakland forfeited millions of dollars in crime prevention funding by missing a state grant deadline,' it said in a letter.

'This is a devastating blow to citizens and businesses who have been clamoring for crime prevention measures which could have been funded by the millions of dollars in grants offered by the state.'

It is not clear how much money Oakland would have received as a part of the grant or what the technical issues that prevented the application from being submitted on time were.

Successful applicants include police departments in Fremont, Newark and Vacaville who are set to collectively receive around $7million.

San Francisco's police department is going to net $15.3million, which makes it one of the most highly awarded in the region.

Business owners like Bruce Vuong - who owns an automotive shop- likened Oakland to something out of a war film. Citizens and other frustrated storeowners have called on officials to declare a state of emergency

Governor Gavin Newsom has now announced a plan to inject additional funding to the state to help tackle the problem of rampant theft

The extra funding will be used to establish retail theft investigative units, install surveillance cameras, increase arrests and stop vehicle and catalytic converter thefts.

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thaos office is working to hire someone who streamline the application process to prevent something like this from happening again.

It comes as a distressing new crime trend known as 'flash rob mobs' is on the rise and likely to cost California a whopping $19billion a year, guidance from the LAPD warns.

The incidents have become increasingly frequent in soft-on-crime California, where detectives in the state's largest police force are now assembling designated teams to tackle the problem.

The groups have been pillaging stores including Nordstrom and Versace.

In response to the recent spate, officials at the Los Angeles Police Department have formed a taskforce, named the the Organized Retail Crime Taskforce.

As of the end of last month, the taskforce had made eleven arrests in connection with four cases.

But detectives say the trend is not contained to the Golden State, and will end up costing America $30billion a year unless something is done.
An Italian airforce display jet has crashed following a bird strike, with the wreckage slamming into a car and killing a five-year-old girl.

Dramatic footage of the MB339 fighter plunging from the sky was caught by passers-by who had gathered to watch the Frecce Tricolore display near Turin.

The unit is the equivalent of the British Red Arrows and accident investigators are working on the theory the plane had a bird strike which caused it to lose height.

In the video clip the plane is seen in formation with other jets but then loses height rapidly as the others peel away as part of the display.

Cars can be seen along a perimeter road and then the dramatic moment the pilot ejects is captured before the plane plunges into the ground and explodes in a fireball.

Dramatic footage shows the MB339 fighter plunging from the sky before crashing into a car and killing a five-year-old girl

Horrified onlookers watched the crash at the Frecce Tricolore display near Turin

The pilot escaped without injury and was taken to the nearby Giovanni Bosch hospital in Turin but paramedics were unable to save the girl.

Officials said her brother was also seriously hurt in the tragedy and her parents escaped unscathed but were treated for shock.

The display was part of a centenary celebration for the Italian airforce and all the other planes involved landed safely with the display being immediately cancelled.

Italy's deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini said on X: 'Terrible accident in Turin, where a Frecce Tricolori plane crashed during an exercise, killing a five-year-old girl and, according to initial reports, injuring her little brother and parents.

'Except for the pilot, who jumped out with his parachute at the last moment.

A frightening tragedy. A prayer and a hug of closeness.'

Italian Defence Minister Guido Guido Crosetto, expressed his 'deepest condolences' for the tragedy.

The unit is the equivalent of the British Red Arrows and accident investigators are working on the theory the plane had a bird strike which caused it to lose height

He added: 'The news has shocked and we are deeply saddened by the tragic accident involving a member of the Frecce Tricolori whose aircraft was dramatically involved in a crash with a vehicle with a family on board.

'The Ministry expresses its closeness to the family members, aware that there are unbridgeable losses and that it would never want to receive such news.

'In maintaining a respectful and due silence the Ministry of Defence will make available every resource and capacity for the management of the emergency and to support any people involved. Any further details will be released as soon as possible.'

Nearby Turin airport was temporarily closed after the accident to allow the display team to land before reopening later.

Since being formed in 1961 the Frecce have been involved in several accidents with the most serious being in 1988 at an air display in Ramstein in Germany where three planes collided killing the pilots and a further 67 on the ground were hit by the wreckage.
New Census data has been released showing the states where remote work remains the most popular, as many employers demand a return to the office.

Data from the 2022 American Community Survey released on Thursday shows that, nationwide, 15.2 percent of employees worked remotely last year, down from almost 18 percent in 2021.

Colorado was the top state for remote work, with 21.2 percent working from home, while Mississippi had the smallest share at 5.5 percent.

Generally, states on the coasts with large urban populations topped the rankings for remote work -- although Utah was another Mountain West state joining Colorado in the top 10, with 18 percent working from home.

At 33.8 percent, Washington, DC, had a higher remote working rate than any state, reflecting the popularity of remote work in urban areas with higher concentrations of information workers.

New Census data has been released showing the states where remote work remains the most popular, as many employers demand a return to the office

Top and bottom 10 states for remote working in 2022 Top 10 Bottom 10 Colorado 21.2% Washington 20.5% Arizona 19.2% Maryland 19.2% Oregon 19.0% Massachusetts 18.4% Virginia 18.2% Utah 18.0% New Hampshire 17.3% California 17.2% Mississippi 5.5% North Dakota 7.6% Louisiana 8.2% Arkansas 8.8% Alabama 8.9% West Virginia 9.1% Wyoming 9.1% Oklahoma 9.4% Alaska 9.5% Hawaii 9.5% Advertisement

Despite the significant decline in working remotely from 2021 to 2022, it still remained almost three times higher than before the pandemic in 2019, when it was only 5.7 percent and more than three-quarters of workers drove alone to work in a vehicle.

The 2022 survey did not let participants say whether they work from home full-time or only some of the time, and respondents could pick multiple answers.

The data show that the rate of people commuting to work alone in a vehicle climbed to 68.7 percent in 2022 from 67.8 percent in 2021.

For carpoolers, it rose to 8.6 percent from 7.8 percent the prior year.

Public transportation usage rose to 3.1 percent from 2.5 percent year-over-year, and the time people spent traveling to work jumped almost a full minute to 26.4 minutes in 2022, compared to 25.6 minutes in 2021.

Mark Behrens, a human resources data analyst in Orlando working for a Fortune 500 company, started driving to his office in March 2022 after working from home for two years because of the pandemic.

Managers now require employees to spend at least three days a week in the office.

Data from the 2022 American Community Survey released on Thursday shows that, nationwide, 15.2 percent of employees worked remotely last year (stock image)

Public transportation usage rose to 3.1 percent from 2.5 percent year-over-year

The data show that the rate of people commuting to work alone in a vehicle climbed to 68.7 percent in 2022 from 67.8 percent in 2021

While most of his co-workers resented the order, Behrens was elated to see the in-person collaboration with his colleagues return to something that felt closer to normal.

'The advantage of coming into the office, even if it's only hybrid, is not being isolated, having some social connections,' Behrens said.

'You see people and you mention something you are working on and you start to talk about it more, and you can come up with more solutions, and make more progress.'

Even though there were advantages to working from home, like throwing something into the crock pot during lunch breaks, Allison Graves was happy to return to her first-grade classroom after teaching virtually for most of the first two years of the pandemic, which started in early 2020.

With a renewed commute, she could catch up on podcasts she missed because she didn't spend so much time in her car.

'Continuing virtually just wasn't the same as teaching face-to-face,' said Graves, who lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

'People spent much of 2020 and 2021 not going places, and now people are expected to be back or doing hybrid.'
Iranian security forces briefly detained the father of Mahsa Amini on Saturday, a year after her death in police custody set off some of the biggest protests over women's rights in the country'

Arrests of several 'counter revolutionaries' and 'terrorists' in different Iranian cities and security forces had stopped plots to create disturbances around illegal demonstrations, State-affiliated media claimed.

The September 16, 2022 death of Mahsa Amini - a 22-year-old Kurdish woman arrested by the morality police last year for allegedly flouting mandatory dress codes - triggered months of some of the biggest protests against the Islamic Republic's Shi'ite clerical rule ever seen and drew international condemnation.

On Saturday, the first anniversary of her death, a massive security force presence was deployed in Iran's mostly Kurdish areas in anticipation of unrest, according to human rights groups.

In Amini's home town of Saqez, in northwestern Iran, the semi-official Fars news agency reported that police using a pellet gun shot had seriously injured a man who 'ignored a police warning'. It said the man was in an intensive care ward after undergoing an operation.

The death of Masha Amini, 22, sparked worldwide protests - but the Iranian government vowed not to back down

Women burnt their headscarves in Kurdish-controlled north-east Syria. Protests spread across the Middle East and the West since the death of Masha Amini

Amini died in custody after not observing Iran's ultra-conservative dress code, which caused outrage across the country and beyond

Footage on social media showed apparent protests in areas including Gohardasht, a neighbourhood of the city of Karaj west of the capital Tehran, and in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

One video posted on social media showed a group of demonstrators in Gohardasht chanting 'We are a great nation, and will take back Iran' while drivers honked their horns and shouted encouragement. The video could not immediately be authenticated.

Mahsa's father, Amjad Amini, was warned against marking the anniversary of his daughter's death before being released, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network said. Iran's official IRNA news agency denied that Amjad Amini was arrested, but it did not say if he was briefly detained or warned.

Earlier, social media and reports by rights groups spoke of security forces taking up positions around Amini's home in Saqez, in western Iran.

In a statement on Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden said: 'Mahsa's story did not end with her brutal death. She inspired a historic movement 'Woman, Life, Freedom ' that has impacted Iran and influenced people across the globe.'

Britain on Friday imposed sanctions on four Iranian officials and the United States said it was sanctioning more than two dozen individuals and entities connected to Iran's 'violent suppression' of protests.

Amini's parents had said in a statement earlier this week that, despite government warnings, they would hold a 'traditional and religious anniversary ceremony' at their 22-year-old daughter's grave in Saqez, according to social media posts.

Widespread strikes were reported in multiple cities in Iran's Kurdistan region.

Women cut their hair in protest to the Iranian government following Amini's death

Images showed women climbing on top of cars and tearing off their hijabs in defiance of the regime, with police nowhere to be seen

In this image taken on Sept. 19, 2022, a police motorcycle and a trash bin are burning during a protest over the death of Mahsa Amini

People are pictured burning the Iranian flag in after the death of the 22-year-old Amini

500 people were killed and hundreds more were injured during the regimes crack down on protests

A huge line of people were seen blocking roads into Saqez, Amini's hometown

Young women led the charge in daily protests that have endured for more than a month, burning their hijab headscarves and confronting security forces

However, IRNA said Amini's hometown of Saqez was 'completely quiet' and that calls for strike in Kurdish areas had failed due to 'people's vigilance and the presence of security and military forces'.

It quoted an official in the Kurdistan province as saying: 'A number of agents affiliated with counter-revolutionary groups who had planned to create chaos and prepare media fodder were arrested in the early hours of this morning.'

In the protests that followed Amini's death more than 500 people, including 71 minors, were killed, hundreds injured and thousands arrested, according to local rights groups

Iran carried out seven executions linked to the unrest.

In a report last month, Amnesty International said Iranian authorities 'have been subjecting victims' families to arbitrary arrest and detention, imposing cruel restrictions on peaceful gatherings at grave sites, and destroying victims' gravestones'.

Many journalists, lawyers, activists, students, academics, artists, public figures and members of ethnic minorities accused of links with the protest wave, as well as relatives of protesters killed in the unrest, have been arrested, summoned, threatened or fired from jobs in the past few weeks, according to Iranian and Western human rights groups.

Iran's Etemad daily reported in August that the lawyer for Amini's family also faced charges of 'propaganda against the system'. If convicted, Saleh Nikbakht faces a jail sentence of between one and three years.

The 22-year-olds death sparked some of the biggest protests since the fall of the Shah in 1979.
Chinese teachers in British classrooms are to be replaced by recruits from Taiwan in the wake of the Commons spy scandal, The Mail on Sunday has learned.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Security Minister Tom Tugendhat have led the charge in Cabinet to shut down the Confucius Institutes, which provide Chinese-language teachers to UK classrooms, due to unease about the extent to which the tentacles of the Chinese Communist Party could be reaching into classrooms.

It is understood that Gillian Keegan's Education Department has agreed  on condition that the teachers are replaced by staff from Taiwan, which Beijing regards as a breakaway province.

Almost all British Government spending on Chinese-language teaching at schools is channelled through the 30 university-based institutes, and Confucius Classrooms, an offshoot, at almost 150 schools.

They claim to promote Chinese culture, but critics say they are a vehicle for Beijing to spread propaganda and curtail free speech.

BAN: It is understood that Gillian Keegan 's Education Department has agreed  on condition that the teachers are replaced by staff from Taiwan

Critics point to educational resources used by Confucius classrooms as evidence of propaganda.

One, called Chinese Buddy, carries videos featuring a cartoon of a dancing President Xi. Another popular learning tool is Chairman's Bao, a news service for children that includes articles about tourists enjoying trips to the region where minority Uighurs are persecuted.

An intelligence source said: 'We must get serious about the threat we face from the Chinese Communist Party  it's systemic, wide-ranging and unrelenting. Taiwan is our ally, and we have to support them in any way we can  their teachers would do a fine job here at our universities and schools. We don't want agents of Chinese intelligence services in our country and we certainly don't want them working in our education system.'

The call came as Ministers announced a crackdown on former UK Armed Forces personnel who train Chinese pilots.

After the Ministry of Defence issued an alert revealing a number of former RAF, Royal Navy and Army pilots had been training the Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force, a new offence within the National Security Act means that pilots risk being prosecuted for sharing sensitive information with foreign powers.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: 'Anyone found to be acting against the UK's interests by training our competitors' militaries can expect to be brought to justice.'

Mr Tugendhat said: 'In recent years we've seen attempts to harm our people, damage our economy and undermine our democracy.

'This new act provides our world-class law enforcement and intelligence agencies with new and updated tools to tackle security challenges such as these  and hold those responsible to account.'
Five holidaymakers have been injured in another dog attack at a family caravan park, with one person rushed to hospital for urgent treatment.

One victim, a man, was seriously wounded after the attack at Palins Holiday Park in Kinmel Bay, North Wales, just after 10pm on Friday while four others were treated on site for minor injuries.

Police were called to the holiday park after the dog began attacking people. It is not believed to be a Bully XL, a breed that Downing Street recently said it would ban after a serious of fatal attacks in the UK.

Officers have seized the animal and two men, aged 58 and 28, have been arrested.

DS Jon Rich, of North Wales Police, said: 'Our enquiries are ongoing but I would like to reassure the public that we are not seeking anyone else in connection with this incident.

'We are conscious of the current national attention on incidents of this nature. The dog is not believed to be a Bully XL and we are in the process of confirming its exact breed.

The victim, a man, was seriously wounded after the attack at Palins Holiday Park in Kinmel Bay, North Wales

The incident happened at the holiday park just after 10pm on Friday evening

The holiday park is close to the seaside resort of Rhyl, North Wales

The park is a popular weekend break destination and features a heated indoor pool, amusement arcade, bar, adventure playground and its own supermarket

'I would urge anyone who witnessed the incident or who has any video footage to please contact us on 101 quoting incident number A149757.'

The park, which sits just one mile from the seaside resort of Rhyl, is a popular weekend break destination and features a heated indoor pool, amusement arcade, bar, adventure playground and its own supermarket.

One review of the site states that it is 'dog friendly' and that 'well behaved dogs [are] allowed into the camp on-site pub'.

It comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Friday Bully XL breeds would be outlawed after a man die in a suspected XL bully attack in Stonnall, Staffordshire, and an 11-year-old girl was mauled in Birmingham.

In a video announcement posted to his X - formerly Twitter - account, the PM said the breed would be banned following a 'pattern of behaviour [that] cannot go on'.

Mr Sunak said he has ordered ministers to convene a panel of experts, including the police, to define the breed so it can then be outlawed.

American XL Bully dogs will be banned in the UK by the end of the year

The exact number of XL Bully dogs in the UK is unclear as the Kennel Club doesn't officially recognise the breed.

'The American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities, particularly our children,' Mr Sunak said.

'I share the nation's horror at the recent videos we've all seen.

'Yesterday we saw another suspected XL Bully dog attack, which has tragically led to a fatality.

'It's clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs: it's a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on.

'While owners already have a responsibility to keep their dogs under control, I want to reassure people that we are urgently working on ways to stop these attacks and protect the public.

'Today, I have tasked ministers to bring together police and experts to firstly define the breed of dog behind these attacks with a view to then outlawing it.

'It is not currently a breed defined in law so this vital first step must happen fast.

'We will then ban the breed under the Dangerous Dogs Act and new laws will be in place by the end of the year.'

Mr Sunak added: 'These dogs are dangerous.

'I want to reassure the public that we will take all necessary steps to keep people safe.'
Socialists are hoping to charge New Yorkers higher taxes to combat the city's migrant apocalypse

Socialists are hoping to charge New Yorkers higher taxes to combat the city's migrant apocalypse.

Mayor Eric Adams has warned the crisis will cost the Big Apple $12 billion over the next three years - but two state senators believe more taxes could be the solution.

Senator Julia Salazar, who represents North and East Brooklyn, says it's vital income high-income earners are equally contributing.

'We should increase taxes because its economically just policy to offset all costs for our state to function,' she told The Post.

'Id say that even if our city and state hadnt seen an increase in migrants seeking asylum, this moment makes it all the more important for the wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes.'

Migrants were seen sleeping outside The Roosevelt Hotel which has reached capacity since being turned into a designated center for asylum seekers

New York City's migrant crisis is expected to cost the city $4.7billion this year. Above is a list of some of the landmarks that have been turned into emergency shelters as officials struggle to house nearly 60,000 migrants in the city's care

Senator Julia Salazar, who represents North and East Brooklyn, says it's vital high income earners are equally contributing

Jabari Brisport, State Senator for New York's 25th District, says work is needed to be able to tax the rich

Jabari Brisport, State Senator for New York's 25th District, agrees on hiking taxes for the rich - but says there's work to be done in making it happen.

'Were still organizing to tax the rich through the same revenue-raising bills weve been fighting for for years,' he said.

It comes as Mayor Adams ordered agencies to slash budgets by 5 percent, and possibly 15 percent in the future.

In response to the cuts, Brian Romero, chief of staff to socialist Queens Assemblywoman Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, said taxing the rich would be an appropriate action.

'A reminder: This is a choice. We are cutting services for New Yorkers when we could #TaxTheRich. Dont blame migrants for lack of leadership.'

The governor has said shes not considering new taxes, with her spokesman Avi Small telling The Post: 'Governor Hochul passed two balanced budgets without raising income taxes, and intends to do the same for Fiscal Year 2025.'

The Roosevelt Hotel (pictured), Paul Hotel and Paramount Hotel are among the hotels designated for housing migrants in Manhattan

A bus carrying the migrants from Texas arrives at the Port Authority bus station of New York on May 3

Asylum seekers, denied a hotel room, line the side walk of the Roosevelt Hotel

The city is currently paying about $385 a night per migrant family that needs housing and feeding, pictured here are migrant children seen playing outside of Roosevelt Hotel

New York City's migrant crisis will cost the city more than $4billion this fiscal year if the situation continues - as mayor Eric Adams warned the influx of asylum seekers could 'destroy' the city.

Despite mayor Adams' cries for help from the state and federal government, the city has not received aid to cover the extra costs, so the $4.7billion would come from the city's budget. That amount is equal to the budgets for the city's sanitation, fire and parks departments combined.

More than 110,000 asylum seekers have arrived in the city since the Spring of 2022, with over currently 10,000 arriving every month, and about 1,000 every single day.

There are now nearly 60,000 migrants in the city's care, with about 21,000 new migrant children starting school this year. As the school year kicked off on Thursday, some schools were forced to turn away students as the classrooms overflowed.

City officials have said they expect the number asylum seeker population to reach nearly 33,980 households this fiscal year.

The city is currently paying about $385 a night per migrant family that needs housing and feeding. According to Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, asylum seekers are costing the city roughly $10 million every day.

An exasperated Adams did not mince words on Wednesday as he said the city's survival hangs on outside help to deal with the crisis, renewing his appeal to the federal government to help the city avert a budgetary crisis as expenses mount  now projected at $12.2 billion by the end of next year.

It started with a madman down in Texas deciding he wanted to bus people up to New York City,' he said, referencing Texas governor Gregg Abbot's busing of migrants to the city.

Adams recently admitted the crisis is threatening to 'destroy' the Big Apple - but he blasted a lack of federal support, a 'broken' nationwide immigration system and Republicans bussing refugees from their own states into the city

The migration situation in the Big Apple has been described as a humanitarian crisis by officials, and it costs more than $9 million per day for housing, food and support

In March, city officials launched a 24-hour center to handle the numbers, and created a new agency to help coordinate efforts.

Mayor Eric Adams has warned the crisis will cost the Big Apple $12 billion over next three years

Adams continued: '110,000 migrants we have to feed, clothe, house... we have to educate their children, wash their laundry sheets... give them everything they need.'

Indeed, many of the migrants have been bused in from southern states like Texas and Florida as the conservatives governors of these states look to put some of the migration pressure on progressive governments.

They are not undocumented but do not have work permits, as they must wait months to receive them after applying for asylum.

Experts say this is one of the main issues, as the migrants can't work and become independent enough to find their own housing.

Adams warned that the city's services will be affected by the incredible additional expenses on the budget. He has previously stated the city is planning on cutting services such as library hours, meals for senior citizens, and free, full-day care for three-year-olds.

He has been tearing into the migrant crisis crippling NYC - which he warned will 'destroy' the city without urgent action.

Speaking to furious residents at a town hall meeting on Wednesday, he admitted he doesn't see a solution to the problem as he slammed the lack of help from Joe Biden.

'Let me tell you something, New Yorkers. Never in my life have I had a problem that I did not see an ending to. I don't see an ending to this,' he conceded. 'This issue will destroy New York City. Destroy New York City.'
Retailers are spending 30 million a year on security and private 'police forces' to arrest and prosecute shoplifters after 'giving up' on getting help from the authorities, a Mail on Sunday investigation has found.

The move has seen some of the biggest brands in the UK resorting to a private army of uniformed 'officers' to protect staff from increasingly brazen and violent shoplifters.

While a conventional security company provides personnel to patrol individual stores, the modern forces cover entire shopping areas alongside private detectives  mostly highly experienced ex-police officers who are able to investigate criminals and take them to court in private prosecutions.

So far, thousands of thieves have been arrested by the private firms and prosecuted, with many receiving either custodial sentences or being banned from stores.

The spread of private policing comes as the UK faces a shoplifting epidemic, with more than ten million thefts every year  about 30,000 per day or one every two seconds. Home Office data shows shoplifting rose by 24 per cent last year, as thieves take advantage of lax policing and a criminal justice system that lets off perpetrators without jail sentences.

So far, thousands of thieves have been arrested by the private firms and prosecuted, with many receiving either custodial sentences or being banned from stores

Retailers are spending 30 million a year on security and private 'police forces' to arrest and prosecute shoplifters after 'giving up' on getting help from the authorities

The MoS last week launched a campaign to get authorities to act against shoplifting.

Our investigation has found:

One private policing firm has successfully prosecuted 300 shoplifters on behalf of retailers;

Organised criminal gangs are behind half of all shoplifting cases;

Thieves are stealing meat from shops to sell to restaurants;

A police unit called Pegasus has now been set up to gather intelligence to smash shoplifting gangs.

Across Britain there are 332 Business Improvement Districts  areas where firms pay into funds to improve local services  but now up to 30 million each year is being diverted to security and private policing firms in a bid to stop shoplifting, according to retail experts.

One firm, TM Eye, employs 100 'bobbies', who wear police-like uniforms with red stab-proof vests, and 28 plain-clothes detectives who mingle with shoppers. Boss David McKelvey, a former detective chief inspector at Scotland Yard, said: 'Retailers have given up on police investigating shoplifting. That's why we do these prosecutions.'

When the firm's detectives arrest shoplifters, they hand them over to the police. But if they believe they have enough evidence, they send it to magistrates' court to request a private prosecution. So far the company has prosecuted 300 thieves in court, winning 299 cases.

Ten of Britain's leading retailers have funded a 600,000 police operation called Pegasus. Detectives will study data, including CCTV, to create profiles of shoplifters and the gangs they belong to. The intelligence will be passed to police forces early next year. Katy Bourne, Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, who is leading the project, said: 'I want to see policing nationally to tackle gangs as they are the ones causing most harm.'

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4k bag thief is jailed after Met fail to act

A Romanian woman who stole handbags worth more than 4,000 from a luxury department store has been jailed following a private criminal prosecution  after police refused to take on the case.

Diana Popovici, 34, was arrested by security guards after walking out of Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly, Central London with two Traviata handbags, each worth more than 2,000, and some chocolates.

Diana Popovici, 34, was arrested by security guards after walking out of Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly, Central London

The case was handed over to the Metropolitan Police, but when they didn't act, detectives from private policing firm TM Eye compiled a prosecution file. This was sent to Westminster magistrates, who subsequently found Popovici guilty of theft and jailed her for two weeks.

The court also discovered she was wanted in Ireland for fraud, so after her sentence had been completed she was extradited.

Her case is one of 300 prosecutions brought by TM Eye.

Its boss David McKelvey said it is able to recoup only about 25 per cent of the costs of taking on private prosecutions from the Ministry of Justice.

Our zero tolerance to this scourge  it is not a 'minor' crime

By Chris Philp, Minister for Policing

Shoplifting is not a 'minor' or 'low-level' crime. That's why I want to see a zero-tolerance approach from police.

Theft from shops  whether large chains or independent retailers  is against the law and perpetrators could face a maximum sentence of seven years. And for good reason. The consequences are devastating.

The British Retail Consortium found nearly 1 billion was lost to theft between April 2021 and March 2022. For smaller shops, even a modest loss can ruin livelihoods.

But this is not just a question of financial losses. If shoplifting is left unchecked, the problem will escalate as perpetrators are emboldened to commit more crimes. As with many types of criminality, offending can escalate  for example, to violence and abuse.

Attacks against staff are unacceptable. I say that not just as Minister for Crime and Policing but also as someone who worked in a supermarket in South London as a teenager.

Mr Philp said police should always seek CCTV footage of crime, run it through the databases and make an arrest where they get a face-match

That is why we recently introduced tougher sentences for assault against those who are serving the public, reflecting the seriousness of assaults against retail workers. We also led a police recruitment drive and now have a record number of officers in England and Wales, and I have acted to reduce bureaucratic burdens placed on them.

This will free up time for officers to do the job they have trained for and are good at  common sense policing that protects communities and catches criminals.

According to the latest stats, violent crime is down by 46 per cent since 2010 and neighbourhood crime by 51 percent. But we must do more.

That is why I have supported the work of Katy Bourne, Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, on Project Pegasus, which enables retailers to share information with the police on organised gangs shoplifting across the country.

I also want new technology such as facial recognition used widely and lawfully. Police should always seek CCTV footage of crime, run it through the databases and make an arrest where they get a face-match.

Katy Bourne, Police and Crime Commissioner for Sussex, worked on Project Pegasus, which enables retailers to share information with the police on organised gangs shoplifting across the country

The public rightly expect these crimes to be followed up. The commitment from police leaders to always follow all reasonable lines of inquiry for all crime types, including shoplifting, is significant.

We are also rolling out hotspot patrols to combat anti-social behaviour and protect high streets. This started over the summer in ten areas and in April will be rolled out across all of England and Wales, backed by 42 million of funding.

I am working closely with the National Police Chiefs Council leads, Police and Crime Commissioners and retailers to develop urgent plans to clamp down on shoplifting.

Our message is clear: there is no such thing as 'minor' crime. A zero-tolerance approach is needed.
Passengers on a United flight into Boston got quite the scare and were thrust back into their seats when their plane had to abort its landing because another jet was on the runway.

The United Airlines Flight 2267 pilot had to perform a 'go-around' at 10.45pm on September 11, right before landing at Boston's Logan Airport due to an aircraft standing in its place.

A go-around is described as a decision made by pilots to not continue an approach, or not to continue a landing and follow procedures to for another approach.

Due to how sudden the go-around occurred, many passengers panicked and one was even pushed back into their seat in the moment.

One passenger told Boston 25: 'People on the plane gasped at the rapid pull-up and the roar of the engines as the rapid change in speed and trajectory pushed us backward into our seats and we saw the tarmac and land rapidly disappear under us.'

The United Airlines Flight 2267 pilot had to perform a 'go-around' at 10.45pm on September 11, right before landing on Boston's Logan Airport due to an aircraft standing in its place

A go-around is described as a decision made by pilots to not continue an approach, or not to continue a landing and follow procedures to for another approach

One passenger told Boston 25 : 'People on the plane gasped at the rapid pull-up and the roar of the engines as the rapid change in speed and trajectory pushed us backward into our seats and we saw the tarmac and land rapidly disappear under us'

Although, the Federal Aviation Administration describes a go-around as a safe and routine procedure, it has begun investigating into the incident.

The flight took off from Chicago's O'Hare International and was 200 feet off the ground when it was asked to terminate its landing, as per the data from FlightAware. It ended up landing at the airport at 11.02pm instead of its original arrival time of 10.45pm.

The passenger detailed the ordeal after the incident.

'Once we were back high in the sky circling, the pilot came on the loudspeaker and said something like, "The runway... uh... was not able to be cleared of planes in time for us... uh.... we had to pull up and will circle for a bit and land shortly,'" the passenger recounted.

In an audio recording obtained by Boston 25, the air traffic controller told the pilot, 'Sorry about that. An aircraft was still on the runway.'

When a go-around occurs, the air traffic controller and pilot are said to be working together to 'prevent an unsafe condition from occurring.'

In an audio recording, the air traffic controller told the pilot, 'Sorry about that. An aircraft was still on the runway'

Aerial view of Boston Logan International Airport. A flight was already standing on the runway when Flight 2267 attempted to land at the airport

While a simple emergency go-around had passengers panicking, another United flight from Newark to Rome had passengers praying for their life.

Flight data revealed that UAL510, a Boeing 777 travelling from Newark Liberty International Airport to Rome-Fiumicino International Airport, went from an altitude of 37,000 ft to 8,700 ft in just ten minutes on September 13.

The plane circled twice over Nova Scotia, Canada, at a stable altitude at around 10:30pm before it flew back home.

The plane, which was carrying 270 passengers and 14 crew members, flew back to Newark to 'address a possible loss of cabin pressure', a United Airlines spokesperson said.

'The flight landed safely and there was never any loss of cabin pressure,' the spokesperson said.

United Airlines said that the travelers on the plane were eventually flown to Italy on another airplane.

The in-air chaos comes as US airlines have slammed the FAA for not employing enough staff, leading to hundreds of delayed or canceled flights during a record-setting travel season.
Rishi Sunak was urged yesterday to consider a general cull of all American XL bullies over fears that faster action was needed to combat the 'killer dogs'.

The call from a senior Tory MP came after the Government announced a ban on the breed last week, but with an amnesty for existing owners as long as their pets were registered, neutered and muzzled when in public.

Government officials stressed last night that by requiring all owners to get their bully dogs neutered, the breed would simply die out.

However, Sir Robert Goodwill, chairman of the Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee, said Ministers may have to act more quickly.

He told The Mail on Sunday: 'These dogs live well over 12 years and we can't wait a decade to remove this threat.

MAULED TO DEATH: Ian Price, 52, who was killed by these suspected XL bullies (pictured below) in Staffordshire on Thursday

Following the attack involving these two dogs, the Prime Minister branded XL bully dogs a 'danger to our communities' and vowed to bring in rules by the end of the year under the Dangerous Dogs Act to ban them

'Imagine if you are living next door to someone with one of these dogs and you have young children.

'Yes, it would be muzzled when the owner takes it out. But would you want one of these killer dogs next door for the next decade?'

Aggressive animals drug dealers use as status dogs'

On Friday, the Prime Minister branded XL bully dogs a 'danger to our communities' and vowed to bring in rules by the end of the year under the Dangerous Dogs Act to ban them. It came after a horrific incident 24 hours earlier when father-of-two Ian Price, 52, was mauled to death in a frenzied attack by two suspected bullies.

Days before, Ana Paun, 11, was hurt by an American bully  a type linked to ten deaths since 2021.

Environment Secretary Therese Coffey is to convene a meeting with experts to define the XL breed, which is said to have originated in the US in the 1980s when American pitbull terriers were crossed with Staffordshire terriers.

But Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss said yesterday there would be an amnesty for existing owners. She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'People that have these dogs  and some will be well socialised, well managed, well trained  you will need to register and take actions. Your dog will need to be neutered muzzled when out in public and on a lead and insured. If you comply you will be able to keep your dog.'

American XL Bully dogs will be banned in the UK by the end of the year

Ministers have been ordered to convene a panel of experts and police chiefs to define the XL Bully breed - with a view to banning it under the Dangerous Dogs Act (file picture)

Sir Robert said he would wait for details of the ban before deciding whether to demand a cull. But he said: 'There's no such thing as an XL bully dog that could not be potentially aggressive.

'Aggressive animals that drug dealers and other criminals use as status dogs are not and never will be suitable family pets.'

However, a coalition of animal charities  including the RSPCA  said banning bullies would not stop attacks, and urged the Government to tackle unscrupulous breeders.

Labour MP Rosie Duffield, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Dog Advisory Welfare Group, welcomed the PM's move, but warned against focusing 'too heavily on specific types and breeds rather than wider issues around responsible ownership, licensing and the behaviour of criminal gangs'.
Jann Wenner on CBS Mornings in 2022. (CBS on YouTube.)

This story contains discussion of sexual assault. The National Sexual Assault Hotline can be reached at 1-800-656-4673, or online at rainn.org.

Mistakes happen at all levels of journalism. And a single mistake doesnt necessarily destroy a story, its author, or its publication. But mistakes get more important when theyre undisputed factual errors rather than misspellings or arguments of interpretation. And one of the most credibility-damaging mistakes imaginable is publishing an actually-false account.

Thats what happened with Rolling Stone with their infamous A Rape on Campus story. That story, written by Sabrina Erdely and published in the November 2014 edition of Rolling Stone, detailed a University of Virginia students claims that she was sexually assaulted by several men in 2012 as part of a fraternity initiation ritual. And it led to the university shutting down all fraternities for a time. But attempts to look into it by other media outlets quickly revealed many problems, and the publication eventually fully retracted the story in April 2015.

Several lawsuits also were filed against the magazine in the wake of that story. Those included one from UVA associate dean Nicole Eramo (who won a $3 million award in an extremely rare 2016 finding that a U.S. publication acted with actual malice) and one from the fraternity in question (which was settled for $1.65 million). And A Rape on Campus remains a cautionary tale to this day for many journalists. But Jann Wenner (who founded Rolling Stone in 1967 with Ralph D. Gleason, eventually sold part of it in 2016 and the rest in 2017, and was a key figure there on both the editorial and business sides until leaving for good in 2019) doesnt see it that way.

This comes from a remarkable new interview with Wenner by David Marchese of The New York Times, with the headline of Jann Wenner Defends His Legacy, and His Generations. The central focus is theoretically Wenners upcoming book The Masters, based on his career-long interviews with seven notable songwriters.

There are no Black or female interviewees amongst those seven. And Marchese gets some remarkable lines from Wenner in an attempt to defend that, including claims that he didnt include female songwriters because just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level, or Black songwriters because they just didnt articulate at that level.

Update: Later on Saturday, Wenner was removed from the board of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, which he co-founded, following these remarks. Our original post continues below:

And Marchese also gets a remarkable admission from Wenner that he let interview subjects see and edit their interviews pre-publication in service of clarifying what they want to say. But the most notable things Wenner says are on that UVA story. Here are the key parts of his responses, and one key follow-up question from Marchese:

The University of Virginia story was not a failure of intent, or an attempt to be loose with the facts. You get beyond the factual errors that sank that story, and it was really about the issue of rape and how it affects women on campus, their lack of rights. Other than this one key fact that the rape described actually was a fabrication of this woman, the rest of the story was bulletproof. It wasnt for recklessness. I mean, we made one of those errors  every publication in the country, including The Times, makes every 50 years at least. You get slammed for it. We took our beating. But it wasnt indicative of how we operated. It wasnt an error of being casual with the truth, or trying to stretch it, or mission creep, or anything like that. So almost a decade later, there are no lessons that you drew from that experience? In your mind, its just wrong place, wrong time? That seems like sort of a glib response. There are two main things in the story. One was the account of this gang rape given to us by this source, Jackie. That turned out to be a fabrication. Because we didnt want to identify her, we didnt demand to meet people to corroborate her story. Our mistake was to let her out of that demand, not wanting to put her through the trauma again. That was one story that ran through the long piece. The other story, having nothing to do with Jackie, was about the handling of rape on that campus by other people  handling rape in general across the country. It was a conscientious, serious attempt to do that issue, and that was like the third piece by that particular individual on sex crimes and one of our second or third pieces about campus rape. So then the hoax was discovered and we lived with the consequence of that. It was one of the most miserable professional experiences Ive ever had. I dont mean to be glib about it, but I dont feel wholly to blame for this, or that its some terrible black mark. I think the lesson I learned is, yes, it does happen to everybody. The other thing is, of course, we could have been tighter. So, you know, theres a series of circumstances. I cant pull out the hara-kiri knife for that one.

On one level, yes, many publications have dealt with credibility-threatening issues. But thats not an excuse for an outlets handling of a particular situation. And this one always deserved more care than Rolling Stone took, and they should have been well aware of the potential consequences.

Rolling Stone was not the first outlet to run into a mess like this even in just the field of reporting on alleged sexual assaults on university campuses. In particular, this article came less than a decade after the infamous Duke lacrosse case that started in 2006, which led to several lawsuits against the university and the city of Durham. And while no lawsuit prevailed against a publication there, many outlets coverage of that case was highly criticized afterwards, including in 2016 ESPN 30 for 30 installment Fantastic Lies.

With that and more, there definitely should have been incentive to be extremely careful with a story on the subject before publication, including trying to get some level of corroboration of the central figures story. (And keep in mind that Rolling Stone coverage of issues like this took major hits even while that UVA lawsuit against them was playing out, including 2016 publication of an article on Derrick Roses civil rape trial that they later deleted after admitting it had substantial flaws.) And yes, other parts of that Rolling Stone story were not disputed, but the storys entire credibility took a massive blow (as it should have) given how it was centered on an account that turned out to be a fabrication.

Yes, Rolling Stones failure here fits into a long history of media mistakes. And they got burned by a sources hoax rather than by a journalist fabricating stories and details, as happened with Jayson Blair at The New York Times and Stephen Glass at The New Republic. But Other than this one key fact that the rape described actually was a fabrication of this woman, the rest of the story was bulletproof is an unbelievable line from a long-time media figure, with some even comparing it to Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play? (Which, for the record, is believed to have a 1950s origin.) And hopefully journalistic outlets doing further work on sensitive topics like this will work to ensure their stories are actually bulletproof, with no key facts that are fabrications.

[The New York Times; image of Wenner from a 2022 interview he did on CBS Mornings]
Tired of lost luggage? A baggage handler has provided a simple tip to stop your suitcase from getting lost at the airport.

The California airport worker went viral after he shared a bit of welcome advice to those who regularly travel.

A video of him was posted on Ontario International Airports TikTok page and it has so far been watched more than 470,000 times.

Some travelers like the look of having several stickers and tags on their suitcase and collect them as they go through different airports.

But the employee pointed out that stickers on suitcases have information that could result in it accidentally being sent to the wrong destination.

'So if your month-old American sticker is on there, theres a chance it scans it instead of this one It might end up there and not on the plane,' the unnamed handler said.

A baggage handler has provided a simple tip to stop your suitcase from getting lost at the airport

Some travelers like the look of having several stickers and tags on their suitcase and collect them as they go through different airports

@flyontairport Pro Tip: If you dont want your bags to get lost when traveling remove old stickers from past trips off your luggage. #FlyONT #SoCalSoEasy  Sunshine - WIRA

'Let's say you flew American and then a month later, you flew Southwest,' he said while pointing to the luggage on the conveyor belt.

'Well, there's a little sticker that goes on for American that tells the computer that it should go to there.'

Another airport worker, who featured in the video, admitted she has 'definitely left stickers on before.'

Ontario International Airport wrote in the comments: 'It happens a lot! Sometimes common sense aint that common.'

The information that is scanned through the barcode is dated and the workers who are processing the bags are careful and make sure it lines up with where the traveler is going that day.

But the employee pointed out that stickers on suitcases have information that could result in it accidentally being sent to the wrong destination

'So if your month-old American sticker is on there, theres a chance it scans it instead of this one It might end up there and not on the plane,' the unnamed handler said

A Department of Transportations July Air Travel Consumer Report showed that the majority of checked luggage does get to the right destination

But mistakes can occur when they face pressure and have to load flights fast and have several stickers with different cities are listed as the final destination.

A Department of Transportations July Air Travel Consumer Report showed that the majority of checked luggage does get to the right destination.

The 15 major airlines handled a combined 41 million pieces of luggage and 209,031 were 'mishandled,' which is defined as 'lost, damaged, delayed, [or] pilfered.'

But the stranded bags mostly eventually return back to their rightful owners.

The San Francisco Police Department have recommended travelers put an Apple AirTag tracker in their bags.
A poll for The MoS shows that Rishi Sunak is not considered 'tough on China'

Voters are concerned about the growing influence of China, an exclusive poll for The Mail on Sunday shows.

More than half of respondents  55 per cent  said China was more of a threat than an ally, while 63 per cent said they were worried about the threat of Chinese spies operating in Britain.

Neither Rishi Sunak nor Sir Keir Starmer were considered tough on China. Asked which would take a harder line on Beijing, the highest number of respondents picked 'neither would be tough on China'.

Mr Sunak's decision to step up engagement with China has faced criticism

Neither Rishi Sunak nor Sir Keir Starmer were considered tough on China, the poll showed

Nearly two-thirds were concerned about China's growing global influence, while 57 per cent said it posed a significant risk to world peace and stability.

But more respondents said China should be invited to the Government's forthcoming AI summit at Bletchley Park than those who opposed the idea.

Mr Sunak's decision to step up engagement with China has faced criticism. Tory MP Bob Seely, who sits on the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, said: 'People are right to be concerned. We can do more to block goods made with slave labour.'

The survey of 1,500 British voters was carried out on Wednesday and Thursday by Redfield & Wilton Strategies.
There is an extra 175,000 allowance for a main residence if passed to children

Inheritance tax threshold is 325,000, with 40 per cent paid on anything above

Downing Street has backed away from plans to scrap inheritance tax, after Tory MPs in the Red Wall seats argued that it would benefit too small a proportion of voters.

The idea was discussed in No 10 at the start of the summer as a potential 'game-changer' to overturn Labour's 20-point lead in the opinion polls.

But it is now unlikely to form part of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's Autumn Statement after MPs in key battleground seats argued that the 7 billion cost would be better spent on other tax cuts.

The threshold for inheritance tax is 325,000, with 40 per cent paid on everything above that. There is an extra 175,000 allowance for a main residence if it is passed to children or grandchildren. No tax is paid on an estate left to a spouse or civil partner.

Advocates of abolition argue that even though only four per cent of British estates are liable, aspirational voters expect that theirs will be among them in the future. Around a third of people think their assets will be enough to attract inheritance tax when they die.

Plans to scrap inheritance tax are now unlikely to form part of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt 's Autumn Statement

Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak and his advisers are locked in discussions about his crunch address to the Tory Conference next month

When the axing plan was first reported, senior Tories hailed it as 'throwing the gauntlet' down to Labour and reviving their 'low-tax' credentials as the headline policy offer in next year's manifesto. But many Red Wall MPs argued this was more of a cut for voters in the Blue Wall of the South than for those in their own seats in the North and Midlands.

READ MORE: Jeremy Hunt considers curbing benefit rises to free up cash for tax cuts Jeremy Hunt is considering capping benefit rises to free up cash for tax cuts ahead of the general election Advertisement

One said: 'There are better tax cuts to be made. For voters in both the Red and Blue Walls, it would be better if we shored up support by raising the 40p [income tax] threshold to 75,000 and cutting the basic rate.'

The Conservative plan was also seized on by the Labour party, who described it as a 'tax cut for the wealthy' that was 'straight out of Liz Truss's calamity Budget'.

Polls show that the most popular tax cut is lower VAT, followed by reductions in income tax. Abolishing inheritance tax is backed by 10 per cent.

Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak and his advisers are locked in discussions about his crunch address to the Tory Conference next month, with insiders saying that it will be 'stronger on vision than content'.

A senior source said: 'Rishi is being urged by some to be bolder, to go on the attack more and set out eye-catching policies. Others think we need to be patient while the economy starts to turn around.'

However, those Tory MPs faced with losing their seats are not feeling patient, with claims that up to 20 letters of no confidence in the Prime Minister are circulating. Rumours of plotting are, as ever, centred on Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and his protege, Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch.

A source said: 'There is definitely jostling, although no one is quite sure whether Gove wants the leadership for himself or for Kemi. Suella [Braverman, the Home Secretary] is clearly also on the park.'
'Alice': He sent a car to get me from school...the driver begged me not to go into his house

Perhaps the most shocking allegations contained in the dossier of evidence against Russell Brand is his sexual relationship with an anonymous 16-year-old schoolgirl known as Alice.

The woman says the comic, who was 30 at the time, referred to her as 'the child' and sent cars to her secondary school to collect her from lessons so the pair could meet for sex at his home.

Despite his initial charm, she says he became increasingly controlling, and encouraged her to lie to her parents and friends about visiting him, even asking her to save his name in her phone as 'Carly' to avoid scrutiny.

But she alleges he also became emotionally and sexually abusive, and sexually assaulted her towards the end of their three-month relationship. 'It was isolating,' Alice told the investigation. 'Russell engaged in the behaviours of a groomer, looking back, but I didn't even know what that was then, or what that looked like.'

When Alice, who is now in her 30s, met Brand, in 2006, she was recovering from an eating disorder and had never had a boyfriend.

A woman, now in her 30s, alleged the comedian referred to her as 'the child' and sent cars to her secondary school to collect her from lessons, when she was 16, so the pair could meet for sex at his home

When Alice, who is now in her 30s, met Brand, in 2006, she was recovering from an eating disorder and had never had a boyfriend

She had been on a shopping trip when Brand approached her in London's Leicester Square. At the time, Brand was well known as a BBC radio presenter and host of Channel 4's Big Brother's Big Mouth. He asked her out for dinner and looked through her purchases, she recalled, pulling out a dress and telling her: 'You're going to wear this on our date this week.'

As an impressionable teenager in thrall to Brand's fame Alice was flattered. Her mother, however, made Alice text Brand to tell him her age, assuming that would put him off. It did not. On their date, Alice says Brand immediately asked her to confirm she was definitely 16, saying: 'I don't give a f*** if you're 12... I need to know where I stand legally.'

At one point he sent a taxi to collect her from school and Alice recalls the driver telling her he had a daughter the same age and when they pulled up at Brand's house, he said: 'Please, I'm asking you not to go in there, you could be my little girl.'

In those early days he was 'very charming and very attentive', making her feel 'giddy and special'. Brand also found it arousing, she claims, that she was still a virgin. He called her 'my little dolly', stroked her hair and asked her to read passages of the novel Lolita about a professor sexually obsessed with pre-pubescent girls.

His behaviour became increasingly manipulative, she says, demanding she stay in the bath while he went out for an hour. She also claims he removed a condom during sex without her knowledge.

On their date, Alice says Brand immediately asked her to confirm she was definitely 16, saying: 'I don't give a f*** if you're 12... I need to know where I stand legally'

When her mother drove her to Brand's house for his 31st birthday, Alice says he 'leant down and kissed my mother on the mouth',  behaviour which left her mother 'very, very upset'.

But her most serious allegation against the comic involves sexual assault. She describes how, one day in bed, he forced himself on her to the point she was unable to breathe. 'I was pushing him away and he wasn't backing off at all,' she said. 'I ended up having to punch him really hard in the stomach to get him off. I was crying and he said, 'Oh, I only wanted to see your mascara run anyway.' '

Afterwards, as she recovered, she further claims that he climbed on top of her, held her mouth open and drooled into it, leaving her 'gagging and crying'.

Soon afterwards, their relationship ended after Alice found another woman in his bed. It was 'humiliating' and left her 'angry'.

Seventeen years on, Alice believes that although she was over the legal age of consent, 'it shouldn't be legal for a 16-year-old to have a relationship with a man in their 30s. There should be something in place to protect children.'

'Nadia' : Brand pushed me against the wall... and raped me

Businesswoman 'Nadia' claimed Brand raped her in his Los Angeles home on July 1, 2012.

The pair met at a party the previous month and had exchanged numbers  which led to consensual sex at Brand's Hollywood Hills home. During that first sexual encounter, Nadia said Brand's 'glazed over' look unsettled her.

She added: 'He does this thing when he glazes over. I don't know what's going on in his head. It was fine, but it was a weird first-time experience with someone when you're having sex with them.'

In the early hours of July 1, Brand pleaded with Nadia to come to his house. When she arrived, the front door was unlocked and she let herself in. She said: 'He comes running out of the bedroom, naked. And I'm kind of taken aback. I've got a bag on my shoulder, a little dress and a coat on top.'

Nadia was horrified when Brand asked her to join him and a 'friend', who was in his bedroom, for a threesome. When she refused, she claims he pushed her against a wall and raped her without using a condom.

Businesswoman 'Nadia' claimed Brand raped her in his Los Angeles home on July 1, 2012 after the pair met at a party the previous month and had exchanged numbers

Nadia said: 'I tried to get away from him and I slipped away from the wall.

'And then I went to another wall that had a painting on it. A huge painting. And my bag got actually stuck underneath that, and it's still on my arm.

'And at this point he's grabbing at my underwear, pulling it to the side. He's a lot taller than me. And he has that glazed look in his eye again. And I can't move. And I told him, 'get off, get off'.

Nadia said Brand initially blocked the door to stop her leaving but finally stood aside and she ran to her car where she sat in a daze.

Brand sent her a text message at 3.29am which said: 'I'm sorry. That was crazy and selfish. I hope you can forgive me, I know that you're a lovely person. X'

She ignored a call from him but texted him the following morning to say he had 'scared the s***' out of her, adding; 'When a girl say(s) NO it means no.' Brand replied he was 'very sorry' and 'embarrassed' by his behaviour.

Nadia was horrified when Brand allegedly asked her to join him and a 'friend', who was in his bedroom, for a threesome - when she refused, she claims he pushed her against a wall and raped her without using a condom

Nadia was taken by a friend to the rape treatment centre at a hospital, where nurses collected evidence, including her underwear. Police were alerted, but Nadia refused to press charges because she feared people would not believe her and her name would be 'dragged through the dirt'.

After months of therapy, she wrote to Brand saying: 'Do you know what you put me through? My body through? You scared the s*** out of me on July 1. I thought in any situation I would be strong enough to fight someone off. You completely broke me down.'

Nadia provided the Dispatches team with medical records which reportedly backed up her claims.

Jordan: He forced his hand into my underwear  without a word

It was Brand's ex-girlfriend, Jordan Martin, who first spoke of the comedian's 'controlling and manipulative' behaviour in an interview to The Mail on Sunday eight years ago.

Former model Ms Martin, who had a six-month relationship with Brand from February 2007, also self-published a book in which she described a catalogue of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of the star.

She told this newspaper that his 'cruel behaviour' left her feeling worthless and confused.

In her book, in which she changes the identity of Brand and herself to 'Randall Grand' and 'Dina' she details an alleged sexual assault which took place at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester.

Ms Martin claimed Brand became angry when he discovered she had spoken to an ex-boyfriend. Brand is said to have snatched her phone and then assaulted her from behind in the bathroom, sliding his hand into her underwear. Ms Martin wrote that she was 'not ready for this intrusion' and did not find it 'sensual or pleasant'.

In her book, in which she changes the identity of Brand and herself to 'Randall Grand' and 'Dina' Ms Martin details an alleged sexual assault which took place at The Lowry Hotel in Manchester

It was Brand's ex-girlfriend, Jordan Martin, who first spoke of the comedian's 'controlling and manipulative' behaviour in an interview to The Mail on Sunday eight years ago (Pictured: Russell and Jordan on their 2007 Hawaii trip)

In one incident, Jordan described how Brand allegedly forced her to brush her teeth so hard her gums bled so she would taste 'anonymous' to him

The comedian's live gig in front a 2,000 strong audience went ahead on Saturday night at the Troubadour Wembley Park in London

Brand said he had received two 'extremely disturbing letters' from a 'mainstream media TV company' and a newspaper. Channel 4 and The Times have since published allegations accusing Brand of rape and sexual assault

Brand is then said to have left the room, leaving her 'feeling confused, uncomfortable and a little stunned'.

She also writes in the book  the contents of which have never been challenged by Brand  that he 'pushes boundaries, controlling other people to fulfil personal perversions for the sake of dominance'.

In one incident, she described how he forced her to brush her teeth so hard her gums bled so she would taste 'anonymous' to him.

She was initially attracted to Brand's 'kooky humour', but told this newspaper the comic became paranoid and possessive and would accuse her of meeting with her ex-husband.

Yet he also thought nothing of boasting to her about having sex with strangers while they were together.

In one uncomfortable incident, she told how Brand persuaded her to stay in his flat while he entertained two lesbian fans in his bedroom. She said: 'He wanted me to get involved, to make it OK for him, to validate it. But I decided to make a stand. I was physically, emotionally and mentally exhausted. I couldn't go along with this.'

She claimed that on another occasion Brand accused her of being sexually attracted to her own brother and that he cruelly taunted her over her desire to have children. She said: 'There were times when I felt bullied and abused, not in a physical or sexual way, but mentally. I was vulnerable... His manipulative side was so powerful it was easier to just submit.'

Ms Martin declined to be interviewed for the Sunday Times and Dispatches investigation, but has confirmed she stands by the account in her book.

'Phoebe': I was screaming stop. Please don't do this, I'm your friend

After meeting Brand at a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous in 2013, 'Phoebe' had a brief, consensual sexual relationship with the star and they started working on a project together.

She claims she was alone in Brand's Hollywood home when she became 'trapped' in a bedroom with the comic who started chasing her around the room.

Phoebe said a naked Brand 'grabbed me and got me on the bed' and tried to forcibly remove her clothes and kiss her.

She, too, describes Brand's demeanour changing during the alleged sex attack. Phoebe said: 'I saw something come over his eyes, I swear to God, like, black.

'His eyes had no more colour, they were black, like the devil. Like a different person literally entered his body.

'Phoebe' claimed a naked Brand 'grabbed me and got me on the bed' and tried to forcibly remove her clothes and kiss her

'I was screaming, and I was like, 'What are you doing, stop, please, you're my friend, I love you, please don't do this, I don't want to do this.' I think he had his hands down my trousers but I was fighting so hard and I was screaming so hard, hoping that I could get through somehow.'

When the alleged assault ended she claims Brand became 'super angry' and shouted 'f*** you' and told her she was fired. Phoebe fled his house barefoot, passing a group of people who were arriving at Brand's home for a business meeting.

When the alleged assault ended she claims Brand became 'super angry' and shouted 'f*** you' and told her she was fired

It comes as Brand performs in front of thousands in Wembley at a sold out gig on Saturday night

She claimed that years later she bumped into a man who had been in that group who apologised for not helping her. She said: 'He pulled me aside and he said to me, 'I have never forgiven myself for not running in that house to save you. I heard you screaming. And I didn't know what to do. And we were all so scared of him and I didn't do anything. And I am sorry.' '

Phoebe continued working with Brand but claims when he learned she had told friends about the attack he 'cornered' her and threatened her with legal action.

She said she did not report the incident to police because she feared her career would be ruined by it.

Five of her friends told Dispatches they were aware of her claims, with three saying she told them about the alleged assault soon after it happened in early 2013. Brand left the US a short time later and returned to the UK.
A woman who told Channel 4's Dispatches that she was sexually assaulted by Russell Brand when she was a teenager and still in school says his 'sex addict identity' is just a 'smokescreen for his dark behaviour'.

The revelation came as Brand was today accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by four women during the peak of his fame. The allegations are claimed to have taken place between 2006 and 2013.

In the episode which aired at 9pm this evening, Alice - not her real name - claims that Brand assaulted her when he was 31 and she was 16 and his 'sex addict' personality is just 'a smokescreen for his dark behaviour'.

She adds that the actor referred to her as 'the child' during an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship that lasted for about three months.

Brand has denied the 'very serious criminal allegations' made against him and insisted any relationships he had 'during his time of promiscuity' were 'consensual'.

Alice said she met Brand as he came out of the MTV buildings. She said: 'He took my shopping bags from me which was quite disarming and proceeded to go through my purchases and critique them.

'Then he took one dress out and said to me, "Youre going to wear this on a date with me".'

Russell Brand, who is accused of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse by four women, is pictured leaving Troubabour Wembley Park theatre in north-west London after performing a comedy set tonight

Alice - not her real name - claims that Brand assaulted her when he was 31 and she was 16 and his 'sex addict personality is just a smokescreen for his dark behaviour'

The programme showed a routine from Brand, in which he said he could 'pretend to be nice' at the start of a relationship - before pursuing sex.

Alice said: 'Things got very intense, very quickly. I said I've never had sex with anyone and he got an erection, straight away. He was like, "oh my god, my baby, my baby, and picked me up like a child."

'Russell engaged in the behaviours of a groomer but I didn't know what that was back then. He would try to drive a wedger between me and my parents, taught me to lie to them.

'I was at my dad's house and it was 11 o'clock at night. He texted me, I came up with a scenario where I said my friend was ill, and we would roleplay text message conversations. He had a whole script for me.'

Alice said she believes Brand has been 'skillful' in making his identity a 'womaniser' and a 'sex addict' as his behaviour can then be seen as 'funny' or as a 'joke'.

She added: 'It's a smokescreen for more of his dark behaviour.

'Nobody questions it because they say: "That's just who he is. That's just Russell."'

The comedian, actor and internet personality told his 6.5 million subscribers that there are 'very, very serious criminal allegations' made against him which he 'absolutely refutes'

Other allegations concern his alleged behaviour while working as a radio host for the BBC (Brand is pictured visiting SiriusXM Studios on October 14, 2014 in New York City)

After they first had sex, she said: 'When everything was over, one of his friends came round to the house. They both drove me to the tube station. I felt like a little kid.

'He was holding my hand behind the car seat like my mum does. And I felt very small, like a little kid.'

Alice then asked if she could 'have a minute', adding in a breaking voice: 'I don't know why that's the bit...'

Alice said she didn't feel like she could argue with Brand because he was 'a grown-up'. In one incident, she said Brand ran her a bath and made her sit in it until he returned.

She said: 'It was long enough for me to get cold. He was very pleased and elated when he came home and I was still in the bath. He picked me up and dried me off.'

Brand's relationship with the 16-year-old is said to have taken a darker turn when he forced her to perform oral sex.

Alice said: 'He forced his penis down my throat. He was just choking me and I couldn't breathe. I was pushing away and he wasn't backing off. I had to punch him really hard in the stomach to get him off.

'He fell backwards and I was crying and he said: "I only wanted to see your mascara run anyway."'

Alice said he didn't care that he had hurt her, she added: 'It shouldn't take you having to punch someone and to wind them...to get them off you, it shouldn't be a physical fight.

Brand is pictured leaving a theatre in north-west London after performing a comedy set tonight

Russell Brand is pictured taking part in a discussion at Esquire Townhouse on October 14, 2017

'He got on top of me and held my mouth open and was just drooling into my mouth. I was gagging, trying to fight him off me but he was laying on top of me and my limbs were trapped beneath him. He held my mouth shut and made me swallow it. I was gagging and crying.'

The Channel 4 programme showed a clip of Brand saying: 'There is no sexual act...that isn't enhanced by spitting. There's no joke there, that's just a sex tip.'

Alice said: 'It didn't seem like it was making him happy. He just seemed angry, he seemed angry with me, I didn't know what I'd done.'

A family member confirmed to Dispatches that Brand had been seeing Alice.

Alice went on to work for Channel 4. She recalled during a meeting in late 2013 or early 2014 Brand was pitched as a host of a show - but concerns about his behaviour were flagged.

'The solution that was offered was that we would take the female staff off the crew - women that have worked hard to get into this industry - now can't work on particular shows because of fear that they might be assaulted or harassed. I was in disbelief,' she said.

In a statement, Channel 4 said: 'Channel 4 is appalled to learn of these deeply troubling allegations, including behaviour alleged to have taken place on programmes made for Channel 4 between 2004 and 2007.

Russell Brand took to his YouTube channel to 'absolutely deny' what he called 'serious allegations' ahead of a mystery Channel 4 Dispatches investigation

Alice said her and Brand's relationship took a darker turn when he forced her to perform oral sex - Brand denies the allegations

'We are determined to understand the full nature of what went on. We have carried out extensive document searches and have found no evidence to suggest the alleged incidents were brought to the attention of Channel 4. We will continue to review this in light of any further information we receive, including the accounts of those affected individuals.

'We will be asking the production company who produced the programmes for Channel 4 to investigate these allegations and report their findings properly and satisfactorily to us.

'In the many years since the alleged incidents took place, there has obviously been extensive change in Channel 4's management and commissioning teams. Today, Channel 4 has a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviour and has a robust Code of Conduct. We require all suppliers to have in place rigorous safeguarding policies and provide whistleblowing support, including Channel 4's Speak Up facility.

'We are committed to ensuring our industry has safe, inclusive and professional working environments.'
It is the health craze that sent thousands of people  including the Princess of Wales  diving into the countrys rivers, lochs and seas.

But wild swimming has now become so popular that Scottish health bosses have seen fit to issue new safety advice.

While they acknowledge that taking the plunge can boost mental and physical wellbeing, officials at Public Health Scotland have been quick to point out the alarming range of possible hazards  from potentially fatal cold water shock to stinging jellyfish and venomous weever fish.

Anyone brave enough to don their costume or wetsuit is also warned to be alert for toxic algae, treacherous riptides and unpleasant swimmers itch, a rash caused by tiny skin-burrowing parasites.

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge returns to shore after sailing an F50 foiling catamaran, in a race against New Zealand

The weever fish, which grows up to 20in long with venomous spines

Although critics might argue it is blindingly obvious, the quangos number one tip for safe outdoor swimming is  first, learn to swim.

Helpfully it also reminds swimmers that inhaling water can lead to drowning  and that having some warm, dry, clothes to change into afterwards can help beat the cold.

The craze for open-water swimming exploded during lockdown, as people explored the exercise opportunities on their doorsteps.

Bosses at taxpayer-funded Public Health Scotland have now published a guide highlighting the risks.

It says: The ability to swim, preferably to a competent level, is an essential first step to minimise many of the risks associated with swimming in unknown water.

It goes on: A number of stinging creatures are present in Scotlands sea waters e.g. jellyfish or weever fish. While most stings are not serious, and can be treated with first aid, this may not always be the case and could affect your ability to swim.

Jellyfish often spotted off Scotlands shores that swimmers should be wary of include the Moon, Compass and Lions Mane.

Weever fish, meanwhile, lurk in shallow water and can deliver a painful sting through the venomous spines on their distinctive black dorsal fin.

People often describe the site of the sting as feeling on fire. Common symptoms include swelling itching, nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps.

More severe reactions include seizures, breathing problems and unconsciousness.

Scots have been urged to be wary of the cold, poor water quality

Water quality is another hazard and the agency warns: One of the biggest challenges in wild swimming is assessing the quality of the water you are swimming in.

The presence of bacteria and viruses in open waters can increase the risk of being exposed to bugs that might cause vomiting or diarrhoea, or a range of other infections.

This includes those that might affect your skin, ears, eyes, or your liver, kidney, or respiratory systems.

Advice to avoid the nasty side-effects includes sticking to designated bathing waters, avoiding swimming after heavy rain, when more harmful bacteria enter the water from sewage systems, and trying not to swallow water.

The agency also urged swimmers to consider how cold the water is, to check the forecast and tide times and to wear a wetsuit with bright colours so they can be seen. Catherine, Princess of Wales, last week revealed on rugby star Mike Tindalls podcast: Cold swimming  the colder, the better.

I absolutely love it. To the point where Williams saying Youre crazy and its dark and its raining. I will go and seek out cold water.

Other celebrities to embrace cold-water swimming include presenter Amanda Holden, presenter Fearne Cotton, fitness guru Joe Wicks, supermodel Helena Christensen and actor and comedian Greg Hemphill along with his wife, actress Julie Wilson Nimmo.
Scotland's biggest council has spent almost a quarter of a million pounds of taxpayers cash on hiring vehicles to replace those it owns which dont meet new anti-pollution rules.

A Low Emission Zone (LEZ), an SNP Government policy, was introduced in Glasgow on June 1, with thousands of fines issued via spy cameras to drivers of older cars.

Similar zones are to follow in Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh next year.

However, despite telling businesses and commuters that they have had years to get compliant, Glasgow City Council had spent 236,000 by the end of August on vehicles to replace those in its own fleet which fail the criteria.

Despite criticism, the council has continued to spend public cash on renting vehicles to comply with its own rules  including a Ford six-seat crewvan, eight-ton DAF trucks, a Skyking 85-foot extendable platform vehicle and a Mercedes refrigeration van. It also hired more than 50 Ford Transits and 22 Vauxhall Corsas.

Glasgow City Council has dodged LEZ fines by hiring vehicles

Glasgow Low Emission Zone (LEZ) came into force on June 1, 2023.

One businessman whose auto repair centre has seen trade badly hit by the new zone, placing staff at risk of redundancy, described the latest figures as an insult to all council taxpayers.

William Paton, who is fighting the scheme and has gained a judicial review hearing due to be heard at the Court of Session in Edinburgh next month, said: The latest figures leave you wondering if, and when, this dreadful use of public cash will ever end.

Our business went to great expense to comply with the LEZ and all we asked for was some form of exemption for customer vehicles, which was refused.

To learn that the council is hiring in replacements and can just bill the public, demonstrates great hypocrisy.

Meanwhile, Scottish businessman Paul McManus, who is also the drummer with rock band Gun, has pledged 100,000 towards Mr Patons fighting fund.

He said: I believe this LEZ is a cynical stealth tax, levied by a failed and discredited city council administration, and which is aimed at, and has a significantly disproportionate effect on poor, low-paid, hardworking families.

Scottish Conservative transport spokesman Graham Simpson said: Whatever the arguments for Glasgows LEZ, it has considerable costs to the economy and peoples freedom of movement.

But the council havent even thought about how it would affect their own vehicles, which shows their disregard for ordinary Glaswegians.

To add insult to injury, they are footing the bill twice. Not just for themselves, but for the SNP-led councils botched introduction of this scheme.

Figures show that 138,000 was spent from July 17 up to the end of August on hire vehicles. That is on top of a 100,000 outlay since the scheme stated on June 1.

However, a spokesman for Glasgow City Council said the net cost of hires since the LEZ was brought in is around 104,000.

The spokesman said: Whilst some vehicles have been hired in the short term, the outlay has been offset by taking an equivalent number of older, non-compliant vehicles out of service in line with our planned fleet replacement programme.

Work is also under way to procure permanent, replacement vehicles through a longer-term contracting arrangement.
Psyche to launch to metal-rich asteroid and Lucy will make a fly-by of space rock

First will see a sample from asteroid Bennu recovered in Utah on September 24

It has been billed as NASA's 'asteroid autumn' and involves a trio of exciting missions that could answer some truly mind-boggling questions.

From offering clues to how life on Earth began, to unlocking the secrets of the solar system, key milestones for each voyage are due to play out over the next six weeks.

They include one rocket launch, a distant fly-by between Jupiter and Mars, and the recovery of ancient space rocks in the Utah desert that could contain the ingredients for life.

Of the three, the lift-off of NASA's Psyche spacecraft probably sounds the most mundane  but no so fast.

That is also a fascinating mission, because it is setting off on a 2.5 billion-mile (4 billion-kilometre) journey to find out once and for all if a metal-rich asteroid really could bring down the world's economy.

NASA's 'asteroid autumn': MailOnline delves into a trio of exciting missions that have key milestones over the next six weeks. They include the launch of a spacecraft that is going to a '$10,000 quadrillion pace rock', to retrieving a sample from a 4.5 billion-year-old rock that could reveal how life on Earth began. There will also be a fly-by of an asteroid out near Jupiter

1. Visit to $10,000 QUADRILLION space rock

Psyche is due to lift-off on October 5 on its way to the asteroid 16 Psyche, which scientists think may be packed full of precious metals with a value in excess of $10,000 quadrillion (8,072 quadrillion).

Others dispute this and say it is just hard rock, but NASA should be able to tell either way when its orbiter gets to the asteroid in July 2029.

One thing it definitely won't look like is anything resembling what you might find in a jewellery store, however.

Gold mine? NASA's Psyche spacecraft is due to explore an asteroid called 16 Psyche (depicted) which experts think may be packed full of precious metals with a value in excess of $10,000 quadrillion. The orbiter will launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on October 5

What it will look like: Once NASA's orbiter reaches 16 Psyche it will spend at least 26 months orbiting the asteroid (pictured in an artist's impression) to gather pictures and data

THE METAL WORLD OF 16 PSYCHE 16 Psyche is located in the large asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and may have started as a planet, before it was partially destroyed during the formation of the solar system. It is believed to be a 173 mile (280 km) wide chunk of metal, made up of iron, nickel and a number of other rare metals, including gold, platinum and copper. As such, it offers a unique look into the violent collisions that created Earth and the terrestrial planets. If the asteroid could be transported back to Earth, the iron alone that experts think it could contain would be worth $10,000 quadrillion (8,072 quadrillion). Advertisement

'I would love for it to look like a shiny, polished, what's called a pallasite meteorite  with the shiny silver metal and the beautiful gold and green jewel-like silicate minerals in between,' said Lindy Elkins-Tanton, the mission's principal investigator.

'But it's not going to look like that. Because no one's been onto Psyche, cut it open and polished it.'

She added: 'It's been hanging out in space, getting solar wind hitting it for a really, really long time. So the surfaces are not likely to be shiny.'

If 16 Psyche is in fact loaded with precious metals, it could be worth a huge amount of money, according to Dr Linda Elkins-Tanton, a space scientist at MIT.

She has calculated that the iron in 16 Psyche alone would be worth $10,000 quadrillion (8,072 quadrillion).

Assuming the market for asteroid materials is on Earth, this could cause the value of precious metals to plummet, completely devaluing all holdings including those of governments, and all companies involved in mining, distributing and trading such commodities.

Ultimately, it could lead to the collapse of the entire economy.

Of course it's all speculative and hypothetical, because even if the space rock was worth anywhere close to that kind of money, it's not like it could easily be brought back to Earth.

Engineers in California are currently getting the spacecraft ready to journey to 16 Psyche, which sits in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

The orbiter is due to piggy-back into space on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket which is scheduled to lift off from Pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida no earlier than 10:38 ET (15:38 BST) on October 5.

Stretching out: NASA's Psyche spacecraft has had its two jumbo solar arrays attached as engineers put the finishing touches on it ahead of its targeted October 5 lift-off date

2. Recover sample from a 4.5 billion-year-old asteroid

A separate team of NASA scientists is also gearing up to recover a capsule containing fragments of the asteroid Bennu.

The 8.8oz (250g) sample of rock and dust will be dropped back to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft and is due to land in Utah's western desert on September 24.

Special delivery! A separate team of NASA scientists is also gearing up to recover a capsule containing fragments of the asteroid Bennu (pictured). The 8.8oz (250g) sample of rock and dust will be dropped back to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on September 24

Huge: The space rock is about the size of the Empire State Building and around 200 million miles away from us

An acronym for 'Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer', OSIRIS-REx became the first US mission to collect a sample from an asteroid when it briefly touched down on Bennu in October 2020 and scooped up material with its robotic arm.

The space rock is about the size of the Empire State Building and around 200 million miles away from us.

It is of great interest to scientists because it is believed to contain microscopic mineral grains that pre-date the solar system.

OSIRIS-REx became the first US mission to collect a sample from an asteroid when it briefly touched down on Bennu in October 2020 and scooped up material with its robotic arm

Coming home: The sample that OSIRIS-REx recovered will be brought back to Earth and land at the Utah Test and Training Range in just over a week's time

This carbon-rich material is also thought to hold the preserved building blocks of life and could help experts better understand how the planets were formed and how life originated on Earth.

The sample that OSIRIS-REx recovered is the largest by a NASA mission since the Apollo astronauts returned with moon rocks in the 1960s and 70s.

It will be brought back to Earth and land at the Utah Test and Training Range in just over a week's time.

The precious rocks and dust will then be housed at a new lab at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, which is home to hundreds of pounds of lunar material collected by the 12 Apollo moonwalkers.

3. Fly-by on the way to Jupiter's Trojans

Meanwhile, a spacecraft named Lucy  launched in October 2021 to study eight asteroids that orbit Jupiter  will pass its first space rock called Dinkinesh on November 1.

During its 12-year journey the probe will be the first to tour the so-called Trojan asteroids, which are seen as 'time capsules from the birth of our solar system'.

Although Lucy will get its first close-up look at a space rock in six weeks' time, its maiden Trojan asteroid flyby will not happen for another four years, when the spacecraft gets closer to Jupiter in August 2027.

Exploration: Meanwhile, a spacecraft named Lucy  launched in October 2021 to study eight asteroids that orbit Jupiter  will pass its first space rock called Dinkinesh on November 1

Cost: NASA has said the $981 million (715 million) mission will revolutionise our knowledge of planetary origins and the formation of the solar system, giving insight into planetary evolution

EIGHT ASTEROIDS TO BE VISITED BY LUCY Lucy will visit eight asteroids during its 12 year mission, starting with one in the main asteroid belt beyond Mars. This is known as Donaldjohanson and will be visited in April 2025. Seven Trojan asteroids are named after characters from Greek mythology. They are Eurybates, Queta, Polymele, Leucus, Orus, Patroclus and Menoetius. Most of the mission's visits will occur in 2027 and 2028; its final planned flyby will take place in March 2033. Advertisement

The vast majority of the asteroid visits will happen in 2027 and 2028, with a final asteroid flyby scheduled to happen in March 2033.

The first will take place in April 2025, when Lucy visits a space rock in the main asteroid belt beyond Mars known as Donaldjohanson.

This will be followed by a trip to seven Trojan asteroids that are named after characters from Greek mythology.

They are Eurybates, Queta, Polymele, Leucus, Orus, Patroclus and Menoetius.

All of the Trojans are thought to be abundant in dark carbon compounds.

Below an insulating blanket of dust, they are probably rich in water and other volatile substances, dating back to the first days of the solar system.

No other space mission in history has been launched to as many different destinations in independent orbits around our sun. Lucy will show us, for the first time, the diversity of the primordial bodies that built the planets.

NASA has said the $981 million (715 million) mission will revolutionise our knowledge of planetary origins and the formation of the solar system, giving insight into planetary evolution.

It takes its name from the fossilised human ancestor, named 'Lucy' by her discovers, whose skeleton provided unique insights into our evolution.

As well as viewing some of the oldest rocks in the solar system, Lucy's path will cross the Earth three times, as it uses our planet's gravity to aid in its positioning.

This move will make it the first ever spacecraft to return to Earth from the outer solar system, as all the others are either still going  in the case of the Viking probes  or burnt up in the atmosphere of a gas giant, as was the case with Cassini and Saturn.
It was one of the pivotal UFO videos captured by the US military that helped thrust the once-fringe topic into the mainstream  the so-called 'GOFAST' infrared video filmed by US Navy fighter pilots off the coast of the Atlantic in January 2015.

But NASA claims it has debunked any exotic or extraterrestrial theories for GOFAST, boasting new analysis that 'reveals a less extraordinary interpretation.'

In a landmark advisory report released Thursday, the US space agency said  among other findings  that the GOFAST UFO was 'most likely' nothing more than a conventional object 'drifting with the wind.'

But meteorological records, climate scientists, US Navy witnesses, and even computer simulations developed and tested by diehard UFO skeptics have cast doubt on the likelihood that NASA's GOFAST explanation will hold fast much longer.

At the heart of the issue: NASA's experts, by their own admission, failed to check their math on the UFO's possible 'wind drift' against the global climate science community's public wind-speed data from the likely time of the GOFAST sighting.

Public interest in UFOs heightened in 2017 with the leak of three Navy pilot infrared videos that captured 'unidentified anomalous phenomena' (UAP). Above, a still from one of these videos, GOFAST, which NASA's expert UAP advisory panel attempted to explain as terrestrial this week

NASA UAP panelist Josh Semeter, director of Boston University's Center for Space Physics, used technical details from the military infrared video's user interface to calculate the altitude and speed of the 'GOFAST' UFO. But Semeter's analysis 'neglected' wind data from the event

To be sure, despite their own skepticism, NASA's UFO advisory panel did otherwise leave plenty of room for UFO true believers, noting in their final report that 'alien technology operating in Earth's atmosphere' was 'at least plausible.'

The US space agency even appointed a new director of research, Mark McInerney, solely devoted to unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), the new more technically accurate term for UFOs.

But, while the panel expressed hope that their efforts would help reduce the stigma around the reporting and scientific analysis of UAP, NASA's experts put forth a theory in their final report apparently intended to bring GOFAST back down to Earth.

In doing so, the space agency ignored voices from the squadron of Navy pilots that filmed GOFAST and the no-less-famous GIMBAL infrared UFO video, recorded that same evening in January 2015.

At the NASA group's open meeting last May, one of its UAP advisory panel members Josh Semeter  an engineering professor and director of Boston University's Center for Space Physics  presented his preliminary analysis of the GOFAST video.

Semeter made his case that the GOFAST was likely an object coasting in a strong breeze primarily by working with data present on the infrared video's display: the same intel a Navy weapons systems officer would use in the backseat of a fighter jet.

'Fortunately the information needed to determine the altitude and velocity of this object is contained on the display,' Semeter explained.

NASA's study group of 16 experts ranging from physicists to astronauts was formed in June 2020 to study unclassified UFO sightings from civilian, government and commercial sectors

Based on his trigonometric calculations of the fighter jet's flight path as the jet filmed the 'GOFAST' UAP, itself a moving target, Semeter estimated that the mystery object was cruising at just about 40 miles per hour (mph).

'That's a velocity that is consistent with wind speeds at 13,000 feet,' Semeter told his fellow NASA-appointed advisors this May. And, in fact, the calculated altitude for the GOFAST UAP, according to Semeter and others, was indeed about 13,000 feet.

Semeter's calculations emerged largely unchallenged in the NASA panel's final UFO report published this past Thursday  except for one significant caveat.

'Our calculation has neglected wind effects on the aircraft,' NASA's UFO report stated, 'and thus there is uncertainty in this result.'

But this dry note of caution might drastically understate the importance of these wind effects, to judge from both Semeter's critics and his allies.

Crucially, the Navy pilot witnesses heard in the GIMBAL video, which was filmed in the same area within approximately 15 minutes of the GOFAST video, state that the wind at their altitude of about 25,000 feet was then blowing '120 knots to the west.'

One computer simulation, created by noted UFO skeptic Mick West and hosted on his skeptics forum Metabunk, found that the GOFAST object would have been going significantly faster than 40 mph when taking this wind speed into account.

The skeptic's most conservative run of the simulation would have the GOFAST UFO traveling at 100 knots or 115 mph.

'This suggests that the object could not be a balloon,' as one Metabunk poster noted, 'because it needs intrinsic speed in addition [to] wind speed at 13,000 ft.'

As the US National Weather Service notes, 'wind speed generally increases with increasing height,' and the Metabunk simulation estimates that 120 knots of wind at 25,000 feet could correspond in this case to 50-to-80 knots of wind at 13,000 feet.

But even with this 50-to-80 knots of wind helping the GOFAST sail along, the UFO would still be going too fast: twice as fast as the air pushing at its back.

While Mick West praised Semeter's work for NASA last May, calling it a rare example of 'peer review' in UFO research, the prominent UFO skeptic also felt compelled to note that the wind issue left the GOFAST case still far from identified.

'There are some open questions (and unknowns) re wind,' West posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, 'but I think this basic analysis is correct.'

While the prominent UFO skeptic Mick West praised NASA UFO advisor Josh Semeter's work last May, calling it a rare example of 'peer review' in UFO research, West also felt compelled to note that the wind speed issue left the Navy's GOFAST UFO case far from resolved

Other observers, however, were less forgiving of the gaps in this NASA analysis.

One, a former Obama-era appointee to the US Department of Defense named Marik von Rennenkampff, called Semeter's omission of the reported wind conditions a 'significant error.'

'The 'GOFAST' video shows a small, sphere-like object with no wings, engines or thermal signature demonstrating 'very interesting apparent maneuvers.'' von Rennenkampff wrote in an opinion piece for The Hill.

The one-time DoD staffer likened the UAP to other small, sphere-like objects reported over the Middle East by the Pentagon's new UFO investigation office, as well as reports from the other Navy pilots with the squadron that spotted GOFAST.

But accurate wind speed data for the time of the GOFAST sighting need not be investigated solely via computer models and the recorded statements of the pilots present themselves that day.

Wind speed data from the time and place of the GOFAST sighting is already available  via detailed, archival weather data collated from multiple systems by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, which is made open to the public via their ERA5 reanalyzed climate dataset.

Meteorologists and climate science researchers use ERA5 to obtain reliable, global, hour-by-hour weather information for academic research, commercial aviation and government policy making purposes.

It was exactly this kind of data that NASA's UAP advisory panel leader, astrophysicist David Spergel, referenced when introducing the panel's final report this Thursday.

'We looked at NASA's assets,' Spergel said. 'While they provide a comprehensive picture of the ocean, the Earth's surface and atmosphere for studying our evolving planet, they typically do not have the resolution needed for UAP events.'

'However,' he added, 'by providing data on environmental conditions, they can complement other data on UAP.'

In this case, such data would have complimented the infrared video data taken by the Navy and the Navy pilots' witness testimony.

Although NASA scientists have experience utilizing ERA5 to study everything from atmospheric rivers of water vapor to the reflection of sunlight off of ice at the South Pole, the space agency's UFO team did not utilize it in their work on GOFAST.

It is not clear from NASA's UFO report whether or not they even tasked the agency's military liaison Mark McInerney, now NASA's first director of UAP research, with requesting more detailed information on the time or place of the GOFAST event.

Such efforts might have assisted the panel in obtaining ERA5 data proximate to the date, region and elevations of the GOFAST UFO episode  like those obtained by the DailyMail.com from a PhD climate researcher who wishes to remain anonymous.

Data from the ERA5 reanalyzed climate dataset, for both January 21st (left) and January 24th (right), show that only the later date had wind speeds approaching 120 knots near the region or cruising elevation of 25,000 feet reported by the Navy pilots

The ERA5 maps are marked with a red dot off the lower Eastern seaboard near Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida  in an effort to approximate where the Navy fighter pilots reported witnessing the GIMBAL and GOFAST UAP in January 2015

Two likely dates have emerged as the most probable candidates for the Navy's GIMBAL and GOFAST UFO events, which occurred in late January 2015.

In a 2019 statement to Freedom of Information Act researcher John Greenewald, an official spokesperson for the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare, Joseph Gradisher, stated that both sightings occurred on January 21, 2015.

But metadata embedded within the original GIMBAL video, as well as an unclassified Department of Defense email, reviewed for a conference paper presented to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics place both sightings on the evening of January 24th, 2015.

The DailyMail.com can confirm the likelihood of these two dates from previous interviews with retired Navy fighter pilot Lt. Ryan Graves, whose squadron reported the GIMBAL and GOFAST events.

Data from the ERA5 reanalyzed climate dataset, for both the 21st and 24th of January, show that only the later date had wind speeds approaching 120 knots near the region or cruising elevation of 25,000 feet reported by the Navy pilots.

The ERA5 maps are marked with a red dot off the lower Eastern seaboard near Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville, Florida  in an effort to approximate where the Navy fighter pilots reported witnessing the GIMBAL and GOFAST UAP in January 2015.

These ERA5 maps, alongside the DoD email and the infrared video metadata, help to corroborate the Navy witness heard in the GIMBAL video who describes the wind speed at 25,000 feet as '120 knots to the west.'

The period for high winds at high altitude persisted from, at least, 4:00 PM ET (21:00 UTC) to 8:00 PM ET (01:00 UTC).

The prolonged time range means that this ERA5 data also helps confirm pilot testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee which attested that the sightings occurred 'toward the end of one of the night flights.'

The ERA5 data helps confirm pilot testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee that the sightings occurred 'toward the end of one of the night flights.' These records were obtained by Freedom of Information Act researcher John Greenewald, owner of theblackvault.com

When the agency first announced its UAP advisory panel in June 2022, NASA's Assistant Deputy Associate Administrator for Research Daniel Evans told CNBC that the budget would be 'certainly no more than $100,000.'

Evans said that NASA's budget for the UAP study would be 'very consistent' with standard grant review panels.

It's unclear how much of the 16-person team's modest six-figure budget went toward Semeter's analysis of the GOFAST UAP video.

Perhaps significantly, Semeter's trigonometric analysis largely echoed work that had already been previously posted to the skeptics' forum Metabunk in 2018.

Perhaps significantly, Semeter's trigonometric analysis (right) largely echoed work that had already been previously posted to the skeptics' forum Metabunk in 2018 (left)

Josh Semeter of NASA's UAP advisory panel told the DailyMail.com via email (above), 'Yes, a 100-knot object ground speed is within the range of plausible solutions.' Semeter noted that NASA's report was meant to 'highlight challenges and limitations in current UAP investigations'

Christophe Spitzer Isbert  a French UFO researcher whose work on a UAP event near Hessdalen in Norway was cited by the French government's UFO research body Geipan  told the DailyMail.com that he believes NASA should have not rushed its GOFAST opinions into publication

'A small set of assumptions replaced hypothesis testing,' Isbert said.

'Assuming the object was lighter than air because it was slow and did not radiate heat does not constitute evidence to support the balloon hypothesis,' he added.

Isbert expressed his opinion that the US space agency should have attempted to collect a wider set of undisputed evidence on the GOFAST case, perhaps in the form of an official Navy report, before leveraging its stature with these public comments.

As an example, he recommended one possible method to help confirm NASA's wind-blown hypothesis, a method that also used only data available in the video itself.

'Tumbling on any axis would be visible as aspect ratio changes (length vs height),' Isbert noted. 'This would also be predicted by the balloon hypothesis since the object is not [perfectly] spherical.'

When reached for comment Monday morning, Josh Semeter of NASA's UAP advisory panel told the DailyMail.com via email, 'Yes, a 100-knot object ground speed is within the range of plausible solutions.'

'But based on uncertainties in wind vectors and trajectory model,' Semeter noted, 'a speed below 40 knots cannot be ruled out.'

The NASA panelist emphasized that the advisory group's intention by including this top-down or overhead 2-dimensional analysis of the GOFAST video, 'with wind effects left as an uncertainty, range data assumed reliable, etc.' was intended to 'highlight challenges and limitations in current UAP investigations.'

In the GOFAST, as in many other tantalizing and vexing UAP cases, Semeter said, 'critical data and confidence intervals are lacking.'

'This is, in fact, a central theme of the report.'
Have you ever had something confiscated by TSA at the airport that's made you annoyed?

Well, in a Reddit thread, a fleet of travelers have been venting their frustrations about security checks by revealing some of the most ridiculous items they've been forced to part ways with and some of the more suspicious things that made it through.

One woman detailed how her husband flew a 'few times' with a large knife accidentally secreted in his carryon bag and 'recently with a small one in his pocket.'

Meanwhile, when she went through the scanner with Pop Tarts they were confiscated and a 'scent sachet thing like people use in drawers' was cut open because the contents were 'suspected explosives.'

In a Reddit thread, a fleet of travelers have been venting their frustrations about security checks by revealing some of the most ridiculous items they've been forced to part ways with and some of the more suspicious things that made it through (stock image)

One Redditor noted that it isn't just TSA that has varying rules for America, and security checks are equally random all over the world.

They wrote: 'My friend somehow got a folding knife through US customs, then China customs, and finally Japan customs... apparently international TSA is just as useless as the US ones. '

Knives aside, many travelers revealed in the thread that camera lenses often present a problem with security officers.

One commenter said: 'We are photographers who travel a lot and 90 per cent of the time our camera bags get pulled and checked for gunpowder.

'I'm so used to it by now that we get to the airport an extra 30 minutes on top of the two hours because this always happens.'

Another Redditor shared a similar story, writing: 'My husband brought a professional camera with many lenses and they were VERY keen on checking out these Mysterious Metal Objects. They even checked them for (gunpowder?) residue.'

Other commenters vented about milk in baby bottles.

One mom, who had recently flown from Denver, said the TSA they made a 'huuuuuuuge a** stink' about her breastmilk in bottles.

She explained: '[At] our home airport San Francisco, the TSA are a**holes but the breastmilk wasn't a huge deal (they checked it and it was all done).

'At Denver they held my milk hostage acting like they didn't know what to do with it but at the same time, acting like it was a huge threat.

'I hovered over those TSA line a hawk while they held my milk staring at each other.

'In the end the head TSA [officer] was like "yeah, it's not a big deal just give it back to them." All that for nothing.'

Many travelers reveal in the thread that camera lenses often present a problem when they are getting checked by security officers (stock image)

After reading the thread, one Redditor suggested that the biggest issue with TSA is that 'every airport does things a little bit differently' (stock image)

Another testing TSA encounter, saw one traveler held up over a packet of custard.

Detailing the incident, they wrote: 'I was made to wait for one hour by an airport security agent when I had a pack of custard in my bag for a really long international flight.

'At the time I had a health condition where I could not eat anything else and it was going to be the only thing I was going to eat in 24 hours - if I didn't eat it I would have ended up getting sicker.

'They wanted their manager to talk to me and put me in a separate room. After 45 minutes I ventured out of the room (nervous about my flight departure) and they had completely forgotten about me.

'Their manager came and within 30 seconds was like "WTF of course you can keep your custard," and let me go.'

After reading the thread, one Redditor suggested that the biggest issue with TSA is that 'every airport does things a little bit differently.'

They noted that at some airport security checks they ask you to stack the bins whereas at others they don't, and some TSA officers require travelers to 'stand in line vs find a place in the row.'

The Redditor then criticized the TSA officers for their manners.

They wrote: 'But they act like you're an idiot for getting something slightly wrong or hesitating momentarily.

'Why they can't put up a little bit of clarifying signage is beyond me. But they're super aggro and I'd pay extra too just to avoid them.'

Another Redditor who works in the aviation industry agreed with the issue around varying rules.

They said: 'I work in the aviation industry and TSA is such a joke. One of my biggest complaints is that they all don't screen the same way!

'Flew out of Minneapolis airport on Mother's Day, we were allowed to keep our shoes on AND keep electronics in backpacks. Flew out of Orlando a week later, shoes off, iPads out, etc.'
China's top legislator meets Cambodian PM

Xinhua) 10:54, September 16, 2023

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet in Beijing on Friday.

Zhao spoke highly of good neighborliness and lasting friendship enjoyed by China and Cambodia. He told Hun Manet how China has unswervingly followed the whole-process people's democracy and a development path suited to China's national conditions. He stressed that China respects and supports the democratic path chosen by the Cambodian people.

The NPC is willing to work with the Cambodian National Assembly and Senate to implement the key consensus between the leaders of the two countries, strengthen exchanges of the two countries' legislative bodies at all levels, provide legal support for enhanced and fruitful Belt and Road cooperation, cement public support for generations of friendship, and push for greater development of China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic partnership, said Zhao.

Hun Manet expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government and people for their long-term valuable support for Cambodia's economic and social development.

The new Cambodian government will continue to firmly pursue a friendly policy towards China, deepen practical cooperation with China in various fields and consolidate the building of a Cambodia-China community with a shared future, he said.

Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie)
What to advertise and what not to advertise?

That was the question for Flagstaff City Council this week as members debated whether the city should allow advertisements for firearms and related services at city facilities such as the Flagstaff Pulliam Airport and Jay Lively Activity Center, the location of the ice rink.

The discussion came after an advertising video to be played at the airport by Timberline Firearms and Training was rejected earlier this year.

City staff rejected the video for not complying with the citys policy on violence within advertisements shown at the airport.

That policy restricts advertisements that represent, by language or graphics, violence or antisocial behavior. City staff are now asking Council to clarify that policy.

Language was suggested that would ban advertising that restricts the advertisement of firearms, ammunition, or related goods or services.

The regulations also ban the advertising of marijuana, alcohol, and tobacco and related products.

Throughout Tuesdays discussion, several members of the public accused Council and the city of attempting to restrict free speech in violation of the First Amendment. Rob Wilson, the owner of Timberline Firearms, was among several members of the public who told Council he believed the city was taking a dangerous step toward restricting free speech.

Wilson, whose ad was rejected earlier this year, said he has paid for the same advertisement to run at the airport every summer since 2020.

In years past, I have run an ad on the monitor at the baggage claim. I asked to do the same ad this year. So its run thousands and thousands of times because its on a loop and its a 10-second clip, Wilson said.

According to Wilson, in the past the city had contracted out the management of advertising at the airport and he never had a problem. But now that the city is running the management of advertising at the airport in-house, city staff rejected the ad.

Wilson also said the ad depicts the logo for Timberline Firearms and Training.

The video shows four people standing holding guns, and the ad ends with a video clip of an instructor and a student at their indoor firing range.

The student fires an assault-style weapon in full automatic at a paper target downrange with the silhouette of a person on it.

In my opinion, no violence, Wilson told the Arizona Daily Sun. What they're doing is they're letting their personal emotional beliefs drive their professional decisions, in contrary to what their obligation is with respect to their oath, which is to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the State of Arizona.

That was not the feeling of city staff.

City Economic Vitality Director Heidi Hanson said staff believed the video violated the citys clause on violence depicted in advertisements and may make many who would see it uncomfortable.

I will tell you that, Timberline Firearms, in that one video, one of the issues was that it was firing quite rapidly at the silhouette of a person. And we felt like that might make someone uncomfortable, Hanson said.

That feeling was shared. Councilmember Miranda Sweet said she was made uncomfortable when she saw the video advertisement.

I am a small business owner, I know the value of advertising and I understand where you're coming from. Sweet said, addressing Wilson. I want you to be able to advertise, but we're Flagstaff and we're trying to welcome people into the community when they come in the airport and for me, the video didnt portray that.

After rejecting the video, staff asked Wilson if they could make changes to it. Wilson said he would not make changes to the video and appealed the denial decision. That appeal first moved to the city manager and city attorneys office before coming to Council for a clarification of policy.

It's free speech. And that's mostly why I'm here. Because to be honest, if I couldn't advertise there, it's not the end of the world. Its a hit [to the business] but its not the end of the world, Wilson said. They're not here to legislate morality, or ban what we can and cannot say. That's what the First [Amendment] is all about.

But while many on the council thought the city could strike a middle road, most expressed approval for tighter restrictions on the kinds of advertisements that the city would allow within its facilities.

Councilmember Lori Matthews wondered if the city could still allow firearms to be advertised, but now allow advertisements for assault-style weapons, or depictions of guns being fired.

Our focus at the airport is create a friendly, welcoming environment for everyone. And not everyone looks at an AR-15 as [creating] a friendly environment, Matthews said. But I think we can still allow businesses to advertise and attract consumers to their shop.

Councilmembers Austin Aslan and Khara House both suggested the city simply restrict the depiction of any weapon, be it related to a firearm shop or an ax throwing business, to advertise within city facilities.

Tuesdays discussion will not be the end of the issue. Should the city continue to move forward to changes to the policy, Council will again discuss and then vote on the measure in the coming months.
Strictly Come Dancing is back to grace our TV screens once more, with the show starting on Saturday September 16 2023 as celebrities attempt to shimmy their way into winning the iconic Glitterball trophy.

The 2023 BBC One series will feature an immaculate star-studded line up, as well as unexpected changes with professional dancers - with one notable dancer choosing to exit the show, while another is forced to pull out from competing.

But who exactly is professional dancer Lauren Oakley? When did she join the show?

Read on below for everything you need to know about Lauren Oakley.

Strictly glamorous: Oakley is a former Burn The Floor dance captain and world touring dancer, having toured South Africa, Australia, China, Europe, North America and Japan during her stint on Burn The Floor

Who is Lauren Oakley?

Born in Birmingham, Lauren Oakley was one of four professional dancers joining Strictly in 2022, along with Michelle Tsiakkas.

In 2022, Lauren did not have a celebrity partner, but performed professional group numbers as part of her role on the show instead.

She has previously toured with Strictly champion Giovanni Pernice and long-time judge of the show, Anton Du Beke, with Lauren serving as the pair's as their leading lady.

Oakley is a former Burn The Floor dance captain and world touring dancer, having toured South Africa, Australia, China, Europe, North America and Japan during her stint on Burn The Floor.

After joining Strictly Come Dancing, Oakley said: 'I've grown up watching Strictly, always hoping that one day I could be part of the best show on television, doing what I love the most.

'Now that it's happening, it doesn't seem real. I can't wait to start this new sequined adventure and join this incredible family.'

Is Lauren Oakley married?

Oakley married Maximiliano Omar Montes de Oca in the summer of 2019. In August 2022 she posted a sweet snap of herself with Max, which she captioned: 'Husband appreciation - cause he doesn't get any of my insta time (or real time)'.

Not much is known about him, and it is not known if the pair have any children together.

Burn the floor: Oakley married Maximiliano Omar Montes de Oca in the summer of 2019. In August 2022 she posted a sweet snap of herself with Max, which she captioned: 'Husband appreciation - cause he doesn't get any of my insta time (or real time)'. Pictured: Oakley attends the UK Special Screening of "Bros" at Picturehouse Central on October 26, 2022 in London

Previous rumours had circulated that Oakley was dating Giovanni Pernice, but the pair were later confirmed to just be close friends and have no romantic involvement with one another.

Does Lauren Oakley have Instagram?

Lauren is highly-active on her Instagram page, and has an impressive 19.5k followers (as of September 2022), which is bound to shoot up after being on Strictly.

She can be found on Instagram under the username of @laurenmayoakley.
Lottie Moss made sure all eyes were on her as she headed to Rita Ora's Primark London Fashion Week launch in the capital on Friday evening.

The Only Fans model, 25, looked incredible in a figure-hugging black PVC dress.

Lottie turned up the glamour with dark square sunglasses and carried a silver square bag in her hand.

Styling her long blonde tresses in waves, the Celebs Go Dating star elevated her frame in a pair of towering black heels and applied a flawless palette of makeup.

Lottie joined the likes of Neelam Gill and Leomie Anderson at Rita bash celebrating her new fashion line with Primark.

Sexy: Lottie Moss made sure all eyes were on her as she headed to Rita Ora's Primark London Fashion Week launch in the capital on Friday evening

Head turner: The Only Fans model, 25, looked incredible in a figure-hugging black PVC dress

Launching on Tuesday 19th September, Rita, 32, said of the collection: 'Throughout my life, I have always wanted to look stylish, and when I was younger, I couldn't have done that without Primark.

'I could always stretch my budget with so many great pieces from Primark. Honestly, that is really when I learned how to get creative and play with fashion.

'Creating this collection with Primark has been very nostalgic for me, and I can't wait for the world to see it!'

Despite the pieces being made so they are affordable for everyone, Rita has been hit by backlash for working with a fast fashion brand after launching a sustainable activewear brand Human Beings.

Fans accused her of 'not caring' for venturing into fast fashion, while others shared their doubts that the millionaire and globally famous popstar still shops at the budget high street retailer.

Reacting to the partnership, one wrote: 'Fast fashion is destroying the planet, or don't you care.'

Another fumed: 'Rita Ora who prides herself with her own 'sustainable' line of sportswear making the world a better place just partnered with Primark. She really does not give a f**k.'

Model behaviour: Lottie turned up the glamour by wearing some dark square sunglasses and carried a silver square bag in her hand

Beauty: She styled her long blonde tresses in waves and elevated her frame in a pair of towering black heels and applied a flawless palette of makeup

Awkward: The outing comes after Lottie claimed she felt 'abandoned' by her older model half sister Kate Moss saying that the pair dont get on and have never been close

Fashionista: Rita Ora's fashion line with Primark launches on Tuesday 19th September

While a third shared their doubts as they wrote: 'Yeah right!! When was the last time she shopped at Primark!!!!'

Lotties Friday night outing comes a day after she avoided an awkward run-in with her estranged half-sister Kate Moss, 49.

The supermodel was the glitzy Vogue World bash, whilst Lottie was just metres down the road at a bar.

The Celebs Go Dating star recently claimed she felt 'abandoned' by her older model sister and that the pair dont get on and have never been close.
First Dates' Fred Sirieix is 'in talks to star in this years series of I'm A Celebrity,' according to a new report.

The maitre d, 51, who previously said he 'would never' go on the ITV reality show, has been lined up in hopes 'hell be a hit with the ladies.'

Fred once revealed that although he 'adore's frogs legs' the bushtucker trials aren't up his 'gastronomie' standard.

A TV insider told The Sun: 'Show bosses hope hell be a hit with the ladies watching, which is part of the reason theyve targeted him.

'Everyones really excited that theyre close to signing him up.'

Exciting: First Dates' Fred Sirieix, 51, is 'in talks to star in this years series of I'm A Celebrity,' according to a new report (pictured last month)

MailOnline has contacted ITV for comment.

In an interview with Hello! last year, he admitted the bushtucker trials put him off the idea of ever taking part in the reality series.

'I don't think I'd do I'm A Celebrity, I wouldn't be too keen on eating a camel's anus or something like that,' he explained.

'I know I eat frogs, I'm French, but at least those frogs are cooked!

'They are deliciously prepared, whereas a camel's anus is put in a blender and you have to eat it raw. It's awful. I know people who have been there - it's really not 'gastronomie.'

It comes following the news that ITV's cooking trio Gino D'Acampo, Gordon Ramsay and Fred are coming back to our screens for a new series despite Gino announcing his departure from their Road Trip in March.

Gino, Gordon And Fred: Viva Espana! will show the famous three journeying through Spain on another drive and will air next month on ITV and ITVX.

Gino quit the show for a range of reasons including wanting to protect his friendships with his co-stars, spend more time with his family, and free up his calendar.

The latest season of Road Trip was filmed and announced before the shock announcement that one third of the winning formula was leaving, and is ultimately dropping later than the previously promised 'early 2023'.

Headed for the jungle? The maitre d, who previously said he 'would never' go on the ITV reality show, has been lined up in hopes 'hell be a hit with the ladies'

Return: It comes following the news that ITV 's cooking trio Gino D'Acampo , Gordon Ramsay and Fred are coming back to our screens for a new series

Gordon and Fred will join Gino for an 'epic odyssey' across Andalusia and Galicia, having already conquered the cuisines of France, Italy, Scotland, Morocco, the US, Finland and Greece.

Alongside the cooking and driving that come with the territory for three chefs' road trip, the food connoisseurs will have 'a few surprises' up their sleeve for viewers, such as flamenco dancing.

Viewers can also look forward to two special episodes that will air over the Christmas period, in a festive first for the trio since 2020's Desperately Seeking Santa episode in Lapland.

Gordon, Gino and Fred: Unseen will also return with never-before-seen action from their earlier antics.
Stella McCartney looked as fashionable as ever as she joined stars including Jared Leto at her Net-A-Porter party at The Box Soho in London on Friday.

The fashion designer, 52, put on a very stylish display as she hosted the stars at a glitzy event as part of London Fashion Week.

For the occasion, she cut a smart figure in a grey pinstripe suit, which she teamed with a white vest top and pointed black heels.

Stella toted her essentials in a patent black clutch bag as she strutted her stuff outside the cabaret nightclub with some pals.

Also in attendance was actor Jared, 51, who cut a typically trendy figure in black trousers and a slogan T-shirt, worn underneath a red velvet jacket.

Smart: Stella McCartney looked as fashionable as ever as she joined the stars at her Net-A-Porter party at The Box Soho in London on Friday

Glitzy affair: The fashion designer, 52, put on a very stylish display as she hosted the stars including Jared Leto at a glitzy event as part of London Fashion Week

Style icon: For the occasion, she cut a smart figure in a grey pinstripe suit, which she teamed with a white vest top and pointed black heels

He kept comfortable in a very quirky pair of blue sandals and completed his look with a pair of black gloves, while he shielded his eyes with aviator shades.

Also at the event were the likes of Charli Howard, Lindsey Holland and Miquita Oliver, among others.

It comes after Stella landed in hot water after a marketing campaign featuring a horse was branded 'exploitative'.

Photographs taken for the designer - who refuses to use any animal products in her clothing lines - show model Kendall Jenner lying naked on the back of a white pony.

Kendall, 27, who has been criticised in the past for wearing clothes made of fur and leather, wears just a pair of Stella's boots and holds a handbag in the shot.

Stella dubbed the campaign 'Horse Power' and said that her new 'Stella girl' was a 'next-gen horse lover and equestrian'.

She wrote on Instagram: 'A celebration of the timeless healing relationships between humans and horses. It is a collection of what Stella loves, crafted from 92 per cent responsible materials.

'The campaign is shot by Harley Weir at the Camargue Salt Flats in the south of France, among white ponies native to region - raised freely by horse whisperer Jean Francois Pignon.'

But many of Stella's social media followers were quick to criticise her for using an animal in an advertising campaign.

'Whether a horse is large or not, using them for profit disregards their flight instincts, making them uncomfortable around lights, cameras, and noises. Horses don't receive payment or have a choice in working,' one person wrote in the comments section.

All smiles: Stella toted her essentials in a patent black clutch bag as she posed with Marisa Abela inside the venue

Pals: Stella was seen posing with actor Jared and Interim CEO of YOOX NET-A-PORTER Alison Loehnis at the party

Suave: Stella showed off her rouge tinted tresses as she wore them in loose waves while posting with Caitriona Balfe

Fashionista: Stella posed with Alison Loehnis as she hosted guests at the very lavish cocktail party

Pals: Stella was seen stepping out alongside friends as they all left the cabaret nightclub together after the fun night

Edgy: Jared, 51, cut a typically trendy figure in black trousers and a slogan T-shirt, worn underneath a red velvet jacket

Unique style: He kept comfortable in a very quirky pair of blue sandals and completed his look with a pair of black gloves, while he shielded his eyes with aviator shades

Quirky: Jared showed off his quirky sense of style for the outing and flashed a peace out sign as he stepped out

Trendy: Miquita Oliver cut a stylish figure in slim-fit trousers and a white shirt, which she wore with a faux-leather jacket

Glam: Charli Howard looked effortlessly chic in a black satin dress while Lindsey Holland put on a leggy display in a mini dress

Looking good: Roxie Nafousi put on a very fashionable display in a black blazer-style mini dress with padded shoulders

Stunner: She strutted her stuff in black peep-toe heels and toted her essentials in a sparkling silver handbag

Sophisticated: Caitriona Balfe looked glamorous in a black jumpsuit featuring satin lapels for the occasion

Backlash: It comes after Stella landed in hot water after a marketing campaign featuring Kendall Jenner lying on a horse was branded 'exploitative'

Another follower wrote: 'I love this brand, its mission and vision, I don't find this photo campaign appropriate, especially if we have to protect animals and nature, this is a celebration of vulgarity and nudity.'

One posted: 'This is not a good campaign Stella McCartney, this is supporting exploitation of horses. You are promoting something that many of your patrons feel is cruelty to animals.'

'Horses have a strength that is almost hard for humans to understand, and even though I can't communicate with them directly, I feel that the ones I've cared for have always lent that strength to me,' said the model.

Stella, whose father is former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney and mother is the late animal rights activist Linda, received a CBE last year for her services to fashion and sustainability.

She says on her website that she has 'never used leather, feathers, fur or skin since day one' and uses 'innovative animal and cruelty-free alternatives'.
Kyle Sandilands and Jackie 'O' Henderson are allegedly preparing to walk if they can't strike a new lucrative deal with their Australian Radio Network (ARN) bosses.

The radio duo have allegedly demanded a 100% raise from their current $5million per year salaries, to a shocking $10million per year - making it the biggest deal in Australian radio history.

Over the course of a 10-year contract, the pay increase would net them a combined $200million, reported The Daily Telegraph on Saturday.

The record-breaking deal would carry the shock jock team through to the end of 2034 and make them the highest paid radio hosts in the country.

With other radio veterans such as Ray Hadley, Amanda Keller and Carrie Bickmore only earning up to $3.5million a year, Kyle, 52, and Jackie O, 48, will reign supreme.

Kyle Sandilands, 52, (left) and Jackie 'O' Henderson, 48, (right) are allegedly preparing to walk if they can't strike a new lucrative deal with their Australian Radio Network (ARN) bosses

The demands reportedly don't stop there as the long-time friends seek to dominate other markets outside their predominantly Sydney-based audience.

With another 15 months to go on their contracts, the pair are allegedly pushing for less censorship as they try to take a foothold in the Melbourne market.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to ARN as well as Kyle's manager, who declined to comment.

The radio duo have allegedly demanded a 100% raise from their current $5million per year salaries, to a shocking $10million per year. Jackie 'O' Henderson is pictured in July

Over the course of a 10-year contract, the pay increase would net them a combined $200million. Kyle is pictured in 2018

It's unclear how much truth there is to the speculation as Kyle has previously slammed both his current and former bosses at ARN and SCA (Southern Cross Austereo).

In 2022, the furious radio host unleashed on his own KIIS FM radio station in an eight-minute rant over what he perceived as a snub by the company's PR team.

He was angry over the poor press coverage The Kyle and Jackie O Show's historic ratings triumph received at the time.

'I am sick and tired of working here. Everyone is a loser, except for everyone on this show. Everyone else outside of this show is a massive loser. I am not joking,' he said.

In 2021, he slammed his former network 2DAY FM when his radio show surpassed 2GB's Ben Fordham to become the No. 1 breakfast radio show in Sydney.

When asked by former Sunrise host David Koch if his success was the 'ultimate revenge', Kyle joked that his former bosses were so poor they couldn't afford phones.

The record-breaking deal would carry the shock jock team through to the end of 2034 and make them the highest paid radio hosts in the country

In March, The Kyle and Jackie O Show held its spot as Sydney's top-rating FM breakfast radio program in the first ratings survey of 2023.

The show, hosted by long-time duo Kyle and Jackie 'O' Henderson, drew a 15.9 per cent audience share.

The KIIS FM dream team attracted an impressive 842,000 listeners, continuing their reign as Australia's most listened-to radio show in history.

Kyle said on air on Thursday: 'We have broken another record. It's almost embarrassing. Guinness won't even take our calls. They're like, "Not another record!"

'The Kyle and Jackie O radio show has the highest market share of our entire record of being on air. We have eclipsed Ben Fordham - he's dead. We're on a 15.9 per cent share and I can feel the blood running into my willy now. That's how excited I am.'
Queen of the ballroom Shirley Ballas swaps her dancing shoes for slippers after an intense workout  as she undergoes training for Strictly's return.

The show's head judge was spotted emerging from a studio near her home in south-east London, where she had been doing a session of hot yoga  her secret to keeping fit for the dancefloor.

The 63-year-old scraped back her hair as she attempted to cool down after the yoga, which takes place in a room with the heating turned up. And she had with her all the essentials: a Fitbit, water and yoga towel. Standing out above anything else, though, was the casual 22 pair of smiley-face slippers from the easy living brand Nordic Peace.

Ms Ballas gave a nod to her beloved rescue pup Charlie with a T-shirt that read: 'My dog is my spirit animal'. She credits the lhasa apso with getting her through her late father's death.

The 63-year-old scraped back her hair as she attempted to cool down after the yoga, which takes place in a room with the heating turned up

The launch show for this year's Strictly Come Dancing is on tonight. In a sneak preview, Ms Ballas can be seen looking glamorous in a black chiffon dress.

The launch show for this year's Strictly Come Dancing is on tonight. In a sneak preview, Ms Ballas can be seen looking glamorous in a black chiffon dress.

She kicks off the show by dancing with professionals Giovanni Pernice and Carlos Gu.

Strictly is notorious for the gruelling training celebrity contestants must undergo but it appears even the judges have to sweat for the show. Ms Ballas told the Mail last month: 'I lost 9lb. Yoga is something I'm going to keep up throughout the whole Strictly series.'
Jack Fincham has reportedly been axed from Celebrity Ex On The Beach and sent home from filming.

It comes after the former Love Island winner, 31, was reportedly arrested on suspicion of drug-driving and using false plates on his car on August 26.

Jack insists he has not been charged with drug-driving after the alleged incident on the A2, near Dartford, and his solicitor Conor Johnstone, from Maj Law firm, said he understands the number plates on his vehicle were private plates, not false plates.

Now, it has been been claimed that Jack was in Gran Canaria to shoot for MTV's Celebrity Ex On The Beach when bosses axed him from the line-up for the new show.

A show insider told The Sun: 'Jack had turned up to filming all ready to take part in the show - but then the news broke about his arrest.

Development: Jack Fincham has reportedly been axed from Celebrity Ex On The Beach and sent home from filming

'The production team quickly convened a series of crisis meetings behind the scenes and in the end it was decided the best thing to do was to send him home.'

MailOnline has contacted Jack's representatives and MTV for comment.

It comes after it was reported that Jack, who won the 2018 series of Love Island, has pulled out of starring in the spin-off show Love Island Games at the last minute.

Jack is said to have decided to step back from entering the All Stars villa in Fiji for the show - which will feature former stars from the past UK, US and Australian series - in favour of Celebrity Ex On The Beach, which he has now reportedly been axed from.

'He decided Ex On The Beach was a better fit for him - he'd prefer to do that show so he flew out yesterday,' a source told The Sun.

Jack was reportedly arrested on suspicion of drug-driving and using false plates on his car on August 26. He is said to have been stopped by police as he travelled at high speed on the A2 near his home in Swanley, Kent.

At the time of his arrest, Jack was given a blood test and held on suspicion of careless driving and driving without insurance, according to reports.

He was then released under investigation until November 26.

Stopped: It comes after the former Love Island winner, 31, was reportedly arrested on suspicion of drug-driving and using false plates on his car on August 26

Jack's solicitor Conor Johnstone, of M.A.J Law, told The Sun: 'Mr Fincham has not been charged with drug driving and denies any drug consumption whatsoever.

'There is no evidence at this stage that Mr Fincham drove whilst over the legal limit and we are hopeful that his blood results will prove the same.'

His solicitor also said the TV personality is considering lodging a formal complaint against the police after becoming a 'target' by local police.

In a statement on Thursday, Kent Police said: 'On Saturday 26 August 2023, officers arrested a 31-year-old man from Swanley on suspicion of drug driving, careless driving, driving without insurance and driving while displaying false number plates, on the A2 near Dartford.

'He has since been bailed until 26 November 2023.'

Jack has just appeared on Celebs Go Dating after splitting from his girlfriend Jodie Ella.

Speaking as part of the Original Penguin X Campaign Against Living Miserably Under The Surface podcast, he alluded to a villa return in the wake of Adam Collard and Kady McDermott's explosive comebacks.

When asked about Kady, Jack, who was recently linked to Chloe Brockett and Frankie Sims before his romance with Jodie, said: 'Oh yeah of course I'd go back on the show. I'd love to. It's like a perfect environment to meet someone...

'You haven't got to worry about your phone or going to work or cooking. I'm not just trying to get out of work but yeah, I'd go back on the show in a heartbeat.'

TV: It comes after it was reported that Jack, who won the 2018 series of Love Island (pictured), has pulled out of starring in the spin-off show Love Island Games at the last minute

All over: Back in July, Jack revealed he had split from his girlfriend Jodie Ella

While he admitted he 'gets a lot of attention', Jack confessed he is ready to find lasting love, saying: 'But actually I'm kind of ready to find someone...

'[I want to] spend time with them. My little brother is 28 and he's been with his girlfriend for nine years and I think wow I'd love that now.'

It comes as five more stars have been revealed as contestants on the new spin-off series Love Island Games.

Megan Barton Hanson, 29, and Curtis Pritchard, 27, have 'already jetted off to film the new series' with host Maya Jama, 29, according to The Sun.

The new programme, which is yet to announce the full cast, will feature former stars from the UK, US and Aussie versions.

According to the publication, Danica Taylor, 22, who appeared on the UK show last year, is the third star announced to be taking part in the spin-off show.

And she will be joined by US stars, Deb Chubb, Carrington Rodriguez, Cely Vazquez and Imani Ayan.

Deborah, who has been single for five years, rose to fame on the show last year and is joining Carrington Rodriguez from the 2020 series of the US show.

Cely Vazquez was a runner up on season two of Love Island USA and Imani rose to fame on season five of the show.

Champions: Jack won the 2018 series alongside Dani Dyer

Ready for love... again: It comes as five more stars have been revealed as contestants on the new spin-off series Love Island Games, including Megan Barton Hanson

She's back: Danica Taylor, who appeared on the UK show last year, is also said to be taking part in the spin-off show

Hunk: Carrington Rodriguez was on the 2020 series of the US show and will make making a swift return to the spin-off

The current cast is to be a done deal and will soon be joined by a host of other Love Island stars from various versions of the hit dating show.

Last week, a source told the publication: 'Megan and Curtis are both amazing signings for the spin-off and bosses are rubbing their hands together that they agreed to take part.

'They are two of Love Island's most memorable contestants ever - who could forget Megan turning every boy's head in the villa, or Curtis' brutal breakup with Amy [Hart]?'

The new series will firstly hit screens in the US on Peacock in November, before making its way to UK screens.
Una Healy and Frankie Bridge had a mini The Saturdays reunion on Friday night, after the Irish beauty turned up to watch her in 2:22 A Ghost Story.

Frankie, 34, is currently treading the boards in the play at the Lyric Theatre in London and looked delighted to have Una, 41, show her support.

The former band members made a lively pair as they exited the stage door in a fit of giggles.

They looked to be in very high spirits as they put on an animated display holding hands and cuddling up to each other.

Frankie ensured all eyes were on her as she went braless in a beige PVC maxi dress which boasted a slit up the side and showed off her toned arms.

Pop pals: Una Healy and Frankie Bridge had a mini The Saturdays reunion on Friday night, after the Irish beauty turned up to watch her in 2:22 A Ghost Story

Besties: They looked to be in very high spirits as they put on an animated display holding hands and cuddling up to each other

She paired the glamorous ensemble with a pair of white backless heels and sported a dark red manicure.

Frankie wore her dark tresses in soft waves and opted for a typically bronzed makeup look.

Una, meanwhile, looked typically stylish in a black dress which she wore with a designer handbag and strappy open toe heels for the night out.

Frankie, is currently starring as Lauren in the West End play 2:22 after she took over the role from One Tree Hill star Sofia Bush.

She stars alongside Jamie Winstone - who stars in the play as Jenny - and is proving a huge success in the role as she received a thunderous reception for her performance on gala night earlier this month.

Frankie and Una were part of the The Saturdays alongside Vanessa White, Rochelle Humes and Mollie King.

The girls had a number of top hits, including What About Us which reached number one, but then went their separate ways in 2014.

Cute: The former band members made a lively pair as they exited the stage door hand in hand in fits of giggles

Glam: Frankie, is currently starring as Lauren in the West End play 2:22 and looked super chic in a beige PVC maxi dress with white open toe heels

Showstopping: She wore her caramel locks down in soft waves and opted for a typically bronzed look

All smiles: Una showed off her svelte physique in a figure-hugging black dress with black strappy heels which she wore with a YSL designer handbag

Throwback: The Saturdays were five piece pop group were made up of Una, Vanessa White, Frankie, Mollie King and Rochelle Hulmes (pictured in 2014)

Throuple: Una raised eyebrows earlier this year when it was reported she was in a three-way relationship with boxer David Haye, 42, and his model partner Sian Osborne, 35

Almost ten years on, the members have all become a success in their own right with successful TV presenting careers, baby product lines and more.

Una raised eyebrows earlier this year when it was reported she was in a three-way relationship with boxer David Haye, 42, and his model partner Sian Osborne, 35.

A cosy snap of the trio on holiday in Morocco fuelled the claims, yet Una insisted she was never part of a 'throuple', revealing the only person she was dating was David - although he was simultaneously dating Sian.

Una - who has two children with her ex-husband Ben Foden  explained it was never anything serious and she had come across David's profile on celebrity dating app Raya.

Despite the pair ending Una revealed on the My Therapist Ghosted Me podcast that she has no bad feelings towards David, insisting there is no bitterness and while she doesn't talk to Sian, she still keeps in contact with the boxer.
Kanye West's 'wife' Bianca Censori - who can usually be seen in very racy near-nude looks - covered up for her latest outing.

The 46-year-old rapper's 28-year-old partner donned a rather avant-garde look as she headed to a London Fashion Week Show hosted by Tom Brady's girlfriend and Kanye's ex Irina Shayk on Friday evening.

Perhaps the most head-turning element of Bianca's look was a massive white wig that she sported which featured fringe which completely covered her eyes ala Sia at the Mowalola SS24 catwalk show.

Despite being more covered up than her more recent outings, she still managed to showcase her stunning figure in a clinging white crocheted bodysuit.

One thing that the stunner had to implement in her ensemble was her signature sweaty perspex pumps as she strutted her stuff down to the front row of the fashion show.

Bond: Kanye West 's 'wife' Bianca Censori - who can usually be seen in very racy near-nude looks - covered up for her latest outing

All eyes on her: The 46-year-old rapper's 28-year-old partner donned a rather avant-garde look as she headed to a London Fashion Week Show hosted by Tom Brady 's girlfriend and Kanye's ex Irina Shayk on Friday evening

VIPs: The power couple sat front row

Stunner: Kanye's ex and Tom Brady's current girlfriend Irina Shayk opened the show

Speaking of signature looks Kanye rocked his as he was completely covered up in black including a headwrap which completely covered his face.

The Touch The Sky rapper completed the dark look with a baggy sweater, trousers, and his signature sock shoes.

The eccentric duo were seen hanging out backstage at the star-studded event as they posed for snaps together.

They later took their rightful place sitting front row at the runway show for the brand from Nigerian-born fashion designer Mowalola Ogunlesi.

The power couple were spotted in Berlin, Germany on Thursday.

Previously, the pair had been traveling in Italy since August but were spotted eating kebabs on a park benc in the German capital the day before.

Just earlier this month, the pair sparked controversy when they were spotted enjoying an amorous moment in public while riding a water taxi in Venice.

They had also faced much backlash for their outlandish outfits and antics as they traveled throughout the conservative Catholic country.

Perhaps the most head-turning element of Bianca's look was a massive white wig that she sported which featured fringe which completely covered her eyes ala Sia at the Mowalola SS24 catwalk show

Passion for fashion: Despite being more covered up than her more recent outings, she still managed to showcase her stunning figure in a clinging white crocheted bodysuit

Leggy lady: One thing that the stunner had to implement in her ensemble was her signature sweaty perspex pumps as she strutted her stuff down to the front row of the fashion show

Artist: Speaking of signature looks Kanye rocked his as he was completely covered up in black including a headwrap which completely covered his face

Dark side: The Touch The Sky rapper completed the dark look with a baggy sweater, trousers, and his signature sock shoes

Keeping cool: The duo were seen chatting backstage

Recently, a friend expressed concern for her Censori.

The source told DailyMail.com that she 'is stuck and her friends are trying to save her, but no one can because of the blockades Kanye has put up [around her].

'Everyone is extremely concerned,' the insider continued. 'This isn't who she is.

'She is an incredibly outspoken and lively person who is never one to keep her mouth shut, but she has no one right now and it is scary,' the source added.

The insider also mentioned the Grammy winner's ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, and how he allegedly influenced her fashion choices during their longtime relationship.

The former couple  who share four children together  finalized their divorce late last year in November 2022.

'Kanye is trying to make Bianca into a radicalized version of Kim - almost like Kim 2.0,' the source claimed.

'The difference is that when Kim was with Kanye he was respected in the fashion world,' the insider continued. 'He has since lost this respect.'

Heading in: The two walked to the show hand-in-hand

All eyes on them: the pair certainly turned heads

Moving on: The contrast in their outfits can totally be seen

Pleased: Many fellow attendees looked excited to get a glimpse of the power couple

Squad goals: The front row was packed full of interesting ensembles

The musician  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 was finalized.

Previously, 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, 10, Saint, seven, Chicago, five, and Psalm, four.
Lila Moss looked as stunning as ever as she stepped out for her mother Kate's star-studded party at Apollo's Muse in London on Friday night.

The model, 20, made sure to capture attention as she stepped out for the event, which celebrated the one-year anniversary of Kate Moss' wellness brand Cosmoss.

For the occasion, Lila put on a leggy display in leather-look shorts and a sheer top, which she wore over a black bra.

She swept a smart blazer over her shoulders and gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of pointed black heels, before later changing into chunky black boots.

Lila also toted her essentials in a small black handbag and appeared to be in jovial spirits as she flashed a huge smile while arriving at her mother's event.

Glam: Lila Moss looked as stunning as ever as she stepped out for her mother Kate's star-studded party at Apollo's Muse in London on Friday night

Stylish: The model, 20, made sure to capture attention as she stepped out for the event, which celebrated the one-year anniversary of Kate's wellness brand Cosmoss

She showed her support for her supermodel mother Kate, who put on a very glamorous display in a stylish white halter-neck dress at her party.

A whole host of stars flocked to the event, which also came amid London Fashion Week, including the likes of Jared Leto and model Stella Maxwell.

Kate was celebrating the one-year anniversary of her wellness and lifestyle brand Cosmoss.

She confirmed the brand's launch last August with a video of herself wild swimming completely naked as she promised it would 'open a door' to 'balance, restoration, and love'.

The supermodel, who currently lives in the Cotswolds, claimed the brand is 'self-care created for life's modern journeys' upon its launch on September 1, 2022.

It has been likened to a British version of Gwyneth Paltrow's US business Goop as Kate became the latest celebrity to jump on the wellness market.

Kate's beauty products, made from 'potent, natural substances', are split into three daily rituals which are said to balance the 'body and soul with the natural environment and the circadian cycles'.

The website describes these rituals as enabling us to 'adjust to the rhythm of nature, help us find inner peace and self-fulfilment, and open a door to balance, restoration and love'.

Fashionista: For the occasion, Lila put on a leggy display in leather-look shorts and a sheer top, which she wore over a black bra

Gorgeous: Lila showed her support for her supermodel mother Kate, who put on a very glamorous display in a stylish white halter-neck dress at her party

The full three rituals cost more than 400, while the popular Golden Nectar serum - which contains the 'mythical' tears of Chios, a plant resin produced on the Greek island - has a 105 price tag alone.

The dawn ritual, which fills the body with 'positive energy', costs a total of 287 and includes a 21 antioxidant 'dawn tea', a 52 cleanser and 95 anti-ageing face cream.

It is then finished with the 120 Sacred Mist eau de parfum which 'envelopes you with its hypnotic yet grounding fragrance' to 'provide a sense of inner peace'.

During the daytime, Kate advises using her 'moodboosting' fragrance again, followed by the Golden Nectar serum  a CBD infused 'ultimate antioxidant oil'.

With an eye-watering price-tag for only 30ml, it is described as 'an everyday indulgence which takes care of your skin, body, mind and soul'.

Her third and final dusk ritual then includes a 20 calming evening tea, the 52 cleanser once again, the Golden Nectar oil and the 95 day and night face cream.

As well as her skincare and teas, Kate is also reportedly set to use her wellness brand to sell healthy food and mineral supplements.

Earlier this month, the Daily Mail revealed that Kate had won a legal battle with a pharmaceutical firm over the name of her brand Cosmoss.

It means she has trademarked Cosmoss for ranges such as herbal preparations for medicinal purposes, plus food and mineral supplements in her latest venture.

Venture: The star-studded party celebrated the one-year anniversary of Kate's wellness and lifestyle brand Cosmoss

Digging deep: The brand's skincare products, made from 'potent, natural substances', are split into three daily rituals which cost more than 400 in total

'Kate has huge ambitions for the Cosmoss brand,' the Daily Mail's Richard Eden was told at the time.

Kate 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 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.

It gave a 'likelihood of confusion' as the reason for its objection, but the opposition to Kate's application has been dropped, it was revealed earlier this month.

A 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.
A month into his first full academic year as president of Coconino Community College (CCC), Eric Heiser said he's focusing on expanding the schools Career and Technical Education (CTE) and student support offerings, and working with local partners.

Heiser was selected as the colleges sixth president last fall, after the previous president, Colleen Smith, announced her retirement. He officially began the role in January.

His first hundred days as president were focused on hearing from the local community, Heiser said, adding that hed been in 367 meetings between the beginning of the year and the end of May.

Some of his takeaways from that were detailed in his 100 days report, released in June.

The 2023-2024 school year began in late August for CCC students. Heiser said enrollment was up this year, with a 2% increase over last year in both the number of students enrolled and the number of credits being taken. He also said there are 5% more online students, 32% more transfer students and an increase of 13% in students who have never before attended college.

We are up across the board for the first time in a number of years, he said, noting that many other colleges across the U.S. are still seeing flat or declining enrollment.

Weve really only just begun, he added . I think our dual enrollment is going to continue to grow; were establishing partnerships specifically with [Flagstaff Unified School District], where I think thats going to grow exponentially. It has me really excited that, even with some of the small moves that we made thus far, were seeing impact in our enrollment.

Bigger tech

A major focus for the college is currently its career and technical education (CTE) courses and programs. Expanding CTE offerings was one of the main initiatives outlined in CCCs tax reset, which was approved by voters last year and part of Heisers selection was his 20 years of experience working in CTE.

The tax reset primarily focused on program, creation, development and support for CTE, and Heiser said he expected CCC would exceed what it had promised on the ballot within the first year and a half of the phase-in process. An update on its progress released in late May -- a year after the reset passed -- said it had already completed 75% of those items.

We feel the more that we can serve the community in that aspect, especially in regard to skills training, getting folks into jobs sooner, the stronger the communitys going to be, he said. The community put their faith in us and backed that up with dollars to say, 'We trust you to do this.' Were delivering on that promise.

Programs CCC had started by May included certificates in early childhood education, assisted living caregiving, Google IT support and Amazon Web services. It had also expanded several scholarship programs and increased enrollment in its nursing program.

Some potential areas of expansion Heiser mentioned this week were heavy trades (diesel maintenance and mechanic programs, for example), mechatronics and a variety of specialized healthcare programs.

One of the most exciting things is knowing that we now have the ability to expand, we have the resources to expand now, he said. Its just the hard part is narrowing down what areas might we expand.

CCC uses a program called Lightcast to evaluate the area's current need for employees in a particular field, and how that might grow or shrink in the future. It then discusses these needs with local industry leaders.

For the most part, this expansion will be coming through adding new programs to CCC, though a few, such as nursing, will be expanding their capacity as well.

In July, the college was one of the first 10 recipients of the Lowe's Foundation Gable Grants. It received a $750,000 to grow its construction offerings, which will including training programs in HVAC, plumbing and electrical. It is also planning to remodel a facility, update equipment and hire more instructors.

Another example is the police academy, which graduated its first class in March.

Part of this expansion will come from local partnerships, as Heiser said hed received several offers from industry partners to help facilitate bringing specific programs to CCC. The colleges automotive technician program, for example, is using the mechanics bays at Findlay Honda for instruction in the evenings.

Finding space for new programs is honestly one of our biggest constraints, Heiser said.

Especially when we look at Fourth Street, that is our hub for CTE, he said, and "...it is bursting at the seams right now.

Solutions so far have included those partnerships, and rearranging space -- which it did on its Lone Tree campus to fit the police academy, finding more room for science labs in the process.

While the tax reset will finish phasing in after three years, Heiser said the programming in CTE will be a priority for years to come.

I dont see it as a one and done; I think our workforce, the industries that are coming up here and need the employees, thats going to continue to grow, he said. We often talk about training for jobs that dont even exist yet; thats what we run into in some of these high-tech fields. Youre trying to plan for an economy five to 10 years down the road, and we dont really know what that's going to look like.

Working with the university

CCC, along with the other community colleges in Arizona, began working with Northern Arizona University (NAU) on the Arizona Attainment Alliance (A++) September a year ago.

A++ then announced a universal admissions pilot in February and Heiser said CCC has already started to enroll some of those students.

In the pilot program, students who apply to NAU but do not meet the admissions requirements are connected to CCC, with the promise that if they meet specific goals, they will then be automatically accepted to NAU. The pilot began at CCC this semester, and will expand to other colleges in A++ in 2024.

February's announcement noted that nearly 700 students were interested in participating during the fall 2023 semester.

Heiser said the admissions pilot was a first of its kind initiative, as in his work in three different states, he hadnt seen a university president willing to collaborate in preparing students.

I think it really is the best of both worlds, he said. ...We know that our transfer students do better at the university as opposed to a student who just starts at the university as a freshman.

He added: "If we put them in here and then we have the ability to nurture and build them up, their chances of success are just going to go up. So NAU will have higher completion rates, because we know that when our students transfer, theyre more likely to be successful. We know that we can help those students get to a point where they can get there, too.

Supporting students

Heiser said hes also been focusing on growing the support programs available to CCC students, initiatives like the Comet Cupboard, mental healthcare and helping students who are housing insecure.

He said the college is working with the CCC Foundation to establish holistic supports, including emergency grants for students in a crisis.

Heiser referenced the idea of Maslow before Bloom, meaning that the first few layers on the pyramid of basic needs have to be met before looking at Blooms taxonomy for learning.

If you are wondering where your next meals coming from, if you are wondering how rents going to get paid, you may be in class, but youre probably not going to be nearly as focused as if you know that the basic needs are taken care of, he explained. So working in conjunction with our foundation, were going to drastically expand the holistic supports that we have available to our students. Its certainly not going to happen overnight, but within the next couple of years, I think there will be a drastically good difference.

Right now, it's expanding an embedded tutoring program, where tutors attend the class theyll be helping students with, rather than being simply outside experts on the subject.

We are going to be a college that serves all of our community, he said.  ... Just because you never had a family member go to college, just because you never thought you were college material, we want you and we have a place for you here at CCC."

The CCC president said the school is "here for everyone."

"If youre in on what its going to take in terms of the work, were in on making sure thats going to be successful," he said. "So whether thats providing the supports that are needed, the emergency aid thats needed, whatever the case may be, we are invested and we are going to continue to invest very heavily in making sure that when a student walks through our door, they have every ability to be successful, regardless of where theyre coming from in life."

More about CCC can be found at coconino.edu.
The rebooted version of The Wonder Years has officially been canceled by ABC.

The news about the program was revealed through several media outlets on Friday, and Deadline reported that the program suffered from low viewership and poor reviews throughout its second and final season.

The show, which was renewed for another run last May, served as a new incarnation of the classic ABC sitcom, which starred Fred Savage.

The 47-year-old actor also served as one of the rebooted version of The Wonder Years' executive producers and directors.

However, the performer was removed from the project in May of last year after he was accused of various forms of misconduct.

Done and done: The rebooted version of The Wonder Years has officially been canceled by ABC

The new version of The Wonder Years was centered on a middle-class African-American family living in Montgomery, Alabama, during the 1960s.

The program followed Dean Williams, portrayed by Elisha 'EJ' Williams, as he grew to maturity while dealing with various changes in the social climate.

Don Cheadle voiced the older version of the character and served as the program's narrator.

Other cast members in the project included Dule Hill, Saycon Sengbloh and Laura Kariuki.

Lee Daniels, best known for his work on programs such as Empire and Star, also acted as one of the show's executive producers.

It was initially announced that a rebooted version of The Wonder Years, which originally ran from 1988 until 1993, was in the works in July of 2020.

Much of the cast signed on to appear in the project over the course of the following year.

The Wonder Years' pilot episode eventually premiered on September 22, 2021, and it was met with much praise from critics.

Harsh news: The news about the program was revealed through several media outlets on Friday, and Deadline reported that the program suffered from low viewership and poor reviews throughout its second and final season

Reboot: The show, which was renewed for another run last May, served as a new incarnation of the classic ABC sitcom, which starred Fred Savage

Raking them in: Several performers from the show were nominated for various awards during its run, with Williams and Hill being put up for distinctions during the 53rd and 54th NAACP Image Awards

The show's first season went on to run for a total of 22 episodes, the last of which debuted in May of last year.

The program was also renewed for a second run of episodes that same month, and its final season, which ran for 10 episodes, premiered this past June.

Several performers from the show were nominated for various awards during its run, with Williams and Hill being put up for distinctions during the 53rd and 54th NAACP Image Awards.

The Wonder Years as a whole currently holds a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Nikki Phillips led the fashionable arrivals at Sydney's Surf to Turf Day at the Royal Randwick Racecourse on Saturday.

The New Zealand model, 40, turned heads as she stepped out in a strapless Alemais dress, worth $495 and featuring bright swirls of pattern.

She paired the split-hem frock with a strappy pair of heels as she clasped a pastel purple clutch in one hand to match her extravagant purple fascinator.

The television host was all smiles as she enjoyed her day out at the races, and appeared to spend a lot of time with fellow model Jordan Simek.

Her friend looked every inch the angelic beauty as the influencer, 27, stepped out in a white gown by Eliya The Label.

Nikki Phillips, 40, (pictured) led the fashionable arrivals at Sydney's Surf to Turf Day at the Royal Randwick Racecourse on Saturday

The $449 dress featured a plunging neckline with crepe fabric features shaped into flowers which adorned her bodice.

Rocking a bold red lip for the occasion, the blonde beauty donned an incredibly wide-brimmed fascinator which hung low over her face.

Jordan slicked her golden tresses back into a low ponytail as she accessorised her look with a pair of subtle heels and a bright red handbag to match her makeup.

The New Zealand model, 40, turned heads as she stepped out in a strapless Alemais dress, worth $495 and featuring bright sworls of pattern

She paired the split-hem frock with a strappy pair of heels as she clasped a pastel purple clutch in one hand to match her extravagant purple fascinator

The television host was all smiles as she enjoyed her day out at the races, and appeared to spend a lot of time with fellow model Jordan Simek, 27, (left)

Her friend looked every inch the angelic beauty as the influencer stepped out in a white gown by Eliya The Label

Rocking a bold red lip for the occasion, the blonde beauty donned an incredibly wide-brimmed fascinator which hung low over her face

Jordan slicked her golden tresses back into a low ponytail as she accessorised her look with a pair of subtle heels and a bright red handbag to match her makeup

Her $449 dress featured a plunging neckline with crepe fabric features shaped into flowers which adorned her bodice

Jordan posed up a storm when she arrived at the event

She beelined for the Pamper Pavilion to touch up her makeup

The model admired herself in the mirror as she posed for even more pictures

The beauty appeared to be getting friendly with a male companion

Jordan was all smiles as she sat down to eat in the exclusive seating section

Her bold red lip was a stunning pop of colour against her monochrome ensemble

TikTok star Lucinda Pikkat was the belle of the ball in a stunning Rebecca Vallance frock worth $699.

Flaunting her figure with a fitted bodice, Lucinda worked the huge bow feature at her shoulder which drew the eye to her sweetheart neckline.

A subtle purple flower fascinator kept her blonde locks slicked back as the beauty opted for a natural makeup look.

TikTok star Lucinda Pikkat (pictured) was the belle of the ball in a stunning Rebecca Vallance frock worth $699

A subtle purple flower fascinator kept her blonde locks slicked back as the beauty opted for a natural makeup look

Elsewhere, hat designer Stacey Hemera Roberts appeared to have stolen her style from Sophie Monk as she donned a scarlet strapless frock with cut-out detailing.

The Love Island host, 43, was spotted wearing the exact same dress at the 2017 TV Week Logie Awards, though it seems Stacey had it hemmed for the races.

Finally, travel blogger Viera Macikova went bold with colour as she slipped in a $599 Camilla dress covered in floral details.

From poppies and daffodils to delicate daisies, Viera leaned into the colourful aesthetic with a bright yellow flower fascinator as she clutched a Balmain handbag.

Elsewhere, hat designer Stacey Hemera Roberts (pictured) appeared to have stolen her style from Sophie Monk as she donned a scarlet strapless frock with cut-out detailing

The Love Island host, 43, (pictured) was spotted wearing the exact same dress at the 2017 TV Week Logie Awards , though it seems Stacey had it hemmed for the races

Stacey changed up the look even more by adding a bright red hat she designed herself, and a red floral neck tie

Her bright red nails and bold red lip matched the monochrome look

Stacey could hardly wipe the smile off her face as she watched the races unfold

She was seen cuddling up to a male companion who also appeared to enjoy the colour red

Finally, travel blogger Viera Macikova went bold with colour as she slipped in a $599 Camilla dress covered in floral details
Blac Chyna celebrated completing one year of sobriety by sharing a set of images on her Instagram account on Friday.

In her first snap, the rapper, 35, was seen receiving a kiss on the cheek from her mother, Tokyo Toni, as the pair celebrated the milestone achievement.

Chyna  who recently spoke about having a considerable amount of silicone removed from her body  also included a screenshot from the 12 Steps application, which served to confirm her assertion about her sobriety.

Chyna born Angela Renee White  went on to show off her cake which featured the Third Step Prayer, as well as other imagery from the Twelve Step program.

The entrepreneur penned a lengthy caption, where she reflected on her sobriety journey and encouraged others who may be struggling to seek help.

Congratulations! Blac Chyna celebrated completing one year of sobriety by sharing a set of images on her Instagram account on Friday

She began by writing: 'September 14, 2023 marks my one-year of sobriety this year taught me a lot about myself. I made up my mind on September 14, 2022 that I was done with the alcohol.'

The model added that 'this process is not easy but I did it, I plan on continuing practicing sobriety.'

Chyna wanted to 'thank everybody that has been supporting me with this part of my journey.'

'Angela White is unstoppable, smart, beautiful, brave, a great mother, and a great friend,' she added.

The reality TV star offered encouragement to fans who may be dealing with alcoholism or other issues with addiction.

'I'm hoping that when you see this, this will inspire you if you are struggling with any addiction, just know that you can do it and you are worth it,' she wrote.

Chyna concluded by advising her followers to explore the many resources available to help them achieve sobriety.

'God loves you. It's so many different apps, and groups that can help you with this journey, and you're not alone,' she wrote.

Proving it: Chyna included a screenshot from the 12 Steps application, which served to confirm her assertion about her sobriety

The entrepreneur penned a lengthy caption, where she reflected on her sobriety journey and encouraged others who may be struggling to seek help

Grateful: Chyna wanted to 'thank everybody that has been supporting me with this part of my journey'

Changes: Chyna previously announced that she had been making major changes in her life this past March, which has included removing her breast and butt implants and dissolving her facial fillers

Back in March, Chyna announced that she had been making major changes to her life  including removing her breast and butt implants and dissolving her facial fillers to get back to her natural self.

The socialite's decision shift her priorities was inspired by her newfound faith and interest in Christianity.

She spoke about her new normal during an interview with Page Six, where she expressed that she was optimistic about the future.

'This is the best I've felt my whole life. My confidence is through the roof, and I'm loving the woman I'm becoming,' she said.
Desiigner's attorney, Ryan Garry, has revealed that the Panda rapper will not be 'forced' to register as sex offender following his sentence for masturbating on a Delta Airlines flight back in April.

Initially, reports had claimed that the performer, 26, would have to register as a sex offender for indecent exposure, but Garry told People in an article published on Friday that such reports were untrue and 'wrong.'

'Regarding the issue of Mr. Selby registering as a sex offender, many news outlets have incorrectly stated that he is required to register as an absolute condition of his probation. They are wrong,' his attorney expressed.

He continued, 'Since this was a federal misdemeanor, the sentencing judgement states that if the State of California or some other government entity requires that Mr. Selby must register as a sex offender, then he must.'

'However, the parties in this case have come to the legal conclusion, after significant research and consultation with lawyers in California, that this misdemeanor conviction is not one that will cause Mr. Selby to have to register as a sex offender.'

Update: Desiigner's attorney, Ryan Garry, has revealed that the Panda rapper, 26, will not be 'forced' to register as sex offender following his sentence for masturbating on a Delta Airlines flight back in April; seen in 2022 in LA

'If some government agency in California disagrees with our analysis, then we will address the matter at that point in time,' Desiigner's attorney added.

The music artist - whose real name is Sidney Royel Selby III - was notably sentenced to 120 hours of community service, fined $5,000 and is on probation for two years in his hearing at the Minneapolis U.S. District Court, per the Star Tribune.

Previous reports had claimed that the rapper was ordered by a federal court to register as a sex offender after he admitted to exposing himself and masturbating on a flight this past April.

He had faced up to 90 days in custody in connection with his conviction. As result of his guilty plea Thursday, he will be prohibited from owning or having firearm in his possession, and must undergo drug testing.

The Timmy Turner performer was on an April 17 Delta flight from Tokyo to Minneapolis when the incident occurred, according to the newspaper.

Desiigner's attorney Ryan Garry said in court docs that the Grammy-nominated artist was dealing with a number of stressors leading up to the incident, the Star Tribune reported.

Garry told the court that the Brooklyn, New York native was dealing with 'dehydration, exhaustion from the music tour and travel, the marijuana he ingested, and the medication he received from [a] Thailand hospital.'

The defense attorney said that all of the factors 'contributed in some way to the poor decisions Mr. Selby made on that airplane.'

False: Initially, reports had claimed that the performer would have to register as a sex offender for indecent exposure, but Garry told People in an article published on Friday that such reports were untrue and 'wrong'; seen in 2019

Sentencing: The music artist - whose real name is Sidney Royel Selby III - was notably sentenced to 120 hours of community service, fined $5,000 and is on probation for two years in his hearing in the Minneapolis U.S. District Court; seen earlier this year in January

Prosecutors said that while they took into account the artist's admitted issues with substance abuse and mental health - Desiigner checked into a mental health facility following the incident - they said that punitive action in the case was essential since there were victims impacted.

Desiigner's 'conduct aboard the flight caused negative real-world effects on the flight attendants who witnessed his actions in the workplace, where they should be kept safe,' prosecutors said.

Prosecutors noted that the musical artist had a history of bad behavior on flights, pointing to a 2018 incident on Scandinavian Airlines while led to him being banned for a year from taking flights with the airline after he 'behaved in a threatening manner toward the crew.'

Desiigner initially exposed himself about 60 to 90 minutes after takeoff while seated in first class, according to a legal complaint reviewed by the AP.

He initially covered up after exposing himself, according to the complaint, but a pair of flight attendants saw him again playing with himself and told him to stop, which he did.

At that point, the lead flight attendant informed the musical artist that he was going to be taken into custody over his behavior.

Soon thereafter, Desiigner was seen a third time with his genitals exposed, at which point he was taken to the back of the aircraft.

When he was switching seats at one point, Desiigner dropped a container of lubricant - Vaseline - into the aisle, according to the complaint, TMZ previously reported.

Incident: Desiigner initially exposed himself about 60 to 90 minutes after takeoff while seated in first class, according to a legal complaint reviewed by the AP; seen in 2021

Checking into a facility: In the wake of the event, Desiigner said he checked into a mental health facility following the incident, sources told TMZ at the time; seen in May 2022

Desiigner had informed his own security guard that he was 'sorry' that he had 'messed up' and had been 'bugging' in his conduct.

The musical artist told the flight crew he was sorry for his actions at the end of the flight, at which point he was detained by authorities.

Amid an exchange with authorities from the FBI, Desiigner said that he 'didnt get much cootie' on his trip to Japan, and was 'brick hard' after he found himself attracted to one of the flight attendants, which compelled him to expose himself.

He said that he believed showing the flight attendant his 'magic stick' would provide her with the 'encouragement' to further engage with him, the complaint read.

Desiigner said that he was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on the flight, the complaint read, and the FBI agent who spoke with him said he didn't appear to be impaired.

In the wake of the event, Desiigner said he checked into a mental health facility following the incident, sources told TMZ at the time.

Desiigner took to Instagram Stories in April with a statement explaining the health issues that preceded what happened on the plane.

Statement: Desiigner took to Instagram Stories in April with a statement explaining the health issues that preceded what happened on the plane

'For the past few months i have not been ok, and i have been struggling to come to terms with what is going on,' he said. 'While overseas for a concert i performed at, i had to be admitted in to a hospital, i was not thinking clearly.'

The rapper said he was given medication and 'had to hop on a plane home' soon thereafter.

He said of exposing himself on the aircraft, 'I am ashamed of my actions that happened on that plane' and said that after arriving back in the U.S., he is admitting himself into 'facility to help' with his problems.

'I will be cancelling all shows and any obligations until further notice,' he said. 'Mental health is real guys, please pray for me. If your not feeling like yourself please get help.'
Lili Reinhart has revealed that her body dysmorphia has been 'going crazy' over the past few months.

The American actress, 27, who is best known for playing Betty Cooper in Riverdale, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday to reveal her plight.

Lili admitted that she feels like her arms 'need to be half the size they are' and confessed to having wasted an 'insane' amount of time obsessing over it.

The star considered whether the issue was a 'cruel amplified version' of having severe body dysmorphia as well as obsessive compulsive disorder.

Last January, Lili revealed she was 'struggling with severe obsessive thoughts about her weight' as she slammed Hollywood's 'obsession' with women's bodies.

Candid: Lili Reinhart has revealed that her body dysmorphia has been 'going crazy' over the past few months (Pictured earlier this month)

Fixated: Lili admitted that she feels like her arms 'need to be half the size they are' and confessed to having wasted an 'insane' amount of time obsessing over it (Pictured in October)

Real talk: The American actress who is best known for playing Betty Cooper in Riverdale, took to X, formerly known as Twitter , on Thursday to reveal her plight

On Thursday, Lili tweeted: 'I wish there were more average sized arms represented in mainstream media for women. My body dysmorphia has been going crazy because I feel like my arms need to be half the size they are currently?

'We've glamorized these skinny arms that, for most of us, can only be achieved if you're a literal adolescent.

'I truly wonder how anyone survives or gets through this life without having severe BD. Maybe it's a cruel amplified version in combination with my OCD, but damn.

'The amount of time I've wasted thinking about my arms in the last few months is insane. I wanted to throw my own thoughts out there to let other women know they aren't alone.'

Last January, Lili shared how she was 'struggling with severe obsessive thoughts about her weight,' penning her admission to social media.

She confessed: 'To not feel at home in my own skin is a devastating feeling. As if my body has betrayed me by changing.

'I've looked in the mirror and pulled my skin back tight to see what I *should* look like. What I'm expected to look like... in an industry where you're inconvenient when not a sample size.'

But while Lili faces particular challenges because much of her career is based on her appearance, she noted that so many people deal with the same struggles.

'It's painful to think hundreds of millions of us are so concerned with what our bodies look like. That's an incredibly broken system. Somewhere along the line, humanity really f***ed this one up.'

Struggling: The star considered whether the issue was a 'cruel amplified version' of having severe body dysmorphia as well as obsessive compulsive disorder (Pictured in October)

Saying it straight: Last January, Lili revealed she was 'struggling with severe obsessive thoughts about her weight' as she slammed Hollywood's 'obsession' with women's bodies

Lili has frequently opened up about the mental health struggles she has wrestled with since childhood.

In 2018, she revealed that she suffers from anxiety and depression, detailing how she went through debilitating panic attacks and how therapy ultimately gave her a new lease on life.

The actress, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, told V Magazine that her depression became 'extreme' after she moved to Los Angeles at the age of 18.

After struggling with a 'horrible roommate situation,' she settled in the Hollywood Hills and lived in a house she shared with seven people.

'I didn't know anyone there. I didn't have any friends there,' she said. 'I didn't have any family there. So when I moved there, it was just me.

'And I wasn't going to school, so I didn't have any way to really meet people, necessarily, or be social. I was just kind of waiting around for my auditions.

'I spent most of my days literally doing nothing, sitting in my room watching Netflix and waiting for an audition to come in. And it was miserable.

'My health got so bad because of how depressed I was. I was throwing up every day, [having] panic attacks, night sweats, and I was just sad.

'There came a point when I called my mom, and I was like, "I need to come home. I'm not OK. I'm not good right now. My mental health isn't good."

'My mental health has always been such a priority to me that I knew when it was affecting my physical health.'

Lili previously talked about her body dysmorphia in a 2018 interview, telling Seventeen that her struggle began when she developed 'really bad acne' in the seventh grade.

She said: 'I developed slight body dysmorphia  when I would break out, I couldnt look at myself in the mirror for a couple of months at a time.

'I remember doing my make-up before school in the dark, which is an awful idea, but its because I didnt want to see myself in that bright light.

'Sometimes when I have a breakout it triggers me back to that time when I was a teen and I feel so self-conscious  like the whole world is looking at my bad skin,' she said, noting that there have been times when she didn't go out because of the appearance of her acne.

Back in 2019, Lili slammed body altering apps in a lengthy statement, in which she implored people to stop making themselves look skinnier for social media.

She insisted: 'This is why people develop eating disorders. This is why social media has become hazardous to our health. This is why people have unrealistic expectations of their bodies.

Body dysmorphia: Mental health condition that sees sufferers obsess over flaws in their appearance Body dysmorphia is a mental health condition where a person obsessively worries about flaws in their physical appearance. Sufferers develop compulsive behaviours and routines, such as excessive use of mirrors or avoiding them completely. These obsessions and behaviours cause emotional distress and have a significant impact on people's ability to carry on with their day-to-day life. In this way, the condition is closely related to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). BDD can vary in severity from person-to-person and from day-to-day. For some people, concerns around appearance may make it difficult for them to go out in public or see other people. For others, they need to uphold what they perceive as a perfect look. BDD may also cause other problems such as feelings of shame, guilt and loneliness. People with the condition may isolate themselves to avoid situations where their appearance may cause them anxiety or awkwardness. Advertisement

'I implore you: do not use these kinds of apps. If you photoshop your body you are adding to the problem.'

The rant against the editing app continued with Lili detailing just why she thought it was damaging for people to use the editors or support people who use them.

'This is how unrealistic standards of human bodies have been created  to the point where people later their bodies surgically to achieve unattainable results,' she wrote, stating everyone was 'better' than using an app or getting plastic surgery.

'Looking "skinnier" in a photo on Instagram is not worth the detrimental psychological effects that these Photoshopping apps have given our generation.
Kelly Gale and her fiance Joel Kinnaman headed out to a party at London Fashion Week on Friday night after returning home safely from the Burning Man festival.

The Victoria's Secret model, 28, was casually chic as she held hands with her man on the relaxed evening out in the British city.

The beauty opted for a racy high cut black bodysuit paired with pale blue satin trousers.

She added a silver choker necklace and towering boots along with a clutch purse in a matching black tone.

For makeup, Kelly chose a clean look including a matte pink lipstick and wore her hair pulled off her face.

Kelly Gale and her fiance Joel Kinnaman headed out to a party at London Fashion Week on Friday night after returning home safely from the Burning Man festival. Both pictured

Joel meanwhile chose a plain white shirt and wide-legged trousers in a pale beige along with tan leather boots.

The engaged duo scrubbed up nicely after their harrowing ordeal at this year's Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desert.

Over 73,000 revellers were told to shelter in place and conserve food and water after a massive rainstorm turned the site into a mud pit.

'Good to be back in the city,' she wrote for her 1.7 million followers.

Kelly shared before and after photos of the festival, which capture the hellish conditions she and her fiance faced as the event flooded - and the blissful hours beforehand.

The Victoria's Secret model, 28, was casually chic as she held hands with her man on the relaxed evening out in the British city

The engaged duo scrubbed up nicely after their harrowing ordeal at this year's Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desert

She first posted an 'after' shot showing her and Joel, 43, looking downbeat and holding hands as they waded through the Nevada desert's muddy grounds.

Kelly protected herself from the harsh weather conditions in a baggy patterned blazer and jeans while Joel sported a tan T-shirt and matching pants.

'We're dressed for completely different climates,' Kelly wrote next to the photo and added a laughing emoji.

The final weekend of the hedonisitic event ground to a halt as freezing, mud-caked conditions took over.

One festival-goer died during the event, with authorities yet to give details on their death.
Leonardo DiCaprio dined at London hotspot Chiltern Firehouse, on Friday night.

The Hollywood heavyweight, 48, wore his signature black cap and facemask combination for the restaurant outing.

Leonardo strolled along in a smart pair of straight-leg indigo jeans and box fresh black-and-white trainers from ethical brand LCI.

The Titanic actor completed his outfit with a black T-shirt and denim jacket with silver contrast buttons.

Leonardo wasn't the only celebrity out at the swanky venue, with Emma Weymouth, Jordan Barrett and Natalie Pinkham also making it their Friday night destination.

Out again: Leonardo DiCaprio, 48, dined at London hotspot Chiltern Firehouse, on Friday night

Low-key: The Hollywood heavyweight wore his signature black cap and facemask combination for the restaurant outing

Stylish: He wore a pair of straight-leg indigo jeans and box fresh black-and-white trainers from ethical brand LCI

It comes after the Titanic actor has been at the centre of a controversy - following his public kiss with Italian model Vittoria Ceretti, 25, in Ibiza last week.

And The Hollywood star has received some backlash on Twitter for dating yet another younger model.

The Revenant sensation was seen in a passionate clinch with his new flame Vittoria during a recent visit to Hi Ibiza nightclub on the Spanish party island.

He has a reputation for only dating women 25 or under and famously tends to break up with them after they pass the milestone - as he did with his last serious girlfriend Camila Morrone, now 26.

After the pictures emerged with Vittoria, many were quick to ridicule him for the fact it wouldn't be a long relationship as she will turn 26 next June.

One wrote: 'She gonna be gone before this tweet is done,' while another joked: 'One more year and he won't look at her again.'

Leonardo and Vittoria, who have a 23 year age gap, were spotted gazing lovingly into each others eyes before they locked lips while partying at the venue until 4:30am.

Catching up: The star appeared to be taking a phone call as he headed home

Home time: The Titanic actor layered up with denim jacket boasting silver contrast buttons

Scandal: It comes after the Titanic actor has been at the centre of a controversy - following his public kiss with Italian model Vittoria Ceretti, 25, in Ibiza last week

Wow! Emma Weymouth looked incredible in an encrusted ball gown boasting a feathered skirt

Quirky: Model Jordan Barrett wore slinky blue trousers and statement bomber jacket

Birthday girl: Natalie looked gorgeous as she arrived at the venue to celebrate turning 45
Arabella Chi was making the most of the luxuries from her new romance as she headed out for a drive in her boyfriend Richie Akiva's new Porsche earlier this week.

Dressed head to toe in Boohoo, the Love Island star put on a very leggy display in a figure-hugging black long sleeved dress.

The reality star had enjoyed a speedy drive in her beau's new car, a 170,000 911 Turbo Sport Porsche.

Arabella was first linked to the nightclub owner last month when they were seen kissing on a yacht in Ibiza alongside his pal Leonardo DiCaprio, 48.

Treating her beau to a spin, the star looked sensational as she was snapped behind the wheel.

Wow: Arabella Chi, 32, put on a VERY leggy display in figure-hugging black dress as she took her boyfriend's 170,000 Porsche for a spin

Gorgeous: The Love Island star looked incredible as she dressed head to toe in Boohoo in a figure-hugging black long sleeved dress

Stunning: The 32-year-old showed off her flawless beauty in the snaps as her blonde locks were styled straight

The star showed off her slender pins in the dress which she paired with some high-legged black leather boots.

Arabella looked very comfortable in the luxury vehicle as she enjoyed a drive with the roof down.

She carried her essentials in a small black handbag while she clutched her phone in her hand.

This summer, Arabella had been soaking up the sun in Ibiza with Richie and his pals, including A-lister Leonardo.

The couple were seen sharing a passionate kiss as they relaxed on board a yacht in the Mediterranean sea last month.

Model Arabella and Richie, who has long rubbed shoulders with Hollywood's finest, looked loved-up as they shared a smooch while relaxing in the sunshine.

The fashionista showcased her jaw-dropping figure for the outing as she donned a skimpy gold bikini that highlighted her toned abdomen.

The blonde bombshell was also reportedly seen rubbing shoulders with Spider-Man actor Tobey Maguire.

Shut up and drive: The reality star was taking her boyfriend Richie Akiva, 45, for a spin around Manhattan in his brand new 170,000 911 Turbo Sport Porsche

Luxury: The star looked very glam indeed as she stepped out the shiny vehicle

Sensational: The star showed off her slender pins in the dress which she paired with some high-legged black leather boots

Fashion: She carried her essentials in a small black handbag while she clutched her phone in her hand

Behind the wheel: Arabella looked very comfortable in the luxury vehicle as she enjoyed a drive with the roof down

Summer romance: Arabella was first linked to the nightclub owner last month when they were seen kissing on a yacht in Ibiza alongside his pal Leonardo DiCaprio, 48

A source previously told The Sun that Arabella and Richie were enjoying their summer romance together.

'She lives in Ibiza now so when Leo and his mates came to town she was invited on board their yacht.

'It's a world away from the Love Island villa but Arabella is totally at ease with anyone and everyone.

'She's been treated like a queen on the yacht with Leo and his pals and is clearly having the time of her life.'

It's not known how long Arabella has been seeing New York native Richie or where they first met.

Richie has been a regular on the New York club scene since his teen years and opened the legendary 10ak nightclub in 2007.

He is the CEO of the Butter Group which owns other popular venues in the city including Up & Down and Butter.
Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas has revealed that online trolling she faced became so bad that she almost quit the BBC show.

The ballroom star joined the panel in 2017 after previous head judge Len Goodman stepped down from the role.

Last year, Shirley began to receive a torrent of online abuse, and while she normally puts on a tough exterior, the former dancer, 63, admitted it's 'just a front.'

Speaking in an interview with The Times, the star opened up about the sorts of cruel messages she received, with some users even accusing her of being racist.

She explained it was comments like 'Just, how ugly you are and how fat you are, and how you've got horrible arms, and, ''You don't like men. You don't like women. You don't like black men. You don't like black women''.'

Opening up: Strictly Come Dancing head judge Shirley Ballas, 63, has revealed that online trolling she faced became so bad that she almost quit the BBC show

Ordeal: Last year, the dancer began to receive a torrent of online abuse, and while she normally puts on a tough exterior, Shirley admitted it's 'just a front'

Shirley revealed that the racist accusations especially were the hardest to deal with and although she might seem tough on the TV it's just a front she puts on.

'That's a front. Something I've learnt from my mother. ''Don't whine. Get on with it''.'

It was reported in April that after a stand-off with Strictly bosses Shirley was offered a pay rise of 55,000 after she 'had conversations' about leaving the ballroom.

The judge is said to be earning almost 500,000 for her role in the show and has also decided to change her attitude this year.

She admitted she won't be taking things so personally this year and has employed a new member of her team, Harry Surplus, who will be in charge of the star's social media.

She explained that he will filter what she sees and manage any potential abusive comments.

Last month Shirley revealed she was forced to seek counselling after the abuse she received.

Ahead of her return to the show she opened up on how she got through the abuse, and admitted she 'wouldn't want it for anyone'.

Hesitant: In March earlier this year, Shirley hinted that she may never return to Strictly Come Dancing following the torrent of abuse she received during the last series

Speaking to OK! magazine, she explained: 'I've had down and dark days throughout my whole life but I've always had music and I've always had dancing. And of course I've got my mother and we're glued at the hip.

'What it [the trolling] did to me on the last series, I wouldn't want that for anyone.'

The star has been undergoing counselling for over two decades.

Explaining her attitude towards it, she said: 'I'm not embarrassed to say that now, although I was in the past as I thought people might think I was weak.

'But you know what? Sometimes counselling is just about having someone there to listen. So there's nothing wrong with reaching out for help.'

Shirley's brother, David, tragically took his own life back in 2003 aged 44 and the star also revealed that a close friend also lost their life recently to suicide.
He's never shied away from enjoying a loved-up outing with his bride-to-be.

But Damien Hirst appeared to be just as enamoured by his beloved pet dog as he enjoyed a romantic dinner date with his fiancee Sophie Cannell on Friday.

The art collector, 58, was fawning over his new puppy as he enjoyed a meal at his favourite restaurant ,Scott's in Mayfair.

He and Sophie were seen arriving for their low-key dinner, but it was clear that their canine was the star of the show, with the blonde beauty sweetly carrying and petting the pooch throughout the meal.

Later in the evening the pair were seen leaving the restaurant as they headed back home with their fur baby.

Cute: Damien Hirst, 58, was seen doting on his new pet chihuahua as he enjoyed a romantic dinner date with his fiancee Sophie Cannell, 29, at their favourite Mayfair restaurant on Friday

Their baby: The art collector and his bride-to-be brought along their new pet for their latest date night

The couple seemed to be wearing matching outfits as they both donned black tracksuit bottoms and white hoodies patterned with graphic lettering.

Damien also sported a white beanie hat as he slung a Louis Vuitton dog basket over his shoulder with the chihuahua's essentials.

After he burst on to the art scene in the 1990s with his controversial exhibitions, Hirst is said to be the UK's richest living artist, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.

So it is no surprise the pooch has ben spoiled with designer gear as Sophie carried it caringly in her arms.

It's not the first time Damien, who has an estimated fortune of 300 million, has been spotted engaging in a uncharacteristic display of affection.

Last month the star was also pictured at Scott's with the chihuahua as he snuggled up to the dog and gazed into its eyes as his other half fed treats to it.

Hirst, who wore a pale pink knitted beanie, later demonstrated his devotion to the dog by carrying it in a cross-body sling.

The father-of-three also seemed happy to carry its stuffed fox toy, fleece blanket and the Louis Vuitton pet carrier.

True love: The adorable pooch looked alert in its owner's arms as Damien held the dog close to his chest and snuggled up to his pet

Star of the show: Damien proudly held the dog in the air as he looked loving at his pet

Proud mum: Sophie was also seen smiling as she held and petted the pooch throughout the meal

Evening out: Clearly fawning over their new puppy the couple enjoyed a meal at the star's favourite restaurant Scott's in Mayfair

Adorable: The dog looked like it had fallen asleep on Damien during the meal

Twinning: The couple seemed to be wearing matching outfits as they both donned black tracksuit bottoms and white hoodies patterned with graphic lettering

Fluffy: The pooch looked ready for to get home to bed as they left the restaurant

Fashion: Damien sported a white beanie hat as he slung a Louis Vuitton dog basket over his shoulder with the chihuahua's essentials

Home time: Later in the evening the pair were seen leaving the restaurant as they headed back home with their fur baby

Until 2012, Damien lived with his American partner Maia Norman and their three sons in Devon.

He has been with Sophie for more than four years, and is believed to have met her while she was working as a waitress at the Chiltern Firehouse restaurant in London.

He declared his love for her last year in a predictably unconventional way  immortalising her in a sculpture, based on her body, as part of one of his four works for Richard Caring's new Mayfair restaurant Bacchanalia.

The artist has also gifted his fiancee a 166,600 18-carat gold Rolex Pearlmaster studded with 713 gems.
The big yellow FUSD No. 1 school bus pulls up to the entrance of Camp Colton, and the load of passengers pours out the door. Program coordinator Callie Harward, bullhorn in hand, welcomes the students with a Hey Oh  a call soon to become a trademark for time to listen up.

Harward instructs the students to form a fire line and start unloading all their gear. In ball caps, T-shirts and sunglasses, the kids straggle into line, handing off sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, duffel bags and packs, some nearly as big as they are. One student clutches a stuffed animal, a bit of comfort away from home.

As they toss belongings along, the kids giggle while their teacher, Daniel Wong, encourages them to be nice with the bedding. Good job, he adds.

The controlled chaos takes a while, as the pile of gear grows into a mountain. The students gather in a circle, seated on log stumps, waiting for the second bus to arrive. But in minutes, a bunch scampers off like chipmunks to another row of stumps. One girl says, Were literally out in the middle of nowhere.

Indeed, these 65 sixth-graders from Sinagua Middle School have journeyed 10 miles from Flagstaff to Camp Colton, situated near 9,000 feet elevation at the foot of the San Francisco Peaks. Its not that far in miles, but in these quiet woods away from home, family, and digital distractions, theyre in an entirely different world. For many, its the first time ever for this experience. On this late August morning, lupines bloom bluer than the sky, mushrooms are popping up and deer with fawns browse in the woods. Its anyones guess whether the students noticed them on the way in amid their nervous excitement.

*****

Camp Colton is operated by the Flagstaff Unified School District in partnership with Friends of Camp Colton. For 52 years, a four- or five-day stay here has been a rite of passage for all sixth-graders. In that time, more than 47,000 have been hosted here. And nearly anyone you talk to in town is an alumni -- or their children, parents or siblings are.

It all began when two Sechrist Elementary School sixth-grade teachers, Ed Piper and Bob Dawson, along with principal Tony Gabaldon, started Project LIFE out at Mormon Lake. In 1976, Dick and Jean Wilson deeded 33 acres to the school district. Camp Colton was born, and named in honor of Dicks mother Suzanne Colton Wilson. The Wilsons later gave the next door Fern Mountain Ranch to The Nature Conservancy for the Hart Prairie Preserve.

Over that half century, camp has remained a residential environmental education program, off-grid and outdoors, free of classroom walls. The stated mission is to cultivate exceptional outdoor learning experiences that instill the value of preserving our natural world and inspire growth and discovery. The person in charge of carrying out that mission every day on the ground is Camp Director Jackson Carranco -- a guy who never stops moving.

After the second bus arrives and unloads, Carranco rings the old cast iron bell outside the main lodge, a sound that will summon campers to come together throughout the week.

What a blessing to see you all here, he says, then moves right to the basics. Boys and girls restrooms and showers behind the main lodge. Water spigots are there, too, straight from the spring where we get all our water. Rooftop solar panels produce electricity.

Carranco also notes the dozen canvas-sided platform tents and two newer enclosed cabins where campers will spend their nights. And of course there are rules: no visiting friends in other tents, and no going back to the tents during recess without permission. And no food or trash inside, lest a porcupine find its way in.

Tents, eight bunks in each, are assigned and claimed. Blankets and sleeping bags are arranged; one girl stretches out and says, Mine is actually comfortable for some reason. But theres precious little time to relax. Instead, its back to the lodge porch, where campers fill out their name tag cookies  rounds of wood on yarn string to be worn all the time, at least in theory.

*****

Outside on the patio, Carranco draws all eyes to the San Francisco Peaks towering to 12,000 feet just behind them. We are really on the mountain he observes, and inquires who knows the names of the Peaks. Humphreys says one, Elden, chimes another. A shy Navajo girl calls them Dookooosiid in her Dine language.

What do you think about being outside? How can we treat this place? Hands shoot up with answers  respect the animals, dont pull grass or step on flowers, dont dig holes. All good thoughts that will be reinforced as the campers participate in the various daily activities.

Animals become the theme as each student is then assigned to the group theyll stay with through the week  Antelope, Bear, Chipmunk, Deer and Elk. These are designed to fulfill another goal at Camp Colton -- team building and getting along with your peers and kids who arent part of your inner circle. For 11- and 12-year-olds on the brink of adolescence this is as important as the basic outdoor education mission.

Finally  lunch time!

At picnic tables inside the main lodge dining room, cafeteria trays offer sandwiches, chips, carrots, cookies. Three meals a day are prepared in the adjoining kitchen, on a massive woodstove thats fired up each morning.

Downtime is a disadvantage given the boundless energy of this age group. As soon as trays are cleared and cleanup crew is done, the jam-packed afternoon is in full swing. Topic is Adventure/Survival. The designated Animal groups rotate through four stations  orientation and games with Harward; orienteering with Jenaye where they learn old-fashioned compass and more modern GPS skills; Darcy sends them off to apply those skills to geocaching, finding hidden boxes. Nolan lines up two teams on either side of a rope, which is attached to pulleys. The winning team illustrates a fairly sophisticated science lesson on applying force over distance.

For the next two days, the smaller groups will venture farther afield on expeditions. Geology entails a trip into a cool, dark lava tube. Forestry covers trees, wildfire and restoration. The ecosystem session illustrates the web of life. Aquatics teaches about hydrology and water creatures at a nearby water tank.

*****

Its getting on into the afternoon. Campers meet Coconino County Search and Rescue volunteers, sharing real-life scenarios of hurt or lost hikers. The students comments and questions show this topic makes an impression, and they go away with tips to prevent the need for search and rescue in the first place.

One more activity rounds out this already very full first day. Several telescopes are set up in a nearby open field, courtesy of Northern Arizona University astronomer and volunteer Ed Anderson. After dinner, with headlamps and flashlights, the campers walk over, a bobbing line of fireflies. The moon rises over the Peaks, within days of a stunning full super moon. Campers take turns looking through the eyepieces of the telescopes, observing lunar craters, the red giant star Arcturus, the double star in the handle of the Big Dipper, and a globular cluster.

At long last, its time to call it a day. The young campers return to their respective tents. Lights out, eyes closed, no whispering, says Harward. And though experience tells her there may be a few tears of homesickness at night, with luck there wont be many. Instead -- and it may take time -- campers will discover something astounding about themselves and the natural world.
Maura Higgins sent temperatures soaring as she posed for a series of stunning bikini snaps from her recent trip to Fiji.

The former Love Island star, 32, took to Instagram on Saturday and shared photos of herself soaking up the sun on the beach.

The Irish beauty slipped into a skimpy purple two-piece which highlighted her jaw-dropping figure.

Going for a stroll along the sands, Maura styled her brunette locks into an updo as she displayed her sun-kissed tan.

Alongside the post, the stunner wrote: 'Sorry I've been MIA! Getting some much needed R&R after a hectic couple of months.'

Stunning: Maura Higgins sent temperatures soaring as she posed for a series of stunning bikini snaps from her recent trip to Fiji

Incredible: The Irish beauty slipped into a skimpy purple two-piece which highlighted her jaw-dropping figure

Maura was recently in Fiji working on the American version of Love Island, on which she acted as a supporting host.

It comes after reports thar Maura is set to launch a career as a comedy actress after landing her first major movie role.

The reality star has already started work on a film called The Spin in Belfast.

A source told The Sun: 'Maura plays a character called Rose in The Spin. Its a British film which follows two friends travelling through Ireland looking for old music records.

'The film is a comedy and Maura was the perfect fit for the role. She started work on The Spin over the weekend in Belfast and really impressed the producers.

'Maura throws herself into any new projects and is always keen to learn.

'The film could open a lot of new doors for Maura and its a very exciting time.'

It comes after Maura signed up with Christine Quinns publicist in a bid to boost her profile in the United States.

Big screen: Maura is reportedly set to launch a career as a comedy actress after landing her first major movie role

Acting out: The former Love Island star has already started work on a film called The Spin in Belfast

Maura is eager to secure more work in the US after landing a role as social media host for Love Island USA and she has turned to former Selling Sunset star Christine's team to help her.

A source told The Sun: 'Maura continues to make waves across the pond as the digital host for Love Island USA and its come with huge demand and work opportunities Stateside.

'Maura is keen to follow in Christines footsteps by conquering the fashion world as well as becoming a regular face on US TV.

'Mauras management from the UK were spotted taking meetings with American television executives and brands in Los Angeles earlier this year.

'Expanding Mauras team is part of a carefully drawn out global strategy.'
Diddy celebrated the release of his latest album The Love Album: Off the Grid with a star-studded bash in New York City on Friday night.

The Gotta Move On rapper, 53, rented out Asian fusion hot spot Sei Less for the bash and convinced the restaurant to extend their closing time of midnight to 4AM, TMZ reported.

The Grammy winner  who accepted the 2023 Global Icon Award at the VMAs earlier this week  grabbed a bottle of Ace of Spades and circulated amongst his guests, sharing toasts and snapping photos with Yung Miami, Mary J. Blige, Maxwell, French Montana, Jadakiss and more.

His sons Quincy Brown, 32, and Justin Combs, 29, also celebrated with their dad.

The party raged on into the wee hours of the morning with a who's who of the New York City rap and hip hop community.

Legends: Diddy celebrated the release of his latest album The Love Album: Off the Grid with a star-studded bash in New York City on Friday night

New album: The Gotta Move On rapper, 53, rented out Asian fusion hot spot Sei Less for the bash and convinced the restaurant to extend their closing time of midnight to 4AM, TMZ reported

Diddy's new album was playing as the party started and later in the evening the group started doing karaoke.

The man of the hour sang Biggie's Warning while Keyshia Cole belted out her own song Love.

The I'll Be Missing You hitmaker also kept the shots of his DeLeon tequila flowing.

Diddy dropped the first single for his hotly anticipated album, Another One of Me, on Friday.

He's joined on the track by French Montana, 21 Savage and The Weeknd.

Diddy rocked two different looks at his party. When he entered with girlfriend Yung Miami, 29, on his arm, he was dressed all in black with a heavy cross necklace and sunglasses.

Later in the night, he wore a white t-shirt with a red letterman's-style coat with his name and the new album's name embroidered on it in red.

The Love Album: Off the Grid is Diddy's first solo album in 17 years and features collabs with Justin Bieber, Blige, John Legend, Teyana Taylor, Busta Rhymes and many more.

Rap Icon: The Grammy winner grabbed a bottle of Ace of Spades and circulated amongst his guests, sharing toasts and snapping photos with Yung Miami, Mary J. Blige , Maxwell, French Montana , Jadakiss and more

Queen: Mary J. Blige looked fantastic in a rainbow stripped, zip-front velvet look

Rager: The party raged on into the wee hours of the morning with a who's who of the New York City rap and hip hop community

Album release: Diddy's new album was playing as the party started and later in the evening the group started doing karaoke

Party on: The man of the hour sang Biggie's Warning while Keyshia Cole belted out her own song Love

Sing it: Diddy dropped the first single for his hotly anticipated album, Another One of Me, on Friday. He's joined on the track by French Montana, 21 Savage and The Weeknd

Long time: The Love Album: Off the Grid is Diddy's first solo album in 17 years and features collabs with Justin Bieber , Blige, John Legend , Teyana Taylor, Busta Rhymes and many more

Awards: The album release party comes just days after the It's All About the Benjamins rapper received the 2023 Global Icon award at the MTV VMAs

Quote: 'Music is my first love and music has given me a second chance at life, so stepping back into the studio to make this album has been a soulful experience that brought me closer to myself and my purpose,' said Diddy in a press release to Variety

Holding court: Diddy kept the restaurant open long after its usual midnight closing time

Available now: The Love Album: Off the Grid is available now

Laughter: Diddy shared a laugh with rapper Jim Jones during his album release party

Music: 'This album wasn't created to feed an algorithm or be relevant with the trends of the times, it was created to touch souls and freely express my story with the best artists, writers and producers shaping the future of R&B'

Abs for days: Coi Leray showed off her amazing abs at Diddy's party

Family: His sons Quincy Brown, 32, and Justin Combs, 29, also celebrated with their dad

Man of the hour: Diddy looks out over his party and friends during a quiet moment

The album release party comes just days after the It's All About the Benjamins rapper received the 2023 Global Icon award at the MTV VMAs.

'Music is my first love and music has given me a second chance at life, so stepping back into the studio to make this album has been a soulful experience that brought me closer to myself and my purpose,' said Diddy in a press release to Variety.

'This album wasn't created to feed an algorithm or be relevant with the trends of the times, it was created to touch souls and freely express my story with the best artists, writers and producers shaping the future of R&B.'

The Love Album: Off the Grid is available now.
Rebel Wilson is happily in love with her American fiancee Ramona Agruma.

And the Australian actress was showing her love the sights in her native Sydney this weekend.

In a series of images posted to Instagram Stories, the 43-year-old looked smitten as she enjoyed a date night with Ramona, with the pair visiting The Rebel Theatre, a venue the comic actress helped build, in Dawes Point.

Rebel looked stunning as she showed off her weight loss in a chic black and white polka dot maxi dress with semi-sheer sleeves.

Ramona meanwhile was chic in a loose white blouse and wide-legged powder blue trousers matched with a pussy bow.

Rebel Wilson is happily in love with her American fiancee Ramona Agruma. And the Australian actress was showing her love the sights in her native Sydney this weekend. Both pictured

The two showed off their ensembles in a mirror video filmed in their hotel room, the couple beaming as they cuddled up close together.

It comes after Rebel opened up about the possibility of adding another child to her family.

The performer expressed that she had considered the idea of becoming a mom-of-two during an interview with E! News and also stated that she was considering undergoing IVF treatments.

The actress, who recently spoke about her attraction to women, also remarked that she was perfectly fine being the mother of a single child if she would not be able to welcome another one into her life.

In a series of images posted to Instagram Stories, the 43-year-old looked smitten as she enjoyed a date night with Ramona, with the pair visiting The Rebel Theatre, a venue the comic actress helped build, in Dawes Point

The two showed off their ensembles in a mirror video filmed in their hotel room, the couple beaming as they cuddled up close together

Wilson began by expressing that she had often considered the idea of welcoming a sibling for her daughter Royce, aged one.

She stated: 'I'm definitely thinking about it, yeah. I would like to have another child.'

The Senior Year actress shares her daughter with her fiancee Ramona whom she initially met in 2021.

The pair eventually began dating, and they made their red carpet debut in March of last year.

Wilson subsequently revealed that she had welcomed Royce via surrogate in November.

The Pitch Perfect actress shocked many when she announced her engagement via Instagram this past February.
Molly Sims appeared emotional and wiped away tears during a trip to the beach while on holiday in Saint Tropez on Saturday.

The actress turned influencer, 50, was comforted by husband Scott Stuber, 54, as she sat down on a sun lounger for a cry.

Despite the upset, Molly looked sensational and showed off her incredible figure in a black bikini and later enjoyed cocktails in the sun.

She layered over a stunning white crochet cover-up and pulled her blonde hair back into a neat pony tail.

Molly topped off her summery look with a pair of gold hoop earrings and shielded her eyes with some black sunglasses.

Bad day: Molly Sims, 50, appeared emotional and wiped away tears during a trip to the beach while on holiday in Saint Tropez on Saturday

Tears: The actress turned influencer, 50, was comforted by Film producer husband Scott Stuber as she sat down on a sun lounger for a cry

Meanwhile Netflix Films chairman Scott opted for a smart, white polo neck T-shirt that he teamed with a pair of navy shorts and a cap.

MailOnline have contacted Molly's reps for comment.

Molly and Scott have been married since 2011 and share children Brooks 11, Scarlett, eight, and Grey, six.

Molly has been keeping busy with her new business venture, YSE (wise), which she launched last April.

The name is a nod to her mother Dottie Sims.

'I called the brand YSE (wise) because a wise woman (my mom, Dorothy) once said: beautiful skin is when you feel your best. So put down the concealer and start living-because life is too short to miss out on the real, everyday magic,' she explained on the YSE website.

Molly noted that creating the items took three years and 'hundreds of formulations.'

As she touted her products, she declared she 'finally perfected my holy grail skincare routine  a routine that delivers genuine, bare-faced beauty.'

Help: Scott even appeared to wipe tears away from his wife's cheeks at one point

Upset: Her mascara smudged from the tears

Mournful: She then appeared lost in her own thoughts

Cuddles: Scott wrapped his arms around his wife

Couple: Molly and Scott have been married since 2011 and share children Brooks 11, Scarlett, eight, and Grey, six

Body: Despite the upset Molly looked sensational and showed off her incredible figure in a black bikini and later enjoyed cocktails in the sun

Feeling better: She then wiped away the tears and enjoyed a dance in the sand

Chic: She layered over a stunning white crochet cover-up and pulled her blonde hair back into a neat pony tail

Selfie: Molly topped off her summery look with a pair of gold hoop earrings and shielded her eyes with some black sunglasses

Drinks: The couple sipped cocktails as they strolled along the sand

Low key: Scott opted for a smart, white polo neck T-shirt that he teamed with a pair of navy shorts and a cap

While promoting the launch of her business on the Today show months ago, she shared its mission.

'It's all about living your life being happy, making those moments, and having great skin,' Molly told hosts Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager.

'I got married a little late in life, met my prince, started having kids in 2012, and my hyperpigmentation, sun spots...I did everything really harsh,' she dished, explaining that she tried various treatments like lasers and peels.

'I want my village, I want my girls, I want my community to feel good and look good,' she added during the chat.

The Lipstick On The Rim podcast host shares Brooks, 10, Grey, 7, and Scarlett, 8, with her husband, whom she married in 2011.

Swanky: Their luxury outing boasted Gucci sun umbrellas

Snap: The couple captured imaged of the getaway

Holiday: They both took in the gorgeous views from the shore

While on the primetime program, she described being present for parenting her brood.

'People DM me or text me and they're like, "Oh, are you tired?" And I go, "Yeah, but, you know, in parenting, the days are long but the years are short." And you got to lean in,' she said.

Ahead of her 50th birthday on May 25, Molly revealed that bone broth is one of her beauty secrets.

The superstar used social media to share with fans that she drinks the stock and it helps with anti-aging and digestion.

Over a photo of a mug of broth she wrote: 'Anti-ageing, good for digestions and gut, helps my joints after workouts, better sleep... this has been game changing for me.'

According to WebMD, 'Bone broth, sometimes called stock, is liquid made from boiling animal bones and connective tissue.

'Chefs use stock as a base for soups, sauces, and gravies. Some people drink it on its own.'
Linda Evangelista was spotted arriving to her book signing in London on Saturday.

The Canadian supermodel, 58, put on a stylish display in an all-black ensemble featuring a satin button-down dress and pointed-toe kitten heels for the event on Dover Street.

The brunette beauty  who broke down in tears while opening up about her botched cosmetic surgery procedure  had arrived late to sign copies of her book, Linda Evangelista Photographed by Steven Meisel, due to ongoing protests.

For the special occasion, she slicked back her voluminous bob with a chic headband and shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of blue-tinted wayfarer shades.

She was also seen carrying a large, leather envelope clutch purse as she made her way into the bookstore.

Effortlessly stylish: Linda Evangelista was spotted arriving to her book signing in London on Saturday. The Canadian supermodel, 58, put on a stylish display in an all-black ensemble featuring a satin button-down dress and pointed-toe kitten heels for the event on Dover Street

Accessorizing: For the special occasion, she slicked back her voluminous bob with a chic headband and shielded her eyes from the sun with a pair of blue-tinted wayfarer shades

She opted out of any other accessories and went for a light makeup look to showcase her ever-youthful, natural beauty.

Earlier this week, Evangelista released her new book collaboration, in which she teamed up with legendary photographer Steven Meisel.

The book chronicles Meisel's evolving vision of the bombshell and features more than 180 images shot over the course of 25 years.

On September 5, she spoke about the project in a candid interview with The Wall Street Journal Magazine's Fall Men's Style issue.

She said she is 'so happy celebrating my book, my life' amid dealing with 'horrible health issues'.

She also opened up about being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018 and getting a mastectomy.

She also said she will be donating her book proceeds to a breast cancer research organization.

'It was detected in my annual mammogram,' she revealed to the outlet.

'The margins were not good,' she continued. '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.'

The surgery was a success, however, she recalled learning that her breast cancer had relapsed when she felt a lump in her breast in July 2022.

Chic purse: She was also seen carrying a large, leather envelope clutch purse as she made her way into the bookstore

Radiant beauty: She opted out of any other accessories and went for a light makeup look to showcase her ever-youthful, natural beauty

Exciting arrival: She walked through the street to her book signing and was met with the excitement of her many fans at her arrival

Met with a crowd: There was a long line of people waiting to meet her

Iconic career: Earlier this week, Evangelista released her new book collaboration, in which she teamed up with legendary photographer Steven Meisel. The book chronicles Meisel's evolving vision of the bombshell and features more than 180 images shot over the course of 25 years

Many fans: A long line had formed outside of the event on Dover Street

Late arrival: The brunette beauty  who broke down in tears while opening up about her botched cosmetic surgery procedure  had arrived late to sign copies of her book, Linda Evangelista Photographed by Steven Meisel, due to ongoing protests

After her second diagnosis, she said she had asked her oncologist to 'dig a hole in my chest' as she was determined to live.

'I don't want it to look pretty,' she recalled telling her doctor. '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.'

Evangelista said that because her future is uncertain, she's learned to be grateful everyday.

'I know I have one foot in the grave, but I'm totally in celebration mode, she said. 'I've come through some horrible health issues. I'm at a place where I'm so happy celebrating my book, my life. I'm so happy to be alive. Anything that comes now is bonus.'
With her bleached, coiffured hair, bright red lipstick and immaculate wool suit, this is rising star Lucy Boynton in her most dramatic role to date  as the final woman in Britain to be sent to the gallows.

Our exclusive pictures show for the first time Boynton as Ruth Ellis, who was executed aged just 28 in 1955 after killing her lover, racing driver David Blakely.

She is seen in scenes filmed last week recreating the moment Ellis, flanked by two police officers, was brought before magistrates after being charged with the murder.

Days earlier she had shot Blakely repeatedly outside the Magdala pub in Hampstead, North London with one bullet ricocheting off the pavement and injuring a passer-by.

Boynton, 29, who appeared as Freddie Mercury's former fiancee in Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, is seen dressed as the killer as she descends the court steps and is led into a waiting police van. She also appears to have captured perfectly the calm composure that Ellis became known for during her trial.

With her bleached, coiffured hair, bright red lipstick and immaculate wool suit, this is rising star Lucy Boynton (pictured centre as Ruth Ellis) in her most dramatic role to date  as the final woman in Britain to be sent to the gallows

Our exclusive pictures show for the first time Boynton as Ruth Ellis, who was executed aged just 28 in 1955 after killing her lover, racing driver David Blakely

The role will undoubtedly help cement Boynton (pictured) as one of Britain's leading acting talents. Her turn in 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody alongside Remi Malek as Mercury has already won her the attention of Hollywood

It is understood Boynton will portray Ellis as a victim of physical abuse in the provocative four-part drama penned by Call The Midwife and Baptiste scriptwriter Kelly Jones for ITV.

Former nude model and escort Ellis had been introduced to Blakely by Formula 1 champion Mike Hawthorn.

The relationship was violent and tempestuous: she had one abortion and lost another baby to a miscarriage after Blakely, who was engaged to another woman, punched her in the stomach during an argument.

The controversy around her execution is widely seen to have strengthened the campaign for abolishing capital punishment in the UK. 'Ruth Ellis's story is a fascinating one,' Boynton has said.

'Both she and this complex case have always evoked a strong reaction. With Kelly Jones's insightful scripts, I'm looking forward to bringing a new perspective to both familiar audiences as well as those who are unaware of her mark on British history.'

Ellis (right) shot Blakely (left) after tracing him to the Magdala on April 10, 1955 and was arrested at the scene by an off-duty policeman

Ellis shot Blakely after tracing him to the Magdala on April 10, 1955 and was arrested at the scene by an off-duty policeman.

After declaring in the trial 'It's obvious when I shot him I intended to kill him', she was found guilty by a jury at the Old Bailey after just 20 minutes and sentenced to death.

Despite a petition calling for clemency signed by 50,000, she was hanged at Holloway Prison on July 13.

The role will undoubtedly help cement Boynton as one of Britain's leading acting talents. Her turn in 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody alongside Remi Malek as Mercury has already won her the attention of Hollywood.

Boynton and Malek started dating soon after meeting on set, but their relationship is said to have has ended after he was spotted on a string of dates with The Crown's Emma Corrin.
Sienna Miller has had a secret dinner with the King and a VIP tour of Dumfries House in Scotland.

The Hollywood actress joined Cabinet Ministers including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and members of the Privy Council to help the King celebrate 15 years of the restoration of the Ayrshire mansion he saved for the nation.

Ms Miller, 41, who revealed her pregnancy bump in an eye-catching outfit at the Vogue World party last week, was invited to stay over in the historic 45 million house.

It is not known if the actress's boyfriend Oli Green, 26, was invited. The actor will appear in the sixth season of The Crown when he plays law student Rupert Finch  a former boyfriend of the Princess of Wales and Prince William's love rival at St Andrews University.

An insider said that Ms Miller was one of a handful of celebrities considering becoming an ambassador of the King's charitable Foundation which has its headquarters at Dumfries House.

Her visit on Friday was designed to help her decide whether she would accept.

Sienna Miller has had a secret dinner with the King and a VIP tour of Dumfries House in Scotland

The Hollywood actress joined Cabinet Ministers including Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and members of the Privy Council to help the King (pictured) celebrate 15 years of the restoration of the Ayrshire mansion he saved for the nation

Earlier this year, the Layer Cake actress attended a celebrity-studded event for the Prince's Trust, the King's other long-running charity, alongside Rita Ora and Kate Moss.

But this would be the first time she has agreed to become an ambassador for the Prince's Foundation, which gives young people the chance to develop skills with projects that range from the hospitality to textiles industries.

The Foundation, however, has come under fire in recent years. Michael Fawcett, the King's long-time aide, was forced to step down from his role as the charity's chief executive over a scandal involving millions of pounds of donations from foreign tycoons.

Two staff members were questioned by police after The Mail on Sunday revealed documents in which wealthy foreign tycoons appeared to have been offered help to get honours  including a knighthood  in exchange for donations.

An insider said that Ms Miller was one of a handful of celebrities considering becoming an ambassador of the King's charitable Foundation which has its headquarters at Dumfries House

But the Metropolitan Police announced last month that they had concluded their investigation and would not bring any charges. An insider said there was a fresh drive to sign up celebrity ambassadors to rehabilitate the charity's image.

The source said: 'There is a new sense of optimism in the charity.

'So on Friday there were some celebrities including Sienna Miller and lots of leading politicians there too. But a private dinner for something to celebrate a house that's open to the public seems like a strange thing if you ask me.'

Before the dinner, the King held a reception to mark the 15th anniversary of the opening of Dumfries House and estate to the public.

At 5.30pm he hosted a meeting with the Privy Council attended by Penny Mordaunt, Jeremy Hunt and Grant Shapps.
Phillip Schofield has mysteriously removed a number of photographs of himself and Holly Willoughby from his Instagram account.

The presenter had previously posted pictures of himself with his former colleague and best friend hosting This Morning and even on holiday in Portugal together.

Now all his two million followers can see is one photo taken from a distance in the This Morning studio. But, Schofield, 61, who resigned from ITV, still has pictures of himself with other former co-stars Alison Hammond and Josie Gibson.

One television insider said: 'Holly and Phil used to post pictures together for fun, they were huge parts of one another's lives and they loved to show their viewers how close they are.

'The fact that Phil appears to have removed them from his page is very telling about how he feels about Holly. He seems to have moved on for good now, and is trying to leave Holly behind.'

Ms Willoughby, 42, has not removed several photographs with Schofield from her Instagram account and still follows him

Phillip Schofield has mysteriously removed a number of photographs of himself and Holly Willoughby from his Instagram account

It comes almost a fortnight after he unfollowed Ms Willoughby after the scandal, which saw him ousted from the daytime programme he anchored with her for 14 years.

Schofield's daughters Molly, 30, and Ruby, 28, showed support for their father by doing the same.

Ms Willoughby, 42, has not removed several photographs with Schofield from her Instagram account and still follows him.

After Schofield admitted to lying to the MoS about having an affair with a much younger This Morning runner

It comes almost a fortnight after he unfollowed Ms Willoughby after the scandal, which saw him ousted from the daytime programme he anchored with her for 14 years

Meanwhile, the findings of a probe into the scandal that engulfed ITV, and claims of toxic working culture, are due to be announced in the next fortnight.

After Schofield admitted to lying to the MoS about having an affair with a much younger This Morning runner behind his wife Stephanie Lowe's back in May, Ms Willoughby issued a statement to say she had no idea about the relationship.

She also said she asked Schofield when she had heard rumours of their romance but he told her they weren't true.

Bosses are said to be 'concerned' at what might come out of the inquiry, headed by top London barrister Jane Mulcahy KC.
No discussion on the candidates to preside over the European Investment Bank nor a formal proposal for an agreement on the reform of fiscal rules. The EU Ministers of Economy and Finance met this week in Santiago de Compostela, and although at the beginning of summer expectations were very high and they were confident of being able to put two of the most relevant issues on track at this meeting, the differences or the doubts are still too great. There are still five names on the table for the position to which Nadia Calvino aspires and with each passing day it becomes more difficult for there to be a new fiscal framework before she is removed from the induced coma in which she has been since the beginning of the pandemic. Stability Pact. Both processes have the same deadline, January 1, 2024. And now, ironically, both may become linked in an unwanted way.

The general feeling among the delegations of the 27 member states and the European institutions is that there is no material time to conclude the debate on time during the Spanish presidency. In the most optimistic calendar, which is in itself very ambitious, our country, which holds the temporary presidency of the Council of the EU, would put a proposal for an agreement on the table at the next Ecofin, in mid-October in Luxembourg. From there, in just four weeks, there would be an agreement and the November Ecofin would be used to sign the agreement. Just in time to begin the negotiation with the European Parliament in the so-called 'trilogues', seeking the miracle of concluding everything before the end of December.

"It's impossible. It's not a drama, it's not a failure, but it's impossible at this point," summarizes a European diplomat. "If they manage to present the proposal and the debate is smoothed out so that we can reach an agreement at the beginning of the year and everything is settled before the European Elections, I will be satisfied," says a second participant in the meeting. Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis in the final press conference also mentioned that deadline as the ultimate goal for the new framework to be in place and serve for the fiscal guidelines and recommendations of each country in 2025.

But despite everything, Spain publicly maintains the faith. "We have already agreed on 70% of the text and we are going to propose to the ministers to move on to the political negotiation of the remaining 30%. With an adequate balance between a sustained reduction in the ratios of public debt over GDP [...] accommodating the necessary investment and incentives to address structural reforms. With these words this Saturday the first vice president of the acting Government, Nadia Calvino, summarized the state of the matter regarding the reform of fiscal rules, one of the most important debates for the future of the Eurozone and the most relevant dossier perhaps of what that remains of the Spanish presidency. We have an ambitious schedule for the new rules to be applied starting in 2024. It has been a day that can only be assessed as extraordinarily positive," summarized the Spaniard.

Calvino wanted to leave his personal future in Santiago de Compostela resolved. To avoid scares, so that everything is not involved with the investiture attempts. But also to prevent the dossiers of the European Investment Bank and the fiscal rules from ending up spilled. Several delegations explain that leaving the door open makes it possible for us to see additional complications. "If a candidate had emerged from this meeting there would be no problems. But now each capital can go to Calvino with the shopping list," European sources explain to this newspaper.

A good example is Italy, which has presented Draghi's former minister Daniele Franco to lead the EIB. In the summer, when the Spanish woman stepped forward, they assumed that Franco had nothing to do, and a part of the Government suggested his name to fill a seat that will soon be vacant on the Council of the ECB. That idea was discarded, in favor of a technician who has finally been approved, so Franco returned to the EIB career. Not so much because he has opportunities but as a negotiating tactic. In exchange for Italian support come requests, also regarding the future of fiscal rules. And the same goes for everyone, especially Germany. The Spanish vice president needs Berlin. She has the sympathy of the socialist Chancellor Scholz, but not of the liberal Finance Minister Lindner. She now can push doubly with her demands for objective annual adjustment numbers for the countries with the most deteriorated public accounts.

The idea of reforming the rules is to make them more realistic, effective and tailored to each country. The spirit with which the European Commission designed them is to dispense as much as possible with equal adjustments for different countries, but Berlin encouraged that this initial proposal include a reduction in the deficit of at least 0.5% annually for the most indebted. France and Spain would like to erase that, but Germany would also want to add an annual debt reduction (in the model used until now a reduction of 1/20 is imposed each year). So the discussion is very delicate. It seems unlikely that there are no objective numbers, but consensus formulas are being sought to square the circle: reduce risk without affecting growth. And Spain trusts that the help of Denmark or the Netherlands, historically hawkish on this issue, will achieve a landing zone that has yet to be defined. To begin with, these days contacts will multiply. In New York within the framework of the UN meeting.

At the beginning of October in Madrid, at the level of the technicians who prepare the Eurogroups. And, according to presidential sources, it is not ruled out that there will be some additional Ecofin in the coming weeks, in person or videoconference, if necessary to press the accelerator. Commissioner Gentiloni recalled from Santiago that his initial proposal is perfectly modifiable, but it must be done respecting balance. "We cannot modify only in one direction a proposal that needs to maintain together both the objective of financial stability and the objective of promoting investments and growth in a context of economic slowdown," he stressed. "It's going to be a big challenge, but the Spanish presidency is committed. Maybe we can call it the Fiscal Road," said Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis in one of the many puns on pilgrimage and the Camino de Santiago these days.

The problem is maintaining that balance if different countries arrive with their lists of preferences or demands, or if they begin to put pressure on Calvino, who is responsible for trying to move forward, but is also at risk for a highly coveted and well-paid position. "Nothing similar is being proposed in any meeting," the Spanish presidency rules out the possibility of partners who want to condition their support in the EIB to improving their fiscal aspirations. But everything being open only adds problems.

In this competition it is not a question of names, passports or political parties. When choosing the EIB, what the applicants can offer for the future of the institution counts. The four main axes are the position on the financing of green projects, key for Germany. The nuclear vision, vital for France, which wants the EIB to put a lot of money into the main part of its energy mix. The third element is the policy on weapons and ammunition. The Luxembourg-based Bank does not finance anything linked to weapons, but there are partners from the East who demand that this change. And finally, the Ukrainian question. The fifth element, that of fiscal rules, was wanted to be avoided, but no one can guarantee that it will not end up playing a role.
Silhouettes  sometimes his own  almost tranquil, often soft colors, always monochrome backgrounds, and often a flower that seems a little lost or dozens that abound... The works that Amadou Sanogo presents at the Parisian gallery Magnin-A cannot leave the visitor indifferent. They of course resemble its creator, born in Mali, who, when we meet him, seems reserved or even detached, but whose gaze captures well what surrounds him.

Besides, isnt the exhibition called Yebali Lakali, which means Telling the Invisible in Bambara (Bamana), one of the Malian national languages? As Simon Njami, Cameroonian writer, essayist, curator and art critic, who knew the artist when he was just a student, points out, art for [Amadou Sanogo] was a simple thing. A means of expression that allowed us to tell the world who we were and why we did what we did. Work, far from any conventional discourse, as the only tangible element of recognition. He never called himself Malian because he knew how to be. He never proclaimed himself contemporary, he always was. And among all the lures stirred by high-sounding and hollow definitions, he always called himself a painter without any further embellishment.

An undeniable strength, a presence

Amadou Sanogo was born in 1977 in Segou, some 235 kilometers northeast of Bamako. His ancestors, nobles and peasants, are Senoufo, a people settled between southern Mali, Burkina Faso and northern Ivory Coast. They founded the locality of Zangorola in the Sikasso region, in southern Mali, which belonged to the kingdom of Kenedougou. Their kings Tieba and Babemba Traore are known and respected for having been among the last opponents of the French colonial army at the end of the 19th century. The forty-year-old is the heir of this land of resistance.

Despite his parents' ardent wish for him to begin engineering studies, Amadou Sanogo was very young passionate about bogolan, the emblematic fabric of Mali, a spun and woven cotton displaying a whole symbolism of signs specific to each village, each community. or each artist. Against the advice of his family, he decided to take the entrance exam for the National Institute of Arts (INA) in Bamako, after ultimately receiving his father's blessing, even if, he told him, " a noble should not indulge in griot activities. It's 1997.

Thats where I really discovered painting and all the possibilities it offered me. I went from discovery to discovery and the adventure continues, underlines Amadou Sanogo. At INA, one of his professors, Moktar Haidara, remembers that he was nicknamed "the rebel" by the students and the teaching staff: he knew exactly what he wanted, even if it meant shaking up habits and conventions, and was never very far from protest movements for better consideration of students' demands.

Andre Magnin, deputy curator of the legendary exhibition Magiciens de la terre at the Georges-Pompidou center and the Grande Halle de la Villette in 1989, which presented non-Western contemporary works of art for the first time in France, and founder from the Magnin-A gallery, remembers his first meeting in 2011 with Amadou Sanogo in Bamako, in his studio: We spoke at length and I was very surprised by his depth. He had rare, thoughtful and precise words. Like the man, his work of apparent simplicity actually exudes an undeniable strength, a presence. 

Standing on the canvas [which rests on the ground], the artist traces the characters with a brush, finger or directly with the acrylic tube, shapes placed in the center of the work. Its graphic strength is accentuated by the presence of objects, signs, circles, dotted lines, lines, etc. Everything is built and balanced around these figures, according to the colors. Amadou Sanogo is a great colorist. In particular the background color, prepared for each painting, most often monochrome, insists Andre Magnin.

With this exhibition whose works are very inspired by Bambara proverbs, elements of vernacular wisdom, words in parables to notably advise young and old during vigils, the Segovian wants to better understand the world around us, thanks in particular to this poetic idea of telling the invisible. Isn't it the role of an artist to transmit it, to tell what we cannot perceive? ". The central characters in Amadou Sanogo's paintings are at the heart of his questions, well installed in monochrome backgrounds, representing the immensity that surrounds us: blue for fear, red for vitality, green for nature...

Transmitting a truth

Christophe Person, founder and director of the gallery of the same name, specializing in contemporary African art, likes [his] figures with hieratic immobility. He is the archetype of the artist whose work comes out of the frame, a bit like his silhouettes with part of their body coming out of the screen in the background from where they are supposed to take a break. Amadou Sanogo manages to create an impression of depth of field and, suddenly, the scene plays out even if we recognize neither the setting nor the actors. When I remember that perspective was invented in the 15th century in Italy, I always wonder if artists like Sanogo play with or simply do without this process of importation.

The compositions exhibited blur the reading codes of those who are trained in Western art history. When it confuses us, when it confronts us with otherness, the work of the Malian forces us to take a step back, therefore to make room for another proposal. It puts us in better conditions to know ourselves better. The most difficult thing is finding harmony in the canvas so that the audience understands what Im trying to say. What is important is to convey the truth, the rest is just conventions, he says.

Finally, Amadou Sanogo is a generous man, concerned about the future of the generation of upcoming artists. In Bamako, he is creating a cultural center which will allow young people in particular to work. Still under construction, it will be named Makoro, in homage to his mother, Binta Diarra. And because in the history of the Diarra, we never cease to praise Makoro, the mother of King Monzon, of the Bambara kingdom of Segou. Painting will of course be present there, but also sculpture, design, literature, theater, curiosity workshops for children... Without forgetting a place for storytellers.

Located near the hill of power, that of the presidential palace in Koulouba, in the Sokonafing district of Bamako, the center will have a surface area of 800 m2 on two levels. The structural work is almost finished, under the supervision of architect Sebastien Philippe, a long-time friend of Amadou Sanogo. Target: opening in 2025.
Unity of Flagstaff Spiritual Center Sep 17  Unity of Flagstaff, 1800 S. Milton Road, Flagstaff. 10:30-11:30 a.m., www.unityoffflagstaff.org youtube.unityofflagstaff.org Live 1800 S. Milton, Suite 103 or LIVESTREAM 10:30 am PeaceBE STILL. Looking For Peace? Well, BE STILL! A moving target is harder to hit. Not just Peace signs, Peace marches, all of which do impact us, but the Peace that Passes ALL understanding. Yeah, give me some of that! Join Rev. Penni as we look to discover that DEEPER PEACE: Not just Peace of Mind and Peace of Heart but that Peace that give us a deeper understanding, empathy, a deeper love for ourselves and others, regardlessjust regardless. Sunday, 10:30 AM at 1800 S. Milton. Suite 103 or Livestream at yoututbe.unityofflagstaff.org. Ryan Biter doing music! (ryanbitermusic.com) Unity of Flagstaff Spiritual CenterTools NOT Rules. Plan to attend International Day of Peace September 23rd, with the Mayor, Music, Kitties, Pups and MORE! Sat. Sept. 23rd Heritage Square. 10-12noon. Stand with the Community as we demonstrate what PEACE can look like! ALL ARE WELCOME!!!!. https://go.evvnt.com/1956000-0.

The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany Sep 16  Episcopal Church-Epiphany, 423 N. Beaver St., Flagstaff. 978-774-2911. 5:30-6:30 p.m., We gather in the Parish Hall of the Church, or weather-permitting in the labyrinth. 8am Sunday Spoken Worship, The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany Sep 17 8-9 a.m., This is a quiet service with warm fellowship for those who like to begin their day early in prayer.

BEACON UU SUNDAY SERVICE: "Are you a Mystic?" with Cheryl Austin Sep 17  Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 510 N. Leroux St., Flagstaff. (928) 779-4492. 10-11 a.m., ALL ARE WELCOME! You BELONG at Beacon - Spiritually open and intentionally inclusive since 1958. According to the world-renowned teacher of spiritual practices Mirabai Starr, A mystic is a person who has a direct experience of the sacred. Our service on September 17th is an invitation to explore your spiritual journey. We will unpack this topic, just a little, in small groups to discuss your experiences. Fr. Richard Rohr, in his book The Naked Now, says, It is not about believing unbelievable things or renouncing your rational mind. It is a way of thinking and acting, which opens the possibility for experiencing a different perspective, a presence, or a mystery. The experience can transform us. Our worship leader is Cheryl Austin. Cheryl has her Masters of Arts in Theology and has been a guest preacher since 2010; and joining her will be Worship Associates Kim Angelo and Pia Driessen-Knittle with music by Andrew Schroeder, our new Music Director, and Pete Garcia, our new accompanist. https://go.evvnt.com/1948258-0.

LIVING CHRIST LUTHERAN CHURCH Sep 17  500 W. Riordan Road, 500 W. Riordan Road, Flagstaff. 928-526-8595. 10-11 a.m., Join Rev. Kurt Fangmeier for the 16th Sunday after Pentecost! In todays second reading Paul questions why we judge one another, since we all stand before the judgment of God. Yet we do sin against one another, and Jesus challenge that we forgive seventy-seven times reveals Gods boundless mercy. When we hear the words of forgiveness in worship and sign ourselves with the cross, we are renewed in baptism to be signs of reconciliation in the world. We will learn more with our First Reading of Genesis 50:15-21 (Joseph reconciles with his brothers), Psalm 103: [1-7] 8-13 (Lord, you are full of compassion and mercy.) and the Second Reading of Romans 14:1-12 (Accepting diversity in the community of faith) together with the Gospel Matthew 18:21-35(A parable of forgiveness in the community of faith). https://go.evvnt.com/1947731-0.

PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH Sep 17  3430 N. Fourth St., 3430 N. Fourth St., Flagstaff. 928-526-9578. 10-11 a.m., We invite you to join the family of Peace Lutheran Church (LCMS) on Sunday at 10:00am for in person blended service (Combined Liturgical, hymnal based and Praise Worship) with Holy Communion. Pastor William Weiss Jr. (Pastor Bill) will be presiding. The subject of this weeks service is: I Forgive You. The Old Testament reading is from Genesis 50: 15-21 Joseph and his brother. The Epistle reading is from Romans 14:1-12 We belong to the Lord. The Gospel reading is from Matthew 18: 21-35 Parable of the servant who would not forgive. The service will be live streamed on our website (peacelutheranflagstaff.org) and on YouTube. Fellowship and refreshments are available before the worship service beginning 9:15am. https://go.evvnt.com/1945697-0.

Flagstaff Federated Community Church Please join us for in person services Sundays at 10 a.m. We are located at 400 W Aspen Ave. on the corner of Aspen and Sitgreaves in Downtown Flagstaff. All are welcome to our services. For more information about Flagstaff Federated Community Church please call our office at 928-774-7383, Mon  Thurs 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Church of the Resurrection Sunday Church Services 740 W. University Heights Drive S., 740 W. University Heights Drive S., Flagstaff. 928-853-8522. 10-11:30 a.m., Church of the Resurrection Presbyterian Church in America (PCA): We invite you to join us for worship at 10 a.m. on Sundays at 740 W. University Heights Drive South. Please feel free to contact us for information on our mid-week gatherings and for more information on our church. You can find us at www.cor-pca.org and www.facebook.com/CORFlagstaff or we can be reached at corflagstaff@gmail.com and (928) 699-2715.

Leupp Nazarene Church The church, near mile post 13 or Navajo Route 15, has been holding services by teleconferences and doing drive-up meetings. For information, call pastor Farrell Begay at 928-853-5321. Teleconference number: 1-7170275-8940 with access code 3204224#. Services are 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sundays and 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

Christian Science Society of Flagstaff 619 W. Birch Ave. Bible Lesson services every Sunday 10-11am (Zoom option: https://zoom.us/j/369812794). Testimony Meetings every Wednesday: 5:30-6:30pm (Zoom option: https://zoom.us/j/971672834). Zoom password: CSS.
After an outcry from the world of culture, the minister responded. We never boycott artists, assured French Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak on Friday September 15 on RTL. A reaction which comes after some culture professionals castigated a directive from his ministry. According to them, she would ask cultural organizations to suspend any collaboration with artists from Niger, Mali or Burkina Faso. What the ministry denied on Thursday.

Today we do not have a visa service operating in these countries for security reasons, she said, denouncing confusion and explaining that it is today materially impossible to issue visas to come to France.

There is no question of stopping interacting with artists, she insisted, specifying that all those who already have visas and who have tours or shows planned [] will be able to come as expected ". We never boycott artists anywhere, she further emphasized, adding that this is neither a boycott nor retaliation.

Instructions from the Quai d'Orsay to no longer invite artists from Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso: "We never boycott an artist, confusion and incomprehension, it's a security and visa problem"@RimaAbdulMalak, Minister of Culture, in

In a press release published Thursday, the Syndeac (National Union of Artistic and Cultural Enterprises) and its counterparts the AAC, the ACCN, the A-CDCN, the ACDN and the ASN reacted strongly to the message they provide having received on Wednesday from the Drac, the regional cultural directorates, and drafted on the instructions of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs. This message with a threatening tone asks our members to suspend, until further notice, all cooperation with the following countries: Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, the unions wrote in their press release.

For the Minister of Culture, France has always been there to welcome artists in danger. We will continue to do it, she also said. It is an adaptation to an extremely degraded security context which particularly targets French buildings and French teams in these three countries, she further justified.

On July 29 and August 6, France interrupted all its development aid and budget support actions with Niger and Burkina Faso. In November 2022, it had already done so for Mali.
One day after the controversy generated by the announcement of his presence at the papal mass, during the arrival of Pope Francis on September 23 in the Marseille city, Emmanuel Macron speaks this Friday, September 15. The president defended his decision to attend the service the pope will give next week, saying he would go as the "president" of a secular country but not as a "Catholic."

I consider it my place to go. I will not go as a Catholic, I will go as President of the Republic which is in fact secular, he underlined during a trip to Semur-en-Auxois, in Cote-dOr. And added: I myself will not have religious practice during this mass, he added.

Faced with criticism from the left, who believes that in the name of secularism, a French president should not attend this giant religious service, what's more in front of tens of thousands of people, Emmanuel Macron recalled that the pope had the rank of head of state and that his presence did not call into question the neutrality of the state.

The state is neutral. Public services are neutral and we preserve the school too and we recalled this at the start of the school year, he added, in an allusion to the ban in schools on the abaya, a loose and covering worn by Muslim women.

As of Wednesday, the possibility of him attending this mass, the highlight of Pope Francis' visit on September 22 and 23 to Marseille, had aroused indignant criticism from La France insoumise.

I respect the faith and the faithful. But I disagree with the fact that an elected official and in particular the President of the Republic participates in these capacities in a religious ceremony, MP Alexis Corbiere said on X (ex-Twitter).

It is not necessarily the place of the President of the Republic to attend a mass in a secular republic, reacted Thursday the leader of the communists Fabien Roussel.

The presence at a papal mass is a first for a French head of state since that celebrated in 1980 by John Paul II on the square in front of Notre-Dame in the presence of Valery Giscard d'Estaing.

In June 2017, shortly after his first election, Emmanuel Macron participated in the annual iftar (fast-breaking dinner) of the French Council of Muslim Worship (CFCM), the representative body of France's second religion.
In addition to his response to criticism of his presence at Pope Francis' giant mass in Marseille on September 23, Emmanuel Macron announced this Friday, September 15, a subscription to restore thousands of religious buildings in danger. From the collegiate church of Semur-en-Auxois, in Cote-d'Or, a Gothic masterpiece whose preservation is precisely difficult for this town of 4,200 inhabitants, the Head of State launched a collection "to mobilize 200 million euros over four years.

Out of 50,000 places of worship in France, around 2,500 to 3,000 buildings, mainly churches, are in a state that raises fears for their preservation. For the most part, they belong to small municipalities for whom these investments are unsustainable, recalled Emmanuel Macron. This fuels a feeling of indignation among many of our elected officials and our residents because there is an attachment to this heritage, whether we believe it or not. 

This collection will therefore only be intended for municipalities with less than 10,000 inhabitants (20,000 overseas). Donations can be made on the Heritage Foundation website and will be tax deductible at 75% (instead of 66%) within the limit of 1,000 euros, as was the case for the reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris. A detail which aims "also, between the lines, to tell the big fortunes" that "the issue is at the same level of importance", slipped to AFP the Minister of Culture, Rima Abdul-Malak, on the sidelines of the Burgundian movement, adding to hope that the richest will understand this message for themselves.

Organizer of this subscription, the Heritage Foundation will select the projects "according to the heritage interest of the building, the urgency and also the question of the use which must be open to concerts, exhibitions, conferences", explained to AFP its president Guillaume Poitrinal.

This reflects a reality, and meets needs, Gautier Mornas, head of the Sacred Art department of the Conference of Bishops of France, told AFP. For Edouard de Lamaze, president of the Religious Heritage Observatory, the value of these buildings goes far beyond the religious framework, and is part of the daily life, the past and the future of the French.

This collection is in addition to the Heritage Loto, embodied by host Stephane Bern. In five years, 230 million euros have been collected for the benefit of 862 projects according to the Elysee. The president also went in the afternoon to the Chateau de Bussy-Rabutin, winner of the first edition of this lottery in 2018.

According to the Elysee, the date of these announcements is linked to Heritage Days this weekend and follows commitments made by the president during his visit to Mont-Saint-Michel on June 5. No link therefore with the visit next week of Pope Francis to Marseille, according to the presidency. Faced with criticism from the left, Emmanuel Macron also defended his decision to attend the mass that the pope will give on September 23.
The intricate tapestry of the Global South comes alive, revealing its pivotal role in todays global arena. From its rich natural resources to its diverse cultures, this dynamic region is shaping the course of international affairs. As tensions between Russia and Ukraine thrust the Global South into the spotlight, its nations boldly assert their independent stance. India, in particular, emerges as a beacon, leading the charge alongside allies like Brazil and South Africa

The Global South constitutes an integral component of the international system, emerging as a prominent meta-category in the analysis of contemporary global politics. This underscores the necessity for its active participation in the global arena. This engagement is of paramount importance to the world due to its rich natural resources, diverse cultures, and, most significantly, its vast manpower.

Recent global conferences, summits, and gatherings of world leaders have witnessed a notable surge in the presence and influence of the Global South. For instance, the BRICS Summit held in South Africa this August reaffirmed the pivotal role of this coalition. As the host nation and chair, South Africa articulated its mission as advancing the agenda of the Global South.

Similarly, on the eve of the G7 Summit in Hiroshima this May, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida underscored the significance of the Global South in the evolving geopolitical landscape, emphasising that the invited guest countries rightfully represented this growing importance.

The current crisis between Russia and Ukraine that started in 2022 has suddenly brought the Global South into the international debates and discussions. Interestingly, many of the leading nations of Asia, Africa and Latin America clearly stated their unwillingness to go with the US-led NATO over the war in Ukraine. This has gained momentum in fighting one of the bloodiest wars in the European continent since the end of the Second World War and the formation of the United Nations Organisation on October 24, 1945.

The latest G20 Summit in Delhi has once again strongly echoed the voice of the Global South. With the inclusion of the 55-member African Union (AU) to the G20 under Indias presidency, the latter has established the predominance of the Global South in this intergovernmental forum.

Now the question is what is Global South? Why is the Global South important? Can India lead the group?

The words Global South refers to those nations that are coming under the category of developing, less developed and underdeveloped.

The majority of these countries fall in the Southern Hemisphere, coming from the continents of Asia, Africa, and Latin America, but not all. The very words Global South has been first mentioned by a political activist named Carl Oglesby in the year 1969.

In fact, he led a movement called Student for Democratic Society (SDS) that publicly opposed the Vietnam War. While writing in the global Catholic magazine called Commonweal, he strongly advocated that the war in Vietnam was the result of the history of the northern dominance of the Global South. But with the sudden breakdown of the former USSR and other Socialist Bloc, countries in Eastern Europe helped the term Global South gaining currency in scholarly writings, reports, debates and discussions all over the world.

Till then, the popular word that was coined and used for these nations was Third World by Alfred Sauvy in the year 1952 while drawing an analogy with the three historical estates of France-the nobility, the clergy and the bourgeoisie.

They were referred to as those nations which were yet to be industrialised in western sense of the term. However with the disintegration of the USSR under then President Mikhail Gorbachev, the so-called Second World had disappeared and hence the relevance of the Third World had slowly went into oblivion.

But then again the words like developed, developing, and underdeveloped also encountered tonnes of criticism and finally did not get the popularity in public usage. Therefore with the emergence of the words Global South sounded more neutral and gradually received well in public to refer to these nations.

Also these nations most commonly refer to the countries belonging to the Group of 77 at the UN. The irony is that it includes China about which there is a raging debate and also some of the wealthiest nations of West Asia. Some international observers fret that China under an ambitious and aggressive leadership of Xi Jinping might use the grouping for its own ulterior motives. And it is already seen on many occasions. Thus its immediate neighbour and another global stalwart is directly countering the expansionist moves of China by partnering with the Quad Group and openly coming closer to the US in recent years. China is aware about it and quite often displays its anger and resentment over India by bringing border skirmishes with the latter.

The Global South matters because these nations directly contributed to half of the worlds growth in our time.

They all are home to more than 80 per cent of the worlds population and account for 60 per cent of the GDP of the world. Another significant fact is that the remittances coming from migrant workers to low- and middle-income nations reached $466 billion last year. This is solely responsible for lifting many million families from poverty and hunger in these countries.

The outflow of the FDI from these nations is recorded in the third position in global flow of the FDIs. Further intra-trade among them is growing faster than ever before in recent years as it represents more than a quarter of the global trade.

The chaos leading to the underdevelopment of the Global South can be attributed to the colonisation of these nations in the past by the nations of the Global North. Finally, the role and responsibilities shared by the children and youth today in arresting the climate menace is remarkable. They are altogether spreading and making people aware about their rich biodiversity and the ways and means to preserve the same in the near future. The entire Global South countries together are a rich mosaic of innovation, cultural diversity and creativity.

Indias leadership at the recent G20 Summit has undoubtedly made the country the voice of the Global South. It can certainly lead the group but only with close coordination from the other big-league nations like Brazil, South Africa, etc.

The Global South largely demands a strong South-South Cooperation (SSC) on a larger scale. The UN Population Fund defines the SSC in its Policy and Procedure Manual as a means of development by an exchange of knowledge, experience and information and capacity development between and among developing countries through governments, civil society organisations and academic institutions, national institutions and networks to accelerate the implementation of the ICPD agenda and the achievement of the MDGs in participating countries.

Today the UN cooperation with the SSC is instrumental in advancing the SDGs in developing countries.

Finally, the Global South forges ahead. It is a great challenge for the Global North as its dwindling influence is felt all over. Certainly, the time will come for the Rise of the Rest and the leaders of the global liberal order have to work in tandem with the rising and shining Global South.

(The writer is currently president of the Global Research Foundation)
Ahead of the upcoming Special Parliament Session, the Government has scheduled a meeting with the floor leaders of all parties on Sunday. The purpose is to brief them and listen to their perspectives, as Opposition parties are concerned about the possibility that the Government may introduce a new agenda, catching them by surprise.

The tentative agenda for the five-day Special Session of Parliament starting on September 18 was unveiled on Wednesday night, with the Government listing a discussion on the Parliamentary journey of the past 75 years and the passage of five Bills in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, which includes the controversial Bill on the appointment of Chief Election Commissioner and other Commissioners that was introduced in the Rajya Sabha during the last Monsoon session.

The Special Session, which is unusual in its timing, is likely to see the proceedings of Parliament move from the old building to the new one. Speculation is rife that the Session may deliberate on issues ranging from One Nation, One Election, changing the countrys name to Bharat from India, the womens reservation issue, Uniform Civil Code, to announcing the date of the Lok Sabha polls.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier claimed that the Government might advance the Lok Sabha polls and they may be held concurrently with elections to five State Assemblies, including those of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh. On One Nation, One Election, the Government has already set up a committee with former President Ram Nath Kovind at its head to examine simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, legislative Assemblies, and panchayats.

The Opposition has alleged that the Government may have a hidden agenda in the Special Session, as the issues announced have been described as tentative. Both the BJP and the Congress have issued a whip to their MPs. The Government has the prerogative to table in Parliament some new legislation or other items that might not have been part of the listed agenda.

Although there is no official word on any probable new legislation, there has been some talk about a Bill to ensure a quota for women in elected legislatures like the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

What has added to the anticipation around the Session is the strong likelihood of Parliament being shifted to the new building inaugurated on May 28.

Various departments of parliamentary staff are all set to don new uniforms in a signal from the Government that shifting to the new building is likely to be marked with a fresh start in more ways than one.
The first meeting of the Mallikarjun Kharge-led Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Saturday focused more on the prospects of the newly formed coalition of Opposition parties called INDIA.

In his opening remarks at the newly constituted CWC, Kharge said that 27 INDIA bloc parties stand together on fundamental issues of importance. After three successful meetings, the Opposition alliance is moving forward to combat the anti-people and anti-democratic BJP Government.

Kharge alleged the BJP is resorting to vindictive action against Opposition parties in response to this development within the INDIA bloc.

In attendance at the meeting were Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, and general secretaries KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, among others.

Congress leaders deliberated on preparing a comprehensive roadmap to ensure the partys victory in the upcoming Assembly polls in five States and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress called for an immediate start to the Census process along with a caste survey to secure the rights to health, education, employment, and food security for the deprived sections of society.

By holding this crucial meeting in the Telangana capital, the party aims to convey that it will exert maximum effort to dislodge the BRS Government.

During the CWC meeting and the deliberations at the extended working committee session on Sunday, discussions about party organisation will take place. The meeting will emphasise strengthening the organisation, with discussions on alliances taking place within the INDIA bloc.

Referring to the creation of the State of Telangana following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi expressed the grand old partys commitment to the people of Telangana and affirmed that they will always stand by the aspirations of the Telangana people.

Kharge said, Now, it is time to lead the State into a new era of progress and prosperity. The Congress Working Committee stands ready to write a new chapter of development with dignity for all people of Telangana and our nation.

Rahul emphasised, The Congress is dedicated to addressing the concerns of the common people and striving to provide them with a government that upholds their rights and aspirations.

While the MPs of the party will return to Delhi for the special session of Parliament after the rally, other leaders, CWC members, PCC presidents, and CLP leaders will disperse to various assembly constituencies on September 18.
On plea against college circular, Madras HC says Sanatan Dharma encompasses eternal duties to nation, king, parents, gurus, poor

With a political controversy over Sanatan Dharma already on a boil, a circular by a Tamil Nadu Government college inviting students to share their opinions through a speech on Sanatan Dharma is likely to stir another round of storm when the Special Session of Parliament begins on Monday.

Amid the intensifying political debate over Udayanhidhi Stalins assault on Sanatan Dharma, the Madras High Court on Saturday issued significant remarks.

The High Court said that the concept of Sanatan Dharma encapsulates a set of eternal duties, including duty to the nation, to the king, to ones parents and gurus, and care for the poor, among others.

The comments came from Justice N Seshasayee, who was hearing a petition filed by one Elangovan, challenging a circular issued by a local government Arts College. The college asked students to share their thoughts on the topic Opposition to Sanathana.

According to the Justice, amid the ongoing turmoil over the Sanatan Dharma issue, an idea seems to have gained ground that Sanatan Dharma is solely about promoting casteism and untouchability. This particular notion is strongly rejected by the judge.

A senior official from the Union Education Ministry stated that they might issue a circular seeking clarification from the University Grants Commission (UGC) regarding the specific rules and regulations pertaining to debates, discussions, and speeches on matters of faith and religion.

The Sanatan Dharma controversy first erupted when Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi made a statement against Sanatan Dharma during an event in Chennai on September 3 that had led to a massive uproar in the political and social circles.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to step in asking his party members and full Cabinet to counter such attacks made on the ancient religion of the universe.

The circular typed in Tamil language dated September 12, 2023, a copy of which is with The Pioneer, was issued by Thiruvalampuram Government College asking students for a speech on Sanatan Dharma to celebrate the birth anniversary of late DMK politician Arignar Anna on September 15.

Sources said, however, after protest from students and some parents within the college campus, a separate circular was issued the following day including the word not mandatory but voluntary for everyone to participate in it.

Mandatory of not mandatory, the character of such a circular in an educational centre when already there is lot of controversy across the country, needs to be scrutinised, said a UGC source.

The college had asked the students to present speeches on their views regarding Sanatan Dharma as part of the observance of Arignar Annas birth anniversary on Friday, September 15.

Not only this, sources confirmed that a DMK MLA from Thiuvarur, K Poondi Kalaivanan, asked students of a womens college to speak at an anti-Sanatan Dharma event.

We call our country Mother India. Feminism has been belittled by the Sanatana Vadis who have infiltrated our country. It was only after the conquest of Dravida that women rose. For example, women got the right to vote, the right to wear a blouse, the right to property, and the right to education, Kalaivanan said in his letter, a copy of which is with The Pioneer, addressed to the principal of Thiru Vi Ka Govt Arts College.

Tamil Nadu Higher Education Minister Ponmudy also made an anti-Sanatan remark at the same conference on September 2, in which Udhayanidhi affirmed that Sanatan Dharma should be eradicated.

The INDIA bloc was formed to fight against the principles of Santana Dharma. We may have our

differences among us but the 26 parties in the alliance are united in the fight against

Santana Dharma but we need political power for that, Ponmudy said.
Violating the existing truce agreement with India, the Pakistan Army on Saturday targeted forward Indian posts and quadcopters along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Baramulla district after the Indian Army neutralised three terrorists while they were attempting to infiltrate inside the Indian territory taking advantage of the adverse weather conditions.

India and Pakistan Armies had agreed to cease firing along the LoC from February 24-25, 2021 in the interest of achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders.

Meanwhile, anti-terrorist operations continued for the fourth day in succession in the Garol forest area of Kokernag in the South Kashmir district of Anantnag. Bad weather and intermittent rain in the forward area hampered the ongoing operations launched to flush out terrorists behind the killing of two Army and one J&K police officer on Wednesday.

The Armys northern commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi reviewed the operational situation near the site of the gunfight that has been going on for four days.

Security forces have been chasing the terrorists, believed to be two or three in number, since Wednesday. On the fourth day of the operation, drones and helicopters were used to track and neutralise the terrorists, officials said.

The drones and helicopters were deployed to keep surveillance in the hilly terrain and pinpoint the locations of the terrorists in the forest in Gadole in the Kokernag area of the south Kashmir district, the officials said.

As the assault was resumed on Saturday morning, the security forces fired several mortar shells towards the forest, they said.

Lt Gen Dwivedi was briefed by the ground commanders on the high-intensity operations, in which hi-tech equipment is being used for surveillance and delivery of firepower, along with the high impact of precision fire being used by the forces.

Brigadier PMS Dhillon told the media that the operation at Hathlanga in the Uri sector along the LoC was launched early Saturday after specific inputs about infiltration attempts by Pakistan-based outfits.

Continued on Page 2

Kashmir burns, yet again

He said the three terrorists were neutralised during an eight-hour-long operation.

The first contact was established with the terrorists around 6.40 a.m. The firefight lasted about two hours in which one terrorist was neutralised. While searching for the other two terrorists, one of the terrorists opened fire from hiding around 9.15 am, thus re-establishing contact. The firefight lasted about half an hour in which he too was neutralized.

The third terrorist was also engaged by the troops. As he attempted to exfiltrate one of the nearby posts of the Pakistan army provided cover firing. However, the third terrorist fell down towards the enemy side of LoC. While the operation was in progress the quadcopter was also flown to ascertain the whereabouts of the third terrorist. However, the Pakistan Army post in the near vicinity fired on the quadcopter establishing the support of the Pakistan Army in abetting terrorism & assisting terrorists to infiltrate across LoC, Brigadier PMS Dhillon said.

Brigadier Dhillon said, The joint operation by the Indian Army & JK Police lasted for eight hours, in which three terrorists were killed. Two AK series rifles, One Pistol, Seven Hand Grenades, One IED, cash of `46,000/- (Indian currency), `6000/- (Pak currency), and other war-like stores were recovered. This operation has once again highlighted the nefarious design of the Pakistan Army in supporting terrorism and the intent to disturb normalcy and prevailing peace in Kashmir.
The All India Students Association (AISA) on Saturday claimed that a Delhi University student has been abducted, and added that outsiders were seen within the DU campus. No immediate reaction was available from the DU administration or the Delhi Police on the matter.

Two dangerous incidents were witnessed today. Firstly, a person was seen holding a gun at KMC College and secondly, an AISA activist and DU student  Aman  were abducted from outside Daulat Ram College, the students group said in a statement. AISA said despite the presence of an unknown person holding a gun inside the premises of the DU, no action was initiated by the college security. The person with a gun in his hand was not removed from the university premises, neither was any legal action initiated against him. Such incidents are taking place right under the nose of the Delhi Police and the DU administration, AISA said in its statement.

An AISA activist and DU student was abducted in a black SUV car with posters of ABVP plastered across its glasses and was beaten inside the car, it said.

A complaint on the matter has been registered with the Maurice Nagar police, the students group said.
A group of persons stabbed a man to death and injured his wife in southeast Delhis Aali Vihar area, police said on Saturday. The deceased had previous enmity with one of the accused, they added.

The police received a PCR call around 9.40 pm on Friday about 4-5 persons barging into a house near JD gym in Aali Vihar and stabbing a person, a senior police officer said.

Arvind Mandal sustained serious injuries as the accused stabbed him in the chest and hand, while his wife Rakha Mandal (43) suffered an injury on her forehead, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Rajesh Deo said.

Both the injured persons were rushed to a hospital by the police, where Arvind died during treatment, Deo said.

According to police, Arvind got into an altercation around 5 pm on Friday while taking his son Aakash home from school. When they reached Kali Mandir Road in Sarita Vihar, Arvind got into an argument with one Manoj Haldar with whom he had previous enmity, the police said.
As the Senior Ranger at Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, I love sharing the history of Flagstaff. The Riordans ran the local lumber mill, were the largest employers in town for decades and worked to build a sustainable community. As we celebrate Flagstaffs Festival of Science, Im excited to share with you some of the Riordan familys impact on science here in northern Arizona.

Lets go back to 1890. Matt Riordan was back east on business and met C. Hart Merriam, who was headed west to do field research on the San Francisco Peaks. He believed temperature extremes influenced geographic distributions of species, which he called life-zones. Matt wrote home to his younger brother, Michael, who was handling the company business in his absence, ...whatever he needs, give it to him, Ive always thought we should support science whenever possible.

Merriam spent 2 months on this study, from the depths of the Grand Canyon to the top of the San Francisco Peaks. During this time, he often stayed with Michael & Elizabeth Riordan. Merriam published the first comprehensive report of the animal and plant life of the area while introducing his now-famous life-zones. This led to the establishment of NAUs Merriam-Powell Research Station and a high-altitude horticultural research center now known as The Arboretum at Flagstaff. Merriam established the Biological Survey of the United States, which later became the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

A few years later in 1894, A.E. Douglass stayed at Matt Riordans house while searching for a location for Percival Lowells observatory. The Riordan brothers helped convince community leaders that the observatory would be a great asset to the growing town and Lowell Observatory was established in Flagstaff. After Lowell passed away, his research was carried on. V.M. Slipher first detected the expanding nature of the universe in 1912 and Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930. Research continued including the 1961 lunar mapping project, the recent DART (Double Asteroid Redirection Test) project, Discovery Telescope and much more. It is due in large part to Lowell that Flagstaff is the worlds first International Dark Sky City.

So, what happened to A.E. Douglas? Douglass' own scientific interest was the sunspot cycle and how this affected the Earth's weather. Study of trees in the region showed that a common pattern of wide and narrow growth layers could be observed and related to records of precipitation. He acquired many of his first cross-sections from the Arizona Lumber & Timber Company, courtesy of Tim Riordan. He established the Laboratory of Tree Ring Research at the University of Arizona in 1937. The science of dendrochronology has been used to date structures around the world and has been widely applied in the scientific world in numerous research fields including ecology, climatology, geology and archaeology. A copy of his first book, Climatic Cycles and Tree Growth, Volume I, was sent to Tim Riordan. This book still sits on Tims library shelf with a thank you from A.E. Douglass to Tim for his help in his early research.

The Riordans loved being out in the woods, hiking and exploring; but they also supported forest conservation as a sustainable source of timber for their lumber mill. Tim Riordan wrote to forester Gifford Pinchot in 1903 suggesting Flagstaff as an ideal location to do research on Ponderosa pine. They wanted to better understand the ponderosa pine ecosystem so this important economic and scenic resource would be sustainable. Fort Valley was chosen for the first ever US Forest Research Station. These stations would supply a technical foundation for national forest management. Long-term objectives of research were regeneration, stand improvement and recording climatological information. The Fort Valley campus was established in 1908 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1896, Matt Riordan led a committee that established the Summer School of Science. That year, Flagstaff residents attended free lectures by leading scientists such as Percival Lowell, C. Hart Merriam, paleontologist Dr William Berryman Scott, and Dr Bernard Fernow, chief of the US Department of Agriculture's Division of Forestry.

More than a century later, Flagstaff still comes out to hear scientists speak during the annual Festival of Science. This is the longest running, entirely free, science festival in the world. The Riordan family's impact on science and community continues to this day. I invite you to come visit us at Riordan Mansion State Historic Park, to take a step back in time and learn more about this fascinating family.
The Trinamool Congress has written a fresh letter to the Delhi Police and sought permission to set up tents and arrange accommodation for MGNREGA workers from Bengal at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi, who will be sitting on a protest from September 30 to October 4.

In a letter to Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Darya Ganj, Delhi, TMC MP Derek OBrien said,  With reference to my letter dated August 30 and August 31, 2023 requesting for permission for All India Trinamool Congress to set up pandals/tents and arrange accommodation/night stay for about 50,000 people at Ramlila Maidan from September 30 to October 4, 2023 for MGNREGA workers from Bengal who will be dharna at different locations in Delhi. We are yet to receive a response regarding same. Request for an update at earliest.

Earlier this month, , the TMC leader wrote a letter to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Parliament Street Police Station and claimed that workers from West Bengal have been denied wages under MGNREGA scheme. With reference to my letter dated August 31, 2023, requesting for permission for TMC to hold a dharna involving workers from Bengal who have been denied wages under MGNREGA scheme, it said.
Top Congress leaders converged here on Saturday for the first meeting of the reconstituted CWC during which they will prepare a comprehensive road map for leading the party to victory in the upcoming assembly polls in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

By holding the crucial Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in the Telangana capital, the party is also looking to send out a message that it will go all-out to dislodge the BRS government in the poll-bound state.

Ahead of the CWC meeting, the first in many years to be held outside Delhi, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said his party has fought for and ushered in democracy, social justice, progress and equality in the country.

"We will continue to fight for national integrity and unity in diversity.

"In consonance with our long cherished philosophy, the Congress Working Committee will craft a comprehensive road map to lead the party towards victory and strengthen the future of our nation and her people," he said in his message shared on X, formerly Twitter.

In his post, Kharge also shared former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's message.

"We had made a promise to the people of Telangana. We have fulfilled that promise," Sonia Gandhi said referring to the creation of the state of Telangana following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

She said the Congress has always stood by the aspirations of the people of Telangana.

"Now, it's time to lead the state into a new era of progress and prosperity. The Congress Working Committee stands ready to write a new chapter of development with dignity for all people of Telangana and our nation," she said.

Before leaving for Hyderabad, Kharge said in Delhi that it will be the first CWC meeting after he took over as the party president in October last year.

The CWC will meet on Saturday and an extended working committee meeting will be held on Sunday during which discussions about party organisation will take place, he said.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and all senior leaders will be present in the meeting and will hold discussions regarding the upcoming elections in five states, he said.

The focus of the meetings, Kharge said, will be on strengthening the organisation and discussions on alliances will take place in the meeting of the INDIA bloc.

The brainstorming of the Congress top brass during the meeting would prove to be a "game changer" and a "transformative moment" for Telangana politics as well as the party, according to party leaders.

Announcing the detailed plan for the CWC meeting to be chaired by Kharge, general secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh on Friday said this is for the first time in many years that the party's top decision-making body will hold deliberations for three days outside Delhi.

The CWC will meet at 2:30 pm on Saturday and deliberate on the strategy for the upcoming assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls.

Talking about the deliberations to be held on Saturday, Venugopal said, "The Congress president will be present. Former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and all other working committee members, including permanent invitees and special invitees, will also participate."

"We have invited 90 people, but six of them have informed us about their inability to attend due to personal difficulties. All other 84 people will attend, including our four chief ministers," he said.

On Sunday, there will be a meeting of the extended CWC to which all state party chiefs and CLP leaders, besides Parliamentary Party office-bearers, Central Election Committee members have been invited to strategize for the upcoming elections.

"We invited 159 people, out of them 147 people are attending the meeting on Sunday," Venugopal said.

On Sunday evening, which is celebrated as Telangana National Integration Day, the party will hold a "mega rally" near Hyderabad where it will announce six guarantees for the Telangana assembly elections, he said.

While the MPs of the party would return to Delhi for the special session of Parliament after the rally, other leaders, CWC members, PCC presidents and CLP leaders will branch out to the various assembly constituencies.

"The charge sheet against the KCR government will come out, our workers will be there in all assembly constituencies. Along with the leaders, they will participate in this programme," Venugopal said.

Kharge had on August 20 reconstituted the CWC, retaining the old guard and giving space to the young in the 84-member body.

The CWC has 39 regular members, 32 permanent invitees and 13 special invitees. These include 15 women and several new faces such as Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot and Gaurav Gogoi who are among the regular members.
Pakistans interim Prime Minister Anwaar-ul Haq Kakar on Friday refused to give a date for the countrys general elections, asserting that it was the job of the election authorities. Kakar was speaking at a press conference after a meeting at the PM House when he was asked if he would like to set a date for the upcoming national elections.

If I were to announce elections, I would be engaging in an unlawful act, and as a journalist, you should be aware that if you steer us towards illegal actions and pose questions that might tempt us to break the law, then what should my response be? he said.

He was asked the same question earlier this week and responded that it was for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to decide a date.

The date for the general elections has become a controversial matter in Pakistan as polls should be held within a constitutionally mandated 90-day period after the dissolution of the National Assembly, which was done on August 9.

However, just days before the end of its term, the previous government endorsed the results of the countrywide census.

The decision made it mandatory for the election commission to devise new electoral districts before elections, for which it has been provided 120 days by the countrys constitution.

The ECP has announced to complete the delimitation process by November 30 and then announce election schedules, which are expected to be held in January. However, President Ari Alvi and some political parties insist the elections should be held within 90 days.

In a letter to the ECP chief this week, Alvi, who was a founding member of jailed former prime minister Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, proposed November 6 as the day for the polls, but the top election body has so far not commented on the suggestion.

It is believed that polls will be held somewhere in January, but without a firm date, rumours are making rounds about the intention of the caretaker set-up to prolong its tenure. Earlier this week, Kakar clarified that the interim government had no intention of extending its term.

He had sided with the ECP and said on a Geo News programme that, per the law, deciding the date for general elections was the ECPs prerogative.
A Pakistani father, his female partner and his brother who were part of an international hunt after a 10-year-old girl was found dead in a town in south-east England were on Friday charged with her murder after being flown in from Pakistan.

The UKs Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said it authorised charges against Urfan Sharif, 41, Beinash Batool, 29, and Faisal Shahzad Malik, 28, related to the murder last month of Sara Sharif in Woking, Surrey. The trio appeared at Guildford Magistrates Court and have been remanded in custody.

The CPS has authorised Surrey Police to charge Urfan Sharif with the murder of his 10-year-old daughter Sara. Charges of murder have also been authorised against Beinash Batool, Mr Sharifs partner, and his brother Faisal Shahzad Malik, the CPS statement said.

A further charge of causing or allowing the death of Sara has been authorised against all three individuals, it said.

All three were arrested on Wednesday evening at Gatwick Airport as they disembarked a flight from Dubai after they had been traced by police in Pakistan.

Surrey Police had discovered Sara Sharifs body at a residential address in Woking on August 10 following an emergency call, which was made by a man identifying himself as the girls father and was later traced to Islamabad. A post-mortem examination found Sara Sharif had sustained multiple and extensive injuries.

The police force said the girls mother, Olga Sharif  of Polish origin, had been informed of the latest developments and was being supported by specialist officers.

Saras five siblings, aged between one and 13 years old, also travelled to Pakistan with Sharif, Batool and Malik. Earlier this week, they were found by police in Pakistan at the home of Sharifs father and have since been moved to a government childcare facility in the country.

The CPS said as criminal proceedings are now active, all those charged have a right to a fair trial.

It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings, it said. Investigation into the case led to the involvement of international agencies, including Interpol, the UKs National Crime Agency (NCA) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), to progress enquiries with the Pakistani authorities.
Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. engages in the mining, development, and exploration of minerals and precious metals located primarily in Africa. It explores for platinum, palladium, nickel, copper, gold, rhodium, zinc, silver, germanium, and lead deposits. The company's projects include the Platreef project located in the Northern Limb of South Africa's Bushveld Complex; the Kipushi project located in Haut-Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of Congo; and the Kamoa-Kakula project located within the Central African Copperbelt. It also holds a 100% interest in the Western Foreland exploration project covering an area of approximately 2,407 square kilometers located in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The company was formerly known as Ivanplats Limited and changed its name to Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. in August 2013. Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. was incorporated in 1993 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.
Genuine Parts Company is a leading distributor of office products, automotive and industrial replacement parts, and electrical/electronic materials. The company was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with operations in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. GPC's mission is to provide quality products and services that exceed customer expectations and enhance shareholder value.

GPC operates through four business segments: Automotive Parts Group, Industrial Parts Group, Office Products Group, and Electrical/Electronic Materials Group. The Automotive Parts Group provides replacement parts, accessories, and supplies for automobiles, trucks, and other vehicles. The Industrial Parts Group includes replacement parts, equipment, and supplies for industrial applications such as mining, manufacturing, and construction. The Office Products Group provides businesses and consumers with office supplies, furniture, and technology products. The Electrical/Electronic Materials Group provides electrical and electronic components, wire and cable products, and data communication products to customers in various industries.

GPC's target market includes commercial and retail customers across various industries, including automotive repair shops, industrial facilities, government agencies, and schools. The company's key customers include NAPA Auto Parts, Motion Industries, S.P. Richards, and EIS Inc.

GPC has achieved several key milestones over the years, including its inclusion in the Fortune 500 list and recognition as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute.

The GPC management team is led by Paul D. Donahue, who has been Chief Executive Officer since 2016. Donahue has been with GPC for over 40 years and has held various leadership positions.

GPC reported that total revenues and net income had increased over the past few years. GPC has a high debt level but also enough assets to cover the debt. GPC's current price-to-earnings ratio is slightly below the industry average, and the price-to-sales ratio is below the industry average. GPC's dividend yield is above the industry average.

GPC's stock has performed well over the past few years. The stock experienced a COVID-19 pandemic drop in Q1 of 2020, dropping the price to about $50. The stock has since rebounded to over $150 per share.

The automotive and industrial parts distribution industry is highly competitive, with several prominent players competing for market share. GPC's main competitors include O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Advance Auto Parts, Inc., and W.W. Grainger, Inc. The industry is subject to regulatory and political risks, such as changes in environmental regulations or trade policies. GPC is competitive in the industry due to its scale, product range, and distribution capabilities. The company has also invested heavily in technology and digital capabilities to enhance customer service and supply chain efficiency.

Genuine Parts Company has several growth opportunities that could help it expand its business and increase revenue. One of the key areas of focus for the company is its e-commerce platform, which has become increasingly important in recent years. The company has invested heavily in its online capabilities, including launching new websites and improving its mobile app. In 2021, the company launched a new e-commerce platform called PartsTech, which allows customers to search for and order parts from various suppliers quickly.

The company also expands its footprint in the automotive aftermarket industry through acquisitions. In 2020, the company acquired Todd Group, a leading automotive aftermarket parts and supplies distributor in the Pacific Northwest. This acquisition helped expand the company's regional presence and provided access to new customers and markets.

Another growth opportunity for Genuine Parts Company is international expansion. The company operates in over 30 countries, focusing on Europe and Australasia. In 2021, the company announced plans to expand its footprint in Australia by acquiring Inenco Group, a leading distributor of industrial parts and supplies in the region. This acquisition will help the company establish a more substantial presence in the Australian market and provide access to new customers and markets.

Genuine Parts Company has several competitive advantages that give it an edge. One of the company's key strengths is its extensive distribution network, which includes over 3,100 locations worldwide. This network allows the company to reach various customers, from independent repair shops to large national chains.

While Genuine Parts Company has several strengths, some risks and challenges could impact the company's performance. One of the company's biggest challenges is the increasing competition in the automotive and industrial markets. The company competes with a range of other distributors, including national chains and online retailers, which could pressure pricing and margins.

Genuine Parts Company is exposed to regulatory and political risks, particularly in international markets. Regulation changes or political instability could impact the company's ability to operate in specific regions or increase costs.

Genuine Parts Company has implemented several risk management strategies to mitigate these risks, including diversifying its product offerings and supplier base, investing in its supply chain capabilities, and maintaining a solid balance sheet.
Altria Group, Inc. is a US-based tobacco company and one of the Big-3 tobacco companies internationally. The company was formerly known as Phillip Morris International but emerged with its new name in 2003. The rebranding was intended to help the company improve its image while it shifted away from the smokeable tobacco segments of the business. It is a Fortune 500 company and a member of the S&P 500. The company was a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average for many years but fell from that position due to declining tobacco sales and the divestiture of businesses.

The company operates through a network of subsidiaries that include Phillip Morris USA. Phillip Morris USA is the core segment of business and includes the Marlboro line of cigarette brands. German immigrant Phillip Morris originally founded Phillip Morris in London in 1822. In 1844 the company began making its first line of machine-rolled cigarettes called English Ovals. The English Ovals remained in production in limited quantities until 2017.

By 1902 the company had moved to New York City, where it was incorporated. Operations continued uninterrupted until 1919, when it changed ownership, and then, in 1929, manufacturing operations were moved to Richmond, Virginia and closer to the tobacco fields.

Philip Morris made headlines again in 1933 when it integrated its manufacturing operations. This was done more than 30 years ahead of federal regulations and a ground-breaking move for the industry and America. After another multi-decade run of uninterrupted operations, the company began a series of acquisitions that included Miller Brewing, Kraft Foods and General Mills. Those acquisitions led to eventual mergers and spin-offs that resulted in SABMiller and Kraft General Mills.

Altria Group operates through a network of subsidiaries manufacturing and selling smokeable, smokeless and oral tobacco products. Subsidiaries include but not are limited to Philip Morris USA, John Middleton Inc. and U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company. Brands include Marlboro, Marlboro Lights, Black & Mild, Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Sky and Husky. The company's principal customers are wholesalers and large retailers.

The company maintains a number of strategic partnerships as part of its efforts to shift away from smokeable tobacco. These include a 35% stake in JUUL smokeless tobacco products, a 45% stake in Canadian integrated cannabis company Cronos Group and a near-10% stake in ABInbev. These partnerships are intended to capitalize on smokeless tobacco and the legalization of cannabis at the US federal level.

Altria brought in more than $21 billion in 2021. The company employs more than 6,000 people and has paid more than $6.5 billion in cumulative dividends. The companys operations help support more than 1,200 US farmers and are sold in over 300,000 US retail establishments. Altria continues to be a leader in workforce quality and has received numerous awards, including a spot on the National Business Consortiums Best of the Best List for 2022.
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.
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.
Vanguard European Stock Index Fund is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of stocks issued by Companies located in the markets of Europe. The Fund on focuses indexing investment approach by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the common stocks included in the FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index. The Fund's investment advisor is The Vanguard Group, Inc.
Some in the Western media are sensationalizing the tepid response of Chinese consumers to new iPhone products, and some previously went so far as to suggest that China was imposing a ban on iPhones.

This is absurd. As a market economy, Chinese consumers have the right to choose from a competitive phone market.

At an event held on Wednesday, Apple Inc unveiled its new series of iPhones, which come with new chips and new titanium shells and a USB-C charging cable. The iPhone 15 series comes after Huawei started selling its Mate 60 series and the Mate X5, among which the Mate 60 Pro is Huawei's first 5G phone made using in-house chips since the United States cut off the company's access to vital technologies.

The launch of the two brands' new phones elicited different reactions from Chinese netizens. For example, the iPhone 15's launch event was not on the most-searched lists of many popular Chinese online platforms such as Sina Weibo. In contrast, Huawei's Mate 60 series was trending on Chinese social media platforms during its launch in late August.

This could be because iPhone 15 lacks enough innovation. Some researchers point out that, of late, Apple has not been focusing on innovation, instead banking on brand loyalty to sell its smartphones.

They also said that Huawei's strong comeback gives users more choice, and will force Apple out of its comfort zone to focus on tech innovation, although it has been the most purchased smartphone in China for years. According to market research company Counterpoint, Apple dominated the Chinese smartphone market with a share of 19.9 percent in the first quarter of 2023, followed by Chinese phone brands such as Oppo (18.3 percent), Vivo (17.7 percent), Honor (14.6 percent), Xiaomi (13.6 percent) and Huawei (9.2 percent).

This shows that the market share of Chinese brands is growing quickly because of their relatively more affordable prices and tailor-made functions. Among China's more than 1 billion smartphone users, more than half are using middle-range handsets.

They also have a wide range of choices now. A number of Chinese smartphone makers are rapidly catching up and even surpassing iPhone in certain features.

The market share of smartphone brands in China clearly shows that smartphone sales are decided by market factors and not political factors. A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry told a news conference on Wednesday that there are no laws, regulations or policy documents prohibiting the purchase and use of mobile phones of foreign brands such as Apple.

Contrary to the Chinese government's attitude toward foreign brands, the US government's imposing of sanctions on Huawei demonstrates trade protectionism. However, its efforts to contain China's high-tech development are doomed to failure.

China is now the third-largest market for Apple, and it remains one of the first 40 countries and regions where the iPhone 15 series will become available in physical stores from Sept 22.

China has also been a growth engine and manufacturing hub for Apple for years now. It brings in roughly 20 percent of the US tech giant's total revenue and is a key part of the supply chain for iPhones, MacBooks and other devices.

It's time the Western media stopped churning out these "ban" stories.
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.
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.
CompX International Inc. manufactures and sells security products and recreational marine components primarily in North America. It operates in two segments, Security Products and Marine Components. The Security Products segment manufactures mechanical and electrical cabinet locks, and other locking mechanisms used in various applications, including ignition systems, mailboxes, file cabinets, desk drawers, tool storage cabinets, high security medical cabinetry, integrated inventory and access control secured narcotics boxes, electrical circuit panels, storage compartments, gas station security, and vending and cash containment machines. This segment serves recreational transportation, postal, office and institutional furniture, cabinetry, tool storage, healthcare, and other industries. The Marine Components segment manufactures and distributes stainless steel exhaust headers, exhaust pipes, mufflers, and other exhaust components; gauges, such as GPS speedometers and tachometers; mechanical and electronic controls and throttles; wake enhancement systems, trim tabs, steering wheels, and billet aluminum accessories; dash panels, LED indicators, and wire harnesses; and grab handles, pin cleats, and related hardware and accessories primarily for performance and ski/wakeboard boats for the recreational marine and other industries. The company sells its products directly to original equipment manufacturers, as well as through distributors. The company was incorporated in 1993 and is based in Dallas, Texas. CompX International Inc. is a subsidiary of NL Industries, Inc.
The following companies are subsidiares of TransDigm Group: 17111 Waterview Pkwy LLC, ARA Deutschland GmbH, ARA Holding GmbH, Acme Aerospace, Acme Aerospace Inc., Adams Rite Aerospace GmbH, Adams Rite Aerospace Inc., Advanced Inflatable Products Limited, Aero-Instruments, AeroControlex Group Inc., Aerosonic, Aerosonic LLC, Air-Sea Survival Equipment Trustee Limited, Airborne Acquisition Inc., Airborne Global Inc., Airborne Holdings Inc., Airborne Systems, Airborne Systems Canada Ltd., Airborne Systems Group Limited, Airborne Systems Holdings Limited, Airborne Systems Limited, Airborne Systems NA Inc., Airborne Systems North America Inc., Airborne Systems North America of CA Inc., Airborne Systems North America of NJ Inc., Airborne Systems Pension Trust Limited, Airborne UK Acquisition Limited, Airborne UK Parent Limited, Aircraft Materials Limited, AmSafe, AmSafe Aviation (Chongqing) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Private) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport Ltd., AmSafe Global Holdings Inc., AmSafe Global Services (Private) Limited, AmSafe Inc., Angus Electronics Co., Arkwin Industries, Arkwin Industries Inc., Armtec Countermeasures Co., Armtec Countermeasures TNO Co., Armtec Defense Products Co., Auxitrol SAS, Auxitrol Weston Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Auxitrol Weston Services China Ltd., Auxitrol Weston Singapore Pte. Ltd., Auxitrol Weston USA Inc., Aviation Technologies, Aviation Technologies Inc., Avionic Instruments LLC, Avionics Instruments, Avionics Specialties Inc., AvtechTyee Inc., Beta Transformer Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Beta Transformer Technology Corporation, Beta Transformer Technology LLC, Breeze-Eastern Corporation, Breeze-Eastern LLC, Bridport Erie Aviation Inc., Bridport Holdings Inc., Bridport Ltd., Bridport-Air Carrier Inc., Bruce Aerospace Inc., Bruce Industries, CDA InterCorp LLC, CEF Industries LLC, CMC Electronics Aurora LLC, CMC Electronics Inc., CMC Electronics ME Inc., Champion Aerospace LLC, Chelton Avionics Holdings Inc., Chelton Avionics Inc., Chelton Limited, Cobham Aero Connectivity, Cobham CTS Limited, Cobham Defence Communications Limited, Cobham Defense Products Inc., DART Aerospace, DDC Electronics K.K., DDC Electronics Ltd., DDC Electronics Private Limited, DDC Electronique S.A.R.L., DDC Elektronik GmbH, Darchem Engineering Limited, Darchem Holdings Limited, Data Device Corp., Data Device Corporation, Dukes Aerospace Inc., EST Defence Company UK Limited, Edlaw Limited, Electromech Technologies LLC, Elektro-Metall Export GmbH, Elektro-Metall Paks KFT, Esterline, Esterline Acquisition Ltd, Esterline Europe Company LLC, Esterline Foreign Sales Corporation, Esterline International Company, Esterline Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Esterline Technologies Corporation, Esterline Technologies Corporation, Esterline Technologies Europe Limited, Esterline Technologies France Holding SAS, Esterline Technologies French Acquisition Limited, Esterline Technologies Global Limited, Esterline Technologies Holdings Limited, Esterline Technologies SGIP LLC, Esterline Technologies Unlimited, Esterline do Brasil Assessoria e Intermediacao Ltda, European Antennas Limited, Extant Components Group Holdings Inc., Extant Components Group Intermediate Inc., GQ Parachutes Limited, Guizhou Leach-Tianyi Aviation Electrical Company Ltd, Harco, HarcoSemco LLC, Hartwell Corporation, Hytek Finishes Co., ILC Holdings Inc., IRVIN AEROSPACE LIMITED, IrvinGQ France SAS, IrvinGQ Limited, Janco Corporation, Johnson Liverpool LLC, Kirkhill Elastomers, Kirkhill Inc., Korry Electronics Co., Kunshan Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Leach Holding Corporation, Leach International Asia-Pacific Ltd, Leach International Corporation, Leach International Europe S.A.S., Leach International Germany GmbH, Leach International Mexico S. de R. L. de C. V., Leach International UK Ltd, Leach Mexico Holding LLC, Leach Technology Group Inc., MarathonNorco Aerospace Inc., Mason Electric Co., Mastsystem Int'l Oy, McKechnie Aerospace, McKechnie Aerospace (Europe) Ltd., McKechnie Aerospace DE Inc., McKechnie Aerospace DE LP, McKechnie Aerospace Holdings Inc., McKechnie Aerospace US LLC, Mecanismos de Matamoros S. de R.L. de C.V., NAT Seattle Inc., NMC Group Inc., Norco, Nordisk Asia Pacific Limited, Nordisk Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Nordisk Aviation Products (Kunshan) Ltd., Nordisk Aviation Products AS, Nordisk Aviation Products LLC, North Hills Signal Processing Corp., North Hills Signal Processing Overseas LLC, Norwich Aero Products Inc., Palomar Products Inc., Pexco Aerospace, Pexco Aerospace Inc., PneuDraulics, PneuDraulics Inc., Pressure Systems International Ltd, Schneller, Schneller Asia Pte. Ltd., Schneller LLC, Schneller S.A.R.L., Schroth Safety Products, Semco Instruments, Semco Instruments Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Signal Processing Matamoros S.A. de C.V., Skandia, Skandia Inc., Skurka Aerospace, Skurka Aerospace Inc., Symetrics Industries, Symetrics Industries LLC, Symetrics Technology Group LLC, TA Aerospace Co., TA Mfg Limited, TDG Bavaria GmbH, TDG ESL Holdings Inc., TDG France Ultimate Parent SAS, TDG Germany GmbH, TEAC Aerospace Holdings Inc., TEAC Aerospace Technologies Inc., Tactair Fluid Controls Inc., Takata Protection Systems, Telair International, Telair International GmbH, Telair International Services PTE Ltd, Telair US LLC, TransDigm (Barbados) SRL, TransDigm Canada ULC, TransDigm European Holdings Limited, TransDigm Ireland Ltd., TransDigm Receivables LLC, TransDigm Technologies India Private Limited, TransDigm UK Holdings plc, Transicoil (Malaysia) Sendirian Berhad, Transicoil LLC, Wallop Defence UK Limited, Weston Aerospace Ltd, Whippany Actuation Systems, Whippany Actuation Systems LLC, XCEL Power Systems Ltd., Young & Franklin, Young & Franklin Inc., and exas Rotronics Inc..

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The following companies are subsidiares of Quest Diagnostics: AmeriPath, AmeriPath Cincinnati Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Cleveland Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Consolidated Labs Inc. (FL), AmeriPath Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Hospital Services Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Indianapolis PC (IN), AmeriPath Kentucky Inc. (KY), AmeriPath Lubbock 5.01(A) Corporation (TX), AmeriPath New York LLC (DE), AmeriPath Texas Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Tucson Inc. (AZ), American Medical Laboratories, American Medical Laboratories Incorporated (DE), Associated Clinical Laboratories L.P. (PA), Associated Clinical Laboratories of Pennsylvania L.L.C. (PA), Athena Diagnostics, Athena Diagnostics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics, Blueprint Genetics FZ-LLC (UAE), Blueprint Genetics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics Oy (Finland), California Laboratory Associates, Cape Cod Healthcare - Business, Celera, ClearPoint Diagnostic, Clearpoint Diagnostic Laboratories LLC (TX), Cleveland HeartLab, Cleveland HeartLab Inc. (DE), Clinical Laboratory Partners, Colorado Pathology Consultants P.C. (CO), ConVerge Diagnostic Services, Consolidated DermPath Inc. (DE), DFW 5.01(a) Corporation (TX), DGXWMT JV LLC (DE), Dermatopathology of Wisconsin S.C. (WI), Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma LLC (OK), Diagnostic Pathology Services Inc. (OK), Diagnostic Reference Services Inc. (MD), ExamOne Canada Inc. (New Brunswick), ExamOne LLC (DE), ExamOne World Wide Inc. (PA), ExamOne World Wide of NJ Inc. (NJ), Focus Diagnostics, HemoCue, Hoffman M.D. Associated Pathologists Chartered (NV), Institute for Dermatopathology Inc. (PA), Isabella Street Urban Renewal LLC (NJ), Kailash B. Sharma M.D. Inc. (GA), Kilpatrick Pathology P.A. (NC), LabOne, LabOne LLC (MO), LabOne of Ohio Inc. (DE), Laboratorio de Analisis Biomedicos S.A. (Mexico), Lancet Labs, MACL, Med Fusion LLC (TX), Med fusion, MedPlus, Mid America Clinical Laboratories LLC (IN), Nomad Massachusetts Inc. (MA), Nuclear Medicine and Pathology Associates (GA), Ocmulgee Medical Pathology Association Inc. (GA), Pathology Building Partnership (MD) (gen. ptnrshp.), PeaceHealth Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories PLLC (WA), Q Squared Solutions Holdings LLC (DE), Q Squared Solutions Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (China), Quest Diagnostics Brasil Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Domestic Holder LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics HTAS India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Incorporated (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (MD), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NV), Quest Diagnostics India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Infectious Disease Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics International Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics International LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Investments LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Ireland Limited (Ireland), Quest Diagnostics LLC (CT), Quest Diagnostics LLC (IL), Quest Diagnostics LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Massachusetts LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Mexico Holding Company Trust (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Mexico S de RL de CV (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute (CA), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute Inc. (VA), Quest Diagnostics Receivables Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Subsidiary Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics TB LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Terracotta LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Venture LLC (PA), Quest Diagnostics Ventures LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics do Brasil Ltda. (Brazil), Quest Diagnostics of Pennsylvania Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics of Puerto Rico Inc. (PR), Quest HealthConnect LLC (CA), ReproSource, Reprosource Fertility Diagnostics Inc. (MA), Solstas Lab Partners, Sonora Quest Laboratories LLC (AZ), Specialty Laboratories Inc. (CA), Summit Health, UMass Memorial Medical Center - Anatomic Pathology Outreach Laboratory Business, Unilab Corporation, and Unilab Corporation (DE).

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EOG Resources, Inc. is a leading independent exploration and production company focusing on the oil and gas industry. Based in Houston, Texas, EOG's mission is to provide energy solutions that power the world while adhering to the highest environmental and safety standards. With its robust portfolio of assets, talented management team, and commitment to technological advancements, EOG Resources has emerged as a key player in the energy sector.

EOG Resources operates in multiple locations across the globe, primarily focusing on North America, including the United States, Canada, and Trinidad. The company's primary products and services revolve around the exploration, development, production, and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. EOG Resources serves a diverse range of customers, including industrial, residential, and commercial sectors, as well as other energy companies.

EOG Resources is committed to minimizing its environmental impact. The company employs advanced drilling techniques and utilizes cutting-edge technologies to maximize production efficiency while reducing emissions and water usage. EOG's sustainability efforts align with its mission to provide reliable energy solutions for a sustainable future.

EOG Resources boasts a highly experienced and accomplished management team led by key executives with industry knowledge and expertise. Ezra Y. Yacob, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, has driven the company's strategic growth initiatives. With a strong background in geoscience and leadership roles, Mr. Yacob has been with EOG Resources since 2005. He has served in various key positions, including President and Executive Vice President of Exploration and Production.

Lloyd W. "Billy" Helms, Jr., President and Chief Operating Officer, joined EOG Resources in 1995 and has held several significant leadership positions within the company. Mr. Helms has been pivotal in overseeing the company's operations, exploration activities, and production strategies.

Timothy K. Driggers, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has been integral to EOG Resources since 1995. Mr. Driggers' financial acumen and expertise have contributed to the company's financial stability and growth.

EOG Resources has consistently demonstrated strong financial performance, with steady revenue growth and healthy profit margins. EOG Resources has successfully navigated market fluctuations and achieved long-term financial stability.

When considering the company's valuation metrics, EOG Resources has been favorably positioned compared to its industry peers. The company's valuation metrics, such as price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, have reflected investor confidence in the company's future prospects and financial strength.

With significant price movements and trading volume, EOG Resources' stock performance has been notable. The company's stock has demonstrated resilience, responding to market conditions and reflecting investor sentiment. Recent news and events, including industry trends, regulatory changes, and geopolitical factors, have influenced EOG's share price.

EOG Resources operates in a dynamic and competitive industry highly influenced by global market conditions, regulatory policies, and technological advancements. The company competes with international and domestic players and strives to maintain a competitive edge through its operational excellence, technological innovation, and strong asset portfolio.

EOG Resources is well-positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities in the energy sector. The company continues to explore and develop new reserves, expand its operations and optimize production techniques. EOG's focus on technological advancements, such as utilizing data analytics and artificial intelligence, enhances its capabilities in identifying and extracting hydrocarbon resources efficiently.

Like any company operating in the energy sector, EOG Resources faces various risks and challenges that can impact its operations and financial performance. Investors and stakeholders must be aware of these factors when evaluating the company's prospects.

EOG Resources' revenue and profitability are closely tied to crude oil and natural gas prices. Fluctuations in commodity prices can significantly impact the company's financial results. Factors such as global supply and demand dynamics, geopolitical tensions, and economic conditions can lead to price volatility, posing a risk to EOG's revenue and profitability.

The energy industry is subject to extensive regulations related to drilling, production, emissions, and environmental impact. Regulation changes, especially those aimed at reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to renewable energy sources, can require significant investments and impact the company's operational costs. Non-compliance with regulations could result in penalties and reputational damage.

EOG Resources relies on advanced technologies and innovations to efficiently explore and produce hydrocarbon reserves. However, technological advancements also bring inherent risks, such as data security threats and potential operational disruptions. Additionally, adopting new technologies may require substantial investments and successful implementation to yield desired results.

The energy sector is highly competitive, with numerous players vying for market share. EOG Resources competes with both established energy companies and emerging players. Intense competition can lead to pricing pressures and reduced margins. Moreover, market conditions, such as supply and demand imbalances, can impact the company's ability to sell its products at favorable prices.

EOG Resources operates in a global industry influenced by geopolitical tensions, trade policies, and macroeconomic conditions. Political instability, conflicts, and economic downturns in key markets can disrupt operations, impact demand for energy products and create uncertainty in the business environment.

EOG Resources has implemented various risk management strategies to mitigate the potential impacts of these risks and challenges:

EOG maintains a diverse portfolio of assets across multiple regions, allowing it to mitigate risks associated with specific geographic areas or regulatory environments. This diversification strategy helps spread risk and minimize the impact of localized disruptions.

The company emphasizes operational efficiency, cost discipline, and continuous improvement. By optimizing its operations, EOG aims to enhance productivity, reduce costs and mitigate the effects of commodity price fluctuations.

EOG Resources is committed to responsible environmental practices and sustainability. By proactively managing ecological risks and adopting environmentally friendly technologies, the company aims to mitigate regulatory and reputational risks.

EOG maintains a solid financial position, enabling it to weather market volatility and fund strategic initiatives. The company's prudent financial management and capital allocation strategies provide a cushion against potential economic downturns and industry challenges.
The following companies are subsidiares of Dover: APM Grundstucksverwaltungsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, Accelerated Production Systems, Acme Cryo Intermediate Inc., Acme Cryogenics, Acme Cryogenics Inc., Acme Elevator, Advansor A/S, Advansor Dover International (Poland) sp. z o.o., Advansor Germany GmbH, Alfred Fueling Systems Holdco Ltd., Alfred Fueling Systems Inc., Alfred Fueling Systems Intermediate Holdco Ltd., All-Flo Pump Company, Anman LLC, Anthony Equity Holdings Inc., Anthony Holdings Inc., Anthony Inc., Anthony International, Anthony International Foreign Sales Corp., Anthony International Holding Company, Anthony Mexico Holdings LLC, Anthony North Holdco Inc., Anthony Specialty Glass LLC, Anthony TemperBent GP LLC, Audax ECII Blocker Inc., Auto Glanz Solutions LLC, AvaLAN Wireless Systems Incorporated, BELVAC CR spol s r.o., BSC Filters Limited, Belanger, Belanger Inc., Belvac Middle East FZE, Belvac Production Machinery Inc., Blackmer, BlitzRotary GmbH, Blue Bite LLC, Blue Bite LLC, Butler Engineering and Marketing S.P.A., CDS Visual, CDS Visual Inc., CEP Liquidation LLC, CP Formation LLC, CPC Europe Inc., CPI Products Inc., Caldera, Canada Organization & Development LLC, Chief Automotive Technologies (Shanghai) Trading Company Ltd., Chippewa Square Captive Insurance Company, Colder Products Company, Colder Products Company GmbH, Colder Products Company LTD, Cook Compression LLC, Cook Compression Limited, Cook-MFS Inc., Cryogenic Experts LLC, DD1 Inc., DDI Properties Inc., DE-STA-CO Benelux B.V., DE-STA-CO FRANCE, DE-STA-CO Shanghai Co. Ltd., DESTACO UK Limited, DFH Corporation, DFS Netherlands B.V., Datamax International Corp, De Sta Co (Asia) Company Limited, De-Sta-Co Cylinders Inc., DeStaCo Europe GmbH, Delaware Capital Formation Inc., Delaware Capital Holdings Inc., Dositec Sistemas SL, Dosmatic U.S.A. Inc., Dover (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Dover (Schweiz) Holding GmbH, Dover (Shanghai) Industrial Co. Ltd., Dover (Shenzhen) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover (Suzhou) Industrial Equipment Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Dover Asia Trading Private Ltd., Dover Australia Holdings Pty Limited, Dover Business Services EMEA Limited, Dover Business Services Europe S.R.L., Dover Business Services LLC, Dover Business Services Philippines Corporation, Dover CLP Formation Limited Partnership, Dover Canada Holdings ULC, Dover Canada Operations ULC, Dover Corporation Regional Headquarters, Dover DEI Services Inc., Dover Denmark Holdings ApS, Dover EMEA FZCO, Dover Energy UK Ltd, Dover Engineered Products Segment Inc., Dover Europe Inc., Dover Europe Sarl, Dover Fluids UK Ltd, Dover France Holdings, Dover France Participations, Dover France Technologies, Dover Fueling Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Fueling Solutions UK Limited, Dover Germany GmbH, Dover Global Holdings LLC, Dover Holdings de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dover Imaging & Identification Segment Inc., Dover India Pvt. Ltd., Dover Intercompany Services UK Limited, Dover International B.V., Dover International Operations Inc., Dover International Ventures Inc., Dover International ithalat ihracat ve Pazarlama Limited Sirketi, Dover Italy Holdings S.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Finance Sarl, Dover Luxembourg Participations Sarl, Dover Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Dover Luxembourg Services Sarl, Dover Operations South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Dover Overseas Ventures Inc., Dover Pumps & Process Solutions Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment Segment Inc., Dover Refrigeration & Food Equipment UK Ltd, Dover Resources International de Mexico S. de R.L. C.V., Dover Solutions Colombia SAS, Dover Southeast Asia (Thailand) Ltd., Dover Spain Holdings S.L., Dover Switzerland Participations GmbH, Dover UK Pensions Limited, Dover WSCR Holding LLC, Dover WSCR LLC, Dover do Brasil Ltda., Dow-Key Microwave Corporation, Dresser Wayne Data Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Dresser Wayne Fuel Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ECI - IGT Holdings LLC, ECI Holding Company LLC, ECI RegO S. de R.L. de C.V, ECI RegO Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., ECII (Mexico) LLC, EOA Systems Inc., Ebs-Ray Holdings Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Industries Pty Ltd, Ebs-Ray Pumps Pty Ltd, Em-Tec, Engineered Controls International LLC, Espy, Ettlinger, Ettlinger Kunststoffmaschinen GmbH, Fairbanks Environmental Limited, Fibrelite Composites Limited, Fibresec Holdings Limited, Fibresec Limited, Finder, GAL LLC, GIIER LLC, Gala Industries, Guangdong Tokheim LIYUAN Oil Industry Technology Limited Company, Highland Park Insurance Company, Hill PHOENIX Inc., Hill PHOENIX WIC LLC, Hill Phoenix Costa Rica Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, Hill Phoenix El Salvador Limitada de Capital Variable, Hill Phoenix Guatemala Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Honduras Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix Nicaragua Sociedad Anonima, Hill Phoenix de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Hiltap Fittings Ltd., Hydro Systems Company, Hydro Systems Europe Ltd., Industrial Motion Control LLC, Innovative Control Systems, Innovative Control Systems Inc., Inpro/Seal LLC, JK Group, JK Group S.P.A., JK Group USA Inc., K S Boca Inc., K&L Microwave DR Inc., K&L Microwave Inc., KPS (Beijing) Petroleum Equipment Trading Co Ltd., KPS Fueling Solutions Sdn. Bhd., KPS Hong Kong Holding Limited, KPS UK Limited, KS Formation Inc., KS Liquidation Inc., KSLP Liquidation L.P., Kiian Digital (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Knappco LLC, Knowles Electronics, LIQAL, LIQAL B.V., Liquip, Liquip, Liquip International Pty Limited, MAAG, MARKEM FZ SA, MARKEM-IMAJE Corporation, MIP Holdings Inc., MS Printing Solutions, MS Printing Solutions S.R.L., Maag, Maag Automatik Plastics Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Maag Gala Inc., Maag Germany GmbH, Maag Italy S.R.L., Maag Pump Systems, Maag Pump Systems (US) Inc., Maag Pump Systems AG, Maag Reduction Inc., Maag Service (Malaysia) Sdn. Bdn., Maag Service (Taiwan) Ltd., Maag Systems (Thailand) Limited, Macro Technologies LLC, Malema, Marathon Equipment Company (Delaware), Markem Imaje Center of Competencies Spain S.L.U., Markem-Imaje, Markem-Imaje (China) Co. Limited, Markem-Imaje - Unipessoal Lda, Markem-Imaje A/S, Markem-Imaje AB, Markem-Imaje AG, Markem-Imaje AS, Markem-Imaje B.V., Markem-Imaje CSAT GmbH, Markem-Imaje Co. Ltd., Markem-Imaje GmbH, Markem-Imaje Holding, Markem-Imaje Identificacao de Produtos Ltda., Markem-Imaje Inc., Markem-Imaje India Private Limited, Markem-Imaje Industries, Markem-Imaje Industries Limited, Markem-Imaje KK, Markem-Imaje LLC, Markem-Imaje Limited, Markem-Imaje Ltd., Markem-Imaje N.V., Markem-Imaje Oy, Markem-Imaje Philippines Corporation, Markem-Imaje Pty. Ltd., Markem-Imaje S.A., Markem-Imaje S.A. de C.V., Markem-Imaje S.r.l., Markem-Imaje SAS, Markem-Imaje Sdn. Bhd., Markem-Imaje Singapore Pte. Ltd., Markem-Imaje Spain S.A., Markpoint Holding AB, Midland Manufacturing LLC, Midwest Cryogenics Inc., Mouvex, Northeast Services Inc., Northern Lights (Nevada) Inc., Northern Lights Funding LP, Northern Lights Investments LLC, Nova Controls Inc., OK International, OK International Holdings Inc., OK International Inc., OK International Ltd., OPW Engineered Systems LLC, OPW Fluid Transfer Group Europe B.V., OPW Fluid Transfer Solutions (Jiang Su) Co. Ltd., OPW Fluids Group Inc., OPW Fuel Management Systems Inc., OPW Fueling Components (SuZhou) Co. Ltd., OPW Fueling Components LLC, OPW Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., OPW Slovakia s.r.o., OPW Sweden AB, Officine Meccaniche Sirio S.R.L., PDQ Manufacturing, PDQ Manufacturing Inc., PISCES by OPW Inc., PSD Codax Holdings Limited, PSD Codax Limited, PSG (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., PSG (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., PSG California LLC, PSG Germany GmbH, Petro Vend Sp. z o.o., Pike Machine Products Inc., Pole/Zero Acquisition Inc., Precision Brasil Equipamentos E Servicos Para Postos De Combustiveis Ltda., Precision Service - Servicos De Manutencao E Instalacao De Postos De Abastecimento De Combustivel Ltda., Production Control Services, Pump Management Services Co. LLC, Quantex Arc Limited, Quantex Patents Limited, RAV France, Ravaglioli S.P.A., Reduction Engineering GmbH, RegO (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., RegO Holding GmbH, RegO Products, RegO Valve (Shanghai) Company Ltd., Rego GmbH, Revod Corporation, Revod Luxembourg S.a.r.l., Revod Sweden AB, Robohand Inc., Rosario, Rosario Handel B.V., Rotary Lift Consolidated (Haimen) Co. Ltd., SE Liquidation LLC, SWEP France, SWEP Germany GmbH, SWEP Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., SWEP North America Inc., SWEP Slovakia s.r.o., SWEP Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Seabiscuit Motorsports Inc., Shanghai RegO Flow Technology Company Ltd., Shine Bloom - ECI A Blocker Corp., Shine Bloom - ECI Blocker Corp., Shine Bloom - ECI S Blocker Corp., Simmons Sirvey Corporation, So. Cal. Soft-Pak, So. Cal. Soft-Pak Incorporated, Soft-Pak, Solaris Laser, Solaris Laser S.A., Somero Enterprises, Sound Solutions, Sound Solutions, Space S.R.L., Spirit, Start Italiana S.R.L., Superior Holding LLC, Superior Products LLC, Swep Energy Oy, Swep International A.B., Swep Japan K.K., Sys-Tech Solutions, Sys-Tech Solutions Inc., Systech, TQC Quantium Quality S.A. de C.V., TTSI III Inc., TWG Canada Consolidated Inc., TXHI LLC, Tartan Textile Services Inc., The Espy Corporation, The Heil Co., Tokheim, Tokheim Belgium, Tokheim China Company Limited, Tokheim GmbH, Tokheim Group, Tokheim Hengshan Technologies (Guangzhou) Co. Ltd., Tokheim Holding B.V., Tokheim India Private Limited, Tokheim Sofitam Applications, Triton Systems, Tulsa Winch Inc., UPCO Inc., US Synthetic, Unattended Payment Solutions LLC, Unified Brands, Val TemperBent Glass L.P., Vectron Frequency Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Vehicle Service Group LLC, Vehicle Service Group UK Limited, Vos Food Store Equipment Ltd., WSCR Corp., Warn Automotive LLC, Warn Industries, Waukesha Bearings, Waukesha Bearings Corporation, Waukesha Bearings Limited, Waukesha Bearings Russia LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems, Wayne Fueling Systems (Rus) Limited Liability Company, Wayne Fueling Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Wayne Fueling Systems Canada ULC, Wayne Fueling Systems Italia S.R.L., Wayne Fueling Systems LLC, Wayne Fueling Systems Ltd., Wayne Fueling Systems Sweden AB, Wayne Fueling Systems UK Holdco Ltd., Wayne Industria e Comercio Ltda., WellMark, WellMark, and em-tec GmbH.

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Extra Space Storage Inc., headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a self-administered and self-managed REIT and a member of the S&P 500. As of June 30, 2023, the Company owned and/or operated 2,438 self-storage stores in 41 states and Washington, D.C. The Company's stores comprise approximately 1.7 million units and approximately 184.0 million square feet of rentable space. With the completed Life Storage Merger on July 20, 2023, Extra Space currently has over 3,500 locations under the Extra Space, Life Storage and Storage Express brands, and it is the largest operator of self-storage properties in the United States. The Company offers customers a wide selection of conveniently located and secure storage units across the country, including boat storage, RV storage and business storage.
FTI Consulting, Inc. provides business advisory services to manage change, mitigate risk, and resolve disputes worldwide. The company operates through five segments: Corporate Finance & Restructuring, Forensic and Litigation Consulting, Economic Consulting, Technology, and Strategic Communications. The Corporate Finance & Restructuring segment provides business transformation and strategy, transactions, and turnaround and restructuring services. The Forensic and Litigation Consulting segment offers construction and environmental solutions, data and analytics, disputes, health solutions, and risk and investigation services. The Economic Consulting segment provides antitrust and competition economics, financial economics, and international arbitration services. The Technology segment offers corporate legal department consulting; e-discovery and expertise; and information governance, privacy, and security services. The Strategic Communications segment provides corporate reputation, financial communications, and public affairs services. The company serves aerospace and defense, agriculture, airlines and aviation, automotive and industrial, construction, energy, power and products, environmental solutions, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, hospitality, gaming and leisure, insurance, mining, private equity, public sector and government contracts, real estate, retail and consumer products, telecom, media and technology, and transportation and logistics industries. FTI Consulting, Inc. was incorporated in 1982 and is headquartered in Washington, the District of Columbia.
Atea ASA provides IT infrastructure and related solutions for businesses and public sector organizations in the Nordic countries and Baltic regions. The company offers hardware and software solutions for storing and managing information, as well as tools for virtualization, automation, and security for operating the data center environment; and client hardware, software, and services to the requirements of users, applications, security, networks, and computing environments. It also provides hardware and software solutions for running networks, and services to help customers manage their communications; and a range of products to enable collaboration through conferencing, information sharing, and digital productivity solutions. In addition, it offers digital workplace solutions that consist of devices and software through which users conducts work, access data and applications, and interact with each other; information management solutions; and IT asset lifecycle management, professional, and managed services. Atea ASA was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Oslo, Norway.
The following companies are subsidiares of Toyota Motor: Cascade, Daihatsu, Daihatsu Motor Co. Ltd. , Daihatsu Motor Kyushu Co. Ltd. , Hino Motors Ltd. , Hino Ottawa-Gatineau, Misawa Homes Co. Ltd. , OOO TOYOTA MOTOR , P.T. Astra Daihatsu Motor , P.T. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia , TOYOTA Mobility Tokyo Inc., Toyota (GB) PLC, Toyota Argentina S.A. , Toyota Auto Body Co. Ltd. , Toyota Canada Inc. , Toyota Credit Canada Inc. , Toyota Daihatsu Engineering & Manufacturing Co. Ltd. , Toyota Finance Australia Ltd. , Toyota Finance Corporation , Toyota Financial Services (UK) PLC , Toyota Financial Services Corporation , Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd. , Toyota Leasing (Thailand) Co. Ltd. , Toyota Motor (China) Investment Co. Ltd. , Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. , Toyota Motor Corporation Australia Ltd. , Toyota Motor Credit Corporation , Toyota Motor East Japan Inc. , Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc. , Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA , Toyota Motor Finance (China) Co. Ltd. , Toyota Motor Finance (Netherlands) B.V. , Toyota Motor Kyushu Inc. , Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd. , Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada Inc. , Toyota Motor Manufacturing France S.A.S. , Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana Inc. , Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky Inc. , Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas Inc. , Toyota Motor Manufacturing Turkey Inc. , Toyota Motor Manufacturing de Baja California S. de R.L. de C.V. , Toyota Motor North America Inc. , Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A. Inc. , Toyota Motor Thailand Co. Ltd. , Toyota South Africa Motors (Pty) Ltd. , and Toyota do Brasil Ltda. .

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The following companies are subsidiares of Ingersoll Rand: 13125882 Canada Inc., 211 E. Russell Road LLC, 4458664 Canada Inc., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES ASIA PTE. LTD., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES BORROWER S.C.A., ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES LLC, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES MIDDLE EAST FZE, ACCUDYNE INDUSTRIES SERVICES LIMITED, ASTRUM IT GmbH, Accudyne Industries Acquisition S.A r.l, Accudyne Industries Canada Inc., Accudyne Industries S.A r.l., Air Dimensions, Air Dimensions Inc., Albin Pump SAS, BOC Edwards Global Low pressure Air business, CISA S.p.A., Cameron-Centrifugal Compression, Comercial Ingersoll-Rand (Chile) Limitada, Comingersoll-Comercio E Industria De Equipamentos S.A., CompAir, CompAir (Hankook) Korea Co. Ltd., CompAir Acquisition (No. 2) Ltd., CompAir Acquisition Ltd., CompAir BroomWade Ltd., CompAir Finance Ltd., CompAir GmbH, CompAir Holdings Limited, CompAir International Trading (Shanghai) Co Ltd, CompAir Korea Ltd, CompAir South Africa (SA) (Pty) Ltd., Consolidated Distribution Holdings Ltd., DV Systems Inc., Dosatron International SAS, Emco Wheaton Gmbh, Emco Wheaton USA Inc, Enza Air Proprietary Limited, FlexEnergy Holdings LLC, Frigoblock Grosskopf Gmbh, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Holdings Limited, GD Aria Investments Limited, GD First (UK) Ltd, GD German Holdings GmbH, GD German Holdings I Gmbh, GD German Holdings II GmbH, GD German Investments GmbH, GD Global Holdings II Inc., GD Global Holdings Inc., GD Global Holdings UK II Ltd., GD Global Ventures I B.V., GD Global Ventures II B.V., GD Global Ventures III B.V., GD Industrial Products Malaysia SDN. BHD., GD Investment KY, GD UK Finance Ltd., GPS Industries, Gardner Denver (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Austria GmbH, Gardner Denver Bad Neustadt Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Belgium NV, Gardner Denver Brasil Industria E Comercio de Maquinas Ltda., Gardner Denver CZ + SK sro, Gardner Denver Canada Corp (Canada), Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments II Limited, Gardner Denver Cyprus Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Deutschland GmbH, Gardner Denver Engineered Products India Private Limited, Gardner Denver FZE, Gardner Denver Finance II LLC, Gardner Denver Finance Inc & Co KG, Gardner Denver France SAS, Gardner Denver Group Svcs Ltd, Gardner Denver Holdings Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Investments Limited, Gardner Denver Hong Kong Ltd, Gardner Denver Iberica SL, Gardner Denver Inc., Gardner Denver Industries Ltd., Gardner Denver Industries Pty Ltd., Gardner Denver International Inc., Gardner Denver International Ltd., Gardner Denver Investments Inc., Gardner Denver Italy Holdings S.r.L., Gardner Denver Japan Ltd., Gardner Denver Kirchhain Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Korea Ltd., Gardner Denver Ltd., Gardner Denver Machinery (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Nash Brasil Industria E Comercio De Bombas Ltda, Gardner Denver Nash LLC, Gardner Denver Nash Machinery Ltd., Gardner Denver Nederland BV, Gardner Denver Nederland Investments B.V., Gardner Denver Oy, Gardner Denver Polska Sp z.o.o., Gardner Denver Pte. Ltd., Gardner Denver S.r.l., Gardner Denver Schopfheim GmbH, Gardner Denver Schopfheim Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Gardner Denver Schweiz AG, Gardner Denver Slovakia s.r.o., Gardner Denver Sweden AB, Gardner Denver Taiwan Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas GmbH (f/k/a ILMVAC GmbH), Gardner Denver Thomas Inc., Gardner Denver Thomas Pneumatic Systems (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Gardner Denver Thomas Real Estate GmbH & Co KG, Garo Dott. Ing. Roberto Gabbioneta S.r.l., Ghh-Rand Schraubenkompressoren Gmbh, HASKEL EUROPE LTD., HASKEL HOLDINGS UK LIMITED, HASKEL INTERNATIONAL LLC, Hamworthy Belliss & Morcom, Haskel France SAS, Haskel Sistemas de Fluidos Espana S.R.L., Hibon Inc., Highspeed Newco LLC, Hingerose Limited, ILMVAC (UK) Ltd., ILS Innovative Labor Systeme, ILS Inovative Laborsysteme GmbH, INGERSOLL RAND ITS JAPAN LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHANG ZHOU) TOOLS CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND (CHINA) INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING CO. LTD., INGERSOLL-RAND CHINA LLC, INGERSOLL-RAND COMERCIO E SERVICOS DE MAQUINAS E EQUIPAMENTOS INDUSTRIAIS LTDA., INGERSOLL-RAND DE PUERTO RICO INC., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL COMPANY B.V., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL SP. Z O.O., INGERSOLL-RAND INDUSTRIAL U.S. INC., INGERSOLL-RAND PHILIPPINES INC., INGERSOLL-RAND SPAIN S.A., INGERSOLL-RAND U.S. HOLDCO INC., IR HPS Holdco. Inc., ITO Emniyet, Ingersoll Rand Cyprus Investments Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Finance LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Investments LLC, Ingersoll Rand Global Ventures LLC, Ingersoll Rand Hong Kong Investments Limited, Ingersoll Rand Inc., Ingersoll Rand Investments (SG) Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll Rand Investments B.V., Ingersoll Rand Schweiz Investments Gmbh, Ingersoll Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (Australia) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand (China) Investment Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Guilin) Tools Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (Hong Kong) Holding Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand (India) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Ab, Ingersoll-Rand Air Solutions Hibon Sarl, Ingersoll-Rand Beteiligungs Und Grundstucksverwaltungs Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Colombia S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Company Limited (Uk), Ingersoll-Rand Company South Africa (Pty) Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Cz S.R.O., Ingersoll-Rand De Mexico S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Equipements De Production S.A.S., Ingersoll-Rand Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Industrial Ireland Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International (India) Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand International Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Italia S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Italiana Manufacturing S.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Korea Holding Llc, Ingersoll-Rand Korea Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments II S.A R.I., Ingersoll-Rand Lux Investments S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Luxembourg Industrial Company S.A R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Machinery (Shanghai) Company Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Malaysia Co. Sdn. Bhd., Ingersoll-Rand S.A. De C.V., Ingersoll-Rand Services And Trading Limited Liability Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Company, Ingersoll-Rand Services Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Singapore Enterprises Pte. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand South East Asia (Pte.) Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Superay Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technical And Services S.A.R.L., Ingersoll-Rand Technologies And Services Private Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Technology R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Ingersoll-Rand Tool Holdings Limited, Ingersoll-Rand Trading Gmbh, Ingersoll-Rand Vietnam Company Limited, Instrum Rand JSC, Interflex Datensysteme, Ir Canada Holdings Ulc, Ir Canada Sales & Service Ulc, Ir France Sas, Kryptonite corp, Lawrence Factor Inc., LeROI, LeRoi International Inc, MILTON ROY (HONG KONG) LIMITED, MILTON ROY (UK) LIMITED, MILTON ROY EUROPA B.V., MILTON ROY EUROPE SAS, MILTON ROY INDUSTRIAL (SHANGHAI) CO. LTD., MILTON ROY LLC, MILTON ROY US PURCHASER INC., MP Pumps Inc., Maximum AG Technologies Inc., Maximus Solutions, Mb Air Systems Limited, Nash Elmo, Officina Meccaniche Industriali Srl, Oina VV, Oina VV Aktiebolag, Plurifilter D.O.O., Pt Ingersoll-Rand Indonesia, Robuschi, Runtech Systems, Runtech Systems (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Runtech Systems Inc., Runtech Systems OY, SEEPEX, Seepex (M) SDN, Seepex Australia Pty Ltd, Seepex Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft mit Beschrankter Haftung, Seepex France S.a.r.l., Seepex GmbH, Seepex Inc., Seepex India Private Ltd., Seepex Italia SRL, Seepex Japan Co. Ltd., Seepex Nordic A/S, Seepex OOO, Seepex Pumps (Shanghia) Co. Ltd., Seepex UK Ltd., Shanghai CompAir Compressors Co Ltd, Shanghai Compressors & Blowers Ltd., Shanghai Ingersoll-Rand Compressor Limited, Shenzhen Bocom System Engineering Co., Superay, Syltone, TIWR Real Estate GmbH & Co. KG, Tamrotor Marine Comp AS Norway, Tecno Matic Europe s.r.o., Thomas Industries Inc., Trane Technologies, Tri-Continent Scientific Inc., Vacuum and Blower Systems division, Welch Vacuum Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Zaxe Technologies Inc., Zeks Compressed Air Solutions Llc, Zinsser Analytic, Zinsser Analytik GmbH, Zinsser NA Inc., and crayon interface.

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Regions Financial Corporation, a financial holding company, provides banking and bank-related services to individual and corporate customers. It operates through three segments: Corporate Bank, Consumer Bank, and Wealth Management. The Corporate Bank segment offers commercial banking services, such as commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, and investor real estate lending; equipment lease financing; deposit products; and securities underwriting and placement, loan syndication and placement, foreign exchange, derivatives, merger and acquisition, and other advisory services. It serves corporate, middle market, and commercial real estate developers and investors. The Consumer Bank segment provides consumer banking products and services related to residential first mortgages, home equity lines and loans, consumer credit cards, and other consumer loans, as well as deposits. The Wealth Management segment offers credit related products, and retirement and savings solutions; and trust and investment management, asset management, and estate planning services to individuals, businesses, governmental institutions, and non-profit entities. It also provides investment and insurance products; low-income housing tax credit corporate fund syndication services; and other specialty financing services. The company was founded in 1971 and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.
Oracle Corporation is a leading technology company developing software solutions for businesses worldwide. Founded in 1977 by Larry Ellison, Bob Miner, and Ed Oates, the company is headquartered in Austin, Texas and has a presence in over 175 countries. Oracle's primary focus is on providing cloud-based software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) to its customers, helping them to streamline their operations and reduce costs.

The current management team at Oracle is led by Chief Executive Officer Safra Catz, who has been with the company since 1999 and served in several senior leadership positions before assuming her current role. Other key management team members include Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison, who co-founded the company, and Executive Vice President of Product Development, Steve Miranda.

Oracle has reported slight growth in recent years, with its revenue around $40 billion in the last several years. Its net income has also been relatively stable over the past several years. The company's debt levels have remained relatively unchanged over the past few years. Oracle's current valuation metrics show that it trades at a price-to-earnings ratio and price-to-book ratio below the industry average. These valuation metrics suggest that the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers in the technology industry.



Regarding market performance, Oracle's stock has shown some volatility in recent years but has performed well. Its stock price has increased from around $44 in 2017 to $102 in 2022, although it has experienced some dips and spikes during that time. The company has also seen an increase in trading volume in recent years, indicating that it is attracting more investor interest.

Oracle operates in the highly competitive technology industry, competing with other software giants like Microsoft and Salesforce. The industry is constantly evolving, with new trends and innovations emerging regularly. One direction that has gained prominence in recent years is adopting cloud-based solutions, which have been a key focus for Oracle. The industry is also subject to regulatory and political pressures, which can impact the operations of companies operating in the space.

Oracle has identified several growth opportunities, including developing new products and services, expanding into new markets, and making strategic acquisitions. The company has recently announced plans to expand its cloud infrastructure footprint by adding new data centers in several countries. Additionally, Oracle has made several acquisitions in recent years, including its acquisition of NetSuite in 2016 and TikTok's US operations in 2020.

Like any company, Oracle faces risks and challenges that could impact its future growth and profitability. One significant risk is the changing preferences of consumers and businesses, which could affect the demand for its products and services. Additionally, increased regulatory scrutiny and competitive pressures could impact the company's operations.
Primo Water (NYSE:PRMW) pays an annual dividend of $0.32 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 2.47%. 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 59.26%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, PRMW will have a dividend payout ratio of 35.96% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Read our dividend analysis for PRMW.
Worldline SA provides payments and transactional services to financial institutions, merchants, corporations, and government agencies in Northern Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, and internationally. The company operates through Merchant Services; Financial Services; and Mobility & e-Transactional Services segments. The Merchant Services segment offers commercial acquiring, terminal, omnichannel payment acceptance, and digital retail services. The Financial Services segment provides issuing processing, acquiring processing, digital banking, and account payments services. The Mobility & e-Transactional Services segment offers trusted digitization, e-ticketing, and e-consumer and mobility. The company was formerly known as Atos Worldline S.A.S. and changed its name to Worldline SA in April 2014. Worldline SA was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Puteaux, France.
The following companies are subsidiares of Shell: 10084751 Canada Limited, 1745844 Alberta Ltd., 7026609 Canada Inc., 7645929 Canada Limited, A/S Dansk Shell, A/S Norske Shell, Accurasea, Actis Solenergi Limited, Aera Energy LLC, Aera Energy Services Company, Airefsol Energies, Airefsol Energies 2, Airefsol Energies 8, Airefsol Energies 9, Al Jomaih and Shell Lubricating Oil Co.Ltd., Alle S.R.L., Alliance Automation Pty Ltd, Alliance Holding LLC, Amilcar Petroleum Operations S.A., Angkor Shell Limited, Anhui Shell Energy Company Limited, Aquila S.p.A., Arizona A1 LLC, Arizona B1 LLC, Arrow Energy Holdings Pty Ltd, Asiatic Petroleum Company (Dublin) Limited, Asset Management and Power Services LLC, Atlantic 2/3 Holdings LLC, Atlantic 4 Holdings LLC, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind LLC, Attiki Gas B.V., Au Energy LLC, Austen & Butta Pty Ltd, Autogas Limited, Aviation Fuelling Services Norway AS, Avitair SAS, B-Snug Limited, B.R.E. B.V., B.V. Dordtsche Petroleum Maatschappij, B.V. Petroleum Assurantie Maatschappij, BEB Erdgas und Erdoel GmbH & Co. KG, BEB Holding GmbH, BG (Uruguay) S.A., BG 2/3 Investments Limited, BG Asia Pacific Holdings Pte. Limited, BG Asia Pacific Services Pte. Ltd., BG Atlantic 1 Holdings Limited, BG Atlantic 2/3 Holdings Limited, BG Atlantic 4 Holdings Limited, BG Brasilia LLC, BG CPS Pty Limited, BG Central Holdings Limited, BG Central Holdings Ltd., BG Comercio e Importacao Ltda., BG Cyprus Limited, BG Delta Limited, BG Egypt S.A., BG Employee Shares Trustees Limited, BG Energy Capital Plc, BG Energy Finance Inc., BG Energy Holdings Limited, BG Energy Iberian Holdings S.L., BG Energy Marketing Limited, BG Energy Merchants LLC, BG Equatorial Guinea Limited, BG Exploration & Production Myanmar Pte. Ltd., BG Exploration and Production India Limited, BG Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited, BG Gas Brazil E&P 12 B.V., BG Gas Brazil Holdings B.V., BG Gas International B.V., BG Gas International Holdings B.V., BG Gas Netherlands Holdings B.V., BG Gas Sao Paulo Investments B.V., BG Gas Services Limited, BG Gas Supply (UK) Limited, BG General Holdings Limited, BG General Partner Limited, BG Great Britain Limited, BG Group, BG Group Employee Shares Trustees Limited, BG Group Limited, BG Group Pension Trustees Limited, BG Group Trustees Limited, BG Gulf Coast LNG LLC, BG India Energy Private Limited, BG India Energy Services Private Limited, BG India Energy Solutions Private Limited, BG Insurance Company (Singapore) Pte Ltd, BG Intellectual Property Limited, BG International Limited, BG International Services AB, BG Italia Power S.r.l, BG Karachaganak Limited, BG Kenya L10A Limited, BG Kenya L10B Limited, BG LNG Investments Limited, BG LNG Regas India Private Limited, BG LNG Services LLC, BG LNG Trading LLC, BG Mauritius LNG Holdings Ltd, BG Mongolia Holdings Limited, BG Mumbai Holdings Limited, BG Myanmar Pte. Ltd., BG Netherlands, BG Netherlands Financing Unlimited, BG Norge Limited, BG North America LLC, BG North Sea Holdings Limited, BG OKLNG Limited, BG Overseas Holdings Limited, BG Overseas Investments Limited, BG Overseas Limited, BG Pension Funding Scottish Limited Partnership, BG Petroleo & Gas Brasil Ltda., BG Rosetta Limited, BG South East Asia Limited, BG Subsea Well Project Limited, BG Tanzania Holdings Limited, BG Trinidad LNG Limited, BG UK Holdings Limited, BG US Services Inc., BG Upstream A Nigeria Limited, BG West Indies No. 2 Limited, BJS Oil Operations B.V., BJSA Exploration and Production B.V., BNG (Surat) Pty Ltd, Badr Petroleum Company, Bandurria Sur Investments S.A., Belgian Shell S.A., Beryl North Sea Limited, Bogstone Holding B.V., Braemar 3 Holdings Pty Ltd, Branstone (International) Limited, Brazil Crude Services LLC, Brazil Shipping I Limited, Brazos Wind Ventures LLC, Brindisi LNG S.r.l., British Pipeline Agency Limited, Brunei Shell Marketing Company Sendirian Berhad, Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sendirian Berhad, CCM Energy Solutions Pty Ltd, CNOOC and Shell Petrochemicals Company Limited, CPC Shell Lubricants Co. Ltd, CRI Catalyst Company Europe Limited, CRI Deutschland GmbH, CRI Sales and Services Inc., CRI Zeolites Inc., Cansolv Technologies (Beijing) Company Limited, Cansolv Technologies Inc., Carissa Einzelhandel- und Tankstellenservice GmbH & Co. KG, Carissa Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Centrale Photovoltaique Bouches-du-Rhone 1, Centrale Photovoltaique Haute-Vienne 1, Centrale Photovoltaique Landes 1, Centrale Photovoltaique Var 1, Chongqing Shell Energy Company Limited, Chosun Shell B.V., Cicerone Holding B.V., Colbea Enterprises LLC, Comercial Importadora S.A. De C.V., Concha Chemical Pipeline LLC, Concilia Asesores y Servicios S.A. de C.V., Condamine 1 Pty Ltd, Condamine 2 Pty Ltd, Condamine 3 Pty Ltd, Condamine 4 Pty Ltd, Condamine Power Station Pty Ltd, Connected Freight Pte. Ltd., Connected Freight Solutions Philippines Inc., Coral Cibola Canada Inc., CrossWind Beheer B.V., Crosswind C.V., Deer Park Refining Limited Partnership, Delta Business Development Limited, Derivatives Trading Atlantic Limited, Deutsche Infineum GmbH & Co. KG, Deutsche Shell GmbH, Deutsche Shell Holding GmbH, Development S.R.L., Dinarel S.A., Dragon LNG Group Limited, E.R.M. Oakey Power Pty Ltd, ELLBA B.V., ELLBA C.V., EPP LLC, ERM Braemar 3 Power Pty Ltd, ERM Braemar 3 Pty Ltd, ERM Employee Share Plan Administrator Pty Ltd, ERM Energy Solutions Holdings Pty Ltd, ERM Financial Services Pty Ltd, ERM Gas Pty Ltd, ERM Gas WA01 Pty Ltd, ERM Holdings Pty Ltd, ERM Innovation Labs Pty Ltd, ERM Land Holdings Pty Ltd, ERM Neerabup Power Pty Ltd, ERM Neerabup Pty Ltd, ERM Oakey Power Holdings Pty Ltd, ERM Power Developments Pty Ltd, ERM Power Engineering Pty Ltd, ERM Power Generation Pty Ltd, ERM Power International Pty Ltd, ERM Power Investments Pty Ltd, ERM Power Limited, ERM Power Projects Pty Ltd, ERM Power Retail Pty Ltd, ERM Power Services Pty Ltd, ERM Power Utility Systems Pty Ltd, ERM Wellington 1 Holdings Pty Ltd, East Resources, Eastham Refinery Limited, Elentec Malaysia, Ellba Eastern (Pte) Ltd, Ellwood Land Holdings LLC, Energeticum Energiesysteme GmbH, Energiepark Pottendijk B.V., Energy Finance NZ Limited, Energy Holdings Offshore Limited, Enersol GmbH, Enterprise Oil Limited, Enterprise Oil Middle East Limited, Enterprise Oil Norge Limited, Enterprise Oil North America Inc., Enterprise Oil U.K. Limited, Eolfi SAS, Eolfi Scotland Limited, Eoliennes du Gentilhomme, Equilon Enterprises, Equilon Enterprises LLC, Erdoel-Raffinerie Deurag-Nerag GmbH, Euroshell Cards B.V., Fahari Gas Marketing Company Limited, Ferme Eolienne Flottante Stenella Rhone, First Telecommunications Limited, First Utility, First Utility Limited, Fuelng Pte. Ltd, Fulmart Limited, GI Energy Storage LLC, GOGB Limited, Gainrace Limited, Gas Del Litoral S. de R.L. de C.V., Gas Investments & Services Company Limited, Gas Resources Limited, Gasnor AS, Gazpromneft-Aero Bryansk LLC, Glossop Limited, Greenlots, Greenlots Technology India LLP, Greensense Pty Ltd, HKN LP 1 B.V., HKN LP 2 B.V., HKN LP 3 B.V., HKN LP 4 B.V., HKN LP 5 B.V., HKN LP 6 B.V., Hankook Shell Oil Company, Hazira Port Private Limited, Hkz Lp 18 B.V., Hkz Lp 19 B.V., Hkz Lp 20 B.V., Hkz Lp 21 B.V., Hkz Lp 22 B.V., Hubei Shell Energy Company Limited, Hunan Shell Energy Company Limited, Impello Limited, Infineum (China) Co. Ltd., Infineum France, Infineum Holdings B.V., Infineum Italia S.R.L., Infineum Singapore LLP, Infineum USA Inc., Infineum USA L.P., Inspire Energy Holdings LLC, Integral Investments B.V., Invest Region LLC, Irish Shell Trust Designated Activity Company, J & J Lubrication LLC, Jiangsu Shell Energy Company Limited, Jiffy Lube International Inc., Jordan Oil Shale Company B.V., K.K. Red and Yellow, K.K. SVC Tokyo, KE Namibia Company, KE STP Company, KE Suriname Company, Khanty-Mansiysk Petroleum Alliance Closed Joint Stock Company, Khmer Shell Limited, LLC Shell NefteGaz Development, LNG Shipping Operation Services Netherlands B.V., Lazlyng Real Estate Company LLC, Limejump, Limejump Energy Limited, Limejump Intermediate 1 Limited, Limejump Ltd, Limejump Virtual 1 Limited, Limejump Virtual 10 Limited, Limejump Virtual 11 Limited, Limejump Virtual 12 Limited, Limejump Virtual 13 Limited, Limejump Virtual 14 Limited, Limejump Virtual 15 Limited, Limejump Virtual 2 Limited, Limejump Virtual 3 Limited, Limejump Virtual 4 Limited, Limejump Virtual 5 Limited, Limejump Virtual 6 Limited, Limejump Virtual 7 Limited, Limejump Virtual 8 Limited, Limejump Virtual 9 Limited, Limited Liability Company "Shell Neft", Limited Liability Company "Shell Neftegaz Development (V)", Lumaled Pty Ltd, MP2 Energy LLC, MP2 Energy NE LLC, MP2 Energy NY LLC, MP2 Energy Retail Holdings LLC, MP2 Energy Texas LLC, MP2 Generation LLC, MP2 Mesquite Creek Wind LLC, MSTS Payments LLC, Maple Power Holdings LLC, Marco Polo Solar S.R.L., Marine LNG Solutions LLC, Mattox Pipeline Company LLC, Mayflower Wind Energy LLC, Mega Gasolineras SA de CV, Methane Services Limited, Mpower2 LLC, Murphy Schiehallion Limited, Mzalendo Gas Processing Company Limited, N.V. Rotterdam-Rijn Pijpleiding Maatschappij, Nederlandse Aardolie Maatschappij B.V., Netherlands Alng Holding Company B.V., New Market Belgium S.A., New South Oil Pty Ltd, NewGen Neerabup Pty Ltd, NewGen Power Neerabup Pty Ltd, NewMotion, Noble Assurance Company, Noordzeewind B.V., Noordzeewind C.V., North Alam El-Shawish Petroleum Company, North Um Baraka Petroleum Company, North West Shelf LNG Pty Ltd, OLF Deutschland GmbH, OME Resources Australia Pty Ltd, Oakey Power Holdings Pty Ltd, Obaiyed Petroleum Company, Ocean Century Tf Limited, Oryx Caspian Pipeline L.L.C., Out Performers Trading Pty Ltd, P S Pipeline Sendirian Berhad, PR Microgrids LLC, PT Shell LNG Indonesia, PT. Shell Indonesia, PT. Shell Manufacturing Indonesia, Pacwest Energy LLC., Paqell B.V., Parc Eolien Aisne 1, Parc Eolien Correze 1, Parc Eolien Cotes Armor 1, Parc Eolien De Mervent, Parc Eolien HM1, Parc Eolien Haute-Saone 1, Parc Eolien Jura 1, Parc Eolien Marne 1, Parc Eolien Oise 1, Parc Eolien Oise 2, Parc Eolien Somme 1, Parc Eolien Somme 2, Parc Eolien Yonne 1, Parc Eolien de la Vrine, Pecten Arabian Company, Pecten Brazil Exploration Company, Pecten Midstream LLC, Pecten Orient Company, Pecten Orient Company LLC, Pecten Producing Company, Pecten Somalia Company Limited, Pecten Trading Company, Pecten Victoria Company, Pecten Yemen Masila Company, Pecten do Brasil Servicos de Petroleo Ltda., Pennzoil Products International Company, Pennzoil-Quaker State Company, Pennzoil-Quaker State International Corporation, Pennzoil-Quaker State Nominee Company, Pertini Vista Sdn. Bhd., Petroleum Resources (Thailand) Pty. Limited, Petrolon Europe Limited, Petrolon International Limited, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, Point Fortin LNG Exports Limited, Portfolio Holdings, Positive Energies LLC, Pottendijk Energie B.V., Pottendijk Wind B.V., Pottendijk Zon B.V., Power Limited Partnership, Powermetric Metering Pty Ltd, Powershop Australia, Premium Velocity Auto LLC, Private Oil Holdings Oman Limited, Provista Ventures Sdn. Bhd., Pure Energy Resources Pty Limited, QCLNG Operating Company Pty Ltd, QCLNG Pty Ltd, QGC (B7) Pty Ltd, QGC (Exploration) Pty Ltd, QGC (Infrastructure) Pty Ltd, QGC Common Facilities Company Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 2 Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 3 Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 4 Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 5 Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 6 Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 7 Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 8 Pty Ltd, QGC Holdings 9 Pty Ltd, QGC Midstream Holdings Pty Ltd, QGC Midstream Investments Pty Ltd, QGC Midstream Land Pty Ltd, QGC Midstream Limited Partnership, QGC Midstream Services Pty Ltd, QGC Northern Forestry Pty Ltd, QGC Pty Limited, QGC Sales Qld Pty Ltd, QGC Train 1 Pty Ltd, QGC Train 1 Tolling Pty Ltd, QGC Train 1 UJV Manager Pty Ltd, QGC Train 2 Pty Ltd, QGC Train 2 Tolling No.2 Pty Ltd, QGC Train 2 Tolling Pty Ltd, QGC Train 2 UJV Manager Pty Ltd, QGC Upstream Finance Pty Ltd, QGC Upstream Holdings Pty Ltd, QGC Upstream Investments Pty Ltd, QGC Upstream Limited Partnership, QPI and Shell Petrochemicals (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Qatar Shell GTL Limited, Qatar Shell Research & Technology Centre QSTP-LLC, Qatar Shell Service Company W.L.L., Quaker State Investment Corporation, Queensland Electricity Investors Pty Ltd, Queensland Gas Company Pty Ltd, RDK Ventures LLC, RESCO B.V., RK Caspian Shipping Company LLC, Raffinaderij Shell Mersin N.V., Raizen Combustiveis S.A., Ramacca Solar S.R.L, Rashid Petroleum Company S.A.E., Rhein-Main-Rohrleitungstransportgesellschaft mbH, Rheinland Kraftstoff GmbH, Richmond Valley Solar Thermal Pty Ltd, Roma Petroleum Pty Limited, Rotterdam Hydrogen Company B.V., Ruvuma Pipeline Company Limited, S T Exchange Inc., SASF Pty Ltd, SCL Pipeline Inc., SCOGI GP, SELAP Limited, SFJ Inc., SGA (Queensland) Pty Ltd, SHELL Slovakia s.r.o., SOI Finance Inc., SOPC Holdings East LLC, SOPC Holdings West LLC, SOPC Southeast Inc., SPNV Deutschland Beteiligungsges. mbH, STISA (Pty) Limited, STT (Das Beneficiary) Limited, SWEPI LP, Sabah Shell Petroleum Company Limited, Sakhalin LNG Services Company Ltd., Salym Petroleum Development N.V., Salym Petroleum Services B.V., Sand Dollar Pipeline LLC, Sarawak Shell Berhad, Savion LLC, Saxon Oil Limited, Saxon Oil Miller Limited, Schiehallion Oil & Gas Limited, Seapos Ltda., Select Carbon, Select Carbon Pty Ltd, Sgai Pty Limited, Shell & AMG Recycling B.V, Shell & Disa Aviation Espana S.L., Shell & MOH Aviation Fuels A.E., Shell & Turcas Petrol A.S., Shell (Beijing) Real Estate Consulting Ltd., Shell (China) Limited, Shell (China) Projects & Technology Limited, Shell (Petroleum Mining) Company Limited, Shell (Shanghai) Petroleum Company Limited, Shell (Shanghai) Technology Limited, Shell (Sudan) Petroleum Development Company Limited, Shell (Switzerland) AG, Shell (Tianjin) Lubricants Company Limited, Shell (Tianjin) Oil and Petrochemical Company Limited, Shell (US) Gas & Power M&T Holdings Inc., Shell (Zhejiang) Petroleum Trading Limited, Shell (Zhuhai) Lubricants Company Limited, Shell Abu Dhabi B.V., Shell Additives Holdings (I) B.V., Shell Additives Holdings (II) B.V., Shell Adria d.o.o., Shell Aircraft Limited, Shell Albania Block 4 B.V., Shell Americas Funding (Canada) Limited, Shell Argentina S.A., Shell Australia FLNG Pty Ltd, Shell Australia Natural Gas Shipping Limited, Shell Australia Pty Ltd, Shell Australia Services Company Pty Ltd, Shell Austria Gesellschaft mbH, Shell Aviation Finland Oy, Shell Aviation Limited, Shell Aviation Sweden AB, Shell Bahamas Power Company Inc., Shell Bermuda (Overseas) Limited, Shell Bolivia Corporation, Shell Borneo Sendirian Berhad, Shell Brands International AG, Shell Brasil Petroleo Ltda., Shell Brazil Holding B.V., Shell Brazil Holding GmbH, Shell Bulgaria Ead, Shell Business Development Central Asia B.V., Shell Business Development Middle East Limited, Shell Business Service Centre Sdn. Bhd., Shell California Pipeline Company LLC, Shell Canada BROS Inc., Shell Canada Energy, Shell Canada Limited, Shell Canada OP Inc., Shell Canada Products, Shell Canada Resources, Shell Canada Services Limited, Shell Caribbean Investments Limited, Shell Caspian B.V., Shell Caspian Pipeline Holdings B.V., Shell Catalysts & Technologies Americas LP, Shell Catalysts & Technologies Belgium N.V., Shell Catalysts & Technologies Canada Inc., Shell Catalysts & Technologies Company, Shell Catalysts & Technologies Holdings Inc., Shell Catalysts & Technologies LP, Shell Catalysts & Technologies Leuna GmbH, Shell Catalysts & Technologies Limited, Shell Catalysts & Technologies Pte. Ltd., Shell Catalysts & Technologies US LP, Shell Catalysts Ventures Inc., Shell Chemical Appalachia LLC, Shell Chemical Company of Eastern Africa Limited, Shell Chemical LP, Shell Chemicals (Hellas) Limited, Shell Chemicals Arabia L.L.C., Shell Chemicals Canada, Shell Chemicals Europe B.V., Shell Chemicals Limited, Shell Chemicals Philippines Inc., Shell Chemicals Seraya Pte. Ltd., Shell Chemicals U.K. Limited, Shell Chile S.A., Shell China B.V., Shell China Exploration and Production Company Limited, Shell China Holding GmbH, Shell China Holdings B.V., Shell Clair UK Limited, Shell Club Corringham Limited, Shell Colombia S.A., Shell Communications Inc., Shell Company (Hellas) Limited, Shell Company (Pacific Islands) Limited, Shell Corporate Director Limited, Shell Corporate Secretary Limited, Shell Corporate Services Switzerland AG, Shell Czech Republic A.S., Shell Deepwater Borneo Limited, Shell Deepwater Royalties Inc., Shell Deepwater Tanzania B.V., Shell Deutschland Additive GmbH, Shell Deutschland Oil GmbH, Shell Development (PSC19) Pty Ltd, Shell Development (PSC20) Pty Ltd, Shell Development Iran B.V., Shell Development Oman LLC, Shell Developments (HK) Limited, Shell Distributor (Holdings) Limited, Shell Downstream Inc., Shell Downstream Services International B.V., Shell Downstream South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Shell E and P Offshore Services B.V., Shell EP Holdings (EE&ME) B.V., Shell EP Holdings Inc., Shell EP Holdingselskab Danmark ApS, Shell EP International Limited, Shell EP Middle East Holdings B.V., Shell EP Offshore Ventures Limited, Shell EP Oman B.V., Shell EP Russia Investments (III) B.V., Shell EP Russia Investments (V) B.V., Shell EP Somalia B.V., Shell EP Wells Equipment Services B.V., Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd, Shell Eastern Trading (Pte) Ltd, Shell Egypt N.V., Shell Egypt Trading, Shell Employee Benefits Trustee Limited, Shell Energy (China) Limited, Shell Energy Asia Limited, Shell Energy Australia Pty Ltd, Shell Energy Company, Shell Energy Deutschland GmbH, Shell Energy Europe B.V., Shell Energy Europe Limited, Shell Energy Ghana Limited, Shell Energy Holding GP LLC, Shell Energy Holdings Australia Limited, Shell Energy India Private Limited, Shell Energy Investments Australia Pty Ltd, Shell Energy Investments Limited, Shell Energy Italia S.R.L., Shell Energy Marketing and Trading India Private Limited, Shell Energy Merchants Canada Inc., Shell Energy Mexico S.A. de C.V., Shell Energy North America (Canada) Inc., Shell Energy North America (US) L.P., Shell Energy Pakistan (smc-private) Limited, Shell Energy Philippines Inc, Shell Energy Resources Company, Shell Energy Retail GmbH, Shell Energy Retail Limited, Shell Energy Retail Poland Sp. z o.o., Shell Energy Supply UK LTD., Shell Energy UK Limited, Shell Energy do Brasil Gas Ltda., Shell Energy do Brasil Ltda., Shell Enerji A.S., Shell Erdgas Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Shell Erdgas Marketing GmbH & Co. KG, Shell Erdoel und Erdgas Exploration GmbH, Shell Espana S.A., Shell Expatriate Employment US Inc., Shell Exploracion y Extraccion de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Shell Exploration & Production Company, Shell Exploration B.V., Shell Exploration Company (RF) B.V., Shell Exploration Company (West) B.V., Shell Exploration Company B.V., Shell Exploration Company Inc., Shell Exploration New Ventures One GmbH, Shell Exploration Venture Services B.V., Shell Exploration and Development Libya GmbH I, Shell Exploration and Production (100) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (101) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (102) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (103) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (105) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (106) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (107) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (82) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (84) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (89) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (90) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (91) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (92) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (93) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (94) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (96) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (99) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LI) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LVIII) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LXI) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LXII) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LXV) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LXVI) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LXXI) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (LXXV) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production (XL) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Africa Limited, Shell Exploration and Production Brunei B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Colombia GmbH, Shell Exploration and Production Holdings B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Investments B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Libya GmbH, Shell Exploration and Production Mauritania (C10) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Mauritania (C19) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Services (RF) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production South Africa B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Tanzania Limited, Shell Exploration and Production Ukraine I B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Ukraine Investments (I) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production Ukraine Investments (II) B.V., Shell Exploration and Production West-Siberia B.V., Shell Exploration et Production du Maroc GmbH, Shell Exploration und Produktion Deutschland GmbH, Shell Finance (Netherlands) B.V., Shell Finance GB Limited, Shell Finance Luxembourg Sarl, Shell Finance Switzerland AG, Shell Fleet Solutions Consorzio, Shell Frontier Oil & Gas Inc., Shell GNL Peru S.A.C., Shell GOM Pipeline Company LLC, Shell Gas & Power Developments B.V., Shell Gas (LPG) Holdings B.V., Shell Gas B.V., Shell Gas Gathering Corp. #2, Shell Gas Holdings (Malaysia) Limited, Shell Gas Iraq B.V., Shell Gas Marketing Pte. Ltd., Shell Gas Marketing U.K Limited, Shell Gas Nigeria B.V., Shell Gas Supply Trinidad Limited, Shell Gas Trading (Asia Pacific) Inc., Shell Gas Venezuela B.V., Shell Gas and Energy Philippines Corporation, Shell Generating (Holding) B.V., Shell Geothermal B.V., Shell Global LNG Limited, Shell Global Solutions (Deutschland) GmbH, Shell Global Solutions (Eastern Europe) B.V., Shell Global Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Shell Global Solutions (Thailand) Limited, Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc., Shell Global Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Shell Global Solutions Canada Inc., Shell Global Solutions Holdings (Thailand) Limited, Shell Global Solutions International B.V., Shell Global Solutions Service (Thailand) Company Limited, Shell Global Solutions Services B.V., Shell Greenland A/S, Shell Guam Inc., Shell Gulf of Mexico Inc., Shell Hasdrubal Limited, Shell Holdings (Bermuda) Limited, Shell Holdings (U.K.) Limited, Shell Holdings Switzerland AG, Shell Hong Kong Limited, Shell Hungary Trading close Company Limited by shares, Shell Hydrogen Deutschland GmbH, Shell Hydrogen Operations & Production BV, Shell India Markets Private Limited, Shell Information Technology International B.V., Shell Information Technology International Inc., Shell Information Technology International Limited, Shell Integrated Gas Oman B.V., Shell Integrated Gas Thailand Pte.Limited, Shell International B.V., Shell International Exploration and Development Italia S.p.A., Shell International Exploration and Production B.V., Shell International Exploration and Production Inc., Shell International Finance B.V., Shell International Gas Limited, Shell International Limited, Shell International Petroleum Company Limited, Shell International Trading Middle East Limited, Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Limited, Shell Internationale Research Maatschappij B.V., Shell Internet Ventures B.V., Shell Investments NZ Limited, Shell Iraq Petroleum Development B.V., Shell Iraq Services B.V., Shell Italia E&P S.p.A., Shell Italia Holding S.p.A., Shell Italia Oil Products S.R.L., Shell Japan Limited, Shell Kazakhstan B.V., Shell Kazakhstan Development B.V., Shell Korea Limited, Shell Kuwait Exploration and Production B.V., Shell LNG Bunkering B.V., Shell LNG Gibraltar Limited, Shell LNG Port Spain B.V., Shell LNG T&T Ltd, Shell Lake Charles Operations LLC, Shell Leasing Company, Shell Lubricants Egypt, Shell Lubricants Japan K.K., Shell Lubricants Supply Company B.V., Shell Lubricants Switzerland AG, Shell Luxembourgeoise Sarl, Shell MDS (Malaysia) Sendirian Berhad, Shell MRPL Aviation Fuels and Services Limited, Shell MSPO 2 Holding B.V., Shell Macau Limited, Shell Macau Petroleum Company Limited, Shell Malaysia Limited, Shell Malaysia Trading Sendirian Berhad, Shell Management and Consulting Company Limited, Shell Manatee Limited, Shell Manufacturing Services B.V., Shell Marine Personnel (I.O.M.) Limited, Shell Marine Products (US) Company, Shell Marine Products Limited, Shell Markets (Middle East) Limited, Shell Midstream LP Holdings LLC, Shell Midstream Operating LLC, Shell Midstream Partners GP LLC, Shell Midstream Partners L.P., Shell Mobility Polska Sp. z o.o., Shell Mozambique B.V., Shell Myanmar Energy Pte. Ltd., Shell Mexico Gas Natural S. de R.L. de C.V., Shell Mexico S.A. de C.V., Shell NA Gas & Power Holding Company, Shell NA LNG LLC, Shell Namibia Upstream B.V., Shell Nanhai B.V., Shell Nederland B.V., Shell Nederland Chemie B.V., Shell Nederland Raffinaderij B.V., Shell Nederland Verkoopmaatschappij B.V., Shell Netherlands Canada Financing B.V., Shell New Energies Australia Pty Ltd, Shell New Energies Holding Europe B.V., Shell New Energies NL B.V., Shell New Energies Norway AS, Shell New Energies UK Ltd, Shell New Energies US LLC, Shell New Ventures Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Shell New Zealand Pensions Limited, Shell Nigeria Business Operations Limited, Shell Nigeria Closed Pension Fund Administrator Ltd, Shell Nigeria Exploration Properties Alpha Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration Properties Beta Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration Properties Charlie Limited, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Ltd, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Echo Limited, Shell Nigeria Gas Ltd (SNG), Shell Nigeria Infrastructure Development Limited, Shell Nigeria Offshore Prospecting Limited, Shell Nigeria Ultra Deep Limited, Shell Nigeria Upstream Ventures Limited, Shell North America Gas & Power Services Company, Shell North Sea Holdings Limited, Shell OKLNG Holdings B.V., Shell Offshore (Personnel) Services B.V., Shell Offshore Inc., Shell Offshore Response Company LLC, Shell Offshore Services B.V., Shell Offshore Upstream South Africa B.V., Shell Offshore and Chemical Investments Inc., Shell Oil & Gas (Malaysia) LLC, Shell Oil Company, Shell Oil Company Investments Inc., Shell Oil Products Company LLC, Shell Olie OG Gas Holding B.V., Shell Oman Exploration and Production B.V., Shell Oman Trading Limited, Shell Onshore Ventures Inc., Shell Operaciones Peru S.A.C., Shell Overseas Holdings (Oman) B.V., Shell Overseas Holdings Limited, Shell Overseas Investments B.V., Shell Overseas Services Limited, Shell Pakistan Limited, Shell Pensioenbureau Nederland B.V., Shell Pension Reserve Company (SIPF) Limited, Shell Pension Reserve Company (SOCPF) Limited, Shell Pension Reserve Company (UK) Limited, Shell Pensions Trust Limited, Shell People Services Asia Sdn. 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Limited, Sirius Well Manufacturing Services Pte. Ltd., Sitra Petroleum Company, Snijders Olie B.V., Societe de Gestion Mobiliere et Immobiliere SAS, Societe des Petroles Shell SAS, Sohar Solar Qabas (FZC) LLC, Solar-EW II B.V., Solen Life Insurance Limited, Solen Versicherungen AG, Sonnen, Sonnen Australia Pty Limited, Sonnen GmbH, Sonnen Holding GmbH, Sonnen Inc., Sonnen Japan Kabushiki Kaisha, Sonnen S.R.L., Sonnen eServices Deutschland GmbH, Sonnen eServices GmbH, Sonnen eServices Italia S.R.L., Southern Petroleum No Liability, Sprng Energy, Starzap Pty Ltd, Station Managers of Puerto Rico Inc., Stazioni Autostradali Bellinzona SA, Studio X LLC, Sunshine 685 Pty Limited, Suzhou Liyuan Retail Site Management Co. Ltd., Synthetic Chemicals (Northern) Limited, Syria Shell Petroleum Development B.V., Syriaga Neftegaz Development LLC, TBG Tanklager Betriebsgesellschaft m.b.H., TMR Company LLC, TRINLING Limited, Tamba B.V., Tankstation Exploitatie Maatschappij Holding B.V., Tanzania LNG Limited, Tejas Coral GP LLC, Tejas Coral Holding LLC, Tejas Power Generation LLC, Telegraph Service Stations Limited, TetraSpar Demonstrator ApS, Texas Petroleum Group LLC, Texas-New Mexico Pipe Line Company, Thai Energy Company Limited, The Anglo-Saxon Petroleum Company Limited, The Asiatic Petroleum Company Limited, The Consolidated Petroleum Company Limited, The Green Near Future 5 B.V., The Mexican Eagle Oil Company Limited, The New Motion B.V., The New Motion Belgium BV, The New Motion Deutschland GmbH, The New Motion EVSE Limited, The New Motion France SAS, The Shell Company (W.I.) Limited, The Shell Company of Hong Kong Limited, The Shell Company of India Limited, The Shell Company of Nigeria Limited, The Shell Company of Thailand Limited, The Shell Company of The Philippines Limited, The Shell Company of Turkey Limited, The Shell Marketing Company of Borneo Limited, The Shell Petroleum Company Limited, The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited, The Shell Transport and Trading Company Limited, The Valley Camp Coal Company, Thermocomfort Limited, Three Wind Holdings LLC, Tiki Tar and Shell India Private Limited, Trident LNG Shipping Services Pty Ltd, Triton Diagnostics Inc., Triton Terminaling LLC, Triton West LLC, True North Energy LLC, Tunisian Processing S.A., UK Shell Pension Plan Trust Limited, Waalbrug Exploitatie Maatschappij B.V., Walloons Coal Seam Gas Company Pty Limited, Walton-Gatwick Pipeline Company Limited, West Sitra Petroleum Company, Wonderbill Limited, Zeco Holdings Inc., Zeco Systems (Canada) Inc., Zeco Systems Inc., Zeco Systems Pte. Ltd., Zeolyst C.V., Zeolyst International, Zhejiang Shell Oil and Petrochemical Company Limited, Zydeco Pipeline Company LLC, euroShell Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, and euroShell Deutschland Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH.

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Sylvamo Corporation produces and markets uncoated freesheet, cutsize, offset paper, and pulp in Latin America, Europe, and North America. The company operates through Europe, Latin America, and North America segments. The Europe segment offers copy, tinted, and colored laser printing paper under REY Adagio and Pro-Design brands; and high-speed inkjet printing papers under the brand Jetstar; as well as produces uncoated freesheet papers. This segment also operates paper and pulp mill. The Latin America segment focuses on uncoated freesheet paper under Chamex, Chamequinho and Chambril brands, as well as produces HP papers. This segment also operates integrated mills and nonintegrated mills. The North America segment offers imaging, commercial printing, and converting papers, as well as uncoated papers under Hammermill, Springhill, Williamsburg, Accent, DRM and Postmark brand names. It distributes its products through a variety of channels, including merchants, e-commerce, agents, resellers, and paper distributors. The company was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee.
Prosecutors this week added charges against the 26-year-old man accused of posing as a teen student at two Lincoln high schools, now reflecting 13 teenage girls who he allegedly coaxed to send him explicit photos or sexually assaulted.

Zachary Scheich hasn't yet been arraigned on the new charges, but he appeared by video for a hearing Thursday afternoon where the Lancaster County Attorney's Office sought to raise his bond amount after getting permission to add a dozen more charges to the complaint.

He now is charged with: sex trafficking of a minor; six counts of child enticement by cell phone; five counts of first-degree sexual assault, generation of child pornography, first-degree sexual assault of a child and attempted first-degree sexual assault.

Six of the sexual assault charges are alleged to be aggravated offenses.

The allegations span a period of time from March 2019 to July 2023. Only two predate a time period when Lincoln police say Scheich posed as a 17-year-old, then began communicating to underage girls through text messages and other social media apps in attempts to coax them into sexual acts or to send him sexually explicit pictures of themselves.

Scheich, who graduated from Lincoln Southeast in 2015, went to Lincoln Northwest High School in the fall 2022 semester and Southeast in the spring 2023 semester.

On July 11, police served a search warrant at his apartment near Lincoln Southeast and obtained his cellphone, which police say turned up texts between him and 14- and 13-year-old girls that the charges are based upon.

Prosecutors charged Scheich in July. Scheich previously waived an arraignment hearing but hadn't yet gotten a trial date.

In the hearing Thursday, Deputy Lancaster County Attorney Julie Mruz asked District Judge Darla Ideus to increase Scheich's bond from $250,000 to $1 million, in light of the additional charges.

Deputy Public Defender Chelsie Krell argued against it, saying he couldn't even post bond as it's currently set.

Ideus split the difference, increasing his percentage bond to $500,000, meaning he would need to come up with $50,000 to be released.
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The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation provides a range of financial products and services in the United States and internationally. The company operates through Securities Services, Market and Wealth Services, Investment and Wealth Management, and other segments. The Securities Services segment offers custody, trust and depositary, accounting, exchange-traded funds, middle-office solutions, transfer agency, services for private equity and real estate funds, foreign exchange, securities lending, liquidity/lending services, and data analytics. This segment also provides trustee, paying agency, fiduciary, escrow and other financial, issuer, and support services for brokers and investors. The Market and Wealth Services segment offers clearing and custody, investment, wealth and retirement solutions, technology and enterprise data management, trading, and prime brokerage services. This segment also provides integrated cash management solutions, including payments, foreign exchange, liquidity management, receivables processing and payables management, and trade finance and processing services. The Investment and Wealth Management segment offers investment management strategies and distribution of investment products, investment management, custody, wealth and estate planning, private banking, investment, and information management services. The Other segment engages in the provision of leasing, corporate treasury, derivative and other trading, corporate and bank-owned life insurance, renewable energy investment, and business exit services. It serves central banks and sovereigns, financial institutions, asset managers, insurance companies, corporations, local authorities and high net-worth individuals, and family offices. The company was founded in 1784 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Unity Software Inc. was founded in 2004 as Over The Edge Entertainment. Over The Edge Entertainment was a software company focused on video games and visualization best know for its gaming platform Unity. Unity is the result of the companys first game which was a huge failure. The companys success lay in the tools it developed for making video games, which is when Unity was born. Unity is a game development platform that allows users to create and build-out interactive 2-D and 3-D environments for gaming and other applications.

The company changed its name in 2007 to Unity Software Inc to better represent the business and its goals. Unity Software was founded in Denmark but it is now headquartered in San Francisco, California. It is a member of the Russell 1000 index and brought in over $1.1 billion in revenue for fiscal 2021. The company employs more than 5,200 people and operates with a network of at least 6 subsidiary businesses including DeltaDNA, Multiplay, and Vivox.

Unity Softwares success is tied to that of the iPhone. Unity was among the first developers to fully support the iPhone operating system, making it a go-to choice for game developers. While no market share data is available for Unity in regard to the iPhone App Store, there are over 1 million games listed, and Unity powers a large portion of them.

Unity Software expanded its offerings beginning in 2009. Over the years it has added platforms for desktop, mobile, tablets, gaming consoles, 3-D, web-based and virtual reality. Unitys technology has also been adapted to the movie/entertainment industry as well as the auto industry. The Unity Asset Store is a marketplace for Unity and its users to sell tools, artwork, etc to developers. The addition of Vivox to the fold provides a VOIP feature for gaming that is used in games like Fortnight where players, who may be playing from opposite sides of the Earth, operate in groups.

Unity Software announced its intention to go public in the summer of 2020. The IPO priced above the expected price and gave the company a valuation of $13.7 billion. The company operates in 3 segments: Create Solutions, Operate Solutions, and Other. In 2022, the company announced a major partnership with Microsoft to use its Azure cloud platform as its platform of choice for building cloud-based 3-D experiences with the Unity Engine.
The Daily Squib has been attacked by certain nefarious EU companies since the Referendum and Brexit trying to take us down, and now poor old Russell Brand is being attacked for his playful days while he was digging for gold in between the legs of many, many women. According to his YouTube channel, Brand is now being accused of certain allegations regarding the multiples of women he slept with in the past.

These are the vagaries and dangers of having an opinion other than is allowed in the Mainstream Media in a Western civilisation which is seriously moving towards a more authoritarian sovietised stance led by the Chinese communist model of censorship and totalitarian media control. With ESG and the WEF, and EU dictating censorship rules, the West is daily declining and moving away from democracy and free speech.

Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric. Bertrand Russell

The voices speaking the truth are viewed as dangerous by the soviet censors who are now in charge and have infiltrated all media and politics. This is why publications like the Daily Squib are now in danger; where satire was once a protected literary genre in the past, we are now in danger of being shut down and our voice forever silenced. The same goes for Russell Brand, a man who certainly shoots from the hip, who dares to uncover the truth from many corrupt facets of society, business and politics. Admittedly, some of his titles on his YouTube and Rumble videos are obvious clickbait, and pander to the conspiracy theory movement, but where there is smoke, there is invariably fire.

We joked about Russell Brand in the past, thinking he was some kind of dilettante, but we now know he is the real deal. The problem with speaking the truth and uncovering all sorts of nastiness going on under the noses of the masses is that you have to have a damn squeaky clean reputation to do this. If there are any doubts, events in the past or morally unacceptable things in ones character, your enemies will zero in on these and destroy your reputation. It happens all the time with politicians vying for election. Being a public figure is a dangerous endeavour, more so these days than in the past. The amount of data being analysed and filtered through the machine of moral outrage is increasing daily.

All censorships exist to prevent anyone from challenging current conceptions and existing institutions. All progress is initiated by challenging current conceptions, and executed by supplanting existing institutions. Consequently, the first condition of progress is the removal of censorship.

 George Bernard Shaw

As the Daily Squib is constrained and limited in what it can write these days, we cannot express our satirical dark humour as we wish anymore. Russell Brand is a character who has tried to seek the truth, and we commend him for that, however in doing so, he put himself into the crosshairs of the woke #metoo soviet snipers who are now out for blood. Maybe, Brand quotes praising the Metoo movement in the past were part of his liberal sensibility to endorse such witch-hunts, it is also rather ironic that his downfall may be precipitated by the weaponised usage of the Feminazi group against him.

We can only wish Russell luck in fighting the vultures and parasites now chomping down and feeding off his wildly spinning chakras, sucking the very life force from his soul.

Western civilisation is fast being subverted and corrupted by the hyper-sensitive puritanical forces of evil communist censors, and from here life will be a dark, dystopian, Orwellian nightmare that you will try to wake up from but will be imprisoned within the echo chamber of political correctness created by the jailers who now control everything.

Everyone is in favour of free speech. Hardly a day passes without it being extolled, but some peoples idea of it is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone else says anything back, that is an outrage.  Winston Churchill

Why Independent Thought is Feared by Woke Programmers

Daily Squib Knew Chinese Communist Party Exporting Internet Censorship Globally in 2018
KEARNEY  The 24-year-old Kearney man wanted in a child abuse case for allegedly harming a 1-year-old girl is in custody at the Buffalo County Jail following a weeklong manhunt.

The Kearney Police Department reported that Jacob Ellingson, 24, of Kearney was arrested without incident Friday after police received a tip regarding his whereabouts.

The victim in the child abuse case is receiving care at Childrens Hospital in Omaha, where she was flown a week ago. Kearney police officials are not releasing the identity of the girl or her condition.

According to a news release, Kearney police received a credible tip at about 3:30 a.m. Friday that Ellingson was inside a Buffalo County residence.

Members of Kearney police and the Buffalo County Sheriffs Department Uniform Patrol responded to the address with the KPD/BCSO Emergency Service Unit. Officers were able to contact Ellingson via cell phone and negotiated with him for several minutes.

Police reported that Ellingson voluntarily exited the residence and was taken into custody without incident. He then was booked into the Buffalo County Jail.

Kearney Police Chief Bryan Waugh said the investigation will continue and anyone who aided or knowingly harbored Ellingson will be held accountable.

KPD said in todays announcement that police will provide updates as new information is available.

KPD continues to work in partnership with the Buffalo County Attorneys Office in the ongoing investigation. Anyone with information regarding the case can contact KPD at 308-237-2104, Buffalo County Crimestoppers at 308-237-3424, or through the See It Say It Send It App.
One woman died as a result of a two-vehicle crash in central Nebraska on Wednesday.

Around 1:30 p.m., the Howard County Sheriffs Office responded to the crash that occurred at the Nebraska 92 and Nebraska 11 intersection.

An initial investigation found a man, who was driving a 2022 Ram ProMaster City cargo van, was driving south and allegedly ran a stop sign. A press release said the cargo van struck an eastbound 2020 Jeep Cherokee.

Both vehicles ended up in a ditch and the Jeep also overturned. The woman who had been driving the Jeep died at the scene. The man was taken to the Howard County Medical Center in St. Paul to be treated for his injuries.

Sheriff Tom Busch declined to release the names of those involved pending notification of family members. He did say the people did not live in Howard County.

The Nebraska State Patrol is investigating the crash and reconstructing it. In addition to the State Patrol, fire and rescue departments from St. Paul, Elba and Dannebrog assisted the Howard County Sheriffs Office along with the Nebraska Department of Transportation.
Madras High Court. (Image: Wikipedia)

Chennai, New Delhi: The Madras High Court on Saturday observed that Sanatana Dharma is a set of eternal duties, including duty to the nation, king, parents and gurus, while remarking that casteist notions and untouchability were brought in while collating the dharma from various literary texts.

"Should not a citizen love his country? Is he not under duty to serve his nation? Shouldn't the parents be cared for?" Justice N. Seshasayee asked, while hearing a petition, filed by one Elangovan, against a circular issued by the Thiru.Vi.Ka. Government Arts College calling for students to share their views on opposition to Sanatana Dharma.

The circular was issued by the principal for a debate on the occasion of commemorating the birth anniversary of former chief minister C.N. Annadurai, but was later withdrawn.

The judge said: "Sanatana Dharma cannot be traced to one specific literature but has to be gathered from multiple sources which either relate to Hinduism or those who practice the Hindu way of life have come to accept."

Justice N. Sehsasayee further said: "Somewhere, an idea appears to have gained ground that Sanatana Dharma is all about promoting casteism and untouchability."

He said: "Untouchability in a country of equal citizens cannot be tolerated and even if untouchability is seen as permitted somewhere within the principles of Sanatana Dharma, it (untouchability) still cannot have a space to stay, since Article 17 of the Constitution has declared that untouchability, either within or outside Sanatana Dharma, can no longer be constitutional."

"Free speech was not an absolute right. When free speech pertained to religion, it was necessary to ensure that no one is injured," the court said, adding though Article 19 (1) of the Constitution gave a fundamental right to free speech, it was important to underscore that one is adequately informed as it added value to what was being spoken.

The judge said every religion is founded on faith and faith, by nature, accommodates irrationality. "Free speech cannot be hate speech, as the Supreme Court has cautioned. The users of free speech must not ignore these aspects while exercising their right. If this is ignored, the course of any debate will get derailed and the objective behind it will lose significance," the court observed.

The judge said free speech should be used to encourage dispassionate, healthy debates and help the society move forward without forgetting the ethos and values of the Constitution.

Since the circular in the present case was already withdrawn, the court encouraged the college to instead make the students reflect on the evils of untouchability and how, as citizens of the society, they could eliminate untouchability.

Meanwhile, the Union finance minister on Saturday hit out at DMK leader Udhayanidhi Stalin, saying he should speak realising his responsibility as a state minister.

Despite witnessing insult to Lord Rama in Tamil Nadu in 1971, Sanatana Dharma did not respond with violence, she said.

Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, the finance minister said: "No one has the right to say that he will eradicate a religion and in particular a minister has no such right at all. The oath a person takes before assuming the office of a minister makes that very clear."
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge(L) and former presidents Sonia Gandhi. (Image By Arrangement)

HYDERABAD: The Congress on Saturday demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce the Women Reservation Bill in the ensuing special session of Parliament, during its working committee meeting in Hyderabad.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the partys highest decision-making body, which met on an eventful note for the first time after its rejig at a star hotel here, also rejected the One Nation One Election (ONOE), which it said was a brazen attack on the federal structure of the country and reiterated partys resolve to make the I.N.D.I.A. initiative an ideological and electoral success so that the country is freed from divisive and polarising politics.

The CWC, attended by the top brass from President Mallikarjun Kharge to former presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, besides star campaigner of the party Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, debated on as many as 14 resolutions, covering a wide range of issues concerning the country, including increasing unemployment, farmers distress, divisive and discriminatory policies of Modi government posing threat to communal harmony.

Referring to the special Parliament session, the Congress expressed dismay over Parliamentary debate and scrutiny all but disappearing under Modi and thanked its former chief Sonia Gandhi for dashing off a letter, demanding a debate on nine issues of public concern. Amid the guesswork on the real agenda of the special session, the principal Opposition wanted the contentious Women Reservation Bill to be passed. "It (BJP) wants a Parliament without Opposition," it remarked.

The CWC expressed its "deep anguish on the total breakdown of the Constitutional machinery in Manipur and the continuing violence" and condemned the Prime Ministers clean chit to China despite its deep incursions into the country and "his continued refusal to admit the loss of territory belittling the sacrifices of our jawans."

The leaders were extended a warm welcome by the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, headed by president A. Revanth Reddy. The event started with the customary flag hoisting arranged by the seva dal workers and a rendition of the National Anthem on the lawns of the hotel. The meeting, held behind closed doors, will continue on Sunday and will culminate with Vijaya Bheri, a massive public meeting on the city outskirts where the party will come up with the six guarantees, a declaration specific to Telangana, which will go for polls in a few months.

In his opening remarks, party national president Mallikarjun Kharge made a scathing attack against what the party described as the overall failure of the Modi government, be it on the economic front, protecting the country from external aggressions and providing relief during natural calamities. While the country has been facing serious internal challenges, the BJP is adding fuel to the fire and flaring up violence, as in the case of Manipur and Haryana, and tarnishing the image of progressive and secular India, he said.

Kharge took potshots at Modis slogans "Atma-nirbhar Bharat", "5 Trillion Economy", "New India 2022" and "Amritkaal", all of which, he said, are coined to deflect and divert attention from real issues. On the other hand, the I.N.D.I.A with 27 parties standing together on fundamental issues of importance, has been forging ahead, after three successful meetings, to combat anti-people and anti-democratic BJP-led NDA government.
Union minister and state BJP Chief G. Kishan Reddy. (DC Image)

HYDERABAD: The Government of India is all set to celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day on Sunday morning at the Parade Ground, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah will receive a guard of honour from central security force contingents. This will be followed by a march past by cultural troupes from Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka, Union minister G. Kishan Reddy said on Saturday.

Shah, who will address the gathering afterwards, will also be honouring surviving members of families that were victims of Razakaars in the run-up to the liberation of the then Hyderabad state, as well as survivors who fought the Razakaars, Kishan Reddy said.

"The home minister will be releasing special postal covers commemorating the lives of heroes of Telanganas armed struggle, Ramji Gond, and journalist Shoaibullah Khan, from Hyderabad, who fought against the Nizam through his writings. Shah will also be inaugurating a virtual exhibition depicting the history of the armed struggle, the role of Razakaars, and the final liberation of Hyderabad," Kishan Reddy said.

The Union culture minister said chief ministers of Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka have been invited to the celebrations.

"Although the Telangana Chief Minister, while in Opposition in unified Andhra Pradesh, repeatedly demanded that Hyderabad Liberation Day must be celebrated, he changed his tune after coming to power. This is unfortunate and since the Telangana government refuses to celebrate the liberation of Hyderabad, the Government of India has decided to do so for the second year in running," he said.
Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao unveils the Palamuru Rangareddy Lift Irrigation and performed Pooja at Delivery Cistern Outlet, Narlapur Nagarkurnool District. (Photo By Arrangement)

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Saturday challenged BJP leaders from the Palamuru region to convince Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the announcement of Telangana states share in Krishna River water. He called on people of the region to question anyone from the BJP on why Modi was not allowing Telangana state its share of river water.

Addressing a public meeting at Kollapur after switching on a giant pump at the Narlapur pump house to mark the official launch of the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), Chandrashekar Rao targeted the BJP, as well as the Congress, for holding back the development of the Palamuru region.

The Chief Minister said that while he was on his way from Narlapur to Kollapur, youths carrying BJP flags tried to run across his bus. "There is a BJP vice president here who claims I am this, I am that. If the Palamur region suffered for so long, it is because of useless leaders like these. If anyone comes carrying a BJP flag, ask them how they can go around shamelessly, and why they are silent even as BRS is fighting for water share," he said.

On the issue of sharing Krishna water, Chandrashekar Rao said: "My appeal to people from Andhra Pradesh, and the Centre, is that we do not want to rob your water. We just want our share."

Chandrashekar Rao also took aim at the Congress and the TD, saying while Congress governments destroyed the Telangana region, the TD, led by N. Chandrababu Naidu, kept projects in the region pending. "With elections coming, they will all come promising the moon. Question them on why they did nothing for Palamuru and obstructed and delayed projects," he said.

Describing the inauguration of PRLIS as a day to be written in gold in Palamuru history, the Chief Minister said the government could have completed the project three years ago, blaming disruptive politicians from Mahbubnagar for creating hurdles. "Those useless politicians are enemies of Telangana," he said.

He also recalled the history of the Jurala project and how the BRS questioned Chandrababu Naidu on why it was not being filled up. "Under our pressure, water came to Jurala.

At the same time, a leader from Kurnool, Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy, said if the sluice gates of Rajolibanda diversion schemes are closed, then he will use bombs to blow them open. My blood boiled and warned Byreddy that if he even stepped anywhere close to RDS, I would use 100 bombs to destroy the Sunkesula Barrage. Later, as I thought about it, I asked the media persons covering my padayatra if what I said was right; the response was that people thought there was finally a leader who could stand up to injustice," he said.

Telangana state, he said, was on the path of development after decades of neglect and there is much more to be done. "Do not get swayed by others and support BRS to continue this work," Rao said.
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation provides products and technologies for structural heart disease, and critical care and surgical monitoring in the United States, Europe, Japan, and internationally. It offers transcatheter heart valve replacement products for the minimally invasive replacement of heart valves; and transcatheter heart valve repair and replacement products to treat mitral and tricuspid valve diseases. The company also provides the PASCAL and Cardioband transcatheter valve repair systems for minimally-invasive therapy. In addition, it offers surgical structural heart solutions, such as aortic surgical valve under the INSPIRIS name; KONECT RESILIA, a pre-assembled aortic tissue valved conduit for patients who require replacement of the valve, root, and ascending aorta; and HARPOON Beating Heart Mitral Valve Repair System for patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation. Further, the company provides critical care solutions, including advanced hemodynamic monitoring systems to measure a patient's heart function and fluid status in surgical and intensive care settings; and Acumen Hypotension Prediction Index software that alerts clinicians in advance of a patient developing dangerously low blood pressure. The company distributes its products through a direct sales force and independent distributors. Edwards Lifesciences Corporation was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.
The following companies are subsidiares of Laboratory Co. of America: 1957285 Ontario Inc. dba Quality Underwriting Services, 2089729 Ontario Inc., 2248848 Ontario Inc., 3065619 Nova Scotia Company, 3257959 Nova Scotia Company, 8165335 Canada Inc., 8348596 Canada Inc., 896988 Ontario Limited, 9279-3280 Quebec Inc., Accupath Diagnostic Laboratories Inc., Assets of Pathology Inc, Beacon LBS IPA Inc., Beacon Laboratory Benefit Solutions Inc., CannAmm GP Inc., CannAmm Limited Partnership, Center for Disease Detection International, Center for Disease Detection LLC, Centrex Clinical Laboratories Inc., Chiltern, Clearstone Central Laboratories (U.S.) Inc., Clearstone Holdings (International) Ltd., Clinical Outreach Laboratory Services, Clipper Holdings Inc., Colorado Coagulation Consultants Inc., Colorado Laboratory Services LLC, Correlagen Diagnostics Inc., Covance Inc., Curalab Inc., Cytometry Associates Inc., Czura Thornton (Hong Kong) Limited, DCL Acquisition Inc., DCL Medical Laboratories LLC, DCL Sub LLC, DIANON Systems Inc., DL Holdings Limited Partnership, Decision Diagnostics L.L.C. (aka DaVinici/Medicorp LLC), Diagnostic Services Inc., DynaLifeDX, Dynacare - Gamma Laboratory Partnership, Dynacare Company, Dynacare G.P. Inc., Dynacare Holdco LLC, Dynacare Laboratories Inc., Dynacare Laboratories Limited Partnership, Dynacare Northwest Inc., Dynacare Realty Inc., DynalifeDX Infrastructure Inc., Envigo's nonclinical contract research services business, Esoterix Genetic Counseling LLC, Esoterix Genetic Laboratories LLC, Esoterix Inc., Execmed Health Services Inc., FirstSource Laboratory Solutions Inc., GDML Medical Laboratories Inc, Gamma Dynacare Central Medical Laboratories GP Inc., Gamma Dynacare Central Medical Laboratory Limited Partnership, HHLA Lab-In-An-Envelope LLC, Health Testing Centers Inc., Health Trans Services Inc., Home Healthcare Laboratory of America LLC, IDX Pathology Inc., Impact Genetics Corporation, Impact Genetics Inc., Kaleida LabCorp LLC, Lab Delivery Service of New York City Inc., LabCorp BVBA, LabCorp Belgium Holdings Inc., LabCorp Central Laboratories (Canada) Inc., LabCorp Central Laboratories (China) Inc., LabCorp Colorado Inc., LabCorp Development Company, LabCorp Employer Services Inc., LabCorp Health System Diagnostics LLC, LabCorp Indiana Inc., LabCorp Japan G.K., LabCorp Limited, LabCorp Michigan Inc., LabCorp Nebraska Inc., LabCorp Neon Ltd., LabCorp Neon Switzerland S.a.r.l., LabCorp Specialty Testing Billing Service Inc., LabCorp Specialty Testing Group Inc., LabCorp Staffing Solutions Inc., LabCorp Tennessee LLC, LabCorp UK Holdings Ltd., LabWest Inc., Laboratoire Bio-Medic Inc., Laboratory Corporation of America, Lifecodes Corporation, LipoScience Inc., Litholink Corporation, MEDTOX Scientific Inc., MNG Laboratories, MedAxio Insurance Medical Services GP Inc., MedAxio Insurance Medical Services LP, Medical Neurogenitics LLC, Medtox Diagnostics Inc., Medtox Laboratories Inc., Monogram Biosciences Inc., Monogram Biosciences UK Limited, Myriad Autoimmunes Vectra Testing Business, NWT Inc., National Genetics Institute, New Brighton Business Center LLC, New Imaging Diagnostics LLC, New Molecular Diagnostics Ventures LLC, Orchid Cellmark ULC, Ovia Health, PA Labs Inc., Paclab LLC, Path Lab Incorporated, Pathology Associates Medical Lab LLC, Pee Dee Pathology Associates Inc., Personal Genome Diagnostics Inc., Persys Technology Inc., Pixel by LabCorp, Princeton Diagnostic Laboratories of America Inc., Protedyne Corporation, SW/DL LLC, Saint Josephs-PAML LLC, Sequenom Biosciences (India) Pvt. Ltd., Sequenom Inc, Sequenom Inc., Tandem Labs Inc., Toxikon Corporation, Tri-Cities Laboratory LLC, Viro-Med Laboratories Inc., Visiun, and Yakima Medical Arts Inc..

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Normalization of Saudi-Israeli ties "difficult," should involve Palestine: Blinken

Xinhua) 14:58, September 16, 2023

WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel remains "difficult," and that any agreement between the two should address issues with Palestine.

The secretary gave those remarks in response to a question from a press conference attended also by visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at the State Department.

"Even as we are working on this," Blinken said, referring to a potential agreement that would normalize the historically fraught ties between Riyadh and Tel Aviv, "it remains a difficult proposition."

"The specifics of any agreement in terms of what the different parties are looking for are challenging," he said.

A future Saudi-Israeli deal "would not be a substitute for Israel and the Palestinians also resolving their difference," Blinken said, adding that the United States still encourages the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to move toward and ultimately achieve a two-state solution.

"Any agreement that might be reached between Israel and Saudi Arabia when it comes to normalization would need to include a significant component for the Palestinians," he said, stressing that he made the stance clear in his conversations with the Saudi leadership.

The Biden administration has sought to broker the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Both countries, however, have done things that upset Washington since U.S. President Joe Biden took office.

For example, Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to push ahead with a controversial judicial overhaul despite U.S. concerns. And the Saudi authorities have slashed oil production along with its OPEC partners against U.S. wishes.

These and other contexts prompted a question at the press conference about whether it is worth it for the United States to mediate a rapprochement between two of the most powerful yet mutually antagonistic nations in the Middle East.

Calling the normalization a "transformative event in the Middle East and well beyond," Blinken said, "the benefit that would accrue, were we able to achieve it, would certainly be worth the effort."

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie)
A number of judicial review proceedings have been lodged in the High Court by Madden & Finucane Solicitors, in response to the passing into law, pending royal assent, of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.

These include proceedings lodged on behalf of Billy Thompson, son of Kathleen Thompson, who was shot dead by a member of the Royal Green Jacket regiment in Derry on 6 November 1971.

In a statement to Derry Now, the company said: "Madden & Finucane Solicitors can confirm that in response to the passing into law, pending royal assent, of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023, we have lodged judicial review proceedings in the High Court for six families bereaved through State violence in which we are challenging the lawfulness of this legislation and its compatibility with international human rights standards.

"High Court proceedings have been lodged on behalf of the following:

Billy Thompson, son of Kathleen Thompson, who was shot dead by a member of the Royal Green Jacket regiment in Derry on 6 November 1971. In 2022 a Coroner rejected the evidence of a former soldier who killed Kathleen Thompson and referred the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Jonathan McKerr, son of Gervaise McKerr, who was shot dead near Lurgan on 11 November 1982 when members of an elite firearms unit of the RUC, fired more than 100 rounds into a car driven by Mr McKerr killing him and his two passengers. All three were unarmed. An inquest into their deaths has never been concluded. In May 2001  more than 22 years ago  the European Court of Human Rights found the UK to be in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights because no effective investigation had ever been conducted into Gervaise McKerrs death;

Una Eakin, widow of Gerard Casey, who was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries on 4 April 1989 in Rasharkin, north Antrim. Gerard Casey had been threatened in Castlereagh in the 1980s and a legally held shotgun was seized by the RUC during a house raid six months before his death.

"One of the weapons used in Gerards murder was a VZ58 assault rifle imported into the north of Ireland by a UDA intelligence officer and paid agent of the British Armys Force Research Unit. In 2007 Gerards inquest verdict was quashed by the High Court and in July 2010 the Attorney General for NI ordered a new inquest into his death. In 2022 the Police Ombudsman published a report which found collusive behaviour between security forces and loyalist paramilitaries in his murder.

"Linda Hewitt, sister of Sam Marshall, who was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries on 7 March 1990 in Lurgan. Sam had just left Lurgan RUC station after signing bail. In a small urban area patrolled by at least 11 heavily armed undercover British soldiers on foot, in observation positions and in cars, two UVF men were able to enter the killing zone, murder Sam and attempt to murder his two companions, and safely withdraw from the area unhindered.

"Teresa Jordan, mother of Pearse Jordan, shot dead by the RUC on the Falls Road, Belfast on 25 November 1992. In 2016 a Coroner formally referred two former RUC officers to the Public Prosecution Service to consider whether they should be prosecuted for perjury or perverting the course of justice arising from their evidence to the inquest. No prosecutorial decision has yet been taken.

"Eamon Cairns, father of Gerard and Rory Cairns who were murdered in their home by the mid Ulster UVF in October 1993. In 2019 a loyalist paramilitary admitted on a BBC Spotlight programme that he and others had conspired to

murder every male member of the Cairns household and that intelligence had been received directly from the RUC. VZ58 assault rifles were used in the murders. In May 2023 a file was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

"We will also be lodging applications for families directly affected by this legislation to the ECHR in Strasbourg over the coming weeks."
Former President of Ireland Mary McAleese has said its undeniable that demographics are shifting towards a united Ireland.

Ms McAleese also said communities across the island of Ireland should foster good neighbourliness.

The former President was speaking on the Late Late Show, hosted for the first time on Friday evening by Patrick Kielty.

Over the past two weeks, British and Irish government representatives have been continuing to express tension over commentary on Irish unity.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar stated his belief he would see a united Ireland in his lifetime and the possibility of exploring plan B if Stormont was not restored, comments the Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris described as unhelpful.

On Friday Mr Varadkar criticised the double standards applied to Irish and UK ministers when they talk about the constitutional future of Ireland.

Asked by Kielty for her take on a possible united Ireland, Ms McAleese said shed love to see it.

But my view of it is very simple. You know, what weve been through in Northern Ireland, we got to the Good Friday Agreement. The Good Friday Agreement has a plan in place, she said.

If the day ever dawns, when there is a majority that might be in favour of a united Ireland, there is a plan for a referendum and itll be in the hands of those people.

I dont know when thats going to be, I have no idea. Im just happy that the plan is there. Because Im hoping that by the time it gets there, and certainly the demographics are moving in that direction. Its undeniable.

Ms McAleese also stated that the prospect of returning to the EU was a further draw towards unity.

Brexit has really not helped the case for the long-term place for the Union in the sense that, first of all, its been a disaster. But second of all, there are many, many people in Northern Ireland of all stripes, who would prefer to be in the European Union, she said.

And thats the one thing that united Ireland would give to those people would be the chance to come back into the European Union.

Despite the growing calls for unity, Ms McAleese said she did not know if a referendum would take place in her lifetime.

There actually was a moment of, when you could sort of feel the good neighbourliness growing. And I think thats what we have to concentrate on, lets get the good neighbourliness thing going, which is pretty difficult at the moment with the politics the way they are, but keep it going, she said.

Because when the day dawns, if the day dawns that theres going to be a referendum, you want it to happen in as quiet a mode as humanly possible.

I dont know when thatll be, I mean, Im probably near enough twice Leo Varadkars age so Im not getting any younger.

Ms McAleese said a focus on good neighbourliness would help to tackle difficult political issues and referred to people killed during the Troubles.

Host Kieltys father Jack Kielty was shot by members of the UFF in 1988 after refusing to pay protection money.

Ms McAleese said: I just think that we concentrate on the relationships, we get those right and if we have those right, and we have political stability and we have good neighbourliness, wed be able to tackle a lot of things that were very difficult in the longer term.

I dont know when thats going to be, I dont know, but Im happy to leave it to the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. It was hard fought for. A lot of people, including your daddy, died for it. So do you know what, to respect those people? Lets just leave it to them.
The stars were out in force for the JW Anderson show on day two of London Fashion Week.

Fashion icon Alexa Chung looked ready for autumn in a brown faux fur tasselled cape, oversized white shirt and blue jeans.

Irish actor Caitriona Balfe, who stars in historical drama Outlander, was also on the front row. The Dublin-born Golden Globe nominee looked stylish in a black strapless top and trousers.

British actors Ben Whishaw and Kit Connor mingled before the show, which was held at Camdens Roundhouse theatre.

Other fashionable attendees included model and actor Suki Waterhouse and model Mia Regan (girlfriend of Romeo Beckham).

Fashion editors Anna Wintour and Edward Enninful chatted on the front row as they waited for the Magherafelt-born designers show to start.

Jonathan Anderson sent out an array of characteristically quirky designs for his eponymous SS24 collection.

The invitation for the show was a block of modelling clay which hinted at what was to come on the catwalk.

The 38-year-old  who is also creative director at Spanish fashion house Loewe  appeared to be inspired by streetwear for his womenswear show, with hoodies featuring prominently.

Some were baggy and oversized, while others were made of clay and had hunched up shoulders.

There were even shorts made from clay  but its unlikely these avant-garde garments will make it into the shops when the collection goes on sale next year.

The street theme continued with skater-style cargo trousers with low waistbands and puffed hems.

The fluid trousers were teamed with mannish blazers and oversized bomber and biker jackets.

Anderson mixed traditionally masculine and feminine elements, with most models wearing trousers or shorts, except for a few slinky dresses with cut-out details, and some strappy crochet minidresses in bright red and blue.

The colour palette was a mix of subdued beige, blue and brown tones, mixed with acid brights, like orange and yellow.

Playing with proportions, Anderson added huge circular hoops to skirts (positioned at the hip rather than the hem) and added bursts of feathers to bomber jackets.

There was also a focus on interesting textures, with wet-look leather and nylon alongside the matte clay, plus skirts woven from strips of sparkly fabric.
InterTradeIreland is inviting businesses of all sizes to its Unlocking New Cross-Border Trade Opportunities conference, taking place on 27th September at the Printworks Event and Exhibition Centre, Dublin Castle.

The conference will promote the emerging cross-border trade prospects for businesses and display the latest free support available to help businesses navigate the post-Brexit trading environment.

Business leaders and trade experts including Dr Vincent Power SC, widely recognised as Irelands most experienced EU competition lawyer, will share their insights at the event, hosted by former RTE journalist Tommie Gorman.

A number of business leaders including Exact Group NIs Director of Operations, Ronan Callan, will share their experiences in achieving successful cross-border employment and trade.

Businesses will also hear about how InterTradeIreland can support firms to avail of new and emerging cross-border export opportunities.

The conference will launch InterTradeIrelands new Cross-Border Trade Hub, a digital one stop shop that guides companies through the changes to cross-border trading conditions under the Windsor Framework. Businesses can access specialist technical support regarding trade matters at no cost, saving them time and money.

On the day, attendees can meet one-to-one with specialist business mentors to receive free advice on areas including Regulation, Employment, Customs and VAT.

Speaking ahead of the conference, InterTradeIrelands CEO Margaret Hearty said: Cross-border trade is booming, reaching an estimated all time high of around 12bn in 2022. It is important for all businesses to fully understand the practical implications of the new trading arrangements and how they can strategically and efficiently access the cross-border market.

The Cross-Border Trade Hub is therefore a crucial resource for businesses. It is an independent, impartial and trusted online support through which they can keep informed of current trade matters and access specialist technical advice.

"The conference will bring our range of specialist teams and advisors together to help businesses in a very practical and supportive way. It is an unmissable opportunity to gain a more in-depth understanding of trade matters and to obtain professional specialist advice and I would encourage businesses to join us at the conference on 27th September.

We are delighted to have secured such a strong panel of speakers who will share insights on the export opportunities for businesses, how you can best navigate cross-border trade matters and how export can ultimately contribute to greater business resilience.

Among the expert speakers at the conference is Dr Loretta OSullivan, Chief Economist at EY Ireland. I am delighted to join InterTradeIreland at this important conference, as we explore the global trading environment, the implications of the Windsor Framework, and how businesses can adapt to changing market conditions, Loretta said.

EY research on the all-island economy finds that there are grounds for optimism for the future. As cross-border trade continues to grow, it is vital that businesses in Ireland and Northern Ireland are equipped to benefit from the opportunities this brings.

"Whether it is managing a business across multiple jurisdictions, navigating regulatory changes or exporting to a new market for the first time, this conference is the perfect chance to get answers to your questions, and I'm looking forward to engaging with businesses later this month.

For the full programme and to register free of charge for the Unlocking New Cross-Border Trade Opportunities conference, please visit https://intertradeireland.com/unlocking-new-cross-border-trade-opportunities
Louth County Council has given the go ahead for a new housing development at the Dublin Road in Dundalk.

Molaris Limited applied to Louth County Council on 21 December 2022 for planning permission for development on a site bound by the Dublin Road (R132) to the west, an existing dwelling to the north and an existing dwelling known as St Cecilia's to the south and by an open ditch to the east.

The development would see the demolition of an existing derelict structure on site and the construction of 39 dwellings, comprising six one-bed; 12 two-bed and 21 three bed homes, in a combination of houses and duplex apartments ranging in height from two to three storey. The duplex apartments are provided with balconies.

A new vehicular access is also planned from the R132 as part of the development, as well as all associated site development works.

Louth County Council sought further information on the proposed development in February of this year. Significant further information was provided to the local planning authority on 28 July, which included proposals to reduce the number of homes from 39 to 37.

The local planning authority granted conditional planning permission for the development on 8 September 2023.
The Down Syndrome Centre North East (DSCNE) has announced that it has received an award of 4000, from the second annual AIB Community Fund helping it to provide ongoing support to those who need it most across their local communities of Cavan, Monaghan, Louth, Meath and surrounding areas.

DSCNE says it will use the funding for its new Family Support Service which will be launched this September. The new Family Support Worker will act in a social worker-type role contracted to provide emotional and practical support to families, providing a guiding hand and a listening ear.

This service will be delivered at the Centre, as well as locations closer to families, when necessary. This will be key, it says, to linking in with more families in a personalised directed way and developing a friendship and introductory network for new parents.

It will also provide training and development opportunities for staff and volunteers. This new service will be free and confidential and the Centre anticipates the new service will raise their profile, increase referrals from outside agencies and engage more families due to the additional services they will be providing.

Earlier this year, AIB asked its customers, the wider public, and colleagues to nominate charities which connect with causes that matter most to them and their communities, for the AIB Community 1 Million Fund. Over 16,000 nominations were received highlighting the immediate support needed for charities across Ireland.

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.

Speaking about receipt of the award, Caitriona Crosby, Centre Manager said: We are so happy to receive this donation, from the AIB Community 1 Million Fund, which will be vital for us to continue and expand the services that we provide to our community.

"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 The Down Syndrome Centre North East 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.

For more information on The Down Syndrome Centre North East visit www.dscnortheast.ie

For more information on AIBs work in the community visit www.aib.ie/community.
There is not much time left for Louth book lovers to nominate their favourite Louth bookshop for the An Post Bookshop of the Year award for 2023. After a hugely successful inaugural year in 2021, the category is now back for the third year running in the An Post Irish Book Awards, the annual literary event that celebrates and promotes Irish writing to the widest range of readers possible.

The An Post Bookshop of the Year category is designed to acknowledge the significant role played by independent bookshops and local branches of bookshop chains in helping their local communities to find and savour the titles of their choice. Previous winners include Kennys Bookshop and Art Gallery, Galway in 2021 and Bridge Street Books, Wicklow in 2022.

Customers simply have to click onto https://www.anpost.com/ bookshopoftheyear to submit their nomination for their favourite bookshop. They will also have the option to explain the reason for their choice. Readers can also enter by scanning the QR code in their preferred bookshop and following the instructions. Everyone who votes will be entered into a draw to win a 100 book voucher.

Nominations for the An Post Bookshop of the Year will close on 17th September at midnight. The 12 bookshops around Ireland with the most votes will then be longlisted and invited by the judges to enter a written submission.

Mystery shoppers will visit the 12 shops as part of the judging process. Following this, a shortlist of six shops will be finalised for the An Post Bookshop of the Year and they will be officially announced on the 19th October.

The overall winner will be presented with their trophy at the An Post Irish Book Awards event on 22nd November 22. The winner will receive a trophy along with a prize worth 15,000 from An Post Commerce.

Each year, the An Post Irish Book Awards bring together a vast community passionate about books  readers, authors, booksellers, publishers and librarians  to recognise the very best of new and established Irish writing talent and 2023 will be no different.

Other categories in the An Post Irish Book Awards include Novel of the Year, Childrens (Junior and Senior), Cookery, Crime Fiction, Popular Fiction, Non-fiction, Sports, Short Story, Poetry, Teen and Young Adult and Irish Language.

Brendan Corbett, Chairperson of the An Post Irish Book Awards, says: Bookshops are at the core of communities throughout Ireland and offer a cultural and social hub for many.

"We introduced this category to acknowledge the important contribution bookshops and their booksellers make to not only to their communities and readers, but the significant role they play in the Irish book trade. We are delighted to see the category returning for the third year running and encourage everyone to support and vote for their local bookshop in the An Post Bookshop of the Year category.

Dawn Behan, Chair of Bookselling Ireland, says: Our local bookshops are truly at the cornerstone of every Irish village and town and work every day to connect readers with titles they will truly love.

"Booksellers have an important role in fostering a love of literature among children and those who are new to the wonderful world of reading. This category brings together readers and booksellers and I look forward to seeing local bookshops celebrated once again at the An Post Irish Book Awards this year.

Garrett Bridgeman, Managing Director of An Post Mails & Parcels said: Irish bookshops are thriving because they know how to look after their customers and they offer seamless in-store and delivery options.

"In addition to providing reduced parcel and stamp rates for booksellers through the An Post Advantage Card, we are delighted to once again sponsor this very special award category which means so much to both bookshops and their customers across the country.

The shortlist for all categories in the An Post Irish Book Awards 2023 will be announced on Thursday 19th October, while the winners will be announced on Wednesday 22nd November. A television programme will be broadcast on RTE One television in December and will culminate in one of the 2023 winning titles being announced as the An Post Irish Book of the Year 2023.
State regulators on Friday voted to reopen a siting permit for a regional carbon dioxide pipeline that has been a source of contention in North Dakota for almost a year.

The 2-1 vote by the state Public Service Commission comes in response to Summit Carbon Solutions filing a petition for reconsideration on its proposed 2,000-mile interstate carbon dioxide storage pipeline after the PSC unanimously decided to deny the project in August.

Summit will now have the opportunity to present new evidence for the PSC to cross examine at an undetermined date. The commission will make the decision on whether the project poses minimal risk to the environment and the welfare of North Dakota residents, which the commission previously decided that Summit had failed to demonstrate.

Within Summit's petition for reconsideration were a number of changes to its original application including reroutes farther outside of Bismarck and off of certain parcels of property. Other issues the PSC brought up in its denial were also addressed in the petition including wildlife management areas and locations with potential geological instability; a cultural resource survey; and the proposed route's proximity to BNI coal mining operations.

The PSC decision on Friday did not make a determination on the strength of Summit's new evidence.

"They made an argument that they intend to resolve the deficiencies but the evidence of being able to successfully do that has to come in a hearing where the opposition and us can cross examine," said Commission Chair Randy Christmann.

Summit requested a one-day rehearing limited to the issues brought up in its petition, but the commission indicated that it would decide the parameters of the rehearing and what it would include.

The PSC decision was made by Christmann, Commissioner Sheri Haugen-Hoffart and Administrative Law Judge Tim Dawson. Dawson late last year was appointed as a substitute decision-maker in the case to replace Commissioner Julie Fedorchak, who recused herself from any siting decisions pertaining to the pipeline. Fedorchak and her husband own land in Oliver County and signed a contract with Summit to store carbon dioxide there.

Christmann and Dawson voted in favor of approving the reconsideration. Haugen-Hoffart was opposed.

Part of Haugen-Hoffart's opposition was with the amount of changes Summit had proposed to the PSC in its petition for reconsideration.

Haugen-Hoffart argued that these changes should have been addressed by the company over the course of five hearings held earlier this year.

Christmann took issue with the amount of time another application would take, citing the state administrative code requiring a just, speedy, and inexpensive determination.

Summit first submitted its siting application to the PSC in October 2022. PSC Director of Public Utilities Victor Schock had previously told the Tribune that a new application would entail a similar timeline.

Christmann argued that this would not just be a detriment to Summit, but also to those opposed to the project as their testimony would not be included in the new application unless they took the time to retestify.

"If we do a reconsideration, that is still on the record here," he said.

Summit said in a statement that it appreciated the PSC's decision.

Attorney Brian Jorde, who represents landowners across the route, took issue with the decision on numerous fronts, arguing that prior testimony could be held as an exhibit in the new hearings.

Attorney Derrick Braaten, who represents Emmons County as an intervenor said, "We respect the PSCs commitment to transparency and will continue to push for recognition of the importance of local government and local control being respected and adhered to in these types of proceedings."

Other intervenors did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
The group behind a sweeping ballot initiative to overhaul North Dakota elections has withdrawn its measure. Members object to the wording of the measures title, though they plan to rework the measure and resubmit it.

The Tribune Editorial Board believes the group has unrealistic expectations for the title.

Under the law, the title must provide a fair representation of the measure, not to promote it. That requirement means Secretary of State Michael Howe and Attorney General Drew Wrigley must go to some length to explain a measure.

The initiative to slap age limits on congressional candidates has a title that runs 311 words compared to 231 words for the election measure.

Lydia Gessele, the initiatives chair, complained the title was more like an essay. However, the measure covers a wide range of subjects.

The proposed measure submitted to the secretary of state would restrict mail-in-voting, prohibit the Legislature from putting constitutional measures on the ballot, increase the time for collecting ballot signatures, allow signature gatherers to be paid by the signature, require paper ballots and hand counting and other changes.

Gessele complained the title didnt note that election machines would be banned, though that was not directly mentioned in the proposed measure.

When supporters announced the measure, they said it was intended to provide election integrity and a reasonable process for recalls. State election officials have said for years that the states elections are secure. The few problems that have occurred are related to signature gathering for ballot measures.

Members of the sponsoring group have expressed doubts about almost everything related to elections. They made a point of prohibiting anything related to elections being connected to the internet.

Lee Ann Oliver, an election specialist with the secretary of states office, said North Dakota voting machines havent been connected to the internet.

The Tribune Editorial Board, in an earlier editorial, noted that the changes would make voting more difficult. The Tribune believes voting should be easy and any changes should be focused on allowing options for voting early.

The measure, as originally written, would drag out elections through longer lines at polls and the more time it would take to hand count paper ballots. If the sponsoring committees intention was to reduce the number of voters, the original measure, if passed, would do so.

It appears they feel they cant win elections without changing the rules. Unfortunately, the changes would be unfavorable to voters.

How they rework the measure before resubmitting it to the secretary of state remains to be seen. Since there was nothing in the original measure that most people could support, its unlikely a reworked measure will gain much traction.

They should drop their effort because theres little about North Dakota elections that need fixing let alone a massive overhaul.


They should have arrested this spy Julie Eadeh!



leeliang letters 09/15/2023



You have raised a very valuable and urgent topic.



Indeed this is what I have been worrying about lately. Simply put, watching what the younger generation of those Europe leaders (in German, Finland, Italy, France, ...etc) are doing upon China now should alarm us if you are concerned about China's futurebecause this is another kind of color revolution!

Beijing seems not aware of this (they should have arrested this spy Julie Eadeh!) yet all those Beijing media seem controlled by the Imperialists and intentionally cover it up; it is really scarily.

( 



 09-15-2023





Julie Eadeh)

------ Original Message ------

Received: Fri, 15 Sep 2023 09:58:25 AM CDT

From: yew To:

Subject: The list of 2023 Young Global Leaders from China

Hi Leeliang,

Anglo super elite have been very active to cultivate future young leaders in China to influence China leadership in the future.

When XJP is gone, China leaders will likely taken control by the city of London Anglo super elite.

Look what Chinese ladies went to dinner with Janet Yellen recently.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The DAVOS WEF list of 2023 Young Global Leaders from China

Julie Eadeh, an American who arranged a dinner with Yellen in China this time , is an expert in psychological warfare and subversion who was deeply involved in the Hong Kong turmoil. She was the main behind-the-scenes planner and participant of the Hong Kong riots at that time, and the former head of the political department of the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macao. Originated from the Psychological War Department "Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Affairs Bureau". Those invited to dinner were all Chinese women.

These women, who have been colonized by Western-centric ideas for a long time, are very excited to see their spiritual master. On the one hand, they are tempted by fame and fortune; on the other hand, their thoughts have long been conquered and enslaved.

Among those participating in the Yellen dinner this time are Liu Qian, who is the President of the Economist Group for Greater China and an economist; she was elected as the Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum in March 2019 ; the other is a writer and economist He Jingfang is the 2018 "Young Global Leader" of the World Economic Forum.

Both of these have long been packaged by the United States as "future young global leaders."This packaging of "future young global leaders" is also one of the United States' plans to carry out color revolutions and serves the global strategy of Jewish financial capital colonization.

The "Future Young Global Leaders" program is the United States' hope to cultivate more Gorbachevs in various countries.

The goal of cultivating "future young global leaders":





" Silent global coup to seize governance "...



This kind of selecting the right people and packaging them as "future young leaders" is what the United States is doing in China, just like what the organizational departments of the Communist Party of China are doing. But its purpose is the opposite, which is to cultivate high-level enemies within China.

For example, behind Xiaoguo Culture, which used a talk show to insult the People's Liberation Army, there is also a "global youth leader", that is, Yang Yuancao, the proprietress of CMC Fund, the investor of Xiaoguo Culture, and Li Ruigang's wife. On March 16, 2016, Yang Yuancao was elected as the 2016 "Young Global Leader".

His past experience includes graduating from Cardiff University in the UK (a famous anti-China university). At the age of 23, he worked at the BBC, which is famous for its underworld filter, and won the BBC News Newcomer Award. In 2007, she partnered with Mick Desmond, the former CEO of ITV in the UK and behind NED (National Endowment for Democracy), to establish the copyright management company IPCN in London and served as CEO.

The National Endowment for Democracy is the "white glove" of the U.S. government in launching the color revolution, serving U.S. national strategic interests. Later, he participated in the launch of the now controversial song Rakshasa Haishi, which is more famous for his song "Rakshasa Haishi", and the grievances suffered by Coco Lee, who was a judge and has passed away, which has caused a stir among netizens across the country.

The "Voice of China" program has been heavily criticized. His personal experience seems to be similar to the key groups that Project Robin focuses on.In 2017, Chen Man, a famous female photographer who insulted Chinese people, was famous for her photos of Chinese people squinting in Dior ads to please white people, and for insulting Young Pioneers. Also selected as a "Young Global Leader".



The list of 2023 Young Global Leaders has been released:







So in the future, whenever you see someone in the country being awarded the "Future Young Global Leader", the national security department should keep an eye on it!

Penetration methods of the American Color Revolution:Cultivate public intellectuals in various professional fields, use the power of Western international discourse to gild the people they train abroad, including awarding international awards in their professional fields, conferring awards to foreign academicians, publishing papers in internationally influential magazines, and receiving funding , giving business customers to international big brands, etc.; then exporting to domestic sales, so as to gain the right to speak in the domestic field of the people trained, becoming influential figures in the field, and can influence the professional field; and then connect with the official , and through them, they will officially infiltrate US influence and influence official decision-making to achieve US strategic intentions.

Even the packaging method for Zelensky is the same. First, he funded Zelensky to become a popular TV drama idol, and then used his idol influence to run for president, and finally conveyed the will of the United States to control Ukraine.The national security department should focus on women who have studied abroad and majored in journalism and economics. They are likely to be the targets of the CIA's "Mockingbird Project".In addition, the spy experiences of two Chinese women who were recently captured by the national security department show that it now seems that the U.S. CIA has used the beauty trick during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union to develop Chinese female spies in the spy war against the Soviet Union.







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Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

China had an epic decade since 2012. Particularly in the last five years,which are truly momentous and extraordinary, the country has successfully dealt with major challenges including turbulent developments in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the COVID-19 epidemic. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will lay out plans for the strategic missions and major measures in the next five years, getting the efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects off to a good start."The incredible thing with China is that the scale and size of the country makes policy development very difficult, but the bureaucracy in China has done a very good job actually of largely navigating some difficult challenges," said John Key (Key), former prime minister of New Zealand. He shared his views on the ongoing 20th National Congress of the CPC in an interview with Global Times (GT) reporter Yu Jincui.Key: I went to China seven times as prime minister, so I had an opportunity to see various parts of the country and understand it a lot better. In the last 10 years, there's been a dramatic improvement in the living standards of hundreds of millions of Chinese people. I think that reflects the fact that China has a very vibrant and robust economy. I think it's had some very sensible policy settings for a long period of time. It's been an important part of the global supply chain.Really, I think the incredible thing with China is that the scale and size of the country makes policy development very difficult, but the bureaucracy in China has done a very good job actually of largely navigating some difficult challenges. There are obviously some challenges. But overall, you'd say in the last 10 to 20 years, China's done a good job of lifting a huge part of its population out of the poverty.Obviously, the CPC has played a critical role in the process because of the power that the ruling party has and the influence it has over the selection of everything from people to the policies they implement to the spending programs that they support. The scale of the development and the requirements on the system are tough. But I think over the last 10 to 20 years, it's been impressive what they've managed to achieve.Key: I think the West has, not universally but largely, accepted democracy is the system for ruling the country and is the most successful way of making sure that the people control mechanism, if you like, on politicians and on government. Obviously it's not solely the case, but there's been largely the case.I think every system has its frustrations. On the one hand, the fact that people can exercise the right to choose the government and to get rid of a government they don't like and to support policies that they think are right, has a huge number of benefits. And for the most part, I'm a great believer in democracy. On the other hand, I think when you have a country that's emerging, if you contrast China's rule by the CPC with India's democracy. You can see the challenges the democracy has in a very large populated country. It's been a lot easier for China to make some difficult decisions, but important ones, particularly around the building infrastructure and the planning of the growth of cities and those kinds of things. The systems worked really well for China.The thing I would still say is that the impressive thing about the Chinese leadership is they are very responsible to the people. Particularly with Xi Jinping and Li Keqiang as president and premier, they have been very active, very visible, very focused on challenges. And if there've been disasters of any sort, they've been very responsible. I think that they've been very conscious of the fact they can only really govern by the support of the people.

John Key Photo: Courtesy of Key

Key: Firstly, I think the CPC National Congress is a very important congress for the Party at this time, because China's taken a different approach to COVID from probably the rest of the world. And I think it's made the decision based on the scale of the population, the fact there are still a lot of people unvaccinated and the pressure that widespread COVID would put on the health system, so they've had to follow a [dynamic] zero COVID policy. And I think that's had economic implications for China. I think you have had also some challenges in your property sector.The congress happens at a time when there will be great optimism about what China can achieve over the next decade. But equally, the leadership will be focused on those challenges. They would probably focus on the fact that there's a lot of work to do.Key: You could go back to 2008 when the global financial crisis happened. China was really and certainly a store, if you like, that kept the global economy going. The United States had a lot of challenges, particularly in its banking system. Europe was quite weakened by the global financial crisis. It was really China's domestic economy, the strength of that economy and the strength of the balance sheet at a government level that supported the world through the global financial crisis. So there's not a question when you've got an economy the size of China's, the intersection of China's economy and the rest of the global supply chain, how important China will be over the next five years.I think one of the challenges over the last few years since Donald Trump was in office has been that there's been a changing of the narrative from the West toward China, a more negative focus from a lot of politicians and a lot of commentators. So I think one of the challenges for everyone on both sides in the next five years will be how to rebuild a better working relationship on both sides. China really does need the West as a strong trading partner and the West also needs China. They need to cooperate peacefully and in a productive way. There's no question China is emerging as a superpower and will be a superpower alongside the United States. They are both critical players and we need both of them to be successful.Key: I think the very strong focus of the Party, particularly under Xi Jinping's leadership, has been about the lifting of people out of poverty, about economic growth and development, and particularly focused on low-income Chinese people. So they've had a very strong focus on how they improved the financial well-being and therefore opportunities of the least well-off in China.One of the things that China has concerns about when it looks at the West is the growing inequality it sees and the social unrest born with it. So they've been very focused on that. They've also been very focused on what is required to allow a growth to take place. And it's very difficult. To do that you should have the infrastructure to support it. The Belt and Road Initiative has been quite an important initiative for the Party, partly because it links China with Europe, but partly because their infrastructure is critically important to allow non-inflationary, highly productive growth to take place.Equally, they've been very focused on the education system. I think they realize that the more highly skilled the population is, the higher wages that can be commanded. To be blunt in the last three or four years, they've been least focused on being a big exporting nation. There's more of the view that the domestic economy is so large that actually they can do pretty well just selling things more internally. But nevertheless, China is an important part of the global supply chain. It is a very important market for many international corporations and for many companies.This is the first part of the GT interview with the Right Honorable Sir John Key. The second part focusing on China-New Zealand relations will be published soon.
plural noun Greek Legend.two friends whose mutual loyalty was shown by Damon's offer of his life as pledge that Pythias would return from settling his affairs to be executed for rebelling against Dionysius: Pythias returned, and Dionysius relented and pardoned them both.

How to use Damon and Pythias

Damon and Pythias/ (demn) /

nounclassical myth two friends noted for their mutual loyalty. Damon offered himself as a hostage for Pythias, who was to be executed for treason by Dionysius of Syracuse. When Pythias returned to save his friend's life, he was pardoned

Cultural definitions for Damon and Pythias

Damon and Pythias[ (day-muhn; pith-ee-uhs) ]

In a Greek legend, two friends who were enormously loyal to each other. When the tyrannical ruler of their city condemned Pythias to death, Pythias pleaded for time to go home and put his affairs in order. Damon agreed to stay and die in place of Pythias if Pythias did not return by the time of the execution. Pythias was delayed, and Damon prepared to be executed. Pythias arrived just in time to save Damon. The ruler was so impressed by their friendship that he let them both live.

notes for Damon and Pythias

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Damon and Pythias symbolize devotion between friends.The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright  2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Dache [ da-shey; French da-shey ]/ de; French dae / New Word List Save This planet hollywood to caesars palaceWord! [ da-shey; French da-shey ]/ de; French dae /Save ThisWord!

nounLilly, 1914?1989, U.S. hat designer, born in France.

Words nearby Dache

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondacarbazine, Dacca, dace, dacha, Dachau, Dache, dachshund, Dacia, dacite, dack, dackerDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
A naval fleet comprised of the guided-missile destroyers Ningbo (Hull 139) and Taiyuan (Hull 131), as well as the guided-missile frigate Nantong (Hull 601), steams in astern formation in waters of the East China Sea during a maritime training drill in late January, 2021.Photo:China Military

With five Type 052D destroyers allegedly spotted under construction at the Dalian Shipyard, China is said to have restarted the mass production of this type of warship, with foreign media hyping that the fast pace of China's shipbuilding makes the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy "the largest navy in the world," a claim that Chinese analysts slammed on Tuesday as being the rhetoric of the "China threat" theory.An unverified picture recently circulating on social media showed what seemed to be five Type 052D destroyers at various stages of completion at the Dalian Shipyard in Northeast China's Liaoning Province, Paris-based media outlet Naval News reported on Sunday.In addition to these five, at least one more is being built at the Jiangnan Changxing Shipyard in Shanghai, and they will soon join the 25 warships of the same class currently in service with the PLA Navy, Naval News said, citing observers.China has not officially announced its warship construction plan.Since China aims to basically complete the modernization of its national defense and armed forces by 2035, including the development of a blue-water navy, to match the country's international status and better defend its interests, it is not unexpected if China is indeed building more advanced warships, particularly amid the current turbulent global security situation, analysts said.Before the latest round of destroyer construction, China's shipbuilding industry launched a record 10 destroyers in 2019 with eight more in 2021, Naval News reported, noting that with such a pace of construction, the PLA Navy "confirms its status of largest in the world," a rank reached in 2021, according to a Pentagon report.To say the PLA Navy is the largest in the world is an overstatement used to hype the "China threat" theory, because the Pentagon only counts the vessels' quantity and not quality - in this context, the displacement of the ships, a Beijing-based military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Tuesday.Comprehensively speaking, the US Navy is by far the largest in the world with 11 nuclear-powered super carriers. Even speaking by numbers, the US has some 70 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, many more than their Chinese Type 052D counterparts, the expert said.The PLA Navy's rapid development indeed reflects the capabilities of China's shipbuilding industry, but China uses the vessels to safeguard its sovereignty, territorial integrity and development interests, as well as provide public security service to the international community and contribute to peace and stability, unlike the US, which uses warships to maintain its global hegemony, the expert said.
Canadian researchers are raising concerns about the lack of health data as well as the long-term effects related to single-game and in-play sports gambling across the country.

Statistics Canada last collected national data on the prevalence of gambling back in 2018,yako casino 22 free spins fueling worries about what has changed since single-game sports betting was legalized in August 2021.

Matthew Young, the chief research officer for Greo Evidence Insights, said there has been an increase in online gambling since the passing of Bill C-128, the federal bill allowing gambling on single sport games.

Things changed cataclysmically, right, and as well as the change in Ontario legislation allowing private operators into the space, he said.
There are many words that sound the same or nearly the same, but have different meanings. In English, these words are called homophones.

Counsel, council, and consul are three often misused near homophones. To make matters worse, their contexts are often related.

For instance, the following example is grammatically correct, albeit somewhat confusing sentence.

The consul went to the council for counsel.

The three words are all used correctly. Of course, even if this visit is exactly the event you are trying to describe, you would want to rewrite that sentence. It is confusing to the point of distraction.

If you arent sure whether you mean to use council or counsel, or even consul, continue reading for an exploration of these words.

What is the Difference Between Council and Counsel?

In this article, I will compare council vs. counsel. I will use each word in a sentence, illustrating its proper meaning and context.

I will also explain a useful trick to help you decide whether council or counsel is correct, based on the context of your sentence.

When to Use Council

What does council mean? Councilis a noun. A councilis a group of people appointed to make decisions or give advice.

Councilis never a verb. Thus, a councilmight give counsel, but a councilwould never give council. See the examples below.

We have appointed a council to oversee important matters.

The council hereby denies your request for additional funding.

The NYC Food & Beverage Hospitality Council will be tasked with tackling such issues as regulations that can slow down restaurant openings and the shortage of skilled kitchen workers. The Wall Street Journal

When to Use Counsel

What does counsel mean? Counselcan be a noun or a verb.

As a verb, counselmeans to give advice or guidance.

As a noun, counselis a synonym of advice and guidance, especially that given formally from a lawyer, psychologist, etc. Thus, when you counsel someone, you are giving them counsel. The sentences below are examples of both uses.

Seek counsel from those who are wiser than you.

I counsel you to abandon this horseplay immediately.

The counsel of elders is valuable; you would do well to heed it.

Karl A. Roessner, who had been general counsel, takes over the role of chief executive and will join E-Trades board. The New York Times

When to Use Consul

What does consul mean? A third noun, consul, is a near homophone of counciland counsel. A consulis a diplomatic representative living in a foreign city. Consulis sometimes a synonym for ambassador.

For example,

The consul got in his car and drove to the embassy.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember counselvs. council

If the word you are using is a verb, use counsel. Counciland consulare never verbs.

The picture is less clear if the word is a noun. If the noun refers to a single person, living in another place, choose consul. For a group of people, living anywhere, choose councilinstead. If youre not referring to any people at all, use counselas a synonym for advice or guidance.

Consulrefers to a single person. Since consuland singular each contain a U, this usage should be easy to remember.

Summary

Is it council or counsel?Council, consuland counselare all nouns, but only counselcan also be used as a verb.

A council is a group of people appointed to make decisions.

A consul is an ambassador or representative in a foreign land.

Counsel is another word for advice.

As a verb, counselalso means to give advice.

Since consuland singular are both spelled with a U, you can remember that a consulis a single person, whereas a councilis a group of people.

If you are still confused, dont hesitate to check this article as often as you need for a quick refresher.
Manufacturers and providers of gaming machines for the land-based gambling industry IGT PLC and Aristocrat Leisure Ltd. today announced that they have reached a cross-licensing agreementfocused on intellectual property regarding game features and system patents. The involved parties did not disclose details on their agreement.

In addition to this, it appears that they have agreed to resolve outstanding litigation between them. IGT and Aristocrat have been involved in a court battle which was centered around the validity of certain slot machine patents. Last spring, IGT filed a court complaint arguing that devices manufactured by Aristocrat infringed ten of its patents. On the other hand, Aristocrat challenged four IGT patents. The latter responded by pointing out that the inventor of the four controversial patents, Joseph Kamnikow, had worked for IGT and had assigned them to its employer at that time.

Mr. Kamnikow joined Aristocrat in 2013 and took part in the development of the contentious slot machines. It is actually important to note that the two companies have found themselves in court several other times, each arguing that the other has stolen ideas and concepts from them.

Commenting on the latest agreement reached, IGT CEO North America Gaming and Interactive Renato Ascoli said that with his companys research and development investment and patent portfolio being among the largest in the industry, they are all pleased with that turn of events. The official further noted that the deal will help them build on their gaming innovation leadership and that it is indicative of both companies commitment to invest and preserve intellectual property value.

Aristocrat Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary Toni Korsanos added that they are pleased with the arrangements finalization and that producing value-adding innovation from mere ideas has always been central to his companys strategy to provide players with the greatest gaming experiencein the world.

IGT is among the leading providers of different products and services for both the land-based and remote gaming industry. Its products are now available in more than 100 countriesin different parts of the world.

Over the years, Aristocrat has, too, established itself as one of the most highly preferred manufacturers and providers of gaming solutions. Licensed by over 200 regulators, its products and services could be found in more than 90 jurisdictions.
Cortazar [ kawr-tah-sahr ]/ krt sr / New Word List Save This aus v india odds all spins win 263Word! [ kawr-tah-sahr ]/ krt sr /Save ThisWord!

nounJulio [hoo-lyaw], /hu ly/, 191484, Argentine novelist and short-story writer; French citizen after 1981.

Words nearby Cortazar

How to use in a sentence He also speaks French, having studied in Paris, where he knew Julio Cortazar. Elias Khoury: Profile of the Essential Arab Novelist Today|Jacob Silverman|August 3, 2012|DAILY BEAST

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!QuestionCorsican, Corsicana, CORSO, cort., cortadito, Cortazar, cortege, Cortelyou, Cortes, Cortes, Hernando, cortexDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What Is the EV/2P Ratio?elite betting software

The EV/2P ratio is a ratio used to value oil and gas companies. It consists of the enterprise value (EV) divided by the proven and probable (2P) reserves. The enterprise value reflects the company's total value. Proven and probable (2P) refers to energy reserves, such as oil, that are likely to be recovered.

The Formula for the EV/2P Ratio Is

 EV/2P = Enterprise Value 2P Reserves where: 2P Reserves = Total proven and probable reserves Enterprise Value = MC + Total Debt  TC MC = Market capitalization TC = Total cash and cash equivalents \begin{ aligned} &\text{ EV/2P} = \frac{ \text{ Enterprise Value} }{ \text{ 2P Reserves} } \\ &\textbf{ where:} \\ &\text{ 2P Reserves} = \text{ Total proven and probable reserves} \\ &\text{ Enterprise Value} = \text{ MC} + \text{ Total Debt} - \text{ TC} \\ &\text{ MC} = \text{ Market capitalization} \\ &\text{ TC} = \text{ Total cash and cash equivalents} \\ \end{ aligned} EV/2P=2P ReservesEnterprise Valuewhere:2P Reserves=Total proven and probable reservesEnterprise Value=MC+Total DebtTCMC=Market capitalizationTC=Total cash and cash equivalents

2P reserves are the total of proven and probable reserves. Proved reserves are likely to be recovered, whereas probable reserves are less likely to be recovered than proved reserves. The sum of proved and probable reserves is represented by 2P.

How to Calculate the EV/2P Ratio

Obtain or calculate the enterprise value of the company. The EV is often calculated for investors but if not, add the market capitalization and total debt together and subtract out cash. Plug the EV value in the numerator. Plug the 2P reserves value into the denominator and divide it into EV.

What Does the EV/2P Ratio Tell You?

Enterprise value compared to proven and probable reserves is a metric that helps analysts understand how well a company's resources will support its operations and growth. Ideally, the EV/2P ratio should not be used in isolation, as not all reserves are the same. However, it can still be an important metric if little is known about the company's cash flow.

Reserves can be proven, probable, or possible reserves. The proven reserves are typically known as 1P, with many analysts referring to it as P90, or having a 90% probability of being produced. Probable reserves are referred to as P50 or having a 50% certainty of being produced. When used in conjunction with one another, it is referred to as 2P.

When the EV/2P multiple is high, it means the company is trading at a premium for a given amount of oil in the ground. Conversely, a low value would suggest a potentially undervalued company.

The EV/2P ratio is comparable to other more common ratios used in valuation such as enterprise value or P/E ratios. These ratios express a company's value as a multiple of earnings or assets.

It's important to compare a company's EV/2P ratio with those of similar companies and with the historical values of the ratio. Using historical and industry comparisons can help investors determine if a company is undervalued, overvalued, or fairly valued.

Key Takeaways

Enterprise value compared to proven and probable reserves is a metric that helps analysts understand how well a company's resources will support its operations and growth.

The EV/2P ratio is a ratio used to value oil and gas companies. It consists of the enterprise value (EV) divided by the proven and probable (2P) reserves.

It's important to compare a company's EV/2P ratio with those of similar companies and with the historical values of the ratio.

Example of the EV/2P Ratio

Let us assume that an oil company has an enterprise value of $2 billion and proven and probable reserves of 100 million barrels:

 EV/2P = $ 2 Billion $ 1 0 0 Million = 2 0 \begin{ aligned} &\text{ EV/2P} = \frac{ \$2 \text{ Billion} }{ \$100 \text{ Million} } = 20 \\ \end{ aligned} EV/2P=$100 Million$2 Billion=20

The EV/2P ratio = 20 or the company has a 20 multiple. In other words, the company is valued at 20 times its enterprise value to 2P reserves.

Whether the 20 multiple is high, low, or fairly valued depends on other oil companies within the same industry.

The Difference Between the EV/2P Ratio and EV/EBITDA

Enterprise value compared to earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization is also referred to as the enterprise multiple. The EV/EBITDA ratio compares the oil and gas business, free of debt, to EBITDA. This is an important metric as oil and gas firms typically have a great deal of debt and the EV includes the cost of paying it off. By stripping out debt, analysts can see how well the company is valued.

The EV/2P ratio on the other hand also uses enterprise value in its formula, but instead of using EBITDA, the ratio includes proven and probable (2P) reserves. The EV/2P ratio is important when judging the potential or possible growth of an oil company since proven and probable (2P) reserves are likely to be recovered.

Limitations of the EV/2P Ratio

As mentioned earlier, the EV/2P ratio includes total debt in its calculation because enterprise value also includes total debt. Oil companies typically carry significant amounts of debt on their balance sheets, which is normal for the industry. Debt is used to top finance oil rigs, equipment, and the cost of exploration.

As a result, the extra debt would put the EV of oil companies at a much higher valuation than most other industries that carry less debt. Investors should be aware of the unique capital structures of oil and gas companies when using any valuation metric including the EV/2P ratio.
What Is a Leadership Grid?slotvibe casino code

The Leadership Grid is a model of behavioral leadership developed in the 1960s by Robert Blake and Jane Mouton. Previously known as the Managerial Grid, the Leadership Grid is based on two behavioral dimensions: concern for production, which is plotted on the X-axis on a scale from one to nine points; and concern for people, which is plotted on a similar scale along the Y-axis.

The model identified five leadership styles by their relative positions on the grid. The first number in the examples below reflects a leader's concern for production; the second, a leader's concern for people.

Impoverished (1,1)

Produce or Perish (9, 1)

Middle of the Road (5, 5)

Country Club (1, 9)

Team (9, 9)

Key Takeaways

The Leadership Grid is a model of behavioral leadership developed in the 1960s to measure concern for production against concern for people.

The grid identifies five types of leaders: Impoverished, Produce or Perish, Middle of the Road, Country Club, and Team.

The Team approach is considered the most effective form of leadership, according to the creators of the Leadership Grid.

Understanding the Leadership Grid

The Leadership Grid demonstrates that placing an undue emphasis on one area, while overlooking the other, stifles productivity. The model proposes that the Team leadership style, which displays a high degree of concern for both production and people, may boost employee productivity.

Some of the perceived benefits of using the Leadership Grid include its ability to measure performance as well as the ability to perform a self-analysis of your own leadership style. Businesses and organizations continue to use the grid.

There are some perceived limitations to the Leadership Grid, however. For example, it may offer a flawed self-assessment, due in part to its use of minimal empirical data to support the effectiveness of the grid. The model also does not take into account a variety of factors, such as the work environment and internal or external variables that may be factors.

Types of Behaviors Found on the Leadership Grid

The Impoverished or Indifferent leadership style in the model refers to the style that shows little regard for the team or overall production. Such leaders' efforts and concerns are more centered on self-preservation, which includes not allowing any actions to blowback on them.

The Produce or Perish leadership style focuses solely on production with a Draconian disregard for the needs of the workers on the team. The leader who follows this path may see high attrition rates due to their need for control and neglect of the team's needs.

The Middle of the Road leadership approach offers a balance of speaking to the teams needs as well as the organizations production needs, but neither aspect is adequately fulfilled in the process. This may lead to average and below average results in team performance and satisfaction.

Someone with a Country Club leadership style sees the teams needs first and foremost over everything else. The assumption by the leader is that happiness within the team will naturally lead to improved productivity; however, there is no guarantee.

The Team approach is considered to be the most effective form of leadership, according to the Leadership Grid's creators. The leader shows a commitment to staff empowerment as well as toward increasing productivity. By encouraging the workers to operate as a team, the belief is they will be motivated to accomplish more.
Online Casino. A virtual version of the bricks-and-mortar casino has risen to fame in late 2000 though conservative gamblers seemed hesitant to try it. Theold friv pure edmonton casinore was a stigma before that everything done online might be an internet virus carrier, cyber scammers, cyber thieves, and many others which brought forth scare to most punters at that time. For that reason, the casino operators became vigilant and installed sophisticated firewalls for the protection of their loyal clients.

How did Online casinos become popular?

The advancement of technology like AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) and the innovation of smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets prompted the popularity of online casinos. Moreover, the internet boom seemed to be pervading and it became part of peoples lifestyle. More and more young people and yuppies got interested in online gambling and the demand for it skyrocketed before the year 2020 hit.

Turbulent time hit late 2019 until the lockdown period during the year 2020 made people realize the beauty of wagering online. The market of online casinos tripled and thus became the game-changer of the industry not just in video games but also in the world of betting.

During those times, the renowned Finnish online site was there and until now, still here to bring delight to the punters. Check and see the best online casinos here also known as katso upeat netticasinot taalta'' in Finnish and experience their latest and the grandest online game sites bettors would surely love.

Gambling industry in Finland

Since the very first slot machine for Germany came to Finland back in the 1920s, never was a time that people ever had a chance not to be involved in gambling. You see, Finns are happy people and they love entertainment a lot. Gambling has already been part of their culture so the very first entity, the largest authority in the world of gambling, Ray was established. Its main role is to control the ins and outs of the casino. Ray was one of the gambling monopolies in the country and is best known for slot machines.

Later came Veikkaus Oy, responsible for the lottery, instant win games, and sports betting. Fintoto Oy, responsible for horse racing and the PAF or Alands Penningautomatforening , based in Alands islands and is responsible for the provincial Casinos and cruise ships going to the Baltic Sea. Some of the gambling proceeds though go to Art, charities and, Science

At present, because of the breakthrough of technology, wagering seems to be more and more popular especially since people can just place their bets anytime, anywhere using their mobile phones.

Laws in Finland stated that it is illegal for offshore casinos to operate nor advertise in the country but there are no rules that prohibit Finns from accessing international casinos

Game Choices

The choice of games to most people in Finland varies from the site that they were into and the type of software they are using. Generally, famous sites prefer Microgaming, IGT, and NetEnt. Each of this software is unique but all of them promise wonderful more than a thousand game sites that Finns surely enjoy playing.

Bonuses and Promos

The majority of casino sites offer various classifications of bonuses and promos to attract prospective clients to sign up to the casino site. If the clien

t registered to the casino site, automatically a welcome bonus will be generously given along with its perks and promos. The next one is the no deposit bonus. This type of bonus is fascinating because the player can enjoy playing it even if the player hasnt made a deposit yet. The catch here is if there are any winnings, the player should comply with some requirements before they can withdraw the casino money. Next is the reload bonus. This type of bonus is a loyalty bonus given to the clients who stayed on the casino site for quite some time and made another deposit.

These three bonuses mentioned are just some of the bonuses that online casinos offer which is the best advantage compared to land-based casinos.

Category: Casino Blog
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How to use in a sentence GEN. Corpus compressissimum, assulaeforme: caput crassius, minus altum, declive. Discoveries in Australia, Volume 1.|J Lort Stokes

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The Great Wizard of Northampton, the author Alan Moore, recently spoke to The Telegraph to promote the upcoming paperback release of his (fantastic) short story collection, Illuminations. Despite Moore's reputation as a grump, the interview starts off on a positive note:

I'm having a very good time of [prose fiction. My publishers] respect my decisions and opinions. And I own my own work. It doesn't sound like a lot if you're used to traditional grown-up publishing, but it means an awful lot if you're used to the comic books industry. It does make me wish that I'd maybe gone into writing prose fiction back in the late Seventies.

Alan Moore saying  nice things an industry that profits off creative work? Stranger things have happened!

In reality, Moore has always been a delight. His famously curmudgeonly attitude was the result of a series of flagrant mistreatments and abuses from the mainstream comic book industry, mostly from DC. Moore's comic book work is the stuff of legends (though even in this interview, he notes that, "I didn't mean my experiments with comics to be immediately taken up as something that the whole industry should do"). As Moore's daughter so eloquently explained, the betrayals of the industry really soured him on the whole superhero scene; now, he mostly captures headlines when he trash-talks superhero movies that he's never seen, because he's understandably bitter towards the entire industry.

Moore's frustrations with the comic book industry reached a breaking point after the 1987 publication of Watchmensupposedly the best-selling graphic novel of all time, which also inspired a mediocre movie adaptation, a fantastic TV sequel adaptation, and, eventually, a bunch of pointless but pretty prequel comic books. The characters in Watchmen were originally derived from several Charlton Comics characters, to which DC Comics had published the intellectual property rights. Moore and his collaborator Dave Gibbons used those Charlton characters are jumping off points for their own original creations, with the understanding that the rights to the Watchmen (not Charlton) characters would revert back to Moore and Gibbons after the book went out of print. At the time, this seemed like a reasonable agreementbecause, at the time, graphic novel publications of periodical comic books weren't really a thing! But Watchmen changed all that. The book has never gone out of print.

Though Watchmen was the first such notable rift in the relationship between Moore and DC, it was hardly the last. The company has offered the occasional olive branch to Moore, including altered royalty payments, et cetera. To this day, DC still sends some money to Moore  whatever their lawyers determine to be fair compensation. But Moore doesn't care; he just wants them to honor the spirit of their original agreement. And the intellectual property rights to Watchmen are far too valuable for DC to ever give up.

So what does Moore do with the money they try to pay him off with? As he told The Telegraph:

I no longer wish [the money] to even be shared with them. I don't really feel, with the recent films, that they have stood by what I assumed were their original principles. So I asked for DC Comics to send all of the money from any future TV series or films to Black Lives Matter.

The whole god damn world has gaslit everyone into writing off Alan Moore as some crotchety old bastard. But he's the real deal, and always has been.

(Illuminations, the book Moore is promoting, includes a roughly 200-page novella titled "What We Can Know About Thunderman," which is sort of a Kafka-esque fever dream inspired by all the ways that he's been screwed by the comics industry.)

Can you imagine if he hadnt been fucked over? If instead of being Grumpy Alan Moore Shouting From His Cave he had spent the past 40 years putting out book after book for DC and the rest? Creating vast worlds full of the superheroes he loves? Enjoying comics? Its a damn shame.  Leah Moore (@leahmoore) November 21, 2019

Alan Moore interview: 'I'm giving all my screen royalties to Black Lives Matter' [Jake Kerridge / The Telegraph]
Jesse Watters: Why don't we ever hear about whether Biden's ties to China are affecting his policy?

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'The Five' co-hosts discuss President Biden neglecting to bring up the fentanyl crisis at a meeting with Chinese President Xi and instead arguing the world expects the U.S. and China to address climate change.

Several Chinese aircraft and naval vessels entered the Taiwan Strait, crossing into Taiwans Air Defense Identification Zone, its government announced early Wednesday morning.

"16 PLA aircraft and 3 PLAN vessels around Taiwan were detected by 6 a.m.," its government said, prompting them to send naval vessels of their own in response.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is Chinas official designation for the military forces, including naval forces (PLAN) controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

A US-made CH-47 helicopter flies an 18-meter by 12-meter national flag at a military base in Taoyuan. (SAM YEH/AFP via Getty Images)

"[The Republic of Chinas Armed Forces] have monitored the situation and responded to these activities with aircraft in CAP, naval vessels, and land-based missile systems," the Taiwanese government added.

TAIWAN SCRAMBLES JETS, MISSILE SYSTEMS AFTER DETECTING 11 CHINESE AIRCRAFT, VESSELS NEAR ISLAND

Taipeis defense ministry also provided flight paths for the Chinese military vessels, including the identification of the aircraft.

"5 of the detected aircraft (J-10*2, Y-8 EW, BZK-005 UAV RECCE and Y-8 ASW) had crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwans SW ADIZ, flight paths as illustrated," the government wrote with a photo of the Nov. 15 flight paths.

On Monday, President Joe Biden told reporters he did "not think there's any imminent attempt on the part of China to invade Taiwan," following a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Biden also said a new Cold War with China would not be happening as the U.S. continues communicating with its leaders.

"I absolutely believe there's need not be a new Cold War," Biden said. "I've met many times with Xi Jinping and we were candid and clear with one another across the board. And I do not think there's any imminent attempt on the part of China to invade Taiwan."

BIDEN SAYS AFTER XI MEETING HE DOESNT BELIEVE THERE IS IMMINENT ATTEMPT FROM CHINA TO INVADE TAIWAN

He added: "And I made it clear that our policy on Taiwan has not changed at all. It's the same exact position we've had. I made it clear that we want to see cross-trade issues peacefully resolved and so it never has to come to that."

Taiwan's precautionary discovery on Wednesday come as China continues to conduct wargames in the region to test its latest military technologies.

Chinese military helicopters fly past Pingtan island, one of mainland China's closest point from Taiwan, in Fujian province on August 4, 2022. (HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)

Earlier this month, Taiwan was forced to scramble jets and its military defense system after it similarly detected 11 Chinese aircraft near its island.

US TO SEND B-52 BOMBERS TO AUSTRALIA IN MOVE CHINA WARNS COULD 'TRIGGER' ARMS RACE

The Nov. 5 sighting came just days after senior PLA officers said its military was "on full-time standby" for a potential war in the Strait.

U.S. officials and its international partners have cautioned the Chinese government against military escalation and some have vowed to intervene, should China invade.

G7 TAKES AIM AT CHIEF ADVERSARIES AND URGES PEACE FROM UN LEADERS RUSSIA, CHINA

In October, Jinping said he would continue to "fully enhance training and preparation for war."

"We must be fully prepared to respond to external interference and major incidents relating to Taiwan independence through non-peaceful means and other necessary measures, always maintain a high state of readiness, and be ready for war at all times," Major General Liu Yantong, the head of the Central Military Commissions research bureau, added at the time.

A Chinese military jet flies over Pingtan island, one of mainland China's closest points to Taiwan, in Fujian province on August 6, 2022. (HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)

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Taiwan identifies itself as a sovereign nation with democratic values. This prioritization on democracy sets itself apart from mainland China, which is communist-ruled, and has allowed Taiwan to attract international partnerships.

Most of these partners though, including the U.S., officially recognized Taiwan as a territory of China. The U.S. and the United Nations and both agree to the one-China policy.

Fox News' Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.
English is full of verbs that seem interchangeable or at least only trivially different, but skilled writers know when and how to use them for maximum clarity.

Could and would are two such verbs. They both have many uses, which makes them confusing for many beginning writers and English language learners.

Although they seem similar, there are definite situations when one word is more appropriate than the other. Verb choice is a crucial part of careful writing, so read on to find out the differences between these two confusing verbs.

What is the Difference Between Could and Would?

In this article, I will compare could vs. would, and I will use both words in several example sentences. This way, you will be able to see them in their proper context.

Additionally, I will show you a memory tool that can help you choose would or could correctly every time.

When to Use Could

What does could mean? Could is a verb with many senses.

Could is the past tense of can, a verb used to denote ability. In this sense, couldrefers to some ability that someone had in the past.

For example,

In high school, I could dunk a basketball.

In my prime, I could bench press 250 pounds.

In both of these examples, couldis being used to express an ability that the speaker had in the past.

In other instances, couldis a modal verb used to denote possibility. It is also used for some conditional present and future tenses of can.

For example,

You could have gone to the park with your friends if you had finished your homework on time.

Over the next three days, temperatures could reach the low 20s in Washington, posing one last crucial test for the buds. The Washington Post

In both of these examples, couldis expressing possibility: things that could have been true or things that could yet come true.

For more on condition sentences, see here.

When to Use Would

What does would mean? Would is also a verb with many senses.

Wouldis the past tense of will, which denotes both ability and certainty.

In high school, I would do my homework on the bus.

While I was working, I would go out to eat more frequently.

In these examples, the speaker is using wouldto express a past action, which is helpful when comparing wouldvs. could.

Lets take the first of these two examples,

In high school, I could do my homework on the bus.

In high school, I would do my homework on the bus.

As you can see, couldis simply making a statement of ability. When I was in high school, I could do my homework on the bus. I had the ability to do my homework on the bus, but this doesnt mean that I did. I simply had the ability to do so.

Conversely, wouldis making a definite claim. Doing my homework on the bus was something that I did do, not just something that I had the ability to do.

Would is also a modal verb used to denote possibility, and it often refers to something that is conditional but definite within those conditions.

Here are some examples,

If I were to take a vacation, it would be somewhere warm and tropical.

I would buy a big house if I had a million dollars.

A mega-luxury deal that would merge Neiman Marcus with the company that owns Saks Fifth Avenue is in the works, sources told The Post. New York Post

Again, these examples make definite claims. Lets again look at the first example,

If I were to take a vacation, it could be somewhere warm and tropical.

If I were to take a vacation, it would be somewhere warm and tropical.

As you can see, could is making a simple claim of ability. If I were to take a vacation, it couldbe somewhere tropical, but it also couldbe somewhere coldperhaps Colorado to go skiing.

But, when we use would, there is no question where the vacation will be. It will be somewhere tropical.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Could and would are related, but they mean different things. Could expresses possibility, while would expresses certainty and intent.

A good way to remember the differences between these two words is simply to bring each word back to its root verb.

Couldis the past tense of can.

Wouldis the past tense of will.

If you are looking to make a statement of ability, think to yourself, I can do that.

If you are looking to make a statement of certainty or intent, think to yourself, I will do that.

This wont alwaysget you to the right answer, but it should work most of the time.

Summary

Is it could or would? Both could and would are verbs that have many senses.

Could is a conditional verb that expresses possibility.

Would is a conditional verb that expresses certainty, intent, or both.

Could is also the past tense of can. Would is the past tense of will. Both of these words start with the same letter as their root verb, which makes them easy to remember.
Taiwan Culture Minister Lung Ying-tai said Oct. 15 that her agency is mulling a publication policy to help Taiwan literary works break into the global market.

The policy would provide for translations to help writers make it onto the world stage and increase opportunities to sell the rights to their works, Lung said. Related policies for the cultural and creative industry as well as the film and television sectors will be unveiled when their budgets are confirmed, she added.

Lung made the remarks during a 90-minute interview with the BBC in Taipei City. She stressed that Taiwan has many established writers who deserve the same level of international attention accorded to other novelists, poets and playwrights working in Chinese.

In response to mainland Chinese novelist Mo Yan capturing the 2012 Nobel Prize in literature, Lung said mainland China now has three Nobel laureates, with one locked up and another locked out.

Beijing should use this opportunity to let Mo become a cultural ambassador, while freeing one, and letting another back in, she added. During the interview she did not name the other two Nobel recipients, but made her references to imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Liu Xiaobo and literature prize winner Gao Xingjian, a French national who is banned from returning to mainland China, explicit in a news conference afterwards.

Regarding the possibility of a cross-strait cultural agreement, Lung pointed out that such a pact cannot be decided solely by the MOC as it involves the ROC Mainland Affairs Council, National Security Bureau and Taipei-based Straits Exchange Foundation. If there were to be such a deal, it should not be an empty declaration, but a real cultural exchange, she said.

Separately, while meeting earlier in the day with a Turkish delegation headed by Safak Pavey, a member of the U.N. Committee on Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Lung said the MOC is considering establishing an office in Istanbul to boost cultural understanding between Taiwan and Turkey.

Istanbul, at the junction of Asia and Europe, is a hub for cultural dissemination, Lung said. Exchanges with Turkey would do much to deepen cultural understanding, especially with regard to the Islamic world.

Grace Kuo

Taiwan Today

MOC to promote Taiwan literature globallyadded by chinatimesonline on

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What Is Obligation?trevor lawrence bet dino nft game

An obligation is the responsibility of a party to meet the terms of a contract or agreement. If an obligation is not met, the legal system often provides recourse for the injured party.

Key Takeaways

Obligations are responsibilities, often in the form of a contract, such as a mortgage or auto loan.

The Financial Obligation Ratio published by the Fed is a good benchmark for household budgeting.

Failure to meet obligations is often met with punishment, such as imprisonment or fines.

Debt, liquidity, and solvency ratios are all used to measure a firm's ability to meet its debt obligations.

Understanding Obligation

Obligations are the backbone of our economy. Trusting that a contract will be adhered to helps create a stable, healthy society. Individuals, corporations, governments, banks, and institutionsany entity that operates within a societymust regularly fulfill their obligations, or else face punishment.

Financial obligations represent any outstanding debts or regular payments that a party must make. For example, if you owe or will owe money to anybody, that is one of your financial obligations. Almost any form of payment or financial security represents a financial obligation. Coins, banknotes, shares of stock, and bonds are all promises or obligations that you will be credited with the accepted value of the item or gain certain rights or privileges by holding it.

Many formal financial obligations, like mortgages, student loans, or scheduled service payments are set down in written contracts signed by both parties and establish a creditor-debtor relationship of obligation.

Money can be construed as a financial obligation mandated by the government as legal tender, obliging producers or vendors to sell goods in exchange for currency such as coins and banknotes.





Obligation and Personal Finance

Obligations are an important aspect of personal finance. Every budget should first include all financial obligations for which the individual is responsible over the given time period. The Financial Obligation Ratio (FOR), a quarterly figure released by the Federal Reserve Board that estimates the ratio of household debt payments to disposable income, is a useful benchmark for individual budgets.

Assessing obligations carefully is especially important for retirement planning. When planning over longer periods of time such as retirement or for your child's college fund, the individual budgeter should consider more long-term obligations such as interest rates on mortgage payments or healthcare costs that have yet to be incurred.

14.7

The recommended financial obligation ratio for the last quarter of 2020.

Obligation Vs. Rights

Obligation means something particular in the world of derivatives, and especially in options trading. A call option, for instance, is a financial contract that gives the option buyer the right, but notthe obligation, to buy a stock, bond, commodity, or other asset or instrument at a specified price within a specific time period. This means that the option holder can decide whether or not to invoke that right, and is not obliged to do so.

Options trading can be complicated and investors sometimes mistakenly believe purchasing a call option requires you to buy a certain amount of stock at the strike price, but this is not the case. In fact, one of the most attractive aspects of buying a call option versus simply buying a stock is that it gives the trader exposure to a large amount of stock for a smaller amount of money, called the premium.

A futures or forward contract, on the other hand, assigns both the right and the obligation to deliver or receive the underlying asset or instrument.

Obligations arent just financial, such as the case of a politicians obligation to faithfully represent their constituents.

Obligation Examples

The failure to meet one's obligations is often met with punishment, the degree of which depends on the character of the contract. For example, if an individual fails to make their car payments regularly, the auto company will repossess the car.

Taxes, too, are a form of obligation, and failing to meet them results in large fines or imprisonment. When large companies fail and find themselves unable to fulfill their outstanding debts, they can declare bankruptcy, which initiates the relief of the total debt for the debtor while allowing the creditor to recuperate some of their losses in the form of assets held by the debtor.

Obligations can be held by any individual or entity that is engaged in any sort of contract with another party, and broadly speaking, can be written or unwritten. A politician, for example, has the written obligation to serve all of their constituents within the confines of the law, but they may also have an unwritten obligation to make decisions that will affect their largest donors. The existence of these kinds of agreements is nearly impossible to prove and such obligations cannot be effectively regulated. Justice systems dating back to the Romans have offered stringent legal enforcement of important contracts.

What Are Collateralized Debt Obligations?

A collateralized debt obligation or CDO is a complex structured finance product backed by a pool of loans and other assets that are then sold to institutional investors. CDOs are a type of derivative and played a significant role in the 2007 housing crisis.

What Ratios Measure a Firm's Ability to Meet Its Current Debt Obligations?

The debt ratio, which is defined as the ratio of total debt to total assets, is often used to measure how likely a financial institution is to meet its obligations. Liquidity and solvency ratios are also commonly used for the same purpose.

What Obligations Does the Federal Government Have to the States?

The federal government is obligated to guarantee each state a republican form of government, protect each state from invasion, and, when expressly asked by the state's legislature or executive, to protect the state against "domestic violence."

What Are Reasons for Terminating Contractual Obligations?

Contractual obligations can be legally terminated for any of the following reasons: fraud, a breach of contract, if both parties agree to end the contract due to a mutual mistake, or a legal term known as "impossibility of performance."
USO ramps up operations to help service members, families celebrate the holidays

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USO CEO and President J.D. Crouch II discusses USO's operation to help service members and their families celebrate the holidays on 'Fox News Live.'

Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, has shared a message exclusively with Fox News Digital about giving back to others ahead of the Thanksgiving season.

"There's no better way to get into the holiday spirit than giving back," he said in comments to Fox News Digital this week, ahead of the holiday.

"While it's easy to dwell on what divides us," he added, there "are some ways to serve friends and neighbors as we enter the holiday season."

NATIONAL WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA DAY, DEC. 17: REMEMBERING OUR FALLEN VETERANS DURING THE HOLIDAYS

This is a tough period of time for many Americans, who may be dealing with higher food and gas costs, battling health challenges, living on fixed incomes  and/or facing a lack of affordable and nutritious food.

Sen. Lankford's message highlights the ways in which Americans can help other Americans.

Bless people who are alone

Among his points: Host others in your own home.

Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma shakes the hand of an American veteran. There are many ways Americans can help each other during this Thanksgiving and holiday season. (Lankford Press Office)

"Celebrating with family is a blessing, but some people aren't able to join their family this year," the senator says in his Thanksgiving message.

He suggests that people "offer an extra plate at your table as a way to bless people who are alone."

Prepare their pantry

Another idea: Think about donating to a local food pantry or food bank in order to help those who don't have enough to eat.

ON VETERANS DAY, NEW YORK TEEN HONORS WWII VETERAN WITH MEMORIAL AND PERSONALIZED CREATIONS

This may include those who are working two jobs  yet still don't have the ability to fully provide for their households.

Sen. Lankford shared these holiday tips and ideas for giving and for thoughtfulness toward fellow Americans. (Lankford Press Office)

"Thanksgiving," says the senator, "is a great time to donate nonperishable items to a local food bank."

There are other ways as well 

Serve by shopping

It's not easy for those who can't drive, or who don't have other means of traveling, to get out to the store to buy what they need.

Sure, they can order deliveries to their homes  but they may not be able to afford all that they need.

"Look for service opportunities in your community, such as serving a Thanksgiving meal, or buying gifts for those in need." (iStock)

So, "ask your neighbors if you can serve them by making an extra stop at the store," says the senator.

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For additional ideas on how to help others who may benefit from a thoughtful and helping hand, Sen. Lankford also suggests giving of your time.

Families can get the kids involved, too.

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He also advises checking with your church or other house of worship to see how else you may be able to help those in your community.

Maureen Mackey is managing editor of lifestyle for Fox News Digital.
Developer and supplier of iGaming solutions Yggdrasil Gaming today announced the addition of a brand-new Missions featureto the BOOST set of in-game promotional tools. The newly added product offers players the chance to compete against each other by completing different missions and thus win big prizes.

The October Mission promotional campaign kicked off today and will run through October 13, with a special raffle running from October 14 to October 16. The October Mission comes with an overall prize pool of 25,000. Operators that host the Vikings Go Wild, Golden Fish Tank, and Holmes and the Stolen Stonegames, known to be among Yggdrasil Gamings most popular titles, will be given access to the October challenge.

Their players will have to complete three missionsthis month  to hit free spins in Vikings Go Wild, to score winnings in four consecutive spins in Golden Fish Tank, and to collect five shards of any color in Holmes and the Stolen Stones.

The player who needs the fewest spins to complete this months mission will top the leaderboard to win the first-place prize of 5,000. The total amount of 20,000 will be distributed to the top 200 finishers. In addition, all players comprising top 500 of the leaderboard will take part in an additional raffle worth 5,000.

Once the October Mission network-wide campaign is completed, operators will be able to access Missions through BOOST. A suite of Missions with preliminary determined objectiveswill be available. As early as next month, Yggdrasil Gaming clients will be able to combine objectives and to create Missions corresponding to their players demand.

Commenting on the recent addition of a new BOOST feature, Yggdrasil Gaming CEO Fredrik Elmqvist said that it is their mission to always provide gambling customers with much deeper, more exciting experienceand that the new product is certainly capable of doing this as it creates a more competitive environment within the online slot games. In addition, it offers operators the chance to deploy a bigger amount of creativity when gamifying their offering.

According to Mr. Elmqvist, Missions complements BOOST and its set of in-game promotional tools in an ideal manner and is yet another product that allows gambling operators to pamper their customers.
civic reddit crypto betpro360 tipsshows grade level based on the word's complexity. day boy New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun Chiefly British.a male boarding-school student who lives at home.

Words nearby day boy

How to use day boy dayboy/ (deb) / nounBritish a boy who attends a boarding school daily, but returns home each evening Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question day boyFirst recorded in 184050day and night, daybeacon, daybed, day blindness, daybook, day boy, daybreak, day-by-day, day camp, day care, daycare centreDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Chongqing will greatly increase the special support fund for culture industry from 2013 on,new online sportsbooks and the projects of culture industry with characteristics will receive greater support from the government, said Chongqing Administration of Culture, Radio and Television,

The special support fund reportedly has been raised to 20 million yuan per year in 2011 from the 10 million yuan per year in 2006 when it was set up.

In addition, subsidies and loans, etc. will be given to exploit characteristic cultural products, upgrade traditional culture industry, purchase technical equipment, develop emerging culture industry and build a bunch of parks and bases which play leading roles.

Chongqing to increase financial support for culture industryadded by chinatimesonline on

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What Is a Short Sale?activision cryptocurrency

A short sale in real estate is an offer of a property at an asking price that is less than the amount due on the current owner's mortgage.

A short sale is usually a sign of a financially distressed homeowner who needs to sell the property before the lender seizes it in a foreclosure.

All of the proceeds of a short sale go to the lender. The lender then has two optionsto forgive the remaining balance or to pursue a deficiency judgment that requires the former homeowner to pay the lender all or part of the difference. In some states, this difference in price must be forgiven.

Key Takeaways

A short sale usually indicates a homeowner in financial distress, a real estate market in the doldrums, or both.

The short sale must be approved in advance by the mortgage lender.

The former owner may be required to pay the shortfall or the debt may be forgiven.

The financial consequences of a short sale may be less severe than a foreclosure for both the seller and the lender.

For a home buyer, a short sale can be a good opportunity if approached cautiously.

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Understanding a Short Sale

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Short sales usually occur when a homeowner is in financial distress and has missed one or more mortgage payments. Foreclosure proceedings may be looming ahead.

They also are more likely to occur when the housing market is in a down period, such as the 2007-2009 financial crisis which caused home prices to plummet and sales to slow in many regions.

For example, if real estate values drop, a homeowner may end up selling a house for $150,000 when there is still $175,000 remaining to be paid on the mortgage. The difference of $25,000 (less any closing and other selling costs) is called the deficiency.

Lender Sign-Off

Before the process can begin, the mortgage lender must sign off on a decision to execute a short sale, sometimes termed a pre-foreclosure sale.

The lender, typically a bank, requires that the mortgage holder submit documentation explaining why a short sale makes sense. No short sale can occur without the lender's prior approval.

Short sales tend to be lengthy and paperwork-intensive transactions, taking up to a full year to process. They are not as detrimental to a homeowners credit rating as a foreclosure.

Discrimination in mortgage lending is illegal. If you think you've been discriminated against based on race, religion, sex, marital status, use of public assistance, national origin, disability, or age, there are steps you can take. One is to file a report to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) or with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Special Considerations

A short sale hurts a persons credit score less than a foreclosure but it is still a negative credit mark. Any type of property sale that is denoted by a credit company as not paid as agreed is a ding on the score. Short sales, foreclosures, and deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure all hurt an individual's credit rating to some degree.

Short sales dont always negate the remaining mortgage debt. There are two parts to a mortgage. The first is the lien against the property that is used to secure the loan. The lien protects the lender in case a borrower cant repay the loan. It gives the lending institution the right to sell the property for repayment. This part of the mortgage is waived in a short sale.

The second part of the mortgage is the promise to repay. Lenders can still enforce this portion either through a new note or the collection of the deficiency. In any case, the lender must approve the short sale, which means borrowers are sometimes at their whim.

When convincing a lender to agree to a short sale, its vital that the homeowner be able to cite a new source of financial difficulty, not something that was withheld at the time the mortgage was approved.

Short Sale vs. Foreclosure

A short sale or foreclosure are two possible outcomes for homeowners who are behind on their mortgage payments, own a home that is underwater, or both. In either case, the owner is forced to part with the home, but the timeline and consequences are different.

How a Foreclosure Works

In a foreclosure, the lender seizes the home after the borrower fails to make payments. Unlike a short sale, a foreclosure is initiated by the lender alone. Foreclosure is the last option for the lender.

In such cases, the lender repossesses the home, hoping to eventually make good on its investment in the mortgage. Unlike in most short sales, many foreclosures take place after the homeowner abandons the home. If the occupants are still in the home, they are evicted by the lender.

Once the lender has access to the home, it orders an appraisal and puts it up for sale.

Foreclosures normally take less time to complete because the lender wants to liquidate the asset quickly. Foreclosed homes may even be auctioned off at a public trustee sale.

Depending on the circumstances, homeowners who experience foreclosure have to wait for two to seven years to purchase another home. A foreclosure is kept on a persons credit report for seven years.

How a Short Sale Works

A distressed homeowner generally gets to stay in the home during the short sale process.



A homeowner who has gone through a short sale may, with certain restrictions, be eligible to purchase another home immediately.



While a foreclosure essentially lets you walk away from your homealbeit with grave consequences for your financial future, such as having to declare bankruptcy and destroying your creditcompleting a short sale is labor-intensive. However, the payoff for the extra work involved in a short sale may be worth it.

Less drastic alternatives to a short sale include loan modification or the use of private mortgage insurance.

Short Sale Alternatives

Before resigning yourself to a short sale, talk to your lender about the possibility of a revised payment plan or loan modification. One of these options might allow you to stay in your home and get back on your feet.

Obtaining a loan modification may temporarily lower your credit score, as will any application for new credit.

Another possible option for staying in your home may be available if you have private mortgage insurance (PMI). Many homeowners who purchased homes with less than 20% down were required to purchase PMI with their homes. If the PMI company thinks you have a chance to recover from your current financial situation, it may advance funds to your lender to bring your payments up to date. Eventually, youll have to repay the advance.

The Short Sale Process

A number of steps are necessary to pull off a short sale.

Convince the Lender

Before beginning the process, struggling homeowners should consider how likely it is that the lender will agree to work with them on a short sale. The lender is not required to cooperate.

The source of the financial trouble should be new, such as a health problem, the loss of a job, or a divorce, rather than something that was not disclosed when the homebuyer originally applied for the loan. The lender wont be sympathetic to a dishonest borrower.

However, if you feel you were a victim of predatory lending practices, you may be able to talk the lender into a short sale even if you have not had any major financial catastrophes since purchasing the home.

To put yourself in a more convincing position, stop purchasing non-necessities. You dont want to look irresponsible to the lender when it reviews your proposal.

Be aware of other circumstances that may prevent the approval of a short sale. If you are not in default on your mortgage payments yet, the lender probably wont be willing to work with you. If the lender thinks it can get more money from foreclosing on your home than from allowing a short sale, it may not allow one. If someone cosigned the mortgage, the lender may hold that person responsible for payment rather than doing a short sale.

If you think your situation is ripe for a short sale, talk to a decision-maker at the bank about the possibility. Dont just speak to a customer service representative. Immediately ask to speak with the lenders loss mitigation department.

If you dont like what the first decision-maker says, try talking to another one on another day and see if you get a different answer. If the lender is willing to consider a short sale, youre ready to move forward with creating the short-sale proposal and finding a buyer.

Consult Professionals

At this point, you should consult an attorney, a tax professional, and a real estate agent. While these are high-priced professional services, if you try to handle a complex short-sale transaction yourself, you may find yourself in even bigger financial trouble.

You may be able to pay for these service fees out of the sale proceeds from your home. Professionals accustomed to dealing with short-sale transactions will be able to give you guidance on how to pay them.

Set a Price

When setting an asking price, make sure to factor the cost of selling the property into the total amount of money you need to get out of the sale. Of course, you want to sell the home for as close to the value of your mortgage as possible, but in a down market, there is bound to be a shortfall.

In some states, even after a short sale, the bank will expect you to pay back all or part of that shortfall.

Gather Your Documents and Find a Buyer

Gather all the documents youll need to prove your financial hardship to the lender. These may include bank statements, medical bills, pay stubs, a termination notice from your former job, or a divorce decree.

It is up to you to come up with a proposal. Be aware that the lender ultimately must approve a short sale after receiving all the details because the lender is the recipient of the proceeds.

Your job is to find a buyer for your home.

Submit Your Proposal to the Bank

Once you have a buyer and the necessary paperwork, you are ready to submit the buyers offer and your proposal to the bank.

Along with the documentation of your distressed financial status, your proposal should include a hardship letter explaining the circumstances that are preventing you from making your mortgage payments. You want to make it as convincing as possible and protect your interests while also appealing to the bank.

Be careful about submitting your financial information to a lender. If it does not approve the short sale, it may use your financial information to try to get money out of you in foreclosure proceedings. If you still have cash assets, you may be expected to use them to continue making mortgage payments or to make up the shortfall between the sale price and the mortgage amount.

An attorney experienced in completing short sales can help you navigate the details.

Short sales can take longer than regular home sales due to the need for lender approval. They often fall through, too. The buyer may find another property while waiting for an answer from you. Be prepared for this possibility. If the short-sale transaction goes through, consult with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to see if you will have to pay taxes on the shortfall.

Don't forget that a short sale can still affect your credit score. The months of mortgage payments that you missed prior to the short sale can show up as delinquent payments on your credit report. It is up to the bank to decide what to report, so its in your best interest to try to convince the bank not to report your defaulted payments.

Your bank may be more likely to be generous in this regard if you brought up your hardship before you were significantly behind.

Short Sale Strategies for Buyers and Investors

Short sales can provide excellent opportunities for buyers to get houses at a reduced price. Here are a couple of tips to help you make smart decisions when considering a short-sale property.

Learn How to Find Them

Most short-sale properties are listed by real estate agents and on real estate websites. Some listings may not be advertised as short sales, so you might have to look for clues within the listing. It may be indicated as subject to bank approval.

An experienced real estate agent can make a big difference in terms of finding and closing short-sale properties. Agents who specialize in short sales may hold a Short Sales and Foreclosure Resource (SFR) certification, a designation offered by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Holders of this certification have specialized training in short sales and foreclosures, qualifying sellers for short sales, negotiating with lenders, and protecting buyers.

Prepare to Hurry Up and Wait

Short sales are complicated, time-consuming transactions for both the buyer and the seller. It can take weeks or months for a lender to approve a short sale and many buyers who submit an offer end up canceling because the process takes too long.

Rules for short-sale transactions vary from state to state, but the steps normally include:

Short sale package: The borrower has to prove financial hardship by submitting a financial package to their lender. The package includes financial statements, a letter describing the sellers hardship(s), and financial records, including tax returns, W-2s, payroll stubs, and bank statements.

The borrower has to prove financial hardship by submitting a financial package to their lender. The package includes financial statements, a letter describing the sellers hardship(s), and financial records, including tax returns, W-2s, payroll stubs, and bank statements. Short sale offer: Once a seller accepts an offer from a potential buyer, the listing agent sends the lender the listing agreement, an executed purchase offer, the buyers pre-approval letter, a copy of the earnest money check, and the sellers short-sale package. If the package is missing anything, either because a document wasnt submitted or due to a filing error on the banks part, the process will be delayed.

Once a seller accepts an offer from a potential buyer, the listing agent sends the lender the listing agreement, an executed purchase offer, the buyers pre-approval letter, a copy of the earnest money check, and the sellers short-sale package. If the package is missing anything, either because a document wasnt submitted or due to a filing error on the banks part, the process will be delayed. Bank processing: The banks review of the offer can take several weeks to months. In the end, it will approve or deny it. Just because the seller accepts an offer doesnt mean the bank will agree to the price. If the bank thinks it can make more money through foreclosure proceedings, it will reject the offer.

If you are buying a house in a short sale with the intention of flipping it, the key to a profitable transaction is a good purchase price.

Advantages and Disadvantages of a Short Sale

Short sales allow a homeowner to dispose of a property that is losing value. Although they do not recoup the costs of their mortgage, a short sale allows a buyer to escape foreclosure, which can be much more damaging to their credit score. In some cases, the lender may write the remaining debt as a loss, thereby reducing the owner's debt burden.

A short sale also allows the homeowner to reduce the amount they fees they pay when they sell the home. In most cases, these fees are the obligation of a property owner when they sell the property. In a short sale, these fees are paid by the lender.

For buyers, the benefits of a short sale are evident: they get a discount price on a home from a lender that is motivated to sell the property. On the other hand, the buyer has to do a lot more homework: short sales typically do not come with the same disclosures as a regular sale, and it is up to the prospective buyer to identify any problems with a property.

Pros and Cons of a Short Sale

Allows homeowners to dispose of a debt that they are unlikely to repay.

Homeowners have to pay fewer fees than a typical homesale.

Short sales allow buyers to buy property at a discount

Lenders may write off part of the debt as a loss.

Short sales come with fewer legal disclosures than a typical home sale.

There is more paperwork involved in a short sale.

Short sales can damage the seller's credit rating, but less than a foreclosure.

Mistakes to Avoid

ProsCons

Homes in a short sale are sold as-is, without the mandatory seller obligations of a normal real estate sale. Since short sales do not come with the typical disclosures of a normal house sale, it falls on the prospective buyer to inspect the property and identify any faults. Short-sold homes may be in worse conditions than the average home on the market, making it all the more important to identify any problems.

It is also possible that a prospective buyer may not give themselves enough time before closing. As mentioned, short sales tend to require more work than an average house sale, meaning that they may also take longer to close. Buyers should be careful to make sure they have time to complete the process before the sale closes.

Its All in the Numbers

In real estate investing, it is said that the money is made in the buy. This means that a good purchase price is often the key to a successful deal. If you can get a property for a good price, you increase the odds of coming out ahead when it comes time to sell. If the purchase price is on the high end, on the other hand, youll watch your profit margin erode.

You should be able to buy the property, put it in great condition, and sell it at a profitable price. Investors need to be able to turn around and sell the house quicklytypically at below-marketand a good purchase price makes this possible.

The purchase price is only one important number, however. Youll have to make some other calculations as well, including:

Repairs and Renovations Costs

These costs will vary depending on the propertys condition and your plans for it. It pays to put in the time and effort to develop a realistic budget, as this is one of the figures youll need to determine if the investment can make money.

Costs to consider include material, labor, permits, inspection fees, trash removal, storage costs, and dumpster rentals. A good inspection (before making the purchase) can alert you to any large expenses, such as a cracked foundation, faulty wiring, or extensive termite damage.

After Repair Value (ARV)

ARV is an estimate of the propertys fair market value (FMV) after any repairs and renovations are made. Investors look at this number to determine whether a property has profit potential.

The best way to evaluate a propertys ARV is to look at comparables (comps). These are homes that have recently sold in the area (typically up to a mile away from the subject property) that have similar features in terms of square footage, such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms.

Carrying Costs

Carrying costs are your expenses for holding onto the property. The longer you own the property, the more you will spend on carrying costs, which include:

Mortgage payment (including interest)

Property taxes

Insurance

Condo and association fees

Utilities (electric, gas, water, sewer, trash)

Determine Profitability

In order for an investment to be profitable, the sum of your costs (the purchase price, repair and renovation costs, and carrying costs) must be lower than the ARV. If your costs are close to or higher than the ARV, it will be difficult or impossible to make a profit. You can determine the potential profit by subtracting the purchase price, repair and renovation costs, and carrying costs from the ARV:

Profit = ARV  Purchase Price  R&R Costs  Carrying Costs

Real estate investors might expect to earn at least a 20% profit on a property. Some use guidelines to evaluate properties in various housing markets. Under these guidelines, the total investment (purchase price, repair and renovation costs, and carrying costs) should not exceed:

80% of ARV in a market where home values are rising

70% to 75% of ARV in a flat market

60% to 65% of ARV in a market in which home values are decreasing

If the ARV of a property is $200,000, for example, your total investment should be limited to about $160,000 in a rising market, $140,000 in a flat market, and $120,000 in a market with falling values.

The various investment levels are used to reduce risk in changing market conditions. You can risk more in a rising market because you are more likely to get your ARV or better when you sell. In a falling market, you are less likely to get your ARV, so your investment should be smaller.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Short Sale?

In real estate, a short sale may take place when an owner sells a house at a price that is less than the outstanding mortgage amount.

This typically happens when the owner is under financial stress and is behind on mortgage payments. The owner is obligated to sell the home to a third party, with all of the proceeds of the sale going to the lender.

The lender must approve the short sale before it happens. The process can take as long as a year due to the paperwork involved.

What Is the Difference Between a Short Sale and a Foreclosure?

In a short sale, the process is initiated by the homeowner in order to get out of financial trouble. The owner must prove the extent of the financial distress through documents submitted to the lender. If the lender agrees to move forward, the homeowner is responsible for finding a buyer.

In a foreclosure, the lender initiates the process, seizing the home and, if necessary, evicting the owner who has failed to make payments. The foreclosure process is generally faster than a short sale, as the lender seeks to liquidate the asset as quickly as possible.

Is It a Good Idea to Buy a Short Sale Property?

Buying a short-sale property can be a good deal for a prospective buyer. However, it is important to be aware of some of the drawbacks involved. Short sales can take a long time. Moreover, if the bank believes that a foreclosure proceeding is a more lucrative option, it may reject the short sale and move forward with foreclosure instead.

The Bottom Line

A short-sale property can provide an excellent opportunity to purchase a house for less money. In many cases, short-sale homes are in reasonable condition, and while the purchase price might be higher than a foreclosure, the costs of making the home marketable can be much lower, and the disadvantages to the seller less severe.

However, because of the lengthy process, buyers and sellers must be willing to wait. An experienced real estate agent can help you determine a fair offer and negotiate with the bank.

Because tax laws are complicated and constantly changing, you should consult with a certified public accountant (CPA) who knows about real estate investing and the related tax laws to give you comprehensive and up-to-date information.

It can mean the difference between making a profit and taking a loss on an investment.


A concept photo of digital economy Photo: VCG

A total of 15 world-leading internet scientific and technological achievements worldwide were honored in East China's Zhejiang Province.The"IPv6+" Standards Formulation, Device Development and Networking spearheaded by China Unicom, as well as the OpenEuler Open Source OS developed by Huawei were among the items recommended by a panel composed of nearly 40 internet experts from home and abroad.The event, as part of the ongoing 2022 World Internet Conference (WIC), Wuzhen Summit, received more than 257 applications from countries and regions including China, the US, Russia, Britain and Sweden since May.These applications cover frontier internet-related fields, including 5G and 6G, Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), cybersecurity, high-performance chips, industrial internet, intelligent manufacturing and digital twins.Organized by the WIC, a Beijing-headquartered international organization inaugurated in July, the event has echoed the Wuzhen summit's theme of "Towards a Shared Digital Future in a Connected World - Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace."China ranks second in the world in terms of internet development, according to a latest industry report, which also details achievements of China's internet sector growth in the past year.The ranking - Global Internet Development Index - was based on six parameters: infrastructure, innovation capacity, industrial development, internet application, cybersecurity and Internet governance, as outlined in the bluebook for the WIC.The top 10 economies leading internet development this year are the US, China, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, South Korea, UK, Canada, Finland and Denmark.According to the report, China leads the world in terms of information infrastructure construction, with the completion of the layout of integrated big data centers in the country.By June 2022, the number of internet users in China had reached 1.051 billion, with internet penetration rate reaching 74.4 percent. China is advancing the integrated development of smart cities and digital villages, significantly improving the effectiveness of digital governance.Xinhua-Global Times
Last night, comedian and conspiracy theorist Russell Brand took to the internet to deny an unspecified crime that no-one had accused him of. Today, the axe fell: he is the subject of a joint expose by Britain's Channel 4 news and London's The Sunday Times in which he is accused by numerous women of rape, sexual assault and abuse.

Four women are alleging sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013, one of them when she was a schoolgirl. During the period covered by the allegations, Brand was a popular figure on UK television and radio and appeared in Hollywood movies, though in recent years he has carved a new path as a Covid conspiracist.

 One woman alleges that Brand raped her against a wall in his Los Angeles home. She was treated at a rape crisis centre on the same day. The Times says it has seen medical records to support this  A second woman alleges that Brand assaulted her when he was in his early 30s and she was 16 and still at school. She alleges he referred to her as "the child" during an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship  A third woman claims that Brand sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in Los Angeles, and that he threatened to take legal action if she told anyone else about her allegation -The fourth woman alleged being sexually assaulted by Brand and him being physically and emotionally abusive towards her

Brand is stuck in internet brainworm-land, appealing directly to an online audience with rambling statements no lawyer would permit a client to utterhe accuses the women and media of a "co-ordinated attack" that he is "going to look into". Worse, it looks like the accusations were well-known about behind the scenes.

The woman who said she was 16 at the time she met Brand told the Times she took her allegations to his literary agent Angharad Wood, the co-founder of Tavistock Wood, owned by Curtis Brown, in 2020. Tavistock Wood told the BBC: "Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him. Tavistock Wood has terminated all professional ties to Brand."

Savilesque.

And then there's this:

In 2006, Dannii Minogue called him "a bit of a vile predator" in the Daily Mirror, when she recalled an early TV interview with Brand. "I certainly don't think he has cured his sex addiction, that's for sure," she said. "He wouldn't take no for an answer throughout the whole interview, he kept making shocking remarks that I can't even repeat. Just uttering the words would make me blush."

Brand already has one high-profile public defender. Can you guess whyep, Elon Musk.
China US Photo:Global Times

There is a saying that nations are always better off when they choose to practice free trade, or buy and sell from one another freely. When a country opens up to unrestricted normal trade, capital and labor will shift, more efficiently and wisely too, toward those industries in which they are used.Although trade contributes to global efficiency and prosperity, these days international commerce can be one of the most contentious political issues leading to frictions between governments. Worrying signs of dissolving global trade links and economic integration, rising trade fragmentation and geopolitical tensions have raised the prospect of the "strategic competition" trumping the shared economic benefits of free trade.For example, the former Donald Trump administration, for the purpose of containing China's economic growth, recklessly launched a war of tariffs to erect high barriers on trade with China. The current US government has inherited this highly discriminative tariff policy and even added more technology restrictions, aimed to block advanced semiconductor trade with China.Recently, a congressionally convened commission in the US even called upon the Biden administration to review Chinese trade practices and "to suspend normal trade ties" if the review says China hasn't lived up to its promises under a 1999 trade pact, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. What the anti-China elements in Washington aspire to do is to erect more man-made barriers to restrict trade with China.Kristalina Georgieva, head of the IMF, warned that a series of economic shocks has unleashed persistently high inflation, which is being coupled with central banks' tightening monetary measures, and will prompt a cost of living crisis in many countries around the world. The world faces rising risk of recession and a fundamental shift away from relative stability to "an age of breakdown in international relations," she said.It is true that the global economy now faces severe challenges. Lingering effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic, elevated inflation, high energy and food prices, a strong US dollar, and tightening monetary policies are all darkening the global economic outlook. In terms of global growth, the worst is yet to come, and for many people around the world, 2023 could deliver a hastening downward spiral of their living standards.The IMF predicted that it expects global growth to sharply plunge to 2.7 percent next year, with a 25 percent probability it could fall well below 2 percent, which will be the worst year in many decades.Steven Barnett, the IMF's senior resident representative for China, recently said in a research essay that economic "losses will be even greater" if the world's major economies opt for "actual fragmentation" or "de facto decoupling." "Against the backdrop of tepid productivity growth around the world, we estimate output losses from trade fragmentation due to lower productivity," the essay reads.One such sign of trade fragmentation pressure comes from restrictive measures which characterize Washington's protectionist trade policy, such as the tariffs tussle between the US and China in 2018  launched by the Trump White House and resulting in the unprecedented trade war between the world's two largest economies. The high tariffs on $360 billion Chinese goods have contributed considerably to the elevated US inflation that hit more than 8 percent this year, worsening many American families' livelihood.As a matter of fact, a number of American politicians in Washington choose to be intentionally oblivious to the merits and benefits of conducting bilateral trade - the most efficient way to improve people's living standards.When a firm or an individual buys goods or service more cheaply abroad, it will lead to the fact that living standards in both countries increase. There are other reasons consumers and enterprises buy abroad that also make them better off, as the products may better fit their needs than similar domestic offerings.On the other hand, policy uncertainty or disturbed policy settings related to trade can worsen economic activity as enterprises pause hiring and investment, and new enterprises may decide to postpone entry into a market.In the past years, researchers in many countries and global organizations like IMF and World Bank have concluded that the huge benefits of reducing tariffs and removing other non-tariff barriers to trade are much larger than closed-door behavior, which often causes very low productivity, high cost of living, and the cocooned human mass of poverty.An IMF analysis shows that a typical shock to trade policy, like the 2018 tariffs war between the US and China, reduces investment by 3.5 percent after two years. It also decreases GDP by 0.4 percent and raises the joblessness rate by 1 percentage point.It is true that globalization process is facing increasing challenges. The world is at increasing risk of a more permanent fragmentation of the global economy into geopolitical blocs with varied technology standards, cross-border payment systems and reserve currencies.The stakes are truly high. Rather than "decoupling" and fragmentation, the global economy needs free trade and investment to be an engine of growth. The world's major economies, typically the US, China and the EU, must shoulder the responsibility to lead the effort to strengthen the world's multilateral trade system.Changing course calls for vision and courage. It will be very unfortunate if the US doesn't roll back its protectionist trade practices against China and other economies in the world, while continuing on its wrong path of stirring up geopolitical tensions and erecting even higher barriers to block free trade and investment.
Source: Pixabay

When it comes to casinos,whats a betting teaser many of us around the world are somewhat spoilt for choice. Whether youre a poker player, a slots fan or just somebody who enjoys the rush of casino gaming, these are great times to be alive.

At least, that has been the case for those of outside of Norway. Why? Well, thanks to a series of laws first drawn up in 1927 and amended slightly in 1992 and 1994, Norway has strict domestic gambling and gaming laws, which mean that operating any sort of casino is strictly prohibited.

In fact, only two companies are allowed to provide gambling services to Norwegian citizens  Norsk Tipping and Norsk Rikstoto. Together, they offer limited gambling, a lottery, scratch cards and other casino-like services.

Even poker is tightly restricted in the country, with only a 2015 amendment to the law allowing low-stakes versions of the game, to be played in private homes with no more than 10 players.

The punishment for breaking these laws? Between three months and a year in jail, on top of a fine.

Clearly then, gambling and gaming have never been a truly viable hobby. Until online gambling appeared on the scene, that is. Why? Because although Norway has strong land-based anti-gambling laws, it has no such laws for online gambling and gaming. Consequently, the popularity of online casino gaming has exploded in Norway, with one name leading the way  NordicBet.

Why has NordicBet Proven so Popular?

Source: Pixabay

Every country has its favourite online casino, but whats propelling NordicBets popularity? Well, according to casinospiller.com, which tracks casinos across the world, their success can be broken down into a few elements, including:

The NordicBet Welcome Bonus

Welcome bonuses have become commonplace in the casino sector, encouraging new customers to sign up for their casino over a competitor. However, NordicBets offering is somewhat better than its competitors.

It includes a bonus of 100% of your first deposit up to 2000 NOK plus 50 free spins on their popular Starburst slot and then 100% deposit match bonuses on your next two deposits too, alongside 75 free spins on Mega Fortune Dreams and 125 free spins on Gonzos Quest.

A Huge Range of Games

Long starved of almost every sort of casino game, its fair to say that when NordicBet launched in 2002, there was a real hunger in the country for the full range of casino games.

So, when NordicBet did hit the market with over 1200 casino games in tow  including over a thousand advanced slot games  its appeal was utterly undeniable. Not only that, but NordicBet launched with a focus on odds for Nordic sports, like those from Norway, Sweden and Finland, giving it an undeniably local flavour.

Mobile Support

NordicBet has long been at the forefront of mobile support for their online casino, and with an excellent app and support for mobile web browsers, it meant that as smartphones grew in popularity throughout Norway, the casino was able to capitalize on the huge number of people who wanted to play casino games, but simply couldnt find the time whilst they were at home.

Of course, those are just a few of the reasons why NordicBet has found massive success in Norway and, indeed, throughout Scandinavia. A model for success? Wed say so.

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An object that figures in a legend about an actual Greek nobleman, Damocles. According to the story, Damocles frequently expressed his awe at the power and apparent happiness of his king. The king, tired of such flattery, held a banquet and seated Damocles under a sword that was suspended from the ceiling by a single hair  thus demonstrating that kingship brought with it fears and worries as well as pleasures.

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The Most Confusing Christmas Music Lyrics Explained (VIDEO)|Kevin Fallon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST DISH delivers a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience to every room of your home, wirelessly. Four TV Shows We Cant Wait to Return In 2015|DISH|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Four TV Shows We Cant Wait to Return In 2015|DISH|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST The company recently partnered with Oakley to create a one-of-a-kind single malt Scotch flask. The Restaurant, Flask, And Photography Worthy of The Macallan Whisky||December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST But then the sword is miraculously returned to him, and he girds for battle once again. Meet Moses the Swashbuckling Israelite|James Romm|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Meet Moses the Swashbuckling Israelite|James Romm|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST The men, whose poniards his sword parried, had recourse to fire-arms, and two pistols were fired at him. The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter Whatever you do, don't write a word to that Carr friend of yours; he's as sharp as a two-edged sword. Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood

Elster's Folly|Mrs. Henry Wood He stabbed her from beneath, and passed half of his sword through her body, and at that the poor lady fell. The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various Since words have different meanings, we may sometimes find that a pair of words exemplify all three Laws, as plough and sword. Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)

Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette) The teeth of beasts, and scorpions, and serpents, and the sword taking vengeance upon the ungodly unto destruction. The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!QuestionDamn the torpedoes, damn well, damn with faint praise, damnyankee, Damocles, Damocles, sword of, Damodar, damoiselle, Damon, Damon and Pythias, dampThe New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright  2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
People in Beijing's Chaoyang district are getting nucleic acid tests in their neighborhood. The citys numerous nucleic acid testing sites for large-scale testing that had been set up along the roadsides and around commercial and office areas were temporarily closed in Chaoyang district starting from Monday. Photo: ifeng

A total of 28 provinces, including South Chinas Guangdong Province which is hit hardest in the latest COVID-19 flare-up, announced adoption of newly optimized measures to COVID-19 response in the past five days. Moreover, six cities, including Shanghai and Sanya scrapped mass nucleic acid testing, in an effort to implement the new measures, media reported.Shandong Province in East China even cancelled the requirement for any entries into the province to hold 48-hour valid nucleic acid test, only requiring the test to be done on arrival and the arrivals to conduct three tests in five days, China Times reported on Wednesday.Guangdong which recorded thousands of cases on a daily basis also adopted the new measures. City of Shantou in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong announced on Wednesday no longer check 72-hour valid test result in some public places. Shantou recorded one new COVID-19 case on Wednesday.Officials in Guangzhou, also the hardest-hit city in the province, said on Wednesday to optimize nucleic acid test according to the new measures, and focus test resources on the most severe Haizhu district and other high-risk areas.Those changes were made after China last week released 20 optimized measures, including shortened quarantine periods for international arrivals and cancelation of circuit breakers for inbound flights.One of the 20 optimized measures urged against frequent testing in areas with no infections, and stipulated that testing entire districts will only be used to screen transmission chains and find the sources of infections.In response to residents pledge of cancelling 48-hour nucleic acid test, Luoyangs government in Central Chinas Henan Province said on Tuesday that test result is still needed when entering places such as schools; but not necessary when going to other public places, and taking public transports.Cities of Shijiazhuang in North Chinas Hebei cancelled checking nucleic acid test results in some public places.Shijiazhuangs relaxing of some COVID-19 prevention measures, sparked speculation of whether the city was being tested for "full relaxation" or was "lying flat" in the fight against COVID-19. Zhang Chaohao, the city's Party chief, soon dismissed such claims. During his visit to a university on Monday, Zhang said that the adjustments were only to implement the 20 measures for optimizing the COVID-19 response, it was not a case of "lying flat," and definitely not "full relaxation."Some places also stepped up their efforts in enhancing their medical resources, such as hospital beds and storage of medicines, as requested by the new measures.Wang Qingxian, provincial chief of Anhui Province in East China urged to strengthen establishment of medical resources and storing COVID-related medicine, to meet the need of patients, especially those with underlying risks and elderly.A district of Erdos, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region released a series of new measures on Tuesday, asking communities to provide those under home quarantine precaution equipment such as blood oxygen monitor and other portable oxygen generating plants.In an article published by the Xinhua News Agency on Thursday, it said that the newly released measures do not signal relaxation, reopening or lying flat. They are more scientific measures in accordance with Chinas situation, which requires to conduct virus prevention faster, and use resources to improve efficiency of COVID-19 control.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan are warmly greeted by Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai and Minister of Culture Itthiphol Khunpluem and their spouses at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand on November 17, 2022. Xi arrives in Bangkok for APEC meetings and a visit to Thailand. Photo: Xinhua

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday delivered a written speech to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit held in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, calling for steadfastly advancing the Asia-Pacific regional economic integration and building a Asia-Pacific community of shared future, while rejecting any attempt to wage a cold war in the Asia-Pacific.In his speech, delivered as he arrived in Bangkok on Thursday afternoon for a visit to Thailand and attendance at the APEC Leaders' informal meeting on Friday and Saturday, Xi also stressed that as China pursues Chinese modernization, it will remain committed to peace, development and cooperation, and delivering mutual benefit.Xi's remarks offered the much-needed encouragement for regional businesses, which are facing great potential for cooperation but are also concerned about rising geopolitical tensions in the region, several local businesses said on Thursday. Many are also hoping for China's leading role in advancing peace and development in the region, as the US continues to focus on geopolitics.In the closely watched speech, Xi said that while the Asia-Pacific enjoys overall stability and win-win cooperation remains the underlying trend, the Cold War mentality, hegemony, unilateralism and protectionism are mounting, and acts that distort international norms, disrupt economic linkages, inflate conflicts in the region, and impede development cooperation are all too common."All these pose a challenge to peace and development in the Asia-Pacific," Xi said in the written speech, stressing that "The Asia-Pacific is no one's backyard and should not become an arena for big power contests. No attempt to wage a new cold war will ever be allowed by the people and by our times!"The Chinese president called on regional economies to strengthen cooperation, support and help each other, and make the Asia-Pacific a leader in boosting global economy. "Unilateralism and protectionism should be rejected by all; any attempt to politicize and weaponize economic and trade relations should also be rejected by all," Xi said.Xi's call for regional cooperation and rejection of Cold War mentality and protectionism offer great encouragement for regional businesses, including those in Thailand, which are becoming increasingly worried about geopolitical tensions and economic disruptions.At the main venue for the APEC leaders' informal meeting in Bangkok on Thursday, some business representatives shared with the Global Times their concerns over geopolitical tensions and their hope for China to play a leading role in driving regional economic integration, especially in the post COVID-19 pandemic recovery."For every company, it's very important to reconnect after three years. So this APEC is an opportunity to connect with other economies after every one has closed for a long time. This is a good opportunity and a good time," Thanawit Chatrittichaikul, assistant manager of the public relations department at Energy Absolute, a major renewable power producer in Thailand, told the Global Times on Thursday, noting that the company is increasingly looking to expand cooperation with China.In his written speech on Thursday, Xi said that the Chinese economy and the Asia-Pacific economy are interdependent and deeply integrated with one another.The Chinese president also expounded on China's pursuit of Chinese modernization on all fronts, a call made at the recently concluded 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC), stressing that "we will make greater contribution to world peace and development.This is the first overseas trip for the Chinese president after the conclusion of the 20th CPC National Congress, which includes attendance at the just concluded G20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia. This is also the first visit to Thailand by Xi as the Chinese president. This will also be the first time for Xi to attend the APEC leaders' meeting in person since 2018. The 2019 meeting was canceled due to the domestic situation in the host country Chile, and the meetings in 2020 and 2021 were held virtually.

This photo taken on Nov. 12, 2022 shows the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand. The 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov. 18-19. Photo: Xinhua

Given the high stakes of this year's meeting, the high expectations of the Chinese president's attendance at the APEC leaders' meeting and China's role in regional economic cooperation are evident beyond the venues at APEC and on the streets of Bangkok.Amid high temperatures in the Thai capital on Thursday afternoon, many local residents gathered on a street waving Chinese and Thai national flags to welcome Xi to the country and attend the APEC leaders' meeting."Thai society has already been very much looking forward to this visit. Especially after three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone is expecting President Xi's visit to promote closer Thailand-China ties in political, economic and other areas," a Thai citizen of Chinese descent named Ma Yan told the Global Times on Thursday, as she joined others to welcome Xi."The economic ties between ASEAN and China far exceed those with other economies. I hope this APEC meeting and President Xi's visit can become an opportunity to restart exchanges between economies that have been stagnant due to the epidemic in recent years," said Ma.China, which is a major trading partner for many Asia-Pacific economies and a very important part of the regional industrial and supply chains, is widely expected to take a greater leading role in regional economic cooperation, as many regional economies are focused on development instead of geopolitical tensions, business leaders and analysts said."China is an important member of APEC. Since joining [APEC] 31 years ago, China has always advocated regional openness, and has always been committed to promoting trade and investment liberalization, facilitation, and economic and technological cooperation. It has played an increasingly important role in multilateral cooperation mechanisms such as APEC," Gao Lingyun, an expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing, told the Global Times on Thursday.In stark contrast, the US has been constantly instigating geopolitical tensions and seeking to create division in the region in order to promote its own geopolitical agenda, while becoming increasingly irrelevant in promoting regional peace and development, analysts noted.In a clear sign of this trend, US President Joe Biden, who had just attended the G20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia, decided to skip the APEC leaders' meeting, as he reportedly returned to the US for his granddaughter's wedding. The US is sending Vice President Kamala Harris to the meeting instead.While some US media outlets have claimed that Biden's absence from the APEC leaders' meeting has raised questions about APEC's relevance, analysts stress that it is the US' relevance that is in question, as it only focuses on geopolitical disputes and appears uninterested in regional cooperation.Even as Biden skips the meeting, leaders of non-APEC economies such as French President Emmanuel Macron are attending the meeting in Bangkok.In another sign of the US' focus on geopolitics, ahead of the meeting, foreign reports said that Harris will discuss the Taiwan question and the South China Sea with other leaders.However, at the venue of APEC leaders' meeting, some business representatives made it clear that they do not want to see confrontation. "We are most concerned about tensions in the Taiwan Straits, which impacts not just businesses in the region but also around the world," one business representative who spoke on condition of anonymity told the Global Times on Thursday.During a high-profile meeting in Bali on Monday, Xi told Biden that the Taiwan question is at the very core of China's core interests, the bedrock of the political foundation of China-US relations, and the first red line that must not be crossed in China-US relations.Chinese Taipei is one of the 21 economies of APEC, as is China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.In his speech to the APEC CEO summit on Thursday, Xi also warned against bloc confrontation and vowed that China will continue to contribute more to regional and global development."History tells us that bloc confrontation cannot solve any problem and that bias will only lead to disaster," Xi said."Compared with the US, President Xi's attendance at the APEC leaders' informal meeting in person and the focus on economic issues fully reflects China's solid actions to promote the construction of an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future," Gao said.
A visitor admires hydroponic vegetable and flower technology at the CIIE on November 6, 2022.Photo:VCG

American snack giant Mondelez, also the parent company of Oreo, officially launched two Oreo frozen cheesecakes at the fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai.Mondelez will take the opportunity of the cake launch to tap into the large, fast-growing baked food sector in China, said Joost Vlaanderen, president of Mondelez Greater China.With the boom of China's internet, logistics and cold chain technologies, the country's snack food industry has entered the fast lane of development.Data from the China National Food Industry Association showed that the sector had a compound growth rate of nearly 12 percent from 2013 to 2018. In 2020, the size of China's snack food market reached 1.25 trillion yuan ($173 billion). Such a huge market has lured food giants from various countries.The partner of the newly launched Oreo frozen cakes is Fonterra, a New Zealand dairy raw material supplier, which also attended this year's CIIE."Chinese consumers' demand for healthy and delicious products has continued to accelerate, so we are looking forward to this product pushing the cooperation between Mondelez and Fonterra to a new height," Dai Junqi, vice president of Fonterra Greater China, said.At this year's CIIE, major food brands brought their latest products and cutting-edge food production technologies, hoping to satisfy the tastes of Chinese consumers and enter the vast Chinese market."The CIIE is not just about China's domestic market anymore," said Larry Chan, chairman of Liwayway (China) Co, adding that through the CIIE, Liwayway could bring its international products into China, and the event also allowed the company to forge partnerships with international players.Chan said the Chinese market currently accounts for 40 percent of Liwayway's global business, and the company has long-term development plans in China.As China has entered a new stage of consumption upgrading in recent years, Chinese consumers' demand for imported high-quality fruits has also been rising.From more than 50 exhibits in the first CIIE to 82 exhibits this year, Dole, a fresh fruit and vegetable company, has participated in the annual event for five consecutive years. This year, the company signed orders worth $170 million at the CIIE."The CIIE is a catalyst to transform exhibits into commodities and products into top-selling items," said Vivian Wang, marketing director of Dole China. "Our Dole Sweetio banana and Dole Sweetio pineapple, as star products from the CIIE, have been sold to Tibet and Xinjiang."According to Wang, sales of Dole Sweetio pineapples soared after its debut at last year's CIIE, exceeding expectations by more than 10 times in 2022."Meanwhile, the CIIE is an excellent stage for new product launches. The global influence of the CIIE has helped Dole establish a good brand image," Wang said.The promotion of localization has become an important way for foreign enterprises to compete for the "big cake" of China's food market.In recent years, Dole has ramped up its investment in China, building new distribution centers in the cities of Guiyang, Chengdu and Chongqing, and it plans to continue expanding into the southwestern market."In a market as competitive as China, you need to deeply understand what consumers want," said Joost Vlaanderen, president of Mondelez Greater China."That's why in Suzhou, we have a world-famous research and design center where we develop and design products. We make our products here so that we can deliver to consumers what they want at the speed of China," he added.Xinhua
What Is Networking?betway tips and tricks pdf download

Networking is the exchange of information and ideas among people with a common profession or special interest, usually in an informal social setting. Networking often begins with a single point of common ground.

Professionals use networking to expand their circles of acquaintances, find out about job opportunities in their fields, and increase their awareness of news and trends in their fields or the greater world.

Key Takeaways

Networking is used by professionals to widen their circles of acquaintances, find out about job opportunities, and increase their awareness of news and trends in their fields.

Business owners may network to develop relationships with people and companies they may do business with in the future.

Professional networking platforms provide an online location for people to engage with other professionals, join groups, post blogs, and share information.

The coronavirus pandemic drove many professionals to network solely online rather than in person.

Many colleges and universities provide opportunities for alumni to network with one another.



How Networking Works

People generally join networking groups based on a single common point of interest that all members share. The most obvious is a professional affiliation, such as stockbrokers. Still, some people find effective networking opportunities in a college alumni group, a church or synagogue social group, or a private club.

For professionals, the best networking opportunities may occur at trade shows, seminars, and conferences, designed to attract a large crowd of like-minded individuals. Networking helps a professional keep up with current events in the field and develops relationships that may boost future business or employment prospects. Needless to say, it also provides opportunities to help other people find jobs, make connections, and catch up on the news.

Small business owners network to develop relationships with people and companies they may do business with in the future. These connections help them establish rapport and trust among people in their own communities. Successful business networking involves regularly following up with contacts to exchange valuable information that may not be readily available outside the network.

Business owners and entrepreneurs often join their local chamber of commerce to promote their business interests and help others in their community do the same. There are many additional benefits to joining a chamber of commerce, such as receiving deals and discounts from other chamber members, having one's business listed in the chamber directory, and the ability to influence policies related to the area's business and economic activity.

Online Networking

Professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn provide an online location for people to engage with other professionals, join groups, post blogs, and share information. And, of course, they provide a place to post a resume that can be seen by prospective employers, to search for jobs, or to identify job candidates.

These days, a business-to-business (B2B) customer pipeline can be developed almost entirely through the use of a social networking site. Online networking forums allow professionals to demonstrate their knowledge and connect with like-minded people.

LinkedIn is the largest professional network, but there are many others. Some cater to particular subsets of people, such as Black Business Women Online. Others have a different focus, such as Meetup, which encourages its members to meet in person off-site or virtually through online video conferences.

The term computer networking refers to linking multiple devices to share information and software resources in an immediate way.

Special Considerations

Given the growing number of networking opportunities available to people looking to start or advance their careers, it's important to take some time to explore your options before committing to a specific networking group.

While it's tempting for a new business owner or someone looking for a dream job to join as many networks as possible, a better strategy is to target your time and efforts toward those groups that best fit your needs and interests. Many networking organizations will host a special meet and greet events that allow potential new members to attend a meeting before becoming a member.

Once you join a networking group, it's important to become a contributing member. Rather than just using the association to further their own goals, people who use networking effectively look to offer something of value to other group members. Networking can help you identify opportunities for collaboration, strategic joint ventures, partnerships, and new areas to expand your business.

How Can I Network Efficiently?

It's important to take some time to explore your options before committing to a specific networking group. While it's tempting for a new business owner or someone looking for a dream job to join as many networks as possible, a better strategy is to target your time and efforts toward those groups that best fit your needs and interests.





Many networking organizations will host a special meet and greet events that allow potential new members to attend a meeting before becoming members. Once you join a networking group, it's important to become a contributing member. Rather than just using the association to further their own goals, people who use networking effectively look to offer something of value to other group members.

Why Is Networking Useful?

Professionals use networking to expand their circles of acquaintances, find out about job opportunities in their fields, and increase their awareness of news and trends in their fields or the greater world. It helps a professional keep up with current events in the field and develops relationships that may boost future business or employment prospects.

Why Should Businesses Network?

Small business owners network to develop relationships with people and companies they may do business with in the future. These connections help them establish rapport and trust among people in their own communities. Successful business networking involves regularly following up with contacts to exchange valuable information that may not be readily available outside the network.





Business owners and entrepreneurs often join their local chamber of commerce to promote their business interests and help others in their community do the same. Networking can help you identify opportunities for collaboration, strategic joint ventures, partnerships, and new areas to expand your business.

What Is Online Networking?

Professional networking platforms such as LinkedIn provide an online location for people to engage with other professionals, join groups, post blogs, and share information. And, of course, they provide a place to post a resume that can be seen by prospective employers, to search for jobs, or to identify job candidates. These days, a business-to-business (B2B) customer pipeline can be developed almost entirely through the use of a social networking site. Online networking forums allow professionals to demonstrate their knowledge and connect with like-minded people.
B.A., Kwansei Gakuin University

For new students learning Japanese, you'll eventually come across sentences ending with "kana." Sometimes from the context, it's difficult to tell what "kana" means. How does it translate into a sentence? Here's the basic breakdown of this unusual Japanese sentence structure (unusual to English speakers, at least):

When you see Kana at the end of a sentence, it is essentially inferring the English equivalent of "I wonder." It's a relatively casual expression, and used quite often in conversation. Instead of just asking the question, it's a way of couching it a bit, to encourage the listener to "wonder" as well.

Here are some examples:

Ashita yuki ga furu kana.

 I wonder if he/she is Spanish.

"~ kashira " can be replaced with "~ kana", though it is used only by females.

Kore ikura kashira.

 I wonder how much money I have left. .

david niven bond films I wonder if it will snow tomorrow. Ano hito wa supein-jin kana.

 I wonder if he/she will wait for me. Machiawase-basho machigaeta kana.

poker games play friends I wonder if I am waiting

in the wrong place. Okane, ato ikura nokotteru kana.

 I wonder if next year will bring

something good.

To ask the question and add an element of doubt or uncertainty "I wasn't sure whether it would snow" you would add (no) forming "nokana."

I wonder what happened.

Here are some more phrases with "~ kana."
Words related to damper

damper/ (dmp) /

nouna person, event, or circumstance that depresses or discouragesput a damper on to produce a depressing or inhibiting effect onthe bad news put a damper on the partya movable plate to regulate the draught in a stove or furnace fluea device to reduce electronic, mechanical, acoustic, or aerodynamic oscillations in a systemmusic the pad in a piano or harpsichord that deadens the vibration of each string as its key is releasedmainly Australian and NZ any of various unleavened loaves and scones, typically cooked on an open fire

Other Idioms and Phrases with damper

damper

see put a damper on.

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012The American Heritage Idioms Dictionary Copyright  2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
This photo taken on Nov. 12, 2022 shows the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand. The 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, on Nov. 18-19. (Xinhua/Wang Teng)

The Asia-Pacific is no one's backyard and should not become an arena for big power contests, and all members in the region should strengthen cooperation, support and help each other, and enable the Asia-Pacific to become a leader in boosting global economic recovery, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a written speech delivered at the 29th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting on Thursday.Xi arrived at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok on Thursday afternoon. At the invitation of Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, Xi will attend the 29th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and pay a visit to Thailand from Thursday to Saturday.Xi, who made the remarks in a written speech at the summit, also called for Asia-Pacific regional economic integration to be advanced, so as to jointly break new ground in development and build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future.The 21st century is the Asia-Pacific's century, Xi said. The Asia-Pacific region, which accounts for one-third of the world's population, over 60 percent of the global economy and close to half of global trade, is the most dynamic growth belt in the world. Members of this region have come a long way in pursuing economic development and will surely write an even more brilliant chapter in the years ahead, Xi stressed."History tells us that bloc confrontation cannot solve any problem and that bias will only lead to disaster. It is precisely because the Asia-Pacific was freed from the shadow of the Cold War that this region, and particularly its small and medium-sized economies, have been able to embark on a fast track toward modernization and create the Asia-Pacific miracle," the speech read.The Asia-Pacific has entered a crucial stage of post-COVID recovery, Xi pointed out, and the economies in the region are confronted with disrupted supply chains, strained food and energy supply, growing inflationary pressure and other difficulties.Facing these new developments, Xi said, we all need to draw on past experiences and lessons, respond to the challenges of the times and steadfastly advance Asia-Pacific regional economic integration, so as to jointly break new ground in development and build an Asia-Pacific community with a shared future.To achieve that, first, members should bolster the foundation for peaceful development. We need to build an Asia-Pacific security architecture to create conditions for ensuring economic development and durable peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific, Xi noted.Second, members should take a people-centered development approach. We need to ensure people's well-being through economic development, meet the needs of vulnerable groups, narrow the income gap and foster an inclusive environment for development, Xi said.Third, members should pursue higher-level opening-up. We need to engage fully and deeply in the reform of the World Trade Organization, achieve better alignment among the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, and build an open Asia-Pacific economy.Fourth, members should strive for higher-standard connectivity. China will actively enhance the complementarity between the Belt and Road Initiative and the development strategies of other parties to jointly build a high-quality Asia-Pacific connectivity network, Xi said.Fifth, members should build stable and unimpeded industrial and supply chains. Unilateralism and protectionism should be rejected by all; any attempt to politicize and weaponize economic and trade relations should also be rejected by all, Xi stressed.Sixth, members should promote economic upgrading. It is important for us to pursue green and low-carbon development, foster green economic sectors, promote green finance, and speed up the establishment of an Asia-Pacific green cooperation framework, Xi said.China, as a member of the Asia-Pacific, has benefited greatly from the region. In return, it has shared its development gains with others in the region, Xi pointed out. The Chinese economy and the Asia-Pacific economy are interdependent and deeply integrated with each other.Not long ago, the Communist Party of China successfully convened its 20th National Congress, during which it laid out the overarching goal for China's development both at the current stage and in the years to come and decided on the steps to be taken to this end. In particular, a call was made at the congress to pursue Chinese modernization on all fronts.In pursuing Chinese modernization, we will follow a new path of maintaining harmony between humanity and nature. "This is our responsibility not only for ourselves, but for the world as well," Xi said.China will continue to take the people-centered approach and raise living standards. The goal is to increase the middle-income population to more than 800 million in the next 15 years, and promote the sustained growth of our super-sized market, Xi vowed.China will leverage the role of both the market and the government, ensure both performance and fairness, will make the pie bigger and share it fairly, and build an olive-shaped structure of income distribution, Xi said.Following the path of peaceful development is a strategic choice made by us in the fundamental interests of the Chinese people, Xi pointed out. "We will stand firmly on the right side of history. We will stay committed to peace, development, cooperation, and delivering mutual benefit. We will strive to safeguard world peace and development as we pursue our own development, and we will make greater contribution to world peace and development through our own development."At the end of the speech, Xi called for all business leaders to give full rein to entrepreneurship, actively involve themselves in economic cooperation and China's reform, opening-up and modernization endeavors, and contribute to boosting development and prosperity of both the Asia-Pacific and the world.Global Times
Texans call it a paddlin' but the law calls it an assaultin'. Jeffery Darryl Hogg, 59, the principal of Overton High School, was arrested and charged after beating a student hard enough to leave "lasting bruises" for daysall with the permission of the girl's mother.

The affidavit said the girl took pictures of the bruising as it developed throughout the day. She then had them examined by a nurse, who stated that the bruises were substantial and swollen. A Forensic Assessment Center Network doctor viewed the photos taken by the student and nurse up to 48 hours after the incident, and stated that the injuries were consistent with child abuse. On Aug. 15, Overton ISD posted a comment on Facebook in response to "the number of comments and ongoing social media posts regarding student discipline." This post corroborates the statements made in the affidavit, saying the student and parent both consented to the punishment, but that the student considered quitting the punishment midway through.

Beating children with weapons is legal in Texas; a threat he used to get her to submit to the assault seems to be a factor in making a crime of it.

She did not want to continue with the paddling, the document said, but after Hogg told her "it would be a shame to have got to ISS when she only had one lick left," and her mother encouraged her to finish, she agreed to the final strike.

The euphemizing of violence as discipline sublimates the grim reality of what they're doing to children. The whole "groomer" nonsense about gays and trans people is projection from the same people who generated these maps 
casino with welcome bonusshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dessiatine [ des-yuh-teen ]/ ds ytin / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ des-yuh-teen ]/ ds ytin /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nouna Russian unit of land measure equal to 2.7 U.S. acres (1.1 hectare).

Words nearby dessiatine

British Dictionary definitions for dessiatine

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question dessiatine17901800;
When you go on a vacation and you visit tourist attractions, are you site seeing or sightseeing?

The confusion between these two words is an extension of the confusion between site and sight. If you know the difference between site and sight, you will know whether site seeingor sightseeingis correct?

If not, no worries! Lets go over these two words.

What is the Difference Between Site Seeing and Sightseeing?

In this article, I will compare site seeing vs. sightseeing. I will outline the correct term and use it in several example sentence so that you can see it in context.

Plus, at the end, I will show you a mnemonic device that can help you choose either sightseeing or site seeing as the best choice for your own writing.

When to Use Sightseeing

What does sightseeing mean? Sightseeing is a noun that refers to the activity of visiting tourist attractions.

For example,

Cassidy visited Jamaica, but since she had been there before, she did not do much sightseeing and spent time with her friends in Kingston instead.

Portland is full of tourists who are hellbent on sightseeing, which clogs up the freeways at rush hour and makes city natives cranky.

The police said a red Gray Line sightseeing bus sideswiped a blue CitySights NY bus and another vehicle on Seventh Avenue, a one-way southbound route, then jumped a curb onto the sidewalk at Duffy Square. The New York Times

Sightseeing is a compound word, which means it is made up of multiple smaller words added together. The first part of this compound word, sight, refers to places of interest to tourists and visitors in a city. Seeing means visiting or literally looking at in this context.

As a compound word, sightseeing should always be spelled as a single word when referring to the activity of visiting tourist attractions. The two-word alternative sight seeing is considered a typo in this context.

When to Use Site Seeing

What does site seeing mean? Site seeing is a common misspelling of the word sightseeing. Since it is a homophone of sightseeing, the confusion is somewhat understandable.

While a sightis a place of interest to a tourist, a siteis a place where something is being built, e.g. a construction site. Most people dont tour various construction sites on vacation.

The chart below shows the relative usage of sightseeing vs.sight seeing vs. site seeing in English books written since 1800,

The data is not exhaustive in its scope, since it only deals with books, but you can still clearly see that sightseeing is preferred by the vast majority of writers.

Trick to Remember the Difference

If you are writing about visiting tourist attractions or other worthy locations, you should always choose the compound word sightseeing over separate words like sight seeing or site seeing.

Sightseeing is the standard term and has been for some time.

To help you remember that sightseeing is correct, remember that it is a single word, like tourist. Tourists go sightseeing, and since they are both one word, it should be easy to remember that sightseeing is the standard version.

You can also remember that tourists dontgenerally speakingseek out construction sitesto tour on vacation.

Summary

It is sightseeing or site seeing? Sightseeingis a noun that refers to the activity of visiting tourist attractions.

Sightseeingis the correct spelling.

Sight seeing and site seeing are both misspellings.

To conclude, use sightseeing, not any other version of this term.
What Is Interpolation?le shib crypto royal online casino

Interpolation is a statistical method by which related known values are used to estimate an unknown price or potential yield of a security. Interpolation is achieved by using other established values that are located in sequence with the unknown value.

Interpolation is at root a simple mathematical concept. If there is a generally consistent trend across a set of data points, one can reasonably estimate the value of the set at points that haven't been calculated. Investors and stock analysts frequently create a line chart with interpolated data points. These charts help them visualize the changes in the price of securities and are an important part of technical analysis.

Key Takeaways

Interpolation is a simple mathematical method investors use to estimate an unknown price or potential yield of a security or asset by using related known values.

By using a consistent trend across a set of data points, investors can estimate unknown values and plot these values on charts representing a stock's price movement over time.

One of the criticisms of using interpolation in investment analysis is that it lacks precision and does not always accurately reflect the volatility of publicly traded stocks.

Click Play to Learn the Definition of Interpolation

Understanding Interpolation

1:31

Investors use interpolation to create new estimated data points between known data points on a chart. Charts representing a security's price action and volume are examples where interpolation might be used. While computer algorithms commonly generate these data points today, the concept of interpolation is not a new one. Interpolation has been used by human civilizations since antiquity, particularly by early astronomers in Mesopotamia and Asia Minor attempting to fill in gaps in their observations of the movements of the planets.

There are several formal kinds of interpolation, including linear interpolation, polynomial interpolation, and piecewise constant interpolation. Financial analysts use an interpolated yield curve to plot a graph representing the yields of recently issued U.S. Treasury bonds or notes of a specific maturity. This type of interpolation helps analysts gain insight into where the bond markets and the economy might be headed in the future.

Interpolation should not be confused with extrapolation, which refers to the estimation of a data point outside of the observable range of data. Extrapolation has a higher risk of producing inaccurate results compared to interpolation.

Example of Interpolation

The easiest and most prevalent kind of interpolation is a linear interpolation. This type of interpolation is useful if one is trying to estimate the value of a security or interest rate for a point at which there is no data.

Let's assume, for example, we're tracking a security price over a period of time. We'll call the line on which the value of the security is tracked the function f(x). We would plot the current price of the stock over a series of points representing moments in time. So if we record f(x) for August, October, and December, those points would be mathematically represented as x Aug, x Oct, and x Dec, or x 1, x 3 and x 5.

For a number of reasons, we might want to know the value of the security during September, a month for which we don't have any data. We could use a linear interpolation algorithm to estimate the value of f(x) at plot point x Sep , or x 2 that appears within the existing data range.

Criticism of Interpolation

One of the biggest criticisms of interpolation is that although it's a fairly simple methodology that's been around for eons, it lacks precision. Interpolation in ancient Greece and Babylon was primarily about making astronomical predictions that would help farmers time their planting strategies to improve crop yields.

While the movement of planetary bodies is subject to many factors, they are still better suited to the imprecision of interpolation than the wildly variant, unpredictable volatility of publicly-traded stocks. Nevertheless, with the overwhelming mass of data involved in securities analysis, large interpolations of price movements are fairly unavoidable.

Most charts representing a stock's history are in fact widely interpolated. Linear regression is used to make the curves which approximately represent the price variations of a security. Even if a chart measuring a stock over a year included data points for every day of the year, one could never say with complete confidence where a stock will have been valued at a specific moment in time.
I really turned on in particular to James Joyce, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and Gunter Grass.

Thus far, the most talked-about Green Friday hotspot is Denver dispensary the Grass Station.

A tugboat improbably sits high on the bank, obscured by tall grass, a broken oil rig hangs over the water nearby.

The one caveat: Asprey advises only buying butter made from grass-fed or pastured cows.

As they passed the runway, bullets shot up from the tall grass, puncturing a fuel tank. Argo in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis|Nina Strochlic|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The grass had a delightful fragrance, like new-mown hay, and was neatly wound around the tunnel, like the inside of a bird's-nest. Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl

She threw out her arms as if swimming when she walked, beating the tall grass as one strikes out in the water. The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

The weed growing over every water, and at the bank of the river, shall be pulled up before all grass. The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

Everywhere cattle were being sold for a trifle, as there was no grass upon which they could feed. The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
If you have never tasted a good, authentic Southern gumbo, you owe it to yourself to find one and eat it.

But first, you will want to know how to order this dish, so you dont look silly in front of your friends and family at the restaurant.

Oftentimes, gumbo features small animals that look like baby lobsters. These animals go by many different names, including crayfish, crawfish, crawdads, crawdaddies, mudbugs, and apparently even mountain lobster.

Which one should you say when youre ordering delicious food? Probably not mountain lobster, unless you are on an actual mountain and those words are printed on the menu. In any case, continue reading to find out whether crayfish or crawfish is the appropriate word to choose.

What is the Difference Between Crayfish and Crawfish?

In this post, I will compare crayfish vs. crawfish. I will use each spelling in at least one example sentence to demonstrate its proper use and context.

Plus, I will discuss a mnemonic that you can use when you are not sure whether crawfish or crayfish is the correct word.

When to Use Crayfish

What does crayfish mean? A crayfish is a small, freshwater crustacean that looks like a lobster. They can be found in shallow streams and riverbeds, as well as the shores of lakes.

Here are some example sentences,

Jeremiah and Abernathy spent the whole afternoon catching crayfish at the creek.

Crayfish are omnivores and breathe through gills.

You must be careful to hold crayfish just behind the head, so that they cannot curl around and pinch you.

The enormous Murray crayfish, the second largest in the world, is also one of the prettiest. It has bright white claws and a shell with blues, greens and hints of red, depending on the light. The New York Times

Crayfish exist in North America, Europe, and Asia, and are often eaten or used as bait to catch larger animals.

When to Use Crawfish

What does crawfish mean? Crawfish is a dialectical variant of crayfish, referring to the same animal. This spelling is derived from the way the word crayfish is pronounced by some English speakers in the American South.

Crawfish has become accepted in American English, especially in the context of regional dining. A Cajun-style restaurant offering these animals in menu items would be likely to use crawfish instead of crayfish, in an attempt to promote or preserve regional authenticity.

Here are some examples,

The Louisiana Crawfish Gumbo at Bayou BBQ is excellent, Karine said.

For this summery combination of shellfish, ripe tomatoes and garlicky aioli, New Orleans chef Nina Compton insists on cooking and serving the shrimp intact, just as she would crawfish. The Wall Street Journal

Trick to Remember the Difference

Crayfish and crawfish are two different ways to spell the same word.

In most contexts, including taxonomy, biology, and everyday use, crayfish is the standard term. Crayfish is also standard outside of the United States.

In the context of regional cuisine, however, crawfish is more recognizable. Crayfish would look out of place in contexts involving Southern cooking, so even though crawfish is not technically standard, it is the better choice.

If you dont think you can remember this, here is a helpful trick to remember crawfishvs. crayfish.

You can remember to reserve crawfish for regional dishes like gumbo since crawfish and New Orleans, a hotbed of American Cajun food ways, are both spelled with the letter W.

Summary

Is it crayfish or crawfish? Crayfish and crawfish are two spellings of the same noun, which refers to a small freshwater crustacean. These animals are prized for their use as bait and as ingredients in several Southern-influenced dishes; otherwise, they are sometimes considered invasive species.

Crayfish is the standard spelling outside the United States, and in academic or scientific contexts in American English.

In most food-related contexts in American English, though, crawfish is acceptable, and even expected.

Since crawfish and New Orleans both contain the letter W, and are both related to Cajun food, you can use that letter as a mnemonic device to help you remember when crawfish is more appropriate.

To summarize, crayfish is standard. Crawfish is dialectical, but culturally appropriate when referencing some food items. Other variations of the word like crawdad or mudbug are reserved as dialectal speech.

Now that you know which one of these words to use, go out and order some gumbo! When you are done eating, be sure to check this site any time you encounter confusing words on menus or other reading material.
Mere hours ago, Rafi Ashkenazi, the Chief Executive Officer of Rational Group announced that companys online sportsbook BetStars is to have a new Managing Director.

Zeno Ossko is to take over the role in the middle of September. He will move to the Isle of Man where the headquarters of BetStars is located. He will be responsible for overseeing the overall performance of the sports betting features BetStars launched at the end of 2015.

Mr. Ossko is no stranger to the gambling industry. He has a solid experience in the niche. He held several senior management positions in SAP AG and Vienna Online.

He also used to be a Managing Director at mybet, a German gambling company. The last role he assumed was a Chief Executive Officer of mybet. His appointment as a BetStars Managing Director comes a few weeks after the announcement that he will no longer be a part of mybet Board of Directors.

Mr. Ashkenazi commented on Osskos appointment and said that he considers him a great fit for the Rational Group, and remained confident that he will actively contribute to the further growth of BetStars. He also added that Osskos vast knowledge of the online gambling industry and experience in the development of omni-channel sports betting products, in particular, makes him an invaluable asset for the company.

The soon-to-be-appointed BetStars Managing Director also commented on his new role and said that he was impatient to join the Rational Group team and continue working for developing BetStars brand and popularizing the products it offers. He went on to say that he was eager to contribute to the expansion of the existing customer base and make BetStars the new customer acquisition channel for the Rational Group.

The launch of BetStars brand in December 2015 created rumours and speculations about its Managing Director. According to more or less reliable sources, the former William Hill executive Jamie Hart was about to take over the reins of the sportsbook.

Rational Group is also managing the online poker giant PokerStars.com. As mentioned above, PokerStars rolled out the sportsbook a few months ago with the aim of making the platform competitive to its well-established rivals.

Initially, players were offered a variety of 23 sports. The platform was available in a limited number of countries. Prior to its launch, Amaya secured the international domains BetStars.dk, BetStars.es, BetStars.it, BetStars.it, BetStars.pt. However, company officials promised to make it available in more countries and diversify the existing betting options, which will be in fact, one of the responsibilities of Zeno Ossko.
M.A., German Studies, McGill University

B.A., German and French

Easter traditions in Germany are similar to those found in other predominantly Christian countries, from the religious commemoration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to the ever-so-popular Osterhase. See below for a closer look at some of Germany's customs of rebirth and renewal.

Easter Bonfires

Gathering at Easter bonfire in Germany.Flickr Vision / Getty Images

Many people gather around large bonfires reaching several meters high on the eve of Easter Sunday. Often the wood of old Christmas trees is used for this occasion.



This German custom is actually an old pagan ritual dating back to before Christ to symbolize the coming of spring. Back then it was believed that any home or field shone upon by the light of the fire would be protected from sickness and misfortune.

Der Osterhase (Easter Rabbit)

Bruno Brando / EyeEm / Getty Images

This hopping Easter creature is believed to originate from Germany. The first known account of der Osterhase is found in the 1684 notes of a Heidelberg professor of medicine, where he discusses the ill-effects of overeating Easter eggs. German and Dutch settlers later brought the notion of der Osterhase or Oschter Haws (Dutch) to the U.S. in the 1700s.

Der Osterfuchs (Easter Fox) and other Easter Egg Deliverers

Michael Liewer / EyeEm / Getty Images

In some parts of Germany and Switzerland, children waited for der Osterfuchs instead. Children would hunt for his yellow Fuchseier (fox eggs) on Easter morning which were dyed with yellow onion skins. Other Easter egg deliverers in German-speaking countries included the Easter rooster (Saxony), the stork (Thuringia) and the Easter chick. Unfortunately, in the past several decades, these animals have found themselves with fewer delivery jobs as der Osterhase has gained more widespread fame.

Der Osterbaum (Easter Tree)

Antonel / Getty Images

It's only in recent years that miniature Easter trees have become popular in North America. This Easter tradition from Germany is a favorite. Beautifully decorated Easter eggs are hung on branches in a vase in the home or on trees outside, adding a splash of color to spring's palette.

Das Gebackene Osterlamm (Baked Easter Lamb)

Westend61 / Getty Images

This delicious baked cake in the form of a lamb is a sought-after treat during Easter season. Whether made simply, such as with Hefeteig(yeast dough) only or with a rich creamy filling in the center, either way, the Osterlammis always a hit with kids. You can find a great assortment of Easter lamb cake recipes at Osterlammrezepte.

Das Osterrad (Easter Wheel)

Nifoto/Public domain/ via Wikimedia Commons

This custom is practiced in a few regions in northern Germany. For this tradition, hay is stuffed into a large wooden wheel, then lit and rolled down a hill at nighttime. A long, wooden pole pulled through the wheel's axle helps it keep its balance. If the wheel reaches all the way to the bottom intact, then a good harvest is predicted. The city of Lugde in Weserbergland prides itself on being the Osterradstadt, since it has followed this tradition yearly for over a thousand years.

Osterspiele (Easter Games)

Helen Marsden #christmassowhite / Getty Images

Rolling eggs down a hill is also a tradition in Germany and other German-speaking countries, found in games such as Ostereierschiebenand Eierschibbeln.

Der Ostermarkt (Easter Market)

Michael Mller / EyeEm / Getty Images

Just like Germany's wonderful Weihnachtsmarkte, its Ostermarktealso can't be beaten. A stroll through a German Easter market will tantalize your taste buds and delight your eyes as artisans, artists and chocolatiers showcase their Easter art and treats.

Watch Now: 10 Fun Facts About Easter
English has a lot of tricky words in its vocabulary, but advice and advise are two words that are especially tough to keep track of. I even find myself taking a double take at the paper as I write them down, making sure I have them correct.

The problem is, of course, the words are both spelled very close to each other, their meanings focus on the same idea, and their pronunciations dont immediately make their uses evident.

Whats the Difference Between Advice and Advise?

Today, I want to go over the definitions of these two words, their functions in a sentence, and give you a few ways to easily remember whats different between them. After reading this post, you shouldnt ever confuse advice vs. advise again.

When to Use Advice

Advice is noun and is defined as, guidance or recommendations concerning prudent future action; opinion about what could or should be down about a situation or problem. For example,

Do you have any advice for the president?

She started exercising on her doctors advice.

My advice to you is to invest your money early.

To give someone your advice on what to do or not to do is similar to offering them your assistance.

When to Use Advise

Advise is a verb and is defined as, to offer suggestions about the best course of action. For example,

How will you advise the president?

Her doctor advised her to start exercising.

I advise you to invest your money early.

To advise someone in a matter is similar to assisting them.

Pronunciation of Advice/Advise

Advice and advise are pronounced differently.

The c in advice has an s sound. It sounds the same as if you were to sandwich the two words ad and vice together.

The s in advise has the a z sound.

Remember the Difference

There are two good checks you can use to keep yourself free from errors while using these two words.

Check One: The first is that the word advice never changes its form. This means that you never add an s or ing to advice. It should always appear just as you see it here: advice. If you ever find yourself wanting to add any additional letters onto advice, you are about to make a mistake.

Check Two: The second check is to substitute the words assistance and to assist in their places.

If you replace the word in question with assistance and your sentence still makes sense, advice is probably the correct choice. For example,

He really needs ______ from an expert.

He really needs assistance from an expert.

He really needs advice from an expert.

Similarly, if you replace the word in question with assist and its various forms and your sentence still makes sense, advise is probably the correct choice. For example,

Will you please ______ me?

Will you please assist me?

Will you please advise me?

Summary

The two words advise vs. advice have similar meanings, but their functions in a sentence are completely different. In order to keep your writing free of any embarrassing mistakes, its important not to mix these words up with each other.

Advice is a noun, similar to the word assistance.

Adviseis a verb, similar to the verb to assist.
What Is a Breakout?hidden pop slots free coinsniper net

A breakout refers to when the price of an asset moves above a resistance area, or moves below a support area. Breakouts indicate the potential for the price to start trending in the breakout direction. For example, a breakout to the upside from a chart pattern could indicate the price will start trending higher. Breakouts that occur on high volume (relative to normal volume) show greater conviction which means the price is more likely to trend in that direction.

Key Takeaways

A breakout is when the price moves above a resistance level or moves below a support level.

Breakouts can be subjective since not all traders will recognize or use the same support and resistance levels.

Breakouts provide possible trading opportunities. A breakout to the upside signals traders to possible get long or cover short positions. A breakout to the downside signals traders to possibly get short or to sell long positions.

Breakouts with relatively high volume show conviction and interest, and therefore the price is more likely to continue moving in the breakout direction.

Breakouts on low relative volume are more prone to failure, so the price is less likely to trend in the breakout direction.

What Does a Breakout Tell You?

A breakout occurs because the price has been contained below a resistance level or above a support level, potentially for some time. The resistance or support level becomes a line in the sand which many traders use to set entry points or stop loss levels. When the price breaks through the support or resistance level traders waiting for the breakout jump in, and those who didn't want the price to breakout exit their positions to avoid larger losses.

This flurry of activity will often cause volume to rise, which shows lots of traders were interested in the breakout level. The higher than average volume helps confirm the breakout. If there is little volume on the breakout, the level may not have been significant to a lot of traders, or not enough traders felt convicted to place a trade near the level yet. These low volume breakouts are more likely to fail. In the case of an upside breakout, if it fails the price will fall back below resistance. In the case of a downside breakout, often called a breakdown, if it fails the price will rally back above the support level it broke below.

Breakouts are commonly associated with ranges or other chart patterns, including triangles, flags, wedges, and head-and-shoulders. These patterns are formed when the price moves in a specific way which results in well-defined support and/or resistance levels. Traders then watch these levels for breakouts. They may initiate long positions or exit short positions if the price breaks above resistance, or they may initiate short positions or exit long position if the price breaks below support.

Even after a high volume breakout, the price will often (but not always) retrace to the breakout point before moving in the breakout direction again. This is because short-term traders will often buy the initial breakout, but then attempt to sell quite quickly for a profit. This selling temporarily drives the price back to the breakout point. If the breakout is legitimate (not a failure), then the price should move back in the breakout direction. If it doesn't, it's a failed breakout.

Traders who use breakouts to initiate trades typically utilize stop loss orders in case the breakout fails. In the case of going long on an upside breakout, a stop loss is typically placed just below the resistance level. In the case of going short on a downside breakout, a stop loss is typically placed just above the support level that has been breached.

Example of a Breakout

Image by Sabrina Jiang  Investopedia 2020

The chart shows a large increase in volume, associated with an earnings release, as the price breaks through the resistance area of a triangle chart pattern. The breakout was so strong that it caused a price gap. The price continued to move higher and didn't retrace to the original breakout point. That is a sign of a very strong breakout.

Traders could have used the breakout to potentially enter long positions and/or get out of short positions. If entering long, a stop loss would be placed just below the resistance level of the triangle (or even below triangle support). Because the price had a large gaping breakout, this stop loss location may not be ideal. After the price continued to move higher following the breakout the stop loss could be trailed up in order to reduce risk or lock in a profit.

The Difference Between a Breakout and a 52-Week High/Low

A breakout could result in the price moving to a new 52-week high or low, if a breakout occurs near the prior high/low. But not all 52-week highs/lows are the result of a recent breakout. A 52-week high or low is simply the highest or lowest price seen over the last year. A breakout is a move above or below resistance.

Limitations of Using Breakouts

There are two main problems with utilizing breakouts. The main problem is failed breakouts. The price will often move just beyond resistance or support, luring in breakout traders. The price then reverses and doesn't continue moving in the breakout direction. This can happen multiple times before a real breakout occurs.

Support and resistance levels are also subjective. Not everyone cares about the same support and resistance levels. This is why watching volume helps. An increase in volume on the breakout shows that the level is important. Lack of volume shows the level is not important or that the big traders (who create big volume) aren't ready to participate yet.
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How to Use "Breath"

How to Use "Breathe"

Examples

Common Idioms

How to Remember the Difference

Sources

Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia

M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester

B.A., English, State University of New York

EnglishTable of ContentsByRichard NordquistRichard NordquistEnglish and Rhetoric ProfessorDr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks.Learn about ourEditorial ProcessUpdated on April 10, 2019

"Breath" and "breathe" are words that express the act of respirationthe inhalation and exhalation of atmospheric gases that are otherwise known as air. They also serve as significant metaphors for life and living and are used in a variety of other ways in addition to playing a central role in several well-known idioms.

How to Use "Breath"

The noun "breath" (rhymes with "Beth," a "short e" sound and an abrupt end in "th") refers to the air that you take into and expel out from your lungs during respiration. It can also mean a puff of air or scent or a slight breeze. Figuratively, "breath" can mean a suggestion or small indication, or it can refer to a brief period of time or a moment of surprise.

How to Use "Breathe"

In contrast, "breathe" (rhymes with "seethe," a "long e" sound and a continuing "the" sound at the end) is a verb and means to take air into and push it back out of your lungsthat is, to inhale and exhale. "Breathe" can also mean to say or utter (something), to blow softly (on something), or to take a brief rest before continuing.

Examples

"Breath" is the modern version of the Middle English brth, which meant odor or exhalation to people living in Medieval England. Today "breath" is still a noun.

Before she began singing, Hannah drew a deep breath .

. Your breath might smell of onions right after you eat them.

might smell of onions right after you eat them. Use the noun "breath" to talk about environmental conditions, as in "There's a breath of spring in the air today."

of spring in the air today." Being able to hold your breath underwater is an important part of learning to swim.

"Breathe" is the modern form of brethen, which was the verb form of brth. Today "breathe" is still a verb.

Late at night, Stevie crept into the baby's room just to hear her breathe .

. Breathe in that wonderful spring scent!

in that wonderful spring scent! Elizabeth uncorked the bottle of wine and left it on the counter to breathe .

. "As long as I breathe, I'll love bagpipes" is something that possibly only a few people have ever said.

Common Idioms

There are dozens of idioms used in English for "breath" and "breathe." "Breathing," in the sense of human respiration, is something we do between 12 and 30 times a minute, so perhaps it's not surprising that it's so often used as a metaphor for life and living, and the release of worry. Here are some of the most common for "breath."

Under one's breath: Muttered or spoken in a muted voice or whisper not intended to be heard.

Muttered or spoken in a muted voice or whisper not intended to be heard. Save your breath or don't hold or waste your breath: Dont bother or waste your time.

or or Dont bother or waste your time. A breath of fresh air: Something or someone new or insightful.

Something or someone new or insightful. To take someones breath away: To surprise or shock someone.

To surprise or shock someone. To catch one's breath: To rest or take a brief break.

To rest or take a brief break. With bated breath: Waiting for the resolution of an important issue.

And here are some common idioms for "breathe":

Don't breathe a word: Keep a specific secret.

Keep a specific secret. To breathe down one's neck: To watch another person's actions in an overbearing way, physically stand too close to someone, or to loom, as a deadline.

To watch another person's actions in an overbearing way, physically stand too close to someone, or to loom, as a deadline. To breathe a sigh of relief: To be grateful for the release of worry at the end of a difficult situation.

To be grateful for the release of worry at the end of a difficult situation. To breathe freely: To be free of worry at the end of a difficult situation.

To be free of worry at the end of a difficult situation. To breathe one's last: To die or pass away.

To die or pass away. To breathe life into: To reinvigorate or refresh with new ideas.

How to Remember the Difference

Choose "breath," which ends abruptly, when you need a noun, a single inhalation, or a metaphor for "life." Choose "breathe," which ends with an "e" and has a sound that continues comparatively longer, when you need a verb, the action of respiration, or a metaphor for "to live."

Sources

Breath | Definition of Breath in English by Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford Dictionaries | English, Oxford Dictionaries.

"Breathe | Definition of Breathe in English by Oxford Dictionaries." Oxford Dictionaries | English, Oxford Dictionaries.

Sule, Kati. "Language Tip of the Week: Breath vs Breathe." Macmillan Dictionary Blog, 2012.

FormatmlaapachicagoYour CitationNordquist, Richard. "Breath vs. Breathe: How to Choose the Right Word." ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/breath-and-breathe-1692715.Nordquist, Richard. (2020, August 27). Breath vs. Breathe: How to Choose the Right Word. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/breath-and-breathe-1692715Nordquist, Richard. "Breath vs. Breathe: How to Choose the Right Word." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/breath-and-breathe-1692715 (accessed November 20, 2022).
A staff of a delivery center check parcels as the Double 11 shopping festival comes. Photo: VCG

From highly popular leggings to water bottles,China's Double 11 festival, the country's most important online shopping spree, saw increased participation this year of consumers from Europe, North Africa and Latin America, indicating that the festival has become a global shopping event and its overseas spillover effect continues to be unleashed.Experts noted the Double 11 festival has increasingly become a bridge between Chinese e-commerce and overseas consumers, and between Chinese consumers and overseas businesses. With the rapid development of international logistics, more cost-effective China-made products will go global and gain recognition overseas.The provincial postal administration of East China's Zhejiang Province said on Friday that during this year's shopping spree, the number of orders from overseas consumers had grown significantly compared to previous years, especially for hand warmers, heaters and electric blankets."We are producing a batch of leggings for European customers, and we have also received orders from Japan," Lu Huazhen, a representative from Zhuji Aishanglin Knitting Co, a legging manufacturer at Zhuji in Zhejiang, told the Global Times on Sunday.Rising orders from overseas for China-made heating products represent just one facet of the Chinese shopping festival going global. After 14 years of development, Double 11 has been embraced by many overseas consumers now.Every year in November, two e-commerce platforms based in Singapore, Lazada and Shopee, launch the Double 11 shopping festival in Southeast Asia, with a number of shopping centers and merchants using the event as an opportunity to launch promotions.Lazada plans to hold a five-day shopping festival in Southeast Asia during this year's Double 11, in which consumers in Thailand can try on cosmetics in Siam Square in Bangkok and have the opportunity to interact with their favorite performers.The Middle East and North Africa, which have a high level of acceptance of e-commerce, also saw increasing interest from local consumers for Double 11. According to the Xinhua News Agency, 70 percent of consumers in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates said that they would buy products during the online festival, compared with 65 percent during the year-end peak sale season."The just-ended shopping festival on Chinese e-commerce platforms has gone global, gradually showing its spillover effects on overseas consumers," Zhang Yi, CEO of iiMedia Research Institute, told the Global Times on Sunday.Zhang noted that China-made products have wide recognition and a high esteem overseas for their cost-effectiveness. In addition, improvements in international logistics such as cheaper fees and more overseas warehouses have provided convenience for international consumers, helping the country's e-commerce to go global.Alibaba's domestic logistics service provider Cainiao told the Global Times on Sunday that in Karachi, Pakistan, the company built an automated express distribution center in cooperation with a local e-commerce company in mid-October.Previously, Pakistan could only sort express parcels manually. A Pakistani employee at the center expressed his confidence about this year's Double 11, saying that with the technical assistance of Chinese partners, the center will be able to provide high-quality services for customers.In addition to bringing quality goods overseas, the festival is also an important time for international brands to expand in China.According to a report sent to the Global Times by Tmall, Alibaba's e-commerce platform, during this year's Double 11, consumers could buy more than 39,000 products from overseas brands from over 90 countries and regions at the platform. Among them, more than 1,600 new overseas brands participated in the shopping spree for the first time, bringing thousands of world premieres and limited edition new products.Experts noted that the Double 11 shopping festival has injected strong momentum to domestic and global consumption confidence.According to a report sent to the Global Times by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, cross-border e-commerce has made an important contribution to stabilizing the country's foreign trade. Data showed that in the first half of this year, import and export transactions of cross-border e-commerce increased by 28.6 percent year-on-year.Zhang added that as the Double 11 event goes global, merchants can focus more on overseas markets and bring more high-quality Chinese products to the world.
For Shari Rohan,is league of legends worth playing 2022 it was a social-studies lesson that described enslaved people receiving on-the-job training. For Zanetta Lamar, it was the fact that her son was the only Black student in his grade. For Andrea Thomas, it was realizing just how little she had learned about Black history while attending both public and private schools.

I did not want my children to have that same experience, says Thomas, who, along with Rohan and Lamar, is now homeschooling her children, becoming part of a movement that once was seen as the domain of white, conservative families. I wanted them to have a deeper understanding of history and the flaws within our history.

Homeschooling increased nationwide after the pandemic disrupted in-person learning; among households with school-age children, the percentage who reported homeschooling them rose from 5.4% in April 2020 to 11.1% in October 2020, the last week for which those figures are available, according to the U.S. Census Bureaus Household Pulse Survey. The increase was most significant among Black families, about 3.3% of whom were homeschooling in spring 2020. By fall 2020, 16.1% were homeschooling, according to the survey. And as that population has grown, so have the curriculum resources and support groups.

Read more: Inside the Fight Over What Kids Learn About Americas History

While COVID-19 was a catalyst, many Black parents, concerned about racism in schools and frustrated by the prevalence of white-washed history lessons, have also turned to homeschooling as a way to take control of their childrens education and give them an unvarnished version of U.S. history, even as such efforts come under attack in school districts around the country.

Thomas helps her daughter Brea, 12, with her hair. Ilana Panich-Linsman for TIME

Homeschooling has become such a refuge for many families, Black families in particular, that they dont have to go to the under-resourced school that they were assigned, says Cheryl Fields-Smith, an associate professor at the University of Georgias Mary Frances Early College of Education, who has researched homeschooling among Black families. They have an option where someone can create for them a really positive, nurturing, learning environment.

The challenges faced by Black children in Americas public schools are well-documented. Black students are disciplined at higher rates than their white peers. Districts that serve mostly Black and Latino students receive far less funding than those with mostly white students. And Black students are unlikely to be taught by Black educators, as only 7% of public-school teachers are Black. On top of that, many school districts are now facing calls to remove books by Black authors from school libraries and to restrict how teachers discuss race in the classroom.

If you send your child to school, and those ideals are there, you have to rescue them in a way, says Fields-Smith. Out of frustration, they realize, You know what, I can do a better job than this.'

Thomas, whose children range in age from 4 to 12, recalls visiting her daughters first-grade private-school classroom a few years ago for a Thanksgiving activity that painted a rosy picture of the relationship between pilgrims and Native Americans. I thought, Oh, Im doing my child a disservice,' she says. Thats obviously wrong.

Four of the Thomas siblings read in beanbag chairs in the entryway of the family's home. Ilana Panich-Linsman for TIME

Since she started teaching her kids at their Richardson, Texas home in 2020, Thomas has used a U.S. history curriculum from Woke Homeschooling, a platform created by Delina Pryce McPhaull, who struggled to find a history curriculum she liked when she first began homeschooling nearly 10 years ago. She found that most had a conservative bent, included religious teachings and leaned heavily on the perspectives of white people within U.S. history.

I got tired of reading about white people, white peoples experience, says Pryce McPhaull, who is Black and has always homeschooled her children, 12-year-old twins and a 14-year-old. You get tired of the same perspective the whole time.

She crafted her own curriculum, marking up her childrens textbooks, researching alternative readings, removing a lesson involving the Confederate anthem, Dixie, and adding a lesson about Lift Every Voice and Sing, long considered the Black national anthem.

She made that curriculum public in 2019, offering it as a digital download for other parents, hoping to give them the tools to guide their children through tough conversations about harsh realities. She saw more than 2,000 curriculum downloads in August 2020 compared to about 300 in August 2019, attributing the spike to the rise in homeschooling during the pandemic and to the increased focus on systemic racism following the death of George Floyd. Her U.S. history curriculum for the third- to seventh graders costs $50, and her high-school curriculum comes in two parts for $60 each, all promising to make the history of Native Americans, African Americans and immigrants more than an after-thought. More than 700 families have enrolled in Woke Homeschooling online courses since September 2020, she says.

I like to say, Lets tell the truth and see what happens. Because we havent been telling the truth, she says. We havent, as a nation, as a whole, grappled with history in a truthful way. Some parents have determined that were going to do this differently.

The history of homeschooling

Thomas gets her children settled at the dining table for their math lessons. Ilana Panich-Linsman for TIME

The fact that Pryce McPhaull couldnt find many curriculum options that werent written from a conservative, Christian perspective, and that her lesson plans have generated so much interest, reflects the changing demographics of homeschooling.

An early wave of homeschooling in the 1970s was driven by left-leaning parents more aligned with the counterculture of the 1960s. Educator John Holt coined the term unschooling. Holt advocated for child-directed learning and less emphasis on testing, and he encouraged families to leave the public school system in favor of less rigid styles of education.

But during the 1980s and 90s, homeschooling became a more conservative movement, overlapping with conservative ideals about limited government, parental rights and religious freedom.

Republican presidential candidates started to appeal to homeschooling parents for political support, and the Home School Legal Defense Association was founded in 1983 to lobby lawmakers and provide legal services to families fighting for their right to homeschool.

In 2016, about 60% of self-identified homeschool parents voted for Republican Donald Trump, according to research by Heath Brown, an associate professor of public policy at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice who has studied the history of conservative activism around homeschooling. But that has been slowly shifting, with more homeschooling parents identifying as moderate, and the change was accelerated by the pandemic.

Brax, 6, Blaine, 4, and Bellamy, 8, look at Blaine's laptop. Ilana Panich-Linsman for TIME

The number of homeschooled students nearly doubled from 1999 to 2016, the most recent year for which data is available, when nearly 1.7 million students were homeschooled, about 3.3% of all students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The majority of those students (59%) were white, while 26% were Hispanic and 8% were Black. Those who chose to homeschool most often cited concerns about the school environment as the main reason, followed by dissatisfaction with academic instruction and a desire to provide religious instruction.

The increase in homeschooling today is visible across racial groups, rising to 12.1% of Hispanic households and 9.7% of white households in October 2020, according to the Census survey data.

Some white parents who made the shift to homeschooling did so as part of the backlash to critical race theory, objecting to how racism is discussed in public schools. Aly Giles, who is white and lives in Tennessee, said she thinks public schools have become too liberal, and she didnt want her son to feel guilty for a past that he had nothing to do with. Giles started homeschooling her three school-aged children in 2020. I cant change the whole public school system, but what I can do is take my kids out of it, she said.

Critical race theory is a graduate-level academic framework that explores how institutions perpetuate racism. School districts across the country have emphasized it is not being taught in K-12 schools, but it has become a catch-all term among critics, who argue that lessons addressing systemic racism will divide children and make white students uncomfortable.

Brown says homeschooling parents have long been motivated by a desire for more control over their childrens curriculum. That includes the choice of textbooks, the choice of subject matter, he says. Black parents who are now pursuing a more diverse, comprehensive history education are the latest example.

I could not send her back there

Four of the Thomas siblings make lunch after school lessons in the family's kitchen. Ilana Panich-Linsman for TIME

Shari Rohan reached a breaking point with her daughter Sofias public school in June 2020, when she was able to see and hear what Sofia, who is biracial, was learning in fourth grade in Watervliet, N.Y. Rohan was concerned about one assignment that described enslaved people receiving on-the-job training and another that described the United States as a blue-eyed and ready nation.

These lessons add to the complete erasure of the atrocities faced by Native and Black people throughout history. I would like to know what the school is doing to encourage accurate language and portrayal of historical events, Rohan wrote in an email to her daughters elementary-school principal, who said she would work with staff to rewrite their curriculum and increase our understanding of race and racism. But for Rohan, the response seemed like too little, too late.

Read more: Applying to College Was Never Easy for Most Students. The Pandemic Made it Nearly Impossible

Seeing the actual curriculum, and the response from the school to that curriculum, just made it ethically impossible for me to send her back, says Rohan, who began homeschooling Sofia, now 11, in September 2020. Im a single parent, and I work outside the home. But I could not send her back there.

In an email, Donald Stevens, superintendent of Watervliet schools, acknowledged that the material used as part of those assignments was inappropriate. The material and its use is not reflective of our commitment as educators and as a school district to educational equity for all students, he said, adding that the district has been reviewing its curriculum to ensure it reflects our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and is creating a resource bank for teachers with materials that are reflective of all demographics and backgrounds.

We are determined to continue to move forward to ensure an equitable educational experience for all, he said.

Brax, 6, studies his laptop as his younger brother Blaine, 4, jumps off of the sofa. Ilana Panich-Linsman for TIMEBellamy, 8, works out a math problem on a whiteboard in the family's kitchen. Ilana Panich-Linsman for TIME

At home, Rohan has prioritized lessons on the Black Panthers community work and Rosa Parks training as an activist. She taught her daughter about the history of colonization in the U.S. and how the countrys Founding Fathers were also slave owners, centering diverse perspectives with each lesson.

That history is so important to understand why everything is happening today, Rohan says. Without that history, an accurate history, this is why we are where we are.

In Fredericksburg, Va., Odori Pendleton was a public-school teacher for 11 years before she started homeschooling her two children, now 8 and 12, in 2017 after witnessing too many examples of Black children being mistreated in school.

Pendleton wanted to remove her children from that environment, especially after her son was diagnosed with autism and ADHD. Theyre going to see him as a troubled Black boy before they see that he is actually a savant, she thought.

Many parents who are now taking control of their childrens education are also motivated by a desire to make sure their kids are learning more than they did in school.

I remember feeling as though Black history was boxed in. We talked about slavery and civil rights, and thats it, says Kerai Riddle, a mother in Illinois who started homeschooling her three children in October 2020. Her 12-year-old daughter, who was in public school until fifth grade, had complained that when Black History Month rolled around each February, it felt like her class only learned about Martin Luther King, Jr., skipping over other influential Black leaders.

Bellamy, 8, and Brea, 12, do yoga in the living room. Ilana Panich-Linsman for TIME

Riddle recently taught her daughter about Ida B. Wells, a Black journalist who campaigned against lynching, someone she suspects her daughter wouldnt have learned about in a traditional classroom.

Pryce McPhaull, the creator of Woke Homeschooling, realized the curriculum was necessary after participating in a racial justice study group in 2015, when it became clear how much her own public-school education had left out. She barely knew anything about the Reconstruction era following the Civil War. And while she was familiar with the term Jim Crow, she knew little about the many laws that had enforced segregation.

She wanted her children to have a better understanding of the legacy of racism in U.S. history as they reckoned with ongoing examples of racism and police violence, including the death of Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager who was fatally shot in 2014 by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo.

This isnt just something happening out of the blue. This isnt an anomaly, says Pryce McPhaull, who lives in Keene, Texas. It was important for my kids to have that historical context.

She has been grateful to be homeschooling her kids amid the backlash to critical race theory in her state. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said he wants to abolish critical race theory. A new Texas law aims to restrict how teachers discuss race, gender and other issues in the classroom. It says public school teachers may not be compelled to discuss a widely debated and currently controversial issue of public policy or social affairs and requires representatives from every school to attend a training program on how to teach about race and racism.

Conservative parents and politicians in the state have also launched an effort to ban certain books from school libraries, targeting those that deal with racism and feature LGBTQ characters.

Brax, 6, Bellamy, 8, and Brice, 10, play on the stairs while their mom Andrea wrangles kids to help with a lesson for the younger siblings. Ilana Panich-Linsman for TIME

Theyre basically banning anything that might make white students feel uncomfortable, Pryce McPhaull says. When I hear that, Im reminded of when I was in third, fourth grade, learning about the slave trade in my history class. I was the only Black child, or one of two Black children in the classroom. I didnt have a Black teacher until I was in college. In that environment, I was uncomfortable learning about the slave trade with everyones eyes on me. I remember that feeling distinctly.

When she taught her own children about slavery, she did so more carefully, engaging their questions and checking in how it made them feel.

We dont shy away from hard truths, she says. It doesnt disappear if we dont study it.

We cant remove them from America

At the same time, not all problems can be solved by removing children from schools that arent serving them.

Zanetta and Cory Lamar, who live in Naples, Fla., sent their son to public school and private school before withdrawing him to homeschool. I thought if I paid a lot of money and put him in private school, I could pay someone to treat him well, Zanetta Lamar says. But her son, who knew what racism was by the time he was 6, was the only Black child in his grade, and there were some instances of racism on campus, in addition to their health concerns about COVID-19.

It almost was the concern of what could happen, she says. Were just trying to protect our kids.

The Thomas family poses for a portrait in their home in Richardson. Ilana Panich-Linsman for TIME

She and her husband are both physicians, but he resigned from his job in January to homeschool their 10-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter full-time. And while theyre happy with their decision, they know it wont solve every problem.

We cant remove them from America, Zanetta Lamar says.

And not everyone has the option to homeschool their children in the first place. While Cory Lamar has dedicated his time to educating his children, Zanetta Lamar, who still works full-time, is able to financially support their family on one salary. Rohan, a nurse instructor who cant work from home, hired an au pair to look after her daughter during the day. While her husband works full-time, Thomas runs a business from home and has built her schedule to accommodate her childrens schooling, starting work at 5:30 a.m. so she can begin homeschool lessons by 10 a.m. For some families with less work flexibility and financial stability, that wouldnt be possible.

What I really hope is that, ultimately, public schools, districts, boards of ed, state boards of ed will take notice, and start to listen to whats missing in our schools for Black children, says Fields-Smith, the University of Georgia professor. We cant just do what weve always done. We must make some changes.

Read more:How the Pandemic and Anti-Asian Violence Has Spurred Schools to Change History Lessons

Thomas, the mother in Richardson, says there are days when its difficult juggling five different kids, five different personalities, five different grade levels. But she has also found it refreshing to learn alongside her children, teaching them to ask questions about what they learn, to think about whose perspective it comes from and to fact-check the things theyre told.

In November, she tried to course-correct what her children had been taught about Thanksgiving previously, discussing the Native American tribes that lived here first and how colonists inflicted disease and violence. If more children have that kind of understanding, she argues, it might change the kind of country in which they grow up.

We are feeding the next generation, she says. What are we feeding them?
Speaker Nancy Pelosi,panda slots free getting blackjack the face of House Democrats for two decades and the first woman to serve in the post, announced on Thursday that she would leave leadership in January following narrow election losses that cost Democrats their majority, but will remain in Congress.

Ms. Pelosi, the Californian who twice led Democrats to power in the House and has been a central figure in the major legislative accomplishments of the Obama and Biden administrations, announced her plans in a midday speech on the House floor, a day after Republicans clinched control of the chamber.

For me the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect, she said. And I am grateful that so many are ready and willing to shoulder this awesome responsibility.

Her remarks set off a rapid and long-anticipated shift in the top ranks of Democratic leadership  now dominated by a trio of octogenarians  toward a younger group that has been waiting in the wings.

Shortly after Ms. Pelosi, 82, concluded her remarks, Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the 83-year-old majority leader, said in a letter to his colleagues that he, too would refrain from seeking a leadership position in the next Congress. He endorsed Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York, 52, to be the next Democratic leader, throwing his support to a lawmaker who is widely regarded as Ms. Pelosis likeliest successor.

Understand the Outcomes of the 2022 Midterm Elections Card 1 of 7 Card 1 of 7 What we know. In battleground states and swing districts, voters shunned extremists from the right and the left. Republicans received an especially sweeping rebuke from Americans who made clear they believe that the G.O.P. has become unacceptably extreme.

I look forward to serving as a resource to him, to the rest of our Democratic leadership team, and to our entire caucus in whatever capacity I can best be of assistance as we move forward together to address the nations challenges, Mr. Hoyer wrote.

Representative Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, 82 and the No. 3 Democrat, was expected to cede the position of whip and seek to become the assistant leader, according to people familiar with the plans who spoke about them on the condition of anonymity because they had yet to be announced.

Mr. Jeffries and Representatives Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, 59, and Pete Aguilar of California, 43, were widely expected to seek the top three spots.

Ms. Pelosis announcement heralded the end of a historic leadership run for a woman who learned the nitty-gritty of politics from her family in Baltimore, where her father was a congressman and later mayor. She rose to prominence in California as the leader of the state party, a House member from San Francisco and finally as the determined force at the helm of House Democrats. With her in a leadership role, they challenged President George W. Bush over the Iraq war and won approval of President Barack Obamas Affordable Care Act, her greatest legislative achievement, in 2010.

In her speech, Ms. Pelosi recounted the arc of her career  homemaker to House speaker, she said  as well as major legislative accomplishments. She also addressed the fragility of the nations democracy as she recalled the Jan. 6, 2021, attack at the Capitol, carried out by an angry mob who rejected the results of the 2020 election and President Donald J. Trumps loss. But, she added, voters stood in the breach and repelled the assault on democracy last week by rejecting candidates who continued to cast doubt on the 2020 election.

What we consider before using anonymous sources. Do the sources know the information? Whats their motivation for telling us? Have they proved reliable in the past? Can we corroborate the information? Even with these questions satisfied, The Times uses anonymous sources as a last resort. The reporter and at least one editor know the identity of the source. Learn more about our process. Learn more about our process.

As Ms. Pelosi closed her remarks, House members rose to give her a standing ovation. She was swarmed by colleagues kissing her on the cheek and giving her hugs, and embraced a young girl who was in the chamber for her speech  a moment reminiscent of her swearing-in as speaker, when she called all the children present in the chamber to the dais.

Ms. Pelosis decision came after her husband, Paul, was brutally attacked in their San Francisco home late last month by a hammer-wielding assailant who was said to have been planning to kidnap and assault the speaker herself. Ms. Pelosi and her security detail were not at home at the time.

By staying in Congress, Ms. Pelosi could remain an influence and a guide for the new generation of Democrats who are expected to rise into the senior leadership ranks with her departure from the top job.

In a statement released after Ms. Pelosis speech, President Biden said history would remember her as the most consequential speaker of the House of Representatives in our history.

There are countless examples of how she embodies the obligation of elected officials to uphold their oath to God and country to ensure our democracy delivers and remains a beacon to the world, he said. In everything she does, she reflects a dignity in her actions and a dignity she sees in the lives of the people of this nation.

Ms. Pelosi was for years the focus of bitter attacks from Republicans who used her as a symbol of liberal Democratic ideology, but she was revered within the party  and earned the respect of many Republicans  for her leadership skills, steadiness in times of crisis, political acumen and, not least, a formidable ability to tap donors for hundreds of millions of dollars.

She worked her way up in the House hierarchy from the Appropriations Committee and the top Democratic slot on the Select Committee on Intelligence, where she was a critic of the Iraq war.

Ms. Pelosi pledged in 2018 to limit herself to four more years as her partys leader, but had recently equivocated about whether she would honor that, and had been quietly gauging her support within Democratic ranks. Several of her colleagues had privately noted that Ms. Pelosi, 82, was unlikely to seek to stay in her position if she found she did not have the votes to do so, and equally unlikely to leave if she believed she had the backing to hold on.

Democrats had been frozen in place awaiting her decision before engaging in any public jockeying over who might succeed her at the helm of their caucus.

Many Democrats have argued for years that Ms. Pelosis exit from leadership was long overdue but for years, few have been willing to step forward to challenge her iron grip on the caucus or risk crossing a figure who is well known for holding grudges against opponents.

Ms. Pelosi hinted at the possibility that she might step aside in interviews in recent days, but said she would not make any announcements about her future until control of the House was determined. That happened on Wednesday night.

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In English, words that sound alike when spoken aloud but also have different meanings are called homophones. Councilor and counselor are great examples because even though most speakers pronounce them to be identical, their meanings never overlap in any contexts.

If there were a council of counselors, members could be both a councilor and a counselor at the same time. Still, the words themselves refer to different roles, and it is important to use each in its proper context.

If your marriage were failing, you would probably not want to see a councilor, and if your city has declared bankruptcy, you would probably not want to appoint counselors to run it.

Continue reading to learn more about the difference between councilor and counselor, and how to use each correctly.

What is the Difference Between Counselor and Councilor?

In this post, I will compare councilor vs. counselor. I will use each of these words in at least one example sentence, so you can see them in context.

Plus, I will show you a helpful memory tool that will allow you to choose councilor or counselor correctly every time.

When to Use Counselor

What does counselor mean? Counselor is a noun. It means one who provides guidance, especially in an academic or therapeutic setting. Quite simply, then, a counselor is someone who counsels.

The examples below show counselor in a sentence.

Addie visited a guidance counselor because she couldnt decide whether or not to attend college after graduation.

My counselor says I have a habit of internalizing the disappointment in me I perceive in others and focusing on it until I become depressed.

Trump tapped Kellyanne Conway as counselor to the president, giving his former campaign manager a sweeping mandate to help make good on his election promises. The Wall Street Journal

Counselor can be pluralized to counselors.

Counselor and councilor have root words that are also homophones (counsel and council, respectively).

Interestingly, these English homophones are derived from a pair of Anglo-French homophones, which were themselves derived from a pair of Latin homophones. Apparently, council and counsel have been confusing in several languages for several hundred years.

When to Use Councilor

What does councilor mean? The simplest definition of councilor is a member of a council. A council is a group of people who hold formal meetings to manage something or make decisions. A city council, for instance, is a group of people in charge of a city. A councilor would be a member of such a group.

For example,

All councilors except one were present at this weeks city council meeting.

Councilor Phillips will step down from his post to spend more time with his family.

He belongs firmly to the fringe of Czech politics, and has never aspired to any higher office than local councilor in Melnik, the town north of Prague where he lives with his girlfriend in a graffiti-smeared housing block. The New York Times

Councilor is a noun. Its plural form is councilors.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Now, lets go over a trick to remember counselor vs. councilor.

A counselor is someone who gives guidance.

A councilor sits on a deliberative body.

Since counsel and therapy each contain the letter E, you should always be able to remember that a counselor gives guidance or therapy.

Summary

Is it counselor or councilor? Counselor and councilor are two English homophones.

A counselor is a person who gives guidance or therapy.

A councilor is a member of a group that makes decisions.

The two words are never interchangeable, despite being pronounced identically by many speakers.
Hard Rock International is confident that it will win a court appeal of the Hellenic Gaming Commissions decision to disqualify the hotel and casino operator from the race for a license for the development of a casino resort at a defunct airport near Athens, Greece.

The Greek gambling regulator awarded the license to another US-based casino and hospitality company  Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, earlier this year.

RELATED:Hard Rock Gets Into Hellinikon Casino Race

The license authorizes the tribal gaming and hotel operator to build a 1 billion casino resortas part of a larger complex, dubbed the Hellinikon, at the site of the former Ellinikon International Airport, just outside the Greek capital.

As mentioned above, Hard Rock was disqualified from the casino license race and the company appealedthat decision. Its appeal was rejected by the Hellenic Gaming Commission and the Preliminary Appeals Authority.

Greeces highest administrative court is set to hear the appeal today. Hard Rock spokesperson Michael Karloutsos told local media that the company will ultimately winthe competition for Hellinikonand that it is the only company in the race to have developed a project like this before and they will do it again.

Mr. Karloutsos went on to say that Hard Rock is the only contender with a recognizable global brandand a worldwide network with staying power that can attract much needed additional tourists to Greece.

Insufficient Experience and Finances Behind Rejection of Hard Rocks Bid

According to Greek news outlets, Hard Rock sent a letter of guarantee outside the timeframespecified by the Hellenic Gaming Commission. In addition, the regulator reportedly told the company that its application papers did not demonstrate sufficient development experience and did not meet financial criteria.

Companies interested in participating in the Hellinikon casino license bidding process had until early October 2019 to submit the necessary documents with the Greek gambling regulator.

Responding to comments about its lack of experience and finances for the project, Hard Rock said last year that it was absolutely laughablethat the companys expertise was being questioned.

Hard Rock operates hotel and casino resorts in Florida, New Jersey, Iowa, Mississippi, and Canada, and is looking to build an integrated resort in Japan. The company was also authorized to build a luxury resort in Spain.

As mentioned earlier, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment and its INSPIRE Athensconcept was selected as the preferred bidder for a casino resort at the Hellinikon. The eventual start of the project has been delayed for years, and the global coronavirus crisis has pushed back groundbreaking one more time.

Hard Rocks legal challenge is expected to further delay the process. The company maintains that it was wrongly disqualifiedand that it was victim of unfair and improper practice.Hard Rock also says that it is ready to take the matter to Greek and even European courts to end up as the winner in the race for the casino license.

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What Is Full Costing?casino canada

Full costing is an accounting method used to determine the complete end-to-end cost of producing products or services.

Key Takeaways

Full costing, or absorption costing, accounts for all costs, both fixed and variable along with overhead, that go into a finished product.

Advantages of full costing include compliance with reporting rules and greater transparency.

Drawbacks include potential skewed profitability in financial statements and difficulties determining variations in costs at different production levels.

Understanding Full Costing

Also known as "full costs" or "absorption costing, it is required in most common accounting methodologies, including generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and reporting standards for income tax purposes.

When using the full costing method, all direct, fixed, and variable overhead costs are assigned to the end product.

Direct costs: are expenses directly related to the manufacturing process. They can include staff wages, the costs of any raw materials used, and any overhead expenses, such as batteries to run machinery.

Fixed costs: are primarily overhead expenses, such as salaries and building leases, that remain the same, regardless of how much or how little the company is selling. A company must pay its office rent and wages every month, even if it manufactures nothing.

Variable overhead costs: are the indirect expenses of operating a business that fluctuates with manufacturing activity. For example, when output rises additional staff may be hired to help out. This scenario would result in the company stomaching higher variable overhead costs.

In full costing accounting, these various expenses move with the product (or service) through inventory accounts until the product is sold. The income statement will then recognize these as expenses under costs of goods sold(COGS).

Full Costing Vs. Variable Costing

The alternative to the full costing method is known as variable or direct costing. The treatment of fixed manufacturing overhead costs, such as salaries and building leases, is the primary difference between these two different accounting styles.

Companies that use variable costing separate these operating expenses from production costs. In short, they seek to establish the expenses incurred during the manufacturing process, independent of the everyday costs of running a business.

Under the variable costing method, fixed manufacturing overhead costs are expensed during the period they are incurred. In contrast, the full costing approach recognizes fixed manufacturing overhead costs as an expense when goods or services are sold. Choosing one method over another can have sizable effects on the reporting of financial statements.

In practice, neither costing method is right or wrong. Some organizations will find variable costing more effective, while others will prefer full costing. The usefulness of method selection boils down to managerial attitude, behavior, and organizational design as it relates to accurate input cost capture and valuation.

As more businesses move to just-in-time (JIT) or related streamlined production procedures and inventory systems, in many ways, direct or full costing methods lose their significance, because fewer costs and expenses are tied up in production processes.

Advantages of Full Costing

Compliant With Reporting Rules: One of the biggest benefits of full costing is that it complies with GAAP. Even if a company decides to use variable costing in-house, it is required by law to use full costing in any external financial statements it publishes. Full costing is also the method that a company is required to use for calculating and filing its taxes.

Accounts for All Production Costs: Factoring in all expenses provides investors and management with a complete picture of how much it costs a company to manufacture its products. Establishing the total cost per unit helps businesses to determine suitable pricing for goods and services.

Easier to Track Profits: Full costing presents a more accurate idea of profitability than variable costing if all of the products are not sold during the same accounting period when they are manufactured. This can be especially important for a company that ramps up production well in advance of an anticipated seasonal increase in sales.

Disadvantages of Full Costing

Difficult to Compare Product Lines: Full costing also has several drawbacks. For example, taking into account all expenses, including those not directly associated with production, may make it slightly harder for management to compare the profitability of different product lines.

Impacts Efforts to Improve Operational Efficiency: Management teams using full costing will also find it more challenging to run cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis, which is used to determine how many products a company must manufacture and sell to reach the point of profitability, and improve operational efficiency. If fixed costs are an especially large part of total production costs, it is difficult to determine variations in costs that occur at different production levels.

Can Skew Profit: Another major flaw of full costing is that it can potentially mislead investors. Fixed costs are not deducted from revenues unless all of the company's manufactured products are sold, meaning that a company's profit level can appear better than it actually is during a specified accounting period.


betway 10 free spins bucks picksshows grade level based on the word's complexity. coureur de bois [ koo-rrduh-bwah ]/ ku rr d bw / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ koo-rrduh-bwah ]/ ku rr d bw /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun, plural coureurs de bois [koo-rrduh-bwah]. /ku rr d bw/. French.a French or French-Indian trapper of North America, especially of Canada.

Words nearby coureur de bois

How to use coureur de bois Canadian French: trapper (literally: wood-runner)

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question coureur de boisLiterally, runner, hunter of (the) woodscourante, Courantyne, courbaril, Courbet, Courbevoie, coureur de bois, courgette, courie, courier, courlan, CourlandDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Who Was Kenneth Arrow?best betting tips site in the world

Kenneth Arrow (1921-2017) was an American neoclassical economist who won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics along with John Hicks in 1972 for his contributions to general equilibrium analysis and welfare economics.

Arrow's research has also explored the social choice theory, endogenous growth theory, collective decision making, the economics of information, and the economics of racial discrimination, among other topics.

Key Takeaways

Kenneth Arrow was a neoclassical economist noted for his wide-ranging contributions to microeconomic and macroeconomic theory.

Arrow was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1972 for his work in general equilibrium and welfare economics.

Arrow's major contributions to economic theory include the advances in social choice theory, most notably Arrow's impossibility theorem.

Arrow's Impossibility Theorem

Understanding Kenneth Arrow

1:37

Born in New York City in 1921, Kenneth Arrow taught at Stanford University, Harvard, and the University of Chicago. He earned his Ph.D. from Columbia University, with a dissertation that discussed his theorem called the General Impossibility Theorem. Arrow determined in this theorem that results could not be decided fairly during an election. That's because, he stated, ideal voting methods did not exist when there are more than two candidates trying to satisfy certain criteria.

Arrow outlined the criteria as follows:

Nondictatorship: One person shouldn't be the deciding factor. This means everyone's wishes should be considered. Individual sovereignty: Voters should have the ability to order their choices any way they choose. They should also be able to mark down if they feel undecided or if there's a tie. Unanimity: If every individual prefers one candidate over another, then the group ranking should do the same. Freedom and independence from irrelevant alternatives: If one option is removed, then results for the others shouldn't change. So if the first candidate is leading and the third candidate drops out, the first candidate should still be ahead of the second. Uniqueness of group rank: Regardless of the preferences, the result should be the same.

The application of Arrow's General Impossibility Theorem has gone beyond democracy and election results. It has been used for both welfare economics and (social) justice, and linked to the liberal paradox, which was developed by economist Amartya Sen. According to Sen and his paradox, there is generally a conflict between the distribution of goods and services in a society, and individual freedom, as both cannot exist at the same time.

Arrow later published a book on the same subject. Arrow is also known as one of the first economists to recognize the so-called learning curve.

Legacy of Kenneth Arrow

Arrows theoretical insight has proven its importance over the decades, but he contended that his conclusions about the workings of competitive markets held true only under idealthat is to say, unrealisticassumptions. These assumptions ruled out the existence of third-party effects. An example of such an effect would be the idea that the sale of a product by Harry to Joe would not affect the well-being of Sally. However, this idea is routinely violated in the real world by the sale of products that harm the environment, among other effects.

Arrow's later research translated simple ideas into elegant mathematics, which other economists extended into unanticipated directions. One of those notions was learning by doing, an idea that Arrow examined in the early 1960s. The basic idea was that the more a company produced, the smarter it got. Decades later, economists incorporated this idea into sophisticated theories of endogenous growth, which state that economic growth depends on internal company policies that promote innovation and education.

Kenneth Arrow died on Feb. 21, 2017.
Still, with the community reeling, a number of positive reforms emerged in the protests wake  particularly, the Minority Business Accelerator, a task force created in 2002 that was dedicated to building scalable companies of color.

Gelinas earned over $3,000 a month on a crowd-funded Patreon site dedicated to supporting the QAnon site, which he said helped cover the monthly operating costs.

Now people are training diligently, tuning their bodies to suit the needs of the sport, and otherwise dedicating their livesand tons of resourcesto being the best.

Deep Longevity itself was recently purchased by Regent Pacific, a publicly traded Hong Kong company founded by British billionaire James Mellon, who has funded a number of ventures dedicated to reversing human aging.

Windows also offers multiple desktops, so you can dedicate different spaces to certain apps or windows. Make online classes easier with these laptop shortcuts|Sandra Gutierrez G.|September 15, 2020|Popular-Science

Decide as a family to share cooking responsibilities and dedicate enough time for healthy meals. Meet the Chef Fighting to Ensure That Brazilians Will Never Be as Fat as Americans|Brandon Presser|June 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Perhaps Ham will dedicate a plank in the replica ark to his bowtied benefactor. The Bill Nye-Ken Ham Debate Was a Nightmare for Science|Michael Schulson|February 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Haley: Do you intend to dedicate the rest of your life, then, to the Negro cause? Alex Haleys 1965 Playboy Interview with Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.|Alex Haley|January 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

During his college days at Boston University, he decided to dedicate his life to comedy. Meet Marc Maron: the Comedic Podcast Giant on His New IFC Show & More|Jean Trinh|May 3, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Now the correspondents brazenly asked the president for permission to dedicate it to your excellency. How a Racist Newspaper Defeated Lincoln in New York in the 1864 Election|Harold Holzer|May 2, 2013|DAILY BEAST

By the Holy Ghost they are sanctified, that they may dedicate themselves to God, and thereafter serve him. The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham

After he had been dismissed from West Point one year later, he decided to dedicate his life to writing. Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey

I should like to dedicate it to you, because I believe you would find in it an echo of your most intimate thoughts and emotions. The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky

Do you think it would look like affectation to dedicate the whole edition to his memory? The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition Vol. 25 (of 25)|Robert Louis Stevenson
Horseshoe Casino Baltimore has entered an official partnershipwith the Baltimore Ravens in the second deal of this kind since September when the National Football League (NFL) allowed its teams to accept advertisingfrom casinos. The move follows the historic partnership announced between the Dallas Cowboys and WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma.

For many years, the NFL did not allow its teams to sell sponsorships to casinoswith sportsbooks in order to steer clear of any connection to sports betting. Last month, or in late August as Sports Business Daily reported, the NFL loosened the banon casino advertising. Soon after that, the Dallas Cowboys teamed up with the WinStar World in the first NFL casino partnership. Now the Baltimore Ravens have joined them, extending their existing deal with Horseshoe.

The new partners are neighbors in Southern Gateway Entertainment District, an area just south of the Ravens home in M&T Bank Stadium. When the casino opened just a few blocks away from the sporting venue, it became a catalyst for huge investment and development in the neighborhood. Now their partnership will bring them even closer as logos of the teamwill be featured across the gaming venue, while the casinos ads will be significantly more at the stadium.

The announcement for the deal was made by Baltimore Ravens Senior Vice President of Corporate Sales and Business Development Kevin Rochlitz and former Raven and NFL Hall-of-Famer Jonathan Ogden and Caesars Regional President and Horseshoe Casino General Manager Erin Chamberlin. The owner of Baltimores Horseshoe is the group CBAC Gaming, which gathers Caesars Entertainment, Jack Entertainment, CVPR Gaming Holdings, LLC; STRON-MD Limited Partnership and PRT TWO, LLC.

Increased Partnership between NFL and Casinos

Since 2014, when the Horseshoe Casino Baltimore opened for business, it has been an advertising sponsor at Ravens games. However, it did not have the right to use the teams name or logosin any way. The Maryland casino was not able to use trademarks for any events, including tailgate parties and giveaways. Now, instead of referencing only Baltimore football or using purple colors, the Horseshoe Casino will be allowed to make use of the logo and name of the Ravens. But that is not all.

The three-level feature barat Horseshoe Casino Baltimore that is currently known as 14Forty will soon be rebranded and will be a Ravens Baltimore Bar. The casino will also introduce player cardswith the NFL teams logo. M&T Bank Stadium, on the other hand, will feature Horseshoe advertising. According to Rochlitz, Horseshoe Casino Baltimore has become a popular destination for Ravens fans, especially before and after games, so the new deal will enrich the appeal and entertainment offering of the two major Baltimore brands.

The financial terms of the deal are confidential but for the time being, it remains only a marketing partnership. The State of Maryland is expected to pass a sports betting legislation, which would allow the casino to extend its cooperation with the Baltimore Ravens.
What summer vacation gives, the return to school takes away.

The summer job gains that came when classes ended disappeared entirely last month when those students headed back to school.

New data from the state Labor Department showed that the region absorbed unusually severe job losses last month, after enjoying unusually robust job growth during the early days of summer.

Local economists were surprised by the severity of the August job losses, which wiped out 5,300 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis. It essentially brought the local job market back to where it was at the end of last year, wiping out every job that had been added during the course of 2023.

The bottom line: What had been a hopeful sign that the Buffalo Niagara job market was finally starting to shake out of the doldrums that had kept it from recovering all of the jobs lost during the Covid pandemic instead turned into a fleeting flurry of hiring.

Normally, that kind of job loss would signal an economic catastrophe  a series of job cuts wiping out hundreds of jobs at a time  but beyond the closing of the local Yellow Corp. trucking operations in midsummer, that hasnt been the case.

And thats why the economists arent pushing the panic button quite yet.

I was surprised by the size of the drop. But it doesnt ring any alarm bells yet, said Julie Anna Golebiewski, a Canisius College economist.

I wouldnt read too much into it, said Timothy Glass, the labor departments regional economist in Buffalo. There wasnt any shock or anything to attribute this to.

Instead, they think much of the volatility stems from the regions worker-starved job market, where companies continue to struggle to find all of the employees they want to hire.

It might be more of a seasonal thing, Glass said. It may be early layoffs.

When school ended and students started looking for summer jobs, companies eagerly snapped them up, using them to fill gaps in their overall staffing, as well as for the typical seasonal jobs at amusement parks, landscaping companies and restaurants.

The regions labor force swelled by 12,000 workers from May to July, and nearly all of them found jobs. The unemployment rate in July was 3.3%  within spitting distance of the all-time low  and the number of people holding jobs was at its highest level in almost 15 years.

This means that people entering the labor force are finding work quickly as the demand for labor remains high, Golebiewski and her Canisius colleagues George Palumbo and Mark Zaporowski said in a report released Thursday.

The August job numbers are based on a survey of businesses that was conducted in mid-August, just as colleges were gearing up to resume classes. While the August job losses were steeper than what you normally see, the timing of the survey could have caught the exodus of college students when it was in full swing.

It could be that students  particularly college students  had left their jobs in preparation for returning to school the next week, Golebiewski said.

If shes right  and the September job report next month will give us a better idea of whether the August swoon really was just a blip  it underscores the oversized impact that students are having on a job market that badly needs more workers.

The students are definitely affecting what weve been seeing in terms of job losses and job gains, Golebiewski said. The market was so tight without them, that their entry into the labor market during the summer is what drives those changes.

There are other signs supporting Glass and Golebiewskis hunch that the August slump isnt a harbinger of gloom as much as a seasonal swing. For one, weekly jobless claims across the Buffalo Niagara region remain very low and are giving no indication that more workers are losing their jobs.

Odds are, if someone is leaving a job, theyre doing it by their own choosing  as a student would when classes are going to resume, Golebiewski said.

One of the biggest chunks of job losses last month came from the leisure and hospitality sector, which had been hiring like gangbusters early in the summer, but shed 1,300 jobs in August. Usually, a drop like that doesnt show up until the September jobs report.

Even so, thats only about 14% of the jobs that those bars and restaurants and hotels had added since the end of April. Another weak spot was the category that includes temporary jobs through employment agencies.

At the same time, construction jobs held steady, while the number of manufacturing jobs in the region inched slightly higher and now is at a 15-year high.

We still seem to be pretty good in the goods-producing stuff, Glass said. Thats a good thing because traditionally, these manufacturing jobs are better paying and have better benefits and they tend to be a little more stable.

After Augusts big drop, stability would be welcome. But what the region really needs is a sustained push like it experienced during the first part of summer, where more people start looking for jobs and eager employers snap them up.

Thats the only way the region will close its jobs gap, because while the rest of the country has regained all of the jobs lost during the pandemic, we still havent recovered 1 of every 40 jobs that vanished during the depths of the lockdown.

And as the August job numbers showed, thats a sign of just how badly the region needs more people who want work.
China Indonesia Photo:VCG

China-Indonesia economic cooperation has maintained robust growth in recent years. More than 1,000 Chinese companies have invested in Indonesia, contributing to local industrial upgrade by introducing advanced technologies, offering financial support and cultivating local talent, Zhang Chaoyang, chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia, who is also the manager of Bank of China Jakarta Branch, told the Global Times.China has been Indonesia's largest trade partner for nine consecutive years and it was one of Indonesia's top three foreign direct investment (FDI) sources for the third straight year. In the first half of the year, Chinese FDI to Indonesia jumped 116 percent to $3.63 billion, Zhang said.

Zhang Chaoyang, chairman of the China Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia Photo: Courtesy of China Chamber of Commerce in Indonesia

Chinese investment covers a wide range of sectors including agriculture, energy, finance and manufacturing, and it's distributed in almost every major island of Indonesia.For instance, Chinese companies have established industrial parks including Qingshan Industrial Park and Virtue Dragon Nickel Industry Park in Indonesia, helping the country become the world's largest nickel producer and the second-largest stainless steel manufacturer.SAIC General Motors Wuling Motor Indonesia has strongly supported the Indonesia Industry 4.0 Roadmap by launching its first new-energy vehicle in Indonesia and mass producing it at its West Java facility. Chinese companies including PT Huawei Tech Investment Indonesia and China Mobile cooperate with local telecom carriers in building "Digital Indonesia," he said.More importantly, the smooth construction of the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway, a landmark among the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative railway projects, is expected to greatly facilitate connectivity within ASEAN, and boost the Indonesian business community's trust in Chinese technologies."As an agent for providing loans for the mega project, Bank of China Jakarta Branch offers strong financial support by handling over 1,000 transactions including deposit withdrawals, remittances and exchange settlements," Zhang said, noting that the bank's services have enabled tens of thousands of construction workers leave their worries behind and focus on the project.During Indonesian President Joko Widodo's visit to Beijing in July, the two countries released a joint statement, expressing commitment to the completion of the Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway on schedule as a flagship project, and to work on more strategic projects such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Corridor and the "Two Countries, Twin Parks."They are also speeding up the formulation of a new Five-Year Action Plan for the Implementation of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between China and Indonesia (2022-26), vowing to increase bilateral trade and expand cooperation in agriculture, health, food security, digital economy and other areas."This provides the direction for the chamber and Chinese enterprises to actively take part in business activities and exchanges for the building of the China-Indonesia community with a shared future," Zhang said, noting that the "sky is the limit for China-Indonesia economic and trade cooperation."From January to August, bilateral trade reached $95.76 billion, up 28.9 percent year-on-year. Indonesia's trade surplus with China stood at $950 million, which reflects a more healthy trade structure, official data showed.According to a report released by the chamber on October 28, more than 80 percent of Chinese-funded companies plan to increase investment in Indonesia over the next five years, 95.7 percent of Chinese companies believe that localization of operations is a key factor for successful operation in the market and 81.4 percent of Chinese enterprises plan to hire more workers there.
In Mel Brooks' classic film parody Young Frankenstein (1974), Cloris Leachman plays a character called Frau Blucher. If you've seen this great film, you know that every time someone utters the words "Frau Blucher" the whinnying of horses can be heard.

Somehow an explanation for this running gag arose, claiming the hidden reason for the horses' reaction was that Frau Blucher's name sounds like the German word for glue, and implying that the horses fear ending up in a glue factory.

But if you bother to look up the word "glue" in German, you won't find any word that is even close to "Blucher" or "Blucher." Do the words der Klebstoff or der Leim sound even remotely similar?

What Is the Meaning of Blucher in German?

If you look up Blucher, some German dictionaries list the expression "er geht ran wie Blucher" ("he doesn't loaf around/he goes at it like Blucher"), but that refers to the Prussian general Gebhard Leberecht von Blucher (1742-1819), who earned the name "Marschall Vorwarts" ("[Field] Marshal Forward") for his victories over the French at Katzbach and (with Wellington) at Waterloo (1815).

In other words, Blucher (or Blucher) is just a German surname. It has no particular meaning as a normal word in German and certainly does not mean "glue"!

Turns out that director Mel Brooks was just having some fun with a classic cinematic "villain" gag from old melodramas. There is no real logic for the horses' neighing since most of the time there is no way they could even see or hear Frau Blucher or the people saying her name.
Wasand wereare both past tenses of the verb tobe. The verb be is a tricky one because it is an irregular verb and one that we find ourselves using with great frequency, so it is that much more important that we choose the correct verb for our sentences.

In this post, I want to go over the grammar behind was vs. were, when its correct to use which one, and give you a few tips to keep track of them both. After reading this post, you shouldnt have any trouble correctly choosing between was or were in your future writing.

Forms of Was and Were

As I said above, was and wereare in the past tense, but they are used differently.

Was is used in the first person singular(I) and the third person singular(he, she, it).

Wereis used in the second person singular and plural(you, your, yours) and first and third person plural(we, they).

The forms that wasand were will take in your sentence are summarized in the chart below,

Singular= I was, You were, He was, She was, It was

Plural= We were, You were, They were

I was driving to the park.

You were drinking some water.

He was about to eat dinner.

She was at the roller rink.

It was a great time.

We were in the right spot.

They were nowhere to be seen.

If I was vs. If I were

While some people get mixed up on what weve covered above, most of the confusion with these two words centers on the use of the subjunctive mood and specifically the two phrases if I wasvs. if I were. For example, which of the following two choices is correct?

If I was a better cook, I could entertain more.

-or-

If I were a better cook, I could entertain more.

You hear people say both each and every day, so its hard to know which is correct. The answer, however, has to do with the subjunctive mood.

Subjunctive Mood

The subjunctive mood is a verb form that is used for unreal or hypothetical statements. It is made up of the phrases I were, he were, she were, it were, etc. You often use this form when you are being wishful. For example,

I wish I werent so shy.

I wish it were warmer outside.

If I were taller, I could dunk a basketball.

If John were a rich man, he could drive a fancy car.

He acts as if he were the one in charge.

John spends money as if he were a millionaire.

All of the above sentences use the verb werebecause they arent true; they do not describe reality.

In the first two sentences, I am talking about things I wish would happen.

In the third and fourth sentences, I am talking about situations that would happen if I were taller and if John were rich, speaking hypothetically.

And the fifth and sixth sentences are examples of unreal statements.

When to Use Were

Another good example of the subjunctive mood can be found in the musical Fiddler on the Roof. In the song, If I were a rich man, the character Tevye sings about how different his life would be and all the things he would do if he were rich.

If I were a rich man, Id build a big tall house

If I were a rich man, Id have the time that I lack.

If I were a wealthy man, I wouldnt have to work hard.

In these lines, Tevye is fantasizing about life as a wealthy man. He isnt rich now; hes just imagining it, so we need to use the subjective If I were, not If I was.

The correct answer for the example above, therefore, is, If I were a better cook, I could entertain more.

Tricks to Remember

Two good clues for the subjunctive mood are the words ifand wish. If you see either of these words, there is a good chance you will need to use the subjunctive.

When to Use Was

Since wereis used for statements that do not describe reality, was is just the opposite. Was is used for statements of fact. For example,

Last night, I was watching TV until midnight.

When I was younger, I wanted to be a singer.

Your brother was my college roommate.

Summary

These words are used differently in sentences, so its important to know when to use were vs. was.

Was is used in the first and third person singular past. It is used for statements of fact.

Were is used in the second person singular and plural and first and third person plural. It is used in the subjunctive mood to indicate unreal or hypothetical statements. The words if and wishusually indicate the subjunctive mood.

< Where versus Were versus Wear

Was versus Were >
Tourists visit the Nanjing Road in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 5, 2012. Shanghai has received visitors of over 5 million person times during the first 6 days of the 8-day-long holiday. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

Tourists visit the Taierzhuang in Zaozhuang City, east Chinas Shandong Province, Oct. 5, 2012. Taierzhuang has received tourists of 500,000 person times during the first 6 days of the 8-day-long holiday. (Xinhua/Gao Qimin)

Tourists visit the Towns God Temple in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 5, 2012. Shanghai has received visitors of over 5 million person times during the first 6 days of the 8-day-long holiday. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

Tourists visit the Towns God Temple in Shanghai, east China, Oct. 5, 2012. Shanghai has received visitors of over 5 million person times during the first 6 days of the 8-day-long holiday. (Xinhua/Ding Ting)

Tourists visit the Taierzhuang in Zaozhuang City, east Chinas Shandong Province, Oct. 5, 2012. Taierzhuang has received tourists of 500,000 person times during the first 6 days of the 8-day-long holiday. (Xinhua/Gao Qimin)

Tourists visit the Laolongtou scenic spot in Shanhaiguan, Qinhuangdao City, north Chinas Hebei Province, Oct. 5, 2012. Shanhaiguan has received tourists of over 48,000 person times during the first 6 days of the 8-day-long holiday, 51.57% higher than the same period last year. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao)

Several newly-wed couples pose for photos at Jiaoshan Greatwall in Shanhaiguan, Qinhuangdao City, north Chinas Hebei Province, Oct. 5, 2012. Shanhaiguan has received tourists of over 48,000 person times during the first 6 days of the 8-day-long holiday, 51.57% higher than the same period last year. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao)

Tourists visit the Laolongtou scenic spot in Shanhaiguan, Qinhuangdao City, north Chinas Hebei Province, Oct. 5, 2012. Shanhaiguan has received tourists of over 48,000 person times during the first 6 days of the 8-day-long holiday, 51.57% higher than the same period last year. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao)

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The War of 1812 is generally thought to have been provoked by American outrage over the impressment of American sailors by the Britain's Royal Navy. And while impressmentBritish military ships boarding American merchant ships and taking away the sailors to serve for themwas a major factor behind the declaration of war by the United States against Britain, there were other significant issues fueling the American march toward war.

The Role of American Neutrality

During the first three decades of American independence there was a general feeling in the country that the British government had very little respect for the young United States. And during the Napoleonic Wars the British government actively sought to meddle withor completely suppressAmerican trade with European nations.

British arrogance and hostility went so far as to include a deadly attack by the British frigate HMS Leopard upon USS Chesapeake in 1807. The Chesapeake and Leopard affair, which began when the British officer boarded the American ship demanding to seize sailors they considered to be deserters from British ships, nearly triggered a war.

Failed Embargo

In late 1807, President Thomas Jefferson (served 18011809), seeking to avoid war while calming public outcry against British insults to American sovereignty, enacted the Embargo Act of 1807. The law, which prohibited American ships from trading in all foreign ports, succeeded in avoiding a war with Britain at the time. But the Embargo Act was generally seen as a failed policy, as turned out to be more damaging to United States' interests than to its intended targets, Britain and France.

When James Madison (served 18091817) became president in early 1809, he also sought to avoid war with Britain. But British actions, and a continuing drumbeat for war in the U.S. Congress, seemed destined to make make a new war with Britain unavoidable.

The slogan "Free Trade and Sailor's Rights" became a rallying cry.

Madison, Congress, and the Move Toward War

In early June 1812 President James Madison sent a message to Congress in which he listed complaints about British behavior toward America. Madison raised several issues:

Impressment

Continual harassment of American commerce by British warships

British laws, known as Orders in Council, declaring blockades against American ships bound for European ports

Attacks by "savages" (e.g., Indigenous peoples) on "one of our extensive frontiers" (the border with Canada) believed to be instigated by British troops in Canada

At the time, the U.S. Congress was being steered by an aggressive faction of young legislators in the House of Representatives known as the War Hawks.

Henry Clay (17771852), a leader of the War Hawks, was a young member of Congress from Kentucky. Representing the views of Americans living in the West, Clay believed that war with Britain would not only restore American prestige, it would also provide a great benefit to the countryan increase in territory.

An openly stated goal of the western War Hawks was for the United States to invade and seize Canada. And there was a common, though deeply misguided, belief that it would be easy to achieve. (Once the war began, American actions along the Canadian border tended to be frustrating at best, and Americans never came close to conquering the British territory.)

The War of 1812 has often been called "America's Second War for Independence," and that title is appropriate. The young United States government was determined to make Britain respect it.

The United States Declared War In June 1812

Following the message sent by President Madison, the United States Senate and the House of Representatives held votes on whether to go to war. The vote in the House of Representatives was held on June 4, 1812, and members voted 79 to 49 to go to war.

In the House vote, the members of Congress supporting the war tended to be from the South and West, and those opposed from the Northeast.

The U.S. Senate, on June 17, 1812, voted 19 to 13 to go to war. In the Senate the vote also tended to be along regional lines, with most of the votes against the war coming from the Northeast.

The vote was also along party lines: 81% of the Republicans supported the war, while not a single Federalist did. With so many members of Congress voting againstgoing to war, the War of 1812 was always controversial.

The official Declaration of War was signed by President James Madison on June 18, 1812. It read as follows:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That war be and is hereby declared to exist between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the dependencies thereof, and the United States of America and their territories; and the President of the United States is hereby authorized to use the whole land and naval force of the United States, to carry the same into effect, and to issue private armed vessels of the United States commissions or letters of marque and general reprisal, in such form as he shall think proper, and under the seal of the United States, against the vessels, goods, and effects of the government of the said United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and the subjects thereof.

American Preparations

While the war not declared until late June 1812, the United States government had been actively making preparations for the outbreak of war. In early 1812 the Congress passed a law actively calling for volunteers for the U.S. Army, which had remained fairly small in the years following independence.

American forces under the command of General William Hull started marching from Ohio toward Fort Detroit (site of present day Detroit, Michigan) in late May 1812. The plan was for Hull's forces to invade Canada, and the proposed invasion force was already in position by the time war was declared. The invasion proved to be a disaster when Hull surrendered Fort Detroit to the British that summer.

American naval forces had also prepared for the outbreak of war. And given the slowness of communication, some American ships in the early summer of 1812 attacked British ships whose commanders had not yet learned of the official outbreak of the war.

Widespread Opposition to the War

The fact that the war was not universally popular proved to be a problem, especially when the early phases of the war, such as the military fiasco at Fort Detroit, went badly.

Even before the fighting began, opposition to the war caused major problems. In Baltimore a riot broke out when a vocal anti-war faction was attacked. In other cities speeches against the war were popular. A young lawyer in New England, Daniel Webster, delivered an eloquent address about the war on July 4, 1812. Webster noted that he opposed the war, but as it was now national policy, he was obligated to support it.

Though patriotism often ran high, and was boosted by some of the successes of the underdog U.S. Navy, the general feeling in some parts of the country, particularly New England, was that the war had been a bad idea.

Ending the War

As it became obvious that the war would be costly and might prove to be impossible to win militarily, the desire to find a peaceful end to the conflict intensified. American officials were eventually dispatched to Europe to work toward a negotiated settlement, the result of which was the Treaty of Ghent, signed December 24, 1814.

When the war officially ended with the signing of the treaty, there was no clear winner. And, on paper, both sides admitted that things would return to how they had been before hostilities began.

However, in a realistic sense, the United States had proven itself to be an independent nation capable of defending itself. And Britain, perhaps from having noticed that the American forces seemed to become stronger as the war went on, made no further attempts to undermine American sovereignty.

And one result of the war, which was noted by Albert Gallatin, the secretary of the treasury, was that the controversy around it, and the way the nation came together, had essentially united the nation.

Sources and Further Reading
What Is the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)?triple red hot 7 slot machine

The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is the rate of return (RoR) that would be required for an investment to grow from its beginning balance to its ending balance, assuming the profits were reinvested at the end of each period of the investments life span.

Key Takeaways

The compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) is one of the most accurate ways to calculate and determine returns for anything that can rise or fall in value over time.

It measures a smoothed rate of return.

Investors can compare the CAGR of two or more alternatives to evaluate how well one stock performed against other stocks in a peer group or a market index.

CAGR is thus a good way to evaluate how different investments have performed over time, or against a benchmark.

The CAGR does not, however, reflect investment risk.

How to Calculate Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

C A G R = ( ( E V B V ) 1 n  1 )  100 where: E V = Ending value B V = Beginning value n = Number of years \begin{ aligned}&CAGR=\left(\left(\frac{ EV}{ BV}\right)^{ \frac1n}-1\right)\times100\\&\textbf{ where:}\\&EV=\text{ Ending value}\\&BV=\text{ Beginning value}\\&n=\text{ Number of years}\end{ aligned} CAGR=((BVEV)n11)100where:EV=Ending valueBV=Beginning valuen=Number of years

To calculate the CAGR of an investment:

Divide the value of an investment at the end of the period by its value at the beginning of that period. Raise the result to an exponent of one divided by the number of years. Subtract one from the subsequent result. Multiply by 100 to convert the answer into a percentage.

What the CAGR Can Tell You

The compound annual growth rate isnt a true return rate, but rather a representational figure. It is essentially a number that describes the rate at which an investment would have grown if it had grown at the same rate every year and the profits were reinvested at the end of each year.

In reality, this sort of performance is unlikely. However, the CAGR can be used to smooth returns so that they may be more easily understood compared to alternative methods.

Example of How to Use CAGR

Imagine you invested $10,000 in a portfolio with the returns outlined below:

From Jan. 1, 2018, to Jan. 1, 2019, your portfolio grew to $13,000 (or 30% in year one).

On Jan. 1, 2020, the portfolio was $14,000 (or 7.69% from January 2019 to January 2020).

On Jan. 1, 2021, the portfolio ended with $19,000 (or 35.71% from January 2020 to January 2021).

We can see that on an annual basis, the year-to-year growth rates of the investment portfolio were quite different as shown in the parentheses.

On the other hand, the compound annual growth rate smooths the investments performance and ignores the fact that 2018 and 2020 were vastly different from 2019. The CAGR over that period was 23.86% and can be calculated as follows:

C A G R = ( $ 19 , 000 $ 10 , 000 ) 1 3  1  100 = 23.86 % CAGR=\left(\frac{ \$19,000}{ \$10,000}\right )^{ \frac{ 1}{ 3}}-1\times100=23.86\% CAGR=($10,000$19,000)311100=23.86%

The CAGR of 23.86% over the three-year investment period can help an investor compare alternatives for their capital or make forecasts of future values. For example, imagine an investor is comparing the performance of two uncorrelated investments.

In any given year during the period, one investment may be rising while the other falls. This could be the case when comparing high-yield bonds to stocks, or a real estate investment to emerging markets. Using CAGR would smooth the annual return over the period so the two alternatives would be easier to compare.

As another example, lets say an investor bought 55 shares of Amazon.com (AMZN) stock in December 2017 at $1,180 per share, for a total investment of $64,900. After three years, in December 2020, the stock has risen to $3,200 per share, and the investors investment is now worth $176,000. What is the CAGR?

Using the CAGR formula, we know that we need the:

Ending Balance: $176,000

Beginning Balance: $64,900

Number of Years: 3

So to calculate the CAGR for this simple example, we would enter that data into the formula as follows: [($176,000 / $64,900) ^ (1/3)] - 1 = 39.5%.

Additional CAGR Uses

The CAGR can be used to calculate the average growth of a single investment. As we saw in our example above, due to market volatility, the year-to-year growth of an investment will likely appear erratic and uneven.

For example, an investment may increase in value by 8% in one year, decrease in value by -2% the following year, and increase in value by 5% in the next. CAGR helps smooth returns when growth rates are expected to be volatile and inconsistent.

Comparing Investments

The CAGR can be used to compare different investment types with one another. For example, suppose that in 2015, an investor placed $10,000 into an account for five years with a fixed annual interest rate of 1% and another $10,000 into a stock mutual fund. The rate of return in the stock fund will be uneven over the next few years, so a comparison between the two investments would be difficult.

Assume that at the end of the five-year period, the savings accounts balance is $10,510.10 and, although the other investment has grown unevenly, the ending balance in the stock fund was $15,348.52. Using the CAGR to compare the two investments can help an investor understand the difference in returns:

Savings Account CAGR = ( $ 10 , 510.10 $ 10 , 000 ) 1 5  1  100 = 1.00 % \text{ Savings Account CAGR} =\, \left ( \frac{ \$ 10,510.10}{ \$ 10,000} \right )^{ \frac{ 1}{ 5}}-1 \times 100= 1.00\% Savings Account CAGR=($10,000$10,510.10)511100=1.00%

And:

Stock fund CAGR = ( $ 15 , 348.52 $ 10 , 000 ) 1 5  1  100 = 8.95 % \text{ Stock fund CAGR} =\, \left ( \frac{ \$ 15,348.52}{ \$ 10,000} \right )^{ \frac{ 1}{ 5}}-1 \times 100= 8.95\% Stock fund CAGR=($10,000$15,348.52)511100=8.95%

On the surface, the stock fund may look like a better investment, with nearly nine times the return of the savings account. On the other hand, one of the drawbacks of the CAGR is that by smoothing the returns, The CAGR cannot tell an investor how volatile or risky the stock fund was.

Track Performance

The CAGR can also be used to track the performance of various business measures of one or multiple companies alongside one another. For example, over a five-year period, Big-Sale Stores market share CAGR was 1.82%, but its customer satisfaction CAGR over the same period was -0.58%. In this way, comparing the CAGRs of measures within a company reveals strengths and weaknesses.

Detect Weaknesses and Strengths

Comparing the CAGRs of business activities across similar companies will help evaluate competitive weaknesses and strengths. For example, Big-Sales customer satisfaction CAGR might not seem so low compared with SuperFast Cables customer satisfaction CAGR of -6.31% during the same period.

How Investors Use the CAGR

Understanding the formula used to calculate CAGR is an introduction to many other ways that investors evaluate past returns or estimate future profits. The formula can be manipulated algebraically into a formula to find the present value or future value of money, or to calculate a hurdle rate of return.

For example, imagine that an investor knows that they need $50,000 for a childs college education in 18 years and they have $15,000 to invest today. How much does the average rate of return need to be to reach that objective? The CAGR calculation can be used to find the answer to this question as follows:

Required Return = ( $ 50 , 000 $ 15 , 000 ) 1 18  1  100 = 6.90 % \text{ Required Return} =\, \left ( \frac{ \$ 50,000}{ \$ 15,000} \right )^{ \frac{ 1}{ 18}}-1 \times 100= 6.90\% Required Return=($15,000$50,000)1811100=6.90%

This version of the CAGR formula is just a rearranged present value and future value equation. For example, if an investor knew that they needed $50,000 and they felt it was reasonable to expect an 8% annual return on their investment, they could use this formula to find out how much they needed to invest to meet their goal.

Modifying the CAGR Formula

An investment is rarely made on the first day of the year and then sold on the last day of the year. Imagine an investor who wants to evaluate the CAGR of a $10,000 investment that was entered on June 1, 2013, and sold for $16,897.14 on Sept. 9, 2018.

Before the CAGR calculation can be performed, the investor will need to know the fractional remainder of the holding period. They held the position for 213 days in 2013, a full year in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, and 251 days in 2018. This investment was held for 5.271 years, which is calculated by the following:

2013 = 213 days

2014 = 365

2015 = 365

2016 = 365

2017 = 365

2018 = 251

The total number of days that the investment was held was 1,924 days. To calculate the number of years, divide the total number of days by 365 (1,924/365), which equals 5.271 years.

The total number of years that the investment was held can be placed in the denominator of the exponent inside CAGRs formula as follows:

Investment CAGR = ( $ 16 , 897.14 $ 10 , 000 ) 1 5.271  1  100 = 10.46 % \text{ Investment CAGR} =\, \left ( \frac{ \$ 16,897.14}{ \$ 10,000} \right )^{ \frac{ 1}{ 5.271}}-1 \times 100= 10.46\% Investment CAGR=($10,000$16,897.14)5.27111100=10.46%

Smooth Rate of Growth Limitation

The most important limitation of the CAGR is that because it calculates a smoothed rate of growth over a period, it ignores volatility and implies that the growth during that time was steady. Returns on investments are uneven over time, except for bonds that are held to maturity, deposits, and similar investments.

Also, the CAGR does not account for when an investor adds funds to a portfolio or withdraws funds from the portfolio over the period being measured.

For example, if an investor had a portfolio for five years and injected funds into the portfolio during the five-year period, then the CAGR would be inflated. The CAGR would calculate the rate of return based on the beginning and ending balances over the five years, and would essentially count the deposited funds as part of the annual growth rate, which would be inaccurate.

Other CAGR Limitations

Besides the smoothed rate of growth, the CAGR has other limitations. A second limitation when assessing investments is that no matter how steady the growth of a company or investment has been in the past, investors cannot assume that the rate will remain the same in the future. The shorter the time frame used in the analysis, the less likely it will be for the realized CAGR to meet the expected CAGR when relying on historical results.

A third limitation of the CAGR is a limitation of representation. Say that an investment fund was worth $100,000 in 2016, $71,000 in 2017, $44,000 in 2018, $81,000 in 2019, and $126,000 in 2020. If the fund managers represented in 2021 that their CAGR was a whopping 42.01% over the past three years, they would be technically correct. They would, however, be omitting some very important information about the funds history, including the fact that the funds CAGR over the past five years was a modest 4.73%.

CAGR vs. IRR

The CAGR measures the return on an investment over a certain period of time. The internal rate of return (IRR) also measures investment performance but is more flexible than the CAGR.

The most important distinction is that the CAGR is straightforward enough that it can be calculated by hand. In contrast, more complicated investments and projects, or those that have many different cash inflows and outflows, are best evaluated using IRR. To back into the IRR, a financial calculator, Excel, or portfolio accounting system is ideal.

Those interested in learning more about CAGR and other financial topics may want to consider enrolling in one of the best investing courses currently available.



What Is an Example of Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)?

The CAGR is a measurement used by investors to calculate the rate at which a quantity grew over time. The word compound denotes the fact that the CAGR takes into account the effects of compounding, or reinvestment, over time. For example, suppose you have a company with revenue that grew from $3 million to $30 million over a span of 10 years. In that scenario, the CAGR would be approximately 25.89%.

What Is Considered a Good CAGR?

What counts as a good CAGR will depend on the context. But generally speaking, investors will evaluate this by thinking about their opportunity cost as well as the riskiness of the investment. For example, if a company grew by 25% in an industry with an average CAGR closer to 30%, then its results might seem lackluster by comparison. But if the industry-wide growth rates were lower, such as 10% or 15%, then its CAGR might be very impressive.

In general, a higher CAGR is better.

What Is the Difference Between the CAGR and a Growth Rate?

The main difference between the CAGR and a growth rate is that the CAGR assumes the growth rate was repeated, or compounded, each year, whereas a traditional growth rate does not. Many investors prefer the CAGR because it smooths out the volatile nature of year-by-year growth rates. For instance, even a highly profitable and successful company will likely have several years of poor performance during its life. These bad years could have a large effect on individual years growth rates but would have a relatively small impact on the companys CAGR.

Can the CAGR Be Negative?

Yes. A negative CAGR would indicate losses over time rather than gains.

What Is Risk-Adjusted CAGR?

To compare the performance and risk characteristics among various investment alternatives, investors can use a risk-adjusted CAGR. A simple method for calculating a risk-adjusted CAGR is to multiply the CAGR by one minus the investments standard deviation. If the standard deviation (i.e., its risk) is zero, then the risk-adjusted CAGR is unaffected. The larger the standard deviation, the lower the risk-adjusted CAGR will be.
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It iswidely anticipated that Japan and Australia will strengthen their bilateral defense and security partnership during Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's visit to Perth, Australia, from Friday to Saturday. A new security agreement will be reached and it will be a revamp of the previous document signed in 2007, media reported.Unlike the 2007 version, which stipulates cooperation in such areas as counter-terrorism, the new security deal is aimed at realizing a "free and open" Indo-Pacific region, Reuters quoted Nikkei as reporting. The Japan Times put it more bluntly, "Concerns over China bringing Japan and Australia's relations ever closer." If it mirrors anything, it is that Tokyo and Canberra are blindly dancing to the US tune without their own diplomatic ideas, or even autonomy.Fifteen years ago, the US strategic focus was believed to be on anti-terrorism, so Japan and Australia's defense cooperation was about counter-terrorism. Fifteen years later, the US is promoting its "Indo-Pacific Strategy," so it is simply natural the two allies of Washington are following suit.Nevertheless, Japan and Australia have their own calculations in promoting their bilateral defense cooperation. The US has been fooling Australia with lies that it would help make the latter a world power. Australia, on the other hand, willingly takes the bait.Japan views China as its rival, hoping to contain China and make itself once again the No.1 power in Asia. But as Tokyo lacks strength to reach this goal, it is taking advantage of US support. In other words, Japan and the US are making use of each other.Japan also wants to sell weapons and equipment to Australia, as Australia is one of world's largest arms importers, thus is a prospective market for Japan.The US is the invisible hand behind the upgrade of Japan-Australia mutual defense ties. Japan and Australia are both Quad members. Boosting their ties in terms of military and defense could better promote the US-led multilateral military alliance to counter China.Many reports point out that the enhanced Japan-Australia cooperation includes sharing military intelligence assessments, which will not only help Japan cooperate with and even integrate into the "Five Eyes," but also promote the US global intelligence network. The US seeks to gang up with all of its allies to jointly contain China, and an essential component of military cooperation is intelligence sharing.The US has long portrayed China as a "threat" to the Indo-Pacific region and as a potential "threat" to Australia and Japan's interests. This "China threat" theory is accepted by Japan and Australia. From their perspective, China's rise will undermine US hegemony. The two countries have benefitted from US hegemonic rules, thus they are terrified of China's development and cannot view China's development in good faith.However, they are making the wrong decisions and are miscalculating. Peaceful coexistence with China is more in line with their own security and economic interests. China consistently pursues a path of peaceful development, and China's growth presents a significant opportunity for all countries, including Japan and Australia. Building a community with a shared future for mankind is in fact a responsible statement that China has made to the world. The constant hype of the US and the extreme lack of confidence of some countries like Japan and Australia are the fundamental reason for them to view China as their biggest "imaginary enemy."The US wants to make Japan and Australia its "unsinkable aircraft carriers." The selfish US is always calculating to make others sacrifice for itself. For this reason, it has constructed massive military bases in Australia and Japan. When Australia and Japan still seek to forge closer political, military, and economic links with the US, they failed to see the fact that the US is a self-centered and self-serving country. They will only fulfill the US wishes while destroying their own interests.The author is a Beijing-based military expert and TV commentator. [email protected]
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What Is Brazil,agen pg slot pokerbros free chips Russia, India, and China (BRIC)?

BRIC is an acronym for the developing nations of Brazil, Russia, India, and China. They are countries that some believe will be the dominant suppliers of manufactured goods, services, and raw materials by 2050.

China and India will become the world's dominant suppliers of manufactured goods and services. Brazil and Russia will become similarly dominant as suppliers of raw materials.

In 2010, South Africa joined the group and it became known as BRICS.

Key Takeaways

BRIC is an acronym that was coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill for the economic bloc of developing countries of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.



Economists believed that these four nations would become dominant suppliers of manufactured goods, services, and raw material by 2050.

That dominance would be driven by their low labor and production costs.

Critics argued that the nations' raw materials were limitless and growth models ignored the finite nature of fossil fuels, uranium, and other critical, heavily used resources.

The acronym was changed to BRICS in 2010 when South Africa joined the BRIC group.



Understanding BRIC

In 1990, the countries that would become known as BRIC accounted for 11% of global gross domestic product (GDP). By 2014, this figure had risen to nearly 30%. These figures reflect a high in 2010 that followed a plunge in value related to the 2008 financial crisis. In 2010, South Africa was invited to join BRIC, which then became known as BRICS.

In 2001, Goldman Sachs economist Jim O'Neill created the acronym BRIC and projected that the BRIC countries would be the fastest growing market economies. His thesis didn't argue that these countries were a political alliance, such as the European Union (EU), or a formal trading association. Instead, it asserted that they had power as an economic bloc.

The leaders of BRICS countries regularly attend summits together and often act in concert with one another's interests. It has been postulated that by 2050, these economies could be wealthier than most of the current major economic powers. This economic growth would be due to the lower labor and production costs in the BRIC countries.

Many companies also point to the BRICS nations as opportunities for foreign expansion or foreign direct investment (FDI) by other nations. Foreign business expansion happens in countries with promising economies in which to invest.

Goldman Sachs created an investment fund that targeted opportunities in the BRIC economies. However, it merged that fund with a broader emerging markets fund in 2015 following a slowdown in growth prospects for the economies.

Image by Sabrina Jiang  Investopedia 2020

Special Considerations

Early Views of BRIC

In O'Neill's 2001 report, "Building Better Global Economic BRICs," he noted that while global GDP was set to rise 1.7% in 2002, BRIC nations were forecast to grow more quickly than the G-7. The G-7 is a group of seven countries with the most advanced global economies (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States).

O'Neill ran through four scenarios that measured and projected GDP, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP). In these scenarios, the nominal GDP assumption for BRIC rose from the 2001 measurement of 8% in U.S. dollars (USD) to 14.2%, or, when adjusted for PPP, 23.3% to 27.0%.

In 2003, the Goldman Sachs report by Dominic Wilson and Roopa Purushothaman called "Dreaming with BRICs: The Path to 2050," claimed that by 2050, the BRIC cluster could grow larger than the G7 when measured in USD. The worlds most significant economies would, thus, look drastically different in four decades. The largest global economic powers, by income per capita, might no longer be the wealthiest nations.

The 2007 book, BRICs and Beyond focused on BRIC growth potential, along with the environmental impact of these growing economies and the sustainability of their rise. The study considered the BRIC nations in relation to the Next 11 (N-11), another term coined by Jim O'Neill to represent 11 emerging economies. The study also looked at the overall ascendency of new global markets.

The G7 group became the G8 group when Russia joined it in 1998. However, Russia was expelled in 2014 after it annexed Crimea.

Criticism of BRIC

ONeills BRIC thesis has been challenged over the years as the economic and geopolitical climate has shifted. Arguments include the notion that raw materials in BRIC nations China, Russia, and South Africa are limitless.

Those critiquing the growth models say they ignore the finite nature of fossil fuels, uranium, and other critical and heavily used resources. It has also been argued that China outstrips the other BRIC members' economies in GDP growth and political muscle. Thus, it belongs in a different category.

What Is BRICS?

BRICS is an acronym that refers to the developing countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. It was updated from the original BRIC in 2010, when South Africa was invited to join the group. The group showed great potential for economic growth.

Who Is Jim O'Neill?

Jim O'Neill is a British economist who, when working at Goldman Sachs, coined the term BRIC. It was intended to refer to Brazil, Russia, India, and China. At the time in 2001, O'Neill believed them to be countries with economies that would grow rapidly and ultimately challenge the economic power of the G7 nations.

Is China an Emerging Market?

China is generally considered to be a developing nation. It is developing (rather than developed) despite having one of the largest economies in the world. This is due to, among other things, a relatively low GDP and an economy that depends primarily on agriculture.
Miami-Based Businessman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate Russia-Ukraine Sanctions and to Commit International Money Laundering

Sergey Karpushkin, 46, of Miami, a resident of the United States and a citizen of Belarus, pleaded guilty today to engaging in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions and commit money laundering by conducting transactions for the purchase and acquisition of metal products valued at over $139 million from companies owned by Sergey Kurchenko, a sanctioned oligarch.

According to court documents, Kurchenko was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) in 2015 for his role in misappropriating Ukrainian state assets or economically significant entities.

According to the allegations in the information and other public filings: between in or about July 2017 and in or about August 2020, Karpushkin conspired with others to purchase and receive over $139 million in metal products from two companies that Karpushkin knew were owned and controlled by Kurchenko. Karpushkin and his business associates, acting through the Florida-based company Metalhouse LLC, entered into contracts and purchase orders for pig iron, steel billets, and wire rods from these companies, received tens of thousands of tons of metal products from the companies, and agreed to share profits from these unlawful transactions. Karpushkin and his business associates intentionally concealed from U.S. banks and government officials the ultimate source and origin of the goods they sought to acquire, knowing that they did not have the necessary authorization or license from OFAC to transact with Kurchenko and companies owned and controlled by Kurchenko.

Karpushkin pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Embry J. Kidd in Orlando, Florida, to one count of conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and to commit international promotional money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Karpushkin also agreed to forfeit $4,723,625 in proceeds that he obtained as a result of the conspiracy. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

An indictment charging alleged co-conspirator and Metalhouse president John Can Unsalan, aka Hurrem Can Unsalan, with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of IEEPA, 10 counts of violating IEEPA, one count of conspiring to commit international money laundering, and 10 counts of international money laundering was unsealed on April 17, and Unsalan has been detained pending further court proceedings.

The FBI Tampa Field Office and the International Corruption Unit of the FBI Washington Field Office are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the FBI Miami Field Office.

Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Divisions Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Chauncey A. Bratt for the Middle District of Florida, and Trial Attorney Sean ODowd of the Criminal Divisions Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.

The investigation was coordinated through the Justice Departments Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russias unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the departments tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.

This story has been published on: 2023-09-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
A Hamburg man admitted using an illegal gun to fatally shoot another man at a North Buffalo business in February.

Salvatore S. Rizzo, 36, pleaded guilty on Friday in Erie County Court to one count of second-degree murder and one count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon in the shooting death of Slavisa Slav Stojanovic.

Stojanovic, 40, was shot on the morning of Feb. 8 inside a Botsford Place business and taken by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center with head and neck injuries. He died eight days later in the hospital.

Rizzo was arrested the same day as the shooting at his home in Hamburg, where police said they found a loaded illegal gun inside Rizzos vehicle.

Rizzo faces a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on Oct. 30.
2020 began with a series of unfortunate news and has now peaked with the Coronavirus pandemic. In addition to affecting lives,product madness slots it has also hampered various livelihoods. Offices and businesses have shut their doors to the public for safety reasons, and gaming houses are not left unscathed. Across Canada and the USA, governments have ordered the closure of land-based casinos, including popular gambling destinations like Las Vegas, Montreal, and Ontario. The bustling nature of these businesses draws in large crowds. Such proximity between individuals is strongly advised against by health officials in line with the discoveries about the COVID-19.

The Expected Economic Damage

We have already seen the effects of this epidemic on sports. The F1 world championship has been postponed, the Champions League and Europa League been canceled as well. The Kentucky Derby and the French Open have been moved down to September. The Game Developers Conference scheduled for March 16 did not hold, and the 2020 Olympics has been moved to 2021. Many more events, matches, conferences, and seminars have been canceled, while major tournaments are postponed indefinitely.

Sports contribute largely to gambling revenue around the world. The industry will undoubtedly suffer losses, but experts are concerned about the degree of it. Taking a look at the case of Casinos in China, Macau were shut down in February when the country was still the hardest hit by the Coronavirus. The closure lasted for two weeks, and the major gambling hub of China made just over $385 million. They were able to scale through, but that revenue was a decline of nearly 90% compared to previous years.

The US has become the epicenter of the virus with more confirmed cases than anyone would have ever imagined. Canada has been affected as well, however at a lesser extent than its Southern neighbor. With the heightening of the pandemic, the US and Canada have taken more extreme measures, ordering the closure of casinos for a month or longer.

The Toronto Stock Exchange sees stocks continuously falling for practically all gambling companies, and the American Gaming Association has estimated $21.3 billion in losses if casinos remain closed for 4-8 weeks. If that happens, their last hope for survival may be to request a bailout from the government. Layoffs might follow and it will take a while for the industry to bounce back.

The Shift in Player Behavior

While land-based casinos are dwindling and their fate remains unknown, online casino sites are holding up gamblers' morale. Gamers can continue playing casino slots, table games, card games, and other offerings in quarantine.

A large portion of casino enthusiasts already considered this the more convenient option and with the current situation, the percentage of online betting has skyrocketed. In 2019, estimates placed the number of Canadians who engage in virtual gambling at 18.6 million, and the number is on a steep rise at the moment given the lockdown situation.

Making the best out of the situation, online casino sites try to increase betting opportunities available to the public. There are lines on practically anything that moves to offer the player interesting material, and you can find prospects like whether an event will get place or get canceled. With financial institutions being affected as well, online gambling thrives with cryptocurrency payment methods. They are decentralized and do not involve financial institutions.

Conclusion

Safe gambling is a tune that we hear time and again. In this case, however, the safety in question is not just from a financial point of view but health related. Gatherings are a platform for the spread of the virus, so land-based casinos need to remain closed for a while as a precautionary measure until the situation improves.

This is probably the hardest blow that has ever got the gambling industry. It is worse because it is an unprecedented situation, and there is no solution in sight. Luckily, with online gambling sites, gamers do not cease to experience the thrill of gaming. The fate of land-based casinos depends on whether the pandemic recedes soon or not.

Category: Casino Blog
If you own or operate a small business, you might be familiar with these two words. They often deal with the transfer of merchandise from one business to another, or from an individual to a business.

What makes them confusing is that they both deal with the same event, but from different sides. Thats right, consignor and consignee deal with either side of a transaction, so its easy to get one mixed up with the other.

Whats the Difference Between Consignor and Consignee?

In this post, I want to outline the differences between these two words. I will discuss their definitions and their functions within a sentence. Then, at the end, I will give you an easy trick to remember the difference between them.

After reading this post, you shouldnt ever again wonder, Am I the consignor or consignee?

What is Consignment?

Before we talk about consignor vs. consignee, we should figure out what consignment is.

Consignment is the act of consigning, which is to send something to a person or a place to be sold. Here is a typical example of something that is consigned.

Imagine an art collector has a painting. He gives this painting on consignment to a gallery, i.e., he consigns it to them. He still maintains legal ownership of the painting, but he gives custody to the gallery until they sell it. Once the painting is sold, the art collector and the gallery split the revenue from the sale.

This process is called consignment. Now, who is the consignor and who is the consignee in this transaction?

When to Use Consignor

A consignor(sometimes spelled consigner) is the person who is giving over the merchandise. In our above example, the art collector would be the consignor. Here are a few more examples of consignor in a sentence.

The consignor backed out of the deal, so the sale didnt process.

Until the merchandise is sold, the consignor maintains legal ownership.

Although the consignor was anonymous, the gem was previously held by Sir James Duke and Arthur Johnson Jr.

When to Use Consignee

A consigneeis the person (or place) to whom something is co-signed. In our above example, the gallery that is tasked with the job to sell the painting is the consignee. Here are a few more examples of consignee in a sentence.

We get 45 percent of the sales price; the consignee gets 55 percent when items are sold. Philadelphia Daily News

The containers werent claimed by the consignee and were left to the disposal of authorities in the United Arab Emirates. The Wall Street Journal

If the consignee agrees to the offer, we can proceed with the sale.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Is it consignee or consignor? Still not sure youll be able to remember? No worries

Here is a helpful trick that I use whenever I forget which is which.

The consignor is the person who actually owns the property to be sold. They give it over to the consignee, but the consignor actually owns it. Therefore, you can think of the consignor as the owner of the goods, and since consignor has an extra O in it, its easy to make this connection.

The consignee is the person (or place) that is doing the selling. Think of the consigneeas the seller. This connection is also easy to make since consigneeends in two Es and seller also has two Es in it.

Summary

The two words consignee vs. consignor deal with people on opposite sides of the same transaction.

The consignor is the person handing over property to be sold.

The consigneeis the person receiving the property that is to be sold.
Ph.D., Psychology, Fielding Graduate University

M.A., Psychology, Fielding Graduate University

B.A., Film Studies, Cornell University

Attachment is a deep emotional bond between two people. The idea was pioneered by John Bowlby, but his attachment theory, as well as Mary Ainsworths ideas about attachment styles, mostly focused on the relationship between an infant and an adult caregiver. Since Bowlby introduced the concept, psychologists have extended attachment research into adulthood. This research has led to the specification of four adult attachment styles among other findings.

Key Takeaways: Adult Attachment Styles

John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth were the first researchers to study attachment, the close bonds that develop between two people. They investigated attachment in infancy, but the research has since been extended to attachment in adulthood.

Adult attachment styles develop along two dimensions: attachment-related anxiety and attachment-related avoidance.

There are four adult attachment styles: secure, anxious preoccupied, dismissive avoidant, and fearful avoidant. However, most researchers today dont categorize people into one of these attachment styles, instead preferring to measure attachment along the continuums of anxiety and avoidance.

Many assume there is stability in attachment style throughout the lifespan, however, this question is still unresolved and requires further research.

Adult Attachment Styles

While John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworths pioneering work focused on the development of infant attachments, Bowlby suggested that attachment impacts human experience throughout the lifespan. The research on adult attachment has demonstrated that some, but not all, adult relationships function like attachment relationships. As a result, adults exhibit individual differences in attachment relationships just like young children do.

Research on adult attachment styles has shown that there are two dimensions on which these styles develop. One dimension is attachment-related anxiety. Those who are high on this dimension are more insecure and worried about their relationship partners availability and attentiveness. The other dimension is attachment-related avoidance. Those who are high on this dimension have difficulty opening up and being vulnerable with significant others. Interestingly, recent research into child attachment patterns have also discovered that like adults, childrens attachment styles tend to vary along the dimensions of anxiety and avoidance, demonstrating that attachment styles at different ages are based on similar factors.

These two dimensions give rise to the following four adult attachment styles:

Secure Attachment

Those who have a secure attachment style score low on both anxiety and avoidance. They trust that those they have close relationships with will be there to offer support and security when needed and are prepared to offer security and support when their partners need it in return. They find it easy to open up in relationships and are good at articulating what they want and need from their partners. Theyre confident and optimistic about their relationships and tend to find them stable and satisfying.

Anxious Preoccupied Attachment

Those with an anxious preoccupied attachment style are high on the anxiety dimension but low on the avoidance dimension. These individuals have difficulty trusting their partners commitment to them. Because they are more pessimistic and worried about their relationships, they often need reassurance from their partners and will create or overemphasize conflicts. They may also have issues with jealousy. As a result, their relationships are often tumultuous.

Dismissive Avoidant Attachment

Those with a dismissive avoidant attachment style are low on the anxiety dimension but high on the avoidance dimension. People with this kind of attachment style are often aloof and emotionally distant in relationships. They may claim they fear commitment. These individuals may seek to assert their independence by delving into individual activities like work, hobbies, or social activities that dont involve their significant others. They may come across as focused only on themselves and may have passive aggressive tendencies.

Fearful Avoidant Attachment

Those with a fearful avoidant attachment style are high in both anxiety and avoidance. These individuals both fear and desire intimate relationships. On the one hand, they want the support and security that comes from having a significant other. On the other, they worry their significant other will hurt them and at other times feel stifled by the relationship. As a result, people with a fearful avoidant attachment style can be inconsistent towards their partners from day to day, and their ambivalent attitude can lead to chaos.

While these categories are helpful in describing the extremes on the dimensions of anxiety and avoidance, due to recent research on adult attachment, scholars tend to measure individual differences in attachment along the continuum of each dimension. As a result, adult attachment styles are measured by the degree of anxiety and avoidance each individual scores, providing a more nuanced picture of attachment style than if an individual were simply placed into one of the above four attachment style categories.

Studying Adult Attachment Styles

Studies on adult attachments have generally focused on two different types of relationships. Developmental psychologists have investigated how parents adult attachment styles influence their childrens attachment styles. Meanwhile, social and personality psychologists have examined attachment styles within the context of close adult relationships, especially romantic relationships.

Impact of Attachment Styles on Parenting

In the mid-1980s, Mary Main and her colleagues created the Adult Attachment Interview, which uses an adults memories of their experiences with their parents as children to categorize them into one of four attachment styles similar to those outlined above. Main then examined the attachment styles of her adult participants children and found that adults who were securely attached had securely attached children. Meanwhile, those with the three insecure attachment styles have children who also have a similar insecure attachment style. In another study, pregnant women were given the Adult Attachment Interview. Their children were then tested for attachment style at 12 months old. Like the first study, this research demonstrated that the mothers attachment styles corresponded to those of their babies'.

Impact of Attachment Styles on Romantic Relationships

Research has demonstrated that attachment in adult romantic relationships functions similarly to attachment in infant-caregiver relationships. Although adults dont have the same needs as children, studies have shown that adults with secure attachment look to their partners for support when theyre upset, just as secure infants look to their caregivers. Research has also demonstrated that although adults with a fearful avoidant attachment style may act defensive, they are still emotionally aroused by conflicts with their significant other. On the other hand, people with dismissive avoidant attachment can suppress their emotions towards a significant other. In this sense, avoidance acts as a defense mechanism that helps the individual alleviate the pain brought about by relationship difficulties.

Impact of Attachment Styles on Social Behavior

Studies have indicated that everyday social behavior is informed by ones attachment style, as well. Securely attached individuals tend to have positive social interactions on a regular basis. In contrast, those with an anxious preoccupied attachment style experience a mix of positive and negative daily social interactions, which may reinforce both their desire for and distrust of relationships. Furthermore, those with a dismissive avoidant attachment style tend to have more negative than positive social interactions in their daily lives, and in general, experience less intimacy and enjoyment in social situations. This lack of enjoyment could be one reason people with dismissive avoidant attachment often keep others at arm's length.

Can Attachment Styles Change?

Scholars generally agree that attachment styles in childhood influence attachment styles in adulthood, however the degree of consistency is likely only modest. In fact, in adulthood, one may experience different attachment styles with different people in their lives. For example, one study showed that there was only a small to moderate association between ones current attachment style with a parental figure and their attachment style with a current romantic partner. Yet, some research findings indicate that attachment styles are reinforced because people choose to have relationships with those who confirm their beliefs about close connections.

Thus, the question of stability and change in individual attachment styles is unresolved. Different studies have provided different evidence depending on the way attachment is conceptualized and measured. Many psychologists assume there is long-term stability in attachment style, especially in adulthood, but it is still an open question that requires further research.

Sources
What Is Boilerplate?ohio state indiana odds

The term boilerplate refers to standardized text, copy, documents, methods, or procedures that may be used over again without making major changes to the original. A boilerplate is commonly used for efficiency and to increase standardization in the structure and language of written or digital documents. This includes contracts, investment prospectuses, and bond indentures. In the field of contract law, documents contain boilerplate language, which is a language that is considered generic or standard in contracts.

Key Takeaways

Boilerplate language is a uniform text that you can find across a variety of standard documents, such as contracts.

Boilerplate passages of text are often part of templates that are easily filled in and subsequently personalized.

The term is also used in the computer world when describing snippets of code used across various programs.

The use of the term boilerplate dates back to the 19th century, when steel plates were used as templates to make steam boilers.

Boilerplates are time and money-savers, but can also favor only one party in the case of contracts.

How Boilerplates Work

Boilerplate is any text, documentation, or procedures that can be reused more than once in a new context without any substantial changes to the original. Boilerplates are commonly used online and in written documents by a variety of entities including corporations, legal firms, and medical facilities.

Users can make slight changes to the language or certain portions of the text to tailor a document for different uses. For instance, a media release contains boilerplate language at the bottom, which is usually information about the company or product, and can be updated for different situations before being disseminated to the public.

The term is also commonly used in the information technology industry, referring to coding that can be created and reused over and over again. In this case, the IT specialist only has to rework some of the code to fit into the current need, without making major changes to the original structure.

Think of a boilerplate the same as you would think of templates. which provide the user with a basic structure of the text or document that can be changed to suit different needs.

History of Boilerplate

In the 19th century, a boilerplatereferred to a plate of steel used as a template in the construction of steam boilers. These standardized metal plates reminded editors of the often trite and unoriginal work that ad writers and others sometimes submitted for publication.

The legal profession began using the term boilerplate as early as the mid-1950s, when an article in the Bedford Gazette criticized boilerplates because they often included fine print designed to skirt the law.

Businesses now use boilerplate clauses in contracts, purchase agreements, and other formal documents. Boilerplate clauses are designed to protect businesses from making errors or legal mistakes in the language.

The wording of these passages is generally not up for negotiation with customers, who will often sign boilerplate documents without actually reading or understanding them. This type of boilerplate, written by a party with superior bargaining power and presented to a weaker party, is often called an adhesion contract in the legal profession. Courts may set aside provisions of such contracts if they find them coercive or unfair.

Boilerplating can also be used as a disparaging term to refer to a lack of originality or sincere effort in any activity.

Boilerplate Language in the Modern World

In contemporary times, the term boilerplate is widely applied to a variety of settings. It normally refers to a standardized method, form, or procedure. Computer programmers speak of using boilerplate code to write a new program because modern programs can consist of billions of lines of code, and it is virtually impossible to write them from scratch.

In marketing and public relations, boilerplate refers to blocks of language in marketing materials or press releases that rarely change. They are often written to express a company's mission or otherwise cast it in a positive light and are commonly added to a variety of its publications, press releases, or web pages, including the About Us page on many websites.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Boilerplate

Boilerplates are considered a time and money saver. Companies don't have to waste resources drafting up new documents or contracts. They can simply update existing documents or templates to suit their purpose. Similarly, IT professionals can make a few alterations to existing code to create new text and documents online.

Boilerplates can help prevent mistakes. Original documents and the language are usually already vetted to ensure they are error-free, which means less headache in the future. This provides companies and individuals with protection from any legal problems that may arise from sloppy work. Standard forms provide also users with consistency. This prevents the possibility of inadvertent deviation from one contract or document to the next.

But there are certain disadvantages that come with these as well. For instance, boilerplates are often used flatly across the board, as in the case of some fine print. They are not always tailored to every situation. In most cases, people don't read the fine print and aren't aware of conditions they must uphold, such as being bound to a contract.

Contractual boilerplates often contain language that only favors one partyusually the writer. In these cases, companies rely on the fact that individuals will either skip or skim through these sections.

Boilerplates save time and money



There is less room for error and more consistency

Boilerplates are not tailored specifically to every individual

They often favor only one party in a contract

Examples of Boilerplate Language

ProsCons

A bank may use a standard contract for everyone who applies for a home loan. Bank employees and loan applicants may fill in the blanks or select from lists of checkboxes, depending on the circumstances, rather than create an entirely new document for every new applicant. These documents typically remain unchanged so that the parties using them are not misled into accepting unfavorable conditions that even small changes in the boilerplate text could cause.

Another example of a boilerplate is the fine print that appears on many contracts. This section is usually static, as is the case with many cell phone contracts. This indicates what fees, charges, and other rules that may apply to someone's service. But companies may make minor changes to the text when needed.

Boilerplate FAQs

What Is a Boilerplate Statement?

A boilerplate statement is a standard statement commonly issued by companies. This statement is fairly generic and can be altered slightly to fit a specific purpose, such as an email response to a media inquiry or to a consumer complaint. As such, boilerplate statements are commonly found in press releases, the About Us section on a corporate website, or in written communications.

What Is a Boilerplate Project?

A boilerplate project is a project set up that can be easily altered to create new projects. The user is able to use the original project, its foundation, and its structure to set up a new one without changing the original. This is commonly found in the information technology sector, where coders update existing code to make changes to webpages.

Why Is It Called Boilerplate Language?

The term boilerplate language dates back to the 19th century, when steel plates were used as templates to create steam boilers. This application of the term was used in the legal profession in the mid-1950s to describe how companies used fine print to get around the law.

What Is a Boilerplate in a Press Release Example?

The boilerplate in a press release is often found at the bottom. This text is used to briefly identify and describe the company issuing the release.

What Is a Boilerplate Clause in a Contract?

A boilerplate clause is a standard section in a contract that is found at the end or bottom of the document. This clause normally outlines certain conditions enforced to which parties must adhere, including when a contract is broken and how any problems and disputes are resolved.

The Bottom Line

Boilerplates are a big part of the corporate and information technology sectors. These tools help save time and money, allowing text and documents to be created for use over and over again. For instance, the fine print or boilerplate clause is found on legal contracts while boilerplates are standard messages found in press releases. While they do serve a purpose, it's important to remember that you shouldn't skim over these sections if you ever come across them. That's because they often contain important information about your rights.
Damara / (dmr) / New Word List Save This betfury casino loginWord! / (dmr) /Save ThisWord!

nounAlso called: Bergdama plural -ras or -ra a member of a Negroid people of South West Africathe language of this people, a dialect of Nama

Words nearby Damara

How to use in a sentence Based upon interviews with hundreds of returning German soldiers from the Damara campaign. Influences of Geographic Environment|Ellen Churchill Semple

Influences of Geographic Environment|Ellen Churchill Semple They also sing rude epic verses, accompanied by the dance in honour of men distinguished in the late Namaqua and Damara war. Myth, Ritual And Religion, Vol. 2 (of 2)|Andrew Lang

Myth, Ritual And Religion, Vol. 2 (of 2)|Andrew Lang When a Damara woman is asked in marriage, she covers her face for a time with the flap of a headdress made for this purpose. Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 1 (of 6)|Havelock Ellis

Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 1 (of 6)|Havelock Ellis Both in the Damara and in the Transcaspian deserts, a Gecko has been turned into a runner upon sand! Darwin and Modern Science|A.C. Seward and Others The so-called Damara consist of two probably distinct peoples. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 7, Slice 9|Various

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondaman, Daman and Diu, Damanhur, Damao, damar, Damara, Damaraland, Damas, Damascene, Damascenus, DamascusCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
The English language is full of words that sound similar to each other but have wildly different meanings and different histories. Such is the case with accent vs. ascent vs. assent. Two of these words, ascent and assent, have identical pronunciations and are only one letter apart, and if you are unfamiliar with seeing accent written on paper, you might think it is also pronounced the same.

What Are the Differences Between Accent, Ascent, and Assent?

In todays post, I want to discuss the differences between these three words, their definitions, pronunciations, and functions in a sentence. After reading this post, you wont ever get any of these words confused again.

When to Use Accent?

Accent is most commonly used as a noun and is defined as a distinct mode of pronunciation of a language. For example,

He spoke with a thick German accent.

Despite taking years of classes, she could never master the French accent.

Accent is pronounced ak,sent, which you may or may not get from just reading the word on paper, so its important to remember that accent is the one that sounds different than the rest.

Accent can also be used as a transitive verb and is defined as to emphasize a particular feature. For example,

He accented the first syllable in manual.

These two paintings accent the colors of the living room.

When to Use Ascent?

Ascent is noun meaning the act or process of rising or going upward; an advancement, especially in social status. For example,

The ascent up the mountain was long and treacherous.

Bob was an excellent employee, and his ascent up the company was quick.

Ascent is pronounced -sent, with a soft a. The a in ascent sounds more like uh.

When to Use Assent?

Assent is a noun and a verb. As a noun, it means an agreement or concurrence, and as a verb it means to express agreement or acceptance, as of a proposal. For example,

Before we proceed with construction, we need to reach assent on an action plan.

After reading the plan, the president assented cheerfully.

Assent is pronounced exactly like ascent, but, as you can see, they have very different meanings.

Remember the Difference

If you have trouble keeping track of these words, one helpful thing to do is to think about their antonyms. An antonym is just a word that is the opposite of another. So if we think about ascent, which means to rise/go upward, the opposite word is descent, which is the action of going downward, dropping, or falling.

Similarly, if we think about assent, which means an agreement, the opposite word is dissent, which means to have or express a different opinion, i.e., to not agree with.

Accent has two cs in it and since it refers to how words are pronounced, it deals with communication, which also has two cs in it.

Summary

Accent is a way of speaking, such as an English of German accent.

Ascent is the process of rising or going upward, literally and figuratively, such as ascending up a company.

Assent is an agreement or concurrence.
Obama has latched on to the failure of the embargo to topple the Castros as justification to shuffle the deck.

Deck the Halls was written back in the 16th century, when the English language was very different.

JSwipe is currently under heavy load, flashed across the screen, one night as a friend and I looked at it.

He also was working to recruit Castro as a driver for a drug load.

Deck your halls instead with boughs of holly, shouting Merry Christmas (or Happy Hanukkah) well into the night. A Field General in the War on Christmas|David Freedlander|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It ended on a complaint that she was 'tired rather and spending my time at full length on a deck-chair in the garden.' The Wave|Algernon Blackwood

But, as the keel of the boats touched bottom, each boat-load dashed into the water and then into the enemy's fire. Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton

A few moments afterward he was seen dragging his own trunk ashore, while Mr. Hitchcock finished his story on the boiler deck. The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various

Fancy that enormous shell dropping suddenly out of the blue on to a ship's deck swarming with troops! Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Speaking about gambling,casino in buffalo ny we most often recall poker, roulette, or slot machines. But in the world, there are such types of Gclub gambling entertainment that you do not even know about. For us, they are exotic, although, for the average Australian - to bet on the outcome of the sea crabs racing is quite an ordinary activity.

These games are often illegal and bypass current state bans. Let's get acquainted with the world of exotic gambling entertainment.

Slot machines

Pachinko

Pachinko is a kind of gaming machine, reminiscent of a mixture of the familiar "one-armed bandit" and vertical pinball. The game proceeds as follows: metal balls are poured into the machine from above, and the player, using the lever, controls the speed of their firing on the playing field. Balls roll down the maze, and most of them go to waste, but at least one hits the target and brings a gain (some number of the same balls).

You cannot officially receive the cash equivalent of a win. Balls are used to continue the game or are exchanged for prizes (lighter, perfume bottle, etc.) However, often shops (controlled by the yakuza) are opened near the pachinko halls, where they exchange gifts for money.

Race

Racing attracts gambling people around the world. Betting on the outcome of the horse race is the privilege of aristocrats, and betting on the donkey race is traditional Pakistani entertainment. We have selected the most unusual types of races that can only be found in the world.

Cockroach Racing

For racing, giant Madagascar cockroaches 6-10 cm long are usually used. They are considered one of the fastest not only among their species but also among all insects.

The most popular cockroach racing won in Australia. It is believed that entertainment originated in the small town of Brisbane, where local students staged insect races. This fun has become so popular that cockroach competitions are broadcast on Australian national television, and the Australian Cockroach Race Day is celebrated annually on January 26th.

Crab Racing and Goat Runs

Crab races and goat races are a traditional attraction for residents of Trinidad and Tobago (an island nation in the southern Caribbean), which is held annually on Easter and gathers many tourists. Despite the fun participants, these competitions are the lucrative business of Tobago.

Guinea pigs racing

Guinea pig races are gambling street entertainment in Colombia. The rules are as simple as possible: numbered houses are set on the ground, and everyone wants to bet on which one the animal will run into. The attraction is designed primarily for tourists, for which the competition of pigs is a curiosity.

Pigeons racing

Taiwan is considered to be the birthplace of feathered competitions, where such competitions have been held for several centuries. Locals organize about 500 races every week, and on the island, there are 2-3 million sporting birds. They begin to train pigeons in two and a half months, and by four they can already participate in competitions.

Category: Casino Blog
Trust and mistrust are confusing. The prefix mis- is the only differentiating factor between them. Luckily, that same prefix gives us a clue to their meanings.

These words are opposites of each other, and even though each can be used as more than one part of speech, knowing the difference between them is easy, provided you know what the words mean.

With that in mind, this article will discuss trust and mistrust, including their meanings and how each should be used in sentences.

What is the Difference Between Trust and Mistrust?

In this article, I will compare trust vs. mistrust. I will use each of these words in at least one example sentence, so you can see them in context.

Plus, I will show you a memory tool that you can use to help you choose either mistrust or trust in your own writing.

When to Use Trust

What does trust mean? Trust has several meanings, but, in this article, I will focus on the context of faith that something is reliable.

In this sense, trustis a noun, but it can also be used as a verb. In its verb sense, it means to believe that something is reliable.

Here are a few examples,

Shari knew that Amir was probably lying, but she decided to trust him anyway.

I have placed significant trust in you, said the CEO. Prove to me that I am right.

I do not trust this rope bridge, said the worried adventurer.

If he didnt, it represents a grave and selfish breach of trust that will cost the president dearly. New York Post

When to Use Mistrust

What does mistrust mean? Mistrust can also be used as a noun or a verb.

As a noun, mistrustmeans lack of confidence in something.

As a verb, mistrustmeans to be suspicious of something. It is the opposite of trust in both of these contexts.

Here are a few examples,

Coltens lies had sowed seeds of mistrust among his colleagues in the research department.

I generally mistrust anyone who wont reveal their sources, said the writer.

I mistrust my senses; can the island really be this beautiful? said the starving shipwreck survivor.

Perhaps Trump loyalists mistrust of the intelligence community will strengthen the coalition of lawmakers seeking substantive statutory surveillance reform. The Washington Post

Trust vs. Mistrust  Psychosocial Development

Trust vs. mistrustis also a stage of psychosocial development in Erik Eriksons theory of psychosocial development.

Erik Erikson was a developmental psychologist who lives from 1902 to 1994. His theory of psychosocial development has 8 stages, with trust vs. mistrust being the first.

This stage takes places from birth to one year old. The principle behind it is that as infants, we all depend on our caregivers to provide for us. As these needs are met, we develop a trusting relationship with them. If the needs are not met, we may grow up to be suspicious and mistrustful of these people and people in general.

According to the theory, this first stage determines whether children trust or mistrust others.

Trick to Remember the Difference

These words are opposites, so remembering mistrustvs. trustis easy.

If you are referring to confidence in someone or something, use trust.

If you are referring to a lack of confidence, use mistrust

This rule holds true for both the noun and verb usages of these words.

Since trust and true are spelled with many of the same letters, and you would be more likely to trust something which has been true in the past, remembering what this word means is a simple task.

Summary

Is it trust or mistrust? Trust and mistrust can both be used as either a noun or a verb.

Trust refers to confidence in a person, object, or process.

Mistrust refers to a lack of confidence.

Trust is spelled with many of the same letters as the word true, so it should be easy to remember what this word means.

If you need a refresher, you can always reread this article to review its guidelines.
Both breathand breathe have something to do with air in our lungs, but each word has a different function in the sentence.

One refers to the air itself, and the other is the action of inhaling and exhaling.

Stopping abruptly, he said, I need to catch my breath.

While scuba diving, he used compressed air to breathe.

The short answer is that breathis a noun, and breatheis a verb, but I will go into more detail below.

What is the Difference Between Breath and Breathe?

In this post, I want to compare breath vs. breathe. I will go over the definitions of each word and how they function in a sentence. Plus, at the end, I will give you a trick to remember the difference.

After reading this post, you wont ever again wonder to yourself, Is it spelled breath or breathe?

When to Use Breath

What does breath mean? Breath (pronounced breth) is a nounand refers to the air inhaled or exhaled out of ones lungs.

Take a breath; it will be okay.

Your breath smells like cheese. Have you eating cheese today?

Do you think Eric will be on time today? Dont hold you breath.

The annual spiritual validation on mainstream television is a breath of fresh air. The Wall Street Journal

Breathrefers to the actual air that is either inhaled or exhaled from ones lungs. As I mentioned above, it is pronounced as breth(rhymes with death).

Common Phrases That Use Breath

Here are a few common phrases and idioms that use the word breath.

In the same breath : at, or almost at, the same time.

: at, or almost at, the same time. Out of breath : breathing with difficultly, gasping for air.

: breathing with difficultly, gasping for air. Under ones breath : In a muted voice or whisper.

: In a muted voice or whisper. Save your breath : dont bother or waste your time.

: dont bother or waste your time. A breath of fresh air : a brief moment in the fresh air; a welcomed site.

: a brief moment in the fresh air; a welcomed site. Take someones breath away: astonish someone with awed respect or delight.

When to Use Breathe

What does breathe mean? Breathe (pronounced breeth)is a verb and to breathe is the action of inhaling and exhaling air using the lungs.

After the race, I could hardly breathe.

If you replace this dirty air filter, you will be able to breathe better.

She breathed on the window and it fogged up.

Let me preface this by saying that there are few more passionate football fans than me. I live and breathe by the fate of the New York Jets. New York Post

Breathedoesnt refer to air itself; instead, it refers to the action of inhaling and exhaling air from ones lungs.

Breathis also pronounced differently that breath. Breatheis pronounced as breeth(rhymes with seethe).

Common Phrases That Use Breathe

As with breath, breatheis used in many common English phrases.

To breathe down someones neck : follow close behind or constantly check up one.

: follow close behind or constantly check up one. Breathe easily/freely : relaxed after a period or tension.

: relaxed after a period or tension. Breathe a sigh of relief : exhale noisily as a sign of relief.

: exhale noisily as a sign of relief. Breathe ones last : a euphemism for death.

: a euphemism for death. Breathe new life: fill with enthusiasm and renewed spirit.

Breathable or Breatheable?

The correct spelling is breathable, without the e.

These are an excellent pair of breathable running shoes. (Correct)

These are an excellent pair of breatheable running shoes. (Incorrect)

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a useful trick to remember breathe vs. breath. If you use this as a memory check when you go to use these words, you will be all set.

Trick:Think of the extra e in breathe as standing for exhale. To breatheis to exhale.

Also, here are a few fun sentences I thought of that incorporate both words.

Its so cold that if you breathe you can see your breath.

He breathed heavily trying to catch his breath.

Summary

Is it breathe or breath? The spelling, of course, depends on your sentence. Do you need a noun or a verb?

Breathis a noun and refers to the air that it inhaled or exhaling while breathing.

Breatheis a verb and is the action of inhaling or exhaling.
ALBANY  Two years ago, Attorney General Letitia James announced the results of an investigation finding that Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed a number of women. At the time of the announcement, James promised that the investigations underlying interviews and evidence will be made available to the public.

James office ultimately released the transcripts of 41 interviews conducted with witnesses, as well as about 1,000 documents. But a request by the media for more information about other witness interviews has been rejected. James office has opposed allowing Cuomo lawyers to view tens of thousands of documents from the inquiry that effectively forced his resignation, and a judge has sided with James.

Now comes the latest episode, one raising questions about a taxpayer-funded contract with a law firm, Cleary Gottlieb, that James hired to conduct the original investigation.

James office declined to provide specific information this week about the work the law firm did to recently earn at least $1.1 million in taxpayer funds.

Since Cleary Gottlieb completed its original sexual harassment investigation for James in August 2021, the firm has been paid $4 million more through two contract extensions. A purpose for both, according to state contracting records, has been for the firm to perform redactions: blanking out portions of documents from the investigation, deemed private information by the law firm, so that the remainder may be released for public consumption.

A copy of the latest $1.3 million contract extension, struck by James office in the summer of 2022, specified that a purpose was to conduct redactions of voluminous amounts of transcripts, exhibits and documents for the purpose of ultimately making them public.

Other purposes, according to the contract extension, included the need to redact video depositions, to provide materials to law enforcement, and to respond to lawsuits.

James office did not say how much of the $1.1 million was spent on redacting documents, or which documents were redacted.

Cleary Gottliebs first contract extension to do post-investigation redactions lapsed on Dec. 31, 2021. Three weeks later, James office released what it characterized as the final set of videos, transcripts and corresponding exhibits it planned to release from the investigation.

Five months later, on May 31, 2022, Cuomos attorney notified a federal court of plans to subpoena James office for all evidence gathered underlying the report concluding Cuomo had committed sexual harassment.

Cuomo said he was seeking the records needed to defend himself in a civil lawsuit filed by a female state trooper whod accused Cuomo of sexual harassment, referred to in James original report as Trooper 1.

Two days later, records show, James office submitted documentation to the state comptrollers office seeking a yearlong, $1.3 million contract extension.

Four months later, James office told a federal magistrate judge that it would be unduly burdensome to produce the wide array of documents Cuomo had subpoenaed from the attorney generals office.

In a November 2022 motion to quash Cuomos subpoena, James office argued that the office had a serious and legitimate concern that its employee resources should not be commandeered into service by private litigants to the detriment of the smooth functioning of government operations.

According to Cuomos attorney, James office did not disclose that several months earlier, it had reached the $1.3 million contract extension with an outside law firm for redaction services related to the Cuomo investigation, days after Cuomo had stated he planned to subpoena James office.

In a letter to Federal Magistrate Judge Taryn Merkl on Wednesday, a Cuomo attorney, Theresa Trzaskoma, questioned that alleged omission, calling it disingenuous at best, misleading at worst.

The express purpose of that contract extension was to review and redact documents in anticipation of disclosure, Trzaskoma wrote. Although the (Office of Attorney General) opposed compliance with Gov. Cuomos subpoena, the OAG did not disclose to the Court its new contract with Cleary and instead claimed that reviewing and redacting unreleased interview memos would be an enormously time-consuming task. 

In an affidavit filed last November, a Cleary Gottlieb attorney, Ye Eun Charlotte Chun, said the law firm had conducted a search for records from the original investigation related to Trooper 1  and had come across only a few.

Beyond that records search, its not clear what specific work was performed for the more than $1 million in spending on the most recent law firm contract. James office declined to say whether additional redactions have occurred.

A James spokeswoman said Cleary Gottlieb has been engaged for work related to multiple lawsuits, subpoenas, and other legal actions that the former governor has brought, and that the contract extension was not limited to redactions.

Merkl in the past found the argument from James office  that responding to Cuomos subpoena would be unduly burdensome  compelling.

Reviewing and redacting the 1,000 documents made public  work performed under prior Cleary contracts  took 3,600 hours, Chun stated in her November affidavit. Performing such work on the additional 73,000 documents, Merkl estimated, would take more than 200,000 hours.

In a July ruling, Merkl determined that James office did not need to comply with Cuomos broad subpoena. Among other reasons, she found that forcing James office to redact more than 70,000 documents would be a significant undue burden.

But Cuomo is now asking Merkl to reopen the decision.

The Cleary contracts and payments gut this conclusion because it appears much of the burden was already borne  by the taxpayers, not by Letitia James, Trzaskoma wrote. This new information provides critical additional support for our argument that, at a minimum, the OAG should be compelled to produce interview memos and any other documents that Cleary has already reviewed for redaction and/or disclosure.

In a letter to Merkl on Friday, a deputy general counsel to James, Serena Longley, said the Cuomo accusations were based on nothing more than self-evidently flawed speculation and conjecture. If Merkl decides to take up the issue raised by Cuomos attorney, James office plans to provide more information to the court. But the office stands by the information and sworn statements presented to the Court, Longley wrote.

Cuomos attorneys argue that James office has a motivation to keep documents under wraps: When James office has been forced to release documents related to the sexual harassment investigation into Cuomo  rather than picking which documents are released  the additional information has undermined aspects of the investigations findings, Cuomos attorneys contend. When interview notes came to light during a criminal investigation into Cuomo, for instance, the document raised new questions about why an investigation witness changed a past statement about the governors behavior.

Its not just Cuomo seeking such documents.

James office has not released copies of memos memorializing interviews with more than 100 witnesses, some of which are only a few pages long. The New York Daily News filed an open records request seeking those memos. But in 2022, the request was rejected by James office, which told the newspaper that the documents were subject to attorney-client privilege and attorney work product exemptions.

When Cuomos attorney filed an open records request seeking that same information, plus additional documents, James office responded in August that it would be able to begin producing the documents  though not until March 2024, because of the agencys limited resources.

A James spokeswoman declined to tell The Buffalo News whether any of the interview memos had already been redacted, but said witness interview memos are privileged.

As James office has repeatedly noted, Cuomo has himself been running up taxpayer-funded legal bills related to the two-year-old sexual harassment inquiry.

For instance, a Manhattan State Supreme Court judge ruled in February that taxpayers should fund Cuomos legal defense in the Trooper 1 civil case.

Since resigning, Andrew Cuomo has continued his vengeful efforts and stuck New York taxpayers with millions in legal bills, a spokesperson for the attorney general said. This exploitation of the judicial system is a sad attempt to make his perceived enemies pay, and a continuation of his pattern of intimidation and bullying the survivors of his actions. Instead of accepting the consequences of his serious and damaging behavior, Andrew Cuomo is continuing this misguided campaign while running up onerous debts that the state has to cover.

Clarification: This story was updated after it was published to reflect that Andrew Cuomo's attorney requested from the Attorney General's Office some additional documents beyond what the New York Daily News had sought in a Freedom of Information Law request.
Most English verbs follow a standard set of conjugation rules. These are called regular verbs. Regular verbs are conjugated into past tense by adding the suffix edto the end of the word.

For example,

I walk > I walked.

Not all English verbs are regular, though. These are called irregular verbs, and some of these dont seem to follow any rules at all.

A few, though, are at least somewhat predictable. Many verbs that end in ind simply change to ound in the past tense, such as find, which becomes found.

What about bind? Is the word regular, forming binded in the past tense, or does it become bound?

Continue reading to learn more.

What is the Difference Between Binded and Bound?

In this post, I will compare binded vs. bound. I will outline the correct past tense of bind and illustrate how it should be used in example sentences. This way you can see how it appears in context.

Plus, I will show you a helpful memory tool that should make choosing either binded or bound a bit easier your own writing.

When to Use Bound

What does bound mean? Bound is a verb, and it has multiple meanings. In one sense, to bound is to leap, the way a gazelle might bound across the savanna.

In another sense, bound means to establish an edge, the way the state of Oregon is bounded to the north by the Columbia River.

In this article, though, I will focus on bounds use as the past tense conjugation of the verb bind, which means to tie something up or constrain something.

For example,

When Alex woke up, her hands and feet were bound and her mouth was taped shut.

Due to my profession, I am legally bound to report all suspected incidences of child abuse.

In the first example, one person has been literally bound with rope, while in the other two a person and a country have been figuratively bound by legal requirements.

When to Use Binded

What does binded mean? Binded is an incorrect conjugation of the verb to bind. In the chart below, which graphs bound vs. binded over time, you can see that its use is far outstripped by that of bound:

In the rarest of occasions when binded does appear, it is usually in the context of documents that have been organized together in a binder or book, like in the sense of a binded thesis.

Even in this context, though, bound is still a better choice.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Bound is the correct past tense of the verb bind, while binded is a misconjugation.

Since bind becomes bound in the past tense, just like its rhyming counterparts find and found and grind and ground, it is easy to remember to use bound instead of binded in your writing.

Summary

Is it bound or binded? Bound has many meanings, including the past tense of bind. Bindedis an incorrect form that rarely appears in print. Use bound in your own writing.

To summarize,
sokabwin morongo poker tablesshows grade level based on the word's complexity. decurved [ dee-kurvd ]/ dikrvd / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dee-kurvd ]/ dikrvd /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

adjectivecurved downward, as the bill of a bird.

Words nearby decurved

How to use decurved decurved/ (dikvd) / adjectivebent or curved downwardsa decurved bill; decurved petals Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question decurvedFirst recorded in 182535; de- + curveddecuman, decumbent, decuple, decurion, decurrent, decurved, decury, decussate, decussation, decyl, decylic acidDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
LL Cool J once said,slot deposit 25 bonus 25th wedding Dont call it a comeback. While July revenue at Missouri casinos could hardly be viewed as a comeback, it is a step in the right direction leading into Fall.

For the month, Missouri casinos generated $168.5 million in adjusted gross revenue, up from June but slightly down year-over-year.

The states 13 casinos generated $155 million in adjusted gross revenue in June. Thus, the increase in July revenue is a welcomed sight for a small market like Missouri.

According to the latest report from the Missouri Gaming Commission, the casino market is down roughly 1% YOY. The industry generated $169.3 million in revenue during the same period last year.
The Las Vegas businessman buys Casino Miami shortly after Floridans approved key gambling-related amendment

Las Vegas casino boss Phil Ruffin has set his sights eastward, news emerged last week. The 83-year-old businessman has recently purchased Casino Miami, a 200-000-square-foot gambling venue in Miami, Florida.

The purchase price has remained undisclosed, but the property was valued at $155 millionwhen it last changed its owner back in 2014. Casino Miami occupies a 21-acre site with developable land. The gambling facility features 1,012 slot machines, electronic table games, live jai-alai games, simulcast betting as well as live entertainment space, dining area, and a bar, among other amenities. The casino portion does not feature proper table games as under Floridas current gambling law, these can only be operated at properties owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

According to data from the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Casino Miami generated gaming revenue of $68 millionin 2017 and of $60 million over the first 10 months of this year. The property is one of eight commercial casinos currently operating around Florida.

In a statement from last week, Mr. Ruffin said that he was looking forward to entering the Miami gaming market and that they had exciting plans for Casino Miami. A spokeswoman for the businessman revealed that he plans to add a hotelat the site of the existing gambling venue.

News about Mr. Ruffins acquisition of Casino Miami arrived just weeks after Florida voters passed Amendment 3that gave them the final say on any proposals for gambling expansion in the state.

Harder to Expand Gambling

The Florida Legislature has been discussing possible forms of gambling expansion around the state for several years now. However, now as it is up to voters to decide on these, it would probably be even harder for expansion proponents to succeed.

This makes the existing gaming licenses extremely valuable and will certainly impair the issuance of new licenses in future.

In a statement from last week, a spokeswoman for Mr. Ruffin said that the businessman has long been interested in expanding his gaming footprint to the East Coast. She went on to say that with the recent passage of Amendment 3, the casino moguls newest purchase was even more valuable.

Under existing Florida laws, operators of gaming machines are required to annually pay a $2-million license feeand a $250,000 regulatory fee. Part of the proceeds go to the states problem gambling program.

Mr. Ruffin entered the world of gambling in the late 1990s when he acquired the New Frontier Hotel and Casino, which was located on the Las Vegas Strip, but was imploded in 2007. The businessman purchased the property for $167 million but sold it for $1.2 billion in 2007.

He then bought Treasure Island Hotel and Casino from MGM Resorts Internationalin late 2008 at a time when the latter company was heavily in danger of going bankrupt as a result from the Great Recession. The recent purchase of Casino Miami was Mr. Ruffins first in ten years.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the days top casino news stories.
U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke () said on Wednesday that he will step down from his position early next year to rejoin his family.

When I met with President (Barack) Obama earlier this month, I informed him of my decision to step down as Ambassador in early 2014 to rejoin my family in Seattle, Locke said in a statement to the media.

Serving as the U.S. Ambassador to China has been the honor of a lifetime, said Locke, adding that he is profoundly grateful to President Obama for providing him the opportunity to serve as the presidents representative in Beijing over the past two-and-a-half years. Locke is the first Chinese-American to hold the post.

Locke said it has been an immense and rewarding challenge to help manage one of the most vitally important bilateral relationships for the United States, with so many critical American interests at stake.

Living in China while representing the United States has truly been an exciting privilege for our entire family, said the statement.

Locke said that during his term, the embassy has focused its efforts on job creation in America by increasing exports to China, opening more markets for American companies, and promoting Chinese investment in the United States.

We have significantly increased Chinese business and tourism travel to the U.S. by dramatically reducing wait times for visas to 3-5 days from historical highs of 70-100 days, he said in the statement.

Locke said that as ambassador, he knows that U.S.-China relations continue to grow stronger.

While our bilateral relationship is a complex one, I remain confident in the ability of our leaders to manage differences and increase cooperation in areas of mutual concern to the benefit of not just our two great peoples, but the entire world, he added.

Xinhua

U.S. ambassador to China to step down in early 2014added by chinatimesonline on

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Thered dog casino sister casinos Covid-19 outbreak has impacted significantly on various jurisdictions and marketplaces across the globe, with New Jerseys Atlantic City and offline gambling

sector offering a relevant case in point.

This state has actually reported more cases than others in North America (other than New York), with a total of 155,000 confirmed cases and 11,191 deaths amongst the

8.9 million population at the time of writing.

Of course, this has not impacted on gamblers too much, as anyone who likes to wager their hard-earned cash regularly has plenty of great options available online in

NJ.

However, the brick-and-mortar marketplace in NJ has been genuinely affected, while this trend could continue for the foreseeable future. But when will casinos reopen

their doors, and can these establishments recover over the longer-term? Lets find out.

Atlantic City Closures - The Story so Far

The spread of Covid-19 in the US began in earnest in March, and the Garden States Governor Phil Murphy elected to temporarily halt gambling operations by closing the

doors at all nine casinos in Atlantic City on the 16th of the month.

The socio-economic effect of these measures have already been felt throughout the industry, with the gambling mecca of the northeast reporting an estimated 69% decrease in revenue generation year-on-year in April. Not only has this triggered mass layoffs that have impacted thousands of gaming industry employees statewide (and the subsequent lives of a raft of other residents), but its also unclear when the current hiatus will end.

Its a huge game-changer in our economy and in the lives of literally tens of thousands of people out there, said Governor Murphy in an interview on WPG Talk Radio. I would love nothing more to say were ready to go. Were just not there yet. So, while plans to reopen casinos throughout Atlantic City remain the source of ongoing discussion, the Governor is clear that no concrete or tangible end to this

aspect of the lockdown is in sight.

While this issue is particularly pertinent in NJ, we should not forget that other states have been similarly affected. According to the American Gaming Association, 181 of the 989 commercial and

tribal casino properties in the US have already been reopened as of May 26th, with establishments in Arizona, Florida and South Dakota having experienced increased demand upon the resumption of their operations.

This will be on the mind of Atlantic City operators, who should be ready to cope with such demand from the moment that they reopen their doors. The Rise of Online Gambling in NJ They say that when one door closes another one opens, and this rule can definitely be applied to gambling in NJ.

After all, while offline gambling revenues declined at an alarming rate in April, the states online yield soared to a record $80 million during the same period. According to figures released last week by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), licensed iGaming operators in the state generated combined revenues of just under $80 million during the reporting period, with this representing

a 118.6% gain in relation to April 2019.

This is also nearly $15 higher than the previous record set in March 2020, and while iGaming in NJ has been embarked on an upward trend for a while now, theres no doubt that the Covid-19 outbreak has accelerated this growth considerably. In total, the online casino vertical was up 114.3% to a record $74.8 million, while online poker also more than tripled year-on-year to $5.15 million.

The latter also beat the previous poker record of $3.6 million set during the last month, showcasing how all iGaming verticals have continued to boom since the coronavirus pandemic took hold stateside.

The Last Word

Ultimately, while the growth of iGaming verticals and the total GGY has been good for New Jersey, the local economy and labour market will continue to suffer for as long as Atlantic City is closed for business.

The good news is that Governor Murphy has begun to initiate the gradual lifting of lockdown restrictions on several of the states industries, including spas, barbershops, salons and gyms.

Each of these establishments may be allowed to open their doors in the coming weeks and possibly before the end of June, and casinos may also end up being included in this group.

However, the Governor has urged continued caution and the ongoing prioritization of customer safety, and remains loath to commit to a fixed date or time frame at this time.

For now, all parties must remain patient and focused on the bigger prize, but operators should definitely brace themselves for a huge spike in demand once their doors finally reopen.

Category: Casino Blog
The words shelf and shelve are confusing. They are different parts of speech, but many English users are incautious, and use them interchangeably.

To make matters worse, the word shelves can be both a noun and a verb, and it is related to both shelf and shelve.

Whats a writer to do? Since youve made it this far, you might as well continue reading to learn more about these confusing words.

What is the Difference Between Shelf and Shelve?

In this post, I will compare shelve vs. shelfand use each word in a few example sentences.

You will be able to see the words in the context of complete sentences. Then, I will talk about a mnemonic device that allows you to choose shelve or shelfcorrectly every time.

When to Use Shelf

What does shelf mean? Shelf is a noun. It is a horizontal surface upon which things can be placed. The plural form of shelf is shelves; multiple shelves might be collectively called shelving.

A bookshelf is a structure that has several shelves arranged vertically to maximize storage space in a small footprint. A bathroom shelf is a shelf in a bathroom.

Here are a few more examples:

If you look on the third shelf in the linen closet, you will find clean towels and a set of fresh sheets for the guest room.

Grandma placed her favorite trinkets on a high shelf in the living room, where hyperactive grandchildren could not reach them.

For New York, Ms. Sparrow said she flew in about nine tons of fake goods, including dozens of cigarette packs  Marlboros, Pall Malls and other American brands  all sewn from colored felt; shelf after shelf of Doritos, also in felt; actual soda coolers and store shelves with felt covering every surface. The New York Times

When to Use Shelve

What does shelve mean? The word shelve is a verb. It means to put things on a shelf, where shelf is the noun discussed above. It sometimes also means to decide not to move forward with something.

Here are some examples:

I think we are going to shelve this idea, said the chairman after none of the other board members could come to an agreement.

Julia can shelve the new inventory while Mark sweeps the floors, said the manager of the grocery store.

But after nearly a decade of research, Apple quietly shelved plans to make such a set more than a year ago, according to people familiar with the matter. The Wall Street Journal

Shelve cannot be used as a singular noun. Some English speakers might use shelve in place of shelf in informal conversation, but this usage is not considered correct.

Misusing shelve for shelf is probably a backformation from the plural shelves. Since many nouns become plural by adding the suffix -s, some speakers might mistakenly think shelve is the same way.

The confusion could also arise from the word shelves, which can be both a noun and the third person singular conjugation of the verb shelve.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Shelf is a noun and shelve is a verb. Even though the plural form of shelf is shelves, shelve is never a singular noun.

Whats an easy way to remember shelfvs. shelve?

Since shelve and verb both contain the letter V, remembering that shelve is a verb should be a relatively simple proposition.

Summary

Is it shelf or shelve? A shelf is a raised, horizontal surface used for storing things. The word shelve is a verb that means to decide not to move forward with something or to put things on a shelf. The two words are never interchangeable, although shelves is both the plural form of shelf and a possible conjugation of shelve.

In short,
Americans have standardized around different spelling conventions from other parts of the world. There is a multiplicity of spelling differences between British and American English.

Like many such dilemmas, deciding whether to use color or colour depends on the added U in colour. This feature is common to the spellings of many words which differ between American and British English. The American effort to standardize around simpler spellings, where these existed, brought about such differences.

What is the Difference Between Color and Colour?

In this article, I will compare colorvs. colour. I will also use both of these words in sentences, as well as reveal a useful trick to help decide whether colouror coloris the more appropriate variant for your writing.

When to Use Color

What does color mean? Colorcan be a noun or a verb.

As a noun, coloris defined as a characteristic appearance achieved by reflecting certain frequencies of visible light while absorbing others. A blue surface, for instance, reflects blue frequencies of light, making the object in question appear blue.

As a verb, coloris defined as to give something a shade or a hue. Coloring can be achieved with paints, pencils, or through use of digital software.

Below are examples of colorin both its noun and verb forms.

Red is not the warmest color. (Noun)

Oh Rachel, that color looks so good on you! Bryan exclaimed. (Noun)

The water in the diving well turned a dark shade of green on Tuesday, and the larger pool began to turn the same color the following day. New York Post(Noun)

My children want you to color a picture with them, the woman said to her realtor. (Verb)

The below graph that charts colorvs. colorin American English, and, as you can see, coloris clearly the dominant spelling.

When to Use Colour

What does colour mean? Colouris the British English spelling of this word. It is applicable to all the same contexts as color.

The colour catches the eye. Polychromatic stone sculpture is not something we are quite used to. The Telegraph

The below graph charts colourvs. colorin British English, and, as you can see, colourhas been vastly preferred since at least 1800. It does appear, however, that coloris gaining ground, but colouris still the dominant spelling.

Even though these charts arent exhaustive or scientific, they are useful for identifying long term trends.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember colourvs. color.

Coloris preferred in American English. Colouris preferred in British English.

You can remember to use colourwith primarily British audiences by noticing the Uthat colour has in common with United Kingdom. Since there is no U in the word America, you will know not to use colourwhen writing for American audiences.

Summary

Is it color or colour?Colorand colourare alternative spellings of the same word. As a noun, the word refers to the various shades of visible light reflected back to the eye from a surface. As a verb, it refers to the action of imparting color to an object.

Color is the preferred spelling in American English.

In British English, colour is preferred.

You can remember to use colourwith British audiences by noticing the U that colourhas in common with United Kingdom.

Colorand colourare a good example of spelling differences between American and British English. Be sure to check this website next time you have questions about the meanings of similar words, or about spelling differences between these two varieties of written English.
Gen Z climate activist: Throwing paint, stopping traffic is privileged protest and unhelpful

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Young eco-activists having defaced paintings and poured onto freeways for environmental justice are not tangibly improving the climate, conservationist says.

Defacing artwork, shutting down freeways, and pouring milk on the floor is simply privileged protest and doesn't actually inspire people to take action against climate change, a conservationist told Fox News.

"Activists are trying to deface property and artwork specifically because it is shocking," Danielle Butcher, executive vice president of the American Conservation Coalition, a conservative environmental nonprofit, told Fox News. "The tactics, they're focused on sparking conversation, whatever that means, but they're not actually helping the environment tangibly."

"I saw the video of them throwing soup on a van Gogh, and I immediately cringed," Butcher continued. "It hurt to see, and I think that's what they are going for."

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW ABOUT CLIMATE ACTIVISTS' TACTICS:

Video

WATCH MORE FOX NEWS DIGITAL ORIGINALS HERE

Climate protesters this year have targeted Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet and Leonardo da Vinci paintings. Two climate protestors tossed tomato soup on a van Gogh painting, two others plastered potato on a Monet piece and another threw cake at the Mona Lisa.

Protesters have also poured onto freeways to stop traffic in the name of cutting fossil fuel use and poured out milk onto the floors of stores to fight for environmental justice.

Just Stop Oil protesters threw soup at Vincent van Gogh's famous 1888 work "Sunflowers" at the National Gallery in London, Friday Oct. 14, 2022. (Just Stop Oil via AP)

RADICAL CLIMATE ACTIVISTS TARGET PRICELESS ART BUT EXPERTS WARN VANDALS ONLY HURTING THEIR CAUSE

"I am begging them to stop using these tactics," Butcher said. "You cannot annoy people into agreeing with you."

"And certainly throwing mashed potatoes or glue or soup or dumping milk on a grocery store floor, those are not ways that you convince people you are in the right position," she continued.

Climate activists protest as President Biden delivers a speech at the COP27 climate summit. (REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Timing and context are essential when it comes to effective activism, Butcher told Fox News.

Climate protestors interrupted President Biden Friday while he was speaking at the 27th annual U.N. Climate Conference about "transformational changes" the United States is undertaking in the fight against climate change.

"We're racing forward to do our part to avert the climate hell," Biden told the audience.

To watch the full interview about climate protestors' avant-garde methods, click here.

Jon Michael Raasch is an associate producer/writer with Fox News Digital Originals.
best blackjack to playshows grade level based on the word's complexity. day [ dey ]/ de / New Word List Save This Word!See day on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dey ]/ de /Save This Word!See day on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun In addition to the idioms beginning with day day after day

day and night

day by day

day in court, have one's

day in, day out

day off

days are numbered, one's

day to day also see: all in a day's work

any day

apple a day

bad hair day

break of day

by the day

call it a day

carry the day

different as night and day

dog days

every dog has its day

field day

for days on end

forever and a day

from this day forward

good day

had its day

happy as the day is long

heavenly days

in all one's born days

in the cold light of day

in this day and age

late in the day

make a day of it

make one's day

name the day

night and day

not give someone the time of day

not one's day

one of these days

order of the day

pass the time (of day)

plain as day

rainy day

red-letter day

Rome wasn't built in a day

salad days

save the day

seen better days

see the light of day

that'll be the day

the other day

time of day

tomorrow is another day

win through (the day)

The American Heritage Idioms Dictionary Copyright  2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Some might describe Eddy Dobosiewicz as the unofficial ambassador of Buffalos Polish American community, considering the breadth of his efforts at sharing its customs, particularly his role in promoting the city as the Dyngus Day capital of the world.

Dobosiewiczs works have not gone unappreciated by the progenitors of the rich traditions that inform aspects of the local culture: the citizens of Poland. The Buffalo native is set to be honored at 3 p.m. Sunday by Polands President Adrzej Duda in a ceremony at the Polish consulate in New York City.

I just found out a few days ago, said Dobosiewicz Friday in a brief telephone interview with The Buffalo News. They called me up. The consulate sent me an email and said that the president of Poland was coming in to address the United Nations, and he would like to present these awards himself.

Duda will be in New York during the next few days as the UN General Assembly meets. He also plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, European news agencies reported Friday.

Dobosiewicz said he probably was nominated by someone from the 60 Million Congress, a Polish group that plans internationally organized events with the aim of connecting Polish citizens and those of Polish ancestry from around the world.

They have symposiums and other events a few times a year in various places around the world, he said, so I got involved with that organization. I got to know some people at the consulate and I familiarized them with Buffalos Polish community and what were doing here, especially the Dyngus Day events, because theyre so unique.

Theres really no place else in the world that celebrates Dyngus Day in the way that we do here in Buffalo, he said of the annual post-Lenten celebration he co-founded in 2007.

Dobosiewicz has for years worked in local radio and television. He spent more than two decades as a stand-up comic who goes by the name Airborne Eddy. But it is his civic cultural work that currently fuels him, he said.

This work that I do in this community is something that Im passionate about, and its a labor of love, Dobosiewicz said. Its very labor intensive, but its not work to me. I love sharing the culture. I love seeing younger generations embrace their heritage and learn about it.

In addition to the annual Dyngus Day event, he also produces the Cheektowaga Polish American Art Festival, which last year attracted more than 35,000 visitors. Dobosiewicz also is the co-creator of Forgotten Buffalo that offers historical tours of the city, but presents its artifacts in a very lighthearted manner.

He called the prospect of his impending honor this weekend a humbling experience.

It feels good, I must admit, Dobosiewicz said. Anytime someone says youre doing something well, people like it. But, really, this is a big deal, I think. It came out of the blue.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's aircraft carrier Shandong conducts realistic combat-oriented exercises in the South China Sea in the early autumn of 2022. Photo: Screenshot from the WeChat account of the PLA South Sea Fleet

The Shandong, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's second aircraft carrier and the first domestically built, recently held comprehensive drills in the South China Sea in a group consisting of full combat elements, which analysts said on Thursday showed the carrier is becoming ready for far sea operations.The aircraft carrier Shandongconducted realistic combat-oriented exercises in an undisclosed area in the South China Sea in early autumn to comprehensively test the force's combat capabilities, the PLA South Sea Fleet said in a press release on Wednesday.During the drills, the Shandonghosted takeoff and landing operations of J-15 carrier-based fighter jets, and practiced replenishment-at-sea operations, according to the press release.A video attached to the press release showed that the aircraft carrier maneuvered in a combat group featuring a Type 055 large destroyer, a Type 052D destroyer, a Type 054A frigate and a Type 901 comprehensive supply ship.This means the Shandongpracticed in a flotilla consisting of full combat elements, and such a carrier combat group configuration is basically the same as the one that would be used in a real operation, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Thursday.Previously, the aircraft carrier Liaoning, the PLA Navy's first aircraft carrier, led a group reportedly consisting of a Type 055 large destroyer, three Type 052D destroyers, a Type 052C destroyer, a Type 054A frigate and a Type 901 comprehensive supply ship for a far sea exercise in the West Pacific in May.In comparison, the Liaoning carrier group featured more vessels, but the Shandongcarrier group generally has all those ship types, namely the large destroyer, destroyer, frigate and supply ship. As the Shandongfurther gains capabilities, more ships will join the group, the expert said.Generally speaking, a nuclear-powered attack submarine would also be part of an aircraft carrier group, the expert noted.The Shandongreportedly underwent maintenance earlier this year at the shipyard where it was built. It is now ready for far sea operations, analysts said.As China's first domestically built aircraft carrier and the second one overall, the Shandongentered service with the PLA Navy on December 17, 2019 in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province.
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QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questionday room, days, daysail, day sailer, day school, dayshell, day shift, dayside, daysman, Days of Awe, days of graceCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Many words in English have multiple spellings. In some cases, however, a deviation is an error, and nothing else.

Children learning English in school are exposed to formal grammar lessons at an early age, and they learn the languages complexities as they progress through the educational system. Yet, many writers are unsure of the correct spelling of the word grammar. This uncertainty leads to embarrassing mistakes.

To be fair, however, Grammer is also a word used in English that does have appropriate usage cases. None of them have anything to do with grammar, though.

Read on to find out whether you should be using grammar or Grammer in your writing.

What is the Difference Between Grammar and Grammer?

In this article, I will compare the words grammar vs. Grammer. I will use each in a sentence, and I will show you a helpful trick to use when you cant decide whether you mean Grammer or grammar.

When to Use Grammar

What does grammar mean? Grammaris defined as a system of rules governing the structure of language. All languages have a system of grammar, even if the rules contained therein are wildly different. Research has shown that even some animals use systems of grammar when they communicate with each other.

The sentences below reflect proper usage of the word grammar.

Open your grammar books to page 12 and complete exercises 1-10.

Children develop the capacity to understand complex grammar before they can produce grammatically complex utterances themselves.

It had already been established that dogs respond to human voices better than their wolf brethren, are able to match hundreds of objects to words and learn elements of grammar, and can be directed by human speech. The Washington Post

When to Use Grammer

What does Grammer mean? Grammeris a proper noun. It is not to be used in any other context.

Kelsey Grammer, for instance, is an American actor famous for playing Frasier Crane in the TV sitcoms Cheers and its spinoff, Frasier. Grammeris also the name of a small community in Rock Creek, Indiana, USA.

The following sentence illustrates the use of Grammeras a proper noun.

Kelsey Grammer travelled to Grammer, Indiana, to find out if anyone lives there.

Actor Kelsey Grammer will list his 3,076-square-foot condo in New Yorks Chelsea neighborhood for $9.75 million. Mr. Grammer purchased the property for $6.4 million in 2010 through a limited-liability company, according to public records. The Wall Street Journal

The system of rules for modifying the structure of language, however, is always spelled grammar. To use grammerin this context is a misspelling.

Trick to Remember the Difference



Here is a helpful trick to remember Grammer vs. grammar.

You should only use Grammeras a proper noun.

If you are writing about Kelsey Grammer, or, for some reason, the small community of Grammer, Indiana, capitalize the word and spell it with an E. Remember that Kelsey Grammer was an actor on Cheers, which is also spelled with the letter E.

When writing about the system of rules governing the construction of sentences, do not capitalize the word, and spell it with an A.

Summary

Is it grammar or grammer?If you misuse Grammer, you leave yourself open to criticism and weaken your writing. Its important to get this distinction right the first time.

Grammar is a set of rules about the structure of language.

Grammer is a proper noun that refers to a particular American community, or the name of a person.

You should only use Grammerin the above contexts. Remember that Grammershares the letter E with Cheers, a show that made actor Kelsey Grammer famous.

If you need help, dont sacrifice your credibility over a simple mistake. Please come back and reference this article instead.
What Is Free Enterprise?slot pragmatic jackpot

Free enterprise, or the free market, refers to an economy where the market determines prices, products, and services rather than the government. Businesses and services are free of government control. Alternatively, free enterprise could refer to an ideological or legal system whereby commercial activities are primarily regulated through private measures.

Free Enterprise

Free Enterprise as Law and Economics

1:42

In principle and in practice, free markets are defined by private property rights, voluntary contracts, and competitive bidding for goods and services in the marketplace. This framework is in contrast to public ownership of property, coercive activity, and fixed or controlled distribution of goods and services.

In Western countries, free enterprise is associated with laissez-faire capitalism and philosophical libertarianism. However, free enterprise is distinct from capitalism. Capitalism refers to a method by which scarce resources are produced and distributed. Free enterprise refers to a set of legal rules regarding commercial interaction.

Another definition of free enterprise is in terms of economics and was offered by the Nobel-winning economist Friedrich Hayek. Hayek described such systems as "spontaneous order." Hayek's point was that free enterprise is not unplanned or unregulated; rather, planning and regulation arise from the coordination of decentralized knowledge among innumerable specialists, not bureaucrats.

Key Takeaways

Free enterprise refers to business activities that are not regulated by the government but are defined by a set of legal rules such as property rights, contracts, and competitive bidding.

The argument for free enterprise is based on the belief that government interference in business and the economy hampers growth.

A free enterprise legal system tends to result in capitalism.

The Origins of Free Enterprise

The first written intellectual reference to free enterprise systems may have emerged in China in the fourth or fifth century B.C., when Laozi, or Lao-tzu, argued that governments hampered growth and happiness by interfering with individuals.

Legal codes resembling free enterprise systems were not common until much later. The original home of contemporary free markets was England between the 16th and 18th centuries. This growth coincided with, and probably contributed to the first industrial revolution and birth of modern capitalism. At one time, the English legal code was completely free of international trade barriers, tariffs, barriers to entry in most industries, and limitations on private business contracts.

The United States also used a largely free-market legal approach during the 18th and 19th centuries. In modern times, however, both the United States and the United Kingdom are better classified as mixed economies. Countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Switzerland are more reflective of free enterprise.

Real-World Example

In the absence of central planning, a free enterprise legal system tends to produce capitalism although it is possible that voluntary socialism or even agrarianism could result. In capitalist economic systems, such as that of the United States, consumers and producers individually determine which goods and services to produce and which to purchase. Contracts are voluntarily entered into and may even be enforced privately; for example, by civil courts. Competitive bidding determines market prices.

The U.S. economic system of free enterprise has five main principles: the freedom for individuals to choose businesses, the right to private property, profits as an incentive, competition, and consumer sovereignty.
B.A., Political Science, Rutgers University

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt guided the United States through one of the toughest periods in its history. He was sworn into office as the Great Depression was tightening its grip on the country. Millions of Americans lost their jobs, their homes, and their savings.

FDR's New Deal was a series of federal programs launched to reverse the nation's decline. New Deal programs put people back to work, helped banks rebuild their capital, and restored the country's economic health. While most New Deal programs ended as the U.S. entered World War II, a few still survive.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

The FDIC insures bank deposits, protecting customers from bank failures. Getty Images / Corbis Historical / James Leynse

Between 1930 and 1933, nearly 9,000 U.S. banks collapsed. American depositors lost $1.3 billion dollars in savings. This wasn't the first time Americans had lost their savings during economic downturns, and bank failures occurred repeatedly in the 19th century. President Roosevelt saw an opportunity to end the uncertainty in the American banking system, so depositors wouldn't suffer such catastrophic losses in the future.

The Banking Act of 1933, also known as the Glass-Steagall Act, separated commercial banking from investment banking and regulated them differently. The legislation also established the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) as an independent agency. The FDIC improved consumer confidence in the banking system by insuring deposits in Federal Reserve member banks, a guarantee they still provide bank customers today. In 1934, only nine of the FDIC-insured banks failed, and no depositors in those failed banks lost their savings.

FDIC insurance was originally limited to deposits up to $2,500. Today, deposits up to $250,000 are protected by the FDIC coverage. Banks pay the insurance premiums to guarantee their customers' deposits.

Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae)

The Federal National Mortgage Association, or Fannie Mae, is another New Deal program. Win McNamee / Getty Images

Much like in the recent financial crisis, the 1930's economic downturn came on the heels of a housing market bubble that burst. By the start of the Roosevelt administration in 1932, nearly half of all American mortgages were in default, and at its worst in 1933, some 1,000 home loans were foreclosed every day. Building construction came to a halt, putting workers out of their jobs and amplifying the economic fallout. As banks failed by the thousands, even worthy borrowers couldn't get loans to buy homes.

The Federal National Mortgage Association, also known as Fannie Mae, was established in 1938 when President Roosevelt signed an amendment to the National Housing Act (passed in 1934). Fannie Mae's purpose was to purchase loans from private lenders, freeing up capital so those lenders could fund new loans. Fannie Mae helped fuel the post-WWII housing boom by financing loans for millions of GIs. Today, Fannie Mae and a companion program, Freddie Mac, are publicly held companies that finance millions of home purchases.

National Labor Relations Board

The National Labor Relations Board strengthened labor unions. Here, workers vote to unionize in Tennessee. Ed Westcott / Department of Energy

Workers at the turn of the 20th century were gaining steam in their efforts to improve working conditions. By the close of World War I, labor unions claimed 5 million members. But management started cracking the whip in the 1920s, using injunctions and restraining orders to stop workers from striking and organizing. Union membership dropped to 3 million, just 300,000 more than pre-WWI numbers.

In February 1935, Sen. Robert F. Wagner of New York introduced the National Labor Relations Act, which would create a new agency dedicated to enforcing employee rights. The National Labor Relations Board was launched when FDR signed the Wagner Act in July of that year. Though the law was initially challenged by business, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the NLRB was constitutional in 1937.

Securities and Exchange Commission

The SEC came into being in the wake of the 1929 stock market crash that sent the U.S. into a decade long financial depression. Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

After World War I, there was an investment boom in the largely unregulated securities markets. An estimated 20 million investors bet their money on securities, looking to get rich and get their piece of what became a $50 billion pie. When the market crashed in October 1929, those investors lost not only their money but also their confidence in the market.

The main goal of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 was to restore consumer confidence in the securities markets. The law established the Securities and Exchange Commission to regulate and oversee brokerage firms, stock exchanges, and other agents. FDR appointed Joseph P. Kennedy, father of future President John F. Kennedy, as the SEC's first chairman.

The SEC is still in place, and works to ensure that "all investors, whether large institutions or private individualshave access to certain basic facts about an investment prior to buying it, and so long as they hold it."

Social Security

Social Security continues to be one of the most popular and important New Deal programs. Douglas Sacha / Getty Images

In 1930, 6.6 million Americans were age 65 and older. Retirement was nearly synonymous with poverty. As the Great Depression took hold and unemployment rates soared, President Roosevelt and his allies in Congress recognized the need to establish some kind of safety net program for the elderly and disabled. On August 14, 1935, FDR signed the Social Security Act, creating what has been described as the most effective poverty mitigation program in U.S. history.

With the passage of the Social Security Act, the U.S. government established an agency to register citizens for benefits, to collect taxes on both employers and employees to fund the benefits, and to distribute those funds to beneficiaries. Social Security helped not only the elderly, but also the blind, the unemployed, and dependent children.

Social Security provides benefits to over 63 million Americans today, including over 46 million senior citizens. Although some factions in Congress have attempted to privatize or dismantle Social Security in recent years, it remains one of the most popular and effective New Deal programs.

Soil Conservation Service

South of Lamar, Colorado, a large dust cloud appears behind a truck traveling on highway 59, May 1936. PhotoQuest / Getty Images

The U.S. was already in the grip of the Great Depression when things took a turn for the worse. A persistent drought that started in 1932 wreaked havoc on the Great Plains. A massive dust storm, dubbed the Dust Bowl, carried the region's soil away with the wind in the mid-1930s. The problem was literally carried to the steps of Congress, as soil particles coated Washington, D.C., in 1934.

On April 27, 1935, FDR signed legislation establishing the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) as a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The agency's mission was to study and solve the problem of the nation's eroding soil. The SCS performed surveys and developed flood control plans to prevent soil from being washed away. They also established regional nurseries to cultivate and distribute seeds and plants for soil conservation work.

In 1937, the program was expanded when the USDA drafted the Standard State Soil Conservation Districts Law. Over time, over three thousand Soil Conservation Districts were established to help farmers develop plans and practices for conserving the soil on their land.

During the Clinton administration in 1994, Congress reorganized the USDA and renamed the Soil Conservation Service to reflect its broader scope. Today, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) maintains field offices across the country, with staff trained to help landowners implement science-based conservation practices.

Tennessee Valley Authority

A large electric phosphate smelting furnace used to make elemental phosphorus in a TVA chemical plant in the vicinity of Muscle Shoals, AL. Alfred T. Palmer / Library of Congress

The Tennessee Valley Authority may be the most surprising success story of the New Deal. Established on May 18, 1933, by the Tennessee Valley Authority Act, the TVA was given a tough but important mission. Residents of the impoverished, rural region desperately needed an economic boost. Private power companies had largely ignored this part of the country, as little profit could be gained by connecting poor farmers to the power grid.

The TVA was tasked with several projects focused on the river basin, which spanned seven states. In addition to producing hydroelectric power for the under-served region, the TVA built dams for flood control, developed fertilizers for agriculture, restored forests and wildlife habitat, and educated farmers about erosion control and other practices to improve food production. In its first decade, the TVA was supported by the Civilian Conservation Corps, which established almost 200 camps in the area.

While many New Deal programs faded when the U.S. entered World War II, the Tennessee Valley Authority played an important role in the country's military success. The TVA's nitrate plants produced the raw materials for munitions. Their mapping department produced the aerial maps used by aviators during campaigns in Europe. And when the U.S. government decided to develop the first atomic bombs, they built their secret city in Tennessee, where they could access millions of kilowatts produced by the TVA.

The Tennessee Valley Authority still provides power to 10 million people in seven states and oversees a combination of hydroelectric, coal-fired, and nuclear power plants. It remains a testament to the enduring legacy of FDR's New Deal.

Additional Sources

Maues, Julia. "Banking Act of 1933 (Glass-Steagall)." Federal Reserve History. Washington DC: The Federal Reserve Agency, 22 November, 2013

Pickert, Kate. "A Brief History of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac." Time Magazine, 14 July 2008.

"Our History," Washington DC: The National Labor Relations Board.

Living New Deal website.
idn slot 777-300er businessshows grade level based on the word's complexity. daily [ dey-lee ]/ de li / New Word List Save This Word!See synonyms for: daily / dailies on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dey-lee ]/ de li /Save This Word!See synonyms for: daily / dailies on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

adjectiveof, done, occurring, or issued each day or each weekday: daily attendance; a daily newspaper.computed or measured by the day: daily quota; a daily wage.

a nonresident servant who comes to work every day; a permanently employed servant who sleeps out. a person employed to do cleaning or other household work by the day. noun, plural dailies.a newspaper appearing each day or each weekday.dailies, Movies. a series of hastily printed shots from the previous day's shooting, selected by the director to be viewed for possible inclusion in the final version of the film; rushes.British.

adverbevery day; day by day: She phoned the hospital daily.

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Words related to daily Old English dglic; see day, -ly 1

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question dailybefore 1000; late Middle English; Old English dglic.See day, -lydailiness, noundaibutsu, daiker, daikon, Dail Eireann, dailies, daily, daily-breader, daily double, daily dozen, daimen, DaimlerDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
What Is a Limited Company (LC)?best betting sites for politics

A limited company (LC) is a general form of incorporation that limits the amount of liability undertaken by the company's shareholders. It refers to a legal structure that ensures that the liability of company members or subscribers is limited to their stake in the company by way of investments or commitments. In a legal sense, a limited company is a person.

The naming convention for this type of corporate structure is commonly used in the United Kingdom, where a firm's name is followed by the abbreviated "Ltd." In the United States, limited companies come in several forms, including the limited liability corporation (LLC).

Key Takeaways

A limited company (LC) is a general term for a type of business organization wherein owners' assets and income are separate and distinct from the company's assets and income; known as limited liability.

Because of this, owners' potential losses are limited to what they have invested while personal assets and income are off-limits.

Several variations of limited companies exist around the world and are followed by standard abbreviations including Ltd., PLC, LLC, and AG to name just a few.

How a Limited Company Works

As noted, in a limited company, the assets and debts of the company are separate from those of the shareholders. As a result, should the company experience financial distress because of normal business activity, the personal assets of shareholders will not be at risk of being seized by creditors.

Ownership in the limited company can be easily transferred, and many of these companies have been passed down through generations. Unlike a public company, in which anyone can buy shares, membership in a limited company is governed by a company's rules and law.

A limited company can be "limited by shares" or "limited by guarantee." When limited by shares, a company is owned by one or more shareholders and managed by at least one director. In a limited by guarantee arrangement, a company is owned by one or more guarantors and managed by at least one director.

The primary benefit of a limited company is the separation of assets and income from the corporation and the owners and investors through limited liability. This means that if a company goes bust, shareholders can only lose as much as their original investment and no more; creditors or other stakeholders cannot claim owners' personal assets or income. Because of limited liability, investors are more eager to risk capital since their losses are limited in that sense.

Limited Company Benefits

Filing as a limited company comes with a number of benefits. They include:

A limited company and the people who run it are legally distinct.

A limited company structure provides a firewall between the finances of the company and its owners.

A limited company is allowed to own assets and retain any profits made after-tax.

A limited company can enter into contracts on its own.

For the privilege, limited companies in the U.K. must pay a variety of taxes, such as a value-added tax (VAT) and capital gains tax, and must contribute to National Insurance. Limited companies in the U.K. receive favorable tax treatment once their income reaches a certain threshold. The corporate tax rate is a flat rate of 19%.

By comparison, unincorporated businesses, such as sole proprietorships and traditional partnerships, do not afford full limits on liability for owners because there is no legal distinction between the business and its owners. If such a business were to become insolvent, its owners would be responsible for its debts.

Limited Company Variations

Limited company structures are codified in many nations, though the regulations governing them can differ widely from one nation to the next. For example, in the United Kingdom, there are private limited companies and public limited companies.

Private limited companies are not permitted to offer shares to the public. They are, however, the most popular structures for a small business. Public limited companies (PLCs) may offer shares to the public to raise capital. Those shares may trade on a stock exchange once a total share value threshold is met (at least GBP 50,000). Such a structure is widely employed by larger companies.

In the United States, a limited company is more commonly known as a corporation (Corp.) or as incorporated (Inc.). Some states permit the use of Ltd. (limited) after a company name. Such a designation depends on filing the correct paperwork; just adding the suffix to a company name does not provide any liability protection. Limited companies in the U.S. are required to file corporate taxes annually with regulators. Limited liability companies (LLCs) and limited companies have different structures.

Many countries differentiate between public and private limited companies. For example, in Germany, the Aktiengesellschaft (AG) designation is for public limited companies that can sell shares to the public while GmbH is for private limited companies that cannot issue shares.
Casino operator MGM Resorts International has tapped an experienced industry leader to get at the helm of its MGM Springfield resort as the property has been grappling with disappointing gaming revenue very much for the entirety of its existence.

MGM announced Tuesday that Chris Kelley will serve as President and Chief Operating Officer of the companys Springfield hotel and casino resort. Mr. Kelley replaces Michael Mathis, who steered the $960 million property through its development and opening in August 2018.

Mr. Kelley has extensive experience in the US casino and hospitality industry. Most recently, he served as President of MGM Northfield Parknear Cleveland, Ohio. MGM finalized the acquisition of what had formerly operated as Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park in the spring of 2019.

Mr. Kelley oversaw the transition of the former Hard Rock-branded facility into an MGM-operated one.

The new MGM Springfield President had also served as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of MGM Grand Detroit and before that had worked at Viejas Casino & Resort in San Diegofor just under two decades.

As for Mr. Kelleys predecessor, MGM announced Tuesday that Mr. Mathis would become Senior Vice President of Business Development at the company and would report to MGM President Bill Hornbuckle. Mr. Mathis will return to the casino giants Las Vegas headquarters.

Declining Revenue

MGM Springfield opened doors in downtown Springfield in August 2018 as the first full-blown commercial casino resorton the territory of Massachusetts. Before the property, which cost $960 million to build, was launched, MGM executives told the Massachusetts Gaming Commission that casino portion of the complex would generate a monthly average of $34.8 millionin gross gaming revenue.

However, MGM has never really met those initial revenue projections. The property generated a monthly average of $21.54 millionin revenue from its table games and slot machines during its first 16 full months of operation.

Earlier this month, MGM Springfield reported gross gaming revenue of $18.9 millionfor December  its worst month yet. The disappointing revenue report followed nearly as disappointing numbers in November when the casino floor of the downtown Springfield resort grossed just $19.9 million.

In comparison, the property generated gambling revenue of $21.6 millionin December 2018. It reported its highest revenue in September 2018, its first full month of operation, when its table games and slot machines grossed $26.9 million.

MGM Springfields failure to meet revenue projections also resulted in the property failing to employ the previously promised 3,000 people. It currently has about 2,500 employees. And promises that commercial development would take off around the 17-acre site of MGM Springfield have too failed to materialize.

Bringing in an experienced hand like Mr. Kelley, it seems that MGM is looking to take proper actions and finally reverse its Springfield propertys declining revenue.

Source:MGM names new executive to lead Massachusetts casino

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best penny cryptocurrency to invest in 2022shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Dutch rush New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nounscouring rush.

Words nearby Dutch rush

How to use Dutch rush Dutch rush noun(sometimes not capital) a horsetail, Equisetum hyemale, whose siliceous stems have been used for polishing and scouring pots and pansAlso called: scouring rush Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question Dutch rushFirst recorded in 182030Dutch New Guinea, Dutch oven, Dutch Reformed, Dutch Reformed Church, Dutch rise, Dutch rush, Dutch settle, Dutch treat, Dutch uncle, Dutch West India Company, Dutch West IndiesDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Gov. Kathy Hochul has unveiled a plan that includes $55 million to help law enforcement agencies combat a surge in car thefts, particularly certain models of Hyundais and Kias.

Erie and Niagara counties are expected to be among the counties that will receive significant funding and focus, due to their high rates of car theft.

Too many New Yorkers have experienced the shock of waking up to an empty driveway or the heartbreak of seeing one of their most valuable possessions disappear, Hochul said. That is why we are supporting local law enforcement to prosecute and prevent these thefts, and ensuring car owners are taking appropriate steps to safeguard their vehicles.

Car thefts in Erie County were up 213% in the first seven months of this year, compared to the same period a year ago, according to the governors office. In nearby Monroe County, car thefts soared 345% from a year ago. Combined, those two counties accounted for about two thirds of the car thefts in the state outside of New York City.

Most of those thefts occurred in the cities of Rochester  where car thefts increased 829% from a year ago  and Buffalo, where they were up 488%. The targets are mainly older Kias and Hyundais built without engine immobilizers, making them easy for thieves to steal.

Buffalo auto thefts have risen 135%. St. Paul's coordinated approach led to a big drop The Buffalo News compared local efforts in Buffalo and Erie County to those in St. Paul and its surrounding county of Ramsey. The difference is stark.

Hochul has launched a program known as the Comprehensive Auto-Theft Reduction Strategy, or CARS, consisting of five elements:

Technology

The current state budget includes $50 million directed toward crime-fighting technology and equipment. The state Division of Criminal Justice Services will issue a request for applications that will allow law enforcement agencies to secure funding more quickly for that technology and equipment.

The money will be distributed on a rolling basis and prioritized for agencies in counties with the greatest proportion of car thefts and other crimes. Based on initial requests, counties that are recording significant increases in car theft  Erie, Monroe and Niagara  could receive up to $10 million for that purpose, the governors office said.

Alternative programs

Hochul said $5 million will be directed toward enhancing youth justice alternatives and diversion programs and services.

Funding will be prioritized for the counties and adjacent counties that have reported increases in young people involved in motor vehicle theft and other property crimes, including Erie, Monroe and Niagara counties, the governors office said.

The money will be paired with technical assistance from the Division of Criminal Justice Services and the Office of Children and Family Services to help build the capacity of local government and community-based organizations to intervene in the lives of these young people, change their thinking and behavior, and promote positive development, the governors office said.

Increased enforcement and data sharing

Hochul is directing the state police to ramp up enforcement, increase intrastate and interstate coordination, and partner with law enforcement in high-theft areas.

The State Police will also deploy community stabilization units to help with law enforcement and investigative efforts in Buffalo and Erie County, and Rochester and Monroe County, and continue providing city and county agencies with highway and aerial support.

Another step involves the Division of Criminal Justice Services crime analysis centers and the New York State Intelligence Center. A new dashboard  called Motor Vehicle Theft, Recovery and Collaboration  will be deployed to the networks 11 centers and the intelligence center.

The dashboard will allow analysts and law enforcement personnel to use local and state data to visualize and connect theft locations, recovery locations, and suspect information, the governors office said.

Prosecution strategies

City of Buffalo sues Kia, Hyundai over easy theft of vehicles The citys lawsuit said that Hyundais and Kias decision not to install immobilizers in nearly three-quarters of 2015 vehicles has opened the floodgates to vehicle theft, crime sprees, reckless driving, and public harm.

Hochul will convene an interagency task force involving the District Attorney Association of New York, district attorneys of counties with the highest rates of car thefts, and other law enforcement agencies to develop strategies.

The task force will analyze charging and pleading decisions, and increase the use of custodial arrests and arraignments, minimizing the use of appearance tickets. The second area of task force focus is to prioritize the prosecution of cases where car thefts and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs are interconnected, the governors office said. The conviction rate is high in those types of cases.

Public awareness

Hochul said she will launch a public engagement campaign, urging owners of vehicles most susceptible to theft to take precautions and install anti-theft measures. The state Department of Motor Vehicles will contact vehicle owners and encourage them to receive new software upgrades, free of charge.
Review: 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQS

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A special electric car

Most car enthusiasts will tell you that the classic Mercedes-Benz 300 SL "Gullwing" is a work of art.

One of them literally became one.

In 1986, German art gallery owner Hans Meyer got the idea to do a series celebrating the 100th anniversary of the automobile.

The Benz Patent-Motorwagen that is considered to be the first automobile received its official patent in 1886.

HERE'S WHY MERCEDES-BENZ SOLD A CAR FOR A RECORD $143 MILLION

Andy Warhol used this Mercedes-Bens 300 SL for a series of artworks. (RM Sotheby's)

Meyer wanted to team up with Mercedes-Benz on the project, but needed to sell them the idea. So he met with his friend, Andy Warhol, at Harry Cipriani restaurant in New York to see if hed be interested.

When Meyer showed Warhol a photo of a 1955 300 SL from an illustrated book, he agreed, then took the same photo and turned it into two of works of pop art.

Art from the "Cars" series has been displayed at the Mercedes-Benz Museum. (THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP via Getty Images)

Mercedes-Benz ended up commissioning the full series, which ultimate encompassed 36 silkscreen prints and 13 drawings of various vehicles, but was still being worked on when Warhol died in 1987.

The two original works are currently in the collections of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles and the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, and arent technically for sale.

But the car featured in them is.

Brabus put the 300 SL through a 4,500-hour restoration. (RM Sotheby's)

The 1955 300 SL was purchased nearly three years ago from an estate by Brabus, a company that builds high performance versions of Mercedes-Benz vehicles and also does show quality restorations of its classic models.

Brabus CEO Constantin Buschmann told Fox News Digital that the car had been in the possession of its owner for decades and had the same license plate as the one in the art, but that wasnt enough on its own to confirm its provenance.

The car had been in its previous owner's possession for decades. (RM Sotheby's)

The car was also in what Buschmann called "honest" condition and in need of a refresh, so the company began putting it through 4,500-hour restoration process as it explored its history.

REVIEW: THE 2022 MERCEDES-BENZ EQS IS A VERY SPECIAL ELECTRIC CAR

Using the license plate, it was able to work with Mercedes-Benz to match the vehicle identification number of the car in the magazine shoot, which was further confirmed by a few unique features on the vehicle, including its wheels.

Brabus used the license plate to confirm the vehicle identification number matched the one used in the photos. (RM Sotheby's)

The silver coupe has since been shown alongside the artwork in collaboration with the Andy Warhol Foundation and is now being offered for sale by RM Sothebys through a private sealed auction being held in New York.

RM Sothebys has put a pre-auction estimate of $1.5 million to $3 million on the vehicle, which is roughly what versions with less interesting histories sell for, so theres really no telling how much the Warhol car will ultimately be worth.

The 300 SL is powered by a 3.0-liter straight-six-cylinder engine. (RM Sotheby's)

And the world may never know. Since it is a sealed auction, it will be up to the buyer to both identify themselves and reveal the price paid when the winning bid is determined on Nov. 17.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Even if it outperforms the estimate, the price paid for the car is unlikely to match that of a piece of Warhol's art that is also up for auction by RM Sotheby's this week. "White Disaster" is a collage of photos from an automobile accident that is the sister piece to a work called "Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)" that was sold in 2013 for $105 million.

Gary Gastelu is Fox News Digital's automotive editor.
What are Travel Expenses?ngage win casino haaland 1x2 fixed

Travel expenses are costs associated with traveling for the purpose of conducting business-related activities. Reasonable travel expenses can generally be deducted by the business when employees incur costs while traveling away from home specifically for business purposes. Those business purposes can include conferences or meetings.

While many travel expenses can be deducted, those that are unreasonable, lavish or extravagant in nature, or those that are for personal purposes, are excluded. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considers employees to be traveling away from home if their business obligations require them to be away from their "tax home" (the general area where their main place of business is located) substantially longer than an ordinary day's work, and they need to get sleep or rest to meet the demands of their work while away.

Key Takeaways

Travel expenses are costs associated with traveling for the purpose of conducting business-related activities.

Only ordinary and necessary travel expenses are deductible; expenses that are not ordinary and necessary, or are unreasonable, lavish, or extravagant, as well a travel expenses for personal purposes, are not deductible

The IRS considers employees to be traveling away from home if their business obligations require them to be away from their "tax home substantially longer than an ordinary day's work.

Examples of travel expenses include airfare and lodging, transport services, cost of meals and tips, use of communications devices.

Travel expenses incurred while on an indefinite work assignment, which lasts more than one year according to the IRS, are not deductible for tax purposes.

Understanding Travel Expenses

Well-organized recordssuch as receipts, canceled checks and other documents that support a deductioncan help individuals get reimbursed by their employer and help businesses prepare tax returns and answer questions from the IRS. Examples of travel expenses can include:

Airfare and lodging for the express purpose of conducting business away from home

Transport services such as taxis, buses, or trains to the airport or to and around the travel destination

The cost of meals and tips, dry cleaning service for clothes, and the cost of business calls during business travel away from home

The cost of computer rental and other communications devices while on the business trip

Travel expenses do not include regular commuting fees.

Types of Travel Expenses

The use of ones personal vehicle in conjunction with a business trip, including actual mileage, tolls, and parking fees, can be included as a travel expense. The cost of using rental vehicles can also be counted as a travel expense though only for the business-use portion of the trip. For instance, if in the course of a business trip, a traveler visited a family member or acquaintance, the cost of driving from the hotel to visit them would not qualify for travel expense deductions.

Travel expenses incurred while on an indefinite work assignment which lasts more than one year are not deductible for tax purposes. The IRS allows other types of ordinary and necessary expenses to be treated as related to business travel for deduction purposes. Such expenses can include transport to and from a business meal, the hiring of a public stenographer, payment for computer rental fees related to the trip, and the shipment of luggage and display materials used for business presentations. Travel expenses can also include operating and maintaining a house trailer as part of the business trip.
Developer and provider of products and services for the international gambling industry, both land-based and online, Scientific Games Corp. confirmed on Wednesday the designation of its wholly owned interactive social gaming subsidiaries as unrestricted entitiesunder the companys existing debt agreements. Scientific Games is thus looking to maximize growth, the developer and supplier itself said in a statement.

Social gaming has been one of the fastest growing sectors within the industry over the past several years. Scientific Games own social business reported double-digit growthin each of the past three quarters. During the quarter ended June 30, 2016, its social gaming division posted a 68% increase from the results reported for the prior-year period.

After designating its online social gaming subsidiaries, with Phantom EFX, LLC, and Dragonplay Ltd. being among those, Scientific Games will now look through all available opportunities to establish itself as a leaderin the provision of this type of offering. The company said that IPO, acquisitions, and joint ventures will certainly be among the options considered.

With the unrestricted designation in effect, Scientific Games online social gaming businesses will remain fully owned by their parent companyand will keep on being overseen by Chief Executive  Interactive Barry Cottle and President  Interactive Jordan Levin.

Commenting on the latest announcement, Scientific Games President and CEO Kevin Sheehan said that their investment in the provision of innovative products is clearly paying off. The executive further noted that after three quarters of revenue growth, they considered it the right time to accelerate the current momentumand look at more opportunities to deliver additional value from the rapidly growing social gaming segment.

Scientific Games generated revenue of $729.2 millionduring the quarter ended June 30, 2016, up 5% from the $691.5 million posted for the same period of the previous year. Gaming revenue, in particular, dropped slightly from $449.7 million reported for the prior-year quarter to $441.9 millionfor the second quarter of 2016.

Interactive revenue was up 62% year-on-year to a total of $83.4 million. The considerable growth was attributed mainly to the 68% rise in revenue from interactive social casino offering. Brands like Jackpot Party Social Casino and the recently launched Hot Shot Social Casino and Quick Hit Slots have proved to be quite popular among players, the company itself said in its latest financial report.
What Is a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO)?wild jack mobile casino no deposit bonus

A qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) is a legal document, typically found in a divorce agreement, that recognizes that a spouse, former spouse, child, or other dependent is entitled to receive a predefined portion of the account owners retirement plan assets.

Key Takeaways

A qualified domestic relations order (QDRO) meansor is defined asa legal document that may be issued by a court.

This type of document is often used in divorce agreements.

A QDRO recognizes that a spouse, former spouse, child, or other dependent is entitled to receive some of the account owners retirement plan assets.

A court order cannot force a retirement plan to disburse any benefit not provided through the plan or require increased benefits from the retirement plan.

In most cases, taxes must be paid on money from a QDRO.

How Does a QDRO Work?

According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a spouse or former spouse must report the QDRO benefits received as if he or she were a plan participant. The QDRO grants the spouse a percentage of the participants investment in the contract, with the numerator being the present value of the benefits payable to the spouse and the denominator being the present value of all benefits payable to the participant.

Once the distribution is made, the former spouse becomes responsible for any taxes due. The former spouse can, alternatively, roll over the assets received from a QDRO just the same as an employee could receive a distribution and roll it over into another retirement account. However, a QDRO distribution that is paid to a dependent, such as a child, is taxed to the plans participant.

If there is no QDRO and the account holder distributes retirement plan assets to the former spouse, then the account holder would be responsible for the taxes on the transferred assets.

In the case of a divorce or custody issue, a family court judge may issue a QDRO for a dependent.

QDRO Requirements

A QDRO is only valid for retirement plans covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). This includes qualified plans, such as 401(k)s. They do not cover IRAs.

To be valid, a QDRO must contain specific information:

Name and last known mailing address of the plan participant and each payee

Name of each plan to which the order applies

Dollar amount or percentage of the benefit to be paid

Number of payments or time period to which the order applies

The QDRO cannot award an amount or form of benefit that is not available under the participants specific retirement plan. Retirement benefits from more than one retirement benefit plan can be subject to a QDRO as long as it clearly states the benefits that are assigned to the former spouse. The provisions in a QDRO are not standardized and will vary based on the retirement plan type and the purposes of the order.

Some plan administrators provide a standard QDRO form.

Limitations of a QDRO

Rules imposed by the U.S. Department of Labors Employee Benefits Security Administration restrict specific provisions from being included in a QDRO. The court order cannot force a retirement plan to disburse any benefit amount or option that is not provided through the plan. In addition, the QDRO cannot require increased benefits, on the basis of actuarial value, from the retirement plan.

Benefits cannot be required from a plan for an alternate payee when those benefits are already allocated to another alternate payee under the decree of a previous QDRO. For example, in the instance of subsequent divorces and QDROs, the earliest takes priority for the designated benefit amount.

Survivor Benefits

Additionally, the order must not require the plan to pay the alternate payee in the form of a qualified joint and survivor annuity (QJSA) for the lives of the alternate payee and their subsequent spouse.

A QDRO may provide surviving spousal benefits to a former spouse under the plan. Benefits allocated to an alternate payee under a QDRO are not available for a subsequent spouse to receive as survivor benefits under the retirement plan.

Other QDRO Beneficiaries

In some cases, a QDRO might be put in place for a relation other than a former spouse. Dependents might also qualify to receive the ordered benefits. In such instances, the alternate payee is a minor or is determined to be legally incompetent. The order can require the benefit plan to make payment to an individual with legal responsibility for that payee. This can include a guardian as well as a trustee who serves as the agent of the individual.

The plan administrator who oversees the retirement benefits subject to the order will determine if a QDRO is a qualified domestic relations order. In these circumstances, plan administrators are then responsible for ensuring that their duties are fulfilled on behalf of plan participants and beneficiaries.

What Is the Purpose of a QDRO?

The purpose of a qualified domestic relations order (QDRO), which is typically used in divorce agreements, is to fairly divide assets in a qualified retirement plan. In addition to an ex-spouse, a QDRO can also recognize a child, or other dependent, as entitled to receive some of the retirement accounts assets.

Who Files the QDRO in a Divorce?

The ex-spouse typically files a QRDO. Some do so with the help of a lawyer. Standard QDRO forms are also provided by some plan administrators.

How Is a QDRO Paid Out?

There are number of ways in which retirement plan assets can be paid out. Options include receiving a lump sum, installment payments, or transferring the funds to another retirement account.

The Bottom Line

A QRDO is used to divide retirement plan assets in a divorce. It can only be used for retirement plans covered by ERISA. This includes qualified plans, such as 401(k)s, but not IRAs. Typically filed by an ex-spouse, a QRDO must be approved by both the plan administrator and a court.

While QDROs have specific requirements, they are not standardized. Each varies based on the type of retirement plan, how assets are paid, and whether or not there are dependents, among other nuances.
ksl jazzshows grade level based on the word's complexity. day blindness New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nounhemeralopia.

Words nearby day blindness

How to use day blindness day blindness nouna nontechnical name for hemeralopia Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question day blindnessFirst recorded in 182535Dayak, dayan, day and night, daybeacon, daybed, day blindness, daybook, day boy, daybreak, day-by-day, day campDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What is live dealer blackjack riggedan Autonomous Expenditure?

An autonomous expenditure describes the components of an economy's aggregate expenditure that are not impacted by that same economy's real level of income. This type of spending is considered automatic and necessary, whether occurring at the government level or the individual level. The classical economic theory states that any rise in autonomous expenditures will create at least an equivalent rise in aggregate output, such as GDP, if not a greater increase.

Understanding Autonomous Expenditure

An autonomous expenditure obligation must be met regardless of income. It is considered independent in nature, as the need does not vary with incomes. Often, these expenses are associated with the ability to maintain a state of autonomy. Autonomy, in regard to nations, includes the ability to be self-governing. For individuals, it refers to the ability to function within a certain level of societally acceptable independence.

To be considered an autonomous expenditure, the spending must generally be deemed necessary to maintain a base level of function or, in an individual sense, survival. Often, these expenses do not vary regardless of personal disposable income or national income. Autonomous expenditure is tied to autonomous consumption, including all of the financial obligations required to maintain a basic standard of living. All expenses beyond these are considered part of induced consumption, which is affected by changes in disposable income.

In cases in which personal income is insufficient, autonomous expenses still must be paid. These needs can be met through the use of personal savings, consumer borrowing mechanisms such as loans and credit cards, or various social services.

Key Takeaways

Autonomous expenditures are expenditures that are necessary and made by a government, regardless of the level of income in an economy.

Most government spending is considered autonomous expenditure because it is necessary to run a nation.

Autonomous expenditures are related to autonomous consumption because they are necessary to maintain a basic standard of living.

External factors, such as interest rates and trade policies, affect autonomous expenditures.

Autonomous Expenditures and Income Levels

While the obligations that qualify as autonomous expenditures do not vary, the amount of income directed toward them can. For example, in an individual sense, the need for food qualifies as an autonomous expenditure, though the need can be fulfilled in a variety of manners, ranging from the use of food stamps to eating every meal at a five-star restaurant. Even though income level may affect how the need is met, the need itself does not change.

Governments and Autonomous Expenditures

The vast majority of government spending qualifies as autonomous expenditures. This is due to the fact that the spending often relates strongly to the efficient running of a nation, making some of the expenditures required in order to maintain minimum standards.

Factors Affecting Autonomous Expenditures

Technically, autonomous expenditures are not affected by external factors. In reality, however, several factors can affect autonomous expenditures. For example, interest rates have a significant effect on consumption in an economy. High interest rates can tamp down on consumption while low interest rates can spur it. In turn, this affects spending within an economy.

Trade policies between countries can also affect autonomous expenditures made by their citizens. If a producer of cheap goods imposes duties on exports, then it would have the effect of making finished products for outside geographies more expensive. Governments can also impose controls on an individual's autonomous expenditures through taxes. If a basic household good is taxed and no substitutes are available, then the autonomous expenditure pertaining to it may decrease.

Examples of Autonomous Expenditure

Some of the spending classes that are considered independent of income levels, which can be counted as either individual income or taxation income, are government expenditures, investments, exports, and basic living expenses such as food and shelter.
What Is Married Filing Separately?betmgm android app judi online idn

Married filing separately is a tax status for married couples who choose to record their respective incomes, exemptions, and deductions on separate tax returns.

The alternative to married filing separately is married filing jointly. Usually, it makes sense financially for married couples to file jointly. However, when one spouse has significant medical expenses or miscellaneous itemized deductions, or when both spouses have about the same amount of income, it might be wiser to file separately.

Key Takeaways

Married filing separately is a tax status used by married couples who choose to record their incomes, exemptions, and deductions on separate tax returns.

Some couples might benefit from filing separately, especially when one spouse has significant medical expenses or miscellaneous itemized deductions.

However, filing separately means potentially not being able to take advantage of certain tax benefits offered exclusively to joint filers.

How It Works

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) gives taxpayers five tax filing status options when they submit their annual tax returns: single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household, or qualifying widow(er).

Anyone who files as married in either categoryfiling separately or filing jointlymust be married as of the last day of that tax year. In other words, someone who filed taxes for the year 2022 as married must have been married no later than Dec. 31, 2022.

Using the married filing separately status may be appealing and offer financial advantages to certain couples. Combining incomes and filing jointly might push them into a higher tax bracket and thus increase their tax bill.

When couples file separately, they must include their spouses information on their returns. According to the IRS, if you and your spouse file separate returns and one of you itemizes deductions, then the other spouse will have a standard deduction of zero. Therefore, the other spouse should also itemize deductions.

Although there are financial advantages to filing separately, couples miss out on tax credits meant for couples who file jointly.

Standard Deduction for Married Filing Separately

As a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017, the standard deduction rose substantially in the 2018 tax year.

A standard deduction is the portion of income thats not subject to tax, thereby reducing taxable income. The IRS allows tax filers to take a standard deduction. However, the deduction amount is dependent on your filing status, age, and whether you are disabled or claimed as a dependent on someone elses tax return.

For the 2022 tax year, the standard deduction for single taxpayers and married couples filing separately is $12,950. For heads of households, the deduction is $19,400, while for married couples filing jointly, it is $25,900.

the standard deduction for single taxpayers and married couples filing separately is $12,950. For heads of households, the deduction is $19,400, while for married couples filing jointly, it is $25,900. For the 2023 tax year,the standard deduction for single taxpayers and married couples filing separately is $13,850. For heads of households, the deduction is $20,800, while for married couples filing jointly, it is $27,700.

As a result, one spouse must have significant miscellaneous deductions or medical expenses for the couple to gain any advantage from filing separately.

If you and your spouse both generated taxable income, calculate your tax bill as a joint and separate filer before filing, to determine which of the two will save you more money.

Married Filing Separately vs. Married Filing Jointly

Married filing jointly offers the most tax savings, especially when spouses have different income levels. If you use the married filing separately status, then you are unable to take advantage of a number of potentially valuable tax breaks, such as the following:

Child and Dependent Care Credit

The Child and Dependent Care Credit is a nonrefundable tax credit used by taxpayers to claim unreimbursed childcare expenses. Childcare can include fees paid for babysitters, daycare, summer campsprovided that they arent overnightand other care providers for children under the age of 13 or dependents of any age who arent physically or mentally able to care for themselves.

American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC)

The American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) helps offset costs for post-secondary education. It was introduced in 2009 and requires that couples filing jointly have a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of no more than $160,000 to be eligible for full credit. Couples who make $160,000 to $180,000, meanwhile, can apply for a partial AOTC.

The maximum reward is an annual credit of $2,500 on qualified educational expenses for the first four years that a student attends an approved postsecondary institution.

Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC)

The Lifetime Learning Credit (LLC)allows parents to claim the amount spent on tuition and receive a 20% tax credit on the first $10,000 of qualified education expenses, resulting in savings of up to $2,000 on each tax return. Qualifying tuition includes undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree courses.

There is an income limit to qualify for the LLC. The MAGI is $80,000 for 2022 for single filers and $160,000 for married couples filing jointly.

A couple who files a separate tax return can also take deductions for their contributions to a traditional individual retirement account (IRA), but the income limits for taking them as a deduction if they or their spouse has a retirement plan at work are much lower than for those who file jointly. The maximum contribution permitted in both years is $6,000 ($7,000 for those aged 50 and over) in 2022, increasing to $6,500 (and $7,500) in 2023.

Any expenses related to the adoption of a qualifying child can be taken if couples file jointly, but probably not if they file separately (check with a tax expert). The maximum credit allowed for adoptions is the total amount of qualified adoption expenses up to $14,890 for 2022 and $15,950 in 2023.

Benefits of Married Filing Separately

Tax bills aside, there is one scenario in which married filing separately may be especially wise. If you dont want to be liable for your spouses taxes and suspect that they are hiding income or claiming deductions or credits falsely, then filing separately is probably the best option.

Signing a joint return means that both spouses are responsible for the accuracy of the return and for any tax liabilities or penalties that may apply. By signing your own return and not a joint one, you are only responsible for the accuracy of your own information and for any tax liability and penalties that may ensue.

State Rules Vary

If you live in community property statesArizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsinyou may need to see a tax professional, because the rules about separate incomes can be tricky.

In most cases, it makes sense for married couples to file jointly, especially since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 was passed. However, there are exceptions, including when one spouse has significant miscellaneous deductions or medical expenses.

Do You Need Your Spouses Income for Married Filing Separately?

Its not necessary for married couples to declare their spouses income when filing separatelyunless they live in a community property state.

Can You File Separately After Filing Jointly?

Yes, married couples are permitted to file jointly one year and separately the next year.
Premier League football club Manchester United and online gambling operator Marathonbet announced on Thursday the launch of the clubs first branded online live casino. The collaboration between the two parties was described as a world exclusive not only for United but also for football as a whole.

The real-money live casino roll-out comes as an extension to Marathonbet and Manchester Uniteds existing partnership. The UK-licensed operator became the clubs official Global Betting Partner last summer.

The new product aims at reaching Uniteds fan base of more than 659 million individualsfrom all over the world in a new, exciting way. Fans of the major football club will be able to play Live Roulette and Live Blackjack, among other popular casino games, in an immersive Manchester United-branded environment.

Everyone aged 18 and over will be able to interact with both live dealers and fellow fans and to play a table game of their choice, with the table placed in front of Old Traffords backdrop. What is more, gambling customers will be treated with special giveaways, including official merchandise, and other monetary and non-monetary prizes.

The online live casino launch was celebrated at a special event that took place at Old Trafford on Thursday night. Legends Andrew Cole, Gary Pallister, and Jesper Blomqvistwere among those invited to support the clubs new initiative.

Commenting on the latest announcement, Manchester United Group Managing Director Richard Arnold said that their commercial partners are an important part of their strategy to engage the clubs huge fan base in diverse ways. The official further noted that Marathonbet has created unique content and will provide fans with excellent experience both online through the newly launched casino and at Old Trafford during matchdays.

Marathonbet Head of Gaming R&D Christian Melin added that it is their main goal to provide Manchester United fans with immersive branded casino environment and with the chance to interact with peers. The official further pointed out that the new live casino project is truly unique within the gambling industry.

This new product is not Manchester Uniteds first foray into the world of gambling. Last spring, the football club partnered gambling operator bwin.party for the launch of a branded mobile casino app. Later in 2015, social casino games developer KamaGames rolled out three branded social casino titles, with those being Manchester United Social Poker, Manchester United Social Roulette, and Manchester United Social Slots.
Trump announces 2024 presidential run

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'The Ingraham Angle' panelists weigh in on former President Donald Trump's announcement from his Mar-a-Lago home a week after the midterm elections.

The Democratic Party has issued a statement responding to former President Donald Trumps announcement that he is running for the presidency in 2024, predicting he will lose.

"Donald Trump was a failure as president; thats why he lost in 2020 and its why he will lose again," DNC Chair Jaime Harrison said in a statement about Trumps candidacy.

Harrison said it would be likely that other Republicans would try to contest Trumps effort to snag the Republican nomination. Still, he said the Democratic Party would "be ready for them all."

Former U.S. President Donald Trump and former first lady Melania Trump arrive for an event at his Mar-a-Lago home on November 15, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

"Today is just the kickoff to what will be a messy Republican primary with candidates competing to be the most extreme MAGA Republican in the race," Harrison added.

DONALD TRUMP ANNOUNCES 2024 RE-ELECTION RUN FOR PRESIDENT

"Democrats stand ready to remind Americans what Trump brought America: the worst jobs record since the Great Depression, rigged the economy for the super-rich with massive tax giveaways to corporations, the right-wing Supreme Court that overturned Roe and paved the way for extreme Republicans across the country to criminalize abortion, a diminished standing across the world, and absolute chaos that culminated in inciting a mob to attack the Capitol to try to overturn an election he knew he lost," Harrison also said.

In Palm Beach, Florida on Tuesday, Trump formally announced he is running for the 2024 Republican nomination for president.

Former US President Donald Trump during an announcement at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The "Make America Great Again" movement leaders presidential bid will be his third, after defeating Hillary Clinton in 2016, but falling to President Joe Biden in 2020.

"In order to make America great and glorious again. I am tonight announcing my candidacy for president of the United States," Trump said at his Mar-a-Lago estate to a group of eager supporters.

2024 WATCH: MEET THE POTENTIAL GOP PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDERS

"But just as I promised in 2016, I am your voice. I am your voice," he added. "The Washington establishment wants to silence us, but we will not let them do that. What we have built together over the past six years is the greatest movement in history because it is not about politics. It's about our love for this great country, America, and we're not going to let it fail."

Former US President Donald Trump arrives to speak with former First Lady Melania Trump, left, at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, on Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

"I am running because I believe the world has not yet seen the true glory of what this nation can be. We have not reached that pinnacle, believe it or not," said Trump. "In fact, we can go very far. We're going to have to go far first. We have to get out of this ditch. And once we're out, you'll see things that nobody imagined for any country. It's called the United States of America. And it's an incredible place."

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The Democratic nominee is expected to be President Biden, pitting him and Trump in a 2020 rematch where both candidates set respective records for the most votes ever received.
On the first night of Avery Roseboros life, his mother, Christa Stokes, did not know if he would survive.

I asked the PA, Is my baby going to live? Stokes asked on Nov. 8, 2021. She couldnt say yes and she couldnt say no.

Almost two years later, Stokes revels in her sons health and the outlook for his future. But on that November day, she could not know his future.

The setting was the Childrens Guild Foundation Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Oishei Childrens Hospital, which specializes in helping mothers and babies through high-risk pregnancies. Stokes older son, 5-year-old Amare, had been born nine weeks early, and health issues discovered in the middle of her pregnancy put Avery at even greater risk.

Twenty-seven weeks and four days pregnant, Stokes was diagnosed with absent-end diastolic flow  essentially where the placenta resists the umbilical artery  which jeopardizes a fetus survival. Stokes had also developed preeclampsia  high-blood pressure during pregnancy that affects organs and often leads to early birth.

An emergency Caesarean section allowed Avery to be delivered before health issues could worsen. The problem? At more than three months early, Avery was born at 860 grams, or about 1 pound, 14 ounces.

Stokes son required around-the-clock attention, beginning with a breathing tube and monitoring of his heart rate and oxygen and carbon dioxide levels.

It was scary because I wasnt expecting to see him on a breathing tube, Stokes said. She was able to hold his hand briefly on the second day.

The months ahead would be grueling, with occasional acute incidents that would reignite Stokes fears. There was minor surgery to insert a gastronomy tube so Avery could be fed. After Averys initial breathing tube was removed  extubating a small infant is not simple work  Stokes learned on Christmas night that the tube would have to be reinserted.

A single mother who lives in Riverside, Stokes did her best to maintain a daily schedule that kept her by Averys side as much as possible. She was on maternity leave from her job at Jericho Road Community Health Center, so she spent 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day at the Oishei NICU, after which she would pick up Amare from day care. She would pump breast milk overnight to assure Avery had nourishment for the following day while dreading an alarming call from the hospital.

I had to trust the nurses with Avery through the night, she said.

She felt like her opinion mattered.

Nurses and doctors talked to me and took my opinion into consideration, Stokes said. They would ask, How do you feel that Avery is doing?

The nurses who spent months aiding Averys growth were his biggest advocates in a key moment. In May, after about seven months in the hospital, doctors were determining how much progress Avery had made breathing on his own. One option was inserting a tracheostomy tube, inserted surgically, that would greatly aid the boys oxygen. But thats not what Stokes wanted, and the nurses vouched for her.

They knew Avery could do this, Stokes said. They said, He is a strong boy, hes been breathing on his own all of this time. Dont worry, he can do it. We were all advocates for Avery.

It was the rapport with and trust in the NICU staff, as well as her faith in God, that carried Stokes through month after month, a saga she expected to be shorter because of how quickly Amare had been released. Sometimes its a sad feeling, really feeling the eight months of my babys life (in the hospital) when I thought hed be home.

Stokes struggles to speak about Averys discharge in June 2022. The Oishei staff treated it like his graduation. Breathing with help from a liter of oxygen, Avery  donning a mini cap and gown  was wheeled between two lines of applauding nurses and away from the hospital for the first time.

I got to finally put my baby in the car and get my other baby from day care, she said. That first ride was so emotional.

Amares first exchange with his younger brother was precious, too, Stokes remembered.

Amare hopped in the car and gave him a kiss, Stokes said. He has been the best big brother ever.

Avery, now 24 pounds, is walking, talking and healthy. He still uses a gastronomy tube, visits a pulmonologist and feeding clinic every three months, and receives physical and occupational therapy. Described as goofy, full of smiles and a NICU celebrity, Avery may be entering his terrible twos, Stokes said, citing more frequent temper tantrums and an eagerness to climb.

Classic youth behaviors may be relieving to Stokes, however, who acknowledges what could have been if it werent for the around-the-clock care in Oisheis NICU.

He grew outside of the womb, she said. They did everything they needed to do.
On Thursday, February 24th, 2022 the major European football organization, UEFA, has decided that they will no longer feature this seasons Champions League finalin St. Petersburg, Russia following Russias attacks on their neighboring country of Ukraine according to sources at the Associated Press.

An unexpected as well as extraordinary meeting of the UEFA executive committee is now scheduled to be held on Friday, February 25th, 2022 in order for the congregation to discuss the geopolitical crisis that is presently taking place as of this week, and when officials are ready to confirm that they will be taking the May 28th, 2022 major featured sporting event of the Champions League final out of St. Petersburg, Russia, a person with knowledge of the process will announce the official changes possibly as early as the end of this week. The person disclosing this information spoke under the condition of remaining anonymous in order to protect the current and ongoing private talks of UEFA.

UEFAconfirmed there is a very private meeting scheduled for 9:00 a. m. GMT on Friday, February 25th, 2022.

Following the evolution of the situation between Russia and Ukraine in the last 24 hours, the UEFA president has decided to call an extraordinary meeting of the executive committee. in order to evaluate the situation and take all necessary decisions, UEFA disclosed via a recent statement.

The British government as well as fan support groups have been recently requested UEFA to no longer play the Champions League final match in St. Petersburg, Russia where the stadium is sponsored by the Russian state  owned energy giant named, Gazprom.

On this tragic day, our thoughts are with everyone in Ukraine, our friends, colleagues, members, & their loved ones, the Fans Supporters Europe group tweeted on Thursday, February 24th, 2022. Given the events unfolding, we expect an imminent announcement from UEFA on the relocation of the Champions League final.

The Ukrainian Premier League has just suspended operations on Thursday, February 24th, 2022 due to President Volodymyr Zelenskyys ultimate and difficult decision to impose martial law. The league has been on a 2  month winter break, and it was originally set to resume play this Friday, February 25th, 2022, but a lot of things that have been happening out that way obviously have halted the normal state of life for the Ukrainian population. They have not provided any planned date to restart the 2021  2022 Ukrainian Premier League season as of now.

The International Paralympic Committeesaid it has been in discussions with sports officials in Ukraine as well as Russia as their teams were preparing to travel to China for the beginning of the Paralympic Games next week, but at the moment things are very complicated and there are more important issues at hand for the time being.

The IPC is in dialogue with both the Ukrainian and Russian Paralympic Committees ahead of the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, the IPC stated.As a politically neutral organization, the IPCs focus remains on the upcoming Games rather than the ongoing situation.

Russias name, flag, and anthem have already been banned from the March 4thto March 13thfor this years Paralympics in Beijing, China over previous doping issues and disagreements. The Russian team is due to compete as the RPC, short for Russian Paralympic Committee, as they competed under a similar title at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games which were also held in Beijing, China this month.

Sources:

Harris, Rob. UEFA to move Champions League final out of Russia. The Associated Press. February 24, 2022.
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noun Chemistry.a group of isomeric univalent radicals, C10H21, derived from the decanes by removing one hydrogen atom.

Words nearby decyl

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question decyldec(ane) + -yldecurrent, decurved, decury, decussate, decussation, decyl, decylic acid, D.Ed., dedal, dedans, DedeagachDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
University of Ontario

George Brown College

As of November 2018, the hottest social blogging platform on the web, Tumblr, was home to over 360 million blogs. Dang, thats a lot of blogs!

If youre looking to start up a new Tumblr blog, you'll probably have an impossible time trying to get a simple Tumblr URL to go with it. Youll likely have to incorporate at least two or three words into your Tumblr URL since the most obvious words and names have already been taken.

Here are a few simple ways you can get some ideas for great Tumblr blog URLs if youre having a hard time coming up with one off the top of your head that isn't taken already.

Use Thesaurus.com

Theres nothing quite as simple as heading over to Thesaurus.com and plugging in any word to see what synonyms there are to use in your Tumblr URL. Just type any word into the search field and you'll get a list of words with similar meanings.

Think about your blogs theme, the things you plan to post, a word that describes your interests, an acronym, or anything else, and start searching. You might be surprised by how many great words show up that people on Tumblr havent used yet.

Use a Random Word Generator

Stuck on word ideas to get you started? Why not use a nifty tool like WordGenerator.net to help you out?

Just click on Generate Random Wordsto get new ideas, and keep clicking until you see something you like. The definition of each word is also provided beneath the word itself.

And you could even make a list of those words you kind of like from WordGenerator.net and plug them into Thesaurus.com to see what else you might be able to come up with. The possibilities are endless here.

Incorporate Multiple Words Into Your URL

Even if youve picked out a wacky word to use, you might have a slim chance of getting a one-word Tumblr URL. If you can make it longer by using at least two or more words, youll have better luck.

Some people use complete phrases in their Tumblr URLs, so if youre not bothered by an extremely lengthy URL, this could be a good route to take.

Use Slang, Acronyms, Numbers, or Even Misspelled Words

Youll have a really good chance of getting the Tumblr URL you want if you get creative by incorporating popular slang terms, acronyms, numbers, or even completely misspelled words. Sure, it looks goofy, and it might not be an ideal option for a corporate Tumblr blog but if youre just setting up a casual blog then it could definitely work.

As an example, you could simply replace any letter Os with the number zero. Or you could incorporate the acronym "LOL" in it. Its a simple change that could potentially make a big difference.

Check out These Tumblr Tags

Sometimes people advertise free Tumblr URLs or publicly post about being interested in trading a good one they might have, so have a look through tags like good URLs and URL ideas to see what's out there. And if you have an existing Tumblr blog already, you could also make a post and tag it with one of those tags to ask for help with renaming your blog, which is something else a lot of people do on Tumblr.

Keep in mind that your Tumblr URL isnt set in stone. You can actually change it anytime you want by accessing your settings, selecting your blog, and changing the URL.

Dont Be a Tumblr URL Hoarder

Tumblr frowns upon users who register lots of new blogs under the same account just to hold their URLs. If you get caught hoarding URLs, your account could be suspended.

So play nice, use these ideas to come up with unique URLs, and dont fret if you think you might want to change it again in the future. You may even want to purchase your own domain name and set it up so that it points to your Tumblr blog.
What Is Take or Pay?cryptopanico

Take or pay is a provision, written into a contract, whereby one party has the obligation of either taking delivery of goods or paying a specified amount. Take or pay provisions benefit both the buyer and the seller by sharing risk, and can benefit society by facilitating trade and reducing transactions costs.

Key Takeaways

Take or pay is a type of provision in a purchase contract that guarantees the seller a minimum portion of the agreed on payment if the buyer does not follow through with actually buying the full agreed amount of goods.

Take or pay provisions can commonly be found in the energy sector, where overhead costs are high.

Take of pay provisions benefit buyers, sellers, and the economy as a whole by sharing the risk of overhead investment and facilitating commerce that might otherwise not occur.

Understanding Take or Pay

Take or pay provisions are generally included between companies with their suppliers, which require that the purchasing firm take a stipulated supply of goods from the supplier by a certain date, at the risk of paying a fine to the supplier if they don't. This sort of agreement benefits the supplier by reducing the risk of losing money on any capital spent to produce whichever product they are trying to sell. It benefits the buyer by allowing them to ask for a lower negotiated price since they are taking on some of the suppliers risk. It can be an overall net gain to the economy because, by better sharing of the risk between buyers and suppliers, it facilitates transactions that might otherwise not occur, along with their accompanying gains from trade.

Take or pay provisions are very common in the energy sector, because of the substantial overhead costs for suppliers to provide energy units like natural gas or crude oil and the volatility of energy commodities prices. The overhead costs of providing crude oil as compared to a haircut, for example, are very high. Take or pay contracts provide energy suppliers an incentive to invest capital up front because they have a measure of assurance that they'll be able to sell their products. In the absence of take or pay provisions, suppliers bear all the risk that the buyers ongoing need for the energy might dry up or that a price swing might induce the buyer to break the contract. Suppliers could also be subject to a hold-up by the buyers if they have made overhead investments that will lose value if the buyer does not buy the output as agreed, without the minimum guaranteed revenue of a take or buy agreement. Hold-ups are a type of transaction cost, identified by economist Oliver Williamson, that occurs with these kind of relationship-specific assets.

For example, Firm A can contract to purchase 200 million cubic feet of natural gas from the supplier, Firm B, over 10 years at an agreed rate of 20 million per year. Firm A may find, however, that in a given year they will only need 18 million. If they do not purchase the planned 20 million, they will be subjected to a fee, which is agreed to in the original contract. Typically these fees are smaller than the purchase price; having forgone 2 million cubic feet in purchased natural gas, Firm A may be subject to a fee of 50% of the contract price of 2 million cubic feet.

Alternatively, is world gas prices fall during the course of the contract, Firm A might want to decline to take delivery of the gas and instead purchase gas from another supplier, Firm C, at the new, lower price and instead pay the agreed penalty to Firm B. It is in Firm As interest to do this if the total cost of the gas from Firm C plus the penalty is less than the originally negotiate price to take Firm Bs gas.

In this situation, both parties benefit from the take or pay provision. Firm A gets only the amount of gas they need from Firm C, at a lower total cost than they would have paid; Firm B receives the penalty price from from Firm A, rather than gaining nothing if Firm A were to simply switch suppliers in the absence of the take or pay provision.
What are Boundary Conditions?bet365 politics betting

Boundary conditions are the maximum and minimum values used to indicate where the price of an option must lie. Boundary conditions are used to estimate what an option may be priced at, but the actual price of the option may be higher or lower than what is set as the boundary condition.

For all options contracts, the minimum boundary value is always zero, since options cannot be priced at negative money. Meanwhile, maximum boundary values will differ depending on the whether the option is a call or put, and if it is an American option or European option.

Key Takeaways

Boundary conditions were used to set minimum and maximum possible values for call and put options prior to the introduction of binomial tree and Black-Scholes pricing models.

Boundary conditions change according to whether the option is American or European, since American options can be exercised prior to expiry.

The absolute minimum value for an option is zero, since an option cannot be sold for a negative amount of money.

The maximum value in a boundary condition is set to the current value of the underlying asset.

Understanding Boundary Conditions

Before the introduction of binomial tree pricing models and the Black-Scholes model, investors and traders relied heavily on boundary conditions to set the minimum and maximum possible values for the call and put options that they were pricing. These boundary conditions change according to whether the option is American or European, since American options can be exercised early.

This ability to exercise at any point prior to the expiration date affects the way the price is calculated, and American options will trade at a premium relative to equivalent European options by virtue of this feature.

Minimum and Maximum Boundary Conditions

The absolute minimum value for an option is zero, since an option cannot be sold for a negative amount of money. The maximum value in a boundary condition is set to the current value of the underlying asset. If the price of the underlying asset is greater than the price indicated in the call option, then the investor would not exercise the option, since exercising the option would result in the investor paying more than the market price. This is the case for both a European call and an American call.

The maximum value of a put option is reached when the underlying asset has no worth, such as in the case of a company's bankruptcy when the underlying security is a stock. For a European put option, the maximum value computed as is the present value of the exercise price. This is because European options cannot be exercised at any point, and instead can only be exercised at expiration at a specified price. The value of an American option must be at least as great as a European option.

While technically the maximum value of an asset could be set at infinityan asset could increase in value with no ceilingthis is considered impractical. The value of the underlying asset is likely to fall within a reasonable boundary that can be modeled with standard deviations or other stochastic methods.
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Thousands of gun control advocates join the "March for Our Lives" as they protest against gun violence during a rally near the Washington Monument on the National Mall in Washington DC, on June 11, 2022. Photo: AFP

China's development has amazed the world in many ways. One of the world's most recognized achievements in China is the great sense of safety its people enjoy.China is widely acknowledged as one of the safest countries in the world, Xu Ganlu, an official from China's Ministry of Public Security, said at a press conference on Wednesday held at the Press Center for the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).Enhancing people's sense of safety has always been a critical part of China's governance. In the past decade, China has made significant achievements in maintaining public safety, with five major indexes, including criminal cases and safety accidents, falling sharply. A survey by the country's National Bureau of Statistics has demonstrated that Chinese citizens' sense of safety reached 98.6 percent in 2021, an increase of 11 percentage points from 2012.As more Chinese people feel safer and safer living in this country, credit should be given to the Chinese government for firmly upholding and thoroughly implementing a people-centered philosophy of development under the CPC's leadership. Adhering to the principle of putting people and their lives first, China has adopted effective and comprehensive governing policies to tackle factors threatening people's safety.A sense of safety is one of the vital indicators of a country's human rights situation. Xiao Wu, a research fellow at the Institute of Human Rights at China's Southwest University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times that Chinese people's increasing sense of safety fully proves that the country has made great achievements in protecting the lives and properties of the people, ensuring that they enjoy human rights that are extensive and concrete. This is a vivid example of China's historic achievements in protecting human rights.Xiao also noted that the growth of Chinese people's sense of safety has laid a strong foundation for making more incredible progress in the country's human rights cause and strengthened their confidence in unswervingly following the path of advancing human rights in China.In stark contrast to this is that the safety of people in the US is under growing threat. According to a recent survey, more than half of Americans feel like they're in imminent danger at least once a day. Such a feeling, to a large extent, is generated from the worries about crime. The issue is also the second most concerning topic for US voters in the upcoming midterm elections, right behind inflation.Experts point to various factors: the raging COVID-19 epidemic, gun violence, the flagging economy, high inflation and so on. But the US government's ineffective leadership is also to blame. It is clear that the US government did not prioritize protecting people's lives, leading to all types of tragic events.While China celebrates its achievement in safeguarding its people's safety, the US is facing severe chaos in its human rights situation. The significant differences in understanding human rights are pretty obvious between the two countries. The US government frequently shows its passivity in taking actions to advance human rights, sometimes even inaction.However, that's not the case in China. The Chinese government interprets human rights in a more proactive and concrete way. On the one hand, the Chinese government takes on the roles of organizer and constructor in defense of human rights and fulfills its duties as a leader. On the other, China believes that human life is one of the key components of human rights. It would be pointless to discuss other rights if a citizen's life is in danger or even lost. This is translated into China's priority of ensuring the lives and safety of its people in its human rights cause.Just like Chinese citizens, everyone in the world deserves the right to live in a safe environment. Unfortunately, this seems to be an extravagant hope for people in some countries, including the US. A government that genuinely cares about the people should figure out how to effectively protect people's lives and safety rather than simply chanting slogans. A government that genuinely cares about the people should understand that without the support of a true sense of safety, people's dreams, no matter how wonderful they may be, will ultimately just become nightmares.
M.A., Linguistics, University of Minnesota

B.A., Latin, University of Minnesota

Learn about the types of performances an ancient Roman might have witnessed and a bit about costumes and the influential author Plautus. However, to refer to this page as information on ancient Roman theater may be somewhat misleading, since

The Romans didn't have fixed, permanent places for watching and performances until late in the Republic -- the time of Pompey the Great, and Roman theater was developed by non-Romans in the rest of Italy, most notably, Campania (during the Republican period).

Nonetheless, it is called Roman theater.

Roman theater began as a translation of Greek forms, in combination with native song and dance, farce and improvisation. In Roman (well... Italian) hands, the materials of Greek masters were converted to stock characters, plots, and situations that we can recognize in Shakespeare and even modern sit-coms.

Livy's Roman Theater

Public Domain / Wikipedia.

Livy, who came from the Venetian city of Patavium (modern Padua), in northern Italy, included in his history of Rome a history of the Roman theater. Livy posits 5 stages in the development of Roman drama:

Dances to flute music Obscene improvisational verse and dances to flute music Medleys to dances to flute music Comedies with storylines and sections of lyric poetry to be sung Comedies with storylines and song, with an added piece at the end

Source:

The Making of Theatre History,by Paul Kuritz

Fescennine Verse

Image ID: 1624145 [Roman pantomime actors in masks] (1736).NYPL Digital Library

Fescennine verse was a precursor of Roman comedy and was satirical, bawdy, and improvisational, used mainly at festivals or weddings (nuptialia carmina), and as invective.

Fabula Atellana

Image ID: 1624150 Agata Sardonica. [[Roman comic character?]] (1736).NYPL Digital Library

Fabulae Atellanae"Atellan Farce" relied on stock characters, masks, earthy humor, and simple plots. They were performed by actors improvising. The Atellan Farce came from the Oscan city of Atella. There were 4 main types of stock characters: the braggart, the greedy blockhead, the clever hunchback, and the stupid old man, like modern Punch and Judy shows.

Kuritz says that when the fabula Atellanawas written in the language of Rome, Latin, it replaced the native fabula satura"satire" in popularity.

Source:

The Making of Theatre History,by Paul Kuritz

Fabula Palliata

Image ID: 1624158 [Scenes and pantomime actors of Roman comedy] (1925).NYPL Digital Library

Fabula palliata refers to a type of ancient Italian comedy where the actors were dressed in Greek garments, the social conventions were Greek, and the stories, heavily influenced by Greek New Comedy.

Plautus

Image ID: TH-36081 Miles Gloriosus By Plautus.NYPL Digital Library

Plautus was one of the two major writers of Roman comedy. Some of the plots of his plays can be recognized in the comedies of Shakespeare. He usually wrote about young men sowing their oats.

Fabula Togata

Image ID: 1624143 [Masked Roman actors] (1736).NYPL Digital Library

Named for the clothing emblematic of the Roman people, fabula togata had various subtypes. One was the fabula tabernaria, named for the tavern where the comedy's preferred characters, lowlifes might be found. One depicting more middle-class types, and continuing the Roman clothing theme, was the fabula trabeata.

Fabula Praetexta

Image ID: 1624159 [Rehearsal for a theatrical performance] (1869-1870).NYPL Digital Library

Fabula Praetextais the name for Roman tragedies on Roman themes, Roman history or current politics. Praetexta refers to the magistrates' toga. The fabula praetextawas less popular than tragedies on Greek themes. During the Golden Age of drama in the Middle Republic, there were four great Roman writers of tragedy, Naevius, Ennius, Pacuvius, and Accius. Of their surviving tragedies, 90 titles remain. Only 7 of them were for tragedy, according to Andrew Feldherr in Spectacle and society in Livy's History.

Ludi Romani

Livius Andronicus, who came to Rome as a prisoner of war, made the first translation of a Greek tragedy into Latin for the Ludi Romaniof 240 B.C., following the end of the First Punic War. Other Ludi added theatrical performances to the agenda.

Kuritz says that in 17 B.C. there were almost 100 annual days for theater.

Costume

Tragic Actor.Public Domain. From The Greek Theater and Its Drama from Baumeister's Denkmaler.

The term palliataindicated that actors wore a variant of the Greek himation, which was known as a palliumwhen worn by Roman men or a pallawhen worn by women. Under it was the Greek chitonor Roman tunica. Travelers wore the petasoshat. Tragic actors would wear a soccus(slipper) or crepida(sandal) or go barefoot. The personawas a head covering mask.
Will Cain: Whoever is responsible for Poland missile strike will get even richer

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Fox News host Will Cain reacts to the missile strike in Poland on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight.'

Fox News host Will Cain argued Tuesday that whoever launched missiles against Poland will make money off of it on " Tucker Carlson Tonight ."

WILL CAIN: You heard in that report the mention of Article 5. That's a self-defense provision in the NATO charter. Now, if invoked, it means world war against Russia. There's no doubt about it and within minutes of that apparent strike in Poland, the government of Estonia, a NATO ally, made it clear that world war might result. "Estonia is ready to defend every inch of NATO territory." Is America?

RUSSIA HAMMERS KYIV, UKRAINE WITH MISSILES, VIDEO SHOWS FIERY AFTERMATH

Polish government spokesman Piotr Muller speaks to media after a meeting of the security committee in connection with the missile attack on the territory of Poland, in Warsaw, Poland November 15, 2022. Maciek Jazwiecki/Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. POLAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN POLAND. (Maciek Jazwiecki/Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS )

Now, there are reports that instead of Article 5, Poland will actually look to invoke Article 4. Now, that would give them the power to ask NATO to come together for more support for Ukraine, more money, perhaps air and anti-air power over Ukraine and in fact, the White House today asked Congress for another $37 billion and, of course, they'll get that for Ukraine. In other words, whoever was responsible for that missile strike in Poland, well, they're about to get even richer: Defense contractors.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Look, we don't know what happened yet in Poland. We don't know where those missiles came from. We don't know what was the intended target. We don't know if it was a mistake. Russia denies launching the attack. The Pentagon hasn't confirmedit even happened. Ukraine's President Zelenskyy, of course, has blamed Russia, but we should know the answers to these questions before we zombie-walk into war.

This article was written by Fox News staff.
When you are safe and warm, you probably think it is a good time to write. But what word should you use to describe your current conditions of safeness and warmness?

Several options come to mind, but one of the best ones is cozy. How should this word be spelled, though, with a Z or with an S?

There are many different spellings of this word out there, but only two of them are correct.

What is the Difference Between Cosy and Cozy?

In this post, I will compare cozy vs. cosy. I will go over the correct spellings and use them in example sentences, so you can see how they appear in their proper context.

I will also show you a mnemonic device that will allow you to easily choose either cozy or cosy correctly whenever you need the word for your own writing.

When to Use Cozy

What does cozy mean? Cozy is an adjective that means warm and comfortable, often when describing someone who is bundled up in many layers. Cozy can also mean close or intimate.

Here are a few examples,

Once the babies were safe and cozy in their cribs, the adults got out the board games and drinks and had a fun night all to themselves.

I noticed you and Tom are getting pretty cozy lately, Allison said to Jennifer as they were walking home from the party.

In some informal contexts, cozy is a noun that refers to a soft covering to keep a dish hot.

For example,

Mother held the bowl of potatoes in its cozy to keep it warm on the car ride to Grandma and Grandpas house.

Cozy is the standard American English spelling of the word, so if you are an American writer, you will want to use this spelling exclusively.

Cozy was first used in English in 1709. It comes from a Norwegian term with roughly the same meaning.

When to Use Cosy

What does cosy mean? Cosy is the British English spelling of cozy. Just as cozy is used in America, countries that follow British English conventions use the spelling cosy.

We can see the difference in usage trends with digital records. The following charts graph cosy vs. cozy in British English and American English, respectively.

British English:

American English:

As Fowlers Dictionary of Modern Usage, a well-known British usage guide, states,

[The word] is always spelt with -sy in British and in most other English-speaking countries except the US, where the standard spelling is cozy.

We can clearly see this in the charts above, as they are mirror images of each other. Additionally, cozy and cosy are the only correct spellings of this word. Other variants include cosey, cosie, cozie, and cozey, all of which are spelling errors.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Each of these two spellings is correct in its respective language community.

Cozy is the standard spelling in American English.

Cosyis the standard spelling in British English.

All other variants are considered spelling errors.

Since cosy and British both contain the letter S, you can use this trick to remember to spell the word cosy if you are writing for a British audience.

Summary

Is it cosy or cozy? Cozy is an adjective that means warm and comfortable or close and intimate. There are many wrong ways to spell it, including cosey, cosie, cozie, and cozey.

To summarize,
Leading online casino games supplier and aggregator Relax Gaming has teamed up with iGaming operator Ellmount Gaming in a deal that will significantly expand its footprint in key territories.

Under the terms of this newly sealed partnership, Relax will provide Ellmounts Malta-licensed online casino, CasinoRoom, with access to its portfolio of proprietary titles.

The deal covers hit Relax online slots such as Top Dawg$ and Dead Mans Trail as well as award-winning Money Train 2.

Casino Room was launched in 2005 as Ellmounts flagship instant play online casino. The digital gambling venue currently features more than 1,200 titles from leading industry suppliers, which now include Relax.

As mentioned earlier, the online casino is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority and operates in all MGA jurisdictions. It also holds a license from the Swedish Gambling Authority, Spelinspektionen, and provides its services in Swedens regulated iGaming space.

Relaxs collaboration with Casino Room will help the provider further expand in the Swedish marketand is fully in line with its ongoing Nordics expansion campaign. As part of that same effort, the supplier of varied proprietary and third-party content for the iGaming industry recently entered into a supply agreement with Danish casino operator and legendary amusement park company Tivoli and its online gaming operation.

Deal Comes as Testament to Relaxs Value

Commenting on their alliance with Ellmount and Casino Room, Relax CCO Daniel Eskola said that they have a track record of pushing the boundaries in game developmentand that they are confident their reputation will further grow thanks to their collaboration with the major operator.

Mr. Eskola went on to note that this new deal comes as a testament to the value the provider brings to the table for both the iGaming operators and the studios they work with and that they are excited to see their partnership with Ellmount blossom in the coming months.

Ellmount CMO Mery Blomqvist added that further expanding their offering with a key partner like Relax marks an important step for them and that they look forward to seeing the providers intuitive designs and innovative gameplayattract new players from a host of demographics to their Casino Room operation.

This is the latest in a host of important partnerships announced by Relax in recent months. A few weeks ago, the company lauded a newly signed alliance with PokerStars, the leading online poker brand of Irish gambling powerhouse Flutter Entertainment.

It was also not long ago when the content maker and provider strengthened its ongoing relationship with LeoVegas with the launch of the BLAST! mechanicthat will be exclusively available to the operators players. The new engine is designed to allow players skip animations and standard spins of the reels, while also enabling them to auto-play multiple online slots at once. Action pauses every time a bonus round or a special feature is activated.

Source:Relax strikes Ellmount Gaming deal, Relax Gaming Newsroom, September 29, 2021
A Jamestown postal worker has been indicted on multiple counts of stealing gift cards and cash from mailed envelopes in 2022.

Anita Miller, 40, was charged with six counts of theft of mail by a postal employee and two counts of delay of mail by a postal employee, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Western District of New York. In addition to the reported thefts in February and March of 2022, Miller is accused of delaying delivery of mailed envelopes on two occasions in March 2022.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The federal grand jury indictment, returned Thursday, accuses Miller of removing a Tops gift card from an envelope on Feb. 22, 2022; removing a gift card, resealing the envelope and placing it back in the delivery tray on March 10, 2022; removing cash from an envelope on March 11, March 12 and from two envelopes on March 16, 2022; and stealing another gift card on March 12, 2022.

The indictment stems from an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent-in-Charge Northeast Field Office.

 Jay Tokasz
damn well New Word List Save This nfl odds week 1 2020 crypto mmaWord! Save ThisWord!

Also, damned well. Certainly, without doubt; emphatically. For example, You damn well better improve your grades, or I know damned well that he's leaving me out. The damn in this phrase is mainly an intensifier.

Words nearby damn well

How to use in a sentence The best comparison here for an American audience is, well, Internet stuff. Trolls and Martyrdom: Je Ne Suis Pas Charlie|Arthur Chu|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Trolls and Martyrdom: Je Ne Suis Pas Charlie|Arthur Chu|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST Then add in all bored people, as well as people whose job it is to report on celebrities. Sia and Shia LaBeoufs Pedophilia Nontroversy Over Elastic Heart|Marlow Stern|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Sia and Shia LaBeoufs Pedophilia Nontroversy Over Elastic Heart|Marlow Stern|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST The well, ghost or no ghost, is certainly a piece of history with a bold presence. New Yorks Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

New Yorks Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST In front of this strange structure are two blank-faced, well-dressed models showing off the latest in European minimalism. New Yorks Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST It is the obligation of citizens and journalists as well as governments. Why We Stand With Charlie HebdoAnd You Should Too|John Avlon|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Why We Stand With Charlie HebdoAnd You Should Too|John Avlon|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST Mrs. Wurzel was quite right; they had been supplied, regardless of cost, from Messrs. Rochet and Stole's well-known establishment. The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills The big room at King's Warren Parsonage was already fairly well filled. The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills The country is well inhabited, for it contains fifty-one cities, near a hundred walled towns, and a great number of villages. Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift

Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift Before he could finish the sentence the Hole-keeper said snappishly, "Well, drop out againquick!" Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl

Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl Old Mrs. Wurzel and the buxom but not too well-favoured heiress of the house of Grains were at the head of the table. The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondamned if I do, damned if I don't, damnify, damning, damn straight, Damn the torpedoes, damn well, damn with faint praise, damnyankee, Damocles, Damocles, sword of, DamodarThe American Heritage Idioms Dictionary Copyright  2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Aerial photo taken on Aug. 13, 2020 shows a view of Yeliguan scenic area in Lintan County of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province. Sitting on the border of Gansu, Qinghai and Sichuan provinces, Gannan serves as a major water conservation area for the Yellow River, the second-longest river in China. Featuring various landscapes and diverse cultures, it is an acclaimed attraction for both domestic and international tourists. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

China accelerated investment in water conservation projects this year, with a total investment of 921.1 billion yuan ($130 billion) in the first 10 months, a record high, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.Construction started on 24,000 new water conservation facilities, also a record, Xinhua reported, citing data from the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR).Work on 45 major projects has kicked off, with a total investment of 424.9 billion yuan. Some major facilities under construction have reached their interim goals.For instance, the tunnel of the Pearl River Delta water resource allocation project was completed in October, which will be used for building 113.2 kilometers of pipelines that run 40 to 60 meters underground. It's designed to deliver an average of 1.708 billion cubic meters of water annually, according to Xinhua.The first unit of the Dateng Gorge water conservation project in South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was completed and put into operation on November 1, two months ahead of schedule.And, a new power generation capacity of 4.8 million kilowatt-hours per day was added to the project, offering strong support to local economic and social development.Work on a number of projects relating to flood control, water conservation and food supply has been accelerated this year, and more than 3,500 reservoirs have been reinforced in the country.More than 10,000 kilometers of small and medium-sized rivers were improved, and 12,298 rural water supply projects were renovated.The ministry vowed to further speed up the construction of water conservation facilities in the country. As winter starts, the construction of projects in irrigation has been accelerated.In 2021, China invested 757.6 billion yuan in water conservation projects, according to data released by the ministry.Global Times
He'd kept the few offices at the front of the bungalow, now oddly barren.

I arrive at the bungalow and find his staff standing about stunned, some of them in tears.

I'm to be at his Universal bungalow at twelve-thirty for lunch, to meet him for the first time, going to see a man about a job.

This bungalow has two levels, a screening room, a dining room, many offices, an art department, and cutting rooms.

It's a studio bungalow the way Newport summer houses are cottages. Alfred Hitchcocks Fade to Black: The Great Directors Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Passing a bungalow that was blazing furiously, he saw in the compound the corpses of two women. The Red Year|Louis Tracy

One evening in the month of April, a slim, straight-backed girl stood in the veranda of a bungalow at Meerut. The Red Year|Louis Tracy

For he saw her looking up into his eyes as once before on the lawn of her English bungalow four months ago. The Wave|Algernon Blackwood

The body of a young woman was found in the compound outside my bungalow, done to death in precisely the same way. Uncanny Tales|Various
First of all,blackjack themed party no bets were placed after the cards were drawn.

All bets were placed before any cards came out of the shoe.

So that puts that misconception to bed right away.

How events actually unfolded. We must remember that Cheung-Yin Sun known as the "Queen of Sorts" was involved in an edge sorting scam at Foxwoods Resort Casino in December of 2011, along with two other Chinese nationals. Following that episode, she hooked up with Phil Ivey.

Ivey approached the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City in April 2012 just prior to his first visit there on April 11,Th 2012.

Following a one million dollar, advanced wired, buy-in he stipulated the following five requests, first of all, in importance, the purple coloured Gemeco playing cards, which he and Sun knew had a defective edge which was cut short on one side. (see fig 1)



Fig.1. It can be seen from this card that the circles on the long edges of the card are of differing sizes on each opposite edge.

Miss Sun was particularly expert by now in spotting these differences.

The second request was for a Chinese Mandarin speaking dealer.

In a private gaming room.(3)

An automatic shuffling machine (4) and finally miss Sun (5) to accompany him and to sit down near the dealer on the same table.

The limits were set at $50,000 per hand, although initially, his average bet was below this limit. The sorting of the cards takes place like this. Bets are made and the first four cards are then drawn face down on the table. It is at this point that Sun, sitting at the dealer's right hand, asks the dealer to raise one edge of the card so she can peek the value of the card. If it is a good card i.e. a 6,7,8 or 9 she asks the dealer to flip the card over with that edge closest to her. (This is done she states for luck and Chinese superstition is taken into consideration by the house). If it is any other of the low-value cards then she asks the dealer to flip it over from right to left in the opposite direction , with that edge furthest away from her. (This also depends on whether the favourable edge is near to her or already on the far side of the cards, following a chemmy-shuffle and the shuffling of the cards by hand).

(see figure 2 for more cards susceptible to edge sorting.)

The above low number cards have a full white diamond on the left-hand edge while the high cards have a half diamond.

During the initial period of play, while the cards are being sorted which takes what would normally be a couple of shoes, Ivey's betting was below average, however, once all the cards had been sorted his betting would rise to the table maximum. On this first visit after 16 hours play Ivey was ahead $2.4 million dollars.

In the following month of May, Ivey and Sun returned for a second time and after 56 hours of play Ivey was winning approximately $1.6 million. Following Ivey's request,the cards were kept overnight in the shoe !

They returned again in July 2012 with the same five requests this time 3 million dollars had been wired ahead and the limits were raised to $100,000 per hand.

Following 17 hours of play Ivey had won $4,787,700 with an average bet of $89,000 considering that his early play was below his average bet while the cards were being sorted, only hitting the maximum after this had been achieved.

Their final visit came in October of the same year, however by this time rumour had spread across the Atlantic ocean from London that Ivey had been refused his winnings of approximately $10 million dollars from the Crockfords Casino Club. On this visit after 18 hours play Ivey left winning around $800,000 after being ahead at one time by 3.5 million. This was also due to him only having first card advantage which gives the player an edge of 6.765% over the casino. (This may also be prevented by employing a brush or a slide cover at the front of the shoe which will hide the first card exposure.) His total winnings from Borgata was 9.6326 million dollars.

Subsequently, Borgata learned that while playing Punto Banco at Crockfords and with the same five requests it was considered that Ivey and Sun had conducted an edge sorting scam and their winnings had been withheld.

(As we know Punto Banco and Baccarat are basically the same game).

It was only armed with this knowledge that Borgata much later decided to sue Ivey for the return of his winnings which by now they had realised that he had won by foul means.

The writer's comments are the following. That while Foxwoods Resort Casino had realised in real time that miss Sun and her associates had sorted the cards, the casino kept back their winnings plus buy-in (stake money).

Crockfords had realised this too. Although only following an extensive review of their play over a long weekend in August of the same year and during the following days after Ivey had left the casino.

Amazingly, Borgata after four visits by the pair had only cottoned on to this scheme after the media news articles had circulated concernings Ivey's play in London.

When it was previously well known in casino security circles that "edge sorting" was a form of cheating at cards and particularly as it was discussed in surveillance & security forums following the events of December 2011 at Foxwoods.

I would like to also add that, in my opinion, Ivey made a mistake by changing venues and broadening this scam to the eyes and scrutiny of more casino professionals, when he had found a willing cash cow in the Borgata Casino. It is also my credo that when players consistently win by fair means or foul that they become bored with it and need the added excitement that changing circumstances bring.

A further mistake by Ivey was, according to court documents, he requested "one 8-deck shoe of purple Gemaco Borgata playing cards" had he requested a six-deck shoe or even a four deck game the sorting of the cards would have been much easier and quicker.

He also could have said to Crockfords "fair cop governor" and kept quiet, the case would not have received any media publicity and he could have gone on to conduct his scheme in many other casinos. With just a slap on the wrist if they had found him out but no he's a gambler and he gambled on winning a lost cause.

It has been my experience to find that cheats often become more daring and audacious the more success they are having.

Since writing this article just a few days ago, three appeal court judges have ruled against Mr.Ivey in his case to regain his winnings against Crockfords. Judge Mary Arden (a fellow Scouser :-) ) said that Ivey had received his winnings by manipulating the odds in his favour". There was no doubt, Arden added, that the actions of Ivey and another gambler, Cheung Yin Sun, interfered with the process by which Crockfords played the game. It is for the court to determine whether the interference was of such a quality as to constitute cheating. In my judgment, it had that quality."

The London case is not over yet as Ivey will re-appeal to the Supreme Court because he's a gambler.

I would not like to see the bill for his legal costs

Image of Cheung-Yin Sun known as the "Queen of Sorts" !

Written by John Connolly www.EyeOnTheAction.com e.mail: [email protected]

Category: Casino Blog
What Is an N.V.?website controleren op echtheid

The term N.V. refers to an acronym for the Dutch phrase Naamloze Vennootschap. An N.V. is a public limited liability company or an open corporation that sells shares to the public in order to generate income. The acronym appears after the company name, the same way American and British company names precede the words Inc. or PLC. Corporations that wish to set up an N.V. must meet certain thresholds, including minimum capital and registration requirements. The N.V. structure is commonly used in Dutch or Dutch-influenced nations, including the Netherlands, Belgium, and Aruba.

Key Takeaways

N.V. is an acronym for Naamloze Vennootschap, a public limited liability company in the Netherlands and other Dutch-influenced nations.

An N.V. issues shares to shareholders who have the power to make decisions about the company.

Companies that wish to adopt this corporate structure must meet certain requirements, including a minimum startup capital threshold of 45,000

Establishing an N.V. allows shareholders to remain anonymous and alleviates directors of personal liability.

Rules and regulations about setting up N.V. corporatios vary based on the country in which they operate.

How an N.V. Works

Every country has different regulations that outline the process involved with setting up a corporation. This includes rules about registration, taxation, and corporate structures. There are certain procedures that companies must abide by in order to go public, regardless of the country in which they do business.

As noted above, an N.V. or Naamloze Vennootschap is a type of company in the Netherlands. It is also a common corporate structure in other Dutch-influenced countries, such as Aruba, Belgium, Suriname, the Dutch West Indies, Indonesia, Curacao, and St. Maarten. The procedures to set up and operate an N.V. vary by country.

This type of corporation generally operates the same way an incorporated company does in the U.S. or a public limited company does in the United Kingdom. The company issues stock to individuals and entities who are able to make decisions about the company's future, including appointing and changing those who sit on the board of directors (BoD). Shareholders may remain anonymous under the structure, as the term Naamloze Vennootschap literally translates to the term "nameless venture."

A minimum of 45,000 in startup capital is required to establish an N.V. in the Netherlands. Notary services are also needed. This professional must draft a notarial deed with the articles of association, which highlights the purpose of the corporation and the responsibilities of those involved. The company and the names of the directors are then registered at the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce in the Dutch Commercial Register.

Here are a few other requirements an N.V. must follow in the country:

Corporate tax rates and tax rules apply, including the use of corporate tax deductions. Directors pay taxes on their salaries and dividend taxes on the shares they own. Payroll taxes apply to any workers under the N.V.

Directors are not personally liable for the corporation or its debts. Shareholders are only held liable for amounts up to their shares.

The company must register as an employer with Dutch authorities before it can hire any employees.

Along with startup capital and notary costs, companies are also responsible for accounting, registration, bookkeeping, and annual administration costs.



Special Considerations

Businesses can operate before they are registered under the N.V. category in the Netherlands. But its directors are personally liable until registration is complete.

Shares of Dutch naamloze vennootschap entities may also be traded on stock exchanges as long as they meet certain requirements. For instance, the company must:

Be at least five years old

Have equity of at least 5 million

Have shares with a total value of more than 5 million

Have shown a profit in at least three of the previous five years

Shareholders must meet and vote on whether to cease operations as an N.V. If they decide to do so, all debts must be paid off and all dividends must be distributed to shareholders. Once this is done, the N.V. can officially be shuttered.

N.V. Structures in Other Countries

Note that the information listed above applies to those in the Netherlands. As mentioned above, the requirements to operate an N.V. generally vary based on the country where they operate. For instance:

In Belgium, the main purpose of an N.V. is to raise capital. Although only one founder is required, at least two shareholders must be registered.

Aruban law requires companies to obtain a business license and to be registered with the Trade Registry at the Aruba Chamber. Shareholders do not have to be residents of Aruba.

Structures in Indonesia are called Perseroan Terbatas (PT). Formats include open, closed, domestic, individual, foreign, and general public PTs. Owners must obtain licenses, deeds of establishment, and registration certificates.

1,090

The total number of public limited companies in the Netherlands as of the first quarter of 2022.

N.V. vs. B.V.

An N.V. is just one type of structure for companies in different countries. Another option is the B.V. or besloten vennootschap in the Netherlands. This structure is a private limited company and is generally smaller than an N.V.

The corporation tends to be liable for its debts, so no onus falls on its directors. Ownership is also divided into shares, which gives shareholders the power to make decisions about the company. Although it is common for smaller entities to have a single director, there is no limit to the number of directors a B.V. can have, which means there can be multiple directors.

To establish a B.V., it must:

Seek the services of a notary to incorporate the company

Deposit capital of at least 0.01 or cash in kind

Register with the KVK Commercial Register and the federal tax authority



Advantages and Disadvantages of an N.V.

Let's take a look at some of the key benefits and drawbacks of setting up an N.V. Keep in mind that this refers to corporate structures in the Netherlandsunless otherwise indicated.

Advantages

Some of the key benefits of registering and operating an N.V. in the Netherlands include:

Taking advantage of corporate tax rates and corporate tax deductions.

Providing shareholders with anonymity, as shareholder names are not required.

Shares are registered until fully paid up so no outlay of cash is required.

Directors aren't personally liable for the corporation's debts.

Here are some of the key drawbacks of registering and operating an N.V. in the Netherlands:

A higher amount of capital is required to register an N.V. compared to a B.V.

High capital and share valuation thresholds for listing an N.V. on a stock exchange

Can be easily acquired since shares aren't registered.

Corporate tax rates and tax deductions apply

Anonymity for shareholders

No outlay of cash is required

No personal liability for directors

Higher amount of startup capital is required compared to B.V.

High capital and share valuation thresholds to go public

Can be easily acquired

Real-Life Example of an N.V.

ProsCons

One of the largest Naamloze Vennootschaps in the world is Exor N.V. The company's roots trace back to the end of the 19th century but it wasn't until 1927 that it was officially founded by Giovanni Agnelli as Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino or FIAT.

It is now a holding company with a market capitalization of about $18.2 billion as of Jan. 20, 2022. It makes investments in a variety of sectors, including reinsurance, automobiles, agriculture, as well as professional sports. Its business segments include Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, PartnerRe, Ferrari, CNH Industrial, Juventus, and The Economist, among other enterprises.

The company remains largely controlled by the Italian Agnelli family today.

What Are the Differences Between an N.V. and B.V?

There are several things that set an N.V. apart from a B.V., namely their structures, sizes, and minimum requirements. An N.V. is a public limited company while a B.V. is a private limited company. An N.V. is reserved for larger entities and they require a greater minimum startup capital requirement of at least 45,000 compared to 0.01 for a B.V.

What Does N.V. Stand For?

N.V. stands for Naamloze Vennootschap, which is a public limited company in the Netherlands and other Dutch-influenced countries. The term Naamloze Vennootschap translates to nameless venture.

What Are the Characteristics of an N.V.?

All corporations that fall under the N.V. category are legal entities that must be registered with authorities, including those responsible for taxation. This kind of company issues shares to shareholders for the purpose of raising capital. Shareholders are able to remain anonymous and have the power to make decisions about the company.
What Is Net Worth?genting hotel at resorts world birmingham

Net worth is the value of the assets a person or corporation owns, minus the liabilities they owe. It is an important metric to gauge a company's health, providing a useful snapshot of its current financial position.

Sometimes called net wealth, one's net worth is used in the financial world to qualify certain individuals for particular investment strategies or financial products such as hedge funds, structured products, or other complex or alternative investments. Net worth has also become a fixation of popular culture, with lists ranking the people with the highest net worth as well as the net worth of various celebrities.

Key Takeaways

Net worth is a quantitative concept that measures the value of an entity and can apply to individuals, corporations, sectors, and even countries.

Net worth provides a snapshot of an entity's current financial position.

In business, net worth is also known as book value or shareholders' equity.

People with substantial net worth are called high-net-worth individuals (HNWI).

Elon Musk currently has the highest net worth of any individual on the planet.

What is Net Worth?

How to Calculate Net Worth

2:09

Net worth is calculated by subtracting all liabilities from assets. An asset is anything owned that has monetary value, while liabilities are obligations that deplete resources, such as loans, accounts payable (AP), and mortgages.

Net worth can be described as either positive or negative, with the former meaning that assets exceed liabilities and the latter that liabilities exceed assets. Positive and increasing net worth indicates good financial health. Decreasing net worth, on the other hand, is cause for concern as it might signal a decrease in assets relative to liabilities.

The best way to improve net worth is to either reduce liabilities while assets stay constant or rise, or increase assets while liabilities either stay constant or fall.

Net worth can be applied to individuals, companies, sectors, and even countries.

Net Worth in Business

In business, net worth is also known as book value or shareholders' equity. The balance sheet is also known as a net worth statement. The value of a company's equity equals the difference between the value of total assets and total liabilities. Note that the values on a company's balance sheet highlight historical costs or book values, not current market values.

Lenders scrutinize a business's net worth to determine if it is financially healthy. If total liabilities exceed total assets, a creditor may not be too confident in a company's ability to repay its loans.

A consistently profitable company will register a rising net worth or book value as long as these earnings are not fully distributed to shareholders as dividends. For a public company, a rising book value will often be accompanied by an increase in the value of its stock price.

Net Worth in Personal Finance

An individual's net worth is simply the value that is left after subtracting liabilities from assets.

Examples of liabilities include debts like mortgages, credit card balances, student loans, and car loans. Liabilities can also include obligations that must be paid such as bills and taxes.

An individual's assets, meanwhile, include checking and savings account balances, the value of securities such as stocks or bonds, real property value, the market value of an automobile, et al. Whatever is left after selling all assets and paying off personal debt is the net worth.

People with a substantial net worth are known as high net worth individuals (HNWI) and form the prime market for wealth managers and investment counselors. Investors with a net worth, excluding their primary residence, of at least $1 millioneither alone or together with their spouseare "accredited investors" in the eyes of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and, therefore, permitted to invest in unregistered securities offerings.

Important

Note that the value of personal net worth includes the current market value of assets and the current debt costs.

Example of Net Worth

Consider a couple with the following assets:

Primary residence valued at $250,000,

An investment portfolio with a market value of $100,000,

Automobiles and other assets valued at $25,000.

Liabilities include:

An outstanding mortgage balance of $100,000

A car loan of $10,000

The couple's net worth would, therefore, be calculated as:

[$250,000 + $100,000 + $25,000] - [$100,000 + $10,000] = $265,000

Assume that five years later, the couple's financial position changes: the residence value is $225,000, investment portfolio $120,000, savings $20,000, automobile and other assets $15,000; mortgage loan balance $80,000, and car loan $0 because it was paid off. Based on these new figures, the net worth five years later would be:

[$225,000 + $120,000 + $20,000 + $15,000] - $80,000 = $300,000.

The couple's net worth has gone up by $35,000, despite the decrease in the value of their residence and car. As we can see above, these declines were more than offset by increases in other assets, in this case, the investment portfolio and savings, as well as a drop in liabilities owed.

Negative Net Worth

A negative net worth results if total debt is more than total assets. For instance, if the sum of an individual's credit card bills, utility bills, outstanding mortgage payments, auto loan bills, and student loans is higher than the total value of their cash and investments, net worth will be negative.

Negative net worth is a sign that an individual or family needs to focus its energy on debt reduction. A tough budget, the use of debt reduction strategies such as the debt snowball or debt avalanche, and perhaps negotiation of some debts with creditors can sometimes help people climb out of a negative net worth hole and start building up their resources.

Early in life, a negative net worth is not uncommonstudent loans mean even the most careful-with-money young people can start out owing more than they own. Family responsibilities or an unexpected illness can also push people into the red.

When nothing else has worked, filing for bankruptcy protection to eliminate some of the debt and prevent creditors from trying to collect on it might be the most appropriate solution; however, some liabilitiessuch as child support, alimony, taxes, and often student loanscannot be discharged. Its also worth bearing in mind that a bankruptcy will stay on an individual's credit report for many years.

What Is a Good Net Worth?

Determining what a "good" net worth is will vary for every individual, according to their life's circumstances, financial needs, and lifestyle. The average net worth of an individual in the U.S. was $121,700 in 2019, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve.

How Do I Calculate My Net Worth?

To calculate your net worth, you subtract your total liabilities from your total assets. Total assets will include your investments, savings, cash deposits, and any equity that you have in a home, car, or other similar assets. Total liabilities would include any debt, such as student loans and credit card debt.

How Much Should I Have Saved?

How much you should have saved will depend on your age, your career, your lifestyle, and your life's circumstances. Fidelity, for example, recommends having saved three times your annual salary by the time you are 40 across all of your retirement accounts.

How Many People in America Are Considered "High Net-Worth"?

The United States had the most HNWIs in the world in 2021, with more than 7.4 million such people.

The Bottom Line

Net worth is a good way of understanding the true wealth of an individual or business. Looking only at one's assets can be misleading since this is often offset by some amount of liabilities, such as debt. One's net worth can be increased, therefore, by increasing assets while reducing debts and other liabilities.
What Is a Real Estate Limited Partnership (RELP)?best online casino in canada top reviewed

A real estate limited partnership (RELP) is a group of investors who pool their money to invest in property purchasing, development, or leasing. It is one of several forms of real estate investment group (REIG). Under its limited partnership (LP) status, a RELP has a general partner who assumes full liability and one or more limited partners who are liable only up to the amount they contribute.

The general partner is usually a corporation, an experienced property manager, or a real estate development firm. The limited partners are outside investors who provide financing in exchange for an investment return.

Under U.S. tax code, partnerships are not taxed. Rather, partnerships do a so-called pass-through, sending all of their income to the partners and reporting on form K-1. Partners receiving a K-1 must individually file their partnership income on Form 1040 if they are an individual or on Form 1120 if they are a corporation.

Key Takeaways

Real estate limited partnerships (RELPs) are LPs organized to invest primarily in real estate.

Limited partners are generally hands-off investors while the general manager takes on day-to-day responsibilities.

RELPs can offer high returns, with correspondingly high risks.

RELPs may provide certain tax benefits, as they pass income through to individual partners.

Understanding Real Estate Limited Partnerships (RELPs)

A RELP provides individuals with the opportunity to invest in a diversified portfolio of real estate investments. RELPs are but one of several options available to those looking for real estate investment exposure. They also include real estate investment trusts (REITs), managed real estate-focused investment funds, and other real estate portfolio options. A RELP may provide returns that beat other options, while simultaneously carrying comparably higher risk.

Depending on the structure of the LP, partners may or may not be involved in the management of the business. Partnership agreements detail the full provisions of the business, including minimum investments, fees, distributions, partner voting, and more. Some partnerships employ a collaborative-forum type of structure for investment decisions, while others leave the core management of the business to a few executives. Generally, the management team sources and identifies deals before investing any of the group's capital.

RELPs are marketed with detailed partnership agreements that define the terms of the entity and the investment opportunity overall. They generally target high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors. Some require accredited investor status for limited partnership status.

Special Considerations

Many RELPs have a narrowly defined focus: they may provide the business structure for construction of a residential neighborhood, a shopping center, or a business plaza. They often specialize in a real estate niche like retirement developments or high-value commercial properties. Some real estate investment partnerships accept investments of $5,000 to $50,000. That's not enough to purchase a unit, but the partnership will pool money from several investors to fund a property that is shared and co-owned

RELPs may have high returns and high risks, making due diligence important for prospective investors. The terms of the agreement may require the limited partner to commit to a lump sum contribution, a contribution schedule over time, or to contributions as called upon.

Notably, funds invested in a limited partnership are usually illiquid. The investor can't cash out at any time.

There may be flexibility for various business activities within the portfolio. A RELP might directly invest in real estate properties, issue credit for real estate borrowers, or participate in a collaborative business deal.

Partners' Roles in a RELP

The general partner usually has a vested interest in the partnership overall and provides a portion of the capital. General partners have a direct role in the management of the business with designees often serving on the board of directors and involved in the day-to-day management of the business. Overall, general partners hold active decision-making authority.

LPs have limited liability, and it usually comes with limited influence and involvement in the entitys governance. Some entities set up advisory boards or other means of communication to encourage the insights and participation of limited partners. Generally, limited partners are hands-off investors.

Limited partners receive dividend distributions along with pass-through income annually which constitutes part of their return. Many limited partnerships have a fixed-term lifespan so that partners receive their principal at a specified maturity date.

Taxes and RELPs

As with any partnership, a RELP is not required to pay taxes. The net income or losses are passed through to the partners annually.

This requires the partnership to file a Form 1065 informational return with the Internal Revenue Service and to report all distributions of income through individual partner K-1s. All of the partners in the business receive distributions throughout the year and a distribution of income annually.

The RELP is responsible for providing each partner with a K-1 which details the income they have received for the year. Partners are then required to report their income individually as appropriate.

RELPs do not pay taxes directly. Net income or losses are passed along to investors, who are responsible for tax reporting.
What Is Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1)?top cryptocurrency to buy and hold

Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) is a component of Tier 1 capital that is primarily common stock held by a bank or other financial institution. CET1 is a capital measure that was introduced in 2014 as a precautionary way to protect the economy from a financial crisis, largely in the context of the European banking system. All Eurozone banks are expected to meet the minimum CET1 ratio requirements to their risk-weighted assets (RWAs) as outlined by financial regulators.

Key Takeaways

Common Equity Tier 1 covers liquid bank holdings such as cash and stock.

The CET1 ratio compares a bank's capital against its assets.

Additional Tier 1 capital is composed of instruments that are not common equity.

In the event of a crisis, equity is taken first from Tier 1.

Many bank stress tests against banks use Tier 1 capital as a starting measure to test the bank's liquidity and ability to survive a challenging monetary event.

Understanding Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1)

The Basel Committee formulated a reformed set of international standards to review and monitor banks' capital adequacy following the 2007-2008 financial crisis. These standards, which are collectively called Basel III, compare a banks assets with its capital to determine if the bank could stand the test of a crisis.

Capital is required by banks to absorb unexpected losses that arise during the normal course of the banks operations. The Basel III framework tightens capital requirements by limiting the type of capital that a bank may include in its different capital tiers and structures.

A banks capital structure consists of several tiers. These include:



Tier 1 Capital: Known as going concern or core capital, Tier 1 is used to fund a financial institution's business activities. It includes Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital and Additional Tier 1 (AT1) capital.

Known as going concern or core capital, Tier 1 is used to fund a financial institution's business activities. It includes Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital and Additional Tier 1 (AT1) capital. Tier 2 Capital: This is often called gone concern or supplementary capital. This category is made up of things like hybrid capital instruments and subordinated term debt.

This is often called gone concern or supplementary capital. This category is made up of things like hybrid capital instruments and subordinated term debt. Tier 3 Capital:This type of capital includes market risk, commodities risk, and foreign currency risk and is the lowest quality of the three.



Common Equity Tier 1 is "the highest quality of regulatory capital, as it absorbs losses immediately when they occur," according to the Bank of International Settlements. A bank's Tier 1 capital must include a minimum ratio of 4.5% of CET1 to its RWAs.



CET1 is a measure of bank solvency that gauges a banks capital strength.

Special Considerations

A banks capital structure consists of Lower Tier 2, Upper Tier 1, AT1, and CET1. CET1 is at the bottom of the capital structure, which means that any losses incurred are first deducted from this tier in the event of a crisis. If the deduction results in the CET1 ratio dropping below its regulatory minimum, the bank must build its capital ratio back to the required level or risk being overtaken or shut down by regulators.

During the rebuilding phase, regulators may prevent the bank from paying dividends or employee bonuses. In the case of insolvency, the equity holders bear the losses first followed by the hybrid and convertible bondholders and then Tier 2 capital.



Stress Tests

The European Banking Authority conducts stress tests using the CET1 ratio from time to time to understand how much capital banks would have left in the adverse event of a financial crisis. The results of these tests have shown that most banks would be able to survive a crisis.

Calculating Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) Capital

Tier 1 capital is calculated as Common Equity Tier 1 capital plus Additional Tier 1 capital. CET1 comprises a banks core capital and includes common shares, stock surpluses resulting from the issue of common shares, retained earnings, common shares issued by subsidiaries and held by third parties, and accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI).

Additional Tier 1 capital is defined as instruments that are not common equity but are eligible for inclusion in this tier. An example of AT1 capital is a contingent convertible or hybrid security, which has a perpetual term and can be converted into equity when a trigger event occurs. An event that causes a security to be converted to equity occurs when CET1 capital falls below a certain threshold.

This measure is better captured by the CET1 ratio, which measures a banks capital against its assets. Because not all assets have the same risk, the assets acquired by a bank are weighted based on the credit risk and market risk that each asset presents.

Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio= Common Equity Tier 1 Capital  Risk-Weighted Assets

For example, a government bond may be characterized as a "no-risk asset" and given a zero percent risk weighting. On the other hand, a subprime mortgage may be classified as a high-risk asset and weighted 65%. According to Basel III capital and liquidity rules, all banks must have a minimum CET1 to RWAs ratio of 4.5%.



How Are Tier 1 Capital and CET1 Capital Different?

CET1 capital is one component of total Tier 1 capital. The other is known as additional Tier 1 capital (AT1). AT1 + CET1 = Tier 1 capital.

What Is the Minimum Tier 1 Capital a Bank Can Have?

The Basel Accords spelled out the minimum capital requirements for banks. They must maintain a minimum capital ratio of 8%, of which 6% must be Tier 1 capital.

What Does a Low CET1 Ratio Mean?

A low CET1 ratio implies an insufficient level of Tier 1 capital. In such a case, a bank may not be able to absorb a financial shock and may need to be bailed out quickly in the event of a financial crisis.

CorrectionNov. 16, 2022:A previous version of this article misstated that Eurozone banks must maintain a minimum CET1 ratio of 15.1% of risk-weighted assets.
On Tuesday, October 12th, 2021 Hungary futbol supporters violently and aggressively clashed with police forces at Londons historic Wembley Stadium. The rioting began when police officers quickly entered the visitor stands in order to place someone under arrest for racist abuse at the beginning of a World Cup qualifying match featuring England vs. Hungary.

The unfolding madness and unrest started after Hungary fans began booing the futbol players that were taking a knee before the initial kickoff which just so happens to be an ongoing anti  racism gesture performed at matches in England recently. This was similar to the football players of color in the National Football League choosing to knee during the National Anthem played prior to kickoffs of an NFL game.

Police were seen wielding batons to hold back the visiting fans that began raging and getting out of control to one degree or another. The English Football Association (EFA) said it was going to report this recent violent major incident to FIFA. The match ended in a draw with a final tally of 1 to 1. If you are interested in wagering during next years World Cup tournament possibly look at TitanBet Sportsbook / Casino for your entertainment purposes of course.

Disorder by these wild and unruly Hungarian fans unfortunately reared its ugly head approximately a month ago during a Hungary home contest against England that took place in Budapest, and their behavior including thick and unforgivable racism. This eventually led to Hungary having to play last Saturdays game versus Albania in a completely empty futbol stadium.

FIFA has officially placed Hungary on probation with the threat of more of their home games being played without fans in the future if there was any further disorder at games especially chaos involving racism or discriminatory behavior that the Hungarian fans have been currently displaying during these futbol matches. International play often causes strong differences between nations with very radically different viewpoints.

Media Statement

The Metropolitan Police Events official Twitter account stated, Shortly after the start of tonights match at Wembley, officers entered the stand to arrest a spectator for a racially aggravated public order offence after comments made towards a steward. As the officers made the arrest, minor disorder broke out involving other spectators. Order was quickly restored and there have been no further incidents at this stage.

Marco Rossi, the manager of Hungarys futbol club, refused to discuss the unruly behavior of his teams unreasonable supporters. Rossi said, I dont want to comment on this situation. It is not my task. Everything I could say could be interpreted in a different way.

The Football Association formerly explained, We are aware of an incident in the away section during tonights Fifa 2022 World Cup qualifier at Wembley Stadium. We will be investigating and will report the incident to FIFA.

A defenseman for Englands national team, Tyrone Mings, proclaimed that Englands players were not fazed by the Hungarian fans booing the knee protest by saying, Weve faced criticism for taking the knee and we have collectively stood passionately together. That has carried us as a squad. It doesnt change when people hold banners or disagree.

Sources:

Steinberg, Jacob. Hungary fans fight with police inside Wembley at start of England match: Police use batons to restore order in away section  Hungary recently punished by Fifa and Uefa. The Guardian. October 12, 2021.

Phillips, Mitch. Hungary fans fight with police inside Wembley. Reuters  Sports. October 12, 2021.
For beginners,buffalo jackpot bovada round robin every mistake costs them an entire stack. Sometimes, you don't tend to take the magnitude into account. So, even a small mistake which may not come into your consideration of mistakes might cost you a small pot which is again a part of your large stack. Mostly, people don't tend to correct these mistakes which leads to an aggravation of that mistake again. These kinds of mistakes don't happen often but cost you a small pot every time which get expensive in the long run.

The choices you make is what makes your boat float. So, instead of bailing yourself out correct those mistakes once and for all.

These are the common mistake beginners make. We might use poker terms here so do refer to those words if the meaning is not known.

Dont anticipate for coin flips :

This happens to people who watch poker on TV, learning from TVis not a good way if you are a beginner. There is a constant occurrence of coin flipping in the TV tournaments. So, the viewers are very excited about the coin flips which also make it a factor to prolong the game.

It is never correct to search for a pre-flip coin. When facing an all-in bet the beginner holding A-K will focus on the following logic.

Ahead of any no pair hands

Coin flip to any pair below KK

Only behind KK and AA and have three outs to KK

Overplaying hands:

This is one more common mistake made by the beginners. If you watch them closely, you will know that they will never fold anything or equal to their top pair. As you play more poker you will realisethat you get less comfortable with marginal hands. There is a huge difference a beginner flopping a coin and a pro doing the same. The only hand the professional can make money is due to three factors. They are:

Top pair Big kicker scenario

Here the player with that hand overplays it himself. You will have a marginal hand if you less than anything that the high end of the straight. And you should not be looking to play a large pot.

Dont draw on dangerous boards:

Once you hit the draw you have committed to putting money in the pot. This will can be from anywhere from your whole stack. When you hit draw on the board then hitting is the worst thing which can happen to you. After hitting your flush anyone will be willing to put money inside that pot. Dont lose a good card when you have given in on a draw.

Playing on Scared money:

Sometimes beginners play with a small roll or no roll at all. Hence playing on scared money. That is if you are unwilling to risk your entire stack your opponents will make use of it against you again. You go there to learn the game and money is just an incentive from it. So, never let your confidence down on risking your entire stack.

Category: Casino BlogMagazine
There are many words that look like combinations of other words. In some cases, these words can be safely separated into their original components. In other cases, its better to leave them together.

Alwaysis one word that confuses some writers. Should it be left as one word, or spelled as two words?

Continue reading to find out which way is correct.

What is the Difference Between Always and All Ways?

In this post, I will compare alwaysvs. all waysand explain how to use each one correctly. I will include an example sentence for each, and I will also discuss a simple mnemonic to help you remember if alwaysor all waysis correct.

When to Use Always

What does always mean? Alwaysis an adverb that means all the timeor also.

For example,

I dont always crave sushi, but when I do, I crave the California sunset roll at Bamboo Sushi.

Asher always sings the same obscure R&B deep cuts at karaoke night.

If the rain dance doesnt work, we can always offer a blood sacrifice to the harvest gods instead.

As always, the talks could fall apart before a deal is reached. The Wall Street Journal

When to Use All Ways

What does all ways mean? All waysis a phrase that refers to every way, where waycan mean method, direction, condition, or any of the other myriad uses of that word.

It is a two-word phrase where the adjective alldescribes the quantity of the plural noun ways, such that each and every one of them is included.

Here are few examples,

All ways into the city are blocked by traffic.

There are many approaches to woodworking, but all ways will lead to a fine finished product.

Is he kind to her, does his presence allow her to invest more deeply in her career than if she were on her own, is she in a good place in all ways besides the financial? The Washington Post

It is usually a good idea to break up this phrase, or substitute it with something less awkward. To do so aids the reader by minimizing confusion and adding specificity. Notice how the same sentences read much more clearly below:

All of the ways into the city are blocked by traffic.

There are many approaches to woodworking, but each method will lead to a fine finished product.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember all ways vs. always.

Use the adverb alwayswhen describing an event that happens all the time, or when referencing another possibility. Alwaysand adverbare both single words that start with A, so this usage case is an easy one to remember.

You should probably never use the phrase all ways on its own. It is clumsy, and by breaking it up or substituting it with a more specific phrase, you will be less likely to distract your reader.

Summary

Is it all ways or always?These two words are very close in their spelling and in their pronunciation, but their cases do not ever overlap.

All ways is an adjective phrase that refers to all the possible methods, directions, or conditions in a given scenario.

Always in an adverb that means all the time or also.

All waysis usually not an example of fluid, well-formed writing. Avoid using it if you can.

If you are having trouble deciding whether to choose all waysor always, remember that alwaysand adverb are both single wordsthat begin with the letter A.

By using always in this context, you will avoid confusing your readers, and be well on your way to becoming a stronger writer.
If you are an attractive human, you might be able to convince people to pay you to be photographed wearing expensive clothing and jewelry.

If you are less attractive, you might need to resort to a career designing and maintaining complex simulation software.

In either case, you will likely run across the words modeling and modelling. Do both of these words describe the same career?

In truth, whether you are showing off designer apparel, predicting weather patterns on a computer, or even assembling miniature versions of vehicles and buildings, the words modeling and modelling might both apply, depending on where on earth you are doing these things.

What is the Difference Between Modeling and Modelling?

In this post, I will compare modeling vs. modelling. I will use each of these words in at least one example sentence, so you can see them in context.

Plus, I will show you a mnemonic device that will allow you to choose either modelling or modeling, depending on your audience.

When to Use Modeling

What does modeling mean? Modeling can be a verb or an adjective.

As a verb, modelingis the present participle of model, which has several meanings. It can mean demonstrating appropriate behavioror displaying something, like fashionable clothes or the latest haircut.

For example,

Today, Sheena is modeling the fall look for fashion designer Pierre Montclement.

Teach the boy social skills by modeling appropriate behavior in situations relevant to his daily life.

Modeling can also be an adjective. In this usage, it describes something used for demonstration or display.

For example,

Jamies parents had to take him to the emergency room after he swallowed modeling glue.

Delaneys modeling career lasted for 50 years until she retired to a rustic Italian villa and severed all ties with the fashion world.

To hear Nyle DiMarco tell it, his rapid rise in the modeling world has been pretty much accidental. The Washington Post

When to Use Modelling

What does modeling mean? Modelling is an alternative spelling of the same word. It carries the same meanings and can be used in all the same contexts.

To be specific, modelling is the standard British English spelling, while modeling is the standard American English spelling.

A blue-eyed tea-seller from Islamabad has scored a modelling contract after featuring in an Instagram post that went viral. The Guardian

The graphs below chart the usage of modelling vs. modelling in both of these language communities.

American English:

British English:

As you can see, the Americans prefer modeling by a wide margin, while the British prefer the opposite (Although, this preference appears to be slipping). These charts arent completely exhaustive in their scope, however, since the sample is only comprised of books written in English since 1800, but they provide a clear picture of contemporary usage trends.

When to Use These Words

You should use modeling with American audiences, and modelling with British audiences.

Since modelling has an extra L, the letter at the beginning of the famous British city of London, it is not difficult to reserve modelling for use with British audiences.

Summary

Is it modeling or modeling? Modeling and modelling are alternative spellings of a word that refers to demonstrating or displaying something. It can be used as a verb or an adjective.

Modeling is the American spelling.

Modelling is the British spelling.

Modelling is in keeping with the consonant doubling conventions in British English. For example, cancelled, travelling, labelled, etc.
Many a baker has puzzled over the difference between meal and flourand wondered whether they are interchangeable in recipes.

In many cases, the answer to the second question is yes, they are interchangeable. Most of the time, the difference between meal and flour is a difference of degree: meal is just coarser flour, and flour is finer meal.

There are some exceptions, though. Corn is used to make many products, both in and out of the kitchen and the wider food industry. Corn meal is simple enough, but depending on who wrote the recipe, corn flour could be confusing. In England, however, substituting corn flour for corn meal could ruin your delicious weekend pancakes.

Continue reading to find out why.

What is the Difference Between Corn Flour and Corn Meal?

In this post, I will compare corn meal vs. corn flour. I will use each term in an example sentence, so you can see how they appear in context. I will also show you a memory tool that helps make choosing corn flour or corn meal a little easier.

When to Use Corn Meal

What is corn meal? Corn meal is a powdery ingredient made from ground-up kernels of grain. It is an important food ingredient in several cultures, and it goes by many different names in many different languages.

For example:

Some people who are allergic to gluten use corn meal mixed with other ingredients instead of regular white flour.

My mother used to make cornmeal pancakes for breakfast on the weekends and serve them to her children with fresh fruit.

Apparently, New Yorkers have a thing for puffed cornmeal. The Wall Street Journal

Corn mealcan also be written as one word: cornmeal.

When to Use Corn Flour

What is corn flour? Some British English speakers use corn flour to refer to a product also sold as cornstarch, which is another corn derivative that is used to thicken liquids.

Here are some examples:

Marge made her teriyaki sauce less runny by adding corn flour.

Adding corn flour to grape juice makes a jelly-like substance that you can use if you run out of jelly.

The kitchen boasts a $60,000 custom-built machine to make fresh tortillas the right way, starting with whole corn kernels  not premade corn flour. New York Post

Most of the time, though, flour and meal are similar: flour is more refined and more finely ground than meal, which is coarser and may also contain skins or other parts of the grain.

Sometimes, the only distinction is the texture of the finished product. Many supermarkets dont distinguish between almond flour and almond meal, for instance, and sell almond meal as almond flour/meal. They are interchangeable in most recipes, and using meal instead of flour usually just makes the pancakes (or whatever) slightly grainier than usual.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Corn meal is a powder made from ground-up kernels of corn.

We might expect corn flour to be a similar product, but British speakers use corn flour to refer to the product known as cornstarch in America.

Corn Flour vs. Corn Meal Check:Flour and starch both contain the letter R, so using corn flour to refer to a product made from the starch of corn kernels shouldnt be difficult.

Summary

Is it corn meal or corn flour? Corn meal is a powder obtained by grinding kernels of corn into tiny pieces. Corn flouris the British word for the product Americans call cornstarch, made from the starch of corn rather than ground-up kernels.
slot sinonimoshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dayan [ Sephardic Hebrew dah-yahn; Ashkenazic Hebrew dah-yawn ]/ Sephardic Hebrew dyn; Ashkenazic Hebrew dyn / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ Sephardic Hebrew dah-yahn; Ashkenazic Hebrew dah-yawn ]/ Sephardic Hebrew dyn; Ashkenazic Hebrew dyn /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun, plural dayanim [Sephardic Hebrew dah-yah-neem; Ashkenazic Hebrew dah-yaw-nim]. /Sephardic Hebrew d ynim; Ashkenazic Hebrew dy nm/. Hebrew.a judge in a Jewish religious court.a person knowledgeable in Talmudic law whose advice on religious questions is often sought by rabbis.

Dayan[ dah-yahn ]/ dyn /

nounMoshe [maw-she; English moh-shuh], /m; English mo /, 191581, Israeli politician and military leader: defense minister 196774, foreign minister 197779.

How to use dayan (2 of 2) Dayan/ (dajn) / nounMoshe (m). 191581, Israeli soldier and statesman; minister of defence (1967; 196974) and foreign minister (197779) Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question dayan (2 of 2)Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Over the first decade of the online casino industry,hosting virtual bingo it was clear that a few big names were dominating the slots market. Operators scrambled for the rights to offer games from Microgaming and Playtech, while smaller studios struggled to get a look in. Times have changed, though, and now there are hundreds of start-ups finding success thanks to the ballooning of the industry. Anyone with an aspiration to create games could try to come up with a winning slot.

Try to Get Recognised in the Busiest Markets

The online casino industry is one of the worlds most lucrative sectors, but the leading countries within it change all the time. For years, Europe led the way in the gambling scene, but now North America is catching up. Canada has become a particular hotbed for online casinos, as they are loved by players in the country.

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Canada represents a perfect market for an independent game studio to rise and gain recognition. It is easy for start-up game companies to plant roots in the country as the government has actively encouraged growth across the tech industry, as theglobeandmail.com explained. This isnt just the case for developers in the online casino sector, but also for console and mobile. Indeed, some of the worlds most famous names are based in Canada, with Behaviour Interactive and Square Enix Montreal being two of the best-known examples.

Canada Has a Wealth of Online Casinos

Anyone producing content in Canada can rest assured that there is a thriving audience there, ready and waiting. The wealth of online casinos that actively target players in the country is incredible. According to the information about online gambling at bonus.ca, there are more than 100 casinos competing for players in Canada. They do this by offering competitive welcome bonuses to new players.

Players are also swayed by the types of games on offer. With a vast number of sites now offering a similar library, some people may be tempted to try an original option. This is where small studios can prevail, if they manage to think of a fresh take on the games that will entice players.

Innovative Tools for Developing Slots

It seems that a lot of people have had the idea to set up a slot development studio in Canada, as there are now platforms available in the region to assist business owners. An example is AIS Technolabs, a company that provides templates for anyone to use to make slots. Because all slot games have a similar mechanism, it is easy to cut and paste without needing to know advanced code. This is a trend that is apparent throughout the game industry. Almost anyone now has the power to make a game, and creativebloq.com has compiled a list of the top 5 tools for making a video game.

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Slot developers who have a unique and intriguing idea could get their games out there in front of an audience. Players are often looking for something different that breaks the traditional mould, and this could be the best pathway towards success as an independent developer.

It does seem as though the bustling slots market has enough room for aspiring game makers to get involved and gain recognition. Starting a business in a buzzing location is key, as is coming up with a new idea that hasnt been done before.

Category: Casino Blog
What Is Free on Board (FOB)?bet365 csgo yankees rays betting

Free on Board (FOB) is a shipment term that defines the point in the supply chain when a buyer or seller becomes liable for the goods being transported. Purchase orders between buyers and sellers specify the FOB terms and help determine ownership, risk, and transportation costs.

"FOB Origin" or FOB Shipping Point" means the buyer accepts the title of the goods at the shipment point and assumes all risk once the seller ships the product. The buyer is responsible if the goods are damaged or lost while in transit.

"FOB Destination" means the seller retains the title of the goods and all responsibility during transit until the items reach the buyer.



Key Takeaways

Free on Board (FOB) is a term used to indicate when the ownership of goods transfers from buyer to seller and who is liable for goods damaged or destroyed during shipping.

"FOB Origin" means the buyer assumes all risk once the seller ships the product.

"FOB Destination" means the seller retains the risk of loss until the goods reach the buyer.

FOB terms can impact inventory, shipping, and insurance costs.

Free On Board

Understanding Free on Board (FOB)

2:24

FOB is a common term used for all types of shipping, both domestic and international. Shipping orders and contracts often describe the time and place of delivery, payment, when the risk of loss shifts from the seller to the buyer, and which party pays the costs of freight and insurance.

The vendor-client transaction defines the FOB terms in the purchase order. FOB status does not determine ownership, which is determined in the bill of sale or agreement between the buyer and seller, but defines which party takes responsibility for the shipment, whether at Origin, where the shipment begins or at Destination, where the shipment ends.

Each party should have a firm understanding of free on board (FOB) to ensure a smooth transfer of goods from the vendor to the client. Regardless of whether that transfer occurs on the domestic or international level, FOB terms can impact inventory, shipping, and insurance costs.

FOB Origin vs. FOB Destination

FOB origin, or shipping point, means that the buyer will receive the title for the goods they purchased when shipment begins. The sellers responsibility ends when the items are placed with a shipment carrier, and the buyer must ensure their goods reach their final destination on time and undamaged.

For FOB destination, the seller retains ownership of the goods and is responsible for replacing damaged or lost items until the point where the goods have reached their final destination.



For shipments internationally, especially for companies ordering large inventory for global shipment on vessels and containers, international contracts establish and outline provisions, including the time and place of delivery, payment terms, and FOB designation to define when the risk of loss shifts from the seller to the buyer and which party pays for freight and insurance.

The most common international trade terms are Incoterms, which the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) publishes, but firms that ship goods within the U.S. must adhere to the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC).

Since there is more than one set of rules, and legal definitions of FOB may differ from one country to another, the parties to a contract must indicate which governing laws are being used for a shipment.

FOB and Company Accounting

For FOB origin, after the goods are placed with a carrier for transport, the company records an increase in its inventory and the seller records the sale at the same time.

For FOB destination the seller completes the sale in its records once the goods arrive at their final destination and the buyer records the increase in its inventory at that time.

Other Shipping Terms

Although FOB Origin and Destination are the most familiar shipping terms, other terms include:

 FAS or Free Alongside: The seller must deliver goods on a ship that pulls up alongside a ship and close enough that the ship can use its lifting devices to bring the goods aboard.

 FCA or Free Carrier: The seller is obligated to deliver goods to an airport, shipping port, or railway terminal where the buyer has an established place of operation and takes delivery there.

 EXW or Ex Works: The seller prepares items for shipment from its location, but the buyer is responsible for picking the goods up and arranging shipment.

 DES or Delivered Ex Ship: The seller delivers products to a specified shipping port, where the buyer will take delivery on arrival.



What Is FOB Pricing?

The costs associated with FOB can include transportation of the goods to the port of shipment, loading the goods onto the shipping vessel, freight transport, insurance, and unloading and transporting the goods from the arrival port to the final destination.

Who Pays Freight for FOB Origin?

If the terms include the phrase "FOB origin, freight collect," the buyer is responsible for freight charges. If the terms include "FOB origin, freight prepaid," the buyer assumes the responsibility for goods at the point of origin, but the seller pays the cost of shipping.

What Is the Difference Between FOB and CIF?

CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight) and FOB (Free on Board) are two widely used INCOTERM agreements. Although the definition of both terms can differ across countries and is ultimately determined by each vendor-client contract, historically, FOB transfers liability from seller to buyer when the shipment reaches the port or other facility designated as the point of origin. With a CIF agreement, the seller pays costs and assumes liability until the goods reach the port of destination chosen by the buyer.



The Bottom Line

Free on Board (FOB) is a shipment term that defines the point in the supply chain when a buyer or seller assumes responsibility for the goods being transported. FOB terms like FOB Origin and FOB Destination help define ownership, risk, and transportation costs for both buyers and sellers.


The South African Trade and Industry Department revealed that it has confiscated around R1.25 million(approximately $100,000) in illegal online gambling winnings.

Gambling services in the country must be provided in full compliance with the National Gambling Act of 2004. Under the law, online gambling is illegal in South Africa and winnings obtained through iGaming must be forfeitedto the state. The gambling industry in the country is regulated and monitored by the National Gambling Board, which means that the regulatory body is also responsible to guard against any criminal activities, sanction such activities in a proper manner, and report them to other competent bodies.

As announced by the Trade and Industry Department, the High Court of South Africa has ruled that several individuals forfeit their online gambling winnings of around R1.25 million, as these had been obtained unlawfully. The Department further pointed out in a Saturday statement that the case was unprecedented for the country.

South African officials have repeatedly voiced concerns that online gambling may be used to mask money laundering and other illicit transactions. To prevent this from happening, the National Gambling Board has been working closely with local banks, with the latter helping the regulator and law enforcement confiscate illegal online gambling winnings.

The Trade and Industry Department noted in its Saturday statement that people who gamble online would not only have their winnings confiscated, but would also face prosecution. People who provide illegal gambling services, including iGaming, are also liable to prosecution.

It has become a common practice for so-called Internet cafes, or at least some of the facilities in question, to attract customers by offering them the opportunity to gamble online. Such operations are liable to criminal charges and to penalties of up to R10 million.

Commenting on the High Courts ruling, National Gambling Board Accounting Officer Caroline Kongwa told media that they are encouraged by the fact that the South African judicial system is considering the matterand is clearly taking it seriously. Ms. Kongwa also appealed for South African citizens to avoid any illegal gambling services and to report the conduction of such services as well as any attempts for their advertising.

Bingo halls, law-stakes machine parlors, brick-and-mortar casinos, and racing and betting are the only legal gambling options under the South African Gambling Act. In terms of Internet gambling, South Africans are only allowed to place sports bets on desktop or mobile.

Although more and more countries in Africa as well as the rest of the world have been taking measures to legalizing online gambling, South Africa has, in fact, tightened its policies againstthe provision of this type of services with the introduction of the National Gambling Policy 2016.
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nounany of various cranelike devices used singly or in pairs for supporting, raising, and lowering especially boats, anchors, and cargo over a hatchway or side of a ship.

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How to use davit C14: from Anglo-French daviot, diminutive of Davi David

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While much of the world worries about economic recession, Hong Kongs fiscal situation is one to envy. The former British colony, which reverted to Chinas control in 1997, remains a booming port of capitalism. Second quarter GDP growth this year was just below 10 percent. Unemployment is under 3.5 percent. There is so much money in the government coffers that next month, it will begin giving some it away. All 6.1 million adult permanent residents are to receive 6,000 Hong Kong dollars (about $700 U.S.). But not all of the prospective recipients are rejoicing.

These are some of the Hong Kong residents most in need of extra cash. Unable to afford soaring rents amid a shortage of public housing, they live in illegal units atop a ramshackle industrial building from which they face eviction by the government.

Lee Oi Lin is a former caretaker, now unable to work because of injuries. She lives with a dog and a cat in an illegally-subdivided unit, a space the size of a closet, barely 4.5 square meters.

Theres so much talk in this building about moving to a nicer place. But 6,000 (Hong Kong) dollars is not enough. To rent a place, you need two months down payment and one months deposit plus the agents fee, so it is four months rent up front to move into a decent place. Here there is no down payment, deposit and all that. We just pay 1,500 dollars and that is all. If I use my 6,000 dollars to rent, then I will not have enough money to eat, he said.

The 6,000 Hong Kong dollars ($700 U.S.) giveaway was announced earlier this year by Hong Kongs Chief Executive, Donald Tsang. He has followed that now with a revival of a program for subsidized home ownership for low and middle income earners. We are not optimistic about global economic prospects next year. We may see inflation and recession come one after the other. In response to this, we will implement short-term measures to ease the burden on the grassroots, he said.

While the scheme is aimed at addressing the housing shortage and high rents, critics say the subsidies and handouts are unlikely to reverse the declining popularity of Tsangs administration.

Among such skeptics is the leader of the opposition Civic Party, lawyer and lawmaker Alan Leong. To his disappointment and dismay his popularity has not gone up as a result of this cash handout. And this, I think, is explained by the frustration being felt by Hong Kong people that this administration is not doing things for the long-term good of Hong Kong, he said.

Some critics are predicting that the cash handouts could further fuel Hong Kongs inflation which has surged to its fastest pace in 15 years. But the government has come up with this idea that if you decide to collect the 6,000 (Hong Kong dollars) over a longer period of time you can earn interest of, I think, 200 (Hong Kong) dollars by collecting that a year later. So that may be seen as a measure to actually deal with this possibility of inflation being fueled. How effective it is is yet to be seen. But we are, in fact, worried, he said.

The rising costs worry residents in the tiny, illegal units atop this gloomy old Kowloon garment factory. They say while the world may envy Hong Kongs success and cash surplus, the only thing they see trickling down to them is the rain through the leaky roof.

HK residents to receive 6,000 HK dollars through cash giveaway schemeadded by chinatimesonline on

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What Is a Naked Option?pi coin price in 2022

A naked option is created when the option writer (seller) does not currently own any, or enough, of the underlying security to meet their potential obligation.

Key Takeaways

Naked options refer to an option sold without any previously set-aside shares or cash to fulfill the option obligation at expiration.

Naked options run the risk of large loss from rapid price change before expiration.

Naked call options that are exercised create a short position in the seller's account.

Naked put options that are exercised create a long position in the seller's account, purchased with available cash.

Understanding a Naked Option

A naked option, also known as an "uncovered" option, is created when the seller of an option contract does not own the underlying security needed to meet the potential obligation that results from sellingalso known as "writing" or "shorting"an option. In other words, the seller has no protection from an adverse shift in price.

Naked options are attractive to traders and investors because they have the expected volatility built into the price. If the underlying security moves in the direction opposite to what the option buyer anticipated, or even moves in the buyer's favor but not enough to account for the volatility already built into the price, then the seller of the option gets to keep any out-of-the-money (OTM) premium. Typically, that has translated to the option seller winning around 70 percent of trades, which can be quite appealing.

Selling an option creates an obligation for the seller to provide the option buyer with the underlying shares or futures contract for a corresponding long position (for a call option) or the cash necessary for a corresponding short position (for a put option) at expiration. In the case of a seller who sold a put option, the ultimate effect would be to create a long stock position in the option sellers accounta position purchased with cash from the option sellers account.

If the seller has no ownership of the underlying asset or the corresponding cash necessary for the execution of a put option, then the seller will need to acquire it at expiration based on current market prices. With no protection from the price volatility, such positions are considered highly vulnerable to loss and thus referred to as uncovered, or more colloquially, naked.

Naked Calls

A trader who writes a naked call option on a stock has accepted the obligation to sell the underlying stock for the strike price at or before expiration, no matter how high the share price rises. If the trader does not own the underlying stock, the seller will have to acquire the stock, then sell the stock to the option buyer to satisfy the obligation if the option is exercised. The ultimate effect is that this creates a short-sell position in the option sellers account on the Monday after expiration.

For example, imagine a trader who believes that a stock is unlikely to rise in value over the next three months, but they are not very confident that a potential decline would be very large. Assume that the stock is priced at $100, and a $105 strike call, with an expiration date 90 days in the future, is selling for $4.75 per share. They decide to open a naked call by "selling to open" those calls and collecting the premium. In this case, the trader decides not to purchase the stock because they believe the option is likely to expire worthless and the trader will keep the entire premium.

There are two possible outcomes for a naked call trade:

The stock rallies prior to expiration: In this scenario, the trader has an option that will be exercised. If we assume that the stock rose to $130 on good earnings news, then the option will be exercised at $105 per share as that exceeds the breakeven point for the option buyer. This means that the trader must acquire the stock at the current market price, and then sell it (or short the stock) at $105 per share to cover their obligation. These circumstances result in a $20.25 per share loss ($105 + $4.75 - $130). There is no upper limit for how high the stock (and the option seller's obligations) can rise. The stock remains flat or lower than $105 per share at expiration: If the stock is at or below the strike price at expiration, it won't be exercised, and the option seller gets to keep the premium of $4.75 per share that they originally collected.

Naked Puts

As you can see in the preceding outcomes, there is no limit to how high a stock can rise, so a naked call seller has theoretically unlimited risk. With naked puts, on the other hand, the seller's risk is contained because a stock, or other underlying asset, can only drop to zero dollars.

A naked put option seller has accepted the obligation to buy the underlying asset at the strike price if the option is exercised at or before its expiration date. While the risk is contained, it can still be quite large, so brokers typically have specific rules regarding naked option trading. Inexperienced traders, for example, may not be allowed to place this type of order.

Essentially, a seller who sold a put option is liable to have a long stock position if the option buyer exercises.
What Is "Boil the Ocean"?ascot gold cup odds mint nft game

"Boil the ocean" is an idiomatic phrase that means to undertake an impossible task or project or to make a job or project unnecessarily difficult. The phrase appears in business and among startup companies, as well as in other group settings, and is considered to be a negative phrase in relation to how one approaches a task.

Key Takeaways

"Boiling the ocean" means undertaking an impossible task or making a task unnecessarily difficult.

The phrase is used in a variety of settings as a negative comment on how one conducts business or projects.

The phrase derives from the literal concept of boiling the ocean, which is an impossible task.

To avoid boiling the ocean, tasks and projects should have clear guidelines within the resources provided, frequent discussions on progress, and provisions against any unnecessary expansion.

Understanding "Boiling the Ocean"

In the literal sense, boiling the ocean is impossible because there's too much water for boiling it to be feasible. Boiling the actual ocean would be an impossible task. When applied to groups or projects, the phrase can simply mean making something so complicated that the goal becomes impossible.

The phrase "boil the ocean" has the additional connotation of going overboard or delving into such minute detail that a project becomes impossible. It also is sometimes heard as a derisory comment on a written or verbal report that is filled with unnecessary detail, insider jargon, or pompous language.

As with many phrases of this type, its origins are somewhat mysterious. Various sources point to Will Rogers, Mark Twain, and Lewis Carroll as the originators of the phrase; however, no direct attribution has been identified.

How Not to "Boil the Ocean"

For project managers and business leaders, it is especially important to avoid boiling the ocean. Management can accomplish this by focusing on the most critical parts of a project. They can make sure they have the right team and the right resources in place before starting a project. They may break large projects into smaller units, accomplishing steps rather than failing by bounds.

It's critical to focus on the core pillars of a project and not let it run out of control. Creating boundaries within the given resources can help to achieve this, and stopping any efforts to expand the scope of the project is imperative.

Having clear agendas, a timetable, and frequent discussions on the progress of a project can help ensure that it does not become impossible to achieve the stated goals.

Criticism of "Boiling the Ocean"

Some business experts believe that the term "boil the ocean" should be retired or used only specifically as it does not adequately provide sage advice. These critics believe that the phrase works for complicated problems, whereby breaking down tasks and assigning them to those best suited is a smart move that saves time and resources.

However, these critics also believe that the ocean should be boiled when approaching complex tasks. This is so because most complex tasks within an organization have a link to all parts of the organization and working on a larger scale ensures that any changes or new implementations impact all parts of the organization equally and positively. Working in isolation could be fruitless.

Furthermore, complex problems can be so vast, it can be difficult to know where to start and what awaits down the line as a project progresses. Therefore, avoiding one area to focus on another might not be the best strategy. Here, being all-inclusive and expanding the breadth of the project may be the quickest and most successful way to achieve the intended goal.

Examples of "Boiling the Ocean"

Say a manager directed a team to prepare a presentation for an American business client based in Houston. Instead of requesting a straightforward presentation, the manager may insist that the employees prepare versions in Spanish, French, Japanese, Chinese, and Italian as well as English, just in case someone at the presentation prefers to hear it in one of those languages. The manager has taken a simple project and turned it into something which is nearly impossible. In fact, the ocean is boiling.

Another example might be a six-month-old startup company that has set a goal of obtaining venture capital funding and going public by the end of the year. Such a goal might seem laudably ambitious to the company's founder. The employees who are tasked with getting it done know it's boiling the ocean.
As Colorados gambling industry grows,sportsline fanduel cam thomas nets its vital that responsible gambling programs keep pace.

With that in mind, the Colorado Division of Gaming has partnered with the Problem Gambling Coalition of Colorado to launch a voluntary self-exclusion program in the Centennial State.

This program is a priority of the divisions new director, Chris Schroder. He has championed responsible gambling at every stop he has taken throughout his career.

In three years of Colorado sports betting, from May 2020 through April 2023, more than $12 billion has been wagered. The Colorado betting marketplace is thriving, which makes responsible gambling programs paramount. This self-exclusion program is a solid starting point.

The new self-exclusion program, which was launched during Septembers Responsible Gambling Education Month, allows people to enroll in the program voluntarily. Doing so will exclude them from all Colorado regulated gaming. This includes casino gambling and sports wagering at both retail locations and online.
Concha, Huckabee react to Trump announcing 2024 presidential run

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Joe Concha, Mike Huckabee, Leo Terrell, and Rep. Jim Jordan join 'Hannity' to sound off on breaking election news.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.  Former President Donald Trump Tuesday announced his 2024 candidacy for president in a speech that punched hard at Democrats but skipped over his GOP rivals  staying on message in a way strikingly different from his traditional rallies.

Trump spoke at a moment when many Republicans are distancing themselves from him after lackluster midterm elections for the party. GOP lawmakers, even some traditionally supportive of Trump, hoped he would delay an announcement until after Georgia Senate runoffs, fearing his rhetoric could divide Republicans and drag down GOP candidate Herschel Walker.

But Trump's speech, in a tone subdued compared to his traditional campaign rallies, avoided intra-party sniping and denials of the President Biden's 2020 election victory. There was no reference to "Ron DeSanctimonious," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., or other rivals Trump has gone after as recently as the past few days on his "Truth Social" account.

Instead, he largely focused on touting himself as the person to fix problems plaguing the U.S. under Biden.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at an event announcing his 2024 presidential campaign (Fox News)

"America's comeback starts right now," Trump told an enthusiastic crowd that included many members of his inner circle and at various points chanted, "Trump, Trump" and "USA, USA."

DONALD TRUMP ANNOUNCED 2024 RE-ELECTION RUN FOR PRESIDENT

"In order to make America great and glorious again, I am announcing tonight my candidacy for president of the United States," Trump said.

Trump hit on many of his signature issues, including crime, drugs and illegal immigration. He also covered new ground, calling for congressional term limits, regulations on stock trading for federal lawmakers, and lobbying bans for former members of the Cabinet and Congress.

Trump slammed Biden on his withdrawal from Afghanistan, alleging that the current president made the U.S. a "laughingstock." And he attacked Biden for the United States' assistance to Ukraine in its war against Russia.

Former President Donald Trump announced a 2024 campaign Tuesday. (REUTERS/Emily Elconin)

"Perhaps the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country," Trump said, referring to Afghanistan. "We lost lives, left Americans behind and surrendered $85 billion of the finest military equipment anywhere in the world.

"Unlike Biden possibly getting us into World War III, which can seriously happen," Trump said, "I will keep America out of foolish and unnecessary foreign wars."

IVANKA TRUMP SAYS SHE LOVES HER FATHER BUT DOES NOT PLAN TO BE INVOLVED IN POLITICS

But he painted an optimistic future of the United States if he's reelected.

"I am running because I believe the world has not yet seen the true glory of what this nation can be," Trump said.

"We will heal our divisions and bring our people back together through incredible success," he added. "We will shatter the forces of tyranny, and we will unleash the glories of liberty for ourselves and for our children, and for generations yet to come. America's golden age is just ahead."

The crowd was filled with Trump loyalists, including Ric Grenell, Roger Stone, Tony Bobulinski, Mike Lindell, Jason Miller, Boris Epshtyn and Devin Nunes.

Much of Trump's family was also there, including his wife Melania, his children Lara, Eric and Barron, and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Trump's presidential announcement comes several months before modern White House candidates traditionally announce their presidential bids. The midterms are not even finished, with some House races still uncalled and the Georgia runoff weeks away.

President Donald held a rally outside the White House with supporters on January 6, 2021. A mob of Trump's supporters later stormed the Capitol. ((AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File))

SEN. TOM COTTON: FAMILY WAS REALLY THE ONLY CONSIDERATION IN HIS DECISION NOT TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2024

Trump Tuesday also veered into some of his previous grievances. He griped that the media hasn't covered the success rate of his congressional endorsements in 2022 and alleged that China interfered in the 2020 election. He attacked Christopher Steele and his discredited dossier, slammed the FBI raid of his home, and complained about subpoenas for members of his family.

But Trump generally spent just a few seconds on those issues before getting back on message. He also attacked the use of mail-in ballots but skipped the false stolen election claims that often come when he addresses the topic.

Trump first won the presidency in 2016 against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. If he is elected again, he would become only the second president to retake the White House after having been ousted, a feat achieved by Grover Cleveland in 1892.

Since his 2020 loss to President Biden, Trump has challenged the legitimacy of the 2020 election results, repeatedly claiming the race was "rigged," due to the COVID pandemic-era process of mail-in ballots. Trump's legal team filed a slew of lawsuits in battleground states across the nation.

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The former president was heavily involved in the midterms, throwing his support behind Republican candidates across the nation. During the primaries, the majority of Trump-endorsed candidates were victorious. But many of his most important endorsements struggled and lost in the general elections, including candidates for Senate and governor.

Tyler Olson is a reporter covering the Senate for Fox News Digital.
What Is a Franked Dividend?hollywood casino online pa login

A franked dividend is an arrangement in Australia that eliminates the double taxation of dividends. The shareholder can reduce the tax paid on the dividend by an amount equal to the tax imputation credits. An individuals marginal tax rate and the tax rate for the company issuing the dividend affect how much tax an individual owes on a dividend.

Key Takeaways

A franked dividend is paid with a tax credit attached and is designed to eliminate the issue of double taxation of dividends for investors.

The shareholder submits the dividend income plus the franking credit as income but will only be taxed on the dividend portion.

Franked dividends can be fully franked or partially franked.

Franked dividends help to create more stable and competitive markets by lowering the tax burden on dividends.

Franked Dividend

Understanding Franked Dividends

1:29

A franked dividend is paid with a tax credit attached and is designed to eliminate the issue of double taxation of dividends for investors. Basically, it reduces a dividend-receiving investor's tax burden.

Dividends are paid by companies to their shareholders out of profits. These payments are often periodic, such as monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually, but can also be paid out through special distributions which are carried out as a standalone event. Since these payments are drawn from profits, it implies dividends have already been subject to tax at the corporate level. So, a shareholder receiving the dividend should not be obligated for the tax on that dividend when it comes to paying their individual income taxes. That would constitute double taxation.

Franked dividends eliminate this double taxation by giving investors a tax credit, commonly known as a franking credit, for the amount of tax the business paid on that dividend. The shareholder submits the dividend income plus the franking credit as income but will end up being taxed only on the dividend portion. Franked dividends can be fully franked (100%) or partially franked (less than 100%).

The formula for calculating a franking credit for a fully franked dividend paying $1,000 by a company whose corporate tax rate is 30% is:

Franking Credit = (Dividend Amount  (1 - Company Tax Rate)) - Dividend Amount

Franking Credit = ($1,000  (1 - 0.30)) - $1,000 = ($1,000  0.70) - $1,000 = $428.57

The shareholder would receive a fully franked dividend of $1,000, and their dividend statement would show a franking credit of $428.57. If the dividend were not franked, the shareholder would have owed taxes on the entire $1,428.57 ($1,000 + $428.57). With the franking credit, taxes only apply to the $1,000, even though they declare $1,428.57 as taxable income.

Types of Franked Dividends

There are two different types of franked dividends, fully franked and partially franked. When a stocks shares are fully franked, the company pays tax on the entire dividend. Investors receive 100% of the tax paid on the dividend as franking credits. In contrast, shares that are not fully franked may result in tax payments for investors.

Businesses sometimes claim tax deductions, perhaps due to losses from preceding years. That allows them to avoid paying the entire tax rate on their profits in a given year. When this happens, the business does not pay enough tax to legally attach a full tax credit to the dividends paid to shareholders. As a result, a tax credit is attached to part of the dividend, making that portion franked. The rest of the dividend remains untaxed, or unfranked. This dividend is then said to be partially franked. The investor is responsible for paying the remaining tax balance.

Benefits of Franked Dividends

The tax advantages of franked dividends for investors are apparent, but there are additional benefits for markets and society. The classic argument against double taxation of income is that it deters investment in publicly traded companies that issue dividends. Many small businesses have flow-through taxation, so investors only have to pay income taxes. Large firms must pay corporate income tax, and then their investors are taxed again on the dividend income. Double taxation seems unfair on the surface. Furthermore, it distorts investment choices, potentially leading to reduced economic efficiency and lower incomes.

Franked dividends may have additional benefits within the stock market. Because unfranked dividends suffer from tax disadvantages, there was a trend away from issuing them. Growth stocks in the U.S., most notably Amazon (AMZN), outperformed the market in part by reinvesting profits in their operations rather than issuing dividends. Stocks that do not issue dividends are necessarily more speculative, so markets become less stable as those companies succeed. In the long-run, reinvesting in firms instead of issuing dividends reduces competition, efficiency, and consumer choice. Franked dividends help to create more stable and competitive markets by lowering the tax burden on dividends.

Real World Example

From April 2016 to June 2019, New York-based investment firm VanEck ran the VanEck Vectors S&P/ASX Franked Dividend ETF. The ETF tracked the S&P/ASX Franked Dividend Index and included companies in the S&P/ASX 200 that paid out 100% franked dividends in the preceding two years. The fund changed its investment objective and name in June 2019.
Residents in a community in the Liwan district in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, take nucleic acid testing on November 9, 2022. Photo: VCG

The city of Guangzhou in South China's Guangdong Province plans to add more than 240,000 beds in makeshift hospitals and centralized quarantine zones to prepare for COVID-19 patients' accommodation as it has reported more than 46,000 cases since November.Guangzhou is making all-out efforts to speed up the construction of makeshift hospitals and centralized quarantine zones with a plan to build a total of 246,407 beds, said Wang Bosen, spokesperson for the Guangzhou Municipal government, on Thursday. According to Wang, Guangzhou has finished 67,399 beds so far.According to the local health commission, Guangzhou reported 8,761 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday and 16 of them were detected at community level, taking the total number of infections since November to more than 46,000.Guangzhou officials said the city's Haizhu district has become the epicenter of the outbreak with 8,582 cases found in the district on Wednesday. Some 95,300 residents in Haizhu have been transferred to centralized quarantine zones.The community transmission chains have not been completely blocked, Haizhu officials said, adding that the district is speeding up COVID testing and construction of makeshift hospitals and quarantine facilities to for rapid transfer of patients and close contacts.According to the local health commission, there are 6,006 cases in hospitals as of Wednesday and two ordinary cases have turned into severe and critical cases, who are elderly people with several severe underlying diseases. The conditions of the two cases are stable at present.Global Times
What Is a Price Ceiling?topkasino

A price ceiling is the mandated maximum amount a seller is allowed to charge for a product or service. Usually set by law, price ceilings are typically applied to staples such as food and energy products when such goods become unaffordable to regular consumers.

A price ceiling is essentially a type of price control. Price ceilings can be advantageous in allowing essentials to be affordable, at least temporarily. However, economists question how beneficial such ceilings are in the long run.

Key Takeaways

A price ceiling is a type of price control, usually government-mandated, that sets the maximum amount a seller can charge for a good or service.

Price ceilings are typically imposed on consumer staples, like food, gas, or medicine, often after a crisis or particular event sends costs skyrocketing.

The opposite of a price ceiling is a price floora point below which prices can't be set.

While they make staples affordable for consumers in the short term, price ceilings often carry long-term disadvantages, such as shortages, extra charges, or lower quality products.

Economists worry that price ceilings cause a deadweight loss to an economy, making it more inefficient.

Price Ceiling

How a Price Ceiling Works

1:39

While price ceilings might seem to be an obviously good thing for consumers, they also carry long-term ramifications. Certainly, costs go down in the short run, which can stimulate demand.

However, producers need to find some way to compensate for the price (and profit) controls. They may ration supply, cut back on production or production quality, or charge extra for (formerly free) options and features. As a result, economists wonder how efficient price ceilings can be at protecting the most vulnerable consumers from high costs or even protecting them at all.

A broader and more theoretical objection to price ceilings is that they create a deadweight loss to society. This describes an economic deficiency, caused by an inefficient allocation of resources, that disturbs the equilibrium of a marketplace and contributes to making it more inefficient.

Types of Price Ceilings

There are several instances of government-enforced price ceilings, usually for goods that are considered essential or necessary. The following are some common examples of price ceilings.

Rent Ceilings

Some areas have rent ceilings to protect renters from rapidly climbing rates on residences. Such rent controls are a frequently cited example of the ineffectiveness of price controls in general and price ceilings in particular.

In the late 1940s, rent controls were widely implemented in New York City and throughout New York State. In the aftermath of World War II, homecoming veterans were flocking and establishing familiesand rent rates for apartments were skyrocketing, as a major housing shortage ensued. The original post-war rent control applied only to specific types of buildings. However, it continued in a somewhat less restricted form, called rent stabilization, into the 1970s.

In New York City, rent control tenants are generally in buildings built before Feb. 1, 1947, where the tenant is in continuous occupancy prior to July 1, 1971. Rent stabilization applies to buildings of six or more units built between Feb. 1, 1947, and Dec. 31, 1973.

The aim was to help maintain an adequate supply of affordable housing in the cities. However, the actual effect, critics say, has been to reduce the overall supply of available residential rental units in New York City, which in turn has led to even higher prices in the market.

Further, some housing analysts say, controlled rental rates also discourage landlords from having the needed funds, or at least committing the necessary expenditures, to maintain or improve rental properties, leading to deterioration in the quality of rental housing.

Food and Fuel Price Caps

Some governments may cap the prices of essential goods, such as food and fuel, in order to ensure access to these essential goods and prevent profiteering. For example, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the German government pledged to cap energy prices due to the shortage of Russian natural gas.

Cost Caps for Prescription Drugs and Laboratory Tests

In the United States, there is a strong incentive by medical equipment and drug manufacturers to raise prices, knowing that the increased cost will most likely fall on taxpayers or insurance companies. In order to prevent further price rises, president Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes price caps on the negotiated prices of certain drugs.

Price Ceiling vs. Price Floor

The opposite of a price ceiling is a price floor, which sets a minimum purchase cost for a product or service. Also known as price support, it represents the lowest legal amount at which a good or service may be sold and still function within the traditional supply and demand model.

A minimum wage is a familiar type of price floor. Operating on the premise that someone working full time ought to earn enough to afford a basic standard of living, it sets the lowest legal amount that a job can pay.

Both floors and ceilings are forms of price controls. Like a price ceiling, a price floor may be set by the government or, in some cases, by producers themselves. Federal or municipal authorities may actually name specific figures for the floors, but often they operate simply by entering the market and buying the product, thus propping its prices up above a certain level.

Many countries periodically impose floors on agricultural crops and products, for example, to mitigate the swings in supply and farmers' income that can commonly occur, due to factors beyond their control.

Effects of Price Ceilings

Although price ceilings are intended to ensure access to the most essential goods, they may sometimes have the counterintuitive effect of making those goods less accessible. This is because the government-enforced price does not reflect the market forces of supply and demand.

For example, many municipal governments enforce policies that limit raises in rental prices, in order to keep housing more affordable. This means that landlords are unable to raise rents when housing is in short supply. Because of these restrictions, developers are less likely to fund new developments, because their profits will be limited by existing rent controls. As a result, the supply of housing is less likely to increase in those cities, even when there is a shortage.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Price Ceilings

The big pro of a price ceiling is, of course, the limit on costs for the consumer. It keeps things affordable and prevents price-gouging or producers/suppliers from taking unfair advantage of them. If it's just a temporary shortage that's causing rampant inflation, ceilings can mitigate the pain of higher prices until supply returns to normal levels again. Price ceilings can also stimulate demand and encourage spending.

So, in the short term, price ceilings have their advantages. They can get to be a problem, though, if they continue too long, or when they are set too far below the market equilibrium price (when the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied).

When they do, demand can skyrocket, leading to shortages in supply. Also, if the prices producers are allowed to charge are too out of line with their production costs and business expenses, something will have to give. They may have to cut corners, reduce quality, or charge higher prices on other products. They may have to discontinue offerings or not produce as much (causing more shortages). Some may be driven out of business if they can't realize a reasonable profit on their goods and services.

Keeps prices affordable

Prevents price-gouging

Stimulates demand

Often causes supply shortages

May induce loss of quality, corner-cutting

May lead to extra charges or boosted prices on other goods

Example of a Price Ceiling

ProsCons

In the 1970s, the U.S. government imposed price ceilings on gasoline after some sharp rises in oil prices. As a result, shortages quickly developed. The regulated prices seemed to function as a disincentive to domestic oil companies to step up (or even maintain) production, as was needed to counter interruptions in oil supply from the Middle East.

As supplies fell short of demand, shortages developed and rationing was often imposed through schemes like alternating days in which only cars with odd- and even-numbered license plates would be served. Those long waits imposed costs on the economy and motorists through lost wages and other negative economic impacts.

The supposed economic relief of controlled gas prices was also offset by some new expenses. Some gas stations sought to compensate for lost revenue by making formerly optional services such as washing the windshield a required part of filling up and imposed charges for them.

The consensus of economists is that consumers would have been better off in every respect had controls never been applied. If the government had simply let prices increase, they argue, the long lines at gas stations would never have developed. Oil companies would have bumped up production, due to the higher prices, and consumers, who now had a stronger incentive to conserve gas, would have limited their driving or bought more energy-efficient cars.

What Does Price Ceiling Mean?

A price ceiling, aka a price cap, is the highest point at which goods and services can be sold. It is a type of price control and the maximum amount that can be charged for something. It often is set by government authorities to help consumers, when it seems that prices are excessively high or rising out of control.

What Are Price Ceiling Examples?

Rent controls, which limit how much landlords can charge monthly for residences (and often by how much they can increase rents) are an example of a price ceiling.

Caps on the costs of prescription drugs and lab tests are another example of a common price ceiling. In addition, insurance companies often set caps on the amount they'll reimburse a doctor for a procedure, treatment, or office visit.

What Is Price Ceiling and Price Floor?

Price ceilings and price floors are the two types of price controls. They do the opposite thing, as their names suggest. A price ceiling puts a limit on the most you have to pay or that you can charge for somethingit sets a maximum cost, keeping prices from rising above a certain level.

A price floor establishes a minimum cost for something, a bottom-line benchmark. It keeps a price from falling below a particular level.

How Do You Calculate a Price Ceiling?

Governments typically calculate price ceilings that attempt to match the supply and demand curve for the product or service in question at an economic equilibrium point. In other words, they try to impose control within the boundaries of what the natural market will bear. However, over time, the price ceiling itself can impact the supply and demand of the product or service. In such cases, the calculated price ceiling may result in shortages or reduced quality.

The Bottom Line

Price ceilings prevent a price from rising above a certain level. They are a form of price control. While in the short run, they often benefit consumers, the long-term effects of price ceilings are complex. They can negatively impact producers and sometimes even the consumers they aim to help, by causing supply shortages and a decline in the quality of goods and services.
What Is Handelsgesetzbuch (HGB)?vista tips pred red dog real money

Handelsgesetzbuch (HGB) is a law that governs the primary commercial code for companies in Germany. The law includes a regulation related to the preparation of financial statements and establishes accounting guidelines and best practices. HGB is similar to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), which is followed in the United States.

Key Takeaways

Handelsgesetzbuch (HGB) is Germany's commercial code and accounting standards for how companies must prepare and report financial statements.

The HGB also mandates various corporate ordinances and regulations dealing with the treatment of workers.

In many ways, the guidelines spelled out in the HGB are similar to the U.S. GAAP and IFRS with a few notable differences.

Germanys laws and IFRS both use historical costs as the core of accounting, but German law generally does not allow for revaluations as the IFRS does.

Understanding Handelsgesetzbuch (HGB)

The commercial code of Germany, known as Handelsgesetzbuch, was first established on May 10, 1897. In 1998, the code was adapted to conform to new laws within the European community.

The HGB has also been used in Austria since 1938. In 2007, the HGB in Austria was replaced by a newer unified commercial code called the Unternehmensgesetzbuch (UGB). German accounting law was further updated in 2010 with the Bilanzrechtsmodernisierungsgesetz (BilMoG).

HGB includes the governance on the registration of companies in Germany and the ordinances they must adhere to. For example, HGB includes provisions on the use of commercial brokers, agents, and the formation and dissolution of partnerships with third parties.

The mandates of HGB include paying employees salaries by the end of each month. Under the law, non-compete clauses in employees' hiring contracts must be in writing. There are also provisions regarding charter contracts for ships and salvage rights.

Handelsgesetzbuch (HGB) vs. IFRS

Germanys commercial code and accounting laws share similarities and differences with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). For example, Germanys laws and IFRS both use historical costs as the core of accounting, but German law generally does not allow for revaluations.

IFRS allows for the revaluation of the fair value of property, intangible assets, investment property, equipment, and inventions within set industries. German accounting law does offer some exceptions to the fair value assessment of financial instruments from banks and financial institutions that are held for trading.

Income statements are largely similar under either set of accounting laws, but differences do exist. There is no statement of comprehensive income under German account practices. Income statements can be issued by using the cost of sales or total cost methods. Furthermore, income drawn from discounting provisions must be included with other interest and similar income.

With IFRS, a company can decide to show its income or expenses as a single statement of comprehensive income or as two statements. The separate statements can show components of profit or loss, plus another statement for other income.

HGB only requires a statement of cash flows for consolidated financial statements and for publicly traded companies that are not required to file consolidated financial statements. IFRS and German accounting practices both classify cash flows by operating, investment, and financing activities.
English has many words which are homophones or near homophones, that is, words and phrases which are pronounced alike but do not mean the same thing and are spelled differently.

Its easy to mix up homophones in your writing. These substitutions are one of the most common mistakes even experienced writers can make.

Alreadyand all readysound the same when spoken out loud, but they are not interchangeable. Continue reading to find out whether you mean alreadyor all ready, and why.

What is the Difference Between Already and All Ready?

In this article, I will compare alreadyvs. all ready. I will use each in a sentence, so you can see each in its proper context. Plus, at the end of the post, I will show you a helpful trick to use when you cant decide whether to use already or all ready in your own writing.

When to Use Already

What does already mean? Alreadyfunctions as an adverb and is defined as by now or a specified time.See the following sentences for examples.

George, Paul, John, and Ringo already boarded the plane.

I already told you to stop tapping your fingers on the table.

Even though the couple was having a nice evening, it was already time to go home.

Many writers mistakenly substitute alreadyfor all ready, and vice versa. As you can see, these terms are not freely interchangeable, and each should be reserved for the context in which it best fits.

When to Use All Ready

What does all ready mean? All readyis a phrasal adjective that means collectively prepared. If you had a group of six members who wanted to go skydiving, and each member had taken all the steps required to go skydiving, you could say that the team was all ready. Here are more examples.

George, Paul, John, and Ringo are all ready to board the plane.

The teacher asked his students, are we all ready to take the test?

Cubs fans are all ready to watch their team dominate in the playoffs.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember all readyvs. already.

All readydescribes a group of people or objects, the entirety of which is prepared to take an action.

Alreadydescribes a point in the past at which an event happened.

You can remember that all readyrefers to a group since the word allalso refers to the entirety of a group. By looking at the meanings of the individual words that make up this phrase, you can remember that all readyrefers to a group of people or objects.

All readyis also a synonym for the phrase totally ready, which just so happens to contain the word all. This is an easy mnemonic.

All ready = Totally ready.

If you are referring to an event that happened in the past, be sure to use alreadyinstead.

Summary

Is it already or all ready?Alreadyand all readyare terms that describe an event in the past and a group of people or items, respectively. They cannot be substituted for each other without committing an easily recognizable error.

Already means before now or by now or the time in question.

All ready means ready to go; all set.

You can remember that all readyrefers to a group of people by looking at the meanings of the individuals words that make up this phrase. Allalso refers to the entirety of a group or quantity.

If you still need help, you can check this article again for a refresher.
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QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question daminozided(imethyl) + amino- + (hydra)zide components of the chemical namedamfool, Damia, damiana, Damien, Damietta, daminozide, dammar, dammit, damn, damnable, damnablyDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
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It isnot surprising to see that the US media once again hyped the idea of bringing Japan into AUKUS, but Tokyo has to think twice on whether its gain can outweigh its loss by doing so.The magazine Foreign Affairs on Friday published an article entitled "Why Japan Belongs in AUKUS" by Michael Auslin, research fellow at Stanford University's Hoover Institution. The article calls for an expansion of AUKUS into JAUKUS by bringing Japan into the group, underlining that "amid rising tensions with China," Tokyo's largest-ever increase in defense spending was a "reminder that Japan's technological and security policies and ambitions are increasingly aligned with those of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States," members of AUKUS.Since the Japanese newspaper Sankei Shimbun in April reported that each AUKUS member had informally asked Japan about the possibility of it joining the partnership, related hype has never stopped. It is anticipated that Japan will join AUKUS sooner or later and it's just a matter of time, both Yang Xiyu, a senior research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, and Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times.Yang noted that tensions with Beijing or the so-called China threat is just the pretext, Tokyo's increase in its defense spending or its willingness to join military groups is because it desires to turn itself into a military power.Today, Japan seems to have become a right-leaning society, and regards China as its biggest imaginary enemy, repeatedly interfering in China's Taiwan question and the South China Sea issue. Tokyo is aware that it is hard to gain leverage against China on its own. It needs to rely on the US and other members of AUKUS to forge a multilateral military alliance, noted Song.The US is also keen on bringing Japan into the bloc. Apart from Australia and Britain, Japan is US' closest and most obedient ally, and is highly coordinated with Washington's military strategy. Furthermore, as the US now intends to shift its military strategic focus from the Western hemisphere to the Eastern one, considering Japan's economic size, political influence and capabilities in defense military, it is an ideal candidate for AUKUS' expansion, and adding China's neighboring country can shorten the military mechanism's distance with China.If Japan does become a member of AUKUS, it will create more strategic instability for the whole Asia-Pacific region, and regional countries should be highly vigilant toward Tokyo's intention in this regard. A membership to AUKUS will mean a subversive change to Japan's own Pacifist Constitution, resulting in substantial change of Japan's role and status in the existing regional security structure. The rise of Japan as a military power as well as the US-led AUKUS' northward expansion will naturally undermine regional peace and stability, which will exacerbate the security dilemma among AUKUS, Japan and other regional countries.When discussing Japan's potential accession to AUKUS, some voices argue that Japan will become a victim of US' China strategy and AUKUS will contain China at the expense of Japan. Gal Luft, co-director of the Washington-based think tank Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, commented on the piece in Foreign Affairs saying, "Latest from neocon central: Now that we are almost done impoverishing Europe, it's time to take down Japan."Japan needs to keep prudent in deciding whether it is worth to join AUKUS. According to Song, since the end of World War II, Japan has always been exploited by the US, with a large number of US troops stationing on its territory, and the cases of US military there bullying the local Japanese are widely seen. If Japan joins AUKUS, the US will use it as a front-line military base against China and Russia. The US will not hesitate to sacrifice Japan's interests in a bid to safeguard its homeland security and defend its hegemony.The US does not want to see an independent Japan, but an obedient little brother. Therefore, if Japan wants to take advantage of the US-led AUKUS as an instrument to realize its ambitions and strategy to become a normal country, the path will be very winding and bumpy.
News / National

by Jonathan Moyo

IN A DEVELOPMENT that smacks of extreme paranoia, and an escalation of political tensions that could trigger instability, the Zambian government today dramatically ejected former President Edgar Lungu off a plane, stopping him from travelling on a scheduled commercial flight to South Korea - via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - just nine days after President Hichilema blocked Lungu from travelling to South Africa for medial review.Lungu had been invited along with other eminent persons who include former Presidents in the region as a guest spesk at a World Peace Conference taking place in South Korea, and he had reportedly made his own personal arrangements for his travel to South Korea.Below is a report on the shocking incident from Smart Eagles in Lusaka:"Government using officers from the Immigration Department has ejected former Republican President Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu off a Plane he had boarded that was destined for South Korea.Government this Saturday afternoon stopped former President Edgar Lungu from travelling. President Lungu was scheduled to fly out to South Korea via Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.He was checked in and given boarding passes and proceeded to the plane but Due to sudden instructions from above the airport officials quickly got him off the plane and announced to him that they had cancelled his trip.The former President was invited as guest speaker together with other former Presidents in the region to a World Peace Conference to be held in Soul, South Korea.The Former Head of State had made personal arrangements to travel for the conference in South Korea.NB: Former President Edgar Lungu has absolute rights to travel to any place of his choosing at home and abroad without having to require permission from any kind of authority. He is only expected to notify government of his intent to travel and in turn government facilitates his travel but in the event that government refuses to facilitate, the former head of state is at liberty to make his personal arrangements for any such travel." Smart Eagles Report from Lusaka, Zambia; 16 September 2023
What Is the Last Mile?bonus codes for casino extreme

The last mile describes the short geographical segment of delivery of communication and media services or the delivery of products to customers located in dense areas. Last mile logistics tend to be complex and costly to providers of goods and services who deliver to these areas.

Key Takeaways

The last mile refers to the short geographical distance that must be spanned to provide services to end-user customers.

Last mile logistics tend to be complex and costly to providers of goods and services who deliver to these areas.

In communications, the last mile is the relatively expensive and complex delivery of cables or wiring from the provider's trunk to one's home.

Last mile logistics have become a big business and a central focus for both providers of services and consumers.

Last mile logistics for product delivery have become a central focus for retailers in the e-commerce era.

Understanding the Last Mile

Delivery of telecommunications and media content is instantaneous and very fast for physical products to the perimeter of a densely-populated area. Imagine a trunk line leading to the edge of a city or metropolitan area. The branches and leaves must then spread out across the tightly-packed buildings and streets to serve customers working and living there. The edge of the city to the customer inside the city is the last mile.

Communications and media providersinclusive of broadband cable, satellite, and wirelessspend heavily to upgrade old delivery systems and build out new networks to ensure adequate bandwidth for consumers hungry for data and streaming capabilities on their televisions, desktop computers, and mobile devices.

It takes time for these service providers to implement technology solutions for the "last mile problem." Due to the rapidly changing nature of technology, these solutions are at risk of being obsolete, or not state-of-the-art, upon completion.

Last Mile Logistics

Last mile logistics for product delivery have become a central focus for retailers in the e-commerce era. Our instant-gratification society demands fast delivery of products ordered online. Retailers that can achieve this at low or no cost to the customer have competitive advantages.

Amazon utilizes third-party services to deliver packages to its customers over the last mile and is also in the process of building its own fleet to cover burgeoning demand. To compete, other retailers are investing more in setting up distribution centers as close as possible to metropolitan zones, and then contracting with UPS, USPS, FedEx, and local courier services to perform last mile delivery services.

In urban areas, deliveries to retail stores, restaurants, and other merchants in a central business district often contribute to congestion and safety problems, making the last mile even more challenging to execute.

The Last Mile Problem and Cryptocurrencies

The last mile problem has reemerged in the past few years in the context of cryptocurrencies, In particular, the last mile, in this case, refers to when a cryptocurrency such as bitcoin is used in a cross-border payment such as a remittance.

The recipient of the bitcoin must find a way to exchange it for local currency in order to use it. Thus, while crypto transactions can provide a quick, efficient, and cost-effective way of sending remittances, the last mile problem still stands in the way in many less-developed countries.

Last Mile FAQs

What Does Last Mile Mean?

Last mile refers to the last stage in a process, especially of a customer buying goods. When it is used in the context of transportation, supply chain, manufacturing, and retailing, the last mile is used to describe the delivery of products the last leg of transportation.

Why Is There a Last Mile Problem?

In supply chain management, the last mile describes the difficult last part in the transportation of people and packages from hubs to their final destinations. Some of the problems of last-mile delivery include minimizing cost, ensuring transparency, increasing efficiency, and improving infrastructure.

The very last part of the delivery process of a productfrom the last distribution center to the end customertends to be the most difficult because it can be the most complicated and expensive.

What Is the Last Mile in Terms of Internet Service?

In internet industries, the last mile refers to the final leg of the telecommunications networks that deliver telecommunication services to customers. It is the portion of the telecommunications network chain that physically reaches the customer's premises.

What Percentage of Delivery Costs Are Last Mile?

The operations of the last mile can be a huge percentage of the total delivery costs. As a share of the total cost of shipping, last mile delivery costs are substantial, often reaching or even exceeding 50%.

Are the First Mile and the Last Mile Problems the Same?

The first mile problem is generally used in the context of public transit systems. The first/last mile is the distance between a travelers origin or destination and a transit station. Reducing this distance is considered to be the solution to both the first mile and the last mile problem.
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The hero is Lucas Spero, a veteran of the wars in the Middle East and a tough guy private eye.

The Senate will have to expedite its usual clock to do that, and that requires...dum da-dum...unanimous consent.

The first, Spiro Agnew, won in 1966 as the liberal running against a segregationist Democrat.

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When you are describing something that happens quickly and you didnt expect, what phrase should you use?

You could just use a word like suddenly, but sometimes an idiom like out of the blueor all of a sudden adds a little extra flavor.

But is it all of the suddenor all of a sudden? Native speakers will probably say this phrase quite quickly in everyday speech, causing each variation to sound alike and confusing writers as to the correct spelling.

However, only one of these variations is considered standard, even though there would seem to be little difference between them in meaning.

What is the Difference Between All of a Sudden and All of the Sudden?

In this post, I will compare all of the sudden vs. all of a sudden. I will outline the correct spelling of this phrase, and I will show you a helpful memory tool that will make choosing the correct phrase easier.

When to Use All of a Sudden

What does all of a sudden mean? All of a sudden is a popular idiom. It functions as an adverb in sentences, much like the word suddenly.

All of a suddentends to describe something that took place unexpectedly or without warning.

For example,

I was just about to put the horses up for the night, when all of a sudden, a coyote howled nearby.

All of a sudden, twelve hooded druids appeared in the clearing and formed a circle around the cairn.

But sometimes you wake up too soon, and all of a sudden Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is throwing deep to Antonio Brown in the third quarter, and the all-pro wide receiver is making a beautiful 26-yard touchdown reception and twerking in the end zone. The Washington Post

The idiom all of a sudden is an adverb phrase, which means it modifies verbs in sentences. Since it means suddenly, some writers have a pet peeve of people who use it to describe actions that dont actually happen suddenly.

When to Use All of the Sudden

All of the sudden is an incorrect formulation of the phrase all of a sudden. Given the fact that its not the correct spelling of the phrase, it is rarely used in print.

The below graph charts both variations, all of a sudden vs. all of the sudden, since the year 1800.

All of a sudden clearly predominates. Avoid the error all of the sudden.

Trick to Remember the Difference

You should always use all of a suddenbecause all of the sudden is not the correct phrase. For the sake of simplicity, it might be an even better idea to stick with the adverb suddenly instead.

But, when you want add little extra pizzazz to your writing, heres how you can remember that all of a suddenis the correct spelling.

Since all of a sudden would come before all of the sudden alphabetically (A comes before The), it should be easy to remember that all of a sudden is the standard version of this phrase. Since this spelling comes first in the alphabet, it should be your first choice.

Summary

Is it all of a sudden or all of the sudden? All of a sudden is an idiom that functions as an adverb phrase. It has the same meaning as suddenly, which means quickly or unexpectedly.
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Themed and i-Slots

When online casinos first started some two decades ago, there was a lot of doubt surrounding their operations. However, thanks to technology and banking advancements, it didnt take long for conventional casinos to take online options seriously. One of the reasons for the massive success of online casinos has been the theme-based slots. By collaborating with musicians and moviemakers, the slots have become more personal and exciting. And with the latest trend of i-Slots coming up, wherein players go out on missions to collect spins and proceed further, there is a further addition of the gaming element, which is opening up new doors for future forms of profitable entertainment.

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Video

Video slots, typically associated with themed games, have video clips and sound bites that enhance the slot playing experience and its entertainment value. These can range from movie clips to song performances depending on what the slot is all about. With the ever-expanding variety of games in slots, video slots are the perfect way to enjoy a favourite film or yours while simultaneously making money on the side.

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Hard core Twitter in disarray

No, Twitter is not dead this morning, despite #RIPTwitter trending on the social network last night. But its future looks more turbulent than at any point since Elon Musk took over three weeks ago, as a huge number of workers decided to quit rather than agree to the billionaires loyalty pledge, which involved committing to a hard core work routine to grow the platform.

The newly shrunken Twitter now faces numerous questions, including about its ability to maintain mission-critical systems, police content on its platform, remain in compliance with regulatory agreements and, frankly, stay afloat while laboring under a huge amount of debt.

Hundreds of employees have resigned,some even before Musks 5 p.m. Eastern pledge deadline took effect. The apparent feeling: better to take three months severance pay than to work under a leader who has demanded long hours and fired dozens of employees who had criticized him, some publicly. A poll of nearly 250 employees conducted on Blind, an anonymized social network for tech workers, suggested that nearly three-quarters favored leaving Twitter.

As the company did when it laid off half its work force, Twitter locked its offices and disabled employee badge access until Monday.

Mr. Musk appears to have underestimated how many people would leave.Though he may have viewed his ultimatum as a way to weed out disaffected workers and cut costs, Twitters leadership instead spent time on Thursday trying to convince critical employees that they should stay.

Mr. Musk also backtracked on a ban on remote work, at least somewhat. He told employees on Thursday that they could work remotely, so long as their managers certified they were making an excellent contribution. But he also warned said managers not to lie about that, or risk being exited from the company. (The edict came after a former employee sued the company over Musks remote-working ban, arguing it was discriminatory against those with disabilities.)

The resignations havent dimmed Musks joking on Twitter.He tweeted, We just hit another all-time high in Twitter usage lol and posted several memes about the chaos.

But many of Twitters problems arent laughing matters.Among those who have left were members of the trust and public safety teams and critical engineering teams. Every mistake in code and operations is now deadly, a former engineer told The Washington Post. Meanwhile, seven Democratic senators on Thursday urged the F.T.C. to investigate whether Twitter had remained in compliance with a 2011 consumer privacy settlement.

None of this chaos is likely to reassure either the scores of advertisers who have paused campaigns on the platform since Musk took over, or the banks who extended $13 billion in loans to help finance his takeover and are counting on him to pay $1 billion in interest each year.

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HERES WHATS HAPPENING

Nancy Pelosi steps aside.The California representative, the first woman to serve as House speaker and a dominant force in Democratic politics for more than two decades, said on Thursday that she would not pursue a leadership role in the new Congress, when Republicans take control of the chamber. Her likely successor as Democratic leader is Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York.

Changes at Elon Musks Twitter Card 1 of 6 Card 1 of 6 A swift overhaul. As Mr. Musk and his advisers look for ways to generate more revenue at the company, they are said to have discussed adding paid direct messages, which would let users send private messages to high-profile users. The company has also filed registration paperwork to pave the way for it to process payments.

The World Cup is set to begin with a U-turn on beer. Theauthorities in Qatar, the host country, said on Friday that they would allow only nonalcoholic drinks at the tournament, just two days before competition starts. The move complicates FIFAs $75 million sponsorship deal with Budweiser and is the latest controversy to hit the event, after criticism of Qatars human-rights record.

COP27 may end with a whimper. The two-week gathering of nations to discuss climate change solutions is likely to end on Friday with little agreement on matters like compensating poorer countries for climate disasters and the phasing out of fossil fuels. Antonio Gutteres, the U.N. secretary general, cited a breakdown of trust.

Elizabeth Holmes will be sentenced on Friday.The Theranos founder faces up to 20 years in prison after being convicted of defrauding investors. Holmes has asked for 18 months of house arrest instead; court filings also note that she is pregnant with her second child.

Masa Son owes nearly $5 billion to SoftBank.The tech mogul now owes $4.7 billion to the investment giant he founded, as the plunging value of tech companies has left him underwater on loans SoftBank extended him to invest in its funds, The Financial Times reports. Son isnt obligated to repay those loans anytime soon.

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The tiny Bahamas looms large in the future of FTX

A turf war between the United States and Bahamas could make it harder for a parade of international creditors to claw back the billions owed to them following the collapse of the crypto exchange FTX. The tiny island nation, where FTX is headquartered, believes it has the upper hand over how the firm will be wound down after the Securities Commission of the Bahamas took control of much of its digital assets and questioned the legitimacy of bankruptcy proceedings in the U.S.

The jurisdictional tug of war emergedafter John Jay Ray III, FTXs new C.E.O. who is pushing for the company to be wound down in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware, slammed the companys management (which happened to raise $1.9 billion from the giants of Silicon Valley and Wall Street). Mr. Ray, whose resume includes overseeing the $23 billion Enron bankruptcy, said he had never seen such a complete failure of corporate control. The lowlights: Expenses approved by emoji and billions of dollars in losses, but no paper trail. Where were the auditors? The blame game has already begun.

In Thursdays bankruptcy filing, Mr. Ray grumbled that Bahmanian authorities had gained unauthorized access to FTX assets, in an effort to undermine the Chapter 11 proceedings. He also suggested that Sam Bankman-Fried, the firms founder, who is known as S.B.F., helped them.

S.B.F. was (unusually) quiet on Thursday. The 30-year-old, who is under investigation by the Justice Department and S.E.C. for, among other things, lending customer money to his trading unit, Alameda Research, stayed off Twitter. The silence followed a series of tweets and a bizarrely candid interview with Vox this week, in which S.B.F. took a shot at regulators for making everything worse, and admitted to messy accounting. One big development: S.B.F. has a new legal team, Semafor reports, that includes David Wills, who teaches at Stanford Law School  Mr. Bankman-Frieds parents are also Stanford professors.

The list of FTXs 50 biggest creditors is scheduled to come out on Friday. Meanwhile, contagion fears are growing.Following a run on customer deposits, FTX closed last week and S.B.F. resigned, triggering a broad sell-off in digital assets in recent days. The volatility has struck the likes of Genesis, a cryptocurrency lender, which, according to The Wall Street Journal, sought a $1 billion emergency loan before suspending withdrawals. And Multicoin, a crypto venture fund that has funds tied up in FTX, warned investors that many trading firms will be wiped out and shut down following the collapse of FTX and Alameda.

Swifties versus Ticketmaster

Today was supposed to be when the general public could start buying tickets for Taylor Swifts first tour in five years. But Ticketmaster called off the sale on Thursday, citing extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand.

It was an extraordinary admission  and made the live-event giant an antihero to Swift fans and regulators alike.

Its a function of Taylor Swift,Greg Maffei, the chairman of Ticketmasters parent company, told CNBC on Thursday. What happened: Ticketmasters systems crashed on Tuesday, when it opened up presales through its Verified Fan program, which is meant to weed out bots and speculators. (It received 3.5 billion requests.) The site was supposed to open up for 1.5 million verified Taylor Swift fans. We had 14 million people hit the site, including bots, which are not supposed to be there.

Meanwhile, fans complained that tickets were appearing on secondary markets like StubHub at much higher prices. (Top-tier tickets for a show in the New York City area were going for nearly $5,000 this morning.)

Targeting Critics: After laying off nearly half the company, Elon Musk has continued cutting Twitters work force by firing employees who had criticized him.

After laying off nearly half the company, Elon Musk has continued cutting Twitters work force by firing employees who had criticized him. Musks Tweeting Spree: Under tremendous scrutiny since buying Twitter, Mr. Musk is using the platform to push back, spar and justify his actions.

Under tremendous scrutiny since buying Twitter, Mr. Musk is using the platform to push back, spar and justify his actions. Users Confessions: Sensing that Twitters days might be numbered, users are disclosing long-ago indiscretions, making pleas for money and revealing silly quirks.

Sensing that Twitters days might be numbered, users are disclosing long-ago indiscretions, making pleas for money and revealing silly quirks. Hard Fork: In an episode of The Timess tech podcast, two Twitter employees described the atmosphere inside the company.

It adds gasolineto antitrust criticisms of Ticketmaster. Bad blood between the company and regulators has been around since it merged with Live Nation in 2010. Attorneys general in North Carolina and Tennessee are investigating the presale troubles, while Senator Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic chairwoman of the Senate antitrust subcommittee, questioned whether Ticketmaster continues to abuse its market positions.

The previous owners were not good stewards for the business, and obviously it presented risks in terms of information.

 George Arison, the C.E.O. of the dating app Grindr, which goes public on Friday, speaking to DealBook on Thursday. Two years ago, U.S. regulators forced Grindrs Chinese owners to sell the company over data privacy concerns.

S.E.C.s Gensler talks climate disclosure

The value of assets labeled E.S.G. reached $35 trillion in 2020, and will grow to $41 trillion by the end of this year, according to Deutsche Bank. But company reporting on environmental, social and governance issues varies widely, and rating agencies apply different standards, making it difficult to compare data and draw meaningful conclusions. In March, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed a rule to standardize climate-related disclosures made by public companies. DealBook talked with S.E.C. chairman Gary Gensler about the proposed changes. The interview has been edited.

Your predecessor, Jay Clayton, recently said that the S.E.C. should not be engineering the worlds carbon transition. Is that what the climate rule aims to do?

Literally, hundreds and hundreds of companies are currently making disclosures around climate risk. And investors are using that information to make investment decisions. So its about how to bring some consistency and comparability to it. How to guard against misleading disclosures or greenwashing.

Its been reported that the agency may cut Scope 3 monitoring requirements  which address emissions that businesses dont directly control further along their supply chain. Is that right?

On Scope 3, we have heard from commenters across [many sectors]. There are letters from the agricultural community about how they sell their produce, and how that might affect them. That is not what were trying to do here. This is about disclosure for public companies.

I cant prejudge where it all will lead. I do think that we have a real role here.

Is there a timeline to finalize the rule?

We now have approaching 15,000 comments. Weve never had so many comments on any rule in the history of the Securities and Exchange Commission. And when the staffs ready to serve something up, well try to address it.

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THE SPEED READ

Deals

Wall Street banks are now holding onto $43 billion worth of leveraged buyout loans that they cant sell into turbulent debt markets. (Bloomberg)

BHP raised its takeover bid for OZ Mining to $6.3 billion to gain more access to copper and nickel used for electric vehicles and other uses. (WSJ)

Policy

Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organizations C.F.O., laid bare in testimony the workings of what prosecutors say was a decades-long tax fraud scheme. (NYT)

The Biden administration said that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabias de facto ruler, should be granted legal immunity in a trial over the murder of the dissident Jamal Khashoggi. (NYT)

Best of the rest

Amazons layoffs will continue into 2023, the companys C.E.O., Andy Jassy, told workers on Thursday. (CNBC)

Facebooks parent company, Meta, said it had fired or disciplined over two dozen workers for hijacking user accounts  in some cases for money. (WSJ)

Starbucks workers at dozens of unionized locations went on strike yesterday in what they called the Red Cup Rebellion. (NYT)

Alfred Kelly will retire as Visas C.E.O. after six years in the role; hell be succeeded by the companys longtime president, Ryan McInerney. (WSJ)

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What is hot jackpots bloc coin market capa Pretax Profit Margin?

The pretax profit margin is a financial accounting tool used to measure the operating efficiency of a company. It is a ratio that tells us the percentage of sales that has turned into profits or, in other words, how many cents of profit the business has generated for each dollar of sale before deducting taxes. The pretax profit margin is widely used to compare the profitability of businesses within the same industry.

Key Takeaways

The pretax profit margin is a financial accounting tool used to measure the operating efficiency of a company before deducting taxes.

The ratio tells us how many cents of profit the business has generated for each dollar of sale and is a useful tool to compare companies operating in the same sector.

The pretax profit margin is sometimes preferred over the regular profit margin as tax expenditures can make profitability comparisons between companies misleading.

They are less effective when comparing companies from other sectors as each industry generally has different operating expenses and sales patterns.

How Pretax Profit Margin Works

Companies across the globe strive to generate as much profit as possible. For investors, one of the most common and useful measures to gauge corporate profitability is to look at profit margins. Consistently high pretax profit margins are a sign of a healthy company with an efficient business model and pricing power. Low pretax profit margins suggest the opposite.

To boost profitability, management teams must strike a balance between increasing sales and reducing costs. Pretax profit margins give us an indicator of how successful companies are at achieving this goal. As a result, they are closely watched by analysts and investors and frequently referred to in financial statements.

Pretax profit margin only requires two pieces of information from the income statement: revenues and income before taxes. The percentage ratio is calculated by deducting all expenses except for taxes, found in the income before taxes figure, dividing it by sales and then multiplying the resulting number by 100.

Alternatively, the pretax profit margin can be calculated by adding taxes back to net income (NI) or by dividing net income by '1 minus the effective tax-rate' and then dividing by sales.

Pretax Margin Example

Company EZ Supply has an annual gross profit of $100,000. It has operating expenses of $50,000, interest expenses of $10,000, and sales totaling $500,000. The calculation of earnings before taxes is from subtracting the operating and interest costs from the gross profit ($100,000 - $60,000). EZ Supply has pretax earnings of $40,000, and total sales of $500,000 for the given fiscal year (FY). The pretax profit margin is calculated by dividing pretax earnings by sales, resulting in a ratio of 8%.

Advantages of Pretax Profit Margin

The pretax profit margin offers investors one of the best ways to compare competing companies, as well as those with significant differences in size and scale, in the same industry. Often, profit margins after taxes gains more prominence among analysts and investors. However, it can be argued that tax payments offer little insight into the efficiency of companies and should, therefore, be stripped out of the equation.

Tax expenditures can make profitability comparisons between companies misleading. Tax rates vary from state to state, are generally out of managements control and arent necessarily a fair reflection of how a business is performing.

At times, the tax expense can be more substantial in a current year than in previous years due to tax penalties and new legislation imposing higher tax rates. Alternatively, the present tax expense may be much lower than it had been in earlier years due to tax credits, deductions, and tax breaks. In this case, analysts may be able to decrease earnings volatility by calculating the pretax profit margin.

Special Considerations

Though very insightful, pretax profit margins, like other financial ratios, have limitations. For one, they cannot be used effectively to compare companies from other sectors as each industry generally has different operating expenses and sales patterns.

Certain sectors are more profitable than others. Legal services is an example of a high margin profession. Overheads are low  theres little need for big investment costs, other than salaries  and demand is fairly constant. In contrast, other sectors, such as airlines, have to deal with stiff competition, fluctuating prices for key materials such as fuel, hefty maintenance expenses, and countless other costs. For this same reason, investors should also be cautious about using pretax profit margins when comparing diversified companies serving several industries.

When used correctly, pretax profit margins can provide a useful gauge of business efficiency. However, to get a complete grasp of a companys health, investors are always advised to use the pretax profit margin in tandem with other metrics. The more you know about a company the better you can establish whether it is worth investing in.
Sports betting operator Dazn Bet has launched in Germany,green roulette odds burning wins after it was licensed to operate in the country in August.

Dazn Bet was formed in April 2022 through Dazns partnership with Pragmatic Solutions. The operator was added to the sports betting section of Germanys white list last month.

The white list was set up after Germanys Fourth State Treaty on Gambling (GluNeuRStv) was enacted in July 2021. The GluNeuRStv also brought about Germanys regulator, Gemeinsamen Glucksspielbehorde der Lander (GGL).

Dazn Bet is an offer to Dazn users and people interested in sports betting to immerse themselves in a new kind of sports experience, said Gabriel Vollmann, Dazn Bet managing director, DACH.
What Is Rational Behavior?besplatni slot igri

Rational behavior refers to a decision-making process that is based on making choices that result in the optimal level of benefit or utility for an individual. The assumption of rational behavior implies that people would rather take actions that benefit them versus actions that are neutral or harm them. Most classical economic theories are based on the assumption that all individuals taking part in an activity are behaving rationally.

Rational Behavior

Key Takeaways

Rational behavior refers to a decision-making process that is based on making choices that result in an optimal level of benefit or utility.

Rational choice theory is an economic theory that assumes rational behavior on the part of individuals.

Rational behavior may not involve receiving the most monetary or material benefit, because the satisfaction received could be purely emotional or non-monetary.

Understanding Rational Behavior

1:03

Rational behavior is the cornerstone of rational choice theory, a theory of economics that assumes that individuals always make decisions that provide them with the highest amount of personal utility. These decisions provide people with the greatest benefit or satisfaction given the choices available. Rational behavior may not involve receiving the most monetary or material benefit, because the satisfaction received could be purely emotional or non-monetary.

For example, while it is likely more financially beneficial for an executive to stay on at a company rather than retire early, it is still considered rational behavior for her to seek an early retirement if she feels the benefits of retired life outweigh the utility from the paycheck she receives. The optimal benefit for an individual may involve non-monetary returns.

Further, a persons willingness to take on risk, or conversely, their aversion to risk, may be considered rational depending on their goals and circumstances. For example, an investor may choose to take on more risk in his own retirement account than in an account designated for his children's college education. Both would be considered rational choices for this investor.

Behavioral Economics

Behavioral economics is a method of economic analysis that considers psychological insights to explain human behavior as it relates to economic decision-making. According to rational choice theory, the rational person has self-control and is unmoved by emotional factors. However, behavioral economics acknowledges that people are emotional and easily distracted, and therefore, their behavior does not always follow the predictions of economic models. Psychological factors and emotions influence the actions of individuals and can lead them to make decisions that may not appear to be entirely rational.

Behavioral economics seeks to explain why people make certain decisions about how much to pay for a cup of coffee, whether or not to pursue a college education or a healthy lifestyle, and how much to save for retirement, among other decisions that most people have to make at some point in their life.

Investors may also make decisions primarily based on emotions, for example, investing in a company for which the investor has positive feelings, even if financial models suggest the investment is not wise.

Example of Rational Behavior

For example, an individual may choose to invest in the stock of an organic produce operation, rather than a conventional produce operation, if they have strong beliefs in the value of organic produce. They may choose to do this regardless of the present value of the organic operation compared with that of the conventional operation, and despite the fact that the conventional operation would earn a higher return.
blockchain in gamingshows grade level based on the word's complexity. beltway [ belt-wey ]/ bltwe / New Word List Save This Word!See beltwayFirst recorded in 195055; belt + way1 Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ belt-wey ]/ bltwe /Save This Word!See beltwayFirst recorded in 195055; belt + way

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Words related to beltway beltway/ (bltwe) / the people and institutions located in the area bounded by the Washington Beltway, taken to be politically and socially out of touch with the rest of America and much given to political intrigue (as modifier)Beltway Cassandras nounthe usual US name for a ring road(usually with capital) Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Alice Davis,playamo no deposit promo code a Disney Company costume designer who created the outfits worn by the animatronic figures in two of the companys most enduring and popular rides, Its a Small World and Pirates of the Caribbean, died on Nov. 3 at her home in Los Angeles. She was 93.

Her death was announced on the Walt Disney Companys website.

Ms. Davis had been designing lingerie and other garments for several years when Walt Disney himself asked her in 1963 if she wanted to work on the costumes for Its a Small World.

She jumped at the chance.

I could hardly wait to get there for the first day, she told The Los Angeles Times in 2014.

Its a Small World, a 10-minute boat trip through a land populated by singing and dancing robotic children representing dozens of countries while the attractions titular earworm song plays, was to make its debut at the Worlds Fair in New York in 1964 as a tribute to UNICEF sponsored by Pepsi. It was a huge hit.

Clothing that accurately reflected the international theme was essential. So, working with the renowned Disney artist Mary Blair, Ms. Davis designed more than 150 costumes while researching the relevant nations to ensure the garments authenticity.

One wrinkle occurred, Ms. Davis said, when she noticed the panties on the rides animatronic French cancan dancers repeatedly falling apart and the fabric skin covering their knees constantly tearing. She fixed the problem by adding full-length pantaloons.

When Mr. Disney noticed the modification shortly before the ride was to open in New York, Ms. Davis recalled, he asked her why she had put long pants on cancan dancers.

You told me you wanted a family show, she replied.

The accuracy of Ms. Daviss designs was confirmed in New York, she told the Disney fan site Laughing Place in a 2001 interview.

When the U.N. people came through the day before the show opened, we didnt get a single complaint on any of the costumes, she said.

Image Ms. Davis in 1964 with an animatronic Its a Small World child.Credit...Disney

Image Credit...Disney

Its a Small World later moved to Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., and Ms. Davis quickly shifted to the second signature project of her Disney career: designing the costumes for Pirates of the Caribbean, which, in addition to being a popular ride, later became the basis for a blockbuster movie franchise. (There are also versions of both rides at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., and at the companys international parks.)

Ms. Davis often joked that she had gone directly from making costumes for sweet little children to making them for dirty old men.

Alice May Estes was born on March 26, 1929, in Escalon, Calif., the fourth of five children. Her father, Bishop Estes, was a high school principal who later sold life insurance and took other jobs when he could not find one in his preferred field during the Depression. Her mother, Naomi (McGrew) Estes, was an art teacher who also did weaving, sewing and other crafts.

Image Ms. Davis in 2008. She was later recognized with one of the Disney Companys highest honors, a commemorative window on a storefront on Disneylands Main Street.Credit...Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

The family moved to Los Angeles when Alice was 4. As a girl, she sang in the chorus at the evangelist Aimee Semple McPhersons Angelus Temple in the Echo Park neighborhood.

Alices mother encouraged her interest in art and unwittingly guaranteed the first notable recognition of her talent by telling a fib.

She went back to work, and lied about my age so she could sign me up at the grammar school for kindergarten and she could get a job, Ms. Davis  who was 5 at the time, not 6 as required  said in a 2016 interview with D23, the official Disney fan club. Thats when I won the all-city painting competition for children in the Los Angeles school system.

When Alice was about 12, the family moved again, this time to Long Beach, Calif. She graduated from high school there in 1947 and received a scholarship from a local arts group to attend the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles (now the California Institute of the Arts), a pipeline to Disney.

She had been fascinated with animation since seeing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs when she was 8 (I just about vibrated out of my seat, she said), and she hoped to pursue the form as a career.

But when she arrived at the institute, the founder, Nelbert Chouinard, told her that animation classes were open only to men.

I said, I cant understand that, Ms. Davis recalled in the D23 interview. I was raised to understand that if you were capable of doing a job, it didnt matter whether you were male or female.

She was steered to costume design, although Ms. Chouinard suggested that she also take an animation drawing class with a new instructor at the school: Marc Davis, who was by then one of a core group of animators Mr. Disney referred to as his nine old men.

She graduated in 1950 and married Mr. Davis in 1956; he died in 2000. She leaves no immediate survivors.

Ms. Daviss other Disney work included establishing costuming and quality-control procedures for the company and creating standards for three-dimensional characters in other rides and shows.

In 2012, Disney recognized Ms. Davis as its most famous costume designer with a tribute that is among the companys highest honors: a commemorative window installed on a storefront on Disneylands Main Street. It sits next to a similar pane honoring her husband.

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"Many news outlets have incorrectly stated that he is required to register," Desiigner's attorney, Ryan Garry, told PEOPLE

ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Desiigner poses on the red carpet prior to the premiere of the season two of FX television show 'Dave' at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA, 10 June 2021. 'Dave' season 2 will be available to stream on FX on 11 June. Dave Season 2 premiere in Los Angeles, USA - 10 Jun 2021

The rapper Desiigner has been sentenced after exposing himself on an airline earlier this year. However, despite recent reports, he will not be required to register as a sex offender.



The 26-year-old Panda rapper, whose real name is Sidney Royel Selby III, was sentenced to 120 hours of community service, fined $5,000 and will remain on probation for two years after he was charged with masturbating on a flight from Tokyo to Minneapolis on April 17.



After a flight attendant spotted the rapper exposing himself, the criminal complaint claimed he quickly covered himself, only to be caught masturbating about five minutes later by members of the Delta flight crew. At the time, authorities said that he continued to do so after being asked multiple times to stop.



Prince Williams/Getty Rapper Desiigner

It was previously reported that Desiigner would also have to register as a sex offender for indecent exposure, but his attorney, Ryan Garry, tells PEOPLE exclusively in a statement that those claims are untrue.



Regarding the issue of Mr. Selby registering as a sex offender, many news outlets have incorrectly stated that he is required to register as an absolute condition of his probation. They are wrong, Garry told PEOPLE of Desiigner.



Since this was a federal misdemeanor, the sentencing judgement states that if the State of California or some other government entity requires that Mr. Selby must register as a sex offender, then he must, the attorney continued.



However, the parties in this case have come to the legal conclusion, after significant research and consultation with lawyers in California, that this misdemeanor conviction is not one that will cause Mr. Selby to have to register as a sex offender, Garry added. "If some government agency in California disagrees with our analysis, then we will address the matter at that point in time.

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ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Desiigner poses on the red carpet prior to the premiere of the season two of FX television show 'Dave' at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA, 10 June 2021. 'Dave' season 2 will be available to stream on FX on 11 June. Dave Season 2 premiere in Los Angeles, USA - 10 Jun 2021

Legal documents obtained by PEOPLE state that the District of Minnesota charged the Tiimmy Turner rapper for one count of obscenely and indecently exposed genitalia in a public place.



When questioned by the FBI, the rapper said he didnt get much in Japan and found one of the flight attendants attractive so he exposed himself, the Associated Press reported following the incident.

Related: A Career Flight Attendant on the Wildest Bad Behavior She's Seen In-Flight: Urination, Strip Teases & More

Mr. Selby has applied himself and taken great steps to addressing what happened on the airline flight, says attorney Garry. Mental health, especially these days, is an absolute thing. He was traveling back from his performances overseas feeling extremely dehydrated and exhausted.



"Mr. Selby has accepted complete responsibly, is very remorseful for his conduct, and I am happy to report that he is doing great, is very positive, and glad to put this misdemeanor case behind him. He is looking forward to great things ahead, which I expect the world will see in the near future.



The New York native who was previously signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label issued an apology to his fans and said that he would be taking a step back to focus on his mental health after performing at Rolling Loud Thailand.

Related: Southwest Passenger Facing Federal Charges for Allegedly Grabbing Flight Attendant and Demanding a Kiss

"For the past few months, I have not been OK, and I have been struggling to come to terms with what is going on," Desiigner shared in a lengthy Instagram Story. "While overseas for a concert I performed at, I had to be admitted into a hospital, I was not thinking clearly."

Prince Williams/Getty Rapper Desiigner attends Teyana Taylors Album Release Party at Universal Studios Hollywood on June 21, 2018 in Universal City, California.

He continued by mentioning he was on medication when he departed from his flight.

I am ashamed of my actions that happened on that plane. I landed back to the States and am admitting myself in a facility to help me. I will be canceling all shows and any obligations until further notice," he wrote. "Mental health is real guys, please pray for me. If [you're] not feeling like yourself, please get help."



For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.
Online casino games supplier NYX Gaming Group added another client operator to its portfolio, after locking a content distribution deal with Spanish gambling company Luckia Games. Under their agreement, the operator will be able to utilize its new partners open gaming system (NYX OGS) and open platform system (NYX OPS) to boost its online gambling offering.

The deal also includes the addition of online slot titles and scratch card games developed in-house by NYX Gamings subsidiary NextGen Gaming. To further support its growth across Spain, Luckia will launch content by local developer MGA Games. The latter is known for the creation of traditional three- and five-reel slots and other online casino games. The integration of MGA Games has become possible through the NYX OGS product.

The deal is seen by the involved parties as a good opportunity for further growth and expansioninto other regulated and to-be-regulated online gambling markets.

With more than 35-year history, Luckia is one of the leaders in the provision of gambling services in the Spanish market. It holds licenses for conducting both online and offline casino and sports betting activities, including the operation of gaming machines across bars, gaming arcades, and other brick-and-mortar facilities. The company also operates in the emerging Latin American online gambling market.

Late in 2016, Luckia signed another major content distribution agreement, that one with sports betting supplier SBTech. The deal allowed the operator to opt for its new partners Platformand thus diversify its betting offering by providing customers with personalized options.

As for NYX Gaming, the Canada-listed company has recently extended its footprint into several new markets. It was first given the green light to supply its products and services to three Canadian provinces  British Columbia, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. The company next announced an agreement with the New Zealand Racing Board, under which it would design a new fixed-odds betting platform for the state-run sports betting operator.

NYX Gaming acted as a buyer in one of the most expensive acquisition deals to have taken place last year at a supplier level. The company purchased sports betting provider OpenBet for the total amount of 270 million, a transaction that was partially financed by gambling operators Sky Betting & Gaming and William Hill.
In todays climate of widespread, often heated disagreement, the ability to successfully distinguish facts from opinions is more important than ever. Effective arguments include both factual observations and value judgements based on those facts.

In this way, arguments contain both objective and subjective statements. But which is which?

It is important to note that both objective and subjective have multiple senses. In this article, I will focus on their use as they relate to the concepts of objectivityand subjectivityin the philosophy of knowledge, or in simpler terms, to facts and opinions.

Since this site is devoted to writing and language use, I would be remiss not to include a discussion on objective and subjective as grammatical senses, as well.

What is the Difference Between Objective and Subjective?

In this article, I will compare objective vs. subjective. I will use each word in an example sentence to illustrate its proper context.

Plus, I will give you a useful memory tool that will help you decide whether something is objective or subjective.

When to Use Objective

What does objective mean? Objective is an adjective, meaning not influenced by personal feelings or bias. As such, it is a synonym of impartial or neutral.

Here are some example sentences,

The journalist strived to engage in objective reporting.

Before we can proceed, we need an objective assessment of the facts of the case, said the detective.

I want an objective analysis of our cash flow problems on my desk by Monday morning, said the board chair.

In other words, the model is purely objectiveand ignores outside factors like personnel, coaching and motivation. The Wall Street Journal

In grammar, objective means referring to nouns or pronouns used as the object in a sentence. Also, see article on objective pronouns.

When to Use Subjective

What does subjective mean? Subjective, on the other hand, means based on individual opinion or experience.

For example,

My subjective stance, wrote the columnist, is that the pasta was not very delicious.

Journalists should not allow subjective views to contaminate hard news reporting.

The article suffers from subjective interpretations of data, and we reject it from publication in this journal, wrote a peer reviewer.

Measuring corruption is difficult and subjective, but in 2015 the group compiled a Corruption Perceptions Index that ranks 168 countries based on the perception of corruption in the public sector. The New York Times

With regard to sentence-level grammar, subjective refers to nouns or pronouns used as the subject of a sentence. Also, see article on subjective pronouns.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Various genres of writing require either an objective or subjective voice. With regard to the words themselves, use objective for an unbiased observation, independent from personal views, and subjective for a biased evaluation, influenced by personal opinion.

Here is a helpful trick to remember subjectivevs. objective. Since objective and observation both begin with the letter O, you can use this letter to link the words together in your mind.

Also, subjective and feelings both contain the letter S, which you can use as an additional mnemonic.

Summary

Is it objective or subjective? Objective and subjective are adjectives that refer to unbiased observations and biased evaluations, respectively. They each also have a grammatical sense, where they refer to the function and placement of nouns and pronouns in sentences.

Something that is objective is not influenced by feelings or personal biases.

Something that is subjective is up for personal interpretation and subject to personal feelings.

Since both subjective and feelings contain the letter S, you can use this shared feature as a mnemonic to help you remember which word is which.

If you still need help, remember to check this site for a quick refresher, as well as any time you need help with a difficult writing topic.
Texas school board adopts new policy making students use bathrooms according to gender assigned at birth

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The Frisco Independent School Board voted in favor of a new policy that requires transgender students to use bathrooms and changing rooms that align with their birth gender.

A Texas school district changed its rules to require students to use bathrooms and changing rooms that align with their gender assigned at birth.

However, the policy explicitly states that it would not prohibit the district from making accommodations for students or parents upon request. Trustees said accommodations will be made for students who ask to use private bathrooms.

The Frisco Independent School District school board passed the updated policy at a meeting on Monday night.

The Frisco Independent School District changed its rules to require students to use bathrooms and changing rooms that align with the gender assigned at birth. (iStock)

Parents and community members spoke for and against the policy during public comment.

Some remarked in support for the updated policy, saying, "God created only two sexes at birth."

BIDEN ADMIN HOLDING SCHOOL LUNCH MONEY 'HOSTAGE' TO FORCE TRANSGENDER POLICIES, ACTIVIST PARENT SAYS

Advocates for the transgender community disagreed with the move, saying it was unnecessary and unfairly targets a small handful of students.

"According to recent studies, 75% of transgender youth feel unsafe at school. Having to ask for and use a special bathroom requires the trans student to draw attention to themselves and may require them to run across the entire campus to tend to their bodily functions. That is not inclusive, or kind," parent Ellie Patel told Fox 4.

Gov. Greg Abbott told state school boards to develop standards to ban books with "overtly sexual" content in schools across Texas. (iStock)

The board also approved new library book policies in connection to books that are being reviewed or challenged due to their content.

That move comes as Texas Republicans put pressure on schools to get rid of books deemed sexually explicit.

On Nov. 1, newly re-elected Texas Gov. Greg Abbott wrote in a letter asking the state's association of school boards to "ensure no child is exposed to pornography or other inappropriate content in a Texas public school."

CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER BOASTS 'QUEER LIBRARY' WITH MATERIAL ON ORGIES AND BDSM/KINK

Abbott said that parents have the right to shield their children from certain content in schools and that public schools shouldn't have "pornographic or obscene material."

He asked the organization to determine the extent to which such material exists  and remove it.

"A growing number of parents of Texas students are becoming increasingly alarmed about some of the books and other content found in public school libraries that are extremely inappropriate in the public education system," he wrote. "The most flagrant examples include clearly pornographic images and substance that have no place in the Texas public education system."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The letter did not provide any specific examples of such content.

Sarah Rumpf is a Fox News Digital Production Assistant. You can reach her on Twitter at @rumpfsarahc
Dawney did everything for him, and Harz resented in a listless way the intent scrutiny of the doctor's calm, black eyes. Villa Rubein and Other Stories|John Galsworthy

Towards the end of the second day he was able to get up; Dawney found him sitting on the bed in shirt and trousers. Villa Rubein and Other Stories|John Galsworthy

Dawney hooked his thumbs into his waistcoat: "You won't see the sun for three days yet, if I can help it." Villa Rubein and Other Stories|John Galsworthy
Allegiant Air added four temporary flights to allow for fans of select NFL teams to travel to away games,real casino free spins no deposit including for Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs supporters to fly to Las Vegas for matchups against the Raiders.

The Las Vegas-based airline is adding flights to cater to fans of the Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills along with the Chiefs and Steelers faithful.

We are thrilled to offer these specialty flights to four of the most passionate fan bases in the league, Drew Wells, Allegiant senior vice president and chief revenue officer, said in a statement. Every year, we look for opportunities to bring NFL fans to premier vacation destinations to see their teams play.
TESOL Diploma, Trinity College London

M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music

B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music

Knowing how to say good night and good morning is important for every English learner. Before going to bed and after waking up in the morning, it's common to make small talk about sleeping. Here are the most common phrases used.

Going to Bed

In English, there are a variety of expressions to use when talking to someone before going to bed. Many involve wishing the other person a night of peaceful sleep and pleasant dreams:

Good night.

Sleep well.

Have a good night's sleep.

Make sure you get a good night's sleep.

I hope you sleep well.

See you in the morning.

Sweet dreams.

Sleep tight!

Night, night.

Other expressions are more insistent, including those a parent might use to tell a restless child it's time to go to sleep:

Lights out!

Time for bed!

Example Dialogues

Kevin:Good night.

Alice:See you in the morning.

Kevin:I hope you sleep well.

Alice:Thank you. Make sure you get a good night's sleep as well.

Kevin: Get some good sleep. We have a big day tomorrow.

Alice: Okay, you too.

Kevin: Lights out!

Alice: Okay, I'm going to sleep. Night, night.

Kevin: I'm heading up to bed now.

Alice: Sleep tight!

Waking Up

The moment after waking up in the morning is another time when people make small talk. They often ask each other how they slept and how they're feeling.

Good morning.

I hope you had a good night's sleep.

I hope you got some good rest.

Did you sleep well?

Did you get a good night's sleep?

I slept well, how about you?

How did you sleep?

Did you have any dreams?

Rise and shine.

Example Dialogues

Kevin:Good morning.

Alice:Good morning. Did you sleep well?

Kevin:I hope you had a good night's sleep.

Alice:Yes, thank you, I did. And you?

Kevin: Good morning, honey. I hope you got some good rest.

Alice: I did. How did you sleep?

Kevin: Good morning. Did you have any dreams?

Alice: I did. I had a strange dream and you were in it!

Kevin: Good morning.

Alice: I'm still sleepy. I think I'll hit the snooze for ten minutes.

Kevin: We don't want to miss our appointment, though.

Alice: Oh, I forgot about that.

Kevin: Rise and shine.

Other Common Sleeping and Waking Expressions

English is filled with idioms related to sleeping and waking up. Learning some of these expressions will be especially helpful to English learners:

Night owl : a person who likes to stay up late

: a person who likes to stay up late Early bird : a person who usually wakes up early

: a person who usually wakes up early Tossing and turning : being restless and unable to sleep, usually after lying in bed for a long period of time

: being restless and unable to sleep, usually after lying in bed for a long period of time To tuck someone in : to put someone to bed, usually by pulling the covers up over them so that they are warm and snug

: to put someone to bed, usually by pulling the covers up over them so that they are warm and snug To sleep like a baby : to sleep restfully, without any disturbances

: to sleep restfully, without any disturbances To hit the hay : to go to bed

: to go to bed To catch some Zs : to go to bed

: to go to bed To wake up on the wrong side of the bed: to be in a bad mood

Example Dialogues

Kevin: I don't usually go to bed until 2 a.m.

Alice: You really are a night owl.

Kevin: Did you sleep well?

Alice: No, I was tossing and turning all night.

Kevin: You're in a grumpy mood today.

Alice: I guess I woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Kevin: I feel great this morning.

Alice: Me too. I slept like a baby.

Kevin: I feel exhausted after that long hike.

Alice: Yeah, you look pretty tired. Time to hit the hay.
What Is Net Operating Income (NOI)?bet mgm online casino app

Net operating income (NOI) is a calculation used to analyze the profitability of income-generating real estate investments. NOI equals all revenue from the property, minus all reasonably necessary operating expenses.

NOI is a before-tax figure, appearing on a propertys income and cash flow statement, that excludes principal and interest payments on loans, capital expenditures, depreciation, and amortization. When this metric is used in other industries, it is referred to as EBIT, which stands for earnings before interest and taxes.

Key Takeaways

Net operating income measures an income-producing property's profitability before adding in any costs from financing or taxes.

To calculate NOI, subtract all operating expenses incurred on a property from all revenue generated on the property.

The operating expenses used in the NOI metric can be manipulated if a property owner defers or accelerates certain income or expense items.

The NOI metric does not include capital expenditures.

NOI will indicate to a property owner if renting a property is worth the expense of owning and maintaining it.

Net Operating Income

Understanding Net Operating Income (NOI)

1:31

Net operating income is a valuation method used by real estate professionals to determine the precise value of their income-producing properties. To calculate NOI, the property's operating expenses must be subtracted from the income a property produces.

In addition to rental income, a property might also generate revenue from amenities such as parking structures, vending machines, and laundry facilities. Operating expenses include the costs of running and maintaining the building, including insurance premiums, legal fees, utilities, property taxes, repair costs, and janitorial fees. Capital expenditures, such as costs for a new air-conditioning system for the entire building, are not included in the calculation.

NOI helps real estate investors determine the capitalization rate, which in turn helps them calculate a propertys value, thus allowing them to compare different properties they may be considering buying or selling.

For financed properties, NOI is also used in the debt coverage ratio (DCR), which tells lenders and investors whether a propertys income covers its operating expenses and debt payments. NOI is also used to calculate the net income multiplier, cash return on investment, and total return on investment.

How to Calculate Net Operating Income (NOI)

To calculate net operating income, subtract operating expenses from the revenue generated by a property. Revenue from real estate includes rental income, parking fees, service changes, vending machines, laundry machines, and so on.

Operating expenses include all of the costs associated with operating the property. These include property management fees, insurance, utilities, property taxes, repairs, and maintenance.

NOI Formula

Net operating income = R R  O E where: R R = real estate revenue O E = operating expenses \begin{ aligned} &\text{ Net operating income} = RR - OE \\ &\textbf{ where:}\\ &RR=\text{ real estate revenue}\\ &OE=\text{ operating expenses}\\ \end{ aligned} Net operating income=RROEwhere:RR=real estate revenueOE=operating expenses

As an example, let's assume the below information was the profile of a particular condo building that an owner was renting out.

Revenue:

Rental income: $20,000

Parking fees: $5,000

Laundry machines: $1,000

Total Revenues = $26,000

Now, let's assume the operating expenses of the condo building are as follows:

Operating Expenses:

Property management fees: $1,000

Property taxes: $5,000

Repair and maintenance: $3,000

Insurance: $1,000

Total Operating Expenses = $10,000

The net operating income (NOI) in this example would be $26,000 - $10,000 = $16,000.

Components of NOI

Based on the formula above, the primary components of NOI are total revenues and total operating expenses. The total revenue includes all of the income from a real estate property, not just the rent. In some buildings, that may include the additional income from renting out parking or storage spaces, or the revenue from on-site vending machines or laundry services.

The operating expenses represent the total costs associated with the rental property. In addition to maintenance and repairs, it also includes the costs of taxes and insurance, property management fees, and any utilities that are not covered by the tenants.

Net Operating Income vs. Gross Operating Income

NOI is different from the gross operating income. In real estate, this represents the total potential income from a property, minus any lost income due to vacancies. The net operating income is the gross operating income, minus operating expenses.



Net operating income is useful in estimating the potential income from an investment property. However, it does not account for some potential costs, such as income taxes or mortgage amortization.

NOI and Cap Rate

Net operating income is used to calculate the capitalization rate, a measure of the profitability of an investment property in relation to the total cost. The cap rate is calculated by dividing the NOI by the total cost of a property.

Expressed as a percentage, the capitalization rate represents the investment returns from different properties. Investors use cap rates to compare the returns of different properties.

Example of NOI

Let us assume that you own a property that annually pulls in $120,000 in revenues and incurs $80,000 in operating expenses. In this circumstance, it will have a resulting NOI of $40,000 ($120,000 - $80,000). If the total is negative, where operating expenses are higher than revenues, the result is called a net operating loss (NOL).

Creditors and commercial lenders rely heavily on NOI to determine the income generation potential of the property to be mortgaged, even more than they factor an investor's credit history into their decisions. Simply put: this metric helps lenders fundamentally assess the initial value of the property by forecasting its cash flows.

NOI is used to determine the capitalization rate of a property, also known as the return on investment (ROI) in real estate. It divides NOI by the purchase price.

If a property is deemed profitable, the lenders also use this figure to determine the size of the loan theyre willing to make. On the other hand, if the property shows a net operating loss, lenders are likely to reject the borrower's mortgage application, outright.

Property owners can manipulate their operating expenses by deferring certain expenses while accelerating others. NOI can also be increased by raising rents and other fees, while simultaneously decreasing reasonably necessary operating expenses.

As an example of the latter, consider a scenario where an apartment owner waives a tenants yearly $12,000 rent, in exchange for that renter acting as a property manager. If the apartment owner would normally pay a building manager a $30,000 salary, they may consequently subtract the reasonably necessary cost of $30,000 from revenue, rather than the actual cost of $12,000.

What Is the Formula for Calculating NOI?

The formula for calculating NOI is as follows:



NOI = real estate revenue - operating expenses









What Is the Difference Between Net Income and Net Operating Income?

Net operating income is revenue less all operating expenses while net income is revenue less all expenses, including operating expenses and non-operating expenses, such as taxes.

What Is a Good Net Operating Income Percentage?

NOI is not a percentage but rather a number that takes into consideration the revenues and expenses of a property. It can be compared to the entire value of the property if that property had been paid fully in cash. In this case, the higher the net operating income to property price percentage, the better.

The Bottom Line

Net operating income (NOI) is a commonly used figure to assess the profitability of a property. The calculation involves subtracting all operating expenses on the property from all the revenue generated from the property. The higher the revenues and the smaller the expenses, the more profitable a property is. This tells the owner if the income generated from owning and maintaining the property is worth the cost.
What Is Lifestyle Creep?yugioh nft sulive betting slots

Lifestyle creep occurs when an individual's standard of living improves as their discretionary income rises and former luxuries become new necessities. The rise in discretionary income can happen either through an increase in income or decrease in costs.

A hallmark of lifestyle creep is a change in thinking and behavior that sees spending on nonessential items as a right rather than a choice. This can be seen in the spending decision attitude of "you deserve it," rather than thinking of the opportunities that saving money would provide. A way to fight lifestyle creep is by budgeting and discerning wants from needs when making purchases.

Key Takeaways

Lifestyle creep refers to the phenomenon where discretionary consumption increases on non-essential items as the standard of living improves.

With lifestyle creep, luxury goods and discretionary spending become perceived as a right to have and not a choiceas a necessity versus a want.

The downside of this creep is that when income decreases, for instance with unemployment or in retirement, people will run out of savings as they continue to live above their means.

Lifestyle Creep Explained

Lifestyle has the potential to derail retirement plans and debt reduction as frugality is replaced by spendthriftness. Lifestyle creep can start smallordering a more expensive bottle of wine at dinner, or buying a bag or electronic item you do not really needbut can quickly extend to more extravagant habits. Easily accessible credit and the use of credit cards, which enable bigger purchases, may contribute to lifestyle creep. Budgeting and willpower can be leveraged to avoid lifestyle creep.

Some examples of lifestyle creep include:

Spending several dollars per day on coffee

Flying premium economy rather than coach

Eating out frequently and more expensively

Expensive clothing (and more of it when less expensive clothing will suffice)

Paying for housekeeping

Buying or renting more house than you need (or a second home)

A third car, a boat, or replacing a car sooner than you need to

Lifestyle Creep and Near-Retirees

Lifestyle creep can be particularly problematic for individuals approaching retirement. Such individuals, at five to 10 years before retirement, are typically in their peak earning years and have already paid off their longstanding recurring expenses, such as a mortgage or child-related costs. Feeling flush with their newfound surplus of discretionary income, they may opt for more expensive cars, pricier vacations, a second home, or a newfound affinity for luxury goods.

Since the goal in retirement is to maintain the lifestyle one has become accustomed to in the years preceding retirement, these retirees require more funds to support their more lavish lifestyles. Unfortunately, they lack the resources to do this because they have spent their surplus cash flow rather than saved it to bolster a more comfortable retirement.

Lifestyle Creep and Younger Savers

Lifestyle creep can also be felt by younger consumers and retirement savers, such as when they land their first well-paying job. Spending habits can quickly change to include items that were previously considered luxuries. Such behavior can make it harder to save for buying a first home, retirement, or quickly pay down educational debt. Individuals who fear falling into such a spending trap should consider writing down their life and money goals and using them as a guide to spending decisions.
What Is an Auction Market?harry lilibet

In an auction market, buyers enter competitive bids and sellers submit competitive offers at the same time. The price at which a stock trades represents the highest price that a buyer is willing to pay and the lowest price that a seller is willing to accept. Matching bids and offers are then paired together, and the orders are executed. The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is an example of an auction market.

Auction Market Process

The process involved in an auction market differs from the process in an over-the-counter (OTC) market. On the NYSE, for example, there are no direct negotiations between individual buyers and sellers, while negotiations occur in OTC trades. Most traditional auctions involve multiple potential buyers or bidders, but only a single seller, whereas auction markets for securities have multiple buyers and multiple sellers, all looking to make deals simultaneously.

Key Takeaways

An auction market is one where buyers and sellers enter competitive bids simultaneously.

The price at which a stock trades represents the highest price that a buyer is willing to pay and the lowest price that a seller is willing to accept.

A double auction market is when a buyers price and a sellers asking price match, and the trade proceeds at that price.

Auction markets do not involve direct negotiations between individual buyers and sellers, while negotiations occur for OTC trades.

The U.S. Treasury holds auctions, which are open to the public and large investment entities, to finance certain government financial activities.

Double Auction Markets

An auction market also known as a double auction market, allows buyers and sellers to submit prices they deem acceptable to a list. When a match between a buyers price and a sellers asking price is found, the trade proceeds at that price. Trades without matches will not be executed.

Examples of the Auction Market Process

Imagine that four buyers want to buy a share of company XYZ and make the following bids: $10.00, $10.02, $10.03 and $10.06, respectively. Conversely, four sellers wish to sell shares of company XYZ, and these sellers submitted offers to sell their shares at the following prices: $10.06, $10.09, $10.12 and $10.13, respectively.

In this scenario, the individuals that made bids/offers for company XYZ at $10.06 will have their orders executed. All remaining orders will not immediately be executed, and the current price of company XYZ will be $10.06.

Treasury Auctions

The U.S. Treasury holds auctions to finance certain government financial activities. The Treasury auction is open to the public and various larger investment entities. These bids are submitted electronically and are divided into competing and noncompeting bids depending on the person or entity who places the recorded bid.

Noncompeting bids are addressed first because noncompetitive bidders are guaranteed to receive a predetermined amount of securities as a minimum and up to a maximum of $5 million. These are most commonly entered by individual investors or those representing small entities.

In competitive bidding, once the auction period closes, all of the incoming bids are reviewed to determine the winning price. Securities are sold to the competing bidders based on the amount listed within the bid. Once all of the securities have been sold, the remaining competing bidders will not receive any securities.
It can be tough sometimes to remember the difference between intoand in to. They look very similar written on paper. Plus, when you say them out loud, they sound almost indistinguishable. But even though you may skip right over them in casual conversation, these words have subtle differences that are very important to remember when you are writing.

What is the Difference Between Into and In to?

So, is intoa preposition or an adverb? The sense of the sentence should be able to tell you, but it still can be tricky. Today, I want to go over into vs. in to and give you a few tips to remember the difference.

When to Use Into

Into is a preposition that means to the inside or interior of. Intoindicates movement or some type of action that is taking place.

After a long night, she crawled into her bed to go to sleep.

He threw the note into the fire.

It also often answers the questions where? For example,

Where is your mother?

She went into the Macys store.

Where is the store moving?

Its moving into the new outlet mall.

When to Use In to

Use in to, two words, when inis part of a verb phrase. In instances when inis part of the verb, it is acting as an adverb and to is either a preposition, which takes an object, or part of an infinitive, such as to run. For example,

The firefighter ran back in to save the girl. (Tois part of the infinitive here.)

You are either in to win or youre not. (Tois part of the infinitive here.)

The skateboarder dropped in to the ramp. (To is preposition here.)

He gave in to the pressure. (To is preposition here.)

Toas Part of the Infinitive

When to is functioning as a part of an infinitive, it carries the meaning of in order to. Take our first example above,

The firefighter ran back in to save the girl.

This sentence means,

The firefighter ran back in in order to save the girl.

Here tobelongs with saveand no longer means where? but means in order to.

Toas a Preposition

The third example sentence above illustrates another important difference between these two meanings of in to vs. into. For instance, what is the difference between the two following examples?

The skateboarder dropped into the ramp.

The skateboarder dropped in to the ramp.

In the first sentence, the skateboarder dropped and fell into the ramp, as if he went limp and collapsed into the ramp.

In the second sentence, the skateboarder dropped in to the ramp. To drop in is to start from the high point, or lip, of a skateboarding ramp and skate down the ramp.

So there is a huge difference between these two meanings. In the first, someone is getting injured. The second is just everyday skateboarding.

Remember the Difference

A good trick to keep track of these uses is to say your sentences aloud.

Say them aloud and pause between inand to. If, as a result of this pause, the sentence sounds incorrect, you probably need into.

This isnt a 100 percent accurate test, but it will get you by most of the time.

Summary

These two uses can have vastly different meanings, so we need to be careful when using intoand in to.

Into is a preposition and related to direction and movement, answering the questions, Where?

In to: when paired with each other, in acts as a part of a verbal phrase and to acts as a preposition or a part of an infinitive.
The TikTok logo displayed on the screen of a smartphone. Getty Images

European regulators hit social media platform TikTok with a $368 million fine for lapses in children's privacy.

It's the first time the video-sharing app has been penalized under Europe's data privacy rules.

But TikTok's head of privacy argued that "most of the decision's criticisms are no longer relevant."

European regulators imposed a $368 million fine on TikTok, the first time the popular video-sharing platform has faced penalties for violating the EU's strict data privacy regulations, the Associated Press reported.

The fine was issued by Ireland's Data Protection Commission, which serves as the leading privacy regulator for major tech companies based in Dublin.

An investigation found significant lapses in the protection of children's privacy, it said.

One of the key findings was that the default settings for teen accounts made them public, allowing unrestricted access for anyone to view and comment on videos.

The investigation also said that the "family pairing" feature, designed to let parents manage children's account settings, was not strict enough. This allowed adults to enable direct messaging for users aged 16 and 17 without their consent, potentially compromising their privacy.

The platform also nudged teenage users toward more "privacy intrusive" options during the sign-up and video posting process, it said.

TikTok disagreed with the regulatory decision.

The company argued that many of the features and settings criticized by the regulator had been addressed before the investigation began in 2021, AP reported. They said they had already made accounts for users under 16 private by default and had disabled direct messaging for users aged 13-15.

Elaine Fox, TikTok's head of privacy for Europe, wrote in a blog post that "most of the decision's criticisms are no longer relevant as a result of measures we introduced at the start of 2021."

Story continues

This isn't the first time that TikTok has been fined over data protection concerns.

Data privacy regulators in the UK issued a 12.7 million ($15.7 million) fine to TikTok in April for mishandling children's data and breaching protections for young users' personal information, AP reported.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Photo: Screenshot of the China Media Group report

TheKela-Keshen gas field, the first trillion-cubic-meter scale gas field in Tarim Basin in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has produced more than 200 billion cubic meters of natural gas, providing a solid source for a stable gas supply for the west-east gas transmission, and strongly contributing to China's green and low-carbon development, China Media Group reported on Monday.Since the start of production in 2004, the Kela-Keshen gas field has produced a total of 200.59 billion cubic meters of natural gas, with six gas wells reaching a cumulative production exceeding 10 billion cubic meters and 17 wells reaching a cumulative production exceeding one billion cubic meters.Located at the northern edge of the Tarim Basin, the Kela-Keshen gas field is a main gas source for the west-east gas transmission, according to the report, adding that five new gas reservoirs have been discovered in recent years with a new production capacity of 5.65 billion cubic meters and equivalent to a new oilfield with an annual production capacity of 4.5 million tons.The local production team from China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) recently completed the commissioning and production adjustment of a new gas well, increasing the production by three million cubic meters, Jiang Guojun, a local manager from CNPC told China Media Group.Jiang added that more than 13 billion cubic meters of natural gas have been produced in 2022, providing a secure supply of clean energy for more than 160 cities, 3,000 large and medium-sized enterprises and 400 million people in the western, central and eastern regions of China.In the first three quarters of 2022, Tarim Oilfield produced 5.59 million tons of petroleum liquids and 23.9 billion cubic meters of natural gas, with oil and gas production equivalents reaching 24.69 million tons, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.Global Times
Daedalion [ dee-dey-lee-on ]/ dide lin / New Word List Save This word games online keno games onlineWord! [ dee-dey-lee-on ]/ dide lin /Save ThisWord!

noun Classical Mythology.a son of Lucifer who, despondent over the death of his daughter Chione, leaped off Parnassus: Apollo changed him into a hawk.

Words nearby Daedalion

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!QuestionDad rock, DAE, daedal, Daedala, Daedalid, Daedalion, Daedalus, daemon, daemonology, Daesh, daffDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
resident evil villageshows grade level based on the word's complexity. declaration [ dek-luh-rey-shuhn ]/ dk lre n / New Word List Save This Word!See declaration on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dek-luh-rey-shuhn ]/ dk lre n /Save This Word!See declaration on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nounan explicit or emphatic statementa formal statement or announcement; proclamationthe act of declaringthe ruling of a judge or court on a question of law, esp in the chancery division of the High Courtlaw an unsworn statement of a witness admissible in evidence under certain conditionsSee also statutory declarationcricket the voluntary closure of an innings before all ten wickets have fallencontract bridge the final contracta statement or inventory of goods, etc, submitted for tax assessmenta customs declarationcards an announcement of points made after taking a trick, as in bezique

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Dawson Creek New Word List Save This scatter88 sloth in filipinoWord! Save ThisWord!

nouna village in NE British Columbia, Canada, at the SE terminus of the Alaska Highway.

Words nearby Dawson Creek

How to use Dawson Creek Dawson Creek nouna town in W Canada, in NE British Columbia: SE terminus of the Alaska Highway. Pop: 10 754 (2001) Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondawn on, dawn patrol, dawn raid, dawn redwood, Dawson, Dawson Creek, dawsonite, Dax, day, day after day, DayakDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
China has become the biggest Bible publishers in the world after printing its 100 millionth,slots free spins no wagering according to the countrys only authorized Bible-printing company.

On Thursday, Qiu Zhonghui, chairman of the board of Amity Printing Co. Ltd., which is based in the eastern Chinese city of Nanjing, said the 100 millionth copy was printed in July.

About 60 million holy books, including nine ethnic minority language editions, have been printed by Amity Printing. The company has provided 40 million copies in over 90 languages to around 70 countries and regions in the world, said Qiu.

Amity Printing is a joint venture between Chinas Amity Foundation and the United Bible Societies. The company has been publishing the Bible since 1988.

Due to Chinese government policies, Amity Printing benefits from being exempt from various taxes when producing the Bible.

There are more than 70 sales outlets nationwide that sell the book, Qiu added.

China has more than 16 million Christians, 55,000 churches or gathering venues, 36,000 missionaries and 100,000 church volunteers. In addition, it has 18 divinity and Bible schools with 1,800 seminarians.

Xinhua

China prints its 100 millionth Bibleadded by chinatimesonline on

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Thepickswise mlb parlay following story is excerpted from TIMEs special edition, 100 Most Healing Foods.

One of the most crucial parts of our body when it comes to health is our microbiomethe trillions of bacteria that live in our gut. Scientists are learning that the bacterial communities we live with are linked to everything from body weight to asthma to acne. Having the right balance of bugs may keep us well in the long term. Some bacteria in the gut are good for our health, while other strains raise our risk for disease.

We shape our microbiome makeup through our everyday diet. Many of the foods listed below are high in nutrients like fiber, which feeds healthy gut microbes. Those microbes produce short-chain fatty acids that get absorbed into the bloodstream and reduce inflammation while strengthening the immune system. These gut-friendly foods also contain pro- or prebiotics, which help gut-bacteria diversity. Probiotics are bacteria that are very similar to or the same as good-bacteria colonies already in our gut. Theyre in many foods on this list, including yogurt and sauerkraut. Prebiotics, on the other hand, are a type of plant fiber often found in vegetables that nourishes good bacteria. (Good sources of prebiotics include chickpeas, bananas and artichokes.)

Want to upgrade your eating habits and dont know where to start? Sign up for TIMEs guide to healthy eating made easy.

Both are important for keeping you regular and building a better microbiome. Here are some probiotic-filled foods to consider adding to your diet.

Cottage cheese

Lucas Zarebinski

How to eat it: This throwback cheese makes a great base for both sweet and savory snacks. Mix it with fruit and walnuts, or add olive oil, cucumber slices and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Why its good for you:Cheese lovers, rejoice: cottage cheese is a great pick for your gut. As with other fermented foods, cottage cheese often delivers probiotics (check the package labels for live and active cultures), and its high in calcium, which is important for strong bones.

Kimchi

Lucas Zarebinski

How to eat it:This Korean fermented- cabbage dish can add a flavor kick to nearly any food. Mix kimchi with brown rice or simply enjoy on its own.

Why its good for you: A probiotic made with cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and garlic, kimchi not only is gut-friendly but also may help reduce cancer risk.

Sauerkraut

Lucas Zarebinski

How to eat it:A small helping of sauerkraut paired with lean meat adds up to a tasty and nutritious meal.

Why its good for you:The cabbage in sauerkraut, a food that dates to the 4th century B.C., is fermented with lactic-acid bacteria, which means its good for keeping your digestive system in balance. You also get fiber and compounds that boost the immune system.

Yogurt

Lucas Zarebinski

How to eat it: Add fresh fruit, seeds and a little granola to a bowl of plain yogurt for a filling breakfast or afternoon snack.

Why its good for you:A fermented food, yogurt naturally contains lots of probiotic cultures that strengthen the digestive tract. Some Greek yogurt also boasts added probiotics like Lactobacillus acidophilusand Lactobacillus caseithat may help increase the good bacteria in your gut.

Miso

Lucas Zarebinski

How to eat it:Add a dollop of misoa fermented soybean-based paste used in Japanese cookingto soups. For a tasty salmon marinade, mix miso with ingredients like mirin, vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil.

Why its good for you:Yes, miso can be high in sodium, but this gut-healthy pick delivers good amounts of protein, calcium, iron and magnesium.

Pickles

Lucas Zarebinski

How to eat them:Add chopped pickles to your potato salad or use in your lunch wrap in place of high-fat spreads. To get that healthy bacteria, buy pickles brined in salt water, not vinegar.

Why theyre good for you:Cucumber pickles are brined in salt water and fermented, giving you that beneficial bacteria. Each spear offers vitamins A and K, important for blood and cell health, and potassium, vital for healthy heart function. Just keep in mind that pickles tend to be high in sodium.

Kombucha

Lucas Zarebinski

How to drink it: Enjoy kombucha straight from the bottle. You may need to sample a few varieties to find the one you like best.

Why its good for you:Kombucha is a fermented tea that also contains some gases and a small amount of alcohol, which gives it carbonation. Its full of probiotics and antioxidants that support the immune system. Sip in moderation, though: it contains lactic acid, which in large amounts can build up in the bloodstream and harm your health.

Apple-cider vinegar

Lucas Zarebinski

How to eat it:This vinegarmade from fermented apple sugarsis delicious in salad dressings.

Why its good for you: The acetic acid in vinegar aids digestion. One 2009 study even linked regular apple- cider-vinegar consumption with weight loss. The acid may turn on fat metabolism and help keep blood sugar levels normal. Experts recommend keeping total intake per day at or below four tablespoons.

Tempeh

Lucas Zarebinski

How to eat it:Tempeh is a protein made from soybeans that you can use instead of meat. Add it to stir-fries with vegetables and healthy grains like brown rice.

Why its good for you:Compounds in this good gut food may have anti-inflammatory and even anti- tumor effects. Tempeh also serves up a helping of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Parmesan cheese

Lucas Zarebinski

How to eat it:Sprinkle parmesan cheese on air- popped popcorn for a healthy and filling snack.

Why its good for you:Some fermented cheeses, like parmesan, contain lactic-acid bacteria that can create gut-healthy probiotics. Cheese also contains important nutrients like protein and calcium.
missing my best friend memesshows grade level based on the word's complexity. decennial [ dih-sen-ee-uhl ]/ dsn i l / New Word List Save This Word!See decennial165060; <Latin decenni(um) a period of ten years (decenn(is) decennary + -ium-ium) + -al1 OTHER WORDS FROM decennial decennially, adverb Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dih-sen-ee-uhl ]/ dsn i l /Save This Word!See decennial165060;

Words nearby decennial

Words related to decennial decennial/ (dsnl) / adjectivelasting for ten yearsoccurring every ten years nouna tenth anniversary or its celebration Derived forms of decennial decennially, adverb Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

decemvirate, decenary, decencies, decency, decennary, decennial, decennium, decent, decenter, decentralize, decentralizedDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What Is Price Level?web3 gaming news

Price level is the average of current prices across the entire spectrum of goods and services produced in an economy. In more general terms, price level refers to the price or cost of a good, service, or security in the economy.

Price levels may be expressed in small ranges, such as ticks with securities prices, or presented as a discrete value such as a dollar figure.

In economics, price levels are a key indicator and are closely watched by economists. They play an important role in the purchasing power of consumers as well as the sale of goods and services. It also plays an important part in the supply-demand chain.

Key Takeaways

The price level is the average of the current price of goods and services produced in the economy.

Price levels are expressed in small ranges or as discrete values such as dollar figures.

Price levels are leading indicators in the economy; rising prices indicate higher demand leading to inflation while declining prices indicate lower demand or deflation.

In the investment world, the price level is referred to as support and resistance, which help define entry and exit points.

Understanding Price Level

There are two meanings of the term price level in the world of business.

The first is what most people are accustomed to hearing about: the price of goods and services or the amount of money a consumer or other entity is required to give up to purchase a good, service, or security in the economy. Prices rise as demand increases and drop when demand decreases.

The movement in prices is used as a reference for inflation and deflation, or the rise and fall of prices in the economy. If the prices of goods and services rise too quicklywhen an economy experiences inflationa central bank can step in and tighten its monetary policy and raise interest rates. This, in turn, decreases the amount of money in the system, thereby decreasing aggregate demand. If prices drop too quickly, the central bank can do the reverse; loosen its monetary policy, thereby increasing the economy's money supply and aggregate demand.

The other meaning of price level refers to the price of assets traded on the market such as a stock or a bond, which is often referred to as support and resistance. As in the case of the definition of price in the economy, demand for a security increases when its price drops. This forms the support line. When the price increases, a sell-off occurs, cutting off demand. This is where the resistance zone lies.

Price Level

Price Level in the Economy

1:12

In economics, price level refers to the buying power of money or inflation. In other words, economists describe the state of the economy by looking at how much people can buy with the same dollar of currency. The most common price level index is the consumer price index (CPI).

The price level is analyzed through a basket of goods approach, in which a collection of consumer-based goods and services is examined in aggregate. Changes in the aggregate price over time push the index measuring the basket of goods higher.

Weighted averages are typically used rather than geometric means. Price levels provide a snapshot of prices at a given time, making it possible to review changes in the broad price level over time. As prices rise (inflation) or fall (deflation), consumer demand for goods is also affected, which leads to changes in broad production measures such as gross domestic product (GDP).

Price levels are one of the most watched economic indicators in the world. Economists widely believe that prices should stay relatively stable year to year so that they don't cause undue inflation. If price levels rise too quickly, central banks or governments look for ways to decrease the money supply or the aggregate demand for goods and services.

Although prices change gradually over time during inflationary periods, they can change more than once a day when an economy experiences hyperinflation.

Price Level in the Investment World

Traders and investors make money by buying and selling securities. They buy and sell when the price reaches a certain level. These price levels are referred to as support and resistance. Traders use these areas of support and resistance to define entry and exit points.

Support is a price level where a downtrend is expected to pause due to a concentration of demand. As the price of a security drops, demand for the shares increases, forming the support line. Meanwhile, resistance zones arise due to a sell-off when prices increase.

Once an area or zone of support or resistance is identified, it provides valuable potential trade entry or exit points. This is so because as a price reaches a point of support or resistance, it will do one of two things: bounce back away from the support or resistance level or violate the price level and continue in its direction until it hits the next support or resistance level.
What Is a Deed of Release?sun and moon online pokies

A deed of release is a legal document that removes a previous claim on an asset. It provides documentation of release from a binding agreement. A deed of release might be included when a lender transfers the title of real estate to the homeowner upon satisfaction of the mortgage. A deed of release literally releases the parties from previous obligations.

Key Takeaways

A deed of release literally releases the parties to a deal from previous obligations, such as payments under the term of a mortgage because the loan has been paid off.

The lender holds the title to real property until the mortgages terms have been satisfied when a deed of release is commonly entered into.

A deed of release can also free an employer and an employee of any obligations that they had under their employment agreement, such as in the case of a severance package.

Deed of release forms can also be used to relieve personal guarantee obligations for business loans.

How Do Deeds of Release Work?

A good way to understand how a deed of release works is to consider it in a situation thats common for many people: homebuying. Most individuals purchase their homes with the help of a mortgage provided by a financial institution. The bank providing the funds for the mortgage doesnt just lend the money in good faithit takes a legal claim against the house as collateral until the loan is paid off.

A mortgage deed of release is then created when the borrower meets all mortgage payment terms or makes a full prepayment to satisfy the loan. The lender holds the title to the property until that time and is formally a lienholder of record on the property until full and final payment is made. The title provides secured collateral for the loan payments for the life of the loan, reducing the default risk for the lender.

The lending institutions legal counsel typically creates the deed of release when the loan has been satisfied. It reports that the loan has been paid in full under the terms required. It also states that the lien has been removed and the full title has been transferred to the homeowner.

The homeowner owns the asset free and clear after the title and deed of release are provided to her. They are no longer subject to any terms or obligations of the lender. The lending account is closed.

Be sure to have the deed of release recorded with the same agency that recorded the original mortgage, so you can be absolutely sure that any and all liens are removed.

Types of Deeds of Release

Employment agreements are another scenario where a deed of release might be used. The document can free both the employer and the employee of any obligations that they had under their employment agreement. In some cases, a deed of release might give an employee a designated payment. This can occur in the case of a severance package.

The deed of release can include the terms of the severance, including payment and the length of time that payments will last following the release. It might also identify confidential information that cannot be shared by the employee after termination, or restraint clauses that prevent a departing employee from forming a similar business or soliciting customers or clients.

Tip

If youre presented with a deed of release in a workplace setting, be sure to read it through carefully to ensure that you understand what youre agreeing to.

Example of Deed of Release

The most common example of a deed of release can occur when someone buys a home. When you take out a mortgage to purchase property, the property acts as collateral for the loan. Meanwhile, the lender holds the lien on the home as the entity to which you owe money. When you complete your mortgage terms and pay off the loan in full, a mortgage deed of release can be created.

Another example of a deed of release is associated with personal guarantees. A personal guarantee means that you assume personal responsibility for a debt, even if that debt is owed by a business entity that you own. If you agree to end a personal guarantee, whether the loan has been paid in full or not, you could do so through a deed of release.

Note

Agreeing to a Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) lien for a business loan creates a different set of legal and financial obligations from a personal guarantee.

Its possible to find sample deed of release forms online, though you may pay a fee to download them. Its also important to ensure that any deed of release form that youre using conforms to your states legal guidelines for a release of deed.

Special Considerations

Contact the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) if youve failed to receive a deed of release because your lending bank failed and went into FDIC receivership. The FDIC indicates that it can usually sort out the problem for you.

The regulator offers an interactive search tool that you can use to find out if your bank was acquired by the government through receivership.
Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dam-ney-shuhn ]/ dmne n /Save This Word!See damnation12501300; Middle English dam(p)nacioun

Words related to damnation

damnation/ (dmnen) /

nounthe act of damning or state of being damneda cause or instance of being damned

interjectionan exclamation of anger, disappointment, etc

Cultural definitions for damnation

damnation

Eternal punishment in hell. (See mortal sin/venial sin.)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright  2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FILE PHOTO: The logos of Swiss bank Credit Suisse and UBS are seen in Geneva, Switzerland

By Noele Illien, Elisa Martinuzzi and John O'Donnell

BERN (Reuters) -Switzerland was urged to prepare properly for the failure of a big bank on Friday by a group of experts in the wake of the collapse of Credit Suisse, but their report to government skirted radical reform some say is needed.

UBS Group emerged as Switzerlands single largest bank earlier this year after the government hastily arranged and partly bankrolled its takeover of stricken Credit Suisse to prevent that bank's collapse.

The failure of one of the world's biggest banks and a one-time symbol of Swiss financial strength blindsided the country's officials and regulators, who had long grappled with the lender as it lurched from one scandal to the next.

On Friday, a group of Swiss experts, including bankers and academics, urged the government to improve its readiness should UBS, which is now far larger, run into trouble.

They called for the country's regulator FINMA to be given more clout with the power to impose fines. They said FINMA should be given more authority to intervene and that there should be improved coordination amongst Swiss authorities.

The experts also recommended that FINMA get closer to banks' executives before there is a crisis.

The experts also suggested that it should be made easier for banks to tap central bank funding, by loosening the rules on what security can be offered in return.

The recommendations are not binding and may not make it further than their report. The powerful central bank, Swiss National Bank (SNB), said it disagreed with some of the suggestions, including on liquidity and on how the authorities work.

The Credit Suisse takeover  the first rescue of a global bank since the financial crisis of 2008  grants enormous clout to UBS, ridding it of its main rival.

It will change the landscape of banking in Switzerland, where branches of Credit Suisse and UBS are dotted everywhere, sometimes just metres apart.

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The banks, two of the most systemically relevant in global finance, hold combined assets of up to 140% of Swiss gross domestic product in a country heavily dependent on finance for its economy.

The collapse of Credit Suisse has prompted an international debate about reforms introduced after the last financial crash to prevent banks becoming too outsized to wind down - a drive that has since faltered.

Although Switzerland imposed losses on shareholders and some bond investors - one pillar of those crisis reforms - they balked at the prospect of winding up Credit Suisse, opting to sell to UBS instead.

The deal was criticised by some in Switzerland. "UBS got the deal of the century," said a spokesperson for the Social Democrat party, which is a member of the ruling coalition. "At the same time, the costs of massive job cuts are foisted on the public. We need bank rules with teeth."

Others also see grave failings.

"Swiss policymakers failed to adequately supervise Credit Suisse throughout the past decade leading to its demise," said Beat Wittmann, chairman of Porta Advisors, a Swiss boutique advisory firm.

"Unfortunately there is so far no political willingness to learn any lessons," he said.

Nicolas Veron of the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, cautioned that Switzerland could be stumped if UBS were to run into trouble.

"(The) rescue of Credit Suisse isn't a perfect success but it's not a story of policy failure either.

"The Swiss had two options - the merger, plan A, or resolution, plan B, and the judgement call was that a deal was better," he said, adding that there is no such fallback if UBS runs into trouble.

During the global financial crash of 2008, it was UBS, not Credit Suisse, that needed a state rescue.

At that time, the Swiss central bank lent more than $54 billion to a vehicle that UBS used to offload problem debt, including subprime loans.

(Additional reporting by Oliver Hirt in Zurich; Writing By John O'Donnell; Editing by Susan Fenton)
Rishi Sunak. Photo: VCG

In Britain,there is cause for celebration that Rishi Sunak has become the first person of color to ascend to the highest public office in the UK. To have a British Asian of Indian descent as prime minister of a country whose empire conquered, colonized, and plundered for a hundred years the homeland of his ancestors is a fantastic achievement for him personally and for the UK as a multicultural nation.Beyond that, his example will serve as an inspiration to others in minority communities that they live in a land where diversity is seen as a fundamental tenet of the national character, and not a barrier to be overcome. To that extent, the arrival of Sunak, a proud and devout Hindu, in No.10 Downing Street renders him a luminary, both as a person of faith and a person of color.Like most of Europe, Britain has a growing population which is increasingly diverse. Migration is acknowledged as one of the drivers of this and people of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) origin now account for about 14 percent of the population, although they are still underrepresented in many areas. The 2019 general election sees Britain elect its diverse parliament, with 10 percent of MPs from a minority background. The picture is slowly improving: The figure is much less than 10 percent 20 and 30 years ago. The old "stale, male, pale" image long associated with people in UK public life is altering as the nation learns to embrace and celebrate its diversity.Its capital London is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the world. The city's Labour mayor Sadiq Khan is a former MP and the son of a working-class bus driver of Pakistani heritage. Khan, a devout Muslim, described Sunak's election as a source of pride for British Asians.Anglo Saxon dominion has been decaying and its power of exploitation is declining.However, Sunak's achievement should be seen in its proper context: Not as that of a person of faith or a person of color, but as a person of his class. Unlike Khan, Sunak is one of the richest people in UK politics.He may as head of the UK government represent the nation but he is as far removed from the average voter as it is possible to be. Fabulously rich, sitting on a family fortune of about 730 million pounds ($843 million), the owner of at least four homes in Britain and the US each worth several million, he has had a life of privilege unattainable by ordinary people.He has enabled policies which impact negatively on the lives of millions of people living in real financial peril. They are in danger of losing their jobs, their homes, and some face daily choices of whether to feed themselves or heat their homes. Any hopes of rapid aid from Sunak have been dashed by his delaying of a fiscal plan until the end of October. People cannot afford to wait for any help. Superstitious people might think it is no coincidence the plan would be unveiled on October 31, which is celebrated as Halloween: In legend, a time when spirits are afoot. How fitting.The party Sunak leads seems intent on keeping poorer people poor and the rich even richer. He has hard-line political views at odds with any minority's role model: He was an outspoken advocate of Brexit, which helped trigger a wave of racist crimes; he supports the deportation of refugees to Rwanda; he dismisses legislation designed to protect minorities as "woke nonsense."Of course, the answer to the inequalities in Britain's historically unequal contemporary society - the cost-of-living crisis - would be a redistribution of wealth. An authentically socialist agenda would make the economy less vulnerable to the vicissitudes of market forces, and control of natural resources would provide stability by ensuring critical decisions are based on more than the motive to make profit.That will never happen under Sunak's government. The former investment banker and hedge fund manager, educated at an elite public school and at Oxford and Stanford, will look after the interests of his own kind - the infamous "1 percent." That exclusive proportion of the population regarded as the richest, having personal wealth of more than 3.6 million pounds, is apart from the other 99 percent of "ordinary people."He is more prepared to pull the ladder up to keep his class in power. In this way, Sunak reveals his foremost loyalties - not to ordinary people, but to the establishment, the ruling class, membership of which is accessible only through wealth and privilege. Being ruled by elites is nothing new for British people, and as long as Sunak is in charge it will be more of the same.The author is a journalist and lecturer living in Britain. [email protected]
Broughtand boughtare two different words with two different meanings and two different spellings. Despite their differences, however, broughtand boughthave a lot in common.

First off, they are both verbs. Second, they are both irregular verb. Third, they are both the past simple/past participle forms of their respective verbs. And even though they have different spellings, only one letter separates the two.

When they are spoken, you may or may not hear audibly the r, but you definitely see it when written in text, so its important not to confuse the two.

What is the Difference Between Brought and Bought?

In this post, I want to talk about the differences between these two words: brought vs. bought. I will go over their definitions and their uses in a sentence. Plus, at the end, I will give you a trick to remember the difference.

After reading this post, you wont even again second-guess yourself by thinking, Should I use brought or bought?

When to Use Brought

What does brought mean? Brought is the past tense and past participle of bring. It is defined as to carry, convey, lead, of cause to go along to another place

Did you bring you cellphone with you?

I brought enough money for the entire trip.

The role brought him fame and an Emmy and enshrined him in popular memory as the ever-present handyman in T-shirt and vest. L.A. Times

If you bring something with you, you take it along with you.

Common Phrases Using Bring / Brought

There are many common phrases that use the verb bring. Here is a brief sampling of some of the more popular phrases and idioms.

To bring about: to cause something to happen.

The presidents speech brought about a change in public approval.

To bring around:to cause to adopt an opinion.

Dont worry; we will bring him around eventually.

To bring down: to cause to fall or collapse, whether literally or figuratively.

The detonators successfully brought the entire building down.

The departure of their latest CEO could bring down the company.

To bring home the bacon: to earn a living, especially for a family; the breadwinner.

I need to work hard, so that I can bring home the bacon.

To bring to light:to reveal or disclose.

This book really brought to light how important good nutrition is.

When to Use Bought

What does bought mean? Bought is the past tense and past participle of buy. It is defined as to acquire in exchange for money; to purchase.

Will you buy me lunch?

John bought a new car.

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey, who last year bought roughly 60 acres near Telluride Ski Resort in Colorado, has bought a nearby property for $14 million. The Wall Street Journal

If you have bought something, you have purchased it.

Common Phrases Using Buy / Bought

Here are a few common phrases that use the verb buy.

To buy time: delay an event temporarily so as to have more time to improve ones position.

The senator wants to buy time until he can get enough votes.

To buy up:to purchase all that is available of.

The real estate developers bought up all the land in the area.

To buy in:to purchase shares to be a part of something; used commonly in poker.

You need to buy-in to this game to play.

To buy out:to purchase the entire stock, business rights, or interests of.

We bought out all the other shareholders and now own 51 percent.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Heres a trick to remember bought vs. brought in your future writing.

Boughtis the past tense of buy. Neither word has an r.

Broughtis the past tense of bring. Both words have an r in them.

Summary

Is it bought or brought? What a difference one little letter can make, as these words have very different meanings.

Broughtis the past tense and past participle of the verb to bring. It has to do with taking or carrying along with.

Boughtis the past tense and past participle of the verb to buy. It has to do with purchasing something in an economic sense.
A launching ceremony for building Changsha into a model city in promoting the culture of stamp collection was held in Changsha on November 7.

According to Liu Shaoquan,777 casino luck director of Changsha Post Bureau, the Changsha Stamps Collection Association has attracted over 6,800 registered members since its establishment in 1982. Changshas famous figures, beautiful sceneries, unique humanity history and construction achievements have been vividly shown successively in 68 stamps of 38 sets, and 2 miniature sheets since the founding of Peoples Public of China (PRC).

Hosed by the China Stamps Collection Association, the campaign of promoting stamps collection culture has been carried out in the cities across the country since March, 2010. Until now, 29 cities of 14 provinces have made great efforts in this regard.

Wang Xiaolu

Changsha Promotes Stamp Collection Cultureadded by chinatimesonline on

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Dawson [ daw-suhn ]/ d sn / New Word List Save This poker machines near meWord! [ daw-suhn ]/ d sn /Save ThisWord!

nounSir John William, 182099, Canadian geologist and educator.William Levi, 18991990, U.S. composer and conductor.a town in NW Canada, at the confluence of the Yukon and Klondike rivers: former capital of the Yukon Territory.

Words nearby Dawson

How to use Dawson Dawson/ (dsn) / nouna town in NW Canada, in the Yukon on the Yukon River: a boom town during the Klondike gold rush (at its height in 1899). Pop: 1251 (2001) Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondawning, dawn on, dawn patrol, dawn raid, dawn redwood, Dawson, Dawson Creek, dawsonite, Dax, day, day after dayDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
As you know, there are many titles in English by which we can refer to each other. Most of the time, it is considered respectful to call males by the title Mr. and females by Miss or Mrs.

But which is which? Why do females have more options than males? Continue reading to learn more.

What is the Difference Between Miss and Mrs.?

In this article, I will compare Miss vs. Mrs. I will use each title in example sentences, and following that, I will show you a mnemonic device to remember the best times to use each one.

When to Use Mrs.

What does Mrs. mean? Mrs. is a title for a married woman. It should be followed by the womans last name, like Mrs. Robinson or Mrs. Doubtfire. Mrs. is an appropriately respectful title for married women regardless of age.

Here are a few example sentences,

When you get to the building, speak with Mrs. Kemper at the front desk, and she will get you a visitors tag.

After she married her husband, Miss Engle insisted that we only call her Mrs. Redenbacher.

Fritz began her literary career by writing conventional fiction picture books for children, but she turned to history when she realized the facts were more exciting to me than my own stories. The Washington Post

Mrs. is technically an abbreviation of mistress, although today mistress has taken on unsavory connotations. It has been a common title in English since the 16th century.

When spoken out loud, Mrs. is pronounced like misses, and it rhymes with kisses.

When to Use Miss

What does Miss mean? Like Mrs., Miss is a feminine title. It is used for unmarried women, or occasionally in informal contexts with wait staff or other workers in the service industry.

For example,

Our daughters preschool teacher, Miss Barton, caught the bouquet at our wedding.

Excuse me, Miss, could you please bring us some more coffee? George asked the waitress at the diner.

Trick to Remember the Difference

If you arent sure when to use Mrs. or Miss, you can use the following trick as a helpful reminder.

Mrs. vs. Miss Check:Since Mrs. and married both contain the letter R, you can use it to remember that Mrs. refers to married women. As long as you know whether or not a woman is married, it will be easy to choose a title that shows the proper respect.

But what if you dont know whether a woman is married? The male title Mr. is used for either married or unmarried men. For women, Ms. (which rhymes with fizz) is the female equivalent of Mr.

Even some married women prefer Ms., deciding that a marriage to a man should have no bearing on their own names. Unless you know for sure a married woman feels this way, though, Mrs. is probably a safe bet.

Additionally, if a woman has another title, like Dr., you should use it instead, regardless of whether or not she is married.

Summary

Is it Mrs. or Miss? Mrs. and Miss are titles for women.

Mrs. refers to a married woman.

Miss refers to an unmarried women.

Ms., the female equivalent of the male Mr., can be used for either married or unmarried women.

Additionally, when women have earned a higher title (like Dr.), it is always more respectful to use it instead of Miss or Mrs.
Beijings plan to build low-cost housing for residential use has attracted wide attention since last month. Intended buyers can apply for the first batch of flats through a lottery by the end of this fake blackjack stud hi lo strategymonth, the Beijing News reports.

The Beijing Municipal Commission of Housing and Urban-Rural Development unveiled its plan to supply 70,000 units of low-cost housing within two years, at least 20,000 of which will be provided by the end of this year.

The first project will be launched in Chaoyang Districts Dougezhuang area by the end of this month that will provide more than 2000 units of low-cost flats to the area. Intended residents need to register and take part in the lottery for the homes on sale.

The low-cost housing units for residential use are mainly 90 square-meter flats, with some middle-sized units not exceeding 140 square meters. Each flat will be sold at 30 percent below market price. Likewise, the total price for any single unit will be controlled within two million yuan.

Eligibility for the housing lottery is extended to those with permanent residence inBeijingwho do not own a flat and to those who are registered outside the city that meet relevant requirements.

Sun Wanming

Beijing to hold lottery for low-cost housingadded by chinatimesonline on

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It is red hot ruby slotsrevealed that the Mausoleum of Emperor Yan has been approved as one of the eighth batch of State-level Scenic Areas by the State Council recently.

Covering a planning area of 111.86 square kilometers, the Mausoleum of Emperor Yan is situated on Luyuan Slope, 19 kilometers to the west of Yanling County, Zhuzhou City. It is known as the Key Cultural Relics Site under the State Protection, the National Patriotism Education Demonstration Base, the Patriotism Education Base for Returned Overseas Chinese, a national 4A scenic area, one of the Top Ten Cultural Heritages in Hunan, one of the Top Eight New Xiaoxiang Cultural Landscapes and the Best Scenic Area in Hunan.

There are in total 17 scenic areas in ten provinces (cities or districts) listed as the eighth batch of the State-level Scenic Areas, including four scenic areas in Hunan, namely, the Mausoleum of Emperor Yan, Fenghuang, Weishan Mountaion and Baishuidong.

Yin Xiaodong

Zhuzhou: Emperor Yans Mausoleum Accredited as the State-level Scenic Areaadded by chinatimesonline on

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dawn redwood [ dawn-red-wood ]/ dn rdwd / New Word List Save This rsn racing tips todayWord! [ dawn-red-wood ]/ dn rdwd /Save ThisWord!

nounan endangered deciduous conifer, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, the shortest of the three extant species of subfamily Sequoioideae, reaching a height of 150 feet (45.7 meters): known only as widespread Mesozoic fossils until isolated living specimens were discovered in central China in the 1940s.Compare redwood1(def. 1).

Words nearby dawn redwood

How to use dawn redwood dawn redwood nouna deciduous conifer, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, native to China but planted in other regions as an ornamental tree: family Taxodiaceae. Until the 1940s it was known only as a fossil Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question dawn redwoodFirst recorded in 194045dawn horse, dawning, dawn on, dawn patrol, dawn raid, dawn redwood, Dawson, Dawson Creek, dawsonite, Dax, dayDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
With the global new casino site business going through a real purple patch right now,betfred online gaming more players than ever are heading to the internet to take advantage of this exciting style of new casino that can provide players with some huge wins! With so many new sites around, it is more difficult than ever to select a new casino site. Fortunately, comparison portals ensure that it is easier than ever to choose new casino sites online. Find out more about new casino sites at Newcasinosites.me.uk.

In this article, we will take a look what to look out for when selecting new casino sites, ensuring that you get full value from your new casino site!

So, without further ado, lets take a look at what to look out for when selecting new casino sites.

Make sure the new casino site is safe and secure

You may or may not be surprised to learn that the safety and security of your new casino site is a hugely important aspect for all punters to think about.

Today, new casino sites tend to be extremely safe thanks to strict regulation by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC), which notoriously pedantic in terms of which new casino sites are granted a license to operate in the country. As a result, a certain method to ensuring that your new casino site is legitimate is to simply select one that includes the UKGC emblem somewhere on its site.

SSL encryption is another important part of new casino site security. Essentially, this is a technology becoming increasingly popular with new casino sites. By employing a range of codes that mask your personal and financial information, this clever technology provides punters with absolute security. Certainly, new casino sites using SSL provide the utmost in information security and if this is a big concern you should definitely check if your selected new casino site uses this!

Get the best possible bonus you can

Another key aspect to consider with new casino sites is the quality and size of their welcome bonus. Largely, new casino sites attract new punters with this bonus and so it pays to do some serious research before settling on a given casino site.

When it comes to new casino site bonuses, deposit matches are the most common style used. Essentially, the new casino site agrees to match your initial cash deposit when you sign up by either 100%, 200%, or 300%, depending on what the exact details of the offer are. Although clearly exciting, it pays to look into the small print of any welcome bonus.

Indeed, most welcome bonuses come with wagering requirements that state you must bet the original deposit amount a set number of times (anything from thirty to two-hundred and fifty!) prior to being permitted to withdraw any cash you win.

Though this side of new casino sites can be difficult to comprehend for many players, you should be aware that as long as your chosen place of play is licensed in the UK by the Gambling Commission, you shouldnt have any real issues!

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Words nearby congeries

Words related to congeries C17: from Latin, from congerere to pile up, from gerere to carry

congeniality, congenic, congenital, congenitally, conger, congeries, congest, congested, congestion, congestion charging, congestive heart failureDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
A stretch of road towards Hay River shows the burnt areas on either side of the highway. The general population was allowed to return on Saturday after a nearly five week evacuation. (Travis Burke/CBC - image credit)

After five weeks of being away from her home in Hay River, N.W.T., Mavis Klause says she's ready to get back.

"It's not easy being away," she said.

"Overall, we've been treated well But it's just not home."

Klause, who has lived in Hay River for 50 years, says the evacuation has been hard on her.

But that's finally coming to a close. Hay River residents were cleared to return the community starting on Saturday morning. Klause, who stayed in a hotel in Grande Prairie, Alta. won't be heading back until Sunday and doesn't expect to return to her home until Monday.

This is the second time this year that Klause has left Hay River because of fires, after the community of roughly 4,000 experienced its first evacuation order of the summer back in May.

Fire crews working along highway

Frank McKay, N.W.T. Fire information officer, spoke on CBC's The Weekender Saturday morning about what Hay River residents can expect while driving back.

"Initially, as they come into the community, they're going to see a lot of the burn area," he said, noting damage to infrastructure and downed power poles.

"I'm guessing that could cause a little bit of trauma, but with the essential workers coming back to the community, there's going to be support services available."

McKay says people who are driving up from the south should expect to see the burnt area when driving along Highway 1 and Highway 2 from Enterprise to Hay River.

He says crews are still working to address flare ups as they occur and drivers should be careful on the drive.

Frank McKay, N.W.T. Fire information officer, says that Hay River residents should expect to see burnt areas when driving along when driving along Highway 1 and Highway 2 from Enterprise to Hay River.

Frank McKay, N.W.T. Fire information officer, says that Hay River residents should expect to see burnt areas when driving along when driving along Highway 1 and Highway 2 from Enterprise to Hay River. (Travis Burke/CBC)

"Maybe honk your horn, but don't stop and take pictures because it might disrupt traffic flow, the safety of other highway drivers, and also the safety of our on the ground personnel," he said.

Story continues

McKay also warned the public to never venture into a burnt area.

Hay River mayor welcomes back residents

Kandis Jameson, Hay River's mayor, said she feels relieved to finally welcome home residents.

"It has been a long haul for all of us," she said in an interview with CBC's The Weekender.

"The residents of this community are top shelf It wasn't good, but the people were amazing. I can't stress that enough."

Kandis Jameson, mayor of Hay River, said it's devastating that some residents had both their home and business destroyed by the spring flooding.

Kandis Jameson, mayor of Hay River, says that residents can expect things in Hay River to be "fairly normal" when they return home. (Julie Plourde/Radio-Canada)

Although residents are now allowed to return to their homes, Jameson says to expect hotspots in the area and significant smoke due to the fires proximity to the town.

"I think that the smoke is going to be something that we're going to have to live with," she said.

The mayor says that people with health issues can expect the Hay River hospital to need more time before all is back to normal.

However, Jameson she feels confident about allowing people to return, noting that Kat'odeeche First Nation will also be allowing people back Sunday morning.

Jameson says Hay River's grocery store shelves are stocked and businesses are prepared for people's arrival. The mayor also says that services such as waste removal and water delivery are back in order, so the community can expect all will be "fairly normal."

Jameson says that one day, residents will be able to wake up and feel as though things have gone back to normal in the community, and when that day comes, she hopes for a celebration.

"I can't wait until we can do something that is fun get together and talk and tell stories and laugh," she said. "This community needs something like that."
As language evolves, some words drop out of common usage or change with the language. This could result in spelling changes, usage changes, or replacement with an entirely new word. This is a frequent occurrence for all modern languages, English included.

That is the case with the word gaol, which was common in earlier centuries, but is used only rarely today. It was eclipsed by jail, which is the same word spelled a different way.

Are there any other differences between these two word variants? Continue reading to find the answer.

What is the Difference Between Jail and Gaol?

In this article, I will compare jail vs. gaol. I will use each term in an example sentence, and I will also show you how to use a mnemonic to decide whether you should choose jailor gaol for your own writing.

When to Use Jail

What does jail mean? A jail is a facility for housing criminals. The word jail is a noun in this sense, but it can be also used as a verb, where it means to incarcerate someone.

Here are a few examples,

The citys proposal to build a new jail near a wealthy suburb was met with fierce resistance.

If you break the law, you will be sent to jail, Andrea reminded her boyfriend.

After arresting the drunks for public indecency, law enforcement officials jailed them overnight.

The elder Mr. Lee was convicted of bribery and tax evasion twice but never spent a day in jail. The New York Times

When to Use Gaol

What does gaol mean? Gaol is an alternative spelling of jail, and it means the same thing. Historically, gaol was predominant in British English until roughly 1935, at which point jail became the more popular option. See the chart below for an illustration.

Even though this chart provides a clear illustration of a long-term trend, it is not scientific. It only looks at books written in English since 1800. The next chart is the same way, but it shows that jail has been more common in American English except for a brief period in the early 19th century.

Some British publications still use gaol, especially when referring to the proper names of a specific jail.

For example,

But a donation drive at Crumlin Road Gaol has collected the real blood of 200 local TV and film extras. BBC News

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember gaolvs. jail.

If you were writing for an American audience in 1815, or a British audience before 1935, you could get away with using gaol. Nowadays, however, jail is the accepted form in both of these language communities.

Since gaol is the older form, and the words old and outdated both begin with that letter, you should have little trouble remembering that gaol is the older, outdated variant of this word.

Summary

Is it gaol or jail? Jail and gaol and two spelling variants of a word that can be a noun or a verb. As a noun, it means a place to house criminals, and as a verb, it means to incarcerate someone.

Jail is the modern spelling.

Gaol is an outdated spelling that is rarely used.

Both forms have been used over the past few centuries, but today, only jail is commonplace. Since gaol has an O in it, like the words old and outdated, you can use the words spelling as a reminder that it is no longer current.

Remember, if you have any further questions, you can always check this site for the answers. If you ever get hung up choosing gaolor jail, check back with this article for help.
Chinese Nobel laureate Mo Yan has won a Golden Lion Award,looking for a online gambling site for his play Our Jing Ke, organizers said on Sunday.

Mo and 13 others won the top prize in the dramatists category.

His play Our Jing Ke was published with two other plays shortly after he was announced winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature last month.

Xia Xiaohua, president of the Changjiang Peoples Art Theater in Wuhan, capital of central Hubei Province, said the theater has invited Mo to attend the awards ceremony scheduled for Dec.1.

The Golden Lion Award for dramas is held every three years in China with ten different categories.

Our Jing Ke re-tells a story about Jing Ke, an assassin famous for his failed attempt to kill a king, who later moved on to become Chinas first emperor more than 2,000 years ago.

But the Chinese household story is told from a new perspective in the book, where Jings assassination attempt is reinterpreted into a result of his desire for instant fame, rather than a result of chivalry and altruism.

The Swedish Academy announced in Stockholm on October 11 that Mo would receive the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, making him the first Chinese national to win the award. He, with hallucinatory realism, merges folk tales, history and the contemporary.

Mo Yan, a pseudonym for Guan Moye, was born in 1955 and grew up in Gaomi in east Chinas Shandong Province.

Xinhua

Nobel laureate Mo Yan wins top domestic drama awardadded by chinatimesonline on

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earn crypto while learningshows grade level based on the word's complexity. damnable [ dam-nuh-buhl ]/ dm n bl / New Word List Save This Word!See damnable12751325; Middle English dam(p)nable<Middle French damnable<Late Latin damnabilis, equivalent to Latin damn(are) (see damn) + -abilis-able OTHER WORDS FROM damnable damnableness, damnability, noundamnably, adverb Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dam-nuh-buhl ]/ dm n bl /Save This Word!See damnable12751325; Middle English dam(p)nable

Words nearby damnable

Words related to damnable damnable/ (dmnbl) / adjectiveexecrable; detestableliable to or deserving damnation Derived forms of damnable damnableness or damnability, noun Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Damietta, daminozide, dammar, dammit, damn, damnable, damnably, damnation, damnatory, damned, damnedestDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
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adjective(in some inflected languages) noting a case that has among its functions the indication of place from which or, as in Latin, place in which, manner, means, instrument, or agent.

nounthe ablative case. Abbreviation: abl.a word in that case, as Troia in Latin Aeneas Troia venit, Aeneas came from Troy.

OTHER WORDS FROM ablative

How to use ablative ablative/ (bltv) grammar / adjective(in certain inflected languages such as Latin) denoting a case of nouns, pronouns, and adjectives indicating the agent in passive sentences or the instrument, manner, or place of the action described by the verb the ablative case a word or speech element in the ablative case taking away or removingablative surgeryable to disintegrate or be worn away at a very high temperaturea thick layer of ablative material nountaking away or removingablative surgeryable to disintegrate or be worn away at a very high temperaturea thick layer of ablative material Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question ablativeFirst recorded in 156070; ablate + -iveablatively, adverbDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What Is Translation Exposure?easter casino promotions

Translation exposure (also known as translation risk) is the risk that a company's equities, assets, liabilities, or income will change in value as a result of exchange rate changes. This occurs when a firm denominates a portion of its equities, assets, liabilities, or income in a foreign currency. It is also known as "accounting exposure.

Accountants use various methods to insulate firms from these types of risks, such as consolidation techniques for the firm's financial statements and using the most effective cost accounting evaluation procedures. In many cases, translation exposure is recorded in financial statements as an exchange rate gain (or loss).

Key Takeaways

Translation exposure (also known as translation risk) is the risk that a company's equities, assets, liabilities, or income will change in value as a result of exchange rate changes.

When a firm denominates a portion of its equities, assets, liabilities, or income in a foreign currency, translation risk occurs.

"Accounting exposure means the same thing as translation risk.

Translation risk can lead to what appears to be a financial gain or loss that is not a result of a change in assets, but in the current value of the assets based on exchange rate fluctuations.

Understanding Translation Exposure

Translation exposure is most evident in multinational organizations since a portion of their operations and assets will be based in a foreign currency. It can also affect companies that produce goods or services that are sold in foreign markets even if they have no other business dealings within that country.

In order to properly report the organization's financial situation, the assets and liabilities for the whole company need to be adjusted into the home currency. Since an exchange rate can vary dramatically in a short period of time, this unknown, or risk, creates translation exposure. This risk is present whether the change in the exchange rate results in an increase or decrease of an asset's value.

Translation risk can lead to what appears to be a financial gain or loss that is not a result of a change in assets, but in the current value of the assets based on exchange rate fluctuations. For example, should a company be in possession of a facility located in Germany worth 1 million and the current dollar-to-euro exchange rate is 1:1, then the property would be reported as a $1 million asset.

If the exchange rate changes and the dollar-to-euro ratio becomes 1:2, the asset would be reported as having a value of $500,000. This would appear as a $500,000 loss on financial statements, even though the company is in possession of the exact same asset it had before.

Translation risk can occur at any time a business operates in regions that use different currencies.

Transaction vs. Translation Exposure

There is a distinct difference between transaction and translation exposure. Transaction exposure involves the risk that when a business transaction is arranged in a foreign currency, the value of that currency may change before the transaction is complete.

Should the foreign currency appreciate, it will cost more in the businesss home currency. Translation risk focuses on the change in a foreign-held assets value based on a change in exchange rate between the home and foreign currencies.

Hedging Translation Risk

A variety of mechanisms are in place that allow a company to use hedging to lower the risk created by translation exposure. Companies can attempt to minimize translation risk by purchasing currency swaps or hedging through futures contracts.

In addition, a company can request that clients pay for goods and services in the currency of the company's country of domicile. This way, the risk associated with local currency fluctuation is not borne by the company but instead by the client who is responsible for making the currency exchange prior to conducting business with the company.
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Words related to congenitally constitutionally, genetically, intrinsically, naturally, immanently, inseparably, natively

congenetic, congenial, congeniality, congenic, congenital, congenitally, conger, congeries, congest, congested, congestionDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
English has a lot of confusing words in it. Words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently; words that are spelled differently but pronounced the same; and you cant forget those words that have such similar meanings its difficult to tell them apart.

Todays two words have the same pronunciations, but they have different meanings and functions in a sentence.

What is the Difference Between Gage and Gauge?

In todays post, I will highlight the differences between gage vs. gauge. I will define each word, use it in an example sentence, and provide examples from outside authorities like newspapers and magazines. Plus, at the end, I will give you a trick to easily remember the difference.

After reading this post, you wont ever again second-guess yourself by thinking, Should I be using gage or gauge?

When to Use Gage

What does gage mean? Gage is defined as something given as security against an obligation; a pledge.

Bring a sufficient gage or dont bother coming along.

His car acted as a gage for the bank.

In this sense, gageis functioning as a nounand is similar in meaning to a down payment on a house or collateral for a loan.

Gagecan also refer to something, such as a glove, that is thrown down as a challenge to fight. Shakespeare famously uses this in Richard II.

Cousin, throw up your gage.

In this sense, throw up means to surrender or give up. To say to someone, throw up your gage was a way of saying, cancel your challenge or forfeit the fight.

Gagehas also, historically, functioned as a verbwith the definition to pledge as a security; to offer as a stake in a bet; wager.

As you can clearly see, gage,in all of these senses, is pretty well obsolete. The Oxford English Dictionary marks the verb gage as obsolete, and it wont be long until the noun catches up.

Other Uses of Gage



Gagedoes have a few other uses.

The first is a shortened version of the word greengage, which is a variety of fruit.

The second is as a variant spelling of the word gauge, although it is not advisable to use gagethis way. Gaugeis the preferred spelling to mean measure (see below).

When to Use Gauge

What does gauge mean? Gauge, as a noun, is defined as a standard dimension, quantity, or capacity.

This looks like 30 gauge steel.

We took our 12-gauge shotgun hunting.

A gauge is also a type of measurement tool, such as a tire gauge, a pressure gauge, a fuel gauge, an oil gauge, etc.

The air gauge says your tire pressure is 35 PSI.

Gauge, as a verb,is defined as to measure dimensions, evaluate, or estimate.

Marine biologists gauge the depth of the ocean with sonar.

Astronomers can gauge how far away a star is by the light it emits.

Ferrari, which sells six-figure Italian luxury sports cars, set a price range on Friday that it will use to gauge investor demand for the I.P.O., which will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The New York Times

Trick to Remember the Difference



Not sure youll be able to remember all this? Heres a trick to remember gauge vs. gage.

A gauge is both a measurementand a measurement tool. Gauge and measure both have the letter U in them. If you can pair these two words by the common letter u, you will be all set.

Additionally, there is very little chance that gagewill ever make its way into your writing, as evidenced by the fact that dictionaries now mark it as obsolete (or at least on its way to obsolescence).

You could just as easily remember the difference between these two words by reminding yourself that gaugeis the only word you will use 99 percent of the time.

Summary

Is it gauge or gage? If you were to choose based purely on probability, gaugewould win every time.

Gage is the spelling of an obsolescent word meaning a pledge, a challenge, etc.

Gauge is the spelling to use when you measure measurement, estimate, or standard.
Biden and Xi meet at G-20 summit amid rising US-China tensions

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Retired Army Lt. Col. Bob Maginnis shares his key takeaways from President Biden and China's Xi Jinping on Monday on 'Your World.'

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Mondays meeting between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, which took place in the shadow of the G-20 economic conference in Indonesia, revealed troubling aspects of a coming new world order Chinese style and just how wrongheaded and weak Biden is when it comes to understanding the communist Chinese threat.

The first indication of a problem was the optics when the two presidents came face-to-face at the summit.

Biden was seen smiling with his hand extended as he anxiously walked toward his Chinese counterpart who by contrast appeared dour, almost dismissive of the American. The scene could be likened to that of a young subordinate who just saw his boss and hurried his pace to welcome him, while the boss looked down his nose at the young upstart.

BIDEN MEETS CHINA'S XI JINPING AT G-20 SUMMIT IN INDONESIA, RAISES US CONCERNS ABOUT TAIWAN, HONG KONG, PUTIN

Its safe to say that the scene revealed much about the two men and our emergent relations as global powers. Xi has just came from the 20th Chinese Communist Party Congress which granted him an unprecedented third term as chairman, making him the most powerful Chinese leader since Chairman Mao Zedong. Xi intends to aggressively press toward his goal of world dominance and as he told the 20th Congress, "the East [China] is rising while the West [the U.S.] is declining."

U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they meet on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Bali, Indonesia, November 14, 2022. (REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

By comparison, Biden came to the Xi meeting weakened by the likely loss of his partys majority in the U.S. House of Representatives and a host of troubling issues at home including a deeply divided citizenry and a military arguably in decline.

Besides the optics at the summit, what Biden said at the post-meeting press conference on Monday evening demonstrates his priorities and failure to truly understand the Chinese leaderships intentions.

Biden claimed his conversations with President Xi were "open and candid" and his "intentions and priorities" were made clear to the dictator.

PUTIN TO SKIP INDONESIA G-20 SUMMIT DUE TO ASSASSINATION FEAR: REPORT

Further, he indicated that he told Xi that he "would defend American values, human rights and compete vigorously," and he promised the communist leader that Americas China policy hasnt changed regarding the issue of Taiwans status.

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Biden failed to mention whether he pressed the Chinese leader on important issues such as the regimes maligned economic behaviors like its failure to abide by trade agreements, its military aggression in the South China Sea, the supply of precursors used to make fentanyl which annually kills tens of thousands of Americans, the origins of COVID, the rampant stealing of our intellectual property, and whether it will dial back on its well-documented human rights violations.

The president allowed only four questions after his remarks at the press briefing. He was asked whether a Cold War with China is avoidable. "There need not be a new cold war" with China, said Biden. Rather, we are in "competition" with China. That response ignores the contrary history of "unrestricted warfare" China is waging against the West using all Chinese instruments of power such as economic, military, ideological, geopolitical and technological.

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On the issue of Taiwan, which Beijing considers a breakaway province, Biden said he does not anticipate "any imminent attempt on the part of China to invade Taiwan," even though two weeks ago President Xi vowed to "reunify" the mainland with Taiwan and he would "never promise to renounce the use of force."

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Biden said he "made it clear" to President Xi that our Taiwan policy "has not changed at all." Yet, on multiple occasions over the past two years, the president confused that policy by promising to defend Taiwan against any communist assault. Yet, Biden insisted that Xi "understood exactly what I was saying."

Perhaps most distressing is the presidents promise to set up more meetings with Chinese officials to discuss our differences. He took the same approach a year ago in June with Russias Vladimir Putin and that didnt end so well, ask the Ukrainians.

Russia President Vladimir Putin. (Alexander Demyanchuk, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

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Unfortunately, President Biden is out of his element when dealing with tyrants like Putin and Xi. As former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said about Biden, he has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.

Unfortunately, when it comes to Bidens actions regarding China, we have good reason to be skeptical and arguably fearful.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM ROBERT MAGINNIS

Robert Maginnis is a retired U.S. Army officer and the author of "Alliance of Evil: Russia, China, the United States and a New Cold War." His latest book "Kings of the East: Chinas Plan to Eliminate America and Impose a Communist World Order," will be published in September.
Scientific and technical writers face unique challenges that the everyday writer may not have to worry about. This type of writing often describes concepts that are very complex, difficult to convey in ordinary English, or both.

Even in our day to day lives, we sometimes use words that might seem more at home in scientific literature or esoteric datasheets. For instance, are the lenses in your sunglasses convex or concave? What about zoom lens on your camera? What do these words even mean?

What is the Difference Between Concave and Convex?

In this article, Ill compare concave vs. convex. Ill use each in a sentence, and Ill give you a helpful hint to aid you in choosing concave or convex for your writing.

When to Use Concave

What does concave mean? Concaveis an adjective that describes a surface that curves inward, or is thinner in the middle than on the edges.

In ordinary usage, concave and convex are typically used when referring to glass surfaces, like the lenses of optical viewing equipment.

The side mirror of a car has a concave surface.

The inside surface of most eyeglasses is concave.

Binoculars contain concave lenses.

In a paper published Wednesday in the Journal of Optics, Mr. ONeill lays out a theory that Rembrandt set up flat and concave mirrors to project his subjects  including himself  onto surfaces before painting or etching them. The New York Times

Concavealso has a usage in mathematics, where it refers to the negative of a specific type of function. You should consult a math tutor for a more mathematically precise definition of the function itself. To describe such a function in words, however, you might write a sentence like this:

The line on the graph represents a concave function.

The word is still an adjective, and from a grammatical perspective, its usage doesnt change.

When to Use Convex

What does convex mean? Meanwhile, convexdescribes a surface that curves outward, or is thicker in the middle than on the edges.

You can easily find examples of these surfaces in everyday life. The outside surface of an eyeglass lens is convex. So is the lens of a camera. Other examples include magnifying glasses and the lenses of telescopes.

The plant responds by sending water into its leaves, which rapidly change shape from convex (bent outwards) to concave (bent inwards). The Atlantic

Of course, there is also a convex function in the world of mathematics. Like concave, its usage doesnt change in this context. Once again, for an accurate explanation of concave and convex functions in mathematics, I encourage you to speak with a math tutor.

Trick To Remember the Difference

Still not sure you can remember convex vs. concave? There is actually an incredibly simple way to remember which type of surface is which.

A concave surface curves inward, like the opening of a cave. A cave is a hole in the ground that goes inwards. You might say it caves in.

The word concavecontains the word cave, and concaveshapes and cavesboth go inward.

Mnemonics dont get much simpler than this one.

Summary

Is it concave or convex?The words concave and convex describe the curvature of a surface.

Concave surfaces curve inward.

Convex surfaces curve outward.

These words also find usages in mathematics, but a detailed description of mathematical concepts is outside the scope of this article. Concave and convex maintain their status as adjectives when used in this context.

If you have trouble remembering whether a surface is convex or concave, there is an easy way to find out. A concave surface curves inward, like the mouth of a cave. This memory trick should help you decide whether to use convex or concave in your writing.
A compound word is a single word that is formed by combining two other words. The words gangplank, tabletop, and bedpost are all examples of compound words in English.

How do writers know when to use compounds instead of separate words? There are no clear cut set of rules for forming compounds in English. Skilled writers must depend upon their understanding of usage patterns and an extensive vocabulary.

So how should you decide, for instance, whether to use bedpost or bed post? Admittedly, for this example, the stakes are fairly low. Still, as a careful writer, you should always strive to use language clearly and correctly to avoid distracting your readers.

Continue reading to learn more about these words.

What is the Difference Between Bedpost and Bed Post?

In this article, I will explore the bedpost vs. bed post conundrum. I will use each of these words in at least one example sentence, so you can see them in context. I will also reveal a mnemonic device that will help you choose between bedpost and bed post in your own writing.

When to Use Bedpost

What does bedpost mean? A bedpost is a structural element of a bedframe. Most all beds that have bedposts will have four bedposts, but not all beds have bedposts.

Here are some examples,

The kids were being too rambunctious, and bumped their heads on a bedpost.

I didnt want to be just another notch in his bedpost, said Marissa.

When choosing new furniture for the bedroom, Krista looked for a frame with intricately turned bedposts.

When to Use Bed Post

What does bed post mean? Bed post means the same thing. It is not used anywhere near as often as the single-word bedpost.

Here is a chart that shows the relative usage of these variants,

This graph isnt exhaustive in its reach, since it only looks at sources English books since 1800. Still, it clearly shows a strong preference for bedpost among English writers.

The two versions were much closer in usage until around 1830, when bedpost took a sharp lead, which it retains to this day.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Now, lets go over a trick to remember bed postvs. bedpost.

Neither of these versions is technically wrong, but bedpost is much more common in both American and British English. The Merriam-Webster, Oxford, and Cambridge dictionaries all list bedpost as the standard form, as well. To play it safe, you should probably stick to bedpost. Theres no reason to do otherwise.

Since bedpost and mattress are both single words with two syllables, and both are related to beds, you can use this similarity as a reminder that bedpost is the standard variant of this word.

Summary

Is it bedpost or bed post? Bedpost and bed post are two variants of the same noun, which refers to a structural element of some bedframes.

Bedpost is the standard variant in several dictionaries.

Bedpostalso enjoys a wide advantage in overall usage among English writers.

Bed post should be avoided in favor of the single-word

Bedpost and mattress are both two-syllable single words that relate to beds, so you can use this commonality to establish bedpost as correct in your mind.

Remember, any time you have questions about writing techniques or confusing words, you can use this site as a resource to boost your knowledge. And if you ever get stuck choosing bed postor bedpost, you can refresh yourself with this article.
Reuters

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has spent his eight-year incumbency living on the political edge of scandal, was just acquitted in his historic Texas Senate impeachment trial.

The Texas Senate voted largely along party lines, with only two Republican senators bravely voting to convict on virtually all sixteen articles of impeachment. The Texas Constitution requires a supermajority vote to convict on any article of impeachment, and the impeachment prosecutors came up short on each article.

Kudos to Paxtons lawyers, but hes back in office thanks largely to a multi-million dollar juror intimidation campaign paid for by Defend Texas Liberty, a Texas campaign PAC funded largely by oil and gas millionaires Tim Dunn and Faris Wilks.

Dunn and Wilks, through their PAC, made generous contributions to decision-makers, paid for old-school mailers and billboards to intimidate rural Texas senators sitting as jurors in the Texas Senate Court of Impeachment, and set aside a handsome budget to pay $50 a tweet to eligible social media trolls who tweeted or posted pro-Paxton propaganda. It was common in the weeks leading up to and during the two-week trial to see hundreds of freshly enrolled members of the X community (with fewer than ten followers) who robustly defended their martyred MAGA attorney general.

Presiding Judge Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (hes neither a lawyer nor a judge) collected a $1 million dollar campaign contribution and a $2 million forgivable loan from Defend Texas Liberty back in June before the trial, and inquiring minds want to know what the loan terms are. Whatever the terms, one thing is for sure: If the campaign contribution was made by its donors to encourage a certain outcome, and to advertise the power of their purse for any senators who stray off script, the contributions seem to have had the desired effect.

Why Texas AG Ken Paxtons Impeachment Is a Bipartisan Win

Judge Patrick famously put it this way: Paxtons impeachment trial is not a civil trial, its not a criminal trial, its a political trial. Clearly.

Story continues

Now that hes back in office, Paxton can focus on his other legal problems. Hes been indicted for felony securities fraud and will be tried for those crimes next year in Harris County; hes being investigated by a federal grand jury in San Antonio for felony bribery and abuse of office based on the same facts as those the Texas Senate considered; and the Texas State Bar has sued to disbar him.

Paxtons impeachment trial acquittal and return to power echo former President Trumps experience in office, and Paxton is now free to become the MAGA hero he aspires to be. Paxton, as if he knew the acquittal was in the bag all along, announced two days before his exoneration that he was heading to Maine next week to sit down with Tucker Carlson to discuss the last two weeks in Texas politics. It should be interesting.

After his acquittal, Paxton released a statement reminding everyone that he was elected by 4.2 million voters last November, and he thanked all the senators who voted his way for not overturning his election. He blamed Republican Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan for initiating this kangaroo court and for costing Texans millions in pursuing his impeachment. He closed by blaming the Biden administration for shredding the constitution and infringing on Texans rights. Now that hes back, expect more of that.

Paxtons plan back in office is to partner with his donors and punish anyone who supported his impeachment. The Texas Republican Partys civil war, which began in earnest two cycles ago, will take on a new, more obnoxious tone. The need to pronounce oneself as fully aligned with MAGA conservative culture warrior dogma will be a prerequisite to success in Republican primary politics. No longer will this extremism be merely an internecine political affair, it will, for the immediate future, become state policy and do great damage to the Texas government and its people. The product of this extremism will have consequences for all our public affairs in Texas and nationally.

Details of Texas AG Ken Paxtons Scandal Shock House Panels Conscience

Elections cannot come soon enough. It will be important to test how the voters feel about restoring a man like Paxton to office. Democrats will do well to remind independent-minded voters of the facts.

This whole affair started in 2020, when Paxtons handpicked Christian conservative deputies turned him into the FBI for multiple instances of abuse of office. Leaders from both political parties impeached him, and they steadfastly urged his conviction. Lead impeachment manager Republican State Representative Andy Murr (grandson of storied Texas Governor Coke Stevenson) invoked Governor Sam Houstons famous admonition to do right and risk the consequences when he opened the impeachment trial, urging Texas senators to convict Paxton.

Paxtons impeachment proceeding wasnt a political stunt. The trial evidence, elicited over two weeks, clearly showed Paxton personally directed the state resources of his office to benefit Nate Paul, a private citizen and Paxtons campaign donor. Paul convinced Paxton to dedicate state resources to investigate Pauls allegations that the FBI, Texas Securities Board, Department of Public Safety, an assistant United States Attorney and the senior Austin federal magistrate conspired to alter a search warrant for Pauls home, office and storage facilities from one seeking guns and drugs to one seeking documents. The conspirators allegedly altered the search warrant after it was signed by the magistrate, and Paul fantastically claimed the federal magistrate himself was in on the scheme.

Why would Ken Paxton give this man spinning wild tales of conspiracy the time of day? Evidence elicited at trial showed that Paxton sympathized with Pauls plight because Paxton also mistrusted law enforcement.

You read that right: The evidence demonstrated that the states top law enforcement officer didnt back law enforcement. Several witnesses testified that Paxton distrusted law enforcement generally because Paxton believed his securities fraud investigation and indictment were wrongful.

Paxton now has further reason to sympathize with his friend and donor: Paul was indicted in June on eight felony counts of bank fraud, and he faces a federal criminal trial next summer. Paul, like all federal criminal defendants with means, has hired a team of top defense attorneys who will explore a deal with prosecutors in exchange for evidence of others wrongdoing. Paxtons ears should be burning.

Even in the afterglow of his acquittal, the San Antonio federal grand jury may indict Paxton by the end of the year based on the same facts as those presented in the impeachment proceedings.

Paxton skipped all but the opening and closing of his own impeachment trial, and curiously, he did not attend the verdict. Instead, he raised funds off the experience, claiming he will use the money to fight for our conservative values.

Paxtons behavior that led to his impeachment wasnt about promoting conservative values or beating the Democrats at the ballot box. It was about concealing his corrupt relationships. Paxton wasnt fighting for you or me; he was fighting to save his political career.

All politics may be local, but really all politics are personal. Texas voters should be personally offended that Paxton abused his office to benefit one individual. And yet, if you want to lead in politics, you should have a servants heart. Ive always understood public service to be a bipartisan American value, and, while the details of government are subject to good faith debate, I know leaders of both parties share my vision of service.

The Texas Senates vote today sends a different message: Facts, conscience and doing the right thing dont matter. Power and money are all you need to win.

There are politicians who make their political careers about personal power and enrichment, and theyll be damned if anyone is going to knock them off their throne. These people make life miserable for many, dividing the people, while making money off the experience. That description fits Paxton, the disgraced MAGA martyr, and now freshly-restored-to-power Texas Attorney General.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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What Is Company Guidance?hardy tuivasa odds tiki torch slot

Guidance is an informal report a public company issues to shareholders detailing the earnings it expects to achieve in the upcoming fiscal quarter or year ahead. Guidance, also referred to as forward earnings guidance or a forward-looking statement, typically includes internal projections for revenue, earnings, and capital spending and is subject to revision in the interim.

Guidance can be contrasted with analysts' estimates, which are generated by external experts.

Key Takeaways

Guidance is a company's own best estimates to shareholders of its upcoming earnings.

It is usually published immediately after earnings for the past quarter and is the focus of discussion at a meeting between company executives and analysts.

Earnings guidance is used by investors and analysts to adjust their expectations for a company's share price.

Companies pair their guidance reports with disclosure statements, maintaining that their projections are by no means guaranteed, in order to shield themselves from potential lawsuits.

How Company Guidance Works

Company guidance is typically released immediately after a company publishes its latest quarterly earnings report and is often discussed in depth during a meeting between industry analysts and company executives. Companies are not legally required to provide earnings guidance, although it is common practice for many of them to do so.

The information guidance is based on normally includes sales projections, market conditions, and anticipated company spending. Some companies provide guidance on other aspects of their financial activities, too, such as inventory, units sold, and cash flow.

A company may revise its earnings guidance upwards or downwards later in the quarter if its outlook changes significantly.

Impact of Company Guidance

Providing forecasts to investors is one of the oldest Wall Street traditions. In earlier times, earnings guidance was called the "whisper number." The only difference is that whisper numbers were given to only selected individuals, such as analysts or brokers so that they could inform their big clients. Fair disclosure laws, known as Regulation FD, made this illegal, and companies now have to broadcast their expectations to the world, giving all investors access to this information at the same time.

Any comments management make about the company's future prospects are studied closely by investors. An inside perspective on how business is faring since the last figures were collected, and is likely to develop in the coming months, can potentally trigger a share price rerating.

Guidance reports tend to significantly influence analysts' stock ratings, which affect many investors' decisions on whether to buy, hold, or sell a stock. For example, if a company's management dispenses guidance figures that fall well below market expectations, a number of analysts will probably downgrade the stock, causing many investors to dump it.

Special Considerations

There is always a risk that a company's guidance may turn out to be wrong. Few investors mind if the company low-balls its estimate. Many are irate if they miss their stated goals.

In the U.S., safe harbor provisions protect companies from being sued if they fail to meet their own forward-looking expectations. Most notably, in 1995 Congress enacted the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA), which helps shield companies from securities fraud lawsuits stemming from unachieved expectations.

A Word of Warning

To further protect themselves from lawsuits, companies pair their guidance reports with disclosure statements maintaining that their projections are by no means guaranteed.

Companies are under no obligation to update their guidance after initial reports are issued, even if subsequent events render their projections unlikely. Some do, however, in order to get the bad news out there before the earnings release date.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Company Guidance

Some in the investment community feel that guidance does a company and its investors more harm than good. Investment guru Warren Buffett recently called for companies to stop issuing quarterly earnings guidance. He believes that it forces companies to place too high a priority on making the numbers at the expense of nurturing the long-term interests of the business.

Others disagree, believing that quarterly earnings reports cause investors to become more educated about short-term results versus long-term initiatives. Proponents also believe that providing less information to the public would not inevitably reduce stock volatility.
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QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondamages, damaging, daman, Daman and Diu, Damanhur, Damao, damar, Damara, Damaraland, Damas, DamasceneCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Republicans handed President Biden two political gifts this 7 8 9 10 j poker 888 roulette liveweek.

The first was Donald Trumps announcement of a third presidential run. Whatever they might say publicly, Democrats are confident that they could beat Trump again.

Just look at their actions. On Thursday, Senator Raphael Warnocks campaign put out a 30-second ad promoting Trumps endorsement of Warnocks opponent, Herschel Walker, in the runoff election for Senate in Georgia. During the midterms, Trump imposed a drag of five percentage points on Republican candidates, my colleague Nate Cohn found.

Even if Trump doesnt win the Republican primary, there is a good chance he will damage whoever becomes the G.O.P. nominee in his stead. Many Republicans evidently agree, and are distancing themselves from Trumps bid.

A Republican House divided

The second gift, perhaps a counterintuitive one, is Republicans taking control of the House.

That might not seem obvious at first; Democrats would have loved to keep it, and Im not suggesting otherwise. For those focused on progressive policy goals, its a disaster. But given how the midterm picture appeared entering this year, keeping the Senate and narrowly losing the House are both huge accomplishments and an extraordinary stroke of political luck for Democrats.

Now Biden, should he run again, will have a daily foil on Capitol Hill. As my colleague Carl Hulse reported, the big question facing House Republicans for the next two years will be whether they can govern. The early signals suggest they are much more eager to investigate the Biden administration than they are in, say, taming inflation.

Already, Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and other right-wing Republicans have secured a promise from party leaders to investigate Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Justice Department for their treatment of defendants jailed in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Hulse reported. After a midterm election in which voters repudiated many high-profile election deniers, that could easily backfire against Republicans.

Incoming committee leaders are also gearing up to investigate Hunter Biden, the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, the administrations handling of the border, China and supply-chain issues, and on and on.

Hunting Hunter

Hunter, the presidents son, is first up on the menu. He is under federal investigation, but has not been charged with any crimes.

On Thursday morning, Representative James Comer of Kentucky, the likely next chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio, who is expected to be the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, held a news conference on Capitol Hill in which they leveled a blizzard of unsubstantiated accusations about the business dealings of Biden family members.

The thrust of the Republican lawmakers remarks: Were coming after the president. Our focus is Joe Biden, Comer said.

The Aftermath of the 2022 Midterm Elections Card 1 of 6 Card 1 of 6 A moment of reflection. What does a Republican-controlled House and a Democratic-run Senate mean for the next two years? Most likely a return to the gridlock and brinkmanship that have defined a divided federal government in recent years.

Jordan portrayed the Justice Department and the F.B.I. as politicized in favor of Democrats  a tactic that may have the added goal of protecting Trump, whose handling of classified documents is under federal investigation.

Were committed to doing it in an aggressive fashion, but in a way thats consistent with the Constitution, Jordan said. Given Attorney General Merrick Garlands reputation as a straight shooter, that might be a difficult case to make stick.

Democrats have long seen this coming. The administration is hunkering down in expectation of a G.O.P. onslaught, and several outside organizations have also popped up to begin what my colleague Kenneth Vogel calls a counteroffensive against Republican attacks. One of the groups, the revamped Congressional Integrity Project, previewed its plans to Politico  including warnings that it will investigate the Republican investigators.

Jordan referred to those efforts several times, complaining at one point, They set up a committee to attack us.

Republicans seem aware that many reporters, having looked at similar accusations for years without finding any wrongdoing by the president, are skeptical of G.O.P. findings.

I realize that congressional oversight doesnt have a lot of credibility in Washington, Comer lamented, blaming the way congressional Democrats went after Trump while he was president.

McCarthys political vise

Representative Kevin McCarthy of California  assuming he ends up cutting enough deals to become speaker  will be tugged in two different directions, but the tug from his right is likely to be far stronger.

There are new Republican moderates like Mike Lawler, who defeated Representative Sean Patrick Maloney in a swing district in New Yorks Hudson Valley, and Juan Ciscomani in Arizona. Both are vulnerable to losing their seats two years from now, and have incentives to break with McCarthy to his left.

But they will be vastly outnumbered by fire-breathing Trump supporters like Andy Ogles of Tennessee, who has called for impeaching President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, and Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, who marched near the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Were at war. This is a political war, a cultural war, and its a spiritual war, Ogles said after he won his primary. And as we go forward, weve got to get back to honoring God and country.

Most of the moderates who defied Trump while he was president, like Representatives Liz Cheney of Wyoming, John Katko of New York and Fred Upton of Michigan, are gone.

All told, the new Congress might include just two of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump after the Capitol riot: Representatives David Valadao of California, who narrowly leads his yet-to-be-called race, and Dan Newhouse of Washington State. By my count, of the three dozen Republican members of the incoming freshman class, all but two have cast doubt on Bidens legitimacy.

Every Republican lawmaker from a deep-red district now essentially wields veto power  a dynamic that threatens to send the party down politically unproductive rabbit holes.

Its a totally nonfunctional majority, Representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, who is one of two Republicans on the Jan. 6 committee and is leaving Congress next year, said in a recent podcast interview. Each person now has the power of a senator, where every bill has to get basically not pulled to not something that can win or something that can get signed into law, but to the furthest right.

McCarthy, Kinzinger added, is probably the equivalent of the dog who caught the car.

There will be demands to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, the secretary of homeland security, and maybe even Biden himself  which will either divide Republicans or go nowhere in the Democratic-held Senate.

Republicans will also share political ownership of the state of the economy, which may make it harder for them to blame the administration. Expect the White House to try to deflect Republicans attacks by accusing them of focusing on distractions rather than the kitchen-table concerns of voters.

Literally the first thing they did after winning a narrow majority is to hold a press conference to outline their plans for political payback, said Kyle Herrig, the leader of the Congressional Integrity Project.

Image Representative Hakeem Jeffries of New York is widely seen as the most likely next Democratic leader in the House.Credit...Al Drago for The New York Times

Were Democrats smart or lucky in 2022?

There are risks for Democrats, too, of course. Republicans might find investigative gold, or at least create the impression among voters that Biden has behaved corruptly  just as they did to Hillary Clinton. The economy could enter a recession, as some economists are now warning. And the Democrats expected new leadership team in the House of Representatives  Hakeem Jeffries of New York, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California  is relatively untested.

Its also too early to say whether the unique confluence of factors that helped Democrats in 2022  abortion chief among them, but also Republican election deniers  will return to the fore in 2024. The next time around, Republicans might have learned a few lessons from this years letdown; witness just how little mention Trump made of his 2020 gripes during his announcement speech on Tuesday. And Democrats will face a brutal Senate map, defending seats in red states like Montana, Ohio and West Virginia.

According to a postelection polling analysis by Navigator, a Democratic messaging project, 45 percent of voters said that inflation was the top issue in deciding their vote for Congress. Among single-issue voters focused on inflation, Democrats fared badly  45 percentage points below Republicans. Democrats did much better among voters with a mix of priorities, including abortion, jobs, prescription drugs, health care, Social Security and Medicare.

And a postelection survey by AARP found that voters 65 and older swung sharply toward Democrats in 63 competitive House districts. From July to November, Republicans went from an advantage of 10 percentage points with that age group to a deficit of three points by Election Day.

Those voters expressed a range of priorities, including inflation, abortion, democracy and Social Security and Medicare.

They were not feeling the same economic pressures as other voters, Tony Fabrizio, a Republican pollster who helped conduct the research, explained in a Zoom briefing.

Fabrizio, who is working for a super PAC supporting Trump in the 2024 election, said he would advise Republicans to get on board with prescription drugs and stop talking about touching that third rail of Social Security and Medicare.

John Anzalone, a Democratic pollster who works for Biden, said the results suggested that many older voters were voting against extreme Republican candidates despite their worries about inflation or their unhappiness with the president. He summed up the midterms this way: It was headwinds versus head cases.

Image

What to read

Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as House speaker and the longtime face of Democrats in the chamber, announced that she would not pursue a leadership post in the next Congress. Follow the latest.

Kari Lake, the Republican candidate for governor in Arizona, says she is exploring every avenue to fight her loss, Alexandra Berzon and Jim Rutenberg report.

The closest House race in the country, Representative Lauren Boeberts bid for re-election in Colorado, could come down to a recount, Maggie Astor writes.

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Thetips for grand national today 7th Wales Week will raise its curtain in Chongqing on March 4, 2013.

This seven-day activity will introduce the culture and history of Wales to Chongqing people. As the highlight of this activity, a large-scale exhibition named Wales: Home of the Red Dragon is to be held in the Three Gorges Museum of China from March 4 to June 30.

Besides, some other activities such as tourism promotion conference, educational forum on creativity industry, etc. will be held to boost the cooperation and exchange between Wales and Chongqing.

2013 Wales Week to kick off in Chongqingadded by chinatimesonline on

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What Is Coinsurance?1xbit casino no deposit bonus

Coinsurance is the amount, generally expressed as a fixed percentage, an insured must pay toward a covered claim after the deductible is satisfied. It is common in health insurance. Some property insurance policies also contain coinsurance provisions. In this case, coinsurance is the amount of coverage that the property owner must purchase for a structure.

Key Takeaways

Coinsurance is common in health insurance and some property insurance policies.

In health insurance, coinsurance is the percentage under an insurance plan that the insured person pays toward a covered expense or service, after the policy deductible is satisfied.

One of the most common coinsurance breakdowns is the 80/20 split: The insurer pays 80%, the insured 20%.

A coinsurance provision is similar to a copayment provision, except copays require the insured to pay a set dollar amount at the time of the service, and coinsurance is a percentage amount of the overall cost.

The coinsurance clause in a property insurance policy requires that a home is insured for a percentage of its total cash or replacement value.

Co-Insurance

How Coinsurance Works

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A coinsurance provision is similar to a copayment, or "copay," provision, except that copays require the insured to pay a set dollar amount at the time of the service, and coinsurance is a percentage amount.

One of the most common coinsurance breakdowns is the 80/20 split. Under the terms of an 80/20 coinsurance plan, the insured is billed for 20% of medical costs, while the insurer pays the remaining 80%.

However, these terms only apply after the insured has reached the policy's out-of-pocket deductible amount. Also, most health insurance policies include an out-of-pocket maximum that limits the total amount the insured pays for care in a given period.

Generally speaking, plans with low monthly premiums have higher coinsurance, and plans with higher monthly premiums have lower coinsurance.

Example of Coinsurance

Here's how it typically works: Assume you take out a health insurance policy with an 80/20 coinsurance provision, a $1,000 out-of-pocket deductible, and a $5,000 out-of-pocket maximum. Unfortunately, you require outpatient surgery early in the year that costs $5,500. Because you have not yet met your deductible, you must pay the first $1,000 of the bill. After meeting your $1,000 deductible, you are then only responsible for 20% of the remaining $4,500, or $900. Your insurance company will cover 80%, the remaining balance.

If you require another expensive procedure later in the year, your coinsurance provision takes effect immediately because you have previously met your annual deductible. Also, because you have already paid a total of $1,900 out-of-pocket during the policy term, the maximum amount that you will be required to pay for services for the rest of the year is $3,100.

After you reach the $5,000 out-of-pocket maximum, your insurance company is responsible for paying up to the maximum policy limit, or the maximum benefit allowable under a given policy.

Copay vs. Coinsurance

Both copay and coinsurance provisions are ways for insurance companies to spread risk among the people they insure. However, both have advantages and disadvantages for consumers.

Pros and Cons of Coinsurance

Because coinsurance policies require deductibles before the insurer bears any cost, policyholders absorb more costs upfront. On the other hand, it is also more likely that the out-of-pocket maximum will be reached earlier in the year, resulting in the insurance company incurring all costs for the remainder of the policy term.

Pros and Cons of Copays

A copay plan charges the insured a set amount at the time of each service. Copay plans spread the cost of care over a full year and make predicting your medical expenses easier.

The size of the copays varies, depending on the type of service that you receive. For example, a visit to a primary care physician may have a $20 copay, whereas an emergency room visit may have a $100 copay. Other services such as preventative care and screenings may carry full payment without a copayment. A copay policy will likely result in an insured paying for each medical visit.

Property Insurance Coinsurance

The coinsurance clause in a property insurance policy requires that a home (or other physical property) be insured for a percentage of its total cash or replacement value. Usually, this percentage is 80%, but different providers may require varying percentages of coverage (90%, 70%, etc.). For example, if a property has a value of $200,000 and the insurance provider requires an 80% coinsurance, the homeowner must have $160,000 of property insurance coverage if they want full reimbursement on any claims.

If a structure is not insured to this level and the owner should file a claim for a covered peril, the provider may impose a coinsurance penalty on the owner. In other words, the policyholder is required to hold a high enough insurance limit to cover a percentage of the property value in order to receive full compensation if there is a loss or damage to the property.

Waiver of Coinsurance

Owners may include a waiver of coinsurance clause in policies. A waiver of coinsurance clause relinquishes the homeowners requirement to pay coinsurance. Generally, insurance companies tend to waive coinsurance only in the event of fairly small claims. In some cases, however, policies may include a waiver of coinsurance in the event of a total loss.

What Does 30% Coinsurance Mean?

Coinsurance is an insured individual's share of the costs of a covered expense (it usually applies to health-care insurance). It is expressed as a percentage. If you have a "30% coinsurance" policy, it means that, when you have a medical bill, you are responsible for 30% of it. Your health plan pays the remaining 70%.

Is Coinsurance the Same as Copay?

Though both represent an out-of-pocket expense for you, the insured person, coinsurance is not the same as copay. A copay is a set figure you're charged for prescriptions, doctor visits, and other types of health caregenerally at the time of service. Your copay applies even if you haven't met your deductible yet. Coinsurance is the percentage of costs of the services and treatment you're responsible for after you've met your health plan's overall deductible.

Is Coinsurance or a Copay Better?

Both coinsurance and copay have their pros and cons. Because you pay a set amount at the time of each service or purchase, copay plans make it easier to anticipate your health-care expenses. You'll always pay the copay, regardless of whether you've met your deductible or not. Coinsurance only kicks in after your deductible's been met. On the other hand, once it starts applying, coinsurance may mean lower outlays overall. Also, coinsurance goes toward meeting your policy out-of-pocket maximums.

The Bottom Line

Coinsurance is the amount an insured must pay against a health insurance claim after their deductible is satisfied. Coinsurance also applies to the level of property insurance that an owner must buy on a structure for the coverage of claims. Coinsurance differs from a copay in that a copay is generally a set dollar amount that an insured must pay at the time of each service. Both copay and coinsurance provisions are ways for insurance companies to spread risk among the people it insures. Both have advantages and disadvantages for consumers.


Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Bangkok,winner casino 30 bonus Thailand, Nov. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

BANGKOK, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here Thursday that China stands ready to work with Japan to keep the bilateral relationship on the right course from a strategic height, and build a China-Japan relationship fit for the new era.

Xi made the remarks during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting.

Noting that China and Japan jointly commemorated the 50th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral relations this year, Xi said over the past five decades, the two sides have adopted the four China-Japan political documents, reached a number of important common understandings, and enjoyed fruitful exchanges and cooperation in various areas.

All these have delivered important benefits to the two peoples and contributed to regional peace, development and prosperity. As close neighbors and important countries in Asia and the world, China and Japan share many common interests and ample room for cooperation. The importance of China-Japan relations has not and will not change, said Xi.

Xi emphasized that the two sides need to treat each other with sincerity and engage each other with trust, abide by the principles of the four China-Japan political documents, and draw lessons from history, adding that they need to view each other's development in an objective and rational manner, and translate into policies the political consensus that the two countries should "be partners, not threats."

Major issues of principle such as history and Taiwan bear on the political foundation and basic trust in China-Japan relations, and therefore must be handled in good faith and appropriately. China does not interfere in other countries' internal affairs, nor does it accept any excuse by anyone to interfere in its internal affairs, said Xi.

Saying that China and Japan are different in social system and national conditions, Xi said the two sides should respect each other, increase understanding and dispel mistrust. On issues regarding maritime and territorial disputes, it is essential to abide by the principles and common understandings that have been reached, and show political wisdom and responsibility to properly manage differences, said Xi.

The two sides should continue to leverage their geographical proximity, close people-to-people ties and other unique strengths, and facilitate exchanges and communication through channels between governments, political parties, legislatures, and localities among others. It is particularly important to take the long view, actively carry out exchanges among the young people, foster an objective and positive perception of each other and bring the two peoples closer, said Xi.

With their economies highly interdependent, the two countries need to step up dialogue and cooperation in such areas as digital economy, green development, fiscal and financial sectors, health care and old-age care and in keeping the industrial and supply chains stable and unclogged, so as to realize complementarity and mutual benefits at a higher level, said Xi.

Bearing in mind their respective long-term interests and the common interests of the region, the two countries need to uphold strategic autonomy and good-neighborliness, reject conflict and confrontation, practice true multilateralism, advance regional integration, work together for sound development and progress in Asia, and respond to global challenges, said Xi.

For his part, Kishida recalled the successful phone call he had with Xi in October last year, during which they agreed to build a Japan-China relationship fit for the new era, adding that exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields are resuming gradually.

As close neighbors, Japan and China pose no threat to each other. The two sides need to and should coexist in peace. Japan could hardly achieve development and prosperity without China, and the same is true the other way around, said Kishida.

Japan welcomes China's positive contribution to the world through its own development. Japan-China cooperation holds great potential as both countries shoulder important responsibilities for peace and prosperity of the region and the world. Japan is ready to work with China for sound and stable growth of Japan-China relations, he said.

On the Taiwan question, there has been no change whatsoever to the commitments Japan made in the Japan-China Joint Statement, said Kishida, expressing his readiness to increase dialogue and communication with the Chinese side to jointly chart the right course for Japan-China relations.

The two sides agreed to maintain high-level interactions, dialogue and communication, enhance political mutual trust, promote practical cooperation, expand people-to-people exchanges, step up coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, and work together to build a stable and constructive China-Japan relationship fit for the new era. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)
Ph.D., Psychology, University of California - Santa Barbara

B.A., Psychology and Peace & Conflict Studies, University of California - Berkeley

The James-Lange theory suggests that emotions are the result of physical changes in the body. According to James and Lange, our bodys responses to an emotional eventsuch as a racing heart rate or sweating, for exampleare what make up our emotional experience.

Key Takeaways: James-Lange Theory

The James-Lange theory suggests that emotions have a physical basis in the body.

When we see something emotional, changes occur in the bodyand these changes make up our emotional experience.

Although the James-Lange theory has been challenged by other theorists, it has been incredibly influential in the study of human emotions.

Overview

The James-Lange theory was developed in the late 1800s by William James and Carl Lange, who each separately published similar writings about the nature of emotion. According to James and Lange, emotions consist of the bodys physical responses to something in the environment. When you witness something emotional, this leads to changes in the body. For example, your heart rate or blood pressure might increase, you might start sweating, or you might start breathing more quickly.

James famously explained the theory in his book The Principles of Psychology: he writes that we feel sorry because we cry, angry because we strike, afraid because we tremble, and not that we cry, strike, or tremble, because we are sorry, angry, or fearful, as the case may be. In other words, our emotional reactions consist of our physical responses to potentially emotional events in the environment. James suggests that these physical reactions are key to our emotions and that, without them, our experiences would be pale, colorless, [and] destitute of emotional warmth.

Examples

To understand the James-Lange theory, consider the following example. Imagine youre walking on a darkened road and you hear a rustling in the bushes nearby. Your heart starts racing and you feel ready to start running if need be. According to James, these bodily sensations would constitute an emotionin this case, the feeling of fear. Importantly, our heart doesnt start beating faster becausewe feel afraid; instead, these changes in our body comprise the emotion of fear.

The theory seeks to explain not just negative stateslike fear and angerbut positive ones as well. For example, the emotion of amusement is typically accompanied by laughter.

Comparison to Related Theories

The James-Lange theory has been somewhat controversialwhen writing about his theory, James acknowledged that many other researchers took issue with aspects of his ideas. One of the most well-known critiques of the James-Lange theory is the Cannon-Bard theory, put forward by Walter Cannon and Philip Bard in the 1920s. According to this theory, many emotions produce similar physiological responses: for example, think about how both fear and excitement lead to a faster heart rate. Because of this, Cannon and Bard suggested that emotions cant only consist of our physiological response to something in the environment. Instead, Cannon and Bard suggest, emotional and physiological responses both happenbut these are two separate processes.

A later theory, the Schachter-Singer theory of emotion (also called the two-factor theory), suggests that emotion results from bothphysiological and cognitive processes. Essentially, something emotional will trigger changes in the body, and our brain then tries to interpret what these changes mean. For example, if youre walking alone at night and hear a loud noise, youll become startledand your brain will interpret this as fear. However, if youre walking into your home and are suddenly started by your friends jumping out to greet you on your birthday, your brain will recognize that youre at a surprise party and youll be more likely to feel excited. Like the James-Lange theory, the Schachter-Singer theory acknowledges the role of physiological changes in our emotionsbut it suggests that cognitive factors also play a role in the emotions we experience.

Research on the James-Lange Theory

While newer theories of emotion have been developed since the James-Lange theory was first proposed, it has still been an influential theory in the field of psychology. Since the theory was developed, numerous researchers have sought to understand how different types of bodily responses relate to emotions. For example, research has looked at whether different emotions are associated with different types of responses by the bodys autonomic nervous system. In other words, the James-Lange theory has inspired a significant amount of research on the connections between our bodies and our emotions, a topic which is still an active area of research today.

Sources and Additional Reading:
B.A., Journalism and Creative Writing, University of Washington

Dear EarthTalk: I heard that using a solar powered water heater in my home would reduce my CO2 emissions significantly. Is this true? And what are the costs?

-- Anthony Gerst, Wapello, IA

Conventional Water Heaters Use Energy

According to mechanical engineers at the University of Wisconsins Solar Energy Laboratory, an average four-person household with an electric water heater needs about 6,400 kilowatt hours of electricity per year to heat their water. Assuming the electricity is generated by a typical power plant with an efficiency of around 30 percent, it means that the average electric water heater is responsible for about eight tons of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) annually, which is almost double that emitted by a typical modern automobile.

The same family of four using either a natural gas or oil-fired water heater will contribute about two tons of CO 2 emissions annually in heating their water. And as we know, carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas responsible for climate change.

Conventional Water Heaters Pollute

Surprising as it may seem, analysts believe that the annual total CO 2 produced by residential water heaters throughout North America is roughly equal to that produced by all of the cars and light trucks driving around the continent.

Another way of looking at it is: If half of all households used solar water heaters, the reduction in CO 2 emissions would be the same as doubling the fuel-efficiency of all cars.

Solar Water Heaters Gaining Popularity

Having half of all households use solar water heaters might not be such a tall order. According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), there are 1.5 million solar water heaters already in use in U.S. homes and businesses. Solar water heater systems can work in any climate and EESI estimates that 40 percent of all U.S. homes have sufficient access to sunlight such that 29 million additional solar water heaters could be installed right now.

Solar Water Heaters: The Economical Choice

Another great reason to switch to a solar water heater is financial.

According to the EESI, residential solar water heater systems cost between $1,500 and $3,500, compared to $150 to $450 for electric and gas heaters. With savings in electricity or natural gas, solar water heaters pay for themselves within four to eight years. And solar water heaters last between 15 and 40 years--the same as conventional systems--so after that initial payback period is up, zero energy cost essentially means having free hot water for years to come.

Whats more, in the U.S. federal government offers homeowners tax credits of up to 30 percent of the cost of installing a solar water heater. The credit is not available for swimming pool or hot tub heaters, and the system must be certified by the Solar Rating and Certification Corporation.

What to Know Before You Install a Solar Water Heater

According to the U.S. Department of Energys Consumers Guide to Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, zoning and building codes relating to the installation of solar water heaters usually reside at the local level, so consumers should be sure to research the standards for their own communities and hire a certified installer familiar with local requirements. Homeowners beware: Most municipalities require a building permit for the installation of a solar hot water heater onto an existing house.

For Canadians looking to get into solar water heating, the Canadian Solar Industries Association maintains a list of certified solar water heater installers, and Natural Resources Canada makes its informative booklet, Solar Water Heating Systems: A Buyers Guide, available as a free download on their website.

EarthTalk is a regular feature of E/The Environmental Magazine. Selected EarthTalk columns are reprinted by permission of the editors of E.

Edited by Frederic Beaudry.
Roulette is quantum cryptography definitiona game of chance where players wager on the outcome of a spinning wheel. Once the wheel stops, players then collect or lose money depending on which number their bet lands under. There are two types of bets a player can make, inside and outside. An inside bet, which is placed on a row or a series of numbers. Outside bets are placed on a single number or on a range of numbers.

A popular roulette variant is the multi-wheel version where the wheel has two to twenty-four pockets. In multi-wheel games players can try to gain an edge by betting based on the statistical nature of the wheels used in play. Players can also bet on certain parts of the wheel, such as the red or black halves, high or low numbers, and various other possibilities. Roulette is a very popular table game played in most major casinos worldwide, and also for betting online. This makes it an ideal choice for all types of players from beginners to professionals looking to make a good bet. You can play roulette with crypto here.

The risks and potential rewards are high. It recommends that you think about your motives for playing before diving in head first. If you're looking to earn a passive income from crypto-investments, some tips on how best to invest in Bitcoin or other altcoins without risking too much money. Online roulette is played just like the land-based counterpart, but with some added benefits such as multiplayer options and higher payouts. The online version also offers players an exciting virtual environment, and allows them to play from home or on the go via laptop or mobile devices.

The Best Reasons to Play Roulette Online!

The best part about playing roulette online is that it opens up all sorts of new avenues for risk taking that are not available at land-based casinos. You can select your bet size and place it at any time and you dont have to wait for the ball to land on a number. This can make roulette an exciting game, but it also means that new players will find themselves at a disadvantage because of the lack of betting limitations.

When you play roulette online, there are two ways for you to do so. The first is to log on to a gaming site and play in your browser. The second method is to download software that will allow you to play roulette online without having to visit a website. The two options are equivalent in many aspects and both allow you to play roulette online. The main difference is that you can play roulette at the website itself, which means that the game will run in its entirety on your computer or mobile device.

Whether you play in your browser or you download software for playing roulette, the main things to keep in mind are that the game will load quickly and allow you to choose your bet size. The betting limits can help new players get acclimated to the game because they provide them with a temporary safety net until they feel fully comfortable about making higher bets.

Playing Roulette on a Mobile Device

For centuries, people have enjoyed gambling at casinos and games of chance. Now you can gamble on the go with your mobile device.

Playing roulette on a mobile device is easy and entertaining. Just follow these three simple steps: visit a casino website, turn your phone sideways so it looks like a tablet, touch the table to roll the ball, and finally touch the chips with your finger in order to bet on a number or color. The best mobile casinos offer games that pay out immediately, without any extra processing steps (and without any complicated registration). Some of the most popular casino games include slots, roulette, blackjack and poker. Some mobile casinos also have special features, such as a virtual sports book where you can place bets on major sporting events. In addition to traditional gambling games, some sites offer contests that allow users to win real prizes just by opting into a sweepstakes or lottery. So buy a lottery ticket, begin playing on your mobile device, and see how far you can go up the virtual ladder.

Since you're playing from your mobile device rather than from a computer, any site that allows gambling from a phone will do. But some sites offer more features and better odds than others, so you might want to take a look at some of the top casinos before choosing one. In addition to offering a wide range of games, many sites offer players free credits to get them started. Some also have a loyalty program to reward people who play there frequently. Also, some casinos may be geared more toward U.S. players than other sites, so if you're looking for a particular type of game or want to place a wager on a sporting event, it's best to check ahead and see which site offers what type of games and services that will meet your needs.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Playing Roulette

If youve ever wanted to give your luck a spin, roulette is the game of choice. It doesnt matter if you enjoy betting on an even chance or prefer the thrill of taking risks with high-stakes bets, roulette has one thing in common: its designed to be unpredictable and therefore impossible to reliably take advantage of.

Playing roulette has its advantages:free access to gambling can be enticing for those who don't have much disposable income but hope to take home the jackpot. There's also nothing as exciting as pulling the lever, watching the wheels rotate and deciding if you should bet high or low.

There are disadvantages to playing roulette:the casinos make billions of dollars a year off of people like you and me who take their chances and lose. The casino edge stays consistent, no matter what. Another disadvantage is the fact that the game has a low barrier of entry, but high expectations for gambling success. Keeping track of how many numbers are on the wheel and which are more frequently landed on can be confusing. The same goes for keeping track of which numbers have been or are being called out by the croupier. Even if you have memorized all of this information, there are still other factors that can go into play, like spin speed, ball bounce and croupier hand movements.

Category: Casino Blog
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Bangkok,youtube 3 card poker dapp gaming Thailand, Nov. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhai Jianlan)

BANGKOK, Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping said here on Thursday that China welcomes Singapore's in-depth participation in building the new development paradigm and is committed to making "high quality" a distinct feature of cooperation between the two countries.

Xi made the remarks when meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the sidelines of the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting.

Xi pointed out that facing the once-in-a-century pandemic and changes unseen in a century, China-Singapore relations have maintained a sound momentum. This has not only facilitated the COVID-19 response and economic recovery of the two countries, but also injected positive energy to stability and prosperity of the region.

The China-Singapore relationship is forward-looking, strategic and exemplary, said Xi.

The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has made strategic deployment on building a modern socialist country in all respects and promoting Chinese modernization on all fronts. China will work with Singapore for new progress in the all-round cooperative partnership progressing with the times between the two countries, said Xi.

Underscoring China's readiness to develop close high-level exchanges with Singapore, Xi said the two sides need to ensure sound implementation of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor as a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between China and Singapore, and promote upgrading of cooperation projects in digitalization, green development and other areas.

Efforts need to be made to conclude follow-up negotiations on upgrading the China-Singapore FTA at an early date, enhance the level of trade and investment liberalization, and facilitate people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, he said, adding that both China and Singapore rely on this region for development and their development is well-integrated into and beneficial to this region.

China will work with Singapore to uphold solidarity and cooperation in the region, oppose group politics, resist bloc confrontation, keep to the right direction of economic and regional integration, and firmly reject the attempts to push for "decoupling and severing supply chains," or to build "a small yard with high fences," said Xi, noting that it is hoped that the two sides will work together to pursue the Global Development Initiative (GDI) in this region.

For his part, Lee expressed his pleasure to once again congratulate Xi in person on the successful conclusion of the 20th National Congress of the CPC and on his re-election as general secretary of the CPC Central Committee.

Noting the strong momentum of Singapore-China cooperation, he stressed that under the complex international situation, Singapore looks forward to further deepening its ties with China, and stands ready to work with China to advance the existing mechanisms of bilateral cooperation and upgrade the three government-to-government projects in Suzhou, Tianjin and Chongqing and the Guangzhou Knowledge City project (3+1).

China's rise is not stoppable, Lee said, adding that a strong and friendly China will bring positive impact on the region and the world, and can help small and medium-sized countries achieve common development. Singapore sees China's development as positive, wishes the GDI well and will explore ways to participate, he said. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in Bangkok, Thailand, Nov. 17, 2022. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)
Storm Lee has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone as it approaches Nova Scotia but it is still producing hurricane-force winds, as the storm is expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon.

According to an 11am advisory by the National Hurricane Center, strong winds, coastal flooding, and heavy rain have already hit parts of New England and Canada. As of Saturday morning, the storm was about 105 miles from Eastport, Maine and 150 miles from Halifax, Nova Scotia with maximum sustained winds moving at 75mph.

Although both Massachusetts and Maine previously declared states of emergency, the former lifted its declaration on Saturday after impacts were minimal, the governor said.

The Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for hundreds of miles of coastline from Massachusetts to Nova Scotia, affecting some nine million people.

Forecasters predicted winds topping 40mph across the region, with peak winds reaching upward of 65mph ahead of landfall.

Lee is expected to move across the border and impact Atlantic Canada on Saturday night and Sunday. Storm surge is also a threat to coastal areas, particularly if it occurs at high tide.

Key Points

Rain-soaked New England hit by likely tornado ahead of Hurricane Lees arrival

State of emergency declared in Maine as Lee approaches

Bermuda pounded by heavy surf from Hurricane Lee

Where is the storm currently?

When will Hurricane Lee reach New England?

Lee makes landfall in Nova Scotia

21:18 , Megan Sheets

Storm Lee made landfall in Nova Scotia, Canada, as a post-tropical cyclone on Saturday afternoon at around 4pm, the National Hurricane Center announced.

It is said to have maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110kmph).

Post-Tropical Cyclone #Lee made landfall in Nova Scotia around 4 pm AST. See below for details. pic.twitter.com/BEWSR6VNfD  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 16, 2023

21:00 , Kelly Rissman

Story continues

A meteorologist weighs in

Robert Grove, a meteorologist for ECCC Weather Newfoundland and Labrador, predicted on X that Lee would make landfall in Yarmouth County within the next couple of hours.

By the looks of latest satellite imagery, it looks like #Lee has made that NE turn and should make landfall in Yarmouth county within the next couple of hours.#NSStorm https://t.co/024RyeyQgV pic.twitter.com/Q1jrxnaP8e  Robert Grove (@robertgwx) September 16, 2023

20:30 , Kelly Rissman

Lee has already caused problems  even before making landfall

A CTV Atlantic reporter captured some of the devastation already caused by the post-tropical cyclone in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Tree down in Southend Halifax which has brought down power lines. Right now over 30,000 people are without power in the city. #HurricaneLee @CTVAtlantic pic.twitter.com/El8UhJYAjN  Hafsa Arif (@_HafsaArif) September 16, 2023

20:00 , Kelly Rissman

Post-tropical cyclone Lee is very near western Nova Scotia

The National Hurricane Center issued another update at 2pm, writing that the storm is just 80 miles from Eastport, Maine and 150 miles from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The maximum sustained winds are moving at 70mph.

The center of Lee is forecast to make landfall in Atlantic Canada later this afternoon, and is expected to be near hurricane strength when it touches down, the hurricane center wrote.

Timing graphic for Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee (National Hurricane Center)

19:40 , Kelly Rissman

The calm before the storm

As post-tropical cyclone Lee threatens to hit the East Coast and Canada, some appreciated the beautiful sunset ahead of the storm on Friday night.

Hurricane Lee is providing an incredible sunset on Monhegan Island, Maine.#mewx #hurricanelee pic.twitter.com/1PrK6As54n  Benjamin Williamson (@photographmaine) September 15, 2023

19:20 , Kelly Rissman

The forecasted timeline

Saturday morning: Heavy rains and strong winds are already affecting some regions in New England and Canada hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings are in effect

Saturday afternoon: The storm is expected to make landfall as soon as in the next few hours, according to the National Hurricane Center director.

Saturday night: Lee is expected to move across the border into Canada tonight

18:59 , Kelly Rissman

Massachusetts lifts states of emergency

Im relieved that the impacts of Hurricane Lee have been minimal across Massachusetts, so were lifting the states of emergency declared earlier this week.



Im grateful for residents and public safety officials who have been responding to and preparing for severe weather and  Maura Healey (@MassGovernor) September 16, 2023

18:45 , Kelly Rissman

A message from Maines Governor

MEMA warns that high winds from the storm, combined with full canopy trees and saturated ground, will result in downed trees. Avoid being on the roads if you can. If you must travel, avoid driving around downed trees or over downed wires and obey road closure signs and barriers. https://t.co/SEqgjzTblY  Governor Janet Mills (@GovJanetMills) September 16, 2023

18:30 , Kelly Rissman

President Biden Approves Massachusetts Emergency Declaration

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Lee from September 15 to September 17, 2023.

The Presidents action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 14 Massachusetts counties.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal assistance and reimbursement for mass care, including evacuation and sheltering support, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.Mr. E. Craig Levy, Sr. of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

18:07 , Kelly Rissman

Maine lobstermen trying to rescue damaged boat as storm threatens

VIDEO: Maine lobstermen taking a skiff to try and rescue a lobster boat damaged from #Lee in Bar Harbor



The waves and wind are relentless against the little skiff, but theyre desperate to protect their livelihood



@amlikethewind for @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/48C9trldfF  Marissa Parra NBC (@MarParNews) September 16, 2023

17:15 , Kelly Rissman

Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee Causes Power Problems

In parts of Canada, residents are already suffering from power outages. On Saturday, over 100,000 people in Nova Scotia and over 40,000 in New Brunswick were dealing with no power.

Crews have been able to restore power to some customers ... however, conditions are getting worse. In many cases, especially when winds are above 80 km/h, it isnt safe for our crews, said Matt Drover of the Nova Scotia electric utility told Reuters.

16:44 , Kelly Rissman

An update from National Hurricane Center Director Dr Michael Brennan

Dr Brennan said that eastern Maine, southwestern Nova Scotia, and southern New Brunswick are likely to be impacted first  as soon as in the next few hours.

While the storm has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, Dr Brennan said that the storm still has hurricane-force winds, with some areas experiencing gusts from 50-90mph, depending on the areas elevation.

He warned residents of Maine to stay inside for the next few hours or for the rest of the day, if possible.

Dr Brennan added that some areas are already experiencing significant power outages.

Watch the full update here.

16:11 , Kelly Rissman

National Hurricane 11am Advisory

The center of Lee is forecast to make landfall near or just east of the U.S./Canada border this afternoon. Lee is then expected to turn toward the northeast and move across Atlantic Canada tonight and Sunday, the National Hurricane Center predicted.

Its expected to to be at or just below hurricane strength when it makes landfall later today, and is supposed to weaken throughout the weekend.

Winds have lessened a bit from earlier this morning, and are now moving at 75mph as the storm is just 105 miles from Eastport, Maine.

Environment Canada has upgraded the Tropical Storm Watch to a Tropical Storm Warning for Prince Edward Island, Magdalen Islands, and portions of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, the advisory wrote. The Tropical Storm Warning has been discontinued from Westport, RI to Portsmouth, NH, including Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket.

15:45 , Kelly Rissman

Footage from Nova Scotia

Meteorologist Reed Timmer captured the storm scene from Baccaro Point lighthouse in Novia Scotia.

Live update from Baccaro Point lighthouse with powerful post-tropical cyclone Lee approaching with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. Watch out for flying donair. Over 60,000 power outages in Nova Scotia already. @accuweather pic.twitter.com/gz5ZrwdvPt  Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerAccu) September 16, 2023

15:14 , Kelly Rissman

Millions under storm watch as Lee threatens to hit the east coast

Millions are under storm watch as Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee is forecast to brush the New England coast before making landfall later Saturday in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, which along with New Brunswick will see the brunt of it.

But Lees effects were expected to be felt over an immense area. The National Hurricane Center predicted hurricane-force winds extending more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) from Lees center with lesser but still dangerous tropical storm-force gusts up to 345 miles (555 kilometers) miles outward.

14:45 , Kelly Rissman

According to an 8am advisory from the National Hurricane Centre...

A hurricane watch is in effect for:

New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Point Lepreau, including Grand Manan Island

Nova Scotia from Digby to Ecum Secum

A tropical storm warning is in effect for:

Westport Massachusetts northward to the U.S./Canada border

Marthas Vineyard

Nantucket

New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Fort Lawrence, including Grand Manan Island

New Brunswick from Shediac to Tidnish

Nova Scotia from Fort Lawrence to Point Tupper

14:15 , Kelly Rissman

Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee is expected to make landfall on Saturday

Post-Tropical Cyclone #Lee Advisory 44A: Lee Expected to Make Landfall Later Today. Strong Winds, Coastal Flooding, and Heavy Rains Already Occurring in Portions of New England and Atlantic Canada. https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 16, 2023

Hurricane Lee expected to be a large and dangerous storm when it reaches New England and Atlantic Canada

14:00 , Graig Graziosi

The National Hurricane Centre warned on Friday that Hurricane Lee would arrive in New England and Atlantic Canada as a large and dangerous storm.

The centre reported on Friday that Hurricane Lee was continuing to move further away from Bermuda and closer to New England and Atlantic Canada.

The storm is expected to bring hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 105mph(165km/h) with tropical storm-force winds extending outward up to 320 miles (520km) when it reaches eastern New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces.

Sinkhole swallows cars in wake of Massachusetts flooding in Massachusetts

13:00 , Graig Graziosi

A trio of cars were left dangling on the edges of a sinkhole outside a dealership in Massachusetts following severe flooding in the area earlier this week.

The sinkhole opened up in the city of Leominster after heavy rains destabilised the ground and opened up a 15-foot deep chasm.

Public works crews expressed concerns that the flood and subsequent sinkhole might have weakened the foundation of a home near the affected area. The couple living in the house were forced to leave on Monday night.

READ MORE

Sinkhole swallows cars in wake of devastating flooding in Massachusetts

WATCH: Hurricane Lee leaves a fingerprint on the Outer Banks

12:00 , Graig Graziosi

Lee downgraded to post-tropical storm

11:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Storm Lee has become a post-tropical cyclone as it approaches Nova Scotia but it is still producing hurricane-force winds, the US National Hurricane Center said on Saturday.

According to the 5am update, winds were still gusting at 8mph.

Storm Lee is about 220 miles from Eastport, Maine and 230 miles from Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is moving north-northeast at the speed of 25 mph.

Earth is outside its safe operating space for humanity on most key measurements, study says

11:00 , Graig Graziosi

Earth is exceeding its safe operating space for humanity in six of nine key measurements of its health and two of the remaining three are headed in the wrong direction, a new study has said.

Earths climate, biodiversity, land, freshwater, nutrient pollution and novel chemicals (human-made compounds like microplastics and nuclear waste) are all out of whack, a group of international scientists said in the journal Science Advances.

Only the acidity of the oceans, the health of the air and the ozone layer are within the boundaries considered safe and both ocean and air pollution are heading in the wrong direction, the study said.

We are in very bad shape, said study co-author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.

We show in this analysis that the planet is losing resilience and the patient is sick.

Read more

Earth is outside its safe operating space for humanity, study says

Hurricane Lee projected to make landfall in Nova Scotia

10:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Hurricane Lee is projected to make landfall in Nova Scotia sometime after 3pm ADT or perhaps later in New Brunswick with winds below hurricane force, according to the Canadian Hurricane Center.

The potential path could take the storm right into the Bay of Fundy, which separates the two provinces and has one of the highest tides in the world, with the difference between high and low tide as much as 12 metres.

The US National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for hundreds of miles of coastline from Massachusetts to Nova Scotia, affecting some nine million people.

We encourage all of those in the path of this large and dangerous storm to remain alert, the White House said as president Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration for Maine.

The enormity of Hurricane Lee on display thanks to satellite photos

10:00 , Graig Graziosi

This Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, 7:10a.m. EDT satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Lee in the Atlantic Ocean. Maine was under its first hurricane watch in 15 years and a state of emergency declared Thursday by Gov. Janet Mills. The hurricane watch applied to eastern Maine, while the rest of the state and an area extending south through Massachusetts was under a tropical storm warning. (NOAA via AP) (AP)

Hurricane Lee latest update

09:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Hurricane Lee was located about 250 miles south-southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, according to the National Hurricane Centers latest advisory.

It was gusting at a speed of 80mph on its path that could lead to landfall in Nova Scotia, possibly as a tropical storm.

On the forecast track, the center of Lee will continue to approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada through Saturday, the hurricane centre said.

Lee is then expected to turn toward the north-northeast and northeast and move across Atlantic Canada Saturday night and Sunday.

The probable path of Hurricane Lee (National Hurricane Center)

Tropical Depression 15 likely to become Hurricane Nigel in coming days

09:00 , Graig Graziosi

The National Hurricane Centre said Tropical Depression 15, which formed Friday morning in the Atlantic Ocean, would likely become Hurricane Nigel, and had the potential to develop into a major storm in the coming days.

The storm is expected to stay out at sea  much like Hurricane Margot, which is still churning in the Atlantic  the storm is the third hurricane in as many weaks to spin up.

Through September 13, the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season is above average for all tropical cyclone parameters that we track at Colorado State University, hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach tweeted earlier this week.

Biden approves emergency declaration for Main ahead of Hurricane Lee landfall

08:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

President Joe Biden on Friday approved the emergency in Main as Hurrican Lee approached the north-eastern part of the country.

About seven million people are now under tropical storm warnings across New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.I thank President Biden for his swift approval of my request for an Emergency Disaster Declaration, which will give us access to additional resources as we work to keep Maine people safe during this storm, said Maine governor Janet Mills.

I continue to strongly urge all Maine people, especially those Down East, to take the necessary precautions to stay safe as Hurricane Lee moves closer.

The presidents approval authorises the federal department of homeland security and emergency management agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts.

08:00 , Graig Graziosi

How hard will Hurricane Lee hit New England?

Well, the cold North Atlantic may decide that.

New England is known for its fickle weather, powerful noreasters and blizzards.

Destructive hurricanes, however, are relatively rare and typically dont pack the same punch as tropical cyclones that hit the southeast.

Heres why the geography matters when it comes to Lees likely impact on the region.

READ MORE

How hard will Hurricane Lee hit New England? The cold North Atlantic may decide that

East Coast states prepare for Lee landfall

07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Massachusetts governor Maura Healey joined Maine in declaring a state of emergency and asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to issue a pre-disaster emergency declaration.

She also activated up to 50 National Guard members to help with storm preparations, including operating highwater vehicles to respond to flooded areas.

As weve seen in recent weeks, severe weather is not to be taken lightly. Flooding, wind damage, downed trees, tree limbs  all these things create real hazards and problems for people, Ms Healey said.

East Hampton, New York, barred swimming and, in at least some places, even walking on beaches because of dangerous surf.

Caution tape was strung up along the edge of the sand at the tony second-home communitys picturesque Main Beach, where waves already were roiling Friday afternoon, News12 Long Island reported.

In Rhode Island, governor Dan McKee said crews were working to secure the iconic 11-foot-tall Independent Man statue atop the State House dome. Workers wanted to safeguard the 500-pound statue against the storms wind and rain after a drone recently captured footage showing damage to the base.

In Maine, where people are accustomed to damaging winter noreasters, some brushed aside the coming Lee as something akin to those storms only without the snow.

We fear noreasters up here more than the remnants of a tropical storm, Andrea Silverthorne, who works in reception and reservations at the Inn on the Wharf in Lubec, Maines easternmost town, told the Associated Press.

07:00 , Graig Graziosi

Hurricane Lee to strike weather-worn New England after heavy rain, flooding and tornadoes

After a deluge of rain, flooding, sinkholes and tornadoes this week, New England is about to face Hurricane Lee.

As the Category 1 system impacted Bermuda, Maine was under its first hurricane watch in 15 years and a state of emergency declared Thursday by state governor Janet Mills. The water-logged region prepared for 20ft waves offshore and winds of up to 80mph, along with more rain.

The hurricane watch applied to eastern Maine, while the rest of the state and an area extending south through Massachusetts was under a tropical storm warning. Powerful winds and coastal flooding were expected to arrive on Friday afternoon in southern New England and spread north.

Although Lee did not contribute to the flooding that hit New England earlier in the week, it threatened to exacerbate conditions in a region that is already waterlogged.

The Coast Guard and emergency management agencies warned New England residents to be prepared, and utility companies brought in reinforcements to deal with any power outages.

Read more:

Hurricane Lee to strike weather-worn New England after heavy rain, flooding and tornadoes

Canadian PM convenes meeting to discuss Hurricane Lee

06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Prime minister Justin Trudeau on Friday convened the incident response group, which meets only to discuss events with major implications for Canada.

Consisting of Cabinet ministers and senior officials, it was previously convened over events including the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and the record wildfire season this year.

Ian Hubbard, a meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canadian Hurricane Centre, told the Associated Press that Lee wont be anywhere near the severity of the remnants of Hurricane Fiona, which washed houses into the ocean, knocked out power to most of two provinces and swept a woman into the sea a year ago.

But it was still a dangerous storm. Kyle Leavitt, director of the New Brunswick Emergency Management Organization, urged residents to stay home, saying, nothing good can come from checking out the big waves and how strong the wind truly is.

Hurricane Lee in images: A surfer takes advantage of waves produced by the storm

06:00 , Graig Graziosi

Surfers in New York and New England took their boards out one last time on Friday before Hurricane Lee arrives in the region on Saturday.

Surfers spend a day at Rockaway Beach as impact from Hurricane Lee delvers large surf and rip tides to much of the Northeast on September 14, 2023 in New York City (Getty Images)

16:53 , Kelly Rissman

Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee Causing Power OutagesIn Nova Scotia, over 130,000 people were without power on Saturday, while in New Brunswick over 40,000 people were dealing with power outages.

Crews have been able to restore power to some customers ... however, conditions are getting worse. In many cases, especially when winds are above 80 km/h, it isnt safe for our crews, said Matt Drover of the Nova Scotia electric utility told Reuters.

WATCH: Maritimers buckle down for Hurricane Lee

04:59 , Graig Graziosi

Residents of Canadas Maritime Providences prepared Friday for Hurricane Lee, which is expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon.

Watch how they prepare for the storm below.

Coastal Maine could see 15-feet high waves due to Hurricane Lee

04:33 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The storm is projected to be more than 400 miles wide with tropical-storm-force winds when it reaches land, creating worries of power outages in Maine, the nation's most heavily forested state, where the ground is saturated and trees are weakened from heavy summer rains.

Lee remained a hurricane with 80mph winds at night as it headed toward New England and eastern Canada with 20-foot ocean swells, strong winds and rain.

Forecasters said there would be winds topping 40mph across the region, with peak winds reaching upward of 65mph ahead of landfall expected today.

While landfall was projected for nearby Nova Scotia, the Category 1 system was big enough to cause concerns over a wide area even if it weakens to a tropical storm.

Parts of coastal Maine could see waves up to 15-feet high crashing down, causing erosion and damage, and the strong gusts will cause power outages, said Louise Fode, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Maine.

As much as 5 inches of rain was forecast for eastern Maine, where a flash flood watch was in effect.

NOAA model shows Hurricane Lees predicted trajectory

04:00 , Graig Graziosi

The NOAA has released a new trajectory model showing the predicted path Hurricane Lee will take when it makes landfall near the US and Canadian borders on Saturday.

Hurricane Lee is a Category 1 storm, and is expected to bring high winds and strong storm surges to the region.

An NOAA map showing the predicted trajectory of Hurricane Lee as it continues on its path through New England and eastern Canada (NOAA)

How hard will Hurricane Lee hit New England?

03:49 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

New England is known for its fickle weather, powerful noreasters and blizzards. Destructive hurricanes, however, are relatively rare and typically dont pack the same punch as tropical cyclones that hit the Southeast.

New England, in the crosshairs of Hurricane Lee, is usually protected from the worst of a hurricanes wrath by the cold waters of the North Atlantic, and thats expected to help reduce Lee to a tropical storm by the time it arrives by today morning

A number of factors determine the path and strength of a hurricane. But the warm waters that can strengthen a hurricane are typically south of Cape Cod. North of there, the Atlantic waters are much colder

More here.

How hard will Hurricane Lee hit New England? The cold North Atlantic may decide that

More than 3 million people under hurricane or tropical storm watches

03:00 , Graig Graziosi

More than 3 million people between New England and Canadas Maritime Provinces are under either tropical storm or hurricane watches as Hurricane Lee moves closer to landfall.

The hurricane is expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon.

The storm is forecast to produce winds of up to 75mph (121km/h) in the affected region.

CBS News senior weather and climate producer David Parkinson predicted that the Maritime Provinces would see the worst of the storm, but noted that 15 foot waves would likely batter New England as the storm moves through.

Today is the last day to prepare warns meteorologist as Hurricane Lee closes in on New England

02:00 , Graig Graziosi

Stephanie Abrams, a meteorologist with The Weather Channel, warned residents of New England and Canadas Maritime Provinces that today was the last day to prepare before Hurricane Lee arrives with strong winds, 2 to 4 inches (50-100ml) of rain, and signficant storm surges.

Today is the last day to preparshe told CBS Mornings on Friday. Conditions go downhill tonight, and tomorrow, Lee will be battering parts of New England. The strongest winds are expected to be along the coast.

Hurricane Lee is expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon.

WATCH: Hurricane Lee and travel impacts

01:00 , Graig Graziosi

Nasa reveals how much hotter 2023 summer was than average

Saturday 16 September 2023 00:00 , Graig Graziosi

Warming seas, caused by the fossil fuel-driven climate criss, have helped to produce more severe hurricanes in recent years.

As Hurricane Lee closes in on New England and Canadas Maritime Provinces, NASA has marked 2023 as the hottest year on record, The Independents Stuti Mishra reports.

Earth recorded its hottest summer on record this year, data from the American space agency Nasa and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) confirmed in new maps that reveal how quickly the world is heating up.

The last three months had the hottest summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the warmest winter in the Southern Hemisphere, Nasa and Noaa said on Wednesday in a release.

READ MORE

This was the hottest summer ever recorded on Earth, Nasa map reveals

Rhode Island works to secure Independent Man statue atop the capitol before Hurricane Lee arrives

Friday 15 September 2023 23:00 , Graig Graziosi

Governor Dan McKee of Rhode Island told the Associated Press that crews were working to secure the states iconic 11-foot-tall Independent Man statue above the State House dome on Friday before Hurricane Lees winds blow in on Saturday.

The 500-pound statue was shored up against the storms rain and winds.

Crews work atop the Rhode Island State House to secure the Independent Man statue and its base, revealed by drone footage to be separating from the dome. This was not part of the exterior restoration work, says @GovDanMcKee - cost is yet to be determined. -SK #WPRO pic.twitter.com/Oc9GXJXCmH  NewsTalk 99.7 & AM 630 WPRO (@wpro) September 15, 2023

Beaches close ahead of Hurricane Lee

Friday 15 September 2023 22:00 , Graig Graziosi

East Hampton, New York, shuttered its beaches on Friday ahead of Hurricane Lee.

Swimming  and in some cases even walking  at the beach was prohibited due to the dangerous surf rolling in as a result of the storm.

Local officials put up caution tape along the sand at Main Beach to ward off any last minute swimmers before the storms effects are felt in full, accoridng to News12 Long Island.

Rough surf spotted off the coast of North Carolina as Hurricane Lee makes it way north

Friday 15 September 2023 21:47 , Graig Graziosi

An X/Twitter user captured video of rough surf off the coast of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, stirred up by the churning of Hurricane Lee.

The storm is barreling north, where it is expected to make landfall on Saturday near the US-Canada border.

Surfers in New England and the Maritime Provinces have taken advantage of the 10 to 15 foot waves produced by the storm, but local emergency officials have warned that residents should seek shleter before the storm arrives in earnest late tomorrow afternoon.

This is the inlet at Wrightsville Beach North Carolina! The back of Hurricane Lee is packing a wallop as the tough surf crashes into the jetty The coastline is taking a beating with significant beach erosion! #HurricaneLee pic.twitter.com/vOIBhZOCyS  Rocco DiBari (@G12Rocco) September 15, 2023

Canadian Prime Minister calls incident response group as Canadian residents warned to stay home

Friday 15 September 2023 21:19 , Graig Graziosi

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened the nations incident response group on Friday ahead of Hurricane Lee.

The group consists of Cabinet ministers and senior officials, and is only convened ahead of or in response to events with major implications for the nation.

The storm is expected to bring 2 to 4 inches of rain to New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces as well as high winds and substantial storm surges.

Residents in Canada were urged not to let curiosity get the best of them and instead stay inside and safe during the storm.

Nothing good can come from checking out the big waves and how strong the wind truly is, Kyle Leavitt, director of the New Brunswick Emergency Management Organization, said Friday, according to the Associated Press.

WATCH: North Carolina prepares for Hurricane Lee

Friday 15 September 2023 21:00 , Graig Graziosi

Utility workers pour into New England as residents pull out ahead of Hurricane Lee

Friday 15 September 2023 20:38 , Graig Graziosi

Utility workers poured into New England on Friday in preparation for Hurricane Lees landfall on Saturday. The outer rain bands are already approaching the region, and forecasters have predicted high winds could topple powerlines and cause outages when the storm arrives.

At the same time, residents in coastal communities like Bar Harbor, Maine are pulling out of the area ahead of the storm. Mariners are returning home and many have reportedly been pulling their boats out of marinas in anticipation of storm surges resulting from the hurricane, according to the Associated Press.

Hurricane Lees outer rain bands are approaching New England

Friday 15 September 2023 20:13 , Graig Graziosi

The outer rain bands of Hurricane Lee are on their way to New England as the storm barrels towards the east coast of the US and Canada.

The hurricane is expected to dump between 2 and 4 inches (50-100ml) of rain in eastern Maine, western Nova Scotia, and portions of New Brunswick.

The percipitation  following on the heels of a previous storm system that rolled over the region  could produce small stream and localised flooding in the region.

Hurricane Lee expected to be a large and dangerous storm when it reaches New England and Atlantic Canada

Friday 15 September 2023 19:41 , Graig Graziosi

The National Hurricane Centre warned on Friday that Hurricane Lee would arrive in New England and Atlantic Canada as a large and dangerous storm.

The centre reported on Friday that Hurricane Lee was continuing to move further away from Bermuda and closer to New England and Atlantic Canada.

The storm is expected to bring hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 105mph(165km/h) with tropical storm-force winds extending outward up to 320 miles (520km) when it reaches eastern New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces.

Satellite images capture the first bands of Hurricane Lee moving across New England and Maritime Provinces

Friday 15 September 2023 18:59 , Graig Graziosi

The GOESEast satellite captured images of Hurricane Lees bands moving across New England and Canadas Maritime Provinces on Friday.

Both Maine and Massachusetts have issued states of emergency, with the latter activating its National Guard in preparation for the storms landfall on Saturday.

#GOESEast has been capturing absolutely stunning imagery of Hurricane #Lee today. That cirrus shield though .... pic.twitter.com/j3xMZGVbxB  UW-Madison CIMSS (@UWCIMSS) September 15, 2023

New NOAA shows Hurricane Lees predicted trajectory

Friday 15 September 2023 18:30 , Graig Graziosi

The NOAA has released a new trajectory model showing the predicted path Hurricane Lee will take when it makes landfall near the US and Canadian borders on Saturday.

Hurricane Lee is a Category 1 storm, and is expected to bring high winds and strong storm surges to the region.

An NOAA map showing the predicted trajectory of Hurricane Lee as it continues on its path through New England and eastern Canada (NOAA)

Massachusetts declares state of emergency

Friday 15 September 2023 18:16 , Graig Graziosi

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has declared a state of emergency and has activated the National Guard ahead of Hurricane Lees arrival in the region later this evening.

The storm is continuing its push north in the Atlantic Ocean. Forecasters believe that the eastern edge of the storm will brush Cape Cod and coastal Massachusetts on its way toward the easternmost Canadian provinces.

Tropical storm warnings are in effect for Cape Cod, the Islands, and coastal Massachusetts. Wind speeds are predicted to reach up to 60mph (97km/h) on Saturday.

The National Weather Service said heavy rains are not anticipated for that region.
Theraspberry pi crypto node XL Center is already home to University of Connecticut basketball and the Hartford Wolf Pack. Now, its also a place to place your bets.

The new gambling lounge held its official grand opening on Monday to celebrate the state-of-the-art facility.

Gov. Ned Lamont wasted no time in placing the first bet  $10 on the Giants.

I think were going to take out the 49ers, he said. They have been losing for years, but I saw that last half after the game, and I think its going to be a turnaround. And this is fun, how about some fun. Thats what I love, right here in Hartford.
What Is the Coefficient of Determination?two player games livescore pawa bet

The coefficient of determination is a statistical measurement that examines how differences in one variable can be explained by the difference in a second variable, when predicting the outcome of a given event. In other words, this coefficient, which is more commonly known as R-squared (or R2), assesses how strong the linear relationship is between two variables, and is heavily relied on by researchers when conducting trend analysis. To cite an example of its application, this coefficient may contemplate the following question: if a woman becomes pregnant on a certain day, what is the likelihood that she would deliver her baby on a particular date in the future? In this scenario, this metric aims to calculate the correlation between two related events: conception and birth.

R-Squared

Key Takeaways

The coefficient of determination is a complex idea centered on the statistical analysis of models for data.

The coefficient of determination is used to explain how much variability of one factor can be caused by its relationship to another factor.

This coefficient is commonly known as R-squared (or R 2 ), and is sometimes referred to as the "goodness of fit."

), and is sometimes referred to as the "goodness of fit." This measure is represented as a value between 0.0 and 1.0, where a value of 1.0 indicates a perfect fit, and is thus a highly reliable model for future forecasts, while a value of 0.0 would indicate that the model fails to accurately model the data at all.

Understanding the Coefficient of Determination

1:58

The coefficient of determination is a measurement used to explain how much variability of one factor can be caused by its relationship to another related factor. This correlation, known as the "goodness of fit," is represented as a value between 0.0 and 1.0. A value of 1.0 indicates a perfect fit, and is thus a highly reliable model for future forecasts, while a value of 0.0 would indicate that the calculation fails to accurately model the data at all. But a value of 0.20, for example, suggests that 20% of the dependent variable is predicted by the independent variable, while a value of 0.50 suggests that 50% of the dependent variable is predicted by the independent variable, and so forth.

Graphing the Coefficient of Determination

On a graph, the goodness of fit measures the distance between a fitted line and all of the data points that are scattered throughout the diagram. The tight set of data will have a regression line that's close to the points and have a high level of fit, meaning that the distance between the line and the data is small. Although a good fit has an R2close to 1.0, this number alone cannot determine whether the data points or predictions are biased. It also doesn't tell analysts whether the coefficient of determination value is intrinsically good or bad. It is at the discretion of the user to evaluate the meaning of this correlation, and how it may be applied in the context of future trend analyses.
Robert A. Iger moved at light-speed on two fronts in his bitcoin price prediction 2030first 24 hours as Disneys new-old chief executive. He sought to restore stability  getting the core executive team working together again, exuding a patriarchal sense of security in a companywide email  while also announcing organizational and operating changes designed to honor and respect the companys creative engines, its movie and television studios.

So what comes next?

Mr. Iger, 71, had been fully retired from the Walt Disney Company for only 11 months. He passed the chief executive job to his handpicked successor, Bob Chapek, in February 2020, but stayed on until the end of last year as a very active executive chairman. He had spent his last two years deeply focused, as he put it before he stepped away, on the creative side of our business, making sure our creative pipelines are vibrant.

But he has returned to a very different Disney.

Morale has rarely been lower, people inside the company say, the result of a stock price that has fallen to about $96 from $197 over the last 20 months, devastating the stock options given to some senior Disney executives as part of their compensation. During Mr. Igers 15 years as chief executive (2005 to 2020), Disney got used to winning and winning and winning. In 2019, the company served up seven movies that each collected more than $1 billion at the global box office. No other studio had more than one; most had none.

Several of Mr. Igers most trusted lieutenants and enforcers have retired, including Alan N. Braverman, Disneys longtime general counsel, and Zenia B. Mucha, who spent 19 years as Disneys chief communications officer and its top brand protector. Disney is loaded with debt  more than $45 billion  because of the pandemic and because of the $71.3 billion acquisition of 21st Century Fox assets in 2019, making it hard for Mr. Iger to pursue new acquisitions. (Some analysts think Disney would be well suited by adding a gaming company like Roblox to its portfolio.)

Hollywood, too, is not the same.

When Mr. Iger was last in charge at Disney, media investors were hyperfocused on streaming subscriptions: Sell as many as possible around the world as fast as possible, and worry about profitability later. That mind-set abruptly changed in April when Netflix said it lost more subscribers than it signed up in the first three months of the year, reversing a decade of steady growth.

Investors now want to see old-fashioned profit in streaming. Mr. Chapek, who was fired on Sunday, and Disneys chief financial officer, Christine M. McCarthy, repeatedly promised that the Disney+ streaming service would be profitable by 2024. Wall Street and even some Disney executives remained skeptical.

Unlike most of its rival media conglomerates, Disney can rely on its theme park business for profit and growth  unless a recession hits. But cable television, long the safety net for these companies with its steady growth through rising payments from cable suppliers, has been dying at a faster rate than expected.

A Surprising Shake-Up: After a disastrous earnings announcement, which included Disney reporting $1.5 billion in losses at its streaming division, the company ousted Bob Chapek as chief executive and announced that Robert A. Iger would return.

After a disastrous earnings announcement, which included Disney reporting $1.5 billion in losses at its streaming division, the company ousted Bob Chapek as chief executive and announced that Robert A. Iger would return. Netflixs Rebound: The streaming giant said that it added more than 2.4 million subscribers in the third quarter, snapping a streak of customer losses that spurred unease among investors.

The streaming giant said that it added more than 2.4 million subscribers in the third quarter, snapping a streak of customer losses that spurred unease among investors. A Cheaper Ad Option: In a bid to attract even more customers, Netflix will soon offer a $6.99 ad-supported subscription, which will show subscribers four to five minutes of ads per hour of content they watch.

All of which leaves Mr. Iger in a very difficult position.

He cannot simply continue on the path he laid out before he left, as the landscape has changed materially, Richard Greenfield, a founder of the LightShed Partners research firm, wrote with two colleagues in a client note on Tuesday.

Disney declined to comment.

Image Bob Chapek, who was fired as chief executive on Sunday, greeting performers at a Disney event in September.Credit...Alex Welsh for The New York Times

Mr. Chapek was tossed from the proverbial castle tower in part because senior leaders at the company, including Ms. McCarthy, let it be known to the board of directors that they no longer believed he could lead Disney through its problems. Those challenges start with streaming but are perhaps far greater than most outsiders realize.

And the problems cant all be laid at Mr. Chapeks feet.

One area that seems to need intensive focus is animation, which Mr. Iger and others have described as the heart of Disney  the content that powers everything else, including theme park attractions and consumer products. Pixars last movie, Lightyear, bombed in theaters even though it was connected to the blockbuster Toy Story franchise.

On Wednesday, Walt Disney Animation Studios, a separate division, will release Strange World, centered on a farmer on an alien planet who is tasked with finding a solution to dying crops. Strange World is expected to take in about $35 million over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, a terrible result for a film that cost $180 million to make and tens of millions more to market.

Notably, these are among the first animated films that have come off the Disney assembly line without creative input from John Lasseter, the Pixar founder who resigned from Disney in 2018 after complaints about unwanted workplace touching.

Disneys current streaming strategy was in many ways established by Mr. Iger: Disney would build not one, not two but three streaming services. Disney+ would be aimed at families and core fans of Disney franchises like Star Wars, The Avengers and The Simpsons. Hulu would focus on broader entertainment offerings and more risque programming. ESPN+ would carry live sports.

Mr. Iger and his executive team will have to decide whether to continue with that plan or shift gears. His return also gives Disney an opportunity to re-examine Disney+ profitability and subscriber targets.

Do they envision a world with just one everything Disney service, combining Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+? Mr. Greenfield and his colleagues asked.

ESPN and Disneys broader portfolio of cable networks (Disney Channel, FX, Freeform, National Geographic, Disney Junior) raises another complex problem. More people are canceling cable hookups, resulting in lower carriage fees and advertising revenue for companies, like Disney, that program cable networks. But costs keep rising, especially at ESPN, which has been caught in a frenzy for sports TV rights, with new bidders like Amazon and Apple joining the fray.

We would expect deep cost-cutting at ESPN, which should include a review of all the upcoming sports rights to more adroitly adapt to these new times, Michael Nathanson, a leading media analyst, told his clients on Monday. Should ESPN, for instance, sit out negotiations for a renewal of its package of National Basketball Association rights? It currently pays about $1.3 billion per year for them, according to Mr. Greenfield.

Disneys theme parks in Florida and California have bounced back nicely from the pandemic, when they were closed for long periods. Mr. Chapek has been widely credited as a savvy operator of the theme park division, which he ran before ascending to chief executive.

Image Analysts worry that the price increases that helped theme parks like Disneyland, above, rebound from the pandemic may not be sustainable.Credit...Alex Welsh for The New York Times

But the parks, too, have their problems. Mr. Chapek and his team leaned heavily on price increases for admission, food, merchandise, parking, hotel rooms and line-shortening perks to offset spending at Disney+ and other streaming initiatives. The price increases have resulted in a cascade of negative news coverage and may not be sustainable, analysts worry, if the U.S. economy continues to worsen.

Shanghai Disneyland, the founding of which in 2016 was one of Mr. Igers signature achievements, has been opened and closed and opened and closed by Chinese authorities trying to control the spread of the coronavirus. Hong Kong Disneyland has also struggled. Complicating operations for Disney in China is the frosty relationship between the Chinese and American governments.

Theres more. Matters that will require Mr. Igers attention also include an activist hedge fund, Trian, led by Nelson Peltz, that has accumulated a large stake in Disney and plans to push for a board seat as part of an operational shake-up. Hollywood is headed toward rancorous contract negotiations with its major labor unions, and most studios believe that a springtime strike by the Writers Guild of America is likely.

And there is the not-so-little matter of identifying and grooming another successor, which Disneys board said on Sunday was part of Mr. Igers mandate  and by the end of his contract in two years.

In an email on Sunday night to Disneys 190,000 employees, Mr. Iger struck an upbeat tone about what lay ahead, even though these times certainly remain quite challenging.

I am an optimist, he wrote, and if I learned one thing from my years at Disney, it is that even in the face of uncertainty  perhaps especially in the face of uncertainty  our employees and cast members achieve the impossible.

Wall Street seemed to agree, at least initially, sending Disney shares up 10 percent the next morning.

Since then, the difficulty of Mr. Igers second stint at Disney has started to sink in. Shares have since eased down 4 percent.

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What Is a Bond ETF?texans over under wins 2021

Bond exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are a type of exchange-traded fund (ETF) that exclusively invests in bonds. These are similar to bond mutual funds because they hold a portfolio of bonds with different particular strategiesfrom U.S. Treasuries to high yieldsand holding periodbetween long-term and short-term.

Bond ETFs are passively managed and trade, similar to stock ETFs on major stock exchanges. This helps promote market stability by adding liquidity and transparency during times of stress.

Key Takeaways

Bond ETFs are exchange-traded funds that invest in various fixed-income securities such as corporate bonds or Treasuries.

Bond ETFs allow ordinary investors to gain passive exposure to benchmark bond indices in an inexpensive way.

Bond ETFs are available for a variety of bond categories, including Treasuries, corporates, convertibles, and floating-rate bonds.

Bond ETFs are also amenable to laddering.

Investors should understand the risks to bond ETFs including the effect of interest rate changes.

An Introduction To Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)

Understanding Bond ETFs

1:48

Bond ETFs trade throughout the day on a centralized exchange, unlike individual bonds, which are sold over the counter by bond brokers. The structure of traditional bonds makes it difficult for investors to find a bond with an attractive price. Bond ETFs avoid this issue by trading on major indexes, such as the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

As such, they can provide investors with the opportunity to gain exposure to the bond market with the ease and transparency of stock trading. Bond ETFs are also more liquid than individual bonds and mutual funds, which trade at one price per day after the market closes. And during times of distress, investors can trade a bond portfolio even if the underlying bond market is not functioning well.

Bond ETFs pay out interest through a monthly dividend, while any capital gains are paid out through an annual dividend. For tax purposes, these dividends are treated as either income or capital gains. However, the tax efficiency of bond ETFs is not a big factor, because capital gains do not play as big a part in bond returns as they do in stock returns. In addition, bond ETFs are available on a global basis.

Both bond mutual funds and bond ETFs have similarities, but the holdings within the funds and the fees charged to investors can vary.

U.S. bond ETFs experienced a record-breaking year in 2020. U.S. bond ETFs generated $168 billion in 2020. In October 2019, global bond ETF assets under management topped $1 trillion, and in October 2020, bond ETFs are one of the fast-growing categories in asset management, at $1.4 trillion.

Types of Bond ETFs

Various ETFs exist for the various subsectors. Some examples include:

Treasury Bond ETFs (examples include: SCHO, PLW)

Corporate Bond ETFs (AGG, LKOR, SPLB)

Junk Bond ETFs (JNK, HYG)

International Bond ETFs (BNDX, IYH)

Floating Rate Bond ETFs (FLTR)

Convertible Bond ETFs (ICVT)

Leveraged Bond ETFs (TMF)

Investors who are unsure of what type to invest in should consider total bond-market ETFs, which invest in the entire U.S. bond market.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Bond ETFs

Bond ETFs offer many of the same features of an individual bond, including a regular coupon payment. One of the most significant benefits of owning bonds is the chance to receive fixed payments on a regular schedule. These payments traditionally happen every six months.

Bond ETFs, in contrast, hold assets with different maturity dates. So, at any given time, some bonds in the portfolio may be due for a coupon payment. For this reason, bond ETFs pay interest each month, with the value of the coupon varying from month to month.

Assets in the fund are continually changing and do not mature. Instead, bonds are bought and sold as they expire or exit the target age range of the fund. The challenge for the architect of a bond ETF is to ensure that it closely tracks its respective index in a cost-effective manner, despite the lack of liquidity in the bond market. Most bonds are held until maturity, so an active secondary market is typically not available for them. This makes it difficult to ensure a bond ETF encompasses enough liquid bonds to track an index. This challenge is bigger for corporate bonds than for government bonds.

The suppliers of bond ETFs get around the liquidity problem by using representative sampling, which simply means tracking only a sufficient number of bonds to represent an index. The bonds used in the representative sample tend to be the largest and most liquid in the index. Given the liquidity of government bonds, tracking errors will be less of a problem with ETFs that represent government bond indices.

Bond ETFs are a great option to gain exposure to the bond market, but there are some glaring limitations. For one thing, an investor's initial investment is at greater risk in an ETF than an individual bond. Since a bond ETF never matures, there isn't a guarantee the principal will be repaid in full. Furthermore, when interest rates rise, it tends to harm the price of the ETF, like an individual bond. As the ETF does not mature, however, it's difficult to mitigate interest rate risk.

Bond ETFs vs. Bond Mutual Funds vs. Bond Ladders

The decision over whether to purchase a bond fund or a bond ETF usually depends on the investment objective of the investor. If you want active management, bond mutual funds offer more choices. If you plan to buy and sell frequently, bond ETFs are a good choice. For the long term, buy-and-hold investors, bond mutual funds, and bond ETFs can meet your needs, but it's best to do your research as to the holdings in each fund.

If transparency is important, bond ETFs allow you to see the holdings within the fund at any given moment. However, if you're concerned about not being able to sell your ETF investment due to the lack of buyers in the market, a bond fund might be a better choice since you'll be able to sell your holdings back to the fund issuer. As with most investment decisions, it's important to do your research, speak with your broker or financial advisor.

The liquidity and transparency of an ETF offer advantages over a passively held bond ladder. Bond ETFs offer instant diversification and a constant duration, which means an investor needs to make only one trade to get a fixed-income portfolio up and running. A bond ladder, which requires buying individual bonds, does not offer this luxury.

One disadvantage of bond ETFs is that they charge an ongoing management fee. While lower spreads on trading bond ETFs help offset this somewhat, the issue will still prevail with a buy-and-hold strategy over the longer term. The initial trading spread advantage of bond ETFs is eroded over time by the annual management fee. The second disadvantage is that there is no flexibility to create something unique for a portfolio. For example, if an investor is looking for a high degree of income or no immediate income at all, bond ETFs may not be the appropriate product.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Bond ETFs the Same As Bonds?

No. ETFs are pooled investments that invest in a range of securities. Investors can buy and sell ETFs like shares of stock on exchanges, and bond ETFs will track the prices of the bond portfolio that it represents.

Are Bond ETFs a Good Investment?

Most investors should have some funds allocated to bonds. Bond ETFs tend to be more liquid and cost-effective than bond mutual funds, and offer diversified bond holdings across a range of bond types, from U.S. Treasuries to junk bonds.

Do Bond ETFs Pay Interest or Dividends to Shareholders?

Bond ETFs pay dividends on a monthly basis based on the interest income earned on the bonds held in the fund's portfolio.

What Is a Bond ETF Ladder Strategy?

A ladder strategy uses bonds of different maturities to reduce interest rate risk. This can be done with individual bonds, but also with bond ETFs of different duration.
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QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question dawahC21: from ArabicDavy Jones, Davy Jones's locker, Davy lamp, Davys, daw, dawah, dawbake, dawdle, Dawes, Dawes Act of 1887, Dawes planCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Every once in a while there is a set of words that are just close enough to each other, whether in spelling, meaning, or pronunciation that we forget which is which.

Such is the case with acumen vs. acuity vs. acuteness. And what makes it worse, is that these are three words that we dont use every day, so when they do come up in our writing, they seem ever more foreign.

What are the Differences Between Acumen, Acuity, and Acuteness?

In todays post, I want to discuss the differences between these three words, their uses in a sentence, and give you a few ways that you can keep track of them from now on. After reading this post, you shouldnt ever confuse these words with each other again.

When to Use Acumen

Acumen is a noun meaning quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgment or insight. For example,

His business acumen produced profitable year after profitable year.

The campaign managers political acumen won the election.

It is important to note that acumen is centered on being able to make good judgments and quick decisions, particularly in a given field (business, politics, agriculture, etc.).

When to Use Acuity

Acuity is also a noun and means sharpness or keenness of thought, vision, or hearing. For example,

Due to his age, his visual acuity is deteriorating.

Your intellectual acuity must be at the highest level to compete here.

People that I know who like to read poetry with acuity and intelligence.

Acuity is used primarily to refer to hearing, understanding, vision, wit, and certain diseases.

When to Use Acuteness

Acuteness is the noun derivation of the adjectiveacute, which is defined as having or showing perceptive understanding or insight: shrewd and a keen, highly developed physical sense. For example,

His acuteness of engines led him to correctly diagnose the problem.

He could not see, so the acuteness of his other senses is heightened.

Save the exceptions above, (hearing, understanding, vision, etc.), acuteness is more broadly used today than acuity when signifying general sharpness or perception.

Remember the Difference

As you can see, these three words have similar meanings, but there are differences.

While acuity and acuteness can refer to mental faculties like thought or perception, they can also apply to physical faculties like vision and hearing. Acumen, on the other hand, refers strictly to mental sharpness.

Also, as I said above, acumen is centered on the idea of making good judgments and quick decisions. Acuity and acuteness dont necessarily imply those things.

Summary

While these words all have similar meanings, it is important to use them precisely in your writing and not to mix them up.

Acumen refers to a keenness and insight in a particular field like business.

Acuity refers to keenness of thought, vision, or hearing. Acuity has an earlier first recorded use than acuteness, but in practice its use has retreated somewhat.

Acuteness refers to keenness of understanding and a highly developed physical sense. Between acuity and acuteness, acuteness is used more frequently.
What Is Forward Price-to-Earnings (Forward P/E)?online gambling free starting money

Forward price-to-earnings (forward P/E) is a version of the ratio of price-to-earnings (P/E) that uses forecasted earnings for the P/E calculation. While the earnings used in this formula are just an estimate and not as reliable as current or historical earnings data, there are still benefits to estimated P/E analysis.

Key Takeaways:

Forward P/E is a version of the ratio of price-to-earnings that uses forecasted earnings for the P/E calculation.

Because forward P/E uses estimated earnings per share (EPS), it may produce incorrect or biased results if actual earnings prove to be different.

Analysts often combine forward and trailing P/E estimates to make a better judgment.

Understanding Forward Price-to-Earnings (Forward P/E)

The forecasted earnings used in the formula below are typically either projected earnings for the following 12 months or the next full-year fiscal (FY) period. The forward P/E can be contrasted with the trailing P/E ratio.

Forward P / E = Current Share Price Estimated Future Earnings per Share \text{ Forward } P/E = \frac{ \text{ Current Share Price}}{ \text{ Estimated Future Earnings per Share}} Forward P/E=Estimated Future Earnings per ShareCurrent Share Price

For example, assume that a company has a current share price of $50 and this years earnings per share are $5. Analysts estimate that the company's earnings will grow by 10% over the next fiscal year. The company has a current P/E ratio of $50 / 5 = 10x.

The forward P/E, on the other hand, would be $50 / (5 x 1.10) = 9.1x. Note that the forward P/E is smaller than the current P/E since the forward P/E accounts for future earnings growth relative to today's share price.

What Does Forward Price-to-Earnings Reveal?

Analysts like to think of the P/E ratio as a price tag on earnings. It is used to calculate a relative value based on a company's level of earnings. In theory, $1 of earnings at company A is worth the same as $1 of earnings at company B. If this is the case, both companies should also be trading at the same price, but this is rarely the case.

If company A is trading for $5, and company B is trading for $10, this implies that the market values company B's earnings more. There can be various interpretations as to why company B is valued more. It could mean that company B's earnings are overvalued. It could also mean that company B deserves a premium on the value of its earnings due to superior management and a better business model.

When calculating the trailing P/E ratio, analysts compare today's price against earnings for the last 12 months or the last fiscal year. However, both are based on historical prices. Analysts use earnings estimates to determine what the relative value of the company will be at a future level of earnings. The forward P/E estimates the relative value of the earnings.

For example, if the current price of company B is $10, and earnings are estimated to double next year to $2, the forward P/E ratio is 5x, or half the value of the company when it made $1 in earnings. If the forward P/E ratio is lower than the current P/E ratio, this implies that analysts are expecting earnings to increase. If the forward P/E is higher than the current P/E ratio, analysts expect a decrease in earnings.

Forward P/E vs. Trailing P/E

Forward P/E uses projected EPS. Meanwhile, trailing P/E relies on past performance by dividing the current share price by the total EPS earnings over the past 12 months. Trailing P/E is the most popular P/E metric because it's the most objectiveassuming the company reported earnings accurately. Some investors prefer to look at the trailing P/E because they don't trust another individuals earnings estimates.

However, trailing P/E also has its share of shortcomingsnamely, a companys past performance does not signal future behavior. Investors should thus commit money based on future earnings power, not the past. The fact that the EPS number remains constant while the stock prices fluctuate is also a problem. If a major company event drives the stock price significantly higher or lower, the trailing P/E will be less reflective of those changes.

Limitations of Forward P/E

Since forward P/E relies on estimated future earnings, it is subject to miscalculation and/or analysts' bias. There are other inherent problems with the forward P/E also. Companies could underestimate earnings to beat the consensus estimate P/E when the next quarter's earnings are announced.

Other companies may overstate the estimate and later adjust it going into their next earnings announcement. Furthermore, external analysts may also provide estimates, which may diverge from the company estimates, creating confusion.

If you're using forward P/E as the central basis of your investment thesis, research the companies thoroughly. If the company updates its guidance, this will affect the forward P/E in a way that might cause you to change your opinion. It is good practice to use both forward and trailing P/E to come to a more trustworthy figure.

How to Calculate Forward P/E in Excel

You can calculate a company's forward P/E for the next fiscal year in Microsoft Excel. As shown above, the formula for the forward P/E is simply a company's market price per share divided by its expected earnings per share. In Microsoft Excel, first increase the widths of columns A, B, and C by right-clicking on each of the columns and left-clicking on "Column Width" and change the value to 30.

Assume you wanted to compare the forward P/E ratio between two companies in the same sector. Enter the name of the first company into cell B1 and the name of the second company into cell C1. Then:

Enter "Market price per share" into cell A2, and the corresponding values for the companies' market price per share into cells B2 and C2.

Next, enter "Forward earnings per share" into cell A3, and the corresponding value for the companies' expected EPS for the next fiscal year into cells B3 and C3.

Then, enter "Forward price to earnings ratio" into cell A4.

For example, assume company ABC is currently trading at $50 and has an expected EPS of $2.60. Enter "Company ABC" into cell B1. Next, enter "=50" into cell B2 and "=2.6" into cell B3. Then, enter "=B2/B3" into cell B4. The resulting forward P/E ratio for company ABC is 19.23.

On the other hand, company DEF currently has a market value per share of $30 and has an expected EPS of $1.80. Enter "Company DEF" into cell C1. Next, enter "=30" into cell C2 and "=1.80" into cell C3. Then, enter "=C2/C3" into cell C4. The resulting forward P/E for company DEF is 16.67.
DOHA,shiba coin coingecko deck poker Qatar  Faced with the disturbing prospect of enduring an entire World Cup match with no alcohol after the Qatari authorities banned the sale of beer in and around the stadiums, Matthew Wyatt did what any England fan would do in a similar emergency. He deployed his backup plan.

He was under pressure to find an appropriate establishment, explained his friend Mel Kenny.

One option was to consult the Qatar Alcohol Map, a list of drinking venues that had been devised by a concerned American and was spreading like samizdat as fans poured in to this tiny, mostly alcohol-free, nation. But Wyatt and Kenny instead made their way to the Red Lion, a pub discreetly tucked inside a Doha hotel, and one that, the Daily Star tabloid back home helpfully reported, offered beer-starved England fans a boozy oasis in the desert. It was already heaving with fans.

Many countries fans enjoy beer with their soccer, of course. Americans and Argentines, Germans and Mexicans and (mostly) everywhere in between. But there remains something about the English.

Ive never seen a sober English football fan in my life, said a 36-year-old fan named Simon, who declined to give his last name, perhaps because he was a little unsober himself. As for alcohol and England matches, he said: I believe the word is essential. Or mandatory. Or several other synonyms.

Or, as Brad Hirst, who had come all the way from Burnley, a city around 30 miles north of Manchester, said: If you cant drink, whats the point?

Oasis was one way of describing the Red Lion. On Monday, it seemed like a kind of Green Zone for England supporters attempting to drink as much as physically possible before making their way to Khalifa International Stadium, where their team was scheduled to play Iran. (They then cheerily serenaded their team as it won, 6-2.)

Image The Red Lion Pub is an oasis for World Cup fans who are hoping to get some beer while in Qatar.Credit...Erin Schaff/The New York Times

Fans all had their individual approaches.

Were hydrating, said Wyatt, referring to the many empty bottles of beer, and the many full bottles of water, at their booth. Just like the instructions the British Embassy sent out to us.

A couple of tables away, Gary Douglas, 52, was measuring the time in pint glasses. We got here six beers ago, he said. Douglas and his friend Neil Tattersall, 43, were surveying their second round, six more pints  three apiece  laid out in a row. (Im just too lazy to queue up each time, Tattersall said of buying in bulk.) They figured they had an hour more, give or take.

The fans had a nuanced view of the World Cups sudden no-beer rule. Many said they felt that it was important to respect Qatari culture, and that they did not really mind forgoing alcohol during the actual playing time, since this is a common rule in stadiums in the Premier League and elsewhere in Europe.

A Brief Guide to the 2022 World Cup Card 1 of 9 Card 1 of 9 What is the World Cup? Weve got more answers here.

But the sudden decree had blindsided them, interfering with their long-term pretournament drinking planning. And they resented being deprived of the chance to drink and socialize near the stadium as the game approached, a ritual that regularly brings together even supporters of different teams, usually mortal enemies, before matches at home and abroad.

Updated Nov. 22, 2022, 1:45 p.m. ET

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The new regulation in Qatar meant they had to cram more drinking into a shorter period of time, followed by a too-long period with no beer at all. (Except water. Or Budweiser Zero, whose name speaks for itself.)

Were drinking five bottles at once, rather than pacing ourselves, which is not a good idea, admitted Hirst, 32.

Qatar has strict rules about alcohol, and it has eased them to allow World Cup fans to drink at specially designated times and in specially designated locations. But visitors are still not allowed to smuggle bottles of liquor into hotels for clandestine drinking before decanting themselves into the street. Nor can you and your mates parade en masse through town spilling beer, chanting in an incoherent manner or drunkenly insulting people from other countries.

Image English fans said it is important to stay hydrated before games.Credit...Erin Schaff/The New York Times

It is hard for the England fans to give up these activities, which are so much a part of their soccer culture, even if soccers worst days of hooliganism are in the past.

To deny an Englishman a beer is to starve an Englishman, said Kenny, who mentioned (several times) that he had turned 50 that very day.

Wyatt and Kenny, who met as students at the University of Manchester many years ago, have attended five World Cups together, starting with Japan and South Korea in 2002. (They missed Russia, in 2018.) Some of their fondest tournament memories revolve around drinking, they said. In Japan, the brewer Sapporo held an epic event in which fans could drink as much beer and eat as much barbecued beef as they liked for a set amount of time; Wyatt and Kenny thought it might have been 150 minutes; they couldnt remember exactly.

At another stop on that trip, Kenny drank so much that he almost didnt make it out of the train station for the England-Sweden match. I told him, You go on without me, he recalled.

But Wyatt refused to leave him behind. He gave me something, like a chocolate bar, and that revived me, Kenny said. The game, they both remembered, was a tie.

By then kickoff was approaching, and the fans in the Red Lion were getting rowdy. Some took up the standard England chant where they just kept repeating England over again, only it sounded like Ing-er-land. Paul Farrell, who was dressed as St. George, the patron saint of England  his costume included a linen smock, a chain mail hood and a custom-made shield  said that he wasnt drunk per se, just high on life.

Image Paul Farrell, who dressed as St. George for Englands game, said he was high on life.Credit...Erin Schaff/The New York Times

As he left, he began to sing an expletive-enhanced chorus of Therell be no drinking in Qatar, to the tune of Shell Be Coming Round the Mountain.

The English fans then left the bar to head to the stadium, only to be replaced by a new batch: Welsh fans, resplendent in their dragon insignia, and the Dutch, all in orange.

We always drink before the game, but we dont go out to get hammered, said Thomas Bowen, 27, from Wales.

He said while he respected the English approach, his countrymen had their own traditions. They get quite rowdy, he said. We just like to sing.

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Thelas vegas slot machine winners Vicca Group is one of a growing number of Colombian operators who will be attending Juegos Miami, the bespoke C-Level event created by Clarion Gaming for the Pan Latin American and Caribbean industry. In advance of his attendance at The Miami Biltmore (May 30  June 1), CEO, Rodrigo Afanador Carrasco, explains the development of the company's online gaming brand ZAMBA.CO, argues why Latin America needs to claim its own space, and highlights the lessons to be learnt from the Colombian gaming experience.



Your company has benefited from the regulation of online gaming in Colombia, what could other countries learn from Colombias example?

I think that the regulation process in Colombia was carried out very meticulously and trustfully. It was more complex than we thought to start everything rolling. I think this is the most valuable lesson: the experience gained during the implementation. In particular, generating confidence in the Colombian financial sector has been a big challenge. I think there are many lessons for those countries which are considering online gaming regulation and, in my opinion, the biggest lesson is that it is necessary to, at the earliest possibility, directly involve all the sectors and institutions which have a crucial effect in the success or failure of the industry.



I think that the experience of the online gaming regulation in Colombia will show the way for countries like Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Chile to focus their efforts in order to create regulations that are suitable for their own markets. Colombias case is an important reference but it is also crucial to bear in mind that each market and each country has different cultural approaches and different specific realities



How does Vicca provide a different dimension to gaming in Colombia?

ZAMBA.CO, our online gaming brand, is the result of merging the 25-year expertise of VICCA in the regional market, with the technical and professional standards of the Belgian GAMING1 Group. Our approach for this operation is based on the player: their gaming experience and mainly their security. We want to offer them a portfolio of events and possibilities that are in line with their expectations, in a secure and transparent manner.



ZAMBA.CO is definitely a regional project and we plan to operate in countries that offer a serious regulation and appropriate market size. This year is going to be very dynamic for online betting, offering a multitude of learning opportunities to everyone. In our case, we hope to be able to form alliances with interesting operators in the region to achieve joint developments. We have an amazing team who is gathering very valuable experience.



What does Juegos Miami mean to the Latin American industry?

I believe we need to claim our own space for Latin America within the industry. I think there are many organisations of an international level in our countries, and at the same time, I see a significant growth ahead for us. We need an environment that focuses on our needs and our culture in a professional manner and with clear objectives.



For me Juegos Miami is a valuable opportunity to interact with key people from the industry: potential strategic partners, governments, providers and friends. I have experienced the growing reputation and acknowledgement of the event, and I think the addition of new proposals every year is very exciting, especially the learning options where the refinement of the themes of interest has been done in a very intuitive way. This years event will be especially interesting with GiGse, as an advanced event which brings in technology, new business and successful business leaders with experiences which are worth listening to, under the same roof in a perfect environment for socialising and sharing in a city that unites us, both culturally and geographically.



Juegos Miami, which for the first time is being co-located with the North America facing GiGse, is a bespoke business event created by Clarion Gaming to meet the specific demands of the Pan-Latin American and Caribbean markets. It features a powerful, strategic and hands-on learning programme presented alongside a line-up of inspirational exhibitors and sponsors. The event, which last year attracted exhibitors and representatives from a total of 44 countries will represent all forms of gaming  casino, bingo, betting, sports betting, payments, lottery and social - whatever the means of delivery  land-based, online and mobile  to help meet the rapidly growing needs of Latin American and Caribbean operators and stakeholders. Juegos Miami is an invitation only conference for senior decision makers (owner, director, C-Level exec) from operating companies (private and public including state lotteries), government and regulators from the Latin America and Caribbean regions. For more information on participating in this event, visit www.juegosmiami.com

Image: Rodrigo Afanador Carrasco, CEO of The Vicca Group

Category: Casino BlogCasino Exhibitions News
Women taking part in a religious ceremony in Ethiopia (AP)

A sacred religious relic believed to be plundered by British soldiers from Ethiopia is being returned to the African country after being saved by a London-based academic.

The 19th century tabot, a type of altar tablet from the Christian Orthodox Ethiopian Church, is regarded as so holy it cannot be seen or touched by anyone who is not a member of the clergy. They cannot be photographed and are only shown to the faithful wrapped and covered with cloth.

It is among hundreds of treasures brought back to the UK after the British invaded Ethiopia in 1868 and was due to be sold last year when it was spotted by Dr Jacopo Gnisci.

It will be handed back to the church by Dr Gnisci, who lectures in art at UCL, during a ceremony at the historic Athenaeum gentlemans club on September 21.

Art historian Jacopo Gnisci (Massimo Villa)

Also being handed over to the countrys national museum are a shield, some ceremonial beakers and a lock of hair cut from the head of the Ethiopian Prince Alemayehu who was brought back to live in the UK by a soldier called Captain Tristram Speedy.

Dr Gnisci, who found the tabot for sale in the UK last year, said: I have been travelling to Ethiopia regularly since the early 2000s and I have been working collaboratively on the Christian heritage of the country for a number of years, so I immediately knew what kind of artefact I was looking at.

I tried to find a way to convince the owner to take it off the market, but, having failed and finding myself too short on time to find institutional help from Ethiopia to secure its release, I decided to acquire it from the owner myself so as to return it to Ethiopia. This was not my preferred option, but I think it was better than seeing it go into unknown private hands.

Tahir Shah from the Scheherazade Foundation, which helped facilitate the handover, said Prince Alemayehus hair was being returned by descendants of Captain Speedy.

He said: They want to do whats right and I love the fact they havent put it up for auction or tried to sell it.

Story continues

I think they just want to close the case.

He said the idea of handing over the treasures in the Atheneum, which dates to 1824 and whose members have included Prime Ministers, inventors and explorers, appealed because it was the ultimate bastion of Victorian pomp and glory and scholarship.

He said: We want to bridge cultures and our very strong sense is the British establishment is going to be hit in the face by all kinds of cultures trying to get their stuff back so all were trying to do is facilitate and open a door and dialogue.

A recent study found London is home to a vast haul of Ethiopian treasures brought back to this country after the British invasion with 538 items identified ranging from tiny scraps of manuscript torn up and stuffed inside a charm bracelet to royal finery and holy artefacts.
Many college students buy expensive, state-of-the-art laptops when a cheaper machine would fill the same function and be much more practical. People seem to be drawn to the latest-and-greatest models of everything from computers to cell phones to vehicles.

If you are a careful reader, you might notice that sometimes the phrase state-of-the-art is spelled with hyphens (as I did just now), and sometimes without hyphens, as state of the art.

Are these phrases identical? After all, they contain exactly the same words in exactly the same order. How much difference can there be?

In truth, adding hyphens in between the words changes the same phrase into a different part of speech. This adds some versatility to a clunky phrase, but it also sows confusion among unfamiliar readers.

What is the Difference Between State of the Art and State-of-the-Art?

In this post, I will compare state-of-the-art vs. state of the art. I will use each of these words in at least one example sentence, so you can see how they appear in context.

I will also show you how to use a helpful memory tool that makes choosing state-of-the-art or state of the art much easier.

When to Use State of the Art

What does state of the art mean? State of the art is a noun phrase. It means the highest point of technological achievement to date.

Here are a few examples,

Electronics salespeople have an unhealthy obsession with the state of the art.

The architecture of the new buildings in the city were the state of the art in 1955.

When to Use State-of-the-Art

What does state-of-the-art meant? State-of-the-art is the adjective version of the same phrase. It describes the newest technological achievementin a given field.

Here are a few examples,

I bought a state-of-the-art coffeemaker, but it broke a week later and I returned it.

Kerri spent $600 on state-of-the-art bicycle tires, and she only rides her bike in strictly controlled racing environments.

It offers a state-of-the-art museum experience, full of multimedia displays, spectacularly overscaled objects, and lots of photography, film and recorded sound. The Washington Post

Something that is state-of-the-art is modern, new, and usually very expensive. A professional basketball team might have a state-of-the-art practice facility, or a hospital might have a piece of state-of-the-art monitoring equipment.

Another connotation to saying that something is state-of-the-art is the same as saying new and expensive.

Trick to Remember the Difference

These phrases contain all the same words, but they are different parts of speech.

State of the art is a noun phrase. In English, nouns can become adjectives through the process of hyphenation. Thus, the hyphenated state-of-the-art is an adjective phrase.

State of the art is a noun phrase.

State-of-the-art is an adjective phrase.

It can be difficult to remember the difference between these phrases, since they contain the same words.

State of the Art vs. State-of-the-Art Check: Since state-of-the-art is a hyphenated adjective phrase, like run-of-the-mill and over-the-top, you can remember these similar phrases as a reminder that state-of-the-art, too, is a hyphenated adjective phrase.

Summary

Is it state of the art or state-of-the-art? You should only use the hyphenated version of this phrase as an adjective; the two spellings are not interchangeable.
What Is the Debt Ratio?the star sydney pyrmont street pyrmont nsw australian dollar

The term debt ratio refers to a financial ratio that measures the extent of a companys leverage. The debt ratio is defined as the ratio of total debt to total assets, expressed as a decimal or percentage. It can be interpreted as the proportion of a companys assets that are financed by debt.

A ratio greater than 1 shows that a considerable amount of a company's assets are funded by debt, which means the company has more liabilities than assets. A high ratio indicates that a company may be at risk of default on its loans if interest rates suddenly rise. A ratio below 1 means that a greater portion of a company's assets is funded by equity.

Key Takeaways

A debt ratio measures the amount of leverage used by a company in terms of total debt to total assets.

This ratio varies widely across industries, such that capital-intensive businesses tend to have much higher debt ratios than others.

A company's debt ratio can be calculated by dividing total debt by total assets.

A debt ratio of greater than 1.0 or 100% means a company has more debt than assets while a debt ratio of less than 100% indicates that a company has more assets than debt.

Some sources consider the debt ratio to be total liabilities divided by total assets.

Debt Ratio

Debt Ratio Formula and Calculation

2:06

As noted above, a company's debt ratio is a measure of the extent of its financial leverage. This ratio varies widely across industries. Capital-intensive businesses, such as utilities and pipelines tend to have much higher debt ratios than others like the technology sector.

The formula for calculating a company's debt ratio is:



Debt ratio = Total debt Total assets \begin{ aligned} &\text{ Debt ratio} = \frac{ \text{ Total debt}}{ \text{ Total assets}} \end{ aligned} Debt ratio=Total assetsTotal debt

So if a company has total assets of $100 million and total debt of $30 million, its debt ratio is 0.3 or 30%. Is this company in a better financial situation than one with a debt ratio of 40%? The answer depends on the industry.



A debt ratio of 30% may be too high for an industry with volatile cash flows, in which most businesses take on little debt. A company with a high debt ratio relative to its peers would probably find it expensive to borrow and could find itself in a crunch if circumstances change. Conversely, a debt level of 40% may be easily manageable for a company in a sector such as utilities, where cash flows are stable and higher debt ratios are the norm.

A debt ratio greater than 1.0 (100%) tells you that a company has more debt than assets. Meanwhile, a debt ratio of less than 100% indicates that a company has more assets than debt. Used in conjunction with other measures of financial health, the debt ratio can help investors determine a company's risk level.



The fracking industry experienced tough times beginning in the summer of 2014 due to high levels of debt and plummeting energy prices.

Special Considerations

Some sources consider the debt ratio to be total liabilities divided by total assets. This reflects a certain ambiguity between the terms debt and liabilities that depends on the circumstance. The debt-to-equity ratio, for example, is closely related to and more common than the debt ratio, instead, using total liabilities as the numerator.

Financial data providers calculate it using only long-term and short-term debt (including current portions of long-term debt), excluding liabilities such as accounts payable, negative goodwill, and others.

In the consumer lending and mortgage business, two common debt ratios used to assess a borrowers ability to repay a loan or mortgage are the gross debt service ratio and the total debt service ratio.

The gross debt ratio is defined as the ratio of monthly housing costs (including mortgage payments, home insurance, and property costs) to monthly income, while the total debt service ratio is the ratio of monthly housing costs plus other debt such as car payments and credit card borrowings to monthly income. Acceptable levels of the total debt service ratio range from the mid-30s to the low-40s in percentage terms.



The higher the debt ratio, the more leveraged a company is, implying greater financial risk. At the same time, leverage is an important tool that companies use to grow, and many businesses find sustainable uses for debt.

Debt Ratio vs. Long-Term Debt to Asset Ratio

While the total debt to total assets ratio includes all debts, the long-term debt to assets ratio only takes into account long-term debts. The debt ratio (total debt to assets) measure takes into account both long-term debts, such as mortgages and securities, and current or short-term debts such as rent, utilities, and loans maturing in less than 12 months.

Both ratios, however, encompass all of a business's assets, including tangible assets such as equipment and inventory and intangible assets such as accounts receivables. Because the total debt to assets ratio includes more of a company's liabilities, this number is almost always higher than a company's long-term debt to assets ratio.

Examples of the Debt Ratio

Let's look at a few examples from different industries to contextualize the debt ratio.

Starbucks

Starbucks (SBUX) listed $998.9 million in short-term and current portion of long-term debt on its balance sheet for the fiscal year ended. Oct. 3, 2021, and $13.6 billion in long-term debt. The company's total assets were $31.4 billion. This gives us a debt ratio of $14.6 billion  $31.4 billion = 0.465, or 46.5%.

To assess whether this is high, we should consider the capital expenditures that go into opening a Starbucks, including leasing commercial space, renovating it to fit a certain layout, and purchasing expensive specialty equipment, much of which is used infrequently. The company must also hire and train employees in an industry with exceptionally high employee turnover, adhere to food safety regulations for its more than 17,133 stores in 2022.

Perhaps 46.5% isn't so bad after all when you consider that the industry average was about 75% in 2022. The result is that Starbucks has an easy time borrowing moneycreditors trust that it is in a solid financial position and can be expected to pay them back in full.

Meta

What about a technology company? For the fiscal year ended Dec. 31, 2021, Meta (META), formerly Facebook, reported:

Total debt as $14.45 billion

Total assets as $170.0 billion

Using these figures, Meta's debt ratio can be calculated as ($14.45 billion)  $170 billion = 0.085, or 8.5%. The company does not borrow from the corporate bond market. It has an easy enough time raising capital through stock.

What Are Some Common Debt Ratios?

All debt ratios analyze a company's relative debt position. Common debt ratios include debt-to-equity, debt-to-assets, long-term debt-to-assets, and leverage and gearing ratios.

What Is a Good Debt Ratio?

What counts as a good debt ratio will depend on the nature of the business and its industry. Generally speaking, a debt-to-equity or debt-to-assets ratio below 1.0 would be seen as relatively safe, whereas ratios of 2.0 or higher would be considered risky. Some industries, such as banking, are known for having much higher debt-to-equity ratios than others.

What Does a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.5 Indicate?

A debt-to-equity ratio of 1.5 would indicate that the company in question has $1.50 of debt for every $1 of equity. To illustrate, suppose the company had assets of $2 million and liabilities of $1.2 million. Since equity is equal to assets minus liabilities, the companys equity would be $800,000. Its debt-to-equity ratio would therefore be $1.2 million divided by $800,000, or 1.5.

Can a Debt Ratio Be Negative?

If a company has a negative debt ratio, this would mean that the company has negative shareholder equity. In other words, the company's liabilities outnumber its assets. In most cases, this is considered a very risky sign, indicating that the company may be at risk of bankruptcy.

The Bottom Line

Debt ratio is a metric that measures a company's total debt, as a percentage of its total assets. A high debt ratio indicates that a company is highly leveraged, and may have borrowed more money than it can easily pay back. Investors and accountants use debt ratios to assess the risk that a company is likely to default on its obligations.


As the first operator to acquire an online licence in Colombia,card games 21 blackjack rules WPlay holds a unique position in the country and across the Latin American region. Ahead of his seat on the dedicated Colombian panel at this years Juegos Miami (May 30  June 1, Biltmore Hotel, Miami), Julio Tamayo, Managing Director at WPlay.co, explores the myths surrounding gaming in the region, how the company has transformed the local economy, and why players are a priority for the online market.



What are your prospects and, in your opinion, what are the main challenges and opportunities for online operators in Colombia?

Wplay.co has been warmly welcomed amongst the Colombian public and an important reason for this success is that our platform is 100% responsive to the needs of the Colombian market and allows the players to enjoy a different experience, easy and accessible with a vast product portfolio and a wide network to acquire credits and take part. We believe one of our biggest opportunities is based on the fact that, having been the first licensees, we have the trust of the users, the Colombian institutions, the government and the banking and sports bodies. We also keep growing exponentially and our main challenge is to remain leaders in this market. Thus, players are the priority for Wplay.co and we keep them interested in the platform by developing innovative promotional games which in turn allows them to expand their winning experiences.



What does WPlays POS offer to online sport bets in Colombia?

Wplay.co Centres of Experience allow the players to enjoy all the facilities of the platform, but in a more personal way. We know that we live in the virtual era, where people want to operate from their mobile units. However, there is a percentage of the population still seeking for a more personalised interaction -thus WPlay.co developed a network of POS where users can register, top up, play and get their statistics. On top of that, they can find staff ready to clarify any issues they may have. Right now, we are consolidating networks with 40,000 top-up and on-site gaming points, with a projection of 4,000 in the second year of operation.



What effect have you seen on countrys economy and what can the industry do to fight the negative view of gaming in other countries?

There are lots of myths regarding gaming, but the fact is that human beings are playful rather than compulsive gamblers. Human beings want happiness, whether it is conquered, bought or betted. As an estimate, 60% of the population in Colombia use gaming products and that speaks volumes of this sectors importance. In its first six operative months, WPlay.co already created more than 3,000 direct or indirect jobs. This, together with a significant contribution to the health services, investments in publicity and sponsorship of a significant number of football clubs and grass-root sports, such as our companys sponsorship of the Colombian Olympic Committee, can be described as a significant contribution to the countrys financial development from the newly born online gaming industry, which is responsible, safe and transparent. The fact that in Colombia a player needs to be a national and can only use his or her user account to play, demystifies the money laundering issue. In addition, sport bets have been embraced by sport fans, who now have better chances of winning, comparing to those offered by traditional games, and can enhance the thrills of their favourite sports.



The extensive Juegos Miami 2018 program, which will take place across three days at The Biltmore in Miami, will enable operators, regulators and governments to rise to the challenges and opportunities facing the industry. To download the agenda, visit: https://www.juegosmiami.com/learning-program.



To apply for a place at Juegos Miami, which last year attracted exhibitors and representatives from a total of 44 countries, register at www.juegosmiami.com.



Image: Julio Tamayo, Managing Director at WPlay.co

Category: Casino BlogCasino Exhibitions News
You have grand ambitions: to start a business,top 10 best sites to write a book. But chances are you work long hours, or household responsibilities consume your days. By the time you finish all you have to do, you have no energy for anything you want to do beyond turning on the TV.

Yet some busy people do make time for their priorities. Whats their secret?

They do them first. They get up early. Earlier than they have to. They use the time before work for something other than just getting ready for work. Morning by morning, they make progress on what matters, and often achieve as much before breakfast as other people do in a day.

Its not exactly fun to forego the snooze button, but these early hours are often the best time to do things for yourself, before everyone else demands attention. With a little schedule reorganization, becoming a morning person is more doable than you think.

I first learned that mornings could be transformational years ago, when I was studying a busy lawyers schedule. She wanted to spend more time with her daughter, but she had little control over when she left work. This state of affairs made her sad, until we looked at her schedule and saw that she and her daughter were both awake relatively early. With everyone focused on getting out the door, though, no one was really aware of how much time was passing, and how it might otherwise be used. After thinking it through, the lawyer decided to get up earlier and get ready before her daughter rose. Then she used this morning time to play, make great breakfasts or snuggle and read stories. As a result, she got the quality time she wanted, no matter what happened the rest of the day.

Searching for a good nights rest? Find it by signing up for TIMEs guide to the scientific secrets of sleep.

Once I realized the potential of mornings, I started to notice morning routines in many successful peoples schedules. Its a great time for anything thats important that life has a way of crowding out. Like exercise. As an athlete once told me, there will always be a reason to skip a 4 p.m. workoutand its going to be a good reason, too. There are fewer reasons to cancel a 5:30 a.m. workout. Its convenient: you only have to shower once! Youre also more likely to make a habit of it. One study of fitness tracker data found that people who exercise consistently are more likely to be morning exercisers. People tend to follow routines in the morningthey wake up at the same time and leave for work at the same timeso if you build exercise into your morning routine, it will happen.

Mornings are also great for focused thinking. Maybe you manage lots of people in your daily life, and you want to be available for them, but you have other things you need to accomplish. Get up an hour earlier, and you can knock out your most important task of the day. Then you can relax when your employees come with questions and concerns. Youre no longer trying to race back to what you were doing before you were interrupted.

Or you could use this time to tap those creative impulses that are hard to nurture when jobs, kids and bills clamor for attention. Get up an hour earlier and write 500 words, four days a week, and youd have a full-length novel in less than a year.

The time is there, but when I suggest people get up earlier than they need to, I know what many will exclaim: Im not a morning person! It is true that some people function best at night, but not as many as claim night owl status. Heres how to tell if youre a true night person: are you writing the Great American Novel at night? Are you coming up with and executing your best business ideas at 11 p.m.? If so, great. But when most people take an honest look at how theyre spending the hours before bed, the answer is that theres a lot of TV they didnt mean to watch, scrolling through photos on social media of people they didnt like in high school anyway and puttering around the house.

A better approach is to cut off the puttering, go to bed earlier, wake up earlier and turn unproductive evening hours into productive morning hours.

I know this is easier said than done. It might help to set up a reward system while you build the habit: good coffee with real cream, for instance, or 10 minutes reading something inspirational before you go for that run. I also know some phases of life dont lend themselves to all kinds of morning productivity. My toddler likes to do great things before breakfast, but unfortunately, he cant do them by himself. So one of us is up with him every day around 5:30 a.m., meaning not all mornings are available for quality time on the treadmill.

But children do grow up, and until then theres quality morning time with him. Ultimately, making the most of mornings is about recognizing that they set the tone for the whole day. A win scored early creates momentum. Momentum creates results. Thats definitely worth waking up for.

Laura Vanderkam is the author of I Know How She Does It(June 9, 2015), 168 Hoursand What the Most Successful People Do Before Breakfast, a paperback compilation of the bestselling ebook series, all from Portfolio/Penguin. Find her at lauravanderkam.com.
NBC suspends reporter who revealed new details on Paul Pelosi attack; Sexton responds

closeVideo

Former CIA officer and radio host Buck Sexton joins 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' to analyze Miguel Almaguer's predicament.

Radio host and former CIA officer Buck Sexton slammed NBC News' suspension of correspondent Miguel Almaguer shortly after his report on Paul Pelosi was scrubbed from the outlet's website.

Sexton went after the network for suspending Almaguer over purported violation of journalistic standards, while allowing anchors and pundits to wax continually about the alleged fallacy of the Hunter Biden laptop story.

"I think it's pretty straight forward," he said. "This is yet again the American people being shown what the rules of so-called journalism are: Liars get Pulitzers and truth tellers get fired  or in this case, suspended  because it's all about activism."

Almaguer had originally reported "sources familiar" with what occurred at the Pelosis' residence in San Francisco said law enforcement were unaware they were responding to the Speaker's residence and that Mr. Pelosi opened the door and did "not immediately declare an emergency or tried to leave."

LAST BLUE DOG HENRY CUELLAR REVEALS WHETHER GOP PRESSED HIM TO SWITCH PARTIES

The San Francisco home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Paul Pelosi is seen after police say David DePape violently assaulted Paul Pelosi early Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. (KGO-TV)

The report was accused in some corners of fueling purported conspiracy theories about the true timeline of events that led to suspect David DePape allegedly brutally assaulting Pelosi with a hammer.

Sexton compared the treatment of Almaguer's story to that of Hunter Biden's, saying as a former CIA officer, much of the intel community disgraced themselves by signing onto the letter that disputed the laptop story.

"It's all about support of the partisan narrative in the moment," he said of both the Pelosi and Biden angles. "I mean, as a former intelligence officer watching those clips of people saying that the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation they were certainly trying to destroy it there, and they did a good job of it."

(Left) Paul Pelosi and Nancy Pelosi attend the Pre-GRAMMY Gala. (Right) David DePape. (Michael Short/ San Francisco Chronicle )

The clips referenced included a montage of NBC segments featuring then-anchor Kasie Hunt, Morgan State University Professor Jason Johnson, and former Obama intel official Jeremy Bash disputing the Hunter Biden laptop story's veracity.

Fox News host Will Cain further stated many who ask for the facts in the Pelosi story are labeled conspiracy theorists, saying mainstream sources purportedly paint DePape as a MAGA Republican despite his status as an illegal immigrant with ties to nudism.

"Simply questioning the facts makes you guilty of a conspiracy," Cain said.

NBC News retracted its report from correspondent Miguel Almaguer about stunning details from the Paul Pelosi attack. (Screenshot/NBC News)

Sexton appeared to agree:

"We see this time and time again where, even if eventually the truth comes out, there's no punishment  we didn't even get into Russia collusion, for example, where the entire Democrat-aligned corporate media spent four years  they still say it's kind of true in some ways."

CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"They understand that these are actually the rules  This is what we are dealing with. This is not a bug. This is a feature. This is the desire of the Democrats to use the biggest media outlets they possibly can to tell the most important lies: the biggest lies, or even just suppress the truth in moments of peril for their power."

Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital.

He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant.

Charles covers media, politics and breaking news, and has covered the annual CPAC conference for Fox News Digital.

Charles is a Pennsylvania native and graduated from Temple University with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism. Story tips can be sent to [email protected].
A US court has ruled that the operating entity of Philippines integrated resort Okada Manila will not be required to complete a previously planned SPAC merger with Jason Aders 26 Capital Acquisition Corp.

According to a report by Reuters,best niagara falls hotels canada fallsview the ruling, delivered early Friday morning (Asia time), found that 26 Capital engaged in conduct that should not be rewarded in pushing for the merger to close. A follow-up trial has also been scheduled in relation to potential damages.

Ader filed his lawsuit against Okada Manila entities  namely Tiger Resort Asia Ltd (TRAL), Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment Ltd (TRLEI), UE Resorts International Inc (UERI) and Project Tiger Merger Sub Inc  with the Delaware Court of Chancery in February alleging they had breached their obligations under the merger agreement to consummate the merger promptly. The lawsuit also called on the court to order the consummation to take place.
What Is the Equity Multiplier?week 4 over under lis crypto price

The equity multiplier is a risk indicator that measures the portion of a companys assets that is financed by stockholder's equity rather than by debt. It is calculated by dividing a company's total asset value by its total shareholders' equity.

Generally, a high equity multiplier indicates that a company is using a high amount of debt to finance assets. A low equity multiplier means that the company has less reliance on debt.

However, a company's equity multiplier can be seen as high or low only in comparison to historical standards, the averages for the industry, or the company's peers.

The equity multiplier is also known as the leverage ratio or financial leverage ratio and is one of three ratios used in the DuPont analysis.

Key Takeaways

The equity multiplier is a measure of the portion of the companys assets that is financed by stock rather than debt.

Generally, a high equity multiplier indicates that a company has a higher level of debt.

Investors judge a company's equity multiplier in the context of its industry and its peers.

The equity multiplier is also known as the financial leverage ratio.

Equity Multiplier

Understanding the Equity Multiplier

1:44

Investment in assets is key to running a successful business. Companies finance their acquisition of assets by issuing equity or debt, or some combination of both.

The equity multiplier reveals how much of the total assets are financed by shareholders' equity. Essentially, this ratio is a risk indicator used by investors to determine how leveraged the company is.

A high equity multiplier (relative to historical standards, industry averages, or a company's peers) indicates that a company is using a large amount of debt to finance assets. Companies with a higher debt burden will have higher debt servicing costs, which means that they will have to generate more cash flow to sustain a healthy business.

A low equity multiplier implies that the company has fewer debt-financed assets. That is usually seen as a positive as its debt servicing costs are lower. But it could also signal that the company is unable to entice lenders to loan it money on favorable terms, which is a problem.

Formula for the Equity Multiplier

Equity Multiplier = Total Assets Total Shareholders Equity where: Total Assets = Both current and long-term assets Total Shareholders Equity = Total assets  total liabilities \begin{ aligned}&\text{ Equity Multiplier} = \frac{ \text{ Total Assets} }{ \text{ Total Shareholders' Equity} } \\&\textbf{ where:} \\&\text{ Total Assets} = \text{ Both current and long-term assets} \\&\text{ Total Shareholders' Equity} = \text{ Total assets} - \\&\text{ total liabilities} \\\end{ aligned} Equity Multiplier=Total Shareholders EquityTotal Assetswhere:Total Assets=Both current and long-term assetsTotal Shareholders Equity=Total assetstotal liabilities



How Investors Interpret the Equity Multiplier

An equity multiplier of 2 means that half the company's assets are financed with debt, while the other half is financed with equity.



The equity multiplier is an important factor in DuPont analysis, a method of financial assessment devised by the chemical company for its internal financial review. The DuPont model breaks the calculation of return on equity (ROE) into three ratios: net profit margin (NPM), asset turnover ratio, and the equity multiplier.

If ROE changes over time or diverges from normal levels for the peer group, the DuPont analysis can indicate how much of this is attributable to use of financial leverage. If the equity multiplier fluctuates, it can significantly affect ROE.

Higher financial leverage (i.e. a higher equity multiple) drives ROE upward, all other factors remaining equal.

Examples of Equity Multiplier Analysis

The equity multiplier calculation is straightforward. Consider Apple's (AAPL) balance sheet at the end of the fiscal year 2021. The company's total assets were $351 billion, and the book value of shareholder equity was $63 billion. The company's equity multiplier was therefore 351/63 = 5.57x.

Now compare Apple to Verizon Communications (VZ). The company has a very different business model than Apple. The company's total assets were $366.6 billion for the fiscal year 2021, with $83.2 billion of shareholder equity. The equity multiplier was thus 366.6/83.2 = 4.41x based on these values.

Apple's relatively high equity multiplier indicates that the business relies more heavily on financing from debt and other interest-bearing liabilities. Meanwhile, Verizon's telecommunications business model is similar to utility companies, which have stable, predictable cash flows and typically carry high debt levels. Apple is thus more susceptible to changing economic conditions or evolving industry standards than a utility or a traditional telecommunications firm. As a result, Apple carries more financial leverage.

Is a Higher Equity Multiplier Better?

Average equity multipliers will vary from industry to industry. In general, investors look for companies with a low equity multiplier because this indicates the company is using more equity and less debt to finance the purchase of assets. Companies that have higher debt burdens could be financially riskier.

What Is a Good Equity Multiplier?

There is no ideal equity multiplier. It will vary by the sector or industry a company operates within. In general, equity multipliers at or below the industry average are considered better.

What Does an Equity Multiplier of 5 Mean?

An equity multiplier of 5.0x would indicate that the value of its assets is five times larger than its equity. In other words, assets are funded 80% by debt and 20% by equity.

What Affects the Equity Multiplier?

A company's equity multiplier will vary if the value of its assets changes, and/or if the level of liabilities changes. If assets increase while liabilities decrease, the equity multiplier will grow bigger.

The Bottom Line

The equity multiplier is a financial ratio that measures how much of a company's assets are financed through stockholders' equity, and is calculated by dividing total assets by shareholders' equity. In general, lower equity multipliers are better for investors, but this can vary between industries and companies with particular industries. In some cases, a low equity multiplier could actually indicate that the company cannot find willing lenders; or it could also signal that a company's growth prospects are low. On the other hand, a high equity multiplier is not always a sure sign of risk. High leverage can be part of an effective growth strategy, especially if the company is able to borrow more cheaply than its cost of equity.
Tropical rainforests, which account for only seven percent of the worlds total land mass, harbor as much as half of all known varieties of plants. Experts say that just a four-square-mile area of rainforest may contain as many as 1,500 different types of flowering plants and 750 species of trees, all which have evolved specialized survival mechanisms over the millennia that mankind is just starting to learn how to appropriate for its own purposes.

Rainforests Are a Rich Source of Medicines

Scattered pockets of native peoples around the world have known about the healing properties of rainforest plants for centuries and perhaps longer. But only since World War II has the modern world begun to take notice, and scores of drug companies today work in tandem with conservationists, native groups, and various governments to find and catalog rainforest plants for their medicinal value, and synthesize their bio-active compounds.

Rainforest Plants Produce Life-Saving Medicines

Some 120 prescription drugs sold worldwide today are derived directly from rainforest plants. According to the U.S. National Cancer Institute, more than two-thirds of all medicines found to have cancer-fighting properties come from rainforest plants. Examples abound. Ingredients obtained and synthesized from a now-extinct periwinkle plant found only in Madagascar (until deforestation wiped it out) have increased the chances of survival for children with leukemia from 20 percent to 80 percent.

Some of the compounds in rainforest plants are also used to treat malaria, heart disease, bronchitis, hypertension, rheumatism, diabetes, muscle tension, arthritis, glaucoma, dysentery, and tuberculosis, among other health problems. Many commercially available anesthetics, enzymes, hormones, laxatives, cough mixtures, antibiotics, and antiseptics are also derived from rainforest plants and herbs.

Stumbling Blocks

Despite these success stories, less than one percent of the plants in the worlds tropical rainforests have even been tested for their medicinal properties. Environmentalists and health care advocates alike are keen to protect the worlds remaining rainforests as storehouses for the medicines of the future. Fueled by this urgency, pharmaceutical companies have entered agreements with tropical countries promising protection against exclusive "bioprospection" rights.

Unfortunately, these agreements didn't last, and enthusiasm waned. In some countries, bureaucracy, permits, and access became prohibitively expensive. In addition, new technologies allowed to use powerful combinatorial chemistry techniques to find active molecules without having to slog through the mud in some faraway jungle. As a result, the exploratory search for pharmaceuticals in rainforests dwindled for a while.

But the technological advancements which favored synthetic, lab-developed meds are now helping botanical prospectors once again, and a few daring pharmaceutical companies are back in the jungles looking for the next big drug.

The Challenge of Preserving Valuable Rainforests

But saving tropical rainforests is no easy task, as poverty-stricken native people try to eke out a living off the lands and many governments throughout the worlds equatorial regions, out of economic desperation as well as greed, allow destructive cattle ranching, farming, and logging. As rainforest turns to farm, ranch and clear-cut, some 137 rainforest-dwelling speciesplants and animals alikego extinct every single day, according to noted Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson. Conservationists worry that as rainforest species disappear, so will many possible cures for life-threatening diseases.

How You Can Help Save Rainforests

You can do your part to help save rainforests around the world by following and supporting the work of such organizations as Rainforest Alliance, Rainforest Action Network, Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy.

EarthTalk is a regular feature of E/The Environmental Magazine. Selected EarthTalk columns are reprinted on About Environmental Issues by permission of the editors of E.

Edited by Frederic Beaudry.
Anachronism Definition

Anachronism is be 365 super bowl prop gamederived from the Greek word anachronous, which means against time. Therefore, an anachronism is an error of chronology or timeline in a literary piece. In other words, anything that is out of time and out of place is an anachronism.

Anachronisms appear in literature, paintings, and other works, and it is fascinating to explore them. Generally, they are considered errors that occur due to lack of research. For example, if a painter paints a portrait of Aristotle, and shows him wearing a wrist watch, it would be an example of anachronism, as we are all aware that wristwatches did not exist during Aristotles time. Similarly, the presence of a wall clock in a stage setting that depicts the interior of a Roman fort is an anachronism.

Examples of Anachronism in Literature

Example #1: The Great Gatsby(By F. Scott Fitzgerald)

The most famous anachronism example comes from Act 2, Scene 1 of William Shakespeares play Julius Caesar:

Brutus: Peace! Count the clock.

Cassius: The clock has stricken three.

The time this play depicts is a point in history dating back to 44 A.D. Mechanical clocks referred to in the above-mentioned dialogue had not been invented at that time, but were present in Shakespeares time. Thus, the mention of a clock in this play is an anachronism.

The same play presents another example of anachronism in Act 1, Scene 2:

 he plucked me open his doublet and offered them his throat to cut.

Romans at the time of Julius Caesar did not wear a doublet, a close-fitted jacket. This was, however, a fashion among men at the time of Shakespeare, and therefore its use in the play is an anachronism.

Example #2: Hamlet(By William Shakespeare)

It is interesting to cite an instance of anachronism in Shakespeares play Hamlet. Hamlet, the protagonist, is the Prince of Denmark. We are told in the play that he has been attending the University of Halle-Wittenberg.

It is a historical fact that the aforementioned institute was established in 1502 A.D. The time that was depicted in the play was that of the 7th or 13th century. Shakespeare did not bother much to set the mistake right, nor did people ever call into question the presence of the university mentioned above in the Hamlet characters time.

Example #3: Macbeth(By William Shakespeare)

Yet another example of Shakespearean anachronism comes from Act 1, Scene 2 of his play Macbeth:

Ross: That now

Sweno, the Norways king, craves composition:

Nor would we deign him burial of his men

Till he disbursed at Saint Colmes inch

Ten thousand dollars to our general use.

The use of the word dollar in the above excerpt is clearly an example of an anachronism, as the dollar was not the monetary unit during the time that the play is set. Shakespeares lack of research caused him to mention an item out of its time.

Example #4: Pharaoh(By Boleslaw Prus)

Another example of anachronism caused by a lack of research is in the novel Pharaoh, written by the Polish writer Boleslaw Prus. The setting of the novel is the regime of Ramses XII (1087-1085 B.C). The writer mentions in his novel a Prince Harims canal in the time of Ramses XII, and claims that it was the size of the Suez Canal. Careful research reveals that the canal existed before the mentioned timeline of the narrative, and it was much smaller than the Suez Canal.

Example #5: Ode on a Grecian Urn(By John Keats)

An example of anachronism can be traced in John Keats poem Ode on a Grecian Urn:

Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard

Are sweeter: therefore, ye soft pipes play on.

Notice the use of the century-old and formal term ye, rather than the informal and more appropriate to Keats time, you. It is an anachronism, but its use here is intentional, as it is used to show the respect that the urn inspires in Keats; hence, produces an artistic effect.

Function of Anachronism

Generally, an anachronism is considered an unintentional error that is a result of a writers carelessness, and his lack of research. At times, however, it is employed in order to produce a special artistic effect, in order to attract the attention of the readers by an appropriate use of anachronism.
French gambling regulator, lAutorite Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has developed and made public some new specifications for how gambling promotions and deposit incentives can be offered in France.

The new directions reflect the ANJs more overarching review of gambling advertisement standards. The review is being done with the Professional Advertising Regulatory Authority of France (ARPP) and the countrys Audiovisual Communication Regulator, ARCOM.

According to a report in SBC News, as part of its agenda for 2022, the ANJ let operators know at the start of the year that the regulator intended to revamp guidelines on gamblings commercial offers involving financial rewards such as welcome offers, bonuses or free bets.

In the most recent announcement, the ANJ stated: Less than a month before the opening of the Football World Cup, the ANJ wishes to improve the transparency of these practices and moderate them to protect players at risk. It continued,An update is deemed necessary to offer consumers full transparency on rewards and incentives offered by licensed operators, in which ANJ stated that specific guidelines are required to improve market standards.

Consumer Safeguards and Commercial Transparency

Consumer Safeguardsand Commercial Transparencyare reportedly the areas of focus for the guidelines.

Regarding the latter, the ANJ has prescribed certain elements of fact that should be displayed whenever an offer or incentive is made available through promotion.

Some of the requirements include a statement of the offers duration, a description of the required deposit amount and any wagering requirements, whether the offer can be claimed as game credits or real money, and other conditions that must be met in order for a player to complete and make use of the offer.

The ANJ noted thatterms such as freecan be confusing to some players if the terms are not made clear. The regulator said in a statement that it is contacted on a regular basis by customers who claim the terms are not spelled out clearly and become the cause of many disputesbetween players and operators.

Operators now must make readily available transparent and legible terms and conditions and ensure that players have complete access to the terms and conditions of an offer.

Monitoring Promotional Offers

Regarding the former area of concern, Customer Safeguards, the ANJ stated that it is monitoring the types of bonus offers made available to customers and potential clients and would seek to moderate commercial offers. Operator promotional strategies and action plan to prevent problem gambling will be reviewed on an annual basis at a minimum.

The ANJ emphasizes that the reasonable nature of these welcome or loyalty offers will be the subject of particular attention, read the report.

Self-excludedplayers and customers that show signs of gambling problems should not be sent any offers and operators were cautioned to exercise vigilance so that doesnt occur.

Players must be able to opt outof receiving any gambling offers even if they dont self-exclude. Welcome offers should be limitedto no more than100.

The new guidelines are not meant to be enforced directly until they become market rules by next year. However, the regulator informed operators it willintensify monitoringto ensure the guidelines are being followed to improve safeguards and standards in the French gambling industry.

Source: ANJ to toughen rules on player rewards and bonuses, SBC News, October 27, 2022
Amrit Kaur and Hamza Haq in Fawzia Mirza's "The Queen of my Dreams." (Courtesy of TIFF)

When Fawzia Mirza's The Queen of My Dreams, starring Amrit Kaur and Hamza Haq, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the excitement in the audience was absolutely electric.

Before the film started playing, people in the crowd were vocal about their excitement to see the film, many of whom anticipated it was going to be a "great" story to watch. That passion completely swelled when the film concluded with exuberant clapping and cheering from the audience.

"It's sort of cliche to say it's a dream come true, but it is," writer-director Mirza told Yahoo Canada in Toronto.

Beginning in 1999, the film largely centres around queer Muslim grad student Azra (Kaur) living in Toronto. She has a relatively tense relationship with her more conservative mother, Mariam (Nimra Bucha). But when Azra's father Hassan (Haq) suddenly dies, Azra goes to Pakistan and begins her journey into her mother's youth 30 years earlier, with a Bollywood-inspired trip through real and imagined memories in Karachi. A significant point of connection between Azra and Mariam is their love of Indian actress Sharmila Tagore.

The Queen of My Dreams is a particularly personal story for the filmmaker. It started with a short film Mirza began developing 12 years ago, inspired by a "public conversation of a very private struggle, about whether I could be queer and Muslim, and love Bollywood romance and fantasy."

"I've been working a long time on trying to understand myself and my mother, and where I come from in my community, and how I fit into it," Mirza said. "How am I outside of it, how I can embrace all of it.

"The film is a reflection of all that journey, and all of that love and compassion. It's deeply personal in the sense that it comes from a place of love for self and love for community, and ancestors and mothers, and the mother-daughter romance."

Specifically, Mirza identified that the story is also inspired by stories about the filmmaker's mother.

Story continues

"But there's so much that I don't know," Mirza stressed. "It's inspired by, well, what could have happened? How could someone like her have fallen in love in the '60s? And in some ways I was just romanticizing what her romance could have been."

From left: Hamza Haq, Nimra Bucha and Amrit Kaur attend "The Queen of My Dreams" premiere during the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival at TIFF Bell Lightbox on Sept. 8 in Toronto. (Photo by Unique Nicole/Getty Images)

'The script forced me to look at things I hadn't looked at'

In terms of collaborating with actors, and Kaur in particular, Mirza did talk about personal life moments, including when the filmmaker's father did in fact die, buried in Pakistan.

Mirza praised Kaur's focus and commitment to playing Azra.

"[Amrit Kaur] dives deep and is willing to go into a dark place in order to find the light, and isn't afraid of it," Mirza said. "If anything she revels in it.

"It's really exciting to work with her, and I think what she does is so incredible. She really mines her own experiences to connect to any story that's personal that I share, or even if it's something that's specific just to the character."

Kaur told Yahoo Canada that the script for The Queen of my Dreams "forced" her to reflect on her personal emotions and lived experiences.

"The script forced me to look at things I hadn't looked at, or said I had looked at, but to really look at them," Kaur said. "Like my own relationship with my parents. My own relationship with my sexuality. My own love-hate relationship with where I'm from.

"All things that are so pivotal to this character. ... So actually going into it, I was in a major blackout. ... It was difficult. I don't think that I had as much grace as I would like to have if I had done it all over again. But I love that it made me look at things I hadn't, and now I know what I need to look at and I want to keep working at being stronger at sharing my vulnerabilities."

For Haq, the actor highlighted that working on a project that's so personal to the writer-director builds "trust" in Mirza's direction.

"There's such a clear vision," he said. "I have to, as an actor, put aside my ego so often where I think that I'm the be all end all, but really I'm the last piece of the puzzle and this thing has existed for a decade before I came into the picture.

"It's just a wonderful challenge because the sandbox is so specific. ... When she said 'let's move on' or when she said 'next take,' I believed that it was good. I believed that she got what she needed for the story."

Specifically in playing a father, Haq was attracted to the idea of playing a man "doing his best to be the best father and best husband."

"What I liked about this one is that very often in our culture, movies that are in South Asian culture tell the story of an oppressive, abusive father, ... which is absolutely common," Haq said. "I loved Hassan so much and ... I thought it was a very beautiful representation of a man doing his best.

"Of course he made mistakes and he was just so in his sensitivity, he was so in-his-love for his kids, and I think that's an important message to tell as well. ... It was the best versions of who I would love to be as a father. It's the best versions of who my father is, as well."

Cast and crew including Amrit Kaur, Andria Wilson Mirza, Fawzia Mirza, Hamza Haq, Ali A. Kazmi, Nimra Bucha, Meher Jaffri and Ayana Manji attend "The Queen of My Dreams" premiere during the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival at TIFF Bell Lightbox on Sept. 8 in Toronto. (Photo by Unique Nicole/Getty Images)

'I don't have to be the queen of anyone else's dreams but my own'

While Mirza's film provides a captivating look at very serious, personal facets of life, The Queen of My Dreams is also incredibly witty and funny, with such a vibrancy in its execution. It' something the filmmaker honed with a background in comedy.

"[My] tool of survival as a brown, Muslim kid in a small rural, mostly white, town was making people laugh. ... Laughter is vibrance and that's always been threaded through all of my work," Mirza said. "Part of that is also centering hope and centering possibility.

"As a queer Muslim person, the stories that are told about us, sometimes by us but often by others, it's always centering our trauma and the bleakness of our communities. When you think about the Muslim community, there are just under two billion Muslims in the world, their lives are not all bleak. Mostly, there's so much joy."

That joy is very much present right up until the end of the movie, even when you're going home and you have the song "Mere Sapnon Ki Rani" (the translation being "The Queen of My Dreams") stuck in your head for days, in a great way.

"That song is something that's stuck with me over the years," Mirza said. "That was kind of my portal into Sharmila Tagore."

With the song taken from the film Aradhana, it's also a reflection of Mirza's early thoughts about falling in love.

"I thought about like, 'Oh, one day some guy's going to ride in a jeep and sing me this song, that's how I'm going to fall in love,'" Mirza said. "But then when I came out as queer I was like, 'Oh, some woman is going to sing this.'

"Then the more I did this work and started making art, and the more I came out and more comfortable I became, I realized that actually, I don't have to fit into any one of these two roles. I can be both of them or all of them, or something else. I don't have to be the queen of anyone else's dreams but my own."

Luckily for Canadians, following the movie's premiere at TIFF, Cineplex Pictures picked up Canadian distributions rights for The Queen of My Dreams.

"Fawzia Mirza is an incredibly talented and exciting filmmaker and a wonderful representation of the future of Canadian film," a statement from Brad LaDouceur, vice president and general manager of Cineplex Pictures reads. "The Queen of My Dreams is the type of storytelling that Cineplex Pictures is actively looking for and we can't wait to bring it to audiences across the country."
What Is an IOU?free horse racing picks from top handicappers

An IOU, a phonetic acronym of the words "I owe you," is a document that acknowledges the existence of a debt.

An IOU is often viewed as an informal written agreement rather than a legally binding commitment. Dating as far back as the 18th century, at least, IOUs are still very much in use. An IOU between two people conducting business may be followed up with a more formal written agreement.

Key Takeaways





An IOU is a written acknowledgement of debt that one party owes another.

In business transactions, an IOU may be followed by a more formal written contract.

The informality of the IOU can make it difficult to enforce, and usually impossible to sell or trade.

The term IOU is also used in bookkeeping to refer to accounts receivable.

IOUs are less formal and legally binding than promissory notes.

IOU

How an IOU Works

1:16

Typically, IOUs are produced on the spur of the momenttowards the end of a business meeting, for exampleas a sort of memorandum of intent. They then are often followed up with a more formal written agreement or contract.

No standard format or terminology exists for an IOU. At the very least, details such as the date of the agreement, the amount of debt, the date for repayment, the parties involved, and the signature of the borrower are (or should be) included in its contents. But often, details like the interest due, payment type, repayment plan/schedule (including a specific final due date), or consequences for nonpayment, are not.

The IOU's informal nature means there may be uncertainty about whether it is a bindingthat is, a legally enforceablecontract, and whether it carries much weight in a court proceeding. As a result, legal remedies for nonpayment may be harder to enforce with IOUs than they would be with more formal agreements that deal with debt, such as a promissory note or a bond indenture.

Due to this uncertainty, an IOU is generally not considered a negotiable instrument, meaning it can't be assigned, transferred, or sold to someone else, or traded on an open market.

However, there are downloadable legal templates available now for IOUs, providing an outline of the kind of details that a well-written one should include. That may make IOUs easier to enforce and to stand up in court.

Example of an IOU

Say Smithco Bricks places an order for raw materials and does not have enough cash to pay for the entire order when it is delivered. Instead, it pays a down payment and issues an IOU promising to pay for the rest of the raw materials within 30 days with or without interest. Assuming that Smithco has an ongoing business relationship with the supplier, this might be quite acceptable to both parties.

The term IOU has become so familiar that it crops up in other contexts. A bond issue is sometimes called an IOU, for example. Accounts receivable may informally be referred to as IOUs.

Special Considerations

A bookkeeper may record an outstanding debt as an IOU. The IOU is thus an accounts receivable item and is counted as an asset on the balance sheet. How exactly it is recorded depends on the time frame:

If the money is due in one year or less, the IOU is recorded as a current asset.

If the payment is due more than a year down the road, it is recorded as a long-term asset.

IOU vs. Promissory Note

IOUs have a lot in common with promissory notes. Both are written financial agreements that deal with debtspecifically, the promise of one party to repay another a certain sum, on or by a certain date.

The key difference is that the promissory note is more formal and complete than the IOU. It not only gives a due date for the debt to be repaid, it usually outlines other details of repayment: the interest rate of the loan, payment schedule, size of repayments, and often penalties for late or non-payments. The term "promissory note" must appear in the contents. The note is signed by both parties (lender and borrower), and often witnessed and notarized as well.

In short, promissory notes are more specific and serious than IOUs. Though still not as formal (and enforceable) as a loan agreement or contract, they tend to stand up better in court. In fact, promissory notes often accompany mortgage agreements or student loan agreements it's signing this note that actually obligates the borrower to repay.

If the terms are unconditional enough, promissory notes may be used as negotiable instruments.

Issuers of promissory notes should know: When it comes to filing a lawsuit for nonpayment, a promissory note is subject to the statute of limitations set by the local state on such agreements. Statutes of limitations can range from three to 15 years; the clock starts ticking from the date of the first breach. However, some courts have ruled that, within a note, each missed payment has its own statute of limitations starting on the date the specific payment became past due.

IOU FAQs

What Is an IOU in Finance?

An IOU is a written, but largely informal, acknowledgement that a debt exists between two parties, and the amount the borrower owes the lender. Signed by the borrower, it often indicates a date for repayment of the debt, but often omits other specifics, like the payment schedule or any interest charged. It can't be sold or transferred to another party and offers the lender little legal recourse if it is not honored by the borrower.

What Is an Example of an IOU?

Amanda T.'s close friend Karen P. needs $1,500 in cash for a security deposit on a new apartment. She needs to put the money down right away, but won't have that sum available for another few months. Amanda wants to help Karen out, but also wants to have written evidence of the loan she's made to her friend.

Amanda types up a document that stipulates Karen owes her, Amanda T., $1,500, and that Karen will repay that sum on April 1, 2021three months from the current date. Karen signs the document. In so doing, Karen officially gives Amanda an IOU for the $1,500 she has borrowed.

How Do I Write an IOU?

IOUs can take many shapes and forms. They can be typed or handwritten, drawn up by either party, and appear on any sort of documentincluding the proverbial cocktail napkin.

At a bare minimum, an IOU should include the borrower's name, the lender's name, the amount of the debt, the current date, the date the debt is due, and the borrower's signature. In addition, it's recommended that IOUs contain:

How the debt is to be repaid (lump sum or installments)

A repayment schedule (size and frequency of payments, if in installments)

Whether interest is charged, and if so, at what rate

A guarantor for the debt, if any

The state whose laws govern the agreement

Signature of the lender

Increasingly, there are IOU forms and templates that can be accessed online.

Is an IOU a Legal Document?

An IOU is a legal document that can be introduced in a court of lawthough whether or not it is binding is open to dispute. Some authorities feel an IOU isn't binding at all; it's merely the acknowledgement that a debt exists. Others feel it is binding, though whether it can actually be enforced is a different story.

Basically, the more detailed the IOU, the more likely it is to be enforceable. The fewer specifics an IOU has, the harder it is for a court to determine the obligations and rights of the principals involved in the IOUor perhaps even who they are.

Does an IOU Need to Be Notarized?

An IOU doesn't have to be notarized. However, some legal authorities feel having a notary affix their seal to an IOU makes it more official, and thus more likely to be enforceable. Certainly, it formalizes the agreement, indicating a third party witnessed itmaking it more likely that the lender would prevail in court, should a dispute over nonpayment occur. Notarizing an IOU makes it closer to a promissory note, a more official (and binding) document.

The Bottom Line

An IOU is a written but relatively informal contract between two parties recording a debt and an agreement to repay it. It outlines the basics of the arrangement, but often little else, such as the terms or repayment schedule of the loan. For that reason, it is not as binding or enforceable as more official contracts that have specifications and are witnessed and/or notarized.

IOUs are often for small sums and between individuals. However, they can be used by businesses as well, often between two firms that have regular, ongoing relationships, like vendors and suppliers. In effect, the company issuing an IOU is taking out a short-term loan or buying on credit, promising to pay in full for goods or services later on, instead of right away.

A firm's accountants may enter any sort of outstanding debt as an IOU. In fact, some bookkeeping systems record any accounts receivables as IOUs.
A New York lawmaker who advocates for expanding legal gambling in the Empire State is online bc slots stars group in skyalso a leading proponent of putting state resources toward helping those who are vulnerable or prone to addiction disorders.

Sen. Joseph Addabbo, D-Queens, will be hosting a virtual problem gambling education seminar on Sept. 13 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The one-hour NY responsible gambling session is taking place in recognition of both Responsible Gambling Education Month and Recovery Month, according to a press release from the senators office.

Addabbo, chairman of the state Senate Commission on Racing, Gaming and Wagering, said he has a responsibility to bring this event to the community for the public good.
What Is Net Domestic Product (NDP)?free online roulette play

Net domestic product (NDP) is an annual measure of the economic output of a nation that is calculated by subtracting depreciation from gross domestic product (GDP).

Key Takeaways

Net domestic product (NDP) is an annual measure of the economic output of a nation that is adjusted to account for depreciation.

It is calculated by subtracting depreciation from the gross domestic product (GDP).

NDP, along with GDP, gross national income (GNI), disposable income, and personal income, is one of the key gauges of economic growth that is reported on a quarterly basis by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

An increase in NDP would indicate growing economic health, while a decrease would indicate economic stagnation.

How Net Domestic Product (NDP) Works

NDP accounts for capital that has been consumed over the year in the form of housing, vehicle, or machinery deterioration. The depreciation accounted for is often referred to as capital consumption allowance and represents the amount needed to replace those depreciated assets.

N D P = G D P  D e p r e c i a t i o n NDP = GDP - Depreciation NDP=GDPDepreciation

The frequency and scope of such replacements can vary by type of capital assets. Machinery that is put to regular use may need parts replaced regularly until the entire piece of equipment is no longer usable. While that may take many years, barring unexpected damage or defects, there is a cycle of equipment failure and replacement. Part of the machinery in a factorys production line may need to be replaced while another set of similar machines continues to function within the same factory. The acquisition of the replacement machinery would be factored into the depreciation aspect of the NPI.

This differs from an expansion of factory operationsfor example, the opening of a new site, adding to the total number of factories. The acquisition of new machines for the new factory would represent a gain because the demand was driven by the need to increase the scope of the operations, rather than serve as a replacement. This would mean the purchased machine would qualify as a gain for the NDP.

The construction of new homes on previously unused real estate can also represent a gain for the NDP if the residences are not intended to replace defunct or demolished property. For example, in many urban areas, efforts may be made to re-purpose underutilized real estate that has fallen into disrepair. Instead of expanding the sprawl of the city, older buildings might be torn down and replaced by new construction intended to fill the same use as the predecessor building. Such an example would qualify as depreciation and replacement. By contrast, if a new housing community is developed, the construction of residences would be contributory to NDP.

An increase in NDP signifies a growing economy, while a decrease denotes economic stagnation.

Special Considerations

NDP, along with GDP, gross national income (GNI), disposable income, and personal income, is one of the key gauges of economic growth that is reported on a quarterly basis by the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

Though GDP is frequently cited when assessing the economic health of a country, NDP puts into perspective the pace at which capital assets degrade and must be replaced. This is important as failure to take action would result in a decrease in the country's GDP.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) has released second-quarter revenue numbers for all US commercial gambling enterprises. The period is the most lucrative ever for American casinos with a haul of some $14.81 billion.

While year-over-year numbers are still somewhat distorted thanks to the Covid-induced downturn beginning in early 2020, the industry has put together 16 straight months of growth with all sectors combined far outstripping pre-pandemic revenues.

The period covered in the August 11 edition of the AGA Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker report runs from April 1 through June 30, 2022.

There are 31 US states with gambling jurisdictions and 22 of them posted year-over-year increases in the second quarter. Nine states  Arkansas, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Pennsylvania reported all-time record revenuefor the quarter.

Nevadacasinos pulled in $3.71 billioncontinuing a 16-month streak with over a billion dollars in revenues each month  another record.

June was the fifth highest month ever for Nevada and a big reason for the numbers is the Strip casinos. Many markets in the state reported double-digit declines in June but Strip casinos generated more than three-quarters of a billion dollars in June  up 22.7% over June 2021 and 19.2% higher than in June 2019.

Baccarat Win Huge for Strip Casinos

Stripbaccaratrevenue was the champion metricwith revenues up 258.8%from last year at $141.1 million.

The volatility or swing factor was immense for the game year on year with casinos only keeping $6.40 of every hundred dollars bet last year and scooping up $22.10 for every hundred wagered this June.

Commercial gaming overall was just as impressive as Nevadas numbers. Revenues were up nearly 18%over the first half of last year at $29.16 billionand all conditions are right for the US commercial gambling industry to peg a new record for the second year in a row.

Q2s results mark a 16-month period of gains for commercial gaming, said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. With increasingly difficult year-over-year comparisons, our strength through the first half of 2022 reflects sustained consumer demand for legal options as well as gamings record popularity.

Sports betting continued to grow as well with six new markets opened over the last year and increasing consumer demand across almost all markets. The vertical saw a nearly 60% increase over the second quarter last year and nearly 64% for the first half.

Miller spoke of the realities of an uncertain economic climatebut noted that members of the AGA are ready to respond to any pressures that may appear.

While on pace to set an annual revenue record, we are cognizant of the continued impacts of inflation and labor challenges as well as marketplace concerns of potential recession, said Miller. Our members have proven their agility and resilience over the last two years and are well-positioned to face these potential headwinds heading into the second half.

Tribal Casinos Setting Records Too

US Tribal operatorsreleased their numbers earlier. On Wednesday, the National Indian Gaming Commission announced that tribal operators had pulled in $39 billion in gaming revenue in 2021, an all-time high. Taken with the commercial operator revenues, 2021 generated $53 billionbeating the previous record set in 2019 by 13%.

Tribal gaming demonstrated its responsible leadership throughout the pandemic and these record results reflect that commitment, concluded Miller. The full recovery and ongoing success of tribal casinos goes well beyond the casino floor to support vibrant communities across the country.

Source: AGA Commercial Gaming Revenue Tracker, AGA, August 11, 2022
Illustration: Xia Qing/Global Times

Thestrong showing by both Chinese and foreign athletes at the ongoing Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games is encouraging the Chinese people's involvement in winter sports, especially by young people. According to statistics released by the Beijing Organising Committee for the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, a quarter of Chinese people had taken part in ice and snow sports by October last year. Young people are the main driving force. Ever since Beijing won the bid to host the 2022 Games in 2015, investors have long cast their eyes on the Olympic dividends and relied on younger generations to spur a snow sports boom. But risks accompany the ice world fairytale. The cost of venues and equipment is high. The season is conditional. Compared with already popular recreation like yoga and fitness, ice and snow sports are still in their budding phase. What is certain is that young people's understanding and enthusiasm toward the ice and snow world will boom. This is a test for the sensitivity of the market and the wisdom of investors to make it last.
What Is Net of Tax?sportsbook casino arizona

The term net of tax refers to the amount left after adjusting for the effects of taxes. Net of tax can be a consideration in any situation where taxation is involved. Individuals and businesses often analyze before- and after-tax values to make investment and purchasing decisions. Net of tax is also an important part of expense analysis when reviewing annual tax filings and the net income of businesses.

Key Takeaways

Net of tax is the amount left after adjusting for the effects of taxes.

Net of tax analysis can be important to consider in all situations where taxes may be involved.

Some scenarios where the net of tax can be especially important include large asset purchases with sales tax, before and after-tax contributions, and income taxes for individuals or businesses.

Net of Tax

Understanding Net of Tax

1:19

In the financial industry, gross and net are two key terms that refer to before and after the payment of certain expenses. In general, 'net of' refers to a value found after expenses have been accounted for. Therefore, the net of tax is simply the amount left after taxes have been subtracted.

There can be several scenarios where the net of tax is important. Three of the most common are large asset purchases with sales tax, before and after-tax contributions, and an entity's total profit after tax.

Asset Sales and Purchases

Taxes can be a part of asset sales and purchases. Most large assets like cars, trucks, and motorcycles require a sales tax at the time of purchase. Sellers of these items may also be required to pay taxes on capital gains. Property has its own tax rules and is often not subject to sales tax. Many real estate owners can often qualify for tax breaks that help them reduce any capital gains taxes they might have to pay on real estate property sold.

In general, a buyer will need to calculate all of the expenses involved in buying property. If an individual buys a $10,000 car with a $2,000 sales tax then they owe 12,000 for the car, and the net of tax value is $10,000.

If a company sells one of its assets, it is usually not responsible for sales tax but may have to pay capital gains taxes. If a company sells a factory for $1 million but realizes that it must pay $400,000 in capital gains taxes, then its net of tax profit would be $600,000, all things considered.

Net of Tax Strategies in the Investment World

Net of tax strategies can be important in the investment and financial planning world. Since investors must pay taxes on their capital gains, many strategies are deployed to reduce or avoid the impact of taxes. To do this, there are several investments and investment vehicles labeled as tax-advantaged. Municipal bonds are one of the most common tax-advantaged investments with the majority of the asset class offering no federal tax on gains. Investors can also choose to hold assets for more than one year to pay a reduced long-term capital gains tax versus the short term capital gains tax. Moreover, some investors may invest to avoid alternative minimum taxes (AMT) which can apply to any investor but usually are a factor for taxpayers who itemize or higher net worth individuals with incentive stock options.

Before and after-tax investing or contributions can also be important for many investors. Any before-tax contribution lowers the value of taxable income. Any after-tax contribution is considered to be net of tax with taxes already subtracted.

Investing in 401ks or individual retirement accounts (IRAs) is often done with before or after-tax contributions. 401ks and traditional IRAs are often paid into from pre-tax dollars which helps to lower an investors taxable payroll income. Effectively, these types of vehicles tax the investor at the time of withdrawal. Alternatively, Roth IRAs are invested with after-tax dollars. Thus, Roth IRAs are not taxed at the time of withdrawal.

Roth IRA accounts can also provide special opportunities to take advantage of investment opportunities without taxation. If an investor had an IRA account with $100,000 in stocks and $100,000 in bonds, they could potentially sell stocks and bonds within the account without ever paying taxes on gains.

Some companies may also offer tax-advantaged benefits like pre-tax deductions for the purchase of transportation cards as part of their employee benefit plans. Any pre-tax deductions for regular expenses can be helpful because they lower the taxable amount and increase net of tax values.

Net of Tax Income

Analyzing gross versus net income for an annual tax year is also often an important scenario that involves the net of tax consideration. Overall, individuals and businesses can take expense deductions that reduce their taxable income. Entities may also take credits that reduce any tax they owe. Both individuals and businesses make regular tax payments throughout the year, which should also be monitored to ensure optimal net of tax earnings.

Individuals can plan on the following annual income tax rates for 2021:

Image by Sabrina Jiang  Investopedia 2021

21%

The annual tax rate generally assessed on corporations.

At the end of the year when entities file their tax returns, certain deductions or credits can help to reduce the taxes they owe. Arriving at the total net of tax figure requires subtracting all of the income taxes paid throughout the year from the gross revenue received. If an entity receives a refund at tax time, this can be a type of reimbursement for taxes already withheld. In general, individuals and businesses usually seek to take advantage of as many tax deductions and credits as possible to reduce the total taxes paid and increase their annual net of tax value.
Dacca / (dk) / New Word List Save This yebo casino appWord! / (dk) /Save ThisWord!

nounthe former name (until 1982) of Dhaka

Words nearby Dacca

How to use in a sentence To outface and down-talk a Calcutta-taught Bengali, a voluble Dacca drug-vendor, would be a good game. Kim|Rudyard Kipling

Kim|Rudyard Kipling Kindly villagers, remembering the Dacca drug-vendor of two months ago, give him shelter against evil spirits of the wood. Kim|Rudyard Kipling

Kim|Rudyard Kipling With the fall of the sunlight upon his still triumphant face he returned to the humble Dacca quack. Kim|Rudyard Kipling

Kim|Rudyard Kipling They would tear off the rough border of their Dacca muslin, because it rubbed against their delicate skin. Stories from Tagore|Rabindranath Tagore They would tear off the rough border of their Dacca muslin, because it rubbed against their skin. The Hungry Stones And Other Stories|Rabindranath Tagore

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!QuestionDabrowa Gornicza, dabster, DACA, da capo, dacarbazine, Dacca, dace, dacha, Dachau, Dache, dachshundCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Chinese writer Mo Yan was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature in Stockholm Concert Hall in Sweden on Monday.

The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony for 2012 started at 4.30 p.m. local time (1530 GMT) with the Swedish royal anthem The Kings Song. Mo Yan, dressed in black tailcoat, went slowly up to his seat on the stage with the other Nobel Prize winners.

Marcus Storch, chairman of the Board of Nobel Foundation, first addressed the ceremony and welcomed the winners for attending the ceremony in Sweden.

King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf awarded Mo Yan the Nobel diploma, medal and a document confirming the prize amount after a representative of the Nobel Prize jury in literature introduced the achievement of Mo Yan in literature.

After that, the orchestra at the ceremony presented a part of the Aladdin Suite called Chinese Dance and the Concert Hall became full of Chinese elements.

2012 Nobel Prize laureates in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology, Medicine and Economics also went up to receive the award from the King.

The Nobel Prize in Physics this year went to Serge Haroche of France and David J. Wineland from the United States. Nobel Prize laureates in Chemistry were American scientists Robert J. Lefkowitz and Brian K. Kobilka. The Nobel Prize in Physics was won by Shinya Yamanaka from Japan and John B. Gurdon from Britain. The Nobel prize in Economics was shared by American economists Alvin E. Roth and Lloyd S. Shapley.

The amount of each Nobel Prize this year was 8 million Swedish crowns (about 1.2 million U.S. dollars).

About 1,500 people attended the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony this year, including members of the royal family of Sweden and Swedish politicians.

Since 1901, the Nobel Prizes have been presented to the Laureates at ceremonies on Dec. 10, the date marking the anniversary of Alfred Nobels death.

Prizes have been presented to the Laureates at ceremonies on 10 December which is the anniversary of Alfred Nobels death.

Xinhua

Mo Yan awarded 2012 Nobel Prize in Literatureadded by chinatimesonline on

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The venerable Damia, her son Porphyrius, and the fair Gorgo were in fact a trio such as are rarely met with. Serapis, Complete|Georg Ebers

Meanwhile she thought over Marcus' startling speech, Damia's injunctions and Herse's warnings. Serapis, Complete|Georg Ebers

Damia had looked after him in silence and had ever afterwards avoided mentioning his name in Gorgo's presence. Serapis, Complete|Georg Ebers
What Is the National Association of Investors Corp.?list of online sportsbooks

The National Association of Investors Corp. (NAIC) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1951, and dedicated to providing investor education and promote investor success. The association is based in Madison Heights, Mich., and is composed of investing clubs along with individual investors from around the United States. The organization today goes mainly by the name BetterInvesting.

It should not be confused with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners or the North American Industry Classification System, which also use the NAIC acronym.

Key Takeaways

The National Association of Investors Corp. (NAIC) is dedicated to providing investment information, education, and support that helps create successful long-term investors.

Known by its public-facing brand BetterInvesting,the NAIC is a non-profit organization made up primarily of investment clubs and their members.

The organization published a magazine by the same name, and maintains in-depth online resources in addition to more traditional training events and seminars.

Understanding the National Association of Investors Corp.

The National Association of Investors Corp. (NAIC), better known publicly by its brand "BetterInvesting", is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose aim is to teach and train individuals how to become more successful long-term investors. The NAIC is an umbrella organization that had about 3,000 member investment clubs and more than 34,000 individual members at the end of 2018. The original name of the NAIC was the National Association of Investment Clubs.

The National Association of Investors Corp.s member magazine is called BetterInvesting,and it became the branded name of the association in 2004. The organization was founded in 1951 when three investment clubs formed the national association. Its mission is to educate individuals on the benefits of long-term investing in common stocks. With the popularity of 401(k)s and other defined-contribution retirement plans, education regarding stock and bond mutual funds was added.

Depending on their membership level, members have access to online tools for determining whether a stock is that of a quality growth company and is selling at a price that will provide sufficient potential return. Members also receive educational webinars, First Cut stock studies contributed by the BetterInvesting community, digital and print editions of BetterInvesting Magazine, local chapter support, and other products and services.

NAIC Core Principles

The National Association of Investors Corp. stresses four principles for successful, long-term investing:

Invest regularly, regardless of market conditions;

Reinvest all earnings;

Invest in growth companies (and growth mutual funds); and

Diversify to reduce risk.

The heart of the National Association of Investors Corp. Investment approach to investing is the third principle  investing in growth companies.

The primary tool NAIC uses to evaluate common stocks is a two-page form with a semi-log graph on the front called the Stock Selection Guide (SSG). The SSG dates to the founding of the organization and was created by George A. Nicholson. The SSG displays a company's 10-year sales and earnings per share history, pretax profit margins and return on equity; five-year annual high and low price-earnings ratios and other important information meant to answer two questions:

Is this a well-managed company? Is the stock selling at a reasonable price?

The second principle was added and emphasized in the 1980s and '90s.
A view of damaged homes after the Mediterranean storm "Daniel" hit Libya's eastern city of Derna

Flooding has devastated Libya. The Washington Post reported that as many as 20,000 people are dead in the eastern part of the country, killed by floodwaters so large  23 feet tall at one point  and forceful that they gouged asphalt from the sidewalks and caved in buildings. This disaster is of mythic proportions, said one official. Observers say the horrors were avoidable, the result of the chaos that has dominated the country since the U.S.-backed overthrow of its dictator more than a decade ago.

America and its NATO allies supported the uprising that overthrew Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, CNN noted. Since 2014, Libya has been split between two rival administrations and that fragmented state hampered flood preparations  and may also make rescue and recovery efforts much less effective. This disaster has the hand of man written all over it, said one think tank observer in Tripoli.

Much of the current tragedy emerges from the Gadhafi model, Jonathan Guyer wrote for Vox . The dictator ruled Libya for four decades, and tried to coup-proof the country by decentralizing state functions and eviscerating the countrys technocratic expertise. But the legacy of the 2011 Arab Spring protests, the ensuing NATO bombardment of the country, and its ongoing civil war also contributed to the lack of policy coordination. Even now, different U.S. partners support different military factions ruling the country. Thats helped leave Libya unprepared to handle big challenges.

'The cycle of violence has left its scars'

This is not new. This is going on for 42 years, Hani Shennib, president of the National Council on US Libya Relations, told Al Jazeera. In fact, problems with the dams at Derna  which failed catastrophically, causing the deadly floods  have been known for years, and almost no maintenance had been done on them in recent decades. The city itself had been torn apart previously by fighting between competing factions. The cycle of violence throughout the years has left its scars, the news service noted, with authorities not investing in any major rebuilding program.

Story continues

Does the United States bear some responsibility? After America and NATO helped overthrow Gadhafi, the U.S. focused its efforts on promoting democracy over state building, Ethan Chorin argued in The New York Times. Most of the task of actually rebuilding was left to European allies. But the United States retreated from even its democracy-building efforts after the Benghazi attack in 2012. The political split between the east and west of the country emerged in the turbulence, Chorin wrote. The U.S. apparently prefers to keep Libya at arms length, but the United States has an opportunity, now, through this disaster, to re-engage directly with the Libyan people.

A new era greeted warily

Libyas unstable status quo is also the result of the intervention of outside actors, Ishaan Tharoor added at The Washington Post. Its not just the U.S., though: Qatar and the UAE, as well as Turkey and Russia, have supported rival groups and mercenaries in the country. Given all that history, new talk about outsiders helping Libya through its current crisis is greeted warily. Skepticism abounds among embittered Libyans.

Outsiders are rushing to help Libya. CBS News reported that the U.N., United States, European Union and multiple Middle Eastern, North African and European nations have all pledged support in the form of rescue teams, medical supplies and other aid. This is a time for unity of purpose, said U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. All those affected must receive support, without regard for any affiliations."

The hope now is that the floods are a catalyst for a more functional working relationship between both the rival governing factions and the outside international community, the University of Readings Dina Rezk wrote at The Conversation. Before progress can be made, however, the rescue operation must be given priority. In the meantime, the search for survivors  and for those who didnt make it  continues.
What Are Bond Rating Agencies?lucky days casino withdrawal

Bond rating agencies are companies that assess the creditworthiness of both debt securities and their issuers. These agencies publish the ratings used by investment professionals to determine the likelihood that the debt will be repaid.

Key Takeaways

Bond rating agencies are companies that assess the creditworthiness of both debt securities and their issuers.

In the United States, the three primary bond rating agencies are Standard & Poor's Global Ratings, Moody's, and Fitch Ratings.

The bond rating agencies provide useful information to the markets and help investors save on research costs.

Bond rating agencies were heavily criticized early in the 21st century for assigning flawed ratings, particularly for mortgage-backed securities.

Understanding Bond Rating Agencies

In the United States, the three primary bond rating agencies are Standard & Poor's Global Ratings, Moody's, and Fitch Ratings. Each uses a unique letter-based rating system to quickly convey to investors whether a bond carries a low or high default risk and whether the issuer is financially stable. Standard & Poor's highest rating is AAA, and a bond is no longer considered investment grade if it falls to BB+ status. The lowest rating, D, indicates that the bond is in default. That means the issuer is delinquent in making interest payments and principal repayments to its bondholders.

In general, Moody's assigns bond credit ratings of Aaa, Aa, A, Baa, Ba, B, Caa, Ca, C, with WR and NR as withdrawn and not rated, respectively. Standard & Poor's and Fitch assign bond credit ratings of AAA, AA, A, BBB, BB, B, CCC, CC, C, and D, with the latter denoting a bond issuer in default.

The agencies rate bonds at the time they are issued. They periodically reevaluate bonds and their issuers to see if they should change the ratings. Bond ratings are important because they affect the interest rates that companies and government agencies pay on their issued bonds.

The top three bond rating agencies are private firms that rate corporate and municipal bonds based on the associated degree of risk. They sell the ratings for publication in the financial press and daily newspapers. Other bond rating agencies in the United States include Kroll Bond Rating Agency (KBRA), Dun & Bradstreet Corporation, and Egan-Jones Ratings (EJR) Company.

Benefits of Bond Rating Agencies

Although bond rating agencies were heavily criticized early in the 21st century, they continue to perform valuable functions for investors. A variety of exchange traded funds (ETFs) depend on bond ratings for their purchases. For example, an investment-grade bond ETF will buy or sell bonds depending on the ratings that they receive from the bond rating agencies. In this way, the agencies act similarly to fund managers charged with investing in securities of sufficient quality.

The bond rating agencies provide useful information to the markets. However, they are not responsible for the often irrational ways that investors and funds respond to that information. Even managed mutual funds frequently have rules that require them to sell bonds that fall below a specific credit rating. A rating downgrade can cause a downward spiral of forced selling, creating bargains for investors in fallen angel bonds.

Criticism of Bond Rating Agencies

Since the 2008 credit crisis, rating agencies have been criticized for not identifying all of the risks that could impact a security's creditworthiness. In particular, they were blamed for giving high credit ratings to mortgage-backed securities (MBS) that turned out to be high-risk investments. Investors continue to be concerned about possible conflicts of interest. Bond issuers pay the agencies for the service of providing ratings, and no one wants to pay for a low rating. Because of these and other shortcomings, ratings should not be the only factor investors rely on when assessing the risk of a particular bond investment.

The bond rating agencies are private companies with their own agendas, not independent nonprofit organizations working for investors.

On the other hand, bond rating agencies have also been criticized for causing financial losses by making dubious rating downgrades. Most famously, S&P downgraded the U.S. federal government's credit rating from AAA to AA+ during the 2011 debt ceiling crisis. In point of fact, the Federal Reserve can always print more money to pay interest. Furthermore, the U.S. government showed no signs of defaulting during the following decade. Nonetheless, stock prices experienced a significant correction in 2011. Some innocent companies ended up paying higher interest on their debts. However, the market showed its lack of confidence in S&P's downgrade by sending U.S. Treasury bond prices higher.

The relatively discrete way in which the agencies rate bonds also generally makes market volatility unnecessarily high. The most extreme case occurs when the agencies downgrade a nation's debt from investment grade to junk status. For example, S&P's downgrade of Greece's national debt to junk in 2010 contributed to the European sovereign debt crisis. A more continuous system would give markets more time to adjust. Rating debt on a scale of 0 to 1,000 and updating the ratings on a more frequent basis could prevent declines from turning into disasters.
Dawkins / (dknz) / New Word List Save This dj wild poker onlineWord! / (dknz) /Save ThisWord!

nounRichard. born 1941, British zoologist, noted for such works as The Selfish Gene (1976), The Blind Watchmaker (1986), The God Delusion (2006), and The Greatest Show on Earth (2009)

Words nearby Dawkins

How to use in a sentence Lately, Richard Dawkins seems to scan the world for sore spots, take a good poke, and revel in the ensuing outcry. Richard Dawkins Would Fail Philosophy 101|Elizabeth Picciuto|August 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Richard Dawkins Would Fail Philosophy 101|Elizabeth Picciuto|August 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST Richard Dawkins recently tweeted that knowingly birthing a baby with Down syndrome is immoral. Richard Dawkins Would Fail Philosophy 101|Elizabeth Picciuto|August 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Richard Dawkins Would Fail Philosophy 101|Elizabeth Picciuto|August 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST As Kohen points out to The Daily Beast, Dawkins never actually apologizes for what he said. Richard Dawkins Would Fail Philosophy 101|Elizabeth Picciuto|August 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Richard Dawkins Would Fail Philosophy 101|Elizabeth Picciuto|August 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST In more recent tweets, Dawkins has been suggesting that with every action, we change the future children who are born. Richard Dawkins Would Fail Philosophy 101|Elizabeth Picciuto|August 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST But, eventually, Dawkins would apply it to religion in some rather questionable ways. The Midichlorians Made Me Do It: Can Microbes Explain Religion?|Michael Schulson|August 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Midichlorians Made Me Do It: Can Microbes Explain Religion?|Michael Schulson|August 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST Dawkins had not been an hour in master's company before he knew that he had a pidgin to pluck. Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush|William Makepeace Thackeray

Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush|William Makepeace Thackeray Next day, his strattygam for becoming acquainted with Mr. Dawkins we exicuted; and very pritty it was. Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush|William Makepeace Thackeray

Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush|William Makepeace Thackeray He flung opn Mr. Dawkins's door, shouting out, "Daw my old buck, how are you?" Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush|William Makepeace Thackeray

Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush|William Makepeace Thackeray Not so: Dawkins won always, Mr. B. betting on his play, and giving him the very best of advice. Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush|William Makepeace Thackeray

Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush|William Makepeace Thackeray Thanks to poar Dawkins's five thousand pound, we were as complete gentlemen as any in Paris. Memoirs of Mr. Charles J. Yellowplush|William Makepeace Thackeray

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondawdle, Dawes, Dawes Act of 1887, Dawes plan, dawk, Dawkins, dawn, dawn chorus, dawney, dawn horse, dawningCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
What Is Junior Equity?bon sense

Junior equity is stock issued by a company that ranks at the bottom of the priority ladder in terms of ownership rights. Its owners are the last in line to receive certain payouts, such as dividends or reimbursements in cases of bankruptcy.

Common stock is a type of junior equity. It is considered subordinate, or junior, to preferred stock.

Key Takeaways

Common stock is a type of junior equity.

Its junior status means that its owners are last in line to be repaid in the event of a bankruptcy filing by the company that issued it.

Bondholders, preferred stock shareholders, and other debtholders collect before junior equity holders.

Junior equity does have advantages: Common shares tend to appreciate more in price and they carry voting rights.

How Junior Equity Works

Equity, a form of ownership often represented by shares of stock, represents the amount of money that would be returned to shareholders if all of the companys assets were liquidated and its debts were paid off.

Not all shareholders have equal rights, though. There is a pecking order determining who can claim company assets firstand owners of junior, aka subordinate, equity sit at the bottom of it.

That means that in the event of a bankruptcy, holders of junior equity may get no compensation. These owners of common stock have rights to a company's assets only after bondholders, preferred shareholders, and other debtholders are paid in full.

The pay-out structure of a company in bankruptcy is governed by the Absolute Priority Rule, which states that in liquidation certain creditors must be satisfied in full before any other creditors receive any payments.

Junior equity also takes a back seat to preferred stock when it comes to income distribution. Owners of preferred stock shares receive an agreed-upondividend at regular intervals, making these distributions similar to bonds' coupon payments.

Owners of common stock may or may not receive a dividend, and its amount fluctuates depending on the company's earnings. Compensating preferred stockholders takes priority.

Example of Junior Equity

Larrys Lemonade, a publicly-traded company, needs money to buy more lemons in order to fulfill a major purchase order. Its management decides to issue bonds to raise money.

Business at Larrys Lemonade then takes a turn for the worst, forcing it to shut down its operation and declare bankruptcy. It owes money to its employees and its suppliers as well as its bondholders and shareholders.

Everyone with a stake in the company is eager to collect what they're owed. All of the company's assets must be sold to raise money, including any leftover supplies, equipment, warehouses, and offices.

Once the business has been liquidated its assets can be distributed. The first priority goes to the bondholders, those who lent Larry's Lemonade capital to buy more lemons, followed by its other debtors.

Only if and when all of those groups have been paid in full do the junior equity holders of common stock have an opportunity to receive any remaining assets. They are very unlikely to get anything back for their investment.

The opposite of junior equity is known as senior equity or senior security.

Advantages of Junior Equity

While the potential risks are greater in junior equity, the potential rewards are greater as well.

Common stock has historically outperformed bonds and preferred shares. Preferred shares typically do not reflect appreciation to the same degree as common stock. Their prices tend to stay around their initial issue price, behaving more like bonds than common stock shares.

When a company thrives, junior equity is generally the best type of stock to hold over the long term.

Unlike preferred stock, owning common stock also gives shareholders voting rightsmeaning they can have a voice, albeit a very quiet one, in how the business is run.

Special Considerations

A counterpart to junior equity in the debt world is junior debt. Also known as subordinated debt, it refers to bonds, loans, or other obligations issued with a lower priority for repayment than other, more senior debt claims in the case of the issuer's default. As a result, junior debt tends to be riskier for investors, and thus pays higher interest rates than more senior debt from the same issuer.
Theaztec slot 8800 iGaming sector, which encompasses casino gaming, sports betting and lotteries and competitions, has witnessed remarkable growth here in the 21st century. iGaming has effectively revolutionized the traditional gambling landscape and created lucrative opportunities for the gambling industry worldwide.

The advancement of technology and changing consumer behaviors have seen the demand for online gambling platforms soar, with global audiences now hungry for convenient and immersive gaming experiences. Players expect the best from the operators they choose to gamble with, whether that resources on topics like how to win at blackjack or the most cutting-edge live dealer games. In certain markets, iGaming is now outperforming the traditional casino and wagering sectors by a considerable margin.

In this article, we will explore the development of the iGaming industry and look at those factors that have contributed to its stellar rise to date.

A New Era of Gaming

Prior to the 21st century, the remote gambling landscape was a remarkably different beast. While early platforms pioneered the sector and several casino simulation video games were enjoyed by console and PC gamers, the industry was nevertheless met with skepticism. However, the advent of the internet ushered in a digital transformation that would forever change the landscape of digital real-money gaming.

Post Y2K, online gambling quickly gained traction as players embraced the convenience and accessibility it offered. As connected technologies became more widespread and devices became more affordable from 2010 onwards, the growth of iGaming underwent further acceleration, enabling consumers to engage in gaming activities anytime, anywhere.

Key iGaming Markets

Unsurprisingly, given that the continent is often at the bleeding edge of innovation and technology, Europe has emerged as a hotbed for the iGaming industry and boasts a vast and diverse market. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Malta and the Isle of Man have established themselves as leading iGaming jurisdictions, attracting an array of operators and some of the biggest industry investments.

Furthermore, the regulatory frameworks in European markets strike a delicate balance between safeguarding players and fostering innovation, making them a particularly appealing environment for iGaming brands seeking longevity and profitability.

During the past five years, the United States has once again become a transformative force in the iGaming landscape. Following the Supreme Court's landmark decision in 2018 to reverse the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), several states have legalized online gambling, generating a surge of market opportunities. States like New Jersey and Pennsylvania have set record after record for gross gambling yield, while new movements in legislation throughout the country indicate that the US market is poised for exponential growth.

The Factors Fueling the Success of iGaming

Many casino games are centuries old, and they're readily available in brick-and-mortar venues across the globe. Residents and travelers alike would be hard pushed to find a major city in any country that isn't home to at least one gaming venue. What, then, is so appealing about iGaming?

Convenience and Accessibility

Easily one of the most significant drivers of the success of iGaming is its convenience and accessibility. Online platforms eliminate the need for a physical presence, allowing users to play from the comfort of their homes or even on the go. Digital casinos and betting platforms are open 24/7, 365 days a year and are welcome to all consumers who meet the sign-up requirements.

More recently, the proliferation of mobile iGaming apps has further expanded the reach of the industry, enabling players to enjoy their favorite casino games or take advantage of numerous betting markets with a few taps on their smartphones.

Wide Range of Games and Betting Options

The accessibility of iGaming is only further enhanced by the extensive array of games and betting options typically offered by platforms in the industry. From traditional casino games like poker, blackjack, and roulette to sports betting and even online tournaments, iGaming platforms cater to a diverse audience with varying preferences. This is particularly relevant to players who belong to minority groups or those who wouldn't feel comfortable in the often male-dominated atmosphere of traditional gaming venues and events.

Enhanced User Experiences and Engagement

The iGaming industry has continually pushed the boundaries of technology to enhance user experience and prioritize engagement. From high-definition graphics and immersive sound effects to interactive live dealer games and virtual reality experiences, online gambling platforms have leveraged cutting-edge innovations to create an authentic, captivating environment that replicates the thrill of a traditional casino.

One of the newest UX developments in the sector is the integration of machine learning and AI to create personalized experiences for players. More and more platforms offer bespoke user interfaces to their registered customers, with content, bonuses and promotions tailored to their individual interests.

Regulation and Licensing

Gamer security is of paramount importance throughout the gambling industry, and the digital sectors are regulated by robust frameworks that ensure fair play, responsible gaming, and player funds and personal information. Regulatory bodies like the Malta Gaming Authority and the United Kingdom Gambling Commission have set industry standards, and being licensed by such bodies fosters trust and credibility among operators, players, and investors.

iGaming is undoubtedly one of the biggest success stories of the 21st century. While digital gaming will likely never truly take the place of brick-and-mortar experiences, the continued evolution of technology holds enormous potential for increased expansion and innovation in the industry.

Category: Casino Blog
Theweek 3 bet9ja code bellagio casino Federal Reserve this year has raised interest rates at the fastest pace since the 1980s, making it increasingly expensive to borrow money as it seeks to slow consumer and business demand and drive inflation lower.

So far, those moves are making more of a splash than a wave.

The Fed has lifted interest rates to nearly 4 percent this month from just above zero in March, and those moves are clearly rippling through financial markets. The housing market has slowed as mortgage rates have surged, and some specific industries  most notably technology  are feeling the pinch. But other parts of the economy, including consumer spending and the labor market, have proved surprisingly resilient to the central banks interest rates changes.

Economists are closely watching for any sign that those areas of economic strength are beginning to crack. Some are warning that the slowdown is coming but will simply take time to fully play out, because the interest rate moves already enacted will take months or years to have their entire effect.

It just hasnt moved through the whole economy yet, Gabriel Chodorow-Reich, a professor of economics at Harvard, said. Theres contraction in the pipeline  the question is how severe?

Even so, Fed officials will have to decide how much more they must lift interest rates before they can feel confident that inflation will eventually come back down to their goal of 2 percent. The job markets trajectory in coming months and the holiday shopping season could help to inform how much further officials believe they have to go.

Heres where rate increases are having an effect, where they arent, and why it matters.

Interest-sensitive sectors are slowing.

Whats happening in the housing market is clear evidence that the Feds moves are having an impact. Mortgages are at their most expensive in 20 years, with borrowing costs on a 30-year fixed rate loan hovering near 7 percent. Buyers are giving up as prices remain high and borrowing becomes unaffordable: Pending home sales have swooned, new housing construction has pulled back sharply and existing home sales have fallen for a record nine straight months.

Some experts in the car industry also expect used vehicle demand to wane and prices to fall in the coming months, in part because auto loans have become pricier. Pre-owned car prices already declined notably in October inflation data.

Inflation F.A.Q. Card 1 of 5 Card 1 of 5 What is inflation? contributed reporting.

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Lets say you have just written a book. You are a fantastic writer, and you have a captivating story to tell, so the book sells millions of copies. A few years later, your publisher wants to release a new edition of the book to make even more money. They ask you to write a short note reflecting on anything that has changed for you since the first edition.

If you put the note before the original text, it would probably be called a preface or an authors note. If you put it at the end, it would probably be called an addendum.

Lets say that a few years later, the process repeats itself and you write another note. Now you have two. Is the new one still an addendum, or are they addenda now?

If you arent sure about the question of addendum vs. addenda, you arent alone. Many writers dont know the difference between these two words.

What is the Difference Between Addenda and Addendum?

In this post, I will compare addenda vs. addendum. I will use both of these words in example sentences, so you can see how they appear in context.

Plus, I am going to use a mnemonic device that you can also use when you need to remember whether addendum or addenda is the correct word.

When to Use Addendum

What does addendum mean? An addendum is a note at the end of a piece of text, like a letter, a book, or an article. Authors might include an addendum if they notice an error in something that they already sent out or published, or if new information comes out, or if they simply forgot something.

The word addendum is a singular noun. It comes, like so many English words, from Latin roots, and it was first recorded in English in the mid-17th century.

Here are some examples of the word in sentences:

When I publish the second edition of my bestselling cookbook, I will include an addendum with updates to the original text.

In the addendum, the author admitted that his viewpoints had changed since he first wrote the book.

Now comes the shocking addendum that an international team charged with investigating the disappearance of 43 students in Mexico was also being watched with the spyware known as Pegasus, which secretly monitors a cellphone. The New York Times

When to Use Addenda

What does addenda mean? Addenda is the plural form of addendum. If you have more than one addendum, use addenda, not addendums.

For example,

It does make seem to make a valid point that merely checking boxes and scribbling addenda is sloppy. The Washington Post

The chart below shows the relative usage of these plurals:

For some reason, addendums is becoming slightly more popular as time goes on. Addenda is still used much more frequently, though, and you should stick with it, as well.

Likewise, if you have only one addendum, you should use addendum, not addenda. Addendum is only ever singular, and addenda is only ever plural.

Trick to Remember the Difference

As noted above,

Addenda is the plural.

Addendum is the singular.

The forms are never interchangeableaddenda is always plural and never singular. The opposite is true for addendum.

Since addendum contains the letter M, like the prefix mono-(which refers to one of something), you should find it easy to remember that addendum refers to only one of these things.

Summary

Is it addenda or addendum? Addendum is a noun that refers to a note added to the end of something. Addenda is its plural. The usage cases are entirely separate; they cannot be substituted for each other in any contexts.

To conclude,
Thebest crypto apps 2021 au casino industry in the UK has changed dramatically over the last few years. Its now a real phenomenon and while that is largely down to the online format, more and more faces are being welcomed to the tables in major cities too.

Its been a remarkable rise over the last few years. When you compare online gambling sites today and five years ago, its likely doubled, trebled even potentially quadrupled.

The rise in online players has also been beneficial to expanding games like poker, blackjack and baccarat, and a night out at the casino is as big as it ever was.

But what are the best casinos in the UK?

Park Lane Casino

What better place to start than one of the most expensive places on the Monopoly board - Park Lane.

Its one of Londons most exclusive areas and the Park Lane Casino is for the real elite. Its an exclusive private members club that has been in existence for many years, welcoming the worlds most esteemed business people, movie stars, rock stars and more.

They have fine dining and service like you wouldnt believe. Its in the James Bond catalogue of casino.

London Hippodrome

The London Hippodrome has a long history and originally started life as a venue that hosted some of the finest entertainers on the planet.

The likes of Chaplin, Sinatra and Tom Jones have all performed there but today almost anyone can receive a round of applause, if you win on the tables anyway.

Its one of Londons best casinos, located in the heart of Leicester Square and welcomes hundreds and hundreds of punters, both regulars and tourists, each and every day.

The history of the place does make it an intriguing place to visit and one of the finest casinos to visit in the country.

Casino Leo, Liverpool

Located on Liverpools famous Albert Dock, the Casino Leo is a great night for those whove spent the afternoon taking the sights and sounds of the Beatles.

Its a big poker venue and youll find many tables to play on. As well as that there are tons of slots and other table games such as blackjack and roulette.

Its a fine opportunity to play in and around some real history, with the Docks once one of busiest ports on the planet.

Aspers Casino

Aspers is Londons largest casino and youll always find plenty of excitement going on.

There are over 70 tables, as well as a large number of poker tables and is certainly influenced by the super casinos of Las Vegas.

Located in Stratford, just by the 2012 London Olympic Stadium it gives you the chance to go for gold and is perhaps a good look into how the casinos of the future will look in the UK.

Category: Casino Blog
What Is Decision Analysis cheap crypto on coinbase(DA)?

Decision analysis (DA) is a systematic, quantitative, and visual approach to addressing and evaluating the important choices that businesses sometimes face. Ronald A. Howard, a professor of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University, is credited with originating the term in 1964. The idea is used by large and small corporations alike when making various types of decisions, including management, operations, marketing, capital investments, or strategic choices.

Understanding Decision Analysis (DA)

Decision analysis uses a variety of tools to evaluate all relevant information to aid in the decision-making process and incorporates aspects of psychology, management techniques, training, and economics. It is often used to assess decisions that are made in the context of multiple variables and that have many possible outcomes or objectives. The process can be used by individuals or groups attempting to make a decision related to risk management, capital investments, and strategic business decisions.

Key Takeaways

Decision analysis is a systematic, quantitative, and visual approach to making strategic business decisions.

Decision analysis uses a variety of tools and also incorporates aspects of psychology, management techniques, and economics.

Risk, capital investments, and strategic business decisions are areas where decision analysis can be applied.

Decision trees and influence diagrams are visual representations that help in the analysis process.

Critics argue that decision analysis can easily lead to analysis paralysis and, due to information overload, the inability to make any decisions at all.

A graphical representation of alternatives and possible solutions, as well as challenges and uncertainties, can be created on a decision tree or influence diagram. More sophisticated computer models have also been developed to aid in the decision-analysis process.

The goal behind such tools is to provide decision-makers with alternatives when attempting to achieve objectives for the business, while also outlining uncertainties involved and providing measures of how well objectives will be reached if final outcomes are achieved. Uncertainties are typically expressed as probabilities, while frictions between conflicting objectives are viewed in terms of trade-offs and utility functions. That is, objectives are viewed in terms of how much they are worth or, if achieved, their expected value to the organization.

Despite the helpful nature of decision analysis, critics suggest that a major drawback to the approach is "analysis paralysis," which is the overthinking of a situation to the point that no decision can be made. In addition, some researchers who study the methodologies used by decision-makers argue that this type of analysis is not often utilized.

Examples of Decision Analysis

If a real estate development company is deciding on whether or not to build a new shopping center in a location, they might examine several pieces of input to aid in their decision-making process. These might include traffic at the proposed location on various days of the week at different times, the popularity of similar shopping centers in the area, financial demographics, local competition, and preferred shopping habits of the area population. All of these items can be put into a decision-analysis program and different simulations are run that help the company make a decision about the shopping center.

As another example, a company has a patent for a new product that is expected to see rapid sales for two years before becoming obsolete. The company is confronted with a choice of whether to sell the patent now or build the product in-house. Each option has opportunities, risks, and trade-offs, which can be analyzed with a decision tree that considers the benefits of selling the patent verses making the product in-house. Within those two branches of the tree, another group of decision trees can be created to consider such things as the optimal selling price for the patent or the costs and benefits of producing the product in-house.
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Iranian security forces briefly detained the father of Mahsa Amini on Saturday amid a heavy security presence on the first anniversary of her death in police custody that sparked months of anti-government protests.

Security forces detained Amjad Amini today and returned him to his house after threatening him against marking his daughters death anniversary, the Kurdistan Human Rights network said, according to Arab News.

Irans official IRNA news agency denied that Amjad Amini was arrested, but it did not say if he was briefly detained or warned.

The death of the 22-year-old Kurdish woman in the custody of the morality police last year on 16 September for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republics mandatory dress code triggered months of protests that represented the biggest show of opposition to the authorities in years.

Many called for an end to more than four decades of Shiite clerical rule.

Aminis parents had said in a statement earlier this week that, despite government warnings, they would hold a traditional and religious anniversary ceremony at their daughters grave in Saqez.

Security forces took up positions around Aminis home in Saqez, in western Iran, according to rights groups. Widespread strikes were also reported in multiple cities in Irans Kurdistan region.

However, IRNA said Aminis hometown of Saqez was completely quiet and that calls for strike in Kurdish areas had failed due to peoples vigilance and the presence of security and military forces.

A graffiti that reads in Farsi Woman, Life, Freedom the key slogan of anti-government protests after the death of 22-year-old woman Mahsa Amini in the September of 2022 (AP)

It quoted an official in the Kurdistan province as saying: A number of agents affiliated with counter-revolutionary groups who had planned to create chaos and prepare media fodder were arrested in the early hours of this morning.

In the protests that followed Aminis death more than 500 people, including 71 minors, were killed, hundreds injured and thousands arrested, rights groups said. Iran carried out seven executions linked to the unrest.

In a report last month, Amnesty International said Iranian authorities have been subjecting victims families to arbitrary arrest and detention, imposing cruel restrictions on peaceful gatherings at grave sites, and destroying victims gravestones.

Story continues

On Friday, UKs foreign secretary James Cleverly announced new sanctions, targeting senior decision makers who are enforcing Irans mandatory hijab law. Todays sanctions on those responsible for Irans oppressive laws send a clear message that the UK and our partners will continue to stand with Iranian women and call out the repression it is inflicting on its own people, Mr Cleverly said.

Those sanctioned include Irans minister for culture and Islamic guidance, his deputy, the mayor of Tehran, and an Iranian police spokesperson, the Foreign Office said. He said the sanctions were coordinated with similar moves by the United States, Canada and Australia.

Irans foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani slammed the illegal and undiplomatic actions in a statement issued on Friday.

Mr Kanani condemned the interventionist actions and statements and ridiculous and hypocritical displays of support for the protest movement, according to AFP.

US President Joe Biden issued a statement acknowledging the anniversary of Aminis death.

Jill [the first lady] and I join people around the world in remembering her  and every brave Iranian citizen who has been killed, wounded or imprisoned by the Iranian regime for peacefully demanding democracy and their basic human dignity, Mr Biden said.

Irans government, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have blamed the West for fomenting the unrest, without offering evidence to support the allegation.

One year since the nationwide protests in the aftermath of the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, harassment of women and girls by Iranian authorities are on the rise, an independent UN investigative body said on Thursday.

A government probe into the death fell far short of international standards, including the requirements of independence and transparency, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Iran said.

Jina Mahsa should never have been arrested in the first place, said Sara Hossain, Chair of the Human Rights Council-appointed mission.

(With additional reporting by agencies)
Esports gambling is new Australia casinos best no deposit bonus codesquickly becoming one of the most popular forms of online betting. With the rise of esports, more and more people are turning to this form of gambling. But before you jump into the world of esports gambling there are some things you need to know.

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How esports gambling is taking the world by storm

Esports gambling is quickly becoming one of the most popular forms of online betting. The global esports gambling market is expected to be worth over $30 billion by 2025 with an annual growth rate of over 20%. This rapid growth can be attributed to several factors including the increasing popularity of esports, the availability of online betting platforms and the ease with which people can access these platforms.

Many countries have begun to legalize betting on video games, making it easier for people to participate in this activity. As a result, more and more people are turning to esports gambling. Given its growing popularity and potential for big wins, it's no wonder this type of gambling is taking the world by storm.

What you should know about esports betting

It is a form of gambling where you bet on the outcome of competitive video game tournaments. Before you start betting on competitions, though, its important to understand the basics of how it works.

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Do your research before placing your bets to know the odds available and the type of bet that best suits your situation. Check the rules and regulations of each tournament or game before placing bets. Always gamble responsibly and never bet more than you can afford to lose.

Where to find the best betting opportunities

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The English language is full of confusing words that trip up native and nonnative writers alike. Todays two words are no exception.

How exactly do you use adapter or adaptor?

What is the Difference Between Adapter and Adaptor?



Unfortunately, there isnt a clear-cut or universally observed distinction. That would be nice, but language is rarely so kind to us.

In this post, I will outline the differences between adapter vs. adaptor, and after reading it, you wont ever again second-guess yourself when using them.

Uses of Adapter and Adaptor

These words have two primary meanings.

The first definitionrefers to a device for connecting pieces of equipment that cannot be connected directly.

I need a power adaptor to charge my laptop.

Most power adapters do feel quite warm to the touch, especially if you have the laptop turned on and are working as you recharge. This is normal. The New York Times

The second definitionrefers to a person who adapts something, e.g., a person who adapts a text to make it suitable for film, broadcasting, or the stage.

The screenplay adapter thinks the script needs some work.

The plays were a very different story: I worked with the adaptor for 10 drafts. The Washington Post

But, which spelling do you use and when? If you notice, I used both spelling for both definitions above.

Possible Distinctions

Some people claim there is a regional difference between these two words: that adapteris used in American English and adaptorin British English (and some people claim the opposite).

If you look at the below graph of American English usage, you can see that adapteris used with much greater frequency than adaptor.

But, if we look at British English usage, we see that adapteris also used more frequently than adaptor, albeit not to quite the same degree as American English.

This shows that both regions, on the whole, use the spelling adapterwith greater frequency.

This doesnt show us how each word is being used (device or person), but it does prove wrong the idea that adapter is the American form and adaptoris the British form.

Instead of a regional difference, others have tried to distinguish these words by their meaning.

Some people claim that an adapteris used only when referring to a person, while adaptoris used only when referring to electronic or other mechanical devices.

Even further, some claim that a device can be an adapter or adaptor, but a person can only be an adapter.

Fowlers Modern Usage Guidesays while such a distinction would be useful, its not widely observed. They go on to say that the spelling adapteris three times more common for both meanings.

Whats the Bottom Line?

Both words are used interchangeably in all contexts and in all varieties of English throughout the world.

If you want to play it safe in your writing, use adapterin all cases. As Fowlersnotes, that is the most common spelling for both meanings all throughout the English-speaking world. Sticking to this spelling is the best way to keep your audiences attention on your message, rather than your word choice.

Still, some writers opt to observe a distinction between the spellings. The British newspaper The Guardian, for instance, makes a distinction between adaptor vs. adapter in its internal style guide, namely, use adaptorwhen referring to devices and adapterwhen referring to people.

This, of course, isnt necessary; its simply a preference. If you want to draw a distinction in your own writing for greater clarity, you can. If you want to keep it simple, use adapterfor both meanings.

Summary

Should you use adaptor or adapter?

Both wordscan be used interchangeably. Adapter is the more common spelling for either meaning of the word.
When speaking or writing English, using the past tense can be confusing. There are many types of tenses when referring to events that have already happened. To make matters worse, English contains many irregular verbs that are conjugated in ways that dont immediately make sense.

This lack of consistency can (and does) lead to quite a few mistakes. One of the easiest mistakes to make is to misuse began and begun, which are two forms of the irregular verb begin.

In spoken English, the two words are often used interchangeably, but in academic and professional writing, knowing the difference between these words is important.

Began vs Begun: Whats the Difference?

What is the difference between began and begun? In this article, Ill explain the differences between began and begun, use these words in a sentence, and demonstrate how to choose began or begun and use each correctly.

When to Use Began

What does began mean? Began and begun are both conjugations of the irregular verb to begin, which means to start or proceed with something.

Began is the simple past tense form of begin. It does not need any helping, or auxiliary verbs, like had.

So, while you might say,

Gavin began to open the package.

You would not say,

Gavin had began to open the package.

Began is never used with a helping verb.

When to Use Begun

What does begun mean? Begun, meanwhile, is the past participle form of the same verb. It, therefore, should be used with helping verbs.

You couldsay,

Yasmin had begun to eat the cake.

But you wouldntsay,

Yasmin begun to eat the cake.

If youre using begun, it needs a helping verbin order to be correct.

This brings us to the differences between simple past and past participles. Simple past tense describes things that happened in the past. The sentence Gavin began to open the package describes an event that happened in the past. The past participle describes something that happened in the past in conjunction with other events in the past.

Yasmin had begun to eat the cake describes one of a sequence of events. For instance, one could say,

Yasmin had already begun to eat the cake by the time we sang to her.

As you can see, beganis not used with a helping verb.

Begun, on the other hand, is always used with a helping verb.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Because began and begun are so similar, it can be difficult to remember which word is which.

If you find yourself confused, remember that begun rhymes with one, and since begun is a past participle, it needs one more word to go with it: a helping verb.

Summary: Begun vs. Began

Began and begun are two forms of the irregular verb begin.

Began is the simple past conjugation. Began is not used with any helping verb.

Begun is the past participle form.Begun must always have a helping verb to be correct.

If you have trouble deciding which word to use, remember that begun rhymes with one and always needs one helping verb in grammatically correct English.

Being able to use each word accurately when speaking or writing signifies intelligence and professionalism. If youre having trouble deciding whether to use began or begun, you can always revisit this article as a quick refresher.
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A transfer agent is a trust company, bank, or similar institution assigned by a corporation for the purposes of maintaining an investor's financial records and tracking each investor's account balance. The transfer agent records transactions, cancels and issues certificates, processes investor mailings, and handles a host of other investor problems, including reissuing lost or stolen certificates.

Transfer agents work closely with registrars to ensure investors receive their due interest and dividend payments in a timely manner. Transfer agents likewise oversee the mailing of monthly investment statements to mutual fund shareholders.

Key Takeaways

A transfer agent plays a vital role in acting as a liaison between a company's registrar and an investor.

Transfer agents closely maintain an investor's account balances and electronically maintain certificates of security ownership.

Stock transfer agents make sure shareholders receive dividend payments in a timely manner.

Bond transfer agents make sure bondholders receive their due interest payments, plus the face value of the bond, once it reaches maturity.

Transfer Agent

Understanding Transfer Agent

1:19

Traditionally, when investors purchased a security, they received a physical paper certificate. Today, transfer agents issue certificates in book-entry forman electronic method of recording securities ownership that saves vast amounts of time and money. These book-entry securities vary depending on the investment.

For example, bonds are issued in $1,000 multiples, while stock and mutual fund holdings are issued as shares. Meanwhile, unit investment trusts (UIT) are sold in block units. Transfer agents process all types of securities in book-entry form, in whatever necessary shape they must take.

Transfer Agent Responsibilities

Common and preferred stock shareholders have the right to vote on major corporate decisions, such as merger activities and the sale of companies. These votes are facilitated through transfer agents who send proxy information to shareholders.

Transfer agents likewise furnish shareholders with annual reports, including companies' audited financial statements. And at year-end, transfer agents and registrars jointly send federal tax information to investors, including dividends information and interest paid, along with data on security trades executed during the year.

Distribution of Funds and Shares

Transfer agents pay distributions to investors, based on the registrar's records. For example, transfer agents send interest payments to bondholders, as well as the face value of their bonds, once they reach maturity. Similarly, transfer agents send cash dividend payments to stock investors, once the companies they invest in generate sufficient earnings.

Transfer agents also send stock shares to investors after a stock split. If, for example, the company has a 3-for-1 stock split, each shareholder receives two additional shares for every share they already own. On the other hand, when a 10% stock dividend is paid, the transfer agent would issue another 10 shares to shareholders who own 100 shares.

If investors hold securities in their own names and wish to transfer or sell those securities, they may need to get their signatures guaranteed before the transfer agent will accept the transactions.

Mutual Fund Transfer Agents

Mutual fund transfer agents differ from stock transfer agents in that the former never issue physical certificates, where the latter must do so, on shareholder request. However, mutual fund transfer agents perform many other important tasks, like maintaining records of shareholders' accounts, overseeing dividend payments, and responding to shareholder requests for account statements, income tax forms, and transaction confirmations.

Benefits of Transfer Agents

All shareholders are entitled to accurate information about their investments. While some corporations choose to act as their own transfer agents, other companies decide to use third-parties like trust companies, banks, or similar financial institutions. These companies receive fees for their services.

These third-party companies specialize in providing transfer agent services and many corporations find the expense of hiring a third-party company well worth it. Transfer agents handle a detailed and challenging job, especially for large corporations with many shareholders. For example, it's not uncommon for a publicly traded company to issue millions of shares of stock. Someone has to keep all of the information relevant to those millions of shares in order.

It's part of the company's fiduciary responsibility to its shareholders to ensure that all investor records, account balances, and transactions are safeguarded and accurately tracked. Transfer agents fulfill this vital role in maintaining records and providing investors with timely and reliable information.
What Is a Collateralized Debt Obligation (CDO)?bitcoin price chart coin gecko

A collateralized debt obligation (CDO) is a complex structured finance product that is backed by a pool of loans and other assets and sold to institutional investors.

A CDO is a particular type of derivative because, as its name implies, its value is derived from another underlying asset. These assets become the collateral if the loan defaults.

Key Takeaways

A collateralized debt obligation is a complex structured finance product that is backed by a pool of loans and other assets.

These underlying assets serve as collateral if the loan goes into default.

Though risky and not for all investors, CDOs are a viable tool for shifting risk and freeing up capital.

A Primer On Collateralized Debt Obligation (CDOs)

Understanding Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs)

2:02

The earliest CDOs were constructed in 1987 by the former investment bank, Drexel Burnham Lambertwhere Michael Milken, then called the "junk bond king," reigned. The Drexel bankers created these early CDOs by assembling portfolios of junk bonds, issued by different companies. CDOs are called "collateralized" because the promised repayments of the underlying assets are the collateral that gives the CDOs their value.

Ultimately, other securities firms launched CDOs containing other assets that had more predictable income streams, such as automobile loans, student loans, credit card receivables, and aircraft leases. However, CDOs remained a niche product until 200304, when the U.S. housing boom led CDO issuers to turn their attention to subprime mortgage-backed securities as a new source of collateral for CDOs.

Collateralized debt obligations exploded in popularity, with CDO sales rising almost tenfold from $30 billion in 2003 to $225 billion in 2006. But their subsequent implosion, triggered by the U.S. housing correction, saw CDOs become one of the worst-performing instruments in the subprime meltdown, which began in 2007 and peaked in 2009. The bursting of the CDO bubble inflicted losses running into hundreds of billions of dollars for some of the largest financial services institutions. These losses resulted in the investment banks either going bankrupt or being bailed out via government intervention and helped to escalate the global financial crisis, the Great Recession, during this period.

Despite their role in the financial crisis, collateralized debt obligations are still an active area of structured finance investing. CDOs and the even more infamous synthetic CDOs are still in use, as ultimately they are a tool for shifting risk and freeing up capitaltwo of the very outcomes that investors depend on Wall Street to accomplish, and for which Wall Street has always had an appetite.

The CDO Process

To create a CDO, investment banks gather cash flow-generating assetssuch as mortgages, bonds, and other types of debtand repackage them into discrete classes, or tranches based on the level of credit risk assumed by the investor.

These tranches of securities become the final investment products, bonds, whose names can reflect their specific underlying assets. For example, mortgage-backed securities (MBS)are comprised of mortgage loans, and asset-backed securities (ABS) contain corporate debt, auto loans, or credit card debt.

Other types of CDOs include collateralized bond obligations (CBOs)investment-grade bonds that are backed by a pool of high-yield but lower-rated bonds, and collateralized loan obligations (CLOs)single securities that are backed by a pool of debt, that often contain corporate loans with a low credit rating.

Collateralized debt obligations are complicated, and numerous professionals have a hand in creating them:

Securities firms, who approve the selection of collateral, structure the notes into tranches and sell them to investors

CDO managers, who select the collateral and often manage the CDO portfolios

Rating agencies, who assess the CDOs and assign them credit ratings

Financial guarantors, who promise to reimburse investors for any losses on the CDO tranches in exchange for premium payments

Investors such as pension funds and hedge funds

CDO Structure

The tranches of CDOs are named to reflect their risk profiles; for example, senior debt, mezzanine debt, and junior debtpictured in the sample below along with their Standard and Poor's (S&P) credit ratings. But the actual structure varies depending on the individual product.

Image by Sabrina Jiang  Investopedia 2020

In the table, note that the higher the credit rating, the lower the coupon rate (rate of interest the bond pays annually). If the loan defaults, the senior bondholders get paid first from the collateralized pool of assets, followed by bondholders in the other tranches according to their credit ratings; the lowest-rated credit is paid last.

The senior tranches are generally safest because they have the first claim on the collateral. Although the senior debt is usually rated higher than the junior tranches, it offers lower coupon rates. Conversely, the junior debt offers higher coupons (more interest) to compensate for their greater risk of default; but because they are riskier, they generally come with lower credit ratings.

Senior Debt = Higher credit rating, but lower interest rates. Junior Debt = Lower credit rating, but higher interest rates.

How Are Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDO) Created?

To create a collateralized debt obligation (CDO), investment banks gather cash flow-generating assetssuch as mortgages, bonds, and other types of debtand repackage them into discrete classes, or tranches based on the level of credit risk assumed by the investor. These tranches of securities become the final investment products, bonds, whose names can reflect their specific underlying assets.

What Should the Different CDO Tranches Tell an Investor?

The tranches of a CDO reflect their risk profiles. For example, senior debt would have a higher credit rating than mezzanine and junior debt. If the loan defaults, the senior bondholders get paid first from the collateralized pool of assets, followed by bondholders in the other tranches according to their credit ratings with the lowest-rated credit paid last. The senior tranches are generally safest because they have the first claim on the collateral.

What Is a Synthetic CDO?

A synthetic CDO is a type of collateralized debt obligation (CDO) that invests in noncash assets that can offer extremely high yields to investors. However, they differ from traditional CDOs, which typically invest in regular debt products such as bonds, mortgages, and loans, in that they generate income by investing in noncash derivatives such as credit default swaps (CDSs), options, and other contracts. Synthetic CDOs are typically divided into credit tranches based on the level of credit risk assumed by the investor.
What Is a Decile?free slots cleo

A decile is a quantitative method of splitting up a set of ranked data into 10 equally large subsections. This type of data ranking is performed as part of many academic and statistical studies in the finance and economics fields. The data may be ranked from largest to smallest values, or vice versa.

A decile, which has 10 categorical buckets may be contrasted with percentiles that have 100, quartiles that have four, or quintiles that have five.

What Is a Decile?

Key Takeaways

A decile is a quantitative method of splitting up a set of ranked data into 10 equally large subsections.

A decile rank arranges the data in order from lowest to highest and is done on a scale of one to 10 where each successive number corresponds to an increase of 10 percentage points.

This type of data ranking is performed as part of many academic and statistical studies in the finance and economics fields.

Understanding a Decile

1:36

In descriptive statistics, a decile is used to categorize large data sets from the highest to lowest values, or vice versa. Like the quartile and the percentile, a decile is a form of a quantile that divides a set of observations into samples that are easier to analyze and measure.

While quartiles are three data points that divide an observation into four equal groups or quarters, a decile consists of nine data points that divide a data set into 10 equal parts. When an analyst or statistician ranks data and then splits them into deciles, they do so in an attempt to discover the largest and smallest values by a given metric.

For example, by splitting the entire S&P 500 Index into deciles (50 firms in each decile) using the P/E multiple, the analyst will discover the companies with the highest and lowest P/E valuations in the index.

A decile is usually used to assign decile ranks to a data set. A decile rank arranges the data in order from lowest to highest and is done on a scale of one to 10 where each successive number corresponds to an increase of 10 percentage points. In other words, there are nine decile points. The 1st decile, or D1, is the point that has 10% of the observations below it, D2 has 20% of the observations below it, D3 has 30% of the observations falling below it, and so on.

How to Calculate a Decile

There is no one way of calculating a decile; however, it is important that you are consistent with whatever formula you decide to use to calculate a decile. One simple calculation of a decile is:

 D1 = Value of [ n + 1 1 0 ] th Data \begin{ aligned} &\text{ D1} = \text{ Value of } \left [ \frac{ n + 1 }{ 10 } \right ] \text{ th Data} \\ \end{ aligned} D1=Value of [10n+1]th Data

 D2 = Value of [ 2  ( n + 1 ) 1 0 ] th Data \begin{ aligned} &\text{ D2} = \text{ Value of } \left [ \frac{ 2 \times ( n + 1 ) }{ 10 } \right ] \text{ th Data} \\ \end{ aligned} D2=Value of [102(n+1)]th Data

 D3 = Value of [ 3  ( n + 1 ) 1 0 ] th Data \begin{ aligned} &\text{ D3} = \text{ Value of } \left [ \frac{ 3 \times ( n + 1 ) }{ 10 } \right ] \text{ th Data} \\ \end{ aligned} D3=Value of [103(n+1)]th Data

 D9 = Value of [ 9  ( n + 1 ) 1 0 ] th Data \begin{ aligned} &\text{ D9} = \text{ Value of } \left [ \frac{ 9 \times ( n + 1 ) }{ 10 } \right ] \text{ th Data} \\ \end{ aligned} D9=Value of [109(n+1)]th Data

From this formula, it is given that the 5th decile is the median since 5 (n+1) / 10 is the data point that represents the halfway point of the distribution.

Deciles in Finance and Economics

Deciles are used in the investment field to assess the performance of a portfolio or a group of mutual funds. The decile rank acts as a comparative number that measures the performance of an asset against similar assets.

For example, say an analyst is evaluating the performance of a set of mutual funds over time, a mutual fund that is ranked five on a decile scale of one to 10 means its in the top 50%. By splitting the mutual funds into deciles, the analyst can review the best and worst-performing mutual funds for a given time period, arranged from the smallest to highest average return on investment.

The government also uses deciles to determine the level of income inequality in the country, that is, how income is distributed. For example, if the top 20 wage earners of a country of 50,000 citizens fall in the 10th decile and earn more than 50% of the total income in the country, one can conclude that there is a very high degree of income inequality in that country. In this case, the government can introduce measures to decrease the wage gap, such as increasing the income tax of the rich and creating estate taxes to limit how much wealth can be passed on to beneficiaries as an inheritance.

Example of a Decile

The table below shows the ungrouped scores (out of 100) for 30 exam takers:



48



52



55



57



58



60



61



64



65



66



69



72



73



75



76



78



81



82



84



87



88



90



91



92



93



94



95



96



97



99



Using the information presented in the table, the 1st decile can be calculated as:

= Value of [(30 + 1) / 10]th data

= Value of 3.1st data, which is 0.1 of the way between scores 55 and 57

= 55 + 2 (0.1) = 55.2 = D1

D1 means that 10% of the data set falls below 55.2.

Lets calculate the 3rd decile:

D3 = Value of 3 (30 + 1) / 10

D3 = Value of 9.3rd position, which is 0.3 between the scores of 65 and 66

Thus, D3 = 65 + 1 (0.3) = 65.3

30% of the 30 scores in the observation fall below 65.3.

What would we get if we were to calculate the 5th decile?

D5 = Value of 5 (30 + 1) / 10

D5 = Value of 15.5th position, halfway between scores 76 and 78

50% of the scores fall below 77.

Also, notice how the 5th decile is also the median of the observation. Looking at the data set in the table, the median, which is the middle data point of any given set of numbers, can be calculated as (76 + 78) / 2 = 77 = median = D5. At this point, half of the scores lie above and below the distribution.
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Paramount+

If you're after an early Halloween scare, Paramount+ has released the first trailer for upcoming prequel movie Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, which you can watch above.

The new movie, starring David Duchovny and The Haunting of Hill House's Henry Thomas, is based on the "untold chapter" from Stephen King's classic novel Pet Sematary that explores just what happened in Ludlow, Maine.

Set in 1969, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines follows a young Jud Crandall (Jackson White) who has dreams of leaving his hometown of Ludlow, until he discovers sinister secrets that force him to confront a dark family history.

Jud and his childhood friends must fight an ancient evil which has gripped Ludlow since its founding and has the power to destroy everything.

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The new movie is a prequel to the 2019 adaptation of Pet Sematary and if you're worried that it's just a cheap cashgrab, Stephen King has shared his approval for the new movie and how it fits in with his original story.

"In the book, this is the story Jud Crandall tells Louis Creed to try and dissuade him from using the Pet Sematary. The screenplay takes a few liberties, but it's a fine story. David Duchovny is excellent. The secret, as always, is caring about the characters," he wrote.

BLOODLINES: In the book, this is the story Jud Crandall tells Louis Creed to try and dissuade him from using the Pet Sematary. The screenplay takes a few liberties, but it's a fine story. David Duchovny is excellent.

The secret, as always, is caring about the characters.  Stephen King (@StephenKing) September 12, 2023

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines will be unleashed on Paramount+ in the US on October 6 and on Paramount+ in the UK and Ireland on October 7.

Directed by Lindsey Anderson Beer (who co-writes alongside Jeff Buhler), the horror movie also stars Forrest Goodluck, Jack Mulhern, Natalie Alyn Lind, Isabella Star LaBlanc, Samantha Mathis and Pam Grier.

Story continues

The movie is the second Stephen King adaptation to be released this year following The Boogeyman, which arrived in cinemas in June and will be released on Disney+ in time for Halloween.

If you're not a Stephen King fan though, we've got you covered with the best horror movies of all time and the best horror movies on Netflix.

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is released on October 6 in the US and October 7 in the UK and Ireland on Paramount+.

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When it comes to online casinos,poker online net ancient aztec art were dealt more choice than ever before. The market is huge and the offerings are expansive. So naturally it can make it difficult to decide who to play with.

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If youre looking for a new place to play in 2019, then theres plenty to consider. Below youll find some of the key factors in which you should consider when signing up to a new casino site...

Payment Methods

The way we pay for things is continually evolving, making our details more secure and allowing payment to be easier. There are dozens of ways to make deposits and withdraw at online casinos these days, so finding a site to suit the methods you wish to pay is certainly taking into account.

One of the more popular ways these days is through eWallets as they allow you to deposit and withdraw without your bank details actually being logged by the casino. Youll find plenty of highy-rated and safe Paypal casinos around, and it essentially means the eWallet acts as a go-between, which is not only safer, but can also be useful when you wish to play online casino via credit card. Credit card companies often frown upon their customers paying with credit and it can affect your credit score. However, this is not the case when playing via PayPal, as ultimately youre just depositing into your PayPal account.

Offers

Of course, we all look for offers when signing up, but you should certainly shop around. Due to the competitive nature of the industry youll find dozens of offers, with many becoming more inventive and offering extra incentives.

This is particularly the case in the USA now as it continues to expand with a promising future. Casinos are looking to grab loyal customers early and theyre doing that with extraordinary free bets and welcome offers. Theres never been a better time to take advantage of these, so look out for the best ones to suit you.

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What Is the Effective Yield?casino royale 007 037

The effective yield is the return on a bond that has its interest payments (or coupons) reinvested at the same rate by the bondholder. Effective yield is the total yield an investor receives, in contrast to the nominal yieldwhich is the stated interest rate of the bond's coupon. Effective yield takes into account the power of compounding on investment returns, while nominal yield does not.

Key Takeaways

The effective yield is calculated as the bonds coupon payments divided by the bonds current market value

Effective yield assumes coupon payments are reinvested. Reinvested coupons mean the effective yield of a bond is higher than the nominal (stated coupon) yield.

To compare a bond's effective yield and its yield-to-maturity, the effective yield must be converted to an effective annual yield.

Bonds trading with an effective yield higher than the yield-to-maturity sell at a premium. If the effective yield is lower than the yield-to-maturity, the bond trades at a discount.

Understanding Effective Yield

The effective yield is a measure of the coupon rate, which is the interest rate stated on a bond and expressed as a percentage of the face value. Coupon payments on a bond are typically paid semi-annually by the issuer to the bond investor. This means that the investor will

receive two coupon payments per year. Effective yield is calculated by dividing the coupon payments by the current market value of the bond.

Effective yield is one way that bondholders can measure their yields on

bonds. There's also the current yield, which represents a bonds annual

return based on its annual coupon payments and current price, as opposed to the face value.

Though similar, current yield doesn't assume coupon reinvestment, as effective yield does.

The drawback of using the effective yield is that it assumes that coupon payments can be reinvested in another vehicle paying the same interest rate. This also means that it assumes the bonds are selling at par. This is not always possible, considering the fact that interest rates change periodically, falling and rising due to certain factors in the economy.

Effective Yield vs. Yield-to-Maturity (YTM)

The yield-to-maturity (YTM) is the rate of return earned on a bond that is held until maturity. To compare the effective yield to the yield-to-maturity (YTM), convert the YTM to an effective annual yield. If the YTM is greater than the bonds effective yield, then the bond is trading at a discount to par. On the other hand, if the YTM is less than the effective yield, the bond is selling at a premium.

YTM is what's called a bond equivalent yield (BEY). Investors can find a more precise annual yield once they know the BEY for a bond if they account for the time value of money in the calculation. This is known as an effective annual yield (EAY).

Example of Effective Yield

If an investor holds a bond with a face value of $1,000 and a 5% coupon paid semi-annually in March and September, he will receive (5%/2) x $1,000 = $25 twice a year for a total of $50 in coupon payments.

However, the effective yield is a measure of return on a bond assuming the coupon payments are reinvested. If payments are reinvested, then his effective yield will be greater than the current yield or nominal yield, due to the effect of compounding. Reinvesting the coupon will produce a higher yield because interest is earned on the interest payments. The investor in the example above will receive a little more than $50 annually using the effective yield evaluation. The formula for calculating effective yield is as follows:

i = [1 + (r/n)]n 1

Where:

i = effective yield

r = nominal rate

n = number of payments per year

Following our initial example presented above, the investors effective yield on his 5% coupon bond will be:

i = [1 + (0.05/2)] 2  1

 1 i = 1.025 2  1

 1 i = 0.0506, or 5.06%

Note that since the bond pays interest semi-annually, payments will be made twice to the bondholder per year; hence, the number of payments per year is two.

From the calculation above, the effective yield of 5.06% is clearly higher than the coupon rate of 5% since compounding is taken into consideration.

To understand this another way, lets scrutinize the details of the coupon payment. In March, the investor receives 2.5% x $1,000 = $25. In September, due to interest compounding, he will receive (2.5% x $1,000) + (2.5% x $25) = 2.5% x $1,025 = $25.625. This translates to an annual payment of $25 in March + $25.625 in September = $50.625. The real interest rate is, therefore, $50.625/$1,000 = 5.06%.
On Wednesday, July 6th, 2022 the Borussia Dortmund football club signed the veteran forward and former star of the Ajax football club, Sebastien Romain Teddy Haller, to a 4  year contract.

The signing of Haller was an attempt for the Borussia Dortmund football club to replace the superstar striker in Erling Haalandwho left town and is now presently under contract with Manchester City.

Borussia Dortmund ultimately ended up paying 31 million euros ($31.5 million), with another 3.5 million euros ($3.6 million) in possible future payments, in order to lock down the 28  year  old Ivory Coast international star according to representatives with Hallers ex  club of Ajax.

Sebastien scored 34  goals for Ajax last season which included the 11  goals he scored over the course of his 8  Champions League matches that provided quite a resurgence to his football career after a below average 2  year run with West Hamin the English Premier League (EPL).

Haller will be assigned with taking over the spot of Haalands center  forward striker position now that the Norwegian  born left town on Borussia Dortmunds football club for the Manchester City football club. Sebastien has now requested to take the # 9 jersey number in which Haaland wore while with Borussia Dortmundfor the past 2  European football seasons.

The overall package is very promising. Sebastien possesses a strong physical presence and he is physically very resilient,the new sporting director of Dortmunds football club, Sebastian Kehl, explained.

With his experience, he can also offer support and stability to our young attacking players.During the talks with us, he made it clear that he has big ambitions with BVB.

This recent transfer characterizes a big return to Germany for Haller who has previously played with Eintracht Frankfurtin the German Bundesliga League from back in 2017 through the year of 2019.

Sebastien Hallers Football Career Achievements, Honors, & Awards

Eintracht Frankfurt

DFB  Pokal: 2017  2018

Ajax

Eredivisie: 2020  2021, 2021  2022

KNVB Cup: 2020  2021

Individual

David Di Tommaso Trophy: 2015

Bundesliga Rookie of the Month: October 2017

Premier League Goal of the Month: December 2020

Eredivisie Top Scorer: 2021  2022

Sources:

The Associated Press News Services. Dortmund signs Ajax striker Haller to replace Haaland. The Associated Press. July 6, 2022.

Football Reference News Services. Sebastien Haller. Football Reference. July 6, 2022.

Football Reference News Services. Erling Haaland. Football Reference. July 6, 2022.

ESPN News Services. German Bundesliga Table 2021  22. ESPN. July 6, 2022.
What Is Pure Risk?learn more about cryptocurrency

Pure risk is a category of risk that cannot be controlled and has two outcomes: complete loss or no loss at all. There are no opportunities for gain or profit when pure risk is involved.

Pure risk is generally prevalent in situations such as natural disasters, fires, or death. These situations cannot be predicted and are beyond anyone's control. Pure risk is also referred to as absolute risk.

Key Takeaways

Pure risk cannot be controlled and has two outcomes: complete loss or no loss at all.

There are no opportunities for gain or profit when pure risk is involved.

Pure risks can be divided into three different categories: personal, property, and liability.

Many cases of pure risk are insurable.

Understanding Pure Risk

There are no measurable benefits when it comes to pure risk. Instead, there are two possibilities. On the one hand, there is a chance that nothing will happen or no loss at all. On the other, there may be the likelihood of total loss.

Pure risks can be divided into three different categories: personal, property, and liability. There are four ways to mitigate pure risk: reduction, avoidance, acceptance, and transference. The most common method of dealing with pure risk is to transfer it to an insurance company by purchasing an insurance policy.

Many instances of pure risk are insurable. For example, an insurance company insures a policyholder's automobile against theft. If the car is stolen, the insurance company has to bear a loss. However, if it isn't stolen, the company doesn't make any gain. Pure risk stands in direct contrast to speculative risk, which investors make a conscious choice to participate in and can result in a loss or gain.

Pure risks can be insured because insurers are able to predict what their losses may be.

Types of Pure Risk

Personal risks directly affect an individual and may involve the loss of earnings and assets or an increase in expenses. For example, unemployment may create financial burdens from the loss of income and employment benefits. Identity theft may result in damaged credit, and poor health may result in substantial medical bills, as well as the loss of earning power and the depletion of savings.

Property risks involve property damaged due to uncontrollable forces such as fire, lightning, hurricanes, tornados, or hail.

Liability risks may involve litigation due to real or perceived injustice. For example, a person injured after slipping on someone else's icy driveway may sue for medical expenses, lost income, and other associated damages.

Insuring Against Pure Risk

Unlike most speculative risks, pure risks are typically insurable through commercial, personal, or liability insurance policies. Individuals transfer part of a pure risk to an insurer. For example, homeowners purchase home insurance to protect against perils that cause damage or loss. The insurer now shares the potential risk with the homeowner.

Pure risks are insurable partly because the law of large numbers applies more readily than to speculative risks. Insurers are more capable of predicting loss figures in advance and will not extend themselves into a market if they see it as unprofitable.

Speculative Risk

Unlike pure risk, speculative risk has opportunities for loss or gain and requires the consideration of all potential risks before choosing an action. For example, investors purchase securities believing they will increase in value.

But the opportunity for loss is always present. Businesses venture into new markets, purchase new equipment, and diversify existing product lines because they recognize the potential gain surpasses the potential loss.
The Maine Senate voted on Monday against a proposed legislation for the establishment of a full-scale, resort-style gambling venue in the southern part of the state. The negative vote may eventually result in the bill not making it through this years legislative session.

The bill fell just two votes short on Monday as Senate members voted 18-16 against it. Last week, the House of Representatives voted 83-61 against the proposal. In addition, Maine Governor Paul LePage has formerly said that he was not particularly keen on the proposal, which means that even if the bill eventually reaches his desk, it may be vetoed. In order for the veto to be overridden, the casino proposal would need to win an approval from two-thirds of all state legislators.

People familiar with the matter have said that the proposed legislation did not manage to gain much momentum mainly because it has faced staunch opposition from Maines two existing gambling venuesin Bangor and Oxford.

Generally speaking, lawmakers representing regions in or near the two cities that host the states two casinos have been opposing the project for the launch of a $500-million casino resort. Legislators from Southern Maine have been mainly supportive of the proposal.

If approved, the bill will establish a bidding process which would allow for interested operators to place their bids for the right to build a casino in York or Cumberland Counties. It is important to note that the project will be subjected to a countywide vote, once a final location for the venue is determined.

LD 1280 was introduced last year and was backed by the state harness racing industry as well as developer Ocean Properties. It is very similar to another casino proposal that stalled in the Legislature in 2015. A significant difference in the two bills is the fact that the more recent one features an increased license fee of $50 million.

The fee will be divided between the Maine General Fund and the Mitigation Fundin case one of the two existing casinos close within the first five years of the new resorts operations. Revenue from the potential new gambling venue will be contributed to the states harness racing industry, various veterans organizations, the host municipality, Oxford, Bangor as well as to various causes related to Maines residents welfare.
The move gets an A for symbolism and a D for everything else.

Then Pascal responds (in all caps) with, BUT WE DIDNT WIN A D [sic] YOU KNOW HIM.

I take calcium and vitamin D supplements, but prescription medications are generally only for women in menopause.

Gronkowski itself never manages to sound more erotic than the name of a hearty Polish stew or a D-list WWE performer.

Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), a leading voice on police demilitarization, was supportive of the White House announcement. SWAT Lobby Shoots to Kill Police Reform After Ferguson|Tim Mak|December 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST

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What Is a Pure Play?romford greyhound tips

A pure play is a company that focuses solely on one type of product or service. Some investors prefer investing in pure plays because they are easier to analyze and give maximum exposure to a particular market segment.

A pure play can be contrasted with multi-divisional corporations or conglomerates, which instead offer many products and services across various industries.

An investor who wants exposure to U.S. banking stocks, for example, might prefer buying shares of Bank of America (BAC) as compared to Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B), because the latter is involved not only in banking but also in many other industries and sectors.

Key Takeaways

A pure play refers to an investment in a company that is focused on one specific industry or niche.

Some investors like pure plays for their ease of analysis and the exposure they offer to particular sectors.

Pure plays can be difficult to identify as many corporations today are involved in several product lines or market segments.

Understanding Pure Plays

Pure play companies are popular with certain types of active investors who want to make specific bets on particular products or industry segments. For these investors, buying a company with several diversified business lines forces them to take unnecessary risks in industries in which they do not want to invest.

For analysts, pure plays represent an opportunity to obtain more accurate data for a comparable company analysis or peer analysis. These reports are a vital source of information for investment analysis and the basis for relative valuations.

Relative valuations make use of metrics such as the price-to-book (P/B) ratio, the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, the price-to-sales (P/S) ratio, and the price-to-cash flow (P/CF) ratio. Each of these values can help the investment analyst calculate the relative value of a company and to evaluate whether the company is overvalued or undervalued. Pure play companies are helpful inputs into these analyses because they are much more directly comparable with each other. Conglomerates, on the other hand, are not readily comparable because their results reflect numerous industry sectors.

Realistically, the term pure play is always used as an approximation, since corporations today almost always have some amount of cross-industry exposure. This is particularly true when looking at large, publicly traded companies.

Real-World Example of a Pure Play

A trader is conducting an analysis of the U.S. banking sector. Specifically, they want to evaluate the relative attractiveness of various U.S. banking stocks, based on PB and PE ratios. A list of the following stocks is compiled for analysis:

BB&T Corporation: PB of 1.28 and PE of 12.98

KeyCorp: PB of 1.06 and PE of 10.58

SunTrust Banks: PB of 1.16 and PE of 11.88

Citizens Financial Group: PB of 0.75 and PE of 9.59

Although every business is complex and unique, this analysis reveals that these four banking socks are relatively comparable to one another; since regional banking is a core focus of their business models, this is to be expected. As such, they may be viewed as "pure plays" for the banking sector.

By contrast, this same trader was tempted to include Berkshire Hathaway in the list due to its significant role in the financial sector. However, this was decided against because of Berkshire's numerous non-banking activities that made it too difficult to compare directly with the banking pure plays.

Due to their dependence on one sector of the economy, one product, or one investing strategy, pure plays are often accompanied by higher specific risk. This can be mitigated through diversification.
Every experienced bingo player understands the essence of conducting a thorough research before selecting the bingo site to play at. From checking their security encryption protocol,betting 10 to understanding the terms and conditions on their bonuses, every aspect of the site must be examined before deciding to pitch tenth with them.

Luckily enough, the method of analysing and selecting the bingo site to play at is gradually being innovated by the new set of portals for bingo site comparison out there. To get the most thorough reviews of bingo sites, you can check these renowned comparison sites. For example, reviews on bingosites.bet with the best bingo sites on will help you make your choice.

This article is looking at the best way to compare bingo sites in the UK and pick out the top ones. It examines the major factors that should help you decide whether to go ahead with the site or not.

So, lets examine the items in our list, comparing the best bingo sites in the UK without wasting any more time.

Comparing Promotion and Bonus Offers

We cannot overlabour the value of bonus offers on bingo sites. You must look out for the biggest and best bonuses because it is the only way that the casinos deliver incentives to both old and new players to lure them to sign up and remain with them. In most cases, the welcome bonus comes as a deposit match offer, meaning that you are given back some percentage of the amount you deposited as a bonus to play with. It could be a 100%, 200% or 300% reward. In such cases, if you fund your account with 20, you will get a 20 bonus if it is a 100% match bonus. With this, you can play games on the website and possibly win more money.

This may sound really good to a newcomer. But this is not the only bonus to be enjoyed on online bingo sites in the UK. The next commonly offered bonus is the no deposit bonus, and this is meant to deliver extra credits to the player to play games with, even when theyve not made any deposit.

Bonuses are also essential for existing players on bingo websites, and the best comparison sites also list the number of bonuses available to these players. Bingo sites must offer bonuses like free games, reload bonuses, cashback offers, and others to make their existing players happy.

Comparing the Game Selection

Top notch comparison sites that look at newly launched bingo sites must also give comprehensive information about their games. The most common games offered on UK bingo sites are 75 ball and 90 ball versions. However, you will also see some of the new bingo sites delivering 80 ball, 30 ball, and even 50 ball bingo games. The popularity of online bingo sites keeps growing. So, before you sign up, you must conduct thorough research.

Another very important thing about this aspect when researching bingo sites is the variety of games. The reason you must consider the variety of games, and possibly choose bingo sites with the most variants of games, is because you will definitely get bored by even the most exciting games. So, you need a site with many types and variants for you to spice up your gaming life from time to time. On some of the bingo sites, you may also be able to enjoy slots, table games, and other casino games for more entertainment outside the realm of bingo. This should also be listed by any serious comparison portal.

Comparing Safety and Security

An entire section is mostly dedicated to comparing the security and safety of the bingo sites by any serious bingo sites comparison portal. This is because of the value placed on security. The security of most online casinos out there is top notch and that is mostly because of the availability of increased regulation - in the form of a license from the UK Gambling Commission - and SSL encryption technology, giving players a safe environment to operate in.

Having said all these, you are always advised to visit a top bingo site comparison portal to be sure that the bingo site you are choosing to play on is properly safeguarded and set-up. This is to give you a fun, secure, and happy gaming experience.

Category: Casino Blog
What Is a Digital Currency?all types of cryptocurrency

Digital currency is a form of currency that is available only in digital or electronic form. It is also called digital money, electronic money, electronic currency, or cybercash.

Key Takeaways

Digital currencies are currencies that are only accessible with computers or mobile phones because they only exist in electronic form.

Typical digital currencies do not require intermediaries and are often the cheapest method for trading currencies.

All cryptocurrencies are digital currencies, but not all digital currencies are cryptocurrencies.

Some of the advantages of digital currencies are that they enable seamless transfer of value and can make transaction costs cheaper.

Some of the disadvantages of digital currencies are that they can volatile to trade and are susceptible to hacks.

Understanding Digital Currency

Digital currencies do not have physical attributes and are available only in digital form. Transactions involving digital currencies are made using computers or electronic wallets connected to the internet or designated networks. In contrast, physical currencies, such as banknotes and minted coins, are tangible, meaning they have definite physical attributes and characteristics. Transactions involving such currencies are made possible only when their holders have physical possession of these currencies.

Digital currencies have utility similar to physical currencies. They can be used to purchase goods and pay for services. They can also find restricted use among certain online communities, such as gaming sites, gambling portals, or social networks.

Digital currencies also enable instant transactions that can be seamlessly executed across borders. For instance, it is possible for a person located in the United States to make payments in digital currency to a counterparty residing in Singapore, provided they are both connected to the same network.

Characteristics of Digital Currencies

As mentioned earlier, digital currencies only exist in digital form. They do not have a physical equivalent.

Digital currencies can be centralized or decentralized. Fiat currency, which exists in physical form, is a centralized system of production and distribution by a central bank and government agencies. Prominent cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, are examples of decentralized digital currency systems.

Digital currencies can transfer value. Using digital currencies requires a mental shift in the existing framework for currencies, where they are associated with sale and purchase transactions for goods and services. Digital currencies, however, extend the concept. For example, a gaming network token can extend the life of a player or provide them with extra superpowers. This is not a purchase or sale transaction but, instead, represents a transfer of value.

Types of Digital Currencies

Digital currency is an overarching term that can be used to describe different types of currencies that exist in the electronic realm. Broadly, there are three different types of currencies:

Cryptocurrencies

Cryptocurrencies are digital currencies that use cryptography to secure and verify transactions in a network. Cryptography is also used to manage and control the creation of such currencies. Bitcoin and Ethereum are examples of cryptocurrencies. Depending on the jurisdiction, cryptocurrencies may or may not be regulated.

Cryptocurrencies are considered virtual currencies because they are unregulated and exist only in digital form.

Virtual Currencies

Virtual currencies are unregulated digital currencies controlled by developers or a founding organization consisting of various stakeholders involved in the process. Virtual currencies can also be algorithmically controlled by a defined network protocol. An example of a virtual currency is a gaming network token whose economics is defined and controlled by developers.

Central Bank Digital Currencies

Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are regulated digital currencies issued by the central bank of a country. A CBDC can be a supplement or a replacement to traditional fiat currency. Unlike fiat currency, which exists in both physical and digital form, a CBDC exists purely in digital form. England, Sweden, and Uruguay are a few of the nations that are considering plans to launch a digital version of their native fiat currencies.

Digital Currencies Virtual Currencies Cryptocurrencies Regulated or unregulated currency that is available only in digital or electronic form. An unregulated digital currency that is controlled by its developer(s), its founding organization, or its defined network protocol. A virtual currency that uses cryptography to secure and verify transactions as well as to manage and control the creation of new currency units.

Advantages of Digital Currencies

The advantages of digital currencies are as follows:

Fast Transfer and Transaction Times

Because digital currencies generally exist within the same network and accomplish transfers without intermediaries, the amount of time required for transfers involving digital currencies is extremely fast.

As payments in digital currencies are made directly between the transacting parties without the need for any intermediaries, the transactions are usually instantaneous and low-cost. This fares better compared to traditional payment methods that involve banks or clearinghouses. Digital-currency-based electronic transactions also bring in the necessary record keeping and transparency in dealings.

No Physical Manufacturing Required

Many requirements for physical currencies, such as the establishment of physical manufacturing facilities, are absent for digital currencies. Such currencies are also immune to physical defects or soiling that are present in physical currency.

Monetary and Fiscal Policy Implementation

Under the current currency regime, the Fed works through a series of intermediariesbanks and financial institutionsto circulate money into an economy. CBDCs can help circumvent this mechanism and enable a government agency to disburse payments directly to citizens. They also simplify the production and distribution methods by obviating the need for physical manufacturing and transportation of currency notes from one location to another.

Cheaper Transaction Costs

Digital currencies enable direct interactions within a network. For example, a customer can pay a shopkeeper directly as long as they are situated in the same network. Even costs involving digital currency transactions between different networks are relatively cheaper as compared to those with physical or fiat currencies. By cutting out middlemen that seek economic rent from processing the transaction, digital currencies can make the overall cost of a transaction cheaper.

Disadvantages of Digital Currencies

The disadvantages of digital currencies are as follows:

Storage and Infrastructure Issues

While they do not require physical wallets, digital currencies have their own set of requirements for storage and processing. For example, an Internet connection is necessary as are smartphones and services related to their provisioning. Online wallets with robust security are also necessary to store digital currencies.

Hacking Potential

Their digital provenance makes digital currencies susceptible to hacking. Hackers can steal digital currencies from online wallets or change the protocol for digital currencies, making them unusable. As the numerous cases of hacks in cryptocurrencies have proved, securing digital systems and currencies is a work-in-progress.

Volatile Value

Digital currencies used for trading can have wild price swings. For example, the decentralized nature of cryptocurrencies has resulted in a profusion of thinly capitalized digital currencies whose prices are prone to sudden changes based on investor whims.

Other digital currencies have followed a similar price trajectory during their initial days. For example, Linden dollars used in the online game Second Life had a similarly volatile price trajectory in its early days.



Pros and Cons of Digital Currencies

Faster transaction times.

Do not require physical manufacturing.

Lower transaction costs.

Make it easier to implement monetary and fiscal policy.

They can be difficult to store and use.

Can be hacked.

Prices can be volatile.

Future of Digital Currencies

ProsCons

Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin have exploded in value, but they are largely used for speculation or to buy other speculative assets. Although there have been some signs of merchant adoption in countries like El Salvador, the high volatility and complexity of these currencies make them impractical for most daily applications.

Many companies have tried to reduce volatility by introducing stablecoins, whose value is fixed to the price of fiat currency. This is usually done by depositing an equivalent amount of fiat, which can be used to redeem the tokens. However, stablecoin issuers such as Tether have used these deposits on more speculative investments, raising concerns that they are vulnerable to a market crash.

Another possible application is in central bank digital currencies, which could be issued by a country's bank or monetary authority. These would be used and stored in online wallets, similar to cryptocurrencies, but allowing the central bank to issue and freeze tokens at will. Several countries, such as China, have proposed digital versions of their currencies.

Can You Invest in Central Bank Digital Currencies?

CBDCs are unlikely to be useful for speculative investments since they will likely be pegged to the value of an underlying currency. However, it will still be possible to invest in those currencies through the forex markets.

How Do You Buy China's Digital Yuan?

The digital yuan, or e-CNY, is only available to Chinese cities living in 23 major cities. Users can buy digital yuan by downloading an app and connecting it to their bank accounts.

How Do You Make a Digital Currency?

Most digital currencies are created by issuing them on Ethereum or another blockchain capable of running smart contracts. The issuer must first decide how many tokens to issue, and any special rules that limit transactions or ownership. Once these choices are coded into the smart contract, the issuer pays a small amount of cryptocurrency to pay for the computational cost of issuing the tokens.

The Bottom Line

Digital currencies are assets that are only used for electronic transactions. They do not have any physical form, although they can be exchanged for regular money or other assets. Although the most popular digital currencies are cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, many national governments are considering issuing their own centralized digital currencies.
Columbus Public Librarys adult book club has three meetings left in 2023: Sept. 28, Oct. 26th, and Dec. 7, all at 6:30 p.m. The book club is finishing the year with an interesting variety of reads, so be sure to stop by or call us at 402-564-7116 to reserve your copy today!

Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal

Nikki lives in cosmopolitan West London, where she tends bar at the local pub. The daughter of Indian immigrants, shes spent most of her twenty-odd years distancing herself from the traditional Sikh community of her childhood, preferring a more independent (that is, Western) life. When her fathers death leaves the family financially strapped, Nikki, a law school dropout, impulsively takes a job teaching a creative writing course at the community center in the beating heart of Londons close-knit Punjabi community.

Because of a miscommunication, the proper Sikh widows who show up are expecting to learn basic English literacy, not the art of short-story writing. When one of the widows finds a book of sexy stories in English and shares it with the class, Nikki realizes that beneath their white dupattas, her students have a wealth of fantasies and memories. Eager to liberate these modest women, she teaches them how to express their untold stories, unleashing creativity of the most unexpectedand excitingkind.

As more women are drawn to the class, Nikki warns her students to keep their work secret from the Brotherhood, a group of highly conservative young men who have appointed themselves the communitys moral police. But when the widows gossip offers shocking insights into the death of a young wifea modern woman like Nikkiand some of the class erotica is shared among friends, it sparks a scandal that threatens them all.

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Are you happy with your life?

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.

Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.

Before a man Jasons never met smiles down at him and says, Welcome back, my friend.

In this world hes woken up to, Jasons life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Is it this world or the other thats the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he couldve imaginedone that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

Ground Zero by Alan Gatz

September 11, 2001, New York City: Brandon is visiting his dad at work, on the 107th floor of the World Trade Center. Out of nowhere, an airplane slams into the tower, creating a fiery nightmare of terror and confusion. And Brandon is in the middle of it all. Can he survive  and escape?

September 11, 2019, Afghanistan: Reshmina has grown up in the shadow of war, but she dreams of peace and progress. When a battle erupts in her village, Reshmina stumbles upon a wounded American soldier named Taz. Should she help Taz  and put herself and her family in mortal danger?

Two kids. One devastating day. Nothing will ever be the same.
One of the hotels at City of Dreams Macau, an integrated resort operated by Hong Kong businessman Lawrence Hos Melco Resorts & Entertainment, will be rebranded early next year, a message on its official website reads.

Crown Towers will begin operating as Nuwafrom January 18, 2018. In Chinese mythology, Nuwa is known to be the creator of human kind and the mender of the sky.

The hotel, part of the popular Cotai strip resort, is a former winner of the Forbes Five-Star award. It currently has around 300 guest rooms, including 33 luxury villas. The hotel is also home to the Art of the City collection, which recreates Asias vibrant artistic scene.

The rebranding of Crown Towers comes several months after Melco Resorts & Entertainment completed its rebranding. The hotel and casino operator changed its name from Melco Crown, after it parted ways with its former Australian partner, Crown Resorts.

The Australian operator decided to leave Macaus gambling and hospitality scene after the October 2016 detention of 19 staff membersin China. Its employees were arrested for allegedly promoting gambling service on the Mainland, an activity that is prohibited by Chinese law.

Three of the detained individuals were released shortly after, but 16 of them, including Crowns Head of VIP Operations Jason OConnor, remained detained awaiting to be sentenced. They were eventually released this past August.

The arrests hit Crowns domestic VIP business significantly. As a result, the company announced earlier this year that it would dispose of its international assetsto better focus on its Australian operations and hopefully revitalize its business as quickly as possible.

Melco Resorts & Entertainments Expansion Plan

Following the legalization of casino gambling in Japan, Melco announced that it was interested in entering the new casino market. Mr. Ho has pledged that his company will develop a unique resort, if it wins one of Japans casino licenses.

The country is yet to introduce and vote on a bill that will set out the necessary regulations under which its casino industry will be managed. It is believed that this will happen sometime in the first half of 2018. And if the necessary legalization is adopted within that timeframe, the Japanese government will then have to select the preferred operators that will develop the nations first hotel and casino resorts.

Melco is facing competition from some of the worlds largest casino developers and operators, including Las Vegas giants MGM Resorts International and Las Vegas Sands, and Florida-based Hard Rock International. All the companies that have already expressed interest in the newly created opportunities in Japan, have further pointed out that they are ready to develop unique concepts and to invest billions of dollarsinto materializing these, when the market is opened officially.

Apart from Macau, Melco also operates an integrated resort in the growing Philippine casino market. The company opened its City of Dreams Manila complex in late 2014.
As Android keeps on flourishing into the vast pool of innovation,bitcoin wallet address tracker it has also increased its stronghold in the gambling realm as new mobile casinosalso spring up. This is because for any online casino fan, being able to carry his or her favorite games around wherever they go just seems pleasingly fantastic. And even though there are tons of online casinos that offer their services through mobile software, most players still desire to experience the thrill and excitement of a land-based casino even while they're on the go. Android devices provide you with an entertaining and exciting way to play your favorite casino games from anywhere you want!

Finding a Mobile Casino - How to Choose One

Before we give you a list of the best casino apps for Android 2021, you must first know how to find one. The most basic but important thing you will need to do first is some due diligence. Browse the internet for a reliable casino website where you can play your favorite games. Make sure that the site is safe, secure, and reliable so that you don't have to worry about experiencing any difficulties or problems when playing their games.

The next step would be to check if the site has all of your favorite games available for mobile use. If not, then there's no point in joining because it would be pointless since probably most or all of your time will be spent on waiting instead of enjoying yourself.

Finally, after finding an online casino with plenty of mobile-friendly titles, make sure that you read up on customer testimonials because they are always helpful for finding out more about what kind of experience other users have had with the site. Also, check to see if they offer special bonuses and promotions for mobile users.

Best Casino Apps for Android 2021: The Top Picks

Now that we've already given you a few tips on how to choose an online casino to join, let's now take a look at the top mobile casino apps that 2021 has to offer!

High Noon Casino Slot Planet Vegas Crest Casino Bet365 Spinit Casino King Billy Casino

High Noon Casino

Of course, the first one on the list of best casino apps for Android 2021 would have to be High Noon. Simply put, High Noon is definitely one of the best sites to play mobile games because they have so many titles available for players, and almost all are offered in an instant-play format, which means zero waiting time! They also provide great customer service along with easy deposits and withdrawals. If you want more reasons why we think this should be your go-to online casino, then here's a quick shortlist:

Welcome Bonus 200% up to $2,000

Play 150 games plus

Several new games added regularly

Slot Planet

Slot planet casino is another great choice if you're looking for an online casino that offers plenty of mobile games to choose from. They've got over 1500 slots available for their players to choose from, and best of all, almost all of them are compatible with Android devices. You also get several bonus spins, which makes the experience much more fun and worthwhile! In addition to this, they also have a pretty generous sign-up bonus, unlimited free daily credits, and excellent customer service.

Vegas Crest Casino

As Vegas Crest may not be as popular as some, but don't let its growing reputation fool you because this site has a lot going for it. Players will have a ton of games to choose from, very similar in number to High Noon and Slot Planet. We think Vegas Crest should be included on this list of best casino apps for Android 2021 because they offer their players instant play mode, which means you can start playing your favorite games right away! They also offer weekly bonuses and deposit incentives along with an excellent customer service team.

Bet365

Bet365 is one of the most popular online casinos in the world today, so it's no surprise that they're here too! You must have bumped into it as well if you are an avid gamer. Accredited by the UK Gambling Commission, this casino has certainly gained some recognition among users for offering a high-quality gaming experience at both land-based and online casinos alike. If you decide to join this site, you can expect unlimited bonuses; cashback offers, and even totally exclusive rewards. Not only that, but they also offer excellent customer service 24/7, which makes them one of the top choices if you're looking for Android-compatible casino games.

Spinit Casino

Spinit Casino is an excellent Android-compatible online casino that's been making some waves lately and for good reasons: They have many great games (1300+) for their players to choose from, and they also offer bonuses and various rewards that will really help you enjoy your experience playing with them. Of note is the welcome bonus, which is a whopping $1000 plus 200 free spins! What else can you ask for? Their customer support team is also very friendly and helpful, so if ever you need assistance, rest assured knowing they'll get back to you as soon as possible. They have new player deals every day!

King Billy Casino

It's kind of ironic that King Billy is called what it is because, unlike other casinos out there, this one doesn't have a lot of annoying ads! Players adore the fact that they can access plenty of different games while playing on their mobile devices and also love the fact that they offer extremely generous bonus offers so you can get extra free credits whenever you want. Not only this, but they are committed to offering excellent customer service, which means you're definitely in good hands here.

Final Words

If you're tired of constantly hopping from casino to casino, then be sure to check out all of our recommended high-quality Android-compatible casinos here and decide which one is best suited for your particular needs. Each has its own unique qualities, so play around with each site until you find one that can give you everything your heart desires. Finally, this list is by no means meant to be all-inclusive, and we will continue to update it as time goes by, so be sure to check back with us from time to time.

Category: Casino Blog
Remember a couple of decades ago,treasure mile casino 0 no deposit bonus when Snake was the most popular game on a smartphone? Time has changed, and video games have become an incredible experience with stunning graphics, realistic sound effects and video sequences, and sophisticated storytelling.

It's fair to say that no only have video games developed but so have casino games. Players expect more than spinning reels. They want to emerge into an exciting gambling adventure, all from the comfort of their homes.

Despite video slots and table games continuously getting better and meeting those expectations, live casino games are among the most popular ones with players. Playing at a live casino means interacting directly with the dealer, who is streamed to you in real-time. It means feeling like you're in Las Vegas when, in fact, you're sitting at your kitchen table.

What does it require from an operator perspective to get such technology and experience off the ground? Let's take a look behind the scenes!

How Live Casinos Work: Technology and Dealers

Software providers stream their live casino games from all over the world. Some of them have studios in the Philippines, Latvia, Spain, Costa Rice, Malta, and Ireland. The game developers tend to offer two options to online casinos; license their games 'as they are' and provide it to their players or rent out tables in their live stream studios. Online Casinos that partner with Evolution Gaming and choose the second option are allowed to put their branding on the tables and tailor the live experience even further.

Of course, the experience rises and falls with the live dealers, so it should come to no surprise that they have to undergo intense training to learn the rules of popular casino games and understand the current rules and laws regarding gambling. Equally important is that they capture the attention of the player and make them feel the vibe of the casino.

The dealers sit at live casino tables and are filmed playing the game in real-time by several powerful cameras. They tend to provide players with different views of the game and are strong enough to support the constant live stream. During play, live dealers have a monitor they watch, which allows them to see what is displayed on player screens. It also allows them to follow the bets made and view messages from players which they can then answer in the stream.

One of the most exciting aspects of live casino games is that cameras have integrated Optical Camera Recognition (OCR). This technology records every detail made by the dealer and translates all the cards, numbers and symbols during the game into data which is sent to the player and displayed on their screen. This technology also allows the live casino software to recognise which players have lost or won and immediately deduct or award winnings.

Live Casino Providers

As you can imagine, all of this can make running a live casino incredibly expensive. This is why there are so few live game providers, with the most popular three being Evolution Gaming, NetEnt and Playtech.

Evolution Gaming is the most widely-known and offers the biggest range of live games including roulette, blackjack, poker games, sic bo and much more. Most modern-day online casinos offer live games from Evolution Gaming, but some sites may offer a wider collection of live games than others.

This is why it's a good idea to read reviews to find an online casino that offers the best selection of live games. This can help you find an online casino that offers your favourite games and allows you to play on mobile devices. Some live casino sites also provide you with special bonuses that can only be used on live games, so keep an eye out for them.

Ultimately, live casinos are a great way to experience an authentic casino without ever having to leave your home. They're available at any time and much more fun to play than regular online table games as they provide you with a chance to play and interact with an actual person. What's not to like?

Category: Casino Blog
Online casino brand Mr Green is set to go live on the Playtech Open Platform. It was announced that the rapidly growing brand will introduce a selection of Playtech-developed gaming titles in the weeks to come.

At first, the gambling website will roll out some of the most popular games for both desktop and mobile produced by the software developer. More titles will be added gradually.

Generally speaking, the Playtech Open Platform is a powerful solution that offers business intelligence capabilities and a number of bonusing tools. It also allows gambling operators one-time integration and offers them access to more than 600 in-house gamesas well as to a wide selection of ones developed by more than 20 of the worlds most popular third-party gaming suppliers, with IGT, Inspired, and Scientific Games being few of those. Gambling operators Gala Coral, Ladbrokes, and bet365 are only few of the customers that have opted for the Playtech Open Platform.

Commenting on the latest announcement, Playtech COO Shimon Akad said that they are delighted to welcome Mr Green as the newest online casino brand to opt for the Open Platform. According to Mr. Akad, being a rapidly growing brand, Mr Green will most certainly benefitfrom the access it is given to Playtechs comprehensive portfolio of gaming titles. The official also pointed out that his company has big plans for the platform and the gaming content it features in line with their omni-channel approach and across all its markets of interest, with the Scandinavian one being among those.

Mr Green CEO Bo Wanghammar noted that his company has a pronounced focus on large regulated online gaming marketsand that Playtechs presence in the UK, one of Mr Greens target markets, is very strong. The executive said that the collaboration between Mr Green and Playtech would prove to be a great match and will allow for Playtech games to be set in the online casino brands award-winning experience.

Last year, Mr Green generated overall revenue of SEK792.6 million, up 20.3% as compared to the results posted for 2014. The company attributed the increase to the fact that its offering has been adapted to different geographic markets, which has imminently resulted in an expansion of its customer base.
Ang Lee, director of Life of Pi, won the Oscar Award for Best Director Sunday night at the 85th Academy Awards Ceremony.

He succeeded over Michael Haneke of Amour, Benh Zeitlin of Beasts of the Southern Wild, Steven Spielberg of Lincoln and David O. Russell of Silver Linings Playbook to win the goldern statutte.

Lif of Pi is an aventure tale featuring a young man named Young Pi, who is the son of zookeepers in Pondicherry, India, finds the world he knows swept away when his family sells the zoo and sets sail for Canada with a few of its remaining animals.

When a storm capsizes the ship, only Pi escapes and sets adrift in a lifeboat that is also the refuge of an enormous Bengal tiger.

Coming from Chinas Taiwan, the 59-year-old Lee won the Oscar Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2003 for Hulk and got another Oscar award for Best Director in 2005 for Brokeback Mountain. He is the first person of Asian descent to win the Oscar for Best Director.

Xinhua

Ang Lee wins Oscar Award for Best Directoradded by chinatimesonline on

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Davisson [ dey-vuh-suhn ]/ de v sn / New Word List Save This slots free spins no deposit requiredWord! [ dey-vuh-suhn ]/ de v sn /Save ThisWord!

nounClinton Joseph, 18811958, U.S. physicist: Nobel Prize 1937.

Words nearby Davisson

How to use Davisson Davisson/ (devsn) / nounClinton Joseph. 18811958, US physicist, noted for his discovery of electron diffraction; shared the Nobel prize for physics in 1937 Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!QuestionDavila y Padilla, da Vinci, Davis, Davis Cup, Davis, Jefferson, Davisson, Davisson-Germer experiment, Davis Strait, davit, Davos, DavoutDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What Is Interest?Heist Stakes

Interest is the monetary charge for the privilege of borrowing money. Interest expense or revenue is often expressed as a dollar amount, while the interest rate used to calculate interest is typically expressed as an annual percentage rate (APR). Interest is the amount of money a lender or financial institution receives for lending out money. Interest can also refer to the amount of ownership a stockholder has in a company, usually expressed as a percentage.

Key Takeaways

Interest is the monetary charge for borrowing moneygenerally expressed as a percentage, such as an annual percentage rate (APR).

Interest may be earned by lenders for the use of their funds or paid by borrowers for the use of those funds.

Interest is often considered simple interest (based on the principal amount) or compound interest (based on principal and previously-earned interest).

Interest is often associated with credit cards, mortgages, car loans, private loans, savings accounts, or penalty assessments.

Interest is highly dependent on macroeconomic policy dictated by the Federal Reserve's Federal funds rate.

Interest

Understanding Interest

1:38

Interest is the concept of compensating one party for incurring risk and sacrificing the opportunity to use funds while penalizing another party for the use of someone else's funds. The person temporarily parting ways with their money is entitled to compensation, and the person temporarily using those funds is often required to pay this compensation.

When you leave money in your savings account, your account is credited interest. This is because the bank uses your money and loans it out to other clients, resulting in you earning interest revenue.

The amount of interest a person must pay is often tied to their creditworthiness, the length of the loan, or the nature of the loan. All else being equal, interest and interest rates are higher when there is greater risk; as the lender faces a greater risk in the borrower not being able to make their payments, the lender may charge more interest to incentivize them to make the loan.

APR includes the loan's interest rate, as well as other charges, such as origination fees, closing costs, or discount points.

History of Interest Rates

This cost of borrowing money is considered commonplace today. However, the wide acceptability of interest became common only during the Renaissance.

Interest is an ancient practice; however, social norms from ancient Middle Eastern civilizations, to Medieval times regarded charging interest on loans as a kind of sin. This was due, in part because loans were made to people in need, and there was no product other than money being made in the act of loaning assets with interest.

The moral dubiousness of charging interest on loans fell away during the Renaissance. People began borrowing money to grow businesses in an attempt to improve their own station. Growing markets and relative economic mobility made loans more common and made charging interest more acceptable. It was during this time that money began to be considered a commodity, and the opportunity cost of lending it was seen as worth charging for.

Political philosophers in the 1700s and 1800s elucidated the economic theory behind charging interest rates for lent money, authors included Adam Smith, Frederic Bastiat, and Carl Menger.

Iran, Sudan, and Pakistan use interest-free banking systems. Iran is completely interest-free, while Sudan and Pakistan have partial measures. With this, lenders partner in profit and loss sharing instead of charging interest on the money they lend. This trend in Islamic bankingrefusing to take interest on loansbecame more common toward the end of the 20th century, regardless of profit margins.

Today, interest rates can be applied to various financial products including mortgages, credit cards, car loans, and personal loans. Interest rates started to fall in 2019 and were brought to near zero in 2020.

Formula and Calculation for Interest

In its most basic form, interest is calculated by multiplying the outstanding principal by the interest rate.

Interest = Interest Rate * Principal or Balance

The more complex aspect in calculating interest is often determining the correct interest rate. The interest rate is often expressed as a percentage and is usually designated as the APR. However, the APR often does not reflect any effects of compounding. Instead, the effective annual rate is used to express the actual rate of interest to be paid.

Often, an annual rate must be converted to calculate the applicable interest earned in a given period. For example, if a savings account is to pay 3% interest on the average balance, the account may award 0.25% (3% / 12 months) each month.

The applicable interest rate is then multiplied against the outstanding amount of money related to the interest assessment. For loans, this is the outstanding principal balance. For savings, this is often the average balance of savings for a given period.

In either case, the amount of interest assessed each period will likely change. For loans, borrowers will have likely made payments that reduce the principal balance, resulting in lower interest. For savers, general activity (including the addition of last month's interest) often changes the applicable balance.

Your credit score has the most impact on the interest rate you are offered when it comes to various loans and lines of credit.

Simple Interest vs. Compound Interest

Two main types of interest can be applied to loanssimple and compound. Simple interest is a set rate on the principal originally lent to the borrower that the borrower has to pay for the ability to use the money. Compound interest is interest on both the principal and the compounding interest paid on that loan. The latter of the two types of interest is the most common.

For obvious reasons, individuals attempting to earn interest prefer compound interest agreements. This agreement results in interest being earned on interest and results in more total earnings. Savings accounts with banks often earn compound interest; any prior interest earned on your savings is deposited into your account, and this new balance is what earns interest in future periods.

On the other hand, compound interest is extremely concerning for borrowers especially if their accrued compound interest is capitalized into their outstanding principal. This means the borrower's monthly payment will actually increase due to now having a greater loan than what they started with.

Common Applications of Interest

There's countless ways a person can charge or be charged interest. Below are some common examples of where interest may be earned by one party and paid by another.

Credit cards: Among the methods of borrowing money that incurs the highest amount of interest, credit cards are known for having a high APR. Consumers may make minimum monthly installment payments; in return, interest expense may accumulate and is earned by the credit card providers/underlying financial institutions.

Among the methods of borrowing money that incurs the highest amount of interest, credit cards are known for having a high APR. Consumers may make minimum monthly installment payments; in return, interest expense may accumulate and is earned by the credit card providers/underlying financial institutions. Mortgages: Among the longest-term loans, mortgages often incur interest over the entirety of their potential 30-year term. Though interest may be assessed as a fixed or variable rate, it is theoretically reduced over time as the borrower pays down the original loan principal amount.

Among the longest-term loans, mortgages often incur interest over the entirety of their potential 30-year term. Though interest may be assessed as a fixed or variable rate, it is theoretically reduced over time as the borrower pays down the original loan principal amount. Auto loans: An example of a shorter-term loan, auto loans are often awarded for terms up to six years. Interest is often charged as a fixed rate, and the dealership extending credit may have an in-house financing department that collects the interest revenue.

An example of a shorter-term loan, auto loans are often awarded for terms up to six years. Interest is often charged as a fixed rate, and the dealership extending credit may have an in-house financing department that collects the interest revenue. Student loans: During COVID-19, student loan payments were paused, and prevailing loan rates were dropped to 0%. This meant that for a while, all loans incurred no interest assessments.

During COVID-19, student loan payments were paused, and prevailing loan rates were dropped to 0%. This meant that for a while, all loans incurred no interest assessments. Savings accounts: Often a positive type of interest for most consumers, savings accounts earn monthly interest assessments. Also called dividends, consumers have these deposits are automatically credited to your account.

Often a positive type of interest for most consumers, savings accounts earn monthly interest assessments. Also called dividends, consumers have these deposits are automatically credited to your account. Invoices: Though many companies may assess a late fee, some companies choose to assess an interest charge on outstanding and late invoices. The idea is since the late payer is technically borrowing money from the invoice holder, the invoice holder is due interest.

A quick way to get a rough understanding of how long it will take for an interest-bearing account to double is to use the so-called rule of 72. Simply divide the number 72 by the applicable interest rate. At 4% interest, for instance, and youll double your investment in around 18 years (i.e., 72/4).

Advantages and Disadvantages of Paying Interest

Imagine a situation where you absolutely need reliable transportation to get to work. There is no public transit system, you do not own a car, work is far away, and you can't afford to buy an entire car outright. The largest advantage of paying interest is it is a relatively low expense compared to alternatives.

Paying interest also means a payer is holding debt, building their credit history, and potentially effectively using leverage. For example, real estate developers often borrow money to construct and rent buildings. If the rate of return on the building is greater than the interest rate they are charged, the company is successfully using someone else's money to make money for themselves.

On the downside, interest is a recurring cash expense. Payers are often contractually obligated to pay interest, and monthly payments are typically applied to interest assessments before paying down the principal. Consumers may find interest assessments overwhelming. In addition, having too many loans and too high of monthly payments may restrict a borrower from being able to take out more credit.

Interest for Borrowers

May be the result of much-needed capital; relatively-speaking, it may be worth the small expense during emergencies.

Is a result of building a strong credit history

May be used to leverage returns and generate higher profits

Is a real, often monthly expense requiring cash outlay

Is usually paid before any principal balance can be paid down

May compound and become overwhelming for a borrower to overcome

Are contractually obligated to be paid

Advantages and Disadvantages of Collecting Interest

ProsCons

A strategy for many investors is to collect interest. Often a fixed amount (or at least consistent), interest often provides positive cash flow that is a reliable source of income depending on the creditworthiness of the person borrowing the money. Instead of having capital sitting around and not being used, lending money to others is a more efficient way of deploying capital, especially in the short term when the lender may need that money for a specific reason in the longer term.

Interest is also touted as one of the simplest forms of passive income. Loans may require little to no administration or maintenance after the agreement is signed. Lenders may simply collect interest and principal payments.

There are some downsides to collecting interest. First, interest revenue is taxable; even a small amount may push a taxpayer into a higher tax bracket. Next, because you are collecting interest, this means you are allowing someone else to use your capital. Though you may be satisfied collecting interest, there will often be greater earning potential had you utilized the capital yourself.

Also, collecting interest may have philosophical opponents. Consider student loan debt assessments. While some say interest rates near 10% are reasonable for the amount of risk these lenders are incurring, others claim these rates are predatory to young adults and should not be assessed.

Interest for Lenders

May provide source of cash flow if interest payments are collected monthly/frequently

May be a passive source of income

May provide a consistent stream of income if the borrower is reliable in their payments

Is a more efficient use of capital instead of not loaning it out

Will increase a taxpayers tax liability

May be lower than what could have been earned had the lender deployed capital for their own investment purpose

May attract negative attention in some situations depending on the borrower, rate of interest, and circumstance

Interest and Macroeconomics

ProsCons

A low-interest-rate environment is intended to stimulate economic growth so that it is cheaper to borrow money. This is beneficial for those who are shopping for new homes, simply because it lowers their monthly payment and means cheaper costs. When the Federal Reserve lowers rates, it means more money in consumers' pockets, to spend in other areas, and more large purchases of items, such as houses. Banks also benefit from this environment because they can lend more money.

However, low-interest rates aren't always ideal. A high-interest rate typically tells us that the economy is strong and doing well. In a low-interest-rate environment, there are lower returns on investments and in savings accounts, and of course, an increase in debt which could mean more of a chance of default when rates go back up.

In response to COVID-19, the Federal Reserve began enacting monetary policy as early as March 2020. Then, as the pandemic eased, the Federal Reserve began raising the Federal funds rate. As this Federal funds rate influences the interest rate on many other types of loans, borrowers soon found it to be more expensive to incur debt.

What Is Accrued Interest?

Accrued interest is interest that has been incurred but not paid. For a borrower, this is interest that is due for payment, but cash has not been remit to the lender. For a lender, this is interest that has been earned that they have not yet been paid for. Interest is often accrued as part of a company's financial statements.

What Is the Best Way to Earn Interest?

There are now many ways investors can deposit funds into alternative investments that generate interest. This also means investors must take care in selecting borrowers. The best way to earn interest is to property research the risk profile of your borrower; should they default on the loan, you may not have recourse to recover your lost principal.

How Much Interest Do Bank Accounts Pay?

The amount of interest paid by bank accounts will widely vary based on prevailing government rates and macroeconomic conditions. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, while the Federal funds rate was low, interest rates on bank accounts was near 0%. Then, as the pandemic eased, bank accounts began paying interest greater than 2% on bank deposits.

The Bottom Line

Interest is a critical part of our high-functioning society. By allowing individuals to borrower and lend money, society has greater economic prosperity by encouraging spending. As a result, capital likely does not sit around idly; it is borrowed by some and lent by others. Through the payment of interest, individuals are encouraged to always be putting money to use.
Well after closing time,bet777 india super bowl 2020 odds the staff at Abunai, a poke restaurant in Northwest D.C., grew accustomed to leaving on the lights for a single customer. It had good reason to treat this 27-year-old former data scientist so well. His patronage brought in well over $100,000  despite him rarely ordering anything to eat or drink.

I dont even like raw fish, he said.

What drew him to the 15-seat establishment on L Street were the two sports betting kiosks run by GambetDC, the Districts government-sponsored sportsbook. The bettor had discovered that the oddsmaker used by GambetDC regularly set betting lines that deviated, sometimes significantly, from those offered at the savviest national sportsbooks.

Exploiting such differences is one of the easiest ways for sports gamblers to make money  and one of the fastest ways to get restricted on how much they can bet. Many of the countrys top operators aggressively limit how much customers can wager after they show winning tendencies  and this bettor said he was limited on GambetDCs app.
If you are expected to be immediately available for any reason at any time, are you at someones beckon call or beck and call?

These phrases are a source of confusion. Beckon and beck and are near homophones, and beckon and call even have one similar meaning. Still, only one of these variants is considered standard. Continue reading to learn which one.

What is the Difference Between Beck and Call and Beckon Call?

In this post, I will compare beck and call vs. beckon call. I will go over the definition of this phrase and outline the correct spelling. Then, I will show how the phrase is used in context with sentence examples.

Plus, I will show you a helpful memory tool that will make choosing beck and call or beckon call much easier.

When to Use Beck and Call

What does beck and call mean? Beck and call is an idiom that is synonymous with on a whim.

The term typically appears in phrases like at her beck and call, which means readily available at a moments notice.

A beck is a short physical gesture (like a hand wave), while a call is, in this case, a verbal signal to get someones attention. Thus, at my beck and call could literally be taken to mean at my wave and shout.

For example,

New interns always hover at the office door, eager to prove their usefulness at the directors beck and call.

You just want me here at your beck and call so we can go out on nights your other girls are busy! accused Janet.

A decade ago, very few Chinese people stayed in five-star hotels, said Yang Kaojun, a property manager with the Summit Group, which employs teams of trained butlers who are at the beck and call of residents. The New York Times

When to Use Beckon Call

What does beckon call mean? Beckon call is a misinterpretation of beck and call, based on the phonic similarity of beckon to beck and. Its easy to see why this phrase confuses people, since beckon means to call someone.

According to Bryan Garner (2016), this type of misinterpretation is called a mondegreen. Mondegreens occur when someone mishears spoken language and transcribes it to written language. Mondegreens are common in situations like song lyrics and court transcripts.

Still, beckon call is not an acceptable variant of beck and call. As you can see from the chart below, which graphs beckon call vs. beck and call over time, beck and call is much more widely used than beckon call.

Other misspellings of the phrase are becking calland beckoned call.

Trick to Remember the Difference

When thinking of this specific phrase, beck and callis the only correct spelling.

Beckon is a colorful verb by itself, and it can make your writing more interesting if used intentionally. The misinterpretation beckon call, however, is an error that should be avoided.

To remember to always use beck and call, keep in mind that beckon and call essentially mean the same thing, and to use them in the same phrase is redundant.

Summary

Is it beck and call or beckon call? Beck and call is a phrase that is synonymous with on a whim.
District staff of Congressman Mike Flood will be hosting mobile office hours from 10-11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, at Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, 753 33rd Ave., in Columbus.

During the office hours, district office team members will be available to assist with challenges regarding federal agencies, military academy nominations, scheduling requests and other needs constituents might encounter.

Congressman Flood maintains permanent offices in Lincoln and in Washington, D.C. Location and contact information for the permanent offices can be found at https://flood.house.gov.
Damanhur [ dah-mahn-hoor ]/ d mnhur / New Word List Save This top web 3.0 crypto coinsWord! [ dah-mahn-hoor ]/ d mnhur /Save ThisWord!

nouna city in N Egypt, near Alexandria.

Words nearby Damanhur

How to use Damanhur Damanhur/ (dmnh) / nouna city in NE Egypt, in the Nile delta. Pop: 229 000 (2005 est) Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondamaged goods, damages, damaging, daman, Daman and Diu, Damanhur, Damao, damar, Damara, Damaraland, DamasDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Specificity in writing is an admirable goal. As writers, we should aim to be as specific and clear as possible, so our readers know precisely what we mean in our writing.

Today, I want to talk about the phrases compare toand compare with.

Continue reading to find out which situations these were, and whether you should choose compare with or compare to for your writing.

What is the Difference Between Compare to and Compare with?

In this article, I will compare the English phrases compare tovs. compare with. I will use each phrase in a sentence to illustrate its proper use.

Plus, at the end, I will discuss a helpful memory trick to use when deciding whether you should choose compare toor compare within your writing.

What Does Compare Mean?

Before looking at either of these phrases, we should look at the verb with which each phrase begins: compare.

Compareis a verb that means to examine the similarities and differences between two objects or concepts. A prepositionusually toor withlinks the two nouns in the comparison, and in the sentence.

In other words, both of these phrases are used to look at two different items side by side, i.e., to compare them.

Now, lets look at the phrases at hand.

When to Use Compare To

What does compare to mean?To compare something tosomething else is to observe or point only to likenesses between them. In other words, you are likening one thing to another, or you are making a comment about their similarities.

He compared their historic win to that of the 1992 Dream Team.

His fight for civil rights is comparable to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The phrase compare tois used when the intent is to assert, without the need for elaboration, that two or more items are similar.

When to Use Compare With

What does compare with mean? To compare something withsomething else is to place the items side by side, noting differences and similarities between them.

They won the championship in a clean sweep, compared with last years game 7 loss.

Lets compare your record with your rhetoric.

The phrase compare withis used to juxtapose two or more items to illustrate similarities and/or differences.

Compare To vs. Compare With: Whats the Difference?

If you still arent sure of the differences between these two phrases, lets compare two of the above examples side by side.

He compared this years historic win to that of the 1992 Dream Team.

They won the championship in a clean sweep, compared with last years game 7 loss.

As you can see in the first example, the author is saying that this years win is similar to the 1992 win of the Dream Team. You are likening the two events.

In the second example, that author is pointing out the differences between this two different championship wins. You are juxtaposing the events looking at their differences.

In other words,the phrase compare tois really meant to liken things together, whereas the phrase compare withis used to juxtapose things with each.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember compare withvs. compare to.

Compare withis used to juxtapose two or more things with each other, looking at similarities and differences.

Compare tois used when likening two things together.

You can remember to use compare tofor drawing similarities by imagining that you are making an informal analogywhich is more formally stated A is to B as C is to D.

In an analogy, you draw similarities between two or more things, just like you do when you use compare to. This should stick in your mind since they both contain the word to.

Summary

Is it compare to or compare with? Compareis a verb that means to explore similarities and differences between two items.

When used with the preposition with, it refers to weighing or balancing one thing against another. When used with the preposition to, it refers to a suggestion that two things are similar.

If you need a refresher, you can always read back through this article to review the differences between these phrases.
AMSTERDAM  A Dutch court on Thursday convicted three men with ties to the Russian security services and sentenced them to life in prison over the downing of a passenger jet above eastern Ukraine in July 2014,raging bull casino no rules bonus during a Moscow-backed separatist uprising that foreshadowed Russias full-scale invasion of the country.

The court found that an antiaircraft missile system provided to separatist forces by the Russian military brought down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, commonly known as MH17, on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, killing all 298 people aboard.

The crash was by far the biggest loss of civilian life in the conflict up to that time, eliciting global outrage. Some of the victims families have suggested that the Wests failure to punish Moscow back then is in part responsible for the invasion of Ukraine and the Russian war crimes that have become a part of everyday life in the country today.

Ive always said that our family members were the first non-Ukrainian people that were the victims of a war that started eight years ago, said Piet Ploeg, the chairman of the MH17 Flight Disaster Foundation, representing most family members of the crash victims.

And the fact that the convictions came only after eight years of painstaking investigation and judicial proceedings marked by Moscows stonewalling highlights the formidable challenges that prosecutors will face again as they try to hold more recent Russian war criminals accountable.

Thursdays verdict offered a bare measure of justice for the victims relatives, as the three men convicted are believed to be living in Russia or Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine, where they are unlikely to be apprehended.

But the judges did clearly highlight the Kremlins role in the crash  it armed separatists in eastern Ukraine and instigated their uprising  and emphasized Russias responsibility for the tragedy against the backdrop of the current war.

The judges found two Russians  Igor Girkin, a former colonel in Russias Federal Security Service, and Sergei Dubinsky, a former Russian military intelligence officer  guilty of murder and downing a plane. A Ukrainian citizen, Leonid Kharchenko, who led a Russian-backed separatist military unit, was convicted on the same charges.

A fourth defendant, Oleg Pulatov, also a former Russian military intelligence officer, was acquitted because he was considered insufficiently involved in the episode.

Image Ria van der Steen, who lost her father and stepmother in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, after the court's verdict.Credit...Patrick Post/Associated Press

Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky, praised the important court decision, but in a message posted on Twitter said that the masterminds behind the attack must also face trial, as the feeling of impunity leads to new crimes.

Explosion in Poland: A Ukrainian air-defense missile  not a Russian weapon  most likely caused a deadly explosion in a Polish village, a top NATO official and Polands president said, easing fears that the military alliance would become more deeply embroiled in the war.

A Ukrainian air-defense missile  not a Russian weapon  most likely caused a deadly explosion in a Polish village, a top NATO official and Polands president said, easing fears that the military alliance would become more deeply embroiled in the war. Retaking Kherson: On Nov. 11, Ukrainian soldiers swept into the southern city of Kherson, seizing a major prize from the retreating Russian army and dealing a bitter blow to President Vladimir V. Putin. Days after the liberation, evidence and accounts of torture are emerging.

On Nov. 11, Ukrainian soldiers swept into the southern city of Kherson, seizing a major prize from the retreating Russian army and dealing a bitter blow to President Vladimir V. Putin. Days after the liberation, evidence and accounts of torture are emerging. Infrastructure Attacks: In a relentless and intensifying barrage of missiles, Moscow is destroying Ukraines critical infrastructure, depriving millions of heat, light and clean water. For Ukraine, keeping the lights on as winter looms has become one of its biggest battles.

In a relentless and intensifying barrage of missiles, Moscow is destroying Ukraines critical infrastructure, depriving millions of heat, light and clean water. For Ukraine, keeping the lights on as winter looms has become one of its biggest battles. Beta Testing New Weapons: Ukraine has become a testing ground for state-of-the-art weapons and information systems that Western officials predict could shape warfare for generations to come.

During the trial, prosecutors presented extensive evidence against the defendants and took the unusual step of publishing some of it online. They relied on a Dutch-led international investigation that gathered missile fragments, cellphone intercepts and witness accounts to establish that the Buk surface-to-air missile system used to shoot down the plane was trucked in from Russia at the request of the separatists and returned the same night.

On Thursday, the court said there was very convincing evidence that the Buk missile had been deliberately fired from an agricultural field near Pervomaiskyi, a city in eastern Ukraine. Even if separatist forces had intended to shoot down a Ukrainian military aircraft and not an airliner, the court said, the strike was nevertheless premeditated and constituted a crime.

The prosecution also produced recordings of conversations on July 16 and 17, 2014, in which the suspects allegedly discussed the need for a Buk and determined the location to launch it. The conversations captured the suspects initial enthusiasm over the strike and how that changed when they realized that they had shot down a passenger flight.

The downing of MH17 occurred against a backdrop of vicious fighting between the separatists and the Ukrainian military after an uprising that deposed the countrys Russian-aligned president in February. Ukrainian warplanes had been operating in the area.

The crash scattered bodies and wreckage across fields of wheat and sunflowers, in scenes both harrowing and poignant. Many of the victims were still belted into their seats, and here and there lay a picture book or toy belonging to some among the 98 children on board. Most of the victims were Dutch, but the flight also carried passengers from Australia, Britain, Malaysia and several other countries.

Image Wreckage from the downed flight in a sunflower field in Ukraine in 2014.Credit...Mauricio Lima for The New York Times

Despite mounting evidence of Russias culpability, efforts to hold the Kremlin accountable were met with a series of implausible counter-explanations and conspiracy theories that focused largely on blaming Ukraine and attacking the legitimacy of the investigation. Among those was an assertion that the C.I.A. had crashed a planeload of bodies into eastern Ukraine to frame Moscow.

On Thursday, the court said that these alternative scenarios belonged to the realm of fantasy, and that evidence presented by Russia was repeatedly shown to be forged or false.

In a statement, Russias Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that the trial had been politically motivated, adding that it has every chance of becoming one of the most scandalous in the history of legal proceedings with its extensive list of oddities, inconsistencies and dubious arguments of the prosecution.

With Russia having vetoed an effort to form a United Nations tribunal for the case, the trial was held at a local criminal court on the outskirts of Amsterdam, in a high-security judicial complex right next to the sprawling Schiphol airport from which MH17 departed in 2014.

Coming out of the courthouse shortly after the verdict, Paul Guard, a 44-year-old Australian who lost his parents, Jill and Roger, in the crash thanked prosecutors and the court for what he described as a very meticulous investigation.

Truth matters, thats the main message here, he said.

As for many of the bereaved, Russias invasion of Ukraine this year looms large for Mr. Guard. The war, he said, brought back difficult memories and a sense that the crash was among the first of many unspeakable tragedies in a now eight-year conflict.

It breaks my heart, Mr. Guard said. Every day the war keeps going on, there are more people, innocent people that are no less innocent than my parents, who are just trying to live their lives, who are being killed.

Image Judges and lawyers view the reconstructed plane at an air base in the Netherlands last year.Credit...Pool photo by Peter Dejong

The day before the verdict, Mr. Guard and his daughter went to a memorial for the MH17 victims in a park a few miles from the courthouse. There, 298 trees, one for each of the dead, have been planted in a ribbon-shaped layout.

So many trees there, Mr. Guard said. So many lives that were lost.

Several family members said they hoped the verdict would also serve as a form of condemnation of the Russian invasion.

Part of justice and part of accountability is the world holding the Russian Federation to account for the atrocity of MH17 and the continued atrocities for the invasion of Ukraine and the war crimes committed against thousands more people, said Jon OBrien, an Australian citizen who lost his son in the crash.

Whether the trial could set an example for possible prosecution of Russian war crimes is unclear, however.

Marieke de Hoon, assistant professor of international criminal law at the University of Amsterdam, said that the fact that the Dutch court had clearly concluded that Russia had overall control over the breakaway regions from mid-May 2014 onward  something that Russia denies  is very important for legal proceedings by Ukraine and the Netherlands against Russia in various international courts.

In July 2020, the Netherlands submitted a complaint against Russia at the European Court of Human Rights over its involvement in the crash. The European court is expected to rule on the admissibility of this complaint later this year.

Ms. de Hoon noted that new types of evidence used in the trial, including open-source information that helped show the movement of the Buk missile launcher through separatist-controlled territory, could emerge as critical tools for prosecutors in subsequent trials.

Hopefully, this trial is just the start of something, because we have to prosecute all of those war crimes, Mr. Guard said. And there are many, many, many more war crimes than what weve seen with MH17.

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What Is Gearing?axie crypto price pogo video poker

Gearing refers to the relationship, or ratio, of a company's debt-to-equity (D/E). Gearing shows the extent to which a firm's operations are funded by lenders versus shareholdersin other words, it measures a companys financial leverage. When the proportion of debt-to-equity is great, then a business may be thought of as being highly geared, or highly leveraged.

Key Takeaways

Gearing can be thought of as leverage, where it's measured by various leverage ratios, such as the debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio.

If a company has high leverage ratios, it can be thought of as being highly geared.

The appropriate level of gearing for a company depends on its sector and the degree of leverage of its corporate peers.

Gearing

Understanding Gearing

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Gearing is measured by a number of ratiosincluding the D/E ratio, shareholders' equity ratio, and debt-service coverage ratio (DSCR)which indicate the level of risk associated with a particular business. The appropriate level of gearing for a company depends on its sector and the degree of leverage of its corporate peers.

For example, a gearing ratio of 70% shows that a companys debt levels are 70% of its equity. A gearing ratio of 70% might be very manageable for a utility companyas the business functions as a monopoly with support from local government channelsbut it may be excessive for a technology company, with intense competition in a rapidly changing marketplace.

Special Considerations

Gearing, or leverage, helps to determine a company's creditworthiness. Lenders may consider a businesss gearing ratio when deciding whether to extend it credit; to which a lender might add factors like whether the loan would be supported with collateral, and if the lender would qualify as a "senior" lender. With this information, senior lenders might choose to remove short-term debt obligations when calculating the gearing ratio, as senior lenders receive priority in the event of a businesss bankruptcy.

In cases where a lender would be offering an unsecured loan, the gearing ratio could include information about the presence of senior lenders and preferred stockholders, who have certain payment guarantees. This allows the lender to adjust the calculation to reflect the higher level of risk than would be present with a secured loan.

Gearing vs. Risk

In general, a company with excessive leverage, demonstrated by its high gearing ratio, could be more vulnerable to economic downturns than a company that's not as leveraged, because a highly leveraged firm must make interest payments and service its debt via cash flows, which could decline during a downturn. On the other hand, the risk of being highly leveraged works well during good economic times, as all of the excess cash flows accrue to shareholders once the debt has been paid down.

Example of Gearing

As a simple illustration, in order to fund its expansion, XYZ Corporation cannot sell additional shares to investors at a reasonable price; so instead, it obtains a $10,000,000 short-term loan. Currently, XYZ Corporation has $2,000,000 of equity; so the debt-to-equity (D/E) ratio is 5x[$10,000,000 (total liabilities) divided by$2,000,000 (shareholders' equity) equals 5x]. XYZ Corporation definitely would be considered highly geared.
M.A., Medieval Studies, Sheffield University

B.A., Medieval Studies, Sheffield University

The attempts by Britain to tax its North American colonists in the late 1700s led to arguments, war, the expulsion of British rule and the creation of a new nation. The origins of these attempts lay, however, not in a rapacious government, but in the aftermath of the Seven Years' War. Britain was attempting to both balance its finances and control the newly acquired parts of its empire, through asserting sovereignty. These actions were complicated by British prejudice against the Americans.

The Need for Defense

During the Seven Years' War, Britain won a string of major victories and expelled France from North America, as well as parts of Africa, India, and the West Indies. New France, the name of Frances North American holdings, was now British, but a newly conquered population could cause problems. Few people in Britain were naive enough to believe that these former French colonists would suddenly and wholeheartedly embrace British rule with no danger of rebellion, and Britain believed troops would be needed to preserve order. In addition, the war had revealed that the existing colonies needed defense against Britains enemies, and Britain believed that defense would be best provided by a fully trained regular army, not just colonial militias. To this end, the post-war government of Britain, with a major lead taken by King George III, decided to permanently station units of the British army in America. Keeping this army, however, would require money.

The Need for Taxation

The Seven Years' War had seen Britain spend prodigious amounts, both on its own army and on subsidies for its allies. The British national debt had doubled in that short time, and extra taxes had been levied in Britain to cover it. The last one, the Cider Tax, had proved highly unpopular and many people were agitating to have it removed. Britain was also running short of credit with banks. Under huge pressure to curb spending, the British king and government believed that any further attempts to tax the homeland would fail. They thus seized upon other sources of income, one of which was taxing the American colonists in order to pay for the army protecting them.

The American colonies appeared to the British government to be heavily undertaxed. Before the war, the most that colonists had directly contributed to British income was through customs revenue, but this barely covered the cost of collecting it. During the war, huge sums of British currency had flooded into the colonies, and many not killed in the war, or in conflicts with natives, had done rather well. It appeared to the British government that a few new taxes to pay for their garrison should be easily absorbed. Indeed, they had to be absorbed, because there simply didnt seem to be any other way of paying for the army. Few in Britain expected the colonists to have protection and not pay for it themselves.

Unchallenged Assumptions

British minds first turned to the idea of taxing the colonists in 1763. Unfortunately for King George III and his government, their attempt to transform the colonies politically and economically into a safe, stable and revenue-producingor at least revenue-balancingpart of their new empire would flounder, because the British failed to understand either the post-war nature of the Americas, the experience of war for the colonists, or how they would respond to tax demands. The colonies had been founded under crown/government authority, in the name of the monarch, and there had never been any exploration of what this really meant, and what power the crown had in America. While the colonies had become almost self-governing, many in Britain assumed that because the colonies largely followed British law, that the British state had rights over the Americans.

No one in the British government appears to have asked if colonial troops could have garrisoned America, or if Britain should ask the colonists for financial aid instead of voting in taxes above their heads. This was partly the case because the British government thought it was learning a lesson from the French-Indian War: that the colonial government would only work with Britain if they could see a profit, and that colonial soldiers were unreliable and undisciplined because they operated under rules different from those of the British army. In fact, these prejudices were based on British interpretations of the early part of the war, where cooperation between the politically poor British commanders and the colonial governments had been tense, if not hostile.

The Issue of Sovereignty

Britain responded to these new, but false, assumptions about the colonies by trying to expand British control and sovereignty over America, and these demands contributed another aspect to the British desire to levy taxes. In Britain, it was felt that the colonists were outside the responsibilities which every Briton had to bear and that the colonies were too far removed from the core of British experience to be left alone. By extending the duties of the average Briton to the United Statesincluding the duty to pay taxesthe whole unit would be better off.

The British believed sovereignty was the sole cause of order in politics and society, that to deny sovereignty, to reduce or split it, was to invite anarchy and bloodshed. To view the colonies as separate from British sovereignty was, to contemporaries, to imagine a Britain dividing itself into rival units, which might lead to warfare between them. Britons dealing with the colonies frequently acted out of fear of reducing the crowns powers when faced with the choice of levying taxes or acknowledging limits.

Some British politicians did point out that levying taxes on the unrepresented colonies was against the rights of every Briton, but there werent enough to overturn the new tax legislation. Indeed, even when protests began in the Americans, many in Parliament ignored them. This was partly because of the sovereignty issue and partly because of contempt for the colonists based on the French-Indian War experience. It was also partly due to prejudice, as some politicians believed the colonists were subordinate to the British motherland. The British government was not immune to snobbery.

The Sugar Act

The first post-war attempt to change the financial relationship between Britain and the colonies was the American Duties Act of 1764, commonly known as the Sugar Act for its treatment of molasses. This was voted in by a large majority of British MPs, and had three main effects: there were laws to make customs collection more efficient; to add new charges on consumables in the United States, partly to push the colonists into buying imports from within the British empire; and to change existing costs, in particular, the importing costs of molasses. The duty on molasses from the French West Indies actually went down, and an across the board 3 pence a ton was instituted.

Political division in America stopped most complaints about this act, which started among affected merchants and spread to their allies in assemblies, without having any major effect. However, even at this early stageas the majority seemed slightly confused as to how laws affecting the rich and the merchants could affect themcolonists heatedly pointed out that this tax was being levied without any expansion of the right to vote in the British parliament. The Currency Act of 1764 gave Britain total control of the currency in the 13 colonies.

The Stamp Tax

In February 1765, after only minor complaints from the colonists, the British government imposed the Stamp Tax. For British readers, it was just a slight increase in the process of balancing expenses and regulating the colonies. There was some opposition in the British parliament, including from Lieutenant Colonel Isaac Barre, whose off the cuff speech made him a star in the colonies and gave them a rallying cry as the Sons of Liberty, but not enough to overcome the government vote.

The Stamp Tax was a charge applied on every piece of paper used in the legal system and in the media. Every newspaper, every bill or court paper, had to be stamped, and this was charged for, as were dice and playing cards. The aim was to start small and allow the charge to grow as the colonies grew, and was initially set at two-thirds of the British stamp tax. The tax would be important, not just for the income, but also for the precedent it would set: Britain would start with a small tax, and maybe one day levy enough to pay for the colonies whole defense. The money raised was to be kept in the colonies and spent there.

America Reacts

George Grenvilles Stamp Tax was designed to be subtle, but things didn't play out exactly as he had expected. The opposition was initially confused but consolidated around the five Resolutions given by Patrick Henry in the Virginia House of Burgesses, which were reprinted and popularized by newspapers. A mob gathered in Boston and used violence to coerce the man responsible for the Stamp Taxs application to resign. Brutal violence spread, and soon there were very few people in the colonies willing or able to enforce the law. When it came into effect in November it was effectively dead, and the American politicians responded to this anger by denouncing taxation without representation and looking for peaceful ways to persuade Britain to scrap the tax while remaining loyal. Boycotts of British goods went into effect as well.

Britain Seeks a Solution

Grenville lost his position as developments in America were reported to Britain, and his successor, the Duke of Cumberland, decided to enforce British sovereignty by force. However, he suffered a heart attack before he could order this, and his successor resolved to find a way to repeal the Stamp Tax but keep sovereignty intact. The government followed a twofold tactic: to verbally (not physically or militarily) assert sovereignty, and then cite the economic effects of the boycott to repeal the tax. The ensuing debate made it quite clear that British Members of Parliament felt the King of Britain had sovereign power over the colonies, had the right to pass laws affecting them, including taxes, and that this sovereignty did not give the Americans a right to representation. These beliefs underpinned the Declaration Act. British leaders then agreed, somewhat expediently, that the Stamp Tax was damaging trade and they repealed it in a second act. People in Britain and America celebrated.

Consequences

The result of British taxation was the development of a new voice and consciousness among the American colonies. This had been emerging during the French-Indian War, but now issues of representation, taxation, and liberty began to take center stage. There were fears that Britain intended to enslave them. On Britains part, they now had an empire in America which was proving expensive to run and difficult to control. These challenges would eventually lead to the Revolutionary War.
Exploring a new online slot machine can be a lot like unwrapping a Christmas present. Unwrapping the Wild symbols and other mechanics and eventually triggering a bonus can reveal a lump of coal or prizes to please the player at a level that causes joy. You never know what the Wilds, Multipliers, and Free Spins will bring!

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Source: Get into the Christmas Spirit with Santa Express from Stakelogic, European Gaming News, November 24, 2022
Fumbleroooohski' (39) 'Look at me, ungh, splitting my own seam, oohh going deep.

I really wanted Trenchmouth to succeed and at the time wished we were as big as Green Day.

The lascivious sex predator is out; the deep-pocketed caped crusader is most definitely in.

Deep, situational, and emotional jokes based on what is relevant and has a POINT!

Its cool because Trenchmouth opened for Green Day in the early 90s in Wisconsin. Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On Portlandia, Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swifts Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

He remembered somethingthe cherished pose of being a man plunged fathoms-deep in business. St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini

With the dispersal of the spores the cone shrivels up, and then the stems starts to send out green branches. How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin

The plant as a whole remains green until late in the autumn. How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin

At present, Louis was too self-absorbed by the struggles within him, to look deep into what was passing around him. The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
New England Institute of Technology

Jeremy Girard is an author, educator, and director of marketing/head of web design and development at Envision Technology Advisors.

When you're setting out to learn web design, the first thing you should remember is that designing websites is very similar to print design. The basics are all the same. You need to understand space and layout, how to handle fonts and colors, and put it all together in a way that delivers your message effectively.

Let's take a look at the key elements that go into learning web design. This is a good resource for beginners, but even experienced designers may be able to hone some skills with this advice.

Elements of Good Design

Good web design is the same as good design in general. If you understand what makes something a good design, you'll be able to apply those rules to your websites.

The most important elements in web design are good navigation, concise and effective pages, working links, and, most importantly, good grammar and spelling. Keep these things in mind as you add color and graphics and your website will be off to a great start.

How to Layout a Web Page

Many people think that the layout of a web page is the design, and in many ways it is. The layout is the way the elements are positioned on the page, it is your foundation for images, text, navigation, etc.

Many designers choose to do their layouts with CSS. It can also be used for elements like fonts, colors, and other custom styles. This helps ensure consistent and easy to manage features across your entire website.

The best part of using CSS is that when you need to change something, you can just turn to the CSS and it changes on every page. It really is slick and learning to use CSS can end up saving you time and quite a few hassles.

In today's online world, it's very important to consider responsive web design (RWD) as well. The primary focus of RWD is to change the layout depending on the width of the device viewing the page. Keep in mind that your visitors will be viewing it on desktops, phones, and tablets of all sizes, so this is more important than ever.

Fonts and Typography

Fonts are the way your text looks on a web page. This is a vital element because most web pages include large amounts of text.

When you're thinking of design, you need to think about how the text looks on a micro-level (the font glyphs, font family, etc.) as well as the macro-level (positioning blocks of text and adjusting the size and shape of the text). It's certainly not as simple as choosing a font and a few tips will help you get started.

Your Website's Color Scheme

Color is everywhere. It's how we dress up our world and how we see things. Color has meaning beyond just "red" or "blue" and color is an important design element.

If you think about it, every website has a color scheme. It adds to the brand identity of the site and flows into each page as well as other marketing materials. Determining your color scheme is a vital step in any design and should be considered carefully.

Adding Graphics and Images

Graphics are the fun part of building web pages. As the saying goes "a picture is worth 1,000 words" and that's also true in web design. The internet is a very visual medium and eye-catching photos and graphics can really add to your user engagement.

Unlike text, search engines have a difficult time telling what an image is of unless you give them that information. For that reason, designers can use IMG tag attributes like the ALT tag to include those important details.

Don't Discount Navigation

Navigation is how your visitors get around from one page to another. It provides movement and gives visitors the chance to find other elements of your site.

You need to make sure that the structure of your website (the information architecture) makes sense. It also needs to be extremely easy to find and read so visitors don't have to rely on the search function.

The ultimate goal is that your navigation and inline links help visitors explore your site. The longer you can keep them, the more likely you'll get them to buy whatever you're selling.

Web Design Software

Most web designers prefer to work in WYSIWYG or "What You See Is What You Get" editors. These provide a visual interface to the design and let you focus less on coding HTML.

Choosing the right web design software can be a challenge. Many designers prefer Adobe Dreamweaver because it's easy to use and includes almost every feature you're ever going to need. It does come at a cost, though, but there is a free trial available.

Beginners might want to look into free or online web editors. These allow you to dabble in web design and build some amazing pages at little to no cost.
What Is Business Intelligence (BI)?roblox unblocked best prop bet app

Business intelligence (BI) refers to the procedural and technical infrastructure that collects, stores, and analyzes the data produced by a companys activities.

BI is a broad term that encompasses data mining, process analysis, performance benchmarking, and descriptive analytics. BI parses all the data generated by a business and presents easy-to-digest reports, performance measures, and trends that inform management decisions.

Key Takeaways

BI represents the technical infrastructure that collects, stores, and analyzes company data.

BI parses data and produces reports and information that help managers to make better decisions.

Software companies produce BI solutions for companies that wish to make better use of their data.

BI tools and software come in a wide variety of forms such as spreadsheets, reporting/query software, data visualization software, data mining tools, and online analytical processing (OLAP).

Self-service BI is an approach to analytics that allows individuals without a technical background to access and explore data.

Understanding Business Intelligence (BI)

The need for BI was derived from the concept that managers with inaccurate or incomplete information will tend, on average, to make worse decisions than if they had better information. Creators of financial models recognize this as garbage in, garbage out.

BI attempts to solve this problem by analyzing current data that is ideally presented on a dashboard of quick metrics designed to support better decisions.

Most companies can benefit from incorporating BI solutions; managers with inaccurate or incomplete information will tend, on average, to make worse decisions than if they had better information.

Special Considerations

To be useful, BI must seek to increase the accuracy, timeliness, and amount of data.

These requirements mean finding more ways to capture information that is not already being recorded, checking the information for errors, and structuring the information in a way that makes broad analysis possible.

In practice, however, companies have data that is unstructured or in diverse formats that do not make for easy collection and analysis. Software firms thus provide business intelligence solutions to optimize the information gleaned from data. These are enterprise-level software applications designed to unify a companys data and analytics.

Although software solutions continue to evolve and are becoming increasingly sophisticated, data scientists still need to manage the trade-offs between speed and the depth of reporting.

Some of the insights emerging from big data have companies scrambling to capture everything, but data analysts can usually filter out sources to find a selection of data points that can represent the health of a process or business area as a whole. This can reduce the need to capture and reformat everything for analysis, saving analytical time and increasing the reporting speed.

Types of BI Tools and Software

BI tools and software come in a wide variety of forms. Let's take a quick look at some common types of BI solutions.

Spreadsheets: Spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel and Google Docs are some of the most widely used BI tools.

Spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel and Google Docs are some of the most widely used BI tools. Reporting software: Reporting software is used to report, organize, filter, and display data.

Reporting software is used to report, organize, filter, and display data. Data visualization software: Data visualization software translates datasets into easy-to-read, visually appealing graphical representations to quickly gain insights.

Data visualization software translates datasets into easy-to-read, visually appealing graphical representations to quickly gain insights. Data mining tools: Data mining tools "mine" large amounts of data for patterns using things like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and statistics.

Data mining tools "mine" large amounts of data for patterns using things like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and statistics. Online analytical processing (OLAP): OLAP tools allow users to analyze datasets from a wide variety of angles based on different business perspectives.

Benefits of Business Intelligence

There are many reasons why companies adopt BI. Many use it to support functions as diverse as hiring, compliance, production, and marketing. BI is a core business value; it is difficult to find a business area that does not benefit from better information to work with.

Some of the many benefits companies can experience after adopting BI into their business models include faster, more accurate reporting and analysis, improved data quality, better employee satisfaction, reduced costs, and increased revenues, and the ability to make better business decisions.

BI was derived to help businesses avoid the problem of "garbage in and garbage out," resulting from inaccurate or insufficient data analysis.

If, for example, you are in charge of production schedules for several beverage factories and sales are showing strong month-over-month growth in a particular region, you can approve extra shifts in near real-time to ensure your factories can meet demand.

Similarly, you can quickly idle down that same production if a cooler than normal summer starts impacting sales. This manipulation of production is a limited example of how BI can increase profits and reduce costs when used properly.

Examples of BI

Lowe's Corp

Lowe's Corp, which operates the nation's second-largest home improvement retail chain, is one of the earliest big-box adopters of BI tools. Specifically, it has leaned on BI tools to optimize its supply chain, analyze products to identify potential fraud, and solve problems with collective delivery charges from its stores.

Coca-Cola Bottling Company

Coca-Cola Bottling had a problem with its daily manual reporting processes: they restricted access to real-time sales and operations data.

But by replacing the manual process with an automated BI system, the company completely streamlined the process and saved 260 hours a year (or more than six 40-hour work weeks). Now, the company's team can quickly analyze metrics like delivery operations, budget, and profitability with just a few clicks.

BI FAQs

What Is Power BI?

Power BI is a business analytics product offered by software giant Microsoft. According to the company, it allows both individuals and businesses to connect to, model, and visualize data using a scalable platform.

What Is Self-Service BI?

Self-service BI is an approach to analytics that allows individuals without a technical background to access and explore data. In other words, it gives people throughout the organization, not just those in the IT department, to have control over the data.

What Are Disadvantages of Self-Service BI?

Drawbacks to self-service BI include a false sense of security in end-users, high licensing costs, a lack of data granularity, and sometimes too much accessibility.

What Is IBM's BI Product?

One of IBM's main BI products is its Cognos Analytics tool, which the company touts as an all-inclusive, AI-powered BI solution.
China announced plans to expand gambling in Hainan in a bid to help its ailing southernmost province. The planned expansion will include the development of horse racing and of an instant and sports lottery. According to experts, the move could eventually lead to China opening the door to casino-style gambling in the island.

Gambling is generally banned in China with very few exceptions. Just two types of lotteries are allowed within the countrys borders under current laws. Horse racing is allowed to a limited extent, while the provision of sports betting services is strictly prohibited.

Macau is currently the only place in China where casino gambling is legal. The special administrative region has kept its casino monopoly for decades and has drawn some of the worlds largest casino companies, including Las Vegas Sands and MGM Resorts International. It is believed that if the Chinese government softens its stance on gambling and allows casinos in other parts of the country, including Hainan, Macau could suffer its hardest economic blowsince its gaming industry was established.

According to a reform approved by Chinas cabinet on Saturday, it will support different projects that could help Hainans tourism industry and economy, including the development of horse racing. The document further read that the province should explore lottery productssuch as instant lottery and sports lottery on major international games.

Bloombergreported in February that the Chinese government was considering the legalization of several forms of gambling in Hainan. Citing sources familiar with the discussions, the news outlet said that online gambling, horse racing, and lotterywere among the options mulled by the President Xi Jinping-led cabinet. Online gambling was not mentioned in the reform agenda published on Saturday.

Rescue Plan

Chinas support for expanded gaming on the island comes at a time when it desperately needs a heavy economic boost. Hainan has long been a popular tourist destination, annually drawing millions of tourists with its sandy beaches and resorts.

However, it is currently suffering a serious fiscal deficit as its largest conglomerate HNA Group Co. is embroiled in a debt crisisafter a risky global expansion.

Aside from expanded gaming, the President Xi-promoted reform package includes different other initiatives aimed to draw interest from investors and help the island recover. Hainan will thus look to boost its tourism industry by increasing the number of international flights to the island and developing beach and water sports.

During a visit to the southernmost province, President Xi revealed that the reform agenda would include setting up a Hainan free trade zone by 2020, a ban on the sales of fossil-fuel vehicles, and development of artificial intelligence and virtual reality. These and many more were indeed included in the reform plan, published Saturday.
Perspective on school funding

Equalized school districts educate over 70% of students in the state of Nebraska. Columbus Public Schools is an equalized school district that educates over 4,000 students. The big four school districts with property in Platte County include Lakeview Community Schools, Humphrey Public Schools, Twin River Public Schools and Clarkson Public Schools. In a comparison between equalized and non-equalized school districts, the combined total of students at these four schools is a little over 1,862 students, which is 2,200 students less than Columbus Public Schools. When you look at taxable valuation, Columbus Public Schools has $2.6 billion in valuation and the other four school districts combined have taxable valuation in Platte County of $3.4 billion.

So what does this mean? The assessed value per student at Columbus Public Schools is $590,924.65 per student. The combined assessed value per student in the other four school districts is $2,295,595.72. I think you can start to see the discrepancy between equalized and non-equalized school districts. All four school districts mentioned in comparison to Columbus Public Schools are outstanding school districts doing unbelievable things for their community. This is not a personal attack on those school districts, it is a comparative look regarding available funds for each of us.

Lakeview, Humphrey, and Clarkson are non-equalized school districts and their budgets are on the back of property tax payers and most significantly the ag producers in their school district. LB 583 passed this last legislative session does give significant support to offset property taxes in those communities and allows all of those school districts to significantly reduce their tax levies for schools. So the additional $1,500 per student and an increase in special education funding reimbursement goes a long way in those school districts in lowering their local contribution. In addition ag land valuation was reduced from 72% to 42% and property tax rebates are offered to all members in their collective communities.

In summary, non-equalized school districts received an additional $1,500 per student and an increase in special education reimbursement. Equalized school districts like CPS only received the additional special education reimbursement.

Property tax savings are not significant for CPS residents. Some may say that we spend too much money. But when you compare CPS to the state average spent per student and the other four districts in our county the comparison is this: Columbus Public Schools spends $13,247; while the others averaged$19,450. Now there are a lot of factors built into these numbers like the cost of transportation, contracted services, etc. that only solidifies that in this state there are 244 school districts with 244 different stories. A one-size solution does not fit all.

This past spring residents of Columbus Public Schools who reside in Platte County may have received a Notice of Valuation Change in the mail. This statement is sent by the County Assessors office. Your assessed valuation is not impacted by Columbus Public Schools. The District does not set or have an influence on your valuation in any way.

Valuation in Platte County, specifically within the CPS district has gone up near 10% since last year. Columbus Public Schools will lower their tax levy so as not to ask more than what is needed. Our personnel cost is 82% of our budget and the remaining 18% is spent on supplies and keeping the lights on. A year ago, CPS state aid was reduced by $3.8 million or 23% of their state funding from the previous year. This next year we saw a minimal increase and will likely see a decrease again in a year.

Columbus Public Schools could increase its tax asking by the base rate of 3% plus an increase in factors like poverty, enrollment, etc. Those factors allowed the base percentage to increase to 4.38% for the cap. That percentage, when combined with lost revenue from other sources, permits CPS to ask for $28,593,116 in property taxes under the $1.05 levy lid. LB 243 allows a provision for exceeding the cap, which CPS will not consider and our property tax asking will be well under the allowable cap. Some would like you to believe that the problem lies with how school districts use the funds they are allotted, but the property tax issue is related to how schools in Nebraska are funded. Neither LB 243 or LB 583 completely solves that issue for equalized districts in Nebraska. Columbus Public Schools co-wrote two bills two sessions ago, LB 890 and LB 891, that would have reduced the tax levy for Columbus Public School residents by a minimum of 25 cents. The bill never made it to second reading and would have increased funding for all school districts.

The exception being four districts who would have increased funding by accessing option enrollment versus additional state funds per student.

Columbus Public Schools will set their levy for 2024 at their Sept. 18 board meeting and it will be based on the impact of several new laws, including LB 583 and LB 243. Our levy will be reduced but will not have the significant impact it could if the $1,500 was equally distributed as extra funding for both equalized and non-equalized school districts. It would have generated approximately an additional $6 million and based upon our valuation could have reduced our tax levy by .22 cents.

The state has made a major contribution to public school education and it is greatly appreciated. We want people to know that each of the 244 school districts in the state have different stories of bond indebtedness, state funding, property valuations, etc.

We ask our community to please understand that we would like to lower our tax levy significantly more, but we will not be able to do as much as our board would like to and still be competitive in recruiting and retaining staff and not cut staff. We take pride in being able to provide a great comprehensive education for our students.

Columbus Public Schools Superintendent Troy Loeffelholz, Ed.D

Columbus Public Schools Executive Director of Finance and Human Resources

Editors Note: This is part two of two letters to the editor from the Columbus Public Schools leaders regarding school funding.
Illustration: Chen Xia/Global Times

British finance minister Jeremy Hunt said,in order to tackle a 55 billion-pound hole in Britain's budget, he will set out tax rises and spending cuts when announcing a budget plan on Thursday, which is seen as the first major test of Sunak's administration, US media outlet CNBC reported.The release of Hunter's fiscal plan, two weeks later than originally planned on October 31, comes at a time when the UK economy heads into what is expected to be the longest recession on record, showing just how difficult the current challenges facing the UK economy are for economic policymakers.Speaking before announcing the budget plan, Hunt said he did not want to aggravate an expected recession. Yet, it remains to be seen whether his tax hike plan can help the UK economy buck the downturn trend in face of multiple challenges including surging inflation and energy crisis.The UK economy shrank in the third quarter, signaling a dip into recession. UK GDP fell 0.2 percent between July and September and is now 0.4 percent smaller than it was at the end of 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic began, according to data from the Office for National Statistics released on last Friday, making it the only G7 economy to have contracted in the third quarter.In fact, two months ago, the world economic community had predicted that the British economy would enter a technical recession. At a time when UK is sliding into a recession and public discontent in the country is intensifying amid the energy crisis and high inflation, it is time for UK economic policymakers to confront the real problems that are causing the UK's economic woes.Although some analysts have pointed out that the current economic crisis in the UK is directly triggered by the latest large-scale tax reduction policy, the UK's economic woes are also a result of the contradictory economic policies. In order to bring the British economy out of its current difficulties as soon as possible, British policy makers should consider how to restore its business reputation and economic policy consistency.More importantly, the foundation of the British economy is market rules and free trade. In order to tackle the current challenges, the British economy must focus on revitalizing its financial and trade advantages. At the same time, it should expand opening up and promote free trade to offset the impacts from Brexit, COVID-19 and an ongoing energy crisis.The UK's economic model dominated by the free market has its own laws of development that should not be affected by political interference. Politicizing economic and trade issues can only lead to consequences that are harmful to both others and itself. However, the UK has repeatedly used the guise of "national security" to create artificial barriers in the fields of 5G development, business investment, and scientific and technological cooperation.China is an important trading partner of the UK. Promoting trade with China and attracting Chinese investment will help the UK economy get out of the predicament. After the Brexit and since the pandemic, China has surpassed Germany becoming UK's largest source of imports. Trade with China has become an important support for the UK's economic growth.Despite global economic gloom, the stock of two-way direct investment between China and the UK reached $47.8 billion in 2021, an increase of nearly $5 billion from before the COVID-19. The economic structures of China and the UK are complementary and the potential for economic and trade cooperation is huge.The tax rise plan may indeed help the British economy to solve its immediate problems, but the improvement of the business climate will undoubtedly attract more funds for the further recovery of the British economy. It is hoped that the UK will reconsider the Huawei ban and other restrictive measures imposed on Chinese companies to prevent further damages.The author is a reporter with the Global Times. [email protected]
Caesars Entertainment Corp. announced today plans to operate two hotels and a beach club in Dubai. The properties will be located on the artificial Bluewaters Island, off the Jumeirah Beach Residence coast line, and are slated to open doors in the fourth quarter of the year.

The two resorts will not feature casinos as gambling is banned across the United Arab Emirates. They will be Caesars first-ever non-gaming properties.

The Las Vegas gaming and hospitality giant said in a statement from earlier today that it has partnered local real estate, tourism, and hospitality company Meraas Holdingto work with in Dubai.

As mentioned above, Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai and Caesars Bluewaters Dubai are expected to launch later this year. The former, named after Caesars flagship property Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, will feature 178 luxury hotel rooms, two outdoor and one indoor swimming pools, a spa and a health center, an event center, a business center, and six restaurants. The property will also include facilities for meeting and conference activity.

Caesars Bluewaters Dubai will have 301 hotel roomsfor guests, two swimming pools, both of which located outdoors, three meeting rooms, a 9,000-square-foot event hall, and food and beverage facilities. Both hotels will provide their guests with access to a nearly 5,000-square-foot private beach.

The two new resorts come as a manifestation of Dubais strategy to diversify its economy and improve the experience the city offers to both residents and visitors under the Dubai Plan 2021.

Planned Expansion

Announcing its Dubai hotel resorts, Caesars embarks on a planned expansion of its global footprintwhich it first revealed last spring. The companys main operating unit recently emerged from bankruptcy and is now looking for opportunities to extend its presence across the globe.

Dubai is the first new destination Caesars is entering as part of its growth strategy and the first one where the major operator will operate non-gaming facilities. Bob Morse, President of Hospitality for Caesars, told media that the Gulf region is gradually becoming an attractive investment destination with the efforts made by local rulers to reduce states dependence on oil and diversify their economies.

Commenting on the fact that the two Dubai hotels would not feature casinos, Mr. Morse said that while gambling is prohibited in the region, it has a large expatriate population and part of their Gulf customers would certainly feel attracted to Caesars casino gaming resortsacross the United States.

The official further pointed out that the Las Vegas gaming and hospitality giant has set sights on other parts of the world and would expand its non-gaming businesseven more in the coming years. Mr. Morse revealed that they are actively pursuing expansion opportunities across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.
Have you ever been confused by two words which are spelled nearly the same, but have different meanings? Coma and comma are two such words. Their meanings do not overlap, even though there is only one letters difference in their spellings.

One of these words refers to sentence punctuation. The other has multiple meanings, but none of them are related to grammar. Read on to find out which is which.

What is the Difference Between Coma and Comma?

In this article, I will compare coma vs. comma. I will use each word in a sentence to illustrate their proper uses. Plus, at the end, I will explain a useful trick to help you choose comma or coma in your writing.

When to Use Coma

What does coma mean? Comais a noun. It usually means a vegetative state of prolonged unconsciousness.

At the time of the accident, Ms. Gossiaux had taken a semester off to recover from cochlear-implant surgery. She awoke from a coma unable to see or hear. The Wall Street Journal

Writers tend to use coma outside its medical context for any deep or extended period of sleep, as well.

For example,

Every Thanksgiving, the turkey puts my uncle Bob into a food coma.

Sheila survived the wreck, but she is in a coma.

A comacan also be a part of a comet, specifically, a cloud of gas and debris surrounding the nucleus. You can see in an example in the sentence below.

You can easily distinguish a comet from a star, due to the formers coma giving it a hazy appearance through a telescope.

This usage is legitimate, but uncommon outside of technical astronomical contexts.

When to Use Comma

What does comma mean? A commais a mark of punctuation. Ive used several in this article, and one in this sentence.

Commas are used to separate clauses, indicate short pauses, and to make lists of three or more items easier to read. They are an important tool in crafting sentence structure, but they can be distracting if you use too many.

Here are some examples of the word comma, in sentences which illustrate grammatically correct comma use.

The comma, the colon, the semicolon, and the dash are all used to separate phrases and clauses in sentences.

If you have more than one comma in a sentence that doesnt contain a list, ask yourself if you should divide it into two or more sentences instead.

When my kids bring me an essay to proofread, they may well up in tears if I mention a missing comma. The Washington Post

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember comma vs. coma in your writing.

Both comma and coma are nouns.

A comma is a mark of punctuation.

A coma can refer to a medical condition or a part of a comet.

Its easy to remember when to use commacomma and grammar share the letters mm. By using this trick, you will never have to wonder whether to use coma or comma again.

Summary

Is it coma or comma? Coma and comma are both nouns, but they have completely different meaning.

A coma is either a medical condition or a part of a celestial object.

Writers use commas to punctuate sentences.

Since comma and grammar both have a double m, you should have no trouble reserving comma for discussions of grammar and sentence structure.

If you find yourself unable to remember which word is which, you can always refer back to this article for a quick refresher.
BEIJING,shiba wazirx win digital currency Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- Foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Chinese mainland, in actual use, expanded 14.4 percent year on year to nearly 1.09 trillion yuan in the first 10 months of the year, the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday.

In U.S. dollar terms, the inflow went up 17.4 percent year on year to 168.34 billion U.S. dollars. 
M.L.S, Library Science, Indiana University

Constantin Brancusi (1876-1957) was a Romanian sculptor who became a French citizen shortly before his death. He was one of the most important and influential sculptors of the 20th century. His use of abstract forms to represent natural concepts led the way toward minimalist art in the 1960s and beyond. Many observers consider his "Bird in Space" pieces to be among the best abstract representations of flight ever created.

Fast Facts: Constantin Brancusi

Known For: Sculptor

Sculptor Styles: Cubism, minimalism

Cubism, minimalism Born : February 19, 1876 in Hobita, Romania

: February 19, 1876 in Hobita, Romania Died : March 16, 1957 in Paris, France

: March 16, 1957 in Paris, France Education: Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris, France

Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris, France Selected Works : "The Kiss" (1908), "Sleeping Muse" (1910), "Bird in Space" (1919), "Endless Column" (1938)

: "The Kiss" (1908), "Sleeping Muse" (1910), "Bird in Space" (1919), "Endless Column" (1938) Notable Quote:"Architecture is inhabited sculpture."

Early Life and Education

Born into a farming family in the foothills of Romania's Carpathian Mountains, Brancusi began working at age seven. He herded sheep while showing early skills at carving wood. Young Constantin was a frequent runaway, attempting to escape abusive treatment by his father and brothers from an earlier marriage.

Brancusi finally left his home village at age 11. He worked for a grocer, and two years later he moved to the Romanian city of Craiova. There, he held a range of jobs, including waiting tables and building cabinets. The income allowed him to enroll in the School of Arts and Crafts, where Brancusi became a skilled woodworker. One of his ambitious projects was the carving of a violin out of an orange crate.

While studying sculpture at the National School of Fine Arts in Romania's capital, Bucharest, Constantin Brancusi won competitive awards for his sculptures. One of his earliest works still in existence is a statue of a man with skin removed to expose the muscles underneath. It was one of his first attempts to show the internal essence of something instead of merely the outside surfaces.

After first moving to Munich, Germany, Brancusi decided to further his art career in 1904 by moving to Paris. According to legends surrounding the artist, he walked most of the way from Munich to Paris. Reportedly, he sold his watch to pay for the boat crossing across Lake Constance where Germany, Switzerland, and Austria meet.

Brancusi enrolled in the Paris Ecole des Beaux-Arts from 1905 through 1907. It served as a ticket into the circles of some of the era's most famous artists.

Constantin Brancusi in 1905.Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

Rodin Influence

Constantin Brancusi began working as a studio assistant to Auguste Rodin in 1907. The elder artist was by then recognized as one of the greatest sculptors of all time. Brancusi only lasted for a month as an assistant. He admired Rodin, but he claimed, "Nothing grows under the shadow of big trees."

Although he worked to distance himself from Rodin, much of Brancusi's earliest Parisian work shows the impact of his short tenure in the famed sculptor's studio. His 1907 sculpture, titled "A Boy," is a powerful rendering of a child, emotional and realistic in form. Brancusi had already began smoothing out the edges of the sculpture, taking him away from Rodin's trademark rough, textured style.

"A Boy" (1907).Nina Leen / Getty Images

One of Brancusi's first important commissions was a funeral monument for a wealthy Romanian landowner in 1907. The piece, titled "The Prayer" is a young girl kneeling. It is perhaps one of the best examples of a bridge between Rodin's emotionally powerful gestures in carving and Brancusi's later simplified forms.

Echoes of Primitive Art

Brancusi's first version of "The Kiss," completed in 1908, is notable for a significant break from the work of Auguste Rodin. The two figures embracing each other are highly simplified, and they fit into a suggested cube-like space. Although it would not become the main thrust of his work, many observers see Brancusi's "The Kiss" as an early form of cubism. As with other works, the artist created many more versions of "The Kiss" throughout his career. Each version simplified the lines and surfaces more and more to move closer and closer to abstraction.

"The Kiss" (1916).Francis Miller / Getty Images

"The Kiss" also echoes the materials and composition of ancient Assyrian and Egyptian art. The piece is perhaps the best representation of Brancusi's fascination with primitive sculpture, which followed him throughout his career.

Late in his active career, Brancusi explored Romanian mythology and folklore with wood carvings. His 1914 work "The Sorceress" is carved from a tree trunk at the point where three branches met. He drew inspiration for the subject matter from a tale about a flying witch.

Clean, Abstract Shapes in Sculptures

Brancusi's most celebrated and influential sculptural style appeared in his first version of the "Sleeping Muse," created in 1910. It is an oval-shaped disembodied head cast in bronze with the details of the face modified into polished, smooth curves. He returned to the subject many times, creating works in plaster and bronze. The 1924 sculpture titled "The Beginning of the World" represents a logical conclusion to this line of exploration. It's an entirely smooth oval shape without any details to disturb the surface.

Impressed by the beauty and peaceful appearance of "Sleeping Muse," patrons requested commissioned heads, busts, and portraits by Brancusi throughout his career. Baroness Renee-Irana Frachon was the subject of the first version of "Sleeping Muse." Other notable abstract sculptures of heads include 1911's "Head of Prometheus."

Birds became an obsession in Constant Brancusi's mature style of work. His 1912 work "Maiastra," named after a bird from Romanian legends, is a marble sculpture with the bird's head raised as it flies. Twenty-eight other versions of "Maiastra" followed over the next 20 years.

Perhaps Brancusi's most celebrated sculptures are from his series of polished-bronze pieces titled "Bird in Space," which first appeared in 1919. The form is distilled so precisely that many observers believed Brancusi accurately caught the spirit of flight in a still form.

Another concept that Brancusi frequently explored was the stacking of rhomboid pieces, one on top of another to create a tall column. His first experiment with the design appeared in 1918. The most mature example of this idea is the "Endless Column" completed and installed outdoors in the Romanian city of Targu Jiu in 1938. Standing nearly 30 meters tall, the sculpture is a memorial to Romanian soldiers who fought in World War I. The height of the column stretching into the sky represents the infinite connection between heaven and earth.

"Endless Column" (1918).Ion Gheban / Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons 3.0

Although Brancusi's most important work points in the direction of complete abstraction, he considered himself a realist. He was continually searching for the inner reality of his subjects. He believed that every object had a fundamental nature that could be represented in art.

Peak Career Success

Constantin Brancusi's work first appeared on display in the United States at the landmark 1913 Armory Show in New York. Dada artist Marcel Duchamp drew some of the most strident criticism from art critics. He became a significant collector of Brancusi's work and helped introduce him to many more fellow artists.

Photographer Alfred Stieglitz, later husband of Georgia O'Keefe, hosted Brancusi's first solo show in New York. It was a success and positioned Brancusi as one of the most acclaimed rising sculptors in the world.

George Rinhart / Getty Images

Among Brancusi's expanding circle of friends and confidants were the artists Amadeo Modigliani, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Rousseau. Although he was a vital member of the Parisian avant-garde, Brancusi always maintained strong connections with Romanian artists both in Paris and in Romania. He was known for frequently dressing in the costume common to Romanian peasants, and his studio echoed the design of peasant homes from the area where Brancusi grew up.

Constantin Brancusi was unable to avoid controversy as his star rose. In 1920, "Princess X," his entry into a Parisian Salon show, caused a scandal. While abstract, the sculpture is phallic in form. When public outrage caused it to be removed from display, the artist expressed shock and dismay. Brancusi explained that it was merely designed to represent the essence of womanhood. He later explained that the sculpture was his depiction of Princess Marie Bonaparte looking down with the founded base representing her "beautiful bust."

A version of "Bird in Space" caused controversy in 1926. Photographer Edward Steichen purchased the sculpture and had it shipped from Paris to the United States. Customs officers did not allow the usual duty exemption for works of art. They insisted that the abstract sculpture was an industrial piece. Brancusi ultimately won the ensuing legal proceedings and helped set an important standard that sculpture did not have to be representational to be accepted as a legitimate work of art.

Later Life and Work

By the 1930s, Brancusi's fame extended around the world. In 1933, he earned a commission from the Indian Maharajah of Indore to build a meditation temple. Unfortunately, when Brancusi finally traveled to India in 1937 to begin construction, the Maharajah was away on travels. He ultimately died before the artist could construct the temple.

Brancusi visited the United States for the last time in 1939. He participated in an "Art In Our Time" exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The sculpture "Flying Turtle" was his last major completed work.

"La Negresse Blonde II" (1933).Sissssou / Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons 4.0

The first major retrospective of Brancusi's work took place at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 1955. It was a significant success. Constantin Brancusi died on March 16, 1957, at age 81. He bequeathed his studio, with carefully placed and documented sculptures, to the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. It can be visited in a reconstructed version in a building outside the Pompidou Center in Paris.

Brancusi's caretakers in his later years were a Romanian refugee couple. He became a French citizen in 1952, and that allowed him to make the caretakers his heirs.

Legacy

Constantin Brancusi was one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century. His use of abstract forms derived from natural concepts influenced a wide range of future artists such as Henry Moore. Works like "Bird in Space" were landmarks in the development of minimalist art.

"Head of Prometheus" (1911).Nina Leen / Getty Images

Brancusi always maintained a secure connection to his humble beginnings in life. He was a skilled handyman, and he made most of his furniture, utensils, and home carpentry. Late in life, many visitors to his home commented on the spiritually comforting nature of his simple surroundings.

Sources
What Is a Loan Lock?casino vegas palms

A loan lock refers to a lenders promise to offer a borrower a specified interest rate on a mortgage and to hold that rate for an agreed-upon period of time.

How a Loan Lock Works

A loan lock guarantees a borrower that a mortgage lender will, upon closing, provide a loan with a specified interest rate. Typically, lenders offer quotes to prospective borrowers that reflect prevailing interest rates at the time of the offer, rather than at the time of settlement. The quoted rate will also include a lenders margin. Rates can go up or down prior to closing, so a loan lock provides the borrower with protection against a rise in interest rates during the lock period. A lender will sometimes offer a loan lock as a specific rate plus a number of points. Points represent a fee paid at the origination of a loan to receive a lower interest rate over the loans life.

If rates go down during the lock period, the borrower may have the option to withdraw from the agreement. The probability of such a withdrawal is known as a fallout risk for the lender. The borrower should take great care, however, to ensure that the lock agreement allows for withdrawal.

In some cases where prevailing rates decline during the lock period, the borrower may have the option to take advantage of a float-down provision to lock in a new, lower rate. As with any feature that increases interest-rate risk to the lender, a float-down provision will only be available at an additional cost to the borrower.

Loan locks generally last 30 or 60 days. At a minimum they should cover the period necessary for the lender to process the borrowers loan application. An example of a short lock period is one that expires shortly after completion of the loan-approval process. In some cases this lock period can be as short as a few days. A borrower can negotiate the terms of a loan lock and often extend the term of the lock for a fee or slightly higher rate.

A loan lock provides the borrower with protection against a rise in interest rates during the lock period.

Loan Lock vs. Loan Commitment

It is worthwhile to distinguish between a loan lock and a loan commitment. A loan commitment can refer to a commercial line of credit, but when used in reference to a mortgage agreement the term refers to a lenders intention to lend a certain amount at an unspecified point in the future. The commitment may or may not contain a loan lock. Generally, a borrower uses a lenders commitment to make his or her offer more attractive to the seller of a property in a competitive bidding environment.
Todays iGaming market continues to surge,presidential debate bet and a worldwide community of gamers remain ever ready for the latest in software, graphics and performance. The plethora of online casino game companies are in heated competition to offer heart-pounding action and spectacular play, yet the worlds top game developers remain a cut above the rest; consistently delivering the best casino games to hardcore gamers. Eager to learn about the worlds most popular online casino software providers? Weve got what you need with Realtime Gaming, Netent, Aristrocrat and Novomatic.

NetEnt

Established in 1996, Net Entertainment or NetEntis an award winning online casino software provider pioneering open source games, and continuing to develop new and engaging in-game features and technology. NetEnt was one of the first game software providers to develop Java-based games in the 90s, with their slots games becoming a top choice for players in recent years. The potential of NetEnt has only been fully realized in recent years thanks to their phenomenal game customizations, attracting players with alluring games designed to pack a punch with in-game bonus features, bet multipliers and top-tier gameplay. NetEnts games offer engaging 3D graphics and realistic designs, making them a choice of casino game to play via instant mode through web browser or on your choice of mobile device.

Realtime Gaming

Realtime Gaming, better known as RTG in the industry, is an online casino software provider that has continued to see bigtime growth and expansion since its inception in 1998. The amount of online casinos sites that employ games delivered by RTG has skyrocketed over the last decade. RTG remains trusted in the industry due to its consistency in delivering high quality game performance and captivating options and themes for every caliber of player. RTGs commitment in the field has been nothing short of spectacular over the last fifteen years, and the hype of the company is well founded.

RTG is a known for its reliability in creating customizable game options to their clients, is among the very top game providers in the industry. Dozens of the highest ranked online casinos utilize RTG, known simply as RTG casinos. RTG software offers games in two distinctive formats: downloadable software to standalone games via your choice of browser with Flash Player. Players can enjoy everything from video slots to popular table games such as roulette, video poker and blackjack directly via desktop or mobile device to play on the go. RTG games are surefire winners.

Aristocrat

If its Vegas-style slots you are looking for, then look no further than the game provider Aristocrat Technologies . A pioneer in the industry with more than 50 years of experience, Aristocrat offers a form of entertainment in its game releases not only for land-based casinos, but also the hottest online casinos. Aristocrats online casinos offer some of the most exciting Vegas slots with hundreds of options from which to choose, effectively delivering instant-play formats with captivating graphics and state-of-the-art sound design. Players playing Aristocrat games enjoy the unique opportunity to experience award-winning performance for both download, online or your choice of mobile device.

Novomatic

Novomatic has been a leader in game development and one of Europes largest providers since 1980. This company specializes in high tech gaming equipment around the globe, and in 2010, has been consistently delivering some of the most popular online casino game releases with a range of state-of-the-art entertainment available anywhere online today. The companys collaboration with Greentube makes it stand out from other popular companies, and their instant-play, no download features dish out compelling real time graphics to powerful game performance.

The company consistently ranks among the top online casino software providers, and in recent years have held the crown as the top choice for new and experienced gamers alike as their choice of reputable online casino game developer. Enjoy Novomatics one-of-a-kind software through PC or Mac as well as compatibility with mobile devices. Their Deluxe series is ranked top in its class for real money slots.

Category: Casino Blog
Thekansas star casino hoursre are few things more more ritualisticand to many, more sacredthan a morning cup of joe. 64% of Americans drink at least one cup a daya statistic thats barely budged since the 90s. Despite warnings from doctors over the years that coffee may be hard on the body, people have remained devoted to the drink.

Luckily for them, the latest science is evolving in their favor. Research is showing that coffee may have net positive effects on the body after all.

Is coffee bad for you?

For years, doctors warned people to avoid coffee because it might increase the risk of heart disease and stunt growth. They worried that people could become addicted to the energy that high amounts of caffeine provided, leading them to crave more and more coffee as they became tolerant to higher amounts of caffeine. Experts also worried that coffee had damaging effects on the digestive tract, which could lead to stomach ulcers, heartburn and other ills.

All of this concern emerged from studies done decades ago that compared coffee drinkers to non-drinkers on a number of health measures, including heart problems and mortality. Coffee drinkers, it seemed, were always worse off.

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But it turns out that coffee wasnt really to blame. Those studies didnt always control for the many other factors that could account for poor health, such as smoking, drinking and a lack of physical activity. If people who drank a lot of coffee also happened to have some other unhealthy habits, then its not clear that coffee is responsible for their heart problems or higher mortality.

That understanding has led to a rehabilitated reputation for the drink. Recent research reveals that once the proper adjustments are made for confounding factors, coffee drinkers dont seem have a higher risk for heart problems or cancer than people who dont drink coffee. Recent studies also found no significant link between the caffeine in coffee and heart-related issues such as high cholesterol, irregular heartbeats, stroke or heart attack.

Learn the latest research-backed insights with TIMEs guide to preventing cancer.

Is coffee good for you?

Studies show that people who drink coffee regularly may have an 11% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than non-drinkers, thanks to ingredients in coffee that can affect levels of hormones involved in metabolism.

In a large study involving tens of thousands of people, researchers found that people who drank several cups a dayanywhere from two to four cupsactually had a lower risk of stroke. Heart experts say the benefits may come from coffees effect on the blood vessels; by keeping vessels flexible and healthy, it may reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, which can cause heart attacks.

Its also high in antioxidants, which are known to fight the oxidative damage that can cause cancer. That may explain why some studies have found a lower risk of liver cancer among coffee drinkers.

Coffee may even help you live longer. A recent study involving more than 208,000 men and women found that people who drank coffee regularly were less likely to die prematurely than those who didnt drink coffee. Researchers believe that some of the chemicals in coffee may help reduce inflammation, which has been found to play a role in a number of aging-related health problems, including dementia and Alzheimers. Some evidence also suggests that coffee may slow down some of the metabolic processes that drive aging.

One downside is that people may become dependent on caffeine (no surprise to any regular caffeine-drinker who takes a coffee break). The symptomsheadaches, irritability and fatiguecan mimic those of people coming off of addictive drugs. Yet doctors dont consider the dependence anywhere close to as worrisome as addictions to habit-forming drugs like opiates. While unpleasant, caffeine withdrawal symptoms are tolerable and tend to go away after a day or so.

How much coffee is safe?

Like so many foods and nutrients, too much coffee can cause problems, especially in the digestive tract. But studies have shown that drinking up to four 8-ounce cups of coffee per day is safe. Sticking to those boundaries shouldnt be hard for coffee drinkers in the U.S., since most drink just a cup of java per day.

Moderation is key. But sipping coffee in reasonable amounts just might be one of the healthiest things you can do.
Definition of Accumulation

Accumulation is money earning quiz appderived from a Latin word which means pile up. It is a stylistic device that is defined as a list of words which embody similar abstract or physical qualities or meanings, with the intention to emphasize the common qualities that words hold. It is also an act of accumulating the scattered points. Accumulation examples are found in literary pieces and in daily conversations.

Examples of Accumulation in Literature

Example #1: Henry V (byWilliam Shakespeare)

Then shall our names,

Familiar in his mouth as household words,

Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,

Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,

Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered.

In this excerpt, Shakespeare has gathered similar words to describe King Harry. Henry memorizes the name and nobility of the king by mentioning: Bedford, Exeter, Warwick, Talbot, Salisbury, and Gloucester.

Example #2: Ulysses(by James Joyce)

What syllabus of intellectual pursuits was simultaneously possible? Snapshot photography, comparative study of religions, folklore relative to various amatory and superstitious practices, contemplation of celestial constellations.

If you are searching for examples of accumulation in literature, James Joyce is the author to check out as he is famous for using this literary device. Here, Joyce has accumulated similar and related words in the form of a list. There are options given between different intellectual careers. These include snapshot photography, comparative study of religions, superstitious practices.

Example #3: The Little Virtues(by Natalia Ginzburg)

I dont know how to manage my time; he does.

I dont know how to dance and he does.

I dont know how to type and he does.

I dont know how to drive  

The writer has used negation in the given sentences. All four lines are written in accumulated form, and the scattered points are listed together, hence contributing to the vocabulary of the readers.

Example #4: A Modest Proposal(by Jonathan Swift)

 having no other motive than the public good of my country, by advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich  

This is a very good example of accumulation wherein Swift gives suggestions on how to get rid of poverty. He has listed various motives and ways to resolve the problems, adding and contributing to the meaning of the sentences.

Example #5: When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops(by George Carlin)

Im a modern man, digital and smoke-free;

a man for the millennium. A diversified, multi-cultural, post-modern deconstructionist;

politically, anatomically and ecologically incorrect. Ive been uplinked and downloaded,

Ive been inputted and outsourced.

I know the upside of downsizing,

I know the downside of upgrading.

Here, George Carlin has used three categories of accumulation. In the first two lines, a modern man is described as digital and smoke-free, and as a man for the millennium. In the following two lines, he added, a diversified, multi-cultural  politically  incorrect.

Example #6: Holy Thursday(by William Blake)

Is this a holy thing to see

In a rich and fruitful land,

Babes reduced to misery,

Fed with cold and usurous hand? Is that trembling cry a song?

Can it be a song of joy?

And so many children poor?

And their fields are bleak and bare,

And their ways are filled with thorns.

Here is the accumulation of three questions that induce a resentful response. Similarly, three assertions come in the third stanza in a similar grammatical pattern. These are: And their son does never shine, And their fields are bleak and bare, and And their ways are filled 

Example #7: Ulysses(by James Joyce)

Rangoon beans, strikes of tomatoes, drums of figs, drills of Swedes, spherical potatoes and tallies of iridescent kale, York and Savoy, and trays of onions, pearls of the earth, and punnets of mushrooms and custard marrowsand rape and red green yellow brown russet sweet big bitter ripe pomellated apples and chips of strawberries and sieves of gooseberries, pulpy and pelurious, and strawberries fit for princes and raspberries from their canes 

This excerpt is a perfect example of accumulation. In the beginning, there is a listing of flowers and vegetables. These include Rangoon beans, strikes of tomatoes, drums of figs, and again an accumulation of different colors, such as red green yellow brown russet.

Function of Accumulation

Accumulation is used in literature, poetry and all types of rhetorical writing. The basic function is to make language livelier and contribute to the meanings of the words. Also, it describes the qualities of an object through different explanations, if otherwise it would be left vague or ambiguous.
Theused poker chips ceaser lake tahoe one who gambles knows how crazy and fun it can get. Places like Vegas are known for the fantastic experience of their casinos and gambling.People are often averse to the idea of investing time in online gambling because it has internet banking involved. But now we are witnessing a surge in online gambling practices after the Covid-19 pandemic.

Picture Courtesy: Pixabay.com

The popularity of online casinos is at an all-time high because of many reasons. It is now a myth that only offline gambling is fun. The experience of offline gambling is undoubtedly fantastic, but online gambling has its own perks. Let us explore this article why people are switching to online gambling and how to make it equally fun.

1.Choose from a variety of websites.

A correct website will not only offer you the best of games but will also have lots of discounts and bonuses for you. The internet is filled with many online casino options to choose from, but not all websites are reliable and trustworthy. Before finalizing a website, try out their gaming interface and different offers.

2.Different payment options.

Technology has become so advanced that all our payments are well encrypted. Any online payment can be done in a matter of a few seconds with complete security. It is also easy to keep a track of your online transactions and spending. You can keep a different card or account for your monthly gambling expenses. Today, many online casinos are also allowing you to make payments in cryptocurrencies like BitCoin, Ethereum, and many more.

Picture Courtesy: Pixabay

1.Play with the world.

When you go to an offline casino, you play with the people present there. But when you play at an online casino, you can play with players from different parts of the world. It gives you a chance to interact and play with the best minds and improve your game. It helps you build a strong network, that polishes your communication skills too.

2.Play from anywhere.

Smartphones in our hands are one of the biggest revolutions of technology. With a few taps here and there, we can do anything and everything. You can play any type of game from your smartphones and laptops. You do not need to step out of the comforts of your home to gamble, you can simply log in to your favorite website and play.

3.Maximize the profits.

Almost all online casinos offer a welcome bonus and a great deal of weekly and monthly bonuses. These types of offers and bonuses help you maximize your profits. There are different tournaments organized regularly which help you win fantastic prizes when you make a strong place for yourself.

Conclusion

The debate about online and offline casinos can go on and on because there are pros and cons to both. But there can be some serious issues involved if you get too much into it. Online casinos are a great way to unwind and relax after a long tiring day at work. But in no time, you can get addicted to it because of various reasons. So, always make sure to spend your time and money within a limit.

Category: Casino Blog
ORLANDO, Fla.  If you think U.S. roads have gotten busier on your morning commute, you're not alone.

The rate of workers driving to their jobs creeped upward nationwide last year, as did those who carpool to work by car, truck or van. The mean commuting time jumped by almost a minute in 2022 from the previous year, as more businesses ended full-time remote work, a sign that post-pandemic life edged closer in 2022 to what it was before COVID-19.

The rate of people working from home dropped from almost 18% in 2021 to 15.2% in 2022, according to new survey data on life in America released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The survey covers commuting times, internet access, family life, income, education levels, disabilities, military service and employment, among other topics.

Mark Behrens, a human resources data analyst in Orlando working for a Fortune 500 company, started driving to his office in March 2022 after working from home for two years because of the pandemic. Managers now require employees to spend at least three days a week in the office. While most of his co-workers resented the order, Behrens was elated to see the in-person collaboration with his colleagues return to something that felt closer to normal.

The advantage of coming into the office, even if its only hybrid, is not being isolated, having some social connections, Behrens said. You see people and you mention something you are working on and you start to talk about it more, and you can come up with more solutions, and make more progress.

The rate of people commuting to work alone in a vehicle climbed from 67.8% in 2021 to 68.7% in 2022, and it went from 7.8% to 8.6% for carpoolers. Public transportation use rose from 2.5% to 3.1% year-over-year, and the time people spent traveling to work jumped almost a full minute to 26.4 minutes in 2022 compared to 25.6 minutes in 2021, according to the American Community Survey's 1-year estimates.

Despite the significant decline in working remotely from 2021 to 2022, it still was almost three times higher than before the pandemic in 2019, when it was only 5.7% and more than three-quarters of workers drove alone to work in a vehicle. The 2022 survey did not let participants say whether they work from home full-time or only some of the time.

Even though there were advantages to working from home, like throwing something into the crock pot during lunch breaks, Allison Graves was happy to return to her first-grade classroom after teaching virtually for most of the first two years of the pandemic, which started in early 2020. With a renewed commute, she could catch up on podcasts she missed because she didn't spend so much time in her car.

Continuing virtually just wasnt the same as teaching face-to-face, said Graves, who lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia. People spent much of 2020 and 2021 not going places, and now people are expected to be back or doing hybrid."

The Census Bureau recently released national data on income, poverty and the rate of people without health insurance. The newest data showed what those rates were broken down by states and smaller geographies.

The District of Columbia and New Jersey had the highest median household income with $101,027 and $96,346, respectively, compared to more than $74,000 nationally. Mississippi's $52,719 was the lowest of any state.

The rate of those lacking health insurance was lowest in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, respectively 2.4% and 2.9%, compared to the national average of 8%. It was highest in Texas at 16.6%.

Fewer people moved in 2022 compared to 2021, and the presence of a child in a household also dropped slightly. The average household size trended lower, going from 2.54 to 2.5 people, as did the average family size, going from 3.15 to 3.11 people.

The foreign-born population inched up slightly to 13.9%, and the rate of people who spoke only English at home dropped slightly from the previous year to 78% in 2022.

Even though the back-in-office-three-days-a-week work schedule was mandated for Behrens' office in 2022, few co-workers followed it, so his company decided not to renew its Orlando office lease. Now all 100 office employees will be working from home, something Behrens isn't looking forward to when it starts at the end of the month.

I won't get to see anybody, Behrens said. It's not ideal for me, though most people have no problem with this, whatsoever, and love it and dont miss the commute.
Poker Central announced it will shut down its 24/7 television channel on December 31, 2016. The decision was prompted by Poker Centrals plans to veer off in a new direction and comply with its millennial audiences demands for increased content.

The television channel, which provides 24/7 coverage of poker-related events, was launched in October 2015. Originally, Poker Central offered only a collection of old poker clips but over time, the channel expanded into more Netflix-style original content. The television channel lasted only a year as Cary Katz, the Las Vegas entrepreneur and poker player who funded the venture, announced his decision to close it down.

In addition to television programming on the poker-dedicated channel, Poker Central also offers its content across a number of platforms, including Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire TV. Poker Central will continue to provide its content across the said platforms but a live stream from the television channel will no longer be available.

Poker Centrals programming and on-demand videos will still be available to viewers via the applications and will be supported with advertising. Viewers will be able to watch Super High Roller Bowl episodes, Pokerography and other content via the applications or through Poker Centrals website. The company plans on increasing its offerings in the future.

Joe Kakaty, President of Poker Central, described the decision to close down the television channel as a digital pivotwhich would enable the company to focus on providing the new, original content the younger audiences demand. According to Kakaty, Poker Central discovered they were better at providing mobile and social media-focused content than at competing in the cable network field.

In Kakatys words television is not going away but the way Poker Central works with television is going to change. Kakaty also confirmed that Poker Central events will still be broadcast on television, only not on the companys dedicated channel.

Poker Central will generate future content by taking advantage of its partnerships with established networks, such as CBS Sports and NBC Sports. Popular Poker Central programs like Super High Roller and Celebrity Shootout will continue to be broadcast by Poker Centrals network partners.

The latest Poker Central Charity Shootout was broadcast on Amazon.com and Poker Central Twitch Channel on December 3. The event, which raised $85,000 for charities, was then rebroadcast on CBS Sports on December 12 and December 13.


The competition for establishing IR in Japan continues. Last week Japans prefecture Wakayama announced that there were no new suiters interested in establishing the local governors tilt at a casino resort. The interested parties will be private sector partners in the new facility.

The suiters that made their proposal submissions by January 15 are the same that were declared qualified back in May 2020 by the prefecture.

One of the suitors is Clairvest Neem Ventures and Suncity Holdings Japan Co Ltd, which is Canada-based. The other one is local Japanese unit connected to Suncity Group, which is Macau-based investor.

In Japan, the IR (integrated resort) is an abbreviation known as a large-scale casino complexwith associated tourism facility. The establishment of the new IR is an important eventfor the Wakayama prefecture as it is for any other Japanese prefecture for it will bring a lot of benefits.

Since the date January 15 was set as a deadline for submissionsback in November, all interested parties had plenty of time to submit their proposals.

Yoshinobu Nisaka, the governor of Wakayama previously stated that the prefecture had full assurance from the Japanese government that the proximity with Osaka would not weigh againstWakayama when assessing the project on a national level.

Competition for Hosting Resort

Osaka is considered by some, as a strong runner for the IR. The local governments of the prefectures must first find a partner from the private sectorand then to apply to the central authorities to have such a facility. Up to three Integrated Resorts will be permitted on Japanese ground if all the requirementsare met. The establishment of the venues will coincide with the opening of the market.

The current coronavirus crisis was the reason why the timetableunder which the Japanese authorities will start accepting bid for the IR establishment was pushed back to October 2021. All parties interested in hosting the casino resort can apply.

The Wakayama and Osaka are not the only prefectures competing for the right to host a resort. In the beginning of the year Hodo Nakamura, governor of Nagasaki prefecture, announced that Nagasaki is starting its request-for-proposal process for getting a casino resort.

Three foreign companiesare rumored interested in establishing the IR in Nagasaki. Two of them are based in the United States and one is an Asian operator.

The closing date set by the Japanese authority is April 2022 for all submissions. This means that there is a nearly nine-month delay from the previously established date.

Source: Wakayama casino RFP deadline affirms still 2 suitors, GGR Asia, January 18, 2021
Affiliate marketing is casoo appa role that is fast being redefined in the digital marketing space. Conventionally, affiliate marketers have been vital in attracting and retaining customers for businesses across several industries, including the casino sector.

However, we can see those roles swiftly changing with the constant transformation of technology. Affiliates have morphed into influencers that bridge the gap between customers and businesses. This way, theres a preliminary establishment of trust between both parties, which benefits both the firm and the customer.

Image: pexels-photo-7413915.jpeg

Influencer marketing is fast becoming a crucial part of digital marketing. Thats why businesses need to understand exactly how it works. This marketing style is one of the hottest topics in the marketing industry, allowing companies to multiply revenue.

The casino industry is not new to influencer marketing, and it can be argued that influencer marketing has had a prominent impact on iGaming. Nevertheless, some entities still dont understand exactly how influencer marketing directly impacts the industries that leverage them.

Although bonuses and promotions have effectively driven customers to a platform, theyre becoming more competitive with the arrival of more casinos. You can see all bonuses here that some top casinos offer in the industry.

Understanding Influencer marketing

Before you understand how online casino platforms can successfully utilize influencer marketing, you first need to have sufficient knowledge of the field. Influencer marketing involves leveraging branded content from individuals with high social media following, bloggers, and vloggers to craft tailored messages.

These messages are tailored to resonate with the accounts followers. If the message seems out of place and it deviates from the influencers typical content, it is looked at as a forced marketing tactic and might have a negative effect on the audience.

When the followers spot the message in the crafted content, theyre more likely to try out the product or service since they trust the influencers decisions. A lot of individuals hold the misconception that influencer marketing is a new sub-field of marketing.

However, influencer marketing has been around for decades before the advent of social media and the internet. The only difference is that the term influencer marketing became popular after the internet adopted social media in the 2010s. Casinos have always hired celebrities to endorse the services they offer.

Today, online casinos dont have to go the extra mile to get celebrities and popular athletes to represent them. Thats because, with the introduction of social media, influencers have prompted crowds to purchase specific products and services. Hence, online casinos are more open to using prominent social media accounts for this purpose.

It isnt difficult to understand why influencers drive so much revenue to the companies they promote. Once people spot a familiar face endorsing a product or service, theres instant attention surrounding what is being sold. The bulk of those discussing the product would be the influencers followers.

People are attracted to goods and services that drive attention because they believe consumers rush to purchase quality products. In the past, companies hired celebrities and well-known individuals to promote products to achieve a better image. Now, the goal is to drive sales and increase profit. Thats why the focus has been placed on influencers.

When influencer marketing gets utilized by casino platforms, it usually follows a particular format. For instance, the influencer could share an image of rewards being collected or some cool feature on the casino website in a post. A link leading back to a landing page for the brand would be embedded in the post.

The audience gets the pitch from the casino but from the voice of a person they trust. The whole point is that influencer marketing closely mirrors the word-of-mouth advertisements that were so used to. However, it is revamped in the sense that it performs better than those radio and TV ads. It also receives much more engagement than the pop-up ads we spot on websites.

Comparing influencer marketing and affiliate marketing

The differences and similarities between influencer and affiliate marketing need to be stated for further understanding. Influencer marketing presents an opportunity for businesses that target consumers to work directly with social media influencers to churn out engaging content in the form of images or videos.

Influencers serve their followers by creating communities centered around a particular interest. The influencer in charge of this community gains the followers trust since they are experts in their corresponding fields. Thus, theyre seen as an authority on matters in that aspect.

Affiliate marketing isnt restricted to facilitating relationships between influencers and firms. The primary focus of affiliate marketing is to disburse commissions for the influencers that market the product or service. While influencer marketing is typically B2C, affiliate marketing serves B2B and B2C brands.

One factor peculiar to affiliate marketing is that the affiliates try to entice users to complete an action, such as purchasing the product or service offered. Affiliate marketers do this because they dont get commissions for driving traffic to a website. Rather, they get a percentage of the revenue they bring in for the business.

Thats why affiliates focus more on driving engagement with an audience and ensuring that their leads convert to customers.

Influencer marketing vs affiliate marketing for online casino platforms

Both influencer and affiliate marketing are crucial sub-fields of the general marketing industry. When leveraged optimally, both can produce efficient results. The key similarity between both is the revenue-sharing framework. However, the fact that their compensation models closely resemble each other doesnt mean theyre the same thing.

Many online casino operators like affiliate marketing because it is highly cost-effective and relies on the performance of the marketers. For instance, an online casino platform can pay commissions based on an account deposit made using an affiliates link. Others can pay commissions depending on whether a customer creates an account on the platform.

The firm pays only when the affiliate marketer gets a potential customer to complete an action, thus ensuring that the brand gets a benefit before spending on marketing. This pushes affiliate marketers to be at their best and constantly stay on top of trends.

In 2022, the affiliate marketing industry was also estimated to be worth more than $8 billion in the US. Nonetheless, influencers use social media for better performance in the long run. Where affiliate marketers bring instant revenue through quick sales, social media influencers help to drive up the websites SEO and curate social media content for brands.

Influencer marketing is highly focused on content creation based on images or videos for product or service promotion. Research recently showed that 40% of respondents purchase a product or service because their favorite social media account posted it.

Studies like these have prompted online casinos to collaborate with influencers to enhance brand image, exude trustworthiness, and maintain a constant traffic inflow. The value that influencer marketing provides for businesses is why they get commissions and discounts on services or free products. In the online casino industry, influencer marketing remains one of the best ways to drive traffic to a platform.

Influencer marketing in the online casino sector

Many stakeholders in the online casino sector wonder whether influencer marketing can be effective for the industry. The simple answer is that influencer marketing will drive conversions for an online casino if handled efficiently.

Some also fail to understand why social media influencer marketing will work for online casinos. The iGaming sector is valued at billions of dollars, and the industry offers participants a lot of excitement. Many social media users are on the platforms to have fun. Thats what casinos represent.

The growth of the casino segment has also been explosive in the last couple of years, with online gambling becoming legal across several regions. Casino gaming operators can now utilize the power of influencer marketing by partnering with suitable influencers.

This way, they can create catchy posts to run campaigns, check key performance indicators, and make modifications to boost the campaigns efficiency.

Influencer marketing is effective in its industry because it takes a different approach, unlike conventional marketing tactics. In the past, beautiful and well-known faces on TV tried to convince people to make purchases of some product or service.

Today, influencer marketing allows for a more personal form of advertising. Influencer marketing allows for a P2P advertisement mode which makes the customer feel a deeper connection with the advertised product.

Great practices for online casinos working with influencers

Here are some good practices for online casinos working with influencers:

Plan the direction of the campaign

Online casinos have to curate a plan that clearly outlines the campaigns direction. The plan needs to include key aspects of the influencer marketing campaign. For instance, the total budget and the monthly expense must be quantified.

The campaign draft has to outline the services and products that will be marketed, the social media platform to be leveraged, and a rough list of the influencers that would be suitable for the campaign.

Connect with the right social media influencers

When you select the social media platform you intend to leverage for social media marketing, you have to choose the influencers you intend to work with. It is crucial to define standards that will represent the brand.

You have to avoid picking any influencer that shows interest in working with your firm. It could be disastrous for your online casino platform if the influencer youre working with breaks the law. If this happens, your brand will be damaged, and your revenue will get negatively affected.

Abide by the law

Online casino operators have to talk firmly with influencers about abiding by the law. First, the type of content that is being posted has to be scrutinized for approval. The frequency of the posts and the results to be achieved should be communicated to the influencers. At no point should the casino platform accept content that doesnt comply with the law.

Tailor your content to specific locations

Online casino platforms have been expanding internationally in the past couple of years. This has to reflect in the influencer marketing content. Choosing the right influencer in a local market would be vital to connecting with a new culture.

Using the right social media influencer gives you an edge since the audience would relate to the produced content. This spills onto the trustworthiness of your brand.

Influencer marketing is a form of marketing where experts in a field with a large following are partnered to endorse a product or service. A lot of people confuse influencer marketing with affiliate marketing.

While affiliate marketing is highly based on performance and users completing actions, influencer marketing is focused on the long term. This way, an influencers followers can maintain a constant flow of traffic for the online casino platform. Influencers benefit from online gaming platforms because their promotions are more personal, unlike the usual TV ads or website pop-ups.

If youre a casino working with influencers, you must imbibe great practices like planning a campaigns direction, tailoring content to certain locations, abiding by the law, and connecting with social media influencers.

Category: Casino Blog
What Is Quarterly Revenue Growth?best for puzzles daily printable crosswords

Quarterly revenue growth is an increase in a company's sales in one quarter compared to sales of a different quarter.

The current quarter's sales figure can be compared on a year-over-year basis (e.g., 3Q sales of Year 1 compared with 3Q sales of Year 2) or sequentially (3Q sales of Year 1 compared with 4Q sales of Year 1). This gives analysts, investors, and additional stakeholders an idea of how much a company's sales are increasing over time.

Key Takeaways

Quarterly revenue growth measures the increase in a firm's sales from one quarter to another.

Analysts can review the sales of successive quarterly periods or the quarter of one year compared to the same quarter of another year.

For an accurate picture of growth, investors should look at the growth of several quarters and how consistent it is.

Poor growth for one or a few quarters is not always indicative of a bad investment or poor performing company.

Understanding Quarterly Revenue Growth

When looking at a company's quarterly or annual financials, it is not enough to just look at the revenue for the current period. When investing in a company, an investor wants to see it grow or improve over time. Comparing a company's financials from one period to another gives a clear picture of its revenue growth rate and can help investors identify the catalyst for such growth.

Example

For example, say that XYZ Corp. generated $66.2 billion in revenue for the second three months of the year (April to June), and $58.7 billion for the first three months (January to March). Therefore, the company saw quarterly revenue growth of 12.78%.

Over time, if this rate continues, it will be an excellent investment. Zooming out and calculating quarterly growth rates for a multi-year period can provide even more insight than simply a six- or 12-month period.

Limitations of Quarterly Revenue Growth

As an investor, there are certain limitations with focusing too much on quarterly revenue growth. For example, the time between quarters is short. In any given multi-quarter period, the companys results could change drastically with business cycles, economic shocks, management changes, or other internal disruptions to a companys supply chain or operations.

While strong quarterly revenue growth is one metric for success, its important to look at several quarters and the consistency of growth over time. If growth is simply a two- or three-quarter phenomenon, it does not necessarily bode well for a longer-term investment.

On the flip side, investors should not be greatly concerned when a company sees poor quarterly revenue growth one or two times in a row. For example, companies that are seasonal, such as tourist companies, might have stagnant quarterly revenue growth at certain parts of the year and large spikes at other times. Again, its important to zoom out and look for a pattern in either directiongrowth or lossto determine the direction in which a company is moving and if it might be a good potential buy, sell, hold, or short.

Some investors have voiced their frustrations over the quarterly reporting cycle citing that it places too much emphasis on short-term results over long-term, sustainable progress.

Can Quarterly Revenue Growth Be Negative?

Yes, if a company generates less revenues quarter-over-quarter, it will be recorded as negative growth. This doesn't necessarily mean that the company is losing money, just that it's subsequent quarter saw fewer sales than the prior one.

Why Do Investors Care About Quarterly Revenue Growth?

Investors expect companies to keep growing over time, and so they look to quarterly revenue trends to make sure this is happening. In addition, revenue growth projections into the future are used by managers and investors to make investment decisions today.

What Is QoQ vs.YoY?

QoQ stands for quarter over quarter, and measures how some metric such as revenues has changed from one quarter to the next, so looking at

YoY stands for year over year, and instead measures changes based on 12 months ago until the present.
What Is the Paradox of Thrift?biggest betting companies

The paradox of thrift, or paradox of savings, is an economic theory that posits that personal savings are a net drag on the economy during a recession. This theory relies on the assumption that prices do not clear or that producers fail to adjust to changing conditions, contrary to the expectations of classical microeconomics. The paradox of thrift was popularized by British economist John Maynard Keynes.

Key Takeaways

The paradox of thrift is an economic theory that argues that personal savings can be detrimental to overall economic growth. It is based on a circular flow of the economy in which current spending drives future spending.

It calls for a lowering of interest rates to boost spending levels during an economic recession.

Critics of the theory state that it ignores Say's law, which calls for investment in capital goods before any level of spending can be achieved, and does not take into account inflation or deflation in prices.

Understanding the Paradox of Thrift

According to Keynesian theory, the proper response to an economic recession is more spending, more risk-taking, and fewer savings. Keynesians believe a recessed economy does not produce at full capacity because some of its factors of production (land, labor, and capital) are unemployed.

Keynesians also argue that consumption, or spending, drives economic growth. Thus, even though it makes sense for individuals and households to reduce consumption during tough times, this is the wrong prescription for the larger economy.

A pullback in aggregate consumer spending might force businesses to produce even less, deepening the recession. This disconnect between individual and group rationality is the basis of the savings paradox. An example of this was witnessed during the Great Recession that followed the financial crisis of 2008. During that time, the savings rate for the average American household increased from 2.9 % to 5%. The Federal Reserve slashed interest rates in order to boost spending in the American economy.

The first conceptual description of the paradox of thrift may have been written in Bernard Mandevilles The Fable of the Bees (1714). Mandeville argued for increased expenditure as the key to prosperity, rather than savings. Keynes credited Mandeville for the concept in his book The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money (1936).

Circular Flow Economic Model

Keynes helped revive the circular flow model of the economy. This theory states that an increase in current spending drives future spending. Current spending, after all, results in more income for current producers. Those producers rationally deploy their new income, sometimes expanding business and hiring new workers; these new workers earn new income, which then may be spent.

To boost current spending, Keynes argued for lower interest rates to lower current savings rates. If low interest rates do not create more borrowing and spending, Keynes said, the government could engage in deficit spending to fill the gap.

Limitations of the Paradox of Thrift

The circular flow model ignores the lesson of Says law, which states goods must be produced before they can be exchanged. Capital machines, which drive higher levels of production, require additional savings and investment. The circular flow model only works in a framework without capital goods.

Also, the theory ignores the potential for inflation or deflation. If higher current spending causes future prices to rise concordantly, future production and employment will remain unchanged. Similarly, if current thrift during a recession forces future prices to fall, future production and employment need not decline as Keynes predicted.

Finally, the paradox of thrift ignores the potential for saved income to be lent out by banks. When some individuals increase their savings, interest rates tend to fall, and banks make additional loans.

Keynes met these objections by arguing Says law was wrong and prices are too rigid to adjust efficiently. Economists remain divided about sticky prices. It is widely accepted that Keynes misrepresented Says law in his refutation.

Examples of the Paradox of Thrift

Ivan owns a factory that produces component parts for computers. The factory is among town XYZ's biggest employers. He has been planning to expand his production capacity by installing more machines and hiring new workers.

However, a recession strikes and Ivan reverts to savings mode. He lays off workers and discontinues operating the machines at night time. Unemployed factory workers, who do not have income to spend, also begin saving, reducing demand for goods produced by Ivan's factory. The unemployed factory workers also add to the town's overall spending on social benefits and its economy becomes weak.

A real world example of the savings paradox during the Great Recession was the case of 25- to 29-year-olds who moved in with their parents. The percentage of such people increased from 14% in 2005 to 19% in 2011. While the move helped families save money on rent and other expenses, it caused estimated damages of as much as $25 billion per year to the economy.
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It's just one cable meant to bring electricity from an offshore wind farm to a former coal-burning power plant in southern New Jersey, but it symbolizes a big challenge facing the renewable energy industry.

The cable has been fought over for nearly three years, with no end in sight in a state whose officials are eager to get offshore wind power up and running.

Thousands of wind turbines have been proposed for areas along the U.S. coastline as the nation tries to meet an ambitious goal of deploying enough of them offshore by 2030 to power 10 million homes.

POWER RELIABILITY ISSUES LOOM AS WESTERN US STATES RAMP UP RENEWABLE USAGE

So far, just one project is up and running, in Rhode Island, while another is under construction off Virginia, where two of an expected 176 turbines are operating.

But obstacles like the single contentious cable in New Jersey show the challenge the offshore wind energy industry must overcome  quickly  if it is to come anywhere close to meeting its goals.

Josh Kaplowitz, a vice president with American Clean Power, a federation of renewable energy companies, said offshore wind is crucial to addressing climate change, generating electricity and creating new jobs. But before any of that can happen, the energy needs to reach land.

"The fact is, realizing these benefits requires the construction of onshore infrastructure that allows the power to come ashore and feed into the electrical grid," he said.

Plenty of people in Ocean City, a popular beach community south of Atlantic City, are dead-set against a project proposed by Orsted and PSEG that still needs state approval to bring a power line onshore.

"We don't want this here in any way, shape or form," said resident Suzanne Hornick, a leader of local opposition to the plan.

She cites concerns about damage to the environment, the possibility of higher rates being charged to consumers, and the general lack of certainty about what is a brand new industry in this country.

The U.S. has 27 wind farm projects in development, with an additional five locations up for auction in California next month, according to the Business Network for Offshore Wind, a nonprofit dedicated to helping develop the offshore wind industry.

If even a small portion of them were to face protracted legal or regulatory challenges, it could pose a serious obstacle to the industry.

Sam Salustro, a vice president with network, said the industry needs to use as few cable landings as possible if it wants to meet its ambitious goals.

"Cable landings have become a focal point of opposition to offshore winds progress," he said. "Avoiding these conflicts in the first place should be a top industry priority."

That can be done through long-term planning of transmission projects, and the federal government should encourage cooperation among states and transmission authorities, he added.

Wind turbines in Atlantic City, N.J., Locals in nearby communities have come out in opposition to the construction of similar offshore developments. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry, File)

Anticipating such opposition, New Jersey changed its law to effectively wrest control of offshore wind projects from local governments, empowering its state Board of Public Utilities to approve them when the locals balk.

Nine Jersey Shore towns are challenging the cable plan, which would come ashore under a popular beach and then run underground along a highway to connect to the electrical grid at the site of a former fossil fuel-burning power plant that has been shut down.

Maryland has similar language in its offshore wind law exempting underground power cables coming ashore from a prohibition on construction work on beaches in a certain zone.

In August 2021, a group of citizens filed a lawsuit opposing wind development off the coast of Massachussetts over concerns it would reduce endangered whale species. Fishing groups are suing over proposed projects in Massachusetts and New York.

GREEN ENERGY PROJECTS FACE STARK ENVIRONMENTAL, LOCAL OPPOSITION NATIONWIDE

David Stevenson, a former DuPont executive who served on the Trump administrations Environmental Protection Agency transition team, has been fighting offshore wind projects off the Delaware coast. He said local opposition prevented a power line from coming ashore in a state park.

Stevenson formed a multistate group last year called the American Coalition for Ocean Protection that wants a permanent exclusion zone on any wind projects closer than 33 miles (53 kilometers) to shore along the country's entire East Coast. Many of the proposed wind farms would be located between 10 and 15 miles (16 and 24 kilometers) offshore, which would make them visible from the beach on clear days.

"I and many others assume both state and federal agencies will ignore us," Stevenson said. "So we make public comments and created the Ocean Environment Legal Defense Fund, assuming we will win in the end suing over violations of a list of protective federal acts and regulations."

Offshore wind companies are throwing money at the shoreline; some of the payments are required by law but others are voluntary. Orsted and PSEG say they'll pay $205,000 for the impact on just over a half-acre of public land in Ocean City that is preserved for open space and recreational use  13 times the appraised value of the land.

On Tuesday, oil companies Equinor and bp created a $5 million community grant fund in New York.

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The Offshore Wind Ecosystem Fund will provide grants for job education and training, provide historically marginalized communities access to workforce and small business opportunities, and assist minority and women-owned business enterprises in New York City to foster innovation that contributes to the growth of the offshore wind industry.
Online slot games developer and supplier Yggdrasil Gaming announced two new additions to its executive team. Andrew Peglerwas appointed as Chief Commercial Officer and the companys current Head of Front-End Development and Operations Krzysztof Opalkawas promoted to the Chief Product Officer role.

Mr. Pegler is joining the game developer from Scientific Games. There he served as Senior Director of Key Account Management. It is also important to note that Yggdrasil Gamings new Chief Commercial Officer boasts over 12 years of experience in the iGaming industry.

Now part of the growing online gambling provider, Mr. Pegler will be based in the companys Gibraltar office. He will lead and oversee Yggdrasil Gamings growth in the region. His appointment came as part of the companys recruitment drive, announced last year, which resulted in its team growing to more than 100 members over a period of several months.

As mentioned above, the supplier also promoted Krzysztof Opalka to Chief Product Officer. Mr. Opalka has previously been in charge of Yggdrasil Gamings game development team, overseeing the processes of building the necessary technologyfor the creation of the companys products. He will be based in the developers Polish studio.

Commenting on the latest announcement, Yggdrasil Gaming CEO Fredrik Elmqvist said that as their business continues growing they are in need of experienced and intelligent people on board. The executive pointed out that both Mr. Pegler and Mr. Opalka fit into the description and will play an important role in the future steering of the company.

Of his appointment, Mr. Pegler said that he has been given a massive opportunity and that he will take advantage of his skills, experience, and business contacts to help Yggdrasil Gaming cement its position in Gibraltar and beyond. The companys Chief Commercial Officer noted that they have already been working with leading iGaming operator bet365 in Gibraltar and more companies of this scale are to be signed soon.

Mr. Opalka added that he was thrilled with his promotion and the opportunity to further drive the creation of games and related features for their clients. The official described his new role as one that will require him to ensure that Yggdrasil Gaming continues distinguishing itself for product innovation and quality.
Efforts to resuscitate her failed and she was pronounced dead at nearby Albert Einstein Medical Center.

Then Pascal responds (in all caps) with, BUT WE DIDNT WIN A D [sic] YOU KNOW HIM.

I take calcium and vitamin D supplements, but prescription medications are generally only for women in menopause.

Gronkowski itself never manages to sound more erotic than the name of a hearty Polish stew or a D-list WWE performer.

DNA tests were used to confirm Albert's status as father in both cases, following protracted legal battles. Princess Charlene Gives Birth To Twins Gabriella and Jacques|Tom Sykes|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST

C was a Captain, all covered with lace; D was a drunkard, and had a red face. Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various

D'o l'on peut aussy veoir, quelle esperance il y a de planter une belle chrestient par tels evangelistes. The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents, Vol. II: Acadia, 1612-1614|Various

Neither of us spoke again, and at length the squat log buildings of Pend d' Oreille loomed ahead of us in the night. Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair

He picked out that simple little study of Cramer in D major in the first bookyou know it welland asked me to play it. Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
Playing online casino games can be an exciting and lucrative way to spend your time. Picking casino games with the best odds/probability can ensure that you will appreciate every minute of it. Opt for casino games with the worst odds/probability,real gambling online australia and you can kiss goodbye your bankroll.

One thing youre most expected to come across when you talk to either a professional or amateur gambler is often unreliable and distorted proofs about the odds of any presented casino game  for the most part, experts have both a precise and a natural hold of odds and probabilities, regardless of what casino game their playing, but it can usually be very complicated and more than a little intimidating when the point is brought up in contrast to other games. Some games give you a greater chance of winning, either based on the form of the game or the approaches applied.

When talking about probabilities and odds of winning, its most beneficial to belong to the house edge, which is the distinction between the true odds and the odds that the casino gives you when you win. Its the amount the player misses related to any bet offered. For example, if the casino only gave you 95 cents every time you won, then the House edge would be 2.5%. This is how casinos get their money, and regardless of what casino you pot for, there will always be a house edge that supports the casino over the player. Lets concentrate on the casino games that have the best odds and the lowest house edge; it is the purpose of professional and nonprofessional alike.

 Craps

If youre finding an hour of deadly gambling fun, move to the craps table. Pay no heed to the shouting and the insider jargon and the complicated side-bets. Just ready for a new roller to get the dice and then put $10 down on the PASS LINE. Thats all you have to learn: PASS LINE.

If the roller takes a 7 or 11, you succeed. If roller rolls a 2, 3, or 12, you miss. If roller rolls another number, the game moves on. Lets say roller takes a 9. Now she has to roll one more 9 before she gets a 7. If she gets, you win. If the 7 comes first, you miss.

The odds are substantial: The house edge is just 1.4 percent - meaning, for every dollar you wager, youll only lose about a penny on average. And if you are lucky enough, and if you drive your bet up as you win, you can make enough money in no time.

And if you require even better odds, then bet DONT PASS LINE. It is opposite of the PASS LINE, and the casino odds are a measly 1.36 percent (Thats .04 percent better.). But keep in mind that everybody else at the table is probably going to be performing the PASS LINE; therefore if youre playing DONT PASS LINE and you win; everyone else loses.

 Blackjack

If you want to put in a little effort, blackjack casino game offers the best odds. It has a .5% casino edge, depending on which table youre playing at. It means for each dollar you play; youll lose half a penny on average. But to get these super-best odds, you need to understand what youre doing. Do you score 12 against a dealer revealing a 2? (Yes) When do you divide 4s? (Only when the dealers revealing a 5 or a 6) When do you divide 8s? (Always) Youll need to memorize these small things to get top odds.

Or you can write them on a sheet and carry it to the table with you. (100% legit) The casinos will not give you any slack for it. Now, some of the other players might punch joke at you, but youll get the last laugh once youve received five towering stacks of quarters sitting in front of you. If you Google Blackjack Basic Strategy, youll get all kinds of websites with printable cheat sheets.

 American, French & European Roulette

Roulette offers three main variations, including American, European, and French roulette. These games differ regarding their, odds, house edge and rules and strategies.

American roulette game has 38 numbers on the wheel and a 5.26% house edge. Two of these numbers (0, 00) only support the house in even-money conditions, which is where the 5.26% house edge comes in (2/38).

European roulette game has 37 numbers on the wheel and a 2.70% house edge. Only one number (0) supports the house edge on even-money bets.

Both the French roulette and European roulette are the same. The principal difference is that it has the la partage rule, which gives half your money back on losing even-money bets that land on zero.

The truth that you get half your bet back on losing even-money French roulette bets gives this casino game a 1.35% house edge.

But remember that la partage rule only recompenses you in the case of a loss. It doesnt, though, improve your probabilities of doubling up when compared to European roulette.

Hence, both European and French roulette give you an equal possibility to double to a million. Here are the statics:

The probability of winning on one spins 48.65%

Probability of winning 13 straight spins = 0.0086% (1 in 11,693 odds)

 Video Poker

The thing with video poker is, you either love it or you dont - very few players are going to start playing video poker out of the blue.

It is one of those games that has a lot of stress at land-based casinos but can be played at some online casinos also.

Though, of all the games found in the casino, video poker offers the highest RTP.

It isnt unique for specific variations of the game such as Jacks or Better to offer the RTP more than 99%. When there is a progressive jackpot associated, once the jackpot beats a certain break-even boundary, these games can even become mathematically effective, proving the RTP over 100%.

For video poker games to provide this sort of returns, it is important for players to learn some essential tactics of the game. These tactics arent overly difficult, but it is necessary to know which cards to have and which ones to drop. To gain the best RTP, it is necessary always to make the best possible choices.

It is quite popular in land-based casinos because if players factor in the high RTP, with potential freebie comps, like meals, free drinks, and even luxury accommodation  it can all add up to pretty good value adventure, even if they dont make big bucks.

 Baccarat

Dont avoid this casino game just because you dont know how to pronounce it! Its super-popular in Macau and becoming more and more popular here in Vegas. Why? Its exciting, the odds are substantial, and the rules are very easy to learn. You bet on the Banker or Player. Both teams draw cards. Whichever team turns up closer to 9 wins. On a normal baccarat table, house odds change from 1.01 to 1.24% on the Player and Banker bets.

Several baccarat table games have more significant limits than the other table games do. But dont get terrified by a $25 or $50 minimum bet. Think about it like: Its beneficial to play a high wagers game with a significant possibility of winning than a low wagers game with zero possibility of winning at all!

So, blackjack is best if youve arranged some time to learn the game and its strategies. If you want to drink and entertain and ear money all at the same time, go for craps. And if youve got the bankroll and want a more refined gambling experience (still with great odds), baccarat is the game for you.

 Slot Games

Slots provide the best of both worlds  The best and the worst odds in the casino industry. While some favorite online slots offer unbelievable payouts, loads of games go against the players. One way of maximizing your odds of winning at slots is to place your wagers on the maximum number of paylines. Not only will it improve your odds of winning a progressive jackpot, but if you implement a basic strategy and better maintain your bankroll, your chances of winning rises with each spin.

Choose Your Game Carefully

Now that you know which casino games offer the best odds and probabilities you can apply this information to your benefit on your next visit to your preferred casino or during your next online session.

Of course, some players only play to have fun and arent concerned with probability, odds, RTP, and all that stuff. But there is nothing wrong with these methods, of course, as casinos are places of entertainment. Any casino game can get a hold on your money if youre not paying attention, but these are the casino games with the best odds/possibilities. Playing games with the better odds improve your winning chances, so it might be a time to give try to some new games. Who knows, you might end up love them after all?

Category: Casino Blog
the winners enclosureshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dancy [ dan-see, dahn- ]/ dn si, dn- / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dan-see, dahn- ]/ dn si, dn- /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

adjective, dancier, danciest.suitable for or conducive to dancing; danceable.

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How to use in a sentence It stars Hugh Dancy as damaged-goods special agent Will Graham and Mads Mikkelsen in the title role of Hannibal Lecter. Hannibal: Ken Tucker on His Lack of Appetite for NBCs Serial-Killer Drama|Ken Tucker|April 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Hannibal: Ken Tucker on His Lack of Appetite for NBCs Serial-Killer Drama|Ken Tucker|April 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST Billy Crudup left Mary-Louise Parker for Claire Danes, who then swiftly left him for Hugh Dancy. A Happy Ending for Tiger?|The Daily Beast|August 25, 2010|DAILY BEAST

A Happy Ending for Tiger?|The Daily Beast|August 25, 2010|DAILY BEAST Still at a half crouch, Dancy's right hand began to steal back under the skirt of his long black coat. The Escape of Mr. Trimm|Irvin S. Cobb

The Escape of Mr. Trimm|Irvin S. Cobb Captain Dancy is a gallant fellow, with a fine record as a soldier; and only just married. Loyalties (Fifth Series Plays)|John Galsworthy Captain Dancy, a serious accusation has been made against you by this gentleman in the presence of several members of the Club. Loyalties (Fifth Series Plays)|John Galsworthy

Loyalties (Fifth Series Plays)|John Galsworthy I've seen Ronny Dancy do the maddest things for no mortal reason except the risk. Loyalties (Fifth Series Plays)|John Galsworthy

Loyalties (Fifth Series Plays)|John Galsworthy My dear Mrs Dancy, there's no need at all for you to come down to-morrow; take a rest and nurse your head. Loyalties (Fifth Series Plays)|John Galsworthy

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondancey, dancical, dancing girl, dancing-lady orchid, dancing step, dancy, D&C, D&D, dandelion, dander, Dandie DinmontDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
On Thursday, Sept. 28 at 6 p.m., local historian Zann Nelson will give a presentation on Madison Men of Color in the Civil War as part of her continued work to right the historical record as it pertains to African Americans.

In her talk, Nelson will be busting such myths as that Black Confederate soldiers joined up to fight of their own volition. She says, Their service was not as soldiers in combat and in most cases was involuntary based on the Tax-In-Kind policy and the Conscription Act. Black soldiers  are unrecognized and, in many cases, completely invisible United States Veterans. I hope to be a part of that change creating permanent and public mechanisms of remembrance, Nelson continues.

Nelson, founder of Right The Record, has been raising awareness regarding the vast wealth of African American history and heritage within our communities, across the Commonwealth of Virginia and into the far reaches of the Deep South for more than 40 years. And her talk on the 28th is just part of her extensive work.

Nelson holds a degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of North Carolina in Greensboro and a graduate certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University.

Her Book Meets World talk will be held at Revalation Vineyards Sept. 28 at 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public (21+), and everyone is welcome to come mingle and relax beginning at 5 p.m. that day. Revalation Vineyards is located at 2710 Hebron Valley Road in Madison.

For more information, contact Francoise Seillier-Moiseiwitsch at (540) 407-1236.
Murthy had found compelling the argument that loneliness was increasing and that loneliness can be damaging, even physiologically damaging.

Extreme one-off events can be far more damaging for companies and societies at large.

Credit Suisse is struggling to move beyond one of the most damaging episodes in its recent history after it spied on star banker Iqbal Khan, who was leaving for rival UBS Group AG.

As investors become more risk-averse, industry insiders expect that the funding slowdown to prove most damaging for young companies as venture capital likely tilts towards established startups with proven business models.

To suggest that its the most damaging environmental thing we do is, I think, a pretty extreme overstatement. The Future of Meat (Ep. 367 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|August 29, 2019|Freakonomics

It is the steady accretion of detail that may yet be the most damaging factor in the battle for British hearts and minds. From Playboy Prince to Dirty Old Man?|Tom Sykes|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

He lambasts the case as without evidence, an unfair trial, and damaging for the American reputation. Of Cuban Spies, a Baby, and a Filmmaker: The Strange Tale of the Cuban Five|Nina Strochlic|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In 2006 then-Senator Barack Obama understood how damaging illegal immigration is for the working people of this country. The Liberal Case Against Illegal Immigration|Doug McIntyre|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Equally as damaging is the notion that those not preparing to protest the verdict must be armed for protection. Riot Prep Could Fuel Ferguson Violence|Caitlin Dickson|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

If Republicans blow it and fail to pass significant legislation, that will be a huge lost opportunity and damaging for 2016. Voters Remind D.C. That the Economy Still Sucks|Stuart Stevens|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He missed no opportunity of thwarting and damaging the Government which had saved him from the gallows. The History of England from the Accession of James II.|Thomas Babington Macaulay

That officer hurled his troops against Sherman's breastworks, and suffered a damaging defeat. The Boys of '61|Charles Carleton Coffin.

For one thing, she had kept to the truth when she might have made her hints more damaging by a little exaggeration. The Girl From Keller's|Harold Bindloss

The nocturnal mischief of damaging or destroying a neighbor's corn. The History of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire|Edward Gibbon
What Is a Technical Analyst?mp 777 slot odds of suns winning

A technical analyst, also known as a chartist or market technician, is a securities researcher or trader who analyzes investments based on past market prices and technical indicators.

Technicians believe that short-term price movements are the result of supply and demand forces in the market for a given security. Thus, for technicians, the fundamentals of the security are less relevant than the current balance of buyers and sellers. Based on the careful interpretation of past trading patterns, technical analysts try to discern this balance with the aim of predicting future price movements.

Key Takeaways

Technical analysts, also known as chartists or technicians, employ technical analysis in their trading and research.

Technical analysis looks for price patterns and trends based on historical performance to identify signals based on market sentiment and psychology.

Technical analysts may augment their training and education by earning the chartered market technician (CMT) professional designation.

Understanding Technical Analysts

Technical analysis is a trading discipline employed to evaluate investments and identify trading opportunities. It involves analyzing statistical trends gathered from trading activity, such as price movement and volume.

Unlike fundamental analysts, who attempt to evaluate a security's intrinsic value, technical analysts focus on patterns of price movements, trading signals, and various other analytical charting tools to evaluate a security's strength or weakness. Technical analysis utilizes price movements and chart histories to uncover trends and sentiment based on revealed market psychology.

Technical analysts have developed an extensive toolbox of analysis techniques and indicators. Typically, the use of one technical indicator does not provide enough information to make a trading decision; technicians use several indicators to confirm a hypothesis before taking action. There is no broad consensus on the best method of identifying future price movements, so most technicians gradually develop their own set of trading rules based on their knowledge and experience.

Technical analysts can work in either buy-side or sell-side firms and, as of 2022, earn an average income of $108,080.

Technical analysts rely on technical analysis trading systems, which form the basis for their investment trades. Since many technical analysts are day traders, these systems are typically targeted at individual traders.

Chartists have a variety of options to choose from with many programs available through brokerages. Brokerages will often include comprehensive charting software with featured charting patterns in their service offering. Many advanced chartists, however, choose to obtain charting software from independent vendors in order to have access to the full range of available charting patterns.

Technical Analyst Certification and Licensing

Licensing is required for most technical analysts, although it will depend on the specific duties they perform, the organization they work for, and the state in which they reside. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) issues licenses to technicians who are sponsored by the firm that employs them.

Many technical analysts hold certifications from industry-recognized professional associations, such as the CFA Institute. To earn the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the institute, technical analysts must have relevant work experience and pass several exams. Other prominent associations that technical analysts may belong to include the American Association of Professional Technical Analysts and the International Federation of Technical Analysts.

The Chartered Market Technician (CMT) designation marks the highest level of training within the discipline and is the preeminent designation for practitioners worldwide. It is issued by the CMT Association (formerly the MTA), a global credentialing body with nearly 50 years of service to the financial industry.

Technical analysis provides the tools to successfully navigate the gap between intrinsic value and market price across all asset classes through a disciplined, systematic approach to market behavior and the law of supply and demand. Earning the CMT demonstrates mastery of a core body of knowledge of investment risk in portfolio management, including quantitative approaches to market research and rules-based trading system design and testing.

Technical Analyst Job Responsibilities

A technical analyst observes and interprets the price action of a security to make predictions about its future direction. They apply this price data to statistical formulas to determine probable outcomes.

Technicians may present their findings both internally and externally. For example, a technical analyst may present several tactical trading ideas at their investment firms morning meeting as well as give a presentation at a client seminar.

Technical analysts may also work closely with fundamental analysts to compile research reports that provide comprehensive analysis for stocks that a brokerage firm covers.
Irish national broadcaster RTE admitted that The Ryan Tubridy Showshould have been more specific that the Wednesday programme, which was broadcast live from the Cheltenham Festival, was actually sponsored by gambling operator Paddy Power.

It became known that the Dublin-based gambling company had approached the RTE Radio 1 show with an offer to sponsor the Wednesday programme and to pay for host Ryan Tubridy and members of his teams trip to Cheltenham. As part of the sponsorship, Paddy Power also sent several lucky winners to the popular horse racing festival.

The Wednesday programme featured an interview with the companys spokesman  Paddy Power. However, the popular talk radio show did not clarify that the programme was actually funded by the operatorand thus drew criticism from politicians and organizations working with problem gamblers.

The Problem Gambling Ireland charity slammed the host and the show, calling the interview with Paddy Power a puff piece. Fianna Fail TD Jack Chambers criticized the segment, saying that it was a cushy arrangementand that it risked normalizing gambling at a time when problem gambling rates in the country are rising. According to latest data, about 40,000 Irish people are showing signs of problem gambling behavior.

Following the Wednesday programme, a RTE spokesperson defended the talk radio show, clarifying that it had informed listeners that the Cheltenham programme would be sponsored by Paddy Power the week before during a segment that had too been sponsored by the gambling operator. The broadcaster also pointed out that the Wednesday interview did not aim to promote Paddy Powers services.

RTEs Most Recent Response

In a statement from last night, the broadcaster admitted that listeners should have been informed about the Paddy Power sponsorship during the Wednesday programme.

When asked about the promotions cost, a RTE spokesperson said last night that they could not disclose it as information of this nature was commercially sensitive. However, they confirmed that standard terms and conditions applied and that the promotion included sending lucky winners to the Cheltenham festival.

Barry Grant, Chief Executive of Problem Gambling Ireland, has told media that the possibility for filing a complaint with the Broadcasting Authority of Irelandover the Wednesday Paddy Power segment was under consideration within the charity. He has further commented that as the national broadcaster, RTE needs to be more transparent about the source of funding of one programme or another.

The gambling industry in both the UK and Ireland has been under fire for years now, as politicians and anti-gambling lobbyists have been raising concerns over the growing cases of people suffering from gambling addictionor at least showing signs of problem gambling behavior. In the UK, the Government is preparing a crackdown on fixed-odds betting terminals, gambling machines that are particularly popular with customers but blasted for their addictive nature. And in Ireland, talks for the introduction of modernized and gambler-oriented laws seem to be progressing.
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Gambling is an issue that can divide opinion, and this has been especially true during the development of the Governments White Paper, as various people and groups have sought to influence, to express opinion and to present their arguments.

There are a wide range of opinions on the subject and they sometimes differ very greatly and can be equally strongly held. Sometimes this can boil over into personal comments and even conspiracy theories as to what a given group, organisation or individual is believed to be seeking.

Everyone has the right to put forward their argument or opinion and there has been little shortage of that in recent times. It is not for the Gambling Commission to attempt to referee all points in a debate  we would be highly unlikely to succeed - and it would not be a good use of resources.

However, much as everyone is entitled to present their arguments, what is wholly unacceptable is the misuse of statistics to support that argument.

The Commission is very concerned at the significant increase in the misuse of statistics around gambling as different parties seek to make persuasive arguments for or against different proposals.

The Commission has seen misuse of statistics from gambling operators, trade bodies, charities, media outlets, sporting venue owners and others. The Commission has even received (or has been copied into) complaints about the misuse of statistics by another party, where the complainant themselves has misused statistics in order to press their complaint. Others have sought to rely on data which the authors have said is not reliable enough to draw those conclusions.

This is unacceptable. All parties seeking to rely on statistics to advance their arguments must do so accurately and in the correct context.

Where Official Statistics have been used inaccurately, the Commission will generally assume the misuse was accidental and ask the party to correct the record. If the party fails to do so, or declines, then we will consider referring the matter to the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR)(opens in new tab). Something we have done recently. The Commission also reserves the right to publicly challenge the misuse of statistics by any party, if they fail to correct their misstatement.

The most common misuse of statistics in recent months has been regarding the rate of problem gambling in Great Britain, and the conflation of problem gambling and gambling-related harm.

Problem gambling and gambling-related harm are two separate, but linked, experiences.

The term Problem gambling means gambling to a degree that compromises, disrupts or damages family, personal or recreational pursuits. It can be measured by a number of screening tools; the Commission predominantly uses the PGSI (Problem Gambling Severity Index).

When we talk about gambling-related harms, we are talking about the adverse impacts from gambling on the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, communities and society. These harms impact on peoples resources, relationships and health. Harms can be experienced not just by gamblers themselves. There is no single, recognised measure of gambling-related harms, however the Commission has been developing new survey questions that will give us a far better understanding of this issue. These will be included in the forthcoming Gambling Survey for Great Britain, alongside the PGSI.

Multiple individuals and organisations have misused problem gambling statistics to create an inaccurate picture. For example, it has been stated that '99.7 percent of people who gamble do so without being harmed and variations on this theme such as arguing that only 0.3 percent of gamblers are harmed. This is not true and misrepresents the statistics.

The 0.3 percent figure typically relates to the Gambling Commission short form PGSI screen, which is a shorter version, as the name suggests, of the longer PGSI screen. Between March 2019 and March 2023, this screen has produced a range of between 0.2 percent and 0.6 percent of the those aged 16 or older in the population experiencing problem gambling.

This is a percentage of the whole adult population in Great Britain and not of solely those who gamble as many have tried to suggest.

Data from the Health Survey for England 2021 (opens in new tab) shows that of people aged 16 and over who have gambled in the past 12 months, 0.8 percent were experiencing problem gambling according to either the full PGSI or DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition).

Some have also sought to argue the 0.3 percent figure represents those at risk from gambling harm. This is again inaccurate and misleading. Firstly, this conflates problem gambling and gambling-related harm. Secondly, the same Health Survey for England 2021 (opens in new tab) indicated that 1.2 percent of people who gambled in the last 12 months were classed as being at a moderate risk of experiencing problems with their gambling leading to some negative consequences, with a further 4 percent being at low risk (gamblers who experience a low level of problems with their gambling with few or no identified negative consequences).

Some have sought to argue that certain types of gambling, such as betting on certain sports, are less risky and therefore must have a problem gambling rate lower than the national picture. This is also not true and is misleading.

When referring to problem gambling statistics by product or activity, we have to start with the problem gambling rate amongst people who have gambled in the past year, which according to the Health Survey for England is 0.8 percent (HSE 2021 Gambling tables - table 8) (opens in new tab). However, this headline statistic itself masks a lot of nuances within gambling.

We know that problem gambling rates vary by activity from 0.9 percent of those playing the National Lottery, to 2.8 percent of those betting on horse racing (not online) and 8.5 percent of those who participate in online gambling on slots, casino or bingo (Health Survey for England 2018 - table 16) (opens in new tab). This is why the Governments White Paper is particularly focussed on these higher risk areas. However of course, it is not only the type of activity that a consumer is taking part in that is important in helping to determine risk but also how many gambling activities they are taking part in, as those whose partake in more activities are more likely to be experiencing problem gambling (HSE 2021 Gambling tables - table 9) (opens in new tab).

A further issue the Commission has observed is where some have sought to compare statistics to argue things have moved in one direction or another. This, at face value, is not an unreasonable thing to do, indeed the Commission publishes trend data from a number of its surveys. However, we have seen examples of comparisons being made where report authors have made clear that reports cannot be validly compared due to limitations, often related to data collection issues due to the Covid-19 pandemic or changes made to survey methodologies.

Anyone seeking to compare data sets has an obligation to make sure the data is used in the proper context and not compared when it is not appropriate to do so, especially when authors have placed those caveats on their reports.

What is clear from the statistics is that the problem gambling rate overall is low, compared to the level of participation, but when we go beneath the surface of those numbers the picture is more complicated and requires statistics to be properly understood and properly used when discussing these matters. Even with a relatively low proportion of people experiencing problem gambling we must remember that this can and does have catastrophic consequences and equates to hundreds of thousands of people directly affected and a greater number amongst friends, families and others.

The debate around gambling is often a fierce one, but nobody is well-served by statistics being misused to further an argument. I therefore ask anyone commenting on this area to take a greater degree of care to ensure they are using evidence and statistics correctly, accurately and in the proper context and with any necessary caveats applied.

Andrew Rhodes

Chief Executive, Gambling Commission
Eastern tradition New Word List Save This blockchain workshop 2022Word! Save ThisWord!

nounany of the philosophies and teachings that derive from Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and other spiritual traditions of the East

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How to use in a sentence Instead, spa hotels filled up with over 30,000 refugees from the war-troubled Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Is Putin Turning to Terrorism in Ukraine?|Anna Nemtsova|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Is Putin Turning to Terrorism in Ukraine?|Anna Nemtsova|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST We've managed to survive, and I want to be a part of that tradition. My Week on Jewish Tinder|Emily Shire|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

My Week on Jewish Tinder|Emily Shire|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST By tradition, the speaker of the House never participates in debates in the House and remains silent. The YOLO Caucus' New Cry for Attention|Ben Jacobs|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The YOLO Caucus' New Cry for Attention|Ben Jacobs|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST The tradition has lasted ever since, being seen as a great natural hangover remedy throughout the world. History's Craziest Hangover Cures|Justin Jones|December 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST AirAsia, on the other hand, is a relatively new carrier, an upstart in the tradition of Southwest Airlines in the United States. The Presumed Crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Is Nothing Like MH370|Lennox Samuels|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Presumed Crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 Is Nothing Like MH370|Lennox Samuels|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST The countries about the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea and its adjoining waters. Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift

Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift Nigel found him an excellent fellow, the most sympathetic and energetic man of Eastern blood whom he had ever encountered. Bella Donna|Robert Hichens

Bella Donna|Robert Hichens They told us of their visit to the Great Eastern, what a gigantic ship it was, what a marvel, and described its every feature. Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow

Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow The Tchuktchi of north-eastern Asia are devoted worshipers of tobacco, and is one of the chief articles of trade with them. Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.

Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings. Yesterday was fixed on, before ordering another engine for the eastern shaft. Life of Richard Trevithick, Volume II (of 2)|Francis Trevithick

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!QuestionEastern shore, Eastern Standard Time, Eastern Sudanic, Eastern time, Eastern Townships, Eastern tradition, Easter Rising, Easter term, Eastertide, East Flanders, East GermanCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Everybody wants to be a high roller. Thecash blitz vlt machines near me depictions of big winners on the silver screen, basking in the lap of luxury and privilege in the highest hotels and biggest casinos in Las Vegas are countless. Think of James Bond in Casino Royale, Nicky Santoro in Scorcese's hit film Casino, or Matt Damon's character in Rounders. High rollers don't just win big, they spend big, and many of the world's most famous casinos employ an ever-growing list of perks and complex tactics to keep these guys at the blackjack table. From decadent freebies to next-level service, here's how today's casino fixers keep the high rollers playing.

All of the Free Stuff

Since the dawn of the casino, bosses have been known to shower big-spending patrons with free stuff, also known as 'comps', in order to build a good relationship and keep them at the slot machines. These have evolved over time - back in the day, the freebies might have amounted to free meals, a bar tab or even the company of beautiful women in the employ of the casino. These days, however, casino bonuses have taken on a different nature. From free spins and games to unbelievably generous gifts, the comping industry is more sophisticated than ever before. The big Vegas and Macau casinos now offer their biggest spenders free first-class flights, the services of an army of staff to pamper them during their stay (including room service from a celebrity chef!), free iPads, and even a free car. These days, being a high roller pays more than ever.

Treated Like a King

If you're the kind of person who dreams of being treated like royalty, fawned over and doted on at every step, then the high roller life is the one for you. More than simply getting service with a smile, the way casino staff are trained means that high roller treatment really is a next-level experience. A typical high roller in a big casino will enjoy 24/7 service and attentiveness, a dedicated staff member to anticipate your every need, and even a personal assistant to ensure none of that pesky work-related stress creeps its way onto the roulette table.

This service also goes way beyond the four walls of the casino; the biggest high rollers will receive city-wide status as a big shot, meaning all of the best restaurants, nightclubs and shopping venues will be alerted that the high roller is in town, and treat them well accordingly. You also get to meet celebrities, and receive invites to the most exclusive and lavish parties in town.

Insider Access

You also get some privileges that are a lot less visible. Namely, the high roller is likely to receive fast, easy and incredibly generous lines of credit. The big spenders typically don't walk around with a million dollars in their pocket, so casinos are happy to change the rules for them and extend to them as much quick and easy credit as they want, as they know a high roller is good for the money.

Will the perks on offer for the biggest high rollers may have skyrocketed in recent decades, the amount of free offers available for even the smallest level gambler has also increased, which can only be a good thing.

Category: Casino Blog
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Some 13 Chinese provinces had negative rates of natural increase (RNI) in population in 2021,according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics. With a net population increase of only 480,000 people in 2021, the lowest since 1962, China is very close to the warning line of negative population growth.National Bureau of Statistics listed the birth rates, death rates and RNI of 31 provinces. Those with negative RNI included Northeast China's Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Jilin, Southwest China's Sichuan and Chongqing, North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Shanxi, Hebei and Tianjin, Central China's Hunan and Hubei as well as East China's Jiangsu and Shanghai.At least six provinces have their RNI negative for the first time, while East China's Shandong and Anhui are at the edge of negative RNI.Experts said there are different reasons for different regions to have negative RNI. While the negative RNI in Central and North China's regions mainly resulted from the outflow of young people, and the relatively high urbanization may cause negative RNI in places such as Shanghai, Jiangsu and Tianjin.Global Times
What Is the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC)?matched betting money saving expert

The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) is an American financial services company founded in 1999 that provides clearing and settlement services for the financial markets. When the DTCC was established in 1999, it combined the functions of the Depository Trust Company (DTC) and the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC). The NSCC is currently a subsidiary of the DTCC.

Key Takeaways

The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) is a financial services company that provides clearing and settlement services for the financial markets.

The DTCC settles most securities transactions in the U.S.

Settlement is integral to securities transactions. It boosts investor confidence and reduces market risk.

How the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) Works

The DTCC processes trillions of dollars of securities on a daily basis. As the centralized clearinghouse for various exchanges and equity platforms, the DTCC settles transactions between buyers and sellers of securities and plays a critical role in automating, centralizing, standardizing, and streamlining the world's financial markets.

For example, when an investor places an order through their brokerand the trade is made between that broker and another broker or similar financial professionalinformation about that trade is sent to the NSCC (or an equivalent clearinghouse) for clearinghouse services.

After the NSCC has processed and recorded the trade, they provide a report to the brokers and financial professionals involved. This report includes their net securities positions after the trade and the money that is due to be settled between the two parties.

At this point, the NSCC provides settlement instructions to the DTCC; the DTCC transfers the ownership of the securities from the selling broker's account to the account of the broker who made the purchase. The DTCC is also in charge of transferring funds from the buying broker's account to the account of the broker who made the sale. The broker is then responsible for making the appropriate adjustments to their client's account. This entire process typically happens the same day the transaction occurs. The process for institutional investors is similar to the process for retail investors.

Settlement

The DTCC settles the vast majority of securities transactions in the U.S. Settlement is an important step in the completion of securities transactions. By ensuring that trades are executed properly and on time, the settlement process contributes to investor confidence and reduces market risk; timely and accurate trades guarantee that investors won't lose their money with solvent brokerage firms or other intermediaries.

Products Managed

The DTCC provides clearance, settlement, and information services for a wide range of securities products, including government and mortgage-backed securities, corporate and municipal bonds, derivatives, mutual funds, money market instruments, alternative investment products, and insurance products.

Fees

At times, clearing corporations may earn clearing fees by acting as a third party to a trade. For example, a clearinghouse may receive cash from a buyer and securities or futures contracts from a seller. The clearing corporation then manages the exchange and collects a fee for this service. The size of the fee is dependent on the size of the transaction, the level of service required, and the type of instrument being traded. Investors who make several transactions in a day can generate significant fees. In the case of futures contracts specifically, clearing fees can accumulate for investors because long positions can spread the per-contract fee out over a longer period of time.

History of the DTCC

The National Securities Clearing Corporation, currently a subsidiary of the DTCC, was originally founded in 1976. Before the NSCC was founded, stock exchanges would close once a week to complete the lengthy task of processing paper stock certificates. The large volume of trading overwhelmed brokerage firms, and many chose to close every Wednesday (in addition to shortening trading hours on other days of the week).

Brokers had to physically exchange certificates, which required them to employ people to carry certificates and checks. The process for transferring securities also relied heavily on physical recordkeeping. The exchange of physical stock certificates was difficult, inefficient, and increasingly expensive.

To overcome this problem, two changes were made: First, it was recommended that all paper stock certificates were stored in one centralized location and that the process become automated by keeping electronic records of all certificates that indicated changes of ownership and other securities transactions. This eventually led to the development of the Depository Trust Company (DTC) in 1973.

Second, multilateral netting was proposed. In a multilateral netting process, multiple parties arrange for transactions to be summed (rather than settling them individually). All of this netting activity is centralized to reduce the amount of invoicing and payment settlements. In response to this proposal of multilateral netting, the NSCC was formed in 1976.

Depository Trust Company (DTC) vs. the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC)

The Depository Trust Company (DTC) is a subsidiary of the DTCC and is responsible for settling securities trades, moving securities for NSCC net settlements, processing corporate actions, underwriting, and other services. The DTC's settlement services result in reduced costs and increase efficiencies by serving as the central repository for millions of active securities and facilitating ownership changes for securities.

The National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC), another subsidiary of the DTCC, provides clearing, settlement, risk management, and other financial services. Regulated by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), the NSCC also provides multilateral netting, whereby transactions among several parties are summed up centrally, rather than individually.



What Does the DTCC Do?

The DTCC is an American financial services company that provides clearing and settlement services for the financial markets. Through its subsidiaries, it provides clearing, asset servicing, settlements, and other financial services.

Who Is DTCC Owned By?

The Participants of the Clearing Agencies hold the DTCC's common shares and are, therefore, its owners.

What Is the Difference Between DTC and DTCC?

The DTCC is the parent institution of the Depository Trust Company (DTC), a securities depository. A member of the U.S. Federal Reserve System, the DTC provides settlement services, asset servicing, and clearing services.

The Bottom Line

The Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) is a financial services company that provides clearing and settlement services for financial markets. It is also instrumental in the automation, centralization, standardization, and streamlining of said markets. For its subsidiaries, including the Depository Trust Company (DTC) and the National Securities Clearing Corporation (NSCC), it oversees operations and manages financial risks.
Police were called to Charlottesville High School on Friday morning after what administrators described as a physical altercation among several students.

All students and staff are safe, Charlottesville City Schools said in a message sent to parents Friday. This morning there was an altercation at CHS between several students. One student exited the building, and CHS staff, with the assistance of Charlottesville Police Department, are outside the building to provide support.

Charlottesville City Schools spokeswoman Amanda Korman confirmed that the incident described was physical and that the students involved will face the appropriate consequences.

It was a physical altercation, Korman told The Daily Progress. All disciplinary procedures have been followed.

She did not go into further detail.

The Charlottesville Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Progress.

Charlottesville High School has had two fights on campus filmed and circulated online this year: one in January and another in August.

Charlottesville City Schools Superintendent Royal Gurley told The Daily Progress earlier this month that the altercations at the school are often the result of students who dont know how to re-regulate their behaviors and we have to differentiate our support to help them make different choices.

School divisions across the country have struggled to help children reacclimate to the classroom after spending much of the pandemic learning remotely.

Nobody wants a school fight to happen, whether its two kids or whether its four kids, Charlottesville City Schools said in a previous statement in the wake of the second filmed brawl. On the other hand, these are young people learning how to resolve conflict and self-regulate.
What Is a Bank Stress Test?xtreme slots review best meme coin

A bank stress test is an analysis conducted under hypothetical scenarios designed to determine whether a bank has enough capital to withstand a negative economic shock. These scenarios include unfavorable situations, such as a deep recession or a financial market crash. In the United States, banks with $50 billion or more in assets are required to undergo internal stress tests conducted by their own risk management teams and the Federal Reserve.

Bank stress tests were widely put in place after the 2008 financial crisis. Many banks and financial institutions were left severely undercapitalized. The crisis revealed their vulnerability to market crashes and economic downturns. As a result, federal and financial authorities greatly expanded regulatory reporting requirements to focus on the adequacy of capital reserves and internal strategies for managing capital. Banks must regularly determine their solvency and document it.

Key Takeaways

A bank stress test is an analysis to determine whether a bank has enough capital to withstand an economic or financial crisis.

Bank stress tests were widely put in place after the 2008 financial crisis.

Federal and international financial authorities require all banks of a specific size to conduct stress tests and report the results on a regular basis.

Banks that fail their stress tests must take steps to preserve or build up their capital reserves.

How a Bank Stress Test Works

Stress tests focus on a few key areas, such as credit risk, market risk, and liquidity risk to measure the financial status of banks in a crisis. Using computer simulations, hypothetical scenarios are created using various criteria from the Federal Reserve and International Monetary Fund (IMF). The European Central Bank (ECB) also has strict stress testing requirements covering approximately 70% of the banking institutions across the eurozone. Company-run stress tests are conducted on a semiannual basis and fall under tight reporting deadlines.

All stress tests include a standard set of scenarios that banks might experience. A hypothetical situation could involve a specific disaster in a particular placea Caribbean hurricane or a war in Northern Africa. Or it could include all of the following happening at the same time: a 10% unemployment rate, a general 15% drop in stocks, and a 30% plunge in home prices. Banks might then use the next nine quarters of projected financials to determine if they have enough capital to make it through the crisis.

Historical scenarios also exist, based on real financial events in the past. The collapse of the tech bubble in 2000, the subprime mortgage meltdown of 2007, and the coronavirus crisis of 2020 are only the most prominent examples. Others include the stock market crash of 1987, the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, and the European sovereign debt crisis between 2010 and 2012.

In 2011, the U.S. instituted regulations that required banks to do a Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR), which includes running various stress-test scenarios.

Benefits of Bank Stress Tests

The main goal of a stress test is to see whether a bank has the capital to manage itself during tough times. Banks that undergo stress tests are required to publish their results. These results are then released to the public to show how the bank would handle a major economic crisis or a financial disaster.

Regulations require companies that do not pass stress tests to cut their dividend payouts and share buybacks to preserve or build up their capital reserves. That can prevent undercapitalized banks from defaulting and stop a run on the banks before it starts.

Sometimes, a bank gets a conditional pass on a stress test. That means the bank came close to failing and risks being unable to make distributions in the future. Reducing dividends in this way often has a strong negative impact on share prices. Consequently, conditional passes encourage banks to build their reserves before they are forced to cut dividends. Furthermore, banks that pass on a conditional basis have to submit a plan of action.

Criticism of Bank Stress Tests

Critics claim that stress tests are often overly demanding. By requiring banks to be able to withstand once-in-a-century financial disruptions, regulators force them to retain too much capital. As a result, there is an underprovision of credit to the private sector. That means creditworthy small businesses and first-time homebuyers may be unable to get loans. Overly strict capital requirements for banks have even been blamed for the relatively slow pace of the economic recovery after 2008.

Critics also claim that bank stress tests lack sufficient transparency. Some banks may retain more capital than necessary, just in case requirements change. The timing of stress testing can sometimes be difficult to predict, which makes banks wary of extending credit during normal fluctuations in business. On the other hand, disclosing too much information could let banks artificially boost reserves in time for tests.

Real World Examples of Bank Stress Tests

Many banks fail stress tests in the real world. Even prestigious institutions can stumble. For instance, Santander and Deutsche Bank failed stress tests multiple times.
The words comprise and compose are two words that are increasingly misused in popular writing, so you should be sure to use them with care and precision. Their meanings are closely related, so the confusion between them is understandable. After all, just a few letters separates them from one another.

But, in order to keep ourselves from falling into sloppy writing, we should know how to tell these two words apart.

What is the Difference Between Comprise and Compose?

In this post, I want to discuss the definitions of these two words, their functions within a sentence, and give you a few tricks to remember their differences. After reading this post, you shouldnt have to question yourself ever again as to whether or not youve made the correct word choice.

When to Use Comprise

Comprise is a transitive verb and means to be made up of, to consist of, and to include. Since compriseis a transitive verb, expect to see a direct object somewhere nearby in the mix of things. For example,

The United States comprises 50 states.

A full deck comprises 52 cards.

A good way to think about comprise is that the whole comprises the parts. Something that is complete comprises many parts. Lets take another example,

A pizza comprises eight slices.

As we see, the full and complete pizza comprises eight smaller parts, which are slices.

The AP Stylebookstates that comprise is best used with the active voice and followed by a direct object. It suggests avoiding a passive use of comprise.

When to Use Compose

Compose is also a transitive verb, but it has a slightly different meaning. Compose is to make up the constituent parts of, to form the substance of something. As is the case with comprise, you should expect an object to follow. For example,

Fifty states compose the United States.

Fifty-two cards compose a full deck.

As you can see, in these sentences the parts, rather than the whole, are the subjects. With compose, the parts compose the whole. Lets look at our pizza example again,

Eight slices compose a pizza.

In this sentence we are saying that eight slices make up a pizza. In the previous example, we were saying that a pizza is made up of eight slices. The difference is subtle yet important.

Unlike comprise, compose can be used both actively and passively in a sentence. For example,

Eight main islands compose Hawaii. (Active)

Hawaii is composed of eight main islands. (Passive)

Is Comprised Of, Is Composed of

What about the phrases is comprised of and is composed of? One of these you can use and one of these you cant use.

Both of these phrases are examples of the passive voice, and as we discusses earlier, you cannot use the passive voice when using the word comprise, but you can use the passive voice when using compose. For example,

The book is comprised of 12 chapters. (WRONG)

The book comprises 12 chapters. (CORRECT)

Twelve chapters compose the book. (CORRECT)

The book is composed of 12 chapters. (CORRECT)

The Chicago Manual of Style, while recognizing its increasing popularity, states that the phrase is comprised of is poor usage and should be avoided. On the other hand, is composed of is perfectly acceptable.

Summary

These two words, compose vs. comprise, have very subtle differences, so you should use them with care.

The whole comprises the parts.

The parts compose the whole.

You can use the phrase is composed of, but you cannot use the phrase is comprised of.

Quiz and Sentence Examples

Test your knowledge with the following sentences,

Many ethnic groups ______ the United States. My wardrobe ______ these outfits. These outfits ______ my wardrobe. The melody is ______ of these notes.

Answers
Most underemployed gaming industry workers in Macau are still job attached according to data from the Statistics and Census Service. The gaming industry includes casinos, lotteries, and junkets. The number of underemployed in the local gaming industry was 23,300 workers as included separately in the citys overall employment survey. The study was published last Friday.

Total unemploymentin Macau was 4%in Q3, up by just .3% over the numbers for the third quarter last year. According to the report, the percentage of unemployed persons in the city was owing to the resurgence of coronavirus cases in June, coupled with a sluggish job market and the entering of fresh graduates into the labor market, the statistics bureau stated.

Data in the report shows that currently employed gaming sector workers made up 18.3% of the total actively working employees for the three months that ended September 30, 2022.

Overall, gaming workers reduced their contribution to full employment numbers by 4.6%, to about 66,400compared to the previous three-month period where the total number employed was 69,600.

The number of people who were available to take on additional work during the period but who work involuntarily for less than 35 hours per week, increased due to a community outbreak of Covid-19 that began on June 19. The outbreak saw the city shut down casinos for 12 days in July as a precautionary measure in line with Chinas Zero-Covid policy.

Casinos were not obligated to pay workers during the period because the shutdown was mandated by the government.

It took over a month for authorities to declare the situation under control. In several incidences, visitors and employees that were present in a casino hotel were required to shelter in place until the emergency orders were lifted.

Numbers in the report show that the number one cause of underemployment (81.9%) was workers that were placed on unpaid leave or partially paid leave by the company.

Earlier in the year, prior to the shutdown in July, staff at many casinos were being incentivized to stay home from work as gambler footfall was still down due to travel bans and reluctance of patrons to congregate, as well as the on again, off again nature of work availability with health alerts coming out of China and those locally. Workers were allowed to choose to opt into the stay-home incentives or not.

Total underemployment in the city for the period rose more than 12% compared to Q3 2021 to 16.5% which is roughly 62,500 people. Gaming workers comprised about 37% of that number.

Source: 23,300 Macau gaming workers in underemployment in Q3, GGRAsia, November 14, 2022
What Is Levered Free Cash Flow (LFCF)?betfred 10 million blackjack

Levered free cash flow (LFCF) is the amount of money a company has left remaining after paying all of its financial obligations. LFCF is the amount of cash a company has after paying debts, while unlevered free cash flow (UFCF) is cash before debt payments are made. Levered free cash flow is important because it is the amount of cash that a company can use to pay dividends and make investments in the business.

Key Takeaways

Levered free cash flow (LFCF) is the money left over after all a company's bills are paid.

A company can have a negative levered free cash flow even if operating cash flow is positive.

A company may choose to use its levered free cash flow to pay dividends, buy back stock, or reinvest in the business.

Unlevered free cash flow (UFCF) is cash before debt payments are made.

Formula and Calculation of Levered Free Cash Flow

Levered Free Cash Flow (LFCF) Formula. Investopedia

Where:

EBITDA = Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization

NWC = Change in net working capital

CapEx = Capital expenditures

D = Mandatory debt payments

What Levered Free Cash Flow (LFCF) Can Tell You

Levered free cash flow is a measure of a company's ability to expand its business and to pay returns to shareholders (dividends or buybacks) via the money generated through operations. It may also be used as an indicator of a company's ability to obtain additional capital through financing.

If a company already has a significant amount of debt and has little in the way of a cash cushion after meeting its obligations, it may be difficult for the company to obtain additional financing from a lender. If, however, a company has a healthy amount of levered free cash flow, it then becomes a more attractive investment and a low-risk borrower.

Even if a company's levered free cash flow is negative, it does not necessarily indicate that the company is failing. It may be the case that the company has made substantial capital investments that have yet to start paying off.

As long as the company is able to secure the necessary cash to survive until its cash flow increases a temporary period of negative levered free cash flow is both survivable and acceptable.

What a company chooses to do with its levered free cash flow is also important to investors. A company may choose to devote a substantial amount of its levered free cash flow to dividend payments or for investment in the company. If, on the other hand, the company's management perceives an important opportunity for growth and market expansion, it may choose to devote nearly all of its levered free cash flow to funding potential growth.

Levered Free Cash Flow (LFCF) vs. Unlevered Free Cash Flow (UFCF)

Levered free cash flow is the amount of cash a business has after paying debts and other obligations. Unlevered free cash flow is the amount of cash a company has prior to making its debt payments. UFCF is calculated as EBITDA minus CapEx minus working capital minus taxes.

LFCF is the cash flow available to pay shareholders, while UFCF is the money available to pay shareholders and debtholders. Levered free cash flow is considered the more important figure for investors to watch as it's a better indicator of a company's profitability.
A view of the Taipei city, Taiwan island Photo: Unsplash

Chinese mainland officials and experts blasted Taiwan's secessionist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for twisting the nature of cross-Straits relations, hyping "mainland threat" and colluding with external forces to seek secession,whichthey believed is daydreaming and will be doomed to fail, in response to a provocative so-called "Double Ten" speech made by Taiwan regional leader Tsai Ing-wen on Monday.The "Double Ten Day" on October 10, a public holiday in the island of Taiwan originally meant to commemorate the 1911 Revolution, which began on October 10, 1911, has been seen by observers as yet another farce staged by the secessionist Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its leader Tsai that serves to promote their desinicization agenda and daydream of a "two-state theory."In Monday's speech, Tsai stressed determination in self-defense, and also claimed "armed confrontation is absolutely not an option for our two sides." However, when it comes to actual military hardware, Tsai said the island is increasing mass production of precision missiles and high-performance naval vessels, and working to acquire small, highly mobile weapons that will ensure Taiwan is fully prepared to respond to "external military threats."The root cause of the current tension in the Taiwan Straits lies in the fact that the DPP authorities stubbornly adhere to the secessionists' position and collude with external forces to continuously seek independence, which seriously undermines the important foundation of the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press briefing Monday."Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory We are willing to create broad space for peaceful reunification, but we will never leave any room for Taiwan secessionist activities," Mao said.Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office under the State Council, said that Tsai's speech continues to promote the "two-state theory," play up the "threat" from the mainland, shirk responsibility for sabotaging cross-Straits relations and reinforce the seeking of secession by armed forces and by relying on external forces.The DPP authorities are fabricating a false narrative of "democracy and freedom," which cannot cover up their actions and nature of splitting the country and breaching the fact that both sides of the Taiwan Straits belong to one China, Ma said.Wang Yingjin, director of the Center for Cross-Straits Relations Studies at the Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Monday that compared to Tsai's "Double Ten" speech in 2021, which directly mentioned dangerous secessionism ideas such as "the two sides of the Straits do not belong to each other," Tsai did not use new provocative language against the mainland, but her pro-secession line remains unchanged.Despite Tsai expressing willingness to have a "rational and equal" dialogue with the mainland to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits in her latest speech, mainland analysts noticed the trick used by the DPP authorities of publicly using the secessionist term "Taiwan national day" written in English to mark the "Double Ten Day."A few days before Tsai's speech, Taiwan's former regional leader Ma Ying-jeou called on Tsai not to use "Taiwan National Day" to irritate the mainland, as using such moves to "smuggle Taiwan independence" would do nothing to benefit people in Taiwan, cross-Straits relations or Taiwan's security and prosperity, and will only let secessionists "cheer themselves."By denying the 1992 Consensus, the DPP authorities single-handedly closed the door to equal dialogue between the two sides of the Taiwan Straits and attempted to impose the "two-state theory" on the cross-Straits dialogue. This shows that they have no sincerity at all in easing the current tension and resolving differences through dialogue, analysts said.Wang said the "kindness and generosity" expressed by Tsai on dialogue is different from the idea advocated by the Chinese mainland in that the two sides of the Taiwan Straits should jointly resolve political differences through exchanges and development, while Tsai's focus is resolving the risk of cross-Straits conflict while the DPP seeks secession, as opposed to moving toward peaceful reunification on the basis of peaceful development on both sides.The Chinese mainland does not want see a military conflict across the Straits, and the Taiwan people possibly even less so, Wang said.A poll released Saturday conducted by an education foundation shows that 69.9 percent of respondents in Taiwan agreed that "understanding Taiwan's situation" should be strengthened in education, but only 41.4 percent gave a definite "yes" to the determination to sacrifice themselves to defend the island, according to Taiwan-based media.Tsai's anti-mainland approach is becoming unpopular in Taiwan, especially after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's provocative Taiwan visit which later triggered the mainland's largest-ever military exercises encircling Taiwan, and dissatisfaction with Tsai's provocation has risen. As a result, Tsai's latest speech was a bit more subdued than last time, Zhang Wensheng, a deputy dean of the Taiwan Research Institute at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Monday."People in Taiwan want peace. They know that if Taiwan continues down Tsai's wrong path, there will be military conflict sooner or later across the Straits," Zhang said.Hsieh Lung-chieh, a Taiwan-based politician from the opposition party Kuomintang (KMT), said in a Facebook post on Monday that cross-Straits relations are facing turmoil and the vast majority of people in Taiwan have never been so close to war in their lives."Much foreign interference is not a blessing for Taiwan," Hsieh said.
Thepremier bet zone mobile simplicity of the rules of blackjack, which can be read on https://bicyclecards.com/how-to-play/blackjack/, is part of what made it one of the most popular card games available. Players add up the numbers on their cards to try and make 21 or get as close to it as they can without going over. The dealer also has a hand, and if the dealer gets closer to 21 than the player, then the player loses. It's an easy game to learn.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.casinolifemagazine.com/%3Ca%20href%3D"https://www.youtube.com/embed/VB-6MvXvsKo">https://www.youtube.com/embed/VB-6MvXvsKo" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

However, while blackjack is now popular with all kinds of people, this card game and many other forms of card gambling were once seen as being popular with the rich. Going to a casino to play was something that only those with huge amounts of money would do. But that's not the case today at all.

Why Was Blackjack Popular with the Rich?

The suggestion that blackjack was popular with the rich comes not just from history but also from movies and television shows. Films such as The Hangover show just how much money can be spent on games of blackjack and the sort of fun you can have when you have some money to spend. In fact, the first instalment of that series made more than $467 million at the box office.

There are also locations such as Monte Carlo http://www.youramazingplaces.com/monte-carlo-city-of-glamour-luxury-and-gambling/, a city where the affluent go on holiday and to gamble and play games such as blackjack. Admittedly, Monte Carlo is an expensive destination and many celebrities have travelled there to gamble and enjoy themselves - and this has only made the idea that blackjack is for the rich grow.

Why Are More People Playing Blackjack?

Some people have kept the idea that going to the casino to gamble is for the rich, but really, more people are playing card games than ever in 2019, and you don't have to have millions in the bank to enjoy a few rounds. Playing card games has become more affordable and much easier because of online and mobile casino platforms.

Online blackjack providers such as https://casino.paddypower.com/c/blackjack can be used by any adult and, as the site explains how to play blackjack, those who haven't learned how to play or have not been to a casino can quickly and easily learn the rules regardless. Bonuses, rewards, and low minimum bets have also opened the doors for more people to play. We have thus seen the democratisation of casino games once reserved for the rich and powerful.

How to Feel Rich While Playing Blackjack

Players can feel like a VIP while playing blackjack online, however. In many casinos, there are dress codes that ask players to wear a suit or another formal outfit before entering - and this is also why many feel that gambling is only for the rich. You can read an overview of the several formal dress codes at https://www.vogue.com.au/fashion/what-do-i-wear/the-five-most-common-dress-codes-and-what-they-actually-mean-for-men-and-women/news-story/23dcfe57bf5b9eac6db84a60f7e4bfbc. However, since you can play blackjack online from anywhere, which means that while you can just wear your pyjamas, you could get dressed up to play too. It's up to you, so dressing up isn't a requirement anymore.

There are also live casino games available online, such as live roulette and live blackjack, which have live human dealers who are dressed in suits and will deal cards to players and spin the wheel for them. Playing these kinds of games may also give you a rich casino experience without the need for the player to wear formal attire at all.

It's a great thing that blackjack can now be enjoyed by everyone. It's a game of adding up figures so, if you can count to 21, you can play - whatever's in your account.

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Understanding Types of Government IntroductionByRobert LongleyRobert LongleyHistory and Government ExpertRobert Longley is a U.S. government and history expert with over 30 years of experience in municipal government and urban planning.Learn about ourEditorial ProcessPublished on January 29, 2021

A democracy is a form of government that empowers the people to exercise political control, limits the power of the head of state, provides for the separation of powers between governmental entities, and ensures the protection of natural rights and civil liberties. In practice, democracy takes many different forms. Along with the two most common types of democraciesdirect and representativevariants such as participatory, liberal, parliamentary, pluralist, constitutional, and socialist democracies can be found in use today.

Key Takeaways: Democracy

Democracy, literally meaning rule by the people, empowers individuals to exercise political control over the form and functions of their government.

While democracies come in several forms, they all feature competitive elections, freedom of expression, and protection of individual civil liberties and human rights.

In most democracies, the needs and wishes of the people are represented by elected lawmakers who are charged with writing and voting on laws and setting policy.

When creating laws and policies, the elected representatives in a democracy strive to balance conflicting demands and obligations to maximize freedom and protect individual rights.

Despite the prominence in the headlines of non-democratic, authoritarian states like China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, democracy remains the worlds most commonly practiced form of government. In 2018, for example, a total of 96 out of 167 countries (57%) with populations of at least 500,000 were democracies of some type. Statics show that the percentage of democracies among the worlds governments has been increasing since the mid-1970s, currently standing just short of its post-World War II high of 58% in 2016.

Democracy Definition

Meaning rule by the people, democracy is a system of government that not only allows but requires the participation of the people in the political process to function properly. U.S. President Abraham Lincoln, in his famed 1863 Gettysburg Address may have best-defined democracy as a government of the people, by the people, for the people

Semantically, the term democracy comes from the Greek words for people (demos) and rule (karatos). However, achieving and preserving a government by the peoplea popular governmentis far more complicated than the concepts semantic simplicity might imply. In creating the legal framework under which the democracy will function, typically a constitution, several crucial political and practical questions must be answered.

Is rule by the people even appropriate for the given state? Do the inherent freedoms of a democracy justify dealing with its complex bureaucracy and electoral processes, or would the streamlined predictability of a monarchy, for example, be preferable?

Assuming a preference for democracy, which residents of the country, state, or town should enjoy the political status of full citizenship? Simply stated, who are the people in the government by the people equation? In the United States, for example, the constitutionally established doctrine of birthright citizenship provides that any person born on U.S. soil automatically becomes a U.S. citizen. Other democracies are more restrictive in bestowing full citizenship.

Which people within the democracy should be empowered to participate in it? Assuming that only adults are allowed to fully participate in the political process, should all adults be included? For example, until the enactment of the 19th Amendment in 1920, women in the United States were not allowed to vote in national elections. A democracy that excludes too many of the governed from taking part in what is supposed to be their government runs the risk of becoming an aristocracygovernment by a small, privileged ruling classor an oligarchygovernment by an elite, typically wealthy, few.

If, as one of the foundational principles of democracy holds, the majority rules, what will a proper majority be? A majority of all citizens or a majority of citizens who vote only? When issues, as they inevitably will, divide the people, should the wishes of the majority always prevail, or should, as in the case of the American Civil Rights Movement, minorities be empowered to overcome majority rule? Most importantly, what legal or legislative mechanisms should be created to prevent the democracy from becoming a victim of what one of Americas Founding Fathers, James Madison, called the tyranny of the majority?

Finally, how likely is it that a majority of the people will continue to believe that democracy is the best form of government for them? For a democracy to survive it must retain the substantial support of both the people and the leaders they choose. History has shown that democracy is a particularly fragile institution. In fact, of the 120 new democracies that have emerged around the world since 1960, nearly half have resulted in failed states or have been replaced by other, typically more authoritarian forms of government. It is therefore essential that democracies be designed to respond quickly and appropriately to the internal and external factors that will inevitably threaten them.

Democratic Principles

While their opinions vary, a consensus of political scientists agree that most democracies are based on six foundational elements:

Popular sovereignty: The principle that the government is created and maintained by the consent of the people through their elected representatives.

An Electoral System: Since according to the principle of popular sovereignty, the people are the source of all political power, a clearly defined system of conducting free and fair elections is essential.

Public Participation: Democracies rarely survive without the active participation of the people. Health democracies enable and encourage the people to take part in their political and civic processes.

Separation of Powers: Based on a suspicion of power concentrated in a single individuallike a kingor group, the constitutions of most democracies provide that political powers be separated and shared among the various governmental entities.

Human Rights: Along with their constitutionally enumerated rights freedoms, democracies protect the human rights of all citizens. In this context, human rights are those rights considered inherent to all human beings, regardless of nationality, sex, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, language, or any other considerations.

A Rule of Law: Also called due process of law, the rule of law is the principle that all citizens are accountable to laws that are publicly created and equitably enforced in a manner consistent with human rights by an independent judicial system.

Types of Democracy

Throughout history, more types of democracy have been identified than there are countries in the world. According to social and political philosopher Jean-Paul Gagnon, more than 2,234 adjectives have been used to describe democracy. While many scholars refer to direct and representative as the most common of these, several other types of democracies can be found around the world today. While direct democracy is unique, most other recognized types of democracy are variants of representative democracy. These various types of democracy are generally descriptive of the particular values emphasized by the representative democracies that employ them.

Direct

Originated in Ancient Greece during the 5th century BCE, direct democracy, sometimes called pure democracy, is considered the oldest non-authoritarian form of government. In a direct democracy, all laws and public policy decisions are made directly by a majority vote of the people, rather than by the votes of their elected representatives.

Functionally possible only in small states, Switzerland is the only example of a direct democracy applied on a national level today. While Switzerland is no longer a true direct democracy, any law passed by the popularly elected national parliament can be vetoed by a direct vote of the public. Citizens can also change the constitution through direct votes on amendments. In the United States, examples of direct democracy can be found in state-level recall elections and lawmaking ballot initiatives.

Representative

Also called indirect democracy, representative democracy is a system of government in which all eligible citizens elect officials to pass laws and formulate public policy on their behalf. These elected officials are expected to represent the needs and viewpoints of the people in deciding the best course of action for the nation, state, or other jurisdiction as a whole.

As the most commonly found type of democracy in use today, almost 60% of all countries employ some form of representative democracy including the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

Participatory

In a participatory democracy, the people vote directly on policy while their elected representatives are responsible for implementing those policies. Participatory democracies rely on the citizens in setting the direction of the state and the operation of its political systems. While the two forms of government share similar ideals, participatory democracies tend to encourage a higher, more direct form of citizen participation than traditional representative democracies.

While there are no countries specifically classified as participatory democracies, most representative democracies employ citizen participation as a tool for social and political reform. In the United States, for example, so-called grassroots citizen participation causes such as the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s have led elected officials to enact laws implementing sweeping social, legal, and political policy changes.

Liberal

Liberal democracy is loosely defined as a form of representative democracy that emphasizes the principles of classical liberalisman ideology advocating the protection of individual civil liberties and economic freedom by limiting the power of the government. Liberal democracies employ a constitution, either statutorily codified, as in the United States or uncodified, as in the United Kingdom, to define the powers of the government, provide for a separation of those powers, and enshrine the social contract.

Liberal democracies may take the form of a constitutional republic, like the United States, or a constitutional monarchy, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

Parliamentary

In a parliamentary democracy, the people directly elect representatives to a legislative parliament. Similar to the U.S. Congress, the parliament directly represents the people in making necessary laws and policy decisions for the country.

In parliamentary democracies such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Japan, the head of government is a prime minister, who is first elected to parliament by the people, then elected prime minister by a vote of the parliament. However, the prime minister remains a member of the parliament and thus plays an active role in the legislative process of creating and passing laws. Parliamentary democracies are typically a feature of a constitutional monarch, a system of government in which the head of state is a queen or king whose power is limited by a constitution.

Pluralist

Womens rights march in New York.Stephanie Noritz/Getty Images

In a pluralist democracy, no single group dominates politics. Instead, organized groups within the people compete to influence public policy. In political science, the term pluralism expresses the ideology that influence should be spread among different interest groups, rather than held by a single elite group as in an aristocracy. Compared to participatory democracies, in which individuals take part in influencing political decisions, in a pluralist democracy, individuals work through groups formed around common causes hoping to win the support of elected leaders.

In this context, the pluralist democracy assumes that the government and the society as a whole benefit from a diversity of viewpoints. Examples of pluralist democracy can be seen in the impact special interest groups, such as the National Organization for Women, have had on American politics.

Constitutional

Elementary school teacher holds up a copy of the U.S. Constitution.Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

While the exact definition continues to be debated by political scientists, constitutional democracy is generally defined as a system of government based on popular sovereignty and a rule of law in which the structures, powers, and limits of government are established by a constitution. Constitutions are intended to restrict the power of the government, typically by separating those powers between the various branches of government, as in the United States constitutions system of federalism. In a constitutional democracy, the constitution is considered to be the supreme law of the land.

Socialist

Democratic socialism is broadly defined as a system of government based on a socialist economy, in which most property and means of production are collectively, rather than individually, controlled by a constitutionally established political hierarchythe government. Social democracy embraces government regulation of business and industry as a means of furthering economic growth while preventing income inequality.

While there are no purely socialist governments in the world today, elements of democratic socialism can be seen in Swedens provision of free universal health care, education, and sweeping social welfare programs.

Is America a Democracy

Students holding buttons at voter registration drive.Ariel Skelley/Getty Images

While the word democracy does not appear in the United States Constitution, the document provides the basic elements of representative democracy: an electoral system based on majority rule, separation of powers, and a dependence on a rule of law. Also, Americas Founding Fathers used the word often when debating the form and function of the Constitution.

However, a long-running debate over whether the United States is a democracy or a republic continues today. According to a growing number of political scientists and constitutional scholars, it is botha democratic republic.

Similar to democracy, a republic is a form of government in which the country is governed by the elected representatives of the people. However, since the people do not govern the state themselves, but do so through their representatives, a republic is distinguished from direct democracy.

Professor Eugene Volokh of the UCLA School of Law argues that the governments of democratic republics embrace the principles shared by both republics and democracies. To illustrate his point, Volokh notes that in the United States, many decisions on local and state levels are made by the people through the process of direct democracy, while as in a republic, most decisions at the national level are made by democratically elected representatives.

Brief History

Archeological evidence suggests that disorganized practices at least resembling democracy existed in some parts of the world during prehistoric times, However, the concept of democracy as a form of populist civic engagement emerged during the 5th century BCE in the form of the political system used in some of the city-states of Ancient Greece, most notably Athens. At that time, and for the next several centuries, tribes or city-states remained small enough that if democracy was practiced at all, it took the form of direct democracy. As city-states grew into larger, more heavily populated sovereign nation-states or countries, direct democracy became unwieldy and slowly gave way to representative democracy. This massive change necessitated an entirely new set of political institutions such as legislatures, parliaments, and political parties all designed according to the size and cultural character of the city or country to be governed.

Until the 17th century, most legislatures consisted only of the entire body of citizens, as in Greece, or representatives selected from among a tiny oligarchy or an elite hereditary aristocracy. This began to change during the English Civil Wars from 1642 to 1651 when members of the radical Puritan reformation movement demanded expanded representation in Parliament and the universal right to vote for all male citizens. By the middle 1700s, as the power of the British Parliament grew, the first political partiesthe Whigs and Toriesemerged. It soon became obvious that laws could not be passed or taxes levied without the support of the Whig or Tory party representatives in Parliament.

While the developments in the British Parliament showed the feasibility of a representative form of government, the first truly representative democracies emerged during the 1780s in the British colonies of North America and took its modern form with the formal adoption of the Constitution of the United States of America on March 4, 1789.

Sources and Further Reference

Desilver, Drew. Despite global concerns about democracy, more than half of countries are democratic. Pew Research Center, May 14, 2019, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/05/14/more-than-half-of-countries-are-democratic/.

Kapstein, Ethan B., and Converse, Nathan. The Fate of Young Democracies.Cambridge University Press, 2008, ISBN 9780511817809.

Diamond, Larry. Democracy in Decline?Johns Hopkins University Press, October 1, 2015, ISBN-10 1421418185.

Gagnon, Jean-Paul. 2,234 Descriptions of Democracy: An Update to Democracy's Ontological Pluralism.Democratic Theory, vol. 5, no. 1, 2018.

Volokh, Eugene. Is the United States of America a republic or a democracy? The Washington Post, May 13, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/05/13/is-the-united-states-of-america-a-republic-or-a-democracy/.

FormatmlaapachicagoYour CitationLongley, Robert. "What Is Democracy? Definition and Examples." ThoughtCo, Jun. 7, 2021, thoughtco.com/democracy-definition-and-examples-5084624.Longley, Robert. (2021, June 7). What Is Democracy? Definition and Examples. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/democracy-definition-and-examples-5084624Longley, Robert. "What Is Democracy? Definition and Examples." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/democracy-definition-and-examples-5084624 (accessed November 23, 2022).
Journalists attend a press conference via video link on the sidelines of the ongoing 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in Beijing on October 17, 2022. Photo: Li Hao/GT

At the first press conference of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) held on Monday, some foreign reporters asked how the Chinese government will reduce its dependence on foreign imported resources such as iron ore, crude oil, natural gas and soybeans to achieve a more self-sufficient economy. This question sets a trap, intentionally or unintentionally, by presupposing "self-sufficiency" as a goal of the Chinese economy. In the past year or two, this typical misinterpretation of China's construction of a new development pattern has grown like weed in the US and Western public opinion sphere, triggering some unnecessary worries.Zhao Chenxin, a member of the CPC Leadership Group of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and deputy director of the NDRC, frankly and explicitly responded by saying that it is wrong to think that China will scale back its opening-up efforts or even turn to a "self-sufficiency." He said that General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed repeatedly that building a new development pattern is an open domestic and international dual circulation, not a closed domestic single circulation. He also expounded on China's understanding that economic globalization trend is irreversible and that no country can engage in development behind closed doors. To be honest, these remarks are not new and have been repeatedly emphasized before. But this exactly shows the consistency and continuity of China's attitude on this issue.The so-called "China's economic self-sufficiency narrative" originated from the US and the West's attempts to portray China as a "closed" and "dangerous" country that wants to break away from the rest of the world, thereby piling pressure on countries that want to expand exchanges with China. This noise and fallacy is not only ideological bias, but also geopolitical scheming. At the same time, it is also full of confusion and self-contradictions: They criticize China for "closing the door," but on the other hand they say that China is engaged in "global expansion"; they claim that China is "taking advantage of the world," but they also smear China's self-reliance as "decoupling" from the world. It all depends on their political calculation on which set of discourse should be used.Fortunately, facts speak louder than words. Over the past decade, China's status as the world's largest trading nation in goods has been consolidated, becoming the main driving force and engine for the development of global trade. Zhao revealed at the press conference that China utilized 892.74 billion yuan (around $124 billion) of foreign capital in the first eight months of this year, an increase of 16.4 percent year-on-year in comparable terms. Among them, foreign capital in high-tech industries increased by 33.6 percent year-on-year, and the eastern, central and western regions increased by 14.3 percent, 27.6 percent and 43 percent respectively. The industrial structure and regional distribution of foreign investment continued to improve. If these multinational companies are not optimistic about the Chinese market in long term and are not fully confident in China's opening-up, how can they invest in China? Compared with the groundless speculation and suspicion of US and Western public opinion, the facts reflected by these data are obviously more telling.Opening-up to the outside world is China's basic state policy. This is not a passive choice, but because it is in line with China's fundamental interests, and it is the Chinese people's profound summary of development experience and collective judgment of the general world trend. The key to China's rapid growth from a backward agricultural country to the world's second largest economy lies in its reform and opening-up. Reform and opening-up improve and interact positively with each other. China's advancement toward building a modern socialist country in all respects will also rely on reform and opening-up. A strong consensus or even a belief has been formed in Chinese society. China's determination and will to open up will not be shaken. It will only continue to be promoted to a wider, deeper and higher level, which will also bring more development opportunities and dividends to the world.China's economy has long deeply integrated into the world economy. China's development cannot be separated from the world and the world's prosperity also needs China. The report to the 20th National Congress of the CPC said that China will promote high-standard opening up and accelerate efforts to foster a new pattern of development with domestic circulation as the mainstay and domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other. This is not difficult to understand. Given China's huge economic scale, domestic circulation as the mainstay is a natural result that accords to laws. In addition, it is followed by "domestic and international circulations reinforcing each other." Also, China's economy has always stressed "self-reliance," which is fundamentally different from closed "self-sufficiency." Some people are deliberately confusing the facts.In today's world, there are indeed some people in the US and the West who want to reverse the course of history, going against the trend of economic globalization. But such words and deeds will not be accepted in Chinese society, and are not welcomed in the international community. There are also people who measure other people's corn by their own bushel, making noise in the world. Due to their poor and outdated cognitive level, they really cannot keep up with the step forward of the world, and cannot understand the broad-mindedness of China-proposed building as community with shared future for mankind. They are bound to be left far behind the general trend of the times.
Pennsylvanias casinos will be allowed to reopen on January 4 when a state-mandated three-week shutdown of non-essential businesses is set to expire.

Governor Tom Wolf announced Wednesday that he would not extend the temporary restrictions beyond Monday because the number of new Covid-19 cases has declined since these were enforced nearly three weeks ago.

Casinos, theaters, concert venues, arcades, private clubs, bowling alleys, and other entertainment businesses were ordered to temporarily cease operations as of 12:01 am on December 12 through 8:00 am on January 4. Gov. Wolf issued his order as the number of new coronavirus cases was on the rise across the state.

Pennsylvanias casinos and other shuttered entertainment venues will still have to follow a list of rules when their reopen on Monday. Their operations will be restricted to 50% of their indoor occupancy limits. Casino patrons will be required to wear face masks on the gaming floor and practice social distancing.

The latest shutdown was heavily protested by Pennsylvanias casinos. The state gambling venues stayed closed for months during the first coronavirus wave earlier this year. Nine casino executives penned a letter to Gov. Wolf earlier this month asking him to reconsider his decision to once again shut down the states gambling venues as another closure would hit badly one of Pennsylvanias largest and most successfulindustries that generates $1.5 billion in annual tax revenues.

Several Casinos Confirm Jan. 4 Reopening

At least three casinos will resume operations on the very same day the temporary restrictions are lifted. Penn National Gaming confirmed Wednesday that its Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Courseand The Meadows Casino and Racetrackwill reopen this coming Monday.

The companys Senior Vice President of Public Affairs and Government Relations, Eric Schippers, said Wednesday that having Pennsylvania casino patrons back in the states highly regulated casinos is safer than having Pennsylvanians travel to out-of-state casinos or patronize illegal skill slot machine locationswhere there is no regulatory or Covid safety monitoring.

The states newest casino, Live! Casino Pittsburgh, is too gearing up preparations to reopen its doors. Property officials announced that it would resume operations on Monday at 8:01 am.

Maryland-based developer The Cordish Companies launched Live! Casino on November 24. The property is located at the former Bon-Ton department store at Westmoreland Mall in Westmoreland County. The casino features 750 slot machines and 30 table games.

Property officials said they couldnt be more happywith its first 18 days of operations before the state-mandated closure and that the state lifting the restrictions means that more than 500 employees will be able to go back to work.

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Variety in writing is usually a good quality. Reading would become fairly boring if all writers used the same limited selection of words in every piece.

Where should we draw the line between beneficial variety and pointless wordiness? This is probably a question for a style guide.

Here, though, we can discuss the differences between specific words and decide which choice might be better.

Skills and competencies are often used as synonyms. Are their meanings truly identical, or are there some situations where one might be preferable to the other?

Continue reading for an explanation of these confusing words, their meanings, and whether either is the better choice for your writing.

What is the Difference Between Skills and Competencies?

In this post, I will compare skills vs. competencies. I will use each word in at least one example sentence, so you can see how it appears in context.

Plus, I will show you a helpful memory tool that will make choosing either skills or competencies for your own writing a simple task.

When to Use Skills

What does skills mean? Skills is a plural noun. Skills are things that a person is good at doing. The singular form of the noun is skill.

Skills are like talents. The main difference is that talents are generally considered natural abilities, while skills take more development and practice. A person might supplement natural talents with developed skills to become masterful at something.

Here are some example sentences,

Shelby brings a plethora of skills to the table as our new CEO.

You must build your skills as a Jedi Knight before you will be ready to face the Dark Side.

When to Use Competencies

What does competencies mean? Most people use competencies as a synonym for skills. In this usage, they are both plural nouns that mean things people are good atdoing. The singular form of the word is competency.

Many sources consider competencies a needless variant. The word skills is simple, more common, and means the same thing. Nevertheless, competencies has become widespread, especially in professional jargon. In these contexts, it usually means areas where a worker has been trained to organizational standards.

At my performance review, my supervisor outlined several competencies for me to develop over the next six months.

Management rolled out a new program to train all employees in the companys core competencies.

The singular form competency is useful in legal contexts, where it means the capacity to appear in court. It usually appears in the phrase competency to stand trial.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Most of the time, you should choose skills over competencies, unless you are writing corporate-speak for a manager who demands it.

Competencies vs. Skills Check: Since skills rhymes with thrills, always get your thrills by using skills instead of competencies.

Summary

Is it competencies or skills? Skills is a plural noun that means things a person is good at doing. Competencies is a synonym, but many sources consider it unnecessary jargon. Its singular form competency has an important legal context. Still, choose skills most of the time in your own writing.

To summarize,
Despite protests from some parents, Charlottesville schools are pushing on with their attempt to separate students from their cell phones.

Weeks into the school year, the districts off and away the entire day approach  wherein students can have their phones taken away for the day if caught using them in school  is drawing mixed reviews.

In talking to teachers, I see how hard it is for them to teach with people constantly looking at their phones, Maggie Heaphy, a senior at Charlottesville High School told The Daily Progress.

On the other hand, she also sees the cell phone prohibition as a student health issue.

What if you need to get in contact even with another student in the school whos in need of something? she asked, noting that many of her classmates have been resistant to the change.

Ben Hays, a Charlottesville parent of three including two high-schoolers, said he feels that the policy has been good for teachers and his childrens education.

In general, the attempt to make cell phones away for the day has been great so far, Hays told The Daily Progress.

But hes not willing to make a judgement one way or the other on the next step of the process: Yondr pouches.

At some point in the future, the Charlottesville school division plans to distribute pouches to each student, who will then be required to put their cell phone in the magnetically sealed contraption and will be unable to open it until the end of the day.

Yondr, a company that aims to create phone-free spaces, said it has seen a 150% increase in the number of schools using its pouches in 2023.

One of them is Carter G. Woodson Middle School in Hopewell, which implemented the policy a year ago. At first some parents and students were resistant, Principal Jeff Boarman told The Daily Progress. Before the division rolled out the program, it held a virtual town hall with parents. Fifty showed up and voiced their concerns, including what might happen in the event of an emergency.

By the time the meeting was over, we probably had fewer than five parents who actually called the school or told their child dont use it, Boarman said. It was very, very, very few parents.

Prior to Yondr, the school had an off and away policy for years. But it was very difficult to enforce and thus ineffective.

If 10 kids have their phones out during class, what is a teacher supposed to do? It gets to be overwhelming, and kids figured that out, Boarman said.

Then came the pouches.

Communicating with students and parents beforehand was crucial to making the policy successful, as was making sure that students were actually using them. The results, he said, have been worth it.

I never want to work in another school that has cell phones available. Ever. Its that different, Boarman said. Its like a school before cell phones were invented. So kids are kids.

Montgomery, Alabama, is in a similar position as Charlottesville. Montgomery Public Schools began using the pouches for its middle and high schools when classes started on Aug. 10.

Three weeks in, the pouch policy is going fairly well with little pushback, said Superintendent Melvin Brown. That doesnt necessarily surprise him, but hes certainly pleased with the results so far.

A typical day in typical high school where kids are able to use cell phones, youll see hundreds of kids in hallways with their heads down looking at their phones, Brown told The Daily Progress.

Now, he said hes noticed that students are communicating more. Seniors have stepped up to help freshmen find their way around, he said, and more students are paying attention in class.

The biggest surprise Ive gotten is kids recognize the fact that theyre now conversing more and having conversations in the hallway and cafeteria, he said.

Like Boarman, Brown said he thinks the early success was helped by clearly communicating with students and parents.

We were very careful about explaining why weve done it, Brown said, repeatedly emphasizing that the community must understand the why behind the policy decision.

Back in Charlottesville, the division appears to be attempting to do just that.

In a recent message to parents and students, Superintendent Royal Gurley recently gave an update on the off and away the entire day policy.

Students and families have been very cooperative, and we have received many comments and emails from teachers, students, and families reporting that they appreciate the change in atmosphere and reduction in distractions, he wrote, while also admitting that students sometimes disobey the new rule.

As for the pouches, the division is in no rush to use them.

The Yondr pouch program will only be successful if our students, staff, and families reach consensus on seeing it as the best path forward and in the best interests of students, Gurley wrote.

His team has heard three main points of concern with the program: how parents and their children would coordinate last-minute transportation changes, whether the schools offices would be able to handle the influx of students who may need to use office phones to call home, and what would happen during an emergency situation.

The latter was the top question the division has received, and the school division is working to answer it.

We know it is only human to want to be connected in situations where stress is high, Gurley said. Because this is so important, we will stay in the mode of off and away the entire day until we have a plan that gains consensus among staff, students, and families.

Ben Castleman is the parent of a student at Charlottesville High, and he empathizes with parents worried about not having a direct line of communication to their kids, especially in emergency situations.

I want her to be able to communicate with me, and vice versa, about these and other issues that arise, Castleman told The Daily Progress in an email. But I also believe that we have to weigh these concerns against what we want all of our children to get out of their time in middle and high school.

As an educator at the University of Virginia, he does not allow cell phones in his class, calling them distractive and counterproductive to learning and engagement.

In my view, the solution to parents concerns is not to allow youth access to phones during the school day, but rather to ensure the city schools have robust communication platforms to engage parents; that those platforms deploy updates in real time when crises arise; and that the schools have sufficient staff so that we as parents can reach someone and communicate messages to our students when necessary, Castleman said.

Whenever the division does implement Yondr, and if reviews from administrators at two other school districts are any indication, Charlottesville may find it to be worth the controversy.

Boarman said that at his middle school the policy gives students a break from social media and the stress that can come with it.

They dont have to worry if they do something stupid or come to school with dirty clothes on that other kids are going to take a picture of them and post it on social media, he said.

Similarly, Brown thinks Montgomery students are connecting on a personal level that he hasnt seen since COVID.

Theyre recapturing the organic relationships you typically see happening in schools, he said.
Online sports betting in New York returned to form in August. Thedeposit The get nz timezone total amount wagered eclipsed $1 billion for the month after briefly falling below the threshold in July.

Despite the standard summer dip, NY sports betting is well ahead of last years record-setting pace, according to data from state gambling regulators.

Sports gamblers in NY bet more than $1.1 billion in August, a 27.5% year-over-year increase from the $872 million in August 2022. Online sportsbooks in NY reported more than $98.5 million in revenue for the month, which was a 1.1% decline from the $99.6 million last year.

The New York State Gaming Commission published Augusts sports betting data on its website Friday afternoon.
Ph.D., Philosophy, Columbia University

M.A., Philosophy, Columbia University

B.A., Philosophy, University of Florence, Italy

What does it take to be honest? Although often invoked, the concept of honesty is quite tricky to characterize. Taking a closer look, it is a cognate notion of authenticity. Here's why.

Truth and Honesty

While it may be tempting to define honesty as speaking the truth and abiding by the rules, this is an overly-simplistic view of a complex concept. Telling the truth  the whole truth  is, at times, practically and theoretically impossible as well as morally not required or even wrong. Suppose your new partner asks you to be honest about what you have done over the past week when you were apart. Does this mean youll have to tell everything you have done? Not only may you not have enough time and you wont recall all the details but is everything really relevant? Should you also talk about the surprise party you are organizing next week for your partner?

The relationship between honesty and truth is much more subtle. What is the truth about a person, anyway? When a judge asks a witness to tell the truth about what happened that day, the request cannot be for any particular detail whatsoever but only for relevant ones. Who is to say which particulars are relevant?

Honesty and the Self

Those few remarks should be sufficient in clearing up the intricate relationship there is between honesty and the construction of a self. Being honest involves the capacity to select, in a way that is context-sensitive, certain particulars about our lives. At the very least, honesty requires an understanding of how our actions do or do not fit within rules and expectations of the other person  any person we feel obliged to report to (including ourselves).

Honesty and Authenticity

But then, there's the relationship between honesty and the self. Have you been honest with yourself? That is indeed a major question, discussed not only by figures such as Plato and Kierkegaard but also in David Humes "Philosophical Honesty." To be honest with ourselves seems to be a key part of what it takes to be authentic. Only those who can face themselves, in all their own peculiarity, seem to be capable of developing a personathat is true to the self  hence, authentic.

Honesty as a Disposition

If honesty is not telling the whole truth, what is it? One way to characterize it, typically adopted in virtue ethics (that school of ethics that developed from Aristotles teachings), makes honesty into a disposition. Here goes my rendering of the topic: a person is honest when he or she possesses the disposition to face the other by making explicit all those details that are relevant to the conversation at issue.

The disposition in question is a tendency that has been cultivated over time. That is, an honest person is one that has developed the habit of bringing forward to the other all those details of his or her life that seem relevant in conversation with the other. The ability to discern that which is relevant is part of honesty and is, if course, quite a complex skill to possess.

Despite its centrality in ordinary life as well as ethics and philosophy of psychology, honesty is not a major trend of research in the contemporary philosophical debate.

Sources
Dancey always had a hot temper, and now and then plagues Bess; but she lets noe one know it but me. Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. 3, No. 15, August, 1851|Various

Dancey always had a hot Temper, and now and then plagues Bess; but she lets noe one know it but me. The Household of Sir Thomas More|Anne Manning
mega dragon slot kicker card pokershows grade level based on the word's complexity. dairyman [ dair-ee-muhn ]/ dr i mn / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dair-ee-muhn ]/ dr i mn /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun, plural dairymen.an owner or manager of a dairy. an employee in a dairy.

usage note for dairyman

Words nearby dairyman

How to use dairyman dairyman/ (drmn) / noun plural -mena man who works in a dairy or deals in dairy products Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question dairymanFirst recorded in 177585; dairy + -manSee -man.dairy factory, dairy farm, dairying, dairyland, dairymaid, dairyman, dairywoman, dais, daishiki, daisy, daisy bushDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
There are many environmental benefits to replacing oil with plant-based biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel. For one, since such fuels are derived from agricultural crops, they are inherently renewableand our own farmers typically produce them domestically, reducing our dependence on unstable foreign sources of oil. Additionally, ethanol and biodiesel emit less particulate pollution than traditional petroleum-based gasoline and diesel fuels. They also do not have much of a net contribution of greenhouse gases to the global climate change problem, since they only emit back to the environment the carbon dioxide that their source plants absorbed out of the atmosphere in the first place.

Biofuels Are Easy to Use, but Not Always Easy to Find

And unlike other forms of renewable energy (like hydrogen, solar or wind), biofuels are easy for people and businesses to transition to without special apparatus or a change in vehicle or home heating infrastructureyou can just fill your existing car, truck or home oil tank with it. Those looking to replace gasoline with ethanol in their car, however, must have a flex-fuel model that can run on either fuel. Otherwise, most regular diesel engines can handle biodiesel as readily as regular diesel.

Despite the upsides, however, experts point out that biofuels are far from a cure for our addiction to petroleum. A wholesale societal shift from gasoline to biofuels, given the number of gas-only cars already on the road and the lack of ethanol or biodiesel pumps at existing filling stations, would take some time.

Are There Enough Farms and Crops to Support a Switch to Biofuels?

Another major hurdle for widespread adoption of biofuels is the challenge of growing enough crops to meet demand, something skeptics say might well require converting just about all of the worlds remaining forests and open spaces over to agricultural land.

Replacing only five percent of the nations diesel consumption with biodiesel would require diverting approximately 60 percent of todays soy crops to biodiesel production, says Matthew Brown, an energy consultant and former energy program director at the National Conference of State Legislatures. Thats bad news for tofu lovers. Of course, soy is now much more likely to be grown as an industrial commodity than as an ingredient for tofu!

In addition, the intensive cultivation of crops for biofuels is done with the help of large amounts of pesticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers.

Does Producing Biofuels Use More Energy than They Can Generate?

Another dark cloud looming over biofuels is whether producing them actually requires more energy than they can generate. After factoring in the energy needed to grow crops and then convert them into biofuels, Cornell University researcher David Pimental concludes that the numbers just dont add up. His 2005 study found that producing ethanol from corn required 29 percent more energy than the end product itself is capable of generating. He found similarly troubling numbers in the process used to make biodiesel from soybeans. There is just no energy benefit to using plant biomass for liquid fuel, Pimentel says.

The numbers might look quite different, though, for biofuel derived from agriculture waste products which would otherwise end up in a landfill. Biodiesel has been manufactured from poultry processing waste, for example. Once fossil fuel prices rise back up, those types of waste-based fuels might present favorable economics and will likely be developed further.

Conservation is a Key Strategy for Reducing Dependence on Fossil Fuels

There is no one quick-fix for weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels and the future will likely see a combination of sources--from wind and ocean currents to hydrogen, solar and, yes, some use of biofuels--powering our energy needs. The elephant in the living room that is often ignored when considering energy options, however, is the hard reality that we must reduce our consumption, not just replace it with something else. Indeed, conservation is probably the largest single alternative fuel available to us.

Edited by Frederic Beaudry.
What Is a Licensing Fee?lottery fortune cookie

A licensing fee is a sum of money paid to another entity for a certain right. For example, individuals or companies may pay licensing fees to a government agency for the right to perform professional services or engage in a particular line of business. In other instances, individuals or businesses pay licensing fees for the right to use intellectual property that another party owns.

Key Takeaways

A licensing fee can refer to a government-imposed fee to work in a certain profession or operate a certain type of business.

A licensing fee can also refer to money paid to the owner of intellectual property (such as a song, an invention, or a brand name) for the right to use that property.

License fees are generally a fixed amount, while royalties are usage-based payments for using an asset or a property.

How Professional Licensing Fees Work

Many types of professions require licenses before a person can perform the work of that profession. These licenses are usually issued after the individual has passed a certification exam and/or completed a certain number of mandatory training hours.

Once someone has their license, they are a licensee. They may have to take additional exams and courses and pay additional fees in the future in order to maintain their licenses. Their licenses may also be revoked if they are found to have violated the law or their profession's code of ethics.

Such licenses are often issued by state governments, and individuals who want to do business in more than one state may have to obtain a license from each one. For example, life insurance agents are typically licensed in their home state, or the one where their business is based; they can obtain nonresident licenses to do business in other states through reciprocity arrangements with those states.

In addition to the states, the federal government also charges licensing fees to certain types of businesses. For example, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission charges commercial nuclear power plant operators licensing fees to support its work. The Federal Communications Commission imposes them on radio and television broadcasters. And the list goes on.

Pros and Cons of Professional Licensing Fees

Professional licensing exists largely to ensure that the people or companies practicing a certain trade or selling a particular product know what they're doing, as well as to give the public some assurance of that. It can also be a source of revenue for government agencies.

However, licensing fees, combined with the time and money required to get the training necessary to qualify for them, create barriers to entry in licensed occupations. Hairdressers, for example, must pay a licensing fee and obtain a cosmetology license to operate their business, which also serves to drive up the costs of their services.

How Other Licensing Fees Work

A licensing fee can also refer to a sum paid to use intellectual property of various kinds, such as a copyrighted work, like a photograph or a logo, that is owned by someone else.

For example, a T-shirt company that wants to sell shirts imprinted with a certain Major League Baseball team's logo would need to pay a licensing fee to get Major League Baseball's permission and possibly the permission of the team itself.

A television or movie company wanting to use a particular song in its soundtrack might have to pay for multiple licenses. According to ASCAP, which licenses more than 16 million songs and scores, the producer would need to obtain a "synchronization license" for "the right to synchronize a song or a piece of music with your visual image. It must be obtained from the copyright owner of the music, which is usually the publisher."

In addition, it would need to obtain a "master use license" for the "right to reproduce a specific recording of a song" from the relevant music label.

In one notably expensive example, the producers of "Mad Men" reportedly paid a total of $250,000 to license the Beatles song "Tomorrow Never Knows," so that the character Don Draper could listen to it in one scene.

Licensing Fee vs. Royalty

Royalties are ongoing, usage-based payments for the right to use an asset or a property. They are generally calculated as a percentage of gross revenue or net profit. Licensing fees, by contrast, are usually a fixed amount.

Some businesses pay both licensing fees and royalties. For example, a franchisee might pay the parent franchisor an initial license fee for the right to use the franchise's name and processes plus regular royalties based on sales. Those royalties often average between 5% and 9% annually, depending on the franchise.

What Is Intellectual Property?

As the World International Property Organization, a United Nations agency, defines it, intellectual property refers to "creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce." The legal ownership of intellectual property is protected by trademarks, copyrights, and patents.

Are Professional Licensing Fees Tax-Deductible?

Usually, yes. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), "Licenses and regulatory fees for your trade or business paid annually to state or local governments are generally deductible."

However, it adds, "Some licenses and fees may have to be amortized" over a period of 180 months. "For example," the IRS writes, "you must amortize the capitalized costs of acquiring (including issuing or renewing) a liquor license, a taxicab medallion or license, or a television or radio broadcasting license.

Is the Education Required for Licensing Tax-Deductible?

In some cases, yes, although you must already be working in that field.

As the IRS explains, "You must be able to show the education maintains or improves skills required in your trade or business, or that it is required by law or regulations, for keeping your license to practice, status, or job. For example, an attorney can deduct the cost of attending Continuing Legal Education (CLE) classes that are required by the state bar association to maintain his or her license to practice law."

However, the IRS adds, "Education expenses you incur to meet the minimum requirements of your present trade or business, or those that qualify you for a new trade or business, aren't deductible."

The Bottom Line

The term "licensing fee" has several meanings, depending on the context, but broadly speaking it refers to money paid to another entity in return for a certain right. For example, individuals or businesses must often pay licensing fees to a government agency in order to practice a certain profession or engage in a particular line of business. In another context, licensing fees can refer to money paid to the owner of copyrighted, trademarked, or patented intellectual property for the right to use that property.


Glyn Thomas chats to Tracy Damestani,lucky horseshoe poker chips Chief Executive of The National Casino Forum, Sarah Robinson, Head of Group Marketing at Caesars Entertainment, Kate Chambers, Managing Director at sponsors Clarion Gaming and Winner of the 2018 UK Dealer Championships, Slawomir Workun

Caesars croupier Slawomir Workun is setting his sights on a European title after being crowned the UK Dealer of the Year.

Slawomir, 34, saw off competition from 23 other finalists to claim the cash prize of 2,000, sponsored by gaming technology company, Novomatic. The victory was celebrated to great acclaim as it was a home win for competition hosts The Sportsman Casino, where he has worked as a dealer for the last ten years.

He will now represent the UK at the European Dealer Championships (EDC) in Montenegro in May, alongside Shaun Kelly, from Les Ambassadeurs, who finished as first runner-up and won a cash prize of 1,000. Will Gosnold, of the Hippodrome, finished as second runner-up and claimed a 500 cash prize.

Polish-born Slawomir, from Chessington, Surrey, said:

I feel relaxed ahead of Montenegro. I am looking at that as a holiday, probably go the day before and relax a little bit. I wont prepare too much. I am not going to spend two months repeating my times table because that would be silly. Im relaxed - we are going to go and crush the opposition!

I am confident. I am not a cocky person but I remember standing in the chipping up and on my training school I was always the slowest at chipping up, I was always slowest at pushing the chips. So I am standing there and I know I wont win it, and the guy after me was the winner. Watching him chip up was like watching a harvester, and then this girl looks at him and says: How can you be confident after watching that? I said I have always been the slowest one, but somehow I am always winning.

Worst case scenario is I come back from a few days in Montenegro with a nice tan and some lovely memories. The best thing for me is when you get to the top 5, anyone can win seeing the level of competition. I did not expect to win the UK Dealer title. If its my lucky day I will win it, and even if not, I still consider myself lucky. If I am relaxed I will play my best game.

The UK Dealer of the Year Championships, which is organised by The National Casino Forum, has become the pre-eminent national casino competition and attracted entrants from 12 companies, with competitors coming from all over the country.

Points were awarded to contestants for their technical skills, control of the game and hospitality, but the 20 judges prioritised excellent customer service, with the most points available in the hospitality category.

Slawomir said: I thought I would make the second stage, I hoped I would get to the third stage, and maybe make the top three, but I honestly did not expect to win it. I didnt think it would be me and it felt unbelievable when my name was called out as the winner.

Im not the best at anything, but Ive got a complete game. Ive got good customer service, Im good with maths, Im good with chips and card dealing. Its easy to find people who are the best at an individual skill, but its rare to find somebody with the complete game.

The day after winning the title Slawomir was promoted to inspector, but says he wants to carry on dealing: I love to deal. I dont like to stand and do nothing. Its like when you love driving a car. Even when you are in the passenger seat you are doing the pedals, I feel the same way watching people deal.

When I started people told me that the positive attitude I had would fade. Lots of the experienced people I met said that after five years it would vanish, but it has never gone away. I genuinely enjoy my work still and not that many people can say that.

I have always been tipped as a great dealer by other people, now my manager wants me to inspire people and act as more of a mentor figure. That is something I am more than happy to do.

I enjoy mentoring some of the junior croupiers. I always try to tell people to remember the basics. I was trained in London and I know the procedures and when you are under pressure and the game is busy, you can focus on the customer service because its second nature and your hands are already programmed.

Slawomir believes the role of a croupier has changed during his decade in the industry. Customer experience is now central to the job.

He said: Customers are looking for the experience. People who gamble on a weekly basis know the chances of them winning, what they want is the interaction and the experience. Sometimes on the table you are like a barman, they will tell you what is going wrong at home or with their business, and you have to be able to listen to them and police the game. People want interaction.

Nowadays is completely different, when I first started you couldnt shake hands with a customer but now people feel special and they come back because they know we appreciate their custom. The hospitality has changed so much in the last ten years. We have so much competition from online and its so easy to jump on your phone or your laptop. People are hit from every single angle, and the only reason to come here is the human aspect that they wont find anywhere else other than the casino.

Although he has worked for Caesars Entertainment UK for ten years, Slawomir revealed that his choice of career had come about by accident.

He laughed: I ended up in casinos as random luck! My friend was working as a bartender in the Golden Nugget casino in London and I went for the interview, got into the training school and that was it. Until that point, I had never been in a casino, Id only seen them in James Bond films!

Slawomir also won one of the side events held on the day, winning the maths prize. Other winners of the skills challenges were:

Card handler  Shradda Fernandes, Aspers

Chipping  Chris Stanworth, The Opera House

Chip cutting  Chris Stanworth, The Opera House

Stack pushing  Ivan Vrso, Caesars Entertainment and Francesco Di Marco, Crown London Aspinalls

Tracy Damestani, chief executive of The National Casino Forum, said:

I was delighted by the standard of the competition, which was extremely high. It was wonderful to see so many operators taking part and there was a great spirit and camaraderie throughout the day.

The 2018 Final was exceptionally competitive. The best croupiers command the casino floor, creating atmosphere and a sense of occasion, and Slawomir is a worthy winner.

She was pleased to see that seven of the 24 contestants were female and Verity Kaye, representing Park Lane Club, reached the final five. The National Casino Forum is promoting gender diversity throughout the industry, from the casino floor to the boardroom.

Sarah Robinson, Head of Group Marketing at Caesars Entertainment, said she would recommend hosting the event to any operator.

It was a privilege to host the competition and to be involved in an event that promotes the casino industry and our wonderful dealers. The whole industry comes together for this event and it is a great opportunity to showcase a venue to other operators. The team at the Sportsman Casino put on a great show and did a fantastic job looking after everybody.

It was relatively easy to host the event because the NCF set up a working group to help organise it and we were not left alone without support. The event was also an opportunity to promote the casino industry on a wider stage and we ran a Beat The Dealer competition on social media channels, encouraging the dealer community to show us their skills. Coincidentally, the competition winner, Hugo Smart, also works for Caesars so, together with Slawomirs UK Dealer award and being voted European Operator of the Year at the IGA Awards, it has been a hat-trick of victories for Caesars!

Kate Chambers, Managing Director at sponsors Clarion Gaming said:

The UK Dealer Championship (UKDC) is a prestigious event which champions the unique skills and talents that are required to work in a customer-facing role within a casino and we are delighted to support this competition. In addition, the UKDC provides an important shop window on what is a dynamic and exciting sector within the broadly-based entertainments and hospitality industry.

Slawomir and Shaun now turn their attentions beyond the UK, with the European Dealer Championship (EDC) running in Montenegro from 7-9 May 2018. Launched in 2007 by the European Casino Association (ECA), it is one of the premier events in the gaming calendar and last year brought together 33 participants from a record-breaking 20 European countries with 31 judges overseeing the competition. Antra Gaike, from Latvias Olympic Voodoo Casino, was crowned as Europes number one all-round performer, and Slawomir and Shaun will be striving to bring the trophy back to the UK.

Category: Casino BlogMagazine
Do you enjoying playing at the online casino?top 10 gambling games The rush of adrenaline, the excitement of the spin, the sounds of the slot and the chance of the big win? If so, then we bet youre curious about whats next when it comes to the latest online casino trends. Weve put together a list of the most important trends that promises to make your gambling experience even better. Read on and stay up to date with the newest online casinos trends!

Greater Emphasis on Mobile Gaming

Mobile gaming has gained great popularity in the last couple of years and its not hard to see why. After all, online casino players are looking for the most convenient way to play, and smartphones satisfy this need the best. Game providers and online casinos are constantly striving to improve the mobile experience for their players. Online casino websites are now highly optimized for mobile use, especially since there are more casino players using their mobiles to play than their PC. Its easy to see why mobile visitors have become a top priority for online casinos.

This is great news for the gambling industry, as more and more casinos optimize their website for mobile use and create distinct apps available both on Android and on iOS. There is a tendency in the online world to start with what its called a mobile-first approach. This means that the main design of the website is based on the mobile first and pc second.

Mobile access is a must for all online gambling operators and in the upcoming years were expecting to see mobility as the number 1 most decisive factor in evaluating how great a gambling website is.

A mastered Live Casino experience

Live casino tables are something that players would normally have fun with in a land-based casino. However, online casinos have begun offering live casino games as well, in real time, with the help of live video streaming. The live casino experience online is flawless with full HD resolution, zero lag, no waiting time, and easy access. Its easy to see why casino games with live dealers have become extremely popular in the last year. Whether were talking about more camera angles, a full HD resolution, or a flawless live streaming, everyone is improving the live casino experience so that the time spent live is as fluid as possible. These improvements are made to give the player the feeling that they are actually there in person rather than playing casino from the comfort of their home. Needless to say, its become a must for all casino operators to have as many live games as they can.

Top game developers such as NetEnt, EGT, or Playtech are all considering adding new live table games to their portfolio. Right now, you can play different versions of baccarat, poker, roulette, or blackjack. But we are expecting an even wider game selection in the upcoming year.

Cryptocurrencies and Easier Payment Methods

When it comes to cryptocurrencies, there are many great benefits that any casino player could consider: minimum fees, limited restriction and more freedom, as well as total anonymity. Besides the legendary Bitcoin, Monero, Bitcoin cash, Ethereum, and Litecoin there are many other cryptocurrencies that have gained popularity and value in the last years and that can be used when playing at an online casino. While many online casinos currently do not accept cryptocurrencies, we expect a large increase in the number of online casinos that will begin accepting this payment method in the foreseeable future. Online Casinos are always looking for ways to improve the customer experience, and having easy, hassle free payment and withdrawal methods, is a big step in the right direction.

Gamification

Gamification is all about using the elements of game dynamics and design in order to enhance engagement and interest. When it comes to casino games, gamification is used in order to offer players bonuses for all their gambling activities. So, no matter if you play one particular slot, many different slots or a whole range of different casino games, you will receive more bonuses and more chances to win across the whole spectrum.

Gamification is also about tournaments and special offers that offer cash giveaways and other big prizes. Collecting achievements is another side of the gamification technique that is on the rise these days. By downloading a casino app, by logging into your account or simply by playing for x number of hours per week, you can receive special rewards.

The benefits for Players are clear. Gamification offers you additional awards and improves your chances of winning. You can earn a variety of different benefit such as free spins, reward points and loyalty prizes.

From the perspective of the online casino operators, they are looking to have their players play for longer, become more loyal to the casino brand and have a better overall experience.

The updated casino online experience

Whether were talking about a flawless casino experience on your smartphone, more comfortable payment methods, new interactive online slots, a wider range of live games or types of bonuses, a few things are certain. The online casino industry is rapidly changing and providing customers with a more flawless and entertaining experience. Top casino online operators are no longer trying to simply convince their players to spend more and more money. They are offering an ever-improving online casino experience, with the latest in technology, the latest in payment and withdrawal methods, the latest in graphics, design and a focus on an individual tailor-made customer experience. Your casino experience is important, so play on the best online casinos that puts you, the player first, and focuses on your needs and wants.

Category: Casino BlogMagazine
What Is the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)?casino accept crypto verde casino

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is the agency responsible for enforcing federal laws regarding discrimination or harassment against a job applicant or an employee in the United States. The EEOC was formed by Congress to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, opening its door for business on July 2, 1965. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and as of 2021, it maintains 37 other field offices throughout the United States in 15 districts.

Key Takeaways

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigates charges brought against employers regarding discrimination against employees and job applicants.

It was created by Congress in 1964 to enforce Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Companies are subject to the law if they have 15 or more employees (20 or more employees for age discrimination cases).

The laws apply to all aspects of work, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EEOC has closed all of its physical field offices. However, you can still file a discrimination charge online or by phone at 1-800-669-4000.

How the EEOC Works

The EEOC enforces federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate because of a persons race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. In addition, it is against the law to discriminate against a person who complains about discrimination, has filed a charge of discrimination, or has participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit. (In fact, 55.8% of charges filed with the EEOC in the 2020 fiscal year were for retaliation.) Indeed, business ethics have changed considerably since the turbulent 1960s first roiled their relatively placid waters.

On June 15, 2020, in a 6-to-3 ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, the U.S. Supreme Court determined that protections against discrimination by sex in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act protect LGBTQ workers. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, who wrote the opinion, stated: Today, we must decide whether an employer can fire someone simply for being homosexual or transgender. The answer is clear. An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids.

The EEOCs Authority and Role

The EEOC is vested with the authority to investigate any charges of discrimination brought against employers, who are generally subject to EEOC laws if they have at least 15 employees (in the case of age discrimination, that minimum rises to 20). Many labor unions and employment agencies fall under its jurisdiction as well.

The EEOCs role is to fairly and accurately assess allegations in the charge and then make a finding. If it finds discrimination has occurred, then it will try to settle the charge. It also has the authority to file a lawsuit to protect individuals and the interests of the public.

The laws enforced by the EEOC apply to all types of work situations, processes, and functions. This includes the hiring and firing of employees, harassment among the staff or management, job training, promotions, wages, and benefits. Another role of the EEOC is to seek to prevent discrimination before it can occur.

How Does the EEOC Prevent Discrimination?

The EEOC works on preventing workplace discrimination through outreach and a variety of educational and technical assistance programs.

EEOC representatives make no-cost presentations (on a limited basis) to professional associations, conferences, employer groups, and nonprofits, explaining the mission of the EEOC, the laws it enforces, and how the charge/complaint process works.

Field offices have designated small business liaisons to assist small businesses with their questions.

The EEOC also provides targeted information and resources for veterans with disabilities.

Youth@Work is an EEOC program designed to educate young workers about their workplace rights, including informing them about real cases involving teen workers and how to file a complaint.

The EEOC also offers more in-depth training to employers for a fee through its EEOC Training Institute.

Employers are liable for both their own behavior and that of their staff members, even including independent contractors.

What to Do If You Feel Youve Been Discriminated Against at Work

If you believe youve been discriminated against at work because of your race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information, then you can file a charge of discrimination with the EEOC. This is a signed statement, describing how an employer, union, or labor organization engaged in employment discrimination, that asks the EEOC to take remedial action. All of the laws enforced by the EEOC, except for the Equal Pay Act, require you to file a charge of discrimination before you can file a job discrimination lawsuit against your employer.

There are time limits of either 180 or 300 calendar days, depending on certain circumstances. You can file a charge through the EEOC Public Portal after you submit an online inquiry and have an intake interview with an EEOC staff member.

Examples of EEOC Jurisdiction

The EEOC may specifically investigate not only employers for violations but also members of their staff accused of engaging in harassment or discrimination. For example, if a manager refuses to interview or hire qualified job candidates solely because of their ethnicity or race, then the employer can be held accountable for allowing racist behavior to persist. This also can be applied to employers who permit harassment to continue unchecked. And although the EEOC itself says that independent contractors are not subject to anti-discrimination laws, in 2009, the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Halpert v. Manhattan Apartmentsthat companies can be held liable for independent contractors who act on their behalf.

The EEOC has filed lawsuits against companies where corrective action was not taken after derogatory slurs, threats, assaults, unwanted sexual comments, or inappropriate touching occurred in the workplace. Companies also can be penalized for not warning employees about past misconduct committed by another employee or manager with whom they are directed to work.

EEOC lawsuits might seek monetary damages, including punitive and compensatory damages and injunctive relief. In fiscal year 2020, the EEOC received 67,448 charges of workplace discrimination, with 38% of claims being allegations of discrimination based on race or color. Charges for sex-based harassment, which includes charges for sexual harassment, clocked in at 11,497, down by nearly 1,300 from 2019.

The EEOC is open to attempts to settle cases before the issue is investigated and possibly taken to trial. It offers a mediation procedure, an informal process in which two parties can work with a neutral mediator to see if they can reach a reconciliation of their differences. The mediator doesnt ultimately make a determination, however, serving only to help the two parties reach a settlement on their own. If mediation fails, then the EEOC proceeds to formally investigate the complaint.
'Fox & Friends Weekend' celebrates Halloween with snacks and treats

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Lifestyle expert Carey Reilly shows off Halloween themed snacks and cocktails, and tips for Halloween parties on 'Fox & Friends.

Candy may be an essential part of part of Halloween, but it doesn't appear that it's always been that way.

In fact, when American children first started trick-or-treating in the 1930s and 1940s kids received "everything from homemade cookies and pieces of cake to fruit, nuts, coins and toys," according to History.com.

People starting adding candy to their trick-or-treat traditions in the 1950s as candy companies marketed products for Halloween and by the 1970s, candy became the "only acceptable thing to hand out," because parents were worried about homemade treats, according to the website.

HALLOWEEN BY THE NUMBERS: FUN FACTS ABOUT THE SPOOKY DAY

In honor of Halloween 2022 and trick-or-treating, check out which candy was released the decade you were born.

Candy became an essential part of trick-or-treating in the 1970s. (iStock)

1940s

Mars released M&M's in 1941, according to History.com and Bazooka bubble gum was introduced in 1947, according to Bazooka Candy Brands.

Hershey reports it created Almond Joy in 1948 and the company that made Smarties first opened in 1949, according to smarties.com.

M&M's were first released in 1941 by candy company, Mars. (iStock)

1950s

Hot Tamales, the popular cinnamon-flavored candies, were introduced in 1950, according to Just Born Quality Confections, the Pennsylvania-based company which created Hot Tamales.

Pixy Stix, the powdered candy packaged in a straw, were also sold in the 50s, according to NPR.

NATIONAL JUNK FOOD DAY 2022: SEE WHICH SNACK CAME OUT THE DECADE YOU WERE BORN

1960s

Starburst, which was originally called Opal Fruits, was released in the U.K. in 1960 and came to the U.S. in 1967, according to Delish.

Haribo Goldbears gummy bears were also released in 1960, according to Haribo. In 1962, Lemonheads were released, according toFerrara Candy Company.

1970s

Skittles were first produced in the U.K. in 1974, according to a Penn State blog on the history of candy.

Pop Rocks werent invented and released as they are today the 70s, Though a similar form of Carbonated Candy was invented in 1956, according to the Pop Rocks' website.

Pop Rocks, a candy that pops on top of your tongue, were released in the 70s. (iStock)

Reeses Pieces were also invented and released in the same decade, according to hersheyarchives.org.

HALLOWEEN QUIZ! HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW THESE SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT THE SPOOKY HOLIDAY?

1980s

Nerds were invented in 1983, according to Eater.

Sour Patch Kids were introduced in 1985, according to Mondelez International, Inc.  the brand which owns the candy.

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1990s

In the 1990s, Hersheys Cookies N Creme bars first hit store shelves in 1994, according to hersheyland.com.

2000s

Candy company Goelitz  which became Jelly Belly Candy Company in 2001  released Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans in 2000, inspired by the "Harry Potter" franchise, according to jellybelly.com.

Ann W. Schmidt is an Associate on Fox Business' Strategic Initiatives team.
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Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, one of the companies behind the project for the construction of a $3-billion integrated resort at Queens Wharf in Brisbane, said that although the anti-corruption campaign in Mainland China damaged an important economic momentum, there is still a chance for the developers to draw high rollers to the gambling venue.

Chow Tai Fook has partnered with Australian gambling operator Echo Entertainment and Hong Kong-based real estate developer Far East Consortium to build the expensive complex. It is expected to open doors in 2022.

Patrick Tsang, Chief Executive Officer of Chow Tai Fook, told media that the corruption crackdown launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping and the general economic slowdown in Mainland China has imminently affected his companys operations. Apart from its involvement in the real estate development business, the Hong Kong conglomerate is also a renown jewelry manufacturer, manager of retail facilities across the Asia-Pasific region, etc.

Both Chow Tai Fook and Far East will hold a 25% stake in the Queens Wharf luxury hotel and casino complex. What is more, the two companies will be in charge of the development of retail spaces, hotels, and residential properties.

Echo Entertainment has formerly said that both its partners will receive certain fees for each VIP customer they have brought to the complex. Investment banking company UBS estimated that the Queens Wharf casino could see up to $22 billion being annually wageredin VIP rooms by 2023.

Mr. Tsang said that due to the wide variety of activities it is involved in, Chow Tai Fook is in touch with a very diverse groupof Chinese customers, a segment that is likely to find the new integrated resort and its casino particularly attractive. The executive also pointed out that an international hotel and casino complex of this class would most definitely lure them.

The Brisbane integrated resort is expected to include around 2,000 apartments. Interested parties raised questions whether the inner citys housing sector may eventually get overbuilt in the years to come. A multi-million-dollar investment in inner-city sites is expected to generate more than 5,300 new apartments within the next 10 years.

When asked about his opinion, Mr. Tsang explained that his company has a long-term vision for the Queens Wharf development and is not going after the fast money. This is why he and his colleagues are not concerned about volatilityin the citys hosing market as well as that of Queensland as a whole.
Depending on where you live in the world, a thunderstorm that happens while you are sleeping can turn a hot, dusty week into a dewy morning paradise that smells like fresh, wet earth.

Such thunderstorms could be said to happen overnight. People can also change their minds overnight, and something that lasts all through the night into the next day is also an overnight affair.

Are there ever any situations where you should separate this compound word into its individual constituents? Continue reading to find out.

What is Difference Between Overnight and Over Night?

In this article, I will compare over night vs. overnight. I will use each of variation in at least one example sentence, so you can see it in context.

Plus, I will show you a helpful memory tool that will make choosing over night or overnight much easier.

When to Use Overnight

What does overnight mean? Overnight can be many parts of speech, including an adjective, an adverb, or a verb.

As an adjective, overnightmeans happening by the next day, like in the examples below:

The overnight thunder showers left puddles on the sidewalks, but the sun is already shining this morning.

The pitchers overnight transition from mediocrity to stardom was too good to last.

As an adverb, overnight means much the same thing, but it describes a verb instead of a noun.

For example,

Wendys change from gawky middle schooler to teenage prom queen seemed to happen overnight.

The electorate changed their minds overnight, and the heavy favorite lost in a stunning upset.

It really only has two main meanings as a verb: sometimes, it means to ship something fast enough that it arrives the next day, and other times it means to sleep somewhere.

A parts supplier might overnight a crucial part to a client so that it arrives as soon as possible. Backpackers might also overnight in a campground on their way to a more remote location.

For example,

Im sorry I forgot to ship your package; I will overnight it to you so that it still gets there by the delivery date.

We will overnight in the River Falls State Natural Area before continuing on our way to Lost Lake.

When to Use Over Night

Over night is never a substitute for overnight.

It is occasionally used, though, to demonstrate a preference for night over something else, like day. Someone might say I prefer day over night, for instance.

Of course, in this example, over and night just happen to be next to each other. They dont relate in anyway to overnight.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Now, lets go over a trick to remember overnight vs. over night.

Overnight and overboard should both be spelled as a single word.

So you never have to worry about going overboard with overnightthere is exactly one situation where over night is correct, and everywhere else, overnight is the better choice. So go overboard!

Summary

Is it overnight or over night? Overnight can be an adjective or an adverb. Either way, it refers to something that happens in the span of time between one day and the next day.

In summary,

Overnightis one word.

You should not use over night.

Unless you are telling someone how much you like night, use overnight.
platinum play online casino downloadshows grade level based on the word's complexity. decisive [ dih-sahy-siv ]/ dsa sv / New Word List Save This Word!See decisiveFirst recorded in 160515; from Medieval Latin decisivus, equivalent to Latin decis(us) (see decision) + -ivus adjective suffix (see -ive) OTHER WORDS FROM decisive decisively, adverbdecisiveness, nounnondecisive, adjectivepredecisive, adjective Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dih-sahy-siv ]/ dsa sv /Save This Word!See decisiveFirst recorded in 160515; from Medieval Latin decisivus, equivalent to Latin decis(us) (see decision) + -ivus adjective suffix (see -ive)decisively, adverbdecisiveness, nounnondecisive, adjectivepredecisive, adjective

Words nearby decisive

Words related to decisive decisive/ (dsasv) / adjectiveinfluential; conclusivea decisive argumentcharacterized by the ability to make decisions, esp quickly; resolute Derived forms of decisive decisively, adverbdecisiveness, noun Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

decision procedure, decision support system, decision table, decision theory, decision tree, decisive, decisively, decisiveness, Decius, deck, deck-accessDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What Is Garage Liability Insurance?palms of las vegas

Garage liability insurance is specialty insurance targeted to the automotive industry. Automobile dealerships, parking lots or parking garages operators, tow-truck operators, service stations, and customization and repair shops will add garage liability insurance to their business liability coverage. The policy protects property damage and bodily injury resulting from operations.

This insurance is not the same thing as garage-keepers coverage.

How Garage Liability Insurance Works

Garage liability insurance is a type of umbrella policy that provides coverage for the day-to-day operations of the businesses in the automotive industry. This insurance will add a layer of protection to the business' general liability policy. Coverage includes bodily injury and property damage from direct garage operations, not covered under most commercial or business liability insurance.

Before buying a policy, the business owner should verify that the garage liability coverage will add to, and not merely replace, their basic business liability coverage.

Coverage will include injuries to customers while on the business grounds up to the chosen limits of the policy. Also, most garage insurance will consist of an employee dishonesty provision for theft or vandalism done by an employee of a customer's car. For an added premium, any autos used in the conducting of business, such as courtesy vans and parts delivery trucks, may be added. Additional protections can include damages from parts or products sold by the company and coverage for loss from faulty parts installed on a client's vehicle.

Garage liability insurance will not cover the tools, building, personal, or business property of the policyholder. It does not provide coverage for vandalism, stolen vehicles, or damage from events such as hail. The policy does not cover accidents or damage to the customer's cars on-site for service. Also, all policy basic and additional items will have a listed maximum liability coverage amount and may have aggregate limits by claim or by year.

Commercial general liability (CGL) insurance policies have varying levels of coverage. This insurance may include coverage for the premises, which protects the business from claims on location during regular business operations. It may also include coverage for bodily injury and property damage resulting from finished products.

Garage Liability Is Not Garage-Keeper Coverage

Garage-keepers insurance is a separate policy that covers the property damage to a client's car while it is in the care of the policyholder. This can include damage during road test drives and while storing the vehicle during non-working hours. The keeper's insurance will cover vandalism and theft of a customer's car. Businesses with multiple locations require policies for each site.

Other Business Insurance Products

Businesses may purchase coverage for other business risks as well.
What Is a Level III Quote?chargers offensive line 2021

A level III quote is pricing information about a security provided by a trading service. It includes the real-time bid price, ask price, quote size, price of the last trade, size of the last trade, high price for the day, and the low price for the day. Level III gives institutions the ability to enter quotes, execute orders, and send information. Because the level III service offers a high level of market depth, it is restricted to registered Nasdaq market makers.

Key Takeaways

A level III quote is pricing information about a security provided by a trading service.

A level III quote includes the real-time bid price, ask price, quote size, price of the last trade, size of the last trade, high price for the day, and the low price for the day.

Level III gives institutions the ability to enter quotes, execute orders, and send information.

Because level III offers a high level of market depth, it is restricted to registered Nasdaq market makers.

Understanding Level III Quotes

A level III quote allows a person to enter into best execution trades as prices are being updated in real-time. All publicly traded equities have a bid price and an ask price when they are bought and sold. The bid is the highest price an investor is willing to purchase a stock. The ask (offer) is the lowest price at which an investor is willing to sell a stock.

Each time a bid price or ask price is disseminated it is considered a quote. The U.S. stock market has three tiers of quotes: level I, level II, and level III. Looking at these quotes allows an investor to see how a specific stock is performing over time, as well as where the market action is consolidating.

Level I quotesprovide basic price data for a security, including the best bid and ask price + size on each side.

Level II quotes provide more information than level I quotes by adding market depth. Level II typically shows up to the 5-10 best bid and offer prices.

Level III quotes add greater market depth by providing up to 20 of the best bid and ask prices. Users, primarily brokers and market makers, can also input data directly.

Quote Levels

All three levels of quotes build on top of each other. Level I quotes provide investors with the highest bid and the lowest ask prices for an individual stock. This will also represent the most recent data for the particular security based on the order book in an exchange. These types of quotes are the most common and are what individual investors see when they request information from their financial services company.

Level II quotes indicate the same bid and ask information but also show the bid and ask prices for each market maker. This allows investors to identify the market maker with the lowest bid/ask spread, which is important for larger investors who conduct high volume and high-frequency trades (HFT).

Level III quotes provide all the information and services of level I and level II quotes as well as granting an investor the ability to enter or change quotes, execute orders, and send out confirmations of trades. These types of quotes are reserved for registered brokers and financial institutions. Market makers, for example, participate in level III quotes, which allows them to execute customer orders.

Level III and Reserve and Hidden Orders

Many electronic communication networks (ECNs), which are the automated systems that match buy and sell orders for securities, offer the ability for traders to post reserve orders and hidden orders. ECNs generally display the best available bid and ask quotes from multiple market participants, and they also automatically match and execute orders.

A reserve order option is composed of a price and display size along with the actual size. This order only shows the specific display size on Level III as it hides the true size of the entire order. Hidden orders, which give investors the option to hide large orders from the market on the ECN, function in a similar way but are often invisible on level III. This allows for more discretion in determining prices.

The best way for users to determine the status of the reserve or hidden orders is to check the time and sales for trades at the indicated prices.

How Quote Levels Are Used

All brokerages and financial institutions have best execution requirements on behalf of their customers. This means that they are required to provide their customers with the best stock price currently available. If a private investor, for example, wants to invest in Apple stock, they would see the level I bid and ask prices listed on their broker's online trading portal.

When the customer initiates an order to purchase the stock, the broker uses level III quotes to give that investor the best possible price. So the deeper information contained in level III quotes is used to the benefit of the investor, even though they are only seeing level I quotes.
Gambling operator Paddy Power Betfair announced that it has chosen provider of payment services Worldpay as its preferred payments partner. Under the terms of their agreement, the latter company will provide online customers of the gambling business with secure payment processing options.

Worldpay said that given the fact that it works with more than 150 international customers and has gained quite a lot of experience in the online gambling industry over the past years, it will also be able to offer the gambling operator insights into the world of payment services, as well as much-needed knowledge and expertize. Thus, the online payment solutions business believes that it would contribute to the further development and growth of the recently merged major gambling operator and would improve the processing services it offers its gambling clients.

Commenting on their choice of payments partner, Paddy Power Betfair Director of Customer Payments and Fraud Ciaran Scallan said that it is extremely important for their players to be able to manage their funds efficiently and reliably.Mr. Scallan further noted that the upcoming end of the football season and the European Championships to take place this summer will bring fantastic growth to his company. The official also said that it is vital for them to have a trusted and experienced partner and advisor to their online payments infrastructure. Mr. Scallan concluded by noting that they are all looking forward to grow their relationship with Worldpay in the months to come.

Peter Wickes, Vice President of Business Development for Gambling, Global eCommerce at Worldpay, said that his company processes more online gambling transactions than any other such providerin Europe and it prides on the expertize it has gained over the years.

Mr. Wickes pointed out that their ability to process payments at such a great volumeis something that gambling operators really praise. According to the official, they will be able to help Paddy Power Betfair secure its position as a leader in the online betting and gaming industry through deep data analytics among other things.

Paddy Power and Betfair finalized their merger early in February to create Paddy Power Betfair, one of the worlds biggest gambling companies.
The field of medicine is multifaceted, and its subject matter is often so complex as to defy easy understanding. The many branches of medicine also have elaborate-sounding names and adjectives, like geriatric oncology, pediatrics, and orthopedics.

As you can see, these words are long, jargon-y, and difficult to spell. It is no wonder that some writers arent sure of the difference between orthopedics and orthopaedics, or what these words even mean in the first place.

Once you look them up in a dictionary and find out what they mean, should you useorthopedic or orthopaedic? The answer depends on your audience.

What is the Difference Between Orthopedic and Orthopaedic?

In this article, I will compareorthopedicvs. orthopaedic. I will use each of these spellings in an example sentence, so you can see them in context.

Plus, I will show you a memory tool that will help you choose between these difficult and confusing words.

When to Use Orthopedic

What does orthopedic mean? Orthopedic is the adjective form of orthopedics. Orthopedics is a noun that refers to a branch of medicine dealing with the musculoskeletal system.

Typically, the physician that practices in this field is an orthopedic surgeon.

Here are a few examples,

When Edward injured his back, he suddenly became very interested in orthopedics.

Deann visited an orthopedic surgeon to repair the damage to her joints.

Marc was thankful that his health insurance plan covered visits to the orthopedic surgeon.

When Boothman arrived at the University of Michigan in 2001  after two decades defending doctors, including an orthopedic surgeon who had been sued 21 times  he decided to try a similar approach. The Washington Post

Orthopedics is the standard spelling of the word in American English.

When to Use Orthopaedic

What does orthopaedic mean? Orthopaedic is a different version of the same word. It has all the same meanings and applies to all the same contexts, except it is standard in British English.

For example,

Closer inspection strongly suggests that the shoe might have orthopaedic uses, although the fashion police are still investigating the matter. The Guardian

The below graph charts the use of orthopaedic vs. orthopedic in British English books since 1800.

As you can see, orthopaedic has long been the preferred spelling in British English. However, the American version seems to be gaining ground in recent years, but orthopaedic is still the preferred spelling in American spelling.

Here is a similar graph that only pulls from American English books,

It is important to note that these charts are not exhaustive in their scope, since they only draw data from published books written in English since 1800. They dont pull from magazines or other print sources.

In this specific instance, we dont much care about spoken English, since the difference between these words comes down to spelling. Still, the caveat is worth noting.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Should you use orthopaedicor orthopedic? Making the choice is easy.

For British English audiences, choose

For American English audiences, choose orthopedic.

The extra A in orthopaedics is your clue as to its usage: that letter is also in Anglican, an adjective describing a type of church typically found in England.

Summary

Is it orthopedic or orthpaedic? Orthopedic and orthopaedic and each describe a branch of surgery dealing with repairs to the musculoskeletal system.

Orthopaedic is the standard British English spelling.

Orthopedicis standard in American English spelling.

Since orthopaedics is British and shares an Awith Anglican, a type of British church, you will always find it easy to remember when to use this version of the word.

In summary,
What Is a Load Fund?probet bet cryptocurrency tools

A load fund is a mutual fund that comes with a sales charge or commission. The fund investor pays the load, which goes to compensate a sales intermediary, such as a broker, financial planner, or investment advisor, for his time and expertise in selecting an appropriate fund for the investor. The load is either paid upfront at the time of purchase (front-end load), when the shares are sold (back-end load), or as long as the fund is held by the investor (level-load). Load funds may be contrasted with no-load funds, which do not carry a sales charge.

Key Takeaways

A load fund entails mutual fund shares that carry a sales commission paid by the fund purchaser.

Loads may be paid at time of purchase (front-load) or at time of sale (back-load), and are often paid to a broker or agent who sold the fund.

The way the load will be paid will vary depending on the mutual fund share class involved.

Understanding Load Funds

If a fund limits its level load to no more than 0.25% (the maximum is 1%) it can call itself a "no-load" fund in its marketing literature. Front-end and back-end loads are not part of a mutual fund's operating expenses and are typically paid out to the selling broker and the broker-dealer as a commission. However, level-loads, called 12b-1 fees, are included as operating expenses. Funds that do not charge a load are called no-load funds, which are typically sold directly by the mutual fund company or through their partners.

Investors may automatically assume no-load funds are the better choice over load funds, but that may not be the case. Fees on load funds go to pay the investor or fund manager who does research and makes investment decisions on the client's behalf. These experts can sort through mutual funds and help investors make smart investment decisions they may not have the skill or knowledge to make on their own. Paying upfront fees can also eliminate the need to sap investment returns by paying continual expense fees on the returns the fund achieves.

The main disadvantage, of course, is the load itself. No-load mutual funds now exist as options that carry no sales charge.

In the 1970s, mutual fund companies came under criticism for the high front-end sales loads they charged along with excessive fees and other hidden charges. As a result, they introduced multiple share classes giving investors several options for paying sales charges.
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If you're in search of a fall dinner idea, try this spiced pumpkin and chorizo chili-soup hybrid from Kyrie Luke, founder of Healthfully Rooted Home.

The dish includes pumpkin puree, smoked paprika, cumin, harissa paste and more.

To finish, it's topped off with an apple, maple syrup and chorizo garnish.

TAILGATING IDEAS: 4 DELICIOUS, BIG-BATCH BREAKFAST RECIPES FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY

"Fall flavors are my favorite. If I could have the smokey, warm tastes of fall all year long, I would! I created this recipe out of a need to use up some pumpkin puree sitting in my pantry and a desire for a fun and filling soup that was also healthy," Luke tells Fox News Digital.

This spiced pumpkin and chorizo chili-soup hybrid from Healthfully Rooted Home founder Kyrie Luke is a cozy dish to serve on a chilly fall day. (Kyrie Luke of Healthfully Rooted Home)

"This spiced pumpkin and chorizo chili is the perfect fall dish because it has the smoky flavors of smoked paprika, chili powder, and cumin as well as harvest favorites like apples and pumpkin," Luke adds. "It's warm and cozy for those crisp fall days."

SPLIT PEA SOUP RECIPE IS SAVORY, SMOKY PERFECTION

Lukes recipe makes six servings, so you may have some leftovers.

"To reheat, simply scoop some into a saucepan and heat on medium-low on the stove, crisp up the chorizo and apples in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Then serve just like you did on day one," she says, adding that she loves serving this dish with her roasted garlic sourdough bread.

SWEET TEA CHICKEN RECIPE FOR DINNER: TENDER AND JUICY

Healthfully Rooted Home Spiced Pumpkin and Chorizo Chili

Makes 6 servings

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

INGREDIENTS

For base:

1 tbsp ghee

1 diced sweet onion

4 minced garlic cloves

4 tsp harissa (or chile) paste

4 cups pumpkin puree

4 cups bone broth

1.5 cups shredded cheddar, we use raw cheddar

1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut cream

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp cumin

salt and pepper to taste

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For topping:

1 large Honeycrisp apple

1 tbs maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 lb chorizo or plant-based chorizo

.5 cup shredded cheese

1 loaf sourdough bread on the side, optional

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Kyrie Luke's soup-chili recipe calls for 4 cups of pumpkin puree, among other ingredients. (iStock)

INSTRUCTIONS

Base

1. Dice your onion and apple and shred your cheese.

2. In a Dutch oven or large stock pot, preheat some ghee over medium heat and then add your onion. Saute the onion until it has softened and started to become translucent. This step should take about 3-5 minutes.

3. Toss your harissa (or chili) paste in with the onions and stir it up. Let these flavors blend together for about 1-2 minutes.

4. Stir in your pumpkin puree and bone broth until it's all combined.

5. Toss in your chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper then stir until combined.

6. Let the chili simmer for about 5-10 minutes over low-medium heat. The flavors will marinade together, and it'll start to smell like fall in your house.

7. Either use an immersion blender or transfer the chili to a stand blender and puree to desired consistency. This step is optional, so you can omit as you see fit.

8. Add cream and cheese, stir into the chili and let simmer while you make the chorizo and apples.

Spiced pumpkin and chorizo chili can be served for lunch or as a new dinner idea. (Kyrie Luke of Healthfully Rooted Home)

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Topping

1. Preheat a cast iron skillet and then some ghee over high heat. Toss in apples, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Toss the apples until caramelized. Remove the apples onto a plate, but keep the sauce in the pan.

2. Make the crispy chorizo component by adding your chorizo directly into the pan with the glaze from the apples. Cook until crispy and then set aside on a plate.

3. Serve the soup with some glazed apples, crispy chorizo, and some cheese on top, along with bread, if desired.

Note: If you can't handle spice (or serving to children) omit the harissa (or chili) paste, or decrease by half to tone down the spice.

This recipe was created by Kyrie Luke, founder of healthfullyrootedhome.com, and shared with Fox News Digital.

Perri Ormont Blumberg is a contributing lifestyle reporter for Fox News Digital.
On this version of Hot off the Wire:

 President Joe Biden says hes dispatching two of his top aides to Detroit to help resolve the strike by unionized autoworkers. Biden expressed sympathy Friday for the union by suggesting the Big 3 automakers should share their record profits.

 A jury has acquitted three men in the last trial connected to a plan to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The three men were the last of 14 to face charges in state or federal court. Nine others were convicted.

 Renowned Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, whose depictions of people and objects in plump, exaggerated forms became emblems of Colombian art around the world, has died. He was 91.

 From Europe to Africa to southeast Asia, tens of thousands of climate activists around the world launched protests Friday to call for an end to the burning of planet-warming fossil fuels as Earth suffers from dramatic weather extremes.

 For a generation and more, Starbucks' throwaway cup has been a cornerstone of consumer society, first in the United States and then globally. Now, in the name of the environment and sustainability, the company's disposable cup may be on its way to extinction thanks to an unlikely force: Starbucks itself.

 European regulators have slapped TikTok with a $368 million fine for failing to protect children's privacy. It's the first time that the popular short video-sharing app has been punished for breaching Europes strict data privacy rules.

 Contract talks that could end Hollywoods writers strike are set to resume next week. The alliance that represents studios, streaming services and production companies said in a statement Thursday that they had reached out to leaders of the writers union, and the two sides agreed to resume negotiations next week.

 On Friday, Sean Diddy Combs released his new album called The Love Album - Off the Grid. His fifth studio project features nearly 30 guests. Its his first solo studio project since his 2006 chart-topping Press Play.
Provider of online casino content for both desktop and mobile Yggdrasil Gaming announced today that its full suite of slot titleswill be added to Malta-based gambling operator Interwettens current product offering.

Gambling customers from a number of major European jurisdictions will now be able to play Yggdrasil Gamings popular video slots at Interwettens online casino. Under the terms of the newly signed deal, the gambling operator will also be given the chance to take advantage of the suppliers Infinite API and BOOST promotional tools, which are aimed at helping B2B clients boost retention and CRM offering.

Monkey King, Vikings Go Wild, Seasons, Nirvana, the Joker Millions progressive jackpot, as well as the recently launched football-themed Bicicleta slot will be among the titles launched on the Interwetten online casino website.

Commenting on the latest content distribution deal his company has signed, Yggdrasil Gaming CEO Fredrik Elmqvist said in a statement that it is fantastic to be partnering with Interwetten, with the company being among the most highly respected and experienced online gambling operators in Europe.

Yggdrasil Gaming scooped the Slot Provider of the Year award at the recently held 2016 eGR B2B Awards ceremony. Of the latest major recognition, Mr. Elmqvist said that it is great to be honoredfor the hard work and that they will remain focused on providing their existing and future partners with the best quality product.

Werner Becher, Speaker of Interwettens Board, commented that the company has always been striving to improve its casino offering and that the addition of Yggdrasil Gaming content would most definitely be welcomedby gambling customers.

Mr. Becher further noted that it is a great pleasure to be joining forces with a reputable provider of innovative video slots, one that shares their company values for online casino players to be provided with the best possible experience.

Yggdrasil Gaming is owned by Swedish gambling company Cherry AB. During the first quarter of the year, the provider of online casino content generated revenue of SEK14.2 million, up the impressive 519% year-on-year. EBITDA was up from a negative of SEK0.4 million to SEK7.9 million.

During the reviewed period, the companys content went live in the UK with 6 gambling operators. It also launched three new titles  Seasons, Golden Fish Tank, and Incinerator. Among other things, Yggdrasil Gaming penned a supply deal with major gambling operator bet365.
Australian casino operator Crown Resorts may become a defendant in a class action from shareholders as a result from a significant share slideover the past several months. Australian plaintiff law firm Maurice Blackburn Lawyers has, as of today, started accepting registrations from investors that want to take part in the lawsuit.

It has become known that the decision for a class action arose from the detention of Crown Resorts staff in China. Late last year, 18 employees of the major casino operator were arrested in the East Asian country for allegedly promoting gambling services in an illegal manner.

Only one of the detained staff members was later on released on bail. It has been revealed that Jason OConnor, Crown Resorts Vice President of international VIP operations, was also among those arrested.

The massive arrest brought more trouble to the gambling operator as shares dropped 14% overnight after news from China surfaced. The already anxious shareholders were further spooked as the story unfolded and more light was shed on the seriousness of the matter. The continued share slide resulted in Crown Resorts losing more than A$1 billion from its value within a very short period of time.

Listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, Crown Resorts market cap currently stands at A$8.12 billion.

According to Julian Schimmel, a Principal in Maurice Blackburn Lawyers class actions department, Crown Resorts should have informed investors about its activities in China as well as about the risks it was taking by trying to promote its casino resort servicesto potential local customers.

VIP players from Mainland China have always been among the Australian operators most precious customers due to their tendency to spend big. This is why, in Mr. Schimmels view, shareholders should have been well-aware of the risk of VIP revenue drop in case of unfavorable turn of events. He further noted that following the arrests, Crown Resorts has tried to downplay their significance of the matter by arguing that China accounted for a relatively small portion of the groups overall revenue.

It has been announced that International Litigation Funding Partners will back financially the class action. It will likely attract both existing and former Crown Resorts investors.

Following the gambling operators tumultuous year, it became clear last month that James Packer, its largest shareholder, would resume his seat at the companys board. The Australian business magnate owns 48% in Crown Resorts. His return to the board marked the resignation of the operators Chairman Robert Rankin and the appointment of John Alexander as his successor.
Will readers ever get enough of the debauched, smoke-filled nightclubs of wartime Europe?

But then the courtiers and her son Edward, the new King Edward VIII (himself a notoriously debauched figure), began cleaning up.

When Druz visited Crimea before, he said, he felt disturbed by the debauched atmosphere.

Triple spacing and two-inch margins could no longer save you from the effects of a debauched evening spent drinking on Franklin Street when you should have been in the library reading "Aurora Lee" instead.

He and McAvoy embark on debauched trip to Germany which unfolds manically to the soundtrack of 99 Red Balloons. The Movie Filth Is Fun!|Nico Hines|October 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST

But she hits the mark more than she misses, e.g., a debauched rock star is described as looking like a Pierrot gone bad. J.K. Rowlings Hardboiled Hoax|Malcolm Jones|July 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Although thoroughly debauched, Cerizet married Olympe Cardinal about 1840. Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe

If the immigrant is neither debauched nor misled, but votes his opinions, is he then an element of strength to us? The Old World in the New|Edward Alsworth Ross

He procured lettres de cachet from the King, and shut up his disobedient and debauched son in various state-prisons. Beacon Lights of History, Volume IX|John Lord

Arturius means any debauched wicked fellow, who gains by the times. Dryden's Works (13 of 18): Translations; Pastorals|John Dryden
high country casino no deposit bonus codesshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dalmatic [ dal-mat-ik ]/ dlmt k / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dal-mat-ik ]/ dlmt k /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nounEcclesiastical. a vestment worn over the alb by the deacon, as at the celebration of the Mass, and worn by bishops on some occasions, as at a coronation.a similar vestment worn by a sovereign of England at his or her coronation.

Words nearby dalmatic

How to use dalmatic C15: from Late Latin dalmatica (vestis) Dalmatian (robe) (originally made of Dalmatian wool)

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What Is a Business?bet9ja 2 shop gofutaa predictions

The term business refers to an organization or enterprising entity engaged in commercial, industrial, or professional activities. The purpose of a business is to organize some sort of economic production (of goods or services). Businesses can be for-profit entities or non-profit organizations fulfilling a charitable mission or furthering a social cause. Businesses range in scale and scope from sole proprietorships to large, international corporations.

Business also refers to the efforts and activities undertaken by individuals to produce and sell goods and services for profit.



Key Takeaways

A business is defined as an organization or enterprising entity engaged in commercial, industrial, or professional activities.

Businesses can be for-profit entities or non-profit organizations.

Business types range from limited liability companies to sole proprietorships, corporations, and partnerships.

Some businesses run as small operations in a single industry while others are large operations that spread across many industries around the world.

Apple and Walmart are two examples of well-known, successful businesses.

Business

Understanding Business

1:10

The term business often refers to an entity that operates for commercial, industrial, or professional reasons. The concept begins with an idea and a name, and extensive market research may be required to determine how feasible it is to turn the idea into a business.

Businesses often require business plans before operations begin. A business plan is a formal document that outlines the company's goals and objectives and lists the strategies and plans to achieve these goals and objectives. Business plans are essential when you want to borrow capital to begin operations.

Determining the legal structure of the business is an important factor to consider, since business owners may need to secure permits and licenses and follow registration requirements to begin legal operations. Corporations are considered to be juridical persons in many countries, meaning that the business can own property, take on debt, and be sued in court.

Most businesses operate to generate a profit, commonly called for-profit. However, some businesses that have a goal to advance a certain cause without profit are referred to as not-for-profit or nonprofit. These entities may operate as charities, arts, culture, educational, and recreational enterprises, political and advocacy groups, or social services organizations.

Business activities often include the sale and purchase of goods and services. Business activity can take place anywhere, whether that's in a physical storefront, online, or on a roadside. Anyone who conducts business activity with financial earnings must report this income to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

A company often defines its business by the industry in which it operates. For example, the real estate business, advertising business, or mattress production business are examples of industries. Business is a term often used to indicate transactions regarding an underlying product or service. For example, ExxonMobil conducts its business by providing oil.



A good name is often one of the most valuable assets of a business, so it's important that business owners choose their name wisely.

Business Types

There are many ways to organize a business, and there are various legal and taxation structures that correspond with these. Among others, businesses are commonly classified and generally structured as:

Sole proprietorships : As the name suggests, a sole proprietorship is owned and operated by a single person. There is no legal separation between the business and the owner, which means the tax and legal liabilities of the business are the responsibility of the owner.

: As the name suggests, a sole proprietorship is owned and operated by a single person. There is no legal separation between the business and the owner, which means the tax and legal liabilities of the business are the responsibility of the owner. Partnerships : A partnership is a business relationship between two or more people who together conduct business. Each partner contributes resources and money to the business and shares in the profits and losses of the business. The shared profits and losses are recorded on each partner's tax return.

: A partnership is a business relationship between two or more people who together conduct business. Each partner contributes resources and money to the business and shares in the profits and losses of the business. The shared profits and losses are recorded on each partner's tax return. Corporations : A corporation is a business in which a group of people acts as a single entity. Owners are commonly referred to as shareholders who exchange consideration for the corporation's common stock. Incorporating a business releases owners of the financial liability of business obligations. A corporation comes with unfavorable taxation rules for the owners of the business.

: A corporation is a business in which a group of people acts as a single entity. Owners are commonly referred to as shareholders who exchange consideration for the corporation's common stock. Incorporating a business releases owners of the financial liability of business obligations. A corporation comes with unfavorable taxation rules for the owners of the business. Limited liability companies (LLCs):This is a relatively new business structure and was first available in Wyoming in 1977 and in other states in the 1990s. A limited liability company combines the pass-through taxation benefits of a partnership with the limited liability benefits of a corporation.

Business Sizes

Small Businesses

Small owner-operated companies are called small businesses. Commonly managed by one person or a small group of people with less than 100 employees, these companies include family restaurants, home-based companies, clothing, books, and publishing companies, and small manufacturers. As of 2021, 32.5 million small businesses with 61.2 million employees were operating in the United States.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) uses the number of employees working at a company and its annual revenue to formally define a small business. For 229 industry sectors, from engineering and manufacturing to food service and real estate, the SBA sets sizing standards every five years.

Businesses that meet the standards of the SBA can qualify for loans, grants, and "small business set-asides," contracts where the federal government limits competition to help small businesses compete for and win federal contracts.

Mid-Sized Enterprises

There is no definitive specification in the U.S. to define a mid-sized or medium-sized company. However, when large U.S. cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Boston evaluate the landscape of operating businesses, a medium-sized company is defined as one with 100 to 499 employees or $10 million to less than $50 million in annual gross sales.



Large Businesses

Large businesses commonly have more than 1000 employees and garner $50 million or more in gross receipts.They may issue corporate stock to finance operations as a publicly-traded company.

Large enterprises may be based in one country with international operations. They are often organized by departments, such as human resources, finance, marketing, sales, and research and development. Unlike small and mid-sized enterprises, owned by a person or group of people, large organizations often separate their tax burden from their owners, who usually do not manage their companies but instead, an elected board of directors enacts most business decisions.

Examples of Well-Known Businesses

Apple

Apple is known for its innovative products, including its personal computers, smart devices, and music and video streaming services.

Founded in 1977 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, Apple became the first publicly-traded company whose value hit $1 trillion. The company's stock trades under the ticker symbol AAPL on the Nasdaq. Intraday trading as of June 7, 2022, hovered around $148 per share, while the market capitalization for the company hit $2.41 trillion.

The company employs more than two million people, including 80,000 individuals who work as direct Apple employees. The remaining jobs include suppliers, manufacturers, and others who are supported through the Apple store. The company reported net sales of $297.3 billion in 2021, driven primarily by its product segment.

Apple's key to success lies in its family of products and its ability to innovate. The company focuses on design and qualitytwo key elements that were a key part of Jobs' corporate vision. The products that Apple creates and markets can be used under the same operating system, which allows consumers to sync them together, thus lowering corporate costs. Apple's ability to create, develop, and market new products and services also put it ahead of its competition.

Walmart

Walmart is one of the world's largest retailers and operates as a multinational corporation. The company was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton in Arkansas. It has more than 10,500 locations in more than 24 different countries and employs over 2.3 million people.

The company went public in 1970 and trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol WMT. As of June 7, 2022, Walmart stock traded around $123.37 per share and its market cap was $337.38 billion.

Walmart earned $559 billion in revenue for the full year of 2021. This figure was driven by online sales through its e-commerce segment and international sales, which were primarily recorded in Mexico and Canada.

Walmart's success can be attributed to several factors, including its brand name, pricing, diversification (especially with the addition of its online marketplace), efficient supply chain management, and its financial strength.



How Do You Start a Business?

There are several steps you need to hurdle to start a business. This includes conducting market research, developing a business plan, seeking capital or other forms of funding, choosing a location and business structure, picking the right name, submitting registration paperwork, obtaining tax documents (employer and taxpayer IDs), and pulling permits and licenses. It's also a good idea to set up a bank account with a financial institution to facilitate your everyday banking needs.

How Do You Launch an Online Business?

Starting an online business involves some of the same steps as a traditional business, with a few exceptions.

You still need to do your market research and develop a business plan before anything else. Once that's done, choose a name and structure for your business, then file any paperwork to register your organization.

Rather than finding a physical location, choose a platform and design your website. Before launching your business, you should find a way to build up your target market, whether that's through traditional marketing means or more creative ways like social media.

How Do You Come Up With a Business Name?

Your business name should fit the type of organization you plan to run and it should be catchysomething that people will gravitate toward and remember, not to mention associate with you as well as the products and services you plan to sell. Originality is key. And most importantly, it should be a name that isn't already in use by someone else. Go online and do a business name search to see if it's available or already registered.

How Do You Write a Business Plan?

Business plans are essential to running your business and can help you secure the funding you need to start your operations. You can choose between a traditional or a lean business plan.

A traditional business plan is very comprehensive with a lot of details. This includes a summary of the company and the ways it will succeed. It also includes information about your market, management, products and services, marketing, and sales projections.

Lean formats are shorter but still contain very useful information such as partnership details, outlines of the business activities and customer relationships, cost structures, and revenue streams.

You can find templates online or come up with your business plan document.

How Do You Get a Business Loan?

Necessary funding for a business often comes via a loan. A traditional lender or a government-backed loan, such as those offered through the Small Business Administration are two options. Prospective lenders want to see business details, especially for new start-ups. Make sure you have your business plan ready, including outlines of costs and revenue streams, and ensure you have a good credit score. You may need to put down some collateral to secure the loan if you're approved.

The Bottom Line

Businesses are the backbone of an economy. They provide products and services that can be purchased by individuals and other companies.

Businesses range in size from small to large and operate in many different industries. Business structures also vary from sole partnerships to major corporations that provide shareholder equity to their owners.

When starting a business, do your research and develop a business plan. This allows you to raise the money you need to start your operation.


Recently,according to the 2022 China Biomedical Industrial Park Competitiveness Evaluation and Analysis Report and the 2021 China Biomedical Park Development Competitiveness Ranking List, released by the 2022 China Biotech Innovation Conference, Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone in Southwest China's Sichuan Province ranked third in the overall competitiveness of the domestic parks, and top the first echelon of national biomedical parks.

A panorama of Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-town Photos: Courtesy of Department of the Party and the masses affairs of Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone

As the most innovative emerging industry, the biomedical industry has become an important support for Chengdu to build a modern industrial system with international competitiveness and regional driving force. It is understood that with the development of biomedical industry and an industrial scale of more than 100 billion yuan($14.2 billion), Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone is accelerating the cluster construction of key projects such as Chengdu Tianfu International Bio-town and Frontier Medical Center, and constantly improving and strengthening the energy level of the biomedical industry.At the end of October, the World Top 500 General Electric (GE) Medical China Precision Medical Industrialization Base Project was signed and settled in Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone, which is the first industrialization base in Sichuan established by a multinational top 500 medical enterprise.

Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone Photo: Courtesy of Department of the Party and the masses affairs of Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone

In recent years, the Zone has completed the construction of the first phase of the national pilot demonstration base for the transfer and transformation of sci-tech achievements in major new drug discoveries, achieved 29 breakthroughs in core technologies, and undertaken more than 1,000 services for the transfer and transformation of new drug achievements, thanks to the continuous promotion of high-quality development of the high-performance medical device industry and the layout of subdivisions such as in vitro diagnosis, implantable intervention products and medical materials, intelligent diagnosis and treatment equipment, as well as the development of innovative medicine. Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone has also made important breakthroughs in biomedical innovation.It has introduced 109 functional platforms, including the international parallel laboratory of biomedicine and the trillion level DNA new drug screening platform for Chengdu HitGen, the pharmaceutical company, to build a full chain technology innovation platform covering target discovery, drug screening, clinical trials and other new drug research and development.As of 2022, the Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone, with nine listed biomedical enterprises establishing operations in the area, has guided the establishment of five medical and health sub funds, with a total fund size of 6.6 billion yuan($939,314,640), which has promoted the successful implementation of 10 enterprises within 2022 alone.
We have all spilled something and had to take the time to clean it up. A splash of red wine on the carpet is never cause for celebration, and a splash of bleach on your hand can cause a nasty burn.

In both of these cases, a small splash is better than a large one, if we have to spill things at all. In English, the words spatter and splatter can both refer to splashes of liquid that wind up where theyre not supposed to be.

What is the Difference Between Spatter and Splatter?

In this post, I will compare splatter vs. spatter. I will use each of these words in at least one example sentence, so you can see them in context. Plus, I will show you a memory tool that you will find helpful next time you need to choose splatter or spatter.

When to Use Spatter

What does spatter mean? Spatter can be a verb or a noun.

As a verb, to spatter is to fling small drops of liquid onto something. The characteristic paint decor from the 1980s, spatter paint, is accomplished by flinging small drops of paint onto the walls to form a distinctive pattern.

For example,

The drywall is finished, but make sure you lay down the base coat before you spatter the walls.

If you spatter water into a hot pan, it will sizzle and bubble as it quickly evaporates.

As a noun, spatter can be considered a synonym for splash, but only in the context of a small splash.

For example,

The spatter from the frying pan was easy to clean.

Irma wasnt careful while pouring the coffee, and a small spatter made its way onto the table.

Spatter is also commonly used in references to crime, where it refers to blood spatter.

Others, such as hair fiber analysis, carpet fiber analysis, blood spatter pattern analysis and tool mark pattern analysis, have some value, but their significance has been routinely overstated in court. The Washington Post

When to Use Splatter

What does splatter mean? Splatter can also be a noun or a verb. In both cases, it means almost the same thing as spatter, but it refers to a big splash instead of a small one.

A glass of spilled milk might splatter all over the floor, for instance, or brains might splatter all over a wall after a zombie is hit with a baseball bat.

For example,

Brittany accidentally dropped the bucket of shortening, and it splattered all over the floor.

Valerie splattered water all over everyone when she cannonballed into the pool.

The boozy blunder was captured on a Nevada Highway Patrols dash camera and shows a police officer getting showered with beer as dozens of brew cans explode and splatter out of their cases from the out of control 18-wheeler. New York Post

These sentences show splatter as a noun:

The carton of eggs fell from the counter and made a huge splatter all over the floor.

The carpet still has white splotches where the bleach splatter landed.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Since both of these words mean almost the same thing, drawing a hard line between spattervs. splatterisnt easy.

In general, a spatter is a small splash, while a splatter is a large splash, but when a small splash becomes a large one is up for interpretation.

Since splatter and large both contain the letter L, the distinction between the words themselves is a little easier.

Summary

Is it spatter or splatter? Spatter and splatter can both function as a noun or a verb.

A spatter is a small splash.

A splatter is a large one.

Spatter and splatter both mean to splash liquid on something.

In general, save spatter for splashes with small drops of liquid, and splatter for splashes with a lot of liquid.
Also, dead as a dodo or herring. Totally or assuredly dead; also finished. For example, The cop announced that the body in the dumpster was dead as a doornail, or The radicalism she professed in her adolescence is now dead as a dodo, or The Equal Rights Amendment appears to be dead as a herring. The first, oldest, and most common of these similes, all of which can be applied literally to persons or, more often today, to issues, involves doornail, dating from about 1350. Its meaning is disputed but most likely it referred to the costly metal nails hammered into the outer doors of the wealthy (most people used the much cheaper wooden pegs), which were clinched on the inside of the door and therefore were dead, that is, could not be used again. Dead as a herring dates from the 16th century and no doubt alludes to the bad smell this dead fish gives off, making its death quite obvious. Dead as a dodo, referring to the extinct bird, dates from the early 1900s.
What Is Contributed Capital?ripple casinos automatic roulette

Contributed capital, also known as paid-in capital, is the cash and other assets that shareholders have given a company in exchange for stock. Investors make capital contributions when a company issues equity shares based on a price that shareholders are willing to pay for them. The total amount of contributed capital or paid-in-capital represents their stake or ownership in the company.

Contributed capital may also refer to a company's balance sheet item listed under stockholders' equity, often shown alongside the balance sheet entry for additional paid-in capital.

Paid-Up Capital

Understanding Contributed Capital

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Contributed capital is the total value of the stock that shareholders have bought directly from the issuing company. It includes the money from initial public offerings (IPOs), direct listings, direct public offerings, and secondary offeringsincluding issues of preferred stock. It also includes the receipt of fixed assets in exchange for stock and the reduction of a liability in exchange for stock.

Contributed capital can be compared with additional paid-in capital, and the difference between the two values will equal the premium paid by investors over and above the par value of the company's shares. The par value is merely an accounting value of each of the shares to be offered and is not equivalent to the market value that investors are willing to pay.

When companies repurchase shares and return capital to shareholders, the shares bought back are listed at their repurchase price, which reduces shareholders' equity.

Key Takeaways

Contributed capital, also known as paid-in capital, is the cash and other assets that shareholders have given a company in exchange for stock.

This is the price that shareholders paid for their stake in the company.

Contributed capital is reported in the shareholders equity section of the balance sheet and usually split into two different accounts: common stock and additional paid-in capital account.

Preferred shares sometimes have par values that are more than marginal, but most common shares today have par values of just a few pennies. Because of this, "additional paid-in capital" tends to be representative of the total paid-in capital figure and is sometimes shown by itself on the balance sheet.

Capital Contributions

It's important to distinguish that capital contributions, which are an injection of cash into a company, can come in other forms besides the sale of equity shares. For example, an owner might take out a loan and use the proceeds to make a capital contribution to the company. Businesses can also receive capital contributions in the form of non-cash assets such as buildings and equipment. These scenarios are all types of capital contributions and increase owners' equity. However, the term contributed capitalis typically reserved for the amount of money received from issuing sharesand not other forms of capital contributions.

Calculating Contributed Capital

Contributed capital is reported in the shareholders equity section of the balance sheet and usually split into two different accounts: common stock and additional paid-in capital account. In other words, contributed capital includes the par valueor nominal valueof the stock, found in the common stock account, and the amount of money over and above the par value that shareholders were willing to pay for their sharesthe share premiumfound in the additional paid-in capital account.

The common stock account is also known as share capital account, and the additional paid-in capital account is also known as the share premium account.

Example of Contributed Capital

For example, a company issues 5,000 $1 par value shares to investors. The investors pay $10 a share, so the company raises $50,000 in equity capital. As a result, the company records $5,000 to the common stock account and $45,000 to the paid-in capital in excess of par. Both of these accounts added together equal the total amount stockholders were willing to pay for their shares. In other words, the contributed capital equals $50,000.
Lujiazui Photo:VCG

Since 2012,there has been a succession of new thoughts and proposals emanating from Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and the CPC leadership. It has been a highly fertile and thought-provoking period. In rough chronological order it has included the Chinese Dream, Belt and Road Initiative, AIIB, new concept of major power relations, community with a shared future for mankind, and dual circulation. Between 2012 and 2016, this flow of new thinking captured the attention not only of China but much of the world. From 2017, Trump's emergence on the global stage provided a counter-narrative that succeeded in stealing some of China's thunder. But this did not stop the flow of creativity from Beijing.The 20th CPC National Congress has provided us with a further rich vein of new thinking.Perhaps the most important and consequential idea is that of Chinese modernization. Modernization has long been a critical concept in China's development. Its origins lie in China's failure to industrialize at the same time as Britain, which, as other European countries followed in Britain's tracks, was to leave it historically stranded - backward, vulnerable, and poverty-stricken. As a result, China embarked on industrialisation - or, to use a related term with a broader meaning, modernization - well over 150 years later than Britain. The great task facing China after 1949 was modernization - with the bar, and template, set by the West, which by then had become a distant speck on the development horizon, such was its progress.It meant that China had no alternative but to adopt the Western paradigm for modernization. After 1978, China relentlessly pursued the task of modernization, with the US acting as the main influence. In important respects, nonetheless, the Chinese model was to remain distinctive. How could it not have done? China, as a latecomer, competing with Western countries that were much further down the road, had to make things up as it went along. However much it borrowed, it still had to invent its own path. Chinese modernization was a hybrid, part Western and part indigenous.But China is now in a very different position. It may still be primarily a developing country, but parts of the economy are already on a par with Silicon Valley. The latest congress set the goal of China reaching the same level of development as middle-ranking European countries by 2035. That will mean some features of China will be well ahead of these countries by 2035, and in other respects it will still lag behind: China is a "continent," and transforming a continent is a very uneven process. The big takeaway here is that China has, in important respects, now arrived at the leading edge of modernity. Modernity, so long a creature of the West, no longer belongs to the West.Take the example of common prosperity. Western-style globalization has led to growing inequality in many countries, with China being no exception. China's Gini coefficient is more or less the same as that of the US. This cannot be acceptable in a socialist country. Under the aegis of common prosperity, a debate has begun on how to reduce inequality. There is a similar debate in the West but it has had little effect. Indeed, inequality has continued to grow. It has become one of the great questions of our time. If China can find a way of successfully addressing inequality, in the way it has conquered absolute poverty, such a fairer and more inclusive modernity will have an enormous global impact.Or take COVID-19. China and the West tackled it in very different ways with very different outcomes. China drew on its Confucian and communist traditions of social cohesion combined with an extensive use of digital technology and vaccination, while the West has relied very heavily on vaccination. China's results were much superior, with far less deaths and infections.A new type of Chinese modernization depends on a new kind of balance in the relationship between Western and Chinese input. China must place greater stress on its own intellectual and cultural capacity and become less dependent on American influences. How is this to be achieved? There is a powerful emphasis in Xi's speech on the importance of producing many new Chinese experts in the fields of science and technology in order to promote Chinese modernization. Likewise, he stresses the need for a great expansion of the Chinese university sector.But what kind of Chinese universities? There has been a strong tendency to ape American universities, to regard them as a template for what Chinese universities should be like. Sure, China can learn a great deal from the best US universities, but Chinese-style modernization requires different kinds of universities, experts, and ways of thinking. The same applies to academic disciplines. Academic economics in China, for example, pays too much respect to, and has been too influenced by, US academic economics.Chinese modernization is an enormous intellectual challenge. A new kind of modernity requires new ways of thinking. Modernization 1.0 must progressively be replaced by modernization 2.0. Chinese modernization will still be a hybrid, but the Chinese component will be far greater.The author was until recently a senior fellow at the Department of Politics and International Studies at Cambridge University. He is a visiting professor at the Institute of Modern International Relations at Tsinghua University and a senior fellow at the China Institute, Fudan University. Follow him on twitter @martjacques. [email protected]
What Is Quantity Demanded?crypto prices shiba boom judi slot

Quantity demanded is a term used in economics to describe the total amount of a good or service that consumers demand over a given interval of time. It depends on the price of a good or service in a marketplace, regardless of whether that market is in equilibrium.

The relationship between the quantity demanded and the price is known as the demand curve, or simply the demand. The degree to which the quantity demanded changes with respect to price is called the elasticity of demand.

Key Takeaways

In economics, quantity demanded refers to the total amount of a good or service that consumers demand over a given period of time.

Quantity demanded depends on the price of a good or service in a marketplace.

The price of a product and the quantity demand for that product have an inverse relationship, according to the law of demand.

Quantity Demanded

Understanding Quantity Demanded

Inverse Relationship of Price and Demand

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The price of a good or service in a marketplace determines the quantity that consumers demand. Assuming that non-price factors are removed from the equation, a higher price results in a lower quantity demanded and a lower price results in higher quantity demanded. Thus, the price of a product and the quantity demanded for that product have an inverse relationship, as stated in the law of demand.

An inverse relationship means that higher prices result in lower quantity demand and lower prices result in higher quantity demand.

Change in Quantity Demanded

A change in quantity demanded refers to a change in the specific quantity of a product that buyers are willing and able to buy. This change in quantity demanded is caused by a change in the price.

Increase in Quantity Demanded

An increase in quantity demanded is caused by a decrease in the price of the product (and vice versa). A demand curve illustrates the quantity demanded and any price offered on the market. A change in quantity demanded is represented as a movement along a demand curve. The proportion that quantity demanded changes relative to a change in price is known as the elasticity of demand and is related to the slope of the demand curve.

Julie Bang / Investopedia

An Example of Quantity Demanded

Say, for example, at the price of $5 per hot dog, consumers buy two hot dogs per day; the quantity demanded is two. If vendors decide to increase the price of a hot dog to $6, then consumers only purchase one hot dog per day. On a graph, the quantity demanded moves leftward from two to one when the price rises from $5 to $6. If, however, the price of a hot dog decreases to $4, then customers want to consume three hot dogs: the quantity demanded moves rightward from two to three when the price falls from $5 to $4.

By graphing these combinations of price and quantity demanded, we can construct a demand curve connecting the three points.

Using a standard demand curve, each combination of price and quantity demanded is depicted as a point on the downward sloping line, with the price of hot dogs on the y-axis and the quantity of hot dogs on the x-axis. This means that as price decreases, the quantity demanded increases. Any change or movement to quantity demanded is involved as a movement of the point along the demand curve and not a shift in the demand curve itself. As long as consumers' preferences and other factors don't change, the demand curve effectively remains static.

Price changes change the quantity demanded; changes in consumer preferences change the demand curve. If, for example, environmentally conscious consumers switch from gas cars to electric cars, the demand curve for traditional cars would inherently shift.

Price Elasticity of Demand

The proportion to which the quantity demanded changes with respect to price is called elasticity of demand. A good or service that is highly elastic means the quantity demanded varies widely at different price points.

Conversely, a good or service that is inelastic is one with a quantity demanded that remains relatively static at varying price points. An example of an inelastic good is insulin. Regardless of price point, those who need insulin demand it at the same amount.

What Affects Quantity Demanded?

Quantity demanded is affected by the price of the product. If the price goes up, the demand will go down. If the price goes down, demand will go up. Price and demand are inversely related in this way.

Does Quantity Demanded Only Apply to Physical Goods?

No. Quantity demanded can apply to service products as well. For example, if a photographer offers family portrait sessions for a lower price, they should book more sessions. If they price them higher, they will book fewer sessions.

What Is the Difference Between Demand and Quantity Demanded?

Demand and quantity demanded both pertain to purchasing but in different ways. Demand is just how many of an item a consumer is willing to buythe sheer quantity. Quantity demanded is how many things a consumer will purchase at a specific price. Quantity demanded is a more detailed metric. Graphed out, demand is the entirety of the demand curve, whereas quantity demanded is a single point.
What Is an LLC Operating Agreement?luckyland no deposit bonus

An LLC operating agreement is a document that customizes the terms of a limited liability company according to the specific needs of its members. It also outlines the financial and functional decision-making in a structured manner. It is similar to articles of incorporation that govern the operations of a corporation.

Although writing an operating agreement is not a mandatory requirement for most states, it is nonetheless considered a crucial document that should be included when setting up a limited liability company. The document, once signed by each member (owner), acts as a binding set of rules for them to adhere to.

The agreement is drafted to allow owners to govern the internal operations according to their own rules and specifications. The absence of an operating agreement means that your business has to be run according to the default rules of your state.

Key Takeaways

An LLC operating agreement is a legal document that spells out the terms of a limited liability company to the members.

It sets forth the path for the business to follow and brings in more clarity in operations and management.

In some states, the operating agreement is required as part of establishing the business entity.

LLC operating agreements have some boilerplate sections with standard language, but one size does not necessarily fit all.

If an LLC does not have an operating agreement, it must be governed according to the default rules of that state.

How LLC Operating Agreements Work

An LLC is a type of U.S. business entity that is easy to form and simple to manage, and importantly limits the liability of owners. Since an LLC is a hybrid of a partnership and corporation, it provides the twin benefit of pass-through taxation with limited liability.

To take full advantage of having an LLC, you should go one step further and write an operating agreement during the startup process. Many tend to overlook this crucial document since it is not a mandatory requirement in many states. Only a few states specify the need to register an operating agreement when creating an LLC.

The operating agreement is thus a document that spells out the terms of a limited liability company (LLC) according to the members. It sets forth the path for the business to follow and brings in more clarity in operations and management. A typical LLC operating agreement is a 10- to 20-page contract document which sets up guidelines and rules for the LLC.

In states such as California, Missouri, and New York, it is mandatory to include this document during the incorporation process. While most other states do not insist on including it, it is always considered wise to draft an operating agreement, as it protects the status of a company, comes in handy in times of misunderstandings, and helps in carrying out the business according to the rules set by the members.

Businesses that do not sign an operating agreement fall under the default rules outlined by the states. In such a case the rules imposed by the state will be very general in nature and may not be right for every business. For example, in the absence of an operating agreement, some states may stipulate that all profits in an LLC are shared equally by each partner regardless of each party's capital contribution. An agreement can also protect partners from any personal liability if it appears they are operating as a sole proprietorship or a partnership.

An operating agreement, once signed, should be kept safely as an important record of the business.

Benefits of an LLC Operating Agreement

Even if a business venture only has a single owner/employee, it can still be beneficial to codify the relationship with an LLC operating agreement. Having an operating agreement establishes a legal boundary between the LLC and the owner, so that the owner is not held accountable for the LLC's debts or liabilities. Otherwise, creditors to the LLC may pursue the owner's personal assets.

An operating agreement also allows the owner to codify the rules of succession for their business, as well as governance procedures such as meetings and voting. Without an operating agreement, ownership of the business is handled according to the state's default LLC rules.

What to Include in an LLC Operating Agreement

There are many issues that must be covered in the LLC operating agreement. The general format of the document includes the following:

Each member's ownership expressed as a percentage The members' responsibilities and voting rights A layout of the duties and powers of members The profit and loss allocation among members The rules related to holding meetings and taking votes The issues related to the management of the LLC Buyout and buy-sell provisions, when a member wants to leave and sell their share (should also include what will happen in the event of a member's death)

LLC operating agreements should also outline the specific definitions of terms used in the agreement, as well as list the purpose of the business, a statement of its intent to form, how it will handle new members, how it chooses to be taxed, how long it intends to operate, and where it is located.

Just as one size doesnt fit all, the state default LLC rules dont suit all. The best way to counter this problem is by writing an operating agreement, which gives freedom, protection, and control to your business. Though it's best to include an operating agreement in the initial stages, if you have missed on that, its never too late to put it in place, provided all members agree to it. The document can also be modified at a later stage with the guidance and help of an attorney.

If I Have an LLC Operating Agreement Do I Need a Business Plan?

There's no legal requirement for an LLC to have a written business plan, but there are still clear advantages to having one. A well-structured business plan is an important tool to set out the goals and values of an enterprise and provides an objective way of assessing whether or not those goals are being met.

Does an LLC Have Shares of Stock Like a Corporation?

No. While it is sometimes common to describe LLC membership as a "share," this is not the same as stock units in a corporation. While members of an LLC have the right to share profits and make decisions concerning their company, an LLC cannot raise money by issuing stock shares.

What Is the Difference Between a Partnership and an LLC?

A partnership is a comparatively simple vehicle for business relationships. Unlike an LLC, there is no requirement for formal paperwork: a partnership is considered to have formed whenever two or more partners go into business together.

Also, unlike an LLC, partners may be held personally liable for the partnership's business obligationsmeaning that creditors may seek repayment from the personal assets of individual partners. In contrast, the members of an LLC are legally distinct from their business organization.

Can an LLC Operating Agreement Be Amended?

Yes, LLC operating agreements can generally be amended, but the procedures for doing so will vary. In most cases, the process of amending an operating agreement should be spelled out in the agreement itself: some LLCs might specify that they can only be amended by a unanimous vote of the members, or that they can only be amended in the fourth quarter of the year. It is even possible for an LLC to have an operating agreement that cannot be amended. If it is not clearly stated, the process for amending an operating agreement is determined by the default rules for LLCs in that state.

Does a Single Member LLC Need an Operating Agreement?

A handful of states require all LLC's to have an operating agreement, even if they have only one member. These include New York, Missouri, and California. In the other states, it is not required, but it is strongly encouraged, since they can protect the members from problems that the LLC may encounter.
What Is a Gantt Chart?sportsbet mt luxury casino canada

A Gantt chart is a commonly used graphical depiction of a project schedule. It's a type of bar chart showing the start and finish dates of a project's elements such as resources, planning, and dependencies.

Henry Gantt (1861-1919), an American mechanical engineer, designed the Gantt chart.

Key Takeaways

A Gantt chart is a visualization that helps in scheduling, managing, and monitoring specific tasks and resources in a project.

It consists of a list of tasks and bars depicting each task's progress.

The horizontal bars of different lengths represent the project timeline, which can include task sequences, duration, and the start and end dates for each task

It's the most widely used chart in project management.

Gantt charts are used in heavy industries for projects like building dams, bridges, and highways, as well as software development and building out of other goods and services.

Understanding Gantt Charts

The Gantt chart is the most widely used chart in project management. These charts are useful in planning a project and defining the sequence of tasks that require completion. In most instances, the chart is displayed as a horizontal bar chart.

Horizontal bars of different lengths represent the project timeline, which can include task sequences, duration, and the start and end dates for each task. The horizontal bar also shows how much of a task requires completion.

The length of the bar is proportional to the time necessary for a tasks completion. The project tasks are represented on the vertical axis.

A Gantt chart helps in scheduling, managing, and monitoring specific tasks and resources in a project. The chart shows the project timeline, which includes scheduled and completed work over a period. The Gantt chart aids project managers in communicating project status or plans and also helps ensure the project remains on track.

Benefits of a Gantt Chart

The chart identifies tasks that may be executed in parallel and those that can't be started or finished until others are complete. It can help detect potential bottlenecks and identify tasks that may have been excluded from the project timeline.

The chart depicts things like task slack time or additional time for completion of a task that shouldn't delay the project; noncritical activities that may be delayed; and critical activities that must be executed on time.

Gantt charts can be used in managing projects of all sizes and types. These may include building infrastructures like dams, bridges, and highways. They may also include software development and other technologies. Project management tools, such as Microsoft Visio, Project, SharePoint, and Excel, or specialized software, such as Gantto or Matchware, can help in designing Gantt charts.

Investopedia / Sabrina Jiang

Example of a Gantt Chart

Company A is taking on a project to install new software on the servers of a large investment bank. Company A decides to create a Gantt chart to help manage the project and its different components.

The project's tasks that require completion include conducting research, selecting a software product, testing the software, and installing it. These tasks appear as vertical lines on the Gantt chart. A milestone of the project is selecting the software.

The project's duration is 40 days as agreed upon between Company A and the investment bank. Each task takes 10 days to complete, and each task is dependent on the previous task. A critical activity is testing the software in the development and test environments.

The task start and end dates, duration, and milestones appear as horizontal bars on the Gantt chart. The percentage of work completed for each task also is displayed on the horizontal bars. Using the Gantt chart will help Company A map out the tasks along a timeline to reach full completion in 40 days.

What Are Gantt Charts Used for?

Gantt charts help visualize various tasks and projects that occur simultaneously within an organization, and how far along they have progressed. They are used by management to plan and schedule such projects so that resources can be allocated in an optimal way and that projects that are prioritized can finish before less important ones begin.

Who Was Henry Gantt?

Henry Gantt was a social scientist and management consultant who also held a degree in mechanical engineering. He worked in the field of scientific management, developing methods to streamline and increase the productivity of corporations and their workforce. He created the Gantt chart in the 1910s to help supervisors understand the progress of their labor force and to ensure tasks were on schedule.

What Are the Components of a Gantt Chart?

A Gantt chart can vary in complexity and depth, but will always have three key components: activities or tasks that are to be done, running along the y-axis; milestones or progress stages indicated along the x-axis (either on the top or bottom of the chart); and progress bars, denoted as horizontal bars, denoting how far along each task is at any given point.

The Bottom Line

A Gantt chart is a visual description of a project's timeline. The chart shows the start and end dates of a project's components, such as resources and planning. If you are involved in a project, it is recommended to use a Gantt chart to help organize the various tasks within the project.
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nouna card listing, in order, the names of the partners with whom a woman has agreed to dance at a formal ball or party.

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How to use in a sentence The Hoover Library has a dance card from 1895 showing that young Herbert signed up to do the two-step with future first lady Lou Hoover, but he disliked dancing, and the couple gave it up after they got married. Not all presidents dance skills are created equal|Bonnie Berkowitz, Joanne Lee|January 21, 2021|Washington Post

Not all presidents dance skills are created equal|Bonnie Berkowitz, Joanne Lee|January 21, 2021|Washington Post Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance is a different sound for you. Belle & Sebastian Arent So Shy Anymore|James Joiner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Belle & Sebastian Arent So Shy Anymore|James Joiner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST Twelve-year-old dance prodigy Maddie Ziegler has suffered the wrath of Dance Moms tyrant Abby Lee Miller. See Burly Shia LaBeouf Interpretive Cage Fight Lil Sia in the Singers Fantastic New Music Video|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

See Burly Shia LaBeouf Interpretive Cage Fight Lil Sia in the Singers Fantastic New Music Video|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST And with the dance sequence, we wanted something very physical. Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On Portlandia, Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swifts Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST My dance instructor always says she earns most of her income from private teaching, says Monir. Irans Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Irans Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST Even for Arabic dance no one wears a long dress, just a scarf around the hips. Irans Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Irans Becoming a Footloose Nation as Dance Lessons Spread|IranWire|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST The moon seemed to smile on him; the aurora appeared to dance with unwonted vigour, as if in glee; the very stars winked at him! The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne

The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne The card table profitably occupies some six to eight hours daily of these old fellows' attention. The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills In most club card-rooms smoking is not permitted, but at the Pandemonium it is the fashion to smoke everywhere. The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills He showed his wisdom in giving the Pandemonium card-room a very wide berth for the rest of his days. The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills He has drawn a knave and a six; he takes another card; this turns out to be an ace. The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3)|Charles James Wills

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question dance cardAn Americanism dating back to 189095Danby, dance, danceable, dance attendance on, dance band, dance card, dance drama, dance floor, dance form, dancegoer, dancehallDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
The big slug happened to hit the suspect in the street, passing through his arm and then striking Police Officer Andrew Dossi.

At St. Barnabas Hospital, Pellerano was listed in stable condition with wounds to his chest and arm.

A policewoman was shot dead this morning while law enforcement searched for the Charlie Lebdo killers.

The cartoonist, better known as Charb, was shot dead Wednesday.

Dossi initially was listed in critical condition with wounds to his arm and lower back. Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

A little boy of four was moved to passionate grief at the sight of a dead dog taken from a pond. Children's Ways|James Sully

She was holding the back of her chair with one hand; her loose sleeve had slipped almost to the shoulder of her uplifted arm. The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

In Spain he was regarded as the right arm of the ultra-clericals and a possible supporter of Carlism. The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

Grandmamma sits in her quaint arm-chair Never was lady more sweet and fair! Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
Slavery and involuntary servitude were officially outlawed in the U.S. over 150 years ago,code for geisha roblox game but technically still exist for many prisoners. Voters in five states are pushing for change in this year's midterm elections. Learn more.

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The coronavirus pandemic had impact on many industries including the gaming one. According to Brandon Asgiersson, a US Business Development specialist at multichannel engagement experts Xtremepush, one of the lasting impacts of the pandemic is the increase of online gambling registrations in the US.

Asgiersson spoke about the financial losses in Louisianas gaming industry, which lost around $850 million in 2020 and thousands of jobs were wasted.

He summarized the situation in the states by saying that most of the US casinos are struggling. However, according to him, the online gaming had compensated for the huge losses. He expressed his hope that many more states will legalize online gaming despite the paperwork.

The legalization process demonstrated itself as long and painstaking. At least it was for Michigan. The state launched online gaming and sports betting earlier this month.

Many other states are following its lead. Kentucky and Minnesotas lawmakers are making an attempt to legalize online gambling but it looks like this wont happen any time soon, since, as Asgiersson pointed out, the paperwork slows the process down. Only the state of Georgia is closer to finishing the legalization.

He added: Weve all seen that the revenue generated from online gambling has surpassed initial expectations. Operators are growing in confidence, and we expect the online market in 2021 to smash these targets yet again.

Tips for Optimization and Player Engagement

Asgiersson has tips for optimizing the player engagementin US casinos. He said that it is really important for the casinos to guide the new players through the registration process.

He recommended that the casinos implement a series of automated, digital nudges that encourage the player to complete the next step and remind them of whats required.

According to Asgiersson, the process continues by establishing a notification system. The next step, after the players are registered, is to gather as much data as possible for their preferred games, average speed and so on. He shared having seen casinos have a lot of data, which they are not using.

Asgiersson adviced that the US casinos follow the European systemby setting up personalized campaigns to actively engage players. The key is to create personalized messages for players with their current balance to encourage them to log in and start playing.

He added: These are the kinds of things that the European operators have been doing for a number of years. Its taken them time to build up to this level of engagement, but US casinos have the luxury of being able to achieve this from day one.

Xtremepush has even created and published a special player engagement guide for the online casino industry.

Source:More US states must embrace online gambling to help the casino industry, SBC Americas, January 27, 2021
Construction work on a $400-million hotel and casino resortin Costa Rica is expected to begin in early 2019, after the project has received the necessary approval from the host municipality and tourism regulators, local news outlet The Costa Rica Star reports.

The property will be located in the village of Moin, in the Limon Province. It will operate as Casino City Caribe. Architecture firm Patti Rao Project will carry out the project. The company is led by Vancouver, Canada-based architect Patti Rao.

Mr. Rao told local media that they have selected Moin as the preferred location of their resort due to the untapped tourism potential of the areaand their partners interest in investing in ecotourism projects. The architect further pointed out that the idea for Casino City Caribe emerged after he had retired and that he wanted to do something that would contribute to the further development of Costa Rica as a popular tourism destination.

Construction is expected to begin early next year. The project will be carried out in several phases until the final one is rolled out in 2027. Construction work during the first phase is expected to generate 150 new jobs. According to preliminary estimates, the resort will employ around 1,500 people once fully operational.

Facilities

Casino City Caribe will feature three hotels with a total of 264 rooms, 219 apartments, three casinos, two convention centers  one with capacity for 60 people, and the other for 150 people a spa and wellness center, an entertainment center, a business center, and different other recreational facilities as well as large green areas.

The complex will offer access to the beach. It will also feature a heliport and a marinato provide visitors and guests with better access options.

While the project is still in its early stages of development, it has already been granted the necessary approval from the host Matina Municipality, the Costa Rica Tourism Board, and the Ministry of Environment.

According to information from the Costa Rica Tourism Board, the island nationwelcomed nearly 3 million international tourists last year. Visitors from North America accounted for more than a half of that number.

During the first quarter of this year, Costa Rica received 6% more tourists than the 919,631 arrivals recorded during the same period of 2017. The Tourism Board has said that while the number of tourists from North America decreased during the first three months of 2018, the number of visitors from Europe and North America increased 14.2% and 11.4%, respectively.

Costa Rica has recently opened its first convention center, aiming to position itself as a popular destination for business events. The total amount of $35 million was invested in the nearly 170,000 square-foot venue which has the capacity for over 6,500 delegates and offers nearly 50,000 square feet of exhibition space. As mentioned above, the new Casino City Caribe will, too, feature two convention facilities, although much smaller in scale than the newly opened Costa Rica Convention Center.
Whether you want to build your own website or you're hoping to boost your attractiveness to potential employers, learning to code can certainly be handy. But where to start? There's clearly no shortage of options for getting your feet wet in the world of programming languages, but finding a good entry point can prove to be daunting. After all, how do you even decide which language makes the most sense for you?

This article will attempt to walk you through the first decisions you'll need to make when you're contemplating learning to code, and then it will recommend some of the best online resources to turn to when you're ready to develop your skills.

Decide Which Programming Language You Want to Learn

Type "which coding language to learn" into Google, and you'll be met with over 200 million results. Clearly, this is a popular question, and you'll find plenty of authorities with different opinions on the subject.

It could be illuminating and worthwhile for you to spend some time reading what various sites have to say on this topic, but if you want to streamline things a bit, first ask yourself this question:

What do I want to build?

Carl Cheo

Just like words in the English language are the means to the end of communicating thoughts and ideas, programming languages are useful because they help you accomplish certain things. So when you're deciding what coding language to learn, it's incredibly important to think about what you want to build.

Want to build a website? Knowing HTML, CSS and Javascript will be important for you. More interested in building a smartphone app? You'll need to decide which platform you want to start with (Android or iOS), and then pick one of the corresponding languages such as Java and Objective-C.

Clearly, the above examples are not exhaustive; they just provide a taste of the questions you'll want to ask yourself when you're considering which language you should start with. The flow chart above could prove to be another helpful resource when you're trying to narrow your coding pursuit down to a language. And never underestimate the usefulness of Google; it will take some patience, but if you know what you want to build, researching what coding language it takes to build it can be well worth the time and patience.

Carl Cheo, who's behind that nifty flowchart seen above, also provides a handy breakdown of learning resources to consider based on the language you're looking to learn.

Codeacademy

Codeacademy

Once you've created a Codeacademy account and begin taking a course, the service keeps track of your progress, so it's easy to stop and start without needing to spend hours tracking down where you left off.

Another plus is that this service is targeted toward total beginners; it recommends complete newbies start with HTML and CSS, though it offers more advanced language courses as well.

You can browse by course type (web development, tools, APIs, data analytics and more), and thanks to the site's huge popularity  it boasts more than 20 million users  its forums are a great resource for asking and answering your own questions on anything from problems within a specific course to how to build what your heart desires.

Another pro: Codeacademy is free.

Some courses (or particular questions or problems within a course) aren't written perfectly clearly, which can lead to confusion on behalf of the user.

The robust Codeacademy forums can usually come to the rescue in these instances, though it can be discouraging to run upon a snag when most of the content is presented so seamlessly.

Best for:Free, dare I say fun coding lessons for some of the more basic languages. If you want to build a website, you can even take a course focused on the fundamentals of HTML and CSS, which you'll put to use as you practice building a site.

Languages offered: HTML & CSS, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, PHP, SQL, Sass

Code Avengers

Code Avengers

Courses through Code Avengers are fun and engaging  in this respect, it's comparable and even competitive with Codeacademy.

The biggest one is that there's a cost; while you can get a free trial, subscriptions  which give you full access to each course, rather than a limit of up to just five lessons in a course  cost $29 per month or $120 for six months.

Another disadvantage, at least compared to Codeacademy, is that there aren't any forums specific to individual courses, so it's harder to track down solutions if you're struggling with a certain problem within your course.

Compared to some other sites, you also have relatively few language options to study.

Best for: Those who want fun and games along the way to learning how to build real things through coding languages, since you'll complete mini-games after each lesson. Like Codeacademy, it's targeted toward beginners, and perhaps even more than Codeacademy, it's about learning basic concepts rather than all the nuts and bolts of a programming language. It's also an ideal choice for those who speak languages other than English, since courses are also offered in Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese and Russian, among other languages.

Languages offered: HMTL & CSS, JavaScript, Python

Khan Academy

Khan Academy

Everything is free, making Khan Academy one of the great resources for learning to code online without having to hand over credit card information.

Lessons are reasonably sized (not hours-long) and engaging.

The way new skills are presented and taught is also well-organized; you can jump to animation basics within the JavaScript materials, for instance.

Relatively few languages offered, and you won't enjoy the same thriving forum community as available with Codeacademy.

That may or may not make a difference depending on your learning style and preferences  it's just something to keep in mind.

Best for: Newbies who know what they want to build and want an engaging, straightforward way to learn skills. Additionally, Khan Academy will make the most sense for those who want to focus on graphics and gaming-type applications. There's also a focus on programming drawings and animations.

Languages offered: JavaScript, SQL

Code School

Code School

A great selection of courses, and a very helpful beginners guide that can inform your decision of which language to begin with.

In line with its reputation for providing professional-quality courses, Code School offers professionally curated content lists, along with podcasts and video shows.

You can dip your toes into the world of coding for iOS devices  something that isn't possible to do with most of the other resources mentioned in this list.

You might feel a bit lost if you come to Code School with zero prior programming knowledge. Plus, to get unlimited access to all the site's 71 courses and 254 screencasts, you'll need to pay ($29 a month or $19 a month with a yearly plan)  and if you want to use this site to its full potential you'll need to shell out.

Best for: Those who want to learn languages beyond the standard JavaScript and HTML/CSS, especially mobile languages for iOS apps such as Objective-C. It's not as beginner-oriented as the other resources on this list, so you might want to start with another site first and then make your way here after you have a few skills under your belt. Code School has more of a professional bent than many of the other resources mentioned in this article  if you're looking to become a programmer by trade, this could be a good place to spend some serious time (though be prepared to spend some money as well if you want access to all the material).

Languages offered: HTML & CSS, JavaScript, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, PHP, Python, Objective-C, Swift

Coursera

Coursera

Courses are available from world-renowned institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Stanford and the University of Michigan, so you know you're in good hands. Plus, most courses are free, though you can pay for some, including options that present you a certificate of completion at the end.

You won't find all the coding lessons in one easy-to-digest place, meaning it could help to come to this site knowing exactly what you're looking for. The courses generally aren't as engaging or interactive as those available through Codeacademy, Code Avengers or Khan Academy, either.

Best for: Self-motivated learners who have the dedication and the patience to do a bit of digging to find the course that makes the most sense for them, since unlike sites like Codeacademy, Coursera hosts educational material for a huge variety of subjects beyond programming.

Languages offered: HTML & CSS, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, Objective-C, Swift

You'll find additional languages based on your search terms, since Coursera is a repository for educational material on a wide variety of subjects

Treehouse

Treehouse

Includes mobile programming languages for iOS, so if you want to build an iPhone app, this site could help you learn how to do it.

You get access to community forums, which can further your learning and passion for coding in addition to helping you when you're stuck.

Once you've used up the free trial, Treehouse requires you to select one of two paid plans. The cheaper one costs $25 per month and gives you access to more than 1,000 video courses and interactive tools, while for $49 a month the "Pro Plan" gets you access to a members-only forum, bonus content, the ability to download videos for offline learning and more. Some of those features could definitely be useful, but you'll need to be pretty serious about learning to code for it to be worth paying that much on a monthly basis.

Best for: Those who are planning to stick with programming and utilize the skills they learn professionally or for some side projects, since most material requires a paid subscription. That's not to say you need to come to Treehouse with a ton of prior knowledge; having an idea of what you want to build is often enough since many of the courses are built around objectives, such as building a website.

Languages offered: HTML & CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, PHP, Swift, Objective-C, C#

Programming for Kids

All the above sites are geared toward beginners, but what about newbies of a tender age? You'll want to check out one of these sites geared toward children.

Options include Blockly, Scratch, and SwiftPlayground, and they introduce young ones to programming concepts in engaging, easy-to-follow ways with an emphasis on visuals.
Fox News Flash top headlines for November 15

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Voters in Portland, Oregon, driven by frustration with surging homelessness and a desire to make government more inclusive, have approved a ballot measure that will completely reinvent City Hall, ushering in seismic changes that local officials will have just two years to put in place.

The hotly debated measure will upend almost everything about how Portland is run. It will more than double the number of City Council members, overhaul how voting is conducted and dissolve a power structure that many saw as being plagued by mismanagement and bureaucracy.

Previous attempts to change the system failed, but following the sustained Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 and amid a spiraling homelessness crisis, this time "the broader conditions were really ripe for it to pass," said pollster John Horvick, senior vice president of DHM Research.

PORTLAND CITY COUNCIL VOTES TO BAN HOMELESS CAMPS, APPROVE NEW HOUSING PROJECT: REPORT

"The combination of dissatisfaction with the city, plus an effectively delivered message around inclusion in elections  that really resonated with a segment of voters," Horvick said.

Following the passage of the measure, which will update the city's charter for the first time in over 100 years, local officials are now scrambling to assess how to revamp City Hall by the two-year deadline, November 2024. They will also have to figure out how to juggle its multimillion-dollar price tag with the city's other financial priorities, including the construction of a network of campsites for homeless people.

Portland Commissioner Mingus Mapps, who campaigned against the measure, said implementing the reforms will be like "trying to launch to the moon" from an idea scribbled on the back of a napkin.

"I hope people realize that this is not a minor reform or even a major reform," he said. "This is a fundamental reimagining and rebuilding of local government here in Portland."

The measure will scrap Portland's unusual commission form of government, under which City Council members act as administrators of the citys bureaus, and replace it with the more common mayor-council system. It will expand the city council from five to 12 members, who will be elected by voters in the districts they represent rather by voters citywide. The four new districts will be "multi-member," meaning they will each be represented by three councilors. The mayor will no longer serve on the City Council, and a city administrator will be hired to oversee the bureaus.

Logistical complexities abound. For one, the current City Hall building, which was completed in 1895, doesnt have a big enough chamber, or enough office space, to accommodate the expanded council.

"We would certainly have to hold City Council meetings in a different building," Mapps said. "Literally, our City Hall building becomes obsolete."

Homeless encampments near downtown Portland. Homelessness is among the many issues affecting the city that voters bore in mind when opting to restructure its council (AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer, File)

The measure will also implement a form of ranked choice voting known as single transferable vote. Under the system, ballots are counted in rounds with City Council candidates only needing 25% of the vote to win. If a candidate exceeds that threshold, their surplus votes are transferred to the next candidate ranked on each voters ballot. If no candidate receives 25% in the first round, the one with the fewest votes is eliminated and their votes are transferred to the next preferred candidate on each voters ballot.

Changing Portlands charter had been on the ballot before  under city law, a 20-person commission must convene every 10 years to review it  and it had always failed to pass. But the most recent charter review process kicked off during the summer of 2020, as protests over the police killing of George Floyd erupted nightly on Portlands streets and a nationwide reckoning with racism prompted conversations about making government more accountable and equitable.

The group that campaigned for the measure, Portland United for Change, said the new system could boost voter turnout and make government more representative. It highlighted the months of listening sessions held with historically marginalized communities and its endorsements from dozens of community groups, including local chapters of the NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union.

OREGON ELECTION RESULTS: DEMOCRAT TINA KOTEK HOLDS OFF REPUBLICAN CHRISTINE DRAZAN IN GUBERNATORIAL RACE

Opponents pointed out that no other U.S. city uses this specific voting system for multi-member districts in City Council elections. They also denounced the price tag: City Hall estimates the transition could cost up to $17.7 million over the next three years, and that ongoing costs could reach $8.7 million per year.

Critics say this money is sorely needed to address the city's most pressing problems, including homelessness and crime. Just two days after Election Day, Mayor Ted Wheeler requested $27 million from the City Council to help fund the construction of city-designated campsites for homeless people, after the council's recent vote to ban street camping and create sanctioned camping areas.

Portland United for Change recognized that public outreach and education explaining how the new system works will be vital in the months to come. But the group also pointed to the wide margin of support seen in returns so far as a sign that many voters are open to the changes.

"I think it just truly shows that it was powered by the people and for the people," said Sol Mora, the group's campaign manager. "It just feels so exciting to know that at a time when democracy is under attack across the nation, Portland is serving as a model of the type of representation that all communities can have."

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Under the measure, Portland will hold its first election using geographic districts and ranked-choice voting in November 2024, with the new City Council taking office in January 2025.
Photo: Courtesy of Adisseo

Photo: Courtesy of Adisseo

As the Chinese saying goes,"food is the first necessity for the people." Ensuring adequate food for the Chinese people is always a top priority for China. As China has become a moderately prosperous society in all respects, having enough to eat is no longer a problem. The ever-growing needs of the people for a better life mean that they are concerned about whether their food is both good quality and nutritious.At the ongoing fifth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, exhibitors displaying food, nutrition and health products have garnered much attention, reflecting the huge potential of the Chinese market in these fields.Adisseo, a feed additive manufacturer from France, is participating in the CIIE for the fifth consecutive year. The company displayed its core products, including the liquid methionine product Rhodimet AT88, at the expo.China's strategic plans for the breeding industry and the livestock sector have created enormous market opportunities to the animal feed and additive industry, Hao Zhigang, Chairman of Adisseo, said in an inclusive interview during the expo. He added that the company stands ready to expand its operational scale and boost investment in China to meet the country's needs involving food security and green development.As an "old friend" of the CIIE, displayed multiple categories of animal nutrition products and solutions at the food and agricultural products exhibition area at the expo. Just like the other companies that have attended the expo on multiple occasions, Adisseo attaches great importance to the expo's role.Hao said the CIIE, which is the first import-themed state-level expo in the world, has become an important platform that helps China promote opening-up and "double circulation" of both domestic and international markets. The expo is a tremendous opportunity for companies like Adisseo to tap into the Chinese market.Methionine for ruminants, one of Adisseo's flagship products, is a feed additive mainly for livestock, and has many customers in Europe and the US. Thanks to the CIIE, Chinese dairy companies have gradually realized the value of methionine for ruminants, and Adisseo signed a contract with Chinese dairy giants such as Mengniu Dairy and Bright Food, Hao noted. "Through exchanges at the expo, our clients gained benefits from our products and we expanded the industrial chain in China through them," he said.Hao pointed out that Adisseo has strengthened its ties with leading enterprises in the industry, including Cargill, New Hope, Sunner, Mengniu and Bright Food, by participating in successive editions of the CIIE, which has continuously enhanced the company's influence in the industry and expanded its circle of friends.Adisseo's success story mirrors the charm of the CIIE. Statistics show that the four previous editions of the expo saw a cumulative intended turnover of more than $270 billion. The CIIE enables all countries and all parties to benefit from the opportunities of China's vast market as well as the country's institutional opening-up and deepened international cooperation.Prospects presented by the CIIE are illustrative of China's greater opportunities. By attending the expo each year, global companies can spot the latest market trends in the world's second-largest economy so that they can launch their products and services with a more targeted approach.Adisseo has more than 80 years of experience in the field of feed additives, which is a key element in the food value chain, especially in the animal protein supply chain.Take Adisseo's exhibits at the fifth CIIE as an example, Rovabio offers a range of enzyme solutions that helps improve the digestibility of feed stuff and contributes to a better breeding environment.SELISSEO enables animals to produce more antioxidant enzymes under stressful conditions, and helps them fight oxidative stress, and improves their health and productive performance. MetaSmart, a source of methionine for ruminants, provides essential nutrients for cows to increase milk yield and improve health and reproduction.Hao said Adisseo pays close attention to the goals for the breeding industry during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) period set by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), including making the hog breeding industry and poultry breeding industry a 1 trillion yuan (about $137.9 billion) market each. China is also implementing an action plan to revitalize the dairy industry and is promoting green aquaculture."China has provided a broad market for the animal feed and additive industry, which including not only the development plan for the poultry industry, but also the livestock secto," Hao said. He added that Adisseo plans to introduce its overseas products and services to the Chinese market; and as the market continues to expand, it actively seeks investment plans in China to realize localization and grow with the Chinese market.In September 2022, the second phase of Adisseo Nanjing Plant's liquid methionine project with a production capacity of 180,000 tons per year was officially put into operation, doubling the overall annual production capacity of the plant while making it one of the world's largest, most technologically advanced and most competitive liquid methionine production platforms.Meanwhile, the world's first industrial-scale FeedKind facility in Southwest China's Chongqing municipality, which was developed by Calysseo Chongqing Co, Ltd, a joint venture between Adisseo and Calysta, is in the commissioning stage and will start production in 2022.Hao noted that a ban on antibiotics imposed by the MARA in 2020 is another key issue. From July 1, 2020, feed manufacturers stopped the production of commercial feed containing antibiotic growth-promoting additives (excluding traditional Chinese medicine).Over recent years, the negative impacts of excessive use of antibiotics on food safety and the natural environment have become more severe, and banning antibiotics has become a trend in the livestock sector across the world.Noting that antibiotics were used to promote growth and improve immunity, Hao said the ban on antibiotics means replacing antibiotics with probiotics, biotin and other feed additives serving the same purposes, which will, in turn, create a large market.While "green" is a buzzword at the fifth CIIE, Adisseo adheres to the changes brought about by China's "dual carbon" goal, which is to peak carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. What is perhaps not widely known is that the feed additive industry is closely linked with low-carbon development.With regard to helping reduce CO2 emissions, feed additive companies like Adisseo work to ensure a reasonable ratio of feed to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions during the process of animal farming.The livestock sector is a significant contributor to global human-induced greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).FAO data showed that livestock supply chains emitted an estimated total of 8.1 gigatonnes CO2-eq in 2010, accounting for 26 percent of the global total. Methane (CH4) accounts for about 50 percent of the total. Cattle are the main contributor to the sector's emissions with about 5.0 gigatonnes CO2-eq, which represents about 62 percent of the sector's emissions.For example, cows may produce methane due to incomplete digestion of feed stuffs, Hao explained, adding that Adisseo's products can optimize the efficiency of nitrogen utilization and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases such as methane and CO2 in the breeding industry.In addition, Adisseo is committed to a sustainable development approach in areas such as the research and development of products, innovation in the production process, and business operations and management. While continuously improving its existing production process, Adisseo has included green development and innovation in its future development plans. Adisseo announced its goal to cut CO2 emissions and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Illinois Gaming Board has adopted a set of rules that aim to strengthen existing ethical safeguards and would require more people to present ethical disclosure reports when the regulator commences the process of selecting the holders of up to six new casino licenses.

The new rules are part of a recently approved massive gambling overhaul on the territory of the state that, among other things, includes the development of six new brick-and-mortar casinos and the authorization of sports betting.

The commission said on Friday that the new rules expanded the definition of a casino applicant to include any person or entity which has directly or indirectly expressed interestto an official or employee of a host community in obtaining an owners license.. regardless of whether that person or entity has submitted an application to the board.

Under the new rules, all license applicants and license holders would be required to disclose any violations or potential violationsof ethics laws that are committed by the applicants and holders or any of their employees or agents, violations by other applicants, license holders or their agents or employees, as well as violations made by any current or former official or employee of a casino host community, or by their spouses, children, or parents.

Boards Emergency Rulemaking Authority Enacted The New Rules

The new ethics rules were adopted by the Illinois gambling regulators emergency rulemaking authority. It enables the board to temporarily enforce rules, under particular circumstances, without having to go through the regular public notice and hearings processes. Rules adopted by the emergency authority are only valid for up to 150 days.

Commenting on their decision to skip the normal processes, Illinois Gambling Board Administrator Marcus Fruchter said that the purpose of the emergency rules was to strengthen the [boards] existing ethics requirements and enhance the transparency of the casino license selection process.

In June, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law a bill authorizing the development of new land-based casinos in Chicago, Rockford, Danville, Waukegan, Williamson County, and a Cook County suburbjust south of Chicago.

The states top official has said that he would be counting on casino revenue to help fund his ambitious $45 billion Rebuild Illinois infrastructure plan. The casino expansion is also hoped to help Chicago patch up a budget deficit.

However, the recently published results of a study commissioned by the city and conducted by Las Vegas-based consultant Union Gaming Analytics suggest that a casino in Windy City might not be a feasible endeavorbecause of an oneroustax structure outlined in Illinois recently revamped gambling law and the fact that the five proposed casino sites were located in areas that were highly unlikely to draw tourists.

Under state law, the preferred Chicago casino operator would have to contribute a third of its revenue to the city and pay multiple other burdening fees, including up to $120 million in gambling position feesor $3,000 per position for up to 4,000 slot machines and table games.

Chicagos Mayor, Lori Lightfoot has proposed five potential sites for the citys casinos. All five are located in the citys South and West sides. According to Union Gamings study none of them is likely to attract tourists as they are located in areas that are seen as unsafe and inconvenientor lack any nearby attractions.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the days top casino news stories
ESPNs $2 billion deal with PENN Entertainment to create ESPN Bet represents a massive bet on its ability to break what has quickly become a U.S. sports betting duopoly between FanDuel and DraftKings.

In the five years since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed individual states to set their own sports betting rules,home win tips sky racing tipsters FanDuel and DraftKings have used large marketing spends and their existing presence in fantasy sports to collectively control more than 70% of the domestic sports wagering market. Including Caesars and BetMGM, the combined market share reaches about 90%, leaving any other operator competing for scraps.

Even as key new states such as New York have entered the market over the past two years, FanDuel and DraftKings quickly established the same level of market dominance.
This week, for instance, the focus is posture and our intent is to connect to the dancer within.

Its not the five hours a day I spent there as teen, with dreams of becoming a professional dancer.

The Alvin Ailey Dance Studio stands at West 55th Street in New York City, drawing in dancers and creators worldwide.

That doesnt mean they wont collaborate, but its going to be a challenge for the ballroom dancers.

Ziegfelds-Secrets, which featured popular drag shows and nude male dancers, was forced to close when the owner of the building it rented terminated its lease to make way for a real estate development project. Top 10 local news stories of 2020|Lou Chibbaro Jr.|December 31, 2020|Washington Blade

Toomey glides around the room like a Brazilian capoeira dancer. How Taryn Toomeys The Class Became New Yorks Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

We went on to TrampHe was the most hideous dancer I had ever seen, she tells the Mail. From Playboy Prince to Dirty Old Man?|Tom Sykes|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

A professional ballroom dancer and instructor, her name reflects a parallel that runs in both BDSM and dance: symbiosis. Dungeons and Genital Clamps: Inside a Legendary BDSM Chateau|Ian Frisch|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

If I want to be a dancer, why are you getting personal with me? Nigel Lythgoe on How to Save Reality TV, On the Town, and Brokeback Ballroom|Kevin Fallon|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Who is the singer, dancer, actor who can do what Tony Yazbeck is doing? Nigel Lythgoe on How to Save Reality TV, On the Town, and Brokeback Ballroom|Kevin Fallon|October 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

A senior dancer enviously observed, that he never knew a clever boy turn out a great man. The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various

"Oh no, indeed," replied Mrs. Sin, tossing her head in a manner oddly reminiscent of a once famous Spanish dancer. Dope|Sax Rohmer

Perhaps it was the woman with the velvety black eyestall and straightthe best dancer in all Paris. The Real Latin Quarter|F. Berkeley Smith

At that time he kept a dancer and liked nothing better than high living. Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe
Hyphens are a difficult tool for many writers to master. They are often used between two words to form hyphenated compounds and within words when using some prefixes.

Coworker is one such word. The prefix co- is often used with a hyphen. Consider the words,

Co-owner

Co-designer

Co-conspirator

While some writers include the hyphen in co-worker, others omit it to form coworker. Correct grammar and punctuation is important for professional writing, which is also the most likely context for this word, so you will want to be sure you are using it correctly.

What is the Difference Between Coworker and Co-Worker?

In this article, I will compare coworker vs. co-worker. I will use each of these spellings in at least one example sentence.

Plus, I will give you a bit of advice on how to proceed with these two words. Should you choose coworker or co-worker for your own correspondence?

When to Use Coworker

What does coworker mean? Coworker is a noun that means a colleague or a person whose job intersects with ones own. Generally, coworkers engage in similar work and occupy similar roles within an organization.

Here are some examples,

My coworker Andy makes a delicious shrimp salad that is a hit at company parties.

Let me put you in touch with my coworker, Jill; she is the project manager on that contract.

If you are only responding to one coworker in your email, please do not click reply all.

In Garners Modern English Usage, the eponymous author recommends spelling the word without a hyphen (p. 230). The Chicago Manual of Stylealso prefers the unhyphenated coworker.

Some people, however, object to the spelling coworkerbecause it conjures up the idea of a cow: coworker.

When to Use Co-worker

Co-worker is the traditional spelling of the word. It was the predominant variant up until the end of the 20th century, and many publications still prefer it.

The above graph charts coworkervs. co-workeracross all English-speaking countries. As you can see, coworkerhas recently surpassed co-worker.

In American English, the preference for coworker is slightly stronger:

On the other hand, in British English, co-worker is much more common, to this day:

Despite these usage trends, most publications still seem to favor co-worker. The AP Stylebook,for instance, prefers the hyphenated co-worker, which explains why so many newspapers still use this form.

On one occasion, Santiago showed his former co-worker some photos from the battlefield. The Wall Street Journal

Now imagine you discover that your co-worker, when at home, regularly fails to do any of these things. The New York Times

Dating a co-worker can be convenient: You have a built-in coffee or lunch buddy; when you talk about work off the clock, your partner knows all the characters involved. The Washington Post

Trick to Remember the Difference

In short, both of these spellings are acceptable. The unhyphenated coworkerappears to be gaining ground in popular usage, but both spellings are used with great frequency.

Unfortunately, this is one of those spellings that a certain percentage of people will think its misspelled no matter what you choose.

My advice would be to check your company style guide (if one exists). If you adhere to AP Style, use co-worker. If you work at a publishing house and adhere to Chicago Style, use coworker.

If one doesnt exist, or you are a lone-wolf writer seeking help, default to the hyphenated co-worker. This spelling still seems to be the most used in edited, authoritative prose.

Summary

Is it coworker or co-worker? Coworker and co-worker are alternative spellings of a word indicating a person with whom someone works; a colleague.

Coworker and co-worker are roughly equal in their use worldwide.

At this time, I advise defaulting to the hyphenated co-worker.

If you ever need a quick refresher on any confusing words, you can always bookmark this site to help you out.
cash frenzy cash outshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dead reckoning New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun Navigation.calculation of one's position on the basis of distance run on various headings since the last precisely observed position, with as accurate allowance as possible being made for wind, currents, compass errors, etc.one's position as so calculated.

Words nearby dead reckoning

How to use dead reckoning dead reckoning nouna method of establishing one's position using the distance and direction travelled rather than astronomical observations Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question dead reckoningFirst recorded in 160515dead on one's feet, deadpan, dead point, dead president, dead-reckon, dead reckoning, dead ringer, deadrise, dead run, Dead Sea, Dead Sea fruitDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
debt of honour New Word List Save This bubble shooter 3 streaker bet 50000Word! Save ThisWord!

nouna debt that is morally but not legally binding, such as one contracted in gambling

Words nearby debt of honour

How to use in a sentence The Dallas Cowboys sell out their state-of-the art football stadium. Will Texas Stay Texan?|David Fontana|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Will Texas Stay Texan?|David Fontana|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST We happily hoist our egg nog in the air, embrace each other, and raise our out-of-tune voices in song. The Most Confusing Christmas Music Lyrics Explained (VIDEO)|Kevin Fallon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Most Confusing Christmas Music Lyrics Explained (VIDEO)|Kevin Fallon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST DISH delivers a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience to every room of your home, wirelessly. Four TV Shows We Cant Wait to Return In 2015|DISH|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Four TV Shows We Cant Wait to Return In 2015|DISH|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST The company recently partnered with Oakley to create a one-of-a-kind single malt Scotch flask. The Restaurant, Flask, And Photography Worthy of The Macallan Whisky||December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST A much larger number are immediately separated from their infants, who are typically placed in some form of out-of-home care. The GOPs Hidden Ban on Prison Abortions|Harold Pollack|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The GOPs Hidden Ban on Prison Abortions|Harold Pollack|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST Honour the physician for the need thou hast of him: for the most High hath created him. The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various

The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various Great was the surprise of Alf at the honour and labour thus thrust upon him, but he did not shrink from it. The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne

The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne Toward the close of it were the usual number of toasts in honour of Liszt, to which he responded in rather a bored sort of way. Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay

Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay You never know when you are going to stumble upon a jewel in the most out-of-the-way corner. Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay

Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay All Koreans pay great honour to their dead parents, and tablets to their memory are placed in some room set apart for the purpose. Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondebt, debt consolidation, debt issue, debt limit, debt of honor, debt of honour, debtor, debtor nation, debt service, debt swap, debudCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
planet bet365 mobile royal100winshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dairying [ dair-ee-ing ]/ dr i  / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dair-ee-ing ]/ dr i  /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nounthe business of a dairy.

Words nearby dairying

How to use dairying dairying/ (dr) / nounthe business of producing, processing, and selling dairy products Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question dairyingFirst recorded in 164050; dairy + -ingdairy breed, dairy cattle, dairyer, dairy factory, dairy farm, dairying, dairyland, dairymaid, dairyman, dairywoman, daisDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
M.A., Geography, California State University - Northridge

B.A., Geography, University of California - Davis

Although refugees have been a constant and accepted part of human migration for centuries, the development of the nation-state and fixed borders in the 19th century caused countries to shun refugees and turn them into international pariahs. In the past, groups of people facing religious or racial persecution would often move to a more tolerant region. Today, political persecution is a major cause of out-migration of refugees, and the international goal is to repatriate refugees as soon as conditions in their home country become stable.

According to the United Nations, a refugee is a person who flees their home country due to a "well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion."

Refugee Population

There are an estimated 11-12 million refugees in the world today. This is a dramatic increase since the mid-1970s when there were less than 3 million refugees worldwide. However, it is a decrease since 1992, when the refugee population was nearly 18 million high due to the Balkan conflicts.

The end of the Cold War and the end of regimes that kept social order led to the dissolution of countries and changes in politics, which subsequently led to unbridled persecution and a huge increase in the number of refugees.

Refugee Destinations

When a person or family decides to leave their home country and seek asylum elsewhere, they generally travel to the closest safe area possible. Thus, while the world's largest source countries for refugees include Afghanistan, Iraq, and Sierra Leone, some of the countries hosting the most refugees include countries like Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, Iran, and Guinea. Approximately 70% of the world refugee population is in Africa and the Middle East.

In 1994, Rwandan refugees flooded into Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Tanzania to escape the genocide and terror in their country. In 1979, when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, Afghanis fled to Iran and Pakistan. Today, refugees from Iraq migrate to Syria or Jordan.

Internally Displaced Persons

In addition to refugees, there's a category of displaced people known as "internally displaced persons" who are not officially refugees because they have not left their own country but are refugee-like inasmuch as they have been displaced by persecution or armed conflict within their own country. The leading countries of internally displaced persons include Sudan, Angola, Myanmar, Turkey, and Iraq. Refugee organizations estimate that there are between 12-24 million IDP's worldwide. Some consider the hundreds of thousands of evacuees from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 as internally displaced persons.

History of Major Refugee Movements

Major geopolitical transitions have caused some of the largest refugee migrations in the twentieth century. The Russian Revolution of 1917 caused approximately 1.5 million Russians who opposed communism to flee. One million Armenians fled Turkey between 1915-1923 to escape persecution and genocide. Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, two million Chinese fled to Taiwan and Hong Kong. The world's largest population transfer in history occurred in 1947 when 18 million Hindus from Pakistan and Muslims from India were moved between newly the created countries of Pakistan and India. Approximately 3.7 million East Germans fled to West Germany between 1945 and 1961, when the Berlin Wall was constructed.

When refugees flee from a less developed country to a developed country, the refugees can legally remain in the developed country until the situation in their home country has become stable and no longer threatening. However, refugees who have migrated to a developed country often prefer to remain in the developed country since their economic situation is often much better. Unfortunately, these refugees often have to remain illegally in the host country or return to their home country.

The United Nations and Refugees

In 1951, the United Nations Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons was held in Geneva. This conference led to the treaty called the "Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees of 28 July 1951." The international treaty establishes the definition of a refugee and their rights. A key element of the legal status of refugees is the principle of "non-refoulement" -- a prohibition of the forcible return of people to a country where they have reason to fear prosecution. This protects refugees from being deported to a dangerous home country.

The United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees (UNHCR) is the United Nations agency established to monitor the world refugee situation.

The refugee problem is a serious one; there are so many people around the world who need so much help and there are just not enough resources to help them all. The UNHCR tries to encourage host governments to provide assistance, but most of the host countries are struggling themselves. The refugee problem is one in which developed countries ought to take a greater part to reduce human suffering worldwide.
Composition is the term used to describe the arrangement of the visual elements in a painting or other artwork. It is how the elements of art and designline, shape, color, value, texture, form, and spaceare organized or composed according to the principles of art and designbalance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, rhythm, unity/varietyand other elements of composition, to give the painting structure and convey the intent of the artist.

Composition is different from the subject matter of a painting. Every painting, whether abstract or representational, regardless of subject matter, has a composition. Good composition is essential to the success of a painting. Done successfully, good composition draws the viewer in and then moves the viewer's eye across the whole painting so that everything is taken in, finally settling on the main subject of the painting.

Composition According to Henri Matisse

"Composition is the art of arranging in a decorative manner the diverse elements at the painter's command to express his feelings." - Henri Matisse in "Notes of a Painter."

Elements of Composition

The elements of composition in art are used to arrange or organize the visual components in a way that is pleasing to the artist and, one hopes, the viewer. They help give structure to the layout of the painting and the way the subject is presented. They can also encourage or lead the viewer's eye to wander around the whole painting, taking in everything and ultimately coming back to rest on the focal point. In Western art the elements of composition are generally considered to be:

Unity: Do all the parts of the composition feel as if they belong together, or does something feel stuck on, awkwardly out of place?

Do all the parts of the composition feel as if they belong together, or does something feel stuck on, awkwardly out of place? Balance: Balance is the sense that the painting "feels right" and not heavier on one side. Having a symmetrical arrangement adds a sense of calm, whereas an asymmetrical arrangement creates a more dynamic feeling. A painting that is not balanced creates a sense of unease.

Balance is the sense that the painting "feels right" and not heavier on one side. Having a symmetrical arrangement adds a sense of calm, whereas an asymmetrical arrangement creates a more dynamic feeling. A painting that is not balanced creates a sense of unease. Movement: There are many ways to give a sense of movement in a painting, such as the arrangement of objects, the position of figures, the flow of a river. You can use leading lines (a photography term applicable to painting) to direct the viewer's eye into and around the painting. Leading lines can be actual lines, such as the lines of a fence or railroad, or they can be implied lines, such as a row of trees or curve of stones or circles.

There are many ways to give a sense of movement in a painting, such as the arrangement of objects, the position of figures, the flow of a river. You can use leading lines (a photography term applicable to painting) to direct the viewer's eye into and around the painting. Leading lines can be actual lines, such as the lines of a fence or railroad, or they can be implied lines, such as a row of trees or curve of stones or circles. Rhythm: In much the same way music does, a piece of art can have a rhythm or underlying beat that leads your eye to view the artwork at a certain pace. Look for the large underlying shapes (squares, triangles, etc.) and repeated color.

In much the same way music does, a piece of art can have a rhythm or underlying beat that leads your eye to view the artwork at a certain pace. Look for the large underlying shapes (squares, triangles, etc.) and repeated color. Focus (or Emphasis): The viewer's eye ultimately wants to rest on the "most important" thing or focal point in the painting, otherwise the eye feels lost, wandering around in space.

(or Emphasis): The viewer's eye ultimately wants to rest on the "most important" thing or focal point in the painting, otherwise the eye feels lost, wandering around in space. Contrast: Paintings with high contraststrong differences between light and dark, for examplehave a different feel than paintings with minimal contrast in light and dark, such as in Whistler Nocturneseries. In addition to light and dark, contrast can be differences in shape, color, size, texture, type of line, etc.

Paintings with high contraststrong differences between light and dark, for examplehave a different feel than paintings with minimal contrast in light and dark, such as in Whistler Nocturneseries. In addition to light and dark, contrast can be differences in shape, color, size, texture, type of line, etc. Pattern: A regular repetition of lines, shapes, colors, or values in a composition.

A regular repetition of lines, shapes, colors, or values in a composition. Proportion:How things fit together and relate to each other in terms of size and scale; whether big or small, nearby or distant.

The elements of composition are notthe same as the elements of art, though composition is sometimes included as one of the latter.

Updated by Lisa Marder 7/20/16

Watch Now: A Guide To Learning About The Rules Of Composition
stars casino surewins predictionshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dance of death New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nouna symbolic dance in which Death, represented as a skeleton, leads people or skeletons to their grave.a representation of this theme in art.

Words nearby dance of death

How to use dance of death dance of death nouna pictorial, literary, or musical representation, current esp in the Middle Ages, of a dance in which living people, in order of social precedence, are led off to their graves, by a personification of deathAlso called (French): danse macabre Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question dance of deathFirst recorded in 147080dance floor, dance form, dancegoer, dancehall, dance music, dance of death, dancer, dancercise, dancerly, dance therapy, dance to another tuneDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Mere days after it received a White Label Partner of the Year awardfor the second consecutive year, EveryMatrix announced that it has extended its portfolio and added new games. From now on, EveryMatrix will work in collaboration with Codeta  a promising provider of gaming products and services.

The new casino Codeta is owned by Portrush Ltd. The company itself has been founded by Edward and Christian Ihre. As for Edward Ihre, he has a vast experience in the gambling industry as he used to work for Ladbrokes, Ongame, PokerStars. The live casino games, available at Codeta casino are powered by Evolution Gaming.

The ultimate aim of Codeta is to provide realistic and exciting live casino products that would be appealing to table games fans. The collaboration with Codeta enables EveryMatrix to diversify its already extensive portfoliothat comprises of titles, developed by leading software providers including but not limited to NetEnt, PlayNGo, IGT, MicroGaming, Lucky Streak, etc.

Edward Ihre commented on the matter and said that various market researches confirmed the growing demand for high quality live casino products. He added that Codetas main objective was to challenge the online gambling industryby applying an unusual approach. He also added that the finished project was the result of a 13-month commitment and unprecedented research phase. Mr. Ihre reassured live casino fans that this would not be a standard online casino. Quite the opposite, he defined Codeta as the next big thing on the market.

Ebbe Groes, EveryMatrix CEO, commented on the new partnership and said he was delighted to welcome Codeta. He also added the platform was not a standard everyday casino and EveryMatrix was honoured to be the partner of choice of Codeta.

Mr. Groes also mentioned that the live casino is one of the fastest growing sectors and expectations are to conquer even bigger market share and register an 18% growth in the next two years.

The addition of the Codeta platform follows yet another milestone EveryMatrix achieved mere days ago when it opened its10th global office. EveryMatrix CEO said the reason why a new development office in Vietnam was launched was because of countrys commercial potential and the high chances of attracting new players looking for top quality mobile and desktop solutions.

Back in 2015, EveryMatrix targeted more than 30 countries where it is planning to apply for a licence. Key European jurisdictions, including the UK, Malta, Belgium have already given the company the green light to providing its services to the residents.
Nelson Peltz is botany bay from londona renowned activist investor and billionaire. With Peter May and Edward Garden, he founded Trian Fund Management. L.P. in 2005.

Peltz has served on the boards of multiple corporations, including Ingersoll-Rand, Mondelez International, and Proctor & Gamble.

Key Takeaways

 Nelson Peltz co-founded Trian Fund Management, L.P. in 2005.

 He is an activist investor who seeks to own a significant stake in publicly-traded companies.

 Peltz has sat on the boards of Proctor & Gamble, Ingersoll-Rand, and the Heinz Company.





Early Life and Education

Nelson Peltz was born on June 24, 1942, in Brooklyn, New York. He briefly attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. In 1963, Peltz joined A. Peltz & Sons, a wholesale food distribution business founded by his grandfather in 1896, as a delivery truck driver.

Peltz grew the small company with brother Robert B. Peltz and Peter May, shifting the product line from produce to institutional frozen food, and launching Flagstaff Corp. With $150 million in sales, Flagstaff Corp. went public in 1972.



Buying and Selling

In 1979, Peltz sold the foodservice business division of Flagstaff Corp. to a group of investors, one of many lucrative financial transactions he would make in the food industry.

During the 1980s, Nelson Peltz turned a modest income into a multi-million dollar fortune through various leveraged buyouts financed with junk bonds, controversial high-yield instruments sold by financier Michael Milken.

He acquired an interest in Triangle Industries in 1983, valued at an estimated $80 million, and sold it for $4 billion in 1988. Junk bonds helped finance his acquisition of National Can Corporation in 1985 for $460 million and the packaging division of American Can Company in 1986 for $570 million.

In 1997, through an investment vehicle they established, Triarc Companies, Inc., Peltz and partner Peter May, bought Snapple from Quaker Oats for $300 million, successfully turned the company around, and sold the beverage company three years later to Cadburys Schweppes for over $1.45 billion.



Trian Fund Management

In 2005, Nelson Peltz co-founded Trian Fund Management with Peter May and Edward Garden. A hedge fund investment firm, Trian has investments in companies such as Wendys, BNY Mellon, Ingersoll Rand, Legg Mason Inc., Heinz, Kraft Foods, Family Dollar, Tiffany & Co., and Dominos Pizza. Trian Fund Management has $8.5 billion in assets under management as of 2022.

Regarded as an activist investor, Nelson Peltz, with Trian, buys stakes in companies considered undervalued and then lobbies for changes within the company such as higher dividends, share buybacks, cost cuts, management changes, and sometimes company dissolution. Nelson Peltz has successfully acquired board seats at many companies through Trian Fund Management. Peltz vied for a board seat at food and beverage giant Pepsico to encourage its beverage unit to spin off from the better performing snacks division.

ACTIVIST INVESTOR

An individual or group that buys a significant stake in a public company to influence how the company is run, such as by obtaining seats on its board of directors.

Peltz has also successfully lobbied and won board seats at Ingersoll-Rand, Heinz, Mondelez International, and Proctor & Gamble, all to influence change and increase stock prices. In 2022, Trian Fund Management is now represented on the board of Janus Henderson and is aiming to influence Unilever after amassing a large stake in the consumer products giant.

How Did Nelson Peltz Change Snapple?

When Nelson Peltz invested in Snapple, the turnaround was featured as a Harvard Business School case study. Peltz concluded that the brand and culture were out of alignment at Snapple and both the brand and the corporate owner would suffer. His investment and influence created a successful change.

How Has Nelson Peltz Donated to Political Fundraisers?

Nelson Peltz has donated to the presidential elections of George W. Bush and Donald Trump.

Why Does Nelson Peltz Refer to Himself as a Constructivist?

The term activist investor often has a negative connotation as one who would like to bombard a company with changes and unnecessary influence. Peltz prefers the term constructivist, claiming he merely presses companies to increase revenues and encourages them to spend more on marketing.

The Bottom Line

Since 1972, when his first company was sold, Nelson Peltz has continued to make substantial investments in American corporations. Along with his hedge fund firm, Trian Fund Management, Peltz, an activist investor, has been a force at companies such as Proctor & Gamble, DuPont, and Family Dollar.


A recent report by the Law Commission has put forward cryptocurrency as a form of payment for gambling.

In a recent report,ravens bills odds do you play poker the Law Commission of India have taken cryptocurrency into account as a valid payment method for online gambling. They revealed they would be pursuing the implementation of virtual currency for payments on online casino sites. This proposal was stated in their 276threport to the Union Minister Of Law and Justice. Though only a proposal, this represents a pretty significant U-turn when it comes to crypto and gambling, both of which are currently prohibited in India.

Wagering Without Cash

The regulator proposed that digital currencies could be a positive solution to many of the issues with gambling in India, leading to better regulation and the ability to identify and deal with problems. The overall message was that gambling without physical cash is the way to go. Cryptocurrencies, contrary to popular believe, could actually improve the state of online gambling in India.

The commission stated that transactions could be made cashless, with credit cards, debit cards, NET banking and virtual currency. Furthermore, the report suggested that transactions be linked with operators and players PAN cards to ensure transparency and state supervision. Players would have to opt-in to online gambling, and the state would be able to intervene if there are any issues.

More Secure Gaming

Cryptocurrency, and the blockchain technology which is core to its existence, is proving to be revolutionary across many industries, but it sits particularly well with gambling. Platforms such as CoinPoker already provide players the opportunity to play poker online for cryptocurrency. They also utilize blockchain technology and smart contracts, both of which have distinct advantages.

Gambling using the blockchain is more transparent, and greatly reduces any opportunities for fraud. The Random Number Generator (RNG), which rolls the dice or spins the wheel, so to speak, is audited on the blockchain, and once set cannot be tampered with. This means that site owners have no say in how the outcomes land, while players can confirm the randomness of their games by surveying the blockchain.

Payments can be handled using smart contracts, which remove the need for any human tampering with transactions. When payers win they can be automatically paid. Its the kind of trust that will bring in new players, and give existing players faith in the industry.

Proper Regulations Overdue

Legislation around casinos and gambling varies greatly around the world. Both cryptocurrency and gambling have been on quite the journey when it comes to regulations in India.

In July, the Supreme Court held its latest hearing around the legitimacy of cryptocurrencies, but not enough arguments were brought forward to move the case forward, or for the crypto-freeze to melt away. The final hearing will take place 11thSeptember, where the fate of cryptocurrency in India will be decided, for now at least.

The governing body responsible for creating the regulatory framework for cryptocurrency is not pushing a blanket ban. They are trying to put together a case for the proper regulations in order for cryptocurrency to be useful in society, and are currently in the final stages of finalising this framework.

The latest report from the Law Commission of India demonstrates that the battle of cryptocurrency is just beginning. Both lawmakers and government figures are focused on finding the right regulatory policy to make it work. Online gambling and sports betting is one area in which cryptocurrency seems to be able to play a positive role, and the report suggests that it could, one day, become a valid payment method.

Category: Casino Blog
Fox News Flash top headlines for November 14

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Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation is encouraging residents to participate in cleanup events throughout the state this month.

So far more than eight tons of trash has been collected in the department's No Trash November initiative.

INDIANA AUTHORITIES CATCH ILLEGAL DUMPER AFTER RECEIPT FOUND IN GARBAGE

The University of Tennessee is teaming up with the department's Nobody Trashes Tennessee campaign for a cleanup event Tuesday morning. Participants will meet at the Torchbearer statue on the Knoxville campus where they will receive cleanup supplies and safety instruction.

Thousands of Tennessee residents are taking part in 'No Trash November' cleanup events throughout the state this month in order to keep their community clean.
Math anxiety or fear of math is actually quite common. Math anxiety, like test anxiety is quite similar to stage fright. Why does someone suffer stage fright? Fear of something going wrong in front of a crowd? Fear of forgetting the lines? Fear of being judged poorly? Fear of going completely blank? Math anxiety conjures up fear of some type. The fear that one won't be able to do the math or the fear that it's too hard or the fear of failure which often stems from having a lack of confidence. For the most part, math anxiety is the fear about doing the math right, our minds draw a blank and we think we'll fail and of course the more frustrated and anxious our minds become, the greater the chance for drawing blanks. Added pressure of having time limits on math tests and exams also cause the levels of anxiety grow for many students.

Where Does Math Anxiety Come From?

Usually math anxiety stems from unpleasant experiences in mathematics. Typically math phobics have had math presented in such a fashion that it led to limited understanding. Unfortunately, math anxiety is often due to poor teaching and poor experiences in math which typically leads to math anxiety. Many of the students I've encountered with math anxiety have demonstrated an over reliance on procedures in math as opposed to actually understanding the math. When one tries to memorize procedures, rules and routines without much understanding, the math is quickly forgotten and panic soon sets in. Think about your experiences with one concept  the division of fractions. You probably learned about reciprocals and inverses. In other words, 'It's not yours to reason why, just invert and multiply'. Well, you memorized the rule and it works. Why does it work? Do you really understand why it works? Did anyone every use pizzas or math manipulatives to show you why it works? If not, you simply memorized the procedure and that was that. Think of math as memorizing all the procedures - what if you forget a few? Therefore, with this type of strategy, a good memory will help, but, what if you dont' have a good memory. Understanding the math is critical. Once students realize they can do the math, the whole notion of math anxiety can be overcome. Teachers and parents have an important role to ensure students understand the math being presented to them.

Myths and Misconceptions

None of the following is true!

You're born with a math gene, either you get it or you don't.

Math is for males, females never get math!

It's hopeless, and much too hard for average people.

If the logical side of your brain isn't your strength, you'll never do well in math.

Math is a cultural thing, my culture never got it!

There's only one right way to do math.

Overcoming Math Anxiety

A positive attitude will help. However, positive attitudes come with quality teaching for understanding which often isn't the case with many traditional approaches to teaching mathematics. Ask questions, be determined to 'understand the math'. Don't settle for anything less during instruction. Ask for clear illustrations and or demonstrations or simulations. Practice regularly, especially when you're having difficulty. Take good notes or use journals effectively. When total understanding escapes you, hire a tutor or work with peers that understand the math. You can do the math, sometimes it just take a different approach for you to understand some of the concepts. Don't just read over your notes - do the math. Practice the math and make sure you can honestly state that you understand what you are doing. Be persistent and don't over emphasize the fact that we all make mistakes. Remember, some of the most powerful learning stems from making a mistake. Learn from mistakes.

Find out more about the myths of doing math and you too will overcome math anxiety. And, if you think making mistakes is a bad thing, look again. Sometimes the most powerful learning stems from making mistakes. Find out how to learn from your mistakes.

You might also want to find out what the 3 most common errors in math are and review the remedies to overcome them.
Analysis is a commonly used word in college writing. If you are doing quantitative research in any of the STEM fields, you will likely use analysisin all of your written reports and throughout your college career.

The problem is, some studentsespecially ESL studentsarent sure how to make analysis plural.

No worries; we are here to help.

What is the Plural Form of Analysis?

Most nouns are made plural simply by adding the letter sto the end of the word.

More than one car = cars.

More than one tree = trees.

More than one book = books.

More than one shirt = shirts.

The word analysis is a bit different. The plural form of analysisis analyses.

Singular = Analysis

Plural = Analyses

To make analysis plural, you change the letter i into an e.This then signals a change in pronunciation, see below.

When to Use Analysis

Analysisis the singular form of the word, meaning it refers to a single study, report, examination, etc.

A new analysis of data from a large national study has found that carrying fat around the middle of the body greatly raises the risk for heart disease and death, even for those of normal weight. The New York Times

The Citizens Budget Commission analysis found that 25 percent of tenants in the citys largest borough pay at least half their income to the landlord. New York Post



How do you pronounce analysis? The singular analysisis pronounced uh-nal-ih-sis. The technical diacritic spelling is -nal i-sis.

When to Use Analyses



Analysesis plural for analysis, meaning is refers to multiple studies, reports, examinations, etc.

They have driven down their valuation to an average of only about 60 percent of real market value, according to separate analyses by the Houston Chronicle and the Texas Association of Appraisal Districts. Houston Chronicle

People really loved Grantland, given its mix of super-in-depth movie reviews and 3,000-word analyses of individual NBA teams zone defenses. The Wall Street Journal

How do you pronounce analyses? The plural analysesis pronounced uh-nal-ih-seez. The technical diacritic spelling is -nal i-sez.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Not sure you will be able to remember when to use analysis or analyses? If you can remember this simple trick, you will be all set.

Analysis is singular. If you look at the word analysis, it ends in the same few letters that the word singular begins with. Analysis is singular. Both words have an s-i in them.

Analysesis the plural form of analysis, which means there are more than one. In other words, there are several analyses. Both words have an s-e in them.



Summary

The difference between analysis vs. analyses is the difference between singular vs. plural.

Analysisis the singular form.

Analysesis the plural of analysis.

If you need additional help with any other English words, visit our main confusing words page. We have hundreds of the most commonly confused English words with detailed explanations, examples, and quizzes.

You can also visit our online grammar dictionary for help with grammar and literary terms.
Most machines you find at the gym are engineered to train specific musclesusually a primary muscle and one or more secondary muscles. Thecasinos review caesars palace cafe chest press machine works your pectorals and shoulders, while the leg curl machine hits your quadriceps and hamstrings. So depending on the muscles you want to train, every machine is effective in its own way.

But lets say you only have 20 or 30 minutes at the gym, and youre looking for machines that offer the most total-body training benefits. If youre pressed for time, there are some machines that train your muscular fitness and cardiovascular fitness at the same time, says Chris Gagliardi, a certified personal trainer and weight management coach with the American Council on Exercise.

Rowing machine

Like running or swimming, rowing is a good aerobic workout that fires up your heart and lungs, Gagliardi says. But rowing also trains a diverse set of muscles. You drive through your hips and legs to start the rowing movement, you have to activate your core to maintain posture, and then you have arm, shoulder and back involvement, he explains. Its really a great workout.

Find your best indoor workout with TIMEs new guide to exercise.

He recommends asking a trainer at your gym to help you with your rowing form. (In fact, thats good advice for any machine at the gym.) When rowing, you dont want to lock your knees, and you also dont want to hunch way over and arch your back, he says. These mistakes can lead to injuries or inefficient workouts. Instead, you want to keep your legs loose and slightly bent at the knee while keeping your back straight. The forward and backward pivoting should come from the hips, not from bending your back, he adds. (If you dont have access to a trainer, you can find good instructional videos online.)

Air bike

This is the stationary bike that has upright, movable handles like an elliptical machine, as well as a big air-generating fan wheel up front. Its another great option for a total-body workout. Again, youre getting the cardiovascular component, but youre also improving muscle fitness, Gagliardi says.

Any and all types of cycling will train your lower body. And if you can find an air bike machine that has foot straps, which many do, youll get more involvement from your knee and hip muscles, thanks to the pulling-up motion involved in this kind of pedaling, he says. Meanwhile, the push-pull action of the upright handles works most of the major muscles of your upper body. When youre pushing, youre using a lot of muscles on the front of your bodyyour chest and anterior shoulder muscles, he says. And while youre pulling, youre using your back and posterior shoulder muscles. Youre also working your arms, and youll need to keep your core engaged for stability, he adds.

Stair-climbing machine

The stair climber also provides an excellent combination of aerobic and lower-body training. Youll train your hip flexors and extensors, your knee flexors and extensors, your glutes and your hamstrings, Gagliardi says.

A great thing about the stair-climbing machine, he adds, is that it builds functional strengthmeaning muscles or moves you use frequently in everyday life. Especially as you age and poor balance or stability become concerns, functional exercises are a great way to maintain your physical capabilities.

Circuit training

Rather than spend all your time on one of these three machines, squeezing in all three is a good idea, he says. Even if you can only devote five minutes to each apparatus, thats enough to get a serious total-body burn going onprovided you push yourself.

If youre looking for even more variety, circuit training is a great option, Gagliardi says. Circuit training is any workout that involves repeating a string or sequence of different exercisesor in this case, exercise machines.

So rather than stay put on one machine until youre finished with it, youll move from one to the next and then start over again, he explains. The trick with circuit training is to make sure consecutive machines dont engage the exact same muscles, which can wear you out quickly. It helps to alternate upper body and lower body machines, he says.

A personal trainer can help you develop an effective, time-efficient circuit training routineand he or she can make sure your form is good, which will lower your risk for injuries.

These strength and cardio routines arent just ideal for people crunched for time. Even if you have a lot of time, I love all these workouts, Gagliardi says.
What is nft non fungible token meaningHedged Tender?

A hedged tender is an investment strategy where an investor sells short a portion of shares they own in anticipation that not all shares tendered will be accepted. This strategy is used to protect against the risk of loss, in case the tender offer does not go through. The offer locks in the shareholder's profit no matter the outcome of the tender offer.

Key Takeaways

A hedged tender is a way to counteract the risk that the offering company refuses some or all of an investor's shares that are submitted as part of a tender offer.

A tender offer is a proposal from one investor or company to purchase a set number of shares of another company's stock at a price that is higher than the current market price.

How a Hedged Tender Works

A hedged tender is a way to counteract the risk that the offering company refuses some or all of an investor's shares that are submitted as part of a tender offer. A tender offer is a proposal from one investor or company to purchase a set number of shares of another company's stock at a price that is higher than the current market price.

Hedged Tender as Insurance

A hedged tender strategy, or any type of hedging, is a form of insurance. Hedging in a business context or in a portfolio is about decreasing or transferring risk. Consider that a corporation may want to hedge against currency risk, so it decides to build a factory in another country that it exports its product to.

Investors hedge because they want to protect their assets against a negative market event that causes their assets to depreciate. Hedging may imply a cautious approach, but many of the most aggressive investors use hedging strategies to increase their opportunities for positive returns. By mitigating risk in one part of a portfolio, an investor can often take on more risk elsewhere, increasing their absolute returns while putting less capital at risk in each individual investment.

Another way to look at it is hedging against investment risk means strategically using market instruments to offset the risk of any adverse price movements. In other words, investors hedge one investment by making another.

Example of a Hedged Tender

An example would be if an investor has 5,000 shares of Company ABC. An acquiring company then submits a tender offer of $100 per share for 50% of the target company when the shares are worth $80. The investor then anticipates that in a tender of all 5,000 shares the bidder would accept only 2,500 pro-rata. So, the investor determines that the best strategy would be to sell 2,500 shares short after the announcement and when the price of the stock approaches $100. Company ABC then buys only 2,500 of the original shares at $100. In the end, the investor has sold all shares at $100 even as the price of the stock drops following news of the potential transaction.
Gambling advertising could be restricted further in Bulgariaas a bill on the matter gained earlier today support from the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria party (GERB) as well as from the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), in a rare case of political concord on a given issue between the countrys major parties.

Sponsored by Deputy Prime Minister Valery Simeonov, the bill calls for the introduction of stricter controls on the way gambling products and services are advertisedacross Bulgarian media. If it comes into force, it will close loopholes in the countrys current gambling advertising regulations that make it possible for operators to indirectly advertise their products despite an overall ban on direct advertising.

Minister Simeonov met Thursday morning with representatives from GERB and BSP, seeking support for his gambling advertising bill as well as for several other non-gambling legislative pieces.

Leaders of both GERB and BSP told Minister Simeonov that they would back the proposed changes as these would curb the aggressive promotion of gambling servicesacross television, radio, and the Internet.

Following todays meeting, GERB leader Tsvetan Tsvetanov said that current regulations are creating favorable conditions for overly extreme promotion of various gambling-related products. The politician further pointed out that the current state of affairs represents an epidemic that plagues the youngest membersof the countrys population as well as people of lower financial status who seem to be susceptible to the allure of gambling activities.

Socialist Party leader Korneliya Ninova said today that they believe the proposed legislation would provide the necessary controlsand that they would support it. Ms. Ninova added that taxing gambling companies at a lower rate, while imposing heavy taxes on childrens food represent rather odd policy-making approaches that prioritize the countrys gambling industry over its youngest residents.

Ms. Ninovas comments could have suggested that changes in the way gambling companies are taxed in Bulgariacould also be brought up for consideration, although she did not dwell further on the matter.

After his meetings, Minster Simeonov pointed out that with support from two major parties his legislative proposal would probably pass a parliamentary voteand there would probably be little hurdles to obstruct its implementation.

Gambling Advertising in Bulgaria

Direct advertising of gambling products and services is prohibited in Bulgaria under the countrys current gambling law. However, there have been certain loopholes in the existing regulationsthat have allowed gambling operators to promote their activities indirectly on television and radio.

As a result, the names of gambling products, including scratchcards and different games, as well as the names of the companies behind any such activities can be mentioned across media under certain circumstances, and this is not considered illegal. For instance, special programs during which draws of the Bulgarian Sports Totalizator take place or the results from or the winners of different gambling activities are announced are often used to as a way for different gambling products to be advertised indirectly. Such programs are usually broadcast around or during prime time.

Minister Simeonovs bill aims to close such loopholes and to urge the countrys gambling regulator, the Bulgarian State Gaming Commission, to adopt harsher policies in relation to the regulation and prevention of aggressive gambling advertising.

Bulgarias gambling market was worth BGN3 billion (approximately $1.9 billion)in 2017, as Casino News Dailyreported last month citing local news outlets. The Southeast European country has seen its gambling industry grow at a stable pace since the introduction of its current gambling law back in 2013. The massively popular scratchcards have been the main driver of growth over the past several years. Revenue from those totaled BGN320 million in the year to December 2016, up nearly 30% from 2015.
There are acronyms that help individuals remember how to perform a set of procedure in math. BEDMAS (otherwise known as PEMDAS) is one of them. BEDMAS is an acronym to help remember an order of operations in algebra basics. When you have math problems that require the use of different operations (multiplication, division, exponents, brackets, subtraction, addition) order is necessary and mathematicians have agreed on the BEDMAS/PEMDAS order. Each letter of BEDMAS refers to one part of the operation to be used. In math, there is an agreed-upon set of procedures for the order in which your operations are performed. You will likely come up with a wrong answer if you perform calculations out of the order. When you follow the correct order, the answer will be correct. Remember to work from left to right as you use the BEDMAS order of operations. Each letter stands for:

B - Brackets

E - Exponents

D - Division

M - Multiplication

A - Addition

S - Subtraction

You have probably also heard the acronym PEMDAS. Using PEMDAS, the order of operations is the same, however, the P merely means parentheses. In these references, parentheses, and brackets mean the same thing.

There are a couple of things to remember when applying the PEMDAS/BEDMAS order of operations. Brackets/Parentheses always come first and exponents come second. When working with multiplication and division, you do whichever comes first as you work from left to right. If multiplication comes first, do it before dividing. The same holds true for addition and subtraction, when the subtraction comes first, subtract before you add. It may help to look at BEDMAS like this:

Brackets (or Parentheses)

Exponents

Division or Multiplication

Addition or Subtraction

When you are working with parentheses and there is more than one set of parentheses, you will work with the inside set of parentheses and work your way to the outside parentheses.

Tricks to Remember PEMDAS

To remember PEMDAS or BEDMAS, the following sentences have been used:

Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally.

Big Elephants Destroy Mice and Snails.

Pink Elephants Destroy Mice and Snails

You can make up your own sentence to help you remember the acronym and there certainly are more sentences out there to help you remember the order of operations. If you're creative, make up one that you'll remember.

If you are using a basic calculator to perform the calculations, remember to enter in the calculations as required by BEDMAS or PEMDAS. The more you practice using BEDMAS, the easier it gets.

Once you are comfortable with the understanding of the order of operations, try using a spreadsheet to calculate the order of operations. Spreadsheets offer a variety of formulas and computational opportunities when your calculator isn't handy.

Ultimately, it's important to understand the math behind the acronym. Even if the acronym is helpful, understand how, why and when it works is more important.

Pronunciation: Bedmass or Pemdass

Bedmass or Pemdass Also Known As: Order of operations in Algebra.

Order of operations in Algebra. Alternate Spellings: BEDMAS or PEMDAS (Brackets vs Parentheses)

BEDMAS or PEMDAS (Brackets vs Parentheses) Common Misspellings: Brackets versus parentheses make the difference in the acronym BEDMAS vs PEMDAS

Examples Using BEDMAS for Order of Operations

Example 1

20 - [3 x (2 + 4)] Do the inside bracket (parentheses) first.

= 20 - [3 x 6] Do the remaining bracket.

= 20 - 18 Do the subtraction.

= 2

Example 2

(6 - 3)2- 2 x 4 Do the bracket (parentheses)

= (3)2- 2 x 4 Calculate the exponent.

= 9 - 2 x 4 Now multiply

= 9 - 8 Now subtract = 1

Example 3

= 22 3  (10  6) Calculate inside the bracket (parentheses).

= 22 3  4 Calculate the exponent.

= 4 - 3 x 4 Do the multiplication.

= 4 - 12 Do the subtraction.

= -8

Watch Now: How to Simplify Math Equations
knee [ nee ]/ ni / New Word List Save This poker real money online australiaWord!See knee on Thesaurus.com [ nee ]/ ni /Save ThisWord!See knee on Thesaurus.com

noun In addition to the idiom beginning with knee , also see bring to one's knees

on bended knee .

The American Heritage Idioms Dictionary Copyright  2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
Provider of mobile gaming solutions for the international gambling industry Nektan PLC announced today that its US joint venture  Respin  has been given the green light by an independent testing laboratory to launch its Rapid Games product.

Generally speaking, Rapid Games is a Class II mobile solution that gives players the chance to play casino games on their smartphoneswhile at given casino venues.

With the Class II compliance certification, Nektans US joint venture would be able to provide tribal jurisdictions with its gaming solution. As mentioned above, customers at tribal casinos deploying the gaming product would be able to play casino games while at designated areas within the gambling properties.

Rapid Bingo would be the first game to be released under the Rapid Games brand. Its launch is scheduled for the third quarter of the year.

Under Class II gaming certificates, providers are able to distribute games of luck, with slots and bingo being among these. Such games need to be played on a pooled basis. In other words, gambling customers need to be playing against each other and not against a single gaming machine. According to the latest figures released, Class II games annually generate an approximate of $46.7 billion.

Commenting on the landmark solution approval, Nektan PLC Chairman Jim Wilkinson said in a statement that they are extremely happy and that they believe their product would prove to be a great successfor their US joint venture, local casinos, and gambling customers at these.

The official further noted that the gambling industry has long been looking for solutions that would cater to the demands of the new generations of players and that their products approval is a positive step in that direction.

Of their in-venue mobile gaming solution, Mr. Wilkinson said that Class II has always been offering tribal casinos a number of benefits and that they feel their product would be just as beneficial to casino operations and playersas well.

It was late in 2014 when Nektan announced that it had joined forces with US-based gaming content and technology provider Spin Games to create what is now known as the Respin joint venture.
Do you think that as we get older our thoughts shift to the more abstract, the music, than the definite, the lyrics?

What an amazing thing to be able to listen to any music you want, a whole world of bands.

I gotta sayI think this past year was pretty bad for music.

Music is a huge part of the tone of Black Dynamite overallgoing back to the original 2009 movie on which the series is based.

I remember all our music appeared on Spotify overnight, without anybody asking us. Belle & Sebastian Arent So Shy Anymore|James Joiner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The moon seemed to smile on him; the aurora appeared to dance with unwonted vigour, as if in glee; the very stars winked at him! The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne

Henry Rowley Bishop, a noted English music composer, died, aged 68. The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell

In Manila particularly, amidst the pealing of bells and strains of music, unfeigned enthusiasm and joy were everywhere evident. The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

He takes a turn up and down the room, looks at the music, and if the piece interests him, he will call upon you. Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
Thesanta ana star casino aoere are so many different types of game to choose from in a casino that ranking them is almost impossible. With so many different skill sets and chances to win (or lose), every player will have their own personal favourites. Much of this will come down to a players temperament, but there are a number of casino games that you should always head to first. These three games are ideal for players of every level because they have a high element of luck as well as skill, making them ideal for those hoping for better odds and an improved chance of beating the house. If youre unsure which casino game youre best suited for, these three options are a good starting point.

Blackjack

If youre a player who likes making quick decisions, Blackjack is a fantastic option. Fast and frantic, games of Blackjack can be over very quickly, so youre going to need to make sure that you understand the mechanics of the game fully before you start spending money. If youre playing at a casino (either in real life or online), always pick a Blackjack table with a few players. Although some professional Blackjack players prefer playing against just the dealer, your odds of beating the house are improved if more people are playing. While the odds of every casino game are stacked in favour of the house, the house odds on Blackjack are usually among the smallest in any casino.

Craps

This is a game that always looks great on the big screen but can be quite intimidating when you first encounter it in real life. Partly this is because it usually involves a lot of people, and they are invariably excited. Craps is a lot of fun, and once you have learned the basic rules , its also one of the easiest games you can try in the casino, and get proficient at. Its also very fast indeed, and you can win or lose a substantial amount of money in a very short amount of time. Avoid the bets with a high house edge, and youll find that your winnings will be more consistent, negating the smaller win amounts.

Baccarat

If you want to feel as cool and sophisticated as James Bond in the casino, then Baccarat is the card game for you. This is the game that Bond prefers, and its a firm favourite among professional card players. With a low house edge, its also one of the safest games to play in any casino. Its a very easy game to pick up, so play a few practice games online, gambling small amounts of your casino fund in any currency, including Dollars, Pounds, Euros, or even Bitcoin at Games.bitcoin.com . There are very few decisions to make in Baccarat. Once you know the rules, you realise that it is simply a game of process, making it ideal for those that dont like making decisions and relying more on luck than skill.

The key to finding the best casino game that matches your style of play is practice! Decide which games you like the look of, and spend some time learning the rules and the patterns of play. The more hours that you put in, the more chance you have of leaving the casino with a handful of winnings.

Category: Casino Blog
If you listen carefully to spoken English, you will notice that some people add an -s to many directional adverbs, while others do not. These variations also appear in written English.

While afterward and afterwards refer to events in time, rather than directions or physical locations, they are subject to the same principle. Read on to learn whether afterwards or afterward is appropriate for your own writing.

What is the Difference Between Afterward and Afterwards?

In this article, I will compare afterwardvs. afterwards.I will use each word in a sentence to illustrate its proper content, and I will then reveal an easy memory trick to help you remember when it is use appropriate to use afterwardand when it is use appropriate to use afterwards.

When to Use Afterword

What does afterword mean? Before we discuss afterwardand afterwards, we need to address an unrelated word that often gets misused: afterword.

An afterwordis a concluding section of a book. This section is usually written by a person other than the main author.

Here is an example,

My autobiography features an afterword written by noted tech investor Mark Cuban.

It is still in print, and there are plans for a paperback, with a new afterword. The New York Times

This is the only context in which afterwordcan be used. In all other instances, choose one of the words we are about to explore.

When to Use Afterward

What does afterward mean? Afterwardis an adverb. It is a synonym of later. It can be used in the ways demonstrated in the following sentences,

Morgan and Alex had a nice dinner, and went out for dessert afterward.

Afterward, the killer buried their bodies in the river flats.

Shortly afterward, a cybersecurity consulting firm reported the OneTouch Pings flaws, said Marene Allison, J&Js chief information security officer. The Wall Street Journal

When to Use Afterwards

What does afterwards mean? Afterwardscarries the same meaning as afterward, and is used in all the same contexts.

There is no clear preference for either word in American English, as evidenced by the below chart graphing afterwardvs. afterwardsin American English:

They are interchangeable in common usage, but for formal writing, some American editors prefer afterward. On the other hand, this next graph shows that afterwardsis the preferred term in British English:

These charts only examine word frequency in books written in English since 1800. They are unscientific, but still useful for identifying broad usage patterns.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember afterwardsvs. afterward.

An afterwordis the concluding section of a book. This context is the only way this word is used. Afterword and book are each spelled with at least one O, so keeping this word separate will not be difficult.

Afterwardand afterwardsare adverbs. They are interchangeable in everyday American English, though some editors prefer afterwardin professional and academic writing. In British English, afterwards enjoys a slight advantage.

You can remember to use afterwardsfor British audiences since it contains an S, like the British town of Sussex.

Summary

Is it afterward or afterwards?Afterwardand afterwardsare adverbs that are synonymous with the word later. They are sometimes confused with the noun afterword, which is a section in some books.

Afterwardsappears to be slightly more common than afterwardin British English. In everyday American English, the two variants are interchangeable, but for more formal writing afterwardis the safer choice.

You can remember to reserve afterwardsfor British audiences since it is spelled with the same S that appears three times in Sussex.

Now that you know whether you should choose afterwardor afterwards, you can write an afterwordfor someone elses book in which you recommend writingexplained.org as a helpful knowledge base covering a variety of writing topics.
What are the real differences between online bingo sites like bingosites.bet and playing at bingo halls?binance sg fees Although the concept is primarily the same, the experience of online bingo can be entirely different to that of a traditional bingo hall. Thanks to the internet, there is an alternative to the traditional method and that is using the internet to play bingo and enjoy games from the likes of Gamesys, Dragonfish and more. Many would agree that there is a significant advantage to playing over the Internet, let's find out by looking at Browse the latest bingo offers at Bingosite.bet

Bingo

Providing a hassle-free environment, online sites offer the convenience of being closer than the nearest parlour. With instant access, the player simply logs in to enjoy a variety of games in the comfort of their own home. Many players choose to play at Gamesys sites for bingo from a comfortable location of choice enjoy the privacy aspect of playing the game in this way. Selecting online bingo enables players the privacy and quiet of playing from home. Gamers that choose online bingo entertainment can play in private and all information related to the online bingo games may remain confidential. This can be a great advantage to those who wish to play bingo games without the knowledge of others.

Selections of Games

With so many sites to choose from these days, you can pick and choose which ones you prefer. There are bigger branded sites as well as smaller more intimate versions, all of which offer different experiences. Today's modern technology has enabled the introduction of the Internet and together with this innovation, a myriad of online wonders. Online bingo is just one of the attractions that have been made possible via the Internet and it has become a popular form of entertainment. One of the many advantages of playing online bingo is that players may access the game quickly and safely. Online bingo games may be played much faster than in the traditional bingo halls and some players prefer a quicker paced game.

Free Bingo

Online bingo tends to offer lots of free bingo daily, so you can play away at absolutely no cost. Online sites offer extensive promotions and bonuses along with the ability to win enormous jackpots filled with holidays, electronic equipment, automobiles and much more. These great prizes are available on the traditional online website, and on mobile devices. Many sites offer free-play upon signing up, along with matching deposit bonuses that can be utilized for purchasing new cards and tickets. Bonuses are due to intensive competition among online bingo operations. Usually, the one who offers the most lucrative bonuses gain a good market share. Hence, a player can be assured that hunting for the perfect online bingo hall means being bombarded with bonus offers, and most of them are very attractive.

24/7 Online Customer Support

Efficient customer support is also one of the advantages of online bingo. Online bingo halls usually provide as do websites like bingosites.bet which have chat boxes to ensure assistance to customers. Chat boxes are operated and monitored by the chat masters, who are obliged to answer the inquiries of confused players. These chat boxes are also known for operating actively and 24/7.

Online Bingo Chat

One of the exciting advantages of Internet bingo is the element of online chat. This online bingo chat feature enables bingo players to chat online with other players in different places around the world.

Online bingo can be accessed 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It offers extensive communication tools including chat rooms, online forums, and instant messaging. Without the need to travel, players can enjoy the game from the comfort of their home. Easily accessible, the online bingo market received engagement from even more players and new people were trying out the game. Playing online at sites operated by Gamesys gave people the freedom to access the game whenever it suited them and meant they could have a quick game amongst their busy day.

Category: Casino BlogCasino Exhibitions News
What Are Level 1 Assets?online bet on ipl matches

Level 1 assets include listed stocks, bonds, funds, or any assets that have a regular mark-to-market mechanism for setting a fair market value. These assets are considered to have a readily observable, transparent prices, and therefore a reliable fair market value.

Level 1 assets are liquids financial assets and liabilities, such as stocks or bonds, that experience regular market pricing.

Level 1 assets are the top classification based on their transparency and how reliably their fair market value can be calculated.

Level 2 and 3 assets are less liquid and more difficult to quickly and correctly ascertain their fair value.

Understanding Level 1 Assets

Publicly traded companies must classify all of their assets based on the ease that they can be valued, with Level 1 assets being the easiest. A big part of valuing assets comes from market depth and liquidity. For developed markets, robust market activity acts as a natural price discovery mechanism. This, in turn, is a core element to market liquidity, which is a related gauge measuring a markets ability to purchase or sell an asset without causing a significant change in the assets price.

Financial Accounting Standard 157 (FAS 157) established a single consistent framework for estimating fair value in the absence of quoted prices, based on the notion of an exit price and a three-level hierarchy to reflect the level of judgment involved in estimating fair values, ranging from market-based prices to illiquid Level 3 assets where no observable market exists and valuations have to be based on proprietary internal information, like the most recent funding round.

Classifying Level 1 Assets

The classification system including Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 under (FASB) Statement 157 required public companies to allocate all assets based on the reliability of fair market values.

The statement went into effect for all fiscal years after 2007 and came about largely as a result of the credit market turbulence surrounding subprime mortgages and related securitized assets like asset-backed securities (ABS). Many assets became illiquid and fair value pricing could only be done by internal estimates or other mark-to-model procedures during 2007's credit crunch. As such, regulators needed a way to inform investors about securities where value could be open to interpretation.

Advantages of Level 1 Assets

Level 1 assets are one way to measure the strength and reliability of an entitys balance sheet. Because the valuation of Level 1 assets is dependable, certain businesses can enjoy incremental benefits relative to another business with fewer Level 1 assets. For example, banks, investors, and regulators look favorably on an entity with a majority of assets that have a market-based valuation because they can rely on supplied financial statements. If a business heavily uses derivatives and a majority of its assets fall into the Level 2 or 3 category, then interested parties are less comfortable with the valuation of these assets.

The issue with assets outside Level 1 is best displayed during times of distress. Naturally, during a volatile market, liquidity and market depth erode and many assets will not enjoy a reasonable price discovery mechanism. These assets then need to be valued by appraisals or according to a model. Both of these are less than perfect methods, so investors and creditors often lose confidence in reported valuations. During periods of peak uncertainty, such as during the depths of the Great Recession, Level 3 assets are especially scrutinizedwith pundits calling mark-to-model methods more like mark-to-myth.
Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universitat

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If you do a search online for the best books on astrology, you are bound to get long lists of books that may or may not be helpful for you on your quest to learn the starting concepts of astrology.

When learning about astrology, it is helpful to have one go-to book on the subject to use as a reference. So many books have been written on the subject. You can find quite a few astrological books that delve deeper into charts, houses, and predictive astrology, but when you need one good resource that covers most of the concepts in an introductory way, that long list online may seem daunting.

A good beginning book has interpretations that are written in everyday language, is organized well, and has lots of interesting insights about how this knowledge may relate to you and your personal quest for learning more. To qualify for a permanent spot on the bookshelf, it should have sections with advanced astrology for that point in time when you are ready to go further.

There are three good books overall that offer an introduction to astrology.

Parker's Astrology by Julia & Derek Parker

Parker's Astrologyby Julia & Derek Parker is a bestseller and favorite for many because of its wonderful images. In addition to being full of concise information, it is a colorful picture book. The book begins with the history of astrology, an overview of the solar system and then introduces the foundational concepts. The essence of each aspect of astrology is captured well along with artful illustrations and photo collages on every page.

The book includes a section on how to cast your own birth chart. There is also a user-friendly planetary aspect finder in the back, and astrological tables to use to look up your natal planets.

The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Need by Joanna Martine Woolfolk

The Only Astrology Book You'll Ever Needby Joanna Martine Woolfolk lives up to its title. Woolfolk's writing is inviting. Her writing style evokes feeling like she is sharing her notes from one friend to another. She includes thought-provoking insights.

This book has in-depth profiles of all the sun signs, and goes further to discuss the other celestial bodies like the moon and planets. Her book is full of gems of generally accepted astrological beliefs, especially in the area of love and romance. The book ventures into history, myth, birth chart interpretation and more, and steers clear of becoming too technical or esoteric as it gets into more complex topics.

Astrology for Yourself by Douglas Block & Demetra George

Astrology for Yourselfby Douglas Block and Demetra George is an introduction to astrology and a workbook for understanding your own birth chart. It is for someone that is prepared to take a more contemplative approach. This book expertly guides you toward a full understanding of your birth chart.

The authors taught astrology and know how to introduce the topic step-by-step. This workbook is ideal for those who are looking to develop their own interpretations. The basic qualities of the signs and planets are given, and the book includes a space for personal insights, as well as journal entries.
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Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

Percent error or percentage error expresses as a percentage the difference between an approximate or measured value and an exact or known value. It is used in science to report the difference between a measured or experimental value and a true or exact value. Here is how to calculate percent error, with an example calculation.

Key Points: Percent Error

The purpose of a percent error calculation is to gauge how close a measured value is to a true value.

Percent error (percentage error) is the difference between an experimental and theoretical value, divided by the theoretical value, multiplied by 100 to give a percent.

In some fields, percent error is always expressed as a positive number. In others, it is correct to have either a positive or negative value. The sign may be kept to determine whether recorded values consistently fall above or below expected values.

Percent error is one type of error calculation. Absolute and relative error are two other common calculations. Percent error is part of a comprehensive error analysis.

The keys to reporting percent error correctly are to know whether or not to drop the sign (positive or negative) on the calculation and to report the value using the correct number of significant figures.

Percent Error Formula

Percent error is the difference between a measured or experiment value and an accepted or known value, divided by the known value, multiplied by 100%.

For many applications, percent error is always expressed as a positive value. The absolute value of the error is divided by an accepted value and given as a percent.

|accepted value - experimental value| \ accepted value x 100%

For chemistry and other sciences, it is customary to keep a negative value, should one occur. Whether error is positive or negative is important. For example, you would not expect to have positive percent error comparing actual to theoretical yield in a chemical reaction. If a positive value was calculated, this would give clues as to potential problems with the procedure or unaccounted reactions.

When keeping the sign for error, the calculation is the experimental or measured value minus the known or theoretical value, divided by the theoretical value and multiplied by 100%.

percent error = [experimental value - theoretical value] / theoretical value x 100%

Percent Error Calculation Steps

Subtract one value from another. The order does not matter if you are dropping the sign (taking the absolute value. Subtract the theoretical value from the experimental value if you are keeping negative signs. This value is your "error." Divide the error by the exact or ideal value (not your experimental or measured value). This will yield a decimal number. Convert the decimal number into a percentage by multiplying it by 100. Add a percent or % symbol to report your percent error value.

Percent Error Example Calculation

In a lab, you are given a block of aluminum. You measure the dimensions of the block and its displacement in a container of a known volume of water. You calculate the density of the block of aluminum to be 2.68 g/cm3. You look up the density of a block of aluminum at room temperature and find it to be 2.70 g/cm3. Calculate the percent error of your measurement.

Subtract one value from the other:

2.68 - 2.70 = -0.02 Depending on what you need, you may discard any negative sign (take the absolute value): 0.02

This is the error. Divide the error by the true value:0.02/2.70 = 0.0074074 Multiply this value by 100% to obtain the percent error:

0.0074074 x 100% = 0.74% (expressed using 2 significant figures).

Significant figures are important in science. If you report an answer using too many or too few, it may be considered incorrect, even if you set up the problem properly.

Percent Error Versus Absolute and Relative Error

Percent error is related to absolute error and relative error. The difference between an experimental and known value is the absolute error. When you divide that number by the known value you get relative error. Percent error is relative error multiplied by 100%. In all cases, report values using the appropriate number of significant digits.

Sources
What Is a Judicial Foreclosure?bitcoin price today in indian rupees

Judicial foreclosure refers to foreclosure proceedings on a property in which the mortgage lacks a power of sale clause. In this case, the foreclosure proceedings are settled through the courts.

Power of sale is a clause written into a mortgage. In the event of default, it authorizes the lender to sell the property in order to repay the mortgage debt; in this way, legal proceedings can be sidestepped. Power of sale is permitted in many states as part of a lenders rights to seek a foreclosure.

Key Takeaways

Judicial foreclosure refers to foreclosure proceedings that take place through the court system.

This type of foreclosure process often occurs when a mortgage note lacks a power of sale clause, which would legally authorize the mortgage lender to sell the property if a default occurred.

Judicial foreclosure is often a long process, lasting several months to years to complete.

Understanding Judicial Foreclosure

Judicial foreclosure refers to foreclosure cases that go through the court system. Foreclosure occurs when a home is sold to pay off unpaid debt. The procedure is carried out according to the laws of the jurisdiction in which the property is situated, which is almost always state law. Many states require foreclosures to be judicial, but in some states, foreclosures can be either nonjudicial or judicial.

If the court finds that the mortgage debt is in default, an auction can be scheduled for the sale of the property in order to acquire funds to repay the lender. This differs from nonjudicial foreclosures, which are processed without court intervention.

Many states require judicial foreclosure to protect the equity that debtors may still have in the property. Judicial foreclosure also serves to prevent strategic disclosures by unscrupulous lenders. In instances where the auction does not generate enough funds to repay the mortgage lender, the former homeowner will still be held liable for the remaining balance.

120 Days

The amount of time a borrower must be in arrears on a mortgage before a lender is allowed to begin the foreclosure process.

How Judicial Foreclosure Works

Judicial foreclosures can last anywhere from six months to around three years, depending on the state. To begin the foreclosure process, the mortgage servicer, or the company to which mortgage services are paid, must wait until the borrower is delinquent on payments for 120 days.

At this point, the servicer will notify the foreclosing party with a breach letter, letting the debtor know they are in default on their mortgage. In most cases, the debtor then has 30 days to cure the default, and if they are not able to, the servicer will move forward with foreclosure proceedings.

The foreclosing party next files a lawsuit in the county where the property is located and requests the court to allow the home to be sold to pay the debt. As part of the lawsuit, the foreclosing party includes a petition for foreclosure that explains why a judge should issue a foreclosure judgment. In most cases, the court will do so, unless the borrower has a defense that justifies the delinquent payments.

Depending on the state, the foreclosing party may also be entitled to a deficiency judgment. A deficiency judgment allows the house to be sold at a foreclosure sale for less than the outstanding mortgage debt. The difference between the debt and the foreclosure sale price is the deficiency. In most states, the foreclosing party can get a personal judgment against the borrower for the deficiency.

Mortgage lending discrimination is illegal. If you think you've been discriminated against based on race, religion, sex, marital status, use of public assistance, national origin, disability, or age, there are steps you can take. One such step is to file a report to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau or with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
What Is a Forward Market?nfl parlay odds

A forward market is an over-the-counter marketplace that sets the price of a financial instrument or asset for future delivery. Forward markets are used for trading a range of instruments, but the term is primarily used with reference to the foreign exchange market. It can also apply to markets for securities and interest rates as well as commodities.

Key Takeaways

Forward contracts differ from future contracts in that they are customizable in terms of size and length, or maturity term.

Forward contract pricing is based on interest rate discrepancies.

The most commonly traded currencies in the forward market are the same as on the spot market: EUR/USD, USD/JPY and GBP/USD.

How A Forward Market Works

A forward market leads to the creation of forward contracts. While forward contractslike futures contractsmay be used for both hedging and speculation, there are some notable differences between the two. Forward contracts can be customized to fit a customer's requirements, while futures contracts have standardized features in terms of their contract size and maturity.

Forwards are executed between banks or between a bank and a customer; futures are done on an exchange, which is a party to the transaction. The flexibility of forwards contributes to their attractiveness in the foreign exchange market.

Pricing

Prices in the forward market are interest-rate based. In the foreign exchange market, the forward price is derived from the interest rate differential between the two currencies, which is applied over the period from the transaction date to the settlement date of the contract. In interest rate forwards, the price is based on the yield curve to maturity.

Foreign Exchange Forwards

Interbank forward foreign exchange markets are priced and executed as swaps. This means that currency A is purchased vs. currency B for delivery on the spot date at the spot rate in the market at the time the transaction is executed. At maturity, currency A is sold vs. currency B at the original spot rate plus or minus the forward points; this price is set when the swap is initiated.

The interbank market usually trades for straight dates, such as a week or a month from the spot date. Three- and six-month maturities are among the most common, while the market is less liquid beyond 12 months. Amounts are commonly $25 million or more and can range into the billions.

Customers, both corporations and financial institutions such as hedge funds and mutual funds, can execute forwards with a bank counter-party either as a swap or an outright transaction. In an outright forward, currency A is bought vs. currency B for delivery on the maturity date, which can be any business day beyond the spot date. The price is again the spot rate plus or minus the forward points, but no money changes hands until the maturity date. Outright forwards are often for odd dates and amounts; they can be for any size.

Non-Deliverable Forwards

Currencies for which there is no standard forward market can be traded via a non-deliverable forward. These are executed off-shore to avoid trading restrictions, are only executed as swaps and are cash-settled in dollars or euros. The most commonly traded currencies are the Chinese remnimbi, South Korean won, and Indian rupee.
Thebarbados casino uk binance binamon online gambling market is already huge and constantly expanding, so it is not surprising that investors keep an eye on its performance. Land-based casinos have all but lost the race with their Internet counterparts and the gap is only expanding every year. Licensed online casinos can provide legal gambling alternatives to players from all over the world, with Europe being the most profitable market.

Operators and bookmakers who offer online casino UK games, as well as those catering to local punters have to apply for a license from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, which is one of the strictest regulatory bodies. Players are obviously inclined to choose license casinos, so these are also the ones that attract potential investors. The biggest online casino operators and the software developers powering them have been around for decades and enjoy an excellent reputation. The return on investment is slow and steady, unlike new casinos which can generate bigger profits, but dont offer the same guarantees in the long run.

Online gambling sets new record every year

The annual global turnover of more than $50 billion recorded by the online gambling market in 2018 was a new record. This is a market that continues to grow regardless of the international context, the strength or weakness of local and global economies. Gamblers are less interested in these circumstances and usually find the necessary resources to fulfill their expectations. For the big investors, this is a strong cue to spend a lot of money, but regular people could also benefit from investing their savings in this industry.

Online gambling has greater potential for future growth than most other industry, including land-based casinos and bookmakers. Most of the new players choose to gamble over the Internet, for enhanced convenience and to be able to take advantage of special bonuses and promotions. The mobile gambling revolution is still underway, with ever more powerful smartphones and tablets being released. Software developers are able to produce better looking games, with more complex gameplay that run smoothly on handheld devices. As a result, the annual global revenue continues to increase and the projections for the next decade are optimistic. The best case scenario is for these numbers to double in less than 10 years.

The perks of a diversified portfolio

Investing in online gambling is relatively a new thing, especially among regular people who have limited resources to spend in this manner. Walking down on the less traveled paths is actually a good thing when you can diversify your investment portfolio. Traditional bonds and stocks have the merit of stability and decent yields over long periods of time, but their growth is slow. Online casinos on the other hand can generate bigger winnings, as long as the investors make an educated decision.

Theres no shortage of choices and nothing prevents investors from tapping into the immense potential of new markets. Everyone is anxiously waiting for gambling to be legalized nationwide in the US, but certain American states have already made this step. Early adopters are always the ones to benefit the most, so taking calculated risks with an investment in online casinos quick payoff being in the long run.

Category: Casino Blog
Dairen [ dahy-ren ]/ darn / New Word List Save This bmy88 registerWord! [ dahy-ren ]/ darn /Save ThisWord!

nounformer Japanese name of Dalian (def. 2).

Words nearby Dairen

British Dictionary definitions for Dairen

Dairen/ (darn) /

nouna former name of Dalian

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondaimyo, daimyo bond, daintily, dainty, daiquiri, Dairen, dairy, dairy breed, dairy cattle, dairyer, dairy factoryDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
What Is a Contingent Liability?thebes casino 100 free spins 2022

A contingent liability is a liability that may occur depending on the outcome of an uncertain future event. Contingent liabilities are recorded if the contingency is likely and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated. The liability may be disclosed in a footnote on the financial statements unless both conditions are not met.

Key Takeaways

A contingent liability is a potential liability that may occur in the future, such as pending lawsuits or honoring product warranties.

If the liability is likely to occur and the amount can be reasonably estimated, the liability should be recorded in the accounting records of a firm.

Contingent liabilities are recorded to ensure that the financial statements are accurate and meet requirements of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).

GAAP recognizes three categories of contingent liabilities: probable, possible, and remote.

Pending lawsuits and warranties are common contingent liabilities.

Contingent Liability

How Contingent Liabilities Work

1:39

Pending lawsuits and product warranties are common contingent liability examples because their outcomes are uncertain. The accounting rules for reporting a contingent liability differ depending on the estimated dollar amount of the liability and the likelihood of the event occurring. The accounting rules ensure that financial statement readers receive sufficient information.

An estimated liability is certain to occurso, an amount is always entered into the accounts even if the precise amount is not known at the time of data entry.

When Do I Need to Be Aware of Contingent Liability?

If you run a business or oversee the accounts of one, you need to be aware of the contingent liabilities that you have taken on. Youll also need to record these. Both GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) and IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) require companies to record contingent liabilities in accordance with the three accounting principles: full disclosure, materiality, and prudence.

A contingent liability has to be recorded if the contingency is likely and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated. GAAP recognizes three categories of contingent liabilities: probable, possible, and remote. Probable contingent liabilities can be reasonably estimated (and must be reflected within financial statements). Possible contingent liabilities are as likely to occur as not (and need only be disclosed in the financial statement footnotes). Remote contingent liabilities are extremely unlikely to occur (and do not need to be included in financial statements at all).

What Is Important to Know About Contingent Liability?

Contingent liabilities adversely impact a companys assets and net profitability. As a result, knowledge of both contingencies and commitments is extremely important to users of financial statements because they represent the encumbrance of potentially material amounts of resources during future periods, and thus affect the future cash flows available to creditors and investors.

Contingent liabilities are also important for potential lenders to a company, who will take these liabilities into account when deciding on their lending terms. Business leaders should also be aware of contingent liabilities, because they should be considered when making strategic decisions about a companys future.



Example of a Contingent Liability

Assume that a company is facing a lawsuit from a rival firm for patent infringement. The companys legal department thinks that the rival firm has a strong case, and the business estimates a $2 million loss if the firm loses the case. Because the liability is both probable and easy to estimate, the firm posts an accounting entry on the balance sheet to debit (increase) legal expenses for $2 million and to credit (increase) accrued expense for $2 million.

The accrual account permits the firm to immediately post an expense without the need for an immediate cash payment. If the lawsuit results in a loss, a debit is applied to the accrued account (deduction) and cash is credited (reduced) by $2 million.

Now assume that a lawsuit liability is possible but not probable and the dollar amount is estimated to be $2 million. Under these circumstances, the company discloses the contingent liability in the footnotes of the financial statements. If the firm determines that the likelihood of the liability occurring is remote, the company does not need to disclose the potential liability.

A warranty is another common contingent liability because the number of products returned under a warranty is unknown. Assume, for example, that a bike manufacturer offers a three-year warranty on bicycle seats, which cost $50 each. If the firm manufactures 1,000 bicycle seats in a year and offers a warranty per seat, the firm needs to estimate the number of seats that may be returned under warranty each year.

If, for example, the company forecasts that 200 seats must be replaced under warranty for $50, the firm posts a debit (increase) to warranty expense for $10,000 and a credit (increase) to accrued warranty liability for $10,000. At the end of the year, the accounts are adjusted for the actual warranty expense incurred.

What is a contingent liability?

A contingent liability is a liability that may occur depending on the outcome of an uncertain future event. A contingent liability has to be recorded if the contingency is likely and the amount of the liability can be reasonably estimated. Both generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) require companies to record contingent liabilities.

What are the 3 types of contingent liabilities?

GAAP recognizes three categories of contingent liabilities: probable, possible, and remote. Probable contingent liabilities can be reasonably estimated (and must be reflected within financial statements). Possible contingent liabilities are as likely to occur as not (and need only be disclosed in the financial statement footnotes). Remote contingent liabilities are extremely unlikely to occur (and do not need to be included in financial statements at all).

What are examples of contingent liability?

Pending lawsuits and warranties are common contingent liabilities. Pending lawsuits are considered contingent because the outcome is unknown. A warranty is considered contingent because the number of products that will be returned under a warranty is unknown.

Is contingent liability an actual liability?

Yes. Although contingent liabilities are necessarily estimates, they only exist where it is probable that some amount of payment will be made. This is why they need to be reported via accounting procedures, and why they are regarded as real liabilities.

The Bottom Line

A contingent liability is a potential liability that may occur in the future, such as pending lawsuits or honoring product warranties. If the liability is likely to occur and the amount can be reasonably estimated, the liability should be recorded in the accounting records of a firm.

Contingent liabilities are recorded to ensure that the financial statements are accurate and meet GAAP or IFRS requirements. GAAP recognizes three categories of contingent liabilities: probable, possible, and remote. Pending lawsuits and warranties are common contingent liabilities.
What Is a Health Savings Account (HSA)?betting on line of duty

A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a tax-advantaged account created for or by individuals covered under high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) to save for qualified medical expenses. Contributions are made into the account by the individual or their employer and are limited to a maximum amount each year. The contributions are invested over time and can be used to pay for qualified medical expenses, such as medical, dental, and vision care and prescription drugs.



Key Takeaways

A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a tax-advantaged account to help people save for medical expenses that are not reimbursed by high-deductible health plans.

No tax is levied on contributions to an HSA, the HSAs earnings, or distributions used to pay for qualified medical expenses.

An HSA, owned by an employee, can be funded by the employee and the employer.

Contributions are vested, and unused account balances at year-end can be carried forward.

How an HSA Works

As mentioned above, people with HDHPs can open HSAs. Individuals with HDHPs may qualify for HSAs, and the two are usually paired together. To qualify for an HSA, the taxpayer must meet eligibility standards established by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). An eligible individual is someone who:

Has a qualified HDHP

Has no other health coverage

Is not enrolled in Medicare

Is not claimed as a dependent on someone elses tax return

The maximum contribution for an HSA in 2022 is $3,650 for an individual ($3,850 for 2023) and $7,300 for a family ($7,750 in 2023). The annual limits on contributions apply to the total of the amounts contributed by both the employer and the employee. Individuals age 55 or older by the end of the tax year can make catch-up contributions of an additional $1,000 to their HSAs.

An HSA can also be opened at certain financial institutions. Contributions can only be made in cash, while employer-sponsored plans can be funded by the employee and their employer. Any other person, such as a family member, can also contribute to the HSA of an eligible individual. Self-employed or unemployed individuals may also contribute to an HSA, provided they meet the eligibility requirements.

Individuals who enroll in Medicare can no longer contribute to an HSA as of the first month of enrollment. However, they can receive tax-free distributions for qualified medical expenses, which are discussed below.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act allowed HSA funds to be used for over-the-counter medications without a prescription and certain other health-related products. Plan holders who are unsure about what expenses qualify should check with their HSA administrator or pharmacist.

HSA Special Considerations

HDHPs have higher annual deductibles (the plan pays nothing until you reach these amounts in out-of-pocket expenses) but lower premiums than other health plans. The financial benefit of an HDHPs low-premium and high-deductible structure depends on your personal situation.

The minimum deductible required to open an HSA is $1,400 for an individual or $2,800 for a family for the 2022 tax year ($1,500 and $3,000 for 2023). The plan must also have an annual out-of-pocket maximum of $7,050 for self-coverage ($7,500 for 2023) and $14,100 for families for the 2022 tax year ($15,000 for 2023). These maximums cap your out-of-pocket expenses.

When an individual pays qualified medical expenses equal to a plans deductible amount, additional qualified expenses are divided between the individual and the plan. For instance, the insurer covers a percentage of the qualified expenses per the contract (usually 80% to 90%), while the plan holder pays the remaining 10% to 20% or a specified co-pay.

Using this guide, an individual with an annual deductible of $1,500 (in 2023) and a medical claim of $3,500 pays the first $1,500 to cover the annual deductible. The insured pays 10% to 20% of the remaining $2,000, while the insurance company covers the rest.

Once the annual deductible is met in a given plan year, the plan typically covers any additional medical expenses, except for any uncovered costs under the contract, such as co-pays. The insured can withdraw money accumulated in an HSA to cover these out-of-pocket expenses.

HSAs should not be confused with Health Spending Accounts, which employers use in Canada to provide health and dental benefits for their Canadian employees.

Advantages and Disadvantages of an HSA

HSAs have advantages and drawbacks. The effect of these accounts depends entirely on your personal and financial situations.

Advantages

Employer and individual contributions by payroll deduction to an HSA are excluded from the employees taxable income. An individuals direct contributions to an HSA are 100% tax-deductible from the employees income. Earnings in the account are also tax-free. However, excess contributions to an HSA incur a 6% tax and are not tax deductible.

Distributions from an HSA are tax-free, provided the funds are used for qualified medical expenses as outlined by the IRS. Distributions used for medical expenses covered under the HDHP plan are included in determining if the HDHPs deductible has been met.

You can also use the money in your HSA to invest in stocks and other securities, potentially allowing for higher returns over time.

Disadvantages

The most obvious key drawback is that you need to be a good candidate for an HDHP. In addition, you must have a high-deductible plan, lower insurance premiums, or be affluent enough to afford the high deductibles and benefit from the tax advantages.

Individuals who fund their own HSAs, whether through payroll deductions or directly, should be financially capable of setting aside an amount that would cover a substantial portion of their HDHPs deductibles. Individuals without enough spare cash to set aside in an HSA may find the high deductible amount burdensome.

HSAs also come with filing requirements regarding contributions, specific rules on withdrawals, distribution reporting, and a record-keeping burden that may be difficult to maintain.

Withdrawals Permitted Under an HSA

Amounts withdrawn from an HSA arent taxed as long as they are used to pay for services that the IRS treats as qualified medical expenses. Here are some basics you need to know:

Qualified medical expenses include deductibles, dental services, vision care, prescription drugs, co-pays, psychiatric treatments, and other qualified medical expenses not covered by a health insurance plan. Note: These were expanded by the CARES Act.

Insurance premiums dont count as a qualified medical expense unless the premiums are for Medicare or other healthcare coverage (provided you are age 65 or older) for health insurance when receiving healthcare continuation coverage (COBRA), for coverage when receiving unemployment compensation, or for long-term care insurance, subject to annually adjusted limits. Premiums for Medicare supplemental or Medigap policies are not treated as qualified medical expenses.

If distributions are made from an HSA to pay for anything other than a qualified medical expense, that amount is subject to both income tax and an additional 20% tax penalty. However, once an individual turns 65, the 20% tax penalty is eliminated, and only income tax would apply for non-qualified withdrawals.

HSA Contribution Rules

Contributions made to an HSA do not have to be used or withdrawn during the tax year. Instead, they are vested, and any unused contributions can be rolled over to the following year. Also, an HSA is portable, meaning that if employees change jobs, they can still keep their HSAs.

An HSA plan can also be transferred to a surviving spouse tax-free upon the account holder's death. However, if the designated beneficiary is not the account holders spouse, then the account is no longer treated as an HSA, and the beneficiary is taxed on the accounts fair market value, adjusted for any qualified medical expenses of the decedent paid from the account within a year of the date of death.

HSA vs. Flexible Savings Account

The HSA is often compared with the Flexible Savings Account (FSA). While both accounts can be used for medical expenses, some key differences exist between them:

FSAs are employer-sponsored plans.

Only employed individuals can sign up for FSAs.

Unused funds in the FSA during a given tax year cant be rolled over and are forfeited once the year ends.

Your elected contribution amount for an FSA is fixed, unlike HSA contributions.

The maximum contribution for an FSA for the 2022 tax year is $2,850 ($3,050 for 2023).

Can I Open a Health Savings Account (HSA) If Im Self-Employed?

Yes. Individuals with high-deductible health plans (HDHP) can open a Health Savings Account (HSA). If you are self-employed, you can look into HSAs offered by brokerages or banks like Fidelity, HealthEquity, or Lively. Research your options carefully to ensure you get the best HSA to suit your needs.

Do I Have to Use All of the Money in My HSA Every Year?

No. Unlike an FSA, your contributions to your HSA can roll over yearly. Since the funds can also be invested, users can build capital for more significant medical needs or use it as an investment fund after retirement.

Can I Pay My Insurance Premiums With My HSA Funds?

In most cases, no. HSAs can be used for most medical expenses, like doctors appointments, prescriptions, or over-the-counter medications, but not your monthly premium. The only exception to this rule is when the funds are used to pay Medicare premiums or other healthcare continuation coverage, such as COBRA, while youre on unemployment compensation. You may also pay for long-term care insurance using your HSA.



The Bottom Line

All in all, HSAs are one of the best tax-advantaged savings and investment tools available under the U.S. tax code. They are often referred to as triple tax-advantaged because contributions are not subject to tax, the money can be invested and grown tax-free, and withdrawals are not taxed as long as you use them for qualified medical expenses.

As a person ages, medical expenses tend to increase, particularly when reaching retirement age and beyond. Therefore, starting an HSA early if you qualifyand allowing it to accumulate over a long periodcan contribute greatly to securing your financial future.
Dabrowa Gornicza [ dawm-braw-vuhgoor-nee-chuh ]/ dmbr v grni t / New Word List Save This abrowagoslotland no deposit welcome bonusWord! [ dawm-braw-vuhgoor-nee-chuh ]/ dmbr v grni t /Save This abrowagoWord!

nounan industrial city in S Poland.

Words nearby Dabrowa Gornicza

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondabbing, dabble, dabbling duck, dabchick, dab hand, Dabrowa Gornicza, dabster, DACA, da capo, dacarbazine, DaccaDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
The English language is a difficult one to master, especially for non-native speakers and writers. Many words sound the same, have similar meanings, are pronounced alike, etc.

It is essential, however, to know, learn, and remember these key differences to be an effective oral and written communicator.

What is the Difference Between Deep-Seated and Deep-Seeded?

Today, I want to compare deep-seated vs. deep-seeded.

These two spellings sound virtually the same when spoken, but only one is the correct use of a common English phrase.

In this post, I hope to bring more clarity and understanding to these two phrases, so that going forward in your writing, the correct message is communicated with your readers. Once youre done reading, you wont ever again wonder to yourself, Is it deep-seated or deep-seeded?

When to Use Deep-Seated

What does deep-seated mean?Deep-seated is the correct expression and is defined as firmly established at a deep or profound level; entrenched.

Shelby has deep-seated anxiety about this situation

He has a deep-seated infection.

People generally get this phrase mixed up because it isnt that farfetched to think of something firmly established at a deep levelas being buried in the ground, i.e., deep-seeded. This, however, is an incorrect reading of the metaphor.

Deep-seatedis the correct expression, and the metaphor derives from horse back riding and being deep in the seat. In this sense, deep-seatedrefers to the position of the rider on the horse.

Now, the phrase mostly refers metaphorically to feelings or positions being ingrained and entrenched within someone. Put differently, these feelings are seatedwithin you, i.e., they are fixed firmly within you.

When to Use Deep Seeded

What does deep-seeded mean? While it may be tempting to use the spelling deep-seeded, this is actually a misspelling of the common phrase deep-seated.

One might think that like a seed is planted so is a thought, feeling, or emotion deeply planted within someone. As I mentioned above, however, this is a misreading of the true metaphor, which relates back to horseback riding.

Not to mention that something that is deep-seeded probably wouldnt grow, as seeds arent usually planted deeply for harvest.

The bottom line is deep-seededis a common misspelling that you can eliminate from your vocabulary.

Is Deep-Seated Hyphenated?

The phrase deep-seatedfunctions as an adjective and should always be hyphenated in your text. This avoids and possible confusion as to the use of the phrase in your sentence.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Heres an easy trick to remember deep-seeded vs. deep-seated. Use these two tricks to mentally check yourself.

Check one:Imagine a football fan seated deeply within the depths of his couch, eating chips and hotdogs. Nothing will make him move from his position. He is positioned firmly and in a fixed position deep within the seat.

You might say he is entrenched in the couch. In other words, he is deep-seated. This trick will help you mentally associated the phrase with the word seated.

Check two: You can remember that deep-seededis incorrect because seeds planted deeply (deep-seeded seeds) will not grow.

Summary

Although there are some tricky and sticky paths to take while navigating the English language, it is far from impossible and can be a lot less intimidating with a little understanding.

That said, is it deep-seeded or deep-seated? One of these spellings is incorrect and widely rejected, and the other is the correct phrase.

Deep-seated is the correct phrase.

Deep-seeded is a misspelling.
An offshore mutual fund is crypto signals telegraman investment vehicle-based in an offshore location outside the jurisdiction of the United States, often used as a tax haven.

Key Takeaways

Offshore mutual funds may provide investment exposure to international markets, as well as tax benefits from being domiciled in overseas jurisdictions.

However, offshore funds may follow different rules and regulations than standard investments, which could present some higher risks of capital loss.

Investors should exercise caution. Sponsors located outside of established offshore financial centers can be prone to fraudulent activity due to relaxed regulations.

An Introduction To Mutual Funds

Understanding Offshore Mutual Funds

1:21

Offshore mutual funds are domiciled internationally. They may provide investment exposure to international markets. They are known to offer some cost benefits such as lower taxes, as well.

Internationally domiciled funds are obligated to follow the laws and regulations of the country where they are incorporated. Funds may choose their domicile to target a specific investor. Many offshore funds are incorporated in the Bahamas or Cayman Islands, which offer tax efficiencies. Taxation, regulation, and investor demand are three main factors influencing the country a fund chooses to incorporate in. The United States addresses specific offshore definitions and legislative obligations in Section 871 of the Internal Revenue Code.

Offshore funds can be structured much like an open-end investment fund. They can also be formed as an offshore company, partnership, or unit trust. Most offshore funds are required to have operational functionalities in their domiciled country. This has led to substantial fund administration, management, custodian, and prime brokerage services in popular offshore locations.

Risks and Advantages

Offshore funds can have higher risks. With domicile in a foreign country, investors may not clearly understand a funds terms and conditions, which could lead to unprotected loss of capital. Offshore funds may follow different rules and regulations than standard investments, which could present some higher risks of capital loss.

Generally, offshore funds seek to provide an advantage through their international incorporation. The lower level of regulation makes it easier to establish and administer the funds. Funds domiciled in most offshore countries allow for tax-free income, which enables the fund to reinvest gains. They also include tax-free distributions for investors. Operating costs are significantly reduced, and management fees can be lower.

Investors should always add extra due diligence when investing money in offshore accounts with sponsors that are not well known or are located outside of established offshore financial centers. While many funds offer competitive advantages, non-mainstream offerings can be prone to fraudulent activity because of relaxed regulations in some offshore locations.

Offshore Mutual Fund Investments

Many brokerage platforms will offer their investors a selection of offshore funds, which can help to reduce some of the investment risks. The Third Point Investors Limited is a London-listed, closed-end fund managed by Dan Loeb. Its TPOU share class is denominated in U.S. dollars.
What Is a Negative Interest Rate?ascot picks panthers texans odds

The term negative interest rate refers to interest paid to borrowers rather than to lenders. Central banks typically charge commercial banks on their reserves as a form of non-traditional expansionary monetary policy, rather than crediting them. This is a very unusual scenario that generally occurs during a deep economic recession when monetary efforts and market forces have already pushed interest rates to their nominal zero bound. This tool is meant to encourage lending, spending, and investment rather than hoarding cash, which will lose value to negative deposit rates.

Key Takeaways

Negative interest rates are a form of monetary policy that sees interest rates fall below 0%.

Central banks and regulators use this unusual policy tool when there are strong signs of deflation.

Borrowers are credited interest instead of paying interest to lenders in a negative interest rate environment.

Central banks charge commercial banks on reserves in an effort to incentivize them to spend rather than hoard cash positions.

Although commercial banks are charged interest to keep cash with a nation's central bank, they are generally reluctant to pass negative rates onto their customers.

Understanding Negative Interest Rates

An interest rate is effectively the cost of borrowing. This means that lenders charge borrowers interest when they take out any type of debt, such as a loan or mortgage. Although it may seem strange, there are instances where lenders may end up paying borrowers when they take out a loan. This is called a negative interest rate environment.

Negative rates are normally set by central banks and other regulatory bodies. They do so during deflationary periods when consumers hold too much money instead of spending as they wait for a turnaround in the economy. Consumers may expect their money to be worth more tomorrow than today during these periods. When this happens, the economy can experience a sharp decline in demand, causing prices to plummet even lower.

When strong signs of deflation are present, simply cutting the central bank's interest rate to zero may not be sufficient enough to stimulate growth in both credit and lending. This means that a central bank must loosen its monetary policy and turn to negative interest rates.

Therefore, a negative interest rate environment occurs when the nominal interest rate drops below 0% for a specific economic zone. This effectively means that banks and other financial firms have to pay to keep their excess reserves stored at the central bank, rather than receiving positive interest income.



In a negative interest rate environment, an entire economic zone can be impacted because the nominal interest rate dips below zero. As such, storing cash incurs a fee rather than earning interest, which means that consumers and banks have to pay interest in order to deposit money into an account.

Special Considerations

While real interest rates can be effectively negative if inflation exceeds the nominal interest rate, the nominal interest rate is, theoretically, bounded by zero. This means that negative interest rates are often the result of a desperate and critical effort to boost economic growth through financial means.

The zero-bound refers to the lowest level that interest rates can fall to. Some forms of logic dictate that zero would be that lowest level. However, there are instances where negative rates have been implemented during normal times. For instance, the target interest rate in Switzerland was -0.75%. Japan adopted a similar policy with a mid-2021 target rate of -0.1%.

Commercial Banks

With negative interest rates, commercial banks are charged interest to keep cash with a nation's central bank, rather than receiving interest. This dynamic should theoretically trickle down to consumers and businesses. But in reality, commercial banks are generally reluctant to pass negative rates onto their customers.



Consequences of Negative Rates

A negative interest rate policy (NIRP) is an unusual monetary policy tool. Nominal target interest rates are set with a negative value, which is below the theoretical lower bound of 0%.

When people hoard money rather than spend or invest it, aggregate demand collapses. This leads to prices falling even further, a slowdown or halt in real production and output, and an increase in unemployment.

A loose or expansionary monetary policy is usually employed to deal with such economic stagnation. However, if deflationary forces are strong enough, simply cutting the central bank's interest rate to zero may not be sufficient to stimulate borrowing and lending.

But it's still not clear if a NIRP is effective in achieving the goal in the countries that established it and in the way it was intended. It's also unclear whether or not negative rates have successfully spread beyond excess cash reserves in the banking system to other parts of the economy.

Individual depositors aren't charged negative interest rates on their bank accounts.

Example of Negative Interest Rates

Central banks in Europe, Scandinavia, and Japan have implemented a negative interest rate policy on excess bank reserves in the financial system. This unorthodox monetary policy tool is designed to spur economic growth through spending and investment; depositors would be incentivized to spend cash rather than store it at the bank and incur a guaranteed loss.

How Can Interest Rates Turn Negative?

Interest rates tell you how valuable money is today compared to the same amount of money in the future. Positive interest rates imply that there is a time value of money, where money today is worth more than money tomorrow. Forces like inflation, economic growth, and investment spending all contribute to this outlook. A negative interest rate, by contrast, implies that your money will be worth morenot lessin the future.

What Do Negative Interest Rates Mean for People?

Most instances of negative interest rates only apply to bank reserves held by central banks; however, we can ponder the consequences of more widespread negative rates. First, savers would have to pay interest instead of receiving it. By the same token, borrowers would be paid to do so instead of paying their lender. Therefore, it would incentivize many to borrow more and larger sums of money and to forgo saving in favor of consumption or investment. If they did save, they would save their cash in a safe or under the mattress, rather than pay interest to a bank for depositing it.

Note that interest rates in the real world are set by the supply and demand for loans (despite central banks setting a target). As a result, the demand for money in use would grow and quickly restore a positive interest rate.

Where Do Negative Interest Rates Exist?

Some central banks have set a negative interest rate policy (NIRP) in order to stimulate economic growth in the financial sector, or else to protect the value of a local currency against exchange-rate increases due to large inflows of foreign investment. Countries including Japan, Switzerland, Sweden, and even the ECB (eurozone) have adopted NIRPs at various points over the past two decades.

Why Would Central Banks Adopt NIRPs to Stimulate the Economy?

Monetary policymakers are often afraid of falling into a deflationary spiral. In harsh economic times, such as deep economic recessions or depressions, people and businesses tend to hold on to their cash while they wait for the economy to improve.

This behavior, however, can weaken the economy further as a lack of spending causes further job losses, lower profits, and price dropsall of which reinforce peoples fears, giving them even more incentive to hoard. As spending slows even more, prices drop again, creating another incentive for people to wait as prices fall further, and so on. When central banks have already lowered interest rates to zero, the NIRP is a way to incentivize corporate borrowing and investment and discourage hoarding of cash.
What Is A Bailout?nhl odds of winning stanley cup

A bailout is when a business, an individual, or a government provides money and/or resources (also known as a capital injection) to a failing company. These actions help to prevent the consequences of that business's potential downfall which may include bankruptcy and default on its financial obligations.

Businesses and governments may receive a bailout which may take the form of a loan, the purchasing of bonds, stocks or cash infusions, and may require the recused party to reimburse the support, depending upon the terms.

Key Takeaways

A bailout is the injection of money into a business or organization that would otherwise face imminent collapse.

Bailouts can be in the form of loans, bonds, stocks, or cash.

Some loans require reimbursementeither with or without interest payments.

Bailouts typically go to companies or industries which directly impact the strength of the overall economy, rather than just one particular sector or industry.

Click Play to Learn What a Bailout Is

Bailout Explained

1:45

Bailouts are typically only for companies or industries whose bankruptcies may have a severe adverse impact on the economy, not just a particular market sector. For example, a company that has a considerable workforce may receive a bailout because the economy could not sustain the substantial jump in unemployment that would occur if the business failed. Often, other companies will step in and acquire the failing business, known as a bailout takeover.

The U.S. government has a long history of bailouts going back to the Panic of 1792. Since that time, the government has assisted financial institutions during the 1989 savings and loan bailout, rescued insurance giant American International Group (AIG), funded the government-sponsored home lenders Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and stabilized banks during the 2008 "too big to fail" bailout, officially known as the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA).

During the Panic of 1792, debt from the Revolutionary War led the government to bail out the 13 United States.

Further, the financial industry is not the only one to receive rescue funds throughout the years. Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LMT), Chrysler, General Motors (GM), and the airline industry also received government and other bailout support.

In 2010, Ireland bailed out the Anglo Irish Bank Corporation to the tune of 29.3 billion. Greece received European Union (EU) bailouts which topple the scale at around 326 billion. However, Greece is not alone in needing outside help to manage debts. Other rescues include South Korea in 1997, Indonesia in 1999, Brazil in 1998, 2001 and 2002, and Argentina in 2000 and 2001.

Also, it is essential to understand, many of the businesses which receive rescue funding will eventually go on to pay back the loans. Chrysler and GM repaid their Treasury obligations as did AIG. However, AIG also received aid in ways other than merely financial, which is harder to track.

Real World Example

As you can see, bailouts take many shapes and forms. Also, with each new bailout, the record books are reopened and a new biggest recipient award updated. Consider some of these other historical financial rescues.

Financial Industry Bailout

The U.S. government offered one of the most massive bailouts in history in 2008 in the wake of the global financial crisis. The rescue targeted the largest financial institutions in the world who experienced severe losses from the collapse of the subprime mortgage market and the resulting credit crisis. Banks, which had been providing an increasing number of mortgages to borrowers with low credit scores, experienced massive loan losses as many people defaulted on their mortgages.

Financial institutions such as Countrywide, Lehman Brothers, and Bear Stearns failed, and the government responded with a massive assistance package. On Oct. 3, 2008, President George W. Bush signed into law the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, which led to the creation of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). TARP allowed for the United States Department of the Treasury to spend up to $700 billion to purchase toxic assets from the balance sheets of dozens of financial institutions. As of April 2021, TARP had disbursed $443 billion to financial institutions. This figure represented the biggest bailout in financial history to that date.

Bear Stearns, which became one of the largest investment banks with $2 billion in profits in 2006, was acquired by JP Morgan Chase in 2008.

Auto Industry Bailout

Automakers such as Chrysler and General Motors (GM) were also knocked down during the 2008 financial crisis. The automakers sought a taxpayer bailout as well, arguing that, without one, they would not be able to stay solvent.

Automakers were under pressure as slumping sales plunged amid the dual impacts of surging gas prices and an inability for many consumers to get auto loans. More specifically, the high prices at the pump caused sales of the manufacturers' SUVs and larger vehicles to plummet. Simultaneously, the public found it difficult to get financing, including auto loans, during the financial crisis as banks tightened their lending requirements, further hampering auto sales.

While intended for financial companies, the two automakers ended up drawing roughly $63.5 billion from TARP to stay afloat. In June 2009, Chrysler, now Fiat-Chrysler (FCAU), and GM emerged from bankruptcy and remain among the larger auto producers today.

As of April 2021, the U.S. Treasury has recouped $377 billion of the $443 billion it dispersed, and GM and Chrysler paid back their TARP loans years ahead of schedule. The U.S. Treasury ultimately wrote off approximately $66 billion, including stock losses.
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How to Use "Fair"

How to Use "Fare"

Examples

How to Remember the Difference

Sources

Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia

M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester

B.A., English, State University of New York

EnglishTable of ContentsByRichard NordquistRichard NordquistEnglish and Rhetoric ProfessorDr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks.Learn about ourEditorial ProcessUpdated on April 06, 2019

The words "fair"and"fare" are homophones, meaning they sound alike but have different meanings. One can be used as a noun or an adjective, and the other can be used as a noun or a verb.

How to Use "Fair"

The noun "fair" (as in "state fair") refers to an exhibition, exposition, or public event where there is often food and entertainment. The adjective "fair" has a range of meanings, including just, unbiased, pleasing, clear, and clean.

How to Use "Fare"

The noun "fare" refers to food and drink or to a transportation fee (as in "bus fare"). The verb "fare" means to go, get along, or succeed (as in "fare thee well").

Examples

As an adjective, "fair" is often used to describe someone or something that is impartial and just, such as a neutral authority like a judge:

The judge was harsh but fair ; she handed down a sentence that was appropriate for the crime.

; she handed down a sentence that was appropriate for the crime. The rules of the game are fairboth teams have an equal chance of winning.

"Fair" describes someone or something that is pleasing and attractive as well:

The knight hoped to draw the attention of a fair maiden.

The adjective is also used to describe something of a moderate condition or a moderately large amount:

Though the house was old, it was still in fair shape.

shape. By the time he retired, he had saved a fair amount of money.

As a noun, "fair" refers exclusively to gatherings, recreational or professional, where there are exhibitors or vendors:

They bought kettle corn at the county fair.

"Fare" is also a noun, though it refers either to the price of transportation or something offered for entertainment or consumption, especially food:

The city has raised the bus fare to $3 per ride.

to $3 per ride. They enjoyed fine Italian fare at the new restaurant.

As a verb, "fare" means to perform in a certain way (it often works as a synonym for "get on"):

Because of his knee injury, he did not farewell in the race.

How to Remember the Difference

There are a few tricks for keeping "fair" and "fare" straight. The first one is simpleif it's an adjective, it's "fair." The adjective "fair" has a range of meanings, and you may need to use context clues to figure them out, but it's always spelled "fair." If the word is used as a verb, however, it's always "fare."

Things get a little more complicated once we move beyond adjectives and verbs. Both "fair" and "fare" can be used as nouns. One way to remember the difference is with this sentence:

We enjoyed excellent fare at the fair.

The "fare" is the food itself; the "fair" is the gathering at which it is eaten.

Sources

Straus, Jane. "The Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation: The Mysteries of Grammar and Punctuation Revealed." John Wiley & Sons, 2006, p. xxxix.

Strumpf, Michael, and Auriel Douglas. "The Grammar Bible." Owl (Henry Holt and Co.), 2004, p. 185.

Watch Now: Do You Know When to Use Affect vs. Effect?

FormatmlaapachicagoYour CitationNordquist, Richard. "Fair vs. Fare: How to Choose the Right Word." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/fair-and-fare-1689559.Nordquist, Richard. (2020, August 26). Fair vs. Fare: How to Choose the Right Word. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/fair-and-fare-1689559Nordquist, Richard. "Fair vs. Fare: How to Choose the Right Word." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/fair-and-fare-1689559 (accessed November 23, 2022).
Provider of solutions for the online and retail sports betting industry SIS announced today that it has penned a virtuals content distribution agreementwith leading gambling operator Ladbrokes. Under the recently signed deal, SIS would provide the betting and gaming operator with its on-demand racing games, thus increasing considerably the reach of its newly introduced Infinite Games offering.

It is also important to note that Ladbrokes bettors will now be offered six times more betting opportunitiesthan what traditional virtuals schedules provide gambling customers with. Under the deal, second generation SIS Infinite Games offering is to go live with the major gambling operator. Customers will be able to bet on the full range of games offered by the supplier, with those including greyhounds, horse racing, motor racing, and motorbikes.

SIS launched its second generation of SIS Infinite Games in April 2016. For the very first time ever, the recently introduced offering gives players the chance to choose among three camera views, with those being a ride-on view, a TV broadcast view, and an overhead drone view. Thus, gambling customers can be put at the heart of the whole action.

The full-screen mode is yet another important feature added. It has been introduced so as to make it easier for bettors to view the on-demand racing gaming options more clearly.

Commenting on Ladbrokes becoming the latest operator to have opted for SIS products, Marc Thomas, Head of Product at the gaming supplier, said that the SIS Infinite Games offering is aimed at presenting a new role for the virtual gaming contentin the online gambling market through the provision of an excellent cross-sell product between a sportsbook and casino.

Mr. Thomas further noted that they are really excited to be partnering with Ladbrokes and offer their gambling customers yet another reason to stick to the operators website throughout a busy summer of sport.

Of SIS Infinite Games, the official further noted that they have already proved to be quite popular among players of other operators and that they are happy to have their offering extending its reach even further with Ladbrokes.
The "Baodao 21-1" gas field, China's first large deep-water deep-stratum gas field, in South China's Hainan Province Photo: CNOOC

China discovered its first large deep-water deep-stratum gas field with proven reserves exceeding 50 billion cubic meters (bcm) in the sea southeast of Hainan Province, marking strong progress for the country in accelerating deep-sea exploration which will further ensure national energy security.According to the China National Offshore Oil Corp (CNOOC), the gas field called "Baodao 21-1" achieved the biggest drilling breakthrough in the Songnan-Baodao area in more than 50 years.In the fields that are the targets of offshore oil and gas exploration, waters with a depth of more than 300 meters are generally referred to as deep-water, and wells with a depth of more than 3,000 meters are defined as deep wells.Experts noted that the "Baodao 21-1" gas field is located in the deep-water area southeast of Hainan Island, with a maximum operating depth of more than 1,500 meters and a completed well depth of more than 5,000 meters, which is also subject to extremely complex marine geological conditions.Wu Keqiang, chief geologist of CNOOC Hainan, said that the successful discovery of "Baodao 21-1" not only confirmed the exploration potential of the Baodao Sag, but also indicated that China has made an important breakthrough in deep-water drilling technology, which has vital significance for the exploration of similar formations."China's deep-sea and deep-earth exploration technology is world-class, and the discovery will not only further advance the development of related exploration technology, but also serve as a way for the country to showcase its advanced technology to the world," Lin Boqiang, director of the Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Thursday.Lin added that the newly found gas field is expected to further ensure China's energy security and meet the rising energy needs of its people in the context of rising global natural gas prices.According to CNOOC, the "Baodao 21-1" is located about 150 kilometers from "Deep Sea No 1," China's independently developed ultra-deepwater gas field."Deep Sea No.1" was put into use on June 25, 2021 and has produced more than 2 bcm of natural gas, the Xinhua News Agency reported.Global Times
If American dogs and cats made up their own country,shiba inu swap price 5 draw poker the United States of Fido and Fluffy would rank fifth in global meat consumption. Considering the outsize impact of meat production on global warminganimal agriculture accounts for 14.5% of total greenhouse gas emissionspet ownership should rank alongside trans-continental flights in terms of climate no-nos. (A 2020 study by the University of Edinburgh places the pet-food industry just behind the Philippines when it comes to total emissions). Assuming that most pet owners would rather give up flying over Fluffy, a new study published today in Scientific Reportsoffers an alternative for climate-conscious caretakers. It turns out that the kind of foodwet or dryhas a significant impact on pet-food emissions.

In their paper, Environmental Impact of Diets for Dogs and Cats, a group of researchers based out of the University of Sao Paulo evaluated the greenhouse gas emissions of different dog and cat diets in Brazil, which is second only to the United States when it comes to dog ownership, and fourth globally for cats. They also included land and water use in their investigation of commercial dry-food diets, wet-food products, and home-made pet meals while considering the nutritional and calorific values of the different diets.

Wet food has the greatest environmental impact, contributing up to seven times more carbon emissions than a dry diet of kibbles or biscuits. The authors estimate that a medium size dog of 22 pounds (10 kg) eating wet food would be responsible for 6,541 kilograms of CO2 per year, the equivalent of 13.5 round-trip flights in Europe. A dry diet for the same dog would emit 828.37 kilograms of CO2, approximately 1.7 European jaunts. And that is without factoring in transport and packaging, which would likely have a further impact given the increased weight and life cycle of the aluminum cans wet food usually comes in compared to the paper bags in which dry food typically is shipped.

But not all kibble is equal, climate-wise. The University of Edinburghs study of pet foods carbon pawprint estimates that dry food sourced from meat contributes up to 2.9% of agricultures CO2 emissions. While dogs, which are omnivorous, can survive on a plant-based diet, cats require animal protein. To feed that need, pet-food companies, including majors like Mars and Purina, have developed protein-rich, insect-based foods for both dogs and cats. In the U.S., pet food startup Jiminys sells both a cricket kibble and a worm-based version called Good Grub. A real-meat-without-the-guilt option could be in supper bowls soon: one U.S.-based biotech company, Because, Animals, is growing cultivated meat from mouse and rabbit stem cells to make freeze-dried pet treats.

That said, the environmental costs of shipping will remain an important consideration. The bottom line: Whether its cricket chow today, or cultivated mouse in the near future, the key to a climate-friendly pet diet is making sure it stays in kibble form.
Some words in English sound the same, even if their meanings are different. These words are called homophones.

Diffuseand defusedont sound exactly alike when pronounced carefully, but they are near homophones. They do, however, have quite distinct meanings, and mixing them up can cause needless confusion for your readers. As a result, its important to know whether you really mean defuseor diffuse.

What is the Difference Between Defuse and Diffuse?

In this article, I will compare defusevs. diffuse. As part of this explanation, I will use each word in a sentence to illustrate its proper context and meaning. Plus, I will relate to you a useful memory tool to help remember when each word is appropriate.

When to Use Defuse

What does defuse mean? Defuseis a verb. To defuse something is to disarm an explosive, or less literally, to alleviate danger.

Here are some examples,

The speaker used humor to defuse a tense situation.

Disconnect the red wire to defuse the bomb! yelled the frantic technician.

Detectives found five bombs inside the backpack. A robot trying to defuse the bomb accidentally cut the wrong wire, leading to the explosion. LA Times

When to Use Diffuse

What does diffuse mean? Diffusecan be an adjective or a verb.

As an adjective, diffusemeans spread out, scattered, or softened. It can refer either to the intensity of light, or to a lack of concentration, e.g., of a people group over a large area.

For example,

Diffuse light emanated from the crystal ball.

The diffuse vegetation broke up the otherwise featureless tundra.

As a verb, diffusemeans to spread or scatter. It also refers to light but can refer to more abstract concepts, like the spread of knowledge throughout the world. In this sense, it is a close synonym of disseminate.

Here are some examples,

The light diffused through the curtains, creating a soft ambiance in the quiet room.

Adding a lampshade over a light bulb will diffuse the light, so that it will not be so glaring.

The advent of the printing press diffused literacy over the entire civilized world.

BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti said that the move is meant to diffuse its video unit across the entire enterprise, as opposed to having a separate video department, which in 2016 makes about as much sense as having a mobile department. The Wall Street Journal

Trick to Remember the Difference

Now that we understand each words context and meaning, lets go over a helpful trick to remember diffusevs. defuse.

Defuserefers to the disarming of a bomb or the alleviation of tension or danger.

Diffuserefers to a quality of light, the scattering of light, or metaphorically, the spread of an idea or another concept.

Since diffusecan sometimes mean to soften, it is often confused with defuse, as in the sentence below:

Humor can cause the tension in a room to diffuse.

From a certain point of view, an argument could be made that this sentence is an appropriate use of diffuse. The tension could be said to have softened.

Remember, however, that something that is diffusedis also spread or circulated. You would not typically tell a joke to spread tension. As a result, to use diffusein this context isnt really correct and would probably confuse your readers.

You can remember to use defusefor situations involving explosives or a high amount of tension since defuseand deescalateeach start with the letters de-. Deescalateis a rough synonym of defusein such situations. By using this mnemonic, you can always know whether to choose defuseor diffuse.

Summary

Is it defuse or diffuse?These two words, despite sounding somewhat similar in speech, have entirely distinct meanings.

Defuseis a verb that means to disarm an explosive or relieve tension from a situation.

Diffuseis an adjective referring to a lack of concentration, or a verb that means to spread out or to circulate.

Since defuseand deescalatestart with the same letters and both refer to relieving tension, you can remember to reserve defusefor these situations.

If you ever need help deciding to use diffuse or defuse, you can check this article for a refresher.
Legal sport betting officially begins in Ohio in just a few days! Starting at 12:01AM on January 1st,how to do a multi bet on sportsbet 2021 residents in the Buckeye state aged 21 and older can legally place wagers from anywhere inside the borders of the state.

Online casino gambling will not follow any time soon. There are no bills and no current momentum of any sort to legalize it. While a good portion of the country either has legalized sports betting or has wheels in motion to get it approved, online casino gambling has not spread quite as quickly. As of now six states allow it in some form. They are Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

There are some signs that suggest Ohio will approve online casino gambling at a later date. There is infrastructure in place with four retail casinos in the state, and seven racinos (horse tracks with some casino gambling). Plus three bordering states have online casinos, and no state likes to bequeath a potential revenue source to a neighbor.

Until then, Ohioans can start enjoying online sports betting in just a few days. It sets up as a massive launch as 16 online Ohio sportsbooks and 12 retail (physical) sportsbooks have made their way through the Ohio Casino Control Commission approval process and can open up their windows immediately on January 1st.

Ohios rollout provides for three types of sports betting licenses. There are 25 Type A licenses. Licensees are required to operate in state, and can then affiliate with an online sportsbook. Thus this is effectively the path for online sportsbooks to get licensed, with the provision that each online operator must partner up with an in-state operator.

Actual physical sportsbooks get Type B licenses. Ohio allows for up to 40 of these licenses. The holders here are casinos, sports teams, arenas and other similar properties or organizations.

The following online sportsbook-retail establishment partnerships have passed the approval process and can open up on January 1st.

Barstool: Hollywood Casino Columbus

Bet365: Cleveland Guardians

Betfred: Cincinnati Bengals

BetMGM: MGM Northfield Park

BetPARX: Muirfield Village Golf Course

BetRivers: Hollywood Casino Columbus

Caesars: Scioto Downs

DraftKings: Hollywood Casino Toledo

Fanatics: Columbus Blue Jackets

FanDuel: Belterra Park

Hard Rock: Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati

Instabet/Betr: Pro Football Hall of Fame Village

PointsBet: Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley

SuperBook: FC Cincinnati

Tipico: Columbus Crew

There are applications submitted already for nine more online slots, while the remaining slot was set for a Cleveland Cavaliers partnership with FuboTV. Unfortunately for the Cavs, FuboTV shut their sportsbook.

The final license is a Type C license that allows bars, restaurants and any other establishment with a Class D liquor license to open up a sports betting kiosk on site. Retailers licensed to sell Ohio Lottery tickets can also run a kiosk.

This launch looks monstrous as unlike many states, Ohio is not scaling it all in over time. Everything potentially opens at once on January 1st, meaning Buckeye State residents have many choices and the sportsbooks will compete for all that business.

Ohio residents can start signing up now ahead of New Year's Day. The Ohio sportsbooks offer two types of welcome bonuses for new accounts.

Category: Casino Blog
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How to use in a sentence Such an object, whether artificial or natural, was called by the Icelanders, dagsmark (daymark). The Pre-Columbian Discovery of America by the Northmen|B. F. De Costa

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Ph.D., Philosophy, Columbia University

M.A., Philosophy, Columbia University

B.A., Philosophy, University of Florence, Italy

Choosing a philosophy program can be extremely difficult. In the U.S. alone, there are over 100 well-established schools granting graduate degrees (M.A., M.Phil., or Ph.D.) in philosophy. Needless to say, Canada, the U.K., Australia, France, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Germany, and several other countries have advanced degree programs that are well-regarded, too. How should you decide which program is best for you?

Length of the Degree and Financial Aid

One of the most important factors to consider when choosing an academic program is the length. When it comes to Ph.D. programs, U.S. departments typically require a longer period of study (between roughly four and seven years) and usually offer multi-year financial aid packages. Other countries have different systems, and in the U.K., France, Germany, and Spain, it is more common to find three-year Ph.D. programs, some of which offer financial aid.

The financial aid aspect can be a decisive factor for many students. Fresh graduates of philosophy Ph.D. programs can expect to face more challenges in the job market than graduates of law school and medical school programs. Even for graduates fortunate enough to obtain an academic job after completing their degree, it can be difficult to pay off thousands of dollars in loans. For this reason, it is not recommended to begin an advanced degree in philosophy without first securing proper financial aid.

Placement Record

Another important characteristic of an advanced degree program is its placement record. What sorts of jobs have the graduates from the program secured over the last few years? The placement record can be an important indicator for prospective students.

Keep in mind that placement records can improve or weaken on the basis of changes in the reputation of the faculty members of the department and, to a smaller degree, of the institution. For instance, the philosophy departments at New York University and Rutgers University significantly transformed their reputations since the early 2000s, and in 2017 their graduates were among the most sought-after on the market.

Specialty

It is, however, important to choose a program that suits the interests of the prospective student. In some cases, a relatively less-known program may actually be a student's best choice. For instance, for someone interested in phenomenology and religion, the University of Louvain in Belgium offers an excellent program. Ohio State University offers a top-notch program for students interested in the philosophy of mathematics. Because Ph.D. programs take years to complete and require a great investment on the part of the student, it is important to find a school where the student can engage intellectually with other students and faculty on the subjects that most interest them. That may be, in some cases, a prestigious name-brand school. It may also be a smaller school that happens to be less prestigious.

Location

Enrolling in a Ph.D. program often requires relocatingto a new country, a new city, a new neighborhood. Before making this drastic change, students should consider the location of the school and ask themselves whether they believe they can thrive in that environment. A sleepy college town may be the perfect study-zone for some students. Others may be more comfortable in a crowded city.

Prestigious Departments

Which schools have the most prestigious philosophy departments? It depends on how you measure prestige. Programs are always changing, and star faculty sometimes move from one program to another. Nevertheless, there are a number of schools that are known for the strength of their philosophy programs. They include Harvard University, Princeton University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, University of Pittsburgh, M.I.T., University of Pennsylvania, U.C.L.A., Stanford University, U.C. Berkeley, Columbia University and the University of Chicago.

Department Rankings

For more detailed information about how different schools compete, students can consult department rankings. The most influential ranking is probably the Philosophical Gourmet Report, edited by Professor Brian Leiter of the University of Chicago. The report, based on the evaluations of 300 faculty members, also contains a number of useful additional resources for prospective students.

More recently, the Pluralists Guide to Philosophy Graduate Programs has offered an alternative perspective on the strength of various philosophy departments. This guide focuses on a number of research areas that are not as prominent in Leiter's report.

Another ranking that deserves some attention is the Hartmann Report, edited by graduate student John Hartmann.
But perhaps a better name for this crowd would be the Dan Malloy wing of the Democratic Party.

The real power lies in a handful of men like Dan Loeb, who personally put up a million dollars to take over the Senate.

Its first sale was a Dan Colen work, which sold for something like $120,000 or $150,000.

There was that Twitter rant by Dan Haseltine, lead singer of Jars of Clay, supporting gay marriage. Is the Christian Music Industry Softening on Gays?|Matthew Paul Turner|October 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

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Dan inserted the primer, pulled the lanyard and sent the contents of the gun into the ranks of the enemy. The Courier of the Ozarks|Byron A. Dunn
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noun Architecture.a cyma whose convex part projects beyond the concave part.

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How to use in a sentence The corresponding cyma was of the same material and similarly decorated. The American Journal of Archaeology, 1893-1|Various

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Xi Jinping said on Sunday that the Communist Party of China (CPC) members must bear in mind that full and rigorous self-governance is flamingo casino las vegasan unceasing endeavor and that self-reform is a journey to which there is no end.



"We must never slacken our efforts and never allow ourselves to become weary or beaten," said Xi at the opening session of the 20th CPC National Congress.



The CPC has a pivotal role in building China into a modern socialist country in all respects and in advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts, Xi said.



As the largest Marxist governing party in the world, the CPC must always stay alert and determined to tackle the special challenges that a large party like the CPC faces, so as to maintain the people's support and consolidate its position as the long-term governing party, he said.



The CPC must meet the overall requirements for Party building in the new era, improve the systems for exercising full and rigorous self-governance, and comprehensively advance its efforts to purify, improve, renew, and excel itself, Xi said.



This will enable the Party to stay true to its original aspiration and founding mission and remain the strong leadership core in building socialism with Chinese characteristics, he said.



In the report, Xi stressed upholding and strengthening the centralized, unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, enhancing cohesion and forging the Party's soul with the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and improving the systems and regulations for the Party's self-reform.



He also stressed cultivating officials capable of shouldering the mission of national rejuvenation, enhancing the political and organizational functions of Party organizations, taking strict steps to improve Party conduct and enforce Party discipline, and winning the tough and protracted battle against corruption.


Extra costs stemming from a proposed betting advertising ban could end daily coverage of Irish horse racing,best free blockchain courses the sports main broadcaster has confirmed.

Racing industry figures warned this week that a proposed blanket pre-watershed ban in the Gambling Regulation Bill threatened coverage of the sport, potentially damaging racetrack revenues and thoroughbred ownership.

Martin Stevenson, chief executive of the group that owns Racing TV which holds media rights to all 26 Irish racetracks, confirmed the ban would likely mean that it isnt viable to continue broadcasting in Ireland.

The proposed law would increase Racing TVs costs by forcing it to move its Irish operation to a new channel requiring extra services from Sky.
What Is Idiosyncratic Risk?casino niagara hotels attached

Idiosyncratic risk is a type of investment risk that is endemic to an individual asset (like a particular company's stock), a group of assets (like a particular sector), or in some cases a very specific asset class (like collateralized mortgage obligations). Idiosyncratic risk is also referred to as a specific risk or unsystematic risk.

Therefore, the opposite of idiosyncratic risk is a systematic risk, which is the overall risk that affects all assets, such as fluctuations in the stock market, interest rates, or the entire financial system.

Key Takeaways

Idiosyncratic risk refers to the inherent factors that can negatively impact individual securities or a very specific group of assets.

It is also known as specific, or unsystematic risk.

Certain securities will naturally have more idiosyncratic risk than others.

Idiosyncratic risk can generally be mitigated in an investment portfolio through the use of diversification.

The opposite of Idiosyncratic risk is a systematic risk, which refers to broader trends that impact the overall financial system or a very broad market.

Idiosyncratic Risk

Understanding Idiosyncratic Risk

1:20

Research suggests that idiosyncratic risk accounts for most of the variation in the uncertainty surrounding an individual stock over time, rather than market risk. Idiosyncratic risk can be thought of as the factors that affect an asset such as the stock and its underlying company at the microeconomic level. It has little or no correlation with risks that reflect larger macroeconomic forces, such as market risk. Microeconomic factors are those that affect a limited or small portion of the entire economy, and macro forces are those impacting larger segments or the entire economy.

Company management's decisions on financial policy, investment strategy, and operations are all idiosyncratic risks specific to a particular company and stock. Other examples can include the geographical location of operations and corporate culture. In terms of industry or sector, an example of idiosyncratic risk for mining companies would be the exhaustion or the inaccessibility of a vein or a seam of metal. Likewise, the possibility of a pilots' or a mechanics' strike would be an idiosyncratic risk for airline companies.

Business risk is an idiosyncratic risk associated with the nature of a business along with its competitive landscape and market.

Operational risk arises when, for example, a machine breaks down, a factory catches fire, or a key employee dies.

Financial risk relates to a particular company's capital structure and financial exposures.

Regulatory/legal risk has to do with the possibility of new laws or regulations that can harm a firm's bottom line or ability to operate freely.





Idiosyncratic Risk vs. Systematic Risk

Idiosyncratic risk is inherent in any individual company or investment. This is because every company has its own specific strengths and weaknesses, competitive landscape, management style, external threats, and so on. Thus the business risk for any one company will be largely unique.

However, there are also market-wide risks that are inherent in most every security in a certain asset class, stemming largely from macroeconomic considerations. This is known as systematic risk or market risk. Thus, in contrast to idiosyncratic risk, systematic risk cannot be simply mitigated just by adding more assets to an investment portfolio that can counteract the specific risks of certain stocks. This market-wide risk cannot be eliminated by adding stocks of various sectors to one's holdings. These broader types of risk reflect the macroeconomic factors that affect not just a single asset but other assets like it and greater markets and economies as well.

Strategies for Minimizing Idiosyncratic Risk

While idiosyncratic risk is, by definition, irregular and unpredictable, studying a company or industry can help an investor to identify and anticipatein a general wayits idiosyncratic risks. Idiosyncratic risk is also highly individual, even unique in some cases. It can, therefore, be substantially mitigated or eliminated from a portfolio by using adequate diversification. Proper asset allocation, along with hedging strategies, can minimize its negative impact on an investment portfolio by diversification or hedging.

Diversification works because the specific risk of one company will likely not be the same as other companies. So, if one company in one sector experiences a product recall (say it is a car company), it likely won't influence the price of an apparel company or a restaurant stock. The best way to diversify is to hold stocks, therefore, that are largely uncorrelated with one another. Another diversification strategy is to buy the overall index, such as the S&P 500, using a mutual fund or ETF. This is a low-cost way to ensure a well-diversified portfolio.

Hedging is a strategy that takes an offsetting position in a similar security. This can be done, for instance, using options contracts. A put grants the right, but not the obligation to sell the underlying stock at a set price. So, if you own stock in the automaker, you can buy a protective put that will establish a price floor for you until the contract expires. Hedging, however, requires an outlay of cash since you need to buy the options, but you can also think of it like buying insurance on your holdings.

Examples of Idiosyncratic Risk

Energy Stocks: Industry-Specific Risk

In the energy sector, the stocks of companies that own or operate oil pipelines face a sort of idiosyncratic risk that's particular to their industrythat their pipelines may become damaged, leak oil, and bring about repair expenses, lawsuits, and fines from government agencies. Unfortunate circumstances like these may cause a company such as Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI) or Enbridge, Inc. (ENB), to decrease distributions to investors and cause the shares to fall in price.

Apple: The Role of a Charismatic Leader

Another example of idiosyncratic risk is a company's dependence on the CEO. For much of its history, and certainly, its breakout success in the 2000s, Apple Inc. (AAPL) was synonymous with its co-founder, Steve Jobs. When Jobs fell ill and took a leave of absence from the company in 2010, Apple's stock continued to appreciate in absolute terms, but its valuation relative to price multiples fell.

After Jobs took another leave in early 2011, resigning as CEO in August and passing away in October, Apple's stock traded lowerbriefly. Jobs was known for being a visionary and turning around Apple; as such, his leadership was part of Apple's success and its stock price. Ultimately, faith in the company and its products prevailed, and Apple stock recovered to reach new highs through early 2020.

CoinBase: Tied to a Unique Asset Class

CoinBase (COIN) is the largest North American cryptocurrency exchange and has made a reputation for itself as being legitimate and trustworthy. Still, its stock price is largely tied to that of the crypto market. This is an idiosyncratic risk. In the Spring of 2022, when the crypto market experienced a severe correction, the price of COIN stock also suffered.

What Are Types of Idiosyncratic Risk?

While each company will have its own idiosyncratic risk profile, these can generally be categorized into one or more of the following: business risk; financial risk; operational risk; strategic risk; and legal or regulatory risk.

How Is Idiosyncratic Risk Measured?

Idiosyncratic risk can be measured for a stock as its variance in excess of the systematic risk observed in the market. In other words, the difference between a stock's variance and the market's variance.

Is Beta the Same As Idiosyncratic Risk?

A stock's beta estimates its volatility in reference to the S&P 500. In that respect, it might be seen as a measure of idiosyncratic risk. However, this is mistaken. Beta is actually a measure of a stock's contribution to overall systematic risk and is arrived at using the capital asset pricing model (CAPM).
What Is a Lender?ruby casino slots

A lender is an individual, a group (public or private), or a financial institution that makes funds available to a person or business with the expectation that the funds will be repaid. Repayment will include the payment of any interest or fees. Repayment may occur in increments (as in a monthly mortgage payment) or as a lump sum. One of the largest loans consumers take out from lenders is a mortgage.

Key Takeaways

A lender is an individual, a public or private group, or a financial institution that makes funds available to a person or business with the expectation that the funds will be repaid.

Repayment includes the payment of any interest or fees.

Repayment may occur in increments (as in a monthly mortgage payment) or as a lump sum.

Click Play to Learn All About Lenders

Understanding Lenders

1:59

Lenders provide funds for a variety of reasons, such as a home mortgage, an automobile loan, or a small business loan. The terms of the loan specify how it must be satisfied, e.g., the repayment period and the consequences of missing payments and default. A lender may go to a collection agency to recover any funds that are past due.

How Do Lenders Make Loan Decisions?

Individual borrowers

Qualifying for a loan depends largely on the borrowers credit history. The lender examines the borrowers credit report, which details the names of other lenders extending credit (current and previous), the types of credit extended, the borrowers repayment history, and more. The report helps the lender determine whetherbased on current employment and incomethe borrower would be comfortable managing an additional loan payment. As part of their decision about creditworthiness, lenders may also use the Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) score in the borrowers credit report.

The lender may also evaluate the borrowers debt-to-income (DTI) ratiowhich compares current and new debt to before-tax incometo determine the borrowers ability to pay.

When applying for a secured loan, such as an auto loan or a home equity line of credit (HELOC), the borrower pledges collateral. The lender will make an evaluation of the collaterals full value and subtract any existing debt secured by that collateral from its value. The remaining value of the collateral will be the equity that affects the lending decision (i.e., the amount of money that the lender could recoup if the asset were liquidated).

The lender also evaluates a borrowers available capital, which includes savings, investments, and other assets that could be used to repay the loan if income is ever cut due to a job loss or other financial challenge. The lender may ask what the borrower plans to do with the loan, such as use it to purchase a vehicle or other property. Other factors may also be considered, such as environmental or economic conditions.

Business borrowers

Different lenders have different rules and procedures for business borrowers.

Banks, savings and loans, and credit unions that offer Small Business Administration (SBA) loans must adhere to the guidelines of that program.

Private institutions, angel investors, and venture capitalists lend money based on their own criteria. These lenders will also look at the purpose of the business, the character of the business owner, the location of business operations, and the projected annual sales and growth for the business.

Small-business owners prove their ability for loan repayment by providing lenders both personal and business balance sheets. The balance sheets detail assets, liabilities, and the net worth of the business and the individual. Although business owners may propose a repayment plan, the lender has the final say on the terms.

Where Can I Get a Small Business Loan?

One good lender option for small business borrowers is the Small Business Administration (SBA), a U.S. government agency that promotes the economy by assisting small businesses with loans and advocacy. The SBA has a website and at least one office in every state.

What Are the Different Types of Mortgage Lenders?

The three most common options for borrowers seeking a mortgage lender are mortgage brokers, direct lenders (e.g., banks and credit unions), and secondary market lenders (e.g., Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac).

What Are the Best Mortgage Lenders for Bad Credit?

Getting a mortgage when you have bad credit is possible, but a larger down payment, mortgage insurance, and a higher interest rate will likely be required.
Online gambling operator 888 Holdings was caught breaching Denmarks money laundering laws by failing to report a customers suspicious transactions to competent authorities and to address the issue in a timely manner.

In a probe into the matter, the Danish Gambling Authority, Spillemyndigheden, established that the company has run afoul of Section 25 of Denmarks Money Laundering Act.

Under that particular section, companies conducting activities in Denmark must harness principles and rules relating to their record keeping and risk assessment for the effective prevention of money laundering, terror funding, and other financial crimes.

In relation to Section 25, 888 was found to have failed to probe suspiciously large transactions and related activitiesdemonstrated by a Danish gambling customer. The customers gambling patterns showed questionable economic and legal purpose, it also became known.

Spillemyndigheden discovered that the 888 player spent more than DKK1 million (just under $150,000)over the course of three months. The operator performed background checks on the customer and requested documentation that would have explained how they were able to deposit DKK600,000 within a couple of days.

The player refused to provide documentationproving that their source of income was legal. However, 888 let them gamble for another month before closing their account.

Regulator Orders 888 to Strengthen AML Practices

Spillemyndigheden also found that the gambling operator failed to report the incidentto Denmarks State Prosecutor for Serious Economic and International Crime (SIK). Under the countrys Money Laundering Act, companies must promptly notify the SIK about transactions and activities that could potentially be linked to money laundering.

888 admitted that it should have closed the players account much earlierand that it should have informed the SIK about the incident.

The Gibraltar-headquartered online gambling operators holds two licenses from Spillemyndigheden  one permitting it to conduct sports betting activities and the other for online casino games, including poker.

The Danish Gambling Authority has instructed 888 to strengthen its anti-money laundering policiesand practices so that it can be better prepared to address potential money laundering incidents and to notify the SIK about any similar cases that might occur in future.

Spillemyndigheden is allowed to issue such requests to its licensees under Section 66 of the Money Laundering Act.

888 is no stranger to regulatory trouble. In 2017, the company was slapped with a 7.8 million fineby the UK Gambling Commission for multiple failures relating to the protection of problem gamblers. The penalty package was one of the biggest ever issued by the UK gambling watchdog.

News about 888 failings in Denmark emerged as the government of the Scandinavian nation announced an 8% hikein the tax paid by locally licensed online gaming and betting operators. The new rate will tax companies at 28% on their revenue, up from the 20% current levy. The tax increase will become effective from 2021.

Source:Danish regulator warns 888 over AML failings

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M.A., Teaching Chinese as a Second Language, National Taiwan Normal University

M.A., Education (Chinese and English), Linkoping University

B.A., Chinese Language and Literature, Lund University

In this article, we will look at how to pronounce Ma Ying-jeou (traditional: , simplified: ), which in Hanyu Pinyin would be Ma Ying-jiu. Since most students use Hanyu Pinyin for pronunciation, I will henceforth use that. Ma Ying-jiu was president of Taiwan (Republic of China) from 2008 to 2016.

Below, I will first give you a quick and dirty way if you just want to have a rough idea how to pronounce the name. Then Ill go through a more detailed description, including analysis of common learner errors.

Pronouncing Names in Chinese

Pronouncing Chinese names correctly can be very hard if you haven't studied the language. Ignoring or mispronouncing tones will just add to the confusion. These mistakes add up and often become so serious that a native speaker would fail to understand. Read more about how to pronounce Chinese names.

How to Pronounce Ma Ying-jiu if You've Never Studied Chinese

Chinese names usually consist of three syllables, with the first being the family name and the last two the personal name. There are exceptions to this rule, but it holds true in a vast majority of cases. Thus, there are three syllables we need to deal with.

Listen to the pronunciation here while reading the explanation. Repeat yourself!

Ma - Pronounce as "ma" in "mark" Ying - Pronounce as "Eng" in "English" Jiu - Pronounce as "Joe"

If you want want to have a go at the tones, they are low, high-flat and low (or dipping, see below).

Note: This pronunciation is not correct pronunciation in Mandarin (though it is reasonably close). To really get it right, you need to learn some new sounds (see below).

How to Actually Pronounce Ma Yingjiu

If you study Mandarin, you should never ever rely on English approximations like those above. Those are meant for people who don't intend to learn the language! You have to understand the orthography, i.e. how the letters relate to the sounds. There are many traps and pitfalls in Pinyin you have to be familiar with.

Now, let's look at the three syllables in more detail, including common learner errors:

Ma (third tone) - You are probably familiar with this sound if you've studied Mandarin since it's often used to demonstrate tones and is very common. The "m" is easy to get right, but the "a" is harder. In general, the "a" in "mark" is too far back, but the "a" in "man" is too far forward. Somewhere in between. It is a very open sound, too. Ying (first tone) - As you may have guessed already, this syllable was chosen to represent England and thereby English because they do sound quite similar. The "i" (which is spelt "yi" here) in Mandarin is pronounced with the tongue tip closer to the upper teeth than in English. It's as far up and forward ou can go, basically. It can almost sound like a soft "j" at times. The final can have an optional short schwa (as in English "the"). To get the right "-ng", let your jaw drop and your tongue withdraw. Jiu(third tone) -This sound is tricky to get right. First, "j" is one of the hardest sounds to get right for native speakers of English. It's a voiceless unaspriated affricate, which means that there should be a soft "t" followed by a hissing sound. This should be pronounced in the same place as "x", which means tongue tip touching the lower teeth ridge. "iu" is an abbreviation of "iou". The "i" tends to overlap with the initial. The remaining part is somewhere in between "jaw" and "joe", but note that the English "j" is quite different from Pinyin "j"..

The are some variations for these sounds, but Ma Ying-jiu () can be written like this in IPA:

ma j tju

Conclusion

Now you know how to pronounce Ma Ying -jiu (). Did you find it hard? If youre learning Mandarin, don't worry; there aren't that many sounds. Once youve learnt the most common ones, learning to pronounce words (and names) will become much easier!
Shanghai Stock Exchange Photo:CFP

TheShanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges said they will broaden the scope of stocks eligible for margin financing and securities lending by adding 600 stocks to the pool on Friday, a move that analysts said will offer timely support to vital sectors and help the market in value-finding.Shanghai Stock Exchange added 200 stocks while the Shenzhen Stock Exchange added 400 stocks, bringing the total number of eligible shares to 1,000 and 1,200, respectively.After the new regulation took effect on Monday, eligible shares' market capitalization will account for 95 percent of circulating shares in Shanghai. At the Shenzhen bourse, the ratio will be close to 90 percent.Li Daxiao, chief economist at Shenzhen-based Yingda Securities, told the Global Times on Friday that the measure will help increase the liquidity and revive the sentiment of the stock market.The number of eligible stocks has been expanded by 25 percent and 50 percent respectively in the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses, representing a large rise in the proportion, Li said.It will significantly increase the inclusiveness of industries and facilitate the allocation of market resources to key areas supported by the state, playing a positive role in activating the market and boosting the healthy development of margin financing business, Li noted.The broadening is expected to calm irrational fluctuations in the market and bring the market price near its real valuation, Dong Shaopeng, a senior research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, told the Global Times on Friday.The Shenzhen bourse said companies in advanced manufacturing, digital economy, green and low-carbon sectors account for nearly 60 percent of the 400 newly added stocks while 70 percent of them have circulating market capitalization at below 10 billion yuan ($1.38 billion).The Shanghai exchange said the move will help draw additional capital, improve market vitality and liquidity as well as improve pricing efficiency.The announcement by the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses came a day after China Securities Finance Corp announced it would cut brokerages' borrowing costs by 40 basis points to promote stock investment amid broader government efforts to support the real economy.On Thursday, sources from the China Securities Regulatory Commission were quoted by media reports as saying that the regulator is giving the green light to property sector-related companies seeking financing in the equity market, provided that property is not their main business and revenues and profits do not exceed 10 percent of the total.The source reportedly said the move aims to serve the government's goal of stabilizing the overall economy by letting the capital market perform its financing function, while strictly banning property firms from getting capital from the capital market.Chinese stocks closed mixed on Friday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.13 percent to 3,038.93 points. The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.42 percent lower at 10,918.97 points.
SugarHouse Casino, Philadelphias only full-blown gambling venue, will soon go by a new name as part of a series of upgrades planned for the property.

The gaming and entertainment complex is set to become Rivers Casino Philadelphia this fall, owner Rush Street Gaming announced on Wednesday. The rebrand is said to be part of the casino operators strategy to bring SugarHouse Casino in line with its Rivers-branded properties in Pittsburgh, Schenectady, New York, and Des Plaines, Illinois.

Rush Street Gaming is also understood to be looking to unify its online gambling and sports betting operationsacross different states under a single brand and platform.

The owner of SugarHouse Casino received a license to develop what would be the first full-scale commercial casino in the lucrative Philadelphia market in 2006. The property opened doors on Delaware Avenue along the Delaware River in 2010.

News about SugarHouse Casinos upcoming rebrand emerge three years after the casino complex cut the ribbon on a $164 million expansionthat more than doubled the propertys size to 260,000 square feet from 90,000 square feet. The project included an expanded gaming floor, a new poker room, a multipurpose event center, new dining options, and a covered parking garage, among other amenities.

New Name Comes with More Upgrades

Aside from its new name, SugarHouse Casino is also set to debut $15 million worth of upgradeslater this year, property officials said Wednesday. The revamp project involves redoing one of the propertys signature restaurants, re-carpeting the entire casino floor, as well as new decorations.

The property is also gearing up preparations to launch a permanent state of the art sportsbook. SugarHouse Casino debuted a temporary sports betting facility last December to become the first property in the Philadelphia area to provide sports gambling services. Its sister casino  Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh  launched its own in-person betting operation at around the same time.

Late last month, the casino launched the states first online sports betting platform  SugarHouse Sportsbook. It also plans to join the states online casino space, pending approval from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

Commenting on the propertys upcoming rebrand, Rush Street Gaming CEO Greg Carlin said Wednesday that gaming in Pennsylvania has evolved tremendously and that keeping pace with the changing landscape has been paramount to our success.The executive added that creating a unified brand is another example of how were anticipating and responding to the competitive marketfor gaming.

The planned upgrades, including the addition of new signage, are expected to be implemented in the next few months. As mentioned earlier, the rebrand is set to be completed this fall.

SugarHouse Casino is boosting its offering as The Cordish Companies is in the process of finalizing plans for the development of a $700 million hotel, casino, and entertainment complexin Philadelphias stadium district. Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia will put an end to SugarHouse Casinos monopoly in Philadelphia, when it becomes operational.

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What Is an Investment Banker?no deposit registration bonus

An investment banker is an individual who often works as part of a financial institution and is primarily concerned with raising capital for corporations, governments, or other entities.

Examples of investment banker employers are Goldman Sachs (GS), Morgan Stanley (MS), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAC), and Deutsche Bank (DB).

Key Takeaways:

An investment banker works for a financial institution and is primarily concerned with raising capital for corporations, governments, or other entities.

The investment banking field is popular because it is typically well paid.

Investment bankers must have excellent number-crunching abilities, strong verbal and written communication skills, and the capacity to work long and grueling hours.

Investment Banker

Understanding Investment Banking

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Investment bankers facilitate large, complicated financial transactions. These transactions may include structuring an acquisition, merger, or sale for clients. Another responsibility of investment bankers is issuing securities as a means of raising capital. This involves creating detailed documentation for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) necessary for a company to go public.

An investment banker can save a client time and money by identifying the risks associated with a particular project before a company moves forward. In theory, the investment banker is an expert in their field or industry, who has a finger on the pulse of the current investing climate. Businesses and nonprofit institutions often turn to investment bankers for advice on how best to plan their development.

An investment banker also assists with pricing financial instruments and navigating regulatory requirements. When a company holds its initial public offering (IPO), an investment bank will buy all or much of that companys shares directly, acting as an intermediary. In this case, acting on behalf of the company going public, the investment bank will subsequently sell the companys shares into the public market, creating immediate liquidity.

An investment bank stands to make a profit in this scenario, generally pricing its shares at a markup. In doing so, the investment bank takes on a substantial amount of risk. While experienced analysts at the investment bank use their expertise to price the stock accurately, an investment banker can lose money on the deal if they have overvalued the shares.

An Example of Investment Banking and an IPO

For example, suppose that Petes Paints Co., a chain supplying paints and other hardware, wants to go public. Pete, the owner, gets in touch with Katherine, a prominent investment banker. Pete and Katherine strike a deal in which Katherine (on behalf of her firm) agrees to buy 100,000 shares of Petes Paints for the companys IPO at the price of $24 per share, based on her analyst team's recommendations. The investment bank pays $2.4 million for the 100,000 shares.

After filing the appropriate paperwork, such as SEC Form S-1, and setting the IPO's date and time, Katherine and her team begin selling the stock into the open market at $26 per share. However, the investment bank cannot sell more than 20% of the shares at this price given weak demand and is forced to reduce the price to $23 to sell the rest of the holdings. This ultimately leads to a loss for Katherine and her team.

Required Skills for Investment Bankers

The investment banking field is popular because investment bankers are typically well paid. However, these positions require specific skills, such as excellent number-crunching abilities, strong verbal and written communication skills, and the capacity to work long and grueling hours.

Educational requirements usually include an MBA from a top-notch institution and potentially the chartered financial analyst (CFA) designation.

Investment bankers must abide by their firm's stipulated code of conduct and typically sign a confidentiality agreement because of the sensitive nature of the information they receive. Moreover, there is potential for conflict of interest if the advisory and trading divisions of investment banks interact.

A hierarchy of positions typically exists in investment banking: (from junior to senior) analyst, associate, vice president, senior vice president, and then managing director.
Ho Chi Minh City is the best locality to test pilot green economy projects due to its population size and economic dynamism, according to Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai.

At the Ho Chi Minh City Economic Forum 2023 on Friday, Khai said green growth is a development model that ensures harmony between economic growth and environmental sustainability, including response to climate change, effective use of resources, and a balance between the goals of reducing emissions and growing the economy.

He said that among the 63 cities and provinces across Vietnam, HCMC has the largest economic scale, contributing one-fifth of the national GDP, more than a quarter of budget revenue, and is the leaders in attracting FDI and import-export, accounting for nearly 30% of the total number of businesses nationwide.

The top legislature has passed a resolution on giving the city special mechanisms for development. But the city also emits the largest greenhouse gas emissions, some 57.6 million tons a year, or 23.3% of the countrys total. "Basically, the citys economy has mainly developed in a linear direction and has not been greened," he said.

He requested the ministries of Finance, Planning and Investment, Natural Resources and Environment, and other relevant ministries, to expedite policies on developing green enterprises.

Secretary of the HCMC Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen said the citys traditional economic growth model is no longer the optimal choice, so city leaders are now completing a strategic framework on green development through 2030 with a vision to 2050.

Pham Binh An, deputy director of the HCMC Institute for Development Studies, which is participating in building the strategic framework, said that in recent years the citys economy has slowed, so it is necessary to find new growth motivators, including green economy and digital economy.

According to An, two important areas that need to be transformed are energy and transportation.

HCMCs solar power supply accounts for very little, and selling prices of renewable energy are not high enough to attract investors.

Meanwhile, HCMC has few electric personal vehicles and buses, and its green consumer market is still small.

Jeremy Jurgens, executive director of the World Economic Forum (WEF), said Vietnams manufacturing industry has committed to being carbon neutral by 2050, but only some 10% of GDP has been invested in this effort. He argued that the application of artificial intelligence will accelerate the process.

At the forum, WEF and HCMC announced cooperation under which WEF will establish a center for the fourth industrial revolution (C4IR) in the city. This will be a new member of the WEFs global network of C4IR.
In its most recent quarter, despite a pandemic that decimated most clothing sales, revenue rose 2% year-over-year as consumers have continued to snap up its pricey wares.

That business ground to a halt in the second quarter, as the pandemic decimated its biggest clients, travel and tourism companies.

While the coronavirus has decimated the aviation industry, it may also serve to drown out media scrutiny of the Maxs return, said Spud Hilton, a former travel editor at the San Francisco Chronicle.

Afterland, by Lauren BeukesAfter a pandemic nearly decimates the worlds male population, a mother and son go on the run in a hot-wired car, fleeing a government that wants to imprison them and a relative set on exploiting them.

The travel industry has been decimated by the pandemic, as governments worldwide implement strict lockdown measures to prevent contagion. An all-you-can-fly pass? One airline says the model meets the demands of COVID-era travel|eamonbarrett|October 27, 2020|Fortune

That so-called war to end wars decimated an entire generation in Britain, as it did from France to the Ottoman Empire. Blood and War: The Hard Truth About Boots on the Ground|Clive Irving|September 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Bentivolio noted that at the end, [the British] did make it but they were decimated. Tea Party Reindeer Farmer Faces Extinction|Ben Jacobs|July 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Hell, it worked for Tokyo in the 20thafter that city was decimated by Allied bombers, it was basically one big slum. Great Cities are Born Filthy|Will Doig|July 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The earth has been decimated by climate change, stranding what remains of humanity on a train. Welcome to Snowpiercers Apocalypse|Teo Bugbee|June 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I am a little surprised they did not think the networks were decimated in 2012, he said. How Obama Convinced His Spies to Support the Taliban Prisoner Release|Eli Lake|June 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Rinderpest, or some other incomprehensible disease, affected and decimated the imported herds. The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

The small number of them that will arrive before the Holy City will be still further decimated by the Saracens. The Pilgrim's Shell or Fergan the Quarryman|Eugne Sue

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Tones are an essential part of proper pronunciation. In Mandarin Chinese, many characters have the same sound. Therefore tones are necessary when speaking Chinese in order to differentiate words from each other.

Four Tones

There are four tones in Mandarin Chinese, which are:

First tone: a level and higher pitch

Second tone: rising, start from a lower pitch and end at a slightly higher pitch

Third tone: falling rising, start at a neutral tone then dip to a lower pitch before ending at a higher pitch

Fourth tone: falling, start the syllable at a slightly higher than neutral pitch then go quickly and strongly downwards

Reading and Writing Tones

Pinyin uses either numbers or tone marks to indicate the tones. Here is the word ma with numbers and then tone marks:

First tone: ma1 or ma

or Second tone: ma2 or ma

or Third tone: ma3 or ma

or Fourth tone: ma4or ma

Note that there is also a neutral tone in Mandarin. It's not considered a separate tone, but it is an unaccented syllable. For example,  /  (ma) or  /  (me).

Pronunciation Tips

As mentioned earlier, tones are used to determine which Mandarin Chinese word is being implied. For example, the meaning of ma(horse) is very different from ma(mother).

Thus when learning new vocabulary, it is really important to practice both the pronunciation of the word and its tone. The wrong tones can change the meaning of your sentences.

The following table of tones has sound clips which allow you to hear the tones. Listen to each tone and try to mimic it as closely as possible.
What Is Trust Property?betensured fc pals bet prediction

Trust property refers to assets that have been placed into a fiduciary relationship between a trustor and trustee for a designated beneficiary. Trust property may include any type of asset, including cash, securities, real estate, or life insurance policies. Trust property is also referred to as "trust assets" or "trust corpus."

Key Takeaways

Trust property refers to the assets placed into a trust, which are controlled by the trustee on behalf of the trustor's beneficiaries.

Trust property removes tax liability on the assets from the trustor to the trust itself, in some cases.

Estate planning allows for trust property to pass directly to the designated beneficiaries upon the trustor's death without probate.

Understanding Trust Property

Trust property is typically tied into an estate planning strategy used to facilitate the transfer of assets upon death and to reduce tax liability. Some trusts can also protect assets in the event of a bankruptcy or lawsuit.

The trustee is required to manage the trust property in accordance with the trustor's wishes and in the beneficiary's best interests. A trustee can be an individual or a financial institution such as a bank. A trustor sometimes called a "settlor" or "grantor" can also serve as a trustee managing assets for the benefit of another individual such as a son or daughter.

Regardless of the role a trustee plays, the individual or organization must abide by specific rules and laws that govern the functioning of whichever type of trust is established. Once property has been transferred to a trust, the trust itself becomes the rightful owner of the assets. In an irrevocable trust, the assets can no longer be controlled or claimed by the previous owner.

Types of Trusts

There are several different types of trusts individuals can establish. But they typically fall under two categories, which are revocable trusts and irrevocable trusts.

Revocable Trust

In a revocable arrangement, the trustor maintains legal ownership and control of trust assets. For this reason, the trustor would be responsible for paying taxes on the income those assets generate and the trust may also be subject to estate taxes should its value breach the tax-exempt threshold at the time of the grantor's death.

Irrevocable Trust

With an irrevocable trust, the trustor passes legal ownership of the trust assets to a trustee. However, this means those assets leave a person's property effectively lowering the taxable portion of an individual's estate. The trustor also relinquishes certain rights to mend the trust agreement. For example, a trustor usually can't change beneficiaries of an irrevocable trust after they have been established. This is not the case with a revocable trust.

A trustor may be referred to as grantor or donor in certain situations.

Payable on Death (POD) Trust

Trusts can be created during an individual's lifetime, or they can be established following the grantor's death. This situation applies to Payable on Death (POD) trusts, which transfer assets to a beneficiary following the death of the trustor. Generally speaking, this type of trust and similar ones are called testamentary trusts because property is actually transferred following the trustor's death. Assets in these trusts flow directly to the intended beneficiaries following the trustor's death, which means they avoid the often long and expensive process of probate. Probate is the legal process of validating and distributing assets outlined in a will. These trusts can also be outlined in a person's will.

Living Trust

Assets within living trusts can be transferred during the trustor's lifetime. For example, several individuals open accounts in trust with banks for the benefit of their children or to help fund their college expenses. A trustee carefully manages the assets held in the account to achieve this goal, but the children don't have complete access to the funds or the freedom to spend income from the fund as they please. An example of this type of arrangement is a unified gift to minors act (UGMA) account. In some cases, beneficiaries such as children would have access to the trust's assets and the income they generate only after reaching a certain age.
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B.A., English, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Sometimes, a bachelors degree isnt enough  but who has the time (and an extra $30,000) to attend grad school? However, a MicroMasters is the middle ground between a bachelors degree and a masters degree, and it can save students time and money while satisfying an employers preference - or requirement - for advanced learning.

What Is a MicroMasters Program?

MicroMasters programs are offered on edX.org, the nonprofit online learning destination founded by Harvard and MIT. In addition to these two schools, MicroMasters can also be earned at Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Georgia Tech, Boston University, University of Michigan, UC San Diego, University System of Maryland, and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). In addition, the programs are offered at schools in other countries, including The University of British Columbia, Universite Catholique de Louvain, and the University of Adelaide.

Therese Hannigan, director of RIT Online at RIT, tells ThoughtCo, Originally conceived and developed by MIT as a pilot program on edX, the flexible MicroMasters program is a first-of-its-kind credential with a pathway to credit with value to academic institutions and employers.

Hannigan explains that MicroMasters programs entail a series of in-depth and rigorous graduate-level courses. Flexible and free to try, the programs offer learners valuable knowledge to enhance their careers and they also offer a path to an accelerated Masters program.

James DeVaney, associate vice provost for Academic Innovation at the University of Michigan, adds, These MicroMasters programs provide opportunities to explore and advance professional skills, engage in a global learning community, and accelerate time to degree. He tells ThoughtCo that the programs reflect his schools commitment to openness. The courses are free to try and designed with diverse global learners in mind.

The University of Michigan offers three MicroMasters:

User Experience (UX) Research and Design Social Work: Practice, Policy, and Research Leading Educational Innovation and Improvement

The University of Michigan embraces these programs for several reasons. They reflect our commitment to lifelong and lifewide learning as they provide in-demand knowledge and deep learning in specific career fields, DeVaney explains. And, they also reflect our commitment to affordability, inclusion, and innovation as they provide opportunities for learners to pursue accelerated and less expensive masters degrees."

While the online classes are free at all of the schools, students pay for the proctored exams that they must pass to receive a MicroMasters credential. After students earn this certificate, Hannigan explains that they have two options. They are prepared to advance in the workforce, or, they may build on their work by applying to the university offering credit for the certificate, Hannigan says. If accepted, learners can pursue an accelerated and less expensive Masters degree.

Benefits of a MicroMasters

Because these certificates are offered from prestigious universities, the programs are recognized by some of the top companies in the world, including Walmart, GE, IBM, Volvo, Bloomberg, Adobe, Fidelity Investments, Booz Allen Hamilton, Ford Motor Company, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Equifax.

MicroMasters programs allow those who might not otherwise have the opportunity, to pursue an academic credential faster and at a reduced overall cost, Hannigan says. And, since its shorter in length than a traditional Masters program, the modular MicroMasters programs enable learners to begin down a path of advanced study in an affordable and flexible manner.

Specifically, Hannigan cites four specific advantages:

Career-focused: Career outcome-focused credential, recognized by top companies

Career outcome-focused credential, recognized by top companies Pathway to credit : Comparable to one quarter to one semesters worth (25-50%) of a

Masters degree (or 20-30 ECTS) in Europe upon acceptance to a university program

: Comparable to one quarter to one semesters worth (25-50%) of a Masters degree (or 20-30 ECTS) in Europe upon acceptance to a university program Affordable: Costs between $600 - $1,500 USD

Costs between $600 - $1,500 USD Flexible:Offered fully online, as either self-paced or instructor-led, and offered multiple times per year - meaning the courses can be taken at your own pace without disrupting your life.

The MicroMasters programs meet the needs of top corporations and provide learners with valuable knowledge and a career-applicable credential for highly competitive in-demand fields, Hannigan explains. This recognition from an industry leader, in combination with the credential from a prestigious university, signals to employers that a candidate with a MicroMasters credential has acquired valuable knowledge and relevant skills that are directly applicable to their company.

RIT has created two MicroMasters programs:

Project Management Cybersecurity

Hannigan says these two areas were chosen because theres a high demand for the type of information and skills students gain through these curricula. There are 1.5 million new project management jobs being created each year, according to the Project Management Institute, Hannigan says. And, according to Forbes, there will be 6 million new cybersecurity jobs by 2019.

Some of the MicroMasters programs offered by other schools include:
Provider of Virtual Sports offering as well as of mobile gaming content and video lottery service-based gaming systems Inspired Gaming announced that its Virtual Sports have gone live in two US land-based casinoswith major UK gambling operator William Hill. This has been the first time that Inspired Gamings Virtuals content has been launched across US-located gambling venues.

The companys products have already been integrated into the William Hill-managed CBS platform and have gone live in two Nevada-based casinos as part of field trial greenlighted by the Nevada Gaming Control Board. The two casinos are Silver Sevens Hotel & Casino and Plaza Hotel and Casino. Both venues are located in Las Vegas and their sports betting offering is operated by William Hill US Race & Sports Book.

Inspired Gamings Virtuals content will be featured alongside the live sports offering at both casinos. Gambling customers of the two venues will be offered the opportunity to place their bets in real time both via self-service betting terminals and over the counter.

If the field trial is deemed successful by the Nevada gambling regulator, Inspired Gaming Virtual Sports will go live across all casino venues that offer sports betting options run by William Hill and its platform.

Commenting on the latest announcement, Inspired Gaming CCO Steve Rogers said that they are delighted by the fact that the company has become the first one to deploy land-based Virtualsoffering in the US, and Nevada in particular. The official further noted that the deal is indicative of Inspired Gamings leading position in the global deployment of Virtual Sports.

It was announced in May that Inspired Gaming has actually become the first supplier of Virtual Sports content to be allowed to enter the US market. The provider signed an agreement with Golden Nugget Atlantic City and its online gambling arm to launch its offering via its US-based partner Spin Games LLC and the latters proprietary ROC remote gaming server.

With the said deal, Inspired Gaming has become a licensed online gaming technology supplier to New Jerseys Internet gambling market. The state is one of three to have legalized the provision of online gaming options within their borders.
What Is Identity Theall bet siteft?

Identity theft is the crime of obtaining the personal or financial information of another person to use their identity to commit fraud, such as making unauthorized transactions or purchases. Identity theft is committed in many different ways and its victims are typically left with damage to their credit, finances, and reputation.

Key Takeaways

Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal information and credentials to commit fraud.

There are various forms of identity theft, but the most common is financial.

Identity theft protection is a growing industry that keeps track of people's credit reports, financial activity, and Social Security Number use.

Understanding Identity Theft

Identity theft occurs when someone steals your personal informationsuch as your Social Security Number, bank account number, and credit card information. Identity theft can be committed in many different ways. Some identity thieves sift through trash bins looking for bank account and credit card statements.

More high-tech methods involve accessing corporate databases to steal lists of customer information. Once identity thieves have the information they are looking for, they can ruin a person's credit rating and the standing of other personal information.

Identity thieves increasingly use computer technology to obtain other people's personal information for identity fraud. To find such information, they may search the hard drives of stolen or discarded computers; hack into computers or computer networks; access computer-based public records; use information-gathering malware to infect computers; browse social networking sites; or use deceptive emails or text messages.

Victims of identity theft often do not know their identity has been stolen until they begin receiving calls from creditors or are turned down for a loan because of a bad credit score.

Types of Identity Theft

There are several types of identity theft including:

Financial Identity Theft

In financial identity theft, someone uses another person's identity or information to obtain credit, goods, services, or benefits. This is the most common form of identity theft.

Social Security Identity Theft

If identity thieves obtain your Social Security Number, they can use it to apply for credit cards and loans and then not pay outstanding balances. Fraudsters can also use your number to receive medical, disability, and other benefits.

Medical Identity Theft

In medical identity theft, someone poses as another person to obtain free medical care. 

Synthetic Identity Theft

Synthetic identity theft is a type of fraud in which a criminal combines real (usually stolen) and fake information to create a new identity, which is used to open fraudulent accounts and make fraudulent purchases. Synthetic identity theft allows the criminal to steal money from any credit card companies or lenders who extend credit based on the fake identity.

Child Identity Theft

In child identity theft, someone uses a child's identity for various forms of personal gain. This is common, as children typically do not have information associated with them that could pose obstacles for the perpetrator.

The fraudster may use the child's name and Social Security Number to obtain a residence, find employment, obtain loans, or avoid arrest on outstanding warrants. Often, the victim is a family member, the child of a friend, or someone else close to the perpetrator. Some people even steal the personal information of deceased loved ones.

Tax Identity Theft

Tax identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information, including your Social Security Number, to file a bogus state or federal tax return in your name and collect a refund.

Criminal Identity Theft

In criminal identity theft, a criminal poses as another person during an arrest to try to avoid a summons, prevent the discovery of a warrant issued in their real name or avoid an arrest or conviction record.

Warning Signs of Identity Theft

It can be difficult to know if you've been a victim of identity theft, especially if you're not always checking your financial statements.

Some clear indicators of identity theft include bills for items that you didn't buy; these can be seen on your credit card or received via email or other means, calls from debt collectors regarding accounts that you didn't open, and your loan applications being denied when you believed your credit is in good standing.

Other warning signs include bounced checks, a warrant for your arrest, unexplainable medical bills, utilities being shut off, inability to sign into accounts, hard inquiries into your credit report not caused by your actions, and new credit cards in your name that you didn't apply for.

Potential Victims of Identity Theft

Anyone can be a victim of identity theft. Children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable to identity theft as they may not understand specific situations, bills, and their care and finances are handled by others.

Children may be victims of identity theft but not aware of it until they are adults. Seniors often provide a lot of information to hospitals, caregivers, and doctor's officers, where information can be obtained by those seeking to commit fraud.

Identity Theft Protection

Many types of identity theft can be prevented. One way is to continually check the accuracy of personal documents and promptly deal with any discrepancies.

If you believe you are a victim of identity theft, start by going to IdentityTheft.gov, a website administered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It provides directions on how to help you recover your identity and repair any damage you have experienced.

There are several identity theft protection services that help people avoid and mitigate the effects of identity theft. Typically, such services provide information helping people to safeguard their personal information; monitor public records and private records, such as credit reports, to alert their clients of certain transactions and status changes; and provide assistance to victims to help them resolve problems associated with identity theft.

In addition, some government agencies and nonprofit organizations provide similar assistance, typically with websites that have information and tools to help people avoid, remedy, and report incidents of identity theft. Many of the best credit monitoring services also provide identity protection tools and services.

Recovering From Identity Theft

Managing identity theft can be a painstaking and long process. Once you have determined that you have been a victim of identity theft and filed a report with the FTC, there are other steps that you need to take.

You can start by placing fraud alerts on all of your credit reports as well as freezing your credit reports. Fraud alerts are an added layer of protection in that lenders must confirm your identity before opening an account, usually via phone. Freezing your reports prevents access to any credit information. Your credit report is removed from circulation so that a lender will not have access to it. If they don't have access to your report, they cannot open an account in your name.

Once you've managed the above, you need to contact all of the companies involved. Demonstrate to companies that you are a victim of identity theft, that you did not open these accounts, and that your accounts should be frozen.

You can demonstrate that you are a victim of fraud by filing complaints, disputing charges, and showing any other reports you have filed, such as police reports or reports with the FTC. The Fair Credit Billing Act and the Electronic Funds Transfer Act work in your favor. You must also dispute any incorrect charges and information on your credit reports as well.

This should be done once you have the report that you filed with the FTC. Banks and credit card companies should close your old cards and send you new ones, and you should change all of your login and password information.

From there, continue monitoring your reports to ensure that your information is no longer available for thieves to use.



What Do You Do If Someone Has Stolen Your Identity?

The first step to take if someone has stolen your identity is to report the theft to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at IdentityTheft.gov. You can also call them at 1-877-438-4338. From there, you can freeze your credit reports, file a police report, and change all your login and password information. It would also be wise to close your current credit and debit cards and receive new ones. Check your credit reports for false accounts and dispute these with the credit agencies once you have a report from the FTC.

What Are the First Signs of Identity Theft?

The first signs of identity theft are unexplainable charges on your credit card or debit card statements, new cards that you did not apply for, incorrect items on your credit report, medical bills for doctor's visits that you did not have, and collection notices for accounts that you did not open.

What Are the 3 Types of Identity Theft?

The three main types of identity theft are medical identity theft, financial identity theft, and online identity theft.

The Bottom Line

Identity theft is a traumatic and difficult experience and can severely damage your creditworthiness and leave you with bills that you did not incur. It's important to always monitor your bank and credit card statements as well as your credit report for any signs of fraud.

If you have detected that you are a victim of fraud, there are ways to dispute the charges, fix the theft, and stop your information from being available to thieves. The government provides many resources to help you get back to a good credit standing.
What Is Exempt Income?super nudge 6000 real money

Exempt income refers to certain types of income that are not subject to income tax. Some types of income are exempt from federal or state income tax, or both. The IRS determines which types of income are exempt from federal income tax and the circumstances for each exemption. States have their own rules defining what counts as exempt income.

Key Takeaways





Exempt income is not subject to taxation.

Some income may be exempt at the state level but taxed at a federal level.

Income from some types of investments, like municipal bonds, qualifies as exempt income.

Distributions from Roth 401(k)s and Roth IRAs are also tax-exempt.

Income from benefits, such as employer-sponsored supplemental disability insurance and most benefits from employer-sponsored health insurance plans, are exempt from taxes.

Understanding Exempt Income

There are several types of income and benefits that are nontaxable under certain circumstances. Several health-related benefits are tax-exempt, including benefits from employer-sponsored supplemental disability insurance purchased with after-tax dollars, private insurance plans funded with after-tax dollars, most benefits from employer-sponsored health insurance plans, and worker's compensation.

Gifts that exceed a certain value can trigger a gift tax on the person providing the gift. However, any gift worth less than $16,000 (for 2022) or $17,000 (for 2023) is exempt from income tax. Regardless of value, certain gifts, including tuition and medical expenses paid for someone else, and charitable donations, are income tax exempt. Charitable contributions are also tax-deductible.

Exempt income rules underwent changes under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) signed into law in December 2017. For example, the TCJA eliminated personal exemptions from tax years 2018 to 2026 but roughly doubled the standard deduction.

For the 2022 tax year, the standard deduction for single taxpayers and married couples filing separately is $12,950. The standard deduction is $25,900 for married couples filing jointly and $19,400 for heads of households. For the 2023 tax year, the standard deduction for single taxpayers and married couples filing separately is $13,850. The standard deduction is $27,700 for married couples filing jointly and $20,800 for heads of households.

When you file your taxes, you can choose between taking the standard deduction or itemizing your deductions. Examples of itemized deductions include medical expenses, mortgage interest, and charitable donations. Itemizing typically makes sense for higher-income earners who have large expenses to deduct.

Examples of Exempt Income

Distributions from health savings accounts (HSAs) are only exempt from income tax if they are used for qualified medical expenses. Qualified distributions from Roth 401(k) plans and Roth IRAs funded with after-tax dollars are tax-exempt.

Other investments may also be protected from income tax. For example, interest earned from municipal bonds is exempt from federal income tax and state income tax if you reside in the state where the bond was issued. Capital losses from sold investments can also reduce your taxable income by up to $3,000 per year.

If someone dies and you are the beneficiary of a life insurance benefit, that is also nontaxable income (although it may make you subject to estate tax).

The estate tax, often referred to as the death tax, applies to a certain portion of an estate only after it exceeds a certain threshold. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act raised that threshold to $11.2 million for single filers and $22.4 million for married couples filing jointly, The exemption rose to $12.06 million in 2022 and $12.92 million in 2023.

The Tax and Jobs Act also raised the exemption and phase-out levels for the alternative minimum tax (AMT), which is typically levied on individuals earning income above a certain threshold.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Types of Income Are Tax Exempt?

Income from municipal bonds and distributions from Roth 401(k)s and Roth IRAs are tax-exempt. In 2022, gifts worth less than $16,000 are not subject to income tax, and that limit increased to $17,000 the following year. Income from employer-sponsored benefitsincluding supplemental disability insurance and most benefits from employer-sponsored health insurance plansare also exempt.



Is Unemployment Income Taxed?

Unemployment benefits are treated as ordinary income by the federal government, but not all states tax unemployment income.

How Much Is the Gift Tax?

The gift tax ranges between 18% and 40% and is based on the size of the taxable gift. In 2022, it is only triggered on annual gifts above $16,000. The gift tax exclusion is $17,000 for 2023.
What Is a Bad Debt Expense?casino lucky creek kem poker cards

A bad debt expense is recognized when a receivable is no longer collectible because a customer is unable to fulfill their obligation to pay an outstanding debt due to bankruptcy or other financial problems. Companies that extend credit to their customers report bad debts as an allowance for doubtful accounts on the balance sheet, which is also known as a provision for credit losses.

Key Takeaways

Bad debt expense is an unfortunate cost of doing business with customers on credit, as there is always a default risk inherent to extending credit.

The direct write-off method records the exact amount of uncollectible accounts as they are specifically identified.

In order to comply with the matching principle, bad debt expense must be estimated using the allowance method in the same period in which the sale occurs.

There are two main ways to estimate an allowance for bad debts: the percentage sales method and the accounts receivable aging method.

Bad Debt Expense

Understanding Bad Debt Expense

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Bad debt expenses are generally classified as a sales and general administrative expense and are found on the income statement. Recognizing bad debts leads to an offsetting reduction to accounts receivable on the balance sheetthough businesses retain the right to collect funds should the circumstances change.

Direct Write-Off vs. Allowance Method

There are two different methods used to recognize bad debt expense. Using the direct write-off method, uncollectible accounts are written off directly to expense as they become uncollectible. This method is used in the U.S. for income tax purposes.

However, while the direct write-off method records the exact amount of uncollectible accounts, it fails to uphold the matching principle used in accrual accounting and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The matching principle requires that expenses be matched to related revenues in the same accounting period in which the revenue transaction occurs.

For this reason, bad debt expense is calculated using the allowance method, which provides an estimated dollar amount of uncollectible accounts in the same period in which the revenue is earned.

Recording Bad Debt Expense Using the Allowance Method

The allowance method is an accounting technique that enables companies to take anticipated losses into consideration in its financial statements to limit overstatement of potential income. To avoid an account overstatement, a company will estimate how much of its receivables from current period sales that it expects will be delinquent.

Because no significant period of time has passed since the sale, a company does not know which exact accounts receivable will be paid and which will default. So, an allowance for doubtful accountsis established based on an anticipated, estimated figure.

A company will debit bad debts expense and credit this allowance account. The allowance for doubtful accounts is a contra-asset account that nets against accounts receivable, which means that it reduces the total value of receivables when both balances are listed on the balance sheet. This allowance can accumulate across accounting periods and may be adjusted based on the balance in the account.

Methods of Estimating Bad Debt Expense

Two primary methods exist for estimating the dollar amount of accounts receivables not expected to be collected. Bad debt expense can be estimated using statistical modeling such as default probability to determine its expected losses to delinquent and bad debt. The statistical calculations can utilize historical data from the business as well as from the industry as a whole. The specific percentage will typically increase as the age of the receivable increases, to reflect increasing default risk and decreasing collectibility.

Alternatively, a bad debt expense can be estimated by taking a percentage of net sales, based on the companys historical experience with bad debt. Companies regularly make changes to the allowance for credit losses entry, so that they correspond with the current statistical modeling allowances.

Accounts Receivable Aging Method

The aging method groups all outstanding accounts receivable by age, and specific percentages are applied to each group. The aggregate of all groups' results is the estimated uncollectible amount. For example, a company has $70,000 of accounts receivable less than 30 days outstanding and $30,000 of accounts receivable more than 30 days outstanding. Based on previous experience, 1% of accounts receivable less than 30 days old will not be collectible and 4% of accounts receivable at least 30 days old will be uncollectible. Therefore, the company will report an allowance and bad debt expense of $1,900 (($70,000 * 1%) + ($30,000 * 4%)). If the next accounting period results in an estimated allowance of $2,500 based on outstanding accounts receivable, only $600 ($2,500 - $1,900) will be the bad debt expense in the second period.

Percentage of Sales Method

The sales method applies a flat percentage to the total dollar amount of sales for the period. For example, based on previous experience, a company may expect that 3% of net sales are not collectible. If the total net sales for the period is $100,000, the company establishes an allowance for doubtful accounts for $3,000 while simultaneously reporting $3,000 in bad debt expense. If the following accounting period results in net sales of $80,000, an additional $2,400 is reported in the allowance for doubtful accounts, and $2,400 is recorded in the second period in bad debt expense. The aggregate balance in the allowance for doubtful accounts after these two periods is $5,400.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with leaders of several leading Chinese conglomerates in Nanning on Saturday as he called for expansion of railway projects between the two countries.

Receiving Chairman of the Executive Board of China Railway Chen Yun, PM Chinh praised the companys global reach and sustainability with 381 branches in 105 countries.

Chen said the company is now the main contractor of several urban railway projects in Hanoi and wind power projects in Dak Nong province, and a tire manufacturing plant in Tien Giang. He expressed interest in engaging in the construction of transportation projects in Vietnam, such as the North-South and the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong express railways, and the Hanoi urban metro line.

To develop infrastructure, PM Chinh said Vietnam is stepping up public-private partnership, striving to have 5,000 km of highways, complete the first stage of the Long Thanh international airport and 1,700 km of coastal roads from Quang Ninh to Ca Mau by 2030.

According to him, Vietnam plans to build railway lines such as the Lao Cai  Hanoi - Hai Phong with a total length of roughly 388 km and a cost of $11 billion, the Vung Ang  Laos with the section in Vietnam stretching 103 km and costing $1.6 billion, and the Hanoi  Ho Chi Minh City with around 1,545 km and a combined investment of some $62 billion.

The Vietnamese leader, who is in China for the 20th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS) there, welcomed the Chinese enterprises and the China Railway in particular to expand their operation in Vietnam in the spirit of harmonizing interests and sharing risks.

He suggested the China Railway continue working with relevant Vietnamese ministries and localities to develop new projects in Vietnam, including the Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong express railway linking with the Kunming - Hanoi - Hai Phong economic corridor.

In a reception for Wang Xiaojun, Deputy General Manager of Power China which ranked 100th on the Fortune Global 500 list and 29th among the top 500 Chinese enterprises in 2022, PM Chinh hailed the company's plan to expand operations in energy in Vietnam in the near future, especially in wind power and liquefied natural gas electricity projects.

The Vietnamese Government commits to create all possible support to Chinese firms and the Power China in particular, he said, adding that it recently approved the National Power Development Plan for the 2021-2030 period with a vision to 2050, with renewable energy sources, especially onshore and offshore wind power, being a foundation of Vietnam's long-term energy security.

He suggested that the Power China explore cooperation in Vietnam's priority areas, including infrastructure - one of Vietnam's three strategic breakthroughs. Specifically, he proposed exploring the possibility of investing in China - Quang Ninh - Hai Phong and Lang Son - Hanoi - Hai Phong railway lines, with the commitment to translating these ideas into concrete actions and achieving tangible results.

PM Chinh on Saturday also hosted Liu Ning, member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), Secretary of Guangxi Party Committee, and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in Guangxi province's Nanning city.

Thanking Guangxi for preserving relic sites related to President Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary activities in the province, he said he hopes that Guangxi will continue playing a pioneering role in promoting substantive exchanges and cooperation between the two nations.

Recalling Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's recent tour of the border gate area in Lang Son province and planting of a "friendship" tree there, Chinh said the act manifests importance and top priority attached by the Vietnamese Party and State to the Vietnam - China relations.

Liu, for his part, affirmed that Guangxi always treasures its friendly and cooperative relations with Vietnamese localities. Following his Vietnam visit in April, he expressed satisfaction about two-way trade that exceeded $20 billion in the first eight months of this year.

The Vietnamese PM spoke highly of bilateral cooperation potential and outlined six breakthrough areas for cooperation with Guangxi in the coming time, namely infrastructure connectivity, economic-trade-investment cooperation promotion, expanding people-to-people and youth exchanges, close cooperation in the field of border gates, good implementation of three document on the management of the Vietnam-China land border, and close cooperation in education and training.

Agreeing with PM Chinh's proposals, Liu affirmed that the Party Organisation, authorities and people of Guangxi will follow common perceptions reached by leaders of the two countries and Parties, expand and deepen friendly exchanges with the Vietnamese localities as well.

He promised to work with Vietnamese ministries, agencies and localities to deepen collaboration in six breakthrough directions proposed by the Vietnamese leader, with a focus on stepping up railway and road transportation connectivity, improving customs efficiency through the pilot "smart border gate" model, strengthening port cooperation, and jointly working on cross-border crime prevention, thus contributing to consolidating and deepening bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to bring practical benefits to localities and their people.
Fewer Swedes seem to be gambling, despite the reorganization of the local gambling market this past January, Swedens latest annual survey on gambling participation shows.

Commissioned by the Swedish Gambling Authority, the survey has been conducted annually by opinion polling expert Novus since 2013.

Novus interviewed 1,600 people in October to find that 60% of adults gambledin the past year, down 6 percentage points from 2018 and 16 percentage points from 2013. Men continued to account for the majority of Swedens gamblers, with 45% of all male survey respondents saying they gambled in the past 12 months. About 31% of the female participants in the survey said they gambled over the past year. Both rates showed a decline from the 2018 results.

Swedes recorded higher weekly and monthly gambling participation rates this year, with 45% of all survey respondents saying they gambled in the past month, and 31% saying they placed a wager in the past week.

Why Has Swedens Gambling Market Re-Regulation Created Such a Big Buzz?

About 21% of the surveys respondents said that they did not gamble over the past 12 months. Of the Swedes who did not gamble this year, the majority cited their history of never winningas the main reason not to engage in a betting or gaming activity, with low confidence in the current market and boredom being the other two most cited reasons.

There were also survey participants who said that they opted against gambling due to excessive advertising of gaming and wagering products across Swedish media.

Lottery and Former Monopoly Remain Swedes Favorites

Lottery has remained the most popular gambling activity among Swedes for another year, with 75% of all gambling respondents saying they played lottery gamesin the past year. Other number and draw-based games followed with 50% of all respondents saying they engaged in such activities. Betting on horse racing landed a third place with a 38% participation rate.

Sports betting was popular among 21% of the surveys respondents, while casino gambling lagged well behind at 5%.

Retail was the dominant gambling verticalwith 48% of all gamblers saying they went to betting shops to wager. Mobile devices stood at 29% and desktop saw 19% of gamblers pointing it as their favorite gambling means.

Swedens former gambling monopolies  Svenska Spel and AB Trav och Galopp were the most popular operators among gambling Swedes, despite the fact that the liberalization of the Swedish market opened the country to international operators.

About 63% of Swedish gamblers said they had gambled with Svenska Spel, and 17% said ATG was their preferred operator. Of the private gambling operators, bet365 led the way this year with 4% of gamblers, followed by Unibet at 3%. Kindred Groups flagship brand was the leader among the private operators in last years survey.

Following the reorganization of the Swedish market, this years survey included a new question that established that 3% of all respondents knowingly opted to gamble on websites that were not licensed by the Swedish gambling regulator, citing better oddsand existing pre-market reorganization accounts as their main reasons to break the rules.

For a fifth consecutive year, there was a decline in the number of Swedes who believe gambling operators are taking responsibility for protecting people with problem gambling behavior. This year, 37% of the surveys respondents gave a positive answerto that question, down from 40% in 2018.

Source:Farre spelar om pengar: Allmanheten om spel 2019

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In most cases, young adults spend a few years renting property before buying a home outright. This is done for any number of reasons: increased home prices, job relocation, income history, etc. Renting has some benefits to home ownership, but most people would prefer to own their own home.

In an environment of lessors and lessees, landlords and tenants, careful wording is essential. A property manager wouldnt want to make a mistake while writing a lease any more than an occupant would want to make a mistake while reading it. It may surprise you to learn that many people confuse tenant with another common word: tenet.

The mistake is understandable. Both words function as nouns, and if they are not pronounced carefully, they sound identical when spoken out loud. But the truth is that these are two distinct words with meanings that never overlap.

What is the Difference Between Tenants and Tenets?

In this post, I will compare tenets vs. tenants. I will include several example sentences for each word to give you an idea of how it should appear in context.

I will also show you a helpful memory tool that makes choosing tenets or tenants a bit easier.

When to Use Tenants

What does tenants mean? Tenants is a plural noun. A tenant (singular) is someone who rents property.

Tenants, therefore, refers to more than one such person. A landlord might seek new tenants when the current ones move away, for example.

Here are a few more sentences that include the word tenants,

The tenants upstairs like to throw noisy parties, and we complain to the property manager on a weekly basis.

Tenants must notify the landlord of intent to vacate at least 30 days prior to the expected move out date.

Tenant has been around since Middle Englisheven earlier if we count its roots as a conjugation of an Anglo-French verb that meant to hold.

When to Use Tenets

What does tenets mean? Tenets is another plural noun. Tenetsmeans foundational beliefs, especially of a religion or other doctrine.

One of the tenets of Christianity, for example, is that Jesus Christ died by crucifixion and rose from the dead three days later. One of the foundational beliefs of Islam is that Jesus Christ was a prophet of Allah.

Here are a few more examples of tenetsin context,

The idea that dreams reveal unconscious desires is a tenet of Freudian psychoanalysis.

One of the tenets of Marxist literature analysis is that plot events and relationships between characters can be interpreted as the effects of imbalances in power and wealth.

Similarly to tenant, tenet is derived from an outdated foreign verb that meant to hold. For tenet, however, the root word is Latin, not French.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Misusing tenant for tenet is a common mistake. Mixing them up the opposite way is less common but still a real possibility.

Tenant vs. Tenet Check: To keep them straight in your mind, remember that tenant and occupant both mean someone who lives in a place, and both end in -ant.

Summary

Is it tenant or tenet? Tenets and tenants are plural nouns that are often confused with each another.

A tenant is a person who rents property.

A tenet means a foundational belief.

The two can never be properly substituted for each other, so be sure to remember which is which.
Thecasino sites no deposit required United Nations recently announced that on November 15th, the world population will reach 8 billion people. At some point in the 2030s, it ought to cross 9 billion. But will it ever reach 10 billion? I have my doubts.

Demographers have progressively been bringing down their population forecasts from some 15 billion in the 1980s and 1990s to the current prevailing estimate of 11 billion by 2100. Previous predictions missed urbanization and female empowerment as trends that radically pulled down the fertility curve. Now, they underestimate economic insecurity and climate stress. Baby busts from the 2008 global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic have also contributed to a staggering decline in fertility, the combined impact of which will be apparent in precisely 2026. Why? In America, suddenly ten percent fewer high school students will enter college because of the mini 2008 baby bust. Globally, in 2026 we will tally the number of Generation Alpha children and find that it will be smaller than todays stock of Gen-Z. Young Gen-Xers and older millennials already embraced the trend of having only one child before COVID struck. Now, young millennials and older Gen-Z dont seem inclined to have any at all. Our kids arent having kids. The hockey-stick curve is flipping over becoming a flat line with a cliff.

For most of our lives, the world population has been growing at breakneck speed. Indeed, it has quadrupled in one century, from two billion in 1920 to nearly 8 billion today. Though the pace has slowed today as the latest generation chooses fewer or zero children, the world of the 2020s is still more youngthan old: The combined size of Gen-Y millennials (born 1981-96), Gen-Z (born 1997-2012), and Gen-Alpha (2013-2025) still tallies more than 4.5 billion peoplemore than half the worlds population.

Not only are todays youth the most populous demographic, but they are also the most mobile. Amidst climate change worries, economic anxiety, and political polarization, the last thing on young peoples minds seems to be settling down the way their parents did. On the contrary, with homeownership rates, fertility levels, and trust in government at record lows, todays youth dont seem pinned down by much of anything. Work has become remote, borders have reopened, and about one hundred countries now offer nomad visas or residency-by-investment programs seeking to attract talent and wealth from around the world. The number of takers is already in the tens of thousands and could easily reach six figures. Even Americans, who are far less likely to live abroad than their European counterparts, have become expats in record numbers, flocking to hip hubs such as Lisbon, Athens, and Berlin. Young Americans are making Europe great again.

As workers explore this newfound mobility, countries have begun competing to recruit them. Why? Because collecting people has always meant collecting power. If harnessed properly, a large population underpins martial might, industrial output, mass consumption, and talent-driven innovation. Today, youth recruitment takes on even more importance than ever before. As birth rates decline and the workforce ages, economic success will hinge on whether governments are able to recruit a share of the finite pool of mobile youth to their country.

The domestic economic stakes couldnt be higher. Without an influx of new talent replacing the aging workforce, countries will be left with low economic output, elderly populations, and no youth to care for them. For all the worlds complexity, success and failure in the 21st century will boil down to capturing mobile youth as they vote with their feet. The winning societies of the future century will be those that stay young and populous while otherssuch as Russia or Italyage and depopulate. Nationalist and populist politics only make matters worse. Witness how Russias latest conscription drive is pushing young Russians to flee in all directions from Turkey to Dubai to Kazakhstan. Italys new pro-family prime minister represents conservative ideals that are likely to push young Italians out of the country.

This is not a novel phenomenon. Although many Americans and Westerners today may feel like their countries are very hostile to immigration, this has not been the case historically. While human civilization has proven incapable of achieving collective goals like lasting geopolitical stability, economic equality, or protecting the environment, one global policy that has been achieved is mass migration. Western societies in particular have been very good at absorbing large numbers of immigrants and using that to their strategic advantage. Whether welcoming refugees from world wars, opening the gates during labor shortages, or enabling the chain migration of relatives, the 20th century alone witnessed hundreds of millions of permanent border crossings that both immediately and in a long-lasting fashion benefited the host countrywith America the undisputed winner.

Read More: Where Well End Up Living as the Planet Burns

But winning the global war for young talent will not be as straightforward in the decades ahead. For one thing, the elderly whom the young are meant to care for arent necessarily pro-immigration, and populism is a turn-off to foreign talent. At the same time, competition is rising: Canada punches way above its weight in recruiting software engineers and other skilled migrants, often at Americas expense, and European nations are switching the language of instruction to English and issuing blue cards for IT workers and engineers. And then theres climate change: nobody wants to move abroad and invest their life savings into a fire or flood zone. Countries that are either naturally more resilient to climate change or have invested in mitigation efforts will fare better in their recruitment efforts.

The result is a buyers and a sellers market: smart countries can take their pick from the swarms of overeducated and under-employed youth, while young talent shuttle between co-working and co-living spaces in Mexico City, Dubai, and Bali. Its also a zero-sum game: As the world population crests, one countrys gain becomes another countrys loss.

Most of the free agents in this global lottery will be Asian. Representing more than half the total global population, its not hyperbole to claim that the future of humanity will be defined by Asian youth. As the United Nations report points out, India is officially surpassing China as the most populous country next year, but more importantly, has a median age more than a decade younger. While China has the worlds largest diaspora today, and many Chinese rankled by authoritarianism seek to leave, the country has actually attracted millions of overseas Chinese to contribute to its mighty economy and take refuge from instability elsewhere. India, by contrast, could scarcely be pushing away its own people faster. From 2015-2020 alone, nearly 2 million Indians left the country, and departures have accelerated since. India is the fastest growing market for Henley & Partners, the Swiss-based firm noted for helping wealthy and middle-class people acquire foreign citizenship.

After eight years of declining migration that began during the Obama administration and cratered to 240,000 in 2021, America is predicted to add 800,000 plus new immigrants this year. Canada has been unwavering in its commitment to grow its population by one percentabout 400,000 every single year, making it pound for pound todays most powerful immigration magnet. Whatever happens in U.S.-China relations, the bigger story is that the only way North America can continue to compete with Asias staggering demographic and economic heft is to attract its best and brightest to fuel our innovation.

At the same time, America needs to plan for a future where the elderly outnumber the youthhaving millions of feeble elderly die alone is not the hallmark of a civilized society. We would do well to recruit legions of capable doctors, nurses, and physios to care for aging Americans or those with long Covid. Foreigners could also work as kindergarten teachers and nannies so that burnt-out youth might consider having children again which would be one welcome sign of restored cultural confidence. America cant achieve its planned industrial renaissance nor boost STEM education nor revive a sagging housing market without immigration. Legislation that would clear the H1-B visa backlog and give foreign entrepreneurs permanent residency deserves to be passed.

As COVID-19 fades and the Biden administration endorses billions of dollars of spending to create new jobs, modernize infrastructure, and adapt to climate change, the U.S. has a unique opportunity to achieve the equivalent of the 1960s combination of the Immigration Act and Federal Highway Act, which together generated trillions of dollars of economic value and raised the proportion of foreign-born Americans from 5 to 15 percent.

We should build it, because they will come. Climate scientists warn that as global temperatures rise, one billionpeople could be displaced from the optimal niche of latitudes for human habitation. North America and Europewhich are relatively better off under extreme climate change scenarios than South America, Africa, or South Asiawill be the destinations.

Caring for the elderly is a challenge that can be managed; making the world safe for future generations of youth is an existential priority we havent figured out yet. Making mobility a human right would be a strategically wise place to start.
What Is the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)?raging bull casino 50 free 2021

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is a federal agency that collects and disseminates various data about the U.S. economy and labor market. Its reports include the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and the Producer Price Index (PPI), both of which are considered to be important measures of inflation.

Key Takeaways

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is an American government agency tasked with collecting and disseminating a range of economic and employment data.

The BLS is responsible for two key inflation indicators: the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI).

In addition, the BLS produces national and regional figures on employment, labor force participation, productivity, and wages.

Understanding the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

The primary purpose of the BLS, an arm of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), is to research, assemble, and publish a range of statistical data on the labor market, prices, and productivity. This government agency goes to great lengths to ensure the accuracy, impartiality, and accessibility of its reports and the statistics it produces are among the most influential economic indicators for the American economy.

BLS data is frequently cited by the media and relied on by businesses, academics, and policymakers to inform their decision making. It's also closely watched by economists and market participants, who consult the bureau's releases to generate better and more accurate predictions for how the economy and markets will perform in the future.

Throughout its history, the BLS has been relied upon for empirical evidence to inform economic policy, including to justify raising the minimum wage.

Most Important Data Releases

Some of the most important statistical releases published by the BLS include:

The Consumer Price Index (CPI): An aggregate of the prices of a relatively fixed basket of goods, which is used as a standard gauge of inflation and the cost of living.

(CPI): An aggregate of the prices of a relatively fixed basket of goods, which is used as a standard gauge of inflation and the cost of living. The Producer Price Index (PPI): A measure of the average prices American producers receive for their goods and services.

(PPI): A measure of the average prices American producers receive for their goods and services. Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS): A range of localized data about labor efficiency and unemployment.

(LAUS): A range of localized data about labor efficiency and unemployment. The National Compensation Survey (NCS): Produces comprehensive aggregates of workers' earnings across a variety of sectors.

(NCS): Produces comprehensive aggregates of workers' earnings across a variety of sectors. Current Population Survey(CPS): Sponsored jointly with the Census Bureau, this is a monthly survey that seeks to determine the demographic characteristics and employment status of all individuals of a household who are of working age. Also known as the "household survey," the CPS includes the national unemployment rate and is the primary source for U.S. labor force statistics.

History of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

The BLS was first established as a branch of the Department of the Interior in 1884 with a mandate to research and compile information about economics and labor. For nearly 15 years, it subsequently operated as an independent department, before being incorporated into the short-lived Department of Commerce and Labor in 1903.

That move only lasted a decade. When the Department of Commerce and Labor was renamed the Department of Commerce (DOC) in 1913, the BLS, along with other bureaus and agencies concerned with labor, was then transferred into the newly-created DOL, a US cabinet-level agency responsible for enforcing federal labor standards and promoting workers' wellbeing.
Click arrows to view gallery

Click arrows to view gallery

The Fertile Crescent known historically for nourishing early human civilizations with lush growing environments as they learned advancements in farming in ancient times, is now drying up.

Desertification has swept through enormous swaths of the Middle East, particularly Iraq and Syria.

Click arrows to view gallery

Click arrows to view gallery

Rising temperatures, reduced rainfall, salinity and dust storms have harmed the once fertile terrain and people.

Livelihoods and survival in the arid environment are nearly impossible to sustain. Close to 40 percent of Iraq is threatened, President Abdul Latif Rashid told the #COP27 summit in Egypt last week.

Syria and other Middle East countries could see some communities grow increasingly at odds with each other over scarce water resources.

In 2021 Syria entered its worst drought in more than 20 years.

For more, check out our exclusive content on CGTN Nowand subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The China Report.
Australian gambling company Tabcorp confirmed today that it has been in talks for a hasty retreat from Sun Bets, the joint venture it formed with UK newspaper publisher News UK two years ago. It is believed that the piegate incident and the ensuing UK Gambling Commission fine were among the reasons for the Australian operators decision to consider pulling out of the deal.

Tabcorp had signed an agreement with News UK to use the latters Sun newspaper branding for the launch of an online gambling website. The operation went live in 2016, but has been struggling to turn a profit ever since its inception.

Earlier this year, Tabcorp called Sun Bets performance unsatisfactoryand revealed that the business recorded operating loss of A$23.5 million in the six months to December 2017. The company further pointed out that it lost more than A$45 million during the 2017 financial year from the venture it spent A$14.4 million to establish back in 2016.

The contract between Tabcorp and Sun Bets was originally set to run through the end of 2019, but the Australian gambling giant said it has completed a review of its participation in the project and has been in talks with News UK about a potential early exit. According to sources familiar with the ongoing discussions, Tabcorp would likely pay 30 million (approximately A$53 million)to end the partnership a year earlier.

Piegate Implications

In April, Tabcorp was fined 84,000 by the UK Gambling Commission for Sun Bets participation in a publicity stunt that involved Sutton United reserve goalkeeper Wayne Shaw munching a pieduring his teams FA Cup tie with Arsenal in February 2017. Sun Bets offered 8-1 odds against the player eating the whole pie before the games end.

It was understood that Shaw was aware of Sun Bets offer. He finished the pie, while the game was going on, which regulators branded as intentional influencing of a betting market. The Football Association fined the goalkeeper 375and banned him from any football activity for two months. Shaw resigned shortly after as the stunt gained him (and Sun Bets) quite some negative publicity.

A spokesperson for News UK said today that despite the ongoing struggles they believe the power of The Sun brand could still turn Sun Bets into a successful operation. It is believed that the newspaper publisher has already begun searching for a new partner to power its nascent betting business.

Valued at A$9.22 billion, Tabcorp is Australias largest betting operator. The company recently completed a high-profile merger with former rival Tatts Group to create a gambling behemoth amid growing competition and regulatory pressurein its domestic market. The Sun Bets venture actually represented Tabcorps first foray into the UK gambling market, which stands at 13.9 billion as per the latest industry statistics released by the UK Gambling Commission.
Verb conjugation is difficult, even on a basic level. The rules that govern regular verb conjugation are predictable and simple. However, many verbs are irregular, and both regular and irregular verbs have many obscure tenses that can be difficult to remember.

Will is one such verb. Conjugated in some tenses, it forms would, but would also has other uses. Continue reading for an overview of these two confusing verbs.

What is the Difference Between Will and Would?

In this post, I will compare will vs. would. I will use each of these verbs in example sentences, so that you can see it in its proper context.

Plus, I will show you how to use a memory tool that will help you choose will or would for your own writing.

When to Use Will

What does will mean? Will can be a noun, in which case it has various meanings. In this article, though, I will be concerned with will as a verb.

Will is a modal auxiliary verb, where it describes an action that is expected to take place in the future. It modifies many verbs in their future tenses.

Here are some examples,

You will arrive at the airport at 10:15am Thursday morning and escort the ambassador back to the royal palace.

Catalina will turn us in at the earliest opportunity.

I will sell my car when I can afford to buy a newer one.

Apple Inc. said Wednesday it will open its new campus in April and spend six months moving employees into a glass-encased building reminiscent of a spaceship. The Wall Street Journal

When to Use Would

What does would mean? Would is another verb with multiple senses. Sometimes, it is the past tense of willbut only under certain conditions.

Would describes something that was in the future at the time of the original action, but is no longer in the future now.

Here is an example,

Jess said she would pick up the pizza, said Erik.

In this example, Jess made a statement in the past about her intention to pick up a pizza in the near future. However, Erik is now referring to the event from a point even further in the future.

Here is another example,

Nissan said its new chief executive would be Hiroto Saikawa, a 40-year company veteran who had served as Nissans chief competitive officer and had led its operations in North America. The New York Times

Would is also a conditional verb. It indicates an action that would happen if certain circumstances were met.

Here is an example,

I would buy a dishwasher if you ever cooked us anything.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember wouldvs. will.

Since both will and would have so many different senses, it can be difficult to remember when to choose which one. One easy rule of thumb is that will is never past tense. It can be present tense and several different future moods and tenses, but never past tense.

You can easily remember that will is never past tense since the words will and past dont use any of the same letters.

Summary

It is will or would? Will and would are verbs, and each can be used many different ways.

Will can be a present tense verb that means to cause something to happen through force of desire. It can also be a modal auxiliary verb in various tenses.

Would is a past tense form of will. It is also a conditional verbthat indicates an action that would happen under certain conditions.

You can remember that will is never past tense since it shares no letters with past.

In summary,

Would is sometimes past tense.

Will is never past tense.

If you are ever stuck choosing wouldor willagain, you can use this article as a refresher.
Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and the other newly elected members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 20th CPC Central Committee Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang and Li Xi, meet the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 23, 2022.Photo: Xinhua

On Sunday noon, members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee appeared before the press at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. This event marks that a series of important political agendas surrounding the 20th CPC National Congress came to a successful conclusion. Like a huge ship, China will move forward under the leadership of the new CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core. The course the Party has charted has a global significance: It not only reflects the maturity and stability of the CPC as a major party, but also injects certainty into a world beset by changes and turmoil.China is a major country with nearly one-fifth of the world's population and more than 18 percent of the global economy. Its political stability is good news for the whole world. The 20th CPC National Congress not only provides a clear plan for the next step of development, but also ensures a strong leadership core can guarantee its implementation. This gives the world stabilized expectations in observing and understanding China. We note that many analysts outside China have emphasized the continuity of China's development direction and policies after the 20th CPC National Congress, which is rare in the current international situation full of uncertainties.At present, many countries are in chaos. The instability and uncertainty brought about by political chaos are continuously increasing, leading to a frequently seen situation where countries' development is in confusion. There are sharp turns in these countries' domestic and foreign affairs as well. This has caused huge damage to peace and development. Against this background, as the world's largest political party, which leads the world's second-largest economy and has more than 96 million Party members, the CPC's political firmness, continuity and stability not only concerns the 1.4 billion Chinese people, but also the entire human society. The great changes taking place in the first decade of the new era have once again proved that the CPC can not only lead the people to achieve the "governance of China," but also create a new form of human civilization with Chinese modernization.The prosperity of the country and the happiness and well-being of the people are the common pursuits of all mankind, and China is no exception. However, what is unique about China is that it has embarked on a new path that suits its own national conditions and has achieved remarkable results. The great changes taking place in the decade of the new era further show how important it is to choose a pair of shoes that fit the forerunner's feet and walk down the right path. The success of the Chinese path to modernization has fundamentally broken the uniqueness of the Western modernization model and demonstrated the diversity of the world's modernization models. The 20th CPC National Congress has proposed to advance the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts "through a Chinese path to modernization," and underscored it as the "central task" of the CPC on the new journey of the new era. And this great process will also have a profound impact on the world and benefit mankind.During Sunday's event, General Secretary Xi reiterated that "China will open its door wider to the rest of the world," and pointed out that "just as China cannot develop in isolation from the world, the world needs China for its development." This displays the global vision and the care for the world of Chinese communists in the new era. At the 20th National Congress of the CPC, "holding dear humanity's shared values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom; and advancing the building of an open, inclusive, clean, and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universal security, and common prosperity" was approved to be written into the Party Constitution. Such a mind-set and ambition are rare in the history of world political parties."China is embarking on a long journey, one filled with glories and dreams." In the face of changes in the world, times, and history, China's determination to take the road of socialism with Chinese characteristics will not change, its determination to learn from others and practice win-win cooperation with other countries will not change, and its determination to walk hand in hand with the world will not change. The CPC has provided both China and the world with a clear sense of direction and great certainty. This is very rare and extremely valuable for a world entering a new phase of turbulence and transformation.
Sometimes, differences in language do not boil down to a right and a wrong option. Style may dictate that one word or phrase is preferable to another, but neither is erroneous.

Such is the case with despite vs. in spite of. These phrases mean the same thing and are basically interchangeable, but one is probably a smarter choice for some writing contexts.

What is the Difference Between In Spite of and Despite?

In this article, I will compare the prepositions in spite of vs. despite. I will provide example sentences for both terms.

Plus, at the end, I will outline a helpful mnemonic that you can use to decide which one you should use in your own writing.

When to Use In Spite Of

What does in spite of mean? In spite of is a phrasal preposition. It means unaffected by something. You can see the proper use of this phrase in the sentences below.

Congress passed the bill, in spite of frequent objections from vocal constituents.

In spite of being on a diet, I ate some mushroom risotto anyway.

My daughter went to the basement to get the cat food, in spite of her fears.

So the visitor returns thankful for much of what he has seen, and, in spite of everything, an optimist about what his country might be. The Wall Street Journal

When to Use Despite

What does despite mean? Despite is also a preposition. Just like in spite of, it also means unaffected by something.

Here are some examples,

Despite the best efforts of those who would oppose me, I have emerged victorious.

Corey ordered a sausage and onion pizza, despite being vegan.

Arturo continued to argue, despite knowing that he was wrong.

Coal still produces almost three-quarters of Chinas electricity, despite ambitious hydroelectric dam projects and the worlds largest program to install solar panels and build wind turbines. The New York Times

Despite or In Spite Of? When to Use Each

In spite of and despite are both prepositional phrases, and they share the same definition. They are, for the most part, interchangeable.

As you can see from the following chart, in spite of was the preferred phrase in the 1800s and through the mid-20th century. Despite has enjoyed a recent surge in popularity, becoming the more commonly used term in roughly 1950.

This chart is not scientific in nature, and does not capture the entire spectrum of English usage. It only looks at books written since 1800. Still, it allows us to view a clear picture of long-term trends.

You can probably choose either term in your own writing. Academic and professional writing place value on brevity, making despite the more attractive option in these formal settings. In other contexts, you could choose to let the prosody of the sentence determine which phrase sounds more natural.

For formal writing, remember that despite and deft are each one-word phrases that begin with the letters de-. Since choosing despite is a deft move in formal writing, you can remember that this word is more appropriate in these settings.

Summary

Is it despite or in spite of? Despite and in spite of are prepositions that each mean unaffected by something. They are mostly interchangeable- despite has been more popular since around 1960.

Despite is a better choice for formal writing, where economy of words is important. You can remember that despite is a deft choice for these contexts, since both of those words begin with the letters de-.

If you need more help, you can always check this article for a quick refresher.
Yesterday, the Regional Court in Bratislavareversed the ban imposed on gambling in the city. Under the Courts ruling which said that the ban was not in line with the law, gambling will once again be legal in the capital of Slovakia.

As a result, gambling venues in Bratislava would not be forced to shut downand would be able to continue operating in the city.

Ivo Nesrovnal, the Mayor of Bratislava, said that the Courts ruling literally crushed the opinion of more than 135,000 citizens of Slovakias capitaland all people who oppose gambling. As a response to the Regional Courts decision, he said that the city is to take the legal matter to the Supreme Court.

Still, the Regional Court in Bratislava did not make a ruling on the ban itself but on the way in which the ban was introducedby authorities. The decision for the gambling crackdown in Bratislava was made by the City Council at the second attemptat the end of March 2017 and came into force in May 2017. The current ruling of the Regional Court in Bratislava excludes the possibility of a new voteon the matter to be held.

Land-Based Gambling Operations Remain Legal in Bratislava

The Bratislava City Council imposed a ban on gambling operations in the city as of May 1st, 2017. Under the authoritys decision, the current gambling license holders were allowed to continue offering its services until the expiration dates of their existing licenses. The Slovak Gambling Operators Association opposed the decision for the ban at the time when it was adopted and shared plans to challenge it in court.

As mentioned above, the ban on gambling operations in the city was adopted at the second attempt, as the first one that took place in February 2017turned out unsuccessful. At the time of the first vote on the matter, which was initiated by a petition signed by about 130,000 citizens who required a gambling ban in the city, the measure was not backed by the necessary numberof Council members.

Then, a second vote took place on March 30th, 2017 to see an absolute ban being imposed on gambling in Slovakias capital. The ban came into force at the beginning of May 2017, with 300 gambling facilities across Bratislava being set to stop operating by 2021when the last gaming licenses are set to expire.

According to city officials, the ban would have lead to annual tax revenue losses of approximately 3 millionfor the capital of Slovakia. At the time when the gambling crackdown was announced, the Mayor of the city explained that Bratislava would do whatever possible to minimize the losses which were expected to result from the ban.

Now, the Association of Entertainment and Gambling (AZAH)commented on the Courts ruling and said that in Bratislava there are no sensible regulations focused on gambling regulation. Still, the number of gambling venues in the city declined as a result of a new regulatory rulewhich was deployed at the beginning of 2018. Under the regulation, certain restrictions on gambling were placed in Slovakias capital.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh held talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in Nanning on Saturday as the two leaders stressed the need for continued cooperation in trade and infrastructure.

The Vietnamese PM, who is in Nanning, Guangxi Province of China, to attend the 20th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS), highlighted the need for both sides to leverage geographical advantages and complement each other to nurture substantive cooperation in balanced and sustainable development areas.

He proposed that China accelerate the market opening for Vietnam's agricultural and aquatic products, create favourable conditions for the early establishment of Vietnam's trade promotion offices in Chengdu (Sichuan) and Haikou (Hainan), and jointly improve customs efficiency to prevent goods congestion at border crossings.

Vietnam is ready to create favorable conditions for Chinese firms to do business in the country, especially in large-scale, high-quality and modern technology projects that represent China's level of development, bringing about economic and social benefits, he said.

In his view, the two countries need to strengthen transportation and border infrastructure connectivity, study joint work in planning and building several railway lines in northern Vietnam, and improve cargo transportation capacity bilaterally and through third countries.

The Vietnamese PM suggested joint efforts to promote tourism cooperation, resolve any lingering issues in several projects in the spirit of harmonising interests and sharing risks, and accelerate the implementation of non-refundable aids from China to Vietnam.

The Chinese Premier affirmed that China will continue opening its market for Vietnamese goods, especially quality agricultural and aquatic products, expand the scale and improve the efficiency of trade by upgrading border infrastructure, policy connectivity, and the building of smart border crossings. Efforts will be made to promote transactions using the Chinese yuan for trade between the two nations.

He said he has directed relevant Chinese ministries to actively engage with Vietnam to step up specific cooperation areas and jointly build stable supply and production chains.

Proposing increased people-to-people exchanges and public awareness of bilateral traditional friendship, especially among the young generations, he said the Chinese Government will encourage its citizens to travel to Vietnam, support the opening of new air routes between the two countries, and hasten the implementation of humanitarian, healthcare, and education assistance projects in Vietnam.

The two leaders agreed on the importance of managing differences properly, and maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea.

PM Chinh suggested that both sides continue strictly follow the high-level common perceptions and the agreement on the basic principles guiding the settlement of the maritime issues between Vietnam and China. He called for respect to each other's legitimate rights and interests, settling disputes and differences through peaceful means in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They also promised to work closely together at global and regional forums.

On the occasion, Li extended his profound condolences to the families of the victims in a tragic fire in Hanoi on September 12.

Both sides expressed their delight at and spoke highly of the progress in Vietnam-China relationship in recent years, especially since the historical China visit by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong from October 30 to November 1 last year.

Underscoring the importance of the Vietnam-China relations in the overall foreign policy of each country, Chinh affirmed that the Vietnamese Party and State attach great importance to and consider the development of a friendly, stable and healthy cooperative relationship with China a strategic choice and top priority in Vietnam's foreign policy.

Li asserted that China always considers its relationship with Vietnam a priority in the overall framework of its neighbourhood policy.

China backs Vietnam's efforts to build and successfully develop its socialist-oriented market economy that suits the country's situation, and stays ready to keep expanding and deepening bilateral substantial cooperation, he said, speaking highly of Vietnam's active and effective participation in and its important contributions to the CAEXPO and CABIS.

Both sides agreed to continue effectively realizing the common perceptions reached by their Party leaders to further enhance and deepen bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, as well as the agreements and results achieved during PM Chinh's official visit to China in June this year and other high-level visits.

Accordingly, they will facilitate all-level visits; reinforce substantial cooperation in economy, trade, investment, and people-to-people exchanges; maintain their coordination in multilateral mechanisms and forums; manage land borders effectively; and properly control differences while jointly maintaining peace and stability at sea.
Day of Infamy New Word List Save This betika games today best bet casinoWord! Save ThisWord!

nounDecember 7, 1941, on which Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, bringing the United States into World War II: so referred to by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in his speech to Congress the next day, asking for a declaration of war on Japan.

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QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questionday-neutral, day-neutral plant, day nursery, Day of Atonement, day off, Day of Infamy, Day of Judgment, day of reckoning, Day of the Dead, Day of the Lord, day oneDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Photo: Screenshot of "Offshore Oil 301" from CMG

China's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier and refueling vessel,"Offshore Oil 301", completed its refitting and was put into use on Tuesday, which will provide flexible refueling service for the country's offshore LNG vessels, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) said.LNG refueling vessels are an important class of infrastructure to promote the use of LNG as shipping fuel. This latest development kicks off the water-based refueling business using LNG, and will play a positive role in building an international ship refueling center for LNG and promoting energy transformation and green development, experts noted.The "Offshore Oil 301" was originally a LNG carrier, measuring 184.7 meters in length and 28.1 meters in width, with a capacity to carry 30,000 cubic meters of LNG.The refueling function is realized by adding key equipment such as gas combustion device, ship-to-ship refueling system and re-liquefaction device, together with supporting security systems, fire-fighting system and other systems, among which a number of technologies such as LNG refueling system and gas combustion device are the first of their kind in China.Following its refitting, the design refueling capacity of "Offshore Oil 301" reaches 1,650 cubic meters per hour, which can provide LNG refueling service for large container ships, crude oil carriers and ro-ro carriers, and is the largest LNG carrier refueling vessel in the world.As the global community heightens focus on environmental protection, the use of LNG as a clean energy source is gaining more and more attention. Data shows that the number of global ocean-going LNG-powered vessels reached 251 in 2021, more than double compared to 119 in 2017. Orders for LNG-powered vessels totaled 225, an increase of 300 percent compared to 56 in 2020, the China Media Group reported.The conversion of LNG carriers into transport and refueling vessels is the first of its kind in China. Compared with traditional refueling, ship-to-ship refueling can realize the synchronous operation of cargo loading and unloading and fuel refueling, which shortens the time of ship's port call and greatly enhances the international competitiveness of ports.CNOOC is actively building international LNG refueling centers in the Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta regions. After delivery, the vessel will complete the first LNG refueling operation for international vessels as soon as possible.
What Is a Heatmap?maneki bonus

A heatmap is a two-dimensional visual representation of data using colors, where the colors all represent different values.

A heatmap can be used with all sorts of data, from the real estate market representing the number of foreclosures to the spreads of credit default swaps (CDS) to webpage analysis reflecting the number of hits a website receives.

Key Takeaways

A heatmap is a graphical representation of data in two-dimension, using colors to demonstrate different factors.

Heatmaps are a helpful visual aid for a viewer, enabling the quick dissemination of statistical or data-driven information.

On the downside, heatmaps provide only selective information, therefore clouding the big picture on an issue; heatmaps are also often prepared when only preliminary information is available.

While heatmaps are used in various industries and circumstances, they are commonly employed to show user participation on a website.

Heatmaps became trendy after the recession that began in 2008.

Heatmap

Understanding a Heatmap

1:14

Heatmaps were used as early as the 19th century in statistical analysis and grew as a useful tool for almost every industry and field, including medicine, marketing, engineering, and research.

As a practical example of how heatmaps can be helpful, they became trendy during the recession that began in 2008. Many people used heatmaps to quickly see the foreclosure rates in various states and compare them to heatmaps from previous months to see if foreclosures were rising, falling, or staying the same.

Heatmaps are helpful because they can provide an efficient and comprehensive overview of a topic at-a-glance. Unlike charts or tables, which have to be interpreted or studied to be understood, heatmaps are direct data visualization tools that are more self-explanatory and easy to read.

Heatmaps can also be more user-friendly for consumers. In particular, they benefit those consumers not accustomed to reading large amounts of data because they are more visually accessible than traditional data formats.

Heatmap Example

Heatmaps can be employed in a variety of situations and industries. For example, a heatmap of foreclosures data could show parts of the U.S. experiencing high foreclosure rates in a dark color and states with low foreclosure rates in lighter colors, which could be useful for real estate professionals looking to understand more about the market and identify market trends.

A color-gradient legend typically accompanies a heatmap to specify the data and help the map reader understand the data. Heatmaps are also widely used in webpage industries to show where users are clicking.

Heatmaps can be used to quickly view foreclosures across the United States.

Special Considerations

However, heatmaps can also be misleading because they often involve large amounts of data and may not include all of the necessary information needed to make an accurate assumption about the trend. Heatmaps can show that certain situations happened but do not provide insight into why the situation occurred, what factors were involved in the situation happening, or what the forecast for the future will be.

Heatmaps are often made before all of the data on a topic is released to provide some preliminary analytics for viewers, so they have to be read with that caveat in mind.
By some accounts, English has as many as 227,000-recorded words. With so many options, it should come as little surprise that some of them have fairly similar meanings.

Depository and repository are two such words: they have very similar meanings to go along with nearly identical spellings. Especially for writers unfamiliar with the nuances of specific writing contexts, choosing one or the other of these nouns could be confusing.

Despite their similarities, there are clear contexts when one or the other of these words is preferable. Continue reading to learn about the differences between these confusing words.

What is the Difference Between Repository and Depository?

In this article, I will compare repository vs. depository. I will use each of these words in several example sentences, so that you can see how they appear in context.

I will also show you a memory tool that allows you to easily choose repository or depositorycorrectly each time, so you will always know which to choose for your own writing.

When to Use Repository

What does repository mean? A repository is where things are placed for safekeeping. It is a noun. The things in question can be either concrete or abstract: a library, for example, could be thought of as a repository for both books (concrete) and knowledge (abstract).

For example,

People who have grown up with the Internet understandably view Wikipedia as the foremost repository of human knowledge in the entire world.

The library of Alexandria, a repository of ancient knowledge, was destroyed between 148 and 45 B.C.

Repository has been part of English since the 15th century.

When to Use Depository

What does depository mean? A depository is also where things are place for safekeeping. In this sense, the meanings of depository and repository overlap.

In practice, however, a repository is generally a place for keeping objects or abstract things like knowledge, while a depository is a place for keeping money or other financial assets.

For example,

Maria kept over 15 million dollars in a depository account in the Philipines without reporting it to the IRS.

The depository box was full of one-dollar bills and five dollar bills, which made it look like it contained more money than it really did.

Depository is not as old as repository; it was first recorded in the 17th century. Its root is deposit, which is related to a Latin verb that means to put away.

Trick to Remember the Difference

A writer could be forgiven for confusing these related words, since their meanings have significant overlap. In actual usage, depository is reserved for financial contexts.

Remember Depository vs. Repository: Since depository is related to deposit, which is a common banking term, you should have little trouble linking this word to financial contexts in your mind.

Summary

Is it depository or repository? Depository and repository are both nouns that mean a place to put things. While they can be synonyms, depository is only used in contexts involving depositing money.

If you are writing in a professional context involving finance, be sure to know the difference between these terms before you write.

To summarize,
What Are Nonbank Financial Companies? blackjack tables near me

Nonbank financial companies (NBFCs), also known as nonbank financial institutions (NBFIs), are financial institutions that offer various banking services but do not have a banking license. Generally, these institutions are not allowed to take traditional demand depositsreadily available funds, such as those in checking or savings accountsfrom the public. This limitation keeps them outside the scope of conventional oversight from federal and state financial regulators.

Nonbank financial companies fall under the oversight of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which describes them as companies "predominantly engaged in a financial activity" when more than 85% of their consolidated annual gross revenues or consolidated assets are financial in nature. Examples of NBFCs include investment banks, mortgage lenders, money market funds, insurance companies, hedge funds, private equity funds, and P2P lenders.

Key Takeaways

Nonbank financial companies (NBFCs), also known as nonbank financial institutions (NBFIs) are entities that provide certain bank-like financial services but do not hold a banking license.

NBFCs are not subject to the banking regulations and oversight by federal and state authorities adhered to by traditional banks.

Investment banks, mortgage lenders, money market funds, insurance companies, hedge funds, private equity funds, and P2P lenders are all examples of NBFCs.

Since the Great Recession, NBFCs have proliferated in number and type, playing a key role in meeting the credit demand unmet by traditional banks.

Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)

Understanding NBFCs

1:21

NBFCs can offer services such as loans and credit facilities, currency exchange, retirement planning, money markets, underwriting, and merger activities.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act defines three types of nonbank financial companies: foreign nonbank financial companies, U.S. nonbank financial companies, and U.S. nonbank financial companies supervised by the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.

Foreign nonbank financial companies

Foreign nonbank financial companies are incorporated or organized outside the U.S. and are predominantly engaged in financial activities such as those listed above. Foreign nonbanks may or may not have branches in the United States.

U.S. nonbank financial companies

U.S. nonbank financial companies, like their foreign nonbank counterparts, are predominantly engaged in nonbank financial activities but have been incorporated or organized in the United States. U.S. nonbanks are restricted from serving as Farm Credit System institutions, national securities exchanges, or any one of several other types of financial institutions.

U.S. nonbank financial companies supervised by the Board of Governors

The main difference between these nonbank financial companies and others is that they fall under the supervision of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. This is based on a determination by the Board that financial distress or the nature, scope, size, scale, concentration, interconnectedness, or mix of activities at these institutions could threaten the financial stability of the United States.

Shadow Banks and the 2008 Financial Crisis

NBFCs existed long before the Dodd-Frank Act. In 2007, they were given the moniker "shadow banks" by economist Paul McCulley, at the time the managing director of Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO), to describe the expanding matrix of institutions contributing to the then-current easy-money lending environmentwhich in turn led to the subprime mortgage meltdown and the subsequent 2008 financial crisis.

Although the term sounds somewhat sinister, many well-known brokerages and investment firms were engaging in shadow-banking activity. Investment bankers Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns were two of the most well-known NBFCs at the center of the 2008 crisis.

As a result of the ensuing financial crisis, traditional banks found themselves under closer regulatory scrutiny, which led to a prolonged contraction in their lending activities. As the authorities tightened up on the banks, the banks, in turn, tightened up on loan or credit applicants.

The more stringent requirements gave rise to more people needing other funding sourcesand hence, the growth of nonbank institutions that were able to operate outside the constraints of banking regulations. In short, in the decade following the financial crisis of 2007-08, NBFCs proliferated in large numbers and varying types, playing a key role in meeting the credit demand unmet by traditional banks.

NBFC Controversy

Advocates of NBFCs argue that these institutions play an important role in meeting the rising demand for credit, loans, and other financial services. Customers include both businesses and individualsespecially those who might have trouble qualifying under the more stringent standards set by traditional banks.

Not only do NBFCs provide alternate sources of credit, proponents say, they also offer more efficient ones. NBFCs cut out the intermediarythe role banks often playto let clients deal with them directly, lowering costs, fees, and rates, in a process called disintermediation. Providing financing and credit is important to keep the money supply liquid and the economy working well.

Alternate source of funding and credit

Direct contact with clients, eliminating intermediaries

High yields for investors

Liquidity for the financial system

Non-regulated, not subject to oversight

Non-transparent operations

Systemic risk to financial system, economy

ProsCons

Even so, critics are troubled by NBFCs' lack of accountability to regulators and their ability to operate outside the customary banking rules and regulations. In some cases, they may face oversight by other authoritiesthe Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) if they're public companies, or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) if they're brokerages. However, in other cases, they may be able to operate with a lack of transparency.

All of this could put an increasing strain on the financial system. NBFCs were at the epicenter of the 2008 financial crisis that led to the Great Recession. Critics point out that they have increased in numbers since then, and therefore represent a greater risk than ever before.

Real-World Example of NBFCs

Entities ranging from mortgage provider Quicken Loans to financial services firm Fidelity Investments qualify as NBFCs. However, the fastest-growing segment of the non-bank lending sector has been in peer-to-peer (P2P) lending.

The growth of P2P lending has been facilitated by the power of social networking, which brings like-minded people from all over the world together. P2P lending websites, such as LendingClub Corp. (LC), StreetShares, and Prosper, are designed to connect prospective borrowers with investors willing to invest their money in loans that can generate high yields.

P2P borrowers tend to be individuals who could not otherwise qualify for a traditional bank loan or who prefer to do business with non-banks. Investors have the opportunity to build a diversified portfolio of loans by investing small sums across a range of borrowers.

Although P2P lending only represents a small fraction of the total loans issued in the United States, a report from IBIS World suggests that $938.6 million is held in Peer-to-Peer Lending Platforms in the US in 2022 and that this has increased 7.9% over the past year.

What Are Examples of Nonbank Financial Companies?

There are many types of NBFC. Some of the most familiar are:





Casinos and card clubs

Securities and commodities firms (e.g., brokers/dealers, investment advisers, mutual funds, hedge funds, or commodity traders)

Money services businesses (MSB)

Insurance companies

Loan or finance companies

Operators of credit card systems



What Is the Difference Between NBFCs and NBFIs?

Generally, none. These are alternative names for the same type of company.

Why Are NBFCs Called Shadow Banks?

NBFCs are often called shadow banks as they function a lot like banks but with fewer regulatory controls. Barring a few, they cannot accept deposits from people and so raise money from bonds or borrow from banks.

The Bottom Line

Nonbank financial companies (NBFCs), also known as nonbank financial institutions (NBFIs), are entities that provide similar services to a bank but do not hold a banking license. Because of this, they are not regulated or overseen by federal and state authorities. There are many NBFCs. Investment banks, mortgage lenders, money market funds, insurance companies, hedge funds, private equity funds, and P2P lenders are all examples of NBFCs.

Since the Great Recession, NBFCs have proliferated in number and type, playing a key role in meeting the credit demand unmet by traditional banks. Their critics say that they pose a risk to the US economy; their proponents say they offer a valuable, alternative source of credit and funding.
What Is a Bundle of Rights?best slot to play utube

A bundle of rights is a term for the set of legal privileges that is generally afforded to a real estate buyer with the transfer of the title. The bundle includes the following:

The right of possession

The right of control

The right of exclusion

The right of enjoyment

The right of disposition

The average homebuyer can expect the whole traditional bundle of rights once the deal is done.

Real estate ownership carries with it a complex set of rights, and the bundle of rights concept traditionally has been how those rights are described and summarized. It is a feature of many real estate license tests and first-year law classes.

Key Takeaways

A buyer of property gets a bundle of rights along with the title.

These rights generally give the buyer the freedom to use the property within the limits of the law.

Commercial property investors may share some of these rights with other parties.

Understanding a Bundle of Rights

The average homebuyer can expect the whole traditional bundle of rights once the deal is done. That is, homebuyers expect to have the right of possession, of control, of exclusion, of enjoyment, and of disposition.

However, these rights can be broken up and assigned to different parties. This usually applies to commercial and investment property purchases. For example, the buyer of a rental property may have rights that are limited by local landlord-tenant laws and regulations, or the owner of a storefront property may share certain rights with the tenant who runs a business there.

In any case, a real estate owners bundle of rights can be exercised only with the boundaries of many other laws. For example, a homeowners right of enjoyment may not be exercised beyond the limits of local noise control laws.

Right of Possession

The right of possession simply states that the titleholder is the legal owner of the property.

Right of Control

The titleholder can use the property in any way that is not illegal. In practice, a homeowner association (HOA) can place additional restrictions on anything from garden ornaments to pet ownership, though these rules are not laws.

Right of Exclusion

The right of exclusion allows the titleholder to limit who may enter the property. This one has few real limits. Easements may be in place permitting access to utility lines that override this right. A warrant authorizing a search of the property trumps the right of exclusion. Additionally, an owner of a rental property may not have right of exclusion for who their tenant lets on the property depending on the terms of the lease and local laws.

Right of Enjoyment

The right to enjoyment asserts the titleholders right to participate in any activities that they find pleasurable while on the property. This assumes, once again, that those activities are lawful.

Right of Disposition

The right of disposition protects the titleholders right to transfer ownership, permanently or temporarily, to another party. This right is fully realized only when the property is owned outright and not mortgaged. An exclusion also applies if the property is subject to a lien.

Does Homeowner Association (HOA) Authority Supersede My Rights as Property Owner?

This depends on the state where you live and the covenants, convictions, and restrictions (CC&Rs) that you signed and agreed to when you purchased the property. The homeowner association (HOA) may have the right to impose certain penalties on you if you do not follow their rules, which can effectively restrict your rights as a property owner.

Who Has More Rights, Landlord or Tenant?

That depends on your local laws and how tenant-friendly or landlord-friendly they are. In some states, landlords have very few restrictions on entering property, selling property, evicting tenants, and so on. In other states, tenants have more rights and, for example, must grant permission before a landlord can enter a property and must be given certain periods of notice before a landlord can sell the property. In addition to local statutes, each judiciary has purview to decide which cases to hear and when, which puts some statutes in effect regardless of laws on the books.

How Does the Bundle of Rights Work with Multiple Owners?

If there are multiple owners on a property, then the bundle of rights belongs to both equallywhich is both a protection and a hindrance, depending on circumstances. For example, if a home is owned by a married couple and that couple gets divorced, then one spouse would need permission from the other to sell the house.

The Bottom Line

As a property owner, you get the rights of possession, control, exclusion, enjoyment, and disposition once you close on the property. This bundle of rights gives you all of the rights that you would expect once you own a property. However, there are exclusions, depending on the type of property you own and if you are renting it out to tenants.
Playn GO has become the latest provider of online casino solutions to be entering the newly regulated Romanian online gambling market, the company itself announced earlier today. The Swedish supplier of content for the international iGaming industry has been granted a license by the Oficiul National pentru Jocuri de Noroc (ONJN), known to be the countrys gambling regulator.

Following its licensure, Playn GO will now be able to provide its product offering to gaming companies based and operating in the Eastern European country. The supplier said in a statement from earlier today that it has applied for a Romanian license after registering a growing demand for its products in the local market.

Commenting on the latest announcement, Playn GO CEO Johan Tornqvist said that they are extremely happy to be granted a Romanian gaming license as its constantly growing market is one the company has been eying for some time now. Mr. Tornqvist further noted that they have a long list of operators interested in their content and that their products will most certainly be found delightful by Romanian gambling customers.

Playn GO offers its gaming titles to more than 100 gaming operatorsfrom around the world. What is more, its games are now available in more than 30 languages.

Earlier this year, the gaming supplier signed a partnership agreement with gambling operator Las Vegas Casino Diamond Ltd, thus entering the newly regulated Hungarian gaming market. Under the terms of the agreement, the Swedish provider is to supply its full catalog of gaming titles to the operators Las Vegas Casino, which is to become Hungarys first licensed online casino.

It is also important to note that Playn GO is not the only online gambling provider to have been licensed by the Romanian gambling operator. Last Friday, London-based supplier iSoftBet announce that it, too, has been awarded a license for the provision of its gaming title to Romania-facing gambling operators and local gambling customers.

Earlier last week, Microgaming Quickfire-powered provider Prima Networks also received Class II licenses by the local regulatory body for the distribution of gaming software to Romanian and international gambling operators.
What Is the Comorian Franc (KMF)?goodgame empire online

The term Comorian franc (KMF) refers to the official national currency of Comoros, a sovereign African island nation located in the Indian Ocean. It is maintained and issued by the country's central bank, la Banque Centrale des Comores. It is represented by the symbol KMF on global currency exchanges. The Comorian franc was pegged to the euro as of 1999 at a rate of 491.96775 Comorian francs to one euro. As of January 2022, $1 U.S. is equal to roughly 437 KMF.

Key Takeaways

The Comorian franc is the official currency of the African island nation of Comoros.

The Comoros franc is pegged to the euro at an effective rate of about 492 KMF to 1 EUR.

One franc is divided into 100 centimes, although no centimes have ever been issued.

Comoros is one of the poorest countries in the world, with high unemployment and low levels of education.

Understanding the Comorian Franc (KMF)

The franc is the official national currency of the island archipelago of Comoros. The country's central bank is responsible for maintaining its value and is in charge of its circulation. The bank, called la Banque Centrale des Comores, was established in 1981, six years after the country gained its independence. The central bank is located in the capital of Moroni.

Banknotes are printed in various denominations ranging from the 500, 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10,000 franc notes. The country also uses coins, which are minted in 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 franc denominations. A single franc is divided into 100 centimes, although no centimes have ever been issued or used.

The KMF is pegged to the euro. This relationship was established when the European Union adopted the euro in 1999. The exchange rate was fixedand remains as suchat 491.96775 francs to one euro. Prior to this, the Comorian franc was pegged to the French franc at a rate of 50 KMF to 1 French franc. Currency rankings show that the KMF is most often exchanged with the United States dollar (USD).

Although the Comorian franc is pegged to the euro, it is most often exchanged with the U.S. dollar.

Cash is predominantly used in the island nation. Larger establishments, such as hotels, may take credit cards. Transactions are executed in the local currency, although there are some merchants who accept both the U.S. dollar and the euro along with the Comoros franc. Change, however, is given in the KMF.

Special Considerations

Comoros has one of the poorest and smallest economies in the world. The islands workforce has a low level of education, and there are not enough natural resources available either for residents or to use as exports.

The primary industries of the nation, fishing, and tourism, are vulnerable to the regions extreme weather conditions and sporadic volcanic activity. As a result, despite a relatively low rate of unemployment of 8.4% in 2020, approximately 42% of its 864,335 citizens live below the poverty line. The population of Comoros is largely youngapproximately 37% of residents are 14 years old or younger.

Agriculture is crucial to the local economy of Comoros, as is the income generated by its three major exports, vanilla, cloves, and a perfume essence known as ylang-ylang. Despite the archipelagos arable land, fertile soil, and large fishing industry, the country still imports around 70% of its food. For 2020, Comoros saw real GDP growth of 3.1% with inflation at -0.9%.

History of Comoros

Comoros was initially part of a French colony, which included Madagascar, when the island of Mayotte was purchased in 1841, but the first Europeans to discover the archipelago were Portuguese in the year 1505. As a French colony, the money used was the French franc.

In 1920, Comorian currency was first printed on an emergency basis on a series of Madagascar postage stamps that had been altered to become legal tender and circulate as money in exchange. The Comorian franc was first formally issued in the 1960s and has appeared in both coin and bill form in various denominations. Coins dedicated specifically to Comoros were issued in the early 1960s, and Arabic printing has been stamped on them since 1975.

The Union of Comoros is made of three islands: Anjouan, Moheli, and Grande Comore. A fourth island, Mayotte, was part of the archipelago union until 1975, when the Comoros Union declared its independence from France. However, France did not recognize the independence of Mayotte, and the island remains under French administration to this day.
02:27

Sixty years ago,co8n market cap new shiba inu coin the world was on the brink of nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Today, when humanity is threatened by the stockpile of nuclear warheads and the threat of armed conflicts, the unforgettable events in 1962 and its outcome come to mind as an important lesson of history.

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What Is a Turnkey Asset Management Program (TAMP)?betsson casino free spins

A turnkey asset management program offers a fee-account technology platform that financial advisers, broker-dealers, insurance companies, banks, law firms, and CPA firms can use to oversee their clients investment accounts.

Turnkey asset management programs are designed to help financial professionals save time and allow them to focus on providing clients with service in their areas of expertise, which may not include asset management tasks like investment research and portfolio allocation. In other words, TAMPs let financial professionals and firms delegate asset management and research responsibilities to another party that specializes in those areas.

Key Takeaways

Turnkey asset management programs are fee-based platforms for asset managers, broker-dealers, CPAs, and other financial professionals.

TAMPs can offer technology, back-office support, and tasks like investment research and asset allocation.

Envestnet, SEI, AssetMark, Brinker Capital, and Orion Portfolio Solutions are examples of TAMP providers.

Turnkey asset management programs can help firms save time and allow them to focus more of their energy on finding new clients and servicing existing ones.

By working with a third party, the user of a turnkey asset management program is giving up some control of some of the decision-making process, while also paying a fee for the service.

Understanding Turnkey Asset Management Programs (TAMPs)

Delegating the role of asset manager to a TAMP can help financial professionals and firms to increase profitability by freeing up more time for tasks like attracting new clients and meeting with clients in person. These programs can also save their clients money because developing a proprietary asset management system can be expensive, especially if the company does not already have one in place. TAMPs also handle account administration, billing, and reporting.

Using TAMPs also helps wealth advisers limit their risk of being sued for poor investment performance. By outsourcing investment selection and management, firms can transfer part of that risk to the TAMP. Major turnkey asset management program providers include Envestnet, SEI, AssetMark Investment Services, Brinker Capital, and Orion Portfolio Solutions.

Types of Turnkey Asset Management Programs (TAMPs)

Mutual fund wraps, exchange traded fund wraps, separately managed accounts, unified managed accounts, and unified managed households are five types of turnkey asset management programs.

1. Mutual Fund Wrap Accounts

A mutual fund wrap account is a TAMP that offers many mutual funds with the fees encompassing "wrapping around" all of the investor's mutual fund trading, rather than having to pay individual fees for each mutual fund, thereby reducing overall fees.

2. Exchange Traded Fund Wrap Accounts

Exchange traded fund (ETF) wrap accounts work in the same manner as mutual fund wrap accounts but investment choices are limited only to ETFs as opposed to mutual funds.

3. Separately Managed Accounts (SMAs)

Separately managed accounts (SMA) are geared to high-level investorsthose with a significant amount of capital available for investing. SMAs operate similarly to mutual funds except where a mutual fund is owned by pooled investors, a separately managed account is owned only by one investor.

4. Unified Managed Accounts (UMAs)

Unified managed accounts hold a variety of different investments that are allocated to their own bucket. One bucket would have stocks, for example, while another bucket would have bonds, and another would have derivatives. UMAs aggregate the entirety of an investor's assets but allow them to be managed separately.

5. Unified Managed Household (UMH)

As the name implies, a UMH is designed to handle the investments of multiple individuals of one household. This would include parents and children and possibly grandparents if they are in the same household.

Special Considerations

TAMPs are available in both off-the-shelf and customized varieties. They are often privately labeled, meaning that it is not apparent to clients that a third party is handling their investments. In addition, these programs serve all types of investors, from mass-market, lower net worth clients to ultra-high-net-worth individuals.

TAMPs provide base technology and additional back office support, such as setting up automated alerts, asset tracking and reporting, and other dashboard features. The service might also include supplying proposals, wealth management tools, compliance services, investment policy statements, and might also conduct a risk analysis.

TAMPs typically charge between 0.45% and 2.5% for their services.

These benefits can greatly improve an investment advisory firm, but they come with costs, and managers need to determine whether that additional cost is worth what they get in return, which includes time saved to be able to generate more business.

Advantages and Disadvantages of TAMPs

TAMPs provide a significant advantage to advisors as they allow for the outsourcing of a variety of functions, such as reporting, that frees up a significant amount of time for an advisor that they can use to gain more clients or spend more time focusing on their client's investments, which benefits the client in the end.

TAMPs can also be cost-effective. By outsourcing functions to a TAMP, an advisor will avoid the cost of having to set up such functions in-house, which can include hiring more employees, providing more benefits, and so on. In the end, this could reduce their overhead; savings that they can technically pass onto their clients.

As an investor, it's important to understand your fee structure. If your advisor uses a TAMP, check to see if the fees they pay are passed onto you or not. If so, that could be a disadvantage, making your investments more costly.

When an advisor uses a TAMP, the advisor has less control of the investment strategy. It's important to check if the TAMPs investment strategy mirrors that of your risk tolerance and investment goals.

Turnkey Asset Management Programs (TAMPs) FAQs

What Are the Largest TAMPs?

The largest TAMPs are Mount Yale Capital Group, Adhesion Wealth, Matson Money, Sawtooth Solutions, Orion Portfolio, Brinker Capital, Buckingham Strategic Partners, AssetMark, Independent Advisor Solution by SEI, and Envestnet.

How Do You Pick A TAMP?

Choosing the right TAMP as an advisor is based on a lot of factors. Consider how the TAMP aligns with your investment strategy, the type of relationship the TAMP will have with your custodian, the fees the TAMP charges, if the TAMP works on your internal platform, what additional services does the TAMP provide, what is their support management like, and do they offer additional technology.

When Did Turnkey Asset Management Programs Start?

Turnkey asset management programs started in the early 1980s.

The Bottom Line

Turnkey asset management programs (TAMPs) are investment solutions that financial institutions can use to help manage their client's investment accounts. TAMPs are fee-based services and can provide investment advisors with a handful of services to help them better their services. In choosing a TAMP, an advisor should consider the costs, investment strategies, and other services the TAMP provides to determine whether it is the right solution for them and for their clients.
For decades, ground penetrating radar has offered a noninvasive glimpse below the Earths surface. Using radio waves to capture images below the surface, radar is used in areas as diverse as forensic searches to underground utility and tunnel monitoring.

In rural Nevada, a team of Desert Research Institute scientists is testing the limits of ground penetrating radar in a new way: using it to locate lost burial sites at a nearly forgotten cemetery. Its a project that melds history, community development and science, opening up possibilities for a small town and its residents.

In early August, two assistant research professors  geoarchaeologist Teresa Wriston and snow and ice hydrologist Nathan Chellman  spent three days in Midas, a once-booming mining town north of Battle Mountain in Elko County.

The Midas cemetery was destroyed decades ago by fire and later overrun by grazing livestock.

In the 1990s, members of Friends of Midas, a group dedicated to preserving the tiny towns history, rebuilt the cemetery. Relying on oral history from old-timers, they reconstructed a picket fence and entrance to the cemetery. But its exact location was only a best guess  the actual location of the several dozen bodies laid to rest there is largely still a mystery, making new burials at the site all but impossible.

Intent on making the cemetery once again function as an active burial site, they recruited the scientists to help them locate the bodies.

Wriston and Chellman flew drones and scanned several acres of land with ground penetrating radar to determine the precise location of the towns old cemetery and the bodies laid to rest within it.

Its a very Nevada problem, Wriston said. Theres a lot of these rural mining communities, ghost towns and stuff; those cemeteries have not been kept up and in some cases, they dont even know where they are.

The rise and fall of the Midas cemetery

In the early 20th century, Midas was a prosperous Nevada mining town.

Gold was discovered there in June of 1907, and the town quickly grew large enough to sustain two newspapers. In 1908, the town saw its first murder, and by April, at least six men had died. The town needed a cemetery.

Residents located it in a draw southeast of town, within walking distance of the Midas mining district. Edmund R. Deakin, 32, was likely its first inhabitant.

Over the years, several dozen pioneers and prospectors were buried alongside Deakin, most of the graves denoted with wooden markers. Three graves were marked with granite tombstones.

The plights of those who were buried at the cemetery vary wildly.

Gardner Bliss died at age 12 of rheumatic fever. Artro Teniente, 28, died from an accidental gunshot. Mateo Azevada died at age 52 after he broke his neck falling from a wagon. Mary Louise West died at 36 from an abortion. Cecelia Clawson Wagner died at 19 from the Spanish flu.

Friends of Midas estimate more than three dozen people are buried at the cemetery.

According to Friends of Midas, the last full burial at the site was Louis Reymond, a 52-year-old mining engineer, in 1932.

In 1922, a fire destroyed the towns mill. Around the time of World War II, the towns mine officially closed, as did the post office.

In the 1950s, another fire burned through Midas, this time wiping out the cemetery. All but the three granite headstones were destroyed.

When the wooden markers disappeared, so did most of the cemeterys defining features. Over the years, sagebrush obscured the plots. Cows from nearby ranches grazed on the property.

A Halloween graveyard hunt

In 1989, Midas finally received electricity. But in other ways, not much has changed. The closest paved road is 30 miles from town. Only about a dozen residents call Midas home.

One of them is Dana Bennett, a Reno native whose career in public policy development and advocacy saw her work for the Legislative Counsel Bureau and the Governors Office of Economic Development before serving as interim president of the Nevada Mining Association and president of Friends of Midas.

Growing up, Bennetts family would visit Midas for camping trips. In 1978, her parents bought a house there. That year, on Halloween day, she, her sisters and a couple of other girls decided to try and find the old cemetery.

They tracked down an old-timer who waved them in its general direction. Go near an old mine, he told them, down a hill and in a gully.

Bennett led the group of teens on the hunt for the burial ground. But when some cows came over a hill and startled the girls, the search, at least for that day, was over.

It turns out we were quite a ways away. We werent even close, Bennett recalls. But we were persistent, we really wanted to find it. And eventually we did.

They located the three remaining granite headstones, dating back to 1914, 1915 and 1917.

Two of them survived the years beautifully. The other, the grave had been covered with a concrete slab, Bennett recalled. Over the years, the concrete slab had collapsed and the headstone toppled into sagebrush. A hole in the middle of the slab led Bennett to believe something heavy, like a cow, had stepped on it, causing it to collapse.

There are no records to explain a lot of this, she said.

In 1992, Bennetts parents moved to Midas full-time. Her dad, Dan Bennett, helped found Friends of Midas and worked to have the cemetery deeded to the county  over the years, the land around the cemetery changed hands, from Ellison Ranching to Barrick Gold to Elko County.

When he died in 2020, his ashes were interred in the cemetery. An old miner used a sledgehammer and an old drill bit to chisel out the 2-by-2-foot slot for the small box of ashes after a backhoe barely made a dent in the hard packed dirt.

It was one of the few burials the cemetery has seen in the past half century, due to the lack of information about where the bodies are.

Bringing new life to the cemetery

When Friends of Midas started rebuilding the cemetery, they had little information to go off. Four stone piles at 90-degree angles marked what they guessed delineated the corners. One of the towns few remaining residents remembered what the entrance to the cemetery looked like  a large, angular arch painted white.

When Chellman and Wriston surveyed the area, they extended their search beyond the newly constructed perimeter of the cemetery in case some bodies were resting outside the new picket fencing.

Chellman has used ground penetrating radar to study ice cores in Greenland and Wyoming, where much of his research is based; Wriston is trained to observe anomalies in the grounds surface.

She can detect tiny nuances in the earths surface that wouldnt register for most people, such as changes in vegetation health that imply subsurface water movement.

By digging the hole (to bury someone), you change the natural subsurface movement of that water. If you dig a hole, it changes hydrology, vegetation health, how water moves across that slope  that in turn affects vegetation, Wriston said. We are using all these sorts of secondary indicators to determine the digging of the graves in that landscape.

The traditions of Euromerican burials, with rectangular caskets and certain depths, should make it pretty obvious.

By combining Wristons trained eye, the aerial drone photos and imagery from the radar, which goes down several meters, she and Chellman can create a 3-D model of the subsurface.

We dont do historic cemeteries as part of our normal gigs  but the application of these processes is the same, Wriston said. Usually, Im looking at stratigraphy. When you dig a grave, youre interrupting that stratigraphy.

Chellman and Wriston are still sorting through their findings, and Friends of Midas wont see the results until this fall. Wriston did confirm they found numerous positive signs of burials, but probably not the full three dozen or so Friends of Midas was hoping for.

As the landowner, Elko County will use DRIs findings to map out acceptable sites for future burials while also ensuring the historical sites are not disturbed.

Corey Rice, Elko County surveyor, said the county doesnt have any official plans to use ground penetrating radar at other locations, but that it could be an option down the road.

Im sure many of our cemeteries have that issue, he said.

Friends of Midas raised $40,000 for the cemetery project, including $25,000 for the DRI work, and intends to place new markers made of stone or metal on the located sites, as well as informational placards at the cemeterys entrance.

And eventually, the cemetery can be used for burials again  without the worry of disturbing anyone.
Foreigners employed at Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) could be required to pay a 15% tax on their earnings in the Philippines under a bill recently filed in the national legislature.

Albay Representative Joey Salceda submitted late last month a legislation that, if it succeeds in the Congress, will subject POGOs and their foreign workers to additional taxes amid growing pressure on the online gambling businesses that are licensed in the Philippines to provide their services anywhere outside the country.

Under, Rep. Salcedas measure, foreign workers at local POGOs or at their service providers must pay taxes on what they earn in the Philippines. The piece of legislation reads that any foreigner who is employed by a POGO license holder must pay a 15% taxon their salaries, wages, annuities, compensation, remuneration, and any other emoluments, including allowances and honoraria.

House Bill 5267 also outlines what taxes should be imposed on POGOs. Under the legislation, POGOs must pay a 5% tax on gross receipts. That rate was previously suggested by the Philippine Bureau of Internal Revenue.

The proposed new tax regime received support from Philippine Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez III. The official said that he had not seen the exact proposal, but in general, yes [] I think thats a good idea.

Codifying the POGO Tax Regime

Rep. Salcedas bill arrived as POGOs are facing growing pressure over what they should contribute to Philippine coffersfor being allowed to set up their businesses on the territory of the country and to conduct online gambling activities.

In recent weeks, several POGO license holders were ordered to shut their operations for failing to pay their tax dues. The crackdown on offshore gambling operators kicked off in September. Back then, Mr. Dominguez said that they would close down organizations that dont withhold and remit the proper amount of taxes from their employees.

Rep. Salceda hinted that he was preparing a tax-focused bill earlier in October. Of his proposal, the lawmaker told reporters that codifying the tax regime for POGOs will provide the government a broader set of levers with which to monitor and oversee the industryand to stabilize the gyrations in tax revenue intake and enforcement.

The Philippines POGO industry has been thriving over the past several years. Offshore gambling organizations have set up massive businesses in the country as a result from the large demand for that type of offering in Southeast Asia. Around 130,000 non-Filipino workers are employed in the POGO sector.

According to previous estimates by the Department of Finance, the Philippines could annually take PHP24 billion (approx. $475 million)for every 100,000 foreign POGO workers if they paid taxes in the country. The Bureau of Internal Revenue said in August that it had collected PHP200 million (approx. $4 million) in income taxes from foreigners working at locally licensed offshore gambling operators.

Source:Bill sets 15% tax on foreign POGO workers, CNN Philippines

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MORE ABOUT DAY OF ATONEMENT

What is the Day of Atonement?

The Day of Atonementis Yom Kippur, a Jewish holiday devoted to atoning for sins. Its considered the holiest day of the year in Judaism.

Observation of the day is marked by fasting and prayers of repentance during a daylong service in the synagogue.

Yom Kippur is observed each year on the 10th day of Tishri, the first month of the Jewish calendar. Because the Jewish calendar is a lunisolar calendar, the specific date on which Yom Kippur falls changes each year.

It is the culmination of a 10-day period of penitence that starts with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. This period is referred to as the High Holidays or the Days of Awe.

Where does Day of Atonementcome from?

Yom Kippur is also known as the Day of Atonementbecause thats what it literally means. Its name comes from the Hebrew words yom,meaning day, and kippur,meaning atonement.

According to Jewish tradition, the period that begins with Rosh Hashanah and ends with Yom Kippur is when God renders judgment, so many Jews use the time to pray and make amends (atone) for the wrongs they have committed.

Yom Kippur is believed to originate with the story of God presenting Moses with the Ten Commandments, the first of which prohibits worshiping other gods. When Moses returned with the stone tablets that contained the commandments, he found the Israelites worshipping an idol in the form of a golden calf. Moses smashed the tablets in anger, but the Israelites atoned, and God forgave them and provided new tablets.

What are some terms that often get used in discussing the Day of Atonement?

Yom Kippur

atone

forgiveness

repentance

High Holidays

Days of Awe

Rosh Hashanah

Tishri

Jewish calendar

synagogue

How is Day of Atonementdiscussed in real life?

Yom Kippur is referred to as the Day of Atonement and is considered the most important and holiest day of the year in Judaism. Many Jews spend the day in the synagogue reciting prayers of repentance.

Try using Day of Atonement!

True or False?

Yom Kippurliterally translates as Day of Atonement.
Thelines for ufc dustin conor 3 odds Colorado Division of Gaming reported $25 million in gross sports wagering revenue for July on Tuesday, as operators bounced back from absorbing an eight-figure loss in basketball payouts the previous month.

The Denver Nuggets winning their first NBA title in franchise history took a major chunk off operators bottom lines in June, as the public came out $10.8 million ahead on $57.9 million handle betting on basketball. July was a return to normal for hoops action, as the house kept $1.4 million from $34.5 million worth of wagers.

Overall, state sportsbooks processed $281.1 million in bets, as Colorado became only the sixth state in the post-PASPA era to surpass $13 billion in handle.
Michigan is getting its third sportsbook today after FanDuel and MotorCity Casino in Detroit announced an exclusive wagering partnership and the gambling venue obtained the necessary approval to conduct betting activities from the state Gaming Control Board.

Sports betting officially kicked off in Michigan on Wednesday, March 11, when MGM Grand Detroit and Greektown Casino-Hotel debuted their brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.

Under its partnership with MotorCity Casino, FanDuel is set to open its latest sports betting facility as part of its US expansion campaign today at 10 am local time.

The betting operator said Wednesday in a press release announcing its partnership with the Detroit-based casino that it would administer all core servicesaffecting betting for the sportsbook.

The FanDuel Sportsbook at MotorCity Casino will spread over two stories and will feature six betting windows, 67 HD televisions, one ticker, a VIP area, and 54 self-service IGT PlaySports betting kiosks.

The betting facility will accept wagers on all major US and international sports, including football, baseball, hockey, basketball, soccer, golf, boxing, motorsports racing, and many more.

Reports about the partnership between FanDuel and MotorCity Casino first emerged earlier this month. Todays start of wagering at the gambling venue means that Michigans all three commercial casinos have managed to go live with sports betting right in time for the March Madnessbasketball tourney.

Michigan legalized sports betting late last year as part of wider gambling expansion push that also authorized online casino-style gaming. The states wagering law also permits digital betting, but the Michigan Gaming Control Board is yet to draft the rules regulating the online sector.

Consistently Raising the Bar

About entering the sports betting segment, MotorCity Casino President Bruce Dall said that they have been committed to reimagining the guest experienceby consistently raising the bar with innovative entertainment, world-class luxury hotel accommodations and high energy gaming activities.

Mr. Dall went on that their partnership with FanDuel takes the experience offered at the property to the next level and that with the sports betting operator, MotorCity guests would be able to engage with their favorite sports in a dynamic new wayat Detroits only locally owned and operated casino.

FanDuel Group CEO Matt King said that Detroit being an incredible sports town was a perfect fit to their strategy to expand their presence nationwide.

Michigan is the sixth state FanDuel has secured its entry into. The company, along with its biggest rival DraftKings, recently signed a wagering partnership with Twin River Worldwide Holdingsfor the provision of sports betting services in Colorado where the operator owns three properties.

While FanDuel has teamed up with a commercial casino in Michigan, DraftKings will have to partner a tribal casinoin order to enter the states sports betting mix. MGM Grand and Greektown, both located in Detroit, are Michigans two other commercial casinos.

MGM Grands sportsbook is operated by its owner MGM Resorts Internationals sports betting joint venturewith European gambling giant GVC Holdings, while Greektowns owner, Penn National Gaming, would probably look to leverage the widespread success of the recently acquired Barstool Sports brand at the casinos Sportsbook.

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What Is a Distribution Waterfall?no deposit promo codes for Australia online casinos

A distribution waterfall is a way to allocate investment returns or capital gains among participants of a group or pooled investment. Commonly associated with private equity funds, the distribution waterfall defines the pecking order in which distributions are allocated to limited and general partners.

Usually, the general partners receive a disproportionately larger share of the total profits relative to their initial investment once the allocation process is complete. This is done to incentivize the fund's general partner to maximize profitability for its investors.

Key Takeaways

A distribution waterfall spells out the order in which gains from a pooled investment are allocated between investors in the pool.

It is often used in the context of hedge funds or private equity investment funds.

Generally, there are four tiers in a distribution waterfall schedule: return of capital; preferred return; the catch-up tranche; and carried interest.

There are two common types of waterfall structures: American, which favors the investment manager; and European, which is more investor-friendly.

Understanding Distribution Waterfalls

A distribution waterfall describes the method by which capital is distributed to a fund's various investors as underlying investments are sold for gains. Essentially, the total capital gains earned are distributed according to a cascading structure made up of sequential tiers, hence the reference to a waterfall. When one tier's allocation requirements are fully satisfied, the excess funds are then subject to the allocation requirements of the next tier, and so on.

Though waterfall schedules may be customized, generally the four tiers in a distribution waterfall are:

Return of capital (ROC) - 100% of distributions go to the investors until they recover all of their initial capital contributions. Preferred return- 100% of further distributions go to investors until they receive the preferred return on their investment. Usually, the preferred rate of return for this tier is approximately 7% to 9%. Catch-up tranche- 100% of the distributions go to the sponsor of the fund until it receives a certain percentage of profits. Carried interest- A stated percentage of distributions that the sponsor receives. The stated percentage in the fourth tier must match the stated percentage in the third tier.

Hurdle rates for the schedule also may be tiered, depending on the total amount of carried interest of the general partners. Typically, the more carried interest, the higher the hurdle rate. Additionally, a feature called "clawback" is frequently included in the fund prospectus and is meant to protect investors from paying more incentive fees than required. In case of such an occurrence, the manager is obligated to pay back the excess fees.

American vs. European Waterfall Structures

Investment waterfall mechanics are detailed in the distribution section of the private placement memorandum (PPM). There are two common types of waterfall structures - American, which favors the general partner, and European, which is more investor-friendly.

An American-style distribution schedule is applied on a deal-by-deal basis, and not at the fund level. The American schedule spreads the total risk over all the deals and is more beneficial to the general partners of the fund. This structure allows for managers to get paid prior to investors receiving all their invested capital and preferred return, though the investor is still entitled to these.

distribution schedule is applied on a deal-by-deal basis, and not at the fund level. The American schedule spreads the total risk over all the deals and is more beneficial to the general partners of the fund. This structure allows for managers to get paid prior to investors receiving all their invested capital and preferred return, though the investor is still entitled to these. A European-styledistribution (also called Global-style) schedule is applied at an aggregate fund level. With this schedule, all distributions will go to investors, while the manager will not participate in any profits until the investors capital and preferred return have been fully satisfied. A drawback is that the majority of the managers profits may not be realized for several years after the initial investment.

Why Is It Called a Distribution Waterfall?

Imagine a waterfall cascading down into a series of vertically-aligned buckets. The water represents money, and the buckets represent investors, partners, or stakeholders. The water fills the first bucket first. The second bucket will fill only after the first is completely full and spills over. As water flows, more buckets are filled in the order in which they appear.

What's the Key Difference Between an American and European Distribution Waterfall?

In the European-style distribution waterfall, investors are given precedent over fund managers, whereas managers may be paid ahead of investors using the American-style waterfall.

How Do Private Equity and Hedge Fund Managers Get Paid?

Often, private equity and hedge funds will feature a two-and-twenty payment scheme. Under this, the fund managers retain 2% of assets under management (AUM) each year, plus 20% of any profits returned above some hurdle rate or benchmark.
caesars slots app installshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dairy breed New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nounany of several breeds of cattle developed primarily for production of milk rather than meat, as Ayrshire, Guernsey, Holstein, and Jersey breeds.

Words nearby dairy breed

How to use in a sentence The attempt to breed back the Auroch of Teutonic legend was of a piece with the Nazi obsession with racial purity and eugenics. Nazi Cows Tried to Kill British Farmer|Tom Sykes|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Nazi Cows Tried to Kill British Farmer|Tom Sykes|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST A male and female who do most of the mating dominate packs, and younger subordinates only breed occasionally. Mongooses, Meerkats, and Ants, Oh My! Why Some Animals Keep Mating All in the Family|Helen Thompson|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Mongooses, Meerkats, and Ants, Oh My! Why Some Animals Keep Mating All in the Family|Helen Thompson|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST A few weeks after returning from England, I was trolling the dairy section and came across the Cotswold Double Gloucester. Biking With the Bard|Kara Cutruzzula|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Biking With the Bard|Kara Cutruzzula|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST Like Lent, the season of Advent was a period of reflection and fasting, and items such as dairy and sugar were forbidden. One Cake to Rule Them All: How Stollen Stole Our Hearts|Molly Hannon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST Mixing meat and dairy is a kosher rule-breaker, so they switched the cheese for potatoes. I Ate Potato Pancakes Til I Plotzed|Emily Shire|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

I Ate Potato Pancakes Til I Plotzed|Emily Shire|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST He was a new breed, that parson, a genuwine no-two-alike, come-one-in-a-box kind. Alec Lloyd, Cowpuncher|Eleanor Gates

Alec Lloyd, Cowpuncher|Eleanor Gates When Mac started Gregory back he told him that we would be along presently, then sat himself down on a rock and watched the breed. Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair

Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair Letty has just had another baby, and her dairy-maid got married and left at this busy time, and I'm sick and good for naught. The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie

The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie But such a thing as happened this morning must breed doubts and suspicions in a woman who has had the experience I have had. Bella Donna|Robert Hichens

Bella Donna|Robert Hichens None breed, however, in Guernsey itself, or in any of the little rocky islands immediately surrounding it. Birds of Guernsey (1879)|Cecil Smith

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question dairy breedFirst recorded in 185560daintily, dainty, daiquiri, Dairen, dairy, dairy breed, dairy cattle, dairyer, dairy factory, dairy farm, dairyingDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What Is a Bullish Harami?premium roulette 20 super hot free

A bullish harami is a basic candlestick chart pattern indicating that a bearish trend in an asset or market may be reversing.

Key Takeaways

A bullish harami is a candlestick chart indicator used for spotting reversals in a bear trend.

It is generally indicated by a small increase in price (signified by a white candle) that can be contained within the given equity's downward price movement (signified by black candles) from the past couple of days.

Understanding a Bullish Harami

A bullish harami is a candlestick chart indicator suggesting that a bearish trend may be coming to end. Some investors may look at a bullish harami as a good sign that they should enter a long position on an asset.

A candlestick chart is a type of chart used to track the performance of a security, named for the rectangular shape depicted in the chart, with lines protruding from the top and bottom, which resembles a candle and wicks. A candlestick chart typically represents the price data of stock on a single day, including opening price, closing price, high price, and low price.

Investors looking to identify harami patterns must first look for daily market performance reported in candlestick charts. Harami patterns emerge over two or more days of trading, and a bullish harami relies on initial candles to indicate that a downward price trend is continuing, and that a bearish market looks to be pushing the price lower.

The bullish harami indicator is charted as a long candlestick followed by a smaller body, referred to as a doji, that is completely contained within the vertical range of the previous body. To some, a line drawn around this pattern resembles a pregnant woman. The word harami comes from an old Japanese word meaning pregnant.

For a bullish harami to appear, a smaller body on the subsequent doji will close higher within the body of the previous days candle, signaling a greater likelihood that a reversal will occur.

Image by Sabrina Jiang  Investopedia 2020

The chart above depicts a bullish harami. The first two black candles indicate a two-day downward trend in the asset, and the white candle represents a slightly upward trend on the third day, which is completely contained by the body of the previous candle. Investors seeing this bullish harami may be encouraged by this diagram, as it can signal a reversal in the market.

Bullish Harami, Bearish Harami, and Advanced Candlestick Patterns

Analysts looking for fast ways to analyze daily market performance data will rely on patterns in candlestick charts to expedite understanding and decision-making.

While the bullish harami and its counterpart, the bearish harami, serve to predict upcoming reversals in the trending direction of prices, candlestick chart analysis offers a wide range of patterns to predict future trends. Bullish and bearish haramis are among a handful of basic candlestick patterns, including bullish and bearish crosses, evening stars, rising threes, and engulfing patterns. A deeper analysis provides insight using more advanced candlestick patterns, including island reversal, hook reversal, and san-ku or three gaps patterns.
What Is Overtrading?casino mega jackpot 40 super slot

Overtrading refers to the excessive buying and selling of stocks by either a broker or an individual trader. Both are entirely different situations and have very different implications.

Key Takeaways

Overtrading is a prohibited practice when brokers trade excessively for their client accounts in order to generate commission fees.

Individual professional traders may also overtrade, but this type of activity is not regulated by the SEC.

Individuals can greatly reduce the risk of overtrading by following best practices such as self-awareness and risk management.

Understanding Overtrading

An individual trader, whether working for themselves or employed on a trading desk by a financial firm, will have rules about how much risk they can take (including how many trades are appropriate for them to make). Once they have reached this limit, to continue trading is to do so unsoundly. While such behavior may be bad for the trader or bad for the firm, it is not regulated in any way by outside entities.

However, a broker overtrades when they excessively buy and sell stocks on the investors behalf purely for the sake of generating commissions. Overtrading, also known as churning, is a prohibited practice under securities law. Investors can observe that their broker has been overtrading when the frequency of their trades becomes counterproductive to their investment objectives, driving commission costs consistently higher without observable results over time.

Overtrading can occur for a number of reasons, but they all have the same outcome: poor performance of the investments at the expense of increased broker fees. One reason this practice has been known to occur comes about when brokers are pressured to place newly issued securities underwritten by a firm's investment banking arm.

For example, each broker may receive a 10% bonus if they can secure a certain allotment of a new security to their customers. Such incentives may not have the investors' best interest in mind. Investors can protect themselves from overtrading (or churning) through a wrap accounta type of account managed for a flat rate, rather than charging a commission on every transaction.

Individual traders usually overtrade after they have suffered a significant loss or a number of smaller losses in a long losing streak. To recoup their capital, or to seek revenge on the market after a string of losing trades, they may try harder to make up profits wherever they can, usually by increasing the size and frequency of their trades. While this practice often results in poor performance of the trader, the SEC does not regulate this kind of behavior because it is being done on the trader's own account.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) defines overtrading (churning) as excessive buying and selling in a customers account that the broker controls to generate increased commissions. Brokers who overtrade may be in breach of SEC Rule 15c1-7 that governs manipulative and deceptive conduct.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) governs overtrading under rule 2111 and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) prohibits the practice under Rule 408(c). Investors who believe they are a victim of churning can file a complaint with either the SEC or FINRA.

Types of Overtrading Among Investors

Overtrading in one's own account can only be curtailed by self-regulation. Below are some common forms of overtrading that investors may engage in, and begin informed about each can lead to better self-awareness.

Discretionary Overtrading: The discretionary trader uses flexible position sizes and leverage and does not establish rules for changing size. Although such flexibility can have its advantages, more often than not, it proves to be the trader's downfall.

The discretionary trader uses flexible position sizes and leverage and does not establish rules for changing size. Although such flexibility can have its advantages, more often than not, it proves to be the trader's downfall. Technical Overtrading: Traders new to technical indicators often use them as justification for making a predetermined trade. They have already decided what position to take and then look for indicators that will back up their decision, allowing them to feel more comfortable. They then develop rules, learn more indicators, and devise a system. This behavior is classified as confirmation bias and usually leads to systemic losses over time.

Traders new to technical indicators often use them as justification for making a predetermined trade. They have already decided what position to take and then look for indicators that will back up their decision, allowing them to feel more comfortable. They then develop rules, learn more indicators, and devise a system. This behavior is classified as confirmation bias and usually leads to systemic losses over time. Shotgun Overtrading: Craving action, traders often develop a "shotgun blast" approach, buying anything and everything they think might be good. A telltale sign of shotgun overtrading is multiple small positions open concurrently, none of which the trader has a specific plan for. But an even more firm diagnosis can be made by reviewing trade history and then asking why a particular trade was made at the time. A shotgun trader will struggle to provide a specific answer to that question.

Preventing Overtrading

There are a few steps traders can take to help prevent overtrading:
Danby / (dnb) / New Word List Save This betway wwe best us betting siteWord! / (dnb) /Save ThisWord!

nounAlso: 1st Duke of Leeds 1st Earl of, title of Thomas Osborne . 16311712, English politician; Lord Treasurer (167378): regarded as the founder of the Tory partyFrancis . 17931861, Irish painter of romantic landscapes and historical subjects

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Gypsy Flight|Roy J. Snell During the time Danby Force was having his fortune told she was thinking at intervals of him. Gypsy Flight|Roy J. Snell Then, as if all the gnarled trees had been shaking fists at her, she sprang back to her place close to Danby Force. Gypsy Flight|Roy J. Snell

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!QuestionDanava, danazol, dan buoy, danburite, Danbury, Danby, dance, danceable, dance attendance on, dance band, dance cardCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Space Age Love Song Listen online A Flock of Seagulls

About Space Age Love Song

"Space Age Love Song" is slot mysterious egypta 1982 single released by the British band A Flock of Seagulls. It was their fourth single. Lead guitarist Paul Reynolds remarked on their 1984 video album "Through the Looking Glass" that, as the band couldn't come up with a title for the track, he suggested "Space Age Love Song" because he thought it sounded like a space age love song. In 2018, a re-recorded version of the song, featuring the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, was released as a 5-track and 8-track special edition EP. It is the first single featured on the band's sixth album, Ascension. more 

Year: 1985 102 Views Playlists: #1

Watch: New Singing Lesson Videos Can Make Anyone A Great Singer

I saw your eyesAnd you made me smileFor a little whileI was falling in loveI saw your eyesAnd they touched my mindAlthough it took a whileI was falling in loveI was falling in loveI saw your eyes (I saw your eyes, I saw your eyes)And you made me cry (and you made me cry, and you made me cry)And for a little while (a little while, a little while)I was falling in loveI was falling in loveFalling in loveFalling in loveFalling in loveFalling in love
Congress' declaration hails country's approach in managing resources

A Beijing Declaration was passed on Friday as the 18th World Water Congress concluded in Beijing, and President Xi Jinping's water governance strategy has been inscribed into the document.

Hosted by the International Water Resources Association and China's Ministry of Water Resources, the congress lasted from Monday to Friday, under the theme of "Water for All: Harmony between Humans and Nature".

"Since we live on the same planet and face common water problems and challenges, we need to exchange ideas and experiences on water governance," the declaration notes.

The congress recognizes that, as the host country of the event, China has adopted innovative approaches to water governance  "prioritizing water conservation, balancing water distribution in time and space, and taking a systematic approach to water management with the synergy of government and market", it says.

The approaches were put forward by Xi in March 2014 at a meeting of the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economic Affairs.

The declaration says China is sharing with the rest of the world its experience in guaranteeing the right to safe drinking water for all, improving water security capabilities, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The congress calls for sharing experiences and solutions to jointly address water challenges.

"It is essential to promote international exchange and cooperation in scientific research, technological innovation and management practice in the field of water resources," it says.

Addressing the closing ceremony, Renee Martin-Nagle, co-chair of the International Scientific Committee of the congress, highlighted the role China can play in global water governance with its ideas and wisdom.

"We are at a time fraught with challenges. Globally, more than 2 billion people live in countries experiencing what the United Nations calls high water stress due to planetary changes caused by both humans and the climate," she said.

Water-related problems such as frequent floods and droughts are being experienced and shared in more places and by more people, she continued.

"China, as a pivotal player in global water governance, is actively engaged in advancing global water management and safeguarding global water security, and significant strides have been made toward achieving the water-related goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development," she noted.

She said a special session was convened during the weeklong congress, during which discussions revolved around China's water management principles, its practical experiences and remaining challenges, and how the country's wisdom and strength can contribute to global water governance.

"Clearly, China is ready to work with the international community and to make more contributions to achieve the water-related goals of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by using China's talent, ideas and strength to promote more robust green and global growth," she said.

According to the Ministry of Water Resources, four plenary sessions and 125 other meetings were held during the congress. Aside from attendees from across China, the gathering also attracted representatives from 80 countries and regions and over 30 international organizations.

Wang Daoxi, vice-minister of water resources, said China carried out constructive dialogues with many countries and international organizations during the event, including Denmark, Indonesia, Uzbekistan and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

China also signed memorandums of understanding with the International Water Resources Association and relevant government bodies of some countries, he said.

The country has deepened consensus and cooperation with the international community in addressing water issues, enhancing global water governance capabilities, and safeguarding global water security, he said.

"China is ready to discuss and share strategies and achievements in water management with other countries, and jointly promote global water governance reform and development," the vice-minister said.
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I Ran [Longer Version] [Version] Listen online A Flock of Seagulls

A Flock of SeagullsA Flock of Seag

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A Flock of Seagulls

A Flock of Seagulls (also known as Flock of Seagulls) are an English New Wave band originally formed in Liverpool by brothers Michael "Mike" Score (keyboards,poker texas holdem hands vocals) and Alister "Ali" James Score (drums), with Francis Lee (Frank) Maudsley (bass) and Paul Reynolds (guitar). more 

Year: 2017 5:08 11 Views Playlists: #1

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I walk along the avenueI never thought I'd meet a girl like youMeet a girl like youWith auburn hair and tawny eyesThe kind of eyes that hypnotize me throughYou hypnotize me throughAnd I ranI ran so far awayI just ranI ran all night and dayI couldn't get awayA cloud appears above your headA beam of light comes shining down on youShining down on youThe cloud is moving nearer stillAurora Borealis comes in viewAurora comes in viewAnd I ranI ran so far awayI just ranI ran all night and dayI couldn't get awayReached out a hand to touch your faceYou're slowly disappearing from my viewDisappearing from my viewReached out a hand to try againI'm floating in a beam of light with youA beam of light with youAnd I ranI ran so far awayI just ranI ran all night and dayAnd I ranI ran so far awayI just ranI couldn't get away
Less than a month after softening pandemic restrictions,jaquar wash basin mixer tap price China has reinstated some zero-Covid policies in an effort to control a new wave of infections surging across the country.

Covid-19 cases have climbed almost every day since late October, and China recently recorded its first coronavirus-related death in months. In response, officials have closed businesses, resumed citywide lockdowns and reinstated frequent testing requirements.

China stands alone as the only major country still going to extreme lengths to eradicate Covid-19 infections, raising questions about when, if ever, its economy might fully reopen.

The photographs below show scenes across a country once again disrupted by lockdowns.

Image Credit...Associated Press

Barriers formed a security checkpoint in Guangzhou in southern Chinas Guangdong Province, earlier this month. Below, a health care worker taking a swab sample for Covid-19 testing in Beijing on Tuesday.

Image Credit...Jade Gao/Agence France-Presse  Getty Images

Red fences blocked access to public recreation areas and exercise machines near the Futian District border crossing in Shenzhen.

Image Credit...Qilai Shen for The New York Times

A newly opened mall in Nanshan District in Shenzhen, which is home to many technology companies.

Image Credit...Qilai Shen for The New York Times

A lock barred the entrance to a local bar at Xiasha Village in Shenzhen.

Image Credit...Qilai Shen for The New York Times

In Beijing on Tuesday, a woman waited to cross a nearly empty intersection in the Central Business District during rush hour. Most workers are now expected to work from home, and many offices are closed.

Image Credit...Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Earlier this month, a worker in protective gear kept watch near metal barriers that blocked off shuttered shops as part of Covid-19 controls in Beijing.

Image Credit...Andy Wong/Associated Press

A coronavirus testing site in Beijing.

Image Credit...Andy Wong/Associated Press

Residents lining up for routine testing at a site in Beijing.

Image Credit...Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

People lined up for Covid-19 tests at a testing site in a tunnel in the central business district of Beijing this month.

Image Credit...Andy Wong/Associated Press

Security guards outside a popular shopping district in Beijing on Sunday after stores and restaurants were closed.

Image Credit...Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Staff members sat for a meal at a restaurant that was closed for indoor dining in Beijing.

Image Credit...Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

A street with shuttered bars in Beijing on Sunday.

Image Credit...Ng Han Guan/Associated Press

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What Is Forward Integration?shiba inu coin circulation

Forward integration is a business strategy that involves a form of downstream vertical integration whereby the company owns and controls business activities that are ahead in the value chain of its industry, this might include among others direct distribution or supply of the company's products. This type of vertical integration is conducted by a company advancing along the supply chain.

A good example of forward integration would be a farmer who directly sells his crops at a local grocery store rather than to a distribution center that controls the placement of foodstuffs to various supermarkets. Or, a clothing label that opens up its own boutiques, selling its designs directly to customers instead of or in addition to selling them through department stores.

Forward Integration

How Forward Integration Works

1:40

Often referred to as "cutting out the middleman," forward integration is an operational strategy implemented by a company that wants to increase control over its suppliers, manufacturers, or distributors, so it can increase its market power. For a forward integration to be successful, a company needs to gain ownership over other companies that were once customers. This strategy differs from backward integration in which a company tries to increase ownership over companies that were once its suppliers.

A company implements forward integration strategies when it wants to exert a wider control over the value chain of its industry, optimize economies of scope, and target better cost structure, thereby increasing its industry market share and profitability.

The rise of the internet has made forward integration both easier and a more popular approach to business strategy. A manufacturer, for example, has the ability to set up an online store and use digital marketing to sell its products. Previously, it had to use retail companies and marketing firms to effectively sell the products.

The goal of forward integration is for a company to move forward in the supply chain, increasing its overall ownership of the industry. Standard industries are made up of five steps in the supply chain: raw materials, intermediate goods, manufacturing, marketing and sales, and after-sale service. If a company wants to conduct a forward integration, it must advance along the chain while still maintaining control of its current operationsits original place in the chain, so to speak.

Key Takeaways

Forward integration is a business strategy that involves expanding a company's activities to include the direct distribution of its products.

Forward integration is colloquially referred to as "cutting out the middleman."

While forward integration can be a way to increase a company's control of its product and profits, there can be a danger of diluting the core competencies and business.

Special Considerations for Forward Integration

Companies should be aware of the costs and scope associated with a forward integration. They should only engage in this sort of strategy if there are cost benefits and if the integration won't dilute its current core competencies. Sometimes it is more effective for a company to rely on the established expertise and economies of scale of other vendors, rather than expand on its own.

Example of Forward Integration

For example, the company Intel supplies Dell with intermediate goodsits processorsthat are placed within Dell's hardware. If Intel wanted to move forward in the supply chain, it could conduct a merger or acquisition of Dell in order to own the manufacturing portion of the industry.

Additionally, if Dell wanted to engage in forward integration, it could seek to take control of a marketing agency that the company previously used to market its end-product. However, Dell cannot seek to take over Intel if it wants to integrate forward. Only a backward integration allows a movement up the supply chain its case.
What Is the Cost of Equity?mate casino

The cost of equity is the return that a company requires to decide if an investment meets capital return requirements. Firms often use it as a capital budgeting threshold for the required rate of return. A firms cost of equity represents the compensation that the market demands in exchange for owning the asset and bearing the risk of ownership. The traditional formula for the cost of equity is the dividend capitalization model and the capital asset pricing model (CAPM).

Key Takeaways

Cost of equity is the return that a company requires for an investment or project, or the return that an individual requires for an equity investment.

The formula used to calculate the cost of equity is either the dividend capitalization model or the CAPM.

The downside of the dividend capitalization modeldespite being simpler and easier to calculateis that it requires that the company pays a dividend.

The cost of capital, generally calculated using the weighted average cost of capital, includes both the cost of equity and the cost of debt.

Cost of Equity

Cost of Equity Formula

1:36

Using the dividend capitalization model, the cost of equity is:

Cost of Equity = DPS CMV + GRD where: DPS = dividends per share, for next year CMV = current market value of stock GRD = growth rate of dividends \begin{ aligned} &\text{ Cost of Equity} = \frac { \text{ DPS} }{ \text{ CMV} } + \text{ GRD} \\ &\textbf{ where:} \\ &\text{ DPS} = \text{ dividends per share, for next year} \\ &\text{ CMV} = \text{ current market value of stock} \\ &\text{ GRD} = \text{ growth rate of dividends} \\ \end{ aligned} Cost of Equity=CMVDPS+GRDwhere:DPS=dividends per share, for next yearCMV=current market value of stockGRD=growth rate of dividends

What the Cost of Equity Can Tell You

The cost of equity refers to two separate concepts, depending on the party involved. If you are the investor, the cost of equity is the rate of return required on an investment in equity. If you are the company, the cost of equity determines the required rate of return on a particular project or investment.

There are two ways that a company can raise capital: debt or equity. Debt is cheaper, but the company must pay it back. Equity does not need to be repaid, but it generally costs more than debt capital due to the tax advantages of interest payments. Since the cost of equity is higher than debt, it generally provides a higher rate of return.

Special Considerations

The dividend capitalization model can be used to calculate the cost of equity, but it requires that a company pays dividends. The calculation is based on future dividends. The theory behind the equation is that the companys obligation to pay dividends is the cost of paying shareholders and therefore the cost of equity. This is a limited model in its interpretation of costs.

The capital asset pricing model, however, can be used on any stock, even if the company does not pay dividends. That said, the theory behind CAPM is more complicated. The theory suggests that the cost of equity is based on the stocks volatility and level of risk compared to the general market.

The CAPM Formula is:

Cost of Equity = Risk-Free Rate of Return + Beta  (Market Rate of Return - Risk-Free Rate of Return)

In this equation, the risk-free rate is the rate of return paid on risk-free investments such as Treasuries. Beta is a measure of risk calculated as a regression on the companys stock price. The higher the volatility, the higher the beta and relative risk compared to the general market.

The market rate of return is the average market rate. In general, a company with a high betathat is, a company with a high degree of riskwill have a higher cost of equity.

The cost of equity can mean two different things, depending on whos using it. Investors use it as a benchmark for an equity investment, while companies use it for projects or related investments.

Cost of Equity vs. Cost of Capital

The cost of capital is the total cost of raising capital, taking into account both the cost of equity and the cost of debt. A stable, well-performing company generally will have a lower cost of capital. To calculate the cost of capital, the cost of equity and the cost of debt must be weighted and then added together. The cost of capital is generally calculated using the weighted average cost of capital.

What Is the Cost of Equity?

The cost of equity is the return that a company must realize in exchange for a given investment or project. When a company decides whether it takes on new financing, for instance, the cost of equity determines the return that the company must achieve to warrant the new initiative. Companies typically undergo two ways to raise funds: through debt or equity. Each has differing costs and rates of return.

How Do You Calculate the Cost of Equity?

There are two primary ways to calculate the cost of equity. The dividend capitalization model takes dividends per share (DPS) for the next year divided by the current market value (CMV) of the stock, and adds this number to the growth rate of dividends (GRD), where Cost of Equity = DPS  CMV + GRD. Conversely, the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) evaluates if an investment is fairly valued, given its risk and time value of money in relation to its anticipated return. Under this model, Cost of Equity = Risk-Free Rate of Return + Beta  (Market Rate of Return  Risk-Free Rate of Return).

What Is an Example of Cost of Equity?

Consider company A trades on the S&P 500 at a 10% rate of return. Meanwhile, it has a beta of 1.1, expressing marginally more volatility than the market. Presently, the T-bill (risk-free rate) is 1%. Using the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) to determine its cost of equity financing, you would apply Cost of Equity = Risk-Free Rate of Return + Beta  (Market Rate of Return  Risk-Free Rate of Return) to reach 1 + 1.1  (10-1) = 10.9%.
Danae [ dan-uh-ee ]/ dn i / New Word List Save This real madrid vs liverpool betting oddsWord! [ dan-uh-ee ]/ dn i /Save ThisWord!

noun Classical Mythology.a daughter of the king of Argos and mother, by Zeus disguised as a shower of gold, of Perseus.

OTHER WORDS FROM Danae Danaan [dan-ee-uhn], /dn i n/, adjective

Words nearby Danae

How to use Danae Danae/ (dnei) / nounGreek myth the mother of Perseus by Zeus, who came to her in prison as a shower of gold Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondamson, damson cheese, damyankee, dan, Dana, Danae, Danai, Danaides, danaite, Danakil, DanangDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
M.S., Applied Ecology, Indiana University Bloomington

B.S., Biology and Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

We use common names for animals in everyday speech, but scientists have a different method of naming creatures, called "binomial nomenclature," or two-word naming. This scientific naming system avoids confusion when a scientist is speaking to a colleague who speaks another languageor when different animals are given the same name in various regions. For instance, if scientists who speak English, Russian, Spanish, French, or Japanese all are talking about a Balaenoptera musculus, they all know they are speaking about the same animal: It's the sea mammal the English speaker knows as the blue whale.

Latin Words

Latin words are used, with the first term identifying the genus to which the animal belongsthis is the animal's generic name or generic epithet. The second term identifies the speciesthis is the animal's specific name or specific epithet. While there are 1.2 million known species of animals on earth, there are millions more yet to be discovered. Scientists believe there are a total of 8.7 million species of animals in total.

This list is a small sample of the known animals, but some that most people are familiar with:

Achatina to Aves

Achatina - Snail

Acinonyx Jubatus - Cheetah

Actinopterygii - Ray-finned fishes

Aegypius Monachus - Vulture

Aepyceros Melampus - Impala

Agalychnis callidryas - Red-eyed tree frog

Ailuropoda melanoleuca - Giant panda

Alces americanus - American moose

Amblyrhynchus cristatus - Marine iguana

Amphibia - Amphibians

Animalia - Animals

Anser indicus - Bar-headed goose

Anseriformes - Waterfowl

Antilocapra americana - Pronghorn

Anura - Frogs and toads

Aplysia californica - California sea hare

Archilochus colubris - Ruby-throated hummingbird

Arthropoda - Arthropoods

Artiodactyla - Even-toed ungulates

Aves - Birds

Baeolophus Bicolor to Bufo Bufo

Baeolophus bicolor - Tufted titmouse

Balaeniceps rex - Shoebill

Balaenoptera musculus - Blue whale

Batoidea - Skates and rays

Bison bison - American bison

Blattaria - Cockroach

Bombus - Bumble Bee

Bos Taurus - Highland Cattle

Brachyura - Crab

Branta canadensis - Canada goose

Branta sandvicensis - Nene goose

Bufo bufo - European common toad

Caelifera to Cyclura Cornuta

Caelifera - Grasshopper

Campephilus principalis - Ivory-billed woodpecker

Canidae - Canids

Canis lupus arctos - Arctic wolf

Capra Aegagrus Hircus - Goat

Caracal caracal - Caracal

Carcharodon carcharias - Great white shark

Caretta caretta - Loggerhead turtle

Carnivora - Carnivores

Castor canadensis - American beaver

Cavia Porcellus - Guinea pig

Cepphus columba - Pigeon guillemot

Ceratotherium simum - White rhinoceros

Cetacea - Cetaceans

Chelonia - Turtles and tortoises

Chelonia mydas - Green sea turtle

Chiroptera - Bats

Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes

Chordata - Chordates

Cichlidae - Cichlids

Ciconiiformes - Herons, storks, ibises and spoonbills

Cnidaria - Cnidaria

Conolophus subcristatus - Galapagos land iguana

Crocodilia - Crocodilians

Cyclura cornuta - Rhinoceros iguana

Danaus Plexippus to Dugong Dugong

Danaus plexippus - Monarch butterfly

Dasyatis Centroura - Stingray

Dasypus novemcinctus - Nine-banded armadillo

Daubentonia madagascariensis - Aye-aye

Delphinus delphis - Common dolphin

Dendrobates auratus - Green poison dart frog

Dermochelys coriacea - Leatherback sea turtle

Didelphis Virginiana - Oppossum

Diceros bicornis - Black rhinoceros

Diomedea exulans - Wandering albatross

Dugong dugong - Dugong

Echinodermata to Eudocimus Ruber

Echinodermata - Echinoderms

Elasmobranchii - Sharks, skates and rays

Electrophorus Electricus - Electric eel

Elephas maximus - Asiatic elephant

Equus asinus somalicus - Somali wild ass

Equus burchellii - Burchell's zebra

Equus caballus przewalskii - Przewalski's wild horse

Eretmochelys imbricata - Hawksbill sea turtle

Erithacus rubecula - European robin

Erethizon Dorsaum - Porcupine

Eschrichtius robustus - Gray whale

Eudocimus ruber - Scarlet ibis

Falconiformes to Fregatidae

Falconiformes - Birds of prey

Felidae - Cats

Felis Concolor - Puma

Fratercula arctica - Atlantic puffin

Fregatidae - Frigatebirds

Galeocerdo Cuvier to Gymnophiona

Galeocerdo Cuvier - Tiger Shark

Gallus Gallus - Chicken

Gastropoda - Gastropods, slugs and snails

Gavialis gangeticus - Gavial

Geochelone nigra - Galapagos tortoise

Giraffa camelopardalis - Giraffe

Gorilla gorilla - Gorilla

Gymnophiona - Caecilians

Heloderma Suspectum to Hyperoodon Ampullatus

Heloderma Suspectum - Gila monster

Helogale Parvula - Mongoose

Hippopotamus amphibus - Hippopotamus

Homo neanderthalensis - Neandertal

Hyaenidae - Hyenas

Hyperoodon ampullatus - Northern bottlenose whale

Iguana to Isoptera

Iguana Iguana - Iguana

Indri Indri - Inrdi

Insecta - Insects

Isoptera - Termite

Lagenorhynchus Acutus to Lynx Rufus

Lagenorhynchus acutus - Atlantic white-sided dolphin

Lagenorhynchus obscurus - Dusky dolphin

Lagomorpha - Hares, rabbits and pikas

Loxodonta africana - African elephant

Lynx lynx - Eurasian lynx

Lynx rufus - Bobcat

Mammalia to Myrmecophaga Tridactyla

Mammalia - Mammals

Marsupialia - Marsupials

Meles meles - European badger

Mephitidae - Skunks and stink badgers

Metazoa - Animals

Microlophus albemarlensis - Lava lizard

Mollusca - Mollusks

Morus bassanus - Northern gannet

Mustela nigripes - Black-footed ferret

Mustelidae - Mustelids

Myrmecophaga tridactyla - Giant anteater

Orcaella Brevirostris to Ornithorhynchus Anatinus

Orcaella brevirostris - Irrawaddy dolphin

Orcinus orca - Orca

Octopus vugaris - Octopus

Odobenus Rosmarus - Walrus

Odocoileus Virginiana - Deer

Ornithorhynchus Anatinus - Platypus

Panthera Leo to Pygoscelis Adeliae

Panthera leo - Lion

Panthera onca - Panther

Panthera pardus - Leopard

Panthera pardus orientalis - Amur leopard

Panthera tigris - Tiger

Panthera tigris altaica - Siberian tiger

Panthera uncia - Snow leopard

Pelicaniformes - Pelicans and relatives

Perissodactyla - Odd-toed ungulates

Phascolarctos cinereus - Koala

Phoca vitulina - Common seal

Phoenicopterus ruber - Greater flamingo

Platalea ajaja - Roseate spoonbill

Pongo pygmaeus - Bornean orangutan

Porifera - Sponges

Proboscidea - Elephants

Propithecus tattersalli - Golden-crowned sifaka

Pterois volitans - Firefish or lionfish

Pteropus rodricensis - Rodriguez flying fox

Puma concolor - Mountain Lion

Pygoscelis adeliae - Adelie penguin

Ramphastos Sulfuratus to Rodentia

Ramphastos Sulfuratus - Keel-billed toucan

Rana Catesbeiana - Bullfrog

Rangifer tarandus - Caribou

Raphus Cucullatus - Dodo

Reptilia - Reptiles

Rhincodon typus - Whale shark

Rodentia - Rodents

Sarcopterygii to Suricata Suricatta

Sarcopterygii - Lobe-finned fishes

Scyphozoa - Jellyfish

Sphenisciformes - Penguins

Sphenodontida - Tuataras

Sphyrnidae - Hammerhead sharks

Squamata - Amphisbaenians, lizards and snakes

Strigiformes - Owls

Struthio camelus - Ostrich

Suidae - Pigs

Sula nebouxii - Blue-footed booby

Suricata suricatta - Meerkat

Tamandua Tetradactyla to Tytonidae

Tamandua tetradactyla - Southern tamandua

Tamias Striatus - Chipmunk

Tapiridae - Tapirs

Tinamiformes - Tinamous

Tragelaphus oryx - Eland antelope

Tremarctos ornatus - Spectacled bear

Trichechus - Manatees

Trochilidae - Hummingbirds

Tursiops truncatus - Bottlenose dolphin

Tytonidae - Barn owls

Urochordata to Ursus Maritimus

Urochordata - Sea squirt

Uroplatus - Leaf-tailed gecko

Ursus Americanus - American black bear

Ursus Arctos - Brown bear

Ursus Maritimus - Polar bear

Varanus Indicus to Vulpes Vulpes

Varanus Indicus - Monitor lizard

Varanus komodoensis - Komodo dragon

Vespa Mandarinia - Asian giant hornet

Vombatus Ursinus - Wombat

Vulpes vulpes - Red fox

Xenarthra to Xenopus Laevis

Xenarthra - Xenarthrans

Xenopus Laevis - African clawed frog
MGM Resorts on Wednesday said that a cyber incident that has significantly disrupted properties across the United States for the past three days represents a material risk to the company.

At the same time,cherry win casino the major credit rating agency Moodys warned that the cyberattack could negatively affect MGMs credit rating, saying the attack highlighted key risks within the company.

The companys corporate email, restaurant reservation and hotel booking systems remain offline as a result of the attack, as do digital room keys. MGM on Wednesday filed a 8-K report with the Securities and Exchange Commission noting that on Tuesday the company issued a press release regarding a cybersecurity issue involving the Company.
Dana 1[ dah-nuh ]/ d n / New Word List Save This mlb 2020 draft nz online blackjackWord! [ dah-nuh ]/ d n /Save ThisWord!

noun Irish Mythology.Danu.

Dana2[ dey-nuh ]/ de n /

nounCharles Anderson, 181997, U.S. journalist, editor, and publisher.Edward Salisbury, 18491935, U.S. mineralogist and physicist.his father, James Dwight, 181395, U.S. geologist and mineralogist.Richard Henry, Jr., 181582, U.S. jurist, author, and sailor: specialist in admiralty law.a male or female given name.

How to use Dana Dana/ (den) / nounJames Dwight (dwat). 181395, American geologist; noted for his work The System of Mineralogy (1837) Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question Dana (2 of 2)Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Dairy and diary are confusing because they are spelled with the same letters, but with the two vowels reversed. Using one of these words in place of the other is as easy as making a simple typo.

Unfortunately, these words do not mean the same things and cannot be substituted for each other. Each word has a clear usage case, which I will describe below.

What is the Difference Between Dairy and Diary?

In this article, I will compare dairy vs. diary. I will use each of these words in at least one example sentence, so you can see them in context.

Plus, I will show you a useful memory tool that you can use to help you choose diary or dairy for your next piece of writing.

When to Use Dairy

What does dairy mean? Dairy can be a noun or an adjective.

As a noun, dairyrefers to a place where milk is processed.

Here are two examples,

The fourth graders went to the nearby dairy for a field trip.

The FDA shut down the dairy because several of its buildings were not up to code.

As an adjective, dairy describes a product or food item made from milk. Here are a few examples:

Vegetarians do not eat meat, but vegans do not use any animal products, including dairy substances, leather, and honey.

Darlene has a dairy allergy, which means she cannot go with us to the ice cream parlor.

Karmanau visited a dairy farm just outside that zone and obtained a milk sample. The Washington Post

When to use Diary

What does diary mean? The word diary is a noun. A diary is a small book where one writes down the events of a day. In this way, it can be a synonym of journal in that words noun sense.

See the sentences below for examples.

Megan writes in her diary each night before she goes to sleep.

Karen is careful to hide her diary where her little brother would never be able to find it.

When Brian read his wifes diary, he was dismayed by what he found in its pages.

In 2011, Alexander Masters was given 148 moldy diaries that had been found in a Cambridge dumpster. The Wall Street Journal

Trick to Remember the Difference

Now, lets take a look at a trick to remember dairyvs. diary.

Diary is never an adjective, so dairy is your only option for that usage. As a noun, the choice becomes more complex.

Diary refers to a book where someone writes things. Dairy refers to something made from milk.

To make it easy on yourself, remember that Dairy Queen is an establishment that sells ice cream and other food items. Ice cream is a dairy product because it is made from milk, so by remembering that Dairy Queen sells products made from milk, you should be able to remember when to use each of these words.

Another way you can ensure that you use the correct term is to simply sound the word out. Diary and dairy have distinct pronunciations that will lead you to the correct spelling.

Summary

Is it dairy or diary? Dairy and diary are easily mixed up since they are spelled only one letter apart.

Dairyis a food product made from milk.

Diaryis a book where notes are kept.

Both of these words are nouns, but only dairy can be an adjective.

Since Dairy Queen sells products made from milk, you can use that companys name to remind yourself of the proper context for the word dairy.
These two words cause a lot of confusion among writers and elicit some strong opinions from the editorial and publishing class.

So, which is correct to use: snuck or sneaked? Are they both acceptable? This, of course, largely depends with whom you are speaking, but, today, I want to go over the debate between sneaked vs. snuck.

In this post, I will provide a brief history of the two words, outline the current landscape of their usage, and give you some advice for how to proceed in your writing.

What is the Difference Between Sneaked, Snuck?

The verb that both of these words stem from, of course, is the verb to sneak, which is defined as to go or move in a quiet, stealthy way.

Dont you try and sneak away from me.

Try to sneak some snacks into the theater.

The origins of the word are somewhat mysterious. Its first recorded use in print was in the 16th century. Promptly thereafter it made its way into the language of playwrights and thereby popularized itself.

What is the Past Tense of Sneak?

Now, the trouble only comes when you bring the present tense sneakinto the past tense sneaked (snuck?).

Sneaked is the traditional, and more common, past tense and past participle of the verb to sneak. It follows a regular construction of the verb: sneak > sneaked > (have) sneaked.

The dog will sneak out of the backyard.

The dog sneaked out of the backyard.

The dog has sneaked out of the backyard every night this week.

This construction follows other similarly spelled verbs. For example, creak > creaked, freak > freaked, leak > leaked, peak > peaked, peek > peeked, reek > reeked, squeak > squeaked, streak > streaked, wreak > wreaked, shriek > shrieked, etc.

All of this supports the traditional formation of the past tense sneaked, and is what traditionalist will point to when arguing that snuckis incorrect.

Language, however, rarely evolves in a logical fashion, and we are left to pick up and make sense of its pieces.

Enter snuck.

The History of Snuck

Snuckis an American creation dating back 1800s  as a nonstandard, regional variant of sneaked.

It was met first with widespread condemnation, but snuckhas, with each passing generation, become more and more widespread in its use.

In fact, the below chart shows just how popular it has become in the United States, being used with almost equal frequency as the traditional sneaked.

This Google Ngram obviously isnt 100 percent representative of a words full use in a language, but it is good for observing trends. Snuck is clearly gaining ground and becoming more common.

There is a similar trend happening in British English, albeit at a somewhat lesser rate. As the graph below shows, snuck is being used with increased frequency in Great Britain as well.

Should I Use Sneaked or Snuck?

The word you choose for your writing will largely depend on your audience and the rhythm of your prose.

My advice would be to default to the traditional sneaked, although there isnt anything necessarily wrong with using snuck. Sneakedis considered the standard English past tense form, while many dictionaries still classify snuckas informal, partly because its the newer of the two words.

Nonetheless it is quite common to see snuckin American publications.

A lawyer sneaked a former divorce client into an illegal sweetheart lease in an Upper East Side building and never told the incoming landlord, according to a lawsuit.  New York Post

He was working in another showroom, snuck a peek at my ride and ordered it on Amazon after I finished a few circles around the showroom- Forbes

Sneakedis the safer choice and you wont raise any flags in the readers mind if you use it. Many publications still prefer the use of sneakedover snuck. The AP Stylebookrequires the use of sneakedfor instance. Garners Modern American Usagefavors the use of sneaked. And if you are a writer for any British publication, the British speaking public still widely favors sneaked.

Similarly, if you are writing a piece of formal writing, whether it be a research paper for school or a book for publication, you should probably use sneaked.

Summary

The snuck vs. sneaked debate will likely not be a debate for much longer. Both words are approaching equal frequency in American English and snuckis gaining ground in British English.

However, it is still advisable to stick with the traditional sneakedin any formal writing.
US President Joe Biden (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron attend the G7 Summit on June 27, 2022 at Elmau Castle, southern Germany.Photo: AFP

Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his dissatisfaction with the US on multiple occasions.Earlier this month, Macron criticized the US for selling energy and gas to Europe at four times the price the US sells to its own industry. "That is not exactly the meaning of friendship," Macron said. He then reminded US President Joe Biden to "speak with prudence" when commenting on the risk of nuclear conflict. During a press conference following the just-concluded EU summit in Brussels, Macron, again, called out US "double standards" over selling gas to Europe at prices three to four times higher than it is sold in the US domestic markets. TFIGlobal, an India-based media outlet, published an article on October 18 entitled, "Forget US-Russia, a cold Cold-War is underway between France and the US."While the West is trying hard to portray its unity amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, France is apparently not safeguarding the US' prestige. This exposes deep contradictions in the transatlantic relationship.On the one hand, the practical interests of Europe and the US are in growing conflict. Due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, global energy prices are rising sharply. Costly energy imports have pushed the eurozone into growing trade deficit. Worse, the US Federal Reserve continues to raise interest rates, bringing huge pressure to the European Central Bank when it comes to policy adjustment. The euro has fallen below parity with the dollar, diving to its lowest level in 20 years and ending a one-to-one exchange rate with the US currency.On the other hand, the strategic goals of the EU and the US are not the same. The US is ganging up with its allies to safeguard its hegemony. This is not the ambition of the EU. The latter wishes to shape its foreign policy based on its own interests, rather than being forced to take sides in major power competition. This is the main driving force for Macron to stress Europe's strategic autonomy time and again.However, as the Ukraine conflict drags on, Europe is propelled to increase its reliance on the US-led NATO, and has to sacrifice its economic interests in exchange for security guarantees. Europe seems to have no alternative but to allow the US to continuously impose the cost of the Ukraine conflict onto itself, and its own strategic autonomy has been greatly jeopardized.In particular, the US is relentlessly provoking the escalation of the Ukraine crisis, which has not only weakened Russia, but also strengthened the US control over Europe. This has put Europe in greater economic difficulties, as well as on the brink of a more dangerous war. Behind Macron's warning to the US, there are not only great worries about the intensification of future crises, but also helplessness that he cannot control the destiny of France, as well as a strong call for Europe to strengthen unity.Of course, France has its own reasons for playing the role as an "anti-US fighter." France has a tradition of great power autonomy. It always has a global perspective, the importance of which cannot be overlooked. Former French president Charles de Gaulle had advocated that France should adhere to an independent foreign policy and should not be completely constrained by the Western camp led by the US. For this reason, France once decided to withdraw from NATO's integrated military command, and it became the first Western major power to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China.Moreover, France has been an advocate for European integration. The rise of Germany's strength as well as the European debt crisis once gave Germany the chance to lead Europe. After former German chancellor Angela Merkel left politics, it gave France the opportunity to try to dominate European internal and foreign policies.In addition, Macron has his own political needs to take care of. Macron has regarded the revival of France as his own responsibility, promoting reforms internally and striving for France's status as a great power externally. In this year's presidential election, he was reelected, but failed to gain an absolute advantage in the parliament. The domestic reform agenda was limited by the obstruction of the opposition. Therefore, Macron needs to make some breakthroughs in European integration and other diplomatic issues in order to strengthen his rule.The contradiction between France and the US, or between Europe and the US, is more of a contradiction in the Western camp and the result of the uneven distribution of power and interests. However, France's disappointment toward the US has a limited impact. It will not change the dominant-subordinate structure between the US and Europe, nor will it deal a fundamental blow to the hegemonic system of the US. It is impossible for France to give up the institutional dividends of the West either. But Macron's dissatisfaction toward the US will more or less bring some variables to transatlantic relations.For example, when the US-EU Trade Technology Council (TTC) meeting is held in December, the two sides will find it more difficult to coordinate with each other. In addition, when Europe and the US have a trade conflict in the field of electric vehicles, Germany will definitely stand on the side of France. It means the deepening differences between France and Germany will be bridged, and Europe will form a tougher stance toward the US.The issues that seem to be problems only between the US and Europe could also add uncertainties to the current increasingly complex relationship among more major powers.The author is a professor at the School of International Relations of Beijing Foreign Studies University. [email protected]
Gunshots rang out in Paris this morning on a second day of deadly violence that has stunned the French capital.

We talked about the science the whole time the other day, Krauss told The Daily Beast in a phone interview.

For many years afterward it was a never-ending topic of conversation, and is more or less talked of even to this day.

He added: People say he deserves his day in court Do we have enough time?

In the middle of all of that past suffering and present-day conflict, this Cosby bomb was dropped. Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The afternoon was a lovely onethe day was a perfect example of the mellowest mood of autumn. Confidence|Henry James

Edna did not reveal so much as all this to Madame Ratignolle that summer day when they sat with faces turned to the sea. The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

Each day she resolved, "To-morrow I will tell Felipe;" and when to-morrow came, she put it off again. Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson

There are three things a wise man will not trust: the wind, the sunshine of an April day, and woman's plighted faith. Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
bluffing [ bluhf-ing ]/ blf  / New Word List Save This villento casino blockchain 101 pdfWord!See synonyms for: bluffing / bluffings on Thesaurus.com [ bluhf-ing ]/ blf  /Save ThisWord!See synonyms for: bluffing / bluffings on Thesaurus.com

nounthe act of misleading someone by a display of strength, self-confidence, or the like: While the bluffing goes on at the negotiating table, the public, the striking workers, and the employer all lose.Poker, Bridge. the act of deceiving an opponent by a show of confidence in the strength of ones cards: The digital version of the game falls short, because the bluffing needs that eye-to-eye contact, the smug and knowing smiles.

adjectivedeceiving or misleading someone by a display of strength or confidence: Determining whether one faces a serious or bluffing adversary constitutes a major challenge in the bargaining process.Advertising budget is a poker term for the amount of chips a bluffing player is willing to invest to deceive opponents.

OTHER WORDS FROM bluffing

Words nearby bluffing

Words related to in a sentence Recent bluff collapses in San Diego have sparked conversations about public safety on beaches. Seawalls Are Not the Answer to Coastal Bluff Erosion|Laura Walsh|January 11, 2021|Voice of San Diego

Seawalls Are Not the Answer to Coastal Bluff Erosion|Laura Walsh|January 11, 2021|Voice of San Diego Bluff erosion  even catastrophic bluff collapse  is a natural process that has been occurring in San Diego for thousands of years. Seawalls Are Not the Answer to Coastal Bluff Erosion|Laura Walsh|January 11, 2021|Voice of San Diego

Seawalls Are Not the Answer to Coastal Bluff Erosion|Laura Walsh|January 11, 2021|Voice of San Diego The genesis for the bill was the tragic August 2019 bluff collapse in Encinitas that took the lives of three people. Bill Aimed at Preventing Future Bluff Collapses Isnt All About Seawalls|Patricia Bates|January 4, 2021|Voice of San Diego

Bill Aimed at Preventing Future Bluff Collapses Isnt All About Seawalls|Patricia Bates|January 4, 2021|Voice of San Diego More people could die from bluff collapses if nothing is done. Bill Aimed at Preventing Future Bluff Collapses Isnt All About Seawalls|Patricia Bates|January 4, 2021|Voice of San Diego That same year, another bluff collapse in Del Mar destabilized a set of train tracks regularly carrying passengers between Los Angeles and San Diego. San Diego Scientist Gets Closer to Understanding Why the Coast Collapses|MacKenzie Elmer|December 28, 2020|Voice of San Diego

San Diego Scientist Gets Closer to Understanding Why the Coast Collapses|MacKenzie Elmer|December 28, 2020|Voice of San Diego Nor would the dangers end there even if Obama were not bluffing; Putin might think he was bluffing anyway and start a war. Obama Must Show Hell Use Military Means to Deter Russia in Ukraine|Leslie H. Gelb|March 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Obama Must Show Hell Use Military Means to Deter Russia in Ukraine|Leslie H. Gelb|March 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST As menacing as those automatic rifles were, I felt the Somalis were bluffing. You Have 30 Seconds: The Real Captain Phillipss Gripping Memoir|Captain Richard Phillips, Stephan Talty|October 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST

You Have 30 Seconds: The Real Captain Phillipss Gripping Memoir|Captain Richard Phillips, Stephan Talty|October 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST Even a bluffing superpower can be forced to ante up ... or perhaps fold as casualties mount and treasury accounts go bust. War Is the New Peace: American Vets Reflect on Syria|John Kael Weston|September 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST

War Is the New Peace: American Vets Reflect on Syria|John Kael Weston|September 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST It may sound absurd at first flush, but politics and poker have a lot more than just bluffing in common. What Politicians Can Learn at the World Series of Poker|Jonathan Miller|July 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST

What Politicians Can Learn at the World Series of Poker|Jonathan Miller|July 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST Jonathan Chait thinks Speaker Boehner is bluffing on allowing the sequestration to take place. What's Boehner's Plan, Ctd?|Justin Green|January 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST

What's Boehner's Plan, Ctd?|Justin Green|January 7, 2013|DAILY BEAST They got somebody, or else they were only bluffing when they waved that scalp. Warrior Gap|Charles King

Warrior Gap|Charles King Mike grinned, remembering the time he had driven a robot brain daffy by bluffing it at poker. Unwise Child|Gordon Randall Garrett

Unwise Child|Gordon Randall Garrett He uttered a low laugh of contempt which showed plainer than words that he thought Curlie was bluffing. On the Yukon Trail|Roy J. Snell

On the Yukon Trail|Roy J. Snell Mrs. Spencer might be, probably was, bluffing but he did not propose to be the one to call it; the result was quite too uncertain. The Cab of the Sleeping Horse|John Reed Scott

The Cab of the Sleeping Horse|John Reed Scott She began to laugh at my bluffing words, and ended with a nervous sob. The Memoirs of an American Citizen|Robert Herrick

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question bluffingbluff+ -ingfor the noun senses; bluff+ -ingfor the adjective senseunbluffing, adjectiveblue-winged teal, bluewood, blue wood aster, bluey, bluff, bluffing, bluing, bluish, Blum, Blumberg, BlumeDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
casinoalphashows grade level based on the word's complexity. daimon [ dahy-mohn ]/ da mon / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dahy-mohn ]/ da mon /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun, plural daimones [dahy-muh-neez], /da mniz/, daimons.daemon.

OTHER WORDS FROM daimon daimonic [dahy-mon-ik], /damn k/, daimonistic [dahy-muh-nis-tik], /da mns tk/, adjective

Words nearby daimon

How to use daimon daimon/ (damn) / nouna variant of daemon, demon (def. 3) Derived forms of daimon daimonic, adjective Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondaily double, daily dozen, daimen, Daimler, Daimoku, daimon, daimyo, daimyo bond, daintily, dainty, daiquiriDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
deplorable [ dih-plawr-uh-buhl,royal merit bet red sox odds today -plohr- ]/ dplr  bl, -plor- / New Word List Save This Word!See deplorable160515; <French deplorable<Middle French, equivalent to deplor(er) (see deplore) + -able-able OTHER WORDS FROM deplorable deplorableness, deplorability, noundeplorably, adverb [ dih-plawr-uh-buhl,-plohr- ]/ dplr  bl, -plor- /Save This Word!See deplorable160515;

Words related to deplorable deplorable/ (dplrbl) / adjectivelamentablea deplorable lack of tasteworthy of censure or reproach; very baddeplorable behaviour Derived forms of deplorable deplorableness or deplorability, noundeplorably, adverb Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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For many years afterward it was a never-ending topic of conversation, and is more or less talked of even to this day.

He added: People say he deserves his day in court Do we have enough time?

The piece focuses on Palm Beach County, home to old-monied millionaires but also some of the poorest day laborers and farm workers in America.

The day laborers who win a First Amendment lawsuit defending their right to seek work are defending the Constitution for all.

We talked about the science the whole time the other day, Krauss told The Daily Beast in a phone interview. Sleazy Billionaires Double Life Featured Beach Parties With Stephen Hawking|M.L. Nestel|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Gunshots rang out in Paris this morning on a second day of deadly violence that has stunned the French capital. France Mournsand Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

In the middle of all of that past suffering and present-day conflict, this Cosby bomb was dropped. Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The afternoon was a lovely onethe day was a perfect example of the mellowest mood of autumn. Confidence|Henry James

Edna did not reveal so much as all this to Madame Ratignolle that summer day when they sat with faces turned to the sea. The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

Each day she resolved, "To-morrow I will tell Felipe;" and when to-morrow came, she put it off again. Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson

There are three things a wise man will not trust: the wind, the sunshine of an April day, and woman's plighted faith. Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
When you put cosmetics on your face to look pretty on a date, are you using makeup or make up?

You are probably beautiful just the way you are, and you dont need to worry about either of those things, but if you work for a cosmetics company and you are in charge of designing ads, you will need to know the difference between these words.

The short story is that one is a noun and one is a verb, but, for a more in-depth discussion, continue reading.

What is the Difference Between Makeup and Make Up?

In this post, I will compare makeup vs. make up. I will use each term in some example sentences, which will give you an idea how they should appear in context.

I will also demonstrate how to use a mnemonic device that makes choosing make up or makeup a little easier.

When to Use Makeup

What does makeup mean? Makeup is a noun. It means decorative cosmetics worn by humans.

For example,

Julia spends 45 minutes each morning putting on her makeup in the bathroom, which annoys Aries.

Gregs last job was in the advertising department of company that sells makeup.

Makeup is a category of products. There are several different types of makeup. People use lipstick to color their lips. Eyeliner, eye shadow, and mascara all emphasize the eyes. Foundation and blush even out and accentuate the color of facial skin. There are other types of makeup, as well. For a more in-depth discussion, consult a cosmetologist.

Makeupcan also refer to the composition of something. For example, the chemical makeupof something.

But there are limits to applying the Hawaii model to the rest of the nation, especially considering this states unique economy and political makeup. The Washington Post

When to Use Make Up

What does make up mean? Make up is a verb phrase. It has several meanings. To make something up is to participate in an event that was postponed. It could also be to fabricate something or to invent something imaginary.

For example,

I need to make up a test that I missed last week, or I will not be able to graduate. (Complete something that was postponed)

Make up a template for these body routs so that we will be able to make clean, even cuts. (Create something)

I asked where he had been all day, but he just made up a story. (Fabricate a false event or story)

Here is another example of make-upbeing used to indicate the completion of something postponed.

With 20 confirmed cases of measles in New York City, now is a good time to check your childrens vaccination records, make up for any shots missed because of illness or travel and reconsider any stance your family might have taken on delaying or refusing vaccinations. The New York Times

When this term is constructed as the hyphenated compound make-up, it becomes an adjective, like in the phrases make-up game or make-up test. These phrases describe events that had to be postponed, and are now taking place at a later date instead.

Also, make-up artist, make-up remover, make-up bag.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Makeup is a noun, while make up is a verb phrase. Which one you use depends on which part of speech you need.

Now, lets go over a trick to keep track of make up vs. makeup. Since makeup is a compound noun, like the compound nouns takeout and kickoff, the construction of the word is you clue that makeup is a noun.

Summary

Is it makeup or make up? As with many compound nouns and phrasal verbs, these terms are only separated by a single space.

Makeup is a noun.

Make up is a verb phrase.

Their usage cases do not overlap; you can only use make up as a verb and makeup as a noun.
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verb (used with object), depilated, depilating.to remove the hair from (hides, skin, etc.).

OTHER WORDS FROM depilate

How to use depilate C16: from Latin depilare, from pilare to make bald, from pilus hair

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question depilate155060;
Online casinos have become a lot more popular over the years and now,app beats per pc there are many different options for players to choose from. If you come from the Arab region then you should keep reading as we have put together a casino guide to help you navigate these sites and win big. Find out more about this below.

Arab Casinos

If you speak Arabic, then you are going to want to find a casino that is in your language. This will make it much easier to play on the site and to understand all of the rules of games and promos. You will find that there are lots of different casinos that are aimed at Arab players and can be accessed from Arab countries. Make sure to choose the right casino for you and you will have the best possible experience playing online.

Welcome Bonuses

Many of the online casinos that you will find offer welcome bonuses to new players. It is a good idea to research this carefully and make sure that you are choosing the right casino. You might be offered some cash to get you started, some free spins or even better odds depending on the casino or in Arabic : . Each casino will offer you something different and some will be better than others. Look into the welcome bonus before signing up to get the most for your money.

Game Selection

If you like to play table games, then make sure to find a casino which offers a wide selection of these. Some sites will have a focus on slot games as these are very popular right now while only having a few casino games. Arab players are known for their love of casino games so make sure to find a site that has a wide game selection. There are some sites in Arabic which offer roulette, poker and even live dealer games that you can stream from a real casino. Take a look at the game selection before signing up to a new casino.

Customer Service

Understanding a new casino can be difficult but you dont need to worry as most of the best sites offer great customer service. You should be able to find some FAQs in your own language or call up the customer service team to find out the answer to your question. Some of the best Arabic sites also offer live chat features so that you can get in contact with someone from the site right away so look out for this when you are signing up.

Promotions

Another thing that you should know about online casinos is that many of these sites come with promotions. While you might have already redeemed your welcome bonus, you will find that some sites offer special bonuses throughout the month for playing on certain games. Some sites also offer VIP schemes which you can collect points for and redeem rewards depending on your VIP status. Take advantage of this if your favourite site offers a VIP scheme as you will make more money in the end.

Payment Methods

Once you have signed up to a new Arab casino, you will need to make your first deposit. You will find that many of these sites offer different types of deposit methods including debit or credit card, PayPal and other e-wallets. You can choose to use whichever of these that you want, as long as you are sure that it is safe and secure. Most of these options come with extra security so consider this when you are making your deposit.

Final Thoughts

In this casino guide, we have given you the basics of what you need to know about signing up to an Arab casino. Make sure to take on board all of the advice that we have given you and hopefully you will be able to win yourself a lot of cash. These sites come with many bonuses and promotions so take advantage of these and you should be able to have a lot of fun on your new favourite online Arab casino.

Category: Casino BlogMagazine
A mini apartment building located in the midst of a densely populated residential area, where the fire incident occurred (Photo: VNA)

In his message, Lao Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone expressed deep sadness and conveyed his condolences to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. He said he believes that under the guidance and care of the Vietnamese Government, agencies, and Hanoi authorities, the fire victims and their families will overcome difficulties and soon return to normal life. Highlighting the Vietnam-Laos great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation, he stressed that the Lao Government and people always stand side by side with their Vietnamese counterparts in times of hardship.



Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sent their messages of condolences to President Vo Van Thuong.



On the same day, Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Saleumxay Kommasith extended sympathies to Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son./.
Gambling operator Paddy Power, notoriously known for its clever but often offensive, provocative, and inappropriate ads, has once again been scolded by UKs advertising watchdog, this time for letting customers believe that they are all eligible for taking part in a Cheltenham Festival promotion.

As many as 11 complaints were filed with the Advertising Standards Authority against the ad. Paddy Powers advertising campaign for this years Cheltenham Festival included a commercial featuring Fonejacker comedian Kayvan Novak. Answering the operators complaints line, the actor had to confirm to a caller that the latest promotion was indeed available even to riff raff.

The betting offer, however, was not open to all Paddy Power customers. About 0.5% of the operators customer base had been blocked from taking part in the promotion on suspicions that bettors could abuse the promotion or use it to secure themselves with a guaranteed profitno matter the outcome.

Paddy Powers Cheltenham promotion promised that everyone whose horse has finished second in any of the races featured would get their money back.

According to the complainants filed, the ad was misleading, making customers believe that they could all participate in the offer. The ASA reviewed the matter and decided that the ad, indeed, created wrong impression upon potential participants, even though it featured an on-screen text that read T&Cs apply.

Paddy Power has explained that it had informed customers about any exclusions applied in a timely manner. All bettors who were not to be offered any enhanced prices, bonuses, or promotions had been sent emails to be reminded that they would not be able to participate in the upcoming offer.

The ASA ruled that the ad should never again be showed in its current form and warned Paddy Power that it should not state openly or even imply that promotions are open to all gambling customers when and if that was not the case.

As already mentioned, this has not been the first time when the gambling operator has been reprimanded by the advertising regulator. In 2014, its Oscar Pistorius ad had a record number of 5,525 complaintsfiled against it. The ASA ordered that the ad was pulled out from media immediately as it trivialized domestic violence and made fun of the former Paralympic champions disability.
What Is an Inverse Correlation?pointsbet florida sportsbook reddit

An inverse correlation, also known as negative correlation, is a contrary relationship between two variables such that when the value of one variable is high then the value of the other variable is probably low.

For example, with variables A and B, as A has a high value, B has a low value, and as A has a low value, B has a high value. In statistical terminology, an inverse correlation is often denoted by the correlation coefficient "r" having a value between -1 and 0, with r = -1 indicating perfect inverse correlation.

Key Takeaways

Inverse (or negative) correlation is when two variables in a data set are related such that when one is high the other is low.

Even though two variables may have a strong negative correlation, this does not necessarily imply that the behavior of one has any causal influence on the other.

The relationship between two variables can change over time and may have periods of positive correlation as well.

Graphing Inverse Correlation

Two sets of data points can be plotted on a graph on an x and y-axis to check for correlation. This is called a scatter diagram, and it represents a visual way to check for a positive or negative correlation. The graph below illustrates a strong inverse correlation between two sets of data points plotted on the graph.

Image by Sabrina Jiang  Investopedia 2021

Example of Calculating Inverse Correlation

Correlation can be calculated between variables within a set of data to arrive at a numerical result, the most common of which is known as Pearson's r. When ris less than 0, this indicates an inverse correlation. Here is an arithmetic example calculation of Pearson's r, with a result that shows an inverse correlation between two variables.

Assume an analyst needs to calculate the degree of correlation between the X and Y in the following data set with seven observations on the two variables:

X: 55, 37, 100, 40, 23, 66, 88

Y: 91, 60, 70, 83, 75, 76, 30

There are three steps involved in finding the correlation. First, add up all the X values to find SUM(X), add up all the Y values to find SUM(Y) and multiply each X value with its corresponding Y value and sum them to find SUM(X,Y):

SUM ( X ) = 55 + 37 + 100 + 40 + 23 + 66 + 88 = 409 \begin{ aligned} \text{ SUM}(X) &= 55 + 37 + 100 + 40 + 23 + 66 + 88 \\ &= 409 \\ \end{ aligned} SUM(X)=55+37+100+40+23+66+88=409

SUM ( Y ) = 91 + 60 + 70 + 83 + 75 + 76 + 30 = 485 \begin{ aligned} \text{ SUM}(Y) &= 91 + 60 + 70 + 83 + 75 + 76 + 30 \\ &= 485 \\ \end{ aligned} SUM(Y)=91+60+70+83+75+76+30=485

SUM ( X , Y ) = ( 55  91 ) + ( 37  60 ) +  + ( 88  30 ) = 26 , 926 \begin{ aligned} \\\text{ SUM}(X,Y) &= (55 \times 91) + (37 \times 60) + \dotso + (88 \times 30) \\&= 26,926 \\\end{ aligned} SUM(X,Y)=(5591)+(3760)++(8830)=26,926

The next step is to take each X value, square it and sum up all these values to find SUM(x2). The same must be done for the Y values:

SUM ( X 2 ) = ( 5 5 2 ) + ( 3 7 2 ) + ( 10 0 2 ) +  + ( 8 8 2 ) = 28 , 623 \text{ SUM}(X^2) = (55^2) + (37^2) + (100^2) + \dotso + (88^2) = 28,623 SUM(X2)=(552)+(372)+(1002)++(882)=28,623

SUM ( Y 2 ) = ( 9 1 2 ) + ( 6 0 2 ) + ( 7 0 2 ) +  + ( 3 0 2 ) = 35 , 971 \text{ SUM}(Y^2) = (91^2) + (60^2) + (70^2) + \dotso + (30^2) = 35,971 SUM(Y2)=(912)+(602)+(702)++(302)=35,971

Noting there are seven observations, n, the following formula can be used to find the correlation coefficient, r:

r = [ n  ( SUM ( X , Y )  ( SUM ( X )  ( SUM ( Y ) ) ] [ ( n  SUM ( X 2 )  SUM ( X ) 2 ]  [ n  SUM ( Y 2 )  SUM ( Y ) 2 ) ] r = \frac{ [n \times (\text{ SUM}(X,Y) - (\text{ SUM}(X) \times ( \text{ SUM}(Y) ) ]} { \sqrt{ [(n \times \text{ SUM}(X^2) - \text{ SUM}(X)^2 ] \times [n \times \text{ SUM}(Y^2) - \text{ SUM}(Y)^2)]}} r=[(nSUM(X2)SUM(X)2][nSUM(Y2)SUM(Y)2)][n(SUM(X,Y)(SUM(X)(SUM(Y))]

In this example, the correlation is:

r = ( 7  26 , 926  ( 409  485 ) ) ( ( 7  28 , 623  40 9 2 )  ( 7  35 , 971  48 5 2 ) ) r = \frac{ (7 \times 26,926 - (409 \times 485))} { \sqrt{ ((7 \times 28,623 - 409^2) \times (7 \times 35,971 - 485^2))}} r=((728,6234092)(735,9714852))(726,926(409485))

r=((728,6234092)(735,9714852))(726,926(409485)) r = 9 , 883  23 , 414 r = 9,883 \div 23,414 r=9,88323,414

r=9,88323,414 r =  0.42 r = -0.42 r=0.42

The two data sets have a correlation of -0.42, which is called an inverse correlation because it is a negative number.

What Does Inverse Correlation Tell You?

Inverse correlation tells you that when one variable is high, the other tends to be low. Correlation analysis can reveal useful information about the relationship between two variables, such as how the stock and bond markets often move in opposite directions.

The correlation coefficient is often used in a predictive manner to estimate metrics like the risk reduction benefits of portfolio diversification and other important data. If the returns on two different assets are negatively correlated, then they can balance each other out if included in the same portfolio.

In financial markets, a well-known example of an inverse correlation is probably the one between the U.S. dollar and gold. As the U.S. dollar depreciates against major currencies, the dollar price of gold is generally observed to rise, and as the U.S. dollar appreciates, gold declines in price.

Limitations of Using Inverse Correlation

Two points need to be kept in mind with regard to a negative correlation. First, the existence of a negative correlation, or positive correlation for that matter, does not necessarily imply a causal relationship. Even though two variables have a very strong inverse correlation, this result by itself does not demonstrate a cause-and-effect relationship between the two.

Second, when dealing with time series data, such as most financial data, the relationship between two variables is not static and can change over time. This means the variables may display an inverse correlation during some periods and a positive correlation during others. Because of this, using the results of correlation analysis to extrapolate the same conclusion to future data carries a high degree of risk.
We talked about the science the whole time the other day, Krauss told The Daily Beast in a phone interview.

For many years afterward it was a never-ending topic of conversation, and is more or less talked of even to this day.

He added: People say he deserves his day in court Do we have enough time?

On top of that, new rules requiring asylum-seekers to wait a year before acquiring a work permit has forced many asylum-seekers to look for day labor, compounding the competition.

Gunshots rang out in Paris this morning on a second day of deadly violence that has stunned the French capital. France Mournsand Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

In the middle of all of that past suffering and present-day conflict, this Cosby bomb was dropped. Phylicia Rashad and the Cult of Cosby Truthers|Stereo Williams|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

All over the world the just claims of organized labor are intermingled with the underground conspiracy of social revolution. The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock

The afternoon was a lovely onethe day was a perfect example of the mellowest mood of autumn. Confidence|Henry James

Edna did not reveal so much as all this to Madame Ratignolle that summer day when they sat with faces turned to the sea. The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

Each day she resolved, "To-morrow I will tell Felipe;" and when to-morrow came, she put it off again. Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson
What Is Disintermediation?play fluffy favourites free

The term disintermediation refers to the process of cutting out the financial intermediary in a transaction. It may allow a consumer to buy directly from a wholesaler rather than through an intermediary such as a retailer, or enable a business to order directly from a manufacturer rather than from a distributor. In the financial industry, it is seen when an investor is able to buy stock directly rather than through a broker or a financial institution. The purpose of disintermediation is usually to cut costs, speed up delivery, or both.

Key Takeaways

Disintermediation is the process of cutting out one or more middlemen from a transaction, supply chain, or decision-making process.

The usual reasons for disintermediation are to reduce costs or increase delivery speed.

In financial terms, disintermediation involves the removal of banks, brokers, or other third parties, allowing individuals to transact or invest directly.

Cryptocurrencies are disintermediating the financial sector and government from monetary transactions.



The process doesn't always work because it requires additional staffing and other resources to replace the services supplied by an intermediary.

Understanding Disintermediation

Disintermediation is used across various industries and is able to lower the overall cost of completing a transaction. Removing the intermediary may also allow a transaction to be completed more quickly. It is now a pillar of the internet model, where it is often called the business-to-consumer (B2C) model.

It can occur when a wholesale purchase allows an interested buyer to purchase goods, sometimes in large quantities, directly from the producer. This can result in lower prices for the buyer because the intermediary, such as a traditional retail store, is removed from the purchasing process. This saves the buyer the cost of the markup that is associated with the transition of a product from a wholesaler to a retailer before it reaches a buyer.

The concept originated in the financial industry, allowing investors to buy financial products directly without an intermediary, such as a broker or a bank. The government placed a limit on bank interest rates for federally insured accounts in 1967, so consumers began taking their money out of savings accounts in order to find better returns by directly investing in bonds or stocks.



Not all companies offer wholesale options directly to customers, as it requires a substantial investment in resources to fulfill and ship these orders.



Special Considerations

Intermediaries often play a valuable part in the process of getting a product from the production line to the consumer. A producer has a network of wholesalers who preorder their products and ship them for distribution. They employ sales representatives to score orders for products from retailers. A retail store is needed to showcase the products properly, get the customers through the doors, and make the sales. All of these roles must be duplicated by the producer who wants to cut out the middlemen.

Disintermediation is inevitably associated with an increased burden on the company using the strategy. The company must dedicate more internal resources to cover the services that were previously handled by an intermediary.

Shipping costs, in particular, can be more expensive for a company that deals directly with the buyer. Specialized shipping companies have economies of scale that can substantially reduce their customers' shipping and handling costs.

Disintermediation and the Internet

The internet can be a powerful tool for disintermediation. Consumers and small businesses can theoretically place orders directly with the producers of products. In practice, new intermediaries such as Amazon, Etsy, and eBay have emerged as electronic middlemen. Even apps are sold through a third party such as Google Play or Apple's App Store.

Disintermediation at Work

The rise of online intermediaries may have been inevitable. Few producers can devote the resources to developing a retail platform and interface that could rival those of Amazon, eBay, or Etsy, and fewer still have the means to develop a professional marketing plan to promote their products.

Still, some products have been able to skip at least one intermediarythe retailer. Electronics manufacturers such as Apple, Google, and HP are prime examples. Cosmetics brands, once sold only in department stores, now sell directly to consumers via their websites. Many small local businesses thrive by promoting their wares on their own websites and on social media.

Many of these products are also available on retailers' sites.

Niche Disintermediation

Other internet giants took on disintermediation in specific niches. Google's AdSense platform transformed the marketing and advertising industry, allowing businesses to directly control their own messaging. Meta (formerly Facebook) gives local businesses a social media platform to communicate directly with customers and promote their products.

This potential was realized to some extent, particularly by small independent businesses and website operators. But online marketing specialists soon emerged to manage the message for businesses eager to outsource the work. This process is sometimes called reintermediation.

Cryptocurrencies and Disintermediation

The strategy of disintermediation is key to the development of decentralized cryptocurrencies that rely on blockchain technology, such as Bitcoin. One feature of these systems is that users transact on a peer-to-peer (P2P) basis directly with one another, without having a bank or a monetary authority facilitate or validate the transactions.

Instead of relying on a trusted third party, blockchain systems employ a distributed consensus mechanism such as proof of work (PoW) or proof of stake (PoS). These mechanisms rely on cryptographic functions and algorithmic processing to maintain security and fidelity.

Disintermediation is a critical component of the cryptocurrency business. Banks and governments are cut out. Transactions are peer to peer.

Example of Disintermediation

The travel industry has been transformed by disintermediation, mostly through the internet.

The process began when American Airlines introduced direct flight bookings on its Sabre Global Distribution System (now Travelocity) and made the service available on early online sites including PRODIGY and CompuServe.

The travel agent now has to struggle to compete for consumers who can book hotel rooms, cruises, rental cars, and flights directly from the providers or through a travel site that allows them to compare an exhaustive list of options.

Online travel booking is not, however, a perfect example of disintermediation. A site such as Expedia is essentially an intermediary. It buys hotel bookings in bulk at a discount and resells them to consumers, earning revenues on the markup.

How Do Consumers Benefit From Disintermediation?

In theory, consumers get a better price for a product when a step in its supply chain is eliminated. In practice, steps in the supply chain that are necessary still have to be done by someone. Businesses and their customers benefit from disintermediation if the necessary tasks can be done as efficiently and more cheaply without the services of an intermediary.

When Does Disintermediation Occur?

Disintermediation occurs whenever a step in the supply chain is eliminated. A consumer calls a hotel directly to make a reservation rather than booking through a website or a travel agent. A retailer orders directly from a manufacturer rather than a sales representative for a distributor.

Or, on a vastly larger scale, Amazon builds up its shipping network in order to deliver directly to consumers rather than relying on FedEx or UPS.

What Is Disintermediation in Ecommerce?

From its beginnings, the internet has been seen as an ideal platform for disintermediation. It has the potential to remove the intermediary and allow consumers and businesses to deal directly with producers and wholesalers. But it hasn't quite worked out that way. Most consumers most of the time go to new intermediaries such as Amazon in order to get a broad array of choices, customer service, and fast delivery all in one place.
marley's bar and casino hamilton mtshows grade level based on the word's complexity. damson [ dam-zuhn, -suhn ]/ dm zn, -sn / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dam-zuhn, -suhn ]/ dm zn, -sn /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nounAlso called damson plum . the small, dark-blue or purple fruit of a plum, Prunus insititia, of the rose family, introduced into Europe from Asia Minor.a medium to dark violet.

adjectiveof the color damson.

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How to use damson C14: from Latin prunum Damascenum Damascus plum

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question damson13501400; Middle English damascene, damson
What Is the Keystone XL Pipeline?social casino gaming tracker

The Keystone XL pipeline was to transport oil from Alberta, Canada, to refineries in the United States. The final phase of the Keystone XL pipeline was to be developed by TC Energy (formerly TransCanada Corporation), which has constructed several other pipelines between Canada and the United States since 2010.

In March 2019, then-President Donald Trump granted a Presidential permit allowing construction of the oil pipeline that was to run through the international border of the United States and Canada. However, on Jan. 20, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order revoking the permit of the Keystone XL pipeline.

Key Takeaways

The Keystone Pipeline was proposed by TC Energy (formerly TransCanadian Corp.) in 2005 to transport new finds of hard-to-extract heavy oil from oil sands in Canada to U.S. refiners.

The pipeline system is 2,687 miles (4,324 km) long.

Keystone has been controversial for many years due to concerns about its local and global environmental impacts.

On Jan. 20, 2021, President Joe Biden rescinded the construction permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.

Understanding the Keystone XL Pipeline

The Keystone Pipeline was proposed by TransCanada Corp. on Feb. 9, 2005, in a press release, which said, "TransCanada is in the business of connecting energy supplies to markets and we view this opportunity as another way of providing a valuable service to our customers. Converting one of our natural gas pipeline assets for oil transportation is an innovative, cost-competitive way to meet the need for pipeline expansions to accommodate anticipated growth in Canadian crude oil production during the next decade."

The first phase of the pipeline goes from Hardisty, Alberta, to the junction at Steele City, Nebraska, and on to the Wood River Refinery in Roxana, Illinois, and the Patoka Oil Terminal Hub north of Patoka, Illinois. Section two runs from Steele City, Nebraska, south through Kansas to the oil hub and tank farm in Cushing, Oklahoma, then further south to Nederland, Texas, to serve refineries in the Port Arthur, Texas, area. The third phase is the Houston Lateral pipeline, which will transport crude oil from the pipeline in Liberty County, Texas, to refineries and terminals in the Houston area.

In Nov. 2015, President Barack Obama announced his administration would not grant permits for the construction of this pipeline in order to further their commitment to fighting climate change. In his first week at the Oval Office, President Trump signed an executive order clearing the way for the pipeline project. The Republican party had believed that the construction of the pipeline will create more jobs and provide a boost to the economy. On Jan. 20, 2021, President Joe Biden rescinded the construction permit for the Keystone XL pipeline. TC Energy said it was stopping construction earlier the same day.

How the Keystone Pipeline Works

The Keystone system transports diluted bitumen and synthetic crude oil from Alberta through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma to refineries located in Texas, Illinois, and Oklahoma. Canada has large reserves of oil locked in oil sands. This oil is considered heavy oil, which requires a different refining process from other types of oil. The production of heavy oil releases particulate matter, such as soot, as well as chemicals such as sulfides, hydrogen cyanide, and sulfur. The finished Keystone XL pipeline is estimated to be able to carry over 800,000 barrels of oil a day.

The Keystone pipeline has been criticized by environmental groups, politicians, and residents of states through which the pipeline passes. These groups have raised concerns about the proposed route's proximity to the Sandhill region of Nebraska and the Ogallala aquifer, the latter of which provides a significant portion of the water used to water crops in the United States.  The bitumen carried by the pipeline to the United States will likely result in higher greenhouse gas emissions.

For example, the National Resource Defense Council (NRDC) has filed lawsuits in 2017, 2019, and in July of 2020 to stop the construction of the pipeline. According to the NRDC, tar sands oil is much thicker and more corrosive than typical crude oil and is more prone to leaks and spills through the pipeline. The group stated that the most recent spill in Oct. 2019 resulted in 378,000 gallons of oil spilling in North Dakota.

Proponents of the pipeline say that it will increase the supply of oil to the United States and that oil coming from a friendly neighboring country increases security.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of former U.S. President Nixons visit to China and the signing of Sino-US Shanghai Communique.

As the first well-known Western music performing group visited China, the Philadelphia Orchestra revisited the Badaling Great Wall on June 2, to reproduce the classic moment happened 39 years ago.

Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra revisited the Great Wall after 39 yearsadded by chinatimesonline on

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does pointsbet have a casinoshows grade level based on the word's complexity. deductible [ dih-duhk-tuh-buhl ]/ ddk t bl / New Word List Save This Word!See deductibleFirst recorded in 185560; deduct + -ible OTHER WORDS FROM deductible deductibility, nounnondeductibility, nounnondeductible, adjective, nounundeductible, adjective WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH deductible deducible, deductible Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dih-duhk-tuh-buhl ]/ ddk t bl /Save This Word!See deductibleFirst recorded in 185560; deduct + -ibledeductibility, nounnondeductibility, nounnondeductible, adjective, nounundeductible, adjectivededucible, deductible

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Words related to deductible deductible/ (ddktbl) / adjectivecapable of being deductedUS and Canadian short for tax-deductible nouninsurance, US and Canadian a specified contribution towards the cost of a claim, stipulated on certain insurance policies as being payable by the policyholderAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): excess Derived forms of deductible deductibility, noun Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

de dolo malo, dedolomitization, dedolomitize, deduce, deduct, deductible, deductible clause, deduction, deduction theorem, deductive, deduplicateDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Each year,all aces in poker more than 1.7 million people in the United States hear three dreaded words: You have cancer. As common as cancer is, no one expects cancer to happen to them.

We understand, as patients and as caregivers, how frightening a cancer diagnosis can be: how it can upend your life, leaving you feeling like youre barely treading water. And we know that making tough decisions when your life depends on it is not easy.

TIMEs guide to understanding cancer can help you navigate a complex illness. Sign up here to read more.

From our research at Harvard Business School of how people navigate their cancer treatment (and what they wish they had known sooner), we have developed four steps that all people with cancer can take to give them the best chance at beating the disease.

Build the right team

The single most important thing you can do is to see an oncologist who specializes in your particular type of cancer and has experience treating a lot of other patients like you. Thats because when it comes to treating cancer, expertise can mean the difference between life and death. Patients with multiple myeloma, an incurable blood cancer, who were treated at hospitals that saw a large number of myeloma patients were less likely to die than patients who were treated elsewhere, research has found.

Youre most likely to find an expert like this at any of the 70 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers throughout the United States, which are recognized for their excellent care and research contributions. If you are not able to go an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, contact a disease foundation or other non-profit focused on your cancer to find a specialist near you.

Get the right tests

In addition to the usual tests used to diagnose cancer, ask your doctor about having your tumor genome comprehensively sequenced.

Tumor genome sequencing scans the DNA of your cancer cells for cancer-causing genetic mutations and other molecular abnormalities. Knowledge of these changes can be used to match some patients to the most effective treatment available, whether its an existing drug or one under study in a clinical trial.

While comprehensive genomic profiling is not yet routine, it is covered for all Medicare patients with advanced solid tumors. It is also increasingly offered at academic medical centers  another reason why going to the best center is so important  and is frequently part of clinical trial protocols. If you are not able to have your genome sequenced, ask your doctor if you can bank your tissue to have it sequenced at a later date.

Get our Health Newsletter. Sign up to receive the latest health and science news, plus answers to wellness questions and expert tips.

Check here if you would like to receive subscription offers and other promotions via email from TIME group companies.

Thank you!

Get the right treatment

Please enter a valid email address. * The request timed out and you did not successfully sign up. Please attempt to sign up again. An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. Please try again later.You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.For your security, we've sent a confirmation email to the address you entered. Click the link to confirm your subscription and begin receiving our newsletters. If you don't get the confirmation within 10 minutes, please check your spam folder.

Most cancers, at least when theyre first diagnosed, have a standard of care: a treatment regimen that is widely accepted as the best approach to fighting the disease. Not getting the standard of care can have deadly consequences. One study found that lung cancer patients who didnt receive this treatment lived about six times shorter than patients who did. The standard of care for your cancer can be found by looking at National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, which are based on the most up-to-date scientific evidence.

For many people, treatment through a clinical trial may be the best treatment option. This is especially true for patients with cancers so rare that a standard of care has not yet been established and patients with advanced cancer who have exhausted treatment options. Make sure to ask your doctor about clinical trials that may be right for you.

Share your data

Many patients opt to share their health data, including sequencing data and other health information, with the research community. Sometimes pooling together and analyzing even a small number of patients data can generate new discoveries that could impact your care and improve lives of future generations. Patient registries that allow patients to directly share their data are becoming increasingly common. Contact a research organization focused on your cancer or ask for your oncologist for more information.

Despite the importance of these steps, our research shows that many patients arent taking them. Weve teamed up with representatives from five cancer organizations  LUNGevity, the Metastatic Breast Cancer Alliance, the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and the Prostate Cancer Foundation  to launch the Right Track, a new cross-cancer initiative to inform patients of steps they can take from the moment of diagnosis. It is our hope that educating patients on how to best navigate their cancer journey will help patients live better, longer lives.

Kathy Giusti is the Co-Chair of the Harvard Business School Kraft Precision Medicine Accelerator and the founder and Chief Mission Officer of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

Lori Tauber Marcus leads the Direct to Patient work stream at Harvard Business Schools Kraft Precision Medicine Accelerator.
If you are a student looking for advice on a particular major or academic discipline, you might go to the student center and schedule an appointment with and academic adviser. Or is it advisor? What exactly is the correct spelling for this position?

Today, I want to talk about these two words, both of which have the same meanings, and explain which of them is correct to use and when. After reading this post, you wont ever confuse advisor vs. adviser again.

What is the Difference Between Advisor and Adviser?

Advisor and adviserare both nouns, and they refer to one that advises, such as a person or firm that offers official or professional advice to clients.

President Obamas national security adviser, Susan E. Rice, urged Pakistani civilian and military leaders on Sunday to do more to stop militants from using Pakistani territory to stage attacks in neighboring countries. New York Times

The group is a network of independently owned advisors who number just under 10,000 and sell over $14 billion a year in trips, mainly leisure and mostly luxury. Forbes

The Bulls on Monday announced the hire of Toni Kukoc as special adviser to Michael Reinsdorf, the teams president and chief operating officer. Chicago Tribune

Monday mornings wildly up-and-down stock market may have spread fear among investors, but financial advisors are warning their clients not to make rash decisions. L.A. Times

Youre probably still asking yourself, Okay, when do I decide which one to use?

The short answer to this question is that both are acceptable formations. But, thats not all that should be said on the matter.

When to Use Adviser

What does adviser mean?Although both forms appear throughout the English-speaking world, there is a clear preference among dictionaries, usage guides, and writers alike for adviser(with an e). This is the older of the two spellings, which is probably the reason for its dominance.

In fact, the Oxford English Corpus shows that adviseroccurs nearly three times as often as does advisor. This preference in usage is probably what has led usage guides like Fowlers, Garners, and the AP Stylebookto list adviseras the preferred spelling.

When to Use Advisor

What does advisor mean?There is a somewhat popular myth that circulates around that adviseris the preferred spelling in British English and advisoris the preferred spelling in American English.

This is not true; in both British and American English, the traditional spelling adviserpredominates.

It is true, however, that the preference for adviseris particularlystrong in British English, whereas in American English it isnt quite so strong. The predominance of adviser is marginally less in American English than in other English speaking regions.

For example, it is common throughout North America for official job titles to carry the spelling advisor. You often see titles such as financial advisor or academic advisor. This can sometimes cause adviserto be seen as less formal, while an advisoris seen someone who gives advice for a living.

The truth is, either advisor or adviser is acceptable.

Proper names, however, should always be spelled how they are. For example, the presidents Council on Economic Advisers should not be spelled any other way. That is the official spelling.

Adviser as an Adjective

While adviseris the preferred noun-form spelling, the adjectival form of adviser is actually spelled advisory. Perhaps this is what leads to confusion between adviser vs. advisor. For example,

Will you act as an adviser for my new company?

Will you perform the advisory role for my new company?

Also, this adjectival spelling is unlike the noun form. While it is acceptable to use either adviser or advisor, advisoryis the only accepted adjectival spelling. Adviseryis not an acceptable spelling.

Remember the Difference

Both spellings are acceptable, but this does not mean that both are equally preferred.

One way that you can remember which is the preferred spelling is that adviser(with an e) is the preferred spelling. Both words have es in them.

Summary

Adviseris both the earlier and preferred spelling of the two.

Advisoris sometimes used in the spelling of official titles.
Vice Chairman of Hanoi People's Committee Nguyen Trong Dong receives Minister of Environment of the Czech Republic Petr Hladik. (Photo: HNMO)

At the meeting, Vice Chairman of the City People's Committee Nguyen Trong Dong introduced some information about Hanoi's socio-economic development in recent years.

Accordingly, Hanoi's current population is about 10 million people. Besides the achievements, similar to many other cities in the world, Hanoi also faces negative sides of the urbanization and modernization process such as environmental pollution and traffic congestion.

Currently, most of Hanois waste is still being treated by landfilling. Hanoi is investing in two waste processing centers in Soc Son and Xuan Son. It is expected that when operating, they can basically process the entire amount of household waste in the city, which is currently about 7,000 tons per day. Hanoi also sets a goal to treat 100% of wastewater by 2030. The city government hopes to receive support and exchange of experience from countries and cities with strengths in this field such as the Czech Republic.

Minister of the Environment of the Czech Republic Petr Hladik said that during the working visit to Vietnam, the delegation had a working session with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, discussing issues on implementing the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and cooperation related to responding to climate change and developing eco-agricultural tourism. The group accompanying this trip included large Czech businesses with experience in the fields of environment, energy, information technology, and mechanical engineering, and they wished to seek investment opportunities in Vietnam.

Expressing his impression of Hanoi's development and sharing about the challenges the city is facing in the urbanization process, Minister Petr Hladik said that the Czech Republic is ready to cooperate and share experiences with Hanoi in the fields of waste and waste water treatment, water resource management and public transportation system operation./.
Dakota [ duh-koh-tuh ]/ dko t / New Word List Save This play poker for real money on iphoneWord! [ duh-koh-tuh ]/ dko t /Save ThisWord!

nouna former territory in the United States: divided into the states of North Dakota and South Dakota in 1889.North Dakota or South Dakota. the Dakotas, North Dakota and South Dakota. Also called Sioux. a member of the largest tribe of the Siouan stock of North American Indians, who originally occupied Minnesota and Wisconsin and later migrated westward to the Great Plains.Santee (defs. 3, 4). a Siouan language spoken by the Dakota and Assiniboin Indians.

OTHER WORDS FROM Dakota Dakotan, adjective, noun

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How to use Dakota Dakota/ (dkt) / nouna former territory of the US: divided into the states of North Dakota and South Dakota in 1889 Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondak bungalow, Dakhla, dakhma, Dakin's solution, dakoity, Dakota, Dakotan, Dakota Territory, daks, Daktyl, dalDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
A film festival jointly hosted by China and Russia opened here Friday,ryder cup parlay winner scheduled to screen seven Russian films in Beijing and Wuhan, capital of central Chinas Hubei Province.

The opening film was Salyut 7, a 2017 historical drama based on actual events in 1985 related to a space mission of the Soviet Union.

Another film to be shown is Thawed Carp, which tells the story about a mothers love and was awarded one of the best screenplays at the first Shanghai Cooperation Organization film festival in June.

China Russian film festival opens in Beijingadded by chinatimesonline on

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noun a person, usually a young woman, who needs to be rescued from danger or trouble of some kind: This plumber is worth his weight in gold, and I would like to thank him for going out of his way to help this damsel in distress.Sometimes Damsel in Distress . a trope or narrative device in movies, books, games, etc., portraying a female character as a victim in need of rescue: It has an exotic locale, the classic battle of man against nature, and, of course, a damsel in distress.

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How to use in a sentence This is a guy who has his son-in-law clean his eyeglasses, for crying out loud. Will Chris Christie Regret His Cowboy Hug?|Matt Lewis|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Will Chris Christie Regret His Cowboy Hug?|Matt Lewis|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST Surely all this graphic talk of gastrointestinal distress is making you queasy. Why My Norovirus Panic Makes Me Sick|Lizzie Crocker|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Why My Norovirus Panic Makes Me Sick|Lizzie Crocker|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST Her travel clique has been known to arrive at an airport, bags packed, passport-in-hand, within hours of spotting a deal. We Out Here: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST

We Out Here: Inside the New Black Travel Movement|Charlise Ferguson|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST Earl Spencer adds, Effectively, my great-grandfather sold his children to his father-in-law. The Real-Life Downton Millionairesses Who Changed Britain|Tim Teeman|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST The lack of a gun is not likely to be a major problem for close-in air-to-air dogfights against other jets. New U.S. Stealth Jet Cant Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

New U.S. Stealth Jet Cant Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST The look of distress had vanished, and his sincere eyes seemed to shine again with courage and with strength. Bella Donna|Robert Hichens

Bella Donna|Robert Hichens Such throats are trying, are they not?In case one catches cold; Ah, yes! Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various

Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various The commander-in-chief still kept him attached to the headquarter staff, and constantly employed him on special service. Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison Her face wore a look of distress, almost of alarm; she kept her place, but her eyes gave Bernard a mute welcome. Confidence|Henry James

Confidence|Henry James So far Murat had always held subordinate commands; his great ambition was to become the commander-in-chief of an independent army. Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question damsel in distressFirst recorded in 16901700Damrosch, damsel, damsel bug, damselfish, damselfly, damsel in distress, damson, damson cheese, damyankee, dan, DanaDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Photo: Courtesy of Ningbo Zhoushan Port Group

For years, Asia has been the primary global trading hub. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in 2021, North America accounted for 10.13 percent of global export trade, Europe accounted for 37.16 percent, and Asia accounted for 42.97 percent. Therefore, while Asia is the most important stabilizer of global trade, China is the anchor of this stabilizer. In 1980, China accounted for only 3.6 percent of total Asian exports, and by 2021, China's share of Asian exports rose to 35.1 percent. China's foreign trade matters a lot to the stability of Asian trade and even of the global trade.According to the latest WTO estimates, as multiple shocks weigh on the global economy, world merchandise trade volumes are anticipated to lose momentum in the second half of 2022 and remain subdued in 2023 with only a 1 percent increase - down sharply from the previous estimate of 3.4 percent in April.China's foreign trade in 2022 is also volatile. According to the General Administration of Customs of China, in the first seven months, China realized a year-on-year increase of 10.4 percent in total trade and 14.7 percent in export. In July alone, China's export reached a year-on-year growth rate of 17.9 percent. However, in August, China's export growth rate fell from July's 17.9 percent to 7.1 percent. Due to a slowdown of its GDP growth rate, worries of an "inflection point" and pessimism in China's trade resilience began to rise.In fact, one cannot judge whether a country's trade has long-term resilience only by studying the data in one or two months. One also needs to look at the long-term development trends of international trade and the structural changes in this country's foreign trade. If a country can take advantage of the new trends of global trade and continue to gain new competitiveness and impetus, even if the trade data fluctuates due to short-term shocks, it won't affect the resilience of the long-term development sustained by its economic fundamentals.From the perspective of the long-run development of global trade, at least two major trends are worthy of attention. First, since the outbreak of the 2008 global financial crisis, the growth of trade in goods has gradually lost momentum, while trade in services has entered a period of rapid growth. Besides, the share of goods trade based on labor-cost arbitrage has been declining over the last decade due to replacement of labor by automation worldwide.Second, global value chains are being reshaped by both geopolitical and technological forces. As the report "Globalization in Transition: The Future of Trade and Value Chains" released by Mckinsey Global Institute in 2019 shows, "goods-producing value chains (particularly automotive as well as computers and electronics) are becoming more regionally concentrated, especially within Asia and Europe." Regional and even domestic production networks are gaining more strength due to the potential risks of global supply chains exposed by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.The fact that China has a huge market of 1.4 billion people with a growing income, the world's most hard-working labor force who yearn for a better life, a large number of science and engineering students and engineers, the world's most efficient infrastructure and the most complete industrial system, and an ever-improving business environment, has provided solid economic fundamental support for China's foreign trade to continuously consolidate the industrial foundation, enhance the momentum and improve the market penetration. As a matter of fact, by actively conforming to the new trends in global trade development, China's foreign trade has become even more resilient in the process of long-term structural transformation. Let the data tell the truth.First, China has gained new advantages in its transformation of trade patterns. As China continues to ease market access in the service industry and continuously promote high-standard economic and trade rules, China's service trade has grown rapidly and steadily. From 2010 to 2021, global services export increased by 52.6 percent, while China's exports increased by 119.9 percent, much higher than the 36.6 percent in the US, the 24.9 percent in Japan, the 67.5 percent in Germany and the 43.1 percent in the UK. In 2021, China's total services trade ranked second in the world for eight consecutive years, with its import ranking second for nine consecutive years. At the same time, new form of industry and new mode of business in China's foreign trade are also booming, with cross-border e-commerce particularly eye-catching. According to the Ministry of Commerce, since 2017, the scale of trade through cross-border e-commerce has increased by about 10 times in five years.Second, China has enhanced its competitiveness in its transformation of product structure. While trade in services is growing rapidly, China's trade in goods has also performed very well. From 2010 to 2021, global merchandise export increased by 46.0 percent, while China grew by 113.2 percent, much higher than the 37.2 percent in the US, the -1.8 percent in Japan, the 29.6 percent in Germany, and the 74.7 percent in India; global merchandise import increased by 46.4 percent, while China increased by 92.6 percent, which is also much higher than the 49.1 percent in the US, the 10.8 percent in Japan, the 34.6 percent in Germany and the 63.6 percent in India. In the same period, with the upgrading of its industrial structure, China's share in global manufactured goods export increased from 14.9 percent to 20.9 percent, up by 6 percentage points. At the same time, export of high-tech manufacturing and equipment manufacturing grew rapidly. According to the World Bank database, China's high-tech exports rose from $474.35 billion in 2010 to $942.31 billion in 2021, up by 98.65 percent. Therefore, in the long run, China's manufacturing industry has not only withstood the test of the market in the process of global supply chain disruptions, but also continuously improved its competitiveness driven by the market forces and helped China's economy to move toward high-quality development.Third, China has gained new impetus in its transformation of diversification. On the one hand, market diversification has achieved remarkable results, and China's "circle of friends" of foreign trade has continued to grow. Since the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was launched, Chinese enterprises have stepped up their efforts to explore the new markets and the result is quite rewarding. From 2013 to 2021, the share of trade with countries along the BRI routes in China's total foreign trade increased from 25 percent to 29.7 percent. After the launch of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), trade between China and ASEAN members continued to grow rapidly. China's imports and exports to ASEAN increased by 14 percent year-on-year, with a total value of 4.09 trillion yuan. During the same period, China's imports and exports with the other 14 RCEP member countries increased by 7.5 percent year-on-year, with a total value of 8.32 trillion yuan. China and ASEAN have become each other's largest trading partners, and the total trade volume with ASEAN members accounts for 15 percent of China's total foreign trade.On the other hand, private enterprises have become the largest body driving the growth of China's foreign trade. In 2019, private enterprises surpassed foreign-invested enterprises for the first time and became the largest foreign trade entity in China. In 2021, the proportion of private enterprises in goods trade reached 48.6 percent, and in the first half of 2022, it further increased to 49.6 percent. This change reflects the improvement of the international competitiveness of Chinese capital and Chinese enterprises and the vitality of China's economy, and to a large extent, it is also the embodiment of the reform effect of letting the market play a decisive role in resource allocation.According to the Survey Report on China's Foreign Trade Situation in the Third Quarter of 2022, released by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, foreign trade enterprises are currently facing multiple troubles such as shrinking external demand, insufficient orders in hand, high comprehensive costs, repeated flare-ups of the epidemic, and increased economic and trade frictions. It is particularly crucial to stabilize the overall performance of foreign trade at present. The fundamentals sustaining China's steady and long-term economic growth remain unchanged. And with more supportive measures and policies in place, China's foreign trade is still justified to expect a modest growth in the fourth quarter and continue to play an important role in driving China's economic growth this year.As China is the world's second largest import market, its economic resilience and pursuit of a coherent opening-up policy will provide strong momentum for the stabilization and recovery of the world economy. As President Xi Jinping said at the 2022 edition of the Boao Forum for Asia, "No matter how the world will change, China's faith in and its commitment to reform and opening-up will not waver." Thus, China will continue to uphold high-level opening-up, fully implement the RCEP, actively promote accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, and encourage the signing of high-standard free trade agreements with more countries and regions. In particular, as global value chains develop in the direction of regionalization, an open China will provide broader market opportunities for Asian countries and regions and better play the role of regional economic and trade stabilizer.The author is a professor at the Institute of International Economy, University of International Business and Economics. [email protected]
What Is Hyperledger Sawtooth?playlive casino pa online pittsburgh

Hyperledger Sawtooth is an open source project under the Hyperledger umbrella, and works as an enterprise level blockchain system used for creating and operating distributed ledger applications and networks particularly for use by enterprises.

Key Takeaways

Hyperledger Sawtooth is an open source enterprise blockchain-as-a-service platform that can run customized smart contracts without needing to know the underlying design of the core system.

Hyperledger is an umbrella blockchain development group sponsored by organizations such as the Linux Project, IBM, Intel, and SAP.

Hyperledger Sawtooth supports a variety of consensus algorithms, including Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) and Proof of Elapsed Time (PoET)

Understanding Hyperledger Sawtooth

Developed by the Linux Foundation in collaboration with IBM, Intel, and SAP, the underlying design concept of Hyperledger Sawtooth aims to keep the ledgers truly distributed, and make smart contracts much secure and thus suitable for businesses. It is an implementation of blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS).

In most standard blockchain-based systems, core and applications are hosted and executed on the same platform, which may lead to performance issues as well as security concerns.

Hyperledger Sawtooth segregates the core ledger system from the application specific environment, thereby simplifying the application development yet keeping the system safe and secure. Using this architecture, a developer can build applications in their programming language of choice that can be hosted, operated, and run on the system periphery without interfering with the core blockchain system.

Supported languages include C++, Go, Java, JavaScript, Python and Rust. A Sawtooth application can be based on a core business logic required for a business need, or it can be developed and run as a smart contract virtual machine that has a self-governing mechanism for creating, notifying and executing the contracts between various participants on the blockchain.

The core system allows applications to co-exist on the same blockchain, selects transaction rules, selects the necessary permissioning mechanism, and defines the consensus algorithms that are used to finalize the working of the digital ledger in a way that best supports the needs of an enterprise.

How Hyperledger Sawtooth Works

Sawtooth enables selective permissions  that is, one can easily deploy certain select clusters of Sawtooth nodes with different permissions on the same blockchain. The ledger stores the necessary details about the permissions, nodes and identities.

The operating performance of the Sawtooth network is boosted by the mechanism of parallel transaction execution, which has an upper hand over the serial execution mechanism that often is a bottleneck when dealing with high volumes of transactions on many popular cryptocurrency networks.

Sawtooth supports Proof of Elapsed Time (POET) consensus mechanism that offers benefits of low resource utilization and low energy consumption, and is commonly used on the permissioned blockchain networks to decide the mining rights or the block winners on the network. (For more, see Proof of Elapsed Time.)

Some real-world examples using Sawtooth-based applications include Sawtooth Supply Chain, which helps an enterprise keep track of contextual and logistics-related information of an asset represented on the blockchain, Sawtooth Marketplace, which helps participants trade in specified quantities of digital assets on the blockchain, and Sawtooth Private UTXO, which facilitates digital asset creation and trading, including off-ledger and privately-held transactions.
What Is the Nigerian Letter Scam?win money playing poker online

The Nigerian letter scam, also known as advance fee fraud or "419 fraud," is a scheme in which a sender requests help facilitating the illegal transfer of money. The letter may be sent by mail, fax, or emailthe most common method. The author is typically a self-proclaimed government or military official, bank officer, or business executive, who explains they need access to a foreign account to transfer money out of Nigeria.

In exchange, the sender offers the recipient a commissionsometimes up to several million dollars, depending on the perceived gullibility of the target. The scammers then request money to pay for some of the costs associated with the transfer, such as taxes, legal fees, and bribes to government officials. If the scammers are successful in receiving money, they will either disappear immediately or try to get more money with claims of additional transfer problems.

Key Takeaways

The Nigerian letter scam is a scheme in which a sender offers a commission to someonegenerally via emailto help transfer a large sum of money.

Nigerian letter scammers hope the commission offered will be enticing enough to compel recipients to send thousands of dollars to a stranger.

The reasons given for the transfer can differ from a government freezing an account to an inheritance with no beneficiary.

Nigerian letter scams are also known as advance fee fraud or 419 fraud.

The name stems from the prevalence of these scams in Nigeria during the 1990s.

How a Nigerian Letter Scam Works

This specific type of scam is generally referred to as a Nigerian letter scam because of its prevalence in that country, particularly during the 1990s. Section 419 of the Nigerian Criminal Code makes this type of fraud illegal. However, this scam is not limited to Nigeria and is also perpetrated by various organizations in countries around the world.

The origins of this scam are widely debated with some suggesting it started in Nigeria during the 1970s, while others suggest its origins go back hundreds of years to other confidence scams, such as the Spanish Prisoner scam.

Special Considerations

The Nigerian letter scam was initially conducted by phone, fax, and traditional mail. The proliferation of email provided a new route for the Nigeran scam. Warning signs that a message might be a scam include mention of a U.S. currency account in a foreign country and the promise of substantial compensation for little effort, as well as typos, grammatical errors, and unusual syntax.

What the Scammers Are Looking for

Nigerian letter scammers hope the commissions they offer will be enticing enough to compel recipients to risk sending thousands of dollars to a stranger. The scammer may say the transfer is needed because the government is trying to freeze (or confiscate) their accounts, or that the money is otherwise hostage to war, corruption, or political unrest. The person might say they desperately need your bank account number to transfer the money for safekeeping.

Of course, when it comes to this type of request, remember that if anything sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Nigerian letter scams continue to exist because it only takes a handful of peopleout of hundreds of thousands of attemptsto be fooled to make it worth the scammers' time and effort.

How to Avoid the Nigerian Letter or 419 Fraud

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recommends the following tips for avoiding this type of fraud:

If you receive a letter or email from Nigeria (or any other country) asking for personal or banking information, do not reply in any manner. Forward the letter to the U.S. Secret Service, your local FBI office, or the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. You can also register a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission's Complaint Assistant.

Be skeptical of people stating they are Nigerian or other foreign government officials asking for your help moving large sums of money to overseas bank accounts.

Do not believe in the promise of large sums of money for your cooperation.

Always guard your account information carefully.

If you know someone who is corresponding with a scammer, encourage that person to contact the FBI or U.S. Secret Service as soon as possible.

Though many people recognize these and other types of scams, remember that criminals only have to find a few gullible people to make their time worthwhile. If you know anyone who may be vulnerable to fraudfor example, your aging parentsbe sure to explain how scams work and how they can be avoided.



What Is the Nigerian Romance Scam?

In a romance scamwhich is a type of catfishinga criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim's trust and affection. The scammer uses the guise of a romantic relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. The criminal may propose marriage and make plans to meet in person, but that never happens. Eventually, the scammer asks for money. According to a study from tech and cybersecurity company TechShielder, Nigeria is the second-most-notorious country worldwide for romance scams, behind only the Philippines.

What Is an Advance Fee Scam?

An advance fee scam happens when a victim pays money to a fraudster who has promised something of greater value in returnsuch as a gift, contract, loan, or investment. The victim, of course, receives little or nothing, even if they cooperate with the scammer's demands. The Nigerian letter scam is an example of an advance fee scam because the victim is promised a cut of a large sum of money in exchange for providing banking details and making upfront payments.

Do Nigerian Letter Scams Originate in Nigeria?

Not necessarily. Of the Nigerian letter scam criminals who could be traced, 71% lived in the United States. Nigeria accounted for the next highest portion, at 8%.

If you believe you have been a victim, you can file a complaint with the Criminal Investigative Division of the U.S. Secret Service, Office of Homeland Security. U.S citizens or residents should label the correspondence "No Financial Loss- For Your Database" or "Loss", depending upon your circumstance, and:

Send it by mail to the U.S. Secret Service, Criminal Investigative Division, 950 H Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20223. It is important to report significant financial loss due to a message of this nature to your local Secret Service office also, which can be located in the

Field Office Directory on the Secret Service website or on the inside cover of your local telephone directory.

Forward suspected Nigerian e-mails to [email protected] so that the Federal Trade Commission will be aware of your experience.

Additional information about Nigerian fraud scams can be found on the FBI's website.
The fear of violence should not determine what one does or does not say.

Yet this, in the end, is a book from which one emerges sad, gloomy, disenchanted, at least if we agree to take it seriously.

In his view, a writer has only one duty: to be present in his books.

Added to drinking water at concentrations of around one part per million, fluoride ions stick to dental plaque.

The al Qaeda-linked gunmen shot back, but only managed to injure one officer before they were taken out. France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Practise gliding in the form of inflection, or slide, from one extreme of pitch to another. Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick

He alludes to it as one of their evil customs and used by them to produce insensibility. Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.

There was a rumor that Alessandro and his father had both died; but no one knew anything certainly. Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson

Truth is a torch, but one of enormous size; so that we slink past it in rather a blinking fashion for fear it should burn us. Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
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auther: news source: slots browse: bigmiddiosmall release time: 2023-11-01 09:17:59 Comments:

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday vowed to follow a new path of maintaining harmony between humanity and nature in pursuing Chinese modernization.



"This how much is coinbase exchange feeis our responsibility not only for ourselves, but for the world as well," he said in a written speech at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit.


File photo: George Hatem treats leprosy patients. Photo: Courtesy of Zhou Youma

In October 1949,a foreigner was invited to the Tian'anmen Rostrum for the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The foreigner was George Hatem, known as Ma Haide in China, the first Westerner to ever become a CPC member and later obtain Chinese citizenship.In November 1933, Hatem, who had received his doctorate in medicine, heard about a tropical disease that was raging in Shanghai, which determined his decision to come to China from the US to relieve people of their suffering. In Shanghai, he met Soong Chingling and some Communist Party of China (CPC) revolutionaries. Under their influence, Hatem was actively involved in the CPC's revolutionary activities, his clinic often becoming a place for Party members to contact and meet.In June 1936, recommended by Soong, Hatem arrived in northern Shaanxi where he saw the real CPC and witnessed this extraordinary people's army with his own eyes.Hatem was impressed by the indomitable Red Army soldiers and their solidarity in the face of tremendous hardships. Once, during the march, the troops suffered from a severe shortage of necessities, and bouts of hunger and exhaustion. Seeing that Hatem was too tired to proceed, an old soldier fumbled in his pocket for a while and emerged with a small piece of rock candy, unwrapped it and gave it to Hatem.Against all odds, the army and the people were united as one. Such optimism was rarely seen in other places at that time in China. It inspired Hatem to remain in China for the rest of his life, as he believed that only such people could change the future of the country.In October 1936, after conducting interviews in Yan'an, Edgar Snow decided to leave, but Hatem decided to stay on, choosing northern Shaanxi as his base, and gave himself the Chinese name Ma Haide.After the three main forces of the Chinese Red Army converged in October 1936, Hatem, who had been appointed as public health advisor to the Central Military Commission of the CPC, stayed with the troops. On the battlefield, Hatem saw soldiers who braved all dangers on the front line, and who held their guns tight even after death. He saw high-ranking Red Army officers such as Zhu De and He Long offer their own horses to the injured. Young soldiers laid down their lives for the noble lofty ideal about a new China. Deeply moved, Hatem made another important decision in his life: He applied to join the CPC. His application was soon approved by the Party.In February 1937, Hatem officially joined the CPC. He said that he felt extremely delighted to be able to participate in this great cause of liberation and to be truly and centrally involved rather than being on the sidelines.In 1950, Hatem officially became a Chinese citizen, and was appointed Medical Consultant of the Ministry of Health of the PRC. He helped to establish the Central Dermatovenerology Institute, and devoted himself to the prevention and treatment of and research on venereal diseases and leprosy.Global Times
What Is the Consumption Function?caesars windsor hotel rooms

The consumption function, or Keynesian consumption function, is an economic formula that represents the functional relationship between total consumption and gross national income. It was introduced by British economist John Maynard Keynes, who argued the function could be used to track and predict total aggregate consumption expenditures.

Consumption Function

Understanding the Consumption Function

1:42

The classic consumption function suggests consumer spending is wholly determined by income and the changes in income. If true, aggregate savings should increase proportionally as gross domestic product (GDP) grows over time. The idea is to create a mathematical relationship between disposable income and consumer spending, but only on aggregate levels.

The stability of the consumption function, based in part on Keynes' Psychological Law of Consumption, especially when contrasted with the volatility of investment, is a cornerstone of Keynesian macroeconomic theory. Most post-Keynesians admit the consumption function is not stable in the long run since consumption patterns change as income rises.

Calculating the Consumption Function

The consumption function is represented as:

 C = A + M D where: C = consumer spending A = autonomous consumption M = marginal propensity to consume \begin{ aligned}&C\ =\ A\ +\ MD\\&\textbf{ where:}\\&C=\text{ consumer spending}\\&A=\text{ autonomous consumption}\\&M=\text{ marginal propensity to consume}\\&D=\text{ real disposable income}\end{ aligned} C = A + MDwhere:C=consumer spendingA=autonomous consumptionM=marginal propensity to consume

Assumptions and Implications

Much of the Keynesian doctrine centers around the frequency with which a given population spends or saves new income. The multiplier, the consumption function, and the marginal propensity to consume are each crucial to Keynes focus on spending and aggregate demand.

The consumption function is assumed stable and static; all expenditures are passively determined by the level of national income. The same is not true of savings, which Keynes called investment, not to be confused with government spending, another concept Keynes often defined as investment.

For the model to be valid, the consumption function and independent investment must remain constant long enough for national income to reach equilibrium. At equilibrium, business expectations and consumer expectations match up. One potential problem is that the consumption function cannot handle changes in the distribution of income and wealth. When these change, so too might autonomous consumption and the marginal propensity to consume.

Other Versions

Over time, other economists have made adjustments to the Keynesian consumption function. Variables such as employment uncertainty, borrowing limits, or even life expectancy can be incorporated to modify the older, cruder function.

For example, many standard models stem from the so-called life cycle theory of consumer behavior as pioneered by Franco Modigliani. His model made adjustments based on how income and liquid cash balances affect an individual's marginal propensity to consume. This hypothesis stipulated that poorer individuals likely spend new income at a higher rate than wealthy individuals.

Milton Friedman offered his own simple version of the consumption function, which he called the permanent income hypothesis. Notably, the Friedman model distinguished between permanent and temporary income. It also extended Modiglianis use of life expectancy to infinity.

More sophisticated functions may even substitute disposable income, which takes into account taxes, transfers, and other sources of income. Still, most empirical tests fail to match up with the consumption functions predictions. Statistics show frequent and sometimes dramatic adjustments in the consumption function.
Representatives of Vietnam's Dien Bien, Hung Yen, Long An, Phu Tho, and Soc Trang provinces take turns answering questions from Japanese investors at the event. (Photo: VNA)

From the Vietnamese side, leaders of the provinces of Dien Bien, Phu Tho, Hung Yen, Long An, and Soc Trang attended the event, which was organised by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI), Consulate General of Vietnam in Osaka, and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).



In his speech, VCCI Vice President Hoang Quang Phong stated the forum is a venue for Vietnamese representatives to provide the Japanese business community with detailed information on the local investment attraction policies, incentives, and support, and for Japanese businesses already invested in Vietnam to share their experiences and lessons with startups.



Phong expressed his confidence that with the two governments determination and their relevant agencies close cooperation, the countries economic, trade, and investment cooperation will continue to develop, bringing tangible benefits to their business communities.



For his part, Torii Shingo, Chairperson of the OCCI, said he hopes to welcome representatives from Vietnamese localities and businesses to participate in the World Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, themed Designing Future Society for Our Lives."



At the forum, speakers discussed a series of topics including trends and investment needs of Japanese businesses in Vietnam in the near future, Vietnams economic situation, and information on the participating Vietnamese provinces.



Vietnamese Consul General Ngo Trinh Ha told the Vietnam News Agency on the sidelines of the event that the forum took place in the context of the 50th anniversary of the countries diplomatic relations, with commemorative activities held across various fields such as investment, trade, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. The Consulate General pledged to continue to support the plans and collaboration between localities and businesses from both sides in the time to come.



Trade between Kansai and Vietnam hit 12 billion USD in 2022, up 24.2% year-on-year. As of the end of 2022, the region invested in approximately 850 projects worth over 9 billion USD in Vietnam. Currently, there are approximately 90,000 Vietnamese people living, studying, and working in Kansai./.
Since the arrival of online casino play in Pennsylvania in the summer of 2019, NetEnts Divine Fortuneslot has cemented itself as one of the most popular iGaming products that gamblers in the Keystone State are offered access to.

And the games progressive Mega Jackpot feature has a lot to do with its popularity among slots aficionados in the state.

A lucky man from Lititz, Pennsylvania hit that jackpot over the weekend for a $278,430.23 win. The player, whose first name is Andrew, won the six-figure sum with a $1 stake. He played the game on PlaySugarHouse.com, an online casino operated by Rush Street Interactive, the iGaming division of regional casino operator Rush Street Gaming.

RELATED: HollywoodCasino.com Player Hits Six-Figure Jackpot on Divine Fortunein Final Days of 2019

Rush Street Interactive said that this was the second time this week that a PlaySugarHouse.com player hit a Diving Fortune jackpot. The first time was on Sunday night when a New Jersey player won $278,802.58playing the popular NetEnt release.

Divine Fortuneis a 53 online slot with 20 fixed paylines. Swedish online casino content creator NetEnt released the game in 2017. The title is themed around the riches of the ancient times. Aside from its progressive Mega Jackpot, Divine Fortunealso features a Minor Jackpot that pays out 20x a players stake and a Major Jackpot that pays out 100x the stake.

Online Gambling amid Pandemic

Nearly all land-based casinos around the US have been closed in recent days as the country struggles to curb the advance of the dangerous coronavirus and people are urged to stay home.

As a result from the social distancing measures undertaken by state and federal governments, providers of online casino services have recorded an uptick in iGaming activities, which can pretty quickly develop into a full-blown surge in online casino play.

Commenting on the latest instance of a Pennsylvania player hitting the Divine FortuneMega Jackpot, Rush Street Interactive Chief Operating Officer Mattias Stetz said that during this very difficult and unprecedented period of time while most are staying home, its nice that we can provide another outlet for entertainmentand a chance to win live changing jackpots.

Mr. Stetz went on that the latest Divine Fotune jackpot win scored by a lucky player proves that even with a small bet, our players can win big.

Andrew, the 40-year-old resident of Pennsylvania who won the jackpot, said that his heart was pounding out of his chest when he saw the six-figure win.

Andrews win was the thirteenth Divine Fortunejackpotrecorded at PlaySugarHouse.com in Pennsylvania since the online casino operation was launched in the Keystone State last summer.

Mr. Stetz said that they have seen quite a surge in online casino playamid the Covid-19 outbreak and that they expect the growth to continue as Americans are being asked to stay at home looking for ways to be entertained.

Source:Pennsylvania Man Hits Divine Fortune Mega Jackpot For More Than $278,000 At PlaySugarHouse.com While Self-Isolating At Home

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What Is a Liquidity Trap?the northern trust odds

A liquidity trap is a contradictory economic situation in which interest rates are very low (e.g., close to 0%) and savings rates are high, rendering monetary policy ineffective.

First described by economist John Maynard Keynes, during a liquidity trap consumers choose to avoid bonds and keep their funds in cash savings because of the prevailing belief that interest rates could soon rise (which would push bond prices down). Because bonds have an inverse relationship to interest rates, many consumers do not want to hold an asset with a price that is expected to decline. At the same time, central bank efforts to spur economic activity are hampered as they are unable to lower interest rates further to incentivize investors and consumers.

Key Takeaways

A liquidity trap occurs when interest rates are very low, yet consumers nevertheless prefer to save rather than spend or invest in higher-yielding bonds or other investments.

A liquidity trap occurs when consumers choose to hoard cash instead of choosing higher-yielding investments because of a negative economic outlook.

A liquidity trap isn't limited to bondsit also affects other areas of the economy, as consumers spend less, which can mean businesses are less likely to hire.

A liquidity trap perpetuates a recession while muting monetary policy efforts to stimulate growth because interest rates are already at or close to zero.

Some ways to get out of a liquidity trap include raising interest rates, hoping the situation will regulate itself as prices fall to attractive levels, or increased government spending.

Watch Now: What Is a Liquidity Trap?

Understanding Liquidity Traps

1:23

In a liquidity trap, should a country's reserve bank, like the Federal Reserve in the U.S., try to stimulate the economy by increasing the money supply, there would be no effect on interest rates, as people do not need to be encouraged to hold additional cash.

As part of the liquidity trap, consumers continue to hold funds in standard deposit accounts, such as savings and checking accounts, instead of in other investment options, even when the central banking system attempts to stimulate the economy through the injection of additional funds. High consumer savings levels, often spurred by the belief of a negative economic event on the horizon, cause monetary policy to be generally ineffective.

The belief in a future negative event is key, because as consumers hoard cash and sell bonds, this will drive bond prices down and yields up. Despite rising yields, consumers are not interested in buying bonds as bond prices are falling. They prefer instead to hold cash at a lower yield.

A notable issue of a liquidity trap involves financial institutions having problems finding qualified borrowers. This is compounded by the fact that, with interest rates approaching zero, there is little room for additional incentive to attract well-qualified candidates. This lack of borrowers often shows up in other areas as well, where consumers typically borrow money, such as for the purchase of cars or homes.

Signs of a Liquidity Trap

One marker of a liquidity trap is low interest rates. Low interest rates can affect bondholder behavior, along with other concerns regarding the current financial state of the nation, resulting in the selling of bonds in a way that is harmful to the economy.

Further, additions made to the money supply fail to result in price-level changes, as consumer behavior leans toward saving funds in low-risk ways. Because an increase in the money supply means more money is in the economy, it is reasonable that some of that money should flow toward the higher-yield assets like bonds. But in a liquidity trap it doesn't, it just gets stashed away in cash accounts as savings.

Low interest rates alone do not define a liquidity trap. For the situation to qualify, there has to be a lack of bondholders wishing to keep their bonds and a limited supply of investors looking to purchase them. Instead, the investors are prioritizing strict cash savings over bond purchasing.

If investors are still interested in holding or purchasing bonds at times when interest rates are low, even approaching zero percent, the situation does not qualify as a liquidity trap.

Characteristics of a Liquidity Trap

To summarize, the following are the key characteristics of a liquidity trap:



Very low interest rates (at or close to 0%)

Economic recession

High personal savings rate

Low inflation/deflation

Ineffective expansionary monetary policy

Why Liquidity Traps Can Occur

While uncommon, liquidity traps can occur. Economists have proposed several reasons or precursors that can lead to one.

Deflation

Deflation occurs when prices fall and the purchasing power of money increasesmaking it the opposite of inflation. Deflation occurs when people choose to hold on to money rather than spend or invest it, because they believe that prices will continue to fall. Why purchase a big-ticket item today when it will be cheaper in a monthand even cheaper in two months? The result is that people increase their savings. In extreme cases, a deflationary spiral can occur, where price levels decline, leading to lower production, reduced wages, decreased demand, and continued price declines. During such a feedback loop, a liquidity trap can emerge.



Balance Sheet Recession

A balance sheet recession is an economic contraction precipitated by individuals and firms choosing to pay down existing debts rather than spend or take on new debts. This can occur when the level of outstanding debt grows large enough that both borrowers and lenders become concerned that it may not be paid back in full, creating pressure for deleveraging. Even as interest rates fall, paying down debt is prioritized and new lending and investment grind to a halt.

Low Demand From Investors

Firms raise capital by issuing debt and equity capital in the form of bonds and stock, respectively. If there is such little demand from investors to purchase these securities, then even lower interest rates will not give a firm the incentive to try to issue them. Moreover, both issuers and investors may see investment as risky in a recessionary period of low aggregate demand in general.

Reluctance to Lend

Banks may also become reluctant to lend if they view the general credit landscape as high-risk. Following the 2008 financial crisis, many banks faced liquidity issues as subprime borrowers defaulted. The reaction was to greatly cut back on lending in general. Thus, even with very low interest rates, many individuals who did want to borrow nevertheless found it difficult to obtain loans as banks enforced stricter underwriting criteria and shied away from all but the highest-quality borrowers.

Curing the Liquidity Trap

There are a number of ways to help the economy come out of a liquidity trap. None of these may work on their own, but may help induce confidence in consumers to start spending and investing again instead of saving.

Governments sometimes buy or sell bonds to help control interest rates, but buying bonds in such a negative environment does little, as consumers are eager to sell what they have when they are able to. Therefore, it becomes difficult to push yields up or down, and harder yet to induce consumers to take advantage of the new rate.

The Federal Reserve can actually raise interest rates, which may lead people to invest more of their money, rather than hoard it. During a recession and low inflation, however, this can be a highly risky move. This may not work, but it is one possible solution. A (big) drop in prices. When this happens, people just can't help themselves from spending money. The lure of lower prices becomes too attractive, and savings are used to take advantage of those low prices. Increasing government spending. When the government does so, it implies that the government is committed and confident in the national economy. This tactic also fuels job growth. Quantitative easing (QE). The central bank can begin injecting money into the economy to stimulate spending and artificially lower interest rates below zero by buying longer-dated government bonds as well as other securities such as mortgage bonds. Negative interest rate policy (NIRP). Imposing negative interest ratesi.e., crediting interest to borrowers and deducting interest from borrowersis a way around the zero floor on nominal interest rates. This extraordinary monetary policy tool is used to strongly encourage borrowing, spending, and investment rather than hoarding cash, which will lose value to negative deposit rates, and was used in practice in Europe and Japan following the 2008 financial crisis.

When consumers are fearful because of past or future events, it is hard to induce them to spend and not save. Government actions become less effective than when consumers are more risk- and yield-seeking, as they are when the economy is healthy. Thus, these efforts, while they may work "on paper," can fail in reality.

Real-World Examples of Liquidity Traps

Starting in the 1990s, Japan faced a liquidity trap. Interest rates continued to fall and yet there was little incentive in buying investments. Japan faced deflation through the 1990s, and of 2022 still has a negative interest rate of -0.1%. The Nikkei 225, the main stock index in Japan, fell from a peak of over 38,000 in December 1989, and in the early 2020s still remains well below that peak. The index did hit a multi-year high above 29,000 in August 2022 before falling to around 27,500 just a month later.

Liquidity traps again were thought to have appeared in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis and ensuing Great Recession, especially in the Eurozone.

Interest rates were set to 0%, but investing, consumption, and inflation all remained subdued for several years following the height of the crisis. The European Central Bank resorted to quantitative easing and a negative interest rate policy (NIRP) in some areas in order to free the region from the liquidity trap.

Criticisms of Liquidity Traps

Followers of Ludwig Von Mises, an influential 20th-century Austrian economist who was an advocate of free-market capitalism and a staunch opponent of socialism and interventionism, do not believe in the existence of liquidity traps. Instead, they conclude that, contrary to popular thinking, the threat to major world economies is not the liquidity trap, but the government and central bank stimulus policies claimed to counter it.

These policies only further weaken the pool of real savings, thereby undermining prospects for a durable economic recovery and perpetuating the liquidity trap, they argue. They suggest that negative interest rates are unlikely to move major economies away from a liquidity trap if the pool of real savings is in trouble.

Is the U.S. in a Liquidity Trap?

The U.S. was thought to briefly experience a liquidity trap just following the 2008 financial crisis as interest rates fell effectively to zero while output also dropped. Because of the housing bubble, banks were unwilling to lend and shocked investors stayed away from markets, parking their assets in cash. The American economy, however, emerged from this situation after several rounds of government stimulus and central bank QE to increase the money supply, and, if necessary, purchase bonds and assets to reduce yields on corporate and government bonds. As of the early 2020s, the economy is experiencing inflation and rising interest rates, rather than the conditions that would set up another liquidity trap.

Why Do People Hoard Cash in a Liquidity Trap?

People might sit on cash for one or more of several reasons: They have no confidence that they can earn a higher rate of return by investing, they believe deflationor falling pricesis on the horizon (cash will increase in value relative to fixed assets), or deflation already exists. All three reasons are highly correlated, and under such circumstances, household and investor beliefs become a reality. Moreover, people may want to borrow, but find that banks and other lenders are reluctant to extend credit at such low interest rates, except to the most qualified borrowers.

Does the Liquidity Trap Exist?

While there is always the theoretical fear of a liquidity trap, empirical research by economists at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) suggests that alternative monetary policy tools like QE and negative interest rates can stimulate economic growth and investment. Indeed, analysis in a BIS working paper aptly titled. "Does the Liquidity Trap Exist?" showed that in the U.S., Japan, and the Eurozone, liquidity traps were easily managed through such alternative measures. The paper argues that, "In such a view, the central bank's inability to lower the short-term interest rate is irrelevant, provided that it can ramp up credit supply and if at least some non-financial economic agents are credit-constrained."

The Bottom Line

First theorized by the economist John Maynard Keynes, a liquidity trap is a contradictory situation in the economy where interest rates are very low but savings is high. In other words, despite interest rates that may be at or close to 0%, people prefer to hold on to cash. There are several possible reasons and explanations from lenders about tightening credit to borrowers anticipating deflation. Regardless, in theory, a liquidity trap is thought to greatly limit the effectiveness of expansionary monetary policy, as interest rates are already at zero. Alternative tools like quantitative easing and a negative interest policy, however, have shown monetary policy to still be effective during such situations.
Merkur Gaming Mexico has announced the appointment of Ronnie Ferreira as General Manager. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of the larger gambling group Gauselmann Group. Mr. Ferreira is assuming his new role with an immediate effect.

The official has more than 15 years of experience in both the operator and gaming manufacturer segments of the international gambling industry. Born in Brazil, Mr. Ferreira has served in major gambling enterprisesin his home country, the USA, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Mexico.

Prior to joining Merkur Gaming Mexico, the companys new General Manager had taken up executive posts at the Ritzio Group and major Class II gaming machine manufacturer Cadillac Jack. He served as General Managerof the latter in the period between 2007 and 2011. In addition, Mr. Ferreira has previous experience in start-up gaming companies as well as in the development and acquisition segments of the gambling industry.

Commenting on the recent appointment, Merkur Gaming Americas CEO Charles Hiten said that Merkur Gaming Mexico is a particularly important part of his companys development and further growth in Latin America. Mr. Hiten also noted that being a Tier One gaming company Merkur Gaming Mexico deserves to be led by a top-class professional with proven success record. By appointing Mr. Ferreira to the General Manager role, they have brought just the right person on board, the Chief Executive added.

On him joining Merkur Gaming Mexico, Mr. Ferreira himself commented that he is pleased and honored to be given the opportunity to be leading an already exceptional team of professionals. The official also pointed out that it will be his main goal to build on Merkur Gaming Mexicos reputation and to further establish the company as the leader in the Latin American gambling sector now that new and more effective legislationis being prepared.

Mr. Ferreira is the co-founder of a Mexican gaming association that advocates for the implementation of more effective gambling regulations and promotes the benefits that may arise from the gambling industry for tourism, the wider entertainment industry, and the creation of much-needed jobs. Merkur Gaming Mexicos new General Manager is also known to be an active member of Brazils gaming association.
Most humans alive today have worn a light, short-sleeved shirt with no collar and no buttons. Such garments are nearly ubiquitous in modern life and are now worn while relaxing at home, in the boardrooms of some tech start-ups, and everywhere in between.

Is this popular garment a tee shirt or T-shirt? The difference is irrelevant in spoken English, since they are all pronounced to rhyme with pea dirt. In print, though, the name for this shirt has many spelling variants, and if you work in an advertising department (or are just a careful speller), you will need to know which one is correct.

What is the Difference Between Tee shirt and T-shirt?

In this post, I will compare T-shirt vs. tee shirt. I will outline the correct spelling with several example sentences, so you can see it in context.

Plus, I will show you a helpful memory tool that you can use as a reminder of whether T-shirt or tee shirt is a better choice.

When to Use T-shirt

How to spell T-shirt. T-shirt is a noun. A T-shirt is a thin, short-sleeved shirt with no collar and no buttons. It may or may not have a pocket. If it has buttons partially down the front, it is a Henley. If it has partial buttons and a collar, it is called a polo. With none of these things, however, it is just a T-shirt. T-shirts are so named because with they are shaped like the letter T.

One could argue that all shirts that have sleeves somewhat resemble the letter T, but only the T-shirt is named after this letter of the alphabet.

T-shirts are popular casual attire all over the world.

Here are some example sentences,

Kenley wears a simple T-shirt and jeans almost everywhere she goes.

I have no more clean T-shirts, so I have to do laundry tomorrow.

David Ortiz stood outside the Red Sox clubhouse before Friday nights game wearing a pair of red, white and blue shorts adorned with stars and stripes and a T-shirt depicting the Citgo sign outside Fenway Park with the word Strong written underneath. The New York Times

When to Use Tee Shirt

Tee shirt is a spelling variant of T-shirt. These garments have been around since roughly the beginning of the 20th century, and the name for them has been spelled, hyphenated, and capitalized many different ways since then. They have been called T-shirts, t-shirts, T shirts, tee-shirts, and tee shirts.

Only T-shirt, with a hyphen and a capitalized letter T, sees regular use. All of the other versions appear only rarely, as shown in the chart below, which graphs tee shirtvs. T-shirtand other variations.

It should be noted that this data set omits print sources other than books: catalogs, advertisements, signage, and web-based storefronts, where these other forms might be more likely to occur. Still, the chart above is useful for identifying a long-term usage trend that overwhelmingly favors T-shirt over all other forms of this word.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Even though there are many forms of this word, T-shirt, with a capital Tand a hyphen, is the predominant form. You should use it in most circumstances.

Since the shirt itself resembles a capital T, remembering that T-shirt is the correct form should be a simple task.

Summary

Is it tee shirt or T-shirt? Tee shirt and T-shirt are variants of a noun that refers to a light short-sleeved shirt that was invented sometime around 1900.
The words defenceand defensecan be confusing for those not sure of their differences, and not knowing which to use can cause a writer to second-guess his or her work, even though there might not be anything wrong with it.

Do these words have different meanings or different functions in a sentence? Are they just variants of the same word? How exactly are they pronounced?

In this post, I want to answer each of these questions so that you will never again have to second-guess yourself while writing either defence or defense.

What is the Difference Between Defence and Defense?

Defenceand Defenseare both nouns, and they have a few different meanings.

The act of defending against attack, danger, or injury.

The act of defending a legal case.

The team or those players of a team attempting to stop the opposition from scoring.

Here are a few sentence examples,

The enemy attacked us, but thankfully we had a strong military defense ready to deploy.

The defence presented its case powerfully.

The Green Bay Packers defense is the best in the league.

Okay, you are probably still wondering, How do I know which one to use?

The answer to that question is surprisingly simple, as the only thing separating these two spellings is a dialectal difference.

Thats right; there is no difference in meaning or function between defence and defense. They are simply different spellings of the same word.

When to Use Defence

Although, there is no difference in meaning between the spellings, you should always keep your audience in mind when writing these words.

Defence (spelled with a c) is the preferred spelling of the word in British English. If you find yourself writing to a primarily British audience or for a British publication, this is the correct spelling for you.

For example, Fowlers, a well-known British usage guide, lists defenceas the preferred British English spelling.

In fact, if you graph out defence vs. defense in British English book publications, you can see that it is used much more frequently. Defenceis also more common in Australia and Canada than it is in American English.

It is worth noting, however, that the American spelling defenseappears to be gaining ground across the pond, as you can see a clear uptick in defense in the last 50 years or so. Perhaps one day the preference will be reversed, but for the time being defenceis still the British English spelling.

When to Use Defense

Defense (spelled with an s) is the preferred spelling of the word in American English. If you find yourself writing to a primarily American audience or for and publication in the United States, defenseis the correct spelling for you.

If you graph defense vs. defense across American book publications, you can see that for the last 100 years, defense has been the preferred spelling and, as we saw above, is gaining worldwide influence.

Some claim that this spelling is a betterspelling of the word because it more closely resembles the word from which it was derived (the Latin defensa) and has a greater consistency with other words like defensible.

Defences or Defenses?

For example, the American-British spelling distinction doesnt carry over to all derivatives of defence/defense.

It holds true for words like defences/ defenses, and defenceless/ defenseless, but not for other words like defensive, defensiveness, defensively, anddefensible.

The words defensive, defensiveness, defensively, anddefensibleare spelled with an s everywhere in the English-speaking world.

Pronunciation of Defence / Defense

How do you pronounce defense? The traditional pronunciation of defenseis with the stress on the second syllable.

Defense = di-fen[t]s

As a result of sports commentators, however, it is now common to hear defensepronounced with the stress on the first syllable in athletic contexts.

Defense = dee-fen[t]s

If you talking about a military or legal strategy, you should use the first pronunciation. The second pronunciation is limited only to sports related contexts.

Can Defense Be a Verb?

In any bit of formal writing, defense is not to be used as a verb.

It is, occasionally, used in sports related contexts to mean, defend against.

The Chicago Bulls defensed (defended against) the Detroit Pistons offense spectacularly tonight.

Even in sports related contexts it is uncommon and should be avoided. For example, The AP Stylebooksays never to use defenseas a verb.

Remember the Difference

Given that the difference between these two words is similar to the difference between offense and offence, I will give you the same trick to remember defencevs. defense.

Defence is the British spelling and has a C in it. Think of this C as representing the Royal Crown of the United Kingdom.

Defense is the American spelling and has an S in it. Think of this S as representing the word States in United States.

Summary

Is it defenseor defence? While these words have the same meaning, they are spelled differently in different regions. Its important that you keep your audience in mind when using defensevs. defence.

Defence(spelled with a c) should be used in British English.

Defense(spelled with an s) should be used in American English.

In all uses other than sports, the pronunciation with the stress on the second syllable is preferred.
Canadas Gateway Casinos & Entertainment Ltd. has officially confirmed that the company has been the subject of a cyberattack. All 14 of the companys casinos in the province of Ontario were shut down starting with Casino Rama Resort which closed on April 16th. The casinos were hit with a ransomware attack that reportedly created an IT outage.

When Casino Ramma was shut down abruptly at about 1 p.m. CDT on Sunday the 16th, the company only said that an IT outage was to blame, not what caused the outage. All gaming operations were shut down with the company statement reading only: Gateway casino sites across Ontario experienced a system-wide IT outage.

Restaurants, Hotel Still Open at Casino Rama

The casinos Instagram feed most recently stated: Casino Rama Resorts Hotel, Balance In Life Spa, Weirs, and St. Germains restaurants remain open. St. Germains is open Wednesday  Sunday.

Very little more information was meted out over the next several days until Gateway announced the reasoning behind the closures on Friday, nearly a week later. The company now says that it has no knowledge of any confidential or private information being compromised. Investigation of the incident is still underwaywith many of the firms 7,000 employees being idled.

iHeart Radio was reporting on Friday that all casinos would remain shuttered indefinitely while cyber professionalsdo their work to reassure the integrity of the systems.

The Chris de Burgh concert scheduled for Friday was postponed until April 27. The Quiet Riot, Warrant, and Helix concert scheduled for Saturday was reset to October 7. All tickets purchased through My Club Rewards and Ticketmaster will be valid on the new dates. No mention of refunds was made. The event center st Casino Rama can seat up to 5,000 people.

The Friday announcement confirmed that a criminal breach had occurred and that all of the casinos would remain closed through the weekend at a minimum. As of Sunday evening, no change had been announced.

The company website still stated the following which was initially posted on Friday, April 21: Gateway Casinos and Entertainment locations in Ontario will remain closed through the coming weekend as we continue to work on resolving a cybersecurity incident and put in place the plans for reopening at each location. While we cannot confirm a re-opening date at this time, we continue to work with all relevant parties to do everything we can to restore our IT systems, reopen our sites, and get our employees back to work.

Not all cash has stopped flowing for the company however as 15 other casinos in different provinces remain open.

Catalyst Capital Group is the companys majority stockholder and gateway manages the gaming venues for the respective provincial governments where they operate, sharing revenues with them which is used for the common good.

The company announcement also stated: We want to reiterate that we have notified the relevant privacy officials, law enforcement, and government regulators about the cyber incident.

30 Year History in Canada

Last year, Gateway celebrated 30 years of participation in the gaming and entertainment business in Canada. Casino Rama opened on July 31, 1996, and remained open continuously until forced to shutter operations during the world health emergency in 2020.

The company said it is working with third-party experts around the clock 7 days per week to determine if there has been any impact on personal information in this case,

Oddly enough, just a few days prior to the cyberattack, Global News ran an article warning of the increased risk of Russian cyberattacks on Canada in response to the countrys support of Ukraine. While there is no indication yet that Russian state actors are responsible for the most recent attack on a Canadian business it has been identified as a criminal hacking group and that ransom was demanded. Gateway hasnot confirmed or deniedwhether it paid and was hit anyway.

Pro-Russian groups have taken credit for several recent cyberattacks in Canada, including on Prime Minister Trudeaus website and the websites of the Port of Quebec and Laurentian Bank.

For a listing of all significant cyber attacks on Canadian government institutions and businesses, see the Kon Briefing (here).

Source: Gateway Casinos Confirms Cyberattack on Ontario IT Infrastructure, Casino.org, April 22, 2023
Salt, obtained from the salt lakes in the Aussa and Danakil countries, is a valuable article of commerce. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 7|Various

The Danakil word for rain, rob, is as nearly related to libo (water). In Darkest Africa, Vol. 2; or, The quest, rescue and retreat of Emin, governor of Equatoria|Henry Morton Stanley

Danakil, dana-kil, n. the name given to the numerous nomad and fisher tribes on the coast of North-east Africa. Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D)|Various
Nebraska residents moved one step closer to gambling expansion as the issue will most probably be put before voters during the upcoming ballot in November. The group that is lobbying for an expansion of the gambling sector on the territory of the state, dropped off three sets of petitions defending their cause. They have also taken further actions to neutralizing their opponents who have prepared a bunch of challenges at court.

The organizers of the petitions said that they have collected enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. Scott Lautenbaugh, one of the avid casino supporters, revealed that as many as 130,000 signatures have been gathered for a constitutional amendment that allows gambling to be put forward.

As many as 90,000 signatures for each of the other two petitions have been collected. These were intended to cast light on the casinos regulation and the utilization of the tax revenue.

Lautenbaugh, who used to be an Omaha senator, said the casino proponents were glad about what they have achieved. In order to have the legal right to demand a constitutional amendment, supporters had to collect the signatures of at least 10% of the Nebraskas registered voters or approximately 113,900 signatures. The other two petitions required a bit less than 80,000 signatures.

Plus, the casino supporters had to collect the signatures of at least 5% of the voters in 38 counties or more.

Despite the support they received, they still expect their opponents to take actions against the gambling expansion. They are evenexpected to file a lawsuitto exclude the gambling issue from the ballot.

Currently, Nebraska residents are allowed to engage in keno, lottery, horse racing. The idea about video gambling was proposed quite some time ago, but for one reason or another, it was rejected every time by voters.

Keep the Money in Nebraska is said to have raised $1.25 million, while the Gambling with the Good Life raised a bit more than $25,000. However, half of the amount is given to the group by the Archdiocese of Omaha.

Although the casino opponents might not be able to afford radio or television ads, they largely rely on public support from important figuressuch as Tom Osborne, a former football coach at the University of Nebraska, and Governor Pete Ricketts.

The state authorities are now required to clear out the administrative hurdles related to the gambling expansion and the November ballot. The secretary state office has40 days to sort out the petitionsand send the boxes to the counties. Then, the local authorities will have to proceed with confirming the number of signatures and reporting the exact number to the state officials.
What Is the Delphi Method?bwin poker online chumba bet casino

The Delphi method is a forecasting process and structured communication framework based on the results of multiple rounds of questionnaires sent to a panel of experts. After each round of questionnaires, the experts are presented with an aggregated summary of the last round, allowing each expert to adjust their answers according to the group response. This process combines the benefits of expert analysis with elements of the wisdom of crowds.

Key Takeaways

The Delphi method is a process used to arrive at a group opinion or decision by surveying a panel of experts.

Experts respond to several rounds of questionnaires, and the responses are aggregated and shared with the group after each round.

The experts can adjust their answers each round, based on how they interpret the group response provided to them.

The ultimate result is meant to be a true consensus of what the group thinks.

Understanding the Delphi Method

Several rounds of questionnaires are sent out to the group of experts, and the anonymous responses are aggregated and shared with the group after each round. The experts are allowed to adjust their answers in subsequent rounds, based on how they interpret the group response that has been provided to them. Since multiple rounds of questions are asked and the panel is told what the group thinks as a whole, the Delphi method seeks to reach the correct response through consensus.

The Delphi method was originally conceived in the 1950s by Olaf Helmer and Norman Dalkey of Rand Corp. The name refers to the Oracle of Delphi, a priestess at a temple of Apollo in ancient Greece known for her prophecies. The Delphi method allows experts to work toward a mutual agreement by conducting a circulating series of questionnaires and releasing related feedback to further the discussion with each subsequent round. The experts responses shift as rounds are completed based on the information brought forth by other experts participating in the analysis.

The Delphi method is a process of arriving at group consensus by providing experts with rounds of questionnaires, as well as the group response before each subsequent round.

Delphi Method Process

First, the group facilitator selects a group of experts based on the topic being examined. Once all participants are confirmed, each member of the group is sent a questionnaire with instructions to comment on each topic based on their personal opinion, experience, or previous research.

The questionnaires are returned to the facilitator, who groups the comments and prepares copies of the information. A copy of the compiled comments is sent to each participant, along with the opportunity to comment further. At the end of each comment session, all questionnaires are returned to the facilitator, who decides if another round is necessary or if the results are ready for publishing.

The questionnaire rounds can be repeated as many times as necessary to achieve a general sense of consensus.

Advantages of the Delphi Method

The Delphi method seeks to aggregate opinions from a diverse set of experts, and it can be done without having to bring everyone together for a physical meeting. Since the responses of the participants are anonymous, individual panelists dont have to worry about repercussions for their opinions. The anonymity of the participants also helps prevent the halo effect, which sees higher priority given to the views of more powerful or higher-ranking members of the group.

By conducting Delphi studies, consensus can be reached over time as opinions are swayed, making the method very effective. In contrast with many other types of interviews and focus groups, Delphi studies allow participants to rethink and refine their opinions based on the input of others, contributing to a more reflective and thoughtful process.

Disadvantages of the Delphi Method

Although it provides the benefits of anonymity and the possibility for reevaluation and reflection, the Delphi method does not result in the same sort of interactions as a live discussion. A live discussion can sometimes produce a better example of consensus, as ideas and perceptions are introduced, broken down, and reassessed. Response times with the Delphi method can be long, which slows the rate of discussion. It is also possible that the information received back from the experts will provide no innate value.

The deliberate and drawn-out nature of the Delphi method also presents some challenges. Since the method often requires multiple rounds of questionnaires, there is a chance that some participants may drop out from the study before it has been completed. In addition, while there are benefits to giving participants the opportunity to reassess their views, there is a chance that they will adjust their responses so that they are more closely aligned with the views of the majority, reducing the diversity of opinions represented and diminishing the validity of the results.

What is the Delphi method used for?

The Delphi method is used to establish a consensus opinion about an issue or set of issues by seeking mutual agreement from a group of experts in the relevant field. The Delphi method has been used to conduct research in numerous areas, from the defense industry to healthcare.

How is the Delphi method conducted?

The group facilitator selects a group of experts based on the topic being examined and sends them a questionnaire with instructions to comment on each topic based on their personal opinion, experience, or previous research. The facilitator groups the comments from the returned questionnaires and sends copies to each participant, along with the opportunity to comment further. At the end of this session, the questionnaires are returned to the facilitator, who decides if another round is necessary or if the results are ready for publishing. This process can be repeated multiple times until a general sense of consensus is reached.

How is "consensus" defined when using the Delphi method?

Although the Delphi method seeks to pinpoint an area of mutual agreement among the pool of experts, it is unlikely that the participants will be in complete agreement on all issueseven after several rounds of questionnaires and opportunities for reassessment. Researchers applying the Delphi method may have different thresholds for exactly what constitutes a consensus, and some critics of the method point to the subjective nature of this determination as a shortcoming.

The Bottom Line

The Delphi method uses multiple rounds of questionnaires sent to a panel of experts to work toward a mutual agreement or consensus opinion. The participants modify their responses based on the information brought forth by other experts participating in the analysis. The Delphi method benefits from the anonymity of the participants and the opportunities it provides for reassessment, but it can also be time consuming and in some cases may be less effective than a live discussion or focus group.


1 usd to shiba coin miami jackpotsshows grade level based on the word's complexity. deadline [ ded-lahyn ]/ ddlan / New Word List Save This Word!See synonyms for: deadline / deadlines on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ ded-lahyn ]/ ddlan /Save This Word!See synonyms for: deadline / deadlines on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nounthe time by which something must be finished or submitted; the latest time for finishing something: a five o'clock deadline.a line or limit that must not be passed.(formerly) a boundary around a military prison beyond which a prisoner could not venture without risk of being shot by the guards.

OTHER WORDS FROM deadline

Words nearby deadline

Words related to deadline deadline/ (ddlan) / nouna time limit for any activity Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question deadlineFirst recorded in 185560; dead + linepostdeadline, adjectivedead leg, dead letter, dead letter box, dead lift, deadlight, deadline, dead load, deadlock, dead loss, deadly, deadly nightshadeDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Polish Minister of Economic Development and Technology Waldemar Buda has signed a national regulation maintaining the embargo on the import of Ukrainian wheat, rapeseed, sunflower and corn to Poland.

"Due to the wrong decision of the European Commission not to extend the embargo on grain from Ukraine, in accordance with the instructions of Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and the entire Council of Ministers, I signed the national regulation to maintain the embargo," he wrote on his Telegram channel on Friday.

According to the report, the resolution is unlimited and came into force after publication at midnight, September 16, 2023.

Hungary today decided to extend the ban on the import of 24 types of agricultural products from Ukraine that are under national jurisdiction, Hungarian Agriculture Minister Istvan Nagy announced this on his Facebook page on Friday.

"We will defend the interests of Hungarian farmers," Nagy wrote.
What Is a Trust Deed?roulette game casino

A trust deedalso known as a deed of trustis a document sometimes used in real estate transactions in the U.S. It is a document that comes into play when one party has taken out a loan from another party to purchase a property. The trust deed represents an agreement between the borrower and a lender to have the property held in trust by a neutral and independent third party until the loan is paid off.

Although trust deeds are less common than they once were, some 20 states still mandate the use of one, rather than a mortgage, when financing is involved in the purchase of real estate. Trust deeds are common in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

A few statessuch as Kentucky, Maryland, and South Dakotaallow the use of both trust deeds and mortgages.

Key Takeaways

In financed real estate transactions, trust deeds transfer the legal title of a property to a third partysuch as a bank, escrow company, or title companyto hold until the borrower repays their debt to the lender.

Trust deeds are used in place of mortgages in several states.

Investing in trust deeds can provide a high-yielding income stream.

Click Play to Learn Everything You Should Know About Trust Deeds

Understanding Trust Deeds

1:51

A trust deed is a transaction between three parties:

Lenders , officially known as beneficiaries. These are the interests a trust is supposed to protect.

, officially known as beneficiaries. These are the interests a trust is supposed to protect. A borrower , otherwise known as a trustor. This is the person who establishes a trust.



, otherwise known as a trustor. This is the person who establishes a trust. A trustee, a third party charged with holding the entrusted property until a loan or debt is paid for in full.

In a real estate transactionthe purchase of a home, saya lender gives the borrower money in exchange for one or more promissory notes linked to a trust deed. This deed transfers legal title to the real property to an impartial trustee, typically a title company, escrow company, or bank, which holds it as collateral for the promissory notes. The equitable titlethe right to obtain full ownershipremains with the borrower, as does full use of and responsibility for the property.

This state of affairs continues throughout the repayment period of the loan. The trustee holds the legal title until the borrower pays the debt in full, at which point the title to the property transfers to the borrower. If the borrower defaults on the loan, the trustee takes full control of the property.

Trust Deed vs. Mortgage

Trust deeds and mortgages are both used in bank and private loans for creating liens on real estate, and both are typically recorded as debt in the county where the property is located. However, there are some differences.

Number of Parties

A mortgage involves two parties: a borrower (or mortgagor) and a lender (or mortgagee). When a borrower signs a mortgage, they pledge the property as security to the lender to ensure repayment.

In contrast, a trust deed involves three parties: a borrower (or trustor), a lender (or beneficiary), and the trustee. The trustee holds title to the lien for the lender's benefit; if the borrower defaults, the trustee will initiate and complete the foreclosure process at the lender's request.

Type of Foreclosure

In the event of default, a deed of trust will result in different foreclosure procedures than a mortgage. A defaulted mortgage will result in a judicial foreclosure, meaning that the lender will have to secure a court order. Trust deeds go through a non-judicial foreclosure, provided that they include a power-of-sale clause.

Judicial foreclosures are more expensive and time-consuming than non-judicial foreclosures. This means that in states that allow them, a deed of trust is preferable to a mortgage from the lender's point of view.



Contrary to popular usage, a mortgage is not technically a loan to buy a property; it's an agreement that pledges the property as collateral for the loan.

What Is Included in a Trust Deed?

A deed of trust will include the same type of information stated in a mortgage document, such as:

The identities of the borrower, lender, and trustee

A full description of the property to be placed in trust

Any restrictions or requirements on the use of the property while it is in trust

The terms of the loan, include principal, monthly payments, and interest rate

The terms of any late fees and penalties in the event of repayment

In addition, a trust deed will also include a power of sale clause that gives the trustee the right to sell the property if the borrower defaults.



Foreclosures and Trust Deeds

Mortgages and trust deeds have different foreclosure processes. A judicial foreclosure is a court-supervised process enforced when the lender files a lawsuit against the borrower for defaulting on a mortgage. The process is time-consuming and expensive.

Also, if the foreclosed-property auction doesn't bring in enough money to pay off the promissory note, the lender may file a deficiency judgment against the borrower, suing for the balance. However, even after the property is sold, the borrower has the right of redemption: They may repay the lender within a set amount of time and acquire the property title.

In contrast, a trust deed lets the lender commence a faster and less-expensive non-judicial foreclosure, bypassing the court system and adhering to the procedures outlined in the trust deed and state law. If the borrower does not make the loan current, the property is put up for auction through a trustee's sale.

The title transfers from the trustee to the new owner through the trustee's deed after the sale. When there are no bidders at the trustee sale, the property reverts to the lender through a trustee's deed. Once the property is sold, the borrower has no right of redemption.

Furthermore, a trustee has the responsibility of paying the proceeds from the sale to the borrower and lender after the sale is finalized. The trustee will pay the lender the amount left over on the debt and pay the borrower anything that surpasses that amount, thereby allowing the lender to purchase the property.

Pros and Cons of Investing in Trust Deeds

Investors who are searching for juicy yields sometimes turn to the real estate sectorin particular, trust deeds.

In trust deed investing, the investor lends money to a developer working on a real estate project. The investor's name goes on the deed of trust as the lender. The investor collects interest on his loan; when the project is finished his principal is returned to him in full. A trust deed broker usually facilitates the deal.

High-yielding income stream

Portfolio diversification

Illiquidity

No capital appreciation

ProsCons

What sort of developer enters this arrangement? Banks are often reluctant to lend to certain types of developments, such as mid-size commercial projectstoo small for the big lenders, too big for the small onesor developers with poor track records or too many loans. Cautious lenders may also move too slowly for developers up against a tight deadline for commencing or completing a project.

Developers like these are often in a bit of a crunch. For these reasons, trust deed investors may often expect high-interest rates on their money. They can reap the benefits of diversifying into a different asset class, without having to be experts in real-estate construction or management: This is a passive investment.

Trust deed investing has certain risks and disadvantages. Unlike stocks, real estate investments are not liquid, meaning investors cannot retrieve their money on demand. Also, investors can expect only the interest the loan generates; any additional capital appreciation is unlikely.

Invested parties may exploit any legal discrepancies in the trust deed, causing costly legal entanglements that may endanger the investment. The typical investor with little experience may have difficulty, as it takes specific expertise to find credible and trustworthy developers, projects, and brokers.

Real-World Example of a Trust Deed

A short form deed of trust document used in Austin County, Texas, covers the requirements for most lenders. The form begins with a definition of terms and spaces for the borrower, lender, and trustee to fill in their names. The amount being borrowed and the address of the property are also required.

After this section, the document goes on to specify the transfer of rights in the property and uniform covenants including:

Details about payment of principal and interest

Escrow funds

Liens

Property insurance and structure maintenance

Structure occupancystipulating the borrower must take up residency within 60 days

The form also includes nonuniform covenants, which specify default or breach of any of the agreement terms. And it specifies that the loan the document deals with is not a home equity loanthat is, something the borrower will receive cash frombut one for purchasing the property.

The deed of trust ends with a space for the borrower's signature, which must be done in the presence of a notary and two witnesses, who also sign.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Assignment in a Deed of Trust?

In real estate law, "assignment" is simply the transfer of a deed of trust from one party to another. This usually happens when the beneficiary of a trust deed sells their loan to another lender.

What Is Reconveyance in a Deed of Trust?

In real estate law, reconveyance means the transfer of a property from a lender or trustee to a borrower. This usually happens at the end of a mortgage or other loan, when the borrower has satisfied the terms of their debt.

Who Can Be a Trustee in a Deed of Trust?

Some states have laws limiting who can act as a trustee in a deed of trust. In these states, the trustee must be a bank, credit union, thrift, title insurance company, attorney, or other company specifically authorized to hold a trust. In other states, anyone can act as a trustee.

The Bottom Line

Trust deeds are an alternative to mortgages in certain states. Instead of an agreement directly between a lender and a borrower, a trust deed places the title of a property in the hands of a third party, or trustee. Only after the borrower has satisfied the terms of their debt to the lender will the property be fully transferred to the borrower.


If youre reading this,mario 64 clint hutchison tips you are probably wondering how to start a blog. If so, youre in the right place! In this post, I have put together a step-by-step guide to starting your own blog online, with detailed instructions, and illustrations.

How do I start a blog?I have been blogging for many years. I know the ins and outs of what to do and, more importantly, what not to do. If you follow this how-to guide step-by-step, you will be on your way to starting a successful blog in no time. I only wish I had a resource like this when I started blogging years ago.

How do you start a blog? Starting a blog isnt something to be afraid of, and you dont need to be a computer programmer, a Webmaster, or an HTML guru to do it.

That said, there are some basic dos and donts to consider when setting up any new blog page that everyone should know. You dont want to make any beginners mistakes that could otherwise be avoided. Even small mistakes could cost you readers (or revenue) in the future, so its best to do things the right way from the very beginning.

Thats why I created this step-by-step guide to creating your own blog. I want to help bloggers get to bloggingand skip the boring setup process (or at least expedite it).

If you follow everything outlined below, you will be all set to start your own successful blog online.

Lets get started.

How to Start a Blog for Beginners

Step by step guide to starting a blog: Setting up a blog is much easier (and cheaper) than it used to be, and, if you follow all of these steps, you should be up and running in under 30 minutes.

First Steps to Starting a Blog



Get Your Blog Online Pick Your Domain Name Choose/Install a Blogging Platform Learn the Basics of WordPress Customizing Your Site

Should I Start a Blog?

How to become a blogger: Blogging is an incredibly popular activity online, and there are countless reasons individuals decide to start their own.

Here are a few common reasons,

Work from home: Blogging allows you to work on your own schedule, to work from wherever you want, and to be your own boss. That said, making a full-time income from blogging is hard work, but for most people, it is a labor of love.

Blogging allows you to work on your own schedule, to work from wherever you want, and to be your own boss. That said, making a full-time income from blogging is hard work, but for most people, it is a labor of love. Become a published author: Blogging is a great pathway to publishing your own book because it allows you to gather readers as your hone your craft. Plus, its obviously easier to sell books when you already have a loyal audience.

Blogging is a great pathway to publishing your own book because it allows you to gather readers as your hone your craft. Plus, its obviously easier to sell books when you already have a loyal audience. Build up your existing brand: If you are a business owner, a blog is a great way to build and leverage your brand. Blogging allows you to reach large, targeted audiences without expensive advertising.

If you are a business owner, a blog is a great way to build and leverage your brand. Blogging allows you to reach large, targeted audiences without expensive advertising. As a hobby: You might just choose to start a blog simply as a hobby. If you love writing and want to share your story and thoughts with others, a blog is a great place to start.

These are just a few reasons why people choose to start blogs. If you fit into any of these, a blog is probably the right choice for you.

Step 1: Get Your Blog Hosted Online

How do you start your own blog? The first step to setting up your own blog is to get it online. The way you do this is through a hosting account (We recommend Bluehostfor your hosting.).

A hosting account is where all of back-end information for your blog is stored. Its the boring server side of the website that you, hopefully, wont be accessing after things are set up. Once its up and running, you will be using a content management system (like WordPress) to make regular changes to your blog (more on that below).

The best way to think about it is that WordPress makes your blog look like a blog and your hosting account makes it live and active for everyone to see.

All that said, getting a hosting plan for your blog is easy, and I will walk you step-by-step through the process below.

Hosting Sites for Blogs

What is the best blog hosting site? Bluehostis one of the most popular hosting accounts for WordPress blogs. They offer 24/7 support, which is a huge plus. If, for whatever reason, your blog is down, you want to be able to get a hold of someone anytime of the day or night, so its important for your hosting company to have 24/7 active support available.

Installing WordPress on Bluehost is incredibly simple: its literally one click and thats it! The simplicity of installation is a huge bonus because no one wants to mess around with the complexities of back-end servers.

Lastly, Bluehost has a few great sign-up bonuses that are huge when youre just starting off. First, they offer free SSL-certificates for your website, which helps to better protect your website and data and can help you get more web traffic in search results. Some companies charge as much as $10 a month for this. Second, you can actually register your domain name for free with Bluehost.

To get your blog started with Bluehost, click here. Simply click the green Get Started icon, and youll see that Bluehost offers a few different plans.



Get Started With Bluehost

Each of their four primary hosting plans will be fine for you when youre just starting off, but I would advice you to get the Choice Plus plan. Its just $2 more per month than their basic plan, but it has a few features that youll want.

First, the Choice Plus plan comes with free domain privacy. This will keep your personal information, such as name, address, and phone number private. You can choose to add on domain privacy on the basic plan for around $1 per month, but then you might as well just get the Choice Plus plan to get the other features.

The other features the Choice Plus plan comes with are free website backups, which you can set to daily, weekly, or monthly backups. So if anything happens to your site, whether it gets hacked or you delete something on accident, you will have access to free site backups. Lastly, it also comes with the ability to add multiple websites. The basic plan only allows one website to be installed, so if you ever think you will ever want another domain in the future, its definitely worth the extra $2.

Step 2: Pick Your Domain Name

Creating your Bluehost account: Now that you have selected your plan, its time to secure your domain name (Step 2 from our outline). If you already have purchased a domain name elsewhere, no problem, simply type it in under the Use a domain you own section.

If you still need to buy one, you can keep things simple by securing it directly through Bluehostplus youll get it for free! Under the Create a new domain section, just type in the domain name that you want.

If youre not sure of the domain name you want quite yet, or the one you want is taken, no problem. Just hover your mouse over the back button and wait for the prompt to choose your free domain later.



Get Started With Bluehost

Bluehost will credit your account the price of a new domain, and you will be able to redeem it at a later date. This way, youll be able to take your time thinking of the perfect domain name but youll still be able to take advantage of the free credit.

Ill run through the rest of this how-to blogging guide as if youre starting a new domain, but if you already own a name, the process is nearly identical, so you wont get lost in the process.

The next few steps are just like setting up any other account.

Enter contact information. Choose length of plan. Skip domain extras. Enter billing information. Read through and confirm terms of service.

Dont overpay on your plan: Youll get the best price on hosting by selecting the longest billing cycle. So in order to get the $5.95 per month introductory offer, youll need to choose the 36-month price.

If its in your budget, you should definitely choose this option because it gives you 3 straight years of worry-free hostingplus its the cheapest monthly rate. Selecting the 36-month price basically gives you a full years worth of hosting for free.

Skip all of the add-ons and upcharges.Youll see boxes to check for various upcharges or free trials, such as SiteLock security or Microsoft Office mail. Leave all of these unchecked. None of them are necessary, and they all just add to your monthly bill.

If you signed up for the Choice Plus plan, you will receive free domain privacy (as we mentioned above). If you chose either the basic or plus plan, you will see this option as add-on for $1 per month. This is the one option that I would recommend getting, as it keeps your information private. The same goes for the CodeGuard website backups.

Lastly, enter your billing information and make sure you read and agree to the terms of service. And dont forget, you have a 30-day money back guarantee on whatever you buy, so theres no risk if you need to change something.

Choose a password:After your purchase is complete, youll be directed toward a Congratulations! page that confirms your purchase. This is where you will set the password for your Bluehost account. This wont be the password for you WordPress website, but, instead, for your Bluehost hosting account itself.

Step 3: Installing WordPress on Your Host

There are many different blogging platforms available today, but Im going to save you a lot of time and headache and just say: WordPress is the only one worth using.

WordPress is by far the biggest content management system. Both large and small websites use WordPress; I use WordPress exclusively for its ease of use and its hugeplatform. There are quite literally thousands of free themes that you can use to design your site and thousands more plugins that you can use to customize it.

Its incredibly simple to use, and its completely free, so its sort of a no-brainer.

And the best part of Bluehost is that WordPress installs automatically! When you log in to your account, Bluehost automatically installs WordPress on the site. Its that simple.

Click log in and boom! WordPress is now installed!

Bluehost will show you a few free themes for your new blog. There are literally thousands of WordPress themes you can choose from, so odds are you will not settle on one of these few themes, as they are just a small sample of popular ones.

Pick whichever one you like the best as a holdover until you find something you like better later. Well go over how to change your theme below.

Now you are ready to start editing your WordPress account and you can finally create your own blog page.

Step 4: Learn the Basics of WordPress



After you pick your initial theme, you will be directed to your WordPress Dashboard. Your dashboard is the central hub of your WordPress blog. It is what you will see each time you log in, and it is how you will navigate the back-end of your website.

Youll first see a page that looks like this:

In my opinion, its best to ignore the Business and Personal options and, instead, choose the I dont need help selection. This way, you can customize the site on your own. Dont worry; we will go through all of the settings below.

Step 5: Configuring Your WordPress Account

Now that our hosting account is active and our domain is live, we can get to configuring our WordPress account, which will affect the front-facing website that everyone will actually see.

The first thing you will want to do is tidy up your dashboard. As a brand new site, your dashboard will be littered with updates or possible add-ons that make it distracting to get anything done.

Go to your WordPress dashboard (different from the Bluehost dashboard), and it will probably look something like this. Exit out of all of this clutter by clicking the small xs on each box.

Most of this is unnecessary, but if you need any of it later, you can add it then. Now that you have all of that out of the way, your dashboard should look something like this:

The first thing I like to do from here is remove any of the unnecessary plugins that come preinstalled on the domain. If you run too many plugins, your site can run slowly, making it harder for people to enjoy your site. For that reason, they should be used sparingly and with a purpose.

Plus, when youre first starting your blog, you wont need very many plugins. Your basic plugin page will look something like this:

Personally, I always deactivate and delete the following plugins, Google Analytics for WordPress by MonderInsights, Hello Dolly, Jetpack by WordPress.com, OptinMonster API, and WPForms Lite. I find that some of these arent helpful (Hello Dolly and Jetpack) and others can be replaced by better plugins (MonsterInsights and WPForms).

If, however, you already have an OptinMonster account, you will want to keep their plugin. We cover OptinMonster in another post.

After you have deleted the plugins mentioned above, you can get to the plugins that we actually want to use. Akismet Anti-Spam is an excellent plugin that helps eliminate comment spam on your blogs. Activate this plugin and set up an account using the setting page.

Next, you will want to click on the Add New button and search for Yoast.

The Yoast SEO plugin is an essential plugin for making your new blog search engine friendly. It will submit sitemaps to Google for you that allows your website to get put into Google search and will help you get natural, organic traffic to your blog. Once you locate the plugin, just click on Install Now and Activate and you should be set.

The next plugin that you will want to install is my favorite Google Analytics plugin: simply called Google Analytics by ShareThis.

This plugin easily connects your Google Analytics profile to your website, so you can see how many visitors you are getting to your blog. After you install and activate this plugin, you can connect your Google profile using the Settings feature on your sidebar. If you dont have a Google Analytics profile yet, dont worry. You can skip this step and do it later. We cover setting up Google Analytics in another post.

The last basic plugin I install is the WordPress Classic Editor. Around a year ago or so, WordPress changed up its editor that you use to create your blog posts. Call me old-fashioned, but I despise it, and I much prefer the classic editor.

Luckily, I am not the only one who feels this way, and someone quickly developed a plugin that brings back the classic editor (and over 5 million websites use it).

Step 6: Customize Your Blog

Now that the boring stuff is out of the way, you can actually get to customizing your blogand creating content that people will actually see.

Your first step here is to pick out a theme that you like. If you like the theme you picked out from earlier, youre already done, but at least take a look through the inventory of free themes available.

Under the Appearance section, click on themes. From there, click Add New Theme and you can literally scroll through hundreds and hundreds of free themes and select the one that you like best for your blog.

All you need to do it click Install and then Activate, and the theme will be live on your website. If you want to change it again in the future, just repeat these steps.

Step 6.5: Building Out Your Blog

Now that your blog is live for everyone to see, its time to start building it out and publishing some basic blog pages. Most blog will have some variation of the following pages, so these might be a good place for you to start.

Basic Blog Pages:

Homepage:This will develop over time and as your blog gets bigger, but it is a good place to welcome readers and outline the various parts of your blog. About Page:Here is where you can share your story and explain in more detail what your blog is all about. Contact Page:If you want your readers to be able to contact you, you can create a basic contact page.

Once you have these basic pages completed, its a good idea to publish a few blog posts on the website that readers can see once they go to the site. If you just have a contact page and about page, there isnt much for your visitors to read.

And with that, congratulations! Youre up and blogging!
What Is Backup Withholding?vegas betting

Backup withholding is a tax that is levied on investment income, at an established tax rate, as the investor withdraws it. For payments not subject to withholding, payers are required to withhold the tax. Backup withholding helps to ensure that government tax-collecting agencies, such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or Canada Revenue Agency, will be able to receive income taxes owed to them from investors earnings.

Backup withholding may be applied when an investor has not met rules regarding taxpayer identification numbers (TIN). At the time the investor withdraws his or her investment income, the amount mandated by the backup withholding tax is remitted to the government, immediately providing the tax-collecting body with the required funds but leaving the investor with less short-term cash flow.

Key Takeaways

Backup withholding are funds set aside for tax purposes for withdrawn investment income.

Backup withholding is used by the IRS to make sure it collects taxes on income that an investor may have already spent before his their tax bill comes due.

Backup withholding at a rate of 24% may be applied to taxpayers who provide an incorrect taxpayer identification number (TIN) or do not report certain types of income.

Some payments subject to backup withholding are interest payments, dividends, and rents.

Retirement benefits and unemployment compensation are exempt from backup withholding.

How Backup Withholding Works

Investors commonly earn incomefor example, interest payments, dividends, and distributionsfrom assets in which they have invested. While this income is taxable at the time it is received, the taxes owed on a calendar years investment income only come due once every year, during tax season.

Thus, investors could potentially spend all of their investment income before the annual income taxes come due. This could render them unable to pay taxes, leaving the IRS with the difficult and expensive job of collecting the taxes owed. It is primarily this risk that motivates the government to sometimes require backup withholding taxes to be levied by financial institutions at the time investment income is earned.

Some taxpayers are exempt from backup withholding. If you've reported your name and SSN to the payer with Form W-9 and it matches the IRS documentation and if the IRS has not notified you that you are subject to mandatory backup withholding, you could be exempt.

Payments Subject to Backup Withholding

For those not exempt, the following are common payments types that could be subject to backup withholding:

Interest

Dividends

Government transfers

Rents

Royalties

Commissions

Gambling winnings

Patronage

Payments from brokers on securities transactions

Payments from fishing boat operators

Withholding Due to Incorrect Information

Taxpayers may also be subject to backup withholding if they did not provide the correct TIN or if they did not report dividend, interest, or patronage dividend income to the IRS. Other types of payments also subject to backup withholding include rents, royalty payments, profits, commissions, fees, and other payment for work as an independent contractor. Gambling winnings may also be subject to backup withholding if they were not subject to standard gambling withholding.

If a contractor or investor does not provide the correct TIN to receive payments that are reportable on Form 1099, the payer is required to withhold at a rate of 24%. Payers might also be required to withhold at that rate if the IRS informs them that the payees underreported interest or dividends on their income tax returns. In such an instance, the tax filer will be notified four times over 120 days of the issue and the intent to institute backup withholding.

If a tax filers 1099 indicates backup withholding, that amount can be applied as a credit against any income tax filing for that year.

Withholding Due to Unreported Investment Income

The IRS may also require backup withholding if you or your broker have not reported dividend or interest income received from investments held. Today, this is less common due to automated reporting by most brokerage firms. In the case that you have failed to report or under-reported interest or dividends, the IRS will notify you via four notices mailed to your home address over a period of seven months regarding future backup withholding.

Backup withholding is used by the IRS to make sure it collects taxes on income that an investor may have already spent before his or her tax bill comes due.

Is Backup Withholding a Bad Thing?

It could be a bad thing since it ties up money with the IRS that could otherwise be used for investment purposes. If you are subject to backup withholding, however, you may receive some of that money back as a tax refund.

Who Is Exempt from Backup Withholding?

Most American citizens are exempted from backup withholding so long as their tax identification number (TIN) or social security number is on file with their broker, and corresponds with their legal name. Retirement accounts and unemployment income are also exempted.

Who Is Subject to Backup Withholding?

You may be subject to backup withholding if you are a foreign citizen, or are an American who has not provided your correct TIN/SSN, made the proper certifications, or reported all your taxable interest and dividends on your tax return to the IRS.

The Bottom Line

The IRS imposes backup withholding on certain investment income to prevent tax shortfalls, but the practice also ties up funds that could otherwise be invested. Thankfully, most Americans are exempted from backup withholding, so long as a social security number or taxpayer ID is on file and matches the personal information of the brokerage account holder.
What Is a Liquidity Premium?defipet binance gambling offers uk

A liquidity premium is any form of additional compensation that is required to encourage investment in assets that cannot be easily and efficiently converted into cash at fair market value.

For example, a long-term bond will carry a higher interest rate than a short-term bond because it is relatively illiquid. The higher return is the liquidity premium offered to the investor as compensation for the additional risk.

Key Takeaways

The liquidity premium is a form of extra compensation that is built into the return of an asset that cannot be cashed in easily or quickly.

Illiquidity is seen as a form of investment risk. At the very least it can be an opportunity risk if better investments emerge while the money is tied up.

The more illiquid the investment, the greater the liquidity premium that will be required.

Understanding the Liquidity Premium

Investors in illiquid assets require compensation for the added risk of investing their money in assets that may not be able to be sold for an extended period, especially if their values can fluctuate with the markets in the interim.

Liquid investments are assets that can be easily and quickly converted into cash at their fair market value. A savings account or a short-term Treasury bond are examples. The returns may be low, but the money is safe and can be accessed at any time for its fair value. Many bonds are relatively liquid, as they are easily convertible or may be sold on an active secondary market.

Illiquid investments have the opposite characteristics. They cannot be easily sold at their fair market value.

Illiquidity is seen as a form of risk. The investor's money is tied up.

Liquid and Illiquid Investments

Illiquid investments can take many forms. These investments include certificates of deposit (CDs), certain loans, annuities, and other investment assets that the purchaser is required to hold for a specified period of time. The investments cannot be liquidated or withdrawn early without a penalty.

Other assets are deemed illiquid because they have no active secondary market that can be used to realize their fair market value.

The liquidity premium is built into the return on these types of investments to compensate for the risk the investor takes in locking up funds for a long period of time.

In general, investors who choose to invest in such illiquid investments need to be rewarded for the added risks that a lack of liquidity poses. Investors who have the capital to invest in longer-term investments can benefit from the liquidity premium earned from these investments.

The terms illiquidity premium and liquidity premium are used interchangeably. Both mean that an investor is getting an incentive for a longer-term investment.

Examples of Liquidity Premiums

The shape of the yield curve can further illustrate the liquidity premium demanded from investors for longer-term investments. In a balanced economic environment, longer-term investments require a higher rate of return than shorter-term investmentsthus, the upward sloping shape of the yield curve.

As another example, assume an investor is looking to purchase one of two corporate bonds that have the same coupon payments and time to maturity. Considering one of these bonds is traded on a public exchange while the other is not, the investor is not willing to pay as much for the nonpublic bond. This means a higher premium at maturity. The difference in the relative prices and yields is the liquidity premium.
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Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia

M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester

B.A., English, State University of New York

EnglishByRichard NordquistRichard NordquistEnglish and Rhetoric ProfessorDr. Richard Nordquist is professor emeritus of rhetoric and English at Georgia Southern University and the author of several university-level grammar and composition textbooks.Learn about ourEditorial ProcessUpdated on September 06, 2019

"Ow!" "Ack!" "Yikes!"No doubt, anyone familiar with comic books is well versed in these pithy little utterances. Interjections (or, as they're sometimessomewhat misleadinglycalled, exclamations) are words or short phrases that stand apart from the rest of a sentence grammatically or appear on their own without a subject and verb. Interjections may also be holophrases. Because they're often used to exclaim, interjections often pack an emotional punch that can make fictional dialogue more realistic.

Key Takeaways: Interjections

Interjections are short phrases often used to exclaim.

They can stand on their own as sentences.

Interjections are the "outlaws of English grammar" as illustrated in this writer's other interjections piece:

"Interjections usually stand apart from normal sentences, defiantly maintaining their syntactic independence. (Yeah!) They aren't marked inflectionally for grammatical categories such as tense or number. (No sirree!) And because they show up more frequently in spoken English than in writing, most scholars have chosen to ignore them. (Aw.)"

101 Interjections

As you read through this list, see if you can pick out the interjections that have more than one meaning or can be used in more than one way. Additional spellings or usages are listed in parentheses.

Ah: Ah, I don't know if that's true. Aha:Aha! I figured it out! Ahem:Ahem, could you boys stop talking so we could get on with class, please? Alas:Alas, it was not to be. Amen: Amen, hallelujah, amen! Aw: Aw, do we have to? Awesome: You two are dating? Awesome! Aww: Aww, that's so cute! Bada-bing(bada-bing, bada-bing, bada-boom): "You've gotta get up close like this andbada-BING!you blow their brains all over your nice Ivy League suit." (From "The Godfather," 1972) Bah: Bah, humbug! Baloney: Oh, baloney. I don't believe that. Big deal: Big deal. Who cares? Bingo: Bingo! Right on target! Boo: Boo! Scared you! Boo-hoo: That makes me sad. Boo-hoo. Booyah(boo-yah): Yeah, I aced this test. Booyah! Boy(boy oh boy): Oh boy. Oh boy, oh boy. That's heavy, man. Bravo: Bravo! That was fantastic! Brilliant: Brilliant, luv, absolutely brilliant! (British English.) Brrr: Brr! Minus 30 degrees? Yuk. Bull: Bull. It's not 30 below zero, not really. Bye(bye-bye): Bye! See you later! Cheers: Cheers, mate! You're welcome. (British English); Cheers! Raise a toast! (American English.) Come on(c'mon): Come on. Hurry up. Cool: Oh, wow, that is so cool! Cowabunga: "Cowabunga, dude." ("Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles") Dang: Dang it! Where'd I put that? Darn(darn it): Darn it! I can't find the other one either! Dear me: Oh, dear me. What are we going to do? Duck: Duck! No, really! Get down! Duh: Well, duh. I can't believe you didn't know that. Eh: Eh? What? Enjoy: Enjoy! I hope you like it! Excellent: "Party time, excellent!" ("Wayne's World") Fabulous: Fabulous! That's just wonderful! Fantastic: Fantastic! I just love it! Fiddledeedee (fiddle-dee-dee): "Fiddle-dee-dee! War, war, war; this war talk's spoiling all the fun at every party this spring. I get so bored I could scream." ("Gone With the Wind") Finally: Finally! I never thought that'd be done. For heaven's sake(s): "Oh, for heaven's sake, don't you know your Bible?" ("Little House on the Prairie") Fore: Fore! (Look out! in golf) Foul: Foul! In baseball, the ball went out of bounds, otherwise an infraction. Freeze: Freeze! Stop right there! Gee(gee whiz, gee willikers): Well gee whiz, Pa, why do I have to do that? Giddyap(giddyup): Giddyup, Silver! Go, horse, go! Golly(good golly, golly gee willikers): Golly, that sure was tasty. Goodbye(good-bye): Goodbye, see you again soon! Good grief: "Good grief, Charlie Brown." ("Peanuts") Good heavens: Good heavens! How did that happen? Gosh: Whatever I feel like I wanna do, gosh! ("Napoleon Dynamite") Great: Great! I'm so excited you'll come along! Great balls of fire: "Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!" ("Great Balls of Fire," Jerry Lee Lewis) Ha: Ha-ha! That's funny! Hallelujah: Glory be to God, hallelujah! Heavens(heavens above, heavens to Betsy): Oh, heavens! How could you think that? Heigh-ho: Heigh-ho neighbor! How are you? Hello: Hello! How are things with you? Help: Help! I need somebody ("Help!" The Beatles) Hey(hey there): Hey! Look over there! Hi(hiya): Hi! What's up? Hip, hip, hooray: We won! On the count of three, everyone: Hip, hip hooray! Hip, hip, hooray! Hmm(hrm): Hmm. Let me think about that for a bit. Ho-ho-ho: Ho-ho-ho, Merry Christmas! Holy mackerel(holy cow, holy moly, holy Moses, holy smokes): Holy mackerel! I can't believe it! Ho-hum: Ho-hum, how boring. Hooray(hurrah, hurray): Hooray! That's awesome! Howdy(howdy do): Howdy, pardner. Huh: Huh. I have no idea. Ick: Ick! How gross! Indeed: Indeed! I'll bet you didn't know that! Jeez: Jeez, do we really have to go through this now? Kaboom: Kaboom! It blew up! Kapow: And Batman hit the evildoer, kapow! Lordy(lordy, lordy): Oh lordy, lordy, look who's 40! Mama mia: Mama mia, let me go. ("Bohemian Rhapsody," Queen) Man: Man, that's unbelievable. Marvelous: Marvelous! Oh, honey, that's just wonderful. My: "My! I never once thought of it, Huck!" ("The Adventures of Tom Sawyer") My goodness(my heavens, my stars, my word): My goodness, isn't that just grand? Nah: Nah, it'll never work. No problem: Thank you. No problem. No way(no way Jose): No way! I can't believe it. Nope: Nope. I can't do that. Nuts: Nuts! I wish I didn't have to. Oh(oh boy, oh dear, oh my, oh my gosh, oh my goodness, oh no, oh well): Oh! That's shocking! OK(okay): OK, sounds great. Thank you. Ouch: Ouch! That hurt! Ow: Ow! That stung! Please: Would you help me, please? Poof: Poof! She just disappeared. Shh: Shh! Quiet in the library! Super: Super! That's fantastic! Swell: Swell! How great! Welcome: Welcome! Come in!; (You're) Welcome! Well: Well, I just don't know about that. Whoop-de-doo: Well whoop-de-doo. (sarcasm) I so don't care. Woo-hoo: Woo-hoo! That's fantastic! Wow: Wow! I love it! Yabba dabba doo: "Yabba dabba doo!" ("The Flinstones") Yadda, yadda, yadda: "Well, we were engaged to be married, uh, we bought the wedding invitations, and, uh, yada, yada, yada, I'm still single." ("Seinfeld") Yippee: Yippie! That's exciting! Yummy: Yummy! I love chocolate cake!

Single or Double-Duty Parts of Speech

Interjections have traditionally been treated as one of the eight parts of speech (or word classes). But it's worth keeping in mind that many interjections can do double or triple duty as other parts of speech. For instance, when a word such as boyor awesomeappears by itself (often followed by an exclamation point in writing), it functions as an interjection:

Boy! You have an answer for everything.

The crew chief handed me my first paycheck. "Awesome!" I said.

But when that same word shows up syntactically integrated into a sentence, it usually operates as a different part of speech. In the following examples, boyis a noun, and awesomeis an adjective:

The boy ate a Snickers bar.

Seeing the northern lights for the first time was an awesome experience.

Words that are used only as interjections are called primary interjections, whilewords that also belong to other word classes are called secondary interjections.

Oh! Here's something else to look out for. The meanings of interjections sometimes change depending on the context in which they're used. The word oh, for example, may indicate surprise, disappointment, or delight:

Oh! I didn't see you sitting there.

Oh...I was hoping you could stay for a while.

Oh! I'm so glad you came!

FormatmlaapachicagoYour CitationNordquist, Richard. "A List of Interjections in English." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/interjections-in-english-1692798.Nordquist, Richard. (2020, August 26). A List of Interjections in English. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/interjections-in-english-1692798Nordquist, Richard. "A List of Interjections in English." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/interjections-in-english-1692798 (accessed November 19, 2022).
daylight lamp New Word List Save This smarkets ask serengeti kings slotWord! Save ThisWord!

nounphysics a lamp whose light has a range of wavelengths similar to that of natural sunlight

Words nearby daylight lamp

How to use in a sentence Not 90 seconds later, Brown lay shot to death in broad daylight in the middle of a Missouri street. 90 Seconds of Fury in Ferguson Are the Key to Making Peace in America|Michael Daly|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST

90 Seconds of Fury in Ferguson Are the Key to Making Peace in America|Michael Daly|November 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST Another Dem who has been just a heart-beat (or a lamp bash) away from being president. Why 2016s Hopefuls Are Hopeless|P. J. ORourke|November 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Why 2016s Hopefuls Are Hopeless|P. J. ORourke|November 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST It was a magical feeling, leaving daylight to sneak into a theater, he says wistfully. Can Condon's Freak Show Win Broadway?|Tim Teeman|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Can Condon's Freak Show Win Broadway?|Tim Teeman|November 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST When Tibor died we did a retrospective of MCo., and the lamp was the last thing you saw, she says. The Singular Artist of New Yorkistan|Lizzie Crocker|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST Two gunmen pulled off a daylight heist in the Diamond District and evaded every single cop. How to Get Away With Stealing $2 Million in Jewelry in the Heart of New York|John Surico|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

How to Get Away With Stealing $2 Million in Jewelry in the Heart of New York|John Surico|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST He came to the top of the stairs with a lamp in his hand, and wanted to know what the rumpus was about. The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden

The Bondboy|George W. (George Washington) Ogden When I had finished, the other guests had all gone out, but daylight was coming in, and I began to feel more at home. Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley

Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley Every light in the hall was ablaze; every lamp turned as high as it could be without smoking the chimney or threatening explosion. The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin We were about nine hours of fair daylight traversing 160 miles of level or descending grade, with a light passenger train. Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley

Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley Now he blew out the lamp and stood over me in the half-light, holding out a hand. The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questionday laborer, day labourer, day letter, Day-Lewis, daylight, daylight lamp, daylight robbery, daylights, daylight saving, daylight-saving time, daylilyCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
When you look at available evidence and reach a conclusion, are you deducing something, or inducing something?

The answer is a bit complicated. Depending on the types of evidence you found and the types of reasoning you used to make your decision, either word could be appropriate.

Lets examine each word in a bit more detail.

What is the Difference Between Deduce and Induce?

In this post, I will compare deduce vs. induce. I will use each word in at least one example sentence, so you can see how it should appear in context.

Plus, I will show you a helpful memory tool that makes choosing either deduce or induce much easier.

When to Use Deduce

What does deduce mean? Deduce is a verb. It means to arrive at a conclusion through logic and reasoning. Its corresponding noun is deduction.

Someone who deduces something takes pieces of available evidence and uses them to arrive at a conclusion. If you saw an empty candy wrapper in your friends trash, you could deduce that he or she had eaten candy recently. If you saw a receipt for expensive jewelry in the trash, you could deduce that he or she had purchased some jewelry recently.

For example,

From the cigarette butt still burning in the ashtray and the lukewarm coffee in the pot, the detective deduced that the suspect had only recently left his apartment.

Philosophers use formal logic to deduce profound truths about the nature of knowledge, truth, and even of existence itself.

The fictional character Sherlock Holmes is famous for his power of deduction.

When to Use Induce

What does induce mean? Induce is also a verb. It means to cause or influence something or to infer.

Here is an example of the first sense,

The doctor was out of the proper medicine, so she induced vomiting by inserting her fingers down the patients throat.

When induce refers to a style of reasoning, it means to infer, or to arrive at a conclusion through a process of induction.

To grossly oversimplify, deductive reasoning takes broad, general truths and uses them to arrive at concrete, specific conclusions. Here is an example of a deductive syllogism:

All cats shed.

Rufus is a cat.

Therefore, Rufus sheds.

The argument takes categorical truths about cats and a being called Rufus and uses them to draw a specific conclusion, namely, that Rufus sheds.

Inductive reasoning, meanwhile, examines concrete observations and draws broad, general conclusions.

Here is an example of inductive reasoning,

We found thirty American pennies, and they were all made of copper.

We found no American pennies that were not made from copper.

Therefore, all American pennies must be made from copper.

Deduction and induction are both valid forms of reasoning, and both deduce and induce are verbs that describe types of logic.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Induce and deduce describe deductive and inductive reasoning, respectively.

Induce vs. Deduce Check: Since deduction distills broad, categorical observations into specific, concrete conclusions, and deduction and distill each begin with the letter D, it should be easy to remember what this verb means.

Summary

Is it induce or deduce? Deduce and induce are verbs that refer to different methods of reasoning and using logic. They are both legitimate verbs, but they refer to different concepts and are not usually interchangeable.
What Is a Custodian Bank?goldfish slots casino facebook

A custodian bank is a financial institution that holds customers' securities for safekeeping to prevent them from being stolen or lost. The custodian may hold stocks, bonds, or other assets in electronic or physical form on behalf of its customers.

Often, a custodian bank does more than provide asset protection. It can manage customers' accounts and transactions, manage the settlement of financial transactions, account for the status of assets, and ensure compliance with tax regulations.

Key Takeaways

A custodian bank holds financial assets for safekeeping to minimize the risk of theft or loss.

Investment advisors are required to arrange for a custodian for assets they manage for their clients.

These assets may be stored in physical or electronic form.

Custodian banks can also manage financial accounts, handle settlements, and deal with compliance and tax issues.

Custodian banks can serve as mutual fund custodians.

Custodian

How a Custodian Bank Works

1:28

Since they are responsible for the safety of assets and securities worth hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars, custodians tend to be large and reputable firms, such as banks. Investment advisory firms routinely use custodian banks to safeguard the assets they manage for their clients.

A custodian also may be appointed to maintain control of the assets of a minor child or an incapacitated adult and manage them on their behalf.

Other Services Provided

Most custodians offer related services such as account administration, transaction settlements, the collection and distribution of dividends and interest payments, tax support, and foreign exchange management.

A custodian bank may handle investment activities for customers. This could involve placing orders with a brokerage to buy or sell securities, transferring funds to and from accounts, overseeing investment account activities, and reporting account activity to customers.

Custodians may also prepare the necessary tax filings related to investment activities for customers.

The fees for their services depend on exactly what they provide and can be based on the value of assets held.



A custodian bank may have the right to take possession of assets if required, often in conjunction with a power of attorney. This allows the custodian bank to perform actions on behalf of a client, such as making payments or altering investments.

Custodian Banks vs. Traditional Banks

The difference between custodian banks and traditional banks lies in their primary roles.

Custodian banks are concerned above all with the safekeeping of financial assets belonging to individuals or institutions. They may also offer services related to that primary role. However, they don't offer the services provided by traditional banks.

Traditional banks are financial institutions whose primary role is to take and hold deposits for customers and extend loans to them. Bank customers should be familiar with such activities and the products that represent them.

These products can include checking and savings accounts, certificate of deposit accounts (CDs), money market accounts, personal loans, car loans, and mortgage loans. All are related to their primary role.

Traditional banks may offer other related and beneficial services such as check cashing, credit cards, investment services, and business banking.



A traditional bank may also offer custody services and thus function as a custodian bank, as well.

Custodian Banks vs. Mutual Fund Custodians

As mentioned above, a custodian bank takes on the responsibility of safeguarding the financial assets of individuals and institutions. It may provide additional, related services, as needed.

Mutual fund custodians are third party institutions that protect the securities in which mutual funds invest. A mutual fund custodian is often a custodian bank, but mutual fund custodians are focused on mutual fund company assets.

The separation between mutual fund and mutual fund custodian is important. Should a fund's management declare bankruptcy, the mutual fund custodian, which has maintained control over the fund's assets, will return investments to the shareholders.

In addition to safeguarding the assets, mutual fund custodians can handle settlements, track investors' transactions, and ensure that money is deposited in the custodial account or sent to investors (or their brokerages).

The mutual fund custodian also pays fund expenses related to share transactions and monitors the companies in which the fund invests to ensure the mutual fund companies are in compliance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations.

The mutual fund custodian must also maintain transaction records and report activities to the SEC, as required.



Special Considerations

In cases where investment advisors are responsible for customer funds, the advisor must follow custody rules set forth by the SEC.

In particular, the person or entity must be considered a qualified custodian. That limits the field to banks, registered brokers, registered dealers, and certain other individuals or entities.

Notices must be provided to customers when certain activities are conducted on their behalf. Regular account statements must also be provided to the customers.

One of the nation's oldest banking institutions, JPMorgan Chase & Co., is also one of its largest custodian banks.

Custodians for Minors

If an account beneficiary is a minor, a custodian is often required (i.e., a custodial account). In such cases, the custodian may be a responsible individual rather than an institution. The custodian has the authority to make investment decisions regarding the assets in the account, but the funds are ultimately intended for use only by the named beneficiary.

Each account can have only one beneficiary, the minor account holder, and one custodian, a designated adult representative. The custodian remains in place until the beneficiary reaches adulthood.

Other people can contribute to a minor's account, but they have no authority over how the funds are managed once they are deposited.

What Purpose Does a Custodian Financial Institution Serve?

A custodian financial institution keeps the securities owned by individuals and organizations safe. This serves an important purpose since financial securities must be cleared and settled properly, with various regulatory and accounting procedures met. These are often far too complex or time consuming for investors or traders.

What Other Services Do Custodian Banks Offer?

Custodians today do more than maintain the security of assets. They also provide accounting and settlement services, such as managing dividends or interest that has been distributed to the account or managing stock splits. The custodian bank performs such actions in the client's name, and the SEC ensures that custodians will notify customers when certain activities are conducted on their behalf in addition to sending regular account statements.

What Are Some of the Largest Custodian Banks?

Bank of New York (BNY) Mellon, JPMorgan Chase, State Street, and Citigroup are among the largest custodian banks in the U.S. Some of the best-known custodian banks overseas include the Bank of China, Credit Suisse and UBS (Switzerland), Deutsche Bank (Germany), Barclays (England), and BNP Paribas (France).

Why Are Custodian Banks Important?

Custodian banks are important because the security services they offer are needed by both individuals and institutions. They can be of valuable assistance to holders of financial accounts and assets who don't want to (or can't) play a role in the day-to-day management of their accounts' transactions and other activities. Custodian banks also can manage assets, handle reporting, and ensure compliance with regulations. They can also address tax management goals.

Are There Custodians Other Than Banks?

Yes, a custodian can be an individual. Other types of firms, such as a law firm or an accounting firm, can be custodians, as well.

The Bottom Line

Custodian banks play an important role in holding and protecting the financial assets owned by individuals and institutions.

They perform related activities such as account administration, transaction settlements, the collection and distribution of dividends and fixed income interest payments, tax support, and foreign exchange management.

Custodians can also be appointed to aid in the oversight and management of financial accounts held by minors and adults unable to care for their affairs due to age, illness, or physical debilitation.
Blackjack is how to earn money while playing minecraftmore popular than it ever has been. With the help of the internet and advancements in technology, people playing blackjack has grown exponentially over the past two decades.

The objective of the game is simply having higher cards than the dealer without going over 21.

For players new to the game, here are some basic rules and terminology you would be advised to learn before jumping in:

Card Values

2-10 = Face Value

Jacks, Queens and Kings = 10

Aces = 1 or 11

The card suits are irrelevant.

Terminology

Blackjack  An ace with a card worth 10 points gives you the desired total of 21.

Bust = Going over 21.

Hit = Draw another card from the dealer.

Hole = The dealers card that is dealt face down.

Stand = Stick with what you have and take no more cards.

How to Play

Players place their bets by putting their desired number of chips on the mat in front of their sit in a comfortable range for the dealer. All of this is done automatically when playing online. You can check for yourself by playing a free game or real money at a trusted online casino, such as: https://casino.paddypower.com/c/blackjack

Once all the players have entered their desired bets, the dealer will deal two cards face up to each of the participants. The dealer gives himself one card face up and one card face down.

Any player who has 21 from their first two cards wins straightaway provided the dealers revealed card isnt a 10 or an Ace.

Players are then asked if they want to hit or stand. Is their total so close to 21 that they dont want to go bust? Or do they want to take the risk of getting even closer to the desired total?

You can indicate to the deal what you want verbally, by saying hit or stand, or by tapping the table to indicate hit or making a motion to notify the deal that you want to take no more cards.

Once all the participating players have made their decision the dealer will reveal his card in the hole. If their total is below 15 then they must hit until the number is between 15-21 or is bust. If they go bust then all of the remaining players who did not go bust, win. If the dealers first two cards calculate to a total of 15-21 then they must stand.

Payouts are based on the outcome. Winners double their money whilst those with blackjack get paid out 3 to 2. Should the player and dealer both get blackjack or the same number then it is a push and no chips exchange hands.

You are also allowed to double your bet after receiving your first two cards. You do this by placing additional chips next to your original bet. Should you do this then you receive only one additional card.

Likewise, you can split your cards if they are of the same number. This is a popular choice among players who have received a pair of 10s or Aces. To do this, simply place an equal bet alongside your first bet. Your cards are then separated by the dealer and you are given an additional card to complete each hand. You can call hit or stand for each.

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Daktyl [ dak-til ]/ dk tl / New Word List Save This roulette best strategy redditWord! [ dak-til ]/ dk tl /Save ThisWord!

noun, plural Daktyls, Daktyli [dak-ti-lahy]. /dk tla/. Dactyl.

Words nearby Daktyl

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondakoity, Dakota, Dakotan, Dakota Territory, daks, Daktyl, dal, Daladier, Dalai Lama, dalan, dalaponDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
The Slovak government has decided to extend the ban on the import of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds from Ukraine until the end of the year, Prime Minister Ludovit Odor has said.

"The European Commission did not extend the ban on the import of four goods from Ukraine, including wheat, after September 15, so the government decided to ban their import at the national level. And this is until the end of the year and for the same four goods, i.e. wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds. We must prevent excessive pressure on the Slovak market to remain fair to domestic farmers," Odor said, according to the Aktuality publication.

According to him, this government's step is also a reaction to a similar approach by Poland and Hungary. Odor said that the Slovak government will continue to work intensively with the European Commission and the member states of the European Union to find a pan-European and systemic solution while the national import ban on these four products is in effect. He stated the government's readiness to lift the ban in such a case.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Slovakia added that this decision is related to the protection of the domestic market and is a logical reaction to the practice of neighboring countries that adopt unilateral import bans.

"The ban does not apply to the transportation of goods through our territory, which expresses our solidarity with Ukraine and the placement of its goods in target markets," the ministry added.
de Broglie waves / (d brl) / New Word List Save This all texas holdem poker handsWord! / (d brl) /Save ThisWord!

pl nphysics the set of waves that represent the behaviour of an elementary particle, or some atoms and molecules, under certain conditions. The de Broglie wavelength, , is given by  = h/mv, where h is the Planck constant, m the mass, and v the velocity of the particleAlso called: matter waves

Words nearby de Broglie waves

How to use in a sentence In the last year, her fusion exercise class has attracted a cult following and become de rigueur among the celebrity set. How Taryn Toomeys The Class Became New Yorks Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

How Taryn Toomeys The Class Became New Yorks Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST They tried to continue their getaway but had to quickly abandon their vehicle on the Rue de Meaux in the 19th. Police Hunt for Paris Massacre Suspects|Tracy McNicoll, Christopher Dickey|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Police Hunt for Paris Massacre Suspects|Tracy McNicoll, Christopher Dickey|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST Humans spent a long time domesticating cattle, and what they were trying to do, in essence, was de-domesticate them. Nazi Cows Tried to Kill British Farmer|Tom Sykes|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Nazi Cows Tried to Kill British Farmer|Tom Sykes|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST The band was still on its way back as De Blasio and his wife departed. Funeral Protest Is Too Much for NYPD Union Boss|Michael Daly|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST Yet even after the funeral protest, de Blasio was booed and heckled while addressing a new class of recruits as well. We Need Our Police to Be Better Than This|Nick Gillespie|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

We Need Our Police to Be Better Than This|Nick Gillespie|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST Madame de Condillac stood watching him, her face composed, her glance cold. St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini

St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini Then the door opened, the portiere was swept aside, and Anselme announced "Monsieur de Garnache." St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini

St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini San Antonio de Bexar lies in a fertile and well-irrigated valley, stretching westward from the river Salado. Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various It will be remembered that pitch depends upon the rapidity of the sound waves or vibrations. Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick

Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick One evening, while he was thus engaged, he observed de Patinos and Duke Wharton enter together. The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question de Broglie wavesC20: named after Prince Louis Victor de Broglie (18921987), French physicistdebris, debris bug, de Broglie, de Broglie equation, de Broglie wave, de Broglie waves, debrouillard, debruise, Debs, Debs, Eugene V., debtCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Thesites like dr slot fezzik best bet human body is made to move, and physical activity is a requirement for lifelong health. But exercise-related injuries are a significant concern few people think about until its too late. Even a mild sprain can sideline an athlete for weeks, and a sports-related injury can be debilitating for an older adult. I think a lot of people, especially those in their 20s and 30s, are interested in doing a lot of exercise but theyre not really thinking about injuries, says Dr. Brian Werner, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at the University of Virginia.

Running, for example, is among the most popular forms of exercise in America. But up to half of all runners are injured each year, according to a 2010 study in Current Sports Medicine Reports. Im a long-distance runner myself, but its a high-impact form of exercise and its not optimal for people trying to avoid getting hurt, Werner says. Also, many runners tend to overdo it. When it comes to runnings longevity benefits, researchers have found that running two or three times per week at a slow or moderate pace is optimal.

Especially for those age 40 and older, exercises that place heavy amounts of stress on the knees, shoulders and other joints are going to come with a high risk of injury, Werner says. Examples he raises are basketball, soccer, tennis, or other sports that involve lots of jumping, twisting, or quick changes of direction.

Thats not to say these activities are unhealthy, or that people who enjoy them should give them up. A 2018 study in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings found that, compared to solo exercise pursuits, activities that involve spending time with others are associated with longer life expectancies. Studies have independently linked both exercise and social interaction with longer lifespans, so it makes sense that combining the two would be beneficial. But while healthy, many of these activities nonetheless carry a high risk for injury.

If a persons goal is to minimize those risks while still getting all the health and longevity benefits of exercise, experts highlight walking and swimming as two low-risk, high-reward pursuits. Unless youre swimming competitively or for hours every day, its easy on the joints, says Dr. Kyle Yost, a sports medicine specialist at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Swimming also combines aerobic exercise and resistance training, meaning it improves fitness and strength, he says.

Walking, meanwhile, is associated with both long life and a reduced risk for medical-related expenditures, according to a 2011 study in BMJ Open. A 2019 study found that brisk walking is especially healthy. Walking is an outdoor activity that can include spending time with other people, and I think any exercise that combines those two things is going to be very healthy, says Dr. James OKeefe, a cardiologist and medical director of the Cardio Health & Wellness Center at Saint Lukes Mid America Heart Institute.

Find your best indoor workout with TIMEs new guide to exercise.

Yoga also garners some shout-outs as a low-risk, high-reward form of physical activity. It has to be done correctly and with good supervision, especially when just starting out, but I think yoga offers a great combination of flexibility and strength training, says Dr. Steven Struhl, an orthopedic surgeon at NYU Langone Health. Flexibility is a neglected component of proper health and fitness, he says. It improves balance and reduces stiffness, which leads to strains or injury.

For fitness enthusiasts who recoil at the idea of a life filled with long walks and yoga, there are ways to lower the injury risks associated with more intense, high-impact sports.

The first tip may induce some yawns. But experts say a moderate approach to any sport or workout is a good way to avoid getting hurt. Overtraining leads to a lot of injuries, says Yost. If youre playing the same sport or doing the same type of exercise every dayand especially if youre pushing yourself hardyoure asking for trouble.

Taking it easy at the start and slowly working your way up to more intense workouts is another safety measure. A lot of people start off too heavy or with too much volume, OKeefe says. If youre intent on running a half-marathon, for example, sign up for next yearsnot this yearsand try to mix in some other non-running forms of exercise (swimming, yoga) to build your strength and endurance.

Finally, dont neglect your core. You get your power from your core, and if its weak, you tend to overuse your arms or legs, which leads to injury, Struhl says. Pilates classes can improve your core strength. So can gym machines that target your upper and lower back, obliques, and abdominal muscles, he says.

All that said, if youre looking for safe, healthy activities that will lower your risks for injuriesas well as for disease and mortalityeasy-on-your-body activities like walking, yoga and swimming are great options.
M.A., Geography, California State University - East Bay

B.A., English and Geography, California State University - Sacramento

Planet Earth is a roundish planet. In order to map it, geographers overlay grid of lines of latitude and longitude. Latitudinal lines wrap around the planet from east to west, while longitude lines go from north to south.

The equator is an imaginary line that runs from east to west on Earth's surface and is exactly halfway between the north and south poles (the northernmost and southernmost points on the Earth). It also divides the Earth into the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere and is an important line of latitude for navigational purposes. It is at 0 latitude, and all other measurements head north or south from it. The poles are at 90 degrees north and south. For reference, the corresponding line of longitude is the prime meridian.

Earth at the Equator

User:Cburnett / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Wikimedia Commons

The equator is the only line on the Earth's surface that is considered a great circle. This is defined as any circle drawn on a sphere (or an oblate spheroid) with a center that includes the center of that sphere. The equator thus qualifies as a great circle because it passes through the exact center of the Earth and divides it in half. Other lines of latitude north and south of the equator are not great circles because they shrink as they move toward the poles. As their length decreases, they do not all pass through the center of the Earth.

Earth is an oblate spheroid that is slightly squished at the poles, which means it bulges at the equator. This "pudgy basketball' shape comes from a combination of Earth's gravity and its rotation. As it spins, Earth flattens just a bit, making diameter at the equator 42.7 km larger than the diameter of the planet from pole to pole. Earth's circumference at the equator is 40,075 km and 40,008 km at the poles.

Earth also rotates faster at the equator. It takes 24 hours for the Earth to make one full rotation on its axis, and since the planet is bigger at the equator, it has to move faster to make one full rotation. Therefore, to find the speed of Earth's rotation around its middle, divide 40,000 km by 24 hours to get 1,670 km per hour. As one moves north or south in latitude from the equator the Earth's circumference is reduced and thus the speed of rotation decreases slightly.

The Climate at the Equator

The equator is distinct from the rest of the globe in its physical environment as well as its geographic characteristics. For one thing, the equatorial climate remains much the same year-round. The dominant patterns are warm and wet or warm and dry. Much of the equatorial region is also characterized as being humid.

These climactic patterns occur because the region at the equator receives the most incoming solar radiation. As one moves away from the equatorial regions, solar radiation levels change, which allows other climates to develop and explains the temperate weather in the mid-latitudes and the colder weather at the poles. The tropical climate at the equator allows an amazing amount of biodiversity. It features many different species of plants and animals and is home to the largest areas of tropical rainforests in the world.

Countries Along the Equator

In addition to the dense tropical rainforests along the equator, the line of latitude crosses the land and water of 12 countries and several oceans. Some land areas are sparsely populated, but others, like Ecuador, have large populations and have some of their largest cities on the equator. For example, Quito, Ecuador's capital, is within a kilometer of the equator. As such, the city's center features a museum and monument marking the equator.

More Interesting Equatorial Facts

The equator has special significance beyond being a line on a grid. For astronomers, the extension of the equator out to space marks the celestial equator. People who live along the equator and watch the sky will notice that the sunsets and sunrises are very fast and the length of each day remains fairly constant throughout the year.

Sailors of old (and new) celebrate equator passages when their ships cross the equator heading either north or south. These "festivals" range from some pretty raucous events onboard naval and other vessels to fun parties for passengers on pleasure cruise ships. For space launches, the equatorial region offers a bit of a speed boost to rockets, allowing them to save on fuel as they launch eastward.
What Is the Consumer Price Index (CPI)?nfl odds week 1 2021 is blackjack

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the monthly change in prices paid by U.S. consumers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) calculates the CPI as a weighted average of prices for a basket of goods and services representative of aggregate U.S. consumer spending.

The CPI is one of the most popular measures of inflation and deflation. The CPI report uses a different survey methodology, price samples, and index weights than the producer price index (PPI), which measures changes in the prices received by U.S. producers of goods and services.

Key Takeaways

The Consumer Price Index measures the overall change in consumer prices based on a representative basket of goods and services over time.

The CPI is the most widely used measure of inflation, closely followed by policymakers, financial markets, businesses, and consumers.

The widely quoted CPI is based on an index covering 93% of the U.S. population, while a related index covering wage earners and clerical workers is used for cost-of-living adjustments to federal benefits.

The CPI is based on about 94,000 price quotes collected monthly from some 23,000 retail and service establishments as well as 43,000 rental housing units.

Housing rents are used to estimate the change in shelter costs including owner-occupied housing that account for nearly a third of the CPI.

The Consumer Price Index

Understanding the Consumer Price Index (CPI)

1:49

The BLS collects about 94,000 prices monthly from some 23,000 retail and service establishments. Although the two CPI indexes calculated from the data both contain the word urban, the more broad-based and widely cited of the two covers 93% of the U.S. population.

Shelter category prices accounting for nearly a third of the overall CPI are based on a survey of rental prices for 43,000 housing units, which is then used to calculate the rise in rental prices as well as owners' equivalents. The owners' equivalent category models the rent equivalent for owner-occupied housing to properly reflect housing costs' share of consumer spending. User fees and sales or excise taxes are included, while income taxes and the prices of investments such as stocks, bonds, or life insurance policies are not part of the CPI.

The calculation of the CPI indexes from the data factors in substitution effectsconsumers' tendency to shift spending away from products and categories has grown relatively more expensive. It also adjusts price data for changes in product quality and features. The weighting of the product and service categories in the CPI indexes corresponds to recent consumer spending patterns derived from a separate survey.

8.2%

The change in the CPI-U over the 12-period ending September 2022 before seasonal adjustments. That's compared to the 8.3% increase recorded in August 2022 during the same period.

Types of Consumer Price Indexes (CPIs)

The BLS publishes two indexes each month. The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) represents 93% of the U.S. population not living in remote rural areas. It doesn't cover spending by people living in farm households, institutions, or on military bases. CPI-U is the basis of the widely reported CPI numbers that matter to financial markets.



The BLS also publishes the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). The CPI-W covers 29% of the U.S. population living in households with income derived predominantly from clerical employment or jobs with an hourly wage. CPI-W is used to adjust Social Security payments as well as other federal benefits and pensions for changes in the cost of living. It also shifts federal income tax brackets to ensure taxpayers aren't subjected to a higher marginal rate as a result of inflation.

Consumer Price Index (CPI Formulas)

The more common CPI-U calculation entails two primary formulas. The first is used to determine the current cost of the weighted-average basket of products, while the second is used to analyze the year-over-year change.

Annual CPI Formula

To calculate the annual CPI, the BLS divides the value of a specific basket of goods today compared to one year ago:

Annual CPI = (Value of Basket in Current Year / Value of Basket in Prior Year) * 100

As mentioned earlier, the basket of goods and services used in the CPI calculation is a composite of popular items commonly purchased by Americans. The weight of each component of the basket is in proportion to how they are sold. The annual CPI is reported as a whole number, and the figure is often greater than 100 (assuming current market prices are appreciating).

Then, the BLS uses the current year's CPI and the prior year's CPI to calculate the inflation rate.

Inflation Rate = ((New CPI - Prior CPI) / Prior CPI) * 100

The inflation rate can be calculated for a given month or annual period; in either case, the appropriate new and prior period must be selected. The inflation rate is reported as a percentage and is often positive (assuming current market prices are appreciating).



Investopedia / Maddy Price

Consumer Price Index (CPI) Categories

The monthly CPI release from the BLS leads with the change from the prior month for the overall CPI-U as well as its key subcategories, along with the unadjusted change year-over-year. The BLS detailed tables show price changes for a variety of goods and services organized by eight umbrella spending categories.

Subcategories estimate price changes for everything from tomatoes and salad dressing to auto repairs and sporting events tickets. Price change for each subcategory is provided with and without seasonal adjustment. In addition to the national CPI indexes, BLS publishes CPI data for U.S. regions, sub-regions, and major metropolitan areas. The metro data is subject to wider fluctuations and is useful mainly for identifying the price changes based on local conditions.

The table below represents the CPI basket weighted distribution amongst the eight major expense categories. Be mindful that some subcategories may be difficult to spot within their major categories. For example, automobiles are classified under commodities.



CPI Categories by Weight, September 2022 Group Weight Housing 32.5% Commodities 21.3% Food 13.6% Energy 8.2% Health Care 6.9% Transportation 5.9% Education 5.3% Other Expenses 6.3% Total Expenses 100%

How Is the CPI Used?

The CPI is widely used by financial market participants to gauge inflation and by the Federal Reserve to calibrate its monetary policy. Businesses and consumers also use the CPI to make informed economic decisions. Since CPI measures the change in consumers' purchasing power, it is often a key factor in pay negotiations.

The Federal Reserve

The Fed uses CPI data to determine economic policy. With a target inflation rate of 2%, the Fed may enact monetary policy to stimulate the economy should market growth slow or enact contractionary monetary policy should the economy (and therefore prices) become to grow too quickly. In response to higher-than-desired inflation rates via the CPI, the Fed adjusts the Fed funds rate.

Other Government Agencies

The cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) based on the CPI affect federal payments to the approximately 70 million Americans receiving Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. They also apply to federal pension payments, school lunch subsidies, and income tax brackets.

Housing

Mortgage rates (and other forms of long-term debt) are often impacted by rates set by government agencies. As the CPI increases and the government enacts policy changes to slow inflation, rates often increase. On the other hand, landlords may use CPI information to adequately assess what annual rent increases for renters should be.

Financial Markets

Financial market prices are driven by countless factors. One such factor is the CPI, as reactionary Fed policies directly impact economic growth, corporate profits, and consumer spending ability.

A higher CPI often means that a less stringent government policy is generally in place. This means that debt is often easier to obtain for cheaper and that individuals have greater spending capacity. On the other hand, lower or decreasing CPI may indicate that the government may ease policy that helps boost the economy.

Labor Markets

The CPI and its components are also used as a deflator for other economic indicators, including retail sales and hourly/weekly earnings, to separate fundamental change from that reflecting change in prices. Employees may turn to CPI reports when approaching their employers for a raise based on nationwide increases to labor rates as well as pricing.

Be mindful that the CPI is published using national data; employees may be more suited to using local data to better understand their specific situation. In addition, some workers covered by collective bargaining agreements may have their wages tied to changes in CPI.



The BLS reports the CPI on a fixed, monthly cadence. A schedule of prior and future releases can be found on the BLS website, and the CPI is always released at 8:30am Eastern Time.

Consumer Price Index (CPI) vs. Unemployment

In the broadest sense, the CPI and unemployment rates are often inversely related. This is not always the case in every economy, but the Federal Reserve often attempts to decrease one metric while balancing the other. For example, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Reserve took unprecedented supervisory and regulatory actions to stimulate the economy.

As a result, the labor market quickly strengthened and bottomed at 3.5% in July 2022. However, this stimulus has resulted in the highest CPI calculations in decades.

As a result of higher-than-targeted CPI calculations, the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates and tapering certain asset purchases. On one hand, these measures aim to slow economic growth, make it more expensive for consumers to acquire debt, and stem monetary supply growth.

On the other hand, these additional expenses may burden households and make companies less profitable. All else being equal when the Federal Reserve attempts to lower the CPI, it runs the risk of unintentionally increasing unemployment rates.

Critiques of Consumer Price Index (CPI) Methodology

Because the CPI Index is so crucial to economic policy and decision-making, its methodology has long been controversial, drawing claims it either understates or overstates inflation. A panel of economists commissioned by Congress to study the issue in 1995 concluded the CPI overstated inflation and was followed by calculation changes to better reflect substitution effects.

More recently, critics have claimed that adjustments for changes in product quality and features understate the CPI. According to the BLS, the particularly controversial hedonic adjustments, which use regression techniques to adjust prices for new features on a relatively small proportion of the CPI items, have a net effect close to zero on the index.

As the traditional CPI-U calculation only measures inflation for urban populations, it remains a less-than-reliable source of data for individuals living in rural areas. In addition, the CPI does not explicitly state how different demographics may be impacted by inflation. For example, soaring education costs may adversely impact younger individuals, while the impact of increasing elderly care costs is felt by a different group of individuals.

This notion is also widely attributable to individuals with varying degrees of income. For example, lower-income individuals who contribute more gross income towards necessities of shelter and food will skew differently than households with larger disposable income. For this reason, the CPI may not adequately reflect each individual's experience in regard to costs and changes over time.

What Is the Current CPI?

The annual change in the CPI was 8.2% for the 12-month period ending September 2022. This was 0.1% less than the year-over-year change reported in the month prior.

How Is the Consumer Price Index Used?

The CPI Index is an inflation indicator closely watched by policymakers and financial markets. A related CPI measure is used to calculate cost-of-living adjustments for federal benefit payments.

How Is the CPI Calculated?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics samples 94,000 prices monthly to calculate the CPI, weighing the index for each product or service in proportion to its share of recent consumer spending to calculate the overall change in prices. The calculation also factors in the substitution effect as consumers shift spending away from the products rising in price on a relative basis. The CPI also adjusts for changes in product quality and features. The numbers are provided with and without seasonal adjustments.

What Are Some Criticisms of the CPI?

Over the years, the CPI has frequently drawn criticism that it has either understated or overstated inflation. Because the CPI is based on consumer spending, it doesn't track third-party reimbursements for healthcare, and significantly underweights healthcare relative to its proportion in the GDP as a result. On the other hand, criticism concerning the quality adjustments used in the CPI has been widely discounted by economists.

The Bottom Line

The Consumer Price Index is an important economic metric. It measures the average change in prices paid by consumers over a period of time for a basket of goods and services. The index is calculated and published monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is among the most common measures of inflation, indicating the health and direction of the economy. It also serves in other capacities, notably to help make adjustments to certain income payments, such as Social Security and pensions for federal civil service retirees.
What Are Production Costs?block chain technology pdf

Production costs refer to all of the direct and indirect costs businesses face from manufacturing a product or providing a service. Production costs can include a variety of expenses, such as labor, raw materials, consumable manufacturing supplies, and general overhead.

Key Takeaways

Production costs refer to the costs a company incurs from manufacturing a product or providing a service that generates revenue for the company.

Production costs can include a variety of expenses, such as labor, raw materials, consumable manufacturing supplies, and general overhead.

Total product costs can be determined by adding together the total direct materials and labor costs as well as the total manufacturing overhead costs.

Production Cost

Understanding Production Costs

1:15

Production costs, which are also known as product costs, are incurred by a business when it manufactures a product or provides a service. These costs include a variety of expenses. For example, manufacturers have production costs related to the raw materials and labor needed to create the product. Service industries incur production costs related to the labor required to implement the service and any costs of materials involved in delivering the service.

Taxes levied by the government or royalties owed by natural resource-extraction companies are also treated as production costs. Once a product is finished, the company records the product's value as an asset in its financial statements until the product is sold. Recording a finished product as an asset serves to fulfill the company's reporting requirements and inform shareholders.

To qualify as a production cost, an expense must be directly connected to generating revenue for the company.

Total product costs can be determined by adding together the total direct materials and labor costs as well as the total manufacturing overhead costs. Data like the cost of production per unit can help a business set an appropriate sales price for the finished item.

To arrive at the cost of production per unit, production costs are divided by the number of units manufactured in the period covered by those costs. To break even, the sales price must cover the cost per unit. Prices that are greater than the cost per unit result in profits, whereas prices that are less than the cost per unit result in losses.



Types of Production Costs

Production incurs both fixed costs and variable costs. For example, fixed costs for manufacturing an automobile would include equipment as well as workers' salaries. As the rate of production increases, fixed costs remain steady.

Variable costs increase or decrease as production volume changes. Utility expenses are a prime example of a variable cost, as more energy is generally needed as production scales up.

The marginal cost of production refers to the total cost to produce one additional unit. In economic theory, a firm will continue to expand the production of a good until its marginal cost of production is equal to its marginal product (marginal revenue). This, in turn, will tend to equal its selling price.



Special Considerations

There may be options available to producers if the cost of production exceeds a product's sale price. The first thing they may consider doing is lowering their production costs. If this isn't feasible, they may need to reconsider their pricing structure and marketing strategy to determine if they can justify a price increase or if they can market the product to a new demographic. If neither of these options works, producers may have to suspend their operations or shut down permanently.

Here's a hypothetical example to show how this works using the price of oil. Let's say oil prices dropped to $45 a barrel. If production costs varied between $20 and $50 per barrel, then a cash negative situation would occur for producers with steep production costs. These companies could choose to stop production until sale prices returned to profitable levels.

How Are Production Costs Determined?

For an expense to qualify as a production cost it must be directly connected to generating revenue for the company. Manufacturers carry production costs related to the raw materials and labor needed to create their products. Service industries carry production costs related to the labor required to implement and deliver their service. Royalties owed by natural resource-extraction companies also are treated as production costs, as are taxes levied by the government.

How Are Production Costs Calculated?

Production incurs both direct costs and indirect costs. Direct costs for manufacturing an automobile, for example, would be materials like plastic and metal, as well as workers' salaries. Indirect costs would include overhead such as rent and utility expenses. Total product costs can be determined by adding together the total direct materials and labor costs as well as the total manufacturing overhead costs. To determine the product cost per unit of product, divide this sum by the number of units manufactured in the period covered by those costs.



How Does Production Costs Differ From Manufacturing Costs?

Production cost refers to all of the expenses associated with a company conducting its business while manufacturing cost represents only the expenses necessary to make the product. Whereas production costs include both direct and indirect costs of operating a business, manufacturing costs reflect only direct costs.
What Is an Error Term?play poker online no money

An error term is a residual variable produced by a statistical or mathematical model, which is created when the model does not fully represent the actual relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variables. As a result of this incomplete relationship, the error term is the amount at which the equation may differ during empirical analysis.

The error term is also known as the residual, disturbance, or remainder term, and is variously represented in models by the letters e, , or u.

Key Takeaways

An error term appears in a statistical model, like a regression model, to indicate the uncertainty in the model.

The error term is a residual variable that accounts for a lack of perfect goodness of fit.

Heteroskedastic refers to a condition in which the variance of the residual term, or error term, in a regression model varies widely.

Understanding an Error Term

An error term represents the margin of error within a statistical model; it refers to the sum of the deviations within the regression line, which provides an explanation for the difference between the theoretical value of the model and the actual observed results. The regression line is used as a point of analysis when attempting to determine the correlation between one independent variable and one dependent variable.

Error Term Use in a Formula

An error term essentially means that the model is not completely accurate and results in differing results during real-world applications. For example, assume there is a multiple linear regression function that takes the following form:

 Y =  X +   +  where:  ,  = Constant parameters X ,  = Independent variables  = Error term \begin{ aligned} &Y = \alpha X + \beta \rho + \epsilon \\ &\textbf{ where:} \\ &\alpha, \beta = \text{ Constant parameters} \\ &X, \rho = \text{ Independent variables} \\ &\epsilon = \text{ Error term} \\ \end{ aligned} Y=X++where:,=Constant parametersX,=Independent variables=Error term

When the actual Y differs from the expected or predicted Y in the model during an empirical test, then the error term does not equal 0, which means there are other factors that influence Y.

What Do Error Terms Tell Us?

Within a linear regression model tracking a stocks price over time, the error term is the difference between the expected price at a particular time and the price that was actually observed. In instances where the price is exactly what was anticipated at a particular time, the price will fall on the trend line and the error term will be zero.

Points that do not fall directly on the trend line exhibit the fact that the dependent variable, in this case, the price, is influenced by more than just the independent variable, representing the passage of time. The error term stands for any influence being exerted on the price variable, such as changes in market sentiment.

The two data points with the greatest distance from the trend line should be an equal distance from the trend line, representing the largest margin of error.

If a model is heteroskedastic, a common problem in interpreting statistical models correctly, it refers to a condition in which the variance of the error term in a regression model varies widely.

Linear Regression, Error Term, and Stock Analysis

Linear regression is a form of analysis that relates to current trends experienced by a particular security or index by providing a relationship between a dependent and independent variables, such as the price of a security and the passage of time, resulting in a trend line that can be used as a predictive model.

A linear regression exhibits less delay than that experienced with a moving average, as the line is fit to the data points instead of based on the averages within the data. This allows the line to change more quickly and dramatically than a line based on numerical averaging of the available data points.

The Difference Between Error Terms and Residuals

Although the error term and residual are often used synonymously, there is an important formal difference. An error term is generally unobservable and a residual is observable and calculable, making it much easier to quantify and visualize. In effect, while an error term represents the way observed data differs from the actual population, a residual represents the way observed data differs from sample population data.
Damas [ da-mah ]/ dam / New Word List Save This pala casino video pokerWord! [ da-mah ]/ dam /Save ThisWord!

nounFrench name of Damascus.

Words nearby Damas

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Mary Tudor, Queen of France|Mary Croom Brown Item une robbe de satin vert doublee de drap dargent de damas et bordee de drap dargent de damas. Mary Tudor, Queen of France|Mary Croom Brown Item une robbe de velours cramoisy doublee de drap dor de damas cramoisy en facon deschiquier. Mary Tudor, Queen of France|Mary Croom Brown

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!QuestionDamanhur, Damao, damar, Damara, Damaraland, Damas, Damascene, Damascenus, Damascus, Damascus steel, damaskDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Blackjack is most popular online casinosa popular casino game that one plays against the dealer, it is a fun game but not as simple as some of the other games that one gets at casinos, like slots for instance. One needs skills or some set of strategy to win. These are simple (yet advanced tips) that one uses in bringing the house down to edge further and improving the chances of winning the game. This article will help one in explaining and discussing useful tips to improvise not only the game but also up your winning opportunities.

Basic blackjack tips

There are few basic tips in helping you to improvise your blackjack play, lets start with a couple of basic tips in relating to general aspect of the game and then move to more tips to play on certain specific hands:

Learning the basics: One must know the basics of the game before one starts playing it. Learn about the basics of the website and different aspects of playing the blackjack.

One must know the basics of the game before one starts playing it. Learn about the basics of the website and different aspects of playing the blackjack. Managing the bankroll: There isnt something else one needs to know about but managing your bankroll. Ensure that one spreads out the wagers, better to start with lower bets (especially if youre a beginner) and understanding how one feels your way through the game and losing the first few hands until you still have money to carry on.

There isnt something else one needs to know about but managing your bankroll. Ensure that one spreads out the wagers, better to start with lower bets (especially if youre a beginner) and understanding how one feels your way through the game and losing the first few hands until you still have money to carry on. Know when to quit: It is important to know when to stop when youre in the middle of a losing streak. Carrying on further and standing the chance to lose than what one can afford. Quitting also works if you are tight on a budget.

It is important to know when to stop when youre in the middle of a losing streak. Carrying on further and standing the chance to lose than what one can afford. Quitting also works if you are tight on a budget. Rule to follow:Dont play blackjack with real money when youre drinking. It can often cloud your decision making abilities and result in money losing more than one can afford.

Vital beginner blackjack tips

Tip 1:Know the correct and basic strategy. Understand the charts about the strategy.

Tip 2:Avoid playing a game that pays 6:5 on blackjack, stick to a game that pays the full 3:2. An 8-deck game playing the full 3:2 is far better than a single deck blackjack gaming to 6:5.

Tip 3:Lesser decks are better than more decks, it is only true when it is consistent over both games. If a casinos double deck game has the exact same rules as the 6-deck, the double deck has better player odds.

Tip 4:Find the best table rules that one can, ideally one should deal on soft 17. While playing a 6-deck or 8-deck game, only play where you can surrender.

Tip 5:Avoid using the dangerous Martingale Betting System that requires you to double the size of the bet while losing. Believe it or not, while still losing an incredible number of rows at some point, one may survive Martingale, but while striking with a low streak hit, it is easier to lose everything.

Tip 6:When a dealer shows a 5-6 is more likely to make a hand than bust, one shouldnt go overboard in doubling your 7 or less just because the dealer is acquiring 5 or 6. This is the time when the dealer takes a hand in this situation more times than not.

Tip 7: Avoid standing on your soft 17, the hand wont bust by taking a hit and can only be pushed against a dealers 17 when one stands. It is either a hit or a double.

Norskcasino Guide offers a guide on blackjack, be it casino cruise or an experience on a slot machine. Browse for more information.

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The transformation of Hard Rock Lake Tahoe into a Golden Nugget resort could be completed before the leaves change color in the fall.

The Gaming Control Board took less than 10 minutes Wednesday to recommend approval of the ownership change for the 539-room hotel-casino, the first casino visitors see along Highway 50 as they enter Stateline heading toward California.

Tilman Fertitta, whose Houston-based privately held Fertitta Entertainment operates six Golden Nugget casinos in downtown Las Vegas, Laughlin, Colorado, Louisiana, Mississippi and Atlantic City, told gaming regulators that he always liked the Tahoe market.

We saw this as a great opportunity, said Fertitta, who discussed the transaction with the control board remotely from his Houston office. We will take this property and totally transform it. And, as we always do, add the Golden Nugget name on it. We always expect it to be one of the top properties in the market.

The all-cash transaction was announced in March and is expected to close Aug. 25 if the Nevada Gaming Commission accepts the boards recommendation a day earlier. A sales price was not disclosed.

Fertitta is acquiring the operations from Las Vegas-based Paragon Gaming, which licensed the Hard Rock name from Hard Rock Internationals owner, the Seminole Indian Tribe of Florida. The property, built in the 1960s, has been known as Sahara Tahoe, High Sierra Resort and Lake Tahoe Horizon.

The resort sits on 24 acres adjacent to picturesque Lake Tahoe and across from Ballys Lake Tahoe. It is one of four hotel-casinos in the South Lake Tahoe market.

Fertitta, who is a cousin of Red Rock Resorts CEO Frank Fertitta III and Vice Chairman Lorenzo Fertitta, said Hard Rock Lake Tahoe is a cash customer business and it will be taking customers who have credit at other Golden Nugget properties after the transition.

In addition to the Golden Nugget casinos, Fertitta Entertainment owns the NBAs Houston Rockets, and the companys Landrys hospitality divisions include a restaurant segment with roughly 520 outlets and entertainment attractions. He said several of the companys restaurant brands would be added to the property.

When we go in, we basically touch every square foot of the casino and all that will happen over the next 24 months, Fertitta said.

He told the control board the property would retain its current employees and look to add about 30 percent to 40 percent more workers.

The Golden Nugget brand will be a welcome addition to the Lake Tahoe business community, said board Chairman Kirk Hendrick.

Fertitta Entertainment is also planning to build a 2,420-room hotel-casino on 6 acres at Harmon Avenue and the Strip that it acquired last year for $270 million.

The Nevada Independent is a 501(c)3 nonprofit news organization. We are committed to transparency and disclose all our donors. The following people or entities mentioned in this article are financial supporters of our work: Source: The Nevada Independent
English has a lot of confusing words in its vocabulary. Whether it be words that sound alike, words that are spelled alike, or words that have similar meanings, it seems like the list goes on and on. Today, I want to go over a set of homophones that confuse people in their daily writing: acclimation vs. acclamation.

These two words are homophones; they share identical pronunciations, so it is impossible to tell them apart from one another with the spoken word outside of context. They are spelled differently, however, but even this is a one-letter difference that separates them. Its easy to see how people can get these two words confused.

In this post I want to go over the differences between acclimation and acclamation, their definitions and functions within a sentence, and give you a few tricks to keep track of them.

When to Use Acclimation

Acclimation is defined as the process of acclimating or of becoming acclimated. To acclimate is to accustom or become accustomed to a new environment or situation. For example,

When going to Denver, it will take a few days to get acclimated to the altitude.

The acclimated period when moving to a new city can be several months.

As you can see, to acclimateand acclimationboth have to do with getting used to something that is new. Someone who is placed is a new situation or new job will need time to acclimate to his new surroundings, so its important to remember that acclimation deals with a period of time.

When to Use Acclamation

Acclamation, no matter how similar it may sounds to acclimation, has a completely different meaning. An acclamation is a shout or salute of enthusiastic approval. For example,

By acclamation I would like to introduce the next President of the United States.

The young pianist has received acclamation from audiences worldwide.

After scoring the game-winning touchdown, the stadium was brought to its feet in acclamation.

When the band came on stage, the stadium erupted in acclamation.

Another difference between these two words is that acclamation does not function as a verb. While acclimation has a noun and verb form, acclimationis only a noun. Acclamation does, however, have an adjective form, acclamatory.

Remember the Difference

If you just got down reading these two definitions and you still dont know how youre going to keep track of these words, dont worry. There is a good memory trick that I use to help myself.

You can remember what acclimate means by thinking that time is involved, and all the letters for timeare in the words acclimate but not acclamation. This may be a stretch, but it is how I remember it. Let me know if you have a better trick.

To remember acclamation is easy. Acclamationis similar to the word exclamation. They both have to do with oral and auditory noises, and the both end in lamation.

Summary

These are two very different words, but we need to make sure we know when to use acclamation vs. acclimation.

Acclimationis a period of time when you are getting acclimated or used to something.

Acclamation is a loud, enthusiastic approval of something, typically to welcome or honor someone.
U.S. President Joe Biden will meet with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy at the White House on Thursday, September 21, according to U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan.

"President Biden will then return to Washington to host President Zelenskyy of Ukraine here at the White House on Thursday. And this will be their third meeting here at the White House and it certainly comes at a critical time, as Russia desperately seeks help from countries like North Korea for its brutal war in Ukraine," Sullivan said during a briefing on Friday.

He also said that next week the United States could announce a new aid package for Ukraine.
The criminal community is operating 24/7: LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva

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LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva shares his insight on hundreds of CA criminal cases being dismissed on Fox News @ Night.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva accepted defeat in his pursuit for a second four-year term in the top law enforcement spot to Robert Luna on Tuesday.

Villanueva, who had a reputation for defying police defunders and vaccine mandates, conceded to his opponent during a press conference where he faulted the county for its negotiation methodology before thanking his staff.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva says deputies making arrests, but cases fall apart when they reach DA Gascon. On Tuesday, Los Angeles Couynty supervisors voters to draft a proposal to give them the power to remove him from office. (Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews)

Whenever there was an executive meeting where decisions were made, he said, they would decide what the right thing to do was, and then figure out how to make it happen.

CALIFORNIA ELECTION RESULTS: LA SHERIFF VILLANUEVA, WHO DEFIED DEFUNDERS, HEADS TO NOVEMBER RUNOFF

"You can negotiate on practices, but you cant negotiate on principles," Villanueva said. "I realize the political environment here in LA has it exactly opposite, but thats the way it should be."

The now former sheriff also had a message for the media, thanking them for their patience and encouraging them to continue to speak the truth and be the voice of democracy.

LOS ANGELES-CA-MAY 31, 2022: Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva speaks during a news conference at the Hall of Justice in downtown Los Angeles to announce the results of a recent marijuana eradication operation in the Antelope Valley. ((Christina House / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images))

"You cant survive if all you can do is pair it with the political narrative of the establishment," he said. "That is democracy in decline. So, get back to reporting everything, both sides, passionately, and then well be better off because of it."

LA COUNTY SHERIFF VILLANUEVA REFUSES TO ENFORCE VACCINE MANDATE AT HIS AGENCY: SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED

The LA County Registrar-Recorder website posted live results from the election, and as of Tuesday, Luna had received 60 percent of the vote and Villanueva had 40 percent.

There was also an amendment to the County charter that voters approved with 70.6 percent of the vote. The amendment gives the County Board of Supervisors the authority to remove an elected sheriff from office for cause, including a violation of the law, neglect of duties, misappropriation of funds, willful falsification of documents, or obstructing an investigation, by a four-fifths vote of the Board of Supervisors.

Los Angeles, CA - February 15: Sheriff Alex Villanueva gives details surrounding a weeklong, statewide operation aimed at combatting human trafficking, at a press conference held in Hall of Justice on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, CA. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Liz Truss's final U-turn. Cartoon: Carlos Latuff





Liz Truss sealed her fate as being the shortest tenured prime minister in British history,and no doubt in terms of historical evaluations, the worst of all time to go along with it. Following the disastrous economic shock and subsequent U-turn of her ill-fated "mini-budget," Truss eroded the already tenuous authority she had and her own party began calling for her to quit. By Thursday, the writing was on the wall and Liz announced her resignation after just 45 days.While expectations of Truss as prime minister were minimal, few could have anticipated that it could have ended so abruptly, so disastrously and hilariously to the point it has delivered a colossal blow to Britain's overseas reputation and credibility on the world stage. Worse still, the farce is not yet over with widespread reports in the British press that Boris Johnson is contemplating re-running as leader. The situation is so absurdly ridiculous that it could not have even been conjured up by the finest of satirists.One might be wondering "how" exactly did the UK get in this situation, where politics has descended into both a disaster and a joke. The answer is simple. Starting with the events of 2016, British Politics has lost all sense of pragmatism, common sense and reason in a self-absorbed trajectory which has seen identity and ideology become the primary driver of politics. The 2016 Brexit referendum dealt a decisive fracture to the British political landscape which destroyed the more liberal and pragmatic politics of the David Cameron government, driving the Conservative party rightwards, and in turn upending its own stability.Since that time, the prevailing ideology of the party has consolidated into a mix of growing nationalism and rabid neoconservatism, whilst going through an ever-revolving door of leaders which will soon usher in Britain's 4th prime minister since 2019. There is no individual more manifesting of this "new consensus" than Liz Truss, who had built her rise to power not on qualifications or competence, but on the sand of nationalistic and ideological talking points, an embodiment of the Brexit brand. She was voted in not by the British public, but a small cohort of Conservative Members which she ticked the ideological boxes of. Her immediate and abrupt fall from grace is only demonstrative of how the British government is now completely void of any reasonable or sensible thinking, producing an epic political disaster.Liz Truss's short-lived tenure, however, has provisionally saved the UK from a great deal of harm. If her catastrophic "mini-budget" was anything to go by, Truss had a lot more damaging policies in store, including for that matter a hunger for confrontation against China. In her final week of office, she was preparing to formally designate Beijing a "threat" to the UK, had the Ministry of Defence leak allegations that British pilots were being paid to train their Chinese counterparts, and exploited a conflict started by Hong Kong rioters in Manchester to smear China. It is incredibly lucky she was never given the opportunity to consolidate her full, Cold-War laden, foreign policy vision.In which case, the Conservative Party should ideally now take a look at its surging unpopularity and realize that this saga has been a hard lesson in the consequences of self-destructive policies led by ideology and nationalist talking points, rather than reason. Once described as "the natural party of government," the Conservative Party should return to sensible, pragmatic, and reasoned realpolitik. But in the world we live in now, there is no guarantee of that. The fact that Boris Johnson can even show his name as a potential candidate again, despite everything, indicates this circus is not over yet, and the same Conservative Membership who selected Truss will be selecting her replacement. Meaning whoever is in the best interests of the UK is not likely to make the grade.Finally, this saga is a sorry story of Britain's decline. It is a saga which describes how in facing national decline, the United Kingdom has been beset with growing political polarization and identity conflict, which has in turn created political instability. The rise of these Brexit cladded politicians represents a Britain that has never come to terms with the decline of its empire, or its place in the modern world. Outside of this farcical show at Westminster, there are very few reasons to be optimistic concerning the outlook for economic growth, or even for that matter the survival of the union itself. There is nobody who stands as a greater embodiment of all these failures than Liz Truss. History is likely to remember her unkindly, as an unfortunate by-product of these accumulative political crises that stem from a deeply disillusioned, divided and dissatisfied country.The author is a political and historical relations analyst. [email protected]
We think it is royal planet casino codesbroadly safe to say, within our gaming coverage universe, [Penn Enertainment] is the most debated name, given what is perceived to be a wide range of outcomes for the stock.

So wrote Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli, launching a breakdown of the bull- and bear-market cases for Penn.

Santarelli maintained at the time of his note a hold rating on the stock, with a target price of $29 per share. The stock traded a $21.40 at the time of his report on Thursday.

Santarelli described Penns risk/reward outlook as fairly balanced, allowing for two key catalysts. One is the jettisoning of Barstool Sportsbook in favor of the new ESPNBet. The other is the not-unrelated reboot of Penns interactive segment, including rebranding its online casinos under the Hollywood moniker.

The analyst expects healthy market-share gains associated with the ESPNBet launch against the backdrop of an undaunting valuation, one in which we, finally, believe provides a free option on the Interactive segment. That being said, Interactive will represent a relatively small portion of Company EBITDAR (<15%) and as such, the core [casino] business will likely continue to serve as the primary basis for the longer-term valuation.

Santarelli identified five primary drivers for the bull-market scenario. First was that Penns core business  brick-and-mortar casinos  is stable and historically resistant to economic downturns. While allowing that casino customers are as recession vulnerable as any, Santarelli opined, The nature of the gaming customer, the geographic diversity of the asset portfolios, and the trade-down benefit for drive to casinos, relative to travel destinations, make it less susceptible than many consumer discretionary arenas.

To bolster his point, he cited regional markets that experienced relatively muted effects from the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009. These included Iowa (up 1.3 percent) and Indiana (up 6.6 percent). Overall, the net peak-to-trough decline was eight percent across the markets served by Penn.

The second factor was the probable response of the sports-betting market to the dumping of controversial Barstool in favor of ESPN, expected to bring share gains. Santarelli predicted, ESPNBet will experience a notable handle and GGR market-share increase post launch, triggering a runup in Penns stock.

Santarelli did allow that it will take at least a year from launch to determine whether the customer-acquisition strategy has been successful or whether the early promotional spend simply rented customers who were lured by free money.

Thirdly, he felt expectations for the interactive division were too low. While there are most likely risks associated with the ESPN launch, he noted, we believe a worst-case scenario would be an eventual retreat from the digital business, leaving PENNs exposure to Digital solely related to the $60 mm to $100 mm of skin fee EBITDAR annually, which we believe, on its own, is worth $3-$4 per share.

Fourth, Santarelli cited Penns largely disregarded pipeline of brick-and-mortar projects totaling $850 million, of which Penn is shouldering only $225 million. These initiatives include the relocation of Hollywood Joliet and Hollywood Aurora to new more heavily trafficked locations, as well as the addition of a second hotel tower at M Resort in Las Vegas and the development of a first hotel tower for Hollywood Columbus.

While some of this capital expenditure, notably the Illinois project, is defensive in nature, we dont believe valuation currently reflects what we expect will be double-digit returns on invested capital, Santarelli offered. He projected that they would add incrementally to property-level cash flow by 2026, although he conceded that such growth was not easily identifiable.

Finally, Penns balance sheet provides flexibility, thanks to a traditional debt-to-cash-flow ration of 1.6. The company has $1.3 billion in cash on hand and another $900 million in undrawn borrowing capacity. No debt matures until 2026. Santarelli also expected Penn to remain active in terms of share repurchases.

Leading the fourfold bear case was an influx of new competition into hitherto Penn-dominated markets, including Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Chicagoland. These competitive impacts are in conjunction with what we believe to be a slowing domestic regional gaming consumer and rising operator costs. Santarelli said this manifested with same-store revenue declines in four of the last five quarters, a top-line malaise he expects to continue into next year.

Furthermore, Santarelli opined that Penn would be saddled by rent payments in any economic downturn, having sold most of its real estate to Gaming & Leisure Properties. Thus, a 10% decline in revenue would result in a 43% decline in discretionary free cash flow.

Thirdly, the ESPN deal could be a coin flip. The analyst contended that in the absence of demonstrated share gains, shares will be penalized, and given operators can broadly control their own destiny, with respect to market share gains, we dont see many paths that lead to share remaining broadly static  Given the competitive nature of the industry and the limited success of the foray with Barstool, we arent entirely sure the equity market will be willing to give PENN the benefit of the doubt.

Given an already saturated market for online sports betting, it is argued by Deutsche Bank that Penn will have to up its marketing spend to promote EPSNBet and increase its promotional outlays, two factors that would cut into the bottom line and retard profitability.

Adding that Penn has no choice but to open the promotional wallet, Santarelli wrote, We remain hesitant to ascribe too much value to the power of the ESPN brand as it pertains to customer acquisition and more important, retention within this space, especially given how late the partnership already is to the competition.

He also noted that Penn would need to more than double its sports betting and igaming revenue to $940 million to hit the breakeven point. Santarelli observed that Penn is presently outside the $12 billion-plus online-sports-betting market of New York state, requiring it to overcompensate elsewhere.

Lastly, We believe PENN has had a disappointing experience in the icasino space. Santarelli estimates its market share of igaming at 2.7 percent.

Evidently, the analyst preferred the bull case, as later in the day he issued a short-term buy recommendation for Penn. He argued that a catalyst stack of events, coupled with an inexpensive valuation, relatively elevated short interest, and limited investor interest on the long side create a favorable setup for shares. Santarelli added that buyers could have Penns interactive segment for free.

He was also a buyer of the ESPN alliance, contending, We expect the launch to drive healthy handle and [gross gaming revenue in online sports betting] market share gains, while also garnering considerable attention from mainstream financial media outlets. While the longer-term success of the customer acquisition spend will remain ambiguous throughout 2023, we expect the burden to rest with the Bear in the early stages of market share gains, and, as such, we expect shares to respond well to the gains we anticipate in November and December.
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Atlantic City the Survivor. Theus casino no deposit bonus code former Trump Plazas white box like structure protrudes above Boardwalk Hall and in the distance the now shuttered Trump Taj Mahal and the closed Revel with its signature roof ball. The Revel is still trying to open and re-brand as Ten.
A study by Market Research Inc. has recently completed its detailed analysis bucs chiefs betof the current size, shape, and likely future trajectory of the online gambling industry. Called the Global Casino Market Report Forecast 2019-2025, this document takes great interest in a range of connected areas. These cover measures such as examinations by device, region, type, and segment forecasts.

Source: Pexels

This report lists the accepted value of the total global online casino size in 2018 as $48.52 billion. During the 2019 to 2025 period, their analysis has predicted a total compound annual growth rate of 11.5%. This growth, as explored, is thought to be due to the several key features.

The first of these comes from the greater ease of access which is enabled through improving mobile connectivity. Mobile ubiquity has seen commensurate growth alongside the online casino market, and this further penetration is reported to continue this trend. As the ease of online connectivity still improves with each passing year, and the relative cost of this engagement drops, the prediction is that past growth should remain mostly predictable. Unreliable mobile networks have already been highlighted as the biggest challenge facing operators, so improvements in this area are pivotal.

While all different types of these gambling systems forecast growth, the proportion of this growth is not evenly distributed. It is general casino games and sports betting which the report claims are best primed for expansion, while poker, bingo, and other games will see comparatively lower overall levels of development.

Source: Pixabay

Of similar importance within this report are details on recent innovations, major events, and the global distribution of different forms of gaming. By taking into account regional differences, and their place within micro and major markets, they anticipate different approaches depending on the given physical or digital locations.

As one of the largest studies of the online gambling sphere in recent years, expect this report to generate heavy interest and influence among many major casino operators. The most likely changes here will likely relate to existing online casinos adopting higher levels of sports betting adoption, though it also raises questions as to the future of brick-and-mortar establishments.

The relevance of this study within South Africa's own gambling sector cannot be understated. A 2009 NGB report concluded that, at the time, roughly 29% of South African's engaged in some form of gaming. With all the different forms combined, this contributed to around 1% to SA's total GDP, or around $3.4 billion.

Since mobile use has expanded significantly since 2009, as has mobile gambling integration, this would suggest a growing contribution in the years to come. At this point, South Africa has around 22 million active smartphones, which is expected to grow to 26.3 million by 2023. Therefore, catering to mobile access is continuing to increase in importance for websites and many different online casino services both in South Africa and abroad lean on this idea in order to ease accessibility, bringing with them additional bonuses such as free spins and deposit matches to stand out in a competitive market.

It is entirely possible that given these shown trends, we could see a greater number of traditional parlors expanding their businesses into the online front. So far, many casinos have been reticent to mix these two arms of the casino business, but the growing importance of online opportunities could be the final push many traditional casinos need.

Category: Casino Blog
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Up to four integrated resortscould open doors in Japan, research firm Morningstar Inc. wrote in a note, cited by casino news outlet GGRAsia. Morningstars note was based on discussions with industry insiders and Japanese lawmakers that are currently taking part in the process of crafting the Integrated Resorts Implementation Bill.

The research firm believes that two integrated resorts in two major cities and two such venues in regional locations could represent a $25-billion-worth market. According to Morningstar the properties can generate around $19 billionin gaming revenue and $6 billion from non-gambling options. The market will be able to reach this scale and size only if there are no serious limitations posed by lawmakers.

Members of the Japanese government are currently working on the second stage of a casino legislative process that if successful, may create Asias and the worlds next major gambling hub. It was last December when the Diet approved a bill that provided for the legalization of casino gambling within the countrys borders.

The move laid the foundations for the establishment of the industry, but the second bill, the one lawmakers are currently working on, will set the regulations, under which that industry will be managed.

Taxation will certainly be one of the main points discussed by the specially assigned task force that is responsible for crafting the second casino bill. According to Morningstar, Japans casino taxation system may be based on Singapores. The island city-state legalized casino gambling in mid-2000s and saw its two integrated resorts open doors in 2010. It taxes the two casinos at 15% on mass market play and 5% on VIP play.

Operators of Singapores integrated resorts must also pay a 7% tax on Goods and Services. In comparison, Macau charges its casinos at a 39% rate on gross gambling revenue.

Speaking of Macau, Morningstar said that Japan may pose certain threat to its casino market. The research firm believes that Japans integrated resort will attract customers from South Korea and Chinas northern coastal part. However, Macau will still have advantage as it is a preferred destination for Mainland Chinas middle-income class, which is growing rapidly. Following Chinese President Xi Jinpings crackdown on corruption and gambling, Macau averted its focus to the mass market segment and non-gambling offering, which, as figures from the past ten months have shown, has proved to be a positive move.

It became clear last week that Japanese lawmakers are likely to reveal details about their progress on the Integrated Resorts Implementation Bill in August. The legislative piece is hoped to be passed into law by the end of the year.
In English, the line between regular and irregular verbs can be blurry. Some verbs have regular conjugations in some tenses, but are irregular for others.

It can be difficult to remember which verbs are regular and irregular for English speakers. Nonnative speakers and beginning writers are just as confused.

Regular verbs can change from present to past tense by adding -ed to the end of the word. Irregular verbs have a variety of other methods for conjugating into past tense that arent always intuitive.

There are three words that are sometimes used as the past tense version of the verb plead. It is sometimes conjugated as a regular verb, to form pleaded. However, some writers use pled or plead (pronounced as a rhyme for pled or sled) in this context.

Read on to learn which of these forms is accepted as standard in formal writing.

What is the Difference Between Pleaded and Pled?

In this article, I will compare pleaded vs. pled. I will use each in a sentence to show their uses, and Ill give you an idea for how to remember when to use each word.

When to Use Pleaded

What does pleaded mean? Pleadedis the past tense form of the verb plead, which can mean to beg or, in a legal sense, to claim guilt or innocence.

Pleaded has long been the preferred form of this word, and still predominates variants pledand pleadby a rate of 3:1 and 13:1, respectively, according to Garners Modern American Usage.

Here are some examples of pleaded in a sentence.

The defendant pleaded guilty to all charges.

Satine pleaded with her grandmother to be allowed to attend the masquerade.

Though Keith had pleaded and pleaded with his students, they still demanded an open book test.

The former manager of a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Glendale has pleaded not guilty to federal charges that he was part of a scheme to launder the proceeds of a mass mailing scam targeting holders of U.S. trademarks, authorities said Thursday. LA Daily News

When to Use Pled

What does pled mean? Pledis a variant of pleadedthat is sometimes used as the simple past or past participle form of to plead.

Despite gaining popularity in America, pledhas never been considered completely standard in American or British English. In formal writing, it is either considered colloquial or incorrect.

The popular American journalistic style guide The AP Stylebook states that writers should not use the colloquial past tense form pled, yet despite most journalists strict adherence to AP Style, some outlets use pledon occasion.

He wanted to proceed in court on both cases but, on the advice of the late Joe Paterno, pled guilty to three misdemeanors and was sentenced to two years probation. The Washington Post

Still, pleadedvastly predominated pledis written text, as the below graph of pleaded vs. pled in American English (where pledis most popular) shows.

Plead(pronounced as a rhyme for pled) is also used the same way. As a past tense verb, pleadis even less common than pled, and is considered a mistake.

Therefore, for academic or professional audiences, avoid pledand pleadin favor of pleadedin these situations.

Trick to Remember the Difference

If youre having trouble choosing pled or pleaded in your writing, remember that pleadedis considered standard in all situations for all audiences. One might say that pledis dead.

Since pled and dead rhyme, this should be an easy trick to remember.

Summary: Pled vs. Pleaded

Is it pled or pleaded?As English evolves, uncommon or previously incorrect words can sometimes become common. Once they become common, they become accepted as standard.

This has not happened yet for pled. Pleadedis still considered standard. Pledis considered informal, or even wrong. If you are writing a paper for school or a manuscript for publication, pledshould be avoided in favor of pleaded.

You can remember to avoid using pled in academic or professional writing by rhyming pled with dead in your head. Pleadedis the safe choice in all situations.

If you have trouble remembering choosing pleaded or pled in your writing, you can refer back to this article for a quick reminder.
What Is Intraday?opera crypto browser download

Intraday means "within the day." In the financial world, the term is shorthand used to describe securities that trade on the markets during regular business hours. These securities include stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Intraday also signifies the highs and lows that the asset crossed throughout the day. Intraday price movements are particularly significant to short-term or day traders looking to make multiple trades over the course of a single trading session. These busy traders will settle all their positions when the market closes.

Key Takeaways

Intraday is shorthand for securities that trade on the markets during regular business hours and their price movements.

Day traders pay close attention to intraday price movements, timing trades in an attempt to benefit from the short-term price fluctuations.

Scalping, range trading, and news-based trading are types of intraday strategies used by traders.

The Basics of Intraday Trading

Intraday is often used to refer to the new highs and lows of any particular security. For example, "a new intraday high" means the security reached a new high relative to all other prices during a trading session. In some cases, an intraday high can be equal to the closing price.

Traders pay close attention to intraday price movements by using real-time charts in an attempt to benefit from short-term price fluctuations. Short-term traders typically use one-, five-, 15-, 30- and 60-minute intraday charts when trading within the market day. Typically, intraday scalping uses one- and five-minute charts for high-speed trading. Other intraday trading strategies may use 30- and 60-minute charts for trades that have hold times of several hours. Scalping is a strategy of transacting many trades per day that hopes to profit from small movements in a stock's price. The intraday trader may hold their positions for a longer period but still operate under high risks.

Volume weighted average price (VWAP) orders are often used on an intraday basis to increase trade execution efficiency by giving an order exposure to a variety of prices throughout the trading day. VWAP gives an averaged price that particular securities trade at throughout the trading day.

Intraday

Intraday Trading Strategies

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Traders use numerous intraday strategies. These strategies include:

Scalping, which attempts to make numerous small profits on small prices changes throughout the day

Range trading, which primarily uses support and resistance levels to determine their buy and sell decisions

News-based trading, which typically seizes trading opportunities from the heightened volatility around news events

High-frequency trading strategies that use sophisticated algorithms to exploit small or short-term market inefficiencies

Advantages and Disadvantages of Intraday Trading

The most significant benefit of intraday trading is that positions are not affected by the possibility of negative overnight news that has the potential to impact the price of securities materially. Such news includes vital economic and earnings reports, as well as broker upgrades and downgrades that occur either before the market opens or after the market closes.

Trading in an intraday basis offers several other key advantages. One advantage is the ability to use tight stop-loss ordersthe act of raising a stop price to minimize losses from a long position. Another includes the increased access to marginand hence, greater leverage. Intraday trading also provides traders with more learning opportunities.

However, with every silver lining, there are also storm clouds. Disadvantages of intraday trading include insufficient time for a position to see increases in profit, in some cases any profit at all, and increased commission costs due to trading more frequently which eats away at the profit margins a trader can expect.

Positions are unaffected by risk from overnight news or off-hours broker moves.

Tight stop-loss orders can protect positions.

Regular traders have access to increased leverage.

Numerous trades increase hands-on learning experience.

Frequent trades mean multiple commission costs.

Some assets are off-limits, like mutual funds.

There may not be sufficient time for a position to realize a profit before it has to be closed out.

Losses can mount quickly, especially if margin is used to finance purchases.

Intraday Pricing and Mutual Funds

ProsCons

Mutual funds are off-limits for intraday trading. The design of these funds is for the long-term investor, and they can only be bought and sold through a broker or the fund's investment company. Also, a mutual fund's price posts only once, at the close of the trading day. This price is known as the net asset value (NAV) and reflects all of the intraday movement of the fund's assets, less its liabilities, calculated on a per-share basis.

So, mutual funds do not offer intraday pricing, as their assets fluctuate in market value and their managers make buy and sell decisions all day. However, ETFstheir passively managed cousinsare priced according to their intraday market value within a trading session.

Real World Example of Intraday

The price movements of any stock are posted throughout the trading day and summarized at the end of the trading day. For example, April 4, 2022, shares of Apple Inc. (AAPL) opened at $174.57 and closed at $178.44. During the day, as indicated in the "day's range" listed to the right of the closing price, shares dropped as low as $174.44the intraday lowand hit a peak of $178.49the intraday high.

Day traders and technical analysts who follow Apple would study the shares' moves, to see if they could discern any pattern or uncover any significant gapthat is, a sudden jump in the price with no trading in-between.
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How to use in a sentence The cartoonist, better known as Charb, was shot dead Wednesday. France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

France Kills Charlie Hebdo Murderers|Nico Hines|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST A policewoman was shot dead this morning while law enforcement searched for the Charlie Lebdo killers. France Mournsand Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

France Mournsand Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST The interior video shows the gunman firing the shot through the window. Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST Absent a body, no one can say with absolute certainty whether Castro is dead, even if all signs point in that direction. An Informant, a Missing American, and Juarezs House of Death: Inside the 12-Year Cold Case of David Castro|Bill Conroy|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST The two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is dead. In the Middle East, the Two-State Solution Is Dead|Dean Obeidallah|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST

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QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondead end, deadening, deadeye, deadfall, dead fingers, dead firing, dead freight, dead from the neck up, dead hand, deadhead, Dead HeartDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
The United States joined representatives from Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, and the European Union for a second high-level meeting in Constanta, Romania to accelerate Ukrainian grain exports and address the global challenge of food insecurity caused by Russia's decision to withdraw from the Black Sea Grain Initiative (BSGI) and attack global food supply, the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine said in a press release on Friday.

"Prior to Russia's withdrawal from BGSI's, hundreds of vessels have embarked on a vital mission, delivering nearly 33 million metric tons of grain and foodstuff worldwide from Ukraine via the Black Sea. Notably, almost 19 million tonnes reached developing nations, offering indispensable support for global food security and stability. While Russia has chosen to weaponize food, the United States, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, and the European Union are pursuing viable solutions to counter Russia's callous actions," the Embassy said.

During the meeting in Constanta, participants recognized the instrumental role played by Romania and Moldova in facilitating the export of millions of tonnes of Ukrainian grain that has been critical in averting widespread hunger and reinforcing global food security efforts. Participants also recognized the substantial benefits the acceleration of Ukrainian grain exports would bring the populations of Ukraine, Romania, and Moldova.

"In this context, it is vital that we dispel Russias disinformation campaign blaming sanctions for the global food security crisis. Russias claims are baseless; sanctions have not targeted Russian agricultural products and fertilizer. Instead, Russia imposed restrictions on these exports. The falsehood of Russias claims is evident, as it is exporting food at levels comparable to or exceeding pre-war levels. There is also no excuse for Russia deliberately targeting and destroying grain that is desperately needed in vulnerable nations  Russia bares full responsibility for its actions. It is also unacceptable that while carrying out these inhumane attacks Russian drones have ended up on Romanian territory  Russia must desist immediately," the Embassy said in the press release.

In his call with Foreign Minister Odobescu last week, Secretary Blinken affirmed the United States' unwavering support to Romania, our NATO Ally. The United States reiterates its call on Russia to cease attacking Ukrainian cities and infrastructure immediately, rejoin the Black Sea Grain Initiative, and extend, expand, and fully implement the agreement.

Today's meeting was attended by U.S. Department of State Sanctions Coordinator Ambassador Jim O'Brien, U.S Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, U.S. Ambassador to Romania Kathleen Kavalec, and U.S. Ambassador to Moldova Kent Logsdon, who joined Romanian Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Sorin Grindeanu, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, Moldovan Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spinu, and Director General of European Mobility and Transport Magda Kopczynska.
What Is Overextension?play real slots online for real money

The term "overextension" refers to a situation in finance in which an individual or corporation has more debt than they can handle and repay. Consumers who must use more than a third of their net income to repay debt are generally considered to be overextended. They may need to consolidate their debts into a single loan. Granting more credit to overextended consumers or companies can be a great risk to lenders. Being overextended also represents excessive leverage in a trader or investor's account equity and their buying power for securities.

Key Takeaways

Overextension refers to a situation in which an individual or corporation has more debt than they can handle and repay.

Being overextended also represents excessive leverage in a trader or investor's account equity and their buying power for securities.

Consumers and companies are generally overextended if they use at least one-third of their income to repay their debt.

Consumers can consolidate their debt while companies can raise capital to keep themselves from becoming overextended.

Granting more credit to those who are overextended can be risky for lenders.

Understanding Overextension

Being overextended can mean several different things in finance. As noted above, it is most commonly used to describe an individual or company's financial situation when they have more debt than they can afford to repay. Entities that use at least one-third of the money they make to repay debt are considered overextended. For instance, someone who makes $30,000 a year and pays $10,000 to satisfy their debt load is overextended. The same principle applies to companies that have more debt than earned income.

Credit, debt, and overextension are tricky to model financially. Because they can have a snowball effect, where conditions pile onto one another, conventional linear models do not account for the nonlinear, exponential nature of credit risk. Often, once strong credit issuers or borrowers can rapidly deteriorate to weak credits as Murphy's law works against an individual or businessanything that can go wrong will go wrong.

In many cases, consumers may have to turn to additional debt to take control of their finances. This often comes through debt consolidation, which involves paying off individual debts by taking on a larger loan. Doing so ensures that the borrower only has one large payment to make rather than many smaller ones. However, companies may have to find new ways to raise capital, such as issuing new shares of equity rather than taking on more debt.

As mentioned earlier, overextension is also used to describe excess leverage in trader and investors' account equity and buying power. Overextension of this kind can greatly amplify losses in a bear market and force the trader to meet steep margin calls. The inability to do this can result in forced liquidation of securities and the freezing of the account.

Being overextended generally doesn't include mortgage debt.

Special Considerations

The idea of overextension varies based on the financial characteristics of a borrower. Wealthy individuals and cash-rich businesses can take on proportionally more debt than weaker borrowers without overextending themselves.

Becoming overextended can be out of the control of a firm's management. For example, during a steep economic downturn, such as a recession, a company's financial condition can materially deteriorate largely out of the company's control. During tough economic times, it is not uncommon for a once healthy business to become overextended as conditions move out of its favor.

This can happen to entire sectors even during robust economic climates. For instance, traditional brick-and-mortar retailers have struggled to adjust to online and e-commerce competition, despite record growth in many segments of the economy.
Wreaths Across America director: The flag helped us get through 9/11

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Executive director of Wreaths Across America Karen Worcester reflects on her group raising the American flag every Tuesday to honor the victims and first responders of 9/11.

Preparations have been underway for the annual tradition of honoring America's fallen veterans at holiday time  with National Wreaths Across America Day coming up fast already, on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022.

The nonprofit Wreaths Across America helps family members, friends, neighbors and volunteers all across the country lay wreaths at the gravestones of those who have served our country.

The holiday tradition of honoring America's lost veterans will take place not only at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia  but at over 3,500 locations across the U.S. and worldwide in 2022.

WORLD WAR II VETERAN GLADYS HUGHES, 99, HAS PATRIOTIC MESSAGE FOR THE NATION

Wreaths Across America continues to grow year after year  and it ships millions of wreaths to thousands of locations all around the world.

"This year we've seen extreme growth," Amber Caron, communications director, told Fox News Digital in a phone interview, expressing excitement about the growth of the meaningful gesture toward America's fallen veterans.

Wreaths are shown at the foot of headstones in Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia, during a recent December. Volunteers and families place thousands of remembrance wreaths on headstones across the cemetery  and at thousands of other locations  on National Wreaths Across America Day each year. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

"Over 500 new locations have signed up to participate in National Wreaths Across America Day," she said.

"Location," she explained, can refer to any cemetery in which veterans are buried, a memorial, a town square whose residents want to host a ceremony  or some other site where veterans are honored, respected and remembered.

There is no cost to become a participating location and host a Wreaths Across America ceremony.

"Basically, they're saying, We want to bring the mission to remember our veterans'"  and any participating, registered locations, said Caron, "will automatically receive eight ceremonial wreaths" from Wreaths Across America as part of the holiday remembrance

Each of those wreaths stands for a branch of the military, plus for POWs and MIAs.

MEET THE AMERICAN WHO INSPIRED THE NATION IN TWO WORLD WARS: CHRISTIAN SOLDIER SGT. ALVIN YORK

"For us," she said, "it's exciting because people who participate [at one site] then often want to bring the event to their own communities" the following year.

A child is shown carrying a wreath to a grave during the Wreaths Across America annual event at Arlington National Cemetery, on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, in Arlington, Virginia. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

"And that's how this continues to grow."

There is no cost to become a participating location and host a Wreaths Across America ceremony.

Caron noted, "There is a lot of tough stuff going on in the country and in the world. And it goes to show that  no matter what your background is, or your beliefs are  most people can agree on this: Our veterans are worthy of honoring. Their families are worthy of honoring. And it's important during this holiday season to take time out to say thank you."

All year long, Wreaths Across America does work for living veterans as well  to "remember, honor and teach" people about veterans' dedication to our country.

Caron also said they're bringing in new groups each year and working with new partners and different organizations.

She also emphasized that all year long, Wreaths Across America does work for living veterans as well  to "remember, honor and teach" people across the country about our veterans and their dedication to the country.

"There are many ways for people to be involved all year 'round," she said.

VIRGINIA NAVY VETERAN SAYS ALL VETERANS DESERVE THANKS, NOT JUST THOSE WHO SAW BATTLE

Participating organizations can raise money and funds for their veterans and their own work  "and those funds are making a difference" throughout the year, said Caron.

Wreaths lay covered in snow next to markers at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on Jan. 6, 2015, after a small winter storm. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

"In many homes, there is an empty seat for [a loved] one who is serving or one who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country," the organization notes on its website.

"There is no better time to express our appreciation than during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. We hope you will join us at any of our  participating locations to show our veterans and their families that we will not forget. We will never forget," the organization also says.

"There is no better time to express our appreciation than during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season."

Caron said that this year, Wreaths Across America is expecting some three million volunteers to come out nationally to lay wreaths at veterans' graves and burial sites for the holidays on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022.

Any VFW, American Legion or other organization that would like to help its own local veterans throughout the year  as well as participate in National Wreaths Across America Day on Dec. 17, 2022  can go to the nonprofit's website at www.wreathsacrossamerica.org to learn more.

A veteran holds the hand of a child as they honor America's deceased veterans in a cemetery  with all gravesites adorned with a holiday wreath thanks to Wreaths Across America. (Wreaths Across America)

"It's an event for the community  plus people can learn more about the veterans in their local community  and that includes the children. Kids can learn what veterans have done," said Caron.

There is still plenty of time to sign up, by the way, for National Wreaths Across America Day this year.

ON VETERANS DAY, NEW YORK TEEN HONORS WWII VETERAN WITH MEMORIAL AND PERSONALIZED CREATIONS

Added Sean Sullivan, public relations manager for Wreaths Across America, "This organization started as just one family who wanted to make a kind gesture toward veterans at Arlington National Cemetery. And so many people loved the idea of what they were doing  and they were the ones who have grown this organization and built it to what it is today."

He added, "It is really word of mouth" that has helped grow the group.

Karen Worcester is executive director of Wreaths Across America. She and her husband, Morrill Worcester, who founded the nonprofit organization, remain actively involved in WAA and its multitude of efforts to this day. (Fox News)

The countrys longest veterans parade  the Wreaths Across America annual escort from Harrington, Maine, to Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia  kicks off on Saturday, Dec. 10, 2022, with a ceremony in Calais, Maine.

There are a number of planned stops along the route, which will take a week and culminate in National Wreaths Across America Day.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Also, the organization's mobile education exhibit starts its national tour in California in mid-January.

It's a museum on wheels, essentially, the organization says. It has a small movie theater and exhibits and activities for kids, and operates as a "welcome home" unit for many veterans in America, especially Vietnam veterans who generally were not welcomed home and respected when they first returned from war.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

Morrill Worcester, founder of Wreaths Across America and owner of Worcester Wreath Company of Harrington, Maine  his wife Karen Worcester, who is executive director  remain actively involved to this day.

Added Caron, "Morrill still donates the wreaths that go to all of the locations." These wreaths are sponsored by the thousands of generous Americans who believe in what Wreaths Across America is doing each and every year.

To learn how to participate on behalf of America's fallen veterans, anyone can visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org to find more information and details.

Maureen Mackey is managing editor of lifestyle for Fox News Digital.
Gaming and hospitality company Eldorado Resorts has been given a temporary approval to own and operate Tropicana Casinoin Atlantic City. The move comes as part of a $1.85-billion acquisition deal that will see Eldorado assume control over the gambling venues parent company Tropicana Entertainment. The later company owns six more casino properties across six states.

The New Jersey Casino Control Commission issued earlier this week a temporary license that authorizes Eldorado to operate Tropicana, while its application for a full license is under review. The gambling venue was Atlantic Citys second highest grossing casino last year, trailing only behind the Borgata.

At present, Tropicana is one of the citys few casinos that do not provide sports betting, following the legalization of that type of activity in the state in early June. However, this is about to change soon. The casino announced earlier this week that it has penned a partnership agreement with British bookmaker William Hill that would see the launch of a sportsbook at the property.

Tropicana General Manager Steve Callender said in a press release from a few days ago that a brand-new facility is currently being created in the casinos North Towerand that it would host sports betting. More details are expected to be released in the coming weeks.

In a separate round of news, Eldorado announced last week that it has entered into an agreement to buy a 20% stake in William Hills US business. In addition, the bookmaker would become the exclusive sports betting partner for the Reno, Nevada-based gaming and hospitality company. Eldorado currently operates 21 properties in 11 states. The acquisition of Tropicana Entertainment will extend the companys footprint across two new states.

Details about the Deal

It was in April when Eldorado announced that it would acquire Tropicana Entertainment and its properties across six states in a deal valued at $1.85 billion. Tropicana is currently owned by New York investor Carl Icahn. The transaction is expected to be completed sometime in the fourth quarter of the year.

It is also important to note that Eldorado has partnered casino REIT Gaming and Leisure Properties to buy Tropicana Entertainment. The deal will see Gaming and Leisure pay the amount of $1.21 billion and lease the Tropicana properties to Eldorado, while the latter company will pay the remaining $640 million.

The purchase of Tropicana Entertainment was Eldorados second major acquisition deal in 18 months amid a wave of consolidation within the US land-based casino industry. Last May, the Nevada-based gaming and hospitality company completed the acquisition of Isle of Capri Casinos for $1.1 billion.

Separately, Eldorado also announced earlier this year that it has agreed to buy Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, Illinois from rival MGM Resorts International for the total amount of $327.5 million.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date on the days top casino news stories.
Online sports betting has exploded in the few years it has been widely legal in the US. Companies like DraftKings Inc. and FanDuel Inc. are ubiquitous on TV,microgaming classic blackjack radio, billboards and social media. All the major US sports leagues now have partnerships with betting platforms. In August, ESPN struck a 10-year, $1.5 billion deal with a casino operator to license its widely known brand, capitalizing on the surge in interest in sports betting as more states have legalized it.

How did all of this happen so fast?

Until just a few years ago, if you wanted to bet on a sporting event in the US, youd have to either travel to Las Vegas or patronize an illegal bookie.
What Is the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)?straight cards poker nftgame

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is a stock exchange located in New York City that is the largest equities-based exchange in the world, based on the total market capitalization of its listed securities.

Formerly run as a private organization, the NYSE became a public entity on March 8, 2006, following the acquisition of electronic trading exchange Archipelago. In 2007, a merger with Euronextthe largest stock exchange in Europeled to the creation of NYSE Euronext, which was later acquired by Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE), the current parent of the New York Stock Exchange.

Key Takeaways

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which dates back to 1792, is the largest stock exchange in the world based on the total market capitalization of its listed securities.

It was the first formalized stock exchange established in the United States.

Many of the oldest publicly traded U.S. companies are listed on the "Big Board," the nickname for the NYSE.

The Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) now owns the NYSE, having purchased the exchange in 2013.

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)

Understanding the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)

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Located on Wall Street in New York City, the New York Stock Exchangealso known as the "Big Board" consists of one trading floor for equities and another for the NYSE American options exchange. The main building located at 18 Broad St. and the one at 11 Wall St. were both designated historical landmarks in 1978.

The NYSE relied for many years on floor trading only, using the open outcry system. Many NYSE trades have transitioned to electronic systems relying mainly on designated market makers to conduct both the physical and automated auctions. Quotes offered by DMMs are on par with what floor traders and other market participants offer.

Currently, the NYSE is open for trading Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. The stock exchange is closed on certain U.S. holidays. When these fall on a Saturday, the NYSE is sometimes closed the preceding Friday. When holidays fall on a Sunday, the NYSE may be closed the following Monday.

The NYSE is the world's largest stock exchange by total market capitalization of listed companies, which is estimated to be $24.6 trillion as of Mid-2022.

The NYSE's Opening and Closing Bells

The opening and closing bells of the exchange mark the beginning and end of the trading day. The opening bell is rung at 9:30 a.m. ET, and the closing bell is rung at 4:00 p.m. ET, closing trading for the day. But trading days did not always begin and end with a bellthe original signal was actually a gavel. During the late 1800s, the NYSE changed the gavel to a gong. The bell became the official signal for the exchange in 1903 when the NYSE moved to 18 Broad St.

Prior to 1995, the exchange's floor managers rang the bells. But the NYSE began inviting company executives to ring the opening and closing bells on a regular basis, which later became a daily event. The executives are from companies listed on the exchange, who sometimes coordinate their appearances with marketing events, such as the launch of a new product or innovation, or a merger or acquisition.

Sometimes, other public figures, such as athletes and celebrities, ring the bell. Some of the more notable figures to ring it include singer/actor Liza Minnelli, Olympic medalist Michael Phelps, and rapper Snoop Dogg. In July 2013, United Nations Secretary Ban Ki-moon rang the closing bell to mark the NYSE joining the U.N. Sustainable Stock Exchanges Initiative.

The New York Stock Exchange passed the milestone of one million shares traded in a single day in 1888. By 2022, more than five billion shares were changing hands on the NYSE during a normal business day.

History of the NYSE

The New York Stock Exchange dates back to May 17, 1792. On that day, 24 stockbrokers from New York City signed the Buttonwood Agreement at 68 Wall St. The New York Stock Exchange kicked off with five securities, which included three government bonds and two bank stocks.

Thanks to the NYSE's head start as the major U.S. stock exchange, many of the oldest publicly traded companies are on the exchange. Consolidated Edison (ED) is the longest-listed NYSE stock, joining in 1824 as the New York Gas Light Company. Along with American stocks, foreign-based corporations can also list their shares on the NYSE if they adhere to certain listing standards.

A series of mergers has given the New York Stock Exchange its massive size and global presence. The company started as NYSE before merging with the Euronext and adding the American Stock Exchange. NYSE Euronext was purchased in an $11 billion deal by the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) in 2013. The following year, Euronext emerged from ICE via an initial public offering (IPO), but ICE retained ownership of the NYSE.

A Few Notable Dates in the NYSEs History

Oct. 24, 1929: The most devastating stock market crash in the history of the U.S. began on Black Thursday and continued into a sell-off panic on Black Tuesday, Oct. 29. It followed the crash of the London Stock Exchange, which took place in September and signaled the onset of the Great Depression, which affected all of the industrialized countries in the West.

The most devastating stock market crash in the history of the U.S. began on Black Thursday and continued into a sell-off panic on Black Tuesday, Oct. 29. It followed the crash of the London Stock Exchange, which took place in September and signaled the onset of the Great Depression, which affected all of the industrialized countries in the West. Oct. 1, 1934: The NYSE registered as a national securities exchange with the SEC.

The NYSE registered as a national securities exchange with the SEC. Oct. 19, 1987: The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) dropped 508 points or a loss of 22.6% in a single day.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) dropped 508 points or a loss of 22.6% in a single day. Sept. 11, 2001: Trading was shut down for four days at the NYSE following the 9/11 attacks and resumed on Sept. 17. About $1.4 trillion was lost in the five days of trading following the reopeningthe biggest losses in NYSE history.

Trading was shut down for four days at the NYSE following the 9/11 attacks and resumed on Sept. 17. About $1.4 trillion was lost in the five days of trading following the reopeningthe biggest losses in NYSE history. October 2008: NYSE Euronext completed the acquisition of the American Stock Exchange for $260 million in stock.

NYSE Euronext completed the acquisition of the American Stock Exchange for $260 million in stock. May 6, 2010: The DJIA suffered its largest intraday drop since the crash of Oct. 19, 1987. It dropped 998 points in what is known as the 2010 Flash Crash.

The DJIA suffered its largest intraday drop since the crash of Oct. 19, 1987. It dropped 998 points in what is known as the 2010 Flash Crash. Dec. 20, 2012: ICE proposed to buy NYSE Euronext in a stock swap worth $8 billion.

ICE proposed to buy NYSE Euronext in a stock swap worth $8 billion. May 1, 2014: The NYSE was fined $4.5 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission in order to settle charges of market rule violations.

The NYSE was fined $4.5 million by the Securities and Exchange Commission in order to settle charges of market rule violations. May 25, 2018: Stacey Cunningham became the first female president of the NYSE.

Stacey Cunningham became the first female president of the NYSE. March 16, 2020: The onset of COVID-19 pandemic fears led to the DJIA suffering its largest daily point drop in history as it fell 2,997.10 points from the previous close. Percentage-wise, it was the third worst day ever.

The onset of COVID-19 pandemic fears led to the DJIA suffering its largest daily point drop in history as it fell 2,997.10 points from the previous close. Percentage-wise, it was the third worst day ever. March 23, 2020: The NYSE temporarily closed floor trading due to the COVID-19 pandemic, opting to continue its operations electronically.

The NYSE temporarily closed floor trading due to the COVID-19 pandemic, opting to continue its operations electronically. March 24, 2020:The DJIA recorded its largest one-day point gain on expectation of a stimulus relief bill. Percentage-wise, it was the fifth best day ever.

Who Owns the New York Stock Exchange?

The NYSE was acquired by the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE) group in 2013.

Where Is the Oldest Stock Exchange in the World?

The Amsterdam Stock Exchange (AEX) in the Netherlands is the oldest stock exchange, established in 1602 by the Dutch East India Company. Today the Amsterdam exchange is owned by Euronext.

What Is the Largest Stock Exchange in the World?

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) remains the largest stock exchange in the world in terms of the market capitalization of the companies listed on it. The NASDAQ ranked second, followed by the Shanghai Stock Exchange, and the Euronext.

The Bottom Line

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is the oldest and most influential securities exchange in the United States, and is the largest stock exchange in the world by total listed company market cap. With humble beginnings under a buttonwood tree in Manhattan, the NYSE is now a landmark that epitomizes Wall Street. Today, the NYSE lists the most important publicly-traded American companies and is still seen as the premier venue for stock trading.
As languages change, they often tend more toward simplicity than increasing complexity, especially regarding spelling.

As time goes on, more and more words that end in Eare dropping the letter before taking a suffix. Such is the case with love when it becomes lovable.

However, not all words follow the rule: date becomes dateable, for instance, and marriage becomes marriageable. Why should love be any different?

Indeed, most word processors do not flag loveable as a mistake, and if you do a great amount of reading you are likely to stumble across the word at some point. Are both of these words acceptable?

Continue reading to learn more about lovable vs. loveable.

What is the Difference Between Loveable and Lovable?

In this post, I will compare loveable vs. lovable. I will outline the more common spelling and advise you moving forward in your writing.

Then, I will use a mnemonic device to demonstrate how to remember which version is correct, loveableor lovable? This way, you will always know what to use for your own writing.

When to Use Lovable

What does lovable mean? Lovable is an adjective that means having the capacity to inspire affection and endearment in others. To put it more simply, something that is lovable is able to be loved.

A puppy might be lovable, for instance, or possibly a child. Often, a bumbling, overweight stock character on a TV show is considered a lovable buffoon.

Here are a few more examples,

Kenzie brought home a box of lovable kittens from the vet and gave one to each of her sisters as Christmas gifts.

Brett is a lovable boy as long as you dont try to tell him that dragons are more dangerous than space robots, because he will try to start an argument about it.

When to Use Loveable

What does loveable mean? Loveable is a variant spelling of the same adjective. It means the same thing and can be used in all the same contexts.

It has been used throughout history with varying degrees of regularity, but today, it has taken a backseat to lovable as the standard spelling in both American and British English.

This chart shows the relative usage of loveablevs. lovableacross all varieties of English:

While this chart isnt exhaustive in its literary scope, since it only looks at books published in English since 1800, it still illustrates a clear trend that has persisted for over a century.

Trick to Remember the Difference

You should always use lovable in your own writing. Loveable isnt technically wrong, but it has not been the standard form in any language community for over one hundred years. You could use loveable if you are quoting an old source, but otherwise, avoid it.

Since lovable and huggable each contain only one E, remembering to use lovable instead of the inferior and unloved loveable is an easy concept to memorize.

Summary

Is it lovable or loveable? Loveable and lovable are alternate spellings of an adjective that means able to be loved.

Both spellings are correct, but lovable has been the standard form since the 19th century. Avoid loveable in most contexts.
What Is a Conflict of Interest?suka gacor slot slot aztec jackpot

A conflict of interest occurs when an entity or individual becomes unreliable because of a clash between personal (or self-serving) interests and professional duties or responsibilities. Such a conflict occurs when a company or person has a vested interestsuch as money, status, knowledge, relationships, or reputationwhich puts into question whether their actions, judgment, or decision-making can be unbiased.

Some examples of a conflict of interest could be:

Representing a family member in court

Starting a business that competes with your full-time employer

Advising a client to invest in a company owned by your spouse

Hiring an unqualified relative or friend



When such a situation arises, the party with the conflict of interest is usually asked to remove themselves, and it is often legally required of them.

Key Takeaways

A conflict of interest occurs when a person's or entity's vested interests raise a question of whether their actions, judgment, and/or decision-making can be unbiased.

In business, a conflict of interest arises when a person chooses personal gain over duties to their employer, or to an organization in which they are a stakeholder, or exploits their position for personal gain in some way.

Conflicts of interest often have legal ramifications.

Watch Now: Conflict of Interest Explained

Understanding Conflict of Interest

1:13

A conflict of interest in business normally refers to a situation in which an individual's personal interests conflict with the professional interests owed to their employer or the company in which they are invested. A conflict of interest arises when a person chooses personal gain over the duties to an organization in which they are a stakeholder or exploits their position for personal gain in some way.

All corporate board members have fiduciary duties and a duty of loyalty to the corporations they oversee. If one of the directors chooses to take action that benefits them at the detriment of the firm, they are harming the company with a conflict of interest.

One example might be the board member of a property insurance company who votes on the induction of lower premiums for companies with fleet vehicleswhen they, in fact, own a truck company. Even if the institution of lower premiums isn't a bad business move for the insurer, it could still be considered a conflict of interest because the board member has a special interest in the outcome.

In legal circles, representation by a lawyer or party with a vested interest in the outcome of the trial would be considered a conflict of interest, and the representation would not be allowed. Additionally, judges who have a relationship with one of the parties involved in a case or lawsuit will recuse themselves from presiding over the case.

Special Considerations

A conflict of interest may lead to legal ramifications as well as job loss. However, if there is a perceived conflict of interest and the person has not yet acted maliciously, it's possible to remove that person from the situation or decision in which a possible conflict of interest can arise. Using the prior example of a board member who owns a truck company, they could simply remove themselves from all decisions that could positively or negatively affect their personal business.

Common Types of Conflicts of Interest

Self-dealing is the most common type of conflict of interest in the business world. It occurs when a management-level professional accepts a transaction from another organization that benefits the manager and harms the company or the company's clients.

Gift issuance is also a very common conflict of interest. It happens when a corporate manager or officer accepts a gift from a client or a similar type of person. Companies normally circumvent this issue by prohibiting gifts from customers to individual employees.

Troublesome situations may also arise when, in the course of professional duties, an individual collects confidential information. Any information of this type used for personal gain by an employee is a huge conflict of interest, at least in the United States. The financial industry constantly grapples with this type of conflict of interest in the form of insider trading.

Finally, the hiring of, or showing favorable workplace treatment to, a relative or spouseknown as nepotismcan result in a potential conflict of interest.

A financial advisor who knowingly advises clients to purchase financial products which are not in their best interests (too expensive, too risky, or not in line with stated goals), but which earn the advisor a bigger commission, would be guilty of conflict of interest.

Real-World Example of Conflict of Interest

In the financial industry, an agency problem refers to a type of conflict of interest where agents don't fully represent the best interests of their principals. The Enron scandal is an extreme example of an agency problem that led to the collapse of what was at the time one of the largest companies in the United States.

In 2001, Enron Corporation declared bankruptcy after it was revealed that the top leaders in the company had used mark-to-market accounting and special purpose vehicles (SPVs) to hide financial losses. This made the company appear more profitable than it really was.

While Enron's executives had a legal responsibility to protect the interests of its shareholders, some executives instead engaged in illegal activities to camouflage the company's massive losses and debts. Share prices dropped from over $90 a share to under $1 a share. Several executives were indicted for their actions and eventually sent to prison.
live blackjack kostenlosshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dayglow [ dey-gloh ]/ deglo / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dey-gloh ]/ deglo /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nounSee under airglow.

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QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question dayglowFirst recorded in 195560; day + glowdaydream, dayflower, dayfly, daygirl, Day-Glo, dayglow, dayhop, day hospital, day in court, day in court, have one's, day in, day outDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
damp off New Word List Save This skybet itv7 africa fixed matchesWord! Save ThisWord!

verb(intr, adverb) (of plants, seedlings, shoots, etc) to be affected by damping off

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How to use in a sentence Although the blood-spattered offices will be off-limits, staff have vowed to continue producing the magazine. France Mournsand Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

France Mournsand Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST A passing off-duty school safety officer named Fred Lucas said that he had been told the man was a drug dealer. Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST The NOPD fired Knight in 1973 for stealing lumber from a construction site as an off-duty cop. The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST The off-year special election into which Duke threw himself drew little media notice at first. The Louisiana Racists Who Courted Steve Scalise|Jason Berry|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST Aaron Paul may play a young Han Solo in the first Star Wars spin-off. Juiciest Star Wars: The Force Awakens Rumors (and Some Debunked Ones)|Rich Goldstein|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Juiciest Star Wars: The Force Awakens Rumors (and Some Debunked Ones)|Rich Goldstein|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST The tears came so fast to Mrs. Pontellier's eyes that the damp sleeve of her peignoir no longer served to dry them. The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin A far-off volley rumbled over the plain, and a few birds stirred uneasily among the trees. The Red Year|Louis Tracy

The Red Year|Louis Tracy As for him, he much preferred the darkness of his cool, damp galleries under the ground. The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey

The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey First of all, wrap a portion of damp newspaper round the roots, and then tie up with dry paper. How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin

How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin Dense fogs always prevail, and generally make the country very damp. The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondamper pedal, Dampier, damping, damping-off, damp-mop, damp off, dampproof, damp squib, Damrosch, damsel, damsel bugCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Both lossand losthave to do with losing. To lose somethingis to misplace it, to fail to win, to get rid of, or a number of other meanings.

To misplace something.

He keeps losing his car keys.

To fail to win.

The Lakers are losing the game right now.

To rid oneself of.

I will be losing 10 pounds this year.

Although lossand lostboth deal with the same subject, they perform different functions in a sentence.

What is the Difference Between Loss and Lost?

In this post, I will compare lossvs. lost. I will go over their functions and uses in a sentence, and I will use examples of each. Plus, at the end, I will give you an easy trick to remember the difference.

After reading this post, you wont ever again wonder, When do I use lost or loss?

When to Use Loss

What does loss mean? Loss is a noun and is defined as the act or an instance of losing.

That was an unexpected loss.

The family suffered a terrible loss with the death of Jane.

If you sell something at a loss, you are selling it below cost.

When to Use Lost

What does lost mean? Lost is the past tense and past participle of lose. Since lostis a verb, you should expect to see it following a subject of some kind.

She lost her car in the crowded parking lot.

Lost as an adjective. Lostcan also function as an adjective in a sentence.

The lost child.

A lost opportunity.

My basketball is lost

Examples

Angels center fielder Mike Trout brought comfort  and gifts  to a South New Jersey family that lost its home to a fire with a surprise Christmas Eve visit. L.A. Times

Before the season, the Vikings lost two of their top players. The Washington Post

The Japanese conglomerate has been struggling with the aftermath of a major accounting scandal, compounded by troubles in nuclear energy and losses in the business that makes personal computers, TVs and consumer appliances. Houston Chronicle

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a good trick to remember lost vs. loss. If you can remember this simple mental check, you will be all set.

Check one: Lost is the past tense of to lose. Lostand pasttense both contain the letter t.

Summary

Is it lost or loss? Both words have to do with losing something, but they are different parts of speech.

Lossis a noun and refers to the act of losing.

Lostis the past tense and past participle of to lose.
The Pechersky court of Kyiv chose a preventive measure in the form of detention for 60 days for MP of Ukraine Nestor Shufrych, without the right to post bail. The deputy is accused of high treason; he was taken into custody directly in the courtroom, according to a report during the telethon.

The MP's lawyers announced that they would file an appeal against the court's decision.

As reported, according to materials from the Security Service of Ukraine, MP Nestor Shufrych was suspected of treason.

"The Security Service of Ukraine, together with the State Bureau of Investigation and the Prosecutor General's Office, has collected a reasoned evidence base for the anti-Ukrainian activities of current MP Nestor Shufrych. Based on materials from the Security Service, he was notified of suspicion under Article 111 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (high treason)," the Security Service said on its Telegram channel on Friday.
party poker download slot egtshows grade level based on the word's complexity. damping [ dam-ping ]/ dm p / New Word List Save This Word!See dampingFirst recorded in 1750-60; damp + -ing1 Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dam-ping ]/ dm p /Save This Word!See dampingFirst recorded in 1750-60; damp + -ing

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Words related to damping damping/ (dmp) / nounmoistening or wettingstifling, as of spiritselectronics the introduction of resistance into a resonant circuit with the result that the sharpness of response at the peak of a frequency is reducedengineering any method of dispersing energy in a vibrating system Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Scientific definitions for damping damping[ damping ] The action of a substance or of an element in a mechanical or electrical device that gradually reduces the degree of oscillation, vibration, or signal intensity, or prevents it from increasing. For example, sound-proofing technology dampens the oscillations of sound waves. Built-in damping is a crucial design element in technology that involves the creation of oscillations and vibrations. The American Heritage Science Dictionary Copyright  2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

damp-dry, dampen, damper, damper pedal, Dampier, damping, damping-off, damp-mop, damp off, dampproof, damp squibDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What Is a Confidence Interval?shiba a good investment

A confidence interval, in statistics, refers to the probability that a population parameter will fall between a set of values for a certain proportion of times. Analysts often use confidence intervals than contain either 95% or 99% of expected observations. Thus, if a point estimate is generated from a statistical model of 10.00 with a 95% confidence interval of 9.50 - 10.50, it can be inferred that there is a 95% probability that the true value falls within that range.

Statisticians and other analysts use confidence intervals to understand the statistical significance of their estimations, inferences, or predictions. If a confidence interval contains the value of zero (or some other null hypothesis), then one cannot satisfactorily claim that a result from data generated by testing or experimentation is to be attributable to a specific cause rather than chance.

Key Takeaways

A confidence interval displays the probability that a parameter will fall between a pair of values around the mean.

Confidence intervals measure the degree of uncertainty or certainty in a sampling method.

They are also used in hypothesis testing and regression analysis.

Statisticians often use p-values in conjunction with confidence intervals to gauge statistical significance.

They are most often constructed using confidence levels of 95% or 99%.

Understanding Confidence Intervals

Confidence intervals measure the degree of uncertainty or certainty in a sampling method. They can take any number of probability limits, with the most common being a 95% or 99% confidence level. Confidence intervals are conducted using statistical methods, such as a t-test.

Statisticians use confidence intervals to measure uncertainty in a sample variable. For example, a researcher selects different samples randomly from the same population and computes a confidence interval for each sample to see how it may represent the true value of the population variable. The resulting datasets are all different; some intervals include the true population parameter and others do not.

A confidence intervalis a range of values, bounded above and below the statistic's mean, that likely would contain an unknown population parameter. Confidence level refers to the percentage of probability, or certainty, that the confidence interval would contain the true population parameter when you draw a random sample many times. Or, in the vernacular, "we are 99% certain (confidence level) that most of these samples (confidence intervals) contain the true population parameter."

The biggest misconception regarding confidence intervals is that they represent the percentage of data from a given sample that falls between the upper and lower bounds. For example, one might erroneously interpret the aforementioned 99% confidence interval of 70-to-78 inches as indicating that 99% of the data in a random sample falls between these numbers. This is incorrect, though a separate method of statistical analysis exists to make such a determination. Doing so involves identifying the sample's mean and standard deviation and plotting these figures on a bell curve.

Confidence interval and confidence level are interrelated but are not exactly the same.

Calculating Confidence Interval

Suppose a group of researchers is studying the heights of high school basketball players. The researchers take a random sample from the population and establish a mean height of 74 inches.

The mean of 74 inches is a point estimate of the population mean. A point estimate by itself is of limited usefulness because it does not reveal the uncertainty associated with the estimate; you do not have a good sense of how far away this 74-inch sample mean might be from the population mean. What's missing is the degree of uncertainty in this single sample.

Confidence intervals provide more information than point estimates. By establishing a 95% confidence interval using the sample's mean and standard deviation, and assuming a normal distribution as represented by the bell curve, the researchers arrive at an upper and lower bound that contains the true mean 95% of the time.

Assume the interval is between 72 inches and 76 inches. If the researchers take 100 random samples from the population of high school basketball players as a whole, the mean should fall between 72 and 76 inches in 95 of those samples.

If the researchers want even greater confidence, they can expand the interval to 99% confidence. Doing so invariably creates a broader range, as it makes room for a greater number of sample means. If they establish the 99% confidence interval as being between 70 inches and 78 inches, they can expect 99 of 100 samples evaluated to contain a mean value between these numbers.

A 90% confidence level, on the other hand, implies that we would expect 90% of the interval estimates to include the population parameter, and so forth.

What Does a Confidence Interval Reveal?

A confidence interval is a range of values, bounded above and below the statistic's mean, that likely would contain an unknown population parameter. Confidence level refers to the percentage of probability, or certainty, that the confidence interval would contain the true population parameter when you draw a random sample many times.

Why Are Confidence Intervals Used?

Statisticians use confidence intervals to measure uncertainty in a sample variable. For example, a researcher selects different samples randomly from the same population and computes a confidence interval for each sample to see how it may represent the true value of the population variable. The resulting datasets are all different where some intervals include the true population parameter and others do not.

What Is a Common Misconception About Confidence Intervals?

The biggest misconception regarding confidence intervals is that they represent the percentage of data from a given sample that falls between the upper and lower bounds. In other words, it would be incorrect to assume that a 99% confidence interval means that 99% of the data in a random sample falls between these bounds. What it actually means is that one can be 99% certain that the range will contain the population mean.

What Is a T-Test?

Confidence intervals are conducted using statistical methods, such as a t-test. A t-test is a type of inferential statistic used to determine if there is a significant difference between the means of two groups, which may be related to certain features. Calculating a t-test requires three key data values. They include the difference between the mean values from each data set (called the mean difference), the standard deviation of each group, and the number of data values of each group.

How Do You Interpret P-Values and Confidence Interval?

A p-value is a statistical measurement used to validate a hypothesis against observed data that measures the probability of obtaining the observed results, assuming that the null hypothesis is true. In general, a p-value less than 0.05 is considered to be statistically significant, in which case the null hypothesis should be rejected. This can somewhat correspond to the probability that the null hypothesis value (which is often zero) is contained within a 95% confidence interval.

The Bottom Line

Confidence intervals allow analysts to understand the likelihood that the results from statistical analyses are real or due to chance. When trying to make inferences or predictions based on a sample of data, there will be some uncertainty as to whether to results of such an analysis actually correspond with the real-world population being studied. The confidence interval depicts the likely range within which the true value should fall.
Lets say you are trying to choose a restaurant for an anniversary dinner with your spouse. You will want to select a location that has an environment or atmosphere that you will both enjoy.

You notice that some online reviews use the word ambiance to describe this concept, while others use ambience.

Do these words mean the same thing? What do they say about the restaurants you are considering for your dinner? Continue reading to find out whether you should choose an eatery with good ambiance or ambience.

What is the Difference Between Ambiance and Ambience?

In this article, I will compare ambiance vs. ambience. I will use these spellings in example sentences, so you can see them in the proper context.

I will also tell you a helpful memory trick to help you decide whether to choose ambience or ambiance.

When to Use Ambience

What does ambience mean? Ambience is a noun. It refers to the general character or atmosphere of a place.

For example,

The low lighting and fireplaces gave the restaurant a pleasant ambience.

Inn of the Hawke has a pub ambience with a selection of craft beers. The Wall Street Journal

Bernal Heights has the ambience of a village, with small shops, public bulletin boards papered over with notices and even a wild coyote whose welfare many in the community fuss over. The New York Times

Ambienceand ambianceboth derive from the French word ambiance. Ambienceis the Anglicized version that first entered English in 1889, mirroring the adjective ambient, which has been in English since the late 16th century. 

Still, to this day, ambienceis the preferred spelling in American and British English. Ambienceoccurs more than twice as often in written English as ambiance.

As you can see from the chart below, ambience is the more common variant.

Ambiance, which more closely resembles the original French word, is generally seen as an affectation in English, a vogue word that often comes with a pretentious pronunciation: Ahm-bee-ahn[t]s.

When to Use Ambiance

What does ambiance mean? Ambiance, when it is spelled as such, has all the same meanings and uses as ambience.

For example,

The grocery store had all the ambiance of a warehouse.

Without quiet music, this coffee shop would have little in the way of ambiance.

Ambience or Ambiance? When to Use Each

Both of these words are nouns, and they share a common meaning. Ambiance is closer to the words origins in French, but ambience is more common in actual use and has been in English longer.

Both of these spellings are legitimate, but most editors prefer ambience. Moreover, your audience will be used to seeing the word spelled this way, since ambienceis used more frequently. Thus, in addition to finding favor with editors, ambience will seem more natural, and is probably the better choice.

You can remember to choose ambience for your audience since it is spelled with an extra E, the letter that begins editor. Since editors prefer ambience, you can link these words together in your mind.

Summary

Is it ambiance or ambience?Ambiance and ambience are two different spellings of the same word, which denotes atmosphere or mood, especially of a place.

Neither spelling is incorrect, but ambience is standard in formal writing.

Ambienceis the preferred spelling in English.

By linking the words ambience and editorin your mind, you can remember to use this term in formal contexts.

Any time you need help, you can always check this site for further assistance.

References: 1). Fowlers Dictionary of Modern English Usage, 2015, p. 43.
BEIJING,pointsbet review free 2 odds today Nov. 17 (Xinhua) -- China will faithfully implement its optimized COVID-19 response measures in a science-based and targeted manner, said a spokesperson with the National Health Commission (NHC) on Thursday.

"We firmly oppose two inappropriate approaches. One is the block-it-off approach, which resorts to excessive control measures, and the other is the let-it-go approach, which is irresponsible," said Mi Feng, an NHC spokesperson, at a press conference.

China's COVID-19 response should put the people and their lives above everything else, practice the general strategy of "preventing both imported cases and domestic resurgences," and tenaciously pursue the policy of "dynamic zero-COVID," he said.

Last Friday, the Chinese government released a circular on further optimizing the COVID-19 response, announcing 20 prevention and control measures.

The public has shown positive feedback to the optimized response measures.

The number of petitions related to COVID-19 response, posted by ordinary citizens on the NHC website, has dropped by 39 percent from last Friday to Wednesday, according to Shen Hongbing, deputy chief of the national administration of disease prevention and control, at the same press conference.

OPTIMIZED MEDICAL RESOURCES

The newly-released response measures included placing different types of patients at various medical facilities.

Efforts will be made to enhance the capacity of designated hospitals to deal with severe or critical cases, Guo Yanhong, a senior NHC official, said at the press conference.

Some large venues, such as stadiums and exhibition centers, will be prepared in advance for building makeshift hospitals to treat asymptomatic patients or those having mild symptoms, Guo said.

The authorities will also spend more resources on fever clinics in regular hospitals to early detect, report, quarantine, and treat infected cases, the official said.

MORE TARGETED, EFFECTIVE RESPONSE

According to the newly released prevention and control measures, the categories of COVID-19 risk areas are adjusted from "high," "medium," and "low" to "high" and "low" to minimize personnel under quarantine or health monitoring.

More targeted and effective epidemiological investigation and risk assessment will be needed to identify high-risk areas, Wang Liping, an official with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at the press conference.

She said although closed management will still operate in high-risk areas, vulnerable groups will be attended to, and their daily necessities and medical supplies ensured. These groups include the elderly living alone, minors, pregnant women, disabled people, and chronically ill patients in blocked sites.

SCIENCE-BASED, TARGETED NUCLEIC ACID TESTS

Both the ninth edition of China's COVID-19 control protocols and the recently-announced 20 prevention and control measures have required a science-based and targeted execution of nucleic acid tests, said Shen Hongbing. Shen added that they should be neither pushed excessively nor loosened indiscreetly.

In areas without COVID-19 cases, the focus of nucleic acid tests will be on people working in risky positions and the key groups and should not be expanded at will, he said.

The authorities will try their best to optimize the layout of nucleic acid testing branches and timely update their information to the public, said Guo Yanhong.

FACILITATE INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES

According to the optimized response measures, the authorities have adjusted the management approach for inbound travelers to better coordinate epidemic response with international exchanges and travels and minimize the epidemic's impact on economic and social development, Wang Liping said.

To enforce quarantine measures more effectively, the local communities will be required to register the information of people undergoing in-home quarantine in a timely manner and provide assistance for those who have necessary reasons to go out, for example, for immediate medical needs, Wang said. 
Online bookmaker Black Type has confirmed that it is going into administration but has told its customers to rest assured as this would not affect their accounts in any way and that it is business as usual.

Black Type was launched in 2016. The online betting operator entered the gambling market with the promise not to prevent winning bettors from winning even more by closing down their accounts. Black Type offers betting on various sports as well as casino and live casino games, but is primarily focused on horseracing.

Black Type is powered by technology by online gambling provider and white label operator FSB Technology (UK) Limited. FSB is running a number of brands in the UK and Ireland via its white label technology.

Just as the rest of its white label brands, Black Types terms and conditions section makes it clear that customers of the betting site are gambling with FSBand the company is the merchant of record for all deposits and withdrawals to and from accounts registered with Black Type.

In a statement on the Black Type website, FSB told customers that they will not be affected in any way as the business enters into administration and that they will be able to continue to use their Black Type accounts as usual.

FSB Promises Bettors Funds Will Remain Safe

In its statement, FSB said that bettors funds are safeand will remain safe as they are held in a Segregated Fund Account with Barclay Corporate Bank. Any unsettled bets or pending withdrawals will be honored by FSB, it also became known.

Customers will be able to continue to bet on sports, horse races, and other activities and to play casino games, as usual. There will also be no changes in Black Types responsible gambling controlsand any limits that its bettors have put in place will continue to provide the protections requested.

It is understood that the regulatory pressure UK online gambling operators have been facing in recent years have forced Black Types management to put the business into administration.

In August 2019, the UK Gambling Commission announced that it had instigated a review into FSBafter the voluntary suspension of activities on one of its white label gambling brands. Back then, FSB CEO David McDowell said that the regulatory body had expressed concernsover the levels of due diligence performed on a small number of our white-label partnersand that those partners were fully cooperative with regulators so that a comprehensive resolution of the concerns was promptly achieved.

News about the review surfaced just weeks after FSB suspended the UK-facing website of controversial bookmaker 1xBet. FSB was the operators white label partner in the UK, but decided to reconsider its ties with it after a Sunday Times investigation detailed a series of questionable advertising practices 1xBet was involved in.

Source:Black Type Services Limited: Service Information and FAQs

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Dampier [ dam-pee-er,roblox pc tycoon codes damp-yer ]/ dm pi r, dmp yr / New Word List Save This Word! [ dam-pee-er,damp-yer ]/ dm pi r, dmp yr /Save This Word!

nounWilliam, 16521715, English navigator, explorer, buccaneer, and writer.

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How to use Dampier Dampier/ (dmp) / nounWilliam. 16521715, English navigator, pirate, and writer: sailed around the world twice Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondampcourse, damp-dry, dampen, damper, damper pedal, Dampier, damping, damping-off, damp-mop, damp off, dampproofDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
MORE ABOUT BITTERSWEET

What does bittersweetmean?

Bittersweetdescribes something that tastes both harsh or acrid and sugary, such as a chocolate with less sugar, intended for baking into something sweet, like a cake.

Bittersweetalso describes something that is both pleasant and regretful, such as graduating from high school. Youre excited about what comes after high school, but youll miss seeing your friends everyday. Graduation is a bittersweetmoment.

Bittersweetis another name for Solanum dulcamara, or woody nightshade, a creeping, vine-like plant that can be poisonous in large quantities.

Bittersweetcould also refer to any climbing plant of the genus Celastrus.

Example: I take just a little sugar in my coffee because I like a bittersweet taste.

Where does bittersweetcome from?

The first records of the term bittersweetcome from the 1300s. It is a Middle English term that combines the words bitterand sweet. Bittercomes from the Gothic baitrs, and sweetcomes from the Latin suavis, meaning pleasant.

The literal and figurative uses of bittersweetare used almost equally. Several popular fruits are bittersweet, including cranberries, sour cherries, blackberries, Granny Smith apples, and blueberries. (We like ours dipped in bittersweetchocolate!)

The figurative bittersweetoften describes an event or a memory of an event that is both happy and sad. Often when something comes to an end, such as a show, production, career, or anything that has a definite beginning and end, you might feel that the ending is bittersweetbecause it is sad that it is ending but happy because it had a successful run.

Did you know  ?

What are some other forms related to bittersweet?

bittersweetly (adverb)

bittersweetness (noun)

What are some synonyms for bittersweet?

woody nightshade

climbing bittersweet

What are some words that share a root or word element with bittersweet?

bitter

sweet

What are some words that often get used in discussing bittersweet?

death

feeling

happy

plant

poison

How is bittersweetused in real life?

Bittersweetis most often used to describe a feeling or flavor.

Try using bittersweet!

Is bittersweetused correctly in the following sentence?

Leaving for camp is always bittersweet because I know Ill miss my bed, but I also love nature.
M.A., Journalism and Public Affairs, American University

M.A., International StudiesChina, University of Washington

B.A., Journalism, University of MassachusettsAmherst

Words taken completely or in part from another language are known as loanwords. In the English language, there are many loanwords that have been borrowed from Chinese languages and dialects.

A loanword is not the same as calque, which is an expression from one language that has been introduced into another language as a direct translation. Many English-language calques also have origins in Chinese.

Loanwords and calques are useful to linguists in examining when and how one culture processed its interaction with another.

10 English Words That Are Borrowed From Chinese

1. Coolie:While some claim that this term has its origins in Hindi, its been argued that it could also have origins in the Chinese term for hard work or  (ku li) which is literally translated as bitter labor.

2. Gung Ho:The term has its origins in the Chinese word  (gong he) that can either mean to work together or as an adjective to describe someone that is overly excited or too enthusiastic. The term gong he is a shortened word for industrial cooperatives which were created in China in the 1930s. During that time U.S. Marines adopted the term to mean someone with a can-do attitude.

3. Kowtow:From the Chinese  (kou tou) describing the ancient practice performed when anyone greeted a superior  such as an elder, leader, or emperor. The person had to kneel and bow down to the superior, making sure that their foreheads hit the ground. Kou tou is literally translated as knock your head.

4. Tycoon:The origins of this word comes from the Japanese term taikun, which was what foreigners called the shogun of Japan. A shogun was known to be someone who took over the throne and is not related to the emperor. Thus the meaning is typically used for someone who obtained power through might or hard work, rather than inheriting it. In Chinese, the Japanese term taikun is  (da wang) which means big prince. There are other words in Chinese that also describe a tycoon including  (cai fa) and  (ju tou).

5. Yen:This term comes from the Chinese word  (yuan) which means a hope, desire, or wish. Someone who has a strong urge for oily fast food can be said to have a yen for pizza.

6. Ketchup:The origins of this word are debated. But many believe that its origins are from either the Fujianese dialect for the fish sauce  (gui zhi ) or the Chinese word for eggplant sauce  (qie zhi).

7. Chop Chop:This term is said to originate from the Cantonese dialect for the word  (kuai kuai) which is said to urge someone to hurry up. Kuai means hurry in Chinese. Chop Chop appeared in English-language newspapers printed in China by foreign settlers as early as the 1800s.

8. Typhoon:This is probably the most direct loanword. In Chinese, a hurricane or typhoon is called  (tai feng).

9. Chow: While chow is a breed of dog, it should be clarified that the term did not come to mean 'food' because the Chinese hold the stereotype of being dog-eaters. More likely, 'chow' as a term for food comes from the word  (cai) which can mean food, a dish (to eat), or vegetables.

10. Koan:Originating in Zen Buddhism, a koan is a riddle without a solution, which is supposed to highlight the inadequacy of logic reasoning. A common one is What is the sound of one hand clapping. (If you were Bart Simpson, you would just fold one hand until you made a clapping noise.) Koan comes from the Japanese which comes from the Chinese for  (gong an). Literally translated it means 'common case'.
live vegas casinoshows grade level based on the word's complexity. deadeye [ ded-ahy ]/ dda / New Word List Save This Word!See deadeye174050; dead + eye; as nautical term, probably ellipsis from deadman's eye,Middle English dedmaneseye deadeye Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ ded-ahy ]/ dda /Save This Word!See deadeye174050; dead + eye; as nautical term, probably ellipsis from deadman's eye,Middle English dedmaneseye deadeye

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Words related to deadeye deadeye/ (dda) / nounnautical either of a pair of disclike wooden blocks, supported by straps in grooves around them, between which a line is rove so as to draw them together to tighten a shroudCompare bull's-eye (def. 9)mainly US informal an expert marksman Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

dead drunk, dead duck, deaden, dead end, deadening, deadeye, deadfall, dead fingers, dead firing, dead freight, dead from the neck upDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
tiplayersclubshows grade level based on the word's complexity. decoction [ dih-kok-shuhn ]/ dkk n / New Word List Save This Word!See decoction13501400; Middle English decoccioun<Old French decoction<Late Latin decoction- (stem of decoctio) a boiling down, equivalent to decoct(us), past participle of decoquere (de-de- + coc-, for coquere to cook1+ -tus past participle suffix) + -ion--ion OTHER WORDS FROM decoction decoctive, adjective Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dih-kok-shuhn ]/ dkk n /Save This Word!See decoction13501400; Middle English decoccioun

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Words related to decoction C14: from Old French, from Late Latin decoctio, from decoquere to boil down, from coquere to cook

Declomycin, declutch, declutter, deco, decoct, decoction, decode, decoder, decoding, decoherence, decoic acidDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Margot Wallstrom held the second meeting of the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group, the press service of the Office of the President has reported.

Opening the meeting, Yermak said that the ongoing Russian aggression continually increases the number of crimes against the Ukrainian environment, making the effectiveness of the activities of this international work group extremely important. He emphasized that environmental protection, like other aspects of the Ukrainian Peace Formula, requires a shared vision and efforts.

"The environmental direction aims at developing and implementing a comprehensive plan for Ukraine's environmental recovery from the consequences of the war. The appropriate mechanisms that will be developed for Ukraine and applied should be universal and effectively prevent crimes against the environment in the world, be reflected in the relevant resolutions of the UN General Assembly and other documents of the international law system," he is convinced.

In turn, Wallstrom said that what is happening in Ukraine today is important for the entire world.

"We must have a strong response to the war against the environment and support all efforts to hold those responsible for these crimes accountable," she said.

Wahlstrom also presented a framework document of the international work group, which defines three priorities of its work: the most complete assessment of the damage caused to the environment, the search for the best strategy for determining and ensuring responsibility and compensation for these crimes, and recommendations for Ukraine's post-war transition to a green economy.

Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin said that Ukraine is investigating 14 cases of ecocide committed during Russia's aggressive war against our country. A total of 252 war crimes resulted in environmental damage have already been recorded. On June 6, on the day of the intentional blowing up of the Kakhovka HPP by the Russian occupiers, an investigation into war crimes and ecocide was launched. Kostin emphasized that Ukraine has become the first country to make efforts to prosecute environmental war crimes and ecocide.

According to Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine Ruslan Strilets, today, about 700,000 hectares of Ukrainian forests are located in the occupied territories or in the combat zone, 2.4 million hectares of forests are in the liberated territories. These forests need restoration. 20% of the protected territories of Ukraine were affected by the war. Currently, 10 national parks, eight natural and two biosphere reserves are under Russian occupation.

Strilets said that the mission of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has prepared a project to assess the environmental impact of the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP dam, and the development of an environmental restoration program is expected. Ukraine has planted hundreds of hectares of the Kakhovka Reservoir's bottom with annual plants to protect against dust storms and the spread of alien species.

To restore natural ecosystems, the implementation of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Green Country program to plant 1 billion trees continues. In particular, over 112 million forest seedlings were planted in the spring, and at least 90 million trees are planned to be planted this autumn.

Following the meeting, a framework document of the Ukraine War Environmental Consequences Work Group was adopted. It states that the group will devote the coming year to utilizing expert knowledge in all of the aforementioned areas to advance recommendations that will help Ukraine move toward a green future, protect its environment, and achieve due justice for the damage inflicted.

The meeting was also attended by video links by: President of Ireland in 1990-1997 Mary Robinson, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius, Professor, CEO of the European Climate Foundation Laurence Tubiana, Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Brazil in 2010-2016 Isabella Teixeira, Vice-President of the European Parliament Heidi Hautala, and a member of the Swedish Parliament, Rebecka Le Moine, and advisors to the head of the President's Office Daria Zarivna and Oleksandr Bevz participated.
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The Virginia man who allegedly shot and killed his neighbor's dog following a verbal altercation has been released from jail, according to Fairfax County officials.

Roman Vyacheslavov Gorelov, 33, is facing two felony charges of animal cruelty and reckless discharge of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school.

Gorelov was released on bond Monday at an arraignment hearing, despite the Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorneys Office saying the bond motion was set for Tuesday. The Attorney's Office said it is currently attempting to revoke the bond.

District Court Clerk Susan Madsen said Gorelov was arraigned Monday morning, given a $10,000 secured bond and appointed a public defender.

VIRGINIA MAN TAKEN INTO CUSTODY AFTER FATALLY SHOOTING DOG

Roman Vyacheslavov Gorelov, 33, is facing two felony charges of animal cruelty and reckless discharge of a firearm within 1,000 feet of a school. (Fairfax County Police Department)

Fairfax Commonwealths Attorney Steve Descano has said the district court chief judge has blocked his office from involvement in arraignments.

Madsen told FOX 5 that prosecutors are allowed to participate in arraignments, which she says was reiterated to them as recently as August.

The Commonwealth Attorneys Office claims judges have made it difficult for prosecutors to speak at arraignments.

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA TO RESUME CLASSES WEDNESDAY FOLLOWING SUNDAY'S FATAL SHOOTING

The Virginia man who allegedly shot and killed his neighbor's dog following a verbal altercation with its owner has been released from jail, according to Fairfax County officials. (Fairfax County Police)

Gorelov had shot the dog shortly before 10 a.m. on Friday following a verbal altercation with the animal's owner in a breezeway of an apartment complex, according to Fairfax County Police.

The owner then picked up the dog and began running away, but as he was attempting to flee, Gorelov pursued them and fired several more shots at the dog.

Gorelov returned to his nearby apartment after shooting the animal.

District Court Clerk Susan Madsen said Gorelov was arraigned Monday morning, given a $10,000 secured bond and appointed a public defender. (Eric BARADAT / AFP/ Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Police called Gorelov after learning of the incident, and he surrendered himself to officers.

The owner was found standing next to the wounded dog when officers arrived at the scene.

Detectives searched Gorelov's apartment after the shooting and discovered the gun he used on the dog.
After learning to say hello in Mandarin Chinese, the next step is learning to say good evening and good morning. Before diving in, it's important to keep a couple of Chinese phrasings in mind: the character  (zao) means "early" in Chinese. It is often used in morning greetings. Both  (zao an) and  (zao shang hao) mean "good morning." Sometimes, just a quick  is a colloquial way of saying good morning.

Good Morning in Mandarin Chinese

There are actually three ways to say "good morning" in Mandarin Chinese. Audio links are indicated with the mark,  .

zao 

zao an 

zao shang hao 

The Importance of  (Zao)

As noted,  (zao) means morning. It is a noun and can also be used by itself as a greeting meaning "good morning." The Chinese character  (zao) is a composite of two character components:  (ri) which means "sun" and , an old form of  (jia), which means first or armor. A literal interpretation of the character  (zao), therefore, is first sun.

The Difference Between  and 

The first character  in this section head is as explained previously. The second character  (an) means "peace." So, the literal translation of  (zao an) is "morning peace."

A more formal way to say "good morning" is  (zao shang hao). Hao means "good." On its own,  (shang) means "up" or "upon." But in this case,  (zao shang) is a compound meaning "early morning." So the literal translation of  (zao shang hao) is literally "early morning good."

Good Evening in Mandarin Chinese

The phrase  (wan shang hao) means "good evening" in Chinese. The word  is composed of two parts:  and  (mian). As noted previously,  means sun, while  means "free" or "absolve." Combined, the character represents the concept of being free of the sun.

Using the same pattern as  (zao shang hao), you can say "good evening" with  (wan shang hao). The literal translation of  (wan shang hao) is "evening good."

Unlike  (zao an),  (wan an) is not usually used as a greeting but rather as a farewell. The phrase means "goodnight" in the sense of sending people away (in a nice way) or saying the phrase to people before they go to bed.

Appropriate Times

These greetings should be said at the appropriate time of the day. Morning greetings should be said up to about 10 a.m. Evening greetings are usually spoken between about 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. The standard greeting  (ni hao)"hello there"can be used at any time of the day or night.

Tones

The Pinyin Romanization above uses tone marks. Pinyin is a Romanization system used to learn Mandarin. It transcribes the sounds of Mandarin using the Western (Roman) alphabet. Pinyin is most commonly used in Mainland China for teaching school children to read, and it is also widely used in teaching materials designed for Westerners who wish to learn Mandarin.

Mandarin Chinese is a tonal language, which means that the meanings of words depend on which tones they use. There are four tones in Mandarin:

First: a level and higher pitch

Second: rising, which starts from a lower pitch and ends at a slightly higher pitch

Third: a falling-rising sound that starts with at a neutral tone then dips to a lower pitch before ending at a higher pitch

Fourth: a falling tone, which starts the syllable at a slightly higher-than-neutral pitch before going quickly and strongly to a downward tone

In Mandarin Chinese, many characters have the same sound, so tones are necessary when speaking to differentiate words from each other.
Acting US Solicitor General Jeffrey Wall advised the Supreme Court to refuse action on New Jerseys sports betting case. The Solicitor Generals recommendation may put an end to the states long-time effort to add betting options to its racetracks and Atlantic City casinos in a bid to revitalize its struggling gambling industry.

According to people with knowledge of US legal matters, the Supreme Court follows the advice of the Solicitor General in 80% of the cases.

Sports betting is illegal in the US, with Nevada and several other states being the only exceptions to the federal rule. The nationwide ban was implemented with the introduction of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act(PASPA) back in 1992. Under the act, the provision of sports betting services is illegal in 46 states, New Jersey included.

The state launched its battle to lift the ban back in 2011, when a statewide referendum approved the measure and Gov. Chris Christie signed a piece of legislation on the matter. Some of the major US sports leagues brought both Gov. Christie and other proponents of the effort to court, arguing that the addition of sports betting at New Jerseys gambling venues would harm the integrity of both professional and amateur sports.

Judges ruled in favor of the sports leagues on several occasions, until the cases reached the Supreme Court. In January 2017, the highest US federal court requested a brief from the Solicitor Generalbefore making any decision on the matter. Here it is important to note that the Supreme Court could have rejected the cases back then, like it did with more than a hundred other lawsuits.

Judges decision to first hear the Solicitor General before taking action on New Jerseys sports betting legalization effort was then seen as a good sign for the cases future. The Supreme Court is expected to announce its decision on whether it would keep the case alive by the end of June. And if it decides to intervene in the legal battle between the state and the US sports leagues, it is still unclear how long it will need to make a final decision on whether New Jersey should be allowed to legalize sports betting.

A Possible Scenario

If the Solicitor Generals recommendation strikes a chord with the Supreme Court, New Jersey will have a particularly drastic, but somewhat effective option before itself. It will be able to repeal all existing state laws prohibiting sports betting. However, this will mean that practically everyone will be able to open a sports betting operation, no matter where in the state. And this will make New Jerseys betting industry impossible to monitor and regulate.

On the other hand, this may evoke a reaction in sports leagues and other influential opponents and may eventually result in amendments in the existing sports betting laws. Yet, it is difficult to predict whether the amendments will be favorable enough to New Jersey.
US' game of manipulation Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

At a ceremony dedicated to the 77th anniversary of the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper in Munich held in earlier October,former German chancellor Angela Merkel said Europe can achieve a lasting peace only with the involvement of Russia. Most European countries have covered their ears to Merkel's remarks. So has the US.Merkel's warning is a realistic analysis of the current strategic situation in Europe. The US is trying to permanently divide Europe through increasingly extreme political manipulation. However, it is not only Europe that needs to remain sober and vigilant. The US must also be prepared to pay the price for its own political adventurism.After World War II, Winston Churchill gave a speech declaring that an "Iron Curtain" had descended over the continent. The ideological "Iron Curtain" not only caused a huge wound on the European continent that is difficult to heal even up to today, but also pulled the US into the quagmire of the Cold War. However, before expelling the Soviet forces from Central and Eastern Europe, the US successfully weakened the combined forces of the UK and France, marked by the Suez Crisis in 1956, which accelerated the decline of the British Empire.In the following decades, the US initiated and took advantage of the waves of democratization and global anti-colonial movement, cleared European hegemony and completely took over the global leadership with US-dominated commercial and military hegemony system.After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, especially in the 21st century, the US and the UK are trying to dominate the Western camp in a brand new way. The US continues to increase military deterrence on a global scale, manipulate the geopolitical landscape, and undermine strategic balance.Against this background, the deepening of Russia-Europe relations and the possible substantial unity and strength of Europe cannot be tolerated in the US-led hegemonic order. The historical opportunity for the two Germanys to reunite made the US and the UK feel uneasy. Later, Germany had continually constructed cooperation agendas with Russia and France, which exacerbated the sense of anxiety and panic of the US and the UK.The outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict exposed the global ambitions and strategic evils of the US. It is trying to repeat its old tricks to trigger a new war in Europe, with an aim to divide the continent.In this sense, what Merkel is striving to build is an indestructible and indivisible "Nord Stream" political plan. The plan is a strategy that Merkel the leading European politician put forward from the perspective of the global political landscape and the long-term development of Europe. It's a precondition for Europe to avoid another "Suez Crisis."To ensure the balance of relations among European countries, it is necessary to maintain the relative stability of the Germany-Russia relations. To ensure the stability of the global order, it is significant to keep the relative stability of relations between Europe and Russia and the necessary political unity.The US obviously does not want to accept the reality. The US is trying to tie Europe to its own burning chariot against Russia. However, it also traps the US in a complex multitasking processing system.Since Joe Biden took office, the US has taken more radical ideological actions. Yet the world today is no longer the Europe of the 17th century. If Berlin insists on that Europe cannot live without Russia because it is in the European interests, the US will have to compromise.Likewise, the world today is not the world of the 1950s. Germany cannot have a permanent US command, nor does Japan. If the US cannot accept Merkel's open "Nord Stream" political plan, but continues to try to maintain its world hegemon status in the way it is using now, and tries to push the "old Europe", Russia and China to the "Suez Moment" at the same time, it will be very likely that the US itself will become the next declining British Empire.Earlier this month, it was reported that Russia's space agency was discussing with the US a continuation of its participation in the International Space Station past 2024.This, at least, could allow Europe and China to add some positive factors to the expectations of the development of the international situation.It will be to its own advantage if the US gave up its obsession on hegemony. Thousands of years of human civilization have proven that the decline of the empire is not terrible, and the real terrible thing is the collapse of the empire. It's time for American political elites to develop a political philosophy of retreat - a rhythmic, slow, and decent retreat.The author is a political scholar. [email protected]
grand ivy casino groupshows grade level based on the word's complexity. damselfly [ dam-zuhl-flahy ]/ dm zlfla / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dam-zuhl-flahy ]/ dm zlfla /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun, plural damselflies.any of numerous slender, nonstinging insects of the order Odonata (suborder Zygoptera), distinguished from the dragonflies by having the wings folded back in line with the body when at rest.

Words nearby damselfly

British Dictionary definitions for damselfly

damselfly/ (dmzlfla) /

noun plural -fliesany insect of the suborder Zygoptera similar to but smaller than dragonflies and usually resting with the wings closed over the back: order Odonata

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question damselflyFirst recorded in 180515; damsel + flydamp squib, Damrosch, damsel, damsel bug, damselfish, damselfly, damsel in distress, damson, damson cheese, damyankee, danDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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The least squares criterion is a formula used to measure the accuracy of a straight line in depicting the data that was used to generate it. That is, the formula determines the line of best fit.

This mathematical formula is used to predict the behavior of the dependent variables. The approach is also called the least squares regression line.

Understanding the Least Squares Criterion

The least squares criterion is determined by minimizing the sum of squares created by a mathematical function. A square is determined by squaring the distance between a data point and the regression line or mean value of the data set.

A least squares analysis begins with a set of data points plotted on a graph. Independent variables are plotted on the horizontal x-axis while dependent variables are plotted on the vertical y-axis. The analyst uses the least squares formula to determine the most accurate straight line that will explain the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable.

Common Uses of Least Squares

Advances in computing power in addition to new financial engineering techniques have increased the use of least square methods and extended its basic principles.

Key Takeaways

The least squares criterion method is used throughout finance, economics, and investing.

It is used to estimate the accuracy of a line in depicting the data that was used to create it.

Least squares results can be used to summarize data and make predictions about related but unobserved values from the same group or system.

Least squares and related statistical methods have become commonplace throughout finance, economics, and investing, even if its beneficiaries aren't always aware of their use.

For example, the robo-advisors now used by many investing platforms employ Monte Carlo simulation techniques to manage portfolios, though this is accomplished behind the scenes and out of the sight of the account holders who use them.

Other applications include time-series analysis of return distributions, economic forecasting and policy strategy, and advanced option modeling.

What Does Least Squares Tell You?

Instead of trying to solve an equation exactly, mathematicians use the least squares method to arrive at a close approximation. This is referred to as a maximum-likelihood estimate.

The least squares approach limits the distance between a function and the data points that the function explains. It is used in regression analysis, often in nonlinear regression modeling in which a curve is fit into a set of data.

Mathematicians use the least squares method to arrive at a maximum-likelihood estimate.

The least squares approach is a popular method for determining regression equations, and it tells you about the relationship between response variables and predictor variables.

Modeling methods that are often used when fitting a function to a curve include the straight-line method, the polynomial method, the logarithmic method, and the Gaussian method.

Linear or ordinary least squares is the simplest and most commonly used linear regression estimator for analyzing observational and experimental data. It finds a straight line of best fit through a set of given data points.
Known in English as "Mack the Knife," the original German version of the classic song is "Mackie Messeer." Made famous in "The Threepenny Opera" and sung by Hildegard Knef, this tune was a hit from its 1928 debut through the late 50s and it remains a favorite for many music lovers.

While you may be familiar with Louis Armstrong or Bobby Darin singing the English version, the original German lyrics tells the same story of a mysterious, knife-wielding man and it's interesting to see the translation. The hit song is great practice for students of the German language who want to put their vocabulary and pronunciation to the test.

About the Song "Mackie Messeer" ("Mack the Knife")

This classic Bertolt Brecht song (with music by Kurt Weill) is from "Die Dreigroschenoper" ("The Threepenny Opera"), which was first performed in Berlin in 1928. The now classic "Mack the Knife" is just one of several popular tunes from that play.

The song was remade and recorded many times over the years, both in German and in English. A number of the recordings have hits in their own right over the years.

Hildegard Knef's German version uses only six of the eleven verses in the original "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer."

Marc Blitzstein wrote an English adaptation of "The Threepenny Opera" in 1954. Lotte Lenya appeared in that off-Broadway production (and in the original Berlin production).

Louis Armstrong made his famous version of "Mack the Knife" in 1955.

Bobby Darin's version was a hit in 1959.

"Mackie Messeer" Lyrics

Text: Bertolt Brecht

Musik: Kurt Weill

Bertolt Brecht's (1898-1956) lyrics are an adaptation of Elisabeth Hauptmann's German translation of John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera."

German Lyrics Direct Translation by Hyde Flippo Und der Haifisch, der hat Zahne

Und die tragt er im Gesicht

Und MacHeath, der hat ein Messer

Doch das Messer sieht man nicht And the shark, he has teeth

And he wears them in his face

And MacHeath, he has a knife

But the knife you don't see An 'nem schonen blauen Sonntag

Liegt ein toter Mann am Strand

Und ein Mensch geht um die Ecke,

Den man Mackie Messer nennt On a beautiful blue Sunday

Lies a dead man on the Strand*

And a man goes around the corner

Whom they call Mack the Knife Und Schmul Meier bleibt verschwunden

Und so mancher reiche Mann

Und sein Geld hat Mackie Messer

Dem man nichts beweisen kann And Schmul Meier is missing

And many a rich man

And his money has Mack the Knife,

On whom they can't pin anything. Jenny Towler ward gefunden

Mit 'nem Messer in der Brust

Und am Kai geht Mackie Messer,

Der von allem nichts gewut Jenny Towler was found

With a knife in her chest

And on the wharf walks Mack the Knife,

Who knows nothing about all this. Und die minderjahrige Witwe

Deren Namen jeder wei

Wachte auf und war geschandet

Mackie welches war dein Preis? And the minor-aged widow,

Whose name everyone knows,

Woke up and was violated

Mack, what was your price? Refrain Refrain Und die einen sind im Dunkeln

Und die anderen sind im Licht

Doch man sieht nur die im Lichte

Die im Dunklen sieht man nicht And some are in the darkness

And the others in the light

But you only see those in the light

Those in the darkness you don't see Doch man sieht nur die im Lichte

Die im Dunklen sieht man nicht But you only see those in the light

Those in the darkness you don't see

The German lyrics are provided for educational use only. No infringement of copyright is implied or intended. The literal, prose translations of the original German lyrics by Hyde Flippo and are not from the English version written by Marc Blitzstein.

Who Was Hildegard Knef?

Although she had some international success, Hildegard Knef was better known in Germany than in the United States, where she began her singing career on Broadway. When she died in Berlin in 2002, she left behind the legacy of her long involvement with the artsfrom movie actress to author, in both German and English.

Knef got her start in German films right after World War II, appearing in her first leading role in the 1946 film Murderers Are Among Us ("Die Morder sind unter uns"). In 1951, she created a stir with a nude scene in the German film "Die Sunderin" (The Story of a Sinner).

From 1954 to 1956, she played the lead role of Ninotchka in the Broadway musical Silk Stockings. During that run, she sang Cole Porter tunes in her trademark smoky voice for a total of 675 performances.

She reluctantly used the name Hildegard Neff in the U.S., but her Hollywood career was brief. Knef's best-known film from that period was The Snows of Kilimanjaro with Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner. She returned to Germany in 1963 and began a new career as a chanteuse and songwriter. She continued to appear in German film and TV productions from time to time.

Die Knefas she was affectionately calledwas born in Ulm, Germany in 1925, although she spent most of her life in Berlin. Her long career included over 50 films, many music albums, Broadway, and several books, including her autobiography "The Gift Horse" ("Der geschenkte Gaul", 1970). She later wrote about her successful fight against breast cancer in "Das Urteil" (1975).

Popular Songs by Hildegard Knef
M.L.S, Library Science, Indiana University

Pierre Bonnard (October 3, 1867January 23, 1947) was a French painter who helped provide a bridge between impressionism and the abstraction explored by post-impressionists. He is known for the bold colors in his work and a fondness for painting elements of everyday life.

Fast Facts: Pierre Bonnard

Occupation: Painter

Painter Born: October 3, 1867 in Fontenay-aux-Roses, France

October 3, 1867 in Fontenay-aux-Roses, France Parents: Elisabeth Mertzdorff and Eugene Bonnard,

Elisabeth Mertzdorff and Eugene Bonnard, Died: January 23, 1947 in Le Cannet, France

January 23, 1947 in Le Cannet, France Education: Academie Julian, Ecole des Beaux-Arts

Academie Julian, Ecole des Beaux-Arts Artistic Movement: Post-Impressionism

Post-Impressionism Mediums: Painting, sculpture, fabric and furniture design, stained glass, illustrations

Painting, sculpture, fabric and furniture design, stained glass, illustrations Selected Works: "France Champagne" (1891), "Open Window Toward the Seine" (1911), "Le Petit Dejeuner" (1936)

"France Champagne" (1891), "Open Window Toward the Seine" (1911), "Le Petit Dejeuner" (1936) Spouse: Marthe de Meligny

Marthe de Meligny Notable Quote:"A painting that is well composed is half finished."

Early Life and Training

Born in the town of Fontenay-aux-Roses, in greater Paris, Pierre Bonnard grew up the son of an official in the French Ministry of War. His sister, Andree, married acclaimed French operetta composer, Claude Terrasse.

Bonnard demonstrated a talent for drawing and watercolor from an early age, when he painted in the gardens of his family's country home. However, his parents did not approve of art as a career choice. At their insistence, their son studied law at the Sorbonne from 1885 to 1888. He graduated with a license for legal practice and briefly worked as a lawyer.

A. Natanson / Getty Images

Despite the legal career, Bonnard continued to study art. He attended classes at the Academie Julian and met artists Paul Serusier and Maurice Denis. In 1888, Pierre began studies at the Ecole des Beaux-arts and met painter Edouard Vuillard. A year later, Bonnard sold his first work of art, a poster for France-Champagne. It won a competition to design an advertisement for the firm. The work demonstrated influence from Japanese prints and later influenced the posters of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The victory convinced Bonnard's family that he could make a living working as an artist.

In 1890, Bonnard shared a studio in Montmartre with Maurice Denis and Edouard Vuillard. There, he kicked off his career as an artist.

The Nabis

With his fellow painters, Pierre Bonnard formed the group of young French artists known as Les Nabis. The name was an adaptation of the Arabic word nabi, or prophet. The small collective was crucial to the transition from impressionism to the more abstract forms of art explored by post-impressionists. Uniformly, they admired the advancements shown in the painting of Paul Gauguin and Paul Cezanne. Writing in the journal Art et Critiquein August 1890, Maurice Denis released the statement, "Remember that a picture, before being a battle horse, a female nude or some sort of anecdote, is essentially a flat surface covered with colors assembled in a certain order." The group soon adopted the words as the central definition of the philosophy of the Nabis.

In 1895, Bonnard presented his first individual exposition of paintings and posters. The works demonstrated the influence of Japanese art that included multiple points of view as well as the early roots of art nouveau, a primarily decorative arts-focused movement.

Throughout the decade of 1890, Bonnard branched out into areas beyond painting. He designed furniture and fabrics. He created illustrations for a series of music books published by his brother-in-law, Claude Terrasse. In 1895, he designed a stained glass window for Louis Comfort Tiffany.

"Dancers" (1896).Hulton Archive / Getty Images

Prominent French Artist

By 1900, Pierre Bonnard was one of the most prominent French contemporary artists. His paintings featured bold use of color and an often flattened perspective or even multiple points of view in one piece. Early in the new century, he traveled extensively in Europe and North Africa, but the journeys did not appear to significantly affect his art.

Bonnard frequently painted landscapes. His subject matter included favorites of the impressionists like the countryside of Normandy, France. He also liked to create elaborate interiors of rooms lit by the sun outside and featuring views of gardens outside the window. Various friends and family members appeared as figures in his paintings.

Pierre Bonnard met his future wife, Marthe de Meligny, in 1893 and she became a frequent subject in his paintings for decades, including multiple nudes. His paintings often show her washing or lying in the bath, floating in the water. They married in 1925.

Bonnard's interest in painting scenes from everyday life, whether it was friends enjoying the garden or his wife floating in the bathtub, caused some observers to label him an "intimist." That meant that he focused on the intimate, sometimes even mundane details of living. These included a series of still lifes and pictures of the kitchen table with remnants of a recent meal.

"Open Window Toward the Seine" (1911).Hulton Archive / Getty Images

During his peak production years, Bonnard liked to work on many paintings at a time. He filled his studio with partially complete canvases lining the walls. It was possible because he never painted from life. He sketched what he saw, and then he later produced an image from memory in the studio. Bonnard also frequently revised his paintings before declaring them complete. Some works took many years to reach a finished state.

Late Career

Unlike most prominent European artists of the early 20th century, Bonnard appeared mostly unaffected by World War I. By the 1920s, he'd discovered his fascination with the south of France. After his marriage, he purchased a home in Le Cannet and he lived there for the rest of his life. The sun-splashed landscapes of southern France featured in many of Bonnard's late-career works.

In 1938, the Art Institute of Chicago hosted a major exhibition of paintings by Pierre Bonnard and his colleague and friend Edouard Vuillard. A year later, World War II broke out in Europe. Bonnard did not revisit Paris until after the war. He refused a commission to paint an official portrait of Marshal Petain, the French leader who collaborated with the Nazis.

For the final phase of his painting career, Bonnard focused on even bolder light and color than he was known for as a young painter. Some observers believed that the colors were so intense that they nearly obliterated the subject matter of the work. By the 1940s, Bonnard created paintings that were almost abstract. They echoed the flashy colors and abstraction of late-career Claude Monet pictures.

"Le Petit Dejeuner" (1936).Hulton Archive / Getty Images

In 1947, only days before his death, Bonnard finished the mural "St. Francis Visiting the Sick" for a church in Assy. His last painting, "The Almond Tree in Blossom," was completed only a week before he died. A 1948 retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York was initially intended as a celebration of the artist's 80th birthday.

Legacy

By the time of his death, Pierre Bonnard's reputation was declining somewhat. The abstract expressionist painters were drawing significantly more attention. In more recent years, his legacy has recovered. He is now seen as one of the most idiosyncratic major painters of the 20th century. His quiet nature and independence allowed him to pursue his muse in unique directions.

Henri Matisse celebrated the work of Bonnard in the face of criticism. He said, "I maintain that Bonnard is a great artist for our time and, naturally, for posterity." Pablo Picasso disagreed. He found Bonnard's habit of continually revising works frustrating. He said, "Painting...is a matter of seizing the power."

"Summer" (1917).Hulton Archive / Getty Images

Sources
The green damp hung upon the low walls, and the tracks of the snail and slug glistened in the light; but all was still as death.

The way to understand memory processing is not through Marcel Proust, as Kandel discovered in the 1960s, but through a sea snail.

Most days, I might as well be studying some obscure species of sea snail.

They were well-to-do folk and, according to Cesar Birotteau who knew them, old man Crottat was as "close as a snail." Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe

As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away, like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun. A Philosophical Dictionary, Volume 1 (of 10)|Franois-Marie Arouet (AKA Voltaire)

Aye, there it was, slowly winding up the steep white road, on which it seemed to move at a snail's pace. Ruth|Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
What Is a Delinquency Rate?b365 poker

Delinquency rate refers to the percentage of loans within a financial institution's loan portfolio whose payments are delinquent. When analyzing and investing in loans, the delinquency rate is an important metric to follow; it is easy to find comprehensive statistics on the delinquencies of all types of loans.

How Delinquency Rates Work

Tracking Delinquency Rates

Typically, a lender will not report a loan as being delinquent until the borrower has missed two consecutive payments, after which a lender will report to the credit reporting agencies, or "credit bureaus," that the borrower is 60 days late in their payment. If late payments persist, then each month that the borrower is late, the lender may continue reporting the delinquency to the credit agencies for as long as 270 days.

After 270 days of late payments, the code of federal regulations considers any type of federal loan to be in default. Loans between borrowers and private-sector lenders follow individual U.S. state codes that define when a loan is in default. To begin the process of retrieving delinquent payments, lenders generally work with third-party collection agents.

Reporting Delinquency Rates

The credit bureaus may give borrowers various delinquency rate marks on the individual tradelines included with their credit reports. If a borrower is consistently delinquent, they will receive marks for 60 days late, 90 days late, and so on. If a borrower makes a payment and defaults again, then a new cycle of delinquency appears on the tradeline. When considering a borrower for credit approval, credit agencies and lenders consider all of a borrower's delinquent marks.

Often, especially with corporate debt, lenders will report total delinquency rates on loans according to the borrower's credit quality; this can help investors gain insights into the risks involved with specific loans.

Calculating Delinquency Rates

To calculate a delinquency rate, divide the number of loans that are delinquent by the total number of loans that an institution holds. For example, if there are 1,000 loans in a bank's loan portfolio, and 100 of those loans have delinquent payments of 60 days or more, then the delinquency rate would be 10% (100 divided by1,000 equals 10%).

Special Considerations: Publicly Reported Delinquency Rates

The Federal Reserve System (FRS) provides public data on delinquency rates quarterly across the U.S. financial market. As of the first quarter of 2022, (the most recent quarter for which data have been compiled), the total delinquency rate from loans and leases at commercial banks was 1.40%. Residential real estate loans reported the highest delinquency rate at 2.13%. Consumer credit cards reported the second-highest delinquency rate at 1.73%.

What Kinds of Loans Have the Highest Delinquency Rates?

Student loans have the highest delinquency rates overall, at 12% through the period of May 2021-May 2022, according to the Federal Reserve. Although the percentage has declined since reaching a high of 17% in the fall of 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Student loan delinquencies have declined throughout the pandemic as a result of the payment relief included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) and various executive orders.

What Kinds of Bank Loans Have the Highest Delinquency Rates?

As per the Federal Reserve, the types of loans with the highest delinquency rates as of 2022 are residential real estate loans, followed by consumer credit cards, miscellaneous consumer loans, farmland real estate loans, consumer agricultural loans, consumer C&I loans, consumer leases, and commercial real estate loans.





Of all the types of loans the Federal Reserve tracks, residential real estate loans have the highest delinquency rate at 2.13%, and commercial real estate loans have the lowest delinquency rate at 0.78%.

Can Having Delinquencies Prevent You From Getting a Loan?

Yes, the presence of delinquencies on a prospective borrower's credit report can be a deterrent in obtaining a loan, particularly if there are multiple cycles of delinquency.
USA hands over industrial-size 3D printers to Ukraine to generate spare parts for military equipment  U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense

Ukraine has received from the United States industrial-grade 3D printers capable of printing spare parts for equipment on the battlefield, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition William LaPlante has said.

"Then we just finally last month we got them these industrial-size 3D printers into country. And this last week, we trained them on it I mean, we're talking like a truck size that the Ukrainians have finished training on. It's going right in theater and they're printing all their repair parts," the official said speaking at the Center for a New American Security, Voice of America has reported.

According to him, the appearance of these printers speeds up the process of repairing military equipment and opens up new opportunities.

One can do amazing things with 3D printing, not just because of the speed. One can actually make parts that you couldn't make normally, LaPlante said.

He also said that after the Russian invasion began, Ukrainians were initially 3D printing their own parts. LaPlante hinted that Ukraine did not have the appropriate permissions to do this, but allied countries helped in this situation.

"Ukrainians were initially 3D printing their own parts before they even had the tech data packages. And as [Assistant Secretary of Defense for Sustainment] Chris Lowman says, 'When your country is under existential attack, intellectual property laws are just mildly interesting,'" the official said.

"So, but we've cleaned that up, we've gotten them  with other countries  gotten them all the tech data packages," LaPlante said.
Yet another slots enthusiast has hit an eight-figure sum on Microgamings hit Mega Moolahprogressive jackpot slot, the major online gambling provider has announced.

An anonymous Canadian player at Jackpot City won a whooping 10,735,716.84 prize over the weekend playing Microgamings flagship progressive jackpot title.

The player will receive their prize in a lump sumas it is with all wins on Microgamings progressive jackpot network, which is the largest in the online gambling industry.

RELATED: Genesis Casino Player Hits 3.2 Million Jackpot on Mega Moolah

Microgamings network of progressive jackpots has paid out more than 1.1 billionin wins to date. So far this year, it has paid out more than 26 million in wins of various sizes, with more than 150 players scooping more than 10,000 in winnings from the Isle of Man-based providers suite of progressive jackpot slots.

MicrogamingsMega Moolahgame is arguably the most popular progressive jackpot slot in the industry. The slots jackpot actually includes four progressive jackpots in one  Mini, Minor, Major, and Mega. The Mega Jackpot is the one that everyone is particularly excited about. It seeds at 1 millionin whichever currency a player plays the game.

Mega Moolahs average jackpot win sits at the whopping 5.4 million, which really explains why the game has turned into a blockbuster. It should also be noted that Mega Moolahholds the record for the largest progressive jackpot ever won.

An anonymous player at Grand Mondial casino hit that record jackpot of 18,915,721in 2018 to make history.

Upcoming Additions to Progressive Jackpot Network

Microgamings progressive jackpot network has a number of extremely popular titles with a huge player base, but the provider has never stopped adding more games to it.

Since the beginning of the year, the company has added two new progressive jackpot slots, with those being Atlantean Treasures Mega Moolahby Neon Valley Studios and Wheel of Wishesby Alchemy Gaming. The latter slot game features Microgamings recently revamped and upgraded WowPot jackpot.

The providers 2020 roadmap includes the introduction of more progressive jackpot games throughout the year, alongside regular slots. One such new release is the upcoming Absolootly Mad Mega Moolah, which is set to be made available across Microgamings network of clients on May 5.

Of the recent eight-figure Mega Moolahwin scooped by a Jackpot City player, Microgamings Chief Operating Officer, Andrew Clucas, said that they are thrilled for the victorious slots enthusiast and that Mega Moolahcontinues to be a favorite among players worldwide, and so we are excited to be adding more new progressive gamesto the jackpot and network throughout the year.

Source:Microgamings Mega Moolah awards 10.7 million jackpot

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Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

As the US continues its push to "decouple" from China,more and more countries are seeing clearly the possible impact of such an irrational action on world stability.Except for Uncle Sam himself.Shortsighted Washington is still dreaming of advancing its interests through "decoupling" from China. But its allies and partners seem to have understood the deep-seated and long-term dangers of "decoupling" better than the US iteself. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, for example, warned that "decoupling is the wrong answer" because it would undermine the success of globalization. "We must continue to do business with China," he said at a business conference in Berlin last week.Similar warnings have also been voiced from US partners in the Indo-Pacific region. On Tuesday, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said "decoupling" from China is worrying. Washington's export restrictions on chip equipment to Beijing - US' latest "decoupling" attempt - would "trigger further consequences and may result in less economic cooperation, less interdependency, less trust and possibly ultimately a less stable world," Lee noted.Lee's remarks could easily find an echo in many Asia-Pacific countries and regions. Cooperation between China and the US is a blessing for these countries and regions, while confrontation is a disaster. Therefore, the US-China "decoupling," be it in whichever sphere, is not and will never be good news for them.A Chinese international relations scholar, who requested anonymity, told the Global Times that it is difficult to make US-China "decoupling" a reality due to close economic ties and the need for their cooperation to tackle various global challenges. But Washington has already weaponized and politicized "decoupling." It will continue to try to forcibly promote "decoupling" from China, harming the interests of both countries and leading to more turbulent bilateral relations.The US-China "decoupling" is not simply a dispute between the two countries. As great powers, China and the US have one of the most consequential bilateral relations in the world. Any minor fluctuations in such relations will likely bring instability on a much larger scale and in more areas. In other words, the adverse effects of a US-China "decoupling" are way bigger than the impact on the two countries' relations.For instance, Washington's "decoupling" from Beijing has a huge negative demonstration effect on the region and around the world. The US often emphasizes, on bilateral and multilateral occasions, cooperation with partners "with shared values," and it is evident that China is not put in that category. The US is encouraging Western countries to reduce their economic dependence on those against the so-called Western values, including China and Russia, or in other words, to select future partners for economic cooperation based on ideology. This will inevitably hinder normal economic exchanges and cooperation, increasing mistrust and even conflicts between and among countries.From the perspective of the industrial chain, if US' "decoupling" from China does come true, the development of the world economy will see more significant challenges. Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and TV commentator, points out that the economic and trade relationship between Beijing and Washington is an essential manifestation of global economic integration, under which goods and services can be provided as affordable as possible with the optimal division of labor among different countries and regions.Song said that just like China and the US, other countries will also suffer from such a change in China-US economic relations, as the division of labor in the global industrial chain has already been established. And if the US forcibly dismantles the entire industrial chain through "decoupling," the production process will only be severely disrupted.The instability caused by the US pursuit of "decoupling" from China can also be found in the security area. Under a "decoupling," the economic and trade relations - the closest ties between Beijing and Washington - will be weakened, or even substantially destroyed, resulting in more conflicts between the two powers. The world will, consequently, face bitterer divisions and more acute crises of stability.The development of China-US relations has proved that, despite the enormous differences in many fields, countries can still coexist and develop together through cooperation. But the US has now lost its judgment in the geopolitical game against China, which has greatly undermined the stability of the already sensitive and fragile bilateral relations.Washington has to realize that "decoupling" from China should not be part of the game it plays. It needs to be cautious about using this major economic decision as a weapon in an all-out strategic competition with China, because no one will win if that happens. To treat relations with China rationally and pragmatically means more stability for the world, and to do so or not - the ball is now in Washington's court.
What (and Who) Is Next of Kin?lego marvel michael sweetney nba

The term next of kin usually refers to a person's closest living relative(s). Individuals who count as next of kin include those with a blood relation, such as children, or those with a legal standing, such as spouses or adopted children. A person's next of kin often takes precedence over others in inheritance cases, especially when a will isn't established.

Key Takeaways

Next of kin is defined as a person's closest living relatives through blood or legal relationships.

The specifics of determining next of kin, and inheritance, vary by jurisdiction.

A legal will covering inheritable property usually takes precedence over the inheritance rights of someone's next of kin.

In some cases, the next of kin may be able to inherit someone's digital assets and obligations.

Funds from insurance policies and retirement accounts go to beneficiaries designated by these documents, regardless of relationships or will bequests.

Watch Now: What Is the Meaning of Next of Kin?

Understanding Next of Kin

1:08

As noted above, next of kin refers to individuals who share a relationship through blood, marriage, or another legal bond, such as adoption. This relationship helps establish who would receive a portion of a person's estate by the laws of descent and distribution if there is no will. In this context, the next of kin is the spouse.

Inheritance rights use the next of kin relationship for anyone who dies without a will and no spouse or children. Surviving individuals may also have responsibilities during and after their relative's life. For example, the next of kin may need to make medical decisions if the person becomes incapacitated, or take responsibility for their funeral arrangements and financial affairs after their relative dies.

Establishing someone's next of kin is also important for law enforcement, medical officials, and other authorities when they need to make notifications about an individual's death, health, or well-being.

A legally and properly executed will that covers inheritable property usually takes precedence over next-of-kin inheritance rights. But if the deceased person left no will, their estate passes to a surviving spouse in nearly all states. If the couple is divorced, postnuptial agreements may terminate or alter these rights. If a surviving spouse remarries, it generally does not affect their inheritance rights.

In the absence of a surviving spouse, the person who is next of kin inherits the estate. The line of inheritance begins with direct offspring, starting with their children, then their grandchildren, followed by any great-grandchildren, and so on.

The legal status of stepchildren and adopted children varies by jurisdiction. If the deceased had no offspring, the line of inheritance moves upward to their parents. If the parents are no longer alive, collateral heirs (brothers, sisters, nieces, and nephews) are next in line.



Special Considerations

As next of kin, you may inherit some of your relative's digital assets and obligations. For example, Microsoft provides a deceased subscriber's next of kin with a DVD of the decedents entire Outlook account so the relative may assume paying bills, notify business contacts, close the account, and so on.

Jurisdiction Over Next of Kin

The specifics of determining next of kin and inheritance vary by jurisdiction. Matters involving inheritance in certain countries, such as the United Kingdom, are handled in accordance with various succession laws. In other countries, next-of-kin laws are in place for settling the estates of people who die intestate.

In the United States, the right of a relative to inherit or receive property by inheritance exists through the operation of state laws and legislative action. State law establishes next of kin relationships and inheritance priorities.

Identifying a next of kin is less important, at least legally, if the person who died (the "decedent") left a will or is (or was) married.

The legislature of a state has plenary power, or complete authority, over the distribution of property within the state borders. The deceased's estate becomes state property if no legal heir is identified.

What if someone dies in one state and owns assets in another? With personal property, the law of the state where the decedent resides generally supersedes the laws of other states.

Insurance and Retirement Plans

The recipient(s) of proceeds from a decedent's life insurance policy, or their retirement accounts such as 401(k)s and individual retirement accounts (IRA), are designated in a different way than other bequeathable assets. The funds from these instruments go to the beneficiaries listed by the decedent on these policies or accounts themselves, even if the decedent designated different people in a will.

Next-of-kin status is irrelevant unless the decedent was married and lived in a community property state. If so, by law, the surviving spouse is entitled to an equal portion of any funds earned or accrued during the marriage, unless the spouse had signed a waiver. If the spouse is also deceased, and there are no living listed beneficiaries, those assets may flow to the deceased's next of kin, depending on state law.

Certain other rules apply to individuals who inherit retirement plan assets; however, those rules have been modified recently following the passage of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act in December 2019.

Prior to the passage of the SECURE Act, non-spousal beneficiaries of an inherited IRA were required to commence required minimum distributions if the original account owner had commenced taking their own required minimum distributions (RMDs) prior to their death. If the account owner had not commenced taking their own RMDs, the non-spousal beneficiary was able to wait until they had reached the age to commence taking RMDs to begin taking them.

Prior to the passage of the SECURE Act, non-spousal beneficiaries who inherited an IRA previously were able to stretch out the benefits for their lifetime; however, under the new law, IRA beneficiaries must cash out their inherited retirement account within 10 years. There are certain exceptions, such as for the chronically ill, the disabled, and children under the age of 18.

Why Is Determining Next of Kin Important?

Establishing the next-of-kin relationship is important because it determines inheritance rights when a person dies without a will and there are no surviving relatives, such as a spouse or children.

A person's next-of-kin may also have certain responsibilities during and after a person's life, such as making medical decisions, making funeral arrangements, and assuming control of financial affairs.

How Is Next of Kin Determined?

Determining the next-of-kin and inheritance varies by jurisdiction. In the United Kingdom, inheritance matters are handled as per succession laws. In other countries, the laws about next-of-kin help settle the estates of people who die intestate. The right of someone to inherit or receive property in the U.S. by inheritance exists by way of state laws and legislative action.

Will Next of Kin Automatically Get Life Insurance and IRA Benefits?

In most cases, the next-of-kin status doesn't matter. This means that the proceeds from life insurance policies and retirement accounts are transferred to the beneficiaries named by a decedent even if the decedent designates different people in their will.

This changes if the decedent is married and lives in a community property state. In this case, the surviving spouse is legally entitled to an equal portion of any funds earned or accrued during the marriage, unless the spouse signs a waiver.

The Bottom Line

Next of kin refers to a person's closest living relative, which usually includes individuals with a shared bloodline, such as children or cousins, or those with a legal standing, such as adopted children or a spouse.

In estate planning, next of kin is important in that next of kin typically takes precedence over any other individuals for an inheritance, usually when a will does not exist. Each country and sometimes different jurisdictions within the country have different inheritance rights.

Most often, the spouse inherits the estate. If there is no spouse, then it is usually the children. If there are no children, the next of kin relationship continues to find the closest living blood relative.
What Is an Encumbrance?kentucky derby future bet final odds

An encumbrance is a claim against a property by a party that is not the owner. An encumbrance can impact the transferability of the property and restrict its free use until the encumbrance is lifted. The most common types of encumbrance apply to real estate; these include mortgages, easements, and property tax liens. Not all forms of encumbrance are financial, easements being an example of non-financial encumbrances. An encumbrance can also apply to personal  as opposed to real  property.

The term is used in accounting to refer to restricted funds inside an account that are reserved for a specific liability.

Key Takeaways

An encumbrance is a claim made against a property by someone other than the current titleholder.

Some claims do not affect the value of the property. This is usually seen in commercial cases.

Some common claims are leases, liens, easements, and mortgages.

Encumbrance

Understanding Encumbrance

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The term encumbrance covers a wide range of financial and non-financial claims on a property by parties other than the title-holder. Property owners may be encumbered some from exercising fullthat is, unencumberedcontrol over their property. In some cases, the property can be repossessed by a creditor or seized by a government.

Some encumbrances affect the marketability of a security: an easement or a lien can make a title unmarketable. While this does not necessarily mean the title cannot be bought and sold, it can enable the buyer to back out of the transaction, despite having signed a contract, and even seek damages in some jurisdictions.

Other encumbrances, such as zoning laws and environmental regulations, do not affect a property's marketability but do prohibit specific uses for and improvements to the land.

In Hong Kong, for example, the seller of a property is legally required to inform the real estate agent about any encumbrances against the property in order to avoid any problems later on in the sales process. The real estate agent will provide the buyer with a land search document that will have a list of any encumbrances.

Types of Encumbrances

Encumbrance when it comes to real estate, due to its many applications, has many different types. Each type is meant to both protect parties and specify exactly what each claim entailsand is entitled to.

Easement

An easement refers to a party's right to use or improve portions of another party's property, or to prevent the owner from using or improving the property in certain ways. The first category is known as an affirmative easement. For example, a utility company may have the right to run a gas line through a person's property, or pedestrians might have the right to use a footpath passing through that property.

It is important, from the buyer's perspective, to be aware of any encumbrances on a property, since these will often transfer to them along with ownership of the property.

An easement in gross benefits an individual rather than an owner of a property, so that Jennifer might have the right to use her neighbor's well, but that right would not pass on to someone who bought Jennifer's property. A negative easement restricts the title-holder, for example, by preventing them from building a structure that would block a neighbor's light.

Encroachment

Encroachment occurs when a party that is not the property owner intrudes on or interferes with the property, for example, by building a fence over the lot line (a trespass), or planting a tree with branches that hang over onto an adjoining property (a nuisance). An encroachment creates an encumbrance on both properties until the issue is resolved: The property housing the encroachment has its free use encumbered, while the owner of the encroaching improvement does not have title to the land it's built on.

Lease

A lease is an agreement to rent a property for an agreed-upon rate and period of time. It is a form of encumbrance because the lessor does not give up title to the property, but one's use of the property is significantly constrained by the lease agreement.

Lien

A lien is a type of security interest, an encumbrance that affects the title to a property. It gives a creditor the right to seize the property as collateral for an unmet obligation, usually an unpaid debt. The creditor can then sell the property to recoup at least a portion of their loan.

A tax lien is a lien imposed by a government to force the payment of taxes; in the U.S., a federal tax lien trumps all other claims on a debtor's assets. A mechanic's lien is a claim on personal or real property the claimant has performed services on. An example is if a contractor made adjustments to your property that were never paid for. Judgment liens are secured against the assets of a defendant in a lawsuit.

Mortgage

A mortgage is one of the most common types of security interests. Essentially, it is a lien against a real estate property. The lender, generally a bank, retains an interest in the title to a house until the mortgage is paid off. If the borrower cannot repay the mortgage, the lender may foreclose, seizing the house as collateral and evicting the inhabitants.

Restrictive Covenant

A restrictive covenant is an agreement that a seller writes into a buyer's deed of property to restrict how the buyer may use that property. There might be a provision that requires the buyer to leave a building's original facade intact, for example. As long as they do not break the law, restrictive covenants can be as specific and arbitrary as the parties are willing to agree to.

Special Consideration: Use in Accounting

Encumbrance accounting sets aside specific assets to pay anticipated liabilities. For example, a company may reserve a sum of cash to settle up its accounts payable. The presence of an encumbrance can give the illusion that there are more available funds inside an account than what is actually free for use. The money that has been set aside cannot be used for any other expenditures or transactions. Encumbrance accounting, therefore, ensures that a business does not overspend its budget.
Czech provider of online gambling solutions Endorphina announced that it has entered a strategic partnership with supplier of sports betting and gaming products and services EASIT. Through the agreement, Endorphina will see its full gaming suite integrated into its new partners gaming platformand distributed to its clients.

EASIT is also a Czech company. It offers numerous pre-match and live sports betting options, as well as draw-based games, online casino and poker content, and scratch cards. Following its latest content distribution with Endorphina, its platform will see 34 HD online slot titlesadded. New releases are also to be integrated very soon.

Tested and certified by iTech Labs, the Endorphina gaming content has become quite popular among international online gambling customers. The company said that through its latest deal it will be able to distribute its slot titles to a wider international audience, thus demonstrating its strength and spirit.

Commenting on the newly signed partnership, Endorphina VP Sales Jan Urbanec said that they are proud to be working with EASIT. The official further noted that his company is looking to establish sustainable and long-term partnerships with industry leaders, thus improving gaming experience for fans of their products. On a personal note, Mr. Urbanec said that he is pleased that Endorphina has partnered with another Czech company.

EASIT CEO Michal Hybl said that they are happy to include Endorphina titles to their existing portfolio of gaming titles, thus making it even more attractive.

The Czech company has not been the only content supplier Endorphina has partnered with recently. Last month, the slot developer announced that a selection of its most popular titles would go live with Spanish gaming platform provider Mediatech Solutions. The latters IRIS gaming platform currently offers more than 1,500 slot gamesby a number of international suppliers, with Endorphinas 7up!, Twerk, and Voodoo now being among these.

Bulgarian omni-channel provider of gaming and sports betting solutions UltraPlay and South American gambling operator Betmotion were two other online gaming companies to have opted for Endorphinas content over the past several moths.
cash fever slots vegas casinoshows grade level based on the word's complexity. crossing over New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

noun Genetics.the interchange of corresponding chromatid segments of homologous chromosomes with their linked genes.

Words nearby crossing over

Words related to crossing over crossing over nounbiology the interchange of sections between pairing homologous chromosomes during the diplotene stage of meiosis. It results in the rearrangement of genes and produces variation in the inherited characteristics of the offspringSee also linkage (def. 4) Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Scientific definitions for crossing over crossing overcrossing-over (krosing-ovr) The exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes that occurs during meiosis and contributes to genetic variability. The American Heritage Science Dictionary Copyright  2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Question crossing overFirst recorded in 191015crosshatch, crosshead, cross index, crossing, crossing guard, crossing over, crossjack, cross-legged, crosslet, crosslight, crosslineDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Illustration: Liu Xidan/GT

China had an epic decade since 2012. Particularly in the last five years,which are truly momentous, extraordinary, the country has successfully dealt with major challenges including turbulent developments in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the COVID-19 epidemic. The 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) will lay out plans for the strategic missions and major measures in the next five years, getting the efforts to build a modern socialist country in all respects off to a good start."China's stability, consistency and predictability can become geo-economic ballast, steadying a swaying world," said Robert Lawrence Kuhn (Kuhn), an international corporate strategist, investment banker, and the chairman of The Kuhn Foundation. He shared his views on the ongoing 20th National Congress of the CPC in a written interview with Global Times (GT) reporter Yu Jincui.Kuhn: I have been coming to China for more than 30 years; I have been telling China's story to the world in various forms  and although China has many achievements, and there have been numerous stories to tell, none has been as representative of the real China, and none has been so powerful in impact, as China's commitment to eradicate all extreme poverty in the country and China's systematic implementation that made it happen by 2021.I have found that China's poverty alleviation program is the best story to undermine biases and disrupt stereotypes about China. A good part of the reason is that foreigners had very limited knowledge of China's poverty alleviation commitment and campaign  how it really worked.If foreigners read anything about poverty alleviation in China, it would be general and broad, using big numbers, such as "800 million people", which are impressive, of course, but moved no emotions. To truly understand China's poverty alleviation is to hear the stories of individual families who have emerged from poverty  that's multiple millions of stories.Kuhn: The past five years have witnessed extraordinary challenges and extraordinary achievements for China in general and the CPC in particular. We can list some of the most important: (i) the COVID-19 pandemic and China's success in minimizing cases and deaths far below that of other countries; (ii) China's economy, which has continued to grow despite various headwinds; (iii) China's society, especially the transformations of poverty alleviation, rural vitalization and Common Prosperity; (iv) China's diplomacy, which has become more confident, countering accusations by largely developed countries in the Global North and deepening relations with largely developing countries in the Global South; (v) China's military/defense strength, which has continued to grow, especially the PLA Navy; (vi) the CPC fulfilling its commitment to self-purify by its relentless anti-corruption campaign.Kuhn: Although all developing countries have different conditions and cultures, China's extraordinary poverty alleviation experience and success can play an important part. Among developing countries, only China has achieved rapid development and large-scale poverty reduction, with the poor sharing the fruits of reform and opening up over the four decades and with the intractably poor finally brought out of poverty over the last seven years or so. For good reason, China's poverty alleviation accomplishments have been called a developmental miracle.When China eradicated all extreme poverty in 2021, China achieved the poverty reduction goal of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. No other country has brought so many people out of poverty, and did so in such a short period of time.What can the world learn from China's success in poverty alleviation? Many things. Certainly, China is committed to sharing its poverty-reduction experience with the world community, especially with the poorest nations  strategy, structure, programs, systems, insights, checks and balances  all aspects.Each country is different. Each culture has its own history and culture; the natures of different peoples are indeed different. We cannot take programs from one country and impose them wholly, without adaptation, on another countryHowever, the principles are what's important. And China's principles of poverty alleviation are clear: "targeted" poverty alleviation employs specific measures to fit specific circumstances and needs, and a clear organizational structure to implement those measures, monitor them, and check them.Nonetheless, to me, what is even more clear is this. For a country to make a success of poverty alleviation, the number one criterion is that the leader of the country must make an absolute and resolute commitment to accomplish it. Again, General Secretary Xi's unambiguous assertion: "I have spent more energy on poverty alleviation than on anything else." This sends a powerful message to officials at all levels, indeed to the entire country.So, this is the big lesson to learn: the senior leader of the country needs to make the overall mission of poverty alleviation a high priority for the nation. Nothing less will work well.

Setting the role of a journalist aside, R.L. Kuhn explains a "real" China from his interpretation as an observer. Photo: Li Hao/GT

Kuhn: Stability, consistency and predictability are as essential for national development as they are for stock market valuations. Global geopolitics and the global economy have not been this unstable, inconsistent and unpredictable in generations, from the mutating and still-raging pandemic to the numerous conflicts on or across borders, to heightened great power confrontations. Thus, given such world volatility, China's stability, consistency and predictability can become geo-economic ballast, steadying a swaying world.Kuhn: All political parties, in every country and of every variety, seek to make themselves as effective as possible and to look as good as possible to their constituents (usually voters).For the world to understand China, it must understand why the CPC asserts that its continuous governing leadership is optimum for China's development. But for the CPC to retain its ruling status, it has a higher obligation to govern itself properly, maintain highest standards of rectitude and probity.Anti-corruption, of course, is the centerpiece of the Party's self-revolution. General Secretary Xi Jinping said early on in his unprecedented and sustained anti-corruption campaign that "Worms can only grow in something rotten." "Corruption is now raging," he warned, "if it is not curbed, our Party and country will surely be doomed."Xi's solution is a system that checks the exercise of power, grants oversight powers to the people, and makes the exercise of power more transparent and institutionalized.CPC self-revolution, embedding tough internal checks-and-balances, is a relentless process that can never stop.Kuhn: CPC National Congresses, held every five years, normally set the agenda for the ensuing five years. The significance of the 20th CPC National Congress is not only will it set the agenda for the ensuing five years (2023-2027), it will also draft the roadmap for the next 13 years to 2035 and sharpen the vision for 2049, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, when a modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious is expected to be built. Thus, the 20th CPC National Congress is axial to China's New Era.
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nounthe day on which one involved in a lawsuit is to be afforded the opportunity to appear and be heard in court.a chance to present one's defense or argument.

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How to use in a sentence Unless there is a court decision that changes our law, we are OK. Jeb Bushs Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Jeb Bushs Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST On Dec. 30, she filed a similar lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court. Ex-CBS Reporter Sharyl Attkissons Battle Royale With the Feds|Lloyd Grove|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Ex-CBS Reporter Sharyl Attkissons Battle Royale With the Feds|Lloyd Grove|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST Cassandra, whose hair has already begun to fall out from her court-mandated chemotherapy, could face a similar outcome. Should Teens Have The Right To Die?|Brandy Zadrozny|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Should Teens Have The Right To Die?|Brandy Zadrozny|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST He added: People say he deserves his day in court Do we have enough time? Bill Maher: Hundreds of Millions of Muslims Support Attack on Charlie Hebdo|Lloyd Grove|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST For many years afterward it was a never-ending topic of conversation, and is more or less talked of even to this day. New Yorks Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

New Yorks Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST The afternoon was a lovely onethe day was a perfect example of the mellowest mood of autumn. Confidence|Henry James

Confidence|Henry James Edna did not reveal so much as all this to Madame Ratignolle that summer day when they sat with faces turned to the sea. The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin Each day she resolved, "To-morrow I will tell Felipe;" and when to-morrow came, she put it off again. Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson

Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson There are three things a wise man will not trust: the wind, the sunshine of an April day, and woman's plighted faith. Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou

Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou The proceedings of the day commenced with divine service, performed by Unitarian and Baptist ministers. Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondaygirl, Day-Glo, dayglow, dayhop, day hospital, day in court, day in court, have one's, day in, day out, day jasmine, day job, day laborDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
In the last year, her fusion exercise class has attracted a cult following and become de rigueur among the celebrity set. How Taryn Toomeys The Class Became New Yorks Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

They tried to continue their getaway but had to quickly abandon their vehicle on the Rue de Meaux in the 19th. Police Hunt for Paris Massacre Suspects|Tracy McNicoll, Christopher Dickey|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Humans spent a long time domesticating cattle, and what they were trying to do, in essence, was de-domesticate them. Nazi Cows Tried to Kill British Farmer|Tom Sykes|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
davincis gold no deposit bonusshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dacker [ dak-er, dah-ker ]/ dk r, d kr / New Word List Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dak-er, dah-ker ]/ dk r, d kr /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

verb (used without object) Scot. and North England.to totter or stagger.to waver or shake.to saunter; move slowly or idly.to vacillate; act irresolutely or indecisively.

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How to use in a sentence Whereupon Finn told them the whole story of the Gilla Dacker's doings from beginning to end. Old Celtic Romances|Unknown

Old Celtic Romances|Unknown It was now many days since Dermat had left them, and they marvelled much that he did not return with tidings of the Gilla Dacker. Old Celtic Romances|Unknown

Old Celtic Romances|Unknown "The Pursuit of the Gilla Dacker and his horse" is a humorous story, of which only a few incidents are given here. A Reading Book in Irish History|P. W. Joyce

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Representatives of the domestic defense-industrial complex held a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, dedicated to solving the problem created by the State Audit Service of Ukraine, calling into question the legality of profit-making by defense industry enterprises.

"The development of the domestic defense industry is among the priorities of the state and the Ministry of Defense. In modern conditions, we, the state, must act with the defense industry as one team. It is a matter of our defense capability. The domestic defense industry is one of the key factors of our independence," the press service of the ministry said, citing Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine Volodymyr Havrylov.

The meeting was attended by nine business associations of defense industry enterprises, which agreed to jointly advocate to the government to urgently resolve this problem for the defense of the country. The meeting participants also discussed the mechanisms of institutional cooperation with the Ministry of Defense with the help of the Ministry of Defense Accelerator and the formation of top issues and the processing of their solutions.

As reported, earlier representatives of the defense industry made a proposal to dissolve the State Audit Service of Ukraine due to its demand to return profits for the execution of the state procurement order for 2022. They reported that two or three months ago the State Audit Service conducted an audit of defense procurement and came to the conclusion that all profits of defense companies were considered a loss to the state, and then demanded that enterprises and customers return them. According to entrepreneurs, based on this letter, law enforcement agencies may initiate criminal cases against manufacturers who supplied weapons during 2022, and such possible actions by law enforcement agencies threaten to disrupt the state procurement order and shortage of weapons at the front.
Today is one the most consequential days in the gambling history of New Jersey as the future of the casino industry in the Garden state is expected to be determined.

New Jersey lawmakers are going to vote on the financial aid packageintended to help the struggling gambling industry. Considerable changes, proposed by Gov. Chris Christie need to be made. New Jerseys governor vetoed the bills that were proposed in November.

In addition, lawmakers are going to discuss the plans for establishment of casino venues in the northern part of New Jerseyand residents will have the final say on the matter.

Regardless of the measures that are to be taken at todays meeting, they will have a huge impact on the gambling matters of the state for decades.

The first matter lawmakers have to handle is related to the referendum regarding the gambling expansion outside Atlantic City. Both the Senate and the Assembly proposed bills, but they greatly differ from one another. The Senate bill proposes limiting the number of operators allowed to apply for a license. They demand only companies that are already available in Atlantic City to be authorised to run a North Jersey-based casino. The bill also suggests 49% gambling tax revenue to be generated from the new casinos.

The Assembly proposal includes giving a license to a company that is currently not available in New Jersey. They also propose a gambling tax revenue of 35%.

The two proposals are to be incorporated into one bill before being submitted to the Legislature. For the time being, the availability of casino venues is restricted to Atlantic City. Although no official information on the matter has been released, various suggestions about the location of the new casinos were put forward. Jersey City and East Rutherfordare said to be the two most likely locations.

Later today, lawmakers are expected to take a stance about the so-called PILOT bill. If it passes, the remaining Atlantic City-based casinos will be enabled to make special payments instead of annual property taxes. People with knowledge on the matter are convinced that the proposal would be beneficial to both parties. Casinos will have a clear vision on their costs while the Atlantic City officials will not have to deal with tax appeals. The latter had a devastating effect on the economyof the city since the struggling casinos have repeatedly requested tax deductions.

All that comes at a time when Atlantic City casino venues are trying to bring their old glory back. The downfall that started in 2014 made four of them close doors for visitors, which, therefore, affected the economy in a negative manner. The city is still recovering from the losses. According to market analysts urgent actions need to be taken, otherwise Atlantic City may file for bankruptcy.
bidding [ bid-ing ]/ bd  / New Word List Save This hustler casino comWord!See biddingMiddle English word dating back to 112575; see origin at bid1, -ing1 [ bid-ing ]/ bd  /Save ThisWord!See biddingMiddle English word dating back to 112575; see origin at bid, -ing

Words related to bidding bidding/ (bd) / nounan order; command (often in the phrases do or follow the bidding of, at someone's bidding)an invitation; summonsthe act of making bids, as at an auction or in bridgebridge a group of bids considered collectively, esp those made on a particular deal Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Damrosch [ dam-rosh; for 1 also German dahm-rawsh ]/ dm r; for 1 also German dm r / New Word List Save This over under super bowl 2020Word! [ dam-rosh; for 1 also German dahm-rawsh ]/ dm r; for 1 also German dm r /Save ThisWord!

nounLeopold [lee-uh-pohld; German ley-aw-pawlt] /li pold; German le plt/ 183285, German conductor and violinist, in the U.S. after 1871.his son, Walter Johannes [joh-han-is], /dohn s/, 18621950, U.S. conductor, born in Germany.

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How to use in a sentence First I went to say good-bye to Damrosch, as he is going to Europe. The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky

The Life & Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky|Modeste Tchaikovsky She studied in her native city under Leopold Damrosch, besides which she received much instruction from her father. Famous Violinists of To-day and Yesterday|Henry C. Lahee

Famous Violinists of To-day and Yesterday|Henry C. Lahee The music for the occasion was supplied by "Young Damrosch" and his orchestra. Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 11 (of 14)|Elbert Hubbard

Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great, Volume 11 (of 14)|Elbert Hubbard Where, now, could be seen such an audience as Dr. Damrosch had gathered for his first season of German opera? The Three Black Pennys|Joseph Hergesheimer Walter Damrosch tells of a matron in Chicago who, in company with her young nephew, was attending a musical entertainment. Among the Humorists and After Dinner Speakers, Vol. I|Various

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03:18

Video game competitions are big business around the world,harrahs resort bet365 mobile login and many countries including Venezuela are eager to tap into the lucrative industry.

One university in Caracas has now launched a first-of-its-kind E-Sports Academy to train the next generation of professional players.

The Andres Bello Catholic University opened the E-Sports Academy in July, offering courses and workshops for amateurs and experts to learn and put their skills into practice.

20-year-old Valentina Martinez is a management student and a gamer who wants to improve her skills.

"You need a lot of abilities to play video games," says Martinez. "There are video games that require many things - skills that not everybody has and could be developed professionally."

The training focuses on three areas: gaming, professional gaming and game- based learning.

The journey to professional gaming hasn't been easy in Venezuela, a country often hit with connectivity issues and power outages.

Professor Juan Sanchez, who is the Director of the E-Sports Academy, says the first priority is to provide quality training and change the mind-set of students towards the video game industry.

"We need high-speed internet, we need stable electricity and we need youngsters to understand that this is a profession," explains Sanchez. "Meaning it is not only recreation or leisure, but also they need to be prepared, trained and be disciplined."

About 3,000 Venezuelans compete professionally on E-Sports. Gamers can earn up to 200 U.S. dollars per month. In Venezuela, the monthly minimum wage is about 22 dollars.

Students train on high-end technology, like top-of-the-line consoles and professional computers and chairs specifically designed for gamers.

But the academy also teaches strategy. Participants learn how to read their opponents movements, so they can react quickly and accurately - life skills they can use outside of the world of video games.

The academy is also being used as part of traditional courses within the campus. Law and management students use the games to learn about everything from negotiation, to survival and cooperation.

Law professor Marcos Carrillo uses the video game Terrania in his classes. In a recent lecture he told his students, "We are going to compare how we can survive better, by competing, or cooperating. We will see the advantages and disadvantages of competing and cooperating, and how we set up a negotiation process through the game by competing or cooperating."

Gamers like 18-year-old Romer Duque spend countless hours practicing. He's a beginner, but as a native digital user, he says video games are changing the employment landscape.

"I believe that little by little, technology and globalization have had great impacts in the community, especially among young people, and it could be a profitable activity."

Anyone over 14-years-old, even if they're a professional gamer- is welcome to attend.

The academy is teaching Venezuelan gamers that talent and knowledge are key steps to take the game to the next level.

For more, check out our exclusive content on CGTN Now and subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The China Report.
What Is Intrapreneurship?betfred round robin calculator

The term intrapreneurship refers to a system that allows an employee to act like an entrepreneur within a company or other organization. Intrapreneurs are self-motivated, proactive, and action-oriented people who take the initiative to pursue an innovative product or service. An intrapreneur knows failure does not have a personal cost as it does for an entrepreneur since the organization absorbs losses that arise from failure.

Key Takeaways

Intrapreneurship is a system which allows an employee to act like an entrepreneur within an organization.

Intrapreneurs are self-motivated, proactive, and action-oriented people who have leadership skills and think outside the box.

Intrapreneurship is one step toward entrepreneurshipintrepreneurs can use what they've learned as part of a team to develop their own businesses.

Understanding Intrapreneurships

An intrapreneurship creates an entrepreneurial environment by allowing employees to use their entrepreneurial skills for the benefit of both the company and the employee. It gives employees the freedom to experiment, as well as the potential for growth within an organization.

Intrapreneurships foster autonomy and independence, while attempting to find the best resolution. For example, an intrapreneurship may require an employee to research and recommend a more efficient workflow chart to a companys brand within a target group or implement a way to benefit company culture.

It's important for employers to recognize these employees. By not promoting intrapreneurship or recognizing employees who demonstrate an intrapreneurial spirit can be detrimental to a brand or company. Employers who encourage intrapreneurship stand to benefit because it leads to the success of the department or the company as a whole. Keeping these employees can help lead to innovation and growth. Companies that don't promote them may lose intrapreneurs to other companies, or they may end up working for themselves.

Identifying intrapreneurs can sometimes be difficult. These employees are generally self-starters who are both ambitious and goal oriented. They are often able to solve problems on their own, and come up with ideas that lead to process improvements. An intrapreneur may also take certain risks by assuming multiple taskseven some that they may not be comfortable withand look for new challenges.

Intrapreneurs are tasked with using the company's resources, while entrepreneurs use their own.

Special Considerations

Intrapreneurship is one step toward entrepreneurship. Intrapreneurs can develop and use their creativity to enhance existing goods and services within the context of the business, all without any of the risk attached to being an entrepreneur. Using these skills as part of a team lets the intrapreneur test theories and determine which methods are most effective for solving problems.

Intrapreneurs may use what they've learned as part of an organization's team to create their own company and reap the benefits of their hard work rather than letting another organization profit from their ideas.

Types of Intrapreneurs

By including employees from every age group when resolving issues, a variety of answers are proposed and resolutions determined in a more efficient manner, benefiting everyone in the organization. A majority of millennials are embracing the intrapreneurial style of work. They desire meaning, creativity and autonomy when working. Millennials want their own projects to develop as they help their companies grow.

Characteristics of Intrapreneurs

Intrapreneurs are able to resolve specific issues such as increasing productivity or cutting costs. This requires a high level of skillnamely leadership skills and thinking outside the boxdirectly applicable to the assignment. An intrapreneur also takes risks and drives innovation within a business to better serve the market through increased goods and services.

A successful intrapreneur is comfortable being uncomfortable while testing their ideas until achieving the desired results. They are also able to interpret trends in the marketplace and visualize how the company needs to evolve to stay ahead of its competition. The intrapreneur is part of a company's backbone and the driving force mapping out the organizations future.

Example of Intrapreneurship

Ramzi Haidamus, the president of Nokia Technologies, is often considered an intrapreneur because of his initiatives with the company. He decided to do away with individual offices within three months of starting his job in 2014. He believed an open office led to more sharing of ideas and added greater value to the organization. Haidamus interviewed more than 100 engineers individually to determine which technologies had the greatest chance of being successful in the marketplace at the time.
What Is the Employment-to-Population Ratio?ladbrokes gilmerton

The employment-to-population ratio, also known as the employment-population ratio, is a macroeconomic statistic that measures the civilian labor force currently employed against the total working-age population of a region, municipality, or country. It is viewed as a broad metric of labor unemployment.

It is often calculated by dividing the number of people employed by the total number of people of working age,

Key Takeaways

The employment-to-population ratio is a measure of the number of people employed against the total working-age population.

Seasonal variations and short-term labor fluctuations do not affect the employment-to-population ratio.

Unlike the unemployment rate, the employment-to-population ratio includes unemployed people not looking for jobs.

Understanding the Employment-to-Population Ratio

Compared with other measures of labor force participation, the employment-to-population ratio is not as affected by seasonal variations or short-term fluctuations in the labor market. As a result, it is often considered to be a more reliable indicator of job shrinkage or growth than the unemployment rate.

If 50 million people are employed in an area with 75 million people of working age, the employment-to-population ratio is 66.7%. The calculation is as follows:

Labor Force Employed Total Population \frac{ \text{ Labor Force Employed}}{ \text{ Total Population}} Total PopulationLabor Force Employed

This measure is similar to the labor force participation rate, which measures the total labor forceand not just the part of the labor force already employed like the unemployment rate doesdivided by the total population.

The civilian labor force is a term used by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to refer to Americans who are considered either employed or unemployed. Those not included in the labor force count include military personnel, federal government employees, retirees, handicapped or discouraged workers, and some agricultural workers.

Many economists use the total working-age population in the denominator, but the official measure of the employment-to-population ratio measured by the BLS uses the "noninstitutional" civilian population, which excludes the following:

Active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces

People confined to or living in mental institutions or facilities

People living in prisons, jails, and other correctional institutions and detention centers

Those living in residential care facilities such as skilled nursing homes

Disadvantages of the Employment-to-Population Ratio

The employment-to-population ratio does not include the institutionalized population, such as people in mental hospitals and prisons, or people in school who are studying for a career. It also doesnt take into account underground market labor.

The employment-to-population ratio also fails to account for people who are over or under the working age but are still working, such as babysitters, child actors, or moonlighting retirees. These workers may be counted in the "employed" side of the ratio but may not be included in the total number of people of working age. As a result, their employment inaccurately increases the ratio.

The employment-to-population ratio does not take hours worked into account, so it fails to distinguish between part-time and full-time workers.

The Employment-to-Population Ratio vs. the Unemployment Rate

Unsurprisingly, based on the characteristics outlined above, the employment-to-population ratio does not directly relate to the unemployment rate. For example, in February 2020 the employment-to-population ratio was 61.1%, but the unemployment rate was only 3.5%. Together these numbers only account for 64.6% of the population. This necessarily raises the question of what happened to the remaining third of the population.

The largest discrepancy between these two numbers exists because the unemployment figure does not indicate the number of people without employment. People who want a job but have given up on their quest to find one are not included in the nations unemployment number. The unemployment rate usually only indicates the number of unemployed people who are actively looking for jobs. It also does not include those who have exhausted their unemployment benefits, which may artificially inflate the employment-to-population ratio.

People who have retired early and those who have decided to go back to school to further their job prospects are not taken into account in the unemployment figure. However, their absence from the workforce is accounted for in the employment-to-population ratio.

Additionally, while the E/P attempts to "quantify" employment numbers, it fails to "qualify" the nature of that number. That means that if 100,000 people with graduate degrees and decades of work experience were laid off from jobs paying $200K per year and were then rehired to stock the shelves at a national supermarket chain for $15k per year, the Employment-to-Population Ratio would look stable, even though the economic impact would be devastating.
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M.F.A., Creative Writing, Manchester Metropolitan University

Diploma in Translation (IoLet Level 7, Russian), Chartered Institute of Linguists

Russian literature is world-famous for its classical authors such as Tolstoy or Dostoevsky, but there are many more fantastic Russian writers whose works can help you learn Russian and enjoy the process. Read the following twelve Russian authors to better understand Russian culture and lifestyle and to improve your language skills, whether you are a beginner or an advanced speaker.

Vladimir Nabokov

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Although Nabokov is best known in the West for his novel "Lolita," it is his Russian-language writing that is most useful for language learners, particularly his autobiographical novel " " (Other Shores), in which the author describes the lost world of his childhood in minute detail and breathtaking language.

Nabokov wrote the English-language version of his memoir, "Speak, Memory," published under the title of "Conclusive Evidence" in the U.S., before translating and reworking it into Russian. Although the versions are not identical, reading the English-language memoir before tackling the Russian one can be helpful if you are a beginner.

Guzel Yakhina

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Yakhina was a breakthrough winner of the Big Book, Russia's top literary prize, in 2015, with her debut novel "  " (Zuleikha Opens Her Eyes). The novel explores the life of a dekulakized Tatar woman Zuleikha, who is forcibly removed from her village and sent to Siberia as part of the dekulakization program in 1930s.

Yakhina's second novel, " " (My Children), focuses on a Russian German man who brings up a daughter in a remote village, also in 1920-1930s, and writes fairy tales that turn into reality.

Yakhina is a wonderful writer for those learners who want to explore the multi-national and historical angles of Russia.

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

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Solzhenitsyn's political novels drawn from his experiences in the Soviet Gulag camps earned him the reputation of a dissident and, eventually, an expulsion from the Soviet Union in 1974. He believed that it was his duty to record the experiences of the 20th century Russians.

Language learners will appreciate the minutiae descriptions of everyday camp life, as well as short, precise sentences and prison slang.

Zakhar Prilepin

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Prilepin's politically charged books are great for those wanting to explore the themes of the Chechen war and post-Soviet life. His first novel, "" (Pathologies), focuses on a young man serving in the  (Spetsnaz) during the Chechen war, and draws on Prilepin's own experiences. Other novels, inlcuding "" (Sin) and "" (Sanka) are also political and full of energy, and can be an excellent resource for readers at intermediate and advanced levels of Russian.

Tatyana Tolstaya

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Tatyana Tolstaya is one of the best known Russian contemporary writers. She is the granddaughter of the Soviet-era author Alexey Tolstoy, and is a celebrity in Russia, in part due to her TV work as the co-host of a popular show " " (The School for Scandal).

Tolstaya's books have been translated into English, so beginner learners can read them in translation first before tackling the Russian versions. Tolstaya's style is witty, often full of mythical or fantastic elements and fascinating characters. Her most well-known novel in the West, "" (The Slynx), presents a surreal dystopian Russia imagined 200 years after an event called The Blast.

Lyudmila Ulitskaya

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An internationally acclaimed writer, Ulitskaya is known for her acerbic wit and vivid characters. Her first novella, "" (Sonechka), was nominated for the Russian Booker Prize 1993, while " " (The Kukotsky Case) won the Russian Booker Prize 2001.

Read Ulitskaya to deepen your understanding of the Soviet and post-Soviet Russia, as well as significantly expand your vocabulary.

Mikhail Lermontov

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Lermontov's "  " (Hero of Our Times) is a great resource for learners who are curious about the 19th century Russia, and particularly the time of the Caucasian War. Hailed as the first significant prose Russian novel, the book explores the life of a narcissistic, brooding young officer Pechorin through anecdotes told by his once comrade-in-arms, as well as the narrator's own eyes and finally, through Pechorin's revealing journals.

Olga Slavnikova

Born in Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg), Slavnikova combines the local folklore of Ural with fantasy and suspense. Her novel "2017"won the 2006 Russian Booker Prize, while " " (Light Head) was shortlisted for both the Russian Booker Prize and the Big Book 2011.

Writing in a clear voice full of metaphors, Slavnikova is a must-read for any Russian learner.

Anatoly Aleksin

Called the patriach of Soviet children's literature, and chosen as one of the three UNESCO best children authors of the 20th century, together with Mark Twain and A. A. Milne, Aleksin wrote about the everyday life of the Soviet child and teenager. His books explore the themes of family and society, and combine realism and romanticism, with a lot of detailed description of Soviet life. This, and his cult status for any Russian who grew up in the Soviet Union, make Aleksin a fantastic author for language learners of all levels. Begin with his novella "    " (My Brother Plays The Clarinet).

Narine Abgaryan

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Narine Abgaryan is an Armenian-Russian writer. Her books are filled with sun, funny girls and scary but kind grandmas, countless relatives, silly and mischievous situations, and happiness mixed with nostalgia, while exploring themes of war, family and survival.

Begin with "" (Manyunya), a novel about two girls, Manyunya and her friend Nara, and their adventures. Abgaryan is great for learners of Russian who want to expand their vocabulary while giggling at the author's humorous writing.

Valery Zalotukha

Zalotukha is better known as a screenwriter, but his novels, in particular the two-tome "" (The Candle), are a valuable tool for anyone wanting to understand life in contemporary Russia. Written over a twelve-year period, the novel explores the post-Soviet Russia, and received the second prize in the Big Book Prize ( ).

Arkady and Boris Strugatsky

The brothers Strugatsky are best known to the English-language reader for their novella "The Roadside Picnic" (  ), a sci-fi exploration of a world post The Visitation, a visit from aliens.

Considered to be the fathers of Russian science fiction, the Strugatsky created a massive body of work, including at least 26 novels, as well as stories and plays. Starting off as somewhat utopian future-world projections of what an ideal communist society may look like, the later works made cleverly disguised criticisms of the realities of Soviet life.

Russian language learners will enjoy the imaginary worlds and sci-fi plots of the novels, while expanding their slang and technological vocabulary.
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nounBritish part of a hospital that offers therapeutic services, where patients usually attend all day but go home or to a hospital ward at night

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How to use in a sentence He added: People say he deserves his day in court Do we have enough time? Bill Maher: Hundreds of Millions of Muslims Support Attack on Charlie Hebdo|Lloyd Grove|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

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Confidence|Henry James Edna did not reveal so much as all this to Madame Ratignolle that summer day when they sat with faces turned to the sea. The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin

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Ramona|Helen Hunt Jackson There are three things a wise man will not trust: the wind, the sunshine of an April day, and woman's plighted faith. Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou

Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou The proceedings of the day commenced with divine service, performed by Unitarian and Baptist ministers. Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 60, No. 372, October 1846|Various

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondayfly, daygirl, Day-Glo, dayglow, dayhop, day hospital, day in court, day in court, have one's, day in, day out, day jasmine, day jobCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
By now, you have no doubt noticed that many English speakers use the language improperly when speaking, even if they are perfectly good writers.

These differences between correct and incorrect usages could be a result of regional dialects or popular slang, and they often reinforce camaraderie between familiar speakers. But, they can also make things confusing language learners or people outside of any specific community.

If youve ever heard someone say brung in conversation, you could be forgiven for not knowing what they meant. Brung occurs with some frequency in spoken English but only very rarely in writing.

Is it an acceptable substitute for brought? Continue reading to learn more.

What is the Difference Between Brung and Brought?

In this post, I will compare brung vs. brought. I will outline the correct word choice and use it in several examples so you can see it in context.

I will also demonstrate a useful memory tool that will make it easier for you to choose brought or brung correctly.

When to Use Brought

What does brought mean? Brought is a past tense conjugation of the verb to bring, which means to carry someone or something along with you, usually to a place.

A woman might tell her boyfriend to bringpizza when he comes to her house, for example. If the boyfriend arrived with pizza at some point in the past, he brought the pizza.

Here are a few other ways to conjugate bring,

I/we bring: first person singular and plural present

You bring: second person singular and plural present

He/she/it brings: third person singular present

They bring: third person plural present

Bringing: present participle

Brought: simple past

Here are a few example sentences that include the word brought,

Against the advice of his mother, Johnny brought his guns to town.

I brought my girlfriend to Alexs wedding, but she embarrassed herself and I wish I hadnt.

When to Use Brung

What does brung mean? Brung is an improper inflection of the same verb. Bring becomes brought in the past tense, as mentioned above. Brung first appeared at some point in the 19th century but has never been considered proper English.

This graph shows the usage of brought vs. brung since 1800:

Brung has never seen meaningful use in written English. If you were writing fiction and wanted to capture informal, spoken English in dialogue, you might be able to use it. Otherwise, stick to brought.

Even while brought has seen a decline in use relative to all other English words, brunghas not increased its market share, which further demonstrates the fact that brought is the only correct word in Standard English.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Brought is the proper way to conjugate the irregular verb bring in the past tense. In other words, you should never use brung.

Since brought rhymes with other past tense verbs, like wrought, fought caught, etc., it shouldnt be any trouble to remember to use it instead of brung.

Summary

Is it brung or brought? The debate here centers on the past tense of the verb bring.
What Is Max Pain?tokidoki lucky town real money

Max pain, or the max pain price, is the strike price with the most open options contracts (i.e., puts and calls), and it is the price at which the stock would cause financial losses for the largest number of option holders at expiration.

The term max pain stems from the maximum pain theory, which states that most traders who buy and hold options contracts until expiration will lose money.

Key Takeaways

Max pain, or the max pain price, is the strike price with the most open contract puts and calls and the price at which the stock would cause financial losses for the largest number of option holders at expiration.

The Maximum Pain theory states that an option's price will gravitate towards a max pain price, in some cases equal to the strike price for an option, that causes the maximum number of options to expire worthless.

Max pain calculation involves the summation of the dollar values of outstanding put and call options for each in-the-money strike price.

Understanding Max Pain

According to the maximum pain theory, the price of an underlying stock tends to gravitate towards its "maximum pain strike price"the price where the greatest number of options (in dollar value) will expire worthless.

Maximum pain theory says that the option writers will hedge the contracts they have written. In the case of the market maker, the hedging is done to remain neutral in the stock. Consider the market maker's position if they must write an option contract without wanting a position in the stock.

As the option expiration approaches, option writers will try to buy or sell shares of stock to drive the price toward a closing price that is profitable for them, or at least to hedge their payouts to option holders. For instance, call writers will want the share price to go down while put writers would like to see share prices go up.

About 60% of options are traded out, 30% of options expire worthless, and 10% of options are exercised. Max pain is the point where option owners (buyers) feel "maximum pain," or will stand to lose the most money. Option sellers, on the other hand, may stand to reap the most rewards.

The maximum pain theory is controversial. Critics of the theory are divided whether the tendency for the underlying stock's price to gravitate towards the maximum pain strike price is a matter of chance or a case of market manipulation.

Calculating the Max Pain Point

Max pain is a simple but time consuming calculation. Essentially, it is the sum of the outstanding put and call dollar value of each in-the-money strike price.

For each in-the-money strike price for both puts and calls:

Find the difference between stock price and strike price Multiply the result by open interest at that strike Add together the dollar value for the put and call at that strike Repeat for each strike price Find the highest value strike price. This price is equivalent to max pain price.

Because the max pain price can change daily, if not from hour to hour, using it as a trading tool is not easy. However, it is sometimes valuable to note when there is a large difference between the current stock price and the max pain price. There could be a tendency for the stock to move closer to max pain, but the effects may not be meaningful until expiration approaches.

Example of Max Pain

For example,suppose options of stock ABC are trading at a strike price on $48. However, there is significant open interest on ABC options at strike prices of $51 and $52. Then the max pain price will settle at either one of these two values because they will cause the maximum number of ABC's options to expire worthless.

Correction, Jan. 16, 2022: A previous version of this article mistakenly stated that put holders want share prices to go up. In fact, put holders profit from lower share prices, while put writers profit from higher ones.
Representatives of enterprises involved in the production of armored vehicles, shells, weapons and equipment propose to dissolve Ukraine's State Audit Service due to its demand to return profits for the execution of the state procurement order for 2022.

At a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Friday, they said that two or three months ago the State Audit Service conducted an audit of defense procurement and came to the conclusion that all profits of defense companies are considered a loss to the state, after which they demanded that enterprises and customers return them.

According to the speakers, based on this letter, law enforcement agencies could initiate criminal cases against manufacturers who supplied weapons during 2022, and such possible actions by law enforcement agencies threaten to disrupt government procurement orders and shortages of weapons at the front.

"As we have learned, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) is currently falsifying a case against our company, which will become a precedent for an attack on the entire defense industry. Having in hand the legally void conclusion of the State Audit Service, they want to accuse us of causing damage to the state due to the company receiving profits," CEO of the Ukrainian Armored Vehicles company Vladyslav Belbas said.

He said that the company had already paid income tax, and invested the earnings in the production of weapons to defeat the aggressor.

Belbas added that the SBI actions would lead to a halt in the production of mortars, armored vehicles, disruption of the supply of critical 120 mm mines and 120 mm ammunition and an increase in losses on the battlefield. According to him, such activities of the State Audit Service and the State Bureau of Investigation create grounds to suspect Russian intelligence infiltration of Ukrainian government and law enforcement agencies.

"A few weeks ago we received a letter of claim, according to which one of the main departments of the State Emergency Service demands that we return profits within a month... If this is not done, then... it will go to court to recover profits forcibly," Deputy Director General for Legal Affairs of Industrial Company Pozhmashina LLC Roman Sereda said, describing the situation.

According to him, the basis for such actions is the conclusion of the State Audit Service.

In turn, Head of the Ukrainian Association of Light Industry Employers Oleksandr Sokolovsky noted the need to reduce regulatory authorities.

"There should be fewer law enforcement agencies, and their quality should be higher. I believe the liquidation of redundant bodies should begin with the State Audit Service of Ukraine. Because I don't understand at all why the State Audit Service of Ukraine is needed if there is the Accounting Chamber, protected by the Constitution, which also has serious specialists," Sokolovsky said.

According to him, it is necessary to set the task of improving the quality of work of the state apparatus by reducing regulators.

"We need to spend our time, effort and money on creating a product, on developing new products, on production issues, on raising people's wages because they are leaving, and this problem existed even before the war, instead of spending our time for a war with our own state," Sokolovsky said.
Casino powerhouse Las Vegas Sands is set to finally venture into online gambling after its former CEO and Chairman, late businessman Sheldon Adelson, for many years kept up strong opposition to digital casinos.

The company announced Monday that it plans to become a strategic investor in digital gaming technologies and that its primary focus would be on the business-to-business side of the industry.

As part of its newly launched effort, the casino operator is building a special digital gaming investment team. It has tapped Davis Catlinto lead the unit. Mr. Catlin joins from Virginia-based private equity firm Sands Capital Management (unrelated to Las Vegas Sands) where he spent 14 years and for the last decade led its investments in public and private online gambling companies.

Las Vegas Sands did not provide further details on its iGaming investment strategy and its goals. Company officials first indicated that they might start exploring the digital gaming and betting marketplacethis past January.

As mentioned above, the casino operators newly revealed interest in online gambling represents a major shift from the managerial path followed by its former leader. Mr. Adelson died in January from complications related to treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

An Outstanding Opportunity

Commenting on their digital gaming strategy, Las Vegas Sands CEO and Chairman Robert Goldstein said that they are determined to grow the companys leadership position within the gambling industry and that they are committed to doing that through strategic steps that best position it for future growth.

Mr. Goldstein went on to say that digital gaming and other related offerings are still very much in the early stages of development, and we believe there is an outstanding opportunity for us to invest in the technologies being developed.

The Las Vegas Sands chief further noted that they are confident their platform, expertise, and financial resources paired with the new investment team led by Mr. Catlin, will provide meaningful opportunities to make investments that will generate significant long-term benefitsfor the company.

He concluded that just as their integrated resorts in Las Vegas, Macau, and Singapore were not developed in a day, by being patient and investing for the long-term, they believe their future investments in digital gaming technology will deliver significant returns for the company and its shareholders.

It was in January again when reports surfaced that Las Vegas Sands was considering acquiring online gambling operator 888 Holdings.A deal has not occurred, though. And Mondays announcement indicates that one would likely not take place as the casino operator is eyeing investment opportunities in the B2B segment of the digital gambling industry.

Source:Sands Launches Initiative to Invest In Digital Opportunities, Las Vegas Sands Newsroom, July 12, 2021
It wasnt a mob movie,israel adesanya betting odds but Disney CEO Bob Iger still received an offer he couldnt refuse when it came to forming ESPN Bet.

Speaking with analysts on the companys quarterly earnings call Wednesday, Iger said the $2 billion-plus deal with PENN Entertainment to create the new ESPN-branded sports betting service came down to overwhelming economics  and a desire to drive additional reach and consumption on ESPN platforms.

We believe theres an opportunity to significantly grow engagement across ESPN consumers, particularly young consumers, Iger said. And why PENN? Because PENN stepped up in a very aggressive way and made an offer to us that was better than any of the competitive offers  by far.
At a time when most UK businesses (big and small) are suffering due to Coronavirus pandemic,wsop poker michigan agen ceme idn one industry has become an obvious beneficiary of the resident lockdowns that are plaguing residents in countries all over the world. Out of the shadows into prosperity comes the online casino industry.

To be clear, the online casino industry has been on an explosive growth trajectory for over 10 years now. During that time, the industry has seen its collective online casino gambling revenue increase by double digit percentages each and every year. Furthermore, industry experts expect this trend to continue into the foreseeable future.

In the UK, the numbers speak for themselves. Prior to the virus starting its rampage around the world, experts reported that more than 10.0 million UK residents were gambling online regularly. Since the beginning of March 2020 when the resident and business lockdowns started taking hold, the online casino industry has seen an increase in business to the tune of 25% to 30% based on participation and revenue. This is a significant increase for any industry to experience is such a short period of time.

For regular gamblers who were used to heading out to their local casinos and bet shops, having access to online casino websites has given them an opportunity to enjoy their normal activities despite being locked away in their homes. It will be interesting to see how many land based gamblers will now be willing to move their regular gambling activities to an online website when the virus has been brought under control.

While drawing new business from land based gamblers was to be expected, what wasnt expected was the increasing number of new gamblers joining the online casino gambling community. Without having access to anything other than TV and social media, it makes sense that some people would be willing to try something new if it meant having something to keep them entertained and their minds off the virus issue. Enters online casino gambling.

While online casino gambling is not something thats going to appeal to everyone, it is a form of adult entertainment that is proving its value while other forms of entertainment (concerts, sports events, movies) are sitting on hold. For an investment of the amount it would cost for dinner and a movie, people can go online, register with an online casino, and enjoy playing video slots or table games for hours if not days. If they win money in the process, it just makes the online gambling experience that much more enjoyable. For anyone who fears a potential gambling problem, many online casinos offer gambler access to the Gamstop self-exclusion registry, a great source of problem gambler protection. Information about the best casinos not on Gamstop UK is available.

When done responsibly, online gambling is a fun and exciting form of adult entertainment. At a time when so many are suffering from the repercussions of an unexpected virus pandemic, a little fun and excitement is exactly what the doctor would order.

For the online casino industry, having unexpected access to new online gamblers could prove to be a real boost to business. While some naysayers might look at this as one industry trying to benefit from a disaster that is adversely affecting so many other industries, there is a valuable service the online casino industry is providing at this time.

Category: Casino Blog
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Words related to dahlia C19: named after Anders Dahl, 18th-century Swedish botanist; see -ia

Dagwood sandwich, dah, dahabeah, Dahl, Dahlgren, dahlia, Dahna, Dahomey, dahoon, daibutsu, daikerDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
In accounting,anchor crypto bank an asset retirement obligation (ARO) describes a legal obligation associated with the retirement of a tangible, long-lived asset, where a company will be responsible for removing equipment or cleaning up hazardous materials at some future date. AROs should be included in a company's financial statement to present a more accurate and holistic snapshot of the enterprise's overall value.

Key Takeaways

Asset retirement obligations (ARO) are legal obligations associated with the retirement of tangible, long-lived assets, where a company must ultimately remove equipment or clean up hazardous materials from a leased site.

Companies are required to detail their AROs on their financial statements to accurately portray their overall values.

ARO rules are governed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), outlined in Rule No. 143: Accounting for Asset Retirement.

Understanding Asset Retirement Obligations

Asset retirement obligation accounting often applies to companies that create physical infrastructure which must be dismantled before a land lease expires, such as underground fuel storage tanks at gas stations. AROs also apply to the removal of hazardous elements and/or waste materials from the land, such as nuclear power plant decontamination. The asset is considered to be retired once the clean up/removal activity is complete, and the property is restored back to its original condition.

An Example of an Asset Retirement Obligation

Consider an oil-drilling company that acquires a 40-year lease on a parcel of land. Five years into the lease, the company finishes constructing a drilling rig. This item must be removed, and the land must be cleaned up once the lease expires in 35 years. Although the current cost for doing so is $15,000, an estimate for inflation for the removal and remediation work over the next 35 years is 2.5% per year. Consequently, for this ARO, the assumed future cost after inflation would be calculated as follows: 15,000 * (1 + 0.025) ^ 35 = 35,598.08.

Asset Retirement Obligations Oversight

Because calculating asset retirement obligations can be complex, businesses should seek guidance from Certified Public Accountants to ensure compliance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board's Rule No. 143: Accounting for Asset Retirement Obligations. Under this mandate, public companies must recognize the fair value of their AROs on their balance sheets in an effort to render them more accurate. This represents somewhat of a departure from the income-statement approach many businesses previously used.

Asset Retirement Obligation: Calculating Expected Present Value

To calculate the expected present value of an ARO, companies should observe the following iterative steps:

Estimate the timing and cash flows of retirement activities. Calculate the credit-adjusted risk-free rate. Note any increase in the carrying amount of the ARO liability as an accretion expense by multiplying the beginning liability by the credit-adjusted risk-free rate for when the liability was first measured. Note whether liability revisions are trending upward, then discount them at the current credit-adjusted risk-free rate. Note whether liability revisions are trending downward, then discount the reduction at the rate used for the initial recognition of the related liability year.

Asset Retirement Obligations do not apply to unplanned cleanup costs resulting from unplanned events, such as chemical spills and other accidents.
The English language has many words that have multiple spellings, especially in British and American English. Sometimes, however, what seem like alternative spellings are actually misspellings. It can be difficult to remember which words are correct and which are incorrect.

Verbage and verbiage seem like they might be alternatives, but one is actually an error. Continue reading to find out whether you should choose verbage or verbiage in your writing.

What is the Difference Between Verbage and Verbiage?

In this article, I will compare verbage vs. verbiage. I will show you how to use (or not to use) each spelling, and I will show you a helpful hint to aid you in deciding whether to use verbiage or verbage in your writing.

When to Use Verbage

What does verbage mean? Verbageis not a word. Any time you are thinking about using verbage, use verbiageinstead.

As you can see from the following graph, other than a brief uptick in the early 19th century and an almost nonexistent spurt centered around 1980, the usage of verbagein English books has approximated zero.

This chart isnt scientific or exact, but it still illustrates that verbageis not commonly used or accepted.

When to Use Verbiage

What does verbiage mean? Verbiage(pronounce ver-bee-ij) is the correct spelling of this word. It is a noun that means excessive language that is often needlessly ornate or opaque.Traditionally, this word has taken on a pejorative sense, but over time it has become more neutral. Today, it is often used simply in reference to language that is longwinded.

Here are some examples,

The verbiage in my new phones terms of use is so boring that instead of reading all of it, I clicked the box and moved on with my life.

The verbiage contained in the college sophomores English paper is shocking, to say the least.

The downside is that vague verbiage makes it impossible to learn to make more granular and well-calibrated probability estimates. The Wall Street Journal

They were very different writers  Svevo dedicated to clarity and precision, Joyce with a weakness for rampant verbiage  and their differences emerged in a disagreement over the early fascist writer Gabriele dAnnunzio. The Spectator

You should not use the phrase excess verbiage, even though it is common. To say excess verbiage is redundant.

The quality of excessiveness is contained within the meaning of verbiage, so it does not require the additional adjective. The same goes for many other adjectives, like complex and flowery.

How to Pronounce Verbiage

How do you pronounce verbiage?Verbiageis pronounced ver-bee-ij. A common mispronunciation of the word is ver-bij, which has probably led to the common misspelling verbage.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Heres a helpful trick to remember verbiage vs. verbage.

You should never use verbage. It is not a word. Between these two words, verbiagewill always be correct. You could also consider restructuring your sentence so that a different word will fit.

If you are set on using one of these two words, you can remember to use verbiageby repeating the phrase Ishould use verbiage to yourself, since the word verbiage contains an I.

Verbagecontains no I, and should not be used by anyone.

Summary

Is it verbage or verbiage?Verbageand verbiageseem like two spellings of the same word. However, verbageis an error. There are no situations in which its use is acceptable.

Verbiageis the correct spelling of this word. It refers to excessive, intricate language. You can remember to avoid verbagein favor of verbiageby using the phrase I should use verbiage to remind yourself that the version that contains an I is the correct one.

To summarize,

Verbage is not a word.

Verbiage is the correct spelling.

If you still need help, you can refer to this article for a refresher.
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A Flock of Seagulls (also known as Flock of Seagulls) are an English New Wave band originally formed in Liverpool by brothers Michael "Mike" Score (keyboards,casinobc vocals) and Alister "Ali" James Score (drums), with Francis Lee (Frank) Maudsley (bass) and Paul Reynolds (guitar). more 

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Since you've been gone it's been raining hard Like crystal teardrops to the floor It's even raining in my heart I'll close my eyes and let it pour Now see how the rain falls Now see how the rain falls And in the darkness of the night A trace was left by your perfume The only thing you couldn't take Are the golden memories of you Now see how the rain falls Now see how the rain falls Across an ocean wide a voice that calls your name A love that never dies like an eternal flame Across the great divide for all eternity Across all space and time the heart that beats is mine Since you've been gone it's been raining hard But now the sun shines high above And I won't miss you anymore Cause I've found another love Now see how the rain falls Now see how the rain falls
Bethlehem planning officials approve change of the ore crane sign of Sands Bethlehem ahead of the casinos sale to Wind Creek Hospitality

The Bethlehem Planning Commission gave Thursday the green light to a proposed plan for a change of the iconic ore crane sign that bears the name Sands Bethleheminforming visitors that they are approaching the entrance of the Bethlehem-based casino.

Wind Creek Hospitality presented the plan to planning commissioners Thursday afternoon and the name change was approved.

Wind Creek Hospitality is the gaming and hospitality business of Alabamas Poarch Band of Creek Indians. News emerged last year that the tribe would buy Sands Bethlehem from its current owner, Las Vegas Sands, in a $1.3 billion deal. The transaction is yet to be completed as it needs approval from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. Wind Creek officials told WFMZthat they cannot provide a specific timeline on when the deal will be closed, but they suspect that it will happen sometime in the near future.

If the purchase is given the nod by Pennsylvanias gambling regulator, Sands Bethlehem will be rebranded as Wind Creek Casino and Resort. All signs at the property, including its ore crane sign will be replaced with new ones that will reflect the change of ownership.

As part of the rebranding, Wind Creek will increase the square footage of the ore crane signto 3,880 square feet from 3,187 square feet. The Outlets at Sands Bethlehem will be renamed as The Outlets after the tribal hospitality business assumes ownership.

Multi-Million Expansion

Wind Creek Hospitality announced earlier this year plans to expand Sands Bethlehem. The hospitality company will invest $190 million to materialize its expansion projectthat will include the addition of a new hotel and possibly an indoor water park.

The new hotel at the property will feature 300 rooms as demand for accommodation has been growing rapidly in the region. Wind Creek Hospitality CEO Jay Dorris has said recently that occupancy at Sand Bethlehems existing hotel currently stands at around 90%. The company will look to break ground on the new accommodation facility immediately after it finalizes the propertys acquisition.

The new facilities at the casino resort will employ nearly 400 peoplewhen fully operational, in addition to Sands Bethlehems current 2,100-person workforce, Wind Creek Hospitality has said.

The company is further considering renovation of the vacant No.2 machine shop site. The development of a water park has been among the opportunities discussed by the propertys buyers for that portion of the land surrounding the existing resort.

Las Vegas Sands launched Sands Bethlehem at the site of the former Bethlehem Steel power plant in 2009. Reports about the propertys sale had floated around for several years and rival MGM Resorts International had been among its rumored suitors. It was last spring when it was eventually confirmed that the Poarch Band of Creek Indians would buy the hotel and casino resort.

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Particularly was this the case with Davout, who since 1809 had suspected that Berthier desired to ruin his reputation. Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison

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Deccan [ dek-uhn ]/ dk n / New Word List Save This 24 betting games for freeWord! [ dek-uhn ]/ dk n /Save ThisWord!

nounthe entire peninsula of India S of the Narmada River.a plateau region in S India between the Narmada and Krishna rivers.

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How to use Deccan Deccan/ (dkn) / noun the Deccana plateau in S India, between the Eastern Ghats, the Western Ghats, and the Narmada Riverthe whole Indian peninsula south of the Narmada River Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondecay, decay chain, decay constant, decay time, Decca, Deccan, deccan hemp, decd., dece, decease, deceasedDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. Artificial intelligence (AI) will boost the speed and substantially decrease the costs of hydrocarbons exploration in Azerbaijan, Anton Aristov, Managing Director & Partner of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) in Baku, said in an exclusive interview with Trend.

It is like transitioning from "black and white movies to digital cinema," he said, discussing the potential for applying new large language models to traditional exploration processes.

BCG has been in AI space for quite some time, Aristov continued. "For example, five years ago we pioneered AI-based predictive maintenance system for an offshore platform on Caspian Sea for one of our clients. Back then this system already delivered extremely strong results: it prevented annual loss of production by some 1-2 percent, equivalent to dozens of millions of dollars".

"Another example can be drawn from a project in the Middle East, it was a terrain classification model which allowed to reduce preparation time for onshore seismic acquisition by x200. To put this in perspective, for an area of 10,000 square kilometers, this technology would replace 10 months of work with just 2 days," he said.

Aristov pointed out that AI, when used to speed up the process of gathering and subsequently analyzing data to identify new oil and gas fields, can fast-pace new discoveries.

"To do that attracting talent is critical. Given that AI is a trend, it can help attract top talent from the market, including even university students. Students tend to impress with AI-based solutions for oil and gas industry in hackathons, despite their limited industry experience," he added, noting that "from this angle, Azerbaijan is well positioned, - he said, to pioneer the application of booming AI technology in the regions. The country has best-in-class industry experts, resources and tasks, and young generation interested to work in the Oil & Gas industry".

Paul Genberg, BCGX Partner, said that "AI is going to be a really good tool for solving routine tasks, for making things a lot faster. What is important is that humans won't need to do these routine tasks anymore. But instead, humans can then spend more time thinking about more complex, more intellectually challenging problems".

Genberg talked about how AI can be used in oil and gas, especially for geoscientists. He believes that by using AI and better data sharing, we can make the process of finding oil more efficient and collaborative, which could lead to more exploration.

Genberg previously served as the CEO of STUDIO.X at Shell, focusing on innovative approaches to enhance their work processes. He said that Studio.X, a platform created in partnership with BCG, allowed Shell to enjoy access to expertise they might not have in-house. Genberg elaborated that an ecosystem of solutions for hydrocarbon exploration comprises of three vital components:

An innovative AI/ML crowdsourcing platform, allowing data-scientists across the world to work on the most difficult exploration problems.

A global hub connecting geoscientists with flexible on-demand projects, again, allowing geoscientists across the globe (including Azerbaijan) work on some of the problems.

An energy transition-focused startup incubator.

"All that breaks through the mode of working, allowing to engage the best talents across the globe to work part-time on the project. In total, this ecosystem engages up to 20,000 individuals worldwide. Of course, it was done not overnight. It took about 1.5 years from an idea to launch as a partnership with BCG. Now its been about 3 years since the launch and it has grown considerably in that time, shaping global community of innovators in O&G. It proved commercially successful with significant positive return on investments," Genberg said.

Leonid Zhukov, Director of BCG Global AI Institute, spoke about the positive impact of AI in general and Chat GPT in particular. He mentioned that there will be significant changes in the way we live and work due to AI. It's important to be prepared for these changes and embrace them, as resisting them doesn't make sense. While it may seem intimidating, the best approach is to learn about AI, embrace it, and understand how to use it because it will undoubtedly be very helpful in the future.

He said that AI, such as Chat GPT, opens opportunities for people without a technical background. In the past, interacting with computers and programming required a strong education in computer science. However, with tools like Chat GPT, it becomes possible to use your own language to communicate with computers. You don't need to be a programmer to instruct a computer, and this creates numerous opportunities for individuals without a technical background.

"While it might be premature to predict the complete transformation of any profession, we can already observe how various engineers are benefiting significantly from harnessing AI to automate routine tasks like image classification. Additionally, they leverage AI's predictive capabilities based on patterns, such as interpreting vibration signals in rotating equipment. Engineers are also gaining valuable insights from multidisciplinary data, as seen in the health index analysis of a platform. Moreover, AI is proving instrumental in design generation and optimization, as exemplified by its application in spare parts creation," he explained.

According to Zhukov, to fully capitalize on these advantages, it is essential to comprehend the concept of AI and GenAI, allowing professionals to tackle relevant tasks with efficiency using training datasets and effective prompts. Building one's own AI-based tools now requires Python knowledge, which is fast becoming a core skill taught at universities.

"Overall, while the complete impact of AI on various professions is yet to unfold, we are witnessing tangible benefits in engineering fields where AI is empowering professionals to streamline processes, enhance predictive capabilities, and drive innovative solutions," he concluded.
WHO supplies arrived in Libya in response to the devastating floods

16 September 2023, Tripoli, Libya  Today, 29 metric tonnes of health supplies arrived in Benghazi, Libya, from the WHO Global Logistics Hub in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With enough supplies to reach almost 250,000 people with health aid, the shipment reflects an intensified emergency response to the unprecedented flooding in eastern Libya in the aftermath of Storm Daniel. The supplies include essential medicines, trauma and emergency surgery supplies, and medical equipment. There are also body bags for the safe and dignified movement and burial of the deceased.

Storm Daniels impact was compounded by the collapse of two dams that led to the deaths of thousands of people in Derna. More than 9000 people are still missing. WHO teams are working with the Libyan Ministry of Health to track the dead and missing. Thus far, the bodies of 3958 people have been recovered and identified, and death certificates have been issued. This number is projected to increase as more bodies are recovered by search and rescue teams.

This is a disaster of epic proportions, said Dr Ahmed Zouiten, WHO Representative in Libya. We are saddened by the unspeakable loss of thousands of souls. Our thoughts are with the families who have lost loved ones, as well as with all of the affected communities. We are committed to providing the necessary support to restore health services for the affected population in eastern Libya.

Todays shipment will help replenish supplies in more than half of the health facilities in the affected areas, most of which are not functioning due to shortages of medicines and medical equipment. The supplies will be given to hospitals and primary health care centres and will be crucial in restoring their functionality. The 29 metric tonnes (130 cubic metres) of supplies that arrived today are the second delivery made by WHO. A first delivery of 29 metric tonnes of urgent medical supplies came from WHOs existing contingency stocks in Libya.

WHO is working closely with Libyas Ministry of Health and the National Centre for Disease Control to identify and address the health needs of survivors and affected populations in temporary settlements and camps for displaced people. WHO teams are active on the ground as part of an assessment mission led by the Ministry of Health, as well as participating in assessment missions being conducted by UN agencies. This ongoing health assessment covers the Al Bayda, Al Marj and Shahat districts and other affected areas.

While this assessment continues, the current priorities are to restore functionality in hospitals and health centres, and to prevent and control the spread of infectious diseases. WHO will support the urgent delivery of health care through the provision of medical equipment, and essential medicines and supplies, including treatments for communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and surgical and anaesthesia supplies.

WHOs response priorities over the coming weeks and months will include conducting in-depth health assessments, restoring the functionality of health facilities in affected areas, and establishing fixed and mobile health clinics as close as possible to affected populations. WHO will further bolster access to health care by deploying international emergency medical teams to provide health services in remote and hard-to-reach areas. Reinforcing disease surveillance and infectious disease control will be vital, especially for the estimated 35,000 who have been displaced by the crisis. WHO will also work with local health authorities to provide overall coordination of the emergency health response.

- WHO B-roll of medical supplies on way to Libya

- WHO photo library images of the Libya floods

Media contact:

Yahya Bouzo, Communications Officer, WHO Libya Country Office

Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. Azerbaijan will not discuss with Armenia or any third country issues that question Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and sovereignty, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan - head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, said during an interview with TASS, Trend reports.

"Attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of our state, including pedaling the topic of creating some "international mechanisms" for dialog between the central government of Azerbaijan and the ethnic Armenian minority in Karabakh, are doomed to failure. Karabakh is an internal issue of Azerbaijan, and any attempts to dispute this are counterproductive from the perspective of achieving sustainable peace in the region," he said.

Hikmet Hajiyev noted that the peace process is currently being hindered due to the unconstructive and insincere position of the Armenian political leadership.

"Under the pretext of non-existent "blockade" of Lachin road, a large-scale disinformation campaign has been unleashed against Azerbaijan, which is coordinated by Yerevan and the Armenian Diaspora in different countries of the world, especially in the West," said the official.

He also emphasized that despite Armenia's attempts to accuse Azerbaijan of blockading a part of its sovereign territory, the opening of the Aghdam road for the cargo of the Russian Red Cross Society on September 12 showed the invalidity of such accusations. Thanks to the joint actions of the Russian Red Cross Society and the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society, the Aghdam road has become operational. Now Azerbaijan expects that also the cargoes of the International Committee of the Red Cross will simultaneously go along two routes - Aghdam and Lachin. Azerbaijan's international partners fully share and support this position.

According to Hajiyev, the main obstacle to the peace process now is the fact that Armenia continues to maintain illegal regime on the territory of Azerbaijan, backing it up.

"It is the illegal regime in Khankendi that blocks the simultaneous opening of the Aghdam and Lachin routes, refuses to accept food cargoes from Azerbaijan, justifying it with caveman racist motives that have no place in the civilized world. The illegal regime also torpedoes attempts of dialog between the central government of Azerbaijan and the Armenian ethnic minority living in Karabakh, despite Baku's repeated invitations to such contacts.

Hajiyev also added that Armenia's policy of supporting the illegal regime that has taken 30,000 of Azerbaijani citizens living in Karabakh hostage must come to an end.

"There is no place for 'gray zones' in Azerbaijan," he said.
Cindy Crawford says her dad thought modelling was a euphemism for prostitution.

Cindy Crawford says her dad thought modelling was a euphemism for prostitution

The supermodel, 57, who was one of the worlds most popular pin-ups in the 1980s and 90s, has also admitted she initially struggled to convince her mum and dad she was on the path to a lucrative and respectable career.

She said in a preview for Apple TV+s new documentary show The Super Models about her dad Johns reaction to her going into modelling: My dad really didnt understand that modelling was a real career.

He thought modelling was, like, another name for prostitution.

Cindys dad and her mum Jennifer Sue Crawford-Moluf were eventually supportive and went with her to her first modelling appointment.

The model added in the preview she never even thought about modelling before she ended up in the business.

She said: I didnt even know it was a real job. I didnt know how I would get from DeKalb, Illinois, to a magazine.

In 2016, Cindy told Vanity Fair about how she did her first modelling job aged 16 when she was still living with her parents.

She said: When I was 16, Roger Legel, a local photographer in my small town of DeKalb, Illinois, asked to photograph me for the college newspaper.

I agreed, and he shot this picture at the backyard pool of my high school boyfriend.

I was still a teenager and dreamed of becoming something big  a nuclear physicist or the first woman president, the two biggest jobs I could think of.

Doing this first shoot changed my life. The photographer encouraged me to go to Chicago to try to find an agent.

I went to Chicago, ended up signing with Elite, and from there started doing catalogue shoots as well as working with Victor Skrebneski  the most important photographer in Chicago.

This one photograph opened my eyes to a whole new world and started me down the path of modelling.
The COVID-19 pandemic reportedly put a huge strain on Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness' marriage.

'Lockdown didn't help their marriage at all': Insiders speak out on Hugh Jackman's split

The 54-year-old actor and his 67-year-old wife, who wed in 1996 and have two children  Oscar Maximilian Jackman, 23, and 18-year-old Ava Eliot Jackman - together, have split after almost 30 years of marriage and friends believe the pandemic and the current Hollywood strikes both affected the relationship.

A source told DailyMail.com: "They are forever linked, forever together with the children they have. But after the past few years, the love they had for each other turned more into a friendship which got broken during COVID, as the lockdown didn't help their marriage at all and really put a strain on their relationship.

"They worked on it and couldn't get it back. The strikes haven't helped one bit, it got them in the same predicament as COVID did, to where they were just kicking the tires, and Hugh found it all to not have the same magic as they once had.

"Deb had similar concerns and thoughts and separating is the best option.

"They will never talk negatively about each other, just time has passed for them and they are now accepting that fate."

Announcing their split, the pair said they felt blessed for the time they had together.

They told PEOPLE in a statement: We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage.

Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth.

Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness.

We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives.

The pair signed off as Deb and Hugh Jackman and concluded: This is the sole statement either of us will make.

They met on the set of TV series Correlli in their native Australia in 1995 and their marriage was thought to be one of the strongest in showbiz.
Russell Brand refused to address his sex scandal at his stand-up show  which went ahead hours after he was accused by four women of rape, sexual assaults and emotional and physical abuse.

Russell Brand refused to address his sex scandal at his stand-up show  which went ahead hours after he was accused by four women of rape, sexual assaults and emotional and physical abuse

The 48-year-old comic appeared at his scheduled Bipolarisation show at Wembley Park Theatre, London, on Saturday (16.09.23) evening in the wake of the accusations, which were part of a major investigation by The Times and Channel 4.

He held his sold-out gig in front of 2,000 adoring fans  many of whom held up signs backing him  ahead of the showing of a special documentary into the claims which will air on Channel 4 at 9pm UK time, called Russell Brand: In Plain Sight.

Russell walked on stage at the gig to applause and cheers, after songs including David Bowies Rebel Rebel were played.

He then told the crowd: I really appreciate your support. I love you.

I want to do a fantastic show for you. Ive got a lot of things to talk to you about.

There are obviously some things that I absolutely cannot talk about  and I appreciate that you will understand.

A man who looked like Russell walked past the stage minutes after the show started  and the comic joked he was a body double which he said might come in handy.

Russells four alleged victims say they were involved in abusive relationships with the comic from 2006 and 2013 at the height of his fame.

The comic refused to address their allegations despite posting a 2 minute, 45 second video on X and YouTube strongly denying the claims.

His clip went out hours before The Times printed his alleged victims harrowing accounts of his apparent abuse.

Former heroin addict Russell  who has reinvented himself as a self-help guru since ditching the drink and drugs he was doing when he found fame  said in his video denial he went through a period of being very, very promiscuous and any relationships he had during that time were all consensual.

One woman alleges Russell raped her against a wall in his Los Angeles home.

The Times said she was treated at a rape crisis centre on the same day.

A second woman alleges the actor assaulted her when he was 31 and she was 16 and still at school.

She said he referred to her as The Child during an allegedly emotionally abusive and controlling relationship that reportedly lasted for about three months.

The woman alleges during one encounter, she tried to push Russell off her and had to punch him in the stomach to make him stop.

A third woman claims Russell sexually assaulted her while she worked with him in Los Angeles, and that he threatened to take legal action if she told anyone else about her allegation.

The fourth detailed how she was allegedly sexually assaulted by Russell and said he was physically and emotionally abusive towards her.

All said they felt ready to speak only after being approached by reporters.

The Times said about other women accusing him that he allegedly subjected them to physical and emotional abuse as well as sexual harassment and bullying.

It added in its investigation piece: Most of the women, who do not know each other, have chosen to remain anonymous.
It is a common practice and belief that menstruating women should not enter temples. Furthermore, women are prohibited from entering the sanctums (garbhagriha) within temples. Challenging these patriarchal norms, three women from Tamil Nadu have set a precedent by becoming temple priests.In a historic move, they have been appointed as assistant priests, breaking a long-standing tradition where only male priests were allowed to perform poojas. Krishnaveni, S Ramya, and N Ranjitha have received their appointment letters and have been assigned to temples managed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department under the state government.Under the Tamil Nadu government's initiative to provide priest training to people from all castes, women were also included. They underwent training at the Archakar Training School run by the Sri Ranganathar Temple in Srirangam, where they learned the rituals, poojas, and mantras necessary for temple priests.Upon completing the course, all three women received their certificates from Tamil Nadu Minister Sekar Babu. Sharing this news on his social media, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, wrote, "Despite women's achievements as pilots and astronauts, they were barred from the sacred role of temple priests, deemed impure, even in the temples for female deities. But change is finally here! In Tamil Nadu, as our #DravidianModel Government has removed the thorn from Thanthai Periyar's heart by appointing people of all castes as priests, women are also now stepping into the sanctums, bringing a new era of inclusivity and equality." Many have welcomed this move and believe that such initiatives will set an example for others to follow.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. The international community must protest against aggressive separatism and strongly condemn such illegal activities, Speaker of Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis (Parliament) Sahiba Gafarova said during the general discussions of the G77 and China summit held in the Republic of Cuba, Trend reports.

She made the remark referring to the steps taken by Armenia to aggravate the situation in the region.

"Separatism is unacceptable in the modern world, which strives for prosperity and sustainable development," she said.

Noting that Azerbaijan has taken the initiative of the normalization process and signing a peace agreement with Armenia based on the norms and principles of international law, the speaker of the Parliament noted that this is the only way to achieve long-term peace and stability in the region.

Gafarova emphasized that against the background of Azerbaijan's sincere approach to the processes, Armenia violates previously reached agreements, supports separatism and continues military-political provocations against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. The recent so-called "presidential election" held by the illegal regime in Karabakh has become another violation of Azerbaijan's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

She said that it is impossible to achieve sustainable development without peace and security. She added that in 2020 after liberation of its territories from 30-year Armenian occupation, Azerbaijan started large-scale restoration and reconstruction work there. Now it is one of the main priorities of Azerbaijan's development and the country has achieved great success in this regard in a short period of time, former IDPs have already started returning to their homes.
Actor Jaideep Ahlawat, who is gearing up for his upcoming release Jaane Jaan, is also known for his remarkable performances in Raees, Paatal Lok, An Action Hero, The Broken News and many others. He recently shared a heartwarming anecdote from his early days in the industry. The actor, renowned for his impactful performances in Bollywood films and web series took a trip down memory lane to recall a starstruck moment he had while shooting for the film 'Raees' alongside none other than the King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan.

He went on to describe the moment that left a lasting impression on him. "I remember the first scene itself, we had a call time of 9-9.30 and, we were all sitting. Suddenly Khan Sahab walks in, and the environment completely changed. We exchanged pleasantries and I was completely calm on the surface but I couldn't help stealing glances at him. After rehearsals and everything, when it was time for the actual take, everything became different. King Khan became the actor King Khan and I suddenly became the audience. I forgot that I was an actor and I froze and was working almost 10 seconds late. I took my time taking him in first and then I used to react. I think that was the only time I felt starstruck."

With interesting upcoming projects including Jaane Jaan releasing on 21st September, lending his voice to India's Marvel Wastelanders to play Hawkeye, Paatal Lok and The Broken News 2, Jaideep Ahlawat is on a roll of challenging and exciting roles.
In a heartwarming gesture, Bollywood actress Kriti Kharbanda recently marked a significant milestone in her career by celebrating the 7th anniversary of her film "Raaz: Reboot." The actress took to social media to express her gratitude and reminisce about the movie that left an indelible mark on her journey in the film industry.

The actress shared in her caption,

#raazreboot was the most fulfilling and exciting experience I've had in the movies :) from experimenting in a genre that I'm too afraid to watch, to pushing my boundaries and vocal chords :)

This video pretty much sums up my journey I'm grateful to the makers, my Costars and the

audience for loving me and accepting me!

#7yearsofraazreboot #7yearsofshaina #thankyouforallyoursupport

"Raaz: Reboot" showcased Kriti Kharbanda in a challenging role that required her to delve into the horror genre, a departure from her previous work. Her performance was widely appreciated, and it showcased her versatility as an actress.
Ridhi Dogra recently penned a heartfelt message for the famous director Atlee in which she expressed her gratitude for providing her the chance to appear in the highly anticipated movie, Jawan.

The Jawan team conducted a post-release news conference in Mumbai on September 15. The main actors from the movie were present. Additionally, other amusing incidents from the movie's set were presented at the evening. Sanya Malhotra, Ridhi Dogra, Lehar Khan, and other members of the Jawan girl gang spoke about what it was like to work with Shah Rukh Khan. Additionally, Ridhi Dogra recently thanked Atlee on social media for giving her the chance to work on the hit movie Jawan and conveyed her thanks to him.

Ridhi Dogra expressed her respect for Jawan director Atlee on Instagram. She posted an adorable photo of them together along with the message, "Today when I heard you speak about your love for cinema I was overwhelmed. As another cinema lover, you are an absolute gift to us. Someone who thrives, fully comes alive and revels in the world of his characters and story telling. Thank you also for single-handedly bringing back audiences to cinemas. And enjoy films as it should be. Larger than life and Euphoric!! And to be able to have the opportunity to witness you in the midst of your magic Is the stuff of dreams. I can't begin to write about your genius. I always saw you smiling on set, cool as a cucumber, chilling away while you must be crazily working with the team to make your vision come alive. I will be grateful to you always for picking me to play your Kaveri Amma. A crazy move for me. But I was safe in the hands of your creative genius. One psycho to another. Always!!!! I respect you and also thank you for being so patient with me during the shoot while you must be going through your own wild ride! An honor of a lifetime. Thank you for pulling me in to be a part of your team and massive congratulations for the festival Jawan is as a film to all of us."

After having four releases this year and gracing the silver screen along with King Khan and Deepika Padukone, Ridhi will be next seen in the highly awaited, 'Tiger 3' alongside Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, and Emraan Hashmi which will release on the 10th of November, 2023.
Vijay Antony To File Defamation Case Against YouTuber Venba: A video of female host Venba Geethayan from a private YouTube channel has created a stir as she linked Vijay Antony with AR Rahman's controversial music concert Marakkuma Nenjam.

Venba Geethayan Accuses Vijay Antony

In this case, while his name was mentioned in it, music composer and actor Vijay Antony has now posted a tweet announcing that he will file a defamation case against the woman and the YouTube channel.

The reason for the overcrowding at AR Rahman's concert is said to be that there were no seats for those who had bought tickets and a crowd was already seated inside. Speaking on the YouTube channel, the host Venba Geethayan has accused that a political party has tarnished Rahman's name on purpose.

In it, she said, "Vijay Antony is one of the people responsible for the mess that happened at AR Rahman's music show." She also shared shocking information about Noise & Grains company who organized Vijay Antony's music concert recently.

Vijay Antony Responds To The YouTube Video

After watching the video, Vijay Antony himself has now published a post on social media including Twitter and Facebook pages about the host and the youtube channel who are trying to create trouble between him and AR Rahman.

"Hello my dear people who love me.. I am now with a little heartache to put an end to some controversies with this letter. A sister has spread a false rumor in a youtube channel linking me and brother AR Rahman. It is totally false! I am going to file a defamation case against that YouTube channel. I have decided to give all the money from the defamation case to the friends of the music industry who are in need. Yours sincerely, Vijay Antony." He tweeted.
Bigg Boss OTT 2 reunion party: All eyes were on the reunion bash of BB OTT 2 as the celebrities were expected to attend it. However, it turned out to be a major disappointment as Manisha Rani, Abhishek Malhan and Jiya Shankar didn't attend it. Elvish Yadav, who created history by emerging as the first wildcard to win Bigg Boss, graced the party but left within twenty minutes.

ELVISH YADAV ATTENDS BIGG BOSS OTT 2 PARTY

Filmibeat had exclusively confirmed that Elvish Yadav would attend the BB OTT 2 reunion party in Mumbai. After reaching Delhi, he jetted off to Mumbai to be a part of the celebrations. While he happily posed for the paparazzi, Fukra Insaan, Jiya Shankar and Manisha Rani's absence left the fans upset.

"Bigg Boss OTT 2 turned out to be a massive hit on JioCinema. What better way than to celebrate by gathering together and partying hard? Elvish Yadav will be taking a flight to Mumbai after arriving in India from the UAE. He celebrated his birthday in a grand manner with his friends in Dubai. The Bigg Boss OTT 2 winner will be joining his friends at the star-studded bash in Mumbai," a source had told Filmibeat.

JIYA SHANKAR REASON FOR NOT ATTENDING BB OTT 2 REUNION PARTY

After the party, Elvish Yadav met Jiya Shankar. The duo had a blast as they reunited after a long of Bigg Boss OTT 2. Jiya revealed the reason why she skipped Bigg Boss OTT 2 party. She said that she was busy with the shoot of her projects and hence, she couldn't attend the bash.

"Main abhi shoot se aayi hu. Main busy thi yaar," the Pishachini actress told the YouTuber as he teased her about missing the party. "Bhai inka standard bahut uucha hogya hai. Aur life kaise chal rahi hai? Maine suna aap bhi vlogging kar rahi ho," Elvish said as he playfully trolled her.

Guess what? Elvish took a fun dig at Jiya saying that she has 'high standards' after Bigg Boss OTT 2. In the end, he urged his followers to subscribe Jiya's YouTube channel and watch her vlogs.

Big Breaking !!#JiyaShankar spotted with #ElvishYadav last night of reunion party !!



She said I was busy in shoots and can't attend the party !!



As per reports They both are coming together in a music video very soon !?



Stay tuned -@thekhbri_

Comment your Views!! pic.twitter.com/qKbR18CoOU  The Khabri (@thekhbri_) September 16, 2023

On the professional front, Elvish is basking in the success of Hum Toh Deewane, which released on September 14 and broke all the records. He shared screen space with Urvashi Rautela in the song.

Talking about Jiya Shankar, she teamed up with Abhishek Malhan for Judaiyaan.

Keep watching this space for more updates.
Star Parivaar Awards 2023 promo: It's difficult to keep calm as SPA 2023 will air on television in the next two weeks. Fans have not been able to control their excitement ever since Star Plus confirmed the return of its popular awards show. Star Parivaar Awards returned to the television after five long years. From Pranali Rathod to Harshad Chopda, several TV celebrities graced the event last week in Mumbai.

STAR PARIVAAR AWARDS 2023 WINNERS LIST

The SPA 2023 red carpet was definitely an extravagant event as popular small screen stars graced it with style. Rupali Ganguly, Vijayendra Kumeria, Gaurav Khanna, Shakti Arora, Bhavika Sharma, Avinash Mishra, Neha Solanki showcased their style statement at the red carpet of the Star Parivaar Awards 2023.

Anupamaa aka Rupali Ganguly took home five awards while Pranali Rathod won three awards at the event on Friday (September 8). Check out the full winners list of SPA 2023 right here!

Favourite Naya Sadasya (Male)- Ishaan (Shakti Arora from Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin)

Favourite Naya Sadasta (Female)- Savi (Bhavika Sharma from Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin)

Favourite Parivaar- Anupamaa

Favourite Patni- Akshara Favourite Pati- Anuj (Gaurav Khanna from Anupamaa)

Favourite Jodi- Anuj Anupamaa (Gaurav Khanna, Rupali Ganguly from Anupamaa)

Most Stylish Sadasya- Akshara (Pranali Rathod from Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai)

Favourite Maa- Anupamaa (Rupali Ganguly from Anupamaa)

Favourite Beta- Abhimanyu (Harshad Chopda from Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai)

Favourite Beti- Sahiba (Himanshi Parasar)

STAR PARIVAAR AWARDS 2023 RED CARPET

While the heroes of Star Plus shows looked handsome as ever in tuxedos, our leading ladies opted for Indo-western look. The popular heroines from the channel donned embroidered gowns, looking picture-perfect as ever. Do you know the back story behind their outfits? Grab a bowl of popcorn and read on to know.

While we gushed over the sartorial choices, the Star Plus heroines had to wear heavy attires for the event. But they had no qualms as they looked every bit of a diva at the event. While Anupamaa actress Rupali Ganguly looked pretty in a pink gown, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai's Akshara aka Pranali Rathod styled her bohemian outfit with oxidised jewellery.

SHAGUN SHARMA LEHENGA STAR PARIVAAR AWARDS 2023

Titlie aka Neha Solanki literally looked like a butterfly as she incorporated her show's theme in her dress. Himanshi Parasar from Teri Meri Dooriyaann stole the limelight, courtesy of her red gown. Guess who stood out the most? None other than Shagun Sharma, who made waves in a lehenga.

Shagun Sharma, who is seen as Kaashvi in Yeh Hai Chahatein, spilled the beans about her costume. The TV diva said in a statement, "Even though the attire was extremely heavy, it looked mesmerising and graceful, the cherry on the cake was the colour black, which tends to be my favourite colour. I was looking forward to wearing the outfit, as this was the first time I was going to be a part of the Star Parivaar Awards. The black outfit weighed 10 kg, while the gajra attached to the hair weighed 5 kg. I am happy that I could carry it well, and all the pains were turned into gains."

What do you have to say about Shagun Sharma's look?
INTO will leverage its extensive global student recruitment network and robust in-market personnel and infrastructure to recruit for the university's academic programs.

San Diego, California--(Newsfile Corp. - September 16, 2023) - INTO University Partnerships, a global education partnering organization, has entered into a collaboration with the University of Oklahoma - the flagship public research university in the state of Oklahoma.

University of Oklahoma and INTO team up for international student recruitment

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/180330_8d6b8862d4a3b840_001full.jpg

INTO will support Oklahoma's recruitment efforts for all undergraduate and select graduate programs on the Norman campus for direct admission, leveraging its worldwide network of recruitment partners supported by in-market specialist teams.

The partnership will enhance OU's global reach and provide exceptional educational opportunities for international students, with the first incoming cohort planned for Fall 2024.

"We are delighted to partner with the University of Oklahoma, renowned for its excellence in teaching and research with a sharp focus on student success. With INTO's wide global reach and market knowledge, we look forward to supporting some of the best talent in the world in enrolling in Oklahoma's academic programs," said John Sykes, CEO of INTO.

Founded in 1890, OU is a comprehensive university known for its academic excellence, rich traditions and strong sense of community. OU provides all the benefits of a major research institution with the atmosphere of a much smaller institution. Boasting a total student population of 31,000 system-wide, the university offers 170 academic programs encompassing a broad array of disciplines ranging from architecture, business, journalism, engineering and international studies.

With $416.6 million in research expenditures, OU is designated by the Carnegie Foundation as a Highest Research Activity institution, placing it in the highest tier of comprehensive research universities in the United States.

"It is part of our 'Lead On, University' Strategic Plan to enrich the diversity of our campus with talented students from across the world. The OU academic experience is a dynamic one, where students are surrounded by opportunities to gain valuable, real-world experiences," said Jeff Blahnik, Vice President for the Division of Enrollment Management and Executive Director of the Office of Admissions and Recruitment, University of Oklahoma.

OU will benefit from INTO's strong local presence in the world's fastest-growing international student markets. The organization's local teams manage recruitment partner relationships on a day-to-day basis, nurture student leads, ensure local market brand positioning and provide student-facing application and enrollment support.

"INTO and the University of Oklahoma share the common goal of providing transformative educational experiences and empowering students to achieve academic and career success. Through this partnership, international students will have access to an extensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with a comprehensive education that prepares them for the future. We are thrilled to have the University of Oklahoma, an institution known for its welcoming community and internationally recognized faculty join our network of university partners," said Dr. Sharon Sundue, INTO's Executive Vice President for North America.

About Us: INTO University Partnerships connects ambitious international students with leading universities in the US, UK, and Australia. The organization helps international students achieve academic and career success and enables its university partners to access a diverse pool of talented students from across the globe. Since its inception in 2005, INTO has helped more than 130,000 students from 190 countries realize their dream of achieving a degree from a world-class university.

Contact Info:

Name: Davinder Kumar

Email: davinder.kumar@intoglobal.com

Organization: INTO University Partnerships

Website: https://www.intoglobal.com/

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180330
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma--(Newsfile Corp. - September 16, 2023) - Permanent Roofing Systems (405-778-8955) has announced a new roof repair service for victims of hail, wind and storm damage in the Oklahoma City area.

The recently announced emergency repair service corrects the often invisible damage left behind by strong hailstorms. Following a full inspection to assess any damage, Permanent Roofing Systems provides customers with a personalized repair plan, tailored to the roof's specific needs. Whether it be leaks, weakened structures or damaged shingles, Permanent Roofing Solutions provides a rapid repair service to ensure no further damage occurs.

For more details, please visit https://roofingokc.net

Greg Melancon, Founder of Permanent Roofing Systems

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/180586_prs1.jpg

As part of their new storm damage roof repair service, the company offers impact-resistant materials such as Class 4 shingles, a roofing shingle with the highest level of impact resistance. According to research from IKO Global, Class 4 shingles can withstand the impact of a 2-inch ball dropped from 20 feet, making this the ideal material for storm damage repair.

As the company explains, Oklahoma City is no stranger to storms and the capital is classed as a high-risk area for tornadoes and hailstorms. When inevitable damage occurs, Permanent Roofing Solutions can deliver prompt and precise repairs to both cosmetic and functional damage. Following severe weather spells, the company advises customers to complete a full inspection of their roofs for damage and leaks as any untreated damage, no matter how small, can lead to major structural problems further down the line.

In addition to its hail damage repair service, the company also provides residential and commercial roofing installation services. For customers in search of more versatile roofing options, Permanent Roofing Solutions offers a metal roof installation, repair and replacement service.

About Permanent Roofing Solutions

With a background in the insurance claims industry, Greg Melancon, founder of Permanent Roofing Solutions, has ample experience working alongside insurance agents when fixing, repairing or replacing an Oklahoma roof. Greg is well known for meeting insurance adjustors on-site, providing detailed evidence to ensure that customers' building insurance cases are met.

Greg Melancon states, "With top-notch materials, impeccable craftsmanship, and a dedication that's second to none, we don't just earn customers - we forge partnerships. Our legacy of crafting roofs that withstand time's tests is unparalleled."

Interested parties can find more information by visiting https://roofingokc.net/storm-wind-hail-damage.

Contact Info:

Name: Greg Melancon

Email: gm@roofingokc.net

Organization: Permanent Roofing Systems

Address: 2305 SE 94th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73160, United States

Website: https://roofingokc.net

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180586
DORTMUND, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VAPORESSO, the leading brand in the vaping industry, has brought its latest innovations to InterTabac, the world's largest trade fair for tobacco products and smoking accessories. From September 14 - 16, new offerings from VAPORESSO's ARMOUR, LUXE, and XROS series are highlighted at booth B12, showcasing a plethora of new features at the forefront of vaping technology that enables users to savor the best taste in every puff.

Taking center stage are VAPORESSO ARMOUR Max and ARMOUR S - the latest dual and single vape kits that feature thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material and COREX heating technology to offer unparalleled rigidity and flavor enjoyment. From tank to mod, the two products are enveloped with a stretch-and-drop-resistant enclosure to ensure greater durability, coupled with VAPORESSO's innovative iTank 2 and the GTi coil platform providing unmatched flavor accuracy and a 50% longer coil lifespan.

Craft from the ground up the deliver a more enjoyable yet simplified experience for Direct-to-Lung (DTL) vapers, both ARMOUR Max and S boast a more compact form factor but offer longer vaping time. A minimalist and robust push-to-open battery cover takes convenience to a new level, streamlining the battery-swapping and charging experience while offering another layer of protection. At its core, the ARMOUR is driven by the AXON chipset, offering a wide array of modes for a professional vaping experience. A TFT screen paired with a user-friendly interface ensures clarity and ease of use, making it accessible to both experienced and new vapers alike.

Alongside the ARMOUR lineup, VAPORESSO also spotlighted two new members to its LUXE Q family, LUXE Q2 and Q2 SE. Sporting a sleek design featuring a leather finish that offers a sweat-free, smudge-free gripping experience, both products are powered by VAPORESSO's COREX heating technology and AXON chipset, with adjointable airflow allowing users to self-tailor the devices to their style and needs. Meanwhile, compatibility with LUXE Q pods gives full options to vapers who prefer nic salt and freebase e-liquids.

Showcasing an innovative and engaging display setting, VAPORESSO's booth has been a bustling hub of activity, drawing a steady stream of visitors over the course of the three-day event. The excitement and interest surrounding the booth were evident, with a significant number of attendees expressing a keen interest in the brand's latest product offerings.

For more information, please visit: https://www.vaporesso.com/.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2212003/IMAGE.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2011704/4276689/Vaporesso_Logo.jpg

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/vaporesso-lands-at-intertabac-2023-to-showcase-latest-offerings-301929229.html
The 2023 World Manufacturing Convention is set to take place in Hefei, Anhui from September 20th to 24th. This year's Convention, themed "Smart Manufacturing for a Better World," will feature China's Anhui Province's key manufacturers, including manufacturers of new energy vehicles, integrated circuits, and smart home appliances, as they come together to showcase their strengths.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230916621448/en/

2023 World Manufacturing Convention to Be Held in Hefei, Anhui from September 20th to 24th (Graphic: Business Wire)

According to reports, the World Manufacturing Convention will have exhibition areas for key industries, major manufacturing countries, advantageous industry chains, digital transformation, and national specialized and innovative "Little Giants." The Convention will focus on the latest achievements in the global manufacturing industry, including quantum computers, powerful rockets, maglev trains capable of speeds up to 600 kilometers per hour, superconducting proton therapy systems, and 80,000-ton precision die forging presses. The number of participating companies and exhibition areas will reach a historical high.

Since 2018, the World Manufacturing Convention has been successfully held in Hefei, the capital of Anhui province for five consecutive years. It has attracted over 14,800 guests, secured 3,021 project agreements, and seen actual investments exceeding a trillion RMB.

Undoubtedly, this conference is poised to emerge as a pivotal platform for industry professionals to exchange groundbreaking ideas, share invaluable experiences, and forge collaborative ventures. The event will herald a new era of breakthroughs and advancements in the global manufacturing industry.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230916621448/en/

Contacts:

World Manufacturing Convention Executive Committee

Cheng Longcan

+8613085059682

media@wmconvention.com

https://www.wmconvention.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met today with US State Department's Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Louis Bono, Trend reports via the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

The situation in the region, the normalization process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, current threats and challenges were discussed during the meeting.

Bayramov emphasized that Armenia and its unlawful regime are the obstructing parties in the implementation of the agreement on the simultaneous opening of the Aghdam-Khankendi and Lachin-Khankendi roads, reached during the contacts between President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on September 1.

He added that this fact once again demonstrates that, contrary to claims of a supposed "humanitarian crisis" and "blockade" in the region, the situation is of a political nature rather than a humanitarian one.

The minister also noted the unacceptability of reiterating the Armenian side's claims by international partners, including the US, which are well-informed about the situation in the region.

Besides, he underscored that despite Armenia's constant military and political provocations, its smear campaign against Azerbaijan, and its support for separatism on Azerbaijani territories, Azerbaijan continues to maintain a constructive position.

Bayramov also regretted over the unfounded claims of Armenia, which it raises with the aim of diverting attention from the continued presence of Armenian armed forces [which haven't been withdrawn contrary to the trilateral statement signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war] on Azerbaijani territories, and these claims were voiced by the US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim.

According to the minister, non-mentioning of Armenia and its unlawful regime's obstruction of the parallel opening of the Aghdam-Khankendi and Lachin-Khankendi roads by the US official [Yuri Kim] in the Senate creates a false impression of the situation.

He pointed out that Armenia's recent actions, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's congratulatory message dated September 2 (regarding anniversary of illegal referendum held by illegal regime in Azerbaijan's Karabakh in 1991), encouraging separatism on Azerbaijani territories, have dealt a serious blow to the normalization and peace process.

During the meeting, Bayramov reiterated Azerbaijan's commitment to the agreement on the parallel use of the above mentioned roads.

Additionally, the meeting included an exchange of views on other mutually interesting issues.

In order to prevent the illegal transfer of manpower, ammunition, mines, as well as other military means from Armenia to Armenian armed formations on the territory of Azerbaijan, carried out contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, and adequate to the unilateral establishment by Armenia of a border checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road on the border with Azerbaijan on April 22, a border checkpoint was established at 12:00 (GMT+4) on April 23 by the units of the State Border Guard Service of Azerbaijan at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road on the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, on the border with Armenia.

On September 9, at Russias initiative, in accordance with the memorandum of cooperation between the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society and the Russian Red Cross Society, in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, one heavy truck with food crossed the Samur checkpoint into the territory of Azerbaijan.

In order to meet the food needs of Armenian residents living in the Karabakh economic region of Azerbaijan, the truck was set to deliver the supplies to Khankendi via the Aghdam-Askeran road.

However, the truck stood in Barda for two days, as the separatists in Karabakh refused to accept the cargo.

Meanwhile, the trucks with 40 tons of flour have been on the Aghdam-Khankendi road since August 29 in front of the Russian peacekeepers post. Employees of the Azerbaijan Red Crescent Society and volunteers spend the night in tents erected on the territory. They said that they would remain here until food supplies were delivered to the Armenian residents of Khankendi.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 16, 2023) - Bluesky Digital Assets Corp., (CSE: BTC) (OTCQB: BTCWF) ("Bluesky" or the "Corporation") announced today that it had entered into, and that it had completed, a debt settlement agreement. The Corporation settled an aggregate of $27,500 USD / $37,200.00 CAD of secured debt owed to one USA based creditor via the issuance of an aggregate 930,000 Common Shares. The debt settlement will assist the Corporation in preserving its cash for working capital and to further advance its AI endeavors.

About Bluesky Digital Assets Corp.

Bluesky Digital Assets Corp, is building a high value digital enterprise. Bluesky in its startup phase, mined digital currencies such as Bitcoin and Ether and developed value-added technology services for the digital currency market, such as proprietary technology solutions. Offering a complete ecosystem of value-creation, Bluesky has invested appropriate portions of its previous digital currency mining profits back into its operations. A percentage of the profit was invested in the development of a proprietary Artificial Intelligence ("AI") based Blockchain technology. Overall, Bluesky takes an approach that enables the Corporation to scale, and respond to changing conditions, within the still-emerging Blockchain industry. The Corporation is poised to capture value in successive phases as this industry continues to change, evolve, and scale.

For more information please visit Bluesky at: www.blueskydigitalassets.com or www.blueskyintel.com

Please also follow us on Linkedin at: www.linkedin.com/company/bluesky-digital-assets/

For further information please contact:

Mr. Ben Gelfand

CEO & Director

Bluesky Digital Assets Corp.

T: (416) 363-3833

E: ben.gelfand@blueskydigitalassets.com

Mr. Frank Kordy

Secretary & Director

Bluesky Digital Assets Corp.

T: (647) 466-4037

E: frank.kordy@blueskydigitalassets.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Information set forth in this news release may involve forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward- looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this document are made as of the date of this document and the Corporation 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. Although management believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such. Neither 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. We seek safe harbor.

- 30 -

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180911
Shilpa Shetty, who is busy promoting her next release, Sukhee, recently opened up about many aspects of her life, both on the personal and professional front. In a conversation with Bollywood Bubble, the 48-year-old recalled how she was trolled by people around her for post-pregnancy weight. Not only that, the Dhadkan actress also shared how her husband Raj Kundra helped her during difficult times, making her bounce back stronger.

On post-pregnancy weight

Shilpa Shetty, whose social media handle is filled with videos featuring yoga or workout sessions, recently shed light on how she was trolled for her post-pregnancy weight. As per a conversation with Bollywood Bubble, the Sukhee star stated how it was her business to be glamorous. The actress further added how people couldnt understand what it meant to lose weight just 8 months after her childs birth.

The Indian star further remarked, But I did not want to lose weight. Also, I did not pay attention to it. It took me 3 months to lose it, the day I decided to do so. Logon ka kaam hai kehna yar (People are conditioned to say stuff). You cant change how people think. I cant take them too seriously.

On constructive criticism than negative trolling

Shilpa Shetty mentioned why she looks for constructive criticism rather than negative trolling. The actress, who is currently judging Indias Got Talent on TV, stated that shes happy that people said those things as it made her aware that now is the time to lose weight.

The actress also mentioned how a lot can be learnt from feedback and not negative trolling. Im talking about constructive criticism, she added, stating that theres the benefit of both as you can pick and choose what you want to focus on.

Shilpa Shetty got married to businessman Raj Kundra in 2009. They have two kids, Viaan and Samisha. While they welcomed their first child, a son in 2012, their daughter was born through surrogacy in 2020.

Work Front

Shilpa Shetty is currently judging reality show Indias Got Talent. Her journey with TV started in 2006 with her involvement in dance reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.

Work wise, the actress will next appear in Sonal Joshis Sukhee, set for release on 22 September. The film stars Kusha Kapila, Kiran Kumar, Amit Sadh and Dilnaz Irani among others. The films plot revolves around a housewife who finally breaks free from her monotonous routine and heads to Delhi for her school reunion.

In addition, Shilpa Shetty will soon make her OTT debut with Rohit Shettys web series Indian Police Force co-starring Sidharth Malhotra.
With terrorists camped out in a cave atop a hill, the encounter in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag area has now entered its fourth day.

The gunfight started during a joint Army-police operation Tuesday night to find the terrorists hiding in the Gadul forest near Kokernag.

When they attempted to approach the Lashkar terrorists stronghold on a hill, one soldier, who went missing, was found dead and three officers were killed in the line of duty.

Lets take a closer look.

Also read: What we know about army officers, policeman killed in J&K encounter

The encounter

The operation was conducted in response to a tip that there were two to three terrorists in the vicinity who had been seen and were being surrounded in Gadul. The terrorists were not found despite a search operation. Then, the joint team of Army and police personnel learned that the terrorists were hiding atop a hill.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Additional Director General of Police (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar advised retired police and Army officers to avoid going with the ambush hypothesis.

Retired police/Army officers should avoid ambush hypothesis. It is a specific input-based ops. Ops is in progress and all two to three trapped terrorists will be neutralised, he said.

#KokernagEncounterUpdate: Rtd Police/Army officers should avoid  Ambush Hypothesis. It is a specific input based ops. Ops is in progress and all 2-3 trapped terrorists will be neutralised: ADGP Kashmir  Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) September 15, 2023

Despite the rain, the security forces cordoned off the area and began an operation to flush out the terrorists, according to Kashmir Observer. The official reported that residents residing near the region of the encounter have already been relocated to safer locations.

The decision to attack the terrorists was made in the wee hours of Wednesday.

According to reliable sources who spoke on condition of anonymity to NDTV, the terrorists, who are familiar with the surrounding terrain, are camped out in a cave on top of a hill that can only be reached by a narrow path with a deep ditch on one side. The officers had attempted to enter the cave on Wednesday via this path, but they were met with gunfire and had nowhere to hide. Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Aashish Dhonchak, and Deputy Superintendent of Police Himanyun Bhat had all died as a result of the path.

The path the forces have to take to get to the top of the hill is quite challenging. It is very narrow and there mountains and a dense forest on one side and a deep ditch on the other. The personnel began the ascent in the night, and the pitch darkness made it worse, the New Delhi-based news channel quoted its source as saying.

The terrorists were able to see the advancing forces clearly as they came close to the cave and started firing randomly. The personnel were trapped on the narrow path without any protection, no place to escape and a major risk of falling. They also lacked any means of retaliation.

The army now has the hill completely surrounded after the fight had been going on for about 72 hours.

In order to find the terrorists who are hidden, they are using advanced weapons and equipment, such as rocket launchers, the Israeli-purchased Heron drone with striking capability, and quadcopters.

However, NDTV sources claimed that the difficult terrain still prevented Army dominance.

Also read: Second terrorist killed during encounter in J&Ks Rajouri

No ordinary terrorists

According to the report, there are likely more than two or three terrorists, and they are well-trained and have access to plenty of food and ammunition.

Uzair Khan, a member of Lashkar-e-Taiba since last year, is one of them. According to the officials, he is an expert on the region, which the terrorists are using to their advantage.

Ordinary terrorists cannot stretch an encounter for so long. They are very well-trained and have good weapons. It is also possible that an informer may have double-crossed the forces or someone may have leaked their movements. Whatever it is, ending this operation has become a big challenge, NDTVs source sad.

An officer told Kashmir Observer that considering the challenging terrain and dense jungle, it is not known if any terrorists have been killed to date. To prevent terrorists from escaping in the darkness, high-beam lights have been placed, and the perimeter has been further cordoned off.

The Bravehearts

On Wednesday, three officers  two Army and one police  were killed in the line of duty.

The 19 Rashtriya Rifles Unit (19 RR) was commanded by Colonel Manpreet Singh, Sena Medal (Gallantry), with Major Aashish Dhonchak, Sena Medal (Gallantry), serving as company commander. In the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Himanyun Muzamil Bhat held the position of Deputy Superintendent (DySP).

They were only able to be taken to a hospital in the morning due to the difficult terrain and hail of bullets that made it hard for other workers or a helicopter to remove them.

Yesterday, Colonel Singhs remains arrived in his hometown of Punjab, where a large crowd had gathered to honour the hero by attending his funeral.

Media sources state that one more soldier has died and at least two more have been injured.

One more soldier has lost his life in the Anantnag operations, he had been reported missing since yesterday. During joint security operations against terrorists in Anantnag area, forces dropped grenades on suspected terrorist hideout locations using drone, security officials told the Times of India.

Also read: 4 years of Article 370 abrogation: Has security situation improved in J&K?

More about the encounter

In contrast to the other three districts of South Kashmir, Anantnag has been fairly peaceful, with only one or two local terrorists  including Uzair Khan of the Nagam area of Kokernag  reported to be active there.

According to Kashmir Observer, the Kokernag encounter is the largest in South Kashmir since 5 August this year, when three soldiers from the armys 34 RR were killed in the Halan Manzgam forest region of the Kulgam district.

At Handwara in north Kashmir, on 30 March 2020, an 18-hour-long encounter resulted in the deaths of five security officers, among them a Colonel, a Major, and a sub-inspector.

In May contact was made with terrorists in the Sagam area of Kokernag, they later managed to elude forces, making this the first confrontation in the district in roughly the last four months.

In J&K, 48 militants have been killed so far this year, of which 10 were locals and 38 were foreigners. In this years terrorist assaults and clashes, officials told the outlet that about 20 security personnel were killed.

With inputs from agencies
Irans rulers continue to enforce tight public controls as the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police approaches.

Amini died after being arrested for allegedly breaching hijab rules. The news of her death prompted nationwide protests, jolting the foundations of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Ahead of the expected protests on the anniversary of her death on 16 September, the regime continues to attempt to control social media and heighten surveillance.

But the desire for change has not waned among many.

Nationwide protests

The states reaction to the Women, Life, Freedom protests that broke out in reaction to Aminis death has been predictably draconian. Sources suggest hundreds have been killed, a staggering nearly 30,000 detained , and a spate of executions have been carried out.

Just as troubling are the tales emerging from the shadows, stories of detainees facing unspeakable horrors, from torture to rape.

Although the ruling elites ongoing struggle to enforce the compulsory hijab appears futile, the regime is showing no signs of conceding.

The mandatory hijab, an issue for the past four decades, continues to be extremely contentious. Despite the dangers, numerous women, in acts of quiet defiance, choose to reject this enforced code daily. Their courage is met with intensified street patrols, hostile confrontations and looming new lawsthat threaten even stricter penalties.

There seems to be an underlying fear within the governing circles that relinquishing control over something as ostensibly trivial as womens hair might set a precedent, leading to a more significant loss of control in other areas of governance and social life.

Sources suggest that in an effort to sustain an aura of omnipotence, the regime is willing to do whatever it takes to maintain its grip on every aspect of life in Iran. The governing philosophy that would seem to lean more towards instilling fear rather than winning the hearts and minds of the people.

In the face of mounting economic challenges and the fact that one third of the population is living in extreme poverty, the Iranian peoples resilience, honed by years of resistance and a relentless yearning for change, this perpetual battle resembles a drawn-out war of attrition between the state and the people.

But there is a deep-seated protest movement in Iran, anchored in years of civil disobedience, symbolic actions, resistance art and immense sacrifice. Theres clearly still an appetite for change.

However, the path to change is fraught with obstacles. The opposition, despite its passion, is fragmented, lacking leadership to pull together collective efforts. There are few well organised opposition parties outside the country.

Over the past six months, there have been significant disputes about whether Iran should reinstate a constitutional monarchy or continue with a republican system. Instead of focusing on the common enemy, they disagree over what should replace the current rulers.

This absence of a cohesive front makes garnering substantial international support challenging, especially when the regime leans on authoritarian allies such as Russia to enhance its surveillance and repressive capacities. It would appear the regime is equipped and willing to employ every available means to mute the populace, amplifying the risks and costs associated with dissent.

The reason

From its beginnings in 1979, the Islamic Republic of Irans unaccountable and overzealous plans to reshape and redefine Iranian society have been opposed by many. The decades that followed saw an increasing chasm between the people and the regressive clerical establishment.

Misuse of power, corruption, catastrophic economic policies and the unabashed use of violence have methodically whittled away the revolutionary allure of the regime.

Over the years, Iran has been no stranger to protests. But while the student protests of 1999 and the Green movement of 2009 were significant chapters in Iranian history, the post-2018 period witnessed a tectonic shift.

Protests are no longer confined to urban centres  theyre nationwide, audacious and challenge the very core of the Islamic Republics ideology. The Women, Life, Freedom movement, with its lasting impact and international spotlight, stands as a testament to this change.

In recent months, cafes and restaurant have closed and businesses have been accused of flouting the states stringent policies. Universities arent spared either.

An unsettling purge is under way, with university professors being replaced by regime loyalists, while campuses including Tehran University have become heavily surveilled zones. Add to this economic conditions that are so bad it is pushing people to suicide, and societal tensions reach a boiling point.

Over the recent months leading up to the anniversary, momentum has been building. Several high-profile opposition figures have urged the public to seize this opportunity and once again take to the streets to defy the regime.

This atmosphere of simmering unrest hasnt escaped the regimes notice. An Amnesty International report offers a glimpse into the states systematic harassment of families mourning their lost loved ones. Among those arrested was Mahsa Aminis uncle. Covering an extensive ten provinces, Amnestys research details human rights violations against numerous victims families, showing the extent of the governments oppressive reach prior to the anniversary of Mahsas death.

One of the significant achievements of last years uprising was the shattering of pervasive fear among the people. Despite the sombre atmosphere, violent crackdowns and execution of young protesters, the Women, Life, Freedom movement has fostered a collective courage to defy the regime.

In anticipation of the anniversary, both sides have been bracing themselves. People are gearing up for a potential resurgence of protests, while the state is preparing to suppress any sign of dissent.

Many hope the political stalemate will not last indefinitely. While the move towards democracy may span years, the desperate desire for change must, surely, shift the prevailing order.
The Nipah virus outbreak continues to remain a matter of concern in Kerala.

The contact list of infected people currently includes 1,080 people, with 130 additional entries on 15 September, according to an update from Health Minister Veena George. 327 of them are healthcare workers.

Heres all you need to know about the Nipah strain and its vaccines.

Also read: Proactive detection, containment zones, & more: What Kerala is doing to control spread of Nipah virus

About the Nipah strain

Nipah virus (NiV) is a highly pathogenic virus that kills people by causing deadly encephalitis (brain swelling) and severe respiratory distress.

Livemint claims that the strain that causes brain damage is a Bangladesh variant that spreads among people. It is characterised by high fatality rate despite lesser infectivity.

The virus has a fatality rate of up to 75 per cent among those infected and spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of infected bats, pigs, or people.

According to the Hindustan Times, Nipah has three genotypes: the Malaysia M, Bangladesh B, and India I genotypes.

Two genotypes, India I and Bangladesh B, are frequently seen in India.

Fever, headaches, muscle discomfort, vomiting, and sore throat are the first signs of infection in humans.

This can be followed by dizziness, drowsiness, altered consciousness, and neurological signs that indicate acute encephalitis. Some people can also experience atypical pneumonia and severe respiratory problems, including acute respiratory distress, says the World Health Organization website.

Patients can, however, also be asymptomatic.

Also read: Nipah virus in Kerala: Why is the state susceptible to repeated outbreaks?

Vaccines

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has said that it plans to start developing a vaccine against the viral disease, reported India Times.

There is currently no treatment or protective vaccine against the fatal virus, which has only been detected in two Indian states so far in close to two decades  West Bengal (2001, 2007) and Kerala (2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023).

According to IMCR DG Rajeev Bahl, the process for commencing work on new vaccines entails seeking partners who can create it as well as the platform it will be developed.

Our biggest asset at the moment is that we have developed vaccines on diverse platforms during COVID-19, such as DNA vaccine, mRNA vaccine, adenoviral vector vaccine, protein subunit vaccine, and nasal vaccine, and we can use these diverse platforms to develop the new vaccine against disease such as Nipah infection, he said.

Current treatment

Those who tested positive for the brain-damaging virus are already receiving symptomatic care.

A monoclonal antibody is the only other medication that has demonstrated any potential in the fight against the Nipah virus.

20 additional doses of monoclonal antibody will be purchased by India from Australia.

We got some doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia in 2018. Currently, the doses are available for only 10 patients, Bahl said, adding that globally, monoclonal antibody has been given to 14 patients infected with the Nipah virus outside India, and all of them have survived.

Monoclonal antibody yet to be administered

Only phase 1 trial to establish the safety of the medicine has been done outside. Efficacy trials have not been done. It can only be given as compassionate use medicine, he said.

He claims that no one has yet received the medication in India.

Twenty more doses are being procured. But the medicine needs to be given during the early stage of infection, he said. However, the decision to use the antibody has to be of the Kerala government, besides that of doctors and patients families.

As much as 40 to 70 per cent of people who contract the Nipah virus die as a result of their sickness.

Also read: Nipah virus kills two in Kerala: Why does disease plague state?

Schools and colleges shut

All educational institutions, including schools, professional colleges, and tutoring centres, will be closed for a week until next Sunday, 24 September, the Kozhikode government has declared as a precaution. Well guarantee online classes.

The health department will receive the report from the medical board, which will convene twice daily at all hospitals treating Nipah patients.

The infection spread from one patient

Although fruit bats were to blame for Keralas 2018 outbreak, it is still unknown why the state saw recurrent illnesses in 2019, 2021, and 2023.

This year, Kerala has recorded six incidents, of which two have resulted in fatalities.

One patient, a 49-year-old male who passed away on August 30 from what was believed to be multiple organ failure, was the cause of the outbreak, according to specialists.

Two of the four people who have tested positive so far are his children, and one is his brother-in-law. The second person to die from the virus had contact with him while they were both patients at the hospital.

The sixth individual to test positive is a healthcare professional who works at the hospital where the deceased patient had received treatment.

With inputs from agencies
By the end of the year, the American XL bully will be outlawed in the United Kingdom, said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the UK Prime Minister said, The American XL Bully dogs are a danger to our communities, particularly our children, adding that he shared the nations horror over videos of recent dog attacks.

Its clear this is not about a handful of badly trained dogs, its a pattern of behaviour and it cannot go on, Sunak said in a video message.

He said a man was killed on Thursday in central England in an attack involving a suspected XL bully dog. Police said a man had been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

Notably, if the ban comes into place, it will be the first breed to be added to the prohibited list under the act since the law was introduced in 1991.

Also read: Gurugram bans 11 dog breeds: What are they? How dangerous are they?

About XL bully dogs

American Bully comes in four sizes: normal, pocket, classic, and XL. The XL is the largest type, as per BBC.

The American XL Bully has a weight range of over nine stone (60 kg), making him powerful enough to overwhelm an adult.

According to Reuters, American Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers were crossed in the US in the late 1980s to create American Bullies. To produce an even more muscular dog, they have been bred with various breeds.

Despite its intimidating appearance, an American Bully makes an excellent family dog, according to the United Kennel Club in the US. It says that some level of dog aggression is characteristic of this breed, while noting that aggressive behaviour towards humans is uncharacteristic.

While the American Bully is recognised as a distinct breed in the US, the major dog organisations in Britain do not.

Bully Watch, a UK advocacy group, claims that the breed was relatively new to the country when it first arrived around 2014 or 2015, but its popularity spiked during the coronavirus outbreak. It says they account for less than one per cent of all owned dogs across the country.

Also read: For the Love of Dog: How once-popular breeds like rough collies, bloodhounds are likely to go extinct in the UK

The debate

There is a heated debate between people who believe that some dogs are bred to be killers and those who believe that all dogs are born with those traits.

In the UK, six of the ten fatal dog attacks that occurred in 2017 and at least three of the seven this year have been connected to XL bullies.

More than half of all fatal dog attacks in Britain last year were caused by this breed, according to the advocacy group Bully Watch, which supports a ban on the sale and breeding of massive XL Bully dogs.

The New York Times cited data from the Office for National Statistics, as stating that three people died in Britain year on average between 2001 and 2021 as a consequence of dog attacks.

According to certain advocacy groups, the XL Bully is inherently harmful and possible inbreeding may increase traits like aggression. Because of its size and strength, any attacks or bites are more likely to be severe.

While, a number of British animal welfare charities, including the RSPCA, said this week that banning specific dog breeds is not the solution.

In a joint statement, they instead blamed irresponsible breeding, rearing and ownership and said the government should instead focus on dog control regulations, and on promoting responsible dog ownership and training.

The reason they are being banned

The mother of 10-year-old Jack Lis, who was killed by an XL Bully in 2021, is among the campaigners advocating for a ban.

The home secretary, Suella Braverman, announced she was seeking urgent advice on a ban in response to a video showing an XL Bully cross-breed escaping its collar and attacking people in a street in Birmingham over the weekend, including an 11-year-old girl who was bit on the arm and shoulder.

A 65-year-old grandmother from Liverpool was killed in April when she attempted to break up a fight between her two American bullies at her home. The coroner stated that she had suffered catastrophic injuries when she was discovered.

Sunak made the announcement a few hours after news broke that a man in Staffordshire had been killed following an assault by two dogs which were thought to be XL bullies.

Also read: Mutt Menace: Do we need stricter norms to deal with the rise in attacks by pet dogs?

The process of ban

The Dangerous Dogs Act states that prohibited dogs are recognised by their physical traits, as judged by a police officer skilled in dog handling and dog legislation, known as a dog legislation officer.

Unless the owner requests an exception from the court, police can confiscate and destroy banned canines.

Exemptions may be given if the dog is neutered, microchipped, and owned by a person who is fit and proper to be in care of a dog. These conditions must all be met in order for the dog to qualify.

Four breeds were outlawed in the nation in 1991 when the Dangerous Dogs Act was passed: the pit bull terrier (possibly the ancestor of the XL Bully), the Japanese tosa, the Dogo Argentino, and the Fila Brasileiro.

It was implemented following a string of 11 horrific assaults that year, including the mauling of a six-year-old girl when she was out for a family stroll in Bradford.

Since then, the first Bully to be added to the list will be the XL Bully.

Its effectiveness

It appears from the evidence that outlawing a breed will only cause their numbers to decline.

25 years after the introduction of the Dangerous Dog Act, data from the Metropolitan Police from 201516 revealed that 19 per cent of dog attacks in London were committed by prohibited pit bull terriers.

The RSPCA claimed that adding another breed to the list will only see history repeat itself because during the course of 20 years, from 1999 to 2019, the number of hospital admissions for the treatment of dog attacks climbed by 154 per cent.

Since the pit bull terrier was outlawed, there is a risk that comparable breeds would emerge or be introduced as a result of the ban, much to how the American bulldog has become more well-liked.

With inputs from agencies
Four more workers, undergoing treatment in hospital after a service lift crashed at under-construction Amrapali Dream Valley Society in Greater Noida (West), died on Saturday .

The death toll in the lift collapse in the group housing society has now climbed to eight, officials said.

The lift of an under-construction tower of the society fell from the 14th floor around 8:30 am on Friday. At the time of the accident, there were nine workers in the lift. Four of them died yesterday, while others were undergoing treatment in a hospital.

According to a police official, the service lift which was carrying the workers from the ground floor had a free fall from the 14th floor.

The long-stalled project is being completed by the state-run NBCC.

Four workers had died after the incident on Friday. Five of them were admitted to the district hospital in a critical condition. Of these, four more have succumbed to the injuries while one worker is still undergoing treatment, District Magistrate Manish Verma told PTI.

An FIR has been lodged at the local Bisrakh Police Station and nine people booked for negligence and culpable homicide, among others, in connection with the case, according to police.

The district administration and the local Greater Noida Authority have also launched probes into the episode.

On Friday, police said that the deceased workers were identified as Ishtaq Ali (23) of Bihars Balrampur district, Arun Tanti Mandal (40) of Bihars Banka, Vipot Mandal (45) of Bihar Katihar and Aris Khan (22) of Amroha district in Uttar Pradesh.

Among those injured were Asul Mustaqeem, Abdul Mustaqeem, Kuldeep Pal, Kaif, Arbaaz Ali  natives of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, the police had informed.

With inputs from agencies
One terrorist has been gunned down by security forces during an encounter in Jammu and Kashmirs Baramulla district on Saturday morning.

According to Kashmir Zone Police, the encounter started on Saturday morning between terrorists and Army and Baramulla Police in forward area of Uri, Hathlanga in Baramulla district.

#BaramullaEncounterUpdate: 01 terrorist killed. Search going on. Further details shall follow. https://t.co/22dP32S8dT  Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) September 16, 2023

Meanwhile, encounter in Anantnag entered its fourth day on Saturday. Loud explosions were heard and drones were pressed into service to locate the hideouts of terrorists in the region.

As per information, the security forces were looking out for more terrorists in the area, as the Valley's police chief assured that the terrorists would be neutralised.

Additional Director General of Police (Kashmir), Vijay Kumar, on Friday told PTI that the operation was launched based on specific input.

Major Ashish Dhonchak, 19 Rashtriya Rifles Commanding Officer Col Manpreet Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat and a soldier were killed in an encounter with the terrorists at Gadole in the Kokernag area of the south Kashmir district on Wednesday.

On Thursday as well as on Friday, anti-Pakistan protests were held in various parts of Jammu against the killing of four security personnel by terrorists.

With inputs from agencies
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday launched a new WhatsApp channel named Chief Minister Office, Uttar Pradesh to enable people of the state to directly communicate with the CM Office. People can easily share their thoughts and concerns with the CMs office through this channel.

The official X handle of the Chief Ministers Office said, For Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Uttar Pradeshs 25 crore citizens of the state are one family. Under the able leadership of the Chief Minister, the Uttar Pradesh government is working with full commitment for the well-being and prosperity of every member of the family.

For easy communication with every member of the Uttar Pradesh family of the Chief Minister, who considers communication as the soul of democracy, the state government has started an official WhatsApp channel named Chief Minister Office, Uttar Pradesh, using the powerful and simple medium of communication, WhatsApp.

 It was also mentioned that this new and impactful platform of communication will ensure the swift transmission of information related to public welfare and government initiatives.

The special thing about this channel is that anyone can join it. To receive direct and quick updates from the Chief Ministers Office, one can join this WhatsApp channel. CM Yogi Adityanath is also the first Chief Minister to take this unique initiative of using WhatsApp channel to communicate with the common citizens.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Friday that Uttar Pradesh is working diligently as the growth engine of India. In a true sense, UP has now become an integral part of Indias development journey.

While addressing a summit organized by the Indian Steel Association at a hotel in Lucknow, the Chief Minister said, Uttar Pradesh offers an excellent environment for investment. He assured investors that the UP government guarantees the security of their investments and is ready to provide all kinds of support.

The Chief Minister pointed out that over the past six years, the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh has seen significant improvement. Yogi Adityanath said that today there are no riots or disturbances during festivals and celebrations in the state. He mentioned that the visits of VVIPs are conducted in a very safe and peaceful manner.
The Congress on Saturday called for increasing the existing upper limit of reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs.

In a resolution adopted at its first meeting after being reconstituted, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) also called for the conducting of a caste census.

The Congress top decision-making body expressed grave concern at increasing unemployment and continuous rise in prices, especially of essential commodities.

The prime ministers so-called Rozgar Melas are a hoax to cover up the abject failure to create, as promised, two crore jobs a year. The failure to conduct the decennial Census, due in 2021, is a national and an international shame, the resolution said.

It said one of the consequences is that an estimated 14 crore of the poorest Indians are denied their entitlement to food rations since ration cards are issued on the basis of the 2011 census.

The CWC also underlines the stubborn refusal of the Modi government to conduct a caste census. This refusal in the face of a universal demand has exposed the BJPs lack of commitment to social and economic justice and its bias against the backward classes, Dalits and tribal people, it alleged.

In this context, the CWC also calls for increasing the existing upper limit of reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs, the resolution said.

The CWC recalled that in his first Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for a 10-year moratorium on casteism, communalism and regionalism.

Ironically, the three evils have aggravated in the last nine years thanks to the divisive and discriminatory policies adopted by the prime minister, his government and his party, it alleged.

The CWC claimed that the prime minister has not acted against those who committed atrocities against the poor and vulnerable people, especially women, minorities, Dalits and Adivasis.

The political discourse of the BJP, inside and outside Parliament, is laced with poison, promotes hate speech and violence, encourages divisive forces, and polarises society, the partys top decision-making body alleged.

The CWC said the BJPs leaders and spokespersons have belittled and distorted the contributions of past prime ministers, especially Jawaharlal Nehru.

Investigating agencies have been misused to target political leaders and carry on a political vendetta against them. The BJP government has practically destroyed the principles and practices of cooperative federalism, the resolution further alleged.

Top Congress leaders held deliberations at the first meeting of the new CWC focusing on preparing a comprehensive road map for ensuring the partys victory in the upcoming Assembly polls in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and general secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, among others, were present at the meeting.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. Turkiye proposed to hold a quadripartite meeting with the participation of the leaders of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Russia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told reporters ahead of his visit to the US, Trend reports.

"We made such a proposal so that a step could be made accordingly. There is no positive or negative feedback so far. We will discuss this issue later with President Ilham Aliyev and will closely follow the developments," the Turkish President said.

Earlier, Turkish Ministry of National Defense said that Turkiye will continue to support Azerbaijan and unite with them in every situation, guided by the principle of two states, one nation.

The ministry said that for peace and stability in the region, it is necessary to sign a peace agreement.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya led around 8,000 people in taking a pledge for organ donation at the GIC ground in Agra on Saturday.

Giving a clarion call to donate blood when alive and donate organs after death, Mandaviya said the government has decided to give financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per month to all the poor people undergoing organ transplants.

Arrangements will also be made for their regular check-ups, he said. The health minister said that by the end of 2024, arrangements for organ retrieval will be made in all hospitals and medical colleges of the country.

Addressing a gathering at the GIC ground, Mandaviya said that there can be no greater service to mankind than donating organs to save another life. The Union health minister also inaugurated a super speciality block at Sarojini Naidu Medical College (SNMC), Agra and an organ donation registry.

To register to donate organs, the only requirements are the Aadhaar number, and the Aadhaar-linked mobile number.

Mandaviya highlighted that the super speciality block at SNMC is constructed in an area of 7,890 sq. metres at a cost of Rs 200 crores. He stated that the facility in SNMC will cater to around three crore people in not only Agra but also 11 districts and two surrounding states.

Mandaviya said that the super speciality block at SNMC will include services like neurosurgery, neurology, gastroenterology, gastro surgery, urology, nephrology, cardiology etc.

He also laid the foundation stone for 23 integrated public health labs and 87 block public health units in Agra on the same day. Mandaviya also said that the Narendra Modi government has taken several landmark initiatives to increase the healthcare workforce as well as to improve and expand healthcare infrastructure in the country.

Through a video message, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lauded the organ donation initiative. Donating one organ can give a new lease of life to another person, he said.

The health ministry on Sunday will introduce the Ayushman Bhav campaign  to ensure optimum delivery of health schemes to every intended beneficiary, including those in the last mile  during the Seva Pakhwada starting on Prime Minister Narendra Modis birthday on September 17.

The campaign will end on October 2. It will have three components Ayushman Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman Melas at Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Ayushman Sabhas in every village and panchayat.
The Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government has issued a notification on the change of names of Aurangabad and Osmanabad districts as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv respectively.

The suggestions and objections sought a few months ago have been considered and the decision to change the names at the sub-division, village, taluka and district levels has been taken, the notification issued by the Revenue Department on Friday night said.

The decision to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad was taken in the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) governments last cabinet meeting chaired by the then chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on June 29, 2022 just before he resigned.

However, Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who were sworn in a day later, had said the Thackeray-led dispensations decision to rename these places was illegal as it was taken by it after the governor had asked it to prove majority in the state assembly.

In July last year, the Shinde government gave a cabinet approval to rename Aurangabad and Osmanabad cities as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv respectively. In the MVA governments last cabinet meeting, Aurangabad was renamed as Sambhajinagar, but the Shinde government added Chhatrapati prefix to it.
An orphan is an orphan, irrespective of how the death of his or her parents happened, the Supreme Court has said, asking the Centre if there are ways the benefits of schemes, including the PM Cares fund, which was meant for children orphaned during the COVID-19 pandemic, can be extended to all orphans.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra on Friday asked Additional Solicitor General Vikramjeet Banerjee, appearing for Centre, to seek instructions in the matter.

You have rightly brought out a policy for orphans, whose parents died due to the COVID pandemic. An orphan is an orphan, irrespective of whether the parents died in an accident or illness. By bringing these schemes, you are attending to the condition, not the parentage.

You seek an instruction on whether benefits of schemes including PM Cares fund meant for children orphaned during the COVID-19 pandemic can be extended to other orphaned children, the bench told Banerjee.

The ASG said he was recently given a brief to appear in the matter and would respond to the courts query in four weeks time.

Petitioner Poulomi Pavini Shukla, who appeared in person, said that children orphaned during the pandemic were provided benefits under the Right to Education Act. Similar benefits can be given to other orphan children in the courts direction.

Two states Delhi and Gujarat have been providing benefits of the Right to Education Act by issuing a simple government order under section 2(d) of the Right to Education Act and this can be done in other states, Shukla told the bench.

Section 2(d) of the Right to Education Act, 2009, deals with a child belonging to a disadvantaged group  which means a child belonging to a Scheduled Caste, a Scheduled Tribe, a socially and educationally backward class, or such other group that has a disadvantage owing to social, cultural, economical, geographical, linguistic, gender or such other factor, as may be specified by the appropriate government, by notification.

The bench took note of the submission and asked the Centre to consider the expression such other group in section 2(d) of the RTE Act and consider extending the benefits to all orphans by issuing suitable directions.

Shukla said that notice on her plea was issued in 2018, the year she filed the petition, but the Centre even after five years has yet to file its response.In 2018, I was studying law when I filed this petition. Five years have passed, I have written a book and am married now but still Centre has not filed its response, she said.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, also appearing in the matter, said orphan children should be extended the benefit of a 20 per cent quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) as given to other children in school admissions.

The bench asked Banerjee to seek instructions and file a detailed affidavit and also directed the states to file their responses on the aspect of section 2(d) of the Right to Education Act.
One Nation, One Election, committee will officially have its first meeting on 23 September, said former President of India Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday in Odishas Bhubaneswar.

The eight-member high-level committee, which will be meeting under the chairmanship of Kovind, has been formed to examine and make recommendations at the earliest on the the issue of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats.

VIDEO | The first meeting (of One Nation, One Election committee) will take place on September 23, says former President Ram Nath Kovind. pic.twitter.com/4GRXJ8n7MV  Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 16, 2023

Who are members of One Nation, One Election committee?

The panel will have Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad and former Finance Commission chairman NK Singh as members.

Senior advocate Harish Salve, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash C Kashyap, and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner Sanjay Kothari were named members of the committee.

MoS Arjun Ram Meghwal will be attending the meetings of the committee as a special invitee, while Legal Affairs Secretary Niten Chandra will be secretary to the panel.

What will One Nation, One Election committee do?

The committee will examine and recommend specific amendments to the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act and any other laws and rules which would require amendments for the purpose of holding simultaneous elections.

Apart from this, it will also examine and recommend, if the amendments to the Constitution would require ratification by the States.

It will also analyse and recommend possible solutions to scenarios such as hung House, adoption of no-confidence motion, or defection or any such other event in case of simultaneous elections.

The committee will hear and entertain all people, representations and communications which in its opinion can facilitate its work and enable it to finalise its recommendations.

The committee has been constituted just months ahead of the assembly elections to five states and the Lok Sabha polls next year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pitched the idea of 'One Nation, One Election' on several occasions.

Addressing a conference of presiding officers in November 2020, PM Modi had said: "One Nation, One Election is a necessity for India. There is an election every month in the country, hampering development. Why should so much public money be wasted on holding elections?"

With inputs from agencies
The victory of the Samajwadi Party candidate in the Ghosi assembly by-election as an accident, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said Saturday asserting that the BJP will win all 80 Lok Sabha seats in the state in the 2024 general elections.

The senior BJP leader also asserted that the OBCs were with the BJP and they continue to support the party, despite its defeat in Ghosi.

In an exclusive interview with PTI Video, Maurya also felt that Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party leader Om Prakash Rajbhar should not have said that he and Dara Singh Chauhan, who recently returned to the BJP, would join the Yogi Adityanath government.

He said anything on Cabinet expansion in the state should come from the chief minister only. He said the Ghosi by-election result was an accident and the party will learn from it to ensure that in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls the BJPs Lotus symbol blooms.

Chauhan, who left the BJP in January last year, had won the Ghosi assembly poll on a Samajwadi Party ticket but switched to the BJP again and was fielded by the ruling party in the recent by-election, where the SP was supported by the other INDIA opposition bloc parties.

He was defeated by SPs Sudhakar Singh by a margin of over 40,000 votes.

Responding to a question on SP, Maurya said the opposition party was fast becoming samaptwadi (reaching its end) party.

With inputs from agencies.
In a major announcement aimed at giving a boost to the indigenous aerospace sector, the Indian Air Force has officially announced plans to buy around 100 more made-in-India LCA Mark 1A fighter jets.

The plan to buy the indigenous plane was announced in Spain by Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari soon after receiving the first C-295 transport aircraft in Spain in an exclusive interaction with ANI.

The LCA was developed from the ground up for replacement of the large MiG series fleet including the MiG-21, MiG 23 and MiG-27 aircraft. With the phasing out of all these aircraft, it is essential that we have adequate numbers of the LCA class aircraft in our inventory. So, apart from the 83 LCA Mark 1A that we have already contracted for, we are moving a case for around 100 more aircraft: Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari told ANI at the Airbus aircraft manufacturing facility.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to buy these made-in-India aircraft to replace the MiG-series fighter jets in its fleet and the plans have been submitted to the Defence Ministry and all other stakeholders in the national security establishment.

The decision to buy around 100 more of these planes came around the time when the Indian Air Force chief held a review meeting of the indigenous fighter jet programme with all entities involved including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited last month.

The order would mean that the LCA Tejas fighters would re-enter the Indian Air Force in very large numbers. The IAF will have 40 LCA, over 180 LCA Mark-1A and at least 120 LCA Mark-2 planes in the next 15 years.

The last order for LCA Mark1A was for 83 aircraft and the first plane would be delivered around February 2024. LCA Mark 1A is the advanced version of Tejas aircraft.

The LCA Mark 1A plane has more advanced avionics and radars than the initial 40 LCAs being supplied to the Air Force.

The indigenous content in the new LCA Mark 1A is going to be more than 65 per cent.

The Indian Air Force chief in the project review meeting last month had clearly stated that the LCA has been the flag bearer of the forces efforts towards the indigenisation of its aircraft fleet.

The programme has been the harbinger of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives of the nation. More importantly, it is a flag bearer of Indias self-reliance in the aerospace sector.
Two terrorists have been neutralised by security forces in an encounter near line of control (LoC) in Uri sector in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

The counter-terror operation was underway at the time of filing this report.

The identities and group affiliation of the slain terrorists are yet to be ascertained, police said.

The fresh encounter in Baramulla comes at a time when an operation is underway in Anantnag district to neutralise terrorists who have taken positions in the forest area in a hilly terrain. The gunfight and operation to flush put the ultras entered its fourth day on Saturday.

On Friday, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror module was unearthed in Baramulla district with the arrest of two terror associates - Zaid Hassan Malla, a resident of Mir Sahib Baramulla, and Mohammad Arif Channa, from Stadium Colony Baramulla.

Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the arrested duo.

They were involved in cross-border smuggling of arms and ammunition at the behest of Pakistan-based terror handlers and its further distribution to LeT terrorists for carrying out terror activities," the spokesperson said.

In Anantnag, security forces have deployed drones to pinpoint the hideouts of terrorists.

Additional Director General of Police (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar said the operation was launched based on specific input and the two to three trapped terrorists will be neutralised.

One more soldier succumbed to injuries on Friday taking the toll to four. Colonel Manpreet Singh, the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Aashish Dhonchak, from the same battalion, and DSP Humayun Muzamil Bhat were killed on Wednesday.

With inputs from agencies
An infiltration bid was foiled in morning hours of Saturday along LoC in Uri Sector, in Jammu and Kashmirs Baramulla. Three terrorists were gunned down, said the Indian Army.

As per ANI, the army said that three terrorists tried to infiltrate and were engaged by alert troops.

Two terrorists were eliminated and their bodies recovered, the third terrorist was killed, but the retrieval of the body was interfered by the Pakistan post in the vicinity, on LoC, the army said.

Earlier on Saturday, a joint operation was launched by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Intelligence agencies in forward area of Uri, Hathlanga in Baramulla district.

The encounter in Baramulla comes at a time when an operation is underway in Anantnag for the fourth consecutive day on Saturday to neutralise terrorists who have taken positions in the forest area in a hilly terrain.

On Friday, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror module was unearthed in Baramulla district with the arrest of two terror associates - Zaid Hassan Malla, a resident of Mir Sahib Baramulla, and Mohammad Arif Channa, from Stadium Colony Baramulla.

Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the arrested duo.

They were involved in cross-border smuggling of arms and ammunition at the behest of Pakistan-based terror handlers and its further distribution to LeT terrorists for carrying out terror activities," the spokesperson said.

In Anantnag, security forces have deployed drones to pinpoint the hideouts of terrorists.

Additional Director General of Police (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar said the operation was launched based on specific input and the two to three trapped terrorists will be neutralised.

One more soldier succumbed to injuries on Friday taking the toll to four. Colonel Manpreet Singh, the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Aashish Dhonchak, from the same battalion, and DSP Humayun Muzamil Bhat were killed on Wednesday.

With inputs from agencies
Amid protests to oppose the inclusion of the Maratha community in the Other Backward Class category for reservation purposes, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said Saturday that the government is clear about not disturbing the OBC quota in any way.

Appealing to OBC members to end their protest in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagpur and Chandrapur, Fadnavis said, The state government has taken a clear stand about not touching, reducing or sharing the OBC quota. Hence, we request the OBC community to withdraw their agitation.

The deputy CM said he personally requested the agitators in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where he attended a special cabinet meeting earlier in the day. I believe that those (protesters) in Sambhajinagar will end their hunger strike, he said.

Fadnavis said those agitating in Chandrapur and Nagpur should also withdraw their protest. I will be meeting those in Nagpur and request them to withdraw their agitation, he said.

The Maratha quota issue returned to centre stage in the state when the police on September 1 baton-charged a violent mob at Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district after protesters allegedly refused to let authorities shift Manoj Jarange, an activist on hunger strike over the quota issue, to a hospital.

The state then began talks with Jarange and decided to give Kunbi caste certificates to the Marathas whose ancestors were described as Kunbi in Nizam-era documents of the Hyderabad kingdom. It will allow the Marathas from the states Marathwada region to avail of quota benefits as the Kunbis fall in the OBC group.

However, the move prompted the Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh to launch a protest to oppose the inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category for reservation in government jobs and education.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday asserted the NDA will win all the 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar in the 2024 general elections.

Addressing a rally at Jhanjharpur in Bihars Madhubani district, the Home Minister said the NDA had secured 39 Lok Sabha seats in the 2019 elections in Bihar and will now look to break all records in next years polls by winning all the seats.

He said We won 39 seats in 2019, this time round we will break all records and win all 40 seats. Shah said the law and order condition in Bihar was deteriorating every day and the opportunistic alliance will worsen the situation.

The law and order situation in Bihar is deteriorating every day and the presence of the Mahagathbandhan will worsen the situation furthermore in the coming days, he said.

If Modiji does not become the PM again, the entire Seemanchal region will be full of ghuspaithiyas (intruders), Shah said at the rally.

On the JDU-RJD alliance, Shah said, The JDU-RJD combination is like oil and water. They will never mix. I want to tell Nitish Babu that no matter how high the self-gain is, water and oil are never one. Oil has nothing to lose, it only maligns the water. The alliance you have made to become the prime minister, that alliance will take you down

#WATCH | Madhubani, Bihar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, The JDU-RJD combination is like oil and water. They will never mix. I want to tell Nitish Babu that no matter how high the self-gain is, water and oil are never one. Oil has nothing to lose, it only maligns the pic.twitter.com/vgTrpl33iX  ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2023

He added, There is Lalu-Nitish government in Bihar. I have been reading the newspapers of Bihar. Shooting, looting, kidnapping, and killings of journalists and Dalits have increased. This selfish alliance is taking Bihar towards Jungle-raj. Now Lalu Yadav is active and Nitish Kumar is inactive You can only imagine how Bihar will run if their government returns

#WATCH | Madhubani, Bihar: Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, There is Lalu-Nitish government in Bihar. I have been reading the newspapers of Bihar. Shooting, looting, kidnapping, and killings of journalists and Dalits have increased. This selfish alliance is taking Bihar pic.twitter.com/RAomS36Dwt  ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2023

Speaking about the oppositions alliance, he said They have made a new alliance with a new name. They worked with the name of UPA and did corruption worth Rs. 12 Lakh crores. Lalu Yadav did corruption worth crores while he was the railway minister. They changed their name because they could not come back with the name UPA, hence they had to come up with INDI Alliance. People of this alliance disrespect Ramcharitmanas cancel holidays on Rakshandhan and Janmashtami. They relate Sanatana Dharma to a number of diseases. All they can do is appeasement

With inputs from agencies
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. The reiteration of the Armenian side's claims by the US is unacceptable, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov said at a meeting with US State Department's Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Louis Bono, Trend reports.

During the meeting, Bayramov emphasized the unacceptability of the Armenian side's repeated claims among international partners, including the US, who are well-informed about the situation in the region.

The minister underscored that despite Armenia's constant military and political provocations, its smear campaign against Azerbaijan, and its support for separatism on Azerbaijani territories, Azerbaijan continues to maintain a constructive position.

Previously, Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry responded to recent allegations of US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Yuri Kim regarding the use of Lachin-Khankendi road.

In order to prevent the illegal transfer of manpower, ammunition, mines, as well as other military means from Armenia to Armenian armed formations on the territory of Azerbaijan, carried out contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, and adequate to the unilateral establishment by Armenia of a border checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road on the border with Azerbaijan on April 22, a border checkpoint was established at 12:00 (GMT+4) on April 23 by the units of the State Border Guard Service of Azerbaijan at the beginning of the Lachin-Khankendi road on the sovereign territories of Azerbaijan, on the border with Armenia.
The National Investigation Agency on Saturday raided 31 locations in Tamil Nadu and Telangana to thwart a radicalisation and recruitment campaign by proscribed global terror group ISIS, an official said.

Several digital devices, documents and incriminating books in vernacular and Arabic languages, and Rs 60 lakh as well as USD 18,200 in cash were seized during the searches, a spokesperson of the federal anti-terror agency said.

The official said the agency is in the process of examining the data in the seized mobile phones, laptops and hard discs.NIA teams raided 22 locations in Coimbatore, three in Chennai and one in Kadaiyanallur of Tenkasi district in Tamil Nadu, and another five locations in Telenganas Hyderabad, the spokesperson said.

The searches were conducted in connection with a case, registered by NIA Chennai under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, that pertains to clandestine operations by a group of individuals to radicalize gullible youth, the official said.

The radicalization was being carried out in the garb of holding Arabic language classes through their Regional Study Centres. Such radicalization activities were being flashed through social media platforms and online messaging services like WhatsApp and Telegram, the spokesperson said.

The official said investigations have revealed that the ISIS-inspired agent provocateurs were engaged in the propagation of Khilafat ideology, which is inimical to Indias constitutionally established principles of secularism and democracy.

The group of persons involved in the case had entered into a conspiracy to radicalise and recruit youth who were later found involved in terrorist as well as unlawful acts and activities. One such terror attack related to the Coimbatore car bomb blast case of October 23 2022, the spokesperson said.

The official said the investigations in the case are continuing as part of the NIAs concerted efforts to thwart ISIS attempts to initiate vulnerable and susceptible youth into the terrorist network that is working actively to spread terror in the country with the overarching aim of disturbing and disrupting its peace and communal harmony.
Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) issued a statement Saturday saying that trains will run at a speed of 120 kmph on the Airport Line of the Delhi Metro from Sunday onwards.

This increase in the speed of trains on Indias fastest metro corridor gradually from 90 kmph to 120 kmph has been made possible by meticulous planning and time-bound implementation by DMRCs engineers in consultation with a number of other government agencies and domain experts, a senior DMRC official said.

From September 17 onwards, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is going to operate the Airport Express Line at a massive speed of 120 kilometres per hour, the DMRC said in a statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first phase of India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC), named YashoBhoomi, in Dwarka and also the extension of Delhi Metros Airport Express Line from Dwarka Sector 21 to a new metro station at Dwarka Sector 25 on Sunday.

The extension of Delhi Metros Airport Express Line from Dwarka Sector 21 to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 will become operational from 3 pm onwards on September 17, officials said on Friday.
A couple has been arrested by UP police for the unlawful conversion of a Dalit man to Islam in the Thana Bhawan area of Shamli district.

Superintendent of Police Abhishek said, We have arrested one Shokeen and his wife Kamerbetoon alias Mahi, both residents of Okhla in New Delhi, regarding the unlawful conversion of a Dalit man,.

The couple allegedly converted the man to Islam a few days ago, he said.

The police have lodged a case against the couple under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.

The accused are also said to be involved in the conversion of some other people from the village. Our teams are investigating, Abhishek said.

With inputs from PTI.
A man was killed and five others sustained injuries when their car fell into a deep gorge after colliding head-on with a pick-up truck in Tehri district on Saturday, an official said.

The accident occurred near Jadipani on the Chamba-Mussoorie road, Tehri SDM Sandeep Pandey said. The gorge was 200-metre deep, he said.

The deceased was identified as Tushar, a resident of Delhi, Pandey said, adding that the injured were admitted to community health centre, Chamba.
Metaverse is no doubt in the news but also is in its infancy stage. This said, its opportunities are huge. Several companies are at the forefront of adopting it to enable the future of human civilisation. Companies such as NVIDIA are ensuring the focus is on the business-to-business market, while Meta, formerly Facebook, is reliant on the business-to-customer market.

What is the metaverse? To borrow the words of NVIDIAs CEO Jensen Huang, it is nothing but the internet in 3D, which is connected, persistent, virtual, and something that will entail not just hyperlinking but hyperjumping from one world to another. According to some other definitions it is also the convergence of virtual, augmented and digital worlds.

As per one of my academic projects at the University of Southern California, I did a deep dive to understand what it would take to succeed in the metaverse market, and I zeroed in on some of these points. One is, of course, the idea; two, how to implement this idea would be reliant upon the overarching strategic vision. The third would be collaborating. And last but not least, I also wonder if the commercial market would indeed be best suited to tap into the real potential of the metaverse industry. Needless to state, the niche technical expertise and the financial costs would also be two factors that would determine how effective a metaverse is.

No doubt the metaverse would be about universal scene description(USD) that is to allow better coordinated simulated experiences or for that matter virtual workrooms, homes and venues for social gatherings. However, one of the aspects that needs to be studied and watched is how these metaverse industries will play a role in fighting climate change in the years to come. Amitabh Kant, Indias G-20 sherpa, recently said in an interview that green initiatives must be forged with emerging technologies, and that is the future.

In June this year, Cornell University published a paper that stated how the metaverse could have environmental benefits, too: lowering the global surface temperature by up to 0.02 degrees Celsius before the end of the century. The study also interestingly suggested metaverse usage would be adopted by 90 per cent of the worlds population. It is important to acknowledge that this is just theoretical and that there is no uptake. This is indeed a fair assessment, but the world moving towards the prospective use of metaverse industries to fight climate change cannot be fully ruled out either. Hence the question: can the metaverse help fight climate change?

Here are some examples where nascent but important steps are being taken to adopt a metaverse technology to fight climate change.

The onset of COVID already saw how people quickly adopted virtual meetings and conversations; with the advent of high-tech 3D environments, it would be interesting to see if people indeed would travel to one continent or country for that matter, which in turn would directly reduce the carbon footprint. Using the metaverse, similar environments for meetings can also be created so that the basic environment and the ambience of the meeting are not lost. Meta has already initiated the horizon workrooms for this purpose.

Another example is something like the NVIDIAs Omniverse, which aims to create a digital earth, also called E2. The core objective of this technology as part of the broader Omniverse is to predict the impacts of climate change up to at least 30 years in the future. As part of this is NVIDIAs Paraview Connect, which would enable scientists to interactively analyse climate data in 3D from multiple sources and explore what if scenarios. As a use case, climate scientists have also used this to predict extreme weather conditions in the event of hurricanes in the US. Studies have also revealed that a digital twin can reduce a buildings carbon emissions by 50 per cent. Using digital twin technology, its possible to integrate a large set of data sources to make predictions on factors such as air pollution and carbon emissions and then identify actions to address these challenges.

Another way in which the metaverse can indeed play a role in fighting climate change is, of course, through behavioural change. Several virtual and augmented reality platforms can be used to persuade the general populace to adopt cleaner, greener ways of living. The Government of India has also spearheaded the LIFE initiative, which means Lifestyle for Environment, which is centred around enabling behavioural changes towards sustainable ways of living. Perhaps the metaverse technologies can be utilised to enforce this mission of the Government as well as the larger climate public diplomacy initiatives of the Government. Studies have shown how people normalise climate conditions, which in turn ensures ignorance of the basic problem of climate change. Metaverse can prove to drive behavioural change to address this issue. The UNs Digital Art for Climate Initiative is also one such initiative that is aimed at bringing out behavioural change using the metaverse to fight climate change.

What the metaverse is widely believed to force is for people to move from the physical to the virtual, opting to buy virtual products even in terms of real estate as opposed to physical ones.

As mentioned, no doubt, thinking of these emerging technologies, one is sure to infer that this would in turn only contribute to damaging our planet further in terms of climate change. Say the large data centres that would be required to run these technologies. Not just this, Kate Crawford, Principal Researcher at Microsoft, in her fascinating book, The Atlas of AI, also details the human costs that are involved in building artificial intelligence. In her book, she writes about the plight of mine workers in resource-rich countries and sheds light on the working conditions of labourers in tech companies.

But in pursuit of sustainability, it is important to deduce the benefits that the metaverse industries can offer as climate-focused actions. It did not take us long to adapt ourselves to smartphones. In the not-so-distant future, the metaverse is going to be a necessity, so it is important to understand its uses, pros, and cons to ensure responsible technology is used for sustainable development.

Writer is an author and policy expert. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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Why did he not just catch an Air Canada flight back home rather than cool his heels for many embarrassing extra hours in his hotel room, is what most Indians wondered upon hearing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus official plane could not take off due to a glitch. Many suggested that he should have used the extra time to consult an Indian astrologer for a ring of hessonite, sapphire or cats eye, as well as do a puja to ward off malevolent influences.

Things have hardly been tickety-boo for him during the past few months, after all. Maybe he used his extra time in Delhi to ponder about his domestic predicaments, personal and political, as he waited for the second aircraft to fly in from Canada, carbon footprint for a largely wasted visit notwithstanding. Unfortunately, that second plane did not arrive, so he had to wait for his original aircraft to be repaired in New Delhi before finally flying home.

Not many people in India, (and probably in Canada too) know that the 1.8 million Canadians of Indian origin are not overwhelmingly Sikh. According to Statistique Canada, as per the 2021 census, 770,000 people reported Sikhism as their religion or 2.1% of the population. In the same census, nearly 830,000 people or 2.3% of the population said they were Hindu. Yet Trudeau appears to curiously insist on looking at India through the prism of Sikh separatist politics.

Clearly Trudeau is not one to opt for common sense over perception. And his taking potshots at India at this juncture underlines this. Just before heading to New Delhi, he paused the ongoing bilateral trade talks with India, following up on his National Security Advisor Jody Thomass broadside this June, alleging India has been interfering in Canadas internal affairs. Thomas, in effect, had lumped India with known offenders China, Iran and Russia.

And all this, presumably, partly because of pressure from Trudeaus partner (in politics, that is, as his marriage has just broken up) to give India a hard time in return for ensuring his minority government survives. That partner is Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic Party, whose 25 votes in Parliament are very crucial indeed for the increasingly shaky Liberal Party. And Singh is obviously intent on getting his 25 votes worth from Trudeau.

The interference allegation by the Canadian NSA was ironic given that Singhs anti-India tweets on happenings in Punjab (which, as far as we know, is not and is unlikely to ever be a province of Canada) led to the suspension of his account in India during the security forces operations to catch Amritpal Singh. Undeterred, Singh demanded Trudeau should intervene to stop the supposed draconian measures and suspension of civil liberties in India.

So interference was okay by Singh if Canada did it. Eventually Trudeau stuck to a cautious We are monitoring the situation in Punjab closely line back in March this year. And foreign minister Melanie Joly, who has since controversially retained her job in the Trudeau cabinet despite a desultory record, echoed her boss and added You can always count on Canada to make sure that we will continue to address the concerns of many members of the community.

But much water has flowed down the Ottawa River since then. The Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre now clearly leads in most of the opinion polls12 points ahead of the Liberals nationallyand Trudeaus minority government has to survive till the general elections scheduled for 2025. And crucially, besides Singhs 25 lawmakers (among whom he is the only Sikh-Canadian), the Liberal Party has 14 Sikh MPs and the Conservatives have four.

Canadas recent acts of omission and commission regarding India raise suspicions that while Singh is partially pushing a personal agenda besides the NDPs official demands, the disproportionately large Sikh presence in politics prompts Canadas leaders to pull their punches even when faced with blatantly aggressive actions. A tableau in a parade in the Indian-dominated area of Brampton in June this year celebrating Indira Gandhis assassination is a shocking example.

The fact that Canada-based Khalistani extremists dared to put a target on the back of Indias High Commissioner and other diplomats in July indicates they knew there would be no real crackdown by Canadian authorities. Temples have also been vandalised and defaced with threatening graffiti, particularly in areas considered strongholds of the NDP. Again, there is indication that the authorities have been slow to get to the bottom of these communal incidents.

The same vocal and visible Khalistani cohort has demanded that Canada shut down Indias diplomatic missions because Trudeau was supposedly ticked off by India during the G20 Summit for his lackadaisical approach to terror activities on Canadian soil. Interestingly, Singh was denied an Indian visa in December 2013during the Manmohan Singh governmentby the consulate in Toronto. So his grudge against Indian consular officials is understandable.

However, Trudeaus statement explaining his inaction over the increasingly aggressive activities of Khalistanis in Canadaincluding a referendumas defending freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest was less understandable. As was his assertion that Canada will always prevent violence and push back against hatred given that Khalistanis there have now threatened to kill Indias home and foreign ministers.

Merely by adding that I think on the issue of the community, it is important to remember that the actions of the few do not represent the entire community or Canada will not assuage Indias apprehensions or annoyance. Particularly since a few of that community have brazenly claimed that over 1 lakh people voted on Khalistan and have announced a second referendum on October 29. Imagine if some Canadian malcontents held a referendum on Quebec in India

Perhaps India should also feel flattered that it is now being portrayed as a country that goes about neutralising its opponents abroadusually the preserve of superpowers (past and present). The killing of Khalistanis Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, Canada and the mysterious death of Avtar Singh Khanda in the UK, both known to be behind attacks and protests around Indian missions, have provided an unexpected boost to Indias new surgical strike image.

The fact that militant, separatist Khalistanis represent neither the majority opinion in the Sikh community nor of Indo-Canadians as a whole, needs to be reiterated by Trudeau, understood by all political party leaders, and followed up with confidence building measures regarding India. A wider variety of Indo-Canadians also need to come into the political arena so that the Khalistanis do not continue to punch above their weight and skew the policy towards India.

Trudeau displayed his alarming lack of common sense when he did not save tons of aviation fuel by simply taking an Air Canada flight instead of asking for another plane to come round the world to pick him up. Nor is it likely that he consulted an astrologer for some rings. But hopefully he used his extra hours in India to understand this country better and figure out why he was cold-shouldered in New Delhi despite his boyish charm and impeccable pedigree.

The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng is postponing a trade mission to India planned for October, an official said on Friday, reflecting increasingly tense diplomatic relations just days after Indias prime minister scolded his Canadian counterpart at a G20 summit in New Delhi.

At this time, we are postponing the upcoming trade mission to India, said Shanti Cosentino, a spokesperson for the minister, without giving any reason.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who held formal bilateral meetings with many world leaders during the G20 summit, snubbed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, allowing only a short, informal meeting on the sidelines five days ago.

Canada has the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab in India, and the country has been the site of many protests that have irked India.

They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship, Indias government said after the leaders met.

Earlier on Friday, India said it had paused trade talks with Canada. Canada made a similar announcement earlier this month, saying such a pause was needed to take stock.

Only about four months ago the two nations said they aimed to seal an initial trade agreement this year.
Following close on the heels of Kim Jong-uns meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko has expressed interest in creating a trilateral partnership with Russia and North Korea amid speculation that Putin and Kim were negotiating an arms deal to sustain Russias war in Ukraine.

The Belarusian leader made the remarks during a summit with Putin in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi, where the two allies held their seventh in-person meeting this year.

I think that we can think about three-way cooperation, Lukashenko said. North Korea, Russia. I know that the Koreans have great interest in you. I think that a piece of work can be found there for Belarus as well. Given the problems that exist.

Earlier this week, Putin and Kim met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russias far east Amur region on Thursday. The well-guarded summit was Kims first trip outside North Korea in four years.

Negligible details emerged about the talks but Russia was said to be seeking North Korean ammunition despite UN sanctions forbidding arms deals with the Kim regime.

The North Korean leader is believed to be interested in Russian military and aerospace technology, including seeking Russias help in launching North Koreas own spy satellites, and technical assistance with the nations ballistic missile programme. North Korea is also seeking food and humanitarian aid due to food shortages that began due to its Covid-19 isolation regime.

President Putin on Friday seemed to deny that Russia was planning to violate the UN sanctions by agreeing to an arms deal with North Korea. Korea is our neighbour, and we must build good neighbourly relations with our neighbours one way or another, Putin said during a press conference after his talks with Lukashenko.

Yes, there are certain specifics associated with the Korean peninsula. We discuss this openly; we never violate anything; and in this case we are not going to violate anything. But, of course, we will look for opportunities to develop Russian-North Korean relations.

Dmitry Peskov, Putins spokesperson, said that no agreements or arms deals had been signed by the two leaders during the visit.

But Kims tour itinerary during his ongoing trip to Russias far east suggested that military cooperation was on the agenda. On Friday, he inspected a Russian fighter jet factory in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, nearly 4,000 miles east of Moscow, that is under western sanctions. Kim was pictured inspecting the cockpit of a modern Russian Su-57 fighter jet and observed a test flight of a Su-35 jet as well. He will next travel to Russia to view Russias Pacific fleet and visit a university and other facilities.

The European Parliament earlier this week accused Lukashenko of being complicit in Russian war crimes in Ukraine and urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue a warrant for the Belarusian leaders arrest. The ICC has already issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing him of heinous war crimes against Ukrainian children.

A resolution adopted by lawmakers in Strasbourg on Wednesday said that Lukashenko had enabled Russias war in Ukraine and carried direct responsibility for the resulting deaths and destruction.

European lawmakers also accused Lukashenko of aiding Russia in the forcible deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia, charges under which the ICC has already issued an arrest warrant for Putin and Russias childrens commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova.
British nurse Lucy Letby has applied to appeal against her conviction for murdering seven babies and trying to kill six more, a court spokesperson said on Friday.

Letby was last month found guilty of killing five baby boys and two baby girls at the neonatal unit of Countess of Chester hospital in northern England over 13 months from 2015, injecting the infants with insulin or air or force feeding them milk.

The 33-year-old was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to a whole-life order last month, meaning she will never be released from prison.

Letby has filed an application for leave to appeal against her conviction at Londons Court of Appeal, a court spokesperson said. No date for any appeal has been set, they added.

The nurses conviction, following a harrowing 10-month trial, made Letby Britains worst serial child killer in modern history, local media said.

Letby had refused to attend her sentencing in August, which the mother of one of her victims described as a final act of wickedness.

Shortly after, Britain announced plans to give judges new powers to force criminals to attend their sentencing, following a furore over several other high-profile cases where killers refused to appear in the dock.

The government has also launched a public inquiry into the case, which will look at the circumstances of Letbys crimes and consider accusations from doctors on the neonatal unit that their concerns about Letby were not heeded by senior staff.
A veteran of Chinas military modernization campaign, General Li Shangfu, ascended through the ranks to become defence minister this year. He vanished six months later while a corruption investigation was ongoing.

During President Xi Jinpings ten years in office, Li rose to prominence as Chinas relations with the United States deteriorated over problems such as Taiwan, the island with democratically elected leaders that Beijing claims.

However, Xis efforts to strengthen his military have included eradicating corruption, which has long plagued Chinas military and other state organisations.

Li, 65, was promoted to defence minister in March after serving as Chinas chief of military procurement and a leader in the countrys development of space and cyber warfare.

Following his disappearance from the public eye last month and a string of missing appointments, including one with a foreign colleague, Reuters claimed on Friday that Li was the subject of a thorough inquiry into the purchase of military hardware.

Li is one of Chinas five state councillors, a cabinet position that has greater authority than other ministers, despite the fact that his role as defence minister is primarily seen as diplomatic and ceremonial.

Additionally, he plays a more visible role than other members of Chinas highest defence body, the Central Military Commission, which is led by Xi. His tenure in the position has been marked by his interactions with the United States, which sanctioned Li in 2018 for purchasing weaponry from Russia.

When Li took office, Washington was pressuring Beijing to resume military talks and communications that had been halted after Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House of Representatives at the time, visited Taiwan the previous year.

Chinese authorities have frequently demanded that the United States lift its sanctions against Li in order to resume high-level military communications, a dangerous dynamic given the tense relations between Washington and Beijing over topics like trade and Taiwan.

At a prominent annual security summit in Singapore in June, Beijing turned down a US request for a meeting with Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin. They shook hands to conclude their meeting.

Li said that a conflict with the United States would be a unbearable disaster but that China preferred discussion over violence.

He met senior officials in Belarus and Russia in the middle of August as a sign of solidarity for nations that the West had diplomatically isolated following Moscows invasion of Ukraine.

On August 29, Li gave a keynote speech at a security meeting with African countries and was last spotted in Beijing.

According to observers, Lis background as a technocrathe is an aerospace engineer who worked on Chinas satellite programwas useful in attempting to achieve Xis objectives for the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA).

The operational and technological background of the next Chinese defence minister is especially pertinent given that the PLA aims to become a world-class military by 2049, said James Char, a security scholar at Singapores S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Li was appointed deputy commander of the newly formed Strategic Support Force of the PLA in 2016. This elite unit is entrusted with hastening the advancement of Chinas space and cyber warfare capabilities.

He was later named director of the Central Military Commissions Equipment Development Department. Li was subject to sanctions because of the 2017 purchases of 10 Russian Su-35 combat aircraft and S-400 surface-to-air missile system accessories.

The agency announced its intention to clean up its bidding procedure in a highly uncommon move in July. When Li took over as its leader in October 2017, it asked the public to report any abnormalities going back to that time. He oversaw the department until October 2022.

Lis time as a member of the Central Military Commission brought attention to his connections to Xi, who has tightened his control over the military. Some academics think Li is closely connected to Zhang Youxia, a close military buddy of Xi who Li succeeded as department director.

During the Communist Party Congress the previous year, Zhang was elevated to the position of first vice chairman of the military commission, and Li joined him on the commissions seven-person governing body.

Analysts say there is definitely no shortage of senior military personnel who could fill the symbolic position of defence minister despite the uncertainty caused by Lis absence. What emphasis Beijing will give to military diplomacy in the face of persistent regional tensions is a more pressing topic.

(With agency inputs)
Defence Minister Li Shangfu, who has been missing from public view for more than two weeks, has been placed under investigation by Chinese authorities, according to 10 people familiar with the matter.

The investigation into Li relates to procurement of military equipment, according to a regional security official and three people in direct contact with the Chinese military. Reuters was unable to obtain details on which equipment purchases were under scrutiny.

Eight senior officials from the Chinese militarys procurement unit, which Li led from 2017 to 2022, are also under investigation, according to two of the people in direct contact with the military.

The probe into Li, who was appointed as defence minister in March, and the eight officials is being carried out by the militarys powerful disciplinary inspection commission, those two people said.

Reuters detailed examination of the allegations against Li and the timing of the probe is based on interviews with sources who interact regularly with senior Chinese political and defence leaders, and regional officials with close knowledge of Chinese politics.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman told reporters Friday that she was not aware of the situation. The State Council and the Defence Ministry did not immediately return requests for comment. Li could not immediately be reached.

The Financial Times reported on Friday, citing U.S. officials, that the U.S. government believes Li has been placed under investigation. The Wall Street Journal cited a person close to decision making in Beijing as saying he had been taken away last week for questioning.

The U.S. State Department didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on the media reports that U.S. intelligence officials believed Li was under investigation for corruption.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel on Friday posed the question on X, formerly Twitter, whether Li was under house arrest. The U.S. embassy in Tokyo did not immediately have further comment.

Li was last seen in Beijing on Aug. 29 giving a key-note speech at a security forum with African nations. Earlier that month, he also visited Russia and Belarus.

The probe into the minister started shortly after his return from that trip, according to a person in direct contact with the military and two foreign security officials briefed on the case.

By Sept. 3, his ministry had cancelled a visit by Li to Vietnam for an annual defence meeting between the two countries scheduled for Sept. 7-8, according to a Vietnamese official. Beijing told officials in Hanoi that Li had a health condition when it postponed the event, two Vietnamese officials said.

Lis failure to attend that meeting, and talks with a senior Singaporean military official in China the same week, raised questions among regional diplomats and social media users about his whereabouts.

The probe into Li follows Chinas unexplained replacement of Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July after a prolonged absence from public view and a shake-up of the leadership of the Peoples Liberation Armys elite Rocket Force, which is responsible for conventional and nuclear missiles. Chinese officials initially said Qins absence was also due to health reasons.

The moves have raised questions from some observers and diplomats about the abrupt changes in Chinas leadership at a time when its economy is struggling to recover from strict pandemic closures and its relations with the United States have further soured over a range of issues.

Both Li and Qin were seen by observers ok Chinese politics as handpicked by President Xi Jinping, making their absence after less than a year on the job particularly notable. The two men had prominent public-facing roles and also serve among Chinas five state councillors, a post outranking a regular minister.
The Consulate General of India in Vancouver has strongly condemned the assault on a Sikh student in Canadas British Columbia province and called for prompt action against perpetrators.

The 17-year-old Sikh student was either beer or pepper sprayed by another teenage student after exiting a public transit bus on his way home on September 11.

The Indian student was assaulted at the intersection of Rutland Rd S and Robson Rd E in Canadas British Columbia, according to a statement by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, the Consulate General of India in Vancouver stated, @cgivancouver strongly condemns assault on an Indian national in Kelowna and requests Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators.

@cgivancouver strongly condemns assault on an Indian national in Kelowna and requests Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators. @HCI_Ottawa @MEAIndia  India in Vancouver (@cgivancouver) September 15, 2023

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in a statement said, On September 11th, 2023, just before 4:00pm, Kelowna RCMP were dispatched to a pepper spray incident at the intersection of Rutland Rd S and Robson Rd E. Officers determined a 17-year old Sikh student was either bear or pepper sprayed by another teenaged male after exiting a public transit bus on his way home.

It said there was an altercation on the bus prior to the beer spray incident which resulted in those involved being directed off the bus. Police said that several witness statements have been obtained and the teenaged suspect has been identified.

After exiting the bus, a second incident occurred where the suspect male deployed bear spray on the victim, it said.

The statement further said, Bystanders called the police who attended and are actively investigating this incident. Several witness statements have been obtained and the teenaged suspect in this incident has already been identified.

According to the statement, investigators are still collecting CCTV evidence and other relevant information including taking steps to determine the motivation behind crime.

Speaking to CBC News, Kelowna City Councillor Mohini Singh said that the student had only been in the city for around five months and spoke little English.

She termed the attack totally unacceptable. She said that the student is in a state of shock and is absolutely traumatized.

He loves going to school. He has a great rapport with his teachers. No problem there, she said. He is absolutely traumatized. Hes in a state of shock, CBC News quoted Mohini Singh as saying.

Mohini Singh said she met the teenager, and that he was hardly able to lift his head from his chest. She said, This has sent shockwaves through the community, the councillor said. The Indo-Canadian community is shocked by this  this is absolutely despicable.

Its the second attack on a Sikh student in the central Interior city this year. On March 17, another Indian Sikh student Gagandeep Singh was also attacked, according to CBC News report. At the time, Royal Canadian Mounted Police said investigators were carrying out consultations with their hate crimes unit.
In the midst of a significant security presence on the first anniversary of his daughters passing while in Iranian police custody, which spurred months of anti-government protests, Mahsa Aminis father was briefly detained on Saturday, according to human rights organisations.

Before being freed, Amjad Amini received a warning not to commemorate the passing of his daughter, according to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network. Amjad Amini was neither imprisoned or issued a warning, according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA, which also disputed that he had been arrested.

Aminis residence in Saqez, western Iran, has been surrounded by security personnel, according to accounts from rights organisations and social media.

The death of the Kurdish lady, 22, who was being held by the morality police last year after she allegedly violated the Islamic Republics mandated dress code, led to months of demonstrations that were the largest display of defiance against the ruling class in years.

More than four decades of Shiite clerical control were criticised by many.

Social media reports claim that Aminis parents declared earlier this week that they would hold a traditional and religious anniversary ceremony at their 22-year-old daughters tomb in Saqez despite government warnings.

According to human rights organisations, a sizable security force deployment was made on Saturday in Irans primarily Kurdish regions in preparation for unrest.

Numerous cities in Irans Kurdistan region reported widespread strikes.

Saqez, Aminis hometown, was reportedly completely quiet, according to IRNA, and strikes in Kurdish regions had been resisted by the peoples vigilance and the presence of security and military forces.

According to a Kurdistan government official who was quoted by the article, a number of agents affiliated with counter-revolutionary groups who had planned to create chaos and prepare media fodder were arrested in the early hours of this morning.

More than 500 people were killed in the protests that erupted after Aminis death, including 71 kids, hundreds were hurt, and thousands were detained, according to rights organisations. Seven executions related to the riots were carried out in Iran.

Amnesty International stated in a report from last month that Iranian authorities have been arbitrarily arresting and detaining victims families, imposing cruel restrictions.

Iranian and Western human rights organisations report that numerous journalists, lawyers, activists, students, academics, artists, public figures, members of ethnic minorities accused of links to the protest wave, as well as relatives of protesters killed in the unrest, have been detained, summoned, threatened, or fired from jobs over the past few weeks.

In August, the Iranian newspaper Etemad stated that the familys attorney was also accused of propaganda against the system. If found guilty, Saleh Nikbakht could spend one to three years in jail.

(With agency inputs)
A year after Mahsa Aminis death in police custody sparked some of the largest demonstrations since the fall of the Shah in 1979, Iranian security authorities temporarily detained her father on Saturday and dispersed over primarily Kurdish regions of the country.

Several counter revolutionaries and terrorists were reportedly detained by security authorities in various Iranian cities, according to state-affiliated media, and plans to cause commotion around unlawful gatherings were thwarted.

Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish woman, 22, was arrested by the morality police last year for allegedly disobeying dress codes. Her death in custody sparked months of some of the largest demonstrations against Shiite clerical rule ever seen in the Islamic Republic and drew international condemnation.

Human rights organisations claim that on Saturday, the first anniversary of Mahsa Aminis passing, a sizable security presence was set up throughout Irans primarily Kurdish regions in preparation for protests.

The semi-official Fars news agency stated that a guy who ignored a police warning was gravely hurt by police in Saqez, Aminis hometown in northwest Iran. It only stated that the individual had undergone surgery and was now in a critical care unit.

Social media videos appeared to show protests taking place in places like Mashhad, in the northeast, and Gohardasht, a district in the city of Karaj west of Tehran.

In one video shared on social media, protesters in Gohardasht were heard screaming, We are a great nation, and we will take back Iran, while passing motorists honked their horns and screamed support.

Before being freed, Mahsas father, Amjad Amini, received a warning from authorities not to observe the anniversary of his daughters passing, according to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network. Amjad Amini was neither imprisoned or issued a warning, according to the official Iranian news agency IRNA, which also disputed that he had been arrested.

Aminis residence in Saqez, western Iran, has been surrounded by security personnel, according to accounts from rights organisations and social media.

In a statement on Friday, US President Joe Biden said: Mahsas story did not end with her brutal death. She inspired a historic movement  Woman, Life, Freedom  that has impacted Iran and influenced people across the globe.

Four Iranian officials were sanctioned by Britain on Friday, and the United States announced sanctions against more than two dozen people and organisations involved in Irans violent suppression of rallies.

Social media reports claim that Aminis parents declared earlier this week that they would hold a traditional and religious anniversary ceremony at their 22-year-old daughters tomb in Saqez despite government warnings.

In the Kurdistan region of Iran, numerous cities reported widespread strikes.

Saqez, Aminis hometown, was reportedly completely quiet, according to IRNA, and strikes in Kurdish regions had been resisted by the peoples vigilance and the presence of security and military forces.

A Kurdistan provincial official was cited as saying: A number of agents connected to counter-revolutionary groups who had planned to create chaos and prepare media fodder were arrested in the early hours of this morning.

More than 500 people were killed in the protests that erupted after Aminis death, including 71 kids, hundreds were hurt, and thousands were detained, according to rights organisations. Seven executions related to the riots were carried out in Iran.

Amnesty International stated in a report from last month that Iranian authorities have been subjecting families of victims to arbitrary arrest and detention, imposing cruel restrictions on peaceful gatherings at grave sites, and destroying victims gravestones.

Iranian and Western human rights organisations report that numerous journalists, lawyers, activists, students, academics, artists, public figures, members of ethnic minorities accused of links to the protest wave, as well as relatives of protesters killed in the unrest, have been detained, summoned, threatened, or fired from jobs over the past few weeks.

In August, the Iranian newspaper Etemad stated that the familys attorney was also accused of propaganda against the system. If found guilty, Saleh Nikbakht could spend one to three years in jail.

(With agency inputs)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday arrived in Russias far eastern port of Vladivostok, where he was shown nuclear-capable bombers as he continued a trip that has sparked Western concerns about an arms alliance that could fuel Russian President Vladimir Putins war on Ukraine.

Kims visit to Russia, highlighted by a summit with Putin on Wednesday, comes amid momentum in military cooperation between the countries in which North Korea could potentially seek Russian technologies to advance Kims military nuclear program in exchange for providing Russia with badly needed munitions.

Later in Vladivostok, Kim was expected to see Russian naval ships of the countrys Pacific fleet, which could be another hint at what he wants from Russia. It follows his visit on Friday to a factory producing advanced Russian warplanes.

Kim in recent months has emphasized the need to strengthen his navy to counter the advanced naval assets of the United States, which has been expanding its combined military exercises with South Korea to counter the Norths growing threat.

Analysts say Kims focus on naval strength could be driven by ambitions to obtain sophisticated technologies for ballistic missile submarines and nuclear-propelled submarines as well as to initiate joint naval exercises between Russia and North Korea.

Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of Russias Primorsky region, announced Kims arrival in the city of Artyom, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of Vladivostok. Kozhemyako released a video showing Kims arrival on a messaging app channel that showed Kim smiling as he got off his green-and-yellow train and was greeted by children presenting flowers.

After arriving in Artyom, Kim traveled to the Vladivostok airport just outside the city where he was shown Russias nuclear-capable strategic bombers and a lineup of other warplanes by Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and other military officials. Shoigu also presented to Kim Russias latest missile, the hypersonic Kinzhal, which is carried by the MiG-31 fighter jet.

After meeting with Putin at Russias main spaceport, a location that communicated Kims desire for Russian assistance in his efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance assets and missile technologies, North Koreas leader reappeared Friday in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur for a visit to a plant producing Russias Su-57 fighter jets.

Experts have said potential military cooperation between the countries could include efforts to modernize North Koreas outdated air force, which relies on warplanes sent from the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Kims plans to see Russian naval ships in Vladivostok could be another hint at what he wants from Russia, possibly in exchange for supplying munitions to refill Putins declining reserves as his invasion of Ukraine becomes a drawn-out war of attrition.

Pyongyangs official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday that during his visit to the aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Kim expressed sincere regard for what he described as Russias rapidly advancing aviation technologies, which he said were outpacing the outside potential threats, a comment Russian media also highlighted.

North Korean state media have been reporting Kims activities in Russia a day late while crafting the details to meet government propaganda purposes.

Russias Cabinet on Friday released a video showing Kim on an elevated platform looking at the cockpit of an Su-57 while listening to its pilot. Kim also beamed and clapped his hands when an Su-35 fighter jet landed after a demonstration flight.

During a luncheon hosted by Russian officials, Kims top military officer, army Marshal Ri Pyong Chol, said his leaders visit to the facility added another glorious page to the relations between the countries, KCNA said.

Kims delegation also includes the top commanders of North Koreas air force and navy.

Putin on Friday briefed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko about his summit with Kim. During their meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Lukashenko suggested Belarus could join Russia and North Korea in three-way cooperation.

Kims trip to Russia, his first since April 2019 when he met Putin in Vladivostok, came days after he attended a ceremony at a North Korean military shipyard where the country unveiled a purported nuclear attack submarine.

State media claimed it is capable of launching tactical nuclear weapons from underwater. But South Koreas military expressed doubt about the operational capabilities of the sub, which was the result of reshaping an existing submarine to install missile launch tubes.

Kim has announced goals to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines, which can quietly travel long distances and approach enemy shores to deliver strikes, a key asset in his efforts to build a viable nuclear arsenal that could threaten the United States. Analysts say such capacities would be unfeasible for the North without external assistance.

Putin on Friday reiterated that Russia would abide by UN sanctions, some of which ban North Korea from exporting or importing any weapons. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov separately said that no agreements on bilateral military cooperation were signed after the Putin-Kim meeting Wednesday.

Experts say North Korea and Russia arent likely to publicise any deals on weapons to avoid stronger international criticism.

Kim, whose visit to Russia is his first foreign trip since the COVID-19 pandemic, has been eager to boost the visibility of his partnerships with Moscow and Beijing as he attempts to break out of international isolation and insert Pyongyang in a united front against Washington. Some South Korean experts say that Kim could also pursue a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In another sign of the Norths post-pandemic opening, KCNA said Saturday that a team of North Korean athletes departed from the countrys capital, Pyongyang, to participate in the Asian Games starting next week in Hangzhou, China. South Koreas government says around 190 North Korean athletes are registered for the event.

Since last year, the US has accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, many of them likely copies of Soviet-era munitions. South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Russia have already been used in Ukraine.

Some analysts question how much Russia would be willing to share its sensitive weapons technology in exchange for North Korean conventional arms. But others say that is now a possibility to consider as Russia becomes desperate to refill its drained reserves.

After a meeting in Seoul discussing the allies nuclear deterrence strategies, US and South Korean officials on Friday stepped up their condemnation of the recent moves by Russia and North Korea.

Sasha Baker, the US acting undersecretary of defense for policy, said Washington will continue to try to identify and expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment, again, to prosecute their illegal war on Ukraine.

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin said Washington and Seoul, while increasing security cooperation, would ensure that Moscow faces consequences if it helps advance North Koreas weapons program.
Kim Jong Un, the ruler of North Korea, visited a Russian fighter jet plant on Friday as part of a visit that Washington and its allies worry will help Pyongyangs missile programme and strengthen Russias military presence in Ukraine. The factory is subject to Western sanctions.

When Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin met on Wednesday, they talked about military issues, the conflict in Ukraine, and advancing bilateral collaboration.

In a statement released on Friday, South Korea and the United States warned that any military collaboration between North Korea and Russia would be punished in accordance with UN sanctions imposed on Pyongyang.

Putin told journalists Russia would not violate anything, but it would continue to improve ties with North Korea. No agreements were struck throughout Kims visit, according to his spokeswoman.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the US view before and after Kims visit was that talks about the provision of weapons by North Korea to Russia, to kill Ukrainians, have been advancing and continued to advance.

Were not going to take their word for that, or basically anything they say, he told a White House press briefing, when asked about the Russian statement. Well see what actually ends up happening.

I cant name a specific agreement for you today, but we take a look at that with a heavy grain of salt, Sullivan added.

He said Russia, and China, had legal obligations to uphold U.N. resolutions on North Korea.

We have very real concerns based on what Russia has just done, that they are going to live up to their basic responsibility as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, Sullivan said.

The Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant and the Yakovlev Plant, both divisions of the sanctioned United Aircraft Corporation, were visited by Kim, 39, on Friday in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, a city in the far east.

Kim saw the Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter and Su-57 fighter assembly workshops at the Gagarin facility, which is also directly targeted by US sanctions, while being escorted by Denis Manturov, deputy prime minister of Russia, the government stated.

Kim was seen on Russian state media inspecting a fighter jets cockpit while wearing a suit and being escorted by North Korean military personnel wearing uniforms.

He then went to look at the factories that make the Sukhoi Superjet 100s fuselage sections and wing assemblies before viewing a Su-35 demonstration flight.

He then went to look at the factories that make the Sukhoi Superjet 100s fuselage sections and wing assemblies before viewing a Su-35 demonstration flight. He watched the boxer perform and nodded in appreciation.

North Korea was founded in 1948 with support from the then-Soviet Union, and Russia has gone out of its way to publicise the visit and make frequent allusions to the possibility of military collaboration.

Putin, who claims that Russia and the West are engaged in an existential conflict over Ukraine, can irritate Washington and its Asian allies by courting Kim while also potentially gaining a substantial supply of artillery for the conflict in Ukraine.

North Korea has been charged by Washington with giving weapons to the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, Russia, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made.

The United States and South Korea worry that if Moscow and Pyongyang resume their partnership, Kim may have access to some highly sensitive Russian missile technology.

Russian diplomats said that Washington had no business lecturing Moscow after strengthening its alliances throughout the globe, particularly by sending a nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine to South Korea in July.

The Biden administration would not be afraid to put more sanctions on Russia and North Korea if they reach new arms agreements, according to the US State Departments statement on Wednesday.

The Kremlin claims it abides by UN sanctions but that it has the right to build friendly relations with its neighbours, including on touchy subjects.

Kim travelled to Russia on a special train on Tuesday, met with Putin on a summit in Vostochny on Wednesday, and then appeared in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, 6,000 kilometres (3,700 miles) east of Moscow, on Friday.

On Friday in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, it was captured on camera as his Maybach limousine was driven into his train with the use of a special platform.

(With agency inputs)
On Saturday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putins defence minister saw Russian strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles, and warships.

Around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from the Pacific port of Vladivostok, Sergei Shoigu, Russias defence minister, met Kim and saluted him at the Knevichi airbase. Then the North Korean leader inspected a guard of honour.

The United States and South Korea worry that a rekindled alliance between Moscow and Pyongyang may allow Kim access to certain very sensitive Russian missile technology while also arming Russia for its conflict in Ukraine.

The Tu-160, Tu-95, and Tu-22M3 strategic bombers, which are equipped with nuclear warheads and serve as the foundation of Russias nuclear air attack, were displayed to Kim by Shoigu.

It can fly from Moscow to Japan and then back again, Shoigu told Kim of one aircraft.

Kim was seen inquiring as he occasionally nodded and grinned about how the missiles were launched from the aeroplane.

Kim was shown the MiG-31I hypersonic Kinzhal missile-equipped interceptor aircraft by Shoigu. The air-launched Kinzhal, also known as the dagger, is a ballistic missile that can carry either nuclear or conventional warheads.

With a payload of 480 kg (1,100 pounds), it has a reported range of 1,500 to 2,000 km (930-1,240 miles). It may travel at up to 10 times the speed of sound (12,000 kph, 7,700 mph).

After the aircraft and missiles, Kim inspected the warship of Russias Pacific fleet in Vladivostok, where he was due to watch a demonstration by the Russian navy.

On Friday, South Korea and the United States declared that North Korea and Russias military cooperation had breached UN sanctions against Pyongyang and that the allies would make sure that someone would pay the price.

Russia has made a special effort to promote Kims visit and has made frequent allusions to the possibility of military cooperation with North Korea, which was established in 1948 with Soviet Union support.

For Putin, who claims that Moscow and the West are engaged in an existential conflict over Ukraine, courting Kim gives him the chance to troll the United States and its Asian allies while perhaps gaining a substantial supply of artillery for the conflict in Ukraine.

Although it is unknown whether any supplies have been made, Washington accuses North Korea of giving weapons to Russia, which has the largest stockpile of nuclear warheads in the world.

Kim visited a Russian fighter jet plant on Friday that is subject to Western sanctions.

When they met on Wednesday, he and Putin talked about military issues, the conflict in Ukraine, and advancing their cooperation. Putin assured reporters that Russia will not violate anything while maintaining good relations with North Korea.

According to Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for the Kremlin, there was no intention of concluding any official agreements during the visit.

Washington, according to Russian diplomats, has no right to lecture Moscow after fortifying its allies across the world, notably with the arrival of of a US nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine to South Korea in July.

(With agency inputs)
The authorities imposed by Russia in Crimea said on Saturday that they intended to sell about 100 Ukrainian properties, including one that belonged to Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine.

The Crimean parliaments speaker, Vladimir Konstantinov, stated that the government will soon sell the properties that had been taken over and that the first eight auctions for the properties of prominent Ukrainian businesspeople had already taken place.

More than 815 million roubles ($8.51 million) was involved in the sale contracts, Konstantinov claimed in a statement posted on the Telegram messaging service.

The Crimean authorities, who had been established by Russia, declared in February that they had nationalised over 500 properties, some of which belonged to prominent Ukrainian economic and political heavyweights.

Since 2014, when Russia invaded the Black Sea peninsula, eight years before launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow has had sovereignty over Crimea, which the international community recognises as being a part of Ukraine.

(With agency inputs)
Iranian emigres marched in Brussels on Friday, the eve of the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman whose death in the custody of Irans morality police sparked months of anti-government protests.

Thousands of demonstrators, holding up pictures of Amini and many others killed in the protests, called for the overthrow of Irans theocracy and the establishment of a democratic republic.

Organisers said they had also demanded a unified European Union policy to hold Irans Shiite clerical rulers accountable for abuses.

The protests that followed the death of Amini, arrested for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republics mandatory dress code, spiralled into the biggest show of opposition to the Iranian authorities in years.

Over 500 people including 71 minors were killed, hundreds injured and thousands arrested, rights groups say, in unrest that was eventually crushed by security forces.

The Tehran government has accused the United States and Israel and their local agents of fomenting the unrest to destabilise Iran.
On the eve of the first anniversary of the passing of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman whose death while in the care of Irans morality police ignited months of anti-government rallies, Iranian emigrants marched in Brussels on Friday.

Thousands of protesters demanded the fall of Irans theocracy and the establishment of a democratic republic while holding up images of Amini and numerous other protest victims.

According to the organisers, they also called for a single European Union position to hold Irans Shiite clerical leaders accountable for their misdeeds.

The demonstrations that erupted after Aminis death, who had been detained for allegedly violating the Islamic Republics mandated dress code, culminated in the largest display of defiance against the Iranian government in recent memory.

According to rights groups, during the disturbance that was subsequently put down by security forces, over 500 peopleincluding 71 minorswere murdered, hundreds were injured, and thousands were jailed.

The Tehran government claims that the unrest was stoked to undermine Iran by the US, Israel, and their local agents.

(With agency inputs)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has received the newly appointed Ambassador of Jordan Omar Al-Nahar, the Foreign Ministry of Azerbaijan told Trend.

According to the ministry, Al-Nahar presented copies of his credentials to Bayramov.

The minister congratulated the ambassador on his appointment and wished him success in his diplomatic mission.

During the meeting, they discussed the agenda of bilateral and multilateral cooperation, as well as the prospects for the development of relations between the two countries.

The minister noted that the development of political relations between the two countries will give impetus to further development of bilateral economic ties.

He emphasized the importance of cooperation in the fields of economy, tourism, education, and other areas, as well as the activities of the intergovernmental commission and the significance of high-level mutual visits.

Bayarmov also highlighted the importance of continuing cooperation within regional and international organizations and platforms, including the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC),.

Furthermore, he informed in details about the nearly 30-year Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories, Armenian policies of ethnic cleansing, and ongoing provocations by Armenia following the 2020 second Karabakh war.

The ambassador acknowledged the broad potential for cooperation between the two countries in various spheres and expressed his commitment to further developing relations between Jordan and Azerbaijan during his diplomatic tenure.

The meeting also included an exchange of views on other matters of mutual interest, according to the information provided by the ministry.

The previous ambassador of Jordan to Azerbaijan was Sami Abdullah Ghosheh.
US Ambassador Lynne Tracy visited Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in a Moscow prison on Friday, the embassy said, as he prepares for a new appeal next week against his pre-trial detention on spying charges that he denies.

He remains strong and is keeping up with the news  including his parents appearance at the UN this week, the embassy posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Gershkovich was arrested on March 29 in the Urals city of Yekaterinburg on charges of espionage that carry up to 20 years in prison. He, his newspaper and the US government all strongly deny the accusation.

His father Mikhail said at the United Nations on Wednesday, ahead of its annual general assembly: We urge all world leaders to stand with Evan and what he represents: the basic right to a free press and freedom of expression.

Gershkovich is the first US reporter to be accused of spying in Russia since the Cold War. Washington has accused Moscow of using him for hostage diplomacy, at a time when relations between the two countries are at their worst point for more than 60 years because of Russias invasion of Ukraine.

No date has been set for Gershkovichs trial. His latest appeal against his detention is due to be heard next Tuesday, but previous ones have been rejected.

Tracy had visited him three times before. This week she also visited Paul Whelan, an American convicted of espionage in 2020 and serving 16 years in a Russian penal colony on spying charges that he too denies.

The United States has designated both men as wrongfully detained, meaning it considers the charges against them to be bogus and politically motivated.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov received the newly appointed Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to the country Essam bin Saleh Al-Jutayli, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

The Ambassador presented the Foreign Minister with copies of his credentials.

The minister wished the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia success during his diplomatic mission to the country. Speaking about the bilateral and multilateral cooperation agenda between Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia in various fields, including political, economic, energy security, humanitarian, etc., he emphasized the important role of mutual visits and contacts in the development of relations. In particular, the demonstration of mutual solidarity within the framework of international organizations and support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan were noted with satisfaction. The importance of mutual visits of foreign ministers and consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries was emphasized.

The Ambassador spoke about the development of relations between the two countries and recent bilateral meetings. He noted that he would make every effort to further expand trade turnover between our countries

Other issues of mutual interest were discussed at the meeting, the department said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. US State Department's Senior Advisor for Caucasus Negotiations Louis Bono has arrived in Baku, following his trip to Yerevan, and met with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

At the meeting, Azerbaijani side has raised concerns in regard with the current situation in the South Caucasus.

Over the course of the previous year, many in Baku held optimistic expectations about the meetings held in Washington, and thought that the approach in resolving relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia would be unbiased.

During those several meetings between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia held in Washington this year, in which US State Secretary Antony Blinken participated, a very pleasant atmosphere prevailed, and Blinken has been taking a more rational approach than his predecessors in their 30-year history, and also

accepted most of Azerbaijans theses, including taking practical steps to implement the basic principles of the international law.

As Advisor to the Presidential Academy of Public Administration, Chairman of the Baku Club of Political Scientists Zaur Mammadov told Trend, unfortunately, it seems that recently, under the influence and pressure from certain forces overseas, Blinken has decided to retreat from his usual approach.

"Most likely, what Louis Bono said behind closed doors in Baku today did not soften the atmosphere of bias between Washington and Baku in the speech that took place in the Senate 2 days ago, but, on the contrary, strengthened it even more. Currently, the first principle that Azerbaijan wants to hear from the US, the EU and Russia is the priority of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the requirement to approach other issues from this aspect. Unfortunately, recently the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty have been forgotten in the West's approach to issues.

In principle, the use of the term rights of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh by US State Department Assistant Yuri Kim two days ago was a showcase of what her other colleagues were thinking. During these speeches in the Senate, the US politicians accused Azerbaijan of almost committing genocide against the Armenian residents of Karabakh. This speech and Washington's approach to issues before and after it are an indication of disregard for international law.

At the hearings in the Senate, not a single person spoke about the territorial integrity and inviolability of the Azerbaijani borders. Instead, statements were made in defense of the Karabakh separatist gang. However, everyone knows that the main goal of Armenia is to achieve the separation of Karabakh from Azerbaijan, as in the case of Kosovo, by promoting the slogan freedom in the name of salvation at the international level.

US senators and government representatives, stated in the Senate that the Lachin road is allegedly closed and the Armenians in Karabakh are hungry, however, at the same time, remained silent about the fact that Aghdam road is still closed, due to Armenians and their refusal to use it. After this, not only Azerbaijan, but also other countries that are suffering from separatism, are forced to rethink their relations with the US.

However, who, if not Blinken, knows very well that according to the agreements reached, the Aghdam-Khankendi road should have been opened from September 1.

For the first time among the conflicts and separatist hotbeds, Azerbaijan was the first one to managed to solve its problem independently, without relying on anyones sweet promises. The step taken by Baku three years ago inspired all countries suffering from conflicts and separatism around them. Of course, this situation could not help but worry some circles.

Therefore, it saddens me to observe that the actions undertaken by France and pro-Armenian groups in the United States could potentially result in the pacification of separatist elements just when we have an opportunity to inaugurate a period of regional peace and stability.

Azerbaijan will attain its objectives by any means necessary, and regardless of the opinions expressed, we will stay steadfast on the correct course. Similar to three years ago, this time, we will determine who stands with us in our triumph. Entities with geopolitical stakes in the region will safeguard their interests by demonstrating objectivity throughout these proceedings.," Mammadov said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. The opening ceremony of the G77+ China Summit has been held in the Republic of Cuba, Trend reports.

Azerbaijan was represented at the event by Speaker of the countrys Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova.

Addressing the discussions on roles of science, technology and innovations arranged as part of the Summit, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova noted that though a relatively new member, Azerbaijan attaches great importance to G77 and is ready to contribute to the groups work actively.

The Sustainable Development Goals are of special importance to Azerbaijan as well. Azerbaijan remains committed to implementing the SDG Agenda for until 2030. Suffice to say, Azerbaijan was the first country in its region and one of the 12 countries in the world to submit three voluntary review reports to the UN, Gafarova mentioned.

A clean environment and green development are two of the five priority areas within the new socio-economic development strategy of Azerbaijan for until 2030. Our country ratified the Paris Climate Accords committing herself to the voluntary reduction of hothouse emissions by 35% by 2030, by which year, incidentally, renewable sources are expected to have exceeded 37% of the total energy capacity of the country thanks to the relevant projects that are afoot currently, the Speaker underlined.

I should like to note that Azerbaijan has offered to host the 29th conference of the parties to the Convention on Climate Change. We stand ready to make a contribution of our own to implementing the global climatic agenda and share our experience, Sahiba Gafarova noted.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made two global calls: to support the post pandemic revival of Africa and to do the same to the small island developing countries. Those calls were made at the summit meeting of the COVID-19 Contact Group of the Non-Aligned Movement in Azerbaijan in March this year. Those calls envisage a direct financial support, provision of greater education opportunities, capacity-building and other tools. Azerbaijan as the first donor released $1 million towards both calls implementation. It is vital for those countries sustainable development that the calls in question be supported by the international community, Gafarova said.

The official development aid was one of the mechanisms used by Azerbaijan to promote the international development agenda and to address development problems around the world more efficiently. The international aid from Azerbaijans International Development and Promotion Agency to more than 130 countries is intended to support sustainable development and eradicate poverty through building up the human and institutional potentials as well as via exchange of experience and advanced experience, Sahiba Gafarova underscored.

Sustainable development is unobtainable without peace and security today. Azerbaijan has launched the large-scale restoration of its formerly occupied lands following their liberation from the three-decades-long occupation in 2020. It is now one of the key development priorities of Azerbaijan. The country is facing a rather serious task to tackle, not least of building eight towns and hundreds of villages from scratch given the devastation that the occupation left behind. None the less, Azerbaijan is making great steps forward, the former IDPs are returning to their homeland after only a relatively short period of time since those lands were liberated, Gafarova emphasized.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 17. Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament Sahiba Gafarova has met with President of the National Assembly of Peoples Power of the Republic of Cuba Juan Esteban Lazo Hernandez during her working visit to that country, Trend reports.

Juan Esteban Lazo Hernandez welcomed the head of the Azerbaijani legislature warmly and thanked her for her participation in the G77+China Group Summit that had taken place in Cuba.

The friendly ties between Azerbaijan and Cuba were mentioned, as clearly evidenced by the cordiality with which Cuban Vice President Salvador Antonio Valdes Mesa was welcomed as he visited Azerbaijan this year. The number of official visits from Cuba to Azerbaijan has increased in recent years, and this year the diplomatic relations between the two countries turn 31 years. Azerbaijan and Cuba are united by traditional ties of friendship and have good political ties despite the geographical distance between them, according to Mr Hernandez who highlighted his country's appreciation of Azerbaijan's support for Cuba in international organisations.

Mentioning the centenary of Heydar Aliyev celebrated in Azerbaijan this year, Mr Hernandez recalled the friendly ties between the Great Leader and former Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Cuban students who studied in Azerbaijan in 1970-80s were mentioned as well as another token of the friendship between our peoples. The opening of Azerbaijan's embassy in Cuba was also mentioned; it had been welcomed by the Cuban side as a fact contributing to the progress of relations.

The Cuban Government is interested in developing relations with Azerbaijan, especially as there is a great potential here including fine opportunities for co-operation in health care, agriculture and other areas. The Cuban Parliament will spare no effort to support this interaction; steps will be taken to develop inter-parliamentary relations in this regard. Visits between parliamentary friendship groups and the expansion of ties  in general and between the committees of the two parliaments - are possible too.

Expressing gratitude for the hospitality she had received, Speaker of the Milli Majlis Speaker Sahiba Gafarova emphasised the importance of the summit held in Cuba, adding that the G77 is an important platform for promoting multilateral co-operation and mutual support among the member states of the Group. Mrs Gafarova also expressed confidence that her visit to Havana will serve to strengthen friendship between our countries and their peoples further.

Azerbaijan and Cuba always support each other in international organisations in general and in the UN and the Non-Aligned Movement in particular. For instance, Cuba has always voted for the initiatives of Azerbaijan as the NAM Chair. Also mentioning the Azerbaijani-Cuban collaboration in the NAM Parliamentary Network, Mrs Gafarova referred to the fact that Vice President of the National Assembly of Cuba took part in the first conference of the NAM PN in Baku last year.

President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel visited Azerbaijan in 2019 while Cuban Vice President Salvador Antonio Valdes Mesa did so in March this year. The visits of such a quite high level contribute to the progress of the bilateral relations, Mrs Gafarova said before recalling fondly her meeting with Mr Mesa during his stay in Azerbaijan.

Saying then that the parliaments, too, played a role of their own in the progress of our inter-state relations, Sahiba Gafarova added that the intensifying contacts between the friendship groups, reciprocal visits and a regular dialogue serve as a bridge between our legislative assemblies.

Juan Esteban Lazo Hernandez was made aware of the current situation in our region, Azerbaijans peace initiatives and Armenias military-political provocations. The head of the Cuban Parliament remarked that they were aware of the situation in our region and that it was important to restore peace and stability to it.

It was said then that co-operation in culture, sciences and education was equally as important for the strengthening of the ties between our countries and promoting their contacts. The Speaker of the Milli Majlis remembered the Azerbaijani Culture Days in Cuba in 2010; the other side can continue this positive trend; besides, various joint cultural events can he held. According to Mrs Gafarova, our country aims to extend scholarships to students from CIS, Non-Aligned Movement and the Developing Small Island States via the Heydar Aliyev International Education Grants Programme in line with the presidential decree inked in July this year. Cuban students could take part in this programme as well.

Other matters of shared interest were also discussed at the meeting.
Apple Vows iPhone 12 Software Update to Cut Radiation in France News oi -Kabir Jain

In a recent turn of events, France's National Frequency Agency (ANFR) has taken a strict stance on the sale of the iPhone 12 within the country. The reason behind this decision is that the device was found to emit electromagnetic waves exceeding the permissible limits set by EU regulations. Specifically, the iPhone 12's Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) was found to be higher than what the law allows.

ANFR's Ultimatum to Apple

France's ANFR did not take this issue lightly. The agency gave Apple an ultimatum, demanding that the company take "all available means" to swiftly address the problem. Failure to do so would result in a recall of all iPhone 12 units ever sold in France.

Apple's Response: A Promised Software Update

Facing the looming threat of a widespread recall, Apple has responded by pledging to release a software update that aims to resolve the dispute. However, the specifics of what this update will do remain unclear. Apple, however, is confident that the software update will address the concerns raised by the French agency and align with the testing methods employed in France.

One distinctive aspect of France's SAR testing process is the inclusion of tests for limb exposure, simulating scenarios where a phone is held in hand. It is these limb tests that the iPhone 12 failed. By tailoring the software update to accommodate these unique testing requirements, Apple hopes to regain compliance and resume iPhone 12 sales in France.

Wider Implications for the EU Market

The repercussions of this standoff between Apple and ANFR extend beyond French borders. Officials from neighboring countries, including Belgium, Germany, and Italy, have also called upon Apple to issue the software update across the entire EU. Given the interconnected nature of the European market, it is likely that Apple will comply with this request, ensuring uniformity in its products' electromagnetic emissions throughout the EU.

Looking ahead, the French government has stated that once the software update is released, the iPhone 12 will undergo swift retesting. If the device is found to adhere to the legal SAR limits, sales within France are expected to resume promptly.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. World celebrities will visit Baku to watch a grandiose showing of the "Legend of Love" ballet of Azerbaijani People's Artist Arif Malikov on September 18, Trend reports.

The celebrities include artistic director of one of the largest and most famous concert venues in Italy "Arena di Verona" Stefano Trespidi, the founder of the world-famous piano factory FAZIOLI (known as the "Ferrari" among pianos), "modern Stradivarius" Paolo Fazioli, famous Russian ballet dancer Nikolay Tsiskaridze (one of the performers of Farhad role in "Legend of Love").

The ballet will be presented on the stage of the Heydar Aliyev Palace on September 18 and 19.

Arif Malikov is one of Azerbaijan's most prolific composers, especially in the major orchestral genres. He wrote eight symphonies, three ballets, 10 symphonic poems and dozens of orchestral pieces. His most well-known work, the "Legend of Love" ballet, is based upon the legend of "Farhad and Shirin", a story of unrequited love that was immortalized by Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet.
Adam Sultanovich Delimkhanov

Adam Delimkhanov is a hero of Russia, a deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, who went from being the driver of field commander Salman Raduev to security guard Akhmat Kadyrov and deputy head of the government of the Chechen Republic. Adam Delimkhanov is a cousin of Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov.

In an interview with the Zavtra newspaper published on September 24, 2009, Ramzan Kadyrov named A. Delimkhanov as his possible successor , saying: If Im gone, Kadyrovs work will be continued. There is a team, there are people who will continue my work. I have always given every commander the task of preparing a person after me. I have prepared a person who can replace me. This is Adam Delimkhanov. My closest friend. Closer than a brother... I believe that Adam is better than me".

Delimkhanov was born on September 25, 1969 in the village of Benoy, Nozhai-Yurtovsky district, Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (now the Chechen Republic). In 1994 he graduated from the Chechen-Ingush State University named after L. N. Tolstoy (now the Chechen State University), in 2004 - from the Institute of Finance and Law in Makhachkala with a degree in jurisprudence, in 2013 - from the Russian Academy of National Economy and civil service under the President of the Russian Federation.

In 1987-1989 served in the USSR Armed Forces.

In 1990 he worked as a mechanic at the repair and technical enterprise "Argunskoye" of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, in 1990-1991. - supplier at the Tesham enterprise.

In 2000-2003 he commanded a special purpose company of the 136th separate motorized rifle brigade of the Russian Ministry of Defense. Then, until August 2003, he was an intern, employee, inspector for analysis and planning of the headquarters of a separate police company at the Internal Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Chechen Republic for the protection of facilities - buildings of public authorities (security service of the head of the Chechen administration Akhmat Kadyrov).

He served together with Ramzan Kadyrov, who served as an inspector for communications and special equipment at headquarters, and then was a platoon commander of a separate police company. In August - September 2003, Adam Delimkhanov commanded a police battalion of the private security department at the Gudermes GOVD. From September 2003 to July 2006, he headed the unit of the private security department under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Chechen Republic for the protection of oil and gas complex facilities, including oil fields and pipelines.

From July 2006 to April 2007, he served as Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov. From April to December 2007, he served as First Deputy Prime Minister of the Chechen Republic, overseeing the work of law enforcement agencies.

He survived a number of assassination attempts, including an assassination attempt organized against Adam Delimkhanov and Ramzan Kadyrov in 2009 on the territory of a memorial center under construction in Grozny.

Since 2007 - Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation. In 2007-2011  Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the fifth convocation. He was elected to the State Duma on December 2, 2007 as part of the federal list of candidates from the United Russia party. He ran as number two in regional group No. 20 from the Chechen Republic (the group of candidates was headed by Ramzan Kadyrov). In the Duma, Adam Delimkhanov joined the United Russia faction and took the position of deputy chairman of the Committee on Federation Affairs and Regional Policy.

In 2011-2016  Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the VI convocation. On December 4, 2011, Adam Delimkhanov again became a State Duma deputy from the United Russia party (he ran as number four in regional group No. 20 for the Chechen Republic). Was a member of the party faction,

In 2016-2021  Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the VII convocation. On September 18, 2016, he was elected as a deputy from United Russia in the Chechen single-mandate electoral district No. 36. In the elections he received 93.24% of the vote, his closest rival from the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Ruslan Avkhadov - 2.98%. In the Duma he joined the United Russia faction, the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption.

Since 2021 - deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation of the VIII convocation from United Russia. He was elected on September 19, 2021 in the Chechen single-mandate electoral district No. 36 (Chechen Republic). He received 93.59% of the votes (second place in the district was taken by the deputy head of the administration of the head and government of Chechnya, Isa Khadzhimuradov from A Just Russia - For Truth, 2.08%). On June 7, 2022, he was elected First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Russian Federation on Security and Anti-Corruption.

Since 2022, he participated as a volunteer in a special military operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine as part of the Akhmat battalion, and as an avisor to the head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov on general issues. On March 14, 2022, Ramzan Kadyrov announced that his adviser, State Duma deputy Adam Delimkhanov, was in Donbass. Two days later, Kadyrov reported that Delimkhanov discussed with Chechen special forces a plan to storm the Azovstal plant in Mariupol.

On 26 April 2022, Putin signed a decree awarding Chechen State Duma deputy Adam Delimkhanov the title of Hero of the Russian Federation for "courage and heroism shown during a special operation on the territories of the Donetsk People's Republic, the Luhansk People's Republic (DNR and LNR) and Ukraine". Delimkhanov became the first civilian to be awarded the title of Hero of Russia by an open decree during the Russia-Ukraine war. Before this, only servicemen of the Russian Ministry of Defense and one officer of the National Guard of the Russian Federation (Rosgvardiya) received this award.

Also, as an incentive for staying in the military operation zone, Delimkhanov was appointed first deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Security and Anti-Corruption. On September 12, 2022, Kadyrov announced that Delimkhanov had returned to Ukraine and led Chechen fighters there. Chechen units are ready to carry out any order, Delimkhanov reported then.

On July 21, 2022, the European Union included Adam Delimkhanov in the sanctions list of the seventh package of anti-Russian sanctions. Delimkhanov is included in the list because the European Union considers him responsible for organizing Chechen units in the Donbass and leading the siege of Mariupol in March 2022.

Adam Delimkhanov, whose death in the special operation zone was previously reported by Ukrainian media, is alive. The head of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, spoke about this in his Telegram channel 16 June 2023. Thank you to everyone who worried! Adam Sultanovich is alive and well and not even wounded. I knew this from the very beginning of the fake news, but I decided to demonstrate to everyone, primarily the Ukrainians, to what extent their media had sunk, he wrote.

Hero of the Lugansk People's Republic (2022). Hero of the Chechen Republic (2023).

He was awarded three Orders of Courage, the Order of Friendship, the Order of Akhmat Kadyrov, the highest award of the Chechen Republic. Received gratitude from the Government of the Russian Federation (2019).

Author of the book Akhmat-Khadzhi Kadyrov and the revival of statehood in Chechnya at the beginning of the 21st century (2022).



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Russo-Ukraine War - 15 September 2023 - Day 569

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 in the early hours of 13 September 2023, multiple missiles struck the Sevmorzavod shipyard within Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF) Sevastopol naval base. The landing ship Minsk and Kilo 636.3 class submarine Rostov-na-Donu were hit while undergoing maintenance in dry docks.

Despite the Russian Ministry of Defence downplaying the damage to the vessels, open-source evidence indicates the Minsk has almost certainly been functionally destroyed, while the Rostov has likely suffered catastrophic damage. Any effort to return the submarine to service is likely to take many years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

There is a realistic possibility that the complex task of removing the wreckage from the dry docks will place them out of use for many months. This would present the BSF with a significant challenge in sustaining fleet maintenance. The loss of the Rostov removes one of the BSF's four cruise-missile capable submarines which have played a major role in striking Ukraine and projecting Russian power across the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of September 15, there were 17x combat engagements. Also, today the Russian Federation has conducted another massive air strike with Iranian Shahed-136/131 strike UAVs. As a result of successful combat operations, the Air Force along with the air defense of other units of the Defense Forces destroyed all 17x Shahed UAVs. In total the Russian invaders launched 54x air strikes and 20x MLRS strikes at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Unfortunately, the russian terrorist attacks wounded civilians.

Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. There are no signs of offensive groups being formed. Certain units of the Belarusian armed forces are performing tasks in the areas bordering Ukraine.

Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia maintains its military presence in the border areas, continues shelling Ukrainian settlements from the territory of russia. The Russian adversary launched air strikes in the vicinities of Leonivka and Hrem'yach (Chernihiv oblast). More than 20x settlements suffered Russian artillery and mortars fire, including Novovasylivka, Seredyna-Buda, Vodolahy, Stepne (Sumy oblast), Hatyshche, Pletenivka, Vovchans'ki Khutory (Kharkiv oblast).

Kup'yans'k axis: Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Kotlyarivka (Kharkiv oblast) and Novoselivs'ke (Luhansk oblast). The settlements of Dvorichna, Masyutivka, Syn'kivka, Petropavlivka, Ivanivka, Kyslivka (Kharkiv oblast) came under Russian artillery and mortars fire.

Lyman axis: Russian forces did not conduct offensive (assault) actions. The adversary launched air strikes in the vicinities of Novojehorivka, Makiivka, Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast) and Spirne, Vesele (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements suffered Russian artillery and mortars fire, including Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Rozdolivka, Spirne (Donetsk oblast).

Bakhmut axis: Russian forces tried to restore the lost position in the vicinity of Yahidne and Bohdanivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Bohdanivka and New York (Donetsk oblast). More than 20x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortars fire, including Min'kivka, Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, Andriivka, Druzhba (Donetsk oblast).

Avdiivka axis: Russian forces did not conduct offensive (assault) actions. The Russian invaders fired artillery and mortars at about 10x settlements, including Novokalynove, Stepove, Avdiivka, Sjeverne, Keramik (Donetsk oblast).

Mar'inka axis: during the day of September 15, the Ukrainian defenders repelled 7x Russian attacks in the vicinity of Mar'inka. The Russian adversary launched an air strike near Krasnohorivka (Donetsk oblast), where artillery and mortar attacks continued. The Russian invaders fired artillery and mortars at about 10x settlements, including Krasnohorivka, Mar'inka, Novomykhailivka, Kostyantynivka, Katerynivka, Yelyzavetivka (Donetsk oblast).

Shakhtars'ke axis: the Russian adversary launched air strikes in the vicinities of Urozhaine and Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast). About 10x settlements, including Vodyane, Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Shakhtars'ke, Zolota Nyva, Novomaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast), came under Russian artillery and mortars fire.

Zaporizhzhia axis: the Russian occupiers launched air strikes near the settlements of Mala Tokmachka and Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 20x settlements, including Charivne, Orikhiv, Mali Shcherbaky, Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast).

Kherson axis: the Russian occupiers fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Ol'hivka, Kherson (Kherson oblast) and Stara Bohdanivka (Mykolaiv oblast).

At the same time, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to conduct the offensive operation on Melitopol' axis and offensives (assaults) on Bakhmut axis, destroying Russian forces and step by step liberating the occupied territories. As a result of the assault operations, the Defense Forces have partial success in the vicinity of Klishchiivka (Donetsk oblast).

Because of catastrophic losses of the occupiers, in order to replenish the newly formed 25th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Federation, mobilization activities of the local population are being carried out in the Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk Krai of the Russian Federation. In particular, active propaganda activities are being carried out in vocational schools, technical schools and among graduates of boarding schools with the involvement of russian military personnel of the newly formed 25th Army who graduated from those educational institutions.

When joining the military service, Russian agitators offer a one-time payment of 600 thousand rubles and a cash allowance of 200 thousand rubles.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in the Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces, in close co-operation with aviation and artillery, repelled four attacks by AFU assault groups near Klescheevka and Mayorsk (Donetsk People's Republic).

The enemy's losses amounted to up to 275 Ukrainian troops, four armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, three U.S.-made M777 howitzers, as well as one Gvozdika howitzer.

Moreover, an ammunition depot of the 110th Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was hit close to Avdeevka.

In Zaporozhye direction, units of the Russian Group of Forces supported by Army Aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems repelled two attacks by the AFU 47th Mechanised Brigade close to Rabotino (Zaporozhye region).

A cluster of AFU manpower and hardware of the 80th Air Assault Brigade was neutralised near Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region).

Over 145 Ukrainian troops and three motor vehicles were eliminated.

In counter-battery warfare, two U.S.-made M777 artillery systems, one UK-made FH-70 gun, three D-30 and one D-20 howitzers were destroyed.

In Krasny Liman direction, well-coordinated actions of the Tsentr Group of Forces, strikes by Army Aviation and artillery fire repelled two attacks by assault groups of the 63rd Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Up to 55 Ukrainian troops, one tank, two armoured fighting vehicles, and one D-20 gun were eliminated.

In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces repelled an AFU attack close to Novomayorskoye (Donetsk People's Republic).

Aviation and artillery inflicted losses on the 72nd Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Vladimirovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

The total losses of the enemy in this direction amounted to over 175 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, four motor vehicles, two D-30 howitzers, and one D-20 gun.

In Kupyansk direction, aviation and artillery of the Zapad Group of Forces have engaged the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Sinkova, Berestovoye, and Kislovka (Kharkov region).

Up to 20 Ukrainian servicemen, two motor vehicles, one U.S.-made M109 Paladin and one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery systems, one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, and one U.S.-made AN/TPQ-48 counter-battery radiation station have been neutralised.

An ammunition depot of the AFU 103rd Territorial Defence Brigade has been obliterated close to Kislovka.

In Kherson direction, up to 75 Ukrainian troops, four motor vehicles, and two Akatsiya self-propelled howitzers were neutralised.

Moreover, an ammunition depot of the 124th Territorial Defence Brigade was neutralised close to Antonovka.

In the past 24 hours, the Black Sea Fleet detected and destroyed two AFU unmanned semi-submersible vehicles in the south-western part of the Black Sea.

Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged AFU manpower and hardware in 137 areas during the day.

In addition, a communication station of the 79th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was hit close to Novomikhailovka (Donetsk People's Republic).

One P-18 radar for detecting and tracking air targets was destroyed near Novolozovatovka (Dnepropetrovsk region).

Russian air defence forces intercepted three HIMARS MLRS projectiles.

Moreover, 41 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles shot down close to Maloryazantsevo, Lisichansk (Lugansk People's Republic), Novoandreevka Artyomovsk, Gorlovka (Donetsk People's Republic), Kamenka-Dneprovskaya, Pologi, and Tokmak (Zaporozhye region).

In total, 467 airplanes and 249 helicopters, 6,800 unmanned aerial vehicles, 437 air defence missile systems, 11,865 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,150 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,394 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 13,019 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Levi & Korsinsky notifies investors that it has commenced an investigation of Generac Holdings Inc. (Generac or the Company) (NYSE: GNRC) concerning possible violations of federal securities laws.



On August 2, 2023, Generac announced revised downwards guidance for 2023 due to weakness in residential products. The Company blamed the downturn on a softer consumer spending environment which led to weaker-than-expected sales of the Companys residential units.

Following this news, Generacs stock price fell by $37.46 per share, or approximately 25% to close at $115.95 per share.

To obtain additional information, go to:

https://zlk.com/pslra-1/generac-lawsuit-submission-form?wire=3

or contact Joseph E. Levi, Esq. either via email at jlevi@levikorsinsky.com or by telephone at (212) 363-7500.

WHY LEVI & KORSINSKY: Over the past 20 years, the team at Levi & Korsinsky has secured hundreds of millions of dollars for aggrieved shareholders and built a track record of winning high-stakes cases. Our firm has extensive expertise representing investors in complex securities litigation and a team of over 70 employees to serve our clients. For seven years in a row, Levi & Korsinsky has ranked in ISS Securities Class Action Services Top 50 Report as one of the top securities litigation firms in the United States.

CONTACT:

Levi & Korsinsky, LLP

Joseph E. Levi, Esq.

Ed Korsinsky, Esq.

33 Whitehall Street, 17th Floor

New York, NY 10004

jlevi@levikorsinsky.com

Tel: (212) 363-7500

Fax: (212) 363-7171

www.zlk.com
NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of securities of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE: HE) between February 28, 2019 and August 16, 2023, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the important October 23, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Hawaiian Electric securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Hawaiian Electric class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=18336 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than October 23, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Hawaiian Electrics 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 Companys inadequate safety protocols and procedures placed Maui at a heightened risk of devastating wildfires; and (3) as a result, the Companys public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Hawaiian Electric class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=18336 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

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Vancouver, September 15, 2023 - Highlander Silver Corp. (CSE:HSLV) (the "Company" or "Highlander Silver") announces that Phil Anderson has decided to step down from Highlanders Board for personal reasons. Mr. Anderson founded CAPPEX, the company that initially acquired the Alta Victoria project, was interim CEO of Highlander, and most recently was responsible for identifying the Estrella project for acquisition.

David Fincham, President and CEO of Highlander stated, "Phils technical skills, leadership and dedication to company have enabled Highlanders development to this point. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank him for his contributions over the years and wish him the very best for the future."

About Highlander Silver

Highlander Silver Corp. is a mineral exploration company focused on the exploration of silver-polymetallic projects in central Peru, as well as targeting the acquisition of additional mineral projects by leveraging the team's significant experience in Peru and South America more widely. Additional information about Highlander Silver and its mineral projects can be viewed on the Company's SEDAR (www.sedar.com) profile at www.sedar.com and its website at www.highlandersilver.com

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

For further information, please contact:

David Fincham

Chief Executive Officer

Highlander Silver Corp.

(604) 283 7630

info@highlandersilver.com

Forward-Looking Information

Certain information contained in this news release constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. This includes, but is not limited to, information or statements with respect to the future exploration plans of the Company, permitting and timing of future exploration. Such forward looking information or statements can be identified by the use of words such as "anticipates", "plans", "suggests", "targets" or "prospects" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results "will" be taken, occur, or be achieved. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company and/or its subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include, among others, general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, the actual results of current exploration activities, , changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, , accident, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry, and delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that could cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking information contained herein are made as of the date of this news release. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. Accordingly, the reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
/NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES/

VANCOUVER, Sept. 15, 2023 - Nevada Sunrise Metals Corp. ("Nevada Sunrise" or the "Company") (TSXV: NEV) (OTC: NVSGF) announced today the closing of a first tranche of the previously-reported non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") (see Nevada Sunrise news release dated August 16, 2023) consisting of 3,562,500 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.08 per Unit, for gross proceeds of $285,000 (the "First Tranche").

Each Unit consists of one common share (a "Share") and one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant") of the Company. One Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Share of the Company at a price of $0.12 for a period expiring 24 months following the closing date of the Offering.

Finder's fees consisting of a total of $5,320 cash and 66,500 finder's units were paid to: (1) Haywood Securities Inc. - $2,520 cash and 31,500 finder's units, and (2) Glores Securities Inc. - $2,800 cash and 35,000 finder's units. Finder's units are exercisable at the price of a Unit placed ($0.08) for one Share of the Company and one Warrant, with each Warrant entitling the finder to purchase one Share of the Company at a price of $0.12 for a period expiring 24 months following the closing date of the Offering.

All the securities issued in the First Tranche of the Offering are subject to a hold period of four months plus one day from the closing date, expiring January 16, 2024.

Proceeds of the Offering will be used for:

Completion of a National Instrument 43-101-compliant mineral resource estimate for the Gemini Lithium Project located in Esmeralda County, Nevada ("Gemini");

Completion of a preliminary economic assessment (or "PEA") in conjunction with the release of a maiden mineral resource estimate for Gemini;

Exploration work on the Company's mineral properties;

Other lithium property investigations, and general working capital.

The Company anticipates closing additional tranches of the private placement in the coming weeks. Closing of additional tranches of the Offering are subject to acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange.

Participation of Insiders in the Offering

Three insiders of the Company subscribed for a total of 230,180 Units in the First Tranche of the Offering. Participation by the insiders constitutes a related party transaction as defined under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The Company is relying on the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the participation by insiders in the First Tranche of the Offering does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101.

Marketing Agreements

Nevada Sunrise has entered into advertising and marketing agreements to raise awareness of the Company's Nevada exploration and development activities with (1) CEO.ca Technologies Ltd. ("CEO.ca") for a period of 12 months effective September 8, 2023 at a cost of $90,000 before taxes, and (2) Investing News Network ("INN") for a period of 12 months effective August 24, 2023 at a cost of $20,000 before taxes. Each of CEO.ca and INN participated as subscribers in the First Tranche of the Offering.

About Nevada Sunrise

Nevada Sunrise is a junior mineral exploration company with a strong technical team based in Vancouver, BC, Canada, that holds interests in lithium, gold, and copper exploration projects located in the State of Nevada, USA.

Nevada Sunrise owns 100% interests in the Gemini, Jackson Wash and Badlands lithium projects, with no applicable royalties, all of which are located in the Lida Valley basin in Esmeralda County, NV, located just east of the Clayton Valley basin, which hosts the only producing lithium mine in the United States operated by Albemarle Corp. at Silver Peak, NV. The Company owns Nevada water right Permit 86863, also located in the Lida Valley basin, near Lida, NV.

The Company's key gold asset is a 20.01% interest in a joint venture at the Kinsley Mountain Gold Project near Wendover, NV with CopAur Minerals Inc. Kinsley Mountain is a Carlin-style gold project hosting a National Instrument 43-101 compliant gold resource consisting of 418,000 indicated ounces of gold grading 2.63 g/t Au (4.95 million tonnes), and 117,000 inferred ounces of gold averaging 1.51 g/t Au (2.44 million tonnes), at cut-off grades ranging from 0.2 to 2.0 g/t Au 1. The Company has elected not to contribute to the 2023 exploration program at Kinsley Mountain and expects to incur dilution of its participating interest in the joint venture to an approximate 19.0% interest.

1 Technical Report on the Kinsley Project, Elko County, Nevada, U.S.A., dated June 21, 2021 with an effective date of May 5, 2021 and prepared by Michael M. Gustin, Ph.D., and Gary L. Simmons, MMSA and filed under New Placer Dome Gold Corp.'s Issuer Profile on SEDAR (www.sedar.com).

Nevada Sunrise has the right to earn a 100% interest in the Coronado VMS Project, located approximately 48 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of Winnemucca, NV.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur and include disclosure of anticipated exploration activities. 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 forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date such statements were made. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Such factors include, among others, risks related to future plans for the calculation of a mineral resource estimate and a PEA at the Gemini Lithium Project; reliance on technical information provided by third parties on any of our exploration properties; changes in mineral project parameters as plans continue to be refined; current economic conditions; future prices of commodities; possible variations in grade or metallurgical recovery rates; failure of equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; the failure of contracted parties to perform; labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays due to pandemic; delays in obtaining governmental approvals, financing or in the completion of exploration, as well as those factors discussed in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis for the Nine Months ending June 30, 2023, which is available under Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

Although Nevada Sunrise has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. 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 statements. Nevada Sunrise disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Nevada Sunrise Metals Corp.
TORONTO, Sept. 15, 2023 - Canadian North Resources Inc. ("the Company," TSXV: CNRI; OTCQX: CNRSF; FSE: EO0 (E-O-zero)) announces that the Company has commenced a market awareness program, aimed at enhancing its market visibility and engagement. As part of the initiative, the Company has engaged BTV - Business Television to improve exposure to capital markets. The engagement is for a period of twelve weeks BTV is a TV production and Digital Marketing Agency that helps issuers increase their brand awareness to a national retail and institutional investor audience through unique offerings. Services provided under the contract with the Company include digital marketing on well-known financial online platforms, and national television broadcast on BNN Bloomberg and FOX Business News.



Additionally, the Company entered into an agreement with LFG Equities Corp. (''LFG'') to perform market awareness and marketing services for an initial term of three months. The nature of the services to be provided by LFG include, but are not limited to, providing strategic advice, content development, media buying and distribution, and marketing services through social media channels and on-line media placements for the Company. The agreement includes an option to renew at the Company's discretion.

About Canadian North Resources

Canadian North Resources Inc. is an exploration and development company focusing on the critical metals for the clean-energy, electric vehicles, battery and high-tech industries. The company is advancing its 100% owned Ferguson Lake nickel, copper, cobalt, palladium, and platinum project that covers an area of 253.8 km2 of mining leases (96.9 km2) and surrounding exploration claims (156.9 km2) in the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut, Canada.

The Ferguson Lake mining property contains substantial resources in compliance with NI43-101 standards, which include Indicated Mineral Resources of 24.3 million tonnes containing 455 million pounds (Mlb) copper at 0.85%, 321Mlb nickel at 0.60%, 37.5Mlb cobalt at 0.07%, 1.08 million ounces (Moz) palladium at 1.38gpt and 0.18Moz platinum at 0.23gpt; Inferred Mineral Resources of 47.2 million tonnes containing 947Mlb copper at 0.91%, 551.5Mlb nickel at 0.53%, 62.4Mlb cobalt at 0.06%, 2.12Moz palladium at 1.4gpt and 0.38Moz platinum at 0.25gpt. The resource model indicates significant potential for resource expansion along strike and at depth over the 15 km long mineralized belt. (Refer to "Independent Technical Report, Updated Mineral Resource Estimate, Ferguson Lake Project, Nunavut, Canada, Prepared by Ronacher McKenzie Geoscience Inc. and Francis Minerals Ltd " filed by the Company to Sedar.com on July 13, 2022). In addition, the Company has identified the pegmatites with lithium potential at the Ferguson Lake project.

Sophy Cesar, Corporate Development

Phone: 905-696-8288 (Canada) 1-888-688-8809 (Toll-Free)

Email: info@cnresources.com

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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release, including statements which may contain words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", or similar expressions, and statements related to matters which are not historical facts, are forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements, which reflect management's expectations regarding the Company's future growth, results of operations, performance, business prospects and opportunities, are based on certain factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

These factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and the documents incorporated by reference herein are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. In addition, although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any future revisions to forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this news or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as expressly required by law.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. The delegations visiting Azerbaijan to attend the 33rd meeting of the Coordination Council of General Prosecutors of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the 4th meeting of the Prosecutors General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) member states have visited Shusha and Fuzuli districts, Trend reports.

The delegation included Prosecutors General of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan Nigmatilla Yuldashev, Berik Asylov and Zulushev Toktoralyevich, delegations led by Deputy Prosecutor General of Turkmenistan Allanazar Nyazliyev, as well as Deputy Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization Jandos Asanov and representative of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States Igor Malashevich.

The participants visited the Jidir Duzu plain, the Ashagi and Yukhari Govhar Agha mosques, the Castle Walls, the Ganja Gates, and a number of other historical and cultural landmarks in Shusha city. They familiarized themselves with the restoration and construction projects being carried out in Azerbaijans cultural capital.

The delegations also visited Shusha city center square, where the shot statues of Natavan, Bulbul and Uzeyir Hajibeyli are located. They were informed that the statues that were taken from Armenia and brought to Azerbaijan at the initiative of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev, and returned to their original places after the liberation of Shusha from occupation at the initiative of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev are symbols of the countrys historic Victory and Great Return.

The visitors viewed the "Heydar Aliyev and Karabakh" exhibition in the Heydar Aliyev Foundation-restored Creative Center, which featured rare photographs, records, and video footage of the Great Leader's contributions to Karabakh's social, economic, political, and cultural development.

The guests said they were deeply impressed by the reconstruction works, large-scale projects, including newly built residential areas and other social purpose objects, and the fact that the head of state attaches great importance to the construction work. They also visited the secondary school No. 1 named after Mirzo Ulugbek built by the brotherly country of Uzbekistan in the city Fuzuli.
/NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION, DISSEMINATION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES/

VANCOUVER, Sept. 15, 2023 - Kainantu Resources Ltd. (TSXV: KRL) (FSE: 6J0) ("KRL" or the "Company"), the Asia-Pacific focused gold mining company, is pleased to announce the closing of its private placement financing of C$1.27 million (the "Offering"), originally announced on May 30, 2023.

In the first tranche of the Offering, the Company has issued senior convertible debenture units with an aggregate principal amount of C$503,164.06, as announced on June 22, 2023.

In the second tranche of the Offering, the Company has issued senior convertible debenture units with an aggregate principal amount of C$296,835.94, as announced on July 18, 2023.

In the third tranche of the Offering, the Company has issued senior convertible debenture units with an aggregate principal amount of C$310,000.

In this final tranche of the Offering, the Company has issued senior convertible debenture units (the "Debenture Units") with an aggregate principal amount of C$160,000.

Each Debenture Unit consists of: (i) a 10% convertible secured debenture (a "Convertible Debenture") convertible into common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") at a conversion price of C$0.08 per common share (the "Conversion Price") at any time given a period commencing 12 months from the closing date and ending on the date that is 36 months from the closing date, provided that if the Company does not complete a consolation of the issued and outstanding common shares that would result in a Conversion Price of at least C$0.10 on a post-consolidation basis, the Conversion Price at any time during the period commencing 12 months from the closing date and ending on the date that is 36 months from the closing date shall be C$0.10, and maturing three years from the closing date of each tranche; and (ii) such number of common share purchase warrants (the "Warrants") that would result from dividing the principal amount of such Debenture Unit by C$0.08, with each Warrant entitling the holder thereof to acquire one common share of the Company (each, a "Warrant Share") at C$0.12 per share for a period of 3 years from the closing of the applicable tranche.

In the event that at any time following eighteen months after the issuance of a Convertible Debenture the 60-day volume-weighted average price of the Common Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange is equal to or greater than 200% of the Conversion Price, the Company will have the right to exercise 50% of the outstanding principal amount of such Convertible Debenture into Common Shares. If such 60-day VWAP is equal to or greater than 300% of the conversion price, the Company has the right to exercise all or a portion of the outstanding principal amount of such Convertible Debenture into Common Shares.

The Convertible Debentures, Warrants, Warrant Shares, Finder Warrants (as defined below) and Finder Warrant Shares (as defined below) are subject to a statutory hold period of four months and a day ending on four months and a day after the date of issuance thereof, in accordance with applicable securities law.

Finder's Fees

The Company has paid to Lightstream Capital Ltd. (the "Finder") C$11,200 in cash and issued to the Finders a total of 93,333 common shares purchase warrants (the "Finder Warrants"), each Finder Warrant entitling the holder thereof to acquire one common share of the Company (each, a "Finder Warrant Share") at C$0.12 per share for a period of three years from the closing of the applicable tranche.

Use of Proceeds

The total net proceeds from the Offering were used or are intended to be used, but are not limited to, US$400,000 allocated to the acquisition of the Kili Teke Project, with the balance of proceeds to be used to advance exploration programmes focusing on specific high-grade potential drilling targets at KRL North (adjacent to K92), KRL South (focusing on the Ontenu target) and May River (primarily at the Mountain Gate prospect), and for general working capital purposes.

About Kainantu Resources (KRL)

Kainantu Resources 'KRL' is an Asia-Pacific focused gold mining company with four highly prospective gold-copper projects, KRL South, KRL North and the May River Project. All projects are located in premier mining regions in PNG. Both KRL North and KRL South show potential to host high-grade epithermal and porphyry mineralisation, as seen elsewhere in the high-grade Kainantu Gold District. The May River project is near the world-renowned Frieda River Copper-Gold Project, with historical drilling indicating the potential for significant copper-gold projects. KRL has a highly experienced board and management team with a proven track record of working together in the region; and an established in-country partner. Kili Teke is an advanced development project with an existing NI 43-101 compliant inferred mineral resource.

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Information

This release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information in this news release relate to, among other things: the use of proceeds from the Offering; the Conversion Price of the Convertible Debentures; the potential consolidation of the authorized share capital of the Company; and the potential of both KRL North and KRL South. These forward-looking statements and information reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant operational, business, economic and regulatory uncertainties and contingencies. These assumptions include; success of the Company's projects; prices for gold remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; availability of funds for the Company's projects; capital, decommissioning and reclamation estimates; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); no labour-related disruptions; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled construction and production; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals are received in a timely manner; and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company cautions the reader that forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: fluctuations in gold prices; fluctuations in prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mineral exploration; inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; our ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner; changes in laws, regulations and government practices, including environmental, export and import laws and regulations; legal restrictions relating to mineral exploration; increased competition in the mining industry for equipment and qualified personnel; the availability of additional capital; title matters and the additional risks identified in our filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR+ in Canada (available at www.sedarplus.ca). Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated, described, or intended. Investors are cautioned against undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.

SOURCE Kainantu Resources Ltd.
Environmental Effects

The Future of News

Last month, after years of layoffs, the Clevelandannounced it was cutting even more jobs. A newspaper that had a unionized staff of 340 at the dawn of the century will drop down to 33.What happened at theisn't unusual.Around the country, major regional newspapers -- including theandhave shed 80 to 90 percent of their reporting and editing staffs. Between 2008 and 2017, newsroom employment dropped by 23 percent, according to the Pew Research Center. Already this year, more than 2,000 media jobs have been lost.Thats bad news for journalists. Its also bad for politics, government -- and even the environment.Recent academic studies show that newspaper closures and declining coverage of state and local government in general have led to more partisan polarization, fewer candidates running for office, higher municipal borrowing costs and increased pollution.Inarguably, no matter what side of the political fence you sit, [in the absence of] a decent robust newspaper, politicians are going to do bad things, said Brian Tucker, a former newspaper executive and current director of corporate affairs for Dollar Bank in Cleveland, in response to the most recentlayoffs. Nobody is going to be watching. No one is holding your feet to the fire.Most people dont seem to notice that the news business is struggiling. A Pew study released last month found that 71 percent of Americans believe their local news outlets are doing very or somewhat well financially.Thats hardly the case.Since 2004, some 1,800 newspapers have closed entirely, according to the University of North Carolina. That means one out of five Americans live in a  news desert  with little to no access to reliable local media coverage.In many other places, newspapers are ghosts of their former selves, says Penelope Muse Abernathy, author of the UNC study. Nearly half the counties in the U.S. have only one newspaper.While we tend to focus on the big newspapers like, the majority of newspapers have circulations under 15,000, and they were weeklies, Abernathy says.The internet and social media have exacerbated these trends. More and more people are relying on tweets and headlines for their news. National outlets are crowding out local coverage.By removing geographic barriers to distribution, weve created an environment thats even more hostile to community-level journalism, says Phil Napoli, a public policy professor at Duke University.Compounding these problems is the fact that a majority of Americans, including nine out of 10 Republicans, have lost trust in media , according to a 2018 survey by Gallup and the Knight Foundation. Having a president who criticizes traditional news outlets, calling them "fake news," doesn't help.Our trusty watchdog, the press, has been kicked to the curb, starving, neglected and all too often abused, said Kathy Kiely, a veteran Washington reporter now teaching at the University of Missouri. If newsrooms are unhealthy, so is the democracy they serve.Reporters not only expose government corruption and problems, they act as sort of scarecrows.The very presence of a reporter in a city council meeting can discipline behavior, says Napoli. Thats harder to measure.Its clear, though, that there are fewer reporters covering city halls. Last year, a study coauthored by Napoli found that over the course of a week in 100 randomly selected communities, one out of five places had no local news at all Consider some of the effects.According to a study published in November in thevoters rely more on national outlets -- and become more partisan -- as local newspapers decline or close.The more obvious implications of newspaper closures are that residents are becoming less informed about the issues that affect them most and less engaged with local government, says Johanna Dunaway, professor of communications at Texas A&M University and coauthor of the study.Split-ticket voting is in steep decline. As recently as 1972, nearly half the congressional districts in the country (44 percent) split their votes between a partys presidential candidate and its Senate or congressional candidates. Thats dropped to less than 5 percent.Even though the news business has declined, the appetite for news has not, says Matt Carlson, a journalism studies professor at the University of Minnesota. A lot of that interest has migrated to social media.People find things in different ways, and a lot of its geared toward national context, he says.The nationalization of news may be impacting not just how people vote but howpeople vote or run for office.According to a study published this month incities with steep declines in newsroom staff had less competition in mayoral races. Fewer people bothered to run. And the authors found some evidence that people were less inclined to vote.Other studies have found more blows to civic health when newspapers close -- from declining citizen engagement to increased corruption and declining government performance . Last year, a Brookings Institution paper found that municipal borrowing costs rose by 5 to 11 basis points (or about a 20th to a 10th of a percent), costing the average local government an additional $650,000 per bond issue.This effect is causal and not driven by underlying economic conditions, the authors claim.Lack of local news can also be hazardous to your health.A study published in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management found that levels of toxic emissions spewed by local plants were reduced by 29 percent when they were covered by local newspapers.Not only do corporate polluters face less potential exposure and embarrassment, but there's less scrutiny -- or even notice -- of regulatory decisions. In April, the state of Alaska rolled back six-month-old regulations regarding a class of chemicals known as PFAS that leach into the water supply and are associated with cancer and other harmful effects. Due to a dearth of Alaska media coverage, residents hardly know that.No one is paying attention to environmental rules, says Dermot Cole , a blogger and former longtime columnist for the Fairbanks. At one time, thewould have been on top of this story, but its staff might be one-fifth what it was. The watchdog function has not been replaced by anything.Owners and publishers willing to plan for the long term will be able to ride out the journalism industrys ongoing transition from print to digital, says Abernathy, the UNC professor. But there are many communities that lack the economic base, she says, to support anything like the amount of state and local government coverage that was available a generation ago.Newspapers that can draw national audiences --and-- have a big enough base to support healthy and in fact increasing digital subscriptions. A paper covering East Podunk can't draw from such a wide pool.There are declines in coverage at all levels of government. Roughly half the states lack any newspaper with a full-time reporter covering Washington. The number of full-time statehouse reporters dropped by 35 percent between 2003 and 2014.Someone might be tweeting from the city council chambers, but far fewer people are being paid to ferret out and synthesize enough information to give citizens in many communities solid, ongoing information about what their government is up to.We have no idea of what goes on in determining where our taxes go and what things are regulated, says Carlson, the Minnesota professor. You need people watching what youre doing. Its as simple as that. But thats really, really expensive, especially in a local market.
Max Verstappen is on a grandiose win streak of ten in a row. The Dutchman thus holds the record and will look to improve in Singapore. The question being asked more often this year is, will Verstappen be unstoppable in 2023? According to former F1 driver Gerhard Berger, there is one driver who could stop him.

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Hamilton is the only one who could possibly do it

Verstappen has not lost an F1 race since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and there also seems to be little evidence to suggest that Verstappen will lose one in the next eight race weekends as well. Perhaps his rivals have the biggest chance in Singapore. Former race winner Berger names the driver who has it in him to possibly give Verstappen a hard time.

Berger told Sport Bild: "Lewis Hamilton is someone who always knows exactly when it is his day, when he can succeed. He will probably be the one to take the win." Berger does not seem convinced that Hamilton will actually succeed this year, but does argue that the seven-time world champion is the driver capable of doing it. Berger: "Until recently, Lewis was the best driver. Now most people will probably say Max. And so will I."
Le Mans would be good move for Schumacher

It would be "a shame" if the rumours are true that Mick Schumacher is set to depart Formula 1.

Mick Schumacher, Japanese GP 2022

 Haas F1 Team / LAT

That is the view of the 24-year-old's current boss, Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, who kept F1's career alive with the offer of the reserve seat following his Haas dumping last year.

New rumours are swirling that the German has accepted there are no seats on the 2024 grid and is instead in talks with Renault and Alpine about a Le Mans seat.

Schumacher's manager Sabine Kehm would not comment when asked by DPA news agency.

It would still be a shame if Formula 1 lost Mick, Wolff told Sky Deutschland in Singapore.

Former F1 driver Timo Glock, however, thinks world endurance racing might be a good alternative for Michael Schumacher's son.

It makes sense, he said. "He should choose a racing series where the cars are fast and the technology is similar to Formula 1.

"That could also be Indycar in America, but then he's lose his foothold here in Formula 1. You'd have to put your entire focus on America.
George Russell

 Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.

Oracle Red Bull Racing

Sergio Perez (7th, 1:32.812): "There are plenty of things to look at and hopefully we can come up with the best possible set-up before quali. I think there are some interesting bits going on that we need to figure out overnight. We seem to be struggling quite a bit with the rear end of the car, especially in FP2. There are plenty of things to look at and hopefully we can come up with the best possible set-up before quali. We did expect the Ferrari to be good around here, but we are just too far away. All being well, we should be able to close the gap a bit more tomorrow, it will be quite a big challenge. The main thing is to improve the balance because right now we are too far off."

Max Verstappen (8th, 1:32.852): "We never really got the car together today, I struggled with the balance especially, so there are quite a few things to work on with the Team tonight. Our performance today was unexpected. We tried quite a few different things in FP2 and some worked, and some didn't. We never really got the car together today, I struggled with the balance especially, so there are quite a few things to work on with the Team tonight. I will of course try to improve tomorrow but there's quite a gap, the Ferrari's are looking fast. Let's see what improvements we can make overnight."

Scuderia Ferrari

Carlos Sainz (1st, 1:32.120): "A positive Friday. The car seemed to be in the right window from the very first lap in FP1 so we kept focused on fine tuning the set-up during the second session. I expect the track to improve for tomorrow, so we should have higher grip and then we'll see how much our competitors and ourselves can improve for qualifying."

Charles Leclerc (2nd, 1:32.138): "It was quite a good day. The car looks a bit more competitive than we had expected on a track like this, but we shouldn't get carried away because I think that our competitors are not showing their true pace yet. We will work on optimising the balance on my side overnight and I'm sure we will see some further improvements for tomorrow."

Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team

George Russell (3rd, 1:32.355): "It was a very positive Friday for us overall. The car is feeling really good around the circuit. It definitely improved in the cooler temperatures of FP2 but equally, it still felt decent in the slightly unrepresentative conditions of FP1. The times were very tight between several cars. Ferrari looked quick, particularly on the single lap. The long run performance across a number of competitors was also strong but we can be optimistic heading into the weekend. We will do our usual work overnight and hopefully find some improvements heading into Saturday. I am really enjoying the new track layout. It makes the final sector, and the lap as a whole, much more flowing. It definitely improves the experience behind-the-wheel and should help create better racing on Sunday. The new track surface in turns one to five is also an improvement."

Lewis Hamilton (5th, 1:32.585): "It's been a great day here in Singapore. They have done an amazing job with the track changes; I love driving this circuit now more than ever. The new track surface is great, and it made the track even more enjoyable to drive. Then the removal of the four corners near the end of the lap has absolutely perfected the circuit. It's incredible to drive. In terms of our day overall, FP1 was solid. We were still a little bit of where we wanted to be, but it wasn't too bad. FP2 was for sure the best FP2 session I've had this year. It was nice to finish a Friday feeling so positive. I think we've got a good platform to build off for the rest of the weekend. It's the best I've felt from a Friday this year, so I hope we can do some good work overnight, as we always tend to do, and continue to improve."

Toto Wolff, Team Principal:

Andrew Shovlin: "We've had solid sessions today and both drivers have finished the day happy with the balance. There's a bit of work we need to do to understand how to approach the single lap on the Soft tyre; it didn't feel like we were getting the most out of the compound and George was able to improve later in the run. The long run was quite strong. It's always tough keeping the heat out of the rear tyres here but we look to be more or less on the pace. The performance order is interesting today. Ferrari looked fast, as do McLaren and Aston Martin and unusually Red Bull didn't look like the ones to beat. We'll assume that they'll sort that out for tomorrow, which is going to mean that a lot of drivers are fighting for the top grid spots. It's clearly very close so we'll be pushing to find every little bit of pace overnight. We're looking forward to an exciting qualifying session tomorrow."

BWT Alpine F1 Team

Esteban Ocon (13th, 1:33.361): "It's nice to be back driving on the streets of Singapore, a really cool and exhilarating track for us drivers. It was a decent, and very hot, Friday for us with plenty to go through on track during our run programme. First, it was good to drive here and experience the slightly different track layout and test some of the updates on our car. At this stage, I would say we have a lot of work to get through ahead of Free Practice 3 and Qualifying tomorrow in order to find some improvements. There's more for us to extract, more to come from me, and hopefully we can put ourselves in a good position for Qualifying."

Pierre Gasly (18th, 1:33.824): "It's always good to be in Singapore and driving at this great venue at Marina Bay. The heat and humidity is very intense for us in the cockpit and that is all part of the challenge of racing here. On track, it's been a busy day with lots of different items to get through. We have a couple of small updates on the car, so it was important to spend some time validating those from an aerodynamic point of view. In terms of our performance, I would say we have some work to do. We have a lot of things to look at on set-up and some things we can definitely improve ahead of tomorrow. The new track layout is good and it will be interesting to see how the racing is with the changes and see if it brings any overtaking opportunities."

McLaren F1 Team

Lando Norris (6th, 1:32.711): "I think it was a reasonable Friday, it was good to get the new bits on the car and everything's looking positive from that side at the minute. It's a nice improvement from what we had. I think it's done everything that it should have done, so a good job by the team to get the upgrade here and for it all to work as it should. I think the pace is reasonable, we might not be as good as Ferrari, but we're in a good fight for a good position otherwise."

Oscar Piastri (15th, 1:33.461): "First day in Singapore done. A lot of learning. It's a tricky circuit and I think we've got some work to do on the car and some work to do on the driving as well, but I definitely learned a lot. I think we're in better shape with more experience for myself, but still a lot to go over ahead of tomorrow."

Andrea Stella, Team Principal: "Lizards aside, it's been a smooth first day in Singapore for both sides of the garage. We were able to complete the programme we had planned, which was centred around testing new aerodynamic parts and understanding tyres for the race. We're happy with the data collected. I would like to thank the team back at the factory and here trackside for the efforts that led to testing this upgrade, which has been adopted on Lando's car this weekend. In terms of competitiveness, some cars look pretty quick, but we will try our best to be in the mix for good points. Oscar is doing a good job finding his feet at what is a new track for him, improving run by run. More to come tomorrow."

Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake

Valtteri Bottas (10th, 1:33.105): "Today has been a positive day overall: we got some positive feedback from the upgrades we have brought here in Singapore, which brought more load and stability to the rear end, and the feeling was good. Our pace seemed to be just about in the top ten, but we'll need to work on it tonight to find that extra bit to be up there tomorrow when it counts. Our target is to score again this weekend: I believe we have a chance to do it, if we get everything right: of course, on a track like this one, where overtaking is still difficult, qualifying in a favourable position will be crucial."

Guanyu Zhou (17th, 1:33.575): "It's been interesting to drive on the new layout: I quite like the changes they have made to the track, it's probably a bit less stressful and a bit more fun to drive. The modifications are giving some more chances to overtake, but it'll still be a challenge. Our day was quite smooth, as we were able to complete our programme: we didn't do any run on soft tyres in the morning, and only one run in the afternoon with a rather messy lap. I think we're closer than the times make it look, and with a good improvement tomorrow we can make up a few places. We need to finalise the details of our set-up, and prepare well for qualifying: finding the right space to prepare for our lap will be crucial, especially as the field will all bunch up in the final sector."

Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team

Fernando Alonso (4th, 1:37.478): "Today was fun. I think the new circuit layout is an improvement: it's a bit faster and you get into a little more rhythm around the lap. I like the changes they've made. It was a normal Friday in Singapore  hot and humid  but we got some useful tests done on the car and with the tyres, so let's see how tomorrow goes. It's hard to read too much into the times  today was more about building confidence with the car and the track. I think qualifying is going to be very tight: we could be P5, P6, or we could go out in Q2 if we lose just a couple of tenths over a lap. We are going to have to nail the laps in qualifying tomorrow to ensure a good result in the race."

Lance Stroll (14th, 1:33.390): "I think the new track layout works well and is fun to drive. I don't know yet if it'll encourage overtaking though; there's not much of a braking zone into Turn 16, but we'll see what's possible on Sunday. Today we couldn't really find the pace we needed, so we have some work to do tonight to understand where we can improve. We'll make some adjustments to the set up and come back stronger for qualifying tomorrow."

Haas F1 Team

Kevin Magnussen (9th, 1:33.017): "It was good on one lap on low-fuel, on high-fuel we're still struggling a bit for pace. That's our focus as always, this year. It's the high-fuel performance that is lacking and what we're looking at and focusing on. It's one of the tracks which is harder to overtake at, so if you can start further up, maybe that means a little bit more here than on others. Hopefully we can have a good qualifying and try and hang on to a good position."

Nico Hulkenberg (11th, 1:33.139): "In FP1 and FP2, we were getting all the usual data for the car and the circuit. We've been playing and working with the set-up, and got some runs in, so there's plenty to look at tonight. Over qualifying I think we should be fairly competitive but race-wise still, it's going to be a challenge. I expect it to be tight again, it's a faster lap now which brings the field closer together and the slightest of differences can have a big impact. I want to qualify as high-up as possible given overtaking is difficult."

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal: "It wasn't a bad Friday for us today. We ran all of our program and it seems the car is working a little bit better here but I don't want to jump to any conclusions yet. It's day one of a long weekend so we need to see now how the car goes in the long run as it wasn't possible to do more than eight or nine consecutive laps today. All in all, it was a good day because we did our testing and we found some improvements that the drivers like, but it is only day one."

Scuderia AlphaTauri

Liam Lawson (12th, 1:33.285): "Initially, today was tricky, but that was expected with this unique track. I'm enjoying it and learning a lot. It was also cool to drive at night, under the lights, and with the heat here, it's more comfortable as a driver. We need to make the most of FP3 tomorrow, but so far, it's been ok. We've been gradually building, and it's been going nicely, so there's definitely more to come tomorrow. On this type of circuit, it's hard to notice the differences in the updates. The gains won't be as big as on more traditional circuits, but the car has definitely improved. Obviously, with something this new, we need to figure out how to maximise it, so we'll analyse our data tonight, ready for qualifying tomorrow. I feel there isn't as big of an improvement in grip between the soft and medium compound, but we'll look into it for qualifying and the race."

Yuki Tsunoda (16th, 1:33.477): "Overall, today was okay. Towards the end, there was a drop in grip on the soft compound, and compared to the medium tyres, I didn't feel much of a step up, so we need to investigate what happened there. Because Singapore is a completely different, unique track compared to others, it's hard to know so quickly how well our updates are working. The car has definitely improved, especially the rear support, but we'll know more in qualifying. I'm feeling good and looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow."

Jonathan Eddolls, Chief Race Engineer: "We came to Singapore with several new aero components, and both cars were furnished with these. One of the key objectives of today was to understand the performance associated with this update and together with the data, see how best to set the car up around it. With the cancelled races in previous years, it was only the second time Yuki has driven here and the first time for Liam, so the focus of FP1 was maximising the number of laps and allowing the drivers to build up the pace step by step. It's always difficult to learn much in FP1 here with the high track temperatures and green track, but we saw enough to see the package was working, and both drivers were happy with the car. We did some fine-tuning for FP2, which is the most representative session of the weekend for quali and race prep. Performance on the medium compound tyre demonstrated the changes had gone in the right direction. Moving to the short soft tyre run, Liam found lap time, but Yuki struggled with grip and didn't really improve his time, so this is something we need to work on for tomorrow. Degradation in the long runs was manageable, and there was a mix of compounds used across various competitors, so we have a lot to go through to define the best strategy for Sunday. Our focus now turns to the short-run performance and what we need to do to maximise the potential on the soft compound. In general, it's been a positive start to the weekend."

Williams Racing

Logan Sargeant (19th, 1:34.321): "FP2 was much better than FP1 so that was a good step forward. I was on a semi-decent lap on the Soft tyre but made a mistake in the last corner which cost us the lap time, but still a lot of good learning from today. We have a couple of different bits coming tomorrow that should help me out. As a team, we knew it was going to be a tough weekend feeling those limitations that we haven't really experienced in the last couple of races. We just need to try and find a way around them the best we can."

Alexander Albon (20th, 1:35.558): "We think the issue is battery related; I started my lap and it felt okay but then I just started to lose deployment as I went on the straight. I think we already know the problem so it shouldn't be too long to fix but around here you want the mileage because it's such a confidence building circuit. Aside from the issue, the car hasn't felt too bad and I don't believe we'll suffer from any penalties, but we'll have a proper look tonight. With the temperature of the car here this weekend and the lack of running time, we'll have to do a little bit of guess work tomorrow, but it should be fine going into FP3 tomorrow."

Dave Robson, Head of Vehicle Performance: "A tricky day for us, especially on Alex's side of the garage. We opted to do some testing with Alex in FP1, expecting to complete the race preparation during FP2. Unfortunately, an issue within the ERS system of the PU meant that we had to end his FP2 after just a couple of laps on the Hard tyre. We'll fit a different module to Alex's car overnight and look to make up for lost time during FP3. Logan had a more successful day and completed his plan without any issues. He got some good experience of this tricky circuit under his belt and he was able to get a good sense of how to trade low and high fuel performance at this track. We've got a lot of work to do to improve the car, but we know what we are looking for and we'll certainly be able to make some progress."
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. AZPROMO and ITFC have discussed the prospects of partnership in creating Eximbank (export-import) tools, Trend reports.

According to the Azerbaijan Republic Export and Investment Promotion Agency (AZPROMO), the meeting was held with representatives of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) and Islamic Corporation for the Development of Private Sector (ICD), which are part of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) group.

During the meeting, Yusif Abdullayev, Head of AZPROMO, informed about the Agency's activities, export and investment promotion mechanisms, including the expected National Export Strategy, diversification of export geography, logistics subsidization and other expected promotion mechanisms.

In turn, Hani Salem Sonbol, ITFC Director General and Acting Director General of ICD, emphasized that they are interested in cooperation with AZPROMO within the framework of public-private partnership and informed about trade promotion programs prepared by ITFC for different countries and regions. It was reported that providing potential support to AZPROMO for the future coordination work on the establishment of Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) network for Azerbaijan and Central Asian region within the framework of the main program ("TCCA+") implemented by ITFC for trade facilitation among OIC member countries can make an important contribution to the effective implementation of the program.

Earlier, the establishment of Eximbank (Export-Import) tools in Azerbaijan was discussed between the head of AZPROMO Yusif Abdullayev and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Azerbaijan Alim Bayel.
Create partnerships for mutual benefit  President, Millersville University

Charles Benoni Okine, Lancaster Business News Sep - 15 - 2023 , 13:59

The President of Millersville University, Lancaster, Dr Daniel Wubah, has called for the formation a joint committee of members from the State of Pennsylvania and Ghana to work on how to create partnerships for their mutual benefit.

According to him, this was necessary in view of the fact that, through dialogue and partnerships, the two can collectively achieve greater heights.

Dr Wubah made the call when delegates attending the second US Ghana Business Summit and Expo in Philadelphia, visited the university.

An initiative of the US-Ghana Chamber of Commerce, Philadelphia, the event is meant to among other things help to deepen discussion and relationship with critical institutions that facilitate international business development and cooperation.

It is crafted to reflect the nature of the World Affairs Council, African Caribbean Business Council and World Trade Centre of Delaware, the annual event comes at a time when Ghanaian businesses and trade institutions are seeking credible collaborations and partnerships to scale up in the wake of the challenging economic environment in the country.

Dr Wubah said Ghana and Pennsylvania had a lot to share for their mutual benefit and noted that the time was now for concrete actions to be taken.

He added that, the joint committee will come up with recommendations to actualize the process.

Describing the summit and expo as a laudable initiative, he was optimistic that the event will witness the convergence of industries, ideas and aspirations as businesses from both sides of the Atlantic come together to forge a meaningful connection.

From agriculture to technology, from sustainable practices to cutting-edge innovation, we have a remarkable array of opportunities before us, he added.

Dr Wubah said for instance that, Lancaster has a diverse business sector with strong focus on agribusiness, tourism, manufacturing and distribution, adding that Our region has much to offer.

Investment destination

The Chief Executive of the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC), Yofi Grant in welcoming the formation of the committee said Ghana was ready at any time and expressed the hope that the committee would be formed in time to start work.

He described Ghana as a resource rich country with many opportunities for investors to explore for the mutual benefit of Ghana and the investors who come in to do business.

Mr Grant said Africa was the next frontier and indicated that the earlier investors took advantage of the opportunities now, the better it will be for them going forward.

He mentioned the youthful nature of the population in Ghana and Africa, the total size of the population which represents a huge market as some of the potential benefits.

Mr Grant said the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfFCTA) makes Africa a single market with goods and services moving quota free duty free.

Ports

The Director-General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), Michael Luguge, said the countrys ports had gone through processes to ensure that it provided efficient and competitive port services to businesses and enhance trade.
Claudia Lumor joins NPPs Oforikrom constituency parliamentary race

Graphic Showbiz Showbiz News Sep - 15 - 2023 , 22:28

It is likely that the founder of Glitz Style Awards and editor of Glitz Africa Magazine, Claudia Lumor will contest the New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary elections in Oforikrom Constituency in the Ashanti region.

A flyer of Madam Lumor showing her political affiliation with the NPP has been circulating on social media.

According to Ghanaweb, the said flyer was first spotted on media personality, Bridget Otoos Twitter page, expressing shock at Miss Lumors political ambition.

How did I miss this? A neutral is standing on the ticket of the NPP. Founder of Glitz magazine and also Organizer of Women Honours, Bridget posted on Twitter.

Earlier in April, the 43-year-old had expressed interest in the parliamentary bid during a visit to the area during Eid-Ul-Fitr.

She specifically visited the Muslim community where she expressed her desire to serve and give the community a facelift.

At a certain stage, a good change is ideal to lift a constituency to the much-desired level of development That is why I am offering myself up for Oforikrom. I am ready to serve the people of Oforikrom and my country.

How did I miss this? A neutral is standing on the ticket of the NPP.

Founder of Glitz magazine and also Organizer of Women Honours.



Awwww pic.twitter.com/3GGas85Ou2  BO1 (@Bridget_Otoo) September 13, 2023

Although Claudia Lumor has not yet made an official announcement, her decision to join the NPP has sparked discussions.

Claudia joins a list of showbiz personalities who have declared their intentions to join the political rank with the likes of actor, John Dumelo already securing the nod to represent the National Democratic Congress (NDC) at the Ayawaso West Constituency.

Read also:Im not an occultist to sacrifice my artistes -Bullet
Ada canoe disaster: 4 fishers found, 3 alive

Benjamin Xornam Glover Sep - 16 - 2023 , 11:19

Four of the initial seven fishermen, who went missing following the canoe disaster at Ada last Thursday, have been found at the various communities along the coast of Ada and the neighbouring Volta Region. Three of them are alive.

The four were found yesterday morning and the search and rescue teams are racing against time to locate the remaining three fishermen, who are still missing as of press time yesterday, following the fishing expedition disaster.

The body of the dead was retrieved yesterday at Akplertorkor, a community in the Volta Region, according to the acting Chief Fisherman for Ada Foah, Nene Sappor.

The canoes the fishermen were travelling in capsised at the Ada estuary.

Personnel of the Ghana Navy are conducting operations along the coast between Ada and the Volta Region to find clues about the missing three after the four surfaced in communities along the area.

Officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) were also in the affected communities, including Azizanya, to assist in the rescue efforts.

Search efforts

The Ada East District NADMO Coordinator, Ebenezer Teye Kisseh Nartey, who gave the latest update in an interview yesterday, said the search efforts were underway in the sea and along the coast for the remaining victims.

Mr Nartey said alert messages had been dispatched to coastal communities, especially those at Ada and the Volta Region, to be on the lookout for debris, and to alert the police to assist in the search efforts for the missing fishermen.

Fisherfolk at Ada in the Ada East District in the Greater Accra Region woke up last Thursday morning to the news of an accident involving two fishing canoes which had capsised after their canoes were hit by strong waves near the estuary at Azizanya, with seven crew members missing.

Collaboration

Mr Nartey told the Daily Graphic that a distress call came in on Thursday around 7 a.m., and, in collaboration with the Ghana Navy team, NADMO started the search and rescue operation.

He said the NADMO, the Ghana Navy and other stakeholders would continue to monitor the situation and ensure that those missing were found.

He commended the Ghana Navy for their timely response and assistance to rescue the fishermen.

Survivors

Some of the fishermen who survived, said they set off for the fishing expedition last Wednesday, and on their return to base they encountered strong waves.

"The sea was so rough that we couldnt come to the shore. We were observing the waves to enable us to manoeuvre our canoe, but unfortunately, the waves overpowered us and the canoe capsized," one of the fishermen, who gave his name only as Godwin, said.

He said he was on the sea with his other fishermen for a long period before landing on an island community called Ohuemi.

Gabriel Kwame, leader of one of the crew members, said while returning to shore, water entered their outboard motor, causing it to cease.

He said he then managed to assist some of his colleague fishermen to swim ashore after their canoe capsized.

The fishermen were trying to cross the estuary to Ada Foah to land their canoe after the fishing expedition when they were hit by strong waves, which led to the disaster.
Checking cross-border infections: UNDP inaugurates 4th mobile laboratory in Paga

Gilbert Mawuli Agbey Sep - 16 - 2023 , 12:41

The United Nations Development rogramme (UNDP) has, in partnership with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), inaugurated a new laboratory facility at the border in Paga in the Kassena Nankana West District in the Upper East Region.

It is the last facility to be handed over, as similar facilities have already been constructed at Aflao in the Volta Region, Elubo in the Western Region and the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in the Greater Accra Region with funding support from the government of Japan.

The project, which aims to strengthen community health systems to support the continuity of essential services for the vulnerable during and post-COVID-19 pandemic, also involved the training of more than 80 health staff at the borders to enhance their pandemic preparedness.

The laboratory facility has a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PRC) room, Sluice and Phlebotomy rooms, a main laboratory room, a laboratory managers office, a kitchenette, a changing room and washrooms.

The Paga laboratory also has a GeneXpert machine, the only machine in the entire district which would be linked to the network of GeneXperts within the region to strengthen overall health service delivery.

Additionally, it would help improve the diagnosis of tuberculosis, HIV and COVID-19 within the immediate border communities and beyond.

Entry points

At a ceremony to officially inaugurate the project last Tuesday, the UNDP Resident Representative, Dr Angela Lusigi, said while points of entry were of strategic importance, border communities were most susceptible when economic, conflict and health-related threats crossed borders.

She said the COVID-19 pandemic was a wake-up call for Ghana and other neighbouring communities, as many entry points became pathways for the introduction and spread of infectious diseases.

The new laboratory

She added that the pandemic exposed and aggravated fundamental weaknesses in Ghanas preparedness architecture, especially at the points of entry, saying Many countries around the world, including Ghana, were caught off guard when the pandemic struck.

Indeed, an assessment by the UNDP and the GHS found that many points of entry in Ghana lacked the needed capacities, logistics and infrastructure to adequately respond to public health emergencies, she said.

Dr Lusigi mentioned that Ghana needed to be better prepared and operationally ready to respond to new and emerging infectious disease threats, saying We must invest in pandemic preparedness as there is a higher cost of not doing so.

She stressed further that the cost of effective pandemic preparedness was a fraction of the cost of responding to an emergency without adequate preparedness.

Key areas, she indicated investment could be done included strengthening disease surveillance and health systems to enable data collection, analysis and reporting to improve decision-making and facilitate more agile and effective responses to future epidemics.

She extended appreciation to the Japanese government for its immense support, partnership and funding towards the execution of the project, stating, The construction of the project was proof of the UNDPs commitment to work with partners to improve access to health for the most vulnerable in the society.

Disease outbreaks

The District Director of the GHS, Alhassan Lawal, noted that when COVID-19 struck, the district was very stressed in terms of adequately responding to the disease and added that the new facility would go a long way to enable the district to resist and respond timely to the outbreak of diseases.

He added that hitherto, we had to send samples of suspected diseases to the Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) for testing but henceforth the challenge would be a thing of the past with the provision of the GeneXpert machine.

The District Chief Executive (DCE), Gerard Ataogye, thanked the UNDP and the government of Japan for the provision of the facility and stressed that the area was well-positioned to deal with some diseases.

He gave an assurance that the district assembly would ensure that the facility was not under-utilised and abused, to achieve the intended purposes.
Damaged school buildings: 118 Pupils leave Kukuruzua Primary School, others sit under trees to study

Gilbert Mawuli Agbey Sep - 16 - 2023 , 13:23

The destruction of two classroom blocks of the Kukuruzua primary school in the Bawku West District in the Upper East Region is negatively affecting the teaching, learning and enrollment of school pupils.

The roofs of a two-unit classroom block constructed by community members in 2011 to accommodate Kindergarten One and Two pupils, together with a three-unit classroom block constructed in 2004, were ripped off during a heavy storm in April this year.

The three-unit classroom block accommodated pupils in primary one, two and three respectively.

As a result of the damage to the classroom blocks, the school, which hitherto had a total of 411 pupils from Kindergarten to Primary Six, has had its enrolment reduced to 293. The affected pupils have been withdrawn by their parents due to the absence of proper classroom blocks to house them.

After the roofs of the classroom structures which were already showing signs of weakness were ripped off, the school authorities were compelled to relocate the affected pupils under some trees in the school for their studies.

Currently, it is only the pupils occupying the remaining two blocks, which are a three-unit classroom housing primary four, five and six, as well as another three-unit JHS block, that have a roof over their heads.

Destruction

The destroyed three-unit primary one-to-three-classroom block was constructed in 2004 as part of the Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) project and had its roof ripped off in 2015. It later was re-roofed through the efforts of the Parents Association (PA) of the school.

Again, in 2017, the roof was destroyed by heavy rains, but it was re-roofed by the PA. However, because this years destruction of the classroom block was beyond the capacity of the PA, it forced them to report the incident to the district assembly.

Classes are held in the open and pupils use the ground as their seats and tables

Although since the incident officials of the assembly have assured them of constructing a temporary structure to be used by the affected pupils to bring relief to the staff and pupils, nothing has been done about it as yet.

Plight

The current situation in the school has compelled both teachers and pupils to improvise to be able to take part in academic activities daily.

Also, due to a lack of the needed desks, together with tables and chairs, the pupils have no option but to sit on the dusty floor in the open every day to participate in teaching and learning, a development which has made it very difficult for the pupils to concentrate while lessons are ongoing.

A difficulty encountered by the teachers daily is their struggle to fasten paper cardboard against the trees to teach the pupils throughout the instructional hours.

Further, with the onset of the rains, academic activities are always brought to a halt anytime it rains. After the rains, it becomes virtually impossible for academic work to continue since the pupils are unable to sit on the wet floor.

The situation has compelled some parents to withdraw their children from the school, resulting in a reduction in the schools population while some also do not attend school regularly as a result of the inconveniences.

Several letters

Information gathered by the Daily Graphic indicates that the schools authorities and opinion leaders have made several appeals to the district assembly, the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to come to the rescue of the school.

The head teacher of the school, Gladys Baba, said they had written several letters to the district assembly, GES and the MP of the area to urgently address the schools predicament but to no avail.

While lamenting that the situation the school finds itself in, individuals and NGOs to view the problem as an emergency to come to their aid.

A class one teacher, Mercy Apambilla, lamented how the situation was negatively affecting teaching and learning, and called on authorities to act swiftly in order not to jeopardise the future of the pupils.

The Assembly member of the area, Williams Azaaba Akoliga, in an interview, said they were concerned and worried about the sad state of the school which was expected to provide sound basic education to school-going children in the area.

Due to the current state of the school, the future of the pupils is at risk and there is the need to salvage the situation through the provision of the needed classroom blocks for the pupils to study in, he said.

Recent demonstration

On August 28, 2023, some concerned youth of the Kukuruzua community demonstrated over the current and poor state of the primary school.

They gave the district assembly a one-week ultimatum to immediately pull down the dilapidated classroom block which accommodates pupils from Kindergarten One to Primary Three.

Anogiba Zakari Azure (right), one of the leaders of the demonstrators, presenting a petition to Moses Awarikaro Awenkanaab (left), the Bawku West District Engineer of the Works Department

Also, they demanded the construction of a temporary structure to be used by the pupils who are currently tutored under trees, as well as the provision of marker boards and pens to enable teachers to teach the pupils.

Concerns

Reading the contents of the petition at the forecourt of the district assembly after demonstrating through some principal streets of the district capital, one of the leaders of the youth, Anobiga Zakari Azure, said because of the collapse of the classroom block, teaching and learning had been heavily affected as the children sat on the bare floor under trees to study.

He noted that the pupils were taught in the abstract since there were no chalkboards or marker boards for the teachers to use to teach the pupils, coupled with sitting on a dusty floor to learn every day.

He added that due to the situation, a letter dated June 5, 2023, was sent to the District Director of the Ghana Education Service, requesting five white marker boards and other items to enhance teaching and learning in the school.

The concerned youth demonstrating around the damaged three-unit classroom block

We have given the District Chief Executive (DCE) a week ultimatum to demolish the structure to prevent the building from collapsing to kill any of the pupils, he said, stressing, We appeal to the assembly to either put up a temporary structure and provide marker and wooden boards or close down the school to save the lives of the pupils.

The District Works Engineer, Moses Awarikaro Awenkanaab, who received the petition on behalf of the DCE, assured the demonstrators that their petition would be forwarded to the DCE for the needed action to be taken to address the problem in the school.
Energy Minister receives international award

Daily Graphic Sep - 16 - 2023 , 17:19

THE Minister of Energy, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, has received the Transformational Leadership Award in the energy sector.

The honour was bestowed on him at the 2023 edition of the Africa Public Sector Conference and Awards (APSCA) held in Nairobi, Kenya.

The awards ceremony was on the margins of the Africa Climate Summit, which saw Heads of State, ministers, senior government officials of various African countries and key stakeholders gather to deepen conversations on the global climate change agenda, especially from the African perspective in Kenya.

The award was received on behalf of the minister by a Deputy Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), Dr Kwabena Bempah Tandoh.

In 2022, Dr Opoku Prempeh was named at an Africa Public Sector Conference and Awards held at the Kempinski Gold Coast Hotel in Accra as the Best Minister for the period under review.

It included other awards received by the minister for his remarkable leadership as a public official with the recent one being an honorary Doctorate Degree conferred on him by the University of Cape Coast.

Global climate agenda

Addressing separate gatherings during the summit, Dr Opoku Prempeh reiterated Ghanas efforts at reducing carbon emissions pursuant to its commitment to the global climate agenda.

He said those efforts were within the broader context of the countrys blueprint towards achieving net zero emissions.

On the role of energy efficiency in Africa for the development of affordable clean energy systems for the future, the minister, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Manhyia South, highlighted the countrys prioritisation of energy efficiency, which dates back to 2005.

This was when we launched the appliance standards and labelling regime and passed legislations to back same, he said.

The minister also said that the lighting retrofit led to savings of 124MW with 6000 CFLS deployed to replace 6000 incandescent lamps.

Gratitude

Dr Opoku Prempeh expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for giving him the opportunity to serve.

I am truly honoured by this award which I dedicate to the good people of this country. I have always believed that public service is a very noble call, and those of us who are fortunate to find ourselves in that space must give of our utmost best, he said.

Dr Opoku Prempeh said climate change remained a big topic in a global conversation, stressing that at the Ministry of Energy and its sector agencies, we are committed to doing more in this regard to make the lives of our people better and more fulfilling.
Family appeals to IGP over former Goaso Krontihenes death

Nana Konadu Agyeman Sep - 16 - 2023 , 15:27

The family of the former Krontihene of the Goaso Traditional Area, Nana Kwadwo Kumah Yenhyira, has appealed to the Inspector General of the Police (IGP), Dr George Akuffo Dampare, for speedy investigations to resolve the cause of death of their kinsman.

The family urged the police to collaborate with the National Investigation Bureau (NIB) to undertake a comprehensive investigation to bring to book any persons involved in Nana Yenhyiras death.

In a statement issued and copied to the Daily Graphic last Thursday, the Head of the family, Nana Kwadwo Osei Mensah, said there was evidence that the Krontihene was brutalised under inhumane condition before his death.

This can never be seen or believed to be an attack from someone who wanted to steal from his farm or rob him. His death is premeditated, well calculated and executed by certain people who do not see eye-to-eye with Akora Kwadwo (Nana Yenhyira), it said.

The statement said the incidence leading to the callous death of the former Krontihene of Goaso might be linked to the chieftaincy conflict which had been lingering for some time now and currently before the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II.

Nana Yenhyira was said to have petitioned the Asantehene concerning some chieftaincy issues in the traditional area.

The statement said on the day the case was to be heard by the Asantehene, Nana Yenhyira died under bizarre circumstances at the Ayomso forest, where he had gone to farm on Wednesday, August 30, 2023.

He did not return home, and so a search party was organised by both family and friends to look for him.

The search continued into days, with series of announcements made on radio stations and information centres across the towns and communities around the Goaso Traditional Area and its environs.

The statement said the family later received the news of the death of the former Krontihene after his lifeless body was found on his farm, a place the search party had searched several times when he went missing.

Appeal to Asantehene

Upon visiting the lifeless body, we saw him lying in a supine position with several marks of violence and blood all over his body, which we suspect foul play, the statement said.

As a family, we do not want to take the law into our own hands, but a delay in investigations could push the family to conduct its own investigation; even if we could afford the services of private investigators, we shall do so.

The family do not want to accuse anyone for now, but whoever did this thing to us should know that we are going to cast our nets wide in order to search for the needed information and present same to the police in their investigations, it added.

The family also called on the Asantehene to continue with the case brought before him by our dear Nana Kwadwo Kumah Yenhyira as the family members have much interest in it, it said.
Five galamseyers jailed 125 years for mining in River Ankobra

GNA Sep - 16 - 2023 , 19:31

Five illegal miners (galamseyers) who were caught mining in the Ankobra River without authority have been sentenced to a total of 125 years imprisonment in hard labour.

Richard Kumasi, Fiamahe Jerry John, Korblavi Kumasi, Daniel Afenu, and Matthew Gedie, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime and undertaking small-scale mining without authority.

The court, presided over by Hathia Ama Manu, after trial, found all five persons guilty of the charges leveled against them.

On count one, the court sentenced each one of them to five years imprisonment, while on count two, each was fined GH120,000 or in default five years imprisonment plus 20 years in hard labour. The sentences are to run concurrently.

The Assistant State Attorney in the Western Region, Kingsley Agyekum, prosecuting, said Nana Yaw Baako, the Assembly member of Himan Electoral Area, is the complainant, while the accused persons were illegal miners, resident at Ankobra in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.

On August 17, 2021, at about 3pm, the complainant and five opinion leaders had information that the accused persons were prospecting for gold with a dredge machine in the Ankobra River.

Based on the tip-off, they proceeded to a village called Kpoviadzi in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality, where they met the five persons working.

Mr Agyekum said they were all apprehended and handed over to the police at Prestea to assist in investigations, while the dredge machine was set ablaze.

The five persons, before the trial, were admitted to bail as prayed by their counsel, Mr Augustine Arvoh-Mensah.
GNPC to pitch game changing project at petroleum conference

Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Sep - 16 - 2023 , 13:35

The Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) will host a pavilion in an attempt to project the nations petroleum industry as a pristine sector for business at the upcoming World Petroleum Congress (WPM 2023) to be held in Calgary, Canada.

The corporation will take advantage of the convergence of global oil and gas stakeholders to specifically highlight the commercial viability of the Voltaian Basin Project and its potential to create a unique business opportunity, generate significant revenue for economic development through the establishment of an added energy hub that could provide the much-needed jobs.

In collaboration with the Petroleum Commission, the GNPC will share the nations experience in leveraging the advancements in research and technology to establish a healthy balance in exploring its fossil energy resources while pursuing the opportunities presented by the global energy transition.

The WPC is a charitable, UN-accredited non-governmental organisation dedicated to the pursuit of sustainable practice and innovation development regarding the worlds petroleum use and acquisition.

It offers energy professionals and companies across the globe, the opportunity to exchange ideas and opinions on sustainable exploration and production towards the global goal to reach net zero emissions.

Taking centre stage at this years edition will be a global call to collaborative action to prioritise good governance and a sustainable energy future for all.

Giving Africas unique position of sitting at the confluence of the traditional energy sector and the more carbon-neutral industry, the GNPC is, therefore, poised to participate in defining a realistic, workable path to a net zero future.

Opportunities

General Manager of Strategy and Investment at the GNPC, Dr Kwame Amoah Baah-Nuakoh, said the WPC presented the country with an opportunity to market the availability of credible opportunities to international companies to explore partnership avenues for a sustainable exploitation of the nations untapped offshore and onshore hydrocarbon deposits.

That, he said was because the GNPC was at an advanced stage in its prospecting activities in the Voltaian Basin which held a huge potential of finding oil and gas deposits in commercial quantities.

We are constantly seeking new strategies and safer, more responsible ways to develop our potential fields and well use the platform to invite investors to take advantage of the enormous prospects offered by Ghanas petroleum sector and partner us to explore the full potential of Ghanas open blocks, he said

Earlier this year, the Chief Executive Officer of the GNPC, Opoku-Ahweeneh Danquah, stated that his outfit was continuously evaluating opportunities to leverage its technical competence and financial strength in unlocking the much needed hydrocarbon potential of our sedimentary basins with several blocks across its upstream space available for funding and partnerships.

With other operations such as that in the shallow water GH-WB-01 block under reconnaissance licence, he said the GNPC would seek to attract interest in not just funding, but in knowledge exchange across strategies and technology necessary for successful explorations in the country.

It is worth noting that Ghana still has a relatively fledgling oil and gas industry and is still learning. We will take advantage of the wealth of resources offered by the WPC to meet training institutions and network with key stakeholders as part of our growth strategy, Dr Baah-Nuakoh added.

The congress is expected to commence tomorrow, Sunday, September 17, to September 21.
Govt urged to support local garment industry

Diana Mensah Sep - 16 - 2023 , 11:56

The government has been called upon to invest and collaborate with the local garments and textile industry to integrate sustainability into fashion design.

This follows concerns about the alarming dependency and negative impact of the importation of used clothes on the countrys economy.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Sleek Garments Export Limited, Dr Nora Bannerman, who made the call, said the move would reduce the impact of fast fashion on the environment and create a tidy profit for local manufacturers in the country.

So, this is where the government will come in and can support businesses to upgrade their equipment to produce fabrics that are quality but affordable and meet the standards of consumers, she said.

She, therefore, encouraged traders to engage and negotiate with the local clothing manufacturers to produce the kinds of clothing that would promote fashion sustainability.

She made these comments when Sleek Garments Export Limited unveiled its Brand Ambassador for its newest range of products in Accra.

The product, Cuddles, is the brands newest range of luxury towels and accessories.

The Brand Ambassador, Nana Kwame Ankumah, popularly known as Niashun, a budding music artiste, has signed a one-year deal to help elevate the companys newest product and connect with potential and new clients.

Ceremony

At the launch, Mrs Bannerman said the company had introduced the product following extensive research from which they received numerous feedback from their customers.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Sleek Garments Export Limited, Natasha Bannerman-Kudjaw, said the firm chose the artiste as the brand ambassador because of his unique blend of talent and style.

She said the name Cuddles depicted the quality of feeling the customers would experience when they used the product.

Mrs Bannerman-Kudjaw said the ambassador was expected to connect the company's values with the needs and desires of the customers.

She expressed the hope that the brand could leverage the ambassadors influence to drive brand awareness, expand customer base and create lasting relationships.

We believe you will play a pivotal role in promoting our brands products. Your fashion-forward lifestyle, combined with your personality and your music, is what we admire, and we are thrilled to welcome you to the three garments, she said.

During his one-year reign as a brand ambassador, Niashun is expected to use his influence to create awareness and represent the brand at key events, support promotional campaigns in connection with the brand values and collaborate on various campaigns geared towards brand building.

Appreciation

The Brand Ambassador, Niashun, extended his appreciation to Sleek Garments for creating an opportunity for him to represent the brand.

He promised to work hard and represent the brand to the best of his ability and added that Your contribution to the development of the country is truly exceptional, and I hope to attract better deals for the company.
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Guide students in relationships-UniMAC  GIJ lecturer

Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Sep - 16 - 2023 , 17:00

Counselling directorates in high schools and universities have been urged to step up campaigns in guiding students involved in romantic relationships.

A lecturer at the University of Media, Arts and Communications (UniMAC) - Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) , Dr Paul Herzuah, who gave the advice, said that was because most students were deeply involved in intimate relations on campus, with most of them enduring toxic relations.

Out of 250 respondents, the saved contacts of 88 per cent (220) indicated 'loved' relationships of varying forms: (intimate/romantic; family love; besties; special people), the saved contacts of 72 per cent (180) expressed intimate/romantic relationship and the saved contacts of 64 per cent (160) indicated toxic/sour relationships, he explained.

Dr Herzuah said this yesterday during a presentation on the theme; Address terms preferences of students in digitally-mediated communication environment in a Ghanaian university.

It formed part of the institutes eighth Inter-Faculty Research Seminar, organised by the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Development (DRID) in Accra.

The seminars provide an opportunity for frequent exchange on specific significant topics among academic staff of the faculties and students, as well as guests.

New findings

Dr Herzuah, who is a lecturer at the institutes Faculty of Journalism and Media Studies, noted that the youth used online activities to introduce themselves to the world, get into contact with other users, share information and exhibit their thoughts around a particular incident, navigate risks and opportunities and offer mutual help and proffer solutions to problems.

In that vein, he said, online naming practices of students revealed deep emotions, both positive and negative and added that students expressed themselves freely with words online to indicate their emotions.

Saved contacts of others suggests bitter/loved experiences of users because online naming practices of students reflect their experiences in life, the UniMAC lecturer intimated.

Dr Herzuah said students/youth were skilled in negotiating the identity of their contacts and that the nature of saved contacts might influence the line of conversation with addresses on social media.

Advice

He, therefore, advised students to prioritise their academic life over relationships on campus since their over indulgence in campus intimate relationships might affect their academic performances.

In addition to offering counselling services to students who were victims of toxic relationships, Dr Herzuah equally urged parents to intensify their interest in the well-being of their children in high schools and tertiary institutions.
House boy who killed boss and bolted with her vehicle arrested with accomplice in Accra

Enoch Darfah Frimpong Sep - 16 - 2023 , 04:16

Two suspects linked to the killing of a 35-year old woman at Apaaso near Sokoban Ampabame in the Ashanti Region have been arrested by the police.

The circumstances surrounding the killing have shocked residents of the area, which is near Kumasi.

The main suspect, named by the police as Allister John, a 22-year-old man had been employed by the deceased as a house help and within a few days of his employment, he allegedly killed the woman, locked the body in a garage and bolted with her vehicle, a KIA Sportage with registration number, GS 307-21, together with some house hold items and some other goods.

The deceased has been identified by the police as Princess Afia Ahenkan, 35.

The main suspect, Allister John and his accomplice, James Anokye, were arrested by the police in Accra on Thursday, September 14, 2023.

The vehicle has been impounded and currently at the Oyibi Police station.

The killing incident reportedly happened on Monday, September 11, 2023.

What happened?

Allister John, was reportedly employed by the deceased through an Accra based recruitment agency.

Graphic Online gathers that the deceased had dropped the son, a 12-year-old boy in school on the morning of the incident and returned to the house.

It was Allister's seventh day on the job as house help, according to some accounts and Ahenkan reportedly prepared breakfast for herself and Allister after dropping the son in school.

Neighbours and the police suspect the killing took place between the hours of 11am and 12pm.

After the incident, the suspect reportedly locked the body in a garage and bolted with the vehicle together with the goods.

Ahenkan's husband is a resident in the United Kingdom and normally checks on the family on daily basis through phone calls.

He is said to have expressed concern and phoned a neighbour to check on the wife after several unanswered phone calls that morning, which was unusual of the wife.

The husband reportedly told the neighbour who shares a common fence wall to check on the wife with the explanation that he was trying to reach her since morning and had not been successful.

The neighbour then went to the house to check what was happening and it was at that point that blood was detected on the floor.

The police were alerted and during a search in the house, they found more blood on the floor, the garage was opened and the body of the deceased was found locked in there.

The house help was no where to be found together with the car.

The police mounted a search for Allister John and he was arrested in Accra on Thursday.

Police gathered that he had sold the car and a further investigation led to the retrieval of the vehicle and the accomplice Anokye was also arrested.

The 12-year-old son Graphic Online understands had to spend some days with the head of his school and neighbours before he was later informed about what had happened to the mother.





Attached below is a police statement issued on the incident POLICE ARREST TWO SUSPECTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE MURDER OF A 35-YEAR-OLD WOMAN AT APAASO NEAR SOKOBAN AMPABAME IN THE ASHANTI REGION The Police, through a targeted intelligence-led operation on 14th September 2023, arrested two suspects in connection with the murder of a 35-year-old woman identified as Princess Afia Ahenkan at Apaaso near Sokoban Ampabame in the Ashanti Region. The operation followed a Police report on the whereabouts of the deceased and the subsequent discovery of her body in the garage of her residence by the Police crime scene experts. Further Police investigation led to the arrest of suspect Allister John, who was the househelp of the deceased, and his accomplice, James Anokye in Accra, who went into hiding with the deceaseds KIA Sportage private car with registration No. GS 307-21 which they subsequently sold. The car has, however, been found at Adenta with its documents and subsequently impounded at the Oyibi Police Station for further investigation while efforts are underway to arrest the buyer to assist the investigation. Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital morgue for preservation and autopsy.

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Lecturer calls for change in disability fund disbursement method

Joshua Bediako Koomson Sep - 16 - 2023 , 14:02

Lecturer, Dr Augustina Naami, has suggested a change in the disbursement of the Disability Common Fund to achieve the desired purpose of alleviating poverty among persons with disability (PWDs).

He said a proper overhaul of the system could help break the cycle of poverty among PWDs and ultimately change the narrative of them being the poorest of the poor.

Dr Naami, who is the Head of the Department of Social Work at the University of Ghana, also said various assemblies could employ electronic means of disbursing the funds to mitigate some of the challenges PWDs went through to access them.

At the seminar on financial capability and asset building (FCAB) for social work practitioners in Accra yesterday, she said currently, the funds were disbursed manually, compelling the PWDs to visit the assemblies to access them.

And for those who use wheelchairs, they have to struggle to get there, and even when they get there, the office structures are also not disability friendly, Dr Naami said and added that in most cases, they did not receive the amount of money they requested.

The seminar was organised by the Department of Social Work, in collaboration with the University of North Carolina.

Meeting needs of clients

Dr Naami also urged social work practitioners to use financial capability and asset building alternatives to meet the needs of their clients, especially PWDs.

FCAB involves helping people to acquire knowledge and skills required to make sound financial decisions for themselves and their families.

She, therefore, said it was important for social work practitioners, who dealt with vulnerable populations, to acquire such knowledge and skills to build the capacity of their low-income clients to fully understand and navigate the increasingly complex financial sector and the choice of products and services available.

Dr Naami further said building FCAB skills and promoting financial inclusion of vulnerable populations required the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders.

The Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Prof. Mavis Dako-Gyeke, also, said there was the need to incorporate FCAB in the school curriculum to equip pupils and students with asset building.

She noticed that one of the challenges the people faced was that although they had the resources, they were unable to manage them efficiently.

Already, FCAB is fused with some courses, but there is the need to introduce it as a stand-alone course so that students could be prepared to assist clients properly, the dean added.
Lets collaborate to tackle child labour in cocoa farming

Elizabeth Nyaadu Adu Sep - 16 - 2023 , 17:09

TAKEHOLDERS in the cocoa sector have been called upon to collaborate to tackle the issue of child labour on cocoa farms.

The Country Director of Rainforest Alliance Ghana and Nigeria, a CSO, Kwame Osei, who made the call, explained that many families who grow cocoa in the country relied on the contribution of children because the vast majority of cocoa in West Africa was grown by poor smallholder farmers.

According to the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), an estimated 1.56 million children are engaged in child labour in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana.

The figure, he said, was alarming and needed to be addressed urgently if the country wanted to boost its cocoa production.

The child menace is complex, therefore, we need all expertise on board to tackle it head on. Our challenge is that the sector is stricken with poverty which culminates in many difficulties at the farmer level, he said.

Event

Mr Osei was speaking at a validation workshop on Gender Sensitive Human Rights Due Diligent (HRDD) Toolkit in Accra under a project dubbed: Ye Ni Mmofra No Nti.

The workshop was on the theme: Tackling Forced and Child Labour in Ghanaian Cocoa and Gold-mining.

The HRDD toolkit for cocoa cooperatives and artisanal gold miners and mining firms in the country is designed to provide people with the necessary knowledge and understanding of human rights issues, especially child labour, forced labour and gender inequality.

I believe that we are all in this together and by completing this tool, implementing and scaling it up, it will go a long way to reduce the incidence of child labour and bring cases to their lowest level he added.



Child labour

Studies show that most of the children who work on cocoa farms do so within their immediate or extended family.

It also came out that not all of such practices was child labour. However, when such work hampers a childs health, development or education, it is considered unacceptable, according to internationally agreed conventions.

And since it can have negative impact on future generations, child labour is considered as both a symptom and a contributing factor to the cycle of poverty.

Intervention

A Researcher and Lecturer in Planning, Environment and Sustainable Development, Dr Albert Arhin, said the HRDD would also provide the tools and guidance to prevent, identify and address the negative impacts within their cooperative, group and firm operations, while considering the diverse experiences and situations of women, men, girls and boys.

The toolkit, he said, further provides relevant information on the nature and impact of issues in the cocoa sector, as well as the legal frameworks and internationally recognised standards that governed them.

For her part, the Senior Project Manager of Rainforest Alliance, Joyce Poku-Marboah, also said that the introduction of the toolkit was to ensure the uptake and implementation of gender-sensitive best practices and human rights due diligence of 120 selected cocoa cooperatives, companies and gold mining associations covering over 300,000 members by the end of 2024.
MTN presents over GH34.6m as dividend to SSNIT

Justice Agbenorsi Sep - 16 - 2023 , 14:45

THE nations telecommunication giant, MTN, has presented a cheque for GH34.6 million as dividend to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

This brings to GH103.1million, the total amount of dividend paid to the SSNIT since MTN listed on the stock market in 2018. It also covers the final dividend for 2022, and the interim dividend for 2023.

Chief Finance Officer of MTN, Antoinette Kwofie, led a delegation to present the cheque to the Director-General of SSNIT, Dr John Ofori-Tenkorang, in Accra yesterday.

Largest shareholder

Ms Kwofie said since MTN listed on the stock exchange, the SSNIT had been the largest Ghanaian shareholder.

She said the company was excited to pay the dividend to the SSNIT to support its strategic mandate of providing income security to workers in the country.

Ms Kwofie, however, entreated the management of the SSNIT to increase its stake in MTN shares.

She expressed gratitude to the SSNIT for its continued support and partnership with MTN, adding we look forward to achieving our medium term to long term targets together.

Ms Kwofie urged the public to keep fate with MTN as her outfit was committed to building sustainable business in the country.

We have a can do spirit, so, no matter the headways, we keep the customer at the core of what we do and we seek to improve on the quality we provide to our customers, she added.

Gratitude

For his part, Dr Ofori-Tenkorang, expressed gratitude to MTN for their encouraging performance over the years. He added that we took a decision in 2018 to invest in MTN and so far, we are not disappointed.

We wish it was more, we know that you are committed to growing the company and, therefore, we will stay with you, he said.

Dr Ofori-Tenkorang said the SSNIT would continue to work with MTN not only as a shareholder, but for the ultimate development of the country.

He also emphasised that his outfit was committed to ensuring that workers retired in comfort and in dignity.
Participation in the G20 contributes to Africa's economic growth

Mary Mensah Sep - 16 - 2023 , 12:19

The African Union (AU), on September 9, 2023, officially took its seat at the table of the worlds richest and most powerful countries, commonly known as G20,at its last summit in New Delhi with the approval of all and at the request of the summit's host, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Comprised of 19 nations and the EU, Africa had only been marginally represented within the G20 through South Africas seat and the AU permanent guest ship but the admission is the first change since the conception of the group in 1999, which brings together 19 of the world's largest economies plus the European Union, representing 85 per cent of global GDP and two-thirds of the world's population.

AU has 55 members

Officially launched in 2002 and based in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, the AU has 55 members (including six suspended because they are under the rule of juntas), representing about 1.4 billion people and around 10 per cent of the worlds economy. The AU has become the second regional organisation to join the G20 after the European Union, totaling three trillion dollars in GDP.

Granting the African Union a permanent seat in the G20 would make it possible to repair an injustice, Senegalese President Macky Sall argued in July when he spoke via video conference as part of the Economic Meetings in the Aix-en-Provence in the south of France. Africa combined is in eighth place in the world in terms of gross domestic product, recalled Mr Sall,

Diplomatic victory for Modi

The expansion of the block is a notable diplomatic victory for Modi, who faces national election next year and has used hosting rights for this year's forum to burnish his image as an international statesman.

By helping the African Union earn a seat at the G20 table, India has emerged as a champion of the global South. The AU joining the G20 comes as India and China are competing for greater influence.

China is the largest trading partner for the African continent and the fourth-biggest source of international investment. Bilateral trade between China and Africa stood at about $282 billion in 2022, whereas trade between India and Africa stood at nearly $98 billion in 2022-23 according to government data from Beijing and New Delhi, respectively.

Azali Assoumani  AU Chairperson

"There is a degree of competition for influence in Africa not only between India and China, but also other partners operating in the region such as the US, EU, Brazil, Turkey, UAE, Japan, Indonesia among others," said Bhatia. Earlier in August, the BRICS grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa announced it would welcome six new members, including Ethiopia and Egypt from the African continent.

Advantages for AU

As part of this influential group, the AU gains access to a host of advantages that can propel the continents interests and actively shape global agenda and participation in the G20 contributes to Africas economic growth.

The AU can leverage this platform to foster economic cooperation, attract investments and explore opportunities for trade expansion with major global players. The World Banks positive GDP growth forecasts for Africa further underline the potential for economic advancement.

The G20 membership also opens doors to increased Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and economic partnerships. African nations can attract investments in vital sectors such as infrastructure, technology and renewable energy, fostering economic development.

I nternational trade agreements

The AU can actively engage in discussions related to international trade agreements within the G20, shaping trade policies that benefit the continent, promote fair trade practices and reduce trade barriers. G20 leaders are committed to open trade and have mandated key organisations to monitor and report on these commitments.

Also, as a G20 member, the AU can advocate for financial assistance and support for African nations, addressing crucial issues such as poverty alleviation, healthcare and infrastructure development. The G20s comprehensive financial inclusion plan benefits all nations and populations, including vulnerable groups.

Since India assumed the rotating presidency of the G20 in December, Modi's government has pushed for international consensus on issues that affect developing nations.

"One of the points India has also been making with its presidency is that, at a time when multilateral institutions across the board are not working effectively, the G20 with a mix of the developing and developed world is at a better position to articulate global governance issues," Harsh Pant, the Vice- President of studies and foreign policy at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation said.

Conclusion

While G7 represents an older order, G20 represents a new global order where new voices are rising and new actors are making their presence felt and analysts say the idea is to bring more African voices to the table instead of them being the recipients of decisions, norms and rules by countries and institutions that are far more advanced.

We welcome the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 and strongly believes that inclusion of the African Union into the G20 will significantly contribute to addressing the global challenges of our time, said the summits final declaration.


Prudential Bank supports UCC-SRC

Daily Graphic Sep - 16 - 2023 , 13:43

Prudential Bank Limited (PBL) has donated GH20,000 to the Students' Representative Council (SRC) of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to support its 60th anniversary celebrations.

The donation was in response to a request made to the Bank by the SRC President, Latif Lawrence Jorhowie, to support the planned activities for the UCC-SRC's 60th anniversary celebrations.

The Cape Coast Branch Manager of the bank, Eric Sarpong Appau, said the bank considered it fitting to continue to strengthen the long-lasting relationship between it had with the SRC.

He added that the bank, as part of its corporate social responsibility (CSR), had also supported the Students' Financial Support Office (StuFSO) to assist needy but brilliant students of the university.

Mr Appau reaffirmed Prudential Bank's commitment to supporting the SRC whenever required.

The Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. Eugene Kofour Marfo Darteh, who received the cheque on behalf of the SRC, expressed profound gratitude to the management and staff of Prudential Bank for their continuous support.

He, therefore, appealed to other charitable corporate bodies to emulate the example set by the financial institution.
Public, civil service employees complete training in digital skills

Vincent Amenuveve Sep - 16 - 2023 , 14:11

A PILOT digital skills training programme has been organised for 170 civil servants in Accra.

The six-month exercise dubbed: DigSMART, was organised at the Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence (KACE).

The participants were introduced to emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital strategy, leadership and governance, transformation, as well as digital change management principles and processes, among other topics.

They were drawn from the Office of the President, Office of the Head of Civil Service, Ministries of Finance and Economic Planning, Health, Food and Agriculture,Trade and Industry, Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Communications and Digitalisation (MoCD), as well as the Controller and Accountant-Generals Department.

They were made up of 40 leaders, 70 managers, and 60 officers from six ministries, departments, and agencies.

The training was a collaboration between the MoCD, through its GhanaCARES Delivery Unit, and the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI).

Addressing the graduands, the Minister of Communications and Digitalisation, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, said she expected  these graduates will be change champions in their organisations providing visionary leadership, promoting digital solutions in the public and civil service, and demonstrating to be exemplars of technology transformation and policy.

Today marks a significant milestone for my Ministry, the civil service, the future of the Ghanaian citizen and our developing and implementation partner, TBI, she stated.

She explained that DigSMART was branded in Ghana, and launched on March 29, 2023 first and was later piloted in two other countries in Africa---Senegal and Malawi.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful congratulated the graduands and urged them to rise to the challenges of the digital age and make a significant difference in our civil service.

As we celebrate your accomplishments, we also acknowledge the importance of ongoing learning and adaptation in the digital era.

Embracing change, staying curious, and continuously upscaling will be essential as you navigate the ever-changing landscape of technology and governance she further advised.

Torch bearers

The Head of Civil Service, Dr Evans Aggrey-Darkoh, challenged the pioneer DigSMART graduands to be torchbearers of the digital transformation of the civil service, while ensuring that technology becomes the vehicle for success of the service.

He said in our rapidly evolving world, technology has become the cornerstone of every aspect of our lives, and it has transformed how we live, work, and serve our nation.

Dr Aggrey-Darkoh further noted that to thrive in this digital age, it is imperative for leaders to embrace technology as an enabler, a catalyst, and a strategic asset. And NOT to say this thing is for the younger people.

Flagship

The Head of Technology and Digital Transformation of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Daniel Busscher, explained that DigSMART (Digital Smartness) is a flagship programme for the Academy, aimed at building digital skills, culture, and leadership in the public sector to achieve a more cohesive and accelerated digital transformation in Ghana.

He said the medium-term evaluation of the programme showed a 95.29 per cent participation rate, which was encouraging enough for an up-scaling of the programme.

Background

Piloted simultaneously in Ghana, Senegal, and Malawi. DigSMART will expand in 2024 to train an additional 830 public and civil servants in Ghana alone.

The programme will enrol participants from 20 additional ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), and be implemented by KACE for face-to-face sessions and TBI Digital Academy for online sessions.

The DigSMART programme is one of the many initiatives undertaken by the MoCD to further its goal of promoting the development of the country through a knowledge-based smart economy using digital tools.


University of Education, Winneba students mark International Coastal Clean-up Day

Osarfo Samuel Kantanka Sep - 16 - 2023 , 20:53

Final-year students from the School of Communication and Media Studies at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) came together today to commemorate International Coastal Clean-up Day.

Led by lecturer Miss Belinda Osei-Mensah, the students undertook a clean-up initiative at the Sir Charles Beach in Winneba as part of their final year projects.

The primary objective of the exercise was to ensure the cleanliness of Sir Charles Beach, a popular relaxation spot for locals and visitors alike, by removing plastic waste.

Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, the event carried the theme: "Ensuring A Cleaner Sir Charles Beach; A Drive to Achieve a Sustainable Environment".

The beach cleaning operation commenced at 9 a.m. and concluded at 12 p.m., garnering substantial support from Zoomlion Ghana, who provided essential cleaning equipment to assist the students in achieving their objectives.

Miss Belinda Osei-Mensah expressed her satisfaction at the successful execution of the exercise, highlighting the meticulous planning that preceded the event, beginning in the classroom.

She voiced optimism that this inaugural effort would pave the way for the continuation and expansion of similar projects in the future, ultimately benefiting the community.

"I'm just grateful and happy for this exercise. I know it will go a long way to tidy up the beach where we all come for relaxation. As part of todays International Coastal Day celebration, our clean-up exercise duly fits the day and it's a great moment to be part of the entire process," she remarked.

"We are cleaning here and ensuring that Sir Charles Beach becomes that beach worth recommending, she added.

The genesis of this initiative can be traced back to the students' coursework for the semester, where they engaged with the subject of 'Strategic Communications and Development' within the Strategic Communications Department. They were tasked with identifying a community issue, devising viable solutions, and implementing them.

This clean-up exercise marks the culmination of their efforts, following the identification of the problem and the formulation of solutions by the students. It stands as a testament to their commitment to environmental stewardship and community engagement.
Cocoa farmers deserve better  Minority

Dickson Worlanyo Dotse Politics Sep - 16 - 2023 , 16:28

THE Minority in Parliament has accused the government and the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) of cheating, shortchanging and misleading cocoa farmers with regard to the prices of cocoa in the country.

The caucus was of the position that global market price of cocoa was $3,600.00 per metric tonne, a record high in 46 years, so at the current exchange rate, farmers should be receiving at least GH2,500.00 per bag and not the GH1,308.00 the government was offering them.

Prices on the world market and the exchange rate are the two major determinants of the price of cocoa. So if it has seen the highest increase since 1977 then per the formula we have always used when we were in office from 2009 to 2016, the farm gate price per bag of cocoa should be nothing less than GH2,500, the Minority Leader, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, said.

If you are to add the premium, in other words the bonuses we would have given to the cocoa farmers, the farm-gate price per bag should have been GH2,800, he added.

Event

Dr Forson was speaking at a Cocoa Sector Stakeholder Engagement organised by the NDC Minority in Parliament last Thursday (September 14) at Dadeisoaba in the Ahafo Region.

It was in response to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos recent announcement of an increase in the farm-gate price of cocoa from GH800 per 64 kilogramme (kg) bag to GH1,308, which the government said was the highest to be paid to cocoa farmers across West Africa in over 50 years.

It brought together farmers, representatives of various farmer unions and traditional authorities and was used as a platform to analyse the new price and how it affected farmers and the nation at large.

Better off

Dr Forson, who is the NDC MP for Ajumako Enyan Esiam in the Central Region, asserted that given the current price surge and exchange rate, cocoa farmers should be better off because cocoa was one of the countrys leading foreign exchange earners, a position which could soon change for the worst because farmers feel cheated and continuously disincentivised from planting

Do your own calculations, at the time they were selling cocoa in 2016, the equivalent could buy at least two packets of roofing sheets. Today, even at GH 1,300.00 they can only buy one packet. During times like this, they should have been better off, he said.

He vowed that the minority would continue to use any means at its disposal to fight for what was due farmers and equally urged the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cocobod, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, to resign his position for mismanaging the sector.

Effect

The Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Food, Agriculture and Cocoa Affairs, Eric Opoku, said the low producer price set by the government had resulted in intensive smuggling of the nations cocoa to neighbouring countries particularly La Cote d'Ivoire and Togo.

The most worrying aspect is that for the first time in our history, government of Ghana has announced producer price without funds to purchase the cocoa beans for the 2023/2024 season.

COCOBOD has defaulted on the payment of 44,000mt of cocoa and has postponed shipment of same to future seasons due to lack of supply, he lamented.

Mr Opoku, who is also the NDC MP for the Asunafo South Constituency in the Ahafo Region, also accused the cocoa regulator of insensitively paying bonuses to workers at the expense of farmers while overseeing a continuous decline of production and incurring of loses which was negatively affecting various cocoa-funded schemes and initiatives including roads, scholarships, free fertilisers, farmers housing scheme and provision of solar-powered boreholes among others.
Limited registration: EC boss, deputies accused of contempt

Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson Politics Sep - 16 - 2023 , 16:41

The Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Mensa, and her two deputies have been dragged to court for contempt of court over the limited voter registration exercise.

The applicant, Precious Ayitah , is urging the Accra High Court to commit Mrs Mensa, Dr Bossman Eric Asare and Samuel Tettey for contempt of court for going ahead with the limited registration exercise in spite of her injunction application seeking to put the exercise on hold.

Ayitah, an 18 year-old, who says she is seeking to register as a voter for the first time filed a human rights application at the High Court with the case that the decision by the EC to conduct the registration only at the commissions district offices will make it very difficult for her to register.

The move by the EC, she argued, was a fetter on her right to register and vote as enshrined by Article 42 of the 1992 Constitution, and therefore the court should protect her human right in accordance with Articles 33 and 140 of the Constitution.

As part of her case, the applicant filed an injunction application seeking an order from the court for EC to halt the registration exercise until the final determination of her substantive case. Counsel for the applicant is Nii Kpakpo Samoa Addo.

Alleged Contempt

In her application for contempt, Ayitah is of the contention that the ECs decision to proceed with the registration exercise will prejudice her injunction application and directly affect the administration of justice.

The respondents act putting measures in place to go ahead with the limited registration exercise in its district offices whilst this Court is yet to hear and determine the applicants interlocutory injunction application is prejudicial to the outcome of the application before the court, and is calculated to prejudice and overreach the applicants originating motion on notice. It is also a direct interference with the due administration of justice, the applicant stated in her affidavit in support.

It is the contention of the applicant that the move by the EC was contemptuous, and therefore the top officers of the commission should be punished accordingly.

That the respondents deserve a custodial sentence and nothing less for bringing the administration of justice into disrepute, the applicant averred.

Substantive case

With regard to the substantive case seeking the enforcement of her human rights, Ayitah says she resided far from the ECs district office, and therefore did not have the means to move from her house to the registration centre to partake in the exercise.

I reside at Otsebleku, near Afienya in the Greater Accra Region, which is about 44.3 kilometers from the district office of the Electoral Commission in Prapram, using the Accra-Aflao road and about 37.3km using the Akosombo-Accra road I cannot afford the cost of moving from my residence in Otsebleku to the ECs district office at Prampram to take part in the limited voter registration exercise, she said.

It is her case that the ideal thing was for the EC to expand the scope of the exercise by conducting one in her electoral area.

Consequently, the applicant is seeking a declaration from the High Court to the effect that the decision by the EC to conduct the limited voter registration exercise only in its district offices was a violation of her fundamental human rights guaranteed under Articles 23, 33, 42, 45(e), 46, 140 and 296 of the 1992 Constitution.

She is further seeking an order from the court directed to the EC to decentralise and expand the voter registration exercise to make it easy for the applicant to be registered onto the electoral roll.
A couple of days ago, France's National Frequency Agency (ANFR) banned the sale of the iPhone 12 in the country because it found that the device emits more than the permitted electromagnetic waves according to EU regulations. Its Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) was above the legal limit.

The agency gave Apple an ultimatum, telling it to use "all available means" to resolve the issue quickly, or face a recall of all iPhone 12 units ever sold in France. Today, Apple has responded, promising to issue a software update that will settle the dispute.

It's unclear what the software update will do exactly, but Apple is confident that it will alleviate the French agency's concerns and accommodate the testing methods used in France. Unlike in other countries, in France the ANFR not only performs head and body SAR tests, but also tests SAR for limbs - as when you're holding a phone in hand. It is these limb tests that the iPhone 12 failed.

In a statement, Apple said:

We will issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators. We look forward to iPhone 12 continuing to be available in France. This is related to a specific testing protocol used by French regulators and not a safety concern.

Officials from Belgium, Germany, and Italy have asked Apple to issue this update to the whole of the EU, so that's probably what will happen. The French government said the iPhone 12 would be swiftly retested following the release of the update, and if it will be found to be inside the legal SAR limits, sales will be resumed immediately.

Source
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. US President Joe Biden is expected to meet leaders of five Central Asian countries, Jake Sullivan, US National Security Advisor, said during a briefing at the White House, Trend reports.

"The President will also meet with the presidents of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. This will be the first-ever C5+1 presidential summit. The C5+1 actually began in 2015. It has been strengthened in the years since. And now we will see it come together at the leaders level for the first time," Sullivan said.

He noted that this inaugural presidential summit will allow to discuss a range of issues, from regional security, to trade and connectivity, to climate change, and ongoing reforms to improve governance and the rule of law.

The meeting will take place in New York, but its exact date is yet to be determined.

Meanwhile, in February this year, US State Secretary Antony Blinken participated in the meeting of the foreign ministers of the Central Asian countries in Kazakhstan's Astana.




Haiti - FLASH: The Dominican Ambassador to Haiti summoned to the Haitian Chancellery





Following the implementation of the ultimatum of Dominican President Luis Abinader to close the land, air and maritime borders with Haiti, following the resumption of work in Haiti https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40503-haiti-flash-dr-closes-its-land-sea-and-air-borders-with-haiti-goods-and-passengers.htmlof an irrigation canal in Haiti with a water intake on the river Massacre, considered "illegal" by the Dominicans, the Dominican Ambassador to Haiti, Farouk Miguel Castillo, was summoned Thursday, September 14, 2023 to the Haitian Chancellery to provide explanations on this decision of the Dominican Government.



Emmelie Prophete Milce, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs who received him, clearly expressed the "disapproval of the Haitian Government in the face of these disproportionate measures which will have negative consequences on relations between the two countries."



She also expressed her concerns for the security of Haitian nationals in the Dominican Republic and asked the Dominican Ambassador that his Government take all measures to protect them.



After having explored with him the different aspects of the crisis born from the resumption of work in Haiti https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40503-haiti-flash-dr-closes-its-land-sea-and-air-borders-with-haiti-goods-and-passengers.html of an irrigation canal in Haiti with a water intake on the Massacre River, considered illegal by the Dominicans, it finally started agreement with Ambassador Miguel Castillo that only the path of dialogue can allow the two countries to resolve this dispute in a lasting manner.



Also read about the Haiti Irrigation Canal affair :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40507-haiti-flash-9-other-haitians-prohibited-from-entering-dominican-territory-list.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-40504-icihaiti-conflict-dr-former-pm-evans-paul-in-solidarity-with-the-peasants-of-the-north-east-statement.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40503-haiti-flash-dr-closes-its-land-sea-and-air-borders-with-haiti-goods-and-passengers.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40497-haiti-flash-conflict-canal-a-haitian-delegation-discusses-with-the-dominicans.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40492-haiti-canal-conflict-a-haitian-delegation-in-the-dominican-republic-today.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40478-haiti-flashthe-dominican-government-announces-measures-and-issues-an-ultimatum-to-haiti-canal-river-massacre.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-40476-icihaiti-diversion-canal-tension-rises-in-the-dominican-republic.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40463-haiti-flash-4th-day-of-border-closure-in-dajabon-the-standoff-continues.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40450-haiti-flash-diversion-channel-the-dominican-republic-sends-armored-vehicles-to-the-northern-border-with-haiti.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40406-haiti-politic-the-dr-asks-haiti-to-stop-the-resumption-of-work-on-the-diversion-channel-of-the-massacre-river.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36174-haiti-politic-claude-joseph-deplores-the-stoppage-of-the-construction-of-the-irrigation-canal-of-the-massacre-river.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34875-icihaiti-rd-resumption-of-works-of-the-massacre-river-irrigation-canal.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34389-icihaiti-dr-stop-in-haiti-of-the-construction-of-the-canal-to-collect-water-from-the-massacre-river.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33974-haiti-dr-the-construction-of-the-haitian-canal-on-the-massacre-river-on-the-way-to-becoming-an-international-affair.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33953-haiti-flash-dominican-geologist-osiris-de-leon-denies-haiti-s-assertions.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33945-haiti-flash-canal-on-the-massacre-river-in-haiti-dominican-president-abinader-raises-the-tone.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33854-haiti-flash-president-abinader-announces-the-construction-of-a-dam-on-the-artibonite-river-in-dominican-soil.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33823-haiti-agriculture-diversion-of-the-massacre-river-in-search-of-a-solution-with-the-dr.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-33596-haiti-flash-conflict-with-the-dr-over-a-canal-diverting-the-massacre-river-to-haiti.html



SL/ TB/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - UN : Antonio Guterres asks the Rep. Dominican humanitarian exemption





Friday September 15, 2023, after the total closure by the Dominican Republic of the border with Haiti https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40503-haiti-flash-dr-closes-its-land-sea-and-air-borders-with-haiti-goods-and-passengers.html as part of the ongoing conflict between the two countries regarding the construction of an irrigation canal in Haiti with a planned water intake on the Massacre River (shared by both countries); The Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, asked the Dominican Government for a humanitarian exemption for the UN agency in the context of this conflict.



"The Secretary General emphasizes that humanitarian exemptions to the border closure are urgently necessary to ensure the continuation of all UN activities in Haiti," said UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.



Let's remember that the UN, for security reasons, stores part of its humanitarian stocks in the Dominican Republic, to which its agencies in Haiti must have access to support humanitarian aid in Haiti, where gang violence and growing hunger have increased the need for assistance.



The UN and the United States fear that the diplomatic dispute between the two nations of the island will worsen the situation in Haiti.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40503-haiti-flash-dr-closes-its-land-sea-and-air-borders-with-haiti-goods-and-passengers.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40497-haiti-flash-conflict-canal-a-haitian-delegation-discusses-with-the-dominicans.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40492-haiti-canal-conflict-a-haitian-delegation-in-the-dominican-republic-today.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-40478-haiti-flashthe-dominican-government-announces-measures-and-issues-an-ultimatum-to-haiti-canal-river-massacre.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















By William Schwartz | Published on 2023/09/15

The first part of this series dealt with the larger imperial context of East Asia in the twentieth century. As noted in that article, Great Britain was the main driver for a lot of the colonialism. So the question is begged. Since "Mr. Sunshine" only really suggests that the United States was a trustworthy neutral power, is it really fair to act as if "Mr. Sunshine" is engaging in a whitewashed depiction of the colonial era?

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The showrunners behind "Mr. Sunshine" almost certainly rationalized the show's distorted history in this way. But the problem with this framing is that the United States was not, by any means, a neutral power in the great game of colonialism. In 1893, hardly ten years before the main plot of "Mr. Sunshine" is underway, American naval might backed slave-owning plantation owners in Hawaii to force the queen into abdicating. Native Hawaiians have been second-class citizens ever since.

Even in the context of "Mr. Sunshine" there's the Spanish-American War, briefly referenced in the Battle of Caney. But only to burnish the credentials of the lead character Eugene Choi (played by Lee Bung-hun), who improbably rises to the rank of commissioned officer in the United States Marine Corps. The impression "Mr. Sunshine" has regarding American racial attitudes is nearly a century out of date, with Eugene Choi being inspired to join the service when he sees an integrated unit with an African-American soldier.

The Spanish-American War itself is notorious in the United States for its obvious self-interest- the United States claimed to support Cuban independence from Spain, but just turned them into a colony with a new owner. Of more relevance to anyone in Korea at the time, though, was the United States taking the Philippines as a concession from Spain, and immediately starting a bloody war against rebels who had already been agitating for self-government before the United States had even showed up.

The behavior of the United States military in this time period isn't generally taught in our own schools or discussed in our own media because there simply aren't very many ways to frame it defensibly by any modern standard. Naturally, I was a little shocked to see a South Korean show engage in whitewashing so outrageous it wouldn't even pass muster for our own propaganda. Why "Mr. Sunshine" did this has to do with South Korea's contemporary attitudes toward American exceptionalism- the topic for the next review in this series.

Written by William Schwartz

___________

"Mr. Sunshine" is directed by Jang Yeong-woo, Jung Ji-hyun, Lee Eung-bok, written by Kim Eun-sook, and features Lee Byung-hun, Kim Tae-ri, Yoo Yeon-seok, Kim Min-jung, Byun Yo-han, Jo Woo-jin. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2018/07/07~2018/09/30, Fri, Sat 21:00 on Netflix, tvN.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, September 16. Kazakhstan's Air Astana carrier will launch daily flights to Bangkok and Phuket (Thailand) from the end of October, Trend reports.

Flights will be operated on A321LR and B767 aircrafts.

As noted by Air Astana, the increased frequency will provide passengers with a greater choice of flights and comfortable travel planning.

Thailand's government introduces a temporary visa-free regime for citizens of Kazakhstan. Thus, a temporary visa-free regime is being introduced in order to strengthen bilateral cooperation and develop tourism from September 25, 2023, to February 29, 2024.

Currently, a Thai visa is issued upon arrival at the airport, and the airline operates regular flights to Bangkok three times a week and four times a week to Phuket.
A RECORD shop has opened in Caversham.

Pop Classics in Church Street was launched after the success of the business selling music online.

To mark the occasion, the store was decorated with a balloon arch and the first 10 customers were given free merchandise.

Owner Damian Jones has been buying and selling vinyl online since the start of the millennium.

He said: We decided it was time to take the plunge. We do not know how it is going to pan out or what the uptake is going to be but so far it is looking promising.

I have been collecting and selling records for the past 23 years and there has always been a collector base. People have always collected records and loved the clarity of the music.

DJs have always bought records but in the last 10 years there has been a boom with the resurgence of vinyl production and the falling popularity of CDs. Record stores have always helped the love of this old style of listening.

We have had 16-year-olds coming in and buying their first records and an 80-year-old asking if we had any rock n toll stuff from when they were younger.

Opening a store was a reaction to the evident shrinking of the global market place after Brexit as a lot of the European clientele didnt want to pay the import tax, which is sometimes an additional 20 per cent per purchase.

We actually began to realise that we were taking orders from places like Tilehurst and Caversham and our once global market place had shrunk.

Mr Jones, who was born and raised in Reading, runs the business with his wife Martina and his eldest daughter, Maddie, 17, helps out on weekends.

Mrs Jones said: We have been married for 25 years and have run the business together for 23 of them. Damians passion for music has always been there.

Pop Classics online store will continue. Mr Jones said: We hope that the two forms of the business will prop each other up for the time being and then see which one is the best way to go.

The online store is much more labour intensive with shipping, sourcing and packing, whereas in our physical shop someone could walk in and buy a pile of 100 records in a matter of five minutes.

It has been hard opening a store. It is our first experience and there are things that we would definitely do differently if we did it again. We had trouble securing the premises because the previous business went into administration.

We were due to open in April but then found out that the lease was tied up so we couldnt move in until that had been freed. The delays made opening the store all the more special.

Pop Classics has a lease of five years, with a three-year break clause.

Mr Jones will donate any records not good enough for the shop to the Age UK store, which is two doors away.

He said: The charity shop has always done well with cheaper records, so if people are on more of a budget, we will direct them there.

He said his favourite music genres included Sixties blues and American garage while his wifes favourite band were the Stone Roses.

For more information, visit www.pop-classics.com
BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, September 16. Kyrgyzstan's trade turnover with European countries amounted to $1.066 billion, accounting for 13.1 percent of Kyrgyzstan's overall trade from January through July 2023, Trend reports.

Data from the State Statistical Committee shows that the trade increased by 3.9 times compared to the same period in 2022 ($272.972 million).

The majority of the trade turnover came from Kyrgyzstan's imports from Europe, reaching $657.847 million, with an increase of 2.9 times compared to the January through July period of 2022 ($220.254 million). Its share in Kyrgyzstan's total imports was 10 percent.

On the other hand, Kyrgyzstan's exports to European countries during the period witnessed a sharper increase of 7.7 times. It amounted to $408.782 million from January through July 2023, while it was $52.718 million in the same months of 2022. Exports to European countries accounted for 25.5 percent of Kyrgyzstan's total exports.

Kyrgyzstan's foreign trade turnover amounted to $8.153 billion from January through July 2023, which is an increase of 32.3 percent compared to the same months of 2022.

Exports amounted to $1.602 billion, increasing by 45.6 percent compared to the corresponding months of 2022. Imports rose by 29.4 percent year-on-year, totaling $6.551 billion.
Gurugram-based Zooom Airlines on Saturday received its air operator certificate (AOC) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to commence commercial passenger operations in India. Zooom Airlines was earlier Zoom Air, which shut its operations in 2020.(Sourced image)

The AOC is a crucial certification for any airline, as it signifies that an operator has met the stringent safety, operational, and regulatory standards set by the civil aviation authorities. With the receipt of this certification, Zooom Airlines is now officially cleared to commence commercial passenger operations in India.

Receiving the Air Operator Certificate is a testament to our unwavering commitment to safety and operational excellence. We are grateful to our dedicated team for helping us reach this significant milestone. With our AOC in hand, we are look forward to providing passengers with a top-notch travel experience that combines convenience, efficiency, and comfort, Zooom Airlines CEO Atul Gambhir said in a statement released by the company.

Our Crj 200 aircraft will provide domestic travellers with unprecedented speed on each route. We wish to cater to the growing number of domestic travellers who take frequent flights and expect comfortable travel with reliable speed, Gambir added.

Indian domestic aviation is growing, and customers are looking for the most cost-effective, safe, and convenient solutions. We are confident in our ability to carve out a niche by offering a unique and innovative travel experience, he added. The airline has ambitious plans for expansion and introducing new routes, ensuring that travelers have more options and seamless connectivity in the region and beyond", Gambhir said, adding that the company is hoping to push the boundaries of innovation and forge enduring partnerships to provide an unparalleled experience to customers.



Zooom Airlines was earlier named Zoom Airlines, that shut its operations in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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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
Tata Steel and the British government announced a mega joint investment deal on Friday worth 1.25 million pounds, including the Rishi Sunak government's plan to pump in 500 million pounds into the the country's biggest steel plant in South Wales. This comes as protests erupted owing to potential job risks to 3,000 workers. Protesters hold signs outside Tata Steel, on the day of a government announcement about steel industry investments, in Port Talbot, Britain September 15, 2023. REUTERS/Joann Randles(Reuters)

A big day for UK steel. We've agreed a joint 1 billion investment with @TataSteelLtd to save thousands of British jobs and secure the future of the steel industry in Wales. This follows the 4 billion investment we secured from @TataCompanies in July to create 4,000 jobs, British prime minister Rishi Sunak posted on social media platform X.

Here are five things we need to know about the mega steel deal in the UK.



1. Tata currently owns the Port Talbot steelworks in south Wales. It will use the government subsidy to help convert the plant's two coal coal-fired blast furnaces to electric arc versions that can run on zero-carbon electricity. The furnaces will start running within three years of regulatory and planning approvals, AP reported.

2. Tata Steel's chief financial officer Koushik Chatterjee was quoted by Bloomberg as saying that the deal would see the company replace its current coal-based operations with a single electric-arc furnace having a capacity to manufacture three million tons of steel a year. Steel manufacturers across Europe have got public subdidies to fund the high capital cost of decarbonisation as the industry still largely depends on coal-fired blast furnaces.

3. However, the mega deal has cast a shadow on 3,000 jobs at the steel plant. UK's Department for Business and Trade said the money would help finance a new electric arc furnace, safeguarding 5,000 of the more than 8,000 jobs, AFP reported.



4. Paul Novak, the head of TUC umbrella body of trade union, told AFP that the uncertainty over jobs was the opposite of a just transition."Ministers must press pause and urgently get around the table with unions" to avoid compulsory redundancies, he saod.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham called the plan "disgraceful, short-sighted and lack ambition". Unite will be fighting tooth and nail not only to save these jobs but to create more jobs in steel, the Unite general secretary added.



5. Britain's steel industry directly employs 39,800 people according to figures released by UK Steel in May, and supports a further 50,000 jobs in the supply chain, a Bloomberg report stated. The government said Tata Steel UK would now inform and consult with staff and unions.

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Toyota Motor Corp is on track for record annual sales in India, a senior executive told Reuters, as its partnership with Suzuki Motor, which has a portfolio of affordable cars, attracts a new set of buyers. Maruti Suzuki and Toyota Motor Corp

Toyota sold over 160,000 cars in India last year and had sold close to 150,000 by the end of August this year, Atul Sood, vice president of sales told Reuters.

"We are confident of closing this calendar year with our best-ever performance and setting a new benchmark," Sood said.

Toyota's India business has been the biggest beneficiary of its global partnership with Suzuki which allows the two Japanese carmakers to share technology and vehicles.

Mid-sized vehicles from Maruti Suzuki's stable such as the Glanza hatchback and Urban Cruiser HyRyder SUV have boosted Toyota's India sales at a time when it is seeing slowing growth in markets like Europe and North America and competition in Southeast Asia from Chinese players.

The Glanza is priced starting at around $8,500 and the HyRyder starts at $13,000 while Toyota's top-selling models such as the Innova Crysta and Fortuner SUV are priced at $24,000 and $40,000, respectively.

Cars from Maruti made up about 40% of Toyota's total sales in India in the first eight months of 2023, industry data showed.

Toyota's portfolio in India also includes pricier cars such as the Camry hybrid and the Hilux pickup.

"The HyRyder has given us a new set of customers who are majorly upgrading," he said, adding that these buyers are moving up from smaller hatchbacks and SUVs.

"The majority of the demand is coming from a younger profile," he added.

Toyota has over 600 dealerships across India and plans to expand further, especially in smaller cities, Sood said.

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Bengaluru News: The city is expected to witness power cuts as electricity supply companies undertake impending projects when grid loads are significantly lighter during weekends when employees log out from work. Traffic comes to a standstill in most parts of city.

In view of the fast approaching Ganesha Chaturthi festival, which is just aroung the corner, the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation on Friday gave permission to the Rani Channamma Maidan Gajanan Utsav Mahamandali to install a Ganesha idol at the controversial Idgah Maidan.

READ | 38-year-old farmer trampled to death by elephant in Mysuru

The ongoing Cauvery river water dispute between southern states Karnataka and Tamil Nadu continued, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) saying that they will undertake a 'Cauvery Rakshana Yatra' in the taluks on the river basin to protest against the ruling Congress' decision to release water to the neighbouring state.

Stay informed with Hindustan Times, and follow our liveblog for all the latest news updates and developments from Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Three unidentified terrorists were killed on Saturday and an infiltration bid was foiled on the Line of Control (LoC) in Hatlanga village of Uri, officials said. Security personnel with arms and ammunition recovered from militants in Hatlanga area of Uri in Baramulla. (PTI)

Army officials said that Pakistani soldiers deployed on the LoC were providing cover fire to the infiltrators and targeting Indian quadcopters.

Uri, which was once known as a major infiltration route towards north Kashmir, is now under constant surveillance with two brigades of armys 19 infantry division keeping eye on the LoC. This is the first major infiltration bid this year.

Commander of 161 Brigade, Brigadier PMS Dhillon said that over the past few days, army and police received information that militants were planning to infiltrate to disturb peace in Jammu and Kashmir, especially Uri and Baramulla.

Ambushes were laid in forward areas as per intelligence inputs. Around 6.40 am, in rain and foggy conditions, the armys Rustum battalion noticed movement of three to four infiltrators were trying to cross a stream near Hatlanga. Ensuing firefight continued for over two hours. The army used heavy weapons, including rocket launchers, and a terrorist was neutralised, he said.

Dhillon said that the forces noticed two more terrorists who were injured but had changed their movements. They followed them, and another terrorist was killed in the following gunfight. He said that a third terrorist managed to flee amid cover fire from Pakistans troops.

Dhillon said that Pakistan army also fired on Indias quadcopters.

As per our assumption, the third terrorist, who had fallen 300 to 400 metre on the other side, died there and his body was recovered there by Pakistan soldiers. We could not get clarity because of the bad weather.

The army commander added that searches continued till 2 pm.

Besides five kg improvised explosive device, the army recovered one Ak47, AK 74 rifle and seven magazines and Chinese pistol from the terrorists.

On July 18, two infiltrators were gunned down in Kupwara soon after they sneaked into Machil forests. The forces then recovered four AK series rifles, one under barrel grenade launcher (UBGL), five UBGL grenades, nine magazines, 175 AK rounds, six hand grenades, tactical vests and large quantity of war like stores.

On June 23, security forces had foiled a major infiltration bid by killing four militants along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmirs Kupwara district.

On June 16, the army and police foiled another major infiltration bid at Jumgund Keran close to the LoC in the Kupwara district and killed five unidentified foreign militants.

On June 13, two unidentified militants were killed in a joint operation in Kupwara district on the LoC. Two infiltrators were also gunned down near the LoC in the Machil sector on May 3.

On March 24, security forces had foiled an infiltration bid and killed a militant near Line of Control in Tanghdar sector of Kupwara district in North Kashmir.

On February 16, the security forces had reported an incident of intercepting infiltrators in which one militant was killed while two others fled back to the other side of LoC in Tangdhar sector of frontier district of Kupwara.

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Amid spike in terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, special director general of Border Security Force (BSF) western command YB Khurania reviewed security scenario along the India-Pakistan international border in Samba sector, officials said on Saturday. Special DG of western command of the BSF, YB Khurania at a forward location in Samba sector. (HT Photo)

The special DG (western command) arrived at the frontier headquarters of the BSF on Friday for a three-day visit to review the security scenario on Jammu international border, said a BSF spokesperson.

BSF Jammu Inspector General DK Boora gave a presentation to special DG covering the critical aspects of border security and domination in the area, the spokesperson added.

The special DG later visited Samba border area and was briefed about threats being faced by the BSF, ranging from trans-border tunnelling and smuggling by Pakistan.

He was shown various border domination aspects on the ground. Special emphasis was given to the challenges posed by Pakistani drones from across the border, the spokesperson added.

Khurania addressed the troops on the ground and praised them for their effective duties round the clock.

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Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA Abhay Singh Chautala on Saturday said the INLD has no inhibition in joining hands with the Congress, a stand Janta Dal (United) backed while calling upon the Congress the largest party of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to be large hearted. Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA Abhay Chautala on Saturday said the INLD has no inhibition in joining hands with the Congress, a stand Janta Dal (United) backed while calling upon the Congress the largest party of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) to be large hearted. (HT File Photo)

Addressing a press conference here ahead of the INLDs annual rally being held in Kaithal on September 25 to mark the birth anniversary of the party founder late Chaudhary Devi Lal, Abhay Chautala and JD (U) spokesperson KC Tyagi made it clear that not only INLD was ready to hug the Congress but also the INDIA bloc cannot treat any party opposed to the BJP as untouchable.

Chaudhary Devi Lal started his political career from the Congress and we had good relations with the BJP once. When Congress was weakening the country, we supported the BJP...Now that the BJP is ruining the nation, we have no reservations and inhibitions in embracing the Congress, said Abhay, the INLDs lone MLA in Haryana from Ellenabad segment.

He said that he will personally meet Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Delhi on September 18 and extend invite for the Kaithal rally. He said he would also like to meet Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and invite AAP supremo for the rally.

Finally, it is up to them if they want to attend the rally or not...We will welcome Congress leader Bhupinder Singh Hooda also in case Congress high command deputes the former Haryana CM to attend the rally. I have no reservations in personally extending the rally invitation to Kejriwal, he said.

Backing the INLD to the hilt, the former Lok Sabha MP and JD (U) spokesperson Tyagi said that the foundation of INDIA was laid on September 25, 2022, during the Fatehabad rally held to mark birth anniversary of late Chaudhary Devi Lal.

When the fight is with the might of the BJP, no party can be treated as untouchable...If JD(U) could join hands in Bihar with its political opponents, why cannot Congress join hands with the INLD, Tyagi said, adding that his party never considered INLD out of INDIA bloc.

Stating that INLD must be a part of the INDIA bloc in order to defeat the BJP, Tyagi said the INLD has its own credibility and history. He said in Delhi, Kejriwal was ready for an alliance with the Congress, while AAP had issues with the Congress in Punjab and Haryana.

The Congress will have to show its large heart...join hands with AAP and INLD in Haryana and defeat BJP, said Tyagi, repeatedly saying that the late Chaudhary Devi Lals political stature and legacy had played a crucial role in forming the INDIA bloc.

Hits out at Hooda over INDIA alliance comment

Ambala : INLD leader Abhay Chautala on Saturday hit out at former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda over his comment on INDIA alliance in Haryana and claimed that by doing so, he is helping the BJP.

Amid a series of meetings by senior leaders of different parties under the banner of INDIA bloc to contest together in as many possible seats during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Hooda recently said that the Congress is capable of winning on its own on all the 10 seats in the state.

He had asserted that the Congress will fight all the seats in the next years general elections on its own and ruled out any alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

On this, Chautala told the reporters, Who is he to decide on INDIA? Earlier, he used to say that he will be the chief minister from Congress and now he is changing statements. Recently, Congress leader Kumari Selja has said that the high command will decide on the INDIA alliance.

By giving such statements, Hooda is trying to create confusion and helping the BJP, he added.

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Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has asked individuals involved in the food processing industry to leverage the potential of digital platforms to directly deliver their products to the consumers. These platforms, he said, offered a unique opportunity to connect with consumers directly, enhancing market reach and business potential. Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar has asked individuals involved in the food processing industry to leverage the potential of digital platforms to directly deliver their products to the consumers. These platforms, he said, offered a unique opportunity to connect with consumers directly, enhancing market reach and business potential. (HT File Photo)

The CM who on Saturday engaged with beneficiaries of the food processing industry through an audio conference said most consumers now seek the availability of food items online. Therefore, all those involved in the food processing industry have the opportunity to directly market their products to consumers using digital platforms.

Khattar said the food processing industry was experiencing rapid growth with factors such as a rising population, urbanisation, and health-conscious consumers leading to an increasing demand for high-quality products. In 2022, the food processing industry in the country was valued at 26 lakh crore, and it is anticipated to grow to 35 lakh crore within the next three years. This indicates significant potential for investment and development within this sector. The CM said around 28,000 food processing units have been established in Haryana. Before CMs arrival, the police had detained several Aam Aadmi Party leaders, who were addressing a press conference at a hotel in Sirsa.

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The Jamalpur police arrested a 32-year-old labourer for trying to rape a 12-year-old mentally challenged girl in Shri Ganesh Nagar colony in Sahibana village. The FIR has been lodged on the statement of the father of the victim, saying that his daughter was playing on the street with other children on Friday and suddenly went missing. (Getty image)

The accused has been identified as Ajay Kumar works at a welding workshop in the same village. The FIR has been lodged on the statement of the father of the victim, saying that his daughter was playing on the street with other children on Friday and suddenly went missing.

The complainant said that while searching for her, he heard her cries from bushes. When he rushed there, he found the accused attempting to rape his daughter. On seeing him, the accused escaped from the spot and threatened him.

The complainant said that he rushed his daughter to the hospital and informed the police.

ASI Kulwant Singh, who is investigating the case, said that an FIR under sections 376, 511 (attempt to rape), 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and section 18 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act has been lodged against the accused. The accused was on Saturday remanded in judicial custody.

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Lahore On Saturday, the Lahore high court raised an objection to reopening the decade-old case and constitution of a larger bench to listen to the petition that pleads to set aside the sentence of Bhagat Singh by exercising principles of review and order the government to honour him with posthumous state awards

A court in Pakistan on Saturday raised an objection on a plea to reopen the case of freedom fighter and revolutionary Shaheed Bhagat Singhs sentencing in 1931 and to set it aside by exercising the principles of review and honour him with posthumous state awards.

Bhagat Singh was hanged by the British on March 23, 1931, along with his comrades Rajguru and Sukhdev after being tried under charges of hatching a conspiracy against the Raj.

Bhagat Singh was initially jailed for life but was later sentenced to death in another fabricated case.

On Saturday, the Lahore high court raised an objection to reopening the decade-old case and constitution of a larger bench to listen to the petition that pleads to set aside the sentence of Bhagat Singh by exercising principles of review and order the government to honour him with posthumous state awards.

The court objected that the petition is not maintainable for the constitution of a larger bench, advocate Imtiaz Rashid Qureshi, chairman of the Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation and one of the petitioners, told PTI.

The petition says that Bhagat Singh fought for the Independence of the sub-continent. It further says that Bhagat Singh is respected in the subcontinent not only by the Sikhs and Hindus but also Muslims. Founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah twice had paid him tribute during his speech in the central assembly.

It is a matter of national importance and should be fixed before a full bench, Qureshi pleaded.

He said Bhagat Singhs name was not mentioned in the first information report of the murder of British police officer John P Saunders for which he was sentenced to death.

About a decade ago, the Lahore police had searched through the records of the Anarkali police station on the courts order and managed to find the FIR of the murder of Saunders.

Written in Urdu, the FIR was registered with the Anarkali police station on December 17, 1928, at 4.30 pm against two unknown gunmen.

The case was registered under Sections 302, 120 and 109 of the Indian Penal Code.

Qureshi said that the special judges of the tribunal handling Bhagat Singhs case sentenced him to death without hearing 450 witnesses in the case.

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The operational speed of Delhi Metros Airport Express Line will be increased from the existing 110 kmph to 120 kmph starting Sunday, officials aware of the matter said, adding that this is the highest speed achieved by any Metro network in the country so far. Airport Line Metro speed to be raised to 120kmph

The move, the officials said, will bring down the travel time between the New Delhi and IGI Airport stations from a little over 18 minutes to 15-and-a-half minutes. Meanwhile, the travel time between New Delhi station and the Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 station  set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his 73rd birthday on Sunday  will be around 21 minutes.

Metro services on the stretch from Dwarka Sector 21 to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 will be operational for passengers from 3pm, officials said. Those coming to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 Metro station by road may enter the station from Gate number 3.

Sunday will be the third time that the operational speed of the Airport Express line will be increased this year  DMRC increased its speed from 90 kmph to 100 kmph on March 22, and the speed of the trains was further increased to 110 kmph on June 22.

DMRC officials said that in order to facilitate the movement of Metro trains at a high speed of 120 kmph, more than 260,000 tension clamps were replaced on the entire corridor, with the bulk of the work carried out between 11pm and 7am to ensure minimal hindrance to existing operation. They said the estimated timeline for the completion of this task was 18 months, but it was completed within six months.

This historic increase in speed of Indias fastest metro corridor gradually from 90 kmph to 120 kmph has been made possible by meticulous planning and time-bound implementation by DMRCs engineers in consultation with a number of other government agencies and domain experts, said a DMRC spokesperson.

As a pilot, the efficacy of these clamps was checked on a kilometre-long trial track. Various measurements, including vibration and stress on the rails, were carried out using advanced instruments on this trial track before implementing the same on the main corridor, officials said.

A highly advanced system consisting of 3D accelerometers and strain censors was deployed for continuous measurement of vibrations and strains on the tracks at different speed levels. Oscillation monitoring was performed at speeds from 90 to 120 kmph to ascertain smooth movement at higher speed levels. Tremendous efforts were put in by DMRC officials to analyse the measurement data at various speeds to understand the behaviour and response of the system, the spokesperson said.

Other Metro systems that needed to be upgraded to match the new speed included the signalling infrastructure and interface testing with rolling stock, and passenger information systems, officials said.

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The Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory ahead of the inauguration of the India International Convention & Expo Centre (IICEC) or Yashobhoomi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi's Dwarka on Sunday. On the same day, he will also inaugurate the extension of the Delhi Airport Metro Express Line from Dwarka Sector 21 to a new metro station  'Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25.' The route from the NH-48 to Nirmal Dham Nala (Urban Extension Road-II) in Delhi will be impacted throughout the day.(Sunil Ghosh/HT file)

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Delhi Police shared the advisory and said, In view of the inauguration of The India International Convention & Expo Centre (IICEC) by the Honble PM Shri @narendramodi on 17.09.2023, special traffic arrangements will be effective. Please follow the advisory.

According to the advisory, the route from the national highway-48 to Nirmal Dham Nala (Urban Extension Road-II) will be impacted through out the day. The advisory recommends commuters to steer clear of UER-II.

Alternate routes

Delhi Traffic Police offered commuters alternate routes ahead of the inauguration, as follows:

For those travelling from NH-8 to Najafgarh: Utilise Bijwasan Najafgarh road.

If coming via NH-48 from Najafgarh/Dwarka: Take a left turn at Dhuldiras Chowk towards Dwarka Sector-23 and access road No.224.

Commuters headed from Dwarka to Gurugram: Use Dhulsiras Road leading to Bamnoli Village, and then take Najafgarh Bijwasan road.

Residents of Dwarka sub-city and west Delhi: Can take the Palam flyover to reach their intended destinations.

In order to minimize problems, general public are advised to plan their journey in advance, the advisory said.

'Yashobhoomi'

Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate Phase 1 of the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC), known as Yashobhoomi. This project was conceived with the aim of establishing a world-class infrastructure to host meetings, conferences, and exhibitions within the country".

According to a statement from the prime minister's office, Yashobhoomi encompasses a vast project area of over 8.9 lakh square metres, with a total built-up area exceeding 1.8 lakh square metres, which will place the centre among the largest MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) facilities globally.

Additionally, Yashobhoomi will be linked to the Delhi Airport Metro Express line, featuring the inauguration of the new Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 metro station. This station will have three subways: one spanning 735 metres to connect the station with the exhibition halls, convention centre, and Central Arena; another connecting entry/exit points across Dwarka Expressway; and a third linking the Metro station to the future Exhibition halls' foyer within Yashobhoomi.

The Delhi Metro will enhance the operational speed of trains on the Airport Express Line from 90 to 120 km/hr, thereby reducing travel time. The entire journey from New Delhi to Yashobhoomi Dwarka Sector 25 is expected to take approximately 21 minutes.

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Two men allegedly stole an Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) rifle and its bullets from the sentry post of an apartment at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg in central Delhi on Wednesday, the Delhi Police said on Saturday, adding that both the suspects have been arrested and the weapon recovered. The two were arrested on Friday morning. (Representational image)

Deputy commissioner of police (central), Sanjay Kumar Sain, said that the arrested men are e-cycle rickshaw drivers and used one of their three-wheelers to carry away the weapon.

The officer identified the two as Vikas Rai, a 25-year-old native of Nepal, and 21-year-old Mohammad Kabir. Both live near the Ranjeet Singh flyover.

Police began working on this theft after receiving a complaint from the Nagaland Armed Police Battalion that unknown people stole the rifle, the bullets and a phone which was lying at their post in MS Flats in DDU Marg.

The DCP said that CCTV footage showed the suspects stealing the weapon. They were caught on Friday morning.

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Police on Friday arrested two men for allegedly duping a 23-year-old executive of a private company of 20 lakh on the pretext of liking links on social media platforms, Gurugram police said on Friday. The suspects were identified as Hariom Singh alias Ravi and Mohit Kumar, both residents of Julana in Jind. (Representative Image)

The suspects were identified as Hariom Singh alias Ravi and Mohit Kumar, both residents of Julana in Jind. The police team arrested Singh from Palam Vihar and Kumar from his village, said police. The suspects were taken on two days police remand.

Police has recovered 40,000 cash, two mobile phones and ATM cards from their possessions.

Police said the victim, identified as Anuj Kaushik, a resident of Ashok Vihar in Sector 3. He had received a call on August 7 that they will be sending task-based links on Telegram for a part time online job. Police said the job offer was from a landline number of Ghaziabad and he started receiving links on Telegram.

Varun Dhaiya, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said that Kaushik invested 55,000 on the same day he received the call and received 150, 13,300, 1550 and 1550 as profit on his investment of one day to lure him. On August 8 and 9 he invested 18 lakh to earn more profits but was duped. When he asked the suspects to return his money they refused to repay the amount along with the hefty profits shown to have earned by him that he suspected foul play, he said.

Police said that as per the trick the suspects initially, made him spend small amounts and promised hefty commissions.

Amit Kumar, station house officer (SHO) of Cyber Crime (west) police station said that they received a compliant on August 10 and they launched a probe. We collected details from the bank and after verifying the claims a case was registered on August 21 under sections 420 (cheating ) and section 66D of information technology act.

Police said during questioning, the suspects revealed that they used to contact people, via the Telegram social networking app and they offered them jobs and asked them to like some links which were sent by them to earn profits. The victims were offered jobs with some fake company and were asked to open the links and like it. The first time they did that, they were paid 150 and later the amount went up to 7,500, police said. The complainants were then told to pay money for higher returns. To get their money back, they were asked to keep investing. Upon refusal, they were told they had lost the invested amount, said Dahiya.

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Rajasthans Dausa police on Saturday morning arrested three alleged cow smugglers after an overnight search operation in which one of them was shot and critically injured during a gunfight with the police, said people aware of the matter. (Representative Photo)

The incident took place on the Jaipur-Agra National Highway-21 around midnight on Friday when police tried to stop a vehicle of cow smugglers coming from Jaipur, added the people mentioned above.

According to the people, the smugglers left the vehicle carrying cattle and ran into a nearby forest, following which police launched a search operation.

On Saturday morning, police reached the Nangal Bersi after being informed about their hideout and chased them.

As soon as the police approached the smugglers, they started firing and in return fire, one of the smugglers was critically injured in firing, while two others also suffered injuries.

Dausa superintendent of police Vandita Rana said police rescued four cows and seized a truck from their possession.

One of them received bullet injuries and all have been admitted to the district hospital for treatment, said the SP, adding a complaint has been registered under section Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation Temporary Migration or Export) Act 1995.

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The Calcutta high court on Friday imposed a fine of 50 lakh on the West Bengal government for not handing over a probe into an alleged corruption at a women-run cooperative society in Alipurduar district from the state criminal investigation department (CID) to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED), a lawyers who attended the hearing said. Members of a cooperative society in north Bengals Alipurduar district filed a police complaint in 2020 alleging that around  50 crore had been defalcated. (File Photo)

The court made strong observations against the CID saying it failed to recover 50 crore that was allegedly defalcated although the investigation started in 2020.

The money was taken as loan by some people who never returned it, the complainants, who approached the bench in August, told the court.

The fine was imposed by justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who, on August 24, directed the CID to hand over all documents related to the investigations to the federal agencies.

The judge imposed the fine when the state approached his bench with the request to review the August 24 order and let CID probe the alleged scam, a lawyer said on condition of anonymity.

The judge said that the state has to deposit 50 lakh at the office of the registrar general of the high court in two weeks. Also, the CID was told to hand over the documents to CBI and ED within 72 hours, the lawyer said.

Are you playing with the money of poor people? CID does not know who took the money but I know, the judge was quoted to have said while making observations during Fridays hearing.

Members of the cooperative society in north Bengals Alipurduar district filed a police complaint in 2020 alleging that around 50 crore had been defalcated. The society stopped functioning and the depositors did not get any refund.

Although the CID arrested five people in three years, it failed to recover the money.

No CID official commented on the court order till Friday evening.

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After failing to get any breakthrough in a case wherein a woman cop onboard Saryu Express was brutally attacked, Uttar Pradesh Police on Saturday announced a reward of 1 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of the attacker. On September 8, inspector in-charge of Ayodhya Cantt railway station Pappu Yadav was sent to the police lines after failing to get any breakthrough in the case even nine days after the attack. (For representation)

In a press note, the police asked people to provide them with information on three numbers: 94544-01210 (Special Task Force additional superintendent of police (ASP)); 94544-01828 (Deputy SP) and 94544-02257 (the investigation officer of the case).

They said the identity of the informer would be kept a secret and the reward of 1 lakh would be given to him/her by UP Police Special Director General, Law and Order, Prashant Kumar.

On September 8, inspector in-charge of Ayodhya Cantt railway station Pappu Yadav was sent to the police lines after failing to get any breakthrough in the case even nine days after the attack.

The 43-year-old woman constable was found in a pool of blood on the train. She had suffered severe injuries and was undergoing treatment at the KGMU trauma centre.

The STF was roped in after the Allahabad High Court took suo moto cognisance of the case and asked the state police authorities what action was taken regarding it.

The cop hails from Prayagraj and is posted at 181 Women Helpline Cell in Sultanpur. She was assigned for Sawan Mela duty in Ayodhya on August 30.

On the complaint of the womans brother, an FIR was lodged under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharging duty) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from duty) of the IPC against unidentified persons.

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Mumbai: At least 43 people were injured after a fire broke out in a 12-storey Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) building in Kurla West late on Friday night. Of the 43 injured people, 29 had to be hospitalised. Assistant divisional fire officer Ravikiran Karalkar of Mumbai Fire Brigade confirmed that the fire erupted due to an electrical glitch. These SRA buildings are not maintained and have no OC. There was too much smoke, and we rescued most of the people from the staircase and sent them to hospital, he said. (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

The blaze broke out at 11:45pm due to a short circuit in the electrical duct of the building and around 50 to 60 stranded residents were rescued, officials from the fire department said, adding that the fire was confined to electric wiring, electric installation, scrap materials, among others in the electric duct from ground floor to 12th floor.

We had to cut off the electric supply of the building. The fire was extinguished around 1:45am with two small hose lines and one high-pressure line of four fire engines, a BMC official said.

Thirty-two-year-old Pradeep Patekar, a resident of the building, and his eight-year-old daughter were admitted to the Rajawadi Hospital after they inhaled smoke. We have warned the fire brigade in the past as well on the issue of fire safety norms being repeatedly flouted, but no authorities have paid any heed to it. We also wrote a letter to the local fire station a few months ago, requesting them to look at illegal storage on the ground floor which may lead to fire, he said.

Patekar was asleep when he heard people screaming, Fire, fire. There are 14 members in my family. We all locked ourselves in the bedroom since there was too much smoke in the passage. After the arrival of the fire brigade, local men and fire officials rescued us, however, I was feeling dizzy and had to be admitted, he added.

Assistant divisional fire officer Ravikiran Karalkar of Mumbai Fire Brigade confirmed that the fire erupted due to an electrical glitch. These SRA buildings are not maintained and have no OC. There was too much smoke, and we rescued most of the people from the staircase and sent them to hospital, he said.

Another senior fire official from the Mumbai Fire Brigade said it is likely that the building has no OC and investigations are on as well as a notice has been issued to the owner of the land and the building.

Shubhash Khurangale, another resident of the building, said, A lot of people were sleeping when we heard about the fire. The fire from the electric duct went all the way up to the 12th floor. We managed to douse a lot of fire before the arrival of the fire brigade.

Khurangale said many residents of the building are project-affected people (PAP) who were relocated to the building. Seven years ago, the BMC shifted us here for some project. How are we supposed to know whether buildings have OC or not and whether the building has fire NOC or not? Here residents are struggling with water and other basic necessities for survival, he added.

Meanwhile, according to the BMC, out of the 43 injured persons, 39 were rushed to Rajawadi Hospital, Ghatkopar, and four were taken to the nearby Kohinoor Hospital. Of the 39 patients, 29 were admitted and 10 patients took DAMA (Discharge Against Medical Advice) and returned home, BMCs disaster management department said, adding that the four taken to Kohinoor Hospital were treated and sent home immediately, without the need of hospitalisation.

A doctor who was in charge of the treatment of the victims at Rajawadi Hospital said, All are stable and have throat irritation because of smoke inhalation. All the investigation reports  X-ray and blood reports  are normal.

The medical superintendent of Rajawadi Hospital confirmed that two women aged 45 and 25 were kept under observation and the discharge process for the rest of the patients was ongoing till late evening.

Dr Vidya Thakur, chief medical superintendent, said patients started trickling in after 1am. We stabilised them and put them on oxygen support, she said.

(with inputs from Yogesh Naik)

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The Maharashtra government on Saturday declared a package of schemes worth 45,000 crore for the Marathwada region, which is currently reeling under a drought-like situation. Among these are 11 new irrigation projects worth 13,677 crore. Mumbai: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar addressing the media (Photo by Bhushan Koyande)

Read here: Maratha activist to end fast, quota stir to go on

The government has also decided to launch three river-linking projectsDamanganga-Vaitarna-Godavari Valley, Damanganga (Ekdare)-Godavari and Par-Godavarito transfer surplus water from the Damanganga and Vaitarna rivers to the deficit Upper Godavari basin at an estimated cost of 14,000 crore. The projects were announced by the Devendra Fadnavis government in 2019 but were not taken forward after a change in government that year. With the river-linking project, the government spend goes up to 59,000 crore.

The announcement was made after a special cabinet meeting held in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly Aurangabad) on Saturday. The meeting venue was chosen since the 75th anniversary of Marathwada Liberation Day, also known as Marathwada Mukti Sangram, is to be celebrated on September 17. Marathwada or todays central Maharashtra region was under Nizam rule and was liberated and included in the Bombay Presidency in 1948 and later in Maharashtra in 1960.

Marathwada is a politically significant region, and the government has been on the backfoot here after the hunger strike by Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil for reservation benefits for the community. Marathas comprise 32 percent of the states population and the police lathi charge on activists at the site of the strike backfired on the government. Ever since, it has been scrambling to placate the Marathas, especially given that Marathwada does not have any particular party dominating it. All prominent parties have a presence here, and the region could play a crucial role in a close contest.

Most districts in Marathwada are dependent on rainfed farming and are facing a drought-like situation this year. This is one of the major reasons for agrarian distress in the region which is also known for the second highest farmers suicides in the state. This drought-prone central Maharashtra region elects 46 legislators, and caste equations, emotive issues and religion often trump development.

The state government has also decided to revive the stalled Marathwada water grid project. After the central government started the Har Ghar Jal scheme, many states sought financial support for water grids except our government led by Uddhav ji, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis told reporters. He murdered the scheme. We have now requested the central government for support. A proposal has also been sent to the ministry of Jal Shakti.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde added that his government worked for the people instead of making announcements. We have approved revised administrative approvals of 35 irrigation projects in the last one year, which have paved the way for irrigating eight lakh hectares of land, he said.

Fadnavis, who as chief minister announced a package of schemes worth 49,000 crore in the last cabinet meeting held in Aurangabad in October 2016, said that of the total 31 decisions, 23 were completed, seven were under way and the rest were scrapped by the erstwhile Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government.

The opposition parties have criticised the government for not declaring a drought in Marathwada. Declaring a drought and providing immediate relief to the farmers was essential but the state government has played a cruel joke, said Nana Patole, state Congress president. The demand for water tankers and cattle feed is on the rise. The farmers need monetary assistance on an urgent basis. Around 168 farmers have died by suicide in Beed district in the last two months.

Patole said the governments claim that it had cleared projects worth 59,000 crores was merely a numbers game. We will come to know the reality only when the people get actual relief, he said.

No five-star hotel stay

Following criticism from opposition parties on booking rooms at star hotels for the special cabinet meeting, chief minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday said that they were not staying at five-star hotels but at the government guest house. Pointing out that opposition party members of the INDIA alliance stayed at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai, he said, Did they stay at a dharamshala? Over 100 rooms were booked for them at a 5-star hotel.

Read here: Manoj Jarange-Patil, new poster boy for Maratha quota agitation

Govt school adoption scheme

To improve the condition of government-run schools, the cabinet decided to start an adoption scheme under which schools can be adopted for a period of five to ten years by NGOs, corporates and individuals. Those who adopt a school will also be allowed to develop additional classrooms and repair and paint the buildings among other things.

Other decisions of the state cabinet

Establishing a mobile laboratory for embryo transplant in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, a new government medical college at Hingoli, increasing the stipend of senior resident doctors to 85,000 per month, starting a new government agriculture college and a new agro business and management college at Parli Vaijnath, a new aided agriculture college at Soygaon, a new government agriculture college at Nanded, and developing an ITI incubation centre at Jalna.

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An apartment in Jaypee Wishtowns upscale Kalypso Court society was flooded on Thursday night after the pipeline attached to the fire safety apparatus burst while the family was having dinner. JAL appointed engineer Mukesh Malkot, who inspected the apartment, said this was a one off incident. (HT Photo)

Apartment owner Desh Deepak Verma, a retired IAS officer and former secretary general of Rajya Sabha, filed a complaint to realty firm Jai Prakash Associates Limited and raised questions over the quality of construction material used in the project, located in Sector 128, along Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.

Following the incident, senior fire department officers and a team of the realty firm conducted an inspection of the flat to figure out how the incident happened.

Around 10.30pm, we were having dinner in the dining hall when a loud boom was heard and a steel knob from sprinkler pipe attached to the fire systems fell on our lounge just next to the place where we were eating our meal. We were shocked as within ten minutes, dirty black water flooded our apartment. In panic, we called the security guard and also complained to the maintenance staff. Somehow, the security staff managed to stop the water, but our flat was flooded by then, said Verma.

Verma said the incident could have caused more problems had the knob fell on someone.

The realtor has used poor quality material in the fire safety systems, said Verma.

Verma stays at fourth floor in Kalypso Court society that was handed over to the apartment owners in 2018 onwards.

JAL appointed engineer Mukesh Malkot, who inspected the apartment, said this was a one off incident.

This is the first time that such as incident has happened in any housing project. Our fire safety systems are in proper condition. We immediately addressed the issue. We have used proper quality material in this building. But we are taking all required measures to make sure such an incident doesnt repeat, said Malkot.

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Police arrested two women and their male accomplice for allegedly extorting 50,000 from a Delhi resident by luring him through an online dating app, police officers aware of the matter said. The suspects, identified as 25-year-old Dipanshi Kumari, 36-year-old Shaheen Parveen, and 25-year-old Ankit Kumar, were arrested at Dipanshis residence in Vasundhara. (Representative Image)

The suspects, identified as 25-year-old Dipanshi Kumari, 36-year-old Shaheen Parveen, and 25-year-old Ankit Kumar, were arrested at Dipanshis residence in Vasundhara.

Police said that the victim, a man from Delhi, lodged a complaint with the Indirapuram police station on Friday. In his statement, he alleged that he was approached by Dipanshi on a dating app. They also added that the identity of the man is withheld for security reasons.

Swatantra Kumar Singh, ACP of Indirapuram, said, Shaheen Parveen is the gang leader who operated a group that targeted individuals through online apps. Dipanshi, one of her accomplices, would engage and entice men, initiating intimate conversations with them on these apps. The victim from Delhi was also lured by her, and when he visited her flat on Thursday, other members, including Robin, Ankit, and Parveen, also joined at Dipanshis flat.

The victim was later confined within the flat and subjected to physical assault by the two men in the presence of the two women suspects, police said.

Subsequently the gang forced him to remove his clothing. Under duress, he complied, and they proceeded to photograph and videotape him. They then issued threats to make these explicit images and videos public if he failed to pay 5 lakh. With only about 50,000 to his name, the man made an online payment to the gang. Following this, he was permitted to leave. However, he later approached the police, leading to the registration of an FIR, the ACP added.

The ACP said that this gang had been operating for approximately six months and was suspected of targeting numerous people using a similar modus operandi.

We will investigate the profiles of the gang members and reach out to potential additional victims as part of our ongoing investigation, he said, adding that Robin, another accomplice, is currently on the run.

The suspects were booked on charges of extortion and causing harm voluntarily, police said.

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The Manipur State Commission for Women (MSCW) has registered 59 cases related to crimes against women from September last year till date in the ethnic violence- hit state and handed over five such cases taken place during the ongoing violence to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for further investigation, MSCW chairperson Ulka Salam said on Saturday. Manipur has been witnessing ethnic violence between Kuki and Meitei communities since the first week of May. (Representative Image)

These five cases handed over to the CBI are related to crimes against women that took place during the ongoing violence in the state. For this, the party concerned has already started its work, Salam said.

It may be mentioned that Manipur has been witnessing ethnic violence between Kuki and Meitei communities since the first week of May, in which 175 persons were killed, 1,108 others injured, 32 reported missing and nearly 50,000 people were displaced.

The 59 cases registered with MSCW since September last year included rape, sexual assault, and domestic violence. Out of these, 36 cases were disposed of, four cases were kept in abeyance and investigations are still undergoing in 19 cases.

MSCW has taken up cases from all over the state, with the majority of cases coming from the valley districts of the state-namely Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal and Kakching. Some cases were also registered from Kangpokpi Churachandpur, Chandel and Jiribam districts.

But were still looking for necessary information by visiting the relief camps so that we can take up as many cases as the commission is committed to ensuring that justice is served to all victims of violence, the MSCW chairperson added.

She said that the commission has prepared a draft gender policy and it would be submitted to the state government soon. Were planning to submit it to the government within the current month, she said.

She said the state gender policy is aimed at addressing the root causes of gender-based violence and ensuring that women and girls have equal rights and opportunities.

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A motorcycle rally was taken out from Headquarters, Central Air Command (CAC) of IAF to Sangam and back, to spread awareness amongst the residents about the proposed air display at Sangam to commemorate the 91st anniversary of Indian Air Force, on October 8. Motorcycle rally being flagged off at CAC HQ in Prayagraj on Saturday (HT Photo)

The rally was flagged off by Air Vice Marshal JS Mann, Assistant Chief of the Air Staff (ACAS) Ops (Offensive). A team of 35 Air Warriors participated in the rally with a lot of enthusiasm and fervour, informed public relations officer (defence), Prayagraj, Gp Capt Samir Gangakhedkar.

The Air Warriors interacted with the local populace and informed them about the Air Display over Sangam and exhorted them to witness the grand event on October 8 from 2.30 pm onwards. The rally also offered an opportunity to the youth to know about the various career options in the Indian Air Force, he added.

To commemorate Air Force Day, dozens of different aircraft will take part in an air display over the holy confluence of Sangam in Prayagraj during which they will put up a dazzling show of some vivid and varying formations.

Governor Anandiben Patel and chief minister Yogi Adityanath will attend the event while consent is awaited from the office of President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who are also expected to grace the occasion.

Military aircraft and helicopters including Rafale, Tejas, Jaguar, Mirage 2000, Sukhoi, MIG-29, C-103 besides Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, Chinook, Apache, and Mi 17 are expected to participate in the Air Force Day fly-past.

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The Crime Branch of the Assam Police busted a large racket of online scammers from different locations in Guwahati and surrounding areas and arrested 191 online scammers, including 47 girls, on Friday, a senior official said on Friday. Police teams conducted raids in eight different locations in Guwahati and surrounding areas from Thursday night till Friday afternoon. (Representative Image)

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, commissioner of police Diganta Barah said that police teams conducted raids in eight different locations, including houses, buildings, and malls, and seized 164 desktop computers, 90 laptops, 26 mobile phones, and various electronic gadgets. Barah said that they had been planning for these raids for sometime and initially collected all the required information. The raids began on Thursday night and continued till Friday afternoon. He said the arrested persons are aged between 21 and 25 years.

The three masterminds were also arrested during the operation and they were identified as Debajyoti Dey alias David (aged 30-31 years) from Karimganj, Rajen Sidana (owner of two call centres) from Ludhiana, and Dibyam Arora (aged 31) from Delhi.

The raids were conducted at Guwahatis Bamunimaidam, Borbari, Rajgarh, Gandhibasti, ABC point and Ganneshnguri and police recovered several documents as evidence in the case, said Barah.

Another call centre at Rajgarhs Borbora complex, which allegedly is in the name of Tasdiqur Rahman was reportedly being run from Noida, was also raided . Police detained 21 people from there and only three of them are from Assam.

Police said that these fake call centres were found to have international ties, with connections to gang members in Delhi, Gurgaon and other locations.

Victims are both Indians and from other countries like United States. They suffered financial losses, with payments made in dollars. The scammers used to transfer the amounts to their other accounts through hawala channels, Barah said.

Barah revealed that the scammers used to shift their call centres frequently to different locations to avoid detection.

The recruitment for these call centres primarily occurred through social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and others. The employees of these call centres received incentives based on the number of successful scams they conducted, he added.

They used to contact educated unemployed youths through social media platforms and were trained for the job. They used to employ youths from Assam, Delhi, Punjab, Maharashtra, and Haryana. Many employees claimed they were unaware of the illegal nature of their work, while others were motivated by the lure of easy money, Barah said.

About the methods used by the scammers, Barah said that the scammers used to post tech-support staff, using pop-up advertisements and toll-free numbers to deceive victims into believing they were contacting legitimate service centres.

Some people avoided the popups but some fell to the traps. Whenever someone clicked on those links, the scammers got the access to the devices and collected all personal information and details of bank accounts. They used to bound the victims to making payments via bitcoin or gift vouchers etc, he said.

The commissioner cautioned property owners to be careful while renting out buildings to prevent the establishment of such illegal operations.

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Four days after Tipraland State Party (TSP) separated to revive itself from Pradyot Kishore Debbarma-led TIPRA Motha, the royal scion said that those who left Motha were the leaders who didnt get the ticket during the last Assembly polls and since then, they have not been associated with Motha. Tipra Motha leader and royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma (File Photo)

The TSP, an indigenous-based regional political party, had earlier merged with a few other indigenous parties to form the TIPRA Motha.

On Monday, TSP leaders Dinesh Debbarma and Sridam Debbarma alleged that the TIPRA Motha had not organised any movement since the conclusion of its plenary session held last month that led them to revive their old party eyeing the survival of the indigenous people.

TSP was the first to demand a separate state for the tribal people of Tripura

Within a few months of its formation, the TIPRA Motha had contested and won the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) polls. The party later contested the 60-seated Assembly polls this February to secure 13 seats and emerge as the main opposition party in Tripura.

Speaking to the reports in Agartala on Friday, Pradyot said, Dinesh didnt get a ticket from Ramchandraghat in the last Assembly polls. So, he has not been with the party since then. Even I was not given the ticket. But if you leave the party only because you did not get the ticket, then its your right. I shall not speak on the issue.

He added that the TIPRA Mothas fight is not to get a poll ticket, its fight is for the Greater Tipraland.

Our fight is not for the ticket or the CPM (Communist Party of India-Marxist) ideology or the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) ideology. Our fight is for Tipraland, for a constitutional solution. Those who want to do politics, let them be. If they dont get a ticket and leave the party, then its their right. Its easy to float a party but its difficult to work hard spending your own money. I wish them luck. I wish they would fight for Tipraland, said Pradyot.

Dinesh Debbarma earlier had alleged that the Motha party MLAs held a a meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati.

Reacting to this, Pradyot said, Its not easy to fight for your people without any compromise being in opposition.

The Indigenous Peoples Regional Alliance (TIPRA) was founded in 2021 by royal scion Pradyot Kishore Debbarma, keeping the agenda of creating Greater Tipraland, a separate state for the indigenous community living in the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council and other northeastern states including Assam, Mizoram etc.

In the past four years, different indigenous parties and social organizations, including the National Conference of Tripura (NCT), Indigenous Nationalist Party of Tripura (INPT), Tipraland State Party (TSP), Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura -Tipraha (IPFT-T), a breakaway faction of ruling BJPs alliance partner IPFT, merged together to form TIPRA Motha.

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The Gaya district administration in Bihar on Saturday refused permission for an event that was scheduled to be held here by religious preacher Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, popularly known as Baba Bageshwar, between September 29 and October 5, citing the famous fortnight-long Pitru Paksha Mela (PPM) to be held in the town from September 28, officials said. Pandit Dhirendra Krishna Shastri in Patna in May this year. (HT FILE)

According to an official who didnt wish to be named, organisers of Bageshwar Jan Seva Samiti (BJSS) had sought permission to organise Hanuman Katha and Divya Darbar on the premises of Magadh University campus or Bodh Gaya auditorium between September 29 and October 5.

The Pitru Paksha Mela, during which Hindus hold rituals to pray for souls of their ancestors, is organised every year at Vishnupad temple in Gaya.

While refusing permission for the Baba Bageshwar event, the district administration has cited traffic congestion, crowd and law & order situation during the Pitru Paksha Mela as reasons.

According to priest Gayapal Panda, Baba Bageshwar will still come to Gaya for three days between October 1 and 3 to offer prayers to souls of his ancestors.

Shastri, a 20-something controversial religious preacher based in Madhya Pradesh who has shot into prominence in the last one year, had visited Bihar earlier this year and held preaching sessions near state capital Patna for days.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Avinash Kumar Avinash, a senior correspondent, reports on crime, railways, defence and social sector, with specialisation in police, home department and other investigation agencies. ...view detail
The prestigious sixth Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (Guangzhou Award) announced its selection of 15 shortlisted cities on Thursday, with Pimpri-Chinchwad being the only Indian city making the cut. Pimpri-Chinchwad being the only Indian city making the cut the prestigious sixth Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation nomination (HT FILE PHOTO)

The other cities include Antalya (Turkey), Bogota (Colombia), Cape Town (South Africa), Gwangju (Korea), Halandri (Greece), Iztapalapa (Mexico), Jakarta (Indonesia), Kampala (Uganda), Kazan (Russia), Mannheim (Germany), Ramallah (Palestine), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Tehran (Iran), and Xianning (China).

All these cities represent urban innovation worldwide. The selection of Pimpri Chinchwad city is quite important for the fact that as many as 274 initiatives from 193 cities and regions across 54 countries submitted applications for the award.

A technical committee comprising international experts, convened at the Guangzhou Library from September 11 to 14 to rigorously evaluate submissions. Their selection process was guided by criteria such as innovation, effectiveness, context, and replicability, all closely tied to the pursuit of local implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA).

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) commissioner Shekhar Singh expressed his delight in this achievement, saying, Pimpri-Chinchwads presence among the elite reflects our dedication to innovative urban solutions, and we are honoured to share our experiences with the world. We remain committed to advancing our citys development.

The Guangzhou International Award has emerged as a global platform for fostering knowledge creation and facilitating city-to-city learning in urban innovation. With more than 1,300 initiatives worldwide submitted over the past five cycles, it continues to inspire and promote transformative urban development practices.

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Karan Boolani's chick flick Thank You For Coming is gearing for its premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Ahead of the gala, the director told Variety in a new interview that while he distanced himself from the writing process, he did ensure that men don't come across as enemies in the film. (Also Read: Thank You For Coming trailer: Bhumi Pednekar's bold film on sex, orgasms and female bonding) Anil Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar in Thank You For Coming.

What Karan said

When we were developing the script, obviously, I pushed myself away from it as [far as] possible, because inherently, I knew that it is an experience that I will never understand  at least, the female pleasure part of it, said Karan in the interview.

The film is co-written by Broken But Beautiful screenwriter Radhika Anand and stand-up comedian Prashasti Singh. Karan added, however, that he ensured that men don't come across as the enemy in the chick flick. "My only attempt was to make it feel like it wasnt that man was the enemy, that man was also a part of this system and not just a victim, but maybe also somewhere, prey to this system, because the story is so strong from a womans point of view that it shouldnt make another gender that is also trapped within this system, the enemy the patriarchal system is our antagonist, and its invisible.

Karan is married to Rhea Kapoor, who has co-produced Thank You For Coming under Anil Kapoor Film and Communication Network alongside Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures. He previously directed the spy thriller show, 24, starring Anil Kapoor, for Colors TV, and the series Selection Day for Netflix India.

Premiere at TIFF

The lead cast of the film, Bhumi Pendekar, Kusha Kapila, Shehnaaz Gill, Shibani Bedi, and Dolly Singh, have landed in Toronto for the world premiere.

Ahead of the premiere, Bhumi said in a statement, It celebrates the unbounded spirit of young girls who are in search of love and how they want to live their life freely. It is very encouraging to see that the jury at TIFF deemed this as a significant theme to be reflected on. I look forward to showing the world through Thank You For Coming, how cinema in India is celebrating and portraying women of today."

Thank You For Coming is slated to release in cinemas on October 6.

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Ashton Kutcher has stepped down from his role as chairman of the board at Thorn, an organization he co-founded to combat child sex abuse, after facing backlash for supporting his That 70s Show co-star Danny Masterson. FILE - Ashton Kutcher, left, and Mila Kunis arrive at the Oscars on March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The couple are apologizing for character letters they wrote on behalf of fellow That 70s Show actor Danny Masterson before he was sentenced for rape this week. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)(Jae C. Hong/Invision/AP)

Masterson, who was Kutchers longtime friend, was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison this week for raping two women. Kutcher and his wife, Mila Kunis, wrote letters to LA Superior Court Charlaine Olmedo in support of Masterson, praising his character and questioning his guilt.

The 45-year-old No Strings Attached actor issued a statement to Time magazine today, explaining why he decided to resign from Thorn, E! News reports.

After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as Chairman of the Board, effectively immediately, he said.

He added, I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve.

In the statement, which was published in full by the US news outlet, Kutcher admitted that by writing a letter in support of Masterson, he had undermined the organizations mission.

As you know, I have worked for 15 years to fight for people who are sexually exploited, the actor said.

Victims of sexual abuse have been historically silenced and the character statement I submitted is yet another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences. This is precisely what we have all worked to reverse over the last decade.

He concluded with a heartfelt apology to all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did. The father of two also said he remains proud of the work Thorn has done in the past 10 years.

Thorn was founded by Kutcher and his ex-wife Demi Moore in 2012 after the former couple watched a documentary about child sex trafficking in Cambodia.

Kutchers involvement with the organization led him to testify at a 2017 hearing with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he discussed Americas progress in ending human trafficking and modern slavery.

Kutchers announcement comes after he and Kunis letters to Judge Olmedo were made public, in which Kutcher described Masterson as nothing but a positive influence and an extraordinarily honest and intentional human being.

ALSO READ| Jonathan Majors assault trial delayed as lawyers claim buried video evidence shows ex-girlfriend hiding something

He also said that he did not think Masterson was an ongoing harm to society.

Kunis then called the convicted rapist an amazing friend, confidant, and above all, an outstanding older brother figure to her.

The A-list couple have since shared a video statement firmly stating that they support victims and did not write the letters to question the legitimacy of the judicial system or the validity of the jurys ruling.
SS Rajamouli's RRR won big at the South Indian International Movie Awards 2023 (SIIMA) on Friday. Jr NTR walked the red carpet ahead of the award ceremony where he won the Best Actor in Leading Role (Telugu) award for his performance as tribal leader Bheem in the film. In his award acceptance speech on stage, Jr NTR mentioned his RRR co-star Ram Charan. Also read: SIIMA 2023 winners: Jr NTR wins Best Actor award for RRR, Rishab Shetty's Kantara wins in most categories Jr NTR at SIIMA event on Friday.

What Jr NTR said at SIIMA

Filmmaker Kabir Khan presented Jr NTR with the Best Actor award at SIIMA. Expressing his gratitude for the RRR team and his fans, NTR Jr said, "I would love to thank my co -star, my brother, my friend Charan for standing beside me as a pillar of support for RRR. Last but not the least I would love to thank all my fans. I bow down to my fans who have always been with me through my ups and downs. You have been my pillar of support at all times. You people shed a tear along with me whenever I was in pain and smiled in unison with me when I am happy.

Jr NTR receives his award at SIIMA event.

Other awards won by RRR at SIIMA

Jr NTR wore a black suit for the event and also received RRR director SS Rajamouli's award for Best Director (Telugu) on his behalf. The film won in other major categories as well. MM Keeravaani won the Best Music Director (Telugu) award for his music in the film. Chandrabose won the Best Lyric Writer (Telugu) award for the Oscar-winning song Naatu Naatu from RRR. The Best Cinematographer (Telugu) award also went to Senthil Kumar for RRR.

MM Keeravani and Chandrabose had also received an Oscar for RRR song Naatu Naatu. They also won the Best Original Song award at the Golden Globe Awards for the dance number.

Jr NTR is currently working on Koratala Siva's Devara, which will release on April 5 next year. Janhvi Kapoor also stars in the film. Ram Charan is currently spending time with his daughter Klin Kaara, who was born in June.

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A host of celebrities headed to Dubai for the red carpet event of the South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) in Dubai on Friday. Among them were RRR's Jr NTR, Baahubali's Rana Daggubati, Kantara's Rishabh Shetty, Mrunal Thakur and Shruti Haasan. Many others from the Telugu and Kannada film industries attended the event which saw some expected names among the winners and a few surprises. Also read: SIIMA Awards 2023: Ram Charan, Ponniyin Selvan to Kantara, here are the nominees in key categories Shruti Haasan, Rana Daggubati, Mrunal Thakur and Sreeleela at SIIMA 2023.

Men in black at SIIMA 2023

While Ram Charan did not attend the event, Jr NTR walked the red carpet and took home the Best Actor in a Leading Role (Telugu) award for RRR. SS Rajamouli wasn't present at the event but Jr NTR and Allu Aravind received his Best Director (Telugu) award for RRR on his behalf.

Adivi Shesh, Rishab Shetty with wife and Sreeleela at SIIMA 2023.

Jr NTR, Shruti Haasan, Lakshmi Manchu at SIIMA 2023.

Rana Daggubati looked very slim as he arrived in a black suit and a black hat for the awards night. He won the Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Telugu) award for his performance in Bheemla Nayak.

Rishab Shetty walked the red carpet in a black designer bandhgala suit. He was accompanied by his wife Pragathi Shetty, who was in a cream outfit. He took home the Best Actor in a Leading Role - Critics (Kannada) award for Kantara, in which he played the lead role as well as directed it as well. Rishabh was also honoured with the Special Appreciation Award - Pathbreaking Story (Kannada) for Kantara.

Others on SIIMA red carpet

Mrunal Thakur graced the event in a shimmery pink gown and took home the Best Actress in a Leading Role - Critics (Telugu) award for her film Sita Ramam. She also won the Best Debutant Actress award for the film. The film which had Dulquer Salmaan as the male lead also won the Best Film (Telugu) award.

Adivi Shesh was in a white suit paired with a black shirt. He received the Best Actor in a Leading Role - Critics (Telugu) award for his performance in the film, Major. Shruti Haasan walked the red carpet in a dramatic black gown and was honoured with the Fashion Youth Icon award at the event.

Sreeleela, looking stunning in a black and pink gown, won the Best Actress in a Leading Role (Telugu) award for Dhamaka. Among others who graced the red carpet was Lakshmi Manchu who looked beautiful in a silver saree and dramatic eye makeup.

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Former Miss World and actor Manushi Chillar is all set to be seen opposite Vicky Kaushal in The Great Indian Family. During her appearance on Kaun Banega Crorepati, she talked about the final question that won her the beauty pageant in 2017. She opened up about why she said on the Miss World stage that a mother should deserve to get the highest salary. She added that she was so emotional that even if she was asked to name India's president, she would have taken her mom's name. Also read: Manushi Chhillar: Industry people told me beauty queens cannot act Manushi Chhillar looked stunning in a red dress on sets of KBC.

Manushi talks about final round at Miss World 2017 pageant

Manushi took to the hot seat along with Vicky Kaushal. As the two answered one question after another with the help of a few lifelines, host Amitabh Bachchan asked her about the final question that won her the crown. She was asked during the final round Which profession should receive the highest salary in the world?

Opening about answering the question, Manushi said on KBC, I said, in the world only a mother must get the highest salary in any profession. You get a lot of respect and love from the work you do. Its not just about the money but the respect and the standing in the society should be given more to the mothers.

Manushi on her crown-winning answer

Manushi added that she was among the top five and was trying to spot her family among the audience and finally spotted her mother. "My mother had encouraged me a lot to participate in the pageant and maybe I got more emotional and thats why I took her name. Shayad us waqt koi mujhse ye bhi puchta ki India ka president kaun hai to main apni ma hi bolti (Even if they had asked me who is Indias president, I would have taken my mother's name). It was a very emotional moment for me, she said.

After winning the Miss World crown in 2017, Manushi made her Bollywood debut with Akshay Kumar-starrer Samrat Prithviraj in 2022. She played the role of Princess Sanyogita in the film. The Great Indian Family is her second film and is set to hit theatres on September 22. She has a few more films like Akshay and Tiger Shroff's Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Tehran and Operation Valentine in her kitty.

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It has been over a month since rumours first surfaced that Pashmina Roshan has bagged her second project, which will star Tiger Shroff. Though nothing about the film was revealed, we have now exclusively learnt that its titled Hero No 1 and is going to be a two-heroine film, also co-starring Sara Ali Khan. Tiger Shroff and Pashmina Roshan will be seen in Jagan Shakti's Hero No 1

The project features Sara and Pashmina as the leading ladies opposite Tiger, and Pashmina will play his primary love interest, informs a source, adding that the film belong to the action-drama genre, with a dash of science.

Moreover, while the name might suggest otherwise, we have further learnt that Hero No 1, is neither a remake nor a sequel of the original classic starring Govinda.

The film, being directed by Jagan Shakti, who earlier helmed Mission Mangal, is expected to go on floors early next year. Though the shoot will begin in London in January 2024, Tiger has already shot for an action sequence, and Sara and Pashmina will join him only next year, adds the source, hinting that this could be Tigers final project with Vashu Bhagnani. Tiger had signed a three-film deal with Bhagnanis production, and after Ganpath and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Hero No 1 is their third collaboration.

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Security forces neutralised two terrorists in an encounter that broke out in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday morning. The counter-terror operation is still underway near the Line of Control in Uri. The encounter broke out in the Hathlanga forward area of Uri. (Representational Image / ANI Photo)

Kashmir Police Zone said in a social media post, Encounter has started between terrorists and Army & Baramulla Police in forward area of Uri, Hathlanga in Baramulla district.

It later informed that two terrorists were killed in the operation.

Further details shall follow, police said.

This comes a day after a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror module was unearthed in the Baramulla district with the arrest of two militant associates and recovery of arms and ammunition from them. A police spokesperson identified the two as Zaid Hassan Malla, a resident of Mir Sahib Baramulla, and Mohammad Arif Channa, from Stadium Colony Baramulla.

They were involved in cross-border smuggling of arms and ammunition at the behest of Pakistan-based terror handlers and its further distribution to LeT terrorists for carrying out terror activities," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, an operation is underway in the Anantnag district to neutralise terrorists who have taken positions in the forest area in a hilly terrain. Security forces have deployed drones to pinpoint the location of terrorists as the operation to flush out the ultras entered the fourth day on Saturday.

Additional Director General of Police (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar said the operation was launched based on specific input and that the two to three trapped terrorists will be neutralised. He also advised retired police and Army officers to avoid peddling the ambush hypothesis in the media.

"Retired police/Army officers should avoid 'ambush hypothesis'. It is a specific input-based ops. Ops is in progress and all 2-3 trapped terrorists will be neutralised," he said.

On Friday one more soldier succumbed to injuries taking the toll to four. The army is yet to confirm the death of the fourth personnel in the operation.

Colonel Manpreet Singh, the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Aashish Dhonchak, from the same battalion, and DSP Humayun Muzamil Bhat were killed on Wednesday.

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Security forces foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control by eliminating three terrorists in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian Army said on Saturday. The Chinar Corps said in a social media post that the bodies of two slain terrorists have been recovered but the retrieval of the third body is being interfered with by firing from a Pakistani post in the vicinity. The encounter broke out in the Hathlanga forward area in Uri sector of the north Kashmir district. ANI Photo)

In a Joint Operation launched by #IndianArmy, @JmuKmrPolice and Intelligence agencies an infiltration bid was foiled today in the morning hours along LoC in Uri Sector, #Baramulla. 03xTerrorists tried to infiltrate who were engaged by alert troops, Chinar Corps said.

02xTerrorists have been eliminated and bodies recovered, third terrorist killed but retrieval of body being interfered by firing by Pak post in vicinity, on LoC, it added.

The operation is in progress, the Army said.

The identities and group affiliation of the slain terrorists are yet to be ascertained, police said.

The infiltration bid and the subsequent encounter come a day after a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror module was unearthed in the Baramulla district with the arrest of two militant associates and recovery of arms and ammunition from them. A police spokesperson identified the two as Zaid Hassan Malla, a resident of Mir Sahib Baramulla, and Mohammad Arif Channa, from Stadium Colony Baramulla.

They were involved in cross-border smuggling of arms and ammunition at the behest of Pakistan-based terror handlers and its further distribution to LeT terrorists for carrying out terror activities," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, an operation is underway in the Anantnag district to neutralise terrorists who have taken positions in the forest area in a hilly terrain. Security forces have deployed drones to pinpoint the location of terrorists as the operation to flush out the ultras entered the fourth day on Saturday.

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NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR: Northern Army commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday reviewed the ongoing counterterror operation in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag district where the hunt for terrorists who killed two army officers, a jawan and a deputy superintendent of police (DSP) entered its fourth day. Security personnel keep vigil near the site of an encounter with terrorists at Kokernag area, in Anantnag district, on Saturday. (PTI)

Security forces have not made headway in their efforts to neutralise the perpetrators holed up in a hill cave, officials tracking the encounter said.

Dwivedi was briefed by the local commanders on all aspects of the joint operation by the army and Jammu and Kashmir Police, including the high-tech equipment being used for surveillance and the weapons to target the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists.

#LtGenUpendraDwivedi #ArmyCdr, Northern Command reviewed the operational situation on the ongoing operations at #Kokernag forest area in #Anantnag. He was briefed by the ground commanders on the High Intensity Operations in which Hi-tech Equipment is being used for surveillance and delivery of firepower along with the high impact of precision fire being used by the forces, the Udhampur-based Northern Command wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Colonel Manpreet Singh, the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Aashish Dhonchak, also from the same battalion, DSP Humayun Muzamil Bhat and a radio operator were killed in the encounter. Singh, Dhonchak and Khan were leading teams that were hot on the trail of the terrorists in the treacherous terrain and were fired upon from concealed positions while climbing a steep slope.

The operation has entered its final stage and there will be positive news shortly, said a senior officer, asking not to be named. The operation continued despite heavy rain in the area, with the anti-terror squads targeting the suspected hideout of the terrorists with an array of weapons including Carl-Gustaf rocket launchers and under-barrel grenade launchers.

Two soldiers are recovering at the armys base hospital in Srinagar; one of them has a gunshot wound in the leg while the other was injured after a fall.

The police believe that one of the terrorists holed up in the area is Uzair Khan, who has been operating in the area and knows the lay of the land. He joined LeT only a year ago but quickly climbed the terror ranks to become a so-called commander.

The operation involves some of the armys toughest fighting men, including those from the special forces, and counterterrorism specialists from the J&K Police. The army and the police launched a joint operation on Tuesday night after receiving intelligence about terrorist movement and their likely hideout in the forested area.

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Bengaluru: Karnataka cooperation minister KN Rajanna has stirred controversy by proposing the addition of three deputy chief ministers in Karnataka, a move that could lead to tensions within the ruling Congress party, which is already grappling with internal issues. Rajanna announced on Saturday he would write to the Congress high command, suggesting the appointment of deputy chief ministers from three distinct communities: Veerashaiva-Lingayat, SC/ST, and minority communities. Rajanna recommended that one deputy chief Minister be appointed from the SC/ST community, another from the minority community, and the third from the Veerashaiva community. (ANI)

Currently, DK Shivakumar, representing the Vokkaliga community, holds the position of deputy chief minister in the Siddaramaiah-led cabinet and serves as the state Congress President.

Rajanna spoke to reporters, emphasizing the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and the preparations underway by various political parties. Lok Sabha elections are at our doorstep, and we see that all parties are gearing up for the polls. Our goal is for the Congress to secure the maximum number of seats in Karnataka, and we are confident in our ability to achieve that, Rajanna stated.

He explained that the Veerashaiva community had distanced itself from the Congress, but recent Assembly poll results suggested a return of their support to the party. Rajanna recommended that one deputy chief Minister be appointed from the SC/ST community, another from the minority community, and the third from the Veerashaiva community.

Rajannas proposal for three deputy chief ministers contradicts the Congresss previous decision to have only one deputy CM, which was part of the commitments made to Shivakumar when he relinquished his claim to the chief ministers post and accepted the role of deputy chief minister.

Rajanna clarified that his suggestion for three more deputy chief ministers represents his personal opinion, aimed at gaining greater support from SC/STs, minorities, and the Veerashaiva community. He revealed his plan to write a letter to the Congress high command in the coming days, acknowledging that both the ongoing Congress Working Committee meeting in Hyderabad and his commitments to cooperative general body meetings in September would delay his communication with party leaders. He expressed his intention to meet with high command leaders in the first week of the following month to advocate for his proposal.

When asked about potential candidates for the deputy chief minister positions, Rajanna, from the ST community, deferred to the high commands decision. He stressed that he did not seek the position personally and emphasized that the high commands decision would be the partys decision.

Rajanna mentioned that several party members shared a similar opinion regarding the appointment of more deputy chief ministers, expressing their private support for his proposal.

Regarding whether Shivakumar and his brother, DK Suresh, were upset with him for advocating more deputy chief ministers, Rajanna denied speaking against them. He stated, Why would they be upset? I havent criticized them. Shivakumar holds the position of deputy chief minister and is the partys state unit president. He is effectively organizing the party as a skilled organizer. I dont believe theres any reason for him to be upset.

Shivakumar chose not to respond to Rajannas statement regarding the call for three deputy chief ministers, while Suresh told reporters, You should ask Rajanna about it; he is the one running the government.

Meanwhile, party spokesperson and minister Priyank Kharge asserted that party leaders have the right to present their opinions. He stated, People can express their personal opinions before the high command, but as far as I understand, there are no such plans with the high command (to appoint three Deputy CMs). Such a proposal will not create any problems in our party. We have an internal democracy. It is common to have different opinions in a house.

(With PTI inputs)

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The Ayushman Bhav campaign, inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday, is set to roll out from Sunday on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday. The national healthcare initiative aims to ensure extensive coverage of healthcare programmes, reaching every village and town in the country. As part of Ayushman Bhav campaign, Health Melas and Medical Camps will play a crucial role, with these events scheduled to be held once a week at all Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs) and Community Health Centers (CHCs) across the nation. (File)(HT Photo)

As part of the Ayushman Bhav campaign, health melas and medical camps would play a crucial role, with these events scheduled to be held once a week at all health and wellness centres (HWCs) and community health centres (CHCs) across the nation.

This historic launch of the campaign and the portal marked a significant leap towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and ensuring healthcare for all as it strives to further consolidate the accessibility and affordability of healthcare services, particularly for the underserved, President Murmu said while virtually launching the campaign from Raj Bhawan Gandhinagar in Gujarat.

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya, during the inauguration, emphasised, Besides the launch of Ayushman Bhav initiative, organ donation and blood donation pledge campaigns will also be organised which are noble initiatives that should be taken up by every individual.

What is Ayushman Bhav campaign?

According to the health ministry, the Ayushman Bhav campaign represents a comprehensive nationwide healthcare effort. A government release said it is in harmony with the motto of inclusive progress, ensuring that no one is left behind.

The campaign aims to provide saturation coverage of healthcare services, reaching every village and town in the country. Describing it as a groundbreaking initiative, the ministry said the campaign builds upon the success of the Ayushman Bharat programme and signifies a paradigm shift in healthcare services.

The approach combines three key components: Ayushman - Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman Melas held at HWCs and CHCs, and Ayushman Sabhas conducted in every village and panchayat.

The ministry said Ayushman Bhav seeks to distribute Ayushman cards, generate ABHA IDs, and raise awareness about critical health schemes and conditions, including non-communicable diseases, tuberculosis, and sickle cell disease.

Its primary goal is to ensure that healthcare services reach every corner of the country, transcending geographical barriers.

The campaign will be implemented during the Seva Pakhwada from September 17 to October 2. It is characterised by a whole-of-nation and whole-of-society approach bringing together government sectors, civil society organisations, and communities in a collective effort to guarantee that essential health services are accessible to all, without discrimination or exclusion, the ministry said.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. Iran and the US may agree on a new text on Iran's nuclear program in the future, a former head of Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy committee, Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh said, Trend reports.

Ex-MP added that recently, Iran and the US have been able to solve some of the previous problems by taking certain steps. The mutual release of prisoners, the unblocking of Iran's frozen assets abroad, and the taking of steps to resolve problematic issues such as the management of tension that may occur in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman show that Iran and the US are moving in a new direction.

In August 2023, an indirect agreement was reached between Iran and the US with the mediation of Qatar. Based on the agreement, 5 US citizens detained in Iran will be released. Iran's assets frozen in other countries will be released.

"Both countries have come to the conclusion that there are only two sides in the matter of Iran's nuclear program: Iran and the US. All other parties are mediators. Of course, these mediators got involved by Iran itself. Because for Iran, a direct discussion with the US has become a taboo," Falahatpisheh noted.

He said that all discussions regarding Iran's nuclear program were conducted by those mediators, and all parties pursued their own interests within the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

"In my opinion, Iran should reduce tensions with the US in various fields. Iran should set aside taboos and act in the direction of sorting out relations. The reduction of tension creates conditions for Iran's crude oil export and bringing the money from the export to the country," he said.

On January 16, 2016, Iran's nuclear program triggered the creation of the JCPOA between Iran and the P5+1 group (US, Russia, China, UK, France, and Germany).

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 and more than 700 banks, companies, and individuals. The sanctions have resulted in the freezing of Iranian assets abroad.

On January 5, 2020, Iran has announced that it will not fulfill any of its obligations under the nuclear agreement.

In discussions on nuclear program, Iran is mainly trying to achieve the abolition of sanctions imposed by the US and Western countries, the removal of its funds frozen abroad, and the abolition of the restriction on the export of crude oil. In return, the US and Western countries want Iran not to acquire an atomic bomb, to keep its nuclear program under control, and to reduce the level of uranium enrichment.

---

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Bengaluru: The Hindu-right wing activist, Chaitra Kundapur, was declared medically fit by hospital authorities, a day after she was admitted to the hospital after she collapsed during interrogation. She was arrested by the police September 12 on charges of cheating a businessman out of 5 crore by promising him a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket to contest the assembly elections in May. On September 15 morning, Kundapur was brought to the Central Crime Branch office from a womens rehabilitation centre for interrogation

Officials of Victoria Hospital, where she was admitted, stated that her condition was stable. Chaitra Kundapur had seizures earlier but was not on medication. Vitals are stable, ABG, RBS, and ECG are normal. A CT scan was performed, which showed normal results. Currently, her clinical condition is stable, a statement from Victoria Hospital said.

On September 15 morning, Kundapur was brought to the Central Crime Branch office from a womens rehabilitation centre for interrogation. After an hour of interrogation, Kundapur collapsed with froth allegedly oozing out of her mouth and was rushed to Victoria Hospital in the city.

A senior CCB officer said that even though the hospital has declared her medically fit and even suggested her collapse could be orchestrated, the investigators are yet to take her into custody. We will await further instructions from the medical officials and take her back for questioning in due course. Currently, we are focusing on other aspects of the investigation, said the officer.

Another officer, part of the ongoing investigation, said that the CCB conducted inspections at various places in Udupi on Saturday. The searches were conducted to identify land bought by the gang using the money gained from the fraud. We also have information that they have kept money in various societies. We conducted these searches as part of that, added the officer.

Kundapur and six other suspects were arrested on September 12 by the CCB police based on a complaint by Govind Babu Pujari (44), a businessman, at the Bandepalya police station in Bengaluru. Pujari had filed a complaint on September 8 against eight people, including Kundapur, accusing them of extorting money from him by promising a BJP MLA ticket.

On Saturday, he submitted an evidence pen drive to the CCB police in connection with his allegations. The pen drive allegedly contains his phone conversations with the accused. Pujari reportedly recorded his conversations with the accused after he found them suspicious, said CCB officials, who added that the police are going through the evidence submitted.

Another accused in the case, Channa Naik, who was arrested on September 14 evening, was remanded to CCB custody until September 23 by the court. The police have arrested six accused in the case so far. The accused, Seer Abhinava Halashree of Halaswamy Mutt, has been absconding since Chaitras arrest.

On Saturday, a court in Bengaluru adjourned the anticipatory bail application by the seer. The lawyer for the seer had applied for bail at the 57th CCH court in the city on September 15. The bail hearing has been adjourned to September 19, said the police.

Former BJP national general secretary CT Ravi addressed reporters in Mangaluru on Saturday, saying that the truth behind the MLA ticket cheating case involving Hindutva activist Chaitra Kundapura should be unraveled through a comprehensive investigation. Ravi emphasized that the police should conduct a transparent probe to uncover the truth, asserting that there is no system in the BJP for providing party tickets in elections in exchange for money. He said, There are people who get fooled, and there are people who fool them.

Home Minister G Parameshwara stated that the police are actively investigating the case and will provide all the details once the investigation is concluded. He also commented on the recent events, saying, As you have seen a lot of drama (Kundapuras hospitalisation), the police have handled it well. All the details will be provided once the investigation is over.

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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
P Chidambaram, senior Congress leader and former Union minister, on Saturday said there have been requests by members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) that the party should have a Bharat Jodo Yatra from east to west. He added that it is under consideration. Congress leader P Chidambaram. (ANI file)

There have been requests by members of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) that we should have a Bharat Jodo Yatra 2 from the east to the west. That matter is under consideration, Chidambaram told the media at the first meeting of the reconstituted CWC in Hyderabad.

The Congress MP also said, "The CWC is deliberating on a draft resolution. The deliberations are still underway...We are discussing the situation in the country. Broadly, it can be divided into the political situation, the economic crisis that the country faces and the security threats both internal and external that are a great challenge to the country..."

"On the political situation, we believe that there is a challenge to the Constitutional and federal structure of the country. Federalism is being systematically weakened, state governments have been hampered, revenues to state governments have been denied or reduced and obstacles are placed in the way of state governments discharging their responsibilities," the Congress leader said.

Speaking on the 'One Nation, One Election move by the Centre, Chidambaram said it is an assault on the Constitution. "We reject it. It is an attack on federalism. It will require at least five Constitutional amendments. The BJP knows that it does not have the numbers to pass these Constitutional amendments. Yet if it puts forward this mirage of One Nation, One Election, it is only to divert attention from the pressing issues and to create a false narrative..."

Chidambaram also said there was no discussion on the Sanatana Dharma row at the CWC meeting. The Congress is not willing to be drawn into any controversy on the Sanatana Dharma. We have maintained equal respect for all religions, he said at the press briefing.

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Hyderabad: Rahul Gandhi along with party workers during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, in Nanded, India, on Tuesday, November 08, 2022. (Hindustan Times)

A number of Congress working committee (CWC) members on Saturday urged Rahul Gandhi to undertake another Bharat Jodo Yatra, this time from the east to west, raising expectations for the second phase of the foot march that has covered Kanyakumari to Kashmir.

It is under consideration, former finance minister P Chidambaram said at a press briefing.

Such a yatra can be planned after the upcoming assembly polls in the window between January and March next year, another member of the working committee said on condition of anonymity.

The second phase of the Bharat Jodo Yatra is expected to start from Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh and end at Porbandar in Gujarat, the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi. Unlike the first march, this one may not be entirely on foot. Gandhi might use vehicles or boats to cover certain areas in the second phase, Congress have said in the past.

It entirely depends on Rahul Gandhi. Also, any planning for the yatra can only start after the special session of Parliament, said the committee member.

The first Bharat Jodo Yatra became Indias longest foot march after it covered 75 districts in 126 days, starting from Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu on September 7 last year. It covered a total distance of 4,080 km before ending in Srinagar in Kashmir on January 30.

While Gandhis image transformation was a key achievement of the march, the Bharat Jodo Yatra also helped the Congress electorally in some states such as Karnataka, party members said. If the yatra takes place in January, it would be right before the Lok Sabha polls, the working committee member said.

Chidambaram said that Prime Minister Narendra Modis proposed one nation, one election has been rejected by the working committee. Terming it as an assault on the Constitution and attack on federalism, Chidambaram argued that such a move requires a constitutional amendment, but the Bharatiya Janata Party doesnt have the numbers to amend the Constitution.

If BJP presses for it, it will be only to divert attention, he said.

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With PM Modi sitting on the dais, Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister TS Singhdeo recently said the Centre showed no bias to the Congress-ruled state when it came to development works and going forward, the state and the centre should work together. PM Modi was in the poll-bound state to inaugurate rail sector projects in Raigarh on Thursday. As soon as TS Singhdeo acknowledged the central government, PM Modi folded his hands responding to the compliment coming from the political rival. This, however, became an issue of political debate as to whether chief minister Bhupesh Baghel and his deputy chief minister are not on the same page. PM Modi, present at the stage, folded his hands acknowledging Congress leader TS Singhdeo's praise.

"I must say I never saw any bias. If the state wanted something from the centre, the government always cooperated," the deputy chief minister said in the presence of PM Modi.

As his statement became a political issue in the poll-bound state with BJP saying every Congressman will have to praise PM Modi in the state, the deputy chief minister clarified his statement and said there is a tradition of hospitality in Chhattisgarh and the country. "Some statements were made at an official event keeping in mind the dignity of the Prime Minister. I do not want to get into the politics of allegations-counter allegations. My statement was only related to the demands my departments made," the minister who holds the health portfolio apart from many other ministries in the state said.

BJP shared the clip of TS Singhdeo's praise and asked chief minister Bhupesh Baghel whether he would apologise for the 'false propaganda' that he was spreading against the Centre in the state.

A rival of Bhupesh Baghel, TS Singhdeo was made the deputy chief minister in June with a few months left for the election. The move was to avoid a situation like that in Rajasthan between Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot as in Chhattisgarh too, there has been power struggle between Bhupesh Baghel and TS Singhdeo.

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Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi alleged in Madhya Pradesh that the INDIA blocs hidden agenda is to destroy Sanatana Dharma, the Congress tried to distance itself from the controversy triggered by its ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and said there was no discussion on the issue in its working committee meeting. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh along with party leaders P Chidambaram, Pawan Khera and Dr Vineet Punia address the media on the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, in Hyderabad on Saturday (ANI)

Read here: 'Free speech can't be hate speech': Madras HC amid Sanatana Dharma debate row

A few leaders, including former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, briefly touched upon the issue. According to a senior leader from south India present in the meeting, "Gandhi maintained that the party should focus on other issues as the BJP is trying to create diversion using Sanatana Dharma."

Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijaya Singh suggested that the party needs to be cautious on the issue of Sanatana Dharma.

There was no discussion on Sanatana Dharma in CWC (Congress working committee). The Congress president has made it absolutely clear that the Congress party is not willing to be drawn into any controversy on Sanatana Dharma, P Chidambaram said after the first days meeting. We have always maintained equal respect for all religions and we stand by that consistent position for many decades.

Chidambaram, however, explained the context in which the DMK has spoken about Sanatana Dharma.

I am not speaking for the DMK. But I can tell you what the DMK said. DMK said they are not opposed to any religion. They are opposed to caste religion and caste hierarchy. All these goes into suppression of women. Oppression of Dalits and the impediments placed on the so-called lower caste in the caste hierarchy. The DMK has explained that they have mentioned Sanatana Dharma in that context, the senior Congress leader said.

Pressure has been mounting on the Congress over the Sanatana Dharma issue after Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin compared it with malaria and called for its eradication. On Saturday, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath said that the proposed INDIA blocs rally at Bhopal next month has been cancelled. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan linked it to public anger over the Sanatana Dharma issue.

We will find out why the rally has been allegedly cancelled, Chidambaram said, adding that the claim that the Congress is afraid to face the people was wrong as the party will be holding a public rally in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Read here: Understand definition of Sanatana Dharma before making statements, says RSS leader Vaidya

At Bina in Madhya Pradesh, Modi slammed what he called as the hidden agenda of the INDIA group. At a time when Bharat is emerging as a world leader at global forums, some parties are trying to divide the country and its people. These people came together to form an INDI alliance. Some people are calling it a ghamndiya (arrogant) alliance, the Prime Minister had said. They dont have a leader yet and there is a lot of suspense on who would lead them going into the Lok Sabha elections next year. They are working with a hidden agenda, which is to attack Indias culture.

This INDI alliance adopted a resolution to end our Sanatana culture, Modi said. They are bent on destroying the ideologies, cultures and traditions that have kept the country and our people together for centuries.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Saubhadra Chatterji Saubhadra Chatterji is Deputy Political Editor at the Hindustan Times. He writes on both politics and policies. ...view detail
In an attempt to win over caste groups and tribal voters ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on Saturday called for a higher reservation limit for the SCs, STs, and OBCs while it slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for aggravated casteism, communalism and regionalism due to his divisive and discriminatory policies. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, at Taj Krishna in Hyderabad on Saturday. (ANI Photo)

The Congress, which has lost the lions share of its vote bank in states such as Bihar and UP in the post-Mandal Commission politics, said on Saturday, The CWC calls for increasing the existing upper limit of reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs. The push for higher quotas along with its demand for a caste census is seen as the Congresss attempt to counter the Bharatiya Janata Partys Hindutva politics with caste arithmetic.

The party alleged that the Modi government has stubbornly refused to conduct a caste census and said, This refusal in the face of a universal demand has exposed the BJPs lack of commitment to social and economic justice and its bias against the backward classes, Dalits and tribal people. In this context, the CWC also calls for increasing the existing upper limit of reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs.

At the same time, the Congress tried to attack the BJP, which has 77 MPs on the 131 SC and ST seats in the Lok Sabha, for increasing attacks on the backward castes. In its resolution, the CWC said, In his first Independence Day speech, the Prime Minister had called for a 10-year moratorium on casteism, communalism and regionalism. Ironically, the three evils have aggravated in the last nine years thanks to the divisive and discriminatory policies adopted by the Prime Minister, his government and his party. He has not acted against those who committed atrocities against the poor and vulnerable people, especially women, minorities, Dalits and Adivasis.

The Congress efforts to ramp up its outreach to caste groups came after the DMK called a meeting in Chennai in April on the issue of Taking the Social Justice in India forward. The meeting was attended by all Opposition parties, which later formed the INDIA alliance.

The reconstituted CWC met for the first time after the Congress and 27 other parties formed the INDIA alliance in Patna on June 23.

The working committee, the top executive body of the party, wholeheartedly welcomed the consolidation of the alliance and announced, The CWC reiterates the Congress partys resolve to make the INDIA initiative an ideological and electoral success so that our country is freed from divisive and polarising politics, the forces of social equity and justice are strengthened, and the people get a Union government that is responsible, responsive, sensitive, transparent and accountable, pitching for an electoral victory in the 2024.

Launching a frontal attack on the BJP ahead of the election season, the CWC said its rivals political discourse is laced with poison, promotes hate speech and violence, encourages divisive forces, and polarises society.

The CWC, which discussed the current situation of the country over more than six hours, noted that Manipur is bitterly divided and maintained that the economic outlook remains bleak.

The panel also flagged concern over price rise and unemployment and called the PMs Rozgar Melas a hoax to cover up the abject failure to create, as promised, two crore jobs a year.

It also summarily rejected the call for a new Constitution and the mischievous argument that the basic structure of the Constitution can be changed. The Modi governments assault on the Constitution must be condemned and resisted by all democratic forces to safeguard the foundational ideas of the Constitution drafted by Babasaheb Dr Ambedkar and his compatriots, it said.

Ahead of the special session, the CWC noted that parliamentary debate and scrutiny have all but disappeared and far-reaching legislation is hurriedly pushed through without proper scrutiny and discussion.

It announced it will not support the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment) Bill and also demanded that the Womens Reservation Bill be passed during the special session.

The CWC reiterated its demand for a JPC (joint parliamentary committee) on the transactions of the Adani business group and said it has been the prime beneficiary of the Prime Ministers close friendship and the governments biased policies and administrative largesse.

The CWC extended its deepest sympathies to the families of army and police officers who were killed in the recent violence in Jammu and Kashmir. It also appreciated party chief Mallikarjun Kharges contributions and maintained that he has been fearlessly and relentlessly holding the Prime Minister to account for his anti-people priorities, policies and programmes.

In his speech, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi emphasised that the party must stand by the poor people of all commodities. He said the poor suffer the most from price rise, inequalities and job opportunities.

Party leader P Chidambaram said BJP is seeking to divert attention from the pressing issues and create a false narrative.

One nation, one election is an assault on the Constitution. We reject it. It is an attack on federalism. It will require at least five Constitutional amendments. The BJP knows that it does not have the numbers to pass these constitutional amendments. Yet if it (BJP) puts forward this mirage of One Nation, One Election, it is only to divert attention from the pressing issues and to create a false narrative, Chidambaram said.

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The Congress Working Committee, the party's top decision-making body, on Saturday adopted a resolution urging all democratic forces to condemn and resist the Narendra Modi government's assault on the Constitution, news agency PTI reported. In its first meeting since the reconstitution of CWC, the committee said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government has practically destroyed principles and practices of cooperative federalism. Congress party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad on Saturday.(ANI)

Top 10 points from CWC resolutions:

1. The CWC pledged to restore a nation of which every Indian, irrespective of caste or religion, rich or poor, young or old, can be proud.

2. In a resolution on Manipur, the CWC expressed its profound sense of loss and anguish at the ongoing situation of ethnic violence in the state. "The people of Manipur have witnessed extreme devastation and are facing innumerable hardships. More than 200 lives have been lost, over 500 injured and more than 5,000 houses gutted in arson-related incidents. A staggering number of over 60,000 people are displaced and continue to live in dire conditions in relief camps across the state," the resolution stated.

3. In its resolution on Himachal Pradesh, the CWC appealed to the Centre to set aside politics and declare it a national disaster and provide financial assistance. "About 430 people have died, 39 are missing, a large number of farmers have lost their crops, at least 12,000 homes have been destroyed and the state has suffered huge losses in terms of destruction of property and critical infrastructure. The total estimated loss to the state is more than 13,000 crore," the resolution said.

4. The Congress resolved to make the Opposition's INDIA bloc an "ideological and electoral success" to free the country from divisive politics and ensure that people get a government that is sensitive and accountable. The CWC also wholeheartedly welcomed the continuing consolidation of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) claiming it has already rattled Prime Minister Modi and the BJP.

5. In its resolution, the CWC, also expressed grave concern at the increasing unemployment and continuous rise in prices, especially of essential commodities. The prime minister's so-called Rozgar melas are a hoax to cover up the abject failure to create, as promised, two crore jobs a year, the resolution said.

6. The CWC claimed that the failure to conduct the decennial Census, due in 2021, is a national and an international shame. In this context, the CWC called for increasing the existing upper limit of reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs.

7. It also condoled the demise of veteran leader and former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy.

8. It also noted that the chief election commissioner and election commissioners' appointment bill will severely compromise the independence of the poll panel to conduct free and fair elections.

9. The Congress also demanded that the women's reservation bill be passed during a special session of Parliament, a resolution noted.

10. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and general secretaries KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, among others, were present at the meeting.

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Brigadier PMS Dhillon, commander of the Pir Panjal Brigade, on Saturday said the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police foiled a major infiltration bid by killing three terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri town of Baramulla district. Brigadier PMS Dhillon at a press briefing. (ANI)

Dhillon said while two terrorists were eliminated and their bodies were recovered, the third terrorist was killed but the retrieval of the body was interfered with by the firing from a Pakistani post in the vicinity.

"Based on specific inputs, in a joint operation launched by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police, an infiltration bid was foiled today in Baramulla. Three terrorists tried to infiltrate and were engaged by alert troops. Two terrorists were eliminated and their bodies were recovered, the third terrorist was killed but the retrieval of the body was interfered with by the firing from a Pakistani post in the vicinity. Search operations are underway," the brigadier said at a press briefing.

The Army, in a statement, said the three killed terrorists had attempted to infiltrate through the Hathlanga forward area of Uri at 6:45am.

On being spotted, terrorists opened fire on the Army which led to the encounter and a fierce gunfight started, the statement added.

Giving details of the operation Khanda, the officials said that two terrorists were killed in the ensuing gunfight and their bodies were recovered.

"The army came under heavy firing across the border from Pakistan army when they were attempting to retrieve the body of third killed terrorist," the Indian Army said in its statement.

Earlier Jammu and Kashmir police said that two terrorists were killed and the search operation was going on.

The infiltration bid and the subsequent encounter come at a time when an operation is underway in Anantnag district to neutralise terrorists who have taken positions in the forest area in a hilly terrain. The gunfight entered its fourth day on Saturday.

As per officials, two-three terrorists are believed to be engaging security forces in the hilly terrain of Anantnag district.

Sharing a statement of additional director general of police (ADGP) Kashmir Vijay Kumar, the Kashmir Zone Police posted on micro-blogging site X on Friday, Rtd Police/Army officers should avoid Ambush Hypothesis. It is a specific input based ops. Ops is in progress and all 2-3 trapped terrorists will be neutralised.

The Army has maintained a tight cordon-off in the area, it said. Meanwhile, a soldier who had been reported missing Thursday lost his life in the ongoing encounter, officials said on Friday.

An Army colonel in the Rashtriya Rifles lost his life in the ongoing gunfight in the Anantnag district. An Army major and a deputy superintendent of the Jammu and Kashmir Police also fell to enemy fire in the Kokernag area. The slain senior officers were identified as Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonak, and DSP Humayun Bhat.

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Former president Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday announced the first meeting of the One Nation, One Election committee to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous polls to Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities, and panchayats will be held on September 23. This came after the Centre on September 2 notified the eight-member committee - headed by Kovind - to make recommendations keeping in view the existing framework under the Constitution of India and other statutory provisions. Former President Ram Nath Kovind (PTI)

The first meeting will take place on September 23, Kovind told the media while he was in Bhubaneswar to attend the convocation of a private university.

The committee will analyse and recommend possible scenarios for the simultaneous elections such as a hung assembly or adoption of a no-confidence motion and will suggest a framework and a time frame within which the elections can be held.

The members included in the committee are - Union home minister Amit Shah, Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, former leader of the opposition Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, former chairman of 15th Finance Commission NK Singh, former Lok Sabha general secretary Subash Kashyap, senior advocate Harish Salve, former chief vigilance commissioner Sanjay Kothari, and Minister of state (law) Arjun Ram Meghwal - who will attend the meetings as a special invitee.

Chowdhury, however, declined to be part of the One Nation One Election panel.

What is One Nation, One Election?

The discussion of the One Nation, One Election idea began after the central government called a special session of Parliament from September 18 to 22 without citing any reason.

Notably, till 1967 the country held simultaneous elections for state assemblies and the Lok Sabha. However, in 1968 and 1969, some legislative assemblies were dissolved, and in 1970, the Lok Sabha was dissolved - leading to a change in the electoral schedules.

Since Modi became the Prime Minister, he has been pushing for the idea of simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections. In 2017, then-president Kovind had also echoed his support for the idea. During his address in Parliament in 2018, Kovind had said, Frequent elections not only impose a huge burden on human resources but also impede the development process due to the promulgation of the model code of conduct.
Former President Ram Nath Kovind graced the third convocation of ASBM University in Bhubaneswar as the Chief Guest on Saturday, while Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai attended as the Guest of Honor. The event was presided over by Founder and President of ASBM University Biswajeet Pattanayak. Former President Ram Nath Kovind at ASBM University's 3rd convocation in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. (HT Photo)

Ram Nath Kovind commended the city's development as an education hub and praised ASBM University's contribution to Odisha's educational landscape. He emphasised that ASBM University is on the path to becoming a significant player in management education. "The true sunrise in management education has just begun," he said.

Kovind acknowledged ASBM's legacy of excellence and innovation in education and research. He expressed delight that the university is providing futuristic and holistic education at international standards, preparing students for global competition and India's leadership role in the world.

Addressing the students, he encouraged them to aim high and achieve their life goals. Kovind also lauded Biswajeet Pattanayak for establishing ASBM University, changing the future not only for individuals but also for their families and contributing to nation-building.

During the convocation, Honorary D.Litt. degrees were conferred upon Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai and Air Deccan founder Captain G. R. Gopinath. Gold medals for academic excellence were awarded to Samprit Raj Behera, Shivangi Pattanayak, Saddan Alam Khan, and Faiza Feroz. The event was attended by students, parents, Board of Governors and Academic Council members, ASBM Trust Trustees, faculty, and staff.

Goa Governor Pillai's address

In his address as the Guest of Honor, P S Sreedharan Pillai emphasized the importance of instilling values through education. He conveyed to the students that hard work is the ultimate key to success.

Biswajeet Pattanayak, the Founder and President of the university advised the graduating students to approach their work with passion, honesty, and integrity. He encouraged them to embrace continuous learning, stand up for their beliefs, and tackle the challenges of everyday life. The Vice Chancellor, Ranjan Kumar Bal, presented the annual report during the event.

Doctor of degree in literature conferred on Goa governor

ASBM University conferred a Doctor of degree (Honoris Causa) in Literature and Law upon Goa Governor P S Sreedharan Pillai during its third annual convocation ceremony in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.

The degree was awarded to Pillai in recognition of his exceptional contributions to literature, law, and public service. Former President Ram Nath Kovind had the honour of presenting this prestigious degree in the presence of ASBM University President Biswajeet Pattanayak. The occasion was also graced by the presence of the First Lady of Goa K Rita Pillai.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 16. The pro-government Armenian blogosphere, supervised by the departments of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's administration, has received an order to launch a large-scale information campaign to discredit the Russian Federation and the Russian leadership, Russian expert and editor-in-chief of Russian National Defense magazine Igor Korotchenko wrote on Telegram, Trend reports.

"The headline for this was blogger Roman Baghdasaryan, who who made absolutely boorish and unacceptable in any civilized society insulting statements against the leaders of Russia. The theses of Baghdasaryan's speech are fully correlated with the recent anti-Russian statements publicly made by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his "right hand man", Parliament Speaker Alen Simonyan. Moreover, Baghdasaryan - copying and 'creatively developing' Simonyan's theses - particularly attacked the official speaker of the Russian Foreign Ministry, allowing the use of profanity," he wrote.

The expert emphasized that all this disgusting and cynical information campaign of Yerevan is taking place, which is quite remarkable, against the background of the start of the Armenian-American military exercises - Eagle Partner 2023 - and the active anti-Russian subversive work of the European Union's intelligence and surveillance mission entrenched in Armenia.

"At the same time, Armenian military servicemen and militants of Armenian illegal armed groups in Karabakh are practically daily organizing armed provocations to aggravate the situation. Direct provocative actions of armed Armenian separatists in Karabakh against Russian peacekeepers, their vehicles, armored vehicles and Russian peacekeeping contingent (RPC) deployment points are also noted," he said.

Korotchenko also added that against the background of the deepening political crisis between Moscow and Yerevan, a large-scale armed provocation against the RPC may be followed by separatists in order to provoke clashes between Russian and Azerbaijani servicemen in order to demand the entry of EU Blue Helmets (armed contingent) with an international (read - Western) mandate into the region.

As Korotchenko notes, it should be especially emphasized that Pashinyan-led Armenia stabbed Russia in the back at a time when all the Kremlin's efforts are focused on solving the tasks of the special military operation and overcoming large-scale Western sanctions by launching the North-South transport corridor.
A fresh spat seems have to broken out between Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Congress MP from the state Gaurav Gogoi as the former on Saturday lashed out at Rahul Gandhi claiming that the northeastern region was missing from a map of India shared by the grand-old party on social media. This screenshot from the Congress's animated video was shared by Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Gaurav Gogoi, however, was quick to respond by asking Himanta Sarma about the land deals by companies linked to his family, claiming that the Assam CM was "avoiding" answering it.

Gogoi, who has been locked in a war of words on X with Sarma since Wednesday on the issue of the chief minister's wife's company allegedly given a credit subsidy of 10 crore by the central government under a scheme, said he feared his account on the micro-blogging site was restricted, though there has been no official word from the social media giant.

Sharing a screenshot of an animated video from the official X handle of the Congress with pictures of cartoon characters which resemble Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi with a map where the northeast is apparently not visible, Sarma said, Seems the Congress party has secretly struck a deal to sell the entire land of Northeast to some neighbouring country.

The map carries a toon of Gandhi in the middle while the screenshot is captioned with an imaginary dialogue between Modi and Gandhi, inspired by the popular 'Mere pass maa hai' conversation from the 1975 Bollywood movie 'Deewar'.

The caption has Modi stating that he has ED, police, government, money, and friends, and questions what Gandhi has, to which the latter replies that the entire nation is with him.

Highlighting the 'missing' northeastern region, Sarma wrote, "Is this why Rahul went abroad? Or has the party given membership to Sharjeel Imam?"

Who is Sharjeel Imam?

Sharjeel Imam is a student activist who was arrested in a case under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for alleged conspiracy behind the 2020 riots in New Delhi during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act. He has been in custody since January 28, 2020, in the case.

Gogoi reacted by questioning Sarma on land deals of his family and wrote on X: It is ironic to hear the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma talk about land deals. It is exactly the issue that he is avoiding to answer in Assam in the context of the companies linked to his family.

He also asked for specifics about "how much agricultural land has been bought by these companies".

The CM had earlier rejected the charges and said he was willing to accept any punishment, including retirement from public life, if there is any evidence that they had received the subsidy, while his wife has threatened to file a 10 crore defamation case against Gogoi.

Controversy involving Assam CM's family

Another controversy involving the CM's family had surfaced recently when an Assamese web portal published a report alleging that a substantial parcel of agricultural land measuring over 50 bighas at Darigaji village in Nagaon was reclassified as industrial land within a month after it was bought by his family members.

Meanwhile, Gogoi has expressed apprehension that his X account has been "restricted".

"I have received many complaints. People have sent me screenshots (of not being able to access the account). I have asked my office to at least update the people that I feel that Twitter has restricted my account," Gogoi told news agency PTI.

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A court in Kaithal of Haryana on Saturday awarded death sentence to a 22-year-old man convicted of raping and murdering a seven-and-a-half year old girl last year. The court termed the rape and murder of a minor girl as the rarest of rare cases while awarding the death penalty. (HT Archives)

The convict, Pawan Kumar alias Moni, was a pickle vendor and belonged to the extended family of the victim.

The court termed it as the rarest of rare cases while awarding the death penalty. A person who commits such a disgusting and heinous act has no right to live, additional district and sessions judge Gagandeep Kaur said while handing out the sentence. The way the culprit has brutalized the girl is intolerable.

The special Pocso court also announced financial assistance of 30 lakh to the kin of the deceased by the District Legal Services Authority.

Taking into consideration the brutality of attack, the barbaric manner in which the deceased child was raped, murdered and burnt, the mental agony undergone by the parents, the court finds that except death sentence no other sentence will be adequate, the judge said.

The court awarded capital punishment on the charges of section 6 of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso) and section 302 of the Indian Penal code (IPC), seven years imprisonment on section 365, 10 years punishment on section 366 and seven years imprisonment on section 201, deputy district attorney Jai Bhagwan Goyal said. The court also imposed a fine of 13,000.

The case was reported on October 8 last year and a first information report was registered under various sections of IPC and Pocso Act, Goyal said.

Kumar, a resident of a village under Kalayat police station, had kidnapped the class 2 student while she was playing in the street, police investigations revealed. By the evening, the family members of the victim started a search and then filed a police complaint.

The next morning, her burnt body was recovered from a nearby forest. With the help of the CCTV cameras, police succeeded in tracing Kumar. He was arrested by a police team led by deputy superintendent Sajjan Kumar. During interrogation, Kumar confessed that he raped the girl, strangled her and burnt her body by pouring petrol to destroy evidence. Medical evidence and a DNA match helped prove the charges against Kumar. The court recorded statements of 34 witnesses in the case.

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The first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee will be held over the weekend on poll-bound Telangana starting from Saturday. Apart from the upcoming elections in Telangana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, the national political scenario -- the INDIA bloc -- is likely to be discussed at the CWC. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said elections are six to nine months away but it is possible that the government might advance the elections. "Inevitably one of the key topics is going to be current political developments in the country and the actual election prospects and certainly those who have been representing us in the India Alliance meetings, we want to brief the committee about what's happening there...We hope that the elections are in the usual time which is six to nine months away. But it's also possible that the government might advance the elections as we've been hearing and we need to be prepared sooner rather than later...," Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said. Shashi Tharoor is a new entry into the reconstituted Congress Working Committee

Read | HT Interview: If Opposition fights together, we are going to succeed, says Congress chief Kharge

Congress Working Committee meeting in Telangana: 10 points

1. The CWC meeting in Telangana is a combined message to the BJP and KCR's Bharat Rashtra Samithi which the Congress calls BJP's B team.

2. "Congress is giving importance to Telangana and people want Congress in the state. BRS is the 'B' team of BJP and BJP cannot fight Congress alone, so they have placed their B teams at various places to cut Congress votes," Congress leader Ajay Maken said.

3. Sonia Gandhi will preside over the CWC meeting. Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and four Congress chief ministers will be present at the meeting. A public rally will be organised on September 17, celebrated as Telangana National Integration Day.

4. Eye at the state election, the Congress will announce six guarantees in the public rally.

5. This is the first time in many years that the top decision-making body of the Congress will hold deliberations for three days outside Delhi.

6. The Congress Working Committee was reconstituted by president Mallikarjun Kharge on August 20 in which he brought new faces like Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot and Gaurav Gogoi. The CWC has 39 regular members, 32 permanent invitees and 13 special invitees.

7. On reconstituted CWC, Sachin Pilot said it is a good mix of youth and experience and the CWC meeting will be crucial to decide the future course of action.

8. The meeting comes as the INDIA bloc is under fire for publishing a list of 14 journalists boycotted by all INDIA parties.

9. Sanatan Dharma row is another raging controversy facing the INDIA bloc as PM Modi in recent days accused the INDIA bloc of trying to kill Sanatan. The row erupted after Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi compared Sanatan with dengue and malaria.

10. Another interesting political development coming up in the Parliament Special Session from September 18 to 22. An all-party meeting has been convened on September 17.

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Congress leader Pawan Khera on Saturday clarified that there has been no 'boycott' of 14 journalists by the INDIA bloc, it's a movement of non-cooperation. Nothing is permanent and if tomorrow the journalists mentioned on the list published by the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance 'realise that what they were doing is not good for India', INDIA leaders will again attend their shows, Pawan Khera said ahead of the two-day Congress Working Committee meeting. Pawan Khera said INDIA has not 'boycotted, banned or blacklisted' any journalists.

Aditi Tyagi, Aman Chopra, Amish Devgan, Anand Narasimhan, Arnab Goswami, Ashok Shrivastav, Chitra Tripathi, Gaurav Sawant, Navika Kumar, Prachi Parashar, Rubika Liaquat, Shiv Aroor, Sudhir Chaudhary were named on the list of anchors whose showed will not be attended by INDIA representatives.

On being asked about this, Pawan Khera said, "We have not banned, boycotted or blacklisted anyone. It can be called a non-cooperation movement. We will not be cooperating with anybody spreading hatred in the society. We are not stopping them from spreading hatred. If you want to spread hatred, go ahead and do it. You have the freedom to do it. We also have the freedom to not be partners in the crime. They are not our enemies. We don't hate any of these friends from the media. They may have their compulsions. And nothing is permanent. If tomorrow they realise what they were doing is not good for India, not good for the society, believe me, we are all together in this. We will again start attending their shows. So do not call it a ban," Khera said. "If someone keeps dumping garbage on our road, we have the freedom to change our path. We are just exercising that freedom and all INDIA parties have agreed to change our path," the Congress leader said.

The 'boycott' list has invited 'Emergency' jibe from the BJP as several BJP leaders compared the list to Emergency-mentality.

"Media is the protector of democracy. The role of the media is to correct the mistakes of the government. Similarly, the media used to support the opposition to express their views. But unfortunately, some people in the media are supporting the government and destroying the face of opposition...This is sponsored journalism for the PM Modi-led government, that is why the INDIA alliance has taken this decision," Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said.

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The arrest of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on corruption charges has exacerbated widening fault lines between the former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and his successor YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in the run-up to the crucial state assembly and Lok Sabha polls. In an interview with Saubhadra Chatterji, TDP leader and Naidus son Nara Lokesh talks about the current crisis and how his party plans to overcome it. Edited excerpts: Nara Lokesh (X, formerly Twitter)

Read here: Money trail very clear: Andhra CID on Chandrababu Naidu's arrest

How do you see your fathers arrest? How does your party plan to use it ahead of the crucial elections?

As the state government has come with an absolute majority, you will see absolute corruption and corrupt people sending honest people to jail. The TDP will fight against the Andhra Pradesh government through a door-to-door campaign.

A person who has built his character with credibility is today imprisoned over a false accusation on a false pretext.

A few weeks back, Naidu had praised PM Narendra Modi and wanted to meet Union home minister Amit Shah. Yet no one from the BJP top brass has commented on his arrest. What is TDPs relationship with the BJP?

There is no relationship with the BJP. The TDP and the Jana Sena Party [led by actor-politician Pawan Kalyan] have come together to fight against the government.

Did your party approach the BJP for help?

Chandrababu Naidu has praised everyone who worked in the national interest. Our support has been on issues  if we believe a bill is right, we support it. That is why we supported the current dispensation.

Do you see the opposition INDIA bloc, TDP and Pawan Kaylan coming together?

This is very speculative.

Mamata Banerjee and Akhilesh Yadav, both from INDIA bloc, have condemned action against your father

[HD] Kumaraswamy, Rajnikanth, and other have also stood by us and we thank them.

State CID has indicated that you, too, are under its scanner. Your comment

I am here, I havent committed any crime. If tomorrow they arrest me, I will be fine. the fight will not stop.

Will the TDP be able to withstand this pressure?

These crises are not new for the party. [Former PM] Indira Gandhi tried to destroy the TDP, but we bounced back. We were out of power for 10 years, but we again bounced back. We are a cadre-driven party and the cadre has strongly stood by Naidu. No leader has either moved or doubted his incorruptibility. So, nothing will happen...

Read here: TDP chief Naidus arrest reflects autocratic rulers policy: Akhilesh

You have announced that your party will take up Naidus arrest during the upcoming special session of Parliament. Will you seek the support of opposition parties for a consolidated effort?

Naidu is the recent victim, but he is not the only one. We will speak not only for him but all other victims of atrocities of this (state) government... We will sit with the cadre and decide.
Bharatiya Janata Party MP Varun Gandhi on Saturday said India should focus on conserving its own endangered species and habitats as the central government plans to import more cheetahs from South Africa. BJP MP Varun Gandhi criticised the government on the death of cheetahs.

Gandhi expressed his dismay on social media platform X, saying, Importing cheetahs from Africa and allowing nine of them to die in a foreign land is not just cruelty, it's an appalling display of negligence.

India's import plans for cheetahs specifically focus on those that do not develop thicker winter coats, as this has been a key factor in severe infections and the death of three cheetahs, news agency PTI reported citing the head of the reintroduction project SP Yadav.

The upcoming batch of cheetahs is slated to be introduced into Madhya Pradesh's Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary by year-end.

Gandhi urged the government to shift its attention towards safeguarding "our own endangered species and habitats" instead of contributing to the plight of these creatures.

"This reckless pursuit of exotic animals must end immediately, and we should prioritise the welfare of our native wildlife instead, the Lok Sabha member from Pilibhit added.

Project Cheetah to complete one year on Sunday

Project Cheetah, India's ambitious initiative to reintroduce cheetahs following their extinction in the country, marks its first anniversary on Sunday. The project commenced on September 17 last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a group of cheetahs brought from Namibia into an enclosure at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park.

Twenty cheetahs were imported from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno in two batches, one in September last year and the second in February. However, since March, six of these adult cheetahs have succumbed to various causes, with three of the four cubs born to a female Namibian cheetah perishing due to extreme heat in May.

The remaining cub is being nurtured under human care with plans for future reintroduction into the wild.

(Inputs from PTI)

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Jaipur: Union minister of civil aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday hit out at Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot over his statement blaming the Centre for delays in construction of the proposed greenfield airport in Kota, calling it misleading and without having taken the facts of the matter into account. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Hindustan Times)

In a detailed response to Gehlots allegations, the Union minister said the state government till date has only allotted 33.4 hectare of land in favour of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) out of the total 440 hectare proposed.

The back-and-forth, staggered response and tardy pace of handing over of the land by the state government have delayed the process of development of the Kota airport, Scindia posted on X. It shows that CM Ashok Gehlot ji is least interested in the development of Kota Greenfield Airport or civil aviation in the state.

Gehlot, who inspected the proposed airport site at Shambupura village in Bundi district of the poll-bound state on Thursday, had blamed the Union government for creating hurdles in the construction of Kota airport. The central government is creating obstacles in the construction of Kota airport. Kota MP and [Lok Sabha] Speaker Om Birla should intervene in this matter and proceed with its construction in a timely manner, Gehlot had said. If Om Birla cannot help in this, then we will take up this work and move forward.

Scindia, however, rejected the allegations in a detailed response his posted on the microblogging site.

It is unfortunate thatGehlot has made such a misleading statement without having taken the facts of the matter into account, he said.

The Union minister further said that the process of diversion of remaining land (out of the proposed 440 hectare) is yet to be carried out by the state in spite of several reminders by MoCA [ministry of civil aviation] and AAI. The shifting of power grid line is pending despite informing the state, he added.

In spite of all this, Scindia said, his ministry has completed topographical survey of the site; soil investigation work and submitted a report for further action; and awarded work regarding environmental clearance.
Hyderabad Telangana chief minister on Saturday inaugurated the Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme (PRLIS) at Narlapur in Nagarkurnool district. Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao inaugurates the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, in Nagarkurnool on Saturday. (ANI)

Telangana will construct irrigation projects on the river waters within its share allocated by tribunals and not crave for any water allocated to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, chief minister Rao said on Saturday.

Addressing a public rally at Narlapur in Nagarkurnool district after switching on the motor for release of water from multi-stage PRLIS, the second largest lift scheme in the country being constructed on Krishna river, KCR blamed the previous governments that ruled the combined Andhra Pradesh state for the irrigation woes of the southern Telangana, particularly erstwhile combined Mahabubnagar district.

For the last nine years after the formation of Telangana state, we have been fighting for our own share of water to be determined by the tribunals at the earliest, so that we can utilise it for meeting the irrigation and drinking water requirements of the state, KCR, as the chief minister is popularly called, said.

The chief minister accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre for not addressing the issue of irrigation requirements of the newly-formed Telangana state. Despite repeated appeals and representations, the Narendra Modi government has not heed to the states demand to help determine its share of river waters, he said.

He said the issue would have been resolved by now had the Prime Minister written a letter to the Krishna water disputes tribunal. If the state BJP leaders are sincere, they should pursue the matter, he said.

KCR appealed to the people to be wary of forces that could derail the state from the path of its progress. The PRLIS would have been a reality at least three to four years earlier but for the hurdles posed more by the enemies within the state, he added.

The chief minister said with the completion of the first stage of PRLIS, his dream had been fulfilled. I could realise the dream of a separate Telangana while being a Member of Parliament representing Mahabubnagar. By completing the PRLIS project, I am happy that I could fulfil my promise, he said, adding that the project still has a long way to go before completion.

The Congress and the BJP spokespersons could not be reached for their reactions.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Srinivasa Rao Apparasu Srinivasa Rao is Senior Assistant Editor based out of Hyderabad covering developments in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana . He has over three decades of reporting experience. ...view detail
Alleging that Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu was the kingpin behind the 371 crore Andhra Pradesh state skill development corporation scam, chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday asserted that the law would treat everybody equally, irrespective of ones stature. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu (PTI)

In his first reaction after Naidus arrest last week, by the Crime Investigation Department (CID), Reddy said the investigation had clearly exposed Naidus involvement in siphoning off public funds. He is the brain behind the scam, as he had given all the approvals for the embezzlement of money. Investigation by the Enforcement Directorate and the CID exposed a trail of evidence pointing directly at Naidus alleged involvement in the scandal, he said, addressing a meeting Nidadavole, after the disbursement of financial assistance of 536 crore under the YSR Kapu Nestham scheme to 3.57 lakh eligible women beneficiaries.

The CIDs probe had unearthed a fake agreement related to the skill development project, with Naidus signature on 13 different files associated with the scam, the chief minister said. Confidential note files from bureaucrats and higher officials were also cited as revealing Naidus active role in advancing the fraudulent project, despite objections from higher-ranking officials, Reddy said.

Meanwhile, legislator and TDP Andhra Pradesh unit president K Atchannaidu said, Everybody knows the TDP chief was falsely implicated in the skill development corporation case and jailed. It is a fake case foisted by the CID, which has totally misled the courts...Can Jagan show even a single proof on siphoning of funds by Naidu?

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A fresh case of Nipah virus was confirmed in Kerala's Kozhikode on Friday, taking the total number of infections to six while the fatalities remain two. Kerala is grappling with a renewed surge in Nipah cases  the brain-damaging virus which spreads through contact with the body fluids of infected bats, pigs or people. The virus was first detected in 2018. Health workers collect clinical samples and investigate the home of a Nipah virus victim, in Kozhikode on Friday. (PTI)

In view of the situation, the state government is in a high alert mode, testing those who are on the high-risk contact list of the infected persons. The Kerala Health department said it has identified a total of 1,080 persons in the contact list of the positive patients and has started collecting samples.

Meanwhile, as the government makes efforts to contain the spread of the virus, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) announced Friday that it would procure from Australia 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody for its treatment.

Nipah virus top updates:

1)ICMR DG Rajeev Bahl on Friday said, The medicine being procured from Australia needs to be given during the early stage of the infection. According to him, no one so far has been administered the medicine in India. He added that the mortality rate in Nipah among the infected is very high (between 40 and 70 per cent) compared to the mortality in Covid, which was 2-3 per cent. Bahl said that ICMR is also planning to start work on developing a vaccine against the viral disease.

2) The Kerala High Court on Friday asked the state government to issue guidelines, if required, for pilgrimage to Sabarimala when it opens for monthly puja in view of the outbreak.

3)As a precautionary measure, all educational institutes in Kozhikode will remain shut for a week until next Sunday while online classes will be ensured. Meanwhile, all hospitals treating Nipah cases have been directed to form a medical board to meet twice a day and to hand over the report to the health department.

4)Health minister Veena George said that about 29 people in other districts are in the contact list of Nipah-infected people. He said that the contact list is likely to increase and added that as many as 17 persons who had attended the cremation of the man who died on August 30 were put under isolation.

5)Meanwhile, the Kerala police lodged a case in this regard against a man for allegedly posting fake news related to the virus. Koyilandi resident 40-year-old Anil Kumar, a newspaper agent, allegedly circulated fake news through social media, claiming that Nipah was a fake narrative created by pharma companies, a senior police official said.

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Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday termed the opposition bloc's decision to boycott 14 news anchors childish, saying the move was not new and can be traced back to the Emergency era. Sarma warned that the media will get censored if the Congress party comes to power. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.(PTI)

This boycott and media censorship can be traced back to 1975. It is not new. It is a rehearsal for you. For any reason, if the Congress government comes to power, the media will get censored, he told reporters in Jabalpur.

Taking a swipe at the Congress party, he added, But ISRO has made the Chandrayaan at the right time. I will send the entire Congress party to the moon, to form government there...This is childish

The media sub-group of the 28-party bloc released a list of 14 news anchors whom they will boycott for alleged bias in their coverage of the opposition and hate speech. This effectively means INDIA will neither send representatives to their shows nor invite them to any political events of the coalition.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra on Friday said the opposition alliance has attacked every institution in the country, wondering if the list of anchors is more a "target list" or "hit list" aimed at targeting them with FIRs.

The Congress, however, maintained that the opposition has not boycotted anyone and has rather decided not to cooperate with those spreading hatred in the society. Congress's media and publicity head Pawan Khera called it a non-cooperation movement, adding that they may reverse the decision if the named news anchors do the course correction.

We have not banned, boycotted or blacklisted anyone. This is a non-cooperation movement, we will not cooperate with anyone spreading hatred in the society...They are not our enemies. Nothing is permanent, if tomorrow they realise that what they were doing is not good for India, we will again start attending their shows, Khera told reporters in Hyderabad.

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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
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Friday hit back at BJP national president JP Nadda who alleged that the opposition INDIA alliance was bullying media by boycotting 14 news anchors across nine channels, citing attacks on journalists and India's decline on the Press Freedom Index over the past nine years. Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah. (PTI)

Mr J P Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has boycotted every Indian journalist by not addressing even a single press conference in the last 10 years, Siddaramaiah said in a social media post.

How is it wrong to boycott 14 journalists who have compromised media ethics by acting as mouthpiece of one political party? the Congress leader added.

A war of words between the ruling BJP and the opposition bloc has erupted over the latter's decision to release a list of television news anchors that it will boycott over allegations of spreading fake news and bias in their coverage. The decision effectively means that INDIA will neither send representatives to these shows nor invite them to any political events of the coalition.

The list of journalists includes Arnab Goswami of Republic TV, Navika Kumar and Sushant Sinha of Times Now Navbharat, Sudhir Chaudhary and Chitra Tripathi of Aaj Tak, Aman Chopra, Amish Devgan and Anand Narasimhan of News18, Rubika Liyaquat of Bharat24, Gaurav Sawant and Shiv Aroor of India Today, Prachi Parashar of India TV, Aditi Tyagi of Bharat Express, and Ashok Shrivastav of DD News.

Nadda termed the list nazi style and drew a parallel between INDIAs decision and the Emergency.

These days, INDIA is ONLY doing 2 things: BASHING SANATANA SANSKRITI - each party is competing to outdo the other in hurling the choicest abuses towards Sanatana Sanskriti. BULLYING THE MEDIA- filing FIRs, threatening individual journalists, making lists in true Nazi style of who to target. The Emergency era Mindset is alive among these parties, he said.

Responding to Nadda's criticism, the Karnataka chief minister said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), We will give you the data on the actual attack on the media. You may have forgotten this, but INDIA still remembers it, listing the name of journalists who were arrested or killed during the BJP's rule.

Siddaramaiah also posted India's rank on the World Press Freedom Index showing the country's decline in the last nine years.

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One more terrorist was killed on Saturday morning in Jammu and Kashmirs Uri sector as the security forces continued their counter-terror operation to hunt down terrorists who killed two army officers and a Jammu and Kashmir deputy superintendent of police in Anantnag early Wednesday, officials said. The security forces intensified their manhunt on the fourth day to flush out militants in Kokernag forests as the encounter began in the Hathlanga forward area of Uri on Saturday morning (Representative Photo)

The security forces intensified their manhunt on the fourth day to flush out militants in Kokernag forests as the encounter began in the Hathlanga forward area of Uri on Saturday morning.

Hatlanga village is the last village on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector in the Baramulla district. The officials said that there was a possibility that a fresh group of infiltrators were intercepted by the army.

Encounter has started between #terrorists and Army & Baramulla Police in forward area of #Uri, Hathlanga in #Baramulla district. Further details shall follow. @JmuKmrPolice, Police wrote on X (formerly Twitter) as it confirmed the killing of one terrorist in the encounter and said the operation is underway.

On Saturday morning fresh firing was reported near the spot which had been encircled by the army and police.

A senior officer privy to details said, The (militants) hideout is being targeted by using RPGs, grenades and round-the-clock surveillance through drones and quadcopters.

Moreover, drones have been pressed into service to pinpoint the location of terrorists who have taken positions in the forest area on a hilly terrain in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag district, according to officials.

On Friday one more soldier succumbed to injuries taking the toll to four. The army is yet to confirm the death of the fourth personnel in the operation.

The soldier, a radio operator, was reported unaccounted for on Thursday, the officials said, asking not to be named, even as the operation continued without a breakthrough. Two other injured soldiers are recovering at the armys base hospital in Srinagar; one of them has a gunshot wound in the leg while the other was injured after a fall, HT has learnt.

Colonel Manpreet Singh, the commanding officer of 19 Rashtriya Rifles, Major Aashish Dhonchak, from the same battalion, and DSP Humayun Muzamil Bhat were killed on Wednesday. They were leading teams that were hunting for the terrorists in the treacherous terrain and were fired upon from concealed positions while climbing a steep slope.

The counter-terror squads of the army and the J&K Police on Friday cast a wide net for the elusive Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists holed up in the Garol forest, closed in on their suspected hideout and brought it under heavy automatic fire.

The army and police had launched a joint operation on Tuesday night after receiving intelligence about terrorist movement and their likely hideout in the forested area.
Elements within Pakistan's government and military have long been accused of supporting jihadist groups in India and Afghanistan, a charge Islamabad vehemently denies. Former Pakistani Ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, has now called upon Pakistan to reevaluate its approach to global affairs, emphasizing the importance of pragmatism in a changing world. Former Pakistani Ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani. (Photo courtesy: Hussainhaqqani.com)

In an article for Pak-based The News, Haqqani highlighted Pakistan's preoccupation with internal power struggles and jihad in the neighbourhood over the past three decades. He argued that this focus has hindered Pakistan's ability to grasp the profound changes that have occurred globally since the end of the Cold War with the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991.

Having been an American ally from the 1950s through the 1980s, Pakistan should have benefited from the unipolar moment when the United States dominated the world order. Instead, the unwise choice was made to add anti-Americanism to the negativity about India that had been part of the national DNA since independence, he wrote.

Haqqani pointed out that despite the US-China rivalry and the 1962 border war between China and India, these nations have continued trading while keeping political and security matters separate from economic interests. While acknowledging China's growing assertiveness in shaping the global order under the leadership of Xi Jinping, he noted that the shared economic interests between China and the West have acted as a restraint on hardliners from both sides, contributing to global peace.

The former ambassador highlighted another example of pragmatism found in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which has remained a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights and a critic of certain Israeli policies. However, in 2020, the UAE took a leadership role in the 'Abraham Peace Accords,' normalizing relations between Arab nations and Israel, with potential benefits for both sides.

He concluded by underscoring Pakistan's need to shift its focus from political disputes, ideology, and delusions of grandeur to embrace an educated workforce, wealth production, and leadership capable of adapting to global changes.

Read the full article here

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Stating that no medical college can deny a stipend to interns, the Supreme Court on Friday directed the Delhi-based Army College of Medical Sciences (ACMS) to pay a monthly stipend of Rs.25,000 to the current batch of interns beginning October 1. Supreme Court of India (Representative Photo)

The top court also asked the National Medical Commission (NMC), the apex governing body of medical education, to look into allegations that 70% of medical colleges in the country not paying mandatory stipends to MBBS interns.

The Court was hearing a petition filed by doctors who graduated from ACMS in March this year after completing the mandatory one-year internship by serving at the Army base hospital.

The petitioners questioned the denial of stipend by the ACMS since its establishment in 2008 and said that other medical colleges in Delhi were offering stipend to final year MBBS students ranging from Rs.24,000 to Rs.27,000.

Hearing the petition, a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud said, How can any medical college say we will not pay our interns? You cannot extract work from young doctors by saying we are a non-profit college.

Advocates Charu Mathur and Vaibhav Gaggar appearing for the petitioners informed the Court about the (Compulsory Rotating Medical Internship) Regulations, 2021 that entitles young doctors to a regular stipend.

The petitioners lawyers informed the bench that nearly 70% of the medical colleges in the country do not pay or pass less stipend.

The bench, also comprising justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said, The mandate of regulations adopted by NMC cannot be breached, and went on to direct the ACMS to pay a monthly stipend of 25,000 to each of the interns from October 1 onwards.

The Court further directed NMC counsel Gaurav Sharma to verify this fact and file a response on steps taken to ensure the stipend rule is observed by all colleges and posted the matter for hearing after four weeks.

The ACMS represented by senior advocate R Balasubramanian pointed out that ACMS is a self-financed private medical college and is neither a government-run college nor an aided institution.

He said that the college is functioning under the aegis of the Army Welfare Education Society, which is a non-commercial venture set up to impart medical education to deserving children of Army personnel including war widows and veterans.

The bench said, Because you are a non-profit body, will you say that we wont pay our safai karamcharis (sweepers)? You have our full support and sympathy but you must start paying stipends to your interns.

To offset the financial burden on account of this additional payout, the Court permitted the ACMS to approach the state fee regulatory authority to hike the fees and asked the authorities to consider the request of the ACMS considering that the education fees and hostel facilities are heavily subsidized.

Advocate Balasubramanian informed the Court that last year the fees charged from students were reduced from a nominal 4.32 lakh annually to 3.20 lakh and to meet the teaching demands of the faculty, serving Army doctors conduct classes to provide training and expertise to the students.

We are not against our students but we need to look at our financial health, Balasubramanian said, requesting the Court to allow him to consult the higher officials in the Army to come back with a solution.

However, the bench noted that most of the interning students are not residents of Delhi and need to take care of their accommodation, food and other expenses while doing the internship.
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 73rd birthday on Sunday, various events have been planned across the country as part of the celebrations. On his birthday, Modi will inaugurate the first phase of the India International Convention Centre (IICC), known as Yashobhoomi, in New Delhi's Dwarka. Additionally, he will dedicate the extension of the Delhi Airport Metro Express Line, connecting Dwarka Sector 21 to a newly constructed metro station at Dwarka Sector-25. Prime Minister Narendra Modi(Satish Bate/HT Photo)

Let's take a look at other events being organised as part of Modi's birthday celebrations.

Events planned for PM Modi's birthday

The BJP will initiate a Sewa Pakhwada programme that involves reaching out to diverse segments of society and organising various welfare activities nationwide. The programme will extend until October 2, which marks Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary, a tradition that the BJP has consistently observed in recent years. Additionally, programmes under the Ayushman Bhav' campaign will be rolled out during Sewa Pakhwada.

The Tripura BJP unit has designated Modi's birthday celebration as the Namo Vikas Utsav'. The day's events will commence with a yoga session held at Kumarghat PWD Ground, attended by chief minister Manik Saha, his cabinet colleagues and senior party leaders from both Delhi and Tripura.

In honour of the PM's 73rd birthday, 73 priority households in Tripura will receive PG ration cards, 73 copies of the Bhagavad Gita will be distributed to students, and 73 individuals with disabilities will receive assistance.

The launch of the PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman Yojana is scheduled for the occasion of Vishwakarma Puja and Modi's birthday. This initiative aims to provide financial support to artistes, craftsmen, and small business owners, enabling them to grow their businesses by offering capital support. The government of India has allocated a budget of  13,000 crore for the implementation of PM Vishwakarma Yojana, with the ministry of micro, small and medium Enterprises serving as the nodal ministry.

13,000 crore for the implementation of PM Vishwakarma Yojana, with the ministry of micro, small and medium Enterprises serving as the nodal ministry. According to a Live Mint report, BJP's Gujarat unit plans to open bank accounts for 30,000 schoolgirls in Navsari district. The BJP Yuva Morcha will organise blood donation camps across all districts in Gujarat to commemorate the occasion.

PM Modi's birthday celebrations in past 5 years

2022: PM Modi released eight imported cheetahs into Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park.

2021: To commemorate the PM's birthday, India administered 2.26 crore Covid vaccinations as part of a special drive. Additionally, an e-auction was conducted for mementoes gifted to Modi.

2020: The BJP organised various events under the banner of 'Sewa Saptah' to mark Modi's birthday. Party workers distributed rations to those in need and organised blood donation camps. BJP chief JP Nadda also unveiled a book titled Lord of Records, highlighting 243 unprecedented achievements of the Modi government.

2019: Modi sought the blessings of his mother, Heeraben, and then attended the Namami Narmada festival in Gujarat's Kevadiya on his birthday. He also addressed a public gathering near the Statue of Unity. Modi's mother passed away on December 30 last year at the age of 99.

2018: On his 68th birthday, Modi visited his parliamentary constituency Varanasi and offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple. He also met students from Naraur Primary School in Rohaniya, part of the Kashi Vidyapith block.

(With inputs from agencies)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Lingamgunta Nirmitha Rao Trainee Content Producer at Hindustan Times Digital Stream. India's regional languages attract me. ...view detail
With monsoon activity picking up, primarily over east and central India, parts of Madhya Pradesh received extremely heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday said south-central Madhya Pradesh witnessed a downpour, with Bhimpur village in Betul district receiving 445 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, beating the earlier record of 410 mm in Chaurai town of Chhindwara in August 2020. Commuters during rainfall, in Ranchi, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.(PTI)

The well-marked low-pressure area that moved from the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining North Odisha-West Bengal coasts was lying over East Madhya Pradesh on Friday. It is likely to move across West Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat during the next 2-3 days, bringing heavy rainfall along.

The north-central Maharashtra is also likely to receive extremely heavy rainfall today.

The Met department has issued red and orange alerts for districts in central south-west Madhya Pradesh, expecting more rain in the region. Parts of Gujarat are also likely to receive extremely heavy rain till September 17.

The Konkan region, Goa, central Maharashtra, and Gujarat are likely to witness widespread rainfall, thunderstorms, and lightning till September 18. Isolated areas within these regions may also experience heavy to very heavy rainfall.

Light to moderate rainfall and thunderstorms are predicted in Uttarakhand, Jammu division, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and southwest Uttar Pradesh till Sunday. East Rajasthan is expected to experience very heavy rainfall on September 16 and 17.

Odisha and Jharkhand are likely to witness rainfall activity on September 18 and 19. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are also in the path of these weather systems, where very heavy rainfall is expected on September 17.

In the northeastern states, including Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura, a mix of scattered to fairly widespread rainfall, thunderstorms, and isolated heavy rainfall is likely to persist from September 17-19.

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Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday rejected Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlots accusation that the Centre was creating hurdles in the construction of an airport in Kota and said that it was the state government which was delaying the process. He also accused Gehlot of misleading the people. Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. (File Photo)

It is unfortunate that the Rajasthan Chief Minister Shri Gehlot has made such a misleading statement without having taken the facts of the matter into account...The back-and-forth, staggered response and tardy pace of handing over of the land by the State govt. have delayed the process of development of the Kota airport...It shows that CM Shri Gehlot is least interested in the development of Kota Greenfield Airport or civil aviation in the state, Scindia said.

On Thursday, Gehlot in Kota said, The central government is creating obstacles in the construction of Kota airport. Kota MP and (Lok Sabha) Speaker Om Birla should intervene in this matter and proceed with its construction in a timely manner. If Om Birla cannot help in this, then we will take up this work and move forward.

In a detailed response posted on X, Scindia listed the work done by the Centre and what was not done by the state government in the construction of the Kota airport.

Till date, the state government has only allotted 33.4 hectare of land in favour of AAI (Airport Authorioty of India), out of total 440 hectare proposed. The process of diversion of remaining land is yet to be carried out by the state in spite of several reminders by MoCA (Ministry of Civil Aviation) and AAI, he said.

It (the state government) is yet to deposit amounts related to diversion within its own departments, he added.

He further said that the shifting of power grid lines is still pending despite apprising the state about its importance for obtaining necessary clearance from relevant regulatory authorities.

Scindia said that in spite of this, the ministry has completed the topographical survey of the site and soil investigation work, and work regarding environmental clearance has been awarded. The process for onboarding an agency for conducting architectural and engineering consultancy has also been initiated, he added.
Union minister Smriti Irani on Saturday took a dig at the Opposition's INDIA bloc for boycotting 14 television news anchors, calling the Congress's Gandhi family coward. Addressing a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Sehore as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Jan Ashirwad Yatra, Irani alleged that the opposition is scared of questions from the journalists. Union Minister Smriti Irani (PTI)

I thank those journalists who are still here and recording. The Congress released a list to boycott 14 journalists. I hope they do not add your names to the list as wellWe did not know that the Gandhi family was so cowardly that they would get scared of questions from journalists, the Union minister said.

On Thursday, the INDIA bloc released a list of 14 news anchors whom they will boycott for alleged bias in their coverage of the opposition and hate speech. The list included names of Republic Network's Arnab Goswami, Aaj Tak's Sudhir Chaudhary, News18 Hindi's Amish Devgan, TimesNow's Navika Kumar, and IndiaToday Group's Gaurav Sawant among others.

The INDIA parties will not send their representatives on the shows and events of these anchors, the statement read.

Irani's dig at opposition on Sanatana Dharma row

Amid the controversy over Tamil Nadu chief minister's son Udhayanidhi Stalin's remarks, the Union minister also slammed the Opposition saying, They are not familiar with the concept of Sanatana Dharma.

This is not just an election, it is a fight between Adharma and Dharma. It is a fight between Lord Ram devotees and those who file affidavits that Lord Ram does not exist. This is not an ordinary fight. They have decided to abolish Sanatana Dharma and we have vowed to protect the Dharma till our last breath, she said.

What did Udhayanidhi Stalin say?

On September 3, Udhayanidhi Stalin invoked a controversy after he compared the Sanatana Dharma with diseases like dengue and malaria and said it should not be merely opposed but "eradicated".

A few things cannot be opposed, that should be abolished only. We can't oppose dengue, mosquitoes, malaria, or corona. We have to eradicate this, that's how we have to eradicate Sanatana. Rather opposing Sanatana it should be eradicated," he said.

An FIR was also filed against him and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge for hurting religious sentiments under Section 153A (promoting enmity between different religious groups), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts to outrage religious feelings) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday shared a video of a 90-year-old man who, along with 36 members of his family, has pledged organ donations. In his X (formerly Twitter) post, Mandaviya hailed the elderly man as Dhaakad Dhaakare ji (the brave Dhakre) and commended him for being an inspiration. He also seized the opportunity to highlight the recently inaugurated Ayushman Bhav campaign by the central government. Bahadur Singh Dhakre, 90, pledged for organ donation.(X/@mansukhmandviya)

Dhaakad Dhaakare ji, 90 year old Bahadur Singh Dhakre ji along with 36 members of his family has taken the oath to donate organs. I thank him for this, he is an inspiration for all of us, Mandaviya wrote.

In the video, Dhakre expressed his heartfelt desire, saying, I am 90 years old, and I wish to donate my organs. Additionally, my 36 family members have also made the same commitment. No one is compelling me; this decision is entirely voluntary, both on my part and that of my family members. If this act can benefit others, what could be a more joyful thing? This will also serve as a source of inspiration. My family strongly advocates organ donation.

Mandaviya also led a pledge for Organ Donation in Agra on Saturday asking people to donate blood when alive and organs after death. Addressing the gathering, he said there can be no greater service to mankind than donating organs to save another life.

Mandaviya also drew attention to the Ayushman Bhav campaign, set to commence on Sunday, which coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday.

Mandaviya highlights Ayushman Bhav campaign

The Union minister highlighted Ayushman Bhav campaign inaugurated by President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday that aims to provide saturation coverage of healthcare services, reaching every village and town in the country.

The campaign, which will be implemented during the 'Seva Pakhwada' from September 17 to October 2, embodies a whole-of-nation and whole-of-society approach. According to the ministry of health, this campaign unites government sectors, civil society organisations and communities under a common mission to ensure that every individual receives essential health services without any disparity or exclusion.

Ayushman Bhav is a collaborative effort spearheaded by gram panchayats in coordination with the department of health, other government departments, and local elected bodies in the rural and urban areas. Its core objective is to extend comprehensive healthcare coverage to every village and town, transcending geographical barriers and ensuring that no one is left behind.

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The army on Saturday foiled an infiltration attempt on the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector, killing three terrorists who, the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said, were trying to cross over from the other side while Pakistani soldiers stationed there provided cover fire. HT Image

Pakistani forces have routinely aided infiltrators but Saturdays incident is the first of this kind in months. Both sides have largely stuck to a ceasefire agreed upon in February 2021 and officials aware of the matter said Saturdays incident could potentially trigger a cycle of ceasefire violations.

02xTerrorists have been eliminated and bodies recovered, third terrorist killed but retrieval of body being interfered by firing by Pak post in vicinity, on LoC, the Chinar corps wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Saturdays attempt was also the first for this year in Uri, which was once a major infiltration route towards north Kashmir but has of late been under constant surveillance with two brigades of Armys 19 infantry division keeping a close watch.

Brigadier PMS Dhillon, the Commander of 161 Brigade, said that the army and police received information about terrorists planning to infiltrate and disturb the situation in J&K, especially in Uri and Baramulla. The ambushes were laid in the forward areas as per the intelligence inputs. The weather was bad this morning. It was raining and conditions were foggy. At 6.40am, the ambush party of the Armys Rustum battalion noticed movement of 3 to 4 infiltrators who were trying to cross the stream near Hatlanga. The contact was established and firefight with terrorists continued for two hours, he said.

The officer, flanked by DIG North Kashmir Vivek Gupta and SSP Baramulla Amod Nagpure at a press conference, said the army used grenade and rocket launchers in which one terrorist was neutralised.

Dhillon said the Indian ambush parties noticed two more terrorists who were injured but had changed course, prompting the forces to follow them which led to another firefight that continued for half an hour. In the gunfight one more terrorist was killed while the other terrorist managed to return to the other side after he got fire support from the Pakistani post, he added.

The incident comes close on the heels of two army officers, including a colonel, a jawan, and a senior police official being killed during an operation to flush out terrorists from a forested region in Anantnag.

On Saturday, forces hunted for the perpetrators for a fourth day. The operation has entered its final stage and there will be positive news shortly, said a senior officer, asking not to be named. The operation continued despite heavy rain in the area, with the anti-terror squads targeting the suspected hideout of the terrorists with an array of weapons including Carl-Gustaf rocket launchers and under-barrel grenade launchers.

Northern Army commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday reviewed the counterterror operations.

The Uri incident has raised questions about the ceasefire between the two armies.

The restoration of ceasefire in February 2021 between Indian and Pakistani militaries along the LoC in J&K has held well and led to a drop in infiltration by terrorists (at least until a few months ago). Indian and Pakistani militaries announced on February 25 that year they had begun observing a ceasefire along the LoC from the midnight of February 24. The two countries had agreed to a ceasefire on the LoC in November 2003, but it was frequently violated.

The brigade commander said the operation and searches continued till 2pm. Our parties are still in the area.

He said that the operation demonstrated how Pakistani army was helping infiltration of terrorists into Kashmir to disrupt peace. Five kilograms of IED, one AK-47, an AK-74 rifle, and seven magazines and a Chinese pistol were recovered from the terrorists, he added.

On July 18, two infiltrators were gunned down in Kupwara soon after they sneaked into Machil forests. The forces then launched a thorough search in the morning, resulting in recovery of four AK series rifles, one under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL), five UBGL grenades, nine magazines, 175 AK rounds, six hand grenades, tactical vests and large quantity of war like stores.

On June 23, security forces foiled a major infiltration bid by killing four militants along LoC in north Kashmirs Kupwara district and on June 16, the army and police foiled another major infiltration bid at Jumgund Keran close to the LoC in the Kupwara district, and killed five unidentified foreign militants.

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Footage from the ongoing counter-terrorist operation in the Gadole forest of Anantnag district's Kokernag, south Kashmir, on Saturday, showed how drones were trying `to capture live locations of terrorists while security forces shelled their hideouts. The operation  Operation Garol  was intensified following an attack by Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists that claimed the lives of four security personnel. Security forces have employed high-tech equipment in the counter-terrorism operation in Jammu and Kashmir.

New video footage showed the utilisation of drones for surveillance and various operational tasks. The operation has been continuing for four consecutive days now.

Lieutenant general Upendra Dwivedi, army commander of the Northern Command, on Saturday, visited the Kokernag forest area and reviewed the ongoing operations. He also received briefings on the operations employing advanced surveillance equipment and precision firepower, the Northern Command said.

Anantnag encounter loss

Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak, deputy superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat, and a soldier involved in the counter-terrorism operation lost their lives during the encounter with terrorists in Anantnag on Wednesday.

3 Pakistani terrorists gunned down: Army

In another encounter, security forces thwarted an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla, eliminating three terrorists. While two bodies were recovered, retrieval of the third body was hindered by firing from a nearby Pakistani post, the Army's Chinar Corps said on Saturday.

ALSO READ: Firing from Pakistani post: Indian Army on third terrorist killed in Baramulla encounter

Brigadier PMS Dhillon, commander of the Pir Panjal Brigade, providing details of the operation, said: Based on specific inputs, in a joint operation launched by the Indian Army and J&K Police, an infiltration bid was foiled today. 3 terrorists tried to infiltrate and were engaged by alert troops. 2 terrorists were eliminated and their bodies recovered, the third terrorist was killed but the retrieval of the body was interfered with by firing by the Pak post in the vicinity, on LoC. Search operations are underway.
The Union government has planned to set up a 'Tech Museum' in the national capital to showcase emerging and future technologies of India, according to official documents. (Also Read | Folk artist converts cowshed into museum to help revive Chitrakathi art form in Maharashtra's Konkan region) The proposed technology museum will come up at the Nav Bharat Udyan. (Pexels)

The CPWD, the premier construction agency of the Centre, has invited a request for proposal for consultancy services to plan, design and develop the state-of-the-art museum at the Nav Bharat Udyan being developed on the western banks of the Yamuna river.

According to the documents, the 'Tech Museum' will be a premiere exhibition space focused on providing visitors with a better understanding of the latest technologies being used by India and creating a sense of pride in them about the achievements of the nation in various fields.

The exhibits need to be presented in a manner and form that involve technologies that are futuristic, latest or first-of-its-kind such as 3-D mapping techniques, touch-enabled displays, depiction through AV projection, holograms, multi-touch interactive tables, touch kiosks, QR Code information and LED projection wall along with modern acoustics to provide a seamless and immersive experience for the visitors, the documents state.

"It is envisaged for the Tech Dome to be a technological marvel being not dependent on any specific technology but utilising the most effective tools of communications befitting an environment of exhibition," the CPWD said in the request for proposal (REP) document.

It said the selected consultants will be tasked with designing the tech museum, creating content based on approved themes and developing as well as executing futuristic technologies to display the content to provide a world-class experience for visitors.

The Nav Bharat Udyan, being developed on the western Bank of the Yamuna, is part of the government's Central Vista redevelopment project.

The Central Vista extends from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate. Under the Master Plan, the Central Vista Axis will be visually integrated from the present 2.9 km to 6.3 km from the ridge to the river.

At the culmination of the virtual axis of the Central Vista on the western banks of the river the Central government has proposed to develop the Nav Bharat Udyan spreading over a 30-acre land. The Technology Museum will come up at the Nav Bharat Udyan.

The last date to submit bids is October 6 and the REP will be opened on the same day.

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Since June, four Americans  two men and two women  have been locked into a 1,700-sq-ft space, as part of a Mars surface simulation mission being conducted by NASA, the USs National Aeronautics and Space Administration. PREMIUM A rendering of Mars Dune Alpha, the CHAPEA habitat built in a hangar in Houston. Crew can step out in spacesuits to walk in a lifeless, red landscape. (ICON / NASA)

When they look outside, they see a lifeless landscape of red sand. They can go out for a few walks each week, wearing spacesuits. Communication with mission control comes with a 20-minute delay. NASA is calling it the CHAPEA (Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog) mission. The crew  commander and biomedical researcher Kelly Haston; flight engineer Ross Brockwell, medical officer Nathan Jones and science officer and microbiologist Anca Selariu  will aim to spend a year in their artificial habitat, living on rationed food and water, and working to keep their bubble functional. Set up in a large NASA hangar in Houston, this is the first of three such missions planned as part of the agencys larger programme to land humans on the red planet by 2030. (Read on for more on how the crew have been faring so far.)

The CHAPEA crew of Anca Selariu, Ross Brockwell, Nathan Jones and Kelly Haston. (NASA)

Each such experiment is expected to yield cognitive and physical performance data to give us more insight into the potential impacts of long-duration missions to Mars on crew health and performance, CHAPEA principal investigator Grace Douglas said in a statement in April, after the crew was selected.

This is crucial, because the furthest that humans have gone so far, of course, is the moon, which is less than 400,000 km from Earth. Mars is 55 million km away at its closest. While it takes up to three days to get to the moon, NASA estimates it would take at least 21 months for a quick round trip to Mars: nine months to get there, a minimum three-month wait before Earth and Mars align again, and nine months to get back. So far, 14 months is the longest a human has stayed in space, a record set by Russias Valeri Polyakov on the Mir space station in 1994-95. But of course, that was quite different. There is a radically reduced level of risk on a space station; its a short trip back; and one is always within sight of home. Which is why there have been experiments, through decades, to try and decipher what it would take to enable humans to endure deep-space travel and perhaps even a life away from Earth. Take a look at three such experiments, and the lessons they yielded. 1991: Biosphere 2 In 1991, four women and four men were locked into a three-acre, self-sustaining ecological system enclosed in glass panels in Arizona. The reserve was meant to recycle oxygen, water and waste. There was a tiny forest in the dome, and a desert, pig and chicken farms, hummingbirds, honeybees, even a tiny coral reef, in a large tank. The reserve was a pseudo-scientific experiment backed by the Texas oil tycoon Edward Bass. The eight-member crew included a biomedical researcher, a metallurgist, an ecologist, a botanist, a marine biologist and systems designer.

The glass-enclosed Biosphere 2 in Arizona. (Adobe Stock)

A few weeks in, the troubles began. Food production declined. The eight subjects lost weight and became lethargic, partly as a result of not eating enough (they were tired of the beetroot and sweet potato that was all they could produce) and partly because they had begun to run low on oxygen too.

A few months in, two opposing groups had formed, one demanding that outside supplies be allowed in, the other wanting the experiment to run its course. Eventually, the experimental seal, as it were, was broken, and vitamins, food, and oxygen were shipped in. Carbon-dioxide scrubbers were installed. Still, honeybees and hummingbirds continued to die, crops went unpollinated, pests unmanaged. Roaches began to roam free. The crew lasted out the two years, but only with significant external assistance. Biosphere 2 was eventually taken over by the University of Arizona, and is now used to experiment with elements of the Earths biomes. 2017, 2019: SIRIUS The Scientific International Research in Unique Terrestrial Station (SIRIUS) project was a series of two experiments  one lasting 17 days in 2017, and the other lasting four months in 2019  that aimed to simulate the journey from Earth to the moon, with certain challenges thrown in. In each of the experiments, six international space crew members were locked into a simulation at the Nazemnyy Eksperimentalnyy Kompleks or Nazemnyy Experimental Complex (NEK) in Russia. They faced hurdles such as sleep deprivation, communication delays and systems emergencies. The objective of the project was to test for the effects of these on body and mind, health and behaviour, over days in isolation and confinement. Interestingly, it turned out that the stressors brought people together. When real-time communication was cut off, the crew began to rely more on themselves and each other. Communication with mission control declined over time, but group cohesion improved, with people collaborating in ways that indicated trust in a common goal. 2010-11: Mars500 This psychosocial isolation experiment was conducted by the European Space Agency and the Russian Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBP), to assess how long-term space travel may impact mood and communication styles. A crew of six  three Russians, two Europeans and one Chinese person, all trained astronauts specialising in fields such as medicine, engineering and biology  was sealed into an isolation chamber measuring less than 6,000 sq ft, in 2010, for a period of 520 days (about 17 months). This remains the longest simulated space experiment ever conducted. Through simulated travel to Mars, a simulated landing and transfer to a Martian surface, the crew had to work through emergency situations, equipment failures and naturally occurring ill health. The Mars500 simulation, like the SIRIUS project, found that as time went on, the crew became more cohesive but also more autonomous. An increase in independent decision-making and decrease in communication with the missions control centre were observed, not in itself a good thing.

Mars500 crew members take a walk in spacesuits. (ESA)

Such a detachment may lead to resistance of crew members to the recommendations of the mission control, states a research paper co-authored by Natalia Supolkina of IBP, published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology in 2021.

Another concerning development: over time, the crews activity levels dipped. They spent more time sleeping or sitting idle, dulled by the lack of stimulation. On a real inter-planetary journey, such idleness could affect bone and muscle density, disrupt sleep cycles and impact alertness, and prove deeply damaging to the individual and the mission. Back to the current experiment, as it unfolds, a NASA podcast is airing excerpts from the crews audio logs. The first such episode features notes sent in July, as the eight adjusted to their lodgings and took note of the facilities. There is general excitement among the crew, so far. There has even been positive talk about the food (showing just how far space meals have come, since the pureed-meat packets of the past). The surprising thing for me is that I dont actually miss outside yet, Haston says in her log. Going outside the habitat into the Mars space has actually been really satisfying.

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After being named "Miss Universe Pakistan" on Thursday, Erica Robin of Karachi will now represent Pakistan at the international Miss Universe pageant, which will take place in El Salvador later this year. Her success was lauded by many, but it also aroused the wrath of more orthodox forces, who questioned how someone could represent Pakistan in an official capacity without official approval. First-ever Miss Universe Pakistan Erica Robin gears up for global beauty pageant(Instagram/@missuniversepakistan)

Taqi Usmani, a religious scholar, was one of the first to express outrage and demand that the government take notice and take action against those in charge of the pageant. Additionally, he insisted that any notion that these women were "representing Pakistan" be refuted. As one of the critics of the movie Joyland when it was released in Pakistan, Jamaat-i-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan tweeted that training for and participating in such pageants was "shameful" for Pakistan. (Also read: Miss Universe pageant eliminates age restrictions for the first time in history. All details inside )

Similar complaints were made by journalist Ansar Abbasi, who questioned which government official had given the go-ahead for Pakistani women to compete in the contest. Information Minister Murtaza Solangi tweeted in response to his criticism that no one has been formally nominated by the government for such actions. The Foreign Office may have gotten involved in the controversy on Friday, according to media sources, but according to FO spokeswoman Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, no statements have been made on the subject.

However, many individuals found this kind of official inspection of something as trivial as a beauty pageant offensive, and some even criticized the government for fanning the flames of a "non-issue" by adding to the controversy.

Speaking to Dawn, Ms Yusuf, a former chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, said that after Malala Yusufzai and Sharmeen Chinoy faced backlash, this young woman is now facing similar attacks. This attitude is misogynistic and condemnable, she said. "Attacking Pakistani women who become famous on the world stage has become the norm. Why are women's achievements abroad seen as a blot on the nation's morals?" she added.

In the meantime, Ms. Robin received many well wishes on social media. Pakistan belongs to all. Every Pakistani can represent Pakistan anywhere, whenever, however, journalist Mariana Baabar wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Except for those of Pakistani descent, Ms. Robin was aware of the responsibility that came with being the first Pakistani to compete in the Miss Universe pageant. She said it was a tremendous responsibility for her and promised not to do anything that would harm the reputation of the nation in a Friday interview with VOA Urdu. More than winning, she claimed, just being acknowledged as a Pakistani on the international stage was an honour.

The 24-year-old said in the interview that actress and model Vaneeza Ahmed noticed her and urged her to pursue modelling. In addition to congratulating Ms. Robin on her victory, Ms. Ahmed gave her opinion on the Miss Universe Pakistan controversy, telling VOA Urdu that most of the criticism of her accomplishment came from men. Why do the same folks have an issue with a person participating in international competitions and winning titles like "Mister Pakistan"? Ms. Ahmed questioned.

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The auspicious Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated annually with pomp in India. Also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi or Ganesh Utsav, the day marks the birth of Lord Ganesha and is observed for ten days by devotees. It falls annually on the Chaturthi tithi of Shukla Paksha. The last day of the 10-day celebrations is marked as Ganesh Visarjan. On this day, devotees immerse Lord Ganesha's idols in water. While Ganesh Chaturthi is commemorated all across the country, it happens on a grand scale in Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka, especially in cities like Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad. If you are celebrating the festival with your family, know about its date, history, significance, and celebrations inside. Know all about the Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 date, history, significance, and celebrations. (Pexels)

Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 Date:

Ganesh Chaturthi begins on September 19 and ends on September 28. The Ganesh Puja muhurat will start at 11:01 am and end at 1:28 pm on September 19. Additionally, the Chaturthi Tithi will start on September 18 at 12:39 pm and end on September 19 at 1:43 pm, says Drik Panchang.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 History and Significance:

Lord Ganesha is the god of wisdom, knowledge, prosperity and happiness. As per the legend, Maa Paravati created Lord Ganesha with sandalwood paste. It is believed that she left Lord Ganesha to guard the place while she was taking a bath. Since Lord Shiva was not present at this time, he did not know about this arrangement. When he returned, he was surprised to find Lord Ganesha outside the place where Maa Parvati was taking a bath. When Lord Ganesha did not allow Lord Shiva to enter the place he was furious and severed Ganesha's head. Maa Parvati was infuriated to see this and took the Kaali avatar while threatening to end the world. After finding the truth, Lord Shiva requested his men to fetch the head of a child whose mother was looking the other way. His men returned with the head of a baby elephant and gave it to Ganesha. That's how Lord Ganesha came to be known as the elephant-headed god.

Ganesh Chaturthi holds immense spiritual and cultural significance for Hindus. Lord Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, is believed to bless his devotees with wisdom, success, and good fortune. Devotees seek Lord Ganesha's blessings before starting any work, exam, wedding or new job.

Ganesh Chaturthi 2023 Celebrations:

Ganesh Chaturthi is marked with much fervour across the country, especially in Maharashtra, Telangana, and Karnataka. To celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, people bring idols of Ganpati Bappa to their homes for one-and-a-half days, three days, seven days, or ten days. The festival ends with Ganesh Visarjan, during which devotees immerse Lord Ganesha's idols in water with heavy hearts, wishing for Bappa to return next year. Huge processions are held during Visarjan with people chanting ' Ganapati Bappa Morya, Purchya Varshi Laukariya'.

Devotees also observe a fast during Ganesh Chaturthi. While some people keep it on the first and last day, others observe all ten days.

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Hindu devotees across the states of India are gearing up for the 10-day Ganeshotsav celebrations that mark the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi or Vinayak Chaturthi, which falls annually on the Chaturthi tithi of Shukla Paksha to celebrate the birth of Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity of wisdom and prosperity. The devotees believe that every year, Ganesha visits the Earth to bless his devotees during the 10-day festival and this year, Ganesh Chaturthi will begin on September 19 and will end on September 28 with Ganesh Visarjan or Anant Chaturdashi, that is believed to mark Ganesha's return to Mount Kailash to his parents Shiva and Parvati. An artisan gives finishing touches to an idol of Ganesha ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi festival, in Agartala. Read on to know why Ganesh Utsav is celebrated for 10 days (PTI)

Wonder why this most widely celebrated festivals in India, particularly in the state of Maharashtra, lasts for 10 days? For the uninitiated, the Hindu mythology states that Ganesha is believed to have been created by Parvati from the sandalwood paste that she used for her bath where she breathed life into the idol and instructed him to guard her while she was bathing.

However, when her husband Shiva returned and was denied entry by Ganesha, a battle ensued and Ganesha was beheaded but to make amends later, Shiva granted Ganesha a new head, typically that of an elephant. This event is symbolically reenacted during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival and lasts for 10 days, representing the period of Ganesha's birth and his journey back to his mother Parvati.

The public celebration of Ganesh Utsav are nothing new instead, they date back to the late 19th century when during the British colonial rule in India, social reformers and freedom fighters tapped on the festive celebrations to unite people and build a sense of community and patriotism. Hence, to foster a sense of togetherness and solidarity, the 10-day celebrations were held for extended communal gatherings, cultural performances and public processions, evolving the festival into a significant cultural and social event over the years.

Today, the 10-day celebration provides ample time for people to come together, engage in cultural activities and display their artistic talents through the creation of elaborate Ganesha idols and decorations as the 10 days are considered an auspicious time for seeking his blessings. Devotees perform various rituals, offer prayers and make varied food offerings to Ganesha during this period to invoke his grace and blessings.

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Vishwakarma Puja falls on September 17, Sunday, this year. The festival is dedicated to Lord Vishwakarma, considered the creator of the world. Devotees often refer to him as the divine engineer of the world and celebrate his birth on Kanya Sankranti as per the Hindu calendar. It is believed that Lord Vishwakarma was born out of Samudra Manthan along with other precious things. Vishwakarma due to this divine skill is worshipped by all craftsmen, architects and office workers. If you and your loved ones are marking Vishwakarma Puja this year, check out these best wishes, images, messages, quotes and greetings to make the festival extra special. Check out Vishwakarma Puja 2023 best wishes, images, messages, quotes and greetings to share with your loved ones. (HT Photo)

Vishwakarma Puja 2023 Wishes, Images, Messages and Greetings

Vishwakarma Puja ke shubh avsar par, meri aur se aap sabhi ko dheron shubh kamnayein. Vishwakarma Prabhu ki kripa aap par sadaiv bani rahe.

Vishwakarma Puja falls on September 17 this year. (HT Photo)

The festival of Vishwakarma Puja teaches us an important life lesson: we must respect the artisans, carpenters, sculptors, architects, mechanics and technicians, without whom life wouldn't be as easy and comfortable as it is.

Here's extending my heartfelt greetings and best wishes on the auspicious occasion of Vishwakarma Puja. May Lord Vishwakarma bless you with abundance and prosperity.

Vishwakarma Puja marks the birth anniversary of Lord Vishwakarma. (HT Photo)

Here's paying a humble tribute to the architect of Gods and the God of all the skills. Happy and blessed Vishwakarma Puja to you and your loved ones.

May you be blessed with success and growth in all your endeavours. A very Happy Vishwakarma Puja to you.

Lord Vishwakarma is considered the creator of the world. (HT Photo)

May Lord Vishwakarma shower you with his blessings, and may you succeed in all your endeavours. Happy Vishwakarma Puja to you and everyone at home.

May the architect of the Gods shower you and your family with his choicest blessings. A very Happy Vishwakarma Puja to you and your family.

It is believed that Lord Vishwakarma was born out of Samudra Manthan along with other precious things. (HT Photo)

May you be blessed with success and growth in all your endeavours. Happy Vishwakarma Puja to you.

Vishwakarma Puja ko bhakti aur prem se manayein. Happy Vishwakarma Puja.

Happy Vishwakarma Puja 2023 to all. (HT Photo)

May you have the beautiful home of your dreams and succeed in all your endeavours. Have a shubh Vishwakarma Puja with your loved ones.

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Vishwakarma Puja, also known as Vishwakarma Jayanti or Bhadra Sankranti, is an auspicious occasion celebrated with great fanfare throughout the country. On this day, people worship Lord Vishwakarma, the chief architect of the world and the celestial carpenter, who is also the son of Lord Brahma. In industry, devotees worship machines and keep an idol of Lord Vishwakarma in their homes or places of business. The festival coincides with Kanya Sankranti, the day when the sun's position changes from Simha Rashi (Leo) to Kanya Rashi (Virgo). According to Hindu mythology, Lord Vishwakarma has four hands, rides a goose, and carries a measuring tape, a scale, a book, and a pot. Lastly, Odisha, Tripura, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, Jharkhand and Assam lavishly celebrates Vishwakarma Puja. (Also read: Vishwakarma Puja 2023: Shubh muhurat, rituals and puja timings ) Vishwakarma Puja Date 2023: When is Vishwakarma Jayanti? Know all about its time, history and significance(Pxfuel)

When is Vishwakarma Puja 2023?

According to the Hindu calendar, Vishwakarma Puja is observed every year on the last day of the month of Bhadrapada. This usually falls in September according to the Gregorian calendar. In 2023, Vishwakarma Puja will be celebrated on Sunday, September 17.

Vishwakarma Puja Date - September 17, 2023

Vishwakarma Puja Sankranti Moment - 01:43 PM, September 17

Kanya Sankranti - September 17, 2023

Vishwakarma Puja history

Vishwakarma Jayanti has its roots in ancient Indian writings and scriptures. One of the oldest Hindu scriptures, the Rigveda, contains the earliest mentions of Vishwakarma Jayanti. Vishwakarma is regarded in Hindu mythology as the celestial designer of the universe. He constructed and created a number of weapons for the Gods, such as Lord Shiva's Trishul, Lord Vishnu's Sudarshana Chakra, Lanka King Ravana's Pushpaka Vimana and Indra's Vajra, Dwarka, Lord Krishna's realm, and the Maya Sabha for the Pandavas. He also built numerous palaces for the gods of all four yugas. Over time, this festival has become an important event for craftsmen, workers and artists to honour Lord Vishwakarma and seek his blessings for success, innovation and skill in their various industries.

Significance of Vishwakarma Puja

This festival is of immense importance to the people of a large part of the country. This auspicious day celebrates Lord Vishwakarma, who is worshipped as the celestial builder of the universe. On this day, artists, engineers and workers from various industries are recognised for their skills and craftsmanship. On Vishwakarma Jayanti, certain factories and workplaces declare a holiday for these artisans. Some people worship an image of the deity and give sweets to their employees to mark the occasion.

The festival of Vishwakarma Jayanti is a celebration of the belief that all work, no matter how small, adds value to the earth. This day also represents the beginning of new endeavours, the opening of factories and workshops, and the worship of equipment and tools. Today, Vishwakarma Jayanti serves as a reminder of India's rich cultural heritage and the nation's understanding of the importance of skilled labour in supporting social progress.

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The ozone layer, also known as Ozone shield, is a delicate layer of gas in the Earth's stratosphere that contains a relatively high concentration of ozone (O3) molecules and it plays a critical role in protecting the planet from the harmful effects of ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun which otherwise can cause numerous skin diseases. World Ozone Day, also known as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of the ozone layer in protecting life because in the last few years, the ozone layer has depleted extensively. World Ozone Day 2023: Date, history, significance, theme, celebration (Photo by Twitter/Siddh_Prahlad44)

Date:

World Ozone Day is observed annually on September 16.

History:

On September 16, 1987, the United Nations and 45 other countries signed the Montreal Protocol, on substances that deplete the Ozone layer. Hence, every year this day is celebrated as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone layer as the purpose of the Montreal Protocol is to protect the Ozone layer by reducing the production of substances that are supposed to be responsible for Ozone layer depletion.

On September 16, 2009, the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol became the first treaties in the history of the United Nations to achieve universal ratification. Around 99 percent of ozone-depleting chemicals in refrigerators, air-cooling systems and other products have already been phased-out because of the Montreal Protocol.

The United Nations urges the world to support the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. The Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol is legally binding and came into force from 1 January 2019. The amendment aims to phase out Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a family of potent greenhouse gases by the late 2040s.

Significance:

World Ozone Day aims to inform people about the significance of the ozone layer along with how its depletion can have adverse effects on human health, ecosystems and the environment, celebrates the success of international cooperation in addressing ozone depletion through the Montreal Protocol (that has led to the phase-out of many ozone-depleting substances, resulting in the gradual recovery of the ozone layer) and encourages governments, organisations, and individuals to continue their efforts to protect the ozone layer and mitigate the risks associated with ozone-depleting substances.

It emphasizes the importance of protecting oneself from excessive UV radiation by using sunscreen, wearing protective clothing and avoiding excessive sun exposure while also highlighting the importance of ongoing research and innovation in ozone protection and climate change mitigation.

Theme:

The theme this year for World Ozone Day is Montreal Protocol: Fixing the Ozone Layer and Reducing Climate Change.

Celebration:

Various events and activities are organised worldwide on World Ozone Day, including seminars, workshops, exhibitions and educational programs, to promote ozone layer preservation and raise awareness about the need for continued action to safeguard this crucial region of the Earth's atmospheric layer.

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The European Commission has decided not to extend the ban on Ukrainian grain exports to the EU, which was due to expire on September 15. It will be replaced by several restrictions that will help to keep the volume of products exported from Ukraine under strict control. It is up to Ukraine to develop such measures for itself.

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This was reported by the press service of the European Commission. It is emphasized that the purpose of the new restrictions is to prevent "distortion of the situation" in the EU markets.

"After analyzing data on the impact of exports of 4 categories of agricultural products on the EU market, the European Commission concluded that market distortions in 5 member states bordering Ukraine have disappeared due to the temporary measures introduced on May 2, 2023. As a result, it was decided that the current measures will expire today," the statement said.

The EU allowed 5 countries bordering Ukraine to impose a ban on the sale of Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds on their domestic markets in May. They argued that Ukrainian grain creates a problem for farmers.

Ukraine is ready to respond to its neighbors' violations of the EU decision

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At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the European Commission's decision is an example of the fulfillment of a promise made earlier. He also emphasized that if Ukraine's neighbors violate EU law, Ukraine will respond.

"I am sincerely grateful to [European Commission President] Ursula von der Leyen for keeping her word and the rules of the free market. Europe always wins when the rules work and the agreements are implemented. Now it is important that European unity also works at the bilateral level. We need our neighbors to support Ukraine during the war. And if their decisions violate EU law, Ukraine will respond in a civilized manner," the President said.

What Ukraine agreed to

As explained by the European Commission, Ukraine has agreed to impose restrictive measures on the export of its agricultural products to the EU, including export licensing. Their purpose is to prevent a surge in prices at local markets.

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These measures must be implemented within 30 days. Ukraine has to submit a list of them on September 18.

These measures will be monitored jointly by Ukraine and the European Commission, with the latter "refraining from imposing any restrictions as long as the effective measures taken by Ukraine are in force and fully operational."

Poland will extend the ban unilaterally

At the same time, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that the European Commission's decision would not affect the country's intention to impose its unilateral ban on Ukrainian grain exports, PAP reports.

"The ban (by the European Commission - Ed.) has been lifted. We will continue the ban on imports of Ukrainian grain, despite the lack of EU approval," the Polish Prime Minister emphasized.

Poland banned imports of grain and other agricultural products from Ukraine on April 15.

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Earlier, OBOZREVATEL reported that Ukraine had launched an alternative route for maritime exports from the Black Sea ports. The ships enter the territorial waters of Romania and Bulgaria right away and then move to their destination.

Only verified information is available on Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Anxiety attack usually involves a fear of some specific occurrence or problem that could happen and when having an anxiety attack, an individual may feel impending doom, shortness of breath, chest pain or a rapid, fluttering or pounding heart (heart palpitations). Common triggers at work include public speaking, conflict, an important meeting, a major transition such as a promotion or a big project, or a work-related social event such as a meeting with a key client or after-work drinks. What to do when you or someone else face anxiety attacks and suffocation at workplace (Photo by Khwanchai Phanthong on Pexels)

In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Simran Kaur, Counselling Psychologist at Lissun, talked about how to manage anxiety attacks and suffocation at the workplace and suggested, Firstly, start by tracking the events that make you feel anxious. Maybe there are some trends, when you are looking at the beginning of the day everything that's due or maybe by the end of the day what all you have on your plate. All we have to take care is be more realistic rather than being catastrophic. She recommended a few tips to manage:

Be organised: Clearing your work tasks is not the top priority but being more organised will do wonders and help in managing your work tasks as well. Communicate: Communication is key. Ask for help or guidance wherever required Prepare and plan: Prepare well in advance if you have any major projects planned. Set mini goals rather than setting up big goals. Divide your major tasks into small tasks as they help you reach your targets smoothly and efficiently. Take adequate breaks: If youre feeling too worked up or feel stressed take breaks in between. Try deep breathing or take a walk to clear your head. Once youre back you will feel more refreshed. Time management: Use your time management skills wisely as this will help you alleviate stress. Try making a to-do list and prioritising your tasks. Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness can help ground you in the reality of whats around you. Since panic attacks can cause a feeling of detachment or separation from reality, this can combat your panic attack as its approaching or actually happening.

Mindfulness involves:

focusing your attention on the present

recognizing the emotional state, youre in

meditating to reduce stress and help you relax.

The mental health expert shared, Worrying or experiencing anxiety at work is a mental health condition you have no control over. It is natural for you to get overwhelmed with something that might bother you, and opening up about it and not hiding it is one of the best ways to deal with it. While the self-helping strategy can be effective, it can be challenging to break away from your thoughts and anxiety altogether alone. Suppose you are experiencing severe anxiety attacks at work or impacting your ability to work or carry out your daily task. In that case, seeking mental health professionals for help is best.

Sumit Bhasin, Vice President - Human Resources att EyeQ Super Speciality Eye Hospitals, asserted, In modern workplaces, its essential to acknowledge that some individuals may grapple with anxiety attacks and feelings of suffocation. To safeguard the well-being of employees, creating a setting that promotes open dialogue becomes crucial. This environment encourages individuals to be at ease while expressing their concerns, with an assurance of keeping them confidential, leading to a deeper comprehension of their challenges and needs. Taking pre-emptive actions is equally essential. The introduction of wellness initiatives, mental health support resources, and stress-management seminars can equip employees with effective coping strategies and prevent catastrophe.

He advised, Educating managers and co-workers about identifying signs of distress and responding empathetically contributes to a culture of caring. Granting flexibility in work arrangements can prove to be invaluable for those dealing with such issues. Offering possibilities like remote work, adaptable hours, or breaks as needed can help ease off stress and provide individuals with an opportunity to regain their composure. It is crucial to remember that each persons experience is unique. What holds significance is the commitment towards cultivating an inclusive, caring and understanding environment that not only acknowledges the challenges faced by some but actively works toward relieving them. By embracing this approach, organizations can enhance the well-being of their team members while fostering a more resilient and cohesive workforce.

Given that it is not uncommon for individuals to experience moments of unease and discomfort in the dynamic environment of modern workplaces, Praveen Tiwari, Co-Founder of Netsol Water, said, For some, these moments manifest as feelings of uneasiness and breathlessness, impacting their overall well-being. In such situations, consider introducing mindful moments into the workplace routine. Create a designated space where individuals can retreat for a few minutes of calmness when they feel overwhelmed. This could involve a quiet room for breathing exercises, short meditation sessions, or even a calming sensory corner with soothing visuals and textures. Additionally, ensure that the physical workspace is designed to be ergonomic and comfortable.

He concluded, Ergonomic furniture, proper lighting, and measures to reduce noise can contribute to a more conducive work environment. Likewise, conduct anonymous surveys to gauge employees well-being and gather feedback on workplace practices. Use the results to refine HR strategies. Moreover, deliberate on the effectiveness of implementing a buddy system. Pairing up employees to check in on each other, share thoughts, and provide mutual support can create a network of trust and camaraderie. This approach ensures that everyone has a reliable ally during challenging times. Importantly, recognizing and appreciating employees efforts and achievements not only makes them feel valued but also boosts morale and reduces feelings of suffocation.

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Doha has lately been recognised as one of the seven new wonder cities of the world for its impressive collection of modern architecture and rich cultural history. Doha, the emerging tourist hotspot and financial centre of the Middle East, has something unique to offer every visitor. But it most assuredly ought to be on every travel buff's bucket list for its a city rich in history, art, and architecture, and the icing on the cake is that it is a shoppers paradise. If you're planning a trip to this enchanting city, but don't know where to go or what to see. Don't worry, we've got you covered. Here are the top ten things to do in Doha. (Also read: Dubai travel alert: 8 most anticipated dining spots in the UAE city this season) Doha, the capital of Qatar, is a fascinating destination known for its futuristic skyline, rich cultural heritage, and luxurious experiences. (Unsplash/Shashi Ghosh)

Manoj Kumar Tiwari, General Manager, Regency Travel & Tours shared with HT Lifestyle top ten things that you must experience on your Doha trip.

Top 10 things to do in Doha

1. Souq Waqif

Souq Waqif was constructed on the location of Doha's century-old trading market along the banks of the Wadi Musheireb. Souq Waqif's winding alleys are like a time machine, transporting you to another era. The historic shopping area offers clothing, spices, handicrafts and souvenirs. Shop till you drop and then lose yourself in the culinary experience, where you can eat to fill and for those who want to really relax, the hookah bars will help you just do that.

2. Museum of Islamic Art (MIA)

A visit to Doha is incomplete if you do not spend a day at the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), the crown jewel of Qatars many museums. Located at one end of Doha, Qatar's seven-kilometre-long (4.3 mi) on a small island just off a man-made peninsula, it is a museum where you can explore the masterpieces of Islamic Art from three continents and over 1400 years.

3. The Pearl Qatar

The Pearl Qatar is a one-of-a-kind man-made island that occupies four million square metres of reclaimed ground. Hotels, charming eateries, as well as its Mediterranean-style yacht-lined marinas, and upscale shopping make the neighbourhood a prime location, not only for living but also for visitors.

4. The Qatar National Museum

The Qatar National Museum is the city's second-largest museum, and it offers a wide variety of fascinating artefacts and antiquities for visitors to explore. This museum is one of the top attractions of Doha since it showcases the rich culture of the Arabian Peninsula.

5. Corniche

Doha Corniche is a waterfront promenade which runs along the Doha bay. Home to many beautiful attractions including the Museum of Islamic Art and the Qatar National City, it is also known for its magnificent skyscrapers, majestic hotels, cafes, government buildings, parks with children's play areas and cool green lawns.

6. Cultural Centre of Katara

People from all over the world congregate here to learn about and celebrate one another's heritage. Katara aspires to be the premier location for cultural events all over the globe, and its stunning theatres, concert halls, exhibition galleries, and state-of-the-art facilities will help make that dream a reality.

7. Camel Race at Al Shahaniya

At the epicentre of Qatar's professional camel racing scene, it is a different scenario altogether. Small, remote-controlled robot jockeys dressed in bright racing silks ride the lean mammals across the sandy track, entertaining both locals and visitors.

8. Camel Riding

There are innumerable safaris that offer the unique experience of riding a camel. Whether it is at the zoo or along the Souq Waqif, by the beach or in the vast desert, there is a camel ride to suit everyones pocket and fulfil that adventurous streak.

9. Climb the Barzan Towers

The 50 feet high Barzan Towers built in the village of Umm Salal Mohd supposedly to monitor the fleet of pearl divers and to look out for towers provide a unique touristy experience.

10. Sand Dunes Trip

Dune bashing, sand surfing and camel riding can all be a part of the Sand Dune Safari. The choice of how much time you want to spend on this adventurous activity depends on you  it could be a half-day tour or a full-day tour.

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The G20 Summit held last weekend was a triumph of Indias ability to organise events. Thats not a quality that India is normally noted for. But getting together officials from 60 different countries and getting them to agree on a consensus is an outstanding achievement for which Indian officials and politicians deserve applause. Now comes the struggle to implement all the commitments which have emerged. The Delhi Declaration has as many as 83 paragraphs, many covering financial issues, some of them notoriously divided environmental issues. The commitments to the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement indicate how difficult implementing green commitments are. PREMIUM The G20 Summit held last weekend was a triumph of Indias ability to organise events (PTI)

Former United States (US) President Donald Trump had once disagreed strongly with a G20 agreement. This was not the same under Biden, but will it be the same after next years US Presidential election? Biden has said he intends to stand as the Presidential nominee for the Democrats. But Trump remains the most popular candidate for the Republicans in spite of his legal entanglements. Whoever emerges as an actual Republican candidate is unlikely to be interested in a group which is trying to make itself known as the voice of the developing countries. So Brazilian president Lula da Silva might well find himself missing a prop that Modi found so useful. The sustainable progress of the developed nations is not satisfactory anyhow. The Delhi Declaration has had to call on them to fulfil the target of $100 billion per annum in climate financing they are committed to provide.

Although Ukraine is disappointed with the G20s statement on the war that Russia is waging against it, it was an achievement to secure any agreement at all on this front. But it does have to be said that there is nothing in the Delhi Declaration that will bring an end to the Ukraine war and all the suffering, both human and economic, that comes with it. So sadly, there is no pressure on Russia to comply with this section of the declaration.

The Indian Prime Minister (PM) has demonstrated that he is well aware of the need to keep up the momentum generated by the summit. As India holds the presidency for another two months, PM Modi has proposed that there should be a virtual summit in November. In November, the Brazilian president is going to take over the G20 presidency. He has said that he will raise inequality as the core issue for the next G20 process. He, like Modi, intends to take the summit to different parts of his country. But the success of the Delhi Summit owes a great deal to the way the PM has owned it. Will Lula have the same energy necessary to maintain the momentum of the G20 established by Modi?

Modi was the star of this summit while the other star was the United States President Joe Biden. He was given due prominence by Modi. But journalists complained that while he was in India he didnt say anything about the questions they have been raising: Respect for human rights in India, and the treatment of civil society and the media. However, when he reached Vietnam, the only other place he visited on his tour, Biden said that he raised the importance of respecting human rights and the vital role that civil society and a free press have in building a strong and prosperous country with Mr Modi. Pressure from the international media on these issues could damage the implementation of the Delhi Declaration.

What about the people of India and how are they taking the Delhi summit? The capitalists, I am sure, will continue rejoicing in Modis success. And then there was a driver who told me, It was a complete waste of money. There may be many other less fortunate Indians who share his view. Looking ahead, I think the Delhi Declaration will only benefit Modi in the general election if he can show that it is benefiting the people of India.

The views expressed are personal
Today is a special day, the birthday of a remarkable leader, our beloved Prime Minister (PM), Narendra Modi. His journey in public life has been marked by an unwavering commitment to social service, national development, and the welfare of the less fortunate. Every moment of his life, every atom of his being, has been dedicated to these noble causes. PREMIUM Prime Minister Narendra Modi (HT File Photo)

PM Modi has become a symbol of progress, trust, and cultural resurgence. His leadership, based on the core principle of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, and Sabka Prayas, has not only elevated Indias stature on the global stage but has also made him a global icon. The people of the country are seeing their hopes and aspirations being fulfilled under his leadership because service to the public is Modis guarantee. The world today keenly listens to his words and looks up to his leadership. The people of our country see in him an unwavering commitment to serving the public.

Much like Lord Vishwakarma, revered as the deity of creation and craftsmanship, PM Modi is reshaping India across various domains. On this auspicious day of Vishwakarma Jayanti, he is launching the PM Vishwakarma Yojana, a scheme that promises special benefits to small workers, artisans, and craftsmen engaged in 18 different trades, including goldsmiths, blacksmiths, potters, weavers, and sculptors. These unsung heroes, who have long been on the fringes of the mainstream economy, will now receive the support they deserve. This visionary scheme is expected to positively impact around three million workers in the next five years.

Recently, under PM Modis leadership, India hosted an extraordinary and historic event, the G20 Summit, showcasing our nations rich culture, heritage, inclusive diplomacy, and development story. The way he transformed the summit into a platform for peoples participation and engagement left the world in awe. It was a moment of immense pride to witness how the global leaders at the summit were captivated by Indias diversity and rich heritage. Indias hospitality and strategic diplomacy are now the talk of the world. The India Pavilion at the G20 Summit, a grand and majestic affair, remains etched in everyones memories.

Under PM Modis guidance, India has introduced itself to the world in an unprecedented way, incorporating its culture and heritage into foreign policy. Such visionary leadership sets ambitious goals and achieves them. Under the leadership of PM Modi, India has moved away from a subservient mindset and is progressing with self-respect. We now have a new Parliament building and the National War Memorial, symbols of our sovereignty. The unveiling of Netaji Subhash Chandra Boses statue on Kartavya Path has given the national flag a new significance.

More than seven decades have passed since India attained political freedom, and recently, we celebrated Amrit Kaal, marking 75 years of Independence. The PM has set the ambitious goal of making India a developed nation by 2047.

The Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative has been tirelessly pursued, making India strong and secure. Today, India has established a formidable presence in every sector. It is on the threshold of becoming the third largest economic power in the world.

During Covid-19, the whole world saw the decisive and courageous leadership of our PM. His initiative, the Direct Benefit Transfer-Jan Dhan, Aadhaar, Mobile (DBT-JAM), has played an important role in eradicating corruption; all the beneficiaries receive their entitlements directly in their accounts on time. The PM has seamlessly integrated Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan with Jai Anusandhan.

The world recently witnessed the remarkable achievements of Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1, showcasing Indias prowess in space exploration. In the year of Amrit Kaal, the PM has taken a commendable step by honouring the unsung heroes of our freedom struggle. Programmes like Har Ghar Tiranga and Meri Maati, Mera Desh are fostering unity among our citizens.

Indian politics, under PM Modis leadership, has taken a new direction, with development, nationalism, and service-oriented policies at the forefront. Good governance is the cornerstone and Jan Bhagidari is the bedrock of the Modi governments approach to governance. Every initiative of his touches the lives of citizens. The workers of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), inspired by the principle that seva hi sangathan, tirelessly serve the nation under his guidance.

Narendra Modi, who rose from humble beginnings and faced numerous challenges on his path, has demonstrated unwavering determination in fulfilling his duties. When the opportunity arose, he transformed the Raj Path to the Kartavya Path (Path of Duty). Under his effective leadership, the country has been able to find permanent solutions to all burning issues that the countrymen never believed could be solved. It is due to his strong political resolution and commitment that the country was able to find permanent solutions to issues such as Article 370, the construction of a grand temple to Lord Ram, the abolition of triple talaq, the implementation of Goods and Service Tax etc.

Indias culture and civilisation, among the oldest in the world, have received renewed attention and refinement in the last nine years under PM Modis leadership.

This has aroused global curiosity about Indian culture, civilisation, yoga, Ayurveda, and traditions. While the world is drawn to our culture, an arrogant Opposition alliance continues to insult our countrys heritage. The people of India, with their deep-rooted connection to culture, will never accept such disrespect. Between 2009 and 2014, our nation faced numerous challenges and many had lost hope in its future.

However, with Narendra Modi at the helm, the countrys trajectory began to change rapidly. People started believing that my country is changing (mera desh badal raha hai) and with Modi, everything is possible(Modi hai to mumkin hai).

The BJP stands steadfastly by the principles of its supreme leader, PM Narendra Modi, as it works towards realising the aspirations of the people. Inspired by his leadership, people are walking the path he has illuminated for Indias resurgence.

Jagat Prakash Nadda is President, BJP. The views expressed are personal
The Apple iPhone 15 is now available for pre-orders, but reports have started emerging about the 16th edition of the iPhone series. A latest leak now suggests that iPhone 16 is likely to have enhanced A17 chip and 8GB memory.



According to website Macrumours, Hong Kong-based tech analyst Jeff Pu has said that the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will have 8GB memory and A17 Bionic chip fabricated with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) N3E process. The iPhone 15 Pro is presented during the 'Wonderlust' event at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California, U.S.(REUTERS)

Pu told the website that there will be a significant RAM boost for the standard iPhone models in 2024 and a possible transition to the LPD5 memory. Since 2021, the Apple iPhone models have had 6GB of memory.



ALSO READ: Apple iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro and Apple Watch are keeping pace with the times

Apple iPhone 15 launch

The Apple iPhone 15 was launched during the company's Wonderlust event at Cupertino in California on September 12. The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus versions have a 6.1 inch and 6.7 inch display respectively.

From this year, Apple switched to the USB-C connector as per the European law. The USB-C connectivity will make it easier for professionals to transfer high-quality video from the iPhone directly onto their hard drives.

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models sport an "action button" in place of the mute switch that can be customised for a variety of functions. They will use titanium instead of stainless steel for the side bars.



ALSO READ: Apple is offering 6,000 discount on iPhone 15 models. How to avail?

All the new models feature a 48-megapixel main camera, with the flagship Pro Max having 5X optical zoom and 3X telephoto capability. The latest iPhone's satellite connectivity can now be used to summon roadside assistance, a feature launched in the U.S. in partnership with American Automobile Association.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus get A16 bionic chip, while the iPhone 15 Pro and the Pro Max will be powered by the A17 pro chip. The hardware on the Pro line makes the devices suitable for high-end mobile gaming.

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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
Anand Mahindra took to X to share a post about the iconic double-decker buses bidding adieu to the streets of Mumbai, and his post received a reply from the police department of the city. What is interesting is that the business tycoon then replied to the departments tweet with words of appreciation. Anand Mahindra's tweet on iconic double-deckers buses of Mumbai created a chatter among netizens. (X/@anandmahindra)

It all started when Anand Mahindra shared an emotional tweet while replying to a post about the double-decker buses ending their streak on the Mumbai roads after being operational for decades. Hello, Mumbai Police? Id like to report the theft of one of my most important childhood memories, he wrote.

Mumbai Police soon took notice of the tweet and shared a heartening reply. Weve received a 'nostalgic heist' report from @anandmahindra Sir! We can clearly see the theft, but we cannot take possession of it. Those B.E.S.T cherished memories are safely kept in your heart, and among all Mumbaikars, the department wrote. The B.E.S.T reference in the tweet is a nod to Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), the company responsible for operating the buses.

The police department's response too received a reply from Anand Mahindra in form of a praiseful tweet. You guys are something else, the business tycoon wrote along with a few clapping emoticons.

Take a look at this exchange between Anand Mahindra and Mumbai Police:

Anand Mahindras post praising Mumbai Police department has received more than 2.1 lakh views. The tweet has also gathered close to 3,100 likes. People posted varied comments while reacting to the share.

Ha ha ha ha ha. Good one, posted an X user. You too are something else Anandji, joined another. Excellent response, added a third. SM team has got the best appreciation today, wrote a fourth.

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The Los Angeles Police on Friday arrested an armed man who allegedly passed himself off as a US marshal and tried to approach Democratic presidential candidate Robert F Kennedy Jr at a public event. Police said the man will likely be booked on a gun charge. His identity has not yet been released.(X)

Informing about the incident on X, Kennedy said his security team detained the man carrying loaded pistols and spare ammunition magazines during a Hispanic Heritage Month event in the Wilshire Park area.

The man, wearing two shoulder holsters with loaded pistols and spare ammunition magazines was carrying a U.S. Marshal badge on a lanyard and beltclip federal ID. He identified himself as a member of my security detail, read Kennedy's post.

Armed Gavin de Becker and Associates (GDBA) team members moved quickly to isolate and detain the man until LAPD arrived to make the arrest. Im also grateful to LAPD for its rapid response, he added.

The police said they took the man into custody at the event as he was trying to pass himself off as a federal official, reported CBS News.

However, the cops claimed that the man wasn't believed to be threatening Kennedy Jr or anyone else, but that he was armed. They did not provide further information on the type of firearm he was carrying.

Police said the man will likely be booked on a gun charge. His identity has not yet been released.

Kennedy also accused the Joei Biden administration of denying a request for protection by the Secret Service, claiming he was the first presidential candidate in history who had not been provided with the security.

Im still entertaining a hope that President Biden will allow me Secret Service protection. I am the first presidential candidate in history to whom the White House has denied a request for protection, he wrote on X.

But CNN has refuted the claim saying that "the vast majority of candidates in modern presidential primaries never receive Secret Service protection because they are not deemed 'major' candidates  and it would be nearly unprecedented for even a major candidate to receive protection this early in a campaign if they did not already have it on account of currently or previously serving in the White House."

Kennedy Jr is the son of Robert F Kennedy, a well-known American politician and brother of the 35th President of the United States, John F Kennedy.

He is running as a Democratic candidate against current President Joe Biden.
A shooting attack left at least six people dead in a bar in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, a region hard-hit by gang violence, authorities said Saturday. The incident took place late Friday in the town of Teocaltiche during celebrations for the anniversary of Mexican independence(File)

The incident took place late Friday in the town of Teocaltiche during celebrations for the anniversary of Mexican independence, the Jalisco prosecutor's office said in a statement.

"Several people were shot in a bar in the Maravillas neighborhood," the statement said.

After originally reporting four deaths, prosecutors on Saturday confirmed the toll of six dead.

Jalisco has been shaken by violence linked to the Jalisco New Generation cartel, one of the largest criminal groups in Mexico.

Teocaltiche, which is north of the Jalisco capital of Guadalajara, was the scene of another shooting earlier this month that left two police officers dead.

Since the federal government in late 2006 launched a military-backed anti-drug offensive, more than 340,000 killings and some 100,000 disappearances have been registered, most of them linked to criminal organizations.

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After placing a pause on the Early Progress Trade Agreement or EPTA in August, the Canadian Government has now indefinitely postponed a trade mission to India scheduled for October. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau.

The five-day Team Canada trade mission was to be led by Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development Mary Ng and begin on October 9. However, Canadian media reported on Friday that it had been postponed. The agency Canadian Press cited Ngs office in this regard, adding it gave no reason for the postponement. A senior Indian official said they became aware of the decision only through the media.

The announcement came hours after officials in New Delhi said that trade talks with Canada have been suspended till subversive activities are allowed in Canadian territory.

New Delhi will not engage in trade talks with any country that allows subversive activities against India or its people, a senior official had told the Hindustan Times.

Also Read | India puts FTA talks with Canada on hold over subversive moves

The trade mission was announced when Commerce and Industry Ministry Piyush Goyal was in Canada for a bilateral visit in May this year.

This postponement is the latest development in the fracturing of the relationship over pro-Khalistan activities in Canada. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed New Delhis strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada to his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau during their pull aside meeting in Delhi on the margins of the G20 leaders summit. Within hours, the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice hastily arranged the so-called Khalistan Referendum at a gurudwara in Surrey, British Columbia and then announced yet another round of voting on October 29 in the same town.

Reacting to the news of the trade mission being called off for the time being, Goldy Hyder, President and CEO, Business Council of Canada, said, Canada and India share a deeply rooted and mutually beneficial economic partnership with a strong history and a bright future. We expect this relationship to continue irrespective of political tensions that may occur from time to time.

As we have seen with other bilateral relations, disputes tend to work themselves out, the BCC head added.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anirudh Bhattacharyya Anirudh Bhattacharya is a Toronto-based commentator on North American issues, and an author. He has also worked as a journalist in New Delhi and New York spanning print, television and digital media. He tweets as @anirudhb. ...view detail
Donald Trump is dominating the early stages of the Republican presidential primary even as he's refused to endorse a federal ban on abortion, allowing some top rivals to get to the right of him on an issue that animates many conservative activists. Former US President and 2024 Presidential hopeful Donald Trump speaks at the CWA (Concerned Women for America) Summit 2023 in Washington, DC, on September 15, 2023. (Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP)(AFP)

Aiming to return to the White House, the former president often notes how his presidency advanced the cause of abortion opponents. He appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade, abolishing the federally guaranteed right to the procedure and fulfilling the decades-long aspirations of anti-abortion activists.

But Trump has so far declined to go along with some of his rivals, most notably his onetime vice president, Mike Pence, who is pushing for national bans that would take effect relatively early into a pregnancy. He's warned Republicans against locking themselves into positions that are unpopular with a majority of the public and has argued that the Supreme Court's decision gives abortion opponents the right to negotiate restrictions where they live rather than rely on federal curbs.

That tension underscores the new reality the GOP finds itself in more than a year into the post-Roe era. While top Republicans were long able to simply declare themselves opposed to abortion, they must now contend with more complicated questions  including when access should be banned and whether uniform standards might apply across the U.S., even in states where support for abortion rights runs deep.

ALSO READ| 'They won't allow me to speak', Donald Trump responds to federal prosecutor Jack Smith' gag order apeals in US court

Theres a wide variety of opinion. Should there be a national ban? At how many weeks? Should it be entirely left to the states? said Steve Scheffler, president of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition and a Republican National Committee member. Some people get it wrong when they think this constituency is in lockstep.

The dynamic will be on fresh display in the coming days, at events dominated by social conservatives. Trump joined a crowded slate of candidates speaking Friday in Washington at an event for the Family Research Council and headlined the Concerned Women for America's Leadership Summit dinner. But hes skipping Scheffler's Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition banquet on Saturday in Des Moines, where Pence will be among the candidates who will address evangelical Christians, long an influential bloc in the first-in-the-nation caucus.

Polling suggests about two-thirds of Americans believe abortion should generally be legal, and Trump has said in recent years that he supports exceptions to abortion bans when a pregnancy was caused by rape or incest or threatens the life of the mother.

But Trump, who said again Friday that the Supreme Court ruling moves the issue back to the states ... where it should be," has repeatedly criticized fellow Republicans for the way they talk about the issue. He argues it could benefit the party politically if candidates learn to speak about it differently by highlighting Democratic positions that are out of the political mainstream.

To be honest, Republicans dont know how to discuss the subject, he said at the Concerned Women for America event. We do have to hold on to office, we do have to win. And we can win elections on this issue, but its very delicate and explaining it properly is an extremely important thing.

Speaking later Friday at the Family Research Council event, Trump blamed the issue for the GOPs lackluster performance in the 2022 midterm elections. I will say politically, its a very tough, its a very tough decision for some people, but very, very hard on elections. Very, very hard, he said. This was, we had midterms and this was an issue, you know.

Indeed, in the aftermath of the high court's abortion decision, Democrats mounted a strong performance in last year's midterms, limiting their House losses and maintaining the Senate majority. Voters in Republican-leaning states from Kansas to Ohio have also rejected GOP-backed efforts to curb abortion.

Once a self-described very pro-choice New York businessman, Trump had to do more than most major GOP candidates to win over initially skeptical evangelical Christians during his 2016 presidential run. A political committee supporting one of his rivals ran an ad with footage from a 1999 interview in which he declared, I am pro-choice in every respect.

ALSO READ| The impact of Hunter Biden's legal troubles on the President Joe Biden

Attempting to bolster his anti-abortion credentials, Trump released a list of potential nominees to the Supreme Court who could be counted on to overturn Roe v. Wade long before actually winning the White House.

Trump now calls himself the most pro-life president in U.S. history, pointing to his Supreme Court picks and other actions long sought by the anti-abortion movement.

Ironically, Democrats are promoting the same branding. President Joe Biden is making abortion rights central to his reelection campaign and attacks on the former presidents Make America Great Again movement.

Led by Donald Trump, whos done more to pave the way for abortion bans than anyone in history, MAGA Republicans are poised to again be rejected by the American people who want women to have the freedom to make their own health care decisions, said Ammar Moussa, a spokesman for Bidens reelection campaign, in a statement.

Ahead of last years midterm election, meanwhile, Trump warned candidates, including his endorsed choice for Michigan governor, Tudor Dixon, to talk differently about abortion. He urged Dixon to explicitly allow for exceptions in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is at risk, but she nonetheless lost handily to Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Mike DeMastus is an evangelical Christian in Des Moines who was part of a private meeting this summer between Trump and a group of pastors and asked Trump about abortion.

His response to me was, Ive given you leverage now to make a better deal, recalled DeMastus, who supports some form of a federal ban but isn't ruling out backing Trump even if he doesn't.

Many in the Republican primary field have taken a harder line.

Pence, whom Trump picked as his No. 2 in part because of his credibility with social conservatives, has declared that every Republican running for president should endorse, at a minimum, a federal abortion ban 15 weeks into pregnancy.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, also making a push to appeal to Iowa evangelical voters, concurs with Pence. He recently criticized fellow South Carolinian Nikki Haley, who says Republicans should look for bipartisan consensus on abortion since stricter federal bans won't clear Congress.

But entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy opposes national bans in favor of state restrictions, and other major candidates have been noncommittal. That includes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who often answers questions about a federal ban by saying his state recently passed a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.

Trump maintains that even some anti-abortion activists believe the six-week ban  before many women even know theyre pregnant  is too harsh.

The countrys leading anti-abortion group, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, wants GOP presidential candidates to advocate for a 15-week federal ban. Its president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, said anything less is unacceptable to the pro-life movement.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung noted that Dannenfelser's group has praised Trump's presidency as the most consequential in American history for the pro-life cause." Other activists aren't as firm, however.

Kim Lehman, the former president of Iowa Right to Life and also an RNC member, says the issue should be left to the states.

We need someone who is going to stand up for life and not just be a mouthpiece, said Lehman, who has not endorsed a GOP primary candidate. But I believe our people are best served when this decision is made from the ground up.

Democrats have unified around calls to protect abortion rights, seeing it as an issue of strength in 2024. Mini Timmaraju, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said Republicans are trying to seem softer on abortion in an attempt to head off more losses.

They know that, if theyre clear about their motivations and their positions, theyll lose. And so theyre trying to confuse the public, Timmaraju said. The challenge is, theyve run for so long as a party embedded and intertwined with the radical, extremist anti-abortion movement that its almost impossible to disentangle themselves now.

Marlys Popma, a longtime GOP strategist for statewide and presidential candidates in Iowa, is among those suggesting her party embrace nuance. She described herself as an incrementalist" but acknowledged, Certain people in the movement dont like incrementalism and think "we have to have it all."

And if you want anything different than that, she added, "then you are wrong and a bad pro-lifer.
Following the European Commission's decision to lift the ban on Ukrainian grain exports to Poland, Hungary and Slovakia, Poland decided to impose a unilateral ban. This violates the EU's internal rules.

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According to VOA News, the restrictions imposed by the European Union in May allowed Poland, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to ban domestic sales of Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower. However, the transit of such cargo for export to other countries was not prohibited.

"We will extend this ban despite their disagreement, despite the disagreement of the European Commission," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said at a rally in the northeastern city of Ek. "We will do this because we value Polish farmers."

Minister of Economic Development and Technology Waldemar Buda said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he had signed the ban. Hungary has imposed a national ban on imports of 24 Ukrainian agricultural products, including grain, vegetables, several meat products and honey, according to a government decree published on Friday.

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Slovakia's agriculture minister followed, announcing its own ban on grain. All three bans apply only to domestic imports and do not affect transit to further markets.

EU Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said that countries should refrain from unilateral measures against Ukrainian grain imports. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would respond "in a civilized manner" if EU members violate the rules.

The EU has created alternative land routes, the so-called "Solidarity Lanes," that Ukraine could use to export its grain and oilseeds. The EU Commission said that the existing measures will expire as originally planned on Friday after Ukraine agreed to introduce any legal measures (including, for example, an export licensing system) within 30 days to avoid grain surges.

In August, about 4 million tons of Ukrainian grain passed through the Solidarity Lanes, of which about 2.7 million tons crossed the Danube. The Commission wants to further increase exports through Romania, but the plan has been complicated by Russian drone attacks on Ukraine's grain infrastructure along the Danube and near the Romanian border.

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As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, the European Commission has decided not to extend the ban on Ukrainian grain exports to the EU, which was set to expire on September 15. It should be replaced by restrictions that will control the volume of products exported from Ukraine. It is up to Ukraine to develop such measures for itself.

At the same time, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky said that the European Commission's decision was an example of the fulfillment of a promise. He also emphasized that Ukraine will respond if Ukraine's neighbors violate EU law.

Ukraine has launched an alternative route for maritime exports from the Black Sea ports. The ships enter the territorial waters of Romania and Bulgaria right away and then move on to their destination.

Only verified information is available on Obozrevatel Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons impeachment trial on corruption allegations is among several such proceedings that have occurred in U.S. history. US President Joe Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Friday.(Bloomberg)

Impeachment is a political proceeding, not a court one. Typically in a U.S. legislative body, it is the House of Representatives that impeaches an officeholder, charging him or her with wrongdoing. The Senate then conducts a trial, and a guilty verdict results in ejection from office. Sometimes that includes a stipulation that prevents future qualification to hold office.

In Texas, an impeachment charge from the House results in immediate suspension from office, as is the case for Paxton. The Senate is deliberating articles of impeachment to determine whether Paxton is permanently removed. He is accused of trying to protect an Austin real estate developer who was indicted in June on federal charges of making false statements to banks.

In the past 25 years, impeachment has been used three times against two presidents. The current GOP-led House has opened an impeachment inquiry into Democratic President Joe Biden, although it has not proceeded beyond that yet.

Nonetheless, impeachment remains a rarely used means of removing someone from office for serious legal or ethical misconduct and has played a significant role in U.S. history.

Some notable cases:

PRESIDENTS

Three U.S. presidents have been impeached, one twice, but all were acquitted by the Senate:

 Democrat Andrew Johnson, who had been Republican Abraham Lincoln's vice president, was targeted for impeachment by Radical Republicans in 1868 for 11 high crimes and misdemeanors, including replacing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton while Congress was not in session.

 Democrat Bill Clinton was impeached in 1998 for perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of power, notably denying a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky in a lawsuit filed by Paula Jones.

 Republican Donald Trump was impeached in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in seeking Ukranian authorities' intervention to influence the 2020 presidential election. He was impeached in 2021 for incitement of insurrection in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Trump is the only U.S. president to be impeached twice.

GOVERNORS

Among 15 state governors who have been impeached, eight have been removed from office. They include Republican Gov. Evan Mecham of Arizona for financial crimes in 1988, the first gubernatorial impeachment in 60 years.

 Republican Gov. William Holden of North Carolina was impeached, convicted and removed from office in 1871 for illegally using military force when he reacted to white supremacists violence by declaring martial law and having state troops arrest 100 Ku Klux Klansmen. The state Senate voted in 2011 to pardon him, but the House failed to concur.

 Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois was impeached and removed from office in 2009 for misdeeds including attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by then President-elect Barack Obama.

STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL

Paxton has company as an impeached state attorney general.

 South Dakota Republican Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg was impeached and convicted in 2022 for his involvement in a 2020 crash in which the car he was driving hit a pedestrian. The impeachment charges accused him of committing a crime that led to a death and of misleading investigators.

 In Kansas, Republican Attorney General Roland Boyton was impeached with Auditor William French for their suspected involvement in a 1933 scandal in which the well-connected son of an influential banker, given access to the state vault, stole bonds and forged them. Boyton and French were acquitted.

JUDGES

Before Paxton, Texas had not held an impeachment trial since the 1970s, which ended in the conviction of a state judge.

Other impeached judges in the U.S. have included:

 U.S. District Judge Alcee Hastings was acquitted of a criminal charge of conspiracy to solicit a bribe in 1983, but he was impeached and convicted by the Senate in 1989. He was not barred from holding public office, however, and he was elected as a Democrat to a congressional seat from Florida from 1993 until his death in 2021.

 District Judge Charles L. Crum of Montana, whose strict adherence to constitutional principles and voicing of nonconformist views during World War I were perceived as pro-German and anti-patriotic, was impeached and removed from office in 1918. In 1991, the Montana Senate approved a resolution exonerating him.
According to a report by the New York Post, Billionaire George Soros is helping US President Joe Biden with the spread of anti-conservatism ideas through TikTok. Soros is also providing aids for the success of extreme left-wing causes and objectives like abolishing border enforcement, defunding cops etc. US President Joe Biden, George Soros(File photos)

The report highlights that Soros Open Society Foundation funded $5.5 million to the nonprofit Accelerate Action Inc. in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, Accelerate Action Inc. then shelled out at least $300,000 to nonprofit, Gen Z for Change, which has a network of 500 activists, organizers, and creators. According to publicly available tax records, Accelerate Action is the only nonprofit which has donated money to Gen Z for Change.

Reportedly, Gen Z for Change helps Biden in spreading awareness about his policy agenda. Gen Z for Change are quite active on TikTok. Acccording to Gen Z for Change founder Aidan Kohn-Murphy's speakers bureau, they have been involved in partnerships with the White House and Democratic National Committee.

On Wednesday, Kohn-Murphy highlighted what the group supports and aims to achieve.

We are unequivocally supportive of Medicare for all, the Green New Deal, Palestinian liberation, [and] a plethora of progressive policies that a vast majority of Gen Z supports, said Kohn-Murphy.

The group's deputy executive director, Victoria Hammett is very active in voicing concerns about women's rights.

ALSO READ| Who is Kristi Noem? All you need to know about US politician who had affair with Donald Trump's advisor

US Representative Stefanik has been critical of Soros' role in mobilising Gen Z and helping the spread of left-wing ideas through Chinese company, TikTok.

George Soros is funding the next generation of far-left activists on a platform that is beholden to the [Chinese Communist Party], Rep. Stefanik told The Post.

Notably, Soros is the founder of the Open Society Foundations which aids civil society groups across the world and supports left-wing ideas.

We believe that more, rather than fewer, voters, including among younger and historically marginalized communities, should be empowered to participate in Americas democracy through free and fair elections. Were proud to support organizations working with new technologies to spur civic participation and help enable more inclusive, just, and open societies, said an Open Society Foundations spokesperson as quoted by the New York Post.

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The Consulate General of India in Vancouver strongly condemned the assault of a 17-year-old Sikh high school student at a bus stop in Canadas British Columbia province and called for prompt action against perpetrators. The high school student was assaulted at the intersection of Rutland Road South and Robson Road East on Monday in an apparent case of hate crime. This is the second such instance of violence against a Sikh youth riding public transit in the city this year. (REUTERS)

According to a local media report, the Sikh student was allegedly kicked, punched and pepper-sprayed after an altercation with another teenager.

Officers determined a 17-year-old Sikh student was either beer or pepper sprayed by another teenage male after exiting a public transit bus on his way home, said a statement by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Before the assault, there was an altercation aboard a bus, which resulted in those involved being kicked off, said the police.

@cgivancouver strongly condemns assault on an Indian national in Kelowna and requests Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators, the Consulate General of India said in a social media post.

The World Sikh Organisation of Canada has alleged that the student was also assaulted while aboard the vehicle.

The student was reportedly waiting for a BC Transit Bus in front of Rutland Senior Secondary School when two individuals initially prevented him from boarding the bus. Subsequently, they allowed him to enter but began to verbally threaten him, brandishing a lighter and recording him from a close distance with their mobile phones, according to the World Sikh Organization of Canada.

When the student turned away, the attackers phone fell from their hands and they began to kick and punch the Sikh student in front of the bus driver. The bus driver did not intervene and in fact, ordered the Sikh student and his attackers off the bus at the Rutland and Robson stop, the organisation said in a statement.

After disembarking the bus, the victim was subjected to further violence, including being pepper-sprayed by the attackers until the bystanders eventually intervened.

Mondays attack on a Sikh high school student in Kelowna is shocking and unacceptable, Guntaas Kaur, WSO vice-president for British Columbia was quoted as saying.

This is the second such instance of violence against a Sikh youth riding public transit in the city this year.

Earlier in March, a 21-year-old Sikh student from India, Gagandeep Singh, was attacked in British Columbia province by a group of unidentified men who ripped off his turban and dragged him across the sidewalk by his hair.

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Iranian security forces foiled an assassination attempt Saturday on the father of Mahsa Amini, the young woman whose death in custody one year ago sparked nationwide protests, state media reported. Iran Anti-Hijab Protests: A woman holds a placard with a picture of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini during a protest against her death.(AP)

The official IRNA news agency said the attempt on Amjad Amini's life took place as he was on his way to visit his daughter's grave at the Aichi cemetery in the western town of Saqez.

Saturday marked the first anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death.

"Security forces arrested several members of a terrorist group who wanted to assassinate Amjad Amini," the official IRNA news agency said, citing the deputy governor of Kurdistan province, Mehdi Ramezani.

It did not identify those arrested or the "terrorist group" to which they allegedly belonged, saying only that the attempt on Amjad Amini's life "was foiled".

Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died in police custody on September 16 last year following her arrest for an alleged breach of the Islamic republic's strict dress code for women.

Her death triggered months-long demonstrations which saw hundreds killed, including dozens of security personnel, in what Tehran labelled as "riots" fomented by foreign governments and "hostile media".

Seven men have been executed after being convicted in protest-related cases of murder or other violence against security forces.

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Iranian authorities on Saturday prevented the family of Mahsa Amini from holding a ceremony to commemorate the first anniversary of her death, confining her father under "house arrest", as sporadic protests erupted nationwide despite heavy security, rights groups said. A person holds a picture of Mahsa Amini in a rally on the eve of the first anniversary of her death, (REUTERS)

Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died a few days after her arrest by religious police for allegedly violating the strict dress code for women in force since shortly after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Her family says she died from a blow to the head but this is disputed by Iranian authorities.

Anger over her death rapidly expanded into weeks of taboo-breaking protests which saw women tearing off their mandatory headscarves in an open challenge to the Islamic republic's system of government under supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Mahsa Amimi's father Amjad was detained early Saturday a he left the family home in the western town of Saqez, and then released after being warned not to hold a memorial service at her graveside, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network (KHRN), 1500tasvir monitor and Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) said.

"Amjad Amini is under house arrest... Security forces are preventing him from visiting his daughter's grave," said IHR.

Official news agency IRNA denied the reports of the father's brief detention, and later said security forces had foiled an assassination attempt against him.

Amjad Amini was already summoned by intelligence officials last week after his announcement he planned to hold a memorial ceremony. One of Amini's uncles, Safa Aeli, was detained in Saqez on September 5 and remains in custody.

- 'Chokehold on dissent' -

Rights groups said security forces had blocked access to the cemetery in Saqez where Amini is buried and Kurdish-focused group Hengaw said a young man named Fardin Jafari was in a critical condition in hospital after being shot in the head near the cemetery. It was not immediately possible to confirm the report.

The protests sparked by Amini's death lost momentum after several months in the face of a crackdown that saw security forces kill 551 protesters, according to IHR, and arrest more than 22,000, according to Amnesty International.

Iranian authorities say dozens of security personnel were also killed in what they describe as "riots" incited by foreign governments and hostile media.

Seven men have been executed after being convicted in protest-related cases.

Campaigners say the authorities have renewed their crackdown in the runup to the anniversary, putting pressure on relatives of those killed in the protests in a bid to stop them speaking out.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said family members of at least 36 people killed or executed in the crackdown had been interrogated, arrested, prosecuted or sentenced to prison over the past month with authorities imposing a "chokehold on dissent".

With additional security forces sent to the area, Hengaw said people in western Iran were expressing discontent through a general strike, with shops closed in a dozen towns and cities including Saqez.

One of Iran's most high-profile prisoners Narges Mohammadi, a prize-winning rights activist, and three other women prisoners meanwhile burned their headscarves in the courtyard of Tehran's Evin prison to mark the anniversary, Mohammadi's Instagram account said.

The New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said a fire broke out at Qarchak prison for women outside Tehran when security forces quelled a protest by inmates.

- 'Take back Iran' -

Witnesses in Tehran said there was a heavy security presence, with anti-riot police and security vehicles on the main streets and squares.

Persian-language channels based outside Iran, including Iran International, broadcast footage of residents shouting "Death to the dictator" and the main protest slogan of "Woman, Life, Freedom" from apartment blocks in Tehran and its satellite city of Karaj overnight.

Monitor 1500tasvir posted footage of dozens of people staging a daylight protest on Saturday on a street in the Gohardasht district of Karaj shouting "we will take Iran back!" and other slogans.

Similar gatherings were reported in the central city of Isfahan and the southern city of Shiraz. Hengaw published images of fires being lit on roads in the western city of Sanandaj and said security forces fired on protesters in Mahabad to the north.

Under the slogan "Say her name!", Iranian emigres were holding commemorative rallies from Sydney to Toronto, with thousands in Place de la Bastille in central Paris chanting protest slogans and waving pre-revolutionary flags.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships on Saturday, accompanied by President Vladimir Putin's defence minister. North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un inspects a Russian warplane as he visits Knevichi aerodrome near Vladivostok, Primorsky region.(AFP)

A smiling Kim was greeted in Russia's Knevichi airfield, about 50 km (30 miles) from the Pacific port city of Vladivostok, by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, who saluted him. The North Korean leader then inspected a guard of honour.

The United States and South Korea fear the revival of Moscow's friendship with Pyongyang could give Kim access to some of Russia's sensitive missile and other technology while helping arm Russia in its war in Ukraine.

Shoigu showed Kim Russia's strategic bombers - the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 - which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons and form the backbone of Russia's nuclear air attack force, Russia's defence ministry said.

"It can fly from Moscow to Japan and then back again," Shoigu told Kim of one aircraft.

Kim was shown asking about how the missiles were fired from the aircraft, at times nodding and smiling.

Shoigu showed him the MiG-31I supersonic interceptor aircraft equipped with "Kinzhal" hypersonic missiles. The Kinzhal, or dagger, is an air-launched ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads.

It has a reported range of 1,500 to 2,000 km (930-1,240 miles) while carrying a payload of 480 kg (1,100 pounds). It may travel at up to 10 times the speed of sound (12,000 kph, 7,700 mph).

Russia's ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, told reporters that Kim's programme was "very intense" and that it was not yet clear how long he would remain in Russia, state news agency RIA reported.

It also quoted Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of Vladivostok's Primorye region, as saying he would have talks with Kim on Sunday on cooperation in sport, tourism and culture.

KIM VISITS RUSSIAN PACIFIC FLEET

After the aircraft and missiles, Kim inspected the Russian Pacific Fleet's frigate "Marshal Shaposhnikov" in Vladivostok and saw a demonstration of modern missile control systems, RIA said.

South Korea and the United States said on Friday that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia would violate U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang and that the allies would ensure there was a price to pay.

Russia has gone out of its way to publicise Kim's visit and drop repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union.

For Putin, who says Moscow is locked in an existential battle with the West over Ukraine, courting Kim allows him to needle Washington and its Asian allies while potentially securing a deep supply of artillery for the Ukraine war.

Washington has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, which has the world's biggest store of nuclear warheads, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made.

Kim on Friday inspected a Russian fighter jet factory that is under Western sanctions.

He and Putin discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and deepening cooperation when they met on Wednesday. Putin told reporters Russia was "not going to violate anything", but would keep developing relations with North Korea.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there had not been a plan to sign any formal agreements during the visit.

Russian diplomats said Washington had no right to lecture Moscow after the United States had bolstered its allies across the world, including with a visit of a U.S. nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine to South Korea in July.

While in Vladivostok, Kim watched the first act of the ballet "Sleeping Beauty", staged by St Petersburg's Mariinsky theatre, the RIA news agency reported.
Residents and rescue workers in the devastated Libyan city of Derna are struggling to cope with the thousands of corpses washing up or decaying under rubble, after a flood that smashed down buildings and swept people to sea. Rescue teams search for dead bodies at a beach, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 16, 2023.(Reuters)

The World Health Organization and other aid groups urged authorities in Libya to stop burying flood victims in mass graves, saying these could bring long-term mental distress to families or cause health risks if located near water.

A U.N. report said more than 1,000 people had so far been buried in that manner since Libya, a nation divided by a decade of conflict and political chaos, was hit on Sunday by torrential rain that caused two dams to burst.

Thousands were killed and thousands more are missing.

Also Read | India repatriates four citizens who were sold to mafia from floods-hit Libya

"Bodies are littering the streets, washing back on shore, and are buried under collapsed buildings and debris. In just two hours, one of my colleagues counted over 200 bodies on the beach near Derna," Bilal Sablouh, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) forensics manager for Africa, told a briefing in Geneva.

Ibrahim al-Arabi, health minister in Libya's Tripoli-based western government, told Reuters he was certain groundwater was polluted with water mixed up with corpses, dead animals, refuse and chemical substances. "We urge people not to approach the wells in Derna," he said.

Mohammad al-Qabisi, head of Derna's Wahda Hospital, said a field hospital was treating people with chronic illnesses needing regular attention. He said there were fears waterborne diseases would spread, but no cholera had been recorded so far.

Swathes of Derna, centrepoint of the destruction in Libya's east, were obliterated when the dams above the city broke, and the flood that swept down a usually dry riverbed brought down whole residential blocks while families were asleep.

The International Organization for Migration mission in Libya said more than 5,000 people were presumed dead, with 3,922 deaths registered in hospitals, and over 38,640 were displaced in the flood-stricken region.

The true death toll could be far higher, officials say.

"We should be afraid of an epidemic," 60-year-old Nouri Mohamed said, at a bakery offering loaves for free. "There are still bodies underground ... Now there are corpses starting to smell."

The U.N. health agency together with the ICRC and International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies called for burials to be managed better.

"We urge authorities in communities touched by tragedy to not rush forward with mass burials or mass cremations," Kazunobu Kojima, medical officer for biosafety and biosecurity in the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, said in the statement.

It called for individual graves, demarcated and documented, saying that hasty interments could lead to mental anguish for families as well as social and legal problems.

The bodies of victims of trauma from natural disasters "almost never" posed a health threat, it said, unless they were in or near fresh water supplies since corpses may leak excrement.

Dealing with the dead

A doctor in Derna said this week that photos were being taken of unidentified bodies before burial, in case relatives could identify them later on.

Thursday's U.N. report said more than 1,000 bodies in Derna and over 100 in Al Bayda, another coastal city hit by flooding, had been buried in mass graves.

The Norwegian Refugee Council, which has a team of 100 in Libya, said dead body management was the most pressing concern.

"I've heard from my team that there are mass graves where rescue workers were appealing: 'Don't bring us food, dont bring us water, bring us body bags'," the NRC's Ahmed Bayram said.

The ICRC sent a cargo flight to Benghazi, eastern Libya's largest city, on Friday with 5,000 body bags. Other aid has also been coming in from abroad.

The Danish Refugee Council said it was sending a team of explosives disposal experts because of the risk of landmines being dislodged by flooding.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his country, which has already sent three aircraft and a ship with supplies, had now sent two amphibious landing ships carrying 122 vehicles including ambulances and rescue vehicles.

Some residents were frustrated that Libya's own fractured authorities were not acting faster.

"The state is no of use to us," said Saad Rajab Mohamed al-Hasi, a 50-year-old security officer who lives in Susah, a town about 60 km (38 miles) away that was also damaged by flooding. "Now Im in the street with my children and wife."

U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths told the Geneva briefing that Libya needed equipment to find people trapped in sludge and damaged buildings, as well as primary health care to prevent a cholera outbreak.

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(Bloomberg) -- Former Vice President Mike Pence said the US should ban TikTok, calling it a platform that allowed the Chinese government to obtain data on Americans without their knowledge. Mike Pence(REUTERS)

We ought to be banning TikTok. TikTok is a platform for the Chinese Communist government. They are collecting data on Americans every single day, Pence said Friday in an interview with Bloomberg Television. Young Americans need to know that their privacy is being compromised.

Pences comments come before a policy speech he will deliver Monday on China. The relationship between the worlds two largest economies has gained growing attention in the 2024 presidential race. Republican candidates, including Pence, have criticized President Joe Biden, saying he must take a tougher line with Beijing over a number of issues.

Pence delivered a jab at one of his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

I know that one of my competitors, Vivek Ramaswamy in the Republican primary, he had rightly described Tiktok as a digital fentanyl for American youth, and this week he signed up for Tiktok. He said hed met with one of their executives and they changed his mind, Pence said. Well, they are never going to change my mind.

The fight over TikTok is just one aspect of the growing tensions between the US and China over their technological ambitions. Biden has limited exports of advanced chipmaking technology over fears it could be used to help Chinas military. China in turn has imposed its own restrictions, including on US chipmaker Micron Technology Inc.s ability to sell products.

China is also seeking to ban the use of iPhones for state-owned enterprises  a blow to Apple Inc. that would broaden previously announced restrictions. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby this week told reporters that Chinas moves on Apple appeared to be retaliation.

Earlier: Chinas Apple iPhone Ban Appears to Be Retaliation, US Says

Huawei Technologies Co. also recently quietly revealed a mobile telephone that uses technology the US has sought to keep out of Beijings hands, questioning the efficacy of US chip restrictions.

We led the fight internationally against Huawei among Western nations, and we won that fight, Pence said. If you remember, the UK and other nations were going all in on Huawei, and the United States said its not going to happen.

Pence on Friday said Biden had dropped the ball on China. Still, he said the US should not seek to decouple from the country despite the threat it posed.

We have to recognize that Chinas the greatest economic and strategic threat of the United States of America, Pence said, but added, I think using access to the most powerful economy in the world, the United States of America, is a means of having China end decades of trade abuses, end intellectual property thefts, stop their military provocations, and end the human rights abuses.

Pence said his speech on Monday would be focused on giving China an opportunity to join the family of nations and respect the international rules of the road as I like to say.

The other piece of this, I believe in free trade with free nations, Pence said. We ought to be working on a free trade agreement with Japan. We ought to be looking to strengthen trading relationships with free nations across the Asia Pacific.
The cash award for each Nobel Prize to be handed out next month will increase to nearly one million euros, the Nobel Foundation announced Friday. The Nobel medal is displayed.(AP)

The organisation said it was adding the equivalent of 84,000 euros to each category's prize pot, meaning that the 2023 laureates will receive 924,000 euros (11 million Swedish krona).

This increase makes the cash award the most valuable to be handed out in the more than 100-year history of the Nobel Prize.

The prize money has varied over the last decade, with the foundation tightening its purse strings in 2012, but gradually increased the award towards the end of the decade.

"The Foundation has chosen to increase the prize money because it is financially viable to do so," the organisation said in a statement.

"At the end of 2022, the market value of the capital invested by the Nobel Foundation reached 5.799 billion krona."

When several winners share a prize, they also share the cash award.

The Nobel Foundation manages the fortune of the Swedish dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel, who earmarked most of his fortune for prizes to be given in his name.

In a will drawn up in 1895, the total sum entrusted to the foundation was 31.5 million krona, the equivalent of 151 million euros today.

Every year the organisation hands out prizes in peace, chemistry, medicine, physics, literature and more recently economic sciences.

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Singapore marks the centenary birth anniversary of its founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew on Saturday acknowledging his pivotal role in the island nation's extraordinary development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tributes, recognising Lee's visionary leadership. Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew(Reuters)

"My tributes to the great Lee Kuan Yew on the special occasion of his 100th birth anniversary. His visionary leadership played a key role in Singapore's transformation. His foresight and relentless pursuit of excellence are a testament to his personal greatness. His work continues to inspire leaders worldwide," Modi wrote on social media platform X.

ALSO READ: Singapores founding father Lee Kuan Yews Punjab link

Life and career of Lee Kuan Yew | 5 key points

1. Educational journey: Born in Singapore in 1923, Lee Kuan Yew pursued his education at Raffles College during the Japanese occupation and later at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, earning first-class honors in law in 1949.

2. Legal career: Lee was called to the Bar at Middle Temple, London, in 1950 and practised law in Singapore while also serving as a legal advisor to various trade unions.

3. Founding the PAP: In 1954, Lee played a foundational role in establishing the People's Action Party (PAP) in Singapore and served as its secretary-general until November 1992.

4. Prime ministerial stint: Lee became Singapore's prime minister in 1959 and continued in successive terms until he stepped down in November 1990. Subsequently, he held positions as senior minister and minister mentor.

5. Awards and honours: Lee received numerous awards and decorations during his lifetime, including the First Class Order of the Rising Sun from Japan (1967), Order of the Companions of Honour (C.H.) (1970), and Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (G.C.M.G) (1972).

He also received honours from other nations, including Indonesia and Brunei.

ALSO READ: Singapore PM's praise for country's new Indian-origin president

Lee Kuan Yew's speech viral on the internet

Ideology of Lee Kuan Yew - Grand Master of Asia

Lee's legacy elicits varied perspectives. He is celebrated for his pragmatic approach to governing Singapore but criticised for his authoritarian methods. Lee emphasised that a thriving society must balance nurturing excellence and encouraging average individuals to improve. This entails, he said, promoting cooperation and healthy competition within the community.

Lee's views on welfare: In his own words

I soon realised that before distributing the pie, I had first to bake it. So I departed from welfarism because it sapped a people's self-reliance and their desire to excel and succeed, Lee delivered the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lecture in 2005 in New Delhi.

Lee's view on democracy

You are talking about Rwanda or Bangladesh, or Cambodia, or the Philippines. They have got democracy ... But have you got a civilised life to lead? People want economic development first and foremost. The leaders may talk something else. You take a poll of any people. What is it they want? The right to write an editorial as you like? They want homes, medicine, jobs, schools, quoted in Lee Kuan Yew, The Man and His Ideas, 1997.

Lee's views on citizens' privacy

I am often accused of interfering in the private lives of citizens. Yes, if I did not, had I not done that, we wouldnt be here today. And I say without the slightest remorse, that we wouldnt be here, we would not have made economic progress, if we had not intervened on very personal matters  who your neighbor is, how you live, the noise you make, how you spit, or what language you use. We decide what is right. Never mind what the people think, he said speaking to Straits Times newspaper, 1987.
Russia complained about the nighttime "terrorist attack by the Kyiv regime" on September 16 again. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, two drones attempted to attack some objects on the territory of the Russian Federation.

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However, the Russian Air Defense Ministry headed by Sergei Shoigu assures that it has once again defeated all enemies. The UAVs were allegedly shot down over the Kaluga and Tver regions of the Russian Federation.

"On September 16, a night attempt by the Kyiv regime to carry out a terrorist attack on targets in the Russian Federation with two UAVs was prevented. The Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed by Air Defense systems over the territories of Kaluga and Tver regions," the Russian Defense Ministry said.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not say where exactly the "destroyed drones" fell. They also did not include the standard narrative that "there were no casualties or damage."

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The Tver region of the Russian Federation complained about an attack on a chemical plant on September 13, the Redkin Research Plant. The drone, according to the Russians, which tried to attack the enterprise, was allegedly detected and eliminated at five o'clock in the morning, with wreckage falling on the territory of the plant.

The plant produces chemicals for the Russian aviation and space industry.
NYU Grossman School of Medicine shared a new report where revived patients shared their startling after-death experiences. I remember seeing my dad," said a patient who had flatlined earlier.

These 53 patients had experienced cardiac arrests and had been revived after cardiopulmonary resuscitation at 25 hospitals located in the US and UK. Out of these 53, 40% reported having memories or conscious thoughts.

I remember seeing my dad," said a patient who had flatlined earlier.

I do remember a being of light  standing near me. It was looming over me like a great tower of strength, yet radiating only warmth and love, shared another survivor.

While earlier, doctors assumed that there was little to no brain activity after about 10 minutes of cardiac arrest, this new research gives a new angle to this theory.

Dr. Sam Parnia, an associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health, told the Post, "There are signs of normal and near normal brain activity found up to an hour into resuscitation.

We were not only able to show the markers of lucid consciousness  we were also able to show that these experiences are unique and universal. Theyre different from dreams, illusions and delusions."

While patients asked for their identities to not be revealed, these were some of the experiences they shared.

I was shown the consequences of my life, thousands of people that Id interacted with and felt what they felt about me, saw their life and how I had impacted them. Next I saw the consequences of my life and the influence of my actions, recollected one patient.

I was asked if I wanted to come home  or wanted to come back here. I told them that my two sons needed me and I had to go back. I was suddenly in my body again feeling my achy joints flaring in pain, shared another anonymous patient.

According to Dr. Sam, "Normally there are braking systems that prevent us from accessing all the parts of our brain, but as the brain shuts down in order to preserve itself the brakes are off."

That is when people get activation of other parts of the brain that have been dormant. You get access to your entire consciousness and things that you normally cant access, all of your emotions, feelings, thoughts and memories.

These are not hallucinations. These are very real experiences that occur in death, he added.
Russian-installed authorities in Crimea said on Saturday they planned to sell about 100 Ukrainian properties, including one belonging to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. A woman walks near the statue of Russian Emperor Alexander III at the Livadia Palace in Yalta, Crimea.(REUTERS)

Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament, said the nationalised properties would be sold "soon" and the authorities had held the first eight auctions for the properties of Ukrainian business figures.

The sale contracts amounted to more than 815 million roubles ($8.51 million), Konstantinov said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app.

Russian-installed authorities in Crimea said in February that they had nationalised around 500 properties in Crimea including some belonging to senior Ukrainian politicians and business figures.

Crimea, internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, has been controlled by Moscow since 2014, when Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula, eight years before its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The federal prosecutor who is in charge of the case against Donald Trump for trying to overturn the 2020 election has requested a judge to impose a gag order on the former president, restricting his ability to comment publicly on the case. Former President Donald Trump waves to the crowd after speaking at a Concerned Women for America Summit at the Capitol Hilton, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)(AP)

Special Counsel Jack Smiths motion says the order is needed to prevent witness harassment and protect the fairness of the trial.

FILE - Special counsel Jack Smith speaks about an indictment of former President Donald Trump, Aug. 1, 2023, at a Department of Justice office in Washington.(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)(AP)

Trump responded on his social media platform, Truth Social, accusing Smiths team of misconduct and writing, they wont allow me to SPEAK?

He has denied any wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to overturn the 2020 election.

The motion was made public by District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan on Friday, a week after it was filed. It was among several older court documents from the case that were released on Friday.

Prosecutors say their proposed order is a narrow, well defined restriction that aims to prevent disinformation, threats and prejudicing the case.

The order would prohibit Trump from making statements regarding the identity, testimony, or credibility of prospective witnesses and statements about any party, witness, attorney, court personnel, or potential jurors that are disparaging and inflammatory, or intimidating.

ALSO READ| The impact of Hunter Biden's legal troubles on the President Joe Biden

The order would not prevent Trump from quoting from public record court documents or declaring his innocence.

Any limitation on the former presidents First Amendment right to free speech, especially as he runs for president in 2024, would likely trigger a major constitutional challenge in court.

Last week, the former presidents lawyers wrote to Judge Chutkan, asking her to recuse herself from the case, claiming she was biased against Mr Trump.

It is not clear when she will rule on either motion.

On Friday, Trump wrote on Truth Social, "So, Im campaigning for President against an incompetent person who has WEAPONIZED the DOJ & FBI to go after his Political Opponent, & I am not allowed to COMMENT?

They Leak, Lie, & Sue, & they wont allow me to SPEAK?

The motion cites specific examples of statements and online posts by Trump as well as people, including Judge Chutkan, who have allegedly faced intimidation after Trump criticized them.

In one comment cited by prosecutors, the 45th U.S. president called her a fraud dressed up as a judge and a radical Obama hack. They argue that a woman who was arrested for making racist death threats to the judge was influenced by Mr Trumps criticisms.

The motion also refers to attacks by Trump on a Georgia election worker and his former cybersecurity aide that have allegedly resulted in harassment by his supporters.

On Friday, it was also revealed that Twitter had secretly handed over direct messages from Trumps account to Smiths team.

ALSO READ| California school district agrees to pay the largest bullying settlement in the US 

Twitter had resisted the order, but was eventually forced to give up 32 direct messages. No details about the messages were disclosed, including whether they were sent or received by Trump, or were drafts that were never sent.

Trump, who is leading the polls for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, faces multiple legal challenges.

He has been criminally charged four times, including in this federal investigation into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election result.
Debit card hackers are getting more and more notorious in today's world. This is why it is important to know the things you can do to protect your bank accounts from these sneaky fraudsters.

Debit Card Fraud: What is It and How It Happens

Credit cards and debit cards are quite different. Hackers/fraudsters usually target the latter because it is the one that's connected to your bank account.

Fox News reported that a debit card fraud is quite similar to a house theft. Once malicious actors acquire your debit card PIN, they can easily use your money to make purchases or withdraw your funds.

Debit card hacking can happen in numerous ways. For example, fraudsters can get your information by breaching a retailer that saves your financial information.

Criminals also rely on phishing scams so that their victims will be the ones who will unknowingly provide their debit card details.

If you notice that there are unauthorized transactions on your debit card, the best thing you can do is contact your bank immediately.

This will allow you to cancel your debit card or freeze your bank account so that hackers can no longer drain it further.

Of course, it would still be best if you could prevent debit card fraud from ever happening. If you want to ensure the safety of your bank account, here are the things you can do.

Read Also: Microsoft Detects China-Based Hackers Breaching Email Accounts

How To Prevent Debit Card Fraud

US News provided some effective tips that can help you protect your debit card from fraudsters. These include the following:

Check For Signs of Tampering

One of the methods used by debit card fraudsters is skimming. They do this by using a device that allows them to tamper with ATMs and other transaction machines. If you see that the ATM looks like it has been altered, try finding another safe ATM.

Beware of Phishing Scams

The most common method used by debit card hackers is phishing scams. If you receive an unexpected message via text, email, or voice mail, there's a chance that the message is a phishing scam. If the unknown contact asks for your Social Security Number (SSN) and other sensitive information that can be used for your debit card or bank account, block them right away.

Avoid Accessing Unsecured Websites

Debit card fraudsters also use unsecured websites to trick their victims. If you see that the website's link doesn't have a lock icon, then you might as well close it since it could be a scam.

Aside from these three effective safety habits, here are other things you can do to protect your debit card:

Make sure that you are regularly reviewing your debit card reports for suspicious activities.

Instead of using ATMs to check your balance, try installing your bank's mobile application.

Always update your smartphone and computer software so you can get the latest security features.

Make sure that your bank account has a two-factor authentication (2FA).

Only make online purchases from trusted websites.

Related Article: Security Flaw in UK Surveillance Cameras Could Be Exploited by Hackers

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Two Republican lawmakers introduced new legislation allowing schools to fund firearm safety, hunting, and archery programs as tensions regarding gun violence run high.

Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles and Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul introduced the Educating Responsible Future Hunters Act. This seeks to amend federal law to programs that aim to teach proper safety and training with a "dangerous weapon."

Republicans Encourage Schools To Fund Firearm Safety

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 currently prohibits funds under the law's jurisdiction for "the provision to any person of a dangerous weapon" or training in using a dangerous weapon.

During an interview, Ogles said that the federal government has no business in imposing federal restrictions on local schools that offer programs to educate students on firearm safety and the skills required for hunting and archery.

The Republican continued to say that the Educating Responsible Future Hunters Act permanently removes that provision and ensures that the administration's baseless attack on his state and American values ends at the federal level, as per Fox News.

Ogles said that he was pleased to be able to join Paul in the latter's effort to push back against United States President Joe Bidnen's administration and its efforts to block federal funds for schools that offer such extracurricular courses.

In a statement, the Kentucky senator said that the Biden administration is using the same provision he fought to have stripped from the gun control bill. He said the president wrongly justified its assault on Kentucky students' hunting and archery programs.

The Director of Federal Affairs for the Gun Owners of America (GOA), Aiden Johnston, said that Sen. Paul and Rep. Ogles deserve praise for stepping into the fray and calling out the Biden administration's ridiculous plan of blocking school funds.

Read Also: Jacksonville Shooting: Gunman Identified, Bought Guns Legally Prior to 'Racially Motivated' Attack

Tensions Over Gun Safety

He added that this is simply one of the many poor policies that have resulted from Sen. John Cornyn's alleged compromise on gun control that Congress should never have enacted last year. The situation comes as Republicans are worried that the Biden administration is wrongly interpreting the bipartisan gun safety law, according to Penn Capital Star.

The provision in the law that is in question is a bipartisan effort to curb gun violence that established new criminal offenses, and it also expanded background check requirements and the scope of existing restrictions.

The Department of Education has interpreted the provision to justify its efforts to defund school archery and hunting programs across the United States. Despite a score of Republican criticisms regarding the situation, there is little evidence that any programs have been affected.

On the other hand, protesters rallied in North Carolina after a fatal shooting that left a faculty member dead and scared students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It has galvanized gun safety advocates and local Democrats.

There were roughly 600 students who were seen holding protest signs on a large lawn in the heart of campus and bowed their heads during a moment of silence, said the Associated Press.

Related Article: New Mexico Gun Rights: Organizations Sue Governor Over Declaration of Public Health Emergency

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Interest has been increasing pertaining to the whereabouts and condition of Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu over the past few weeks as he was missing in several key defense meetings with Southeast Asian counterparts. This led to speculations from several Western reports and sources that he might have been dismissed from the post or was under house arrest.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the 65-year-old general was supposed to meet the defense ministers of Singapore and Vietnam in recent weeks, but was not able to do so. His last appearance was in Beijing on August 29 when he delivered a keynote address at a security forum with African nations.

As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, Something is rotten in the state of Denmark. 1st: Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasnt been seen or heard from in 3 weeks. 2nd: He was a no-show for his trip to Vietnam. Now: Hes absent from his scheduled meeting with the Singaporean Chief of Navy   (@USAmbJapan) September 15, 2023

Li Possibly Investigated for Corruption, US Officials Say

The Washington Post cited US officials in its report when they said Li was under investigation for corruption and would likely be relieved from his role. The Wall Street Journal also reported that the Chinese official was being removed from office, while the Financial Times stated the US government believed Li was under investigation.

US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel also speculated on Li's fate.

"1st: Defense Minister Li Shangfu hasn't been seen or heard from in 3 weeks. 2nd: He was a no-show for his trip to Vietnam. Now: He's absent from his scheduled meeting with the Singaporean Chief of Navy because he was placed on house arrest???" he wrote in X, formerly Twitter.

China's defense ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment, while the US Embassy in Tokyo said it did not have immediate further comment.

Read Also: ONI Claims China's Shipbuilding Capacity 200x Better Than US

Drama in Beijing?

Meanwhile, when asked whether Li was under investigation, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters at a daily news conference that she was "not aware of the relevant information."

Li's absence was the latest in a series of disappearances in China's key and senior leadership roles following the replacement of its foreign minister Qin Gang in July after a prolonged period out of public view, as well as a shake-up of the leadership of the People's Liberation Army's Rocket Force in recent months.

Like Li, Qin is one of China's five state councilors, a cabinet position that ranks higher than a regular minister.

The moves have raised questions from analysts and diplomats about the lack of transparency in China's leadership at a time its economy is slowing, its population declining, and its relations with rival superpower United States and other neighboring countries have soured over a suite of issues.

National University of Singapore scholar Chong Ja Ian told Reuters that the lack of clarity surrounding Li's absence underlined uncertainty over China's decision-making.

"The range of speculation demonstrates the high uncertainty of the PRC (People's Republic of China) system at present," he said.

Related Article: US Aims to Access More Philippine Bases to Strengthen Alliance, Deter Beijing

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U.S. intelligence officials claim that China already suspended its spy balloon program. Numerous sources familiar with the assessment of U.S. intelligence explained why there are no more Chinese spy balloons being launched.

US Intel Claims China's Spy Balloon Program is Suspended

According to CNN Politics' latest report, U.S. intelligence officials think that the surveillance program of China, which involves spy balloons, has been suspended.

They stated that the reason behind this suspension is the recent action of the U.S. government to take down the Chinese spy balloon in February.

Ever since American fighter jets shot down the controversial Chinese spy balloon, U.S. intelligence has not seen a single spy launch from China.

The alleged suspension of China's spy balloon program comes as Beijing and Washington make efforts to stabilize their increasingly tense relationship.

Previously, Time Magazine reported that the Chinese spy balloon in February could be a part of a worldwide espionage effort of Beijing.

Brigadier General Pat Ryder, Pentagon's spokesperson, claimed that China's high-altitude spy balloons have been spotted in South America, Latin America, Europe, as well as other parts of Asia in the past few years.

However, the U.S. intelligence community thinks that China didn't intentionally maneuver the spy balloon to enter the U.S. air space.

Read Also: China Accused of Sparking Conflict with Philippine Coast Guard

China's Spy Balloon in the US Wasn't Intentional

The U.S. intelligence community said that the Chinese government wasn't aware that its surveillance balloon entered the United States air space.

One of the U.S. intelligence sources explained that the Chinese Communist Party leaders even reprimanded the operators of the controversial spy program.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden also confirmed that Chinese leader Xi Jinping was surprised when he was informed regarding the spy balloon's whereabouts in February.

In a previous political fundraiser, Biden said that the Chinese president was upset when the U.S. government decided to take down the surveillance balloon.

Since the recent spy balloon takedown was embarrassing to the Chinese government, experts said that it is unlikely for China to launch new surveillance aircraft.

Christopher John, a former CIA analyst focusing on China, explained that although Beijing doesn't confirm that the spy balloon was part of its surveillance program, the U.S. will no longer see Chinese surveillance balloons entering its air space.

Related Article: China Launches Anti-Graft Drive to Eradicate Corruption in Healthcare System

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A Lincolnshire project has been awarded funds to assist in the conservation of a tiny aquatic mammal that is currently threatened.

The uncommon crystal moss is an invertebrate that has declined in the UK owing to habitat degradation, according to BBC News.

It is one of 11 bryozoa species found in the UK and was discovered at a blow well, a habitat found exclusively in North and North East Lincolnshire, according to an environmental organization. It is one of 63 schemes in England to receive a share of 14.5 million.

Natural England's overall budget is going toward breeding programs and habitat improvement for a variety of species.

Bryozoans are tiny, filter-feeding sea organisms that live immobile in their adult state, stuck to the edges of boulders, rocks, or other surfaces.

The Lincolnshire Chalk Stream Project's recovery project tries to develop new populations of the uncommon mammal. According to the environmental organization, there are approximately 37 known blow wells between Louth and Barton upon Humber.

(Photo: by Cameron Smith/Getty Images) ULCEBY, ENGLAND - JULY 24: King Charles III (C) during a tour by Simon Jones (L) at the Poacher Cheese Farm during his visit to Lincolnshire on July 24, 2023, in Ulceby, England. The farm has been run by the Jones family since 1918 and is now in its fourth generation.

The funds were given after a competitive application process and will be used in projects around the country by environmental charities, wildlife organizations, local governments, and charities.

The initiatives will contribute to the delivery of the Nature Recovery Network by establishing, enhancing, and linking new wildlife-rich sites that benefit people and help animals survive.

The initiatives will also create new chances for individuals to benefit from the natural world's well-being advantages, as well as assist in building resilience to climate change while preserving the important ecosystems that provide us with healthy soil, clean air, and water.

Improving wildlife strongholds and investing in long-term species recovery will help the government meet its pledge to reduce species extinction by 2042 compared to 2022 levels, restore over 500,000 hectares of wildlife habitat, and increase species abundance, as outlined in the Environmental Improvement Plan.

Read also: Chinese Archaeologists Discover First-Ever Intact Panda Remains in Han Dynasty Tomb

Artificial Intelligence for Wildlife Conservation

Also, a revolutionary artificial intelligence technology is redefining animal conservation. This AI tracking tool dubbed the "biggest leap forward in a century" by scientists, is giving critical data to protect endangered British species. In this post, we'll look at how artificial intelligence is transforming wildlife monitoring and conservation activities in the United Kingdom.

Microsoft scientists collaborated with the UK wildlife charity Fera Science, as reported by Medium. They collaborated to create a novel system that blends motion-sensor cameras with a cutting-edge AI image analysis platform. Cameras are placed across the habitats of target species to catch animal movements. Instead of saving entire photos, motion sensors send only pixel changes to the cloud.

The ground-breaking AI software filters out noise and unnecessary motion, detects probable animal movement, and compares pixel changes to stored outlines of distinct species. When a match happens, the AI system highlights it for expert assessment. This allows for accurate species detection and monitoring without the need to store or evaluate large amounts of data. The system was field-tested in 2020 before being disseminated across the UK at over 500 locations.

This AI tracking tool provides large amounts of data on population sizes, behaviors, migrations, and trends over time and space. Analyzing this plethora of data gives conservationists capabilities that did not previously exist. The technique finds even uncommon and elusive species that traditional approaches miss. Machine learning algorithms are constantly improving detection accuracy for many species in changing settings.

When compared to human surveys, remote monitoring reduces expenditures and field labor. AI tracking identifies previously unknown populations and gives geospatial data to direct conservation efforts by covering more habitats. By recognizing negative patterns, the technique allows for earlier intervention against dwindling species. AI tracking provides an important new weapon in the struggle to conserve Britain's endangered animals.

Related article: Rare, Spotless Giraffe Born in Tennessee Zoo; Here's What the One-of-a-Kind's Potential Name!

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The U.K. now wants to ban American XL Bulldogs (commonly known as American Bullies). This was confirmed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, claiming that these dogs are "a danger" to U.K. communities.

UK To Ban American XL Bully Dogs

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak posted an X (formerly known as Twitter) announcement to confirm their decision to ban American Bullies in the United Kingdom.

"It's clear the American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities," said the British leader.

Sunak added that he ordered urgent work to define and ban American Bullies so that they can protect U.K. residents from violent animal attacks.

The prime minister confirmed his decision on Friday, Sept. 5. Sunak's video already garnered over 5 million views on X.

However, many netizens were disappointed to know that the United Kingdom is planning to ban these modern-breed canines.

"It's dog racism. Plain and simple. You see the shape of a dog and jump to conclusions irrespective of the individual dog's behavior," said a netizen in the comment section.

He added that the action of Rishi Sunak is not the approach that the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) suggests.

The X user explained that if Sunak is not ready to listen to experts' suggestions, then the problem with animal attacks will only continue.

"The breed is not the problem. What we need is responsible ownership," added the netizen.

Read Also: RIP Cheems: Meme Dog Balltze Dead at 12; Look Back At Pet Celebrity's Meme Timeline

Why UK Wants To Ban American Bullies

ITV reported that Sunak's effort to push a ban against American Bullies was confirmed after the recent XL Bully attack, which killed a man.

However, Downing Street officials clarified that the order of the prime minister to outlaw these dogs had already begun before the latest incident.

Previously, BBC News reported that a man identified as Ian Price died after two American Bullies attacked him. The violent animal attack happened in Stonnall, near Walsall Staffordshire.

The 52-year-old British man was taken to Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital. He was left in critical condition due to serious multiple injuries.

Sadly, Price was later confirmed dead. Deadly animal attacks currently create debates among people regarding big dogs, such as the American Bully.

Dog Breed Info confirmed that American Bullies are "gentle and loving toward" people. Unfortunately, there are really since instances when these dogs attack humans for some reason.

Right now, the U.K. is still trying to ban American Bullies. If Sunak still pushes this, it would take a lot of time since the American XL Bully is not legally recognized as a dog breed, making it hard for the government to outlaw the canine.

Related Article: UK Transport Cops Foster 'Smartly-Dressed' Dog After Intoxicated Owner Failed to Look After It

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Russian State Duma deputy Evgeny Fedorov said that the terrorist country Russia intends to "restore" the Soviet Union by occupying neighboring countries. According to him, the post-Soviet countries allegedly "illegally" seceded from the USSR.

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At the same time, the United Russia Party member said that Russia had already begun to "unite the USSR" by occupying part of Ukraine. Fedorov said this in an interview with Russian propaganda media.

The MP said that Russia would have to fight all the countries that used to be part of the USSR. At the same time, the politician considers the potential occupation of post-Soviet republics to be "a return to the Soviet Union."

"Sooner or later, all former republics will conflict or fight with Russia: it's a matter of theory. Some of them will fight later like Belarus. Georgia has already been at war, as has Ukraine. This fully applies to Armenia as well," Fedorov said.

In addition, the politician said that modern Russia is the Soviet Union. He also said that the aggressor country intends to "restore the territorial integrity of the USSR."

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"Russia is replacing the Soviet Union. We are the Soviet Union. Accordingly, we, as the owners of the territory of the Soviet Union, have the right to restore the territorial integrity of the Soviet Union, which we did in Donetsk, Luhansk, Crimea, etc.", the MP said.

As a reminder, Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov is dreaming of capturing Georgia and Armenia. In his opinion, this is necessary to prevent NATO military bases from appearing in these countries.

By the way, even before Russia's full-scale invasion, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said that Russia plans to restore the order of things that existed during the Soviet era. However, as the statesman emphasized, this option is unacceptable.

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Members of the United Auto Workers, the union's leader, and Senator Bernie Sanders intend to show their support during a protest in Downtown Detroit.

The start time of this rally is 5 p.m. Friday at the UAW-Ford National Programs Center, a short distance from the location of the concurrent North American International Auto Show Charity Preview, according to Fox 2.

The First Time Union Goes on Strike Against the Big 3 Automakers

After the contracts with General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford expired, UAW workers went on strike at midnight on Friday. This is the first time the union has ever gone on strike simultaneously against the Big Three automakers.

But this strike is a little unique. Only three factories-the Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio, the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, and the GM Wentzville Assembly Plant in Missouri-have UAW workers on strike.

Shawn Fain, the union president, warned that if negotiations drag on, additional employees may be asked to go on strike.

As a result, other union employees are currently working without a contract.

(Photo: by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

WAYNE, MICHIGAN - SEPTEMBER 15: Supporters and workers cheer as United Auto Workers members go on strike at the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant on September 15, 2023, in Wayne, Michigan. Contract negotiations with the Big Three automakers Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis expired at 11:59 pm September 14.

General Motors and Stellantis both expressed their dissatisfaction with the union leadership in remarks they made on Thursday night and early Friday.

Automakers and the UAW have been negotiating new contracts; the UAW claims the proposals thus far are insufficient.

The union had originally demanded a number of things, including a 46 percent wage increase, a 32-hour workweek with 40 hours of compensation, the elimination of the tier system, and the restoration of traditional pensions for new recruits. The union asserted that it is currently ready to accept a pay hike percentage in the mid-30s.

Read also: UAW Strike: Ford, GM, Stellantis Workers Near Major Protests as 97% Voted in Favor of Strikes

Backers of UAW

Senator Bernie Sanders has been an outspoken backer of the UAW as it fights for improvements at the bargaining table, including a shorter work week, the restoration of pensions, double-digit salary increases, the removal of a tier system under which newer workers receive lesser salaries and benefits, and more, as reported by The Detroit News.

Leaders of the UAW and Sanders have portrayed the union's demands as being part of a larger effort to enhance working conditions and the standard of living for the working class.

In the meantime, U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell, a Democrat from Ann Arbor, announced on social media on Thursday that a UAW-sponsored picket line will not be present at the Charity Preview on Friday night.

The Charity Preview, a $400 per person black-tie banquet that closes up the media and industry days and occurs shortly before the commencement of the public portion of the show, is a staple of the Detroit auto show. The occasion benefits children's charities and is frequently attended by executives and insiders from the auto industry. The event will start at 5 p.m. at Huntington Place, indicating that the UAW's event will occur concurrently somewhere else in downtown.

Related article: Targeted UAW Strikes Could Happen-Here's What Could Trigger Protests

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The UK officially banned the Wagner Group as a terrorist organization Friday (September 15), weeks after the death of its founder and leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.

The order made it illegal to be a contractor of, or to support, the Russian mercenary corps, with those found guilty of doing such facing heavy fines and penalties of up to 14 years in prison.

British Home Secretary Suella Braverman called Wagner a "threat to global security" upon proposing the order.

"Wagner's continuing destabilizing activities only continue to serve the Kremlin's political goals," she said. "They are terrorists, plain and simple - and this proscription order makes that clear in UK law."

Wagner now joins 78 others in a list of proscribed organizations in the UK, which includes Hamas and Boko Haram.

A Rundown of Wagner's Recent History

Wagner was allegedly founded in 2014 by Prigozhin and since the annexation of Crimea, the mercenary group quickly became a key tool of Russian state power under President Vladimir Putin, the BBC reported.

Aside from its operations in Ukraine, Wagner has been at the service of Putin's allies in countries such as Syria, Libya, Mali, and the Central African Republic.

However, its general fate was jeopardized after Prigozhin led a failed mutiny against the Russian defense ministry, specifically with defense minister Sergei Shoigu. Prigozhin later died alongside other key Wagner leaders in a suspicious plane crash on August 23 and was buried in St. Petersburg.

On Friday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied that an investigation into the causes of the crash had been too slow, claiming that it was "not a simple investigation" and "not a simple incident."

"The investigation is ongoing, that is why giving some kind of commentary would be absolutely premature," he told reporters.

Read Also: Pro-Kyiv Russian Volunteer Corps Urges Wagner to Switch Sides to Avenge Prigozhin's Death

British MPs, Experts Say Wagner was Banned Too Little, Too Late

Meanwhile, some senior members of parliament (MPs) in Westminster have been calling on the government to ban Wagner for months, a term officials call "proscription."

Earlier this year, the parliament's foreign affairs select committee produced a report condemning the government's "remarkably complacent" approach to Wagner, as well as criticizing its "dismal lack of understanding" of the private military contractor's (PMC) influence beyond Europe, especially its presence in Africa.

However, some say the ban has been too little, too late.

Last month, experts told the BBC that rival private military companies were seeking to take over Wagner and its assets in the aftermath of Prigozhin's death.

Foreign affairs select committee chair Alicia Kearns urged the government Thursday (September 14) to take "a more strategic approach" towards mercenaries operating across the world's conflict zones.

On the other hand, the UK Labour Party's Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy accused the government of being too slow to act and of "failing to keep up" with changing threats to the UK's national security.

In the aftermath of Wagner's decimation by battle and by politics, Russia was said to have established dozens of private military contractor firms with multiple and varying loyalties.

Anton Mardasov, a non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute's Syria Program, told the BBC last month that one group, PMC Redut, was already seeking to rival Wagner in Syria.

Related Article: Putin's Chef Cooked for Real: Russian Authorities Confirm Yevgeny Prigozhin's Death

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Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Russian autonomous region of Chechnya, was reportedly in hospital in a critical condition, according to Ukrainian intelligence reports.

"The information is confirmed by various sources in the medical and political circles," Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov told Ukrainian news outlet Obozrevatel. "There is information that the war criminal Kadyrov is in a serious condition and the diseases that were there have worsened and caused such a serious condition."

The Chechen warlord's ill health was not due to an injury, Yusov said, further saying that other details are yet to be determined.

Read Also: UK Formally Declares Wagner Group Terror Organization

Who is Ramzan Kadyrov?

Kadyrov is the current leader of the Chechen Republic and a Kremlin hardliner, which earned him the nickname "Putin's soldier" or "Putin's watchdog" for his loyalty to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his war in Ukraine.

Prior to his involvement in the current war, he was known as the son of Akhmad Kadyrov, the first president of Chechnya who was assassinated in the regional capital Grozny by Chechen Islamists in 2009.

In July, he said he sent a detachment of Chechen troops to fight in Bakhmut after they signed a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense, something the late Yevgeny Prigozhin's Wagner Group has refused to do.

In response, Putin expressed his gratitude to Kadyrov in March for helping Russia in its war in Ukraine.

Related Article: Ukraine Forces Drive Out Russian Troops in Key Eastern City; Kadyrov Calls Putin To Unleash Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons

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After 27 years of marriage, Hugh Jackman and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, announced their divorce on Friday (September 15).

The Australian celebrity ex-couple told People, who first released the news, that they were going their separate ways amicably.

"We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage," the couple said. "Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth."

Read Also: Canada's PM Justin Trudeau Announces Divorce from Wife Sophie After 18 Years

Moving Forward with 'Gratitude, Love, Kindness' on 'Shifting Journey'

Jackman, 54, and Furness, 67, said they would still prioritize the family they have created, in which they shared two children together, and asked the public to respect their privacy as they process with the struggles of decoupling.

"We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness," they added, signing the statement as "Deb and Hugh Jackman" in what could be the last time they did so. "This is the sole statement either of us will make."

Jackman and Furness met in 1995 on the set of the Australian TV series "Corelli" and married a year later.

Furness was already an established actress when she married Jackman, who was 13 years her junior. During their married life, their roles were reversed when Jackman became famous for his role as Wolverine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Their last red carpet appearance was at the Met Gala last May, and their last appearance as a couple was in July when they attended the men's finals at Wimbledon.

Related Article: Wolverine in the UK! Hugh Jackman Spotted in Yorkshire

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The Senate has begun deliberations for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial, who is currently facing 16 articles of impeachment, including bribery and abuse of public trust.

In a statement, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told the 30 state senators who would be acting as jurors in the case that they would only be allowed to go home at night and are mandated not to speak to anyone about the trial or watch any news coverage until it is over.

Ken Paxton Impeachment Trial

If a verdict against Paxton is not reached by Sunday evening, Patrick said that he would consider sequestering the senators. The state's attorney general attended the trial on the first day and the last day after he pleaded not guilty last week. He has denied any and all wrongdoing.

The situation comes as Republican lawmakers hold a 19-12 majority in the Texas Senate and the state requires a two-thirds majority, which equates to 21 votes, to convict Paxton of any of the charges brought against him, as per CBS News.

Paxton's wife, Texas Sen. Angela Paxton, has also been barred from voting or participating in the deliberations of her husband. However, she still counts toward the number of senators that are necessary to convict, which means that the state would still need 21 votes.

The defense team for the attorney general has sought to dismiss the impeachment vote against him as a political "witch hunt" and partisan fight within the GOP against Paxton himself. He is considered to be a close ally of former United States President Donald Trump.

On the other hand, House impeachment manager Jeff Leach, who also represents Paxton's home base in Collin County, Texas, argued that while the attorney general is a "dear friend and political mentor," the people of the state deserve answers.

Patrick, who presided over the trial of Paxton, said that it was not sure how long the jury was going to deliberate. He argued that it could take hours or even days before the senators reach a definitive decision, according to CNN.

Read Also: Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders Seeks Overhaul of State's Records Law Amid Lawsuit

Senators Begin Deliberations

There are only two Texas statewide officials who have ever been successfully removed from office following a conviction in an impeachment trial. These were Gov. James Ferguson and 1917 and District Judge. O.P. Carrillo in 1975.

The two-week trial at the Texas State Capitol in Austin ended on Friday when both the House impeachment managers and Paxton's legal team were given one hour each for their closing arguments.

Republican state Rep. Andrew Murr, who is the chair of the House impeachment managers, said on Friday that the attorney general may claim to be one of them but argued that he had no regard for the principles of honor and integrity.

Additionally, Murr criticized the defense of the attorney general, who he claimed only fought back by saying that Paxton did not do the actions that he was accused of and that it does not matter because he won the election. Murr called the arguments "godless, rudderless morality," said the New York Times.

Related Article: GOP Senator Mitt Romney Stands Down on Senate Reelection Bid

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(Photo : Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

A Michigan jury acquitted three men on state charges related to the attempted kidnapping of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020.

A Michigan jury acquitted three men on Friday of state charges related to the alleged attempt to kidnap state Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2020.

The decision capped multiple legal proceedings that focused on right-wing extremism and the dangers that are looming over the country's political leaders. The not-guilty verdicts on the suspects were read out in a northern Michigan courtroom.

Gretchen Whitmer Kidnap Plot

The development comes after a two-week trial that involved Eric Molitor and twin brothers William Null and Michael Null. All three defendants faced charges of providing material support for a terrorist act and illegally possessing firearms.

After the jury announced the verdict, the people inside the courtroom gasped while the three defendants cried and hugged their supporters. State prosecutors argued during the trial that Molitor and the Null brothers participated in military-style drills and cased Whitmer's vacation property located in Antrim County in northern Michigan.

The attempted kidnapping of the official, which the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI) informants helped disrupt, involved plans to capture the governor at her home, detonate a bridge, and ignite an armed rebellion ahead of the 2020 presidential election, as per the Washington Post.

On the other hand, attorneys for 39-year-old Molitor and the 41-year-old twin Null brothers, argued that the three defendants did not actively take part in the kidnap plot and did not consider it to be a serious threat to the governor.

Both Molitor and WIlliam testified in their defense and the latter told jurors that he wanted to call the police when he overheard others talking about getting their hands on explosives. He said that the situation seemed to be getting serious and he was not sure if it was actually going to happen.

The acquittals of the defendants followed several other trials where suspects were convicted of their roles in the kidnapping plot of Whitmer. Other defendants were also found to be members of Wolverine Watchmen, a far-right paramilitary group.

Read Also: Danelo Cavalcante Jailbreak: Escaped Killer Says Searchers Nearly Walked On Him, Hiding Beneath Leaves

Acquitted Defendants

Assistant Attorney General William Rollstin said during closing arguments on Wednesday that the defendants were going to help the plot leaders "bring terrorism to Antrim County." He also told the jury that if they were going to help somebody, even knowing that they planned a terrorist attack, it would be the wrong decision, according to ABC News.

William Barnett, Molitor's defense attorney, said that the state's case against his client is weak, while also accusing the prosecutors of trying to mislead the jurors in their presentation of evidence. He noted that the situation was simply a good story that they did not want to back out of.

The kidnap plot against Whitmer involved eight men who were charged on the state level while another six were indicted on federal charges. In the end, nine suspects were convicted or pleaded guilty while five others were acquitted.

In a statement, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said that the government's efforts in the case undoubtedly resulted in many lives being saved. She added that while the verdicts were not what they had hoped for, the successes that had been achieved throughout all of the cases sent a clear message.

In 2020, authorities alleged that the involved parties conspired with others to "unlawfully seize, kidnap, abduct, and carry away, and hold for ransom and reward" the governor. During the case, defense attorneys sometimes maintained an entrapment defense, said CNN.

Related Article: 6 'Soldiers of Christ' Arrested in Georgia for Killing Woman Later Found in Car Trunk

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Something is probably wrong with our Universe or with the models of the space developed by humankind. Over time, the matter in the Universe is becoming more and more dense, but this is happening more slowly than expected.

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This is stated in a study published in Physical Review Letters. Scientists believe that such a slowdown in the evolution of such a large-scale structure as the Universe may indicate the existence of new particles or fields or that scientists are mistaken in their understanding of what dark matter is.

The evolution of the universe is driven by two forces: dark energy makes the cosmos expand, while gravity pulls matter towards it.

The most common model of cosmology called the Lambda-CDM suggests that this will eventually lead to a cosmic web of galaxies becoming denser and denser, with cosmic voids growing and becoming empty of matter, as only space, not the cosmic objects within it, grows.

A recent study conducted by Nhat Minh Nguyen from the University of Michigan and his colleagues showed that this is exactly what is happening, but there is one significant difference.

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The researchers collected data from various sources on the structure of the early Universe and its current state. They found that the process of structure growth is slowing down at an unexpected rate. As predicted, the cosmic web is becoming denser and the voids are getting bigger and more empty, but all this is not happening at the rate predicted by the Lambda-CDM.

"Many different probes exploring the Universe at different times and on different scales point to the same thing: the growth of structure has been much slower recently than we expect from the standard model," Nguyen said.

He added that the scientists expected to find a certain slowdown in the rate of evolution of the Universe, but "this slowdown is more noticeable."

The deviation in the researchers' calculations with the standard model reaches 3.7 sigma. This means that there is a probability of about 1 in 4600 that such data is a statistical accident if the standard model described the cosmos right.

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The slowdown in the expansion of the Universe can also explain the stresses that have been detected in previous space observations.

As NewScientist writes, Mike Hudson from the University of Waterloo in Canada notes that there are many suggestions in the scientific literature that "the Lambda-CDM is wrong in some ways," but this view is not generally accepted in the scientific community.

Scientists cannot say what the reason for this sharp slowdown might be, as it remains a mystery to them at the moment. But until it is resolved, scientists will not be able to modify the standard Lambda-CDM model to better fit the reality.

"Many of the models of modified gravity that we know of would lead to structural strengthening, not slowing down. The fact that we see a slowdown is a very interesting hint of what might be happening," said Jiamin Hou of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany.

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At the same time, Nguyen adds that the problem cannot be solved by simply adding more dark energy.

"The reason for this may be something that requires new fields, i.e. new particles or new interactions, i.e. new forces, perhaps between dark matter particles," Nguyen said.

According to him, if dark matter interacts or decays differently than scientists had predicted, this could explain the measurements. However, more observations are needed to find out for sure.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL reported that scientists have discovered evidence of cosmic symmetry breaking for the first time.

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Chicago, IL (60637)

Today

Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low 28F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

Snow this evening will transition to snow showers late. Low 28F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of snow 100%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
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Hudson, NY (12534)

Today

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low near 35F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then off and on rain showers overnight. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low near 35F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 40%.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.  FEMA encourages residents and visitors in Hurricane Lee's path to prepare now and follow the instructions of local officials.

Anyone in the forecast path of the storm should monitor local weather alerts for updates and evacuate immediately if told to do so.

"For the past several days, FEMA has been in close contact with our state partners as we monitor the path of Hurricane Lee," FEMA Region 1 Regional Administrator Lori Ehrlich said. "Right now, we want to remind New Englanders to listen to their local emergency management officials and take the appropriate steps to prepare for the impact of the storm."

Residents and visitors in potentially affected areas should learn their evacuation routes now, have a family emergency communications plan, charge their devices and batteries, ensure they are receiving emergency alerts and check on their neighbors, especially those who are older adults or may need additional assistance.

The National Hurricane Center has issued hurricane, tropical storm and storm surge watches for several areas in New England. Hurricane conditions and coastal flooding are possible in portions of eastern Maine and life-threatening storm surge flooding is possible in portions of southeastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod and Nantucket.

Now is the time to prepare:

Get Emergency Alerts: Make sure to sign up to receive weather alerts in your community and stay updated on the latest weather news from the National Weather Service.

Gather Supplies: Have enough supplies for your household. Include medication, disinfectant supplies and pet supplies. After a hurricane, you may not have access to these supplies for days or weeks.

Dont drive through flood waters: Almost half of all flash flood deaths happen in vehicles. When in your car, look out for flooding in low-lying areas at bridges and at highway dips. As little as 6 inches of water may cause you to lose control of your vehicle.

Evacuating: If you are in potentially affected areas, you should be familiar with evacuation routes, have a family emergency communications plan, keep a battery-powered radio handy and have plans for your family members and pets. If you are a person with disabilities, you may need to take additional steps to plan for both your needs and that of your service animal.

Flood insurance: Residents should review their National Flood Insurance Program policy. It can cover and reimburse certain actions residents take to minimize damage to their homes and belongings before a flood.

FEMA encourages everyone to visit www.Ready.gov or www. Listo.gov to learn more about how to be prepared and how to protect yourself and your loved ones during emergencies. Make sure your family, friends and neighbors understand the potential affects Hurricane Lee could bring to your area.
Great Barrington Senior Center Closed for Paving Work

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.  The Claire Teague Senior Center will be closed to the public Monday, Sept. 18 through Friday, Sept. 22, while the entire parking lot gets excavated, milled and repaved.

The schedule is subject to change depending on weather conditions.

There will be no access to the building during this time for programs or for congregate meals during the day, including for after-hours groups.

Anyone with questions or concerns may contact Joan Peters, (413) 528-1881 ext. 7002.
Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have left Poland over the past year. Most of them did not return home but moved to Germany. Refugees choose the country where they are offered higher benefits.

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This is stated by OBOZREVATEL. The number of Ukrainians who have received temporary protection status in Germany has soared by 410 thousand people since August last year. 70 thousand people moved to Romania, while 40 thousand moved to Italy. We are not talking about those Ukrainians who went abroad last year. These are refugees migrating within the EU. For example, 350 thousand people left Poland and almost 50 thousand people left the Czech Republic.

There is a mass migration of Ukrainian refugees from Poland to Germany. Ukrainians learn about the more attractive living conditions in Germany from their relatives and friends. It was based on recommendations that 43% of refugees moved, according to a study by the EWL platform and the Center for Eastern European Studies at the University of Warsaw.

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Interestingly, Ukrainians are primarily interested in social benefits, not salaries. Thus, 42% of Ukrainians moved to Germany because of higher benefits and only 27% because of higher salaries. 99% of Ukrainian refugees are undergoing an integration course: their children study in local schools, while adults attend free German language courses. Only 31% of refugees have found a job.

On average, refugees in Germany are left with 494 euros after paying all monthly expenses. They can save this money. Almost one in eight (13%) can save more than 1 thousand euros every month. For example, a refugee family consisting of a master, two children aged 5 to 18, and an adult woman (grandmother) can receive a monthly payment of 1700 euros.

Mikhalina Selevych, Director of International Development at EWL Group, notes that if the war and migration trends continue, Ukrainians will be the largest group of foreigners in Germany next year.

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"If the war continues and the current migration trends remain at the same level, then Ukrainian citizens may become the largest group of foreigners in Germany in 2024 characterized by high professional activity," Selevych explains.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL wrote about the salaries offered to Ukrainians in Norway. Ukrainians have the right to find a job in one of the richest countries in the world.

Only verified information is available on Telegram and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Williams Volleyball Stays Unbeaten, Wins League Opener

MIDDLEBURY, Vt. -- Lauren Kauppila passed out 32 assists and served three aces Friday to lead the Williams College women's volleyball team to a three-set win over Middlebury.

Keely Campuzano led Williams with 11 kills in the 25-17, 25-20, 25-18 win.

Williams (5-0, 1-0 NESCAC) goes to Hamilton on Saturday.
Finally, after giving Globe and Smart a week to sell the Samsung Galaxy S III with their postpaid plans. Samsung Electronics Philippines officially launched the third generation of Galaxy S, the Galaxy S III here in the Philippines last Monday, May 28 at the NBC Tent for a price of just Php32,900 (16GB variant). The phone is available with Globe and Smart on June 1st and at all Samsung brand stores by June 9th.

If you want to pre-order the Samsung Galaxy S III via Globe, just head over to Globes pre-order page here: galaxys3.globe.com.ph/apply or via Smarts pre-order page here: smart.com.ph/preorder/?pid=4.

Samsung Galaxy S III (GT-I9300) Specifications:

GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 MHz, HSDPA 21 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps; 4G (regional)

4.8-inch (1280x720) HD Super AMOLED display (306ppi)

1.4GHz Samsung Exynos 4 Quad processor

Mali-400MP GPU

1GB RAM

Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with TouchWiz

8 megapixel Auto Focus Rear camera with Flash & Zero Shutter Lag, BSI

1.9 megapixel front-facing camera, HD recording @30fps with Zero Shutter Lag, BSI

S Beam, Buddy photo share, Share shot

AllShare Play, AllShare Cast

Smart stay, Social tag, Group tag, Face zoom, Face slide show

Direct call, Smart alert, Tap to top, Camera quick access

Pop up play

S Voice

Burst shot & Best photo, Recording snapshot, HDR

WiFi a/b/g/n, WiFi HT40

GPS/GLONASS

NFC

Bluetooth 4.0 (LE)

Accelerometer, RGB light, Digital compass, Proximity, Gyro, Barometer

16GB of internal storage + microSD slot (up to 64GB)

136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6 mm, 133g

2,100mAh Battery

Php32,990

More about the Samsung Galaxy S III specs and features, here.
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A total of 234 people in five small boats are the latest to have made the dangerous journey across the English Channel to the UK.

Using Home Office figures collated by the PA news agency, the crossings on Friday mean a total of 628 people have arrived since Monday.

A total of 23,731 have been intercepted since the start of the year.

This figure is down on 2022 when by the same date last year, 29,755 people had crossed the Chanel.

The latest crossings come as a political row has broken out following Labour leader Sir Keir Starmers indication that his party would seek an EU-wide returns agreement which would involve taking a quota of migrants from the bloc.

The Tories have seized on the suggestion of closer ties to Brussels, claiming any such arrangement could lead to 100,000 EU migrants coming to the UK every year.

Labour dismissed the 100,000 figure as total garbage and insisted any partnership would focus on children with family in Britain rather than formally joining the EUs official quota scheme as well as smashing the criminal people-smuggling gangs.
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The death toll from the Maui wildfires has now dropped to 97 people, after officials previously believed at least 115 had been lost to the devastation  and 31 remain missing.

Hawaii Governor Josh Green explained the changing numbers on CNN on Friday: The death toll dropped because we have Department of Defense anthropologists who are able to do a lot more advanced genetics. They were able to make sure we werent tragically commingling any of the people we lost.

However, 31 people are still unaccounted for in the aftermath of the fires. Last week, Governor Green had said that 66 were still missing.

This number has dwindled significantly since the FBI announced last month that 388 were still missing. After people saw their names on the list, though, they started calling in to get their names removed. Very quickly, that list was slashed by 100 names.

The wildfires rampaged Hawaii starting on 8 August  hitting the historic town of Lahaina particularly hard, as hundreds of buildings, including many homes, were wiped out by the blazes. Reconstruction is expected to take years and cost billions.

As West Maui is expected to re-open on 8 October, Mr Green said, the state is working on relocating more than 7,400 people from hotels to long-term housing.

We dont expect a lot of people at first, although I was just with some travel executives, and they did share that people are rallying around the world to come and help us recover, the governor explained. He said that tourists need to be kind and respectful while visiting.

Late last month, the Environmental Protection Agency announced it would send crews to remove hazardous materials from the region; residents will be allowed to re-enter these areas once the EPA has properly cleared it.

According to a Maui County press release from Friday, the re-entry zones are expected to be announced next week. Property owners and residents in those zones will be contacted before the start of the process to acquire passes for re-entry into those zones begins on Friday, September 22.
 Close Aftermath of Russian missile strike on Ukraine mail depot that killed six

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Ukrainian troops have made confirmed advances near Bakhmut, Donetsk, and Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Geolocated footage posted on 30 October shows that Ukrainian forces have advanced northeast of Kurdyumivka (10km southwest of Bakhmut), it said.

Ukrainian forces have also marginally advanced west of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia, according to geolocated footage seen by the think tank.

It comes as Kyiv said it had successfully hit a strategic object of the air defence system in western Crimea. Russian sources said the attack was carried out using combined long-range weapons like ATACMS, storm shadow missiles and sea drones.

The Russian Ministry of Defence confirmed its air defence systems destroyed eight Storm Shadow cruise missiles over the peninsula.

If confirmed, this would be the first time Ukraine has used the top-tier missile system provided by the US to hit targets on the Crimean coast.

Meanwhile, Russia has 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.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that it would be up to the Ukrainian Armed Forces to decide how they want to use the ATACMS missiles, although Washington does not encourage the use of American weapons outside of Ukraine. At the same time, he noted that Ukrainians should be able to use such missiles effectively.

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Blinken made the statement during a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on September 15. Commenting on the possibility of transferring ATACMS, he said that several factors are taken into account when transferring each weapon system to Kyiv.

"Ukrainians must be able to use them effectively. New sophisticated systems also require maintenance and, of course, we are doing that. They must be able to operate and repair them, and this does not happen automatically. They also have to fit into a coherent military program that intends to help Ukraine achieve its goals," the State Department chief said.

He added that Ukrainians should use these weapons "as they decide."

"It's up to them to make decisions about what might be most effective in restoring their territorial integrity. According to our policy, we do not encourage or allow the use of our weapons systems outside of Ukraine. But again, this is Ukraine's decision," Blinken said.

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For her part, Baerbock confirmed that possible fears of strikes on Russian territory are not an argument when considering the transfer of long-range weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as Ukraine has the right to self-defense.

"The argument is that there are sensitive issues that need to be clarified, especially for our system Taurus, which is not as simple as it might seem at first glance. That's why the Federal Government, the Defense Minister, the Chancellor and I have spoken about this repeatedly in recent weeks, and we have made it clear over and over again that we are having intensive discussions and looking at what we can do," she said.

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As reported by OBOZREVATEL:

- According to CNN, the US State Department and the Pentagon have recommended that President Joe Biden transfer ATACMS long-range tactical missile systems to Ukraine. Discussions about such supplies have intensified in recent weeks.

- On September 13, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that there was progress in negotiations on the transfer of ATACMS and Taurus. However, no final decisions have yet been made in these countries.

- According to a military expert and Navy Reserve Captain Andriy Ryzhenko, ATACMS, along with F-16 fighters, will contribute to the de-occupation of Ukrainian territories, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces need a surface fleet to fully succeed in the counteroffensive.

Only verified information on Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
King Charles met schoolchildren at the opening of a rural skills centre on Saturday, 16 September, at the estate of a stately home in Scotland he helped save.

His Majesty met students learning about sustainable farming at the MacRobert Farming and Rural Skills Centre on the Dumfries House estate in East Ayrshire.

In 2007, the then Prince of Wales led a consortium that paid 45 million for the dilapidated estate in a bid to save it from ruin.

The multimillion-pound centre is intended to make the agricultural sector more accessible to those with no connection to it including school leavers, job hunters, and secondary school pupils.
Larsen, which specialises in water leakage detection, has offices in both the Republic and Northern Ireland

The head of long-established business Larsen Water Management has said the companys acquisition gives it the opportunity to be part of something much bigger.

The Meath-based firm has been bought by RSK, a UK-headquartered group of environmental and engineering businesses.

RSK has operations in 40 countries, and has been on an acquisition spree recently, saying it plans to double the number of businesses in its operations to 400 by 2030.

Larsen, which specialises in water leakage detection, has offices in both the Republic and Northern Ireland. Established in 1990, it has a turnover of just under 3m.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

David Smith, the managing director of Larsen, will continue to lead the business following the deal.

"It gives us the opportunity to become part of a bigger group, where there is other expertise in our field," he told the Irish Independent.

"RSK is 200 companies in 40 countries with 12,500 staff, whereas we're one company in one country with 35 staff. It makes us part of something much bigger."

Mr Smith said Larsen will continue to operate the same following the deal, maintaining its own brand and identity.

"It brings the opportunity [to expand abroad], but in the short term that is not where our strategy is," he said.

"The plan is to develop the business and to grow on the island of Ireland, but it could open up opportunities further afield. We can look at supporting other RSK businesses elsewhere.

"The beauty of the deal is that it doesn't interrupt our existing arrangements with clients or suppliers. The business remains unchanged, but it gives us opportunities in lots of other ways. It's a natural progression, a big step."

Alan Ryder, RSKs chief executive, said Larsen Water Managements skills in areas such as leak detection have become increasingly important and valued across the globe.

Larsen has a proven track record in this crucial sector, and its expertise extends to serving a consistently strong client base, he said.

This is testament to Larsens quality, depth of service and capability to manage contracts in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which have seen it maintain long-standing relationships with organisations including Irish Water and Northern Ireland Water.

Larsen said the deal would strengthen RSKs presence in Ireland, where it already owns a variety of businesses in the environmental and engineering sectors.
Graham Norton said he dreamed of being a guest on Gay Byrne's Late Late Show (Photo: Mike Marsland/Getty Images).

Star presenter Graham Norton has revealed former Late Late Show host Gay Byrne as an inspiration for his career.

Speaking to Bravo TVs Watch What Happens Live, Norton was asked who inspired him when he started presenting his own show on the BBC.

This sounds like a joke name, but the big chat show host in Ireland was a man called Gay Byrne. That was really his name, I think its short for Gabriel Im guessing

He had a show called the Late Late Show and it was my absolute inspiration. I grew up watching it every week and like that the audience was a big part of the show. I just loved him, he said.

Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen introduced Norton by saying it was an honour to welcome him onto the show.

You have meant so much to me and this show. We are inspired by you and we thank you, he said.

Cohen described the Graham Norton Show as one of the most innovative shows on television anywhere in the world.

Norton has shouted out Byrne on the US chat show circuit before  earlier this year, he told Late Night with Seth Meyers he had dreamed of being a guest on the Late Late Show, but found it much better to be the host, because you get to be on every week.
It didnt take long before we realised that Ireland had found a new hero

It was an onscreen caption on Telefis Eireann on the evening of Friday, July 6, 1962, a general invitation to the public to come along. So I did, along with two pals, Philip Hannigan and Des Connolly, who were classmates of mine at Oatlands College, Mount Merrion. I was 16 years old.
Quinn said hed have rathered two ex-Quinn executives were beaten

Gardai are examining a recording of a radio interview in which Sean Quinn made incendiary comments that two other directors at his former company should have been beaten up instead of Kevin Lunney.

The former billionaire said he would have preferred seeing John McCartin and Liam McCaffrey beaten up because Mr Lunney wasnt to blame for what happened at the Quinn Group which is now called Mannok.

The two men are co-directors of Mannok along with Kevin Lunney, his brother Tony, and Dara OReilly.

In 2019, Mr Lunney was kidnapped and tortured by a gang led by the now-deceased border criminal Cyril Dublin Jimmy McGuinness. Tomorrow marks the fourth anniversary of the incident, which sparked a major cross-border joint police investigation.

Cyril McGuinness, also known as Dublin Jimmy. Photo: Collins Courts

The five Mannok directors have been receiving armed police protection since the incident. They are still classified by police as potential targets for attack by individuals in the employ of a mysterious paymaster.

Sources confirmed that gardai are reviewing the comments which were made during an interview on Newstalks The Hard Shoulder to coincide with the publication of Sean Quinns autobiography. It is understood detectives have arranged to meet with Mr McCartin and Mr McCaffrey next week in light of recent events.

These are preliminary inquiries and no formal investigation is under way.

In September 2019, former Quinn Industrial Holdings director Kevin Lunney (pictured) was abducted near Derrylin, Co Cavan, and brutally tortured. Photo: BBC

Sources said the two directors were astonished by Mr Quinns extraordinary remarks and are considering whether to make a criminal complaint.

When contacted by the Irish Independent a source close to the two men said neither was willing to comment.

Sean Quinn enjoys pint during packed book signing event for his memoir

Mr Quinn has denied any involvement in the abduction of Mr Lunney and claimed his former good friend had been made a scapegoat by others at a higher level and was used to do the dirty work.

If you were asking would I rather see John McCartin or Liam McCaffrey beaten up than Kevin Lunney then the answer is yes

Kevin Lunney knows well that I had no hand, act or part in Kevin Lunneys abduction. The simple facts of it are that they (the directors) all know that they were very, very unpopular, said Mr Quinn who has repeatedly condemned the attack as barbaric and savage.

I was a good friend of Kevins, I had good time for Kevin... Kevin was given the dirty work by others who were sitting back... But if we did feel that somebody should be beaten up or whatever it might be, it certainly wouldnt be Kevin Lunney, he told Newstalk.

Presenter Kieran Cuddihy then asked who would those people be.

Mr Quinn replied: Like if you were asking would I rather see John McCartin or Liam McCaffrey beaten up than Kevin Lunney then the answer is yes.

PSNI officers near a laneway leading to the home of Kevin Lunney, in Kilawley, Co. Fermanagh after his abduction. Photo: Damien Eagers

Kevin Lunney, I think, was made the scapegoat, it wasnt his idea to take over the Quinn Group and throw me out.

Meanwhile the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned remarks made by Mr Quinns solicitor about Sunday Independent journalist Maeve Sheehan.

Chris McGettigan launched a fresh attack on the journalist when he launched Mr Quinns book on Thursday evening.

Ms Sheehan has extensively reported on the campaign of intimidation and fear at the former Quinn companies.

Mr McGettigan said: Somehow, a journalist, Maeve, has tried to make this book about herself. But all I will say is dont take yourself too seriously, mate, because nobody else does.

NUJ secretary Seamus Dooley described the remarks as simply unacceptable.

The remarks followed another incident where Mr Quinn launched into an abusive tirade against the journalist when she interviewed him at his home over a week ago.
Irish tourist pepper-sprayed and arrested in Majorca hotel after politics row

Local reports said several people threw objects at police as they took the suspect in handcuffs to their patrol car.

Mallorca. Stock image

Gerard Couzens Sat 16 Sep 2023 at 17:38

Police in Majorca have arrested an Irish holidaymaker who allegedly threatened other tourists at his hotel with a knife following a row about politics.
They say woman was seen by doctors in two hospitals but didnt receive antitoxin which could have saved her

Questions have been raised about the medical care of a woman who died of botulism after contracting the illness on a Rugby World Cup weekend in Bordeaux.

The Greek woman died on Tuesday after falling ill from the rare foodborne illness while her husband, originally from Co Mayo, was hospitalised.

A source close to the husbands family said the woman, who is in her early 30s, attended hospitals in Bordeaux and Paris, but did not receive a potentially life-saving antitoxin treatment.

It is understood the woman first fell ill in Bordeaux and attended hospital there.

She was deemed well enough to be discharged, and the couple returned to their home in Paris.

However, she was feeling so unwell that her husband rushed her to a hospital in Paris but her condition deteriorated rapidly.

She was treated in two hospitals and she never got the antitoxin. Its such a tragedy, said the source.

Just hours after the womans death, her husband fell ill, deteriorated rapidly and was admitted to ICU, where he received the life-saving antitoxin to botulism.

A family friend told the Irish Independent that the man is still in ICU but has responded well to treatment and is expected to make a full recovery.

He will be fine. He is still in ICU but stable and expected to recover. But the mental scars are a different story. He will have to carry this unbearable loss, said the friend.

Concerns over the womans treatment come after an American woman spoke about the treatment of her fiance, who also contracted botulism after eating in the same restaurant as the other couple.

Matt Jackson & Kristy Benner who spoke about botulism outbreak in Bordeaux. Photo: GoFundMe

Kristy Benner and her partner Matt Jackson from California, stopped by the Tchin Tchin Wine Bar on September 4, and sampled wine with small plates of sardines and charcuterie. Mr Jackson fell ill the following day.

She told the Associated Press it took days to confirm a link to the sardines that Mr Jackson consumed in Bordeaux, and to get them both access to anti-toxins for a disease that French hospitals rarely encounter.

France records only 10-20 cases of botulism nationwide per year.

Foodborne botulism is a rare illness that results from eating foods contaminated with botulinum toxin and can cause paralysis, breathing difficulty and sometimes death. Homemade foods that have been improperly canned, preserved or fermented are common sources.

At least 12 people who ate the sardines or preserves between September 4 and September 10 have been hospitalised, according to health officials.

Mr Jackson remains on a respirator in a French intensive care unit, unable to open his eyes, and is communicating only through notes on a whiteboard.

Health officials issued an appeal across France and beyond, to find others who might have eaten the sardines and may be at risk.

Among those to fall sick were visitors from the US, Ireland, Canada, Germany and Spain.

Local representatives in Castlebar have spoken of their shock and sorrow of hearing of the tragic events.

Fine Gael councillor Ger Deere said: My heart goes out to the whole family. Its a dreadful tragedy and everyone in Castlebar is shocked. Our thoughts and prayers are with the young man and his family.

Councillor Michael Kilcoyne echoed Mr Deere's comments.

Im stunned to hear of this. Its absolutely awful. They are a lovely family and all we can do is extend our support and sympathy, he said.

The Tchin Tchin Wine Bar restaurant remains closed pending further investigation.
Writer Graham Linehan at a 'Let Women speak' event at Merrion Square in Dublin. Photo: PA Media.

Posie Parker', real name Kellie-Jay Keen, speaking at a rally at Merrion Square in Dublin. Photo: PA.

Gardai separate counter-protesters at the 'Let Women speak' rally at Merrion Square in Dublin. Photo: PA.

A demonstration was held in Dublin city today in protest against a rally held by an anti-trans campaigner.

British activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, better known as Posie Parker, held one of her Let Women Speak events in Merrion Square this afternoon.

A counter-protest was planned in support of trans people following Parkers announcement she was coming to Dublin. The LGBTQ+ community and allies were encouraged to bring all the noise and joy you have and drown out supporters of Posie Parker.

Demonstrators gathered outside Dail Eireann at 11am and marched towards Parkers Merrion Square event. Protestors were kept separate from the Let Women Speak event by gardai and barriers.

Posie Parker', real name Kellie-Jay Keen, speaking at a rally at Merrion Square in Dublin. Photo: PA.

The pro-trans counter protest chanted trans rights are human rights and get Posie Parker off our streets.

Critics of Parker have labelled her anti-trans. She has described herself in interviews as a womens rights activist.

Let Women Speak rallies are advertised as free speech events where anyone is allowed to turn up and speak.

Parker had originally planned to hold a Let Women Speak event in Dublin in April, but the event was cancelled as it coincided with the visit of US President Joe Biden.

Father Ted writer and creator Graham Linehan, who has been vocal about trans people and trans rights, was spotted in attendance at todays event.

Writer Graham Linehan at a 'Let Women speak' event at Merrion Square in Dublin. Photo: PA Media.

Linehans Twitter account was suspended in 2020 following repeated violations of rules against hateful conduct and platform manipulation related to posts about trans people. He has since been allowed back on the platform, now called X.

A stand-up show with Linehan on the bill in Edinburgh was forced to find an alternative venue last month after the original venue said his views on trans people did not align with our overall values.

Journalist and author Helen Joyce, who has also been outspoken about trans issues, was seen hugging Parker at the rally.

Parker has been met with opposition at her rallies worldwide  a speaking tour she had planned for New Zealand was abandoned due to protests.
As Vladimir Putins invasion grinds on, the risk of escalation has drifted away from headlines. People seem to view the war as the new normal.

They shouldnt. This is still an incredibly dangerous situation, ripe with potential for tragedy. This was brought home sharply this week when the BBC reported that almost exactly a year ago, we came within a single technological failure of war between Nato and Russia.

An unarmed RAF surveillance aircraft, operating in international airspace over the Black Sea, was fired on by an incompetent  or deranged  Russian pilot.

The first missile failed to achieve target lock; the second fell harmlessly into the sea.

If either missile had worked as intended, we would have entered a crisis of staggering consequence.

It is no exaggeration to say that it could easily have started World War III; up to 30 British crew, and their aircraft, incapable of hostile action, killed in cold blood in neutral airspace.

Nato would have had no choice but to respond with overwhelming force. And as weve learned in the last year, Russias army is paper thin  a modern Western army would punch through their defences without a second thought.

In fact, it wouldnt have to. Overwhelming missile and jet strikes would eliminate every Russian asset outside of its borders within hours of the decision being made to wipe the Kremlins forces from the earth. What would have been left would have had no choice but to surrender, or  a chilling thought  go nuclear.

Given the potentially apocalyptic nature of the consequences, its easy to understand why the UK  and no doubt the US  tried to suppress the true nature of the event for so long.

But it is also a reminder of the total incompetence of the Russian air force. This is unlikely to have been the only time when their pilots have made mistakes or misjudgments.

Perhaps most worrying is the revelation that Russian pilots seem unwilling to follow orders, or are at the least being given confusing and vague instructions. The risk of a repeat is far too high.

Given this, the best way to avoid a repeat would be to blow the Russians out of the sky. If they cant hit a massive target at point-blank range, they certainly wouldnt stand a chance against F-16s.

If we speed up the delivery of modern aircraft, Western fighter jets can end any prospect of Russian air-superiority within days, giving Ukrainian armoured formations the room to manoeuvre so key to generating breakthroughs.

It would also allow UK intelligence to continue its critical role in this fight. It is clear that Moscow is willing to do almost anything to suppress Britains information-gathering activities.

UK spies in the skies over the Black Sea see everything the Russian fleet is up to, and no doubt a great deal more  allowing British Storm Shadow missiles to target with pinpoint accuracy critical naval assets.

This must be driving Putin absolutely mad. Its no wonder hes dragged himself far to the east to meet the tinpot dictator of North Korea  his forces are desperate for any edge they can get.

Russian troops are getting through biblical quantities of ammunition without any real effect.

Now hes reduced to begging for ancient Soviet-era shells, while modern Western armaments continue to flood into Ukraine.

And a desperate man is a dangerous one.

Nato must be at the top of its game to ensure that another accident isnt used as a pretext to demand we step back  or that the increasingly reclusive occupant of the Kremlin doesnt drag the world into Armageddon. ( Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2023)
For a time they were seen as sisters of the European political right, gaining ground in both France and Italy. But plans by Marine Le Pen to address a hard-right rally in Italy tomorrow are proving an embarrassment for Giorgia Meloni, who has gravitated to the political centre since taking over as prime minister in Rome a year ago.

As leader of the biggest French far-right party, Ms Le Pen is on the guest list of the 35th Pontida rally, the Italian hard-right League partys annual celebration in Lombardy. She is the special guest of its leader and current Italian deputy premier, Matteo Salvini, and both are expected to announce their view of how the EU should direct policy priorities ahead of European Parliament elections next June.
Ukrainian Defense Forces continue their counteroffensive in the Bakhmut direction. The village of Andriivka was liberated. Ukrainian soldiers also succeeded in the area of Klishchiivka, which worsened the situation of the occupation forces in the area of Bakhmut.

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The defenders are also crossing the Dnipro River in the Kherson region. The occupiers probably would not have enough manpower in this area to hold back the Ukrainians if they launched a serious offensive. This is stated in a new analytical material of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Citing statements by the Ukrainian General Staff and other officials, ISW analysts stated that Ukrainian soldiers liberated Andriivka on September 14, 10 km from Bakhmut. They also achieved "unspecified partial success" in the area of Klishchiiivka (7 km southwest of Bakhmut) the next day on September 15.

At the same time, the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, whose soldiers drove the occupiers out of Andriivka, announced the complete defeat of the units of the 72nd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces that were there after the settlement was surrounded.

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"Units of the 72nd Brigade had previously suffered heavy losses during localized Ukrainian counterattacks in the Bakhmut area in May 2023 and were likely completely degraded," the ISW article says.

The fighting in the Bakhmut sector continues. At the same time, according to the 3rd Brigade, the liberation of Andriivka opened up opportunities for a breakthrough on the southern flank of Bakhmut.

At the same time, the events around Andriivka caused chaos among Russian "military leaders". According to ISW, many Russian sources either completely denied the liberation of the village by the Ukrainian Armed Forces or consoled themselves and their audiences by saying that the control of the village was a tactically insignificant achievement for Ukraine and that Russia controlled the heights east of the village.

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Nevertheless, some Russian "military commanders" could not hide their anxiety after the news from Andriivka.

"Some Russian bloggers acknowledged that the tactical situation of Russian troops south of Bakhmut is deteriorating and expressed concern that Ukrainian forces could threaten the Russian group in Bakhmut," ISW writes.

There is no unity among Russian "military commanders" regarding the situation in Klishchiivka. While most of them claim that the settlement is controlled by Russian troops, one of the "military commanders" said that Ukrainian forces pushed the occupiers out of Klishchiivka and are trying to gain a foothold in the settlement.

Another military blogger also claimed that Ukrainian soldiers tried to enter Bakhmut itself from the southwest. According to him, it was unsuccessful.

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"Russian troops counterattacked in the area of Bakhmut, but did not achieve any confirmed success on September 15. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian troops continue unsuccessful attempts to break through Ukrainian defenses in the area of Bohdanivka (7 km northwest of Bakhmut) and are trying to regain positions near Yahidne (2 km north of Bakhmut).

Ukraine's General Staff also reported that Ukrainian troops continue offensive actions in the west of Zaporizhzhia region and inflict significant losses on Russian manpower and equipment in the area of Verbove (18 km southeast of Orikhiv).

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The Kherson region is no less of a concern for the Russians than the Bakhmut area. Some Russian "military commanders" complained that the Ukrainian military crossed the Dnipro on September 14 and 15. They are also concerned about the increased activity of the Ukrainian Defense Forces on the islands in the Dnipro Delta near the Antonivskyi Bridge: Ukrainian soldiers, the Russian "military officers" are indignant, are preparing positions for a future offensive in the occupied part of Kherson region.

ISW analysts also state that there are real reasons to be concerned. The occupiers on the left bank have a shortage of manpower and a "shell famine".

"Russian forces probably do not have the manpower necessary to defend against a significant attack by the Ukrainian army in this area of the front, given that the Russian command has moved several units from the Kherson region to the Zaporizhzhia region. One Russian military blogger acknowledged that Russian forces lack the capabilities to conduct significant river crossing operations of their own in the area, in part due to a lack of shells for artillery training," the analysts noted.

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Earlier, ISW analysts stated that the occupiers have big problems. They are eloquently evidenced by the Ukrainian Armed Forces' strike on the Triumph Air Defense system near Yevpatoria. This is not the first Russian Air Defense system destroyed in Crimea, which confirms that there are systematic tactical failures in Air Defense on the peninsula.
Ursula von der Leyen delivering her State of the Union 2023 speech to MEPs in the European Parliament. Photo: Getty

You quote the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in the recent State of the (European) Union address, The Call of History, as follows, In a world where size and weight matters, it is clearly in Europes strategic interest [to expand] (Irish Independent, Editorial, September 14).

In support of the Commission presidents stance, the Irish Independent advocates: This country (Ireland) has explicitly backed the recruitment of new member states, and the governments of whatever political stripe must persist with this stance.

It sounds good but lacks a coherent basis. For example, take a look at the world where size and weight are supposed to matter; the population of US is 332 million and its 143 million in Russia. Compare their populations to the European Unions 448 million.

Based on Ms von der Leyens (and the Irish Independents) reasoning, the US and Russia should take urgent measures to expand their populations  if not theyre in deep trouble.

Again, if size is so important, a major omission is the absence of serious analysis or, indeed, any reference in the address to the not-too-distant past decoupling of the UK, population 67 million, from the EU.

Whats the point of further expanding the EU if such a valuable, large, well-developed and long-standing member, such as the UK, breaks away from the EU?

Surely the UKs departure should be faced up to squarely and the causes should be addressed before further expansion of EU membership is entertained.

Why did the UK leave? This question is most important for the EU, and even more so for Ireland.

To ignore the issue of the UKs departure and to blithely contemplate further expansion of the EU is like the captain of a boat sailing with their eyes closed and hoping for the best. Micheal OCathail Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin

Time to change tack with anti-speeding campaigns by targeting little boy racers

We have known for decades that young, testosterone-fuelled males are responsible for most of the speeding on our roads and yet we are ignoring this well-known fact when we spend huge sums on campaigns that will have no impact on the cohort of young males who see it as bravado to speed.

Lets change tack and concentrate on getting women to think of young males as idiots if they speed.

Take the anti-speed campaign in the schools and particularly young girls.

If young males get the idea they are going to be perceived by the opposite sex as the immature idiots they are if they speed, it will be more effective than trying to convince them they are not immortal.

Anthony McGeough

Dublin 24

Classic whataboutery in defending Sinn Feins vile justification for massacres

A reply to my letter about Sinn Feins attitude to and justification of mass murder was based on classic Irish whataboutery (No one political party has monopoly on murder and mayhem over the years, Letters, September 16).

Your correspondents excuse for Sinn Fein standing by the mass murder of civilians was to accuse other government parties in Ireland of permitting: The industrial schools system, corporal punishment, the perpetration and cover-up of child sexual abuse, forced emigration and garda brutality...

All this is true. Irish governments have allowed bad things to happen. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, who have governed Ireland for decades, have hardly done well.

One difference though (among many). No Irish government or political party in government is saying that any of that was justified or that there was no alternative.

No Irish government or party proudly celebrates child sexual abusers.

No Irish government or party proudly celebrates the Magdalene laundries.

Whereas Sinn Fein says that the mass murder of civilians was justified. Sinn Fein says that there was no alternative to putting bombs in pubs and blowing children to literal smithereens.

It was not justified. There was an alternative to murdering hundreds of civilians. That alternative was to NOT murder hundreds of civilians.

Until Sinn Fein understands that simple fact and stops being the actual ally of actual murderers, it is not fit to govern and it remains a stain on the history of Ireland every bit as bad as groups like the UVF. Hugh Sheehy

Dublin 4

Sean Quinn has cost me enough already, so, no, I wont be buying his book

My daughter was four years old at the time of the financial crash in 2008.

Last year, at 17, she passed her driving test. Her car insurance, as with all such young drivers, was punitively expensive, and made more so by the 2pc levy imposed to bail out Quinn Insurance.

At the last count, it is estimated that she will be 33 before this levy is scrapped.

Her father and I, like all motorists and householders in this country, have paid this levy on all our motor and home insurance since 2012.

In addition, all of us continue to pay the costs involved in bailing out the banks, including Anglo Irish Bank.

So forgive me if I dont rush out to buy a copy of Sean Quinns new book. I think he has cost me enough already.

Bernie Linnane

Dromahair, Co Leitrim 

Severe under-reporting of our grassland emissions needs to be urgently addressed

I am writing to express my concern about the recent revelation that Ireland has been under-reporting its greenhouse gas emissions from our grasslands.

A letter received by our organisation last week from Kurt Vandenberghe, of the European Commission Directorate-General for Climate Action, says after a detailed investigation, the directorate found that Ireland has been using a Tier I generic standard to assess greenhouse gas emissions from Irelands grasslands, while forestry and other agricultural activities were fully assessed under Tier II and Tier III which require country-specific crop and fertiliser impacts to be assessed.

This could have a significant impact on Irelands climate targets, as nitrous oxide produced by the use of nitrogen fertiliser is a major greenhouse gas that is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

The application of nitrogen fertiliser to grasslands increases nitrous oxide emissions by between 20pc and 50pc. As grasslands cover 4.1 million hectares of Ireland, the cumulative impact of the under-reporting of emissions is significant.

By comparison, the current protests by farmers is over a 12pc cut to the permitted derogation for nitrogen fertiliser for a limited number of farmers in a limited number of catchments because of their impact on water quality.

The current head of Teagasc, Frank OMara, was the lead author of a paper published by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2007 which investigated the impact of moving grassland emissions accounting from Tier I to II.

That study determined that in year two of their two-year research project, the emissions were substantially higher than reported under Tier I.

However, citing the many variables that impact on these emissions, the 10 authors of this paper concluded: Therefore, to move from a Tier I to a Tier II approach, further data from long-term multi-site (covering a range of soil types and N inputs) monitoring studies are required.

This study provides clear evidence that Ireland has been knowingly under-reporting its emissions from grasslands for many years.

I urge you to highlight this issue so that the public is aware of the consequences of under-reporting and the need for urgent action.

Tony Lowes

Friends of the Irish Environment

Nessie and UFOs are in the news again  time for a moving statues comeback?

Nasa is planning to take UFOs seriously, Nessie made something of a comeback last month  so it must be time to get the statues moving again.

Michael Foley

Rathmines, Dublin 6

Who needs soap operas when you have Gilligan, Quinn and the RTE fiasco?

First we had the Oireachtas hearings into financial mismanagement at RTE. Then Confessions of a Crime Boss with John Gilligan. Now we have Sean Quinn with In My Own Words. Who needs soap operas?

Tommy Roddy

Ballybane, Galway
A short film featuring the views of local communities from Donegal and Sligo who depend on the sea to make a living is set to receive its online premiere next week.

Fair Seas: The Atlantic Northwest has been selected as part of the Northern Ireland Inheritance Film Festival which gets underway on Monday, September 18.

Fair Seas created the 14-minute documentary which explores the coastline from North Donegal to Sligo through the eyes of its coastal communities.

It features the stories, hopes and fears of local seafood producers, an angler, dive instructor and walking guide.

The film delves into how Marine Protected Areas might offer a new way to conserve the incredible marine life that has supported these communities for generations.

The Northwest is an important marine site and is home to rare and endangered species of sharks, skates and rays, over 25 species of whales and dolphins and 38 species of seabirds.

However, the impact of climate change, pollution, a loss of biodiversity and reduced fish stocks can clearly be seen.

Fair Seas is campaigning for strong and ambitious Marine Protected Areas (MPA) legislation to be published as soon as possible to protect this vital resource and the coastal communities of Donegal and Sligo that rely on it.

The group wants to see mandatory targets committing to effectively protecting 30% of the seas around Ireland by 2030 with 10% strictly protected.

Fair Seas is calling for stakeholder engagement at every stage of the MPA designation with clear delivery timeframes as well as a robust management framework which clearly defines the varying degrees of site protection to ensure MPAs deliver for nature.

Aoife OMahony, Campaign Manager with Fair Seas said: The Northwest coastline is breath-taking and our latest film explores some of the wildlife and biodiversity hidden beneath the waves.

"It is really important for us to hear the views of the people who make a living from the sea and to hear their concerns about the health of the ocean.

"There is also plenty of reason for hope and we all can act to make a difference. Donegal is famous for the large number of basking sharks that can be seen in its waters.

"This gentle giant was hunted nearly to extinction, now it is a protected species in Irish waters and making a comeback thanks to widespread public support.

Time is running out for Ireland to meet its targets to protect 30% of our seas and ocean by 2030.

"The Marine Protected Area Bill was promised in June 2023 and we are still waiting to see this crucial legislation.

"Were asking the voters of Irelands Atlantic Northwest and across the country to add their voice to the calls to safeguard our seas, tell your elected representatives you want strong and ambitious marine protected area legislation.

"We must all act with ambition and urgency so that the full benefits of nature restored can reveal themselves in generations to come.

Inheritance is an environmental festival which takes place three times a year. It aims to educate, inspire and raise awareness of contemporary environmental issues, and to showcase the work of independent filmmakers from all over the globe.

The festival is live-streamed on the Inheritance website and screened on regional TV channels including Latest TV in Brighton, Northern Visions in Belfast, Sheffield Live! in Sheffield and KMTV in Kent.

The Fair Seas film will be shown on Belfasts NVTV on Sunday, September 23rd from 9pm.

The channel is available on Freeview 7 and Virgin Media 159, in Belfast, and nvtv.co.uk/livestream.

Fair Seas: The Atlantic Northwest was part funded by the Networking and Marine Research Communications Awards, funded by the Marine Institute under the Marine Research Programme with the support of the Irish Government.

It was produced by Swimming Head Productions, an award-winning team specialising in quick-fire documentaries with a focus on heritage, science and the natural world.

Fair Seas has also produced a new postcard for Irelands Northwest Coast which features a basking shark swimming over a bed of seagrass.

This postcard will be shared with ocean conservation organisations in this local area to highlight the beauty of this area of Irelands Coast.

For more information about Fair Seas visit https://fairseas.ie/
German luxury travel professionals during their visit to Powerscourt Hotel, with Orla Kraft, Tourism Ireland (fourth left); and Orla Moule, Failte Ireland (left).

A group of German travel agents and journalists specialising in luxury travel got a taste of everything County Wicklow during a visit to Irelands Ancient East, courtesy of Tourism Ireland and Failte Ireland.

The aim of the visit was to showcase some of the many things to see and do here for high-end German travelers and to highlight some of our fantastic luxury and culinary experiences.

The groups action-packed itinerary included afternoon tea and an overnight stay at Powerscourt Hotel.

Nadine Lehmann, Tourism Irelands Manager Germany, said: Tourism Ireland was delighted to invite this group of luxury travel agents and journalists to visit Wicklow and Irelands Ancient East, to experience at first-hand some of our luxury tourism offering, including our boutique hotels and resorts  as well as our rich culture and heritage, and not forgetting our superb culinary experiences.

Seeing is believing  and our aim is that when they return home, they will be even more enthusiastic about the destination, helping to secure a greater share of their business for Ireland.

Germany is the third-largest source of visitors to the island of Ireland and one of the largest outbound travel markets in the world. In 2019, we welcomed 749,000 German visitors to the island of Ireland.
Members of the County Wicklow Older Peoples Council during their visit to Avondale House and Forest Park.

MEMBERS of the County Wicklow Older Peoples Council (OPC) took part in a guided tour of Avondale House to assess the accessibility of the venue and the experience for older people.

The newly refurbished Avondale House is an added attraction for visitors to Avondale Forest Park, in addition to the Beyond the Trees walkway and viewing tower. Officially opened last June, guided tours are available for visitors which will take them through the home of Samuel Hayes, its first owner; the Parnell family who inhabited the house in the 1800s and the forestry school which was subsequently set up in the house once it was acquired by the state in 1904.

The OPC is a representative group of older people, established by Wicklow County Council as part of the national Age Friendly Programme. The key purpose is to provide the authentic voice of older people in the county, representing the diversity that exists among our ageing population.

The walkability audit at Avondale House was co-ordinated by Alice Corbett, Age Friendly Ireland Regional Manager and Clodagh Whelan, Age Friendly Programme Manager for County Wicklow.

Carina Holmes, Chairperson of the County Wicklow Older Peoples Council, said: It was a great pleasure to visit Avondale House and the experience was enhanced by the knowledge of the tour guide, who made the history of the house and the families who lived there very real and accessible to all.

Katheine Webster, Avondale Operations Manager, stated that Coillte are committed to ensuring that all its operations at Avondale are accessible to all. We also have two wheelchairs available for visitors to borrow, on request, if you feel that your legs need a rest at any stage of the one-hour guided tour of Avondale House.

Overall feedback on the venue and the experience for older people was very positive and detailed feedback will be sent to Coillte operations team.

The Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council, Cllr Aoife Flynn Kennedy, commended Coillte on their commitment to seeking feedback from older people.

It is essential that this very large demographic group be heard and that their needs are met. As our aging population is projected to increase, with people living longer into the future, we want to ensure that Wicklow a great place to grow older for all, she stated.

Beyond The Trees Avondale was certified as the first Age Friendly tourist destination in Ireland last year by Age Friendly Ireland while the innovative visitor destination has also been shortlisted for the National Age Friendly Recognition and Achievement Awards 2023, under the Business Innovation Category.

Emer OGorman, Chief Executive, Wicklow County Council, also offered her congratulations to Coillte on being shortlisted for the National Awards, saying: It will be a great opportunity for you to showcase the fantastic work youve put in to making this such a successful initiative.
Russell Brand has always been a divisive figure and at the centre of many controversies during his career.

The comedian rose to fame with his stand-up performances, making his Edinburgh Festival debut in 2000 before achieving prominence as host of Big Brothers spin-off show Big Mouth from 2004 for three years.

However, in 2008, he and presenter Jonathan Ross were at the centre of a furore after leaving a series of lewd messages during a prank on BBC Radio 2 on the answerphone of Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs, who died in 2016, about a romantic liaison with his granddaughter.

Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross (Yui Mok/PA)

The pre-recorded show caused uproar, prompting Brand and the controller of Radio 2 to quit, Ross to be suspended from broadcasting for three months and a shake-up in the way BBC output was vetted.

Ofcom later fined the BBC 150,000 over the phone calls, describing them as gratuitously offensive, humiliating and demeaning.

During an interview for BBC Radio 4s Desert Island Discs in 2013, Brand claimed the scandal, later named Sachsgate, had erupted because he had become caught up in an anti-BBC agenda.

He reiterated his apology for the upset the incident caused, but suggested it was a dishonest scandal because it was hijacked by those motivated by a bias against the corporation.

It came a year after Brand released his memoir titled My Booky Wook: A Memoir Of Sex, Drugs And Stand-Up which recounts his experiences of being a promiscuous lothario.

In the wake of the #MeToo movement, the actor and comedian previously said he had no regrets about his previous sexual behaviour, claiming to have had intimate relationships with hundreds of women in the past.

Kristen Bell starred alongside Russell Brand in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Ian West/PA)

Brands career in the US soared following the Sachsgate scandal, starring in a number of major Hollywood films including Forgetting Sarah Marshall opposite Kristen Bell, and Get Him To The Greek with Jonah Hill, both in which he plays the same anarchic British rock star Aldous Snow.

He also starred in the re-make of the Dudley Moore comedy Arthur alongside Dame Helen Mirren, Jennifer Garner and Greta Gerwig, the boozy tale of a wayward playboy.

During this time, Brand met US pop star Katy Perry at the MTV Video Music Awards in September 2009 and after enjoying a whirlwind romance, Brand proposed outside the Taj Mahal in India two months later.

The couple were married at a lavish ceremony conducted by a friend of the brides family at the Aman-e-Khas luxury resort outside the Ranthambore tiger sanctuary in India in October 2010.

Rumours of cracks in their relationship began to circulate when the pair were pictured spending Christmas apart, and 14 months after the ceremony Brand announced the couple had split.

Russell Brand and Katy Perry arriving for the UK Premiere of Arthur (Ian West/PA)

At the time, Brand said: Sadly, Katy and I are ending our marriage. Ill always adore her and I know well remain friends.

In 2015, Brand hit the headlines once again for urging people to vote Labour after repeatedly saying they should not vote.

He later said in an interview with NME: My opinion on voting is evolving, while warning that the end of democracy could be near.

Brand also sparked controversy on Comic Relief in 2017 by saying f****** hell live on air following a technical glitch.

It came in the same year that he released his part personal memoir and part self help guide titled Recovery: Freedom From Our Addictions, following his rehabilitation from heroin addiction in 2003.

During an event at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, he said that various childhood traumas were the source of a discontent which led to his spiral into addiction, when he first tried drugs at 14.

Meanwhile in 2020, Brand divided opinion over a YouTube clip in which he discusses whether the video for Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallions single Wap is a feminist masterpiece or porn.

An image taken from the YouTube page of Russell Brand who has posted a video online saying he absolutely denies unspecified criminal allegations about his personal life outlined in two extremely disturbing letters (Russell Brand/PA)

He has since garnered almost seven million followers on his YouTube channel covering news stories, including alleged misinformation surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic and being an outspoken sceptic of the vaccine.

Some of the most popular videos on Brands channel include suggesting a global Covid-19 cover-up and the Great Reset conspiracy theory which claims a global elite is using the pandemic to enforce radical social change.

Last year, one of his videos was taken down on YouTube over the sites policy on Covid-19 disinformation, which prompted Brand to move his channel to the video platform Rumble.

The star married Laura Gallacher, the sister of presenter Kirsty, in 2017 and the couple, who share Mabel and Peggy, are expecting their third child.

The couple set up their own three-day wellness festival in July titled Community Festival With Laura & Russell Brand with workshops, wild swimming, meditations, all vegan food and alcohol-free, as well as featuring special guests including Wim Hof.

On Saturday, Brand faced allegations of rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse over a seven-year period following a joint investigation by The Times, Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches.

Four women alleged sexual assaults between 2006 and 2013, when he was at the height of his fame, working for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4 as well as starring in Hollywood films.

Brand has vehemently denied the allegations and in a video posted online the day before the claims were published, stated all of his relationships have been consensual, before accusing the media of a co-ordinated attack.
Our fashion editor rounds up the latest style news and fashion trends

Ive always been intrigued by Sienna Millers style. From her boho credentials to festive chic to red-carpet glam. And then theres her eye for colour and playing with textures, which was amply revealed when she invited Architectural Digest into her 16th-century, thatched-roof cottage in Buckinghamshire and filmed for the popular Welcome AD film series.

Miller came back on my radar this year with the TV series Anatomy of a Scandal, which was ridiculously good  not just because of the twisting plotline wrapped around political corruption and a cheating spouse, but because of Miller, who just filled the screen. Her clothes, that hair, the house. That kitchen!

Last week, I got to meet Miller in person in London and I was interested to see what this style icon would be like up close after reading so many articles analysing every aspect of her personal style, from girl-crush boho dresses and coin belts to two decades of her evolving hairstyles.

Im happy to report that she was friendly, charming and ever so petite.

Sienna Miller in a lime-green look from M&S Collection

Miller is the face of the new M&S autumn/winter campaign titled Anything but Ordinary. She is such a chameleon when it comes to switching up her look and, for the campaign, she did an edit of her favourite eight looks from within the M&S Collection range, including a striking raspberry check coat, navy bomber, ombre dress, faux shearling aviator jacket and wedge ankle boots.

While Miller told me how much she loved the lime-green look with its cable-knit crew jumper (42), the midaxi slip skirt (47.50) and fringed scarf (24), the actor confirmed her favourite piece was the checked brown tweed relaxed blazer (105). For the shoot, she wore it with high-waisted, wide-leg denim cargo pants with large patch pocket on the leg (65) and with flat black loafers (77).

She was wearing the shoes on the night of the launch party with a black suit comprising of jacket, wide-leg trousers and waistcoat. Its a pretty ideal look right now because 41-year-old Miller is pregnant with her second child, and the trousers (55) have an elasticated waist.

Sienna Miller wears a cream luxe look from M&S Collection

Layering shades of cream always appears luxe, and one of the key looks in the campaign is a an oatmeal, twill, funnel-neck short coat (125) in a wool blend with stylish tab on the back. Underneath, the cream tones include a jumper (50) and some very interesting crepe tab detail wide-leg trousers in ecru (55). These trousers come in three lengths, in sizes 6-24, and are available in a number of colours.

Checking out the wider collection, there were a number of new pieces that caught my eye. The Christmas party season is around the corner, so watch out for an ombre sequin box jacket, which runs from silver to a gun-metal grey.

M&S Collection dress, 67, and bomber jacket, 82

There are double-breasted black velvet jackets with a matt grosgrain lapel which look tres chic. Im fielding lots of enquiries about silver leather trousers ever since I put up a post about them. They retail at 290, which, by M&S standards is at the upper end, but the quality is outstanding.

On the night, they were worn by Maddy Evans, the womenswear director who is a driving force behind the brands campaign to redefine style perceptions and inspire existing and new customers. The leather trousers looked very good on and are due to land in stores and online in November. marksandspencer.com/ie

Back in his hometown

The recent showcase by the Council of Irish Designers (CIFD) revealed a wealth of talent, and what started out as a handful of designers with chairman Eddie Shanahan has now grown to 60 members, with 40 taking part in the new-season film.

Joshua Reynolds' XO pendant with lab-grown diamonds set into 14k yellow gold, 890, joshthejeweller.com

A new name I came across in the line-up was Joshua Reynolds from Clontarf. He studied metalwork and jewellery design at NCAD and did the Design and Craft Council of Irelands goldsmithing skills and design course in Kilkenny. On graduation, Reynolds worked in Stockholm, trained as a diamond setter in Antwerp, and he is now back in his native city, where he set up his own studio.

His XO collection is ideal for self-gifting. A gold pendant costs 890, 18k yellow gold pendant stud earrings set with 0.8mm diamonds are 840, and a yellow gold pendant on an 18-inch chain set with 1.6mm diamonds costs 1,250.

Another name that caught my eye was Ruxx leather goods from Kinsale in Co Cork. The brand is the brainchild of Sarah Ward-Hendry, who started out in costumes for the BBC and has worked in fashion, photography and leather goods.

Orange leather Dorothy tote bag, 270, natural leather Julia belt, 55, and orange Statue silk scarf, 79, from Ruxx, Kinsale

She makes products in short runs and believes in an organised life with lots of handy pockets in bags. She often uses silver lining, which bounces light into the bottom of your bag, making it easy to find things.

I cannot write about the CIFD without mentioning how one of its leading lights, Niamh ONeill, is making a career change. After 12 years of having her own label, ONeill says, I am very excited about flexing my design muscles in graphic design and starting university this month. Good luck to you Niamh on your next creative chapter. irishfashiondesigners.com
Ukraines forces have recaptured a village in the countrys east after intense battles with Russian troops, the military said yesterday as the invaded nation pursues a multi-pronged counter-offensive.

The village of Andriivka is located about 10km south of the Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut, the scene of the longest battle of Russias war on Ukraine. Its liberation would represent another gain for Kyiv in Ukraines campaign to oust Moscows troops from territory they captured.
Rescue teams and members of Libyan Red Crescent search for dead bodies at a beach, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 16, 2023. REUTERS/Ayman Al-Sahili

A Maltese rescue team found hundreds of dead bodies on a beach in the flood-stricken Libyan city of Derna on Friday, the Malta Civil Protection Department said on Saturday.

"There were probably about 400, but it is difficult to say," Natalino Bezzina, who is leading the Maltese team, told the Times of Malta newspaper.
Usanas Foundation launched its first edition of the Usanas Scholars Programme on September 13 and 14 at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi.

The two-day certified workshops theme is Current Trends in Foreign Policy and International Security.

The workshop is sponsored by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in India and Press Room Automation & Feed Fixtures Pvt. Ltd. The knowledge partners of the workshop are the Centre for North East Asian Studies (CNEAS) and the Centre for Security Studies (CSS) from OP Jindal Global University.

The workshop encompassed training modules on a wide range of themes such as the Chinese Communist Party, Influence Operations, the Rise of Global South and Economic Rebalancing, War Doctrines, India's Strategic Thought and Culture, AI and Technology-driven Warfare, Misinformation and Disinformation Challenges, and Terrorism, Intelligence and Radicalisation. In our modules, our focus was on developing critical thinking through a participatory model of learning and student engagement.

The keynote speaker was Ambassador Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs.

In his keynote speech, he highlighted the priorities of Indias Foreign Policy in this uncertain world and the resurgence of the identities of the great superpowers.

Verma mentioned the undeniable rise of China which has, at times, been positive but most of the times has had adverse effects.

He applauded Indias success at the G20 summit and said that Indians are finally being heard by the world.

He stated, Global South is the current nomenclature, earlier it was called third-world countries. However, they are unevenly developing but are emerging.

Abhinav Pandya, Founder & CEO, of Usanas Foundation highlighted that the Scholars Program, 2023 is a novel attempt that aimed at taking discussions and dialogues on security challenges beyond Delhi as they do not only fall under the purview of the elites and officials but affect each citizen of India in some capacity.

He stressed the importance and need for India to explore its civilizational legacy and create its own narrative.

He firmly believes that this would lead to a major revolution in the theoretical aspects of international relations, ultimately contributing to world peace.

He mentioned how India perceives the world and emphasized the importance of the ideology of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which dictates the foreign policy of India.

A panel discussion was also held titled India and the New World Order, which was chaired by Anil Trigunayat and the panel included Diana Mickeviciene, Freddy Svane, and Harsh Pant.

Svane highlighted how theres been a change in India between his two tenures in India, with progress in fields like digitalization, etc. Lithuanian Amb. Mickeviciene was quite vocal against the bullying nature of China.

Pant emphasized the importance of cultivating a healthy academic culture in India.

The other eminent Chinese expert Sriparna Pathak shed light on the Chinese Communist Party, its war doctrines, and espionage networks.

She highlighted the power structure, Chinas economic stagnation, and finally, the role of the PLA in the Chinese political structure. Other imminent speakers who graced the workshop were Mumin Chen, Kabir Taneja, Tanmoy Chakraborty, and Namrita Hasija.

The second day commenced with Adil Rasheeds module on Ancient Indian Moorings of Indias Strategic Thought and Culture. He started his lecture by discussing the strategic culture of various countries and how theyre related to their historical traditions and thinkers.

He also did a comparative analysis of the strategic culture of India as well as that of the Western civilization. He briefly discussed Game Theory and the Arthashastra by Kautilya.

Finally, he concluded his speech by evaluating the influence of the Vedanta on Indian strategic thought.

The scholars were taught about the World of Intelligence, Militancy in Kashmir, and Counter-Insurgency Operations by Shiv Murari Sahai in an engaging discussion with the participants.

He discussed the life of an IPS officer in a conflict zone, what triggers civilians to join various terrorist organizations, and the differences between various terror outfits.

Srikanth Kondapalli highlighted the various aspects of Chinas strategic thinking including the the Middle Kingdom syndrome, the Spring and Autumn period, and Sun Tzus philosophy of deception that is often seen in contemporary Chinese decision making. Finally, he discussed Sino-centrism, the Great Wall syndrome, and Deng Xiaopings idea of keeping a low profile.

Abhinav Pandya, CEO of Usanas Foundation, read the 79th successor to Tirthankar Mahavir, Spiritual Sovereign JaincharyaYugbhushanSurijis message on Global Affairs through Dharmacharyas Prism: A Contemporary Analysis.

The workshop concluded with a final fireside chat with Ambassador Ashok Sajjanhar and Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Raj Shukla on careers in Diplomacy, Civil Services, and Security.
Photo Courtesy: PIB

New Delhi: The Government of India has approved the initiative of setting up 100 new Sainik Schools in partnership with NGOs/Private Schools/State Governments in a graded manner class-wise, starting from Class 6th onwards.

Under this initiative, Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) has been signed by Sainik Schools Society with 19 New Sainik Schools located all over the country.

Following further evaluation of applications for opening new Sainik Schools under partnership mode, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved setting up of 23 New Sainik Schools in partnership mode.

This initiative has increased the tally of new Sainik Schools under partnership mode functioning under the aegis of Sainik School Society to 42 apart from the existing 33 Sainik Schools already functioning under the erstwhile pattern.

The objectives behind Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of setting up of 100 new Sainik Schools is to provide quality education to the students in tune with National Education Policy and give them better career opportunities, including joining the Armed Forces.

It also gives an opportunity to the private sector to work hand-in-hand with the Government towards nation building by refining todays youth to become responsible citizens of tomorrow.

These new Sainik Schools, besides their affiliation to respective education boards, will function under the aegis of Sainik Schools Society and will follow the Rules and Regulations for new Sainik schools in partnership mode prescribed by the Society.
Russian occupants have created an emergency at Zaporizhzhia NPP. Due to the negligence and unprofessional actions of the Russians, the purification system for blowdown water of the steam generators of power unit No. 6 has failed. The occupiers allowed radioactive coolant to enter the environment in an attempt to solve the situation.

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Even though Rosatom representatives at ZNPP continue to grossly violate the radiation and nuclear safety of the plant and do not comply with the technological regulations and emergency instructions, the IAEA inspectors at the facility do not react to this. Moreover, they are covering up for the occupiers, who are doing their best to bring a nuclear disaster closer. This was stated by energy market expert Viktor Kurtev, who is involved in the anti-crisis plan for Zaporizhzhia NPP.

Kurtiev was involved in the anti-crisis plan for Zaporizhzhia NPP in July 2022. He has repeatedly communicated with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, participated in numerous meetings on the situation at ZNPP and is involved in developing measures to respond to all types of threats arising from the Russian occupation of this nuclear power plant.

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This "immersion" in the situation helped Kurtev establish contacts with Ukrainian specialists at the Russian-occupied nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia. They told the expert about the recent emergency caused by the occupiers.

"According to the information I have, the purification system for blowdown water of the steam generators of power unit No. 6, the CF SVO-5 (special water treatment) unit, has recently completely failed. The probable cause is the negligence and unprofessional actions of the Russian "shift supervisor" of the chemical shop, who missed the moment of saturation of the 5/2 filters. This led to the ingress of radioactive borated water into the engine room of power unit No. 6," Kurtev said.

According to him, when the liquid got into the condensate-feeding path, the boric acid solution contained in it entered into chemical interaction with the metal of pipelines and equipment of the second circuit, which is made of St20 unalloyed steel grade.

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"To solve the situation, the second circuit coolant is currently being cleaned by water exchange. That is, radioactive boron water is diluted with chemically purified water. The mixture is poured into the drainage circulation waterway and cooling pond. This violates all sanitary norms and rules established for the operation of nuclear power plants because the radioactive coolant is released into the environment," Kurtev outlined the situation.

At the same time, Russian "experts" who control the occupied Ukrainian NPP refuse to put Unit 6 into a cold shutdown state and Unit 4 into a hot shutdown state at the "request of Moscow". Therefore, the expert states that Russia does not seem to give up blackmailing Ukraine and the world with a nuclear disaster.

"Russia's reaction in the form of inaction gives grounds to talk about creating the basis for blackmailing Ukraine and the world with a future nuclear disaster. Therefore, this confirms the opinion that Rosatom decided to use power unit No. 6, where there is a leak from the first circuit to the second, to implement a chain scenario of violation of all safety barriers. This implies supercooling and damage to the reactor, as well as guillotine destruction of steam generator tubes, which will cause the maximum domino effect," Kurtev predicts.

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At the same time, the expert is convinced that the Russians will try to achieve the maximum information effect to deter the actions of the Ukrainian army in the southern direction, appealing to the IAEA about the "threat of a nuclear disaster." Similar arguments will be used to explain the presence of Russian "experts" and their supervisors to eliminate a possible catastrophe.

"Despite the blatant safety violations, including the loss of integrity of the first and second circuits and the release of radioactive media into the environment, gross violations of radiation and nuclear safety at ZNPP continue. Technological regulations and emergency instructions are not being implemented. Neither the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU), nor Energoatom, nor the IAEA are informed of the real state of affairs," Kurtev stated.

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At the same time, he pointed to the complete inactivity of the IAEA inspectors who are at ZNPP.

"The lack of reaction to such actions of the IAEA inspectors, who seem to be "fascinated" by the Russians and do not see or understand the scale of the violations, is surprising. Instead, they are fishing in the cooler pond (into which radioactive water is drained) in the company of Yuriy Chernichuk, a collaborator who was appointed by the occupation authorities as the 'General Director of the Zaporizhzhia NPP'. That is, the IAEA inspectors are used as an information "smokescreen" to hide violations and create an "alibi" for the Russians," Kurtev said.

The expert called on the international community to take measures to prevent a catastrophe.

"I hope that this information will help to increase pressure on Russia by the international community to prevent the worst-case scenario. Otherwise, not only Russians will be sitting in the Hague," Kurtev said.

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A month ago, the Main Intelligence Directorate assessed the likelihood of a terrorist attack on the ZNPP. At that time, the military intelligence stated that the reports about the Kremlin's alleged preparation of explosions at Zaporizhzhia and Kursk nuclear power plants, which were circulating online on August 16, were an attempt by Russia to sow panic among Ukrainians. According to the DIU, there is no real threat of Russian provocations at ZNPP. If the threat increases, the competent authorities will inform Ukrainians.

At the same time, disturbing reports about the possible consequences of incompetent Rosatom representatives' activities at the Ukrainian NPP are provided by the scientists at the temporarily occupied Enerhodar, where the plant is located.

Only verified information is available on Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
New Delhi/ Ontario: In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reprimand over rising secessionist activities and Khalistan-related incidents targeting Indian diplomatic missions in Canada, the Canadian government has decided to postpone a trade mission to India scheduled for October.

Both nations previously aimed to finalize an initial trade agreement this year, but negotiations for a bilateral free trade deal are now reportedly at a standstill.

The trade mission was part of Canada's Indo-Pacific strategy, and India was viewed as an "ideal destination" for this endeavour, emphasizing mutual interests in expanding commercial ties and people-to-people connections.

The strained relations between India and Canada stem from escalating Khalistani activities, particularly in light of Canada's significant Sikh population.

Following a meeting between PM Modi and Trudeau at the G20 summit, India issued a strongly-worded statement expressing "strong concerns" about the ongoing "anti-India activities" by extremist elements in Canada.

It added, "The nexus of such forces with organized crime, drug syndicates and human trafficking should be a concern for Canada as well. It is essential for the two countries to cooperate in dealing with such threats".

The Ministry of External Affairs stated that during the meeting, PM Modi expressed concerns about radical factions that are actively advocating for separatism, fuelling violence against Indian diplomats, vandalizing diplomatic facilities, and endangering the Indian community in Canada as well as their places of worship.

India issued a formal request to the Canadian government last year, urging them to halt the Khalistan referendum organized by a banned group in Ontario.

The Indian government called for action against those advocating terrorism and violence against the world's largest democracy.

The banned organization Sikhs for Justice, led by designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, conducted the Khalistan referendum on September 10 in British Columbia, Canada.

Before the G20 Summit in Delhi, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's administration asked for a "pause" in trade discussions with India.

India and Canada initiated trade deal negotiations in 2010, but talks resumed in 2022 after a hiatus of nearly five years, focusing on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Both countries have conducted numerous rounds of talks on the trade pact.

In March 2022, negotiations were also restarted for an interim agreement known as the Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA), which involves a significant reduction or elimination of duties on a wide range of traded goods, relaxed norms to facilitate trade in services and attract investments.
Srinagar: Three militants were killed as security forces foiled an infiltration bid in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, the Army said.

The infiltrators were killed in an encounter that erupted in a forward area close to the Line of Control (LoC) at Hathlanga Uri.

The Army said the bid was foiled in the morning hours in a joint operation with J&K Police and intelligence agencies.

The three terrorists who tried to infiltrate were engaged by alert troops, and the bodies of two have been recovered, the Army said in a statement.

The third terrorist was also killed but firing cover by Pakistani posts in the vicinity on the LoC posed difficulty in retrieving his body, the Army said.

They said the operation is still in progress.

"In a joint operation launched by the Indian Army, @JmuKmrPolice, and intelligence agencies, an infiltration bid was foiled today in the morning hours along the LoC in Uri Sector, #Baramulla. 3 Terrorists tried to infiltrate troops who were engaged by alert troops. 2 Terrorists have been eliminated and bodies recovered; the third terrorist has been killed, but retrieval of body is being interfered with by firing by Pak posts in the vicinity, on the LoC," the Armys Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said in a post on X. "Operation in progress," Chinar Corps added.

Op Khanda, #Uri



In a Joint Operation launched by #IndianArmy, @JmuKmrPolice and Intelligence agencies an infiltration bid was foiled today in the morning hours along LoC in Uri Sector, #Baramulla. 03xTerrorists tried to infiltrate who were engaged by alert troops.



02xTerrorists pic.twitter.com/lBvsZ9VWvq  Chinar Corps - Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) September 16, 2023

The infiltration bid was foiled at a time when a massive anti-militancy operation is underway in south Kashmirs Anantnag district to neutralise two to three Laskar-e-Taiba militants, where two Army officers and a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

The operation at Garol in the Kokarnag forest area, now in its fourth day, resumed on Saturday.

On late Friday, Additional Director General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said, "All two-three trapped terrorists will be neutralised."

(With UNI inputs)
Photo Courtesy: UK Home Office Facebook page

A French couple have been jailed for almost 10 years after they trapped Vietnamese migrants, including children, inside sofas to smuggle them into the UK.

Junior Toussaint and Andrene Paul, both from near Paris, were sentenced to a combined 9 years and 11 months at Hove Crown Court recently after pleading guilty to assisting unlawful migration to the UK.

"The pair had worked together as delivery drivers in France and used furniture to hide a Vietnamese woman and three children in the back of a hire van," read a statement issued by the UK's Ministry of Interior.

They had travelled from Dieppe to Newhaven Port in the early hours of 2 April this year.

"Border Force officers became suspicious when they searched the van and saw movement from inside the adapted sofas, which were buried underneath a mattress and other furniture," the statement said.

Shocking images taken at the time of the search show two migrants packed inside with no means of escape without assistance from the smugglers.

Others were hidden among other fixtures including a chest of drawers. One migrant was found crushed underneath a settee.

Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick said: "This case is another shocking example of the sickening tactics used by criminals who will think nothing of trapping women and children in appalling conditions to illegally enter our country."

"We are working night and day to stay one step ahead of the smuggling gangs and ensure they are swiftly brought to justice," Jenrick said.

"And our landmark Illegal Migration Act will decisively break their business model by removing the incentive to make a dangerous, illegal and unnecessary journey from the safety of France," he said.

Chris Foster, Deputy Director of Criminal and Financial Investigations at the Home Office, said: "Criminals are going to increasingly extreme lengths to smuggle people across the UK border for profit due to our efforts to clamp down on them. This
Image: UNMISS/Gregorio Cunha

As South Sudan prepares to hold its first-ever elections in December, resolving critical outstanding issues requires political will for compromise, the UN envoy to the country said on Friday.

With 15 months to the end of the transition period, time is of the essence for getting the election process settled, UN Special Representative for South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom told the Security Council.

Critical questions remain unanswered. Resolving them does not require material resources, only the political will to reach compromise and consensus, he said.

These include decisions on the type of the election, voter registration issues, delineating constituencies, and management of electoral disputes.

While there has been modest progress, such as initial discussions on election budgets and the passing of a national elections act, important institutions including the National Elections Commission and political party registration system, have not been set up.

Elections will be on time: Kiir

Mr. Haysom told ambassadors that President Salva Kiir had made a clear commitment that South Sudan will not return to war and that the elections will be held on time.

At a major public event, President Kiir also said that all parties must work to end the era of perpetual transition, Mr. Haysom added.

In July 2011, South Sudan gained independence from Sudan following a referendum.

However just two years later, a political face-off between two factions erupted into full-blown armed conflict, exposing weak institutions and leading to a major humanitarian crisis and immense suffering.

The countrys leaders signed a new peace agreement in September 2018, including a timeline for national elections.

Ceasefire largely holding

Mr. Haysom, also the head of the UN Mission in the country (UNMISS), said that it is looking at a two-phased approach to support the elections.

This would include capacity building and expanding political space, followed by supporting the ballot process itself.

Against this backdrop, the ceasefire agreed in 2018 is largely holding across the country, he added, although communal tensions and sporadic fighting between security forces and groups that did not sign the peace accord continue to present obstacles.

Humanitarian situation

Also briefing the Security Council, Edem Wosornu, Director of Operations at the UN relief coordination office (OCHA) said that the situation in South Sudan together with the crisis in neighbouring Sudan and limited funding are deeply complicating the humanitarian picture.

At the start of this year, over than 9.4 million people in South Sudan - 76 per cent of its population - relied on aid due to violence climatic shocks.

But the outbreak of conflict in Sudan forced over 260,000 people to flee across the border, including many South Sudanese refugees themselves.

The massive influx of returnees and refugees comes on the backdrop of limited funding, that has imposed a huge burden on already stretched support services, leaving insufficient capacity to meet the wide range of needs, she said.

Rising hunger

The Sudan crisis has also had knock-on effects on South Sudans trade and economy, leading to sharp food price increases and rising hunger.

Ms. Wosornu urged donors to step up support to the 2023 humanitarian response plan for South Sudan, which has raised less than half its requirements for the year.

We have a responsibility to support the aspirations of South Sudanese to fend for themselves and live a peaceful and dignified life, she said.

It is our hope that with the steadfast support and investment of the international community, South Sudan will make the progress it deserves.
Photo Courtesy: Erica Robin Instagram page

Karachi: Karachi-based Erica Robin has done something unthinkable as she won the Miss Universe Pakistan contest recently.

Five contestants, including Erica, 24, a Pakistani Christian girl, were chosen as finalists from among 200 applicants for the grand finale.

In the run-up to the contest, the five finalists had also done a photo shoot titled The Power in Modesty, reports Geo News.

I am honoured and humbled to be the first ever Miss Universe Pakistan and I want to highlight the beauty of Pakistan," Robin was quoted as saying by Geo News upon winning the Miss Universe Pakistan title.

The Miss Universe Pakistan contest is a franchise owned by the Dubai-based Yugen Group.

The group also owns the franchise rights to Miss Universe Bahrain and Miss Universe Egypt.

However, the beauty pageant and Erica Robin's victory have triggered controversy as several conservatives have criticised the event.

Religious scholar Taqi Usmani was among the first to take offence, insisting that the government take notice and proceed against those responsible for the pageant. He also demanded that the impression that these women were representing Pakistan should be dispelled, reports Dawn News.

Jamaat-i-Islami Senator Mushtaq Ahmed Khan  who was also one of the voices critical of the film Joyland when it was released in Pakistan tweeted that preparing for and competing in such pageants was shameful for Pakistan.

Journalist Ansar Abbasi also raised a similar gripe, asking which government functionary had approved sending Pakistani women to participate in the beauty pageant, the newspaper reported.
Ovidio Guzman Lopez extradited from Mexico to the USA.

The US Attorney General has said Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, has been extradited from Mexico to the United States on drug trafficking charges.

Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement: "Today, as a result of United States and Mexico law enforcement cooperation, Ovidio Guzman Lopez, a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel was extradited to the United States."

"This action is the most recent step in the Justice Departments effort to attack every aspect of the cartels operations. The fight against the cartels has involved incredible courage by United States law enforcement and Mexican law enforcement and military service members, many of whom have given their lives in the pursuit of justice," he said.

He thanked the Mexican government for the extradition of Ovidio Guzman Lopez.

"The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country," he said.

Guzman was flown to Chicago and landed Friday afternoon, Northern District of Illinois Assistant US Attorney Joseph D. Fitzpatrick told CNN.

The Mexican authorities arrested Ovidio Guzman Lopez in January this year from the northern state of Sinaloa.

He has been in custody since then.

The US government was seeking his extradition over drug trafficking.

Guzman had previously been arrested in October 2019, but was released on the orders of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to avoid bloodshed, and subsequently went into hiding until his arrest in 2023, reports CNN.

Meanwhile, Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, was recently released from US prison.

She was released after serving nearly two years for drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

We can confirm Emma Coronel Aispuro released from the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) today, September 13, 2023, Bureau of Prisons spokesperson Randilee Giamusso told CNN in an email.
Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons/NicoleShanahan Linkedin Page/Wallpaper Cave

New York: Google co-founder Sergey Brin has quietly divorced his wife, Nicole Shanahan, allegedly owing to her affair with billionaire Elon Musk, reported Page Six.

According to court records, the divorce was officially finalized on May 26.

The couple will now share legal and physical custody of their 4-year-old daughter.

Brin married Nicole Shanahan, an attorney and entrepreneur, in 2018, reported Business Insider.

While Shanahan did not contest the divorce, she did request spousal support from the court, as stated in the court documents.

They resolved other matters, including attorney fees and asset distribution, through private arbitration, the details of which remain confidential.

It's worth noting that Brin and Shanahan began dating in 2015, the same year Brin concluded his divorce from his first wife, Anne Wojcicki.

In 2022, Brin filed for divorce citing ''irreconcilable difference''.

The New York Post reported that Brins move came after his wife allegedly had a brief affair with Elon Musk, with whom he had been friends for years.

The couple had started living in different houses a year before.

Both Musk and Shanahan have called the allegation false.

''Sergey and I are friends and were at a party together last night. I've only seen Nicole twice in three years, both times with many other people around. Nothing romantic, '' he wrote on X, on July 25, 2022, in response to a Wall Street Journal article titled ''Elon Musk's Friendship With Sergey Brin Ruptured by Alleged Affair''.

This is total bs. Sergey and I are friends and were at a party together last night!



Ive only seen Nicole twice in three years, both times with many other people around. Nothing romantic.  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 25, 2022

Meanwhile, Shanahan has called the allegation utterly debilitating and that Musk has only been a friend.

''Did Elon and I have sex, like it was a moment of passion, and then it was over? No. Did we have a romantic relationship? No. We didn't have an affair,'' she claimed in July.

Despite the denial by Musk and Shanahan, the Wall Street Journal has said that they are ''confident in our sourcing, and we stand by our reporting.''

The 50-year-old co-founder of Google is currently ranked as the ninth wealthiest person globally, possessing a net worth of $118 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Shanahan, who is 34 years old, is a California-based lawyer and serves as the founder and president of the Bia-Echo Foundation, as indicated by her LinkedIn profile.
Vishwakarma Day, Vishwakarma Jayanti or Vishwakarma Puja is an important festival for people of the Hindu community to honour and celebrate Lord Vishwakarma.

According to the Hindu calendar, Every year Hindus worship Lord Vishwakarma on Kanya Sankranti, which generally marks the last day of the month of Bhadrapada. The Vishwakarma day corresponds with September 16 to 18 on the Gregorian calendar. This year Vishwakarma Puja is being celebrated today on September 17.

Vishwakarma Puja 2023: Why Vishwakarma Puja Falls Almost On The Same Day? | Shutterstock

Lord Vishwakarma is known as the divine architect and designer for all the gods and goddesses. Therefore, architects, engineers, and sculptors worship him.

Why Vishwakarma Puja falls almost on the same day every year on September 17?

Vishwakarma Puja is generally celebrated every year on the last day of the Indian Bhado month, in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Bengal, Odisha and Tripura. Apart from India, Vishwakarma Jayanti is also celebrated in Nepal.

Vishwakarma Puja is traditionally celebrated on September 17th each year, although the specific date may occasionally vary. It can fall a day or two before or after this date. In contrast to other Hindu festivals such as Diwali, Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Krishna Janmashtami, Vishwakarma Puja adheres to the Gregorian calendar, with a fixed date.

Vishwakarma Puja 2023: Why Vishwakarma Puja Falls Almost On The Same Day? | Shutterstock

This distinction arises because Vishwakarma Puja's timing is determined according to the Solar calendar, while the dates for other festivals are established based on the Lunar calendar.

When is Vishwakarma Puja 17 or 18 September 2023?

If you are a businessman planning to celebrate and honour Lord Vishwakarma, here is all you need to know about the Vishwakarma Puja date and Shubh Mahurat

Vishwakarma Puja Date & Time Vishwakarma Puja 2023 Date: Sunday, September 17, 2023 Vishwakarma Puja Sankranti Moment: 01:43 PM Kanya Sankranti September 17, 2023

About Lord Vishwakarma - The Divine Craftsman

Vishwakarma is regarded as the main craftsman and architect of Gods. Viswakarma is the son of Lord Brahma, the creator of the whole universe. Viswakarma is the official builder of all the gods palaces. As per Hindu mythologies, Vishwakarma is the designer of all the flying chariots of the gods and goddesses.

It is believed that Vishwakarma Ji built the Pushpak Vimana and Swarna Lanka for Ravan, as described in the epic Ramayan. He also created the Dwarka city for Lord Krishna and the Indraprastha for the Pandavas, as per the epic Mahabharat.

Vishwakarma Puja 2023: Why Vishwakarma Puja Falls Almost On The Same Day? | Freepik

Lord Vishwakarma is called the architect of Gods, and his birth anniversary is celebrated every year on September 17. Lord Vishwa Karma is additionally known as the world's first engineer. It is believed that along with the buildings for the Gods, he also made the Gods' weapons. It is thought in the Hindu religion that Lord Vishwakarma influences all kinds of tools and iron items which is why people worship their machinery on this day. A vast question arises about Vishwakarma Puja: Why does Vishwakarma Puja's date never change like other festivals?

Understanding the Significance of Vishwakarma Puja

- Vishwakarma Puja is a day to honour Lord Vishwakarma, the divine architect, and the ultimate creator.

- It celebrates the craftsmanship and artistic skills of artisans, craftsmen, and industrial workers.

- This day also signifies the progress of industries and technological advancements.

- Devotees seek Lord Vishwakarma's blessings for success and prosperity in their respective professions.

Rituals and Puja Vidhi you can follow on Vishwakarma Puja 2023

The rituals associated with Vishwakarma Puja vary across different regions of India, but here are some common practices and customs observed during this auspicious day:

Cleaning and Decorating Workspaces: Prior to the puja, workplaces, factories, and workshops are thoroughly cleaned and decorated. This includes cleaning tools, machinery, and equipment, as well as decorating them with flowers and colourful rangoli.

Idol or Image of Lord Vishwakarma: An idol or image of Lord Vishwakarma is placed in a central location within the workspace.

Prayers: The puja begins with the chanting of Vedic hymns and mantras. Artisans and workers gather around the idol of Lord Vishwakarma and offer prayers, seeking his blessings for success, prosperity, and safety in their work.

Offerings: Traditional offerings made during Vishwakarma Puja include flowers, fruits, sweets, and other items that are considered auspicious.

Aarti: Aarti, a ritual in which a lamp or camphor flame is waved before the deity, is an essential part of the puja.

Distribution of Prasad: After the puja, prasad (blessed food) is distributed among the participants and workers. It is considered a sacred offering and is believed to bring good fortune.

Vishwakarma Puja Samagri List

The items or Samagri required for Vishwakarma Puja may vary depending on individual preferences and regional customs. However, here is a general list of common items often used during Vishwakarma Puja:

Idol or Image of Lord Vishwakarma: A statue or image of Lord Vishwakarma, the deity being honored during the puja.

Puja Thali: A plate or tray to hold various puja items.

Rice: Offered as part of the rituals.

Flowers: Fresh flowers are used for decoration and as offerings.

Sandalwood Paste and Incense: Used for fragrance and offering to the deity.

Coconut: Often broken during the puja as a symbol of breaking obstacles.

Camphor: Used for aarti (ritual of waving lighted camphor) during the puja.

Oil Lamps or Diyas: For lighting and offering during the ceremony.

Fruits: Offered as prasad (divine offering) and for consumption after the puja.

Sweets: Traditional sweets like ladoos, modaks, or other favorite sweets of Lord Vishwakarma.

Betel Leaves and Nuts: Sometimes offered as part of the puja.

Red Cloth: Used as a backdrop or covering for the idol or image.

Mauli (Holy Thread): Used for tying on the wrist or idol as a symbol of protection.

Coins: Offered as a symbol of prosperity.

Tools and Instruments: Miniature tools and instruments, as Lord Vishwakarma is the divine architect and craftsman.

Akshata (Unbroken Rice Grains): Used for various rituals during the puja.

Ganga Jal (Holy Water): For purification purposes.

Bell: Used for ringing during the puja to invoke the deity's presence.

Panchamrit: A mixture of milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugar used for abhishek (ritual bathing of the deity).

Red Chandan (Sandalwood Paste): Used for tilak (forehead mark) and decoration.

Happy Vishwakarma Puja 2023!

Note: Dates/timings may be subject to change; details mentioned here are as per the information available.



For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events.

Vishwakarma Puja 2023: FAQs
Russia continues to turn the temporarily occupied Arabat Spit in the Kherson region into a military base. In particular, the Russian occupiers have settled in a school building in the village of Shchaslyvtseve.

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Traditionally, the invaders are trying to hide behind children: according to OBOZREVATEL's sources, minors were probably brought to the village. This fact was confirmed online.

According to the source, the school where the occupiers are located is on Myru Street.

Nakhimov Naval School graduates were also spotted. Judging by their appearance, they did not reach the age of majority.

This information was also confirmed online. On September 16, a Vkontakte (banned in Ukraine) user under the name "Maxim Maskimav" posted a photo in which he and another guy posed in Nakhimov uniforms.

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The user also indicated the location of the marker: the village of Shchaslyvtseve in Kherson Oblast. It was one of the buildings on Lenin Street (now Myru Street). This is where the aforementioned Shchaslyvtseve secondary school is located.

According to the profile information, the author of the photo was born in 2000, but the appearance of both makes us doubt not only that they are 23 years old but also whether have reached the age of majority.

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Earlier, the head of the Joint Coordination Press Center of the Southern Defense Forces Natalia Humeniuk shared how the occupiers are trying to strengthen their positions in the Kherson region. According to her, the invaders are rotating and building "defensive lines".

Meanwhile, Ukrainian soldiers are gradually inflicting losses on the occupiers. Thus, Ukrainian soldiers destroyed three enemy boats with crews in the south on September 15.

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Greece was faced with an unprecedented situation. In a period of two weeks it experienced serious wildfires followed by extended floods, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at the beginning of his speech at the 87th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) on Saturday
A 23-year-old man identified as Safiyanu Abubakar, from Adamawa State has confessed to intoxicating and raping a female student in the state.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje in a statement on Saturday said Safiyanu, a resident of Angwan Chamber in Toungo Local Government Area of southern Adamawa, made the confession to operatives of the state Police Command who arrested him.

READ ALSO: 94-Year-Old Man Allegedly Rapes 13-Year-Old Girl In Adamawa

I took advantage of her vulnerability after mixing Captain Jack (a hot drink) and Coke and making her take it, Safiyanu told the Police.

Nguroje said the incident took place earlier in the week, September 12.

According to Nguroje, The suspect, on 12/9/2023 was said to have paid a visit to the Victim (Name with held) as a friend and Good Samaritan but unfortunately he intoxicated her drinks.

The spokesman said the state Commissioner of Police, CP Afolabi Babatola, had ordered for immediate prosecution of the suspect on completion of investigation.
Abdul-Samad Rabiu, Chairman of BUA Group, says the high price of cement in the Nigerian market will soon become a thing of the past.

According to him, the company is working towards the reduction of the price of cement in Nigeria.

While speaking with newsmen after meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Works Minister, David Umahi on Friday, he noted that the move is geared towards supporting the efforts of the government to crash the price of the product.

To actualise its goal, the company said it would add two new plants at the end of the year or early next year.

The plants, Rabiu said, to be commissioned by Tinubu, would bring BUA Cements total capacity to 17 million metric tons.

The development, according to the Chairman, will enable the company to reduce the price of cement to about 3500 naira per bag.

Let me thank His Excellency Mr. President for graciously receiving me today. I came to intimate His Excellency on the affairs of our cement business. We have two new lines of 3 million tonnes each that we will be commissioned by the end of the year.

READ ALSO: Prices Of Local Industries Cement Unreasonable, Id Dialogue For Reduction  Works Minister, Umahi

So I came to intimate His Excellency and also to explain to him the efforts were making in trying to support again the efforts of the government in bringing down the price of cement.

With this 6 million tonnes that are commissioning by the end of the year. And by the way, His Excellency has agreed to come and commission the plants, sometimes in December or early January next year.

So I explained to him and we want to support the efforts of the government in bringing down the price of cement. By the time these lines are commissioned, BUA Cement will be producing about 17 million tonnes per annum. And with that, we intend to bring down the price of cement from its current level of N5000 or N5500 per bag to maybe N3000 to N3500 per bag.

And we can only do that because were producing cement locally. 80% of the raw materials that were using to produce cement are in Nigeria. We want to support the government efforts in ensuring that the price of these commodities are brought down.

Incidentally, I also saw the Honorable Minister David Umahi, when I was with the with His Excellency, Mr. President, and we agreed to meet so what were going to do is by the time we commission these two lines is to announce to Nigerians that the price of cement is going to come down, he said.
The leadership of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has taken the delivery of 2,000-bed mobile barracks donated by the government of Germany.

Kayode Egbetokun, acting Inspector-General of Police (IGP), received the facilities on Friday at the Police College in Ikeja, Lagos.

While taking delivery of the mobile barracks, Egbetokun said the donation is coming at a time when the force is setting up a Special Intervention Squad (SIS) for the war against violent crimes in the country.

The acting IGP said the equipment will also afford the force the opportunity to train more officers.

Our special intervention squad is going to consist of 40,000 men and we intend to deploy at least 1,000 men to each state command.

READ ALSO: Gov. Abba Yusuf Sacks Lands Commissioner For Threatening Kano Tribunal Judges

We have started mobilising the squad and selecting trainers.

Very soon, 25 of them will travel abroad for training. When they come back, the training starts with the 40,000 special intervention squad.

We are going to deploy the equipment to the training centres. This equipment will provide the immediate accommodation needed at our training centres in Nigeria, the IGP said.

Egbetokun however commended the German government for assisting the country in the war against crimes.

Johannes Lehne, German ambassador to Nigeria, said the donation was made to equip the force for the fight against crimes in society.

The German government partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Nigeria and GS Foundation to make the donation.
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State, has sacked Adamu Kibiya, the Commissioner for Lands and Physical Planning, for issuing a threat to the judges of the governorship election petition tribunal in the State.

Information Nigeria reports that the commissioner at a special prayer session on Friday, held for the success of Yusuf, at the tribunal, said any judge who decides to receive a bribe would have to pay with his or her life.

In the viral video in which he spoke in Hausa language, the commissioner also threatened anyone who tries to contend for the governorship position with death.

People voted for us and some people are attempting to do injustice. We want to tell the judges that we will not accept this. Any judge that is willing to deprive us of our rights will regret it. Whatever will happen, we wont care, he had said during a protest organised by members of the ruling New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the State.

However, State Commissioner of Information, Baba Dantiye, announced the decision at a press conference on Friday night at government house in Kano, that Yusuf has relieved Aliyu of his appointment over unguarded comments.

He added that the governor respects and takes the judiciary in high esteem and would not condone any disrespect to them.

READ ALSO: Nigerians Have Been Slapped Sufficiently, Youve Succumbed To Emilokan Sentiments  LP Carpets Soyinka Over Comments On Obi

Dantiye said Yusuf also sacked his special adviser on youth and sports, Aliyu Yusuf popularly known as Ogan Boye.

Oga Boye was reported to have made unguarded and disrespectful statements against Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

Dantiye said the utterances made by the Kibiya and Oga Boye do not represent the position of the State Government.

While condemning the unfortunate threat to the Judges and the disrespect shown to the VP, we wish to make it categorically clear that the views expressed do not represent the official position of the State Government under the leadership of His Excellency Alh Abba Kabir Yusuf.

It is important to emphasise that neither of the two officials have any clearance to speak on behalf of government and none of them serves as official spokesperson of the government.

Henceforth, Unguarded and inflammatory statements will not be condoned. The Ministry of Information is directed to ensure that all media outlets in the state especially radio stations are complying with the extant guidelines provided by regulatory agencies.

While expressing our faith in the judicial process, believing very strangly that justice will prevail at all the levels of judicial processes, the Kano State Government wishes to call on all residents in the state to remain law-abiding and continue to go about their normal businesses without any hindrances, the commissioner added.
Peter Obi, February 25 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), on Friday, posited that Nigeria is swinging away from the boundaries of democracy.

To commemorate International Democracy Day, Obi called on Nigerians to remain committed to building and reinforcing the democracy of the nation, via a post on X.

As witnessed in the country today, the mindless erosion of the very ideals and tenets on which Nigerias democracy was built, if not checked, will only push the nation deeper into lawlessness.

The current trend of endemic corruption, abuse of the constitution, disrespect for the rule of law, and transactional politics which cuts across the executive, legislative, and judicial arms of government, have continued to conflict with our nations enforcement of democracy.

Consequently, our dear nation has continued to swing dangerously away from the boundaries of true democracy.

READ ALSO: Supreme Courtll Right The Wrongs Of Tribunal Judgement  PDP BoT

Gradually, we are losing one of the biggest intangible assets that makes a nation strong, which is respect for the rule of law. I call on all Nigerians to remain committed to building and reinforcing our nations democracy, Obi said.

While maintaining that he remains committed to a new and truly democratic Nigeria, he said, I am in this struggle solely for the betterment of our society.

My vision of a new and truly democratic Nigeria is borne out of the deep conviction that Nigeria if given good leadership as I offer to give, will be beneficial to every Nigerian.

We must not give up on our nation because a New and truly democratic Nigeria is possible.

The former Anambra State Governor and the LP had gone to the tribunal to challenge the electoral victory of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the election.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), on Friday, revealed it has discovered a warehouse in Lagos stocked with imported banned Crusader soaps.

Mojisola Adeyeye, NAFDAC Director-General (DG), speaking at a media conference in Lagos, said investigation through the ports showed that the banned Crusader soap was imported seven times in 2021 alone with each consignment containing 4,500 cartons of the soap.

The DG noted that the importation of the soap into the country was banned by NAFDAC years ago because it contains mercury which has been identified as a health risk.

Acting on intelligence, I&E directorate in August 2023 busted a warehouse in trade fair market, which was filled with banned imported soaps.

Three trailer-loads of imported Crusader medicated soap and Mekako soap totalling 4,000 cartons by 12 packs by 12 tablet soap were evacuated from the warehouse, while some suspects were arrested in connection with the case.

The street value of the evacuated products is approximately N1 billion.

Mercury and its compounds in cosmetics are a threat to public health. Mercury is readily absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream and exerts a debilitating effect on the vital internal organs of the body.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global agreement, which was adopted in 2013 and entered into force on the 16th of August 2017.

The Minamata Convention bans the sale of mercury-added cosmetics, including skin-lightening creams. After 2020, parties to the convention, including Nigeria which is a signatory to the convention, are required to have banned the manufacture, import and export of mercury-containing cosmetics products, she said.

READ ALSO: Olamides Wife Turned Me To Errand Girl  Former YBNL Signee, Temmie Ovwasa Recounts

Adeyeye said during interrogation, one Peter Obih (alias Ogbuagu), the prime suspect, claimed to have bought the product from a company.

According to her, the suspect presented an expired NAFDAC certificate that was issued for local manufacturing of the product after the ban in Nigeria.

It is to be noted that not one bar of the soap has been manufactured in Nigeria since the purported registration in 2013.

The suspect claims to have just secured a contract manufacturing agreement with a local manufacturer but they are yet to commence production.

The sample of the product was taken to our laboratory for analysis and was found to contain heavy metals identified as Mercury.

The Crusader soap is falsely labelled, made in England to deceive Nigerians while the actual source is India.

This act is an outright violation of the NAFDAC Acts and a contravention of the agencys regulations, including the cosmetic products (prohibition of bleaching agents) regulations 2019.

The arrested suspects will be charged to court while a manhunt is currently being intensified to arrest other fleeing members of this deadly syndicate, the NAFDAC DG added.
A ghastly motor accident that occurred in the early hours of Saturday has left one person dead and three others injured in Kogi State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accident occurred at Elete village along Lokoja-Ajaokuta Road in Kogi.

The Kogi Sector Commander of FRSC, Mr Samuel Oyedeji, who confirmed the incident to NAN in a telephone interview, described it as very unfortunate.

Oyedeji said that the accident, which involved a Peugeot J-5 bus and a Sharon bus, left the driver of the J-5 bus dead.

READ ALSO: 12 Dead, 6 Injured In Kogi Road Accident

He gave the cause of the collusion as speeding, reckless overtaking and carelessness.

The Sharon bus had eight persons while the J-5 bus had only three persons but God in his infinite mercy, kept seven persons unhurt.

FRSC rescue team, which rushed to the accident scene, took the injured persons to the Kogi Specialist Hospital, Lokoja for medical attention, said.

The sector commander said that the corpse of the bus driver was claimed by the members of the community for burial.

Oyedeji appealed to motorists to exercise caution while on the highway, not to be involved such accidents that brings about untimely deaths and destruction of property.

We expect every motorists to keep to the traffic rules and regulations to stay alive and to safe guard the lives of innocent passengers on the highways, he said.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has presented official vehicles to ten Third Class Chiefs in Abuja.

It was gathered that Wike, while speaking on Friday, also promised to improve the welfare of traditional leaders.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the third-class chiefs were from Gomani, Yaba, Bwari, Pai, Garki, Jiwa, Wako, Rubochi, Gwagwalada, and Zuba chiefdoms.

Wike explained that, while handing over the Nissan Semi SUV keys to the traditional rulers in Abuja, that the gesture was part of the governments efforts to ease the mobility of the traditional leaders.

READ MORE: If FCDA Cant Arrange Ordinary Microphone To Work, How Will FCT Work?  Wike Blasts Officials {VIDEO}

He said: Part of that is mobility. I cant see how traditional rulers will be boarding taxis or entering public transportation. That is unacceptable.

President Bola Tinubu has directed that that should not be allowed to continue. He has asked that we do everything possible to make it convenient and easy for you to do your assignment.

He added: You know your communities better than anybody; you know the people within your communities, so you will be able to identify those who look like strangers.

No agency will perform its function without the support of traditional rulers, and we believe that we must partner together to achieve the fight against insecurity.

So, today, we are going to hand over 10 vehicles to you to please help in supporting the government to fight insecurity in your domain. Be sure that we are going to work together.

If we dont work together, we will not achieve results because everybody is important in the fight against insecurity.
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming election in Kogi State, Dino Melaye, has declared that no sane resident of the state would vote for All Progressives Congress (APC) in November.

INFORMATION NIGERIA gathered that Melaye made this known while receiving the report of the PDP policy document for the state at a brief ceremony at the PDP National Secretariat, Wadata Plaza, Abuja, on Friday.

The former lawmaker, said that Kogi people have suffered so much and are in the den of the evil forest due to Governor Yahaya Bello-led government of gross maladministration and injustice meted out on them.

He also lamented the insecurity challenges in the state, with many people kidnapped at night and in broad daylight.

READ MORE: Ill Run Kogi With Fear Of God If Elected Governor  Dino Melaye Pledges

He said: Theres is no sane person in Kogi State that will vote for the APC in Kogi State. We have suffered so much in Kogi State, we are in the den of the evil forest in Kogi State.

As I speak Kogi is the only state where a serving permanent secretary is taking Okada to the office, in Kogi a level 16 officer is taking 16 thousand salary. There is a state of decadence, poverty, corruption in Kogi State, these are people with families.

The present administration undertook a needless civil service exercise, retrenched, sacked and kept some people hanging. Some others died for travelling from far places to the state capital for screening and accidents happened.

In the history of the state, we have the largest number of missing persons in Nigeria, even the PDP Chairman of Okene local government area for four years we are still looking for him.

You can only imagine the number of missing persons in Kogi State, not to talk of those murdered in broad daylight. Two months ago 27 people were killed in Ejule in one day.

These shows that we have a lot of work to do because the state has been completely basterdized, the economy is in shambles, hospitals are mere consulting clinics, no roads, the great water works done by former governor Ibrahim Idris, today it is eleven months, no water in lokoja the state capital. That is the type of state we are going to inherit.
On September 14, an unmanned surface vehicle of the Security Service of Ukraine SeaBaby damaged a Russian Samum missile ship. The drone hit the right rear side of the enemy vessel, causing significant damage, with the missile carrier losing its momentum.

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This was reported to OBOZREVATEL by sources in the SSU. The Ukrainian drone hit the target near the entrance to Sevastopol Bay.

The Ukrainian side is aware that the Russians had to tow the Samum for repairs with a significant tilt at the stern and listing to starboard.

The SSU used an experimental model of a marine drone that can operate in a storm, hiding from detection behind high waves. The waves were 1.5-2 meters high during the special operation.

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It is known that the Samum 1239 small missile ship is a Samum-class missile carrier hovercraft ans part of the 41st Missile Boat Brigade of the Crimean Naval Base of the Black Sea Fleet. It is the largest high-speed warship in its subclass that uses a hydrodynamic platform.

At the end of 2016, the Russians chose Samum as the best second-ranked ship of their Black Sea Fleet.

Earlier, the SSU showed off special SeaBaby surface drones. Sea Baby is the result of many months of development, which began immediately after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

SSU Head Vasyl Maliuk called it a unique development of his agency in an interview with CNN.

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"No private company was involved in this. With the help of these drones, we have recently successfully hit the Crimean bridge, the large Olenegorskiy Gornyak landing ship and the SIG tanker," he said.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL:

- On August 4, 2023, a naval surface drone attacked the Russian Olenegorskiy Gornyak in the Novorossiysk Bay. The vessel received a serious hole, fell overboard and could no longer perform its combat missions.

- On August 5, a marine drone crashed into a SIG tanker 30 miles from the Kerch Strait. Russian media published a photo of the damaged vessel. The tanker received a hole in the engine room area.

Only verified information on Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has slammed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for faulting the State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, over his relocation to Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

Information Nigeria had reported on Friday that the Ondo PDP faulted Akeredolu over the decisions he has taken since he returned to Nigeria from his medical trip abroad.

Since his return from his three-month medical leave to Germany to treat himself, Akeredolu has chosen to stay in his Ibadan residence.

In a statement, the PDPs spokesperson, Kennedy Ikantu Peretei, said the Governor has to return to Akure, the state capital, immediately as Ibadan is not the states capital city.

The Party posited that with Akeredolu governing the State from Oyo, he might have been brought back into the country to foil an impeachment process.

Reacting, the APC alleged that the opposition wanted the governor dead.

The Party, in a statement said instead of chasing shadows, the PDP should rather engage in constructive criticism.

READ ALSO: Visa Restrictions Not Lifted For Nigerians  UAE Official Contradicts Nigerian Govt.

The Ondo State APC Publicity Secretary, Alex Kalejaiye, said even though Akeredolu is living in his Ibadan residence, it has not hampered his abilities because he is attending to state matters the way he ought to.

The APC argued that it doesnt understand why the PDP would make a case out of the governors relocation to Ibadan if it has not affected his capabilities to run state affairs.

It is unbelievable that the PDP is having a grouse with the location of our Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. This is a clear indication that the opposition party never wanted Arakunrin back alive.

The crux of the matter is that Mr Governor has been attending to state matters, since his arrival the way he ought to, irrespective of location. This is an indisputable reality. I sympathise with the PDP; it is a crisis-ridden political party that is bereft of ideas, and no longer coherent and constructive, Kalejaiye said.
A year-one female student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, identified as Uche Jovita Chigozirim, has been killed by a stray bullet suspected to have been fired by cultists during a clash.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the horrible incident happened late on Thursday, along the popular Miracle Junction in Ifite Awka.

A colleague of the deceased, Dickson Anayochi, who spoke with journalists, confirmed that Chigozirim, from the Faculty of Health Science student, was hit by a stray bullet.

He added that the tragic incident is a regular occurrence in the UNIZIK environment and called on the operatives of the Nigerian Police Force to beef up security in the area.

READ MORE: Anambra Pastor Burried In Bush For Committing Suicide After Lover Jilted Him

Anayochi said: This girl, Uche Jovita Chigozirim, a 100 level student of the faculty of Health Science was killed yesterday evening by stray bullet shot by suspected cultists at the popular Miracle Junction.

Please help us and let the world know the insecurity situation we are facing here in the UNIZIK environment and the state government is not doing anything to improve the situation.

Please let the Inspector General of Police help us with a checkpoint around Ifite area of UNIZIK because we are tired of complaining to the state government. Its now a culture we are almost used to. Its really sad, he said.
The Supreme Court, on Friday, dismissed an appeal seeking to nullify the election of Peter Mbah as the Governor of Enugu State.

In a unanimous judgment, a five-member panel of justices held that the All Progressives Congress (APC), and its governorship candidate, Uche Nnaji, filed an invalid brief of argument.

Tijani Abubakar, who read the lead judgment, held that the invalid process filed by the appellants could not be relied upon to invalidate Mbahs victory in the election.

Consequently, the apex court dismissed the case for being incompetent.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Peoples Democratic Partys (PDP) Mbah the winner of the March 18 governorship election with 160,895 votes.

READ ALSO: Tinubu Appoints Yemi Cardoso As CBN Governor, Nominates Four Deputies

Chijioke Edeoga of the Labour Party (LP) came second with 157,552 votes while Frank Nweke of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) polled 17, 983 votes to claim third place.

Nnaji occupied the fourth position with 14,575 votes.

Dissatisfied with the outcome of the election, Nnaji filed a petition to challenge Mbahs electoral victory.

According to Nnaji, Mbah was at the time of the election, not eligible to contest, alleging that he presented a forged certificate to INEC, to aid his qualification.

Also, the APC candidate submitted that Mbah was not duly elected by a majority of the votes cast in the election.

He prayed the tribunal to disqualify Mbah, Edeoga, and Nweke and either declare him the winner of the poll or order INEC to conduct a runoff election between him and other candidates, excluding Mbah and the PDP.

However, in a ruling delivered on June 20, the Enugu state governorship election petition tribunal dismissed the suit on the grounds that it was not filed in compliance with provisions of the electoral act 2022.

Unsatisfied with the judgement, Nnaji approached the court of appeal in Enugu, seeking to set aside the decision of the tribunal.
The Chicago State University (CSU) has confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, attended the university and graduated in 1979 with a bachelors degree.

The university, stated that the United States federal law, prevents it from providing any further information about Tinubus record, without consent or unless allowed to do so via court order.

Recall that election petition tribunal had thrown out Atiku Abubakars case earlier. But the People Democratic Partys presidential candidate said the war was not over.

Atiku, in his quest to restore what he described as stolen mandate, requested for President Tinubus academic records in US.

In a statement published by CBS News (CBS Broadcasting Inc.), the institution said it was confident in the veracity and integrity of their records regarding Tinubus completion of graduation requirements and degree certificate.

The statement reads: As an educational institution, we are sometimes asked to provide information related to student records.

Federal law known as FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) protects the privacy of student records and limits what an institution can release.

READ MORE: We Cant Ascertain Authenticity Of Certificate Tinubu Submitted To INEC  Chicago University Tells US Court

In August 2023, a request was made in U.S. federal court for the university to provide information related to educational records concerning Bola Tinubu, the President of Nigeria, and a former CSU student.

The university has confirmed Tinubu attended CSU and graduated in 1979 with a bachelors degree. Federal law, however, prevents us from providing any further information without consent or unless allowed to do so via court order.

CSU is confident in the veracity and integrity of our records regarding Tinubus completion of graduation requirements and degree certificate.

The university is not a party to the Nigerian legal proceedings that spurred this request, and a U.S. federal judge will determine whether the university will provide further requested information.

Our response to the request for Tinubus academic records has been entirely consistent with our practices, policies and federal law. We would respond in exactly the same manner for any request for any student information by a third party.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has disclosed that Nigerias agreements with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are still a work in progress.

Since 2021, UAE and Nigeria have been engaging in a diplomatic row over issues involving flight allocations and travel bans and in October 2022, the UAE imposed a visa ban on Nigerians.

Recall that on Monday, Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesperson, announced that Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines would resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria without any further delay.

Ngelale made the announcement after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE President, in Abu Dhabi.

However, according to a report by Cable News Network, an official from the UAE contradicted the announcement and said the year-long visa ban on Nigerian travellers has not been lifted.

READ ALSO: Visa Restrictions Not Lifted For Nigerians  UAE Official Contradicts Nigerian Govt.

There are no changes on the Nigeria/UAE travel status so far, the official was quoted as saying.

Tuggar, when asked in an interview with Arise Television on Thursday, said the visa status and bilateral agreements between the two countries, are still a work in progress.

He added that clarifications will be made through a joint statement.

Its still an ongoing process, it is a partnership, it is repairing otherwise frayed nerves.

It is better that whatever we do, we do in partnership with the UAE. So, I will not want to dwell too much on what is going on there or from our own side, he said.

Im sure there will be joint statements that will clarify everything that has transpired and is unfolding, but it is positive, the Minister said.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has contradicted claims by the Nigerian government that plans are underway to lift the visa ban on Nigerian travellers after 11 months.

Recall that earlier this week, President Bola Tinubu met with UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi where both men finalized a historic agreement, according to a statement released by the Nigerian government.

The government said in the statement that the agreement paved the way for the lifting of the visa ban, including the immediate resumption of flights between both countries.

Furthermore, by this historic agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, without any further delay, a statement by Nigerias presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said.

READ ALSO: UAE Lifts Visa Ban On Nigerians As President Tinubu Secures Historic Deal

However, a statement by the UAE government later Monday said both leaders had during the meeting, explored opportunities for further bilateral collaboration with the hope of reinforcing ties between the UAE and Nigeria, but did not mention lifting the visa ban or flights restarting.

In a follow-up statement, Nigerian government spokesman Ngelale said officials from both countries needed more time to finalize agreement details, contradicting his earlier statement.

Given the agreement struck between the two Heads of State, there is need to allow cabinet officials from both sides to work out the final details and finalize the cross-sectoral agreements, he said, adding that Everyone can now allow the process to work itself out organically, devoid of speculation.

An official from UAE who spoke to CNN said also said, there are no changes on the Nigeria/UAE travel status so far.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi said, if left unchecked, current happenings in Nigeria would only push the country further into lawlessness.

Obi decried that the ideals upon which Nigerias democracy is built are being eroded on a daily basis.

The former Anambra State Governor in a statement on Friday, made available via his X account, said Nigeria is currently suffering from a trend of endemic corruption, abuse of the constitution, disrespect for the rule of law, and transactional politics across all three arms of government.

He added that he would continue to make himself available to offer the good leadership that Nigeria needs because he believes a better Nigeria is possible. Obi told citizens of the country not to give up despite the current happenings in Nigeria

The LP presidential candidate made the observations and submissions in a statement to mark the 2023 International Democracy Day.

According to him: On this years celebration of International Democracy Day, we must remind ourselves of the need to work together to build and deepen our nations democracy.

As witnessed in the country today, the mindless erosion of the very ideals and tenets on which Nigerias democracy was built, if not checked, will only push the nation deeper into lawlessness.

READ MORE: Peter Obi Still Forcing Lies, Deceit For A Party That Came Third  Soyinka

The current trend of endemic corruption, abuse of the constitution, disrespect for the rule of law, and transactional politics which cuts across the executive, legislative and judicial arms of government,have continued to conflict with our nations enforcement of democracy.

Consequently, our dear nation has continued to swing dangerously away from the boundaries of true democracy. Gradually, we are losing one of the biggest intangible assets that makes a nation strong, which is respect for the rule of law.

I call on all Nigerians to remain committed to building and reinforcing our nations democracy. Once again, I restate my commitment to a new and truly democratic Nigeria. I am in this struggle solely for the betterment of our society.

My vision of a New and truly democratic Nigeria is borne out of the deep conviction that Nigeria if given good leadership as I offer to give, will be beneficial to every Nigerian. We must not give up on our nation because a New and Truly Democratic Nigeria is POssible.

Happy International Democracy Day Nigeria.
Four Worlds Bakery in West Philly has been a bread supplier for Mariposa Food Co-op for years. The co-op ended the relationship with one day's notice earlier this week. Read more

West Phillys Four Worlds Bakery has evolved from a basement bakery to a neighborhood institution over its 17-year history, known for making some of the best bagels in the city. And until this week, you could score its sourdough bagels, baguettes, and bread at Mariposa Food Co-op, another West Philly institution.

That changed abruptly on Tuesday, when Mariposa severed ties with Four Worlds with just one days notice, according to an announcement Four Worlds posted on its Facebook page Wednesday morning.

For 15 years we have supplied [Mariposa] with bagels, baguettes and our classic sourdough breads. Beginning today, they have decided to move on from us but we are still baking and have a full staff to support, the post read. Its a big blow to us  60-100 bagels a day plus 12 baguettes and bread loaves; and we were given 1 day notice about the change with no reason given. We need your support now more than ever.

Customers in West Philly and beyond responded with support (the bakery sold out that afternoon) and outrage.

Regardless of the reason, the lack of notice is completely unprofessional and unacceptable, one commenter wrote. This just means that Ill be going to Mariposa less and dropping by Four Worlds Bakery a lot more, wrote another. I knew this would happen when Mariposa moved, another wrote, alluding to the co-ops 2011 move to 4824 Baltimore Ave., a space five times larger than its original home at 4726 Baltimore Ave. Yet another posted a screenshot of Mariposas bylaws, the section that delineates how members can withdraw their equity. Jussayin, they wrote.

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On Thursday, Mariposa  whose internal and external tensions and declining sales spilled over into the public earlier this year  responded with a post of its own.

Hi Mariposa Community! As some of you may have heard, we have decided to end our 12+ year working relationship with Four Worlds Bakery. Throughout our time working together, we have had conversations around quality issues and other business concerns. We have tried to find solutions that work for both parties, but unfortunately the time has come to part ways, it read. Though it is not easy to end such a long-standing partnership, we do so knowing it is the best decision for our staff and the co-op and we wish nothing but the best for Four Worlds Bakery.

The post was met with further vitriol. This statement is totally reasonable and fair. What is neither (and frankly wildly unprofessional) is giving them no notice, one commented. How exactly is changing the bagels sold the best decision for staff? another asked. Ill be canceling my membership, said another.

Mariposa still carries local bread from Merzbachers and Metropolitan Bakery, and recently added LeBus bread to its lineup, according to Mariposa general manager and co-op executive officer Aj Hess. They said in an email that the feedback Mariposa has received following the decision has been negative to neutral among member-owners and neutral to positive among staff.

Reached on Thursday afternoon, Four Worlds owner Michael Dolich elaborated on the situation. The bakery had sent some overproofed baguettes to Mariposa over the weekend. They had a legit issue with the baguettes, Dolich said. They should never have been delivered. It was a real mess-up on our part, and we own that.

Dolich received an email from a Mariposa staffer on Monday asking for a credit for the weekends baguettes, which were harder than the co-op would like to sell. (The Inquirer reviewed the email thread.) The staffer also asked to remove the baguettes from future orders. We can longer sell them due to inconsistency of quality unfortunately, the email read.

Dolich apologized in a reply, explaining he was out of town, and agreed to give them the credit. He said he would bake the next days baguettes (which were already prepped) himself and that hed remove them from future orders.

A little over an hour later, Dolich received a response. After tomorrows order we would like to go ahead and cancel our standing orders please. It has been a pleasure working with you and hopefully we can work together again in the future. Sorry for the short notice and thank you, it read. The next day, they followed up asking Dolich to return his key to Mariposa.

Dolich acknowledged that, every so often, Four Worlds baguettes have been overproofed or toastier than the co-op desired. We bake things a little bit more dark than they like it sometimes, but thats what our customers want, Dolich said. Probably every two or three weeks, Ill get an email from them saying they dont like this [or that]. But its normal. Not everythings perfect every time.

Still, he thinks there must have been more to the decision than bad baguettes. He speculated that the co-op might have been frustrated that bread didnt sell, but admitted he didnt know for sure. Though he was a longtime Mariposa member (he withdrew his equity after this incident) and used to serve on its board, his personal relationships there have lapsed, especially post-pandemic.

Nobody really reached out to me. Ive never really talked to anybody on the phone over there about any of these issues, he said, adding he hadnt taken the initiative either. I gotta own it too. When you dont communicate with people, this is what happens.

On Friday, CEO Hess indicated the decision was a long time coming. The discussion around discontinuing our relationship with Four Worlds has come up several times over the years, by several staff members, they wrote. Ultimately, the current buyer, based on input from other team members, direct experience, and with my full support, made the decision.

Asked if one days notice is standard in the grocery industry, Hess said, It is standard in most business partnerships to discontinue a working relationship when it is no longer mutually beneficial. More often than not, there is no advanced notice given. However, having conversations to improve the relationship should take place prior to ending the relationship, which is the case in this situation.

Dolich took to Facebook because he felt backed into a corner. I couldnt just let 15 years of customers  all go and not try to tell people what happened and tell people where they could buy my stuff, he said. He didnt intend to stir up resentment toward the co-op but isnt surprised at the outcome.

This was a really dry forest just waiting to ignite, he said. Its easy to focus on this whole thing about the bakery. Theres a lot more going on underneath the surface.

As a co-op, Mariposa is member-owned and partially governed by an elected board of delegates which oversees and evaluates management, reports on the state of the co-op, oversees bylaws changes, and approves the budget, according to its website. That said, the co-op board of delegates has nothing to do with store operations, clarified board secretary Eliot Gilkeson.

Gilkeson added that a group of Mariposa board liaisons and member-owners are organizing a special meeting for co-op community members (current owners, past owners, potential new owners) to discuss concerns surrounding the co-op in a cooperative way and ideate potential solutions for moving forward.

The event will be held Wednesday, Oct. 4, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at a location to be determined. Input is welcome beforehand.

On Thursday, Dolich was turning over the situation in his mind as he prepped the next days orders, including challah for Rosh Hashanah. He lamented the end of the long relationship with a neighborhood business, especially one thats open late and accepts EBT. Its a lose-lose for both of us, he said.
It's the season for pumpkin spice treats like the Bi My Ca Phe Sua, a spiced bi ngo (pumpkin) version of the traditional Vietnamese coffee, ca phe sua, at Caphe Roasters. Read more

For Mardhory Santos-Cepeda, her grandmothers are the inspiration and foundation of her cooking. One of the pastry chefs earliest memories of her grandmother Alcineia is her pumpkin and coconut preserve with cinnamon and cloves.

I can still picture her making it step by step with so much care, she shared. And at the end of the day, she would serve it with a slice of cheese and we would all, children and adults, sit on a long table enjoying it together.

Its the same heart-warming moment that Santos-Cepeda looks forward to invoking in her guests when they bite into her fall offerings at Kouklet Brazilian Bakehouse in South Philly.

As fall winds turn leaves crisp and yellow-red, pumpkin spice restores its stardom at Philly bakeries, cafes, bars, restaurants, and Starbucks  the coffee giants Pumpkin Spice Latte, which hit shops in August, turns 20 this year.

Neighborhood spots throughout the city are going all in this season  warming the air with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, and whipping up treats with pumpkin spice and pureed pumpkin.

Whether you are looking for beer, pie, coffee  even mac and cheese  we have the spots for you. Here are some places to satisfy your pumpkin cravings in and near Philadelphia:

How about a pumpkin macaron ($2.50) with a side of pumpkin doughnut ($3) paired with a white chocolate pumpkin mocha ($5.50)? At Oui, youll fill all your pumpkin needs. The Old City pastry shop offers those treats along with pumpkin-decorated cake pops and sugar cookies. And you can enjoy your treats with views of the leaves falling on North Third street.

160 North 3rd St.,  215-922-1269,  ouisicafe.com,  Monday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If youre looking for a caffeine buzz and a taste of pumpkin pie, La Colombe now has its own version of PSL.

The creamy, seasonally spiced draft latte ($6.75 for 16-ounce, $7.56 for 24-ounce) is on tap at all its locations, from Dilworth Park to Fishtown, offering the autumnal beverage for the first time.

1335 Frankford Ave., and other locations,  267-479-1600,  lacolombe.com,  Daily 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Stop by this Irish pub and restaurant on Walnut Street for a pumpkin spice espresso martini ($15), made with vanilla vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, and homemade pumpkin spice syrup, topped with grated nutmeg and coffee beans.

1116 Walnut St.,  215-627-7676,  moriartyspub.com,  Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. (kitchen closes at midnight), Sunday noon to midnight (kitchen closes at 10 p.m.)

In Chestnut Hill, youll find individual pumpkin bundt cakes. Theyre mini pumpkin sponge cakes with pumpkin infused cream cheese icing for $5.

Theres also pumpkin butter cake bars ($4), pumpkin hand tarts ($5), pumpkin crumb cakes ($5), and pumpkin chocolate chip waffles ($5). And dont forget about the pumpkin pie sticky bun ($3) filled with a homemade pumpkin pie filling and decorated with their signature pumpkin spice-infused cream cheese icing.

8221 Germantown Ave.,  267-521-BUNS (2867),  barrysbuns.com,  Thursday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Dive into bolo de rolo de abobora com especiarias ($6), a spiced pumpkin cake roll with its thin layers of sponge cake oozing with pumpkin spice white chocolate ganache. Orsonho de abobora com especiarias ($5), the spiced pumpkin Brazilian-style sourdough doughnut stuffed with spiced pumpkin condensed milk custard and topped with pepita brittle.

1647 E Passyunk Ave.,  973-664-7076,  kouklet.com,  Friday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This West Philly ice cream shop whips up small batches of artisan cream and fruit bars, plus handcrafted pies. The pumpkin smores pop ($5) is a smooth and creamy pumpkin popsicle sweetened with condensed milk spiced just right. Plus, the homemade chocolate chip graham marshmallows and added graham cracker crumble make it a sweet, crumbly pop. While youre there, try the pumpkin spice latte sandwich with pumpkin and coffee ice cream between two cinnamon sugar cookies ($5).

265 South 44th St.,  267-499-3934,  lilpopshop.com,  Tuesday to Friday, 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday to Sunday noon to 9 p.m.

What do you get when you add pounds of pumpkin and a blend of spices to an ale? Urban Villages Stingy Jack.

Created by Dave Goldman and Tom Revelli, this Northern Liberties brewpub brews on site. The 8% abv pumpkin ale ($8 for 12-ounce, $4 for 8-ounce, $2.50 for 4-ounce) tastes similar to pumpkin pie. There are also four packs to take home for $16. Keep an eye out for their fall menu for possible pumpkin eats.

1001 N 2nd St.,  267-687-1961,  urbanvillagebrewing.com,  Kitchen: Sunday to Thursday, noon to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, noon to 11 p.m. Bar: Sunday to Thursday, noon to 11 p.m.; Friday to Saturday, noon to midnight.

At Craftsman Row Saloon in Center City, you can score three pumpkin treats. Start with the butternut pumpkin squash bisque with roasted pumpkin seeds atop ($10), then dig into the Haunted Mac ($14.50), a four-cheese mac and cheese with pumpkin, toasted breadcrumbs, and pumpkin seeds. Wash it down with the Pumpkin King Margarita (tequila, spiced pumpkin, ginger and lemon served in a pumpkin, $15) in October.

112 S 8th St.,  215-923-0123,  craftsmanrowsaloon.com,  Wednesday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, noon to 11 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.

In Kensington, warm up with Ba Ngoais porridge made with jasmine rice, veggie broth, kabocha squash, scallions, crispy shallots, and lime  a play on the Vietnamese pumpkin soup, canh bi o, which uses kabocha squash as well.

Since pumpkin typically isnt found in Vietnamese cooking and is hard to come by in Asian markets, kabocha squash is more often used in Vietnamese dishes, explained Tina Huynh, the cafes marketing director. (It costs $6 for a cup and $10 for a bowl of porridge.)

End your visit with the Bi My Ca Phe Sua, a spiced bi ngo (pumpkin) version of the traditional Vietnamese coffee, ca phe sua. Its made with house pumpkin spiced puree and topped with pumpkin cold foam.

3400 J St.,  215-690-1268,  capheroasters.com,  Wednesday to Monday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m..

For Carol Ha of Okie Dokie Donuts, the fall season is all about the warming spices.

They warm up everything that theyre mixed in, Ha shared. The cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice and clove  it just has a really nice harmony, especially with things like pumpkin and apple. I think thats why pumpkin spice season makes people go crazy.

Starting the first Wednesday of October, find pumpkin cardamom and pumpkin glazed doughnuts for $3.50, plus upcoming weekend specials.

1439 Snyder Ave.,  267-237-3786,  okiedokiedonuts.com,  Wednesday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Thursday to Saturday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Devour the pumpkin cream-filled doughnut for $5.74.

3816 Chestnut St.,  215-240-4590,  parisbaguette.com,  Daily 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Whether youre in Fishtown or Brewerytown , you can get this version of the perennial pumpkin spice latte hot, iced, orblended ($6.48 for 16-ounce, $7.56 for 24-ounce). If youre hungry, order a pumpkin bagel with apple cinnamon cream cheese to wash it down.

1526 Sansom St., and other locations,  215-964-9974  bagelsandcophl.com,  Daily 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Whether youre in Fishtown or on South Street, you can pick up a vegan pumpkin loaf with an orange glaze ($5), pumpkin cheesecake ($9.50), and pumpkin cupcakes ($3.75) decorated with icing and fun sprinkles. Cinnamon Roll Saturdays will feature pumpkin as a rotational filling flavor, and the shop will also have a made-from-scratch pumpkin syrup for all the latte orders. Note: The store is window-only service through this year.

1255 Marlborough St.,  215-203-1980, ,  ramonasusansbakeshop.com,  Tuesday to Friday noon to 7:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (until September 18, then it is 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

Get your hands on the Pumpkin Cake Roll again this year The sweet pumpkin ice cream with spiced sweet cream cheese and cake is $7 for a single with up to two flavors, $8 for trio with up to three flavors, $12 for pint, plus $1.50 for buttercrisp waffle cone or bowl. Enjoy at all locations.

1322 Frankford Ave., Unit 101, and other locations, 215-376-5727, ,  jenis.com,  Daily 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.

ReAnimators pumpkin spice latte ($5.50) nails the autumnal vibes when paired with a side of ricotta and jam toast at the day cafe by the teams of Yowie, ReAnimator, and eeva. Enjoy the fall favorite at the spacious, sunny South Street hotspot, then shop at Shannon Maldonodos whimsical retail boutique next door.

226 South St.,  215-398-5965,  wimcafe.com,  Monday to Friday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday to Sunday 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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How about ginger snap cookies layered with pumpkin-spiced ricotta and drizzles of chocolate espresso sauce, topped with whipped cream and chocolate covered espresso beans? The Pumpkin Spice Ice Box Cake ($15) is the perfect Philly dessert for the fall. According to owner and James Beard-semifinalist Angela Cicala, the icebox cakes roots are set in Philly beginning in the 1920s when the Nabisco brand put a recipe for icebox cake on the side of their wafer boxes.

699 N. Broad St.,  267-886-9334,  cicalarestaurant.com,  Tuesday to Thursday 5 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 to 10:30 p.m., Sunday 5 to 9 p.m.

Try the pumpkin spiced pudding brulee ($8) with Japanese kabocha pumpkin at this Vietnamese favorite. Its served with a scoop of coconut ice cream topped with roasted coconut flakes and a sprinkle of pumpkin spice.

712-14 South St.,  215-800-1533,  banhmiandbottles.com,  Monday to Thursday 4 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The Phoenixville distillery has a Spiced Pumpkin Dark Rum. Its an 80-proof dark rum flavored with autumn spices and a pinch of cane sugar, distilled and bottled on-site. The small-batch, spiced sipper boasts tasting notes of pumpkin, caramel, baking spice, nutmeg, and vanilla. Get a bottle for $45 at Bluebird Distilling and sister store Char & Stave, beginning at the end of September.

100 Bridge St.,  610-933-7827,  bluebirddistilling.com,  Monday to Sunday 1 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Buy a bag of Rumpkin Spice Coffee from Char & Stave for $23, the coffee roastery, full-service cafe-by-day and cocktail bar-by-night by the Phoenixville grain-to-glass distillery, Bluebird Distilling. Perfect for pumpkin spice latte lovers, the beans aged in barrels using the distillerys spiced pumpkin dark rum offer a fall flavors with each sip.

21 Rittenhouse Place, Ardmore,  charandstave.com,  Monday to Thursday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday 7 a.m. to midnight, Saturday 8 a.m. to midnight, Sunday 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Get notes of pie crust, cinnamon and ginger, and creamy brown sugar glazed pumpkin with Fabers pumpkin spice flavored vodka. Mix the fall-themed liquor for pumpkin spice espresso martinis, boozy pumpkin spice lattes, and more. Buy the vodka online for $16.59 and pick up at 1431 N. Cadwallader Street,

1431 N. Cadwallader St. (pick-up location),  faberspirits.com,  Wednesday to Sunday 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

The South Street restaurants cafe serves a variety of fall drinks for you. Theres the pumpkin spice latte ($5), pumpkin spice hot tea ($5), black tea with pumpkin spice syrup ($4.50), and pumpkin spice soda made with homemade pumpkin spice syrup and seltzer ($4). All pumpkin spice offerings are made with real, organic pumpkins and no artificial flavoring.

1524 South St.,  267-319-1366,  rexphl.com,  Tuesday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 3 pm.

Find a pumpkin spice espresso martini on tap ($13) at this Old City restaurant and bar. Enjoy the original or add on the creamy pumpkin spiced latte version and pair it with a pumpkin spice whoopie pie ($8) made with spiced cake cookies and marshmallow fluff.

140 North Christopher Columbus Blvd,  215-375-7744,  fringebarphilly.com,  Wednesday to Thursday 4 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Parents who say doctors at Lehigh Valley Health Network falsely accused them of medically abusing their children protest in Allentown earlier this month. Read more

Editors note: This story has been updated to correct medical details.

The accusations seemed straight out of a true-crime documentary: parents abusing their children by faking medical diagnoses, subjecting them to unnecessary tests and treatments  all for the attention and adulation theyd receive as the caretakers of the seriously ill.

Its known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy, and over the last several years, the Lehigh Valley areas child protective service agencies found itself logging more of those cases than anywhere else in the state.

Mark Pinsley, the Lehigh County controller, determined that between 2017 and 2021, doctors had diagnosed six cases in Northampton County, with a population of 300,000. Neighboring Carbon County also had one diagnosed case; Lehigh County had two. By contrast, Philadelphia, a city of 1.6 million people, had seven diagnosed cases then. The four surrounding suburban counties had none.

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Pinsley and a parents advocacy group in the region contend that doctors at Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), the areas major hospital system, are overdiagnosing the rare psychological condition thats been the subject of high-profile news stories and documentaries like Mommy Dead and Dearest and Take Care of Maya.

One local doctor in particular has been accused of mistaking legitimate, if complex, medical issues for abuse, by parents who lost custody of their children and were forced to spend thousands in legal bills.

 READ MORE: We want to hear your thoughts about this and other health-related articles. Please fill out our Eds and Meds survey.

For months, the advocacy group, Parents Medical Rights Group, has called for an investigation into LVHNs handling of child abuse cases and for the health network to remove Debra Esernio-Jenssen, the longtime medical director of its child advocacy center, which investigates such cases.

Last week, the health network appointed a new medical director, Sarah Kleinle, who was trained in the Philadelphia region, the Allentown Morning Call reported. Esernio-Jenssen will stay with the health network, working part-time at other LVHN facilities.

The health network has declined to comment on the move, and said in a statement that it stood by its handling of child abuse cases. Esernio-Jenssen did not return a call for comment.

Kim Steltz of Emmaus, Pa., founded Parents Medical Rights Group to advocate for the leadership change after she said Esernio-Jenssen falsely diagnosed both her and her husband with Munchausen by proxy, resulting in the loss of custody of both her children. The case was dropped after a year, and the children are now back in her care.

She said families affected by Esernio-Jenssens diagnoses will never be the same.

You dont bounce back from this, she said.

An outlier in diagnoses

A parent with Munchausen syndrome by proxy can lie or falsify medical information to make it seem like a child is sick  or, in some cases, will actively harm a child. They may be seeking financial gain or want attention and praise. In many cases, children subjected to medical child abuse, another term for the condition, will endure unnecessary surgical procedures like getting a feeding tube, or taking medication they dont need.

Data on Munchausen syndrome by proxys prevalence are rare. According to Pinsleys report, the state Department of Human Services identified 25 cases of medical child abuse between 2017 and 2021.

Still, the diagnosis can be controversial, and opinions on its validity can differ. Of the nine identified medical child abuse cases in the Lehigh Valley region, four were withdrawn by county child welfare officials, Pinsley said.

One case involved a parent from New York who had visited the area on vacation; child welfare officials in the parents home state determined the parent had not abused their child, he said. Others are still working with local children and youth services to resolve their cases, he said.

Many of those parents say the diagnoses they received from Esernio-Jenssen and other doctors at LVHN were not questioned until the cases made it before a judge. And the parents were alarmed by Esernio-Jenssens history in diagnosing the syndrome. The Lehigh Valley news station WFMZ reported last month that, while working as a pediatrician in New York, Esernio-Jenssen claimed that parents had abused their children in at least two cases that were eventually overturned.

In May of 2022, Steltz and her husband took her older son, then 16, to an LVHN emergency room. Both of Steltzs sons have complex medical conditions.

The teenager reported that his parents were emotionally abusing him, Steltz said. That launched an investigation from the hospitals Child Advocacy Center. Steltz provided documentation and diagnoses from specialists at the Cleveland Clinic who have treated her sons.

I thought it was all going to be straightened out, she said. But Esernio-Jenssen concluded that both Steltz and her husband had Munchausen by proxy  without even meeting the couple, Steltz said.

Steltz declined to go into detail about her sons medical conditions. She said she and her husband were evaluated by a psychologist who concluded neither of them had Munchausen by proxy.

In the ensuing case opened by the countys Children and Youth Services, the couple lost custody of both of their sons.

In a statement, LVHN said that cases of abuse are incredibly complex, involving many experts and different sources of evidence. They declined to provide detail about the Munchausen cases in the area, citing patients privacy.

The statement noted that doctors at LVHN dont have the final say on whether or not a child is being abused, or whether they should be taken from their family.

A medical examination is only one component among many factors, including evidence, photos, and witnesses that are considered by the judicial system or child protective services, the health system said.

Isolated with no voice

During the court battle over her sons custody, Steltz said, her sons were taken off medication they needed to treat their condition, and lawyers accused the couple of lying to their children. At one point, she said, an attorney from the county Children and Youth Services noted that her oldest son had just found out his entire life was a lie.

I cant describe what thats like  to be isolated and to have no voice, she said.

This spring, as the Steltzes prepared for another court date, planning to fly in their sons doctor at the Cleveland Clinic, the county dropped its custody petition. Five other parents participating in the advocacy group who were diagnosed with Munchausen by proxy have similarly seen their custody cases withdrawn or dismissed, Steltz said.

When we say we are falsely accused, we are saying it with some objective data behind it, she said.

Steltz and other parents and children said at a county council meeting in Northampton County last week the health systems conclusions about their children werent investigated thoroughly.

Willow Feeney said she and her sister were placed in foster care after her mother was accused of falsifying their medical conditions. She told officials that her family is still traumatized by their experience.

Growing up medically complex is a challenge in itself, she said. I was suddenly told that everything I felt wasnt valid anymore. No matter how much I explained, I was told that I was wrong and I was brainwashed.
A father and son duo from South Jersey railed against the U.S. Justice Departments decision to charge hundreds nonviolent Jan. 6 Capitol rioters as they were both sentenced on Friday to probation for illegally entering the building as part of the mob.

David Krauss, 56, and his son Nicholas Krauss, 32, both of Gloucester County, maintained they didnt attack police, didnt destroy property, left the Capitol as soon as officers told them to while the building was overrun by a crowd of angry supporters of former President Donald Trump.

And yet both men have been convicted of federal charges that werent lodged against other demonstrators who disrupted congressional proceedings or illegally entered the building in earlier protests on behalf progressive causes, their attorney Marina Medvin contended during a hearing in Washington before U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg.

The only difference between the nonviolent January 6 protesters and [the others], she wrote in court papers filed in advance of Fridays sentencing, is politics.

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Boasberg balked at that comparison, sentencing both men to nine months probation. However, he credited the fact that neither man had been charged with a crime before. The sentence he eventually imposed  which also included an order they each pay $1,500 in fines and restitution  was significantly less than the three months house arrest prosecutors had sought for David Krauss and 2 months house arrest they sought for his son.

 READ MORE: A Philly police contractor was let go for allegedly attacking cops during Jan. 6 Capitol riot

Conservative accusations of political bias in the charging decisions surrounding Jan. 6 are nothing new. And for the most part the federal judges in Washington have roundly rebuffed such reasoning from the more than 1,100 people charged so far with playing roles in the riot.

Broadly, the judges have concluded that the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on Congress was a historic attack on the nations government  one that left scores of officers injured, caused more than $3 million in damage, and threatened the peaceful transfer of presidential power as lawmakers gathered to certify President Joe Bidens victory.

Prosecutors have argued  as they did in the Krausses case  that even nonviolent members of the mob contributed to the chaos and their sheer numbers emboldened more aggressive rioters who overran security barriers, brawled with cops, or smashed windows and doors.

The court must consider that [the] defendants conduct  took place in the context of a large and violent riot that relied on numbers to overwhelm police officers who were trying to prevent the breach of the Capitol building, and disrupt the proceedings, Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolina Nevin wrote in a presentencing brief.

The Krausses, who manage their own rental property company with over 40 properties in South Jersey, traveled to Washington on Jan. 6 with a friend  Russell Dodge Jr., 44, of Pedricktown, N.J.  to attend a rally in support of Trump near the Washington Monument.

All three were among the first wave of rioters to later breach the Senate Wing Doors of the Capitol building.

All three maintained there were no guards by the doors to stop them when they entered. They spent roughly 17 minutes inside, they said, and left when officers ordered them to go.

 READ MORE: South Jersey pickup artist and relationship strategist gets four years in Capitol riot case

David and Nicholas Krauss would later tell investigators that they tried to deter rioters who were destroying property.

The Krausses and Dodge pleaded guilty to charges of illegally demonstrating inside the Capitol building  a misdemeanor count punishable by up to a year in prison  in May. Dodge received the same probationary sentence as the Krausses Friday.

But Medvin, the Krausses attorney, noted in court that the DOJ has routinely erred on the side of letting local authorities handle charges for conduct similar to theirs.

For instance, the defense lawyer noted, nearly 1,200 people were arrested during demonstrations that occasionally interrupted the 2018 Senate confirmation hearings of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Only one faced federal charges.

That man had to be dragged out of the Senate chamber by officers after he stood on a chair and began shouting during the hearings. Prosecutors later withdrew the case.

The others were let go with $50 fines assessed by D.C. Metro police.

Medvin also argued that the Justice Department opted only to charge demonstrators accused of violent crimes like assaulting police or torching cop cars during the racial justice protests that proliferated throughout the United States after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. Charges for nonviolent offenses were left to local authorities.

This wildly inequitable and disparate treatment is inexplicable in any way other than political bias, she wrote.

She urged Boasberg to let her clients go with a small fine, like the demonstrators in the Kavanaugh hearings.

 READ MORE: Philly Amtrak employee pleads guilty to storming the Capitol on Jan. 6

Yet, prosecutors rejected those comparisons, noting that neither of the demonstrations Medvin cited were analogous to what had occurred on Jan. 6.

The Kavanaugh protests did not result in significant damage to the Capitol building, serious injuries to any officers, or the evacuation of the House and Senate chambers. Most Floyd protests did not occur on federal property and did not threaten the functioning of the government.

For their parts, both father and son expressed regret.

Unfortunately, I found myself caught up in something I never intended to, Nicholas Krauss wrote in a letter addressed to the judge. I regret entering the Capitol on this day and I am deeply sorry that I did.
A police officer at the scene of double homicide in June 2021. Read more

Philadelphia police said they were investigating four separate shootings that occurred in a 5 -hour period on Saturday that left four people dead.

Several hours later, around 6:30 p.m., police said, a 14-year-old boy was shot and wounded in the 100 block of West Logan Street in Germantown, and was reported in stable condition.

In the morning, a 54-year-old man was pronounced dead in the 100 block of Herman Street in East Germantown shortly after 7 a.m., about 10 minutes after officers responded to the scene of the shooting, police said.

A few hours later, not far from that incident, a 45-year-old woman was found in her living room with a gunshot wound to the chest in the 100 block of East Pastorius Street. She was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:40 a.m., police said.

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 READ MORE: Gun violence in Philly is mostly concentrated in certain areas

For now, said police spokesperson Miguel Torres Saturday night, the two East Germantown shootings were being investigated as separate incidents.

Shortly before 9 a.m., a 33-year-man was fatally wounded near Cleveland and Cumberland Streets in North Philadelphia, according to police. He was taken to Temple University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9 a.m.

A fourth deadly shooting occurred around 12:15 p.m. in the 7300 block of North 19th Street in West Oak Lane. Police said a 26-year-old man was shot multiple times throughout the body and died at Albert Einstein Medical Center.

In all five instances, police said, no weapons had been recovered, nor any arrests made.

 READ MORE: Halfway through 2023, shootings are down and more killings are solved. But trauma persists.

According to Philadelphia police data, 305 homicides had been committed this year through Friday. Thats a 21% decline from the same period of last year, but more than had occurred annually in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016.
This year's Fishtown Fall Feastivale takes place along six blocks of Frankford Avenue on Sept. 23, from noon to 8 p.m. Read more

Fishtowns quasi-Oktoberfest food festival and flea market mixed with a family-fun carnival is back and bigger this year.

On Saturday, Sept. 23, from noon to 8 p.m., the Fishtown Fall Feastivale is coming to Frankford Avenue for a six-block party featuring the neighborhoods restaurants, brewers, and artisans.

What started as two separate events more than a decade ago, the Fishtown Festivale hosted by the business association Fishtown District and Frankford Halls Oktoberfest drinking celebration, are now combined into one event in the heart of Fishtown.

We wanted to shift the event to be less alcohol-focused and more food-focused to really celebrate a lot of the restaurants that are in the area, especially right after the summer months when restaurants tend to slow down here in Philly, said Kea Anderson, director of operations at Fishtown District. The event is now part Oktoberfest, part food festival, and really just a huge celebration of everything that you can find here in Fishtown.

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More than 30,000 attendees descend upon Frankford Avenue between Girard Avenue and Palmer Street each year. For the adults, its a day for great local beers, retail shopping, and attractions like axe-throwing. The families are treated to inflatable attractions, carnival games, and the chance to soak a Fishtown celebrity in a dunk tank  rumor has it that Councilman Mark Squilla may return to the tank like last year, according to Anderson.

What to expect

The main course is over 100 vendors serving food and drink and selling wares, from clothing and jewelry to art and craft items. Anderson said the highlight of this festival is showcasing the restaurants Fishtown residents have come to love and putting a spotlight on the places that have yet to open.

Be on the lookout for two soon-to-be restaurants on the Ave: Molto Bene, currently a ravioli and pasta food truck, and Fiore Fine Foods, a Queen Village Italian restaurant soon relocating to East Kensington. Also, check out Fishtowns tried-and-true staples with LMNO, a Stephen Starr project, and Bottle Bar East, the all-in-one eatery, bar, and takeout joint.

The must-see performance of the day will be Fabrika, the local burlesque dinner theater, with its own stage at the festival. Additionally, a German folk band will be at Frankford Hall near Girard Avenue, and DJs from watering holes like Johnny Brendas will be staged throughout the event.

Entry to the festival is free and the event is pay-as-you-go.

How to get there

Anderson said the best way to get to Fishtown Fall Feastivale is to take public transit, rideshare, or ride a bike  its Fishtown, theres barely any parking on a Tuesday afternoon, let alone for a neighborhood-wide celebration.

A good bet is to take the El and get off at Girard or Berks Station or use the citys Indigo Bike Share; there will be a docking station at the festival grounds and plenty of bike racks for bike riders.

For drivers, accessible and general parking options will be available at paid parking lots, the closest being at 1320 N. Front St.

Keep in mind, the following streets will be blocked off for the event:

Frankford Avenue from Girard Avenue to Palmer Street Shackamaxon Street from Girard Avenue to Frankford Avenue Thompson Street from Front Street to Frankford Avenue Marlborough Street from Belgrade Street to Frankford Avenue Oxford Street from Front Street to Frankford Avenue

Finally, you can bring your furry friends  if they are well-behaved and leashed. You might want to pack an umbrella or raincoat  the Feastivale is rain-or-shine.
A Southern California neighborhood was evacuated for more than six hours early Thursday due to a large leak of natural gas from an underground pipe, authorities said.

The leak was detected around 1:30 a.m. in unincorporated West Whittier, about 10 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.

An investigation determined the gas was leaking from a 3-inch line and crews were sent to make repairs, Southern California Gas Co. said in a statement.

About 75 people were sent to an evacuation center set up at a school.

The residents were allowed to begin returning home around 8 a.m., said Craig Little, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the leak remained under investigation, Little said.

Copyright 2023 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Credited with navigating one of the world's largest energy companies through its most tumultuous period in modern history, former Irish chief executive of BP, Bernard Looney has resigned after less than four years in the top job as a number of undisclosed personal relationships with colleagues come to light.

The 53-year-old from outside Kenmare took charge in February 2020 after a lengthy career in BP and immediately announced an ambitious plan to reinvent the company by embarking on a net zero path to fight climate change.

Looney's short tenure as chief executive saw him lead the group through the covid pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, energy price shocks and a sustained cost-of-living crisis.

As the energy giant comes out the other side of a challenging four years (BP's saw profits more than double in 2022) uncertainty looms over the future of the company's alternative energy strategy.

As one of its most aggressive advocates steps down, many investors and forecasters remain unconvinced by the energy giant's plan to go green.

With Looney stepping down, BP's remaining executive branch, now led in the interim by CFO, Murray Auchincloss, may have to convince the market that they're up for the challenge without the help of its original architect.

But who is the man in the middle of it all, and how has it come to this?

Agricultural roots

The son of a dairy farmer, Bernard Looney grew up in Ashgrove just outside Kenmare in Country Kerry. He was the first member of his family to attend university and throughout his lengthy tenure at BP, exhibited pride in his agricultural roots.

Attending college in Dublin, Looney graduated with an honours degree in electrical engineering from University College Dublin in 1991, joining BP as a drilling engineer fresh out of college.

From there, Looney quickly climbed up the ranks, working throughout Mexico, the US, Vietnam and Scandinavia, as well as obtaining an MBA from Stanford in 2005.

In 2007, Looney became the head of BP's chief executive office group, moving then to the energy giant's Norway and North Sea Infrastructure where he became vice president and later, managing director.

Following further vice-presidential and chief operating roles throughout the business, Looney became CEO of BP's Upstream division in 2016 which is responsible for finding and producing oil and gas.

Less than four years later, Looney was handed the top job as chief executive of BP following the departure of former head Bob Dudley, who retired in 2019 following a 40-year career with the company, nine of which were spent as chief executive.

A new path

Just one week in the top role, Looney announced a radical strategy shift which would see further investments in alternative energy, with plans to sharply cut net carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner.

From there, BP began to make big bets on hydrogen and offshore wind, with Looney saying at the time that a "rapid transition to net zero" was needed, adding that "trillions of dollars" were required to rewire the world's energy system.

The move prompted mixed reactions from investors, with BP yet to fully convince stakeholders that it can competitively operate its non-hydrocarbon business.

Increased pushback saw BP's ambitions to cut emissions fall to a 20% reduction, down from an initial 30% commitment by 2030. In addition, the giant's plan to cut hydrocarbon production by 40% by 2030 was later revised to just a 25% reduction, with the absence of the green strategy's engineer prompting some analysts to wonder if BP will roll back on its transition plans even further.

With its net zero strategy revised even more, BP - which employs almost 68,000 people worldwide - saw profit reach a record high last year, surpassing $28bn (26.1bn) in 2022 on the back of wholesale energy surges following the war in Ukraine.

As BP posted bumper profits, Looney saw his pay more than double compared to the previous year, taking home 10m (12m) in 2022.

Looneys total pay slightly exceeded that of his closest peer, outgoing Shell CEO Ben van Beurden. On top of this salary of 1.4m (1.58m), Looney received an annual bonus of 2.4m (2.71m) and a long-term share award with a value of 6m (9.79m).

BP's record performance prompted backlash from climate activists after plans to reduce oil and gas output were rolled back on, with Mark van Baal, activist and founder of Follow This, a group of green shareholders in big oil, adding that the bulk of BP's investment's still remained tied to fossil fuels.

Speaking just this week to the Irish Examiner, Mr van Baal said that while Looney was the first head of BP to promise a reduction in carbon emissions, the CEO "didnt shift investments from fossil fuels to renewables.

"After three decades of success in oil and gas, he couldnt imagine a business model beyond fossil fuels. Moreover, he backtracked when shareholder pressure to transition eased.

We hope his successor will realize Big Oils business model will soon be over and shift investments to renewable energy.

Relationship controversies

Following a strong year of record profits and bumper pay, Bernard Looney has dominated headlines this week for an entirely different, and largely unexpected reason.

On Tuesday, September 12th, BP announced the immediate resignation of Looney as chief executive officer, with the company's CFO, Canadian-born Murray Auchincloss acting as CEO on an interim basis.

In a statement, BP said that in May 2022, the board "received and reviewed allegations, with the support of external legal counsel, relating to Mr Looneys conduct in respect of personal relationships with company colleagues."

The information came from an anonymous source, with BP adding that during the review, Looney "disclosed a small number of historical relationships with colleagues prior to becoming CEO.

"No breach of the Companys Code of Conduct was found. However, the Board sought and was given assurances by Mr Looney regarding disclosure of past personal relationships, as well as his future behaviour."

Despite this, BP said further allegations of a similar nature were received recently, which the company immediately began investigating, the process for which is still ongoing.

BP said that Looney "now accepts that he was not fully transparent in his previous disclosures," adding that he "did not provide details of all relationships and accepts he was obligated to make more complete disclosure."

Following the shock announcement, the companys shares fell by more than 2% during trading on the London Stock Exchange.

The company also noted that no decisions have been made yet in respect of remuneration payments to the outgoing CEO.

The former BP head is currently reportedly single but was married for a brief period to UK author and newspaper columnist, Jacqueline Hurst, with the couple divorcing in 2019 two years into their marriage.

As uncertainty looms, questions about BP's future strategy remain. Will the 114-year-old company continue on its new path to net zero, or will Looney's ambitions of an alternative fate die at the hands of his resignation?

BP need to decide if it will throw the baby out with the bathwater, or if a new future can be built without the help of its original architect.
"What's the one thing your optometrist doesnt want you to know about? began a striking TikTok video last week, shared by anti-misinformation activist @mallorysthoughts.

The line was delivered by Samantha Lotus, a pleasant-looking bespectacled woman, whose long blonde hair and perfect teeth gave her the look of someone who juices her meals and could do a handstand at a moments notice.

The fact that you do not need glasses, she answered, while removing her own pair in triumph, there are mental, emotional, physical and even spiritual reasons why you may not be seeing and Im here to tell you that that can be healed.

The post went viral, mostly because it was such a ludicrous claim, but also because it was such a predictable endpoint to where such alternative theorising has been taking us for the past decade; the self-satisfied affect, the cosy branding, and the dice-roll inanity of saying anything.

Within days, she faced a challenge about the claims made in her $11 webinar, and the many references within it to a brand of essential oils for which she is a rep.

She denied grifting for those oils, and has made changes to the presentation. Perhaps most worrying of all, my main takeaway was how odd it was that no one else had come up with her method before.

I grew up inhaling all the madcap pseudo-science I could get my hands on. I was a sceptical sort, so becoming convinced was not the point so much as marvelling at all these intricate sandcastles of circular logic and strange reasoning.

None were more revered than Gene Rays Time Cube, a theory, and website, so hard to navigate it approached the realm of modernist literature.

Composed of long, run-on sentences that tumbled down the screen in centred text, it stated that what we perceive as one 24-hour day is, for some reason, actually four days of six hours length.

What Rays writings lacked in clarity, they made up for in bilious invective and judicious use of underlined capitals.

To whit: Until you can tear and burn the bible to escape the EVIL ONE, it will be impossible for your educated stupid brain to know that 4 different corner harmonic 24-hour days rotate simultaneously within a single 4 quadrant rotation of a squared equator and cubed Earth.

This, for dozens of pages, accompanied by diagrams hed drawn himself.

Time Cube was a synecdoche for the wider ramblings to be found anywhere one looked  and I looked everywhere. I devoured flat earthers, hollow earthers, chemtrails, UFOs, Ripperologists, and believers in every cryptid from Nessie and Bigfoot to Mothman and the Chupacabra.

My interest in moon truthers  those who believe the Moon Landings were hoaxed  led me to encounter the even more intriguing sub-categories of same, namely those who believe the moon is either hollow, or does not exist at all.

The hours I lost in the deepest recesses of message boards filled with enthusiastic cranks taught me that there was no theory, no matter how far-fetched or ill-supported, that wouldnt have at least some proponents somewhere  all of which worked against the power of any of them to convince me of anything.

They were little more than oddities to be enjoyed, a sort of fan fiction for reality itself.

To believers, they gained credence by setting themselves against impossibly evil foes  Big Government, Big Pharma, often both  and using these pantomime villains as useful foils for any misdeed they could think of.

At the time, even as I considered such things harmless waffle, it struck me that governments and pharmaceutical companies were likely delighted to be accused of faking space missions or spreading chemicals via aeroplanes, instead of the myriad real evils they do perpetrate every day.

Thirty years later, such theories no longer hold the same harmless charm they once did.

It seems clear that the internet has been boiling brains at a rate of knots, and the isolation caused by covid has only exacerbated this effect, sending people into the arms of grifters with more deleterious aims.

Certainly, there appears to be substantial crossover between previously discrete cohorts of the gullible, with wellness and alternative medicine quacks now swelling the ranks of altogether more disturbing factions.

I will say that the only people I ever see sharing wild racist conspiracy theories on Facebook, are people who used to only ever talk to me about yoga and star charts.

Seamas O'Reilly. Picture: Orfhlaith Whelan

Conspiracies, however disparate, share a common goal; providing false explanations for complex phenomena and, more often than not, ascribing blame to a convenient outgroup rather than to their actual causes.

If other countries are a metric to go by, such theories are on the rise.

In June, Kings College reported that 32% of British adults surveyed thought the Great Replacement theory  that shadowy elites are systematically replacing white populations with non-white peoples  was either probably, or definitely, true.

In 2021, 17% of Americans surveyed claimed some belief in QAnon, the theory that states, among other things, that Hillary Clinton is a Satanic paedophile who sacrifices and eats human children.

It should go without saying that both theories commonly invoke antisemitic language and directly accuse Jewish elites of being the puppet masters, and tenets of both can be heard with increasing frequency at the sad and sadly growing, far-right protests against migrants and LGBT people in Ireland.

Samantha Lotus is small-scale when compared to such horrors, but the methodology, mechanism and targets are the same.

We cant tackle misinformation until we reckon with the scores of con artists confidently giving answers to people bereft of answers, desperate to feel that thrum of secret knowledge.

If Lotus tells us nothing else, its that gesturing to reality will not be enough to repel these people. Echoing the Marx Brothers, shes singing the age-old song of the conspiracist: Who are you gonna believe  me or your lying eyes?
On stage at Electric Picnic recently, singer Lyra felt the presence of her late grandmother.

There was a butterfly everywhere I went. Thats what symbolises my Nan, says the Bandon artist, who has just departed the EP site at Stradbally.

I was singing New Day [her single from 2020]. And a butterfly was literally flying into the mic while I was doing it. And I was like, dont start crying, dont start crying.

Playing the main stage at Irelands largest multi-day rock festival was a big moment for Lyra.

Shes been a name to watch in pop music for several years, and with a new single, Lovers, just released and a long-awaited debut album due in the new year, she can feel the wind at her back.

Nothing is being taken for granted: shes had knock-backs in the past. Still, she feels in a good place and full of confidence as she looks to the future.

Lyra rocking the main stage at Electric Picnic. Picture: Glen Bollard

Music is her way of processing her daily experiences, she says. Her lyrics reference old loves, new hopes, broken hearts and healed hurts.

A lot of people dont know that Ive been writing songs for ages, she says.

I started songwriting before I ever knew I was going to become an artist. A lot of my songs are from different stages of my life. Different ages in my life. Different relationships. The sound for every song has to be different, because it tells a specific story at that moment in time.

Female artists are often compared to other female artists. And so it was with Lyra, real name Laura McNamara, early on when she was lazily described as a Celtic Florence and the Machine. In fact, shes always been a distinct voice.

That point is underscored by the wonderful Lovers, where her powerful vocals combine with noir-ish nightclub beats. Both brooding and grooving, its a fantastic showcase.

She says she wanted to write a song that would succeed in different contexts. One that made as much sense at 3pm as at 3am.

You can hear it in the club because you might find love in the club. You can play it in your sitting room, where you might hear it on the radio. I wanted it to be a song everyone can hear in a different environment.

Lyra signed her first record deal in 2017. Its been a tumultuous six years. She initially worked with a major label in London and was overwhelmed by the many voices chiming in.

She was young, she wanted to learn. So she listened  for a while.

However, she has come to understand advice shouldnt always be taken to heart. Part of growing into music, she feels, has been learning to go with her gut.

When youre starting out and youre learning and developing  I was naive [about] a lot of things at the start. You do take peoples opinions into consideration. Maybe you start doubting yourself and what you believe in, she says.

Its like, Oh well, they probably know best. Maybe I should try this or try that. I got a bit confused as to who I was, who I wanted to be. I lost myself for a while. It was only when I took myself out and lived a bit of my life . life is short. You cant be something youre not. You need to put out music you love and that represents you.

Lyra at the Olympia: We all need to get a bit more self-love. Im still on the self-love journey. Im really, really trying.

There was also an obsession among (the largely male) executives around her appearance. In one of her first meetings, she was advised to lose weight.

We all need to get a bit more self-love. Im still on the self-love journey. Im really, really trying, she says. I want to speak out about stuff like body confidence.

When I started out I was told I had to lose a lot of weight. I did and I was very unhappy.

Now I have lumps and bumps and cellulite and stretch marks. Before Id be embarrassed to have them, embarrassed to show them off. Id hide them. In the past year, Ive let myself say, you have to love yourself Lyra. If youre miserable it will come out in everything. I shouldnt be hiding anything. I need to be happy  in love with myself, I suppose. Im actively on that journey. I feel everybody needs to try to do it. Its easier saying it than doing it.

Shes in a much better place today. Last Christmas, she toured with Westlife and over the summer, played at the British Summer Time pop festival at Londons Hyde Park, curated by Pink.

Meanwhile, she is signed to Rubyworks, the Irish label that has helped turn Hozier into a global superstar while giving him the room to be his own artist. Her relationship with the label is similar: Rubyworks is there for her, but she gets to be the person she wants to be.

She is such a commanding personality on stage, with an amazing, powerful voice, we were delighted for the opportunity to work with her, says Niall Muckian, the founder and CEO of Rubyworks, who runs the label alongside A&R manager Roger Quail.

She writes from personal experience. Shes a keen-eyed observer of the highs and lows of being a woman out in the world in the 21st century, he says. A lot of what she writes, be it about failed relationships or the pitfalls of social media, resonates with her fans. Shes a really interesting combination of spotlight-loving diva and self-deprecating everywoman. Shes every inch the star when she steps out on stage but is refreshingly down-to-earth otherwise.

Lyra is likewise confident she is working with the best team.

What I love about Rubyworks  and I didnt get this before  you can get an extremely personable relationship with them. Myself, Roger and Niall can go to a cafe and talk for hours about the album. I can tell them my ideas about artwork. Theyll listen, and theyll understand. Theyve taken the time to understand me as a person and as an artist.

You really dont get that [with majors]. Im lucky Im in a relationship with them where I can come to them with ideas and everyone wants the best for the album or the single. I trust their expertise when theyre like, you know what  this next song would be great for your next single.

They always have reasons behind it. I need to have reasons behind everything. I trust their opinion. On the other side, they let me artistically express myself in the way I want to. That keeps the fun in it. It keeps the artistic vibe going. It doesnt just become a machine churning out

artists and songs. Me and Hozier now are in a whole nest together with [manager] Caroline [Downey], the label  it makes a nice community.

She cant wait for her album to come out in 2024. Right now, however, she is looking forward to returning to Bandon and reconnecting with family. She recalls how, early in her journey in music, she took time out to care for her grandmother, whose health was declining. She told her team in London she would be gone for the foreseeable future. She knew she had done the right thing in going home. She was reminded of that again at Electric Picnic, where she sang as butterflies fluttered.

It was before the pandemic  a good few years ago now. She fell ill. Me and my sister decided to move into her house to look after her. I was supposed to be going back over to England. There were a lot of labels around. I was doing a few things with a few major labels. I decided shes more important right now.

"Ill always have my voice. I wont always have my Nan. I cancelled the flight. I said, Ill be back when Im back. Im not coming right now. Its the best decision I ever made.
TikToks failure to safely handle the data of children represents a clear danger to a large number of Irish children, campaigners have claimed.

The statement, issued by advocacy group CyberSafeKids, comes in response to TikTok being hit with a 345m fine for how it handles the data of minors. The fine is likely to further increase scrutiny on social media companies over how they manage user data, particularly in relation to children.

The fine was imposed on TikTok Technology Limited (TTL) by the Data Protection Commission (DPC) after an investigation which focused on the companys processing of personal data relating to child users, under the EUs General Data Protection Regulation. The period under investigation was July 31 to December 31, 2020.

The ruling related to the processing of personal data of registered TikTok platform users who are aged between 13 and 17 years old in connection to certain design practices, as well as certain issues relating to children under the age of 13, according to the Data Protection Commission.

Instagram was fined 405m last year over its handling of teenagers personal data.

In the UK earlier this year, the Information Commissioners Office fined TikTok 12.7m (14.8m) because it did not do enough to make sure underage children were not using its platform and ensure their data was used correctly.

CyberSafeKids chief executive Alex Cooney said TikTok 'need to do much more to address the issue of underage users on their platform and to protect child users from harmful content'.

Responding to the latest development, CyberSafeKids chief executive Alex Cooney said: Whilst we acknowledge that TikTok continues to make improvements to its service for child users, we believe this fine is appropriate and proportionate given the billions in profit that TikTok makes annually.

They need to do much more to address the issue of underage users on their platform and to protect child users from harmful content. Our most recent data shows that 37% of 8-12-year-olds are using TikTok, so the platforms failings represent a clear danger to a large number of Irish children.

A DPC spokesman said its decision was reached on September 1 and TikTok has 28 days to appeal.

A TikTok spokesperson said: We respectfully disagree with the decision, particularly the level of the fine imposed.

The DPCs criticisms are focused on features and settings that were in place three years ago, and that we made changes to well before the investigation even began, such as setting all under 16 accounts to private by default.

Among the issues highlighted in the ruling was that child users progressed through the sign-up to the TikTok platform in a manner that enabled their accounts to be set to public by default.

It outlined that as a result, videos posted to child users accounts were public by default, with comments enabled publicly by default.

Concerns were also raised about the Family Pairing feature in the video-sharing app, with the DPC highlighting that a child users account could be paired with an unverified non-child.

TikTok has also been issued with a reprimand by the DPC and an order to comply with action specified by the DPC within three months.

Earlier this year, Facebook parent company Meta Ireland was fined 390m for breaches of EU data privacy rules, one of a number of fines the DPC has imposed on the company.

A 5m fine was imposed on WhatsApp in January over data-protection breaches.

According to the office of the DPC close to 3bn in fines has been imposed by the commission since May 2018 under GDPR.

Many of these fines are outstanding and some are subject to appeals.

So far, the biggest one we have recouped was a 17m fine on Facebook which was imposed back in 2021. The payment was made in 2021, a spokesman said.

Twitter had also paid a 450,000 fine in 2021, he said.
Patrick Kielty received a surprise message from wife Cat Deeley before his first appearance at the helm of The Late Late Show.

Kielty, 52, took over from Ryan Tubridy to host the show for the first time on Friday evening.

Deeley, 46, wished her husband good luck vibes in a video posted to her and the The Late Late Shows Instagram page.

In the clip, which shows Kielty watching a video message from Deeley before the show, she says: Surprise. I know today is your big day.

Id love to be there, but Im holding down the fort here in London at home, but we are sending you all good luck vibes.

Youll be brilliant. No doubt about it. I know its your dream job and youll be great for sure.

The boys and I wanted to get you something to mark the occasion so we made this for you, hope you like it. Good luck.

Kielty opens the package with a keyring in it from sons Milo and James.

The comedian and presenter recently revealed that he had received a message from Tubridy before his debut.

The welcome that I've had coming into this building, certainly not a thing down here

Kielty is the fourth regular host in the run of The Late Late Show, preceded by Gay Byrne, Pat Kenny and Tubridy.

He is the first from Northern Ireland and is originally from Dundrum in Co Down.

Kielty said he was not feeling any animosity being the first host from across the border, and that he had been welcomed into his new role.

I think its going to be fun, he said.

Its going to be a bit strange for people up the road to hear the Co Down accent on the show.

I think whats interesting is sometimes we talk these things up even more, I think that if you look at all of the identities that we have on this island at the minute, and the progress that weve made, I think that  I dont see it as a thing.

And I think that the welcome that Ive had coming into this building, certainly not a thing down here.

The Late Late Show has faced controversy in the past, with a High Court case in 1985 for billing two former nuns who were lesbians when Gay Byrne was host, and Tubridys interview with Tony Blair which took place the night before the former prime minister was pelted with eggs at a book signing in Dublin.

Kielty said that in his tenure, he would not shy away from difficult discussions, adding: I think the only way you can have a difficult conversation is to be honest, and not to judge.

Whenever I was doing my documentaries, and visiting the bonfires, and I think with all conversations, you go in and try to see who the human being is youre talking to, and why they feel the way theyre talking, what their position is, and I think thats at the heart of it.

And I think that hopefully any conversation that Ill have on the show that Im hosting, Ill hopefully bring those skills to it.

A compilation of messages from people in Kieltys home town of Dundrum was prepared for him, and he said he felt the benefit of support from his local community.

That type of stuff nearly puts you over the edge, like all the other stuff you can kind of cope with, but people in the village and people you grew up with and people who went to school with, he said.

I got an amazing wee message sent to me from my best friends family, and they were all sea swimming this week, and they were all in the sea jumping up going, Hey, Paddy!

Its nice to know youve got so many people in your corner.
The new Vision Zero road-safety campaign starts with a question: Who was Mary Ward?

To start, she was an artist who illustrated a biography of Sir Isaac Newton, a naturalist, an astronomer and Irelands first lady of the microscope, to quote one description.

She has also been called a 19th-century celebrity scientist who broke two glass ceilings of her time, more of which later.

I like to think of her watching  and documenting  the building of one of the worlds biggest telescopes in Birr, Co Offaly, on the estate of her cousin, William Parsons, the third Earl of Rosse.

His wife was also called Mary (Countess of Rosse), and the two women had much in common. They shared an interest in astronomy and new technology, so both of them must have been keenly interested in watching the Leviathan, as it was called, take shape in the mid-19th century.

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Mary (Rosse) took a series of stunning photographs, including one showing her husband standing to his full height inside one of the telescopes enormous tubes.

While she didnt take any credit for assembling the telescope, her biographers speculate she was involved; her knowledge of engineering and blacksmithing must surely have come in useful.

I like to think of the two Marys discussing everything from lens to fireworks manufacture.

We know that Mary (Ward) had knowledge of the latter, and much more. She made her own telescope from a kit ordered from London.

The giant telescope remained the worlds largest for several decades, even earning a mention in Jules Vernes 1865 science fiction work, From the Earth to the Moon: We know that the instrument mounted by Lord Rosse at Parsonstown, which magnifies 6,500 times, brings the moon to within an apparent distance of sixteen leagues.

The Offaly telescope is still remembered as a world-record breaker. Now, Mary Ward is being recalled for setting another world record in the new Road Safety Authority (RSA) campaign. She was the first person to die in a car accident.

I doubt she would have framed it as such. When she visited Birr on that fateful day, August 31, 1869, she must have been excited to find that her younger cousins had built a steam-powered machine which could travel at speeds of 7mph.

She climbed on board, with her husband. As the car turned, she was thrown from it, falling to her death under a wheel.

She died, as she had lived, experimenting with new technology.

In a sense, it is fitting that the RSA has returned to the very first road casualty to front its new awareness campaign. Bringing Mary Ward back into the public gaze reminds us, once again, of how much is lost when a person dies in a car accident.

That will resonate after a particularly cruel August, when so many lives were snuffed out on our roads.

Lady Alicia Parsons by the giant telescope following its restoration at Birr Castle Demesne, Co Offaly. Picture: Kieran Clancy

To focus on statistics for a moment, the first woman to die in a road accident in the UK also died in August. She, too, was Irish. Bridget Driscoll was 44 when she was run over by a Roger-Benz car  said to have been driven at speed  atCrystal Palace, London, on August 17, 1896.

At her inquest, the coroner said he hoped that hers would be the last death due to a car accident. Vision Zero is not new.

What has changed, however, is the way in which road deaths are reported. In the 19th-century, reports of the deaths of Mary Ward and Bridget Driscoll focused on the minute details of the accident and the nature of each womans death.

Now, the coverage rightly focuses on the person who has died, highlighting all that has been lost to the world by their passing.

It would be such a shame, then, if Mary Ward returns to the public consciousness only to be labelled as the worlds first road death.

She set many other records before her untimely death at 42. The first was to succeed in following her interests as the youngest of three daughters born to Harriette and Henry King in Ballylin, near Ferbane, Co Offaly, in 1827.

Unlike many women of the time, her early enthusiasm for astronomy and microscopy were encouraged, in particular by her cousin William Parsons.

She got her first microscope at 18 and taught herself how to use it, examining insects and flora.

She charted the fine detail of the wonders she saw in illustrations which attracted interest in the scientific community. But, as science writer Emily Willingham writes, she also gauged interest in her work from acquaintances from all walks of life.

When Mary showed a housemaid what could be revealed under a microscope, she reportedly exclaimed: Oh, Miss M, it makes me want to shout!

Mary Wards marriage to Captain Henry Ward in 1854 did not put a stop to her work. In fact, the opposite was true: the income from her writing and illustrations was needed to supplement the family income. Captain Ward had resigned his army commission and had no regular income.

Mary published Microscope Teachings herself and the first print run of 250 sold out. It was quickly republished and went on to be a bestseller.

In 1864, the London Evening Standard listed it among their Christmas book picks, enthusing:

Mrs Ward is no mere dabbler; what she does at all she does well  To any one who takes an interest in the minutiae of nature, there could be no more acceptable Christmas present than Mrs Wards Microscope Teachings which we have read with unfeigned pleasure.

Her skill as an artist was also admired. Scottish astronomer Sir David Brewster was so impressed that he asked Mary Ward to illustrate many of his papers, including his biography of Sir Isaac Newton, above. Picture: PA

Several books and articles followed, all written while she ran a household and raised eight children.

She enlisted her sister, Lady Mahons help to write Entomology in Sport, Entomology in Earnest, a book for children. It, too, won acclaim.

Her skill as an artist was also admired. Scottish astronomer Sir David Brewster was so impressed that he asked her to illustrate many of his papers, including his biography of Sir Isaac Newton.

Mary Ward was setting other records too. In 1859, her name was added to the Royal Astronomical Societys subscription list. Only two other women had that honour  mathematician Mary Somerville and Queen Victoria of England.

Three years later, she was considered so exceptional that the Royal Observatory at Greenwich broke its own stringent rule against the admission of any lady and allowed her entry.

As Emily Willingham recounts in this glorious paragraph: Ward herself wrote about the experience when it was over: We took our leave of the observatory  feeling much pleased by our exceptional case. The italics were hers  she was not above being snarky.

You can see why it would be such a mistake to remember Mary Ward only as the first road death. Heres hoping that remembering how she lived  and every single person who has died on our roads  will help us to do what the RSA is asking us to do; that is, change our behaviour to make Irish roads safer.
Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated, Mary Lou McDonald chuckled in repeating the famous quote attributed to Mark Twain.

Returning right in time for her partys think-in, the Sinn Fein leader has made it clear she is back at the helm and focused on readying her party for Government ahead of returning to the Dail after their summer break.

But before being questioned by the media on what a Sinn Fein-led coalition might look light, Mary Lou had to address her own personal health.

Just to reassure all of those who Im sure are deeply concerned and awaiting my imminent return with all due haste that I am in great health, she told reporters, referring to her surgery in June.

It was refreshing to hear Mary Lou McDonald tell her party's think-in we need to get beyond taboos about women's health  'everything from menstruation to menopause'. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Im back and Im sure the lads will be thrilled out of their minds to have me back, she said, in putting rumours to bed.

Since undergoing what she herself described as serious surgery, speculation around her health has been mounting with the prognosis becoming graver and graver with every week that passed across a quiet summer.

Womens health issues can still be talked about in hushed tones, so her frankness in recent days has been welcomed by many.

I lost my womb, my ovaries, so it was fairly significant surgery, she told Ireland AM this week.

The tumours were removed, and I didnt require any further treatments or therapies.

'I am in great health': Mary Lou McDonald striding into a session of Sinn Fein's think-in at the Clayton Hotel in Dublin. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The 54-year-old revealed how such a serious procedure knocks you off course and has made her reflect on herself as a woman, as a mother, and with getting older.

Youre kind of confronted with the fact that youre not superhuman, you know, that youre at another stage in your life, and thats really why Im speaking to you about this.

Its very important that we can talk about this issue.

She said it was very important that what can be difficult or taboo subjects are discussed so we all can understand what women and girls are going through.

Everything from menstruation to menopause  we need to be able to have these conversations and men and boys need to be part of the conversation.

It was refreshing to hear.

And maybe she wanted to be completely open about what is a very private health matter, but maybe she felt she had no other choice.

Politicians and the media love to gossip and it has been no different for Mary Lou, with speculation swirling that she had experienced complications in the wake of her hysterectomy and that she was in a bad way.

Some were even floating, perhaps in hope rather than any real fact, that she wouldnt be returning to the Dail next week.

Much of the concern was being spread by some who werent even fully aware of what exactly the Sinn Fein president had been treated for or what procedure she had undergone.

One politician, after delivering an extremely pessimistic outcome, then asked the journalist they were updating if they had been speaking to Mary Lou recently, looking for information himself.

But McDonald is not alone.

'Are we looking at a by-election?' Rumours have done the rounds about a number of our elected TDs and senators who have been hit by various health complaints of their own this term. Junior minister Patrick O'Donovan and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar visiting the Great Blasket Island in Co Kerry last Sunday. Mr O'Donovan's health scare elicited from one person the scarcely-believeable query, 'Are we looking at a by-election?' Picture: Domnick Walsh/Eye Focus/PA It took only a few minutes for politicians to make enquiries to the media when a story was published on the Irish Examinerwebsite in June reporting that the Dail was suspended after Minister of State Patrick ODonovan became unwell while answering questions in the chamber. Are we looking at a by-election? was the query posed as ODovonan (who has since returned to work) was brought off to hospital for treatment. Of course this type of meticulous, or in some cases malicious, monitoring is not a phenomenon that has emerged in this current Dail. The complexion, mood, and perceived energy levels of then finance minister Michael Noonan became tightly watched and whispered about after his cancer diagnosis. Michael Noonan delivering his budget on October 14, 2014. Rumours swirled around the then finance minister after his cancer diagnosis and treatment that year. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

Keen to push her partys agenda for the months ahead, McDonald yesterday dismissed the level of speculation that has surrounded her all summer and instead pointed to the good wishes received from colleagues across the political divide.

I did have messages from both the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste, as matter of fact the Taoiseach sent me flowers, which I thought was very nice of him.

I had good wishes from people across the board and thats the point Im making  people are decent.

She added: Was there gossip, was there speculation? Maybe there was, but thats okay, Im not going to get hung up on that.

In my experience, people are decent, actually.

In any workplace with 160 staff, people will celebrate marriage, welcome children into the world, and will also and experience illness and sadly, bereavement.

But in a place like Leinster House where careers can be impacted on the rise or fall of party support and of course the popularity of constituency opponents, tittle-tattle can take on a new dimension.

Politics is a fickle game. Graft and ability can get you a certain distance, but personality and party standing can have a greater determination on the length of political careers.

In the last election, for example, Jan OSullivan, Kate OConnell, and Ruth Coppinger  regarded as high profile, proactive, and hard working  lost their seats.

Its perhaps for this reason that politicians often like to cultivate the narrative that they wish for and not necessarily the one that exists in reality among the voters of their constituencies.

With a general election now clearly on the horizon, some will be trying to gain anything they can on their rivals to secure their seat and continue on in their career.

Who might step down ahead of the next poll, or who has lost out as a result of the constituency boundary redraws will all be widely talked about by analysts right up until voting day.

Indeed, Leo Varadkar did nothing to ease speculation within his own party when he again said he expects a couple more of his own TDs to announce they will not be running.

Putting a rumour out there that a TD is seriously ill, is thinking of retiring, or hasnt been seen on the ground doing the constituency slog does no harm to those who spread it.

But its a nasty side of politics that, unlike Leos floral gesture, really isnt nice.
Within two years, its my prediction that Irelands television licence will be history, consigned to the political Museum of Failed Agendas.

It will rest alongside electronic voting machines, water meters, the bank bailout, the covid catastrophe, the black hole of healthcare, and brown envelopes: A swept-under the-carpet collection of failures, lead balloons, and lemons.

Its a mirror image of life as we have come to know it in recent decades; a montage of years of unscrupulous dealings. Feel free to include former governments, and all those once-upon-a-time politicians, who have contributed their forgotten tuppence worth to a devastated social landscape.

Life in recent years has been a disaster, and every disaster is followed by a crisis  a time of intense difficulty or danger. Thats where I believe we are at right now. Society is on a knife-edge. We have arrived at the tipping point.

A tipping point is what happens after a societys boiling point, or threshold, has been reached. Annoyance turns into outrage for a period, and then the outrage converts to uncontrollable anger.

Inevitably, people take to the streets. Often the scenes that are flashed across our screens are unpleasant.

Conversationally, a threshold might be, We refuse to be treated this way any longer, or Weve had enough, no more.

The tipping point follows.

When it occurs, the reaction is both destabilising and historic in its outcome. Once the threshold is crossed, the tipping point is unstoppable. Its outcome, unlike its cause, is rarely predictable; but it is non-reversible without exception.

Tipping points in society occur usually every decade, when the years final digit is xxx1, give or take two years either side. Its as though a social volcano thats been restlessly dormant for a number of years prior to the tipping point erupts, mostly when our collective patience cant take the strain of oppression any longer.

Many tipping points benefit the greater good; others dont.

Major tipping points in history include September 11.

The second tower of the World Trade Center explodes into flames after being hit by a airplane, in New York on September 11, 2001.

The attacks on the twin towers became the threshold that led the US government to invade Iraq. War was the tipping point.

November 1989 saw the fall of the Berlin Wall. The threshold was the walls destruction, the tipping point was the reunification of west and east Germany, and the decline of communism.

This 10-yearly tipping point is caused by a process called bifurcation, which is the consequence of a series of events within society that has an eruptive effect on that society, splitting it into two parts, or sides. The events are whats called the threshold, while the tipping point is what happens after the events.

In November 1982, the Fine Gael/Labour coalition government collapsed due to its controversial budget which proposed to introduce a tax on childrens shoes.

Anything that adversely affects children is an instant tipping point.

This had been Irelands third government in less than two years.

The threshold was the nations anger at a tax on childrens shoes. The tipping point was the governments downfall.

Irelands water meter protests became another major tipping point.

In March 2011, environment minister Phil Hogan began setting up Irish Water. This was the threshold  the moment people started to rally against a price tag on water.

Two years later, hundreds of protestors patrolled neighbourhoods, preventing the installations.

The more forceful the reaction from those in authority, the more persistent the protestors became.

Right2Water Ireland organised almost 100 protests across Ireland on November 1, 2014. Politicians were forced into making major concessions.

An anti-water charges protest march in Cork city in 2014.

The tipping point came when the government was forced out of office, and the water meters went to the museum.

In November 2010, the Irish governments statement of its bank bailout was announced.

The threshold, the point of no return, was the 85bn of taxpayers money that was used for the bailout.

The tipping point came just three months later when, in the February 2011 general election, Fianna Fail paid a shocking price as a result of the financial collapse.

The party won fewer seats than Fine Gael and Labour. Such a defeat was unheard of in the partys history. It was another historic tipping point, which created a hunger for more change.

Undoubtedly the most devastating tipping point in our lifetime has been the pandemic.

Just as one decade ended and a new one began, we were suddenly faced with a virus that would wipe out huge sections of the population.

Just like all bifurcations, covid split society in two.

Undoubtedly the most devastating tipping point in our lifetime has been the pandemic.

The threshold was reached when the fake news side turned on those who chose to believe what the scientists were telling them.

The tipping point was a breakdown in society.

As of now, scientists are still at a loss to measure the full effect of the covid tipping point. To that extent, we most likely will never know.

Here at home, on a smaller but no less absorbing scale, we are witnessing the latest tipping point as it moves towards its inevitable conclusion.

The Government announced last week that it is considering the introduction of a universal media charge that would replace the television licence.

Over 100,000 households are now refusing to pay the licence, not just as a rejection of RTEs old-boys network, but as refusal to buy into a television format they are no longer interested in watching.

Frances president Emmanuel Macron scrapped his countrys television licence fee shortly after he was elected to his second term of office last year.

He believed it was more important for householders to have extra spending power for more important items. His government is now supporting the public broadcaster by allocating a fraction of Vat diverted from revenue income to maintain its output and its quality.

The BBC is considering a Netflix-style of subscription service, or a cumulative television tax based on a combined household income. Their television licence fee will most likely be scrapped by 2027.

If you watch subscription services only Britain, you are exempt from having to purchase an annual licence  unlike here.

A universal media tax would be unfair and, most likely, unlawful. It means that anyone who uses a device, any device, that can access any form of media would be obliged by law to pay an annual tax.

Proposals suggest that the Revenue Commissioners would be tasked with collecting the tax.

So if you own a smartphone or a laptop, but you dont have a television, you would still be required to pay the media tax.

Owners of any forms of devices needed to watch any type of media would have to pay. If you never watch RTE for the rest of your life, you could still be required to pay.

The question many people are asking is, would the tax collected go towards keeping RTE in the style its accustomed to?

Irish people are at the threshold now, the boiling point of no return; no longer reluctant to show their intolerance of RTEs ongoing financial wrangling.

Until RTE accepts that forcing the public to pay for a service it might no longer want doesnt work anymore, the tipping point will be its downfall.

Its only a matter of time.
The message couldnt have been clearer. A research paper cited across numerous outlets this week, attributed to Abdelwanees AR Ashoor of Libyas Omar Al-Mukhtar University, warned what could happen.

Last year, he wrote that repeated flooding threatened the dams built in the wadi, a usually dry riverbed, above the city of Derna. Last week, that Mediterranean coastal city was home to over 90,000 people.

If a huge flood happens the result will be catastrophic for the people of the wadi and the city, he said, urging steps be taken immediately to ensure regular maintenance of the dams.

Mr Ashoors grim prediction came to pass this week.

As aid workers and survivors describe bodies lying in the streets and being constantly dumped by the sea, the death toll of thousands is still rising.

The risks facing the eastern city of Derna had been flagged in advance.

Search teams combing the wreckage of buildings looking for survivors in Derna, Libya, where the collapse of two dams unleashed a massive flash flood that killed thousands of people. Picture: Yousef Murad/AP

It isnt fully clear yet whether it was crumbling infrastructure or decisions made by authorities  or a combination of the two  that contributed to the devastation the world witnessed this week as Storm Daniel swept through the region. But those questions have been and will continue to be asked in the weeks ahead.

The deputy mayor of Derna, Ahmed Madroud, told Al Jazeera that the dams, which had been built in the 1970s, had not been maintained since 2002 and that they are not big.

When the river overflowed its banks, then it just took all the buildings with it, and the families that were in it, he said.

And with a death toll that, at the time of writing, has already reached over 5,000 with thousands more missing, it is clear that humanitarian efforts as well as the ensuing recrimination and consternation over what has happened may persist for some time.

'Wherever you go, you find dead men, women and children'

Storm Daniel had already pummelled Greece last week for three days. Meteorologists there described it as the worst storm to hit the country since regards began almost 100 years ago.

Read More Death toll rises from fierce storms and flooding across Europe

In the wake of a summer of extreme heat, Daniel left a ruinous trail in its wake with at least 15 dead and 2bn worth of damage caused in Greece.

Libya was warned of what was to come. In advance of it making landfall overnight into Sunday morning, prime minister Ossama Hamads government  based in the east of the country  declared a state of emergency.

Early reports into Monday morning suggested deaths in single figures in the town of Susa as the storm brought floodwaters that destroyed homes and businesses. Across that eastern region, a death toll of 27 was offered by health minister Othman Abduljaleel early on Monday but he added that the situation in Derna was less clear.

The initial confusion was caused partly by the deluge that struck Derna overnight making it inaccessible for many, as the roads were simply washed away.

Tanaiste Micheal Martin: 'The crisis caused by this flooding, a direct result of the impact climate change is having in the region, will exacerbate the difficulties they are experiencing.' Picture: Niall Carson/PA

It wouldnt be long, however, until the horrific scale of the devastation inflicted upon the city was laid bare.

From a death toll in double figures, suddenly it had jumped to 2,000.

Residents reported hearing explosions on Sunday night, as the dams outside Derna collapsed and unleashed the flash floods which then reached the city.

Newer footage has shown the first dam to be completely destroyed. After breaching the first, the floodwater progressed downstream before then overwhelming the second dam in the southern part of the city.

Once that second dam was breached, the floodwater then had free rein to rip through Derna.

Videos by residents of the city posted online showed major devastation. Entire residential areas were erased along the river that runs down from the mountains through the city centre.

Multi-storey apartment buildings that once stood well back from the river were partially collapsed into the mud.

The flood reached seven metres high in some of the valley-affected areas, according to the Libyan Red Crescent  part of the International Federation of the Red Cross. Almost a quarter of the city of 90,000 inhabitants was washed away by the floods according to volunteers on the ground.

The aftermath of the disastrous flooding in Derna, Libya, on Thursday. Picture: Yousef Murad/AP

Usama Al Husadi, a 52-year-old driver, has been searching for his wife and five children since the disaster. I went by foot searching for them ... I went to all hospitals and schools but no luck, he told Reuters, weeping with his head in his hands.

Husadi, who had been working the night of the storm, dialled his wifes phone number once again. It was switched off. We lost at least 50 members from my fathers family, between missing and dead, he said.

Aid worker Emad al-Falah said:

Bodies are everywhere, inside houses, in the streets, at sea. Wherever you go, you find dead men, women, and children.

Three bridges have also been destroyed and Dernas hospital was badly damaged. Given the complete collapse of services, the need for medical equipment quickly became desperate.

The huge water quantity stored in the dam was so strong it literally took entire high-rise buildings away from their very foundations and swept them away to sea, the Libyan Red Crescent said.

Some of the buildings were 11 floors high, each floor with five apartments. There is no trace at all of these buildings which were swept out to sea and now some bodies are turning up on the shore.

That initial death toll of 2,000 rose quickly. Health authorities put the death toll in Derna at 5,100 as of Wednesday. The number of deaths was likely to climb as there were at least 9,000 people still missing, said Ossama Ali, a spokesman for an ambulance centre in eastern Libya.

Irish Red Cross secretary general Deirdre Garvey. File picture: Tony Gavin Photography

In comments to the Saudi-owned Al Arabia television station, Derna mayor Abdel-Raham al-Ghaithi said the tally could climb to 20,000, given the number of neighbourhoods that were washed out.

An official with the UNs World Health Organisation in Libya said the fatalities could reach 7,000, given the number of people who were still missing.

The numbers could surprise and shock all of us, said the official.

As the rescue and humanitarian efforts ramped up in the hard-to-reach area, the spotlight also fell on the particular political context of Libya as a stumbling block for getting help to reach those who need it.

Explosive remnants of war

Put simply, Libya, a country with more than six million people, has and continues to suffer from extremely poor infrastructure after more than a decade of conflict.

The country has plunged into chaos since a Nato-supported uprising in 2011 toppled long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was later killed.

The oil-rich country has been divided for most of the past decade between rival administrations in the east and west.

Each administration is backed by armed groups and militias, and foreign governments. It has been seen as a dangerous, volatile place for some time. With the promise of the Arab Spring giving way to a destabilising, fractured country.

World Meteorological Organization secretary general Petteri Taalas said the tragedy in Libya demonstrates the devastating and cascading consequences of extreme weather on fragile states.

If there would have been a normally operating meteorological service, they could have issued warnings, Taalas said.

The emergency management authorities would have been able to carry out evacuation of the people. And we could have avoided most of the human casualties.

The desperate search for survivors earlier this week after the flash flood in Derna, Libya. Picture: Yousef Murad/AP

Taalas said that Libyas National Meteorological Centre did issue early warnings for heavy precipitation and floods, but they didnt address the risk posed by the ageing dams.

The fragmentation of the countrys disaster management and disaster response mechanisms, as well as deteriorating infrastructure, exacerbated the enormity of the challenges, Taalas said.

The political situation is a driver of risk, as we are seeing in many countries currently.

Even before the storm, the advice from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs was not to travel to Libya.

Due to the ongoing fighting and the risk of kidnapping or terrorist attacks throughout the country, the situation in Libya remains extremely dangerous, it said.

There are reports of increased military activity in the areas surrounding Tripoli and in the city itself and all Irish citizens are advised to avoid the region.

Irish citizens who decide to travel to or remain in Libya are doing so at their own risk and against the advice of the Department of Foreign Affairs. If you remain in Libya, you should exercise caution, avoid large gathering, and ensure that you have appropriate personal security measures in place, including access to money and supplies of food, water, medicine, fuel, and other essentials.

The International Federation of the Red Cross said that, due to past conflicts, Derna remains a contaminated area with explosive remnants of war. It said:

Libya has endured years of conflict and now it is experiencing a large-scale disaster that goes beyond the abilities of the Libyan Government and the Libyan Red Crescent.

It adds another layer of complexity to the compounded crises in the North African country.

Crucially, the Libyan Red Crescent is politically neutral and therefore despite the political divide it has access and acceptance across the country.

The catastrophe in Derna was described in The Guardian as what happens when the climate crisis meets a failed state.

Irish response

As Ireland often does in such situations, the Government has pledged financial support.

Damage from massive flooding in Derna, Libya. Picture: Yousef Murad/AP

On Wednesday, Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin said 1m of Irish aid would be provided to support the people of Libya.

The Libyan people have already endured years of conflict, poverty, and displacement and the crisis caused by this flooding, a direct result of the impact climate change is having in the region, will exacerbate the difficulties they are experiencing, he said.

Funding from Ireland is facilitating a response at local level to those in desperate need.

Aid money is being pledged from around the world. But it is logistics on the ground and getting the aid to those that need it that will be a key issue in the coming weeks.

'We need bags for bodies'

As Derna reels from this monumental tragedy, images have emerged showing before and after images of the city just how utterly destroyed the city has been.

From above, a typical-looking medium-sized city now appears to have literally washed away. The rebuild will cost astronomical sums, and it remains to be seen if the authorities And the situation on the ground remains bleak.

Red Crescent volunteers say there are still dead bodies in the streets. They say that the need on the ground surpasses the capacity of authorities and humanitarian organisations to respond.

Compounding that is the inaccessibility of Derna making it difficult to assess the full scope of needs. Reaching the affected area has been described as the biggest obstacle to the delivery of vital aid.

Irish Red Cross secretary general Deirdre Garvey said: Right now Libyan Red Crescent (LRC) teams are focused on helping survivors. Thousands of people have lost their homes and are without proper shelter, they are using schools as a temporary solution.

LRC teams are helping people shelter in two schools, they are helping reunite families, providing psychological support and distributing aid.

The citys mayor Abdulmenam al-Ghaithi said on Thursday that what they needed now was teams specialised in recovering bodies.

Another search director was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying we need bags for bodies.

While these desperate efforts continue, whether or not the pain and sorrow leads to anger at the authorities in the region remains to be seen.

But, for now, there is simply despair.

One man lost at least 13 members of his extended family. Fadellalah has yet to hear about the fate of another 20, several days after two dams burst above the Libyan coastal city of Derna, unleashing epic floods that killed thousands, wiped out neighbourhood and washed some of the dead into the sea.

Thousands of others like Fadellalah are frantically trying to find out who survived the rain-swollen rampage.

No one expected this, said Fadellalah , who asked Associated Press that his surname not be used because he fears reprisal from government officials and armed groups who could view his story as criticism of their efforts.

Some of them didnt have cars. They didnt have a way to get out, he said of his family.

Location proved the difference between life and death.

Fadellalah said all 13 deceased members of his family lived in a neighbourhood near the river valley. Their bodies were recovered and buried by the Red Crescent, their names inked on a list of the deceased sent to him by the aid group.

Mohammed Derna, a 34-year-old teacher and father of two, said he and his family and neighbours rushed upstairs. Outside he saw people, including women and young children, just being carried away. They spent Sunday night on the roof of their apartment building before managing to get out on Monday morning.

They were screaming, help, help, he said over the phone from a field hospital in Derna.

It was like a Hollywood horror movie.

Thousands were not so lucky. In a video shared by the Libyan Red Crescent, a father waits as his sons body is recovered from the rubble of a collapsed building and is about to be moved on.

Keep them there, dont carry them at all. I will do it, the father said.

The rescue replies: Our hearts are with you, were all with you.
Heavy conversations at the Green Partys annual think-in were echoed by even heavier rain outside as politicians gathered in Tramore, Co Waterford, to discuss budgets, election strategies, and their futures.

The smallest coalition partner in government is historically repeatedly slaughtered at the polls, blamed for all the bad while given credit for none of the good.

But despite poor recent poll predictions, Eamon Ryan was bullish about his partys prospects at next Junes local and European elections and in the general elections due to be held by March 2025.

Despite being a junior coalition partner, Mr Ryan said his party was the front wheel of Government rather than the mudguard.

One in 10 voters get the Green agenda and could and should vote green in the next elections, he said, adding that he was looking forward to leading the party into the next general election.

We can and will rise as a country to show a way forward, to live more sustainably on this earth and protect our young peoples future, Mr Ryan said.

Breaking news that An Bord Pleanala refused permission to build a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Terminal on the Shannon Estuary near Ballylongford in Kerry, may have further buoyed up the party mood on Friday.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is understood to support the controversial plan, but Mr Ryan was vehemently opposed to it.

Reacting to news of the planning refusal, Mr Ryan promised that the west would thrive without LNG in a clean, green energy future.

The jobs will come to where the power is. The power is in the Atlantic and were going to bring that ashore, Mr Ryan said.

Were going to bring huge investment to Kerry, Limerick, Clare."

Mr Ryan said that the Green Party was best placed to lead the country to a safer, more prosperous future.

But Green policies were not all about long-term idealism, with the 600 euro energy credit, announced in last years budget, having been a Green Party idea which had helped households across the country cope immediately during a cost-of-living crisis.

But the question remains, whether voters will remember the party for those policies at the polling booths.

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic OGorman, said that he has been canvassing for the past 18 months and the mood on the doors is very different from the last time they were in coalition government.

Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O'Gorman said that he has been canvassing for the past 18 months and the mood on the doors is very different from the last time they were in coalition government. Picture: Andy Gibson

People see clearly the impact of the Green Party in this government in terms of delivering on our key green policy aims  whether thats in childcare, public transport or energy fields.

"But they also see how weve contributed to a stable and progressive Government in this country.

"We are implementing progressive policies whether thats in terms of greater family leave, parental leave, greater rights for workers  on a range of issues  we are the progressive voice in this Government. I think people recognise that.

We already have 100 candidates selected for the local elections  thats more than we ran in 2019  so were getting candidates, well have a strong set of candidates and it will be up to them to advocate in their own communities on the work theyll do but also how the Greens are having a really significant impact on the Government over the last three years."

"Im proud of the specific Green policies that weve implemented but also that we got our country through Covid.

"We faced a huge challenge in terms of the war in Ukraine , stepping up massively in terms of our humanitarian responsibilities.

"But also that the country is in such a good condition now , that we do have that surplus to invest in supporting families and communities.

Green Party TD for Limerick, Brain Leddin, said that he believes the party is in a good enough place facing three elections.

Everybody inside [the party think-in] reported that they're getting very good feedback on the doors," he said.

Green Party MEP Grace OSullivan said that the Greens have had major legislative and cultural impacts at national, local, and EU level and it was now up to the party to communicate those major wins effectively to voters.

I just hope that the public realise that, you know, that the agenda that we're pursuing is a really important agenda for humanity.

Members of the Green Party at the party's think-in. Picture: Andy Gibson

The Greens are pursuing an agenda where we will create a better standard of living for people in general, but we're also creating the jobs, the innovation which the Irish are very good at, to secure a prosperous economy and society into the future.

Joe OBrien, Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, said that the party was in  a good position with more local election candidates than it had ever had before.

That's a good sort of a health check in terms of where the party is. We have 100 local election candidates confirmed at the moment. That's more than we've ever had.

"So that's quite satisfying because it's really at that level where you want to see how the party is doing.

When there are people putting their hands up at that level across the country, I think it bodes well for us.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has vowed to take extraordinary measures to deal with an influx of migrants, including renewed calls for a naval blockade of North Africa.

Her comments come after a week in which more than 6,000 people arrived within a day on the island of Lampedusa from Tunisia.

Ms Meloni invited the head of the European Commission to visit Lampedusa with her to see the conditions and called for a new European Union migration deal with Tunisia to be put into effect.

In a video distributed by her office, Ms Meloni said Europe needs a paradigm change to cope with a series of factors in Africa  conflict, instability, soaring grain prices and climate crises  that she warned could spur millions of people to risk their lives to come to Europe.

Migrants on the island of Lampedusa (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)

Obviously, Italy and Europe cannot welcome this massive influx of people, especially when these migrant flows are being managed by unscrupulous traffickers, she said.

Lampedusa, which is closer to Africa than the Italian mainland, has been overwhelmed this week by thousands of people hoping to reach Europe from Tunisia, which has replaced Libya as the main base for migrant smuggling operations in the Mediterranean.

The Italian Red Cross said around 700 new arrivals had been transferred off Lampedusa on Thursday and 2,500 more transfers were planned for Friday to try to relieve pressure on the islands refugee centre, which has a normal capacity of around 400 people. As of Friday morning, the centre was hosting around 3,800 people, down significantly from the more than 6,000 registered this week, the Red Cross said in a statement.

The influx has occurred despite an EU accord with Tunisia to stem the smuggling operations in exchange for economic assistance. Ms Meloni called for the accord to be made more tangible and for the promised EU funds to be transferred to Tunis.

The arrivals have put pressure on Ms Meloni, who came into power as head of a right-wing government last year promising to crack down on migration. With a European Parliament election next year, Ms Melonis conservative coalition partner, the League Party, has increased criticism of the EU-Tunisia deal, saying the increasing numbers of migrants showed it had clearly failed.

Ms Meloni proposed a series of measures to crack down on migrants and traffickers that she said would be tabled at an upcoming cabinet meeting. She warned would-be refugees that they would be detained and repatriated if they come illegally.

Our situation doesnt allow us to do any differently, she said.

League leader Matteo Salvini is due to host French far-right leader Marine Le Pen at a rally this weekend in his northern home base of Pontida. On Friday, Ms Le Pens niece, French far-right politician Marion Marechal, was on Lampedusa to show her support to Italy, which she said had been abandoned by Europe to deal with migrants on its own.

French politician Marion Marechal said Italy had been abandoned by Europe (Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP)

I came to support the Italian people and government, because Lampedusa today and the Italian borders are the borders of the whole of Europe, Ms Marechal told Italian reporters. We have to change EU policy to help the Italian government, which today is alone in facing this crisis.

According to Interior Ministry statistics, nearly 126,000 people have arrived in Italy so far by boat this year compared to 66,000 this time last year and 42,000 in 2021. If the trend continues, this year could be on track to near the record in 2016, when by the end of September about 132,000 migrants had arrived. The year 2016 holds the recent record for migrant sea arrivals with a total of 181,000 people.
Myanmars junta launched an airstrike near Mogoke town in Mandalay Region after its ground troops were attacked by the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

Troops from Light Infantry Battalions 148, 104 and 102 and Light Infantry Division 44 advanced into northern Mogoke Township, the source of the worlds finest rubies, on September 15.

Clashes broke out near Kone San and Nyaung Kone villages. The junta troops shelled where we were stationed, followed by an airstrike, said Lieutenant Colonel Tar Aik Kyaw of the TNLA.

A Mogok resident said junta troops advanced into the area, which is a TNLA Brigade 2 stronghold.

When the troops reached near Kone San village, the TNLA opened fire, said a Mogoke resident.

Heavy fighting was also reported near Nyaung Kone village, according to the TNLA, the armed wing of the Palaung State Liberation Front.

On September 11, four hours of fighting were reported between the juntas Battalion 666 and TNLA Brigade 2 in the area.

Lt Col Tar Aik Kyaw said the TNLA has engaged in about 40 clashes with the regime since July 23. He gave no TNLA casualties figures but said at least 14 civilians had been killed by the regime.

Residents said hundreds of civilians have fled Kyat Pyin village since the junta airstrike.

The junta also shelled Kyat Phin village but we dont know the civilian casualties yet, said a Mogoke resident.
The Karen National Union (KNU) announced on Friday that its armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), and resistance allies seized a junta outpost near the Thai border in Kawkareik Township, Karen State, on Thursday morning.

KNLA Brigade 18 and resistance forces overcame the Ratalang outpost on Thursday morning in less than 30 minutes, KNU stated.

Nine regime soldiers were killed and the remaining troops fled the camp and a resistance fighter died and three others were injured, the rebel group said.

The KNU released pictures of a large number of weapons and ammunition seized.

The KNLA and its allies are carrying out increasingly ambitious attacks on regime targets in Karen and Mon states and Bago and Tanintharyi regions.

On September 6, KNLA Brigade 5 attacked and seized the notorious Sa Law Kyo base in Papun Township, Karen State. Troops reportedly abandoned the base during the attack. The KNU reported junta casualties and said weapons and ammunition were seized.

On August 31, the juntas Thit Cha Seik base in Bago Region was seized by the KNLA and Karen National Defense Organization.

In Kayah State, resistance forces ambushed junta troops near Hpruso Township on September 11, killing several soldiers, according to the Karenni Army.

Khun Nyay Reh of the Karenni Military Information Center told The Irrawaddy that around 12 junta soldiers, including a lieutenant colonel, were killed in the ambush and weapons and ammunition were seized.

At least 800 clashes with the regime had been reported since the 2021 coup in Kayah State by August 31, killing more than 2,300 junta troops, according to the Progressive Karenni People Force, which monitors junta atrocities in the state.

Around 320 resistance soldiers have reportedly been killed in clashes with junta troops.

The group reported in late August that over 500 civilians, including those displaced, had been killed.
On Friday evening, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued an order suspending City of Miami Commissioner Alejandro Alex Diaz de la Portilla from office after his arrest Wednesday.

Among other charges, de la Portilla, 58, was arrested on four counts of official misconduct, one count of campaign contribution in excess of legal limits, and two counts of failure to report a gift.

It is in the best interests of the residents of the City of Miami, and the citizens of the State of Florida, that Alejandro Diaz de la Portilla be immediately suspended from the public office he now holds, DeSantis wrote on his Executive Order 23-184 (Executive Order of Suspension).

The suspension is effective immediately and prohibits de la Portilla, a Republican, from receiving any pay or performing any official act or function of public office.

To read the complete order, click here.
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UN humanitarians are working flat out on the ground in Libya, providing desperately needed aid to thousands of survivors of the flood disaster that has left thousands dead and thousands more unaccounted for.

( UN News )  Disaster struck on Sunday when torrential rains from Storm Daniel led two dams close to the now devastated port city of Derna to burst, pushing entire neighbourhoods into the sea.

The situation is quite terrible as you can imagine, UN Childrens Fund UNICEFs Libya Representative, Michele Servadei, told UN News.

What role did climate change play?

The deadly storm comes in an unprecedented year of climate disasters and record-breaking weather events, from devastating wildfires to excessive heatwaves.

Professor Petteri Taalas, the head of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on Wednesday said the tragedy in Libya highlights the devastating and cascading consequences of extreme weather on fragile States.

He stressed it shows the need for multi-hazard early warning systems which embrace all levels of government and society, in line with the UNs drive to make them universal by 2027.

Drop in the ocean

As UNICEF, we have sent medical kits and medical supplies for 10,000 people. This was the first couple of days. We sent 1,100 hygiene kits, we sent clothing kits, but that is still a drop in the ocean.

Soundcloud

He said psychosocial support was urgently needed besides lifesaving supplies, not only for the displaced but also for the ones that are in shelters, or who remain stranded having lived through that terrible night.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has already provided food assistance to more than 5,000 families displaced by the catastrophic floods.

These devastating floods have struck in a country where a profound political crisis has already left so many in a desperate situation, WFP Executive Director, Cindy McCain said.

Libya is particularly vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters as it has no unified government. The country has been split since 2014 between an interim, internationally recognized Government operating from the capital, Tripoli, and another in the east, with many armed groups also operating on its territory.

 Flash appeal: The situation in northeast #Libya in the wake of #StormDaniel is critical. US$71.4 million is required to provide immediate life-saving aid to 250,000 people affected by the floods and respond to their most urgent and severe needs.  https://t.co/13DNxj6jK0 pic.twitter.com/L1j4RClXpW  UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) September 14, 2023

Appeal for $71 million

UN aid coordination office OCHA, on Thursday issued an urgent appeal to donors for $71.4 million to respond to the needs of around 250,000 people impacted by the floods in Libya over the next three months, saying death tolls could rise without more help.

OCHA estimates that more than 880,000 people, in five provinces, live in areas directly affected by the storm and flash floods.

All hands are on deck to get as much help and support to people as we can. The UN is deploying a robust team to support and resource the international response, in coordination with first responders and Libyas authorities, the head of OCHA, and UN relief chief Martin Griffiths said.

Meanwhile, it is a race against time for emergency teams searching through piles of debris for survivors.

The scale of the flood disaster is shocking, with entire neighborhoods having been wiped off the map and whole families, taken by surprise, swept away in the deluge of water, Mr. Griffiths said.

Alongside the tragic loss of life, thousands of families in Derna are now without food or shelter, Ms. McCain noted.

The World Food Program said its planned emergency operation will aim to provide monthly food assistance to 100,000 people in flood-affected areas for the next three months.

Via UN News

Featured image:

 UNICEF/Abdulsalam Alturki

Darna city in the aftermath of the devastating floods.
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Exeter (Special to Informed Comment; Feature)  BRICS, a group of five developing countries that include China, Russia, and India, has invited another six countries to join the bloc, making the group 11 if all accept the invitation. Among 40 interested states in membership, of which 22 had already officially asked for admission, BRICS leaders agreed upon five Middle Eastern and African (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Ethiopia) and South American (Argentina) countries. Among these invited states, three are from either side of the Gulf, a significant signal to show the rise of Gulf states in global politics.

Analysts rushed to comment that the enlargement is anti-democratic and China-centric; however, a close look at the enlargement shows that the enlargement is not only about China but more of a consensus of the five powers, including, more importantly, India and Russia in addition to China. Of course, China is the most potent power in the bloc and might increase its influence over time. However, the current expansion shows that none of these countries are states that India and Russia reject, as they include Saudi Arabia and the UAE, two powers that have warm relations with India and an increasingly close relationship with Russia. Moreover, Brazil was already willing to accept Argentina as a member of BRICS in case it would help the neighbouring country in its quest for foreign reserves.

Indeed, these analysts ignore the warm relations between India and the two Gulf states, underestimate the tension between China and India, and tend to show the current members of BRICS under great Chinese influence, which is not necessarily true as India and China have significant issues, including but not limited to border crises. Otherwise, China President Xi Jinpings meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS Summit in South Africa would not present a significant diplomatic incident.. The tension worsened in 2020 and cost the lives of 20 Indian soldiers.

Is BRICS+ the new G7?

In its current form, BRICS represents around 40.72 percent of the world population; if the new members accept the offer, the representation will rise to 45.95 percent, a significant rate as China and Indias share is around 35.48 percent. Similarly, the current GDP share of the BRICS is around 25.77 percent, while the expansion would bring it to around 28.99 percent, another significant increase as 17.86 percent of the current clubs GDP comes from China alone. On the other hand, the G7 represents around 27 percent of the worlds GDP and around 10 percent of the worlds population.

BRICS has long been considered an alternative initiative to the Western system as it includes Russia and China as leading powers, despite its loose institutionalization. One of the BRICS targets is to de-dollarise trade and bypass US sanctions on global trade. Indeed, BRICS created a development bank to encourage trade in local currencies and support developmental projects, an alternative to the Western-centric IMF and World Bank.

While BRICS, in its current form, does not challenge UN-based institutions, it can be considered an alternative to the G20 or G7, if not a rival. The G20, too, is not a very effective platform but a place where world leaders discuss significant issues and attempt to form a global agenda. Indeed, G20 meetings have recently been defined as empty talks by analysts.

China and the Gulf

Article continues after bonus IC video

Reuters: BRICS: What is it, who wants in and why?

While none of the new members states that China would reject their membership, showing their membership as pure Chinese influence is inherently wrong as they include two members of the GCC with India who already share close ties. The close ties between India and the GCC can be seen from the G20, too, as India invited the UAE and Oman as this years G20 guests, in addition to Saudi Arabia, a permanent member of the G20.

While India is particularly close to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates because of the number of expatriates in the Gulf, China is interested in these states for more strategic reasons. China made headlines in May when it brokered a normalisation agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran. However, inviting Iran and its regional rivals Saudi Arabia and the UAE together to the bloc is interesting as the bloc does not want to include only the isolated countries from the Western system, preventing it from being a platform of excluded powers.

Even though the existence of Russia and China and their influence in the bloc signal anti-Americanism, BRICS, even in its 11-member form, is not inherently anti-American. Indeed, Brazils president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, stated, We do not want to be a counterpoint to the G7, G20, or the United States. This is an important message for Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as they do not want to exclude themselves from the American security umbrella but also want to diversify their security and strategic importance to gain leverage against the US. Thus, by joining this kind of organisation, they hit two birds with one stone.

Not long ago, in 2022, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were granted dialogue partners in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, an even bigger anti-Western organisation than the BRICS. Iran was granted full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Council in 2023. Therefore, despite Iran and its Gulf rival Saudi Arabia and the UAE not sharing warm relations and having situated themselves on different poles, if Saudi Arabia and the UAEs role is upgraded to full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Council and Saudi Arabia accepts BRICS offers, these two non-Western organisations would be platforms where they can have dialogue and use it as leverage with the West. As these two clubs will be new platforms where non-Western states have leadership, they can offer more equal negotiations between Iran and its Gulf neighbours, as none would have better privileges over others.

Of course, considering the new members, including the closest US MENA partners such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt, one wonders if they are really asking for an alternative to US hegemony. In its 11-state form, the new bloc can benefit the organisation and the new members, including those directly linked to the US security umbrella. While Russia and China attempt to counterbalance the US-based Western system, most of the new members, most importantly in our case, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, attempt to diversify their geopolitical engagements with the rest of the world while still giving greater attention to the US and the West. The greater attention paid to the US and the West can be seen from their reactions to the offer, particularly Saudi Arabias. While UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed published a statement showing his appreciation of the offer, Saudi Arabia is yet to accept the offer and stated it will study the deal and give an appropriate decision, a message to its Western allies that their priorities are still the West and also could be a bit disappointed by the offer to Iran too.

In short, considering the share of China and Indias oil and gas exports from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, along with Indias warm relations with these states, the invitation of these two states can be considered Indian-influenced as much as Chinese. Moreover, considering South Africas relations with Ethiopia and Brazils relations with Argentina, one can say BRICSs enlargement is not solely Chinese dictation but more of a common ground for all members.
"Moving" writer and webtoon creator Kang Full talks about how they cast the star-studded K-drama featuring notable celebrities like Jo In Sung, Han Hyo Joo, Ryu Seung Ryong, Cha Tae Hyun, and more.

During his guest appearance on "MMTG," the writer dishes on more secrets behind the hit Disney+ series.

Kang Full Says Jo In Sung Was the First Actor to Cast in 'Moving'

Discussing the casting process, Kang Full revealed that he is also hands-on in selecting actors suited for the character.

As for his first pick, he personally chose Jo In Sung to be the first actor to join the series.

According to the "Moving" creator, he and the team were thankful that the top star said yes right away and agreed to play the role of Kim Doo Shik.

Kang Full said that they completed the deal in just one week.

"He said that he read the original webtoon in two days," the writer mentioned, as mentioned by a media outlet, adding, "He said on the spot that he would [take the role]."

In the 20-episode K-drama, Kim Doo Shik plays a top-tier agent who belongs to the elite group called Black Ops.

READ MORE: 'Moving' Kdrama: Will Jo In Sung Appear in the Final Episode?

However, due to his encounter with the North Korean army, he put the NIS in a tough spot and became a fugitive along with Lee Mi Hyun, played by Han Hyo Joo.

Here, the couple lived under the radar along with their son, Kim Bong Seok, portrayed by Lee Jung Ha.

While Jo In Sung's casting process went smoothly, it was the complete opposite for Han Hyo Joo.

How Did Kang Full Convinced Han Hyo Joo to Play 'Moving's' Lee Mi Hyun?

As for the lead actress, Kang Full confessed that Han Hyo Joo had some doubts about playing Lee Mi Hyun.

Even he was unsure if the actress would agree with the role because it portrays a middle-aged mother with superhuman power.

According to Kang Full, he did his best to convince the actress; he even came in to a point where he mentioned Jo In Sung's name.

Thankfully, the actress agreed and perfectly portrayed the role of Kim Bong Seok's badass mother.

At the time of the premiere, viewers lauded Han Hyo Joo for her exceptional acting, especially playing the doting mother to a gifted son.

'Moving' Finale Release Date

After weeks of successful broadcast and creating a huge buzz on social media, viewers can't get enough of the drama and thrill ride of "Moving."

Unfortunately, the sci-fi thriller series is now in its final week, with Disney+ airing the last 3 episodes of "Moving."

Interestingly, episodes 18 to 20 will air simultaneously on September 20 via Disney+ and Hulu.

IN CASE YOU MISSED: 'Moving' Director Reveals Why He Made Jo In Sung 'Ugly' in the Series

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
Police and investigators are seen at the side of a road outside Rosthern, Sask., on Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022. A specialized RCMP team that deals with high-risk situations was not immediately available to respond to a stabbing rampage and hunt for a mass killer in Saskatchewan because of contract negotiations, internal emails show. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kelly Geraldine Malone
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An excerpt from A Caregivers Love Story.

Whether you are the dying or the caregiver, living life to the fullest remains your goal, but somedays its just too darn hard. When you are so busy that it doesnt seem you have time to take a breath, where does living life to the fullest fit into your day? It may just get a minute or two of your time but knowing that your life can change in a nanosecond may help you try just a little harder to fit life into your life.

Hug your child longer, spend a moment with a sunrise or a sunset, say I love you. Listen to the last notes of your favorite music on the radio before turning off the car, get out for a walk, or just water your plants and take a walk outside. All will help you seize the moments as they arrive. They are fleeting, so you need to pay attention. Living in the moment takes hard work and practice.

There are many challenges for the dying patient. Some are substantial and overwhelming. A caring physician trained in treating the dying patient may be the source for the best care for the patient. Many physicians are not trained in coping with the dying patient, and this can lead to many miscommunications and discomfort for both the patient and the doctor.

An understanding of the dying patients experience should help the physician improve their care of the terminally ill. These physicians are often known as palliative care doctors. The doctors specialize in medical care for people living with a serious illness. This care is focused on providing relief from the symptoms and stress of the illness. The goal being to improve the quality of life for the patient and the family. They can assist with the following six challenges that are common to the dying patient:

1. Pain. Pain and the fear of pain often make the patients behavior change at the end of life. Cancer patients rank freedom from pain as one of their goals for care. Even though the fear of pain is there, the elderly are often unwilling to report their pain because they believe it is a normal symptom of aging and that their pain is directly associated with the worsening of their illness.

2. Depression. The presence and severity of clinical depression often correlates with the severity of physical illness and, in some, a progressive inability to get out of bed. A decreased appetite may also suggest major depression. Anxiety commonly co-exists with depression, and it may be driven by fears of helplessness, a loss of control, abandonment, or pain.

3. Coping. Patients with advanced illness face the challenge of coping with their disease daily. While some patients demonstrate optimism, practicality, resourcefulness, awareness, and flexibility, others present with a variety of defensive styles in response to their diagnosis. These defenses can be denial and non-compliance, which can lead to a delay in treatment.

4. Dignity. For dying patients, maintaining dignity is foremost in their care, broadly defined in terms of being worthy of honor, respect, and esteem. For many patients, dignity is directly related to the level of independence retained through the course of illness.

5. The need for control. For some terminally ill patients, maintaining a sense of control is a central task of the dying process. This need for control is prominent among patients who request physician-assisted suicide (PAS) in Oregon. These patients were universally described as having strong personalities; they were determined and inflexible, and they wanted to control both the timing and the manner of their deaths.

6. Other aspects of the dying process. Dying patients and their families often must deal with complicated practical issues, such as financial problems and legal issues. These seemingly mundane concerns can cause a great deal of distress for dying patients and their families. Its a good idea to take care of the difficult things while the dying can make decisions. Wills, trusts, burial requests, and choosing a grave site can be taken care of while the person is well, so the decisions are not made after the death.

While nature is selfish, you dont need to be. You might find that your best friend is yourself. You know when you need a hug or when its time to rest or try to appreciate the moment you are in. You also know when you are at the end of your rope and need to walk away, so things dont blow up and get out of proportion.

There are five regrets the dying often have when it is too late to do anything to change them. There is still time, if you can try and make some small changes now, so your regrets are fewer in the end.

1. I wish Id had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. This seems to be a very common regret when people realize that their life is almost over and look back on it. Many dreams when unfulfilled due to choices they made or did not make. When we are healthy, its hard to realize that a decision now, which we may only be allowed to make once, can change our life forever. Time may run short, and the chance wont come up again.

2. I wish I hadnt worked so hard. This regret is more common with men than women. Or it used to be. Since men are often the primary source of income, they regret what they missed while working. Time with children and spouse being the main regret. This is changing now that women are a strong force in the workplace. The working mother who has a child and goes back to work right away may eventually regret the lost time with the child as an infant.

3. I wish Id had the courage to express my feelings. Suppressing ones feeling to keep peace with others may result in a mediocre existence and prevent the person from becoming the person they were truly capable of being. Illnesses can result from this, and one may never realize the cause. Mental health is as important as physical health. Bottling up emotions and thoughts is hard on ones psyche.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. There are many deep regrets over lost friendships. Getting caught up in ones day-to-day life makes it easy to let friends slip away. Waiting until the end of life is way too late to try and track old friends down.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier. Many people do not realize that happiness is a choice. We get comfortable in the way we live our lives and dont realize that happiness is easy to come by if we just work at it a little and let it in the front door. Fear of change makes people pretend they are happy, but truly they are not. A good laugh and some silliness wont hurt anyone.

Nancie Wiseman Attwater is the author of A Caregivers Love Story.
Washington Man Sentenced for Bringing Box of Molotov Cocktails to Protest March in Summer 2020

A Washington man was sentenced today in the U.S. District Court in Seattle to 40 months in prison for his role in a plot to burn the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) building in downtown Seattle in September 2020.

According to court documents, Justin Christopher Moore, 35, of Renton, made and carried a box of 12 Molotov cocktails in a protest march to the Seattle Police Officers Guild building on Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2020. Ultimately, the marchers were moved away from the building in downtown Seattle. Police smelled gasoline and grew concerned about the intentions of protestors. The box containing the 12 gasoline devices was found in the parking lot next to the SPOG building. Using video from that day and from other protests, as well as information from the electronic devices of other co-conspirators, Moore was confirmed as the person seen carrying the box of destructive devices.

In June 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Moores residence. They seized clothing that is consistent with the images of what Moore was wearing when he carried the Molotov cocktails. From the basement storage area, they also recovered numerous items that are consistent with manufacturing explosive devices. Law enforcement recovered a notebook in which Moore had made entries related to the manufacturing of destructive devices and the ingredients necessary.

In asking for a 41-month sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg for the Western District of Washington noted that carrying and leaving the box of explosive bottles was inherently dangerous. Moores offense was extremely dangerous and created a substantial risk of injury to numerous bystanders. Moore carried the box of 12 Molotov cocktails in a crowd of over 1,000 people who were participating in the protest march. All of them were in harms way if one of the devices had exploded.

The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and the Seattle Police Department investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg for the Western District of Washington prosecuted the case, with valuable assistance provided by the National Security Divisions Counterterrorism Section.

This story has been published on: 2023-09-15. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Press Release

September 15, 2023 Cayetano on intel, confidential funds: Rationalize, task an oversight group to watch over it Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday said the government must rationalize the use of intelligence and confidential funds and commit to overseeing their use so that every centavo would produce results. "Every single centavo is hard earned money for Filipinos. Every single centavo should produce a result. If the intel and confidential funds give us less crime, more security, better information, then good. If it does not, may problema tayo," the independent senator told reporters at a press briefing on September 15, 2023. Cayetano said one of the reasons for the public's distrust on the use of intelligence and confidential funds is that only the Commission on Audit (COA) can see how they are used. "Dahil hindi natin kita, we have to rely on their word so nagkakaroon ng pagdududa. What we have to admit today is that we are relying on the trustworthiness n'ung may hawak ng fund. Right now the distrust comes from the fact that it's only the COA who will open it, at nagiging basis natin y'ung trustworthy ng person," he said. Cayetano said one way to ensure accountability on the funds is for the government to have a small oversight committee to look after it. "For me, magkaroon lang [dapat] ng way to rationalize it at magkaroon ng information like ano ang limits mo. One way of doing that is to have a select committee oversight on intelligence," he said. 'Walang personalan' on confidential funds Asked for his take on the Office of the President's transfer of P125 million to the Office of the Vice President, Cayetano said he is looking forward to asking about it during the budget hearing in the Senate. "I am sure mauunahan ako, but many senators will ask that question kasi pare-pareho kami ng knowledge na kapag walang item, you cannot augment it. We'll wait for the budget hearing here in the Senate to ask that question," he said. On this issue, he said what matters more to him is whether the act violated the budget rules or not. "I'll just depoliticize it. It doesn't matter to me if it was intel funds, bridge, or if it was for buying computers. The point is, did we violate our own accounting and budgeting rules? To be fair, Budget Secretary (Amenah) Pangandaman is always very forthcoming and deliberative. I read lang today 'yung letter niya kay House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Zaldy Co," he said. According to media reports, Pangandaman in her letter said the release of funds to the OVP was technically not a transfer since it was funded from Contingent Fund under the fiscal year 2022 General Appropriations Act and not from the budget of the OP. On civilian departments like the Department of Education having their own intelligence funds, Cayetano said he will reiterate his stand last year. "Ang stand ko last year was to give the intel fund to the Office of the Vice President especially if may usapan sila ng Presidente on issues regarding security... But if you give the Department of Education intel funds, you should give all departments," he said. "So my personal stand is walang personalan. What's good for the goose is good for the gander," he added. Cayetano sa intel, confidential funds: I-rationalize, magtalaga ng oversight group para bantayan ito Sinabi ni Senador Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Biyernes na dapat i-rationalize o bigyang-katwiran ng gobyerno ang intelligence at confidential funds at siguraduhin ang pagbabantay ng paggamit para sulit ang bawat singko na gagamitin para dito. "Every single centavo is hard earned money for Filipinos. Every single centavo should produce a result. If the intel and confidential funds give us less crime, more security, better information, then good. If it does not, may problema tayo," sinabi ng independent senador sa mga reporter sa isang press briefer nitong September 15, 2023. Ayon kay Cayetano, isa sa mga dahilan kung bakit hirap ang publiko na pagkatiwalaan ang paggamit ng intelligence and confidential funds ay dahil tanging ang Commission on Audit (COA) lamang ang makakapagbantay sa paggamit nito. "Dahil hindi natin kita, we have to rely on their word so nagkakaroon ng pagdududa. What we have to admit today is that we are relying on the trustworthiness n'ung may hawak ng fund. Right now the distrust comes from the fact that it's only the COA who will open it, at nagiging basis natin y'ung trustworthy ng person," wika ng senador. Aniya, isa sa mga paraan upang siguraduhin ang pananagutan sa paggamit ng mga pondong ito ay ang pagbuo ng gobyerno ng isang oversight committee na babantayan ito. "For me, magkaroon lang [dapat] ng way to rationalize it at magkaroon ng information like ano ang limits mo. One way of doing that is to have a select committee oversight on intelligence," sabi niya. 'Walang personalan' sa confidential funds Nang tanungin siya tungkol sa isyu ng paglipat ng Office of the President ng P125 million sa Office of the Vice President, sabi ni Cayetano na tatanungin niya ito sa budget hearing sa Senado. "I am sure mauunahan ako, but many senators will ask that question kasi pare-pareho kami ng knowledge na kapag walang item, you cannot augment it. We'll wait for the budget hearing here in the Senate to ask that question," wika niya. Sa isyung ito, sabi ni Cayetano na mas mahalaga sa kanya kung mayroong nilabag na budget rules o wala. "I'll just depoliticize it. It doesn't matter to me if it was intel funds, bridge, or if it was for buying computers. The point is, did we violate our own accounting and budgeting rules? To be fair, Budget Secretary (Amenah) Pangandaman is always very forthcoming and deliberative. I read lang today 'yung letter niya kay House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Zaldy Co," aniya. Ayon sa media reports, sinabi ni Pangandaman sa liham na ang paglabas ng pondo sa OVP ay hindi technical na transfer dahil iyon ay nakasailalim sa Contingent Fund sa fiscal year 2022 General Appropriations Act, hindi sa budget ng OP. Sa pagkakaroon ng mga civilian department tulad ng Department of Education ng intelligence funds, inulit ni Cayetano ang sinabi niya noong nakaraang taon. "Ang stand ko last year was to give the intel fund to the Office of the Vice President especially if may usapan sila ng Presidente on issues regarding security... But if you give the Department of Education intel funds, you should give all departments," aniya. "So my personal stand is walang personalan. What's good for the goose is good for the gander," dagdag niya.
Fianna Fail leader and Tanaiste Micheal Martin has led tributes to party councillor Damien OReilly after his sudden death.

Mr OReilly was a representative on Meath County Council and had been elected chair of the Ratoath Municipal District in June.

Originally from Dunboyne in Co Meath, he was first elected as a councillor in 2014. He was re-elected in 2019, topping the poll in the Ratoath local electoral area.

I am very sorry to learn of the death of my friend, fellow party member and councillor, Damien OReilly. Damien was deeply committed to his community and people, continuously advocated for them. He had an extraordinary commitment to public life and his work ethic was phenomenal.  Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) September 16, 2023

I am very sorry to learn of the death of my friend, fellow party member and councillor, Damien OReilly, said Mr Martin.

I canvassed with Damien during the local election campaigns in 2014 and 2019 and also the Meath East by-election.

Damien was deeply committed to his community and people, always seeking to improve their lives and continuously advocating for them. He had an extraordinary commitment to public life and his work ethic was phenomenal.

On my own behalf, and on behalf of the Fianna Fail organisation, I offer my deepest sympathy to Damiens partner, Lisa, and daughter Carly, stepson Kyle, mother Phil, family and community.

The Meath County Council is to open books of condolences at a number of locations in the county on Monday.

In a joint statement, the chair of Meath County Council Tommy Reilly and its chief executive Fiona Lawless said: It is with deep regret and profound sadness that we have learned of the untimely death of our dear friend and colleague, Fianna Fail councillor Damien OReilly, who passed away earlier today.

Damien was a highly respected and valued member of Meath County Council. He was very committed in his role as a councillor and provided an outstanding service to the citizens of County Meath.

Damien was deeply honoured in June of this year, when he was again elected Cathaoirleach of Ratoath Municipal District.

Fianna Fail TD for Meath East Thomas Byrne said he was shocked and saddened by the incredibly untimely death of Mr OReilly.

Damien worked so hard for his community and never stopped trying to help people, he said.

While a proud Dunboyne man, Damien diligently represented people in areas like Moynalvey, Kilcloon and right across south Meath and the Ratoath Municipal District.

Damien was held in such high regard by his community and it is devastating to see a young life and a bright political career cut so short.

His loss will be very keenly felt on Meath County Council, in Fianna Fail and within his community.

Fianna Fail minister of state Jack Chambers said: Devastating and terribly sad to hear about the passing of our friend and colleague Cllr Damien OReilly.

A committed, decent and hard working public representative who was so dedicated representing his community. Sincere condolences to all his family. May he rest in peace.
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(Kitco News) - Major gold producer Gold Fields (NYSE: GFI) reported today that first gold from the companys new Salares Norte project in Chile is still expected in Q4 2023, but has moved from the beginning to the latter part of the quarter due to issues with OEM vendor.

The company said in a press release that certain components of the plant require commissioning by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) vendor to maintain the validity of their warranties.

Challenges in securing the OEM vendor representatives, due to previously announced delays by the main contractor, have resulted in a circa two-month delay to commissioning of the mills and filter presses and therefore a delay to the production of first gold, it added.

Gold Fields said that if first gold is produced on 1 December 2023, production for 2023 is expected to be 1,000 gold equivalent ounces (previously 15,000  20,000 gold equivalent ounces).

2024 production has also been impacted and is expected to fall in the range of 400,000 gold equivalent ounces at all-in costs (AIC) of US$900/oz eq to 430,000 gold equivalent ounces at AIC of US$860/oz eq (previously 500,000 gold equivalent ounces).

Should the delay be longer and first gold is only produced at the end of December 2023, production in 2024 is expected to be 350,000 gold equivalent ounces at AIC of US$1,050/oz eq.

Importantly, Gold Fields said that despite the downgrade in production for 2023 and 2024, steady state production will be reached by the beginning of 2025 and therefore planned production volumes for 2025 and 2026 remain unchanged at 600,000 gold equivalent ounces.

The Salares Norte project remains a world-class project with a payback period of less than three years at spot prices, the company noted in a press release.

Salares Norte is a high-grade, epithermal gold-silver, open-pit deposit situated in the High Andes of northern Chile. During April 2020, Gold Fields Board formally approved development of the project. The project has 4.3Moz of gold, 398Mlb of copper and 42.2Moz of silver in proved and probable reserves.
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Salesforce, Inc. is a cloud-based SaaS company founded by former Oracle exec Marc Benioff in 1999. Mr. Benioff founded the company with 3 partners who will remain active in management until nearly 2020. Larry Elison, a co-founder of Oracle, is a noteworthy early investor who helped propel the company to its success. The company is a leader in CRM or customer relationship management and is largely responsible for the proliferation of digitized CRM solutions that is ongoing today.

The company was not immune to the DotCom bubble bursting and had to cut back its workforce and plans but the event is nothing but a blip on the radar now. Even then, the company could sustain a hyper-growth rate that saw revenue skyrocket from $0 in 1999 to over $100 million by the end of 2003. The company held its IPO in 2004 and raised $110 million. The hypergrowth continued until 2014 driven by the growing recognition among C-suite executives that digital CRM was the path to accelerated revenue and earnings growth.

The company made multiple small acquisitions in the period leading up to 2014, but it was then that investment in other technology accelerated. Total spending in 2016 topped $5 billion and led to the acquisition of Slack in 2020. The company was added to the Dow Jones Industrial Average, instantly becoming the largest technology company in the index. The Slack acquisition came under some criticism due to the elevated cost the company paid. The track record of growth that includes sustained sequential growth through the end of 2022 put an end to the criticism.

Today, Salesforce.com provides customer relationship management technology that brings companies and customers together worldwide. It is the 1st cloud stock to reach $1 billion in revenue, hitting that target in 2009. It is the worlds largest enterprise-level software provider and the 61st-largest company by market cap. In regards to US businesses, it is ranked 136th on the Forbes Fortune 500 list for 2022 when revenue topped $7.7 billion.

The company offers its services via the Customer 360 platform. The platform is designed to deliver connected experiences for a business's customers in a way that delivers sales. Revenue is generated in 2 channels that include Sales and Service. The Sales offering stores data, monitors leads and tracks traffic progression through the sales funnel. It can forecast and provide other analytics as well as deliver quotes, contracts and invoices.

The Service segment allows companies to provide personalized services and support at scale. Scale is the fundamental quality that drives Salesfoce.coms success because it has been able to scale and aid its clients when they scale. Among Services many offerings is the ability to create apps with a drag-and-drop builder tool. This segment also includes Slack which permits easy communication among business associates.

Salesforce.com Ventures is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Salesforce.com. It is in business to invest in start-up and early growth phase businesses and has invested more than $5 billion since 2009.
Medtronic PLC is a world-leading medical technology company that develops and manufactures device-based medical therapies to improve patient outcomes. Founded in 1949 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Medtronic has grown to become one of the largest medical device companies in the world. The company's operational and executive headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, with over 90,000 employees in more than 150 countries.



Medtronic's portfolio of medical technologies includes products for diagnosing, treating and managing cardiac rhythm disorders and cardiovascular disease, spinal and biologics, diabetes management and neuromodulation. The company's cardiac and vascular group is the oldest and largest business unit, which develops pacemakers, defibrillators and heart valves. Medtronic's spinal and biologics business is the second-largest business unit and produces a range of implants, instruments and services to treat spinal disorders. The diabetes group develops insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring systems and consumables. At the same time, the neuromodulation business focuses on therapies to treat chronic pain, movement disorders and other neurological conditions.



In 2015, Medtronic acquired Covidien PLC, an Irish-based medical technology company, and moved its legal headquarters to Ireland. This transaction was the most significant U.S. corporate tax inversion in history and allowed the company to take advantage of lower corporate taxes in Ireland. The company also achieved a 100% gender and ethnically diverse pay equity in the U.S. and 99% gender pay equity globally, as reported in its Global Inclusion, Diversity and Equity 2022 annual report. Medtronic joined the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) in 2023, becoming one of the 483 companies listed in the index.



Medtronic's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol MDT and is a member of the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). The company has had several recent recalls, including the HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device in February 2021 and the controller ports in June 2021.



Medtronic has continued to focus on developing its medical technology portfolio and announced several acquisitions and partnerships in 2021. In January, the company announced its intention to acquire Affera, Inc., Stimgenics LLC and Medicrea. In May, Medtronic announced a strategic partnership with CathWorks, and in March 2022, a contract with Vizient. The company is also working with GE Healthcare to support the needs and care demands at Ambulatory Surgery Centers in April 2022. In October 2022, Medtronic announced its intention to pursue a separation of the company's combined patient monitoring and respiratory interventions businesses.



Medtronic PLC is a world-leading medical technology company that has grown to become one of the largest medical device companies in the world. With its portfolio of medical technologies and recent acquisitions and partnerships, the company is well-positioned to capitalize on the growth of the medical device industry. The company's commitment to gender and ethnic pay equity and inclusion and its strategic partnerships and acquisitions make Medtronic PLC an attractive option for investors looking for a long-term growth opportunity.
McCormick & Company, Incorporated manufactures, markets, and distributes spices, seasoning mixes, condiments, and other flavorful products to the food industry. It operates in two segments, Consumer and Flavor Solutions. The Consumer segment offers spices, herbs, and seasonings, as well as condiments and sauces, and desserts. This segment markets its products under the McCormick, French's, Frank's RedHot, Lawry's, Cholula Hot Sauce, Gourmet Garden, Club House, and OLD BAY brands in the Americas; Ducros, Schwartz, Kamis, and LA Drogheria, and Vahine brands in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; McCormick and DaQiao brands in China; and McCormick, Aeroplane, and Gourmet Garden brands in Australia, as well as markets regional and ethnic brands, such as Zatarain's, Stubb's, Thai Kitchen, and Simply Asia. It also supplies its products under the private labels. This segment serves retailers comprising grocery, mass merchandise, warehouse clubs, discount and drug stores, and e-commerce retailers directly and indirectly through distributors and wholesale foodservice suppliers. The Flavor Solutions segment offers seasoning blends, spices and herbs, condiments, coating systems, and compound flavors to multinational food manufacturers and foodservice customers. It serves foodservice customers directly and indirectly through distributors. McCormick & Company, Incorporated was founded in 1889 and is headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland.
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.
Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund, Inc. is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Credit Suisse Asset Management, LLC. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It primarily invests in high yield corporate debt such as bonds and debentures that are rated Baa or lower by Moody's or BBB or lower by S&P. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the BofA Merrill Lynch US High Yield Master II Constrained Index. Credit Suisse Asset Management Income Fund, Inc. was formed on February 11, 1987 and is domiciled in the United States.
American Express Company is a multinational financial services company based in New York City. The company provides credit cards, charge cards, traveler's cheques and other financial services to individuals and businesses worldwide.



Founded in 1850, American Express has been a pioneer in the credit card industry and has developed a reputation for offering premium products and services that cater to high-income consumers. The company operates in over 130 countries and employs over 75,000 people globally.

Stephen J. Squeri has served as American Express Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since 2018, succeeding Kenneth I. Chenault. Squeri joined the company in 1985 and has held various leadership positions.



He is credited with leading the company's digital transformation and developing new partnerships with technology companies such as Apple, Google and Amazon. Other key management team members include Chief Financial Officer Jeffrey C. Campbell and Vice Chairman Douglas E. Buckminster.

American Express has consistently generated strong financial results, with revenue increasing consistently over the past few years. The company's net income has also grown during this same time frame. The company's profit margin has remained relatively stable at around 14%.



American Express has maintained a strong balance sheet, with a debt-to-equity ratio and a price-to-book ratio consistent with industry averages. Over the past couple of years, American Express' stock has performed well, leading its industry peers.

The credit card industry is highly competitive, with a few prominent players dominating the market. American Express competes with other major credit card companies, such as Visa and Mastercard and banks that issue private-label credit cards.



The industry has been growing steadily, with global credit card transactions expected to reach $8.8 trillion by 2025. However, the industry faces several challenges, including increasing regulatory scrutiny and the threat of disruption from fintech startups.

American Express has several growth opportunities, including expanding its presence in international markets and developing new partnerships with technology companies. The company has made significant progress in these areas, with global revenue growth from 2016 to 2022.



American Express has also partnered with companies such as Uber, Marriott and Delta Airlines to offer unique benefits to its cardholders. Additionally, the company has been investing in its digital capabilities by launching its digital wallet and mobile app.

Despite its stable financial performance and growth opportunities, American Express faces several risks and challenges. The company's high-end products and services may be vulnerable to changes in consumer preferences, and the company may need help to appeal to younger generations who prefer debit cards and mobile payments.



Additionally, American Express is subject to increasing regulatory scrutiny, with regulators monitoring the company's anti-money laundering practices and compliance with consumer protection laws. The company's debt levels and dependence on the global economy also pose risks, as a recession or economic downturn could impact its profitability.

Another major challenge for American Express is the increasing competition from fintech startups, disrupting the traditional credit card industry by offering innovative products and services. These startups are often more agile and adaptable than established companies like American Express and may be able to offer more attractive rewards and lower fees to customers.



To stay competitive, American Express must continue to innovate and develop new products and services that cater to changing customer preferences.
TELUS Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides a range of telecommunications and information technology products and services in Canada. It operates through Technology Solutions and Digitally-Led Customer Experiences segments. The Technology Solutions segment offers a range of telecommunications products and services; network services; mobile technologies equipment; data services, such as internet protocol; television; hosting, managed information technology, and cloud-based services; software, data management, and data analytics-driven smart food-chain and consumer goods technologies; home and business security; healthcare software and technology solutions; and voice and other telecommunications services. The Digitally-Led Customer Experiences segment provides digital customer experience and digital-enablement transformation solutions, including artificial intelligence and content management solutions. The company was formerly known as TELUS Communications Inc. and changed its name to TELUS Corporation in February 2005. TELUS Corporation was incorporated in 1998 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.
Linde plc operates as an industrial gas company in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It offers atmospheric gases, including oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and rare gases; and process gases, such as carbon dioxide, helium, hydrogen, electronic gases, specialty gases, and acetylene. The company also designs and constructs turnkey process plants for third-party customers, as well as for the gas businesses in various locations, such as air separation, hydrogen, synthesis, olefin, and natural gas plants. It serves a range of industries, including healthcare, chemicals and energy, manufacturing, metals and mining, food and beverage, and electronics. The company was founded in 1879 and is based in Woking, the United Kingdom.
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. was founded in 1869 by Marcus Goldman as an investment bank catering to institutions and businesses. Among the firm's first products are the revolutionary use of commercial paper for entrepreneurs which opened a new method of finance for business and industry.

The original firm expanded to Goldman Sachs in 1882 with the inclusion of son-in-law Samuel Sachs and again in 1885 with a son and another son-in-law. The firm joined the New York Stock Exchange in 1896 expanding into trading of its own and in 1898 it was worth $1.6 million. The company began its work in the IPO market in 1906 with the initial public offering of Sears, Roebuck & Co., and then moved on to Ford and other prominent names of the time.

The 1930s brings a change of leadership and a new direction for the firm. The company shifted toward a purer play on investment banking and embarks on a campaign of acquisition that lasted until the present day. The company doesnt go public itself until 1999 and from that point on it will change into a bank holding company that not only offers investment banking services but takes deposits too, and in 2016 the company added consumer banking to its list of services.

Today, Goldman Sachs is a financial institution that provides a range of financial services for corporations, institutions, governments, and individuals globally. The company operates through four segments that include Investment Banking, Global Markets, Asset Management, and Consumer & Wealth Management. According to US banking regulations, it is systemically important to the financial health of America.

The company is headquartered in New York, New York, and operates 6 regional headquarters as well. Regional headquarters are located in financial hotspots such as London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangalore, and Warsaw. Among its many prominent CEOs are John Corzine and Hank Paulson who both went on to successful work in government.

The company's Investment Banking segment provides a full range of financial advisory services as well as underwriting for the public markets. The financial advisory services include but are not limited to strategic advisory for mergers and acquisitions, divestiture, restructuring, and spin-offs. This segment is also engaged in middle-market lending and transaction banking. Underwriting services include IPOs, preferred stock, debt instruments, and bridge loans.

Goldman Sachs Global Markets segment facilitates market transactions for institutions, banks, brokerages, corporations, and governments. Services include execution, derivatives, financing, clearing, settlement, and custody.

The Asset Management segment manages client portfolios across the investment spectrum while the Consumer & Wealth Management segment provides advisory and banking services to consumers.
Medical Properties Trust Inc. is a real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in acquiring and developing healthcare facilities. The company's portfolio comprises properties across the United States and Europe, including acute care hospitals, long-term acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, and other healthcare facilities.

Since 2003, Medical Properties Trust Inc. has become a leading player in the healthcare real estate industry. The company's strategy is centered on long-term leases with high-quality tenants, providing stable cash flow and reducing the risk associated with occupancy and rental rate volatility. Medical Properties Trust Inc. has a strong track record of growth and profitability.

One of the critical drivers of Medical Properties Trust Inc.'s success is its focus on the healthcare industry. With an aging population and increasing demand for healthcare services, the healthcare industry is expected to continue growing in the coming years. As a result, the need for healthcare facilities is likely to increase, which should benefit Medical Properties Trust Inc.

Additionally, the company's focus on long-term leases with high-quality tenants provides stability and predictability, which is especially important in the healthcare industry, where occupancy and rental rate volatility can be high.

Medical Properties Trust Inc. has an excellent management team with a proven track record of success. Under the company's current leadership, Medical Properties Trust Inc. has grown rapidly and consistently outperformed its peers. The company's management team has also demonstrated a commitment to sustainability and social responsibility. In 2020, Medical Properties Trust Inc. was recognized as a leader in sustainability performance.

Medical Properties Trust Inc. is exposed to general economic conditions, regulatory changes, and competition within the healthcare real estate industry. The company's success is also dependent on the performance of its tenants, which may be affected by factors such as changes in healthcare laws, reimbursement rates, and patient volumes. Additionally, the company's focus on healthcare real estate may limit its ability to diversify its portfolio in the event of a downturn in the healthcare industry.

Despite the risks, Medical Properties Trust Inc. has shown resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of healthcare facilities, and the company's portfolio of high-quality properties has continued to generate strong cash flows. Medical Properties Trust Inc. has used the pandemic to acquire additional properties at attractive valuations.

Medical Properties Trust Inc. is well-positioned to benefit from several long-term trends in the healthcare industry:

The aging population is expected to increase the demand for healthcare services, including acute care hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, and long-term care facilities. The shift towards value-based care drives consolidation in the healthcare industry, likely resulting in increased demand for healthcare facilities. Advances in medical technology are increasing the need for specialized facilities, such as proton therapy and cancer treatment centers.

Medical Properties Trust Inc.'s financial position is strong, with a healthy balance sheet and access to capital markets. The company has consistently maintained an investment-grade credit rating and low capital cost, allowing it to finance growth. Additionally, the company has a diversified tenant base, with no single tenant accounting for more than 4% of its annualized base rent. This provides stability and reduces the risk associated with tenant concentration.
North Korea may be able to boost Russia's supply of artillery munitions for the war in Ukraine , but that is not likely to make a big difference, the top American military officer said as he arrived in Norway for NATO meetings that began Saturday and will focus in part on the conflict.

U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the recent meeting in Russia between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin will probably lead North Korea to provide Soviet-era 152 mm artillery rounds to Moscow. But he said it was not yet clear how many or how soon.

Would it have a huge difference? Im skeptical of that, Milley told reporters traveling with him. He said that while he does not want to play down the weapons assistance too much, "I doubt that it would be decisive.

Foreign governments and experts have speculated that Kim will likely supply ammunition to Russia in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia.

Milley and the other defense chiefs from NATO countries are meeting at the Holmenkollen ski area on the edge of Oslo over the next several days to discuss support for Ukraine and other regional defense issues. From there, Milley will attend the monthly meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany, Tuesday. That group, led by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, is the main international forum for drumming up military support for Ukraine.

The NATO meetings come as Ukraine forces are making slow progress breaking through Russian battle lines in a counteroffensive that has not moved as quickly or as well as initially hoped. Kyiv's leaders are lobbying for a new round of advanced weapons, including longer range missiles.

Adm. Rob Bauer of the Netherlands, the chair of the NATO Military Committee, said Saturday at the meetings that history will show Ukraine has transformed modern warfare and they are moving forward every day. Every success is one step closer to victory." He said Russian forces "keep losing more and more ground, and the whole of Russia is suffering under the impact of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation."

Milley said there is a continued need for more weapons and equipment in Ukraine and that allies and partners will be discussing how to address that. He said he believes there continues to be broad, bipartisan support in the United States and the U.S. Congress for the aid.

But American lawmakers are increasingly divided over providing additional assistance for Ukraine as the war is well into its second year. President Joe Biden has proposed a package of $13.1 billion more in military aid and $8.5 billion for humanitarian support. Conservative Republicans are pushing for broad federal spending cuts and some of those allied with former President Donald Trump are specifically looking to stop money to Ukraine.

The issue will be a prime topic in Washington in the coming week when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the White House and Capitol Hill during his stop in the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly.

In Norway, the NATO chiefs of defense will follow up their meeting Saturday with a smaller gathering Sunday of about a dozen Western and Indo-Pacific military leaders that Milley said will focus on lessons learned in the Ukraine war and how they can be applied to the Pacific.

The U.S. considers China its key national security challenge and tensions between the two nations have grown as Beijing continues an aggressive military expansion in the region. Over the past year, China has stepped up military activities around Taiwan, sending warships and warplanes on a near-daily basis.

China claims the self-ruled island as its own, and there are ongoing worries that Beijing is preparing to use force to try and take control of Taiwan. Global leaders have warned that failure to stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine could encourage other countries to try similar takeovers and upend the rules-based international order in place since the end of World War II.

Milley said the group will include defense chiefs from Britain, Norway, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, France, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. (AP)
Japan's Kansai Electric Power restarted a 47-year-old reactor at its western nuclear power station in Takahama, Friday, a company spokesperson said, noting that it adds nearly 1 gigawatt of power to further trim the consumption of gas.

The 826 megawatt (MW) reactor, put online in 1975, had been shut since November 2011 after the Fukushima nuclear disaster that March prompted Japan to idle most of its reactors and tighten safety standards.

Following special government approval to extend its life beyond the standard limit of 40 years, the Takahama No.2 reactor becomes Japan's third of the kind to come back online after Kansai Electric's Mihama No.3 and Takahama No.1. LNG imports by Japan, the world's second-biggest buyer of the fuel behind China, fell 17.4 percent in July, customs data shows, thanks to nuclear power restarts and the growing use of renewable energy.

Kansai expects its fuel procurement cost to fall by 12 billion yen ($81 million) a month thanks to the Takahama No.1 and No.2 restarts, President Nozomu Mori told reporters. Kansai had forecast a record profit for the year to March 31, 2024.

After Friday's restart, Japan has 12 operating reactors with a combined capacity of 11.6 GW, or a third of the 33.1 GW of capacity from the 33 reactors designated for commercial use.

Analysts say each gigawatt of nuclear power is equivalent to a million metric tons of LNG a year, so the restarts could trim annual imports by a tenth this year - the sharpest drop since the Fukushima disaster  and help to reduce Asian LNG prices.

Kansai is Japan's biggest nuclear power operator, with all of its seven reactors approved for commercial use now in operation. It plans to suspend Takahama No.3 for maintenance from Sept. 18 to fully resume operations in January.

Given Japan's nuclear and renewable energy cannot yet fully replace gas, utilities inventories of LNG by Sept. 10 remained at their lowest in nearly one-and-a-half years for a second successive week, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said.

Utilities, which hold about half of Japan's LNG inventories, had stockpiles of 1.68 million tons, a slight increase from the Sept. 3 figure of 1.66 million, as cooler weather reduced the need for air-conditioning.

Takeo Kikkawa, president of the International University of Japan, believes that a maximum of about 20 reactors, or 15 percent of the energy mix, would come online by 2030, falling short of the government's target of 20 to 22 percent owing to lengthy approvals and difficulties gaining consent from local communities.

"Japan will need to keep buying more fossil fuels than it has targeted in 2030," Kikkawa, who specialises in the energy industry, told Reuters. (Reuters)
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Convicted Brazilian murderer Danilo Cavalcante managed to escape police, including dogs and aircraft, for almost two weeks. How did he manage to do that, though?

Shortly after his dramatic capture, the Brazil man spoke with investigators and actually divulged how he evaded capture for such a long time. Supervisory Deputy US Marshal Rob Clark spoke with CNN and talked about what the former prison escapee told them.

Clark noted that the 34-year-old convict admitted in the interview that he considered surrendering to authorities at one point, and this happened as hundreds of law enforcement officers were deployed to search for him in the Pennsylvania woods.

"He said it was very difficult living out there, but it wasn't difficult because of the environment or the terrain. It was difficult because the law enforcement presence was increasing every day," said the US Marshal. However, he also noted that Danilo Cavalcante "was a desperate man just trying to survive on a day-to-day basis."

Cavalcante told his interviewers that he "saw law enforcement officers walk within yards of him amid the thick brush," This happened three times. He also explained that he only moved under the cover of nightfall, and he strategically chose to travel only along the edge of tree lines and tried to familiarize himself with local roads.

He also told investigators about hearing a Portuguese audio message blaring from a helicopter overhead that was telling him to surrender. This made him think, "Wow, they have a Brazilian working for them now." Cavalcante also admitted that he "hid his fecal matter so investigators couldn't track him."

As Latin Post previously reported, the Brazil man tried to escape to Canada but was instead captured after police surrounded him and let loose a search dog named Yoda. The 4-year-old Belgian Malinois bit him in the scalp and then in the "nether regions."

READ MORE: Danelo Cavalcante, Escaped Brazilian Murderer, Finally Arrested After 2-Week Manhunt

Brazilian Murderer Danilo Cavalcante Now a Cult Hero in Latin America

Danilo Cavalcante's daring escape from a Pennsylvania prison did not just capture the imagination of people in the US but also in Latin America, where he was originally from. His escape inspired memes and countless TikTok videos talking about his exploits.

"It has the fun of a soap opera," one man in his native Brazil told the Washington Post. Another admitted, "I like to see Americans in bad shape," as many praised him for becoming a thorn in the side of US authorities.

This is despite Cavalcante being wanted back in Brazil for murder. This murder led to him killing his then-girlfriend in front of her children after he escaped to the US while on the run from Brazilian authorities.

Danilo Cavalcante's Brazil Murder Case Still Unsolved

Cavalcante is still wanted in Brazil where he allegedly shot and killed a man whose family members said owed him money. While he faces life in prison in the US, the case he is facing back home is still considered an unsolved case.

Since his Pennsylvania escape, Cavalcante's 2017 Brazil case was reopened, and a court hearing has already been scheduled for October 11. It is expected to go to a jury, probably next year, according to Fox 23. He is facing a maximum of 30 years in prison in his home country, which has more lenient rules regarding imprisonment.

READ MORE: Brazil: Jair Bolsonaro Tried To Hack the 2022 Election, Says Hacker

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: CAVALCANTE CAUGHT: Escaped Pa. inmate Danelo Cavalcante has been captured - 6abc Philadelphia
Actor Hugh Jackman and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, have decided to separate after sharing 27 years of marriage.

They expressed gratitude for the nearly three decades they have spent together in a loving and wonderful marriage in a joint statement confirmed by CNN.

However, they now feel that their individual paths lead them in different directions, prompting this decision to separate.

They emphasized that their family has always been and will remain their top priority. With a sense of gratitude, love, and kindness, they embark on this new chapter in their lives.

They also kindly requested understanding and privacy from the public as they navigate this transition.

Hugh Jackman had previously celebrated their most recent wedding anniversary in April with a heartfelt tribute to Deborra-Lee Furness.

In an Instagram post, he expressed his deep love and appreciation for her, acknowledging the beautiful family and life they had built together.

Their joint statement was signed "Deb and Hugh Jackman," they concluded by stating that this is the only statement they will make regarding their separation.

READ NEXT: Hugh Jackman Reveals His Jaw-Dropping Meals in Preparation to Play Wolverine Again in 'Deadpool 3'

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness's love story began in 1995 when they met on the set of the Australian TV series "Corelli," according to PEOPLE.

Despite their different levels of fame at the time, with Deborra-lee already an established actress and Hugh a budding actor fresh out of drama school, they quickly fell deeply in love. Less than a year later, they decided to tie the knot.

Hugh vividly remembered their first meeting, with Deborra-Lee greeting him as she sat in the car's front seat, removing her seatbelt and introducing herself with a warm handshake and a friendly smile.

Their wedding took place on April 11, 1996, and they became one of Hollywood's most cherished couples over the years.

On their 27th wedding anniversary in April, Hugh expressed his deep affection for Deborra-Lee on Instagram, highlighting the beautiful family and life they had built together.

Considering their incredible gifts, he praised her for her laughter, spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage, and loyalty.

Their most recent public appearances included the Met Gala on May 1 and their attendance at the men's finals at Wimbledon in July, showcasing their enduring connection and public presence as a beloved couple.

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness Children

Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness are loving parents to two children, both of whom they adopted as young children: Oscar, now 23 years old, and Ava, who is 18, TODAY noted.

In sharing their parenting journey, Hugh Jackman has openly discussed their desire to adopt. He emphasized that adoption had always been a part of their plan as a couple.

However, they faced challenges in their efforts to conceive biologically, leading them to explore alternative paths to parenthood.

They went through the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF), but sadly, Deborra-Lee experienced several miscarriages during this period.

Hugh Jackman highlighted the importance of discussing such experiences openly, as miscarriages are relatively common but often shrouded in silence.

He acknowledged the emotional difficulty of going through this, emphasizing the grieving process that couples must navigate.

Their story serves as a reminder that building a family can take various forms, and their openness about their journey has helped raise awareness and support others facing similar challenges.

READ MORE: Sofia Vergara Divorce

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness Split After 27 Years Together - From E! News
Jenna Ellis, who previously served as Donald Trump's election lawyer and now is his co-defendant in Georgia, has turned on the ex-president and vowed to never vote for him again. She also blasted the man she used to defend on a daily basis on TV, calling him a "malignant narcissist."

"I simply can't support him for elected office again," Ellis said during an interview with the conservative Family Radio, a right-wing evangelical network. "Why I have chosen to distance is because of that frankly malignant narcissistic tendency to simply say that he's never done anything wrong."

The 38-year-old embattled lawyer represented Trump during his 2020 election loss. She is also one of the 19 co-defendants in the sprawling Georgia RICO case as she was implicated in Donald Trump's attempts to illegally overturn the results of the 2020 elections in that state.

The former Trump lawyer was charged with violating state anti-racketeering laws and solicitation of violation of an oath by a public officer, according to The Guardian. She was granted $100,000 bail and pleaded not guilty to those charges. She is currently facing some financial trouble, much like Trump's other former lawyers, and tried to get the former president to help with her legal fees but he refused.

Jenna Ellis Questioned Why Donald Trump's MAGA Pac Won't Pay for Her Legal Bills

Much like co-defendant Rudy Giuliani, she has also complained that the former president has not paid her legal fees. She and other co-defendants have tried to get some crowdfunding going in order to pay for her mounting legal bills.

READ MORE: Ex-Donald Trump Lawyer Jenna Ellis Admits to Lying in 2020 Election Fraud Claims

She slammed the decision to not pay for her legal bills on X, tweeting, "I was reliably informed Trump isn't funding any of us who are indicted." Ellis, who was personally sought out by Trump after seeing her defend him on TV, added, "Would this change if he becomes the nominee? Why then, not now? I totally agree this has become a bigger principle than just one man. So why isn't MAGA, Inc. funding everyone's defense?"

Much like Trump, Ellis has been facing mounting legal problems. Earlier this year, she admitted in court that she also made statements about the 2020 presidential election. This led to a judge ruling that she must be censured in public.

Twitter Gave Special Counsel 32 of Donald Trump's Private Messages

Meanwhile, on other Donald Trump cases, X, formerly known as Twitter, has now cooperated with Special Counsel Jack Smith and handed investigators at least 32 of the former president's private messages.

According to The Guardian, prosecutors with the Special Counsel investigating Trump's election interference and his classified documents cases had received access to "some volume" of Trump's direct messages back in August. This was revealed after a filing o the US Circuit Court of Appeals was unsealed.

X had to comply to the warrant which was authorized by the court back in January oif this year. Then-known as Twitter, the company initially refused to comply and it had soon become a legal battle, which from what the filing suggests, the US government won.

READ MORE: Donald Trump Election Interference Co-Conspirators Turning on Each Other

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Trump REFUSES TO PAY Jenna Ellis' Legal Bills - She's Now BEGGING His Supporters!!! - Jesse Dollemore
The family of a New Mexico man, Robert Dotson, who tragically lost his life when officers responded to the wrong address, has filed a lawsuit, alleging "extreme, unreasonable actions" on the part of the officers that led to his death, per ABC.

The incident occurred when three Farmington, New Mexico police officers, who were responding to a domestic violence call late in the evening on April 5, mistakenly went to the residence of Robert Dotson, specifically house number 5305 instead of the intended 5308, according to state police reports.

Body camera footage released by the police department depicted the officers knocking on the door and announcing themselves repeatedly, followed by a debate on whether they were at the correct address after receiving no response.

Tragically, as the officers departed, Robert Dotson emerged from his residence, holding a handgun. The officers opened fire, resulting in Dotson's fatal shooting.

READ NEXT: FBI Raids Homes of Bandidos Biker Gang Members in New Mexico

New Mexico Police Officers Were 'Willful, Malicious, and Reckless,' Says Lawsuit

The lawsuit filed by the Dotson family asserts that they were upstairs in their home when the police began knocking, rendering them unable to hear the officers' announcements.

When Robert Dotson opened the door, he was blinded by the flashlights held by the police officers. The tragic result was that he was shot 12 times, according to the lawsuit.

The suit explains that Kimberly Dotson, unaware that police officers were present in her front yard, began firing her weapon, USA TODAY noted.

In response, the officers fired 19 shots in her direction. Afterward, the lawsuit claims that Kimberly Dotson, along with her two children, was detained and handcuffed by the officers.

According to the suit, she remained unaware that it was the officers who had fatally shot her husband until she was informed of this eight hours later while at the police station, where she was detained.

The lawsuit alleges that the officers violated the rights of Dotson and his family as protected by the federal and state constitutions.

It characterizes the officers' conduct as "willful, malicious, and reckless."

The family is seeking compensation through this legal action and advocating for changes in how the police department hires, trains, monitors, and retains its officers.

They seek greater awareness about the circumstances surrounding Robert Dotson's tragic death.

Sued New Mexico Police Officers Attorney Blames Computer-Aided Dispatch Terminal in Patrol Vehicle

The police chief has described the shooting as tragic and pledged cooperation with New Mexico State Police investigators. The investigation is now complete and is under review by the state attorney general's office.

Attorney Luis Robles, representing the officers involved, echoed the chief's sentiments, expressing regret that the incident occurred.

He explained that the lead officer relied on a computer-aided dispatch terminal for navigation, which incorrectly placed the pin at the Dotsons' home instead of the caller's residence, AP reports.

Robles disagreed that their use of technology amounted to reckless disregard, emphasizing the tragic nature of the incident.

On the other hand, Tom Clark, one of the New Mexico family's attorneys, firmly places the blame on the officers, asserting that they opened fire without identifying themselves as law enforcement.

Clark believes a jury will ultimately rule in their favor regarding the legality of the officers' actions.

The family's lawyers have also raised concerns about training and oversight within the Farmington Police Department concerning the use of force.

They argue that damages should be awarded to discourage such conduct by other cities and police departments.

READ MORE: Alex Murdaugh Appears in Court for the First Time Since Murder Trial

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: New Mexico police fatally shoot man after approaching wrong home - From NBC News
Boston firefighter Daniel Ranahan had heard about colleagues getting cancer but he was stunned when doctors discovered a large tumor in his chest.

He was only 30 and had been in the Boston Fire Department less than a decade. But as he investigated his diagnosis of Hodgkins lymphoma in October 2020 and sought successful treatment, he learned he and others wore gear that contained the toxic industrial compound PFAS.

You always hear about the dangers. You just never think its going be you, said Ranahan, who stopped working due to the cancer and is among thousands of firefighters nationwide who sued PFAS manufacturers and companies that make firefighting gear and foam, seeking damages for their exposure.

These guys put this on day in and day out to protect neighborhoods and wherever they are working, he said.

The multi-layered coats and pants worn by firefighters have become the latest battleground over PFAS, or per- and polyfluorinated substances. Its found in everything from food packaging to clothing and is associated with health problems including several types of cancer. In March, the Environmental Protection Agency for the first time proposed limits on the chemicals in drinking water.

The news that PFAS compounds are in their gear  primarily meant to repel water and contaminants like oil and prevent moisture-related burns  is worrisome to firefighters.

Cancer has replaced heart disease as the biggest killer of firefighters, and the International Association of Fire Fighters or IAFF attributes 66% of firefighter deaths between 2002 and 2019 to cancer. Firefighters are at higher risk of getting several types of cancer, according to IAFF, including twice as likely to get testicular cancer and mesothelioma than the general population.

Colleagues of late Lehigh Valley firefighter and educator Christopher Kiskeravage say his battle with cancer was linked to his occupation. He died June 9 at age 56. Allentown is naming its new state-of-the-art fire academy after the former city assistant fire chief.

Firefighters are exposed to a laundry list of carcinogens coming from fires burning hotter and faster than ever before  often due to increased petroleum products in homes. But as they learn more about PFAS, a growing number are convinced their personal protective equipment or PPE is sickening them.

We had no idea that the gear that we were putting on every day was essentially loaded with PFAS, said IAFF General President Edward Kelly, who was elected in 2021 on a campaign in part to address dangers of PFAS in gear.

As more scientific data availed itself, it became obvious that our greatest exposure to carcinogens is our a daily donning and doffing of PPE bunker gear, he continued.

One defendant in the lawsuits, 3M Co., said in a statement that it manufactures a variety of personal protective equipment products that meet nationally recognized standards to help protect first responders facing high-hazard environments. Last year, the company announced it would stop manufacturing PFAS by the end of 2025 and would work to discontinue using the chemicals in its products.

Another defendant, W. L. Gore & Associates, says the PFAS compound PTFE used in its clothing is nontoxic and safe.

Based on the body of available and reliable science, Gore concludes its firefighting products are not the cause of cancers impacting firefighters, who by the nature of their important work are sometimes exposed to cancer-causing chemicals from fires, said company spokesperson Amy Calhoun.

The American Chemistry Council said in a statement that PFAS-based materials are the only viable options for some key equipment that meet the vital performance properties required for firefighting gear.

HEIGHTENED CONCERNS ABOUT GEAR

The PFAS has been in the gear for decades. But the wife of retired Worcester, Massachusetts fire lieutenant Paul Cotter, who was diagnosed with prostate cancer in October 2014, raised concerns about it in 2016. Until then, many firefighters had not heard of PFAS or did not know it was in their gear.

Gear makers told Diane Cotter there were only trace amounts of PFAS and it was safe. I was attacked by firefighters when discussing the idea that chemicals in the gear could be causing cancer, she said.

A Brockton firefighter walks past protective gear at Station 1, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023, in Brockton, Mass. Firefighters around the country are concerned that gear laced with the toxic industrial compound PFAS could be one reason why cancer rates among their ranks are rising. The chemical, which has been linked to health problems including several types of cancer, is used in turnout gear to repel water and other substances when fighting a fire.AP Photo/Steven Senne

Cotter sent patches of gear to Graham Peaslee, a University of Notre Dame professor who studies PFAS, for testing.

It was loaded with PFAS. That was the first eye opening moment that there may be more than just trace amounts, said Peaslee, who also found the chemicals on gloves and in firehouse dust.

They come off and they pose risks, he said.

Courtney Carignan, an exposure scientist and epidemiologist at Michigan State University, said she found PFAS at twice the levels of the general population in the blood of more than half of the 18 firefighters she tested in Nantucket and Fall River, Massachusetts. She also found PFAS in gear was transferred to the skin of firefighters.

But Carignan is still investigating how much the gear contributed to increased levels of PFAS in the blood and whether PFAS exposure may be causing or contributing to cancer.

Even though we know PFAS is in the gear, we still dont know how much exposure that is, she said.

FIREFIGHTERS TAKE ACTION

The revelation of PFAS in the gear sparked a campaign by firefighters to find safer alternatives and to hold companies responsible.

Lawsuits on behalf of firefighters argue they were exposed to significant PFAS levels and companies knew the gear contained PFAS and that it can cause serious health problems. The suits also allege companies misrepresented their products as safe.

The IAFF, which represents more than 340,000 U.S. and Canadian firefighters, decided in 2021 to no longer accept sponsorships or advertising from the chemical industry and to oppose PFAS in turnout gear. A Congressional bill introduced in July would accelerate the search for safer alternatives and support firefighter training to reduce exposure from existing gear.

Seven states including Washington, New Hampshire and New York passed bills requiring companies to disclose PFAS in their gear, according to Safer States, a coalition of environmental health groups. Several more states introduced or enacted bills this year that provide funds to purchase PFAS-free gear or prohibit manufacture or sale of gear containing the chemicals, according to Emily Sampson, an environment policy analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures.

NO EASY FIX

For most fire departments, there is no easy fix. Replacing gear is expensive  one set can cost upwards of $4,000  and finding alternatives has proven challenging. Some companies are promoting a PFAS-free outer layer but that doesnt solve the problem because the other two layers still contain PFAS, the IAFF said.

Among the hurdles, according to a IAFF lawsuit filed in March, is that the National Fire Protection Association or NFPA standard for gear can only be met with PFAS-infused material. The suit accuses the NFPA of working with several gear makers to maintain that requirement. It seeks damages and an end to the standard.

Chris Dubay, NFPA vice president and chief engineer, said in a statement that the standard does not specify or require the use of any particular materials, chemicals or treatments for that gear. He said the group has no special agreements or relationships with any company or organization in development of standards.

The manufacturers who are producing this gear owe it to the fire service to come up with an alternative, Brockton Fire Chief Brian Nardelli, who has heard of companies promoting gear with less PFAS but is reluctant to buy it for his 231-member department without more proof.

Instead, his department tries to limit firefighter exposure to gear thats been integral to firefighter identity. They would take it everywhere, including charity events. Now, Brockton discourages firefighters from wearing turnout gear in living quarters and encourages them to wash it after fires. Its stored on trucks and is only to be worn for serious calls like fires and car accidents.

Guys have seen everyone who has gotten cancer, guys dying from cancer, said William Hill, the president of the Brockton Fire Fighters Local 144 who was successfully treated for testicular cancer. Being told that PFAS is in the gear, guys dont want to take the chance of being overexposed.

By MICHAEL CASEY

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It was Elizabeth Payanos first time visiting the picturesque lake in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains with her family.

The Sayreville mother had heard about Beltzville State Parks lake from friends and family and drove to the Pennsylvania recreation area on Aug. 6 with her three children and other relatives.

They arrived to find full parking lots and crowds of visitors at the lakes swimming beach in Lehighton, Pennsylvania. When they were turned away because the beach was at capacity, they went to a nearby cove where they saw others swimming.

Fifteen minutes after they arrived, Payano went to her car to get life jackets for the kids. Thats when she heard screaming.

Everything happened so fast, unexpectedly, Payano said. All of you as a family go together, and ... you have to go back with one less in the family.

Her son, Elisam Santana, 18, drowned in the swimming cove while saving his brother, 14, and cousin, 9, his family said. Santana was a 2022 graduate of Sayreville War Memorial High School and a student at Brookdale Community College in Middletown.

Though the state park prohibits people from swimming in the cove, Payano said visitors were in the water when the family arrived. There were no signs telling guests that swimming in the area was prohibited or could be dangerous, she said.

The mother is now advocating for state park authorities to install signs to prevent further drownings.

The way everything happened, I just want to avoid other families and members, especially moms, that can be going through this situation that we are going through, Payano said.

The eastern reaches of Beltzville Lake looking west toward the Preachers Camp Boat Launch at Beltzville State Park are seen July 10, 2023.Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com

The Beltzville State Park has a 525-foot sand beach around the lake, which is open from late-May to mid-September each year. The lakes visitors swim at their own risk, according to the park.

The beach is the only area on the lake that is open for swimming. It often reaches capacity on summer weekends.

When Payano visited with her family, they were turned away due to the crowds, she said. She and her group drove along Pohopoco Drive until they reached the cove where they saw other visitors.

Beltzville State Park Manager Benjamin Monk told Lehigh Valley Live in August that the lakes depth drops rapidly along the cove, going from just a few feet to about 40 feet deep, according to Google Maps.

Santanas 14-year-old brother and 9-year-old cousin went into water up to their knees and started swimming before the lake bottom dropped off and they were in over their heads, said Heidilyn Urena, Santanas cousin and the older sister of the 9-year-old.

Urena wasnt at the cove that day, but she relayed details that others who were present shared with her.

Once they were tired of swimming and they cant feel the ground, they started panicking, Urena said.

Thats when Santana, who was swimming nearby, rushed to their aid. He saved the boys. But, he didnt make it back to the shore, she said.

His body was recovered the next day.

People often cross into or swim in undesignated areas, said Adam Katchmarchi, the executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, a nonprofit group aimed at reducing the number of drownings in the United States.

Some areas where swimming is prohibited lack signs warning people of the potential danger, Katchmarchi said.

I dont think its a bad idea to have signage and indicate that this area is not designated for swimming, Katchmarchi said. Should a lake ... put signage, make people aware if theres an inherent danger in that area? Absolutely.

Wesley Robinson, a spokesperson for the states Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said any swimming outside of Beltzvilles designated swimming beach is prohibited.

The swimming in question occurred on state game lands, where swimming is prohibited, Robinson said.

Robinson did not comment on whether the park is considering adding signs about the rules prohibiting swimming in the cove.

Payano said she was unaware swimming was prohibited in the area when she arrived with her family.

There were no signs anywhere, Payano said. Otherwise, I would never have put my family in danger or those families that were there.

Payano said she will honor her sons memory by fighting for signage at the lake until authorities install it.

I live to prevent the pain. My life has changed, Payano said. Because right now I dont have my son with me.

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Camille Furst may be reached at cfurst@njadvancemedia.com.
The Northampton County District Attorneys Office said police discovered a woman, 39, and a teenage girl, 16, dead inside a home in the 1100 block of Railroad Street in North Catasauqua on Thursday.

North Catasauqua Borough Police Department were dispatched at 11:22 a.m. to 1106 Railroad Street and upon arriving at the scene they were met by distraught family members who had discovered the victims, authorities said.

Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek pronounced the 39-year-old victim dead at 1:11 p.m. and the 16-year-old victim dead at 1:12 p.m., according to a statement from the district attorneys office.

The cause of death was due to sharp force injuries and the manner of death ruled homicide, the statement said.

The statement did not give the victims names.

Police had closed off streets in the area of the home on Thursday afternoon. Railroad Street was cordoned off with police caution tape from Birch Street to Almond Street.

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When she was around 22 weeks pregnant, the patient found out that the son she was carrying didnt have kidneys and his lungs wouldnt develop. If he survived the birth, he would struggle to breathe and die within hours.

The patient had a crushing decision to make: continue the pregnancy  which could be a risk to her health and her ability to have children in the future  or have an abortion.

I dont think I stopped crying for an entire two weeks, she said. The whole world felt heavy.  Its not something anybody should have to go through. Its not easy losing somebody you love.

KFF Health News is not disclosing the womans name or the name of the community where she lives, because she fears harm if her identity becomes known. She lives in Missouri, which has one of the strictest abortion bans in the nation. KFF Health News confirmed details of her experience.

After the fetal diagnosis, the patients Missouri doctors told her that her life wasnt in immediate danger, but they also pointed out the risks of carrying the pregnancy to term. And in her family, theres a history of hemorrhaging while giving birth. If she started to bleed, her doctors said, she might lose her uterus, too. The patient said this possibility was devastating. Shes a young mom who wants more children.

So she chose to get an abortion. Her Missouri doctors told her it was the safest option  but they wouldnt provide one.

The patient had to leave Missouri and cross the border to Illinois, which has become a legal haven for abortion rights. Because of her complicated pregnancy, she received the abortion in a hospital.

Since the Dobbs decision overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, determining who can get an abortion and where has been complicated by medically ambiguous language in new state laws that ban or restrict abortion. Doctors in those states fear they could lose their medical licenses or wind up in jail.

Amid these changes, physicians in abortion havens such as Illinois are stepping up to fill the void and provide care to as many patients as possible.

But getting each medically complex patient connected to a doctor and a hospital has been logistically complicated. In response to the growing demand, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, recently launched a state program with a goal to get patients who show up at clinics, yet need a higher level of abortion care, connected more quickly with Illinois hospitals. Providers will call a hotline to reach nurses who will handle the logistics.

There is little concrete data on how many more patients are traveling to other states for abortions at hospitals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracks some abortion data regarding out-of-state patients but doesnt collect it based on the type of facility theyre performed in.

Hospitals are a black box for abortion-related data, according to Rachel Jones, a longtime researcher at the nonprofit Guttmacher Institute.

Even before Roe fell, it was hard to wade through the hospital bureaucracy to understand more comprehensively how abortion care was provided, Jones said. Guttmacher has tracked hospital-based abortions in the past but doesnt have updated figures since Dobbs.

#WeCount, widely considered a reliable tracker of shifts in abortion care over the past year, doesnt break out hospital data separately. #WeCount co-chair Ushma Upadhyay said the data would have gaps anyway. She said its been difficult to get providers in banned states to report whats happening.

The Uncertainties Behind Life Exceptions

All 15 states that ban abortions do allow exceptions to save the life of the pregnant person, according to tracking from the health policy nonprofit KFF. But exactly when the persons life is considered at risk is open to interpretation.

Its very, very difficult to get an exception, said Alina Salganicoff, director of womens health policy at KFF. Its like, How imminent is this threat? And in many cases, patients cant wait until theyre about to die before they get an abortion.

The latest ban  in Indiana  took effect at the end of August.

In 2020, when Roe was still the law of the land, only 3% of abortions typically occurred in hospitals. Now, OB-GYNs in Chicago and other places across the U.S. that protect abortion rights say out-of-state patients are increasingly showing up to get abortion care at hospitals.

Those more complex procedures and hospital stays often bring higher medical bills. More patients now need help covering the expensive price tag of the procedures, according to medical providers and abortion funds that provide financial assistance.

The patient from Missouri made her way to Laura Laursen, an OB-GYN at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, in May. The number of out-of-state abortions at Rush has quadrupled since Roe was overturned, Laursen said.

Laursen received the patients consent to discuss her case with NPR and KFF Health News. She recalled the patient was frustrated about having to jump through so many hoops to get the abortion, and stressed about the cost of being in a hospital.

The biggest thing was just making space for her to express those emotions, Laursen said. Making sure that she felt comfortable with all the decisions she was making. And trying to make her feel as empowered as possible.

The patients life wasnt immediately threatened, but it was safer for her to have an abortion than remain pregnant, Laursen said.

Im constantly hearing stories from my partners across the country of trying to figure out what counts as imminent danger, Laursen said. Were trying to prevent danger. Were not trying to get to the point where someones an emergency.

Sending Patients Over State Lines for Care

Jennifer McIntosh is an OB-GYN in Milwaukee who specializes in high-risk patients. Because of Wisconsins abortion ban, shes referring more patients out of state.

Its really awful, McIntosh said, recalling difficult conversations with patients who wanted to be pregnant, but whose babies faced dire outcomes.

She would tell them: Yes, its very reasonable to get an abortion. But oh, by the way, its illegal in your own state. So now on top of this terrible news, Im going to tell you that you have to figure out how to leave the state to get an abortion.

In some cases, McIntosh can provide an abortion if the medical risk is significant enough to satisfy Wisconsins life-of-the-mother exception. But it feels legally risky, she said.

Am I worried that someone might think that it doesnt satisfy that? McIntosh said. Absolutely, that terrifies me.

Jonah Fleishers phone is often ringing and buzzing with texts. An OB-GYN who specializes in abortion and contraception at the University of Illinois health system, near Rush hospital in Chicago, Fleisher is frequently asked to see how quickly he can squeeze in another patient from another state.

Since Roe fell, Fleisher estimated, the health system is treating at least three times as many patients who are traveling from other states for abortion care.

He worries about the invisible patients who live in states with abortion bans and never make it to his hospital. They may have medical problems that complicate their pregnancies yet dont know how to navigate the logistics required to make their way over state lines to his exam room, or dont have the financial resources.

I know that some number of those women are not going to make it through birth and postpartum, Fleisher said. More than the stress of somebody whos actually making it to see me, thats the thing that causes me more stress.

Medical costs, in addition to travel, are a big obstacle for high-risk patients seeking abortion care at hospitals. The patient from Missouri owed around $6,000 for her hospital stay, Laursen said. Her bill was covered by local and national abortion funds. Some hospital bills can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars for more complicated procedures, according to the funds.

The Chicago Abortion Fund pledged to cover just over $440,000 in hospital bills for 224 patients in the year following Dobbs, according to Meghan Daniel, CAFs director of services. Those bills were primarily for out-of-state patients. By comparison, in the year that preceded Dobbs, CAF helped cover just over $11,000 for 27 patients.

This increase in patients needing financial help for out-of-state abortion care is happening across the nation.

In many cases, patients have a hard time accessing abortion care, and the delays push them further into their pregnancies until they need to have the procedure in a hospital, said Melissa Fowler, chief program officer at the National Abortion Federation. And that costs much more.

Were seeing more cases right now [of] people who are later in gestation, Fowler said. More adolescents who are later in gestation, who are showing up at hospitals because this is really their last resort. Theyve been referred all over.

All of this raises questions about how long these funds can afford to help.

The current financial way in which people are paying for their abortions I fear is not sustainable, Fleisher said.

Nonprofit hospitals could help. In return for getting tax breaks, they have financial assistance policies for people who are uninsured or cant afford their medical bills. But the policy at UI Health in Chicago, for example, covers only Illinois residents. UI Health spokesperson Jackie Carey said that for other patients, including those who live in other states, the hospital offers discounts if they dont have insurance, or if their insurance wont pay.

Laursen argues out-of-state Medicaid plans and insurance companies should be picking up the tab.

Whose responsibility is this? she asked.

Not Ready to Let Go

Back in Missouri, the patient has a special room dedicated to her son. She brought home a recording of his heartbeat and keeps his remains in a heart-shaped casket. She talks to her son, tells him how much she loves him.

Im just not ready to let him go, the patient said. Even though theyre not here on Earth anymore, you still see them in your dreams.

Shes working on healing emotionally and physically. And while shes thankful that she was able to travel to Illinois for care, the experience made her angry with her home state.

Theres a lot of good people out there who go through a lot of unfortunate situations like me who need abortion care, the patient said. To have that taken away by the government, it just doesnt feel right.

This article is from a partnership that includes WBEZ, NPR, and KFF Health News.
Naas Library have announced a jam-packed programme of events for all ages planned for Culture Night on Friday September 22.

The programme celebrates the ECO Showboat Mayfly - a vibrantly coloured solar-powered boat that has been touring Ireland's inland waterways for the last two years.

It will be docked in Naas Harbour that evening as part of the 2023 expedition.

So come and see the Mayfly or join the Eco Showboat crew with local artist Marta Golubowska and Indian Irish musicians Anna Tanvir and Maninder Singh at Naas Library for an evening of workshops, film and music.

See the full schedule below:

4:00pm: Meet the invertebrates who live in our waterways. Eco Showboat scientific collaborators will show you some of the little creatures that live in our waterways and talk to you about endangered species, invasive species and other problems facing freshwater environments.

Drop-In - No booking required. Family friendly.

5pm-6pm: Ukulele Concert with Kildare North Ukulele Club

Join us for an hour of memorable ukulele tunes with the Kildare North Ukulele Club.

Drop-In - No booking required. Family friendly.

6:00pm-7:00pm: Ceramics Workshop with Marta Golubowska.

Workshop for children (8+) with ceramics artist Marta Golubowska.

Fully booked.

7:30pm: Talk on the ECO Showboat

Meet Anne & Denis who will talk about their two-year solar journey on the island's waterways, show you their studies and observations of nature and tell of their encounters with artists, activists and scientists who explore with them the problems and promises of the freshwater environment.

Drop-In - No booking required.

8:00pm: Film Screening: Winter on the Water

Film 'WINTER ON THE WATER', a documentary made by Cleary Connolly with the artist Marta Golubowska, looking at her family life living on a canal boat at Robertstown in County Kildare and in particular at the challenges of living on the water in wintertime.

Drop-In - No booking required.

9:00pm-10:00pm: World Folk Music Concert with Anna Tanvir & Maninder Singh perform their own compositions and folk songs from around the world in many different languages. Their programme is a soul-stirring musical journey from India across Europe, to Ireland, praising the beauty of nature and the wonder of the natural world. Indian refreshments will also be served.

Book your tickets by clicking HERE.
IFA National Dairy Chair Stephen Arthur said dairy farm families feel betrayed by Minister McConologue and the Government following the decision on the Nitrates derogation.



Stephen Arthur said, I have spoken to many dairy farmers since this was announced and a feeling of shock and betrayal is the mood out there.



Most who are in derogation are farming small to average size farms and this is going to make many of them unviable unless they can find expensive land to rent, that they actually do not require other than for nitrates calculation purposes.



In the last 10 years, dairy farmers have followed Government policy and invested on their farms. Now a change in policy will leave a generation of family farms facing a serious threat to their viability, he said.



The lack of support from the Government is startling. Derogation farmers have had ever more stringent rules imposed on them over the last number of years, the latest being banding at the start of 2023.



Instead of allowing time for the new measures to take effect and work with farmers on the journey to improving water quality, this blunt instrument is being imposed.



There was no consultation when the Department of Agriculture agreed to this mid-term review and Teagasc have indicated it will result in negligible if any improvements for water, Mr Arthur stated.



Dairy farmers are now left with a large drop in their income due to changes forced upon them. No other sector in society would be asked to take a cut in their income such as this, Stephen Arthur concluded.
Patrick Kielty received a surprise message from wife Cat Deeley before his first appearance at the helm of The Late Late Show.

Kielty, 52, is taking over from Ryan Tubridy to host the show for the first time on Friday evening at 9:35pm on RTE One.

Deeley, 46, wished her husband good luck vibes in a video posted to her and the The Late Late Shows Instagram page.

In the clip, which shows Kielty watching a video message from Deeley before the show, she says: Surprise. I know today is your big day.

Id love to be there, but Im holding down the fort here in London at home, but we are sending you all good luck vibes.

Youll be brilliant. No doubt about it. I know its your dream job and youll be great for sure.

The boys and I wanted to get you something to mark the occasion so we made this for you, hope you like it. Good luck.

Kielty opens the package with a keyring in it from sons Milo and James.

The comedian and presenter recently revealed that he had received a message from Tubridy before his debut.

Kielty is the fourth regular host in the run of The Late Late Show, preceded by Gay Byrne, Pat Kenny and Tubridy.

He is the first from Northern Ireland and is originally from Dundrum in Co Down.

Kielty said he was not feeling any animosity being the first host from across the border, and that he had been welcomed into his new role.

I think its going to be fun, he said.

Its going to be a bit strange for people up the road to hear the Co Down accent on the show.

I think whats interesting is sometimes we talk these things up even more, I think that if you look at all of the identities that we have on this island at the minute, and the progress that weve made, I think that  I dont see it as a thing.

And I think that the welcome that Ive had coming into this building, certainly not a thing down here.

The Late Late Show has faced controversy in the past, with a High Court case in 1985 for billing two former nuns who were lesbians when Gay Byrne was host, and Tubridys interview with Tony Blair which took place the night before the former prime minister was pelted with eggs at a book signing in Dublin.

Kielty said that in his tenure, he would not shy away from difficult discussions, adding: I think the only way you can have a difficult conversation is to be honest, and not to judge.

Whenever I was doing my documentaries, and visiting the bonfires, and I think with all conversations, you go in and try to see who the human being is youre talking to, and why they feel the way theyre talking, what their position is, and I think thats at the heart of it.

And I think that hopefully any conversation that Ill have on the show that Im hosting, Ill hopefully bring those skills to it.

A compilation of messages from people in Kieltys home town of Dundrum was prepared for him, and he said he felt the benefit of support from his local community.

That type of stuff nearly puts you over the edge, like all the other stuff you can kind of cope with, but people in the village and people you grew up with and people who went to school with, he said.

I got an amazing wee message sent to me from my best friends family, and they were all sea swimming this week, and they were all in the sea jumping up going, Hey, Paddy!

Its nice to know youve got so many people in your corner.
ConversationOne year after he was attacked at a literary festival, Salman Rushdie is publishing his new novel 'Victory City' in French, translated by Gerard Meudal  who works under his real name, in spite of the fatwa against the author.

Novels are piled in every corner of Gerard Meudal's living room, even covering the sofa. The 73-year-old translator has to make do with a stool to rest his rangy frame. He apologizes for the mess in his Paris apartment; on this August afternoon, he has just returned from a poetry festival in Sete, in the south of France, and is about to leave again, this time for his country house in the Cher region in the center of the country.

That's where he was on August 12, 2022 when he learned with horror that Salman Rushdie, the author he has been translating for 15 years, had been stabbed at a conference in Chautauqua, New York. "I was devastated, convinced he wouldn't survive."

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes 'Terror has a beginning but no end': Writers react to the attack on Salman Rushdie

A month later, while the 75-year-old novelist was still in hospital with serious injuries, Meudal received the manuscript of Victory City, written before the attack  an epic saga set in 14th-century India that depicts a perfectly egalitarian city founded by a young girl possessed by a deity. The novel was published in France on September 6.

Wave of attacks

Translating Rushdie is much more than a literary affair. His publishers and translators are also exposed to the repercussions of the fatwa against the writer. Some have paid for their association with Rushdie with their own lives. Declared in 1989 by Ayatollah Khomeini in the wake of the publication the previous year of The Satanic Verses, which he deemed blasphemous to Islam, the fatwa condemned to death not only the author but "all those involved in its publication". This led to a wave of attacks in the early 1990s.

In 1991 Rushdie's Japanese translator Hitoshi Igarashi was murdered in Tokyo, shortly after his Italian translator, Ettore Capriolo, was stabbed in Milan. In 1993, in Sivas, Turkey, an angry mob set fire to the hotel hosting a festival attended by Aziz Nesin, who had translated and published (without the author's permission) extracts from The Satanic Verses in Turkish. While Nesin managed to escape, 37 other people died in the fire. That same year, Rushdie's Norwegian publisher, William Nygaard, was shot three times outside his home in Oslo. In France, the translator of The Satanic Verses remained anonymous for security reasons. Published by Christian Bourgois, the French version is credited to "A. Nasier"  Alcofribas Nasier was the pseudonym and anagram used by Francois Rabelais.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes 'With the attack on Salman Rushdie, has Shiite jihadism now gone beyond what its Iranian creators imagined?'

Meudal, however, has chosen to publish the seven Rushdie books he has translated from English into French under his real name. "I've been offered [the option] to use a pseudonym, but I've always refused. Nowadays, any ordinary person is at the mercy of a fanatic," he asserted calmly. "Besides, I'm rather proud of translating Rushdie."

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The military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger on Saturday, September 16, signed a mutual defense pact, ministerial delegations from the three Sahel countries announced in Mali's capital Bamako. The Liptako-Gourma Charter establishes the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), Mali's junta leader Assimi Goita posted on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter. Its aim is to "establish an architecture of collective defense and mutual assistance for the benefit of our populations", he wrote.

The Liptako-Gourma region  where the Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger borders meet  has been ravaged by jihadism in recent years. "This alliance will be a combination of military and economic efforts between the three countries", Mali's Defence Minister Abdoulaye Diop told journalists. "Our priority is the fight against terrorism in the three countries." A jihadist insurgency that erupted in northern Mali in 2012 spread to Niger and Burkina Faso in 2015.

All three countries have undergone coups since 2020, most recently Niger, where soldiers in July overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum. The West African regional bloc ECOWAS has threatened to intervene militarily in Niger over the coup. Mali and Burkina Faso quickly responded by saying that any such operation would be deemed a "declaration of war" against them.

Mutual defense pact

The charter signed on Saturday binds the signatories to assist one another  including militarily  in the event of an attack on any one of them. "Any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracting parties shall be considered as an aggression against the other parties and shall give rise to a duty of assistance... including the use of armed force to restore and ensure security", it states.

It also binds the three countries to work to prevent or settle armed rebellions. Mali has, in addition to fighting jihadists linked to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group, seen a resumption of hostilities by predominantly Tuareg armed groups over the past week. The escalation risks testing an already stretched army as well as the junta's claims that it has successfully turned around a dire security situation.

The successionist groups had in 2012 launched a rebellion before signing a peace agreement with the state in 2015. But that accord is now generally considered moribund. The renewed military activity by those armed groups has coincided with a series of deadly attacks attributed mainly to the Al-Qaeda-linked jihadist alliance Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM).

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes France suspends student mobility with Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso

Mali's junta pushed out France's anti-jihadist force in 2022 and the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA in 2023. French troops have also been pushed out of Burkina Faso, while Niger's coup leaders have renounced several military cooperation agreements with France.
Iranian women in Teheran, September 9, 2023. VAHID SALEMI / AP

On the first anniversary of the Iranian popular uprising, born in the wake of Mahsa (Jina) Amini's death in police custody for a "badly worn" headscarf on September 16, 2022, the inhabitants of the Islamic Republic are beset by contradictory feelings. Despair, frustration, pride, ardor... For many, there was a life before Mahsa and a life after. But the authorities are taking the anniversary very seriously. For weeks, they have been organizing to prevent any new wave of protests.

The number of arrests of political activists, former prisoners and members of families of victims of the repression is increasing. On Wednesday, September 13, according to the human rights group Hengaw, Hamed Bagheri, a young Kurd, was shot dead in the town of Karadj, 30 kilometers from Tehran, while shouting anti-regime slogans and inviting residents to protest. In Saqqez, Amini's hometown, and in other Kurdish regions of the country, where a brutal repression is taking place, the streets are now lined with surveillance cameras and military reinforcements have been deployed.

In Teheran, residents are complaining about the proliferation of checkpoints in the city. The internet network is even less functional than usual. In the southeastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan, where anti-regime protests continue every Friday after midday prayers, "the atmosphere is totally policed," said a resident of Zahedan, the capital of this province, "which has become one big prison." At the entrances to the city, "there are checkpoints where every coming and going is controlled," he said.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes In Sistan and Baluchestan, the last glowing embers of Iran's protest movement

The repression of the movement left around 500 people dead, leading to the cessation of large street protests. The protesters did not expect any political change. And yet, the struggle between the authorities and Iranian women opposed to the mandatory headscarf is far from over. Despite the risk of arrest, harassment and dismissal, a form of resistance continues, day by day, stubborn and silent.

At the cafe, without a headscarf

"For the first time since the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, the issue of the headscarf and discrimination against women has become the symbol of all the injustices inflicted on the population," said a sociologist from Tehran, who prefers to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals. "The demands of all groups, trade unions, religious and ethnic minorities, people from all social and economic classes, all over the country, find an echo in this movement."

Sepideh, a young Tehran resident (using a pseudonym, as are all the Iranians quoted in this article), was completely surprised when she recently returned to her parents' home in Mashhad, a holy city in the north-east of the country. "Many women, especially teenagers, walk around bareheaded, whereas in Mashhad, they are often very covered, much more so than elsewhere in the country," said this elementary school assistant. "At my workplace, mothers are often unveiled and, in many cafes, customers without headscarves are not bothered," said Sepideh, while businesses accepting non-veiled women face forced closure and fines.

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By the end of this month, more than four million Yemenis will be facing the danger of death due to malnutrition. The World Food Programme (WFP) said last month that a deeper funding crisis for its Yemen operations as of the end of September will force it to make difficult decisions about cuts to its food assistance programmes across the country in the next few months. As major cuts are announced across different programmes, the actual number of Yemeni people affected could be higher.

In June last year, WFP was forced to slash food aid for 13 million Yemenis by more than 50 per cent due to lack of funding. The UN agency said that, for the next six months, it requires 1.05 billion dollars in funding, only 28 per cent of which has been secured. Many of those who will be affected are women and children already suffering some of the highest malnutrition rates in the world.

The humanitarian crisis in the war-torn country has gone from bad to worse in the last eight years. The Yemen conflict broke out in 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the capital Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene the following year to prop up the internationally recognised government.

According to UN estimates, by the start of 2022 the conflict had caused over 377,000 deaths, with 60 per cent the result of hunger, lack of healthcare and unsafe water. More than 11,000 children are known to have been killed or wounded as a direct result of the fighting. Around 4.5 million people, one in seven of the population, have been displaced, while 24.1 million people, 80 per cent of the population, are in need of humanitarian aid and protection.

Yet the world seems to be turning a blind eye to the Yemen crisis. Since last year, when the UN brokered a six-month truce that was not renewed in October, nothing has been done. Though there is a lull in the fighting, efforts to end the war and negotiate a peaceful settlement are almost at a standstill. There was hope earlier this year that a political settlement might gather pace as China brokered an agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume diplomatic relations.

The Saudi-Iranian detente is on course, but its impact on Yemen has not yet registered. It is expected that the reconciliation would involve Iran discontinuing support for regional proxies like the Houthi rebels, who would then agree to be part of the political process. Apparently that did not happen. Some commentators cite the implicit Saudi-Emirati rift on a solution in Yemen as an additional reason.

But Saudi commentator Abdul-Aziz AlKhames told Al-Ahram Weekly, there is no Saudi-Emirati conflict. Each party could have different tactics, but the end goal is the same. Saudi Arabia and the UAE are invested in bringing peace and stability to the region. Both agree that, for this to happen, the Houthis need to be curtailed, even if this is done through a coalition government in which they participate.

Alkhames feels differences in tactics between the two Gulf allies might even help with a political solution: Exerting pressure on Houthis, and northern factions in general, by threats of southern separation and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) having its own state in south Yemen is actually useful in bringing Houthis to the negotiating table with less ambition; it can make them give up on their far-fetched demands and agree to be part of a solution, not a dominant force in any future administration.

The UAE is the main backer of the STC, and it sees southern separation as the better solution while Saudi Arabia agrees with the internationally recognised government that the country should remain unified. The Houthis too are against separation. It is now a no-war/no-peace state in Yemen, and the main power to revive the peace effort is Saudi Arabia.

It seems Riyadh is not considering Yemen a priority for now, letting the low-intensity conflict between opposing Yemeni factions wear itself out. As Andrew Hammond of Oxford University puts it, it is now more of an internal conflict: The Yemeni problem is with the Houthis and the STC right now. The Houthis are digging in their heels on various negotiating points with Saudi Arabia, while they sort out internal disputes between various wings. The STC appears to be worried that an agreement will lessen their room for manoeuvre in the south where they have already failed over the past year to impose themselves in the southeastern governorates.

The Saudis insist that their position is not changed, and that they are working with allies, the UN and Yemeni factions to reach a political settlement with their southern neighbour. The Houthis are the main obstacle to achieving a peaceful settlement in Yemen. They know that any solution based on a coalition government inclusive of all political factions means diminishing their power and limiting their hegemony, AlKhames said.

But regardless of who is to blame for the current situation, millions of Yemenis are being abandoned  with no change in sight.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 14 September, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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THE LIMERICK Jazz Festival will honour the trailblazing women who have shaped the world of jazz, this September.

Blending Irish and International jazz virtuosos, the festival will take place from September 20 to 24.

Supported by the Arts Council and Limerick City and County Council, this year's festival will put a spotlight on the women who have and continue to redefine jazz.

Luminaries like the enchanting Honor Heffernan, the piano prodigy Carol Nelson, the captivating vocalist Beverly Beirne, and the star saxophonist Camilla George from the UK.

The festival will hit all the right notes with an all-star quintet led by the masterful Tim Garland, a multi-award winning UK saxophonist and composer, joined by the unparalleled Jason Rebello on keyboards.

Hold onto your high-hats as the Conor Guilfoyle group will resurrect the timeless allure of "Art Pepper plus Eleven" in a big band recreation.

The festival is also proud to present Joe O'Callaghan, a local luminary with national acclaim, leading a group that is sure to resonate with every note.

Enjoy a full-blown jazz experience that will culminate in the much-anticipated Sunday afternoon triple bill concert at Dolan's Warehouse.

The festival will bring the dynamic Lee Meehan Quintet, the soul-stirring Nigel Mooney Quartet featuring the illustrious Jean Toussaint, and the brilliance of Nils Kavanagh, crowned as the Young Irish Jazz Musician 2022.

Maestro behind the Limerick Jazz Society, John Daly, said: "Our 12th Limerick Jazz Festival is on the horizon, and we can't wait to fill September with the magic of jazz. Building on last year's resounding success, this year's lineup is set to dazzle. With fringe events popping up across the city, we're reaching out to every music lover. Our heartfelt gratitude goes to the Arts Council and Limerick City and County Council for making this possible.

For further information or to book tickets, visit limerick2030.ie and eva.ie
Mauritius' Financial Services Commission (FSC) revoked the business and investment licences of the firm, the controlling shareholder of two funds that invested in listed Adani companies and are now under probe. The license was cancelled eight months before the US-based short seller Hindenburg's explosive revelation against the Adani Group.

According to a report by The Indian Express, the Mauritian financial regulator Financial Services Commission (FSC) revoked the business and investment licences of Emerging India Fund Management Ltd (EIFM), the controlling shareholder of two Mauritius-based funds in May 2022.

The regulators alleged a breach by EIFM of several provisions of laws meant to curb money laundering and ensure corporate governance, the daily added.

Mauritius FSC on its website mentioned that EIFM acted in breach" of various sections of the Financial Services Act, the Securities Act, the Financial Intelligence and Anti-Money Laundering Regulations (2003 and 2018), and the Code on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing.

Notably, EIFM and EM Resurgent Fund are two of the 13 overseas Adani investors under investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

However, after the Hindenburg report, a top official of the Mauritian FSC said that an initial assessment" of the entities associated with the Adani Group in Mauritius did not reveal any breach of law.

As per the latest records available, EIFMs two Mauritius funds held 3.9% of Adani Power Limited, 3.8% of Adani Transmission Limited, and, at least, 1.73% of Adani Enterprise Limited, the report said.

This year in January, US-based short seller Hindenburg Research alleged that Adani Group is involved in accounting fraud, stock price manipulation, and improper use of tax havens. Following this, the Supreme Court asked SEBI to look into the allegations and submit its findings.

Last month, Sebi informed the Supreme Court through a status report that it had completed the probe in 22 of the 24 matters against the Adani group and is awaiting information from five tax havens on the actual owners who had invested in its group firms.

Also read: Hindenburg Case: SEBI concealed 2014 DRI alert on Adani Group manipulations, says petitioner

Last month millions Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) also reported that millions of dollars were invested in publicly traded Adani Group stocks through funds in Mauritius, and added that this "obscured" the involvement of alleged business partners of India's Adani family.

Citing a review of files from tax havens and internal Adani Group emails, the non-profit global network of investigative journalists said two individual investors (Nasser Ali Shaban Ahli from Dubai and Chang Chung-Ling from Taiwan) with "longtime business ties" to the Adani family used such offshore structures to buy and sell Adani shares between 2013 and 2018.

The Adani Group categorically rejected what it called recycled allegations in the OCCRP report "in their entirety".

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In 2022, on-demand music streams in the U.S. alone exceeded 1 trillion. Starting in the mid-2010s, the success of streaming services like Spotify, Tencent and Apple Music led the music industry into a period of sustained revenue growth for the first time since 1999, the year Napster launched. But the rise of streaming hasnt just transformed the business of music; it has changed the music as well.

In 1972, the Temptations hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, winning three Grammys, with a seven-minute version of the song Papa Was a Rollin Stone." Before the Temptations sing a word, an instrumental introduction featuring organ, guitar, bass, and a hi-hat cymbal ebbs and flows for more than four minutes. If the group were in the studio today, the title chorus would most likely have been featured much earlier in the song. Thats because music streaming services pay artists based on the number of plays each month, and to count as a play, a user must listen to the song past the 30-second mark. If a song youve never heard before takes a long time to get to the hook or simply has an extended intro, there is a good chance that you may simply hit the button to go to the next song.

To keep the skip rate" as low as possible, musical artists are increasingly moving a songs hook or chorus to that initial 30-second sweet spot. Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding, the hosts of the Switched on Pop" podcast, have coined the term Pop Overture" to describe a new trend in which a song will play a hint of the chorus in the first five to 10 seconds so that the hook is in your ear, hoping that youll stick around till about 30 seconds in when the full chorus eventually comes in."

Creators are modifying more than just the introductory sections of tracks for optimal performance on streaming. Every track that is listened to for more than 30 seconds counts as a play, but whether a listener makes it all the way through a song helps to determine whether a streaming service like Spotify will recommend similar songs in the future.

As the Grammy-winning producer and performer Mark Ronson said in an interview in the Guardian, All your songs have to be under three minutes and 15 seconds because if people dont listen to them all the way to the end they go into this ratio of non-complete heard, which sends your Spotify rating down." For a musician, getting a song on Spotifys popular Todays Top Hits playlist means real money. A study by researchers at the University of Minnesota and the European Joint Research Centre found that songs on the list gained an average of 20 million streams, worth up to $163,000 in royalties.

As a result, according to an analysis by blogger Michael Tauberg, the average length of hit songs has dropped by more than 30 seconds since 2000, when it was over four minutes. Nearly two-thirds of the songs that achieved the number one spot in the first half of 2021 were under three minutes long. Ironically, these tracks would have fit comfortably on early recording cylinders and phonograph records, whose limitations were considered a major artistic impediment in the early 20th century.

As songs get shorter, albums are getting longer. Culture II" by the hip-hop group Migos, the number one album in America in February 2018, included 24 tracks and clocked in at an hour and 45 minutes, almost double the length of Migoss previous Grammy-nominated release. Chris Browns Heartbreak on a Full Moon" in 2017 had 45 songs. In 2022, the British indie band Pocket of God took this trend to an extreme with their album 1000 x 30: Nobody Makes Money Anymore." The title said it all: the band was protesting inadequate compensation by offering an album comprising 1,000 tracks of just over 30 seconds in length. The first song is titled 0.002," referring to how many cents the artists ended up receiving each time a song was played.

This trend, too, is a response to the incentives of streaming. When fans stream a new album from their favorite acts, they tend to listen to the whole thing the first time through, so the more songs the album contains, the more income it generates. Taylor Swifts 2022 album Midnights" occupied all of the top 10 slots of the Hot 100 chart shortly after its release. When Ed Sheerans album Divide" was released in 2017 and all 16 of its songs made it into the top 20, it sparked a backlash in the British music industry, which was concerned that other artists were missing out on the benefits of occupying the top chart positions. The U.K.s Official Charts Company adopted a new rule that an artist could have a maximum of three tracks in the top 100 at a time, regardless of the actual streaming numbers.

The streaming economy is also altering release strategies for new music. In the era of records and CDs, labels tried to maximize the sales of an album before the artists next one hit the store shelves. In 2017, by contrast, the rapper Future released two albums in consecutive weeks, and both of them hit number one. Brockhampton, another hip-hop artist, dropped three albums that year. Streaming also means more opportunity for genres that usually didnt get shelf space in the era of physical retail. Latin and K-Pop artists are showing up more and more frequently in Spotifys Global Top 100; more than 10 million music consumers follow Viva Latino!, making it the third most followed playlist on Spotify.

This popularity has fostered more and more collaborations across genres, as artists become more engaged with a broader spectrum of other artists. A remix of a pop song that includes a verse sung in Spanish by a Latin star means that the track can be featured on a wider variety of playlists, and increases the chance that it will appear in search results. For instance, when Justin Biebers song Sorry" was released in October 2015, it spent three weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. One month later, Sorry (Latino Remix)" was released, featuring J. Balvin, the Colombian reggaeton artist, singing in Spanish. That version of the track appealed to a broader audience than the original while drawing fans to both versions, racking up an additional 178 million Spotify plays.

The creative impulse that drives musicians to create new and different versions of popular songs should not be discounted. But it would be naive to ignore the commercial motivations that often factor in.

Howie Singer is the former Chief Strategic Technologist of Warner Music Group and Bill Rosenblatt is president of GiantSteps, a media technology consulting firm. This essay is adapted from their new book, Key Changes: The Ten Times Technology Transformed the Music Industry," published this month by Oxford University Press.

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HONG KONG: Chinas Zhongrong International Trust, a shadow-banking giant whose financial troubles have rattled investors, broke its silence late Friday and said it is working with two state-owned institutions to address its problems.

The domestic asset manager last month failed to make payments on high-yielding investment products that it had sold to many companies and wealthy individuals. That sparked concerns that the countrys worsening property downturn was developing into a wider financial-sector contagion.

Zhongrong Trust acknowledged late Friday that it had missed payments on some products, and said it would bring in two large state-owned trust companies to help with operations and management.

Due to multiple internal and external factors, some of the companys trust products could not be paid on schedule," it said. Zhongrong Trust said it has engaged CITIC Trust, owned by state conglomerate CITIC Group, and CCB Trust, owned by China Construction Bank, to work with it for a year.

The asset manager indicated the arrangement isnt a government bailout. It said the two state-backed firms wont be responsible for paying for its trust products, and the arrangement could be terminated early or extended.

Since Zhongrong Trusts troubles bubbled up around the middle of this year, investors have grown concerned that Chinas $2.9 trillion trust industry could be the next casualty of the countrys property crisis.

Trust companies have long been a source of funding for Chinese real-estate developers. A tougher financing environment in recent years meant many privately owned developers were unable to secure loans from big banks to build residential projects. Trust companies filled some of that gap, providing loans at a higher cost to developers.

In 2022, Zhongrongs trust funds had 11% of their assets in the property sector, according to the companys annual report.

Missed payments started to pile up recently. Since August, at least 11 publicly listed companies in mainland China have said in stock-exchange filings that they didnt receive interest or principal payments on products managed by Zhongrong Trust. Those missed payments add up to the equivalent of $82 million.

Some individual investors have also complained on social media that they had not received promised payments from Zhongrong Trust.

The full scope of its financial difficulties isnt known. The privately held company had the equivalent of $108 billion in assets under management at the end of 2022.

Many of its trust funds had promised returns of around 6% to 8% annually, according to public documents for these funds seen by The Wall Street Journal.

Some of these trust products invest in bank deposits, stocks, corporate bonds and other kinds of wealth-management products. One of them, which was purchased by a listed company that supplies maintenance and repair tools, raised money in 2021 for developer Shinsun Property Group to fund the construction of a high-end residential project in the eastern city of Hangzhou, a tech hub south of Shanghai. Shinsun defaulted on its U.S. dollar debt last year after failing to make an interest payment.

Zhongrong Trust was founded in 1987. Its biggest shareholder is a state-owned company called Jingwei Textile Machinery, which last month said it wanted to delist its shares from Shenzhen Stock Exchange. The company cited significant uncertainties in its operations" due to market changes," without providing specifics.

Trust funds in China had about $155 billion in exposure to the property sector at the end of the first quarter, according to data from the China Trustee Association. That portion is under great threat," Nomura analysts said last month. Trust funds also have larger exposures to financial markets, which increases the risk of contagion, they said.

Write to Rebecca Feng at rebecca.feng@wsj.com
U.S. travelers are paying less to fly, and airline stocks are taking a hit.

Airlines that focus on domestic flights are being squeezed as Americans embrace travel to Europe over vacations closer to home. Airfares across the industry were down 13.3% in August from a year ago, marking the fifth straight month of declines, according to federal data that is weighted toward domestic flights. The weakening demand comes just as airlines are facing surging jet fuel prices and rising labor costs.

Doubts over whether carriers will be able to raise fares to offset mounting expenses have their stocks in retreat: The U.S. Global Jets exchange-traded fund, which tracks the industry, has gained 5.4% this year on a postpandemic bump but is down 19% from its recent high in July. American Airlines stock is down 29% from that peak, while Southwest Airlines is down 24%.

The S&P 500 is up 1.5% over the same period.

Bigger picture, this is an industry driven by pricing power," said Andrew Didora, senior airlines analyst at Bank of America. Theres the investor concern that pricing is not going to be there as fuel moves higher."

The pressures come after a tumultuous few years for the industry. Airline stocks plunged after the Covid-19 pandemic essentially shut down travel in 2020, forcing carriers to turn to government aid and borrow billions of dollars to get through the dry spell.

Then as health restrictions eased, people who had built up savings while stuck at home eagerly shelled out to travel again. The pent-up demandalong with labor shortages that limited capacitydrove airfares up by as much as 43% in 2022 from the previous year. Airlines reaped record revenues, and shares of major carriers have more than doubled from their 2020 lows, though heavier debt levels have kept shares well below prepandemic levels.

For now, people are still squeezing onto packed airplanes. An average of 2.4 million passengers went through U.S. airports each day over the recent Labor Day weekend, according to Transportation Security Administration data. That was higher than in 2019.

Where travelers are headed, however, has shifted.

Spirit Airlines, which operates mostly domestic flights, said last week it had to offer steep discounting" for travel booked from the late summer to pre-Thanksgiving period, and trimmed its third-quarter revenue forecast. Southwest said earlier this month that overall demand was healthy, but that August bookings were on the low end of its expectations.

Investors also worry the postpandemic surge in leisure travel will peter out and that lucrative corporate travel will never fully return. Before the pandemic, business travelers accounted for about half of profits and 12% of traffic for U.S. airlines, according to a McKinsey analysis.

Meanwhile, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Alaska Air Group have all warned that costs for the third quarter would be higher than previously forecast.

Airlines are paying roughly 25% more for fuel than they were in July, according to Didora of Bank of America. Labor costs are also set to increase, with new contracts for American Airlines and Delta pilots promising pay raises over a four-year period of 46% and 34%, respectively.

Like other commodities, fuel prices are volatile and a drop could help reverse the recent selloff. Airlines could also try passing higher costs on to customers by raising fares.

But people might no longer be willing to spend as much on trips as their pandemic wanderlust subsides. Its always difficult to tell how elastic demand will be," said Chris Raite, an industrials analyst at research firm Third Bridge Group.

Write to Charley Grant at charles.grant@wsj.com
WASHINGTONWall Street is feeling the pain of inflationat the tills of its regulators.

Big banks and brokerage firms are handing over bigger checks to settle regulatory investigations, including those that dont result in losses for investors. U.S. market regulators are increasingly demanding tens of millions of dollars to settle technical violations that just a few years ago cost companies much less to resolve.

This past week, the Securities and Exchange Commission sued Virtu Financial, one of the biggest electronic traders on Wall Street, over claims that some employees could have improperly viewed its clients confidential trading information. The SEC didnt allege that Virtu misused the data. The lawsuit noted that regulators couldnt tell if the wrong traders ever saw the nonpublic records.

The SEC settles most of its enforcement cases, and Wall Street firms prefer to pay fines and avoid litigation that would put more heat on executives. But SEC officials under Chair Gary Gensler are seeking higher fines to settle, even if prior offenders paid less.

In the Virtu case, the SEC sought a fine of more than $25 million, people familiar with the matter said, multiples of what similar prior cases fetched for the agency. The fine would have represented about 5% of Virtus net income last year.

Virtu Chief Executive Douglas Cifu wrote in recent days on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that the SECs offers to settle were not commercial" and he decided it was better to fight the regulator in court.

Cifu, who has clashed with Gensler over the regulators move to change how retail traders stock orders are filled, called the SECs lawsuit politically motivated in another recent post on X. Virtu and a few other companies dominate the business of filling small investors market orders and say they give the traders a better price than they would get on a stock exchange.

Tyler Gellasch, head of the Healthy Markets Association trade group, said Virtu occupies an essential position as a stock-market middleman, and keeping institutional investors trading data confidential is a core part of what it promises clients.

In its suit, the SEC alleged that Virtu had misled its institutional clients by failing to disclose the information-security gap. That claim, which the SEC calls negligent fraud, can result in steeper penalty demands.

Penalties for misrepresenting investor-protection policies, SEC Enforcement Director Gurbir Grewal said, need to be set at a level where the cost of effecting a culture of compliance throughout an organization is cheaper than violating the federal securities laws."

Advocates of tougher financial regulation back Genslers strategy but also want the SEC to sue more individuals. While big fines can serve an important purpose, big fines alone on big banks are paid by shareholders and will never be big enough to stop bankers from breaking the law," Better Markets President Dennis Kelleher said.

Banks whose brokers and traders used prohibited messaging tools such as WhatsApp have paid some of the biggest fines to Biden-era regulators. The probes were meant to stop traders from texting about their business on apps that banks compliance departments dont monitor, although the SEC never sued individuals or alleged that they were texting to hide misdeeds.

The brokers had to settle with both the SEC and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which regulates futures and other derivatives. JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and UBS Group each paid $200 million to the agencies.

About 20 years ago, some of the same firms paid a much smaller toll$1.65 million eachfor not keeping email that regulators needed for enforcement investigations.

In August, Wells Fargo became the latest big bank to pay a $200 million fine to resolve an investigation over its brokers chatting on iMessage and WhatsApp.

Defense lawyers and some legal scholars said Genslers SEC is levying fines beyond historical norms. That stance is generating some pushback among defense lawyers and conservative legal groups that are looking for ways to challenge the SECs civil-enforcement authority.

The law that authorizes the SECs penalty powers is broadly written, and the agency has stretched the language to negate the statutory limits on how much it can seek for a single case, according to a legal petition filed with the Supreme Court by the New Civil Liberties Alliance, a conservative legal group. The high court hasnt said whether it will hear the case.

There is no meaningful cap or calculation that ever really takes place," said David Rosenfeld, a law professor at Northern Illinois University and former senior SEC enforcement official whose work examining SEC fines was cited by the New Civil Liberties Alliance in its arguments to the high court. They feel they have unfettered discretion, and so the penalty number is made up out of whole cloth."

The more than $25 million the SEC sought from Virtu is five times what Wells Fargo paid in 2014 to resolve similar claims. And in that case one of the banks brokers did something worse, according to the agency, illegally trading in the stock of a merger target he learned about through his work at the bank.

In 2020, the private-equity firm Ares Management paid $1 million over similar allegations, although no one was charged with insider trading.

The SECs settlement offers lacked statutory grounding and were detached from the facts, the law and existing precedent," said Andrew Smith, a Virtu spokesman. As fiduciaries, we have made the decision to contest this politically charged action based on our commercial judgment just as we would any other civil dispute."

Write to Dave Michaels at dave.michaels@wsj.com
In a bid to grapple with rising child and maternal mortality rates, Nandurbar District's CMO M. Sawan Kumar launched "Mission Lakshya 84 Days". The gravity of the issue was accentuated by several Public Interest Litigations (PIL) dating back to 2007.

"Looking at the data 75 deaths in July, 86 deaths in August and 18 deaths in September till now happened in Nandurbar district," ANI quoted Sawan Kumar as saying. Major reasons for the deaths are low birth weight, birth asphyxia, Sepsis and respiratory diseases. Also Read: Ayushman Bhav to mark PM Modi's birthday: Ten things to know about the new comprehensive health campaign 70% of deaths are of 0-28 days age babies...Many women have sickle cell here which results in complications during delivery. To resolve all these issues we have launched mission 'Lakshya 84 days'..." Kumar added.

To tackle the pervasive issue of malnutrition in Nandurbar district, known for having Maharashtra's lowest Human Development Index score, the Dawoodi Bohra community earlier launched a three-year initiative. This project, as per The Indian Express, aims to provide nutritional support to over 600 underfed adolescents. Also, expectant and nursing mothers in the area will also benefit from this assistance.

In September 2022, the Bombay High Court called for the District Collector of Nandurbar to appear in person, addressing the alarming rates of child and maternal fatalities in the district allegedly from malnutrition and insufficient healthcare services.

Bandu Sane, a vocal tribal rights activist, directly informed the Bombay High Court that, since January 2022, 411 individuals had died in the district. This alarming number included 86 children. Sane attributed the high mortality rate to inadequate medical facilities and malnutrition in the area.

According to a report prepared by a study group, floating boat hospitals and ambulances are obsolete and in desperate need of an upgrade. The report aims to help the government devise effective policies for the tribal areas in the district, Livelaw reported.

The report indicated that the vast majority of conditions resulting in deaths were either preventable or could have been effectively treated. Nevertheless, the improper roll-out of health schemes in the district led to a surge in child mortality, as per the report. Additionally, the report drew attention to the inadequate healthcare services, emphasising a shortfall of medical personnel.

Chief Justice Dipankar Datta advised during that time that the hiring of medical personnel should follow a schedule similar to court staff recruitment. He told Neha Bhide, the Additional Government Pleader for the state, that it should become a yearly routine. He emphasised the importance of knowing when doctors and other staff members would retire and urged setting a fixed date for releasing advertisements and soliciting applications.

(With inputs from ANI, Livelaw and The Indian Express)

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Bihar on Saturday (16 September) for a public meeting. Home Minister Shah will be visiting Jhanjharpur in the Madhubani district, under 'Lok Sabha Pravas' Programme ahead of the Lok Sabha election 2024.

According to ANI news agency, Amit Shah will inform the people about the achievements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government in 9 Years. Additionally, Shah will also chair the meeting of the Lok Sabha Core Committee and almost all top leaders of Bihar BJP including state BJP President Samrat Choudhary and MoS Home Nityanand Rai are likely to be present in the meeting including the district President of the Party.

Citing BJP sources, the news agency said that Shah will inaugurate the Integrated Check Post (ICP) on the Indo-Nepal Border at Jogbani. He will also inaugurate the SSB battalion headquarters 8 km away from Jogbani through remote control.

Amit Shah's visits to Bihar

Today will be Shahs sixth visit to the state in one year since his party was ousted from power in the state in August 2022.

Last year, Amit Shah visited Punia which is considered to be the capital of the Seemanchal region.

Later, in October, he visited Sitab Diara, the birthplace of socialist veteran Jai Prakash Narayan.

In February this year, he visited Valmakinagar and Patna and addressed Kisan Samagam organized on the occasion of the birth anniversary of peasant leader Sahajanand Saraswati in Patna, in a bid to woo the Bhumihar community that he came from.

On April 2, 2023, Shah visited the state for the fourth time addressed a public meeting in Nawada, and cancelled the program of Rohtas (Sasaram ) because of violence in the area.

Last time Union Home Minister Shah arrived in Bihar on June 29, and addressed a mega-rally at Lakhisarai in Munger Lok Sabha constituency which is the home turf of JDU President and Lok Sabha MP Lalan Singh.

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is reportedly tightening its grip on Sourabh Chandrakar and Ravi Uppal, the brains behind the controversial Mahadev Online Betting application. While these two Chhattisgarh natives are under investigation for money laundering charges amounting to 5,000 crore, it's the Bollywood angle that has set tongues wagging.

Chandrakar used to be a humble juice vendor in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh. He is now said to be in his early twenties. The Mahadev app, operated from around 30 centres, has seen a phenomenal one million individual bets in the past year alone.

Also Read: ED special director Rahul Navin appointed as acting director of law enforcement agency

Prominent Bollywood celebrities including Tiger Shroff, Sunny Leone and Neha Kakkar have emerged as high-profile attendees at Chandrakar's extravagant Dubai wedding earlier in 2023. A staggering 200 crore was splashed out for the lavish event, as per the Hindustan Times.

Only last week, the ED seized assets worth 417 crore, spread across Bhopal, Mumbai and Kolkata. While Chandrakar and Uppal operate their business from Dubai where betting is permissible by law, their promotional activities in India have skirted the edge of legality, often changing names to escape detection.

Bollywood connection

It's worth noting that various Bollywood personalities have been roped in for promotional YouTube videos for the Mahadev Online Book app. However, the ED has maintained discretion, refusing to release the names of those involved. As per HT, payment from the platform went to a prominent comedian, a character actor, a well-known second-tier male celebrity and a female comic star.

The engagement of Bollywood celebrities doesn't end at the wedding. Another Dubai-based bash took place in September 2022, according to HT, where a jaw-dropping 40 crore was allocated to have Bollywood stars grace the occasion. The event was hosted at a swanky seven-star hotel, no less.

Atif Aslam, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ali Asgar, Vishal Dadlani, Elli AvrRam, Bharti Singh, Bhagyashree, Kriti Kharbanda, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Krushna Abhishek were among the celebrity guests at the event, as per HT.

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The Indian government is planning to spend crore of rupees on the import of Cheetahs from South Africa once again. Project Cheetah head SP Yadav on Saturday told PTI news agency that Cheetahs will be imported from South Africa and introduced into Madhya Pradesh's Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. However, Yadav did not share any specific date when the Cheetahs will be imported to India, he said by the end of this year, the big cats may come into India.

He said this time they have set up a plant to import cheetahs that do not develop thicker winter coats  a primary factor behind severe infections in some cheetahs and the death of three of them who were relocated from Africa to India.

Yadav explained that the winter coat, combined with high humidity and temperatures, caused itching, prompting the animals to scratch their necks on tree trunks or the ground. This led to bruises and exposed skin, where flies laid their eggs, resulting in maggot infestations and, ultimately, bacterial infections and septicemia, leading to death.

Last year eight cheetahs arrived in Madhya Pradesh after a flight from Africa. The five female and three male cheetahs were introduced at Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

In less than a year 20 African cheetahs were translocated to India at Kuno National Park as the Government of India has signed an MoU to bring 8 cheetahs from Namibia and 12 from South Africa.

The total cost of this project is estimated at around 91 crore. Indias top oil firm IOC will give 50.22 crore for this project as a CSR (Corporate social Responsibility).

The carnivores were completely wiped from the country and were declared extinct in 1952, due to overhunting and habitat loss were reintroduced as part of the 'Action Plan for Reintroduction of Cheetah in India' prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India.

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US President Joe Biden will not pardon Hunter Biden if he's convicted on gun charges against him, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Friday. Special counsel David Weiss indicted Hunter Biden on three counts tied to possession of a gun while using narcotics.

Hunter Biden is charged with three criminal counts related to lying about the fact he was using illegal drugs at that time, which would have banned him under the law from owning a firearm. The was filed at the U.S. District Court in Delaware.

This would be the first-ever indictment of a sitting president's child and can turn out to be a major blow for Biden's re-election bid.

New charges filed by U.S. Special Counsel David Weiss against Hunter Biden do not pertain to U.S. tax law violations. A prior agreement in which Hunter Biden was set to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and enter a program to avoid prosecution on a gun charge fell apart during a July hearing.

The tax investigation into Biden is still ongoing and may result in charges being filed in either the District of Columbia or the Central District of California. Prosecutors have accused him of lying about his drug use when buying a Colt Cobra handgun in October 2018.

The move comes two days after House of Representatives Republicans opened an impeachment inquiry of Joe Biden related to Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings. The White House has denounced that step, made without a vote by the full House, as unsubstantiated and politically motivated.

In an official statement, Hunter Biden's attorney Abbe Lowell said, As expected, prosecutors filed charges today that they deemed were not warranted just six weeks ago following a five-year investigation into this case."

The evidence in this matter has not changed in the last six weeks, but the law has and so has MAGA Republicans' improper and partisan interference in this process."

The charges ensure that courtroom drama will play an outsized role in the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign as Joe Biden, 80, seeks reelection in a likely rematch with his Republican predecessor Donald Trump, 77, who faces four upcoming criminal trials of his own.

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The Indian Air Force in a recent announcement, officially declared plans to buy around 100 more made-in-India LCA Mark 1A fighter jets, giving a boost to the indigenous aerospace sector.

Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari announced this plan in Spain in an exclusive interaction with ANI upon receiving the first C-295 transport aircraft in Spain.

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari told ANI at the Airbus aircraft manufacturing facility that "The LCA was developed from the ground up for replacement of the large MiG series fleet including the MiG-21, MiG 23 and MiG-27 aircraft. With the phasing out of all these aircraft, it is essential that we have adequate numbers of the LCA class aircraft in our inventory. So, apart from the 83 LCA Mark 1A that we have already contracted for, we are moving a case for around 100 more aircraft"

Also Read: Exercise BrightStar-23 enters last phase, more complex joint missions to follow

As per the plans of the Indian Air Force (IAF), these aircraft made-in-India will replace the MiG-series fighter jets in its fleet. The plans have been submitted to the Defence Ministry and all other stakeholders in the national security establishment.

The Indian Air Force chief held a review meeting last month with all involved parties, including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, regarding the indigenous fighter jet program. At that time, the decision to purchase approximately 100 additional of these aircraft was made.

The order would mean that the LCA Tejas fighters would re-up the Indian Air Force in veritably large figures. The IAF will have 40 LCA, over 180 LCA Mark- 1A and at least 120 LCA Mark- 2 aeroplanes in the coming 15 times.

Also Read: IAF aircraft performs air-to-air refuelling of Egytpian Air Force aircraft

The last order for LCA Mark1A was for 83 aircraft and the first aeroplane would be delivered around February 2024. LCA Mark 1A is the advanced interpretation of Tejas aircraft. The LCA Mark 1A aeroplane has further advanced avionics and radars than the original 40 LCAs being supplied to the Air Force.

The indigenous content in the new LCA Mark 1A is going to be further than 65 per cent. The Indian Air Force chief in the design review meeting last month had easily stated that the LCA has been the flag deliverer of the force's sweats towards the indigenisation of its aircraft line.

The programme has been the precursor of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India enterprise of the nation. More importantly, it's a flag deliverer of India's tone- reliance in the aerospace sector.

*With Agency Inputs

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In yet another case of hate crime in Canada against Sikhs, a 17-year-old high school student was assaulted at a bus stop after an altercation with another teenager in Canada's British Columbia province.

The student was reportedly attacked with beer of beer or pepper spray by another teenage student after exiting a public transit bus on his way home on September 11. Taking cognisance of the matter, the Consulate General of India in Vancouver on the X platform wrote, "cgivancouver strongly condemns assault on an Indian national in Kelowna and requests Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators".

Meanwhile, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in a statement said, "On September 11th, 2023, just before 4:00 pm, Kelowna RCMP were dispatched to a pepper spray incident at the intersection of Rutland Rd S and Robson Rd E. Officers determined a 17-year old Sikh student was either bear or pepper sprayed by another teenaged male after exiting a public transit bus on his way home."

It said there was an altercation on the bus before the beer spray incident which resulted in those involved being directed off the bus. Police said that several witness statements have been obtained and the teenage suspect has been identified.

After exiting the bus, a second incident occurred where the suspect male deployed bear spray on the victim," it said.

The statement further said, "Bystanders called the police who attended and are actively investigating this incident. Several witness statements have been obtained and the teenage suspect in this incident has already been identified."

Kelowna City Councillor Mohini Singh said that the student had only been in the city for around five months and spoke little English.

She termed the attack "totally unacceptable." She said that the student is in a "state of shock" and is "absolutely traumatized."

It's the second attack on a Sikh student in the central Interior city this year. Earlier in March, a 21-year-old Sikh student from India, Gagandeep Singh, was attacked in British Columbia province by a group of unknown men who ripped off his turban and dragged him across the sidewalk by his hair.

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Nipah virus updates: Nipah virus strain in Kerala is the Bangladesh variant that spreads from humans is characterised by high mortality despite lower infectivity. The virus, for which there is no vaccine, spreads through contact with the bodily fluids of infected bats, pigs, or humans and has a mortality rate of up to 75% among those infected. Here are top 10 updates about Nipah virus infection:

1. In response to the Nipah virus infection, all educational institutions in Kozhikode, Kerala, will remain closed for a week, until the following Sunday, September 24. This closure encompasses schools, professional colleges, and tuition centers. The district administration has assured that online classes will continue throughout the week.

2. Health Minister Veena George has provided an update on the situation, indicating that the contact list of infected individuals currently comprises 1,080 people, with 130 new additions on September15. Among them, 327 are health workers.

3. In addition to Kozhikode, 29 individuals in other districts are listed as contacts of Nipah-infected people. Of these, 22 are from Malappuram, one from Wayanad, and three each from Kannur and Thrissur. Among those listed, 175 are considered in the high-risk category, while 122 are healthcare workers.

4. The Health Minister noted that the number of people on the contact list is expected to rise as the test result of the person who passed away on August 30 has come back positive, marking it as the index case of Nipah in the district.

5. As of the current situation, there have been six confirmed cases of Nipah Virus in the state. Furthermore, 17 individuals who attended the cremation of the man who died on August 30 have been placed under isolation, and four active cases are undergoing treatment in hospitals.

6. All hospitals treating Nipah cases are required to establish a medical board, which must convene twice daily and submit reports to the health department. This directive is based on the infectious disease control protocols of the state.

7. During a press briefing held in the national capital on September 15, ICMR Director General Rajiv Bahl revealed that India had previously obtained some doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia in 2018. India will acquire an additional 20 doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia for treatment of Nipah virus infection.

8. The Karnataka government issued a circular on September 14 advising the general public to refrain from unnecessary travel to the Nipah-affected areas in Kerala. They recommended heightened surveillance in the bordering districts of Karnataka, including Kodagu, Dakshin Kannada, Chamrajanagara, and Mysore, as well as at entry points to the state.

9. Kerala Health Minister Veena George advised the public to wear masks, maintain social distance, and seek medical assistance if experiencing symptoms such as cold, fever, headache or cough.

10. Studies by the World Health Organization and ICMR have highlighted the susceptibility of the entire state to such infections, particularly in forested areas, and have emphasised the need for heightened precautions.

(With inputs from ANI)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi , following the recent G20 Summit event held over the last weekend under India's presidency, is going to host an exclusive dinner today, September 16, in honour of Delhi Police personnel who played a pivotal role in ensuring the event's security and smooth execution, reported PTI.

Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora instructed the deputy commissioners of Delhi Police's 15 districts to arrange a 'bada khana' (a large meal) for the staff as a gesture of appreciation and recognition for their dedicated efforts during the G20 Summit.

More than 450 Delhi police personnel, including exceptional individuals selected from various departments and districts, will be honoured guests at this exclusive gathering. The event is scheduled to be held at the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), located within Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, the main venue that hosted G20 Summit of 2023.

The G20 Summit, a two-day gathering that witnessed the participation of over 30 world leaders, prominent European Union officials, delegates from guest nations, and 14 heads of international organisations, concluded on September 10.

Also read: PM Modi to inaugurate housing project for Economically Weaker Sections in Solapur next month

The security arrangements for this prestigious event was an extensive operation that involved the deployment of more than 50,000 personnel, including specialised units such as dog squads and mounted police. The Pragati Maidan area in central Delhi, the venue for the summit, was enveloped in a multi-tiered security blanket to guarantee the safety of all attendees and the seamless progression of the proceedings.

In preparation for this special event, Sanjay Arora requested input from each district to compile a list of officers who exhibited exceptional dedication and performance throughout their duties at the Summit, according to sources.

In recognition of the outstanding efforts in the planning and execution of the G20 Leaders Summit, Sanjay Arora presented special commendation discs and certificates to deserving officers and personnel during a felicitation ceremony held on September 11.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng is postponing a trade mission to India planned for October, an official said on Friday, reflecting increasingly tense diplomatic relations. This came days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi scolded his Canadian counterpart at a G20 summit in New Delhi.

Shanti Cosentino, a spokesperson for the minister said, At this time, we are postponing the upcoming trade mission to India", according to a report published by Reuters.

PM Modi who held formal bilateral meetings with many world leaders during the G20 summit, snubbed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, allowing only a short, informal meeting on the sidelines five days ago.

Canada has the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab in India, and the country has been the site of many protests that have irked India.

After the leaders meeting, the Indian government said, They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship."

India on Friday said it had paused trade talks with Canada. Canada made a similar announcement earlier this month, saying such a pause was needed to take stock", Reuters reported.

Only about four months ago the two nations said they aimed to seal an initial trade agreement this year.

Meanwhile, the negotiations between India and Canada on the free trade agreement (FTA), which resumed after a decade, have come to a halt due to political concerns.

Without citing the Khalistan issue, which created differences between the two countries, the official said negotiations will resume once the political issues" are resolved.

There were certain political developments in Canada on which India has raised its objections. India has shown its resentment against certain political developments in Canada and, therefore, for the time being, till these political issues are settled, we have paused negotiations," the official said.

Over half a dozen rounds of talks have been held between the countries on the trade pact so far. In March 2022, the two countries re-launched negotiations for an interim agreementthe Early Progress Trade Agreement (EPTA).

(With Reuters inputs)

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As the death toll in a devastating Storm Daniel reached 17, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to announce reforms and relief measures on Saturday. The development comes as Greece is reeling under its worst storm since the records began in 1930.

For three days, intense Storm Daniel rampaged through Thessaly, a region located in central Greece. During this destructive period, it caused extensive flooding in both cities and villages, effectively transforming the area into an inland sea. The consequences were dire, as numerous residents had to be rescued through airlifts or in lifeboats from their submerged homes. Additionally, the deluge led to the loss of crops and resulted in the tragic drowning of tens of thousands of animals.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis postponed his economic policy by a week to 16 September in the wake of the deadly storms. He is anticipated to address the significant challenges confronting the country as a direct result of climate change.

As per a government source, Kyriakos Mitsotakis will elaborate on the support measures being put in place, funded through both the state budget and contributions from the European Union. These measures are intended to provide assistance to the individuals and industries adversely impacted by the ravages of Storm Daniel.

More changes in economic policies

"We still have a state which, despite the reforms, does not correspond to current needs. So we need to make more changes," one government official said as per news agency Reuters.

With the disastrous storm, the popularity of the government is also dwindling. According to a Mega TV analysis, 61% of the respondents had a negative view of the functioning of the government compared with 57% in May. Greece is expecting a slowdown in the economy to 2.3% this year from 5.9% in 2022 which is still far better than the euro zone's average of 0.6%.

(With inputs from Reuters)

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Last week a tsunami-sized flash flood swept Libyan port city of Derna, killing at least 4,000 people. The enormous surge of water burst two upstream dams late Sunday and reduced Derna to an apocalyptic wasteland where entire city blocks and untold numbers of people were washed into the Mediterranean. The floods were caused by hurricane-strength Storm Daniel, compounded by the poor infrastructure in Libya. Storm Daniel gathered strength during an unusually hot summer and earlier lashed Turkey, Bulgaria, and Greece, flooding vast areas and killing at least 27 people.

Also read: Libya flood updates: Death toll in Derna rises to over 11,000. 10 points

UN World Meteorological Organization said many deaths could have been avoided if early warning and emergency management systems had functioned properly in the war-scarred country.

However, hydrologist Abdul Wanis Ashour who researched the system of dams protecting Derna 17 years ago, found several problems in the eastern port town.

"I found also a number of reports warning of a disaster taking place in the Derna Valley basin if the dams were not maintained," he told Reuters news agency.

In an academic paper he published last year, Ashour warned that if the dams were not urgently maintained, the city faced a potential catastrophe.

Also read: Libya Floods Updates: Death toll in Derna rises to 5100

"There were warnings before that. The state knew of this well, whether through experts in the Public Water Commission or the foreign companies that came to assess the dam," he said. "The Libyan government knew what was going on in the Derna River Valley and the danger of the situation for a very long time."

DAM REPAIR PROJECT

Authorities tried to repair the dams above Derna as far back as 2007 when a Turkish company was awarded a contract to work on them. In his report, hydrologist Ashour cites an unpublished 2006 study from the Water Resources Ministry on "the danger of the situation."

But in 2011, Libya's long-serving ruler Muammar Gaddafi was toppled in a NATO-backed uprising and civil war. Derna was held by a succession of militant Islamist factions, including Al Qaeda and Islamic State.

The Turkish company, Arsel, lists a project on its website to repair the Derna dams as having begun in 2007 and been completed in 2012.

Reuters report said that work on the dams contracted before Gaddafi's fall had been impossible to carry out afterward because the city was occupied by Islamic State and besieged for several years.

Even after the city was recaptured by the administration running the east of the country, work did not resume.

In 2021, a report by Libya's Audit Bureau cited "inaction" by the Water Resources Ministry, saying it had failed to move forward with maintenance work on the two main dams above Derna.

The report said that 2.3 million euros ($2.45 million) had been earmarked for the maintenance and rehabilitation of the dams but only part of the funds were deducted. It did not say whether those funds had been spent, or on what.

Meanwhile, the United Nations launched an appeal for more than $71 million to assist hundreds of thousands in need and warned the "extent of the problem" remains unclear.

Teams from the Libyan Red Crescent are "still searching for possible survivors and clearing bodies from the rubble in the most damaged areas" of Derna. Other teams were trying on Friday to deliver much-needed aid to families.

The International Organization for Migration meanwhile said "over 38,640" people were left homeless in eastern Libya, 30,000 of them in Derna.

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The United Auto Workers and Detroit automaker executives engaged in a harsh war of words on Friday, the first day of the union's unprecedented simultaneous strike against all three of Detroit's manufacturers, according to a report published by Bloomberg.

Workers called out of a Ford Motor Co. plant in Michigan, a General Motors Co. factory in Missouri, and a Stellantis NV plant in Phio after the midnight deadline for a new contract passed.

The union said it plans to resume bargaining on Saturday after launching its first simultaneous strikes at General Motors, Ford Motor, and Chrysler parent Stellantis, with effects of the limited shutdown starting to spread on Friday, as per Reuters reports.

Addressing a rally in Detroit on Friday, Union President Shawn Fain said, For eight weeks, the carmakers didn't seem to be able to find the time to show up to bargaining but were able to make TV appearances."

Theres always money for another stock buyback. They say they cant provide a dignified retirement but theres always another special dividend for Wall Street," he added.

Speaking to Bloomberg TV, GM Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra said that she was extremely disappointed and frustrated."

"Her companys offer of 20% raises over four years, cost-of-living allowances, and increases for existing pensioners, was the best in its 115-year history. This is a strike that didnt need to happen," she said.

Anderson Economic Group, based in Michigan, has estimated that a 10-day strike could cost the US $5.6 billion, Bloomberg reported.

The union has a list of demands including 36% pay raises over four years, cost of living raises, and an end to different tiers of wages for workers.

In an internal memo sent Friday, GM warned workers at a plant in Fairfax, Kansas, that the facility may be idled as early as next week due to the strike. The Fairfax plant receives parts from the Missouri GM facility included in the initial UAW walkout.

Responding to the workers' demand, Ford in a statement on Thursday said the union responded to the company's latest historically generous" offer by showing little movement from its initial demands.

If implemented, the proposal would more than double Fords current UAW-related labor costs, which are already significantly higher than the labor costs of Tesla, Toyota and other foreign-owned automakers in the United States that utilize non-union-represented labor," the statement said.

Ford and GM are offering 20% during the next contract while the last known offer from Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler, was 17.5%.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Travel to United Kingdom as a tourist, visitor or a student is set to become expensive from 4 October. The British Government has announced that a UK Visit Visa for under six months will cost 1,543 ( GBP 15 ) more and UK Student Visas will be 13,070 ( GBP 127 ) more expensive for travelers from around the world, including Indians.

The UK Home office has informed that the changes mean the cost for a UK Visit Visa for less than six months will rise to 11,835 (GBP 115) and the fee for applying for a UK Student Visa from outside the UK will rise to 50,428 (GBP 490)  to equal the amount charged for in-country applications.

The Home Office indicated a 15% increase in the cost of most work and visit visas, and an increase of at least 20% in the cost of priority visas, study visas and certificates of sponsorship.

The changes to UK Visit Visa fees, and UK Student Visa fees are subject to parliamentary approval and are expected to be in force from October 4, the Home Office said.

The move comes after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had announced in July that the fees and health surcharge paid towards the UKs state-funded National Health Service (NHS) by visa applicants are set to rise significantly" to meet the countrys public sector wage increase.

Other UK Visa Fee Hike

The hike in fees applies across most visa categories, including

-Health and care visa

-Applications to register and naturalise as a British citizen

-Fees for up to six months, two, five and 10-year visit visas

The hike also applies for the majority of fees for entry clearance and certain applications for leave to remain in the United Kingdom

-Those for work and study

-Fees for indefinite leave to enter and indefinite leave to remain

-Fees in relation to certificates of sponsorship and confirmation of acceptance for studies

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Turkiye has extended a proposal to lead three-way talks about Azerbaijan's Garabagh region, involving those two countries and neighboring Armenia, while also expressing readiness for four-way discussions that would include Russia, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday, Azernews reports.

"We conveyed our proposal for a trilateral meeting under our leadership to them (Azerbaijan and Armenia). Beyond the trilateral approach, we also made a quadrilateral proposal," Erdogan said at a news conference in Istanbul ahead of his departure for next week's UN General Assembly meeting in New York.

"There has been no response yet," he said of the four-way proposal, noting that he would discuss the matter with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.

On Turkiye's EU accession process, Erdogan said Ankara would evaluate recent developments. "After these evaluations, we can part ways with the EU if necessary."

The EU is "trying to break away" from Ankara, he said on the European Parliament's 2022 report about Turkiye.

On Sweden's NATO membership bid, he said that if terrorists were being allowed to hold demonstrations under police protection in the Scandinavian country, this showed that Stockholm was failing to "fulfill its duties" under an agreement with Ankara to greenlight its accession to the alliance.
Its been a few weeks since Elon Musk changed the name of his social-media platform from Twitter to X, and the reviews so far have been cool. Many users are finding ways to keep the brands iconic blue bird on their devices. For legions of holdouts, Twitter will always be Twitter.

The backlash isnt surprising. X" invites thoughts of high-school algebra, a subject often more endured than enjoyed. Mark Zuckerbergs rebranding of Facebook isnt faring much better. He rechristened the platforms parent company as Meta, which sounds like the grimly experimental title of a Soho art exhibit. And while Substack, another popular social-media company, might have some good content, is anyone going to feel excited about a name that conjures images of a factory skyline?

Whatever their other gifts, the titans behind todays leading social-media companies obviously lack a lyrical ear, something that an older generation of media pioneers seemed to have in abundance. Just think of the many newspaper names that emerged in the golden age of print, and youll see my point.

No one had to guess the meaning behind the Ponchatoula Enterprise, the Louisiana weekly where I cut my teeth as a reporter. That modest word, enterprise," signaled small-town commerce as a governing ideal. The Baton Rouge Advocate, my hometown daily, has a nice ring, tooadvocate" as in were on your side."

Ive always loved the name of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which makes me feel smarter just saying it. Any journal called intelligencer" seems destined to keep you in the know. The moniker of the Chicago Tribune stirs me, too, and why wouldnt it? One definition of tribune" is an unofficial defender of the rights of the individual."

Le Monde, the venerable Paris daily, seems typically French in its audacity, the newspapers title promising to give readers the world." And of course there is the quietly insistent reference to Wall Street in The Wall Street Journal, which usefully grounds a paper of global reach in a specific place. Exactly where would you imagine is Meta?

I know that newspapers are considered old-fashioned, but modern media moguls could learn a thing or two about branding from the legacy media.

Im glad that I walked through the door of the Ponchatoula Enterprise four decades ago and asked for a job. I doubt that I would have signed up for a gig with an outfit named X.

Mr. Heitman is a columnist for the Baton Rouge Advocate.

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Chinas defence minister General Li Shangfu has not been seen in public for some weeks now. Reports in the US media, citing sources in the Chinese leadership, say General Li is being investigated for corruption and is set to lose his position. This comes just months after Chinas foreign minister Qin Gang disappeared mysteriously from public view. Mint takes a closer look at the developments.

Li Shangfu and his role in the Chinese government

A career military officer, Li Shangfu trained as an engineer and joined the Peoples Liberation Army in 1982. Prior to his appointment as Chinas defence minister in 2023, he served as deputy head of the Strategic Support Force, which focused on building up the countrys space and cyber capabilities. In that capacity, Li likely played a key role in realigning Chinas space and missile research, development, and acquisition (RD&A) processes and standards," writes The Diplomat on General Li. He was also made a member of Chinas State Council, an important political position, and serves on the Central Military Commission, which is the countrys top military decision making body. However, Li is not the senior most soldier in the country.

Li Shangfu's whereabouts

According to reports, General Li was last seen in public on August 29. Since then, he has missed key meetings, notably with his counterparts in Vietnam. A subsequent report in the Wall Street Journal citing US officials stated that General Li is being investigated for corruption and is set to lose his job.

Has this happened before?

This comes just months after Chinas Foreign Minister Qin Gang disappeared in June. Then, as now, the disappearance was explained as a health-related incident. Minister Qin was subsequently stripped of his position as foreign minister although he retains some of his political positions.

Li Shangfu's disappearance and Chinese politics

General Lis reported disappearance spells further instability for Chinas military. In August, President Xi Jinping removed two senior commanders in charge of the PLAs Rocket Force, which is tasked with managing the countrys missile and nuclear weapons arsenal. However, some experts believe this will not have a broader impact on Chinese politics. If the removal of the defence minister and the Rocket Force leaders was because of corruption, it indicates that Xis vetting process for selecting top officials is deeply flawed and suggests corruption is commonplace within the system despite Xis decade-long campaign against it," said Dennis Wilder, a former intelligence official, to the Financial Times.
Congress leader Sonia Gandhi said that the CWC panel stands ready to write a new chapter of development with dignity for all people of poll-bound Telangana and the nation. The first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee will take place in Hyderabad today, Saturday, September 16.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge shared the message of Sonia Gandhi ahead of the meeting. In her message, Sonia said that her party has always stood by the aspirations of the people of Telangana.

We had made a promise to the people of Telangana. We have fulfilled that promise. Congress has always stood by the aspirations of the people of Telangana. Now its time to lead the state into a new era of progress and prosperity," Kharge wrote on X.

Congress leader Ambika Soni appreciated the decision of the CWC meeting taken by the top brass.

I think it is a good decision to hold the CWC meeting here (in Hyderabad) as assembly elections are scheduled to be held here (Telangana) soon," Soni told media persons.

On the other hand, Congress leader Anand Sharma said that the grand old party has a major role in India's politics and the CWC meeting is an opportunity to deliberate over the present political situation of the country.

Congress being the principal party in the opposition has a major role to play in India's politics, and this is an opportunity for us to discuss, deliberate over the next two days the present political situation in the country," Sharma said.

Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said, This will be the first meeting of the reconstituted CWC (Congress Working Committee) under party president Mallikarjun Kharge. The meeting, which is being organized in Hyderabad, signifies the importance of Telangana for us."

Kharge informed that senior party leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and Rahul Gandhi will attend the CWC meeting today.

The CWC will meet at 2:30 pm on Saturday and deliberate on the strategy for the upcoming assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls.

On Sunday, there will be a meeting of the extended CWC to which all state party chiefs and CLP leaders, besides Parliamentary Party office-bearers, Central Election Committee members have been invited to strategize for the upcoming elections.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge had on August 20 reconstituted the CWC, retaining the old guard and giving space to the young in the 84-member body.

The CWC has 39 regular members, 32 permanent invitees, and 13 special invitees. These include 15 women and several new faces such as Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot, and Gaurav Gogoi who are among the regular members.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Opposition INDIA bloc's decision to not attend television shows by a list of fourteen journalists is not a boycott but a non-cooperation movement, Congress leader Pawan Khera said on Saturday.

The decision on listing anchors and shows was taken at the first meeting of the INDIA coordination committee held at the home of Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar. Nothing is permanent and if tomorrow the journalists mentioned on the list published by the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance 'realise that what they were doing is not good for India', INDIA leaders will again attend their shows," Pawan Khera said ahead of the two-day Congress Working Committee meeting. On Friday, INDIA bloc member and Congress MP from Assam, Gaurav Gogoi told reporters that the decision to boycott certain TV news anchors and their shows were taken because Congress party wishes not to extend support to some journalists who are in the WhatsApp group of the BJP Media cell. "The motive of Congress party behind this decision is to not extend support to some journalists who are in the WhatsApp group of the BJP Media cell and spread hatred in the country, which is a crime as per the law." Gogoi said. The list, shared by several member parties of INDIA coalition, contains the names of Republic Network's Arnab Goswami, Aaj Tak's Sudhir Chaudhary, News18 Hindi's Amish Devgan, TimesNow's Navika Kumar, IndiaToday Group's Gaurav Sawant among 14 news anchors.

Congress leader Pawan Khera said, We have not banned, boycotted or blacklisted anyone. It can be called a non-cooperation movement. We will not be cooperating with anybody spreading hatred in the society. We are not stopping them from spreading hatred. If you want to spread hatred, go ahead and do it. You have the freedom to do it."

"We also have the freedom to not be partners in the crime. They are not our enemies. We don't hate any of these friends from the media. They may have their compulsions. And nothing is permanent. If tomorrow they realise what they were doing is not good for India, not good for the society, believe me, we are all together in this. We will again start attending their shows. So do not call it a ban," Khera said.

"If someone keeps dumping garbage on our road, we have the freedom to change our path. We are just exercising that freedom and all INDIA parties have agreed to change our path," the Congress leader said.

The total list of names included in the non-cooperation list are

Aditi Tyagi

Aman Chopra

Amish Devgan

Anand Narasimhan

Arnab Goswami

Ashok Shrivastav

Chitra Tripathi

Gaurav Sawant

Navika Kumar

Prachi Parashar

Rubika Liaquat

Shiv Aroor

Sudhir Chaudhary

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The Congress party held its first Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting on Saturday in Hyderabad, since after rejigging the core committee and its the working committee members. The CWC meeting adopted several resolutions during the meeting.

This includes a condolence resolution for the ones who lost their lives in the Himachal Pradesh natural disasters, and the ones who lost their lives in the Manipur violence.

The CWC also "wholeheartedly" welcomed the continuing consolidation of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) claiming it has already rattled Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and general secretaries KC Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, among others, were present at the meeting.

Here are the top 10 points from CWC resolutions

-One of the resolution urged all democratic forces to condemn and resist Prime Minister Narendra Modi government's assault on the Constitution of India. In their first meeting, CWC noted that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government has practically destroyed principles and practices of cooperative federalism.

-The CWC pledged to restore a nation of which every Indian, irrespective of caste or religion, rich or poor, young or old, can be proud".

-In a resolution adopted at its first meeting after being reconstituted, the Congress Working Committee (CWC) also called for the conducting of a caste census. The prime minister's so-called Rozgar Melas are a hoax to cover up the abject failure to create, as promised, two crore jobs a year. The failure to conduct the decennial Census, due in 2021, is a national and an international shame" the resolution read

-The Congress called for increasing the existing upper limit of reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs. "The CWC also calls for increasing the existing upper limit of reservations for scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and OBCs," the resolution said.

-The Congress demanded that the Women's Reservation Bill be passed during the upcoming special session of Parliament

-The Congress on Saturday resolved to make the INDIA bloc an "ideological and electoral success" to free the country from "divisive politics" and ensure that people get a government that is sensitive and accountable.

-CWC expressed grave concern at the "increasing unemployment and continuous rise in prices, especially of essential commodities". "The prime minister's so-called Rozgar melas are a hoax to cover up the abject failure to create, as promised, two crore jobs a year," the resolution said.

-CWC passed a condolence resolution and expressed grief to the people of Himachal Pradesh which suffered massive destruction due to the recurrent landslides and heavy rainfall adding that the centre should provide financial assistance to the state to rebuild its infrastructure which got damaged in the state

-A condolence resolution was also passed in the Congress Working Committee on the Manipur violence. "Congress Working Committee expresses its profound sense of loss and anguish at the ongoing situation of ethnic violence in Manipur. The people of Manipur have witnessed extreme devastation and are facing innumerable hardships. More than 200 lives have been lost, over 500 injured and more than 5000 houses gutted in arson-related incidents. A staggering number of over 60,000 people are displaced and continue to live in dire conditions in relief camps across the state," the resolution read.

-The Congress also noted that the chief election commissioner and election commissioners' appointment bill will severely compromise the independence of the poll panel to conduct free and fair elections.

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The Congress Working Committee (CWC) has chosen to convene its meeting outside Delhi for the first time in years. Set to be held on September 16 in Telangana's capital Hyderabad, this strategic meeting is not only designed to chart out election plans but also aims to signify the partys commitment to displace the current BRS government in the state. Congress top brass in full attendance Mallikarjun Kharge, the Congress chief, will spearhead the meeting, supported by general secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh. Also expected to attend are former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Venugopal revealed that out of 90 invitees, 84 confirmed their attendance, including four sitting chief ministers, PTI reported. Congress leaders have expressed optimism that the high-profile meeting will serve as a transformative moment for both the party and Telangana's political landscape. They believe that the discussions could be a pivotal game-changer in shaping upcoming electoral battles. Extended meeting on Sunday On the day following the initial meeting, an extended version of the CWC will take place. This larger gathering will include state party chiefs, Central Election Committee members, and Parliamentary Party office-bearers. Venugopal disclosed that 147 out of 159 invited members will be in attendance to strategise for upcoming elections.

The Congress party intends to make a splash on September 17 evening with a 'mega rally' near Hyderabad. This event, which coincides with Telangana National Integration Day, will be the platform where the party will reveal six key guarantees for the forthcoming Telangana assembly elections. After the rally, MPs will return to Delhi, while other party leaders will disperse across various assembly constituencies.

Revamped CWC

Kharge has recently revamped the CWC, integrating both seasoned and younger members. The committee now has 39 regular members, 32 permanent invitees, and 13 special invitees, among them 15 women and new additions like Shashi Tharoor and Sachin Pilot. This diversified group is expected to present a "charge sheet" against the current KCR government, mobilising party workers across all assembly constituencies to take part in this initiative.

(With PTI inputs)

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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
SEOUL: South Korea swore off nuclear weapons in a recent pact with the U.S., but the deal may have just put a temporary pause on the debate in Seoul.

South Korea is surrounded by nuclear powers and many among the public and in the elite political class are still in favor of the country developing its own nuclear weapons.

President Yoon Suk Yeol signed the pact, but one of the most prominent voices supporting nuclear weapons for South Korea comes from his own ruling partly: Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon.

Only nukes can counter nukes," Oh said in an interview at his City Hall office.

Oh, 62, said the regional security threat has risen so high that it would justify triggering Article X of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which South Korea signed nearly five decades ago.

Despite U.S. assurances of protection, South Korea is surrounded by three nuclear-armed nationsChina, Russia and North Korea. Those countries could pursue joint naval drills, Seouls spy agency has told lawmakers. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin metin Russia recently, discussing ways to bolster ties and thwart the U.S.-led global order.

Many South Koreans want nukes

The open discourse by South Koreas political elite crosses the partisan spectrum and has emerged anew in recent years. That, in large part, reflects broad public backing for a nuclear program: a strong majority of South Koreans have supported the notion for a decade.

Oh, a former attorney who began his second stint as mayor in 2021, isnt alone among leading South Korean politicians calling for South Korean armament. They argue that relying on Washingtons nuclear umbrella isnt enough.

Conservative lawmakers gathered at a conference earlier this year and discussed the prospect of South Koreas nuclear development. Tae Yong-ho, a former senior North Korean diplomat who defected and is now a lawmaker in South Korea, said nuclear anxieties havent gone away and suggested developing nuclear weapons as a way to reduce the Kim regimes threat. Ruling party leader Kim Gi-hyeon has consistently said acquiring nuclear weapons is the only way to preserve peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The partys interest in the topic had risen after Yoon, who took office last year, said in January that South Korea could develop its own nuclear weapons or ask the U.S. to redeploy them, rattling Washington officials. Hedialed backthe remarks a week later.

Three months later, Yoon met President Biden at the White House, promising not to pursue a nuclear bomb. In exchange, Seoul won more frequent visits to the region by U.S. nuclear assets meant to deter Pyongyang, and greater consultation on potential American nuclear use in the event of a Kim regime attack.

Following the leader-to-leader pact called the Washington Declaration," South Korean support for nuclear armament dropped to 60% this year, about a nine-percentage-point fall from the prior year, according to a recent survey by Korea Institute for National Unification, a state-funded think tank in Seoul. Trust in the U.S. nuclear umbrella, which includes South Korea, rose modestly to 75%.

A majority of both conservatives and liberals back South Korea going nuclear, with widespread acknowledgment that doing so wont convince North Korea to give up their weapons, according to polling by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.

To dismiss this as a fringe movement is a pretty serious mistake," said Karl Friedhoff, one of the reports authors and a fellow in public opinion and Asia policy at the organization.

Support for nuclear armament in South Korea wont go away, especially as the nuclear arsenals of Russia, China and North Korea raise concerns about South Koreas ability to defend itself, said Shin Yul, a professor of political science at South Koreas Myongji University.

The recent statements with Washington temporarily put out the fire, but as long as South Koreans fear North Koreas growing nuclear threat, politicians will continue to call for nuclear armament," Shin said.

South Korea has the technology

Seoul has roughly 10 million people, representing about one-fifth of South Koreas total population. Oh, as Seoul mayor, is seen as the countrys second most powerful elected official. He is the only local government official given ministerial-level treatment. He can participate in presidential cabinet meetings, meaning he has a direct channel to the president.

Oh said it was time for South Korea to accept that North Korea is a nuclear power. In 1991, following the end of the Cold War, the U.S. removed tactical nuclear weapons it had deployed in South Korea. Despite the blood alliance" with the U.S., trusting that Washington will protect Seoul under any circumstances isnt enough, Oh said.

If the U.S. stationed nuclear weapons here, we wouldnt have to talk about developing our own nuclear weapons," he said.

Seoul has the technology, funds and nuclear power plants that can be used toward building nuclear weapons, Oh argued. Within a year, South Korea could develop nuclear weapons just like China or Russia, he said.

Nuclear experts echo Ohs assessment that South Korea has the technology, facilities and funds to produce highly enriched uranium and plutonium needed for nuclear weapons. It would take several months to produce fissile material, and about a year to make one or two nuclear bombs if South Korea were to focus its resources on nuclear development, according to Kang Jung-min, the former chairman of South Koreas Nuclear Safety and Security Commission.

But this timeline doesnt factor in potential sanctions on uranium imports or the controversial process of determining where the nuclear-testing facilities would be located, nuclear experts say. In response to a nuclear-pursuant South Korea, the U.S. could terminate defense sales and military assistance as well.

South Korea has the technology to develop nuclear weapons, but nuclear armament will lead to severe economic sanctions and raises the risk of nuclear war," Kang said.

Write to Dasl Yoon at dasl.yoon@wsj.com and Timothy W. Martin at Timothy.Martin@wsj.com
Belgium has asked Apple to update iPhone 12 software across the EU, after France temporarily halted sales due to radiation exposure breaches, prompting Apple to agree to a software update. Reportedly, Italy plans a similar request. Both Apple and French officials emphasize no public health risk from radiation emissions.

Mathieu Michel, Belgium's state secretary for digitalisation, issued a statement mentioning that although the IBPT regulator is currently conducting a review of the phone, the initial findings have been "reassuring," and as a result, there is no requirement for a recall of the phone in Belgium, reported Reuters.

As per Reuters, on Thursday, Belgium announced its plan to assess potential health concerns associated with Apple's iPhone 12. This development raises the possibility that additional European nations may follow suit in banning the model, following France's decision to cease sales due to violations of radiation exposure limits.

Similarly, Economic Times reported that Italy also plans to request Apple to release a software update for iPhone 12 users within the country, as per a government source. This decision follows Apple's offer to implement comparable adjustments in France, aimed at resolving a dispute with regulators concerning violations of radiation exposure limits.

To recall, Apple agreed to update the iPhone 12 in France in response to concerns raised by regulators about excessive electromagnetic radiation emissions. France had temporarily halted sales of the device due to it emitting more electromagnetic waves than allowed, reported AFP.

"Apple has assured me that it will implement an update for the iPhone 12 in the next few days," stated Jean-Noel Barrot, digital minister, France, in a statement to AFP.

As per the report, both Apple and Minister Jean-Noel Barrot emphasized that there was no risk to public health from the emitted radiation.

"This is related to a specific testing protocol used by French regulators and not a safety concern," Apple stated in a statement, mentioning that the device complied with rules on emissions all around the world.

"We will issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators," added the California based tech giant.

Barrot granted the global company a two-week timeframe on Tuesday to release an update for its phone, which was approaching the end of its tenure as a flagship Apple product. He stated that the ANFR, the testing agency in charge, would promptly evaluate the update, and he would subsequently determine whether to lift the sales ban.

The report further added that the World Health Organization has stated that numerous studies in the field have found "no established adverse health effects attributed to mobile phone use."

(With inputs from Reuters and AFP)

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Apple announced during its Wonderlust event on Tuesday that iOS 17 will be available as a free upgrade on September 18. As per several media reports, the California based technology giant is all set to bring exciting features like improved FaceTime, contact sharing with NameDrop, a new journal app, and enhanced autocorrect.

Here is everything that we expect from the iOS 17 update and which all devices would be able to run it:

Beta testers had early access to iOS 17, and now the eagerly anticipated full version is set to be released to the general public. There are several noteworthy features that have generated excitement among users.

According to a report by Mashable India, iOS 17 brings several exciting updates. For instance, FaceTime receives an upgrade enabling users to leave video voicemails. The introduction of NameDrop facilitates contact sharing by simply bringing phones close together. Additionally, a new journal app is now available for the more literary and organized individuals.

Notably, Apple has improved autocorrect to better understand your intentions, sparing you from accidentally typing "ducking" instead of another word, adds the report.

Another media report from USA Today suggests that the new StandBy mode update will be a convenient addition to iOS 17. Reportedly, after the update, your iPhone will turn into an Amazon or Google smart home display. To activate this feature, users will need an iPhone compatible with iOS 17. They can simply place it on its side while it is charging, either with a cable or on a charging stand, mentions the report.

Which iPhones will support iOS 17?

The media report also suggests that any iPhone released from the iPhone XS onwards is compatible with iOS 17, which was introduced in September 2018. Therefore, any iPhone that is more than six years old will not support the latest iOS update.

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A Longford man currently on remand in custody over allegedly discharging a firearm moments before being run over by a van in a feud-related incident in Longford town has been remanded for a further two weeks.



Jamie Dinnegan (32), of Grian Ard, Ardnacassa, Longford, appeared at a sitting of Longford District Court via video link last Tuesday following an incident at Palace Crescent, Longford, on January 24, 2022.



The Longford man initially appeared in court three weeks ago charged with the reckless discharge of a firearm, possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition in suspicious circumstances as well as the possession of both a firearm and ammunition without a certificate.



Mr Dinnegan had been due to apply for bail before the High Court last Thursday.

That appeal, however, was adjourned.



At last Tuesday's court sitting, Sgt Enda Daly, for the State, said directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) was still awaited and requested a further two week adjournment.

It's quite voluminous in nature, the size of the investigation, he said.

Brid Mimnagh, standing in for her colleague Fiona Baxter explained to Mr Dinnegan the State's application and about his imminent High Court bail application, an address which led Mr Dinnegan to state: That's fine Brid, thank you.



Mr Dinnegan is due back before Longford District Court on September 19.
Longford County Council planners have granted permission to a solar farm to adjust a condition of their previously approved planning application.

In September 2020 Grian PV Longford Ltd was given the go-ahead for the Cleggill Solar Park. The project received funding under the Renewable Energy Support Scheme.

The address of the development is Cleggill, Longford, Longford. One submission on the file was from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage which noted the proposed development is large in scale and located within close proximity to a recorded monument, a ringfort, and required an archaeological assessment of the area.



The parent company, Grian PV Longford Ltd, has a business address of Blg Financial, 3rd Floor the Boat House, Bishop Street Dublin 8.

The company sought an amendment to the previously approved development. The amendment was to vary the wording of a condition of the planning permission in relation to access for the delivery of components to the Solar Farm.



The local authority planners approved the application subject to three conditions.

Those conditions are that the applicant is required to engage the services of a suitably qualified archaeologist to carry out an archaeological assessment of the development site; the archaeologist shall carry out any relevant documentary research and inspect the development site; and having completed the work, the archaeologist will submit a written report stating their recommendations to the Planning Authority and to this local authority planning department.
U.S. President Joe Biden called on the nation's big three automakers Friday to more fairly share the record profits they have seen in recent years, on the first day of a strike involving 13,000 members of the United Auto Workers.

The United Auto Workers labor union began the strike as talks broke down late Thursday between union leaders and car manufacturing companies General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep and Chrysler. It is the first time in history American autoworkers have struck all three major companies at the same time.

Workers staged walkouts at plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri. Not all of the 146,000 UAW members at the companies' plants are walking picket lines. The union is targeting just three factories.

The main issue is pay, with the union asking for a raise of about 36 percent. Ford and GM are both proposing a 20 percent raise over 4 years. Stellantis was offering 17.5 percent over that same period.
Shannonside Northern Sound broadcaster Joe Finnegan has been recognised for his outstanding contribution to radio.

The long time presenter of the stations flagship JF Show was inducted to the IMRO Radio Hall of Fame.

Selected by a panel of esteemed peers within the Irish radio industry, Joe Finnegan is recognised for his contributions spanning over three and a half decades.

His unwavering commitment has not only led to remarkable audience engagement but has also driven significant commercial success.

Highly regarded for his expertise and profound dedication to radio, this induction serves as a testament to Joe Finnegan's enduring impact and influence within the realm of radio broadcasting.

The IMRO Radio Awards Committee takes great pride in welcoming Joe into the Hall of Fame, acknowledging his enduring mark on the industry.

Following the announcement General Manager Joao Soares said that Joe's achievements in broadcasting are a testament to his talent and dedication.



Mr Soares added, He has played a pivotal role in the development of Shannonside Northern Sound and has helped to make it one of the most successful radio stations in the country."



Joe was joined by other inductees Mary Wilson of RTE, John Bennett MBE of Radio Ulster and Paddy Halpenny formerly Communicorp, at the official induction on Wednesday, September 13.
One of two candidates for the Presidency of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has criticised environmentalists for their incessant and unfair vilification of farmers in county Longford and across Ireland and for ignoring the important role they play in food production and protecting the environment.



Francie Gorman, a beef, suckler and sheep farmer from Ballinakill, County Laois, was speaking this weekend at the launch of his campaign in Abbeyleix where there was more than 350 people in attendance, including former IFA President John Bryan and IFA County Chairpersons from across the country.



With his wife Kate and son Tom at his side, Gorman said his priority is to ensure Ireland does not transfer its food production business to countries that produce food in a less sustainable fashion than we do, just to keep people who are anti-farming in this country happy.



Aside from the constant need to improve commodity prices and ongoing issues around engagement with the Department on various schemes, the potential diminution of our food production output remains the single biggest issue facing farmers. Ireland produces its milk, beef and grain as sustainably as anywhere else in the world and if its not produced here it's going to be produced by countries with a bigger environmental footprint. Neither Irish farmers nor the environment benefit from such a scenario, he explained.



Gorman, who currently is chairman of the IFAs South Leinster branch and is a former Laois IFA chairman, said Ireland should be immensely proud of the growth of its agriculture sector in the half-century since it entered the European Union (EU) in 1973.



Ireland remains a rural, agriculture-based country that produces enough food to feed 40 million people and because of that, and due to not having huge industrial regions like Germanys Ruhr Valley, agricultural emissions will always bear the highest emissions totals, stated Gorman.



He continued, Our sector has faced persistent and unfair criticism from environmentalists in the media with no acknowledgement of the important role we play. This criticism does not mean farmers get a free pass on the environment, but it also doesnt mean that the work of farmers to improve water quality and the sustainability of their produce should be ignored either.



Irish farming has a very positive story to tell, but its not getting through in the media, Gorman added. The IFA must take some responsibility for this as over the years it has relinquished its once proudly held status as a powerful, leading voice for farmers. Strong leadership and unity amongst members are key to strengthening our negotiating position, as well as our ability to develop and drive policy focusing on increasing farm income and securing a future for the next generation of farmers.

Gorman said the issue of how the IFA engages with the EU and the Government on policy matters is a key focus of his Presidential bid.



He said, Farmers are being driven to breaking point regarding the various agri schemes in terms of the difficulties being experienced by applicants, delayed payments and approvals for schemes like TAMS, and the prohibitive costs associated with engaging directly with the Department whereby individual farmers must employ a private consultant or Teagasc advisor to do their work. You throw in a year like we have had with incessantly poor weather and huge input costs, and it's easy understand why farmers are frustrated.



The Environment and climate change is a huge challenge, but farmers producing top quality food in a sustainable way is not the problem, he said. Its a cop out to suggest that we should cut back our grass-based production and import food from other parts of the world with a higher carbon footprint. Farmers must be supported to meet the environmental challenge we face which is why I am proposing a new Environmental scheme, with a payment of 15,000 to be opened to all farmers, including organic.



We need to communicate the positive work carried out by farmers an awful lot better, particularly in relation to the environment, in a way that we will be able to impact on the policies that ensure our businesses remain economically efficient and that younger generations are encouraged to enter our sector, concluded Mr. Gorman.



Among the other policy issues being highlighted by Mr. Gorman in his presidential campaign is the need for increased access to renewables and benefits for farmers, the elimination of bureaucracy and restrictions around forestry, the protection of agricultural reliefs, securing fixed prize contracts for tillage farmers, bringing about an end to further designations of Hill Areas and Land, an increased role for women and young farmers, and maximising milk, beef and lamb prices.



Keynote speakers at Francie Gormans launch evening included Anna Marie McHugh (National Ploughing Association), Jim Mulhall (Kilkenny IFA Chair) and John Fitzpatrick (Laois IFA Chair). Other speakers included Anna May McHugh (National Ploughing Association), John Bryan (former IFA President), Jer OMahony (Wexford IFA Chair), and former county chairs Ann Baker (North Cork), Erica OKeeffe (South Tipperary), James Murphy (Kilkenny) and Liam Brophy (Macra na Feirme).
Nine petitions that collected more than 4,500 signatures are still awaiting their debate with lawmakers

Nancy Kemp-Arendt, who chairs the petitions committee in parliament, presented data on the appeals submitted during a press conference together with President of the Chamber of Deputies Fernand Etgen

Nancy Kemp-Arendt, who chairs the petitions committee in parliament, presented data on the appeals submitted during a press conference together with President of the Chamber of Deputies Fernand Etgen  Photo credit: Chamber of Deputies

Nancy Kemp-Arendt, who chairs the petitions committee in parliament, presented data on the appeals submitted during a press conference together with President of the Chamber of Deputies Fernand Etgen  Photo credit: Chamber of Deputies

The next parliament should consider raising the number of signatures a petition needs for a debate in parliament, lawmakers said this week, as a backlog of required discussions linger from before the summer break.

Parliament has since 2014 offered the public the opportunity to propose ideas for legislation to lawmakers by submitting petitions. Nearly 2,500 have been made since then. If the documents reach 4,500 signatures, they must be debated with members of parliament and government ministers.

But the outgoing petitions committee has suggested raising the requirement for public interest as more and more petitions achieve the target.

While there were only four debates in parliament during the 2014-2015 parliamentary session  which follows the school calendar  this number swelled to 13 in the 2022-2023 year. Three of those debates were carried over as lawmakers ran out of time before the summer break.

And the 2023-2024 session already has nine petitions on the agenda of the Chamber of Deputies, with a record number of 19 petitions breaking the 4,500 threshold between September last year and July.

To help speed the process along, ministers must make it a priority to attend the debates, said Nancy Kemp-Arendt, who chairs the committee in parliament.

Several discussions had to be postponed because of last-minute cancellations, she said during a press conference on Thursday, adding that ministers should immediately have to propose an alternative date instead of parliament chasing them for their diary. Kemp-Arendt also suggested an earlier cut-off date in election years as petitioners dont want to debate with a potentially outgoing minister and members of parliament.

Jobs, transport, personal finance

Anyone aged 15 or over living in Luxembourg and with a local social security number can submit and sign a petition. The submitted documents are assessed by parliament, which decides whether they are of general public interest and dont violate other rules, such as inciting hatred or being discriminatory.

Parliament processed 400 of the documents during the last session. Nearly one in five addressed topics around the workplace and jobs, 17.6% were about transport, followed by finances and taxation (8.3%), society and family (7.9%) and health (7.4%) in the top five. Other frequent concerns were the environment, housing and education.

Parliament and the government dont heed all demands by petitions. Multiple petitions to introduce free tap water at restaurants in Luxembourg, for example, have yielded little more than a pilot project encouraging eateries to provide water and government funding for water pitchers.

But Kemp-Arendt said some petitions have resulted in real change. A list compiled by the committee shows the reduction of VAT on female hygiene products as the outcome of a 2016 petition. The CNS began paying for psychotherapy sessions in February, another petition demand.

Petitions are open for signing for six weeks and the next batch is underway, including an appeal to scrap mandatory voting and legalising dashcams in vehicles for drivers to use as evidence in case of an accident.
PLDT Inc. makes it to TIME Magazines list of Worlds Best Companies 2023, becoming the only Philippine telco on the list and is ranked highest among the six cited Philippine companies in terms of sustainability.

Released by TIME Magazine and its analytics partner Statista, the inaugural list names 750 most outstanding companies from different industries around the world which were independently evaluated based on revenue growth, employee satisfaction surveys and rigorous environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance metrics.

It is a great honor for PLDT to be named one of the worlds best companies, and to be the only Philippine telco on the list This recognition affirms our strategic direction and inspires us to continue doing business responsibly, elevating customer experience, achieving operational excellence and new areas of growth, and making our company the best place to work, said Alfredo Panlilio, president and CEO of PLDT and wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc.

Panlilio identified sustainability as one of the key pillars underpinning PLDTs strategy. The company includes sustainability in its CEO scorecard and formulated ESG-focused key performance indicators across company units and functions.

PLDT released its 2022 Sustainability Report that aligns with the Global Reporting Initiative framework. The company is also a registered participant to the United Nations Global Compact, signifying commitment to uphold principles of human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption in the conduct of its business.

PLDT announced a decarbonization roadmap that targets a 40-percent reduction of Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, coming from a 2019 baseline. The company benchmarks with CDP for climate reporting standards and is a pioneering supporter of the Task Force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures in the Philippines.

Fostering a dynamic and optimal approach to decision-making and governance, PLDT upholds a board diversity policy that encompasses its board of directors with different backgrounds.

PLDT also consistently demonstrated an upward trend in revenues since 2020. In 2022, the company generated over P205 billion in revenues, up 6 percent from the previous year.

PLDT also embarked on an organizational transformation journey in support of its aspiration to become a company that employees love to work for. The company follows a roadmap of initiatives designed to cultivate talent and maximize the potential of its employees, build a purpose-driven culture, and promote new ways of working.

PLDT was named in July 2023 as the Philippines most valuable brand at $2.6 billion based on an independent study by Brand Finance, a London-based business valuation and strategy consulting firm. In the same report, the company was also cited to have the highest sustainability perceptions value among all listed brands at $222 million.
Pilmico Foods Corporation (Pilmico), a subsidiary of the Aboitiz Group, in celebrating its 61st founding year in September, shared the wisdom it has cultivated over the years, marked by its transformation into an integrated food and agribusiness company.

In the last 61 years, Pilmico has grown expansively to cover an innovative line of food businesses  from flour milling to animal feeds and into pork production.

As we look ahead, continuing to deliver on our promise to be a partner for growth in this time of rapid transformation will require constant collaboration and a drive to constantly improve the products and services that we provide to our customers, said Pilmico president and Chief Executive Officer Tristan Aboitiz.

He added that the company is eager to deliver its promise to drive progress in the food and agri space in the Philippines.

Pilmicos success in providing premium products and services laid the foundation for its expansion into other segments of the food industry. Throughout its 61 years in the business, Pilmico underwent a transformative journey that led to its integration in every step of the food value chain.

The company strives to become one of Asias leading integrated food and agribusiness companies by adapting to shifting landscapes and becoming more resilient.
North Korea's Kim Jong-un continued his official visit to Russia on Friday, stopping to inspect a fighter jet factory that is under Western sanctions due to the war in Ukraine.

The visit comes just days after Kim and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a rare summit that stoked Western concerns. There is unease that a revived Moscow-Pyongyang axis could strengthen Russia's military in Ukraine and bolster Pyongyang's missile program.

During Wednesday's talks, Kim and Putin discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and Russian help for North Korea's satellite program.

On Friday, South Korea and the United States said that military cooperation between the two countries was a violation of United Nations sanctions and that the allies would ensure there is a price to pay.

But it was not immediately clear what -- if any -- leverage the United States and its Asian allies would have over either Russia or North Korea, which both have close ties to China.
Farmtec Foods Inc. owner and president Fabian Espiritu has been in the food semi-processing business for a long time, working with companies and cooperatives, before he decided to become an entrepreneur.

Farmtec is a processor of dehydrated natural food, used as ingredients by local and multinational food manufacturing companies.

I have the knowledge of technology. I know the market and I know where to source the ingredients. My only regret is that I dont have the kind of money needed to start big. So I went through the rigorous motion of fabricating my own machines, however crude they may be at first, Espiritu said, recalling the pains of being a small start-up at the time when technology was not as advanced as it is today.

Espiritu set up his small plant in the family garage where a small oven, converted as dryer and powered by LPG, served his first equipment to dry fresh food and grind them into semi-processed food ingredients used for a variety of products and preparations.

Without a proper grinding machine, he asked permission from his former company to temporarily use the plants equipment to pulverize alamang or shrimp fry, his first product. Farmtec is one of the very first Filipino companies to introduce shrimp flavoring in powder form.

A local snacks giant became one of the very first clients to buy Farmtecs ground shrimp seasoning. All of Farmtecs raw materials are sourced from the different parts of the country where raw food sources are abundant. The company gets its the bulk of alamang requirement from Hagonoy, Bulacan and some from Laguna Lake fishers.

Food ingredients

Farmtec supplies food ingredients to the countrys big food companies. It is the technology behind the popular sinigang mix, the flavoring for many snack foods and the spice to numerous canned food such as sardines and other spicy preparations available in the local market.

True to the claim of sinigang mix commercials, the condiment is made from real tamarind, boiled, dried and pulverized to fine powder which is a demand diligently served by Farmtec to food manufacturers in more than 30 years.

Espiritu confessed one fun fact about the popular sinigang mix Filipinos love to use for the local sour stew (sinigang).

The powder mix is actually made from the entire fruit itselfpulp, seeds and rindboiled, dried and ground together to create a solid, sour flavor. At first, the company Im supplying it with was more concerned of the color of the powder. Soon, they realized what is important is that we have found a way to capture the desired sourness, he said.

Tamarind, shrimp fry and chili are Farmtecs first main products, and the demand for these flavorings have grown so big that Espiritu had to comb the entire country to look for new areas that could supplement the companys production requirement.

From the fresh seafood markets of Hagonoy where shrimp fries abound, to the farms of Batangas, a major source of sampalok, down north to the chili farms of Nueva Ecija and Isabella, Espiritu scoured the country to secure his needed supply.

The lack of local chili supply prompted the company to source the product outside the country. To date, the company sources 90 percent of its semi-processed chili requirement from India, while the rest are locally-sourced.

Through its 33 years in the business, Farmtec has forged numerous alliances not only with farmers and raw food suppliers but also with food manufacturers and the government.

Espiritu said the government, in reaching out to Farmtec, provided the technological boost and the marketing support that pushed the company to go beyond what it can do as a natural food ingredients manufacturer.

It has consistently received assistance from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in terms of equipment support and trainings to upskill its workers.

Espiritu, now 83, also remembers how the DOST once pushed Farmtec to dabble into noodles manufacturing using squash, purple yam and malunggay as main ingredients. But unlike food ingredients which are sold in bulk and in institutional volume, retailing the nutrition-packed noodles was slow and tedious, particularly in an unresponsive domestic market. Despite that, the noodles reached Japan as the company tried to export the product.

Farmtec produces over 40 different food ingredients, processing fresh fruits and vegetables into powdered fruit juices used to flavor commercially-prepared juice mixes; herbs used as alternative medicines like lagundi and sambong; dehydrated vegetables used as condiments; and dried seafood as a seasoning product.

It has acquired a special technology to produce spray-dried fruit powder in its purest form, the same technology it uses to produce its very fine and potent malunggay powder.

The process is a bit tricky. For malunggay we have to start processing the leaves within the first 2 hours of harvest by preparing the leaves through series of processes, the major procedure is the extraction of juice before it enters the chambers of the spray-dryer. The dehydration process is a state-of-the art procedure, Espiritu said.

The company uses the spray-drying technology to dehydrate fruits like calamansi, dalandan, guyabano, watermelon, pineapple, honeydew, passion fruit, mango, melon and avocado as well as herbs such as malunggay leaves, ampalaya leaves, lagundi, banaba, sambong, balbas ng pusa, pandan leaves, guyabano leaves, guava leaves, saluyot and camote leaves.

Farmtec also processes chili, turmeric, ginger powder, onion, bayleaves, guava fruit, VCO, coconut cream, shrimp, anchovy, yam, taro, sweet potato and squash.

Recognitions

As the main and preferred supplier of foods ingredients, Farmtec has received numerous awards in various categories and capacities. Its contribution to the development of the local food industry has been key to its recognition by various government and academic institutions.

In 2007, Espiritu received the Distinguished Alumnus in Agribusiness and Food Processing award from the University of the Philippines, Los Banos (UPLB) for its use of indigenous raw materials as ingredients for food processing, and as major producer of dehydrated ingredients.

The company has also been cited in the Pro-active Program 2012 Search for Model Company by the DTI. It also emerged as the regional and national winner for the Best Setup Adaptor by DOST, under the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program; and the regional and national winner in the Best in Productivity Program by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

In 2003, Farmtec received its first nomination for the Entrepreneur of the Year Award, a global program of Ernst and Young and special citation of 5S Good Housekeeping from the Export Development Council (EDC) of the DTI.

In addition to recognitions it has earned over time, Farmtec maintains very strict operation and production conduct. It has received its HALAL certification from the Islamic Dawah Council of the Philippines Inc. (IDCP) and the Halal Development Institute of the Philippines (HDIP), two of the trusted HALAL certification bodies in the Philippines.

The company was also HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points)-certified under the ISO 22000 standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and is now in the process of renewing its Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) 22000.
Philippines leading green logistics service, Mober, proudly unveils the addition of 30 six-wheeler electric trucks and four three-wheelers to its fleet, strengthening its commitment to sustainable deliveries in the region.

This expansion brings Mobers total fleet to 60 vehicles, including 39 e-trucks, 17 e-vans, and 4 three-wheelers. With eyes set on the Southeast Asian green delivery market, Mober aims to reach 100 electric vans and trucks by year-end and an impressive 500 units within the next two years.

Mobers strategic partnerships with major brands like IKEA, Unilever Philippines, Nestle Philippines, and a pilot program with the worlds largest coffee shop chain underscore its dedication to sustainability.

In line with its green goals, Mober is pursuing a loan application with government-owned entities, Landbank and the Development Bank of the Philippines, in support of the Electric Vehicle Industry Development Act (EVIDA Law), promoting EV adoption.

CEO Dennis Ng stated, Our commitment to efficiency and sustainability drives our aggressive push for electric vehicles, leading the way to a more sustainable Philippine logistics landscape.

Mobers eco-friendly initiatives include a carbon-neutral delivery partnership with Nespresso and location technology from What3words for precise deliveries.

As global emissions from logistics and transport continue to rise, Mober aims to be the go-to choice for green logistics. The Philippine governments support for EV adoption aligns with Mobers vision of a sustainable future.
Baystate Health announced on social media Friday it will update its policy to require visitors to mask up as COVID-19 cases spike.

The update, posted to Facebook Friday morning, comes as the region moves into the Yellow Tier for transmission rates, Baystate Health said. Visitors must wear a mask in patients rooms and patient care areas, the post said, and will be available at all of its entrances. Masks will be optional in common spaces such as cafeterias and corridors.

The full visitation policy can be found here.

This comes as 2,700 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Massachusetts, according to the states response reporting page.

Baystate Health had made wearing a mask optional in early May for visitors and staff at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Baystate Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield, Baystate Noble Hospital in Westfield and Baystate Wing Hospital in Palmer, as reported by The Republican. That change came the same day state and federal COVID public health emergencies ended.
In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, MassLive asked readers to identify people who are emerging Hispanic leaders throughout the state, working to make a difference in their own area of interest, be it politics, education, business or the arts.

These are people our readers have identified as inspirational, who may be doing good acts for their communities. They are being recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and commitment to inspire change.

Daniel Rojas. (Courtesy photo)

Daniel Rojas

Age: 28

Community: Chelsea

His story: Daniel Rojas is an immigration attorney whose work focuses on special immigrant juvenile status and asylum cases. He was the first person in his family to be born in the United States after his family immigrated from Bolivia, and their experience inspired him to pursue immigration law as a way to give back to the Hispanic community.

Rojas lived in Providence, Rhode Island, for the first nine years of his life before his family moved to Naples, Florida. He attended Florida State University where he received a bachelors degree in political science with a minor in business administration, then moved to Boston to attend Suffolk University for law school. He has been working as an attorney at an immigration law firm for a year and a half.

Rojas work involves ensuring that people moving through the immigration system understand their rights, successfully navigate the complex legal processes involved and are protected from exploitation or abuse, improving their chances of successfully establishing themselves in the United States.

Rojas said a good immigration attorney has cultural awareness to understand their clients unique challenges, effective communication skills, meticulous documentation, strong negotiation and advocacy skills, high ethical standards, empathy, and a passion for lifelong learning.

Cultivate resilience to handle the challenges and celebrate the victories, no matter how small, he said.

In his words: By safeguarding the rights of immigrants and advocating for fair immigration policies, (attorneys) contribute to the overall well-being of the community. Their efforts foster diversity, inclusivity and a sense of belonging for newcomers, enriching the cultural fabric and economic vitality of the society. In essence, immigration attorneys are integral to maintaining justice, protecting rights and promoting the positive contributions that immigrants bring to the community.

Each day, we will introduce more leaders, and were always open to hear about more inspiring people. If youd like to suggest someone else who should be recognized, please fill out this form.
Friends and family continue to seek the communitys help to support those whose lives were turned upside down after rain and flood waters destroyed basements, driveways, yards and roads in Leominster the night of Sept. 11.

Many have turned to GoFundMe to create an account that allows people to securely contribute money to neighbors and strangers. GoFundMe adds a transaction fee of 2.9% of the amount donated plus 30 cents, to offset credit card fees and cover administration costs.

The night of the Sept. 11 flooding, half of the Ferrer familys driveway caved in and took my sons vehicle down the river, posted Julianne Ferrer in a GoFundMe account called Help Joseph buy a vehicle.

Insurance doesnt cover total loss due to the river next to our property, so Ferrer is asking for help to buy her son, Joseph, a used vehicle.

Thankfully my son and our family are okay and material things can be replaced but we are shocked, like many others, as we never thought anything like this could happen especially so quickly, Ferrer wrote.

They have raised $915 of their $8,000 goal in the two days since the account was created.

Julianne Ferrer posted a GoFundMe account with this photo, asking for $8,000 to buy her son, Joseph, a used car after "my sons vehicle got washed away during the flash floods in Leominster, Massachusetts. ... Unfortunately the insurance does not cover total loss due to the flooding that occurred on Monday night. We have severe damage in our driveway due to the river right next to our property and half of our driveway caved in and took my sons vehicle down the river." Donations can be made at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-my-son-with-money-to-purchase-a-carJulianne Ferrer

Other GoFundMe accounts to benefit those affected by the flooding in Leominster include:

Vazquez Family Emergency Flood Assistance

Ashley Vazquez said within 15 minutes of the storm starting Sept. 11, the basement of the four-family house she and her family live in was completely under water.

She organized the GoFundMe to raise money because she does not hold flood insurance, which she now recommends everyone get, therefore, the extensive damage to the property and all of the utilities destroyed in the basement will not be covered. She says her husband is deployed overseas so she is handling the situation herself.

I am still in disbelief that in 15 minutes, our lives were turned upside down and forever changed, she wrote.

They have raised almost $8,800 of the $100,000 goal since the account was posted two days ago.

Doggie Day Care Flood Relief Fund

Fidgety Dog Co., at 85 Pleasant St. in Leominster, is a dog day care facility known and loved by our furry four legged loved ones and their owners, wrote Suzanne Vogel, the GoFundMes organizer.

They have raised $250 of their $10,000 goal in the two days since the account was started. The money will be used to rebuild and restore this magical, thoughtful innovative home for our dogs and future pups!

Deployed U.S. Soldiers Home Flooded

The Vasquez family needs help repairing its Leominster home. Cory Vasquez, a MEDEVAC pilot with the Massachusetts Army National Guard based in Westfield, is currently deployed, according to a GoFundMe account set up by Wesley LeBlanc.

Vasquezs wife and daughter were impacted drastically during the floods in Leominster, as well as other families in their multi-family home.

Almost $8,300 of the $30,000 goal in the day since the account was started. The money will be used to address thousands of dollars worth of damage.

Robert Lee Post-Flood Rebuild

A colleague set up a GoFundMe account to help Robert Lee, who has been a special education instructor at our local high school for many years.

Organizer Andrea Grimes said that in addition to structural damage to Lees home, Lee and his family lost many things with sentimental value and a number of appliances were destroyed and other high-priced items like a snow blower.

They have raised about $1,200 of the $5,000 goal since the account was posted two days ago.

Help Elijahs Family Rebuild Part of their Home

Although away at school at Bennington College, Elijah De Jesus is trying to help his mom pick up the pieces after flood waters destroyed most of their family homes basement and garage in Leominster.

 my grandmother lived in our basement at the time so all of her personal belongings, countless keepsakes she has accumulated and cherished throughout her life were destroyed and wont be salvaged or monetarily reimbursed, he wrote in the GoFundMe account.

De Jesus said the family couldnt afford flood insurance and arent necessarily in a flood area, so nothing is covered. Lastly, my mother has worked so incredibly hard to even afford this home for me and my brother, she has sacrificed nearly all of her life for us, and the home was something she was truly proud of.

They have raised more than $5,000 of their $6,200 goal in the two days the account has been active.

Flood Relief

Gamache Construction hopes to help a 15-year employee recover from the damage the flooding caused in his condo.

The water came up about 3 ft and left a thick layer of mud over everything as well. Unfortunately His home owners insurance will not cover the cost of this repair or to replace what they lost, Christopher Gamache, the organizer, wrote on GoFundMe.

The construction company has helped demo the bottom floor and removed everything, Gamache said, but theres more work to be done and items to be replaced.

They have raised about $4,200 of the $5,000 goal in the three days the account has been up.

Read more: Here are some GoFundMe campaigns to help Leominster residents impacted by flooding

Here are GoFundMe campaigns highlighted earlier in the week:

Flooding significantly impacted the Woodblock Building in downtown Leominster overnight Monday into Tuesday.Dave Thompson | Masslive

The damage to Leominster is expected to cost somewhere between $25-$45 million, Mayor Dean Mazzarella said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Due to flooding and damage, including sinkholes ravaging some streets, Mazzarella said it could be not days but weeks before streets reopen.

Elected officials were scheduled to visit key sites throughout the city Saturday to assess the damage.

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, 2nd District for Massachusetts; Leominster Mayor Dean Mazzarella and state Rep. Natalie Higgins, D-4th Worcester, planned to visit the Emergency Management Center at 11:30 a.m. An hour later, they planned to visit a collapsed business on Spruce Street and at about 1 p.m. they planned to evaluate the damage around railroad tracks near 568 Main St. according to an itinerary provided by McGoverns office.

The mayor previously said that Leominster saw around 11 inches of rain fall, but the National Weather Services official count was 9.5 inches. No deaths were reported. But the damage to several buildings and schools led to closures Wednesday.

People can also donate to a flood relief effort organized by the United Way of North Central Massachusetts. Any donation will be matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000. To donate, text FLOODRELIEF to 50155 or visit United Ways flood relief website.

The Leominster Relief Fund is also taking donations. People can send a check made out to the fund or stop by the mayors office at 25 West St. to donate by cash or check.

Across social media, another resource referenced by residents is Ginnys Helping Hand and Food Pantry. The organization posted on Facebook that it was accepting food, personal items and clothing to help those in our community affected by the floods. To donate, visit Ginnys location at 52 Mechanic St.
A man was saved from the water off Crane Beach in Ipswich on Friday after falling from a jet ski into the ocean, which was made particularly choppy by Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee, according to authorities.

First responders received a 911 call around 6 p.m. Friday from the man, who fell from the jet ski into the water about 100 to 200 from the beach. He said he was treading water and needed assistance, according to a statement from acting Ipswich Police Chief Lt. Jonathan Hubbard and Fire Chief Paul Parisi.

Dispatchers used GPS based on the location of the cellphone to set up a search area. The Ipswich Fire and Police Departments both launched their marine units, and Ipswich Fires Marine Unit 1, operated by Lt. Brett Emerson and Firefighter Michael Bonaiuto, found the man and brought him to safety, the statement detailed.

There were dangerous conditions on the water between the wave heights and wind, Parisi said. Im grateful to the firefighters and police officers who put themselves in harms way to make this rescue happen.

The man was driven by ambulance to a local hospital as a precautionary measure, according to the statement.

The Massachusetts State Police Air Wing and Crane Beach rangers helped as well. U.S. Coast Guard and Gloucester Harbormaster staff were also called to the scene, but the man was located before they arrived, the statement said.

Authorities reminded beachgoers to avoid the water at present as Lee, previously a hurricane, is passing offshore of eastern New England, causing choppy seas and dangerous waves. In addition to being dangerous for swimmers and boaters, the storm also complicates rescue efforts, the police and fire chief noted.
A contingent of Springfield police officers traveled to Hartford Saturday morning to the celebration of life for Hartford Detective Robert Garten, who was killed in the line of duty Wednesday, Sept. 6.

Springfield Police spokesman Ryan Walsh said the local officers assembled to represent the city at Gartens funeral.
Dozens of flights intended to depart from Boston Logan International Airport were cancelled as Hurricane Lee, now a post-tropical cyclone, passed offshore of Massachusetts on Saturday.

More than 90 flights originating from Logan were cancelled amid the post-tropical cyclone, whose southern tip continues to hover near Nantucket as it moves north toward Canada, according to the flight status section of Massports website.

Due to expected weather conditions, passengers are advised to check with their airline on the status of their flight before coming to the airport, Massports website says.

Lee, which was moving north near Canada at 25 mph with sustained winds of 80 mph, was expected to bring damaging wind gusts as high as 60 mph to Cape Cod and Nantucket. Minor flooding, large waves with dangerous rip currents and toppled trees and power lines were possible along the Massachusetts coastline as well.

Nantucket is likely to experience isolated power outages from wind conditions and street flooding from heavy rains and high tides, the town and county said in a statement. Both National Grid and Verizon have extra staff on the island to address any problems. Significant disruptions to travel to and from the island were expected Saturday and possibly Sunday as well.

Dukes County, which encompasses Marthas Vineyard, urged everyone who plans to travel on or off the island this weekend to closely monitor The Steamship Authority ferry companys website. Officials encouraged people who needed to travel to do so before Friday, when conditions worsened.

Companies that called off flights Saturday included Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Air Canada, Cape Air, Jet Blue, United.

In anticipation of the severe weather in the eastern part of New England due to Lee, Jet Blue said it will waive flight change and cancellation fees and fare differences for customers traveling Friday through Sunday from Boston, Portland and Providence.

Cape Air passengers traveling Friday through Sunday are also invited to change to any alternative flight through Monday, Sept. 25 without additional fees. The airline noted it is closely monitoring the storms progress and encouraged all travelers to plan their trips accordingly and check for updates on their flights.

Forecasts currently expect tropical storm conditions in Eastern New England states to continue throughout the day Saturday, into the overnight hours, the airline said in an alert Friday. These high winds and driving rains may result in delays and/or flight disruptions as early as Friday, throughout Saturday, and potentially into Sunday.
Actress Jeon Yeo-been took on a new challenge by playing a dual role in Netflix's new Korean series "A Time Called You," which was released last week.

"Playing a dual role was a task that I really wanted to do well," she said in an interview earlier this week. "I was happy to play characters that I had to put a lot of thought into, but it was also very challenging."

Jeon plays a high school student and an adult woman spanning her 20s to 30s.

The series, a remake of the Taiwanese drama "Someday or One Day," tells the story of a woman who still misses her boyfriend who died a year earlier. She travels back in time to 1998, where she wakes up in the body of a high school girl and meets a boy who looks just like her late boyfriend.

"As all people crave love, they hope the one they are destined to love will recognize them. I think many people share this feeling," she said. "I really liked the ending, in which the two lovers meet each other after all."

She spent the whole past year on the project, so she is excited to see the series released but is still wary of checking viewers' responses.

"Besides love between lovers, there are many moments of love that we want to remember in our hearts. The drama made me recall those moments. I'm curious about what moments of love viewers will remember when they watch it."

Jeon made her acting debut in the 2015 film "The Treacherous" and grabbed attention with the TV series "Be Melodramatic" and "Vincenzo." Her filmography shows she does not restrict herself to a certain role or genre.

Asked what roles she wants to take on in the future, she said, "I prefer not to think about it. As an actress, I want to be like a blank sheet of paper."
President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration in Massachusetts on Saturday as Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee, which was downgraded from a hurricane, brings stormy conditions to eastern parts of the state on its journey north toward Canada.

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Lee from September 15 to September 17, 2023, a statement from the White House reads.

Earlier this week, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm, activating the National Guard to assist communities with the impact of the post-tropical cyclone, which includes damaging winds, minor flooding and strong waves along the coastline of the commonwealth.

Healey requested the federal government issue a Pre-Disaster Emergency Declaration, which would make the state eligible for federal assistance for response costs, including equipment, supplies and evacuation assistance.

The presidents declaration allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts, with the aim of alleviating suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, protecting property and public health and safety, providing appropriate help for required emergency measures, saving lives and lessening or averting the threat of a catastrophe in all 14 Massachusetts counties, according to the statement.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency, the White Houses statement says.

E. Craig Levy Sr. of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate the federal recovery operations in the affected areas, the statement notes.

For Massachusetts, the main dangers from Lee include damaging wind gusts, which are expected to continue near the coast before subsiding early Saturday evening, minor flooding during the early afternoon high tide, large breaking waves and dangerous rip currents at ocean beaches, according to the National Weather Service.

Gusts as high as 60 mph were forecast on Cape Cod and Nantucket. Meteorologists warned strong winds could bring down trees, large branches and power lines. As of around 11:10 a.m. Saturday, there were more than 600 residents or businesses on the Cape without power, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agencys online power outage map.

Read more: Dozens of flights cancelled from Boston Logan Airport amid Lee

Potential impacts from the main wind event are now unfolding across coastal Massachusetts. Remain well sheltered from hazardous wind, the Weather Service says in its warning.

Dangers from the strong gusts include unsecured lightweight objects blowing around, large tree limbs breaking off, trees snapping or being uprooted, hazardous driving conditions on bridges and other elevated roadways and scattered power and communications outages.

The greatest risk of flooding is on the bay side of the Cape and the northern side of Nantucket, including the islands harbor. The dangerous surf is expected all along the Massachusetts and Rhode Island coasts. Significant beach erosion is also possible.

Beyond far Eastern Massachusetts, little to no impact from Lee is anticipated. Around 11 a.m. Saturday, the storm was moving north toward Canada at 22 mph with sustained winds of 75 mph. The post-tropical cyclone is expected to bring hurricane conditions to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia later Saturday.

Tropical storm conditions and coastal flooding are occurring across portions of coastal Maine and Atlantic Canada, and will continue to spread northward, the National Hurricane Center said in a message about Lee. The strong winds are already leading to downed trees and power outages.
Members of the Commonwealth Artificial Intelligence Consortium (CAIC) will meet next week in the margins of United Nations General Assembly sessions in New York, to endorse concrete plans to harness the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) for sustainable development.

The meeting, scheduled for 18 September, reflects the Commonwealth Secretariats holistic approach towards ethical and responsible use of AI, in collaboration with global technology firms and world-leading research institutions and universities.

The CAIC, which was launched earlier this year, will deliver on the mandate set out by the 2022 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on equipping citizens with the skills needed to fully benefit from digital innovation and opportunities in cyberspace. In line with 2023 as the Commonwealth Year of Youth, it will also focus on engaging young people under the age of 30, who make up 60 percent of the combined population of the Commonwealth.

The CAIC Steering Committee, chaired by Rwanda and co-chaired by NVIDIA, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), will drive collaboration with private sector and research partners to build on progress achieved during the Commonwealth Secretary-Generals visit to Silicon Valley in April, 2023. This visit had seen the launch of this consortium of global companies, start-ups, universities and non-profits willing to work together to bridge the digital and AI gaps and empower citizens, with a focus on small states.

The CAIC Steering Committee currently includes Champion Countries Rwanda, Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Gambia, Mauritius, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, said:

It is a crucial but exciting time for the Commonwealth, as we look towards refining a clear vision and action plan to guide our approach to leveraging emerging technology for the benefit of all member nations and delivering meaningful and impactful outcomes. The creation of the CAIC, the establishment of a very committed Steering Committee, along with ongoing collaborations with tech partners and Research institutions, all signify the collective commitment to foster sustainable and inclusive AI advancements in the Commonwealth.

The upcoming meeting will endorse a comprehensive AI action plan and will seek support from Champion Countries on the implementation of AI in four critical areas: Research and Innovation, Policy, Capacity Building and Infrastructure. Youth and Gender Empowerment are also cross-cutting themes. The focus would be to identify impactful projects for delivery across Commonwealth member states.
A WESTPORT county councillor has described a new tourism project in Kiltimagh as an hour and a half of boredom.

Cllr Peter Flynn has said there is nothing enjoyable about the newly opened Kiltimagh Velorail, which he said is not going to deliver for Mayo.

Opened in June, the Velorail allows users to explore 13 kilometres of disused train track on pedal-operated carts either side of Kiltimagh's former railway station.

The last train ran on the line around 1975 with passenger traffic having ceased in 1963.

IRD Kiltimagh CLG had estimated that the project could deliver up to 30,000 visitors a year for the area.

The launch of the project was attended by dozens of council officials and local representatives and was officially opened by former Minister for Tourism and Sport, Michael Ring TD.

The 700,000 project has been described by Cllr Flynn in the past as a white elephant.

Speaking at Fridays meeting of Mayo County Councils Tourism SPC, the Fine Gael councillor bemoaned a recent experience he had on the Velorail.

I actually brought my niece with me, she hasnt talked to me since, Ill be straight up with you. Its the best part of a million euros spent on a project that is not going to deliver for the county as a whole. It will hardly deliver for Kiltimagh, he said.

It was an hour and a half of boredom looking at, quite literally, scrubland. It was the noisiest experience Ive ever had. There was certainly nothing enjoyable about a rural landscape because of the shaking and rattling on the Velorail itself.

Cllr Flynn said that the local authority should prioritise projects that will deliver for the entire county.

Im sure peoples hearts were in the right place when they were building it, but we have taken money and peopleonto that project as opposed to focusing on other key projects around our county that really will deliver for our county, he said.

If we look at the Clew Bay development plan and we look at some of the projects that are on it; Keem Bay, Croagh Patrick, Downpatrick Head, Ceide Fields, the whole Grainne Mhaol experience, Westport House. They are projects that will put Mayo on the world map, not just simply on the map in Ireland. Thats where we need to be really focusing our resources and our people and our money.

He also suggested that new amenities, such as looped walks, should also be of benefit from local people.

In my view, projects in the likes of the Kiltimagh of the world are fine. But I honestly believe we should be putting in amenities that facilitate locals, be it linear parks, looped walks, parks and themselves. Things that people can use for their daily enjoyment and pleasure.

Cllr Christy Hyland, who is also based in Westport, said that people counting machines should be installed at attractions such as the Velorail to gauge visitor numbers.

Mayo County Councils Head of Tourism Anna Connor could not say exactly how many people had visited the Velorail but said there had been really good numbers using the facility.

It is a bit noisy, but thats part of the experience as well, she commented.

She told the Tourism SPC that IRD Kiltimagh CLG employs seven people on the Velorail on a seasonal basis.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, September 16, 2023

Google late last week agreed to pay a total of $155 million to two lawsuits over location privacy -- one brought by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a separate one brought by consumers.

If granted court approval, the deals will settle allegations that surfaced in 2018, when the Associated Press reported that Google stores some location data despite users' attempts to keep the information confidential. The report specifically said that even when the "Location History" setting is turned off, Google gathers some location data unless people turn off a separate setting -- "Web and App Activity."

After that report came out, Google revised a help page by adding language informing people that turning off Location History doesn't affect other location services, and that some data may still be saved.

The report sparked multiple lawsuits by attorneys general who alleged Google's settings were misleading, as well as a consumer class-action led by California resident Napoleon Patacsil.

advertisement advertisement

The proposed class-action settlement, unveiled Friday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. calls for Google to create a $62 million fund that will be distributed to 17 schools and organizations. Proposed recipients include the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, the Internet Archive, Center for Democracy & Technology, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

The settlement with California requires Google to pay $93 million, and follow privacy-related conditions in the future. Among others, the company will have to make disclosures to consumers before harnessing location-history data for ad-targeting profiles.

Google previously agreed to pay more than $500 million to other state attorneys general who brought claims over location tracking.

A company spokesperson says the claims in all cases were based on outdated product policies" that were changed years ago.
The Australian Medical Association and Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) have jointly issued a call to action for federal, state, and territorial governments, as well as the broader healthcare sector, to address climate change and preserve the ozone layer urgently (1 Trusted Source

Medical sector calls for urgent action on climate change and investment in healthcare sustainability



Go to source).



World Ozone Day 2023

World Ozone Day, which occurs every year on September 16th and is officially known as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, serves the purpose of increasing public consciousness regarding the significance of the ozone layer. It aims to underscore the critical link between ozone layer depletion and the resultant global warming and climate change on a global scale. The theme for World Ozone Day 2023 is focused on the "Montreal Protocol: Restoring the Ozone Layer and Mitigating Climate Change."
In North Jeolla Province, 57.8 percent of officers are over 50, in South Jeolla Province 54.9 percent, in North Gyeongsang Province 53.3 percent, in Gangwon Province 44.6 percent and in Gwangju 43.6 percent.

According to the National Police Agency, some 21 percent of 2,043 police substations and outposts across the country have an average age of 50, mostly in the countryside. Even in Seoul, around 30 percent of 10,296 officers are over 50.

Creaking joints and spreading waistlines make chasing criminals more difficult for aging police especially in Korea's rural areas.

Among the top 10 police substations with the highest average age, seven are in North Jeolla Province, two in South Jeolla Province and one in Jeju Island.

"Younger officers are usually sent to police stations in metropolitan areas," where the workload is considered heavier, a police spokesman admitted.

A senior police inspector in Seoul said, "An officer over 50 at a police substation, which is on the front line of fighting crime, means ample experience, but the physical constraints of age mean there are difficulties with things like working night shifts."

Experts recommend allocating officers more evenly according to age. Kim Young-sik at Seowon University said, "The current system of stationing officers reflects their own preferences rather than boosting effectiveness. Physical ability and age need to be taken into account."

Kwak Dae-kyung at Dongguk University said, "Officers are allocated across the board without considering the needs of each region or neighborhood. We need to adopt a more effective approach."

People Power Party lawmaker Cho Eun-hee said, "The experience of officers over 50 is invaluable, but the ability of police to respond quickly to a crime is also vital. We urgently need to reallocate officers so they can work efficiently amid this recent increase of violent crime in public places."
Zara will replace the rigid alarm devices on garments with a new mechanism. For years, Inditex has been obsessed with the question of how to organically integrate the physical retail experience with the online shopping experience, and vice versa. It has sought ways to make the two opposing shopping methods coexist without cannibalizing each other but feed into each other instead. The process to facilitate that approach began in 2014 with the arrival of RFID radiofrequency technology in Zara factories and warehouses to be used on its garment labels. The goal is to have the items identified and located at all times, in order to manage a huge inventory, unit by unit, in real time.

That is now the basis of Zaras integrated model, which has enabled the company to break sales records each quarter. Now, the Spanish textile group is further developing this technology to give a new twist to its business model. It is eliminating the classic rigid plastic alarms and replacing them with another type that is practically imperceptible to the customer. Like the current alarms, they also work through radiofrequency, but they do not need to be inside a piece of plastic attached to the garment. This is one of the most important innovations that Inditex has implemented to modernize the shopping experience in its physical stores. This model will be in place in all Zara garments within a year.

Company management confirmed this new direction on Wednesday, following their presentation of the corporations mid-year results. In March, Inditex announced that it intended to effect the change, and in June Zara said that the first stage would begin this summer. Indeed, in July, Inditex installed the necessary technical infrastructure for the new system, such as RFID radiofrequency antennas, in Zara stores. This technology replaces the hard plastic alarms that include a chip in a garment or on the label. The bottom line for customers is that it will no longer be necessary to remove the alarm from the garment at the time of purchase at cash registers or self-checkout machines, as they must currently do; the new method will deactivate the alarm via radiofrequency, reducing the amount of time spent in the payment process by up to 50%.

Items will no longer have hard plastic alarms. Pablo Monge

The company has now begun testing this new system, a process that coincides with the start of the brands autumn-winter campaign. Once the testing period is over, it will proceed to progressively replace the old alarms over the course of the next year. It is worth noting that Inditex puts some 600,000 tons of clothing on the market, and that Zara accounts for around 75% of its sales.

Shopping at Zaras most modern stores, such as the one that opened a few months ago in Madrids Plaza de Espana, now requires almost no interaction with its salesclerks. The elimination of physical alarms promises to make purchases go even faster. In fact, when using the app and the Pay & Go system, it is not even necessary to go through a cashier to pay, as it can be done by scanning the garments code. However, it is still necessary to stop and deactivate the alarm, a step that the new system is intended to speed up. Other elements must also be incorporated, such as the fully automated collection boxes for online orders, which require only the app and a QR code; the mailboxes for returning garments, which use the same system; the aforementioned self-checkout stations; and the reservation of fitting rooms, which can also be done through the app.

One priority that Inditex CEO Oscar Garcia Maceiras has identified for reaching the next level of growth is optimizing the customers experience. Thus, the new technology will mean a significant improvement in customer experience, facilitating interaction with our products and improving the purchasing process, he said in March. At the time, he anticipated that the system would be implemented across all formats. Once the process is completed at Zara, it will be implemented elsewhere.

The company claims that the process meets our expectations perfectly [there havent been] any major incidents. A few days ago, Bloomberg reported that Inditex had discovered some thefts of garments that have the new labels, as they can be easily removed. But the company insists that there have been no significant incidents.

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SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russias nuclear-capable bombers, hypersonic missiles and an advanced warship from its Pacific fleet on Saturday as he continued a trip in Russias Far East that has sparked Western concerns about an arms alliance that could fuel President Vladimir Putins war on Ukraine.

After arriving in the city of Artyom by train, Kim traveled to an airport just outside the port city of Vladivostok where Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other senior military officials gave him an up-close look at Russias strategic bombers and other warplanes.

All the Russian warplanes shown to Kim on Saturday were among the types that have seen active use in the war in Ukraine, including the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers that have regularly launched cruise missiles.

Shoigu and Lt. Gen. Sergei Kobylash, the commander of the Russian long-range bomber force, explained to Kim that the Tu-160 had recently received new cruise missiles with a range of more than 6,500 kilometers (over 4,040 miles). Pointing at the weapons bay, Shoigu said that each bomber carries 12 missiles.

Russian officials have previously said that the new missile was under development, and the latest comments confirmed its deployment for the first time.

Shoigu, who had met Kim during a rare visit to North Korea in July, also showed Kim another of Russias latest missiles, the hypersonic Kinzhal, carried by the MiG-31 fighter jet, that saw its first combat during the war in Ukraine, according to Russias Defense Ministry.

Kim and Shoigu later traveled to Vladivostok, where they inspected the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate. Russias navy commander, Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov, briefed Kim on the ships capabilities and weapons, which include long-range Kalibr cruise missiles that Russian warships have regularly fired at targets in Ukraine.

Kims visits to military and technology sites this week possibly hint at what he wants from Russia, perhaps in exchange for supplying munitions to refill Putins declining reserves as his invasion of Ukraine becomes a drawn-out war of attrition.

Kims trip to Russia, which included more than four hours of talks with Putin on Wednesday, comes amid momentum in military cooperation between the countries in which North Korea could potentially seek Russian technologies to advance Kims nuclear, missile and other military programs in exchange for providing Russia with badly needed munitions.

Videos released by Russias Defense Ministry showed Shoigu greeting Kim at the airport along with honor guards lined up near a red carpet. Kim was seen peering at the Kinzhal missile, gesturing and asking questions about the warplanes capabilities as he discussed technical details with Shoigu and other military officials through translators.

Kim was also seen talking to Shoigu and Yevmenov about a purported nuclear attack submarine the North unveiled last week as they stepped out of the Shaposhnikov frigate.

Later Saturday, Kim visited a local theater to watch Pyotr Tchaikovskys Sleeping Beauty ballet performance, Russias ambassador to Pyongyang, Alexander Matsegora, was quoted as saying by the Russian RIA Novosti state news agency. The agency said Kim left after the first act.

The visit follows Kims tour on Friday of a factory producing advanced Russian warplanes.

Kim in recent months has emphasized the need to strengthen his navy to counter the advanced naval assets of the United States, which has been expanding its combined military exercises with South Korea to counter the Norths growing threat.

Analysts say Kims focus on naval strength could be driven by ambitions to obtain sophisticated technologies for ballistic missile submarines and nuclear-propelled submarines as well as to initiate joint naval exercises between Russia and North Korea.

After meeting Putin at Russias main spaceport, a location that pointed to Kims desire for Russian assistance in his efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance assets and missile technologies, North Koreas leader reappeared Friday in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur for a visit to a plant producing Russias Su-57 fighter jets.

Experts have said potential military cooperation between the countries could include efforts to modernize North Koreas outdated air force, which relies on warplanes sent from the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Kims trip to Russia, his first since April 2019 when he met Putin in Vladivostok, came days after he attended a ceremony at a North Korean military shipyard where the country unveiled the alleged nuclear attack submarine.

State media claimed it is capable of launching tactical nuclear weapons from underwater. But South Koreas military expressed doubt about the operational capabilities of the sub, which was the result of reshaping an existing submarine to install missile launch tubes.

Kim has also announced goals to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines, which can quietly travel long distances and approach enemy shores to deliver strikes, a key asset in his efforts to build a viable nuclear arsenal that could threaten the United States. Analysts say such capacities would be unfeasible for the North without external assistance.

Putin on Friday reiterated that Russia would abide by U.N. sanctions, some of which ban North Korea from exporting or importing any weapons. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov separately said that no agreements on bilateral military cooperation were signed after the Putin-Kim meeting Wednesday.

Experts say North Korea and Russia arent likely to publicize any deals on weapons to avoid stronger international criticism.

Kim, whose visit to Russia is his first foreign trip since the COVID-19 pandemic, has been eager to boost the visibility of his partnerships with Moscow and Beijing as he attempts to break out of international isolation and insert Pyongyang in a united front against Washington. Some South Korean experts say that Kim could also pursue a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In another sign of the Norths post-pandemic opening, KCNA said Saturday that a team of North Korean athletes departed from Pyongyang to participate in the Asian Games starting next week in Hangzhou, China. South Koreas government says around 190 North Korean athletes are registered for the event.

Since last year, the U.S. has accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, many of them likely copies of Soviet-era munitions. South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Russia have already been used in Ukraine.
In this photo released by the Khabarovsky Krai region government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, looks at a military jet cockpit while visiting a Russian aircraft plant that builds fighter jets in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, about 6,200 kilometers (3,900 miles) east of Moscow, Russia, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russias most advanced fighter jet as he toured an aircraft factory Friday on an extended trip that has raised concerns about banned weapons transfer deals between the increasingly isolated countries.

Since entering Russia aboard his armored train on Tuesday, Kim has met President Vladimir Putin and visited weapons and technology sites, underscoring deepening ties between the two nations locked in separate confrontations with the West. Foreign governments and experts speculate Kim will likely supply ammunition to Russia for its war efforts in Ukraine in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia.

On Friday, Russias state media published video showing Kims train pulling into a station in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. An Associated Press journalist saw Kims convoy, his limousine sporting the Russian and North Korean flags, sweeping out of the station on the way to the aircraft factory.

Russias Cabinet later released video showing Kim, on an elevated platform, looking at the cockpit of the Su-57  Russias most sophisticated fighter jet  while listening to its pilot. Kim beamed and clapped his hands when a Su-35 fighter jet landed after a demonstration flight.

According to a Russian Cabinet statement, Kim visited a facility producing Sukhoi SJ-100 passenger planes as well, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov.

We have shown one of our leading aircraft plants to the leader of (North Korea), Manturov said in the statement. We are seeing potential for cooperation in the aircraft-making and other industries, which is particularly acute for solving our countries task of achieving technological sovereignty.

Kim travels next to Vladivostok to view Russias Pacific fleet, a university and other facilities, Putin told Russian media after he met with Kim on Wednesday.

Putin on Friday briefed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko about his summit with Kim. During their meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Lukashenko suggested that Belarus could join Russia and North Korea in three-way cooperation.

It was Kims first foreign trip since April 2019, when he visited Vladivostok for his first meeting with Putin. The 2019 Russian visit came two months after Kim failed to win badly needed sanctions relief from the United States during a second summit with then U.S.-President Donald Trump in Vietnam.

Kims earlier trip was likely primarily meant to seek Russian help to overcome the brunt of the U.S.-led sanctions. But this time, Putin appears to be desperate to receive North Korean conventional arms to replenish his exhausted inventory in the second year of Russias war in Ukraine. Experts say Kim, in return, would seek Russian assistance to modernize his air force and navy, which are inferior to those of rival South Korea while Kim has devoted much of his own resources to his nuclear weapons program.

Asked whether Russia asked North Korea to send troops to fight alongside Russian soldiers in Ukraine, Putin flatly dismissed the idea, calling it sheer nonsense, according to Russias state media.

Putin reiterated that Russia would abide by U.N. sanctions, some of which ban North Korea from exporting or importing any weapons. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov separately said that no agreements on bilateral military cooperation were signed after the Putin-Kim meeting Wednesday.

Experts say its highly unlikely for North Korea to participate in the Russia-Ukraine war, though it has publicly supported Moscows invasion. But they say North Korea and Russia arent likely to publicize any deals on weapons supplies to avoid stronger international criticism.

The Kim-Putin summit took place at the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Russias most important domestic launch center. The venue is probably linked to North Korean struggles to put into space an operational spy satellite to monitor U.S. and South Korean military movements.

Asked if Russia and North Korea could cooperate in space research, Putin said: Thats why we have come here. (Kim) shows keen interest in rocket technology. Theyre trying to develop space, too.

New video of Putin and Kim talking at the cosmodrome about rocket launches was released Friday. In the video, posted by Russian state news reporter Pavel Zarubin on his Telegram channel, Putin was heard telling Kim, You are a specialist, after a translator was heard relaying the North Korean leaders comments on where the separated rocket stages would fall after launch.

Since last year, the U.S. has accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, likely much of them copies of Soviet-era munitions. South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Russia have already been used in Ukraine.

On Thursday evening, the national security advisers of the U.S., South Korea and Japan talked by phone and expressed serious concerns about prospective weapons deals between Russia and North Korea. They warned that Moscow and Pyongyang would pay a clear price if they go ahead with such deals, according to South Koreas presidential office.

After a meeting in Seoul discussing the allies nuclear deterrence strategies, U.S. and South Korean officials on Friday stepped up their condemnation of the recent moves by Russia and North Korea.

Sasha Baker, the U.S. acting undersecretary of defense for policy, said Washington will continue to try to identify and expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment, again, to prosecute their illegal war on Ukraine. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin said Washington and Seoul, while tightening security cooperation, would ensure that Moscow faces consequences if it helps advance North Koreas weapons program.

The possibility that Russia may aid North Koreas nuclear program stoked anger in South Korea, where some argued that Seoul could provide lethal arms to Ukraine in retaliation. But South Koreas Defense Ministry said Thursday its policy of not supplying weapons to countries at war remains unchanged. Seoul has far limited its support of Ukraine to nonlethal military supplies and humanitarian items.

Some analysts question how much Russia would be willing to share its closely guarded high-tech weapons technologies with North Korea in return for its conventional arms. But others say Russia would do so because of its urgent need to refill its drained reserves.

Putin told reporters Wednesday that Russia and North Korea have lots of interesting projects in areas like transportation and agriculture and that Moscow is providing its neighbor with humanitarian aid.

The Kremlin said Thursday that Putin accepted Kims invitation to Pyongyang, and that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is expected to visit in October.

At Wednesdays summit, Kim vowed full and unconditional support for Putin in what he described as a just fight against hegemonic forces to defend its sovereign rights, security and interests, in an apparent reference to the war in Ukraine.

Information on Kims trip to Russia is largely from the two nations official media outlets. North Korean media did not give updates Friday on Kim. They typically report on his activities a day later, apparently to meet the need for North Korean propaganda to glorify Kim.

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DETROIT - You dont have to travel the globe to see the tallest skyscrapers in the world. Well, OK, you do, but you can actually see what all of them look like scaled down to size and made from thousands and thousands of LEGO bricks.

Towers of Tomorrow with LEGO opens today, Saturday, September 16, at the Michigan Science Center, located at 5020 John R Street in Detroit. The special exhibit runs through early January 2024.

It features 20 LEGO skyscrapers constructed by LEGO master builders with great precision and architectural detail. Each skyscraper, which you can see in the photo gallery above, took dozens and even hundreds of hours to build using tens of thousands of LEGO bricks each.

This exhibit is so up-close and personal, Mi-Sci President and CEO Dr. Christian Greer told MLive. You can walk right up to these towers and really dive into the intricacies like their facades, the curtain wall of the glass structure and the spires. I think people are attracted to a spire or antenna because they want to know just how tall is it.

Ryan McNaught is the person behind Towers of Tomorrow. He is one of just 21 LEGO certified professionals in the world. McNaught and his team of builders devoted more than 2,000 hours to building the structures featured in this exhibition, which are:

Burj Khalifa, Bank of America Plaza, Barangaroo Hotel, Central Park Tower, Chrysler Building, CN Tower, Empire State Building, Eureka, Infinity Tower, International Commerce Tower, Marina Bay Sands, Petronas Towers, Q1, Shanghai Tower, Taipei 101, Tokyo Skytree, Willis (Sears) Tower and Wilshire Grand Centre.

This extraordinary collaboration between Museums of History NSW and Flying Fish brings together the finest architectural artistry and creative expression, said Jay Brown, Principal & Managing Dir. of Flying Fish. These towering LEGO creations are testaments to human ingenuity and limitless imagination. We are excited to share this stunning exhibition with audiences of all ages as we celebrate engineering, design, and play.

Guests at the exhibit can also create their own LEGO towers as hundreds of thousands of LEGO bricks are available for anyone to use and create whatever structures theyd like.

Towers of Tomorrow is included in Mi-Scis general admission tickets which can be purchased here. Mi-Sci is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday and until 8 p.m. the first Friday of every month.

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Rocio del Valle Maneiro, Venezuela ambassador to the United Kingdom

A Panamanian company controlled by Rocio del Valle Maneiro  Venezuelas ambassador to the United Kingdom  signed a contract in 2012 to supposedly provide advisory services. In actuality, it collected more than $14 million, as part of a plot orchestrated by former Chavista vice ministers, who are being investigated for looting more than $2 billion from the state-owned oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela S. A. (PDVSA). This is according to a confidential report from the Financial Intelligence Unit of Andorra, which EL PAIS has had access to.

When she signed the agreement, the diplomat was the head of the Venezuelan diplomatic delegation in China, a position that she held between 2004 and 2013.

About 30 members of the criminal network have been prosecuted in Andorra, where they hid their loot, thanks to the protective cloak of banking secrecy, which was in force until 2017. These former Venezuelan officials collected bribes from foreign companies  mainly Chinese firms  which later obtained multi-million-dollar awards from the state-owned oil company. The looters operated between 2007 and 2012.

Rocio del Valle, during her time as Venezuela's diplomatic representative in China (2004-2013). EL PAIS

The Panamanian firm (with no registered activity)  Valden Overseas S. A.  was the vehicle used by the diplomat to sign the agreement. 100% of the firms capital is controlled by her son, Juan Paez Maneiro. The ambassador was hired by another Panamanian company  High Advisory and Consulting S. A.  led by the businessman and leading member of the corrupt organization, Luis Mariano Rodriguez Cabello. The contract was valid for two years.

While its unknown how much Del Valle Maneiro earned for her alleged advisory services, the documents reveal that the Panamanian company linked to the diplomat issued seven invoices in two days in May of 2012, for a total of $9 million. All of this was issued to the PDVSA plunderers frontman. Payment for business management advisory services in China is the note listed in the invoices.

Invoices issued by the company linked to the Venezuela ambassador of the United Kingdom, Rocio del Valle Maneiro. They were issued to a firm owned by Luis Mariano Rodriguez Cabello  a member of the network that looted PDVSA, according to the Financial Intelligence Unit of Andorra. JGilR

Researchers at the Financial Intelligence Unit of Andorra (UIFAND)  a public organization in the Pyrenean country that fights against money laundering and is investigating the actions of those who looted PDVSA  have raised questions in a confidential report, dated from November of 2022, regarding the veracity of the work that Del Valle Maneiro performed for the network. They have connected the invoices with a corrupt mechanism: [The contract] does not specify the modalities and conditions of the advisory services to be provided, the agents emphasize. They call the agreement ambiguous and imprecise.

UIFAND also maintains that Del Valle Maneiro  as revealed by this newspaper  managed four accounts in the Banca Privada dAndorra (BPA), which contained $4 million. To mask the trail of the funds under suspicion, she resorted to a constellation of Panamanian firms created ad hoc by the bank. In this maneuver, in 2013, the ambassador transferred $1.7 million to accounts in Switzerland and Miami in the name of one of her sons, according to investigators.

The diplomats lawyer in Andorra  Jordi Segura  denies the irregular origin of the funds that Del Valle Maneiro deposited in the BPA.

Like her lawyer, the ambassador has always defended the legality of her actions. When she testified as a defendant before a court in Andorra, in September of 2018, she justified that the money she deposited into the BPA came from a sale made in 2011 of her inheritance rights  where she was among 14 beneficiaries  to a 19,000-hectare plot of land that her family owned in the Venezuelan state of Sucre.

The ambassador alleges that she collected $5 million after the transaction and that the buyer was Diego Salazar  member of the network and cousin of Rafael Ramirez, the former Chavista Minister of Energy, former president of PDVSA and former ambassador to the UN.

I have never been part of a corporation or company of any kind. This clashes with the functions that I have had all my life, 38 years of service. I am a career civil servant, I have a bachelors degree, a masters degree and a doctorate I have never acted as an intermediary or assistant, nor as anything [related to] Diego Salazar, in any company or government... I have committed the sin of being a lifelong friend of Diegos family and of having sold him my inheritance rights, she defended herself five years ago before a judge.

Rocio del Valle with Hugo Chavez, when she was the Venezuelan ambassador in Beijing. Peter PArks (AFP)

When asked if she knew Rodriguez Cabello, the ambassador responded in the affirmative. She pointed out that the alleged frontman of the network that moved $1.2 billion through 11 BPA accounts was part of Diego [Salazar]s team. He personally took $154 million in contracts from Chinese companies.

Andorran investigators connect Del Valle Maneiros income with an agreement worth $20 billion  signed in 2010 between Venezuela and China  that allowed companies from the Asian giant to obtain contracts from the Latin American country. The group allegedly took advantage of the initiative to make businessmen who were seeking contracts with PDVSA hand over cash bribes.

The Venezuelan ambassador to the United Kingdom was not the only official from the Latin American country paid by the corrupt organization. Ramon Elias Morales Rossi the former secretary of Citizen Security in Caracas collected a total of $1.6 million between 2014 and 2015 from the criminal network, according to documents that EL PAIS has had access to.

Through the financial instrument Laurentis Group Inc, the former senior Caracas official signed a contract with Rodriguez Cabello, the frontman of the plot. In force between 2011 and 2019, the agreement stated that Morales Rossi would receive $300,000 annually during this period. It also enabled her to earn up to another half-a-million dollars annually in dividends.

The former secretary of citizen security in Caracas issued two invoices between 2014 and 2015 for a total of $1.6 million to the network, with notes detailing the payments as being for a 2013 salary or productivity bonuses.

To justify his income, Morales Rossi told the BPA that the money was remuneration for his work as a consultant for the firm Inverdt Business Advisors CA. Behind this company was the Caracas engineer Jose Enrique Luongo Rotundo, who is being prosecuted in Andorra for belonging to the criminal network.

Invoices issued by the former Secretary of Security of Caracas Ramon Elias Morales Rossi to the company of Luis Mariano Rodriguez Cabello, who, according to the Financial Intelligence Unit of Andorra, was one of the individuals who looted PDVSA. JGilR

Andorran investigators, once again, are questioning the veracity of the contract presented by the former senior official. They maintain that there is no evidence to prove the veracity of his alleged work. There is no signed document identifying the projects or services provided by Morales Rossi, the UIFAND agents point out.

EL PAIS has attempted without success to obtain Ramon Elias Morales Rossis version of the events that have transpired.

Formed by over 30 former officials of the powerful state firm including several loyalists of deceased former President Hugo Chavez (1999-2013), such as Nervis Villalobos and Javier Alvarado, his former vice-ministers of Energy the network that looted PDVSA devised an elaborate scheme through which it received under-the-table commissions of up to 10% from businessmen. The firms that paid the bribes especially Chinese companies were later awarded energy contracts.

To mask the trace of the money, the organization hid its loot through an opaque web of accounts in the BPA, more than 4,000 miles away from Caracas. The flow of funds circulated through 30 companies, which were registered in Switzerland and Belize.

In order not to raise suspicions, the income was camouflaged under the umbrella of consulting jobs that according to investigators didnt exist. The Andorran judiciary accuses the members of the organization of money-laundering in a banking establishment. Meanwhile, the BPA the financial entity in the small Pyrenean country that hosted the flow of dirty money was raided in 2015 by the Andoraan authorities, for allegedly engaging in money-laundering activities for criminal groups.

The ambassadors lawyer: Del Valle Maneiro has proven the origin of the funds JOAQUIN GIL / JOSE MARIA IRUJO Jordi Segura  the lawyer in Andorra for the Venezuelan ambassador to the UK, Rocio del Valle Maneiro  assures EL PAIS that his client has justified the origin of the $4 million that she deposited in the Pyrenean principality. Its origin was documented, which has absolutely nothing to do with the [allegations] in your message, the lawyer responded, when asked about the latest report from the Financial Intelligence Unit of Andorra (UIFAND), which connects the diplomats money with the plot that looted PDVSA.

According to Segura, Del Valle Maneiro hasnt been prosecuted in the so-called Venezuela case, which concerns the alleged theft of $2 billion from the public energy company between 2007 and 2012, as well as its concealment through the Banca Privada dAndorra (BPA). The lawyer maintains that  following her statement in an Andorran court in September of 2018  the diplomats procedural status hasnt changed. Mrs. Maneiro hasnt been prosecuted in said case, nor has she subsequently been required to give another statement, or participate in any proceedings of any nature, he clarifies. Currently, Mrs. Del Valle Maneiros situation is exactly the same [as in 2018], he emphasizes.

Segura denies that his client has been judicially questioned about the multi-million-dollar contract she signed with the network of looters. At no time was Del Valle Maneiro asked about these aspects and she answered all the questions [in her 2018 judicial statement] with precision and clarity.

The ambassadors lawyer also dismisses the confidential UIFAND report from last November, which connects Del Valle Maneiro with a contract that allowed her to collect up to $15 million from the criminal network when the diplomat was Venezuelas ambassador to China. Its only a declaration of suspicion by the UIFAND  not any decision or jurisdictional act. What matters is what the judge says, not what the UIFAND says. Theres no judicial investigation [just because] the UIFAND declares something to be suspicious, Segura concludes.

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MACKINAC ISLAND, MI - Summer may be the high season on Mackinac Island, but the secret is out about how beautiful this place is in the fall. The island added more best of hardware to its award collection today, landing a spot on a nationwide list of the Best Places to Visit for Fall. The recognition came from the USA Today 10Best Readers Choice Travel Awards, which invites people to vote for their favorite spots in a variety of categories.

In this contest, Mackinac Island snagged the #3 spot - just behind two mountain towns: Gatlinburg, Tennessee and Allegany County in Maryland. Readers considered amenities like gorgeous fall scenery, good weather for vacationing and lots of things to get outside and do when casting their votes for different areas across the U.S.

Heres what the USA Today 10Best editors said about Mackinac:

Mackinac Island may measure in at just around 4 square miles in area, but this pint-sized Michigan landmark is a truly incredible ecotourism destination throughout autumn. Whether guests choose to explore the area by foot, embark on a guided kayak tour, or traverse via horseback, theres bound to be incredible vistas thanks to the regions high concentration of vibrant trees.

The win is a nice travel nod for the island thats earned its nickname as the Jewel of the Great Lakes. Other recent awards include a first-place win as Best Summer Travel Destination for 2023 by USA Today, and this years second-place slot on the list of Best Islands in the Continental U.S, as named by Travel + Leisure.

We were honored to be recognized as the Best Summer Travel Destination by the USA TODAY 10Best readers and are thrilled to also be recognized as a Best Place to Visit for Fall, said Tim Hygh, executive director of the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau. These accolades are a true testament to how unique and special each season is on the island and to the magical charm that keeps visitors coming back each year.

Bikers on a path by Point Lookout. Photo provided by the Mackinac Island Tourism Bureau.

Other winners who made the list behind Mackinac Island include Branson, Missouri and Stowe, Vermont.

Fall is a favorite season for many on Mackinac Island, myself included, and its so meaningful to see the hard work of our community being applauded, said Mackinac Island Mayor Margaret Doud. Our island takes immense pride in making sure every visitor has a once-in-a-lifetime experience when visiting our precious destination and were grateful to the USA TODAY 10Best readers for recognizing that.

Heading to Mackinac Island? Check out these travel tips:

Mackinac Islands Mission Point rolls out Fall Experience vacation package

10 gorgeous trails that show off Mackinac Islands inner beauty

Peek inside Mackinac Islands new Irish pub

Fairy Arch, the Musical Well: Fascinating forgotten spots on Mackinac Island
WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI -- Theres been a recent change in ownership, but customers can still count on Harvest Moon Cafe's meals to stay the same.

Brooke Nava Maya and her husband, Alfredo, officially took over the Pittsfield Township restaurant at the beginning of 2023 after former owner, Dimitri Tzavaras, retired after 37 years of running the business.

The new owners have a strong connection with Harvest Moon Cafe. The couple met at the restaurant at 16 years old when Nava Maya worked as a waitress and her husband worked as a cook.

The pair stayed in contact with Tzavaras over the years, even when working at other jobs. When the longtime owner was ready to retire, he turned to the couple to keep the restaurants legacy alive, Nava Maya said.

He knew we would take care of it and keep it going as Harvest Moon and keep the same homemade cooking, she said. We never wanted to change anything because it was good the way it was.

Customers can still find homestyle comfort food on Harvest Moons menu including its popular Thanksgiving Feast.

The dish is made with slow-roasted turkey breast over homemade dressing and mashed potatoes smothered with pan-roasted gravy, cranberry sauce and a side of corn.

The restaurants menu also includes other options for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including Shepherds Pie, fish and chips, turkey pot pie, meatloaf and a range of burgers.

The business is also known for its homemade rice pudding made daily and its Texas-style French toast, Nava Maya said. However, she said Harvest Moon ultimately is a family-friendly restaurant with a little bit of something for everyone.

Harvest Moon Cafe, 5484 W. Michigan Ave., is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday and 8 am. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Find it online, on social media or by phone at 734-434-8100.

Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter.

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FLINT, MI -- The first day of a United Auto Workers strike against the Big Three is in the books, capped off by a large-scale union rally and march in Detroit on Friday, Sept. 15.

Heres what you need to know as the strike continues this weekend at the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex and General Motors Wentzville Assembly Center in Missouri.

When will negotiations resume?

UAW International President Shawn Fain issued a statement on Friday, saying union officials expect to return to the bargaining table on Saturday, Sept. 16.

After failing to reach a tentative agreement with the Detroit automakers, by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14, bargaining paused on Friday with top union officials joining in a rally with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders at the UAW-Ford National Programs Center.

President Joe Biden announced in a live stream on Friday that Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and White House Senior Adviser Gene Sperling were also headed to Detroit to offer their full support for the parties in reaching an agreement.

What are the workers top demands?

The UAW demands have been focused on a 40% proposed pay increase, the res-establishment of pensions, a 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay, a reversal of past concessions made by the union such as cost-of-living adjustments, and erasing a tiered-pay system.

The Associated Press reported on Friday that workers are currently seeking across-the-board wage increases of 36% over four years.

The automakers have countered with offers that are roughly half of that increase over the life of the contract.

Ford and GM have said they have each submitted four proposals to the UAW. GMs most recent offer called for a 20% wage increase over four and a half years with a 10% bump in the first year. Stellantis has said it gave the union a third wage-and-benefit offer this week.

Will the strike expand to other plants?

Unlike previous strikes, the UAW is strategically selecting local union chapters to strike automakers on a rolling basis rather than a full walkout of all members. The union is also taking a different approach by inflicting pain simultaneously at all three companies -- initially at one assembly plant each -- rather than picking one target.

Hours before workers walked off the job at those facilities, Fain said in a Facebook message Thursday night that local union members whose locals are not called to join the stand-up strike would continue to work under the terms of an expired contract.

Fain told members that workers could strike at more plants if contract offers arent sweetened but said the targeted approach gives union negotiators more leverage.

If we need to go all out, we will. Everything is on the table, he said.

What happens at the plants that arent striking?

Operations continued on Friday at plants where workers remained on the job and the UAW advised its members in a Facebook video of their rights as employees working under the terms of an expired contract.

Management cannot change past practices in plants that arent striking, the union advised, though the company can refuse to take grievances to arbitration. Hourly workers should advise their local union of changes in working conditions when they see them, the message said.

Although the strike was less than a day old Friday, The Detroit News reported there could be initial fallout from the limited work stoppage on the horizon. The News report, citing an employee notice from GM, said the UAW strike at Wentzville will cause a parts shortage at the companys Fairfax Assembly plant that could lead it to shut down next week.

How much will a strike cost car companies and workers?

A UAW strike against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis could result in an economic loss of more than $5 billion after 10 days if the strike builds to a total shutdown, according to an analysis by Anderson Economic Group, but those numbers assume a strike by all 143,000 UAW autoworkers.

The wage losses in a full strike would reach $859 million for workers after 10 days and manufacturers would take an additional hit of $989 million, according to the same projection.

Hourly employees who are on strike will take home nearly 60% less on average with UAW strike pay than they would from working.

By doing targeted strikes, the UAW will initially save money in its strike fund by paying fewer non-working members $500 a week as well as their health insurance premiums. Without some vehicles in production, profit-sharing checks that UAW workers could expect to receive early next year could also be far less robust.

How did we get to this point?

Tensions were high before the UAW and the automakers even sat down at the bargaining table and havent eased in the past two months,

Fain, who was elected UAW president in March, had campaigned on changing the direction of the union in its operations and in negotiations for a new contract.

He shunned the ceremonial handshake between the UAW president and automotive chief executive officers leading into negotiations -- a tradition that had dated back decades.

The unions economic demands were steep from the onset, aimed at gaining a bigger share of the nearly $21 billion in combined profits at the Big Three in the first half of 2023.

What are the automakers saying?

Automakers were quick to fire back after the UAWs initial strikes in Wayne, Toledo and Wentzville.

We are extremely disappointed by the UAW leaderships refusal to engage in a responsible manner to reach a fair agreement in the best interest of our employees, their families and our customers, Stellantis said in a statement. We immediately put the company in contingency mode and will take all the appropriate structural decisions to protect our North American operations and the company.

At GM, the company said it has been disappointed by the UAW leaderships actions, despite the unprecedented economic package GM put on the table, including historic wage increases and manufacturing commitments.

Ford said the company remains absolutely committed to reaching an agreement that rewards our employees and protects Fords ability to invest in the future as we move through industry-wide transformation.

When was the last strike?

In 2019, GM was the target of a UAW strike that took workers out of its plants for 40 days. It was the first national strike by the UAW since a two-day walkout in 2007 that had little impact on the company.

The 2019 contract provided higher wages, a signing bonus of up to $11,000, performance bonuses, two 3% annual raises and two 4% lump sum payments, and an easier path to permanent employment for temporary employees.

In a Thursday statement touting GMs latest offer CEO Mary Barra recalled how the strike cost the company $3.6 billion four years ago.

Remember: We had a strike in 2019 and nobody won, the statement said.

(Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.)

More UAW Coverage
KALAMAZOO, MI  One victim was taken to the hospital after being found at the scene of a shooting near Florence Street and North Westnedge Avenue in Kalamazoo last night.

The incident took place around midnight on the morning of Sept. 16.
GRAND HAVEN, MI -- A missing fisherman was found dead in Lake Michigan Friday after a four-day search, according to the Ottawa County Sheriffs Office.

On the evening of Friday, Sept. 15, a search team recovered the body of David Split from 35 feet of water south of the Grand Haven pier heads, police said in a news release.
McLaren Health Care has rolled out a student loan assistance program to employees at six hospitals. The healthcare provider will pay up to $12,000 in monthly installments as a way to attract and retain workers. (Jake May | MLive.com)Jake May | Mlive.com
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain had a simple message to General Motors and Ford after reports surfaces of planned layoffs for non-striking employees: It wont work.

Lets be clear: if the Big Three decide to lay people off who arent on strike, thats them trying to put the squeeze on our members to settle for less. With their record profits, they dont have to lay off a single employee. In fact, they could double every autoworkers pay, not raise car prices, and still rake in billions of dollars, Fain said.

Their plan wont work. The UAW will make sure any worker laid off in the Big Threes latest attack will not go without an income. Well organize one day longer than they can and go the distance to win economic and social justice at the Big Three.

Fain released the statement on Saturday, Sept. 16, one day after the first strike against all three Detroit automakers began.

It was in response to Ford Motor Co.s announcement on Thursday, Sept. 15, that temporary layoffs would affect approximately 600 employees at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne.

More layoffs will take place at the Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas which if affected by the GM strike location in Wentzville, Missouri, General Motors announced.

The contract for nearly 150,000 UAW members expired at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday.

Stellantis, Ford and General Motors have been negotiating with the UAW for more than nine weeks and havent come to an agreement.

There is only one Michigan local union that was selected to start the strike at midnight.

The three striking unions are Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex and General Motors Wentzville Assembly Center in Missouri.

Read more on MLive:

Michigan UAW member accused of sending threatening text messages to UAW President Shawn Fain

UAW strikes all 3 Detroit automakers at once for first time

What you need to know about the UAW strike against the Big Three automakers

UAW strike could have devastating impact on West Michigan auto suppliers

Big Three CEOs have amnesia, UAW picketers say on day one of strike
DETROIT, MI  UAW leadership hosted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont, on Friday for a rally and march in Downtown Detroit.

About 300 strikers and union members marching in solidarity gathered on the first day of their strike against Big Three automakers outside the UAW-Ford Joint Trusts Center on Jefferson Avenue. Members listened to rallying cries from UAW President Shawn Fain, Whitmer and Sanders as well as Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, and their own union representatives.

The Save the American Dream rally began at 5 p.m. as guests arrived for the Detroit Auto Shows annual black tie Charity Preview at Huntington Place just a few hundred feet away. Gala guests in tuxedoes and gowns passed the stage throughout the hour-and-a-half-long rally.

Whitmer took the stage first to voice her support for the union, tying the fate of Michigan workers to the future of the state as a whole. She touted legislation her administration passed in March that repealed Michigans right-to-work law, which stopped unions from making dues a job requirement in a unionized workplace, as well as repealing the pension tax and adding auto jobs.

We will continue to fight to ensure that every worker is treated with dignity and respect, Whitmer said. My brothers and sisters of the UAW, I love you, I respect you and I stand with you.

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist added, unions not only built Michigan, not only built the middle class, but delivered everything thats valuable to families in America.

Our futures are connected - we know that what is great for the middle class is great for Michigan.

UAW President Shawn Fain spoke next, calling on other public officials to support the union and characterizing workers struggles against management as class warfare.

Its time the politicians in this country pick a side, Fain said. The billionaire class has been taking everything, and the working class has been scraping paycheck to paycheck to survive. Its time to put an end to that class war.

Fain introduced Sanders, who made a connection between union negotiations and broader trends in wealth inequality across the country.

Over the last 50 years, theres been a massive redistribution of wealth, except its gone in the wrong direction - instead of going from the top to the bottom, its gone from the bottom up to the top, Sanders said. Were going to reverse that trend. If the ruling class of this country wants a redistribution of wealth, were going to give it to them.

The group then heard from negotiation teams working with each of the Big Three automakers before marching along Jefferson Avenue past Hart Plaza to General Motors headquarters at the Renaissance Center and back. On the way, Fain chanted in support of a group of UAW-represented Blue Cross Blue Shield protesters who joined their auto manufacturing compatriots in solidarity.

Related: UAW strikes all 3 Detroit automakers at once for first time

UAW members began their concurrent strike of GM, Stellantis and Ford Motor Co. at midnight Friday, picketing at plants in Missouri, Ohio and Michigan.

Fain and union leadership met with workers early Friday morning at Ford Michigan Assembly Plant, the only initial striking Michigan plant.

Fain called the unions strike strategy a stand up strike, with UAW locals across the country asked to stand by for orders to strategically picket a growing number of plants.

More from MLive:

Big Three CEOs have amnesia, UAW picketers say on day one of strike

A UAW strike is looming, but how did we get here?

UAW strikes all 3 Detroit automakers at once for first time

Targeted UAW strike gives union advantage over the Big Three, experts say

Ford UAW workers picket outside Michigan assembly plant as strike begins

Biden directs staff to aid Michigan in UAW-Big Three contract talks during strike

Targeted UAW strike gives union advantage over the Big Three, experts say
Ghanaian actress and social critic Lydia Forson has criticized the way the Ghana police allegedly target people with dreadlocks and natural hair.

She observed that dreadlocks and natural hair, which are supposed to depict African identity, are now associated with bad behavior by ignorant thinking.

According to her, this has led to a situation where people who have the hairstyle are being mistreated or suspected of being criminals.

In a tweet on Thursday, September 14, the thespian noted that "Our disdain for locs and natural hairstyles really needs to be studied. The way the police profile and target people with locs[dreadlocks] is so unfortunate, and I see it nearly every day when they pull them over.

She maintained that the real criminals in society aren't those with dreadlocks but instead are sometimes those who appear respectable in suits.

"Meanwhile the most dangerous criminals are in suites and tie with ponk [haircut suitable for officialdom], she pointed out.

The actress and social critic believes the alleged maltreatment of people with dreadlocks or natural hair by police needs to be addressed.
Some 40 youth in the Binduri District of the Upper East Region have become lllllentrepreneurs after acquiring various skills from a vocational training program organized for them by ActionAid Ghana.

The entrepreneurial training program was aimed at empowering the youth to set up their own jobs to improve to become self-sufficient.

They were trained in soap making, tiling, rearing, mobile phone repairs and satellite installation with funding support from Medicor Foundation under a project dubbed "Providing Employment Opportunities for Young People in Ghana."

The selection of beneficiaries was done with the community leaders playing key roles to ensure that persons with physical challenges and women were given priority.

Addressing the beneficiaries at Bazua, Alhassan sulemana, the Upper East Regional Programme Manager of ActionAid Ghana said the youth are empowered to establish and create jobs opportunities for the jobless.

He called on the youth to boldly take advantage of the interventions to enable them to contribute to the fast emerging green economy, which is the new order.

The Rep of the DCE for Binduri applauded ActionAid for supporting the assembly always.

He advised the beneficiaries to make actionaid Ghana proud by making sure their skills are put to good use.

Abugri Akudugu who was trained in Mobile Phone repairs and Satellite Installation said he felt rescued from poverty after having the opportunity to acquire his new skills.

Sumaila Rabiatu, a university graduate, said she had acquired from the training skills in soap making that will keep her employed.

The beneficiaries thanked ActionAid for the support always and pledged to take their skills seriously to benefit their families.
A street vendor in the historic center of Mexico City, on September 15. Mario Guzman (EFE)

On September 15, the area around the Zocalo in Mexico City is festooned with the colors green, white and red. The national flag is present in all kinds of paraphernalia: headbands, fighter masks, earrings, huipiles, hats and much more. For the merchants who sell these items in the streets near the capitals most important square, the eve of Independence Day is the best day for sales. The business made by these retailers represent a small portion of the 23 billion pesos ($1.35 billion) that the national holiday will generate this year, 12% more than in 2022, according to the Confederation of National Chambers of Commerce, Services and Tourism.

On a corner of 5 de Mayo Street, which commemorates the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862, hundreds of people walk at midday in search of the entrance to the Zocalo. Guillermo, 20, has his stand there, explaining that for three decades it has been passed down from generation to generation. The 15th is the best day to sell objects with the Mexican flag, he says while waiting on a bench for customers to arrive. The star product this year is a stuffed animal representing the president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, which some of the visitors to the historic center carry under their arms.

Across the sidewalk, Mexican flags are sold for 450 pesos, earrings for 15 and headbands for 60. The seller is Jocelyn Gracian, 18, who comes to set up her stall on this street daily from Santa Ana Jilotzingo, in the State of Mexico. She is part of the floating population that takes hours every day to reach the capital from the periphery. Im only here in September, its a month when everyone wants to buy decorations related to Mexico, she explains.

Pablo Celestino, 44, has his stall on 16 de Septiembre Street, the best location to sell objects with the three colors because the street name alludes to the exact date of Mexicos independence from Spain. He paid about 2,500 pesos to have his piece of sidewalk from September 1st until this Saturday, when he will collect what is left over and return to his home in Toluca, in the State of Mexico. Regarding work hours, he explains that he has been there since 9 a.m. and will leave around 8:30 p.m., before thousands of people crowd the Zocalo and the roads that leave it.

On the same street, in the background, you can hear a cumbia that a young man with an accordion is playing with notes that are reminiscent of corridos tumbados, a Mexican musical subgenre that is sweeping the world. A cap on the floor serves as a container for coins and bills, since music is also part of the business that is created these days around the Zocalo.

On Francisco I. Madero Avenue, the only authorized entrance to the square, there is a group of six people with instruments performing Cielo Azul, Cielo Nublado, by Grupo Pesado. Around them, two women offer mustaches for 10 pesos and headbands for 20. They are part of that 55% of people who work informally throughout the country, according to the National Occupation and Employment Survey in June. This Tuesday, around the Zocalo, many people were selling products that were hanging from their arms, without an official sales stand.

Inside the square, under the giant Mexican flag that dominates the center of the Zocalo, are the fences separating thousands of people from the balcony of the National Palace, where Lopez Obrador was expected at 11:00 p.m. Leaning on one of them is Graciela Zepeda, who has been there since 5:00 a.m.. We came to see the president up close, she says. She has come from Mexicali, in the State of Baja California, and will spend two days in Mexico City. She is with Claudia Paez, a Colombian woman who has lived in Guanajuato for seven years and who also came for the 2022 celebrations. Maria Miranda is from Guadalajara, but she has come here from Los Angeles, where she lives, saying she has spent $700 dollars to see the president cry El Grito.
Technical education is the most effective means to provide the youth with long-term empowerment and entrepreneurial skills for jobs and livelihoods, resulting in poverty alleviation and economic emancipation.

This therefore calls for partnership and collaboration for sustainability in providing quality education and skills training to the younger generation to enhance entrepreneurship and job opportunities to bridge the gender gap.

In view of that, Technical institutions are committed to providing a safe environment for the training sessions in imbibing in the youth especially young women and girls, the spirit of entrepreneurship.

Principal of Dabokpa Technical Institute (DABTECH) Madam Mariama Mahama announced this at the opening ceremony of the World Food Programme (WFP) Renault truck two-week training course on automobile repairs for 20 Womens Economic Empowerment in North-Ghana (WEE-NORTH) project graduate trainees at DABTECH in Tamale of the Northern Region.

The initiative by the WEE-NORTH project under Alinea Foundation, a non-governmental women empowerment organisation in collaboration with DABTECH AND WFP with support from Renault Trucks on basic mechanical principals and truck configuration aimed at providing technical and entrepreneurship skills to young girls for economic empowerment in the North.

The young girls were selected from the engine repair, electrical installation, building and construction technology, tile laying technology, plumbing, and wood construction technology departments.

The five year project from 2023-2027 on capacity strengthening project led by WFP is to deliver training in West Africa of which about 151 participants across West Africa so far benefitted from the United Nations Humanitarian response depot since its inception in 2023.

Madam Mahama commended WEE-North and WFP for the effort in enhancing the capacity of young women in the North of industrial activities to enable them become future entrepreneurs.

She expressed acknowledgement to WFP for providing industry training to help improve the skills of the young girls.

She called for partnership to build a better future for young girls in the fight against hunger in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2.

Head of Sub-office WFP Ms. Gyamila Abdul-Wahabi, said, promoting inclusivity and gender equality is key to growing resilient supply chains and improving livelihoods across West Africa has been the hallmark of WFP.

WFP developed the transport training center to strengthen regional value chain while impacting positively food safety and security she said.

It is also to empower women and youth in road transport logistics through training of under-presented groups in the transport sector she added.

 In pursuit of WFPs gender policy with its goal of women and youth empowerment, we would continue to partner WEE-North project to offer more opportunities to young women and girls in Northern Ghana by delivering skills training across the transport value chain to enable them earn a decent living, she said.

Field Coordinator at WEE-North Dr. Nancy Drost said the foundation was committed to providing high quality, intensive training in selected industrial trades for young women to build their hands-on skills.

We would continue to provide the needed support to empower the young girls for their chosen career, she said.

She urged young women and girls to take advantage of the opportunities to build their future careers in order to be independent to curb the poverty rates and the reliance on government for jobs.
Mr. Michael Addotey Addo

16.09.2023 LISTEN

Mr. Michael Addotey Addo, the Deputy Director General of Finance and Administration of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), has called on employers to pay the pension contributions of their workers in line with Act 766, the National Pensions Act, 2008 to enhance industrial harmony in Ghana.

According to him We have realised it promotes industrial harmony where you have unionised workers who agitate a lot. When this is taken care of, there is less agitation, as it assures workers of a livelihood after retirement.

He made these remarks during the UK- Ghana Chamber of Commerces (UKGCC) third Mandatory Regulatory Compliance for Businesses in Ghana webinar series 2023, on the topic Understanding Pension Funds Administration in Ghana.

The SSNIT Pensions Act

The National Pensions Act, 2008, which was enacted as a three-tier pension scheme to oversee the administration and management of registered pension schemes and trustees of registered schemes, enables SSNIT to manage the first tier of contributions and provide for related matters. The law mandates SSNIT to register all employers and workers as the scheme seeks to provide cover for the loss of workers income through the payment of monthly pensions in the event of old age or permanent invalidity until death.

Speaking during the webinar, Mr. Addo urged employers to see pension contributions for their employees as not only a legal requirement done to avoid court actions, fines, penalties, and jail terms, but also as a tool to improve productivity and boost morale, which help retain staff.

According to Mr. Addo, companies that comply with the pension law are considered good corporate citizens.

Membership of SSNIT (Eligibility)

All workers within the formal and informal sectors in Ghana, as well as self-employed individuals between the ages of 15  45 years, are eligible to register for the pension scheme. Categories of workers include permanent or full-time employees, self-employed, temporary or contract staff, casual staff, part-time employees, and seasonal employees.

Distribution of funds under Act 766

Explaining the structure and distribution of pension contributions, Mr. Addo remarked that out of the 18.5 percent of funds paid, 2.5 percent goes to the National Health Insurance.

Scheme (NHIS) to support healthcare. Therefore, SSNIT contributors do not pay NHIS premiums. 5 percent is also paid to a Private Fund Manager of an employees choice and the remaining 11 percent is retained and managed for the pension of an employee. Tier 2 is a mandatory scheme privately managed, and Tier 3 is a voluntary scheme privately managed of which up to 16 percent of an employees basic salary exempted from tax can be contributed.

Benefits of the SSNIT Scheme

Besides the payment of old age pension where SSNIT pays retired employees a monthly allowance until death, Mr. Addo remarked that there is the payment of invalidity pension and emigration lump sum.

If a person dies before the age of 75 after retiring at 60, SSNIT will compute and assume that the person lived till 75 and then pay a sum of money to the beneficiaries. In effect, employees have a guaranteed 15 years certain in the pension scheme, Mr. Addo said.

According to Mr. Addo, Invalidity pension occurs when an employee gets injured and is thus unable to work. In this instance, SSNIT will pay pension based on certain requirements until full recovery or death.

Emigration lump sum is another benefit of the scheme. According to the law, all foreign workers in Ghana returning to their home country are entitled to their contributions with interest.

Furthermore, old age lump sum is paid to workers who did not meet the stipulated 15 years required by law; their contributions will be paid with interest.

Corporate Trustee Role

Mr. Kofi Polley, the Chief Operations Officer of Peoples Pension Trust, a UKGCC platinum member company, speaking to issues relating to Tier 2 pension fund administration, refuted assertions that employee pension funds are being mismanaged. He also refuted assertions that clients encounter difficulties claiming these funds when they mature.

Ours is even more strict because the investment guidelines are directly from the regulator, the National Pensions Regulatory Authority (NPRA), and we are given allocations as to where we can invest these funds. So, corporate trustees cannot decide to invest outside the stated guidelines.

He further remarked that the downturn of the Ghanaian economy affected some investments, but it was not due to mismanagement on the part of corporate trustees.

"One good thing about pension funds is that because they are long-term funds, they are very resilient to such turbulence."

Mr. Polley urged business owners to pay their employees pension contributions to prevent old age poverty which he referred to as a clear and present danger.

He also indicated that the pension industry will intensify public education to encourage more people in the informal sector to safeguard their future.

In addition to informal sector pensions, the webinar also discussed related issues such as employers obligation, offences and punitive measures, and how and where SSNIT invests pension funds.

The webinar was moderated by Theophilus Tawiah, Managing Partner at WTS Nobisfields and Lecturer at the University of Professional Studies.
Alhaji Said Sinare, a prominent member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on his opposition National Democratic Congress to unite in order to win the 2024 election for the people of Ghana.

In an interview with Samuel Huntor of Original TV, Mr. Sinare emphasized the importance of putting aside internal differences and working together towards a common goal. He stressed that the NDC must focus on the needs of the Ghanaian people and present a strong and united front in order to gain their trust and support.

Alhaji Said Sinare expresses his desire to witness the National Democratic Congress (NDC) demonstrate a keen hunger for political power.

It is undoubtedly essential for any political party to exhibit a deep-seated hunger for power, an attribute that can bolster their chances of clinching success in any electoral contest, he said.

Therefore, Alhaji Sinare's concerns are valid, and his call to action should not be taken lightly. The NDC must evaluate their approach to politics and strive to exude the necessary hunger if they are to emerge victorious in any upcoming elections.

Alhaji Said Sinare has declared that the Zongos are for the NDC and that they know what it takes to win in the Zongos.

As a politician, Sinare believes that the NDC has the support of the people in the Zongo communities, and that they have worked hard to earn this trust.

When asked about who his presidential candidate will name as his running mate, H.E Alhaji Said Sinare, a former Diplomat and Politician who is also the Founder of Zongos for NDC assures that Mahama will select a running mate who possesses the necessary skills and qualifications to assist him in achieving a decisive victory for Ghanaians in 2024.

H.E Alhaji Said Sinare indicated that the NDC will undoubtedly emerge victorious in a landslide if Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is presented as the flag bearer for the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Alhaji Said Sinare has expressed his view that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of Ghana, lacks the necessary credibility to ascend to the presidency.

The outspoken Alhaji Said Sinare, a former ambassador to Egypt and Saudi Arabia and a member of the National Democratic Congress, has stated that he does not believe Bawumia has the leadership qualities and experience required to lead even his own New Patriotic Party (NPP) effectively.

These comments by Sinare are likely to fuel further political debates and discussions on the suitability of Bawumia for the presidency. Meanwhile, supporters of the Vice President will likely point to his track record and credentials as evidence of his ability to lead Ghana.
Nine-year-old Moroccan girl Ibtissam Ait Iddar was fortunate to have been rescued from under the rubble, but like other children she remains traumatised by the earthquake that devastated her village.

"My father called me and I cried back 'I'm here, I'm here'," Ibtissam recalled five days after the disaster that left nearly 3,000 people dead and more than 5,600 injured.

The magnitude 6.8 earthquake -- Morocco's strongest ever -- flattened entire villages like Ibtissam's hometown of Imi N'Tala and left tens of thousands of people homeless.

A week after it struck on September 8, Ibtissam and her family have sought refuge nearby with dozens of other families, living out of a tent.

But two of Ibtissam's friends, Mouna and Zineb, are not among the survivors.

"We used to go to school together even though we were not in the same class," she said.

Ibtissam's four-year-old sister and both her grandmothers were also killed in the quake, and now her mother, Naima Benhamou, says she is now "worried" about her daughter.

The girl wakes up often at night crying and shouts "Get me out, I've fallen", said Benhamou, expressing concern about her daughter's psychological state.

Ibtissam was pulled out from the rubble by her father and her uncle after their home was crushed by huge rocks that the quake caused to roll down the mountainside.

Imi N'Tala is located at an altitude of more than 1,400 metres (5,600 feet) near Mount Toubkal in the High Atlas mountains.

The village's houses are built on a narrow and winding road that runs the length of the mountain range, about 75 kilometres (46 miles) south of Marrakesh.

Survivors in the village, once home to 400 people, have said the quake killed 84 residents, including 20 children.

The stench of death fills the air, they have said.

On Wednesday, rescuers pulled a body from under rubble and struggled to search for five more.

'Stuck under rubble'

Youssef Ait Raiss, 11, remembers how his family home "crumbled".

"We were stuck under the rubble," said the boy whose parents were away when the quake struck.

A rescue worker comforts a woman who lost family members when the quake struck Imi N'Tala. By BULENT KILIC (AFP/File)

"We were with our grandmother. It was like a nightmare," added his brother Zakaria, 13.

The grandmother has since died while an older brother aged 16 is fighting for his life in a Marrakesh hospital.

Two of Youssef's classmates, Taoufik and Khaled, were also killed.

"We went to school together. We played together," he said.

His school near the village was badly damaged and classes have been suspended, a measure that has been taken in around 40 communities in the nearby provinces of Al Haouz, Chichaoua and Taroudant.

The UN's cultural organisation UNESCO has expressed concern over the immediate future of education in Morocco following the devastating quake.

"The earthquake affected a particularly rural and isolated area, encompassing a school population of around one million pupils and a teaching staff of more than 42,000 professionals," it said in a statement.

Ibtissam has said she was "shocked" to see her school damaged, according to her mother.

"She told me that if she cannot go back to school then we must leave here as soon as possible," Benhamou added.

But Ibtissam's uncle Mohamed Ait Toulkine vowed to make sure she goes to school.

"I'll do everything possible to send her to Marrakesh. It is important that she continues to study," he said.

Nearby a team of rescuers dug through the rubble to retrieve the body of Khadija Ouhssine's father-in-law.

Ouhssine, 32, also lost two of her children and her mother-in-law, all killed by the quake.

"Losing one's children is a feeling that no word can describe," she said, standing outside her flattened house.
The Oguaa Traditional Council has initiated four Chinese industrialists into the adorably warm Cape Coast community after performing a special traditional naming ceremony for them at the Emintsimadze Palace, the seat of Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, Oguaamanhen.

This was in honour of their resolve to be part of the development of Oguaa and needed to be given local names to reflect their identity as natives with the names of the Ebiradze Royal Family of Cape Coast.

The honourees are top executives of the TIAST Group, an agriculture machinery company, and their partners, Health Community of West Africa, a health-based organisation.

They were in the historic city of Cape Coast to lend support to the just-ended Central Regional Investment, Trade and Tourism Expo (Central Expo) of which the TIAST Group was the official partner.

Born Friday, Mr. Hehui Chen, Chairman of TIAST China was named Kofi Esar, while Mr. David Tai, CEO of TIAST West Africa, also born on Friday, given Kofi Sekum.

Ms. Anna Jiang, Chief Director of the Health Community of West Africa, received the name Ekua Bentumaa as a Wednesday born, and her translator, Ms. Danchen Xu, born on Friday, was named Efua Aboagyewaa.

As custom demands, the Omanhen, performing the naming rite, scooped water with the Adwen (wisdom) Leaf three times for each of the honourees to drink before giving them liquor with the same leaf, also three times.

That ritual was to enable them appreciate what is good and bad, and distinguish truth from lies.

Osabarimba Kwesi Atta then proceeded to serve all witnesses of the naming rite with a mixture of water and liquor.

The visibly elated Kofi Esar, Kofi Sekum, Ekua Bentumaa and Efua Aboagyewaa were adorned with colourful bead accessories as gifts.

Osabarimba Kwesi Atta urged the latest members of the community to work hard and actively participate in the development of the community.

Osabarimba Kwesi Atta asked them to be truthful at all times and consider the people of Oguaa as their own family and accord them the required respect and assistance.

And if we are satisfied with what you have done for our beloved city which you are now a part of, we will gather here once again to honour and reward you for your contributions, he added.

GNA
A tragic accident has claimed the lives of two students of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) and one other person near the institution.

The accident occurred at the entrance of Ilupeju, a neighboring community of the university located in Ekiti State, Nigeria on Friday, September 15.

Media reports noted that a speeding trailer lost control and crashed into three individuals - the two students and a local commercial motorcyclist, killing them instantly.

Videos and images from the tragic scene show the mangled remains of the victims and the damaged motorcycle lying under the trailer.

Other motorists, passengers and residents looked on in horror at the catastrophic accident.

News of the students' untimely demise has reportedly sparked an outpouring of grief and shock across the university campus.
Apple will update the iPhone 12 in France after regulators raised concerns over electromagnetic radiation emitted by the devices, the country's digital minister and the firm said on Friday.

France had ordered a halt to sales of the device, released in 2020, on Tuesday after finding that the model emitted more electromagnetic waves than permitted.

The French watchdog ANFR recently tested 141 cellphones and found that when the iPhone 12 is held in a hand or carried in a pocket, its level of electromagnetic energy absorption is 5.74 watts per kilogram  higher than the EU standard of 4 watts per kilogram.

"Apple has assured me that it will implement an update for the iPhone 12 in the next few days," said France's digital minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

Both the firm and Barrot insisted there was no danger to public health from the radiation.

Apple denies 'any safety concern'

"This is related to a specific testing protocol used by French regulators and not a safety concern," Apple said in a statement, adding that the device complied with rules on emissions all around the world.

"We will issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators."

On Tuesday, Barrot gave the US tech giant two weeks to issue an update to its phone, which was coming to the end of its career as a frontline Apple product.

He said the ANFR, would quickly assess the update and he would then decide whether to lift the ban on sales.

The World Health Organization has said several studies have been conducted in the field and "no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use".

Its cancer research arm classifies smartphones as "possible" carcinogens, putting them in the same category as coffee, diesel fumes and the artificial sweetener aspartame.

Read also:
Popular Waakye seller based in Accra, Auntie Muni has revealed the relationship she established with her customers and workers.

After 35 years in the business, the food seller said she has never had an argument with any customer, due to the popular saying that 'customers are always right.'

She advised fellow businessmen and women to prioritize their customers by treating them nicely always without yelling at them.

In an interview on Accra-based Asaase Radio, Auntie Muni averred that she always treats her workers very nicely and even throws an end-of-year party for them every year to celebrate them.

I treated my workers very well. Every year, I organise a party for them and give them goodies. I have never argued with a customer before. I also train my workers to treat my customers with respect.

I have sold waakye for about 35 years now. I used the trade to take care of all my children through school, she said.
David Obiri Yeboah, Personal Aide to Member of Parliament (MP) for Dome-Kwabenya Sarah Adwoa Safo, said his boss received a warm welcome from party executives after apologizing for her past misconduct.

In an interview with Asaase Radio on Friday, September 15, Obiri Yeboah, who is the former Dome Kwabenya NPP Constituency Youth Organiser said the lawmaker has been apologizing for her misconduct from the past year.

"My boss has been apologizing ever since she returned to Ghana. People like her so much, he said.

He added, "We have engaged the party at the local level. We have met constituency executives and electoral area executives, and from what we saw, it was refreshing; she received a warm welcome."

This comes after Adwoa Safo rendered an apology to the party and the nation for her long absence from parliamentary duties.

In a video address, she stated, "I would like to use this opportunity to apologize to everyone, my party the New Patriotic Party (NPP), most especially President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Chief of Staff Frema Osei Opare, Majority Leader of Parliament Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu and my colleague Members of Parliament for my past misconduct. I would like to say it wasnt deliberate. I didnt deliberately plan to disrespect you just that a lot was happening in my life at that moment."

She continued, "Once again, let me use this opportunity to apologize to NPPs Greater Accra Regional executives, my constituency chairman and executives and constituents. Please forgive me because to err is human and to forgive is divine. We dont pay evil with evil.

Adwoa Safo had been absent from parliamentary duties since December 2021 under the pretext of taking care of her sick son.

Her prolonged absence sparked calls for her removal as minister and MP. While she was eventually relieved of her ministerial role, attempts to remove her from Parliament were unsuccessful.
Ghana (30%) and Ivory Coast (40%) dominate the cocoa export market by 70% of the world's production yet in both countries cocoa farmers are poor and the nations don't benefit at all. Profit is in trading and manufacturing not plantation. The big SIX in the market brainwash consumers around the world with sweet lies even my young students understand.

Germans eat annually 11kg, Belgians 6-8 kg, Chinese 100 gr, and Ghanaians 500 kg of chocolate. The industry has been heavily criticized for "unfair" buying prices. Cocoa beans are speculative commodities chocolate bars are not. The processing is done in the countries of the white man and chocolate bars are shipped back to the countries of origin. This system makes it hard for Africans to enjoy their own product. At the same time, consumers around the world get offered second or less-quality chocolate as only at the source of harvesting the best quality can be produced - cocoa is a food item and quantity goes down over time. Many cocoa beans after 4-5 months of transportation are dead bodies that in their 64kg sacks have harmed other beans around.

To date, the 'FairTrade' organization has not proven its statement that the increased money given to the cocoa farmers cannot be further increased over their suggested benchmark as otherwise, the market would flip, and less chocolate be bought. It is their market expectation, not the true market situation therefore they dictate the price after all...not fair in any way. Let us assume one bar of conventional chocolate is  1.00 and the price for 'FairTrade' chocolate is  1.20. Back in e.g. Ghana, chocolate import carries customs duties. For easier understanding let's leave the rate by 10%. The import of conventional chocolate would cost  1.10 while the the new form of exploitation would cost  1.32. The farmers get more money for their cocoa but the higher import prices kill the benefit and the majority of Ghanaians suffer even more.

Producing at the source of beauty would lead to higher quality and less cost for locals and consumers around the world but governments in the white man's world will never support a change as in their countries jobs will be lost and tax revenues be cut. Even if a change is in the best interest of the many it is not on the mind of the few in power and pockets of the shareholders. The white man wants 100% control over the black man giving back 20% declared as AID support.

The current coups as well as the upcoming coups are a powerful demonstration that old tactics are fainting. What benefitted the white man for hundreds of years now hit him hard in his face like a boomerang. More migrants drain his economic and social success while at the same time shifting his political spectrum to the extreme far right and far left parties. For the common European e.g. house rental goes up and relocating becomes a challenge. Well-known and practiced values will get new faces and meanings.

My adult but still young students (20-30 years of age) are all well aware that the dark cloud over their generation and the generation of their children stands under the motto of the migration crises even before climate change problems. They see that unlike climate change no agreements have been signed by the international community no solutions suggested. While climate change is a technical problem that needs political answers the migration crisis is foremost a moral crisis. Emotions and behavior change are much harder to address than an intellectual task.

I love my students for their true and honest insight into life and their future.
At the end of July 2023, wheat imports to Kyrgyzstan increased 1.6 times compared to last year. The National Statistical Committee provided such data, Azernews reports, citing 24.kg news agency.

At least 181,200 tons of wheat were imported into the country for the first seven months of this year. In the same period of 2022, the figure was 71,600 tons less.

The main amount of wheat was imported from Russia  176,200 tons. In addition, there were supplies from Kazakhstan (4,900 tons) and Turkey (200 kilograms).

Earlier, the Antimonopoly Regulation Service reported that it had set purchase prices for food wheat grain. The cost of food wheat grain, which is purchased by the State Material Reserves Fund from agricultural producers, was set at 23 soms per kilogram.
Libyan authorities have opened an investigation into the collapse of two dams that caused a devastating flood in a coastal city as rescue teams searched for bodies on Saturday, nearly a week after the deluge killed more than 11,000 people.

Heavy rains caused by Mediterranean storm Daniel caused deadly flooding across eastern Libya last weekend. The floods overwhelmed two dams, sending a wall of water several meters (yards) high through the center of Derna, destroying entire neighborhoods and sweeping people out to sea.

More than 10,000 are missing, according to the Libyan Red Crescent. Six days on, searchers are still digging through mud and hollowed-out buildings, looking for bodies and possible survivors. The Red Crescent has confirmed 11,300 deaths so far.

Claire Nicolet, who heads the emergencies department of the Doctors Without Borders aid group, said rescuers found a lot of bodies on Friday and were still searching. It was a big number ... the sea is still ejecting lots of dead bodies unfortunately, she told The Associated Press.

She said massive aid efforts were still needed, including urgent psychological support for those who lost their families. She said the burial of bodies is still a significant challenge, despite some progress in coordinating search and rescue efforts and the distribution of aid.

Authorities and aid groups have voiced concern about the spread of waterborne diseases and shifting of explosive ordnance from Libyas recent conflicts.

Libyas General Prosecutor, al-Sediq al-Sour, said prosecutors would investigate the collapse of the two dams, which were built in the 1970s, as well as the allocation of maintenance funds. He said prosecutors would investigate local authorities in the city, as well as previous governments.

I reassure citizens that whoever made mistakes or negligence, prosecutors will certainly take firm measures, file a criminal case against him and send him to trial, he told a news conference in Derna late Friday.

Its unclear how such an investigation can be carried out in the North African country, which plunged into chaos after a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. For most of the past decade, Libya has been split between rival administrations  one in the east, the other in the west  each backed by powerful militias and international patrons.

One result has been the neglect of crucial infrastructure, even as climate change makes extreme weather events more frequent and severe.

Local officials in the city had warned the public about the coming storm and last Saturday ordered residents to evacuate coastal areas in Derna, fearing a surge from the sea. But there was no warning about the dams, which collapsed early Monday as most residents were asleep in their homes.

A report by a state-run audit agency in 2021 said the two dams had not been maintained despite the allocation of more than $2 million for that purpose in 2012 and 2013.

A Turkish firm was contracted in 2007 to carry out maintainance on the two dams and build another dam in between. The firm, Arsel Construction Company Limited, said on its website that it completed its work in November 2012. It did not respond to an email seeking further comment.

Local and international rescue teams were meanwhile working around the clock, searching for bodies and potential survivors in the city of 90,000 people.

Ayoub said his father and nephew died in Derna on Monday, a day after the family had fled flooding in the nearby town of Bayda. He said his mother and sister raced upstairs to the roof but the others didnt make it. I found the kid in the water next to his grandfather, said Ayoub, who only gave his first name. I am wandering around and I still dont believe what happened.

Al-Sour called on residents who have missing relatives to report to a forensic committee that works on documenting and identifying retrieved bodies.

We ask citizens to cooperate and quickly proceed to the committees headquarters so that we can finish the work as quickly as possible, he said.

Libyan authorities have restricted access to the flooded city to make it easier for searchers to dig through the mud and hollowed-out buildings for the more than 10,000 people still missing. Many bodies were believed to have been buried under rubble or swept out into the Mediterranean Sea, they said.

The storm hit other areas in eastern Libya, including the towns of Bayda, Susa, Marj and Shahatt. Tens of thousands of people have been displaced in the region and took shelter in schools and other government buildings.

Dozens of foreigners were among those killed, including people who had fled war and unrest elsewhere in the region. Others had come to Libya to work or were traveling through in hopes of migrating to Europe. At least 74 men from one village in Egypt perished in the flood, as well as dozens of people who had traveled to Libya from war-torn Syria.

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There was this pathetic story of Professor Sir Roy Meadow and Barrister Sally Clark in the United Kingdom. The two personalities ultimately became central figures in a highly controversial and very tragic case that involved allegations of child smothering. That would perhaps be the closest example of the cold controversy that is currently brewing between our eminent Professor Wole Soyinka and the Labour Party.

Professor Meadow, a medical doctor, was a very academically successful man like Professor Wole Soyinka. Both had attained very high intellectual categories in their various countries. And to that extent, they had a tendency to take a lot of things for granted, given their fame and easy acceptance by government officials and the country. That, I suppose, is what has been playing out since Nigerias erudite Professor Soyinka gave his verdict on Peter Obis fate during the February 25, 2023 presidential election.

I would, in all fairness, subscribe to the suggestion that the professors age and social status played a major role in his submission, not tribal sentiment as many Nigerians have postulated. I say so because Professor Soyinka has never been generally known as a tribal bigot.

In his younger days, and even into his aging years, he was a Jargaban in his own right, backed up by the admirers of his courage and chivalry, as he bulldozed his way to the centre stage. And I hope no one is suggesting that a younger but bigger Jargaban has eclipsed him, because that would be difficult to understand. One fact many Nigerians would readily testify to, though, is that all through the years Nigeria was in frantic search of true democracy, Professor Soyinka was always on the side of right, at some point, defending the ethnicity that was being marginalized and pitching his camp with the people.

In the UK, Professor Sir Roy Meadow was a distinguished medical doctor who had been taken in by government as an expert in determining facts about cot deaths. Government so much relied on him that any evidence he gave was instantly accepted and verdicts were passed in law courts based on his evidence. With time and unknown to him, his fame began to make him take people and circumstances for granted. It was late in the day when he realized what was happening to him.

Sally Clark, on the other hand, was a lawyer who was also married to another lawyer. The couple was unfortunate to lose their two sons. In November 1999, Sally was accused of smothering her two infant sons, Christopher and Harry, who died in 1996 and 1998 respectively. She was jailed for life by a jury at Chester Crown Court. Her husband said it was impossible for her to kill her own children. He said he knew his wife and that she would never do a thing like that, and that she was innocent. The prosecution had argued that the deaths were caused by suffocation, while Sally Clark maintained that they were due to natural causes.

Professor Meadow and Barrister Sally Clark

During the trial, Professor Sir Roy Meadow, a prominent pediatrician, testified as an expert witness for the prosecution. He claimed that the probability of two siblings dying of sudden infant death syndrome in an affluent, non-smoking family was 1 in 73 million. After Sally Clark was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, Professor Meadows statistic was found to be flawed and grossly overstated. Sallys conviction was overturned in January 2003 after fresh medical evidence, not disclosed during the trial, emerged. This evidence challenged the accuracy of Meadow's testimony and raised doubts about the forensic evidence presented at trial.

So, after serving more than three years in prison, Sally Clark's conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal in January 2003. She was released from prison and declared innocent of all charges. The court cited serious flaws in the prosecution's case, including the unreliable expert testimony of Professor Meadow.

The years of legal battle and imprisonment took a severe toll on Sally Clark's mental and physical health. She battled depression anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Tragically, on March 15, 2007, Sally Clark was found dead in her home at the age of 42. The cause of death was acute alcohol poisoning.

Sally Clark's case sparked significant controversy and led to a re-evaluation of expert testimony in criminal trials, particularly in cases involving complex medical issues. The case also brought attention to the danger of miscarriage of justice in the legal system. The case of Sally Clark serves as a stark reminder of the importance of accurate and reliable expert testimony in legal proceedings and the potential consequences of miscarriage of justice.

After the Sally Clark case, both Professor Sir Roy and Barrister Sally faced significant professional and personal challenges. Meadow's role in the Sally Clark case and his controversial expert testimony drew widespread criticism. Many in the legal and medical communities questioned his methods and the validity of his statistical claims. In 2005, the General Medical Council (GMC) brought a case against Meadow related to his testimony in other cases. The GMC found him guilty of serious professional misconduct, largely for his misuse of statistics in court. He was initially struck off the medical register in 2006 but was reinstated a year on, in 2007.

Meadow had retired from medical practice in 1998, before the Sally Clark case. Despite his reinstatement, he remained a controversial figure and continued to face criticism for his expert testimony in various other cases. Both Sally Clark and Professor Roy Meadow's lives were deeply affected by their involvements in this case, but in very different ways. Sally Clark's tragic death highlighted the profound impact that miscarriage of justice and the legal process can have on individuals. Meadow's professional reputation was tarnished, and he became a focal point in debates about expert testimony and the criminal justice system.

The evidence of Professor Soyinka that Peter Obi came a distant third at the polls can be likened in many ways to that of his British counterpart. One has to do with the death of children, the other with the death of evidence.

I can only wish that Labour Party sympathizers understand that Professor Wole is not likely to be swayed by tribal sentiments and that he probably has no place in the Emilokan philosophy. His understanding of what actually transpired on 25 February is coloured by his social standing and the belief that the country will always accept his opinion as authentic. He is not alone. If truth be told, every citizen has a right to opinion. That is the beauty of democracy.
Airbus Industries delivered the first of 56 C295 military aircraft to India this week as part of a landmark deal that will allow the South Asian nation to build the tactical cargo plane on its soil.

Indian officials at the Airbus Defence & Space facility in Spain received the first of the planes, which can transport up to 71 combat troops and take off and land on short and unpaved runways fully loaded.

"It is a momentous day for the Indian Air Force, and the nation as a whole to receive the first aircraft which marks the beginning of a new era, wherein we will be manufacturing 40 of these aircraft in India," Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari said on Wednesday.

Make-in-India

India has been upgrading its infrastructure including roads and airfields amid tensions with China that reignited following a clash among border soldiers in 2020 left dozens killed and maimed.

Airbus said the contract for the C295 was signed swiftly and in line with Delhi's Make-in-India policy which aims to cut down on costly imports.

"It was only two years ago that we signed this contract with India, the largest order in the history of the C295," said Jean-Brice Dumont, Airbus' military head. The deal is worth 2.46 billion.

"This is the beginning of an exciting and long-term journey with the Indian Air Force," he said.

Officials in Delhi added that India held the option of ordering more aircraft.

The C295s will replace India's British-built Avro HS748 freighters in yet another step in the evolving military landscape where France, the US and Israel have started nibbling away Russia's share of arms trade with India, the world's second largest arms importer.

They said the C295 aircraft may also replace India's vintage fleet of 100 Ukrainian origin AN-32 military transport planes in the future.

India's coast guard, navy and paramilitary forces are also scouting for tactical cargo aircraft.

Delivery Schedule

Officials said 16 C295 aircraft will arrive in fly-away condition from Spain up until August 2025 and the remaining 40 planes would be manufactured by a Tata-Airbus consortium in Gujarat state.

The contract between Airbus and Tata will mark the private sector's first-ever foray into India's tightly-controlled military aeronautical sector.

"By any definition this is a landmark project because we started making a fighter jet of our own in 1983 but we could only commission it into the air force in 2021," an aviation analyst said.

The first 'Made in India' C295 will roll out in September 2026 in what will be a milestone for the Indian aerospace industry. The final aircraft is expected to be delivered to the Indian Air Force by August 2031, according to Airbus.

Airbus also said the production of spare parts have already started and that they will be shipped to the Vadodara facility which is expected to be up and running by November 2024.
Prof. Smart Sarpong, a Senior Research Fellow at Kumasi Technical University has waded into the controversy surrounding the Electoral Commission's (EC) decision to restrict the use of Ghana Card for the voter registration exercise, dismissing claims that the EC's actions are part of a plan to manipulate the outcome of the 2024 elections.

The Electoral Commission on Tuesday commenced its limited voters' registration exercise, a crucial step in the lead-up to the 2024 general elections.

The exercise is designed to register all eligible Ghanaian voters and ensure the integrity of the electoral process.

However, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken legal action against the Electoral Commission, contesting the use of the Ghana Card as a sole requirement for voter registration.

The NDC argues that this requirement may disenfranchise a significant number of eligible Ghanaian citizens.

Prof. Smart Sarpong, a respected academic and commentator on Ghanaian politics, has offered his perspective on the matter.

He believes that the Ghana Card represents the most secure and reliable means of maintaining a clean voters' register and promoting a free and fair election in 2024.

In an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, Prof. Smart Sarpong urged political parties to refrain from unpleasant complaints about the electoral processes conducted by the EC.

"2024 will be a critical year for Ghana's democracy, and either of the two major political parties can emerge victorious," Prof. Smart Sarpong noted.

"However, the winner will ultimately be the party that demonstrates strategic intelligence and adaptability. It is the smartest party, not the one that complains about every aspect of the electoral process, that will likely secure victory," he added.
Heinrich Klaasen slammed 174 off 83 balls to lead a South African batting assault against Australia in the fourth one-day international at SuperSport Park on Friday.

Klaasen shared an extraordinary fifth wicket partnership of 222 off only 94 balls with David Miller (82 not out) as South Africa piled up 416 for five, their fifth-highest total in one-day internationals.

Klaasen struck 13 fours and 13 sixes before being caught on the boundary off the last ball of the innings.

A run spree of such magnitude did not seem likely as accurate Australian bowling and a slower than usual Centurion pitch saw South Africa make relatively sedate progress on a ground known for high scoring.

At the second drinks break, the total was 157 for three off 32 overs.

The acceleration started with a stand of 74 off 57 balls between Rassie van der Dussen (62) and Klaasen.

It went into over-drive when the left-handed Miller joined Klaasen and hit the second ball he faced, from leg-spinner Adam Zampa, for six.

Miller's 82 not out came from 45 balls and included five sixes and six fours.

Zampa was hammered for 113 runs off his 10 overs, Marcus Stoinis conceded 81 runs and Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Ellis went for 79 apiece.

It is a must-win game for South Africa, with Australia leading the five-match series 2-1.

Brief scores:

South Africa 416 for five in 50 overs (Q de Kock 45, H. van der Dussen 62, H. Klaasen 174, D. Miller 82 not out; J. Hazlewood 2-79)

Match situation: Australia need 417 runs to win

Toss: Australia
New Patriotic Partys (NPP) National Youth Organizer, Salam Mustapha has expressed astonishment at the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) recent promise to increase the cocoa price to GHC2,800 against President Akufo-Addo's pledge to raise the cocoa producer price to GHC1,308 for the upcoming cocoa season.

The NDC has downplayed President Akufo-Addo's significant promise of a 63.6% increase in the cocoa farm gate price, labeling it insufficient.

They contend that they would have increased the price to GHC2,800 if they were in government.

Addressing cocoa farmers at a conference in Dadiesoaba, Ahafo Region, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader, stated, "As we speak now, cocoa prices have seen the biggest increment since 1977, so it is your season to make a profit. If NDC were to be in government, we would have a bag of cocoa at GH2,500 and add a premium of GH300. So you would have received GH2,800 per bag."

Former President John Mahama echoed similar sentiments during the opening of the 2023/2024 cocoa season in Tepa, Ashanti Region, emphasizing the remarkable surge in the international spot price of cocoa.

"The Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government has once again shortchanged Ghanaian cocoa farmers. The announced increment in the farmgate price of cocoa to GH1,308 is a total rip-off as cocoa farmers will continue to remain worse off than they were seven (7) years ago under the NDC/Mahama government.

The Spot Price of cocoa on the international market has surged to a record high of about $3,600 per metric ton as of 31st August 2023. This price is the highest since 1977 - that is, in the last 46 years," Mahama argued.

However, during an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, Salam Mustapha waded into the NDC's criticisms, expressing his opinion.

"Some of the things that the NDC does in this country, I think even the devil gets surprised...When you look at what they are capable of saying and doing, even the devil will not try it," Mustapha remarked.
Member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomeah has rejected arguments that former President John Dramani Mahama is the man to build Ghana.

Speaking on Metro TV, he criticised the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for saying that he would appoint party-inclined lawyers as judges when he becomes president.

Speaking at the 3rd Annual Lawyers Conference of the NDC, Mahama, said President Akufo0-Addo has packed the judiciary with NDC-inclined lawyers because he wants his government to escape accountability.

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, he stressed.

Reminding Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa of these comments during the Good Morning Ghana programme, Nana Akomeah said John Dramani Mahama is not a nation-builder as is claimed.

He said the comments on the judiciary are not different from Mahama saying he will chop money when he becomes president again before the Akufo-Addo government has also chopped money.

The reforms he says are needed in the judiciary is to also pack the judiciary. Its like someone saying someone is schooling money so me too when I come I will come and chop some, Nana Akomeah said.

He continued, And this is the person Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa is ants to inflict on us as a nation builder. Dont do that. At the end of the day, the Ghanaian people are going to decide.

John Dramani Mahama earlier this year was elected as the flagbearer of the NDC ahead of the 2024 General Election.

He is confident that Ghanaians will vote for him to become president once more.
Peace FMs broadcast Journalist, Kwame Sefa Kayi has found it surprising as he questions the National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha over his comments regarding the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and their promises regarding cocoa prices.

This comes after Salam Mustapha expressed surprise at the NDC's criticism of President Akufo-Addo's pledge to raise the cocoa producer price to GHC1,308 per bag.

The NDC had countered this, stating that they would have increased the price to GHC2,800 if they were in power.

During a conference with cocoa farmers in Dadiesoaba, Ahafo Region, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, the Minority Leader, asserted, "As we speak now, cocoa prices have seen the biggest increment since 1977, so it is your season to make a profit. If NDC were to be in government, we would have a bag of cocoa at GH2,500 and add a premium of GH300. So you would have received GH2,800 per bag."

Former President John Mahama echoed these sentiments during the opening of the 2023/2024 cocoa season in Tepa, Ashanti Region, emphasizing the remarkable surge in the international spot price of cocoa.

He said, The Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government has once again shortchanged Ghanaian cocoa farmers. The announced increment in the farmgate price of cocoa to GH1,308 is a total rip-off as cocoa farmers will continue to remain worse off than they were seven (7) years ago under the NDC/Mahama government.

The Spot Price of cocoa on the international market has surged to a record high of about $3,600 per metric ton as of 31st August 2023. This price is the highest since 1977- that is, in the last 46 years.

However, Salam Mustapha, speaking on Peace FMs "Kokrokoo" morning show, expressed his amazement at the NDC's promises to cocoa farmers.

He stated, "Some of the things that the NDC does in this country, I think even the devil gets surprised...When you look at what they are capable of saying and doing, even the devil will not try it."

This remark prompted a witty and swift reaction from the show's host, Sefa Kayi, who questioned Mustapha, "Are you close to the devil to know that the devil will be surprised?"
Salam Mustapha, the National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has applauded the Electoral Commission (EC) for its decision to continue using the Ghana Card as the primary document for voter registration.

In a recent statement, the Electoral Commission announced that individuals who have reached the age of 18 since the last registration exercise or those who, for various reasons, did not register in 2020, can participate in the ongoing limited registration exercise.

To do so, they must visit their District Office with either their Ghana Card or Ghana Passport.

Despite the commencement of the registration exercise, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has filed a lawsuit challenging the process.

Their argument centers on the belief that the requirement of the Ghana Card could potentially disenfranchise eligible voters.

However, Salam Mustapha has expressed a different perspective, viewing the EC's decision as a positive step toward ensuring a clean and reliable voter register.

He emphasized the importance of embracing change and adapting to new methods that enhance the electoral process.

"I think that we should embrace change," Salam Mustapha declared, addressing the concerns raised by opposition parties during an interview on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show..
Kwabena Owusu Sekyere, the Ahafo Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has lauded the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, asserting that he is the most outstanding IGP Ghana has had in many years.

According to Sekyere, Dr. Dampare's leadership has brought about noticeable improvements in the operations and public confidence within the Ghana Police Service.

Sekyere called for an end to criticism and backstabbing of individuals who are making significant contributions to the country.

He highlighted that Dr. Dampare's positive impact on the police service is evident and should be recognized by all Ghanaians.

Speaking in an interview on Kumasi-based Angel FM on Friday, September 15, 2023 he said, "Lets stop stabbing hardworking people in the back. What this man is doing is obvious for every Ghanaian to see.

Even if you dont like him, you can tell that the police service is much better under him. Because we are so used to doing wrong, we cant accept people who are transformational."

Its sad to have a journalist like Paul Adom Otchere attack such a man whose work is so clear to all; its not fair," Sekyere emphasized.

He also acknowledged the role of past Inspector Generals of Police, highlighting that each had contributed their part and left their mark.

However, Sekyere firmly believed that Dr. Dampare's leadership had brought about significant changes, increased visibility, and enhanced public confidence in the police service, making him the best IGP Ghana has seen in many years.

"In my region, I see police officers on motorbikes everywhere you pass, and we are allowing a few jealous individuals to destroy such a person. That is not right, and we must speak up," Sekyere stated.
Former President, John Dramani Mahama has called on the Electoral Commission (EC) to address the challenges associated with the ongoing Limited Voter Registration exercise.

The EC on Tuesday, September 12, commenced the 2023 Limited Voter Registration exercise with a target to register at least 1,350,000 persons.

In the last couple of days, various challenges have been associated with the registration including network problems that slow the entire process of capturing the details of persons trying to register.

After touring some of the registration centres, former President John Dramani Mahama in an interview with the media expressed concern about the challenges.

He called on the EC to switch networks from one telco to another to fast-track the registration process.

Because its being done in the district offices there is a lot of congestion because people are coming from all over to one point to come and register. Another thing I have noticed and the complaint is that the network is not strong and so they are not able to do the instant online registration and so they are capturing some of the data offline and the danger with that is sometimes there is a repeat of somebodys name.

So I think the EC must speak with the telecom companies. I hear they are using only MTN. Normally you use multiple telcos so that if one is slow it can jump to another. So they must see how to resolve that network bottleneck so that the process can go faster, John Dramani Mahama said.

In his engagement with the media, he urged the EC to also see if it can open registration centres to various electoral areas in the country to help more people get registered.

I will appeal once again to the Electoral Commission that now that we have seen the challenges it is probably not too late to open the centres at the electoral areas because it will be easier for people to get registered, Mahama pleaded.

The ECs ongoing Limited Voter Registration exercise is expected to end on October 2.
Mexico extradited Ovidio Guzman Lopez, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, to the United States on Friday to face drug trafficking, money laundering and other charges, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

This action is the most recent step in the Justice Departments effort to attack every aspect of the cartels operations, Garland said.

The Mexican government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mexican security forces captured Guzman Lopez on January 5 in an Army operation in Jesus Maria, a small town in the State of Sinaloa, and since then he had been detained in a maximum-security prison of the Altiplano. The branch of the Sinaloa Cartel led by the children of El Chapo Guzman, convicted in the United States for drug trafficking, is accused of leading the production and transfer of fentanyl from Mexico to the United States.

Three years earlier, the government had tried to capture him, but aborted the operation after his cartel allies set off a wave of violence in Culiacan. Guzman was detained in October 2019, but released within hours to avoid violent retribution from his drug gang.

Januarys arrest set off similar violence that killed 29 people in Culiacan, including 10 military personnel. The army used Black Hawk helicopter gunships against the cartels truck-mounted .50-caliber machine guns. Cartel gunmen hit two military aircraft forcing them to land and sent gunmen to the citys airport where military and civilian aircraft were hit by gunfire.

The capture came just days before U.S. President Joe Biden visited Mexico for bilateral talks followed by the North American Leaders Summit.

On Friday, Garland recognized the law enforcement and military members who had given their lives in the U.S. and Mexico. The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country.

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Burkina Faso's foreign ministry has notified France of the expulsion of the embassy's military attache for "subversive activities", in the latest sign of failing relations between the former allies.

In a letter seen by AFP on Friday, the ministry warned that attache Emmanuel Pasquier and his team had two weeks to leave the Sahel nation, which underwent two military coups last year.

The letter added that the French military mission in Ouagadougou would be closed.

France, which withdrew troops from its former colony in the face of mounting hostility after Captain Ibrahim Traore seized power in September 2022, rejected the accusation.

"The accusation of subversive activities is obviously fanciful," a foreign ministry spokesperson told AFP in Paris.

France recalled its ambassador from Ouagadougou after the September coup and has not replaced the envoy.

The Burkinabe authorities in recent months have suspended the French TV outlets LCI and France24 as well as Radio France Internationale (RFI) and expelled the correspondents of the French newspapers Liberation and Le Monde.

Since the French pullout in January, Burkina has developed closer contacts with Russia, an ally of the junta in neighbouring Mali.

Junta chief Traore last week gave an interview saying Burkina was not "the enemy of the French people" but of the policies of its government.

"We have to accept seeing each other as equals... and accept an overhaul of our entire cooperation," he said on state television.

Traore also suggested France had been ineffective in helping the Burkinabe army fight the long-running jihadist insurgency.

The impoverished landlocked country saw the Islamists sweep in from Mali in 2015. More than 17,000 civilians, troops and police have since died, according to an NGO monitor.

Over two million people have been forced to flee their homes, creating one of Africa's worst crises of internal displacement.

Anger within the armed forces led to a coup on January 24 2022, toppling elected president Roch Marc Christian Kabore.

On September 30, Kabore's nemesis, Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba, was himself overthrown by the 34-year-old Traore, who has promised a return to democracy with presidential elections by July 2024.

Traore in July met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg and followed up with talks in August with a Russian delegation on development and military cooperation.

Foreign Minister Olivia Rouamba on Monday said Burkina needed to "strengthen bilateral cooperation" with Iran and President Ebrahim Raissi.
Despite Russia facing ever-tightening sanctions over its invasion of Ukraine, it has managed to keep up a steady trade with international markets, thanks to the Bosphorus waterway through Istanbul. RFI spoke to one man whose hobby is helping to thwart Russian sanctions-busting.

Watching closely with his camera and telescopic lens, Yoruk Isik can see a Russian cargo ship announce its passage through the Bosphorus waterway on its way from a Black Sea Port to international markets.

"I'm interested in Russian foreign policy, and watching ships on the Bosphorus really gives clues about Russian foreign policy and what they are doing, who they're engaging [with]," Isik tells RFI.

"If there's a ship that I'm really, really interested in, I can go down by the water and take a better picture and explain the significance of it," he adds.

Isik is an international analyst whose hobby for more than a decade is monitoring ships passing through Istanbul's Bosphorus waterway, known to locals as "the throat".

Special place

The waterway divides the city of 20 million people between Asia and Europe and is the only outlet for the Black Sea.

"Here you can be in a cafe or tea house or walking on the street, and you can literally see the ships are passing, you know, hundreds of metres away from it. You can do without any special equipment. You can just read the ship [name], and follow the ship. So in that sense, it is a very special place," Isik says.

He also points out that the waterway is essential for Russian trade and major military exports.

"All its military naval connection to the Mediterranean happens through the Bosphorus, and most of the ships passing in from the Bosphorus are related to Russia. This is the vital commercial and military route for Russia," he says.

Russia also happens to be the world's most sanctioned country.

"Most of the people who are engaged in trade with Russia are trying to hide their activities because they are worried that somehow some sanctions will come back and harm them," Isik says.

Watching Russian ships

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Isik has been focusing on Russian ships, working with an international network of volunteers and non-government organisations that share data online on their movement.

Isik's website and Twitter have become a go-to resource for media.

With ships often turning off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) that allows them to be tracked by international authorities, monitoring efforts by people like Isik are vital, say organisations that work to expose Russian sanction-busting ships.

"I think this ship monitoring is very valuable," explains George Voloshin, a global financial crime expert at ACAMS, a US-based watchdog.

"A common technique is to manipulate your AIS signal by just turning down your transponder or trying to manipulate it."

"This makes it appear that the ship is in a different place, in a different location. All those leads are potentially valuable," he adds.

Monitoring by the likes of Isik has helped expose Russia's exports of stolen Ukrainian grain and coal from Black Sea ports that it occupied in Ukraine.

Moscow has denied the accusations.

Turkish jurisdiction

The waters off Istanbul are under limited Turkish jurisdiction and are an international hub for hundreds of empty cargo ships and tankers that frequently change owners.

Experts say this makes tracking difficult and creates conditions favourable to those seeking to circumvent a long list of sanctions.

"There are lots of ships here. There's a good ship market," says Isik.

"At the same time, Turkey offers major quality shipyards immediately to the east of Istanbul, actually violating sanctions more than the anchorage area in the shipyard. It's because Turkey is not part of EU and the US sanctions, which are not necessarily universal," Isik explains.

"We see many sanctioned vessels come in to get services from the shipyards to the east of Istanbul, and they are not breaking any domestic laws."

Ankara refuses to enforce many international sanctions against Russia, claiming they're not bound by them.

Trade between Russia and Turkey has surged since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It is set to grow further, with Turkish and Russian Presidents committing themselves to increasing trade from $70 to $100 billion.

That means more ships for Isik to follow.
President Nana Akufo-Addo, has at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Cuba, Miguel Mario Diaz-Canal Bermudez left Ghana to participate in a meeting of the G77+China on the theme, "Summit of Heads of States and Government on the Current Development Challenges: The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation, scheduled to be held from 15th to 16th, September, 2023 in Havana, Cuba.

From Cuba, President Akufo-Addo will from 17th to 22nd September 2023, participate in the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. He is expected to deliver his statement to the Assembly on Wednesday, 20th September 2023.

At the invitation of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Dr Rafael Mariano Grossi, President Akufo-Addo will then travel to Vienna, Austria on Monday, 25th September, 2023, to participate in the 67th regular session of the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Atoms of Peace Speech on 26th September, 2023.

The President was accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey and officials of the Presidency and Foreign Ministry.

President Akufo-Addo will return to Ghana on Wednesday, 27th September, 2023, and in his absence, the Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, shall, in accordance with Article 60(8) of the constitution, act in his stead.

Source: Classfmonline.com
Pastor Lawrence Nii Narku Odonkor, former pastor of Lighthouse Chapel International (Akyem Oda) branch, who was accused of stealing over GH7,000 belonging to the church, has been acquitted and discharged.

Appearing before an Accra Circuit Court earlier, Pastor Odonkor pleaded not guilty to two counts of stealing and for dishonestly appropriating the Church's GH7,054 meant for the payment of his own SSNIT contributions and taxes.

The Court presided over by Mrs Ellen Ofei Ayeh, in her judgement delivered on Friday September 15, 2023, held that although there was appropriation on the part of Pastor Odonkor, same was not done dishonestly.

According to the Court, at the time of resigning from the Church, Pastor Odonkor asked a Senior Bishop whether he had any financial obligation, but the response was no.

The Court, therefore, acquitted, and discharged Pastor Odonkor after he went through full trial.

Pastor Odonkor was among six pastors who sued the Lighthouse over their Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) contributions.

Meanwhile, sources at the Church said the church would scrutinize the entire judgement and appeal against it.

The prosecution's case was that the accused, who was responsible for the day-to-day administration of the branch, signed cheques and filled vouchers in March and April of 2020 for his salary, which comprised his salary, SSNIT and tax components.

According to prosecution, even though it was clearly stated on the vouchers and cheques that he filled and signed them, those specific sums of money were for the payment of SSNIT contributions and taxes, he deposited them in his personal accounts and failed to pay the tax components and SSNIT contributions.

The Church had to later pay those SSNIT contributions and taxes with penalties.

The Church, after the payment, lodged complaint with the Police.

GNA
Mr Kwame Ampadu, the Ablekuma West Municipal Electoral Officer, says the guarantor system in the ongoing Limited Voters Registration exercise is being abused.

According to Mr Ampadu, his outfit has detected a number of guarantors who have exceeded the number of eligible applicants they can guarantee for in accordance with electoral rules.

Under the electoral rules, eligible voters can either use their Ghana Card or the Ghana Passport to establish their identity as Ghanaians, and in the absence of the two identification documents, applicants would be required to present two people who are already registered voters to vouch or serve as guarantors for their citizenship and age.

The rule states that a person serving as a guarantor can guarantee for only 10 applicants.

But Mr Ampadu told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the system keeps detecting guarantors who have exceeded their target.

He said the unholy act is slowing down the pace of the registration.

One major thing which is slowing us down is the guarantor system. You know with the Guarantor system, somebody will come to guarantee but once we put in the persons information we notice that the person has guaranteed for more than 10 people, and this means that we have to change, or the applicant has to look for another person to come and guarantee for him/her.

So that is the difficulty that we are having. Had it not been that problem, everything would have been in place, he told the GNA.

At the filing of this report, information gathered from the from the registration team revealed that a little over 300 have managed to go through the process successfully since the commencement of the exercise on Tuesday, September 12.

On the first day of the exercise, the team registered only 51 people while the second and third day saw an increment-157 and 135 people were registered, respectively.

Apart from the guarantor system, Mr Ampadu said there were few network challenges that the team also encountered.

Despite these challenges, Mr Ampadu was hopeful that his team would be able register many applicants before the October 2 deadline.

I have a good team and they are really pushing, and I am sure that we will achieve our target, he remarked.

Speaking about the relationship between his officers and the various party agents present, Mr Ampadu indicated that both teams had shown mutual respect and that had made the work easier.

As a matter of fact, they have shown respect to us, and we have also conducted ourselves very well. Whatever their grievances are, once they approach us, we try as much as possible to provide the solution and then when we are unable to resolve issues, we explain it to them and they understand, he said.

GNA
Leadership of the Northern Regional chapter of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on the Ghana Police Service to initiate investigations into circumstances surrounding the auction of over $400,000 worth of medical supplies procured by Chief Zosimli Naa.

The medical supplies including dialysis machines, oxygen tanks, and incubators were earmarked to be distributed to health facilities in the region to address various healthcare challenges.

Sources within the region indicate Chief Zosimli Naa, a woman chief leading the Tamale-Louisville sister city relationship was unable to clear the medical supplies early and as such, the items were auctioned.

Following the auctioning of the medical supplies, many in the Northern region have raised concerns, stressing that health facilities in the area in dire need, have been deprived of the essential items.

Speaking at a press conference, the leadership of the NDC in the Northern region called on Vice President, Mahamudu Bawumia to as a matter of urgency, intervene.

The NDC alleged that the Vice president assured them that he was going to ensure there was a tax waiver on the items which did not happen.

Regional Secretary for the NDC Mohammed Abdul-Salam, described the auction as disheartening because it will deprive indigenes of the region critical healthcare.

The medical supplies worth over $400,000 were shipped from the United States of America with the intention of aiding hospitals in the Northern Region, particularly the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Central Hospital, and other hospitals were unlawfully auctioned by the Tema Port authorities. These medical supplies included oxygen tanks, dialysis machines, and incubators were intended to enhance healthcare services in the Northern Region.

The supplies arrived in Ghana in September 2022 and were auctioned in June 2023. To expedite the clearance of the items, key individuals including Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP Northern Regional chairman, and an executive from the Tamale Teaching were engaged and they assured the donors that a tax waiver for the medical supplies had been secured and so it is disheartening that the items were auctioned.

Mohammed Abdul-Salam further urged the Vice President and Chairman of the Police Council to immediately sanction an inquiry into the case of the auction of Chief Zosimli Naas medical supplies intended for Tamale hospitals if his office is not to be blamed.

citinewsroom
Political Scientist Professor Ransford Yaw Gyampo says no one should doubt the competence of not only the Chair of the Electoral Commission (EC), Jean Adukwei Mensa, but also the Deputy Chair in charge of Corporate Services, Dr Eric Bossman Asare.

He said he has worked with the two commissioners and can vouch for their competence.

For Madam Jean Mensa, Prof Gyampo says he worked with her for 14 years at the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA).

As for her competence, I cannot sit as part of a programme to allow anyone to doubt it, Prof Gyampo stated on TV3s The Keypoints, also simulcast on 3FM, on Saturday, September 16.

She is a very competent person, he stressed, recounting how she led the IEA Ghana Political Parties Programme to bring enormous development to the countrys democracy.

The President of the University of Ghanas University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG-UG) also revealed he was course mates with Dr Bossman Asare in their student days and later became colleagues at the Department of Political Science at the University of Ghana.

He, however, said public appointments usually attract the criticisms the two appear to be receiving.

It, however, appears that when you are given a political appointment, you must either reform the system or the system itself will reform you and that one I may want to believe that maybe ever since she went to chair the Commission, certain things that we were expecting would have happened are not happening in a way and manner that we all expect.

This comes after the Commissions decision to conduct the limited voter registration exercise at its district offices was resisted by some political parties, led by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), and civil society groups.

Not even an injunction secured against the commencement of the exercise could stop the EC from starting the exercise.

The registration began nationwide on Tuesday, September 12 and scheduled to end on Monday, October 2.

It will be done on weekends as well from 8:00am to 5:00pm each day.

The opponents want the exercise to be conducted at electoral areas.

Some have called on the youth to boycott the exercise due to the ECs intransigence.

Our position is clear, if it must be done, then it must be done right, rallied the Coalition of National Youth Organisers (CNYO).

If the Electoral Commission wants the people's participation during this limited registration exercises, then they should take the exercise closer to them to make it easier for them to register.

We are therefore calling on the Ghanaian Youths who are the future leaders of this country to boycott participating in this limited registration exercise, if the Electoral Commission decides not to consider the proposals made.

3news.com
Radio Baraawe director Osman Aweys Bahar, who went into hiding after several men shot at the station's building in Barawe in Somalia's South-West State. (Photo courtesy of Osman Aweys Bahar)

16.09.2023 LISTEN

Nairobi, September 14, 2023The Committee to Protect Journalists on Thursday called on Somali authorities to credibly investigate an incident in which security personnel shot at Radio Baraawe and to create safe conditions for its journalists to return to work.

On the evening of August 12, Radio Baraawe director Osman Aweys Bahar heard gunshots outside the broadcasters offices in Barawe, the capital of Somalias South-West State. Osman and two other witnesses, who spoke to CPJ on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns, said they climbed onto the buildings roof and saw about four men firing guns on the street below. Osman and one of the witnesses said the men were firing at the Radio Baraawe building and when they shouted down to ask why, one gunman discharged his weapon towards the rooftop, forcing them to run inside.

Osman said no one was injured, but he shared images with CPJ of bullet holes in the building, which he said were a result of the shooting.

Radio Baraawe, which broadcasts in the minority Barawani language, has remained off air since the incident. Osman told CPJ that his colleagues were afraid to go back to work and he had gone into hiding as security sector contacts warned him that he might be arrested. The station is still publishing content on its Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Since leaving the city, Osman told CPJ that he had received several threatening calls from unknown people who warned him that they knew where he was hiding. He also shared with CPJ a screenshot of a threat sent on August 25 via Facebook direct message.

No journalists should have to work with fear that they could be shot at their desks. This incident has effectively silenced a station that was a crucial source of news and information for a minority community, said CPJs sub-Saharan Africa representative, Muthoki Mumo. Authorities in South-West State should independently investigate this incident, credibly establish the facts, and ensure accountability for those who carried out the shooting. They should provide safety guarantees so that Radio Baraawes staff can resume work.

Osman said that he recognized some of the men as working for Liban Abukar Osman, the then-Barawe district commissioner, whose office was opposite the Radio Baraawe building. Liban has since been dismissed from his post in an unrelated move.

Osman said he believed the attack was connected to Radio Baraawes August 8 broadcast about the death of a Barawe resident, whose family said he had been killed over a land dispute. The report was later posted on the outlets Facebook page. In a February interview with Radio Baraawe, the victim said that Liban had ignored his requests for help.

Liban told CPJ via messaging app that his security officers fired at a car that had crossed a checkpoint without authorization. He dismissed reports that the men were targeting Radio Baraawe as propaganda and said that his men only shot at the Radio Baraawe building in response to fire coming at them from the rooftop.

For their part, Osman and the two witnesses told CPJ that no one fired shots from Radio Baraawes roof that evening. However, Osman and one witness said they heard gunfire from a nearby police station behind the Radio Baraawe building around the same time.

Radio Baraawe has faced previous difficulties and Osman said he believed the station was targeted in part because it broadcasts in a minority language.

In April 2020, a local official said that he had banned Radio Baraawe from broadcasting in Barawani because it was a dialect and not a national language, according to a statement published by the Federation of Somali Journalists at the time. The ban was revoked a few days later, according to an SJS statement.

In January 2021, armed police raided the station, forced it off-air for two weeks and detained Osman for 10 days, according to the journalist and an SJS statement.

In June 2022, unidentified security personnel and some uniformed police officers raided Radio Baraawe, assaulted Osman, injuring one of his hands, and arrested him and another journalist, according to SOMA and SJS, as well as Osman, in an account published on Radio Baraawes Facebook account at the time.

CPJs requests for comment to the South-West State presidency via email and Facebook and to South-West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed via X, formerly Twitter, did not receive any replies.
16.09.2023 LISTEN

354,927 people are living with HIV in Ghana but over 100,000 Ghanaians are unaware of their status due to a lack of testing according to the last National HIV Prevalence, Estimates, and Projections report. Among them, 60,049 are female sex workers who face heavy burden of stigma, taboo, legal constraints and lack of access to treatment.

Female sex workers are confronted with various significant challenges. In the domains of prevention, testing, and treatment, this challenge demands collective attention.

Amidst a prevalent HIV rate of 4.6%, among female sex workers spotlight swings to "Maame Akua: A Story of Resilience and Transformation."

Maame Akua's warm and infectious smile was quite unexpected. She extended her hand with genuine enthusiasm and shook mine as if we were long-lost friends reuniting after years apart. It was a gesture that instantly made me feel welcome. Interestingly, I approached her with a grim face , a response influenced by my previous encounters with other sex workers. Despite that, Maame Akua responded with a broad smile, completely catching me off guard.

Before I could ponder further, she returned with a chair for me to sit on in front of the house . She even offered me water, a gesture that spoke volumes about her hospitality in what some people refer to as a brothel.

My journey had led me to various places in Kumasi  Tafo, Asafo, Dichemso, and Bantama. Most of these encounters were marked by aggression, avoidance, or harsh words from the sex workers. Some were not willing to open up at all except a few . At Tafo in Kumasi, the leader, known as Princess, a fluent Twi speaking Nigerian, was particularly hostile towards me . She firmly told me and my fellow reporter that she had no time for interviews or journalism business. She expressed her frustration about how journalists came and collected their stories, but little changed in their lives. Her message was clear: leave.

Maame Akua, now 30, is from a small town in Fomena, Adansi Asokwa, in the Ashanti region. Before settling in Manso Atwere , a mining community known for the Mansoman Secondary School, in the Amansie West District of the Ashanti region, in 2019, Maame Akua's journey took her to various mining areas across the country. She offered her services to men, often targeting foreigners: Chinese, Nigerians, Ivoirians, Senegalese, and even men from Burkina Faso involved in mining. She explained that foreigners paid more for their services compared to their Ghanaian counterparts, some of whom were miners themselves.

I asked if she was aware that HIV epidemic is still real in the country, infecting numerous individuals daily. She responded with a smile and said, "I'm well aware and I take it seriously. Even though HIV isn't frequently discussed in the news these days, some of us stay informed."

Akua mentioned that she received training from NGOs about eight years ago to become an

HIV peer educator. "I felt compelled to undergo the training after losing my mother to AIDS in 2008." Her tone shifted as she mentioned her mother, and I noticed tears in her eyes and the quiver in her voice. She paused to collect herself, wiped her tears, and continued sharing, though her emotions occasionally broke through in her words.

"We learn to accept our circumstances and NGOs provide resourceful individuals who help us cope."

Through these groups, Akua and others receive counseling, meeting both in person and over the phone. "NGOs ensure our mental well-being. They guide us on how to navigate our situation," she emphasized. Beyond counseling and treatment, some NGOs offer practical skills like soap and bead making, alongside connections to health services.

However, this isn't the case everywhere in the country. In many areas, female sex workers with HIV face isolation due to stigma and legal constraints. Without the necessary support, they grapple with depression on their own. This is where the importance of decriminalizing sex work becomes evident in the country.

The Path Forward:

Ghana's journey through the HIV epidemic reflects a complex interplay of challenges, successes, and ongoing efforts. Through collaborative partnerships, innovative strategies, and the collective will of the Ghanaian people, the path toward a future free of the burden of HIV remains within reach.

According to a report from UNAIDS, in 2022, a huge 39 million people around the world were living with HIV. 86% of them knew they had HIV. 76% of those, which is about 29.8 million people, were getting antiretroviral treatment (ART) to help them.

Unfortunately, in 2022, 1.3 million people still got HIV. Countries need a lot of money to fight HIV properly - about $29.3 billion by 2030.

UNAIDS also talks about a big problem that stops many people from getting the help they need for HIV - it's when their actions are treated as crimes. It's worrying that in many countries, sex work, is still considered a crime. 143 countries have laws that can punish people for not telling someone they have HIV.

The head of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima, wants world leaders to take strong actions to end AIDS.

"If we don't find a way to fill this big money gap, we might lose the progress we've worked so hard for."

The HIV epidemic has brought significant changes to Ghana's society and economy, and it's still affecting the country's growth.

As said by Felix Asante, the main expert of a study, the total money spent on HIV and AIDS activities in Ghana was about US$92,573,993 in 2017 and US$67,413,057 in 2018. Most of this money came from foreign funds (63%) and government funds (51%), which were the biggest parts of the spending in 2017 and 2018.

As the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) reported in 2022, around 9,357 people died because of illnesses linked to HIV/AIDS.HIV among Female Sex Workers in Ghana

In 2022, the West Africa Program to Combat AIDS and STI (WAPCAS) indicates that even though the general HIV rate in Ghana is 1.66%, it's much higher among Female Sex Workers - about 4.6%.

The differences in HIV rates between regions and high rates among key groups show that the virus could spread faster to the entire population.

The Ashanti regional Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC)Mrs Olivia Graham, has this to say about new infections among female sex workers when i spoke to her in her office in Kumasi :

"When we take a closer look at the number of new infections among female sex workers in the past year, we can see a slight increase. If we compare the numbers from last year to this year, we'll notice that the cases of new infections among sex workers have gone up a bit. In terms of new infections, the numbers are nearly the same. Last year, it was around 3450, and this year it's approximately 3487. If we look back a bit further, we see that in previous years, the numbers used to be higher. For example, in 2019, we recorded around 4500 cases, and in 2020, it was about 3500. While there's a slow decrease in new infections, it's not happening as quickly as we'd like it to be ."

The Ashanti regional Technical Coordinator of the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC)Mrs Olivia Graham

To really gain control over the epidemic across the country, we need to significantly bring down the number of new infections. Ideally, we'd want it to be around 3000. Currently, with the figure at 16,500, it's still quite high. If this trend continues, it's going to be tough for us to reach our goal.", she stresses

Hindrances Imposed by Taboos and Illegality on Traditional HIV Solutions in Ghana

Taboos and illegality have created big obstacles for Ghana in fighting HIV. These problems are rooted in culture and laws, making it tough to prevent HIV, do tests, give treatment, and make people aware.

In its 2022 National HIV Prevalence, Estimates, and Projections report, the Ghana AIDS Commission stated that there are more than 100,000 people in Ghana who are HIV positive but are unaware of their status due to not testing.

This problem is made worse by the barriers that are part of the stigmatization and taboos . These barriers especially affect groups like female sex workers.

Even though selling sex is against the law in Ghana, it's a part of their history and shows up differently in different places. Selling sex is seen as breaking the law and could lead to fines. The Criminal Code of 1960 (Act 29) says selling sex is when someone offers their body for sexual acts for money, even if it's not regular sex.

According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), there are 60,049 female sex workers (FSW) in Ghana. They're divided into two main groups. 93% of these FSWs are roamers, while only 7% are sitters.

Roamers account for over 55.6 thousand FSWs. When we look at different parts of the country, Greater

Accra has the highest number of roamers with 19,081, followed by the Western Region with 11,535, Ashanti with 5,561, Eastern with 4,753, and Central with 4,061. In total, the estimated number of stationary FSWs is 4,363. When we add it all up, there are around 60,049 FSWs in Ghana. These FSWs are quite young, mostly around 26 years old. More than 90% of them are younger than 35.

Photo Credit : WAPCAS

According to the Ghana AIDS Commission (GAC) in 2022, around 4.6% of FSWs in Ghana tested positive for HIV. This is a decrease from 7.0% in 2015 and 11.0% in 2011. The areas with the highest HIV rates are Upper East (7.8%) and Upper West (7.7%), followed by Bono East (6.6%), Western (6.4%), and Western North (6.0%).

Although the overall HIV rates have decreased since 2015, some regions like Upper East, Upper West, and Western have seen a significant increase.

The recent 2022 report from the Ghana AIDS Commission shows that , there are about 354,927 individuals living with HIV in Ghana , making up around 1.66% in terms of it prevalent rate . However, the rate among FSWs is much higher, at 4.6%, more than twice the rate of the general HIV population in the Country. It's important to understand these numbers to help create better strategies for dealing with HIV in Ghana.

In this connection, some notable figures are urging Ghana to rethink its stance on criminalizing sex work. They're advocating for a different approach, one that includes sex workers in the country's efforts to fight HIV. Among these voices are Dr. Emmanuel Tinkorang, the Ashanti Regional Director of Ghana Health Services, and Human Rights Lawyer Mr. Maurice Ampaw.

Dr. Emmanuel Tinkorang at his office in Kumasi highlighted the need for a comprehensive solution.

"We need a specialized prevention and treatment program for female sex workers. If we compare their HIV rates with the general population, it's clear that sex workers consistently have higher numbers. This calls for a program tailored to their unique situation." But he pointed out a hurdle: "Commercial sex isn't recognized by law here. It's illegal, but we know it's happening in large numbers."

I asked if legalizing sex work would be a good idea, and he shared, "I think we should consider legalizing it. That way, they can organize themselves and work on prevention. It's sometimes hard to even identify them. So, legalizing could help categorize them, leading to better strategies for their well-being. It could work." He also added, "Currently, NGOs are helping female sex workers through the Global Fund. They offer services and teach about preventing infections, including HIV. But people are hesitant to admit they're involved in sex work. Forming associations could help them challenge the existing laws."

Dr. Emmanuel Tinkorang, the Ashanti Regional Director of Ghana Health Services

Dr. Tinkorang stressed, "In other countries, strong associations have educated people about safe sex through peer groups. We need that here, especially for female sex workers. These approaches bring them together, giving them strategies. Stigma surrounds sex work, and we need to tackle that. Also, it's not just females; male partners are involved too, hidden most of the time. So, identifying and supporting them is crucial."

He concluded, "We need a comprehensive program focused on sex workers' needs. They're a unique group that requires special attention."

Another courageous voice speaking up on this issue is Human Rights Lawyer Mr. Maurice Ampaw. His view is slightly different.

"We need to be cautious about legalizing sex work all at once. If we go down that route, we might lose control of its effects, potentially harming young girls' lives. But there's another way. We can think about a controlled system where a limited number of sex workers are identified and legalized. They could be given licenses for regulated sex tourism. This could prevent many young girls from getting into prostitution or illegal sex work," he suggested.

Our focus should shift towards treating sex workers as professionals who are well-screened, including tests for HIV and other diseases. Legalizing it for a specific group within an age range would allow us to provide specialized healthcare, stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS. While the law still applies, we should create provisions that emphasize rehabilitation over punishment. When caught, individuals should be engaged with seriously. Counseling sessions could help them leave the trade, find better work, or get education and healthcare tailored to their needs. This is vital, especially to protect them from HIV," he emphasized.

Breaking the Silence: Battling Taboos to Overcome Stigma

HIV has been shrouded in secrecy due to cultural taboos, which have bred stigma and discrimination.

This fear has deterred people from getting tested, treated, or even discussing their condition openly.

There is no Specialized Health Services Tailored to the need of Female Sex Workers in Ghana

I reached out to Dr. Emmanuel Tinkorang, the Ashanti Regional Director of Ghana Health Services, to explore the healthcare landscape for female sex workers. He shared that while his directorate doesn't offer specialized services exclusively for sex workers, their comprehensive healthcare programs extend to all Ghanaians, regardless of their background.

"We don't have a specific program for sex workers, but our services cover everyone, including female sex workers. It's important to note that these workers often find it challenging to reveal their occupation openly. Yet, our wide-ranging programs encompass testing and counseling for everyone in the country.

Anyone can walk in, get an HIV test, and know their next steps. This is at the core of our healthcare approach," he explained.

Another perspective came from Dr. Ruth Owusu Ofori, Head of the Public Health Department at Kumasi's Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital:

"Most healthcare facilities, including ours, lack designated spaces for female sex workers. Unfortunately, many health facilities are overcrowded, even consultation rooms are often filled with doctors seeing numerous patients. Given the stigma around this disease, it's essential to provide privacy for these workers."

So, the question of whether Ghana should reconsider its stance on decriminalizing sex work lingers. Regardless, the pressing need is to forge comprehensive solutions that shield citizens from HIV.

 This urgency calls for prevention strategies such as condom usage, Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART), PreExposure Prophylaxis (PReP), and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), particularly for vulnerable groups like female sex workers. , Mr Isaac Nsiah Foster ,the Operations Director in charge of Human Rights at African Liberators Economic Institute stresses

Time to Act:

Sex work, a topic typically shrouded in taboo and illegality, has lingered in silence for far too long in Ghana . Recently, a disconcerting trend has emerged: young girls flaunting carefully crafted personal profiles on social media, showcasing explicit images of themselves.

Behind these polished online personas, complete with nude pictures and solicitations for paid encounters, lies a troubling truth. These young girls often grapple with feelings of depression, lacking a supportive outlet for their emotions. The numbers of these female sex workers, encompassing both sitters and roamers, continue to swell by the day. One might even argue that their population, coupled with those living with HIV, surpasses what Ghana Statistical Services and Ghana AIDS Commission have revealed to us.

This story was supported by the Internews Health Journalism Network
16.09.2023 LISTEN

In recent times, it has come to light that a group within the Teacher unions led by persons nursing their political ambitions within the unions have been raining insults on the National President.

One Prosper Tachie who was unsuccessful in his bid for a national position has been on series of media campaigns and making vague accusations just to court sympathy and recognition within the Teaching Fraternity

The conveners of these unfounded vituperations at Teacher Unions and the respective agencies within Ministry of Education appear to have fallen out from their unions and earnestly seeking a parochial interest of capitalising on the emotions of (un)unsuspecting teachers to champion an unworthy task.

It is about fanning sophism and using the attacks as decoy to project their personal interest. They have created numerous social media groups and recruiting others to fuel their entrenched agenda of gaining traction and destabilizing the Unions.

In one of the "Whatapp groups" led by Mr Evans Adu- Gyamfi of Kojobetiako D/A JHS, Harrison, Yaw Osei of St. Micheal Senior High School, Elvis Prince Biney of Tepa SHS, Amos Owusu of

Osei Tutu Senior High, and

, Helen Akua Asantewaa Osei of

Asawasi Methodist KG & Primary A

clandestine measures have been instituted to make the system unpopular for the current union leaders.

This behavior is not only unprofessional but also undermines the unity and progress of the teaching profession

It is imperative to shed light on the truths surrounding these unjust attacks and the ulterior motives of those championing them.

The National President's Commitment to Teachers:

First and foremost, it is crucial to acknowledge that the National President has been instrumental in leading negotiations with the government to secure the Professional Development Allowance (PDA) for teachers.

Contrary to the baseless allegations, he has never shown any intention of depriving teachers of this entitlement.

His commitment to the welfare of teachers is unquestionable, and it is unfair to single him out for unwarranted criticism.

No Evidence of Bribery:

Another malicious claim being perpetuated is that the National President has been bribed by individuals or groups to silence him.

This allegation is completely false and lacks any evidence to substantiate it.

It is important to emphasize that those making such claims are merely disgruntled individuals who lost an election to the current President.

Their intention seems to be tarnishing his reputation rather than addressing legitimate concerns.

Ulterior Motives at Play:

It is clear that those behind this attack have ulterior motives in mind.

They have resorted to unfounded allegations and propaganda to discredit the National President.

Such tactics are not only archaic but also misleading.

It is worth noting that the teaching profession demands a level of maturity and temperance in leadership, qualities that this disgruntled group clearly lacks.

Misplaced Priorities:

One cannot escape the fact that those championing this baseless crusade are acting in complete disregard for the wellbeing and future of the teaching profession.

They seem to have forgotten that the National President and his team fought tirelessly to secure the PDA without any input from this group.

It is humorous and hypocritical that they now claim to know better, despite their lack of involvement in the process.

Call for Transparency:

Furthermore, it is important to question the credibility of these individuals who are making serious allegations of bribery without providing any concrete evidence.

If they genuinely believe in the veracity of their claims, it is their responsibility to report the matter to the appropriate authorities, such as the police or a judicial body.

Their failure to do so casts doubt on the legitimacy of their allegations.

Conclusion:

The unwarranted attacks on the National President by a disgruntled group within the Teacher unions are baseless, unfounded, and aim to undermine his credibility and reputation.

Teachers, being discerning professionals, should not allow themselves to be used by opportunistic challengers who lost an election fair and square.

It is crucial to prioritize the unity and progress of the teaching profession, rather than indulging in slanderous campaigns that serve personal gain.

Let us rally together and focus on the betterment of the teaching profession for the benefit of all.
Poland is shaken by reports that consular officials took bribes to help migrants enter Europe and US The Law and Justice party is being rocked with arrests, dismissals and an attempted suicide among its own ranks after reports that Polish consulates issued visas in Africa and Asia in exchange for bribes

Polands conservative governing party was hoping to make migration a key campaign theme ahead of the countrys national election. But not like this, with arrests, dismissals and an attempted suicide among its own ranks.

The Law and Justice party is being rocked by reports that Polish consulates issued visas in Africa and Asia in exchange for bribes, opening the door for migrants to enter the European Union  which some hoped to use as a way into the United States.

Details about the corruption scandal are coming to light a month ahead of the countrys parliamentary election Oct. 15, leaving Law and Justice struggling to control the damage.

A former deputy foreign minister who was dismissed amid reports of his involvement in the scheme was hospitalized after an apparent suicide attempt.

Law and Justice has been the election frontrunner in a field of several parties, and its not clear if the affair will dent its support. But opposition politicians have seized on the visa affair, accusing the government of corruption and hypocrisy, given its strong anti-immigrant rhetoric.

Critics say the governing party raised the specter of immigration to frighten Poles and then offered promises of keeping them secure, while a corrupt cell operating within the diplomatic corps opened a channel for migrants to enter the EU.

This is the biggest scandal we have faced in the 21st century. Corruption at the highest levels of government, bringing a direct threat to all of us. And its because of people whose mouths are full of phrases about security, Senate Speaker Tomasz Grodzki, an opposition politician, said in a televised address to the nation Friday evening.

Poland has opened its door to Ukrainian refugees, who are primarily white and Christian, but governing party officials have long made clear that they consider Muslims and others from different religions or ethnicities to be a threat to the nations traditionally Catholic cultural identity and security.

Media reports allege Polands consular sections issued about 250,000 visas to migrants from Asia and Africa since 2021 in return for bribes of several thousand dollars each. Poland is a member of the EUs visa-free zone known as Schengen, and once those migrants arrived in Poland they could cross Europes borders freely.

Szymon Holownia, who leads a center-right opposition party, said the governing party jeopardized the safety of millions of Poles by conducting the disgusting, commercial practice of selling visas.

Government officials acknowledge some wrongdoing occurred.

The Foreign Ministry announced Friday it had dismissed an official in connection with the ongoing findings regarding irregularities in the visa issuance process. It said the official was Jakub Osajda, the director of the ministrys office of legal and compliance management. It also announced an extraordinary audit of its consular department and all consular posts.

That followed the Aug. 31 dismissal of Piotr Wawrzyk, the deputy foreign minister in charge of consular matters, as the first reports of the scandal appeared in the media. Wawrzyk was hospitalized after a suicide attempt, Polish media reported Friday.

The state prosecutors office said Thursday it charged seven people suspected of corrupt activities in accelerating visa procedures, with three of them under temporary arrest.

The prosecutor general, Zbigniew Ziobro, said authorities were working to bring the wrongdoers to justice and insisted the scale of the affair was smaller than what the media and opposition claim, with just 268 visas given out in the scheme.

He said Wawrzyk had written a farewell letter saying he wanted to die because he couldnt bear the hatred against him in the media. He feels like a man hounded by this hate, because he feels like an honest man, Ziobro said.

Wawrzyk had been responsible for preparing a regulation making it easier for foreign workers from countries including Iran, Pakistan and United Arab Emirates to enter Poland.

According to the Onet news portal, Wawrzyk personally insisted that temporary work visas be issued to groups of people from India who posed as crews working for the Indian movie industry, popularly known as Bollywood. Onet said the Indians paid $25,000 to $40,000 for the visas, hoping to use them to reach the U.S. through Mexico. It reported that U.S. officials had alerted Poland to the matter.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a briefing Thursday that he could not confirm the reports, adding, I wouldnt want to speak to private conversations between our two governments.

The governing party fought back with new election videos on social media seeking to link the leading opposition leader, Donald Tusk, to widespread migration to Europe in his past roles. Tusk was the Polish prime minister from 2007 to 2014, and was president of the European Council, an EU body, from 2014 to 2019.

The government also is holding a referendum along with the election with questions on migration. One question asks voters whether they support accepting thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa as part of an EU relocation plan.

Law and Justice ran on a strong anti-migrant message when it won power in 2015, a crisis year for Europe when more than a million refugees and migrants fled from Syria and elsewhere. Party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski said then that migrants brought diseases to Europe, as well as parasites and protozoa  remarks that were heavily criticized.

The party has refused to accept any of the migrants and refugees who have arrived in the EU in past years. It also built a tall steel wall on its border with Belarus to keep migrants out after large numbers began arriving there in 2021.

Ziobro, the prosecutor general who is also justice minister, has recently compared acclaimed director Agnieszka Hollands new film, Green Border, to Nazi propaganda due to its critical depiction of the behavior of Polish security forces at the border with Belarus. Holland has threatened legal action against him.

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Prof. Freeman Danquah, University of Bradford, UK

16.09.2023 LISTEN

Honourable Samuel Atta Akyea, the Member of Parliament representing Akim Abuakwa South Constituency in the Eastern Region, and currently presiding over the Parliamentary Adhoc Committee tasked with investigating a purported anti-IGP audio, has become the focal point of controversy due to his conduct during the inquiry.

During a Committee session convened to scrutinize Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, the Inspector General of Police, Hon. Atta Akyea's comments have raised concerns and drawn public disapproval. His demeanor on September 12, 2023, during the IGP's appearance before the Committee, appeared to strongly question Dr. Dampare's integrity, despite the latter's distinguished service. This has been perceived as an effort to exert pressure on Dr. Dampare to substantiate unverified allegations, leading to calls from a segment of the Ghanaian population for his potential replacement on the Committee.

The clandestine plan aimed to remove the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare from his position is not ambiguous on the minds of discerning Ghanaian.

Dr. George Akuffo Dampare became the fifth individual to provide testimony before the Committee, following the four individuals implicated in the aforementioned audio.

Ghanaians are asking what informed The Committee, originally scheduled to submit its findings and recommendations regarding the investigation to the Parliament of Ghana on September 10, 2023, to postpone proceedings until October 2, 2023.

In light of Honorable Atta Akyea's statements, particularly his inquiry, "do you know the full extent of allegations against you," and other comments suggesting the existence of undisclosed evidence, we find these statements to be prejudicial and indicative of potential personal interests on the part of the Committee Chairman. Given this perception, it is advisable for the committee Chairman to contemplate recusing himself from the proceedings.

The Chairman's recurring remarks consistently hint at personal biases, and his apparent role resembling that of a defense counsel for the aggrieved police officers further reinforces this concern. We urge Honorable Atta Akyea to act in an honorable manner by recusing himself from the proceedings, as his actions have given rise to significant doubts regarding impartiality.

Prof. Freeman Danquah

University of Bradford, UK
Durban, September 15, 2023Cameroonian authorities should immediately lift an indefinite ban against The Post newspaper in the Southwest Region and stop any retaliatory action against the privately owned media outlet and its staff, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday.

On Tuesday, September 12, Southwest regional governor Bernard Okalia Bilai banned The Post until further notice, accusing the outlet of flagrant violation of professional norms, according to a copy of the order reviewed by CPJ and media reports.

The ban followed the publication of a social media post showing a copy of the newspapers Monday front page with a headline, 66% of Cameroonians want a military coup. It was based on a September 9 report in the weekly The Continent and a tweet about a survey of citizens in 36 countries between 2021 and 2022 by Afrobarometer, a pan-African, non-partisan research network based in Ghana. The survey found that while most Africans disapprove of military rule, a slim majority (53%) are willing to endorse military intervention if elected leaders abuse their power, including 66% of respondents in Cameroon, who agreed that it was legitimate for the armed forces to take control of the government when elected leaders abuse power for their own ends.

The Posts senior editors pulled the edition before it could be printed, and a new one without the headline or article was published and distributed, but it was too late to delete the social media post that was uploaded without final approval, according to the newspapers editor-in-chief Bouddih Adams, who spoke to CPJ via messaging app, and a statement on the newspapers Facebook page.

A spate of coups in the region, including most recently in neighboring Gabon, where the Bongo family had ruled for 56 years, has led to speculation and fear among some leaders, including Cameroons president Paul Biya, who has been in power for more than 40 years, that they might be next. On August 30, the day of the Gabon coup, Biya announced a shakeup in the defense ministry and armed forces, giving no reason for the decision.

The governors action against The Post comes less than two months after Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, urged regional governors to closely monitor the activities of media outlets and NGOs operating in Cameroon and warned the media to think twice before publishing or making public pronouncements.

Cameroonian authorities, including Southwest Governor Bernard Okalia Bilal, should immediately lift the sanctions against The Post, especially as the headline and article never made it into print and its senior executives were quick to act and limit any fallout, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator. The fact that The Post is being sanctioned and penalized on three fronts by authorities is not only excessive and disproportionate, but also proves that press freedom remains under threat in Cameroon, especially after Minister Paul Atanga Njis recent warning to the media to toe the line or face the consequences.

The Posts coup-themed front-page headline (the story was inside) caused consternation among Cameroons ruling elite and prompted Joseph Chebongkeng Kalabubse, the president of Cameroons media regulator, the National Communication Council, to rebuke the newspaper on Tuesday, saying it went against the responsibility and professional rules that guide journalism given the countrys socio-political context, according to a media report and a recording of his statement reviewed by CPJ.

The same day, a committee on government funding of private media, under the Ministry of Communications, barred the newspaper from receiving an annual grant because of the headline, according to at least two people with knowledge of the decision who asked not to be named as they are not authorized to comment.

Both actions were taken while newspaper representatives appeared before an NCC inquiry on Wednesday, with the media regulator ruling on the next day that The Post and its publisher, Yerima Kini Nsom, should be suspended for one month each for the headline on social media bearing information likely to disrupt national cohesion and social peace, according to a copy of the decision reviewed by CPJ and a video recording of the NCC press conference.

Also on Thursday, two representatives of the newspaper were questioned by the governors head of security about the source of their information, Nsom told CPJ via messaging app.

Neither Bilal nor Kalabubse replied to CPJs questions via messaging app.

Nsom said he did not believe that the NCC decision would trump the governors decision in the Southwest Region, where the paper is headquartered. It is a grotesque situation wherein many cooks are involved in the cooking of one pot of soup. The governor is using an obnoxious law on the maintenance of public order, which is virtually a blank cheque for him to abuse office and infringe on freedoms, especially press freedom, Nsom said, adding that the publication and staff remained vulnerable to further harassment and possibly even arrest.

Afrobarometers director of analysis Carolyn Logan told CPJ via email that its national partner in Cameroon had been questioned by the regional governor and media authorities. But they have jointly reviewed the information that was released on the Afrobarometer website, and as of now there have been no consequences for our partner or Afrobarometer, she said, adding that the headline in question did not accurately reflect the findings released by Afrobarometer.
French supermarket chain Carrefour has slapped price warnings on goods from Lindt chocolates to Lipton Ice Tea to pressure top suppliers to limit so-called "shrinkflation"  reducing the size of products while maintaining or increasing their price.

Since Monday, Carrefour has marked 26 products in its stores in France with labels reading: "This product has seen its volume or weight fall and the effective price by the supplier rise."

For example, Carrefour said a bottle of sugar-free peach-flavoured Lipton Ice Tea, produced by PepsiCo, shrank to 1.25 litres from 1.5 litres, resulting in a 40 percent effective increase in the price per litre.

Guigoz infant formula produced by Nestle went from 900 grams to 830 grams, while a Viennetta ice-cream cake, produced by Unilever, shrank to 320 grams from 350 grams previously.

Lindt and PepsiCo did not respond to a request for comment. Nestle and Unilever declined to comment.

Pressure on manufacturers

Carrefour's price warnings come ahead of contract negotiations with suppliers that are due to start soon and conclude by mid-October.

"Obviously, the aim in stigmatising these products is to be able to tell manufacturers to rethink their pricing policy," Stefen Bompais, director of client communications at Carrefour, said in an interview with Reuters news agency.

Carrefour CEO Alexandre Bompard, who also heads a retail industry lobby group, has repeatedly said consumer goods companies are not cooperating in efforts to cut the price of thousands of staples despite a fall in the cost of raw materials.

In this he is being backed by French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, who in June summoned 75 big retailers and consumer groups to his ministry to urge them to cut prices.

After a new round of meetings last month, Le Maire said Unilever, Nestle and PepsiCo were among companies not toeing the line on prices.

Widespread practice

Consumer groups say "shrinkflation" is a widespread practice, which supermarkets like Carrefour are also guilty of in their own-label products.

France, like other European countries, has been trying for months to ease consumer pain in the face of a surge in the cost of living, strong-arming big business to freeze or cut food and transport prices  with mixed results so far.

But Carrefour's move to name and shame suppliers marks an escalation in the war of words between retailers and big multinationals.

The shrinkflation warnings are in all French Carrefour stores, and will last until the targeted suppliers agree to price cuts, Bompais said.

The retailer could extend the warnings to other goods, but does not plan to extend the initiative to other countries.

Last month, Le Maire said consumer goods companies and retailers had agreed to bring forward annual price negotiations, which would normally have taken place next year, to September. The talks will result in price cuts from January, he said.

(with Reuters)
Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo Markin has donated various sound equipment to several churches in his constituency.

The equipment are mixers, speakers and microphones.

Images shared on the MP's Facebook page showed the equipment being handed over to representatives of the beneficiary churches.

The MP's generosity was welcomed by the church leaders who received the equipment on behalf of their congregations who are seen smiling.

This is not the first time the lawmaker has donated items to benefit residents of Effutu this year.

Recently, he provided 30 desktop computers to the Municipal Librarian and about 30 HP laptops for newly posted teachers.
16.09.2023 LISTEN

Senior lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, Prof. Ransford Gyampo has expressed displeasure about how Abuakwa Member of Parliament (MP) Samuel Atta Akyea is chairing the Committee set up by Parliament to probe the leaked audio tape plotting to remove the Inspector General of Police.

According to him, Atta Akyea has been annoying and a nuisance in his chairing of the committees proceedings.

In a statement shared on Facebook, Prof. Ransford Gyampo said if Atta Akyea does not have any personal interest then he should recuse himself and allow the committee to proceed with the probe into the leaked tape without him.

It is not by force to chair this committee, especially when your work output is more of a disservice. If you dont have any personal interest in this matter, then recuse yourself or get replaced by the Speaker, as your role is more of a nuisance, and annoying, particularly when you think we are unable to read in between the lines. Just recuse yourself, it is not by force, Prof. Ransford Gyampo said.

In the last few weeks, Samuel Atta Akyea and the Parliamentary Committee he chairs have engaged the persons heard on the leaked audio tape plotting the downfall of IGP Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.

Following various allegations against the IGP, he appeared before the committee to tell his side of the story.

When he appeared before the committee, he refuted allegations of mismanaging the Police Service and assured the public that his administration is focused on transforming the security service.
Five illegal miners who were caught mining in the Ankobra River without authority have been sentenced to a total of 125 years imprisonment in hard labour.

Richard Kumasi, Fiamahe Jerry John, Korblavi Kumasi, Daniel Afenu, and Matthew Gedie, pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit crime and undertaking small scale mining without authority.

Mrs Hathia Ama Manu, the presiding judge, after trial, found all five persons guilty of the charges leveled against them.

On count one, the court sentenced each one of them to five years imprisonment, while on count two, each was fined GH120,000 or in default five years imprisonment plus 20 years in hard labour. The sentences are to run concurrently.

The Assistant State Attorney of the Western Region, Mr Kingsley Agyekum, prosecuting, said Nana Yaw Baako, the Assemblymember of Himan Electoral Area, is the complainant, while the accused persons were illegal miners, resident at Ankobra in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality.

On August 17, 2021, at about 1500 hours, the complainant and five opinion leaders had information that the accused persons were prospecting for gold with a dredge machine, popularly known as Boat in the Ankobra River.

Based on the tip-off, they proceeded to a village called Kpoviadzi in the Prestea Huni-Valley Municipality, where they met the five persons working.

Mr Agyekum said they were all apprehended and handed over to the police at Prestea to assist in investigations, while the dredge machine was set ablaze.

The five persons, before the trial, were admitted to bail as prayed by their counsel, Mr Augustine Arvoh-Mensah.

GNA
Senior Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, Prof. Ransford Gyampo wants Abuakwa South Member of Parliament (MP) Samuel Atta Akyea to resign from his role as Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee probing the plot against Inspector General of Police Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.

Among some of his reasons is that Samuel Atta Akyea has not been partial as chairman of the committee.

In a post on Facebook, Prof. Ransford Gyampo said the Chairman of the Committee looks more like a defence counsel for the bitter police officers caught on tape plotting to have the IGP removed to help the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to win the 2024 General Election.

According to him, the posture of the chairman makes it clear that he has personal biases against Dr. George Akuffo Dampare.

You arent smarter than Ghanaians. We can glean your partiality. Your body language, line of questioning, and recurring remarks consistently hint at personal biases against the IGP.

You dont look like a credible chairman of any important committee. Rather, you look more like a defence counsel for the bitter police officers whose quest to be made IGPs so they can subvert the will of the people has been exposed, Prof. Ransford Gyampo said.

In the last few weeks, Samuel Atta Akyea and the members of the Parliamentary Committee probing the leaked audio tape have engaged all the persons involved.

The Committee started with an invitation to Chief Bugri Naabu before questioning the three officers involved; COP George Alex Mensah, Superintendent Emmanuel Eric Gyebi, and Superintendent George Asare.

Last Tuesday, IGP George Akuffo Dampare was dragged before the Committee to address many allegations made against him.

After his appearance, many Ghanaians including Prof. Ransford Gyampo praised him and admonished him to continue his good works.
A week after a wall of water rushed through the Libyan coastal city of Derna, sweeping thousands to their deaths, the focus turned Sunday to caring for survivors of the disaster.

Estimates of the number of lives lost vary widely.

The most recent official death toll, from the health minister of the eastern-based administration, Othman Abdeljalil, is that 3,166 people were killed.

But according to a United Nations report released on Sunday, the toll from Derna alone has risen to 11,300.

Citing the Libyan Red Crescent, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs added that another 10,100 people were still missing in the devastated city.

"These figures are expected to rise in the coming days and weeks as search-and-rescue crews work tirelessly to find survivors," the OCHA report said.

Aid is now arriving in the North African country as the world mobilises to help emergency services cope with the aftermath of the deadly flood.

At least 40,000 people have been displaced across northeastern Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration, which cautioned the actual number is likely higher given the difficulty accessing the worst-affected areas.

Two dams upstream from Derna burst a week ago under the pressure of torrential rains from the hurricane-strength Storm Daniel.

The dams had been built to protect the port city of 100,000 people after it was hit by significant flooding in the mid-20th century.

Map showing buildings and roads destroyed or damaged in the Libyan city of Derna after a flash flood, according to satellite data from Copernicus.. By ClAa PACULIER, Sophie RAMIS (AFP)

The banks of a dried riverbed or wadi running through the city centre had been heavily built on, and last week's torrent swept everything before it as it rushed towards the Mediterranean.

A week on, bodies are still being found.

A rescue crew from Malta's Civil Protection Department discovered a beach strewn with dead bodies on Friday, the Times of Malta newspaper reported.

International aid is arriving from the United Nations, Europe and the Middle East, offering some relief to the thousands of survivors.

The aid includes essential medicines and emergency surgical supplies, as well as body bags to allow corpses to be moved.

Tents, blankets, carpets, hygiene kits and food have been flown in, along with heavy machinery to help clear the debris.

Questions being asked

The devastating flooding brought by Storm Daniel was exacerbated by poor infrastructure in Libya, which was plunged into turmoil after a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

Questions are being asked as to why the disaster was not prevented, when cracks in the dams have been known about since 1998.

Prosecutor general Al-Seddik Al-Sour has announced an investigation into the circumstances leading to the collapse.

A car buried in post-flood rubble and debris in Al-Bayda in eastern Libya. By - (AFP)

Like much of Libya's crumbling infrastructure, the two dams that had been built to hold back water from Derna fell into disrepair during years of neglect, conflict and division in chaos-ridden Libya.

The country is currently ruled by two rival administrations that have battled for power since Kadhafi's ousting.

With tens of thousands of people displaced, aid organisations have warned of the risks posed by leftover landmines and other unexploded ordnance, some of which the UN said has been shifted by floodwaters into areas previously declared clear.

The risks of water-borne diseases such as cholera are also high, according to aid groups.

Outside Derna, the flooding took an additional 170 lives, the UN's report said.

The National Centre for Disease Control reported that at least 55 children were poisoned as a result of drinking polluted water in Derna.

To assist the hundreds of thousands of people in need, the UN has launched an appeal for more than $71 million.

"We don't know the extent of the problem," UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said on Friday, as he called for coordination between Libya's two rival administrations -- the UN-backed, internationally recognised government in Tripoli, and one based in the disaster-hit east.

The scale of the devastation has prompted shows of solidarity, as volunteers in Tripoli gathered aid for the flood victims.

Survivors in Derna are glad to be alive, even as they mourn the loss of loved ones.

"In this city, every single family has been affected," said Derna resident Mohammad al-Dawali.

Seir Mohammed Seir, a member of the security forces, spoke of a three-month-old girl who lived through the tragedy in Derna.

"Her entire family died, she was the only one who survived."
iShares National AMT-Free Muni Bond ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the investment-grade segment of the United States municipal bond market. The Fund invests in a representative sample of the 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 Funds investment advisor is BlackRock Fund Advisors (formerly known as Barclays Global Fund Advisors).
This Friday is the International Day of Democracy. Five women who occupy powerful positions in politics and justice in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico tell us about how to protect these achievements, as well as the challenges they continue to face as women. We asked them all the same questions about the crisis of democracy and how a better version can be built.

How would you define the state of democracy in your country, and what is the main challenge that women face?

Norma Pina, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Justice of Mexico. Democracy and equality are experienced day by day, and women face specific challenges in that regard. When we think about patriarchy, we can see similarities with the attacks on democracy that our region is facing: both have been able to adapt to social changes in order to preserve power in the hands of the few. Unfortunately, inequality has been perpetuated in our daily lives, and it isnt questioned much.

[We live in a] State where women continue to live in fear, facing daily violence that puts their lives at risk or [kills] them; where [gender] roles and stereotypes render invisible their fundamental participation in daily life, such as carework, without which society would not exist and which is primarily carried out by women. [That work] continues to fall to them. The playing field is not level for women, as each step and gain [that moves us] toward equality costs us disproportionately and unnecessarily. Such a State cannot represent itself as democratic or believe that it is democratic.

In this sense, the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice has ruled that, in order to guarantee effective access to justice for women, girls and adolescents, it must always be judged from a gender perspective, that is, based on a recognition of the differentiated impacts that a woman may be experiencing in each case because of the fact that she is a woman. Justice without a gender perspective cannot be called justice. When inequality and gender-based violence persist, democracy cannot be called democracy. Violence against women and gender-based inequality are the opposite of a democratic state governed by the rule of law. Its that simple.

Chief Justice of Mexicos Supreme Court of Justice Norma Pina in November 2022. Nayeli Cruz

Carolina Giraldo, congresswoman from Colombia and president of the Womens Equality Commission. We must build a more egalitarian democracy. More women means more democracy, because we emphasize an agenda of opportunities, public health, environmental care, non-discrimination. Although the number of women and diverse people in politics has increased, we still see a significant gap in decision-making positions, [which are] traditionally led by men. A more equitable democracy would allow for social transformation and changes in public policy.

Once we reach those spaces, its crucial that participation is substantive and not a simulation in which our voices continue to be ignored. That implies confronting one of the strongestand falsestroots of the patriarchal system: [the notion] that menand only certain types of menare the only ones who can make decisions and occupy public space.

For women, the challenge of gender-based violence persists. The femicide and sexual violence numbers are alarming. Another challenge for women and LGBTIQ+ people, particularly for those who participate in politics, is to stop being considered [part of] a gender quota and [instead] demand the development of strategies that promote political participation and the inclusion of women and LGBTIQ+ people in public life. In Colombia there is a 30% gender quota in public corporations. The country has progressed toward parity in spaces such as boards of directors, but parity has still not been achieved in building [the leadership] of public corporations.

Carolina Giraldo. Cortesia

Patricia Mercado,a Movimiento Ciudadano [Citizen Movement] senator in Mexico and a 2006 presidential candidate. The greatest challenge facing Latin American democracies is the profound inequality. Certain leaders take advantage of the disenchantment of millions of people to attack and dismantle democratic institutions. That is why we should prioritize building welfare states that guarantee the promised equality of opportunities.

Democracy has not been consolidated in Mexico. Divided governments have been a positive experience for creating agreements amid differences. For example, over the past 27 years, at least political-electoral reforms have been adopted by general consensus. At present, there is a pause in this process of democratic consolidation, amid an abundance of actions against the division of powers, against autonomous bodies and against the separation between public office and party politics.

Patricia Mercado on June 13, 2022, in Toluca, Mexico. Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar (Cuartoscuro)

Erika Hilton, Brazilian trans legislator. She is one of the first two in her countrys history. In the past four years, Brazil has undergone a challenging major democratic crisis, with numerous attempts to break with the democratic rule of law, particularly the coup attempt on January 8, 2023.

With the election of President Lula [da Silva], we have now managed to stop the process of democratic deterioration that was underway under Jair Bolsonaro, but theres a long way to go to change course after so many attacks and so much anti-democratic ideological propaganda.

For social minority [groups], such as women, LGBTQI+, blacks, indigenous people, the fight is even more arduous, since these populations never had full democracy [in the first place], [theyve been] victims of violence, prejudice and a lack of public policies. Concretely, I believe that our challenges are breaking this historical cycle of compulsory marginalization, the lack of basic rights and achieving the [full] realization of our citizenship. Increasing our political representation is fundamental, but grassroots organization will be the key to fighting in defense of our rights in the public sphere.

Silvia Lospennato, a Juntos por el Cambio [Together for Change] bloc representative in Argentinas national congress. In Argentina, in the coming months, well be celebrating 40 years of democracy, a long period of political stability and unrestricted respect for human rights. This political stability has not been accompanied by the same level of economic stability, because in the past 40 years we have undergone major economic crises, and their social consequences have deteriorated the quality of life of millions of Argentines. However, even in the most dire moments, democratic institutions were central to addressing the crises within the framework of the National Constitution.

During that time, there have also been enormous advances in recognizing the rights of women and diverse groups, which are the result of this democratic pact. Many of these rights were guaranteed through laws that not only had a broad consensus at the time they were enacted, but they were also accompanied by public policies to ensure access to these rights. At present, the economic and social crisis that Argentina is experiencing has increased [peoples] levels of dissatisfaction with democracy. That [sentiment] is reflected in polls, especially among young people, and of course that is a cause for concern. However, I am optimistic about the resilience of our democratic commitment, [its ability] to persist and defend all the rights that have been gained over the years.

What must be done to improve the representation and participation of women and LGBTIQ+ people in spaces of power?

Norma Pina. One of the most representative achievements of the movement of women and LGBTIQ+ people is occupying positions of power. Its been a long road, but the general results have been good. In Mexico, parity has been building since 1997, and it wasnt until 2019 that we achieved so-called parity in everything at the constitutional levelUntil the 2021 elections, political parties had to guarantee the candidacies of LGBTIQ+ people, among other groups that have historically been discriminated against, such as indigenous people, Afro-descendants and people with disabilities.

However, social reality has not yet caught up with the law. Although there are more and more women and LGBTIQ+ people in positions of power, progress has been slow; to become a reality, it requires a lot of political will, citizen action and awareness. We can see parity in Congress and even in important spaces occupied by women, such as the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairsbut were still far from doing that across the board in all spaces.

Look at the case of Mexicos own Supreme Court. In its almost 200 years existence, only 14 women have been officials, and the countrys highest court didnt have its first female chief justice until 2023. Of course, that didnt happen suddenly. I was a judge and then a magistrate. And in 2015, almost 20 years after starting my judicial career, I was chosen as a justice for the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, from a shortlist that was intentionally composed exclusively of women. Today, we have the most women on the Court in its history: 4 of its 11 members. But we still have a long way to go to achieve parity.

Carolina Giraldo. In the case of diverse people, the legislative elections of March 2022 represented a crucial milestone in the history of LGBTI+ peoples political participation in Colombia. Currently, there are seven openly diverse members of the Congress of the Republic. This is a historic fact in a country where discrimination still exists and takes lives, and in an institution where debates about the LGBTI+ populations rights have traditionally been avoided.

We need the education system to respond to the demands of gender parity. Although gender quotas have been a strategy for increasing womens representation in politics, they are not enough on their own. States must create spaces for discussion and the recognition of diversity in order to eliminate practices that create discrimination and prevent women and diverse people from accessing positions of influence.

Political parties and the State must promote far more schools for womens political participation and training, as well as guarantee that political campaigns are financed with an eye to gender equity.

Patricia Mercado. Although we have managed to institute parity, which aims for equal participation between women and men, discrimination persists. The rules for promotion and advancement within [the political] parties are clear. Often, women who enter politics do not have the contact networks and alliances that men do, and they also face situations of gender-based violence that impede their political development.

[We must] establish that the State is responsible for caring for dependents. Until that happens, we will not achieve equal and equitable levels of inclusion in the labor [market] and political participation. For LGBTIQ+ people, there have been advances in the electoral institutes guidelines for affirmative action in candidacies. That must continue and be codified in law.

Erika Hilton. [There] are several factors, but a good start [would be] for political parties to really invest in these candidacies with financial, legal [and] political support, visibility, and not just using women, black, indigenous and LGBTQI+ people as token representatives to give the illusion of diversity, where political power is still concentrated in the hands of rich white men, [who are] the heirs of decades of political dominance around the world.

Erika Hilton in November 2020. Lela Beltro

Silvia Lospennato. We have guaranteed formal rights and, for women, a parity law that ensures equal participation in elected public positions and within political parties. We also have political party financing quotas that must be applied to women. However, the increase in womens participation in parliamentary positions does not correlate with executive positions; women governors and mayors largely continue to be an exception.

The same is true of other areas of power, such as access to public companies boards of directors and senior positions in the judiciary. In fact, in Argentina our Supreme Court of Justice doesnt have any women at all. This shows that quota systems continue to be a necessary tool, at least in the short term, in order to guarantee womens participation in decision-making spaces. But power is not only exercised in the public sphere; we must also continue to fight to break glass ceilings in the labor market with public policies; [there must also be a] cultural change in the private sector to follow that path in womens careers. In Argentina, we need a comprehensive care system that allows for reconciling family life with work, and [we have] to modify the leave system to promote co-responsibility in care, among many other steps that are essential for not only formal but substantive equality of rights.

Silvia Lospennato, a representative in the Argentine national congress. Cortesia

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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.
Lockheed Martin Corporation was formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta. The company is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, and is the No. 1 U.S. defense contractor by revenue and market cap. It is the worlds third-largest aerospace company, with 75% of its business in the defense market. Ten percent of Pentagon spending goes to Lockheed Martin, and 50% of its annual revenue comes from the Department of Defense. In 2020, it was the No. 1 recipient of Pentagon spending, at $72.9 billion, more than three times the money spent on the No. 2 U.S. defense player and more than all spent on the second through fourth positions.

Lockheed Martin Corporations roots date back to the Loughead (pronounced Lockheed) Aircraft Manufacturing Company, founded by the Loughead brothers in 1912. By 1920, the first venture had gone bankrupt due to a decline in post-WWI demand, but it restarted in 1926. Investors, including John Northrop of Northrop Grumman Corporation, raised the money to start the Lockheed Aircraft Manufacturing Company. They used technology developed from 1912 to 1920 to produce the Vega, a cutting-edge passenger plane that could seat up to seven passengers.

By 1928, the company made about five planes a week and brought in more than $1 million per year. The Depression cut the bottom out of the aircraft market, and the company fell on hard times. By this point, the founders were out of the business and failed to make a bid to repurchase the company when it fell into receivership. Among the many early successes were the Vega and the Model 10 Electra, both flown by Amelia Earhart, the latter to her end.

The new Lockheed Aircraft Corporation expanded its aircraft lines into World War II, including plans for potential defense aircraft. This planning had the company in an excellent position to win defense contracts when the U.S. entered World War II and helped launch it to its current status. It was also when the company launched the advanced development projects, which came to be called Skunk Works. Skunk Works is responsible for many advances in military technology, including the first kill recorded in jet-to-jet combat. Cold War advances include the C-130, the Polaris Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile System and the iconic SR-71 Blackbird.

Martin Marietta was formed in 1961 by the merger of Glenn L. Martin Company and American Marietta Corporation. The company was an aerospace-focused manufacturer specializing in missiles and missile systems. Projects accredited to it include the Titan and Pershing Missile Systems and the MGM-51 Shillelagh Anti-Tank Guided Missile System.

Today, Lockheed Martin Corporation operates as a security and aerospace company worldwide. It researches, designs, develops and manufactures defense and security systems for government and private use. The company operates in four segments: aeronautics, missiles and fire control, rotary and mission systems and space. The companys other projects include health, renewable energy, energy distribution and nuclear fusion research and development.
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By using the James Webb Space Telescope, an international team has just detected the presence of carbon dioxide and methane on the exoplanet K2-18 b. This world  which is 120 light years from us  is unlike anything in our solar system. It has greater mass than Earth, but less than Neptune.

These types of planets potentially have hydrogen-rich atmospheres and surface areas covered in oceans of water. Thats why theyve also been called hycean (an acronym for hydrogen and ocean). However, since we have nothing similar nearby to compare to these exoplanets, we dont know them well enough.

The atmospheres of the hycean planets are relatively simple to characterize. But, still, we have to use the infrared James Webb Telescope that is one million miles from the earth  complemented with data obtained from the Hubble Telescope and various ground-based telescopes , and even then were not sure whether these exoplanets can harbor life. While deciphering the mysteries of the universe is fascinating, nobody said that it was easy.

The abundance of methane and carbon dioxide and the scarcity of ammonia  all detected in K2-18b (which is eight times larger than Earth)  support the hypothesis that it may contain an ocean of water under a hydrogen-rich atmosphere. These observations  which are currently being clarified with more data  also speak of a possible signal from a molecule called dimethyl sulphide (DMS). The signal would have to be confirmed, but on Earth, this molecule is only produced by marine phytoplankton. Scientists urge caution before discussing signs of life.

Both the origin and the evolution of life on our planet are written in the simple carbon atom. It could be said that this chemical element is the basis of the building material that makes up our bodies. But not only that: carbon controls global climate cycles, something that our energy dependence on fossil fuels is altering. Furthermore, its a fundamental component of the materials in what our daily technological life is increasingly based on.

Oftentimes, in astrophysics, when we talk about the discovery of new exoplanets, we mention the habitable zone. We define this as a region with a simple characteristic: the possibility of liquid water existing on the surface of the planet. This simple parameter that is related to the distance to the star helps us evaluate the possibility of the existence of extraterrestrial life. This is because of a complex but very revealing observation: on our planet, life needs liquid water, and it is the only place where it has been shown to exist.

Spectrum of the atmosphere of the planet K2-18 b, according to data gathered via the James Webb Space Telescope NASA, CSA, ESA, J. Olmstead (STScI), N. Madhusudhan (Cambridge University)

Those who know a little more about astrobiology can always argue that this is a very simplistic definition and that its not enough to define a habitable zone. This is true. However, as we move away from the Earth, we lose information. Therefore, we have to simplify the parameters that we use to determine the possibility of life. Of course, new telescopes  such as the James Webb  help us not only refine the models, but also make measurements that, just a few years ago, we thought were impossible.

The temperature of the Earths surface  one of the most important physical variables in what we broadly call climate  is controlled by a series of factors closely linked to each other: solar insolation, albedo and the content of greenhouse gases. What we call solar insolation is what tourists from cold countries learn when they visit the coasts of a sunny nation: simply, the amount of energy that the planet receives from the Sun. It basically depends on changes in luminosity (energy per second over the entire range of wavelengths) emitted by the star and the distance at which the planet is located.

Albedo is simply the part of that energy from the Sun or star that a planet  as a whole  reflects back into space. Its easy to see how albedo is influenced by clouds, ice layers, vegetation, the amount of land versus ocean on the planet and aerosols (that set of microscopic particles, solid or liquid, that are found suspended in a gas). And all of this, furthermore, varies on different time scales. Hence, climate models are very complex.

The part of the Suns energy that isnt directly reflected by the albedo and returned to space is absorbed by the Earths surface and radiated again, in the form of infrared energy. And this is where greenhouse gases come into play. They absorb that infrared radiation, with the overall effect of warming the atmosphere. Thus, if greenhouse gases fall below a certain limit, liquid water could freeze throughout the planet (these gases arent bad, in moderation).

On the other hand, if that threshold is exceeded, most of the water turns into vapor, which must have happened to Venus. For most of our planets geological history, the dominant greenhouse gas has been carbon dioxide. It has been demonstrated  with experimental measurements  that its concentration is regulated by a kind of internal thermostat, which has allowed the existence of a moderate climate for more than a billion years. Its also firmly demonstrated that all this is in the process of changing on Earth in the coming years, due to the human injection of this gas into the atmosphere, coming mainly from the burning of fossil fuels.

Stating, therefore, that a planet is habitable without having measurements of its atmospheric composition is a gross simplification in astrophysics and we know it. For this reason, all planetary characterization efforts are focused on the detection of the molecules that dominate atmospheric chemistry, such as carbon dioxide, methane, ozone and water. This is also the reason why we need to know precisely how much energy the star emits in the entire range  not just in the visible range. And thats why were afraid of losing the Hubble Telescope, because at the moment, its the only working instrument that allows us to measure the energy of stars in the ultraviolet range.

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Iranians protest 22-year-old Mahsa Amini's death after she was detained by the morality police, in Tehran, Sept. 20, 2022.

President Joe Biden announced new U.S. sanctions Friday on some of Irans most egregious human rights abusers as he marked the anniversary of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died while being held by the countrys morality police.

Amini had been detained for allegedly wearing her hijab too loosely in violation of laws that require women in public to wear the Islamic headscarf. She died three days later in police custody.

Her death set off protests in dozens of cities across the country of 80 million people, with young women marching in the streets and publicly exposing and cutting off their hair. The government responded with a fierce crackdown, blaming the protests on foreign interference.

Amini remains a potent symbol in protests that have posed one of the most serious challenges to the Islamic Republic since the 2009 Green Movement protests drew millions to the streets.

Biden said Friday that the U.S. reaffirms its commitment to the courageous people of Iran who are carrying on her mission.

They are inspiring the world with their resilience and resolve. And together with our allies and partners, we stand with them, he said.

Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control on Friday listed 29 people and organizations in connection with Aminis death, including members of the governments security forces and the head of Irans Prisons Organization. It also sanctioned the semiofficial Fars and Tasnim news agencies, believed to be close to the countrys paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, and state televisions English-language arm Press TV.

The Iranian semi-official ISNA news agency reported that the countrys foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian dismissed the sanctions as a joke. The sanctions that the Americans are imposing against Iran these days are more like a joke; Sometimes we see that the names of some people who died a few years ago are mentioned in these lists, Amirabdollahian said.

Tasnim, reporting on the sanctions, called them repetitive actions (that) are not considered a new issue for the bodies that protect the countrys security.

In addition, the State Department imposed visa restrictions on 13 Iranian officials and others for their involvement in killing or detaining peaceful protesters or censoring them via a country-wide internet shutdown in Iran.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. would designate 25 Iranian people, three state-backed media outlets, and an internet research firm in connection with the Iranian regimes suppression of nationwide protests. Taken in coordination with the U.K., Canada, Australia, and other nations, this is the United States 13th round of sanctions designations in response to Irans crackdown on protests.

We will continue to take appropriate action, alongside our international partners, to hold accountable those who suppress Iranians exercise of human rights, Blinken said.

In Brussels, the European Union announced that it had slapped asset freezes and travel bans on four officials, including a senior member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, to mark the anniversary.

The 27-nation bloc also imposed asset freezes on four prisons and the Tasnim news agency. EU citizens are banned from providing funds or economic resources to the prisons and people listed.

The European Union expresses its support for the fundamental aspiration of the people of Iran for a future where their universal human rights and fundamental freedoms are respected, protected, and fulfilled, a statement said.

Iranian authorities said Amini had a heart attack. Her family has disputed that.

The U.S. has already sanctioned over 70 Iranian people and entities responsible for supporting the regimes oppression of its people, Biden said.

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United States President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers and the Big 3 auto companies in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 15 September 2023.

President Joe Biden on Friday dispatched two of his top aides to Detroit to help resolve the strike by unionized autoworkers, expressing sympathy for the union by suggesting that the Big 3 automakers should share their record profits.

No one wants to strike, the Democratic president said in brief remarks at the White House. But I respect workers right to use their options under the collective bargaining system and I understand the workers frustration.

The United Auto Workers announced a targeted strike at three factories after talks broke down with General Motors, Ford and Stellantis. Biden said he is sending acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and senior aide Gene Sperling to Detroit to help reach a win-win contract for the companies and their employees.

Biden said he called during the first day of negotiations and encouraged both sides to stay at the table as long as possible.

The companies have made some significant offers, Biden said. But I believe they should go further to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts for the UAW.

Members of the United Auto Workers union began picketing at a General Motors assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri; a Ford factory in Wayne, Michigan, near Detroit; and a Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio. It is the first time in the unions 88-year history that all three companies were targeted simultaneously.

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Donald Trump is dominating the early stages of the Republican presidential primary even as hes refused to endorse a federal ban on abortion, allowing some top rivals to get to the right of him on an issue that animates many conservative activists.

Aiming to return to the White House, the former president often notes how his presidency advanced the cause of abortion opponents. He appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade, abolishing the federally guaranteed right to the procedure and fulfilling the decades-long aspirations of anti-abortion activists.

But Trump has so far declined to go along with some of his rivals, most notably his onetime vice president, Mike Pence, who is pushing for national bans that would take effect relatively early into a pregnancy. Hes also warned Republicans against locking themselves into positions that are unpopular with a majority of the public, and has argued that the Supreme Courts decision gives abortion opponents the right to negotiate restrictions where they live rather than rely on federal curbs.

That tension underscores the new reality the GOP finds itself in more than a year into the post-Roe era. While top Republicans were long able to simply declare themselves opposed to abortion, they must now contend with more complicated questions  including when access should be banned and whether uniform standards might apply across the U.S., even in states where support for abortion rights runs deep.

Theres a wide variety of opinion. Should there be a national ban? At how many weeks? Should it be entirely left to the states? said Steve Scheffler, president of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition and a Republican National Committee member. Some people get it wrong when they think this constituency is in lockstep.

The dynamic will be on fresh display in the coming days, at events dominated by social conservatives. Trump is joining a crowded slate of candidates speaking Friday in Washington at an event for the Family Research Council, and is headlining the Concerned Women for Americas Leadership Summit dinner. But hes skipping Schefflers Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition banquet on Saturday in Des Moines, where Pence will be among the candidates that will address evangelical Christians, long an influential bloc in the first-in-the-nation caucus.

Polling suggests about two-thirds of Americans believe abortion should generally be legal, and Trump has said in recent years that he supports exceptions to abortion bans when a pregnancy was caused by rape or incest or threatens the life of the mother.

Its probably cost us politically because the other side got energized, he told a rally in South Dakota last week of the Supreme Court ruling, while noting that it moves the issue back to the states, where every legal scholar said it should be.

Indeed, in the aftermath of the high courts abortion decision, Democrats mounted a strong performance in last years midterms, limiting their House losses and maintaining the Senate majority. Voters in Republican-leaning states from Kansas to Ohio have also rejected GOP-backed efforts to curb abortion.

Once a self-described very pro-choice New York businessman, Trump had to do more than most major GOP candidates to win over initially skeptical evangelical Christians during his 2016 presidential run. A political committee supporting one of his rivals ran an ad with footage from a 1999 interview in which he declared, I am pro-choice in every respect.

Attempting to bolster his anti-abortion credentials, Trump released a list of potential nominees to the Supreme Court who could be counted on to overturn Roe v. Wade long before actually winning the White House.

Trump now calls himself the most pro-life president in U.S. history, pointing to his Supreme Court picks and other actions long sought by the anti-abortion movement.

Ironically, Democrats are promoting the same branding. President Joe Biden is making abortion rights central to his reelection campaign and attacks on the former presidents Make America Great Again movement.

Led by Donald Trump, whos done more to pave the way for abortion bans than anyone in history, MAGA Republicans are poised to again be rejected by the American people who want women to have the freedom to make their own health care decisions, said Ammar Moussa, a spokesman for Bidens reelection campaign, in a statement.

Ahead of last years midterm election, meanwhile, Trump warned candidates, including his endorsed choice for Michigan governor, Tudor Dixon, to talk differently about abortion. He urged Dixon to explicitly allow for exceptions in cases of rape, incest and when the life of the mother is at risk, but she nonetheless lost handily to Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Mike DeMastus is an evangelical Christian in Des Moines who was part of a private meeting this summer between Trump and a group of pastors and asked Trump about abortion.

His response to me was, Ive given you leverage now to make a better deal, recalled DeMastus, who supports some form of a federal ban but isnt ruling out backing Trump even if he doesnt.

Many in the Republican primary field have taken a harder line.

Pence, whom Trump picked as his No. 2 in part because of his credibility with social conservatives, has declared that every Republican running for president should endorse, at a minimum, a federal abortion ban 15 weeks into pregnancy.

South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, also making a push to appeal to Iowa evangelical voters, concurs with Pence. He recently criticized fellow South Carolinian Nikki Haley, who says Republicans should look for bipartisan consensus on abortion since stricter federal bans wont clear Congress.

But entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy opposes national bans in favor of state restrictions, and other major candidates have been noncommittal. That includes Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who often answers questions about a federal ban by saying his state recently passed a ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.

Trump maintains that even some anti-abortion activists believe the six-week ban  before many women even know theyre pregnant  is too harsh.

The countrys leading anti-abortion group, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, wants GOP presidential candidates to advocate for a 15-week federal ban. Its president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, said anything less is unacceptable to the pro-life movement.

Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung noted that Dannenfelsers group has praised Trumps presidency as the most consequential in American history for the pro-life cause. Other activists arent as firm, however.

Kim Lehman, the former president of Iowa Right to Life and also an RNC member, says the issue should be left to the states.

We need someone who is going to stand up for life and not just be a mouthpiece, said Lehman, who has not endorsed a GOP primary candidate. But I believe our people are best served when this decision is made from the ground up.

Democrats have unified around calls to protect abortion rights, seeing it as an issue of strength in 2024. Mini Timmaraju, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said Republicans are trying to seem softer on abortion in an attempt to head off more losses.

They know that, if theyre clear about their motivations and their positions, theyll lose. And so theyre trying to confuse the public, Timmaraju said. The challenge is, theyve run for so long as a party embedded and intertwined with the radical, extremist anti-abortion movement that its almost impossible to disentangle themselves now.

Marlys Popma, a longtime GOP strategist for statewide and presidential candidates in Iowa, is among those suggesting her party embrace nuance. She described herself as an incrementalist but acknowledged, Certain people in the movement dont like incrementalism and think we have to have it all.

And if you want anything different than that, she added, then you are wrong and a bad pro-lifer.

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Right to left, attorney Cameron Atkinson, Bernalillo County resident Dennis Smith and attorney Jeremy Gay mark a first victory in their case against New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham after walking out of the U.S. District Courthouse in Albuquerque, N.M., on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday narrowed an order that broadly suspended the right to carry firearms in and around Albuquerque to apply only to public parks and playgrounds where children and their families gather.

The governors announcement Friday came days after a federal judge blocked part of the order with criticism mounting over the Democratic governors action and legal challenges by gun-rights advocates.

U.S. District Judge David Urias said Wednesday the order was unconstitutional and granted a temporary restraining order to block the suspension of gun rights until another hearing is held in early October.

Earlier in the week, scores of demonstrators defiantly wore holstered handguns on their hips or carried rifles during a rally by gun-rights advocates.

The second-term governor imposed the emergency public health order Sept. 8 that suspended the right to openly carry or conceal guns in public places based on a statistical threshold for violent crime in Albuquerque and the surrounding area. She cited recent shootings around the state that left children dead, saying something needed to be done.

Republican lawmakers threatened impeachment proceedings and even some influential Democrats and civil rights leaders warned that the move could do more harm than good to overall efforts to ease gun violence.

State Attorney General Raul Torrez announced he could not defend the 30-day prohibition against carrying firearms in and around Albuquerque, widening the divide between the states top-ranked elected Democrats.

The local Catholic archbishop has been among the few joining longtime gun-control advocates in support of the order.

New Mexico is an open carry state, so the governors order affects anyone in Bernalillo County who can legally own a gun, with some exceptions. Bernalillo is the states most populous county and home to Albuquerque.

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Drone used by firefighter during prescribed burns in forest View Photo

Sonora, CA  CAL Fire has issued an urgent warning regarding the incursion of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones into the firefighting airspace.

These incursions have raised serious concerns as they have led to the temporary suspension of critical aerial firefighting operations on a half-dozen incidents so far this year, stated CAL Fire.

During wildfire suppression efforts, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regularly implements temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) around wildfire areas to protect the safety of aircraft battling the blaze. During these fire suppression efforts, all aircraft, including drones, are explicitly prohibited from entering these restricted areas unless they are operated by an agency directly involved in wildfire suppression efforts, advises CAL Fire.

Even when not in effect in a temporarily restricted fly zone, CAL Fire strongly urges drone pilots to avoid flying near wildfires, as it is considered a crime to interfere with firefighting operations.

The danger of flying drones near wildfires cannot be overstated, said Chief Jake Sjolund, Staff Chief of Tactical Air Operations. Such actions jeopardize lives and have immediate consequences for firefighting agencies response efforts.

The problem is that when drones are detected near wildfires, fire response agencies must ground their aircraft to mitigate the risk of a midair collision. This delay can pose a significant threat to the safety of firefighters on the ground, residents, and properties in nearby communities, according to CAL Fire. They also add that it can allow wildfires to expand, putting more lives and resources at risk.

Those found, regardless of whether a restriction is in place or not, and who are determined to have interfered with wildfire suppression efforts and/or endangered manned aircraft or people on the ground with a drone, may face severe consequences, including civil penalties of up to $20,000 and potential criminal prosecution.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 16, 2023 - 17:45 | All, Japan, World

Japan has decided to accept two wounded soldiers for medical treatment from Ukraine, following a similar move in June, amid Russia's ongoing invasion of the country since February 2022, a source close to the matter said Saturday.

The two soldiers are slated to be sent to the Self-Defense Forces Central Hospital in Tokyo as early as late September, where they will receive rehabilitation treatment and necessary care, according to the source.

Japan, serving as the chair of the Group of Seven this year, has been actively providing support to Ukraine. However, the Asian nation has been limited to offering nonmilitary assistance due to restrictions imposed by its war-renouncing Constitution.

One of two soldiers accepted in June lost a leg, while the other lost both. After receiving rehabilitation treatment at the hospital, they were discharged in July. Japan covered the costs of hospitalization, travel and the production of prosthetic limbs.

Japan's Self-Defense Forces hospitals are only intended to treat its own defense personnel, in principle. However, the defense minister can decide whether to permit care to non-affiliated individuals.

Related coverage:

Japan PM Kishida to visit New York next week for U.N. assembly

Japan foreign minister makes unannounced Ukraine visit, vows support

2 wounded Ukrainian soldiers arrive in Japan for treatment
Zimbabwe and Zambia Enjoy Strong Relations

The ruling Zanu-PF party in Zimbabwe says the country enjoys cordial relations with neighbouring Zambia, dismissing claims of diplomatic tensions.

Party spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa addressed the matter at a post-politburo meeting press briefing in Harare. He said there are no quarrels between Zimbabwe and its sister Republic of Zambia. According to Mutsvangwa, the people of both countries cherish their bond of friendship and cooperation.

As fellow Southern African nations, Zimbabwe and Zambia have deep historical ties dating back to their wars of independence. Mutsvangwa expressed confidence their partnership will continue on the foundation of mutual sacrifice, neighbourliness and camaraderie.

In other matters, the Zanu-PF Politburo congratulated President Emmerson Mnangagwa on his 81st birthday. They also finalized arrangements for upcoming victory celebrations following the partys electoral success.

Two provinces  Mashonaland Central and Matabeleland North  will host events to recognize supporters. Zanu-PF swept all constituencies in Mashonaland Central, considered the cradle of Zimbabwes liberation struggle where loyalty to the party remains strong.

The Mashonaland Central celebrations will be attended by other provinces such as Mashonaland West, Manicaland, Harare and Mashonaland East.

Matabeleland North Province will host the remaining provinces such as Midlands, Bulawayo, Matabeleland South and Masvingo provinces.

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Man arraigned for allegedly providing fake bank statements

A 25-year old man from Harare recently appeared before a local magistrate on accusations of forging financial documents. Luke Sibanda was arraigned in court after being apprehended by officials investigating fraudulent activity.

According to reports, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) received a tip that Sibanda was supplying false bank statements to Zimbabwean citizens applying for UK visas. In an undercover operation, a ZACC officer posed as a potential customer. Its alleged Sibanda demanded $160 USD for the prohibited service.

Acting on this information, ZACC investigators set a trap on September 11th. They arrested Sibanda and recovered several fabricated bank statements, letters of recommendation on various letterheads, and fake date stamps from different organizations within his office.

During his court appearance yesterday, Sibanda was granted $300 bail and the case was remanded to October 25th for trial. State prosecutor Pardon Dziva will handle the matter against Sibanda, who faces charges related to forging official documents.

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Plans to launch Lunate, an independent global alternative investment manager, with more than $50 billion of assets under management (AuM) were announced in Abu Dhabi on Friday.

The creation of Lunate, one of the largest in the MENA region, follows a multi-party effort to establish an independent investment manager of scale and breadth, headquartered in Abu Dhabi and serving global markets, said a Wam news agency report.

With a focus on private markets, Lunate is an independent entity owned by Chimera Investment and Lunates senior management. Its mandate is focused solely on generating superior risk-adjusted returns for its clients and has been structured to provide private and public market multi-asset class investment solutions to institutional investors, pension funds, family offices and other investment firms, it said.

Lunate, which will be based in Abu Dhabi Global Market, the leading international financial centre located in Al Maryah Island, Abu Dhabi, has signed long-term Separate Managed Accounts (SMAs) with multiple clients at the time of launch with commitments to manage their existing assets and deploy new capital.

Lunate will invest globally through a combination of Limited Partner (LP) commitments, co-investments and direct investments across private equity, venture capital, private credit, real assets, public equities, and public credit. Lunate intends to expand globally with international offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, it said.

Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Managing Partner at Lunate, said: After many months of hard work, we are delighted to be launching Lunate as an independent, commercial enterprise that is ideally placed to become a leading global alternative investment manager. We sincerely appreciate the trust placed in us by our clients to manage their capital. With a steadfast commitment to generating best-in-class risk-adjusted returns and creating long-term value for our clients, we aspire to bolster Abu Dhabis position as a global asset management hub.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 16, 2023 - 19:03 | Sports, All

Ozeki Takakeisho dropped from the top of the leaderboard Saturday at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament with an upset loss to No. 3 maegashira Shodai.

The demotion-threatened "kadoban" ozeki fell to 5-2 on Day 7 of the 15-day tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan after being stopped in his tracks and pushed out by his former ozeki opponent.

The result leaves two rank-and-file wrestlers, No. 7 Takayasu and No. 15 Atamifuji, tied for the lead at 6-1.

Matching Takakeisho's powerful opening charge with a strong drive of his own, Shodai (3-4) weathered a pair of hard face slaps before shoving the three-time Emperor's Cup winner over the edge.

"Everything came together well from the initial charge," Shodai said. "My record (after seven days) isn't great, but I'll keep doing my best."

Fellow kadoban ozeki Kirishima was the only member of the trio at sumo's second-highest rank to add to his win total, making quick work of No. 3 Tamawashi after ozeki debutant Hoshoryu went down to new komusubi Nishikigi.

Kirishima stayed one win off the pace at 5-2, barely breaking a sweat as he thrust down the floundering Tamawashi (0-7).

Hoshoryu's struggles at the tournament continued as he dropped to 3-4 with the loss to problem opponent Nishikigi (4-3).

The new komusubi remained a thorn in Hoshoryu's side, winning his third straight meeting with the 24-year-old Mongolian star after denying him a belt grip and pushing him out.

Sekiwake Wakamotoharu stayed in touch with the leaders at 5-2 by forcing out No. 1 Hokutofuji (4-3). The two other sekiwake went head to head, with Daieisho (3-4) earning a much-needed win by thrusting down newly promoted Kotonowaka (4-3).

Related coverage:

Sumo: Ozeki Takakeisho among 8 leaders after 5 days at Autumn meet

Sumo: Hokutofuji falls, 3 maegashira lead Autumn meet after 4 days

Sumo: Hokutofuji outmaneuvers Kirishima to complete ozeki sweep
Harare Businesswoman Victim of Burglary

Bridget Makoni, a businesswoman located in Harare, Zimbabwes capital city, was the victim of a burglary at her shop on Tuesday night, according to police reports. Thieves broke into Ms. Makonis shop on Bank Street by entering through the roof. They made off with some cash and 48 cellphones totalling over US$6,000 worth of goods and merchandise.

Inspector Luckmore Chakanza, a spokesperson for the Harare provincial police, stated that authorities are actively investigating the incident. Inspector Chakanza noted that the stolen items taken from Ms. Makonis shop are valued at approximately $6,359. Unfortunately, none of the goods have been recovered as of now.

The break-in of Ms. Makonis business represents an unfortunate violation and financial loss for a local entrepreneur. The police investigation aims to bring the perpetrators to justice and recover the stolen property. Let us hope the culprits are apprehended swiftly so Ms. Makoni and others feel secure once more in Zimbabwes capital city.

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A 13-year-old girl in Mutare, Zimbabwe died by suicide after being reprimanded by her mother. Shylet Matanhire, a 7th grade student at Maps Primary School, consumed rat poison on Sunday evening following an argument with her mother over returning home late.

According to interviewed relatives, Shylet left her siblings alone and went away with a 15-year-old boy (name withheld) who stays nearby.

Shylet had gone out that day without informing her siblings. She did not return until 8pm, prompting concern from her mother Mai Matanhire. After being questioned about her whereabouts, Shylet into her mothers room. She took rat poison and consumed it. She confessed what she had done and was rushed by neighbours to a local clinic before being transferred to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital. Despite medical treatment, Shylet succumbed to organophosphate poisoning in the early hours of Monday.

Shylet was laid to rest on Tuesday amid mourning from family and community. Her aunt Sophia Mazeya expressed shock, saying Shylet was typically well-behaved. Inspector Norbert Muzondo of the Manicaland police confirmed the case is under investigation.

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Tragic Murder in Mutare Leaves Children Without a Mother

In Hobhouse, Mutare, Zimbabwe, a disturbing domestic violence incident has left two young children without their mother. According to reports, 39-year-old Innocent Mujeni brutally attacked his 38-year-old wife Vimbai Muchinganwa with an axe in their home last week while their seven-year-old daughter and five-year-old son witnessed the horrific scene.

Mujeni was arrested a few days later in Nyazura and now faces murder charges. Neighbours recalled a history of arguments between the couple over Mujenis improper use of funds from the family shop.

On the night of the incident, Ms. Esther Makota, who lives nearby told The Manica Post that she heard the Muchinganwa children crying but thought the problem was resolved when they fell silent. The next morning, she saw Mujeni going about his daily activities despite his wifes body lying covered in the bedroom. When the truth was discovered, the children were sent away deeply disturbed by what they witnessed.

She said: The next day, I saw him opening their tuckshop and serving some customers. I asked him about his wifes whereabouts and he said she had gone to Chikanga Market to buy clothes for the kids.

Police officers came and found the door locked. They said they could not open the door without any close relatives of the occupants. When the police left, Ms Muchinganwas mother (Mrs Jessica Muchinganwa) arrived.

Ms Makota added: I was made to understand that in his former marriage, he (Mujeni) strangled his child to death and spent about seven years in prison. He returned to jail for another two years behind bars after some botched financial transactions.

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Kezi Court Strengthens Sentence for Repeat Offender

The Kezi resident magistrates court reinforced consequences for an unrepentant 19-year-old criminal with an increased jail term. Banele Ncube appeared on charges of assaulting a prison officer and escaping from lawful custody. He had pleaded guilty to these offences as well as a previous conviction for attacking another man.

During consideration of the case, the magistrate took into account Ncubes serious and repeated unlawful behaviour. He expressed concern about deterring future crimes and the need to reform the defendant. Prosecutors also highlighted Ncubes undermining of the justice system by assaulting an officer in the courtroom before trying to flee over a perimeter fence.

For assaulting the prison officer, Ncube received 3 months plus 6 months of a past suspension added. On the escape charge, another 3 months was imposed with 1 month suspension dependent on good behaviour. In total, an 11 month custodial sentence was deemed warranted by the circumstances.

The magistrate further noted that Ncube was also a repeated offender who had refused to act his age.

On September 6 this year, Ncube gave a man named Praymore Mhlanga a lift from Bango Business Centre to Maphisa.

When they arrived in Maphisa, Ncube asked for his money and Mhlanga told him that he had US$100. He requested to look for change and that did not go down well with Ncube who grabbed him and pulled him out of the car before he punched and kicked him.

Mhlanga reported the assault to police, leading to Ncubes arrest. In court, Ncube was sentenced to 12 months in prison, with 6 months suspended on the condition he commit no similar crimes in the next 5 years. The remaining six months were further suspended on condition that he performs 210 hours of community service.

Unfortunately, Ncube failed to perform the required community service. As a result, the court issued a warrant for his arrest.

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This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 901 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 or our new payment processor, Clover. Read about why were doing this fundraiser, what weve accomplished in the last year,, and our current goal, karoshi prevention.

Yves here. I am a little puzzled as to how these pianos get by in Portlands famously frequent rains. But a lovely program regardless.

By April M. Short is an editor, journalist, and documentary editor and producer. She is a co-founder of the Observatory, where she is the Local Peace Economy editor, and she is a writing fellow at the Independent Media Institute. Previously, she was a managing editor at AlterNet as well as an award-winning senior staff writer for Good Times, a weekly newspaper in Santa Cruz, California. Her work has been published with the San Francisco Chronicle, In These Times, LA Yoga, Pressenza, the Conversation, Salon, and many other publications. Produced by Local Peace Economy, a project of the Independent Media Institute

Meander through a park or stroll the city streets in Portland, Oregon, in the summer, and you might come across a strange and beautiful piano that invites you to please play me. Atop a hill and beneath an old maple tree there could be a piano with big orange eyes or one covered in rainbows; on a city street corner you might find pianos covered in flowers or cartoons; or you might stop to play a piano painted like a brick chimney or a Nordic landscape while cruising on your skateboard under a freeway overpass. When the rains take a brief pause each year in Portland, a melange of peculiar pianos begin to crop up on the citys street corners and dot its parks. This is all thanks to Megan Diana McGeorge, founder of the project Piano. Push. Play., which has been bringing pianos to public spaces in Portland every year since 2013.

In the projects current form, each year it sets up more than 10 pianos, in collaboration with the Portland Art Museum, as well as the citys parks and recreation department. But when it was launched, it started much smaller, McGeorge explains. It all started with a single concert that took place with one borrowed piano on a busy street corner in Portland.

It was just something I really wanted to make happen, and the magic that came from that one concert made me want to do it again, McGeorge says. I dont want this to become some big commercial adventure. Thats not what I am doing this for Honestly, I believe that if we are changing our immediate communities, we do in the end change the world.

Inspired by Busking

In 2011, when McGeorge was studying music at Portland State University (PSU), she and a few friends were leaving a show at McMenamins Als Den, a music venue located at the downtown Portland corner of 13th and Burnside, and the song of a cello stopped them in their tracks underneath the cluster of mini bicycles that make up the Zoobomb monument (a sculpture that honors the tradition of Portlanders who bomb downhill from the Oregon Zoo to downtown Portland on undersized bikes).

There was this cellist on the street corner playing beautiful, beautiful music, and we had this moment on this hot summer night, and we were kind of shocked that this gorgeous music was here in the middle of this urban, crazy intersection, she says. We were going to do our regular routine and just walk home, but the cellist just really made this moment happen. And I remember saying to my friends, Oh, I wish I could do that. I wish I could create that kind of moment, but the pianos a lot harder to bring out to the street corner.

Months went by and McGeorge couldnt stop thinking about finding a way to bring a piano out to the streets. One day she was riding her bike through the Pearl District, and she came across the Portland Piano Company, just two blocks from the street corner where shed heard the cello music. Shed recently read a New York Times article about how more and more pianos are being dumped in landfills in the U.S., and thought to herself, Maybe if I go in there [Portland Piano Company] and tell them about this article, and tell them about my idea, they might let me rent a piano and put it outside.

At the time I had all these funny conceptions about how hard it would be to ask, she says. But she summoned up the courage and went in and pitched her idea of renting a piano and placing it outside on the street corner visible from the stores door, for a mini concert. This was, after all, the era of the flash mob craze, she notes, and people were popping up with all sorts of creative activities on the streets. To her surprise, the store agreed.

They said we like your idea, and well mount a piano on a dolly, and when you want, you can grab it and push it up the street and play for people, she says. I was like, I guess Im going to actually have to do this now.

Playing Piano

As McGeorge began to assemble pianists to join her for the initial outdoor concert, at first she tried to recruit fellow PSU music students.

I began knocking on PSU practice room doors after Id heard somebody play a piece that was probably light-years ahead of melike some Rachmaninoff or whatever crazy, amazing recital piece they were working on, she says. I would say, That was amazing Im going to do this thing where I bring a piano to 13th and Burnside. Would you come out and play that piece?

But every student getting a performance degree whom she asked in that initial year of 2013 told her no.

Every one of them told me something like, Oh, I could never do that. I need two more months. I need time to get this piece ready, she says. Every person that I asked that was from this music school program was thinking that your average person walking by was going to be listening as if the concert were a recital And the people I did get to come out and play were a couple of my friends who were music school dropouts, and you know, you cant get them off an instrument. It was really fascinating.

The first summer of the project was 2013 and consisted of McGeorge and some friends pushing a borrowed piano across Burnside to the street corner every Thursday and playing.

Another interesting thing that had never happened to me before was that a lot of people walking by would stop and listen to me play a song, and afterward they would come up and they would say, Thank you, she says. When I was growing up and playing piano recitals, I had never heard somebody say thank you after I played my little recital piece, you know?  A totally different emotional moment happened when I played music for people unexpectedly on the street.

A few times people walking by would ask to sit in and would play something on the pianobe it a Heart and Soul duet or something more complex. Sometimes someone would be walking by with a briefcase and you would never know that they were an amazing pianist, and they would wait for me to stop, then ask to hop on for one song. Then theyd bang out some amazing piece of music, and walk, which was justwow.

McGeorge says it was during that initial summer that somebody sent her a video of pianos on the streets in New York that were painteda public piano project called Play Me, Im Yours.

They said, This kind of feels like what youre doing, she says. And the idea to expand her project was sparked.

At that point, McGeorge had gotten to know the folks at the Portland Piano Company, and better understood the model of the piano business.

I had learned that its kind of like a car lot, in that if you buy a nice piano or you upgrade, theyll haul away your old one, she says.

She learned that the store had an attic full of older upright pianos, and that once each summer the store held a final sale and sold all the used pianos for $75-$100 or so. At the end of the first summer of giving pop-up concerts with her friends, McGeorge asked if the Portland Piano Company would give her five old pianos next year if she organized artists to paint them and locations for them to live during the summer. Again, to her surprise, they said yes.

Over the next couple of years, the project grew from a group of young musician friends playing weekly impromptu shows on the corner into Piano. Push. Play., which is a citywide project that rescues roughly 10 to 13 pianos each year (that are in good shape and can be properly tuned) that would otherwise be discarded. The project then connects the pianos with artists who decorate them and then places them around the city.

To grow the project, McGeorge began to look for funding through grants, forming connections with relevant groups around the cityfrom the parks and recreation department to landowners, the Portland Rose Festival Foundation, Portland Saturday Market, and others. She says that of all the places she reached out to for Piano. Push. Play., the Portland Art Museum was the most impactful. It was the first organization that agreed to host a piano outside, and then it became (and remains) the projects fiscal sponsor, through which people can donate to support the project.

The museum had the idea to do a friendly design competition, and sent out an inquiry to their various connectionsfrom design companies, to marketing firms, to artists, to production designersto see who would want to paint a piano if given one. They told the artists that they could do whatever they wanted with the designthe only requirement was to include the words please play me visibly somewhere on the piano. Each year, Piano. Push. Play. gathers all of the artist-adorned pianos for an outdoor concert in the museum courtyard where performers play the rescued pianos. The songs range across genres and come from well-known performers (for instance, five-time Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding, who played during the summer of 2022 and has supported Piano. Push. Play.) and other musicians of all varieties.

Its one way that we try to democratize the whole idea of whos the performer or whos the professional musicianeverybody gets to play these pianos, McGeorge says. I always ask about five people to come and play one songpeople who I love from every genre of music and area of piano playing. Theres also an open-mic opportunity, she adds: We always save spots for the audience to put their name in the hat, and we draw surprise players from the audience.

Pianos to the People

Part of McGeorges aim with the project became to dismantle some of the preconceived notions and assumptions people have about the piano, and about music.

The website for Piano. Push. Play. lays out a vision beyond offering artists pianos as a unique canvas and placing the instruments around the city, and describes a cultural shift that can happen when music is more accessible and public:

This simple gesture [of placing pianos around the city] transforms a street corner into a space of connection. People slow down, listen to the music, take in who else is there, and form a deeper sense of community. The pianos provide a tool for interaction across social, economic, and cultural divides. Beethoven is played by someone youd never expect. A new creative outlet is discovered by a bored teenager. Two unlikely strangers get talking and develop a new friendship. A more empathetic and caring city is cultivated.

Mapping Public Pianos

Piano. Push. Play.s website includes a piano map showing the locations of the pianos across the city. They also created a piano passport that anyone interested can stamp at each piano.

Inside each piano bench is a stamp and ink pad, and the stamp was designed by that pianos artist, McGeorge explains. When you go out and visit a piano in the wild, you can collect all the stamps in your piano passport, which is really fun.

Zack Scholl, who loves to play the pianoespecially the acoustic piano, which wouldnt fit in his apartmentcreated the website pianos.pub to track public pianos around the world.

I have always enjoyed finding new pianos to play, he says in an email interview. When I was traveling a lot, I would often try to find pianos in bars, lodges, and other public places. I got pretty good at finding them, and I started to think that it would be helpful if there was a website where people could share information about public pianos.

He started the website in 2019, provided the locations of pianos hed found to play, and encouraged people to submit information about other pianos that they knew about to the site. At first, he updated all of the data manually, but has since come up with software to help with the data management.

Nowadays, the public pianos site is a popular resource for people who love to play piano, he says, noting that the website has almost 10,000 pianos listed, and people submit [the location of] new pianos every week.

Im humbled to have created a resource that helps people connect with music and each other, he writes. Public spaces are important because they inspire people. Inspiration is a special form of human connection, and public music is especially good at facilitating this connection. For example, I once heard someone playing piano in a public space, and it sparked a conversation that led me to discover new music. Another time, I played piano in a public space, and it inspired someone else to play, which gave me the treat of listening. Ive enjoyed listening to all the public piano performances Ive had a chance to hear, from symphonic to carnival music, from jazz to honky-tonk, and everything in between. Everyone has a story to share, and its incredible when it can be shared through music in a public space.
This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 902 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 or our new payment processor, Clover. Read about why were doing this fundraiser, what weve accomplished in the last year,, and our current goal, karoshi prevention.

Yves here. It should come as no surprise that the France and the US are doing some fancy footwork in Africa after the coup in Niger and then Gabon, followed by some key African nations not being willing to support ECOWAS in military intervention (for instance, neighbors Algeria and Chad called for a diplomatic solution).

We also have this tweet in todays Links, but it demonstrates French impotence:

Police in Niger foil an attempt to smuggle croissants into the French Embassy. The new administration in Niger has ordered the French ambassador to leave the country. The French have refused to exit Niger and have continued to order food deliveries to the site. Members of the pic.twitter.com/arHw2Rwyk4  MintPress News (@MintPressNews) September 12, 2023

By Andrew Korybko, a Moscow-based American political analyst who specializes in the global systemic transition to multipolarity in the New Cold War. He has a PhD from MGIMO, which is under the umbrella of the Russian Foreign Ministry. Originally published at his website

France is forced to react to the latest trends of patriotic military coups and the US newfound pragmatic response to the most recent one in Niger, the latter of which saw the resumption of its military activity there after Nuland struck a deal with the junta. It can either try to destabilize the region out of desperation or begin pragmatically adapting to everything through much more reasonable responses like the one that it just showed after the Gabonese coup a few weeks ago.

The nearly past two months since late Julys patriotic military coup in Niger have been characterized by uncertainty as the junta braced for a French-backed Nigerian-ledECOWAS invasion while the West braced for the complete eradication of its influence from that geostrategic state. Neither has thus far happened, with a mild mix of these two scenarios unfolding instead. Regional pressure is still being put on the junta as French influence recedes, but there hasnt been any war and US influence remains.

The top US Air Force commander for Europe and Africa revealed earlier this week that his country has recently resumed its intelligence and surveillance missions in Niger as a result of negotiations with its military authorities after having largely stopped them right after this summers coup. This development shouldnt come as a surprise for those who paid attention to Acting Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nulands trip to Niamey in early August. Here are three relevant analyses to bring others up to speed:

* Victoria Nuland Revealed Some Interesting Details About Her Discussions In Niger

* France Reportedly Thinks That The US Backstabbed It During Nulands Trip To Niger

* Whys US Media Talking About Nigerien General Moussa Barmou All Of A Sudden?

To oversimplify the detailed insight shared in those pieces, the US has flexibly adapted to the latest multipolar trends sweeping across West Africa by pragmatically exploring a deal with the junta whereby the threatened invasion will be called off in exchange for retaining the US two drone bases. The new military authorities can then gradually squeeze French influence out of their country, but the US wont allow them to solicit Russias Democratic Security services through Wagner or other such groups.

This speculative arrangement would account for the status quo that was earlier described and cogently explains why the junta just agreed to allow the US to resume its military activity in the country. From the firsts perspective, its able to consolidate its power in parallel with averting a larger war, while the second benefits by safeguarding the future of its bases in this region and curtailing Russian influence. The obvious wild card is France, however, which is becoming increasingly desperate.

Nigers patriotic military coup caught its policymakers by surprise and represents the latest blow to their hegemonic policy in West Africa, but everything is made even worse by the US exploiting Frances difficulties to entrench and possibly even expand its own influence in Paris traditional sphere. Washington is doing that by cutting a pragmatic deal with the junta that could become the precedent for managing its ties with other countries in the region, especially those with military governments.

These dynamics can lead to France trying to destabilize the region out of desperation to regain its lost influence, ergo the continued risk of it trying to bribe ECOWAS into a Nigerian-led invasion or possibly even going it alone as a last resort. The US could also greenlight either operation in the event that its negotiations with Niger abruptly end, not to mention if the junta demands that it depart from their country just like it officially ordered France to do.

The other possible course of action that Paris could undertake is to recalibrate its regional strategy by taking a page from Washingtons playbook in pragmatically reacting to patriotic military coups, or even better yet from its perspective, proactively shaping the situation so as to preemptively avert them. The first part of this proposal is already on display in Gabon after the junta there just agreed to resume military cooperation with France on a case-by-case basis, while the second has yet to be seen.

If France decides to switch things up, then it could propose more equitable partnerships with those African countries where it still has influence in an attempt to try and control rising anti-imperialist sentiment there. That would have to bring tangible benefits to the majority of the population in order to remove the grassroots basis upon which the recent spree of patriotic military coups has been justified, however, so its unlikely to materialize since it entails very uncomfortable compromises from Paris side.

Nevertheless, the point is that France is forced to react to the latest trends of patriotic military coups and the US newfound pragmatic response to the most recent one in Niger, the latter of which saw the resumption of its military activity there after Nuland struck a deal with the junta. It can either try to destabilize the region out of desperation or begin pragmatically adapting to everything through much more reasonable responses like the one that it just showed after the Gabonese coup a few weeks ago.
On 16 September 2023, the NATO Chiefs of Defence agreed to extend the mandate of the current Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer for an extra 6 months, and elect the Italian Chief of Defence, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone as his successor.

This decision was taken during the Military Committee Conference in Oslo. The NATO Chiefs of Defence cited the need for continuity of leadership in a volatile security climate and amidst the largest reinforcement of the Alliances collective defence since the Cold War. The decision will also allow Admiral Dragone to serve out his term as Italian Chief of Defence until November 2024.

Reacting to the election result, Admiral Bauer stated: I am honoured and humbled by the continued trust that the Allied Chiefs of Defence have placed in me. I will do my utmost to keep unifying north, south, east, west, large and small within our Alliance. And to actively reach out to NATOs Partners around the world. Always building on the fundamental belief that there is so much more that unites us, than what divides us. And that we are truly stronger together.

Admiral Dragone stated: Also on behalf of Italy, I am deeply honoured to receive this prestigious assignment which I will carry out with an unreserved commitment to the success of the Atlantic Alliance and the affirmation of its founding values, freedom and democracy. NATO will be able to offer its full support to Ukraine and the challenges that are looming on an international scale. I take this opportunity to thank Admiral Bauer for the extraordinary work he has been doing and which will inspire me.

The Chair of the NATO Military Committee represents the consensus-based views of all NATO Chiefs of Defence (CHODs) as the principal military adviser to the Secretary General, the North Atlantic Council and other senior NATO bodies. In his capacity, he guides the Military Committees agenda and deliberations, listening to views and working to reconcile divergent national positions or policy differences to fashion advice that all can agree to.
3 Suspicious narratives behind the big push toward electric vehicles

If the average American household switched to electric vehicles (EVs), the additional electricity consumption per household would be equivalent to 25 refrigerators. But if EVs use up this much energy, why are manufacturers and the government still urging the public to switch to electric cars?

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), himself an electrical engineer, revealed this information while talking to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The Kentucky congressman had been tackling President Joe Biden's plan to have 50 percent of cars sold in the country be electric by 2030.

The current and future grid in most areas won't be able to support each home running 25 refrigerators. For example, California's power grid is already buckling under the existing load.

Massie warned that the notion of widespread adoption of EVs is a dangerous fantasy based on political science instead of sound engineering. However, governments, academia, large corporations, the media and celebrities still point to the inevitable "transition" to EVs  which is far from the truth.

One should keep in mind that the government and other entities are trying to manufacture people's consent for a large-scale scam of unimaginable proportions.

Here are three reasons why EVs are a scam, and why they should be avoided.

EVs are not green

The central premise for EVs is that driving them will help save the planet from carbon dioxide because they use electricity instead of gas. However, not enough people think to ask: What generates the electricity that powers EVs?

Hydrocarbons generate over 60 percent of the electricity in the U.S., meaning that there is a chance that coal, oil or gas is behind the electricity charging an EV. It is important to note that carbon is an essential element for life on Earth. Humans exhale carbon dioxide and plants need it to survive.

But after decades of propaganda, so-called environmentalists have created a twisted perception in the public's mind that carbon dioxide is a harmful substance that must be reduced to save the planet. Assuming that carbon dioxide is truly bad for the environment, EVs don't reduce carbon dioxide emissions, they just rearrange them.

Additionally, extracting and processing the exotic materials needed to make EVs requires tremendous power in remote locations  which only hydrocarbons can provide. Electric cars also require an enormous amount of rare elements and metals, such as lithium and cobalt, that companies mine in conditions that aren't completely good for the environment.

According to analysts, each EV requires at least one kilogram of rare earth elements. Extracting and processing these rare elements produces a lot of toxic waste. This is why production mainly occurs in China, a country that doesnt care much about environmental concerns.

In short, the notion that EVs are green is false. Its simply propaganda that governments use to justify the astronomical taxpayer subsidies for electric cars. (Related: Study finds electric vehicles are heavier and cause more damage to roads than gas and diesel cars.)

EVs can't compete without government support

For many years, governments have heavily subsidized EVs through loans, grants, rebates, sales tax exemptions, tax credits and other methods. Data suggests that American taxpayers will subsidize EVs by at least $393 billion in the coming years, which is more than the gross domestic product (GDP) of Hong Kong.

To illustrate, if someone earned $1 a second every day for one year, or about $31 million per year, it will take at least 12,677 years for that person to make $393 billion. This doesn't even include the subsidies and government support that have occurred in the past.

Governments also impose burdensome regulations and taxes on gasoline vehicles to make EVs seem like a more attractive option. But even with government support, EVs can barely compete with gasoline vehicles. According to consumer research firm J.D. Power, the average electric car costs at least 21 percent more than the average gasoline vehicle.

Without government support, the market for EVs would evaporate simply because they would become unaffordable for most buyers. This means the EV market is being artificially propped up by extensive government intervention.

So why are governments going all out to promote this uneconomic scam?

The government is pushing EVs to CONTROL the public

Modern devices come with many useful features, but they are also easy to turn against their users.

For example, governments can use electric cars as spying machines. Like other modern devices, EVs will collect different kinds of data on you, like how you drive and your frequent destinations, which governments can access easily.

Analysts have estimated that cars generate at least 25 gigabytes of data every hour. Since governments could integrate EVs into a larger high-tech control grid, there is a great risk for corrupt governments to abuse such a system.

In the U.K., senior government ministers have expressed fears that Chinese electric cars imported to the U.K. could be used to spy on Britain in the future by collecting data from customers.

As China develops cheaper EVs, some government officials fear that they could be used to gather data and take photographs and recordings which would be used by the exporter's rulers.

The last thing any government wants is an incident like Canadian truckers rebelling en masse against vaccine mandates. If the Canadian truckers vehicles were EVs, the government would have easily been able to stamp out the resistance.

The government and manufacturers don't want the average person to have freedom of movement or access to independent power sources. This is why those in power are pushing for the phase-out of gasoline vehicles and why they are trying to push for EVs.

Despite their alleged benefits, electric cars are not green, cannot compete with gas cars without enormous government support and are crucial to the emerging high-tech control grid.

To end government control through EVs, all government subsidies and support must be eliminated. It's easy to say that it's better to let EVs compete on their own merits in a free market, but this is unlikely to happen.

Despite the lack of interest, governments will try harder to push EVs. It's bad enough that electric cars are government-subsidized status symbols for wealthy liberals who want to show that they are saving the planet.

Along with things like digital IDs and vaccine passports, EVs are likely an integral part of the Great Reset or the dystopian future the global elite has envisioned for all humanity.

Learn the truth about electric vehicles at RoboCars.news.

Listen to the Health Ranger Mike Adams discussing electric cars and the myth of "green energy" below.

This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Over 1.1 million Tesla electric cars in China RECALLED over dangerous braking defect.

Nobody is buying electric cars, but automakers continue to manufacture them in accordance with green agenda.

Electric cars, sustainability, and other city folk ideologies are a clean energy MYTH  watch at Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

GlobalResearch.ca

DailyMail.co.uk

Brighteon.com
Biden impeachment inquiry launched accusing president of corruption and abuse of power

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has announced that an impeachment inquiry is being launched into President Biden for abuse of power as well as his involvement in a "culture of corruption related to the shady business dealings of his son Hunter.

In a speech at the Capitol, McCarthy announced that serious and credible allegations into the president's conduct have been uncovered demonstrating the extent of his corruption that need to be investigated further.

Hunter Bidens international business dealings have long been causes of major concern, particularly those with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma. In addition, his dealings with a private equity firm in China and consulting work for a Romanian real estate magnate have also come under fire. The Biden family has reportedly earned millions of dollars from these dealings.

Not surprisingly, President Biden has denied involvement in Hunters business dealings. However, Biden is believed to have sat in on at least two dozen calls between Hunter and his business partners and was referenced using nicknames like the big guy by business associates of his son. Moreover, Biden reportedly used pseudonyms like Robin Ware to talk about Ukraine-related activities with Hunter while he was serving as vice president.

Some former associates of Hunter have testified that Joe did speak to his business associates.

McCarthy noted: Eye witnesses have testified that the President joined on multiple phone calls, and had multiple interactions, dinners, resulting in cars and millions of dollars into his sons and his son's business partners.

As part of their investigation, House investigators will issue subpoenas for the president's bank records as well as those of family members like Hunter and Joe's brother James. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is also seeking transcribed interviews involving business associates of Hunter such as Rob Walker and Eric Schwerin.

Hunter is believed to have made around $40 million via a series of shell companies that were formed during his fathers vice presidency. A bank records memo released by Comer this summer showed that the Biden family received more than $20 million during the Obama administration from oligarchs in Russia as well as Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

According to Comer, at least 12 Biden family members may have benefited from the influence peddling activities of Hunter and Joe. In addition to James, one of the parties identified was Hallie Biden, the widow of Joes son Beau who later became involved romantically with Hunter after Beau passed away. Hallie reportedly received a payment of $35,000 linked to a Chinese firm Hunter had dealings with.

Devon Archer, a business associate of Hunter, has stated that Joe was the brand that Hunter essentially sold to his foreign business partners. He also said Biden attended business dinners and conference calls with these individuals.

Ukrainian businessman says he felt pressured to pay off the Bidens for political favors

An FBI informant file described how the owner of the Ukrainian natural gas company Burisma Holdings was coerced into paying off Hunter and Joe with $5 million each. Mykola Zlochevsky said that Hunter was stupid but that he needed to keep him on the board of Burisma so he could use his fathers influence to ensure that a Ukrainian prosecutor who had been investigating the company, Viktor Shokin, would be fired.

Zlochevsky explained how he went out of his way to avoid raising suspicion when making the payments and said it would take investigators a decade to find records of the illicit payments made to the Bidens. He also said that he didnt want to pay them but felt coerced to do so. When asked whether it was Joe or Hunter who told him he needed to keep Hunter on the board, Zlochevsky replied that they both did.

Biden then used $1 billion of U.S. loan guarantees as leverage to force Shokin out of office in 2016.

Sources for this article include:

DailyMail.co.uk

FoxNews.com

NYPost.com
On the Frontlines: Biden administration no longer serving, protecting and defending the Constitution, American people  Brighteon.TV

The Joe Biden administration has failed to serve, protect and defend the United States Constitution and the American people.

"If you follow the actions of the administration, not their words but their actual actions of what they're doing, it is very clear that they are no longer serving and protecting and defending the Constitution, nor the people of this sovereign country called America," host Christie Hutcherson said during the September 10 episode of "On the Frontlines" on Brighteon.TV.

Hutcherson added that the rogue Biden government has purposefully, intelligibly and methodically carried out what they are doing at the southern border. She went on to say that it is not just about migration and people coming for a better way of life. (Related: Roger Stone: Open border policy will DESTABILIZE America  Brighteon.TV.)

"It is more nefarious than that. And I really hope that you wake up and understand what truly is at risk. And that is the very freedom and liberty and the free air that you actually breathe here in the United States of America," Hutcherson said.

The founder and president of Women Fighting for America (WFFA) stated that it is now time to take action against the "enemies at the gate," alluding to bad actors like the globalist groups United Nations and World Economic Forum that are trying to bring down America.

According to Hutcherson, it has been over about 15 to 20 years ago since China and Russia infiltrated South America. The geopolitical security expert added that Iran followed suit 12 years ago, gaining a foothold through its relationship with Venezuela.

She said Nicolas Maduro, the long-time president of Venezuela, made an agreement after meeting with the President and Ayatollah of Iran. Tehran uses Venezuela's airport in Caracas as the entry point into America, she added.

Terrorists are infiltrating the caravans of immigrants entering America's southern border

The WFFA founder mentioned that Iran has flown its Revolutionary Guard along with Hezbollah members to Venezuela. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization that now has massive strongholds in Central and South America.

She revealed that upon arriving in Venezuela, these known terrorists from Iran were given legitimate paperwork and passports stating they were Venezuelan citizens, not Iranian citizens. These terrorists have infiltrated the caravans of immigrants who are ending up at the southern border and getting into America.

"These terrorists are infiltrating America's southern border, disguised as Venezuelan citizens," she said.

Hutcherson also revealed that Iran's Revolutionary Guard has been smuggling weaponry systems, which include highly sophisticated military-grade drones, into warehouses and other undisclosed locations in Bolivia.

She added that Iranian airplane pilots are flying numerous missions into Central and South America, carrying in highly sophisticated cyber intelligence equipment as well as picking up highly trained Venezuelan cyber intelligence operatives.

According to Hutcherson, Hezbollah has been working for decades with transnational criminal organizations in Colombia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico and Bolivia. She also said that Hezbollah has a huge influence on the drug trade and the weapons trade all over Europe, Africa, Central and South America and the United States.

Iran seeks to boost its influence in Central and South America by strengthening and expanding its relationships with defense industries within the Latin American continent. Hutcherson mentioned that Iran is already working with Bolivia to house military-grade equipment, which would further bolster the former's presence in Central and South America.

Follow Terrorism.news for more news about terror groups infiltrating America.

Watch the September 10 episode of "On the Frontlines" below. "On the Frontlines" with Christie Hutcherson airs every Sunday at 1 p.m. and every Tuesday at 4 p.m. on Brighteon.TV.

More related stories:

On the Frontlines: Biden administration plans to give amnesty to up to 18M illegal aliens  Brighteon.TV.

Inviting terrorism: Number of terrorists being caught at U.S.-Mexico border is increasing, thanks to Bidens policies.

ISIS-affiliated smuggler helped migrants illegally enter the U.S. via Mexico.

Man on governments terrorist watch list caught crossing illegally into U.S.  how many others have made it through?

Texas governor steps up, designates Mexican cartels as terrorist organizations, orders state law enforcement to take action.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

WFFA.win
KYODO NEWS - Sep 16, 2023 - 13:03 | Arts, All, Japan

Ichikawa Eno, a Kabuki actor who combined traditional elements with modern theater technology, has died of arrhythmia in Tokyo, Shochiku Co. said. He was 83.

The founder of "Super Kabuki" gained popularity for staging spectacular epics that included "flying" by rope over audiences more than 5,000 times, for which he earned a Guinness World Record.

The Tokyo native, whose real name was Masahiko Kinoshi, died on Wednesday, according to Shochiku, the operator of Kabuki theaters in Japan.

He was diagnosed with brain infarction in 2003. He briefly returned to the stage after becoming the second-generation holder of the stage name Ichikawa Eno in 2012, and performed with his son, actor Teruyuki Kagawa, who made his debut as Kabuki performer Ichikawa Chusha.

Eno had developed Super Kabuki since 1986, when he was Ichikawa Ennosuke III. Among his famous productions, "Yamato Takeru" and "Oguri" featured modern dialogue and music, as well as sound effects and elaborate costumes. He also worked on performances overseas.

His death comes at a hard time for the Kabuki world.

Eno's nephew and popular Kabuki actor, Ichikawa Ennosuke IV, was indicted in July for allegedly helping his parents to commit suicide with sleeping drugs. Investigators suspect the family had made a suicide pact.

The father of Ennosuke IV appeared on the Kabuki stage as Ichikawa Danshiro.

Related coverage:

Kabuki actor Ennosuke indicted over assisting in parents' suicide

Kabuki actor Ennosuke charged again, this time over father's death

Kabuki actor Ennosuke arrested for alleged role in mother's suicide
Shocking new revelations about CCP connections to the White House: DOJs probe of Biden family associate found to have irregularities

A Washington D.C.-based conservative/activist think tank recently proved how President Joe Biden has become a compromised, treasonous puppet of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in connection to the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation and prosecution of Dr. Chi Ping Patrick Ho, former Hong Kong home secretary and deputy chairman of an organization funded by CEFC China Energy.

The Heritage Foundation "Oversight Project," whose top-level researchers file hundreds of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to get the information that the government is hiding, found that the DOJ's probe of the Biden family associate has "irregularities." Its memorandum, which was obtained exclusively by Breitbart News, alleged that since Ho's conviction, significant evidence has emerged identifying anomalies with the DOJ investigation and prosecution, which included the DOJ's and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI's) awareness of the connections between the Biden family and CCP-linked entity CEFC since 2017  probably even as early as 2016  and how "they acted to conceal this information from the public."

The memo cited that Ho was under Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) surveillance during a period where he was in "regular communication" with CEFC and the Biden family. Moreover, multiple cell phones, an iPad and six USB drives were seized by federal law enforcement during the arrest and during the trial, the government produced over 30,000 documents.

Ho, who was infamously referred to as "the f*cking spy chief of China" by Hunter Biden, was arrested in November 2017 and convicted in December 2018 in the Southern District of New York. He was sentenced to three years in prison for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money laundering. It was not a surprise that his first phone call after his arrest was to the younger Biden, who was said to be providing legal services to him during that time.

The watchdog also cited evidence that the DOJ redacted mentions of the Biden family, specifically, Hunter, in the evidence presented at Ho's 2018 trial. For instance, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Richenthal requested redactions of an email presented in the case for the purpose of avoiding a "political dimension," which was eventually revealed on the First Son's "laptop from Hell." The memo also found an oddity in the fact that Hunter was afforded attorney-client privilege as Ho's legal representation despite being a direct witness in the case. The former was also asked on the day of the arrest by another of Ho's attorneys, Edward Kim, to look for the names of the FBI agents Hunter spoke with because "that would be helpful." (Related: Hunter Biden reverses Joe's narrative, admits receiving $664,000 from CCPs CEFC in 2017.)

Furthermore, on January 23, the DOJ unsealed a pair of indictments in the District of Columbia and the Southern District of New York against Charles McGonigal, a former special agent in charge of counterintelligence at the FBI's New York Field Office. From these indictments, the public learned that McGonigal, who almost certainly oversaw Ho's investigation and possibly other concurrent investigations of the Chinese conglomerate affiliates, had held undisclosed meetings with another CEFC employee on dates that included the period of Ho's probe.

According to the Director of the Oversight Project at the Heritage Foundation Mike Howell, the pattern of facts of what transpired in the said "probe" represented "another story of a rigged system of justice in America." He added that cover-up had already been planned as these actions were to "bury a major national security threat." "As the White House and its media puppets continue to gaslight the American people by saying that there is no evidence of corruption in the Biden family, we are releasing this memo to add to that rapidly growing body of evidence," Howell said in a statement to Breitbart. "Hunter Biden, who might honestly describe his father as a business product and fee collector, was working with multiple individuals connected to Chinese intelligence."

Oversight Project challenges DOJ to prove credibility, reveal intel knowledge on CCP-Biden connection

The Oversight Project memo included documentation of every claim it made and provided a list of questions for Congress to seek answers to in its impeachment inquiry.

Among them are requests for information on the Intelligence Community's knowledge of CEFC and its links to the CCP and to the Biden family; requests for information on the FBI and DOJ's surveillance of communications between Biden family members and CEFC, and how references to the Biden family affected the course of the investigation into Ho; requests for information on alleged leaks in the Ho case; and which FBI agents were contacted by Hunter Biden upon Ho's arrest.

"To maintain its credibility, the DOJ must be apolitical and transparent in its investigation and prosecutions," the memo concluded. "In the case of the investigation and trial of Patrick Ho, the above evidence demonstrates both political motivation and a suspicious fact pattern that leaves the American people with more questions than answers."

"It is now up to Congress to use its oversight authorities to bring transparency in this important case," it continued. "Responsive and energetic oversight, starting with the questions outlined above, will require courage and work from Congress but will ultimately benefit the DOJ, America's national security and the American people."

Discover more about the Biden family's illegal international business dealings on BidenCrimeFamily.news.

Sources for this article include:

Secured.Heritage.org

Breitbart.com

THF_Media.S3.Amazonaws.com
Dove faces boycott for partnering with fat liberation activist who targeted UVA student for misheard remark

Personal care brand Dove is facing a boycott after partnering with Black Lives Matter and fat liberation activist Zyahna Bryant, who ruined a white UVA students life in 2020 over a misheard remark. Now, #BoycottDove is trending on X/Twitter.

(Article by Alana Mastrangelo republished from Breitbart.com)

Dove recently partnered with Bryant  who spread a false rumor about a fellow University of Virginia in 2020  in a new and bizarre campaign to promote fat liberation, a move that resulted in the hashtag #BoycottDove to trend on X, formerly known as Twitter.

After hearing that Dove Beauty chose Zyahna Bryant  who ruined Morgan Bettingers life  for their fat acceptance ambassador, THIS lifelong large lady & now former Dove customer tossed out the last three bars of Dove product she will EVER buy, one X/Twitter user posted, sharing an image of Dove products in a trash can.

I have written to Unilever, too, the social media user added, referring to Doves parent company.

After hearing that Dove Beauty chose Zyahna Bryant - who ruined Morgan Bettinger's life - for their "fat acceptance ambassador", THIS lifelong large lady & now former Dove customer tossed out the last three bars of Dove product she will EVER buy. I have written to Unilever, too. pic.twitter.com/y3wbMXQ934  Carole Thorpe (@CThorpeCville) September 14, 2023

Dove have GONE WOKE instead of just selling their product. #GoWokeGoBroke #BoycottDove, another declared.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk also reacted to the boycott, commenting, Messed up in response to an X/Twitter user who wrote, Zyahna Bryant ruined a white girls life over a non-existent remark. Dove just did a brand partnership with her to support fat liberation.'

Messed up  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 14, 2023

Time to Budlight Dove, another wrote, referring to the successful boycott of Bud Light after it partnered with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.

This woman put another UVA student through hell, and it was all a woke lie. Shame on Dove for hiring her. Worse than Dylan Mulvaney, another echoed.

This woman put another UVA student through hell, and it was all a woke lie. Shame on Dove for hiring her. Worse than Dylan Mulvaney.#BoycottDove Dove partners with BLM activist accused of wrongly getting white student expelled to promote 'fat liberation'  Scott C. Johnston (@SJohnston60) September 14, 2023

Guess Ive bought my last bar of Dove soap, another reacted.

Ive stopped buying their products. Never again! another exclaimed.

Dove Soap hired morbidly obese BLM hoaxer Zyahna Bryant for an ad campaign based around "fat liberation." While a student at UV-Charlottesville, Bryant viciously ruined another student's life by falsely claiming she joked about driving into BLM rioters. #BoycottDovepic.twitter.com/tw9z5RklRa  National Conservative (@NatCon2022) September 14, 2023

As Breitbart News reported, Dove partnered with Bryant, who ruined a white students life over a misheard remark at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2020.

At that time, Bryant had taken to social media to claim that then-University of Virginia student Morgan Bettinger had said the BLM protestors would make good speedbumps, despite there being no evidence of her having said that.

The rumor resulted in Bettinger being attacked by a woke mob and swept up into a campus-wide scandal that sparked a more than year-long investigation by the university itself. While Bettinger was eventually cleared of the allegations, her reputation was nonetheless destroyed, and those who were behind the fake charges suffered no repercussions.

Just because [the EOCR] found the correct answer, in some sense, didnt get rid of everything I had just gone through, she told Reason earlier this year. This whole situation has had a huge impact on my life. The university has never had to answer for what their actions have done.

Bettinger, a first-generation college student, now lives in a state of limbo, the magazine said. Her father, a police officer, had died of cancer six years before the incident, and her dreams of going to law school now feel out of reach, given the black mark on her record and her new reputation.

Bryant, on the other hand, has thrived since she made her allegations against Bettinger. The activist received a glowing profile in the Washington Post in 2021, and has been named to Ebonys Power 100 list. And now, she landed a partnership with Dove.

Read more at: Breitbart.com
Italy struggles to deal with influx of 6,000 migrants in one day

The shores of Italy have been inundated with migrants lately, and it reached a breaking point this week when nearly 7,000 people arrived on the island of Lampedusa in less than 24 hours

On Wednesday, the tiny Italian island located to the south of Sicily was overrun with a flotilla of around 120 flimsy boats that made their way from Tunisia. Witnesses said that it almost looked like a procession, with boat after boat coming in. All told, around 6,800 migrants arrived in under a day, which is a few hundred people more than the full-time population of the island.

The influx posed logistical problems for authorities; the only migrant residence on the island has just 450 beds. Authorities attempted to send them to Sicily and Southern Italy via ferry as they tried to figure out what to do next and how to provide so many people with basic services.

While the country usually tightly controls the movements of migrants who have just arrived on their shores, the reception center was overwhelmed and some people managed to slip away, with sightings of migrants reported all over the island and migrants seen in news footage climbing over walls. Some locals reported that the migrants were starving, with some getting on their knees to beg for food.

Italys Deputy Prime Minister, Matteo Salvini, said that it is not a spontaneous phenomenon, it is a declaration of war on Europe. He added that the situation has the potential to collapse Italian society as a whole.

He said that mass migration from Africa to Europe is being facilitated by human trafficking organizations and other criminal groups and accused Europe of abandoning Italy and failing to help protect its borders. He said the country needs to act on its own to protect national security and strengthen migration regulations.

The frustrated mayor of Lampedusa, Filippo Mannino, echoed his concerns. He complained that the EU has left Italy to handle the influx of migrants on its own, accusing the bloc of being silent on the issue and calling for a structural solution.

Meanwhile, the UN refugee agency UNHCR's Italian representative, Chiara Cardoletti, warned the situation in Lampedusa had become critical and that moving people off of the island should be an absolute priority.

Although Italy has made a repatriation agreement with Tunisia under which those found ineligible for asylum can be returned, the same is not true of most of the other nations whose migrants enter Italy.

Migrant influxes reported across Southern Europe this summer

The Italian Interior Ministry reports that more than 120,000 migrants have arrived in the country this year so far, 11,000 of which were unaccompanied minors. This is nearly double the number of migrants seen by this point last year. The country has been contending with a big surge in migrants from Sudan, South Sudan and Eritrea in particular this summer.

However, Italy isnt the only country that is experiencing an immigration crisis. While Lampedusa is the first port of call for many of the migrants who want to relocate to the EU, the Central Mediterranean in general has been seeing growing numbers of migrants. Spain reported that the number of migrants arriving in the Canary Islands more than tripled to nearly 3,000 people during the first half of September, citing instability in Senegal as one of the reasons for the influx.

Frances Interior Minister announced earlier this week that they were seeing more migrants due to the destabilization of Tunisia and Libya; many of those who arrive in Lampedusa and are transferred by authorities to the mainland attempt to cross into France.

Sources for this article include:

RMX.News

EuroNews.com

APNews.com
Catastrophic FLOODING in Libya kills more than 5k, 10K more still missing

Catastrophic flooding caused by Mediterranean Storm Daniel, which began on Sept. 10, has impacted northeastern Libya  leaving thousands of casualties in its wake

As of Sept. 11, the flooding has destroyed two dams and four bridges in the country's northeast. Meanwhile, an official said on Sept. 12 that authorities in eastern Libya have recovered the bodies of more than 1,000 victims from the rubble in a coastal city that has been submerged by destructive floods. A spokesman for the Libyan Ministry of Interior said following the deluge, the death toll in the city of Derna alone has surpassed 5,300.

Tamer Ramadan of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said during a Sept. 12 press conference that 2,000 people are feared to have died and 10,000 people are missing following the floods. The whole city of Derna, with its population of more than 100,000, is reportedly submerged.

Rescue attempts and emergency services in the flooded city have been criticized for their slowness. "There are no first-hand emergency services," said volunteer doctor Anas Barghathy. "People are working at the moment to collect the rotting bodies."

Hichem Abu Chkiouat, a senior official in eastern Libya, described the situation in Derna as "very disastrous." He told Reuters in a phone interview: "The number of bodies recovered in Derna is more than 1,000. Bodies are lying everywhere  in the sea, in the valleys, under the buildings."

"I am not exaggerating when I say that 25 percent of the city has disappeared. Many, many buildings have collapsed."

East-west divide in Libya impeding rescue efforts

The emergency services of the Tripoli-based government in the country's west said on Sept. 12 that more than 2,300 people in Derna died during the flash floods. Osama Ali, a spokesman for the services, stated more than 5,000 people were still missing in Derna and about 7,000 others were injured by the strength of floodwaters that raced down a usually dry river valley and struck the city. (Related: Rare summer rainstorm causes flash flood in Las Vegas Strip.)

Ossama Hamad, prime minister of the east Libya government, said thousands of people were missing in the city. Several were believed to have been washed away after two upstream dams collapsed, he added.

Libyan journalist Abdulkader Assad meanwhile blamed the political chaos as a determining factor to the slow rescue response. He cited the presence of two governments in the country as a major reason why help is trickling in slowly.

"There are no rescue teams, there are no trained rescuers in Libya. Everything over the last 12 years was about war," Assad said in an interview with the BBC. "There are two governments in Libya... and that is actually slowing down the help that is coming to Libya because it's a little bit confusing. You have people who are pledging help, but the help is not coming."

Libya stays divided between two opposing governments after more than a decade of confusion. One administration is in the east and one in the west, each supported by militias and foreign governments. The fight has left the oil-rich nation with collapsing and insufficient infrastructure. Ever since the overthrow of the country's former leader Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has been in turmoil.

Follow Disaster.news for more stories like this.

Watch this video about flooding in Honduras that lead to landslides and destruction, which was reportedly caused by heavy rainfall just like in Libya.

This video is from the END TIME NEWS channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Hurricane Ian leaves 2.7 million Florida customers without power; significant casualties expected.

Montecito, California evacuated ahead of second wave of storms bringing rain, wind, flooding and mudslides.

Hurricane Idalia batters Florida with catastrophic flooding, leaving some areas uninhabitable for months and at least 270,000 people without power.

Sources include:

HumanEvents.com

CBSNews.com

Brighteon.com
ART OF DECEPTION: North Korea showcases trucks with concealed artillery rockets

North Korea has paraded ordinary box trucks and dump trucks that conceal rocket launchers , an innovative twist to the timeless concept of camouflage.

These seemingly ordinary trucks have an astonishing 12 tubes, apparently designed to hold 122 mm artillery rockets. They were skillfully hidden within the trucks' pop-up and slide-door roofs, rendering them virtually indistinguishable from their civilian counterparts. Even the dump truck crews wore yellow hardhats while brandishing their rifles, adding to the illusion of civilian functionality.

The new mobile rocket trucks were showcased during a Sept. 9 military parade to commemorate the hermit kingdom's 1948 founding. The trucks belonged to the Worker-Peasant Red Guards paramilitary unit, which featured heavily in the 75th anniversary parade. Alongside unit members, a fleet of tractors also pulled rocket-launchers and anti-tank guided missiles on trailers.

This exhibition mirrored a similar display from two years ago when Pyongyang showcased systems towing guided missile launchers. These tractors symbolize a tangible military tactic  employing civilian assets for full-scale warfare if a conflict arises.

This arsenal underscores the significant firepower possessed by North Korea's "civil defense," revealing a formidable hidden capability that could be employed in times of crisis. Moreover, these disguised trucks reflect a resurgence of classic deception tactics aimed at concealing military equipment on the battlefield.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's pursuit of extreme concealment methods aligns with its deterrence strategy that seeks to make it challenging, if not impossible, for preemptive strikes to eliminate all of North Korea's nuclear warheads and delivery systems. Notably, the hermit kingdom has previously tested short-range ballistic missiles fired from modified railcars and even launched missiles from within a lake, showcasing its commitment to deception as a defensive tactic.

Disguised launchers create a formidable challenge for adversaries. Identifying which trucks, train cars, or lake house launchers become a deadly shell game, and missing even one concealed launcher can have costly consequences. This strategy also ties up valuable intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) resources  resources, diverting the enemy's attention from other critical areas.

Given North Korea's investment in this technology for its paramilitary force's rocket launchers, it raises questions about its potential application for long-range systems like nuclear-armed cruise missiles.

New mobile rocket launchers come as Pyongyang readies for war

Recent developments in military technology have introduced new threats, including kamikaze drones, drone-deployed bomblets and air-to-ground precision-guided weapons. Given these, many military forces have emphasized the importance of keeping equipment hidden or confusing the enemy about their identities.

For instance, Taiwan has adopted a strategy of concealing its armored vehicles as construction equipment during exercises, aiming to maintain a tactical advantage in the event of a possible Chinese invasion. The U.S., Israel, and Russia have developed missile launchers disguised as shipping containers, allowing them to blend seamlessly into cargo decks or industrial areas for launching attacks.

Washington considers disguise and concealment tactics crucial for potential conflicts in the Pacific region. In recent state media reports, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has raised concerns about the specter of nuclear war and ordered military readiness to defend against a possible invasion. (Related: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un warns of nuclear war, orders military to get ready for possible US-led invasion.)

Kim criticized joint naval exercises conducted by the U.S., South Korea, and Japan, characterizing the situation as unstable and dangerous. He also referred to leaders of the three countries involved as "gang bosses" and criticized their defense cooperation against North Korea's nuclear program.

Tensions surrounding North Korea's evolving nuclear threats continue to escalate, with the U.S. and its allies conducting military exercises to address the situation, despite differing interpretations of their intent. These developments underscore the importance of concealment and strategic deception in the context of evolving global security challenges.

Visit WWIII.news for more news about a potential war with North Korea.

Watch this video about North Korea joining Russia in the fight against the United States.

This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

North Korea threatens to shoot down U.S. aircraft entering its airspace.

North Korea blasts "sinister" U.S. approval of F-16 jets for Ukraine.

South Korea to acquire nuclear weapons if tension with North Korea escalates.

Sources include:

TheDrive.com

APNews.com

Brighteon.com
Out of the seats & into the streets

As many of you are aware, I have a 24/7 newsfeed. In fact I have several. Many, in fact. A steady stream of news and information coming in from multiple sources, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The articles and stories never stop, and sometimes it can become maddening, because the news is almost never, ever good. Its overwhelmingly negative, and this can wear a person down. Trust me.

(Article by Rob Pue republished from WisconsinChristianNews.com)

So recently, I took a break and my wife and I?enjoyed a rare night out to dinner at a restaurant. Id just seen the latest news about how officials in Lahaina on the island of Maui have now surrounded the area they destroyed with a tall black fence, and now, for miles and miles beyond that, there are foreign police, sitting in their cars, watching to make sure no one finds a way to hike in to the devastated area. Theres a complete media blackout. The mayors not talking. The governors not talking, FEMA?directors arent talking  but they are staying in $1000 a night resort hotel rooms by night as they confiscate donations to the Lahaina survivors by day. No photos or images from Lahaina are going out to the press, no drones or aerial photos are allowed and no one is answering any questions.

Meanwhile, rumors abound. The police chief of Maui, who also happened to be the guy in charge during the 2017 mass shooting in Las Vegas  an event that still has more questions than answers  is also the coroner of Maui, and rumors are circulating that he has over 1,000 bodies of dead children in his morgue. Yet, he refuses to answer questions about how many people died  and he refuses to answer questions about how many are still missing. People who live there say its multiple thousands  still missing, or confirmed dead, but the powers that be seem determined to make sure no one ever knows.

In fact, the media blackout on this horrendous crime against humanity has been faster and worse than any in recent history. Ask the average person on the street what happened in Lahaina? and youll get a blank stare. They have no idea what youre talking about. If the mainstream media isnt covering it (and theyre not covering this), then it quickly vanishes down the memory hole, and the powers that be are doing their best to make the world see and remember nothing about this as quickly as possible. It seems to be working. Few know about or remember Lahaina. Its gone the way of East Palestine, Ohio. But I cant and?wont forget.

Thousands were murdered here, and I believe, by their own US?government. Now, the land is being taken from the people by government edict and by globalist banksters, to build back better, turning what was once as close to paradise as one could find on earth, into an AI?testing ground for a 15-minute SMART city. It makes me sick.

With the misery of the people of Maui still weighing heavy on my heart, I was also reading about rumors of another planned lockdown, likely coming this fall. Of course, none of us can predict when theyll be pushing for more lockdowns, mask and jab mandates, and forced closure of businesses, schools and churches, but we know it must happen sometime in the coming year  after all, theres an election scheduled. The election variant must be in full infectious mode by this time next year, in order to require mail-in ballots, social distancing, and silence all dissent with draconian new disinformation laws.

So, these things were on my mind the other night as my wife and I?enjoyed an evening out for dinner. I know I?should just be able to turn it all off in my mind, forget about the news and just enjoy myself in the moment, but as I?said, I?have a hard time with that. The burden is heavy.

And as I looked around, I saw so many happy, normal people  couples, families, groups of friends  all sitting and enjoying one anothers company and sharing a meal together. I?couldnt help but wonder, whats going to happen when the Globalist Police State decrees the next lockdown? Its going to have to be much more harsh and much more serious than the last one. Obviously, its going to have to be much scarier, because so many have already stated theyll never comply with such loss of their freedoms ever again. But I?couldnt help but wonder  how many of these now-happy, normal people will fall for it again? And I wondered, how many people have ever even heard of Lahaina? How many will obediently comply with, and eagerly line up for, whatever shot they tell them to get jabbed with next? Will this restaurant survive another forced shut down? Will the next lockdown be the last? When they launch the next offensive on the American people, will we ever see normal like at this restaurant, on this evening, ever again?

Folks, we need to understand that NOTHING good comes from government, especially the UN/Global, federal and state government. Theyve set up a system of false controlled opposition, whereby the Democrats and Republicans play the theatrical roles of polar opposites. Good versus evil, if you will  and those can be interchangeable with the two political parties, depending on which way youve been brainwashed. But do you not see? Both are wings of the same foul bird.

If youre waiting for the second coming of Donald Trump to set everything right, youre in for a rude awakening. If youre waiting for the Republican party to somehow patch the hole in Titanics side, then sadly, you dont realize that the Republicans ARE just as much a part of the iceberg as the Democrats.

Can you name for me just ONE thing the Republicans have done in Congress in the past ten years that was positive? Its ok, Ill wait. Just one thing. Even when they had a majority. One positive thing. Even just one instance where they truly tried to do the right thing, even if they failed. Still scratching your head? Me too.

Yet somehow, these scoundrels enter Congress, and shortly thereafter become millionaires and billionaires, working less than a third of the year, and every piece of legislation they pass seems to tear away at more and more of our American liberties, cost us more money, put us deeper and deeper into debt, heap upon our shoulders heavier and heavier burdens of regulations and taxation. And  every piece of legislation they pass, they exempt themselves from. Quite the scam they have going.

Not happy with that arrangement? Who are you going to call? To where will you take your redress of grievances? Friends, our legislators are laughing at us. Were nothing more than their fools, their idiots. They can look you straight in the eye and lie to your face more convincingly than a time-share salesman, and they do so with no remorse.

Now, Satan and his demons have infested the halls of Congress, our Supreme Court, the Executive branch in DC  and dare I?say, just about every single man-made government office in the land with pure evil. There are a few small pockets of hope  but like Gods chosen Remnant, these pockets of hope are few. The people, having long ago forgotten God, have also had no time to remember our national history or from where our ancestors came, not so long ago. Freedom has become cheap in the minds of most, having forgotten that it cost some their very lives. Sort of like the way Easy Believism has overtaken our seminaries and churches, and Grace has become just as cheap in the minds of most. The blood our Savior shed for our wretched souls, nothing more than a romantic metaphor.

A reader recently asked me about a statement I made. I?had said, its time we get out of the seats and into the streets. He wanted me to explain how to do that. First of all, out of the seats and into the streets means its time to quit playing Church. Its time to be done with churchianity. Its time we stop using the church as a social club full of fat and happy, dumbed-down hand-shakers and fake-smilers and instead understand and know that Gods true remnant Church of believers is our only hope to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. Learn your history. Learn Church history, biblical history and American and World history.

Honestly, for the most part, I believe the institutional churches in this country are a lost cause, and so are their pastors. There are a FEW good bodies of believers worth being a part of out there, but youll have to search hard for them, and they wont have flashy websites, they wont be bursting at the seams with a so-called ministry for every people group. Their youth groups wont be playing stupid games with Jell-O and squirt guns or holding pizza parties  theyll be training members up to witness on the streets and out in public to other young people dealing with drug addiction, pornography and abortion, to name just a few.

Understand you will likely need to get out of the seats of these dead so-called churches. Be prepared to walk away, when your pastor refuses to address the many urgent matters of our times, and refuses to train the sheep up to be warriors for the kingdom. Hes the gatekeeper and you wont be able to fix things at your church as long as its being run by a cowardly wolf, so walk away. Theres no time to waste now. Then, be prepared to start your own home church  even if its only your own family household at first.

How else can we get out of the seats and into the streets? We can study, to show ourselves approved, workmen that need not be ashamed. We should know Gods Word inside and out; we should have a close relationship with our Creator, so that we can call on Him in a moments notice, and have no doubt whatsoever that He will hear and He will answer us. We should learn to evangelize, as the disciples did in the book of Acts. Notice, it is called the book of Acts, not the book of sits there and listens to the pastor once a week, then goes home and nothing ever changes. ACTS. As Christians, we are to ACT. You dont do that while sitting in your seat in church  forever learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.

Also, in these days of deception and oppression, we must be active at the local levels  we need to be at our school board meetings when decisions are being passed to teach perversion to our children. We need to be at the county Health Commission meetings, when decisions are being made to require masking and jabbing our children, to close our mom &?pop businesses  and coming soon, to require a digital ID and social credit score in order to hold a job, travel or buy food. Its time we stop sitting on the sidelines and, for goodness sake, at least SHOW UP at these meetings and make our presence known!

Out of the seats and into the streets doesnt (yet) require violence, but unless we start getting up off our backsides and OUT THERE, courageously unafraid to speak the truth on EVERYTHING, its going to come to that, sooner rather than later.

As Christians, I?hope you know where and what Lahaina is. I?hope you know that East Palestine is in Ohio, not the middle east. Because most people dont have a clue. I hope you understand the wickedness, evil, lies and deception all around us. Inform others on these things. The media isnt doing it, and the Lord knows, the pastors will never do it. Refuse to let any lie go unchallenged. Shine the light of truth on every falsehood, and use these government false flag events as opportunities to speak about the wiles of the devil and these last-days deceptions. Each time they pull one of these hoaxes, its an opportunity for us to tell others the truth  and along with that, the truth of the Gospel as well.

Thats how you get out of the seats and into the streets. Just DO SOMETHING! For far too long weve been brainwashed into believing we can just go vote Republican, and let them take care of everything. For too long, weve been brainwashed into believing we can just drop our kids off at youth group, and let them raise our children to be proper Christians...because were too lazy to get out of the seats.

If we dont get up and actually DO SOMETHING now, then well have no one but ourselves to blame when were ultimately led away into slavery by the devils masquerading as our public servants.

Read more at: WisconsinChristianNews.com
Russia significantly increases production of tanks and munitions despite Western sanctions aimed at undermining the countrys military industry

Despite Western sanctions aimed at undermining Russia's military industry, the country has managed to significantly increase its production of ammunition and other armaments, according to the New York Times.

A senior Western defense official said Russia's annual tank production has doubled, with the ability to now manufacture 200 tanks per year, up from 100 before the Ukraine invasion. Furthermore, Western experts estimate that Russia is on track to produce a staggering two million artillery shells annually, twice the pre-war estimates.

This boost in production has resulted in Russia surpassing both the United States and Europe in ammunition manufacturing capacity. While the U.S. and its NATO allies are working to enhance their production capabilities, tangible results are not expected for several years.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg had previously voiced concerns that Ukraine was expending artillery rounds at a pace faster than the entire alliance could produce.

Kusti Salm, a senior Estonian Defense Ministry official, emphasized that Russia's current ammunition production outpaces the West's by a factor of seven. This stark contrast underscores how time appears to be favoring Russia in the ongoing conflict and raises questions about the sustainability of fueling the proxy war for the U.S. and its NATO allies.

The report by the New York Times also highlights that initial Western sanctions, which targeted specific technologies like advanced semiconductors, initially hindered Russia's ammunition production.

However, Moscow managed to circumvent these sanctions, and its economy adapted to the U.S.-led economic pressure by finding new energy export markets in Asia. (Related: Russian oil exports surge despite Western sanctions, Moscow's output cut.)

Meanwhile, in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant is working tirelessly to support Ukraine's war efforts by producing approximately 11,000 artillery shells monthly. Despite this considerable output, the Ukrainian military often expends a similar quantity of shells within just a few days. To meet the surging demand, the plant is undergoing a substantial expansion, backed by significant defense investments from the Pentagon.

U.S. struggles to meet Ukraine's demands and rebuild stockpiles at the same time

The U.S. and its allies have provided nearly $50 billion in aid and equipment to Ukraine's military over the past year. To sustain this support and rebuild their stockpiles, the Pentagon is embarking on a major increase in ammunition production, mobilizing segments of the U.S. defense industry for heightened production, despite the nation technically not being at war.

The Pentagon has allocated approximately $3 billion to purchase munitions from allies abroad and boost domestic production. A notable portion of this effort will focus on producing 155-millimeter artillery shells, which have become a crucial asset in the ongoing conflict. The U.S. Army plans to increase artillery shell production by a remarkable 500 percent, from 15,000 per month to 70,000.

Munitions factories across the U.S. are working at full capacity to ramp up production. Lockheed Martin's plant in Camden, Arkansas, is producing rockets and missiles, including those used in the Army's Patriot missile system, which are in high demand in Ukraine. Additionally, new plants are being established in Texas and expanded in Iowa to meet the growing demand for artillery shells.

While the U.S. and its allies are intensifying efforts to support Ukraine, there are concerns about whether these actions will be sufficient. Ukraine's high ammunition consumption continues to outpace production capabilities, and there are challenges in meeting demands from both allies and domestic stockpile rebuilding.

Seth Jones, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies' International Security Program, has raised concerns about the depletion of certain weapon systems and munitions in the U.S. stockpile due to aid sent to Ukraine. Furthermore, war games conducted by the CSIS suggest that in a Pacific conflict, the U.S. could run out of critical long-range munitions, such as anti-ship missiles, within a week.

These challenges underscore the importance of maintaining adequate weapon systems and stockpiles to deter conflicts and respond effectively in the face of aggression.

Read more news related to the Russia-Ukraine war on WWIII.news.

Watch how Russia rains rockets on Ukrainian forces in the video below.

This video is from the perception is reality channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Poland runs out of ammunition, can no longer send supplies to Ukraine.

Zelensky admits Ukraine already OUT OF AMMO  another begging spree in the works.

RUNNING OUT: Ukraine blowing through more ammo than NATO, U.S. can manufacture and provide.

Sources include

NYTimes.com

Brighteon.com
White House issues guidance to mainstream media outlets, demanding that they ramp up scrutiny of Republicans over impeachment inquiry against Biden

The White House has issued "guidance" asking mainstream media outlets to " ramp up scrutiny " over the impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden.

The memo, titled "It's Time For The Media To Do More To Scrutinize House Republicans," was sent by Ian Sams, a White House special assistant to the president, senior advisor and spokesman for the White House Counsel's Office.

"It's time for the media to ramp up its scrutiny of House Republicans for opening an impeachment inquiry based on lies," wrote Sams. "When even House Republican members are admitting that there is simply no evidence that Joe Biden did anything wrong, much less impeachable, that should set off alarm bells for news organizations."

Sams and the White House claim that Congressional Republicans have for years tried to attract media coverage for baseless accusations.

"It is the responsibility of the independent press to treat their claims with the appropriate scrutiny," wrote Sams. "Covering impeachment as a process story  'Republicans say X, but the White House says Y'  is a disservice to the American public who relies on the independent press to hold those in power accountable."

"And in the modern media environment, where every day liars and hucksters peddle disinformation and lies everywhere from Facebook to Fox, process stories that fail to unpack the illegitimacy of the claims on which House Republicans are basing all their actions only serve to generate confusion, put false premises in people's feeds and obscure the truth," continued Sams.

In his memo, Sams included a separate 14-page document allegedly debunking Republican claims about impeachable offenses allegedly committed by Biden, along with a message urging news outlets to use "factual information" in their reporting.

"That's crazy," said Carl Higbie on Newsmax of the attempt by the White House to pressure the media on how to cover the impeachment inquiry. "Go and try to tell every major media company in America that they should be covering something else. Are you high?"

"No, White House. I'll cover what I think is relevant," he added. "You Democrats stick to bankrupting the country and hopefully losing the next election."

"They should be playing hardball and instead what they're doing is b------g about the media," said one White House reporter who regularly attends briefings to the New York Post.

"I don't think the media likes being told what to do. I think it's going to backfire," he added. "It seems to say to me that they believe the media will just do what [the White House] tells them. It's a terrible look for the administration."

"This is not okay," said award-winning journalist Matthew Keys. "The White House should not be encouraging, influencing or interfering in the editorial strategies of America's newsrooms Now, any time the media does try to hold Republican lawmakers to account, those lawmakers can simply counter by questioning whether it's actual journalism or something encouraged by the Biden administration."

Impeachment inquiry in House to proceed despite White House obstruction

The White House's "guidance" comes following an announcement from Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday, Sept. 12, in which he said that he would be directing House committees to open an impeachment inquiry into Biden. McCarthy's main charges against Biden involve the president's alleged collusion with his son Hunter Biden's illicit business dealings in China and Ukraine.

"Through our investigations, we have found that President Biden did lie to the American people about his own knowledge of his family's foreign business dealings," said McCarthy, additionally claiming that "these allegations paint a picture of a culture of corruption."

The current impeachment process against Biden comes over two months after House Republicans initially passed a resolution to impeach the president. (Related: Impeachment resolution against Biden PASSES House vote, now moves to two committees for review.)

"This logical next step will give our committees the full power to gather all the facts and answers for the American public," said McCarthy. "These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption and they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives."

Learn more about the corruption allegations against the Biden administration at JoeBiden.news.

Watch this clip from Newsmax revealing the "guidance" issued by the White House to the media on how to "correctly" cover the impeachment inquiry against the president.

This video is from the News Clips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

McCarthy calls for meeting with top GOPs to vote on Biden's impeachment based on evidence of abuse of power and corruption.

MEDIA MARCHING ORDERS: White House orders media to cover up Joe Biden's corruption bombshells.

White House builds defense team for expected GOP impeachment inquiry against Biden.

BOMBSHELL: Recorded conversation proving Joe Biden's glaring corruption to be released in coming weeks.

The American public is ready to go off on "the Biden crime family" and all this ongoing nonsense, what is hands down the worst political scandal in US history, dwarfing Watergate.

Sources include:

Brighteon.com

NYPost.com

TheHill.com

Axios.com

WashingtonExaminer.com
What are they trying to hide? YouTube CENSORING videos of Ukrainian soldiers embracing NAZISM

YouTube is reportedly censoring clips of Ukrainian soldiers embracing Nazism , according to the Gateway Pundit's Larry Johnson.

"If you have some genuine information about Nazis in Ukraine, YouTube will prevent you from posting," he wrote. Johnson had made a video compilation of Ukrainian soldiers embracing Nazism through flags, salutes and patches on their uniforms. But because of the video sharing platform's algorithm, he was forced to upload the compilation on Rumble.

The video featured Ukrainian soldiers holding Nazi swastika flags and doing the Nazi salute. Symbols associated with Nazism  such as the SS double lightning rune, Totenkopf (death's head) and Wolfsangel (wolf's hook), were also featured in the clip. The latter symbol gained prominence during the Russia-Ukraine war because of its use as the standard of the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion. (Related: Leaked docs show FBI funded Ukrainian neo-Nazi "Azov Battalion" that orchestrated Charlottesville chaos to stoke racial division, destabilize West.)

More than one minute into the clip, Johnson highlighted a member of the Azov Battalion in uniform. The soldier's picture was juxtaposed alongside a picture of him and his wife at the dinner table. Johnson highlighted the presence of Adolf Hitler's work "Mein Kampf" on the table where the couple sat.

He concluded the video with a statement from a Ukrainian military member who claimed: "No, no. Of course, Ukrainians aren't Nazis. We don't have any Nazis or fascism. We're not like that, no way."

The camera then shifted to his comrade showing a Nazi swastika tattoo on his lower left abdomen. The first soldier laughed, sang a Nazi anthem and performed the Nazi salute.

"I tried repeatedly tonight to upload the  video to YouTube  no deal. The algorithm identified the Nazi content and refused to allow me to upload the video to my YouTube channel. So much for free speech," Johnson commented.

"Repeated denials from Ukraine enthusiasts in America and Europe collapse in the face of these videos and images. This is not AI-manufactured content. It is an honest presentation of what some of the units in the Ukrainian army are celebrating and embracing enthusiastically."

Not all Nazis are censored by YouTube

"Lest you think that YouTube rejects all Nazi content, think again," Johnson pointed out. He cited the PBS documentary titled "Documenting Hate: New American Nazis" as an example of Nazi content that does not run afoul of the Alphabet-owned platform's standards.

According to the Arlington, Virginia-based public broadcaster, the November 2018 documentary "investigates a violent neo-Nazi group that has actively recruited inside the U.S. military, and examines the groups terrorist objectives."

On the issue of Nazis at home, the Gateway Pundit writer also tackled the case of Kent "Boneface" McLellan. He originally claimed he was a former member of the Azov Battalion who had experience in the frontlines fighting for Kyiv. But according to Johnson, Boneface is actually a fake Nazi and has never been to Ukraine.

He zoomed in on a picture that supposedly proves Boneface's presence in the Ukrainian battlefield. Upon closer scrutiny, the said picture was but "a sloppy Photoshop job."

Citing information from conservative activist Laura Loomer, Johnson alleged that McLellan is a confidential human informant being run by the Department of Homeland Security. He added that the department is utilizing Boneface to keep tabs on the American Nazi movement, despite his documented criminal past.

"Ukraine's cyber warfare unit is not sitting still. They are churning out provably false information to try to discredit anyone who claims that there are active Nazis in Ukraine," concluded Johnson. "Americans need to ask themselves a hard question: Do we really want to continue to spend billions of dollars propping up a regime that is supported by die-hard Nazis?"

Visit YouTubeCensorship.com for more stories about YouTube banning videos about Nazis in Ukraine.

Watch this video about the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion being supported by the United States.

This video is from the SOS channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Western leaders have effectively embraced Ukrainian Nazism.

America is funding, arming and training Ukraine's neo-Nazi Azov Battalion.

Ukrainian Nazi "BoneFace" threatens Laura Loomer for outing him as U.S. intel asset on social media.

CIA admits training Nazi terror troops in Ukraine, which have been fighting and killing Russians since 2015.

NAZI PROJECTION: Biden Regime funding Neo-Nazi staged "rallies" in USA to make it look like Trump supporters are all right-wing extremists.

Sources include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

Rumble.com

PBS.org

Brighteon.com
North Lebanon forests are under threat by wildfires, drought, heatwaves, and other extreme weather events, according to several reports earlier this week.

The lack of rainfall, along with the mentioned natural disasters, has also fueled the environmental crisis facing the country, which has plunged into economic turmoil in recent years. Due to a faltering economy, Lebanon is reportedly unable to properly respond to the said events, especially large wildland fires.

Due to the extremely hot weather and prolonged dry conditions in the region, the lack of water supply from basins is also becoming a challenge for North Lebanon's inhabitants, the reports add.

In October 2019, Beirut's failure to contain the forest fires, along with other socio-economic issues, led to a nationwide anti-government protest, with demonstrations occurring in the capital and other cities and towns across the country.

Lebanon Forests Under Threat

Following scorching temperatures during summer, residents of Lebanon's mountainous Akkar region have raised concerns regarding climate change and water scarcity.

One of the residents is a 60-year-old farmer, Abdullah Hammud, who spent his life growing different agricultural produce. However, Hammud expressed current environmental problems are reportedly affecting his livelihood.

The catastrophic environmental disasters did not occur overnight but involves a series of events recorded in the past.

In 2020, major wildfires struck Akkar, which contained a forest and residential area covering 200 square kilometers (77 square miles). The region is also the habitat of 73 out of 76 tree species in Lebanon, according to Antoine Daher, an NGO head at the Council of Environment in the town of Kobayat, which also suffered from devastating forest fires.

Also Read: Day 5 of Largest Wildfire in Greece Raises Death Toll to 20 as Firefighters Tally 355 Forest Fires

Lebanon Water Stress

Lebanon is only one of the many countries affected by water crisis across the Middle East region, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar, according to the World Resources Institute, adding that water stress is also prevalent in North Africa and South Asia.

Aside from natural disasters, anthropogenic factors like increasing water demand not only by residential areas but also industries such as agriculture and livestock is causing a global water stress, the institute explains.

In the case of Lebanon, experts assert that the country has been grappling with severe water crisis for years already, with climate change blamed for causing less precipitation and the lack of storage infrastructure.

Lebanon Wildfire Crisis

The compounded impacts of extreme weather events such as heatwaves and droughts in northern Lebanon, as mentioned earlier, has led to the emergence of deadly wildfires in the country, especially in Akkar.

In recent weeks, frequent fires have resulted in at least eight people wounded, evacuation orders, and damaged homes. On Thursday, September 14, a separate wildfire in the form of a brush fire occurred in the village of Khirbet Bisri, located in Lebanon's Chouf region.

According to a World Bank report on Friday, September 15, Lebanon is need of sustainable forest management to reduce wildfire risk, with anthropogenic activities or stresses increasing the vulnerability of Lebanon's forests to climate change and natural disasters.

Related Article: Italy's Rampaging Wildfire Burns Down Sicilian Church to the Ground
A policeman talks with travelers from Pakistan at the Khunjerab Pass in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

URUMQI, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- If you speak to the customs and foreign trade department in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China, you will surely hear the name "Old Sai. " This is the affectionate nickname given to Saifullah Baig, a Pakistani trader who has acquainted himself with nearly every staff member there.

"I have been engaged in business activities between Taxkorgan and my hometown since 1990," said Saifullah, 65, from Hunza, Pakistan, in fluent Chinese.

Old Sai earned his first gold nugget transporting silk from Kashgar to Islamabad. With the seed money, he has opened up a store in Taxkorgan, selling Kashgar products to Pakistani traders.

Situated on the Pamir Plateau, Taxkorgan is home to the renowned Khunjerab Pass, which lies on the China-Pakistan border. Border trade is one of the county's pillar industries.

Throughout his career, Saifullah has purchased numerous carpets, leather jackets, electric ovens, and other made-in-China commodities. He then sells these products to other Pakistani traders, and they are transported through the land port of Khunjerab before reaching families in Pakistan.

Over the decades, Saifullah has become a proud businessman with strong connections and several purchasing channels.

"I have Chinese business partners in Korla, Hotan, Aksu, Urumqi and other Xinjiang cities," said Saifullah. "I plan to expand my business to Horgos this year. I heard the border trade in the land port city is doing well."

Diao Guifa, a young director of Taxkorgan's border trade service center, has known Old Sai for six months. After the COVID-19 restrictions were eased and the China-Pakistan border trade resumed in the county in June, Saifullah brokered the first order -- a batch of carpets and handicrafts worth 30,000 yuan (4,112 U. S. dollars). "Old Sai knows China well, and has many Pakistani business friends. He's been helpful in Taxkorgan's border trade," said Diao.

A traveler from Pakistan waits for clearance at the Khunjerab Pass in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 29, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

"I have witnessed the development of Taxkorgan," said Saifullah, calling himself "an old Taxkorganer." "In the past there were only horse carts in the county. Now cars are everywhere."

To describe the pace of China's development, he made a gesture of a plane taking off. He happily took out a photo of his three-story house in Islamabad, bought with the profits he has made from his cross-border business.

These great changes have also been felt in the way he travels. Saifullah's father and other Pakistani traders before him had to ride on horseback to trek on the ancient Silk Road over the Karakoram Mountains for two weeks, only to bring back dozens of kilograms of goods. Today, it takes only six hours by bus to travel from Hunza to Taxkorgan.

Saifullah plans to pass on the family tradition of doing border business to his younger son Karim Ullah Baig. The 29-year-old man is no stranger to the small border county. When he was studying in the Changzhou Vocational Institute of Mechatronic Technology in Jiangsu Province, east China, Karim regularly set out from his home of Hunza and travelled through the Khunjerab Pass in Taxkorgan. From there, he would transfer to Kashgar to take a flight to Shanghai before reaching Changzhou.

"I'm getting old, so I'm counting on him," said Old Sai. "I can only speak Chinese, but Karim can write Chinese, too. He also has more innovative ideas."

Old Sai wants to teach Karim all he knows about doing business on the China-Pakistan border as he is confident of the prospect of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, an important pioneering project of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

"We are neighbors," Old Sai loves to say. "The friendship between the two countries has lasted for more than 1,000 years, right?" 
The latest weather forecast warned of the developing Hurricane Lee. It is expected to land in Nova Scotia to New Brunswick on Saturday, bringing widespread power outages and flooding rainfall.

Hurricane Lee has maintained maximum sustained winds of 80 mph as of September 15, moving north-northeastward at 18 mph. A forecast showed that Lee was tracked over the east-southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts.

Powerful Hurricane Lee: Where will it impact?

According to reports, Lee is forecast as a large hurricane. It is expected to land over Nova Scotia to New Brunswick. Residents are warned of possible flooding rainfall, flash flood risks and hurricane-force winds.

In the latest key advisory, Northeastern US and Atlantic Canada could brace for the severe impacts of Hurricane Lee starting on Saturday. The strengthening hurricane can result in downed trees and power outages.

5PM AST Sep 15: #Lee is a very large hurricane approaching the Northeast U.S. and Atlantic Canada. This system is likely to cause downed trees and potential power outages. For more information visit https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ pic.twitter.com/k8XOsD4SQm  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 15, 2023

On Saturday, September 15, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported that heavy rainfall would hit parts of Eastern Maine, Western Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The hurricane conditions can become deadly, especially for low-lying and flood-prone areas.

Starting Saturday, tropical storm conditions are likely in the New England Coast and parts of Atlantic Canada. The NHC Storm Surge warned of strong waves and coastal flooding in parts of the Southern New England Coast.

On the weekend, the forecast said that challenging weather conditions could unfold in the following areas:

Portland

Boston

Bar Harbor

Halifax

St. John

Providence

Parts of New York

Miami

New Orleans

Nashville

Washington

Pittsburgh

Columbus

Virginia Beach

Detroit

Also Read: US Weather Forecast: Dangerous Flood, Heavy Rain Likely in New Mexico, Southeastern Massachusetts This Weekend

Hurricane Lee impacts Safety preparations this weekend

The brunt of Hurricane Lee could become noticeable in the week, according to the latest forecasts. Widespread heavy rain and thunderstorms can cause severe impacts on communities and properties.

Heavy rainfall from Hurricane #Lee may cause flooding. Remember: flood water is dangerous.



Do not drive in flooded areasvehicles wont protect you.



Do not walk or swim through flood waterit may contain downed power lines, wild animals, hazardous waste, and other debris. pic.twitter.com/lHJ8epJhYa  Readygov (@Readygov) September 15, 2023

Preparations for the Hurricane impacts can help prevent possible casualties and deaths. The heavy rainfall can bring deadly flooding, which could have dangerous materials or wild animals.

Here are essential reminders to protect your family from the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Lee.

Monitor the weather developments of hurricanes.

Homeowners should check the forecasts about Hurricane Lee developments, especially if they live in the affected areas. As power outages are possible, keeping a battery-powered radio and flashlight is essential.

In addition, stay alert for the rapid rise of floodwaters. It is best to stay away from flood areas. Immediately evacuate when flooding rainfall worsens.

If you have outdoor activities or plans, it is best to stay at home as Hurricane Lee brings hurricane-force winds. Flooded roads are also possible this weekend in the affected areas.

Store emergency kits at home

Homeowners can also keep emergency home kits because hurricanes cause inaccessible roads and widespread power outages. The recommended emergency kits are the following:

Medicine kits

Raincoat protection

Extra batteries

Extra mobile phone and power bank

Flashlights

Bottled water supplies

One week of food supplies

Related Article: Hurricane Margot Developments: No Threat to US Land Expected This Week

For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News.
BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang held talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, who is on an official visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People on Friday.

China and Cambodia have always stood together through thick and thin and helped each other since establishing diplomatic ties 65 years ago, Li said, noting the two countries have set an example of equality and mutual benefit between countries.

China is ready to work with Cambodia to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, continue to give full play to the leading role of high-level exchanges, strengthen strategic communication, and push for new progress in building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future, said the premier.

Li pointed out that China firmly supports the Cambodian side in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests and exploring a development path suited to its national conditions.

He said China is willing to enhance development-strategy synergies with Cambodia, use the mechanism of the intergovernmental coordinating committee, and upgrade cooperation on industry, agriculture, the economy, and trade to achieve more practical results.

Li also called on the two sides to continue to host activities to celebrate the "China-Cambodia Friendship Year" and expand people-to-people exchanges cooperation in health, education, culture, and tourism.

"China will continue to closely cooperate and support each other with Cambodia in regional and international affairs, push for deeper and more solid Lancang-Mekong cooperation, carry out regular cooperation in non-traditional security fields such as combating online gambling and electricity fraud, and build a closer Lancang-Mekong community with a shared future," said Li.

Hun Manet hailed the "ironclad" friendship with China, stressing that the new Cambodian government maintains no change in promoting this friendship with China and intends to work with China to carry forward the traditional relationship between the two countries.

Cambodia abides by the one-China principle, resolutely opposes external forces interfering in China's internal affairs, and supports the significant initiatives put forward by China, Hun Manet said.

He expressed hopes to further expand cooperation with China on energy, agriculture, infrastructure construction, investment, and humanities under the "Diamond Hexagon" cooperation framework, strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, and build a community with a shared future between Cambodia and China.

After the talks, the two prime ministers witnessed the signing of several bilateral cooperation documents in industry, agricultural infrastructure, the digital economy, green development, inspection and quarantine, and development cooperation. 
By PTI

NEW DELHI: With the central government revealing plans to import more cheetahs from South Africa, BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Saturday said India should focus on conserving its own endangered species and habitats.

"Importing cheetahs from Africa and allowing nine of them to die in a foreign land is not just cruelty; it's an appalling display of negligence," he wrote on X.

In an interview with PTI, Project Cheetah head SP Yadav said the next batch of cheetahs would be imported from South Africa and introduced into Madhya Pradesh's Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, which is expected to be ready to welcome the spotted felines by the end of the year.

Gandhi said, "We should focus on conserving our own endangered species and habitats rather than contributing to the suffering of these magnificent creatures. This reckless pursuit of exotic animals must end immediately, and we should prioritise the welfare of our native wildlife instead."

Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi ridiculed the announcement, saying, "After the wildly successful project of Cheetas from Namibia (9 dead already)lo & behold Cheetas from South Africa (sic)."

Cartoonist Satish Acharya urged the government to "spare the cheetahs", a sentiment echoed by many X users.

Many, however, backed the move.

"I fully support this. People should stop emotionally venting. India is attempting something very difficult I.e. reintroducing cheetahs to the wild and must take all efforts necessary," wrote one user on X.

Project Cheetah, India's ambitious initiative to reintroduce cheetahs after their extinction in the country, marks its first anniversary on Sunday.

The initiative began on September 17 last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a group of cheetahs brought from Namibia into an enclosure at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park.

Since then, the project has been closely watched by conservationists and experts worldwide.

Twenty cheetahs were imported from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno in two batches - one in September last year and the second in February.

Since March, six of these adult cheetahs have died due to various reasons.

In May, three of the four cubs born to a female Namibian cheetah succumbed to extreme heat.

The remaining cub is being raised under human care for future wilding.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

NEW DELHI: With the central government revealing plans to import more cheetahs from South Africa, BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Saturday said India should focus on conserving its own endangered species and habitats. "Importing cheetahs from Africa and allowing nine of them to die in a foreign land is not just cruelty; it's an appalling display of negligence," he wrote on X. In an interview with PTI, Project Cheetah head SP Yadav said the next batch of cheetahs would be imported from South Africa and introduced into Madhya Pradesh's Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, which is expected to be ready to welcome the spotted felines by the end of the year.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Gandhi said, "We should focus on conserving our own endangered species and habitats rather than contributing to the suffering of these magnificent creatures. This reckless pursuit of exotic animals must end immediately, and we should prioritise the welfare of our native wildlife instead." Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi ridiculed the announcement, saying, "After the wildly successful project of Cheetas from Namibia (9 dead already)lo & behold Cheetas from South Africa (sic)." Cartoonist Satish Acharya urged the government to "spare the cheetahs", a sentiment echoed by many X users. Many, however, backed the move. "I fully support this. People should stop emotionally venting. India is attempting something very difficult I.e. reintroducing cheetahs to the wild and must take all efforts necessary," wrote one user on X. Project Cheetah, India's ambitious initiative to reintroduce cheetahs after their extinction in the country, marks its first anniversary on Sunday. The initiative began on September 17 last year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi released a group of cheetahs brought from Namibia into an enclosure at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park. Since then, the project has been closely watched by conservationists and experts worldwide. Twenty cheetahs were imported from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno in two batches - one in September last year and the second in February. Since March, six of these adult cheetahs have died due to various reasons. In May, three of the four cubs born to a female Namibian cheetah succumbed to extreme heat. The remaining cub is being raised under human care for future wilding. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

JHANJHARPUR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday warned that Bihar's areas close to the borders (seemant) will become "infested with infiltrators" if Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not voted back to power.

Shah, widely regarded as the BJP's "principal strategist", made the remark at a rally in Jhanjharpur parliamentary constituency, situated close to Nepal and Bangladesh.

The home minister, who spoke for close to 30 minutes, charged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad of pursuing "appeasement politics" through measures like cuts in holidays of government schools.

"I would like to congratulate the people of Bihar for putting up a resistance that forced the state government to withdraw its order whereby holidays on Rakshabandhan, the festival of brothers and sisters, and Janmashtami, devoted to Lord Krishna, were done away with," said Shah.

The allusion was to the recent protests by teachers across the state which led the education department to withdraw the new calendar which was brought in with the aim of ensuring that classes were held for the requisite number of days in a year.

Continuing with the tirade against "tushtikaran" (appeasement), the home minister slammed the Congress, a partner in the state's ruling alliance, for dragging its feet on Ram temple at Ayodhya and Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Showering praises on PM Modi for abrogation of Article 370 and making possible the construction of the temple "by January next year", the home minister, however, struck an alarming note.

"If the Lalu-Nitish duo (jodi) returns to power in Bihar and Narendra Modi does not come back as Prime Minister, the entire region will become infested with infiltrators (saara seemant kshetra ghuspaithiyon se bhar jaaega)", said Shah.

"In such a situation, many types of issues will arise in Bihar (anek prakaar ke sawaal khade honge).Do you want the area to be teeming with infiltrators," the home minister asked.

He, however, exuded confidence that the BJP-led NDA, which performed well in Bihar in the last couple of Lok Sabha polls, will win "all 40 seats" of the state in 2024.

Shah also slammed the INDIA coalition for the alleged denigration of "Sanatana Dharma" and claimed that the Congress-led coalition did away with the previous name "UPA" because it had been associated with "scams involving Rs 12 lakh crore".

"Some of the scams involved Lalu Prasad, who was then the railway minister, to which Nitish Kumar is now turning a blind eye for the sake of his prime ministerial ambitions", alleged Shah.

"But Nitish should know there is no vacancy for the post of the prime minister. His alliance with Lalu is like trying to mix oil with water. The oil does not get dissolved, but water gets contaminated", Shah remarked.

Shah also alleged while the chief minister was thinking of becoming the prime minister, his ally was busy making plans to help son (Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav) occupy the highest seat of power in the state.

The former BJP president began his speech with evocative salutations to goddess Sita, who is believed to have been discovered by King Janaka not very far from the venue of the rally.

The home minister, who slammed the INDIA bloc for alleged denigration of Bihar, underscored the benefits that were likely to accrue to Bihar under the Centre's Ramayana Circuit tourism scheme, which covers many districts of the state.

He also claimed that at the G20 presidency, the showcasing of Nalanda and Madhubani paintings were proof of the high esteem in which PM Modi held Bihar's heritage.

"It was at the instance of PM Modi that African Union was included in the G20. I have been travelling across the country since then. Young people feel proud of India's growing influence", claimed the Union home minister.

Charging the Nitish Kumar government with being in deep slumber (Kumbhkaran ki neend) as Bihar, particularly the Mithila region, were reeling under floods and lawlessness (jungle raj), Shah claimed the Modi government has so far given Rs 5. 92 lakh-crore for various projects in Bihar, as against the UPA that spent less than half the amount.

Shah, who reached the venue by a chopper he took at Darbhanga, credited the Modi government for the airport at the north Bihar town and said an allocation of Rs 1,200 crore has been made to upgrade the one at Patna.

He also blamed the state government for the stalling of construction of AIIMS at Darbhanga "which would have made Bihar a state with more than one such hospital (after Patna)".

"The Nitish Kumar government had allotted a tract of land that was unsuitable for the project. Moreover, they have now taken the entire 81 acres back", alleged Shah.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

JHANJHARPUR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday warned that Bihar's areas close to the borders (seemant) will become "infested with infiltrators" if Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not voted back to power. Shah, widely regarded as the BJP's "principal strategist", made the remark at a rally in Jhanjharpur parliamentary constituency, situated close to Nepal and Bangladesh. The home minister, who spoke for close to 30 minutes, charged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad of pursuing "appeasement politics" through measures like cuts in holidays of government schools.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "I would like to congratulate the people of Bihar for putting up a resistance that forced the state government to withdraw its order whereby holidays on Rakshabandhan, the festival of brothers and sisters, and Janmashtami, devoted to Lord Krishna, were done away with," said Shah. The allusion was to the recent protests by teachers across the state which led the education department to withdraw the new calendar which was brought in with the aim of ensuring that classes were held for the requisite number of days in a year. Continuing with the tirade against "tushtikaran" (appeasement), the home minister slammed the Congress, a partner in the state's ruling alliance, for dragging its feet on Ram temple at Ayodhya and Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Showering praises on PM Modi for abrogation of Article 370 and making possible the construction of the temple "by January next year", the home minister, however, struck an alarming note. "If the Lalu-Nitish duo (jodi) returns to power in Bihar and Narendra Modi does not come back as Prime Minister, the entire region will become infested with infiltrators (saara seemant kshetra ghuspaithiyon se bhar jaaega)", said Shah. "In such a situation, many types of issues will arise in Bihar (anek prakaar ke sawaal khade honge).Do you want the area to be teeming with infiltrators," the home minister asked. He, however, exuded confidence that the BJP-led NDA, which performed well in Bihar in the last couple of Lok Sabha polls, will win "all 40 seats" of the state in 2024. Shah also slammed the INDIA coalition for the alleged denigration of "Sanatana Dharma" and claimed that the Congress-led coalition did away with the previous name "UPA" because it had been associated with "scams involving Rs 12 lakh crore". "Some of the scams involved Lalu Prasad, who was then the railway minister, to which Nitish Kumar is now turning a blind eye for the sake of his prime ministerial ambitions", alleged Shah. "But Nitish should know there is no vacancy for the post of the prime minister. His alliance with Lalu is like trying to mix oil with water. The oil does not get dissolved, but water gets contaminated", Shah remarked. Shah also alleged while the chief minister was thinking of becoming the prime minister, his ally was busy making plans to help son (Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav) occupy the highest seat of power in the state. The former BJP president began his speech with evocative salutations to goddess Sita, who is believed to have been discovered by King Janaka not very far from the venue of the rally. The home minister, who slammed the INDIA bloc for alleged denigration of Bihar, underscored the benefits that were likely to accrue to Bihar under the Centre's Ramayana Circuit tourism scheme, which covers many districts of the state. He also claimed that at the G20 presidency, the showcasing of Nalanda and Madhubani paintings were proof of the high esteem in which PM Modi held Bihar's heritage. "It was at the instance of PM Modi that African Union was included in the G20. I have been travelling across the country since then. Young people feel proud of India's growing influence", claimed the Union home minister. Charging the Nitish Kumar government with being in deep slumber (Kumbhkaran ki neend) as Bihar, particularly the Mithila region, were reeling under floods and lawlessness (jungle raj), Shah claimed the Modi government has so far given Rs 5. 92 lakh-crore for various projects in Bihar, as against the UPA that spent less than half the amount. Shah, who reached the venue by a chopper he took at Darbhanga, credited the Modi government for the airport at the north Bihar town and said an allocation of Rs 1,200 crore has been made to upgrade the one at Patna. He also blamed the state government for the stalling of construction of AIIMS at Darbhanga "which would have made Bihar a state with more than one such hospital (after Patna)". "The Nitish Kumar government had allotted a tract of land that was unsuitable for the project. Moreover, they have now taken the entire 81 acres back", alleged Shah. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu's arrest by Andhra Pradesh Police in a corruption case is an attempt by a "known corrupt" chief minister to hamper the party's election campaign, its national general secretary Nara Lokesh said on Saturday, asserting he will welcome any other party willing to join the fight against the state's ruling YSR Congress Party.

Naidu's son Lokesh, however, questioned the "snail's pace" of progress in several criminal cases, including in alleged misappropriation of money, lodged by central investigation agencies like the CBI and the ED against Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, saying it does raise questions.

"Clearly, nothing seems to be moving. The chief minister is happily out on bail. He is now celebrating his 10th anniversary of being on bail while the CBI has filed a charge sheet for misappropriation of Rs 42,000 crore.

"He is probably influencing every witness possible. It does raise questions," he told PTI in an interview.

"Absolute power corrupt absolutely and corrupt people attack honest people. This is exactly what has happened in Andhra Pradesh.

"As a chief minister for 15 years and the opposition leader for 15 years, Naidu has built a squeaky clean political career in the last 42 years.

"Now a known corrupt CM who has 38 cases against him, out of which 10 were lodged by the CBI and seven by the ED, is trying to throw mud at him," he said.

Reddy and his party YSR Congress have in the past termed these cases as politically motivated.

With Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan, who has been a BJP ally, announcing his party's tie-up with the TDP after meeting Naidu following his arrest, Lokesh asserted that the alliance will virtually sweep the parliamentary and assembly polls in the state next year.

Both elections are held simultaneously in Andhra Pradesh.

It is entirely up to the BJP and Naidu to decide, he said, rejecting as speculation that the TDP supremo has been keen on a tie-up with the ruling party at the Centre.

"Our stand is very clear. Whoever comes together with us against this fight against this tyrant administration, Jagan Mohan, we welcome," he added.

Asked if he is confident that the TDP-Jana Sena alliance will do well in polls irrespective of the BJP joining them or not, he said, "Absolutely".

"People were just waiting for a chance to throw Jagan out of power before Naidu's arrest. Post-arrest, there is so much of anger against him. He is going to be surprised. The TDP-Jana Sena will sweep the polls," the young leader, seen as the political heir to his father in the party, claimed.

Reddy, he alleged, has grown "genuinely scared" of Naidu due to the popular response the former chief minister was getting and the crowd his own padyatra had been drawing across the state.

Kalyan too has been getting warm response and so the chief minister wanted to put a "speed-breaker" on our campaign, he said.

Asked if Naidu's arrest has come at a wrong time for the TDP as the polls approach, he shot back saying that the arrest has come at wrong time for Reddy.

His party will legally fight it out, he said, adding that peaceful protests have been happening across the state.

Justice can be delayed but not denied, he said, expressing confidence that his father will soon get relief from courts.

"He has committed no crime. Police have been holding press meets but have not been able to establish any money trail. Because there is no money trail," Lokesh claimed.

The arrest is nothing but political vendetta, he said, asserting that he was in the national capital to put facts before people and hold consultations with party MPs about their future strategy.

Asked if he will seek any intervention from the Centre, Lokesh said, "There is genuinely a law and order problem in the state.

Even BJP leaders in Andhra Pradesh have had cases slapped against them.

I will leave it to the BJP to decide how they will react to the issue.

" He also expressed apprehension that he might be arrested as well by the state police.

"That is how a mafia runs," he alleged.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu's arrest by Andhra Pradesh Police in a corruption case is an attempt by a "known corrupt" chief minister to hamper the party's election campaign, its national general secretary Nara Lokesh said on Saturday, asserting he will welcome any other party willing to join the fight against the state's ruling YSR Congress Party. Naidu's son Lokesh, however, questioned the "snail's pace" of progress in several criminal cases, including in alleged misappropriation of money, lodged by central investigation agencies like the CBI and the ED against Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, saying it does raise questions. "Clearly, nothing seems to be moving. The chief minister is happily out on bail. He is now celebrating his 10th anniversary of being on bail while the CBI has filed a charge sheet for misappropriation of Rs 42,000 crore.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "He is probably influencing every witness possible. It does raise questions," he told PTI in an interview. "Absolute power corrupt absolutely and corrupt people attack honest people. This is exactly what has happened in Andhra Pradesh. "As a chief minister for 15 years and the opposition leader for 15 years, Naidu has built a squeaky clean political career in the last 42 years. "Now a known corrupt CM who has 38 cases against him, out of which 10 were lodged by the CBI and seven by the ED, is trying to throw mud at him," he said. Reddy and his party YSR Congress have in the past termed these cases as politically motivated. With Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan, who has been a BJP ally, announcing his party's tie-up with the TDP after meeting Naidu following his arrest, Lokesh asserted that the alliance will virtually sweep the parliamentary and assembly polls in the state next year. Both elections are held simultaneously in Andhra Pradesh. It is entirely up to the BJP and Naidu to decide, he said, rejecting as speculation that the TDP supremo has been keen on a tie-up with the ruling party at the Centre. "Our stand is very clear. Whoever comes together with us against this fight against this tyrant administration, Jagan Mohan, we welcome," he added. Asked if he is confident that the TDP-Jana Sena alliance will do well in polls irrespective of the BJP joining them or not, he said, "Absolutely". "People were just waiting for a chance to throw Jagan out of power before Naidu's arrest. Post-arrest, there is so much of anger against him. He is going to be surprised. The TDP-Jana Sena will sweep the polls," the young leader, seen as the political heir to his father in the party, claimed. Reddy, he alleged, has grown "genuinely scared" of Naidu due to the popular response the former chief minister was getting and the crowd his own padyatra had been drawing across the state. Kalyan too has been getting warm response and so the chief minister wanted to put a "speed-breaker" on our campaign, he said. Asked if Naidu's arrest has come at a wrong time for the TDP as the polls approach, he shot back saying that the arrest has come at wrong time for Reddy. His party will legally fight it out, he said, adding that peaceful protests have been happening across the state. Justice can be delayed but not denied, he said, expressing confidence that his father will soon get relief from courts. "He has committed no crime. Police have been holding press meets but have not been able to establish any money trail. Because there is no money trail," Lokesh claimed. The arrest is nothing but political vendetta, he said, asserting that he was in the national capital to put facts before people and hold consultations with party MPs about their future strategy. Asked if he will seek any intervention from the Centre, Lokesh said, "There is genuinely a law and order problem in the state. Even BJP leaders in Andhra Pradesh have had cases slapped against them. I will leave it to the BJP to decide how they will react to the issue. " He also expressed apprehension that he might be arrested as well by the state police. "That is how a mafia runs," he alleged. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday attacked the government over the manner of implementing the 'One Rank One Pension', saying had it been done in accordance with the letter and spirit of the notification issued during the UPA dispensation, "large scale anomalies" wouldn't have crept in.

In a statement, Congress' Ex-Servicemen Department chief Col (retd) Rohit Chaudhry said last month Rahul Gandhi drove across Ladakh on a motorcycle, meeting people from all sections of society including ex-servicemen.

"Since he had not been able to cover Ladakh during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he decided to undertake a separate journey.

This is the first time a national leader has covered Ladakh so extensively, and it has sent a strong signal to the Chinese that Ladakh is an integral and inseparable part of India," Chaudhry said.

"In a conversation with ex-servicemen, they told him (Gandhi) how wrongly OROP has been implemented, and how the Agnipath scheme is harming the safety security and integrity of the nation and also destroying the future of the youth," he said.

After completion of four years, Agniveers will neither get any pension nor other benefits and instead, they will again become unemployed, he claimed.

Moreover, the employability restrictions imposed on the employment of Agniveers will affect the operational effectiveness of the units and will simultaneously burden the regular soldiers, Chaudhry argued.

"Rahul Gandhi's interaction with ESMs further amplified that OROP, which is equally applicable to all the defence veterans (officers, JCOs and Other Ranks), has not been implemented as envisaged by UPA Govt's order of February 26, 2014, which was passed by both Houses of the Parliament," he said.

The present form of OROP-1 and 2 is not the actual OROP conceptualised under the UPA regime, but is a "one rank and many persons", he said.

"Had OROP been implemented in letter and spirit of UPA's notification, then large-scale anomalies induced in implementation wouldn't have cropped in. While issuing orders for passing OROP-2 on 23 December 2022, under sustained pressure of Bharat Jodo Yatra which was entering Delhi, the Narendra Modi government induced further anomalies by reducing pensions of JCOS and other ranks by a few thousand per month," he said.

Though no one has got actual OROP, whatever benefits have been passed, they are lesser for JCOS and ORS as per their legitimate right, he said.

"Passing of the reduced benefits, to JCOs and Other Ranks, is causing large-scale heartburn among junior cadres of the defence fraternity which has created a divide among cadres and is not good for the country's defence forces," he said.

The Congress demands from the Modi government that OROP anomalies should be corrected immediately without any further delay, Chaudhry said.

It is the central government which is causing a divide and it is the responsibility of the government to correct its "follies", he said.

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NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday attacked the government over the manner of implementing the 'One Rank One Pension', saying had it been done in accordance with the letter and spirit of the notification issued during the UPA dispensation, "large scale anomalies" wouldn't have crept in. In a statement, Congress' Ex-Servicemen Department chief Col (retd) Rohit Chaudhry said last month Rahul Gandhi drove across Ladakh on a motorcycle, meeting people from all sections of society including ex-servicemen. "Since he had not been able to cover Ladakh during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, he decided to undertake a separate journey.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); This is the first time a national leader has covered Ladakh so extensively, and it has sent a strong signal to the Chinese that Ladakh is an integral and inseparable part of India," Chaudhry said. "In a conversation with ex-servicemen, they told him (Gandhi) how wrongly OROP has been implemented, and how the Agnipath scheme is harming the safety security and integrity of the nation and also destroying the future of the youth," he said. After completion of four years, Agniveers will neither get any pension nor other benefits and instead, they will again become unemployed, he claimed. Moreover, the employability restrictions imposed on the employment of Agniveers will affect the operational effectiveness of the units and will simultaneously burden the regular soldiers, Chaudhry argued. "Rahul Gandhi's interaction with ESMs further amplified that OROP, which is equally applicable to all the defence veterans (officers, JCOs and Other Ranks), has not been implemented as envisaged by UPA Govt's order of February 26, 2014, which was passed by both Houses of the Parliament," he said. The present form of OROP-1 and 2 is not the actual OROP conceptualised under the UPA regime, but is a "one rank and many persons", he said. "Had OROP been implemented in letter and spirit of UPA's notification, then large-scale anomalies induced in implementation wouldn't have cropped in. While issuing orders for passing OROP-2 on 23 December 2022, under sustained pressure of Bharat Jodo Yatra which was entering Delhi, the Narendra Modi government induced further anomalies by reducing pensions of JCOS and other ranks by a few thousand per month," he said. Though no one has got actual OROP, whatever benefits have been passed, they are lesser for JCOS and ORS as per their legitimate right, he said. "Passing of the reduced benefits, to JCOs and Other Ranks, is causing large-scale heartburn among junior cadres of the defence fraternity which has created a divide among cadres and is not good for the country's defence forces," he said. The Congress demands from the Modi government that OROP anomalies should be corrected immediately without any further delay, Chaudhry said. It is the central government which is causing a divide and it is the responsibility of the government to correct its "follies", he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Parvez Sultan By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The CPM is likely to finalise the nomination of its member to the coordination committee of the INDIA (Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance) bloc during its politburo meeting scheduled on September 16-17.

Decision to send a representative to the coordination committee of the INDIA bloc may be taken in the politburo meeting. This is one of the agendas, said a member of the partys Central Committee.

The party leadership is treading cautiously on the issue, particularly because of its position in West Bengal, where it is in direct contest with the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

In the INDIA parties conclave early this month, it was decided that there would not be any alliance between Congress and CPM in Kerala, where they are main rivals. But, both parties will have seat-sharing understanding in West Bengal and they will jointly be taking on TMC. On some seats where the BJP has an edge, the Congress and CPIM may come together to help the ruling TMC, said a senior Congress leader.

At present, the INDIA group has 13 members on the committee and the CPM is yet to name its nominee. K C Venugopal (Congress), T R Baalu (DMK), Hemant Soren (JMM), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena-UBT), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Raghav Chadha (AAP), Javed Ali Khan (SP), Lalan Singh (JDU), D Raja (CPI), Omar Abdullah (National Conference), Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), and Abhishek Banerjee (TMC) are members of the coordination committee.

The first meeting of INDIA for negotiations on the seat-sharing formula and evolving a broad outlay of campaign strategy ahead of the LS election was held at the residence of NCP leader Sharad Pawar in Delhi on September 13. The 14-member coordination committee was formed in its third meeting in Mumbai earlier this month.

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NEW DELHI: The CPM is likely to finalise the nomination of its member to the coordination committee of the INDIA (Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance) bloc during its politburo meeting scheduled on September 16-17. Decision to send a representative to the coordination committee of the INDIA bloc may be taken in the politburo meeting. This is one of the agendas, said a member of the partys Central Committee. The party leadership is treading cautiously on the issue, particularly because of its position in West Bengal, where it is in direct contest with the Trinamool Congress (TMC).googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In the INDIA parties conclave early this month, it was decided that there would not be any alliance between Congress and CPM in Kerala, where they are main rivals. But, both parties will have seat-sharing understanding in West Bengal and they will jointly be taking on TMC. On some seats where the BJP has an edge, the Congress and CPIM may come together to help the ruling TMC, said a senior Congress leader. At present, the INDIA group has 13 members on the committee and the CPM is yet to name its nominee. K C Venugopal (Congress), T R Baalu (DMK), Hemant Soren (JMM), Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena-UBT), Tejashwi Yadav (RJD), Raghav Chadha (AAP), Javed Ali Khan (SP), Lalan Singh (JDU), D Raja (CPI), Omar Abdullah (National Conference), Mehbooba Mufti (PDP), and Abhishek Banerjee (TMC) are members of the coordination committee. The first meeting of INDIA for negotiations on the seat-sharing formula and evolving a broad outlay of campaign strategy ahead of the LS election was held at the residence of NCP leader Sharad Pawar in Delhi on September 13. The 14-member coordination committee was formed in its third meeting in Mumbai earlier this month. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: In his first reaction after the arrest of TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy asserted that no one is above the law.

The former chief minister was arrested on September 9 for his alleged role in the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) scam. He was shifted to the Rajahmundry Central Prison after the special court for ACB (Anti-Corruption Bureau) cases remanded him to 14 days in judicial custody.

Speaking during an event held at Nidadavolu in East Godavari district on Saturday for the distribution of Rs 536.77 crore under the Kapu Nestham scheme to benefit 3,57,844 women belonging to Kapu, Ontari, Balija and Telaga communities, Jagan remarked, Looting and cheating people has been Naidus political ideology for the past 45 years.

Stating that probe agencies have procured compelling evidence pointing to the TDP supremos involvement in the scam, Jagan noted that the State Crime Investigation Department (APCID) has proof that Naidu had signed at 13 places in the documents pertaining to the Skill Development Corporation.

Central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED), too, have investigated the case and arrested people involved in the scam. Not just that, Naidus personal assistant also played a role in the scandal and fled abroad, he added.

Who should be sent to prison when all the evidence and investigations point a finger at Naidu? If not in prison, where else should Naidu be lodged, he questioned.

Further, he said, Despite all the proof, an influential gang of his associates is trying to protect him. They are trying to convince 10 crore people that he did nothing wrong.

Citing the Note for Vote case, Jagan said, There was video and audio evidence against the former chief minister in the scam. It was even certified by forensic experts. People were aware that it was Naidus voice in the audio clip and that money offered in exchange for votes was black money. Yet, his supporters gave him a clean chit and pronounced him innocent. This is because they too were partners in the crime.

Reiterating that the law is the same for powerful people as well as the common man, the Chief Minister said, The CID also submitted before the court the Income Tax (IT) Department notice issued to Naidu.

Lashing out at Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan, Jagan sought to know if the actor-politician really cared about the people of Andhra Pradesh, and why has he not questioned Naidus role in the scam through which public money was looted. Why isnt he asking where the money went, he questioned.

Pawan had recently announced that the JSP would fight the 2024 elections along with the TDP.

Over Rs 39,000 crore extended to Kapu women in State

After releasing the financial assistance under Kapu Nestham for the fourth year, the Chief Minister said his government is implementing the scheme even though it was not mentioned in the election manifesto.

He added, So far, we have spent Rs 2,069 crore by extending Rs 15,000 to Kapu women aged between 45-60 years. A sum of Rs 22,333 crore has been spent under YSR Cheyutha, Kapu Nestham and other welfare schemes.

Further, he explained that 16.70% of the total Rs 2.35 lakh crore spent on welfare schemes, which is Rs 39,247 crore, was provided to women belonging to Kapu communities.

Highlighting the various initiatives that benefitted the community, the Chief Minister said, Over 34,37,000 women have received benefits under YSR Cheyutha, Kapu Nestham and other schemes. The YSRC government has created 2,06,000 permanent jobs in the last four years, of which 9.5% jobs went to Kapu youth and women. As many as 2,46,000 house sites were given to Kapu women. Besides, we have also ensured social justice by allocating 12% nominated posts to Kapus and appointing a Kapu Deputy Chief Minister for their political empowerment.

Rs 66 crore sanctioned to lay BT road

Responding to local MLA Srinivas Naidus request, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy sanctioned Rs 66 crore for laying a BT road for the benefit of 17 villages in the constituency, Rs 19 crore for upgrading the local hospital into a 100-bed structure. He also promised to construct community halls for SCs and BCs and a hall for all communities

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VIJAYAWADA: In his first reaction after the arrest of TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy asserted that no one is above the law. The former chief minister was arrested on September 9 for his alleged role in the Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC) scam. He was shifted to the Rajahmundry Central Prison after the special court for ACB (Anti-Corruption Bureau) cases remanded him to 14 days in judicial custody. Speaking during an event held at Nidadavolu in East Godavari district on Saturday for the distribution of Rs 536.77 crore under the Kapu Nestham scheme to benefit 3,57,844 women belonging to Kapu, Ontari, Balija and Telaga communities, Jagan remarked, Looting and cheating people has been Naidus political ideology for the past 45 years.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); });   ,  .     .            .  @ncbn   . -   pic.twitter.com/vT9PIMsP4p  YSR Congress Party (@YSRCParty) September 16, 2023 Stating that probe agencies have procured compelling evidence pointing to the TDP supremos involvement in the scam, Jagan noted that the State Crime Investigation Department (APCID) has proof that Naidu had signed at 13 places in the documents pertaining to the Skill Development Corporation. Central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED), too, have investigated the case and arrested people involved in the scam. Not just that, Naidus personal assistant also played a role in the scandal and fled abroad, he added. Who should be sent to prison when all the evidence and investigations point a finger at Naidu? If not in prison, where else should Naidu be lodged, he questioned. Further, he said, Despite all the proof, an influential gang of his associates is trying to protect him. They are trying to convince 10 crore people that he did nothing wrong. Citing the Note for Vote case, Jagan said, There was video and audio evidence against the former chief minister in the scam. It was even certified by forensic experts. People were aware that it was Naidus voice in the audio clip and that money offered in exchange for votes was black money. Yet, his supporters gave him a clean chit and pronounced him innocent. This is because they too were partners in the crime. Reiterating that the law is the same for powerful people as well as the common man, the Chief Minister said, The CID also submitted before the court the Income Tax (IT) Department notice issued to Naidu. Lashing out at Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan, Jagan sought to know if the actor-politician really cared about the people of Andhra Pradesh, and why has he not questioned Naidus role in the scam through which public money was looted. Why isnt he asking where the money went, he questioned. Pawan had recently announced that the JSP would fight the 2024 elections along with the TDP. Over Rs 39,000 crore extended to Kapu women in State After releasing the financial assistance under Kapu Nestham for the fourth year, the Chief Minister said his government is implementing the scheme even though it was not mentioned in the election manifesto. He added, So far, we have spent Rs 2,069 crore by extending Rs 15,000 to Kapu women aged between 45-60 years. A sum of Rs 22,333 crore has been spent under YSR Cheyutha, Kapu Nestham and other welfare schemes. Further, he explained that 16.70% of the total Rs 2.35 lakh crore spent on welfare schemes, which is Rs 39,247 crore, was provided to women belonging to Kapu communities. Highlighting the various initiatives that benefitted the community, the Chief Minister said, Over 34,37,000 women have received benefits under YSR Cheyutha, Kapu Nestham and other schemes. The YSRC government has created 2,06,000 permanent jobs in the last four years, of which 9.5% jobs went to Kapu youth and women. As many as 2,46,000 house sites were given to Kapu women. Besides, we have also ensured social justice by allocating 12% nominated posts to Kapus and appointing a Kapu Deputy Chief Minister for their political empowerment. Rs 66 crore sanctioned to lay BT road Responding to local MLA Srinivas Naidus request, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy sanctioned Rs 66 crore for laying a BT road for the benefit of 17 villages in the constituency, Rs 19 crore for upgrading the local hospital into a 100-bed structure. He also promised to construct community halls for SCs and BCs and a hall for all communities Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The first official meeting of the high-level committee on one nation, one election, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, will take place on September 23.

It means no bill on simultaneous polls would be tabled in the special session of Parliament scheduled for September 18-22, despite rumour mills suggesting otherwise. However, it does not extinguish speculation on the Centre looking to initiate the process of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies at the earliest.

The government had on September 2 notified an eight-member committee to look into the matter with Kovind as its head.

Its members include Home Minister Amit Shah, senior advocate Harish Salve, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash Kashyap, chairman of the 15th Finance Commission N K Singh, former CVC Sanjay Kothari and former leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Though Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was named as a member, he refused to be part of the committee terming it an eyewash.

Last week, Amit Shah and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal met Kovind and discussed the panels meeting and its venue.

The committee has already begun work and is expected to submit its report at the earliest.

While Meghwal is a special invitee to the panel, the law secretary is the committees secretary.

The committee will look into the feasibility of holding not only the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously, but also polls to municipalities and panchayats, according to the gazette notification.

The committee will analyse and recommend possible solutions linked to simultaneous elections if there is a hung house, no-confidence motion, defection, or any such other event.

A single electoral roll and identity card for voters valid for the national, state, civic body and panchayat elections will be explored, the government said in the notification.

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NEW DELHI: The first official meeting of the high-level committee on one nation, one election, chaired by former President Ram Nath Kovind, will take place on September 23. It means no bill on simultaneous polls would be tabled in the special session of Parliament scheduled for September 18-22, despite rumour mills suggesting otherwise. However, it does not extinguish speculation on the Centre looking to initiate the process of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies at the earliest. The government had on September 2 notified an eight-member committee to look into the matter with Kovind as its head.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Its members include Home Minister Amit Shah, senior advocate Harish Salve, former Lok Sabha Secretary General Subhash Kashyap, chairman of the 15th Finance Commission N K Singh, former CVC Sanjay Kothari and former leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad. Though Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury was named as a member, he refused to be part of the committee terming it an eyewash. Last week, Amit Shah and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal met Kovind and discussed the panels meeting and its venue. The committee has already begun work and is expected to submit its report at the earliest. While Meghwal is a special invitee to the panel, the law secretary is the committees secretary. The committee will look into the feasibility of holding not only the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections simultaneously, but also polls to municipalities and panchayats, according to the gazette notification. The committee will analyse and recommend possible solutions linked to simultaneous elections if there is a hung house, no-confidence motion, defection, or any such other event. A single electoral roll and identity card for voters valid for the national, state, civic body and panchayat elections will be explored, the government said in the notification. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By ANI

LUCKNOW: Five members of a family including three children were killed after an old house collapsed Anand Naga area of Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow, the police said on Saturday.

According to the police, the incident took place in a Railway colony under the Alambagh police station in Lucknow.

Station House Officer (SHO) Shiv Shankar Mahadevan told PTI that Satish Chandra (40) and his family members were fast asleep when the roof of their house collapsed partially.

Sanitation workers informed police about the incident around 8 a.m., following which police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams reached the spot, he said.

Chandra, his wife Sarojini Devi (35) and their children Harshit (13), Harshita (10) and Ansh (5) died in the incident, he said.

Upendra Kumar Aggarwal, Joint DCP, Law and Order, Lucknow said, "We got the information that five people were injured in the house collapse that occurred in the railway colony of the Anand Nagar area. They were rushed to a hospital where they were declared dead by the doctors."

Speaking further, the joint DCP said that the colony was abandoned by the Railways Department and the railway had given the notice to vacate the house.

Meanwhile, the Lucknow District Magistrate also reached the spot and took stock of the situation.

"CM Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the situation and asked the officials to reach the spot and provide all possible help to the locals. Along with this, we are giving notice to the locals to vacate all the damaged houses in the colony", DM Gangwar added. Further details are awaited.

(With inputs from PTI)

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LUCKNOW: Five members of a family including three children were killed after an old house collapsed Anand Naga area of Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow, the police said on Saturday. According to the police, the incident took place in a Railway colony under the Alambagh police station in Lucknow. Station House Officer (SHO) Shiv Shankar Mahadevan told PTI that Satish Chandra (40) and his family members were fast asleep when the roof of their house collapsed partially.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Sanitation workers informed police about the incident around 8 a.m., following which police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams reached the spot, he said. Chandra, his wife Sarojini Devi (35) and their children Harshit (13), Harshita (10) and Ansh (5) died in the incident, he said. Upendra Kumar Aggarwal, Joint DCP, Law and Order, Lucknow said, "We got the information that five people were injured in the house collapse that occurred in the railway colony of the Anand Nagar area. They were rushed to a hospital where they were declared dead by the doctors." Speaking further, the joint DCP said that the colony was abandoned by the Railways Department and the railway had given the notice to vacate the house. Meanwhile, the Lucknow District Magistrate also reached the spot and took stock of the situation. "CM Yogi Adityanath took cognizance of the situation and asked the officials to reach the spot and provide all possible help to the locals. Along with this, we are giving notice to the locals to vacate all the damaged houses in the colony", DM Gangwar added. Further details are awaited. (With inputs from PTI) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), visited on Friday a major aviation plant upon his arrival in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, an industrial center in the Russian Far East, during his ongoing visit to the country, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Saturday.

During the visit to Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant, Kim, general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the DPRK, got on a Su-57 fighter jet to hear a detailed explanation of its technical specifications and flight performance and watched flight demonstration of a Su-35 fighter jet. He also learned about the performance of the passenger aircraft produced at the factory, the report said.

Kim was deeply impressed with the independent potential and modernity of the Russian aircraft manufacturing industry, it added.

Founded in 1934, Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant is a pivotal base of the Russian defense industry and air transport industry. 
By Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Around 175 people have been killed and 1,108 others injured in the four-months-long ethnic violence in Manipur even as a Meitei group met defence minister Rajnath Singh and demanded the withdrawal of Assam Rifles from the state for acting in a biased manner.

Inspector General of Police (Operations) IK Muivah told journalists that 32 people were reported missing. There were altogether 5,172 cases of arson. These include the torching and vandalism of 386 religious structures  254 churches and 132 temples  he said.

Talking about arms and ammunition lost, Muivah said, We have recovered 1,329 arms, 15,050 ammunition and 400 bombs, he said. A total of 360 illegal bunkers were also destroyed, he said.

The miscreants had reportedly looted thousands of firearms and a huge quantity of cartridges from police armouries during the violence. Muivah assured people that efforts were being made by the police, central forces and civil administration to restore normalcy. IGP (Administration) K Jayanta said the bodies of nine of the 175 are yet to be identified.

While 79 bodies were claimed, 96 remained unclaimed, he said, adding that the bodies had been kept at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (28), Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (26) and Churachandpur Hospital (42).

Meanwhile, a two-member delegation of Delhi Meitei Co-ordinating Committee met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Thursday and demanded that Assam Rifles be replaced with any other responsible security force of India.

It said the Meiteis confidence in Assam Rifles has become very low.

According to the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, an influential Meitei civil society organisation, the delegation mentioned that protesting Meiteis are dealt with lathis, tear gas, rubber bullets and even bullets, but the protesting Kukis are not dealt with in a similar manner. The delegation said this led to a sense of biased treatment and caused anxiety and fear among the Meitei people.

It requested Singh to ensure that Assam Rifles and Army deal with both communities equally. The violence in Manipur broke out on May 3 after a tribal solidarity march, which was taken out against an alleged move to grant Scheduled Tribes status to the majority Meiteis.

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GUWAHATI: Around 175 people have been killed and 1,108 others injured in the four-months-long ethnic violence in Manipur even as a Meitei group met defence minister Rajnath Singh and demanded the withdrawal of Assam Rifles from the state for acting in a biased manner. Inspector General of Police (Operations) IK Muivah told journalists that 32 people were reported missing. There were altogether 5,172 cases of arson. These include the torching and vandalism of 386 religious structures  254 churches and 132 temples  he said. Talking about arms and ammunition lost, Muivah said, We have recovered 1,329 arms, 15,050 ammunition and 400 bombs, he said. A total of 360 illegal bunkers were also destroyed, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The miscreants had reportedly looted thousands of firearms and a huge quantity of cartridges from police armouries during the violence. Muivah assured people that efforts were being made by the police, central forces and civil administration to restore normalcy. IGP (Administration) K Jayanta said the bodies of nine of the 175 are yet to be identified. While 79 bodies were claimed, 96 remained unclaimed, he said, adding that the bodies had been kept at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (28), Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (26) and Churachandpur Hospital (42). Meanwhile, a two-member delegation of Delhi Meitei Co-ordinating Committee met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Thursday and demanded that Assam Rifles be replaced with any other responsible security force of India. It said the Meiteis confidence in Assam Rifles has become very low. According to the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity, an influential Meitei civil society organisation, the delegation mentioned that protesting Meiteis are dealt with lathis, tear gas, rubber bullets and even bullets, but the protesting Kukis are not dealt with in a similar manner. The delegation said this led to a sense of biased treatment and caused anxiety and fear among the Meitei people. It requested Singh to ensure that Assam Rifles and Army deal with both communities equally. The violence in Manipur broke out on May 3 after a tribal solidarity march, which was taken out against an alleged move to grant Scheduled Tribes status to the majority Meiteis. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be among the leaders who will skip the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 18.

Two main issues are going to be the talking point of the upcoming session: the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the issues concerning the Global South. This is because there is a segment of countries that find the conflict in Ukraine overshadowing their concerns.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who spoke to his fellow leaders via video link last September, is now set to appear in New York in person and address the General Assembly on September 19 and the Security Council on September 20.

Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend the same session, but chances of the two facing each other are slim, as they will stay in the outside chamber when they speak.

Indias External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be attending the session on September 26. Russia will be represented by Lavrov, while Vice-President Han Zheng will be attending on behalf of China.

Ukraine and Russia will be one of the most debated and talked about issues during the session. In addition, there will be a group  most likely from the Indian subcontinent that would try and highlight other international crises and challenges  which would include concerns of the Global South, said a source.

It may be recalled that the 2022 UNGA session was dominated by the fallout from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Diplomats from the Global South are hoping that the issues of their concern are given credence too. Besides, the UNs adoption of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which has marked 2030 as the year set of commitments, including ending extreme poverty and safeguarding the environment, might be given importance, said a source.

The conflict in Ukraine and the pandemic have been a setback to the SDGs. The president of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago, will convene a special summit on achieving accelerated progress towards the SDGs on September 18 and 19.

US President Joe Biden will be one of the opening speakers of the high-level session on September 19. Time will tell whether Biden talks about reform in the UNSC and takes up the issue of India's permanent seat in the council  as he assured PM Modi during a bilateral meeting on Sept 8 in Delhi.

The Black Sea grain initiative will also be a major point of discussion during the sessions that Zelenskyy is to address and attend. There is likely to be a session on climate change too in the run-up to the COP28 Summit that would be held in Dubai in November.

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NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping will be among the leaders who will skip the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 18. Two main issues are going to be the talking point of the upcoming session: the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the issues concerning the Global South. This is because there is a segment of countries that find the conflict in Ukraine overshadowing their concerns. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who spoke to his fellow leaders via video link last September, is now set to appear in New York in person and address the General Assembly on September 19 and the Security Council on September 20.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Russias Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will attend the same session, but chances of the two facing each other are slim, as they will stay in the outside chamber when they speak. Indias External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be attending the session on September 26. Russia will be represented by Lavrov, while Vice-President Han Zheng will be attending on behalf of China. Ukraine and Russia will be one of the most debated and talked about issues during the session. In addition, there will be a group  most likely from the Indian subcontinent that would try and highlight other international crises and challenges  which would include concerns of the Global South, said a source. It may be recalled that the 2022 UNGA session was dominated by the fallout from the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Diplomats from the Global South are hoping that the issues of their concern are given credence too. Besides, the UNs adoption of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which has marked 2030 as the year set of commitments, including ending extreme poverty and safeguarding the environment, might be given importance, said a source. The conflict in Ukraine and the pandemic have been a setback to the SDGs. The president of the General Assembly, Dennis Francis of Trinidad and Tobago, will convene a special summit on achieving accelerated progress towards the SDGs on September 18 and 19. US President Joe Biden will be one of the opening speakers of the high-level session on September 19. Time will tell whether Biden talks about reform in the UNSC and takes up the issue of India's permanent seat in the council  as he assured PM Modi during a bilateral meeting on Sept 8 in Delhi. The Black Sea grain initiative will also be a major point of discussion during the sessions that Zelenskyy is to address and attend. There is likely to be a session on climate change too in the run-up to the COP28 Summit that would be held in Dubai in November. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Sudhir Suryawanshi By

Express News Service

MUMBAI: In a setback to the Sharad Pawar-led faction of NCP, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday refused to accept its argument of no split in NCP.

The ECI stated that the NCP is divided between two factions  one led by Sharad Pawar and another by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The Election Commission asked both the factions to present their sides during the hearing on October 6.

Then, it will take a decision over which is the real NCP and whom the symbol of the party has to be allotted to. Meanwhile, NCP state chief Jayant Patil said they did not expect the ECI would take a different decision over their claim of no split within the party.

We had informed the ECI that there is no split in NCP. But without hearing our side, the ECI has decided and accepted the split in NCP. We are seeking a legal opinion over the arbitrary decision of ECI. It shows that the conduct of the ECI is not in accordance with the law. That is quite surprising, Patil said.

Ajit Pawar refused to speak over it, saying, Let the ECI take the decision after hearing both sides.

He said it will take the decision on the basis of reality and documents. A source close to Ajit Pawar said Sharad Pawar never called an election of party national and state units for some time.

In fact, a lot of violation of the party constitution has been done by the Sharad Pawar faction. We will present all these facts before the ECI. We know how the party was run. We are closely seen and therefore we are confident of getting the party name and symbol, he said.

The source said they will continue their fight. He said they have seen how the central agencies and independent institutions like ECI works partially, hence they are prepared for all kind of situations.

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MUMBAI: In a setback to the Sharad Pawar-led faction of NCP, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday refused to accept its argument of no split in NCP. The ECI stated that the NCP is divided between two factions  one led by Sharad Pawar and another by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The Election Commission asked both the factions to present their sides during the hearing on October 6. Then, it will take a decision over which is the real NCP and whom the symbol of the party has to be allotted to. Meanwhile, NCP state chief Jayant Patil said they did not expect the ECI would take a different decision over their claim of no split within the party.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); We had informed the ECI that there is no split in NCP. But without hearing our side, the ECI has decided and accepted the split in NCP. We are seeking a legal opinion over the arbitrary decision of ECI. It shows that the conduct of the ECI is not in accordance with the law. That is quite surprising, Patil said. Ajit Pawar refused to speak over it, saying, Let the ECI take the decision after hearing both sides. He said it will take the decision on the basis of reality and documents. A source close to Ajit Pawar said Sharad Pawar never called an election of party national and state units for some time. In fact, a lot of violation of the party constitution has been done by the Sharad Pawar faction. We will present all these facts before the ECI. We know how the party was run. We are closely seen and therefore we are confident of getting the party name and symbol, he said. The source said they will continue their fight. He said they have seen how the central agencies and independent institutions like ECI works partially, hence they are prepared for all kind of situations. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: Wearing camouflaged military clothes, six-year-old Kabir, the son of Col Manpreet Singh who was killed in a gun battle with terrorists in Kashmir, saluted his father one last time before the mortal remains of the braveheart were consigned to the flames with full military honours near Chandigarh on Friday.

Away in Haryana, the mortal remains of Major Ashish Dhonchak, another soldier who laid down his life fighting terrorists in Kashmir, were consigned to the flames at his native village in Panipat amid chants of Bharat Mata Ke Sapoot Ki Jai and Bharat Mata Ki Jai renting the air.

Singhs house in Bharaunjian village witnessed a steady stream of mourners who joined his inconsolable wife, mother and other family members in his final journey. An army officer was seen holding Kabir, as the family and others paid their last respects. Singhs two-year-old daughter Banni was held tight by a relative.

As the remains reached his home in Mullanpur near Chandigarh, Kabir was later seen clinging to the tricolour-wrapped coffin of his father. He bowed before his fathers body just before cremation. The cremation took place with full military honours. Punjab Governor Baniwarilal Purohit and Punjab Tourism Minister Anmol Gagan Mann, among others, laid the wreath on Singhs body.

Major Ashish Dhonchak

Major Ashish Dhonchak was consigned to the flames at his native village in Panipat with full military honours. The body of Dhonchak was taken to his native Binjhol village in Panipat in an army vehicle where the last rites were conducted after a wreath-laying ceremony and a gun salute. Thousands of mourners joined the grieving family.

It took about three hours for the funeral procession to cover a distance of about 8 km from the martyrs home in the town to reach his village as mourners gathered to bid him a tearful adieu. Senior Army officials and villagers joined the martyrs family.

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CHANDIGARH: Wearing camouflaged military clothes, six-year-old Kabir, the son of Col Manpreet Singh who was killed in a gun battle with terrorists in Kashmir, saluted his father one last time before the mortal remains of the braveheart were consigned to the flames with full military honours near Chandigarh on Friday. Away in Haryana, the mortal remains of Major Ashish Dhonchak, another soldier who laid down his life fighting terrorists in Kashmir, were consigned to the flames at his native village in Panipat amid chants of Bharat Mata Ke Sapoot Ki Jai and Bharat Mata Ki Jai renting the air. Singhs house in Bharaunjian village witnessed a steady stream of mourners who joined his inconsolable wife, mother and other family members in his final journey. An army officer was seen holding Kabir, as the family and others paid their last respects. Singhs two-year-old daughter Banni was held tight by a relative.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); As the remains reached his home in Mullanpur near Chandigarh, Kabir was later seen clinging to the tricolour-wrapped coffin of his father. He bowed before his fathers body just before cremation. The cremation took place with full military honours. Punjab Governor Baniwarilal Purohit and Punjab Tourism Minister Anmol Gagan Mann, among others, laid the wreath on Singhs body. Major Ashish Dhonchak Major Ashish Dhonchak was consigned to the flames at his native village in Panipat with full military honours. The body of Dhonchak was taken to his native Binjhol village in Panipat in an army vehicle where the last rites were conducted after a wreath-laying ceremony and a gun salute. Thousands of mourners joined the grieving family. It took about three hours for the funeral procession to cover a distance of about 8 km from the martyrs home in the town to reach his village as mourners gathered to bid him a tearful adieu. Senior Army officials and villagers joined the martyrs family. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: The security forces have intensified hunt and fired rockets, mortars and ammunition from drones at possible militant hideouts and were using other new-generation weapons and devices as operation to track down a group of Lashkar-e-Taiba militants holed up in the dense forest area of Gadole, Kokernag in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, who are responsible for killing of three security officials, entered third day on Friday.

Police said troops have encircled two LeT militants including a local, Uzair Khan, who are responsible for killing three security officials and who had joined militancy in July last year. Uzair is a top Lashkar commander and security forces have been hunting for him.

A security official said GoC 15 Corps Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai and Director General of J&K Police Dilbag Singh are supervising the anti-militancy operation. The officials are continuously monitoring the situation and formulating a strategy to eliminate the militants hiding in the forest area, he said.

There was sporadic gunfire and explosions in the forest area throughout the day. The security men fired rockets, mortars and other ammunition towards the possible militant hideouts in the forest area.

A security official said troops are using drones, helicopters and quadcopters for aerial surveillance of the dense forest area of Gadole in Kokernag in Anantnag district, where three Lashkar militants are hiding.

He said there are natural caves in the dense forest area and these caves may be used as hide-out by the militants. The aerial screening of the forest area is being conducted through drones and helicopters and other devices to pinpoint the location of the hiding militants, the security official said.

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SRINAGAR: The security forces have intensified hunt and fired rockets, mortars and ammunition from drones at possible militant hideouts and were using other new-generation weapons and devices as operation to track down a group of Lashkar-e-Taiba militants holed up in the dense forest area of Gadole, Kokernag in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, who are responsible for killing of three security officials, entered third day on Friday. Police said troops have encircled two LeT militants including a local, Uzair Khan, who are responsible for killing three security officials and who had joined militancy in July last year. Uzair is a top Lashkar commander and security forces have been hunting for him. A security official said GoC 15 Corps Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai and Director General of J&K Police Dilbag Singh are supervising the anti-militancy operation. The officials are continuously monitoring the situation and formulating a strategy to eliminate the militants hiding in the forest area, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); There was sporadic gunfire and explosions in the forest area throughout the day. The security men fired rockets, mortars and other ammunition towards the possible militant hideouts in the forest area. A security official said troops are using drones, helicopters and quadcopters for aerial surveillance of the dense forest area of Gadole in Kokernag in Anantnag district, where three Lashkar militants are hiding. He said there are natural caves in the dense forest area and these caves may be used as hide-out by the militants. The aerial screening of the forest area is being conducted through drones and helicopters and other devices to pinpoint the location of the hiding militants, the security official said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

HYDERABAD: The first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) will be held here on Saturday to evolve a strategy for the upcoming assembly polls in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Holding the crucial meeting in the Telangana capital, the Congress is also looking to send out a message that it will go all-out to dislodge the BRS government in the poll-bound state.

The brainstorming of the Congress top brass during the meeting would prove to be a 'game changer' and a 'transformative moment' for Telangana politics as well as the party, leaders said.

Before leaving for Hyderabad, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said in Delhi that it would be the first CWC meeting after he took over as the party president in October last year.

The CWC will meet on Saturday and an extended working committee meeting will be held on Sunday during which discussions about party organisation will take place, he said.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and all senior leaders will be present in the meeting and will have discussions regarding the upcoming elections in five states, he said.

The focus of the meetings, Kharge said, will be on strengthening the organisation and discussions on alliances will take place in the meeting of the INDIA bloc.

Announcing the detailed plan for the CWC meeting to be chaired by Kharge, general secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh on Friday said this is for the first time in many years that the party's top decision-making body will hold deliberations for three days outside Delhi.

The CWC will meet at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and deliberate on the strategy for the upcoming assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls.

Talking about the deliberations to be held on Saturday, Venugopal said, "The Congress president will be present. Former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and all other working committee members, including permanent invitees and special invitees, will also participate"

"We have invited 90 people, but six of them have informed us about their inability to attend due to personal difficulties. All other 84 people will attend, including our four chief ministers," he said.

On Sunday, there will be a meeting of the extended CWC to which all state party chiefs and CLP leaders, besides Parliamentary Party office-bearers, Central Election Committee members have been invited to strategize for the upcoming elections.

"We invited 159 people, out of them 147 people are attending the meeting on Sunday," Venugopal said.

On Sunday evening, which is celebrated as Telangana National Integration Day, the party will hold a 'mega rally' near Hyderabad where it will announce six guarantees for the Telangana assembly elections, he said.

While the MPs of the party would return to Delhi for the special session of Parliament after the rally, other leaders, CWC members, PCC presidents and CLP leaders will branch out to the various assembly constituencies.

"The charge sheet against the KCR government will come out, our workers will be there in all assembly constituencies. Along with the leaders, they will participate in this programme," Venugopal said.

Kharge had on August 20 reconstituted the CWC, retaining the old guard and giving space to the young in the 84-member body. The CWC has 39 regular members, 32 permanent invitees and 13 special invitees. These include 15 women and several new faces such as Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot and Gaurav Gogoi who are among the regular members.

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HYDERABAD: The first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) will be held here on Saturday to evolve a strategy for the upcoming assembly polls in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Holding the crucial meeting in the Telangana capital, the Congress is also looking to send out a message that it will go all-out to dislodge the BRS government in the poll-bound state. The brainstorming of the Congress top brass during the meeting would prove to be a 'game changer' and a 'transformative moment' for Telangana politics as well as the party, leaders said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Before leaving for Hyderabad, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said in Delhi that it would be the first CWC meeting after he took over as the party president in October last year. The CWC will meet on Saturday and an extended working committee meeting will be held on Sunday during which discussions about party organisation will take place, he said. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and all senior leaders will be present in the meeting and will have discussions regarding the upcoming elections in five states, he said. The focus of the meetings, Kharge said, will be on strengthening the organisation and discussions on alliances will take place in the meeting of the INDIA bloc. Announcing the detailed plan for the CWC meeting to be chaired by Kharge, general secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh on Friday said this is for the first time in many years that the party's top decision-making body will hold deliberations for three days outside Delhi. The CWC will meet at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday and deliberate on the strategy for the upcoming assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls. Talking about the deliberations to be held on Saturday, Venugopal said, "The Congress president will be present. Former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and all other working committee members, including permanent invitees and special invitees, will also participate" "We have invited 90 people, but six of them have informed us about their inability to attend due to personal difficulties. All other 84 people will attend, including our four chief ministers," he said. On Sunday, there will be a meeting of the extended CWC to which all state party chiefs and CLP leaders, besides Parliamentary Party office-bearers, Central Election Committee members have been invited to strategize for the upcoming elections. "We invited 159 people, out of them 147 people are attending the meeting on Sunday," Venugopal said. On Sunday evening, which is celebrated as Telangana National Integration Day, the party will hold a 'mega rally' near Hyderabad where it will announce six guarantees for the Telangana assembly elections, he said. While the MPs of the party would return to Delhi for the special session of Parliament after the rally, other leaders, CWC members, PCC presidents and CLP leaders will branch out to the various assembly constituencies. "The charge sheet against the KCR government will come out, our workers will be there in all assembly constituencies. Along with the leaders, they will participate in this programme," Venugopal said. Kharge had on August 20 reconstituted the CWC, retaining the old guard and giving space to the young in the 84-member body. The CWC has 39 regular members, 32 permanent invitees and 13 special invitees. These include 15 women and several new faces such as Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot and Gaurav Gogoi who are among the regular members. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has announced that it will hold a hearing on religious freedom in India on September 20.

Earlier on May 2, India had rejected USCIRF reports that alleged violation of religious freedom in the country. India had termed the reports as biased and motivated.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) continues to regurgitate biased and motivated comments about India, this time in its 2023 annual report. We reject such misrepresentation of facts, which only serves to discredit USCIRF itself, the Ministry of External Affairs had said in a statement.

We would urge USCIRF to desist from such efforts and develop a better understanding of India, its plurality, its democratic ethos and its constitutional mechanisms, the statement had said.

Coming on the heels of two successful bilateral meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden  the first was during PM Modis official visit to the US in June and a bilateral meeting in New Delhi in September (before the G20 Summit)  USCIRF in its announcement said the Congressional hearing is on how the US government can work with the Indian government to address violations.

Fernand de Varennes, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, has been invited to testify before the commission along with Tariq Ahmed, foreign law specialist, Law Library of Congress; Sarah Yager, Washington Director, Human Rights Watch; Sunita Viswanath, executive director, Hindus for Human Rights and Irfan Nooruddin, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Professor of Indian Politics at Georgetown University.

Meanwhile, the USCIRF has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modis State visit to Washington in June reflects the close bilateral relationship between the United States and India.

However, over the last decade, the Indian government has enacted and enforced discriminatory policies targeting religious minorities, including anti-conversion laws, cow slaughter laws, legislation granting citizenship preferences based on religion, and restrictions on foreign funding for civil society groups, USCIRF said.

Since 2020, the USCIRF has recommended that the US Department of State designate India as a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC), it said.

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NEW DELHI: The US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has announced that it will hold a hearing on religious freedom in India on September 20. Earlier on May 2, India had rejected USCIRF reports that alleged violation of religious freedom in the country. India had termed the reports as biased and motivated. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) continues to regurgitate biased and motivated comments about India, this time in its 2023 annual report. We reject such misrepresentation of facts, which only serves to discredit USCIRF itself, the Ministry of External Affairs had said in a statement.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); We would urge USCIRF to desist from such efforts and develop a better understanding of India, its plurality, its democratic ethos and its constitutional mechanisms, the statement had said. Coming on the heels of two successful bilateral meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden  the first was during PM Modis official visit to the US in June and a bilateral meeting in New Delhi in September (before the G20 Summit)  USCIRF in its announcement said the Congressional hearing is on how the US government can work with the Indian government to address violations. Fernand de Varennes, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, has been invited to testify before the commission along with Tariq Ahmed, foreign law specialist, Law Library of Congress; Sarah Yager, Washington Director, Human Rights Watch; Sunita Viswanath, executive director, Hindus for Human Rights and Irfan Nooruddin, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Professor of Indian Politics at Georgetown University. Meanwhile, the USCIRF has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modis State visit to Washington in June reflects the close bilateral relationship between the United States and India. However, over the last decade, the Indian government has enacted and enforced discriminatory policies targeting religious minorities, including anti-conversion laws, cow slaughter laws, legislation granting citizenship preferences based on religion, and restrictions on foreign funding for civil society groups, USCIRF said. Since 2020, the USCIRF has recommended that the US Department of State designate India as a "Country of Particular Concern" (CPC), it said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

NEW DELHI: An orphan is an orphan, irrespective of how the death of his or her parents happened, the Supreme Court has said, asking the Centre if there are ways the benefits of schemes, including the PM Cares fund, which were meant for children orphaned during the COVID-19 pandemic, can be extended to all orphans.

A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra on Friday asked Additional Solicitor General Vikramjeet Banerjee, appearing for Centre, to seek instructions in the matter.

"You have rightly brought out a policy for orphans, whose parents died due to the COVID pandemic. An orphan is an orphan, irrespective of whether the parents died in an accident or illness. By bringing these schemes, you are attending to the condition and not the parentage," the bench remarked.

"...You seek an instruction on whether benefits of schemes including PM Cares fund meant for children orphaned during the COVID-19 pandemic can be extended to other orphaned children," the bench told Banerjee.

The ASG said he was recently given a brief to appear in the matter and would respond to the court's query in four weeks' time.

Petitioner Poulomi Pavini Shukla, who appeared in person, said that children orphaned during the pandemic were provided benefits under the Right to Education Act and similar benefits can be given to other orphan children on the court's direction.

"Two states Delhi and Gujarat have been providing benefits of the Right to Education Act by issuing a simple government order under section 2(d) of the Right to Education Act and this can be done in other states also," Shukla told the bench.

Section 2(d) of the Right to Education Act, 2009, deals with a child belonging to a disadvantaged group -- which means a child belonging to a Scheduled Caste, a Scheduled Tribe, a socially and educationally backward class, or such other group that has a disadvantage owing to social, cultural, economical, geographical, linguistic, gender or such other factor, as may be specified by the appropriate government, by notification.

The bench took note of the submission and asked the Centre to consider the expression "such other group" in section 2(d) of the RTE Act and consider extending the benefits to all orphans by issuing suitable directions.

Shukla said that notice on her plea was issued in 2018, the year she filed the petition, but the Centre even after five years has yet to file its response.

"In 2018, I was studying law when I filed this petition. Five years have passed, I have written a book and am married now but still Centre has not filed its response," she said.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, also appearing in the matter, said orphan children should be extended the benefit of a 20 per cent quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) as given to other children in school admissions.

The bench asked Banerjee to seek instructions and file a detailed affidavit and also directed the states to file their responses on the aspect of section 2(d) of the Right to Education Act.

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NEW DELHI: An orphan is an orphan, irrespective of how the death of his or her parents happened, the Supreme Court has said, asking the Centre if there are ways the benefits of schemes, including the PM Cares fund, which were meant for children orphaned during the COVID-19 pandemic, can be extended to all orphans. A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra on Friday asked Additional Solicitor General Vikramjeet Banerjee, appearing for Centre, to seek instructions in the matter. "You have rightly brought out a policy for orphans, whose parents died due to the COVID pandemic. An orphan is an orphan, irrespective of whether the parents died in an accident or illness. By bringing these schemes, you are attending to the condition and not the parentage," the bench remarked.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "...You seek an instruction on whether benefits of schemes including PM Cares fund meant for children orphaned during the COVID-19 pandemic can be extended to other orphaned children," the bench told Banerjee. The ASG said he was recently given a brief to appear in the matter and would respond to the court's query in four weeks' time. Petitioner Poulomi Pavini Shukla, who appeared in person, said that children orphaned during the pandemic were provided benefits under the Right to Education Act and similar benefits can be given to other orphan children on the court's direction. "Two states Delhi and Gujarat have been providing benefits of the Right to Education Act by issuing a simple government order under section 2(d) of the Right to Education Act and this can be done in other states also," Shukla told the bench. Section 2(d) of the Right to Education Act, 2009, deals with a child belonging to a disadvantaged group -- which means a child belonging to a Scheduled Caste, a Scheduled Tribe, a socially and educationally backward class, or such other group that has a disadvantage owing to social, cultural, economical, geographical, linguistic, gender or such other factor, as may be specified by the appropriate government, by notification. The bench took note of the submission and asked the Centre to consider the expression "such other group" in section 2(d) of the RTE Act and consider extending the benefits to all orphans by issuing suitable directions. Shukla said that notice on her plea was issued in 2018, the year she filed the petition, but the Centre even after five years has yet to file its response. "In 2018, I was studying law when I filed this petition. Five years have passed, I have written a book and am married now but still Centre has not filed its response," she said. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, also appearing in the matter, said orphan children should be extended the benefit of a 20 per cent quota for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) as given to other children in school admissions. The bench asked Banerjee to seek instructions and file a detailed affidavit and also directed the states to file their responses on the aspect of section 2(d) of the Right to Education Act. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Shruti Kakkar By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday termed the complaint against the Editors Guild of India (EGI) and its four members a "counter-narrative of the government" and asked how the offence of promoting enmity between different groups was made out against the journalists' body which merely gave a report at Army's request.

Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud made the observation in the context of complaints that led to the registration of an FIR against the Editors Guild of India by the Manipur police over its fact-finding report on the riots. The court went on to say that the report did not contain even a whisper of the ingredients of the offences alleged against them.

Pointing out that the complaint was a counter-narrative of the government, the CJI said, You say every para is false. Making a false statement in an article is not an offence of 153A. The statements may be incorrect. Incorrect statements are made by journalists across the country, will you prosecute all?

The court observed the EGI team went to Manipur after the Army wrote to it about "partisan reporting" on the ground by vernacular media. The CJI said, Mr Solicitor General, the Army writes to the guild. Army says that there was partisan reporting. They go on the ground and submit a report. They may be right or wrong. This is what free speech is all about.

Further protecting the guilds president Sema Mustafa and three journalists Sanjay Kapoor, Seema Guha and Bharat Bhushan from coercive action, the bench asked the complainant to file his response on why the case should not be quashed.

CJI faults HC for entertaining PIL against guild

The top court was also critical of the fact that the Manipur High Court entertained the PIL against the EGI. The CJI was referring to the plea filed by the International Meitei Forum seeking quashing of the report submitted by the EGI.

The manner in which that PIL is entertained by the Chief Justice of the High Court...let me not say much more as the head of the family. But surely there are more pressing matters to be entertained than these kinds of PILs, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said.

The Editors Guild, in a report published on September 2, slammed the internet ban in the state as being detrimental to media reportage, criticised what it termed as one-sided reporting by some media outlets and claimed there were indications that the state leadership had "turned partisan" during the conflict.

The Editors' Guild members were booked under various sections of the IPC including 153A (promoting enmity between two communities), 200 (using false declaration as true), 298 (deliberate intent to wound religious feelings), and under provisions of the Information Technology Act and Press Council Act.

(With additional inputs from PTI)

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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday termed the complaint against the Editors Guild of India (EGI) and its four members a "counter-narrative of the government" and asked how the offence of promoting enmity between different groups was made out against the journalists' body which merely gave a report at Army's request. Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud made the observation in the context of complaints that led to the registration of an FIR against the Editors Guild of India by the Manipur police over its fact-finding report on the riots. The court went on to say that the report did not contain even a whisper of the ingredients of the offences alleged against them. Pointing out that the complaint was a counter-narrative of the government, the CJI said, You say every para is false. Making a false statement in an article is not an offence of 153A. The statements may be incorrect. Incorrect statements are made by journalists across the country, will you prosecute all?googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The court observed the EGI team went to Manipur after the Army wrote to it about "partisan reporting" on the ground by vernacular media. The CJI said, Mr Solicitor General, the Army writes to the guild. Army says that there was partisan reporting. They go on the ground and submit a report. They may be right or wrong. This is what free speech is all about. Further protecting the guilds president Sema Mustafa and three journalists Sanjay Kapoor, Seema Guha and Bharat Bhushan from coercive action, the bench asked the complainant to file his response on why the case should not be quashed. CJI faults HC for entertaining PIL against guild The top court was also critical of the fact that the Manipur High Court entertained the PIL against the EGI. The CJI was referring to the plea filed by the International Meitei Forum seeking quashing of the report submitted by the EGI. The manner in which that PIL is entertained by the Chief Justice of the High Court...let me not say much more as the head of the family. But surely there are more pressing matters to be entertained than these kinds of PILs, Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud said. The Editors Guild, in a report published on September 2, slammed the internet ban in the state as being detrimental to media reportage, criticised what it termed as one-sided reporting by some media outlets and claimed there were indications that the state leadership had "turned partisan" during the conflict. The Editors' Guild members were booked under various sections of the IPC including 153A (promoting enmity between two communities), 200 (using false declaration as true), 298 (deliberate intent to wound religious feelings), and under provisions of the Information Technology Act and Press Council Act. (With additional inputs from PTI) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: As a search operation of security forces to track down a group of 2-3 Lashkar-e-Toiba militants in the Gadole forest area of Anantnag in south Kashmir entered 4th day on Saturday, another encounter broke out between militants and security forces in the forward area of Uri in Jammu and Kashmirs Baramulla district in which one militant has been killed.

A police official said acting on specific information, a joint contingent of army and police launched a cordon and search operation in the Hathlanga area of Uri in north Kashmir in the early hours today.

As the security men were laying siege around the area, militants hiding in the area fired indiscriminately on the troops, he said.

The fire was returned by the troops, triggering an encounter. The exchange of gunfire between the two sides was going on when reports last poured in, the official said. He said a militant has been killed in the gunfight so far.

#BaramullaEncounterUpdate: 01 terrorist killed. Search going on. Further details shall follow. https://t.co/22dP32S8dT  Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) September 16, 2023

Additional troops have been rushed to the area to tighten the siege and prevent militants from escaping from the area.

Meanwhile, the search operation in Gadole forest area of Kokernag in south Kashmirs Anantnag district entered the 4th day today.

The troops are using all the latest gadgets including drones, quadcopters and helicopters to track down the group of 2-3 Lashkar militants, who are responsible for killing three security officials on Thursday and are hiding in the dense forest area.

The security men have intensified the search operation by targeting the caves in the forest area, which militants might have been using as hideouts.

#Encounter has started between #terrorists and Army & Baramulla Police in forward area of #Uri, Hathlanga in #Baramulla district. Further details shall follow.@JmuKmrPolice  Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) September 16, 2023

ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said all the trapped terrorists in Gadole forest area will be neutralized.

Operation is in progress and all 2-3 trapped terrorists will be neutralized, ADGP Kumar said. The ADGP also advised the retired police and army officers to avoid the Ambush Hypothesis.

The retired police and army officers are giving their analysis of the operation in the Gadole forest area to different electronic and print media.

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SRINAGAR: As a search operation of security forces to track down a group of 2-3 Lashkar-e-Toiba militants in the Gadole forest area of Anantnag in south Kashmir entered 4th day on Saturday, another encounter broke out between militants and security forces in the forward area of Uri in Jammu and Kashmirs Baramulla district in which one militant has been killed. A police official said acting on specific information, a joint contingent of army and police launched a cordon and search operation in the Hathlanga area of Uri in north Kashmir in the early hours today. As the security men were laying siege around the area, militants hiding in the area fired indiscriminately on the troops, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The fire was returned by the troops, triggering an encounter. The exchange of gunfire between the two sides was going on when reports last poured in, the official said. He said a militant has been killed in the gunfight so far. #BaramullaEncounterUpdate: 01 terrorist killed. Search going on. Further details shall follow. https://t.co/22dP32S8dT  Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) September 16, 2023 Additional troops have been rushed to the area to tighten the siege and prevent militants from escaping from the area. Meanwhile, the search operation in Gadole forest area of Kokernag in south Kashmirs Anantnag district entered the 4th day today. The troops are using all the latest gadgets including drones, quadcopters and helicopters to track down the group of 2-3 Lashkar militants, who are responsible for killing three security officials on Thursday and are hiding in the dense forest area. The security men have intensified the search operation by targeting the caves in the forest area, which militants might have been using as hideouts. #Encounter has started between #terrorists and Army & Baramulla Police in forward area of #Uri, Hathlanga in #Baramulla district. Further details shall follow.@JmuKmrPolice  Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) September 16, 2023 ADGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said all the trapped terrorists in Gadole forest area will be neutralized. Operation is in progress and all 2-3 trapped terrorists will be neutralized, ADGP Kumar said. The ADGP also advised the retired police and army officers to avoid the Ambush Hypothesis. The retired police and army officers are giving their analysis of the operation in the Gadole forest area to different electronic and print media. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
This photo taken on Aug. 26, 2023 shows clouds of smoke rising from a post belonging to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after a drone attack launched by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), in Khartoum, Sudan. The SAF bombarded several RSF posts south of Khartoum, using warplanes and artillery missiles. (Xinhua)

KHARTOUM, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Concerns about the risk of fragmentation in Sudan began to loom larger after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo stated his intention to form a parallel government.

In an audio speech posted Thursday evening on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Dagalo threatened to establish a parallel government in Khartoum and RSF-held areas if the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) declared a government in Port Sudan, the capital city of the Red Sea State in eastern Sudan.

In reaction, several political entities warned against the danger of forming two governments in areas controlled by the two warring parties in Sudan.

"There are reports about the intention to form a government in Port Sudan and another in Khartoum. If such a thing happens, it would actually mean the division of Sudan into two states," Jaafar Hassan, a spokesperson for the Central Council for the Forces of Freedom and Change, said Friday on X.

He urged the two parties to stop such moves and immediately return to Jeddah negotiations for a cease-fire.

This photo taken on Aug. 26, 2023 shows clouds of smoke rising from a post belonging to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) after a drone attack launched by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), in Khartoum, Sudan. The SAF bombarded several RSF posts south of Khartoum, using warplanes and artillery missiles. (Xinhua)

Mohamed Hassan Al-Taishi, a former member of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council, echoed Hassan's opinion in a post on X, stating that "underestimating wars and their causes led to the worst armed conflict in the history of our country, and deliberate underestimation of the risk of division will inevitably lead to fragmentation."

He added that it is a national necessity to resist the formation of regional governments like the ones where the remnants of the former regime and their supporters are active.

Meanwhile, Khalid Omer Youssef, the deputy head of the Sudanese Congress Party, described the RSF commander's statements as "very dangerous."

"Sudan seems to be heading toward division at a rocket speed," he said on X on Friday.

"All forces willing for peace must unite to end the war through negotiations to maintain the unity of our country," the party leader said, noting that saving Sudan depends on ending the war and moving towards real and fair peaceful solutions.

This image released by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on Aug. 24, 2023 shows General Commander of the SAF Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan (R center) near Khartoum, Sudan. Al-Burhan's appearance came one day after the SAF announced its control of the headquarters of the Armored Corps Camp in the capital and repulsing a violent attack by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on the corps' headquarters. (Xinhua)

The Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement, in the meantime, voiced in a statement on Friday its categorical rejection of the unilateral establishment of any government before reaching a comprehensive political deal.

"We hold the party which intends to take this step responsible for its repercussions on the unity of the country, its territory, and its people," the statement said.

As the clashes between the Sudanese warring parties just completed their fifth month, the RSF still controls large areas in the capital Khartoum, and some western areas, while the SAF controls large areas in northern, eastern and central Sudan.

The deadly clashes, which broke out on April 15, have resulted in at least 3,000 deaths and more than 6,000 injuries, according to figures released by the Sudanese Health Ministry. 
By PTI

SRINAGAR: Three militants were killed as security forces foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, officials said.

The operation was launched in the Hathlanga forward area in Uri sector of the north Kashmir district, the police officials said.

"In a Joint Operation launched by #IndianArmy, @JmuKmrPolice and Intelligence agencies, an infiltration bid was foiled today in the morning hours along LoC in Uri Sector, Baramulla," Army's Chinar Corps wrote in a post on X.

Three terrorists tried to infiltrate into the Indian side and were engaged by alert troops, it said.

While the bodies of two terrorists have been retrieved, firing from a Pakistani post in the vicinity is interfering with the retrieval of the third terrorist's body, it added.

The operation is in progress, the Army said.

The identities and group affiliation of the slain terrorists are yet to be ascertained, police said.

Op Khanda, #Uri



In a Joint Operation launched by #IndianArmy, @JmuKmrPolice and Intelligence agencies an infiltration bid was foiled today in the morning hours along LoC in Uri Sector, #Baramulla. 03xTerrorists tried to infiltrate who were engaged by alert troops.



02xTerrorists pic.twitter.com/lBvsZ9VWvq  Chinar Corps - Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) September 16, 2023

The infiltration bid and the subsequent encounter come at a time when an operation is underway in Anantnag district to neutralise terrorists who have taken positions in the forest area in a hilly terrain.

The gunfight entered its fourth day on Saturday.

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SRINAGAR: Three militants were killed as security forces foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, officials said. The operation was launched in the Hathlanga forward area in Uri sector of the north Kashmir district, the police officials said. "In a Joint Operation launched by #IndianArmy, @JmuKmrPolice and Intelligence agencies, an infiltration bid was foiled today in the morning hours along LoC in Uri Sector, Baramulla," Army's Chinar Corps wrote in a post on X.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Three terrorists tried to infiltrate into the Indian side and were engaged by alert troops, it said. While the bodies of two terrorists have been retrieved, firing from a Pakistani post in the vicinity is interfering with the retrieval of the third terrorist's body, it added. The operation is in progress, the Army said. The identities and group affiliation of the slain terrorists are yet to be ascertained, police said. Op Khanda, #Uri In a Joint Operation launched by #IndianArmy, @JmuKmrPolice and Intelligence agencies an infiltration bid was foiled today in the morning hours along LoC in Uri Sector, #Baramulla. 03xTerrorists tried to infiltrate who were engaged by alert troops. 02xTerrorists pic.twitter.com/lBvsZ9VWvq  Chinar Corps - Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) September 16, 2023 The infiltration bid and the subsequent encounter come at a time when an operation is underway in Anantnag district to neutralise terrorists who have taken positions in the forest area in a hilly terrain. The gunfight entered its fourth day on Saturday. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Narendra Sethi By

Express News Service

DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government is expecting an investment of Rs 2.5 lakh crore in the state through the proposed Global Investors Meet in December.

Speaking at the curtain raiser event in New Delhi, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami elaborated on the Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit-2023.

Uttarakhand is fast emerging as a young state with immense potential for industries. There is ease of doing business as well as peace of doing business in the state, he said.

The incidents of labour dissatisfaction in the industries operating in the state of Uttarakhand are negligible, which is a positive aspect of the establishment of industries, according to Dhami.

Entrepreneurs in the state are our brand ambassadors and they have the highest participation in increasing investment in the state. Our government is working on the basis of simplification, resolution, disposal and satisfaction and this is possible only when their problems are resolved by constantly communicating with industry associations, the CM said.

Speaking to this newspaper, Director General of Information Bansidhar Tiwari said: On this occasion, ITC has proposed an investment of Rs 5,000 crore to the Uttarakhand government for the Global Investor Summit.

An MoU was signed with Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India for an investment of Rs 1,000 crore and with E-Kuber for an investment of Rs 1,600 crore.

The first international roadshow abroad for the summit will be held in London from September 25 to 28, Tiwari said. This will be followed by roadshows in Singapore and Taiwan in the first week of October.

Roadshows in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from October 16 to 2 will lure foreign investors to invest in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will also attend it, said DG Tiwari.

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DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand government is expecting an investment of Rs 2.5 lakh crore in the state through the proposed Global Investors Meet in December. Speaking at the curtain raiser event in New Delhi, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami elaborated on the Uttarakhand Global Investors Summit-2023. Uttarakhand is fast emerging as a young state with immense potential for industries. There is ease of doing business as well as peace of doing business in the state, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The incidents of labour dissatisfaction in the industries operating in the state of Uttarakhand are negligible, which is a positive aspect of the establishment of industries, according to Dhami. Entrepreneurs in the state are our brand ambassadors and they have the highest participation in increasing investment in the state. Our government is working on the basis of simplification, resolution, disposal and satisfaction and this is possible only when their problems are resolved by constantly communicating with industry associations, the CM said. Speaking to this newspaper, Director General of Information Bansidhar Tiwari said: On this occasion, ITC has proposed an investment of Rs 5,000 crore to the Uttarakhand government for the Global Investor Summit. An MoU was signed with Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India for an investment of Rs 1,000 crore and with E-Kuber for an investment of Rs 1,600 crore. The first international roadshow abroad for the summit will be held in London from September 25 to 28, Tiwari said. This will be followed by roadshows in Singapore and Taiwan in the first week of October. Roadshows in Dubai and Abu Dhabi from October 16 to 2 will lure foreign investors to invest in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will also attend it, said DG Tiwari. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Mukesh Ranjan By

Express News Service

RANCHI: A complaint has been lodged against 12 women in Simdega for taking the benefits of widow pension illegally despite the fact that their husbands are alive. The complaint was filed by Block Development Officer (BDO) Pankaj Kumar at Thethaitangar Police Station after they were found withdrawing widow pension for the last 8-10 months illegally during the annual verification drive conducted by the district administration.

According to BDO, he has lodged a complaint against 12 such women alleging they shared forged documents or information to get the benefits of widow pension. It is still mysterious how they are getting the benefits of widow pension as they have not submitted any documents in this regard. It appears that their names were included directly into the list of beneficiaries in order to provide benefits of the welfare scheme to them, said BDO Pankaj Kumar.

As of now, a total of Rs 1,04,000 has been withdrawn illegally by these women, he added.

The women have been taking benefits of the scheme since June, last year. The women against whom the complaint was filed include  Gudia Devi, Rita Devi, Savitri Devi, Shaniyaro Devi, Kashti Devi, Phulwati Devi, Guddi Devi, Shahri Devi, Maina Devi, Tara Devi, Lalita Devi and Punia Devi.

According to BDO, women whose husbands have died are given pensions under Mukhyamantri Rajya Mahila Nirashrit, Vidhwa Mahila Samman Yojana. Under this scheme, such widows who are between the age group of 18 years to 60 years having a monthly income up to Rs. 1000 and their son/grandson not more than 20 years of age, are given a pension grant of Rs 800 per month for the maintenance and education of their children.

The officer in Charge of Thethaitangar Police Station also asserted that the complaint has been filed and will investigate the matter as soon as they are provided with the documents related to it. The BDO in his complaint has alleged these 12 women of taking benefits of Mukhyamantri Rajya Mahila Nirashrit Vidhwa Mahila Samman Yojana illegally and has requested to register an FIR in this regard, he said.

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RANCHI: A complaint has been lodged against 12 women in Simdega for taking the benefits of widow pension illegally despite the fact that their husbands are alive. The complaint was filed by Block Development Officer (BDO) Pankaj Kumar at Thethaitangar Police Station after they were found withdrawing widow pension for the last 8-10 months illegally during the annual verification drive conducted by the district administration. According to BDO, he has lodged a complaint against 12 such women alleging they shared forged documents or information to get the benefits of widow pension. It is still mysterious how they are getting the benefits of widow pension as they have not submitted any documents in this regard. It appears that their names were included directly into the list of beneficiaries in order to provide benefits of the welfare scheme to them, said BDO Pankaj Kumar. As of now, a total of Rs 1,04,000 has been withdrawn illegally by these women, he added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The women have been taking benefits of the scheme since June, last year. The women against whom the complaint was filed include  Gudia Devi, Rita Devi, Savitri Devi, Shaniyaro Devi, Kashti Devi, Phulwati Devi, Guddi Devi, Shahri Devi, Maina Devi, Tara Devi, Lalita Devi and Punia Devi. According to BDO, women whose husbands have died are given pensions under Mukhyamantri Rajya Mahila Nirashrit, Vidhwa Mahila Samman Yojana. Under this scheme, such widows who are between the age group of 18 years to 60 years having a monthly income up to Rs. 1000 and their son/grandson not more than 20 years of age, are given a pension grant of Rs 800 per month for the maintenance and education of their children. The officer in Charge of Thethaitangar Police Station also asserted that the complaint has been filed and will investigate the matter as soon as they are provided with the documents related to it. The BDO in his complaint has alleged these 12 women of taking benefits of Mukhyamantri Rajya Mahila Nirashrit Vidhwa Mahila Samman Yojana illegally and has requested to register an FIR in this regard, he said. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Philippe Reich and Satish Rao By

We just celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship between India and Switzerland, and only a few days later, during the G20 Trade and Investment ministerial meeting in Jaipur, we witnessed India's historic landing on the south pole of the moon.

India, set to be the global growth locomotive for the years to come, has embarked on a journey of growth, weaving regional and bilateral trade relations on the basis of trade and economic partnership agreements.

India is seeking long-term foreign investments to support its development and growth ambitions, and foreign investors are looking at India as a leading market with an enormous potential to diversify their supply chains.

India and the European Free Trade Association, with Switzerland as lead negotiators, had launched negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) 15 years ago in 2008.

But the dynamics to conclude a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) only resumed this spring and have since gained pace.

Both governments keep facing the question of what is in it for their countries and for their people. We believe there is a lot on the table enabling the creation of a lasting mutual win-win situation.

Innovation: Switzerland has been ranked as the most innovative country for many consecutive years. India also strives to be a leading business-friendly and innovative nation. Its young population, with its many successful entrepreneurs and start-ups, desires to move up the value chain, competing with their peers around the world and has meanwhile also realized the value of the intellectual property (by now there are more national than international patents filings in India).

Switzerland being a small market always had to be innovative to stay competitive.

Early on, it saw the value of protecting intellectual property and technology know-how to justify the huge investments in R&D in the first place. It has a vested interest in scaling up its presence in promising and large markets like India by supplying its high-quality solutions in all relevant sectors, including healthcare.

ALSO READ | India@75: How Indian economy regained its mojo and how it can be the bird of gold again

Investments: The upside for Swiss investors in India appears obvious: Switzerland is one of the biggest foreign direct investors worldwide (ranked sixth). In China, where Switzerland has both a BIT (Bilateral Investment Treaty) and a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in place, there is CHF 300 billion in FDI with more than 1,000 companies present, whereas, in India, Switzerland so far has CHF 10 billion in FDI and 323 companies present.

The potential to increase investments is immense. Foreign investors, though, require certainty and protection for long-term investments, which is why it is important for both countries to have a stable Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) in place again.

Manufacturing: India's "Make in India" aims at creating a manufacturing hub not only for domestic but also for export purposes.

Almost two-thirds of the Swiss companies are already present in India, many for decades and beyond, and already manufacture in, and export from, India.

Many more are waiting to join. The untapped potential lies in the large number of SMEs in the Swiss economy -- its backbone -- who require a stable trade and investment framework. For them, market entry starts with trading, for which tariff (and non-tariff) barriers are a critical factor.

Thus, Swiss machinery and tooling manufacturers, as well as Swiss retail brands -- including the widely sought Swiss watches -- seek low to no import tariffs and smooth processes even for local manufacturing purposes, where stringent local content rules may be preventive.

Skilling: "Skill India" aims at creating a skilled workforce providing meaningful employment for the rapidly growing young working population. Switzerland is known for its world-class vocational education training (VET), and Swiss companies in India have already successfully implemented such programs. Much more can be achieved with the presence of even more Swiss companies and jointly developed VET programs.

Mobility: Talent is both abundant and rare. Switzerland is in need of skilled talent, in particular, in the IT sector where more and more Swiss companies rely on Indian service providers.

In times of escalating concerns around immigration, it is important to note the difference and acknowledge the benefit of mobile talent which is sought after around the world.

India can not only contribute to Swiss companies but also to Switzerland on its digitalization journey.

We call on both governments to seize the historic momentum and take their 75 years of friendship to the next level, into a lasting partnership.

Philippe Reich and Satish Rao are Chairmen Swiss-Indian Chamber of Commerce (Switzerland and India)

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We just celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Treaty of Friendship between India and Switzerland, and only a few days later, during the G20 Trade and Investment ministerial meeting in Jaipur, we witnessed India's historic landing on the south pole of the moon. India, set to be the global growth locomotive for the years to come, has embarked on a journey of growth, weaving regional and bilateral trade relations on the basis of trade and economic partnership agreements. India is seeking long-term foreign investments to support its development and growth ambitions, and foreign investors are looking at India as a leading market with an enormous potential to diversify their supply chains.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); India and the European Free Trade Association, with Switzerland as lead negotiators, had launched negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) 15 years ago in 2008. But the dynamics to conclude a Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) only resumed this spring and have since gained pace. Both governments keep facing the question of what is in it for their countries and for their people. We believe there is a lot on the table enabling the creation of a lasting mutual win-win situation. Innovation: Switzerland has been ranked as the most innovative country for many consecutive years. India also strives to be a leading business-friendly and innovative nation. Its young population, with its many successful entrepreneurs and start-ups, desires to move up the value chain, competing with their peers around the world and has meanwhile also realized the value of the intellectual property (by now there are more national than international patents filings in India). Switzerland being a small market always had to be innovative to stay competitive. Early on, it saw the value of protecting intellectual property and technology know-how to justify the huge investments in R&D in the first place. It has a vested interest in scaling up its presence in promising and large markets like India by supplying its high-quality solutions in all relevant sectors, including healthcare. ALSO READ | India@75: How Indian economy regained its mojo and how it can be the bird of gold again Investments: The upside for Swiss investors in India appears obvious: Switzerland is one of the biggest foreign direct investors worldwide (ranked sixth). In China, where Switzerland has both a BIT (Bilateral Investment Treaty) and a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in place, there is CHF 300 billion in FDI with more than 1,000 companies present, whereas, in India, Switzerland so far has CHF 10 billion in FDI and 323 companies present. The potential to increase investments is immense. Foreign investors, though, require certainty and protection for long-term investments, which is why it is important for both countries to have a stable Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) in place again. Manufacturing: India's "Make in India" aims at creating a manufacturing hub not only for domestic but also for export purposes. Almost two-thirds of the Swiss companies are already present in India, many for decades and beyond, and already manufacture in, and export from, India. Many more are waiting to join. The untapped potential lies in the large number of SMEs in the Swiss economy -- its backbone -- who require a stable trade and investment framework. For them, market entry starts with trading, for which tariff (and non-tariff) barriers are a critical factor. Thus, Swiss machinery and tooling manufacturers, as well as Swiss retail brands -- including the widely sought Swiss watches -- seek low to no import tariffs and smooth processes even for local manufacturing purposes, where stringent local content rules may be preventive. Skilling: "Skill India" aims at creating a skilled workforce providing meaningful employment for the rapidly growing young working population. Switzerland is known for its world-class vocational education training (VET), and Swiss companies in India have already successfully implemented such programs. Much more can be achieved with the presence of even more Swiss companies and jointly developed VET programs. Mobility: Talent is both abundant and rare. Switzerland is in need of skilled talent, in particular, in the IT sector where more and more Swiss companies rely on Indian service providers. In times of escalating concerns around immigration, it is important to note the difference and acknowledge the benefit of mobile talent which is sought after around the world. India can not only contribute to Swiss companies but also to Switzerland on its digitalization journey. We call on both governments to seize the historic momentum and take their 75 years of friendship to the next level, into a lasting partnership. Philippe Reich and Satish Rao are Chairmen Swiss-Indian Chamber of Commerce (Switzerland and India) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

KOZHIKODE: After identifying the man who was the patient zero or index case of the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, the state government on Saturday began looking for the source and place from where he got infected by seeking details of his mobile tower locations.

Kerala Health Minister Veena George said while the state government is trying to determine where and how the man got infected, the central team is collecting bat samples to ascertain the viral load.

The government was also focusing on completing contact tracing in respect of the sixth person who was confirmed, on Friday, to have been infected by the virus, the minister told reporters here.

She said that there were no new positive cases and in a relief for the state, 94 samples -- of persons from the high-risk contact list -- have come back negative for the virus.

Meanwhile, 21 people at the Kozhikode Medical College and two kids at the Institute of Maternal and Child Health (IMCH) were in isolation, George said.

Everyone, including a nine-year-old boy on a ventilator, who is under treatment for the virus or is in isolation are stable, she added.

The minister said that all those infected are part of the first wave of the infection which has manifested in two clusters -- one being the two family members of the man who was the index case and the second being the persons who came into contact with him at the hospital he went for treatment.

The man who has been identified as the index case died on August 30 and it was only much later it was found that he was infected with Nipah.

His nine-year-old son and brother-in-law are still undergoing treatment along with two others, one of them a health worker, with whom he came into contact at a hospital.

The second fatality due to Nipah occurred on September 11 and the victim had come into contact with the man who was the index case at the same hospital as the others, George said.

Regarding the monoclonal antibody, the only viable therapeutic against the virus, the minister said that according to the Centre it was 50-60 per cent stable and it has asked the state government to explore the possibility of getting a new version of the antibody.

"Presently, according to the doctors, the patients under treatment do not require it," she said.

However, the state requested the Centre's support for expediting the process required for importing the monoclonal antibody and the same was assured.

She also said that a meeting of the core committee was held earlier in the day to chalk out the further course of action.

Kozhikode city mayor Beena Philip, meanwhile, said all the wards where the man, who was the index case, went have been declared as containment zones.

"He has moved around a lot. Therefore, the contact list is expected to get bigger," she said.

Kozhikode District Collector A Geetha said that arrangements have been made for online classes in educational institutions for the coming week and instructed students not to engage in holiday-related celebrations.

The Collector also said that Beypore harbour will remain closed till further orders as it falls in one of the containment zones and provided two alternative locations for landing fishing vessels and sale of the catch.

The Centre on Friday decided to procure from Australia 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody through the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for treatment of those infected by Nipah.

The Kerala Health Department had on Friday said it has identified a total of 1,080 people in the contact list of the positive patients and has started collecting samples.

It had earlier announced that everyone who is on the high-risk contact list of the infected persons will be tested.

The ICMR's National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune had sent its mobile BSL-3 (Biosafety Level-3) laboratory to Kozhikode to test the samples for the virus in the district.

This is the fourth time the viral infection has been confirmed in the state.

It was detected in Kozhikode in 2018 and 2021 and in Ernakulam in 2019.

The World Health Organisation and ICMR studies have found that the entire state, not just Kozhikode, is prone to such infections.

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KOZHIKODE: After identifying the man who was the patient zero or index case of the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, the state government on Saturday began looking for the source and place from where he got infected by seeking details of his mobile tower locations. Kerala Health Minister Veena George said while the state government is trying to determine where and how the man got infected, the central team is collecting bat samples to ascertain the viral load. The government was also focusing on completing contact tracing in respect of the sixth person who was confirmed, on Friday, to have been infected by the virus, the minister told reporters here.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); She said that there were no new positive cases and in a relief for the state, 94 samples -- of persons from the high-risk contact list -- have come back negative for the virus. Meanwhile, 21 people at the Kozhikode Medical College and two kids at the Institute of Maternal and Child Health (IMCH) were in isolation, George said. Everyone, including a nine-year-old boy on a ventilator, who is under treatment for the virus or is in isolation are stable, she added. The minister said that all those infected are part of the first wave of the infection which has manifested in two clusters -- one being the two family members of the man who was the index case and the second being the persons who came into contact with him at the hospital he went for treatment. The man who has been identified as the index case died on August 30 and it was only much later it was found that he was infected with Nipah. His nine-year-old son and brother-in-law are still undergoing treatment along with two others, one of them a health worker, with whom he came into contact at a hospital. The second fatality due to Nipah occurred on September 11 and the victim had come into contact with the man who was the index case at the same hospital as the others, George said. Regarding the monoclonal antibody, the only viable therapeutic against the virus, the minister said that according to the Centre it was 50-60 per cent stable and it has asked the state government to explore the possibility of getting a new version of the antibody. "Presently, according to the doctors, the patients under treatment do not require it," she said. However, the state requested the Centre's support for expediting the process required for importing the monoclonal antibody and the same was assured. She also said that a meeting of the core committee was held earlier in the day to chalk out the further course of action. Kozhikode city mayor Beena Philip, meanwhile, said all the wards where the man, who was the index case, went have been declared as containment zones. "He has moved around a lot. Therefore, the contact list is expected to get bigger," she said. Kozhikode District Collector A Geetha said that arrangements have been made for online classes in educational institutions for the coming week and instructed students not to engage in holiday-related celebrations. The Collector also said that Beypore harbour will remain closed till further orders as it falls in one of the containment zones and provided two alternative locations for landing fishing vessels and sale of the catch. The Centre on Friday decided to procure from Australia 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody through the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for treatment of those infected by Nipah. The Kerala Health Department had on Friday said it has identified a total of 1,080 people in the contact list of the positive patients and has started collecting samples. It had earlier announced that everyone who is on the high-risk contact list of the infected persons will be tested. The ICMR's National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune had sent its mobile BSL-3 (Biosafety Level-3) laboratory to Kozhikode to test the samples for the virus in the district. This is the fourth time the viral infection has been confirmed in the state. It was detected in Kozhikode in 2018 and 2021 and in Ernakulam in 2019. The World Health Organisation and ICMR studies have found that the entire state, not just Kozhikode, is prone to such infections. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The daughter of late Odia political stalwart Biju Patnaik, and the elder sister of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Gita Mehta belonged to the first family of Odisha but carved her own identity as a writer, hitting the spotlight first with Karma Kola and Snakes and Ladders in the 70s, then with her short story collection, a River Sutra, in 1993, one of the first Indo-Anglian literary works to be internationally considered a cult work before the genre came to be known as such. She passed away at her residence in Delhi on Saturday. She was 80 years old.

The tug of war between purity and passion was at the core of Sutra but Mehta, dealt with it in her characteristic tragic-comic way and the book, as suits a sutra, is filled with wise sayings. The book is considered representational of Indian culture and also has a dual vision, factoring in how the West sees it. It maps a wide terrain through its portrayal of music, religion, and major cultural landmarks with the story set in mid-to-late 20th century India and around the river Narmada in central India.

In 2019, she was conferred India's fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, by the BJP government for her contribution in the field of literature and education, an honour she "politely declined" as its timing could be misconstrued in an election year. In interviews to the media, she said she was prompted

to do so thinking of my brother, not wishing to cause him any embarrassment at a sensitive time - or even face accusations that nepotism might have been brought to bear to get me the award.

Mehta was known for her detachment to institutional honours. When questioned about what she thought of awards in general she said the process was subjective making a comparison: For example, why Ravi Shankar, but not Vilayat Khan for the Bharat Ratna?

Mehta has produced and/or directed television documentaries for UK, European and US networks. During the years 19701971 she was a television war correspondent for the US television network NBC, Dateline Bangladesh, her work on Bangladesh, is well regarded.

She was married to publishing professional, Sonny Mehta, a former head of the Alfred A. Knopf publishing house.

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NEW DELHI: The daughter of late Odia political stalwart Biju Patnaik, and the elder sister of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Gita Mehta belonged to the first family of Odisha but carved her own identity as a writer, hitting the spotlight first with Karma Kola and Snakes and Ladders in the 70s, then with her short story collection, a River Sutra, in 1993, one of the first Indo-Anglian literary works to be internationally considered a cult work before the genre came to be known as such. She passed away at her residence in Delhi on Saturday. She was 80 years old. The tug of war between purity and passion was at the core of Sutra but Mehta, dealt with it in her characteristic tragic-comic way and the book, as suits a sutra, is filled with wise sayings. The book is considered representational of Indian culture and also has a dual vision, factoring in how the West sees it. It maps a wide terrain through its portrayal of music, religion, and major cultural landmarks with the story set in mid-to-late 20th century India and around the river Narmada in central India. In 2019, she was conferred India's fourth-highest civilian honour, the Padma Shri, by the BJP government for her contribution in the field of literature and education, an honour she "politely declined" as its timing could be misconstrued in an election year. In interviews to the media, she said she was prompted to do so thinking of my brother, not wishing to cause him any embarrassment at a sensitive time - or even face accusations that nepotism might have been brought to bear to get me the award.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Mehta was known for her detachment to institutional honours. When questioned about what she thought of awards in general she said the process was subjective making a comparison: For example, why Ravi Shankar, but not Vilayat Khan for the Bharat Ratna? Mehta has produced and/or directed television documentaries for UK, European and US networks. During the years 19701971 she was a television war correspondent for the US television network NBC, Dateline Bangladesh, her work on Bangladesh, is well regarded. She was married to publishing professional, Sonny Mehta, a former head of the Alfred A. Knopf publishing house. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Associated Press

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russias nuclear-capable bombers, hypersonic missiles and an advanced warship from its Pacific fleet on Saturday as he continued a trip in Russias Far East that has sparked Western concerns about an arms alliance that could fuel President Vladimir Putins war on Ukraine.

After arriving in the city of Artyom by train, Kim traveled to an airport just outside the port city of Vladivostok where Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other senior military officials gave him an up-close look at Russias strategic bombers and other warplanes.

All the Russian warplanes shown to Kim on Saturday were among the types that have seen active use in the war in Ukraine, including the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers that have regularly launched cruise missiles.

Shoigu and Lt. Gen. Sergei Kobylash, the commander of the Russian long-range bomber force, explained to Kim that the Tu-160 had recently received new cruise missiles with a range of more than 6,500 kilometers (over 4,040 miles). Pointing at the weapons bay, Shoigu said that each bomber carries 12 missiles.

Russian officials have previously said that the new missile was under development, and the latest comments confirmed its deployment for the first time.

Shoigu, who had met Kim during a rare visit to North Korea in July, also showed Kim another of Russias latest missiles, the hypersonic Kinzhal, carried by the MiG-31 fighter jet, that saw its first combat during the war in Ukraine, according to Russias Defense Ministry.

Kim and Shoigu later traveled to Vladivostok, where they inspected the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate. Russias navy commander, Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov, briefed Kim on the ships capabilities and weapons, which include long-range Kalibr cruise missiles that Russian warships have regularly fired at targets in Ukraine.

Kims visits to military and technology sites this week possibly hint at what he wants from Russia, perhaps in exchange for supplying munitions to refill Putins declining reserves as his invasion of Ukraine becomes a drawn-out war of attrition.

Kims trip to Russia, which included more than four hours of talks with Putin on Wednesday, comes amid momentum in military cooperation between the countries in which North Korea could potentially seek Russian technologies to advance Kims nuclear, missile and other military programs in exchange for providing Russia with badly needed munitions.

Videos released by Russias Defense Ministry showed Shoigu greeting Kim at the airport along with honor guards lined up near a red carpet. Kim was seen peering at the Kinzhal missile, gesturing and asking questions about the warplanes capabilities as he discussed technical details with Shoigu and other military officials through translators.

Kim was also seen talking to Shoigu and Yevmenov about a purported nuclear attack submarine the North unveiled last week as they stepped out of the Shaposhnikov frigate.

The visit follows Kims tour on Friday of a factory producing advanced Russian warplanes.

Kim in recent months has emphasized the need to strengthen his navy to counter the advanced naval assets of the United States, which has been expanding its combined military exercises with South Korea to counter the Norths growing threat.

Analysts say Kims focus on naval strength could be driven by ambitions to obtain sophisticated technologies for ballistic missile submarines and nuclear-propelled submarines as well as to initiate joint naval exercises between Russia and North Korea.

After meeting Putin at Russias main spaceport, a location that pointed to Kims desire for Russian assistance in his efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance assets and missile technologies, North Koreas leader reappeared Friday in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur for a visit to a plant producing Russias Su-57 fighter jets.

Experts have said potential military cooperation between the countries could include efforts to modernize North Koreas outdated air force, which relies on warplanes sent from the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Kims trip to Russia, his first since April 2019 when he met Putin in Vladivostok, came days after he attended a ceremony at a North Korean military shipyard where the country unveiled the alleged nuclear attack submarine.

State media claimed it is capable of launching tactical nuclear weapons from underwater. But South Koreas military expressed doubt about the operational capabilities of the sub, which was the result of reshaping an existing submarine to install missile launch tubes.

Kim has also announced goals to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines, which can quietly travel long distances and approach enemy shores to deliver strikes, a key asset in his efforts to build a viable nuclear arsenal that could threaten the United States. Analysts say such capacities would be unfeasible for the North without external assistance.

Putin on Friday reiterated that Russia would abide by UN sanctions, some of which ban North Korea from exporting or importing any weapons. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov separately said that no agreements on bilateral military cooperation were signed after the Putin-Kim meeting Wednesday.

Experts say North Korea and Russia arent likely to publicize any deals on weapons to avoid stronger international criticism.

Kim, whose visit to Russia is his first foreign trip since the COVID-19 pandemic, has been eager to boost the visibility of his partnerships with Moscow and Beijing as he attempts to break out of international isolation and insert Pyongyang in a united front against Washington. Some South Korean experts say that Kim could also pursue a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In another sign of the Norths post-pandemic opening, KCNA said Saturday that a team of North Korean athletes departed from Pyongyang to participate in the Asian Games starting next week in Hangzhou, China. South Koreas government says around 190 North Korean athletes are registered for the event.

Since last year, the US has accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, many of them likely copies of Soviet-era munitions. South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Russia have already been used in Ukraine.

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SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russias nuclear-capable bombers, hypersonic missiles and an advanced warship from its Pacific fleet on Saturday as he continued a trip in Russias Far East that has sparked Western concerns about an arms alliance that could fuel President Vladimir Putins war on Ukraine. After arriving in the city of Artyom by train, Kim traveled to an airport just outside the port city of Vladivostok where Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other senior military officials gave him an up-close look at Russias strategic bombers and other warplanes. All the Russian warplanes shown to Kim on Saturday were among the types that have seen active use in the war in Ukraine, including the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers that have regularly launched cruise missiles.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Shoigu and Lt. Gen. Sergei Kobylash, the commander of the Russian long-range bomber force, explained to Kim that the Tu-160 had recently received new cruise missiles with a range of more than 6,500 kilometers (over 4,040 miles). Pointing at the weapons bay, Shoigu said that each bomber carries 12 missiles. Russian officials have previously said that the new missile was under development, and the latest comments confirmed its deployment for the first time. Shoigu, who had met Kim during a rare visit to North Korea in July, also showed Kim another of Russias latest missiles, the hypersonic Kinzhal, carried by the MiG-31 fighter jet, that saw its first combat during the war in Ukraine, according to Russias Defense Ministry. Kim and Shoigu later traveled to Vladivostok, where they inspected the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate. Russias navy commander, Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov, briefed Kim on the ships capabilities and weapons, which include long-range Kalibr cruise missiles that Russian warships have regularly fired at targets in Ukraine. Kims visits to military and technology sites this week possibly hint at what he wants from Russia, perhaps in exchange for supplying munitions to refill Putins declining reserves as his invasion of Ukraine becomes a drawn-out war of attrition. Kims trip to Russia, which included more than four hours of talks with Putin on Wednesday, comes amid momentum in military cooperation between the countries in which North Korea could potentially seek Russian technologies to advance Kims nuclear, missile and other military programs in exchange for providing Russia with badly needed munitions. Videos released by Russias Defense Ministry showed Shoigu greeting Kim at the airport along with honor guards lined up near a red carpet. Kim was seen peering at the Kinzhal missile, gesturing and asking questions about the warplanes capabilities as he discussed technical details with Shoigu and other military officials through translators. Kim was also seen talking to Shoigu and Yevmenov about a purported nuclear attack submarine the North unveiled last week as they stepped out of the Shaposhnikov frigate. The visit follows Kims tour on Friday of a factory producing advanced Russian warplanes. Kim in recent months has emphasized the need to strengthen his navy to counter the advanced naval assets of the United States, which has been expanding its combined military exercises with South Korea to counter the Norths growing threat. Analysts say Kims focus on naval strength could be driven by ambitions to obtain sophisticated technologies for ballistic missile submarines and nuclear-propelled submarines as well as to initiate joint naval exercises between Russia and North Korea. After meeting Putin at Russias main spaceport, a location that pointed to Kims desire for Russian assistance in his efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance assets and missile technologies, North Koreas leader reappeared Friday in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur for a visit to a plant producing Russias Su-57 fighter jets. Experts have said potential military cooperation between the countries could include efforts to modernize North Koreas outdated air force, which relies on warplanes sent from the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Kims trip to Russia, his first since April 2019 when he met Putin in Vladivostok, came days after he attended a ceremony at a North Korean military shipyard where the country unveiled the alleged nuclear attack submarine. State media claimed it is capable of launching tactical nuclear weapons from underwater. But South Koreas military expressed doubt about the operational capabilities of the sub, which was the result of reshaping an existing submarine to install missile launch tubes. Kim has also announced goals to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines, which can quietly travel long distances and approach enemy shores to deliver strikes, a key asset in his efforts to build a viable nuclear arsenal that could threaten the United States. Analysts say such capacities would be unfeasible for the North without external assistance. Putin on Friday reiterated that Russia would abide by UN sanctions, some of which ban North Korea from exporting or importing any weapons. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov separately said that no agreements on bilateral military cooperation were signed after the Putin-Kim meeting Wednesday. Experts say North Korea and Russia arent likely to publicize any deals on weapons to avoid stronger international criticism. Kim, whose visit to Russia is his first foreign trip since the COVID-19 pandemic, has been eager to boost the visibility of his partnerships with Moscow and Beijing as he attempts to break out of international isolation and insert Pyongyang in a united front against Washington. Some South Korean experts say that Kim could also pursue a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In another sign of the Norths post-pandemic opening, KCNA said Saturday that a team of North Korean athletes departed from Pyongyang to participate in the Asian Games starting next week in Hangzhou, China. South Koreas government says around 190 North Korean athletes are registered for the event. Since last year, the US has accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, many of them likely copies of Soviet-era munitions. South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Russia have already been used in Ukraine. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Associated Press

SEATTLE: Outrage grew Friday over a Seattle police officer's remark that the life of a young woman killed by a speeding patrol car had "limited value." Diplomats from India are asking for an investigation following the death of the Indian graduate student as people in Seattle protested the officer's callous jokes caught on bodycam video.

The footage released this week shows Officer Daniel Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, joking with the rank-and-file police union's president after a different officer's speeding police car on Jan 23 slammed into Jaahnavi Kandula at a crosswalk.

Protesters on Thursday evening gathered at the Seattle intersection where the 23-year-old graduate student was fatally struck by Officer Kevin Dave's SUV. The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is conducting a criminal review of the crash.

Auderer responded to the crash to evaluate whether Dave was impaired, The Seattle Times reported. Dave had been driving 74 mph (119 kph) in a 25 mph (40 kph) zone on the way to an overdose call.

Later, Auderer left his body-worn camera on as he called Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan to report what happened.

In a recording released by the police department on Monday, Auderer laughs and suggests Kandula's life had "limited value" and the city should just write a check for USD 11,000.

At the demonstration on Thursday, 5-year-old Layla Allibhai sat atop father Mo Allibhai's shoulders while holding a sign saying: "I have unlimited value. So did Jaahnavi."

Protesters also carried signs saying "Jail killer cops" and "Convict Kevin Dave."

"I think this has galvanized people because it's so blatant and disrespectful to put a value on a human's life at USD 11,000," Patricia Hunter, co-chair of the Community Police Commission, said in an interview Friday.

"And it galvanizes people to see that the culture at Seattle Police Department has some issues that need to be immediately addressed."

Hunter's commission was formed to hold police accountable, along with the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of Police Accountability. Hunter said its next step is to work with those partners to see what charges might be brought in the case, what policies might have been broken and "to amplify the voices of the community which are enraged over this video so that justice can be done."

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco tweeted that it has taken the "deeply troubling" matter up with authorities in Seattle and in Washington, D.C. and that it wants a thorough investigation and action against those involved. Newspapers in India have been following the case.

In a statement Friday, the US State Department called the situation disturbing.

"We are aware of, and are disturbed by, what was said about Ms. Kandula's death in the bodycam footage recently released by the Seattle Police Department," the State Department said. "We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere condolence to Ms Kandula's family and loved ones."

The Seattle Police Officers Guild said in a statement Friday that it understands the outrage caused by the "highly insensitive comments."

"It sullens the profession of law enforcement, the reputation of all Seattle Police officers and paints Seattle in a terrible light," the union said.

"We feel deep sorrow and grief for the family of Jaahnavi Kandula as this video has revictimized them in an already tragic situation as they continue to mourn her death. We are truly sorry."

ALSO READ | Jaahnavi Kandula death: AP CM writes to EAM seeking help with case

But the union noted that the bodycam footage captures only Auderer's side of the conversation: "There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet."

Solan, who had been on the other end of the call with Auderer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

Auderer, in an Aug 8 statement he provided to the Office of Police Accountability that the union released Friday said Solan had lamented the death and that his own comments were intended to mimic how the city's attorneys might try to minimize liability for it.

"I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy," Auderer wrote.

"I understand that without context the comment could be interpreted as horrifying and crude."

He denied that his remarks were "made with malice or a hard heart."

Kandula was from Andhra Pradesh. Relatives told The Seattle Times that Kandula came to Seattle so she could one day support her mother back home in India.

Kandula was on track to receive a master's in information systems this December from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University.

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SEATTLE: Outrage grew Friday over a Seattle police officer's remark that the life of a young woman killed by a speeding patrol car had "limited value." Diplomats from India are asking for an investigation following the death of the Indian graduate student as people in Seattle protested the officer's callous jokes caught on bodycam video. The footage released this week shows Officer Daniel Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, joking with the rank-and-file police union's president after a different officer's speeding police car on Jan 23 slammed into Jaahnavi Kandula at a crosswalk. Protesters on Thursday evening gathered at the Seattle intersection where the 23-year-old graduate student was fatally struck by Officer Kevin Dave's SUV. The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is conducting a criminal review of the crash.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Auderer responded to the crash to evaluate whether Dave was impaired, The Seattle Times reported. Dave had been driving 74 mph (119 kph) in a 25 mph (40 kph) zone on the way to an overdose call. Later, Auderer left his body-worn camera on as he called Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan to report what happened. In a recording released by the police department on Monday, Auderer laughs and suggests Kandula's life had "limited value" and the city should just write a check for USD 11,000. At the demonstration on Thursday, 5-year-old Layla Allibhai sat atop father Mo Allibhai's shoulders while holding a sign saying: "I have unlimited value. So did Jaahnavi." Protesters also carried signs saying "Jail killer cops" and "Convict Kevin Dave." "I think this has galvanized people because it's so blatant and disrespectful to put a value on a human's life at USD 11,000," Patricia Hunter, co-chair of the Community Police Commission, said in an interview Friday. "And it galvanizes people to see that the culture at Seattle Police Department has some issues that need to be immediately addressed." Hunter's commission was formed to hold police accountable, along with the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of Police Accountability. Hunter said its next step is to work with those partners to see what charges might be brought in the case, what policies might have been broken and "to amplify the voices of the community which are enraged over this video so that justice can be done." The Consulate General of India in San Francisco tweeted that it has taken the "deeply troubling" matter up with authorities in Seattle and in Washington, D.C. and that it wants a thorough investigation and action against those involved. Newspapers in India have been following the case. In a statement Friday, the US State Department called the situation disturbing. "We are aware of, and are disturbed by, what was said about Ms. Kandula's death in the bodycam footage recently released by the Seattle Police Department," the State Department said. "We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere condolence to Ms Kandula's family and loved ones." The Seattle Police Officers Guild said in a statement Friday that it understands the outrage caused by the "highly insensitive comments." "It sullens the profession of law enforcement, the reputation of all Seattle Police officers and paints Seattle in a terrible light," the union said. "We feel deep sorrow and grief for the family of Jaahnavi Kandula as this video has revictimized them in an already tragic situation as they continue to mourn her death. We are truly sorry." ALSO READ | Jaahnavi Kandula death: AP CM writes to EAM seeking help with case But the union noted that the bodycam footage captures only Auderer's side of the conversation: "There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet." Solan, who had been on the other end of the call with Auderer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday. Auderer, in an Aug 8 statement he provided to the Office of Police Accountability that the union released Friday said Solan had lamented the death and that his own comments were intended to mimic how the city's attorneys might try to minimize liability for it. "I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy," Auderer wrote. "I understand that without context the comment could be interpreted as horrifying and crude." He denied that his remarks were "made with malice or a hard heart." Kandula was from Andhra Pradesh. Relatives told The Seattle Times that Kandula came to Seattle so she could one day support her mother back home in India. Kandula was on track to receive a master's in information systems this December from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Lucknow, September 15

A shok Leyland, the Indian flagship of the Hinduja Group and the country's leading commercial vehicle manufacturer on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Uttar Pradesh government for setting up an integrated commercial vehicle and electric bus plant in the state, said an official release.

This will be the first Ashok Leyland plant in UP. Under this partnership, Ashok Leyland will predominantly produce electric buses, with the flexibility to assemble other vehicles powered by the currently available fuels as well as emerging alternative fuels.

According to an official release, "World's leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, Ashok Leyland, will set up an electric bus manufacturing unit in Uttar Pradesh. The MoU was signed in this regard between Ashok Leyland and the Government of Uttar Pradesh in a program organized in the presence of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday."

Welcoming Ashok Leyland to Uttar Pradesh on a special occasion, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that today is a historic milestone for the people of Uttar Pradesh.

He said that it was surprising that Ashok Leyland had not yet had a presence in a state like UP, which has a huge population of 25-30 crore and is the largest youth capital in the country. In this sense, today is a historic day, stated the release.

The Chief Minister stated that the state government is committed to providing security and facilities to all its investors. He said that the industrial groups that used to avoid coming here until six years ago are now expanding their establishments after coming here, it added.

He also mentioned that Ashok Leyland's decision to invest in Uttar Pradesh is timely, and the entire Hinduja Group will benefit from it.

CM Yogi also emphasized that this step by Ashok Leyland aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, where the country is determined to reduce dependence on traditional fuel options.

He said that the Uttar Pradesh government is eager to attract investment from the private sector in line with the Net Zero mission. Reducing emissions through cleaner public and freight transportation is an important step in that direction, said the release.

The government is working continuously on the manufacturing and operation of electric vehicles. The administration had also issued state policies in this regard.

He further said, "Today, most of the EVs are registered in Uttar Pradesh, and efforts are underway to develop more charging stations. Electric vehicles are being incorporated into the UPSRTC fleet, and EVs are being operated in various cities", the release added.

Chairman of Ashok Leyland Dheeraj Hinduja mentioned that this year, Ashok Leyland is celebrating its 75 anniversary. Signing this MoU with the Government of Uttar Pradesh to set up a manufacturing plant in the state expresses our commitment to shape it, the release said.

He further highlighted that the administrative environment in Uttar Pradesh is conducive to the development of industries, and the company is eager to take full advantage of it.

Providing details about the activities before the MoU signing, the Chairman mentioned that for the first time, a discussion regarding investment with Uttar Pradesh took place just this year on August 10, and today it is September 15.

Everything has been finalized within a mere 36 days. He said that if work is carried out efficiently, just like Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's team in other states as well, it will significantly transform the industrial landscape, stated the release.

The Chairman expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his entire team for their quick decisions. He also praised the state government, stating that under the guidance of the Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh has become a 'dynamic state' today.

Giving information about the proposed unit, Dheeraj Hinduja said that this new unit in Uttar Pradesh will start in the next 18 months. He informed that the work on various dimensions of e-mobility will be done in the state in a phased manner, it added.

He said that they are working on a plan to convert their entire fleet of diesel buses and commercial vehicles into electric and other alternative fuels in the coming years, it said.

Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi,' the Minister for Industrial Development, Export Promotion, NRI, and Investment Promotion of the Uttar Pradesh government, stated that Ashok Leyland's decision to establish a unit in Uttar Pradesh will further enhance the strength of the company.

He said that this would create additional employment opportunities for our youth, thereby improving their skills and strengthening the overall economy of the region, said the release.

Under the MoU, Ashok Leyland will set up an integrated commercial vehicle bus manufacturing plant in Uttar Pradesh focused on e-mobility. Notably, this will be Ashok Leyland's first plant in the state, it said.

The release further said, "Under this partnership, Ashok Leyland will primarily concentrate on the production of electric buses, while also having the facility to assemble other vehicles operated by currently available fuel alongside emerging alternative fuels."

The MoU was signed by Manoj Kumar Singh, Infrastructure and Industrial Development Commissioner, Government of Uttar Pradesh and Shenu Agarwal, Managing Director and CEO of Ashok Leyland, said the official release.

Ashok Leyland signs MoU with UP govt to set up integrated commercial vehicle, e-bus plant

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'We hear voice of the nation': CJI Chandrachud to lawyer demanding prioritisation of ordinary cases over Constitution bench matters

New Delhi, Sep 15

C hief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud on Friday pulled up a lawyer, who sent an email saying that the Supreme Court should prioritise hearing matters filed by ordinary people over "useless" issues coming up before the Constitution Bench.

"You seem to be in ignorance of what Constitution Bench matters areYou may think that Article 370 petitions are not relevant. I don't think that is what the government or petitioners in that case feel," the CJI told advocate Mathews Nedumpara, adding that the Supreme Court "has been hearing the voice of the nation".

All Constitutional Bench matters do not necessarily include interpretation of the Constitution, he said, referring to the recent instance where a Constitution Bench on September 13 asked the Union Road Transport and Highway Ministry to relook into its notifications providing that Light Motor Vehicle (LMV) licence holders do not require separate endorsement to drive a transport vehicle of LMV class as its potential decision could adversely "affect hundreds of thousands of drivers".

CJI Chandrachud asked the advocate to disabuse his mind that the top court was "only dealing with some fancy Constitution bench matters which have no bearing on the lives of ordinary people".

On September 5, a 5-judge Constitution Bench, headed by the CJI, reserved its judgment in the batch of petitions challenging the 2019 Presidential Order taking away the special status accorded to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and its bifurcation into two Union Territories.

'We hear voice of the nation': CJI Chandrachud to lawyer demanding prioritisation of ordinary cases over Constitution bench matters

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LONDON, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom (UK) on Friday strongly condemned the hyping up of the so-called "Chinese spies" by the UK side.

"The allegations of the so-called 'Chinese spies' hyped up by the UK side are a self-staged farce that is totally groundless. We have made a serious demarche to the UK side and we strongly condemn it," a spokesperson for the embassy said in response to a question concerning reports in British media following the UK Parliament's discussion of the so-called "Chinese spies."

"It only shows that some British politicians have reached a point of hysteria and how egregious they have become when it comes to China. Their baseless slanders and accusations against China seem more of a cover-up of their own incompetence and failure in solving the UK's own political, economic and social problems and are aimed at deflecting the attention of the public," the spokesperson said.

China-UK relations must be built on the principles of mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, the spokesperson said.

"I would like to make it clear to the UK side that China will never accept its unfounded attacks and slanders. If the UK still wants to cooperate with China, it must immediately stop this political farce, which is even detested by people here in the UK," the spokesperson added.

The Sunday Times recently disclosed that the UK police arrested two men in March, including a Parliament researcher who was charged of spying for China. In a statement released by his lawyers, the man said he is "completely innocent" and felt "forced to respond" to the accusations.

The report sparked discussions within the British Parliament about the so-called "Chinese spies." In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning rejected the allegation of spying, calling it "political manipulation" and "malicious slander" earlier this week. 
Vizianagaram, Sep 15

F ive new government medical colleges in Andhra Pradesh were inaugurated on Friday by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who believes that the new colleges will help improve tertiary and curative medical care and augment the public health system abundantly.

After inaugurating the Vizianagaram Medical College built on area of 33 acres, the Chief Minister virtually inaugurated four other medical colleges built at Machilipatnam, Rajahmundry, Eluru and Nandyal.

He said that the government has proposed to build 17 new medical colleges with a cost of Rs 8,480 crore to ensure that all 26 districts have one medical college each and an attached hospital.

Specialised tertiary and curative medical care will be accessible to people of all districts, he said.

Addressing the gathering of medicos and their faculty, the Chief Minister asked the students to become good doctors and serve the poor as people have great expectations from medical students.

Committed to the welfare of weaker sections, the government has spent a whopping Rs 2,35,000 crore on DBT welfare schemes so far and the doctors also should help the poor with the same commitment, he said.

With the new five new government medical colleges beginning their academic sessions, 750 new MBBS seats were added to the existing strength across the state.

The new colleges were constructed at a cost of Rs 500 crore each.

While five more medical colleges, being built at Pulivendula, Paderu, Adoni, Markapur and Madanapalle, will begin functioning next year, seven more colleges will be ready next year.

When all new colleges and their attached hospitals resume activity, the number of MBBS seats will go to 4,735 from 2,185 with all colleges having an additional PG intake of 2,737 students.

Currently, the number of PG seats stands at 1,767 that has gone up from 966 in the last four years.

A total of 609 new PG seats have been added this year alone.

With new medical colleges being established and hospitals getting modernised under Nadu-Nedu, the government has also filled up 53,126 vacancies in the medical and health department to meet the new demands, he said.

In all five newly-inaugurated medical colleges that have almost completed the admissions for the present year, facilities like laboratories, IFPs, smart TVs, libraries, microscopic and digital equipment were provided for a hassle-free academic session.

Going round the class rooms and the facilities, the Chief Minister inspected laboratories and photo exhibition besides spending quality time for photo sessions with students and faculty and interacting with them.

On one of the IFPs, the Chief Minister wrote 'Not all angels have wings, some have stethoscopes', and affixed his signature.

He said that the government has been upgrading the existing 11 medical colleges with an estimated expenditure of Rs 3,280 crore under Nadu-Nedu and new nursing colleges are also coming up adding an additional strength of 1,200 seats.

Andhra CM inaugurates 5 govt medical colleges

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Jaipur, Sep 15

P etrol pump operators in Rajasthan have postponed the strike which began on Friday after holding talks with government representatives who asked them to give a window of 10 days to look into their demands.

A committee has been formed in this regard. In Rajasthan, the Petroleum Dealers Association had organised a symbolic strike on Wednesday and Thursday demanding reduction in VAT.

It was warned that if the demands were not met, there would be an indefinite strike from Friday.

Following no response from the government on Thursday evening, an indefinite strike was announced from 6 a.m. on Friday.

After this, petrol pumps were closed in 47 districts of the state since morning.

Later, a meeting of state minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas was scheduled with the delegation and an agreement was reached after talks.

However, many pumps from Alwar, Kota, Jaisalmer, Chittorgarh and Jodhpur cities opted out of the strike due to various reasons.

At the same time, 60 company-run pumps were also functioning in the state.

Earlier, a symbolic strike of 8 hours each was held on Wednesday and Thursday.

Rajasthan: Petrol pump operators postpone strike after talks with govt

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Jaipur, September 15

T he Rajasthan Petroleum Dealers Association has postponed its strike for the infinite time after the third round of talks between the government and the association.

The strike was called by petrol pump dealers to appeal to the CM of Rajasthan to reduce diesel prices as they are higher compared to other states.

The RPDA president Rajendra Singh Bhati said that the strike has been postponed after the government's assurance that the committee consisting of dealers and officials will come up with a solution.

"The government has constituted a high-level committee to study its report on the rate of VAT on petrol and diesel. The committee will include members of the Petroleum Dealers Association and government officials" said Pratap Singh Khachariyawas

Rajasthan Food and Civil Supplies Consumer Affairs Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said that the committee will give its report in the next 10 days and that the government should bring petrol and diesel under the ambit of GST.

Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said "The Rajasthan government has no objection to bringing petrol and diesel under the ambit of GST. The central government is charging many charges on petrol and diesel in the name of tax and cess."

Pratap Singh Khachariyawas talked about the petrol and diesel prices during the Manmohan Singh regime.

Pratap Singh Khachariyawas said, "When Manmohan Singh's government was at the centre, the price of crude oil in the international market was higher than today, but petrol and diesel were available at Rs 70 to 75 per litre."

He said that the central government should answer why petrol and diesel are available for more than Rs 100 per litre today.

The petrol pump operators in Rajasthan held a two-day strike that started on Wednesday demanding a reduction in diesel prices as VAT in other states was less compared to Rajasthan.

Strike of petrol pump operators in Rajasthan postponed

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Hyderabad, Sep 15

T he Telangana government on Friday announced breakfast scheme for students studying in government schools across the state.

As a Dasara gift, the Chief Minister decided to launch the "Chief Minister's Breakfast Scheme'' for the students studying in government primary and high schools (from classes 1 to 10) across the state from October 24.

The main objective of the scheme is to provide good nutritious food to the students along with quality education.

The state government has issued orders in this regard for the scheme, which will cost an additional Rs 400 crore to the state exchequer annually.

According to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office, along with providing nutritious food to the students belonging to poor families, the government is taking steps towards increasing their concentration on studies.

The state government will implement the breakfast scheme from Dasara to reflect the humane approach of KCR, as the CM is popularly known.

The CM understood the difficulties faced by parents of students who are farm workers and leave their houses for work in the morning. KCR had recently sent a team of IAS officers to examine implementation of the scheme in Tamil Nadu. A team of officers, who studied the breakfast scheme for students, submitted a report to the government. It was brought to the CM's attention that in Tamil Nadu, it is being implemented only up to primary schools. He decided to introduce the scheme by covering high school students as well.

Telangana to introduce breakfast scheme for school students

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Jamia gets a new Pro Vice-Chancellor, appoints Eqbal Hussain with immediate effect

New Delhi, September 15

J amia Millia Islamia on Friday appointed Eqbal Hussain as the Pro Vice-Chancellor of the university with immediate effect till the expiry of the term of the present Vice-Chancellor, Najma Akhtar.

According to the Press release, Professor Eqbal Hussain was the Dean of the Faculty of Law, JMI before this appointment. He started his teaching career with the National Law School of India University, Bangalore in June 1990 and joined JMI in February 1994. He was promoted to the post of Professor at JMI on September 23, 2013.

Pro Vice-Chancellor is also known as 'Naib Shaikhul Jamia'.

Prof Hussain's main areas of interest are Intellectual Property Rights, Consumer Protection Laws, Mercantile Laws and Jurisprudence. He is the Life-Member of Indian Law Institute, Bhagwandas Road, New Delhi. He has contributed a large number of articles on contemporary issues which have been published in national and international journals.

Consequent upon the appointment of Prof. Eqbal Hussain as PVC of the university, the Vice Chancellor appointed Professor Kahkashan Y Danyal as the new Dean of the Faculty of Law, JMI, the release said.

The Vice-Chancellor also appointed Professor Zahid Ashraf, Department of Biotechnology as the Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences and Professor Tabrez Alam Khan, Department of Chemistry as the Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences of the university.

These two faculties were recently created by bifurcating the erstwhile Faculty of Natural Sciences of the university, the release added.

The Vice-Chancellor also appointed Prof Seemi Farhat Basir as Dean Student's Welfare of the university with immediate effect.

Jamia gets a new Pro Vice-Chancellor, appoints Eqbal Hussain with immediate effect

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Mumbai, September 15

A ctor Nayanthara was unable to attend the 'Jawan' success press meet. Shah Rukh Khan revealed that because of her mother's birthday, she couldn't make it to the event. "Nayanthara ji is not here because it's her mother's birthday." He also sang a birthday song for her mother.

Nayanthara was unable to attend the 'Jawan' news conference in person, so she sent a video message in her stead. She stated her wish to appear in front of the media. She thanked everyone for their love and support, saying it meant the world to her. She also congratulated and appreciated Shah Rukh Khan.

She said, "Even though I am not there I want to send a big hug to my friends from the media and fans. Actually truly wish I could be there with you all surrounded by incredible people who supported me throughout my journey. But today is also a special occasion for my family so I wanted to spend with them. I have read all your messages and I have to say it is almost overwhelming to receive so much love for Jawan. Your support means the whole world to me and I am extremely grateful for it. I am thankful to my entire co-stars and team for giving me this opportunity."

On working with SRK she added, "To share the screen with him and witness his exceptional talent and lively energy in person was truly fabulous."

https://twitter.com/SRKUniverse/status/1702698052971373027

Helmed by Atlee, the film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi in the lead roles. Actor Deepika Padukone could be seen in a guest appearance role.

SRK sings birthday song for Nayanthara's mother at 'Jawan' success press meet

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Biden to host Zelenskyy next week, additional weapons to go to Ukraine: NSA Sullivan

Washington DC, September 16

U S National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Saturday said that US President Joe Biden is set to host Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Thursday, noting that it will be their third meeting.

At the press briefing, Sullivan said, "President Biden will host President Zelensky of Ukraine here at the White House on Thursday. And this will be their third meeting."

Noting Russia's desperate attempts to seek help from countries like North Korea, Sullivan further said, "It certainly comes at a critical time as Russia desperately seeks help from countries like North Korea for its brutal war in Ukraine as Ukrainian forces continue to make progress in the counteroffensive..."

He further emphasized on US's support to Ukraine and said that Biden is looking forward to hear Zelenskyy's perspective on this.

"President Biden looks forward to hearing President Zelensky's perspective on all of this and to reaffirm for the world and for the United States, his commitment to continuing to lead the world in supporting Ukraine as it defends its independence, its sovereignty, and its territorial integrity," Sullivan said during the briefing.

However, according to NSA Sullivan, the US always keeps on preparing new military packages for Ukraine.

"We are always preparing a new military package for Ukraine. We do these drawdown packages essentially every couple of weeks."

He further highlighted that there will be an announcement soon on additional weapons for Ukraine.

"I think you can anticipate that there will be a further announcement of additional resources and capabilities, additional weapons to go to Ukraine...," he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Washington, US, next week as he sets to make the case for ongoing aid-related discussions for his country, reported Al Jazeera.

Biden administration has asked Congress to provide USD 24 billion for Ukraine support, including USD 13.1 billion in additional military aid and USD 8.5 billion for humanitarian aid, reported Al Jazeera.

However, some of the politicians, particularly from the Republican party have resisted at the idea of providing more money and supplies to Ukraine, as it attempts to repel Russian forces.

Moreover, his visit coincides with the Congress debate over federal spending, as the lawmakers face an impending September 30 deadline to pass a budget.

Although, Congress has approved aid over USD 113 billion. But their last funding was in December, before Republicans took control of the House of Representatives, according to Al Jazeera.

Furthermore, Zelenskyy's visit to Capitol Hill will be his second visit since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

His first visit was in December when he delivered an impassioned speech before Congress, rallying lawmakers against Russian "aggression".

Although, in the past, Zelenskyy has made few visits international visits since the invasion, but he is set to be in the US next week for the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, reported Al Jazeera.

Biden to host Zelenskyy next week, additional weapons to go to Ukraine: NSA Sullivan

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Objective is for Ukraine to succeed in regaining its sovereignity, territorial integrity: US State Secy Blinken

Washington DC, September 16

E xtending immense support for Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Saturday emphasized that the objective is for Ukraine to succeed in regaining its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Blinken along with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock addressed the briefing.

As both Blinken and Baerbock have recently returned from Ukraine, the former said," We were able to compare notes on our visits but also make clear that we are both deeply committed to continuing the strong support that we and dozens of other countries around the world have been providing to Ukraine - military, economic, humanitarian."

While addressing the briefing, Blinken said, "The objective is for Ukraine to succeed in its efforts to regain its sovereignty, its territorial integrity - but not only to survive the Russian aggression, which it has and will, but to thrive in the future and to be able to stand strongly on its own feet."

Yesterday, Penny Pritzker, former US Secretary of Commerce was named as special representative for Ukraine's economic recovery.

Noting the development, Blinken said, "On the economic side, just yesterday we named a very highly respected senior official and colleague of many years, Penny Pritzker, our former secretary of Commerce, to take on the role of being our special representative for Ukraine's economic recovery, to work closely with Germany, with the European Union, with G7 partners, and many others who are working on this."

He further said the most sustainable way for Ukraine to succeed economically is through private-sector investment.

"Even as governments and international financial institutions support Ukraine - and that will continue - ultimately the most sustainable way for Ukraine to succeed economically is through private-sector investment. And so we are focusing many efforts on these," Blinken stated.

He further stressed that Pritzker's expertise and remarkable knowledge will help to do this.

"Penny Pritzker brings remarkable expertise, remarkable knowledge, remarkable networks of contacts around the world to help do this," he added.

Bringing the Black Sea Grain Initiative into the discussion, Blinken said that both Germany and US strongly urge a return to the initiative.

"Of course, both of us continue to strongly urge a return to the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which, when it was in force, enabled Ukraine to export well over 30 million tons of grain, enough for 18 billion loaves of bread."

He said that the agreement never should have been necessary in the first place.

"It was only necessary because Russia blocked Ukraine from exporting its food to the world. But when the agreement was in force, it at least enabled that food to get out. Since Russia has torn it up, the food is not getting out," he said.

Blinken further noted that the people in developing countries are suffering the most.

"Greater food scarcity, rising prices for everyone, even those countries that were not directly getting the food from Ukraine - and we know, of course, that most of the grain getting out of Ukraine under the Black Sea Grain Initiative was going to developing countries," he added.

Blinken reaffirmed that the US will continue to work on alternate routes to get grain out of Ukraine.

"But also as we think about the longer term and the importance of all of us being able to support Ukraine in all of these areas in a sustainable and effective way as it builds a military for the future, as it tries to develop a strong economy, and as it continues to deal with the humanitarian - the horrific humanitarian consequences of Russia's aggression," Blinken said at the briefing.

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Saturday said that US President Joe Biden is set to host Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Thursday, noting that it will be their third meeting.

Noting Russia's desperate attempts to seek help from countries like North Korea, Sullivan further said, "It certainly comes at a critical time as Russia desperately seeks help from countries like North Korea for its brutal war in Ukraine as Ukrainian forces continue to make progress in the counteroffensive..."

However, according to NSA Sullivan, the US always keeps on preparing new military packages for Ukraine.

"We are always preparing a new military package for Ukraine. We do these drawdown packages essentially every couple of weeks.

He further highlighted that there will be an announcement soon on additional weapons for Ukraine.

"I think you can anticipate that there will be a further announcement of additional resources and capabilities, additional weapons to go to Ukraine...," he added.

Objective is for Ukraine to succeed in regaining its sovereignity, territorial integrity: US State Secy Blinken

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M umbai, September 16 Actor Jr NTR won Best Actor award at South Indian International Movie Awards for his powerful performance in 'RRR'.

The award ceremony took place in Dubai on Friday night.

While receiving the trophy, Jr NTR expressed gratitude to his fans and whole 'RRR' team.

He said, "I would love to thank my co-star, my brother, my friend Charan for standing beside me as a pillar of support for RRR. Last but not least I would love to thank all my fans. I bow down to my fans who have always been with me through my ups and downs. You have been my pillar of support at all times. You people shed a tear along with me whenever I was in pain and smiled in unison with me when I am happy".

'RRR' is a fictional story based on the lives of two Telugu freedom fighters, Alluri Seetharama Raju and Komaram Bheem. Ram Charan and Jr NTR played lead roles, respectively. The film collected over Rs 1,200 crore worldwide. Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn and Shriya Saran also starred in the film directed by SS Rajamouli.

In the coming months, Jr NTR will be seen headlining Telugu drama 'Devara', which will also feature Saif Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor.

Jr NTR bags Best Actor award at SIIMA, expresses gratitude to 'RRR' team

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Jaipur, Sep 16

I AS officer couple Tina Dabi and Pradeep Gawande, on Saturday, welcomed their first baby at a private hospital in the city.

Dabi was on leave since July while working as district collector in Jaisalmer.

Since the news of the arrival of their baby boy son broke out, congratulatory messages have been pouring in from all quarters on social media.

Tina Dabi shot into fame in 2015 when she topped the UPSC. She then married Athar Aamir Khan, an IAS officer who had ranked second in her own batch, in March 2018.

After their marriage, both the officers remained in Rajasthan cadre.

In 2020, Aamir got himself transferred to the Jammu and Kashmir cadre. He went to Jammu and Kashmir on deputation.

The same year in November, the couple filed for divorce in the Family Court of Jaipur and were handed over the decree in August 2021.

Dabi then went on to marry Pradeep Gawande, an IAS officer 10 years her senior, in 2022.

IAS couple Tina Dabi, Pradeep Gawande blessed with baby boy

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Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 16, 2023. Pham Minh Chinh is in China attending the 20th China-ASEAN Expo. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

NANNING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, pledging to bring bilateral ties to a new level.

Noting that China and Vietnam are friendly socialist neighbors and the two countries are working to build a community with a shared future with strategic significance, Li said that under the guidance of the top leaders of two parties, the relations between the two parties and countries have maintained a sound momentum of development.

Li said China regards relations with Vietnam as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, and will work with Vietnam to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties, strengthen high-level guidance, support each other, safeguard common strategic interests and bring bilateral relations to a new level.

Li pointed out that China is willing to expand mutually beneficial cooperation with Vietnam and import more marketable quality Vietnamese products, explore port opening and upgrading, accelerate the construction of smart ports to provide more convenience for bilateral trade, and strengthen cooperation on railway connectivity, key minerals and other fields to jointly build a mutually beneficial, stable and unimpeded industrial chain and supply chain system.

He also said China wishes to expand exchanges and cooperation on youth, education, medical tourism and other fields to promote mutual understanding and amity between the two peoples.

The two sides should stay committed to managing their differences through dialogue and consultation, and work hand in hand to uphold fairness and justice, said Li.

Pham Minh Chinh is in China attending the 20th China-ASEAN Expo.

Noting that Vietnam and China are comrades and brothers, and the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership is Vietnam's earliest and most valued foreign relationship at the highest level, Pham Minh Chinh said it has always been the objective requirement, top priority and strategic choice of Vietnam's foreign relations to continuously deepen the relations between the two parties and the two countries. The development of Vietnam's foreign relations will not harm the interests of any third party, he added.

Pham Minh Chinh said Vietnam adheres to the one-China principle and supports China's development.

Vietnam is ready to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties, further enhance political mutual trust, strengthen the synergy between the Two corridors and One Economic Circle and the Belt and Road Initiative, deepen cooperation on agriculture, economy, trade, finance and people-to-people exchanges, he said.

He also expressed the wish to properly manage differences and enhance multilateral coordination and cooperation to upgrade the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership of comrades and brothers to a new level, adding that Vietnam is willing to be the vanguard of ASEAN-China cooperation and promote the steady and sound development of ASEAN-China relations. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 16, 2023. Pham Minh Chinh is in China attending the 20th China-ASEAN Expo. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)
Washington, Sep 17

IMEC, a new acronym born during the recent G20 meeting in Delhi, is the most ambitious project yet undertaken under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, the US-led West's response to China's Belt and Road Initiative .

IMEC is a port-and-rail economic corridor connecting India, the Middle East and Europe. Thus the name, India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Along the route, the plan is to run a cable for electricity and digital connectivity

US President Joe Biden, the architect of the (PGII) hailed the project as a "game-changing" regional investment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it "historic". Other participating entities present at the announcement were the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

"It will be a clear demonstration of a new model that President Biden has pioneered for more transparent and sustainably -- and sustainable develop -- sustainable high-standard infrastructure that fills a damaging global gap and enables greater prosperity and better connectivity for key regions around the world," Jon Finer, Principal Deputy National Security Advisor to the US president, told reporters ahead of the announcement.

The PGII was launched at the 2022 summit of the G7 countries in Germany, as a repackaged and rebranded version of the Build Back Better World -- or B3W, as it was called -- that was launched in 2021 at the G7 Summit in the United Kingdom. It was to be an unambiguous alternative to China.

A senior Biden administration official told reporters ahead of the G7 meeting on B3W that it will be a "a clear contrast with other global actors like China who are building infrastructure that locks developing countries into unsustainable debt traps and fossil-dependent infrastructure for decades to come".

And that the B3W was born out of discussions held by Biden with his then British counterpart Boris Johnson on the need to "counter low-quality infrastructure development, like China".

China's BRI had locked recipient countries into impossibly high levels of debt. Non-payment of these loans could, and did, lead to significant surrender of sovereignty to the Chinese -- like the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, which was taken over by China in 2018 for 99 years after Colombo failed to repay the loan taken for its construction.

The port was badly conceived and planned -- some say it was found to fail, and it did -- as many Chinese-funded projects around the world.

The B3W was to provide value-based, quality infrastructure that is climate-friendly, sustainable and, unlike the BRI, most of the financing was to come from the private sector.

The goal was to close the gap of an estimated $40 trillion between the demand for and availability of infrastructure financing in low and middle-income countries. The plan ran aground, however, as Biden's domestic plan that inspired it, called Build Back Better, foundered in Congress.

Biden announced the PGII at the 2022 G7 summit with a somewhat scaled down ambition of mobilising $600 billion, by the partner countries over the next five years. He committed $200 billion from the US. A number of projects were announced at the same time in Africa, the Middle East and Europe, making it clear the leaders were putting their words into action.

The Biden administration has also focussed, at the same time, on reforming the multilateral development banks such as the World Bank as an alternative to China's predatory lending under the BRI.

A big part of this move was the appointment of Ajay Banga, an Indian-American, to head the World Bank, Biden administration officials have said. Under his leadership, the Bank is expected to offer itself as another alternative to China's BRI.

India-Middle East-Europe Corridor most ambitious of Biden's PGII push

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Mumbai, September 16

U nion commerce minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday encouraged the Indian spices industry members to aim for USD 10 billion worth of exports by the end of this decade.

"We should look at a greater degree value addition. Today is 4 billion dollars. We have to start building a bigger market. Let's aim for 10 billion dollars of export till 2030, keeping in mind the expanding market," Goyal said addressing the World Spice Congress 2023 and Exhibition.

"I have set a very modest target but I do hope you try to exceed that and make the nation proud," he said. "We have to bring back all the old charms of that spices had across the world."

Noting that food is incomplete without spices, he said the industry members should make these essential ingredients popular across the world.

"We must encourage other countries to increase the usage of spices. The story of Indian spices should be talked about and written about across the world," he noted.

"Let's make India the preferred source of spices," Goyal signed off.

The major importers of Indian spices are China, the US, Bangladesh, and the United Arab Emirates.

The World Spice Congress, one of the largest events in spices industry, brought together all key stakeholders of the global spices industry under one roof from September 15-17, 2023, in Mumbai.

It is a B2B event that is aimed at creating a platform for buyers and sellers to discuss issues and share learnings and best practices.

Piyush Goyal encourages spices industry to double exports by 2030

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Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 25F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 25F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.
Petrol and diesel prices today, September 16, largely remained unchanged in the country. In Delhi, petrol price today stood at Rs 96.72 per litre and diesel was at Rs 89.62 per litre. In Mumbai, per-litre petrol was selling at Rs 106.31 per litre on Sunday, while diesel stood at Rs 94.27.

Among other major cities, in Kolkata, petrol was selling at Rs 106.03 per litre, while diesel was at Rs 92.76 a litre. In Chennai, the price of petrol stood at Rs 102.63 per litre and diesel at Rs 94.24 per litre. In Hyderabad, the petrol price was at Rs 109.66 a litre and diesel stood at Rs 97.82 per litre.

In Lucknow, the petrol price stood at Rs 96.57 per litre and diesel was at Rs 89.76 per litre.
RR Kabel IPO: The initial public offering (IPO) of wires and cables manufacturer RR Kabel Ltd, which was open for subscription between September 13 and September 15, received a decent 18.69 times subscription on the final day of bidding. The Rs 1,964-crore IPO offered 1,33,17,737 equity shares.

RR Kabel IPO share allotment will take place on September 21. Its shares will be listed on BSE and NSE on September 26.

RR Kabel IPOs non-institutional investor quota was subscribed 13.23 times, while the category for retail individual investors (RIIs) got 2.13 times subscription and qualified institutional buyers (QIBs) 52.26 times. On the first day on Wednesday, the IPO was subscribed just 25 per cent.

RR Kabel IPO GMP

According to market observers, RR Kabel is currently trading Rs 115 higher in the grey market. The Rs 115 grey market premium or GMP is about 11 per cent higher than its upper issue price of Rs 1,035 per share. This means the grey market is expecting an 11 per cent listing gain from the public issue.

Grey market premium indicates investors readiness to pay more than the issue price.

About RR Kabel IPO

The IPO has a fresh issue of up to Rs 180 crore and an offer for sale of up to 1,72,36,808 equity shares.

The price range for the RR Kabel IPO was Rs 983-1,035 per share. At the upper end of the price band, the issue will fetch up to Rs 1,964 crore.

The IPO allotment will take place on September 21. It will be listed on BSE and NSE on September 26.

The company runs five manufacturing units  one each cable and wire units in Waghodia in Gujarat and in Silvassa in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and a commercial lightings plant in Bengaluru and one each fast moving electrical goods (FMEG) units in Roorkee in Uttarakhand and Gagret in Himachal Pradesh. As much as 88 per cent of its revenue comes from cables and wires.

The company proposes to utilise Rs 136 crore of the net proceeds from the fresh issue to pare down debt.

RR Kabel, a part of the RR Global Group, had a net profit of Rs 214 crore on a revenue of Rs 4,386 crore in FY22.

Axis Capital, Citigroup Global Markets India, HSBC Securities and Capital Markets (India) and JM Financial are the managers to the offer.
The Medical Counselling Committee (MCC) will declare the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2023 round 3 seat allotment result 2023 today, September 16. Medical aspirants who have registered for the third round of NEET PG counselling can visit the official website of MCC at mcc.nic.in and download the same. To access the result, candidates will have to log in using their registration number and password on the counselling allotment link.

Furthermore, the shortlisted aspirants will have to report for admission at the allotted medical colleges between September 18 and September 25. Candidates will be allowed to upload their documents on the MCC portal on September 17. The verification of joined candidates will be done between September 26 to 27.

This comes amid a demand for a reduction in the cut-off marks. The United Doctors Front Association (UDFA) wrote a letter to the union Health minister Mansukh Mandaviya and the National Medical Commission (NMC) demanding a reduction in the qualifying cut-off percentile of NEET PG 2023 so that more candidates can join the ongoing counselling process and get admission in postgraduate courses.

Resonating similar concerns, the Indian Medical Association (IMA), wrote a letter to Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya urging him to reduce the percentile up to 30 per cent. Indian Medical Association stated, As a result of high cutoff scores, medical aspirants will not only be prevented from entering postgraduation but will also be bound to travel overseas to pursue their dream field of postgraduation, further reducing the medical manpower pool in India. We cannot afford to lose these valuable gems in such a time when the country needs a full-blown medical army to protect citizens.

Last year, the health ministry, upon the recommendation of the NMC, reduced the NEET PG qualifying percentile. Under the revised criteria, the cut-offs were set at 25 percentile for the general category, 20 percentile for Persons with Disabilities (General), and 15 percentiles for Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Class, and Persons with Disabilities.
The Uttar Pradesh government plans to provide more than 800 postgraduate (PG) medical seats in government medical institutions/colleges across the state to improve higher medical education. The initiative to enhance the number of postgraduate medical seats will commence in the next academic year.

The move will primarily focus on improving the capabilities of institutions such as Lucknows King Georges Medical University (KGMU) as well as Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) along with Greater Noidas Government Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS), Kanpurs Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial (GSVM) Medical College, and other medical colleges in outlying districts.

The official handle of the Government of Uttar Pradesh shared a post regarding the same on X (formerly known as Twitter) stating that after giving a push to healthcare facility, Uttar Pradesh now plans its biggest ever leap in higher medical education by adding over 800 PG medical seats across government medical institutions in the state from 2024 session onwards. (sic)

According to a Hindustan Times report, Alok Kumar, principal secretary, of medical education, Uttar Pradesh said that preparations for an additional 763 seats have been completed, and work on further seats is ongoing. This will be the largest increase in postgraduate medical seats in the states history, up from the current over 1,700 seats across government medical institutions, Kumar added.

To ensure that the plan is not rejected by the National Medical Council (NMC), the medical education department has created a list of seats that can be added to each of the 35 medical colleges, as well as the deficiencies recognised by the institutions principals/heads, as per reports.

Additionally, the Uttar Pradesh government will reportedly add 150 seats to the 763 previously announced. The Medical Education Department seeks to supplement specialised care for patients in medical colleges located in outlying districts. As a result, the proposal includes assigning seats at autonomous state medical colleges (ASMCs) founded within the last five years.

According to a government notification issued in July this year, the state has witnessed an 82 per cent increase in its medical facilities, rising from 387 in 2014 to the current count of 704. Additionally, the number of available MBBS seats has surged by 110 per cent, climbing from 51,348 in 2014 to the present 1,07,948, while postgraduate seat offerings have grown by 117 per cent, ascending from 31,185 in 2014 to the current 67,802.

If Uttar Pradesh is successful in increasing the postgraduate seats, it will rank second in the country behind Maharashtra, which currently has 2,488 postgraduate seats, while Delhi has about 1,895 and Tamil Nadu has around 1,836 seats.
This aerial panoramic photo taken on Sept. 5, 2023 shows a view of the Xiabandi reservoir in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 27, 2023 shows vehicles traveling on a road in a mountainous area in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial panoramic photo taken on Aug. 28, 2023 shows a view of Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 27, 2023 shows tourists driving cars in a scenic spot featuring circuitous roads in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 27, 2023 shows tourists driving cars in a scenic spot featuring circuitous roads in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 29, 2023 shows a village in Baldir Township, Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 28, 2023 shows a view of the Xiabandi reservoir in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 28, 2023 shows tourists visiting the site of a historic city in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on March. 29, 2023 shows a section of the G314 national highway in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 5, 2023 shows tourists driving cars in a scenic spot featuring circuitous roads in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan)

This aerial panoramic photo taken on Sept. 5, 2023 shows a plateau view in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 28, 2023 shows tourists driving cars on a bridge across a lake in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 28, 2023 shows a wetland in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 28, 2023 shows a China-Pakistan border trade zone in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial panoramic photo taken on Sept. 6, 2023 shows a view of the Muztagata glacier park in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 31, 2023 shows a section of the G314 national highway in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 29, 2023 shows a view of the Taxkorgan River in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 28, 2023 shows a view of Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 7, 2023 shows a self-driving traveler's camp at Pamir Tourist Area in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 6, 2023 shows the site of a historic city next to a wetland in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 6, 2023 shows a view of the Muztagata glacier park in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 5, 2023 shows a wetland in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Jin Haoyuan)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 28, 2023 shows the site of a historic city in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 1, 2023 shows tourists visiting the Muztagata glacier park in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 27, 2023 shows a view of the Tagarma wetland in Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

This aerial photo taken on Aug. 27, 2023 shows a photovoltaic power plant in Tagarma Township, Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County is located on the Pamir Plateau, boasting both splendid natural scenery and unique cultural charm. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)
In an ongoing effort to protect the environment, numerous Non-Profit Organizations, in collaboration with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), have been actively involved in various eco-friendly projects. One such recent event was dedicated towards cleaning the banks of the Mithi River, and was organised by the BMC in partnership with the Bhamla Foundation. The cleanup drive witnessed the participation of popular actresses including Sophie Choudry, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Esha Deol and Karishma Tanna. Among them, the Sanju actress was not only engaged in cleaning the beach but also took the opportunity and offer valuable advice to discourage littering and shared the importance of cleanliness.

Soon after the inspiring video was shared on Instagram by a paparazzi page, Tannas fans and followers showered love on her and admired her active involvement in the initiative. In the video, Tanna could be heard urging people, Logon ko bataao, itna kachra naa kare. (Tell people not to litter so much).

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Voompla (@voompla)

The organizers also shared a video of the actresses launching the Mega Mithi River Clean-a-thon event on social media and wrote, No rain no storm can stop us when we stand against waste pollution. On World Cleaning Day we cleaned the Mithi in the biggest cleanathon so far. With over 2000 eco champs, we took over the Mithi with rage to clean it, completing 450 weeks of beach clean-ups.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by One Earth Network (@oneearthnetwork)

The Bhamla Foundation has consistently engaged celebrities in its environmental initiatives over the years. Renowned actors such as Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, Rajkummar Rao and Arjun Kapoor have participated in similar cleanup drives and supported the cause in the past.

Karishma Tanna is currently on cloud nine, as shes getting praised for her performance in the Netflix series Scoop. The show is adapted from Jigna Voras biographical memoir, Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison and explores the true story of Vora, who was accused in the murder case of mid-day reporter Jyotirmoy Dey in June 2011.

In a recent conversation with Harpers Bazaar, she said, When I got the role, Hansal sirs DA, whos an ex-journalist, asked me to shadow a crime reporter. So, I shadowed a crime reporter for a week. We visited police stations and saw the way she talked, and observed her body language. When I read the script, I saw how detailed and well-written it was for me to understand the graph. But when you visit a police station, see the jail, meet a real cop and crime reporter, everything changes.

Interestingly, the Hansal Mehta-directed show has become Indias first web series to receive nominations at the Asia Content Awards. The show has earned nominations in two categories, Best Asian TV Series and a nomination for Karishma Tanna in the Best Actress Award category.
Shark Tank India, which made its debut in 2021, has captured the nations attention by providing valuable insights into the world of entrepreneurship and business. The show boasts a panel of judges, including Aman Gupta, Anupam Mittal, Ashneer Grover, Ghazal Alagh, Namita Thapar, Peyush Bansal, Vineeta Singh, and Amit Jain. Beyond their role as judges, they also share market wisdom and personal journeys, therefore serving as a source of inspiration for many aspiring entrepreneurs.

Following the success of two seasons, the makers have recently announced the eagerly awaited third season. What makes this upcoming season particularly exciting is the introduction of a campus special, where student entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to pitch their innovative ideas. This move aims to encourage and empower young innovators, providing them with a platform to showcase their entrepreneurial talents.

The registrations for aspiring student entrepreneurs officially commenced on September 12th, and interested individuals can exclusively apply through the Sony LIV app. Season 3 of Shark Tank India promises a distinctive opportunity for students aged 18 and above who harbour innovative business ideas waiting to be unleashed. This upcoming season will serve as a valuable platform for these young innovators, allowing them to connect with like-minded student entrepreneurs, seasoned investors, and experienced business experts.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shark Tank India (@sharktank.india)

The past seasons of Shark Tank India have witnessed college students and even high school students pitching their ideas to the sharks and securing deals. Inspired by them, the makers decided to introduce the new segment in Season 3 to further encourage and support young talent.

Anoushka Jolly, at just 13 years old, secured a deal worth Rs 50 lakh for her anti-bullying app during Season 2. Shreyaan Daga, an 18-year-old entrepreneur, amazed the sharks not only with his business model but also by starting his entrepreneurial journey at the age of eight. Additionally, 19-year-old Aaditya Fatehpuriya and Raghav Goyal from Jaipur, the founders of Zillionaire, a lifestyle jewellery brand, impressed the sharks and received funding from Anupam Mittal.

A few months ago, the creators shared Shark Tank India Season 3s intriguing promo. The announcement took a humorous twist, as it explored the concept of nepotism in the business world and highlighted that not everyone has it easy.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shark Tank India (@sharktank.india)

Currently, the makers of Shark Tank India season 3 have started registrations for studentpreneurs, but they have not yet announced an official start date for the upcoming season.
Even as the encounter is still on in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag after 90 hours, security forces foiled on Saturday an infiltration bid in Baramulla district and neutralized three terrorists while the Pakistan Army was giving cover fire and targeting quadcopters of the Indian Army.

The operation was launched in the Uri sector along the Line of Control (LoC) on Saturday morning after the forces received inputs about infiltration attempts by Pakistan-based outfits.

Addressing a press conference in north Kashmirs Uri, Brigadier P M S Dhillon said they have been receiving intelligence inputs that Pakistani outfits were trying to infiltrate into Uri to destabilise peace in Jammu and Kashmir. So, we strengthened our counter-infiltration and surveillance grid, he said.

At 6.40 am this morning, despite bad weather, an ambush noticed three to four terrorists trying to cross the LoC in the Hathlanga area. Immediately contact was established and the firefight continued for two hours, he added.

The officer said the army used under-barrel grenade launchers (UBGL), multi-grenade launchers (MGL), and rocket launchers to neutralise the terrorists.

One terrorist was neutralised. The ambush party then realised that two injured terrorists had changed their movement. The ambush party then got into a second firefight with them at around 9.15 am which continued for about half an hour and resulted in the neutralisation of the second terrorist, he said.

Pakistan Army Giving Cover Fire to Terrorists

Brigadier Dhillon said the third injured terrorist exfiltrated with the help of firing from a nearby Pakistani post.

The Pakistani Army post gave fire support for his exfiltration and fired towards us. They fired on our quadcopters as well. According to our estimate, the injured terrorist succumbed about 300 metres from the Pakistani post, in the general area. The weather is very bad, but the search continues in the area, he said.

The officer said three terrorists from Pakistan have been neutralised in the operation and the bodies of the two have been retrieved.

This shows how the Pakistan Army backs terrorists and lends them full support to infiltrate. It also establishes how Pakistan Army is involved in destabilising peace in Kashmir, he said.

The security forces also recovered an AK-47 and AK-74 rifle, seven magazines, a five-kg IED, some ammunition, a Chinese pistol and some grenades along with Indian and Pakistani currency from the terrorists.

We think they wanted to use the IED at some sensitive target, including minority pocket or security forces establishment, Dhillon said.

The infiltration bid and the subsequent encounter comes at a time when an operation is underway in Anantnag district to neutralise terrorists who have taken positions in the forest area in a hilly terrain. The gunfight entered its fourth day on Saturday.

Anantnag Encounter

Around two-three terrorists were still trapped as the gunfight between security forces and terrorists continued even 72 hours later in Anantnag, the ADGP Kashmir said on Friday. The army and the police launched a joint search operation to hunt down the terrorists late Tuesday night.

At least two more Army officers have been injured in the encounter which has been underway in Kokernag in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag district since early hours on Wednesday. Two army officers and a Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir died in a fierce gunfight between security forces and terrorists on Wednesday.

Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Aashish Dhonchak, deputy superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat were critically injured in the encounter and died later on Wednesday.

(With PTI inputs)
In a horrific road accident, a woman and her four-year-old daughter were killed on Friday after a speeding tempo hit them and others while they were sleeping outside their shanties near North Delhis Majnu ka Tilla. Three others were seriously injured in the incident and the accused has been apprehended, the police said.

According to PTI, the Delhi Police received a PCR call at 5:33 a.m. where the caller stated that a tempo had hit three people, including a woman, near Majnu ka Tilla, 56 Pahadi, Civil Lines, a senior police officer said.

Upon receiving the call, the police immediately reached the accident site and spotted five injured people lying. The Tata Ace tempo, which is allegedly responsible for the accident was also found lying at the site.

All the injured were rushed to the trauma centre where the woman, identified as Jyoti, 32, was declared dead upon arrival while her four-year-old daughter died during treatment, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi said Subhash (30) and two children  aged six and 17 years  suffered minor injuries and have been discharged from the hospital.

Meanwhile, accused driver Dinesh Rai, a resident of Karawal Nagar, was caught by the public and beaten up, police said.

A case under sections 279 (rash driving), 337 (Causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), and 304A (causing death by negligence) of the IPC has been registered and further investigation is underway, the DCP added.

In another such incident reported on the same day, an unidentified man was crushed to death by a dumper truck in north Delhis Kashmere Gate area police said.

Accused Ajay Kumar, a resident of UPs Mainpuri, has been arrested, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi said.

Police found the body of a man, in his late 20s, lying in a pool of blood with his head crushed, a senior police officer said.

(With PTI inputs)
Three terrorists were killed in an encounter with the Indian Army and police in Jammu and Kashmirs Baramulla district on Saturday. Bodies of the two terrorists have been retrieved and the third bodys retrieval is being interfered by firing from the Pakistan post in the vicinity on Line of Control (LoC).

The encounter started in the forward area of Uri, Hathlanga in Baramulla district.

Three terrorists tried to infiltrate through the Hathlanga Nala along the Line of Control in Uri in the early hours of Saturday. The third terrorist  who was injured  was trying to exfiltrate and being aided by the Pakistan Army post.

Op Khanda, #UriIn a Joint Operation launched by #IndianArmy, @JmuKmrPolice and Intelligence agencies an infiltration bid was foiled today in the morning hours along LoC in Uri Sector, #Baramulla. 03xTerrorists tried to infiltrate who were engaged by alert troops. 02xTerrorists pic.twitter.com/lBvsZ9VWvq  Chinar Corps  Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) September 16, 2023

The gunfight started after a joint team of police and security forces received intel about the presence of terrorists in the area. After the area was cordoned off by the security forces, terrorists hiding there started firing, drawing retaliation by the security forces.

#WATCH | Baramulla: A huge cache of arms and ammunition and currencies, both Indian and Pakistani, recovered by the Indian Army and J&K Police, from the terrorists who tried to infiltrate and were engaged by alert troops, earlier today. pic.twitter.com/bH83OQyPto ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2023

Brigadier PMS Dhillon, Commander of the Pir Panjal Brigade said that the security personnel foiled an infiltration bid. Search operations are underway.

Based on specific inputs, in a joint operation launched by the Indian Army and J&K Police, an infiltration bid was foiled today. 3 terrorists tried to infiltrate and were engaged by alert troops. 2 terrorists were eliminated and their bodies recovered, the third terrorist was killed but the retrieval of the body was interfered by firing by the Pak post in the vicinity, on LoC, he said.

#WATCH | Baramulla, J&K: Brigadier PMS Dhillon, Commander of the Pir Panjal Brigade says, Based on specific inputs, in a joint operation launched by the Indian Army and J&K Police, an infiltration bid was foiled today. 3 terrorists tried to infiltrate and were engaged by alert pic.twitter.com/gRdsCh1UUY ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2023

Anantnag Encounter

This comes three days after an encounter in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag which led to the death of three security personnel.

Northern Command Lt General Upendra Dwivedi reviewed the operational situation on the ongoing operations at Kokernag forest area in Anantnag on Saturday. He was briefed by the ground commanders on the High Intensity Operations in which Hi-tech equipment is being used for surveillance and delivery of firepower along with the high impact of precision fire being used by the forces.

The operation to flush out militants has entered into its fourth day as drones and helicopters were pressed into service to track and neutralise the ultras who killed three security forces officers, officials said on Saturday. As the assault was resumed on Saturday morning  the fourth day of the gunfight  the security forces fired several mortar shells towards the forest, they said.

Around two-three terrorists were still trapped as the gunfight between security forces and terrorists continued even 72 hours later in Anantnag, the ADGP Kashmir said on Friday. The army and the police launched a joint search operation to hunt down the terrorists late Tuesday night.

At least two more Army officers have been injured in the encounter which has been underway in Kokernag in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag district since early hours on Wednesday. Two army officers and a Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir died in a fierce gunfight between security forces and terrorists on Wednesday.

Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Aashish Dhonchak, deputy superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat were critically injured in the encounter and died later on Wednesday.

Paying tribute to the personnel killed in the operation, Kashmir Police said forces have encircled two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists, including one identified as Uzair Khan.

ALSO READ | 3 Security Personnel, Including Army Colonel, Killed in Gunfight with Terrorists in J&Ks Anantnag

The forces on Wednesday were on a hunt for the terrorists when they received intel of their presence in a hideout.

A Joint Operation was launched by the Indian Army & J&K Police  based on specific intelligence on presence of terrorists  on the intervening night of September 12 and 13 in the Garol area of Anantnag but was called off during the night. On the morning of September 13, the hunt for the terrorists resumed after information started trickling that they were spotted at a hideout, the officials said. During the hunt contact between the two sides was established and the encounter ensued, the army said.

Meanwhile, Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has dropped a terrorist in Punjab using a drone, an intelligence source told CNN-News18 exclusively. CNN-News18 exclusively accessed a video showing the terror group testing the capability of dropping terrorists into the Indian territory via drones that can carry payloads of up to 70 kg.

The exclusive video, shot inside an LeT drone training camp in Pakistans Shakargarh, shows terrorists testing the capability of the drones to carry a human and dropping him in water. A few months ago, a terrorist was sent to Punjab using a drone, said the source.

He disclosed that he was sent by the LeT top brass and was given money. He was told to go by drone and settle in Punjab where he was to be given a task, the source added.

According to sources, the terrorist was told to collect weapons and other ammunition from his sources in Punjab.
Ganesha devotees can now avail of seamless travel to the Konkan region to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi, as the Central Railway will not be putting a mega block on the routes up and down slow line between Thane and Kalyan. Guardian minister of Mumbai suburbs Mangal Prabhat Lodha spoke to railway authorities to discuss the urgency of the matter and seek their help.

Lodha said the Central Railway will not put any mega block during the Ganesh festival after he spoke to the general manager Naresh Lalwani. According to a notification, the Central Railway will be putting a mega block on the routes up and down slow line between Thane and Kalyan stations from 11 am to 4 pm.

I have spoken to the Central Railway general manager Naresh Lalwani ji. I have requested him not to keep any mega block in Mumbai during the Ganesh festival, which he agreed to. So, there wont be any mega block on the route, the BJP leader said.

Every year, lakhs travel to their villages in the Konkan region from Mumbai to observe Ganesh Chaturthi. It is one of the biggest festivals in the region as well as Mumbai. It becomes difficult for people to get train or bus tickets during the 10-day festival. Taking into consideration the festivals popularity, special Konkan-bound trains have been started for devotees.

Six special trains called Namo Express are running to the Konkan region, while more than 300 buses have been arranged as well. In a press conference earlier, the BJP had announced prizes worth Rs 17 lakh for Mumbaicha Morya 2023 Ganpati competition for the Best Idol, Best Decoration and Best Cleanliness around a pandal. On Friday, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis flagged off a train to Konkan from Dadar station.
A shocking video has come to the fore where a 19-year-old youth died after he was can be seen collapsing due to cardiac arrest while running on a treadmill in a gym in Ghaziabad. The CCTV clip of the unfortunate incident that took place on Saturday in Saraswati Vihar has gone viral on social media, raising concerns over the importance of safety during high-intensity exercises in such facilities.

According to NDTV, the deceased has been identified as Siddharth Kumar Singh who experienced uneasiness and suffered a heart attack during his exercise routine.

As per the footage, Singh can be seen slowing down on the treadmill and gradually losing consciousness. In another moment, he can be seen collapsing on the machine. Other gym-goers, who were present there, rushed to pick him up and tried to revive him but all in vain.

#ShockingA 19 years old young man died while #running on a #treadmill in a #Gym in #Ghaziabad. #CCTV footage of this entire incident shows that this 19 year old boy fell on the treadmill and died.It is believed that he died because of #heartattack #gymboy #run pic.twitter.com/9kuSZ0MlZC Ravi Pratap Dubey (@ravipratapdubey) September 16, 2023

Earlier this year, a 55-year-old man died of heart attack after a workout session at a gym in Madhya Pradeshs Indore. The man identified as Pradeep Raghuvanshi was reportedly a popular restauranteur in the city and the incident was caught on security camera.

The incident took place at a fitness centre in Vijay Nagar and the video of the incident soon went viral on social media. He collapsed after his workout session and was declared dead by doctors in a hospital nearby who said he died of a heart attack.

In the video, Raghuvanshi was seen coming out of the workout area while taking off his jacket. Soon he rushes to hold on to a gym equipment nearby and was spotted collapsing immediately, lying flat on the floor of the gym.

CAUSES OF SUDDEN CARDIAC ARREST AMONG YOUNGSTERS

Heart illnesses have been known to afflict older people but now such issues have also seen a rise among youngsters. While the deaths of teenagers due to heart attacks is an unfortunate trend, doctors across several states had told News18 on May 23 that its important for parents and teachers to recognise, prevent, and treat these sudden events.

A sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops beating or is not beating sufficiently to maintain perfusion and life. Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is triggered by a cardiovascular cause that occurs within one hour of the onset of symptoms.

HOW TO PREVENT SUCH CASES OF CARDIAC ARREST?

According to the experts, knowing ones family history is important as this may help in predicting and preventing such events.

Doctors strongly advise wider cardiac screening in high schools and colleges. They also recommend that screening should include a review of risk factors, blood pressure, heart-related symptoms, family history, and stress-related issues.

Doctors suggest that teachers or physical trainers must also know about using AED (automated external defibrillator), which is an automated instrument that recognises abnormal, life-threatening heart rhythm and, if necessary, delivers an electrical shock, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday chargesheeted three men, including a Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen operative, in a case pertaining to funding of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir allegedly through NGOs.

The accused chargesheeted by the NIA include Khurram Parvez, the Programme Coordinator of Jammu Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS), Irfan Mehraj (associated with JKCCS), and Ghulam Hassan Bana, an alleged Hizbul Mujahideen operative, who is also allegedly a key member of United Jehad Council. Ghulam Bana has been chargesheeted as an absconder.

According to an official NIA release, the case relates to a conspiracy allegedly hatched to fund various proscribed Kashmiri terrorist outfits in a clandestine and circuitous manner through NGOs, Trusts, Societies and welfare organisations.

These NGOs etc have been collecting funds domestically and from various foreign countries in the form of donations and business contributions, as well as in the name of carrying out religious, charitable, and various other welfare related activities. Such funds were being routed to Jammu & Kashmir through hawala channels with the help of hawala traders based in Delhi, J&K and other parts of India in order to sustain and promote terrorist and secessionist activities in the Kashmir Valley, the NIA release said.

According to the NIA, NGOs and other organisations involved allegedly included Jammu Kashmir Affectees Relief Trust (JKART), Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF), Falah-e-Trust (FAT), Darul Khair Trust, JK Youth civil societies, J&K Yateem Foundation (JKYF), Iqbal Memorial Trust (IMT) and Anjuman-e-Sharie-Shain (AeSS).

Khurram Parvez and his co-accused were involved in publication of various manipulated reports, wherein they played with facts, subtly and even brazenly, by putting out information without context or out of context Investigations have further revealed that the funds for the unlawful and nefarious activities flowed from the proscribed terrorist organisations through Ghulam Hassan Bana and other terror outfits and operatives based out of Pakistan, the NIA said.

Part of the funds received by Khurram Parvez and his co-accused were given to the stone-pelters in the Kashmir valley to keep them motivated. Funds were also given by the accused to the family members of killed and active terrorists, it added.
Ahead of Ganesh Chaturthi (September 19), the first look of Lalbaugcha Raja dressed in pink was unveiled on Friday, signalling the start of Ganeshotsav for Mumbai.

Lalbaugcha Raja or King of Lalbaug, located in Putlabai Chawl, is the most visited Ganesh mandal in Mumbai. From aam aadmi to celebrities, lakhs of Mumbaiites stand in Lalbaugs long queues every year to catch a glimpse of the iconic idol.

The Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations begin by bringing the idol home or to a pandal. The festivities end on September 28 (Anant Chaturdashi), with the grand visarjan or immersion in a water body.

KING OF LALBAUG

The history of Lalbaug goes back to the 1900s, when the entire area in Parel was dominated by textile mills. When industrialisation peaked in the 1930s, the textile mills bore the brunt of the changes, affecting lives and livelihood. Legend has it that the locals, who were mostly fishermen and traders, turned to their favourite God, Ganesha, for help. They were granted a plot, which is currently known as Lalbaug market. The locals saw this as a blessing from Ganesha. As a mark of respect, they decided to designate a portion of the land for Ganpati celebrations. The Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal was set up on this land and this is where the idol is placed every year. The idol is dressed in different garments and hailed as a king.

Over time, the scale and size of these celebrations have increased. There are pandal competitions, one grander than the other.

THEIR PHILANTHROPIC WORK

Not just for its celebrations, the mandal is also known for its social work. From running dialysis centres to helping out in flood relief work, a major benefactor in the philanthropic activities has been Reliance Foundations Anant Ambani, according to committee members.

Sudhir Sitaram Salvi, secretary, Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal, said: Lalbaugcha Raja is a religious and social movement for over 90 years. People believe that what they offer to the idol reaches the lowest strata of society. It is our social responsibility to ensure that. One of our biggest contributors is Anant Ambani. Anant Ambani and his family visit our mandal every year. If we take a step forward, he takes the next step," said Salvi.

Our dialysis foundation has 24 machines which have been provided by the Reliance Foundation. We have been running the centre for 12 years. We spend Rs 4 crore a year," said Salvi. We have a Rugna Sahayya Nidhi Yojana. We pay 10% amount for the surgeries conducted at KEM, Nair, Sion, Tata, Wadia, JJ hospitals in the vicinity. The Reliance Foundation contributes majorly to the yojana."

In the 2021 floods, a lot of districts of Maharashtra such as Ratnagiri, Raigad, Kolhapur and Satara were affected. Then, too, Ambani supported us through the Reliance Foundation. Our 2020 Arogya Utsav also received help from him. The support has been increasing with each passing year," he said.

The most recent of mandals social initiative was the help provided to the residents of landslide-struck Irshalwadi near Khalapur in Raigad district.

HISTORY OF HELP

In 1947, the mandal donated its balance amount to the Kasturba Fund and to Bihar Flood Relief Fund in 1959. It contributed to the wars in 1962 and 1965.

In 1990, the mandal contributed Rs 15,000 towards Konkan Flood Relief Fund, established by the Express Group for the flood affected people of Jambhulpada, based in Konkan, Maharashtra.

It was the first mandal to contribute Rs 1 lakh to the Army Central Welfare Fund in 1999 for the families of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in Kargil.
For any religion to be compared with dengue, malaria or any other disease is hate speech. For any political party or for a person in power to openly make a cry for eradication of Sanatana Dharma prima facie would amount to hate speech. For any speech to be prosecuted as hate speech, there is an element of public disorder. If public order is disrupted and violence is caused that can be traced to the utterances that were made by an individual, such persons are liable to be prosecuted for hate speech. It seems as if the volatility of a section or class to resort to violence is the barometer for prosecuting hate speech, not so much the substance of what was said.

In law, if by certain utterances a huge outrage is caused in a community, there are cries to resort to violence or public order is affected, the law shall prosecute the individual for hate speech. It does not matter if the speech was substantially correct, historically backed, or had reasonable basis to it.

Across the world, the test as to whether public disorder has been disrupted or not has been criticised. It is argued that the minority communities are not able to vociferously put their views across against the majority and hence, the public disorder test is insufficient. It is argued that hate speech leads to divisions within society and can foster discriminatory attitudes. Should speech, substantially qualifying to be hate speech, be tolerated just because it has not led to violence or disrupted public order?

The Indian penal code under Section 295A penalises deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs. Section 298 IPC penalises uttering, words, etc, with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person. Section 505(1) and (2) IPC penalise publication or circulation of any statement, rumour or report causing public mischief and enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes. Public statements made by Udhayanidhi Stalin and other DMK leaders prima facie amount to hate speech and should be prosecuted.

In an increasingly globalised and intolerant world, often tolerance is seen as a weakness and not virtue. Few religions have been the subject of such intense debate and reforms like Sanatana. The Indian Constitution forbids discrimination based on caste and gender. It specifically outlawed untouchability and granted equal fundamental rights to all citizens. Any interpretation of Sanatana Dharma that seems to support discrimination based on caste is legally redundant.

India, in its constitutional evolution, took that leap during the process of drafting of the Indian Constitution. It is indeed true that legal equality is yet to fully translate as social equality. But the debate on what a supposed version of Manu Smriti said, or any other Hindu text said, is not legally relevant anymore. The Constituent Assembly led by Dr Ambedkar and largely composed of persons from majority community took a position against caste discrimination and other social evils.

Its rather fascinating that artificial distinction is being created between the words Sanatana and Hinduism. Both might have different etymological origins but represent the same faith. I must further clarify that Supreme Court has not given any judgment on whether Hinduism qualifies as a religion or not. In an intriguing discussion over the vast expanse of Hinduism, the court observed that it seems that Hinduism is more a way of life. Legally, constitutionally, and statutorily, Hinduism is a religion. Anyone citing the authority of the Supreme Court to argue otherwise is convoluting the argument.

In a country with an overwhelming majority of Hindus, one can show Goddess Kali as smoking and compare Santana to dengue and malaria. It is the strength of the majority faith that such attacks are tackled in debates and arguments and not in street violence. But law should not deal with instances of hate speech vis-a-vis the misplaced sensitivities of a particular community. The ability to get offended easily and violently should not be incentivised in law and the virtue of tolerance should not have social and legal disincentive.
Robert Hormats, former under secretary of state for economic growth, energy, and the environment, speaks at a reception celebrating the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in New York, the United States, Sept. 13, 2023. (Photo by Zhou Huanxin/Xinhua)

NEW YORK, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- American veteran diplomats have made a united call for revitalizing U.S.-China relations at a reception celebrating the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Speaking at the event held Wednesday evening, 80-year-old Robert Hormats, former under secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, lamented the status quo.

"Unfortunately, this is not one of those good times. This is a very difficult time and it's a very sad time for all of us who believe in the relationship," he said.

"But it is not a moment where we can simply give up and simply do nothing," said Hormats, highlighting the necessity of dialogues based on "candor" over "anger" in dealing with "very difficult issues" between the two countries.

"There's a difference in a discussion based on candor, and a discussion based on anger...I think the tone that we sometimes hear, which is sort of an angry tone when you see this in the press, amongst some politicians, is not the kind of thing that's going to get us anywhere," he said.

Daniel Russel, vice president for International Security and Diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), echoed this sentiment of hope.

Russel, who most recently served as the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, said that the world expects great powers to work together to solve great challenges.

"The world is too small for China and the United States to be enemies...to fail to work together to cooperate... Let's rededicate ourselves to the task of forging the kind of relationship that genuinely serves the best interests of the American people, the Chinese people and the international community," he said.

Jim Yong Kim, former president of the World Bank Group, stresses the importance and tangible effects of U.S.-China collaboration for global development, particularly in Africa.

"I hope that it can get back to the stage where when it was at its best, because if we do, the implications are not just for China, for the United States, (but) for Africa, for Latin America, (and) for everyone," he said. Enditem (Kunna Long contributed to the story.)

Daniel Russel, vice president for International Security and Diplomacy at the Asia Society Policy Institute, speaks at a reception celebrating the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in New York, the United States, Sept. 13, 2023. (Photo by Zhou Huanxin/Xinhua)

Jim Yong Kim, former president of the World Bank Group, speaks at a reception celebrating the 74th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, in New York, the United States, Sept. 13, 2023. (Photo by Zhou Huanxin/Xinhua)
Thane and Mumbai woke up to heavy rainfall on Saturday morning. While office-goers may have to face issues, others may breathe a sigh of relief as most workplaces would be shut due to weekend.

The India Meteorological Department had issued orange alert (heavy to very heavy rain) for Thane and Palghar for Saturday, September 17. A yellow alert has been issued for Mumbai till September 18, indicating heavy rain at isolated places.

From Sunday, September 18, Thane and Palghar have been placed under yellow alert. The IMD has said that the warnings will be upgraded if required.

The intensity of rains had reduced since July-end and the megapolis was not getting much rains except drizzling. While the rain may be a respite for many, others could be praying for clear weather as most Maharashtra residents are gearing up to welcome Lord Ganesha at their homes on Monday.

One of the major attractions of Ganesh Chaturthi is bringing Lord Ganeshas idol home and then immersing it in a water body at the end of the 10-day festival.

Depending on traditions being followed in families, people do the Visarjan (immersion) on one and a half-day, three, five, seven, or eleven days also.

ALSO READ | Lalbaugcha Raja First Look Out: Mumbais King Always to the Rescue of His Subjects

When Are Lord Ganesha Idols Brought Home?

Abhijit Muhurta is considered the most auspicious time to get Ganpati home. This year it falls on September 18, a day before festivities begin.

Ravi Yog, on September 19 (Tuesday), is when Lord Ganesha is welcomed at home with puja. The time this year is in the afternoon.

On September 18, Abhijit Muhurta is from 11:51 pm to 12:40 pm. On the other hand, from 12:08 am to 6:08 am is the time for Ravi Yog on Tuesday, September 19, 2023. You can invite Lord Ganpati to your house during the auspicious Choghadiya Muhurat, in addition to the Abhijit Muhurat.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday raided over 20 locations, which are suspected to be linked with anti-national activities, across Tamil Nadu including Chennai and Coimbatore. The sites are suspected to be the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) training centres in the region.

The raids are reportedly underway in 21 locations in Coimbatore, 3 locations in Chennai, 5 locations in Hyderabad/Cyberabad, and 1 location in Tenkasi.

According to PTI, a Coimbatore councillor of the state-ruling party DMK was among those under the anti-terror agencys radar.

Visuals shared by news agency ANI show NIA officials along with Tamil Nadu police raiding locations at one of the sites.

#WATCH | NIA conducts raids at 30 locations in both Tamil Nadu and Telangana in ISIS Radicalization and Recruitment case. The raids are underway in 21 locations in Coimbatore, 3 locations in Chennai, 5 locations in Hyderabad/Cyberabad, and 1 location in Tenkasi.(Visuals from pic.twitter.com/KcCiO7SZ6u  ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2023

This comes days after NIA, in one of its anti-terror operations, arrested one suspect during multi-state raids in connection with a case linked to a module of the proscribed ISIS terror group in Jharkhand.

The raids were conducted as a follow-up to the July arrest of Aligarh Muslim University student Faizan Ansari, who had come in contact with radicalised individuals during his stay near the institution campus, a federal agency spokesperson said.

The official said the searches were conducted on the premises of suspects at nine locations across six states and led to the arrest of Rahul Sen alias Omar alias Omar Bahadur.

A host of incriminating material, including electronic/digital devices (laptops, pen drives, mobile phones), one knife, a veil and several ISIS-related documents were seized, the spokesperson said
The Bangladesh strain of the Nipah virus manifests breathlessness issues and kills nine out of 10 infected individuals, the countrys top epidemiologist Dr Raman Gangakhedkar told News18 on Saturday, sounding caution that it is of the utmost importance to find out the source of the virus to prevent its spread.

Gangakhedkar, the former head of epidemiology and communicable diseases, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), steered the countrys effort in handling the last three outbreaks of the Nipah virus in Kerala.

Top priorities are finding the index patient, finding the origin of Nipah virus, testing all the animals around, mobilising the community and keeping medical aid ready," he said.

On September 13, Kerala Health Minister Veena George announced that the Nipah cases detected in the state were of the Bangladesh strain.

Speaking to News18, Gangakhedkar said that the circulating strain is known to cause respiratory distress syndrome, which makes patients feel breathless among the initial symptoms and pushes them on ventilators.

The Malaysian strain is known for manifesting neurological symptoms but the Bangladesh strain is known for higher case fatality rate or deaths It will kill nine people out of 10 infected, approximately," he said, adding that 89% of patients died out of 23 infected patients in the first outbreak.

Nipah Mystery a Crime Thriller

Gangakhedkar, who was the face of Indias apex medical research agency during the government briefings on Covid-19, believes that solving the mystery of the Nipah virus  reaching out to the index patient, finding the origin of the virus, connecting the events linking origin to the index patient and tracing everyone in contact with index patient  is like watching in a crime thriller" unfold.

It is a jigsaw puzzle," he said, recalling that, in 2018, he and other team members solved the Nipah mystery in 15 days.

In May 2018, a team of scientists found that the index patient was in direct contact with the fruit bats while cleaning the well of his house in a village in Kerala.

In Kerala, the bats come to eat fruits in the orchards. In 2018 and 2019, the outbreak happened in the month of May, which threw up a clue that they come to eat mangoes in summer. Hence, the advisory was issued to consume fruits after washing them or not to touch bitten fruits."

In September 2021, there was another outbreak. However, the experience with quarantine and isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic proved beneficial in handling Nipah, as there was a heightened level of public compliance in wearing masks and following safety measures.

Gangakhedkar emphasised the necessity of identifying new connections at this point, given that the outbreak has recurred for the second time in September.

Contact-tracing should be very heavy," Gangakhedkar said, recalling that in 2018, more than 2,000 people were tracked and traced in just three days.

Why Kerala

An ongoing nationwide survey by the Pune-based ICMRs National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV) has found evidence of the Nipah virus circulation in the bat population across nine states and one Union Territory.

Till July, the survey was completed in 14 states and two Union Territories. The presence of Nipah viral antibodies was found in bats in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya and the Union Territory of Pondicherry.

Quoting the same study, Gangakhedkar said, There is a possibility that small outbreaks happen in other states but are not reported. We need to strengthen our surveillance mechanism."

India needs to look at Bangladeshs model where they have fought the virus through public education and common mobilisation, he said.

Apart from many other preventive techniques, they have started covering palm trees to stop the nesting of bats."

According to the septuagenarian scientist, Kerala is unique and has well-oiled machinery to handle such outbreak. The states health machinery is also healthy where community mobilisation and sensitisation is taken very seriously by the common man."

The Treatment

India has reached out to Australia to acquire more monoclonal antibody doses to combat the Nipah virus. According to Dr Rajiv Bahl, the head of the ICMR, India expects to receive an additional 20 doses soon.

The monoclonal antibody  which successfully completed its phase-one trial and has been administered to a total of 14 individuals globally so far  was first ordered in 2018.

We ordered these products in the first outbreak. However, by the time they reached India, the outbreak was over."

The leftover doses are being used now by the Indian authorities.

Gangakhedkar said that, in 2021, India was already in talks with US-Australia for manufacturing the monoclonal antibodies likely to be used against Nipah.

This therapy is being developed in a joint research project of the US and Australia. We requested to start production of these antibodies in India for non-commercial purposes," he said, adding that the project slipped to the backburner after the outbreak of Covid-19.
Another person on Friday tested positive for the Nipah Virus in Keralas Kozhikode. This took the number of infected persons in the state to six, of which four are active cases and the rest two had passed away earlier.

The virus gripped the coastal state of Kerala for the fourth time and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) informed that it has sought 20 more doses of the antibody vaccine from Australia. It has also said that the mortality among the infected is very high in the virus (between 40 and 70 per cent) compared to the mortality in Covid, which was 2-3 per cent.

LATEST UPDATES

All Educational Institutes Shut in Kozhikode till Sept 24

The state government has announced that all the educational institutes in Keralas Kozhikode will remain closed till September 24. The closure  ordered in view of the Nipah outbreak  is applicable to schools, professional colleges, tuition centres and other educational institutions in the district.

This comes after the confirmation of the six infection of the Nipah virus.

India to Acquire 20 More Doses of Antibody Vaccine from Australia; Nipah Mortality Rate Very High

India has reached out to Australia for procuring 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody for the treatment of Nipah virus infection, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICRM) DG Rajeev Bahl said.

With repeated instances of Nipah outbreaks being reported and the mortality rate being very high compared to Covid, Bahl said that ICMR is also planning to start work on developing a vaccine against the viral disease.

We got some doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia in 2018. Currently the doses are available for only 10 patients, Bahl said, adding globally monoclonal antibody has been given to 14 patients infected with Nipah virus outside India and all of them have survived.

Twenty more doses are being procured. But the medicine needs to be given during the early stage of the infection, he said, adding it can only given as compassionate use medicine.

Bahl also said that mortality among the infected is very high in Nipah (between 40 and 70 per cent) compared to the mortality in Covid, which was 2-3 per cent.

Kerala HC Directs State Govt to Issue Guidelines for Sabarimala Pilgrimage

The Kerala High Court on Friday asked the state government to issue guidelines  if required  for the pilgrimage to Sabarimala when it opens for the monthly puja in view of the Nipah outbreak.

The court asked the Travancore Devaswom Board commissioner to hold discussions with the health secretary and take a decision on the matter.

One More Person Infected, Takes Total Nipah Cases To 6

A 39-year-old man tested positive for the Nipah virus, which was transmitted to him through direct contact with an infected person who died on August 30, State Health Minister Veena George said on Friday.

With the number of active cases rising to four, the state government has decided to test everyone who are on the high-risk contact list of the infected persons.

George said that the man was confirmed with the Nipah virus after his samples turned positive, taking the total infected in the state to six, of which two had died earlier.

Ktaka Govt Issues Guidelines After Neighbouring Keralas Nipah Outbreak

The Karnataka government has issued guidelines for its people after the Nipah outbreak in its neighbouring state of Kerala.

The guidelines include avoiding unnecessary travel to the affected area in Kerala and intensifying fever surveillance in the bordering districts. Training of health staff and keeping beds ready at district hospitals for quarantining the suspected cases are among the measures suggested.

Issuing the guidelines for undertaking surveillance activities for immediate compliance, it said initiation of immediate actions by all the districts in the state to prevent the Nipah virus disease transmission at all levels is expected.

(With PTI inputs)
Massive protests broke out at Silchars National Institute of Technology (NIT) after a student from Arunachal Pradesh died by suicide in his hostel room due to poor performance in exams due to which he couldnt clear his back in one of the subjects.

As per reports, the student was frustrated and depressed over his back mark in a subject and constantly requested the college administration to register him for the next semester, however, his request was denied. The students are now demanding the resignation of Dean Academic Dr BK Roy.

The deceased was a student of Electrical Engineering and was in his third year. As per his classmates testimony, he failed to attend some online classes during the lockdown due to poor internet facilities in his state.

He was not allowed to sit for next semester due to the backs and today he went to the Dean with a request to allow him to get admission in next semester. After the Dean refused, he went to his hostel and around 5 p.m. Later we saw him hanging, one of the students said on condition of anonymity.

The student further claimed that the college administration is now trying to pin the blame on the victims by saying that he was depressed due to his backlogs since the first semester.

We waited so long to meet the director of our institute, but he didnt meet us. The institution has been introducing new guidelines for students and its very difficult and disturbing. The students are not happy with the behaviour of the administration of NIT Silchar. Today, one of the students died by suicide due to depression. They have no concern about a students mental health which is getting hampered due to the atrocities and brutalities of the authority, he added.

Later, the police allegedly entered the hostel forcibly to recover the dead body which led to a brief clash between students and the police personnel.

While the protesting students claim that the agitation turned violent after the police used tear gases on them, police say that the students tried to vandalise police vehicles as well as the deans residence.

Deputy Commissioner of Cachar, Rohan Kumar Jha, said, We rushed to the spot immediately after it was reported. The behaviour of the students was a bit unruly. They not only vandalised a few cars but also the residence of the dean was completely ransacked. We tried to talk with them. But even while negotiating some of them were throwing bottles at us.

NIT will form an enquiry committee. We have decided that if the situation does not improve, we have to take some serious steps as well, he added.
The death toll in Noidas lift crash incident reached to eight after four more workers succumbed to their injuries on Saturday. The incident took place on Friday after a service lift had a free fall at an under-construction group housing society in Greater Noida West.

A financial compensation of Rs 25 lakh each has been issued for families who lost their lives in the incident, a senior officer said. The victims have been identified as Arbaaz Ali, 19, from Meerut, Kuldeep Pal, 20, from Kannauj, Maan Ali, 20, from Balrampur and Mohammad Ali Khan, 18, from Amroha, police said in a statement on Saturday.

The state-run NBCC is completing the long-stalled project under the monitoring of the Supreme Court.

The lift carrying nine workers fell from the 14th floor of an under-construction tower at an Amrapali Dream Valley project site in Noida Extension on Friday morning.

District Magistrate Manish Verma told PTI, Four workers had died after the incident on Friday. Five of them were admitted to the district hospital in a critical condition. Of these, four more have succumbed to the injuries while one worker is still undergoing treatment.

The four workers who died on Friday were identified as Ishtaq Ali, 23, of Bihars Balrampur district, Arun Tanti Mandal, 40, of Bihars Banka, Vipot Mandal, 45, of Bihar Katihar and Aris Khan, 22, of Amroha in Uttar Pradesh.

Of the compensation sum, Rs 20 lakh is from NBCC and Rs 5 lakh from the courts receiver (in the project), Verma said.

The district magistrate further said that NBCC has already handed over the cheques of the compensation for those killed on Friday and that similar compensation would be provided to those who passed away on Saturday.

The district magistrate after meeting the victims said that one worker is currently in critical condition in the ICU of a hospital. He also said that the police are sealing under-construction buildings near the incident spot as a part of the investigation into the case.

When asked about the claims of some workers in regard to inadequate safety measures at the project, Verma said, We are looking into these claims and will have all under-construction sites inspected for safety violations. If any laxity is found in this case that will also come to the fore during investigation and suitable action would be taken against those guilty.

Nine people, including officials of NBCC, were booked for negligence and culpable homicide, among others, in connection with the case after an FIR was lodged on Friday at the local Bisrakh Police Station, according to the police.

Probes have also been launched into the episode by the district administration and the local Greater Noida Authority.

(with PTI inputs)
Paryushana, also known as Paryushan Parva, is one of the most important religious festivals celebrated by Jains. It is a significant period of spiritual reflection, fasting, and self-discipline for followers of Jainism. The festival typically lasts for eight to ten days, depending on the Jain sect and tradition, and it occurs in the Jain calendars month of Bhadrapada (August or September in the Gregorian calendar). This year the celebration started on September 12 and will continue till September 20. Here are some Jain Paryushan Parva wishes and quotes that you can use to convey your greetings and blessings during this auspicious festival:

PARYUSHANA 2023 WISHES

Wishing you a spiritually enriching Paryushan Parva filled with self-reflection, forgiveness, and inner peace. Praying for your spiritual growth and well-being.

May this Paryushan Parva bring you closer to the path of righteousness and enlightenment. Wishing you a blessed and peaceful festival.

As you observe Paryushan Parva, may your soul be cleansed of impurities, and may you find the strength to walk the path of truth and compassion. Happy Paryushan!

May the divine teachings of Lord Mahavira guide you towards a life of non-violence, truth, and spiritual awakening. Happy Jain Paryushan Parva!

On this holy occasion of Paryushan, may you find the inner strength to overcome your weaknesses and embrace a life of purity and virtue. Happy Paryushan Parva!

PARYUSHANA 2023 QUOTES

The soul is pure, and it is our actions that tarnish it. Paryushan is the time to cleanse the soul through self-purification.  Jain Proverb

Forgiveness is the jewel of the soul. During Paryushan, let us seek forgiveness and offer it to others to attain spiritual purity.  Unknown

The greatest victory is self-victory. May this Paryushan help you conquer your inner battles and lead you to spiritual triumph.  Jain Teaching

In silence and solitude, we find the answers to lifes deepest questions. Paryushan is the perfect time to connect with your inner self.  Jain Saying

Let your thoughts be pure, your words kind, and your actions compassionate. This is the essence of Paryushan.  Jain Philosophy

WHY PARYUSHANA IS CELEBRATED?

The purpose of Paryushan is to cleanse oneself of all impurities, both physical and mental. It is a time to reflect on ones actions and to strive to live a more ethical and compassionate life.
Akshay Kumar, who is gearing up for his next film Mission Raniganj, is unstoppable. The actor has been shooting back-to-back. And now once again there is news that he will be reuniting with Rohit Shetty after Sooryavanshi for an action thriller. Pinkvilla in its report has claimed that the film will be directed by Mohit Suri. Well, an official announcement is awaited.

Pinkvillas report mentions Rohit, Mohit, and Akshay have been discussing this project for a while now and the script has finally aligned itself with the vision of all three stakeholders. Its an edge-of-the-seat action thriller and will feature Akshay in a never seen before role. The source further added that the film will ride on a strong cast.

It would be among the first of the many films that Rohit plans to produce in the time to come by. While all the narrations and paperwork are done, the team is sitting together to work on the shooting schedule now. It is expected to take off sometime next year, preferably in the first quarter of 2024, Pinkvilla quoted source saying.

On the other hand, Akshay Kumars Mission Raniganj is releasing on October 6. The film is inspired by a real-life incident and presents the heroic act of the late Shri Jaswant Singh Gill who led Bharats coal mine rescue mission. Singh (portrayed by Akshay Kumar) played a significant role in rescuing all the surviving miners trapped inside a flooded coal mine in Raniganj in November 1989 which is documented to be the worlds largest and successful rescue mission against all odds.

Apart from this Akshay also has Sudha Kongara-directed Soorarai Pottru adaptation in February and Ali Abbas Zafars Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. The Khiladi is all gearing up to start shooting for Khel Khel Mein very soon in UK.
Bhumi Pednekar is gearing up for her next release Thank You For Coming. The actress is seen promoting it on all platforms. Keeping up with the trend, a video has surfaced in which Bhumi was seen dancing with Anil Kapoor and recreating the popular old song One Two Ka Four. In no time the video went viral and fans were seen enjoying their moves.

In the video, shared by Instant Bollywood, we can see Bhumi dressed in a black and beige colour outfit and Anil Kapoor dressed in formal dancing to the tune of the song. They are recreating it. As soon as the video went viral, fans flooded the comment section. Many called it jhakass. One of the fans wrote, Lakhan old is gold. Another wrote, Mast. Recently, Thank You For Coming was premiered at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 15th and 16th. With an early screening held at TIFF, the film has already started garnering positive early reviews, boosting the confidence of the entire Thank You For Coming team.

Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Instant Bollywood (@instantbollywood)

Speaking about the excitement of the TIFF audience and the anticipation for the Gala Premiere tomorrow, director Karan Boolani shares, The response Thank You For Coming is receiving is quite overwhelming for me. Its an absolute honour to debut at TIFF with your first film, and now that I am here and see the eagerness of people to watch our film, its a feeling I cant even put into words.

Produced by Balaji Telefilms Limited and Anil Kapoor Film Communication Network Pvt. Ltd, directed by Karan Boolani, and written by Radhika Anand and Prashasti Singh, Thank You For Coming will be released in theatres worldwide on October 6th, 2023.

On the work front, Bhumi will be next seen in The Lady Killer with Arjun Kapoor. Anil Kapoor also has Fighter co starring Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone in his kitty. On August 15, the motion poster was released.
Hrithik Roshans cousin Pashmina Roshan will be seen opposite Tiger Shroff in an upcoming film Hero No 1. She will be seen as his love interest in the film, as mentioned by Hindustan Times in its exclusive report. The film also stars Sara Ali Khan in the lead role. The news will surely create a lot of excitement among the fans. Well, nothing has been made official till now.

Hindustan Times claims that the project features Sara and Pashmina as the leading ladies opposite Tiger, and Pashmina will play his primary love interest, informs a source, adding that the film belong to the action-drama genre, with a dash of science. However, it is also said that it is not a remake or sequel of Govinds film. Hero No 1 will be directed by Jagan Shakti and is expected to go on floors early next year.

Though the shoot will begin in London in January 2024, Tiger has already shot for an action sequence, and Sara and Pashmina will join him only next year, adds the source.

To note, Pashmina is all set to make her acting debut in Bollywood with film producer Ramesh Tauranis upcoming sequel to his 2003 coming-of-age romantic comedy Ishq Vishk, titled Ishq Vishk Rebound. The movie will star Pashmina, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham actor Jibraan Khan, Rohit Saraf and Naila Grewal. The original movie featured Shahid Kapoor, Amrita Rao, Vishal Malhotra and Shenaz Treasury.

While Tiger Shroff and Janhvi Kapoor will be seen in the Hindi remake of Rambo. The shoot is set to start in January 2024 and will be filmed in various locations across Europe on a large scale. This will be the first time both will be seen together. Apart from this he also has Ganpath and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan in his kitty.

On the work front, Sara Ali Khan will be next seen in Metro In Dino. She also has Ae Watan Mere Watan.
Bank ABC Group announced on Friday (September 15) a donation of $2 million in a swift move to support the flood victims in Libya following Storm Daniel, which ravaged parts of eastern Libya in recent days.

The funds will be distributed to national and international relief efforts to support the rehabilitation efforts.

Sael Al Waary, Group Chief Executive Officer of Bank ABC, said: The entire Bank ABC Group is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life, and suffering caused by the catastrophic floods in Libya. I would like to extend our heartfelt prayers and condolences to our dear colleagues, shareholders, clients, their families, and all those impacted by this devastating situation.

In the face of this unfolding humanitarian crisis, we stand in solidarity with the people of Libya and hope that our contribution will help speed up rescue and relief efforts in the country. Bank ABC stands as a responsible corporate citizen across the world. It is our duty to respond promptly to such unforeseen disasters and to support the recovery and rebuilding process.

With a global footprint across 15 countries across five continents, Bank ABC is one of MENAs largest international banks offering innovative wholesale and retail banking services. It has been operating in Libya since 1989 and is committed to supporting the communities where it has presence.  TradeArabia News Service
ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Yemeni government announced on Friday it welcomed all initiatives aimed at putting an end to the country's eight-year civil war, after a delegation of Houthi rebels arrived in Saudi Arabia for a new round of peace talks.

In a brief press statement, the Yemeni Foreign Ministry declared its full support for the ongoing peace efforts by Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Nations, and other members of the international community to broker a truce.

A Houthi delegation arrived on Thursday in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, where they were scheduled to hold peace negotiations with relevant parties.

Saudi Arabia announced Thursday that it aimed to broker a "comprehensive and permanent ceasefire" and "sustainable political solution" acceptable to all parties in the conflict, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Oman, which borders both Yemen and Saudi Arabia, has also been actively engaged in talks to broker a truce between the Houthi rebels and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.

The talks are the latest attempt to end the Yemeni civil war that has killed thousands of people and spawned a humanitarian crisis.

The previous truce, which was brokered by the United Nations, lasted for six months and expired in October last year. However, fighting between Houthi rebels and pro-government forces has largely abated on several frontlines in the absence of a truce.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Yemeni government out of the capital Sanaa. 
Love was in the air when Jawan director Atlee and actor Vijay Sethupathi joined Shah Rukh Khan at an event on Friday (Sept 15) to celebrate the films success and went on to proclaim their admiration for the Bollywood superstar.

The Tamil filmmaker, who made his Hindi cinema debut with the blockbuster film, said if he had to describe Jawan, he would call it a love letter of mine to Mr SRK.

Sethupathis Kaali may have been the chief antagonist in the film, but the actor was full of praise for the director, the team and especially for Shah Rukh. He said he got many calls from people in Chennai, saying they could not get tickets for the first day, first show of the movie.

They love him so much but then it is not a surprise for me because SRK the name is enough. Everybody loves him so much and then the way he behaves and the way he treats people, he just only gives love. If somebody has written SRK, you can go and just hug the name also. I love you sir, the Vikram Vedha star said.

Shah Rukh shouted back, saying, I love you back more sir and after this press conference, if I may propose to you, then we may marry now sir. Sethupathi continued the banter, adding, Nothing wrong sir.

Atlee, who has worked on Tamil blockbusters such as Mersal, Theri and Bigil with superstar Thalapathy Vijay in South, said he didnt have a formula to get the right balance.

Im not a writer, director, Im a fan, and fan not to an individual, but to cinema. Whatever attracts me Whatever feels right, I make it. I dont know the formula, I cant explain the formula or how I find this, he said, adding that he took a lot of things from life and people around him and presented it in the form of cinema.

Shah Rukh also praised the young director for the amount of love he put into making Jawan.

I have always been a fan of the cinema of the South even when I dont understand the language at times. I have tried to watch it, now fortunately you can hear it in dubbed and read subtitles. But to come here and to create the cinema for the whole of the country, for me, more than happiness, it is one of the greatest satisfactions, of having worked in the Indian film industry for 32 years, the actor said.

Talking about his approach to a scene, Sethupathi said he tried to understand the vision of Atlee as he loves his films. Shah Rukh sir gives so much energy. One day we were shooting, he is a big man with a big heart, I got some ideas, and I tried it, Im like, sir, Im sorry sir. He is like, Do it. So, that gives confidence. He is a person, I love and respect, and him saying, You are doing good, that gives you confidence, the actor added.
Bigg Boss alum Shehnaaz Gills sex comedy Thank You For Coming was recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film features Bhumi Pednekar, Shehnaaz Gill, Kusha Kapila, Dolly Singh and Shibani Bedi as an ensemble. The film was received well at the premiere and Shehnaaz took to Instagram on Saturday to express her feelings about walking on an international red carpet.

Shehnaaz graced the red carpet in a shimmery orangish-nude gown with a plunging neckline, flaunting her curves at the film festival. She shared photos on Instagram with the caption, Celebrating and taking it all in one breath at a time. This carpet, this air, this all feels so surreal. Sinking in all in. This magical international carpet premiering my film with a sold-out show, it all feels nothing less than a dream. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, a young naive girl from a small town in Punjab can come this far, then so can you never give up on your dreams. Work the hardest when given the opportunity and no one can stop you from growing!

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shehnaaz Gill (@shehnaazgill)

She also shared photos with her cast members. While Bhumi opted for a sexy grey gown with a cinched waist, Kusha wore a lavender floor-length cocktail dress with a plunging neckline. Meanwhile, Dolly a white bralette with a matching skirt and Shibani opted for a sleek black dress.

Directed by Karan Boolani, Thank You For Coming is produced by Rhea Kapoor and also features her father Anil Kapoor. The film was first premiered at the festival on Friday, September 15 and then on Saturday, September 16.

The shows on both days, held at Roy Thomson Hall and Royal Alexandra Theatre, sold out all their tickets. The shows were houseful, with select seats being held for allotment at the venue, which too was high in demand as audiences eagerly anticipated this must-watch chick flick that addresses womens sensuality in a quirky way.
In the complex tapestry of human rights, few issues stir as much passion and controversy as the struggle for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) rights in various communities. For many, this is a battle for equality, dignity, and freedom  cornerstones of modern democratic societies. Yet, within the folds of one of the worlds most practised religions  Islam  the conversation on LGBT rights has often been shrouded in shadows, evoking intense debate and, at times, division. It is important to shed light on the often misunderstood and misrepresented stance of Islam concerning LGBT individuals. While religious doctrine and tradition have long influenced societal attitudes, they are not static, and interpretations have evolved over time.

In the contemporary landscape, the discussion surrounding LGBT rights in Islam has become more pressing than ever. Across the globe, activists, scholars, and everyday Muslims are challenging the status quo, questioning deeply ingrained beliefs, and seeking to reconcile faith with the principles of equality and inclusivity. The conversation about LGBT rights in Islam is not just about policy; it is about human lives, their struggles, aspirations, and the enduring quest for acceptance. It is about fostering dialogue, bridging divides, and recognising the shared humanity that binds us all.

Irshad Manji is a Ugandan-born Canadian educator, author, and activist. She is known for her critical examination of Islam and her advocacy for reform within the faith. Manji has written several books, including The Trouble with Islam Today (2004) and Allah, Liberty and Love (2011). She is also the founder of the award-winning Moral Courage Project at the University of Southern California.

Manjis work focuses on promoting dialogue, tolerance, and diversity within religious and cultural contexts. Her book Allah, Liberty and Love, published in 2011, explores the intersection of Islam, personal freedom, and love. She challenges traditional interpretations of Islam and encourages a more inclusive and progressive understanding of the faith.

Manji argues that Muslims can reconcile their religious beliefs with the ideals of individual liberty and human rights. She promotes the idea that Islam can be a force for positive change and encourages Muslims to engage in critical thinking and reinterpretation of religious texts to align with modern values. The book also delves into Manjis personal journey as a Muslim woman and her struggles with identity, faith, and cultural expectations. She shares her experiences and insights, aiming to spark conversations and encourage dialogue within the Muslim community and beyond.

Daayiee Abdullah is an imam and religious leader who has gained recognition as an openly gay imam. He is known for his advocacy for LGBT rights within the Muslim community and for his work in creating inclusive spaces for LGBT Muslims, called affirming mosques. Abdullah is the imam and religious director of Masjid Nur Al-Islah, also known as the Mosque for Enlightenment and Reformation or Light of Reform Mosque. In 2016, he was interviewed by Associate Editor of The Times of India, wherein he revealed there were eight openly gay imams in the world. Abdullah has performed same-sex Muslim marriages and has been actively involved in promoting dialogue and understanding between different communities. Abdullahs work has been both praised and criticised within the Muslim community and has sparked discussions about the intersection of Islam and LGBT rights.

LGBT Muslims struggle to reconcile their faith with their sexuality, often experiencing discrimination and rejection within their religious communities. The growth of affirming mosques, which are inclusive places of worship, provide a haven for LGBT individuals and there is a dire need for these in the Indian subcontinent. These mosques are typically led by progressive imams supportive of LGBT rights. Islam historically, before it was ossified by the mullahs and modern-day reformist movements of radical political Islam, was free and flexible and emphasised the significance of having a religious community where individuals can authentically express themselves.

However, today it must be acknowledged that due to the rise of extremist groups such as ISIS who threw gays off rooftops in the territories they conquered and filmed the executions, and the Wahhabi interpretations exported by petrodollar-funded Sunni preachers from Saudi Arabi, individuals and affirming mosques have to deal with unsurmountable challenges. They particularly face criticism from conservative voices within the broader Muslim community, while underscoring the global nature of the struggle for LGBT acceptance within Islam.

The Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque in Berlin is a self-described liberal mosque that was inaugurated in June 2017. It is named after the medieval Islamic philosopher Ibn Rushd (also known as Averroes) and the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The mosques director and Imam, Seyran Ates, aims to provide an inclusive and progressive space for Muslims of all backgrounds and orientations. The mosque has garnered attention for its progressive stance on issues such as womens rights, LGBT inclusion, and interfaith dialogue. It has attracted a diverse congregation and has been known to have women imams lead prayers, support same-sex marriages, and promote a more inclusive interpretation of Islam.

The Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque has been both praised for its efforts to reform traditional practices within Islam and criticised by more conservative elements within the Muslim community. It has also faced opposition from some conservative religious authorities, including receiving a fatwa (religious ruling) against it from Egypt. Despite the challenges, the mosque has continued to operate and has become a symbol of the ongoing discussions and debates within Islam regarding issues of modernity, gender equality, and LGBT rights.

LGBT rights in Islam is a complex and often controversial topic. Traditional Islamic teachings view homosexual acts as sinful and forbidden. Islamic jurisprudence historically prescribed punishments such as flogging, stoning, and even death penalty for homosexual acts. The condemnation of homosexuality in Islam is often based on the story of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, which were destroyed by God due to their inhabitants sinful behaviour, including homosexuality. This story is found in the Quran and is also mentioned in the hadiths (sayings and actions attributed to the Prophet Muhammad). These sources are considered authoritative in Islamic teachings.

However, it is important to note that there is diversity of opinion within the Muslim community regarding LGBT rights. Some progressive Muslim scholars argue for a reinterpretation of Islamic teachings, advocating for more inclusive and accepting attitudes towards homosexuality. They highlight principles of compassion, justice, and respect for human dignity as core values of Islam that should guide attitudes towards LGBT individuals. In some Muslim-majority countries, there is a wide range of legal and social attitudes towards homosexuality. While it remains illegal and punishable in some countries, there are others where same-sex relationships are not explicitly criminalised, especially in a country as diverse and liberally democratic as India. Plus, there are 10 Muslim-majority countries where homosexuality is legal, such as Tunisia, Albania, Kyrgyzstan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Lebanon, Turkey, Mali, Jordan, and Indonesia.

It is also worth mentioning that the treatment of LGBT individuals varies widely within Muslim communities around the world. LGBT Muslims often face social stigma, discrimination, and marginalisation, and their experiences may vary depending on cultural, social, and political contexts; but their struggle is gaining more freedom in the 21st century than ever before.

The author is a writer and an educationist from Srinagar, Kashmir. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
Why did he not just catch an Air Canada flight back home rather than cool his heels for many embarrassing extra hours in his hotel room is what most Indians wondered upon hearing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus official plane could not take off due to a glitch. Many suggested that he should have used the extra time to consult an Indian astrologer for a ring of hessonite, sapphire or cats eye, as well as do a puja to ward off malevolent influences.

Things have hardly been tickety-boo for him during the past few months, after all. Maybe he used his extra time in Delhi to ponder about his domestic predicaments, personal and political, as he waited for the second aircraft to fly in from Canada, the carbon footprint for a largely wasted visit notwithstanding. Unfortunately, that second plane did not arrive, so he had to wait for his original aircraft to be repaired in New Delhi before finally flying home.

Not many people in India, (and probably in Canada too) know that the 1.8 million Canadians of Indian origin are not overwhelmingly Sikh. According to Statistique Canada, as per the 2021 census, 770,000 people reported Sikhism as their religion or 2.1% of the population. In the same census, nearly 830,000 people or 2.3% of the population said they were Hindu. Yet Trudeau appears to curiously insist on looking at India through the prism of Sikh separatist politics.

Clearly, Trudeau is not one to opt for common sense over perception. And his taking potshots at India at this juncture underlines this. Just before heading to New Delhi, he paused the ongoing bilateral trade talks with India, following up on his National Security Advisor Jody Thomass broadside this June, alleging India has been interfering in Canadas internal affairs. Thomas, in effect, had lumped India with known offenders China, Iran and Russia.

And all this, presumably, partly because of pressure from Trudeaus partner (in politics, that is, as his marriage has just broken up) to give India a hard time in return for ensuring his minority government survives. That partner is Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic Party, whose 25 votes in Parliament are very crucial indeed for the increasingly shaky Liberal Party. And Singh is obviously intent on getting his 25 votes worth from Trudeau.

The interference allegation by the Canadian NSA was ironic given that Singhs anti-India tweets on happenings in Punjab (which, as far as we know, is not and is unlikely to ever be a province of Canada) led to the suspension of his account in India during the security forces operations to catch Amritpal Singh. Undeterred, Singh demanded Trudeau should intervene to stop the supposed draconian measures and suspension of civil liberties in India.

So interference was okay by Singh if Canada did it. Eventually, Trudeau stuck to a cautious We are monitoring the situation in Punjab closely line back in March this year. And foreign minister Melanie Joly, who has since controversially retained her job in the Trudeau cabinet despite a desultory record, echoed her boss and added: You can always count on Canada to make sure that we will continue to address the concerns of many members of the community.

But much water has flowed down the Ottawa River since then. The Conservative Party, led by Pierre Poilievre now clearly leads in most of the opinion polls12 points ahead of the Liberals nationallyand Trudeaus minority government has to survive till the general elections scheduled for 2025. And crucially, besides Singhs 25 lawmakers (among whom he is the only Sikh-Canadian), the Liberal Party has 14 Sikh MPs and the Conservatives have four.

Canadas recent acts of omission and commission regarding India raise suspicions that while Singh is partially pushing a personal agenda besides the NDPs official demands, the disproportionately large Sikh presence in politics prompts Canadas leaders to pull their punches even when faced with blatantly aggressive actions. A tableau in a parade in the Indian-dominated area of Brampton in June this year celebrating Indira Gandhis assassination is a shocking example.

The fact that Canada-based Khalistani extremists dared to put a target on the back of Indias High Commissioner and other diplomats in July indicates they knew there would be no real crackdown by Canadian authorities. Temples have also been vandalised and defaced with threatening graffiti, particularly in areas considered strongholds of the NDP. Again, there is an indication that the authorities have been slow to get to the bottom of these communal incidents.

The same vocal and visible Khalistani cohort has demanded that Canada shut down Indias diplomatic missions because Trudeau was supposedly ticked off by India during the G20 Summit for his lackadaisical approach to terror activities on Canadian soil. Interestingly, Singh was denied an Indian visa in December 2013during the Manmohan Singh governmentby the consulate in Toronto. So his grudge against Indian consular officials is understandable.

However, Trudeaus statement explaining his inaction over the increasingly aggressive activities of Khalistanis in Canadaincluding a referendumas defending freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest was less understandable. As was his assertion that Canada will always prevent violence and push back against hatred given that Khalistanis there have now threatened to kill Indias home and foreign ministers.

Merely by adding that I think on the issue of the community, it is important to remember that the actions of the few do not represent the entire community or Canada will not assuage Indias apprehensions or annoyance. Particularly since a few of that community have brazenly claimed that over 1 lakh people voted on Khalistan and have announced a second referendum on October 29. Imagine if some Canadian malcontents held a referendum on Quebec in India

Perhaps India should also feel flattered that it is now being portrayed as a country that goes about neutralising its opponents abroadusually the preserve of superpowers (past and present). The killing of Khalistanis Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, Canada and the mysterious death of Avtar Singh Khanda in the UK, both known to be behind attacks and protests around Indian missions, have provided an unexpected boost to Indias new surgical strike image.

The fact that militant, separatist Khalistanis represent neither the majority opinion in the Sikh community nor of Indo-Canadians as a whole, needs to be reiterated by Trudeau, understood by all political party leaders, and followed up with confidence-building measures regarding India. A wider variety of Indo-Canadians also need to come into the political arena so that the Khalistanis do not continue to punch above their weight and skew the policy towards India.

Trudeau displayed his alarming lack of common sense when he did not save tons of aviation fuel by simply taking an Air Canada flight instead of asking for another plane to come round the world to pick him up. Nor is it likely that he consulted an astrologer for some rings. But hopefully, he used his extra hours in India to understand this country better and figure out why he was cold-shouldered in New Delhi despite his boyish charm and impeccable pedigree.

The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18s views.
With a focus on the upcoming Assembly Elections, the new and reconstituted Congress Working Committee is all set to host its first meeting in Hyderabad on Saturday. Party President Mallikarjun Kharge clarified that the meeting will strictly be based on internal party matters and the Congresss strategy for the coming state elections and not the INDIA bloc.

Ahead of the CWC meeting, the first in many years to be held outside Delhi, Kharge also said his party has fought for and ushered in democracy, social justice, progress and equality in the country.

Here are 10 key points about the CWC meeting today and why is it significant
Reservation for the Maratha community will not eat into the existing quota for Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday.

Fadnavis met protesters from the OBC communities at Samvidhan Square here and gave them the assurance.

The government would not let the OBC quota get divided further or reduced under any circumstances, he said.

The main demand of the Maratha community is about the 12-13 per cent reservation given to them when I was chief minister. They want that reservation back, Fadnavis told the gathering.

The current government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has started work on a review petition to be filed in the Supreme Court (which had in 2021 set aside the reservation granted to the Maratha community in government jobs and educational institutions), he said.

The government is seeking to restore the reservation for the Maratha community which is different from the OBC quota, Fadnavis stressed.

A situation where one community is pitted against another community is not good for the social fabric of the state, he said, adding that the state government will not allow such a conflict to arise.

While the issue of Maratha quota took centre stage earlier this month with the hunger strike of Maratha activist Manoj Jarange, there were protests by OBC outfits in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nagpur and Chandrapur against the possible inclusion of the Maratha community in the OBC category.

Speaking to reporters at the Nagpur airport earlier in the day, Fadnavis said the state government has taken a clear stand about not touching, reducing or sharing the OBC quota. Hence, we request the OBC community to withdraw their agitation, he said.

He personally requested the agitators in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, where he attended a special cabinet meeting earlier in the day, to call off their agitation, he said, adding, I believe that those (protesters) will end their hunger strike. Following Jaranges hunger strike, the government last week decided to grant `Kunbi caste certificates to the Marathas whose ancestors were described as Kunbi in Nizam-era documents. It would allow the Marathas from the states Marathwada region to avail of quota benefits as the Kunbis fall in the OBC group.

But it prompted the Rashtriya OBC Mahasangh to launch a protest.

Fadnavis, meanwhile, also dismissed as rumour the reports that all government jobs will become contractual. Only a part of the vacancies will be filled up on a contractual basis, he said.

The state government would soon fill up 1, 50,000 vacant posts which would be the largest in the history of government recruitment, the deputy CM said.
Manoj Jarange, the poster boy of Maratha reservation ended his hunger strike after 17 days on Thursday, as Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde told him that his government was in favour of the quota and that steps were being taken in that direction.

ALSO READ | Jalna Protest Leader Manoj Jarange is now the Face of Maratha Reservation Demand in Maharashtra

After breaking his fast, Jarange spoke to his supporters and the media and reinforced his trust and faith in the CM. Shinde, a Maratha himself, also assured the community that his government was committed to the reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs.

While all this was unfolding, one thing went unnoticed  both the deputy Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis (Bharatiya Janata Party) and Ajit Pawar (Nationalist Congress Party), were absent.

However, other BJP leaders such as Union Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Danve, Maharashtra Cabinet minister Girish Mahajan, Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil, along with Sena (Shinde faction) leaders Sandeepan Bhumare, Uday Samant and Arjun Khotkar were present. Even former minister and NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction leader Rajesh Tope was present.

                        .           .    pic.twitter.com/KrJSUMeQIx CMO Maharashtra (@CMOMaharashtra) September 14, 2023

THE TRUST FACTOR

Jarange showing faith in Shinde over his deputies shows that his supporters and he trust the Chief Minister and nobody else. The reason could be the lathicharge on Jaranges supporters a week ago.

When Shinde formed the government, it was evident that the state was running on the instructions of Fadnavis. As the survey advertisement Modi for India and Shinde for Maharashtra featured, the differences between these two leaders increased. The lathicharge on Jaranges supporters in Jalna gave Shinde the opportunity to emerge as a leader, while the opposition raised questions over Fadnavis, who is the home minister of the state.

Although Fadnavis apologised for the incident, it reignited the Maratha reservation issue and many protests were staged. Protests were even reported at Baramati, the hometown of Ajit Pawar, asking him to leave this government. Since the Jalna incident, both the deputy chief ministers have distanced themselves from the issue. But the BJP and NCP Ajit Pawar faction have declined the rumours of differences.

According to Fadnaviss office, he could not visit Jalna as he was on the official Rajasthan tour, where he even addressed a rally.

THE CHIEF MINISTERIAL FACE

When Fadnavis was the Chief Minister of the state, the Maratha community held huge protest rallies in different parts of the state with the demand for reservation. Political analysts felt that the issue of Maratha reservation, which was kept on the backburner, was again brought to the forefront, just to push Fadnavis on the back foot.

Last Monday, a video of CM Shinde went viral, in which he is seen saying, We need to speak out and leave

Shinde was trolled by the opposition and it was also portrayed that the current government is not serious about the issue. Later, Shinde issued a clarification.

ALSO READ | Sharad Pawar Rubbing Salt in the Wounds of Marathas: Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde) on Jalna Lathicharge

According to Shiv Sena leader and former mayor of Thane Naresh Mhaske, The CM is first a karyakarta and a ground leader. He doesnt have any ego and went personally to meet Jarange, who was protesting for the community.

The visuals from the meet made it clear that Shinde is portraying himself as the only leader of Maharashtra and the chief ministerial face.
The first meeting regarding One Nation & One Election will be held on September 23, said former President, Committee head, Ramnath Kovind in Bhubaneswar.

Kovind reached Bhubaneswar at 1 pm on Saturday. He will grace the convocation of ASBM University, Bhubaneswar.

The first official meeting of the One Nation, One Election committee took place at 3 pm on September 6 at the residence of former President Ram Nath Kovind, who heads the committee on simultaneous polls, in Delhi. The meeting was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal.

According to news agency PTI sources, the nearly hour-long meeting was described as a courtesy call.

Efforts are on to hold the first meeting of the high-level committee in the coming days and a venue is being finalised. The meetings in the future could also be held in hybrid mode, they said.

The government formed a committee over One Nation, One Election to investigate the feasibility of implementing the concept of one nation, one election. The development came amid the government calling a special session of Parliament between September 18 and 22.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) Ghulam Nabi Azad, jurist Harish Salve, ex-CVC Sanjay Kothari, ex-chairman of Finance Commission NK Singh and former secretary general of Lok Sabha Subhash C Kashyap have been appointed are other members of the committee.

The committee will engage with state stakeholders, but it doesnt necessarily indicate that the bill will be introduced during this session. The committee plans to seek both legal and political opinions, and it is anticipated that two retired judges will also be part of the committee. This is because the proposed changes involve a constitutional amendment.

The governments move suggested that it might be contemplating advancing some of these elections to coincide with the Lok Sabha polls. Kovind will explore the feasibility of the exercise and the mechanism to see as to how the country can go back to having simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly polls.
Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday said the Rajasthan government's "staggered response and tardy pace" of handing over land have delayed the process of development of an airport in Kota.

The comments have come days after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot blamed the Centre for delays in the construction of the proposed greenfield airport in Kota.

"The back-and-forth, staggered response and tardy pace of handing over of the land by the State govt. have delayed the process of development of the #KotaAirport. It shows that CM @ashokgehlot51 Ji is least interested in the development of Kota Greenfield Airport or civil aviation in the State," Scindia said in a post on social media platform X.

In a detailed response to the Congress Chief Minister's remarks, Scindia, who is also a BJP leader, said that till date, the state government has only allotted 33.4 hectares of land in favour of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) whereas the proposed total land requirement is 440 hectares.

According to Scindia, the process of diversion of remaining land is yet to be carried out by the state in spite of several reminders by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and AAI.

"It is yet to deposit amounts related to diversion within its own departments," he said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday warned that Bihar's areas close to the borders (seemant) will become "infested with infiltrators" if Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not voted back to power.

Shah, widely regarded as the BJPs principal strategist, made the remark at a rally in Jhanjharpur parliamentary constituency, situated close to Nepal and Bangladesh.

The home minister, who spoke for close to 30 minutes, charged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad of pursuing "appeasement politics" through measures like cuts in holidays of government schools.

"I would like to congratulate the people of Bihar for putting up a resistance that forced the state government to withdraw its order whereby holidays on Rakshabandhan, the festival of brothers and sisters, and Janmashtami, devoted to Lord Krishna, were done away with," said Shah.

The allusion was to the recent protests by teachers across the state which led the education department to withdraw the new calendar which was brought in with the aim of ensuring that classes were held for the requisite number of days in a year.

Continuing with the tirade against "tushtikaran" (appeasement), the home minister slammed the Congress, a partner in the state's ruling alliance, for dragging its feet on Ram temple at Ayodhya and Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Showering praises on PM Modi for abrogation of Article 370 and making possible the construction of the temple "by January next year", the home minister, however, struck an alarming note.

"If the Lalu-Nitish duo (jodi) returns to power in Bihar and Narendra Modi does not come back as Prime Minister, the entire region will become infested with infiltrators (saara seemant kshetra ghuspaithiyon se bhar jaaega)", said Shah.

"In such a situation, many types of issues will arise in Bihar (anek prakaar ke sawaal khade honge). Do you want the area to be teeming with infiltrators," the home minister asked.

He, however, exuded confidence that the BJP-led NDA, which performed well in Bihar in the last couple of Lok Sabha polls, will win "all 40 seats" of the state in 2024.

Shah also slammed the INDIA coalition for the alleged denigration of "Sanatana Dharma" and claimed that the Congress-led coalition did away with the previous name "UPA" because it had been associated with "scams involving Rs 12 lakh crore".

"Some of the scams involved Lalu Prasad, who was then the railway minister, to which Nitish Kumar is now turning a blind eye for the sake of his prime ministerial ambitions", alleged Shah.

"But Nitish should know there is no vacancy for the post of the prime minister. His alliance with Lalu is like trying to mix oil with water. The oil does not get dissolved, but water gets contaminated", Shah remarked.

Shah also alleged while the chief minister was thinking of becoming the prime minister, his ally was busy making plans to help son (Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav) occupy the highest seat of power in the state.

The former BJP president began his speech with evocative salutations to goddess Sita, who is believed to have been discovered by King Janaka not very far from the venue of the rally.

The home minister, who slammed the INDIA bloc for alleged denigration of Bihar, underscored the benefits that were likely to accrue to Bihar under the Centre's Ramayana Circuit tourism scheme, which covers many districts of the state.

He also claimed that at the G20 presidency, the showcasing of Nalanda and Madhubani paintings were proof of the high esteem in which PM Modi held Bihar's heritage.

"It was at the instance of PM Modi that the African Union was included in the G20. I have been travelling across the country since then. Young people feel proud of India's growing influence", claimed the Union home minister.

Charging the Nitish Kumar government with being in deep slumber (Kumbhkaran ki neend) as Bihar, particularly the Mithila region, were reeling under floods and lawlessness (jungle raj), Shah claimed the Modi government has so far given Rs 5.92 lakh crore for various projects in Bihar, as against the UPA that spent less than half the amount.

Shah, who reached the venue by a chopper he took at Darbhanga, credited the Modi government for the airport at the north Bihar town and said an allocation of Rs 1,200 crore has been made to upgrade the one at Patna.

He also blamed the state government for the stalling of construction of AIIMS at Darbhanga "which would have made Bihar a state with more than one such hospital (after Patna)".

"The Nitish Kumar government had allotted a tract of land that was unsuitable for the project. Moreover, they have now taken the entire 81 acres back", alleged Shah.
NAIROBI, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. quest for military, economic and political hegemony is no longer tenable as a more humane multilateral order emerges, which has been largely shaped by the bulk of the Global South, a Kenyan scholar has said.

The "Origins, Facts and Perils of U.S. Military Hegemony" report recently issued by Xinhua Institute, the think tank of Xinhua News Agency, traced the root of U.S. military hegemony, explored how America has pursued, maintained, and abused its military hegemony, and shed light on the perils of the country's hegemonic practices, said Hassan Khannenje, the director of HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies, a Nairobi-based policy think tank.

Khannenje said that America's military adventurism abroad and its push for neoliberal economic policies have left the world more polarized, noting that the unrestrained unilateralism that the United States espoused after the end of the Cold War more than three decades ago created a grave political and economic crisis in the Global South, especially Africa.

A rising China, according to Khannenje, has stabilized the multilateral system, to the chagrin of Washington who irrationally pursues unilateral domination using military and economic might. "The rise of the People's Republic of China has brought opportunities and provided alternatives to Africa and the Global South," he told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Khannenje said that the principle of shared prosperity has endeared China to African people and the larger Global South, amid respite from decades of pervasive domination by Western powers.

China has emerged as the most strategic economic player in Africa, shattering the old status quo and destructive norms embraced by colonial powers from the West, while the U.S. influence on the global stage is waning rapidly, he said, noting the insecurities behind the superpower's latest attempt to contain other countries by using unorthodox tactics like misinformation.

Khannenje stressed that irrational fear among hegemonic nations like the United States should not stand in the way of attempts to create a fair, cordial and mutually beneficial world order, adding that the ideal multilateral system must safeguard against exploitation of vulnerable nations or containment of rising economies like China by the traditional superpowers.

"This calls for coordinated efforts strategically deployed to counter malign messaging and provide objective analysis and presentation of our shared interests," he said, adding that media, think tanks and research institutions in the Global South have a major role to play in countering toxic and misleading narratives from an insecure West against rising economies like China.

The Global South should not succumb to the temptation of falling victim to the West's misguided attempt to paint China and other geopolitical rivals as enemies. Instead, the developing countries should define their own narrative about China, based on mutually beneficial relationship that both sides have been pursuing, said Khannenje.

The expert said the report details the threat of U.S. military hegemony to global peace, stability and prosperity in a comprehensive manner, drawing from time-tested facts, data and case studies. In its pursuit of global domination, Washington has not hesitated to deploy its military might, leaving behind a trail of failed states, balkanization, death and destruction of livelihoods.

According to the report, the U.S. has since 2001 launched wars and military operations in more than 80 countries globally under the guise of fighting terrorism, resulting in the death of about 929,000 people, including 387,000 civilians while displacing an estimated 38 million people. 
BRS MLC K Kavitha on Friday asked the BJP why it is silent on the National Herald scam involving top Congress leaders such as Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi and demanded to know why the investigation by the Enforcement Directorate is not moving forward in the case.

Speaking to PTI, the BRS leader asked why the ED is not questioning them even when there is no stay on the investigation, and alleged that there is a tacit understanding between the BJP and the Congress.

I want to remind the people of this country of one issue. About a year and a half back, Rahul Gandhiji, Sonia Gandhiji, and all of their top leadership were questioned by ED in the scam of Rs 5,000 crore which is what they called the National Herald scam.

"But why havent they gone forward on that? Is there an understanding between BJP and Congress? As far as the BRS is concerned, we have always said that both of these so-called national parties are one and the same. That is why we keep both these parties at arm's length, she said.

Kavitha also said that the ED had issued notice to her to appear before the probe agency today in the Delhi Excise policy case.

I personally believe that there is an understanding between the Congress and the BJP. Not between BRS and BJP, she said, adding that Congress shouldn't talk about the ED when Rahul Gandhi himself is facing charges.

She further said that Congress should stop lying by making promises as it did in Karnataka, Rajasthan and all the states they had contested in.

Speaking about the issue of getting the Women's Reservation Bill passed in Parliament, she said her party had given credit to Sonia Gandhi for passing the bill in the Rajya Sabha about 26 years ago.

We have been raising the issue since our first assembly session as to when the Women's Reservation Bill would be passed. It will happen because of the BRS party. We will raise the issue in this special Parliament session as well, she said.

The ruling BRS in Telangana on Friday demanded that the Centre pass the Women's Reservation Bill and also take legislative measures to provide a 33 per cent quota for OBCs in Parliament and state legislatures, in the special session of Parliament beginning September 18.

A meeting of the BRS parliamentary party here, presided over by party president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, passed a unanimous resolution to this effect.
Apple on Friday said it will issue a software patch for iPhone 12 users in France after the countrys radiation watchdog (ANFR) said that the iPhone 12 breaches radiation exposure limits.

Earlier this week, the ANFR released a public statement saying that the iPhone 12 breaches radiation levels, telling the company to temporarily halt iPhone 12 sales and release a fix.

We will issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators. We look forward to iPhone 12 continuing to be available in France, the iPhone maker said in a statement.

According to reports, Apple said the software patch is related to a specific testing protocol used by French regulators and not a safety concern.

The California-based company had earlier said that the iPhone 12 has been certified by several international regulators as compliant.

The French government welcomed the move, saying the ANFR is preparing to quickly test this update.

The tech giant, which just launched the iPhone 15 series, had said it has independent third-party lab results that show that it complies with all Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) standards globally.

The most common EU SAR limit of 2 W/kg represents an average of over 10 g of tissue absorbing the most signal, reports TechCrunch. This limit is a bit higher than the FCC limit in the U.S. (1.6 W/kg). Apple complies with this SAR limit.
iPhone 15 Apple Trade In Prices in India: Apple has started taking preorders of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro series in India through its official retail stores Apple BKC and Apple Saket along with the Apple online store. While the prices of the new iPhone 15 series are higher in India compared to the US and other countries, Apple is offering consumers the chance to exchange older devices, including Android smartphones, via Apple Trade In option.

Apple is offering a maximum of up to Rs 41,500 as an exchange price for buying any of the new iPhone 15 series models. Note that this exchange value is available only on Apple India store and website. Here are 10 Android smartphones with the highest iPhone 15 Trade In value:

iPhone Exchange  Apple Trade In prices as on September 16,2023:

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G: Up to Rs 41,500

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3: Up to Rs 23,000

Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra 5G: Up to Rs 37,000

Samsung Galaxy S22+: Up to Rs 27,300

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: Up to Rs 25,500

Google Pixel 7 Pro: Up to Rs 26,000

OnePlus 11: Up to Rs Rs 25,000

OnePlus 10 Pro: Up to Rs 25,500

iQoo 11: Up to Rs 22,000

Vivo X80 Pro: Up to Rs 26,500

WATCH VIDEO: iPhone 15 Preorders Start in India: How to buy

Not just the iPhone 15 series, Apple has also started accepting preorders for the new Apple Watch Series 9, Watch Ultra 2 and AirPods Pro (2nd generation) in India from September 15, 2023, 5.30PM IST. As reported earlier, India will be among the first list of countries to get the iPhone 15 series and Apple is following the US launch timelines for India as well. The iPhone 15 series will be available in India starting September 22, 2023.

To be among the first ones to buy the new iPhones, consumers in India will be have to preorder and choose delivery or pickup options offered only by Apple Retail Apple Store Saket, Apple Store BKC and Apple India online store. Alternatively, buyers can also preorder iPhone 15 at Flipkart, Vijay Sales, Croma and Reliance Digital.

You can also avail the entire Apple Retail experience online and opt for either delivery or can visit the store to pick up your new iPhone 15 on September 22. Apple will be communicating as to when your preordered iPhone 15 will be available for in-store pickup via SMS and email.

Apple iPhone 15 India Prices And Colour Options

iPhone 15 128GB  Rs 79,900

iPhone 15 256GB  Rs 89,900

-iPhone 15 512GB  Rs 1,09,900

iPhone 15 comes in Blue, Pink, Yellow, Green and Black colours.

iPhone 15 Plus Prices In India

iPhone 15 Plus 128GB  Rs 89,900

iPhone 15 Plus 256GB  Rs 99,900

iPhone 15 Plus 512GB  Rs 1,19,900

iPhone 15 Plus is also available in Blue, Pink, Yellow, Green and Black colours.

iPhone 15 Pro Prices In India

iPhone 15 Pro 128GB  Rs 1,34,900

iPhone 15 Pro 256GB  Rs 1,44,900

iPhone 15 Pro 512GB  Rs 1,64,900

iPhone 15 Pro 1TB  Rs 1,84,900

Apple iPhone 15 Pro colour options are Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium and Black Titanium

iPhone 15 Pro Max Prices in India

iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB  Rs 1,59,900

iPhone 15 Pro Max 512GB  Rs 1,79,900

iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB  Rs 1,99,900

And even the iPhone 15 Pro Max has colours like Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium and Black Titanium this year.

As you can see here, the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro models start from 128GB this year, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max variants go from 256GB to 1TB storage in the market.
As Jawan continues to break all records, the star cast of the film gathered last night for a success meet. Once again, the king of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, managed to steal the show with his heartwarming gesture. During the photo-op session with the cast and crew of the film, SRK noticed some members being seated on the floor. Being the affectionate person that he is, King Khan joined them. Showcasing the utmost case, the actor lay down beside them.

This simple yet powerful gesture talks a lot about SRK as a person. No wonder why, he is considered to be one of the most charismatic actors in the industry. He treats everyone with utmost dignity and respect and this is not the first such instance.

Also Read: Shah Rukh Khans Fan Watches Jawan on Ventilator, Video Goes Viral

Videos from last night are going viral and winning hearts on the internet. SRK felt bad that some of #Jawan cast & crew were sitting on the floor for a photograph, so he went and lay himself down on the floor. So humble, wrote an X user while uploading the video.

Here, have a look for yourself:

SRK felt bad that some of #Jawan cast & crew were sitting on floor for photograph, so he went and lay himself down on the floor. So humble @iamsrk  pic.twitter.com/mJQ5ErSyV0 sohom   (@AwaaraHoon) September 15, 2023

This guy is making me build so much respect for him, man. God you made the right decision to make him KING, commented an X user. Another person wrote, Not his fan, but have to accept he is real king Khan.

Also Read: Pakistani Fans Outraged By Indians Tweet On Most Satisfactory Pics After Sri Lanka Win

Meanwhile, SRK delivered a heartwarming speech at the same event. While the team revealed a number of details about the film, an emotional SRK brought the night to an end with a powerful speech. Ill tell you what Jawan is to all of us I think Jawan is a feeling that every Indian has. I think Jawan is an emotion. Jawan is an Indian soldier. Jawan is an Indian mother. Jawan is an Indian girl. Jawan is an Indian vigilante. You have to understand that Jawan many times is very weak because it is all of us, and many times he is ready for a fight, the actor said.
Canadas Trade Minister Mary Ng is postponing a trade mission to India planned for October amid growing tensions between the two countries over the issue of Khalistani extremism. At this time, we are postponing the upcoming trade mission to India, said Shanti Cosentino, a spokesperson for the minister, was quoted as saying by Reuters.

This comes days after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was in India for the G20 summit in New Delhi. On the sidelines of the summit, he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which PM Modi raised concerns about growing Khalistani extremism in Canada.

Earlier, India and Canada had aimed to seal an initial trade agreement by the end of this year. However, trade talks were paused last week. Ottawa said that such a pause was necessary to take stock. This pause comes as Canada has increasingly become the site of anti-India campaigns and separatist protests.

On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called the space given to Khalistani extremism in Canada a worrisome issue. Speaking exclusively to CNN-News18, the minister said that he had nothing to respond on the matter as Trudeau and his delegation said what they had to and the Indian side also did the same.

The particular issue which is the space that has been given to Khalistani in Canada is a worrisome issue. This is not a new conversation this is part of an ongoing conversation, Jaishankar said.

During a direct conversation, the Prime Minister had told Trudeau that the nexus between Khalistani separatists and organised crime and drug syndicates and human trafficking rackets should be of concern for the Canadian government. He conveyed Indias strong concerns about the continuous anti-India activities perpetrated by Khalistani separatist groups in Canada.

According to the external affairs ministry, Prime Minister Modi pointed out that in recent years Khalistani separatists have used Canadian soil to promote secessionism. He added that India-Canada relations are anchored in shared democratic values, respect for rule of law and strong people-to-people ties.
An Indian student in the United States who died in an accident in Seattle, will be awarded the University degree posthumously amid outrage over a US policemans response to the incident. Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, was killed by a police car traveling at 74 miles per hour in a 25-mile-per-hour zone.

The bodycam footage captured a US police officer joking while discussing the accident that caused Jaahnavis death. The Northeastern University, where the Indian student from Andhra Pradesh was studying, has decided to award her a degree posthumously.

We also recognise that our Indian student communityacross all Northeastern campuseshas been especially impacted by this tragedy and its aftermath. We stand in solidarity with you and have every expectation that the ongoing investigations will bring a measure of justice and accountability, Northeastern Universitys Chancellor said in a statement posted on social media platform X.

This step comes as Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, other lawmakers and community members have urged the Seattle Police to pursue its investigation into the tragic death of Jaahnavi with all seriousness.

Jaahnavi Kandulas death was a horrible tragedy, and the scale of her loss should not be diminished or mocked by anyone, Krishnamoorthi said in response to the recording of a Seattle Police officer laughing about the death of Jaahnavi Kandula. The recording of a Seattle Police officer making light of her death and questioning the value of her life is disgusting and unacceptable. I urge the Seattle Police Department to pursue its investigation into this matter with the seriousness it demands, Krishnamoorthi said on Thursday.

Jaahnavi, a youth student at Washingtons Northeastern University was struck at a pedestrian crossing on the night of January 23. In the video, Daniel Auderer, who is captured on body camera while discussing the fatal collision, can be heard saying, Yeah, just write a check. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value. Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal strongly condemned the incident.

Jaahnavi Kandula was killed by a speeding police car. Then, police officers joked about her death and devalued her life. Im sick to my stomach. This is exactly what happens when we normalise xenophobia and racism. It needs to stop, the Democratic lawmaker said.

Kshama Sawant, a member of the Seattle City Council has called for an independent elected community oversight with full powers over the police following the incident. Working people need to demand an independent, public investigation into this outrage, the Indian-American political leader said in a post shared on X.

Sawant said that the so-called Office of Professional Accountability has singularly failed to hold Seattle Police accountable, noting that cops overseeing cops will never work. We need independently elected community oversight with full powers over the police. But to win this, working people will need to organise independently of the Democratic Party, the 49-year-old politician and economist said.

She also shared a picture that mentioned that Daniel Auderer has been the subject of 18 investigations since 2014, and is involved in lawsuits costing the city over USD 1.7 million, with not one of them having resulted in him being fired, let alone facing legal consequences.

Demanding justice for Kandula and the resignation of two Seattle police officers, more than 200 people from different communities held a rally at an intersection in Seattle where she was struck and killed by a speeding police patrol car. They called for accountability for the officer who killed her and for a police union leaders comments about the crash, which some described as disgusting and abhorrent.

(With PTI inputs)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived in Vladivostok on Saturday where he met Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and inspected a hypersonic aircraft missile system before boarding a warship.

Kims first official visit abroad since the Covid-19 pandemic has fanned Western fears that Moscow and Pyongyang will defy sanctions and strike an arms deal.

Moscow is believed to be interested in buying North Korean ammunition to continue fighting in Ukraine, while Pyongyang wants Russias help to develop its missile programme. The Kremlin has said no agreement has or will be inked.

Kims extended tour of Russias far eastern region, which began Tuesday, has leaned heavily martial, including his military-dominated entourage, symbolic exchange of rifles with President Vladimir Putin and tour of a fighter jet factory in engineering hub Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

After meeting Kim on Wednesday at the Vostochny cosmodrome roughly 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles) from Moscow, Putin talked up the prospect of greater cooperation with North Korea and said there were possibilities for military ties.

Upon arriving in Vladivostok, a large coastal city near the Chinese and North Korean borders, Kim was greeted by Shoigu and an honour guard, state news agency TASS reported. At the Knevichi airfield, Shoigu showed Kim the Kinzhal missile system on the MiG-31I missile carrier, TASS said, adding that its flight and technical capabilities were outlined to Kim by a top military official.

Kim and Shoigu then boarded frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov where the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolay Evmenov, spoke about the characteristics of the ship and anti-submarine weapons  four-tube torpedo tubes and RBU-6000 rocket launchers, TASS said.

Kim is expected to visit the Far Eastern Federal University and marine biology laboratories at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Vladivostok. Colleges in Russias Far East have historically accepted North Korean students.

 Troubling cooperation 

Kim is visiting Russia as Putin seeks to bolster alliances with other world leaders ostracised by Western countries. The longtime allies are both under a raft of international sanctions, Moscow for the Ukraine conflict and Pyongyang for its nuclear tests.

Kim and Putins gifting each other rifles at the spaceport summit on Wednesday further fuelled speculation that an arms export deal could be on the table, despite Western warnings. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday however, that no agreements had been signed during Kims ongoing trip, and there was no plan to sign any.

While meeting Kim, Putin accepted an invitation to visit North Korea, according to the Kremlin, and he reportedly offered to send a North Korean to space, which would be a first. Moscow also mentioned the possibility of helping North Korea to manufacture satellites, a prospect that has alarmed Washington.

The cooperation announced during Kims Russia is quite troubling and would potentially be in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reports following the leaders summit.

North Korean satellites, he noted, have been used to develop Pyongyangs ballistic missiles. Pyongyang recently failed twice in its bid to put a military spy satellite into orbit.
A Pakistani court on Saturday raised an objection on a plea to reopen the case of Independence war hero Bhagat Singhs sentencing in 1931 and to set it aside by exercising the principles of review and honour him with posthumous state awards.

Singh was hanged by the British rulers on March 23, 1931, along with his comrades Rajguru and Sukhdev after being tried under charges of hatching a conspiracy against the British regime.

Singh was initially jailed for life but was later sentenced to death in another fabricated case.

On Saturday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) raised an objection to reopening the decade-old case and constitution of a larger bench to listen to the petition that pleads to set aside the sentence of Singh by exercising principles of review and order the government to honour him with posthumous state awards.

The Lahore High Court on Saturday raised an objection to reopen the Bhagat Singh case and constitution of a larger bench for its early hearing. The court objected that the petition is not maintainable for the constitution of a larger bench, Advocate Imtiaz Rashid Qureshi, chairman of the Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation and one of the petitioners, told PTI.

Qureshi said that the petition of a panel of senior lawyers of which he is part has been pending in the LHC for a decade.

Justice Shujaat Ali Khan in 2013 had referred the matter to the chief justice for the constitution of a larger bench, since then it has been pending, he said.

The petition says that Bhagat Singh fought for the independence of the sub-continent.

The petition further says that Singh is respected in the subcontinent not only by the Sikhs, and Hindus but also Muslims. Founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah twice had paid him tribute during his speech in the Central Assembly.

It is a matter of national importance and should be fixed before a full bench, Qureshi pleaded.

He said Singhs name was not mentioned in the First Information Report of the murder of British police officer John P. Saunders for which he was sentenced to death.

About a decade ago, the Lahore police had searched through the records of the Anarkali police station on the courts order and managed to find the FIR of the murder of Saunders.

Written in Urdu, the FIR was registered with the Anarkali police station on December 17, 1928, at 4.30 pm against two unknown gunmen.

The case was registered under sections 302, 120 and 109 of the Indian Penal Code.

Qureshi said that the special judges of the tribunal handling Bhagat Singhs case sentenced him to death without hearing 450 witnesses in the case.

Singhs lawyers were not given the opportunity to cross-question them, he said.

We will establish Bhagat Singhs innocence in the Saunders case, he said.
A key border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan reopened Friday after an eight-day closure due to clashes between the border forces of the two countries. Pakistan closed the Torkham border in the northwestern part of the country on September 6 after guards from both countries exchanged fire. It accused Taliban authorities of building unlawful structures in the vicinity.

Pakistani government official Nasir Khan said the crossing reopened Friday morning, giving relief to a number of travellers and goods-laden trucks that were stranded on both sides of the border after the shooting incident. Afghanistans commissioner in Torkham, Ismatullah Yaqoob, said stranded trucks and pedestrians have started passing through the border.

A three-day relaxation for going back to Afghanistan was also granted to those Afghans who had no proper travel documents but were in possession of the Afghan national identity card, according to the Dawn newspaper. Immigration officials at Torkham said some stranded Pakistanis also returned on Friday after the reopening of the border, adding that over 10,000 Afghan nationals crossed the border from both sides till the evening.

A representative from the Pakistan and Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce welcomed the move. The reopening has ended the nine-day-long trouble faced by traders on both sides of the border, said Ziaul Haq Sarhadi. Traders have faced heavy losses in perishable items, he said.

Pakistani media reports said that more than 2,000 vehicles got stranded on the Pakistan side, in addition to containers carrying Afghan Transit Trade goods. Citing sources, Dawn said the authorities in Islamabad agreed to reopen the Torkham border only after an assurance from the foreign ministry in Kabul that the Afghan territory would not be allowed to be used for attacks in Pakistan.

Pakistans envoy to Afghanistan Ubaidur Rehman Nizamani met the Taliban administrations Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul a day earlier. They discussed the recent surge in terror incidents and the closure of Torkham.

Pakistan accuses its neighbor of harboring militants and allowing them to use its soil to launch attacks. Afghanistan has rejected this allegation.

(With agency inputs)
US President Joe Bidens chances of re-election are being jeopardized by voters concerns over his age, the economy and crime, according to a new poll. As per the Reuters/Ipsos poll, these concerns will create an opportunity for Republican challenger Donald Trump to return to the White House.

The opinion poll found Democrat Biden, 80, tied in a hypothetical November 2024 election against Trump, 77, the former president who is the front-runner for the Republican nomination, with both receiving 39% of the vote and one in five voters undecided. Democrats held a strong advantage among voters most concerned about protecting abortion rights, while Republicans had an edge among those worried about crime, the poll found.

Trump remains politically viable despite a battery of federal and state criminal charges revolving around his attempts to overturn Bidens 2020 election win and his mishandling of classified documents since leaving office. He is expected to spend much of next year in courtrooms standing trial while also campaigning.

But in a worrisome result for Biden, Trump held a small advantage in the seven states where the 2020 presidential election was closest: Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Nevada and Michigan. In those states, Trump led with 41% to Bidens 35%, and 24% undecided.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online nationwide from Sept. 8 through Sept. 14, gathering responses from 4,413 U.S. adults. It had a credibility interval, a measure of precision, of about 2 percentage points. More than a year remains before voters will start to cast ballots, plenty of time to change their minds. Large numbers of voters appear to be up for grabs, the poll found.

Biden faces the risk of losing independent voters, whom he won decisively in 2020. If the election were held now, Trump had 32% support among independents to Bidens 30%, effectively a tie with the a 38% plurality still undecided, the poll found.

Biden held an early advantage among voters who said they were completely certain they would vote next year  they favored the Democrat 49%-38% with just 13% undecided. Since his 2020 loss, Trump has continued to falsely claim that his defeat was the result of fraud, which could serve to undercut some of his supporters faith in the electoral process.

ABORTION RIGHTS ADVANTAGE

Biden had the upper hand on an issue of protecting abortion rights, which the poll showed was animating Democrats and resonating outside Bidens party as well. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, the 1973 decision that recognized a constitutional right to abortion.

Eighty-eight percent of Democrats rated abortion rights as important for how they will vote and one in six said it was the most important issue or the only one they really cared about. Moreover, one in three Republicans thought the Democratic Party had the best approach on the issue, while independents favored Democrats over Republicans on abortion rights by more than two-to-one.

Voters expressed concern over Bidens age and his fitness for office. Seventy-seven percent of respondents, including 65% of Democrats, said Biden is too old to be president, while just 39% said Biden was mentally sharp enough for the presidency.

By comparison, 56% of poll respondents said Trump is too old for the office, while 54% said he was mentally sharp enough to handle the challenges of the presidency. Both men are viewed favorably by about 40% of the electorate, but 43% of Americans find Trump very unfavorable as compared to 38% for Biden.

Crime was on the minds of voters across both parties. Eighty-eight percent of respondents in the poll, including strong majorities of Republicans, Democrats and independents, said crime would be an important issue for determining their vote. Republicans could benefit: Independents favored Republicans over Democrats on the issue by 34% to 22%, according to the poll.

Finally, voters continue to be worried about the state of the economy despite the White Houses insistence that it remains in solid shape, with 73% of respondents saying their economic situation was about the same or worse than before the COVID-19 pandemic. Asked if they expected their economic situation to be better a year from now, only 35% answered in the affirmative.
Video: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sept. 15, 2023 that the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel remains "difficult," and that any agreement between the two should address issues with Palestine. (Xinhua)

"The specifics of any agreement in terms of what the different parties are looking for are challenging," says Antony Blinken.



WASHINGTON, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel remains "difficult," and that any agreement between the two should address issues with Palestine.

The secretary gave those remarks in response to a question from a press conference attended also by visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at the State Department.

"Even as we are working on this," Blinken said, referring to a potential agreement that would normalize the historically fraught ties between Riyadh and Tel Aviv, "it remains a difficult proposition."

"The specifics of any agreement in terms of what the different parties are looking for are challenging," he said.

A future Saudi-Israeli deal "would not be a substitute for Israel and the Palestinians also resolving their difference," Blinken said, adding that the United States still encourages the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to move toward and ultimately achieve a two-state solution.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., the United States, on April 26, 2022. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

"Any agreement that might be reached between Israel and Saudi Arabia when it comes to normalization would need to include a significant component for the Palestinians," he said, stressing that he made the stance clear in his conversations with the Saudi leadership.

The Biden administration has sought to broker the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Both countries, however, have done things that upset Washington since U.S. President Joe Biden took office.

For example, Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to push ahead with a controversial judicial overhaul despite U.S. concerns. And the Saudi authorities have slashed oil production along with its OPEC partners against U.S. wishes.

These and other contexts prompted a question at the press conference about whether it is worth it for the United States to mediate a rapprochement between two of the most powerful yet mutually antagonistic nations in the Middle East.

Calling the normalization a "transformative event in the Middle East and well beyond," Blinken said, "the benefit that would accrue, were we able to achieve it, would certainly be worth the effort."

He said that the Biden administration also expects "progress on a number of issues in a number of areas that clearly are" in the interests of the United States. 
Four women have accused Russell Brand of rape and sexual assault, allegations revealed Saturday in a joint investigation by UK news outlets. The actor and comedian denied the accusations, saying his relationships have been "always consensual," the BBC reports. The women said they were assaulted between 2006 and 2013, a period of peak fame for Brand, when he was appearing in films and as a radio and TV host in the UK. For part of it, 2010 to 2012, Brand was married to singer Katy Perry. The investigative report was produced by the Sunday Times, Times , and Channel 4.

One of his accusers said Brand raped her against a wall in Los Angeles. She was treated at a rape crisis center that day, per the Hollywood Reporter. In an exchange of text messages, she later told him that "When a girl say[s] NO it means no," to which he reportedly replied that he was "very sorry." Another said Brand sexually assaulted her when he was 31 and she was 16 during a three-month relationship. A third woman said she was sexually assaulted while working with Brand in Los Angeles, after which he threatened legal action if she made the accusation public. A fourth woman accused Brand of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.

Brand posted a video denial Friday on social media before the investigation was released, saying he'd just been informed of the accusations. He said that the allegations involve a time when he was in movies and newspapers regularly and that he has acknowledged he was "very, very promiscuous." He added: "Now during that time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual. I was always transparent about that thenalmost too transparentand I'm being transparent about it now as well." Brand planned to perform a live show at London's Wembley Park Theatre on Saturday evening, per Variety, as Channel 4 was scheduled to air a documentary about the allegations against him. (Read more Russell Brand stories.)
Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Indonesia's Vice President Ma'ruf Amin in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 16, 2023. Ma'ruf Amin is in China attending the 20th China-ASEAN Expo. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

NANNING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday met with Indonesia's Vice President Ma'ruf Amin in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Noting the recent meeting between the two countries' leaders pointed out the direction for the development of bilateral relations between China and Indonesia, Li said China is willing to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen political mutual trust, firmly support each other, carry out strategic cooperation at a higher level, and create a model of sticking together through thick and thin and going hand in hand for large developing countries.

Li said China is willing to further align its development strategy with Indonesia, promote the deepening of high-quality cooperation in the Belt and Road Initiative, and foster more high-standard and sustainable projects that deliver benefits to the people, to bring more win-win results in cooperation.

The two sides should enhance exchanges and cooperation in the fields of education, culture and tourism, youth and sports, to cultivate people's friendship, said Li, adding China is willing to strengthen multilateral cooperation with Indonesia, jointly safeguard ASEAN's unity and centrality, safeguard the correct direction of East Asian cooperation, and inject more stability and positive energy into regional and global development.

For his part, Ma'ruf Amin said Indonesia thanks China for its support to Indonesia's rotating presidency of ASEAN, adding the country is willing to deepen cooperation with China in the fields of economy, trade and people-to-people exchanges, strengthen coordination and cooperation in regional and multilateral affairs, support each other, and push the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to a new level. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Indonesia's Vice President Ma'ruf Amin in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 16, 2023. Ma'ruf Amin is in China attending the 20th China-ASEAN Expo. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)
Men incarcerated at Louisiana State Penitentiary filed a class-action lawsuit Saturday, contending they have been forced to work in the prison's fields for little or no pay, even when temperatures soar past 100 degrees. They described conditions as cruel, degrading, and often dangerous, the AP reports. The men, most of whom are Black, work on the farm of the 18,000-acre, maximum-security prison known as Angolathe site of a former slave plantationhoeing, weeding, and picking crops by hand, often surrounded by armed guards, the suit said. If they refuse to work or fail to meet quotas, they can be sent to solitary confinement, according to disciplinary guidelines.

"This labor serves no legitimate penological or institutional purpose," the suit said. "It's purely punitive, designed to 'break' incarcerated men and ensure their submission." It names as defendants Angola's warden, Timothy Hooper, and officials with Louisiana's department of corrections and its moneymaking arm, Prison Enterprises. A spokesman for the department of corrections and an attorney for the department did not immediately comment on the suit. The US has historically locked up more people than any other country, with more than 2.2 million inmates in federal and state prisons, jails, and detention centers. They can be forced to work because the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, which abolished slavery after the Civil War, made an exception for those "duly convicted" of a crime.

The plaintiffs include four men who formerly or are currently working in the fields, along with Voice of the Experienced, an organization of current and formerly incarcerated people, around 150 of whom are still at Angola. The suit said the work is especially dangerous for those with disabilities or health conditions in the summer months, with temperatures reaching up to 102 degrees in June, with heat indexes of up to 145. Some of the plaintiffs have not been given the accommodations and services they are entitled to under the Americans with Disabilities Act, it said. The men are asking the court to declare that forcing them to do the work is unconstitutional and to require the state to end its generations-long practice of compulsory agricultural labor. (Albert Woodfox spent 43 years in solitary confinement at Angola.)
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Agencies | Budapest

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain and Turkey discussed ways to bolster areas of joint cooperation and exchange of expertise and experiences, particularly in the housing sector.

This came as Housing and Urban Planning Minister Amna bint Ahmed Al Romaihi held a meeting with Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas, Turkish Minister of Family and Social Services, on the sideline of her participation in the Fifth Budapest Demographic Summit (BDS) in Hungary, deputised by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Abdulla Abdullatif Abdulla, Berlin-resident Bahraini Ambassador to Hungary, attended the meeting. The two sides also discussed the topics on the agenda of the fifth BDS. Al Romaihi highlighted the Housing and Urban Planning Ministrys plans to deliver housing services to the citizens, including the recently launched programmes to provide immediate and sustainable services, in partnership with the private sector, in addition to efforts to implement projects and services in housing cities.

The Turkish minister praised Bahrains efforts to provide housing services, in general, and affordable social housing, in particular, to the citizens, expressing Turkiyes readiness to cooperate and exchange experiences with Bahrain to enrich the two countries plans.
SHENYANG, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- After showing a group of visitors around a production plant operated by the Northern Heavy Industries Group Co., Ltd. (NHI) in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning Province, senior engineer Liu Zhiyang stood beside a massive tunnel boring machine to answer questions.

One visitor asked in Chinese about the machine's size. Liu, who oversees NHI's tunnel boring equipment division, replied that it was 90 meters in length with a diameter of about 6.4 meters.

Another asked in English about the machine's production time and, once he had received a prompt translation, Liu responded that it was six to eight months.

This sparked further questions about its price, market share and technological innovations, as well as inquiries about NHI, a prominent player in the heavy machinery manufacturing industry in China and beyond.

Several such hands-on visits have occurred across Liaoning over the past week. They are part of a four-day interview trip the State Council Information Office of China organized for over 30 journalists from 19 domestic and international media outlets, aiming to encourage them to explore the transformation of China's major industrial base.

Liaoning is home to a quarter of the country's iron ore reserves and has long been a leader in China's petrochemicals, metallurgy, forging and equipment manufacturing sectors.

In recent years, the province has accelerated its development of high-end, intelligent and green manufacturing. According to the provincial department of industry and information technology, the value added in Liaoning's high-tech manufacturing industry increased 8.3 percent year on year from January to July, and 20 fully connected 5G factories were established during that time.

The China-Germany High-End Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park (CGIP) is a prime example of Liaoning's development. Since its establishment in 2015, CGIP's economic output has doubled. In the first half of 2023, its gross industrial output value grew 27.8 percent to 481.5 billion yuan (about 61.84 billion U.S. dollars).

CGIP is also home to the new Shenyang International Pump Track Park, where dozens of bikers and skateboarders could be seen training during the media trip, giving the reporters cause to stop and watch their activities.

Due to its location, Liaoning also acts as an economic hub of Northeast Asia and a vital gateway for the country's northward opening-up. The Dalian Area of China (Liaoning) Free Trade Zone has played an important role in attracting foreign investment and promoting foreign trade. It has achieved a cumulative regional GDP of 329 billion yuan since its establishment in 2017, with an average annual growth rate of 7.1 percent.

"It gathers one-seventh of the province's foreign-funded enterprises and accounts for one-seventh of the province's total import and export volume," Fu Qiang, deputy director of the zone's administrative committee, said at the zone's comprehensive services center.

On the 50th floor of the Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) building, journalists were treated to breathtaking aerial views of the coastal city of Dalian. In 2022, DCE achieved a trading volume of 2.3 billion contracts, ranking ninth globally. It has become an important global futures market for agricultural products, plastics, coal and iron ore.

Several companies the journalists visited also showcased Liaoning's capabilities in the development of high-quality manufacturing and the expansion of the province's economic reach. Among these companies were SIASUN Robot & Automation Co., Ltd., which engages in intelligent manufacturing, and the Dalian Bingshan Group, a leader in the refrigeration and heating sectors.

At Dalian Rongke Power Co., Ltd., reporters were intrigued by the colorful electrolytes on display, prompting questions about the extraction of raw materials and the efficiency of energy storage. "We have built the world's largest intelligent manufacturing base for vanadium flow battery energy storage equipment," said Wang Xiaoli, the company's general manager. "Our product is widely utilized in areas such as grid peak shaving, grid connection of renewable energy, and industrial and commercial microgrids."

Though their trip focused on industrial development, the journalists also had the opportunity to experience the province's culture and natural beauty. They watched the renowned Liaoning Ballet Troupe perform segments from their upcoming production of "Notre Dame," created in collaboration with foreign choreographers. And in the city of Panjin, famous for its rice and crabs, journalists strolled along Red Beach, which is known for its landscape featuring the red plant Suaeda salsa.

The trip had a profound impression on many of the foreign journalists. Some admitted that prior to their visit to Liaoning, they had envisioned a skyline filled with smoke-spewing chimneys, only to be pleasantly surprised by the contemporary urban vistas they encountered -- especially in Dalian.

Li Kai, deputy head of the China Academy of Northeast Revitalization, was an invited participant in the journey and found himself engaged in a flurry of inquiries from journalists every day, particularly those from the United States, Japan, France, and Singapore.

"The foreign journalists were very eager to know more about Liaoning and the revitalization of northeast China. They posed a variety of questions that gave me a lot of inspiration," Li said. 
AFP | London

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

A European Union regulator hit Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok with a 345-million-euro fine over child data breaches on Friday, in the bloc's latest salvo against the business practices of tech titans.

The fine, equivalent to $369 million, is the culmination of a two-year inquiry by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC).

The Irish watchdog, which plays a key role in policing the EU's strict General Data Protection Regulations, gave TikTok three months "to bring its processing into compliance" with its rules.

The DPC in September 2021 began examining TikTok's compliance with GDPR in relation to platform settings and personal data processing for users aged under 18 years old.

It also looked at TikTok's age verification measures for persons under 13 and found no infringement, but found the platform did not properly assess the risks to younger people registering on the service.

The regulator highlighted in its ruling Friday how children signing up had TikTok accounts set to public by default, meaning anyone could view or comment on their content.

It also criticised TikTok's "family pairing" mode, which is designed to link parents' accounts to those of their teenage offspring, but the DPC found the company did not verify parent or guardian status.

Ireland is at the centre of the GDPR regime because Dublin hosts the European headquarters of TikTok and the likes of Google, Meta and X, formerly Twitter.

In May, the DPC fined Meta a record 1.2 billion euros for transferring EU user data to the United States in breach of a previous court ruling.

TikTok, a division of Chinese tech giant ByteDance, is extremely popular among young people with 150 million users in the United States and 134 million in the EU.

- TikTok 'respectfully disagrees' -

In response to the fine, TikTok said it "respectfully disagrees" with the verdict and was "evaluating" how to proceed.

"The DPC's criticisms are focused on features and settings that were in place three years ago, and that we made changes to well before the investigation even began, such as setting all under 16 accounts to private by default," a TikTok spokesperson told AFP.

The platform insists that it closely monitors the age of its users and takes action when needed.

TikTok says it deleted almost 17 million accounts worldwide in the first three month of this year due to suspicions that they belonged to people under 13 years old.

Earlier this month, the social media giant opened a long-promised data centre in Ireland, as it tries to calm fears in Europe over data privacy.

GDPR came into force in 2018 and was the EU's toughest and most famous law on tech, ensuring citizens give consent to the ways in which their data is used.

Friday's fine comes after the EU last week unveiled a list of digital giants -- including Apple, Facebook owner Meta and ByteDance -- that will face tough new curbs on how they do business.
AFP | Beijing

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Beijing sanctioned yesterday two US defence companies, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, over their roles in supplying arms to Taiwan.

The United States Congress, under the Taiwan Relations Act, requires the supply of weapons to the self-governing democracy for its defence.

President Joe Bidens administration has recently announced a slew of arms sales to the island, including one that for the first time approved direct US military aid to Taiwan under an assistance programme aimed at foreign governments.

Despite Chinas firm opposition, the US government is determined to provide weapons to Taiwan... seriously harming Chinas sovereignty and security interests, and going further and further on the wrong and dangerous road of arming Taiwan, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing. She said that Lockheed Martin was the prime contractor in US arms sales to Taiwan that took place on August 24, and that Northrop Grumman had taken part in sales many times.

According to the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the PRC, China has decided to impose sanctions on the above two US military companies, she said, without providing details of the curbs.

Mao said China urged the United States to stop selling weapons to Taiwan. Otherwise, it will inevitably face a resolute and strong response from China, she added.

Arms sales The United States said in August that it had approved the sale to Taiwan of advanced sensor equipment -- built by Lockheed Martin -- for its fighter jets. The systems improve warplanes ability to detect airborne threats, increasing their chances of survival during combat.

The US State Department said at the time that the sale would help Taiwan meet current and future threats by contributing to the recipients abilities to defend its airspace, provide regional security and increase interoperability with the United States through its F-16 program. The State Department said the F-16 Infrared Search and Track systems and related equipment would help Taiwan maintain a credible defensive capability.
ANKARA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish military carried out two airstrikes against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq, Turkiye's Defense Ministry said Saturday.

The air operations, conducted on Wednesday and Friday, targeted PKK hideouts in the Gara region, destroying a total of 31 targets, and "neutralizing" senior group members, according to a statement from the ministry.

The targets included caves, shelters, and caches used by the PKK members, the ministry said.

Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralized" in their statements to imply the "terrorists" in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

The Turkish security forces often conduct cross-border operations in northern Iraq, a region holding hideouts and bases of PKK militants, from where they carry out attacks against Turkiye.

The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades. 




Bandits have raided the Dogon Noma village, in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing no fewer than two locals, and kidnapping three others on Friday.





The bandits, it was gathered, took away six motorcycles after the attack to an unknown destination.





A source said the bandits stormed the community in the early hours of Friday, shooting indiscriminately at the villagers, killing two during the attack.





According to the source, the villagers raised the alarm but there was no help in good time.





He, however, said security operatives arrived shortly after the attack.





He said, When the bandits stormed the community in the early hours of Friday, we raised the alarm immediately but security men later came and pursued them out of the area.





We later recovered two bodies while three persons were taken away by the bandits. Six motorcycles were also taken away by the bandits.





The Kaduna State Police Command confirmed the incident.

The commands acting Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, who confirmed the attack, said the operatives were doing their best to rescue the victims unhurt.




The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has said the Federal Government, under President Bola Tinubu administration, will work with states to harness Nigerias solid mineral resources.





Alake gave the assurance when Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State paid him a courtesy visit on Friday in Abuja.





He said, The ministry will work with governors to harness mineral resources for maximum socio-economic development of the country.





Nasarawa State is very significant in terms of the development of the mineral sector, and we are putting the mechanisms together.





We want to make sure that the nation derives maximum benefits from this God given gift of minerals that are in abundance in Nigeria.





Alaka, who described solid minerals as the next petroleum in Nigeria, assured that the nation would harness and utilise the resources efficiently and effectively.





The minister, however, emphasised the need for effective synergy and coordination in all the dynamics surrounding minerals exploration, exploitation and judicious utilisation of the resources.





He thanked the governor for the visit, adding that partnerships between the federal government and states would promote and bring strong development to the sector.




Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied claims that he met President Bola Tinubu in Abeokuta on Thursday.





It was reported that a viral video surfaced on the social media where it was alleged that Obasanjo and Tinubu met at the 80th birthday of the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo and promised to work for him if he offered him a job.





Reacting to the viral video on Saturday, Obasanjo described the video as fake, disjointed and sickening.





In a statement by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo condemned the video, saying the banter conversation took place between him and Tinubu when he played host to the former Lagos State governor in 2022, before the countrys 2023 general elections.





The statement quoted Obasanjo as saying that, one, I have not seen Bola Tinubu since he visited me in my house in Abeokuta, when he was campaigning. Secondly, I was at the church and not the reception for Alakes 80th birthday reception.





The statement explained further that, during Tinubus visit to his house last year, he met the former President playing his favorite traditional game (ayo) and he started the banter, jokingly telling the former President that, he was shocked to see him playing the Ayo game at that time of the day.





Spontaneously, as he was getting up from his chair to welcome him and other accompanying visitors, Obasanjo responded: when I dont have job. If you are ready to give me job, I am ready to do it.





This, Akinyemi said, was contrary to the meaning the viral video is putting out.





Akinyemi quoted Obasanjo as saying that, I am not looking for work and I am not working with anyone as the fake news puts out. Those who are looking for people to work with Bola Tinubu should look outside Obasanjo.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, has called members of the APC, in the state to work day and night in order to win the states November 11 2023 Imo governorship election.

Ganduje made this appeal to members of the party, while inaugurating the 2023 APC campaign headquarters located along Wethedral road in Owerri, on Saturday.

He assured the members that the APC headquarters would be where all the strategies would be nurtured for the APC to win the governorship election.

According to the National Chairman of the party, briefly said: I am astonished. As i look at this beautiful building which is an indication that the forthcoming governorship election will be a huge success that is coming to Imo state.

This is a beautiful building purposely for the election for the campaign and it will be the premises where all plannings, where all strategies will take place.

This is in order to win the election. We believe that this election will be won. All the Local Government Area chairmen, local government party chairmen all the stakeholders this building is to further assure you there will be success in the election. Therefore i call you to work day and night so that we believe success is on our side, he said.

For the Governor of Imo state, Hope Uzodimma, who is seeking re-election said: My great people of Imo State, just as I have always said, the movement is beyond sectional and party sentiments rather, it is a consolidation on the gains of my administration in the past years, having restored the State from its deplorable condition.

I cannot walk through this alone, your mandate I hold for the first four years and your mandate I seek for the next four years. Together, we have recovered our dear State, rehabilitated our institutions and reconstructed our infrastructures.

It is now time for us to usher in the next level of Shared Prosperity where the reforms and policies we have instituted shall play a vital role in our economic growth and stability for the benefit of all, Uzodimma said.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that kings usually bow down for him indoors whenever he meets them.

Obasanjo noted that he usually prostrates for traditional rulers in public, but they bow down for him indoors.

The former president made these declarations on Friday, during the commissioning of the Iseyin campus of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso.

Obasanjo was invited by Governor Seyi Mankide of Oyo State as a special guest of honour for the commissioning of some projects in the state.

Our correspondent, however, reports that one of the memorable periods of the event was when Obasanjo compelled all the traditional rulers who were at the event to stand up and sit down again as a sign of respect.

It was gathered that majority of the traditional rulers from Oke-Ogun geo-political zone in the state were in attendance.

Obasanjo, while speaking, said that two things are given much respect in Yoruba land; age and position. He then told the traditional rulers that the governors position is superior to that of any king.

He said, Please, please, all of you, the traditional rulers, I greet you, thank you for your presence. But, let me say something, anywhere there is a governor or president, the traditional rulers will have to stand up and greet the governor or president.

Stand up.., sit down. In Yoruba land, we respect two things: age and position. The governors position is superior to that of any king. When I was president, I prostrated for kings openly. But indoors, the king would bow down for me. Let us respect our culture.
Dino Melaye, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi, says the state would witness a new era if elected as the governor.

Melaye spoke in Abuja, on Friday when he received the report of the partys policy drafting committee for the Kogi governorship election.

He said if elected as the state governor, he would reform the Kogi civil service, improve infrastructure and create an Independent Kogi Economic Development Commission.

Melaye also promised to pay full salary to workers, create four new districts and increase the states internally generated revenue without a tax burden on the poor.





He said if elected, he would use the monthly federal allocation for payment of civil salaries, pension, gratuities, promotion, training and retraining, while internally revenue would be used for developmental projects.

The civil service in Kogi state will be reformed and we will pay salaries on the 25th of every month. We will also pay full salary, Melaye said.

Today in Kogi, there is no middle class. It is only the rich and the poor. Those in government are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.





We are going to raise the revenue without taxing the poor.

The PDP candidate promised to grant local governments financial autonomy.

Ten years ago, local government areas in Kogi state were doing projects, rural roads. Today, no local government in Kogi can dig a well, he said.

Local government has no vehicles, salaries are not paid, some local government secretariats are under lock and key. But we are saying that a new day is coming.

Melaye promised to harness and commercialise mineral resources in the state, saying Kogi is too blessed to be poor.

I brought people from outside Nigeria who did a scientific research and gave me the mineral resources in Kogi. We have 52 mineral resources but only one has been tapped  limestone, he said.

The rest are just there; we have uranium. We have the largest deposit of Uranium in Nigeria.

Melaye also commended the drafting committee for doing a good job.





No other party is talking about policy document apart from the PDP. I have looked at this document, I have read it, it is not only robust, but a solution book and prayer answered, he said.

Also speaking, Sam Amadi, the committee chairman, said the policy document contain recommendations that would transform Kogi, if implemented.

He said the document covers several sectors including education, agriculture, local government administration, technology, communications, tourism in line with Melayes vision for the state.

The committee recommended that there must be an Independent Kogi Economic Development Commission, Amadi said.

When Melaye becomes the governor, we are insisting that the people that will constitute that committee should be above board and should have influence on the activities of the governor.

The commission should be independent; it should have people with pedigree, integrity, so that when he is going wrong, they will bring him back.
The Lagos government has postponed the planned palliative works on the failed sections of the Third Mainland Bridge.

The state also announced that the scheduled traffic division arrangement for the bridge has been postponed.

On Thursday, the Lagos government announced that the repair of the pothole-riddled sections of the bridge will be carried out on September 17 and 24.

The state had asked commuters to take alternative routes during the repair of the bridge.





In a statement on Saturday, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, Lagos commissioner for transportation, said the heavy rainfall in the state affected the preliminaries of the planned palliative works.

Osiyemi said another date for the repair of the bridge will be communicated to the public.

Due to the heavy downpour experienced in all parts of the Metropolis today, the Lagos state government has announced the postponement of the planned two Sundays palliative works on the failed sections of the 3rd Mainland Bridge, which was scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday 17th and Sunday, 24th September, 2023, the statement reads.

On Saturday, many parts of Lagos witnessed heavy rainfall  a development that resulted in flooding in some areas.




A 28-year-old man, Misbahu Salisu, has allegedly poisoned his day-old baby girl to death because he prefers a male child.





The man, a resident of Doka Baici, Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State, was on Friday arrested by the Kano State Hisbah Board.





According to a statement issued by the Deputy Commander General, Operations, Dr Mujahid Aminudeen, the suspect had informed officials of the board that he gave the day-old baby a local insect killer.





The suspect also alleged to have drugged the mother of the baby, Saade, with a cup of tea that contained sleeping tablets before allegedly carrying out his criminal act.





The suspect confessed to the crime, saying he preferred a male child but his wife gave birth to a female, which prompted him to end the babys life, the statement said.





He has been handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.
The spokesperson of Peter Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Yunusa Tanko, has revealed that Peter Obis legal team may file an appeal at the Supreme Court on Tuesday.

Obi is also said to have no plan of changing members of his legal team.

Tanko and the National Legal Adviser of LP, Kehinde Edun, revealed this to reporters.

I just confirmed that we have not filed the appeal. That will be done between now and Tuesday.

We are also not seeking to engage or tweak our team of lawyers, Tanko said.

Edun said, We have not filed the appeal yet because we are still within the time frame.

It will be done any moment from now. our legal team is still intact. They are some of our best hands.

There is no reason to change them since we do not doubt their capabilities.

Recall that Peter Obis petitions challenging the victory of Bola Tinubu at the 2023 Presidential election was struck out by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

The LP presidential candidate has since vowed to challenge the tribunal judgement at the apex court.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 16, 2023. Sonexay Siphandone is in China attending the 20th China-ASEAN Expo. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

NANNING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Saturday met with Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Noting China-Laos community with a shared future has been continuously advanced, Li said China has always viewed relations with Laos from a strategic perspective.

China is ready to work with Laos to implement the important consensus reached by top leaders of the two parties and countries, strengthen the synergy of development strategies, deepen cooperation in various fields, and share opportunities and jointly promote development, to deliver benefits to the two peoples and contribute to regional peace and stability, said Li.

Li said China is willing to continue to work with Laos to jointly build the Belt and Road with high quality and promote the continuous upgrading of China-Laos cooperation.

He also urged the two sides to give fuller play to the role of China-Laos railway in promoting the development of the two countries. China is willing to strengthen cooperation in various fields and import more quality products from Laos, Li said, adding the two sides should strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchanges to promote mutual understanding and amity between the two peoples.

China supports Laos in assuming the rotating presidency of ASEAN next year, and stands ready to work with Laos to advance the building of the "Five homelands" and the China-ASEAN community of a shared future, said the premier.

For his part, Sonexay Siphandone said Laos thanked China for its strong support for Laos' economic and social development and spoke highly of the fruitful results of bilateral cooperation. Laos firmly abides by the one-China principle and firmly supports China in safeguarding its core interests.

He added Laos is willing to strengthen exchanges of experience in party and state governance, promote pragmatic cooperation in such fields as the Belt and Road, economy, trade, investment and people-to-people exchanges, strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs, jointly safeguard strategic interests, and promote the upgrading of China-Laos community with a shared future. 

Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with Laotian Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 16, 2023. Sonexay Siphandone is in China attending the 20th China-ASEAN Expo. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)




Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has advised indigenes and princes who are jostling for the Alaafin of Oyo stool to stop bickering over the selection of the new occupant of the throne.





Makinde insisted that the Alaafin of Oyo stool will not go to the highest bidder.





The governor spoke during the commissioning of 34.85 kilometres Oyo-Iseyin Road on Friday.





Recall that the Alaafin of Oyo stool became vacant as a result of the transition of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, who joined his ancestors in April 2022.





Makinde has however warned that anyone with intent to sell the throne would meet his waterloo.





The governor while addressing residents of the town, called on princes and interested parties in the town to stop bickering over the selection of the new monarch.





Makinde further noted that his administration had delivered on its promises to the people of the state.





He added that the road is a key project that will open up parts of the state.





I call on princes and interested parties in Oyo to stop bickering over the selection of a new Alaafin of Oyo.





The respected stool would not go to the highest bidder and anyone with intent to sell the throne would meet his waterloo, he said.





He added, It gives me great joy to be here today as we commission one of the key projects that will open Oyo and Oke-Ogun zones to further investments and economic stimulation.





The people who used to avoid going to Oyo through the Oyo-Iseyin road or to Iseyin through the Moniya-Iseyin road know what we are doing and what we have done.





Commuters and businesses located in these areas know that they are cost-saving and they know that it is impacting.
Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs, says Nigerias agreements with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are still a work in progress.

Since 2021, UAE and Nigeria have been engaging in a diplomatic row over issues involving flight allocations and travel bans and in October 2022, the UAE imposed a visa ban on Nigerians.

On Monday, Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesperson, announced that Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines would resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria without any further delay.

Ngelale made the announcement after Tinubu met with Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE president, in Abu Dhabi.

However, according to a report by CNN, an official from the UAE contradicted the announcement and said the year-long visa ban on Nigerian travellers has not been lifted.

There are no changes on the Nigeria/UAE travel status so far, the official was quoted as saying.

When asked in an interview with Arise Television on Friday, Tuggar said the visa status and bilateral agreements between the two countries, are still a work in progress.

He added that clarifications will be made through a joint statement.

Its still an ongoing process, it is a partnership, it is repairing otherwise frayed nerves, the minister said.

It is better that whatever we do, we do in partnership with the UAE. So, I will not want to dwell too much on what is going on there or from our own side, he said.

Im sure there will be joint statements that will clarify everything that has transpired and is unfolding, but it is positive.
Visit visa to the United Kingdom for less than six months will now cost 115 (about N111,878.28 ) as opposed to 15 (14,592.70) effective October 4, the UK Home Office has announced.

This translates to about 667 per cent increment.





Student visa fee has also been increased from 127 (N123,537.58) to 490 (N476,677.59); representing a 286 per cent increment.





The increase, the government said, would enable it to pay for vital services and allow more funding to be prioritised for public sector pay rises, adding that the review would take effect on October 4.





The UK government made this known in a statement, New visa fees set to come into effect next month published on its website, gov.uk, on Friday, following legislation being laid in parliament on Friday.





The changes mean that the cost for a visit visa for less than six months is rising by 15 (N14,592.70) to 115 (N111,878.28 ), while the fee for applying for a student visa from outside the UK will rise by 127 (N123,537.58) to 490 (N476,677.59), to equal the amount charged for in-country applications, the statement partly read.





In July, the government announced a 15 per cent increase in the cost of most work and visit visas, and an increase of at least 20 per cent in the cost of priority visas, study visas and certificates of sponsorship.





The statement added, Income from fees charged plays a vital role in the Home Offices ability to run a sustainable immigration and nationality system. Careful consideration is given when setting fees to help reduce the funding contribution from British taxpayers, whilst continuing to provide a service that remains attractive to those wishing to work in the UK and support broader prosperity for all.





The changes include fees for up to six months, two-, five- and 10-year visit visas.





The majority of fees for entry clearance and certain applications for leave to remain in the UK, including those for work and study were also increased.





Also increased were the fees for indefinite leave to enter and indefinite leave to remain; convention travel document and stateless persons travel document; health and care visa; fees in relation to certificates of sponsorship and confirmation of acceptance for studies; the in and out of country fee for the super-priority service and the out of country fee for the priority service.





It noted that the settlement priority service would reduce so it would be aligned with the cost of using the priority service. Applications to register and naturalise as a British citizen and the fee for the User Pays Visa Application service were also increased.





However, the statement noted that subject to parliamentary approval, the immigration and nationality fees would increase from October 4.





Todays changes do not include the planned increase to the Immigration Health Surcharge, which is scheduled to be introduced later in the Autumn, it added.




The Abia State government has alleged that a priest of the Anglican Diocese of Aba is attacking it for rejecting three requests he brought to Governor Alex Otti.

The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Otti, Ferdinand Ekeoma, made the allegation on Saturday while reacting to a recent communique issued by the Aba Diocese of the Anglican Church, during the 3rd Session of its 17th Synod.

The Aba Anglican Diocese had in its communique, condemned the Otti administration for recently sacking civil servants employed by his predecessor, Okezie Ikpeazu.

The communique, which was signed by the Rt. Rev, Christian Ugwuzo, Bishop of Aba Diocese, and Venerable Innocent Ogbonna, the Clerical Synod Secretary, demanded the recall of the sacked workers, even though it faulted their last minute employment by the past administration.

The communique further urged the government in the state to declare a state of emergency on some bad roads in Aba including Port Harcourt road, Ohanku road and Obohia road.

But responding to the communique, Ottis media adviser, Ekeoma, said some paragraphs in the message were designed to mislead the public.

He alleged that one of the signatories to the communique was executing a personal vendetta against Otti for not excluding the priests daughter from the names of civil servants that were recently disengaged, adding that the priest had before the Synod, also brought two other proposals to the governor which were all turned down.

Parts of the statement read, The said signatory had made a request to the Governor to exclude and allow his daughter who was a beneficiary of the March 2023 fake employment carried out by the previous government, after it had lost election, to remain in the civil service.

However, the governor turned down the request on the grounds that it will be unjust to exclude or recall one person out of the several people affected.

The same signatory had also made two other futile requests to the Governor which included; to endorse and confirm a factional Chairman of NULGE in Abia against the will of majority of the union executives and members, and also to support the imposition of a certain traditional ruler as Chairman traditional rulers council.

The governor turned down these requests because they were unhealthy and self serving..

Having rightly expressed their opposition to that unjustifiable last minute employment sham, we are therefore surprised that the Anglican Synod turned around to disagree with the Alex Otti led-government over its decision to invalidate that act of deceit that was obviously a booby trap for the Otti government. This contradiction leaves many questions unanswered

The statement added that the Otti-led administration would still create genuine employment opportunities for Abians in the future after cleaning up the states civil service, insisting that no genuinely employed worker was sacked by Otti.

Ekeoma, in the statement, noted that Ottis administration is enjoying a cordial relationship with the Anglican Church.

The communique issued by the Anglican Church had generated controversy in Abia State on Friday, with some people hailing the priests for the message while others accused them of playing politics.
Three South Jersey men were sentenced Friday to probation for being inside the U.S. Capitol when rioters tried to overtake the certification of the presidential election, on Jan. 6, 2021.

David Krauss, 56, of Sewell in Mantua Township, his son Nicholas Krauss, 33, from Pitman, and Davids friend, Russell Dodge Jr., 40, of Pedricktown in Oldsman Township, pleaded guilty in April to the misdemeanor of parading, demonstrating or picketing inside a Capitol building.

On Friday afternoon, federal Judge James E. Boasberg in Washington, D.C. sentenced each to nine months of probation, a $1,000 fine and $500 in restitution, court records show.

The men, who are all in the property rental, management and construction business, traveled to Washington together and were charged as a trio.

In presentence reports, the mens lawyers portrayed them as good-natured family men who went to the nations capital to hear the former president speak and briefly entered the Capitol.

Dodges lawyer said he complied with police officers orders to leave the building and suggested he receive 12 months of probation.

The Krauss, who had the same lawyer, said they even tried to stop others from breaking objects and causing damage.

The lawyer, Marina Medvin, suggested only a $50 fine, arguing its the same amount of money paid by a similar protester whod been arrested during the confirmation hearings of Brett Kavanagh for the Supreme Court in 2018.

Local and federal authorities have treated Jan. 6 defendants glaringly different, than the thousands arrested in protests all over the country, including Black Lives Matter events that ended in fiery damage, Medvin argued voluminously over several pages in the report.

The only difference with January 6 protesters is politics, Medvin wrote.

A federal prosecutor said the governments sentencing report the trio indeed was in the Capitol a short time, about 17 minutes. And they credited the men with being forthright in initial interview with the FBI, and pleading guilty rather quickly after their November 2022 arrests.

However, the men deserved different sentences due to their level of expressed remorse, the prosecutor argued, and suggested terms of home confinement.

Nicholas Krauss was sincere, the prosecutor wrote, and quoted a letter Nicholas wrote to the judge: ...I went to D.C. to watch our President speak live and then to return home. Unfortunately, I found myself caught up in something I never intended to. I regret entering the Capitol on this day and I am deeply sorry that I did. If I knew what was going to take place that day I would have never left my house.

He deserved 75 days of home detention, 60 hours of community service and $500 in restitution, the prosecutor argued.

David Krauss and Dodge should get 90 days of home detention, plus 60 hours of community service and the $500 restitution.

David Krauss remorse was weak, the prosecutor wrote. He told a federal probation officer, I regret entering the Capitol on January 6th. I was only there to voice my First Amendment right with no other intentions.

And Russell Dodge has expressed no remorse at all, the prosecutor wrote.

Nicholas Krauss, left, Russell Dodge Jr., center, and David Krauss, right, on Jan. 6, 2021 in Washington, D.C. (FBI file photo)

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Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com
Summer is coming to an end. The kids are back in school. Next years summer vacation might be the furthest thing from your mind, but agents who handle rentals at the Jersey Shore say you should be booking now.

Now is always the best time, said James Ward of Keller Williams Ocean Realty. You have the best selection and the most amount of time to pay it off.

This past summer was less competitive than the previous few when people were reluctant to board planes for far-off destinations because of COVID.

Rentals at Schlosser Real Estate in Lavallette were down 8% this summer compared to 2022, but theyre still up 30% from pre-COVID rental numbers, Matthew Schlosser, vice president and broker at Schlosser Real Estate, said.

There was a bit of a slow down this year, for whatever reason things came to a stand still between March and June, which is usually prime booking season, Ward said. I attribute it to people finding deals in other places and generally choosing other options.

One of the things that mightve driven people away from the Jersey Shore is increasing rental rates. Rental prices have increased 20% to 30% since 2020.

But many agents say theyre advising homeowners to hold their current rates for summer 2024.

Its up to the individual landlords, but in our letter we sent them ... we did caution landlords on increases for next year because we did see demand come down some, Schlosser said. Some premier properties  oceanfront, newer homes, homes with pools  if they were fully booked, might go up a few hundred dollars. Smaller or dated homes, those were the ones under more pressure this year. So we cautioned them on increasing rates.

About 35% of Schlosser Real Estates rental properties typically get repeated rentals for the following year. Were on track for that, he said.

Before the pandemic, about 25% of properties had repeat rentals this early. I think because consumers knew how challenging it was to find a rental, so they locked in properties from the previous year.

Duane Watlington, founder of Vacation Rentals Jersey Shore, LLC, which lists properties for rent in Ocean City, Wildwood and Long Beach Island, said early bookings for next summer are very strong.

We started seeing requests for 2024 dates in early June, and they have really picked up over the last six weeks, he said. The smart families will book their rental for next summer this summer before or right after they leave. Now is the best time to book as the best rentals get scooped up first. Its also when you have the widest selection of weeks to choose from.

If youre shopping for a deal, Watlington and other agents say look outside of July and August.

Rent during the shoulder months of June and September, he said, saving you up to 50% or more over summer weeks.

Large homes that can accommodate multi-generational families, homes with pools and those that are pet friendly get rented quicker, agents say.

Some of most our most popular homes are 75% booked by early fall, Ward said. Were on pace for that again.

Are you an agent, buyer or seller who is active in this changing market? Do you have tips about New Jerseys real estate market? Unusual listings? Let us know.

More real estate coverage:

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com.
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Delegates attending the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China pose for a group photo in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 15, 2023. Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended the summit. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

HAVANA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China kicked off at the Palace of Conventions in Havana, Cuba, on Friday.

The meeting, running through Saturday, gathers delegations from more than 100 countries.

The opening ceremony was attended by Cuba's socialist revolution Army General Raul Castro.

During his welcoming speech, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel highlighted China's efforts to promote international cooperation worldwide.

He said that cooperation, solidarity, and human progress without exclusions are vital to helping tackle today's world challenges.

"Thanks for accepting the invitation that unites us today in defense of the future and the large majorities that comprise such a vast concept of humanity," he said.

Diaz-Canel also denounced the six-decade-long U.S. embargo on the Cuban population, which has caused huge economic and humanitarian damages, calling on participants to fight for the right to development.

Speaking at the summit's opening ceremony, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the voice of the Group of 77 and China will always be essential for the UN system.

Terming the group as "a champion of multilateralism," Guterres called on G77 and China to "champion a system rooted in equality; champion a system ready to reverse the injustice and neglect of centuries; and champion a system that delivers for all humanity and not for the privileged."

More financial support is required to help Global South nations tackle climate change's impact, he added.

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended the summit.

"China is the world's largest developing nation and a natural member of the Global South. We are ready to work with Cuba and other G77 members to open a new chapter in South-South cooperation in quest for greater development through stronger solidarity, build a Global South community with a shared future, and usher in a new era of common development," he said.

Li proposed the following in respect of cooperation between the G77 and China: staying true to the original aspiration of the G77 for independence and greater collective strength through unity; advocating equity, justice and inclusiveness; pursuing development, revitalization and win-win cooperation.

"China remains committed to building an open, inclusive and mutually beneficial system for South-South scientific and technological cooperation," Li said.

Cuba took on the rotating presidency of the G77 and China this January. 

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel receives Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, ahead of the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 15, 2023. Cuba took on the rotating presidency of the G77 and China this January. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaks at the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Cuban revolutionary leader Raul Castro and Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel (L-R) pose for a group photo at the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 15, 2023. The Summit of the G77 and China kicked off at the Palace of Conventions in Havana on Friday. (Photo by Joaquin Hernandez/Xinhua)

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel addresses the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 15, 2023. The Summit of the G77 and China kicked off at the Palace of Conventions in Havana on Friday. (Photo by Joaquin Hernandez/Xinhua)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addresses the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 15, 2023. The Summit of the G77 and China kicked off at the Palace of Conventions in Havana on Friday. (Photo by Joaquin Hernandez/Xinhua)
Hey Blake,

I am new to the Irish Channel, so I have a question: How is it two Catholic churches ended up across the street from each other  St. Marys Assumption and St. Alphonsus? Which is older?

Dear reader,

Both St. Alphonsus and St. Marys Assumption Roman Catholic churches, located across from each other in the 2000 block of Constance Street, were established in the mid-19th century by Redemptorist priests. The religious order was founded by St. Alphonsus Liguori, namesake of the older of the two church buildings.

The Redemptorists arrived in Louisiana in 1843 and ministered in three neighborhood churches as well as operating an orphanage and school nearby. The churches were St. Marys Assumption, St. Alphonsus and Notre Dame de Bon Secours (located in the 900 block of Jackson Avenue but razed in 1925). The churches served German immigrants, Irish immigrants and members of the French community, respectively.

According to the book Historic Churches of Old New Orleans by George Gurtner, the existing St. Alphonsus church was completed in 1857 and consecrated in 1858. However, the church had its roots in an earlier temporary building which opened in 1850. The church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a National Historic Landmark. Since 1979, the church has not been used for Masses. In the 1990s, the Archdiocese of New Orleans leased the building to the Friends of St. Alphonsus organization, which runs the St. Alphonsus Art and Cultural Center in the church building.

Across the street is St. Marys Assumption Church. An earlier building operated next door from 1844 until 1858 when construction began on the current structure. It was dedicated in 1860.

A major part of the story of St. Marys Assumption Church, which is also a National Historic Landmark, is Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos. The Redemptorist priest was born in Bavaria and came to New Orleans in 1866. The next year, after ministering to yellow fever victims, he himself contracted the disease and died. His remains are located in the St. Marys Assumption church building, in what is called the National Shrine of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos. Father Seelos was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 2000, meaning he is one step away from sainthood.
Daniel Tenner, who lured a woman to Terrytown with an advertisement to sell a smartphone, only to rob and kill her upon arrival, was sentenced Friday to life plus 139 years in prison by a judge who said, "This is as bad as it gets."

Tenner used a woman friend's Facebook account to post the ad on the platform's marketplace. Morgan Tyrone, 24, of Pascagoula, Mississippi, drove in April 10, 2022, to buy the phone for $300, along with her partner and their 1-year-old child.

In the 300 block of Friedrichs Road, Tyrone shot her in the head, took her $300 and left.
GAZA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli military said Friday it launched air raids on Gaza after clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli police at the border wounded at least 12 Palestinians.

No casualties were reported in the raids so far.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement that the aircraft struck a military post belonging to Hamas, the Islamist group ruling Gaza, after a "violent riot" broke out at the border between Israel and the coastal enclave.

During the standoff, explosive devices and grenades were thrown across the border fence toward IDF soldiers, leading the Israeli soldiers to use riot dispersal measures at the Palestinians, the IDF added.

No IDF soldiers were injured in the clash, it noted.

The Hamas-run health ministry earlier said that at least 12 Palestinians were wounded by dispersal means and even live bullets fired by the Israeli soldiers.

Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that the clash took place between hundreds of young Palestinians rallying to voice solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Also on Friday, a Palestinian rally held to denounce Israel's settlement expansion grew to a clash with Israeli soldiers in the village of Qaryut, northern West Bank, leaving four Palestinians wounded by rubber bullets fired to disperse them, according to a statement issued by the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

Gaza and the West Bank have witnessed unabated tensions between Palestinians and Israelis this year amid long-stalled peace talks. 
Students at Ralph J. Bunche Elementary in Metairie walk to their classrooms for the first day of school in Jefferson Parish on Monday, August 7, 2023. Amid a teacher shortage, a Jefferson Parish program aims to get more retired veteran teachers back into the classroom. (Photo by Chris Granger | The Times-Picayune | NOLA.com)
From left to right: State Rep. Richard Nelson, State Treasurer John Schroder, Stephen Waguespack, Attorney General Jeff Landry, former Department of Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson, State Sen. Sharon Hewitt, and Hunter Lundy face off at the third televised debate of the governor's race Friday, Sept. 15, 2023 at KLFY-TV studios in Lafayette. It was the first time Landry has appeared on stage with the other gubernatorial candidates.
Latvian new Prime Minister Evika Silina (C) and her cabinet members pose for a group photo in Riga, Latvia, on Sept. 15, 2023. Latvian lawmakers on Friday approved the country's new government formed by three coalition partners - the New Unity party, the Union of Greens and Farmers, and the Progressives. (Photo by Janis/Xinhua)

RIGA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Latvian lawmakers on Friday approved the country's new government formed by three coalition partners - the New Unity party, the Union of Greens and Farmers, and the Progressives.

The three-party coalition has a narrow majority of three votes in Latvia's 100-seat parliament.

The New Unity party has seven ministerial portfolios and the post of prime minister which has been given to former welfare minister Evika Silina.

Krisjanis Karins, Latvia's previous prime minister, has been appointed foreign minister, replacing Edgars Rinkevics who earlier this year was elected president of Latvia.

The Union of Greens and Farmers has rejoined the government coalition after several years in opposition and has now taken charge of four ministries. The Progressives has received three ministerial posts.

Latvia's previous government fell after Karins' unsuccessful attempts to form a broader coalition, as the National Alliance and the United List refused to accept the proposal and left the coalition. 

Latvian new Prime Minister Evika Silina (3rd R, Front) and her cabinet members pose for a group photo in Riga, Latvia, on Sept. 15, 2023. Latvian lawmakers on Friday approved the country's new government formed by three coalition partners - the New Unity party, the Union of Greens and Farmers, and the Progressives. (Photo by Janis/Xinhua)

Latvian new Prime Minister Evika Silina attends the first government meeting in Riga, Latvia, on Sept. 15, 2023. Latvian lawmakers on Friday approved the country's new government formed by three coalition partners - the New Unity party, the Union of Greens and Farmers, and the Progressives. (Photo by Janis/Xinhua)
Qatar Airways has announced a new codeshare partnership with Xiamen Airlines, the first Chinese airline to operate non-stop passenger flights from Mainland China to Qatar.

Under the cooperation agreement, Xiamen Airlines will launch daily flights between Beijings Daxing International Airport and Hamad International Airport, the home of Qatar Airways with its modern and state-of-the art Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

The flights, which will commence on October 20, 2023, arrive in Doha at 22:45 and leave at 02:00 providing passengers optimal connections to key markets in Qatar Airways leading global network beyond Doha, in the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

In addition to the flights from Beijing, Xiamen Airlines will also launch two weekly flights from Xiamen, the special economic zone of Fujian Sheng province, to Doha. The flights commence on October 31, 2023 and offer the same seamless connectivity to Qatar Airways network as the Beijing flights, arriving to Doha from Xiamen at 05:00 and departing in the evening at 19:30.

Qatar Airways will codeshare on these new flights, which will greatly enhance its presence in Mainland China, that comprises six destinations with a total of 31 weekly flights operated by Qatar Airways followed by double daily flights to Hong Kong.

As part of the new agreement, Xiamen Airlines will place its marketing code on Qatar Airways flights to and from Beijing.

Xiamen Airlines was founded in 1984 and is a member of the SkyTeam Alliance. The Five-Star airline has a reputation for its high service standards and operational excellence, offering customers a dense network of 105 destinations in China and around the world.

The new direct services from Beijing to Doha will be operated by a Boeing 787-9 that features a two-class configuration for 287 passengers, with 30 business class seats and 257 in economy class. The Xiamen-Doha-Xiamen service operated by a Boeing 787-8 will accommodate 237 passengers in three classes with four seats in first class, 18 in business class and 215 in economy class.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, Akbar Al Baker, said: We are delighted to announce this comprehensive cooperation and to welcome our new partner, Xiamen Airlines, to Hamad International Airport, our home in Qatar. We are proud and honoured that Xiamen Airlines has chosen Doha as a new destination in their network and their only destination in the Middle East. Their flights are perfectly connected to our unparalleled global network offering customers of both airlines, greater choice and seamless travel experiences.

Zhao Dong, Chairman of Xiamen Airlines said: Both Qatar Airways and Xiamen Airlines are the winners of APEX World Class Awards in 2022 showing our shared commitment to high quality service. The partnership of two Five-Star airlines will bring wonderful flying experiences to the customers worldwide.  TradeArabia News Service
BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Located near Beijing's Central Axis, the Altar of the God of Agriculture stands as a testament to China's rich farming culture. At a small farm field in this temple, emperors once attended solemn rituals to offer sacrifices to the God of Agriculture, praying for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and prosperity for all.

Today, this sacred space has transformed into a hub of enlightenment, where throngs of eager students immerse themselves in the rich tapestry of China's agricultural heritage.

Public cultural activities such as spring planting and autumn harvesting have been held regularly in the temple since 2018. Secluded for more than 200 years, The Divine Granary Complex which was used for storing grains harvested from the ceremonial field has also been renovated and opened to the public.

"In the future, we will use modern exhibition methods to systematically explain the historical changes and cultural connotations of the Divine Granary Complex, bringing these time-honored architectures closer to the public," said Zhang Min, a staffer at the Beijing Ancient Architecture Museum.

Beijing, with a history of over 3,000 years, has served as the Chinese capital for 870 years, making it a treasure trove of cultural heritage. The Central Axis is the best-preserved core area of the old city of Beijing. It extends 7.8 km from the Yongding Gate in the south to the Drum Tower and Bell Tower in the north. Most of the essential buildings in the old city of Beijing are constructed along the axis.

The Altar of the God of Agriculture, located on the west side of the southern section of Beijing's Central Axis, is a microcosm of the city's efforts to preserve this heritage.

In 2011, Beijing launched a campaign to have the Central Axis of Beijing inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Over the years, Beijing has empowered the protection and revitalization of the Central Axis cultural heritage to revitalize the entire old city.

Dotted along the Central Axis is Qianmen, which has been a bustling commercial district since the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Today, the area still retains its ancient charm with winding hutong alleyways, attracting tourists and locals alike.

The preservation efforts for the Central Axis have facilitated orderly renovations within the old city, safeguarding its distinctive character. The street and lane layout and traditional features are preserved while the living environment for local residents has been improved. Some traditional guild halls and homes of famous figures in the old city have also been gradually opened to the public after renovation.

All these efforts have led to a vibrant cultural atmosphere where visitors can experience history and modernity simultaneously, passing on the enduring spirit of China's rich heritage.

Tianleyuan Theater in the Qianmen area, which boasts a history of more than 200 years, offers visitors experiences themed around Peking Opera but infused with modern elements.

Stage art and lighting are introduced during the performance while screens showcasing Chinese and English subtitles are added to attract foreign audiences. The performances have also introduced immersive and interactive elements to appeal to younger crowds. This summer, the number of visitors to Tianleyuan has returned to the pre-epidemic level.

"Audiences can wear the opera costumes to take photos and watch performances, enjoying a more immersive experience," said Ma, who works at the theater. "Children can learn a lot about Peking Opera through interaction with actors and can really feel the charm of traditional Chinese culture."

According to a report on the Central Axis published in April, with the growing public interest in Beijing's Central Axis, there has been a substantial rise in the attention and support from Beijing residents for its UNESCO World Heritage nomination.

"More and more people are exploring these sites, tapping into the city's past and recognizing its identity," said Chen Pinxiang, an expert from the Beijing Institute of Surveying and Mapping, who specializes in creating a three-dimensional digital profile for heritage sites along the Central Axis. 
The heavy hitter developer who built McDonald's global headquarters and Google's Midwest headquarters in Chicago lined up a more than quarter-billion-dollar investment in a mixed-use project by the Lake Michigan lakefront that will have a dramatic impact on downtown Michigan City.

Scott Goodman, whose Sterling Bay firm developed Fulton Market, the Bronzeville Lakefront and the Tyson Food Headquarters in Chicago, is leading a group of developers bringing the $280 million SoLa mixed-used development to the You Are Beautiful site where the Michigan City News-Dispatch newsroom and police station used to be. It's currently an empty field just south of the Lubeznik Center for the Arts with one of artist Matthew Hoffman's You Are Beautiful sculptures.

SoLa stands for South of the Lake. The 14-story development will bring two boutique hotels, a rooftop pool overlooking Lake Michigan, condos, townhomes, upscale restaurants, bars and 25,000 square feet of retail space just steps from the Washington Park beach. The 628,000-square-foot building will feature cutting-edge architecture, including a deck with lakefront views that's like a donut hole in the middle of the glassy, contemporary facade.

"It's a great day to be in Michigan City," Mayor Duane Perry said. "This is going to be the jewel of the South Shore. This will really set us apart."

The massive project is expected to generate more than $680 million in economic impact over the next 15 years. It's expected the hotels will draw 100,000 visitors a year on trips to the Indiana Dunes National Park, the Washington Park Beach, Blue Chip Casino, Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets, Washington Park Zoo and other attractions.

From Chicago to Southwest Michigan, travelers from all over love coming to the beautiful South Shore of Lake Michigan," Goodman said. "SoLa gives people a place to visit and live in Michigan City, taking advantage of all the nearby national and state parks, beautiful beaches and proximity to so many activities that make the area so desirable.

The project is being developed by YAB Development Partners, which also includes the Indiana attorney and data center mogul Tom Dakich, the real estate entrepreneur Barry Schain, the real estate developers Rob Harte and Alan Schachtman and the hotel consultants Elliott Estes and Michael Blank.

When we set out to design the SoLa Development, we knew it had to be beautiful and state-of-the-art, reflecting the natural beauty of the lakeshore as well as the innovative nature of Michigan City itself, Schain said. With the South Shore Lines Double Track express line directly connecting Michigan City to Chicago, there is no better time to bring to life a development like SoLa that will benefit all who enjoy it.

It will include two hotels: TRYP by Wyndham and Trademark Collection by Wyndham hotels. They will have 255 rooms with views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago Skyline on a clear day. Amenities will include restaurants, bars, coffee shops, a gym, a spa, outdoor spaces overlooking the harbor and lakefront and a 15,000-square-foot resort-style swimming pool.

Residents in the 14-story condo tower on the south and west ends of the building will be able to take advantage of the hotel amenities like concierge assistance, room service and dry cleaning. The two- and three-bedroom units will feature balconies or terrace spaces, bicycle storage, pet washing stations and other amenities.

The projects also will include 17 duplexed townhomes facing Lake Michigan. Goodman, who's long owned a home in neighboring Harbor Country in Southwest Michigan, said he expected a good portion of the units would be purchased by Chicagoans as summer homes.

More than 235 people already have already expressed interest.

"We know all of those won't be sales but we hope that many will," Schachtman said.

Some of the units will be set aside as short-term rentals. Most will be owner-occupied.

The condos will sell for up to $650,000 for the largest unit.

"It's surprisingly affordable compared to Chicago," he said. "There's no product like this anywhere around."

SoLA will have a 396-space parking garage that will be tucked away out of view. It will have a rooftop lounge and restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The fourth-floor deck overlooking the lakefront will feature a pool, hot tub, club-like amenities like pickleball and outdoor seating. It will serve as a venue for community events, performances, art shows and outdoor movie screenings.

SoLa will be unlike anything else on the market. The opportunity to purchase a condo or townhome, paired with the amenities and services of a luxury branded hotel like Wyndham, is really special, said Kacia Snyder, Exclusive Listing Agent, Jameson Sotheby's International Realty. Our structured short-term rental program gives owners even more flexibility with their investment and capitalizes on SoLas unique location less than an hour from Chicago and just steps from the beach and National Park. Its no surprise that the initial interest has been so overwhelming, and we are beyond excited to begin selling.

The project is expected to create 800 jobs, including 292 permanent jobs. It's expected to generate $18.4 million in annual wages and pay $8.2 million a year in sales tax.

As our city leaders look toward how people want to live, work, play and visit Michigan City, we are embracing spaces that have a multitude of amenities and offerings available to bring our friends, families and neighbors together to enjoy the natural resources here in our corner of the world, said Clarence Hulse, Executive Director, Economic Development Corporation of Michigan City. We will continue to enthusiastically pursue these types of projects, concepts and ideas that will unite artistic elements, natural beauty and vibrant spaces to allow us to spend time together in new and meaningful ways.

For more information, visit www.solamichigancity.com or follow @solamichigancity on Facebook and Instagram.
Home Team Valpo, a nonprofit that helps homeowners with repair projects in Porter County, is inviting the public to come out for some barbecue and brews.

It will host its second annual Backyard BBQ event from 5 to 9 p.m. Sept. 28 at Central Park in downtown Valparaiso.

The event will feature a backyard luau barbecue with food stations catered by McGowan & Sons Seafood and Provisions in Valparaiso. There will be craft beer from Four Fathers Brewing in Valpo, java from the Press Coffee Bar just down the street and live music. Attendees are invited to take part in friendly yard game competitions in the park.

The event will benefit Home Team Valpo, a nonprofit that's helped hundreds of homeowners in Valparaiso with home projects that "have made a difference in safety, comfort and quality of life."

Supported by the Valparaiso city government and Habitat for Humanity in Porter County, the nonprofit helps qualifying low-income homeowners with maintenance they might otherwise struggle to afford or do themselves, such as if they're elderly or on a fixed income. Volunteers, including skilled craftsmen, help homeowners in need with various repair and maintenance projects.

"A ticket includes heavy apps and desserts by McGowan & Sons, tunes by Angelo Cicco, the big game on the big screen and lots of fun," McGowan & Sons owner Leslee McGowan said.

For tickets, visit hometeamvalpo.org or search for the event on eventbrite.com.
MICHIGAN CITY  A 16-year-old student was arrested after he brought a handgun to Michigan City High School and showed it off to his classmates Monday morning, police said in a news release Friday.

Detectives started to investigate after a student reached out to police with information, which included a Snapchat video of the boy during the incident. The boy was charged as a juvenile with multiple felonies, including unlawful carrying of a handgun on school property, pointing a firearm, criminal recklessness and a misdemeanor charge of a child in possession of a firearm. His name was not released because of his age.

School administrators, staff and the school resource officer worked to verify the information from the student and sent a notification to all parents soon after the incident, police said.

The Michigan City Police Department Crime Suppression Unit located the boy and took him into custody around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at his residence after a brief chase on foot, police said.

Michigan City police touted the efforts of the student who reported the incident and said their bravery "should not be overlooked."

"Many students came forward to report what they knew about this incident," police said in the release. "They took a stand for what is right and pointed out what should never be allowed to happen. They should be commended for the stance they took, and they should serve as a shining example to all."
PORTAGE  The Portage Fire Department is making significant changes to its hiring process, aimed at adapting to the challenges posed by the pandemic and modernizing its recruitment strategies.

These changes are designed to make the application process more accessible and appealing to a broader range of candidates.

A new era of recruitment

The events of 9/11, although tragic, had a profound impact on recruitment, inspiring many to see firefighting as a calling. However, the recent pandemic has created new challenges for recruitment in the fire service sector.

To adapt, the Portage Fire Department has revamped its hiring process, moving from an annual hiring cycle to up to three hiring processes per year.

"We recognize times have changed, and we need to evolve to continue attracting the best candidates to serve our community," said Fire Chief Randy Wilkening. "These changes are not just about filling positions; they're about finding individuals who see this job as a calling and are committed to public safety."

Simplified, streamlined testing

The department has also simplified its testing requirements. Swim and ladder climb tests, previously repeated for every hiring process, will now be valid for a year. Written tests, which also used to be done every hiring process, will now be valid for two years and can be scheduled any time regardless of when the next process starts.

Age requirements adjusted

In a significant move to broaden the hiring pool, the age requirements for applicants have been adjusted. Previously set at 21-35 years, the eligible age range has now been expanded to 18-40 years at time of hire.

Transparency and outreach

The Portage Fire Department is leveraging its website and other digital platforms to reach out to potential candidates.

"We're committed to transparency. Our website will provide all the information candidates need, from the hiring process to the numerous benefits of a career with the Portage Fire Department," Wilkening said.

If you're pursuing a career in public safety and want to be part of a team that values excellence, transparency, and community, visit www.beportagefire.org to learn more about the departments updated hiring process and to apply online.

For more information, please contact: Randy Wilkening, Fire Chief, Portage Fire Department, rwilkening@portage-in.com or 219-762-7404.

GALLERY: The Times Photos of the Week
VALPARAISO  Around 40 residents from Pines Village Retirement Communities gathered on Thursday evening to sip on a sgroppino cocktail, munch on wood fired pizzas and learn how to properly toss pizza dough.

Whats important to us is we surprise our residents and exceed their expectations, said Michele Murphy Wise, vice president of nutrition services and community education. Looking at their faces and remarks, I believe we accomplished that tonight.

Pines Village Retirement Communities is a senior living community with two campuses in Valparaiso, Pines Village and Meridian Woods. The nonprofit partnered with Gordon Food Service and Tomato Bar Pizza Bakery on Thursday at 5 p.m. to sponsor the third annual food-centric event.

Gordon Food Service Culinary Specialist Bill Barker said the foodservice distributor is happy to come out to this event each year and make specialty food and drink items for Pines Village. Barker kicked off the event by serving residents a sgroppino cocktail, which included blood orange sorbet, vodka, prosecco and a fresh mint leaf.

"The people are so wonderful. It gives them an opportunity to have a nice and fun event," said Barker, whose been a culinary specialist for 30 years. "We give them something different than everyday food, it's great."

Three Tomato Bar employees served Greek salads to residents, while a variety of freshly made pizzas baked in the wood fired oven. Residents had the option to choose from a Greenhouse pizza, Chicago style, sausage or pepperoni.

Resident Mary Knarr said the event was wonderful. Knarr and her husband would frequently dine-in at Tomato Bar before his death to share the muffaleta oven-baked sandwich. After trying Tomato Bar's pizza for the first time at the event, she said she'll have to get it again.

Knarr, 80, moved into a one-bedroom apartment one month ago  just in time to enjoy the annual dinner on the patio, she said. She and her husband decided it'd be in her best interest to downsize from the 2 acres of land they had in Kouts once he died.

Though Knarr doesn't need to utilize on-site assisted care services yet, she's grateful to have the option once it's necessary.

I love it here, Knarr said. The people are wonderful. The staff is wonderful. Im glad I chose this.

Resident George Iemmolo enjoyed spending the evening with friends he's made through Pines Village, while also sharing a six-pack of Heineken 0.0, a nonalcoholic beer, with them. Iemmolo, 91, downsized to a Pines Village apartment in February after living at Meridian Woods for 16 years.

"I have so little to do because they take care of me so well," Iemmolo said. "They do a lot for us, they do a lot for me."

Residents at Pines Village have the option to live in a studio, one bedroom or two bedroom apartment-style unit. Meridian Woods is a 39-acre retirement community consisting of freestanding or paired homes for residents to choose from. (For more information, visit pinesvillage.org).

Pines Village Cook Shelly Velcheck said seeing the satisfaction on resident's faces makes everything worthwhile. This was the first time Velchek attended an outdoor event at Pines Village and was overjoyed to watch everyone savor their meals outdoors before it gets cold.

After dinner, Tomato Bar employees, Jarrod Moxley and David Kepperling, showed residents how to properly toss pizza dough. Residents were amazed as they watched Moxley and Kepperling toss dough from nearly 10 feet apart.

Barker later served residents a variety of desserts he baked including an Italian lemon cake with olive oil, tiramisu and a French galette. After dessert, residents engaged in small talk before heading back up to their apartments, or hopping in their car to return to their home at Meridian Woods.

"It's a wonderful place if people want to downsize," Knarr said while sipping on her Winking Owl Wine. "They have a lot of activities I can choose to do. It's so great."

Close Pines Village resident George Iemmolo, 91, catches pizza dough tossed to him at a pizza party on Thursday evening at the senior living facility. Frank Krysinski enjoys dessert made by Gordon Food Service Culinary Specialist Bill Barker at an annual dinner held on the patio outside of Pines Village in Valparaiso. Residents from Pines Village and Meridian Woods enjoyed dinner on the patio at a pizza event on Thursday evening at Pines Village in Valparaiso. Residents from Pines Village and Meridian Woods enjoyed dinner on the patio at a pizza event on Thursday evening at Pines Village in Valparaiso. Tomato Bar Pizza Cook Jarrod Moxley shows Pines Village residents how to toss pizza tough at an outdoor dinner on Thursday evening. Tomato Bar Pizza Cooks David Kepperling (left) and Jarrod Moxley (right) plate woodfired pizzas at an outdoor dinner held at Pines Village in Valparaiso on Thursday. Pines Village residents Helen Wiese and Mike Walsh enjoy woodfired pizza from Tomato Bar at an outdoor dinner on Thursday evening at Pines Village in Valparaiso. Tomato Bar Pizza Cook Tyler Jacobs prepares to put a crumbled sausage pizza into the woodfire grill at an outdoor dinner on Thursday evening at Pines Village in Valparaiso. Gordon Food Service Culinary Specialist Bill Barker makes a cocktail for Pines Village residents at an outdoor dinner on Thursday evening in Valparaiso. Residents from Pines Village and Meridian Woods enjoyed dinner on the patio at a pizza event on Thursday evening at Pines Village in Valparaiso. Residents from Pines Village and Meridian Woods parked their walkers along the side walk on Thursday evening at Pines Village in Valparaiso to enjoy pizza and drinks. Pines Village is an independent, senior living facility in Valparaiso. Pines Village pizza night Residents from Pines Village and Meridian Woods celebrated pizza night Thursday evening on the patio outside of Pines Village in Valparaiso. Pines Village resident George Iemmolo, 91, catches pizza dough tossed to him at a pizza party on Thursday evening at the senior living facility. Frank Krysinski enjoys dessert made by Gordon Food Service Culinary Specialist Bill Barker at an annual dinner held on the patio outside of Pines Village in Valparaiso. Residents from Pines Village and Meridian Woods enjoyed dinner on the patio at a pizza event on Thursday evening at Pines Village in Valparaiso. Residents from Pines Village and Meridian Woods enjoyed dinner on the patio at a pizza event on Thursday evening at Pines Village in Valparaiso. Tomato Bar Pizza Cook Jarrod Moxley shows Pines Village residents how to toss pizza tough at an outdoor dinner on Thursday evening. Tomato Bar Pizza Cooks David Kepperling (left) and Jarrod Moxley (right) plate woodfired pizzas at an outdoor dinner held at Pines Village in Valparaiso on Thursday. Pines Village residents Helen Wiese and Mike Walsh enjoy woodfired pizza from Tomato Bar at an outdoor dinner on Thursday evening at Pines Village in Valparaiso. Tomato Bar Pizza Cook Tyler Jacobs prepares to put a crumbled sausage pizza into the woodfire grill at an outdoor dinner on Thursday evening at Pines Village in Valparaiso. Gordon Food Service Culinary Specialist Bill Barker makes a cocktail for Pines Village residents at an outdoor dinner on Thursday evening in Valparaiso. Residents from Pines Village and Meridian Woods enjoyed dinner on the patio at a pizza event on Thursday evening at Pines Village in Valparaiso. Residents from Pines Village and Meridian Woods parked their walkers along the side walk on Thursday evening at Pines Village in Valparaiso to enjoy pizza and drinks. Pines Village is an independent, senior living facility in Valparaiso.
It has made cameos in Friends, Gossip Girl and Elf. It has been reincarnated as a cake, a Limoges porcelain box and a champagne-diamond pendant. It has been rendered in chrome-plated resin as part of a sculpture of Andy Warhol by the artist Rob Pruitt. And, as other entities in the fashion world have been airbrushed and transformed over the last five decades, its brown-kraft-paper visage has had no significant face-lifts.

It is a shopping bag  the Big Brown Bag, from the department store Bloomingdales  which turns 50 this month.

To celebrate, Bloomingdales has introduced the Big Brown Bazaar at its flagship store on 59th Street in Manhattan, which is filled with new merchandise inspired by the shopping bag, including a Big Brown pickleball paddle ($98), a Big Brown journal ($19.95) and a Polo Ralph Lauren sweatshirt ($188) that features a bear holding a Big Brown Bag. A commemorative version of the bag, with a golden 50 and rope handles, will also be offered to store customers through October.

Introduced in 1973, the Big Brown Bag debuted amid a rebranding at Bloomingdales that began a year earlier under Marvin Traub, then the department stores chief executive, as it celebrated a century in business.
At a rally in downtown Detroit on Friday, just a couple of hundred yards from the headquarters of General Motors, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont addressed a cheering crowd of United Auto Workers members, capping a day of walkouts by the union with an effort to rally support for the strike.

Mr. Sanders echoed the populist talking points of his campaigns for president in 2016 and 2020, speaking about income inequality in the United States, and he criticized the chief executives of the Big Three automakers  G.M., Stellantis and Ford Motor  for their compensation.

The fight you are waging here is not just about decent wages and working conditions and pensions in the auto industry, Mr. Sanders said. Its a fight to take on corporate greed and tell the people on top the country belongs to all of us, not just the few.

The rally took place along Detroits riverfront, near the citys iconic Renaissance Center towers, home to G.M. headquarters. Also nearby is the Huntington Place convention center, where auto executives were gathering for a black-tie charity ball to kick off the 2023 Detroit auto show.
A woman chooses bananas imported from the Philippines at a supermarket in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 7, 2023. (Xinhua/Hu Xingyu)

NANNING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The 20th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) has shone the spotlight on south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a border region with strong ties with Southeast Asia.

Guangxi has risen to the forefront of China's trade and cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in recent years, thanks to the establishment of a pilot free trade zone (FTZ) dedicated to China-ASEAN cooperation.

Guangxi is often described as China's gateway to ASEAN countries. The region's trade with ASEAN grew from 74.75 billion yuan (about 10 billion U.S. dollars) in 2012 to 281.11 billion yuan in 2022. ASEAN had been Guangxi's top trading partner for 23 consecutive years by the end of 2022.

The China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone was established in 2019 to promote China's opening up to ASEAN and to pilot new mechanisms in China-ASEAN cooperation.

The pilot FTZ comprises the Nanning area in the region's capital city, the Qinzhou Port area along the coast and the Chongzuo area bordering Vietnam.

Over 90,000 enterprises had joined the zone by June 2023, according to the pilot FTZ office.

The zone's Nanning area focuses on the development of modern finance, the digital economy and modern services.

It is pioneering innovation in cross-border finance and renminbi businesses, especially those working with ASEAN nations.

By the end of June, a total of 463 financial institutions and enterprises had settled in the area -- 22 times the total in 2018 -- and the area's digital economy companies had surpassed 5,500 in number.

As the zone's only coastal area, the Qinzhou Port Area is building Qinzhou into a high-level gateway port to facilitate the transportation of cargo between China and ASEAN.

In the first seven months of this year, the port's cargo throughput hit 107 million tonnes, up 10.3 percent year on year. The port handled 3.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers in that time, up 15 percent year on year, according to the region's development and reform commission.

The Chongzuo area is home to Youyiguan Port, one of China's busiest land ports for the trade of fruit. In the first half of this year, a total of 381,000 tonnes of ASEAN fruits were imported into China through the land port, up 130 percent year on year.

Youyiguan Port has in recent years pushed ahead reforms in customs clearance and other operations to raise passage efficiency.

Taking advantage of its proximity to Vietnam, the Pingxiang Industrial Park in Chongzuo focuses on processing farm products imported from ASEAN countries, as well as industries covering new materials, electronic information and small household appliances.

Since the establishment of the country's first pilot FTZ in Shanghai in 2013, China has established a total of 21 FTZs, as well as the Hainan Free Trade Port. Located everywhere from coastal areas to inland regions and border provinces, China's FTZs have become pacesetters for the country's high-standard reform and opening-up endeavors.
Michael McGrath, who won a Tony Award in 2012 for his work in the musical Nice Work if You Can Get It and was a regular on Broadway, Off Broadway and regional stages, known especially for comedic roles and for his ability to conjure the likes of Groucho Marx, George M. Cohan and Jackie Gleason, died on Thursday at his home in Bloomfield, N.J. He was 65.

His family announced the death through the publicist Lisa Goldberg. No cause was provided.

Mr. McGrath was one of those stage actors who might rarely be recognized on the street yet worked steadily for decades, drawing good notices throughout. He did much of his early work at Theater by the Sea in Matunuck, R.I., where he appeared regularly from 1977 to 1991, including in the title role of a 1989 production of George M!, the musical about Cohan, the famed song-and-dance man.

Exuding confidence and manic energy, Michael Burlingame wrote in a review in The Day of New London, Conn., McGrath struts and crows like a bantam rooster.

By the late 1980s he was appearing in New York shows, including Forbidden Christmas, a 1991 holiday edition of the long-running parody revue Forbidden Broadway; in one sketch he was Luciano Pavarotti, wearing, as Mel Gussow wrote in a review in The New York Times, a white shirt as big as a bedsheet.
Ovidio Guzman Lopez, one of four sons of Joaquin Guzman Loera, the Mexican drug lord best known as El Chapo, was extradited to Chicago on Friday to face trial on a sprawling set of federal drug charges, according to his lawyer and American officials.

The extradition came a little more than nine months after Mr. Guzman Lopez was arrested by the Mexican authorities in Culiacan, a city in northwestern Mexico that has long been the home base of the Sinaloa drug cartel, the criminal organization his father helped bring to prominence. It also came nearly four years after Mr. Guzman Lopezs calamitous first arrest, which prompted a bloody siege of Culiacan by cartel gunmen that was so destructive the authorities were ultimately forced to let him go.

After the elder Mr. Guzman was convicted at a landmark trial in Brooklyn in 2019 and sentenced to life in prison, investigators in the F.B.I., the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations redoubled their attention on his four sons, who inherited portions of their fathers fractured empire. Ultimately, the sons  known collectively as Los Chapitos  were charged in a series of competing indictments in Washington, Chicago and New York.

The case against Mr. Guzman Lopez in Chicago, where he will be tried, drew on the work of investigators from that city as well as from Washington and San Diego, and incorporated a vast trove of evidence from a stable of cooperating witnesses. The 40-page indictment against him and his brothers  Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar and Joaquin Guzman Lopez  takes a sweeping look at drug sales and violent crimes reaching back, in some instances, to 2008.
Kansas will no longer change the birth certificates of transgender people to reflect their gender identities, the state health department said on Friday, citing a new law that took effect this year that defines male and female as a persons sex assigned at birth.

The legislation, passed by the Republican-controlled State Legislature earlier this year, says that any school district, public school, state agency, department or office that collects vital statistics for the purpose of complying with anti-discrimination laws or for the purpose of gathering accurate public health, crime, economic or other data shall identify each person who is part of the collected data set as either male or female at birth.

Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, vetoed the measure, known as Senate Bill 180, in April, but the Legislature narrowly voted to override her veto. The law took effect on July 1, sparking legal battles between the governor and the state attorney general, Kris Kobach.

Shortly before the law was to take effect, Mr. Kobach, a Republican, argued that it required the state to stop changing gender markings on public documents and reverse previous changes.
The authorities announced on Friday that they currently believe 97 people died in the Maui wildfire instead of the 115 fatalities they had been reporting for weeks, a surprising development after initial fears that many more lives had been lost in the disaster.

Dr. Jeremy Stuelpnagel, the medical examiner for Maui County, said in a news conference that the process of confirming dead victims and identifying them through DNA analysis had been difficult and changing ever since the fire on Aug. 8 that destroyed most of Lahaina.

It is the first time that the Maui death toll has dropped. In some instances, Dr. Stuelpnagel explained, forensic examiners have determined that they had multiple sets of remains for the same person. He also said that 16 of the remains that investigators had received were nonhuman.

Its good news to have a lower number, thats for darn sure, Dr. Stuelpnagel said on Friday.

For more than three weeks, officials said that at least 115 people died, a number that held firm even as hundreds were said to be missing and investigators kept combing through the ruins of central Lahaina.
American officials said on Friday that China had paused its spy balloon operations after one of the craft floated across much of the United States early this year and was shot down off the coast of South Carolina, setting off a diplomatic crisis between the rival powers.

The officials said that they did not know how long the pause would last, but that given the investments the Chinese government had made in the balloon program, Beijing was likely to restart it.

The spy balloon that crossed the United States was part of a program to collect information about military bases and operations in the Pacific, American officials believe. But since its downing in February, the United States has detected no additional balloon launches. American officials were quick to note, however, that China has continued other espionage operations, including the alleged recruitment of two Navy sailors and the hacking of senior American officials emails.

The pause was reported earlier by CNN.

U.S. intelligence agencies had tracked the balloon as it was launched from Hainan Island, headed originally toward Guam and Hawaii, home to important Pacific bases.
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on Friday called on the nation to accept some of the ugliest truths in its history as she confronted the debates roiling the country about racism and violence against Black Americans.

In a speech from the pulpit of the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Justice Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the nations highest court, said that she made her first trip to Alabama to commemorate and mourn, celebrate  and warn. She was the keynote speaker to mark the 60th anniversary of a bombing by the Ku Klux Klan that killed four young girls at the church as they arrived for Sunday morning service.

If were going to continue to move forward as a nation we cannot allow concerns about discomfort to displace knowledge, truth or history, Justice Jackson told a crowd of hundreds. It is certainly the case that parts of this countrys story can be hard to think about. I know that atrocities like the one were memorializing today are difficult to remember and relive. But I also know that it is dangerous to forget them.

We cannot forget because the uncomfortable lessons are often the ones that teach us the most about ourselves, she added. We cannot forget because we cannot learn from past mistakes we do not know exist.
North Koreas leader, Kim Jong-un, peeked his head into the cockpit of a fighter jet at a factory in the Russian Far East on Friday as he pressed ahead on a multiday tour of Russia that is enticing him at each stop with off-limits military technology.

Although Russias president, Vladimir V. Putin, hasnt promised Mr. Kim any of the weaponry and has vowed to abide by U.N. sanctions banning their transfer, the tour carried an implicit threat  an example of what analysts say is a growing danger posed by Mr. Putins increasingly warm relationship with authoritarian leaders who can pose problems for the West.

At the same time, according to U.S. officials, Mr. Putin is cultivating new sources of arms and munitions for his war against Ukraine.

I think its really serious, said Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, who previously led analyses of Russia by the U.S. intelligence community.
Tucker Marrs life changed forever last October.

He was on his way to a wedding reception when he fell down a steep flight of metal stairs, banging the right side of his head so hard he went into a coma.

Hed fractured his skull, and a large blood clot formed on the left side of his head. Surgeons had to remove a large chunk of his skull to relieve pressure on his brain and to remove the clot.

Getting a piece of my skull taken out was crazy to me, Mr. Marr said. I almost felt like Id lost a piece of me.

But what seemed even crazier to him was the way that piece was restored.

Mr. Marr, a 27-year-old analyst at Deloitte, became part of a new development in neurosurgery. Instead of remaining without a piece of skull or getting the old bone put back, a procedure that is expensive and has a high rate of infection, he got a prosthetic piece of skull made with a 3-D printer. But it is not the typical prosthesis used in such cases. His prosthesis, which is covered by his skin, is embedded with an acrylic window that would let doctors peer into his brain with ultrasound.
Since 2018, Tricia Toliver, a freelance stage manager, has rented out the bottom floor of her Brooklyn townhouse through Airbnb, earning more than $3,000 a month by hosting visitors to New York City for a few days at a time.

But after city officials last week started enforcing rules prohibiting short-term rentals in apartments like hers, Ms. Toliver, 64, had to figure out what she would do with the South Slope apartment. She never wanted to be a landlord, she said, so she has decided to keep it empty in the hopes the rules change again.

Im kind of holding on to see whats going to happen, she said.

The new rules, which went into effect on Sept. 5, mean as many as 10,800 listings for short-term rentals will likely no longer be available, according to a city estimate from the end of March. City officials say the shift will force property owners to rent those homes to residents instead of visitors, helping to ease the citys housing shortage.

But to what degree that will happen, and how quickly, is not clear.

In the short-term, many hosts are scrambling: Some are now looking for tenants. Some are trying to figure out if they can rent to professors, nurses or others seeking temporary housing. Some hosts will likely keep renting, but through an underground market. And some, like Ms. Toliver, are waiting, hoping that backlash to the enforcement scheme will change things so she can rent the apartment out again.
Nicholass death brought together two crises that afflict New York and the nation at large: working parents desperate hunt for affordable, dependable child care and the scourge of opioids such as fentanyl, which contributed to about 75,000 overdose deaths in the United States last year. The Bronx has been hit particularly hard by the drug, which can kill in minute quantities.

This crisis is real, and it is a real wakeup call for individuals who have opioids or fentanyl in their homes, Mayor Eric Adams said at a briefing just after midnight.

On Saturday, at least one person was in police custody and being questioned, according to the police. After an autopsy on Saturday, the New York City medical examiners office said further examination was needed to determine Nicholass cause of death. The police did not name the person or people whom they had in custody on Saturday.

Joseph E. Kenny, the Police Departments chief of detectives, said at the news briefing that suspicions about opioid exposure were prompted by the childrens symptoms and by the discovery of a so-called kilo press  commonly used by drug dealers when packaging large quantities of drugs  at the day care during a search.

There were 2,668 fatal overdoses in the city in 2021, reaching unprecedented levels, according to data released by the city this year. The increase was driven by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that was involved in 80 percent of overdose deaths that year, and residents of the Bronx had the highest rate of deaths, the city found. The day care, Divino Nino, is in the 52nd Precinct in the northern portion of the Bronx, which is among the areas hardest hit by fatal overdoses.
LHASA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- China launched the construction of a 40-meter-aperture radio telescope in Shigatse, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, on Friday, to offer technical support for the country's lunar and deep-space probe missions in the future.

The telescope, developed by Shanghai Astronomical Observatory (SHAO) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, will be added to a very-long-baseline interferometry (VLBI) network in China.

VLBI is a technique that measures the time difference between the arrivals at multiple Earth-based antennas, thus simulating a virtual telescope with a size equal to the maximum separation between the telescopes.

The current VLBI network in China comprises four observatories across the country, located in Beijing, Shanghai, Urumqi and Kunming.

The inclusion of Shigatse's telescope, as well as another one to be built in northeastern China, will effectively strengthen the network's observation capability. It will be capable of rendering accurate measurements for two spacecraft at once, said Shen Zhiqiang, SHAO's director.

The telescope under construction is a large, fully movable, high-precision multipurpose radio telescope. The Shigatse station, at an elevation of about 4,100 meters, provides an excellent observation environment for the telescope.

It is also expected to facilitate more scientific findings in the fields of supermassive black holes and the dynamics of our galaxy, according to Shen. 
As a teenager in Portland, Ore., Nadya Okamoto remembers speaking with homeless women near her local bus stop about a little-discussed subject. I asked them, Whats a challenge that you are dealing with? And it was not having access to period products, she said. It consistently came up, and I had never thought of it.

She did research and discovered a host of problems: the tampon tax, school absenteeism, and the fact that food stamps did not cover menstrual products in many states. At age 16 she founded PERIOD, a nonprofit organization working to end period poverty and stigma through policy advocacy and by directly distributing menstrual products.

Ms. Okamoto became a highly visible leader, posting candid video diaries on TikTok, where she now has over 4 million followers. She ran for public office in Cambridge, Mass., as a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate; at 20, she published a book, Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement.

All this activity and attention came at a cost. She replaced herself as executive director of PERIOD in early 2020, and a wave of criticism on social media pushed her to breaking point.
Of the more than 110,000 asylum seekers who have recently landed in New York City, 20,000 are children now enrolled in public schools, facing challenges both familiar to any kid who has moved away and towering in their emotional complexity. The most recent arrivals have been met by Mayor Eric Adamss downcast mood and language of resignation, his well-documented, inflammatory claims that the migrant situation will destroy New York and that the city we knew, were about to lose. There is little to suggest that the school system is prepared for the mental health crisis that looms.

The pandemic continues to reverberate. The city was already struggling to meet the needs of families whose children have suffered as a function of both learning loss and mounting incidents of anxiety and depression. More than 8,600 children in the city lost a parent to Covid. Over the course of 2021, according to data from the Department of Health, 9 percent of high school students reported that they had attempted suicide.

In response to these and other troubling statistics, the Adams administration released a mental health plan last March with a focus on children and teenagers and the goal of expanding clinical services in schools. But that effort was likely to be hampered by the critical labor shortage in the counseling fields. A RAND report commissioned by the city and released last year found that there were very few psychologists and social workers available to patients who could not pay out of pocket, to say nothing of those who spoke a language other than English. The shortage, in essence, has been most acutely felt in the places where the need is greatest.

The migrant crisis has been imagined largely in terms of the housing emergencies that have flowed from it. But it is also a psychological crisis unfolding within the context of a pre-existing one. We are seeing the highest level of mental health need we have ever seen, in our city, in our clinic, in our country, Alan Shapiro told me recently.
Since he became president, Biden has sharply curbed how much he talks to the press, rarely giving interviews. He limits his press conferences mostly to duets with foreign leaders, where he can put his foreign policy relationships and experience on display. Even then, White House officials preselect questioners and aggressively approach reporters to ferret out what topics they would focus on if they were picked. On Friday at the White House, after backing the autoworkers in their strike, he didnt take questions.

Theres something poignant about watching a guy who used to delight in his Irish gift of gab be muzzled. In interviews when he was a senator and then vice president, Biden could easily give a 45-minute answer to the first question. Heaven help anyone who tried to nix the prolix pol back then.

But now, when I watch him cut himself short, or get cut short by his staff, I get an image of a yellow Lab gamboling smack into an electric fence. When the president stops himself and says, Am I giving too long an answer? or Maybe Ill stop there, or Im going to get in real trouble, he seems nervous that his handlers might yank his choke collar if he rattles on.

He no longer seems a Happy Warrior. The pol who has always relished talking to people, being around people, seems sort of lonely. When he campaigned in a limited, shielded way during Covid, he was dubbed the Man in the Basement. But now, even without the mask, its as though hes still hidden away.

He knows his staff thinks he has a problem of popping off, and I think that has made him more timid and more cloistered. And when hes more isolated, he seems sadder, maybe because hes not drawing energy from crowds and journalists the way he used to; perhaps his overprotective staff has gotten into his head. I know he gets frozen on Hunter questions, but he cant hide from that forever, either.
The news that roughly 2,000 objects, dating from antiquity to the 19th century, have disappeared over a decade from the vast storerooms of the British Museum  a fact the museum acknowledged a few weeks ago  should be enough to endanger the job security of any museums director. Add in the news that the thief is suspected to have been a curator of Greek antiquities at the museum, and that the precious objects were being peddled in the digital marketplace, and you can understand why the museums director recently resigned.

These revelations have shaken the staid museum world and raised important questions about security, record keeping and funding priorities. But the root problem goes deeper, to the origins of our national museums. And the fix will take more than new security protocols.

The British Museum must use this scandal as an opportunity to update the dusty notion of the so-called universal museum  rethinking how these institutions can exist in a 21st-century world where the sharing and blending of cultures has never been more crucial. Rather than resisting calls to repatriate contested objects in their collections, museums should be transparent about their holdings and how they were acquired. They should embark on a campaign of generous, long-term loans that allows objects to circulate freely across borders. And they should embrace digital tools to open their storage facilities to public scrutiny.

This is an opportunity to radically reimagine the mission and purpose of the universal museum  places like the Metropolitan Museum, the Louvre, the Prado and the British Museum  and what they owe to the world.
News update: On Friday, Narges Mohammadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all, the Nobel committee said.

My fellow inmates and I were gathered in the womens ward of Evin prison in Tehran one evening when we saw a television report of Mahsa Aminis death. It was one year ago Saturday that she died in the custody of Irans morality police for allegedly failing to wear a proper hijab. Her death set off an immediate and widespread uprising  led by women  that rocked the country.

In the womens ward, we were filled with grief  and rage. We used our short phone calls to collect information. At night, we held meetings to exchange the news wed heard. We were stuck inside, but we did what we could to raise our voices against the regime. Anger reached its peak a few weeks later, when a fire swept through part of Evin on Oct. 15. We chanted Death to the Islamic Republic amid the gunfire from security forces, explosions and flames. At least eight people were killed.

Thousands of people protesting Ms. Aminis death were arrested in the months afterward. As the anniversary of her death approached, Irans leaders worked hard to suppress dissent. I have been imprisoned in Evin three times since 2012 for my work as a defender of human rights, but I have never seen as many new admissions to the womens ward there as in the last five months.
No figure is more associated with the ideological revolution that shook elite American institutions in the Trump era than Ibram X. Kendi, the scholar of racism and the definer of antiracism as a worldview unto itself. So theres a symbolic weight to the news that Kendis Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, funded by a lavish gift from the Twitter founder Jack Dorsey back in 2020, will be laying off 15 or 20 staff members  confirming the sense (among many liberals, especially) that peak woke is behind us, and the revolution has run its course.

Has it? By some definitions, yes. The wave of cancellations and resignations and public-monument removals has receded. The attempts to use woke capital to effect progressive change have met strong resistance, and corporations are losing enthusiasm for a vanguard role.

Meanwhile, there is more intellectual and political energy in anti-wokeness now, evident not just in backlash in red states but in this autumns roster of new books, which includes critiques of social justice ideology from the socialist left, the center left and the right. The Supreme Courts ruling against affirmative action has created new legal roadblocks for Kendi-style progressivism. The mood in elite journalism is less ideologically committed and more skeptical and critical.

But any rollback is also unevenly distributed. Ive written before about why progressive orthodoxies seem stronger in academia than in the media, but anyone who wants to understand that dynamic should read my colleague Michael Powells recent report on so-called diversity statements in higher education. These exemplify a different aftermath for peak woke  not the ideologys retreat, but its consolidation and entrenchment.
World leaders will gather this coming week at the United Nations and proclaim their passion for ending poverty and hunger around the globe.

In that week, approximately 90,000 children under the age of 5 will die, mostly of preventable causes.

As leaders discuss their goal to end hunger, over steak, children will be starving  to the point that 148 million will be forever stunted from malnutrition.

Then, after a flurry of cocktail parties, the leaders will clap one another on the back, congratulate themselves for confronting global needs and go home to fret about their waistlines.
Lee made landfall in Nova Scotia on Saturday afternoon as a post-tropical cyclone after transitioning from a hurricane and slightly weakening earlier in the day. The storm produced winds near hurricane-force as it reached shore, forecasters from the National Hurricane Center said, and it caused tropical storm conditions along the province and coastal Massachusetts.

All tropical storm warnings related to Lee were discontinued as of late Sunday morning.

The storm meant New England was expected to experience weather similar to what occurs during a noreaster, said Andrew Loconto, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Boston. During noreasters, which typically occur in late fall and through the winter months, large waves crash ashore and often flood some coastal roads.

The diminished storm produced strong tropical-storm-force winds that extended far from its epicenter and reached the coastline.
The storm known as Lee, still a dangerous post-tropical cyclone, made landfall in Canada Saturday, packing powerful winds in Nova Scotia and in coastal Maine that toppled trees, killing at least one person and knocking out power to tens of thousands of people.

With days to prepare for the slow-moving hurricane, remote coastal towns in Eastern Maine and Atlantic Canada had moved methodically to pluck boats from the water and stockpile supplies, allowing residents who pride themselves on rugged self-reliance to face the impact of the weather system with a steady calm, if not serenity.

Were an island in the bay. We have storms that never make the news, said Bud Finch, interim city manager in Eastport, Maine, which is connected to the mainland by a causeway. Were much more prepared for it than most people are.

From its modest beginnings in the first days of September, Lee traveled more than 3,000 miles across the Atlantic, widening to a huge size and reaching Category 5 hurricane intensity with 165-mile-per-hour winds well away from land on Sept. 8. But by the time the storm traversed the Gulf of Maine on Saturday, it had weakened to a post-tropical cyclone with winds equivalent to those of a Category 1 hurricane.
The case against Ken Paxton, a nationally prominent conservative politician, was overseen by a board of managers from the states House, led by Republicans, and it played out at times as a contest over how much Republican politics should matter in the proceedings.

The House lawmakers approached the case like a criminal trial, appointing a prominent Houston lawyer, Rusty Hardin, who methodically elicited testimony over seven days from 15 witnesses who were mostly senior aides to Mr. Paxton.

In a nod to the politics looming in the background, the prosecutors also frequently sought to highlight the staunchly conservative backgrounds of the witnesses against Mr. Paxton.

Part of the reason for doing so is the nature of the jury pool: The voting senators included 19 Republicans and 12 Democrats. But it also reflected efforts by the conservative wing of the party to attack the impeachment as a political plot put forward by lobbyists, RINOs  Republicans in name only  and Democrats in Austin.
BUDAPEST, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Hungarian government has extended and expanded a ban on Ukrainian agricultural imports from Saturday.

The decision was announced by Hungarian Agriculture Minister Istvan Nagy.

Nagy highlighted the termination of the European Union (EU)'s import restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural products on Friday night, emphasizing the necessity of maintaining the moratorium to address market disruptions.

The government also proposed the establishment of a transit support fund to facilitate the distribution of Ukrainian agricultural products to destinations beyond Europe, thereby averting famine and potential migration waves.

Other Central European countries like Poland and Slovakia have rallied behind Hungary's stance, echoing the need to protect their farmers' interests.

Romania, however, remains cautiously observant, awaiting Ukraine's action plan before deciding on its course of action. Meanwhile, Bulgaria on Thursday agreed to resume import measures for Ukrainian agricultural products.

In May, the European Commission imposed a ban on grain exports from Ukraine to five European countries, namely Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. The restrictions are due to expire on Friday.

Earlier this week, officials from Poland and Hungary said their countries plan to extend the embargo on Ukrainian grain imports. 
Yale Law School started the exodus last November: Dozens of law and medical schools, many among Americas most elite, vowed not to cooperate with the U.S. News & World Report rankings juggernaut. The publishers priority-skewing formula was flawed, administrators complained, as was the notion that schools could be scored and sorted as if they were mattresses or microwaves.

Critics of the rankings dared to hope that undergraduate programs at the same universities would defect, too. But despite generations of private grousing about U.S. News, most of those colleges conspicuously skipped the uprising. Yale, Harvard and dozens of other universities continued to submit data for U.S. Newss annual undergraduate rankings, the 2024 edition of which will be released on Monday.

Its been very stable, and thats a good thing, said Eric J. Gertler, the executive chairman of U.S. News.

That the rebellion went only so far, for now, has underscored the psychic hold that the rankings have on American higher education, even for the countrys most renowned schools. The rankings remain a front door, an easy way to reach and enchant possible applicants. And their reach goes beyond prospective students since proud alumni and donors track them, too.
To challenge the power of his chief rival, the United States, Chinas top leader, Xi Jinping, has linked arms with two anti-Western states, declaring a no limits partnership with Russia and pledging unswerving support for North Korea.

But the specter of a budding bromance between President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, after their meeting this week in eastern Russia, may not be as welcome a development for Mr. Xi as it might initially seem.

Closer ties between Pyongyang and Moscow could result in both countries being less reliant on Beijing. That might diminish Chinas perceived clout in global negotiations over ending Russias war in Ukraine and curtailing North Koreas nuclear program.

I doubt Xi is overjoyed to see the Kim-Putin love-fest unfolding across Chinas border, said John Delury, a professor of Chinese studies at Yonsei University in Seoul. Mr. Kim and Mr. Putin, he said, have reasons to seek more autonomy and leverage from China, the dominant power in the triangle, by strengthening their bilateral ties.
North Koreas leader, Kim Jong-un, inspected nuclear-capable strategic bombers in Russia on Saturday, according to Russian state media, as he continued a trip that has raised fears of the two nations deepening their military ties against a common enemy, the United States.

Mr. Kim arrived in Primorsky Krai, in Russias Far East, on Saturday morning traveling via his armored train. There, Sergei K. Shoigu, the defense minister, and other top Russian military officers showed him Russias hypersonic Kinzhal missile mounted on a MIG-31 jet, as well as three other key elements of Russias nuclear force: the Tu-95MS turboprop strategic bomber and Tu-160 and Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers, according to RIA Novosti, a Russian news outlet.

When Mr. Shoigu visited Pyongyang in July, Mr. Kim took him to an exhibition of missiles and other weapons, raising fears that Russia was turning to North Korea for ammunition badly needed in its war against Ukraine. United States officials have repeatedly warned that North Korea was already shipping artillery shells and army rockets to Russia and that in return it wanted Russian technology to advance its own military capabilities.

The prospect of such military exchanges presents a double challenge for Washington: Conventional weapons from North Korea could help Moscow prolong its invasion of Ukraine, while technical help from Russia would expand the Norths nuclear threat against the United States and its allies in the region, South Korea and Japan.
A letter found among the private papers of Pope Pius XII suggests that the Holy See was told in 1942 that up to 6,000 people, above all Poles and Jews, were being killed in furnaces every day at Belzec, a Nazi death camp in Poland.

Though news of the atrocities being perpetrated by Hitler was already reaching Pope Pius XIIs ears, this information was especially important because it came from a trusted church source based in Germany, said Giovanni Coco, a Vatican archivist who discovered the letter. The source was in the heart of the enemy territory, Mr. Coco said on Saturday.

The document, which was made public this weekend by the Milan newspaper Corriere della Sera, adds to the evidence that some scholars say shows Pius knew about the Holocaust as it happened. Some scholars say Pius did not want to confront or offend Hitler because he feared Communism, believed that the Axis powers would win the war and wanted to avoid alienating millions of German and Nazi-sympathizing Catholics.

Other historians insist that Pius XII remained silent publicly because he was surreptitiously arranging for  or at least allowing  local Catholics to aid and save Jews from the Nazis, and he also feared that the Nazis might come after Catholics.
Hours after the European Union ended a temporary ban on imports of Ukrainian grain and other products to five member nations, three of them  Poland, Hungary and Slovakia  defied the bloc and said they would continue to bar Ukrainian grain from being sold within their borders.

As Ukraine, one of the worlds largest grain exporters, has struggled to ship its grain because of Russias invasion, the European Union has opened up to tariff-free food imports from the country, a move that had the unintended consequence of undercutting prices and hurting farmers in several countries in the east of the European Union. As part of a deal meant to protect those countries, the bloc allowed some grain to transit through them, but prohibited domestic sales.

Brussels decision to let that deal expire at midnight on Friday revived an issue that has threatened European Union unity on support for Ukraine. The Hungarian agriculture minister, Istvan Nagy, announced an extended ban that would include more products in a Facebook post early Saturday morning, saying that we will protect the interests of the farmers.

On Friday, Polands president ordered that the ban be kept in place and Slovakias ministry of agriculture also announced a continuation of the ban, underlining that it didnt apply to transit through the country, thus expressing solidarity with Ukraine.
It had been clear for years that the dams protecting Derna, on Libyas Mediterranean coast, were in danger of giving way.

Torrential rains were not new. Decade after decade, they had pounded the area, washing away the soil that helped soak up water as it ran down from the dry hills above town.

Climate change had also changed the land, making it drier, harder and increasingly shorn of vegetation, less able to absorb the water before it pooled up dangerously behind the dams.

Then, there were the decades of neglect by officials  who knew the dams needed repairs  in a country so torn by years of civil war that it still has two opposing governments: one in the west and another in the east, where Derna lies.
Now she stood near the Koutoubia Mosque, where she and other Marrakesh residents once prayed regularly, filling it during the holy fasting month of Ramadan or the days of Eid. Its square had been sealed off by metal barriers and police tape while experts assessed the damage, but no final diagnosis had been made, according to a government official.

I would love to go there and pray for the dead, said Ms. Chuegra, but Im afraid it might collapse.

Elsewhere in Marrakesh, several museums, as well as the 16th-century El Badi Palace (often translated as The Incomparable) and the late 19th-century El Bahia Palace (The Beautiful) were closed to visitors. Experts have judged them to be in serious condition, and what appeared to be materials for shoring up the structure of El Badi were piled outside the palace on Wednesday.

The palaces stand in the walled ancient core of the city, known as the Medina, a sprawling spiderweb of narrow alleyways lined with doors that can lead to humble apartments or sumptuous riads  mansions built around courtyards and, in many cases, turned into guesthouses. Residents said the apparently untouched or lightly cracked exterior walls of the homes hid serious destruction within.
Donor-advised funds allow you to deposit money or investments like stocks and you may be able to take a tax deduction for the full charitable contribution for that year. But you dont have to redistribute any money to nonprofits that year. Instead, you can let it sit, as if it were your own private foundation; ponder your goals and do some research; and then ask the fund to make donations to various nonprofits over time.

One big behavioral (and public policy) challenge with donor-advised funds is this: How can the funds  or you, yourself  deploy nudges to prompt bigger distributions of the money more quickly? Thats where the chai gambit at Daffy, which stands for Donor-Advised Fund for You, came in.

There are many other possibilities. If youre trying to make a donation to your college to replace the grants you were awarded as a student, you could add your graduation year, say $19.93, to what would have otherwise been a $100 gift. Schools could prompt something like that, and so could donor-advised funds when they see people giving to a college.

If you have children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews, theres another possibility. Daffy has a family plan that allows children to prompt their adult relatives to support a cause the children choose. Why not put the app on their iPhones or iPads so they can make suggestions and let, for example, a 12-year-old make $12 donations to 12 nonprofits each year? (Daffy doesnt support Android devices yet.)

I wrote this column in 5783, at least on the Jewish calendar. Youre reading it in 5784, on Rosh Hashana or a few days afterward. In this new year, I resolve to add $57.84 to my contributions. Heres hoping that you can find a figure that means something to you  and will mean even more to your favorite cause.
Aaron Rodgerss move to the New York Jets was one of the biggest stories of the young N.F.L. season. What happened in his first game with his new team?
2024 Executive Power Survey Where the Presidential Candidates Stand on War Powers In recent years, the Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel has claimed that the Constitution authorizes the president, as commander in chief, to direct the military to attack other countries without congressional permission if the president determines that this would serve the national interests of the United States and the nature, scope and duration of the anticipated hostilities are limited, like airstrikes against Libyan government forces in 2011 and Syrian government forces in 2017 and 2018. Separately, administrations of both parties have stretched their interpretation of the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force to claim that Congress has already granted permission for war against entities and in places other than the original Al Qaeda and Taliban in Afghanistan, like ISIS and Al Shabab in Somalia. Do you agree with the O.L.C.s reasoning about the presidents unilateral constitutional authority to use military force? Under what circumstances other than a literally imminent threat to the United States, if any, does the Constitution permit a president to order an attack on another country without prior congressional authorization? Please address whether bombing Iranian or North Korean nuclear facilities would qualify. Separately, under what circumstances, if any, would you support  and sign into law if Congress were to pass it  legislation repealing the 2001 A.U.M.F.?

The Constitution vests Congress with the power to declare war, a power that includes the requirement to authorize uses of force that would result in prolonged and substantial military engagements. As is well established, and as the Department of Justice has articulated across several administrations, the Constitution vests the president, as commander in chief and chief executive, with the power to direct limited U.S. military operations abroad without prior congressional approval when those operations serve important U.S. interests and are of a limited nature, scope and duration. I have served in both branches of government and believe this allocation of powers has served us well. As president, I have taken great care to ensure that military actions carried out under my command comply with this constitutional framework and that my administration consults with Congress to the greatest extent possible whenever military action is taken. I will continue to rigorously apply this framework to any potential actions in the future. Read full position

The 2001 A.U.M.F., notwithstanding O.L.C. or presidential interpretations, was not a blank check to wage war, anywhere at any time, whether the intention was/is to bomb Iran, North Korea or any other preconceived target. Except in cases of imminent danger to the nation, a president must be constrained in war-making through the check and balance of congressional authority. Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate passed S.316, repealing the A.U.M.F. It is currently held at the desk in the House of Representatives. I support its repeal. Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution vests Congress with the authority to take the country from a position of peace to one of war. Several presidents have, without congressional permission, invoked the Article II designation of commander in chief to take America into war absent congressional approval. Courts have held that the ultimate power to restrain an executives extension into war lies in the discretion of Congress through its appropriation process. Read full position

The text, history and universal original understanding of the Constitutions declare war clause is definitive. Any offensive use of the military by the president requires prior express congressional authorization. Among others, that understanding was shared and acted upon by Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, father of the Constitution. The president, however, may respond unilaterally in self-defense to repel foreign aggression that has already broken the peace. The reason for the declare war clause is compelling. All of history shows the executive branch chronically concocts excuses for war to aggrandize power and earn a place in history  including limitless power to kill, spy, detain or torture citizens and noncitizens alike  free from congressional or judicial accountability. A presidential war not declared by Congress is the classic definition of an impeachable offense that should result in the presidents trial in the Senate and removal from office. I would absolutely support the repeal of the A.U.M.F. Happily.

Yes, but there are constitutional limits on the presidents authority. As president, I would keep the appropriate congressional leadership informed and consulted prior to action. As president, I would utilize all tools at my disposal to protect and defend America and its national security interests, which may include the use of military force. Enacting the War Powers Resolution and the existing A.U.M.F.s, Congress has already authorized the president to exercise judgment on when, and under what circumstances, military force is an appropriate response to imminent threats. It is imperative that our nation is able to swiftly and responsibly act to protect American lives and interests while maintaining the oversight necessary to uphold our constitutional values. Read full position

As commander in chief, the president has a constitutional duty to use his executive authority to protect the country from imminent threats. Whether a threat is imminent is a matter of judgment, and it is essential the president be a person of character, experience and competence whose judgment the American people can trust. In 2020, I warned the American people that Joe Biden has been wrong on every major national security issue for 40 years, and he has spent his presidency proving his incompetence and poor character in foreign relations. As a longtime conservative leader in Congress who has deeply studied our Constitution, I believe Congress has an essential role in providing for our national security. Congress alone has the power of the purse, and as president, I will work with Congress to keep our military fully equipped and ready for response. Read full position

Since the administration of George Washington, American presidents have exercised their powers as commander in chief to initiate limited military hostilities without congressional authorization in order to protect vital American interests. While I do not believe that the president possesses the constitutional authority to launch a full-fledged war without congressional authorization, the presidents power in this area is not solely limited to preventing an imminent attack, as presidents of both parties have recognized  for example, President Obamas actions to take action in Libya and Yemen, and President Trumps actions in Syria. The president may use force to eliminate a clear and present national security threat, even if it does not involve an imminent attack. Preventing hostile authoritarian regimes from acquiring nuclear weapons could potentially meet that criteria, but the decision to use force in those circumstances would take into account a range of considerations beyond the baseline constitutionality of the action. Read full position

The president has no power to make war on other countries other than in cases of imminent threat without congressional authorization. The Constitution vests the power to declare war in Congress. That means the president cannot enter war without congressional approval. This law is often interpreted far more broadly than was intended  and I support a more limited scope of interpretation tied to the letter of the statute.

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Photo taken on Feb. 27, 2022 shows a market destroyed in U.S. air strikes in Sangin district of Helmand Province, Afghanistan. (Photo by Arghand/Xinhua)

Irrational fear among hegemonic nations like the United States should not stand in the way of attempts to create a fair, cordial and mutually beneficial world order.

NAIROBI, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. quest for military, economic and political hegemony is no longer tenable as a more humane multilateral order emerges, which has been largely shaped by the bulk of the Global South, a Kenyan scholar has said.

The "Origins, Facts and Perils of U.S. Military Hegemony" report recently issued by Xinhua Institute, the think tank of Xinhua News Agency, traced the root of U.S. military hegemony, explored how America has pursued, maintained, and abused its military hegemony, and shed light on the perils of the country's hegemonic practices, said Hassan Khannenje, the director of HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies, a Nairobi-based policy think tank.

Khannenje said that America's military adventurism abroad and its push for neoliberal economic policies have left the world more polarized, noting that the unrestrained unilateralism that the United States espoused after the end of the Cold War more than three decades ago created a grave political and economic crisis in the Global South, especially Africa.

A rising China, according to Khannenje, has stabilized the multilateral system, to the chagrin of Washington who irrationally pursues unilateral domination using military and economic might. "The rise of the People's Republic of China has brought opportunities and provided alternatives to Africa and the Global South," he told Xinhua in a recent interview.

Khannenje said that the principle of shared prosperity has endeared China to African people and the larger Global South, amid respite from decades of pervasive domination by Western powers.

China has emerged as the most strategic economic player in Africa, shattering the old status quo and destructive norms embraced by colonial powers from the West, while the U.S. influence on the global stage is waning rapidly, he said, noting the insecurities behind the superpower's latest attempt to contain other countries by using unorthodox tactics like misinformation.

A child holds an anti-war sign during a rally at Times Square in New York, the United States, Jan. 14, 2023. (Photo by Ziyu Julian Zhu/Xinhua)

Khannenje stressed that irrational fear among hegemonic nations like the United States should not stand in the way of attempts to create a fair, cordial and mutually beneficial world order, adding that the ideal multilateral system must safeguard against exploitation of vulnerable nations or containment of rising economies like China by the traditional superpowers.

"This calls for coordinated efforts strategically deployed to counter malign messaging and provide objective analysis and presentation of our shared interests," he said, adding that media, think tanks and research institutions in the Global South have a major role to play in countering toxic and misleading narratives from an insecure West against rising economies like China.

The Global South should not succumb to the temptation of falling victim to the West's misguided attempt to paint China and other geopolitical rivals as enemies. Instead, the developing countries should define their own narrative about China, based on mutually beneficial relationship that both sides have been pursuing, said Khannenje.

The expert said the report details the threat of U.S. military hegemony to global peace, stability and prosperity in a comprehensive manner, drawing from time-tested facts, data and case studies. In its pursuit of global domination, Washington has not hesitated to deploy its military might, leaving behind a trail of failed states, balkanization, death and destruction of livelihoods.

According to the report, the U.S. has since 2001 launched wars and military operations in more than 80 countries globally under the guise of fighting terrorism, resulting in the death of about 929,000 people, including 387,000 civilians while displacing an estimated 38 million people.
PEOPLE were still drinking in a Birr put at 2.45am when closing time was 12.30am, Tullamore District Court was told.

Michael Dickson (50), Seffin, Birr, pleaded guilty to permitting the consumption of intoxicating liquor at Enrights Bar and Lounge, Emmet Square, Birr on January 14 last.

Sergeant Richard Thornton said gardai on patrol heard voices and loud music and after knocking and being admitted inside by an employee, nine people were seen seated and consuming alcohol.

Closing time was 12.30pm with another 30 minutes for drinking time on the night, said Sergeant Thornton, who added that Mr Dickson had no previous convictions.

The guilty plea was entered by defending solicitor Patrick Martin who said Mr Dickson was not working that night.

A family function was taking place and there were relatives home from Canada in the pub.

Mr Martin said the premises was not one that would come to garda attention and it was located very close to the garda station.

He added that Mr Dickson had brought 500 to court. The pub opened from Thursday to Monday.

Imposing a 750 fine, Judge Andrew Cody queried if Mr Dickson's staff knew the licensing laws and remarked that it was nearly three o'clock in the morning and loud music was being played.
Jourdan Dunn appeared on the runway during an emotional evening for London Fashion Week favourite Richard Quinn.

The British supermodel wore a strapless tulle dress with yellow and blue floral embroidery, and a black bow at the waist, part of Quinns spring/summer collection.

The designer was in tears when came out to embrace his mother at the end of the show, which was dedicated to his late father.

In times of great sadness and loss comes a sense of reflection and calm, read the show notes, which were accompanied by a photo of Patrick Quinn, who died in June.

A handwritten caption printed on the other side said. This ones for you Dad.

A performance by five ballet dancers that opened the show  held in a ballroom at the historic Andaz hotel in East London  was billed as a celebration of a wonderful father, grandfather, brother and husband.

Quinn  who famously won the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, presented by her late Majesty, in 2018  has become known for his floral prints and almost couture-level of craftsmanship.

The SS24 collection focused heavily on the latter, with a slew of stunning eveningwear ensembles.

The first look was a ballerina-esque white full-skirted dress with sparkling embroidery, which was followed by a series of black and white outfits.

Standout pieces included mesh dresses with embroidered boned skirts that looked like birdcages, and a lipstick red ruffled cape gown (one of the few brightly-coloured looks).

Some column dresses were so heavily encrusted with sequins and beads, you could hear them rustle as models glided by, while other voluminous gowns appeared light as air.

The contemplative mood was continued with the design of models make-up.

Slightly somber, slightly fragile, like a really beautiful Victorian portrait, is how MAC make-up artist Terry Barber described the look.

Its a shadowy grey eye, and Im using a little metallic gold powder to do this very fine thread of liner. It almost looks like theyve just cried and their eyes are a little bit wet.

Model twins on the catwalk has become a signature of Quinns.

This season, the chosen pair wore blue and white floral satin dresses embellished with white feathers and worn over matching tights, each carrying a large blue and white bouquet,

They were followed by Canadian model Jessica Stam closing the show in a flowing white cape with puff sleeves worn over a silver beaded jumpsuit.

After Quinns mother rose to greet her son, the audience joined her in giving the designer a standing ovation.
THREE young women appeared before Tullamore District Court last week accused of assaulting another woman in Birr.

Judge Andrew Cody was told that the victim suffered bruising to her back, had her hair pulled and sustained a cut lip.

The injuries resulted in the alleged victim having to be brought to hospital in Tullamore.

Sergeant Richard Thornton said the DPP had directed that the prosecution of Ella Granger (18), High Street, Birr; Isabel O'Brien (19), The Heritage, Main Street, Birr and Kaleigh McDonagh (18), Cloncollig, Tullamore for assault causing harm to the woman could be disposed of summarily.

After hearing details of the injuries Judge Cody accepted jurisdiction, meaning the case will continue before the District Court.

All three are accused of assaulting Ramona Hanlon, causing her harm, at Market Square, Birr on July 20 last.

Donal Farrelly, solicitor, appeared for the three accused and the prosecutions were adjourned to a sitting of Tullamore District Court on October 18 next when either pleas will be entered by those accused or a date will be fixed for a hearing.
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Railway Jobs 2023: Bumper Vacancies Announced; Apply For Bengaluru Location

Bengaluru

oi-Madhuri Adnal

RITES Recruitment 2023: Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) is inviting applications from eligible candidates to fill up the vacant posts. A total of 7 Engineer/ Assistant Manager/ Manager (S&T) posts are vacant and interested candidates can apply. October 20, 2023 is the last day to apply (Last Date). Interested candidates can apply online/ offline. Selected candidates will be posted in Bhubaneswar & Bengaluru.

Age Limit

According to the RITES Technical and Economic Services recruitment notification, the age of the candidates should not exceed 55 years on October 20, 2023. Age relaxation will be given to candidates as per reservation.

Salary

The salary for the vacancies is not specified.

Job Location

Bilaspur

Kolkata

Bhubaneswar

Bengaluru

Selection Process

Qualification

Experience

Interview

RITES Recruitment 2023: How to Apply?

Online: Visit the RITES website and apply online.

Offline: Download the application form from the RITES website and send it to the following address.

Address:

Relevant Administrative Officer (HOD)

Gurgaon

Haryana

RITES Recruitment 2023: Important Dates

Start date for application submission: 05/09/2023

Last date to apply: October 20, 2023

Here is a more detailed translation of the text:

A total of 7 posts are vacant. The following are the details of the vacancies:

2 Engineer (S&T) posts

3 Assistant Manager (S&T) posts

2 Manager (S&T) posts

Eligibility Criteria for RITES Recruitment 2023

The following are the eligibility criteria for the vacancies:

Age: Not more than 55 years on October 20, 2023

Educational qualification: Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field

Experience: As per the RITES website

Offline application:

Candidates can download the application form from the RITES website and send it to the following address:

Relevant Administrative Officer (HOD)

Gurgaon

Haryana

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Story first published: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 15:18 [IST]
Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam launched by CM Stalin in Kanchipuram

Chennai

oi-Oneindia English Desk

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has launched the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam in Kanchipuram (today) on the birth anniversary of Annadurai (September 15). The function was held in the stadium of Kanchipuram Pachaiyappas College for men. The scheme is aimed at providing monthly financial assistance of Rs.1000 to more than 1 crore eligible women family heads in the state.

In 2021, the promise of Rs.1000 as monthly financial assistance was made during election campaign. During the budget for the financial year 2023-24, 7000 crores was allotted for the implementation of the scheme. In July 2023, CM Stalin inaugurated the camp held at Thoppur Government Higher Secondary school in Dharmapuri, for the women family heads to apply for the scheme.

Totally 35,925 camps were held and 68,190 volunteers assisted in the camp. Around 1.63 crore women applied for the scheme out of which, 1.06 crore applications were accepted. The remaining 56.50 lakh applications were rejected based on non-compliance factors. Even then, the government has asked the candidates to apply again online.

The eligibility was based on annual income which shouldn't be more than 2.5 lakhs; electricity consumption which should be below 3600 units per year; owning of vehicles etc. The details were cross-checked with government's list of income tax payers; vehicles registration list at district transport offices and bill details from electricity department.

The implementation process was started before the launch of the scheme to avoid technical difficulties. Few days back, the bank details of the applicants were verified by sending Rs.1 to their bank accounts. Owing to the seamless completion of the trial process, the scheme has progressed into the final stage which is the transfer of Rs.1000 to the eligible women family heads every month.

Within September 18, all the eligible beneficiaries will receive Rs.1000 as monthly financial assistance. For the beneficiaries, an exclusive ATM card will be provided to access the fund. The detailed guidelines for the Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam was released by the government for better understanding and awareness creation.

Are you wondering, what can be done with just Rs.1000? For you, here is a list of things that can be done with Rs.1000.

Purchase of 25 kgs of rice

Purchase of a cylinder (1 cylinder = Rs.918.50)

Purchase of 9.75 litres of petrol for a bike

Purchase of monthly grocery needs of a family of 4

Purchase of vegetables for 2 or 3 weeks

Purchase of milk for a month for a family of 4

Purchase of 1kg mutton

Purchase of fish twice or thrice in a month

Investment in Selvamagal Semippu Thittam for girl children (Small Savings scheme)

Investment in Pon Magan Semippu Thittam for boy children

Usage of 200 to 400 units of electricity

Open RD account in Post office for future usage etc etc

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Story first published: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 13:08 [IST]
State party (DMK) walked on the victory path for 75 years!

Chennai

oi-Oneindia English Desk

It's festival time for DMK. On one side, the Dravidian modelled DMK government is celebrating Kalaignar centenary birthday magnificently and on the other side DMK is all set for its 75th anniversary celebrations.

The preparations for the 75th anniversary celebrations are being done in Vellore, where Mupperum Vizha (triple celebrations) is going to be conducted on September 17. Mupperum Vizha is an annual event celebrated to mark the foundation day of DMK (September 17) and the birth anniversaries of Annadurai (September 15) and Periyar (September 17). In the Mupperum Vizha, awards are to be presented in the names of Annadurai, Periyar, Bharathidasan, Kalaignar and Professor Anbazhagan.

Former DMK leader M. Karunanidhi celebrated his 75th birth anniversary on 3rd June 1998, where the function stage was decorated like a 'pearl in an oyster' in Marina beach, Chennai. I.K. Gujral, the former PM of India was invited to the function. G.K. Moopanar who attended the birthday function gifted a golden chain, for which Karunanidhi said, "...the relationship between DMK and Tamil Maanila Congress will always be strongly coupled like the links in the chain.

Karunanidhi was determined to not do any extravagant expenses, he even ordered the officials to spend money for people's welfare during his 75th anniversary celebrations. Owing to his order, 7.02 crores was spent on planting saplings in Tamil Nadu.

DMK is getting ready for its 75th anniversary which has come 25 years after Kalaignar's 75th birth anniversary. DMK was founded by Annadurai as a state party in 1949, 2 years after Indian independence. DMK was founded as a social movement in 1949 by Annadurai but later on he led DMK to the electoral path in 1957. In the 1957 elections, DMK won 15 seats.

In 1962, DMK won 50 seats; in 1967 DMK defeated the Congress which was a strong national party at that time and formed the government. Annadurai's strong policies were pivotal for this historic victory. Anna promised a dominance free society. He did not differentiate between religious dominance, caste and language dominance, instead he said, "...resistance to dominance in any form is the principal policy of DMK party".

Anna also resolved to oppose Hindi imposition at all costs; prevent violence and alleviate poverty. Anna's vision was alliance with the Centre and autonomy within the state. Because of his policies, he became CM in 1967. Before Annadurai, the superstition was that only wealthy people could become members of the Legislative Assembly.

Anna changed this scenario by handing over the power to younger generations with no such wealthy background. Particularly, Backward class, Most Backward class and Scheduled class people enjoyed political rights and power due to Anna's policies.

During DMK reign, the Land Reforms Act was implemented; the ceiling for land holding was brought down from 30 acres to 15 acres and houses were built for Scheduled Tribes etc. Starting from Annadurai, all DMK leaders including Karunanidhi and CM Stalin opposed Hindi imposition. This stands testimony to the fact that the ideologies of DMK withstood the test of time.

According to T.K.S. Elangovan, Tamil Nadu is the only state which has a two-language policy which was legalised by DMK. Apart from this, DMK is responsible for Tamil being recognised as a classical language. It was Annadurai, who changed the name of the state from Madras Presidency to Tamil Nadu. Anna said that as long as the name of the state is Tamil Nadu, it means Anna is ruling the state. Another version of it was said by CM Stalin recently in Kanchipuram during the launch of Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai Thittam. CM Stalin said, "...as long as women are receiving the financial assistance, it means Stalin is ruling the state".

In the 1930s Sri Lanka's former PM Bandaranaike put forth the idea of 'two languages one nation and one language two nations'. When this idea was put forth by Bandaranaike, Congress was strongly opposing the creation of linguistic states in India. According to senior journalist A.S. Panneerselvan, DMK played a major role in making the situation flexible. When DMK put forth the demand of a Dravidian nation, Nehru, the former PM of India rejected it but DMK did not push the demand owing to the war threat from China.

Anna's concentration shifted from a separate nation to a linguistic state which demanded the change of name from Madras to Tamil Nadu. The demand was misinterpreted by Congress as a demand for a separate country based on language. In 1957, the then finance minister Subramaniam, announced that the resolution brought by DMK for Tamil Nadu had failed.

In 1967 after becoming CM of the state, Annadurai changed the name of the state from Madras to Tamil Nadu. This is one of the instances of historic victories achieved by the DMK regime. Anna attracted people through his policies and that is the reason why 1.5 crore people gathered when Anna passed away which is a Guinness record not broken till now.

Another thing which is not broken is his party's ideologies and principles!

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Story first published: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 17:36 [IST]
ROME, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Data show that the trade volume between China and Italy has increased for three consecutive years in 2022. Bilateral cooperation in various fields has been fruitful and has a broad prospect, experts said.

Vito Petrocelli, former chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Senate, told Xinhua that Italy and China have highly complementary economies, whose bilateral relationship, especially in the economic and trade fields, has made a "leap forward."

He said that cooperation between the two countries in the economic, cultural, political, and social fields has become a "benchmark" within the European Union, which confirms the need to develop the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides.

Data show that the bilateral trade volume has reached 77.884 billion dollars in 2022, up 5.4 percent year on year. Italian exports to China increased by 58 percent in the first five months of 2023.

China and Italy will jointly build six large cruise ships with a total value of nearly 5 billion dollars, the first of which was successfully commissioned.

STMicroelectronics, a technology company of French-Italian origin, has formed a joint venture of 3.2 billion dollars with Chinese companies to build factories in China.

According to a survey conducted by the Italy China Council Foundation, 84 percent of Italian enterprises are positive about Sino-Italian economic and trade relations and their development prospects.

Marco Tronchetti Provera, executive vice president of Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli, said that the company's high-end product business in China has been growing steadily, and by cooperating with Chinese companies, Pirelli has increased its competitiveness and global popularity.

Pirelli opened its first factory in China in 2005 and currently has nearly 4,000 retail outlets in the country.

Italy has been invited to participate in various major exhibitions in China and was the guest of honor at both the import expo in Shanghai and the consumer products expo in Hainan, through which high-quality Italian products have entered thousands of Chinese households.

Altagamma, an Italian foundation of luxury brands, attended the consumer products expo in Hainan in 2023 with 75 of its high-end brands.

"The scale and growth of China's high-end consumer market are difficult to achieve in other countries," said Stefania Lazzaroni, general manager of Altagamma, adding that the Chinese market represents a unique opportunity, and the foundation is willing to strengthen links and enhance presence in China which is relevant in the area.

Illycaffe, one of Italy's best-known coffee brands, is betting big on the Chinese market over the next few years. "We have studied to determine which markets can become a second home market for us and the best option is China," said Illy's chief executive Cristina Scocchia.

Romano Prodi, former European Commission president and former Italian prime minister, said China's economy plays a key role in Europe's economic recovery, and Italy and China need to expand cooperation in various fields to make it more comprehensive and deeper. 
Outrage Erupts in Amethi as Family Accuses Doctors of Medical Negligence Resulting in Woman's Death

The family members of a 22-year-old woman held a protest outside Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, alleging the doctors' negligence led to her death. The police have deployed additional forces near the hospital to maintain law and order. The deceased was identified as Divya who had been admitted for gallbladder stones operation but went into coma before the procedure.

India

-Krishna Kripa

Amethi in Uttar Pradesh witnessed a wave of protest on September 16, as the family members of a deceased 22-year-old woman held her body outside Sanjay Gandhi Hospital, blaming the doctors for her untimely death. The situation escalated to such an extent that additional police force had to be deployed near the hospital premises to maintain law and order.

The Triggering Incident

Divya, the deceased young lady, was brought to Sanjay Gandhi Hospital by her family after she complained of severe stomach ache. Post examination, it was suggested by the doctor that she needed an operation for gallbladder stones removal. However, things took a turn for worse when Divya fell into coma before the operation could take place. She remained in this state at the hospital for over thirty hours before being referred to Lucknow.

Allegations Against Hospital Staff

Anuj Shukla, Divya's husband accused medical negligence as being responsible for his wifes tragic demise. He alleged that not only did she fall into coma due to their carelessness but also suffered a heart attack while still in hospital care. Following Divya's death around 4 am on Saturday in Lucknow, Shukla filed an official complaint against the involved doctors.

Hospital Management's Response

In response to these allegations and subsequent protests, Awadhesh Sharma - General Manager of Sanjay Gandhi Hospital stated that Divya had shown adverse reaction towards anesthesia administered prior to surgery which led her into coma and eventual death. He further shared that he received information about Divyas passing away early Saturday morning.

Civil Unrest and Police Involvement

The news of Divya's death sparked outrage among local villagers leading them to start protesting around 8 pm. The deceased's body was kept outside the hospital as a grim reminder of what they believed to be gross medical negligence. To prevent the situation from spiraling out of control, additional police force was deployed in the vicinity.

In conclusion, Divya's unfortunate death has raised serious questions about the quality of medical care available to patients in rural areas and smaller towns like Amethi. While it is crucial for authorities to thoroughly investigate this case and bring justice to Divyas grieving family, it is equally imperative that measures are put into place to ensure such incidents do not recur. Medical institutions must prioritize patient safety above all else and take immediate steps towards improving their healthcare standards.
Extension of AFSPA in Disturbed Areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland: What You Need to Know

Anantnag Gunfight: Army Uses Rocket Launchers To Attack Terrorists In 4th Day Of Search Operation

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Security forces engaged in an encounter on Saturday morning successfully eliminated a terrorist In the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir. The ongoing anti-terror operation has entered its fourth day as the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police continue their operation against terrorists.

The Kashmir Police Zone announced via a social media post, "An #Encounter has commenced between #terrorists and the Army & Baramulla Police in the forward area of #Uri, Hathlanga in the #Baramulla district."

Subsequently, it was confirmed that one terrorist was neutralized during the operation.

More details will be provided in due course, according to the police.

Anantnag Encounter: Soldier Loses Life, Toll Climbs To 4

This operation occurred the day after a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist module was exposed in the Baramulla district. This discovery resulted in the apprehension of two militant associates and the seizure of weapons and ammunition from them. The police spokesperson identified the two individuals as Zaid Hassan Malla, a resident of Mir Sahib Baramulla, and Mohammad Arif Channa, from Stadium Colony Baramulla.

#WATCH | J&K: Search operation underway in the forest area of Gadole, Kokernag.



(Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/xYB984ayqP  ANI (@ANI) September 16, 2023

"They were engaged in cross-border smuggling of arms and ammunition under the direction of Pakistan-based terror handlers, with the purpose of further supplying these to LeT terrorists for conducting acts of terror," the spokesperson reported.

Meanwhile, in the Anantnag district, an operation is ongoing to neutralize terrorists who have taken positions in a forested area within rugged terrain. The terrorists are currently trapped in a cave at the top of a hill in the Kokernag area and the security forces have surrounded the terrorists.

The drone footage showed that the terrorists were hiding in a natural cave in the mountains of Gadole forests in the Kokarnag area of Anantnag.

J&K: Forces Use Drones, Fire Mortar Shells As Anantnag Operation Enters Day 3

4 security personnel martyred

Tragically, four security personnel lost their lives in a devastating incident where terrorists opened fire during a search operation. This fierce gunfight occurred in the Kokernag area and resulted in the untimely deaths of an Army colonel, a major, and a senior police official. The fallen officers have been identified as Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonak, and Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police, Humayun Bhat, and they were targeted by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants. Additionally, the body of another missing soldier, who had been reported missing since Thursday, was recovered on Friday.

It is noteworthy that this operation is expected to conclude soon since the terrorists have exhausted their ammunition, and their ability to evade security forces is primarily due to their high vantage point. The area where the encounter is ongoing has been effectively cordoned off, with strict control over all movement in the vicinity.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 10:08 [IST]
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Criticizes Congress for Omitting Northeast from India Map

The Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma has criticized Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party for allegedly excluding the northeastern region from an Indian map shared on social media. In response, Gaurav Gogoi, a state MP from the party questioned him about alleged land deals linked to his family.

India

-Krishna Kripa

Assam's Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, has publicly criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over a map of India shared on social media by the party. The northeastern region of the country is noticeably absent from this representation. This omission sparked an acrimonious exchange between Sarma and Gaurav Gogoi, a member of parliament for the state from the Congress party.

The Social Media Spat

Sarma took to social media to express his discontent about the missing northeastern region in the map. He posted a screenshot of an animated video that originated from an official handle of the Congress party. The video contained caricatures resembling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi with a map where Northeast India was not visible. In his post, Sarma insinuated that there might be some clandestine deal by which Congress is planning to sell off Northeastern lands to another country.

Gogois Retort

In response to these allegations, Gaurav Gogoi promptly responded asking Sarma about land deals involving companies tied to his family members. According to him, these questions have remained unanswered by Sarma who seems keen on avoiding them.

Allegations Surrounding Credit Subsidy

This incident comes amidst ongoing verbal skirmishes between both parties since Wednesday concerning allegations against Sarma's wife's company receiving a credit subsidy worth Rs 10 crore from central government under certain schemes. These claims were made by Gogoi who also mentioned concerns about restrictions on his account on X  formerly known as Twitter  although no official statement has been issued by this popular micro-blogging platform regarding such actions.

Political Tensions Escalate

The political tension between BJP led Assam Government and opposition party Congress has been escalating rapidly over the past few days. This recent social media spat is a clear indication of the strained relations between both parties and their leaders. The absence of Northeast India in Congress's map has not only sparked controversy but also raised questions about the partys commitment towards this region.

In conclusion, these allegations and counter-allegations have intensified the ongoing political feud in Assam, casting a shadow over other pressing issues that need attention. It remains to be seen how this situation will evolve and what impact it will have on the political landscape of Assam specifically, and Northeast India more broadly.
Lalu Prasad Is Being Harassed By CBI On Direction Of BJP Govt, Says Nitish Kumar

Bihar CM Supports Journalists Amid INDIA Bloc's Boycott Against 14 News Anchors

India

oi-Sushmita Halder

Amid the boycott of 14 television news anchors demanded by the Opposition INDIA Bloc, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Saturday said that he was in support of journalists.

The Bihar Chief Minister said that he is not against any journalist. He further said that he has never controlled journalists. Journalists have the freedom to write what they like.

"I have no idea about this...I am in support of journalists. When everyone gets full freedom, journalists will write what they like. Are they controlled? Have I ever done it? They have rights, I am not against anyone," Nitish Kumar was quoted saying.

Reacting to the INDIA Bloc's decision of boycotting journalists, Kumar said, some members of the INDIA Bloc might have felt that something was wrong and hence demanded the boycott of news anchors, but he himself is not against anyone.

"Right now those who are at the Centre have controlled a few people...Those who are with us (INDIA bloc parties) must have felt that something is happening. However, I am not against anyone," the Bihar Chief Minister further added.

The remarks by the Bihar Chief Minister came just days after the Opposition bloc INDIA announced a boycott of 14 television news anchors. Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) is part of the 26-party INDIA bloc.

Earlier on Thursday, the Opposition INDIA bloc demanded the boycott of 14 news anchors. The bloc released a list of 14 television news anchors whose shows will be boycotted by the alliance's media representatives.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, who released the list, said that the party is ready to fight against the media over headlines against the leaders, memes, twisted speeches, fake news, however, the party would not support the media for spreading hatred in the society that would turn into violence.

Meanwhile, the News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) expressed concern over the issue by saying that the ban "goes against the ethos of democracy" and is a sign of "intolerance".

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) compared the decision with Emergency. Taking a dig at the Opposition Bloc BJP MP Anil Baluni alleged it was an open threat to the media suppressing the voice of people.

"The media was throttled during the Emergency and these 'ghamandia' alliance parties continue to work with the same anarchic and Emergency mindset," Baluni was quoted as saying.

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Story first published: Sunday, September 17, 2023, 1:04 [IST]
Canada Postpones Trade Mission To India Amid Political Tensions

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The Canadian trade mission to India, originally slated for October, has been deferred, according to Shanti Cosentino, a spokesperson for Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng. The spokesperson stated, "At this time, we are postponing the upcoming trade mission to India," without providing specific reasons. Nonetheless, earlier in the same month, Canada had temporarily halted discussions regarding a trade agreement with India.

This development comes shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau engaged in discussions on the sidelines of the G20 Summit held in New Delhi.

During their conversation on September 10, PM Modi expressed Delhi's deep concerns regarding the ongoing activities of extremist elements within Canada, which are seen as promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats while also posing threats to the Indian community residing there.

In his discussions with Trudeau, PM Modi emphasized the necessity for a relationship between the two countries that is grounded in "mutual respect and trust" to advance the India-Canada partnership.

On The Day PM Modi Raised Khalistani Issue With Trudeau, SFJ Holds A Khalistan Referendum In Canada

Speaking to the media after his talks with PM Modi, Trudeau emphasized Canada's commitment to safeguarding freedom of peaceful protest while simultaneously rejecting violence and countering hatred. He stated, "Canada will always defend freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, and freedom of peaceful protest, and it is extremely important to us." Trudeau further underscored the point that the actions of a few individuals should not be taken to represent the entire community or Canada as a whole.

Earlier, in June, a video circulated on social media featuring a float depicting the assassination of Indira Gandhi. This float was purportedly part of a parade organized by certain Khalistani elements in Brampton. Subsequently, in July, India summoned the Canadian envoy and issued a demarche in response to the escalating activities of pro-Khalistani groups in Canada.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 9:35 [IST]
Renowned Author Gita Mehta Dies at 80: A Look Back at Her Illustrious Career

Eminent author and documentary filmmaker Gita Mehta, sister of Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, passed away due to old age ailments. Born in 1943 to Biju Patnaik and Gyan Patnaik in Delhi, she studied in India and the UK. She has authored books like Karma Cola, Snake and Ladders among others.

India

-Krishna Kripa

The literary world has lost a gem as eminent author, documentary filmmaker and journalist Gita Mehta passed away at her Delhi residence on Saturday due to age-related ailments. She was 80 years old and is survived by her son. Her husband, publisher Sonny Mehta had predeceased her.

Early Life and Career

Gita Mehta was the elder sister of Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha, and businessman Prem Patnaik. Born in 1943 to Biju Patnaik and Gyan Patnaik in Delhi, she pursued education both in India and abroad at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. With a flair for writing that transcended boundaries, she penned several books including Karma Cola, Snake & Ladders, A River Sutra, Raj and The Eternal Ganesha which were well-received worldwide.

A Close Bond with Family

Sources have revealed that Mehta shared a close bond with her younger brother Naveen Patnaik. During one of her visits to Bhubaneswar earlier on, she had openly expressed admiration for him stating that people of Odisha are fortunate enough to have a Chief Minister like Naveen Patnaik.

National Condolences

Her demise has led to an outpouring of condolences from across the country including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who took to social media platform X expressing his sorrow over her passing away. He wrote: "I am saddened by the passing away of noted writer Smt. Gita Mehta Ji. She was a multifaceted personality known for her intellect as well as passion towards writing and filmmaking." He also acknowledged other facets of her diverse personality mentioning how she was passionate about nature conservation especially water conservation.

In conclusion, the demise of Gita Mehta is a significant loss to the literary world. Her multifaceted personality and her contributions in various fields including writing, documentary filmmaking and journalism will be remembered for years to come. As an author, she brought out several works that were not only acclaimed but also reflected her deep understanding of Indian culture and society. Her passion towards nature conservation was another aspect of her life which made her stand out as an individual committed to making a difference in the world. She leaves behind a rich legacy which will continue to inspire future generations.
Private University Chancellor Faces Charges Over Alleged Admissions Scandal

Zora Singh, the chancellor of Desh Bhagat University in Fatehgarh Sahib, has been booked by police on various charges including cheating and criminal breach of trust. The case was registered following complaints from nursing students who alleged that the university enrolled more students than seats allotted by the Indian Nursing Council.

India

-Krishna Kripa

In a recent development in Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, local authorities have registered charges against the chancellor of Desh Bhagat University and seven other individuals. The charges include cheating and criminal breach of trust, based on complaints lodged by a group of nursing students from the university.

Chancellor Zora Singh Under Investigation

Zora Singh, the chancellor of Desh Bhagat University situated in Amloh, has been implicated in this case along with seven others. Deputy Superintendent of Police G S Bains confirmed the registration of these charges. This action follows several days of sustained protest by numerous nursing students from the university.

Nursing Students Raise Allegations

The majority of these protesting students hail from Jammu and Kashmir. They allege that the nursing college affiliated to Desh Bhagat University has enrolled more students than its allotted capacity as per Indian Nursing Council guidelines. These allegations raise serious questions about possible violations concerning educational norms and standards.

Fears Over Degree Recognition

The protesting students have also voiced concerns regarding their degrees' validity. They fear that due to over-enrollment beyond sanctioned capacity, most students might end up receiving degrees from an institute not duly recognized or affiliated with the council. Such a scenario could potentially jeopardize their future career prospects.

Discrepancy In Enrollment Numbers

According to protestors' claims, approximately 150 students were enrolled for the nursing course at Desh Bhagat University's affiliated college against only 60 seats approved by Indian Nursing Council - a clear violation if proven true.

Criminal Charges Registered Against University Authorities

The police have registered cases under relevant sections including Section 420 (cheating) and Section 406 (criminal breach of trust) as per the Indian Penal Code, against the university authorities. The police have reassured that a thorough investigation will be conducted into these serious allegations.

In conclusion, this case highlights the gravity of educational malpractices and their potential impacts on students' futures. It underscores the need for stringent checks and balances in our education system to ensure adherence to norms and standards set by respective councils. Moreover, it serves as a reminder that those in positions of power within such institutions must uphold trust placed in them by students and their parents. As investigations continue, one can only hope for justice to prevail and corrective measures taken to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
Ex-ISRO Scientist Nambi Narayanan Shares His Ordeal of Clearing Name in Espionage Case at NSUT Convocation

Former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan recounts his struggle to clear his name in an espionage case from 1994. After a 24-year legal battle, he was cleared in 2018. He shared this story as the chief guest at the first convocation of Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT).

India

-Krishna Kripa

Former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, who was embroiled in a high-profile espionage case back in 1994, addressed the students of Netaji Subhas University of Technology (NSUT) at their first convocation on September 15. In his keynote speech, Narayanan encouraged students to face their challenges with unwavering determination and perseverance.

Narayanan's Inspiring Message

In his address, Narayanan shared his personal journey of battling false charges that had threatened to tarnish his reputation and career. He said, "If you have the determination, I am sure you are bound to succeed and there is no reason for you to worry. I was pushed into a corner with some false charges ... I had to fight the entire nation -- the Centre, state government, media, the people and society. I single-handedly fought it and won the case."

Chandrayaan-3 Will Be A Game-Changer: Former ISRO Scientist Nambi Narayanan

The Espionage Case

The infamous espionage case dates back to 1994 when allegations were made against two scientists including Narayanan and four others including two Maldivian women. They were accused of transferring confidential documents pertaining to India's space programme to foreign countries.

A Long Legal Battle

Narayanan recounted how he spent nearly a quarter-century fighting these accusations in court before finally clearing his name in 2018. Despite achieving what he wanted within four years after being charged - that is getting acquitted - he continued fighting for another twenty years seeking justice against those who falsely implicated him.

"Of course, it took a long time and most interestingly if you look at that case," Narayanan said during his address at NSUT convocation ceremony. "My problem was over in four years. I got what I wanted but the remaining 20 years; I was fighting to identify those who falsely implicated me."

Nambi Narayanan1994 espionage case: Kerala ex-DGP Siby Mathews' anticipatory bail extended till Oct 27

Conclusion

Narayanan's story serves as a powerful example of resilience and determination. His experience offers valuable lessons for individuals, particularly young students, about the importance of standing up for truth and justice, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Narayanan's address at the NSUT convocation was not just a recounting of his ordeal but also an inspiring message that encourages future generations to face their challenges head-on with determination and courage.
Kerala Nipah Virus Scare: Schools, Colleges In Kozhikode To Remain Shut Till Sep 24

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Due to the ongoing Nipah virus outbreak in Kozhikode district, the Kerala Government has decided to extend the closure of schools and colleges in the region until September 24. This directive applies to all educational institutions, including schools, colleges, and tuition centers. However, online classes will continue as scheduled.

This decision comes in response to the recent confirmation of another Nipah virus case on Friday, bringing the total number of cases to six, with two unfortunate fatalities attributed to the virus.

State Health Minister Veena George disclosed that the contact list of infected individuals has now expanded to include 1,080 people, with 130 new additions reported just the previous day. Among them, 327 are healthcare workers. Additionally, 29 individuals on the contact list hail from neighboring districts, including 22 from Malappuram, three from Kannur, three from Thrissur, and one from Wayanad. It's noteworthy that 175 patients and 122 healthcare workers are classified as high-risk. Minister George expressed that the number of individuals on the contact list is likely to rise further.

Furthermore, the test results for the individual who succumbed on August 30 returned positive on Friday. According to the minister, it seems that other individuals contracted the virus from this initial case.

On September 12, the state issued a Nipah virus alert after two deaths were reported, and the individuals displayed fever and signs of virus infection. Subsequent tests conducted at the National Institute of Virology in Pune confirmed that the deaths were indeed caused by the Nipah virus.

Covid Had 2-3% Mortality, Nipah Virus Has 40-70%: ICMR Chief Warns

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General, Dr. Rajiv Bahl, pointed out that the mortality rate of the Nipah virus is significantly higher than that of Covid-19. Dr. Bahl stated, "Mortality among those infected with Nipah virus is very high, ranging from 40 to 70 percent, in contrast to Covid, which had a mortality rate of around 2-3 percent." During a press conference, he emphasized that efforts are underway to contain the Nipah virus outbreak due to its high mortality rate, noting that all the infected individuals had come into contact with an index patient or patient zero.

Meanwhile, the number of active Nipah virus cases in Kerala has risen to four after a 39-year-old man tested positive on Friday. Kerala Health Minister Veena George revealed that this man had contracted the virus through direct contact with an infected individual who passed away on August 30.

With the increase in active cases to four, the state government has decided to conduct tests for everyone on the high-risk contact list of the infected persons.

Studies conducted by the World Health Organization and ICMR have identified the entire state, not just Kozhikode, as susceptible to such infections. People living in forested areas are advised to exercise the highest precautions.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 8:37 [IST]
Air India Deploys New Boeing 777 Aircraft To All 3 US Destinations From Mumbai

My Career Has Been My Film Set, I Created It On Hustle: Priyanka Chopra Jonas

Mumbai: Take A Glimpse Of The First Pics Of Lalbaugcha Raja

India

oi-Sushmita Halder

After Janmashtami the people of Mumbai are all set to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. The first look of the most popular Lalbaugcha Raja was unveiled on Friday.

The Lalbaugcha Raja is said to be 12 feet this year. The 10-day festival kickstarts on September 19 with thousands of devotees gathering at the Lalbaugcha to catch a glimpse of Bappa.

The Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal has been installing the Ganpati idol at its pandal in Central Mumbai since 1934. Ganesh Chaturthi is enthusiastically celebrated in Mumbai and various regions of Maharashtra.

The festival is worshipped following all sixteen rituals known as the Shodashopachara Puja accompanied by chanting of Puranik Mantras. These sixteen steps encompass various aspects of worship.

Idol makers in the city have been working around the clock. However, people of Mumbai are bit choosy about the idols of Bappa. Some like to buy it from the same shop, some love to opt Bappa in a customized way.

Bappa's festival begins with the installation of Ganesha's idols at homes and in public places. The 10 day festival ends when the idol is carried in a public procession and immersed (visarjan) in a river or sea on the day of Anant Chaturdashi.

Earlier on Friday, Ganpati Special train, named "Namo Express", from Mumbai's Dadar station to Konkan was flagged off by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Speaking on the occasion, Fadnavis said that the Maharashtra Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has arranged six special trains and 338 buses for devotees going to the Konkan region for the upcoming festival.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 22:34 [IST]
BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the faculty and students at Northeastern University to make greater contributions to the full revitalization of northeast China and Chinese modernization.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter sent Friday, in which he extended his congratulations on the university's 100th anniversary and greetings to its faculty members, students and alumni. 
Noida Lift Crash: 4 More Workers Succumb To Injuries, Death Toll Climbs To 8

India

oi-PTI

Four more workers, who were hospitalized after a service lift crashed at an under-construction society in Noida Extension, succumbed on Saturday, pushing the death toll in the incident to eight, officials said.

The lift had nine workers in it when it fell from the 14th floor of an under-construction tower at an Amrapali Dream Valley project site in Noida Extension, also known as Greater Noida (West), on Friday morning.

The long-stalled project is being completed by the state-run NBCC. ''Four workers had died after the incident on Friday. Five of them were admitted to the district hospital in a critical condition. Of these, four more have succumbed to the injuries while one worker is still undergoing treatment,'' District Magistrate Manish Verma told PTI.

Greater Noida Lift Free Fall: 4 Workers Killed At Under-Construction Society

An FIR has been lodged at the local Bisrakh Police Station and nine people booked for negligence and culpable homicide, among others, in connection with the case, according to police. The district administration and the local Greater Noida Authority have also launched probes into the episode.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 13:14 [IST]
Renowned Author Gita Mehta Dies at 80: A Look Back at Her Illustrious Career

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik's Sister Gita Mehta Passes Away At 80

India

oi-Sushmita Halder

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's sister Gita Mehta breathed her last on Friday. Reportedly, the 80-year-old passed away at her residence in Delhi.

BJP National Vice President, Baijayant Panda expressed his condolences over the sad demise of Gita Mehta on platform X, formerly Twitter.

His post read, "Having been close family friends, i recall her wit & intelligence as a great raconteur & along with her late husband, publishing titan Sonny Mehta, her many kindnesses & wonderful hospitality. A charismatic, opinionated, fiesty personality, she will be greatly missed. With deepest condolences to the family & prayers for the departed soul."

Odisha Governor Professor Ganeshi Lal also conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and friends of Gita Mehta.

Odisha CM's sister Gita Mehta was the daughter of legendary leader and former Odisha CM Biju Patnaik. She was an eminent writer, documentary filmmaker, and journalist.

Gita Mehta who was conferred India's fourth highest civilian honour-Padma Shri- in the field of literature and education in 2019, reduced to take the award due to some political reasons.

Gita Mehta has produced and directed over 14 television documentaries for UK, European and US network. She also worked as a television journalist for the US-based television network NBC.

She is the elder sister of Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik. Gita Mehta was married to renowned American publisher late Sonny Mehta.

Born in 1943 to Biju and Gyan Patnaik in Delhi, Gita Mehta pursued her education in India and the University of Cambridge in the UK. Her books include Karma Cola, Snake and Ladders, A River Sutra, Raj and The Eternal Ganesha.

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Story first published: Sunday, September 17, 2023, 0:05 [IST]
What Is The Task Of 'One Nation, One Election' Committee? What We Know, So Far

'One Nation, One Election: First Meet Of Panel Headed By Kovind This Afternoon

One Nation, One Election: Former President Kovind To Chair First Meeting In Delhi Today

One Nation, One Election: First Meeting Of Study Panel To Be Held On September 23

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The first meeting of the 'One Nation, One Election' committee will be held on September 23, former President and chairman of the committee Ram Nath Kovind said. The committee was formed by the government in September 2023 to examine the feasibility of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities, and panchayats.

The announcement regarding 'One Nation, One Election' was made on August 31, leading to widespread speculation about the agenda for the special session of Parliament. On September 1, the government established a committee for 'One Nation, One Election,' with former President Ram Nath Kovind at its helm. BJP chief JP Nadda also held discussions with the former president at his residence in this regard.

The formation of the committee has intensified speculation about the convening of a special session of Parliament to introduce this legislation.

Since assuming office in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a staunch advocate for the concept of simultaneous elections, encompassing local body polls. He has emphasized the financial burden and disruption to development activities caused by the continuous election cycle.

'One Nation, One Election: First Meet Of Panel Headed By Kovind This Afternoon

Ram Nath Kovind shared Modi's perspective and endorsed the idea after becoming President in 2017. During a parliamentary address in 2018, he remarked, "Frequent elections not only place a significant strain on human resources but also hinder the development process due to the implementation of the model code of conduct."

Like Prime Minister Modi, he called for a sustained debate and expressed optimism that all political parties could reach a consensus on this matter.
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

Chandrababu Naidu To Finally Come Out Of Jail As AP High Court Grants Bail

Reconstituted CWC To Hold First Meeting In Hyderabad; Strategy For Assembly, LS Polls On Agenda

India

oi-PTI

The first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee (CWC) will be held here on Saturday to evolve a strategy for the upcoming assembly polls in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Holding the crucial meeting in the Telangana capital, the Congress is also looking to send out a message that it will go all-out to dislodge the BRS government in the poll-bound state.

The brainstorming of the Congress top brass during the meeting would prove to be a ''game changer'' and a ''transformative moment'' for Telangana politics as well as the party, leaders said.

Before leaving for Hyderabad, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said in Delhi that it will be the first CWC meeting after he took over as the party president in October last year.

BJP Takes a Swipe at Congress Over Media Anchor Boycott Decision

The CWC will meet on Saturday and an extended working committee meeting will be held on Sunday during which discussions about party organisation will take place, he said.

Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and all senior leaders will be present in the meeting and will have discussions regarding the upcoming elections in five states, he said.

The focus of the meetings, Kharge said, will be on strengthening the organisation and discussions on alliances will take place in the meeting of the INDIA bloc.

Announcing the detailed plan for the CWC meeting to be chaired by Kharge, general secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh on Friday said this is for the first time in many years that the party's top decision-making body will hold deliberations for three days outside Delhi.

The CWC will meet at 2:30 pm on Saturday and deliberate on the strategy for the upcoming assembly elections and the Lok Sabha polls.

Talking about the deliberations to be held on Saturday, Venugopal said, ''The Congress president will be present. Former Congress presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and all other working committee members, including permanent invitees and special invitees, will also participate.'' ''We have invited 90 people, but six of them have informed us about their inability to attend due to personal difficulties. All other 84 people will attend, including our four chief ministers,'' he said.

On Sunday, there will be a meeting of the extended CWC to which all state party chiefs and CLP leaders, besides Parliamentary Party office-bearers, Central Election Committee members have been invited to strategize for the upcoming elections.

''We invited 159 people, out of them 147 people are attending the meeting on Sunday,'' Venugopal said.

Haryana Congress MLA Mamman Khan Arrested, To Be Produced Before Court Today

On Sunday evening, which is celebrated as Telangana National Integration Day, the party will hold a ''mega rally'' near Hyderabad where it will announce six guarantees for the Telangana assembly elections, he said.

While the MPs of the party would return to Delhi for the special session of Parliament after the rally, other leaders, CWC members, PCC presidents and CLP leaders will branch out to the various assembly constituencies.

''The charge sheet against the KCR government will come out, our workers will be there in all assembly constituencies. Along with the leaders, they will participate in this programme,'' Venugopal said.

Kharge had on August 20 reconstituted the CWC, retaining the old guard and giving space to the young in the 84-member body.

The CWC has 39 regular members, 32 permanent invitees and 13 special invitees. These include 15 women and several new faces such as Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot and Gaurav Gogoi who are among the regular members.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 11:05 [IST]
'Godman' Asaram gets bail in forged documents case, to remain in jail for sexual exploitation of minor

Self-Styled Godman Asaram Approaches Rajasthan HC Second Time For Parole

India

oi-PTI

Asaram has moved the Rajasthan high court for parole after his plea for relief was rejected a second time, his counsel said on Saturday. Allowing his application, the high court on Friday issued a notice to the state government seeking a reply in two weeks.

Asaram, a self-styled godman, has been serving a life sentence following his conviction on April 25, 2018, for sexually assaulting a teenage student of his ashram. His counsel Kalu Ram Bhati said that the District Parole Committee rejected his parole application a second time on the ground that his release on parole could cause law and order issues.

''Asaram had moved an application seeking 20 days' parole but the committee rejected it citing a negative report from the police,'' he said.

Bhati in court argued that Asaram had been serving the jail term for 11 years and even the Social Justice and Empowerment department had recommended parole for him.

''Moreover, his behaviour in this entire period in the jail has been satisfactory and he deserved parole owing to his old age and health,'' he argued.

Additional Advocate General Anil Joshi, however, sought some time to file his reply, after which, the division bench of Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Rajendra Prakash Soni directed him to file his reply in two weeks' time.

'Godman' Asaram gets bail in forged documents case, to remain in jail for sexual exploitation of minor

Asaram moved high court in July after his application seeking parole had been rejected by the committee on the ground that he was not entitled to parole under the provisions of the Rajasthan Prisoners Release on Parole Rules, 2021 (the Rules of 2021).

His counsel had then argued that the rule did not apply to Asaram as he had been convicted and sentenced before it came into force. The high court, disposing of his application, had then directed the committee to reconsider Asaram's parole application in light of the old 1958 rules.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 13:26 [IST]
Such josh in there says Piyush Goyal while citing Uri in Budget 2019

Pak Army Gave Cover-Fire To 3 Terrorists Killed In Uri: Army

India

oi-Sushmita Halder

The Jammu and Kashmir Police foiled a major infiltration bid by killing three terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri town of Baramulla district.

Brigadier PMS Dhillon, commander of the Pir Panjal Brigade, on Saturday while addressing a press conference said while bodies of two terrorists were recovered, the retrieval of the body of the third terrorist was interfered with by the firing from a Pakistani post.

"Based on specific inputs, in a joint operation launched by the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police, an infiltration bid was foiled today in Baramulla. Three terrorists tried to infiltrate and were engaged by alert troops. Two terrorists were eliminated and their bodies were recovered, the third terrorist was killed but the retrieval of the body was interfered with by the firing from a Pakistani post in the vicinity. Search operations are underway," the brigadier was quoted saying at a media conference.

According to the police officials, the operation started in the Hathlanga forward area in Uri sector of the north Kashmir district.

Meanwhile the gunfight in Anantnag continues to enter fourth day on Saturday. As per officials, two-three terrorists are still hidden in the hilly terrain of Anantnag district.

Vijay Kumar, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Kashmir, the Kashmir Zone Police took to platform X, formerly Twitter on Friday, "Rtd Police/Army officers should avoid 'Ambush Hypothesis'. It is a specific input based ops. Ops is in progress and all 2-3 trapped terrorists will be neutralised."

The Army has maintained a tight cordon-off in the area. However, according to the officials, the soldier who was reported missing on Thursday lost his life in the ongoing encounter.

An Army colonel in the Rashtriya Rifles lost his life in the ongoing gunfight in the Anantnag district. An Army major and a deputy superintendent of the Jammu and Kashmir Police also fell to enemy fire in the Kokernag area. The senior officers were identified as Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonak, and DSP Humayun Bhat.
Radicalisation coupled with population Jihad in Assam and the need to reign in it

Aman ki Asha proponents must ask Pakistan about persecution of Hindus, terror strikes in India

4 Terrorists Gunned Down In Kupwara While Trying To Infiltrate Border From PoK

Three Terrorists Killed As Security Forces Foil Infiltration Bid Along LoC In J&K's Baramulla

India

oi-PTI

Three militants were killed as security forces foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control (LoC) in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, officials said.

The operation was launched in the Hathlanga forward area in Uri sector of the north Kashmir district, the police officials said.

''In a Joint Operation launched by #IndianArmy, @JmuKmrPolice and Intelligence agencies, an infiltration bid was foiled today in the morning hours along LoC in Uri Sector, Baramulla,'' Army's Chinar Corps wrote in a post on X.

Three terrorists tried to infiltrate into the Indian side and were engaged by alert troops, it said.

While the bodies of two terrorists have been retrieved, firing from a Pakistani post in the vicinity is interfering with the retrieval of the third terrorist's body, it added.

Anantnag Gunfight: Army Uses Rocket Launchers To Attack Terrorists In 4th Day Of Search Operation

The operation is in progress, the Army said.

The identities and group affiliation of the slain terrorists are yet to be ascertained, police said.

The infiltration bid and the subsequent encounter come at a time when an operation is underway in Anantnag district to neutralise terrorists who have taken positions in the forest area in a hilly terrain. The gunfight entered its fourth day on Saturday.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 14:01 [IST]
Trump Dominates Early Stages of GOP Primary Despite Abortion Standoff

Former President Donald Trump is currently dominating the early stages of the Republican presidential primary, despite refusing to endorse a federal ban on abortion. This move has allowed some top rivals, including former Vice President Mike Pence, to position themselves more conservatively than him on this crucial issue that motivates many right-wing activists.

International

-Sathish Raman

In the early stages of the Republican presidential primary, Donald Trump is commanding attention even as he eschews a federal ban on abortion. This stance allows some of his top rivals to position themselves further to the right on an issue that galvanizes many conservative activists. Despite this, Trump frequently highlights how his presidency bolstered the efforts of abortion opponents.

Trump's Impact on Abortion Rights

The former president appointed three conservative Supreme Court justices who played pivotal roles in overturning Roe v. Wade. The landmark decision had established a federally guaranteed right to abortion; its reversal fulfilled the long-held ambitions of anti-abortion activists. However, Trump has thus far refrained from endorsing national bans proposed by some of his competitors, including Mike Pence, his erstwhile vice president.

Pence's Approach vs Trump's Stance

Pence advocates for nationwide bans that would become effective relatively early into pregnancy. Contrarily, Trump cautions Republicans against committing themselves to positions that do not resonate with a significant portion of the public opinion. He posits that instead of relying on federal restrictions, the Supreme Courts ruling empowers abortion opponents to "negotiate" limitations within their communities.

A New Reality for GOP

This discord exemplifies a new reality confronting GOP over a year into what can be termed as post-Roe era. While top-tier candidates like Pence seek stringent measures at national levels against abortions and appeal directly to their bases most ardent anti-abortion sentiments; others like Trump prefer negotiating local restrictions based on prevailing public sentiment rather than imposing blanket prohibitions. This approach may well help him sustain broader support among conservatives who are wary about going too far in curtailing individual rights.

Federal Ban: A Divisive Issue?

The question of whether or not to endorse a federal ban on abortion has become a divisive issue within the Republican party. While some view it as an essential measure to protect unborn lives, others regard it as an infringement upon women's rights and autonomy. This division is evident in the differing stances of Trump and Pence, both influential figures in contemporary American politics.

In conclusion, Donald Trumps refusal to endorse a federal ban on abortion highlights his strategic approach towards appealing to a broader conservative base. By focusing on local negotiations rather than blanket bans, he aims at striking a balance between satisfying anti-abortion sentiments and respecting individual rights. As the Republican presidential primary unfolds, it remains to be seen how this stance will impact his campaign and whether other candidates will follow suit or stick with their hardline positions.
Bard Declares Karnataka Election Result 2023 and Here is What It Says

Google Co-Founder Secretly Separates From Wife Over Her Alleged Affair With Elon Musk

International

oi-Sushmita Halder

Google's co-founder Sergey Brin and his wife Nicole Shanahan split after the latter was accused of having an affair with billionaire Elon Musk.

Earlier on May 26, the couple got the divorce confirmation, however, they would now separate legally with the custody of their four-year-old kid. According to the court papers, Shanahan did not contest the divorce, but asked the court to award her spousal support.

The couple started dating in 2015. Reportedly, Brin married to Nicole Shanahan in 2018 after his divorce from his first wife Anne Wojcicki.

But things started turning sour as Brin and Nicole split in 2021 and started living separately. Later Brin filed for divorce in 2022, citing ''irreconcilable difference''.

As per some media report, Brin filed for divorce about a month after his Nicole allegedly had a brief affair with Elon Musk, with whom he had been friends for years. However, both Musk and Shanahan denied their alleged affair.

Elon Musk once took to platform X, formerly Twitter, ''Sergey and I are friends and were at a party together last night. I've only seen Nicole twice in three years, both times with many other people around. Nothing romantic.''

Meanwhile, Shanahan called the scandal annoying. She even claimed that she was never even more than friends with Musk.

''Did Elon and I have sex, like it was a moment of passion, and then it was over? No. Did we have a romantic relationship? No. We didn't have an affair,'' she claimed in July.

With a net worth of $118 billion, the 50-year-old Google co-founder is the ninth richest person in the world while 34-year-old Shanahan is a California-based attorney.

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Story first published: Sunday, September 17, 2023, 1:55 [IST]
Massive Manhunt Unfolds In Maine, U.S.; Who Is Robert Card And What Else Is Going On

Jaahnavi Kandula's Death: Comments 'Taken Out Of Context', Says Seattle Police Officer

International

oi-PTI

The Seattle Police Officers' Guild has defended the callous remarks of its official, who was found making insensitive comments after the horrific death of Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula, saying some viral videos of police actions shared by media were taken out of ''context".

Kandula, 23, was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street in Seattle on January 23. He was driving 74 mph (more than 119 kmh) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call. Kandula was thrown 100 feet when she was struck by the speeding police patrol vehicle.

In bodycam footage released on Monday by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary.

In the video, Auderer can be heard saying, ''Yeah, just write a cheque. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value.'' ''The video captures only one side of the conversation. There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet...,'' the Seattle Police Officers Guild said in a statement on Friday as it also released a letter written by its officer Auderer in which the latter said that he intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers.

Body Camera Exposes Seattle Police Laughing At Indian-Origin Student's Death

Officer Auderer claimed his joke that the city should "just write a check" was taken out of context during a private call he didn't know was being recorded by his department-issued body camera.

In the letter dated August 3 to the Office of Police Accountability, Auderer said he laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how he has watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy.

''At the time I believed the conversation was private and not being recorded. The conversation was also not within the course of my duties,'' he wrote in his letter to Gino Betts, director Office of Police Accountability.

''On January 23, 2023, I was dispatched from home to assist with a fatality collision involving a city vehicle,'' he said.

''While en route home I called Mike Solan to give him an update regarding what had occurred. The phone call was inadvertently recorded on my BWV which had turned on. The conversation took place in my patrol car. I was the only occupant. During that phone call Mike Solan stated something to the effect that it was unfortunate that this would turn into lawyers arguing 'The value of human life','' he wrote.

''Mike Solan asked me as he was lamenting the loss of life something similar to: 'What crazy argument can a lawyer make in something like this? What crazy thing can they come up with.' I responded with something like: 'She's 26 years old, what value is there, who cares.' I intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers - I was imitating what a lawyer tasked with negotiating the case would be saying and being sarcastic to express that they shouldn't be coming up with crazy arguments to minimise the payment,'' Auderer wrote.

''I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I have watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy. At the time I believed the conversation was private and not being recorded. The conversation was also not within the course of my duties,'' he said.

''I understand that without context, the comment could be interpreted as horrifying and crude. Without context, the comment is insensitive to the family of the victim when in reality I was involved in a conversation regarding the callousness of the legal system. At the time I had no idea who the victim was,'' he wrote.

Auderer said he does understand that if a citizen were to hear it they would rightfully believe he was being insensitive to the loss of a human life. ''I also understand that if heard it could diminish the trust in the Seattle Police Department and make all of our jobs more difficult. With all of that being said the comment was not made with malice or a hard heart, quite the opposite.

US Cop Caught Joking Over Death Of Andhra Student, India Seeks Probe

''My intent in requesting rapid adjudication is to be as transparent as possible. I am willing to accept any reasonable discipline our accountability partners and the Chief of Police wish to hand down,'' he said.

The Seattle Police Officers' Guild in its statement said some viral videos of police actions shared by the media fail to explain the full story/context.

''This Seattle Police video is an example of that reality. The video captures only one side of the conversation. There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet... SPOG has full confidence that the civilian-led police accountability system known as the Office of Police Accountability / OPA will conduct a thorough and fair investigation,'' the guild wrote.

Upon being made aware of the existence of this video, Auderer immediately took ownership of his actions and authored a statement requesting that the Director of OPA (Gino Betts) consider the course of ''Rapid Adjudication'', the statement read.

''Rapid Adjudication is a disciplinary process that was agreed to by the City of Seattle and the SPOG to expedite police employee misconduct investigations so accountability can be swiftly addressed, and reasonable discipline imposed. This was done by Dan more than 4 weeks before the release of the video,'' the guild said.

Meanwhile, an online petition has been launched and signed by thousands of people seeking to terminate Auderer.

''By allowing Auderer to remain in a position where he interacts with the public, we are putting our community at risk. His actions have shown that he does not prioritize public safety nor respect the rights and dignity of individuals under his jurisdiction,'' said the online petition on Change.org.

Auderer was captured on his body camera making a disturbing statement in the moments following the accident, suggesting that Jaahnavi's life had ''limited value.'' When the bodycam footage was leaked this week, several petitions were started on Change.org demanding accountability.

''We call upon Mayor Jenny Durkan, City Council members, and other relevant authorities to prioritize the well-being of our community by addressing these issues promptly. We want justice. Jaahnavi is our daughter, our sister,'' said Nishtha Raheja Goel who launched the online petition. By Friday night, the petition had more than 6,700 signatures.

The petitioners urge the authorities responsible for overseeing law enforcement personnel decisions in Seattle to immediately terminate Auderer from his position, conduct thorough background checks during recruitment processes, implement stricter accountability measures within law enforcement agencies and provide comprehensive training on empathy, cultural sensitivity, and appropriate behaviour towards victims and their families.

''By taking these actions, we can restore trust in our police force and ensure the safety of all residents in Seattle. Let us stand united against those who abuse their power and demand justice for Jaahnavi Kandula and all victims who have suffered due to Daniel Auderer's actions,'' the petition says.

Seattle Council member Kshama Sawant in a statement called for an immediate, independent, public investigation into this outrage.

''Auderer, who is the Vice President of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild (SPOG), a deeply reactionary organization which has fought against every measure of police accountability, should be immediately fired. Mike Solan, the President of SPOG, should also be fired from the Seattle Police Department,'' she said.

The OPA has failed to hold police accountable, and our city's working people need an independently elected community oversight with full powers over the police, including hiring and firing, and policies and procedures.

''Seattle Police Officer Auderer cackled in response to the death of Kandula, a young Indian exchange student after she was run over by Officer Dave's police vehicle, saying her life ''had limited value. Auderer's callous disregard for human life shown in this video is particularly chilling because he has a publicly funded gun with the authority to use lethal force,'' Sawant said.

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Story first published: Saturday, September 16, 2023, 13:20 [IST]
HELSINKI, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- As of midnight, Finland will close its borders to passenger cars registered in Russia, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release on Friday.

"In the future, only EU citizens permanently residing in Russia or their family members, diplomats or equivalent individuals, or people travelling for humanitarian reasons, can enter Finland with a passenger car registered in Russia," the release said.

With this move, Finland complies with the guidelines of the European Commission issued on Sept. 8, prohibiting the entry of passenger cars registered in Russia into the European Union.

The decision aims to prevent Russian citizens from circumventing sanctions imposed on the country, the ministry said.

Cars that are already in Finland and have Russian license plates must leave the country by March 16, 2024, the ministry said.

The move follows similar decisions made by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania earlier this week to bar the entry of vehicles registered in Russia. 
Biden On Hamas Attack: They Knew I Was About To Sit Down With The Saudis

Zelenskyy's Crucial U.S. Visit Amidst Congressional Discussions on $24 Billion Ukraine Aid

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine is expected at the White House next week during the United Nations General Assembly as Congress debates Joe Biden's request for a $24 billion aid package for Ukraine, currently fighting off Russian invasion.

International

-Sathish Raman

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to visit the United States next week, coinciding with the United Nations General Assembly. The visit comes at a crucial juncture as Congress deliberates on President Joe Biden's proposal to provide up to USD 24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine. This support is aimed at bolstering Ukraine's resistance against Russia's ongoing invasion.

Zelenskyy's Visit: An Opportunity for Strengthened Ties

The Ukrainian leader will meet with President Biden at the White House, marking their third meeting there. Jake Sullivan, Bidens national security adviser, confirmed this upcoming meeting on Friday. "It certainly comes at a critical time," said Sullivan during a press briefing at the White House. He pointed out that Russia was seeking assistance from countries like North Korea for its war efforts in Ukraine while Ukrainian forces were making progress in their counteroffensive.

Sullivan also noted that Zelenskyys visit follows closely after an important defense contact group meeting organized by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier next week. Austin has invited dozens of allies and partners from Europe to discuss strategies related to Ukraine's defense.

Capitol Hill Meeting: A Significant Engagement

In addition to his engagement with the White House, Zelenskyy will also pay a visit to Capitol Hill. According to Sullivan, this provides an opportunity not just for interaction with President Biden but also allows for broader discussions about U.S.-Ukraine relations and potential avenues of cooperation and support.

A Critical Time For U.S.-Ukraine Relations

Zelenskyys trip serves as a significant diplomatic symbol amidst escalating tensions between Ukraine and Russia. It underscores Washingtons commitment towards supporting Kiev against Moscows aggression while highlighting areas where both allies can further strengthen their cooperation. The visit is also expected to influence Congress's decision on Biden's proposed financial aid.

The U.S. has already shown considerable support for Ukraine, providing military aid and political backing in its stand against Russia. However, the situation remains precarious, with Russia showing no signs of backing down from its aggressive stance. In this context, Zelenskyys visit could potentially bolster international support for Ukraine and apply additional pressure on Russia.

Conclusion: A Crucial Visit Amidst Global Tensions

In conclusion, President Volodymyr Zelenskyys upcoming visit to the United States comes at a critical time when global attention is focused on the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. His engagements with President Biden and Capitol Hill are not just diplomatic formalities but carry significant implications for the future of U.S.-Ukraine relations and potential international responses to Russian aggression. It will be interesting to see how these meetings shape future strategies towards ensuring peace and stability in Eastern Europe.
A senior bikie has been charged in connection with a shooting that injured a nine-year-old girl in southern Sydney last year.
LifeMinute.tv 06 Oct 2023

Mixing blues and Bach with jazz and rock... singer-songwriter and pianist Peter Cincotti is something special. The 40-year-old..
Ovidio Guzman faces charges related to fentanyl trafficking, which kills about 200 Americans per day. The extradition is seen as a victory for the Biden administration.
Eurasia Review 28 Sep 2023

By Kalinga Seneviratne



Catastrophic floods in Libya this month have killed over 10,000 people, according to estimates,..
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire vows not to 'back down' after Democratic Party punts again in battle with key primary state over Biden's presidential nominating calendar
Upworthy 13 Sep 2023

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham had issued her order on people carrying firearms saying that the time for standard..
Ottawa: Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng is postponing a trade mission to India planned for October, an official said on Friday, reflecting increasingly tense diplomatic relations just days after India's prime minister scolded his Canadian counterpart at a G20 summit in New Delhi.

"At this time, we are postponing the upcoming trade mission to India," said Shanti Cosentino, a spokesperson for the minister, without giving a reason.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who held formal bilateral meetings with many world leaders during the G20 summit, snubbed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, allowing only a short, informal meeting on the sidelines five days ago.

Canada has the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab in India, and the country has been the site of many protests that have irked India.

"They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship," India's government said after the leaders met.

Earlier on Friday, India said it had paused trade talks with Canada. Canada made a similar announcement earlier this month, saying such a pause was needed to "take stock".

Only about four months ago the two nations said they aimed to seal an initial trade agreement this year.
Thrissur: CPM leaders including former minister A C Moideen have landed in a tough spot after they came under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate in the money laundering case related to the controversial Karuvannur co-operative bank scam.

As per the latest reports, phone call details of Satheeh Kumar, a key accused in the case turned into crucial evidence against the CPM leaders.



The ED had collected the last six months call record of Satheesh even before his arrest in the case.

As per reports, phone conversations had references to the funds transferred from abroad. It is hinted that ED obtained strong evidence from the call records to prove the relationship of the accused with CPM leaders like former minister A C Moideen, councillors, Davis Kada and P R Aravindakshan.

Meanwhile, ED has already found that Satheesh managed to bring foreign funds worth crores to the bank through his two firms based in Bahrain.

As Satheesh has been running a supermarket and a spare parts shop in Bahrain, the ED has started hectic investigations into the real sources of the funding.

The ED is believed to have got vital information from the audio clips sent as voice messages and chats through social media platforms.

According to ED officials, the key accused utilized at least 20 people, including bank employees and middlemen, for money laundering. All these persons have been identified and the agency has started quizzing them one by one. At first, most of them denied the allegations and argued that they did not have any role in the money laundering case. But the agency silenced them with the voice clips recovered from the phone of Satheesh Kumar.
Kochi: A sexual assault case has been registered against popular vlogger 'Mallu Traveler' based on a complaint filed by a Saudi national.

The woman, hailing from Saudi Arabia, filed a complaint with the Ernakulam Central Police stating that Shakir Subhan, known as Mallu Traveler, tried to molest her at a hotel after inviting her for an interview.

The incident occurred a week ago. According to the complainant, the Mallu Traveler invited her to a hotel in Ernakulam for an interview. At the hotel, Subhan behaved inappropriately and tried to molest the complainant.

Police informed the media that Shakir Subhan will be called to the station for questioning. The vlogger is currently out of station, police sources said.

The complaint was filed on Friday.

Shakir Subhan, a travel vlogger, has over 2.2 million followers on Instagram and 2.7 million subscribers on YouTube. Subhan, who worked as a salesman in a supermarket in Dubai, rose to fame through his travel vlogs.
TEHRAN, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) has seized two foreign tankers carrying more than 1.5 million liters of smuggled fuel in the country's southern waters, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Friday.

The Panama- and Tanzania-flagged tankers were seized by IRGC's naval forces stationed in the southwestern port city of Bandar-e Mahshahr, the Mehr quoted Mohammad-Sharif Shirali, deputy commander of IRGC's third marine zone, as saying.

He added that the two tankers, which smuggled Iran's diesel in an organized manner, were confiscated under a judicial order.

Shirali noted that 37 crew members on board the two tankers have been referred to the country's judicial authorities. 
New Delhi: In the wake of the Nipah outbreak in Kerala's Kozhikode, India has reached out to Australia for procuring 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody for the treatment of the virus infection.

With repeated instances of Nipah outbreaks being reported from the southern state and the mortality rate very high compared to Covid, ICMR DG Rajeev Bahl said that ICMR is also planning to start work on developing a vaccine against the viral disease.

He said mortality among the infected is very high in Nipah (between 40 and 70 per cent) compared to the mortality in Covid, which was 2-3 per cent.

A fresh case of Nipah virus was confirmed in Kozhikode, taking the total number of people infected in the state to six.

"We got some doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia in 2018. Currently the doses are available for only 10 patients," Bahl said, adding globally monoclonal antibody has been given to 14 patients infected with Nipah virus outside India and all of them have survived.

"Only phase 1 trial to establish the safety of the medicine has been done outside. Efficacy trials have not been done. It can only given as compassionate use medicine," he said.

According to him, no one so far has been administered the medicine in India.

"Twenty more doses are being procured. But the medicine needs to be given during the early stage of the infection," he said, adding it can only given as compassionate use medicine.

He asserted that all efforts are on to contain the spread of the virus in Kerala.

All patients are contact of an index patient, he said.

On ICMR planning to start work on new vaccines such as a vaccine for Nipah, Bahl said the procedure involves looking for partners - who can make it, and on which platform.

"Our biggest asset at the moment is that we have developed vaccines on diverse platforms during Covid such as DNA vaccine, mRNA vaccine, adenoviral vector vaccine, protein subunit vaccine, and nasal vaccine, and we can use these diverse platforms to develop the new vaccine against disease such as Nipah infection," he said.

On why cases keep surfacing in Kerala, Bahl said, "We do not know. In 2018, we found the outbreak in Kerala was related to bats. We are not sure how the infection passed from bats to humans. The link couldn't be established. Again we are trying to find out this time. It always happens in the rainy season."

Globally monoclonal antibody have been given to 14 patients infected with Nipah virus outside India and all of them have survived.

The decision to use the antibody, however, has to be of the Kerala government's, besides that of doctors and also families of patients.

ICMR's National Institute of Virology in Pune is conducting whole genome sequencing of the virus to know which exact variant is in circulation in Kerala.

Meanwhile he said the Mobile BSL 3 Laboratory which has been sent to Kozikodhe to enable testing at the district itself there testing of samples have already begun.

In view of high mortality, Bahl said taking precautions is the best option. He advised people to follow social distancing, wear masks and stay away from raw food that could be exposed to bats.

Developed in America, the antibody was shared with a university in Australia as part of a tech-transfer initiative.

(With PTI inputs.)
The United Nations is providing aid to areas in eastern Libya after extreme rainfall caused devastating flooding and loss of lives over the weekend, and has issued an urgent appeal to donors for $71.4 million.

More than 5,000 people have died and thousands more are reported missing, many of them residents of Derna after it was struck by a torrent of water from two dams which burst, sweeping away whole neighbourhoods of the port city.

UN aid coordination office OCHA issued an urgent appeal to donors for $71.4 million to respond to the needs of around 250,000 people impacted by the floods in Libya over the next three months, saying death tolls could rise without more help.

OCHA estimates that more than 880,000 people, in five provinces, live in areas directly affected by the storm and flash floods.

Martin Griffiths, Emergency Relief Coordinator, announced an initial allocation of $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support those affected by the floods.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said its planned emergency operation will aim to provide monthly food assistance to 100,000 people in flood-affected areas for the next three months.

Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)

 The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is a humanitarian fund established by the UN General Assembly in December 2005 and launched in March 2006.

 CERF seeks to enable more timely and reliable humanitarian assistance to those affected by natural disasters and armed conflicts.

CERFs objectives:

i) To promote early action and response to reduce loss of life.

ii) To enhance response to time-critical requirements.

iii) To strengthen core elements of humanitarian response in underfunded crises.

 CERFs rapid response window allows country teams to kick-start relief efforts immediately in a coordinated and prioritized response when a new crisis emerges.

 The Emergency Relief Coordinator manages CERF on behalf of the UN Secretary-General and is supported by the CERF secretariat, which ensures that funds are allocated properly, disbursed in a timely manner, and that the use of funds is reported appropriately and transparently.

 Since its inception, 126 UN Member States and observers, as well as regional governments, corporate donors, foundations and individuals, made it possible for humanitarian partners to deliver over $5.5 billion in life-saving assistance in over 100 countries and territories.

What is the purpose of UN OCHA?

 In December 1991, the General Assembly adopted a resolution to strengthen the United Nations response to complex emergencies and natural disasters, while improving the overall effectiveness of humanitarian operations in the field.

 The resolution also created the high-level position of Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC).

 Soon after the resolution was adopted, the Secretary-General established the Department of Humanitarian Affairs (DHA).

 In 1998, as part of the Secretary-Generals programme of reform, DHA was reorganised into the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Its mandate was expanded to include the coordination of humanitarian response, policy development and humanitarian advocacy.

 OCHA carries out its coordination function primarily through the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC), which is chaired by the ERC.

 Participants include all humanitarian partners, from United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, to the Red Cross movement and NGOs. The IASC ensures inter-agency decision-making in response to complex emergencies. These responses include needs assessments, consolidated appeals, field coordination arrangements and the development of humanitarian policies.
Brussels: Climate activists from Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia organized large-scale protests on Friday, demanding an end to the use of fossil fuels that contribute to global warming. With extreme weather and record-breaking heat affecting the planet, the activists aim to raise awareness about the urgent need for change. The protests are expected to continue throughout the weekend.

The protests driven by several mostly youth-led, local and global climate groups and organisations, including Greta Thunberg's Fridays for Future movement were taking place in dozens of countries and hundreds of cities worldwide.

Several thousand people marched in Vienna, holding up signs demanding higher taxes for carbon emissions and an end to meat consumption. Members of the student climate awareness group Last Generation sat down in front of parliament, and speakers called on the government to quit oil and gas and pass laws to save the climate.

We need national climate protection laws because Austria has a great responsibility, we have a historical responsibility for our emissions," Global 2000 campaigner Anna Leitner said. "And at the same time, Austria and Europe are the seat of international companies which don't care about laws elsewhere in the world and pollute the environment and climate. That's exactly why we need a supply chain law and we demand climate protection on all levels.

Environmental activists march during the Global Climate Strike in downtown Chicago, Illinois, on September 15, 2023. Photo: AFP/KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI

It's one year since Russia started the war against Ukraine, World Wildlife Fund spokesman Thomas Zehetner said. It's still legal in Austria to install gas heating. ... We demand that a law needs to be passed as quickly as possible which regulates the exit from oil and gas.

Some 250 protests were held in Germany, including thousands of people who gathered at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and marched in a long procession through the city's government district. One person carried a sign that read March now or swim later.

In Quezon City in the Philippines, activists lay in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and held signs demanding fossil fuels from coal to natural gas be phased out. Outside the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources office in Jakarta, Indonesia, protesters held signs calling for end to dirty fuels and greenwashing as police officers looked on.

Bicyclists ride on the Great Highway while taking part in a Ride to End Fossil Fuels organized by Kristin Tieche, middle, of the Climate Reality Project, in San Francisco. Photo: AFP/ Jeff Chiu

In Sweden, climate activists gathered in front of Parliament next to the Royal Palace where Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf was celebrating his 50th anniversary on the throne. Their chants about climate justice could be heard in the palace courtyard as the king watched the changing of the guard during the Golden Jubilee celebrations.

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dozens joined a protest march through the city of Goma, shouting slogans and waving banners and placards calling for an end to corporate control of fossil fuels. The Congolese government caused an uproar among environmentalists last year by putting 30 oil and gas blocks up for auction, including 13 blocks crisscrossing through protected areas and national parks.

The Congo Basin forest absorbs 1.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide about 4% of global emissions some of which would be released into the atmosphere if the areas are cleared for oil and gas drilling.

A week before the planned protest, the United Nations warned that countries are way off track to curb warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times, as agreed in Paris in 2015. The world has warmed at least 1.1 degrees (2 degrees Fahrenheit) since then.

Over the past few months, Earth broke its daily average heat record several times according to one metric, July was the hottest month ever on record, and the Northern Hemisphere summer was declared the hottest on record.

Dozens of extreme weather events from Hurricane Idalia in the southeastern United States to torrential flooding in Delhi in India are believed to have been made worse by human-caused climate change.

Another major strike is planned to take place Sunday in New York, to coincide with the city's Climate Week and the U.N. climate summit.

Climate activists have organized similar worldwide strikes in recent years, where protesters from different nations join together on a single day.
Derna: Residents and rescue workers in the devastated Libyan city of Derna are struggling to cope with the thousands of corpses washing up or decaying under rubble, after a flood that smashed down buildings and swept people to sea.

The World Health Organisation and other aid groups urged authorities in Libya to stop burying flood victims in mass graves, saying these could bring long-term mental distress to families or cause health risks if located near water.

A UN report said more than 1,000 people had so far been buried in that manner since Libya, a nation divided by a decade of conflict and political chaos, was hit on Sunday by torrential rain that caused two dams to burst.

Thousands were killed and thousands more are missing.

"Bodies are littering the streets, washing back on shore, and are buried under collapsed buildings and debris. In just two hours, one of my colleagues counted over 200 bodies on the beach near Derna," Bilal Sablouh, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) forensics manager for Africa, told a briefing in Geneva.

Ibrahim al-Arabi, health minister in Libya's Tripoli-based western government, told Reuters he was certain groundwater was polluted with water mixed up with corpses, dead animals, refuse and chemical substances. "We urge people not to approach the wells in Derna," he said.

Mohammad al-Qabisi, head of Derna's Wahda Hospital, said a field hospital was treating people with chronic illnesses needing regular attention. He said there were fears waterborne diseases would spread, but no cholera had been recorded so far.

Swathes of Derna, centrepoint of the destruction in Libya's east, were obliterated when the dams above the city broke, and the flood that swept down a usually dry riverbed brought down whole residential blocks while families were asleep.

A view shows the destruction, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 16, 2023. Photo: Reuters/Esam Omran Al-fetori

The International Organization for Migration mission in Libya said more than 5,000 people were presumed dead, with 3,922 deaths registered in hospitals, and over 38,640 were displaced in the flood-stricken region.

The true death toll could be far higher, officials say.

"We should be afraid of an epidemic," 60-year-old Nouri Mohamed said, at a bakery offering loaves for free. "There are still bodies underground ... Now there are corpses starting to smell."

The UN health agency together with the ICRC and International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies called for burials to be managed better.

"We urge authorities in communities touched by tragedy to not rush forward with mass burials or mass cremations," Kazunobu Kojima, medical officer for biosafety and biosecurity in the WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, said in the statement.

It called for individual graves, demarcated and documented, saying that hasty interments could lead to mental anguish for families as well as social and legal problems.

The bodies of victims of trauma from natural disasters "almost never" posed a health threat, it said, unless they were in or near fresh water supplies since corpses may leak excrement.

Dealing with the dead

A doctor in Derna said this week that photos were being taken of unidentified bodies before burial, in case relatives could identify them later on.

Thursday's UN report said more than 1,000 bodies in Derna and over 100 in Al Bayda, another coastal city hit by flooding, had been buried in mass graves.

The Norwegian Refugee Council, which has a team of 100 in Libya, said dead body management was the most pressing concern.

"I've heard from my team that there are mass graves where rescue workers were appealing: 'Don't bring us food, dont bring us water, bring us body bags'," the NRC's Ahmed Bayram said.

Libyan Muslims attend the Friday prayers at the mosque, in the aftermath of the floods in Derna, Libya September 15, 2023. Photo: Reuters/Esam Omran Al-Fetori

The ICRC sent a cargo flight to Benghazi, eastern Libya's largest city, on Friday with 5,000 body bags. Other aid has also been coming in from abroad.

The Danish Refugee Council said it was sending a team of explosives disposal experts because of the risk of landmines being dislodged by flooding.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his country, which has already sent three aircraft and a ship with supplies, had now sent two amphibious landing ships carrying 122 vehicles including ambulances and rescue vehicles.

Some residents were frustrated that Libya's own fractured authorities were not acting faster.

"The state is no of use to us," said Saad Rajab Mohamed al-Hasi, a 50-year-old security officer who lives in Susah, a town about 60 km (38 miles) away that was also damaged by flooding. "Now Im in the street with my children and wife."

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told the Geneva briefing that Libya needed equipment to find people trapped in sludge and damaged buildings, as well as primary health care to prevent a cholera outbreak.
This September is the sixtieth anniversary of U.S. and Soviet ratification of the world's first significant nuclear arms control agreement, the Partial Test Ban Treaty. Thus, it's an appropriate time to examine that treaty, as well as to consider what might be done to end the danger of nuclear annihilation.

Although the use, in 1945, of atomic bombs to destroy Hiroshima and Nagasaki unleashed a wave of public concern about human survival in the nuclear age, it declined with the emergence of the Cold War. But another, even larger wave developed during the 1950s and early 1960s as the nuclear arms race surged forward. At the time, the governments of the United States, the Soviet Union, and Britain engaged in testing a new nuclear device, the H-bomb, with a thousand times the power of the atomic bomb.

Many people found this situation alarming. Not only did the advent of H-bombs point toward universal doom in a future war, but the testing of the weapons sent vast clouds of radioactive "fallout" into the atmosphere, where it drifted around the planet until it descended upon the populace below. In 1957, Professor Linus Pauling, a Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, predicted that, thanks to the nuclear tests already conducted, a million people would die early, and 200,000 children would be born with serious mental deficiency or physical defects.

In reaction to this growing menace, millions of people around the world began to resist nuclear weapons. They formed new, activist organizations, including the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy (better known as SANE) and Women Strike for Peace (in the United States), the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (in Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand), the Japan Council Against A & H Bombs and the Japan Congress Against A & H Bombs (in Japan), and the Struggle Against Atomic Death (in West Germany). Even in the Soviet bloc, concerned scientists pressed for an end to the nuclear arms race.

Government officials in nuclear-armed nations, troubled by the rising agitation, as well as by opinion polls showing widespread popular distaste for nuclear testing, nuclear weapons, and nuclear war, gradually began to adapt their policies to the demands of the public. Meeting with top scientists in the U.S. nuclear weapons program, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower told them that the U.S. government was "up against an extremely difficult world opinion situation" and that the country "could not permit itself to be 'crucified on a cross of atoms'". If U.S. nuclear testing continued, U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles warned the president, "the slight military gains" would be "outweighed by the political losses".

Accordingly, in 1958, the Soviet, American, and British governments halted nuclear testing while beginning negotiations for a test ban treaty. Failing to secure an agreement, they resumed nuclear tests in 1961, which led to nuclear testing remaining a very hot political issue for people and governments alike.

Into this controversy stepped Norman Cousins, the editor of a widely-read public affairs magazine, the Saturday Review, and, also, founder and co-chair of SANE. During a lengthy meeting at the White House with President John F. Kennedy in November 1962, Cousins inquired if the president would like him to meet with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to try to smooth the diplomatic path toward a nuclear test ban treaty. Kennedy responded affirmatively and, in the following months, Cousins shuttled back and forth between the two world leaders. Ultimately, Cousins overcame Khrushchev's suspicions of Kennedy and, then, convinced Kennedy to deliver a major speech with "a breathtaking new approach" to Soviet-American relations.

This American University address, partially written by Cousins, proved an immediate success with Khrushchev. Test ban negotiations commenced in Moscow during July 1963, resulting in the Partial Test Ban Treaty banning nuclear testing in the atmosphere, in outer space, and under water.

From the standpoint of ending the nuclear arms race, the treaty had its limitations. Because the treaty left unaddressed the issue of nuclear testing underground, the nuclear powers and aspiring nuclear powers simply shifted nuclear tests to this new locale. Furthermore, with nuclear fallout no longer a major public concern, popular pressure to halt nuclear testing and, thereby, choke off the arms race declined.

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The Oregonian/OregonLives Aaron Fentress appeared on The Volume, a YouTube show hosted by Chris Mannix, to discuss the ongoing situation surrounding Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers.

With the start of training camp looming on Oct. 3, Lillard remains on the Blazers roster more than two months since he requested a trade to the Miami Heat.

The Blazers have reportedly picked up the pace in terms of engaging in trade talks with teams after doing next to nothing for more than two months, but its quite possible that Lillard could still be with the Blazers once camp begins.

SHOW TOPICS

- Why hasnt Lillard been traded?

- Could he truly be on the roster when camp begins?

- Why Mannix believes forcing Lillard to camp is a smart move for the Blazers. Fentress notes the downsides.

- Was Lillard truly being loyal when he signed a contract extension in 2022, or was it all about the money?

- Why should Lillard be able to pick his landing spot?

- What does the future look like for the Blazers, and especially rookie Scoot Henderson?

- Much more.

-- Aaron Fentress | afentress@Oregonian.com | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook). Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts
A man was arrested on allegations of felony criminal mischief after three large window panels were destroyed at the Portland Police Bureaus East Precinct early Saturday morning.

Shortly after midnight, two sergeants heard banging noises from the front of the building at 737 S.E. 106th Ave. They found a suspect, later identified as Keith Ryan Morris, 39, hitting the glass doors with a large rock, according to a news release from the police bureau.

Morris ran away from the building but surrendered when he realized he was not going to elude the officers, according to police.

Morris did not have a known address but had identification from Arizona. He was arrested on allegations of criminal mischief in the first degree, escape in the third degree and a probation detainer.

The broken windows were covered with plywood. Police say the cost of the damage is not known yet.

 The Oregonian/OregonLive
Oregon volleyball picked up its second five-set win in as many days.

The No. 7 Ducks came back to defeat James Madison 3-2 (25-20, 22-25, 18-25, 25-8, 15-10) Thursday night in Pittsburgh.

Mimi Colyer had 20 kills, eight digs and three blocks, Morgan Lewis had 15 kills and five blocks and Hannah Pukis had 42 assists and 14 digs for Oregon (9-1).

UO took a 4-0 lead in the fifth set and led 8-4 before JMU rallied to tie it. Oregon responded with a 7-2 run, closing out the come back with a kill by Lewis.

Oregon took a 20-17 lead in the first and though James Madison got within one, the Ducks closed with five of the last six points to take a 1-0 match lead.

UO took a 10-7 lead in the second, JMU responded with a 7-0 run to take command and evened the match.

The Dukes led 10-5 in the third, the Ducks got within two but couldnt draw closer and fell behind 2-1.

Oregon took a 6-1 lead in the fourth and built it up to 16-8 before closing out the frame with nine straight points to even the match.

The Ducks travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for their final nonconference match against Marquette on Sunday (11 a.m., FS1).
Portland-area students were supposed to be at school Friday, but hundreds of them decided instead to spend their day under a beating hot sun, chanting and carrying cardboard signs advocating climate justice and government action to reduce greenhouse gasses.

River Davis was one of hundreds of students and community members who joined the International Day of Action climate strike in downtown Portland, teens flooding the streets to demand that both state and federal governments declare a climate emergency.

Seeing how this could impact my future, I want to be here and do something, said Davis, a student at Catlin Gabel. This is a really powerful thing for us to be doing.

The crowd occupied the space in front of City Hall on Friday morning, as leaders from Portland Youth Climate Strike urged participants to fight for a better future, calling it a pivotal moment in climate justice.

The normal noises of downtown were drowned out by passionate chants: Climate Change is not a lie that is why we have to fight, the crowd yelled. When the earth is under attack  that is when we must fight back.

Hundreds of young people marched through the streets of Portland in a "climate strike," demanding political leaders take action on climate change, on Fri., Sept. 15, 2023.Mark Graves/The Oregonian

The Portland area teens joined a nationwide day of action by young people pushing President Joe Biden to issue an emergency order on climate change. Portland organizers also said they want Gov. Tina Kotek to declare a climate emergency in Oregon and put more resources into addressing climate change and related issues.

Additionally, activists called for the Department of Environmental Quality to deny a permit to Zenith Energy to curb distribution of diesel fuel to other states. Zenith is one of many companies that store fuel near the Willamette River, which protestors argue puts the health of the ecosystem and local communities at risk, particularly in the event of an earthquake.

We dont have any other choice, Abby Dalke, one of the adults who joined the protest, said. We must hold elected officials accountable.

44 1 / 44 Portland Youth Climate Strike 2023 Mark Graves

As the sun beat down, a crowd as wide as the streets marched through downtown, spreading their message. Passing pedestrians showed their support by cheering and recording videos.

Climate change has emerged as a watershed political movement for Generation Z. A report released by the Oregon Health Authority in 2022 found that the acceleration of climate changes right-here-right-now impacts, from choking wildfires to sweltering summers to drought-parched lakes, weighs heavily on the states teens and young adults. Survey respondents told OHA that they were struggling with climate anxiety and felt that adults and policymakers werent doing enough to address the climate emergency.

It angers me, Grant High student Finn Mayer said as he marched with the crowd. I have people close to me that dont believe in this when there is physical and scientific evidence.

While much of the event was centered around young activists taking control of their future, other climate justice organizations turned out in support, including EcoFaith Recovery.

People of faith care and are involved too, said one of their volunteer leaders, Alison Wiley. EcoFaith members ran ahead of the crowd, chanting along and playing music.

No matter what age you are, there is a place for you, said Niomi Markel, a recent graduate of St. Marys Academy and the logistics lead for Portland Youth Climate Strike. No one has to stay on the sidelines. This is a together movement.

Markel said that climate change needs to be viewed considering its effects on people experiencing homelessness and environmental racism: You cant address one issue without addressing other issues.

Students around the state have regularly turned to walkouts and demonstrations to make their point, and teens have also helped push for some of the states progressive policies on climate issues. Youth climate activists celebrated Koteks recent decision to pause toll collection by the state Department of Transportation until at least 2026, saying it will force a reexamination of plans to widen Interstate 5 at the Rose Quarter after years of youth-led protests against that plan.

Additionally, students were instrumental in Portland Public Schools decision to finally adopt a years-in-the-making climate justice policy that aims to substantially reduce the districts greenhouse gas emissions.

And a coalition of students and teachers is working together to push for a bill that would mandate climate education be incorporated into every subject and grade-level statewide.

Markel said Fridays event was just the beginning of a year of climate action by Portland Youth Climate Strike.

Austin Williams, a Grant High student, said they felt it was their responsibility to be at the strike as part of a generation thats grown up with the omnipresent realities of climate change.

Ever since I was young, Ive had teachers and peers wanting me to become a climate activist, Williams said. This is my chance to uphold that.

This story was written by Youth Voices contributor Zoe Toperosky, a senior at Ida B. Wells High School. Zoe is the editor-in-chief of the schools online newspaper, The Headlight. Zoe plans to continue her journey in journalism in college next year.

Correction: A story Saturday about Fridays youth climate rally in downtown Portland mischaracterized some facets of Zenith Energys operations along the Willamette River. Zenith, a fuel storage company, stores but does not produce fossil fuel. Fuel from its Willamette terminal is now distributed exclusively to domestic ports.
NANNING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The 20th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) has shone the spotlight on south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, a border region with strong ties with Southeast Asia.

Guangxi has risen to the forefront of China's trade and cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in recent years, thanks to the establishment of a pilot free trade zone (FTZ) dedicated to China-ASEAN cooperation.

Guangxi is often described as China's gateway to ASEAN countries. The region's trade with ASEAN grew from 74.75 billion yuan (about 10 billion U.S. dollars) in 2012 to 281.11 billion yuan in 2022. ASEAN had been Guangxi's top trading partner for 23 consecutive years by the end of 2022.

The China (Guangxi) Pilot Free Trade Zone was established in 2019 to promote China's opening up to ASEAN and to pilot new mechanisms in China-ASEAN cooperation.

The pilot FTZ comprises the Nanning area in the region's capital city, the Qinzhou Port area along the coast and the Chongzuo area bordering Vietnam.

Over 90,000 enterprises had joined the zone by June 2023, according to the pilot FTZ office.

The zone's Nanning area focuses on the development of modern finance, the digital economy and modern services.

It is pioneering innovation in cross-border finance and renminbi businesses, especially those working with ASEAN nations.

By the end of June, a total of 463 financial institutions and enterprises had settled in the area -- 22 times the total in 2018 -- and the area's digital economy companies had surpassed 5,500 in number.

As the zone's only coastal area, the Qinzhou Port Area is building Qinzhou into a high-level gateway port to facilitate the transportation of cargo between China and ASEAN.

In the first seven months of this year, the port's cargo throughput hit 107 million tonnes, up 10.3 percent year on year. The port handled 3.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of containers in that time, up 15 percent year on year, according to the region's development and reform commission.

The Chongzuo area is home to Youyiguan Port, one of China's busiest land ports for the trade of fruit. In the first half of this year, a total of 381,000 tonnes of ASEAN fruits were imported into China through the land port, up 130 percent year on year.

Youyiguan Port has in recent years pushed ahead reforms in customs clearance and other operations to raise passage efficiency.

Taking advantage of its proximity to Vietnam, the Pingxiang Industrial Park in Chongzuo focuses on processing farm products imported from ASEAN countries, as well as industries covering new materials, electronic information and small household appliances.

Since the establishment of the country's first pilot FTZ in Shanghai in 2013, China has established a total of 21 FTZs, as well as the Hainan Free Trade Port. Located everywhere from coastal areas to inland regions and border provinces, China's FTZs have become pacesetters for the country's high-standard reform and opening-up endeavors. 
Have you been wondering why Yellowstone has become such a huge hit, but dont subscribe to Paramount Network or the streaming services that carry the show? If you have basic broadcast TV service, heres your chance to see what the fuss is all about, as Yellowstone is coming to CBS.

To be specific, CBS is airing reruns of Yellowstone, beginning with Season 1, Episode 1, starting on Sunday, Sept. 17. Fans of the contemporary Western who have been loyally watching and wondering when it will come back are still waiting for the promised last part of Season 5. At this point, those episodes, which will wrap up the series, are scheduled to air on the Paramount Network starting in November.

The CBS decision to air Yellowstone in a primetime Sunday slot reflects the scheduling changes brought about by the writers and actors strikes. Those strikes have impacted production of original scripted series, and inspired broadcast networks to fill out their fall TV schedules with unscripted reality shows, imports, and scripted shows written and filmed before the strikes began.

For those late to the Yellowstone hullabaloo, the show, which premiered in 2018, stars Kevin Costner as John Dutton, patriarch of a Montana ranching family. The show has followed Duttons efforts to protect his ranch at all costs. Thats a task that has been complicated by battles within his own family, and by outsiders with their own agendas.

The cast includes Kelly Reilly as Johns daughter, Beth; Wes Bentley as her brother, Jamie, with whom Beth has a contentious past and present; brother Kayce Dutton, played by Luke Grimes; Cole Hauser as Rip, John Duttons right-hand man on the ranch; and Gil Birmingham as Chief Thomas Rainwater, who also comes into conflict with Dutton.

Despite racking up huge ratings, Yellowstone will end when the final episodes of Season 5 air. That announcement came amid reports that star Costner wanted to concentrate on an ambitious movie project hes directing. How Yellowstone will approach the end of the series, and what role John Dutton may play in it, isnt yet clear.

The success of Yellowstone has spawned spinoffs, including the prequel series, 1883 and 1923, both of which stream on Paramount Plus. Yellowstone has aired original episodes on the Paramount Network, but past seasons of the show have streamed on Peacock, not Paramount Plus, because of an earlier licensing deal.

The Yellowstone universe is scheduled to keep expanding. Co-creator Taylor Sheridan is scheduled to also produce a spinoff sequel series which will pick up where Yellowstone leaves off. Rumors have swirled that Matthew McConaughey may star, but nothing official has yet been announced.

Yellowstone reruns begin on CBS (KOIN-6 in Portland) at 8 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, with Season 1, Episode 1, Daybreak. If you want to catch up on the shows subsequent seasons, Yellowstone is streaming on Philo, which offers a free trial; and on Fubo, which also offers a free trial; and on Peacock.

 Kristi Turnquist

503-221-8227; kturnquist@oregonian.com; @Kristiturnquist

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The Big Bounce America holds the Guinness world record for largest bounce house. This inflatable event will be at Portland International Raceway for two weekends: Sept. 15-17 and Sept. 22-24.

We got a peek inside before it opened to the public.

The Big Bounce America is the biggest touring inflatable event in the world and features four massive inflatable attractions, according to a press release.

We went for a preview before it was fully open. We tested out The Giant, a 900-foot inflatable obstacle course that was more than a little challenging, and airSPACE, a space-themed section that featured a giant slide.

The event has both family-friendly and adults-only hours. Tickets are available for three-hour time slots. You can find more details at TheBigBounceAmerica.com.
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BAGHDAD, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Two people were killed and a targetted tribal leader wounded in an attack by unknown gunmen on Friday near the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a security source said.

The attack occurred in the evening when gunmen opened fire on the car of Sheikh Saeed al-Mashhadani, leader of the al-Mashhadani tribe, while he was heading to his farm in a village in the Tarmiyah, about 40 km north of Baghdad, Ammar al-Haidari from North Baghdad Operations Command told Xinhua.

Al-Mashhadani was shot in the chest and taken to the hospital, while one of his companions was killed, al-Haidari said.

Later the body of a farmer was also found at the scene by security forces, he said, adding the farmer, who worked on the al-Mashhadani farm, was believed to be shot dead by the gunmen.

The attackers are believed to be affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) militants, al-Haidari said, stressing that the security forces launched an investigation into the incident.

Sporadic attacks still haunt Iraq despite an improvement in the security situation after the defeat of the extremist militants of the Islamic State group across the country in 2017. 
KHARTOUM, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on Friday said it handed over 30 prisoners of war under the age of 18 to representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

"Today, the armed forces handed over 30 minors, less than 18 years old, detained while they were fighting within the ranks of the dissolved rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia during previous battles," the SAF said in a statement.

The ICRC representative would hand them over to the National Council for Child Welfare prior to handing them over to their families, the statement said.

On Thursday, the independent Sudan Tribune news portal reported on its website that the National Council for Child Welfare had sent a letter to Chairman of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, accusing the RSF of recruiting thousands of children and committing violations against thousands of others.

"The RSF practiced shameful behavior by forcibly recruiting minor children and forcing them to fight," the report said.

It noted that the since the war broke out, the RSF started recruiting children in camps in eastern Nile neighborhood of Bahri city and in southern Omdurman, before the recruitment extended to areas in western Sudan.

The Sudanese Criminal Code prohibits the recruitment of children, as does the Act of the National Council for Child Welfare and the Child Law.

In July, the SAF accused the RSF of exploiting children and recruiting them to fight in the ongoing war between the two parties.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the RSF in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, resulting in at least 3,000 deaths and more than 6,000 injuries, according to figures released by the Sudanese Health Ministry. 
Balaclava, Mauritius (PANA) - Indian Ocean Ministers and representatives of Ministries in charge of health and livestock from the IOC member states, as well as other stakeholders met on Friday in Mauritius to finalize the modalities for perpetuating the SEGA  One Health network and validate the regional health security strategy for the region
Photo: (Photo : Caspar Camille Rubin on Unsplash)

In a significant legal development, families along with a pediatrician are challenging North Dakota's law that criminalizes gender-affirming care for minors. Gender Justice, an advocacy group, filed a state district court lawsuit against the North Dakota Attorney General and the state attorneys of three counties, calling for an immediate halt to the ban, which became law in April of this year. The lawsuit seeks to have a judge declare the ban unconstitutional and prevent its enforcement.

Stripping Parents and Doctors of Rights

Christina Sambor, a gender justice attorney and the North Dakota state director, expressed concern over the state's actions. "State lawmakers have made it illegal for these children to receive essential healthcare solely because they are transgender," said Sambor. "Parents have been deprived of the right to decide what is best for their children. It's now a criminal offense for doctors to offer healthcare that can literally save children's lives."

The bill that led to this ban enjoyed strong support in North Dakota's Republican-controlled legislature. Republican Governor Doug Burgum, who is also running for president, signed the law, which took immediate effect. While Burgum emphasized the need for a "thoughtful debate," his signing of the ban seems to have precluded that discussion.

One of the plaintiffs, 12-year-old transgender boy Tate Dolney, shared how gender-affirming care had improved his confidence, emotional well-being, and academic performance. Tate's mother, Devon Dolney, said that prior to receiving care, Tate had been severely depressed and angry. With gender-affirming treatment, he has undergone a "miraculous" change, becoming "confident and outspoken."

Due to North Dakota's ban, the Dolney family has been compelled to seek medical appointments in neighboring Minnesota and is considering moving out of North Dakota altogether. "Politicians have overstepped their boundaries, intruding on personal decisions they have no business being involved in," said Robert Dolney, Tate's father.

Read Also: TikTok, Content Creators Seek Federal Judge's Intervention to Halt Montana's Ban

The Legal Nuances and Wider Implications

Although the North Dakota law makes an exemption for minors already receiving gender-affirming care, healthcare providers have been reluctant to continue treatments due to the law's ambiguity, according to Gender Justice Senior Staff Attorney Brittany Stewart. The law criminalizes sex reassignment surgeries on minors as a felony, punishable by up to 10 years' imprisonment and a $20,000 fine. Additionally, healthcare providers could face misdemeanor charges for prescribing hormone treatments or puberty blockers, punishable by nearly a year's incarceration and a $3,000 fine.

Opponents of the law point out that sex reassignment surgeries are not performed on minors in the state. They argue that the law adds another layer of hardship to transgender youth, who are already at heightened risk for depression, suicide, and self-harm.

North Dakota is one of at least 22 states that have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming care for minors. Legal challenges have ensued in most of these states. Recently, federal judges struck down Arkansas' ban as unconstitutional and temporarily blocked a similar ban in Indiana.

North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley and bill sponsor Republican State Rep. Bill Tveit both signaled they would evaluate the lawsuit and defend their stance, which they claim aims to protect children. Yet, for families like the Dolneys and advocates fighting for transgender rights, the law represents a significant intrusion into personal lives and a denial of essential healthcare.

As the nation grapples with this complex and emotional issue, the outcome of this lawsuit could serve as a critical precedent, potentially influencing other states' approaches to gender-affirming care for minors.

Related Article: Mississippi Transgender Girl Barred from Graduation; Judge Rules School Can Ban Gender-Identity Clothes
Photo: (Photo : David Ryder / Getty Images)

Seattle police are now under fire for running over a Northeastern student, Jaahnavi Kandula. A body cam footage, which has now become the focal point of many discussions in Seattle, has cast a grim spotlight on the Seattle Police Department.

The video reveals a senior officer making controversial comments about the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, a promising Northeastern student. The remarks have not only ignited protests across the city but have also called into question the values upheld by the Seattle Police.

The Circumstances of the Tragic Event

On January 23rd, the Seattle Police were thrust into the limelight when Officer Kevin Dave, responding to a "priority one call", drove at a speed of 74 mph and tragically struck Jaahnavi Kandula in a crosswalk.

This accident led to the untimely death of the 23-year-old Northeastern student. Officer Daniel Auderer, the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, was then designated to assess whether Officer Dave was under any impairment at the time.

It was during this evaluation that Auderer's body camera recorded his controversial comments about the Northeastern student's life. Laughing, he remarked to the guild's president, Mike Solan, that Seattle Police should "just write a check" given that the Northeastern student, Jaahnavi Kandula, "had limited value."

The Stirring Response from the Seattle Community

The release of this footage has galvanized residents across Seattle, leading to vociferous protests demanding justice for Jaahnavi Kandula.

The Northeastern student's tragic demise, followed by the disturbing remarks from a senior member of the Seattle Police, has left many questioning the ethos of the very institution meant to protect them.

Responding to the outcry, the Seattle Police Officers Guild issued a statement expressing their understanding of the outrage and acknowledging the hurt caused.

"The video has no place in a civil society. It tarnishes the reputation of the Seattle Police officers and paints Seattle in a dreadful light," the statement read.

Auderer, in an attempt to quell the growing dissatisfaction, elaborated on his comments. He claims his remarks were "sarcastic", intended to mock the kind of arguments a lawyer might present to minimize a settlement.

"I intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers," he explained, suggesting that he was imitating the potential justifications they might use in such a scenario.

The officer also expressed regret, stating he understood the potential of his comments to be interpreted as "horrifying and crude".

Despite this, Auderer insisted that the comments were "not made with malice."

Read Also: Top 5 Iron Supplements for Kids in 2023: Boosting Health Naturally

Remembering Jaahnavi Kandula

Jaahnavi Kandula was more than just a Northeastern student; she was a beloved member of the community, a beacon of hope, and a young woman with a promising future.

Her life was a testament to her resilience and determination. At Northeastern University's Seattle campus, the academic community has been grappling with the weight of the tragedy.

Khaled Bugrara, director of Northeastern's graduate engineering programs and Jaahnavi's academic adviser, fondly remembered her as a sharp, dedicated, and energetic student.

Despite the challenges she faced, including family struggles amidst the pandemic, Jaahnavi Kandula consistently excelled, becoming a popular figure on campus.

The death of the Northeastern student, compounded by the controversial remarks of a Seattle Police officer, remains a stark reminder of the challenges that persist within law enforcement institutions and the broader societal issues they often reflect.

In the days that follow, as investigations ensue and the community seeks answers, one thing remains unequivocal: Jaahnavi Kandula, the Northeastern student, will always be remembered for her legacy and the indelible mark she left on the hearts of many.

Related Article: Philadelphia Teachers Sue Over Asbestos Protest: Rights, Risks Unmasked
A video footage from Dayton Public Schools shows an employee mistreated a 3-year-old Autistic child.

The community is in an uproar after a startling video from Rosa Parks Early Learning Center, a Dayton School, surfaced online.

The footage uncovers the mistreatment of a 3-year-old autistic child within the school's premises, raising severe concerns about child safety and the accountability of educational institutions.

RosaParks Early Learning Center #ViralVideo Sparks Outrage and Legal Actionhttps://t.co/g1FEtHFYo7 pic.twitter.com/FifqKPYy8T  Viral Pink (@theviralPink) September 15, 2023

The Disturbing Incident at Dayton Public Schools

The Ohio-based Rosa Parks Early Learning Center's video, a core part of Dayton Public Schools, showcases a heart-wrenching scenario.

A school employee, clearly captured on camera, chases the 3-year-old autistic child in a hallway.

The chase culminates in the child being hit from behind on the head, leading to his fall.

The video takes an even more distressing turn when, after the hitting, the employee lifts the child by his ankles, carrying him with his head pointed downward.

Michael Wright, the attorney representing the child's parents, stresses the seriousness of the event by pinpointing the boy's unique vulnerabilities.

Interim Superintendent David Lawrence stated that the actions in the clip starkly contradict Dayton Public School's employee training, failing to maintain the nurturing learning environment we strive for at Rosa Parks Early Learning Center.

Dayton Public Schools in the Eye of the Storm

Taneshia Lindsay, the mother of the mistreated 3-year-old autistic child, voiced her distress on Facebook.

The clip's release was a revelation, contrasting heavily with Dayton School administrators' initial portrayal of the incident as a mere "swat."

With an evident discrepancy between their narrative and the hitting clearly showcased in the video, Dayton School's reputation is on the line.

In the aftermath, Dayton School witnessed the involved staff member's resignation after a brief administrative leave period. Dayton School has emphasized the individual in the video is no longer associated with their institution.

However, the concerns regarding the treatment of children, especially the vulnerable ones like the 3-year-old autistic child Braylen, remain.

Read Also: North Dakota Faces Legal Challenge Over Ban on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

Demands for Justice and Clarity

Taneshia Lindsay's Facebook revelations detail her struggles to obtain the unsettling video, stating, it took three weeks to receive footage of my autistic son's assault on his second day at Dayton School.

Lindsay's faith in some educators at the Dayton School highlights the situation's complexities, and she remains hopeful for a better, safer environment for her son.

Despite the justified fury, Braylen remains at the Dayton School. The family's demands revolve around seeing the complete footage, aiming to grasp the full extent of the mistreatment involving the 3-year-old autistic child.

Michael Wright adds, the actions are contrary to Dayton Public Schools' ethos. The call for clarity, transparency, and accountability from Dayton School is louder than ever.

With Dayton police taking the case to the Montgomery County prosecutor's office, the possibility of legal actions looms.

The parents' attorney, Wright, conveyed that the parents are considering their legal options.

Janice Sadler, a spokesperson for the Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities Services, chimed in, emphasizing the necessity for caregivers and educators to be calm, caring, and understanding, especially with children bearing communication challenges.

In response to the uproar, Dayton School's Lawrence reaffirmed the commitment to ensuring all 2,300 employees are adequately trained. He also promised to meet concerned parents in the upcoming week to address the issue head-on.

Related Article: Discovering STEM Toys: 10 Educational Toys for Future Innovators
Two new articles went up today on the website of the Interpreter Foundation:

Witness of the Covenant, written by Loren Blake Spendlove

Abstract: Although much has been taught about covenants in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, little attention has been given to the witnesses of those covenants. In this paper I focus on the importance of witnessing the covenants that we make with God  especially the gospel covenant  rather than on the process of making them. Instead of emphasizing the teachings of Latter-day Saint leaders and authors, I prioritize the standard works of the Church in my analysis of this topic. I begin with a discussion of covenants and witnesses in the Hebrew Bible, and then proceed with an examination of the same from the Book of Mormon. I identify the ordinances of baptism and the sacrament as witnesses of the gospel covenant and clarify that it is through the blood of Christ that we are cleansed from sin rather than through the waters of baptism. I conclude by observing the importance of faithfully witnessing the gospel covenant to serve God and keep his commandments.

Interpreting Interpreter: A Baptismal Witness, written by Kyler Rasmussen

This post is a summary of the article Witness of the Covenant by Loren Blake Spendlove in Volume 58 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. All of the articles may be seen at https://interpreterfoundation.org/category/summaries/. An introduction to the Interpreting Interpreter series is available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/. The Takeaway: Spendlove outlines examples of witnessessigns or tokens that accompany scriptural covenantsand argues that the ordinances of baptism and the sacrament are intended to be witnesses to covenants rather than the covenants themselves. He believes that covenantal witnesses should receive greater emphasis in gospel teaching, to the point that we could encourage individuals to enter a covenant to live the gospel even before being baptized.

Today is Day 5 of filming for the Interpreter Foundations new Six Days in August movie project  Im grateful to Russell Richins and James Jordan for sharing still photographs of the work thus far  and the critical reviews are already rolling in!

Over at the Peterson Obsession Board, my longtime Malevolent Stalker points out that the clothing used in Six Days in August (which is primarily set in rural frontier America during the period 1828-1844) is embarrassingly similar to the costuming in our previous film, Witnesses (which is primarily set in rural frontier America during the period 1828-1844). But I have a defense against this complaint: Most people on the American frontier during the Jacksonian era of the early Republic were simply unable to afford the leopard-skin tights, sequined propeller beanies, leather lace-up Brunello Cucinelli hiking boots, Sergeant Peppers jackets with epaulets and tassels, and retro designer sunglasses that the Stalker favors for daily wear. Were just trying to be accurate to the place and the period.

Coming home this afternoon, I was pleased to find among our mail a package containing two copies of a new book: Avram R. Shannon and Kerry Hull, eds., A Hundredth Part: Exploring the History and Teachings of the Book of Mormon (Provo: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, and Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2023). An accompanying note explained that

This volume represents some of the more compelling articles on the Book of Mormon that have been previously published in numerous Religious Studies Center publications. Each has advanced the field of Book of Mormon studies in unique and innovative ways and have provided insights into the doctrine, history, and message of the Book of Mormon.

Heres the background of the two editors:

Avram Shannon is an assistant professor in the Department of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University. He was born in Quantico, Virginia, and spent most of his young life in Virginia. He earned a BA in ancient Near Eastern studies from Brigham Young University (2007), a master of studies in Jewish studies from the University of Oxford (2008), and a PhD in Near Eastern languages and cultures with a graduate interdisciplinary specialization in religions of the ancient Mediterranean from The Ohio State University (2015). Kerry Hull is a professor in the Department of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University. He earned a BA in Spanish and BA in French in 1992 from Utah State University. He received an MS in applied linguistics from Georgetown University in 1993. He completed a PhD in linguistic anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin in 2003. His academic interests include Maya linguistics and anthropology, Polynesian linguistics, historical linguistics, sociolinguistics, and Maya epigraphic studies. He has conducted linguistic, ethnographic, and archaeological fieldwork in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. He specializes in the language and culture of the Chorti Maya of southern Guatemala.

The book  I doubt that any Bengali edition actually exists!  contains nineteen chapters, including an introduction by President Dallin H. Oaks and articles by such writers as (among others) Jared Ludlow, Andrew Skinner, Noel Reynolds, Jennifer Lane, Joseph Spencer, Jan Martin, Ugo Perego, Dana Pike, John Gee, Matthew Roper, and RoseAnn Benson.

Im pleased to say that my own article on Priesthood in Mosiah is also included in A Hundredth Part, though not in the expanded form that I prefer, which appeared as Daniel C. Peterson, Authority in the Book of Mosiah, in Review of Books on the Book of Mormon 18/1 (2006): 149-185.

Finally, I have no plans to move to Moab in the immediate future. But I was pleased to discover that Moab possesses one of the assets that are absolutely necessary to civilized life: at least one good Thai restaurant. With our friends, we enjoyed a really tasty meal at Thai Bella. I recommend it for whenever youre there in Moab, or at Arches National Park, or at Canyonlands, or at Dead Horse Point. Its a wonderful way to finish off a day of wonders.
A "total system collapse" caused widespread power cuts across Nigeria on Thursday.



Early in the morning, levels of power generated in Africa's most populous country fell to zero megawatts.



Connections were gradually restored throughout the day.



Grid power supplies are often erratic in Nigeria, located in the west of Africa, despite its role as a major oil and gas producer.



Thursday's was the most serious outage for a year - the West African country's grid collapsed at least four times in 2022, which the authorities blamed on technical problems.



A number of electricity distribution companies told customers on X, the social media platform formally known as Twitter, that the most recent blackouts were a result of a "total system collapse".



Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu said a transmission line connecting two power plants in Niger state suffered an explosion after a fire, thus tripping the grid.



"The fire has been fully arrested and over half of the connections are now up and the rest will be fully restored in no time," Mr Adelabu said in a statement in the afternoon.



Less than 50% of Nigeria's population has access to a regular power supply. Most homes and businesses have resorted to generators, inverters and other sources of electricity so as not to be dependent on the national grid.



However, many of these now come at a higher cost following the government's removal of fuel subsidies last May.



The theoretical maximum amount of power Nigeria could produce is 12,500MW, but the country normally produces just a quarter of that, the Reuters news agency reports.



On Thursday, at around 10:30 local time (09:30 GMT), power levels had risen from zero to 273MW, which was still well below the daily average of 4,100MW, data from the Transmission Company of Nigeria showed.



President Bola Tinubu, who has been in office for just over 100 days, has promised to improve supply by allowing state governments to build their own power plants.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has questioned the essence of anti-money laundering laws in Ghana.



The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, joining the Friday team of Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, raised concerns over the way and manner people alleged to be laundering money into the country are treated.



According to him, there is no prohibition when a Ghanaian is sending huge amounts of foreign currency to a foreign country but when he or she is bringing similar amount to Ghana, the person is said to be in breach of the law.



He cited how smooth and unchallenging it is for a person to convey for instance 5 million dollars from Ghana to Switzerland without any inhibition but when the same person is bringing such colossal amount of money into Ghana, he or she stands the risk of being arrested and prosecuted.



What is even more disheartening, he added, is Ghanaian authorities who will even encourage the extradition of the money launderer to be prosecuted by the foreign authorities.



" . . these foreign countries are exploiting Ghanaians to enrich their nations and instead of Ghana doing same, the authorities are busily arresting people for hoarding money which they have legitimately acquired and want to transfer such funds to Ghana which would be of enormous benefit to the growth of the nation.



"What is the sense in our anti-money laundering laws?", he queried as he could not wrap his head around such financial restrictive acts in Ghana.









Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Four of the initial seven fishermen, who went missing following the canoe disaster at Ada last Thursday, have been found at the various communities along the coast of Ada and the neighbouring Volta Region. Three of them are alive.



The four were found yesterday morning and the search and rescue teams are racing against time to locate the remaining three fishermen, who are still missing as of press time yesterday, following the fishing expedition disaster.



The body of the dead was retrieved yesterday at Akplertorkor, a community in the Volta Region, according to the acting Chief Fisherman for Ada Foah, Nene Sappor.



The canoes the fishermen were travelling in capsised at the Ada estuary.



Personnel of the Ghana Navy are conducting operations along the coast between Ada and the Volta Region to find clues about the missing three after the four surfaced in communities along the area.



Officials of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) were also in the affected communities, including Azizanya, to assist in the rescue efforts.



Search efforts



The Ada East District NADMO Coordinator, Ebenezer Teye Kisseh Nartey, who gave the latest update in an interview yesterday, said the search efforts were underway in the sea and along the coast for the remaining victims.



Mr Nartey said alert messages had been dispatched to coastal communities, especially those at Ada and the Volta Region, to be on the lookout for debris, and to alert the police to assist in the search efforts for the missing fishermen.



Fisherfolk at Ada in the Ada East District in the Greater Accra Region woke up last Thursday morning to the news of an accident involving two fishing canoes which had capsized after their canoes were hit by strong waves near the estuary at Azizanya, with seven crew members missing.



Collaboration



Mr Nartey told the Daily Graphic that a distress call came in on Thursday around 7 a.m., and, in collaboration with the Ghana Navy team, NADMO started the search and rescue operation.



He said the NADMO, the Ghana Navy and other stakeholders would continue to monitor the situation and ensure that those missing were found.



He commended the Ghana Navy for their timely response and assistance to rescue the fishermen.



Survivors



Some of the fishermen who survived said they set off for the fishing expedition last Wednesday, and on their return to base they encountered strong waves.



"The sea was so rough that we couldnt come to the shore. We were observing the waves to enable us to manoeuvre our canoe, but unfortunately, the waves overpowered us and the canoe capsized," one of the fishermen, who gave his name only as Godwin, said.



He said he was on the sea with his other fishermen for a long period before landing on an island community called Ohuemi.



Gabriel Kwame, leader of one of the crew members, said while returning to shore, water entered their outboard motor, causing it to cease.



He said he then managed to assist some of his colleague fishermen to swim ashore after their canoe capsized.



The fishermen were trying to cross the estuary to Ada Foah to land their canoe after the fishing expedition when they were hit by strong waves, which led to the disaster.

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.

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Host of Peace FM's flagship programme "Kokrokoo", Kwami Sefa Kayi, affectionately called 'Chairman General', on Thursday, September 14, found it intriguing to hear NPP National Youth Organizer purport the devil is shocked at the things the National Democratic Congress does or say in the country.



Salam Mustapha expressed utter shock over the National Democratic Congress' criticisms of President Akufo-Addo's promise to increase cocoa producer price per bag to GHC1308.



The National Democratic Congress says they would have increased the price to GHC2800 instead of the amount quoted by the President.



As we speak now, cocoa prices have seen the biggest increment since 1977, so it is your season to make a profit. If NDC were to be in government, we would have a bag of cocoa at GH2,500 and add a premium of GH300. So you would have received GH2,800 per bag, Minority Leader, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson said at a conference with cocoa farmers at Dadiesoaba in the Ahafo Region.



Also, former President and NDC flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama argues the President has shortchanged Ghanaian cocoa farmers.



The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government has once again shortchanged Ghanaian cocoa farmers. The announced increment in the farmgate price of cocoa to GH1,308 is a total rip-off as cocoa farmers will continue to remain worse off than they were seven (7) years ago under the NDC/Mahama government. The Spot Price of cocoa on the international market has surged to a record high of about $3,600 per metric ton as of 31st August 2023. This price is the highest since 1977- that is, in the last 46 years, he said at Tepa in the Ashanti Region during the opening of the 2023/2024 cocoa season.



But Salam Mustapha, speaking on Thursday's "Kokrokoo" edition on Peace FM, marveled at the NDC promising the cocoa farmer of a better price.



"Some of the things that the NDC does in this country, I think even the devil gets surprised...When you look at what they are capable of doing, even the devil will not try it", he replied.



His reply invited a witty and swift question from the host of the show, Sefa Kayi, who asked; "Are you close to the devil to know that the devil will be surprised?"





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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This aerial photo taken on Sept. 12, 2023 shows a view of a water treatment plant in Mahalapye, Botswana. Mahalapye, located approximately 200 kilometers north of Gaborone, capital city of Botswana, has long grappled with water supply challenges. In the past, the local water treatment plant had a daily capacity of 16 mega liters, falling short of the 20 mega liters demanded by residents.

In 2022, an upgrade project overseen by China State Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (CSCEC) in Botswana was successfully completed. This initiative introduced a new facility with an 18 mega-liter capacity, substantially boosting the plant's daily maximum output to 34 mega liters. The newly installed purifying tank not only reduces maintenance costs and saves energy, but also improved water quality with the addition of activated carbon filtration and chlorine dioxide disinfection processes.

This upgrade has significantly improved water supply and quality in Mahalapye, benefiting its residents and fostering a brighter future for the community. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 12, 2023 shows a view of a water treatment plant in Mahalapye, Botswana. Mahalapye, located approximately 200 kilometers north of Gaborone, capital city of Botswana, has long grappled with water supply challenges. In the past, the local water treatment plant had a daily capacity of 16 mega liters, falling short of the 20 mega liters demanded by residents.

In 2022, an upgrade project overseen by China State Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (CSCEC) in Botswana was successfully completed. This initiative introduced a new facility with an 18 mega-liter capacity, substantially boosting the plant's daily maximum output to 34 mega liters. The newly installed purifying tank not only reduces maintenance costs and saves energy, but also improved water quality with the addition of activated carbon filtration and chlorine dioxide disinfection processes.

This upgrade has significantly improved water supply and quality in Mahalapye, benefiting its residents and fostering a brighter future for the community. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 12, 2023 shows a water treatment plant in Mahalapye, Botswana. Mahalapye, located approximately 200 kilometers north of Gaborone, capital city of Botswana, has long grappled with water supply challenges. In the past, the local water treatment plant had a daily capacity of 16 mega liters, falling short of the 20 mega liters demanded by residents.

In 2022, an upgrade project overseen by China State Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (CSCEC) in Botswana was successfully completed. This initiative introduced a new facility with an 18 mega-liter capacity, substantially boosting the plant's daily maximum output to 34 mega liters. The newly installed purifying tank not only reduces maintenance costs and saves energy, but also improved water quality with the addition of activated carbon filtration and chlorine dioxide disinfection processes.

This upgrade has significantly improved water supply and quality in Mahalapye, benefiting its residents and fostering a brighter future for the community. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

This photo taken on Sept. 12, 2023 shows a part of a purifying tank at a water treatment plant in Mahalapye, Botswana. Mahalapye, located approximately 200 kilometers north of Gaborone, capital city of Botswana, has long grappled with water supply challenges. In the past, the local water treatment plant had a daily capacity of 16 mega liters, falling short of the 20 mega liters demanded by residents.

In 2022, an upgrade project overseen by China State Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (CSCEC) in Botswana was successfully completed. This initiative introduced a new facility with an 18 mega-liter capacity, substantially boosting the plant's daily maximum output to 34 mega liters. The newly installed purifying tank not only reduces maintenance costs and saves energy, but also improved water quality with the addition of activated carbon filtration and chlorine dioxide disinfection processes.

This upgrade has significantly improved water supply and quality in Mahalapye, benefiting its residents and fostering a brighter future for the community. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

This photo taken on Sept. 12, 2023 shows a view inside a water treatment plant in Mahalapye, Botswana. Mahalapye, located approximately 200 kilometers north of Gaborone, capital city of Botswana, has long grappled with water supply challenges. In the past, the local water treatment plant had a daily capacity of 16 mega liters, falling short of the 20 mega liters demanded by residents.

In 2022, an upgrade project overseen by China State Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (CSCEC) in Botswana was successfully completed. This initiative introduced a new facility with an 18 mega-liter capacity, substantially boosting the plant's daily maximum output to 34 mega liters. The newly installed purifying tank not only reduces maintenance costs and saves energy, but also improved water quality with the addition of activated carbon filtration and chlorine dioxide disinfection processes.

This upgrade has significantly improved water supply and quality in Mahalapye, benefiting its residents and fostering a brighter future for the community. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

Employees of China State Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (CSCEC) patrol a water treatment plant in Mahalapye, Botswana, Sept. 12, 2023. Mahalapye, located approximately 200 kilometers north of Gaborone, capital city of Botswana, has long grappled with water supply challenges. In the past, the local water treatment plant had a daily capacity of 16 mega liters, falling short of the 20 mega liters demanded by residents.

In 2022, an upgrade project overseen by CSCEC in Botswana was successfully completed. This initiative introduced a new facility with an 18 mega-liter capacity, substantially boosting the plant's daily maximum output to 34 mega liters. The newly installed purifying tank not only reduces maintenance costs and saves energy, but also improved water quality with the addition of activated carbon filtration and chlorine dioxide disinfection processes.

This upgrade has significantly improved water supply and quality in Mahalapye, benefiting its residents and fostering a brighter future for the community. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

A student washes her dining utensils at a public school in Mahalapye, Botswana, Sept. 12, 2023. Mahalapye, located approximately 200 kilometers north of Gaborone, capital city of Botswana, has long grappled with water supply challenges. In the past, the local water treatment plant had a daily capacity of 16 mega liters, falling short of the 20 mega liters demanded by residents.

In 2022, an upgrade project overseen by China State Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (CSCEC) in Botswana was successfully completed. This initiative introduced a new facility with an 18 mega-liter capacity, substantially boosting the plant's daily maximum output to 34 mega liters. The newly installed purifying tank not only reduces maintenance costs and saves energy, but also improved water quality with the addition of activated carbon filtration and chlorine dioxide disinfection processes.

This upgrade has significantly improved water supply and quality in Mahalapye, benefiting its residents and fostering a brighter future for the community. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

Students wash dining utensils at a public school in Mahalapye, Botswana, Sept. 12, 2023. Mahalapye, located approximately 200 kilometers north of Gaborone, capital city of Botswana, has long grappled with water supply challenges. In the past, the local water treatment plant had a daily capacity of 16 mega liters, falling short of the 20 mega liters demanded by residents.

In 2022, an upgrade project overseen by China State Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (CSCEC) in Botswana was successfully completed. This initiative introduced a new facility with an 18 mega-liter capacity, substantially boosting the plant's daily maximum output to 34 mega liters. The newly installed purifying tank not only reduces maintenance costs and saves energy, but also improved water quality with the addition of activated carbon filtration and chlorine dioxide disinfection processes.

This upgrade has significantly improved water supply and quality in Mahalapye, benefiting its residents and fostering a brighter future for the community. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)

Students wash dining utensils at a public school in Mahalapye, Botswana, Sept. 12, 2023. Mahalapye, located approximately 200 kilometers north of Gaborone, capital city of Botswana, has long grappled with water supply challenges. In the past, the local water treatment plant had a daily capacity of 16 mega liters, falling short of the 20 mega liters demanded by residents.

In 2022, an upgrade project overseen by China State Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd. (CSCEC) in Botswana was successfully completed. This initiative introduced a new facility with an 18 mega-liter capacity, substantially boosting the plant's daily maximum output to 34 mega liters. The newly installed purifying tank not only reduces maintenance costs and saves energy, but also improved water quality with the addition of activated carbon filtration and chlorine dioxide disinfection processes.

This upgrade has significantly improved water supply and quality in Mahalapye, benefiting its residents and fostering a brighter future for the community. (Xinhua/Li Yahui)
A spokesperson for Ken Agyapong, Lawyer Raphael Agyapong says he is overwhelmed with the massive support Ken Ohene Agyapong is receiving from wealthy businessmen in Ghana in his bid to become President.



He told NEAT FMs morning show, 'Ghana Montie' that Mr. Agyapongs campaign team have received free cars from people who believe in this dream.



People are helping because they believe in Ken and they know he can change things in this country, he told host Kwesi Aboagye.



Lawyer Raphael Agyapong also said, the businessmen helping Ken Agyapong dont want any favours in return.



NPP Presidential race: Ken Agyapong picks number 1, Bawumia picks 2 on the ballot



The Presidential Elections Committee has held a constructive interactive session with the four contestants vying for the New Patriotic Party(NPP) presidential primaries scheduled for Saturday, November 4, 2023.



The outcome of this session was the agreement on the modalities and procedures that will govern the upcoming election.



Under the supervision of officials from the Electoral Commission of Ghana, the Elections Committee conducted a balloting process to determine the order in which the contestants will appear on the ballot.



The results of this balloting have now been revealed, in a statement from the party, setting the stage for a highly anticipated NPP flagbearer race. Here is the order in which the contestants will be listed on the ballot:



1. Ken Ohene Agyapong 2. Mahamudu Bawumia 3. Owusu Afriyie Akoto 4. Francis Addai-Nimoh



The NPP is set to elect its flagbearer for the 2024 elections on November 4. Apart from Dr. Bawumia, the other three contenders in the race include Kennedy Agyapong, the Assin Central MP; Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the former Minister for Agriculture; and Francis Addai-Nimoh.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/peacefmonline.com/ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Police are searching for the person who shot and killed an 80-year-old woman while she was inside her Philadelphia home last week.

Rose Goodman was murdered around 9:49 p.m. Sept. 7 at her home located along the 5700 block of Broomhall Street, according to media reports.

Police said they believe the suspect entered the home through a basement window. Goodman was found by authorities with a gunshot wound to her chest and was pronounced dead at the scene, NBC10 reported.

No arrests have been made yet and police said they dont believe anything was taken from the home.

A mom of three and a grandmother of seven, Goodman was described as active both in her church and her neighborhood.

She loved the children of the community as much as she loved us, her son Devin Goodman said to 6ABC.

To be inside her home and have someone come in and kill her, it does hit hard. It does, Alan Goodman said to NBC10.

There is a $20,000 award for details leading to an arrest. Anyone with information is asked to call 215-686-3334.
By Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News (TNS)

Authorities are taking no chances with convicted killer Danelo Cavalcante, who is being held at Pennsylvanias most advanced and expensive prison.

Cavalcante woke up Thursday inside the State Correctional Institution Phoenix, a maximum-security facility in Montgomery County, which once also housed the likes of disgraced comedian Bill Cosby. Cavalcante is currently being kept in what officials described as a specialized observation unit, Patch reported.

Dubbed a state-of-the-art facility by Pennsylvanias Department of Corrections, SCI Phoenix is significantly more notorious than the facility Cavalcante escaped from on Aug. 31. Surveillance video from that morning shows the 34-year-old former fugitive scaling a wall in the yard area of Chester County Prison and then up onto the roof  all the while going unnoticed by a guard in a watchtower.

For two weeks, Cavalcante eluded law enforcement officers by breaking into homes and taking food, stealing a delivery truck and even altering his appearance. He planned to make his way to Canada, but law enforcement got their big break in the case overnight Wednesday, when a plane fitted with a thermal imaging camera picked up his heat signal. Authorities managed to track him to a wooded area and then surrounded him.

Even then, Cavalcante attempted to flee, prompting authorities to release a K9 named Yoda, who has been credited with subduing him.

The recreation area for restricted housing unit inmates at SCI Phoenix in Skippack Township, Montgomery County. (Dan Gleiter, PennLive.com/2017)

From there, he was quickly arraigned at the Avondale barracks on an escape charge, and then shuttled to the supermax facility, where he will serve out a life sentence for murdering his girlfriend.

SCI Phoenix, Pennsylvanias newest detention center, opened in 2018 as a replacement for State Correctional Institution Graterford, which was built in 1929. The 3,422-bed prison, which has significantly more space and modern security features, cost $400 million.

So far, no one has been able to break out of the pricey prison.

More:

Amid focus on Pa. prison escapee, D.C. murder suspect disappears

9 more women sue Bill Cosby, alleging sexual assaults decades ago
By Anna Wiest, The Daily Item, Sunbury, Pa. (TNS)

SUNBURY  A Pa. author is looking to share widely the states paranormal and spiritual tales in his book Coal Region HooDoo.

Maxim Furek, of Berwick, spoke about his books at the Degenstein Community Library recently.

Frustrated by the literary paranormal and historical focus on Gettysburg and Lancaster, Furek said he was interested in the tales from his own area. I want to do for the Coal Region what Stephen King has done for the state of Maine, he said. We have a lot to be proud of. We need to talk about it and keep it alive.

Originally a rock-and-roll journalist, Furek said his journey into researching the Coal Region was kickstarted by the reference to the Sheppton mine disaster in The Buoys 1971 song Timothy.

Three guys were entombed for two weeks after the mine collapsed, Furek said. Only two came out, and there were allegations the third was cannibalized.

His Sheppton: The Myth, Miracle & Music was published in 2015, and Furek was invited to speak at a festival in Baltimore and was featured on a 90-minute Mysterious Universe program from Australia.

Coal Region HooDoo, published in March, was a follow-up to Sheppton. The author said HooDoo means something that could be either a blessing or a curse.

Fureks work is Pennsylvania-centric and digs into the paranormal aspects of the Coal Region. The most recent release delves into topics including Dr. Frederick Santee, a white witch from Wapwallopen, as well as other unique Pennsylvanians and Bigfoot and UFOs.

Furek said his relationship with Ed Warren, demonologist, and Lorraine Warren, psychic, attributed a great deal to his own literature. The Warrens investigations led to the movies in The Conjuring franchise.

Fureks next book will be released in late September or early October, he said. Titled Flying Saucer Esoteric, Furek expects the piece to be a hit.

Now is the time to talk about UFOs, he said.

Editors note: Welcome to the world of Paranormal PA, a PennLive series that delves into Pennsylvania-grown stories of spirits (like the ghost of a murdered girl whose cries can be heard in one of Penn States libraries); cryptids (the squonk); oddities and legends (Pennsylvanias very own witch trials); and the unexplained (was this thing that flew over Kecksburg a meteor or a UFO?). Sign up here to get our Paranormal PA newsletter delivered to your inbox.
It was Elizabeth Payanos first time visiting the picturesque lake in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains with her family.

The Sayreville mother had heard about Beltzville State Parks lake from friends and family and drove to the Pennsylvania recreation area on Aug. 6 with her three children and other relatives.

They arrived to find full parking lots and crowds of visitors at the lakes swimming beach in Lehighton, Pennsylvania. When they were turned away because the beach was at capacity, they went to a nearby cove where they saw others swimming.

Fifteen minutes after they arrived, Payano went to her car to get life jackets for the kids. Thats when she heard screaming.

Everything happened so fast, unexpectedly, Payano said. All of you as a family go together, and ... you have to go back with one less in the family.

Her son, Elisam Santana, 18, drowned in the swimming cove while saving his brother, 14, and cousin, 9, his family said. Santana was a 2022 graduate of Sayreville War Memorial High School and a student at Brookdale Community College in Middletown.

Though the state park prohibits people from swimming in the cove, Payano said visitors were in the water when the family arrived. There were no signs telling guests that swimming in the area was prohibited or could be dangerous, she said.

The mother is now advocating for state park authorities to install signs to prevent further drownings.

The way everything happened, I just want to avoid other families and members, especially moms, that can be going through this situation that we are going through, Payano said.

The eastern reaches of Beltzville Lake looking west toward the Preachers Camp Boat Launch at Beltzville State Park are seen July 10, 2023.Kurt Bresswein | For lehighvalleylive.com

The Beltzville State Park has a 525-foot sand beach around the lake, which is open from late-May to mid-September each year. The lakes visitors swim at their own risk, according to the park.

The beach is the only area on the lake that is open for swimming. It often reaches capacity on summer weekends.

When Payano visited with her family, they were turned away due to the crowds, she said. She and her group drove along Pohopoco Drive until they reached the cove where they saw other visitors.

Beltzville State Park Manager Benjamin Monk told Lehigh Valley Live in August that the lakes depth drops rapidly along the cove, going from just a few feet to about 40 feet deep, according to Google Maps.

Santanas 14-year-old brother and 9-year-old cousin went into water up to their knees and started swimming before the lake bottom dropped off and they were in over their heads, said Heidilyn Urena, Santanas cousin and the older sister of the 9-year-old.

Urena wasnt at the cove that day, but she relayed details that others who were present shared with her.

Once they were tired of swimming and they cant feel the ground, they started panicking, Urena said.

Thats when Santana, who was swimming nearby, rushed to their aid. He saved the boys. But, he didnt make it back to the shore, she said.

His body was recovered the next day.

People often cross into or swim in undesignated areas, said Adam Katchmarchi, the executive director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, a nonprofit group aimed at reducing the number of drownings in the United States.

Some areas where swimming is prohibited lack signs warning people of the potential danger, Katchmarchi said.

I dont think its a bad idea to have signage and indicate that this area is not designated for swimming, Katchmarchi said. Should a lake ... put signage, make people aware if theres an inherent danger in that area? Absolutely.

Wesley Robinson, a spokesperson for the states Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said any swimming outside of Beltzvilles designated swimming beach is prohibited.

The swimming in question occurred on state game lands, where swimming is prohibited, Robinson said.

Robinson did not comment on whether the park is considering adding signs about the rules prohibiting swimming in the cove.

Payano said she was unaware swimming was prohibited in the area when she arrived with her family.

There were no signs anywhere, Payano said. Otherwise, I would never have put my family in danger or those families that were there.

Payano said she will honor her sons memory by fighting for signage at the lake until authorities install it.

I live to prevent the pain. My life has changed, Payano said. Because right now I dont have my son with me.

Camille Furst may be reached at cfurst@njadvancemedia.com.
By Mark S. Singel

When the New York Times reported that Mitt Romney would not seek a second term in the U.S. Senate, they included some remarkably candid comments from the man. Romney called for new leadership at all levels and made the direct suggestion that President Biden and former President Trump should step aside as well. In addition to the concerns about the age of both candidates, Romney focused specifically on the damage inflicted by the current front runner of the Republican Party.

Theres no question that the Republican Party today is in the shadow of Donald Trump, Mr. Romney said. He also noted that the party was more concerned with whining about the 2020 election rather than winning in 2024.

It was also announced that a new Romney biography was in the works that contains some explosive truths from his insider perspective in the U.S. Senate. Reportedly, Romney names more than a dozen Republican senators who say in private what they dare not utter on the campaign trail: Trump is a demagogue who has brought the party to the brink of collapse.

A successful capitalist, Mitt Romney made his mark in politics the hard way. He took his brand of rational Republicanism to the deep blue state of Massachusetts and won two terms there. He ran for President in 2008 and 2012 at a time when both parties valued real discourse. He understood his calling and honored the stature of the Presidency and the U.S. Constitution by talking about issues and aspirations. The fact is that candidates like Mitt Romney, John McCain and other solid leaders came up short only because they faced the phenomenon of Americas first celebrity candidate, Barack Obama.

When Romney arrived in the United States Senate in 2018, he won by two thirds of the vote in Utah. The politics of division and the churning of chaos on the far right appear to have taken their toll on his numbers. It is likely that he would have faced a primary in 2024 based on nothing more than his unwillingness to embrace the circus of Trumpism.

In fact, Romney will be remembered and revered in history for having the courage of his convictions. In the first impeachment trial of Donald Trump, Romney could not bring himself to look away from the egregious behavior of a President who tried to dig up dirt on a political rival by pressuring another country. His was the only Republican vote to hold Trump accountable for his actions. It may have cost him his seat but it preserved his integrity. He said at the time: I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty.

Romney would be asked to stand tall again when the President refused to accept the will of the people and allegedly employed every legal and illegal means to remain in power. This time, six other Republicans would summon the courage the follow his lead when the impeachment conviction vote came.

When Romney announced his retirement, he made this startling observation: Its pretty clear that the Republican Party is inclined to a populist demagogue message. In other words, there doesnt seem to be any room for the thoughtful collaborative leadership that Romney brought to the table his entire career. In excerpts from the forthcoming book, Romney is even more direct. The partys continued blind loyalty to Trump  even after the January 6 riots and the string of felony charges dogging the former President  means that the party really doesnt believe in the Constitution.

The Washington Post points to the demise of true conservatives like Romney, Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Bob Corker (R-TN), and Pat Toomey (R-PA) and notes that Whats left is a party devoid of prominent politicians truly making the case for a different course.

As he leaves the scene, however, Mitt Romney and others are clear-eyed about what happened to his career and to the Republican party as a whole. In an op-ed penned by Jeff Flake, the demise of the party and the drift of the American experiment is due to the rise of a dangerous demagogue, and my partys embrace of him.

Still, good leaders reach for hope and Mitt Romney has not given up. While he steps aside for what he calls a new generation of leadership, he has sent out a challenge to the party that he has served all his life: If the Republicans can change the direction of a populist, it can change back to my wing of the partywe have the leverage of being right, and in the final analysis, right will prevail.

Mark S. Singel is former Lieutenant Governor and Acting Governor of Pennsylvania.
Its not often we find reason to laud public officials for showing compassion. But we have reason to do so now.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has shown considerable compassion in hearing the pleas of thousands of families in Pennsylvania that are caring for loved ones with intellectual disabilities. These families have been begging for help for years, and they were facing catastrophe.

PennLives Editorial Board repeatedly echoed the voices of those calling for the Department of Human Services to increase reimbursement rates for providers of Medicaid home and community-based service programs. We called for state officials to address the problem with long waiting lists for critical services.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro meeting with disability rights advocates. JUNE 12, 2023 - HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

We held meetings and published op-eds from advocates for people with intellectual disabilities and autism, including Gary Blumenthal, vice president of InVision Human Services, who led an intense campaign find relief for suffering families. Organizations such as the Arc of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Advocacy and Resources (PAR) for Autism and Intellectual Disability, Provider Alliance were all engaged in educating the public about the crisis facing thousands of vulnerable Pennsylvanians and in demanding the state properly fund support services.

We stood firmly with families who were desperate for someone in power to listen.

Gov. Shapiro not only listened, but he also acted. He used the power of his office to ensure families will be able to get the professional support they need to care for their loved one.

Matt Jennings, who describes himself as a member of the community of people with intellectual disabilities and autism, penned an op-ed with his mother Cindy Jennings and grandmother Judy Smith after the governors announcement on Monday. They described the governors moves as nothing short of historic. It must be stated that many legislators from both parties support increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for DSPs to help ensure these families can get help. But they said the governors support made the difference.

The governor not only called for a review of the rates paid to direct support professionals (DSP), as they are called, but he has pledged to address the states long waiting list for services that are critical to these families. Gov. Shapiro pledged to make it a priority in his upcoming budget.

Jennings, his mother, and grandmother say Pennsylvania has long underfunded programs that provide services to people with intellectual disabilities and autism. That led to a shortage of professionals willing to accept the meager wages for the most demanding work imaginable.

Department of Human Services Secretary Val Arkoosh aptly described their importance in announcing the governors decisions. DSPs provide personal care for vulnerable people, which can be physically strenuous. They prepare meals, administer medications, and even provide transportation. No one will do this work for what some advocates described as starvation wages.

We commend Gov. Shapiro for taking time to meet with these families and their advocates. He did the right thing.

This is why voters put people into office; not to close themselves off in their wood-paneled offices, but to open their doors, hear from the people and do what it takes to help them.

Quality local journalism has never been more important. You deserve the best. Not a subscriber yet? Please consider supporting our work.
By DAVID SHARP, ROBERT F. BUTAKY and PATRICK WHITTLE, The Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine (AP)  The National Hurricane Center downgraded Hurricane Lee to a post-tropical cyclone but millions of people remained under storm watches and warnings early Saturday as the storm still could produce hurricane-force winds, torrential rain and coastal flooding.

Severe conditions were predicted as a possibility across portions of Massachusetts and Maine and hurricane conditions could hit the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, where the storm had been predicted to make landfall later Saturday.

The storm was located about 230 miles southwest of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and about 220 miles southeast of Eastport, Maine, on Saturday morning.

There were more than 11,000 power outages from Massachusetts to Maine early Saturday. The wind had picked up and rain moved into eastern Massachusetts.

Heavy surf pounds the coastline at Nauset Beach in East Orleans on the incoming tide as Hurricane Lee, still south of Cape Cod, Mass., Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (Steve Heaslip /Cape Cod Times via AP)AP

The hurricane center predicted hurricane-force winds extending more than 100 miles from Lees center with lesser but still dangerous tropical storm-force gusts up to 345 miles miles outward.

States of emergency were declared for Massachusetts and Maine, the nations most heavily forested state, where the ground was saturated and trees were weakened by heavy summer rains.

Lee already lashed the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Bahamas and Bermuda before turning northward, and heavy swells were likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions in the U.S. and Canada, according to the hurricane center.
KHARTOUM, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Concerns about the risk of fragmentation in Sudan began to loom larger after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) Commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo stated his intention to form a parallel government.

In an audio speech posted Thursday evening on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, Dagalo threatened to establish a parallel government in Khartoum and RSF-held areas if the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) declared a government in Port Sudan, the capital city of the Red Sea State in eastern Sudan.

In reaction, several political entities warned against the danger of forming two governments in areas controlled by the two warring parties in Sudan.

"There are reports about the intention to form a government in Port Sudan and another in Khartoum. If such a thing happens, it would actually mean the division of Sudan into two states," Jaafar Hassan, a spokesperson for the Central Council for the Forces of Freedom and Change, said Friday on X.

He urged the two parties to stop such moves and immediately return to Jeddah negotiations for a cease-fire.

Mohamed Hassan Al-Taishi, a former member of Sudan's Transitional Sovereign Council, echoed Hassan's opinion in a post on X, stating that "underestimating wars and their causes led to the worst armed conflict in the history of our country, and deliberate underestimation of the risk of division will inevitably lead to fragmentation."

He added that it is a national necessity to resist the formation of regional governments like the ones where the remnants of the former regime and their supporters are active.

Meanwhile, Khalid Omer Youssef, the deputy head of the Sudanese Congress Party, described the RSF commander's statements as "very dangerous."

"Sudan seems to be heading toward division at a rocket speed," he said on X on Friday.

"All forces willing for peace must unite to end the war through negotiations to maintain the unity of our country," the party leader said, noting that saving Sudan depends on ending the war and moving towards real and fair peaceful solutions.

The Sudanese Justice and Equality Movement, in the meantime, voiced in a statement on Friday its categorical rejection of the unilateral establishment of any government before reaching a comprehensive political deal.

"We hold the party which intends to take this step responsible for its repercussions on the unity of the country, its territory, and its people," the statement said.

As the clashes between the Sudanese warring parties just completed their fifth month, the RSF still controls large areas in the capital Khartoum, and some western areas, while the SAF controls large areas in northern, eastern and central Sudan.

The deadly clashes, which broke out on April 15, have resulted in at least 3,000 deaths and more than 6,000 injuries, according to figures released by the Sudanese Health Ministry. 
Mads Mikkelsen, seen in an undated production still image, stars in "The Promised Land," one of the hidden gems at this year's Toronto International Film Festival. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-TIFF, *MANDATORY CREDIT*
OPP vehicles block a road near the scene of a shooting where one Ontario Provincial Police officer was killed and two others were injured in the town of Bourget, Ont., on Thursday, May 11, 2023. Ontario's police watchdog has cleared an officer who fired his gun during a shooting in May that left another officer dead. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle
This aerial photo taken on Sept. 15, 2023 shows a gap cutting the highway between Derna City and Sousse City in east Libya. The gap was originally linked with a bridge that was destroyed in recent heavy floods. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya after heavy floods triggered by Mediterranean storm Daniel swept the region.

The IOM said in a statement that 2,217 buildings were destroyed alone in Derna, the port city that has been hit hardest by Libya's worst floods in decades.

The floods have so far claimed at least 5,500 lives and left another 10,000 missing, official statistics show. (Photo by Ibrahim Hadia al-Majbri/Xinhua)

TRIPOLI, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya after heavy floods triggered by Mediterranean storm Daniel swept the region.

The IOM said in a statement that 2,217 buildings were destroyed alone in Derna, the port city that has been hit hardest by Libya's worst floods in decades.

Also on Friday, Libya's Housing and Utilities Projects Implementation Agency revealed that the floods had damaged about 5,000 homes. It added that the floods have also ruined water supply networks, leaving people in the affected areas with a serious water shortage of drinking water.

The floods have so far claimed at least 5,500 lives and left another 10,000 missing, official statistics show.

The security services on Friday continued the mass burial of the retrieved bodies in Derna after taking their photos, and the city's public prosecutor is overseeing the collection of DNA samples from the victims so that they could be identified by their relatives later, local sources told Xinhua.

Steel Cavillo, a Spanish humanitarian assistance worker, expressed horror at the extent of the destruction in Derna and said the hope to find more survivors is fading.

As the bodies in the stricken areas start to decompose, Haider al-Sayeh, director of the National Center for Disease Control, on Friday called for the immediate evacuation of the areas affected by the floods.

Al-Sayah told Xinhua that 55 cases of water contamination have been reported in the Derna after drinking water was mixed with sewage water.

Osama Mohamed, a resident from Derna, said that 40 percent of the city has no electricity.

"The telecommunications are weak, there is no drinking water, and only two bakeries in the city are working. The power generators need fuel, and it is difficult to get medication for people with chronic diseases," said Sulaiman al-Mabruk, a Libyan volunteer. 

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 15, 2023 shows people standing on the broken highway between Derna City and Sousse City in east Libya. The highway was originally linked with a bridge that was destroyed in recent heavy floods. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya after heavy floods triggered by Mediterranean storm Daniel swept the region.

The IOM said in a statement that 2,217 buildings were destroyed alone in Derna, the port city that has been hit hardest by Libya's worst floods in decades.

The floods have so far claimed at least 5,500 lives and left another 10,000 missing, official statistics show. (Photo by Ibrahim Hadia al-Majbri/Xinhua)

A man sits in front of his destroyed house in Derna, Libya, on Sept. 15, 2023. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya after heavy floods triggered by Mediterranean storm Daniel swept the region.

The IOM said in a statement that 2,217 buildings were destroyed alone in Derna, the port city that has been hit hardest by Libya's worst floods in decades.

The floods have so far claimed at least 5,500 lives and left another 10,000 missing, official statistics show. (Photo by Ahmed Gaber/Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

Rescuers work in Derna, Libya, Sept. 16, 2023. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

A rescuer works on a damaged building in Derna, Libya on Sept. 16, 2023. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows people standing amid debris in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

People walk on a street in Derna, Libya on Sept. 16, 2023. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

A rescuer of the international rescue team searches in a damaged house in Derna, Libya on Sept. 16, 2023. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows a man standing amid debris in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)

This photo taken on Sept. 16, 2023 shows a flood-affected area in Derna, Libya. On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya. (Photo by Hamza Turkia/Xinhua)
Bracelet Winner Awaiting Trial for Attempted Murder Violates Bond; Trial Date Set

September 15, 2023 Jon Sofen Senior Editor U.S.

Rudy Gavaldon, a Michigan World Series of Poker (WSOP) online bracelet winner from this past summer who is awaiting trial for allegedly brutally assaulting his wife to near death, violated his bond agreement and is back in jail.

The poker player won Online Event #3: $500 No-Limit Hold'em Turbo 6-Max in July on the WSOP.com Michigan poker site for $20,193. Upon conducting a background check, PokerNews discovered he is accused of a heinous crime that allegedly took place July 29, 2022.

Back in the Slam

Gavaldon, 36, was released from jail on bond in August 2022, which is why he was able to play in some online bracelet events. But, according to court records filed in Grand Traverse County (Michigan), he was arraigned on August 1, 2023 for testing positive for opiates.

The bracelet winner pled not guilty to the bond violation, but was found guilty on Aug. 8 and sent back to jail after Gavaldon's attorney unsuccessfully requested for bond to be reinstated.

Gavaldon is currently housed at the Grand Traverse County Correctional Facility where he will remain until his January 9-11, 2024 jury trial date, set during an Aug. 31 hearing.

Poker Player's Alleged Violent Tendencies

Gavaldon, who is from Traverse City, is alleged to have brutally assaulted his wife, Lara Gavaldon. According to a police report, Gavaldon told officers at the crime scene at 12:05 a.m. on July 30, 2022, that his wife was dying and needed medical attention. Upon arrival, authorities noticed Galvadon walking in the roadway while carrying his child.

His 28-year-old wife was discovered in their home and transported to a nearby hospital, and eventually med flighted downstate to Grand Rapids Hospital, with life-threatening injuries while he was taken into custody.

Lara Gavaldon suffered severe long-term injuries, including impaired vision as a result of the attack. The domestic abuse survivor's friend started a GoFundMe last year to help her cover medical expenses and lost wages. At the time of publishing, the family has received $29,800 in donations.

The alleged incident wasn't the first time Gavaldon's found himself in legal trouble. In 2011, he pled guilty to larceny in a building and third-degree home invasion. He was sentenced to 11 months in jail and 36 months of probation.

Sharelines Online WSOP champ Rudy Gavaldon broke his bond agreement while awaiting trial for attempted murder.
For the eighth time, Europe's biggest poker arena is hosting a series dedicated to the great game of Pot Limit Omaha and four card aficionados from near and far headed to the King's Resort in Rozvadov near the border to Germany. The second edition of the current year takes place as The Grand Big Wrap PLO by $ZTO$ and one of the marquee tournaments on the schedule is the 2023 The Grand Big Wrap 2,350 Main Event.

The four-figure buy-in is accompanied by several other high-stakes contests and comes with a 500,000 guarantee, which is likely to be surpassed without a hitch. There were a total of 99 unique players who purchased an additional 29 re-entries to bring the Day 1a field up to 128 entries. Upon completion of level 11, only 46 players bagged up chips as more than half of those who came had to leave without anything to show for.

Poland's Tomasz Kozub won the race for the overnight lead and increased his starting stack more than eight-fold, bagging up 807,000 in chips. Dorel Eldabach drilled a late entry into a big stack in his usual hyper-aggressive fashion and claimed 713,000 to his name while Portugal's Joao De Almeida Estanislau advanced with 680,000.

Dorel Eldabach

Top 10 Chip Counts After Day 1a

Rank Player Country Chip Count Big Blinds 1 Tomasz Kozub Poland 807,000 202 2 Dorel Eldabach Israel 713,000 178 3 Joao Estanislau Portugal 680,000 170 4 Fabian Riebau-Schmithals Germany 627,000 157 5 August Schlegl Austria 627,000 157 6 Ioannis Papadopoulos Greece 580,000 145 7 Mustafa Biz Turkey 533,000 133 8 Tomas Novotny Czech Republic 460,000 115 9 Fabian Rolli Switzerland 452,000 113 10 Enrico Macias Romero Germany 426,000 107

Among the big stacks in the first of two starting days are also Fabian Riebau-Schmithals and August Schlegl (627,000 each), Mustafa Biz (533,000), and Fabian Rolli (452,000). Bruno Stefanelli (344,000) as well as Dominik Paus (295,000) finished outside of the top ten but have above-average stacks at their disposal as well.

Eran Carmi can be found just below the average with 226,000 but was involved in one of the most memorable hands of the day when he tripled up after getting it in with two pair and a straight draw.

Less fortunate was fellow countryman Leonid Yanovski, who saw his fate sealed on a very active table with plenty of big stacks around. Having invested a large portion of his stack against aforementioned Biz, he had to fold the river against a shove by his opponent. The same table saw the late surge of Eldabach while Nadjim Haddad went from big stack to busto.

Day 1a was not short of regulars at the King's Casino with Ion Tabacaru, Michal Schuh, Sebastian Langrock and Philipp Zukernik among the survivors. The 2022 WSOP Europe Main Event champion Omar Eljach failed to advance, as did Florian Langmann, Oswin Ziegelbecker, Onur Unsal and Michael Strauch.

Two five-figure buy-ins were running at the same time as well in the high-stakes section of the poker arena. Six players out of 221 entries returned for the conclusion of the 10,000 Diamond High Roller, in which China's Quan Zhou overcame a large chip deficit in heads-up to defeat Eelis Parssinen.

Furthermore, Day 1 of the 10,000 Platinum High Roller drew a total of 60 entries with 32 players out of 60 entries advancing. 2023 WSOP Event #71: $50,000 Pot-Limit Omaha High Roller third place finisher Jonas Kronwitter bagged up the lead surrounded by numerous PLO high-stakes players. Many of them may jump into the second starting day of the 2,350 Main Event on Saturday, September 16, 2023, or take advantage of the extended late registration two levels into Day 2.

The PokerNews live reporting team will be back to provide updates for the conclusion of the 10,000 Platinum High Roller and the 2,350 Main Event right here in Rozvadov.
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Trump responded to Jack Smiths gag order request by hysterically claiming that it would prevent him from campaigning.

The former President posted on Truth Social:

Biden Prosecutor, Deranged Jack Smith, has asked the Court to limit 45th President, and leading Republican Nominee (by more than 50 points, & beating Dems!) DONALD J. TRUMPS, PUBLIC STATEMENTS. So, Im campaigning for President against an incompetent person who has WEAPONIZED the DOJ & FBI to go after his Political Opponent, & I am not allowed to COMMENT? They Leak, Lie, & Sue, & they wont allow me to SPEAK? How else would I explain that Jack Smith is DERANGED, or Crooked Joe is INCOMPETENT?

Jack Smith didnt request an order that would stop Trump from discussing Joe Biden or the campaign. The order that Smith requested is intended to stop the former President from attacking the prosecutors, the judge, the people of Washington, DC, and witnesses in his upcoming trial.

Smith believes that Trump is trying to undermine the trial and contaminate the jury, which is exactly what it looks like Donald Trump is attempting to do.

It will come as a shock to no one, but Trump is lying.

If Smith gets a gag order, it will take away Trumps plan to avoid jail by using his platform as a presidential candidate to undermine the trial and contaminate the jury pool.

Trump is melting down because if he cant make the trial political, then his odds of not getting convicted go down even more.
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New Meet The Press moderator Kristen Welker did not get off to an encouraging start, as she allowed Trump to lie without pushback and treated him like a normal candidate instead of a defendant who tried to overthrow the US government.

Here is how Welker described Trump on MSNBC:

I think that you heard former president Trump, who is fired up about a lot of these issues and trying to draw sharp contrast with President Biden. We should say manufacturing has gone up in recent years. I thought it was notable. He would like to win the endorsement of the auto workers.

I read back that statement from the president of the union underscoring how hard that will be. The union hasnt endorsed President Biden. Taking a step back, it speaks to the importance of unions in this upcoming election and of this state. This is a state, Michigan, that former president Trump won in 2016, lost in 2020. It is always quite close. He is clearly making a very strong play for it as well. Of course, leaning into his deal-making status, which he talks about, of course, a lot.

Video:

From watching the clips of Welkers interview with Trump, a person would not know that the former president tried to overthrow the United States government after he lost a legitimate election less than four years ago. Welker allowed Trump to lie about Jack Smith, electric vehicles, and his criminal charges.

Chuck Todd wasnt the main problem on Meet The Press. and anyone who believes in the Tim Russert mythology needs to go back and watch some full episodes of Meet The Press. Russert picked Chuck Todd to be his successor. Todd picked Welker to follow him.

Trump is threatening to destroy democracy if he returns to the White House, and the response of Meet The Press is to treat Trump like any other candidate.

Welkers clips with Trump are proof that the media is not going to try to uphold the nations democratic institutions. By treating Trump like any other candidate, they are enabling his efforts to destroy democracy.
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Trump argued that Biden is cognitively impaired, but then claimed that Biden is about to lead America into World War II.

Trump said while addressing evangelicals, We are a nation that has weaponized law enforcement against opposing political parties. Like never before. There has never been anything like this. Weve got a federal Bureau of Investigation that wont allow bad election-changing facts to be presented to the public. And who offers $1 million to a writer of fiction about Donald Trump to lie and say it was fact Hunter Bidens laptop from Hell was Russian disinformation and the FBI. No, it wasnt. But 51 intelligence agencies said it was And they knew it wasnt also in a Department of Justice that refuses to investigate egregious acts of voting irregularities and fraud. And we have a man who is totally corrupt and the worst president in the history of our country. Who is cognitively impaired. In no condition to lead. And is now in charge of dealing with Russia. And possible nuclear war. Just think of it. We would be in World War II. Very quickly.

Video:

Maybe having a 78-year-old candidate who refuses to release his medical records make the case that the incumbent president is too old is not the best idea?

Trump continues to talk to his followers in a language that mostly only they understand.

Trumps ranting about 2020 and Hunter Bidens laptop is not going to go over well with a general electorate, but the former president has no campaign message. He is relitigating the 2020 election and complaining about the criminal charges that have been filed against him.

A candidate who doesnt know that Joe Biden wasnt president before World War II or that World War II was more than 80 years ago probably should not be running for president.

Republicans and the media are making an issue about Bidens age, but Donald Trump continues to show real signs that he is too old and unfit to run for president.
ABUJA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Nigerian President Bola Tinubu expressed the aim of deepening his economic diplomacy when he travels Sunday to the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), an official said Friday.

Ajuri Ngelale, spokesman for the Nigerian president, told reporters in the national capital of Abuja that meeting with global business chief executives and world leaders, on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UNGA, would be on the table.

During the U.S. visit, Tinubu is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden. He will also participate in the Global Africa Business Initiative to showcase Nigeria's potential to high-level chief executives from around the world, and chair the country's small and medium-scale business summit.

"This is really a very strategic one. The President is determined to ensure that we do not just look at large industries but that we key in on opportunities that are being presented by MSMEs (micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises) to make an impact in foreign markets," Ngelale said, adding that the Nigerian leader is keen to attract more foreign direct investments, and jobs, into the most populous African country. 
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 38F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low 38F. Winds N at 10 to 15 mph.
The effort to remove plutonium from the Savannah River Site and South Carolina is ahead of schedule, the Department of Energy announced Tuesday.

The department's Office of Environmental Management said Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the operator and manager of the Savannah River Site, recently completed its 100th plutonium downblend in 2023. The office added SRNS employees are set processing plutonium that was slated to be processed next year.

Plutonium is a radioactive element that functions as the source of fissionable materials in nuclear weapons. After the Cold War ended, the Department of Energy moved around 12 metric tons of plutonium to K-Area of the Savannah River Site to be disposed of at the Mixed-Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility. But, the Mixed-Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility was never built and the department reached a deal with South Carolina to remove the plutonium brought to the state by 2037.

The department seeks to remove the plutonium by downblending  mixing the plutonium with an inert material called stardust  and shipping it to be buried at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in southeastern New Mexico.

Maxwell Smith, deputy facility manager of K-Area for SRNS, said reaching the 100th downblend ahead of schedule is a huge accomplishment and a testament to the Department of Energy's commitment to remove plutonium from the site by 2037.

"Much of our work in the past few years has been to introduce efficiencies and speed up our processing rates, and its gratifying to see the results of those efforts," Smith said in a news release.

Bert Crapse, nuclear materials program manager for the Department of Energy's Savannah River office, said SRNS safely accomplished a great amount of work in an effort to increase downblending operations.

"Because of their commitment, K Area went from completing nine downblends in fiscal year 2017 to completing over 100 in fiscal year 2023," Crapse said.
People flocked to Main Street and Railroad Avenue Wednesday, Oct. 25, for the 12th annual Moncks Corner Halloween Festival. The event featured music, games, food and a Halloween costume contest at Unity Park sponsored by Holy City Towing, BEC and Home Telecom. Read moreMoncks Corner Halloween Festival
A recently renovated former rolling skating rink between Goose Creek and Summerville has landed its first tenant.

Auto glass repair company Safelite preleased nearly 12,000 square feet of the 39,000-square-foot former Music in Motion property that closed in August 2022 at 1341 College Park Road.

The space has to be upfitted for the new user, but a completion date has not been set, according to Kevin Hann, leasing director for RCB Development.

The Charleston firm acquired the property last October for $4.2 million, according to Berkeley County land records.

The real estate development firm renovated the facility by demolishing the interior, installing new storefront and loading doors, resealing and restriping the parking lot, enhancing the facade and upgrading landscaping.

The remaining 27,000 square feet of space is in shell condition that can be leased in individual slots for retail, flex or industrial uses, starting at 4,300 square feet for a single tenant, according to Hann.

Representatives of the commercial real estate firm CBRE represented the tenant and landlord in the Safelite lease.

RCB owns about 1 million square feet of industrial, flex, retail, office and multifamily properties throughout the Charleston area.

Rezoning request
BLYTHEWOOD  The Town Council was at it again.

Councilman Donald Brocks voice boomed through the microphone in council chambers. Within the first 30 minutes of June's monthly meeting, the divided council was already in a debate.

How much taxpayer money has the town spent on litigation? Brock wanted to know.

He wanted the bill in his hand. Item by item.

Blythewood is one of the fastest-growing towns in South Carolina, poised to evolve in the coming years with a new Scout Motors factory in the wings.

But amid this growth, town leaders are embroiled in rancorous lawsuits that have split the council and shifted focus away from the towns preparations for the future at one of the most pivotal times in Blythewood's history. Tensions have escalated and distractions have mounted as key decisions await relating to the project that promises to bring generational change to this town in the middle of South Carolina.

The bitterness has brewed for nearly three years, stemming from a debate over who would do marketing for the town.

The public relations strategist they hired for the role, Ashley Hunter, was fired after just 2 months.

By that time, she had already filed her first lawsuit against the town. The town quickly shot back with a counterclaim. Hunter filed another lawsuit a year and a half later.

Both sides say they arent backing down.

Meanwhile, the years of litigation have caused a widening rift between council members. Fingers point at one another with accusations.

Brock accused Mayor Bryan Franklin of defamation. The mayor accused Brock of ethics violations. Even the two local newspapers are accused of picking sides.

The town set aside $200,000 of its roughly $9.5 million budget this fiscal year for legal expenses, but council members are left in the dark about how much has been spent.

The mayor knows, but theres a reason he isnt showing his fellow council members the bill.
COLUMBIA  "It's been a long week for all of us."

That was what Richland County Judge Heath Taylor told the jury at the end of the fifth day of a trial in the case of a boat crash on Lake Murray that killed 68-year-old Stan Kiser and injured Kiser's wife and daughter so badly that Kiser's wife's leg had to be amputated.

Tracy Gordon, 57, of Elgin, faces three counts of boating under the influence  one count resulting in injuries other than great bodily harm, one count resulting in great bodily harm, and one count resulting in reckless homicide.

The jurors who will decide whether to convict Jordan heard continued testimony from his wife on Sept. 14 and and again on Sept. 15. Gordon was charged with operating a boat under the influence resulting in reckless homicide after the crash on Sept. 21, 2019.

Prosecutors also questioned a trauma surgeon, a forensic pathologist and a manager from Lighthouse Marina, near where the crash occurred, then Gordon's defense attorney cross-examined them during the trial on Sept. 15.

Gordon's wife, Angie Gordon, spoke to the court about the couple's drinking habits. She testified that she and Gordon never consumed more than three to four beers, if that many, while out on the lake, and that she did not notice anything that would indicate her husband was intoxicated or impaired while driving the boat.

"With the screaming and hollering coming from the boat, it was terrifying," Angie said. She was asked on both Sept. 14 and 15 why she and Gordon did not immediately go to the Kisers' boat to help, and said her husband got out his phone and asked if they should dial 911, but strangers had already stopped to help and someone was already on the phone with authorities.
(COLUMBIA, S.C.)  South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announced recently that 42 attorneys general sued Meta in federal and state courts alleging the company knowingly designed and deployed harmful features on Instagram and its other social media platforms that purposefully addict c Read moreAttorney General Alan Wilson joins bipartisan, multistate coalition in lawsuits against Meta for harming children
It was a simple question: Whats the salary of Master-in-Equity Joseph Strickland, who wanted so desperately to keep his job that he took the audacious step of suing Richland County legislators to make them recommend his reappointment?

The Post and Couriers Seanna Adcox asked it the day after she broke the news about the lawsuit. Then she waited. And paid a fee allegedly to cover the cost of a bureaucrat perhaps sending her the answer. And she nudged. And waited. And nudged. And six weeks later  after the notoriously foot-dragging S.C. Supreme Court had already issued its surprising ruling in the judges favor  she finally got the answer: $191,508.30.

If you want to know what most state employees make, you can go to a state government website that lists exact salaries of people who make $50,000 or more and salary ranges for those who make less. Even those not listed can usually be ascertained with a single phone call or email.

But its more complicated when youre looking for salaries that are paid by local government. Or maybe I should say time-consuming. And not free.

On July 19, when Ms. Adcox reached out to Richland County for Judge Strickands salary, she was told to fill out a two-page Freedom of Information request.

It took until July 25 for the county to send her a form letter demanding a down payment of $1.23  a quarter of the projected $4.91 charge, which was a figure someone probably took longer to calculate than it would have taken to just look up the salary.

The same section of the law that lets governments charge for public information also specifies that the information may be furnished free or at a reduced cost when that "is in the public interest because furnishing the information can be considered as primarily benefiting the general public, so she requested that waiver.
LAKE CITY  A former clerk for the Lake City Water and Sewer office has been charged with embezzlement of public funds.

The State Law Enforcement Division said Sept. 15 that clerk Jackie Hanna is accused of embezzling more than $3,000 by deleting customers cash transactions and keeping the money for herself.

Internal audits confirmed the theft and Hanna reportedly made an admission to agents in an interview as well, according to an arrest warrant.

She is charged with one count of embezzlement of public funds under $5,000, according to the Florence County Detention Centers release database. The case will be prosecuted by the 12th Circuit Solicitors Court.

Hanna was responsible for the safekeeping, transfer and disbursement of public funds. Hanna was a part-time water billing clerk from November 2021 through July 2022, according to a press release from the city.

The city performed an internal audit of all accounts after her dismissal and "established policies and procedures for improved oversight."

This is something we take very seriously, and these measures will prevent incidents from happening again, City Administrator William A. Hall said. We audited every transaction during Hannas tenure, and impacted accounts were made full.

Hanna was booked at the Florence County Detention Center and released on a $5,000 bond.
State Rep. Wendell Gilliard came within a hair of winning the three-way Democratic special primary for state Senate District 42 outright Sept. 5. But after falling a little more than 100 votes short of claiming 50 percent, Gilliard and state Rep. Deon Tedder now must rally their supporters back to the polls for a Sept. 19 runoff.

Results of the first round indicate Gilliard, a pillar of Charleston politics for a quarter-century, might have an edge after winning 47 percent of the vote.

I dont take nothing for granted. Nothings ever in the bag, Gilliard said Sept 15.

And in a race with pitiful turnout  7.5 percent of eligible voters in the first round  Gilliards eight-point lead over Tedder was just 320 votes, something far from insurmountable, Tedders camp assures.

Its a big gap, Tedder acknowledged, but he points to his runoff win after coming second in the 2020 House primary that launched his political career.

It was a similar situation, and somehow (in) those next two weeks we prevailed, he said.

State Rep. JA Moore came in third with 15 percent of the vote in the first round. Tedder believes voters who backed Moore, another young candidate, will pick him in the runoff.

The heavily Democratic district runs from Calhoun Street in downtown Charleston to Otranto Road in North Charleston and into part of Dorchester County. The winner of the primary runoff will face Republican Rosa Kay in the general election Nov. 7.

Both sides have scored high-profile endorsements in the race. On Sept. 15, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-Columbia, threw his significant clout behind Tedder, recording a robocall obtained by The Post and Courier urging voters to pick Tedder.

He should stay out of it. His job is in Washington, Gilliard responded. A leader (lets) the people run the party.
ACCRA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Ghana is committed to launching Eco, the common currency proposed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), by 2027, said Ghanaian Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia on Friday.

With 2027 approaching, ECOWAS member states need to recommit to the vision of a common currency and subregional reserve bank, which would ensure more rapid development in the subregion, said the vice president.

"We, in Ghana, are committed to restoring macroeconomic stability that forms the basis of sustainable economic growth and development," he said.

Bawumia made the pledge during the 50th Meeting of the Convergence Council of Ministers and Governors of Central Banks of Member States of the West African Monetary Zone held in Accra, the capital of Ghana, saying the country will meet the convergence criteria on schedule.

In June 2021, the leaders of ECOWAS extended the deadline for the subregional common currency to 2027, requiring all member states to comply with the convergence criteria by 2026. 
JAKARTA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia recorded a deep export decline of 21.21 percent year on year to 22.00 billion U.S. dollars in August, according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS) on Friday.

Exports of leading commodities such as coal contracted 48.91 percent year on year, and palm oil minus 35.23 percent, as did iron and steel, although they only fell 0.96 percent.

"Cumulatively, the value of Indonesia's exports from January to August reached 171.52 billion U.S. dollars or a decrease of 11.85 percent compared to the same period last year," said acting head of BPS, Amalia Widyasanti, at a press conference.

Primarily, non-oil and gas export destinations in August were China, the United States, and India, with the contribution of the three reaching 45.20 percent of the total.

Meanwhile, the value of imports in August was recorded at 18.88 billion U.S. dollars, down 14.77 percent compared to the same month last year.

Due to all these developments, Indonesia recorded a trade balance of 3.12 billion U.S. dollars that month, its 40th consecutive month of surplus. 
New York has long been a sanctuary city, but when busloads of illegal immigrants began showing up, that changed rapidly. Mayor Eric Adams says that the presence of 58,000 or so illegal immigrants threatens to destroy the city, and blames the Biden administration. Hes right about that.

A group of New York pols that included Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Gerald Nadler, and others toured the Roosevelt Hotel, epicenter of the fiasco, and held a press conference afterward. It did not go well. They were shouted down by normal New Yorkers who want their city back. AOC offered the universal Democrat solutionmore money from the federal government, borrowed from our children!but the crowd wasnt having it.

So, reality has come to blue New York City. This video is the best one I have seen. It starts with coverage from the Roosevelt Hotel, then breaks away for newsroom commentary, then returns to the scene of the crime. Be sure to watch the last part, where you see the wrath of the crowd:

The politics of Europe have been upended by popular revolt against illegal immigration that has imposed intolerable burdens, both financial and social, on Europeans. The same thing will happen here, to the extent that people in non-border states feel the impact of millions of illegal immigrants crossing the southern border. If it can happen in New York, it can happen anywhere.
According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), there are more than 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria.

Jigawa State in North-west Nigeria, has the fifth largest number of out-of-school children after Bauchi, Kebbi, Katsina and Kano State. There are about 784,391 children not in school in the state.

Many of the out-of-school children in Jigawa are Almajiris. The Almajiris are not enrolled in any school of formal education.

Almajiris are usually sent by their parents to faraway towns to study the Quran. The children, mainly boys, are largely neglected to roam the street begging for alms.

Also, in parts of the state, the struggle for control of the lush land has led to deadly conflicts between farmers and herders over the years.

The state is also prone to flash floods during rainy seasons. Many communities have been ravaged by floods, causing the deaths of hundreds of residents and destroying farmlands.

The states governor, Umar Namadi, in this interview with reporters on Wednesday, including PREMIUM TIMES Ahmadu Maishanu, in Dutse, spoke about efforts taken by his administration to address these problems and others within the first 100 days of being sworn into office.

Excerpt.

PT: Your state has been battling a high number of out-of-school children. What are you doing to address that challenge?

Mr. Namadi: We have within 100 days in office been able to expand the states Ministry of Education into two components  now having two ministries for basic education and higher.

This will bring more concentration on what we can do to ensure that education is given a greater priority for all children and adults in Jigawa State.

If you glance at the combination of our cabinet, we brought in people with integrity. Within this period, Jigawa State has seen a revolution in the educational sector.

We have put in place a system that will ensure the quality of education, we have rejigged the basic education system, we introduced some changes, and we have integrated the Quranic education system into the mainstream education system. The Tsangaya system (Almajiri system of education), we are furnishing it into the main education system, and that will reduce the number of out-of-school children.

That has made me appoint two aides to the Almajiri system. Very soon, one other person will be appointed  making one each from the three senatorial districts, that will help in coordinating the Almajiri system into the mainstream system.

The issues of school enrollment, we have taken it head-on to ensure that children are going to school that is working very well.

PT: The farmers-herders conflict has been a re-occurring issue resulting in loss of lives in many instances. How is the new administration addressing the problem?

Mr Namadi: When we came in, I convened a meeting with all the security stakeholders on the need to sustain the favourable security situation of the state.

We are also proactive in sustaining the security situation of the state, we directed the security agents, traditional rulers and religious leaders to play their part.

One of the prone areas are Guri and Kirikasamma. We have been working with the security agencies to ensure that the farmers-herders clashes have been reduced to the barest minimum and possibly eliminated.

With what we have started, we are very confident that we will get to the bottom of that crisis. At present, we have set up a committee to ensure that there is peace.

The committee has started making an impact, and we hope that their work will bring an end to the farmers and herders crisis.

During the process of transition, some people have taken an opportunity to distribute land which is not by laid down rules.

We have revoked all the land allocation and we have set up a committee to retrieve all the land. Afterwards, we will demarcate them to ensure that they remain government grassing reserve areas.

We have taken steps to improve the grassing reserve by providing a water facility and planting pastures in some of the grassing reserves so that the Fulanis can have a better way of grassing and reduce the conflict between the farmers and the herders.

We have directed the Ministry of Basic Education, Nomadic Education, and Adult Education to work in synergy in organising lectures and seminars for the Fulanis, to educate them both on formal and religious education. We believe if they know, it will shape their reasoning in reducing the unwholesome attitudes.

PT: Flooding has become a nightmare for many communities in Jigawa during rainy seasons, causing the deaths of hundreds of residents and destroying farmlands. What are you doing differently to combat flooding?

Mr Namadi: Flooding is a major problem in Jigawa State. We have been proactive in that regard. We have bought two excavators and the Hadejia Jamaare River Basic Development Authority has also bought two for the state.

The four excavators have been put to use to dredge the Hadejia rivers. As of today, we have done about 60 kilometres of dredging that has to allow the flow of water.

We have also made embankments in the riverine areas, so far, we have done over 100 kilometres of embankment in the flood-prone area to reduce the effect of floods.

With this development, people are now confident and have gotten back to farming and we are expecting a bomber harvest this year by the grace of Allah.

In addition to dredging rivers and embankments, we have distributed working materials to self-help groups to clear the drainages.

We have supported the people with canoes and supporting materials in the event the flood occurred, which we pray against.

PT: About 80 per cent of Jigawa residents are engaged in agriculture. What is your administration doing to improve the development of agriculture in the state?

Mr. Namadi: Agriculture is the mainstay of the states economy, in the last hundred days, we have reviewed the cluster system of farming, and we have seen that we will continue with it and expand it.

A committee has been set up to look at and improve seedlings for the farmers.

In trying to assist the farmers we have distributed fertiliser to our farmers at a subsidised cost of 40 per cent less than the open market price and that has improved the level of farming because people have access to the fertiliser at a cheaper cost.

With the removal of the fuel subsidy, we plan to provide solar water pumps to the farmers during the dry seasonal farming at a lesser cost.

PT: Recently, you supervised the distribution of farming inputs in some communities in the state. During the distribution, you discovered that some farmers were short-changed by some government officials. You vowed to sanction those involved, but we have not heard anything about the issue. What action did you take to punish the culprits and put an end to such practices?

Mr. Namadi: There was an issue in the Fadama project, which involved the improper distribution of input to farmers.

I have gone around and confirmed that some of the farmers were not given the farming inputs they deserve.

I have vowed to ensure that those officials involved in the infamous act must be brought to book and pay the money back. We are still on that.

A committee is working, and they have a week to submit their interim report. Those indicted by the report will face the consequences of their action and they will refund the money.

This article was edited by Nicholas Ibekwe and Oluwaseyi Ayeni.

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Africas first winner of the Nobel Laurel in Literature, Wole Soyinka, has doubled down on his assertion that Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) did not win the Nigerian 2023 presidential election.

Mr Soyinka said the two candidates, who ran a joint ticket on the PDP platform in 2019, donated the election voluntarily to President Bola Tinubu by running as separate candidates.

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The literature great made his fresh intervention in the issue through a statement he issued on Saturday from Stellenboch, South Africa.

The intervention followed angry reactions by supporters of Mr Obi that Mr Soyinka made on the issue earlier in the week

Read below the full text of the statement.

THE CAPE TOWN RE-ENTRY

The mistake we all continue to make is our insistence on regarding the recent Nigerian elections as an adversarial thriller. The contrary is the truth. The ballot tally accurately reflected what happens when a political party splits itself in two, especially so critically close to an election. What promised to be a spectacular contest is transformed into a Feast of Voluntary Donation of the spoils of war.

That, however, is not always the ultimate destination  the re-gifting may continue, prodded by a sudden surge of regret. There remains, lurking in the background, a far more potent beneficiary. In this case, we easily recall it as the unregistered but loudly canvassed IPP  the Interim Peoples Party, usually to be found in bed with the military. The notorious Datti interview, menacing, intimidating and unambiguous, sets the scene for such re-entry. Then, history repeats itself over and over again, as currently manifested along the West African sub-region. The call to arms is made literal by those whose trade is precisely that of arms.

Barring such abrupt patriotic intervention, however, the last word belongs to the Supreme Court. Until that conclusive hour, wherever and whenever the subject turns to the Nigerian elections, my contribution can be taken for granted in advance: Peter Obi did not win the Nigerian 2023 elections. Jointly with his erstwhile colleague of the PDP, Abubakar Atiku, they donated the outcome, even before the voting.

Let politicians and their cohorts learn to take responsibility for the consequences of their choices within democratic options.

Wole SOYINKA

Stellenbosch, South Africa

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Although Israel allows for the freedom of religion, its government frowns at any religious action that tries to convert its residents from one religion to another, an Israeli diplomat told PREMIUM TIMES in an exclusive interview.

The Israeli ambassador to Nigeria, Michael Freeman, said Israel does not, want people coming in and trying to convert the Jews to become Christians or to convert the Muslims to become Christians, the Muslims to convert the Christians or the Jews to convert the Muslims because it just creates a point of conflict.

Mr Freeman was responding to a question on a proposed bill that many believe seeks to stop evangelism in Israel.

There is no law that is being passed or going to be passed in any way limiting Christian freedom or anything else in Israel. It is a story and it is not true, he said.

A bill was introduced in January that said trying to convert someone from their faith should be punishable by one year in prison and solicitation to convert a minor would be punishable with a two-year sentence.

It was proposed by two ultra-Orthodox Jewish lawmakers, Moshe Gafni, who heads the parliaments Finance Committee, and Yaakov Asher.

The proposition met criticism from evangelical Christians around the world including American evangelical Christians.

Some Nigerians also expressed concerns over the bill. Nigeria has millions of evangelicals with thousands undergoing pilgrimage to Israel annually.

The Nigeria Christian Pilgrims Commission (NCPC) in 2022 said at least 10,000 Christians will go on pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan in 2023.

Mr Freeman in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES assured that there is total freedom of religion in Israel.

You are allowed to practice your religion; Jerusalem is the home to the three monotheistic religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. All have holy places and all are allowed to go there.

He said Christians, Muslims, and Jews are able to freely practice their religions as they want, how they want, in any way whatsoever.

He said the controversial bill in parliament is not about limiting anybodys rights or freedom.

If someone wants to come on holiday, they can come on holiday; if you want to preach to the people you brought with you, you will absolutely preach to the people

In the interview, Mr Freeman also spoke about the Israeli-Palestinian crisis, the controversial judicial reforms, and the Israel-Nigeria relations. Read the interview here.

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President Bola Tinubu, on Friday, announced the nomination of Olayemi Cardoso to serve as the new Governor of Nigerias Central Bank (CBN).

The president said Mr Cardoso is to serve a term of five years in the first instance, pending his confirmation by the Nigerian Senate.

Mr Tinubu also approved the nomination of four new deputy governors of the apex bank to serve for a similar duration of five years in the first instance, pending their confirmation by the Senate, according to a statement issued by Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity.

The nominees according to the statement are Emem Usoro, Muhammad Abdullahi-Dattijo, Philip Ikeazor and Bala Bello.

Prior to the nomination of Mr Cardoso, Folashodun Shonubi, a deputy governor of the bank, had been the acting governor of the apex bank after Mr Tinubu suspended Godwin Emefiele in June.

Profile

Mr Cardoso was the former chairman of Citibank Nigeria. He is a distinguished leader in the financial and development sectors with over 30 years experience in the private, public and not-for-profit organisations.

With diverse corporate governance experience, Mr Cardoso has also sat on the boards of Nigerian subsidiaries of Texaco and Chevron and chaired the board of EFInA, a financial sector development organisation supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation.

He served in government as Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget for Lagos State, where he championed the financial reform process which led to the states development of independent tax revenues.

In his capacity as a consultant and policy expert, Mr Cardoso has advised and collaborated with major international development organisations including the World Bank, Ford Foundation, UN Habitat, World Health Organisation and the Swedish Development Foundation.

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He is the recipient of several awards including an honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Administration from Aston University, his alma mater, and the Global Distinguished Alumni award from Citi.

Mr Cardoso obtained a Masters in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School where he was a Fellow.

Deputy governor nominees

Emem Usoro

On her part, Mrs Usoro has over two decades of banking experience spanning retail, commercial, corporate banking and public sector, covering all the regions in the country.

She was the Group General Manager and the Strategic Business Group (SBG) Head, in Abuja. She was also the Regional Head, Lagos Bank 2, and has won multiple awards at the annual UBA CEO Awards.

She is an alumna of Harvard Business School and Lagos Business School.

Muhammad Abdullahi-Dattijo

Mr Abdullahi-Dattijo is a seasoned development economist with over two decades of experience in policy formulation, public finance, and project implementation. He is the former Kaduna Central Senatorial candidate of the APC in the 2023 elections.

He has served in various high-level positions, including as a Policy Adviser at the Executive Office of the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon in New York.

Philip Ikeazor

Mr Ikeazor has over 30 years experience in the financial services industry. He has held various board positions notably as the CEO of Keystone Bank Limited, CEO of Ecobank Kenya Limited, Executive Director, Union Bank Nigeria, Director of Union Bank UK PLC, and Director of the Orient Bank Uganda.

Mr Ikeazor also served as a member of the governing board of ICRISAT International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, India (a member of the World Bank-led Consultative Group on International Agric. Research).

He has a BSc. Economics from the University of Buckingham UK and is an Alumnus of Wharton-CEIBS-IESE Business School Global CEO Programme and attended executive programmes at Harvard Business School and Wharton School of Business.

Bala Bello

Mr Bello is an industry leader who hails from Taraba State. His professional career has spanned Banking, Capital Markets, and Pension Fund Management.

He is a well-respected public official and a renowned accountant. In April 2017, Mr Bello was appointed by the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari as the Executive Director of Corporate Services at the Nigerian Export-Import Bank

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The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has raised an alarm over the nonchalance displayed by the President Bola Tinubu administration towards the countrys rising debt profile.

The Executive Director of CISLAC, Auwal Rafsanjani, in a statement on Saturday, expressed concerns over Nigerias startling 75 per cent surge in debt, now towering at a staggering N87 trillion, saying the figure represents an increase of 75.29 per cent, or N37.53trillion, compared to N49.85 trillion recorded at the end of March 2023.

Mr Rafsanjani highlighted the concerning fiscal implications for the nation, especially as it struggles to manage debt interest payments, despite the expected monthly savings of approximately N400 billion from fuel subsidy removal.

He said, At a time when the international community is pushing for substantial debt relief initiatives and multilateral financial reforms, Nigerias deepening debt situation and fiscal recklessness are being called into question.

With Nigeria grappling with both a significant revenue and debt crisis, pressure is mounting on the current administration to address these challenges without further exacerbating borrowings.

Mr Rafsanjani added, Analysts call for efforts to reduce the cost of governance, broaden the tax net, drive compliance, and plug leakages. Collaboration between the government and taxpayers is encouraged to boost tax revenue, ensuring a strong connection between access to public services and tax compliance.

Policies promoting tax transparency should be swiftly implemented, and partnerships with taxpayers should be nurtured to ensure the direct utilisation of taxes for infrastructure. Moreover, involving informal sector groups in tax compliance efforts and expanding the whistleblowing policy to gather intelligence for tax enforcement is deemed essential.

He also emphasised the urgent need for the National Assembly (NASS) to meticulously scrutinise loan requests, ensuring compliance with the law and alignment with the interests of the Nigerian public.

In response to these pressing concerns, CISLAC has issued a fervent call to all well-meaning Nigerians, urging them to persistently demand fiscal prudence and a heightened concern for the citizenry from the government, the statement said.

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Nigerias delegation to the G77+China Summit led by Vice President Kashim Shettima has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Republic of Cuba to further enhance collaboration in the field of Innovation, Science and Technology between the two countries.

The signing ceremony which took place Saturday on the sidelines of the G77+China Summit at Hotel Palco La Habana, is the high point of Nigerias participation in the summit.

The Minister of Innovation, Science & Technology, Uche Nnaji, signed on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria

After the signing of the MOU, the minister praised President Bola Tinubu for his visionary leadership which has resulted in the agreement.

He assured that Nigeria would maximise the opportunities provided by the bilateral agreement, emphasising that the implementation of the agreement will commence in earnest.

He expressed his determination to put in place the appropriate mechanism to work out the modalities for programme of action.

Mr Shettima averred that Nigeria places high premium on South-South cooperation as a platform for promoting sustainable development of the global south.

The bilateral agreement which would focus on R&D as well as human resource development would further deepen partnership between the two countries.

The areas of cooperation covered by the bilateral agreement include biotechnology; scientific Investigation and innovation; technological development; human resources development; specialist exchange in the area of science and technology and technologies transfer for development areas.

READ ALSO: Nigeria to deepen strategic relations with Cuba Shettima

It would be recalled that before the commencement of the Summit, Mr Shettima had told Cubas vice president during his visit to him, that Nigeria would use the opportunity offered by the summit to sign very important MOU with Cuba for agricultural, scientific and technological development.

The historic event was witnessed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Adamu Lamuwa, Nigerias Ambassador to Cuba, Ben Okoye, and other senior government officials.

Olusola Abiola

Director Information

Office of the Vice President

16th September, 2023

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ATHENS, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Ten days after a severe storm ravaged central Greece, claiming 15 lives and causing destructive flooding, villages around Lake Karla were put on alert on Friday for possible further inundation, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.

As the Pineios River, one of Greece's largest river, continued to pour water into the lake, authorities warned locals about the threat posed by the rising water levels to the few remaining parts of the Thessaly region that had yet to be flooded.

So far, at least 45 villages and parts of the cities of Larissa and Volos were affected, with 4,594 people evacuated, more than 70,000 hectares of land submerged in muddy waters, over 200,000 animals killed and crops devastated, according to the latest update by Greek authorities.

Thousands of people were still without access to safe drinking water as efforts to restore damaged critical infrastructure continued.

On Friday afternoon, the Infrastructure and Transport Ministry decided to reopen sections of the national motorway connecting the capital Athens to northern Greece for vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tons, which had been closed due to flooding since last week. 
Kano State governor, Abba Yusuf, has sacked his commissioner of Land and Physical Planning, Adamu Aliyu, for issuing a death threat to judges of the states governorship electoral petition tribunal .

The Kano State Governments spokesperson, Halilu Dantiye, announced the sacking to reporters late Friday at a press conference at the Government House.

Mr Dantiye said the governor also relieved Yusuf Imam, his Special Adviser on Youths of his appointment over a statement he made against Vice President Kashim Shettima.

Mr Dantiye said the governor condemned the statements saying the statements did not represent the official position of the State Government under his leadership.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Mr Aliyu made the statements during a protest and prayer session organised by the state government for a favourable outcome for the party at the election tribunal.

Mr Aliyu also promised to unleash mayhem on residents of the state, one worse than what residents of neighbouring Kaduna and Zamfara are going through.

He said if the tribunal judges ruled against his party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the petition before it, they may pay with their lives.

I am sending this message to the tribunal judges, any judge that allows himself to be used and collect bribes and pass judgment that is not right, we want to tell him he must choose between his life and the bribe money he collected.

We are promising you (our supporters), we are receiving your complaints, the votes you cast on his excellency (Governor Yusuf) will not go in vain unless we lose our lives or the Kano State will fall.

Another message for the leaders. You have seen the conflict (banditry) in Zamfara, Kaduna, and Katsina, I swear because of this governorship seat, everyone will die. The conflict that will start in Kano will be more deadly than the ones in those states and Borno, Mr Aliyu said.

The event was attended by the Secretary to the Kano State Government, Baffa Bichi, a former deputy governor of the State, Hafiz Abubakar, top members of the states executive council and special advisers and assistants to the governor.

Below is the full state from the State Government by Mr Dantiye

The attention of the Kano State Government has been drawn to videos trending on social media platforms featuring the State Commissioner of Land and Physical Planning, Alh. Adamu Aliyu Kibiya making threatening statements on Judges of the Tribunal.

While that of the Special Adviser on Youth and Sport, Alh Yusuf Imam making unguarded and disrespectful statements on His Excellency Alh Kashim Shettima GCON the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

While condemning the unfortunate threat to the Judges and the disrespect shown to the VP, we wish to make it categorically clear that the views expressed do not represent the official position of the State Government under the leadership of His Excellency Alh Abba Kabir Yusuf.

It is important to emphasise that neither of the two officials has any clearance to speak on behalf of the government and none of them serves as the official spokesperson of the government.

Kano State Government under HE Abba Kabir Yusuf holds the Judiciary in very high esteem and expresses a tremendous amount of respect to justices and all judicial officers.

Besides the good understanding between the government and people of Kano State and Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Kano State Governor HE Alh. Abba Kabir Yusuf deeply respects the person and office of the Vice President His Excellency Alh. Kashim Shettima GCON will not condone any iota of disrespect to the Vice President or any other Nigerian leader.

For these reasons, the Governor of Kano State has relieved the two officials of their appointment with immediate effect: Commissioner of Land and Physical Planning, Alh Adamu A. Kibiya, and the Special Adviser on Youth and Sport, Alh Yusuf Imam.

The Kano State Government has also directed that, henceforth, no official of government should speak on any matter outside the purview of their MDAs without express clearance and permission. Henceforth, Unguarded and inflammatory statements will not be condoned.

The Ministry of Information is directed to ensure that all media outlets in the state especially radio stations are complying with the extant guidelines provided by regulatory agencies.

While expressing our faith in the judicial process, believing very strongly that justice will prevail at all the levels of judicial processes, the Kano State Government wishes to call on all residents in the state to remain law-abiding and continue to go about their normal businesses without any hindrances, Mr Dantiye said.

SIGNED:

Hon. Baba Halilu Dantiye, MON, mini

Commissioner of Information

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The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has released the cut-off point required for undergraduate admission for the 2023/2024 academic calendar year.

During the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMBs) policy meeting early this year, all Nigerian universities adopted 140 minimum JAMB scores for admission.

However, the admission requirements and mode of calculation differ from institution to institution.

At the University of Lagos, the cut-off point is determined by the candidates UTME score that is divided by eight to arrive at 50 points; the Post-UTME score which carries 30 points, and the remaining 20 points determined by the candidates Olevel result.

UNILAG cut-off point

According to a breakdown by the university, the cut-off points for Medicine is 84.7 points aggregate; 80.5 points for Dentistry before they would be considered for admission on merit.

Other courses in the college of Health Sciences, such as Nursing Sciences, Physiotherapy, Radiography, Pharmacology and Medical Laboratory Sciences, range from 72 to 78 points.

At the Faculty of Law, the minimum cut-off point is 76.5 points.

Meanwhile, the minimum cut-off point for the Faculty of Engineering is 69 points, and 64 points for environmental sciences. For the sciences, the minimum point is 65 points.

For the social sciences, the minimum cut-off is 55 points and 62 for the faculty of education.

However, the university would consider students from catchment states with lower points. The catchment states include Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo states.

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

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has denied a claim on social media that he met with President Bola Tinubu at the 80th birthday reception of the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, on Thursday.

A video clip on a TikTok account, @asiwajuwoldwidef, had claimed that the two leaders met on Thursday.

But in a statement by his spokesperson, Kehinde Akinyemi, on Saturday, Mr Obasanjo condemned the post as fake.

He said the video is not recent, as it was recorded when Mr Obasanjo hosted Mr Tinubu last year before the 2023 general elections.

Mr Akinyemi said the former president, who is now in South Africa for the burial of Zulu leader, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, advised the architect of the fake post to target elsewhere for a hatchet job.

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I have not seen Bola Tinubu since he visited me in my house in Abeokuta when he was campaigning. Secondly, I was at the church and NOT the reception for Alakes 80th birthday reception, the statement quoted the former president.

To put the content of the video in proper perspective, it happened that during Tinubus visit to the house last year, he met the former President playing his favourite traditional game (ayo) and he started the banter, jokingly telling the former President that, he was shocked to see him playing the Ayo game at that time of the day.

Spontaneously, as he was getting up from his chair to welcome him and other accompanying visitors, Obasanjo responded by saying  when I dont have job. If you are ready to give me job, I am ready to work for you.

Shortly after, Tinubu was heard praying for longevity on Obasanjos life, as they both walked into the sitting room with others.

I am not looking for work and I am not working with anyone as the fake news puts out. Those who are looking for people to work with Bola Tinubu should look outside Obasanjo, he declared.

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The Director General of Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB), Akin Olateru, has described Nigerias aviation safety record as the best in Africa after the country recorded only two fatal accidents in the industry within the last decade.

According to a statement issued Friday by James Odaudu, the bureaus Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr Olateru commented on the countrys aviation safety records while speaking on the theme: Nigeria Evolving Approach to Aviation Safety and Learning from Occurrence Investigation  The NSIB Experience, at the seventh edition of the Aviation Africa Summit held in Abuja.

In the last 10 years, there have been two fatal civil accidents leading to the unfortunate loss of 9 souls in Nigeria, the official was quoted as saying.

Incidents

Mr Olateru said between 2005 and 2023, 78 accidents and serious incidents have occurred in the country with four incidents in the safety Bulletin amounting to 82.

He said that 260 safety recommendations have been issued by his agency within the period with 12 incidents in the Safety Bulletin totalling 272 safety recommendations.

The official said the safety recommendations and their appreciable implementation and enforcement were largely responsible for the safety successes recorded since the inception of the current NSIB administration.

Explaining the changes and responsibilities over the years, Mr Olateru said: There were 154 accidents, 46 of which were fatal between 1948 and 2005 with a total fatality of 1,445 passengers.

Initially, he said the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) of the Ministry of Aviation handled aviation occurrence investigation as well as Airworthiness Certification and that this created a peculiar challenge for the regulator also being the investigator.

How could the Regulator be expected to objectively investigate herself and hold herself accountable in cases where contributing causes of occurrences were traced to poor or non-existent regulatory oversight function and enforcement by her? he queried.

It was becoming clear that we had to re-jig our Aviation safety regulations and Accident Investigation and bring them to par with relevant ICAO annexes and international best practices.

According to the statement, the NSIB boss said his agency now embodies the evolving approach to aviation safety and learning from occurrence investigation which has led to safer skies in Nigeria.

He listed the evolving approach to include the separation of investigative from regulatory functions, granting autonomy and investigative independence to the Investigator (NSIB) and laying emphasis on early release of Accident Reports.

Other measures include synergy between the regulator (NCAA) and investigator (NSIB) in the monitoring and enforcement of safety recommendations; a memorandum of understandings for collaboration with neighbouring countries to help with investigations; and sharing of facilities and information.

The NSIB boss also identified the development of a mechanism for early reporting of occurrence and the development of identified technical skills amongst NSIB staff among several initiatives as part of the evolving approaches to accident investigation in Nigeria.

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The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on Saturday launched a self-service online solution platform for the enrollment of National Identification Number (NIN) and digital identity cards.

The commission launched the app at the 5th Identity Day Commemoration held in Abuja on Saturday.

The app NIMC Self-service NIN Enrollment and Digital ID, according to the commission, is an online solution platform that would help people enroll for their NIN in the comfort of their homes.

Unveiling the app on Saturday, the NIMC Director, Information Technology/Identity Database, Chuks Onyepunuka, said With this application, people could be able to enrol for their NIN in the comfort of their home and without stress.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the occasion is the fifth commemoration of the event and the first one under the current administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

And as youre all aware, with the movement of the NIMC to my domain the Ministry of Interior this marks my very first official commemoration of the ID Day with you all.

What is ID Day all about? It is all about taking one day out of the year, nationally and internationally to appreciate the real value of ownership of verifiable identity in our everyday lives, look at the progress made so far in ensuring digital identity inclusion for everyone, and what future solutions can be put in place to ensure better lives for the citizens and legal residents of this great country of ours, Nigeria, Mr Tunji-Ojo said.

He explained that in the modern digital age, a secure and verifiable identity is vital for any set system to work.

Think about it, you cant access bank services and get ATM cards without proving your identity.

You cant even engage with others on online social media platforms without first verifying your identity. So identity is key in our everyday lives, which is why we commemorate this Day today.

I have stated that the harmonisation and management of national identity is a major means of mitigating and controlling crime as well as for national development, he said.

He noted that with a database of over 100 million National Identification Numbers in the National Identity Database, NIDB, NIMC has provided essential access to attaining this goal along with other major stakeholders.

NIMC joins in with other sister agencies in not only improving access by the general public to services like passport acquisition and renewal but also the likes of efficient border security technology, effective handling of insecurity around the country, protection of critical national assets and infrastructure, reformation and reintegration of rehabilitated offenders in the society as well as improved emergency and fire response times.

It is fitting then that the theme for today is Identity as a Catalyst for Nigerias development. We are all stakeholders in ensuring the successful implementation of positive policies regarding national identity as it affects government social safety nets and financial inclusion programmes, he added.

In her address, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the acting director-general/CEO of NIMC said the commission has embarked on a journey that resonates deeply with the national aspirations.

She said World Identity Day holds exceptional importance as it provides us with an opportunity to reflect on the pivotal role that identity plays in our lives and its profound impact on society.

It is a day to recognise the transformative power of identity in shaping our destinies, safeguarding our rights, and connecting us as global citizens.

Identity is more than a mere card or a number; it symbolizes our existence, our entitlements, and our place within society. It unlocks access to essential services, social benefits, and pathways to personal and economic growth. It stands as a testament to our individuality while serving as a bridge to our shared humanity, she said.

Vision

She noted that the commission vision remains unwavering to provide every citizen and legal resident with a digital identity, making it a universal reference point.

We firmly believe that access to a reliable identity is not a privilege but a fundamental right. It serves as the cornerstone upon which we can build a more inclusive, secure, and prosperous society.

As we celebrate World Identity Day today, we must also acknowledge the challenges that lie ahead, she added.

She explained that ensuring universal access to a trusted identity, regardless of background or circumstances, demands innovation, unwavering dedication, and global collaboration.

In the face of emerging technologies and evolving threats, she said we must remain vigilant in safeguarding the integrity and security of identity systems.

While embracing digital transformation, we must prioritize the principles of privacy and data protection. Above all, we must be inclusive, leaving no one behind as we endeavour to provide identity solutions for all.

As we peer into the future, I reaffirm our unswerving commitment to the cause of identity management. Let us work diligently to fortify the bonds of trust between citizens and their governments. Let us harness the potential of identity to propel economic development, foster social inclusion, and champion justice and human rights, she said.

She noted that Nigerias journey towards a robust Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) is emblematic of its commitment to harnessing the power of digital technology for the betterment of its citizens especially in the provision of social services.

So as we continue to develop our DPI, we have to keep in mind that it holds the potential to transform lives, improve public services, and drive inclusive growth in a vast country such as ours in such a way that we would be seen as a prominent player in Africas digital revolution.

However, she said, addressing existing challenges and ensuring equitable access to digital resources will be key to realizing these potentials.

Let us mark this day not only with rejoicing but also with a renewed sense of purpose and unyielding determination. Together, we can construct a world where identity becomes a force for good, a tool for empowerment, and a beacon of hope for all, she said.

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BUA Cement Plc on Friday announced plans to commission two new plants to reduce the prices of cement in the country.

Abdul Samad Rabiu, chairman of BUA Group, disclosed this while addressing State House correspondents on Friday after meeting with President Bola Tinubu.

Mr Rabiu in a video posted on the companys X handle on Friday said the company is adding two new plants to be commissioned at the end of the year to support the government efforts to bring down the price of cement.

He explained that the new plants will increase the companys production capacity to 17 million metric tons annually, adding that the company could only do this because it develops locally.

Let me thank His Excellency Mr President for graciously receiving me today. I came to intimate His Excellency on the affairs of our cement business. We have two new lines of three million tonnes each that we will be commissioned by the end of the year.

So I came to intimate his Excellency and also to explain to him the efforts we are making in trying to support again the efforts of the government in bringing down the price of cement with these six million tonnes that we are commissioning by the end of the year, he said.

And by the way, his Excellency has agreed to come and commission the plants, sometime in December or early January next year.

So I explained to him that we want to support the efforts of the government in bringing down the price of cement, he added.

By the time these lines are commissioned, he said BUA Cement will be producing about 17 million tonnes per annum.

And with that, we intend to bring down the price of cement from its current level of N5,000 or N5,500 per bag to maybe N3,000 to N3,500 per bag, he said.

And we can only do that because were producing cement locally, 80 per cent of the raw materials that we are using to produce cement are in Nigeria.

It is mainly limestone and Gypsum and of course, energy is part of it and will have gas in Nigeria. We want to support the government efforts in ensuring that the price of these commodities is brought down, he added.

Mr Rabiu said: What we are going to do by the time we commission these two lines is to announce to Nigerians that the price of cement is going to come down.

Mr president was very happy and he assured me that we will get all the support that is required from him and his government to see that prices of commodities, not only cement but other commodities as well are brought down so that Nigerians will get the benefits of what Mr president is doing, he said.

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The Oluwo of Iwo, Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has sternly rebuked former President Olusegun Obasanjo for his controversial stand up order directed at traditional monarchs in Oyo State.

The incident occurred on Friday during the inauguration of a project in Iseyin, Oyo State, where Mr Obasanjo was the special guest of honour.

In a short video circulated on the internet, the former president expressed his displeasure at the seated monarchs failure to rise and greet Governor Seyi Makinde, citing it as a sign of disrespect for the Governors office.

Mr Obasanjos commanding tone shocked onlookers as he insisted on the traditional rulers standing up.

Reacting to the incident, the Oluwo of Iwo issued a scathing statement through his Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem.

He condemned Mr Obasanjos actions as an insult and a deliberate desecration of the revered Yoruba traditional institutions.

The Oluwo emphasised that respect should be earned and not demanded, pointing out that traditional rulers deserve respect from those they encounter.

The Oluwo stressed that kingship is a divine institution and should be treated with the utmost modesty, courtesy, and respect. He expressed disappointment in the monarchs who complied with Mr Obasanjos directive, holding them responsible for their actions.

In a solid call to action, the Oluwo demanded a formal letter of apology from the former president, asserting that Yoruba monarchs should not be treated as mere subjects to be ordered around.

Obasanjos Stand-up Order

Speaking in Yoruba, Mr Obasanjo issued a command to the seated traditional leaders, compelling them to rise and greet the state governor, Seyi Makinde.

Mr Obasanjo, invited as a distinguished guest by Governor Makinde, had arrived in Iseyin to inaugurate the Iseyin Campus of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Renewable Natural Resources at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology.

He also graced the event as the special guest of honour, unveiling the commemorative plaque and officially inaugurating the project. Before this, Mr Obasanjo had already commissioned the significant 34.85-kilometer Oyo-Iseyin Road project.

In a surprise turn of events, Mr Obasanjo, whose authoritative tone resonated like a military commander issuing orders to his subordinates, expressed profound disappointment at the seated monarchs perceived lack of respect and disregard for the governors office.

In his stern address to the visibly astonished royal fathers, Mr Obasanjo emphasised the Yoruba cultures dual reverence for age and position.

He stressed that the role and authority of a governor or President at any gathering take precedence over that of any traditional ruler in attendance. Mr Obasanjo noted that despite Governor Makindes relatively young age, his office commands high respect from the traditional leaders.

Oluwos Statment

In the wake of the incident, on Saturday, the Oluwo of Owo, in a statement through his Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, described the action of Mr Obasanjo as an insult, intentional blasphemy and sacrilege against revered stools of Yorubaland.

The revered monarch insisted that the former president would not have dared a similar feat with the Northern Emirs.

The statement reads: Desecration of Traditional Institution In Yorubaland By Former President Olusegun Obasanjo -Oluwo.

I trust myself and my stool. At death, there are certain things my soul will not take, let alone when alive, active and kicking. I only blame the monarchs who stood in obeisance to such an ignoble and desecrating of traditional institutions from the old man. Respect should be earned, not demanded.

Traditional Rulers respect their subjects, too. There is a way respect is accorded to people of old age and position by monarchs. Kingship is an institution of God. As such, relating with kings requires a high sense of modesty, courtesy and respect.

The display by the former president of Nigeria, General Obasanjo, was an affront, an intentional desecration and sacrilege against the revered stools of Yorubaland. An injury to one is an injury to all. Yoruba traditional rulers are not uniform men anyone can command at will. I dont blame him. Those Royal Fathers who obeyed such an embarrassing direction are to be blamed.

Ive strong assurance that such will never happen in some few monarchs. I will not mention Iwo kogba igbakugba

The show by the former general is condemnable. Yoruba traditional institutions demand an apology for the open desecration to molest and bring down the institution. He must prove himself as a core Yoruba man with an apology letter. Kings are not toddlers. We are fathers. He will never dare that against the Northern Emirs.

This action should greatly challenge the Yorubas, especially the Royal Fathers. This resulted when monarchs joined the Ogboni confraternity and became juniors to roadside mechanical engineers or carpenters. As a responsible monarch, you dont have to join any secret society where a teacher or herbalist may control you.

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From the simple analysis of the US federal law, it is trite that the third party request by Alhaji Abubakar, not being one of the exceptions provided by the law, does not fall within the exceptions permitted by the law. Hence, the Chicago State Universitys reluctance to provide additional information to Alhaji Abubajar Atiku regarding Tinubus academic records is entirely consistent with its practices, policies and federal law.

It is no longer news that the Chicago State University, confident in the veracity and integrity of its reviews regarding President Bola Tinubus completion of graduation requirements, has confirmed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu attended the University and graduated in 1979 with a bachelors degree.

Expectedly and in line with the United States federal law, the University has stated that it would neither provide any further information nor make additional disclosure regarding President Tinubus academic records without the latters consent or unless mandated to do so by an appropriate Order of Court. Having made this confirmation, the University has fulfilled its obligation, in consistence with the federal law, more so, when the University is not a party to the proceedings in Nigeria, which necessitated Alhaji Atiku Abubakars requests.

Undoubtedly, the pending application before the Federal District Court, Northern District of Illinois, Chicago, in which Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 presidential election, is seeking an Order of Court directing the discovery of President Tinubus academic records from Chicago State University is governed by the provisions of a United States federal law known as FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), which protects the privacy of student records and limits what an institution can release. FERPA, which is also referred to as the Buckley Amendment Act, safeguards the privacy of understudy instructive records. It governs the access to educational information and records by public entities, such as potential employers, publicly funded educational institutions, and foreign governments. Any open or confidential, rudimentary, optional, or postsecondary school, as well as any state or neighbourhood instruction organisation that gets government subsidies through a programme overseen by the Secretary of Training, is dependent upon this guideline.

The Demonstration has two sections. First, it gives understudies the option to investigate and survey their schooling records, demand rectifications, stop the arrival of and by recognisable data, and get a duplicate of their organisations strategy concerning admittance to instructive journals. Second, it says that schools cant share by and by recognisable data in training records without the understudys composed consent or, on the other hand, assuming that the understudy is under 18, their folks. Schools that disregard to adjust to FERPA risk losing government support.

Be that as it may, a couple of exemptions permit specific gatherings, or under particular circumstances, to get to understudy records (Fein, 2022). Understudies permission may not be needed before documents are delivered to school authorities who have a genuine interest in training; to any other schools a student is interested in or plans to attend; to training authorities for review and assessment purposes; to certifying associations; to parties regarding a students financial aid; to organisations that carry out particular studies for a school or on its behalf; to follow a legal request or legitimately given summon; on account of wellbeing and security crises; and to authorities in a juvenile justice system at the state and local levels(Mowery et al,. 2021).

Additionally, FERPA does not apply to certain school-related records, such as those that are only accessible to school administrators, those that are maintained by an educational foundations police, those of an educational establishments non-student representatives, and health professional-maintained records on a student who is at least 18 years old or enrolled in a postsecondary institution. In addition, schools are permitted, but not required, by FERPA, to disclose directory information to the public, such as students names and addresses (Clayton et al,.2019).

Prottections Offered By FERPA

Under FERPA, guardians have specific security privileges with respect to their kids schooling records. At the point when the youngster arrives at the age of 18, these rights become accessible to them as an understudy under FERPA (Alam, 2022). Qualified understudies reserve the privilege to examine their schooling records, and guardians book the option to audit their kids records. A school should consent within 45 days of getting an examination demand. Suppose a parent or qualified understudy is interestingly incapable of practicing the option to survey the records. In that case, the school should give duplicates of the documents or, if not, make game plans for the guardians or qualified understudy to investigate the papers.

Schools are expected to educate guardians and qualified understudies regarding their privileges under FERPA. The technique for giving such data is passed on to the caution of the school. For the most part, schools should get composed assent from guardians and qualified understudies before revealing any, by and by, recognisable data from an understudys schooling record, other than registry data. However, there are numerous exemptions to this overall guideline (Jones, 2019). A school might uncover recognisable data from training results, with no permission under the accompanying conditions.

Teachers and other school personnel with a legitimate educational interest can access education records. The school is liable for deciding when an instructive interest exists. Training records might be uncovered at another school, school locale, or post-optional establishment where the understudy wants to select. Training records might be imparted to delegates of the US Specialist General, Principal legal officer, Secretary of the US Branch of Instruction, or other state or nearby specialists, for review or assessment purposes.

As long as the information is required to determine the students eligibility for assistance, the amount or states of use, or authorisation of terms of service, training records may be disclosed for purposes related to a financial guide for which the student has applied. However long it is finished by state regulation, schooling records can be imparted to state or nearby authorities or specialists inside the adolescent equity framework. Education records may be shared with organisations conducting research for educational institutions or agencies concerning the creation of student aid programmes, or studies to enhance academic instruction, or administering predictive tests. Schooling records might be revealed to certifying associations for reasons of directing license strategies.

According to the IRSs definition, education records may be shared with the parents of a dependent student. Education records may be made public in an emergency about health or safety (Zaeem & Barber, 2020). Training records might be delivered consistently with a court request, like a summon, yet schools should initially make a sensible exertion to give notice to guardians or understudies. If a school decides to release directory information, it must notify the public of the categories of information it considers directory information. Schools are not required to do so. The school should then give guardians and qualified understudies a sensible measure of time to illuminate the school that they dont need some or all of their registry data unveiled without assent.

From the simple analysis of the US federal law, it is trite that the third party request by Alhaji Abubakar, not being one of the exceptions provided by the law, does not fall within the exceptions permitted by the law. Hence, the Chicago State Universitys reluctance to provide additional information to Alhaji Abubakar Atiku regarding Tinubus academic records is entirely consistent with its practices, policies and federal law. The university cannot treat the case differently from other requests just because of the parties involved without losing federal funding; worse still, when the request would have no practical impact or relevance to the Nigerian case which has been adjudicated and concluded.

Kayode Oladele, a lawyer and former legislator, writes from Abuja.

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The governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has promised to implement financial autonomy for the states judicial arm.

Persistent demands by judicial workers for financial independence, especially at the state level in Nigeria had paralysed court businesses across the country.

However, Mr Alia, a Roman Catholic priest who became governor on 29 May on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says: the state will get financial autonomy in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Benue State Judiciary Fund Management (Financial Autonomy) Law, 2021.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Kula Tersoo, in a statement on Saturday, said Mr Alia made the pledge at the 2023/2024 Benue State Judiciary Legal year celebration in Makurdi, on Saturday.

Mr Alias predecessor, Samuel Ortoms administration in June 2021, locked horns with the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) Benue State chapter, over controversial claim by the the state that the judiciary was on a first-line charge.

Mr Alia on Saturday emphasised the imperative of financial independence for judicial officers in enabling the judges to apply the law without fear or favour but with respect to the fundamental human rights of the citizenry.

He said an investment friendly environment in Benue could only be guaranteed if the courts are able to adjudicate on business cases within reasonable time, a problem plaguing Nigerias judiciary.

Situations where judges of the lower courts in Benue State travel by public transportation including commercial motorcycles is an enormous risk and poses grave dangers to the lives of the judges and their work, Mr Alia said.

Promising to improve the welfare of judicial officers, the governor directed the states Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice and Public Order, Fidelis Mnyim, to liaise with the Chief Judge, Maurice Ikpambese, on modalities to actualise the goal.

The governor urged the judges to strive towards ensuring speedy dispensation of justice in this new legal year.

Earlier in their separate remarks, Mr Ikpambese, and Mr Mnyim, underscored the judiciarys role in strengthening the electoral process in Nigeria.

The event was attended by top members of the executive branch.

Background

On 6 April 2021, JUSUN embarked on a nationwide strike to press for the implementation of constitutional provision placing the judiciary on first-line charge in the budgets of the various states.

A series of meetings with federal and state government officials and an agreement signed with the state governors, the union, led to a suspension of the strike.

In its communique announcing the suspension of the strike 64-day that crippled courts nationwide, JUSUN accused four states, including Benue, Plateau, Kaduna and Bayelsa, of allegedly withholding or deducting the salaries of judiciary workers.

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Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has denied speculations that the State Commissioner for Finance, Ifeatu Onejeme, resigned his position over a disagreement between them.

Mr Onejeme announced his resignation as the finance commissioner on Thursday during the states executive council meeting.

He had served as commissioner for finance under the administration of former governor of the state, Willie Obiano, between 2014 and 2022.

The resignation of the former commissioner sparked speculations that he was forced to resign over a rift with the governor regarding the condition of the states finances.

Soludo reacts

But in a statement on Friday by his spokesperson, Christian Aburime, Mr Soludo denied any rift with the former commissioner, saying the speculation was fabricated and sponsored.

The truth is that Mr Ifeatu Onejeme, an esteemed member of Governor Soludos Government, resigned from his position due to purely personal and family-related matters, the statement said.

So, the notion of a fallout between Governor Charles Soludo and Mr Onejeme over state finances is a complete falsehood and holds no truth whatsoever, it added.

An official of the state government, who asked not to be named, told PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday that Mr Onejeme resigned to rejoin his family in the US where they reside.

We were told that he (Onejeme) had been under pressure from his wife to return to the US to spend time with his family. He has been here (Nigeria) for about 10 years, the official said.

He specifically resigned because there were rumours that he chose to stay back in Nigeria to marry another wife here.

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A visitor watches exhibits at the exhibition named "Photographic Journey to China: Cities and Citizens" in Rome, Italy, March 22, 2019. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)

Binacchi said that as two inheritors of ancient civilizations, Italy and China have a rich history of communication, exemplified by Marco Polo and Matteo Ricci, who dedicated themselves to knowledge exchange.



ROME, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Italy and China are playing a pivotal role in fostering understanding and acceptance among diverse civilizations through a range of cultural communication activities, Rosanna Binacchi, an Italian arts and culture strategist and coordinator, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview recently.

Binacchi worked as a prominent curator for the exhibition "Tota Italia: Origins of a Nation" held at the National Museum of China in 2022. The event featured a collection of 503 artifacts from 26 distinguished museums all over Italy.

"China had the privilege of showcasing exclusive projects and masterpieces of Italian cultural heritage, which had rarely left the country," she said, adding that the success of the exhibition profoundly showcased the value and significance that both nations attached to cultural communication.

A staff member introduces an exhibit at the exhibition titled "Tota Italia -- Origins of a Nation" at the National Museum of China in Beijing, capital of China, July 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

Binacchi was responsible for coordinating a working group that involved liaisons between 20 Italian museums in Italy and their counterparts in China. She recalled the experience of working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We overcame differences in customs, operational standards, time zones and language. Both sides exhibited exceptional professionalism, mutual respect and trust, ultimately forming a highly successful partnership," Binacchi said.

The exhibition in Beijing attracted over 300,000 visitors. Binacchi said she was delighted to witness the appeal of Roman culture to the audience in China.

"The success of these cultural exchanges was truly remarkable. The exhibition has made a lasting impression on the audience," she said.

A journalist visits the exhibition titled "Tota Italia -- Origins of a Nation" at the National Museum of China in Beijing, capital of China, July 11, 2022. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

Binacchi said that as two inheritors of ancient civilizations, Italy and China have a rich history of communication, exemplified by Marco Polo and Matteo Ricci, who dedicated themselves to knowledge exchange.

Binacchi envisions marking the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo's death in 2024. She sees the anniversary as an opportunity for fresh exchanges, including in innovative cultural domains that have yet to be extensively explored.

Looking ahead, Binacchi said that contemporary arts and technologies could serve as a bridge, connecting the younger generations of both nations.

A representative of Anxi Tieguanyin Tea Culture System in China's Fujian Province performs tea art at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy, May 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Jin Mamengni)

"I aspire to see increased collaboration in contemporary art exchanges and cross-pollinations that facilitate mutual understanding and shared visions for the future," she said. 
( Read 4339 Times)

Smouldering in jealousy against Bharats spectacular and historic success of G-20 event, Pakistan has carried out a despicable and dastardly terrorist attack, and has taken lives of two senior officers of our brave army, a Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police in this terrorist attack in Anantnag in Kashmir. Pakistan is not only a disgraceful stain on Islam, but also at the height of violence and madness. In the economic plight and misery that Pakistan is facing today, giving support to such a dastardly terrorist attack will only push Pakistan into the dark abyss. Perhaps, Pakistan has still not understood how important good relations with its neighbours are; only by strengthening them, its political and economic position in world politics can be strengthened. With India's growing reputation in the world and its strengthening economic conditions, no sensible country can think of enmity with her. All the prominent countries of the world, including superpowers, are seeing their own benefit in striding along with India, then why has Pakistan resorted to foolishness. The people of Pakistan also understand this very well, but its policy-makers and rulers are not able to understand this. Now the time has come that some more drastic measures will have to be taken to teach Pakistan a befitting lesson.



Certainly, the sacrifice of Army Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhaunchak and Jammu and Kashmir Police DSP Humayun Butt, while fighting terrorists in Anantnag is a big and irreparable loss to the country. All three officers were known for their bravery and had successfully conducted many anti-terrorist operations in the past. Their sacrifice should not go in vain and along with selectively eliminating the terrorists, Pakistan should be taught a fresh lesson, because our brave officers were martyred in the ambush by Pakistani terrorists. He calls himself a local, but he has every kind of cooperation and support from Pakistan based terrorist organization Lashkar. India will definitely avenge dastardly deaths of these brave martyrs and this time such revenge will be taken that Pakistan will think a million times before making such a mistake in future. If India is determined, it can break the back of Pakistan and control terrorism, as the Modi Government has achieved, so far.

At a time when terrorism seems to be taking its last breath in Kashmir, life there is experiencing peace and tranquillity, all round development is taking place there, G-20 summit was also organized peacefully and successfully there, then came the Anantnag incident. The way terrorism has been brought under control after Jammu and Kashmir was made a Union Territory, it has uprooted terrorism in the region. This incident is the result of this panic which shows that Pakistan supported terrorists are trying their best to keep Kashmir disturbed by any means. That is why they are becoming active in new areas which were free from their activities for the past long time. They are increasing their activities in South Kashmir as well as Jammu division. This is evident from the fact that so far this year, around 26 terrorists have been killed in the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. Terrorists are also choosing new routes for infiltration from across the border. It is clear that there is a need to increase vigil on Pakistan border with Punjab along with Jammu and Kashmir, the anti-terrorism campaign is expected to be strengthened further, and strictness should be exercised. Similarly, the campaign against the hidden supporters of terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir should also be intensified. Again, attention will have to be paid to ensure that security forces do not suffer losses in any operation to eliminate terrorists. Undoubtedly such operations are risky, but we need to be more careful as to how to protect our brave soldiers from dangers. There have been some anti-terrorist operations in the past, in which our soldiers had to suffer losses while trying to quickly eliminate the terrorists. We have to eliminate the terrorists and also protect the precious lives of our soldiers, while doing this we should create such a security circle that they cannot commit such audacity in future. According to intelligence reports, the restlessness of the Pakistani Army has to be understood seriously. To bring back the declining morale of the terrorists, the Pakistani Army is continuously pressurizing them to carry out big conspiracies and attacks and for this, it is providing every kind of help to the terrorists, including the special commando group. The Pakistani Army has also provided weapons and other military equipment received from China to the terrorists, which also includes night vision cameras. With the help of these means, they were able to attack and escape even in nights darkness, and our soldiers had fallen victims to these gory machinations.

India believes in the motto Surva Bhavantu Sukhinah, it is from this Bharat bhoomi that Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam was proclaimed, which recently during the Indian presidency of G-20 has created an environment for the entire world to develop as one family. Even though India believes in peace, co-existence and non-violence, when those who attack it become too many, it knows how to take up weapons, attack inside and take revenge. When the trend of overall development has started in Kashmir, then a befitting reply must be given to those elements who are challenging peace and development. It is time to show zero tolerance with the remaining satanic maniacs and terrorist elements in Kashmir. They should not be given a chance to set up base or hide at any place in Kashmir. The terrorists have carried out this encounter with a lot of conspiracy.

Generally, if the army's activity increases in an area, the terrorists leave that area, but if the terrorists have dared to have an encounter, then a serious assessment of the entire conspiracy behind it becomes necessary. In view of the upcoming elections, terrorists will become more active, and would strive to spread anarchy and unrest in the country. Elections in Kashmir can be announced any time. In such a situation, the terrorists and their nefarious masters must be in trouble. Terrorists from Pakistan must have been signalled to do something so that the issue of Kashmir, which was completely missing during the time of G-20, comes back into discussion. It is also suspected that the terrorists who showed audacity in the latest encounter are foreigners, if so, then a warning should be given to the enemies with proof. It is a big truth that just as love for peace does not run on its own, it has to be run, in the same way terrorism also runs on the feet of others, the day its feet are taken away, it will become paralysed.

Pakistan may or may not benefit from terrorist attacks, but it's sympathizer China will definitely see its own benefit in it. In such situations, for the Indian Army, the answer to violence can only be violence; direct war is the only way. Only a direct attack will break the back of the terrorist network. Now the time has come when the army and police forces should fully control their shortcomings and weaknesses, and give the best results by using their best resources to end the remaining terrorism in Kashmir.

Source :
CHONGQING, China, Sept. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 15, Xiamen Ampace Technology Limited (hereinafter referred to as "Ampace"), a company renowned for its commitment to pioneering lithium battery research and innovation, marked its inaugural presence at the 21st China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition, unveiling its cutting-edge "Kun-Era" series of lithium batteries. During this event, Ampace has inked pivotal strategic cooperation agreements with a host of leading electric motorcycle companies and prominent battery-swapping enterprises.

Chongqing LONCIN Motorcycle Co., Ltd.

Ampace at the 21st China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition

Chongqing LONCIN Motorcycle Co., Ltd. specializes in motorcycles and engines with products spanning over 100 countries and regions. At last year's China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition in Chongqing, the first e-motorcycle R5T, introduced under the BRICOSE brand by LONCIN, proudly featured Ampace batteries.

Nanjing VMOTO Motorcycle Co., Ltd.

Nanjing VMOTO Motorcycle Co., Ltd. stands as a global heavyweight in the realm of new energy e-motorcycles and serves as a provider of new energy solutions. Ampace's inaugural product in the e-motorcycle sector, the 7245, supplied power to VMOTO's esteemed TC-MAX, catering to the high-end cross-riding segment.

Yadea Technology Group Co., Ltd.

Yadea Technology Group Co., Ltd. holds a commanding position within the electric vehicle industry. The "Kun-Era" battery, designed to substantially extend vehicle range while alleviating range anxiety, is poised to support Yadea's endeavors in promoting "green mobility" both domestically and internationally.

Segway-Ninebot Technology Co., Ltd.

In the micro-vehicle sector, Ampace plays a pivotal role as a key strategic partner of Segway-Ninebot Technology Co., Ltd. Ampace provides customized lithium batteries for Segway-Ninebot's flagship models. In 2019, Segway-Ninebot launched the E-125 electric scooter, powered by Ampace's 7427 power battery pack. Impressively, the cumulative supply of 7427 battery packs has now exceeded 100,000 sets.

Zhejiang CFMOTO Power Co., Ltd.

Zhejiang CFMOTO Power Co., Ltd. occupies a prominent position as a major player in the high-displacement fuel motorcycle market, with its products being exported to nearly 100 countries and regions globally. The "ZEEHO" brand, launched by CFMOTO Power, encompasses products such as AE6 and AE8, all of which feature Ampace lithium batteries.

Indonesia's Premier Battery-Swapping Company-- SWAP

Ampace has meticulously designed a comprehensive urban battery-swapping solution. With the introduction of the dedicated "Kun-Era" battery for e-motorcycles and urban battery-swapping, Ampace's highly efficient urban battery-swapping solution is poised to elevate the service quality and experiences of SWAP users even further.

Contact: Janice Ye, yeqq@ampacetech.com

SOURCE Xiamen Ampace Technology Limited
BEIJING, Sept. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- China and Zambia announced their decision on Friday to elevate bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, with both sides hailing their "profound" traditional friendship.

The move came during Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema's seven-day state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. Business is high on the agenda, as the African leader covered five companies in his first two days, including the Yantian International Container Terminal, BYD, Huawei, Tencent and ZTE. He arrived in Beijing on Thursday.

During the two leaders' talk on Friday, Xi said that China stands ready to work with Zambia to transform the profound traditional friendship into a strong driving force for win-win cooperation in the new era and push bilateral relations to a new level.

Win-win cooperation

Across the vast savanna between Tanzania and Zambia, the Tanzania-Zambia Railway is a symbol of true friendship and sincere assistance of the Chinese people toward the people of Africa.

Back in the 1960s, a time when many countries and international organizations all declined to help, China provided an interest-free loan of 988 million yuan to the project with no conditions attached. In addition, China sent a large amount of equipment and materials, as well as experts for the construction, management and maintenance of the railway and the training of local technicians.

To this day, the two sides have expanded their investment and trade ties in many sectors, with trade volume between the two countries reaching a record high of $6.73 billion in 2022, official data shows.

China hopes to jointly build the Belt and Road with Zambia and expand cooperation in infrastructure construction, agriculture, mining and clean energy to achieve common development and revitalization, Xi said during his meeting with Hichilema.

Xi added that China encourages more quality Zambian products to enter the Chinese market and supports more Chinese enterprises in investing in Zambia.

The voice of the Global South

China's development has led to the progress of countries in the Global South, increased their representation and voice in international affairs, and promoted the development of international order in a more just and rational direction, Hichilema said on Friday, thanking China for supporting the African Union's entry into the G20.

Zambia cherishes the friendship forged by the older generations of leaders of the two countries, the president said.

China-Zambia friendship dates back to the era when China actively supported the national liberation movement of southern Africa. On October 25, 1964, the second day of Zambia's independence, the two countries established diplomatic relations.

During their talk, Xi stressed that the traditional friendship forged by the two countries' older generations of leaders has stood the test of the changing international landscape.

The Chinese president also urged the two countries to continue practicing genuine multilateralism, firmly upholding international fairness and justice, striving to increase the voice of developing countries, and safeguarding the common interests of the two countries and other developing countries.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-09-15/China-Zambia-announce-elevation-of-China-Zambia-ties-1n7CifQXzyM/index.html

SOURCE CGTN
NEW YORK, Sept. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities law firm, is investigating potential claims against Comerica Incorporated ("Comerica" or the "Company") (NYSE: CMA) and reminds investors of the October 20, 2023 deadline to seek the role of lead plaintiff in a federal securities class action that has been filed against the Company.

If you suffered losses exceeding $100,000 investing in Comerica stock or options between February 9, 2021 and May 29, 2023 and would like to discuss your legal rights, call Faruqi & Faruqi partner Josh Wilson directly at 877-247-4292 or 212-983-9330 (Ext. 1310). You may also click here for additional information: www.faruqilaw.com/CMA.

There is no cost or obligation to you.

Faruqi & Faruqi is a leading minority and Woman-owned national securities law firm with offices in New York, Pennsylvania, California and Georgia.

As detailed below, the lawsuit focuses on whether the Company and its executives violated federal securities laws by making false and/or misleading statements and/or failing to disclose 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 instanced 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.

On May 30, 2023, American Banker issued an article titled "Comerica in 'serious violation' of Treasury's Direct Express program". The article states "Comerica Bank officials privately acknowledged significant compliance failures in their operation of a Treasury Department program that provides federal benefits on prepaid cards to millions of unbanked Americans."

The article further states that Comerica executive said the bank faced "serious contract violation" for allowing fraud disputes and data on Direct Express cardholders to be handled out of a vendor's office in Lahore, Pakistan, the documents show.

Personally identifiable information on veterans, Social Security and disability recipients were routinely shared and handled by i2c Inc., a vendor based in Redwood City, Calif., with an office in Lahore, Pakistan  in violation of the government contract, the Comerica executive said. The Treasury's agreement with the bank states that all services provided "shall be performed in the United States or its territories."

The court-appointed lead plaintiff is the investor with the largest financial interest in the relief sought by the class who is adequate and typical of class members who directs and oversees the litigation on behalf of the putative class. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision to serve as a lead plaintiff or not.

Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP also encourages anyone with information regarding Comerica's conduct to contact the firm, including whistleblowers, former employees, shareholders and others.

Attorney Advertising. The law firm responsible for this advertisement is Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP (www.faruqilaw.com). Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome with respect to any future matter. We welcome the opportunity to discuss your particular case. All communications will be treated in a confidential manner.

SOURCE Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP
DUBLIN, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Scintillator Market: Global Industry Trends, Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The global scintillator market demonstrated impressive growth in 2022, reaching a total valuation of US$ 540 million. According to the report the market is set to continue its upward trajectory, with expectations to reach US$ 715 million by 2028, reflecting a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.7% during the forecast period spanning from 2023 to 2028.

Scintillators, materials capable of absorbing high-energy photons and incident particles like protons, electrons, and neutrons, are gaining prominence worldwide. These versatile materials encompass a wide range, including inorganic and organic crystals, organic liquids, noble gases, and scintillating gases. Scintillators play a pivotal role in converting absorbed energy into visible or ultraviolet photons, enabling detection through photomultipliers and photodiodes.

Furthermore, scintillators facilitate the efficient determination of the energy and timing of incident radiation. Their superior sensitivity to deposited energy, rapid response times, and cost-effective construction make them the preferred choice over other radiation detectors. Consequently, scintillators find extensive applications in nuclear power plants, medical imaging, manufacturing industries, high-energy particle experiments, and national security initiatives.

In the healthcare sector, scintillators play a crucial role in the detection and analysis of cardiovascular and neurological diseases, resulting in growing global demand. Additionally, governments worldwide are introducing stringent regulations governing the use of medical devices, compelling hospitals and healthcare institutions to adopt advanced scintillation and radiation detectors. These materials are also instrumental for security and defense organizations worldwide, enhancing homeland security efforts and mitigating radiological threats.

For instance, the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been at the forefront of supporting the development of solid organic scintillators under the Exploratory Research and Small Business Innovative Research programs, aiming to detect radioactive substances and prevent radiological threats.

Key Market Segmentation:

The global scintillator market report, provided by [Publisher Name], offers an in-depth analysis of key trends within each sub-segment, along with global and regional forecasts for the period spanning 2023 to 2028. The market is segmented based on the composition of materials, end products, and applications.

Composition of Material:

In-Organic Scintillators Alkali Halides Oxide-Based Scintillators Others

Organic Scintillators Single Crystal Liquid Scintillators Plastic Scintillators



End Product:

Personal or Pocket Size Instruments

Hand-Held Instruments

Fixed, Installed, and Automatic Instruments

Application:

Healthcare

Nuclear Power Plants

Manufacturing Industries

Homeland Security and Defense

Others

Regional Breakdown:

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East and Africa

and Latin America

Competitive Landscape:

The report conducts a comprehensive analysis of the competitive landscape, featuring key players such as Applied Scintillation Technologies Ltd., Argus Imaging Bv Inc., Hamamatsu Photonics K.K., Hitachi Metals Ltd, Ludlum Measurements Inc., Mirion Technologies Inc., Radiation Monitoring Devices Inc, Rexon Components and TLD Systems Inc., Saint Gobain, Zecotek Photonics Inc, and others.

Key Questions Answered in This Report:

How has the global scintillator market performed, and what are the expected trends in the coming years?

Which regions are the key markets for the global scintillator industry?

What impact has COVID-19 had on the global scintillator industry?

How is the market segmented based on the composition of materials, application, and end product?

What are the driving factors and challenges in the global scintillator industry?

Who are the key players in the global scintillator market, and what is the level of competition?

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ig2s61

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.



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Research and Markets

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SOURCE Research and Markets
NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The iron ore market size is expected to grow by USD 51 billion from 2022 to 2027, accelerating at a CAGR of 2.93%. The increase in consumption of high-strength iron ore and steel is notably driving the iron ore market. However, factor such as the high capital investment market may impede market growth. Technavio's report provides a detailed analysis of 20 companies operating in the iron ore market including Anglo American plc, Ansteel Group Corp. Ltd., ArcelorMittal SA, Atlas Iron Pty Ltd., BCI Minerals Ltd., BHP Group plc, China Hanking Holdings Ltd., Cleveland Cliffs Inc., Eurasian Resources Group Sarl, Ferrexpo Plc, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd., GFG Alliance, KIOCL Ltd., Luossavaara Kiirunavaara AB, Metinvest BV, Mideast Integrated Steel Ltd., Mount Gibson Iron Ltd., NMDC Ltd., Rio Tinto Ltd., and Vale SA. 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 Free Sample Report

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Iron Ore Market 2023-2027

Iron Ore Market 2023-2027: Company Analysis

Rio Tinto Ltd.- The company offers iron ore in the form of fines and lump. This report provides a full list of key companies, their strategies, and latest developments. Buy the full report Now for detailed company information.

Iron Ore Market 2023-2027: Segmentation

Product

Fines

Pellets

Lump

HBI/DRI

Source

Surface mining

Underground mining

Geography

APAC

Europe

South America

North America

Middle East and Africa

Learn about the contribution of each segment summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View Free PDF Sample Report

Iron Ore Market 2023-2027: Market Dynamics

Market Drivers  The increase in usage of durable iron ore and steel is a key factor driving the market growth.

Market Trends  China's and India's economic growth is boosting the demand for stainless steel which is a major trend shaping the market growth.

Market Challenges  Rising preference for carbon fiber in automotive applications is a major challenge hindering market growth.

To get more details on the market drivers, trends and challenges, download the free sample report now

Iron Ore Market 2023-2027: Regional Analysis

The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is expected to be a major driver of global iron ore market growth, contributing around 84% during the forecast period. This growth is primarily due to increased demand for iron ore in APAC, driven by industrialization, infrastructure projects, and rising steel needs in countries like Indonesia, South Korea, and India. Government has taken steps to increase the steel production further to support this demand, especially in India, which is becoming a significant global player in crude steel manufacturing.

Iron Ore Market 2023-2027: Key Highlights

Historic Market Size 2017-2021

CAGR of the market during 2023-2027

Detailed information on factors that will assist iron ore market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the iron ore market size and its contribution to the parent market

Forecasts on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the iron ore market

Analysis of the competitive landscape and detailed information on companies

Comprehensive details of factors that will impede the growth of iron ore market companies

Related Reports:

Stainless Steel Market: The stainless steel market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 3.38% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecasted to increase by 10,299.64 thousand tons.

Bentonite Market: The bentonite market share is expected to increase by USD 401.92 million from 2020 to 2025, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 4.86%.

Iron Ore Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 2.93% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 51 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 2.73 Regional analysis APAC, Europe, South America, North America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution APAC at 84% Key countries China, Japan, India, Russia, and Brazil Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Anglo American plc, Ansteel Group Corp. Ltd., ArcelorMittal SA, Atlas Iron Pty Ltd., BCI Minerals Ltd., BHP Group plc, China Hanking Holdings Ltd., Cleveland Cliffs Inc., Eurasian Resources Group Sarl, Ferrexpo Plc, Fortescue Metals Group Ltd., GFG Alliance, KIOCL Ltd., Luossavaara Kiirunavaara AB, Metinvest BV, Mideast Integrated Steel Ltd., Mount Gibson Iron Ltd., NMDC Ltd., Rio Tinto Ltd., and Vale SA 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:

Executive Summary Market Landscape Market Sizing Historic Market Sizes Five Forces Analysis 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
NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The IT Professional Services Market is expected to increase at a CAGR of 9.09% during the forecast period. The IT professional services market is driven by the widespread adoption of digital transformation. This involves integrating technology into various aspects of business, adapting to new customer expectations, and utilizing the cloud for data management. IT professional services play a significant role in facilitating this transformation, helping companies to optimize operations and leverage data-driven insights for competitive advantage. Download the free sample report now for detailed market insight.

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global IT Professional Services Market 2023-2027

Challenges to be faced by the IT Professional Services Market

A significant challenge of the IT Professional Services market is the shortage of skilled IT professionals. It is particularly acute in areas such as cybersecurity, data analytics, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and software development. The rapidly evolving nature of technology necessitates continuous learning and upskilling for professionals to remain relevant. Furthermore, educational institutions often struggle to keep their curricula aligned with the latest industry trends, resulting in a gap between graduates' skills and employers' needs. Additionally, many companies require IT professionals with industry-specific experience, further increasing the skills gap. This shortage of skilled IT professionals set a significant obstacle to the market's growth between the forecast period.

Segmentation of IT Professional Services Market

The IT professional services market is segmented by type (Project-oriented services, Information technology outsourcing, IT supporting and training services, and Enterprise cloud computing services), end-user (Large enterprises, Small, and medium enterprises), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America).

The project-oriented services segment is expected to contribute to the market share during the forecast period. Within the global IT professional services market, project-oriented services refer to the provision of IT services on a project-by-project basis, usually with well-defined objectives, timelines, and deliverables. These services are tailored to address unique business requirements and are sought after by organizations when they need specialized expertise, resources, and technical skills for specific IT projects.

Get more information on the market segmentation, download the sample report here

Key Companies in the IT Professional Services Market

Accenture Plc

Amazon.com Inc.

Atos SE

Capgemini Service SAS

CGI Inc.

Cisco Systems Inc.

Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp.

Dell Technologies Inc.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd.

Fujitsu Ltd.

HCL Technologies Ltd.

Infosys Ltd.

International Business Machines Corp.

Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd.

Microsoft Corp.

Oracle Corp.

Salesforce Inc.

SAP SE

Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.

Wipro Ltd.

Buy the full report for complete insight of IT Professional Services Market

Related Reports:

Cloud Professional Services Market: The Cloud Professional Services Market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 15.88% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 23.15 billion.

Professional Service Automation (PSA) Software Market: The professional service automation (PSA) software market share is expected to increase by USD 6.79 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 12.08%.

IT Professional Services Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 9.09% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 461.56 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 8.67 Regional analysis North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America Performing market contribution North America at 37% Key countries US, Canada, China, UK, and Germany Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Accenture Plc, Amazon.com Inc., Atos SE, Capgemini Service SAS, CGI Inc., Cisco Systems Inc., Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., Dell Technologies Inc., Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd., Fujitsu Ltd., HCL Technologies Ltd., Infosys Ltd., International Business Machines Corp., Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd., Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp., Salesforce Inc., SAP SE, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., 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, 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:

Executive Summary Market Landscape Market Sizing Historic Market Sizes Five Forces Analysis Market Segmentation by Type Market Segmentation by End-User 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
NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

TO: RECORD AND BENEFICIAL HOLDERS OF GW PHARMACEUTICALS, PLC. ("GW") AMERICAN DEPOSITARY SHARES FROM MARCH 10, 2021 THROUGH AND INCLUDING MAY 5, 2021, THE DATE OF THE CONSUMMATION OF GW'S MERGER WITH JAZZ PHARMACEUTICALS, PLC (THE "MERGER"), INCLUDING ANY AND ALL OF THEIR RESPECTIVE SUCCESSORS-IN-INTEREST, SUCCESSORS, PREDECESSORS-IN-INTEREST, PREDECESSORS, REPRESENTATIVES, TRUSTEES, EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS, ESTATES, HEIRS, ASSIGNS AND TRANSFEREES, IMMEDIATE AND REMOTE, AND ANY PERSON OR ENTITY ACTING FOR OR ON BEHALF OF, OR CLAIMING UNDER, ANY OF THEM, AND EACH OF THEM, TOGETHER WITH THEIR PREDECESSORS-IN-INTEREST, PREDECESSORS, SUCCESSORS-IN-INTEREST, SUCCESSORS, AND ASSIGNS (THE "CLASS").

THE PARTIES TO A SHAREHOLDER CLASS ACTION SUIT CONCERNING THE MERGER HAVE AGREED TO A PROPOSED SETTLEMENT. YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO COMPENSATION AS A RESULT OF THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT IN THE ACTION CAPTIONED:



ZIEGLER V. GW PHARMACEUTICALS, PLC, et al, Case No. 21-cv-01019

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, pursuant to an Order of the United States District Court for the District of Southern California, that a hearing will be held on December 11, 2023, at 11:00AM, before the Honorable Cynthia A. Bashant at the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, James M. Carter and Judith N. Keep United States Courthouse, 333 West Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101. Settlement Class Members should check the Settlement Class website in advance of the Final Approval Hearing to determine whether that hearing instead will occur via a remote link. The hearing will be held for the purpose of determining: (1) whether the proposed Settlement of the Litigation for $7.75 million should be approved by the Court as fair, reasonable, and adequate; (2) whether a Final Judgment and Order of Dismissal with Prejudice should be entered by the Court dismissing the Litigation with prejudice and releasing the Released Claims against Defendants and Defendants' Released Persons; (3) whether final certification of the Settlement Class, Lead Plaintiffs, and Lead Counsel should be granted; (4) whether the Plan of Allocation for the Net Settlement Fund is fair, reasonable, and adequate and should be approved; and (5) whether the application of Lead Counsel for the payment of attorneys' fees and expenses, and any award to Lead Plaintiffs pursuant to 15 U.S.C. 78u-4(a)(4) should be approved.

IF YOU PURCHASED, SOLD OR HELD GW ADSs AT ANY TIME DURING THE PERIOD FROM AND INCLUDING MARCH 10, 2021 THROUGH AND INCLUDING MAY 5, 2021 (THE "SETTLEMENT CLASS PERIOD"), YOUR RIGHTS MAY BE AFFECTED BY THE SETTLEMENT OF THIS LITIGATION, INCLUDING THE RELEASE AND EXTINGUISHMENT OF CLAIMS YOU MAY POSSESS RELATING TO YOUR PURCHASE OR ACQUISITION OF GW ADSs DURING THE SETTLEMENT CLASS PERIOD. If you have not received a detailed Notice of Pendency and Proposed Settlement of Class Action ("Notice") and a copy of the Proof of Claim and Release form, you may obtain copies by writing to GW Pharmaceuticals Securities Litigation, Claims Administrator, 920 2nd Avenue South #400, Minneapolis, MN 55402, (612) 359-2000 or on the Internet at www.gwsecuritieslitigation.com. If you are a Settlement Class Member, in order to share in the distribution of the Net Settlement Fund, you must submit a Proof of Claim and Release by mail postmarked no later than January 8, 2024, or online at www.gwsecuritieslitigation.com, no later than January 8, 2024 establishing that you are entitled to recovery.



If you purchased, sold, or held GW ADSs at any time during the Settlement Class Period and you desire to be excluded from the Settlement Class, you must submit a request for exclusion so that it is received no later than November 20, 2023, in the manner and form explained in the detailed Notice referred to above. All Members of the Settlement Class who do not timely and validly request exclusion from the Settlement Class will be bound by any judgment entered in the Litigation pursuant to the Stipulation of Settlement.

Any objection to the Settlement, the Plan of Allocation, Lead Counsel's request for the payment of attorneys' fees and expenses, and any award to Lead Plaintiffs must be received by each of the following recipients via hard copy and email no later than November 20, 2023:

CLERK OF THE COURT

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

James M. Carter and Judith N. Keep United States Courthouse

333 West Broadway

San Diego, CA 92101

Lead Counsel:

MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC

Juan E. Monteverde

The Empire State Building

350 Fifth Avenue, Suite 4740

New York, NY 10118

Tel: (212) 971-1341

[email protected]

KAHN SWICK & FOTI, LLC

Michael Palestina

1100 Poydras Street, Suite 960

New Orleans, LA 70163

Tel: (504) 648-1843

[email protected]

Counsel for Defendants:

WACHTELL LIPTON ROSEN & KATZ

Rachelle Silverberg

51 West 52nd Street

New York, New York 10019

Tel: (212) 403-1299

[email protected]

PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT OR THE CLERK'S OFFICE REGARDING THIS NOTICE. If you have any questions about the Settlement, you may contact Lead Counsel at the address listed above.

BY ORDER OF THE COURT

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA

SOURCE Monteverde & Associates PC
ANKARA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Two Turkish ships carrying humanitarian aid arrived in Libya on Saturday after a catastrophic flood killed thousands of people in the North African country, Turkiye's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The vessels were carrying 360 personnel from the disaster agency, health ministry, the coast guard service, search and rescue teams, and fire brigade, according to the statement.

The ships also delivered 122 vehicles, including ambulances, truck rescue and emergency response vehicles.

In addition, equipment to set up three field hospitals and various food, shelter, and sanitary materials were sent to Libya via the ships, the statement said, adding another vessel carrying aid will depart from Izmir province for Libya on Saturday.

The storm-induced floods, the largest and worst in decades, have claimed at least 5,500 lives and left another 10,000 missing in eastern Libya, Osama Ali, spokesman of the Emergency Department of Libya's Ministry of Health, told Xinhua Wednesday.

The World Health Organization estimates the disaster has affected 1.5-1.8 million people in the country. 
Nurses are planning a one-day strike for September 27 because Dana-Farber is undermining the stability of its nursing workforce in Merrimack Valley and putting patient care quality at risk by not settling a fair contract

METHUEN, Mass., Sept. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --The registered nurses of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute  Merrimack Valley, represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, issued notice to DFCI on Friday evening that they plan to hold a one-day strike on Wednesday, September 27 unless the institute agrees to a fair contract that provides secured benefits and competitive pay, enabling nurses to provide the high-quality cancer care Merrimack Valley patients deserve.

The nurses are prepared to strike for 24 hours  and picket in front of DFCI  MV during regular clinic hours  after repeatedly trying to get Dana-Farber executives to reach reasonable compromises on key issues, including a competitive wage step scale and a commitment to maintaining benefits throughout the life of their contract. Nurses were required by labor law to give DFCI at least 10 days' notice before the strike.

Dana-Farber executives have forced DFCI  MV nurses into a position to strike even as Dana-Farber has announced plans to shift its affiliation from Brigham and Women's Hospital to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and construct a freestanding inpatient cancer hospital. This plan will cost many millions of dollars, while DFCI refuses to make reasonable investments in its existing nurse and nurse practitioner workforce in Merrimack Valley.

DFCI  MV nurses voted 97% to authorize a strike on August 2. Despite multiple negotiation sessions with a federal mediator since the vote, DFCI has refused to agree to meet the needs of nurses and instead wants the right to take away benefits unilaterally and unfairly and refuse to offer daily overtime. There is another negotiation session scheduled for September 19, and it is expected that the federal mediator will call the nurses back for an additional negotiation session or sessions prior to the strike date.

"We are prepared to strike if necessary to protect cancer care quality and access for Merrimack Valley patients," said Kerrin Albert, Infusion RN at DFCI  MV. "We would prefer that Dana-Farber executives simply meet the needs of our nurses so we can maintain a stable workforce, but instead they have put us in this position to fully exercise our rights as union members."

"Dana-Farber executives have left us with no other choice but to schedule a one-day strike to ensure nurses are properly valued and patients continue to have excellent cancer care available in Merrimack Valley," said Kate Mitchell, FNP-BC, AOCNP at DFCI  MV. "Our number one goal is to provide patients with the advanced cancer and blood disorder treatments they need. Dana-Farber has the resources to make sure nurses are empowered to provide that essential care and should settle a fair contract."

"On September 27, we would prefer to be with our patients, guiding them through treatment and knowing Dana-Farber truly values the care we provide," said Errin D'Arcangelo, Oncology Nurse Navigator at DFCI  MV. "If Dana-Farber Merrimack Valley nurses are on the strike line September 27, it will be because Dana-Farber executives have refused to commit to competitive pay and secure benefits as part of a fair contract."

DFCI  MV nurses held an informational picket on June 2 attended by nurses, community members, union supporters, and elected officials. Among those in attendance supporting the nurses were State Senator Pavel Payano, D-Lawrence, and State Representative Ryan Hamilton, D-Methuen.

"As you know, these healthcare professionals are on the front lines of caring for patients and liaising with families," Rep. Hamilton wrote in an August 2 letter to Dr. Laurie Glimcher, president, and CEO of Dana-Farber. "They play a vital role here in Merrimack Valley by supporting patients through the hardship of a cancer diagnosis and bolstering our fight against this disease. But a lack of basic employment protections, the denial of equal retirement and benefits options, and a substantial gap in pay between nurses based in Boston and nurses based in Merrimack Valley are threatening the good work of these community members."

DFCI  Merrimack Valley opened in 2020 with 24 exam rooms and 32 infusion bays. The location offers expanded cancer and blood disorder care and outpatient services for adult patients in the region. DFCI  MV nurses voted in June and July 2022 to form a union and join the MNA in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. The MNA also represents approximately 600 nurses at the DFCI main campus in Boston under a separate contract.

Bargaining Highlights

DFCI  MV nurses are negotiating a first MNA contract with DFCI. A federal mediator joined negotiations this summer.

DFCI has refused to make a commitment to maintaining benefits through the contract and wants the right to take away benefits unilaterally and unfairly.

DFCI has refused to offer daily overtime  a typical standard in MNA contracts because of the nature of the scheduling of nurses and healthcare professionals.

DFCI has refused to agree to competitive wages to help recruit and retain nurses. MV nurses have proposed wages that are less than what DFCI Boston nurses earn, and DFCI has still said no.

DFCI's approach in negotiations has been disrespectful to nurses and the community. Merrimack Valley patients deserve to be valued equally to patients in Boston or anywhere else. DFCI must settle a fair contract with MV nurses to demonstrate its commitment to local patients.

Dana-Farber Financial Highlights

MassNurses.org  Facebook.com/MassNurses  Twitter.com/MassNurses  Instagram.com/MassNurses

____________________________________________

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 25,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association
NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --

WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, announces the filing of a class action lawsuit on behalf of purchasers of common stock of Enviva Inc. (NYSE: EVA) between November 3, 2022 and May 3, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than November 13, 2023.

SO WHAT: If you purchased Enviva common stock during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement.

WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the Enviva class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=19071 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than November 13, 2023. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation.

WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs' Bar. Many of the firm's attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers.

DETAILS OF THE CASE: The lawsuit alleges that defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose material information about the financial condition of Enviva, including its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization and net loss forecasts, liquidity position, capital allocations, operation costs, productivity, and the impact of these metrics on Enviva's ability to continue paying dividends in 2023. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages.

To join the Enviva class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=19071 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email [email protected] or [email protected] for information on the class action.

No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/.

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Contact Information:

Laurence Rosen, Esq.

Phillip Kim, Esq.

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.

275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Tel: (212) 686-1060

Toll Free: (866) 767-3653

Fax: (212) 202-3827

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SOURCE THE ROSEN LAW FIRM, P. A.
DORTMUND, Germany, Sept. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- VAPORESSO, the leading brand in the vaping industry, has brought its latest innovations to InterTabac, the world's largest trade fair for tobacco products and smoking accessories. From September 14  16, new offerings from VAPORESSO's ARMOUR, LUXE, and XROS series are highlighted at booth B12, showcasing a plethora of new features at the forefront of vaping technology that enables users to savor the best taste in every puff.

Taking center stage are VAPORESSO ARMOUR Max and ARMOUR S  the latest dual and single vape kits that feature thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material and COREX heating technology to offer unparalleled rigidity and flavor enjoyment. From tank to mod, the two products are enveloped with a stretch-and-drop-resistant enclosure to ensure greater durability, coupled with VAPORESSO's innovative iTank 2 and the GTi coil platform providing unmatched flavor accuracy and a 50% longer coil lifespan.

Craft from the ground up the deliver a more enjoyable yet simplified experience for Direct-to-Lung (DTL) vapers, both ARMOUR Max and S boast a more compact form factor but offer longer vaping time. A minimalist and robust push-to-open battery cover takes convenience to a new level, streamlining the battery-swapping and charging experience while offering another layer of protection. At its core, the ARMOUR is driven by the AXON chipset, offering a wide array of modes for a professional vaping experience. A TFT screen paired with a user-friendly interface ensures clarity and ease of use, making it accessible to both experienced and new vapers alike.

Alongside the ARMOUR lineup, VAPORESSO also spotlighted two new members to its LUXE Q family, LUXE Q2 and Q2 SE. Sporting a sleek design featuring a leather finish that offers a sweat-free, smudge-free gripping experience, both products are powered by VAPORESSO's COREX heating technology and AXON chipset, with adjointable airflow allowing users to self-tailor the devices to their style and needs. Meanwhile, compatibility with LUXE Q pods gives full options to vapers who prefer nic salt and freebase e-liquids.

Showcasing an innovative and engaging display setting, VAPORESSO's booth has been a bustling hub of activity, drawing a steady stream of visitors over the course of the three-day event. The excitement and interest surrounding the booth were evident, with a significant number of attendees expressing a keen interest in the brand's latest product offerings.

For more information, please visit: https://www.vaporesso.com/.

SOURCE VAPORESSO
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
Athens, Sep 16 : Ten days after a severe storm ravaged central Greece, claiming 15 lives and causing destructive flooding, villages around Lake Karla were put on alert for possible further inundation, the media reported.

As the Pineios river, one of Greece's largest river, continued to pour water into the lake, authorities warned locals about the threat posed by the rising water levels to the few remaining parts of the Thessaly region that had yet to be flooded, Xinhua news agency reported.

So far, at least 45 villages and parts of the cities of Larissa and Volos were affected, with 4,594 people evacuated, more than 70,000 hectare of land submerged in muddy waters, over 200,000 animals killed and crops devastated, according to the latest update by Greek authorities released on Thursday.

Thousands of people were still without access to safe drinking water as efforts to restore damaged critical infrastructure continued.

On Friday afternoon, the Infrastructure and Transport Ministry decided to reopen sections of the national motorway connecting the capital Athens to northern Greece for vehicles weighing up to 3.5 ton, which had been closed due to flooding since last week.
Gaza, Sep 16 : The Israeli military has said it launched air raids on Gaza after clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli police at the border wounded at least 12 Palestinians.

No casualties were reported in the raids so far, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Friday in a statement that the aircraft struck a military post belonging to Hamas, the Islamist group ruling Gaza, after a "violent riot" broke out at the border between Israel and the coastal enclave.

During the standoff, explosive devices and grenades were thrown across the border fence toward IDF soldiers, leading the Israeli soldiers to use riot dispersal measures at the Palestinians, the IDF added.

No IDF soldiers were injured in the clash, it noted.

The Hamas-run Health Ministry earlier said that at least 12 Palestinians were wounded by dispersal means and even live bullets fired by the Israeli soldiers.

Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that the clash took place between hundreds of young Palestinians rallying to voice solidarity with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

On Friday, a Palestinian rally held to denounce Israel's settlement expansion grew to a clash with Israeli soldiers in the village of Qaryut, northern West Bank, leaving four Palestinians wounded by rubber bullets fired to disperse them, according to a statement issued by the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

Gaza and the West Bank have witnessed unabated tensions between Palestinians and Israelis this year amid long-stalled peace talks.
Helsinki, Sep 16 : As of midnight, Finland will close its borders to passenger cars registered in Russia, the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press statement.

"In the future, only EU citizens permanently residing in Russia or their family members, diplomats or equivalent individuals, or people travelling for humanitarian reasons, can enter Finland with a passenger car registered in Russia," the statement said on Friday.

With this move, Finland complies with the guidelines of the European Commission issued on September 8, prohibiting the entry of passenger cars registered in Russia into the European Union, Xinhua news agency reported.

The decision aims to prevent Russian citizens from circumventing sanctions imposed on the country, the Ministry said.

Cars that are already in Finland and have Russian license plates must leave the country by March 16, 2024, the Ministry added.

The move follows similar decisions made by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania earlier this week to bar the entry of vehicles registered in Russia.
Washington, Sep 16 : Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, has been extradited to the US on drug trafficking charges, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has announced.

In a statement on Friday that referred to Ovidio Guzman, 33, as a "leader of the Sinaloa Cartel", Garland said the extradition was a "result of US and Mexico law enforcement cooperation", reports CNN.

"This action is the most recent step in the Justice Department's effort to attack every aspect of the cartel's operations," he added.

"The fight against the cartels has involved incredible courage by US law enforcement and Mexican law enforcement and military servicemembers, many of whom have given their lives in the pursuit of justice."

Guzman was flown to Chicago and landed on Friday afternoon, Northern District of Illinois Assistant US Attorney Joseph D. Fitzpatrick told CNN.

Although an initial court appearance has not been set, but the US Attorney's office expects it to take place on September 18, he said.

Guzman was arrested by Mexican authorities in January in Culiacan, Sinaloa state, that led to 29 deaths and has been in custody since then.

The US had been seeking his extradition for drug trafficking.

Following his arrest, chaos erupted in the city with authorities asking citizens to shelter at home as law enforcement clashed with cartel members in various parts of the city, CNN reported.

At least 19 suspected gang members and 10 military personnel died during those clashes.

Ovidio Guzman had previously been arrested in October 2019, but was released on the orders of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to avoid bloodshed, and subsequently went into hiding until his arrest in 2023.

His extradition follows the release from a US prison of Emma Coronel Aispuro, El Chapo's wife, on Wednesday.

She had served nearly two years for drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

The state of Sinaloa is home to one of the world's most powerful narcotics trafficking organisations, the Sinaloa Cartel, of which "El Chapo" was the leader.

According to the State Department, Ovidio Guzman and his brother, Joaquin, function in high-level command and control roles of their own drug trafficking organisation, the Guzman-Lopez Transnational Criminal Organization, under the umbrella of the Sinaloa Cartel.

Ovidio and Joaquin began their narcotics trafficking careers early by inheriting relationships from their deceased brother, Edgar

Following Edgar's death, the two inherited a great deal of the narcotics proceeds and began investing large amounts of the cash into the purchasing of marijuana in Mexico and cocaine in Colombia.

Meanwhile, "El Chapo", who famously escaped from Altiplano prison on July 11, 2015, through a mile-long tunnel, was later captured and convicted in the US four years later of 10 counts, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, drug trafficking and firearms charges.

He was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years and ordered to pay $12.6 billion in forfeiture.
Hyderabad, Sep 16 : With the Congress Working Committee (CWC) holding its crucial meeting in Hyderabad from Saturday, posters have come up in the city, mocking the party over corruption.

A poster describing the CWC as 'Corrupt Working Committee', carries pictures of 24 Congress leaders with scams they were allegedly involved in.

"Beware of scamgress scammers," reads the poster.

The posters carry pictures of top Congress leaders including party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The posters were put up at various places by the supporters of ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

Through other posters, the ruling party questioned Congress leader Sonia Gandhi on unfulfilled promises and controversial statement of the party's Telangana leader.

"Madam Gandhi, do you agree to your PCC president's statement that only 3HRS electricity supply is enough for farmers to do agriculture," reads one of the posters.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy had reportedly said that farmers don't need 24-hour electricity and that a three-hour supply will be sufficient.

Another poster targets Congress over its Scheduled Caste (SC) declaration.

"2004 to 2014 Congress was in power and fooled Dalits on SC categorization. Now again on the name of declaration you want to do the same?"

The BRS has also questioned the Congress on its promise to provide Rs.4,000 monthly pension for senior citizens.

A poster compares the pension being given in Telangana with the pension paid by Congress-ruled states.

"Old age pension: Congress in Karnataka Rs 400, Congress in Rajasthan Rs 1,000, Congress in Chhattisgarh Rs 500. KCR's Telangana Rs 2,016"

Another poster recalls that during the Congress government, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, general secretary Rahul Gandhi had promised national status for the Palamuru Rangareddy project.

"They failed to keep their promise. CM KCR started and completed Palamuru Rangareddy project September 16 trial run," reads the poster.

--IANS

ms/ksk
Chennai, Sep 16 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday conducted raids at 25 places in Tamil Nadu and four places in Hyderabad in connection with the Coimbatore car bomb blast case.

The raids are in relation to the Coimbatore car bomb blast that happened back in October 23, 2022, when a 29 year old youth, Jameesha Mubin was charred to death on Deepavali eve.

The raids are also conducted at the premises of a DMK councilor in Coimbatore. The councilor is identified as Mubeera, who is the councilor of Ward no 82 in Coimbatore corporation.

Sources in the NIA told IANS that Mubeeraas husband was a class mate of Jameesha Mubi in the Kovai Arabic College and the agency had conducted a raid at the college during last month.

The agency sources revealed that 25 youths had studied at the Arabic College along with Jameesha Mubin.

During raids, the agency has confiscated several documents including incriminating documents, and has registered a fresh FIR on the Tamil Nadu ISIS module case.

The raids are conducted at Ukkadam, GM Nagar, Kinathukadavu, Kavundampalayam and 18 more places in Coimbatore city.

Simultaneous raids are taking place in Neelankarai, Ayanavaram and Thiru Vika Nagar in Chennai.

The NIA sleuths are raiding four places in Hyderabad as well regarding this case.
VALLETTA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Government of Malta held discussions with Shanghai Electric Power on different technologies that can help decarbonize the energy sector, it said in a statement on Saturday.

During an official visit to Shanghai, Maltese Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise Miriam Dalli held discussions with the Shanghai-based energy giant to evaluate different technologies that can help decarbonize the sector.

Shanghai Electric Power is a minority shareholder in Malta's state-owned energy provider Enemalta.

During its visit to Shanghai, the Maltese delegation visited a number of green projects, including a hydrogen refilling station, a smart energy control center and a green energy center. 
Kolkata, Sep 16 : A fresh row has erupted in West Bengal over the Raj Bhavan-State Secretariat tussle after Education Minister Bratya Basu described the interim Vice-Chancellors appointed by Governor C.V. Ananda Bose as "slaves".

The West Bengal College Teachers' Association's general secretary Keshab Bhattacharya said that such comments from a state Minister were expressions of bad taste and culture.

"It is even more unfortunate since the state education minister was a college teacher himself," he said.

Also criticising the remark, Jadavpur University Teachers' Association's general secretary Partha Pratim Roy said: "The Minister has not just insulted the Vice-Chancellors, but the entire academic circle in the state."

Veteran teacher of economics P.K. Mukhopadhyay said Basu can also be taken to court on the basis of his remark.

"Such a comment leads to loss of social prestige for not just the interim vice- chancellors that he targeted but also for the entire academic circle of the state," he said.

Despite the widespread criticisms, Basu has remained adamant in his stand.

"I have said this as a politician and not as the state education minister. What I have said is nothing as compared to the language and adjectives that are being used about chief minister Mamata Banerjee and our party's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Now it is anybody's freedom to start controversies or debates in the matter," he said.
To jab or not? HCWs scepticism over safety, side-effects of Covid vax (File Photo: Kuntal Chakrabarty/IANS). Image Source: IANS News

Washington, Sep 16 : The Covid-19 vaccine misinformation policies of Facebook, the world's largest social media platform, were not effective in combating misinformation and its overall design is more to blame for this rather than just algorithms, a new study has revealed.

The study, led by researchers at the George Washington University in the US and published in the journal Science Advances, found that Facebook's efforts were undermined by the core design features of the platform itself.

"To effectively tackle misinformation and other online harms, we need to move beyond content and algorithms to also focus on design and architecture," said David Broniatowski, lead study author and an associate professor of engineering management and systems engineering.

The results show that removing content or changing algorithms can be ineffective if it doesn't change what the platform is designed to do -- enabling community members to connect over common interests -- in this case, vaccine hesitancy -- and find information that they are motivated to seek out, he explained.

The researchers found that while Facebook expended significant effort to remove a lot of anti-vaccine content during the Covid-19 pandemic, overall engagement with anti-vaccine content did not decrease beyond prior trends -- and, in some cases, even increased.

"This finding is incredibly concerning. It shows the difficulty that we face as a society in removing health misinformation from public spaces," said Lorien Abroms, study author and a professor of public health.

In the content that was not removed, there was an increase in links to off-platform, low credibility sites and links to misinformation on "alternative" social media platforms like Gab and Rumble, especially in anti-vaccine groups.

In addition, remaining anti-vaccine content on Facebook became more -- not less -- misinformative, containing sensationalist false claims about vaccine side effects that were often too new to be fact-checked in real time.

There was also "collateral damage," say the researchers, as pro-vaccine content may have also been removed as a result of the platform's policies and, overall, vaccine-related content became more politically polarised.

Furthermore, anti-vaccine content producers used the platform more effectively than pro-vaccine content producers, the authors wrote.

Although both had large page networks, anti-vaccine content producers more effectively coordinated content delivery across pages, groups, and users' news feeds.

Even when Facebook tweaked its algorithms and removed content and accounts to combat vaccine misinformation, the researchers say the architecture of the platform pushed back.

The social media platform designers could promote public health and safety by working collaboratively to develop a set of "building codes" for their platforms that are informed by scientific evidence to reduce online harms, the study suggested.
Tarsem Singh opens up about 'Dear Jassi', his first film to be shot in India. Image Source: IANS News

Los Angeles, Sep 16 : Director Tarsem Singh has spilled beans on 'Dear Jassi'; which is his first film to be shot in India. According to him, the film takes certain threads of inspiration from his own late mother, where he wondered why a Canadian woman of Indian heritage would plot to have her daughter abducted then murdered.

'Dear Jassi', ahead of its global release, was first premiered at the TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival), and it is touted to be a romance story, but also features grisly murder and violence.

Speaking to Deadline, Tarsem Singh said: "It is a love story, but with a grisly murder at its centre."

'Dear Jassi' is inspired by the real-life honour killing of the Indo-Canadian beautician Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu in June 2000.

The incident saw thugs ambushing the Sikh couple of Jaswinder and her husband Sidhu, who dragged the young bride to a desolate farm in a Punjabi village and slit her throat, based directly on orders given by the girl's own mother.

The gangsters were also given direct support by the local police, while the woman's mother was at the other end of a phone thousands of miles away in Vancouver, Canada according to court testimony and police reports.

Talking about this, Tarsem said: "You don't hear about it that much, but it's more often than you think."

While creating the villain, he said: "The only way I could comprehend what a villainous character this person was is to think of a pure person that I know.

Despite Tarsem's mother having nothing to do with it, the filmmaker borrowed a few traits from his mother in order to explore what happens when a good person turns evil.

"And I thought of my mother, and literally all I could think of was that if you put a woman like that into the situation.  I could see it happening."

Singh suggested that for good people to do such bad things, there's usually a culture of religion underpinning.

"She means well and she's doing something horrific. That I saw a lot from my mother, that meaning well in the name of God or in the name of the cultural thing you're tied up in. You can do some horrendous s***."

He continued: "But that does not justify the act at all. Not even one per cent. But you know what? I come from that culture.  It's not at all justifiable under any stretch of the imagination, but when you can identify with them, it's a lot more disturbing."

Tarsem Singh belongs to a Sikh family from Jalandhar, though he left India at the age of 24, to pursue film studies at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

Soon after he began directing music, most notably; R.E.M.'s 'Losing My Religion'. His first movie was 2000's 'The Cell' starring Jennifer Lopez. He self-financed 'The Fall' (2006) and followed that up with 'Immortals' in 2011, and then 'Mirror Mirror' in 2012 with his last film being 'Self/less' in 2015.

Later he shot the short film '911' for Lady Gaga, which has been viewed 81 million times on YouTube.
Chennai, Sep 17 : At least 2,500 policemen, including SPs, have been deployed in Vellore for Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's visit to the city on Sunday.

The Chief Minister will travel in a train from MG Ramachandran Chennai Central railway station to Katpadi, Vellore.

On Sunday morning, Stalin will pay a floral tribute at the statue of EV Ramaswamy Periyar, the Dravidian ideologue, on his 145th birth anniversary.

He will then visit the Sri Lankan Tamil rehabilitation camp in Melmanavaoor village and launch the allotment of free houses for Sri Lankan Tamils in the state.

This is the first phase of allotment of free houses.

Stalin had launched the project in Vellore in November 2021.

A total of 1,591 beneficaries will be allotted free houses on Sunday for Sri Lankan Tamils staying in 19 rehabilitation camps in 13 districts in a total 3,519 free houses in the first phase of the scheme.

The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) is the implementing agency of the project.

Stalin will also participate in the birth centenary celebrations of late Chief Minister, K. Karunanidhi and will attend a public function.

Police officials told IANS that the venue is away from the main town of Vellore and hence there will be less traffic snarls.

--IANS

aal/ksk
New York, Sep 16 : The US cop who joked and laughed in a bodycam video about an Indian student's death by a police patrol car this year, has defended his remarks in a statement released by the Seattle Police Officers' Guild.

Jaahnavi Kandula, a student of Northeastern University campus in South Lake Union, was hit by a Seattle Police vehicle driven by officer Kevin Dave at a pedestrian crossing on the night of January 23.

Auderer, who was assigned to see whether Dave was under any influence, left his body camera on by mistake, in which he was heard laughing and saying that Kandula's life had "limited value" and the city should "just write a check".

The Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPG), releasing a statement on Friday said that "without context", this audio is horrifying and has no place in a civil society.

"The video captures only one side of the conversation. There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet," the Guild said, releasing Auderer's letter, which he had submitted an August 8, defending his actions and requesting an expedited employee misconduct investigation.

Auderer wrote in his letter to the Guild that while talking to Solan, he had "lamented" Kandula's death, stating that it was unfortunate that her death would "turn into lawyers arguing 'the value of human life".

"I responded with something like: 'She's 26 years old. What value is there? Who cares?' I intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers," Auderer wrote, adding that the conversation was "inadvertently" recorded.

"I was imitating what a lawyer tasked with negotiating the case would be saying and being sarcastic to express that they shouldn't be coming up with crazy arguments to minimise the payment. I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I have watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy," Auderer said in his defence.

"I understand that without context the comment could be interpreted as horrifying and crude. Without context the comment is insensitive to the family of the victim when in reality I was involved in a conversation regarding the callousness of the legal system. At the time I had no idea who the victim was. All I knew was the person's approximate age and sex," the Seattle cop added.

He said that the remarks were not made with malice or a hard heart, but quite the opposite.

He added that he is willing to accept "any reasonable discipline our accountability partners and the Chief of Police wish to hand down".

The Guild praised Auderer for coming forward about the footage one month before it was publicly released, and added that more details surrounding the incident will be shared.

"Upon being made aware of the existence of this video, Dan (Auderer) immediately took ownership of his actions and authored a statement requesting that the Director of OPA (Office of Police Accountability) consider the course of 'Rapid Adjudication'," the Guild said.

Rapid Adjudication is a disciplinary process that was agreed to by the City of Seattle and the Seattle Police Officers' Guild to expedite police employee misconduct investigations so accountability can be swiftly addressed, and reasonable discipline imposed.

This was done by Auderer more than four weeks before the release of the video, the Guild stated in its release.

The footage was released by the Seattle police department "in the interest of transparency".

Kandula's family reportedly said that it was "truly disturbing and saddening to hear insensible comments" that were made by Audrer.

--IANS

mi/ksk
Tokyo, Sep 16 : A 90-minute nap followed by a 30-minute nap is more effective in putting off drowsiness and fatigue than a single 120-minute nap during the overnight duty, according to a new study.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, analysed the data of pilot studies on night-shift naps conducted from 2012 to 2018.

"A 90-minute nap to maintain long-term performance and a 30-minute nap to maintain lower fatigue levels and fast reactions, as a strategic combination of naps, can be valuable for early morning work efficiency and safety," said study sole author Sanae Oriyama, a nursing science professor at Hiroshima University's Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences.

Oriyama reexamined past pilot studies to compare alertness and performance after taking a nap and throughout a simulated 4 p.m. to 9 a.m. shift. And found that single 120-minute nap ending at midnight experienced worse drowsiness.

However, two naps -- the 90-minute one lasting until midnight and the 30-minute one ending at 3 a.m. -- staved off drowsiness.

"I want to be able to combine multiple naps, depending on the type of work and time of day, and choose naps that are effective at reducing drowsiness, fatigue, and maintaining performance," Oriyama said.

"During a night shift that, for example, lasts from 4 p.m. to 9 a.m. the next morning, a split nap of 90 minutes and 30 minutes, ending at 12 a.m. and 3 a.m., respectively, is thought to be more effective than a 120-minute monophasic nap ending at 12 a.m.," she explained.

Interestingly, people who took longer to fall asleep during the 90-minute nap session showed poorer scores in the Uchida-Kraepelin test (UKT), a timed basic maths exam meant to measure speed and accuracy in performing a task.

Oriyama said the findings could also be helpful to new parents.

"The results of this study can be applied not only to night shift workers but also to minimise sleep deprivation fatigue in mothers raising infants," Oriyama added.
New Delhi, Sep 16 : The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has given its nod to Zooom airlines to commence commercial passenger operations in India.

Zooom airlines or Zexus Air, initially established in April 2013, acquired its first aircraft, a Bombardier CRJ200.

However, it only commenced operations in February 2017.

Despite its efforts, the airline struggled to draw significant air passenger traffic.

Due to safety concerns, the DGCA suspended its air operator certificate in July 2018 for a period exceeding a year.

"Receiving the Air Operator Certificate is a testament to our unwavering commitment to safety and operational excellence. We are grateful to our dedicated team for helping us reach this significant milestone. With our AOC in hand, we are looking forward to providing passengers with a top-notch travel experience that combines convenience, efficiency, and comfort," said Zooom Airlines CEO Atul Gambhir.

"Our CRJ 200 aircraft will provide domestic travellers with unprecedented speed on each route. We wish to cater to the growing number of domestic travellers who take frequent flights and expect comfortable travel with reliable speed," said Gambhir.

"Indian domestic aviation is growing, and customers are looking for the most cost-effective, safe, and convenient solutions. We are confident in our ability to carve out a niche by offering a unique and innovative travel experience."

--IANS

ssh/ksk
Patna, Sep 16 : Union minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti on Saturday claimed that leaders of INDIA failed to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi and hence they are trying to mow down 'Sanatan Dharma'.

Jyoti, ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's rally, came to Patna and was on the way to Jhanjharpur claiming that the leaders of INDIA were repeatedly giving statements against 'Sanatan Dhamma'.

"Some of them are comparing 'Sanartan Dharma' with dengue, Malaria, and Corona while the education minister of Bihar is repeatedly giving statements against Ramcharitmanas. Objecting Ramcharitmanas is similar to objecting poor people of the country. I want to appeal to the people of Nishad community to object to the statements of leaders of INDIA," Jyoti said.

Amit Shah is coming to Bihar's Mithilanchal region with an aim to lure voters of six Lok Sabha seats. A large number of Nishad (Fishermen) communities is residing here.

While attacking former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Jyoti said that his father Balasaheb Thackeray (Bal Thackeray) did the politics of Hindutva lifelong but he is sitting in the lap of an anti-Hindu group.

"PM Narendra Modi has lifted the position of Bharat in the world. Powerful global leaders of the world came here and appreciated the successful event of G20 but leaders of INDIA are giving the name of 'Maut Ke Saudagar', 'Jahar Ki Pudia', and others. In politics, anyone can object to anyone's ideologically but one should not use derogatory remarks," Jyoti said.
Patna, Sep 16 : Veteran RJD leader Shivanand Tiwari on Saturday said that Amit Shah is the most unsuccessful Union Home Minister of the country The remark by Tiwari, who is also RJD's national vice president, came ahead of Shah's address to a rally in Jhanjharpur.

"Amit Shah comes from Gujarat, the state where iron man Sardar Ballabh Bhai Patel also came from but they are completely different from each other. Look at Manipur, the state is burning. A civil war is underway in that state. Around 175 people have lost their lives in clashes between two communities. It has a double engine government but it is hard to understand that the state government is flaring the violence or dousing the flame," Tiwari said.

"Manipur is a border state and its impact is also seen in the states where its borders are touching but the approach of Amit Shah was as such that Manipur is not a part of this country.

"A similar situation is in Kashmir. When Amit Shah proposed in the parliament for the removal of Article 370, remember his speech where he said that all the issues were due to it. 'Remove Article 370 and Kashmir will becomes a heaven'. What is the situation now? Colonel, major and DSP rank officers are getting killed by the bullets of militants.

"Moreover, our brave soldiers are getting martyrdom and the Prime Minister of the country is busy celebrating the success of the G20 meeting. He was giving an impression that peace and prosperity is all over the country. I have not seen such an insensitive government like this," the RJD leader alleged.

He went on to say that Shah came to Mithilanchal with a large number of minority voters as well.

"He will try to polarize voters on the basis of religion and communalism. Amit Shah should remember the election campaign of 2015 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a package of Rs 1.25 lakh crore. If you ask the Center, they have not given even one fourth of that package to poor states like Bihar.

"Despite tall claims of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah in 2015, Lalu and Nitish had comfortably won two third majority in that Assembly election. I want to tell them that Bihar is a soil of Gandhi, Jay Prakash Narayan, Ram Manohar Lohia and Karpoori Thaku. Amit Shah will not be successful in it," Tiwari added.
Jaipur, Sep 16 : IAS officer couple Tina Dabi and Pradeep Gawande, on Saturday, welcomed their first baby at a private hospital in the city.

Dabi was on leave since July while working as district collector in Jaisalmer.

Since the news of the arrival of their baby boy son broke out, congratulatory messages have been pouring in from all quarters on social media.

Tina Dabi shot into fame in 2015 when she topped the UPSC. She then married Athar Aamir Khan, an IAS officer who had ranked second in her own batch, in March 2018.

After their marriage, both the officers remained in Rajasthan cadre.

In 2020, Aamir got himself transferred to the Jammu and Kashmir cadre. He went to Jammu and Kashmir on deputation.

The same year in November, the couple filed for divorce in the Family Court of Jaipur and were handed over the decree in August 2021.

Dabi then went on to marry Pradeep Gawande, an IAS officer 10 years her senior, in 2022.
In this body-camera footage released this week, Daniel Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, joked with the police union's president by laughing and saying that Jaahnavi Kandula "had limited value." (Xinhua)

In a unanimous resolution, the National Federation of Indian American Associations called upon all relevant authorities to prioritize investigation, community engagement, and respect for the rights and dignity of all individuals.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- A police officer in Seattle, U.S. state of Washington, was recorded laughing about the death of an Indian student being hit and killed by a police car early this year, sparking outrage in the country and internationally.

More than 200 people on Thursday took to the Seattle intersection where 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula was fatally struck in January, calling for accountability for the officer who killed her and for Daniel Auderer's comments about the crash, which some described as "disgusting" and "abhorrent."

Kandula was struck by police officer Kevin Dave's car on Jan. 23 and died that night. She was due to graduate in December with a master's degree in information systems from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University.

Body-camera footage released this week showed Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, joking with the police union's president by laughing and saying that Kandula "had limited value."

"Jaahnavi Kandula's death was a horrible tragedy, and the scale of her loss should not be diminished or mocked by anyone," Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said on Thursday, urging the Seattle police to pursue the investigation with seriousness.

"The recording of a Seattle police officer making light of her death and questioning the value of her life is disgusting and unacceptable," he added.

Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal also strongly condemned the incident, highlighting the harmful consequences of normalizing xenophobia and racism.

This undated photo of Jaahnavi Kandula, who was due to graduate in December with a master's degree in information systems from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University, was widely circulated on various media after the news of her death broke out. (Xinhua)

In a unanimous resolution, the National Federation of Indian American Associations called upon all relevant authorities to prioritize investigation, community engagement, and respect for the rights and dignity of all individuals.

"The family has nothing to say. Except I wonder if these men's daughters or granddaughters have value. A life is a life," Kandula's uncle, Ashok Mandula, was quoted as saying in a report by The Seattle Times.

India's ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, raised the issue in Washington, D.C., and sought prompt action on the killing of Kandula, and the highly insensitive behavior of the police officer.

"We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle and Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington, D.C., for a thorough investigation and action against those involved in this tragic case," the Consulate General of India in San Francisco said in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Seattle Police Department's traffic collision investigation squad later reported that Dave struck Kandula at approximately 63 mph (101 km/h) in a 25 mph (40 km/h) area, and Kandula was thrown approximately 138 feet (42 meters).

In a statement this week, the police department said that the recording was identified by an employee "who was concerned about the nature of statements heard on that video."

The video was sent to the city's Office of Police Accountability "for investigation into the context in which those statements were made and any policy violation that might be implicated," the statement said.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is now conducting a criminal review of the crash. 
New Delhi, Sep 16 : With the arrest of six persons, including three women, the Delhi Police on Saturday claimed to have busted a prostitution racket running at a East Delhi hotel.

Sharing the details, the police said that on Friday, acting on specific information, a raid was conducted at R.K. Residency (an Oyo Hotel) in South Ganesh Nagar, Delhi, by a team from the Mandawali police station. During

the operation, six individuals were discovered engaged in prostitution.

The accused have been identified as Pradeep Kumar (46), who is an agent and a resident of Laxmi Nagar, Diwan (29), the hotel manager, and Krunal (27), a customer from Geeta Colony.

"A case under the relevant sections of the ITP Act was registered, and during the course of the investigation, it was revealed that the same premises, i.e., RK Residency, had previously been involved in prostitution. As a result, the hotel was sealed by the MCD," said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (east) Amrutha Guguloth.

"Recently, it was de-sealed, and they resumed the same illegal activities. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has been informed, and the investigation of the case is ongoing," the DCP added.
New Delhi, Sep 16 : In a major crackdown on the radicalisation and recruitment campaign of the ISIS, the NIA on Saturday carried out searches at 31 locations in the two southern States -- Tamil Nadu and Telangana, and seized several digital devices and documents, along with Indian currency worth Rs 60 lakh and $18,200.

An anti-terror probe agency spokesperson said that the NIA was in the process of examining the data contained in the mobile phones, laptops and hard discs seized during the searches.

The official said, "Several incriminating books in Arabic and vernacular languages were also seized during the searches, in addition to Rs 60 lakh and $18,200."

Meanwhile, an NIA source said that the team raided the residences of a few suspects in Chennai, Coimbatore and Tenkasi and questioned them for five hours. It also seized digital devices during the raid.

The NIA has summoned some of the suspects for questioning in the radicalisation and recruitment case on September 20 at its office in Chennai, the source added.

The official said the NIA team carried out the raids early in the morning at 22 locations in Coimbatore, three in Chennai and one in Kadayanallur, Tenkasi district in Tamil Nadu. It also searched five locations in Hyderabad and Cyberabad in Telangana.

The NIA registered a case under several sections of the IPC and of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, pertaining to clandestine operations by a group of individuals to radicalise gullible youth.

"The radicalisation was being carried out in the garb of conducting Arabic language classes at their regional study centres. Radicalisation material and activities were being promoted online through social media platforms and mobile applications like WhatsApp and Telegram," the official said.

The official said that the NIA probe found that ISIS-inspired agent provocateurs were engaged in propagation of the 'Khilafat' ideology, which is "inimical" to India's constitutionally-established principles of secularism and democracy.

"The people involved in the case had entered into a conspiracy to radicalise and recruit youth who were later found involved in terrorist as well as unlawful acts and activities. One such terror attack was related to the Coimbatore car bomb blast case of October 23 last year," the official said.

The official added that the NIA's probe is part of the agency's concerted efforts to thwart the ISIS' attempts to recruit vulnerable youth into the terrorist network that is working actively to spread terror in the country with the overarching aim of disturbing and disrupting peace and communal harmony.
New Delhi, Sep 16 : Many analysts have characterised Chinese lending through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as "debt trap diplomacy" designed to give China leverage over other countries and even seize their infrastructure and resources.

After Sri Lanka fell behind on payments for its troubled Hambantota port project in 2017, China obtained a 99-year lease on the property as part of a deal to renegotiate the debt, wrote Michael Bennon and Francis Fukuyama in a recent article in Foreign Affairs.

Bennon is a Research Scholar and Manager of the Global Infrastructure Policy Research Initiative at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University.

Fukuyama is Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and Director of the Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy at Stanford University.

The agreement sparked concerns in Washington and other Western capitals that Beijing's real aim was to acquire access to strategic facilities throughout the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, and the Americas.

But over the last few years, a different picture of the BRI has emerged. Many Chinese-financed infrastructure projects have failed to earn the returns that analysts expected, the article said.

And because the governments that negotiated these projects often agreed to backstop the loans, they have found themselves burdened with huge debt overhangs -- unable to secure financing for future projects or even to service the debt they have already accrued. This is true not just of Sri Lanka but also of Argentina, Kenya, Malaysia, Montenegro, Pakistan, Tanzania, and many others.

The problem for the West was less that China would acquire ports and other strategic properties in developing countries and more that these countries would become dangerously indebtedforced to turn to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other Western-backed international financial institutions for help repaying their Chinese loans, the article said.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative, the largest and most ambitious infrastructure development project in human history. China has lent more than $1 trillion to more than 100 countries through the scheme, dwarfing Western spending in the developing world and stoking anxieties about the spread of Beijing's power and influence, it added.

In many parts of the developing world, China has come to be seen as a rapacious and unbending creditor, not so different from the Western multinational corporations and lenders that sought to collect on bad debts in decades past.

Far from breaking new ground as a predatory lender, in other words, China seems to be following a path well worn by Western investors. In so doing, however, Beijing risks alienating the very countries it set out to woo with the BRI and squandering its economic influence in the developing world, the article said.

It also risks exacerbating an already painful debt crisis in emerging markets that could lead to a "lost decade" of the kind many Latin American countries experienced in the 1980s.

Major Chinese-funded projects have generated disappointing returns or failed to stimulate the kind of broad-based economic growth that policymakers had anticipated, the article said.

Some projects have faced opposition from indigenous communities whose lands and livelihoods have been threatened. Others have damaged the environment or experienced setbacks because of the poor quality of Chinese construction.

These problems come on top of long-standing disputes over China's preference for using its own workers and subcontractors to build infrastructure, edging out local counterparts, Bennon and Fukuyama said.

The biggest problem by far, however, is debt. In Argentina, Ethiopia, Montenegro, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Zambia, and elsewhere, costly Chinese projects have pushed debt-to-GDP ratios to unsustainable levels and produced balance-of-payments crises, they added.

In some cases, governments had agreed to cover any revenue shortfalls, making sovereign guarantees that obligated taxpayers to foot the bill for failing projects.

These so-called contingent liabilities were often hidden from citizens and other creditors, obscuring the true levels of debt for which governments were liable. In Montenegro, Sri Lanka, and Zambia, China made such deals with corrupt or authoritarian-leaning governments that then bequeathed the debt to less corrupt and more democratic governments, saddling them with responsibility for getting out of crises.

China is about to celebrate the project's tenth anniversary with fanfare. It will tout the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the scheme's official name in English, as a gift to the world that has created huge economic benefits.

China claims that 420,000 jobs have been created in BRI countries and 40m people lifted out of poverty thanks to bri-generated growth, The Economist said. America, and many of its allies, see the bri as far less benign: a political tool aimed at stifling foreign criticism of Xi's iron-fisted rule and providing a leg-up for his country's firms that has saddled countries with crippling debt, the article said.

Xi Jinping has sold the BRI as a sustainable development program, another of the "public goods" China is presenting to the international community. While the BRI did increase the volume of development financing available to low-income countries, it has hardly been an unmitigated success, Michael Schuman, Jonathan Fulton and Tuvia Gering wrote for Atlantic Council.

Dogged by accusations of mismanagement and corruption, BRI projects have contributed to the emerging world's debt and financial stress.

A study released in March by research lab AidData, the World Bank, and Harvard's Kennedy School showed that Chinese lenders had to extend $240 billion in emergency rescue operations to 22 debtor countries by the end of 2021 -- a clear indication that many BRI projects were not financially sound or sustainable, the article said.

Pakistan has been among the most prominent participants in the BRI, but that partnership with China has not improved its economic prospects. Chinese lending also contributed to a high-profile debt crisis in Sri Lanka in 2022,Zambia's sovereign defaulted in 2020, the article said.
(CHINA PACKAGE) Countering China: How the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor will work. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Sep 16 : In a significant development which could have far reaching geopolitical ramifications, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) was announced at the recently concluded G20 Summit in New Delhi.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding this was signed by India, Middle Eastern countries, Europe and the US, thus marking a significant milestone in global economic and political dynamics.

The participating nations in this initiative are Saudi Arabia, India, United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, Germany, Italy and the US.

The corridor aims to strengthen economic development by improving connectivity and economic integration between Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe.

Most significantly it is also seen as a strategic response to Chinaas Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has expanded Beijingas influence across Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The launch of this economic underlines the global shift in economic and geopolitical power, with India at the heart of this strategic corridor.

Another significant aspect of this pact is the inclusion of Israel, a nation that has historically faced tensions with many Arab countries.

This signals at monumental shift in Middle Eastern dynamics.

The corridor will connect Israel with its Arab neighbours, promoting economic cooperation and fostering a more interconnected Middle East.

Some important aspects of IMEC are that it will consist of two distinct corridors -- the east corridor -- linking India to the Arabian Gulf and the northern corridor - connecting the Arabian Gulf to Europe.

This will include a railway network designed to offer reliable and cost-effective cross-border ship-to-rail transportation, complementing existing maritime and road routes.

The corridor will include setting up of infrastructure for electricity and digital connectivity, as well as pipelines for clean hydrogen export.

This will not only bolster regional supply chains but also improve trade connectivity.

It will also lead to greater economic unity and job creation and reduce costs.

Also IMEC will focus on environmental, social, and governance impacts, aligning the project with sustainable development goals.

Finally it will integrate Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, this creating a corridor for trade and investment.

-IANS

ans/ksk
Washington, Sep 17 : IMEC, a new acronym born during the recent G20 meeting in Delhi, is the most ambitious project yet undertaken under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), the US-led West's response to China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

IMEC is a port-and-rail economic corridor connecting India, the Middle East and Europe. Thus the name, India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Along the route, the plan is to run a cable for electricity and digital connectivity

US President Joe Biden, the architect of the (PGII) hailed the project as a "game-changing" regional investment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it "historic". Other participating entities present at the announcement were the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

"It will be a clear demonstration of a new model that President Biden has pioneered for more transparent and sustainably -- and sustainable develop -- sustainable high-standard infrastructure that fills a damaging global gap and enables greater prosperity and better connectivity for key regions around the world," Jon Finer, Principal Deputy National Security Advisor to the US president, told reporters ahead of the announcement.

The PGII was launched at the 2022 summit of the G7 countries in Germany, as a repackaged and rebranded version of the Build Back Better World -- or B3W, as it was called -- that was launched in 2021 at the G7 Summit in the United Kingdom. It was to be an unambiguous alternative to China.

A senior Biden administration official told reporters ahead of the G7 meeting on B3W that it will be a "a clear contrast with other global actors like China who are building infrastructure that locks developing countries into unsustainable debt traps and fossil-dependent infrastructure for decades to come".

And that the B3W was born out of discussions held by Biden with his then British counterpart Boris Johnson on the need to "counter low-quality infrastructure development, like China".

China's BRI had locked recipient countries into impossibly high levels of debt. Non-payment of these loans could, and did, lead to significant surrender of sovereignty to the Chinese -- like the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, which was taken over by China in 2018 for 99 years after Colombo failed to repay the loan taken for its construction.

The port was badly conceived and planned -- some say it was found to fail, and it did -- as many Chinese-funded projects around the world.

The B3W was to provide value-based, quality infrastructure that is climate-friendly, sustainable and, unlike the BRI, most of the financing was to come from the private sector.

The goal was to close the gap of an estimated $40 trillion between the demand for and availability of infrastructure financing in low and middle-income countries. The plan ran aground, however, as Biden's domestic plan that inspired it, called Build Back Better, foundered in Congress.

Biden announced the PGII at the 2022 G7 summit with a somewhat scaled down ambition of mobilising $600 billion, by the partner countries over the next five years. He committed $200 billion from the US. A number of projects were announced at the same time in Africa, the Middle East and Europe, making it clear the leaders were putting their words into action.

The Biden administration has also focussed, at the same time, on reforming the multilateral development banks such as the World Bank as an alternative to China's predatory lending under the BRI.

A big part of this move was the appointment of Ajay Banga, an Indian-American, to head the World Bank, Biden administration officials have said. Under his leadership, the Bank is expected to offer itself as another alternative to China's BRI.
New Delhi, Sep 16 : As Italy clearly indicated during the sidelines of the recently concluded G20 Delhi summit, that it plans to quit China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), it reaffirmed the gradually evolving belief, that how economically unfeasible the whole project is proving to be for any of its supporters.

Though it managed to garner a lot of support from many central Asian and even European nations (like Italy), who saw a potential of boosting their trade in Asia through it, India has been a long standing opponent of the project.

The main thrust of India's opposition to BRI has been that the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which is part of the BRI, is a violation of its territorial integrity and sovereignty as it includes land that India claims as its own.

India has also pointed out at the lack of transparency and openness in the initiative.

India has been opposed to the concept of BRI, since it came under actual implementation in 2017.

Chinese President Xi Jinping had first conceptualised it in 2013, and it was projected as an initiative to promote economic growth and partnerships, benefitting all host nations who had signed up for it, while diplomatically it aimed at deepening international cooperation.

Officially, BRI focuses on improving connectivity and cooperation among Asian countries, Africa, China and Europe. It aims to enhance land as well as maritime routes. Several SCO member nations too support the initiative.

However India has always maintained that the CPEC which is a part of BRI, runs through Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and therefore is violative of Indiaas territorial integrity and sovereignty.

In all the joint declarations released after the SCO meetings in the past few years, India has opposed the BRI, even as other member nations have supported it.

The New Delhi Declaration issued after the day-long virtual SCO summit, which was hosted by India in July earlier this year, while reaffirming their support for BRI, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Republic of Uzbekistan noted the ongoing work to implement this project, including efforts to link the construction of the Eurasian Economic Union and BRI.

India however, opposed the initiative.

Apart from territorial concerns, India's trade concerns related to Beijing is another key reason behind itas decision not to join the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the trade deal signed by the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand, a few years ago.
New Delhi, Sep 16 : Italy's withdrawal would deal another blow to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has already been scaled back as recipient countries grapple with debt distress, Chinese banks seek to reduce their exposure to risky loans, and China grapples with mounting domestic economic challenges, writes David Saks in Council for Foreign Relations.

David Sacks is a fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).

European countries are increasingly focused on "de-risking" their economies and will be reluctant to increase their economic dependence on China, making it unlikely that any major economy will soon join the BRI, Saks said.

Italy appears poised to withdraw from the BRI, a reflection of frustrations with the initiative's unmet promises and the country's strategic reassessment of China.

Italy's withdrawal from the Belt and Road Initiative would reflect disappointment with the lack of economic benefits and a more fundamental strategic rethinking of China.

In 2019, during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Rome, Italy shocked the United States and Europe by becoming the first Group of Seven (G7) country to join China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the largest ever global infrastructure undertaking, Saks said.

It is not difficult to see why the BRI enticed Italy. Having suffered through three recessions within a decade, Italy was looking to attract investment and expand Italian exports' access into China's huge market.

At the time, many Italians felt abandoned by Europe, while its populist government was skeptical of the European Union (EU) and more than willing to turn to China to fulfill its investment needs. Italy saw an opportunity to leverage its political weight to sign on to the BRI in hopes of beating out others for Chinese attention and investments.

More fundamentally, Italian withdrawal from the BRI would reflect the growing transatlantic convergence on the challenge China poses, Saks said.

European countries increasingly view China as a rival rather than as a partner or competitor, while President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, recently argued that "the Chinese Communist Party's clear goal is a systemic change of the international order with China at its centre", pointing at the BRI as evidence.

Beijing's support for Russia in its war against Ukraine has led many European governments, including Italy's, to shed their illusions about China.

As it became clear that the BRI would not be an economic panacea, the Italian government began to reassess whether it should continue its membership. For the past year, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has indicated that joining the BRI was a "big mistake" that she intended to correct by withdrawing from the initiative, Saks said.

Meloni cited the lack of benefits that accrued to Italy after joining the BRI, noting that "Italy is the only G7 member that signed up to the accession memorandum to the Silk Road, but it is not the European or Western country with the strongest economic relations and trade flows with China".

Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine and Beijing's alignment with Moscow have also restored geopolitics to a preeminent position and made European countries more skeptical of Beijing's intentions.

Putin's plans to attend Beijing's upcoming Belt and Road Forum have also made clear the geopolitical nature of the BRI. Italy's reversal on the BRI should therefore be seen as driven less by economic considerations and more by the new geopolitical reality facing Europe, Saks said.
Mumbai, Sep 16 : Veteran actor Anupam Kher on Saturday announced the wrap up of shooting for 'Calorie', a film directed by Canadian director Eisha Marjara.

Attired in a turban and sporting the character of an elderly Sikh gentleman, Kher posted a picture of his new avatar with the holy Golden Temple of Amritsar in the backdrop.

In a social media post, he wrote:

"And it is #Wrap for me for #CalorieFilm! Thank you to the wonderful crew from #Canada and #India for your love, warmth, patience and appreciation! It has been a great learning experience to be a part of this wonderful gem of a film! Till we meet again! Jai Ho! #540th #GoldenTemple #JoyOfMovies #Cinema."

This film is Kher's 540th venture, and the shooting took place in Amritsar and Montreal. He had announced the film in an Instagram post on September 6. The story is of a human tragedy, which "tugged" at his heart deeply, Kher said.

"ANNOUNCEMENT: Happy to share that I have started the shoot of my 540th project! #Calorie is an Canadian film directed by critically acclaimed Canadian director #EishaMarjara and produced by #JoeBalass.

"The film is shot in Amritsar and Montreal! The script of this human tragedy tugged at my heart deeply. Some stories need to be told! #Caloriefilm #MagicOfCinema #CompassProductions," he added at the time.

Kher is also set to star in director Vivek Agnihotri's bio-science film 'The Vaccine War', with some other projects in the bag, including Ravi Teja's 'Tiger Nageswara Rao', and 'Emergency'.

'The Vaccine War' tells the story of the development of Covaxin during the Covid-19 pandemic in India. The film will be released in cinemas on September 28.

'Tiger Nageswara Rao' is set to release on October 20. It is directed by Vamsee. He will also be seen in 'The Signature', which also stars Mahima Chaudhry and Annu Kapoor.

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
New Delhi, Sep 16 : The Delhi High Court has quashed an FIR filed by a man against his sister and mother for alleged document falsification related to a family dispute. The court also directed the girl, who recently graduated in law from Punjab University, to provide her assistance to the Delhi High Court Legal Services Committee (DHCLSC) for one month.

Justice Saurabh Banerjee ordered the quashing of the FIR, registered in 2019 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, after the woman and her mother reached a settlement with the brother on July 25.

Given the woman's legal education, the court recognised the potential benefits of utilising her services for the DHCLSC and ordered her to assist the committee for one month, starting from November 1 to November 30.

The court said that a copy of the order be sent to the Member Secretary of the DHCLSC.

The man confirmed the family settlement, and expressed his voluntary resolution of all disputes with his mother and sister. He said that he did not wish to pursue the criminal case, with no objection to the FIR's quashing.

The woman, who had relocated to Punjab, expressed her willingness to return to Delhi to offer her legal services in any capacity.

The brother also affirmed his support and cooperation during her stay in the national capital.

In light of these developments, the court appreciated the efforts of the woman and allowed the petition, thereby quashing the FIR and all related proceedings stemming from it.
Nidadavolu : , Sep 16 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged on Saturday that TDP President and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was the kingpin in the Rs 371 crore skill development 'scam' as he affirmed that no one is above the law.

Reddy said that Naidu, "who led all his political life exploiting the people", can't escape the long arm of law as he was caught red-handed in the scam.

The Chief Minister was addressing a public meeting in this town at Nidadavolu in East Godavari district.

This was the first reaction by Reddy since Naidu's arrest by the CID on September 9 in the alleged skill development scam

He also found fault with "pro-TDP media blindly supporting him" and warned that no one is above the law.

"The gang of four, which has a share in the spoils, is unable to digest his (Naidu's) arrest and hence trying to project him as a clean politician through malicious and false propaganda. The law is same for whoever indulges in backstabbing, cheating people and misappropriation of public funds, including Naidu," he said, adding that no one might have told this to the TDP leader all these years.

Reddy alleged that the former Chief Minister went scot-free in the audio tapes scandal that surrounded the MLC elections in Telangana.

"Instead of questioning Naidu as to where did the Rs 371 crore go, TDP-friendly media has been supporting him as they were also partners in the scam. Based on evidence, officials' note files and the primary investigation carried out by central agencies like the ED, it was established that Naidu played the main role in the scam," he alleged.

The Chief Minister also said that even the company Siemens made it clear that it had nothing to do with the fake agreement or MoU and that it did not receive any amount from the government.

Despite the objections of the officials, Naidu released the amount to shell companies, sharing it among himself and his conduits, Reddy alleged.

"All these years, his friendly media tried to cover up his crimes while Naidu tried to manage the institutions, but not any longer," he said.

Reddy also slammed Jana Sena Party President and actor Pawan Kalyan over his meeting with Naidu in jail.

Describing the coming elections as 'Kurukshetra', he said that justice will win as he asked people to stand by the YSRCP and make it victorious if they believe that they received welfare benefits.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday that the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel remains "difficult," and that any agreement between the two should address issues with Palestine.

The secretary gave those remarks in response to a question from a press conference attended also by visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at the State Department.

"Even as we are working on this," Blinken said, referring to a potential agreement that would normalize the historically fraught ties between Riyadh and Tel Aviv, "it remains a difficult proposition."

"The specifics of any agreement in terms of what the different parties are looking for are challenging," he said.

A future Saudi-Israeli deal "would not be a substitute for Israel and the Palestinians also resolving their difference," Blinken said, adding that the United States still encourages the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority to move toward and ultimately achieve a two-state solution.

"Any agreement that might be reached between Israel and Saudi Arabia when it comes to normalization would need to include a significant component for the Palestinians," he said, stressing that he made the stance clear in his conversations with the Saudi leadership.

The Biden administration has sought to broker the normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Both countries, however, have done things that upset Washington since U.S. President Joe Biden took office.

For example, Israeli Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu is determined to push ahead with a controversial judicial overhaul despite U.S. concerns. And the Saudi authorities have slashed oil production along with its OPEC partners against U.S. wishes.

These and other contexts prompted a question at the press conference about whether it is worth it for the United States to mediate a rapprochement between two of the most powerful yet mutually antagonistic nations in the Middle East.

Calling the normalization a "transformative event in the Middle East and well beyond," Blinken said, "the benefit that would accrue, were we able to achieve it, would certainly be worth the effort."

He said that the Biden administration also expects "progress on a number of issues in a number of areas that clearly are" in the interests of the United States. 
New Delhi, Sep 16 : In preparation for the Lok Sabha elections scheduled for the next year, both the BJP and the Congress had already begun strengthening their camps several months ago. However, the special session of Parliament starting on Monday is expected to be of significant strategic importance for both the alliances.

During the special session of Parliament, the government's focus, particularly, will be on the parties involved in the INDIA bloc, which the BJP called 'ghamandiya', 'adharmi' and 'INDI alliance'.

The government will closely examine how much consensus exists between these parties in both Houses of Parliament and how much coordination has been established at the level of leaders amid the claims made by them.

Many senior leaders of the BJP constantly assert that the opposition alliance is riddled with contradictions. The alliance includes the Congress, which is contesting against the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi and Punjab, fighting against the Left parties in Kerala, fiercely opposing Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal, with similar situations in many other states. Every leader in the grouping aspires to become the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, the government has clarified its agenda for the special session of Parliament.

During the upcoming special session, discussions will revolve around the achievements, memories, and experiences of 75 years of Independence -- from the Constituent Assembly to the present day.

Along with this, the government has also made it clear that during this five-day session, discussions will also take place on the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill 2023, the Post Office Bill 2023, the Advocates (Amendment) Bill 2023, and the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill 2023.

During the last three days of this special session, which will run from September 18 to 22, the government will make efforts to present and pass these bills in both Houses of Parliament after discussions.

To build consensus on the agenda of the parliamentary session, the government has called an all-party meeting on Sunday at 4.30 p.m. in the Parliament complex.

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has invited the floor leaders of all the political parties in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha to this all-party meeting.

Although the possibility of a unanimous agreement in the all-party meeting is very dim considering the government's agenda and the stance of the opposition parties during the proceedings of both the Houses, the government's focus will be more on whether these parties unite and corner the government on a single issue or if all parties remain limited to their respective issues.
Chandigarh, Sep 16 : The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed on Saturday that the alliance between Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already been finalised in Punjab and they "are just waiting for a more suitable time to announce it".

AAP termed this 'alliance' as "unholy", saying that on one hand there "is a party responsible for the deaths of 750 farmers, and on the other hand there is a party which protected people responsible for sacrilege in Punjab".

Addressing the media here, AAP chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang claimed that former Union minister and wife of SAD chief Sukhbir Badal, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, initiated efforts to make the alliance possible and 15 days ago a meeting was held in Delhi where leaders of both parties were present to discuss terms.

According to Kang, the terms of the alliance have already been decided where the BJP "does not want SAD chief Sukhbir Badal and his brother-in-law Bikram Majithia to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections".

He said the BJP "knows the obvious dislike the people of Punjab have for these two leaders".

Kang added that under the table and behind the curtain, SAD and BJP were always one and never parted their ways.

He said during the farmers' protest, the Akali Dal only did 'drama' of breaking the alliance with the BJP to mislead the people.

"But the people of Punjab already hate both the parties and their alliance will only make people dislike them even more," Kang said.

He said SAD and BJP "are a team but they are not announcing it to the public yet because they are scared of the ire that they will face from the people of Punjab".

Kang also raised a few questions for the Akali Dal the answers of which the people would want to know -- Did SAD forgive the BJP for the deaths of 750 farmers? SAD says the BJP interferes in Sikh matters through Haryana and Delhi Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, did that stop now? And what about the Padma Vibhushan that late Parkash Singh Badal returned to show support to farmers' protest, will the Badal family accept that again?

Kang also questioned Harsimrat Kaur who signed the three farm laws at a Cabinet meeting of the BJP-led Central government.

He said the minutes of that Cabinet meeting were never made public because behind the curtain these two parties were always on each other's side.

Kang said this is an "unholy alliance that the people will never accept, but SAD has no ground left in Punjab and that is why it is trying to forge this alliance for a long time now".

The BJP remained SAD's ally for almost 25 years until 2020, when the Akalis broke away as a mark of protest against the now repealed three farm laws.

The BJP and the Akali Dal contested five consecutive Lok Sabha elections together in Punjab till 2019. The Akali Dal used to contest 10 seats, and the BJP on three out of the 13.

The SAD-BJP formed coalition government thrice in the state -- in 1997, 2007 and 2012.

Both parties contested the 2022 Punjab elections separately. The Akali Dal won three seats, down from 15 it had won in 2017, while the BJP won two seats.
Two held for robbing man of Rs 1 crore at gunpoint in Delhi. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Sep 16 : Delhi Police have arrested two men in connection with the Rs 1 crore robbery at gunpoint by bike-borne assailants in the national capital, the police said on Saturday.

The accused have been identified as Vikki and Monty a.k.a Pritam Kumar. The police have also recovered Rs 15 lakh, one country-made pistol along with three bullets, and one motorcycle used in the commission of the crime from the possession of the duo.

The complainant, Suresh, a resident of Moti Nagar, had told the police that on Wednesday, a person named Kamlesh Shah gave him two bags containing Rs 1 crore to be delivered in Chandni Chowk.

At about 3.30 p.m., Suresh, along with Rakesh, was going to Chandni Chowk in an auto rickshaw.

"When they reached near Metro Pillar No. 147 on Veer Banda Bairagi Marg, four persons intercepted them on two motorcycles, and robbed them of their two bags containing the money at gunpoint before fleeing towards the Pratap Nagar Metro station," Deputy Commissioner of Police, North, Sagar Singh Kalsi, said.

During investigation, the police teams scanned footage from around 200 CCTV cameras to track the potential routes taken by the miscreants.

"The police successfully traced the registration number of one motorcycle, while for another, they had to use permutations and combinations to reconstruct the missing three digits of the number plate," said the DCP.

"The police then carried out multiple inter-state raids in different locations, including Jahangirpuri, Moti Nagar, Sonipat, Karnal, Ambala, Baghpat, and Haridwar. Finally, they apprehended the two suspects, Vikki and Monty," said the DCP.

"Efforts are on to apprehend the remaining suspects and recover the stolen money," the DCP said.
Kolkata, Sep 16 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the 2022 blast at Beldanga in Murshidabad district of West Bengal has now included provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in the matter.

An NIA counsel informed a special court in Kolkata that the materials recovered from the blast site included some items that are used in grenades used by the security forces of the country.

The NIA counsel made an appeal that those arrested in connection with the blast should be denied bail, and bails of those already released should be cancelled.

The court approved NIAas plea for inclusion of provisions under the UAPA in the matter. It is learnt that the appeal for including UAPA provisions was made by the NIA citing the findings of the forensic laboratory regarding the specimens collected from the blast spot.

The explosion took place on January 17, 2022 at a pump-room in Rameshwarpur village under Beldanga police station. The impact of the blast was so much that the entire room was blown up. The body of Yiasuddin Sheikh a.k.a. Chadi Sheikh was recovered from the spot. Local people alleged that the pump-room was used as a hub for manufacturing bombs.

The probe was handed over to the NIA in October last year.
New Delhi, Sep 16 : Ashoka University co-founder and trustee, Sanjeev Bikhchandani may want to reflect on this proposition that andolans are constitutive of the human species, says Peter Ronald deSouza, former director of the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, in an article in a daily newspaper.

"So don't knock andolans. Broaden the conception. Andolans have given us poetry and music and art and philosophy. Parents should, in fact, send their children to Ashoka to 'do andolan'. The more andolanjeevis Ashoka produces, the greater will be its legacy," he said referring to Bikhchandani's recent post on Ashoka University.

"Whatever may be the motivations of parents, his understanding of the role of andolans in human history is very narrow, if not primitive. His public statements only show the arrogance of an owner and not that of a trustee," the article said.

"Common to both in a liberal arts university is the absolute commitment to academic freedom, to the right to argue a viewpoint and to have it challenged peacefully. This commitment, unfortunately, was abandoned in the case of Sabyasachi Das," the article said.

"Although Bikhchandani said of Ashoka, in a Financial Times (FT) interview on March 8, 2018, that, 'It's about building a better democracy. You need people who are willing to question powera' Yet when Das questioned power he was thrown under a bus. Sadly, of the reputed scholars at Ashoka, only Pulapre Balakrishnan resigned in protest," deSouza wrote.

"Ashoka allowed interference by external authority in that minimum area. IIM-A, Bikhchandani's alma mater, some months ago denied the Ministry of Education's request to withdraw a PhD thesis considered objectionable by the regime saying it was not for the Ministry to ask. Another university that Bikhchandani mentions in his FT interview, Cambridge, defended a PhD student who gave a talk on slavery and was threatened with a legal case by a former MP whose family was mentioned as being part of the slave trade. The former MP backed down. Two institutions stood for academic freedom. One did not," deSouza said.
Hyderabad, Sep 16 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim that no one has intruded into Indian territory has encouraged China to maintain its stubborn position of not retreating an inch, said the Congress party on Saturday.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), which met here, voiced its concern about security challenges in Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir, and the Chinese challenge on northern borders.

Briefing mediapersons on the deliberations on the draft resolution, former Union Minister P. Chidambaram said the Chinese were standing firm in Opposition despite numerous talks at various levels.

"The Prime Minister's statement at the all party meeting on June 19, 2020 that there is no foreign troop on Indian territory and that nobody intruded encouraged China to continue its stubborn position of not retreating an inch," he said.

"What happened to the brave words of status quo ante. Nobody speaks about status quo ante. Remember, the first few days India's demand was status quo ante. Does anyone speak about it today? On the contrary, status quo ante is being changed every day, every month to our detriment.

"More buffer zones are being created on erstwhile Indian held territory. What does that mean? It means we are losing our territory and Chinese commanding or holding that territory," he said.

The CWC feels that the situation in both Manipur and Jammu & Kashmir is far from normal.

"Manipur has been burning since May 5. It has been burning for the last 157 days but the Prime Minister found no time to visit the state," he said.

The Congress leader pointed out that when the case relating to repeal of Article 370 was being heard by the Supreme Court, the government stated in the affidavit that Jammu and Kashmir returned to normalcy.

"What we see is far from normalcy," he said referring to the killing of a Colonel, a Major, Deputy SP and rifleman by the terrorists.

The party noted while this was happening in Kashmir, the Prime Minister and the BJP were celebrating the success of the G20 summit.
New Delhi, Sep 16 : The Indian Air Force (IAF) has said that it would procure 100 indigenous LCA Mark 1A fighter jets equipped with the latest technology.

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said this while receiving the first C-295 military transport aircraft in Spain.

According to Chaudhari, LCA will be replacing the aging MiG-series fleet which includes the MiG-21, MiG-23, and MiG-27 aircraft.

In a statement, Chaudhari said "it was imperative that we bolster our inventory with LCA class aircraft. IAF is advocating for the acquisition of around 100 more LCA class aircraft".

A proposal has been formally submitted to the Defence Ministry and other national security stakeholders, the IAF official added.

The decision to procure approximately 100 more LCA Tejas fighters came after several review meetings.

In next 15 years, the IAF is expected to have 40 LCA Tejas, more than 180 LCA Mark-1A, and 120 LCA Mark-2 aircraft in its inventory, the official added.

On Friday, Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for nine capital acquisition proposals of approximately Rs 45,000 crore, the Ministry of Defence said.

The AoN for procurement of 12 Sukhoi-30 MKI Aircraft with associated equipment from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) was also accorded.

The DAC also accorded AoN for proposals of the Indian Air Force, which included avionic upgradation of Dornier aircraft to improve the accuracy and reliability for operations.

The procurement of Dhruvastra Short Range Air-to-Surface Missile as a potent Indigenous Precision Guided Weapon for indigenously built ALH Mk-IV Helicopters has been cleared by the DAC, an official said.

According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), to enhance protection, mobility, attack capability and increased survivability of Mechanised Forces, the DAC accorded the AoN for procurement of Light Armoured Multipurpose Vehicles (LAMV) and Integrated Surveillance and Targeting System (ISAT-S).

The Defence Ministry said that the DAC cleared AoN for procurement of High Mobility Vehicle (HMV) Gun Towing Vehicles for swift mobilisation and deployment of Artillery Guns and radars.

The DAC also approved procurement of Next Generation Survey Vessels for the Indian Navy which will greatly enhance its capabilities in performing Hydrographic Operations, the official added.

The DAC meeting was held under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on September 15.
New Delhi, Sep 16 : In the alleged sexual harassment case lodged against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Delhi police told a court here on Saturday that he was not exonerated by the oversight committee constituted by the government to investigate the allegations levelled against him.

On Saturday, both Singh and former WFI Assistant Secretary Vinod Tomar were present at the court.

The police made the submission before Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjeet Singh Jaspal of Rouse Avenue Court.

"Singh was not exonerated by the oversight committee. The committee had given recommendations, and not a decision. Nowhere has it been stated that these allegations are not substantiated or are false," special public prosecutor Atul Srivastava told the court.

He also urged the court to frame the charges against Singh, stating that even a mere gesture can constitute a crime under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). During the last hearing also, the complainant women wrestlers had said that that the allegations they have levelled against him warrant framing of charges.

The has posted the matter for next hearing on September 23.

On September 1, the counsel for the wrestlers had argued that Singh and Tomar were never exonerated by the oversight committee, adding that the panel -- headed by ace boxer M.C. Mary Kom -- was an "eyewash to assuage sentiments".

Senior advocate Rebecca John, appearing for the wrestlers, had said: "The allegations in the FIR culminating in the charge sheet of which your honour has taken cognisance are of a nature that necessitates the framing of charges against the accused persons."

She had also claimed that the oversight committee was not constituted as per the rules of the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Act.

"The committee's report needs to be junked. It was an eyewash to assuage the sentiments," she had contended.

As the complainants concluded their arguments and placed on record the Supreme Court judgements, it was claimed that the committee has made only generic recommendations without any findings in the matter.

On August 11, Delhi Police had told the court that they possessed sufficient evidence to proceed with the trial against Singh.ACMM Jaspal was informed by the police that there is a clear case against Singh and co-accused Tomar.
Chennai, Sep 16 : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has urged the auditors to embrace technology and also educate smaller companies to grow.

The Union Minister said this while addressing the 90th anniversary celebrations of the Society of Auditors here on Saturday.

She said that the next 25 years are critical for India to achieve the 'developed nation' status, adding the country has progressed in many levels in the last 20-25 years.

Sitharaman said that the practices of Chartered Accountants were going through a lot of changes globally.

She added that even some of those who were sitting in the audience had started feeling the change.

The Union Minister said that the examinations for Chartered Accountancy will be of a different format from July 2024 onwards.

The minister said that in the next 25 years, India has a window to become a developed nation and called upon professionals, including Chartered Accountants, to not only focus on their profession but also to serve the nation in the best possible ways.
Mumbai, Sep 16 : The gang leaders and Sonu Sood at MTV 'Roadies' tested the loyalties of the new gang members, after Sonu Sood dissolved the old gangs, in the last task. Now, Sonu Sood announces the new vote-outs, bringing forth a new turn in old friendships.

The last episode saw the members from all three gangs participating in a Kendo battle, which was titled 'Khoon Bhari Gang'.

The end result was a very close shave between Joginder from the Gautam gang and Rishabh from the Rhea gang. The latter was able to beat out his competition by a very narrow margin, making him the victor, putting Rhea's gang in the lead as they earned three immunities, meaning that most of Rhea's gang is now immune to a vote-out for three turns.

The development brought to life the true colours of the switched contestants and saw a new problem come, testing the loyalty of contestants with their new gangs, while assessing whether they were still stuck in the past, with the memories of their old gangs.

Due to high adversity and rivalry in the face of old friends, stress has now spread like wildfire through campsite, with Priyanka, now part of the Prince gang, calling Rishabh a 'crybaby' because of him complaining during the task with Rishabh defending himself, with the whole scenario escalating into a huge fight.

Piyu and Pallavi who were earlier in the same gang and the best of friends also end up getting dragged into a heated argument, with gang leader Prince confronting Vashu, who broke his promise of being team player for his new gang.

All in all, thanks to the gang dissolution, the entire game has now turned upside down on its head, flipping over like a chess board with old friendships taking a bitter turn, and the old alliances being rendered redundant.

Now, all the 'Roadies' contestants have reached the vote-out grounds, where Sonu Sood ends up shocking everyone by announcing that there are now going to be five vote-outs this time, leaving everyone worried including the leaders.

The Karm-maker of the show, Sonu Sood often ends up with his own devices, only to reveal his machinations at the last moment, catching everyone unaware during their worst time.

As such, the value of immunities which was considerable to begin with, has increased even more, with one immunity amounting to over 3000 Roadiums.

This revelation is a shock to everyone, and Gautam, lamenting the new change, said: "Paanch Roadies yaar guys (5 Roadies, come on guys). I wish I had some more Roadiums."

But that is not the end-all-be-all of it as things are getting only more interesting, because now every Roadie will have to cast two votes, each of which must be from different gangs.

These votes reveal who is loyal to their gang and who is not, all of this being part of the new loyalty test. With hushed conversations, whispers packing discretion regarding alliances, Rhea ends up denying any new alliance, affirming by saying "Koi alliance nahi hai".

The five contestants with the most votes will be eliminated, with the one contestant possessing the highest votes packing their bags. Shocked at the end result, Rhea asked Sonu Sood, "Itne saare logo ko ek saath nikalna zaruri hai kya?" (Is it really necessary to eliminate so many people at once?)

Hearing her plea, Sonu Sood ends up giving an ultimatum, either save one member each with 2000 Roadiums, or go home.

'MTV Roadies - Karm ya Kaand' airs on Saturday and Sunday on MTV and Jio Cinema right after.
New Delhi:

Bakhla Tours broke their own records by making Umrah accessible to more than 10,000 pilgrims last year. We spoke to some of the pilgrims who told us how, this year the services were more technologically advanced, safer and easier to access than before. Bringing Bakhla Tours to the forefront of this industry and making them the Hajj and Umrah travel industry leader.

Bakhla Tours is one of the leading players in this industry, serving pilgrims for over three decades. They have always been at the forefront of adopting new technologies and practices to provide the best services and facilities to their customers, keeping in pace with the Saudi Government to provide the experience of A Better Pilgrimage which they promise by making it their slogan. Whether it is online booking, digital payments, or the use of smart tech to enable the most seamless experience a pilgrim could hope for, they have embraced the latest trends and tools made possible by the increasing assistance that the Saudi Govt is aspiring to provide to the pilgrims.

Hajj and Umrah are two of the most essential and sacred pilgrimages for Muslims worldwide. Their History and Procedures are undebatable. They are not only acts of worship but also opportunities to experience Islams history, culture and spirituality. The first Hajj was performed by Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) and his son Ismail (A.S) as an act of obedience to Allah. They built the Kaaba as Allahs first house of worship and invited people to perform Hajj. Since then these pilgrimages and their industry have been evolving constantly.

Just like the pilgrimages, Saudi Arabia has undergone a remarkable transformation over the years, from traditional methods of organizing and performing sacred rituals to modern and innovative ways of enhancing the pilgrims experience. Key players like Bakhla Tours have also evolved this tourism and travel industry to meet the changing needs and expectations of millions of Muslims who visit the holy sites every year.

Bakhla Tours is a Leader in Providing Quality Services for Hajj and Umrah Pilgrimages. It is not just a travel agency, but a partner and a guide to the pilgrims, availing them of the latest amenities and up-to-date services for people who seek to fulfil their spiritual obligations and aspirations. The company is committed to delivering excellence, innovation, and satisfaction to its customers and making their Hajj and Umrah Packages memorable and even more rewarding.

What is Bakhla Tours and Travels aim for the Future?



Bakhla Tours vision is aligned with the Saudi governments Vision 2030, which aims to diversify the economy, increase tourism, and improve the quality of life in the kingdom. They share similar goals of enhancing the religious tourism sector and contributing to the social and cultural development of the Muslim Pilgrimages. This company has a clear plan to achieve its vision, which includes expanding its network, offering more innovative and diverse services and products for Hajj and Umrah Package travellers, and improving its customer service and experience while inspiring other industry stakeholders to level up. It also aims to expand its network of customers across different regions and countries, making it a truly world-class service. Another way that Bakhla Tours and Travels has also been making the pilgrimages better is by ensuring the quality and safety of its accommodation, transportation and food options. It has partnered with reputable hotels, airlines and restaurants that consistently offer high service standards, hygiene and comfort. It also has a team of trained and qualified staff who are ready to assist its customers at any time in each city during their holy visit. Behind these innovative ideas are the intentions and goodwill of Mr. Moazzam Bakhla, the visionary and responsible leader of the company, who believes he must provide the best experience for his clients.

Who is Mouazam Bakhla?

A visionary entrepreneur who has a passion for serving the Muslim community. He started his career as a Hajj and Umrah group leader, where he learned the ins and outs of the industry. Just like his father, who founded Bakhla Tours and Travels, intends to provide quality, affordable and customized solutions for Hajj and Umrah travellers, he has been walking in his fathers footsteps to carve out his new routes to success and revolution. Since then, he has unstoppably grown his business into one of Indias most trusted and reputable Muslim pilgrimage agencies, with hundreds of thousands of satisfied customers.

Mr. Bakhla believes that these Pilgrimages are not just journeys but life-changing experiences that should be memorable, comfortable and affordable and should be made accessible to everyone. He says, Our mission is to provide our customers with the best amenities, facilities, guidance and tech during their Hajj and Umrah Packages. We want them to focus on their spiritual goals and leave the rest to us. Whether it is their comfort or safety, we aim to be there for every eventuality of their religious journey.

The Saudi government and Crowned Prince Mohammed bin Salmans work:

The Saudi government has worked hard to improve the Hajj and Umrah industry and make the pilgrimages better for millions who come every year from all over the world. The changes between Hajj and Umrah since the beginning of Islam and today show efforts that reflect their commitment, responsibility and devotion to serve the guests of Allah and uphold the values and principles of Islam, with the advent of modern transportation, communication and infrastructure. Muslims from all over the world can now access Makkah more easily and comfortably.

Initially, Hajj was performed in a simple and primitive way, relying on camels, tents, wells, and natural landmarks. The number of pilgrims since has been limited by the capacity of the city and the availability of resources. But thanks to The Saudi government investing billions of dollars in expanding and improving the facilities and services for the pilgrims such as hotels, roads, trains, airports, hospitals, guidance and security systems for the pilgrims. Expanding the capacity and facilities of the Grand Mosque with electronic bracelets, GPS tracking, mobile apps and buses. We encourage our pilgrims to make use of all the great services and opportunities being offered by the Saudi Arabian Govt. They are really promoting a positive and in-trend image of Saudi Arabia and Islam. says Mouazam Bakhla.

A glimpse into the changes:

Expanded capacities and facilities of the Grand Mosque and the surrounding areas to accommodate more worshippers and reduce congestion.

Developed a smart system to manage the movement and transportation of pilgrims using electronic bracelets, GPS tracking, mobile apps, and buses.

Supporting the economic and social development of Makkah and Madina by creating more jobs, improving infrastructure, and preserving the cultural heritage of the cities.

Promoting a positive image of Islam and Saudi Arabia by hosting international conferences, media events, and cultural festivals and facilitating dialogue and cooperation with other countries and organizations.

How has Bakhla Tours and Travels implemented its tech to advance?

One of the ways that it has been improving the industry is by advancing with the modern tech world and making its services tech-friendly. For instance, it has developed a user-friendly digital platform that allows its customers to view their packages, compare prices, book their tours, and track them by getting updates on their itinerary, communicating with their team, and more.

It also provides useful information on the rituals, rules and tips for successfully performing Hajj and Umrah. Moreover, it has integrated its systems with online payment platforms, digital verification tools, and other technologies that enhance its efficiency, security and convenience. Their social presence also speaks a lot about them. Their social profiles are updated with new info, and they promptly reply to customer queries. They have a safe QR code system for each of their staff members, with which it will become extremely easy for their customers to save numbers without the risk of being spammed by outsiders.

Bakhla Tours and Travels is a travel agency and a social enterprise that strives to impact society positively. It supports various charitable causes and initiatives to help people experiencing poverty, people in need and the environment. It also organizes educational programs and seminars that raise awareness of the importance, benefits, and best ways to perform Hajj and Umrah.

Bakhla Tours and Travels is committed to improving the Hajj and Umrah industry and making pilgrimages better for its customers. It welcomes feedback and suggestions from its clients to enhance its services and products and pays great attention, always hoping to better themselves and their services. It hopes to continue serving the Muslim community with excellence, professionalism and compassion.


San Francisco, Sep 16 : Google co-founder Sergey Brin quietly divorced Nicole Shanahan, an attorney and entrepreneur, over rumours that Shanahan was engaged in a romantic relationship with Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.

Court documents accessed by Page Six revealed that Brin finalised his divorce from estranged wife Shanahan after she was accused of -- and denied -- having an affair with Musk.

Court documents confirmed that the divorce of the couple was officially concluded on May 26.

They will now share both legal and physical custody of their four-year-old daughter.

Both have vehemently denied any infidelity. Musk even took to Twitter (now X) to express his disbelief, asserting that he and Shanahan were friends.

"This is total bs. Sergey and I are friends and were at a party together last night," he had tweeted.

"I've only seen Nicole twice in three years, both times with many other people around. Nothing romantic," Musk had added.

Shanahan also denied any romantic involvement with Musk.

"Did Elon and I have sex, like it was a moment of passion, and then it was over? No," Shanahan had claimed.

Brin, 50, filed for divorce from Shanahan, 34, on January 6, 2022, after three years of marriage, citing "irreconcilable differences".
Why no funds for Telangana, BRS asks Amit Shah . Image Source: IANS News

Hyderabad, Sep 16 : The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has put up posters in Hyderabad on the eve of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to the city, targeting the Centre for not releasing any funds to Telangana for celebrating National Integration Day.

"Modi Sarkar gives 300 crore for 60 years of Goa Liberation Day. 0 for Telangana National Integration Day," reads the poster.

"Amit Shah jim on Sep 17, Can you announce it for Telangana too?" it asked.

The posters have been put up at Secunderabad Parade Ground where Amit Shah will be attending the Telangana Liberation Day programme on Sunday.

The Centre is organising official celebrations for a second consecutive year.

Amit Shah will review a parade by the armed forces and will address the gathering.

It was on September 17, 1948 that erstwhile Hyderabad State was merged with the Indian Union.

BJP celebrates it as Telangana Liberation Day while BRS and other parties are celebrating it as national integration or unity day.
Hyderabad, Sep 16 : The Congress on Saturday made it clear that it is not getting drawn into any controversy over Sanatan Dharma remarks.

The party made its stand clear during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting which began here on Saturday.

CWC member and former Union Minister P. Chidambaram told media persons that there was no discussion on Sanatan Dharma at the meeting and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge made it absolutely clear that the Congress is not willing to be drawn into any controversy on it.

"We believe in equal respect for all religions and we stand by that position. That has been the consistent position of the Congress for many decades. We are not getting drawn into any controversy on that," Chidamabram said.

He was asked about the controversy created by the remarks of DMK leader and Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin.

"I am not speaking for DMK but I can tell you what DMK has said. The DMK has said that they are not opposed to any religion. They are opposed to caste oppression and caste hierarchy and all that goes with caste hierarchy; suppression of women, oppression of Dalits and as you all know the impediments placed on the so-called lower castes by the caste hierarchy. The DMK has explained that it is in that context they mentioned Sanatan Dharma," he said.

He termed 'one nation one election' an assault on the Constitution and said the Congress rejects the idea.

"It's an attack on federalism. It will require at least 5 Constitutional amendments. The BJP knows it does not have the numbers to pass these Constitutional amendments. Yet, it puts forward a mirage of one nation one election. It is only to divert attention from pressing issues and to create a false narrative," he said.

On the upcoming special session of Parliament, he said the chairperson of Congress Parliamentary Party Sonia Gandhi has written a letter to the Prime Minister listing nine items which should be discussed in the special session.

"We have not got a reply so far. If any of those issues are included, we will be happy and we will certainly participate in the debate," he said.

Chidambaram wondered what is the agenda without these nine items.

"The only agenda that attracted my attention was a bill to amend the chief election commissioner and election commissioners' appointment Act which is actually destroying the independence of the Election Commission."

Stating that the bill will reduce the status of Chief Election Commissioner and election commissioners and undermine independence of the Election Commission, he said the Congress party will oppose it.

To another query, he said there were requests from members of CWC that there should be Bharat Jodo Yatra from India's east to west.

"That matter is under consideration," he added.

He also stated that every member who spoke at CWC supported the INDIA alliance and suggested that 'we should take it forward and strengthen the alliance'.

"One or two members said seat arrangements should be concluded as early as possible... finalising seat arrangements is not a matter for the CWC. It is the matter for the 14-member executive committee of INDIA alliance and I am sure they are focusing on the responsibility and they will address that task."

He termed as 'fake controversy' the proposal to change India to Bharat.

"These are fake controversies. The Constitution makers were far more intelligent and wise than any one of us living today. Ambedkar and his compatriots said India that is Bharat. We believe India is Bharat," he said.
Hyderabad, Sep 16 : On the first day of the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the grand old party brought a condolence resolution on the demise of former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, the violence in Manipur and the natural calamity in Himachal Pradesh.

In its condolence resolution on Chandy, at the first meeting of the newly reconstituted CWC here, the party said: "The CWC expresses its deep sorrow and grief at the sad demise of Oommen Chandy, former Chief Minister of Kerala, on July 18, 2023 at the age of 79."

Hailing the veteran party leader, the resolution read: "He was a towering stalwart who represented Puthupally constituency for over 53 years until his death, making him the longest serving member of the Kerala Legislature Assembly."

It also said that Chandy was a benevolent mass leader and distinguished administrator who devoted his whole life to the service of the people.

"The large mass of people who turned up for his funeral demonstrated his remarkable connect with the people he served. He will always be remembered for his contributions to the Indian National Congress and the state of Kerala," it said.

It also said that during his long and distinguished political career, he was the Chief Minister of Kerala from 2004 to 2006 and 2011 to 2016, the Leader of the Opposition from 2006 to 2011, and served as a minister in governments led by K. Karunakaran and A.K. Antony, handling the portfolios of Labour, Finance and Home.

Also, he was serving as the General Secretary of AICC at the time of his demise.

"The CWC conveys its heartfelt condolences to his family members, supporters and his well-wishers all over the country and across the world," the resolution read.

In its condolence resolution for ongoing ethnic violence in the northeastern state, it expressed its profound sense of loss and anguish at the ongoing situation of ethnic violence in Manipur.

It said that the people of Manipur have witnessed extreme devastation and are facing innumerable hardships.

"More than 200 lives have been lost, over 500 injured and more than 5,000 houses gutted in arson-related incidents. A staggering number of over 60,000 people are displaced and continue to live in dire conditions in relief camps across the state," it said, adding that schools and colleges were closed for nearly three months adversely affecting the education and learning of children and youth in Manipur.

It also highlighted that the lives and livelihoods of a vast majority of the state across communities are at peril.

The CWC conveys its heartfelt condolences and stands firmly with the bereaved families and people of Manipur, and resolves that the Congress party will take all possible measures to support their rehabilitation, it said.

In its resolution for Himachal Pradesh, the CWC expressed its deepest condolences and extends its solidarity to the people of the hill state on the untimely loss of innocent lives due to unprecedented rain and devastating floods and landslides.

It said that about 430 people have died, 39 are missing, a large number of farmers have lost their crops, at least 12,00 homes have been destroyed and the state has suffered huge losses in terms of destruction of property and critical infrastructure.

The total estimated loss to the state is more than Rs 13,000 crore.

"The CWC resolves that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh is fully committed to rebuild the state and compensate the people for their loss. The CWC also deeply appreciates the volunteers of the Congress party for their active involvement in the relief and rescue measures," it said.

"Considering the magnitude and quantum of loss to the people of Himachal Pradesh, the CWC appeals to the Government of India to set aside politics and declare it as a national disaster, and provide financial assistance to the state to rebuild its infrastructure and to ensure necessary and adequate assistance to the people of Himachal Pradesh," it added.

The two-day CWC meeting, party's highest decision making body is currently underway here.
New Delhi, Sep 16 : The Delhi High Court has said that an accused has the right to be released on default bail when the prosecution files a preliminary or incomplete chargesheet within the statutory period.

Justice Amit Sharma said that this right is grounded in Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the fundamental right to personal life and liberty.

In the case in question, the accused faced charges related to murder and violations of the Arms Act. Although the chargesheet was filed within the prescribed period, the accused argued that it was incomplete due to the absence of certain documents.

The sessions court had rejected the accused's application for default bail, stating that the right to statutory bail had been defeated because a complete chargesheet had already been filed.

The trial court had said that the remaining investigation depended on external factors, such as reports from external agencies.

However, the High Court disagreed, asserting that the investigation related to the accused was complete when the first chargesheet was filed. The court also noted that even after the filing of the chargesheet, further investigation can continue under Section 173(8) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The court clarified that its ruling only pertained to the issue of default bail and did not offer an opinion on the merits of the case. It granted the accused the liberty to approach the trial court for bail on merit.
New Delhi/Agartala, Sep 16 : Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi and discussed air, road and air connectivity with Bangladesh.

Officials said that the Chief Minister apprised the Prime Minister about the various ongoing development works and future plans in Tripuraand discussed proposed international flightconnectivitybetween the state and Bangladesh, Agartala-Akhaurarail link project, Bharat-Bangla Maitri Setu and highway infrastructure.

During the meeting, Saha also conveyed his gratitude to Modi for his continuous support and guidance towards the development of Tripura.

They held discussions on a range of topics, including economic development, investment opportunities, agriculture, healthcare, and environmental conservation, the officials said.

The Chief Minister apprised the Prime Minister that theTripura government has taken several initiatives to encourage investment in the stateas industrial sector.

He also told the Prime Minister that investors from various parts of the country are showing keen interest in investing in Tripura, as the present state government has created an industry-friendly atmosphere.

The Chief Minister also greeted the Prime Minister for successfully holding the G20 Summit and took his guidance for the overall development of the state.

Saha conveyed advance birthday greetings to the Prime Minister who will turn 73 on Sunday.
New Delhi, Sep 16 : A man was stabbed to death while his wife received injuries after a group of individuals attacked them inside their house in southeast Delhi, officials on Saturday, adding that three accused have been arrested and a juvenile detained in connection.

The deceased was identified as Arvind Mandal, a resident of Aali Vihar.

The victims' kin said that Arvind sustained around 10 to 15 stab wounds.

According to the police, the three arrested persons were identified as Raju Patra (26), Ravi (19), and Shambu (26).

The identity of the 17-year-old juvenile has not been made public, while a manhunt is currently underway to nab two more absconding accused.

On Friday, the Sarita Vihar police station received a PCR call at around 9:45 p.m. regarding a stabbing incident.

A police team rushed to the spot and learnt that the victim, Arvind, got into an altercation over parking with a man named Manoj Haldar on Friday evening while he was returning home with his son.

However, the issue was resolved, and Arvind, along with his son, proceeded home.

On Friday night at about 9.30 p.m., five-six individuals arrived on motorcycles at Arvind's residence and attacked him and his wife, Rekha, with sharp-edged weapons.

"During the incident, Arvind sustained serious injuries as the assailants stabbed him in the chest and hand, while his wife suffered an injury to her forehead. Arvind subsequently passed away during treatment at the hospital," Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) Rajesh Deo said.

"Arvind had sought refuge in a neighbour's house. However, the culprits pursued him and inflicted 10 to 15 stab wounds. When his wife attempted to protect him, they also struck her in the head with a rod," victim's maternal uncle, Nepal Chand said.

Arvind was a driver by profession and was the sole breadwinner for his family.
New Delhi, Sep 16 : Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien has written to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar strongly condemning BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari for ridiculing the interaction between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickramsinghe at Dubai airport.

O'Brien alleged that the "irresponsible statements" made by the leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly are an attempt to create an atmosphere of discord that goes against the spirit of cooperation and development.

He also demanded that the Ministry of External Affairs intervene immediately and censure Adhikari for attempting to damage relations between West Bengal and Sri Lanka, claiming that malicious remarks like those made by Adhikari are also a brazen attempt to damage India's foreign relations.

In his letter to Jaishankar, the Trinamool leader referred to a post by Adhikari on X (formerly Twitter) on September 13 ridiculing the interaction between the West Bengal Chief Minister and the President of Sri Lanka.

He also said that at a subsequent interaction with journalists, Adhikari made derogatory comments on the Sri Lankan economy and attached the post of the BJP leader on X.

Accusing Adhikari of misusing his position in the state Assembly, O'Brian said, "The leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly has grossly misused his position as an MLA to try and maliciously hinder the economic cooperation between the government of West Bengal and the government of Sri Lanka."

He said the Bengal Global Business Summit 2023 is scheduled on November 21- 22, and Sri Lanka is among the nations invited for it.

"The All lndia Trinamool Congress demands that the MEA intervene immediately and censure Adhikari for attempting to damage relations between West Bengal and Sri Lanka," he said.

"We strongly assert that domestic political differences must not be used as a petty tool to malign the government of West Bengal and damage its efforts to attract foreign investment for the benefit of the people of the state.

"It must be noted here that investment in West Bengal also means investment in India. Malicious remarks like those made by Adhikari are also a brazen attempt to damage India's foreign relations," the Trinamool leader said.

Hitting back at the BJP leader, O'Brian said, "We strongly condemn Adhikari's irresponsible statements that refer discourteously to a friendly neighbouring country. These comments are an attempt to create an atmosphere of discord that goes against the spirit of cooperation and development.

"Such comments, made by a political representative, do not align with the values of diplomacy, respect, and responsible governance that our nation upholds," he said.

He also highlighted that the year 2023 marks 75th year of India-Sri Lanka diplomatic relations and is also the bicentenary of the Tamil community of Indian origin in Sri Lanka.

When asked about the complaint, Adhikari said, "I am not aware of it as yet. First let me get the details and then only I will react."

Banerjee, who is on a 12-day trip to Dubai and Spain met Sri Lankan President Wickremesinghe at the Dubai International Airport on September 13.

A video of the meeting of the two leaders had gone viral on social media in which the Sri Lankan President could be seen asking to Banerjee whether she is going to lead the Opposition INDIA bloc.

As laughs followed, the Trinamool chief said, "It depends on the people. If people support us, we can be in a position (of power) tomorrow."

The same day, Adkhikari had posted an imaginary conversation between the two leaders on X.

"I am guessing what conversation might have taken place between the two:- Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe - I have heard that you are leading your state towards an economic crisis like what Sri Lanka is facing?

"Mamata Banerjee  If you can guide me how to borrow more money from the market, I will invite you to attend the next Bengal Global Business Summit.

"Ranil Wickremesinghe  But we are not in a position to invest? What good would happen by attending the Summit? Mamata Banerjee  Don't worry, you just come and enjoy for 2-3 days and sign an MOU. Anyways everyone comes and signs MOU and nobody invests. I am just concerned about good headlines," he wrote.
Jaipur, Sep 16 : Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday replied to the allegations levelled by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot holding the Central government responsible for the delay in work for the Kota greenfield airport.

Scindia said in a post on X (formerly Twitter), "The back-and-forth, staggered response and tardy pace of handing over of the land by the state government have delayed the process of development of the #KotaAirport. It shows that CM @ashokgehlot51 Ji is least interested in the development of Kota Greenfield Airport or civil aviation in the state. My detailed response below."

He then posted his reply which said that the Rajasthan government has only sanctioned 33.4 hectares of land out of a total 440 acres proposed.

The process of diversion of remaining land is yet to be processed despite frequent reminders by the Ministry of Civil Aviation, he said.

"The state government has been apprised of the fact that the shifting of power grid is important for necessary clearances. However, it is still pending from state government's side," he said.

Gehlot on Thursday had blamed the Centre for the delay in the construction of the proposed greenfield airport in Kota.

He had also accused Lok Sabha Speaker and local MP Om Birla of not playing a positive role for the airport's development for fear of the credit going to the state's Congress government.

Gehlot on Thursday had inspected the site of the proposed Kota greenfield airport in Shambupura village and discussed the progress of the work with the officials. Claiming that the state government is committed to building the airport, Gehlot said the Urban Improvement Trust (Kota) transferred 34 hectares of land to the Airport Authority of India (AAI) for free.

The first instalment of Rs 21.13 crore for the diversion of forest land was also released to the forest department.

Despite these steps, the Centre has not begun work on the project, he alleged.
Bhopal, Sep 16 : Putting an end to speculation on the chief ministerial face of the Congress in Madhya Pradesh for the upcoming Assembly elections, Congress general secretary in-charge of state, Randeep Surjewala on Saturday said the state unit party head Kamal Nath will be the chief minister if the Congress is voted to power.

Surjewala, who joined as the Congress' election in-charge a few weeks ago, said this while responding to a question during a press conference here.

Pointing towards Kamal Nath who was seated beside him, Surjewala responded: "Don't you see he is sitting here? Do you have any doubts about him?"

Notably, when Kamal Nath's supporters put up banners projecting him as 'future chief minister' on January 1, some of the Congress leaders had then expressed their disappointment, saying the decision on CM's face would be decided by the elected MLAs.

However, when asked whether Kamal Nath would contest the Assembly election, Surjewala said: "Decision on this would be taken by the party's central election committee."

Kamal Nath, as the state party chief, did not contest the 2018 assembly polls but was sworn in as the CM after the Congress returned to power in the state.
New Delhi: The resounding success of the recently concluded G20 summit has elevated Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the forefront of global leadership, surpassing even China's Xi Jinping, according to Jim ONeill, the former chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management and the originator of the BRICS acronym.

Jim ONeill also emphasized that the G20 Summit stands as the solitary assembly capable of proffering genuinely global solutions to the multifaceted challenges faced by nations worldwide.

In an insightful op-ed for Project Syndicate, the renowned economist extolled the G20's significance and contended that neither the BRICS nor the G7 possesses the capacity to confront the world's pressing issues.

"The joint declaration emanating from the recent G20 summit in New Delhi serves as irrefutable evidence of this assertion. Member states achieved unanimity in addressing an extensive array of concerns. Despite the palpable disparities in their operational approaches, they effectively reaffirmed the G20's relevance after a prolonged period of skepticism about its role," remarked Jim ONeill.

Comparing the leadership styles of Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, ONeill pointed out that Xi's conspicuous absence at the G20 summit had undermined the recent BRICS meeting's significance. Presently, he believes that Prime Minister Modi exhibits a more visionary statesmanship than Xi Jinping.

ONeill extended his accolades to those who played pivotal roles, presumably India and the United States, in shepherding the final communique to fruition. The New Delhi declaration is seen as a potential catalyst for a more concerted global effort to address pressing issues such as climate change, the imperative restructuring of the World Bank, the management of infectious diseases, economic stability, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and a host of other critical matters.

G20 Leaders Declaration

Prime Minister Modi lauded the adoption of the G20 Leaders Declaration, declaring, We have made history with the adoption of the New Delhi Leaders Declaration.

In the G20 declaration, world leaders acknowledged the paramount importance of G20 collaboration in determining the course of global affairs. They pledged to work collectively towards fostering global economic growth and upholding stability.

The declaration also issued a clarion call for immediate action on global challenges, including greenhouse gas emissions, climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, drought, land degradation, and desertification, all of which imperil lives and livelihoods. The leaders furthermore committed to coordinated efforts to curb the surge in commodity prices, encompassing food and energy, while addressing global issues such as poverty, inequality, climate change, pandemics, and conflicts, with a special focus on their disproportionate impact on women, children, and the most vulnerable among us.

Narendra Modi Retains Title of World's Most Popular Global Leader with 76% Approval Rating: Report

India's 2023 G20 Summit Costs: Breaking Down the Expenses

India's Diplomatic Clout: Reshaping Global Governance Through UNSC Reform and G20 Diplomacy
New Delhi, Sep 17 : Akasa Air has initiated legal action against more than 40 pilots who recently left the airline to join other carriers. This sudden departure of pilots has compelled the airline, which commenced operations in August of the previous year, to cancel numerous flights since the previous month.

Consequently, by August this year, Akasa's domestic market share had fallen behind that of the financially challenged SpiceJet, a carrier it had surpassed in June.

Akasa is reportedly requesting around Rs 22 crore in compensation for the loss of revenue and damage to its reputation, citing that the 43 pilots in question departed without fulfilling the mandatory notice period.

"We have sought legal remedy only against a small set of pilots who abandoned their duties and left without serving their mandatory contractual notice period. This was not only in violation of their contract but also the country's civil aviation regulations," the airline spokesperson told IANS.

"Not only is this illegal in law but also an unethical and selfish act that disrupted flights in August forcing last-minute cancellations that stranded thousands of customers, causing significant inconvenience to the travelling public," the spokesperson further said.

"Fortunately, that is behind us now. Thanks to the hard work of our colleagues. As a young start up, we are proud of what every Akasian has helped us build in the first year of our operations," the spokesperson said.

"Therefore, this kind of behaviour by a handful of employees is not only illegal and unethical, but also deeply disrespectful to the hard work of our entire team which shows up to work, everyday with utmost integrity," the spokesperson added.
New Delhi, Sep 17 : Delhi Police have arrested two persons for allegedly stealing an Insas rifle of Nagaland Armed Police (NAP) Battalion from a sentry post on Delhi's DDU Marg, an official said on Saturday.

The accused were identified as Vikas (25), a resident of Nepal and working as a rickshaw puller in Kamla market area and Kabir (21), a resident of the cluster area in Kamla market.

According to the police, on Wednesday, an Assistant Commandant of the Third NAP battalion reported that a service Insas rifle 5.56 (Indian Small Arms System) with 20 live rounds and a mobile phone had been stolen from the sentry post at MS Flat, DDU Marg.

During the investigation, the police team assigned to crack the case reviewed a large number of CCTV footage.

After extensive analysis of the footage, they identified two persons who were seen stealing the weapon and escaping from the scene on a cycle rickshaw.

"The team initiated a search for the suspicious e-cycle rickshaw, and after concerted efforts throughout the day and night, they successfully located the e-cycle rickshaw early in the morning on Friday," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Sanjay Kumar Sain.

"After thorough investigation, it was determined that the rickshaw belonged to a resident of Nepal. Furthermore, a special wing of the police traced the rickshaw puller as Vikas. Subsequently, with the help of some other rickshaw pullers' identification, Vikas was apprehended," said the DCP.

"On his instance, his associate Kabir was also apprehended from his home, and the stolen Insas rifle along with 20 rounds were recovered from their possession," said the DCP.

"Both suspects are drug addicts, and they resorted to committing small thefts to fulfil their drug-related needs. They do not have a previous criminal record," the DCP added.
New Delhi, Sep 17 : Coming under fire from the BJP over Rahul Gandhi's conversation with ex-servicemen in Ladakh on the issue of 'one rank, one pension' (OROP), the Congress on Saturday attacked the Central government over the manner in which the OROP was implemented.

The Congress said that had it (OROP implementation) been done in accordance with the letter and spirit of the notification issued during the UPA dispensation, "large scale anomalies" wouldn't have crept in.

In a statement, Congress' Ex-Servicemen Department chief Col (retd) Rohit Chaudhry said that last month Rahul Gandhi drove across Ladakh on a motorcycle, meeting people from all sections of society including ex-servicemen.

Since he had not been able to cover Ladakh during the Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi decided to undertake a separate journey. "This is the first time a national leader has covered Ladakh so extensively, and it has sent a strong signal to the Chinese that Ladakh is an integral and inseparable part of India," Chaudhry said.

"In a conversation with ex-servicemen, they told him (Rahul Gandhi) how wrongly OROP has been implemented, and how the Agnipath scheme is harming the safety security and integrity of the nation and also destroying the future of the youth," he said.

He further said that after completion of four years, Agniveers "will neither get any pension nor other benefits and instead, they will again become unemployed".

Chaudhary argued that the employability restrictions imposed on the Agniveers "will affect the operational effectiveness of the units and will simultaneously burden the regular soldiers".

"Rahul Gandhi's interaction with ESMs further amplified that OROP, which is equally applicable to all the defence veterans (officers, JCOs and Other Ranks), has not been implemented as envisaged by the UPA govt's order of February 26, 2014, which was passed by both Houses of the Parliament," he said.

"The present form of OROP-1 and 2 is not the actual OROP conceptualised under the UPA regime, but is a 'one rank and many persons'," Chaudhry added.

"Had OROP been implemented in letter and spirit of UPA's notification, then large-scale anomalies induced in implementation wouldn't have cropped in. While issuing orders for passing OROP-2 on 23 December 2022, under sustained pressure of Bharat Jodo Yatra which was entering Delhi, the Narendra Modi government induced further anomalies by reducing pensions of JCOS and other ranks by a few thousand per month," he said.

He pointed out that though no one has got actual OROP, whatever benefits have been passed, they are lesser for JCOS and ORS as per their legitimate right. "Passing of the reduced benefits, to JCOs and Other Ranks, is causing large-scale heartburn among junior cadres of the defence fraternity which has created a divide among cadres and is not good for the country's defence forces."

The Congress demands from the Modi government that "OROP anomalies" should be corrected immediately without any further delay, Chaudhry said.

It is the Central government which is causing a divide and it is the responsibility of the government to correct its "follies", he said.
Guwahati, Sep 17 : Six persons were awarded life sentence on Saturday by a court in Assam's Barpeta district for the murder of a man a year-and-a-half ago.

The convicts have been identified as Inzamamul Khan, Saiful Islam, Darog Ali, Lal Mahmud, Badshah Fakir and Faridul Islam.

Rubul Haque was killed after his girlfriend rejected the marriage proposal of one of the convicted persons. According to advocate Jyoti Prasad Das, Barpeta Additional District and Sessions Judge Narayan Kuri held the six accused guilty of killing Haque, a resident of Bandali neighbourhood, on April 16 last year.

One of the convicts had proposed to marry Haque's girlfriend, which was rejected by her. The man later hatched a plot with his friends and killed Haque.

The police submitted the charge sheet within 90 days of the crime, which was heard in a fast-track court.
Bengaluru, Sep 17 : Pranavananda Swamiji, religious seer of Ediga community, has said that he is facing a threat to his life from the Karnataka Minister for Education, Madhu Bangarappa.

Speaking to the media on Saturday, Pranavananda said that he is getting threatening calls from the supporters of Minister Bangarappa and will file a complaint with the Police Commissioner in Bengaluru.

The seer had attacked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for supporting Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad.

Reacting to Pranavananda's statement, Bangarappa alleged that he does not consider him as a seer.

The Karnataka Minister also slammed the seer saying that "he has a family, comes from the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and has objectionable character".

"Hariprasad belongs to the backward class and what's wrong in asking for a position for him? What is the contribution of Minister Bangarappa to the community? I have not encroached the community's land and sold them. Hariprasad also did not grab the land. The Ediga community is divided by the government. There is a conspiracy to instigate such leaders against the seers," Pranavananda said.

The seer also asked Minister Bangarappa that who gave him the right to comment about him being a seer.

"If the Ediga community is met with injustice, Minister Bangarappa will have to take responsibility."

"What's your background? You have come to Congress from JD (S), we don't know which party you will join. CM Siddaramaiah should rein in Minister Bangarappa and stop him from making these statements," the seer added.

aWe will meet the Speaker of the House and lodge a complaint against him (Minister Bangarappa). I will also take up the legal battle," said Pranavananda.

Rastriya Ediga Mahamamdali Secretary Manche Gowda said that Minister Bangarappa has issued a laughable statement on the seer.

"Do not talk to satiate your tongue. How would you feel if the same kind of remarks are made against you? The community has agreed that Pranavananda swamiji is their seer."

"The seer had openly spoken about his background in public events. Minister Bangarappa should first tender a public apology, otherwise a statewide protest would be launched," Gowda added.

Reacting to Gowda's statement, Minister Bangarappa replied that Pranavananda Swami does not belong to the Ediga community.

"Let him lodge a complaint with the Bengaluru Police Commissioner. Let him also lodge a complaint against me with the Speaker and AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge and whoever he wants to," he said.

Hariprasad and Minister Bangarappa hail from the Ediga community.
BJP should put 'solution box' instead of 'suggestion box', says Kamal Nath. Image Source: IANS News

Bhopal, Sep 17 : The Opposition INDIA bloc's proposed rally in Bhopal in the first week of October has been put on hold, state Congress chief Kamal Nath said.

The former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh said that discussions regarding the rally are going on with the Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and other allies of the INDIA bloc.

He made this statement while addressing a press conference in Bhopal on Saturday.

Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala, who was also present at the press conference, added that ano final decision has been taken on when and where it will now be held".

He said, "It's still being discussed between Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge and leaders representing other partner parties of the alliance, once something is freezed, we will let you know, whether it will be held here (Bhopal) or somewhere else."

Meanwhile, ruling BJP took jibe at the Opposition Congress and claimed the first rally was cancelled 'fearing to face public anger'.

The BJP connected the political development with ongoing controversy over Sanatan Dharma.

aThere is public anger, hence the rally was cancelled. People will not let this go," Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.

Earlier on September 13, the Opposition INDIA bloc had decided to hold their first joint public meeting in Bhopal in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh in the first week of October.

The INDIA bloc had said it will raise issues related to rising prices, unemployment, corruption and caste census.

Over two dozen opposition parties have formed the INDIA to challenge the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance(NDA) unitedly in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Rodriguezs debut graphic memoir, Worm (Metropolitan, Nov.), interweaves his anti-Trump political art with the story of his familys exodus from Cuba in the 1980s.

What are some false assumptions that Americans have about Cuba?

Since I was young, I kept looking at how liberal America treats countries like North Korea or China as bad. Whats so different about Cuba? Theres this kind of love affair with everything Cuban. Weve got the food and the dancing. Cuba had a very good PR campaign. But politically its not that different from North Korea, where you have one guy in charge for 60 years. Anytime that happens, horrible things take place.

How does your memoir respond to Trumpism and rising extremism?

In telling a story about immigration today, we say ten thousand people showed up at the border. But we dont get into why theyre here. Most people do not want to leave their countries. I wanted to tell a story about why people leave, what they leave behind. As a political artist, Im confronting whats happening in America. Americans are maybe thinking I dont want to be here anymore. Since I grew up with that experience, I felt that I could help them understand.

How has being a father given you insight into the choices your own parents made?

Once I had kids, I wondered: Could I do this with my own children? What would it take for meafter establishing myself as an artist and having a house and raising kidsto want to get out of here? Thats when I became interested in interviewing my parents.

I went back to Cuba in 2014 with my kids. We were in my hometown because I wanted them to know the place. At three in the morning, my daughter wakes up with a really bad stomachache and I tell my aunt, We gotta go to the doctor. But theres no doctor here, and theres no cars. I cant take her. All of a sudden I was put in that place my parents were when I was a child.

How did you decide on the color palette?

I wanted to use limited colors, and what kept popping up were the red of communismeverything is red in Cubaand the green of the military in the beginning of the book. Except when I landed in Miami. Had to use some pink in Miami! And then orange for Trump.

For a long time, I didnt use red because it was commie red. Then, I wondered, Why does a dictatorship have the right to own colors? I started using it constantly.
Publishing trends come and go, and most books have short lives before they fade from the shelves and eventually from memory. But for publishers that specialize in translation, literature is a long game.

Were always trying to find works that will be taught in colleges and become lasting, says Declan Spring, v-p, senior editor, and director of foreign rights at New Directions. He paraphrases a quote from Ezra Pound, which James Laughlin, who founded New Directions at the advice of Pound, always prized: Any book worth anything takes a couple of decades to become successful.

With this idea in mind, PW spoke with Spring and other editors about their strategies for gettingand keepingtheir works in translation in front of the reading public.

In development

New Directions, Spring says, has evolved from being essentially a backlist publisher to one that makes an impact with its frontlist. By way of example, he cites fresh translations of classics by Clarice Lispector, as well as works by newer authors such as Yoko Tawada, a Japanese German writer whose work New Directions has been publishing in translation since 2002.

Spring credits the success of the publishers frontlist in part to a large newsletter subscriber base and close friendships with independent booksellers, including City Lights in San Francisco and McNally Jackson in New York. Their support will be key for big fall titles such as Lispectors The Apple in the Dark (Oct.), translated from the Portuguese by Benjamin Moser, and The Annual Banquet of the Gravediggers Guild by Mathias Enard (Nov.), a sprawling story of reincarnation and European history translated from the French by Frank Wynne. Enard is such an important writer for us, Spring says. As we publish each book, the audience builds more and more.

Long-term investment in international literature is paying off, publishers say, thanks to an expanding market. Weve had a resurgence of interest in world literature and in voices from around the world for a good long while, says Jenna Johnson, editor-in-chief at Farrar, Straus and Giroux, where translations have always been central to the catalog. Americans are increasingly sophisticated about watching, say, a detective series from Denmark, she adds, so it makes sense theyd be open to literature from abroad, too.

At FSG, theres a focus not only on an international conversation but on what Johnson calls a conversation across time and a timelessness. One example is Termush by Sven Holm (Jan. 2024), translated from the Danish by Sylvia Clayton, a work of apocalyptic science fiction first published in 1967; Annihilation author Jeff VanderMeer will supply a foreword. In all its acquisitions, Johnson says, FSG looks for literature that couldnt have been written by anyone else.

In September, FSG is releasing David Diops Beyond the Door of No Return, translated from the French by Sam Taylor, which PWs starred review called a captivating generational epic. Johnson says the novels focus on the collective history and interconnections of Senegal and France puts it in dialogue with Diops debut, At Night All Blood Is Black, translated by Anna Moschovakis. When PW profiled the author in its fall 2020 Writers to Watch feature, acquiring editor Jeremy Davies said the book had first been described to him as a very strange, very literary book that wasnt very commercial. After it won the International Booker Prize the next year, hardcover sales spiked, and a paperback release has since sold 11,000 print copies.

A high-profile award can be huge for a work in translation, perhaps none more so than the Nobel Prize. In 2021, French author Annie Ernauxs books sold about 4,300 print and e-book copies, according to Seven Stories, her U.S. publisher. She won the Nobel Prize the following year and sales shot up to 84,300 print and e-book copies for 2022; shes on track to best that in 2023.

Dan Simon, founder and publisher of Seven Stories, calls the Nobel win a watershed moment for the press. Its also a testament to three decades of investment in the international market and in the careers of authors including Ernaux, whom hes published since 1992.

The publishers latest Ernaux release, Septembers The Young Man, translated from the French by Alison L. Strayer, was already in progress before the Nobel announcement. Its a fresh work from the author, having pubbed in France in 2022, and chronicles an affair Ernaux had in her 50s with a man who was 30 years younger. After the Nobel announcement, Simon says, we worked with Gallimard in France, Annies primary publisher, and Fitzcarraldo, our partner in the U.K., to jump-start a half dozen new and previously untranslated Ernaux works. These will pub over the next three years.

Supply and demand

HarperVia, an imprint of HarperOne, is a relative newcomer to the translation field. It released its first title in fall 2019, not long before the pandemic kept people away from bookstores. But the lockdown period also drove people to Netflix and its international content, says HarperVia founding president and publisher Judith Curr. Hearing new languages and seeing new places got people interested in the rest of the world. The imprint had an early hit in 2020 with Almond by Won-pyung Sohn, translated from the Korean by Sandy Joosun Lee, after K-pop superstars BTS recommended it to their army of fans.

Curr takes a different approach with translations than she did at Atria, which she launched in 2002. Books by international writers like Fredrik Backman were packaged to look like other commercial fiction, without a prominent translator credit. At HarperVia, she says, it would be counterintuitive not to put their names on the cover. She adds that readers have a greater appreciation for novels like Maud Venturas My Husband, released earlier this year, when they know they are translated, in this case by Emma Ramadan, from the French. Recognizing how My Husbands Frenchness adds to the story makes it more than just another unreliable and twisted narration.

HarperVias commitment to publishing authors from outside the U.S., mainly in translation, has given it the credibility required to land writers like Andrey Kurkov, a Ukrainian. His Grey Bees, translated from the Russian by Boris Dralyuk and published by Deep Vellum in 2022, won the inaugural National Book Critics Circle prize for translations. In March, HarperVia will publish Dralyuks translation of Kurkovs The Silver Bone, a mystery set in 1919 Kyiv.

At Archipelago, a small publisher that began exclusively publishing translations in 2004, editor and director of publicity Sarah Gale has seen an increasing willingness on the part of the media to embrace books that originate overseas. But, she says, it remains difficult to get reviews and other coverage for minor books that arent grappling with obviously relevant themes.

To counteract this, Archipelago directly engages with readers, and Gale credits founder and publisher Jill Schoolman for always thinking about new ways to reach people and get the books into their hands. For a subscription fee, the presss sustaining members each receive one new book a month, and Jillian Kravatz, the companys membership director, coordinates events around the country with those members in mind.

Archipelagos handful of editorial staffers all read every manuscript under consideration, which Gale finds energizing. When they commit to a book, its because they believe theyve found something thats missing from the culture. She describes it as hearing a voice piercing throughone that captures a sense of both the writer and the translator.

One such title, she says, is Argentine writer Sara Gallardos 1958 novel January. Archipelago is publishing the first English-language edition in October, translated from the Spanish by Frances Riddle and Maureen Shaughnessy. The book is about a young woman who becomes pregnant after being raped and considers whether to have an abortion. Gale calls it one of those books thats so good that its understood in Argentina to be what everyone should read from an early age.

Norton imprint Liveright is at the forefront of publishing the classics. This years releases have included new translations of Thomas Mann, Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis, and Fyodor Dostoyevsky; Norton, meanwhile, will release Emily Wilsons new translation of Homers The Iliad, from the ancient Greek, in September.

The Wilson translation, which favors accessibility over the refined poetry of a Robert Fagles translation, has become something of a lightning rod on X (formerly Twitter), where the translator and fans of her hit 2017 translation of The Odyssey (250,000 print copies sold) drew the ire of classicists who prefer Fagles. Liveright editor-in-chief Pete Simon, who edits Wilson, hopes the discussions will help readers wrestle constructively with issues of translation theory. It certainly hasnt hurt advance sales, he says, and adds that people are drawn to Wilsons translations of Homer for their contemporary cadences and their willingness to be experienced as something living, rather than put on a pedestal.

Liveright also publishes contemporary authors, and in January will release Forgottenness by Tanja Maljartschuk, translated from the Ukrainian by Zenia Tompkins. The narrator deals with a series of mental health maladies while reflecting on her familys history and Ukrainian independence, and the book came about through close collaboration with Maljartschuk, Tompkins, and senior editor Gina Iaquinta, whom Simon credits with having a great eye for international authors.

Tompkins is also the translator of The Ukraine by Artem Chapeye, a story collection Seven Stories will publish in January 2024. Chapeye, a soldier in the Ukrainian army whose title story was published in the New Yorker in 2022, has been sending edits to Simon in between stints on the battlefield.

The Ukraine and other forthcoming works in translation are poised to do what translations do best: broaden readers perspectives and offer windows onto other parts of the world.

All print unit sales per Circana BookScan except where noted.

Note: Annie Ernaux's sales history has been updated with figures from her U.S. publisher, Seven Stories.

Read more of our recent literature in translation coverage:

Two Lines Press Pushes Translation's Boundaries

As interest in translated literature grows, small presses like Two Lines, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this September, are eager to introduce new international authors to Anglophone readers.

Eerdmans Launches Stories from Latin America Series

Debuting next month, the Stories from Latin America series from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers will focus on fiction and nonfiction set in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean.
My friend Andrea recently brought her daughter Sofia over for a visit. A precocious and ebullient little kindergartner, Sofia wanted to show me her new school uniform  a peter-pan collared shirt overlaid with a plaid jumper. On the chest of the jumper was a golden cross and the initials of Saints Peter and Paul. This means my school belongs to God, Sofia took great pains to explain to me. We pray every day to Our Lady of Guadalupe, and everyone is so happy there!

Andrea looked on, teary-eyed, and I must confess my eyes watered too. She told me she never dreamed her daughter would be able to attend a Catholic school here in the United States. Sofia can  thanks to Floridas new universal school choice program.

Ive known Andrea since she arrived in Miami at the age of ten. Her parents brought her over the border from Mexico and she later qualified as a Dreamer, graduating from Coral Gables High School in Miami. She worked in the hotel industry and was rising to a position of responsibility at a local hotel when the Covid lockdowns derailed her career. She and her husband work hard but make ends meet only with the help of family. They pay $50 a month toward Sofias tuition. Her choice scholarship pays the rest of the $8652 per-year tuition.

Sofias story is one repeated by the hundreds of thousands in schools across our state. Last March, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB1 into law, making 3.4 million K-12 students in Florida eligible for a choice scholarship. Florida is investing heavily in the idea that school choice enhances the education of all students, private, charter and public, because it fosters healthy competition and growth. The expectation is that all Florida schools will be working harder every day to offer parents what they want for their children: orderly and pleasant learning environments, academic excellence, and special attractions like classical curricula and innovative programming.

Even when supplied with a wide range of options, Catholic schools like Sts. Peter and Paul are successfully capturing the interest of parents. Before the expansion of Florida choice programs there were many families who didnt qualify for a needs-based scholarship but also couldnt afford the relatively modest price of a parochial education. This barrier has been demolished. Now Catholic schools here are full; new ones are opening up and existing schools are growing. The steady expansion of state scholarship programs helps explain why.

Like Sofias family, many of the families that are new to the parochial system are interested in the religious and moral formation Catholic schools provide. As Catholics themselves, they know that an active faith provides overarching meaning and community connection, and they want these sustaining things for their children. However, there is more to the Catholic school advantage than religious education, and savvy parents of all faiths or no faith at all are flocking to those institutions. Indeed, non-Catholics make up a full 20 percent of Catholic school enrollments.

The Florida scholarship programs are a smart investment for parents, students and taxpayers. Researcher David Figlio has shown that low-income Catholic school students using the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship out-perform their non-Catholic school peers in both reading and math. Annual learning gains by these disadvantaged students show that the academic excellence, high expectations, and well-ordered and disciplined atmosphere at these schools are just what these students need to live up to their full potential.

It's also worth noting that Floridas Catholic school are increasingly diverse. In fact, they enroll slightly more students of color (65%) than our public schools. The high-quality education is especially telling and timely in the face of the nation-wide, post-pandemic lockdown declines in math and reading scores that hit Black and Hispanic students particularly hard.

Diversity at these schools also extends to programming and innovation. Many Florida Catholic schools offer International Baccalaureate programs; some offer work-study programs; others in remote areas cater to the needs of farm workers, with adult education classes, bilingual teachers and a scholarship funds for alums who go on to college. The Archdiocese of Miami even runs a Virtual Catholic School to enhance the course offerings of brick-and-mortar schools across the state.

The process of making school choice in Florida available to every single K-12 student has been an exciting ride. Opening a panorama of options for every kid--not just those lucky enough to be born into a wealthy family--is something all states should consider emulating. I expect Catholic schools across the country would find themselves bursting at the seams, like those in Florida. And I expect there would be lots of little Sofias who would be living the dreams of their hard-working parents by obtaining a Catholic education.

Grazie Pozo Christie, M.D., is a Senior Fellow for The Catholic Association and host of the nationally syndicated radio show Conversations with Consequences.
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The Enforcement Directorate on Friday filed a chargesheet against businessman Sujit Patkar, a close aide of Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Sanjay Raut, in the case pertaining to alleged irregularities in COVID centre scam case.

IMAGE: A view from inside of a COVID-19 care centre for critical patients in Dahisar, Mumba, July 2, 2020. Photograph: ANI Photo

The chargesheet against the associate of Shiv Sena-UBT MP Sanjay Raut was submitted before the court's registry and it will come up before the special judge for cases under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after scrutiny of papers.

Patkar and another accused Kishore Bisure were arrested by the ED on July 19 and they are currently in judicial custody.

ED raids in this case were also conducted at the residences of IAS officer Sanjeev Jaiswal and Suraj Chavan, a core committee member of the Yuva Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction).

After the ED in July arrested Sujit Patkar and Kishore in connection with the alleged Mumbai COVID centre scam case.

The ED said that Sujit Patkar did not cooperate in the inquiry and when he was asked about the money transaction, he was not answering properly.

Earlier in June, the ED raided 15 locations in Mumbai in connection with the alleged BMC COVID centre scam case and seized cash and documents of properties worth crores, according to ED sources.

The ED source said that Sujit Patkar is the kingpin of the scam. He is one of the four partners of Lifeline Hospital Management Services that was awarded the contract to run a COVID-19 jumbo centre in Worli. The ED said that Rs 22 crore was allegedly laundered via shell companies for which Patkar played an instrumental role.

ED had seized Rs 68.65 lakh in cash during the raid. Documents of 50 immovable properties located at various places in Maharashtra with a market value of more than Rs 150 crore, fixed deposits and investments worth Rs 15 crore and jewelery worth Rs 2.46 crore have also been recovered.

According to the sources, ED had also seized several mobile phones and laptops along with many incriminating documents.

The search revealed that one company was giving body bags for dead COVID-19 patients to another company for Rs 2,000.

That company was giving the same body bags to the Central Procurement Department for Rs 6,800 and this contract was signed by the then BMC mayor, said the sources in the ED.
The Delhi high court has dismissed a plea by Tehelka.Com seeking review of an order directing it to pay Rs 2 crore to an Indian army officer for the loss of reputation suffered by him on account of a 2001 'expose' by the news portal alleging his involvement in corruption in defence procurement.

Photograph: ANI

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna said there was no merit in the plea, also filed by the news portal's journalist Aniruddha Bahal, as there is no error apparent on the face of record or a mistake which can be corrected within the ambit of review.

The review application is without merit and is hereby dismissed, the court ruled in an order passed earlier this month.

On March 13, 2001, the news portal had carried a story alleging corruption in defence deals relating to import of new defence equipment.

Major General M S Ahluwalia, in his lawsuit, claimed he was defamed in the story 'Operation West End', as it was wrongly broadcast and reported that he had accepted bribe.

On July 21, Justice Krishna had directed the portal, its owner M/s Buffalo Communications, its proprietor Tarun Tejpal and two reporters, Bahal and Mathew Samuel, to pay Rs 2 crore to the plaintiff.

Seeking review, the applicants contended the judgment suffered from an error which needed to be corrected as there was nothing factually incorrect in the transcript which was the basis of successful prosecution of a number of accused by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

They said the plaintiff did not place on record the video clip of the operation as aired on television or provide copies of the transcript as per the law.

The court rejected the contentions and observed that a publication would be defamatory if not made in 'good faith for the cause of public good' and a 'fair comment' cannot justify a statement which is untrue .

Defamation law is not to be used to gag, silence, suppress and subjugate the press and the media, it, however, noted.

The court said the entire case of the plaintiff did not rest on the authenticity of the sting operation but only on the editorial comments inserted by Bahal to the transcript of recording.

It stated, The fact remains that in the present case, respondent No. 1/plaintiff was exonerated by the Army Court of Enquiry and was only awarded with 'Severe displeasure' on account of his conduct which was found to be unbecoming of an Army Officer and not because of acceptance of any money as was implied in the 'Editorial Comments'.

In its order passed on the lawsuit in July, Justice Krishna had said there can't be a more blatant case of causing serious harm to the reputation of an honest army officer, adding an apology after 23 years of publication was 'not only inadequate but is meaningless'.

The court had, however, said the plaintiff was not able to prove any act of defamation on the part of Zee Telefilm Ltd and its officials by telecasting the story in question following an arrangement with the news portal.

It had observed the plaintiff not only faced lowering of estimation in the eyes of public but his character also got maligned with serious allegations of corruption which no subsequent refutation can redress or heal.
Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna on Saturday floated the idea of having three more Deputy Chief Ministers in Karnataka and said he will discuss it with the Congress high command, keeping in mind the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

IMAGE: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah with state cabinet minister K N Rajanna in Bengaluru. Photograph: ANI Photo

He pitched for Deputy Chief Minister posts to be given to leaders from Veerashaiva-Lingayat, SC/ST and minority communities.

Currently, D K Shivakumar from the Vokkaliga community is the Deputy Chief Minister in the Siddaramaiah-led cabinet. He is also the state Congress president.

"Lok Sabha elections are at our doorstep, we are seeing that all the parties are making preparations for the polls. It is our intention that the Congress should win the maximum number of seats in Karnataka, we are also confident that we will win," Rajanna told reporters in Tumakuru.

"One post (DCM) should be given to a leader from the SC/ST community, second for a minority community leader and third for a Veerashaiva community leader as there is a feeling the community has gone away from the Congress and it has been proved from this Assembly poll results that the Veershaiva community votes has mostly come back to the party," he added.

Rajanna, pitching for three DCMs is notwithstanding the Congress' decision that Shivakumar will be 'the only' Deputy CM, amid stiff competition between him and Siddaramaiah for the Chief Minister's post after the Assembly election results in May this year.

It was said that him (Shivakumar) being the only DCM was one of the commitments which the Congress leadership made to Shivakumar, while convincing him to give up his claim for the CM post and to take up the role of deputy chief minister.

Noting that it is his personal opinion (appointing three more Deputy CMs) to get more support from SC/STs, minorities and the Veerashaiva community, the Minister said he felt it would be right to share it with the party high command.

"I have decided to write a letter to Congress high command in this regard and will do so in a couple of days. As the Congress Working Committee meeting is on in Hyderabad, they will all be busy, and I too will be busy with general body meetings of Cooperatives in September, so I will be meeting all our high command leaders in the first week of next month and will try to convince them on this," he added.

Asked who should be given the Deputy CM posts, Rajanna, from the ST community, said according to him, it was for the high command to decide.

"I don't want (DCM post), but the high command should give it to leaders from these communities. The high command decision is our decision," he said.

Noting that several people in the party shared a similar opinion (about having more DCMs), Rajanna said they have told him personally his proposal was good for the party's interests.

Asked whether Shivakumar and his brother- D K Suresh, an MP, were upset with him for pitching for more DCMs, he said, "Why will they be upset, I haven't spoken against them. Shivakumar is a DCM and party state unit President. He is ably organising the party as he is a good organisation man. I don't think there is a need for him to get upset."

Shivakumar had chosen not to respond to Rajanna's statement to a news channel on Friday calling for three Deputy CMs, while Suresh told reporters, "You should ask Rajanna about it...he is the one running the government."

A section within the Congress is said to be of the opinion that Rajanna's statement was part of a plan by Siddaramaiah's camp to keep Shivakumar in check, amid talks he might seek the CM post after two-and-half years of this government's tenure, and to counter his influence both in the government and party.

However, there have been other different voices within the party regarding the chief minister and deputy CM posts.

Recently, senior Congress leader and MLC B K Hariprasad had said either G Parameshwara (now Home Minister), a Dalit leader and the longest serving Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president should have been made the CM or at least should have been considered for the DCM post, which he had occupied in the past. He had also said Satish Jarkiholi (Public Works Minister) from the ST community should have been made the DCM.

Soon after Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar were announced as the CM and DCM respectively in May, Parameshwara had warned the party of 'trouble' if a Dalit is not made the DCM.

Reacting to Rajanna's statement, Parameshwara said, "There is nothing wrong in him asking. He has to convey it to the Chief Minister and party president. He has said that he will write a letter and meet the high command in this regard...its his personal opinion and he has expressed it."

Rajanna has said it with good intention, he said, "Lok Sabha elections are coming and to take all communities into confidence, he has shared his opinion, but whether to implement it or not is left to the high command...there is nothing wrong in what he has said, but things will be decided by the high command."

IT/BT minister Priyank Kharge said, "Anyone can place their opinion before the Congress central leadership...but I don't feel there is any such proposal (on more DCMs) before the high command."
After identifying the man who was the patient zero or index case of the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, the state government on Saturday began looking for the source and place from where he got infected by seeking details of his mobile tower locations.

IMAGE: A central team of experts visits the homes at Chathamangalam where one Nipah victim died, in Kozhikode on September 6, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo



Kerala Health Minister Veena George said while the state government was trying to determine where and how the man got infected, the central team was collecting bat samples to ascertain the viral load.

She also claimed that the state's efforts to combat the virus outbreak were appreciated by the central team.

The government was also focusing on completing contact tracing in respect of the sixth person who was confirmed, on Friday, to have been infected by the virus, the minister told reporters in Kozhikode.

She also said that there were no new positive cases and in a relief for the state, 94 samples -- of persons from the high-risk contact list -- have come back negative for the virus.

Meanwhile, 21 people at the Kozhikode medical college and two kids at the Institute of Maternal and Child Health (IMCH) were in isolation, George said.

Everyone, including a nine-year-old boy on a ventilator, who is under treatment for the virus or is in isolation are stable, she added.

The minister said that all those infected are part of the first wave of the infection which has manifested in two clusters -- one being the two family members of the man who was the index case and the second being the persons who came into contact with him at the hospital he went for treatment.

The man who has been identified as the index case died on August 30 and it was only much later it was found that he was infected with Nipah.

His nine-year-old son and brother-in-law are still undergoing treatment along with two others, one of them a health worker, with whom he came into contact at a hospital.

The second fatality due to Nipah occurred on September 11 and the victim had come into contact with the man who was the index case at the same hospital as the others, George said.

Regarding the monoclonal antibody, the only viable therapeutic against the virus, the minister said that according to the Centre it was 50-60 per cent stable and it has asked the state government to explore the possibility of getting a new version of the antibody.

"Currently, according to the doctors, the patients under treatment do not require it," she said.

However, the state requested the Centre's support for expediting the process required for importing the monoclonal antibody and the same was assured.

She also said that a meeting of the core committee was held earlier in the day to chalk out the further course of action.

State Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas, who was present with George at the press briefing, said the control room, call centres and volunteers were doing an excellent job of instilling confidence in the public and creating awareness among them about the virus.

Kozhikode city mayor Beena Philip, meanwhile, said all the wards where the man, who was the index case, went have been declared as containment zones.

"He has moved around a lot. Therefore, the contact list is expected to get bigger," she said.

Kozhikode District Collector A Geetha said that arrangements have been made for online classes in educational institutions for the coming week and instructed students not to engage in holiday-related celebrations.

The Collector also said that Beypore harbour will remain closed till further orders as it falls in one of the containment zones and provided two alternative locations for landing fishing vessels and sale of the catch.

The Centre on Friday decided to procure from Australia 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody through the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for treatment of those infected by Nipah.

The Kerala Health department had on Friday said it has identified a total of 1,080 people in the contact list of the positive patients and has started collecting samples.

It had earlier announced that everyone who is on the high-risk contact list of the infected persons will be tested.

The ICMR's National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune had sent its mobile BSL-3 (Biosafety Level-3) laboratory to Kozhikode to test the samples for the virus in the district.

This is the fourth time the viral infection has been confirmed in the state. It was detected in Kozhikode in 2018 and 2021 and in Ernakulam in 2019.

The World Health Organisation and ICMR studies have found that the entire state, not just Kozhikode, is prone to such infections.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said he would not be able to attend the flag hoisting function in the new Parliament building on Sunday and expressed disappointment over getting the invite 'quite late'.

IMAGE: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi during the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, at Taj Krishna in Hyderabad on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo

He wrote to Rajya Sabha Secretary General P C Mody saying that he received the invite for the function only in the late evening of September 15.

'I am writing this letter with a sense of disappointment that I have received your invite for flag hoisting function tomorrow at New Parliament Building only on September 15, 2023, quite late in the evening,' the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha said in his letter.

Kharge informed the Rajya Sabha secretary general that meetings of the newly constituted Congress Working Committee have been scheduled for September 16 and 17 at Hyderabad.

The Congress president said the programmes had been fixed much in advance and he is currently in Hyderabad to hold meetings and will return to Delhi late on the night of September 17.

'It will not be feasible for me to attend the function scheduled for tomorrow morning,' Kharge said.

Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar will hoist the national flag at the new Parliament building on Sunday.

The flag hoisting ceremony will take place a day before the five-day Parliament session beginning Monday which may see parliamentary proceedings shift from the old to the adjacent new building.
On reliable inputs by the Telangana intelligence department, the Cyberabad police apprehended the most wanted Maoist Sanjoy Deepak Rao, central committee member of the banned Communist Party of India-Maoist near Malaysian Township, Kukatpally, Hyderabad on Friday.

IMAGE: Security personnel at the site after at least 10 police personnel and a driver were killed in a blast carried out by naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district, April 26, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo

Addressing the media, Telangana director general of police Anjani Kumar said that Sanjoy Deepak Rao, hailing from Shivagandha Nagar, Ambernath East PS, Thane, Maharashtra, is a BTech graduate in electrical engineering from the erstwhile Regional Engineering College now NIT, Jammu and Kashmir.

He was drawn towards left-wing extremist ideology influenced by his father, a prominent Communist Trade Union leader.

During his time in Jammu and Kashmir, he supported the separatist movement of the Kashmiri people.

Following his return, Rao was associated with Communist Party of India-Marxist-Leninist Central Reorganisation Committee group and CPI-ML Rawoof group.

In 1999, he co-founded CPI-ML Naxalbari Group with Konath Muralidharan, also known as Ajith.

Rao was assigned the responsibility of Maharashtra state CPI-ML Naxalbari group, while Muralidharan became the all India secretary.

Rao's history includes arrests in 2000 by Sahadha police of Nandurbar district and subsequent releases, as well as an underground stint in 2002, leading to his arrest by Malkanoor PS police of Karnataka in 2005.

His journey continued with assignments in different regions, including Kolar mines and Ananthapur district, where he married Sarswavthi, a fellow CPI-Maoist cadre.

In 2014, the CPI-ML Naxalbari merged with CPI-Maoist, elevating both K Muralidharan and Rao to the central committee.

In recent years, Rao took on the role of Secretary of the Western Ghats Special Zonal Committee after the arrest of BG. Krishnamurthy in November 2021. Since then he has been working in Tri Junction, Western Ghats and organizing CPI Maoist activities.

In January 2023, he had some health issues and left the Western Ghats for the urban area to get treatment. In March he recovered and he has been planning to go to Maad of Chhattisgarh to attend a meeting and to meet Baswaraj, general secretary, CPI-Maoist, Ganapathi, CCM, etc., leaders.

He came to Hyderabad about 4 days back and was proceeding to Maad, Chhattisgarh to attend a meeting.

Meanwhile, on the specific inputs given by the intelligence department, the Cyberabad police intercepted him on Friday morning in the Kukatpally area.

His arrest was executed with precision, resulting in the seizure of a revolver, a laptop, cash amounting to Rs. 47,250, and other belongings.

Rao is now in custody and will be interrogated regarding his involvement in unlawful activities, operational areas, and connections with activists and mass organisations in Telangana.

He is wanted by the police of Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and the National Investigation Agency.

The government of Maharashtra had announced a reward of Rs 25,00,000 for the informant leading to his apprehension.
Top Congress leaders held deliberations on Saturday at the first meeting of the new Congress Working Committee (CWC) focusing on preparing a comprehensive road map for ensuring the party's victory in the upcoming assembly polls in five states and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

IMAGE: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge along with party leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others attend the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, at Taj Krishna in Hyderabad on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo

By holding the crucial CWC meeting in the Telangana capital, the party is also looking to send out a message that it will go all-out to dislodge the Bharat Rashtra Samiti government in the poll-bound state.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and general secretaries K C Venugopal and Jairam Ramesh, among others, were present at the meeting.

The CWC meeting began around 3 pm, soon after the unfurling of the party flag at the Taj Krishna hotel venue in Hyderabad.

Before the start of the CWC meeting, the first in many years held outside Delhi, Congress chief Kharge said his party has fought for and ushered in democracy, social justice, progress and equality in the country and will continue to fight to preserve national integrity and unity in diversity.

'In consonance with our long cherished philosophy, the Congress Working Committee will craft a comprehensive road map to lead the party towards victory and strengthen the future of our nation and her people,' he said in his message.

In his post on X, Kharge also shared former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's message.

"We had made a promise to the people of Telangana. We have fulfilled that promise," Sonia Gandhi said, referring to the creation of the state of Telangana following the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

She said the Congress has always stood by the aspirations of the people of Telangana.

"Now, it's time to lead the state into a new era of progress and prosperity. The Congress Working Committee stands ready to write a new chapter of development with dignity for all people of Telangana and our nation," she said.

This will be the first CWC meeting after he took over as the party president in October last year.

'The Congress is dedicated to raising the concerns of the common people, and striving to provide them with a government that upholds their rights and aspirations,' Rahul Gandhi said in a Facebook post before the meeting.

During the CWC meeting and the deliberations at the extended working committee session on Sunday discussions about party organisation will take place.

The leaders will hold discussions regarding the upcoming elections in five states, Kharge said.

The focus of the meetings, he said, will be on strengthening the organisation and discussions on alliances will take place in the meeting of the INDIA bloc.

The brainstorming of the Congress top brass during the meeting would prove to be a 'game changer' and a 'transformative moment' for Telangana politics as well as the party, according to party leaders.

The party said 'free and open' discussions would take place during the CWC, asserting that its internal democracy is what makes it different from other parties.

"Everybody is free to voice his or her opinion, suggestion, or criticism. That is the way our party functions," Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera earlier said.

On Sunday, there will be a meeting of the extended CWC to which all state party chiefs and CLP leaders, besides Parliamentary Party office-bearers, Central Election Committee members have been invited to strategize for the upcoming elections.

While the MPs of the party would return to Delhi for the special session of Parliament after the rally, other leaders, CWC members, PCC presidents and CLP leaders will branch out to the various assembly constituencies on September 18.

"The charge sheet against the KCR government will come out, our workers will be there in all assembly constituencies. Along with the leaders, they will participate in this programme," Venugopal earlier said.

Kharge had on August 20 reconstituted the CWC, retaining the old guard and giving space to the young in the 84-member body.

The CWC has 39 regular members, 32 permanent invitees and 13 special invitees. These include 15 women and several new faces such as Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot and Gaurav Gogoi who are among the regular members.
A third-year student of National Institute of Technology-Silchar allegedly died by suicide on the campus, following which his classmates began a protest that eventually turned violent, prompting the police to lathi charge, in which 40 people were injured, officials said on Saturday.

Photograph: Sourav25EC/Wikimedia Commons

The body of the student, a native of Arunachal Pradesh, was found hanging in his hostel room on Friday evening.

Alleging that he was forced to die by suicide because of the actions of the college authority, his classmates stopped the police from taking down the body.

Two hours later, as the police managed to send the body for post-mortem examination, the students began a demonstration in front of dean of academics BK Roy's official residence on the campus.

They alleged that Roy had insulted the victim who got six backlogs in his first semester examination, which was held online in 2021 because of the pandemic.

Due to the lockdown, he was at home and failed to attend the online classes due to lack of internet connectivity, resulting in the backlog, they claimed.

He had appealed to the authorities to conduct a special examination so that he could clear the backlogs but Roy allegedly insulted him.

Following this incident, he locked himself in his room and later his body was found hanging, they said.

The protest over the death escalated, and the students allegedly vandalised Roy's residence, Cachar's Superintendent of Police Numal Mahatta said.

"They attacked the police and other officials as well. At one point, we had to lathi charge to control the situation. We are now investigating the matter," he said.

In the lathi charge, 40 students were injured and they were sent to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) for treatment. The conditions of some of the students are stated to be critical, officials said.

NIT-Silchar director Dilip Kumar Baidya said he has sympathy for the student who died, but he had a bad academic record.

"Some students fail, and they come with illegitimate demands," he said, commenting on the incident.

Cachar's District Commissioner Rohan Kumar Jha visited the campus and formed a committee that will investigate the incident.

The students, however, said that they would continue their protest in a democratic manner.

"Our classmate died because of the wrong decisions of the authorities, we'll continue our protest till justice is served," said one of the protesters.

A large police contingent was deployed at the campus, along with one company of the Central Reserve Police Force, the SP said.
The Seattle Police Officers' Guild has defended the callous remarks of its official, who was found making insensitive comments after the horrific death of Indian student Jaahnavi Kandula, saying some viral videos of police actions shared by media were taken out of context.

Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: Lindsey Wasson/Reuters

Kandula, 23, was struck by a police vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave when she was crossing a street in Seattle on January 23.

He was driving 74 mph (more than 119 kmh) on the way to a report of a drug overdose call.

Kandula was thrown 100 feet when she was struck by the speeding police patrol vehicle.

In bodycam footage released on Monday by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication Dave might be at fault or that a criminal investigation was necessary.

In the video, Auderer can be heard saying, 'Yeah, just write a cheque. $11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value.'

'The video captures only one side of the conversation. There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet...,' the Seattle Police Officers Guild said in a statement on Friday as it also released a letter written by its officer Auderer in which the latter said that he intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers.

Officer Auderer claimed his joke that the city should just write a check was taken out of context during a private call he didn't know was being recorded by his department-issued body camera.

In the letter dated August 3 to the Office of Police Accountability, Auderer said he laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how he has watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy.

'At the time I believed the conversation was private and not being recorded. The conversation was also not within the course of my duties,' he wrote in his letter to Gino Betts, director Office of Police Accountability.

'On January 23, 2023, I was dispatched from home to assist with a fatality collision involving a city vehicle,' he said.

'While en route home I called Mike Solan to give him an update regarding what had occurred. The phone call was inadvertently recorded on my BWV which had turned on. The conversation took place in my patrol car. I was the only occupant. During that phone call Mike Solan stated something to the effect that it was unfortunate that this would turn into lawyers arguing 'The value of human life',' he wrote.

'Mike Solan asked me as he was lamenting the loss of life something similar to: 'What crazy argument can a lawyer make in something like this? What crazy thing can they come up with.' I responded with something like: 'She's 26 years old, what value is there, who cares.' I intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers I was imitating what a lawyer tasked with negotiating the case would be saying and being sarcastic to express that they shouldn't be coming up with crazy arguments to minimise the payment,' Auderer wrote.

'I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I have watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy. At the time I believed the conversation was private and not being recorded. The conversation was also not within the course of my duties,' he said.

'I understand that without context, the comment could be interpreted as horrifying and crude. Without context, the comment is insensitive to the family of the victim when in reality I was involved in a conversation regarding the callousness of the legal system. At the time I had no idea who the victim was,' he wrote.

Auderer said he does understand that if a citizen were to hear it they would rightfully believe he was being insensitive to the loss of a human life.

'I also understand that if heard it could diminish the trust in the Seattle Police Department and make all of our jobs more difficult. With all of that being said the comment was not made with malice or a hard heart, quite the opposite.

'My intent in requesting rapid adjudication is to be as transparent as possible. I am willing to accept any reasonable discipline our accountability partners and the Chief of Police wish to hand down,' he said.

The Seattle Police Officers Guild in its statement said some viral videos of police actions shared by the media fail to explain the full story/context.

'This Seattle Police video is an example of that reality. The video captures only one side of the conversation. There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet SPOG has full confidence that the civilian-led police accountability system known as the Office of Police Accountability / OPA will conduct a thorough and fair investigation,' the guild wrote.

Upon being made aware of the existence of this video, Auderer immediately took ownership of his actions and authored a statement requesting that the Director of OPA (Gino Betts) consider the course of 'Rapid Adjudication', the statement read.

'Rapid Adjudication is a disciplinary process that was agreed to by the City of Seattle and the SPOG to expedite police employee misconduct investigations so accountability can be swiftly addressed, and reasonable discipline imposed. This was done by Dan more than 4 weeks before the release of the video,' the guild said.

Meanwhile, an online petition has been launched and signed by thousands of people seeking to terminate Auderer.

'By allowing Auderer to remain in a position where he interacts with the public, we are putting our community at risk. His actions have shown that he does not prioritize public safety nor respect the rights and dignity of individuals under his jurisdiction,' said the online petition on Change.org.

Auderer was captured on his body camera making a disturbing statement in the moments following the accident, suggesting that Jaahnavi's life had 'limited value'.

When the bodycam footage was leaked this week, several petitions were started on Change.org demanding accountability.

'We call upon Mayor Jenny Durkan, City Council members, and other relevant authorities to prioritise the well-being of our community by addressing these issues promptly. We want justice. Jaahnavi is our daughter, our sister,' said Nishtha Raheja Goel who launched the online petition. By Friday night, the petition had more than 6,700 signatures.

The petitioners urge the authorities responsible for overseeing law enforcement personnel decisions in Seattle to immediately terminate Auderer from his position, conduct thorough background checks during recruitment processes, implement stricter accountability measures within law enforcement agencies and provide comprehensive training on empathy, cultural sensitivity, and appropriate behaviour towards victims and their families.

'By taking these actions, we can restore trust in our police force and ensure the safety of all residents in Seattle. Let us stand united against those who abuse their power and demand justice for Jaahnavi Kandula and all victims who have suffered due to Daniel Auderer's actions,' the petition says.

Seattle Council member Kshama Sawant in a statement called for an immediate, independent, public investigation into this outrage.

'Auderer, who is the Vice President of the Seattle Police Officers' Guild (SPOG), a deeply reactionary organization which has fought against every measure of police accountability, should be immediately fired. Mike Solan, the President of SPOG, should also be fired from the Seattle Police Department,' she said.

The OPA has failed to hold police accountable, and our city's working people need an independently elected community oversight with full powers over the police, including hiring and firing, and policies and procedures.

"Seattle Police Officer Auderer cackled in response to the death of Kandula, a young Indian exchange student after she was run over by Officer Dave's police vehicle, saying her life "had limited value. Auderer's callous disregard for human life shown in this video is particularly chilling because he has a publicly funded gun with the authority to use lethal force," Sawant said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday warned that Bihar's areas close to the borders (seemant) will become 'infested with infiltrators' if Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not voted back to power.

IMAGE: Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses during 'Lok Sabha Pravas' Programme ahead of the Lok Sabha election 2024, at Lalit Karpoori Stadium in Madhubani on Saturday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Shah, widely regarded as the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'principal strategist', made the remark at a rally in Jhanjharpur parliamentary constituency, situated close to Nepal and Bangladesh.

The home minister, who spoke for close to 30 minutes, charged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad of pursuing 'appeasement politics' through measures like cuts in holidays of government schools.

"I would like to congratulate the people of Bihar for putting up a resistance that forced the state government to withdraw its order whereby holidays on Rakshabandhan, the festival of brothers and sisters, and Janmashtami, devoted to Lord Krishna, were done away with," said Shah.

The allusion was to the recent protests by teachers across the state which led the education department to withdraw the new calendar which was brought in with the aim of ensuring that classes were held for the requisite number of days in a year.

Continuing with the tirade against tushtikaran (appeasement), the home minister slammed the Congress, a partner in the state's ruling alliance, for dragging its feet on Ram temple at Ayodhya and Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Showering praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for abrogation of Article 370 and making possible the construction of the temple 'by January next year', the home minister, however, struck an alarming note.

"If the Lalu-Nitish duo (jodi) returns to power in Bihar and Narendra Modi does not come back as prime minister, the entire region will become infested with infiltrators (saara seemant kshetra ghuspaithiyon se bhar jaaega)," said Shah.

"In such a situation, many types of issues will arise in Bihar (anek prakaar ke sawaal khade honge). Do you want the area to be teeming with infiltrators," the home minister asked.

He, however, exuded confidence that the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, which performed well in Bihar in the last couple of Lok Sabha polls, will win 'all 40 seats' of the state in 2024.

Shah also slammed the INDIA coalition for the alleged denigration of 'Sanatan Dharma' and claimed that the Congress-led coalition did away with the previous name 'UPA' because it had been associated with 'scams involving Rs 12 lakh crore'.

"Some of the scams involved Lalu Prasad, who was then the railway minister, to which Nitish Kumar is now turning a blind eye for the sake of his prime ministerial ambitions," alleged Shah.

"But Nitish should know there is no vacancy for the post of the prime minister. His alliance with Lalu is like trying to mix oil with water. The oil does not get dissolved, but water gets contaminated," Shah remarked.

Shah also alleged while the chief minister was thinking of becoming the prime minister, his ally was busy making plans to help son (Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav) occupy the highest seat of power in the state.

The former BJP president began his speech with evocative salutations to goddess Sita, who is believed to have been discovered by King Janaka not very far from the venue of the rally.

The home minister, who slammed the INDIA bloc for alleged denigration of Bihar, underscored the benefits that were likely to accrue to Bihar under the Centre's Ramayana Circuit tourism scheme, which covers many districts of the state.

He also claimed that at the G20 presidency, the showcasing of Nalanda and Madhubani paintings were proof of the high esteem in which Modi held Bihar's heritage.

"It was at the instance of PM Modi that African Union was included in the G20. I have been travelling across the country since then. Young people feel proud of India's growing influence," claimed the Union home minister.

Charging the Nitish Kumar government with being in deep slumber (Kumbhkaran ki neend) as Bihar, particularly the Mithila region, were reeling under floods and lawlessness (jungle raj), Shah claimed the Modi government has so far given Rs 5.92 lakh-crore for various projects in Bihar, as against the UPA that spent less than half the amount.

Shah, who reached the venue by a chopper he took at Darbhanga, credited the Modi government for the airport at the north Bihar town and said an allocation of Rs 1,200 crore has been made to upgrade the one at Patna.

He also blamed the state government for the stalling of construction of AIIMS at Darbhanga 'which would have made Bihar a state with more than one such hospital (after Patna)'.

"The Nitish Kumar government had allotted a tract of land that was unsuitable for the project. Moreover, they have now taken the entire 81 acres back," alleged Shah.
Le hoi Vuong quoc Anh tai Viet Nam nam 2023 1609
Description

Lenny Bruno Farms is thrilled to announce its highly anticipated Annual San Gennaro Feast, a spectacular two-day event celebrating Italian-American culture, delicious cuisine, and the beauty of the farm. The festivities will take place on September 16 and 17, at Lenny Bruno Farms located at 740 Wading River Road, Manorville, NY 11949.

The San Gennaro Feast promises to be a delightful experience for visitors of all ages, with a wide-array of activities and attractions to enjoy. For just $10 per person, attendees will gain access to a vibrant vendor market and food trucks, where local vendors will showcase their culinary prowess using the freshest vegetables right from the farm. From traditional Italian classics to inventive foodie delights, there will be something to tantalize every taste bud with the essence of Italy.

Annual San Gennaro Feast Date: September 16 and 17

Time: 9/16/23  11:00 am - 7:00 pm + 9/17/23  10:00 am - 6:00 pm

Location: Lenny Bruno Farms, 740 Wading River Road, Manorville, NY 11949

Admission: $10 per person (Children 2 and under are free)

For more information, visit www.LennyBrunoFarms.com, or follow them on social media @lennybrunofarms
Lexus

If youre under the impression that owning a luxury car is a massive financial gamble ending in an early trip to the junkyard, you might be surprised.

Be Aware: 6 Used Cars To Stay Away From

Learn: How To Get Cash Back on Your Everyday Purchases

Dont just fall for the old tales that luxury cars are ticking time bombs of expense and trouble, said Todd Bialaszewski, certified master mechanic and founder of Junk Car Medics. The landscape has changed. Reliable, easy-to-maintain luxury cars exist; you must know where to look.

Through my years of turning wrenches, Ive seen that choosing the right luxury vehicle can provide an unparalleled driving experience and be surprisingly reasonable when it comes to maintenance. So, if youre pondering taking that plush leap, make sure youre as informed about whats under the hood as you are about the brands prestige.

Here are four luxury cars that will actually last years.

Lexus ES

The Lexus ES in particular stands out, said Jacob Carter, experienced auto mechanic and owner of Engine Rev Up. Ive had many ES models from the late 90s and early 2000s come through my shop with over 200,000 miles and still running strong. The ES has always used the ultra-reliable Toyota Camry platform and powertrain, so its built to last. Parts and labor are very reasonable compared to other luxury vehicles too. I remember Betty, one of my long-time customers, drove her 2002 ES300 to over 300,000 miles before trading it in! Just regular fluid changes and brake pads was all it ever needed.

Bialaszewski agrees that the Lexus ES is worth considering.

Ive had many Lexus roll into my shop over the years, but the vast majority were in for routine check-ups rather than dire emergencies, Bialaszewski said. I vividly recall a 2011 ES model that came in at 250,000 miles and ran like a champ. Its owner only came in for regular oil changes and the occasional brake pad replacement. With the latest model boasting a reliability score of 87 out of 100 and relatively low average yearly maintenance costs  around $468  its hard to argue against this car as a sound investment.

Story continues

New Car Market: Ford, Tesla Drop Prices by Up To 20% Thanks To Millions of Unwanted EVs

BMW 5 Series

While German luxury cars often have higher maintenance costs, BMW 5 Series models are generally reliable if properly maintained, said Carter. My neighbor Carl brings me his 2008 550i that now has 250,000 miles, but it still drives great thanks to him keeping up with all scheduled maintenance. These cars will last if you care for them.

Bialaszewski agrees that the BMW 5 Series can be a reliable pick.

BMW, traditionally known as a garage hog, has significantly upped its reliability game, he said. The BMW 5 Series has a reliability score 84 and an average annual upkeep of around $825. I had a client, a BMW fan, who had rarely needed more than routine servicing for his 2014 5 Series. He wasnt easy to please, but he had nothing but praise for his ride.

Genesis G90

In my experience, the new Genesis luxury brand from Hyundai builds cars to last, said Carter. The G80 sedan and G90 flagship especially seem very well-engineered. I dont see too many so far, but the ones I have serviced have impeccable build quality. If Hyundais track record is any indication, they should require minimal maintenance and repairs for years.

Bialaszewski is in agreement regarding the Genesis G90 as a reliable,easy-to-maintain luxury car.

So, do you want to push the envelope further? he queried. Enter the Genesis G90. This is a relatively new nameplate that has hit the ground sprinting. With a near-perfect reliability score of 91, the cars annual maintenance wont even cost you more than $524. I recently serviced a G90 for the first time, and I was seriously impressed with the quality of the parts. Its owner mentioned it was her best automotive purchase.

Acura MDX

Acuras, like the MDX, are also well-built for the long haul, said Carter. Ive found them to be very straightforward to work on as well, with an easy-to-service layout under the hood. My buddy Mike is still driving his 2005 MDX with 180,000 miles and it feels just as solid as the day he bought it. The transmission shifts smoothly, and the engine pulls strong.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 4 Luxury Cars That Will Actually Last Years
The warning appears to be part of a bid by the junta to earn cash amid international sanctions.

Vendors in Myanmar who boycott military-produced booze and cigarettes beware  you may be getting a summons from junta authorities.

Thats what happened to restaurant owners on 19th street in Yangons Latha township when representatives of their local ward administration office called them in on Wednesday and warned them to sell the goods or face the consequences, the owners and officials told RFA Burmese.

The military controls businesses that produce and distribute several alcoholic brands in the country, including Myanmar Beer, Mandalay Beer, Black Shield Beer, Mandalay Rum, Army Rum, Andaman God and Dagon branded alcohols, as well as various soft drinks.

It also makes and sells Red Ruby and Premium Gold branded cigarettes.

They told us to sell Myanmar beer, rum and cigarettes produced by their military factories in our restaurants, just like other products we sell, said one owner who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke on condition of anonymity citing fear of reprisal.

They warned us not to discriminate against their products and threatened to take action against those who dont sell them, the owner said. Nobody [from the junta] has come to inspect our restaurants on 19th street yet, but I heard that they did so at restaurants in rural locations.

It was not immediately clear how authorities intend to punish those who ignore the order.

A cashier tallies the sale of Dagon Beer made by Myanmar junta owned Myanmar Economic Corporation, one of the country's main military conglomerates in Yangon, Sept. 2016. Credit: Romeo Gacad/AFP

On the flip side, rebel groups fighting the military, which took control of the government in a 2021 coup, have warned merchants not to sell military-owned brands  saying they would seize and destroy them if discovered.

The General Strike Coordination Body, which organizes boycotts of the military, has also urged the people not to use the products.

The pressure from both sides would seem to put merchants in a bind.

Bid to beat sanctions?

The campaign appears to be the latest bid by a cash-strapped junta to earn money in the face of crushing international sanctions over its repressive rule.

According to the owner, the warning was issued in line with a campaign led by Interior Minister Lieutenant General Yar Pyae to regain market share for beer, liquor and other goods produced by the military throughout the country.

The junta has issued orders to police stations and municipal offices in all states and regions to force shopping centers, stores, shops and restaurants  including those in the juntas base of power, the capital Naypyitaw  to sell its products, a member of the ward administration in Yangons North Okkalapa township told RFA.

He said his office had been assigned to check if the shops and restaurants sell the military-produced goods and submit a paper report by 6:00 p.m. every day.

The junta has yet to release any information about the campaign or what kind of action it might take against those who boycott the militarys products.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
Firefighters work to put out a fire to rescue people at an apartment block in Hanoi on Sept. 13, 2023.

The fire that tore through the nine-story Hanoi apartment building this week and killed 56 people has shed light on Vietnams lax fire safety standards.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang has ordered an investigation, along with tougher regulations for smaller apartment buildings, according to a government statement.

One tenant whose family has been living in a tiny 30-square meter (323-square feet) unit in a five-story building for many years said that after Wednesdays fire in the Thanh Xuan section of Hanoi, he checked the fire prevention system in his building and realized there was none.

Prior to the tragedy, I had already studied our building layout and the surrounding area to see how to escape or how to jump to a neighboring house if a fire occurs, said the man, who requested anonymity for security reasons on Friday.

Our building doesnt properly equip tenants with any fire prevention equipment.

Burned motorbikes and damaged ground floor of a 10-storey building after a major fire at an apartment block in Hanoi on Sept. 13, 2023. Credit: Nhac Nguyen/AFP

His building is located in a small alley in Hanois Ba Dinh district. The road is so narrow that it would be impossible for fire trucks to get to the building if a fire were to break out.

Also, there are no hydrants near the building, nor is it equipped with hoses.

He said he has grave concerns for his familys safety, but the landlord does not seem to care.

After the incident, Ive been waiting to see whether the landlord or the company managing the building would issue any alerts or provide any firefighting equipment but havent received any notification, warning, or any equipment at all, he said.

Living in such an unsafe space is not a choice, he said. It is the only place they can afford.

For people migrating from a rural area to the city like us, we dont have many options, said the man. I have always had a desire to live in a place safe from fire and floods, but our current incomes only allow us to rent out here in the slums.

Mini-apartments

Hanoi is home to around 2,000 similar mini-apartments, while Ho Chi Minh City in the south has around 4,200 of them, according to media reports.

Many in his neighborhood are in worse shape than his, the man said. He once inspected a seven-story building in the district where his friend lives.

The landlord told me that they had built the seven-story building illegally but the local government did not know, he said. From the outside, the building looks like a beautiful house, but when you enter, you will notice that it is divided into many small rooms for students and low-income people to rent.

Mini-apartment is not an approved category of domicile under Vietnamese law, Hoang Anh Tuan, the Director General of the Ministry of Constructions Administration of Construction Management told the local Pioneer (Tien Phong) newspaper.

Relatives weep as they wait outside a funeral house to identify victims of a major fire at an apartment building in Hanoi on Sept. 13, 2023. Credit: AFP

The director general of the ministrys Department of Science, Technology & Environment, Vu Ngoc Anh, said that the mini-apartments had operated similarly to residential apartment buildings, but without fire and safety systems required by law.

Units in similar buildings are available to rent all over the city. A Facebook group called Renting Houses, Houses for Rent, Mini-Apartments, and Cheap Rental Rooms in Hanoi advertises a newly opened 27 room mini-apartment building in the citys Nam Tu Liem district.

But the person who posted the ad would not respond to RFAs questions regarding fire prevention and evacuation measures.

What to do

The man who lived in a mini-apartment said he and his wife have discussed fire prevention measures and agreed on a plan in the event of a fire.

I have instructed my family on how to use electricity and gas or what we should do when a fire occurs, said the man. For example, we must unplug electric appliances after use or always check whether there is a gas leak.

The family has also mapped out the local area and developed plans for what to do with the kids and their valuables.

If a fire breaks out, we must stay calm and figure out the best solution for our family, he said.

He said the buildings electrical system is overtapped, and with so many people living in a cramped space, the floors are cluttered.

I think if a fire breaks out, it would be challenging for the people there to escape, and they would be in a situation similar to the Thanh Xuan fire.

Fire safety

After the Thanh Xuan disaster, the demand for fire prevention equipment has sharply increased. The price for some items has even doubled, sources told RFA Vietnamese.

Nguyen Dinh Ha, a resident living in the upscale Vinhome Times City building in Vinh Tuy district, said that his and other newly built residential buildings in the capital had to fulfill the citys fire prevention requirements before they were handed over to end-users.

Therefore, these residential buildings are not subject to the citys upcoming examination of fire prevention work at multi-family buildings.

A security guard sits as residents watch from far after a major fire at an apartment building in Hanoi on Sept. 13, 2023. Credit: Nhac Nguyen/AFP

He suggested that the city pay attention to the fire prevention of houses in small alleys and mini apartments as their construction did not follow the citys standards like projects on residential building development.

He also recommended installing fire prevention equipment in older residential buildings to enable them to meet the current standards.

Minh Tuan, a Hanoian who moved out from a residential building in Me Tri ward, Nam Tu Liem district, told RFA that after the deadly incident in Thanh Xuan, his building had introduced stiffer fire prevention measures, requiring residents not to recharge their electric vehicles after 11:00 p.m.

Translated by Anna Vu. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster.
Armita Garavand, the 17-year-old girl fatally injured in an alleged confrontation with Iran's morality police over a head-scarf violation, was buried amid tight security in Tehran on October 29.

Unconfirmed reports say several people, including two of Garavands relatives, were arrested during the ceremony at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery in southern Tehran.

Civil rights activist Reza Khandan told RFE/RLs Radio Farda that his wife, prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, was beaten and detained at the funeral.

"A number of participants were arrested and beaten up. Nasrin was among them," Khandan said by phone from Tehran.

WATCH: Scores of mourners attended the burial of Iranian teenager Armita Garavand on October 29 in Tehran. Amateur video obtained by RFE/RL shows raw emotions on display at the Behesht-e Zahra cemetery and at a separate funeral ceremony in the Jaberi mosque. A heavy police presence was observed at both places.

He added that a number of those detained had been released, although others, including Sotoudeh, remained in detention. He said he hasn't been able to contact her.

Irans semiofficial Fars news agency later confirmed that Sotoudeh had been detained, charged with violating the conservative Islamic nation's head-scarf law.

Sotoudeh has previously been arrested and jailed after representing opposition activists, including women prosecuted for removing their mandatory headscarves.

Video clips published on social media showed a large crowds of people -- both men and women -- attending the burial ceremony.



Irans state media had reported Garavands death on October 28, nearly a month after she fell and went into a coma in the Tehran subway.

Garavand was reportedly confronted by the morality police in the subway at the start of October for failing to wear a hijab.



The news of Garavand's death came just over a year after the death of Mahsa Amini following her arrest by Irans morality police for an alleged head-scarf violation sparked nationwide protests and international condemnation.



A relative told Radio Farda that security agents had told the family they would be given Garavand's body under the condition that the burial be held in Tehran and not in their native village in the western province of Kermanshah.



"We live in Tehran, but we don't bury our dead [here]. We hope to receive Armita's body, the family member had said.



Shortly after the subway incident, authorities isolated Garavand family members and attempted to prevent journalists from reaching them. Security measures were still being enforced as of October 28, fueling speculation that authorities were worried about renewed protests in the country.



Rights groups and journalists say Garavand and two of her friends were confronted on October 1 by police officers for not wearing the mandatory hijab as they tried to enter a Tehran subway station.



One of the friends has said the officers physically assaulted Garavand, who later fell unconscious after entering a subway carriage. Officials have said Garavand suffered a sudden drop in blood pressure, fainted, and fell to the floor, hitting her head.



A source at Fajr Hospital, who spoke to Radio Farda on condition of anonymity due to security reasons, said shortly after the incident that Garavand suffered internal bleeding in the brain.



"Unfortunately, she went into a coma for some time after suffering from brain damage. She died a few minutes ago," the official government news agency IRNA said on October 28.

Garavand's condition triggered concerns in the West and among international rights groups after a purported video of the incident circulated on social media. The video shows Garavand entering the subway car, but it does not show what exactly transpired in the seconds before her body is shown being carried back out of it.



Amnesty International has issued a statement saying authorities should allow an independent international delegation, including UN experts, to investigate the circumstances leading up to Garavand's hospitalization. Tehran has left the request unanswered.

The United States on October 29 said it was deeply saddened by the death of Garavand after she was beaten by Iran's morality police for not wearing a hijab in public."

Iran's state-sponsored violence against its own people is appalling and underscores the fragility of the regime, White House national-security adviser Jake Sullivan wrote on social media.

Garavands case, and suggestions of a cover-up by the authorities, has drawn parallels with the events leading up to the death of 22-year-old Amini last year.

Aminis death soon after she was arrested for allegedly violating Irans hijab law triggered the greatest threat to the Islamic republic's leadership since the 1979 revolution.



State media has shown Garavand's parents speaking of various potential causes for their daughter's fall and injury.



It is not clear if the statements were made under duress, but the Hengaw human rights group, which first reported the incident, said on October 5 that Garavand's mother, Shahin Ahmadi, had been detained temporarily by Iranian government security forces.



Earlier this month, Amini and the Women, Life, Freedom movement in Iran that was triggered by her death were awarded this year's Sakharov Prize, the European Parliaments top rights award, the second honor bestowed upon Iranian women this month for their sometimes deadly struggle for human rights after activist Narges Mohammadi won the Nobel Peace Prize.

With reporting by dpa
In a major show of defiance, Iranians have staged new anti-government demonstrations in several cities to protest the death of Armita Garavand, who succumbed over the weekend to injuries suffered in an alleged confrontation with Iran's morality police in the Tehran subway over a head-scarf violation.

Hours after the student's funeral on October 29, which was marked by the violent arrest of several civil activists, anti-government slogans and graffiti in memory of Garavand again were observed in various cities including Tehran, Karaj, Mashhad, Sari, and Shiraz.



In Tehran's Ekbatan neighborhood, which has been one of the epicenters of protests in the Iranian capital over the past year following the September 2022 death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody for an alleged hijab violation, protesters chanted anti-government slogans from windows and rooftops and "Death to Khamenei, the murderer" and "Death to the dictator" -- references to Supreme Leader Ali Ayatollah Khamenei -- echoed through the streets.



Such slogans were also heard in several other neighborhoods in Tehran including Amirabad Tehranpars, and Zafar. Protesters also refuted the government's narrative regarding Garavand's death with slogans like "They killed our Armita and blamed it on the hijab."



Videos also showed some protesters writing the name "Armita Garavand" and the slogan "Women, life, freedom" on the shores of Bandar Anzali in the northern province of Gilan.



Meanwhile, reports of "violence" by security forces during Garavand's funeral have emerged.

Reza Khandan, a civil activist and husband of human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh, confirmed his wife's arrest during the funeral. He said that during her arrest, she was severely beaten by security agents.



According to Khandan, many of those arrested during Armita Garavand's funeral were held at the Vozara detention center, "the same place where Mahsa Amini was killed by government agents last year."



The Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), confirmed Sotoudeh's arrest, claiming she was detained for "removing her hijab and acting against society's mental security."

The Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) said on October 30 that Sotoudeh was released after more than two hours of detention and slammed Iranian authorities for their treatment of those marking Garavand's death.

"Beating and arresting unarmed civilians for peacefully mourning yet another death of a young girl in state custody is a continuation of the atrocities the Iranian government is continuously inflicting upon the Iranian people," CHRI Executive Director Hadi Ghaemi said.

"These activists were at the funeral because Iranian authorities operate with impunity, killing and detaining people including teenagers for entirely peaceful actions, like showing their hair in public, or raising their voices to demand fundamental rights," he added.

The Coordination Council of Iranian Teachers' Unions reported the arrest of Masood Zeinalzadeh, a board member of the Tehran Teachers' Union, during the funeral. The association also announced that Mohammad Garavand, a teachers' rights activist, was arrested by security forces.

Rights groups and journalists say Garavand and two of her friends were confronted on October 1 by police officers for not wearing the mandatory hijab as they tried to enter a Tehran subway station.

One of the friends has said the officers physically assaulted Garavand, who later fell unconscious after entering a subway car. Officials have said Garavand suffered a sudden drop in blood pressure, fainted, and fell to the floor, hitting her head.

A source at Fajr Hospital, who spoke to Radio Farda on condition of anonymity due to security reasons, said shortly after the incident that Garavand suffered internal bleeding in the brain. She succumbed to her injuries on October 28.

Since Garavand fell into a coma, Iranian officials have pressured those around the 16-year-old student to avoid talking about the situation or later on commemorating her death.



Alborz Sadeghi, the son of Manzar Zarabi, a mother who lost four family members when the IRGC shot down a Ukrainian plane in January 2022, told RFERL's Radio Farda that his mother was arrested after being "severely beaten" during Garavand's burial.

Khandan said she had also been released.



Garavand's case, and suggestions of a cover-up by the authorities, has drawn parallels with the events leading up to the death of Amini.



In recent months, Tehran's municipality has deployed agents known as "hijab guards" in Tehran's subway to confront women and girls failing to wear the mandatory hijab.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Iranian authorities briefly detained the father of the 22-year-old woman whose death in custody exactly one year ago sparked a year of dramatic anti-regime protests that have persisted despite a brutal crackdown.

Amjad Amini, the late Mahsa Amini's father, was detained outside his home on September 16 and taken to the Intelligence Ministry in his hometown of Saghez for interrogation, RFE/RL's Radio Farda has learned.

Sources close to the matter later told Radio Farda that Amjad Amini had been sent home after questioning but has been told that he and other family members are not allowed to leave their house for the day.

He was told that he and his family are not allowed to leave their house today.

Their house has been surrounded by security forces who have blocked the street to ward off public signs of dissent.

Meanwhile, official Iranian media reported arrests of groups accused of plotting disruption or contributing to "hostile media" on the anniversary, and Iran's president preceded the day by meeting with the families of troops reportedly killed since the unrest began.

IRNA news agency said authorities arrested an undisclosed number of people among groups "planning to create chaos" or contributing to reports for "hostile media," AFP reported.

It identified three areas of Iran -- the northwest, the south, and Amini's home province, Kurdistan -- where arrests were made.

IRNA reported on September 16 that a fire was started by female inmates burning their clothes in a prison ward at the Qarchak jail near Tehran. It said the blaze was quickly put out by guards, and it wasnt immediately clear if the action was a protest related the anniversary of Amini's death.

IRNA also said President Ebrahim Raisi met on September 15 in the northeastern city of Mashhad with "the families of security defenders" including two members of the Basij paramilitary force killed while trying to break up a protest in November.

Those two deaths were blamed on Majid Reza Rahnavard, who was among seven people Iranian authorities have officially executed over their alleged participation in the protests.

Security appeared tight in many cities around Iran on the first anniversary of Kurdish-Iranian Amini's death, after a night of scattered protests condemning the supreme leader and demanding rights for women.

Areas of the capital, Tehran, and major cities like Mashhad in the northeast and Shiraz to the south saw demonstrators defy a clampdown late on September 15 to chant slogans including "Death to the dictator!" and "Woman, life, freedom!"

Amini's death last year after eyewitnesses reported her being beaten as she was detained in Tehran by Iran's morality police and signs of a cover-up ignited anger that represents the greatest public threat to the religious regime there in more than a decade.

Rights groups say the ensuing crackdown has killed upward of 500 people and landed many more in jail or with long prison sentences.

Police and security forces have conducted roundups and other shows of force in recent weeks and warned Amini's family and others to avoid marking the anniversary or risk serious consequences.

Still, late on September 15 there were signs of protest in at least a dozen neighborhoods of the capital and at least a half-dozen cities.

The human rights website Hengav reported that armed troops of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) had been stationed around the home of Amini's family in her northwestern hometown of Saghez, where she is also buried. It quoted an informed source saying the security presence included motorized IRGC forces and a large number of troops.

Amini's family reportedly published a text announcing a "traditional and religious ceremony" at her gravesite but were threatened and pressured to rescind the call.

Amini died in a Tehran hospital on September 16, 2022 after falling into a coma following her detention by the Guidance Patrol that enforces morality laws including a strict dress code for women that has been the object of protest since the early days after the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

An official report suggested she had died of heart failure connected to a previous condition, but eyewitnesses reported seeing her beaten and family said her body showed signs of violence.

The Kurdpa website published video that showed security forces all around the Amini family home.

Persian-language social media were filled with videos and images of purported protest actions around the country, many of them roadblocks or other forms of nighttime disruption.

Videos showed a group of cars blocking roads and honking horns in the city of Baneh, in Kurdistan Province.

The city of Marivan also witnessed scattered protests in parts of the city late on September 15 despite the widespread deployment of security forces. Protesters lit fires in some areas and chanted protest slogans.

In the city of Abdanan in Ilam Province, security forces failed to prevent a group of protesters lighting a fire in streets.

In the city of Piranshahr, in West Azerbaijan Province, a group of people blew car horns and created roadblocks.

In Mahabad, revolutionary songs could be heard playing from the loudspeakers of several mosques.

Hengav cited protest gatherings in a handful of other cities, including Abdanan, Kermanshah, Marivan, and Sanandaj.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) described Iranian authorities as creating a "chokehold on dissent" in recent weeks amid "ramped-up repression" to stifle peaceful expression ahead of the September 16 anniversary. The group cited "intimidation, arrests, prosecutions, and trials of activists, artists, dissidents, lawyers, academics, students, and family members of those who were killed during the 2022 protests."

The United States introduced fresh sanctions against more than two dozen individuals and entities connected to Iran's "violent suppression" of the Amini protests, the U.S. Treasury Department said on September 15.

Britain announced a similar move.

Protests marking the anniversary were also seen on September 16 in several foreign cities, including London, Vienna, Berlin, Rome, and Toronto.

Late on September 15, Iran lashed out at the United States over what a Foreign Ministry spokesman called an "illegal" decision to introduce the new sanctions.

Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani alleged in a statement "illegal and undiplomatic actions" and complained of "interventionist actions and statements and ridiculous and hypocritical" shows of international support for the protesters, AFP reported.

Addressing European leaders, he said "unconstructive behavior...does not serve their interests."

Jailed Iranian rights activist Narges Mohammadi said in a message from Evin prison that the anniversary of Amini's death symbolizes "the oppression of the theocratic authoritarian regime against Iranian women."

She said the Woman, Life, Freedom movement that erupted nearly a year ago is a testament to the resilience of protesters and the waning authority of the "theocratic authoritarian regime."

With reporting by AFP
Tehran has informed the UN nuclear watchdog that it has withdrawn the designation of several agency nuclear experts assigned to inspect enrichment activities in Iran, a move strongly condemned by the organizations chief.

These inspectors are among the most experienced agency experts with unique knowledge in enrichment technology, Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said in a statement on September 16.

They have conducted essential verification work at the enrichment facilities in Iran which are under agency safeguards, he added.

Grossi said that with todays decision, Iran has effectively removed about one-third of the core group of the agencys most experienced inspectors designated for Iran.

He added that Tehrans move, "while formally permitted by the NPT Safeguards Agreement, has been exercised by Iran in a manner that affects in a direct and severe way the ability of the IAEA to conduct effectively its inspections in Iran."

Iran complained later that the United States and the so-called E3 -- Britain, France, and Germany -- had politicized the IAEA board for their own interests, but said it would nevertheless continue to cooperate with the nuclear watchdog.

"Unfortunately, despite Iran's positive, constructive, and continuous interaction of the with the agency, the three European countries and the United States abused the [IAEA's] Board of Governors for their own political purposes," Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said.

No reason for the move against the inspectors was immediately given.

Reuters quoted a Vienna-based diplomat as saying Iran had withdrawn the designation of all the German and French inspectors. There already were no U.S. or British inspectors on the team.

Earlier this year, Tehran had vowed to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog to resolve outstanding issues after inspections -- under the international Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) -- reportedly showed that Tehran had enriched uranium to near nuclear-weapons grade.

Grossi, speaking to reporters in Vienna on March 4 following a two-day visit to Tehran, said a new agreement included the reinstallation of monitoring equipment and would allow access to experts for an investigation into uranium traces at three undeclared sites.

On September 13, more than 60 countries demanded that Iran immediately answer questions about its nuclear program in a statement read by a Danish diplomat at the IAEA board meeting in Vienna.

The statement demanded that Tehran disclose the current location of nuclear materials from former secret facilities and sought clarification on other ambiguities about Iran's uranium stockpile.

A day later, the United States and its three European allies threatened Tehran with another UN resolution, although they didn't specify when or if they would actually do so."

Grossi said Tehrans latest move was an overreaction to those outside demands.

I strongly condemn this disproportionate and unprecedented unilateral measure which affects the normal planning and conduct of agency verification activities in Iran and openly contradicts the cooperation that should exist between the agency and Iran, he said.

Without effective cooperation, confidence and trust will continue to be elusive and the agency will not be in a position to discharge effectively its verification mandate in Iran and provide credible assurances that nuclear material and activities in Iran are for peaceful purposes.

He called on Tehran to reconsider its decision and to return to a path of cooperation with the agency.

Iran has insisted that its nuclear program is strictly for civilian purposes.

With reporting by RFE/RLs Radio Farda
Kyiv said it was continuing offensive operations against Russian forces in the east and south as alarms sounded throughout Ukraine on September 16, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy thanked Western and other allies for helping to make significant progress with defense agreements and other support packages for his embattled nation.

Meanwhile, Russia rejected Ukrainian claims of retaking a strategic village in the Donetsk region as its full-scale invasion of Ukraine approached its 20th month, while the Kremlin also said defense forces had shot down two drones outside Moscow overnight.

Separately, Washington confirmed plans for potentially crucial support-building meetings next week between Ukraine's visiting president and U.S. political leaders.

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.

Around midday, air alerts sounded in a number of regions of Ukraine as the country's military warned of the threat of ballistic attacks on population centers.

The alarms blared in the capital, Kyiv, as well as in the Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Poltava, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolayiv, and Zaporizhzhya, and Odesa regions.

A series of blasts was reported in the Kharkiv region, although information on possible casualties or damages was initially unavailable.

The Ukrainian General Staff said on September 16 that its forces were conducting defensive operations in eastern and southern Ukraine and offensive operations around Melitopol and Bakhmut.

It claimed "success" in the Klishchiyevka area of the Donetsk region.

Ukrainian Digital Transformation Minister Mykhaylo Fedorov, who has participated in building up his country's advanced fighting abilities, warned Moscow's military that following recent attacks on Russian naval targets in the Black Sea, "There will be more drones, more attacks, and fewer Russian ships. Thats for sure."

Governor Roman Starovoit of Russia's Kursk region said on Telegram on September 16 that Ukrainian forces shelled a village in Russia's Kursk region, killing a 30-year-old civilian.

He also said that 17 Ukrainian projectiles had struck a village in the Korenevsky District of the Kursk region, causing damage but no injuries.

The Ukrainian side routinely avoids commenting on the increasing number of attacks inside Russian territory by unmanned aerial vehicles.

Russian media outlet RBC said in late August that it had tallied more than 500 claims by Russian authorities of drone attacks inside Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began 18 months ago. In 110 cases, casualties or damage were reported.

Russia's Defense Ministry also rejected the Ukrainian military's claim from earlier in the week that Kyiv's forces had recaptured the village of Andriyivka, near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, where a Russian-backed separatist group called the Donetsk People's Republic operates.

"The enemy did not abandon plans to capture the city of Artyomovsk of the Donetsk People's Republic and continued to conduct assault operations...unsuccessfully trying to oust Russian troops from the population centers of Klishchiyivka and Andriyivka," the Russian ministry said in its daily briefing, according to Reuters.

RFE/RL can't independently confirm battlefield claims by either side in areas of the heaviest fighting in Ukraine, and censorship and strictures on the media seriously hinder reporting in Russia.

Reports have suggested that pressure from the United States and other allies has mounted on Ukraine to demonstrate success in the ongoing major counteroffensive it launched in June. Zelenskiy and other Ukrainian officials have pushed back on criticisms about the pace of the Ukrainian military's push to retake Russian-occupied areas of southern and eastern Ukraine.

Early this month, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy announced that he had replaced Ukraine's defense minister because "new approaches" were needed.

In his nightly video address, Zelenskiy on September 16 thanked his nations allies for their continued support In the fight against the Russian invasion.

"This week, weve made significant progress in implementing existing defense agreements and other support packages," Zelenskiy said.

"Denmark, thank you for the new defense package, which is already the 12th package. Equipment, ammunition, and missiles for our air defense," he said.

"Germany, thank you for the new batch of military aid. Belgium, your participation in our pilot training is approved. Thank you! Norway, your decision to provide additional funding for Ukraine's recovery. It's crucial. Thank you!"

He also singled out the United States and South Korea for their support.

U.S. national-security adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed on September 15 that President Joe Biden will host Zelenskiy in Washington on September 21 for what will be their third meeting at the White House.

WATCH: U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE Michael Carpenter tells RFE/RL how Zelenskiy could use a meeting with Biden next week to press the case for further military support.

Both Biden and Zelenskiy are slated to address the 78th session of the UN General Assembly next week, and Zelenskiy is expected to use his in-person appearance with U.S. and world leaders to rally support and plead for advanced weapons and ammunition to aid his country's ongoing counteroffensive to retake Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces.

Sullivan also said Zelenskiy will visit the U.S. Capitol, where he can meet "congressional leaders from both parties to make the case that the United States has been a great friend and partner to Ukraine throughout this entire brutal war."

The U.S. Congress is currently debating Biden's request to provide as much as $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

U.S. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters on September 16 that any help from Pyongyang is not likely to make a major difference in Moscows war effort.

Would it have a huge difference? Im skeptical of that, Milley said, adding that while any weapons assistance would be of concern, "I doubt that it would be decisive.

With reporting by Reuters
A middle-aged lawyer, Nia Beg, is anxious after a large incursion by Islamist militants rattled his homeland in northwestern Pakistan this month.

Beg is Kalash, and he follows the ancient pagan religion practiced in Bumburet and other remote valleys collectively called Kalash in the northwestern district of Chitral, which borders eastern Afghanistan.

He says that attacks by scores of Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on several villages in Kalash pose hard questions about the security of Chitral, which had rarely seen Taliban violence and is one of Pakistan's top tourist destinations because of its unique culture and natural beauty.

"My children ask me, 'How will we now go to school or walk freely in our village?'" he told RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal after the Taliban incursion into Chitral that began on September 6.

Pakistan claimed to have repulsed the attack and forced the TTP militants to retreat into Afghanistan.

On September 6, the military said four soldiers and 12 militants were killed in clashes. In a sign that all was not well in Chitral, the government imposed a three-day curfew in the mountainous region.

On September 10, the military said it killed seven more militants in ongoing "sanitization" operations. Gunship helicopters were also used, which suggests some of the TTP militants were well entrenched.

"Residents of Kalash are extremely frightened because the Taliban are religious extremists," Abdul Majeed Qureshi, a local Muslim leader, told Radio Mashaal.

"We want the Taliban attacks to end permanently," he added.

The once-peaceful Chitral region now appears to be in the crosshairs of the TTP, whose insurgency has grown remarkably after its ideological and organizational ally, the Afghan Taliban, returned to power in Afghanistan two years ago.

Experts say the surprise incursion into Chitral showcases the TTP's attempt to reestablish a territorial foothold in Pakistan.

After its emergence in 2007, the TTP controlled large areas in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. But by 2014, Islamabad's military operations had forced it to flee into neighboring Afghanistan, which shares a more than 2,600-kilometer border with Pakistan.

"Chitral's complex terrain and geographical importance made it a significant option for the TTP to challenge the states territorial control," said Abdul Sayed, a Sweden-based researcher who tracks the TTP.

"The TTP's attack on Chitral is part of its ambition to establish a stronghold on the Pakistani side of the border," he added.

Chitral, now divided into Upper and Lower Chitral districts, consists of high-altitude valleys in the Hindu Kush Mountains. It borders the eastern Afghan provinces of Kunar, Nuristan, and Badakhshan. A narrow strip of Afghan territory separates it from China and Tajikistan, which gives the region great strategic significance.

"The TTP wants to carve out a new safe haven that could serve its objectives," said Ihsanullah Tipu Mehsud, director of news at Khorasan Diary, a website tracking militant groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Mehsud argues that the TTP's incursion into Chitral "is very dangerous" because the group might want to carve out other sanctuaries in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces, which form Pakistan's western border with Afghanistan.

After its emergence in 2007 as an umbrella alliance of Pakistani Taliban groups, the TTP swiftly extended its control over large parts of the South Waziristan, North Waziristan, Mohmand, Bajaur, and Swat districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Years of TTP attacks and the Pakistani Army's counterinsurgency killed more than 80,000 Pakistanis, predominantly ethnic Pashtuns. The violence also displaced more than 6 million Pashtuns.

"The TTP is seeking to restore some of the territorial control it once enjoyed in regions such as Swat and Waziristan," Mehsud said.

TTP violence has risen dramatically since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021. The Taliban-led government brokered negotiations between Islamabad and the TTP, but these ended in November after the TTP formally declared that its cease-fire with Islamabad was over.

According to the Pakistani Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, a think tank in Islamabad, this August was the most violent month since November 2014.

The TTP claimed some 147 attacks that month. During the first eight months of the year, 227 Pakistanis were killed and 497 were injured in 22 suicide attacks, mostly claimed by the Pakistani Taliban.

The Pakistani military and law enforcement have endured mounting losses. At least 120 soldiers and military officers were killed in militant attacks in the first six months of this year. The police, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, have had similar losses.

Rising TTP violence has sharply deteriorated relations between longtime allies Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban.

Islamabad swiftly closed its main border crossing with Afghanistan in Torkham, which is some 400 kilometers to the south. It has also launched a crackdown on an estimated 3 million Afghan refugees and migrants in the country.

We expect the Afghan interim authoritiesto ensure that Afghan territory is not used as a launching pad for terrorist attacks against Pakistan," said the Foreign Ministry in Islamabad on September 11 in response to a Taliban statement demanding the reopening of Torkham.

The border crossing was reopened on September 15.

Sayed said the mountainous border between Chitral and the eastern Afghan province of Nuristan comprises deserted areas known as No-Man's Land.

This could give the Afghan Taliban the pretext that the TTP has not attacked from areas under their control, he said.

Mehsud said the TTP attack was also encouraged by the relatively small presence of security forces in Chitral. It is also the only region where the Pakistani border fencing with Afghanistan is incomplete.

"Things are reaching a boiling point between the two countries," Mehsud noted. "Pakistan might launch surgical attacks or kinetic actions inside Afghanistan to target the TTP leaders and their bases."

On September 10, an improvised explosive device targeted a senior TTP commander, Badshah Khan, in the southeastern Afghan province of Paktika.

In Chitral, civilians remain anxious in the aftermath of the TTP attack.

"People are worried that if the Taliban continues to attack, tourists will stop coming," said Ihkamuddin, a local politician in Bumburet.
Key Insights

Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, AVITA Medical's stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions

The top 25 shareholders own 49% of the company

Ownership research along with analyst forecasts data help provide a good understanding of opportunities in a stock

Every investor in AVITA Medical, Inc. (ASX:AVH) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 49% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company.

Given the vast amount of money and research capacities at their disposal, institutional ownership tends to carry a lot of weight, especially with individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of AVITA Medical, beginning with the chart below.

See our latest analysis for AVITA Medical

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About AVITA Medical?

Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing.

We can see that AVITA Medical does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see AVITA Medical's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story.

Story continues

It would appear that 5.1% of AVITA Medical shares are controlled by hedge funds. That catches my attention because hedge funds sometimes try to influence management, or bring about changes that will create near term value for shareholders. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is The Vanguard Group, Inc. with 9.8% of shares outstanding. BlackRock, Inc. is the second largest shareholder owning 8.4% of common stock, and Pura Vida Investments, LLC holds about 5.1% of the company stock.

On studying our ownership data, we found that 25 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.

Insider Ownership Of AVITA Medical

The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. Company management run the business, but the CEO will answer to the board, even if he or she is a member of it.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Shareholders would probably be interested to learn that insiders own shares in AVITA Medical, Inc.. It has a market capitalization of just AU$635m, and insiders have AU$14m worth of shares, in their own names. It is good to see some investment by insiders, but it might be worth checking if those insiders have been buying.

General Public Ownership

With a 42% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over AVITA Medical. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand AVITA Medical better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for AVITA Medical you should be aware of.

If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Five years ago, a massive floating dry dock near the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk accidentally sank and nearly took the flagship of the Russian Navy, the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov, with it.

It was a major headache for Russia's Navy: The dry dock, called the FD-50, was one of the only ones capable of servicing massive ships like the Kuznetsov or the battlecruiser Pyotr Veliky. The next closest was nearly 10,000 kilometers east in the Pacific region of Primorye.

Despite plans to raise it, the dock remains at the bottom of the Barents Sea harbor.

Now Russia has another dry dock problem in the home port of the Black Sea Fleet: Sevastopol, the naval port on the occupied-Crimean Peninsula.

Two adjacent docks at the Sevmorzavod repair facility were hit, reportedly with British-supplied cruise missiles, on September 13, damaging at least two ships under repairs, including a submarine.

It's unclear whether the attack -- the largest on the Russian fleet base since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 -- damaged only the two ships or the dry docks themselves.

Either way, experts say, Black Sea naval capabilities are likely seriously curtailed for the foreseeable future. There are no comparable facilities capable of conducting major repair works on Russian naval ships anywhere else in the Black Sea.

"While the specific strike will have an impact on [Black Sea Fleet] operations, the larger impact is cumulative," said Dmitry Gorenburg, a research scientist who focuses on the Russian military at the Center for Naval Analyses, a think-tank near Washington, D.C. "Overall, I see Russia's control over the Black Sea slipping gradually."

Thord Are Iversen, a Norwegian defense analyst and former Royal Norwegian Navy officer, said the docks themselves seem to have to only sustained superficial damage.

"Dry docks are hard targets, difficult to inflict heavy damage to. The main challenge will likely be to clear the wreckage," he said.

'Now A Barn Rather Than A Factory'

Since seizing and occupying Crimea in 2014, Russia has expanded its military footprint on the peninsula, building up garrisons and air defenses. It's invested heavily in infrastructure in Sevastopol, a historic naval port that previously housed both the Russian and Ukrainian Black Sea navies.

With its annexation, Russia seized the few remaining ships belonging to the Ukrainian Navy that were housed at Sevastopol. Other Ukrainian ships were either scuttled, sunk, or seized elsewhere around the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.

With its dominance of the Black Sea, Russia used its navy to transfer personnel and equipment to Crimea and elsewhere. More significantly, it used ships to bombard Ukrainian cities and military forces with cruise missiles.

On April 14, 2022, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, the guided missile cruiser Moskva, was hit and sunk west of Crimea, south of the port of Odesa. Ukrainian officials later said modified Neptune anti-ship missiles had been used in the attack, a major embarrassment for the Russian Navy.

Estimates of the death toll among sailors ranged from a couple dozen to hundreds; a week after the incident, Russia's Defense Ministry said one sailor had died and 27 were missing, figures that many experts concluded were implausible.

Russian surface ships and submarines have continued to play a role in the ongoing war, mainly firing missiles at land targets but also shadowing Ukrainian cargo ships used to ship grain to world markets.

At the same time, with the help of billions of dollars in Western weaponry and equipment, Ukraine's armed forces have gradually built up their arsenals including artillery and rocket systems, kamikaze drones that function like mini-missiles, and longer-range missiles.

That includes air-launched cruise missiles from Britain -- called Storm Shadows -- and a French variant called SCALP.

In the early morning of September 13, Ukraine targeted the Sevastopol port facilities, including the Sevmorzavod repair facility, with a barrage of 10 cruise missiles. At least 24 people were wounded in the Sevastopol attack, according to local Russian administrators.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its air-defense systems downed seven missiles. It also said three unmanned maritime drones had attacked the patrol ship Vasily Bykov off of Crimea but the ship had destroyed the drones.

Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for Ukraine's military intelligence agency, said two ships on two adjacent dry docks at Sevmorzavod -- a landing ship called the Minsk and a Kilo-class diesel submarine called the Rostov-on-Don -- had been destroyed.

The claims could not be independently verified.

However, satellite imagery released over the following days showed the two damaged ships. Naval experts said the Minsk appeared to have been heavily damaged, possibly rendered inoperable. The Rostov-On-Don, one of four cruise-missile capable submarines in the Black Sea Fleet, also sustained major damage.

The Russian Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said the ships will be fully restored and "will continue to serve in combat as part of their fleets."

Experts said the evidence was less clear about whether the dry docks were damaged. But it will take considerable time to remove the damaged ships -- possibly months. The bigger question now is whether other Russian ships, specifically submarines, can be serviced and repaired.

The Russians "have nowhere to repair damaged ships," Natalya Humenyuk, a spokesman for Ukraine's southern military command, said in post on Telegram, because the repair facility now resembles "a barn rather than a factory."

"Long term, depending on how long it takes to get the docks attacked back in operation, the impact on maintenance could prove significant," Iversen told RFE/RL. "Delays in maintenance could consign ship and subs to port, making them unavailable for operations and vulnerable to Ukrainian attacks."

There are a limited number of other floating docks in Crimea, as well as in other Crimean ports like Kerch and Feodosiya. But experts said those all lack the specialized infrastructure needed to do complicated repairs, on submarines or many naval ships.

In Novorossiysk, for example, a major oil and gas port located about 500 kilometers east of Sevastopol, there are no facilities for servicing specific naval ships like submarines.

"Future Ukrainian strikes could add to the maintenance problems. If they inflict damage to key facilities in Sevastopol it could turn critical, and the Russians have no easy ways out of this situation," Iversen said. "Retrofitting another yard to take over from Sevastopol will take time -- time a Black Sea Fleet at war does not have."

Ukraine's military intelligence agency on September 11 announced that its forces had recaptured several offshore oil and gas drilling platforms known informally as Boyko Towers. Russian forces have used the strategically located platforms as forward bases and helicopter pads; Russia was also believed to have installed radar installations and missile systems on the platforms.

The willingness of Ukraine to use air-launched cruise missiles to target Russian facilities and air defenses in Crimea, plus seizing the oil-and-gas platforms, highlights "a steady deterioration" of the Russian Black fleet's ability to protect itself, Gorenburg said.

"Russian ships are increasingly vulnerable in port in Sevastopol," he told RFE/RL. "Repairs are difficult when your dry docks can be attacked."

Either way, Ukraine expects to be able to conduct more attacks on Russian ships, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhaylo Fedorov said on September 15.

"There will be more drones, more attacks, and fewer Russian ships. That's for sure," he told Reuters.
Thousands of Jewish pilgrims celebrated the Jewish New Year 5784 in Uman on September 15. The Ukrainian city is home to the grave of Rabbi Nachman (1772-1810), a key figure for the Hasidic movement in Judaism. Pilgrims from Israel, the United States, and other countries have defied warnings from Ukrainian and Israeli authorities that travelers to Ukraine must be aware of the risk of Russian air attacks.
Welcome to The Azadi Briefing, an RFE/RL newsletter that unpacks the key issues in Afghanistan. To subscribe for free, click here.



I'm Frud Bezhan, regional desk editor for Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Here's what I've been tracking and what I'm keeping an eye on in the days ahead.

The Key Issue

Several powerful earthquakes and aftershocks have killed at least 2,400 people and injured thousands more in western Afghanistan, with hundreds of others still missing.

Entire villages have been flattened in the past week in the western province of Herat, in the deadliest temblors to hit Afghanistan in around 25 years.

At least 17,000 people have been affected by the earthquakes on October 7 and October 11, according to the United Nations. Many have lost their homes and been forced to sleep out in the open.

Another earthquake was reported on October 13 in the neighboring province of Badghis. There were no immediate reports of casualties and damage.

The UN children's agency UNICEF said that 90 percent of those killed in the earthquakes in Herat were children and women. Many men in Zindah Jan district, the epicenter of the first and deadliest tremor, work in neighboring Iran and send remittances to their families.

Foreign aid agencies said they have sent supplies to the region, including food, medical kits, and tents. But some survivors said they have yet to receive any assistance and have been forced to fend for themselves.

"We have no shelter and no food, Juma Gul, a resident of Zindah Jan, told RFE/RLs Radio Azadi. We have nothing left."

Local charities and volunteers have accused the Taliban of preventing them from independently collecting and distributing aid to survivors of the earthquakes.

Why It's Important: The earthquakes have exacerbated the devastating humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, the worlds largest.

An estimated 15 million people -- out of a population of around 40 million -- are going hungry. Another 6 million are on the verge of starvation, according to the UN.

The World Food Program (WFP) has called the recent earthquakes a disaster on top of a disaster. The UN body said it could only afford to support 3 million people due to a massive shortfall in international funding.

Aid agencies have appealed for more funds to deal with the fallout from the deadly earthquakes. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in an October 12 statement called for immediate international support.

What's Next: Many survivors, having lost their homes and possessions, fear the harsh winter months ahead.

The nights are getting very cold, Mohammad Aref, a resident of Zindah Jan, told Radio Azadi. If it continues like this, we will not be able to live in a tent. We need proper shelter.

Abdul Razzaq, a medical worker in Herat, told Radio Azadi that hunger and disease are spreading in communities affected by the earthquakes.

"People have stomach problems, pneumonia, and sore throats. Some people live in tents. Others dont even have tents.

What To Keep An Eye On

The Pakistani authorities have demolished two makeshift settlements housing mostly Afghan refugees and migrants outside the capital, Islamabad.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) said the illegal settlements located on government land were bulldozed on October 11.

The settlements were believed to be decades old and consisted of dozens of houses and farms.

Why It's Important: The demolition of the settlements comes as Islamabad intensifies its crackdown on the estimated 1.7 million undocumented Afghan migrants living in the South Asian country.

Pakistans Interior Ministry announced on October 3 that illegal migrants living without legal status in Pakistan had until November 1 to leave voluntarily or face deportation.

The announcement has triggered an increase in police abuse against Afghans, including harassment, assault, and arbitrary detention, according to Human Rights Watch.

In an October 12 statement, the human rights group urged Pakistan to drop its threat to deport Afghans, saying many were at grave risk of being returned to persecution and other abuse in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

That's all from me for now. Don't forget to send me any questions, comments, or tips that you have. You can always reach us at azadi.english@rferl.org.



Until next time,



Frud Bezhan



If you enjoyed this briefing and don't want to miss the next edition, subscribe for free here. It will be sent to your inbox every Friday.
burakpekakcan / iStock.com

Money has a long history  one filled with stories, details and facts that are not necessarily presented on the surface when we use it to buy goods and purchase services. There are a lot of coins still in circulation that are valuable beyond what they originally were when they came out of the mint. The same is true for bills that are still floating around currently.

Read More: Check Your $2 Bills  They Could Be Worth Upwards of $4,500

Find Out: What To Do If You Owe Back Taxes to the IRS

While lots of collectors are on the hunt for these bills of currency, there is the possibility that you come across them in your everyday transactions. If you do, make sure you know what to look for and how to assess if its the real deal.

Remember, the value of these bills can vary significantly based on factors like condition and rarity, cautioned James Smith, the founder of Travel-Lingual, a platform for learning about different cultures and currencies worldwide. Always consult with a reputable currency appraiser or collector for an accurate assessment.

Here are the five most valuable American paper bills still in circulation today.

The 1861 $1,000 Bill

The $1,000 bill holds the record for being the largest denomination ever printed for public consumption. It is valued in the range of $1,500 to $2,500, depending on what condition it shows up in when you find it.

First issued in 1861 by the U.S. government, this bill was added as one of the initial banknotes used by the Confederate States of America. You will recognize it due to the large portrait of President Grover Cleveland printed on one side.

How You Can Make Up To $100,000 From Coin Roll Hunting: Here Are 5 Tips for Making Money From This Hobby

The 1928 $500 Bill

While it was introduced in 1928, the last $500 bill to hit the American money circulation circle happened in 1945. It features a portrait of President William McKinley.

Depending on its condition, it is worth between $1,000 to $1,500. This $500 bill was officially and formally discontinued 24 years after its introduction, in 1969.

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The 1950 $100 Bill

Of all the bills that are valuable and still in circulation, the 1950 $100 is the most commonly used bill today. Its rare in that it features a detailed portrait of Benjamin Franklin. If you can find it in a fairly solid condition, this $100 is worth around $120 to $150 in todays dollars.

The 1862 $50 Bill

This valuable piece of printed money displays a portrait of Ulysses S. Grant. It was first issued by the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States for print in 1862. These initial bills were referred to as large size legal tender bills. Today, one of these can fetch a price of $80 to $100, depending on its condition.

The 1933-34 $10 Bill

These are rare finds are known as a United States Series 1933 $10 denomination Silver Certificate. The key clue for authentication is to find a blue seal and serial numbers. These bills are still pretty easy to find and commonplace, meaning they are often only worth $10, which is what they were valued originally when authorized for use in 1934.

Rather than being sent to the 12 Federal Reserve Banks nationwide to be issued into commerce channels, they were only issued out of the Treasury Cash Room in Washington, D.C., and for only eight months in 1934, explained Professional Numismatists Guild Board of Directors member Dustin Johnston, vice president of Heritage Auctions.

If you analyze these specific $10 bills closely, youll find a variation in the different seals that makes them stand out. Light green seals (LGS) are typically worth more money than their counterpart of the darker blue-green seals. Found in the best conditions possible, the 1934 series $10 bills with the light green seals are typically worth between $20-$35.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 5 Most Valuable American Bills Still in Circulation
File Photo

Intelligence sources reveal dangerous tactics as Pakistan-based terrorist organization employs drones to send militants across borders

CHANDIGARH: In a concerning turn of events, Pakistan has been found using drones not for peaceful purposes but as a means to export terrorism. While the world witnesses drones being utilized for delivering essential goods, Pakistan has taken an unprecedented step by employing drones to send terrorists to Punjab, India, via the Pakistani terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Intelligence sources have recently disclosed this alarming development. A video has emerged, showcasing terrorist groups' attempts to infiltrate India using drones. According to the report, these drones are capable of carrying up to 70 kilograms in weight. The video was recorded within the confines of the Lashkar-e-Taiba training camp located in Shakargarh, Pakistan. It demonstrated the organization's experimentation with drones, exploring their potential to transport terrorists and drop them into designated locations, such as bodies of water.

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Notably, The Report further reveals that a few months ago, a terrorist was successfully transported to Punjab, India, utilizing a drone. The captured terrorist provided crucial information, stating that Lashkar operatives had provided financial assistance and instructed him to establish residence in Punjab. He was tasked with procuring weapons within Punjab itself.

Notably, Pakistan-based terrorist groups and drug traffickers have increasingly employed drones to deliver arms and drug shipments to Punjab and Jammu. In the previous year, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) recorded a total of 256 drone-related activities, with 90 percent of them occurring within Indian territory. This marks a significant rise from the mere 67 drone incidents observed earlier.
Delhi High Court

Court rules that living with another woman post-separation is not cruelty, Provided there is no chance of reunion

NEW-DELHI: In a Notable Comment on divorce matters, the Delhi High Court stated that a husband can live with another woman after separation from his wife, without it constituting cruelty. However, this is contingent on the absence of any possibility of reunion. A bench led by Justice Suresh Kumar Kait dismissed the plea of the woman involved, affirming that cohabitation with another woman during divorce proceedings after a prolonged separation cannot disqualify the husband from divorce on grounds of cruelty, as alleged by the wife.

The case revolves around a couple who tied the knot in 2003. Their marriage endured only two years, leading to separation in 2005. The couple has two sons. The wife accused her husband and his family of dowry harassment. Simultaneously, the husband claimed cruelty on the part of the wife, alleging physical abuse by her, her brother, and relatives. Ultimately, the matter was brought before the family court, resulting in a divorce.

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Discontent with the family court's decision, the woman took her case to the High Court, contending that her husband was residing with another woman. Justice Suresh Kumar Kait's bench emphasized that the couple had been living separately since 2005, and a reunion was improbable. The court cited persistent discord and criminal complaints lodged by the wife, causing distress to the husband. Justice Neena Bansal Krishna, part of the bench, mentioned in the order dated September 13 that the enduring conflicts and criminal allegations had rendered life miserable for the respondent-husband, who was also deprived of marital relations.

Notably, Given the substantial period of separation and the absence of any prospect of reuniting, the responsive husband is entitled to seek solace and companionship by residing with another woman, the court noted. Such a choice should not be denied to him. The court affirmed that the family court rightly concluded that the wife had subjected her husband to cruelty and accordingly dismissed her appeal.
1984 Sikh Massacre Victims

The Court directs the State Govt to provide a current status report on compensation distribution in four districts

RANCHI: The Jharkhand High Court has demanded a response from the state government regarding the disbursement of compensation to victims of the 1984 Sikh massacre in four districts within the state. The Court has instructed the government to present a recent status report on this matter, scheduling the next hearing for October 13.

During the latest hearing, a bench led by Chief Justice Sanjay Kumar Mishra, in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Satnam Singh Gambhir, inquired whether the government had established a one-member commission to investigate cases related to compensating the massacre victims and what actions had been taken based on the commission's report.

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Notably, Advocate Piyush Chitresh, representing the state government, informed the court that compensation distribution had commenced in three districts, Ranchi, Palamu, and Ramgarh, while additional funds were required for the distribution in Bokaro. The Payment Process for compensation in Bokaro would initiate promptly upon receiving the necessary funds.

In Prior Proceedings, the state government had been directed to provide a status report. The government informed during the earlier hearing that, following the High Court's directive, a one-member commission under the chairmanship of retired Justice D.P. Singh was established. The commission has submitted its report to the state government, detailing compensation orders for the affected individuals in four districts, Ranchi, Ramgarh, Bokaro, and Palamu, affected by the Sikh riots in Jharkhand.


Roof Collapse

UP CM Yogi Adityanath expressed his deep sorrow & condolences to the grieving families.

LUCKNOW: A Devastating incident unfolded in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, on Saturday, as the roof of a house in Railway Colony, Alambagh, collapsed tragically, claiming the lives of five members of a single family. The victims were identified as Satish Chandra (40), Sarojini Devi (35), along with their children Harshit (13), Harshita (10), and Ansh (5). The local Deputy Commissioner of Police, Hardesh Kumar, reported that the collapse trapped the family members under the debris, and despite efforts to rescue them and transport them to the hospital, doctors declared them brought dead.

In response to the heart-wrenching incident, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his deep sorrow and condolences to the grieving families. He swiftly directed the district administration to prioritize the transfer of the injured to medical facilities for immediate and appropriate treatment.

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Notably, the Chief Minister also urged expedited relief efforts, underscoring the importance of swift action to aid the affected community. The tragic event has cast a pall over the Railway Colony in Lucknow, prompting a need for enhanced safety measures to prevent such incidents.




In the last year, multiple insiders have substantially increased their holdings of Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE:AAP) stock, indicating that insiders' optimism about the company's prospects has increased.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

View our latest analysis for Advance Auto Parts

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Advance Auto Parts

In fact, the recent purchase by Independent Chairman Eugene Lee was not their only acquisition of Advance Auto Parts shares this year. They previously made an even bigger purchase of US$500k worth of shares at a price of US$65.51 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being US$59.82). While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.

While Advance Auto Parts insiders bought shares during the last year, they didn't sell. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insiders At Advance Auto Parts Have Bought Stock Recently

Over the last quarter, Advance Auto Parts insiders have spent a meaningful amount on shares. Specifically, Independent Chairman Eugene Lee bought US$500k worth of shares in that time, and we didn't record any sales whatsoever. This makes one think the business has some good points.

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Does Advance Auto Parts Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. Advance Auto Parts insiders own about US$15m worth of shares. That equates to 0.4% of the company. This level of insider ownership is good but just short of being particularly stand-out. It certainly does suggest a reasonable degree of alignment.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Advance Auto Parts Tell Us?

It's certainly positive to see the recent insider purchase. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. Given that insiders also own a fair bit of Advance Auto Parts we think they are probably pretty confident of a bright future. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Advance Auto Parts you should be aware of, and 1 of them can't be ignored.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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.
Security Forces

Kashmir Police Communicated this development through their official social media platform

SRINAGAR: In a Significant Operation near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, security forces successfully neutralized two terrorists during an intense encounter on Saturday. The encounter unfolded in the Uri area of Hathalanga, situated in the border region of Baramulla district. The Kashmir Police promptly initiated this operation, and it remains ongoing as authorities continue their search efforts in the area.

The Kashmir Police communicated this development through their official social media platform. Subsequent updates provided on the ground confirmed the elimination of two terrorists in the encounter, underlining the security forces' commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the region. Notably, This Encounter transpires at a critical juncture, coinciding with ongoing efforts to curb the presence of terrorists situated in the forested areas of Anantnag district.
Jaswant Singh Chail

Jaswant Singh Chail expresses remorse and extends an apology to the royal family for his actions

LONDON: Jaswant Singh Chail, a 21-year-old British youth of Punjabi origin, who had entered Windsor Castle on Christmas Day 2021 with a bow and arrow with intentions to harm the late Queen Elizabeth II, has issued an apology to King Charles III and the royal family for his threatening act.

In a social media video that emerged shortly after his arrest, Chail had proclaimed his desire to 'kill' the late Queen, seeking retribution for the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar. However, he has now penned a letter to convey his 'sorrow and sadness' for his actions. The case is currently being heard by Justice Nicholas Hilliard at London's Old Bailey court, with the sentencing expected early next month.

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Chail's barrister, Nadia Chabat, informed the court, "He has extended his apologies to the royal family and to His Majesty King Charles. He deeply regrets bringing such distressing and alarming events before them."

Court reports from this week's hearing indicate that Chail comes from a "strong family unit," including his father, a software consultant in the aerospace industry, his mother, a special-needs teacher, and his twin sister, a university student.

Notably, The young man has been reported to have suffered from mental health problems and was influenced to target the late queen by a fictitious psychic 'girlfriend' named Sarai. The prosecution has labeled the offense as a serious crime, urging for the maximum penalty. Chail appeared in court via a video link from Broadmoor, a high-security psychiatric hospital in Berkshire, England. He had previously pleaded guilty to the offense under Section 2 of the Sedition Act, 1842.

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What was the incident?

Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in September last year, was in her private apartment at Windsor Castle when Chail broke in on the morning of December 25, 2021. He was promptly arrested by officers who saw him within the fort grounds, clad in black clothes and a homemade metal mask, armed with a bow and arrow. The Sedition Act of 1842 designates it as an offense to assault British sovereigns or possess a firearm or offensive weapon in their presence with the intent to cause injury, alarm, or disturb the peace.
Ukrainian Journalist Extended Gratitude to his Sikh counterpart

United Sikhs, a UN-affiliated Nonprofit, leads in providing essential aid & assistance during the Ukrainian conflict

CHANDIGARH: Amid the prolonged strife in Ukraine, the compassionate and selfless actions of Sikhs have stood as a beacon of hope for many affected Ukrainians. Journalist Ravinder Singh Robin recently highlighted their humanitarian efforts on LinkedIn, recounting the gratitude expressed by a senior Ukrainian journalist at the G20 summit for the invaluable humanitarian aid provided by Sikhs during the war.

Sikhs, renowned globally for their ethos of compassion, have been tirelessly providing essential assistance such as food, shelter, and medical care to those afflicted by the dire consequences of war.

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Leading the charge in these humanitarian endeavors is United Sikhs, an international nonprofit affiliated with the United Nations. With a profound commitment to alleviating the suffering of the Ukrainian people, United Sikhs has established relief camps along the Polish-Ukrainian border, dispatching teams ceaselessly to distribute emergency aid to those in need.

In addition to relief camps, United Sikhs has set up bomb shelters within war zones and imparted critical tactical medicine training to civilians, arming them with life-saving skills in the face of danger. Reflecting on the appreciation expressed by Ukrainian journalist John McGovern at the G-20 summit, United Sikhs emphasized that such stories underscore "the commitment of Sikhs to selfless service." The organization remains steadfast in its ongoing relief efforts in Ukraine and gratefully acknowledges the support received from the international community.

Notably, Balwant Singh, the director of United Sikhs stated that their main goal is to "provide immediate relief to the needy and help them rebuild their lives." He emphasized the organization's unwavering commitment to extending a helping hand to the people, showcasing their extensive history of humanitarian assistance to individuals in need. Balwant Singh expressed deep pride in the organization's ability to support the people of Ukraine during this challenging time.
Angola's interest payments to external creditors, mostly Chinese, doubled from US$775 million in the first quarter of this year to US$1.57 billion in the second quarter as the three-year debt moratorium with Chinese creditors ended.

The rise was the highest since at least the first quarter of 2012, according to data released by the African nation's central bank, Banco Nacional de Angola (BNA). But the higher interest payments were partly offset by a fall of the deficit in service trade to a two-year low of US$1.77 billion from US$2.34 billion in the first quarter of this year.

Angola, which is the continent's second largest oil producer, is Africa's biggest recipient of financing from China, having taken out 254 loans worth US$42.6 billion from Chinese lenders. It accounts for more than a quarter of Beijing's total lending to African countries between 2000 and 2020, according to the Chinese Loans to Africa Database compiled by the Global Development Policy Centre at Boston University.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

But the effects of the coronavirus pandemic exacerbated Angola's debt problems especially in early 2020 when global crude oil prices plummeted to below US$30 a barrel. Oil makes up 90 per cent of the country's exports, leaving it vulnerable whenever prices fall.

In May 2020, when the Group of 20 launched the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) to provide debt relief for poor nations, Angola was one of the countries that applied.

And Chinese lenders, including China Development Bank (CDB) and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), gave Angola a three-year debt payment freeze for a total of US$4.9 billion, which was to run from June 2020 to May 2023. The Central African nation also received an unknown amount of debt relief under DSSI from China Eximbank.

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Mark Bohlund, a senior credit research analyst at REDD Intelligence, said it is likely that the sharp increase in the 2023 second quarter interest payments reflects the replenishment of an escrow account at China Development Bank (CDB), from which interest payments were made during the three-year debt moratorium from June 2020 to May 2023.

Bohlund said although Banco Nacional de Angola has not made public the balance of the CDB escrow account, it is estimated that the majority of the US$800 million increase in interest payments between the first two quarters of this year was constituted by the replenishment of this account to US$1.5 billion as mandated in the debt moratorium agreement.

"As a consequence, it is still too early to say to what extent Angola's interest payments will rise as a result of the end of the debt moratorium. There are also other factors in play, such as the rise in global interest rates as some of Angola's external loans are at variable rates," Bohlund said.

However, he said Chinese principal payments appear to be lower in the second quarter. There is a smaller US$318 million reduction in Angolan debt owed to Chinese creditors than the very large US$1.5 billion fall in the first quarter of the year.

Bohlund said Angola's external debt level will remain at around US$50 billion over the coming year, with Chinese creditors accounting for around 40 per cent.

The Banco Nacional de Angola, pictured, said the jump in interest repayments was the highest since at least the first quarter of 2012. Photo: Corbis via Getty Images alt=The Banco Nacional de Angola, pictured, said the jump in interest repayments was the highest since at least the first quarter of 2012. Photo: Corbis via Getty Images>

"We expect the higher principal payments to be to a high degree offset by new loan disbursements, such as those by Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) for the Caculo-Cabaca hydropower project, where the construction of the water reservoir was recently commenced," Bohlund said.

ICBC is China's second largest creditor to Angola, with around US$5 billion outstanding in the first quarter of this year, according to REDD Intelligence, a provider of intelligence and data on emerging market sovereigns and companies, with calculations based on BNA and Ministry of Finance data.

External debt disbursements are also scheduled to spike to 985 billion Angolan kwanza (US$1.7 billion) in June, according to Ministry of Finance data, almost exclusively due to a commercial debt disbursement.

This is likely to be connected to the Caculo-Cabaca project, although disbursements connected to the ongoing construction of the Agostinho Neto International Airport, also led by a Chinese firm, is also a possibility, Bohlund said.

"We expect loan disbursements connected to these two projects to push Angola's debt to Chinese creditors back towards US$20 billion in the second half of the year," he said.

The rising global oil price has gone a large way to helping the African nation's economy. Photo: AFP alt=The rising global oil price has gone a large way to helping the African nation's economy. Photo: AFP>

The debt reprofilings, most of which had a three-year grace period and repayment over seven years, provided considerably longer breathing space than the initial DSSI terms, even though Angola agreed to pay interest during the suspension period, according to the China Africa Research Initiative (CARI) at Johns Hopkins University in a study early this year.

The CARI study said the CDB deal also contained an oil price contingency that would cut short the suspension period once the oil price surpassed a certain threshold, said to be US$60 per barrel.

Sometime in late 2021, the contingency was triggered, and Angola started to repay the principal to CDB in the first quarter of 2022. By then, the oil price had jumped to over US$90 per barrel from the level of US$55, when the debt was reprofiled.

Aly-Khan Satchu, a sub-Saharan Africa geoeconomic analyst, said the overarching point and takeaway is the recent surge in oil prices towards a US$100 a barrel is improving Angola's prospects and balance sheet. He explained that Russia and Saudi Arabia "have wrestled control of the oil price away from the US and are steering the price straight to US$100".

"Angola has entered the sweetest of sweet spots," he said.

Satchu added that the resumption of payments to China has evidently increased the interest payments load.

"I think Angola can point to the oil price and probably suggest a quid pro quo now [for the moratorium] where they essentially accelerate payments and Chinese debt paydown," he said.

Since becoming Angolan president in 2017, Joao Lourenco has been trying to diversify the economy away from oil and reduce the country's dependence on China.

To that end, Lourenco has been trying to align more with the United States and Europe, than China - as was the case with his predecessor, the late Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who attracted Chinese capital for the reconstruction of the economy after the 26-year civil war ended in 2002.

Recent investment from the US includes US$900 million in funding for a solar plant and a US$250 million proposal to fund the Lobito Atlantic Railway Corridor - an open access rail line from Lobito Port in Angola to the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Nevertheless, Angola still needs China to fund the construction of the major infrastructure projects such as the 2,172 megawatt Chinese-built Caculo-Cabaca hydropower station in the north-central province of Cuanza Norte. The project will be funded by ICBC, while the Lobito oil refinery, along the Atlantic coast, will be built by China National Chemical Engineering.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
A stem cell that helps to produce vertebrae also promotes the growth of tumors that migrate to the backbone from elsewhere.

Scientists have uncovered a novel type of stem cell that gives rise to the backbone  and which contributes to the common spread of breast tumors and other malignancies to the spine1.

Certain malignancies, including those of the breast, prostate, and lung, spread preferentially to the spine for unexplained reasons. Coughs, according to one 1940s idea, might temporarily reverse blood flow and shock cancer cells into the area of the spine, where they form new tumors.

According to Matthew Greenblatt, a pathologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City and co-author of the new study, this is still the classic dogma thats taught in medical schools. Greenblatt and his colleagues findings, he claims, overturn this very old paradigm.

Nature will publish the work on September 13th.

Developing a spine

Spines are unique to vertebrate animals, and the spinal vertebrae lack several of the proteins commonly associated with bones. These characteristics prompted Greenblatt and his colleagues to assume that they develop in a different way than other bones.

Breast cancer invasive cells on the hunt

Greenblatts research extracted stem cells from both the vertebrae and what are known as long bones, such as the femur in the leg, using mice. They discovered that stem cells from the two sites expressed significantly distinct sets of genes. The researchers implanted vertebral cells into the muscles of mice and discovered that the cells generated offspring that resembled the spectrum of cells present in the spine. They concluded from this and other evidence that they had discovered vertebral skeletal stem cells or vSSCs.

Greenblatt and colleagues clearly and beautifully show that vSSCs and long bone stem cells are very, very different, according to Noriaki Ono, a bone researcher at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston who provided mice for the work but was otherwise uninvolved in it.

Many scientists have previously considered all the bones as the same organ, according to cancer researcher Xiang Zhang of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. This research advances our understanding to a new level.

The bad actor

The scientists discovery made them question if the new form of stem cell may explain some of the previously inexplicable patterns in cancer spread. The researchers focused on MFGE8, a protein released by vertebrate stem cells. In mouse tests, removing the gene for the protein reduced the likelihood of cancer cells spreading to the animals spines by around two-thirds.

The researchers isolated vSSCs from patients having spinal surgery and discovered that human vSSCs secreting MFGE8 were more likely to interact with cancer cells than non-secreting vSSCs. According to Ono, one protein cannot explain the entire phenomenon, but it appears to be a key component.

The consequences of the study may extend beyond cancer. According to research co-author Sravisht Iyer, a spinal surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, spinal fusions  surgeries that fuse two or more vertebrae to ease pain from illnesses such as scoliosis and arthritis  frequently fail for unexplained reasons. He thinks that additional research into vSSCs will improve the success rate of these procedures.
Flight attendants, like pilots, work in a profession that takes them across many time zones each weeksometimes multiple times a day. When you combine that with long hours and unpredictable sleep habits, youll wonder how these travel pros appear to deal with jet lag while customers experience exhaustion and sleeplessness practically immediately.

First, we need to define what jet lag is. When traveling across numerous time zones quickly, the bodys internal clock, or circadian rhythm, is interrupted. The body struggles to adjust its internal clock (or your typical habit) to the new local time. There is no correct or incorrect approach to adjust to your new time zone. Everyones physique is unique. It may require some trial and error to determine what works best for you.

Keep your eyes open before your flight.

As a former flight attendant, I can report that coping with jet lag was simple for me. I was frequently exhausted, but that aided me. On a typical day, I flew one to three trips, one of which being a cross-country journey. My daily routine put me on duty for over 10 hours. I was exhausted by the time I arrived in another time zone. That sleep following arrival, or overnight rest in certain situations, restored my internal clock quickly.

As a business and pleasure traveler, I have the luxury of napping (rather than working the journey), so I arrive rested, but jet lag is still a few hours behind me. Staying awake during your journey can help you feel exhausted upon arrival, allowing you to go straight to bed once you get at your destination. Set an alarm and nap if you come earlier in the day. Wake up, enjoy the remainder of your day, and you should be weary enough to sleep that evening, allowing your body clock to properly adjust to the current time zone.

Purchase some coffee and bananas.

When I questioned a group of flight attendants about their jet lag treatments, the overwhelming reaction was, Coffee! Caffeine offers them a rush of energy and jolts them awake, allowing them to continue working or go outside in their new time zone. Because of his position, Angelo Bedford, a flight attendant located in Honolulu, travels through multiple time zones virtually every work trip. Bedford says the beach soothes and rejuvenates him while hes at home in Hawaii. But during a short stopover, he relies on lots of water, sleep, and then coffee!

Phil Rodriguez, a former flight attendant turned corporate airline employee, recommends eating a banana instead of drinking coffee. Its loaded with vitamins and natural sugars that will wake you up in minutes. Itll keep you going for hours and wont make you collapse like coffee or caffeine.

Get outside and engage in some physical activity.

Michella Marquez, a flight attendant located in California, says she adjusts by getting outside and walking. She claims that exercise is one strategy to keep your body active while adjusting to your new daylight hours and also to sleep. However, as flight attendants, we dont always have the time to do everything. Our layovers may be brief. Sometimes we just have to put up with it.

Limit yourself to one time zone.

Many crew members play make-believe with their time zones to preserve a feeling of regularity. [Youre] basically making a conscious decision to either live by the new time zone or the one you departed from, explains Seattle-based flight attendant Tamford Westeel. However, there is no in-between.

She isnt alone. Because their stopover is so shortanywhere from 12 to 24 hourssome flight attendants dont even bother to acclimatize to the new time zone. They just eat, rest, and board the plane to return home. Many crew members dont even alter the clock on their wristwatches to remember what time it is in their base city.

Find strong moral support if nothing else.

A solid support system and encouragement can also assist combat the impacts of time zone changes. Flight crews may have only met for the first time before boarding, but theyre all in the same boat, well, plane. They travel together because they work together; their time at a place is the same; and they must make the same sacrifices and changes to finish the job and stay healthy. Crews organize meals and outings at the location together so that they may encourage one another to stay to a schedule and adjust.

For frequent travelers, plan an itinerary that allows you and your travel companions to acclimate to the new time zone at your own speed. And remember to keep to it. When it comes to jet lag, friends dont let pals sleep in!

When everything else fails, just ride through the temporal change as best you can. Jet lag will gradually go off and your body will adjust. It generally occurs soon before your return journey home, when you get to do it all over again.
The Institute for Veterans and Military Families is recruiting San Diego-area veterans to apply for cybersecurity training through its Onward to Opportunity San Diego program.

The nonprofit institute based at Syracuse University in New York is partnering with the Bethesda, Md.-based SANS Institute to provide free training to applicants who meet their criteria.

The SANS Institute, founded in 1989 as a research and education organization, offers a three to four month accelerated training program at the SANS VetSuccess Immersion Academy to help transitioning veterans earn certification and get jobs in the cybersecurity industry.

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Courses are scheduled to begin Aug. 21 at the Courtyard San Diego Sorrento Valley. Remaining courses will be conducted online. Graduation is slated for this December.

Applicants must qualify by demonstrating aptitude and foundational skills using the SANS CyberTalent Enhanced Assessment and participate in interviews with SANS staff.

The deadline to apply is July 14.

For more information, visit sans.org/cybertalent/immersion-academy or email immersionacademy@sans.org.
The exterior of Antiques Etc. sits Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, at 383 Central Ave in Holland.

HOLLAND  A Holland business owner whose license was revoked by city council last week plans to push back against the decision.

Holland City Council voted to revoke the business license for Antiques, Etc. during a Sept. 6 meeting. The situation stems from a complaint received by Holland's Community & Neighborhood Services about the lack of running water at the antique store, located at 383 Central Ave.

In a report presented to city council, assistant director of CNS Tricia Dreier said that on four separate occasions, CNS and the Holland Department of Public Safety - Fire Division performed inspections at the location where they found a litany of violations.

When we went there, we found many violations, Dreier said. Violations of both Chapter 14, our property maintenance code, and Chapter 11, which is enforced by the fire department, and some very concerning conditions that are happening on both the outside and inside of the building.

Violations included the accumulation of materials making it difficult to walk through the store, the use of extension cords as permanent wiring, debris inside the cold air return vents, no available toilet or hand sink, kitty litter and garbage in the backyard and additional issues to the exterior of the business.

According to Dreier, letters were sent to owner Luann Athey notifying her of the violations. Despite the letters, Dreier said no corrective measures have been taken.

A letter from the City of Holland revoking the business license of Antiques Etc. The building has been deemed unsafe for occupancy.

This week, Athey, who was not in attendance at the meeting and said she was unaware her business was a topic of discussion that night, responded to Dreiers findings.

She said that her mother started the business in 1969 and she inherited the store and its contents when her mother passed away in 2016. According to Athey, the neighborhood services department has pursued her with complaints for years.

No matter what I do to comply with their demands, nothing is ever enough, Athey wrote in an email to The Sentinel.

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Athey referred to Dreiers inspection and subsequent claims as purely a fishing expedition to attempt to find violations and has done what she can to comply.

I had done the two things requested at the outside rear of the property, Athey said. All they wanted inside was to see the electrical panel and the toilet.

She also questioned the validity of the complaint about the bathroom, explaining that she doesnt have a public restroom, so no one could have seen whether there were violations or not.

Nobody can make a complaint about the plumbing because nobody has seen it, Athey said. The pipes and everything are in the basement. There is a restroom in the back corner of the first floor and one upstairs where it used to be an apartment, but no one has access to them but me.

A letter from the City of Holland revoking the business license of Antiques Etc. The building has been deemed unsafe for occupancy.

Athey claims that through correspondence with the city, she explained that she is under the impression that she does not need a business license. She claimed the business is more of an estate sale where she is simply selling the remaining inventory before closing the store.

I also technically dont need a business license anymore as I inherited the store and contents when my mother died in 2016, she said. I stopped buying merchandise 10-15 years ago as I didnt need more. I anticipated running the store another 5-7 years and then selling the building.

During the Sept. 6 meeting, Dreier explained that despite initially suspending Atheys business license, she has continued to operate. With it now revoked, there are additional steps the city can take.

Dreier said that should the violations be corrected in the future, Athey could again apply for a business license. If they are not corrected, the city can push further.

The next step would be to have the police department let her know that her business license has been revoked and they would tell her to close the business, Dreier said. We do not allow her to operate the business without a license.

If the building becomes a more significant public health hazard, then we would have it declared a dangerous structure through a different process.

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Athey said she plans to fight the situation and will respond to the city in writing in the coming weeks.

I dont think they have any standing, Athey said. "I can't believe that they have escalated it to this point. It just doesn't make sense."

The Sentinel will continue to follow this story and will have updates in the coming weeks.

 Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Antiques, Etc. business license revoked, owner vows to fight back
The leader of Gabon in Africa, Ali Bongo, was overthrown in a sudden military coup on Aug. 30, right after he was declared the winner in a contested presidential election. This appears to have been a result of strife within the powerful group that has ruled the nation for a half-century, not a fundamental change in the nature of the regime.

This follows the overthrow on July 26 of the government in Niger. In August 2020, Mali experienced a military takeover of the government, and then another purge in 2021. Coups have also taken place in recent years in Burkina Faso, Chad and Guinea.

Arthur I. Cyr

France is overall most tied to these nations culturally and economically, but the entire international community has stakes in this worrisome trend.

Russias Wagner Group, a private military mercenary corporation, has been notably active in trying to establish lucrative contracts in Africa. The terrorist Islamic State is also actively seeking influence.

The United States is proactively involved in collaborative efforts to encourage elected governments and control terrorism. Selectively, direct U.S. action has been taken. In January, U.S. and Somali troops carried out successful operations against terrorist groups, including those associated with al-Qaeda which carried out the 9/11 attacks.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin emphasizes the crucial importance of intelligence professionals in making the successful operations possible.

For decades, Somalia has been generally regarded as a failed state, with the government unable to provide even elementary services or security. In 1993, a United States military mission to Somalia ended in frustration after the killing of eighteen U.S. Army Rangers. The book and film Blackhawk Down describe this. Pirates operating off the coast of Somalia are a continuing, vexing challenge.

Regarding U.S. Army challenges, initiatives and operations in Africa confirm the importance of special operations. Officers who specialize in unconventional warfare now reach top command positions, in some contrast to the institutional emphasis on conventional forces during the Vietnam War era and before.

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Historically, Americans have been absent-minded about Africa. Past presidents generally focused on other parts of the world, with notable exceptions. Senator John F. Kennedy was chairman of the African Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, extremely attentive to that task, and carried concern about Africa into the Oval Office.

President Jimmy Carter in office and since has steadfastly worked with Africa. The Carter Center has devoted sustained emphasis to public health and related problems of that continent. One dramatic result is the virtual eradication of guinea worm, a devastating agonizing disease. Carter effectively leveraged his centers efforts into World Bank efforts targeting the disease.

Former President Bill Clinton achieved rockstar status in Africa, a popular stop in his travels on behalf of the Clinton Foundation. Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama devoted at least periodic attention to the continent while in office, reflecting the changing times.

President John F. Kennedy deserves credit for establishing the Peace Corps, a concept promoted by former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Senator Hubert Humphrey (D-Minnesota). The Peace Corps is remarkably durable, today involving selfless volunteers ranging widely in age.

Related, enormous growth in private philanthropy means there are unprecedented opportunities to raise living standards across Africa.

Terrorists generate continuing death, destruction and headlines, but have yet to demonstrate appeal to the average person in Africa  or elsewhere on the globe.

The world today rejects extremism.

Learn: Mrs. Roosevelt talks with JFK at JFKlibrary.org.

 Arthur I. Cyr is author of After the Cold War  American Foreign Policy, Europe and Asia (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan). Contact acyr@carthage.edu.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Arthur Cyr: Disruption and instability grow in Africa
A set of China-focused funds from BlackRock Inc. saw significant outflows in August as the U.S. House of Representatives investigates the asset management giant for possibly profiting off Chinese military operations.

On Aug. 1, the U.S. House Select Committee accused BlackRock of profiting from investments in ETFs that backed the Chinese military. The iShares Core MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (IEMG), the iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF (EEM), the iShares MSCI China ETF (MCHI), the iShares MSCI China A ETF (CNYA), were all named directly by the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. The BlackRock China A Opportunities Fund (CHILX) was also mentioned.

Our review has shown that, as a direct result of decision made by (BlackRock/MSCI), these Americans are now unwittingly funding PRC (Peoples Republic of China) companies that develop and build weapons for the Peoples Liberation Army, Chairman Mike Gallagher (R.-Wis.) and Rija Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) wrote in the committees letter addressed to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. BlackRock denied any wrongdoing in a statement to the Financial Times.

China Funds See Outflows

Four of the funds have seen significant outflows since the house committee announced its accusations, as first reported by the Financial Times. The iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF saw a massive $1.9 billion in outflows during August, according to etf.com data.

The iShares MSCI China A ETF saw outflows of $14.2 million during August, and the BlackRock China A Opportunities Fund bled $17 million.

Yet the movements may be due to poor fund performance. The iShares MSCI China ETF is down more than 11% since Aug. 1, while the iShares MSCI China A ETF lost nearly 4% and the China A Opportunities Fund dropped roughly 9%.

Investors are taking money out of China funds and pouring them into Indian funds, etf.com previously reported.

I am sure some investors sold shares as a result of the U.S. House Select Committee letters, Morningstar analyst Bryan Armour said in an interview with etf.com. The bigger issue is that there are significant cracks appearing in Chinas economy.

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Drops in the funds are also linked to larger macroeconomic conditions. While China has long been a popular pick for investors who look to emerging markets, its economy has slowed and many investors have exited the region. Reuters reports that some economists believe China will struggle to meet its 2023 economic growth target of about 5% without increased government spending.

Contact Lucy Brewster at lucy.brewster@etf.com.





Permalink |  Copyright 2023 etf.com. All rights reserved
(photo: Hugh Chaloner)

Anne Enright is the author of eight novels, two short story collections, and a memoir of motherhood. She was the first Laureate for Irish Fiction (20152018), and won the Man Booker Prize for The Gathering in 2007. She is also a professor of creative writing at University College Dublin. The Wren, the Wren (reviewed in this issue), a novel about the generations descended from Irish poet Phil McDaragh, bears her hallmark themes of family legacy and creativity.

We're seeing a real flourishing of Irish writing--this year's Booker Prize longlist, 'the Sally Rooney effect.' Do you see Irish writers as a sort of literary vanguard? Or has it ever been thus, and the world only realizes it occasionally?

The world realizes how flourishing the Irish literary scene is about every five minutes, and it's like no one can figure it out--is it something in the water? A culture is like an ecosystem; it is hard to say what one factor makes it work so well. When I came of age, earnings from fiction were completely tax-free, so that was certainly encouraging. But actually, if you are a smart young person in Ireland, you see people winning prizes and whatever else gets the press excited, and you think quietly to yourself, "Someday, that is going to be me." Then, in your early 20s, you walk into a launch in a bookshop in Dublin, and the writers are not just on the shelves, they are in the room. It is profoundly exciting. It is a fun place to be.

Did you have particular poets in mind as you were crafting Phil McDaragh's verse? (Seamus Heaney? Michael Longley?)

Phil is 15 years older than Heaney or Longley, and he wrote before the amazing flowering of Northern Irish poets that happened in the 1970s. So, no, not those two--and besides, I would not dare! Though a lesser talent, Phil had some of the same influences as they did: medieval Irish verse is important to him, as are Paddy Kavanagh, Austin Clarke, and Padraic Colum. Michael Hartnett is in there, especially his translations from the Irish, and I used a sprinkling of Louis MacNeice in satirical mode. Phil shares my love of John Donne, which would be unusual perhaps for an Irish lyric poet. He is, however, completely himself. I found him very easy to access as a character, but his poetry was amazingly hard to write (I suspect he found it difficult, too).

Carmel thinks of Phil: "He had a self-important heart. Confidence? Was that all it took? Surely here was some extra stupidity required." Is the narcissistic artist a specifically male type? (cf. Monsters by Claire Dederer).

Some artists are lovely, modest people--warm, empathetic, good to their mothers, nice to their children--and some are monsters. What they all share is a sense that their work is necessary: it is something they need to do, and they think other people might want to see it. For someone like Carmel, that's a fairly astonishing claim to make on the world's attention. You can call it narcissism if you like; she certainly would.

But here's my theory about all that: a person's narcissism expands to fill the available space. We let men get away with being monstrous, in ways that are quashed in women from their earliest days. Sometimes, we expect male monstrousness: we admire and reward it. So I would not gender either art or monstrousness--society plays a role, too.

I found Nell an utterly convincing mouthpiece for the preoccupations, wit, and ennui of today's young people. How did you go about tapping into a modern sensibility to create her voice?

I suppose I went online. I teach and I have children, so young people are not a mystery to me. But actually, the secret answer is that I went back to my own early work. I tapped into the modernist sensibility at play in my first short stories, which I wrote in my 20s. Nell's interaction with her period app, for example, is very close to work I did about women and modernity, women and television, women and machines.

There's a striking moment when Nell is at the top of the Utrecht cathedral tower and is overtaken by a conjunction of beauty and fear that she identifies as awe. Is this a depiction of Stendhal syndrome? What did you intend with this scene?

I had to look this up! Stendhal syndrome is a kind of panic attack suffered in the presence of great art. It reminds me of the ecstatic response some Romantic artists had to landscape. Way back in 1757, the Irish philosopher Edmund Burke talked about the sublime as having the power to compel and destroy us--beauty is calming, but the sublime is agitating. Nell is not a religious person (she does not belong to any tradition), but she is interested in the existence of what she calls a higher form of consciousness. Going up the spiral staircase of the church tower, she suffers a mixture of claustrophobia and vertigo, and she has a panic attack that ends with a feeling of revelation. Nell discovers the sublime. I don't want to be too literal, but this mixture of ecstasy and fear is a tiny bit like the feeling she had in bed with her abusive lover, Felim. So the experience of the tower releases her from that dependency, somehow.

The McDaragh family seems to be caught in cycles of damage. I wondered if there might also be an environmental parable in their psychology: greed and self-importance versus love and dependence. How do we get trapped in these patterns?

I think the damage gets less with each generation, so it's not a cycle, it's a kind of spiraling outwards towards better, easier times. The first rupture is the loss of Carmel's father, Phil; that is the trauma that takes time to heal. I am not sure there is a parable there about dependence. Carmel and Nell love each other absolutely, as Nell says, but that doesn't make for happiness, at least not in the short term. I was about to protest that I don't write parables, but then realized how much I was influenced by the story of Martha and Mary in the New Testament. Carmel gets to tend and fret--she is the Martha generation. On either side, her father and her daughter have adventures: they get to believe, imagine, be passionate; they have the luxury of making mistakes, they allow themselves to blunder around. --Rebecca Foster, freelance reviewer, proofreader and blogger at Bookish Beck
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  The New York state Department of Civil Service (DCS) has released its September application schedule for New Yorks entry-level civil service exams, and some jobs pay better than others.

The open-competitive exams are an opportunity to start a career in New York state. These tests are open to anyone who meets the qualifications listed on the examination announcement.

The exams will be held as either in-person written exams or online exams. Qualified candidates can apply online for these exams at https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/.

The application period opened for the following exams: building construction program manager 3; building construction program manager 4; building construction program manager 5; mental health program specialist 3 (clinical); pharmacy manager; pharmacy supervisor; pharmacy supervisor (practice and registration).

Interested applicants can apply online by Sept. 20.

Visit www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc to apply for exams.

Here are the salaries and descriptions for each job, according to DCS.

Building construction program manager 3

Salary: $100,761

Application deadline: Sept. 20

Job description, according to DCS: As a Building Construction Program Manager 3, you would manage numerous, large sized and complex construction and renovation projects complicated by factors such as large dollar value and multiple trades. You would serve as project manager for the planning, design, scheduling, monitoring, and management of technical and administrative aspects of the design and construction process. You would supervise and evaluate the work of lower level Building Construction Program Manager staff, or equivalent architectural and engineering staff or contractors.

Building construction program manager 4

Salary: $111,627

Application deadline: Sept. 20

Job description, according to DCS: As a Building Construction Program Manager 4, you would manage the construction and rehabilitation program for Office of General Services facilities or for a group of agencies or a region. You may be assigned to manage the program for an agency with a large and active construction, renovation, and rehabilitation program. For any assignment, you would administratively supervise and evaluate the work of lower level Building Construction Program Manager staff, or equivalent architectural and engineering staff or contractors.

Building construction program manager 5

Salary: $120,187

Application deadline: Sept. 20

Job description, according to DCS: As a Building Construction Program Manager 5, you would have overall responsibility for a business unit or multiple regions in the Design and Construction Group or within the Office of General Services. You would oversee a large number of subordinates, contractors, and projects. Illustrative duties include: provide overall instruction and guidance to unit or region staff, consulting architects and engineers, and construction managers on projects from initial development through construction completion; provide technical direction and problem resolution for the more complex projects; recommend and implement program improvements; participate in strategic and long-range planning; and oversee the selection and management of consulting engineering and architecture firms.

Mental health program specialist 3 (clinical)

Salary: $90,806

Application deadline: Sept. 20

Job description, according to DCS: As a Mental Health Program Specialist 3 (Clinical), you would supervise a unit of lower-level Mental Health Program Specialists engaged in the development, licensure, oversight, and/or regulation of State operated and/or licensed mental health programs requiring clinical expertise or the risk assessment and record review of individuals who have committed sex offenses and who are nearing the end of their criminal sentence in order to determine whether civil confinement in a secure treatment facility or release to strict and intensive community supervision and treatment is appropriate; and provide technical assistance and guidance on programmatic issues related to the treatment and care of individuals and scope of professional practice. You may also serve as a non-supervisory, Clinical Risk Manager; and conduct, facilitate, and/or review investigations of incidents and complaints at State psychiatric facilities or licensed mental health programs within an assigned geographic area.

Pharmacy manager

Salary: $122,627

Application deadline: Sept. 20

Job description, according to DCS: As a Pharmacy Manager, you would oversee and manage the operations of a large pharmacy program at one or more State facilities or a centralized pharmacy operation; provide clinical and administrative supervision to licensed pharmacists and other pharmacy staff; plan, coordinate, and review clinical, administrative, and distribution services; ensure compliance with laws, rules, regulations, and practice standards; develop, implement, monitor, and recommend pharmacy policies, procedures, and services; and collaborate with health care providers, discipline heads, and managers to advance individuals treatment goals and objectives, and improve service delivery.

Pharmacy supervisor

Salary: $111,761

Application deadline: Sept. 20

Job description, according to DCS: As a Pharmacy Supervisor, you would provide clinical and administrative supervision to licensed pharmacists and other pharmacy staff; review and monitor pharmacy services, which may include procurement, inventory, storage, and distribution activities; quality assurance programs; pharmacy records, legally required reporting activities, and drug information systems; prescription education and counseling services for individuals and groups; and drug regimen reviews to ensure accuracy, completeness, and compliance with State and federal laws, rules, and regulations; ensure proper pharmaceutical care of individuals; and recommend, implement, and maintain pharmacy policies and procedures. You may also oversee pharmaceutical services for a State facility or program, and/or assist a Pharmacy Manager in the oversight and management of a large pharmacy operation.

Pharmacy supervisor (practice and registration)

Salary: $111,761

Application deadline: Sept. 20

Job description, according to DCS: As a Pharmacy Supervisor (Practice & Registration), you would supervise professional pharmacy practices and the registration of resident and non-resident pharmacies, drug wholesalers, manufacturers, and outsourcing facilities; respond to inquiries and complaints; provide guidance and consultation to licensed pharmacists, health care professionals, legal counsel, professional associations, the public, and State and federal agencies regarding practice and registration laws, rules, and regulations; and attend professional events on behalf of the Department.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

According to the state, an application must be submitted online or postmarked by the last date to apply. An application will not be accepted after the filing deadline has passed.

Application fees are free for exams this month.

To be considered for appointment, you must pass the written test. The Department of Civil Service may administer tests either online or with paper booklets and answer sheets.

All positions offer generous benefits, including paid leave, health benefits and retirement plans. In addition, telecommuting options may be available to employees who meet certain criteria.

To learn more about working for the State of New York, visit the Department of Civil Service website and follow the department on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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The marriage of actor Hugh Jackman, 54, and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness, 67, has ended after 27 years, per PEOPLE. They share two children, Oscar, 23, and Ava, 18.

We have been blessed to share almost three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage, the former couple said in a joint statement on Sept. 15.

Our journey now is shifting, and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth, they continued. Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love and kindness.

We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives.

Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness arrive at the annual Vanity Fair Oscar party at Morton's in West Hollywood, Calif., Sunday, Feb. 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)AP

WED IN 1996

Jackman and Furness tied the knot in April 11, 1996, with the Greatest Showman star professing his love for his wife on Instagram, on the event of their 27th anniversary.

I love you Deb. Today is our 27th wedding anniversary. 27 YEARS!! I love you so much, the Instagram post was captioned. Together we have created a beautiful family. And life. Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humor, cheekiness, courage and loyalty is an incredible gift to me. I love you with all my heart.

The beloved couple first met in 1995, per PEOPLE, on the set of the Australian TV series, Corelli, and fell in love quickly; they were married within the year. Furness was already an established actress at the time, while Jackman was just out of drama school.

Jackman and Furness marriage has often been praised for its longevity, a rarity in Hollywood.
Actree Rena Sofer is returning to the soap opera, General Hospital afer a 26 year hiatus according to PEOPLE.

The Daytime Emmy Award winner, 54, known for portraying Lois Cerullo  with her long fingernails and thick Brooklyn accent  has been confirmed by ABC to be returning to the beloved daytime show. The character will be on-air next month.

General Hospital fans will recall that Sofers character, Lois, fell in love with rock-and-roller named Eddie Maine, portrayed by Wally Kurth. Only after they got married did she learn that Eddie was actually Ned Ashton  or Edward Lawrence Ned Quartermaine  scion of one of the wealthiest families in Port Charles.

GH enthusiasts may also recall that Ned was also forced to wed Katherine Bell, portrayed by Mary Beth Evans, who was blackmailing the mega-rich family of Ned. When Neds double life is exposed, Lois pops out of Katherines birthday cake, saying, Happy Birthday to Mrs. Ned Ashton, from the other Mrs. Ned Ashton!

When Sofer left the show, her character was briefly portrayed by Lesli Kay, from 2004-2005. But now, Sofer is back and better than ever, returning to GH at a time when ex-husband Ned is suffering from amnesia, and thinks he is still rocker Eddie Maine.

Sofers on-air daughter, Brook Lynn, portrayed by Amanda Sutton, is happy to have her GH mom back.

I am so excited to be working with her, Sutton told Soap Opera Digest. I think that bringing her back into the fold and onto the landscape will create fertile ground for some fun storytelling. From what I understand and from what Ive seen, Lois is a force to be reckoned with and a really fun character.

I think giving more context to Brook Lynn by seeing her with her mother will be really fun to play and I cant wait to explore that with Rena. Its a whole new dynamic and its just a great dynamic to introduce into the show.

Seinfeld fans may also recall Rena Sofers memorable in season 8, when she portrayed a visitor center guide who mistakes George Costanza, portrayed by Jason Alexander, for a tourist. George tries very hard to impress her, and eventually gets fired from his post at the New York Yankees.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  Former Staten Islander Robert J. Eccleston, a sculptor and U.S. Army veteran, has created a sculpture for the National Desert Storm Memorial at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., a project on which he has been working since 2018.

The National Desert Storm Memorial Association (NDSMA) board of directors, an all-veteran board, is hosting a private event in Loveland, Colorado, on Sept. 16 to showcase the progress of an historic sculpture, one of the commemorative elements of the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial.

Robert Eccleston is a remarkable artist, said Scott C. Stump, CEO/president of the NDSMA. His talent will soon be permanently and prominently displayed in our nations capital within the historic National Mall, Americas most visited national park.

As we prepare to begin construction on the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial, we are elated to be in Colorado to highlight the progress of this historic sculpture prior to its journey to Washington, D.C.

Learn about Robert Eccleston here.

Designing a sculpture for a National Memorial transcends art for arts sake, said Eccleston. Its a profound journey where every stroke of creativity must meticulously weave the threads of history, ensuring the sculpture resonates with the Memorials poignant narrative.

Throughout the design process, I, along with the rest of the design team, collaborated with the National Park Service and the Commission of Fine Arts to create a memorial worthy of the hallowed ground it will occupy and the veterans who fought and died during Operation Desert Shield & Desert Storm.

I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to create the raptors for the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial in Washington D.C., said Robert J. Eccleston, a former Staten Islander and U.S. Army veteran. (Courtesy The National Desert Storm Memorial Association)

ABOUT THE MEMORIAL

In December 2014, President Obama signed the memorials enabling legislation. In March 2017, President Trump signed the law authorizing the memorial to be built near the National Mall in an Area 1 location.

In June 2018, a site located in close proximity to the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam Veterans Memorial received approval.

I am deeply honored to have the opportunity to create the raptors for the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial in Washington D.C., said Eccleston. This project is a tribute to the valor of our veterans who led and fought alongside a multinational coalition to liberate the country of Kuwait.

I hope that this sculpture will stand as a lasting testament to the sacrifices made and the resounding victory that was achieved during this pivotal moment in our history.

Former Staten Islander Robert Eccleston's sculpture for the National Desert Storm Memorial, in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy The National Desert Storm Memorial Association)

In 1991, the United States sent a powerful message of international unity and cooperation to Saddam Hussein by opposing and ejecting Iraqs occupying forces and liberating the peaceful nation of Kuwait.

The mission undertaken by the United States Armed Forces during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm was a remarkable example of American leadership, values and sacrifice in the pursuit of freedom.

The memorials design will commemorate the historical significance of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, while honoring the service and sacrifice of the United States and coalition military personnel who liberated Kuwait from Iraq and defended Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula from further invasion.

Since 2011, the NDSMA has worked to achieve its singular mission: construction of the Desert Shield and Desert Storm Memorial. The NDSMAs goal is the completion and dedication of the memorial by spring 2025.

The NDSMA is a federally recognized, tax-exempt organization.

Former Staten Islander Robert Eccleston's sculpture for the National Desert Storm Memorial, in Washington, D.C. (Courtesy The National Desert Storm Memorial Association)

ABOUT ROBERT ECCLESTON

Eccleston served as an Infantry CPT. in the U.S. Army. Assigned to the U.S. Army Mountain Warfare School, he taught military mountaineering and survival skills to all branches of the U.S. Military as well as members of the British S.A.S, Australian and Canadian Army, according to his website.

During his career in the U.S. Army, Eccleston traveled to Northern Italy, Ecuador, Australia and throughout the United States teaching military mountaineering, gaining valuable experience from those he trained.

Eccleston studied sculpture in his spare time and decided to pursue a career as a sculptor in 1993. He continued to study and hone his skills as a sculptor for five years, and in 1998, Eccleston focused his sights on creating public art.

It was his profound respect for those with whom he served in the military that lead him to create memorials honoring the men and women who proudly serve their country and communities. For the past 16 years, Eccleston has specialized in creating sculptures for veterans and civic memorials.
While the East Coast contends with the effects of Hurricane Lee, a small town in Portugal is dealing with a unique, different disaster of its own: street flooding from 600,000 gallons of wine, according to Portugal News.

On Sept. 12, the outlet reported that two tanks of red wine burst at Levira Distillery, a winemaker in the town of Sao Lourenco do Bairro, Portugal, spilling enough wine to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

The massive spill, which painted the town red, rendered the streets unusable to the towns 2,500 residents. Local authorities immediately responded, diverting the wine, stopping it from reaching the nearby Certima River, according to Delish.

Volunteer firefighters successfully drained the liquid and transported it to a wastewater treatment plant.

No locals were injured in the vino accident, although people on social media regretted all the wasted wine, one saying it was good wine down the drain. Another said, That is amazing. I would love to see this in person. It looks like something out of a movie.

Levira Distillery took to social media to publicly apologize for the incident. Although the incident did not cause any injuries, we want to express our sincere concern for the damage caused in general, the post reads. The causes of the incident are being investigated by the competent authorities.

We take full responsibility for the costs associated with damage cleanup and repair, with crews available to do it immediately. Were committed to resolving this situation as soon as possible.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A new era dawned for the NYPD on Staten Island this year, as Assistant Chief Joseph M. Gulotta took the reins of Patrol Borough Staten Island, replacing outgoing borough commander Gin Yee.

From the North Shores ferry terminal to the South Shores Conference House and in between, the NYPDs borough commander oversees an Island full of different cultures, religions, ages and political beliefs.

Here is a look at the men who have helmed the Staten Island police force over the last quarter century.

GIN YEE

Yee served as executive officer at Patrol Borough Staten Island under the Islands previous two borough commanders, Kenneth Corey and Frank Vega, before being promoted to the role himself, which he held for a little over a year until retiring earlier this summer.

Yee was the highest ranking Asian American in the NYPD during his tenure.

Proclaiming my vision is a safe Staten Island, Yee was proactive partnering with the community to combat crime, urging borough residents to lock their car doors and to be mindful of pickpockets while in retail areas.

Prior to working on Staten Island, Yee began his career in 1981 at the age of 19. He served in Traffic Operations as the commanding officer of the 5th Precinct in Manhattan.

He also held assignments in the Emergency Services Unit, Patrol Borough Queens North and the Citywide Operations Bureau.

FRANK VEGA

Assistant Chief Frank Vega served as a ranking officer on Staten Island during two challenging moments in history for the Staten Island community and police alike.

In 2015, following the death of Eric Garner, Vega contributed to the departments shift toward neighborhood policing. Then Vega served as borough commander in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vega joined the New York City Police Department and started his career in Queens in 1991. He then became a sergeant and lieutenant in Brooklyn and later served as the commanding officer for Police Service Area 1, and the 72nd and 71st precincts, all in Brooklyn.

His experience also included being the executive officer for the Community Affairs Bureau and the Patrol Services Bureau.

From 2008 to 2014, Vega was Staten Islands operations commander, and oversaw the boroughs crime fighting efforts as well as day-to-day operations, according to Advance/SILive.com records.

Vega retired at the end of 2021 after a 30-year career with the NYPD and a year at the helm of Patrol Borough Staten Island.

KENNETH COREY

Chief of Department Kenneth Corey at police headquarters in Manhattan during his last day in November. (NYPD)

After a three-year stint as the commanding officer of Staten Island, Kenneth Corey had become know for building bridges in the community he calls home.

The years Corey served as the borough commander were like no other. He led the boroughs police force through a pandemic, as well as a period of peaceful protests on Staten Island by Black Lives Matter activists  marches that turned violent in other parts of the city and country.

Corey also oversaw a significant crime decrease in the borough. In his last two years here, robberies saw a 29% decrease and burglaries a 11% decrease, according to NYPD figures.

NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea promoted Corey to the departments Training Bureau, where Coreys skills and methodology of building bridges were used to train new members of New Yorks Finest.

He was then named chief of department, where he held the third-highest-ranking position on the force, behind the commissioner and first deputy commissioner, until his retirement in November 2022.

EDWARD DELATORRE

Edward Delatorre took over as the Police Departments borough commander in July 2013, and distinguished himself for his innovative fight against the drug crisis.

His approach to tackling the Islands drug problem garnered praise, as well as his efforts in modernizing policing in the borough. He advocated for technologies like cameras, license plate readers and ShotSpotter.

His most significant contributions were partnering with District Attorney Michael E. McMahon in creation of the Overdose Response Initiative and the Heroin Overdose Prevention and Education (HOPE) Program.

The response initiative treated every overdose as a crime scene. It led to the infiltration and arrest of several key drug dealers and rings. It has also provided statistics for suspected ODs and saves. It was the first of its kind in the city.

He was promoted to chief of the NYPD Transit Bureau in 2018. He later became the chief of Labor Relations for the department.

KEVIN P. WARD

While sitting as the top cop, Kevin Ward focused on combating burglaries, the boroughs deadly prescription drug epidemic and gun violence.

He also followed through on the traffic initiatives started by his predecessor.

The 121 Precinct opened under his command. He held the position from January of 2012 until July of 2013.

STEPHEN R. PARAGALLO

Before retiring after 38 years with the department, Stephen Paragallo spent three and a half years as Staten Islands borough commander.

While in the position, Paragallos top priorities were fighting violent crimes and traffic enforcement.

Shootings and violent crimes dropped during his tenure, as did traffic fatalities.

ALBERT W. GIRIMONTE

During Albert Girimontes tenure from April 2005 to June 2008, he cracked down on illegal fireworks during July 4 celebrations, which he said he viewed as among his biggest accomplishments.

He was a part of the 122nd Precincts satellite office opening in New Springville, and keeping the boroughs crime rate low.

Weve maintained Staten Island as being one of the safest communities in the United States, he said upon his retirement.

WILLIAM F. CALHOUN

William F. Calhoun spent 19 months as the top cop of Staten Island, where the boroughs crime rate declined by 5.88%.

He served from August 2003 to April 2005, before retiring after a 37-year career with the NYPD.

I think hes done a great service to the community, said then-Borough President James P. Molinaro, who read a proclamation in Calhouns honor. Its a tremendous loss to the community, and I just stopped by to congratulate him and thank him for his service.

He was immediately tested when, early in his tenure, he faced a controversy involving allegations that two 122nd Precinct officers failed to properly investigate an assault on a Black teenager in Crescent Beach Park in Great Kills on Labor Day. Calhoun ordered an investigation that led to the suspension of the two officers and the transfer of their supervising sergeant.

ANTHONY J. MARRA

Anthony Marra spent over four decades with the NYPD before retiring as assistant chief in August 2003.

No one aims at a staying 40 years, Marra said in an Advance article. Every time I thought about leaving, something came that would change my mind.

Besides his NYPD service, Marra worked with a number of charitable organizations, including the American Cancer Society, the Alzheimers Foundation, the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, and the March of Dimes.

EUGENE S. DEVLIN III

Eugene S. Devlin III spent five years as borough commander, from June of 1996 to May of 2001, where Staten Island saw its crime rate drop by a remarkable 73.5%.

He was the quintessential Staten Islander, a man whose roots were here, former Borough President Guy V. Molinari said at the time. He was somebody who was always there for Staten Island and treated us well. He was a great police commander and a great friend. Hes one of those people you hate to lose.

Devlin was on the force more than 33 years, rising through the ranks from a Manhattan beat cop to assistant chief.

He died at age 61 in 2009.



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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Now that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved updated coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines to fight the newest strains of the virus, many are wondering if they can receive their flu shot and the updated COVID-19 vaccine at the same time.

And the answer is yes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is safe to do so and wont affect the effectiveness of either vaccine, the CDC stated.

The newest COVID-19 vaccines, manufactured by Moderna and Pfizer, and its partner BioNTech, are advocated for most Americans  even those whove never had a COVID vaccination before. The idea, going forward, is to treat the COVID-19 vaccine much like a yearly flu shot.

As was the case in prior years, pharmacies, like CVS Pharmacy, clinics and primary-care physicians will allow you to get the two vaccines together.

And most Staten Islanders should not hesitate to receive the newest COVID-19 vaccine, along with a flu shot this year, said Dr. Theodore Strange, chairman of medicine at Staten Island University Hospital. And select groups should also receive a shot against RSV, he said.

Im a believer in vaccinations, Strange told the Advance/SILive.com. I think the benefits outweigh the risks.

To get the best protection, medical experts recommend getting both flu and COVID-19 vaccines before cold and flu season kicks into high gear in the coming, cooler weeks.

Studies conducted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic indicate that it is safe to get both a flu vaccine and a COVID-19 vaccine at the same visit, according to official guidance from the CDC.

Side effects worsened?

Some who are hesitant to get two vaccines at once might be wondering if there are any additional side effects if you get them together.

The answer is yes and no. You might feel a bit crummier,' but it wont be anything serious.

A CDC study published last summer found that people who got both their flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine simultaneously experienced more side effects than those who just got the coronavirus shot alone. They reported feeling more fatigue, muscle aches and headaches than those who just got the COVID-19 vaccine.

Dr. William Werbel, assistant professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins University, told Today that even though people may feel crummier, there is no data to suggest that any serious side effects, such as allergic reactions or heart issues, could come from taking both vaccines at the same time.

To make things easier on yourself if you are taking both shots at the same time, the CDC recommends getting one shot in each arm.

If the shots have to be in the same arm, have them administered at least one inch apart, the CDC advised.

What are the side effects?

According to the CDC, these are the typical side effects you can expect:

COVID-19 vaccine side effects:

Pain, swelling and redness at the injection site

Fever

Chills

Headache

Muscle aches

Fatigue

Nausea

Flu shot side effects:
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Projects along the North Shore waterfront have languished for years, but on Thursday, New York City officials announced a new vision for the area.

While many of the projects had already been announced, the North Shore Action Plan lays out a $400 million public investment that officials believe will create a new waterfront with open space, 2,400 housing units, and business opportunities that officials say could bring more than 7,500 new jobs and $3.8 billion in economic impact.

For too long, our economic development plans have focused on Manhattan and slices of Brooklyn and Queens  but New York is a five-borough city, Mayor Eric Adams said. Our plan for the North Shore executes on a once-in-a-generation investment of more than $400 million to bring homes, a school, jobs, open space, waterfront access, and flood resiliency to Staten Island  but, more importantly, it offers more breaks to hard-working New Yorkers who have historically faced long commutes and fewer economic opportunities.

The mayors Thursday announcement came after a nearly two-year push from City Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks (D-North Shore) for the New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC), which has involvement at most of the troubled waterfront sites, to reimagine the future of the North Shore.

Map shows the area for and expected investment from the North Shore Action Plan, which the New York City Economic Development Corporation published Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (Courtesy: NYCEDC)

Adams, along with a host of other city officials, had toured the area with Hanks last year to view the problems along the waterfront and what many in the community see as its potential.

From day one, our office hit the ground running on putting the pieces together  that meant assessing the damage, identifying the key players, and ultimately advocating for what I knew this community wanted, and thats an accessible, walkable, and connected waterfront, Hanks said at Thursdays press conference. For many years, the residents of the North Shore have been subjected to failed projects and broken promises. With the implementation of this action plan, we will have a roadmap to build a vibrant waterfront for Staten Islanders to enjoy.

The plan stretches from New Brighton to the edge of Stapletons waterfront, but EDC divided the plan into three neighborhoods  St. George, Tompkinsville, and Stapleton. It includes over a dozen projects that have varying start dates from ongoing efforts to 2027. Heres a look at what the city has in store for the Islands North Shore waterfront.

In the area around the St. George Ferry Terminal, the city wants to invest $50 million to revitalize 530,000 square feet of commercial opportunities and 4 acres of green space. Their plans would revamp the existing project around the terminal, and take a new approach at one of the worst failures along the waterfront.

Map shows the St. George project area for the North Shore Action Plan, which the New York City Economic Development Corporation published Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (Courtesy: NYCEDC)

ST. GEORGE

Bank Street Site Start date: Late 2023



Project description: What most Staten Islanders know as the New York Wheel site, city officials have taken to calling Bank Street.

Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the idea in June 2012 as what would become the worlds largest ferris wheel inspired by the London Eye, officials expected it to be the attraction to draw New York City tourists into the borough, but the project never came to fruition.

In addition to the vacant city-owned land that would have been home to the wheel, the massive parking garage that went along with it, is closed and blocks waterfront views.

During a tour of the area last year with the Advance/SIlive.com, Hanks focused much of her waterfront frustration on the failed site.

By the end of the year, EDC plans to release a request for proposals on redeveloping the existing 70,000 square-foot, multistory terminal building for year-round programming and new public open space.

The base of the planned New York Wheel remains at the idle construction site on the St. George waterfront, next to the Postcards 9-11 Memorial and the St. George Ferry Terminal. A day after the city announced it will not provide financial support for the New York Wheel, the projectOs developer said it is still in active negotiations in hopes of moving the 630-foot tourist attraction forward. 2018 (Staten Island Advance)Staten Island Advance

Neighborhood Esplanade Start date: Unclear



Since developers broke ground on the New York Wheel site, Staten Islanders have lost access to the adjacent waterfront area, but the city hopes to change that.

EDC plans to restore public waterfront access at the site with the construction of a new esplanade that will have pedestrian and bike paths that connect to the existing esplanade leading up to the St. George, but EDC will need to partner with elected officials to secure the $20 million in funding needed to do so.

Rendering of the plan for Bank Street from the North Shore Action Plan, which the New York City Economic Development Corporation published Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (Courtesy: NYCEDC)

St. George Ferry Terminal Start date: 2024



For many, the St. George Ferry Terminal serves as the gateway to Staten Island, and as part of their North Shore plan, officials want to make it a more inviting place.

EDC will be partnering with the city Department of Transportation (DOT), the agency that operates the ferry, to improve pedestrian and bike connections in the area, bring wayfinding enhancements to the terminal, and attract a ferry terminal concession operator along with retail tenants in the building.

EDC expects public procurement for retail leasing, ferry concessions, and advertising in 2024, but the agency didnt provide a more specific date.

Riders packed the St. George Ferry Terminal on Friday morning as the Staten Island Ferry continued to operate on an hourly schedule after the vast majority of crew members called out sick. (Staten Island Advance/Erik Bascome)

Empire Outlets Start date: Work ongoing



Empire Outlets, the citys first outlet mall that sits just next to the St. George Ferry Terminal, has never lived up to its potential with vacancies around the complex. But officials want to see that changed.

In its action plan, EDC promised to work with the mall operator to implement leasing, marketing, and activation strategies to help Empire Outlets reach its full potential, but challenges remain ahead.

The Advance/SILive.com reported last month that the mall would be put on the auction block after its 2022 foreclosure. A public notice for the auction was published in the newspaper on Aug. 18.

Approximate liens on the property as of March 1, 2023 -- which exclude interest accrued thereafter -- are listed in the notice as $316,387,532.78. An additional $52,394,055.99 is also owed, the notice says, not detailing the bidders responsibility for those payments.

Photos from the opening of the Empire Outlets, St George, Wednesday, May 15, 2019. (Staten Island Advance/Shira Stoll)

Staten Island University Hospital Community Park Start date: Work ongoing



The Staten Island Ferryhawks are ending their second season at the Staten Island University Community Park, which opened in 2001 as the Richmond County Bank Ballpark.

Currently, EDC is supporting the owners $9 million investment in capital upgrades that will help bring year-round programming to the location.

The Savannah Banana "Banana Ball" with the Party Animals at the Staten Island University Hospital Community Park, St. George, with a full house for its food and drink. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Silvestri)

Just adjacent to the St. George Ferry Terminal, EDCs action plan lays out how they hope to revitalize several stalled projects, and make progress on some new ones.

This portion of the plan will see a $279 public investment that will lead to 300 new homes, 430,000 square feet of commercial space, 3 acres of open space, and 300 new homes.

Map shows the Tompkinsville project area for the North Shore Action Plan, which the New York City Economic Development Corporation published Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (Courtesy: NYCEDC)

TOMPKINSVILLE

Neighborhood Esplanade Start date: 2024



As part of the 2019 Bay Street Rezoning, the city committed to the creation of a new esplanade along the Tompkinsville waterfront, and the EDC action report lays out how the city plans to get that done.

Using $160 million in city capital and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding, EDC will build two acres of new public waterfront open space along the waterfront.

EDC expects to break ground on the new esplanade in 2024 after the citys land use review process, and for construction to be complete in 2026.

The EDCs plan will also incorporate the land owned by marine service company Millers Launch into the esplanade.

Rendering of the Tompkinsville waterfront from the North Shore Action Plan, which the New York City Economic Development Corporation published Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (Courtesy: NYCEDC)

Lighthouse Point Start date: Work ongoing



The unfinished, 12-story Lighthouse Point looms over the St. George Ferry Terminal, but work at the site recently resumed after sitting dormant since 2019.

EDC expects the projects first phase, the 12-story structure that was meant to be a mixed-use building with commercial and residential opportunities, to be complete, and for pre-development of the projects second phase, including redevelopment of three of the adjacent historic buildings to begin next year.

The development will include 115 homes, 60,000 square feet of commercial space, and 274 parking spaces. The commercial space will include the future home of the College of Staten Islands Tech Incubator and The Learning Experience, an early childhood development center.

Rendering of the future Lighthouse Point from the North Shore Action Plan, which the New York City Economic Development Corporation published Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (Courtesy: NYCEDC)

Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center Start date: 2023



Also part of the Bay Street rezoning plan that passed the City Council in 2019, the Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center will replace the Cromwell Center, which closed in 2010 after part of the building collapsed.

Named for the former chief of recreation for Staten Island, the Parks Department announced the $92 million project in November 2022. It will be built above the Lyons Pool parking lot to ensure that parking is maintained and that the new building meets the elevation requirements necessitated by its proximity to a coastal flood zone.

Plans have been in the works since 2017 for the 45,000-square-foot, three-level building, with an early feasibility study determining that the Lyons Pool parking lot site would be ideal for the center, because its near the existing Lyons Pool recreational facility, its easily accessible via mass transit and its a city-owned property with existing utilities.

According to EDC, the Parks Department and the Department of Design and Construction (DDC) will break ground on the Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center in 2023 and construction is expected to be complete by the end of 2025.

Rendering of the Mary Cali Dalton Recreation Center from the North Shore Action Plan, which the New York City Economic Development Corporation published Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (Courtesy: NYCEDC)

Jersey Street Garage Affordable Housing Development Start date: Work ongoing



Another project announced in the 2019 Bay Street rezoning that passed under former City Councilwoman Debi Rose, the city wants to transform the Department of Sanitation garage at the intersection of Jersey Street and Victory Boulevard into an affordable housing development.

According to EDC, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development plans to release a request for proposals for redevelopment of the Jersey Street site with over 200 affordable homes, including homes for seniors, by the end of the year.

The Jersey Street Sanitation Garage is shown on Saturday, March 6, 2021. (Staten Island Advance/Paul Liotta)

Pier 1 Start date: 2024



A former fishing pier, Pier 1, which is controlled by EDC, has been partially closed to the public since 2017 because of structural issues, but has been used by a private dinner cruise company.

EDC plans to rehabilitate and reactivate Pier 1 for public waterfront access and enjoyment while modifying its size, but doesnt expect to begin planning for the project until next year.

The size change will facilitate the construction of a new DOT pier in Stapleton.

Rendering of the Pier 1 plan from the North Shore Action Plan, which the New York City Economic Development Corporation published Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (Courtesy: NYCEDC)

Building 10 Start date: 2024



Building 10 is what the city calls one of the historic buildings adjacent to Lighthouse Point that were part of the former U.S. Lighthouse Service General Depot. The buildings have sat dormant for years blocked off by green construction fencing.

EDC will release a request for proposals for Building 10s redevelopment in 2024, to coincide with the redevelopment of Lighthouse Point phase two.

Rendering of the future Lighthouse Point from the North Shore Action Plan, which the New York City Economic Development Corporation published Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (Courtesy: NYCEDC)

Most of the new homes associated with EDCs plan are concentrated in Stapleton where residents can expect $260 million of public investment to help open 12 acres of open space, establish 2,100 new homes, and 450,000 square feet of commercial space.

Map shows the Stapleton project area for the North Shore Action Plan, which the New York City Economic Development Corporation published Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (Courtesy: NYCEDC)

STAPLETON

Neighborhood Esplanade Start Date: Work ongoing



City officials opened the first portion of the Stapleton Esplanade in 2016, but the city expects to break ground on the projects next phase by the end of the year completing construction by 2027.

Waterfront: Southern Phase Start date: Fall 2023



To go along with the new esplanade, the city will also begin its work to redevelop two parcels of land along Front Street into a mixed-income community.

Officials say they plan to release a request for proposals by the end of the year, but a rendering EDC shared shows six new apartment buildings across from the MTAs Clifton maintenance shop.

The rendering also show EDCs expectation that the privately-owned Urby project to resume construction.

Rendering shows the Stapleton waterfront plan from the North Shore Action Plan, which the New York City Economic Development Corporation published Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (Courtesy: NYCEDC)

Stapleton Beacon Start date: 2025



Another project that dates back years, EDC touted the Stapleton Beacon project as part of its action plan. It will bring affordable housing and a new school to the Stapleton waterfront.

The project will bring 360 affordable homes, an all-inclusive health and social program for seniors, new medical space for Richmond University Medical Center, and a YMCA counseling center. The city School Construction Authority (SCA) will build a 600-seat public school to support the neighborhoods expected residential growth.

HPD will make best efforts to close on financing and break ground on Stapleton Beacon by 2025, to be followed by the public school, according to EDC.

Rendering of the Stapleton Beachon from the North Shore Action Plan, which the New York City Economic Development Corporation published Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (Courtesy: NYCEDC)

Map shows a Bridge-to-Bridge concept from the North Shore Action Plan, which the New York City Economic Development Corporation published Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. (Courtesy: NYCEDC)

FUTURE VISION

While the plan focuses on the neighborhoods closest to the St. George Ferry Terminal, it shares a future vision that would transform most of the Islands North Shore.

Through neighborhood rezonings and future projects in areas beyond Stapleton, Tompkinsville, and St. George, EDC want to see a unified waterfront that connects neighborhoods from the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge to the Bayonne Bridge.

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Whats New York City without terrible traffic?

The citys Department of Transportation this week announced a list of 19 gridlock alert days through the end of the year. New Yorkers who commute to and from Manhattan are encouraged to use alternate forms of transportation on these days, as there will be extensive street closures and delays, according to the agency.

DOT announced the stretch of gridlock alert days will kick off next week  which coincides with the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly  with five consecutive alert days. DOT noted Midtown Manhattan traffic speeds are the slowest of the year, less than 4 MPH, during the U.N.s General Assembly session.

We strongly encourage New Yorkers and those in the region to travel by transit every day of the year  but its especially important during gridlock alert days, said city DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. The U.N. General Assembly is a great event each year the city is proud to host, but New Yorkers should do their part in minimizing congestion and seeking alternative modes of transportation.

Below is the full list of gridlock alert days for Manhattan.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The NYPD is asking for the publics help in locating a 63-year-old Eltingville man who has been missing for over one month.

Mark Lewis was last seen at approximately 11:30 a.m. at his home on Wainwright Avenue on Aug. 9, according to a statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

Police described Lewis as 5 feet, 9 inches tall and heavyset.

A photo of Lewis was supplied by the NYPD.

Anyone with information in regard to this incident is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.
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Photograph: Rebecca Cook/Reuters

Under blue skies in Wayne, Michigan, a half-hour outside Detroit, the mood was festive but defiant as hundreds of autoworkers settled in for the first weekend of picketing at the entrances to Fords Michigan Assembly Plant.

Fords workers were among the first to go out in a series of targeted strikes that marked the beginning of the largest industrial action taken by US car workers in over a decade.

Related: Auto worker strike explained: the pay gap, the talks and what Biden is doing

A chorus of horns blared in support from Michigan Avenue, a busy highway running through the nations automotive heartland. Strikers turned away semi-truck after semi-truck trying to deliver parts to the plant, which produces the Ranger and Bronco. Hell no, youre not coming in here, keep it moving, a worker yelled.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) president, Shawn Fain, called the strike after failing to reach new union contracts with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis before a midnight Thursday deadline.

The strikers message: theyre no longer accepting the automakers corporate greed. They point to the companies record profits in recent years and huge stock buyback programs that are enacted as workers struggle to make ends meet.

Fords CEO, Jim Farley, briefly stopped by to meet with picketers. Several workers near retirement werent particularly impressed by the gesture. He made $29m a year, they noted, while hourly workers were fighting to get money to survive after we leave here, said plant worker Stu Jackson. How many years do we even have left to live after we retire? Ten years? asked Jackson, who highlighted the toll factory work exacts on workers bodies and health.

Did you see Farley in his tailored European suit? Wasnt he sharp? Jackson asked. He looks like the $29m man. Those nice shoes.

And look at us, Jackson added with indignation, motioning to the small group dressed in jeans, T-shirts and sweatpants. This isnt fair.

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As Fain has pointed out repeatedly, CEO pay has soared as the car companies have recovered from the 2008/2009 financial crisis. Pay for the big three companies bosses jumped by 40% between 2013 and 2022. The GM boss, Mary Barra, took home $29m in 2022. Meanwhile, auto manufacturing workers have seen their average real hourly earnings fall 19.3% since 2008, according to the Economics Policy Institute.

Domonique Hicks, a young mother of three who lives in Detroit, said the $16.67-an-hour wage she received was not feeding her children.

Were here to take back what Ford took from us, Hicks said. They didnt want to bargain with us so were making a statement  if you can make millions and billions, then we deserve something. We build those cars. The strike will go on for as long as Ford wants to keep their checkbook in their pocket, she added.

Among other issues, the union is calling for a 40%-plus pay increase, an end to two-tier wage systems in which new hires are paid significantly less for doing the same work and the restoration of benefits cut to help save the car companies after the 2008/2009 recession drove them to bankruptcy.

United Auto Workers member Shamia Ware walks the picket line during a strike at the Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan, on Friday. Photograph: Paul Sancya/AP

Auto executives expressed frustration as the strike entered its first weekend. A Ford spokesman called the UAWs terms unsustainable. Im extremely frustrated and disappointed. We dont need to be in a strike right now, Barra told CNBC on Friday.

The White House is watching developments closely. On Friday Joe Biden said his team was engaged in trying to find a resolution and called on the car companies to go further in their negotiations with striking workers.

The companies have made some significant offers. But I believe that should go further to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts, he said. Record corporate profits, which they have, should be shared by record contracts for the UAW, Biden reiterated.

Hicks said she had a message for those who oppose the strike, or worry about how it will affect the economy. People are hurting. Youre talking about shutting down the economy? [The auto companies] are shutting down the economy because they arent putting money back into it, so were here to get it.

How am I supposed to feed my kids? Hicks asked. Were just trying to live and support our family.

Even with a wage of about $24 an hour after starting at $16 nearly four years ago, plant worker Amanda Robinson says she can barely afford the payments on her car and theres not much left after bills at the end of the month to raise her three-year-old son.

Working in the plant is not an easy walk in the park, sit at a desk job, she said. It was grueling and took a physical toll, Robinson added, and they deserved better wages.

Were showing them that were not playing, she said. Were willing to do whatever it takes. Everybody is standing behind us.
He attended state schools, Melbourne Grammar School, and enrolled as an architecture student at Melbourne University. Ingamells never completed the course but later studied photography at the Prahran Technical College, where one of his lecturers, filmmaker Paul (Man of Flowers) Cox, taught cinematography. There followed five years of late morning rises in shared houses, trips to India and South-East Asia, studying meditation, and lengthy stays on the NSW far south coast. As part of the latter iteration, he designed a holiday home for Dymphna and Manning Clark at their property on Wapengo Lake, near Bermagui. John Anderson, who knew Ingamells at Melbourne Grammar, during his time at Wapengo, and at Pericho, near the Victorian border, says they did the commune thing. He became a devotee of Indian yoga guru Baba Muktananda, and spent some time baking bread at the Muktananda Siddha Yoga Ashram in Fitzroy. He was heavily into that, Anderson says. Those years may be deemed fallow by some, but in retrospect they constituted a sort of meditative precursor to Ingamells later period of extraordinary achievement as a protector of the environment, community leader, and personal mentor.

The path from apparent inertia to action was via the somewhat surprising agency of trams. A big fan of public transport, Ingamells first job was on the Melbourne tramways as a conductor, and later a driver who gained wry pleasure as an Old Melburnian dealing with uppity Melbourne Grammar Boys on the number eight tram on Toorak Road. It was a time of union militancy, following the 1969 jailing of Tramways Union head Clarrie OShea by Sir John Kerr, then a judge on the Commonwealth Industrial Court, for failure to pay fines imposed under the penal clauses of the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. (OShea was released after six days, halting a strike by more than a million unionists, following payment of the fines by an anonymous donor.) By the 1980s, Ingamells was heavily involved in the conservation movement. He joined the Victorian Department of Conservation, Forests and Lands and created audiovisuals for showing in theatrettes at Wilsons Promontory, the Grampians and Point Nepean National parks and the Orbost Rainforest Centre. Ingamells designed posters celebrating Victorias National Parks, including one featuring threatened species like brolga, the Eltham copper butterfly, spotted tree frog, little penguin, common bent-wing bat and leadbeaters possum, as well as writing and/or revising handbooks on Wilsons Promontory, Mount Buffalo and the Mount Alexander diggings.

He moved to Castlemaine where he played a key role in the successful campaign to establish a box ironbark national park and helped to organise the Mamunya Arts Festival with members of the local Indigenous community. As a campaigner for the Victorian National Parks Association, he was instrumental in persuading the Victorian government to rescind the grazing rights for cattle in the high country of the Alpine National Park in 2005. After that decision was reversed, he was a leader in having the decision to rescind itself rescinded. He also played a prominent part in the campaign to stop commercial development of Wilsons Promontory in 2013. Ingamells helped to organise more than 1000 torch-carrying protesters to gather at dusk on the beach at Tidal River and form a single sign saying Hands off our National Parks. One of his most significant campaigns centred on the highly contentious issue of fire management after the 2009 Black Saturday bushfires where 173 people were killed, 414 were injured, more than a million animals were lost and 450,000 hectares of land were burnt. Ingamells took over the VNPA fire management campaign from his friend Jenny Barnett after her tragic death in the Black Saturday fires. He was one of the go-to people for media comments, and represented the broad conservation movement at the Black Saturday bushfire royal commission.

Youd (often) hear his no nonsense voice on the ABC, comments Anderson. Collaborating with specialists on fire, he argued for an evidence-based approach, challenging the popular prescribed quota system for burning the native forests. Instead, he advocated contained, strategic burns, complemented by a rapid-response approach to fresh fire outbreaks facilitated by a fleet of fire-fighting aircraft. According to Matt Ruchel, executive director of the Victorian National Parks Association, Ingamells did facilitate that knowledge and took great care to give everyone the opportunity to learn. Philip was a great communicator, both written and verbal. He approached things very thoughtfully, and mostly respectfully, and had an extremely extensive, deep understanding of policy. He was a fierce advocate for national parks and a very warm and generous colleague and friend, Ruchel said.

Neil McCarthy, a former director of Parks Victoria, said the states park system is a direct result of Phils love for our environment. The pride and passion he had for Victorias environment is unsurpassed. He was always a joy to work with, even though we had many robust discussions. He kept us on the right path, McCarthy said. According to Dick Williams, a CSIRO fire scientist, Ingamells was an exceptional communicator and taught us so much about how to tell conservation stories  whether to premiers, professors or punters. He was always well informed, articulate, strategic and to the point; as well as being that most extraordinary combo  gentle, passionate and fearless. The world is poorer for (his) passing, Williams said. The good places on the planet are only there because of the good people like you who wandered a different path, lived a different life. Keep wandering, Phil, declared Luke Chamberlain, who works for Environmental Justice Australia, on the VNPA site devoted to Ingamells memory.
Superficially, Sarah Burton and the Princess of Wales couldnt be more different. Catherine is one of the worlds most photographed women who, in the 12 years since she married Prince William, has become increasingly sure-footed in her role as a public figure. Meanwhile, Burton, the woman who has done more than any other designer to help the Princess forge her sartorial imprint for the most important occasions, has never been fond of the limelight, and seems to have retreated even further from it in recent years.

Last weeks announcement that Burton is leaving Alexander McQueen, the label where she has worked for 26 years, has shocked the industry. She took over in 2010, after the celebrated designers death, and such was her understated brilliance, it was widely assumed she had the job for as long as she wanted it.

Sarah Burtons departure from Alexander McQueen shocked the fashion world. Credit: AP

But now she has departed, there is speculation that she may take her most famous client with her. Together, she and the Princess are one of the most formidable partnerships in fashion.

It is a team that was founded in 2011, when Burton delivered one of the biggest fashion coups of the century, winning the commission to design the wedding dress of the future queen.
Their social acceptance is revealed in Tales from the Refreshment Rooms by author Jan OConnell, who reports a story in Sydneys Truth newspaper in February 1900 concerning Edmund Barton, the man who would be Australias first prime minister. He had alighted from the train at Moss Vale and nipped into the RRR for a shot (or several) of whisky. The train departed without him. Recognising the importance of the stranded gentleman, at the time engaged in the complex inter-colonial diplomacy that preceded Australias federation, the station master recalled the train.

The rather robust crockery of the time carried the insignia N.S.W.G.R R.R.R. The GR stood for Government Railways and the RRR was Railway Refreshment Rooms. In another era, the RRRs were part of the social fabric of Australia, even deepest rural Australia. Koala-like, they now are increasingly under threat of extinction.

In 1954, NSW Railways hit back at complaints about the quality of food at its station cafes, releasing a smorgasbord of figures to demonstrate its achievements in feeding the travelling millions. The department has a special sandwich room at Central Station, Sydney, which makes 1,750,000 sandwiches a year, it declared. Along with 14,000 lbs of coffee, 33,000 lbs of tea ... You get the idea.

Complaints and jokes, however, about food quality were relentless. Tasmanian News, in October 1889, had this: It is stated that a ham sandwich has been dug out of the ruins of Pompeii in a perfect state of preservation. When tested, it was pronounced to be very similar to those to be got at the railway refreshment rooms.

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The UKs train operator had the same image problem, with the British Rail sandwich recognised as the nations most reviled culinary creation. The Daily Telegraph in 2002 reported that a 30-year-old document unearthed from a collection of discarded BR papers showed how staff were expected to be meticulous in making the finished product suitably unappetising. When dealing with luncheon meat or sardines, the filling should amount to two-thirds of an ounce. A loaf giving a slice of 4 inches x 4 inches was the preferred choice.

In How Privatisation Killed Off the British Rail Sandwich Joke, the blog East of the M60 explains why British Railways sandwiches had curly crusts and were regarded as stale. It stems from a time when sandwiches were kept under a dish on a plate. Being out for quite a while, in spite of being made on the day and kept under cover, resulted in their curliness. Then came cling film. Once again, freshly made sandwiches; this time, soggy rather than curly. In this case, any tomato or tuna-based sandwich was best avoided.

RRRs gained big-screen prominence in David Leans Brief Encounter (1945) with its refreshment room scenes where Alec and Laura (Trevor Howard and Celia Johnson) whispered sweet nothings to a backdrop of sandwiches languishing under glass domes. Movie fans to this day flock to Carnforth station near Lancaster where the film was made (where little has changed since the 1940s) only to learn that the interior shots were filmed at Denham Studios in Buckinghamshire.
Its been six years since a piece of Shasta Lake history closed its doors.

But theres new life at the former Big Dipper Cafe on the island between Front Street and Shasta Dam Boulevard.

The building is undergoing a major facelift after local pastor Jim Newton bought it this past spring.

The buzz around town is the former cafe, which opened a year before start of construction on Shasta Dam Boulevard, is going to be turned into an ice cream parlor.

But Newton recently told me that his plans after he finishes the retrofit are to be determined.

Its kind of up in the air, said Newton, who is the pastor at Grace Fellowship in Shasta Lake. The purpose right now is to get it rain tight and get it to where it has ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) bathrooms in it. Whether or not it becomes an ice cream shop, Im not sure. I have no plans at the moment that are set.

The Big Dipper Cafe closed during the summer of 2017 after the most recent owner told the Record Searchlight that the business wasnt bringing in enough money to keep its doors open.

The former Big Dipper Cafe building in Shasta Lake is undergoing a major overhaul after it was purchased earlier this year.

The restaurant opened in 1937 and had changed owners many times over the years.

In fact, it wasnt always a diner.

From a 1955 Record Searchlight classified ad: FOR LEASE: With Option to Buy. Fountain & Sandwich Shop. Excellent business established many years.  Low down payment. Approx. $1300 will put you in business. THE BIG DIPPER. Central Valley.

I really love the aspect of preserving what it is. My goal is to retore it like it was in 1937, Newton said.

Stay tuned.

Benton Airpark, a year later

In May 2022, Benton Air Center at Benton Air Park in west Redding closed, surprising many in the aviation community.

The airport is city-owned and the abrupt closure even left the city wondering what happened.

But more than a year after the air center closed, the city is no closer to finding someone to come in and re-open the restaurant, the flight school and maintenance shop at Benton.

To be clear, the closure has not affected operations at the airport, which remains open for takeoffs and landings.

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Still, local pilots like Ron Lim are eager to see a new fixed-based operator at the airport.

Benton Air Center at Benton Airpark in Redding closed in May 2022. The airport in west Redding remains open.

The potential for doing well there is there, said Lim, who did not know why the city has had a difficult time bringing on a new fixed-based operator.

While Lim continues to fly in and out of Benton, he said he must go to Redding Regional Airport for fuel.

One of the most popular features at the airport was the Airpark Cafe, which gave diners a birds-eye of planes taking off and landing while they enjoyed breakfast or lunch.

On the nice deck there, you could see planes coming and going. The kids loved it, Lim said.

Redding Airports Manager Jim Wadleigh said one of the challenges to finding a new fixed-based operators has been the former cafe.

Originally approved to be a sandwich shop, it somehow later developed under the radar into a cafe without installation of a grease trap, Wadleigh said in an email. Now, a grease trap is not a simple thing to install with initial estimates valued at $35,000.

More: The Buzz: This store will open next to Redding Burlington. New eatery coming to downtown?

Wadleigh said the cost for a grease trap and additional repairs have probably affected the level of interest.

It simply requires a fair bit of capital, he said.

The city solicited proposals for Benton Air Park this summer. But nobody responded.

Since no proposals were received, the airport is now able to reach out to all parties that have expressed an interest when the very first report of the business closing its doors occurred, Wadleigh said.

Wadleigh added that he has met with potential operators and anticipates more meetings.

We need an operator to fill the many voids that exist today, he said.

Anyone interested can call the airports manager at 530-224-4321.

New chapter at Peter Chus Skyroom

Opened in the early 1990s at Redding Municipal Airport, Peter Chus Skyroom has been a favorite North State dining destination.

Peter Chu's Skyroom is on the second floor of the passenger terminal at Redding Regional Airport.

The restaurant is perched on the second floor of the airport passenger terminal, a pretty cool spot to take in the runway and mountains east of Redding while enjoying dinner and/or a cocktail.

Recently, the city council approved a new operator for Peter Chus at the airport.

Yangda Pan is the new owner. He was a chef at New China restaurant in Redding from 2006 to 2015 before moving to the Sacramento area, where owned a restaurant called China Chef.

Pan is currently working with Chu on the transition.

Mohamed Tung, a business associate of Pan, recently told me that Pan doesnt have any plans to dramatically change the menu or the vibe at Chus Skyroom.

He is working with Chu to make sure that everything goes according to plan and every menu item remains the same, Tung said. Every customer whos been to Peter Chus place is accustomed to the flavors and you dont want to change because you will lose your customers.

Pans agreement with the city runs through September 2027.

David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. Hes part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: The Buzz: The scoop with former Big Dipper Cafe. New chapter for Chu's
Two Sydney hospitals have become the first in Australia to relax rules for fasting before surgery, as growing evidence shows patients can safely drink water, juice and even black coffee while waiting for a procedure.

Since July, patients having elective surgery at Prince of Wales Hospital in Randwick and Sydney Eye Hospital have been allowed to drink clear liquids  those without milk or pulp  right up to going into the operating theatre.

Dr Louisa Lowes says fasting rules for surgery were causing unnecessary discomfort. Credit: Wolter Peeters

Patients are asked to fast from food and drink as a precaution to reduce the risk of vomiting or asphyxiating during surgery.

However, growing evidence about how quickly the stomach empties suggests there is little risk from patients having water, refined juice or black coffee and tea before going under anaesthetic.
Im just really happy that we can help them  that we can ensure that they have property security because when we grew up, we didnt have that. So, its paying it forward. Selling agent Brad Cole of Northside Realtors said there were multiple first home buyers with financial help from their parents at the auction, and it was becoming more common. The Wollstonecraft unit was hotly contested. Credit: Rhett Wyman Demand for apartments was also increasing, he added, due to the large price gap between units and houses. Records show the home last sold for $350,000 in 1999.

It was one of 811 Sydney homes scheduled for auction on Saturday. By evening, Domain Group recorded a preliminary auction clearance rate of 66.9 per cent from 534 reported results, while 115 auctions were withdrawn. Withdrawn auctions are counted as unsold properties when calculating the clearance rate. In Woollahra, the four-bedroom home of legendary Olympian swimmer Ian Thorpe was passed in on a vendors bid of $3.9 million. The Woollahra home of Ian Thorpe was passed in at auction on a vendor bid. Credit: Domain The home had a price guide of $3.7 million and drew one single registered buyer, who refrained from bidding. Lead selling agent Courtney Wong of Black Diamondz Property Concierge said he was in negotiations with the buyer on Saturday afternoon.

The home was purchased by Thorpe in 2017 for $2.75 million. In Greenwich, expats bought a circa 1915 house at 1 Lansdowne Street for $4.64 million. Bidding on the five-bedroom home on more than 1000 square metres of land started at the $3.9 million price guide. Four of the six registered parties took part, pushing the price well above the $4.3 million reserve.

The property sold through Belle Property Lane Cove principal James Bennett and last traded for $456,000 in 1988. In Chatswood, last-minute buyers purchased a house for $3.51 million, shortly after inspecting the property for the very first time. They were among four young families that registered to bid on 56 Eddy Road, which made the sellers  pandemic era-investors  a paper profit of $871,000 in less than three years. The four-bedroom house last sold for $2,639,000 in October 2020, records show.

The auction opened bang on the $3 million price guide and bidding climbed in $100,000 increments to start, quickly passing the $3.45 million reserve price, as two buyers made offers. The home is on a 835-square-metre block. A Lane Cove family who inspected the home for the first time on Saturday placed the winning bid, said Ray White Upper North Shores Jessica Cao. They plan to rebuild on the 835-square-metre block. They saw it last night online and asked for a contract at 9pm. They always liked the area and thought they were priced out, Cao said, noting that they had been house hunting for the past four months. She said the sellers were a group of family members who invested in the property and wanted to offload it to buy their own homes separately.

While the sellers did well for themselves, Cao said buyers were becoming pickier as more homes were listed for sale. Loading This market is very different from three months ago, there is more supply in the market, buyers are not as committed  [and] there are properties not selling at auction. I lost a few buyers [today] because they saw more properties and wanted to keep looking. In North Epping, a four-bedroom house at 25 Holland Street sold for $2.67 million to a couple upgrading from a Neutral Bay unit. The home, which was guided at $2.3 million, drew nine registered bidders  all owner occupiers hoping to upgrade. The bidding started at $2.1 million and offers from four buyers pushed the price passed the $2.5 million reserve.
WILLEMSTAD:--- On September 15th, a rental company in Aruba discovered that two of their jet skis had been stolen. They contacted the Aruba Police Force, who, in collaboration with the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard, immediately took action. Both authorities instantly reached out to the Venezuelan Coast Guard, as the two vessels were heading in that direction. The Venezuelan Coast Guard successfully seized both jet skis and arrested one individual. They are currently working in close coordination with the Caribbean Coast Guard and the Aruba Police Force, to safely return the vessels back to Aruba.
Anis Omar Zen, 19, is the 13th teenager to be killed in London this year, one away from 14 for the whole of last year and 30 in 2021, the bloodiest year on record.
China's new ambassador to Afghanistan, Zhao Xing, presented his credentials at a grand ceremony in Kabul on Wednesday, becoming the first foreign envoy to take up their post since the Taliban retook power in August 2021.

While the Taliban - which has not been officially recognised by any foreign government - hailed Zhao's arrival as "the beginning of a new chapter", the Chinese foreign ministry sought to play down hopes for a formal recognition.

The Taliban has yet to be recognised by any foreign government, but observers said the appointment signaled China's willingness to forge closer ties with the Islamic fundamentalist group.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

In a departure from the normal diplomatic protocols, Beijing retained ambassador-level relations and an embassy in Kabul after the fall of the previous US-backed government.

The foreign ministry in Beijing described Zhao's arrival as "the normal rotation of China's ambassador to Afghanistan, and is intended to continue advancing dialogue and cooperation between China and Afghanistan".

"China's policy towards Afghanistan is clear and consistent," the ministry added, according to Reuters.

China was among the first countries to welcome the Taliban's return to power after the chaotic withdrawal of American troops two years ago and is one of only a handful to host a Taliban charge d'affaires.

In his first message posted on the Chinese embassy's website on Friday, Zhao said: "Practical cooperation in the field will promote the sustained, healthy and stable development of China-Afghanistan relations, continue the traditional friendship between the two peoples, and enable China's development results to better benefit Afghanistan."

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Although the Taliban has failed to ensure the internal security and stability it promised, and Chinese targets have been hit by a number of terrorist attacks in the country, Beijing has still pledged greater financial and economic help for the sanctions-hit country.

Zhao, also said China was committed to "deepening the cooperation between both sides under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative", President Xi Jinping's signature foreign investment and infrastructure project, into Afghanistan.

Earlier this year a three-way agreement was reached to extend the US$60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a centrepiece of the initiative, to Afghanistan.

Last month both Afghan media and Bloomberg reported that the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei was working with the Taliban to install advanced surveillance systems in all provinces of Afghanistan.

In Kabul on Wednesday, Zhao's car was escorted by a police convoy to the presidential palace, where he was greeted by uniformed troops and met the acting Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mutaqi.

China's new ambassador to Afghanistan Zhao Sheng says he wants to continue "the traditional friendly relations" between the two countries. Photo: AP alt=China's new ambassador to Afghanistan Zhao Sheng says he wants to continue "the traditional friendly relations" between the two countries. Photo: AP>

After presenting his credentials to Akhund, Zhao said he would work to strengthen relations with Afghanistan in "political, economic and other fields", according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

Muttaqi said the two countries had special ties and that Zhao's nomination was a "significant step with a significant message".

"It also signals to other countries to come forward and interact with the Islamic Emirate [of Afghanistan]," Mujahid told Associated Press.

"We should establish good relations as a result of good interactions and, with good relations, we can solve all the problems that are in front of us or coming in the future."

Zhu Yongbiao, a professor at Lanzhou University's school of politics and international relations, said Zhao's appointment was a routine personnel reshuffle given his predecessor's unusually long stint.

China's previous envoy to Afghanistan Wang Yu took up the role in November 2019 and returned to Beijing last month.

According to Zhu, it was highly unusual for a diplomat to spend nearly four years in a war zone.

"It's quite reasonable to appoint a new envoy under such circumstances and it does not mean that China has moved ahead substantially towards recognising the Taliban," he said.

Yan Wei, deputy director at the Institute of Middle Eastern studies at Northwest University in Xian, described the new ambassador's appointment as a "positive signal" underlining China's support for the Taliban amid the county's ongoing humanitarian crisis.

"China believes that, under the current circumstances, it is necessary to maintain constructive contact and dialogue with the Taliban regime to better encourage and guide it in addressing the concerns of the international community, and that isolation and blockade are not conducive to solving the problems," he said.

Yan said the Taliban wanted to break loose from diplomatic isolation, so it was understandable it might have read too much into the arrival of the new ambassador.

But he said China had concerns about the Taliban's links with extremism and terrorism and its repressive policies against Afghan women and girls, although it has not clearly said why it has not officially recognised the Taliban government.

"The naming of a new envoy would be conducive to serving Chinese enterprises and conducting exchanges," he said.

"It is also a showcase of China's active diplomacy in promoting regional stability and alleviating Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis and economic difficulties without interfering in its internal affairs."

Zhu said Beijing had quickly switched its ambassador in Afghanistan but in India the post had been vacant for nearly a year, adding the contrast had "a lot to do with the status of bilateral ties".

He said this was another sign of China's good relations with the Taliban, while relations with New Delhi were still strained as a result of an ongoing border dispute and India's strategic pivot towards the US.

Meanwhile, Zhang Jun, China's top envoy to the United Nations, took a thinly veiled jab at the US on Thursday over the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

"A few countries, under the pretext of democracy and human rights, have all too easily cut or even suspended humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and other countries," he told a Security Council debate.

"Such actions will only victimise innocent civilians, worsen the socio-economic crisis, and contravene the spirit of humanitarianism."

His remarks were in line with a document released by China's foreign ministry on Wednesday ahead of the opening of the annual United Nations General Assembly meeting, outlining its position on major global hotspots such as Ukraine and North Korea.

The section on Afghanistan urged the international community to maintain dialogue, provide aid and encourage the country to develop a more inclusive political framework.

It added that "relevant countries" need to "draw lessons" from what happened in Afghanistan, abandon double standards on combating terrorism, "unconditionally" return the country's overseas assets and lift all the sanctions against the Taliban.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Anthony Diamond Brown, 22, of no fixed address has been charged with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life.
I look forward to using this year to discuss the challenges and opportunities of AI, so that the benefits of this revolutionary technology are felt fairly across the world, and how Britain can be at the forefront of that effort.
She said the Ukrainian authorities were using CCTV to try to trace his movements on August 11, when he was last seen, and the last time she spoke to him he sounded on good form.
A Section 60 authority has been put in place which will run for 24 hours and finish at 8.26pm this evening, we have taken this course of action to keep the public who live and work within the vicinity of the incident safe.
However, in 2008, he and presenter Jonathan Ross were at the centre of a furore after leaving a series of lewd messages during a prank on BBC Radio 2 on the answerphone of Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs, who died in 2016, about a romantic liaison with his granddaughter.
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Border police officers from Lunga and Jimbolia localities, Timis County, detected, with the help of aerial surveillance technology, 41 foreign citizens, who legally entered and stayed in Romania, while attempting to cross the border illegally into Serbia, informs the General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF).

The persons in question were taken to the headquarters of the Lunga Border Police Sector for investigations. It is about 41 men from Nepal and Pakistan who legally entered the territory of Romania, the IGPF states on Saturday, in a press statement sent to AGERPRES.

In this case, the border police are conducting investigations into attempted fraudulent crossing of the state border, upon completion of which the necessary legal measures will be taken.

All the 41 migrants stated that they tried to illegally cross the border from Romania to Serbia, with the intention of reaching various states in Western Europe, according to the IGPF.The border police used technical means of surveillance - thermal imaging, fixed observation equipment, drones and a plane that participated in the Frontex JO Terra 2023 operation, as well as in close cooperation with the Serbian border authorities and the Frontex Agency.
President Klaus Iohannis will lead, between September 18-22, the Romanian delegation to the high-level segment of the 78th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations (UN), which will take place in New York, United States of America, the Presidential Administration reports, Agerpres reports.

The main topic of the current session of the General Assembly is "Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.'

On this occasion, President Iohannis will present our country's views with regard to topical issues at the global level, and he will emphasize the foreign policy priorities and Romania's contribution to the objectives on the multilateral agenda of the UN.

The programme of the visit will also include, among others, the participation of the Romanian delegation in the Summit on the Sustainable Development Goals, on which occasion the President will hold the speech on behalf of Romania in the Leaders' Dialogue with the theme "Unity and solidarity: strengthening the multilateral system for consolidated support, cooperation, follow-up and revision."Also, the President will be a guest of honour at the debate organized by the prestigious Columbia University in New York, as part of the World Leaders Forum event, with the theme "Romania's perspective on the war against Ukraine and its impact on Black Sea security."On the sidelines of the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly, President Iohannis will also have a series of bilateral meetings and he will participate in the established formal events, included in the programme of each high-level segment of the UN General Assembly.During his participation in multilateral meetings and during his interactions with his counterparts from UN member states, the head of state will reiterate "our country's firm support for effective multilateralism, respect for international law and international order based on rules, in which the UN plays a central role."President Klaus Iohannis will also present Romania's analysis regarding "the accumulation of multifaceted crises that the international community faces at the global level, with negative effects on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, as well as the ways of managing them effectively - through coordinated action and solidarity, especially on levels such as food security, combating disinformation and climate change management."Romania's head of state will also mention the importance of the Future Summit, due on September 2024, whose fundamental stake is the strengthening of multilateralism, so that the UN can adequately manage the current challenges.Iohannis will also present Romania's substantial contribution to the promotion of the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law and the active role played by our country in UN activities, on the three main levels: peace and security, sustainable development and human rights, states the Presidential Administration.
Severe weather events show no signs of decelerating amid climate change, and it's causing food and beverage companies to rethink their operations.

So far this year, the US has experienced 23 natural disasters with losses totaling over $1 billion each, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which has tracked billion-dollar disasters since 1980. That figure breaks the record set in 2020.

"It has been striking that just for the first eight months of this year weve had 23 confirmed billion-dollar-or-higher impact events related to weather and climate impact extremes," NOAA climatologist Adam Smith told Yahoo Finance Live (video above). "The frequency of these events is rapidly escalating."

Whether it's wildfires and drought in the West or hurricanes in the Southeast, these events are creating a perfect storm for food and beverage businesses, as they face increasing costs from commodities and rebuilding damaged infrastructure.

"I think that executives, other officers that are planning out in the future, ... if they're wise, they're looking at how we're having wetter wet events, drier dry events," Smith said. "Really, the hydrologic cycle is being amplified, which means more volatility in your baseline expectation of commodities."

Here's what top executives at some of the largest food and beverage companies had to say about their sustainability goals and how they're adapting to climate challenges.

Customers order food at a Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurant on April 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Chipotle CFO: 'We don't know' where climate challenges will be

Building a sustainable Mexican grill business means serving up burritos with fresh ingredients daily. But for Chipotle (CMG), there's growing uncertainty around securing high-quality produce, and its leadership relies on a regionally diversified range of ingredient partnerships.

"From a produce standpoint, from an ingredient standpoint, ... we don't know where the climate challenges are going to be," Chipotle CFO Jack Hartung told Yahoo Finance in July. "And sometimes, it's storms in a certain area of the country or it could be heat in a certain area of the country. And so the best thing we can do is ... we have long-term partnerships with our folks."

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The fast-casual restaurant chain is also managing heightened utility costs as extreme temperatures make it harder to keep restaurants cool.

"We're seeing our utility costs up," Hartung said. "And also, when you have this kind of heat and you're putting this much pressure on your HVAC, you have breakdowns as well. So our [maintenance and repair costs are] a little higher as well."

J.M. Smucker CEO: We're investing in climate-resilient coffee

J.M. Smucker (SJM), the parent company of Folgers, Dunkin', and Cafe Bustelo, anticipates that climate change will alter its coffee production operations.

As a result, the company has launched its own sustainability goals and is investing in finding more resilient coffee trees that will help the business adapt to the changing climate.

"We have invested in initiatives to help find different coffee trees that can perform better at hotter or lower altitudes without actually introducing new genetics into that," J.M. Smucker CEO Mark Smucker told Yahoo Finance in August. "And so there's a nonprofit called World Coffee Research that we helped to fund and continue to support."

A farmer harvests coffee beans at the Nandi province of Tindiret, Kenya, on Aug. 28, 2023. (Gerald Anderson/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Beam Suntory CEO: Water quality 'a big priority for us'

A weekend beer or glass of whiskey is built on reliable agronomics.

"If you make beer, you need fresh, clean, abundant water," NOAA's Smith said. "Well, you might not go to the US Southwest for that because of the drought impacts in recent decades but also in future decades. The US Southwest looks like it will just continue to get worse."

Similarly, the distiller and producer of brands like Jim Beam, Makers Mark, and Suntory is heavily influenced by the quality of water and other ingredients used in its facilities.

"From a sustainability and environmental sustainability standpoint, we're very vocal," Beam Suntory CEO Albert Baladi told Yahoo Finance in August. "This is a big priority for us. ... These are very natural products. They rely on the quality of water. They rely on the quality of the wood. So we go to great lengths to ensure that we're protecting the environment around our distilleries."

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The Government of Romania is waiting for the relevant Ukrainian authorities to come up with the Action Plan regarding effective export control measures designed to prevent the distortion of the grain market in our country, measures which are expected to come by the end of the day Monday, September 18, 2023.

In a press release sent to AGERPRES on Friday evening, the Executive "expresses its regret regarding the fact that a European solution has not been identified for the extension of restrictions on the import of grain from Ukraine, a measure requested by the member states affected by this decision."

"According to the Action Plan presented by the Ukrainian side, the Government of Romania will decide the appropriate measures to protect Romanian farmers. The Government of Romania is in permanent contact with the European Commission and the Ukrainian side to ensure that the new mechanism for limiting the effects of imports of Ukrainian products, proposed by the EC, will prevent the distortions of the markets of the EU member states that were protected by the preventive measures limiting imports from Ukraine," the same source added.

On Friday, the European Commission put an end to the ban introduced by five EU member states on Ukrainian grain imports, in exchange for commitments from Kiev that it will take measures to control the flow of grain to neighbouring countries, informs the community executive, quoted by AFP.In May, the European Union allowed Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia to ban domestic sales of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds from Ukraine, while allowing the transit of these goods for export elsewhere. This ban expired on September 15.The community executive came to the conclusion that, thanks to the measures introduced at the beginning of May, "distortions on the markets of the five member states that are neighbours with Ukraine have disappeared."The Romanian Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, stated at the beginning of this week that the restrictive measures regarding imports of agricultural products from Ukraine had a positive effect on the grain market in Romania, and the decision of the European Commission should be to extend these restrictions, at least until the end of 2023, in order not to affect the competitiveness of farmers. On the other hand, Minister Florin Barbu said that the best measures will be taken, both in economic and financial terms, as well as normative acts, "to support and protect Romanian farmers."
The opening pages of Elon Musk, the new doorstop biography from Walter Isaacson, are jarring, especially to anyone expecting to be greeted with plucky tales of unlikely genius.

On the first page, were told that Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, owner of X (formerly Twitter), and currently the worlds richest man, was born into a land of incredible violence in South Africa, with machine gun attacks and knife killings common, where boys have to wade through pools of blood on the way to concerts and are sent to wilderness camps that resemble a paramilitary Lord of the Flies, per Musk. Young Elon is bullied relentlessly  by his classmates but also by his abusive father  until he grows big enough to fight back.

Introducing the biography this way seems designed to address Musks recent turn toward combativeness and cruelty  if not justifying it, then offering a skeleton key to understanding where its rooted. But as we learn throughout the book, the Musks are persistent fabulists, prone to fabrication, and this becomes the first of many narrative sequences that the reader must consider with an eye to truth versus narrative convenience.

And Isaacsons truth is, above all, selective. Given Musks recent coziness with white nationalists and peddlers of junk race science and his ongoing tirade against the Anti-Defamation League, whom he blames (rather than himself) for chasing advertisers from Twitter, it seems startling that nothing in those opening pages touches on his experiences with apartheid. Much of that horrendous violence unfolding in 1980s South Africa was precipitated by a brutally racist government; we discover only that it taught Musk to survive adversity. My pain threshold is very high, he tells Isaacson.

We do learn that Musks Canadian grandfather was involved in a fringe political party with antisemitic views and relocated his family to South Africa because he liked the government better and that Musks father is now outspokenly racist. But in a book that goes to great lengths to dissect the transmission of habits and ideas from father and son, Elon is allowed to stay mum.

Silences like that come to haunt the capacious hull of Elon Musk  to the point that they risk drowning out the project altogether.

After the burst of violence in the introduction, we move into more familiar territory, led on by Isaacsons brisk, propulsive prose: Musk is a spacy, lonely outsider who is bright but has trouble making friends. He disappears into video games and science fiction and soon dreams of horizons far beyond his hometown, and sets out to North America with an entrepreneurial spirit in tow. He graduates with a dual degree in physics and economics from the University of Pennsylvania, gets accepted into a PhD program at Stanford, but decides instead to set out into the buzzing startup scene of Silicon Valley.

He founds Zip2 with his brother Kimbal, sells it, and makes a lot of money. He founds the first iteration of X.com, merges with PayPal, and makes even more. Initially the CEO of both companies, hes pushed out of each  in a bit of foreshadowing, Musk is booted from PayPal because of his monomaniacal dedication to the porn-adjacent letter X, as well as the idea that PayPal should try to take over the worlds financial system. His dismissal, brought about in a coup led by Peter Thiel and other members of the so-called PayPal mafia, leaves him with a large pool of cash, an ax or two to grind and an aspiration to take on loftier goals.

Here the limitations of Isaacsons project are revealed: Musk had pushed some of the worst ideas of his young career. From a business perspective, it seemed his colleagues were correct to oust him, preserve their product and make them all fabulously wealthy in an IPO and later sale to EBay. But heres Isaacsons diagnosis: He was a visionary who didnt play well with others. The word visionary, in this application, is doing a lot of work.

The narrative is filled with moments of similar dissonance, with Isaacson quick to praise Musks incessant risk-taking after a disaster, or to excuse his rude behavior to underlings as necessary to get things don. He does occasionally push back, as when Musk claims the Hyperloop will change everything (It did not change everything), but Isaacson mostly accepts Musks confident prognostications.

Isaacson  biographer of Steve Jobs, Albert Einstein, Benjamin Franklin  is concerned with the study of world-moving men (and occasionally a woman, The Code Breaker Jennifer Doudna). What makes innovators tick? What makes them so successful? (In the case of Musk, the prognosis can be summarized as: a large appetite for risk, a willingness to alienate colleagues, a detailed knowledge of industry and science, an ability to process work tasks like an algorithm and a predilection for drawing lessons from video games and The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.)

This sort of framing may have made sense in the early aughts, when so many were dizzy with optimism that Amazons everything store and the iPhone would transform the world for the better. It makes less sense 12 years after Steve Jobs  now that weve seen the toll the tech giants have levied on society: labor exploitation at Amazon, Uber and, yes, Tesla; misinformation and harassment on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and, yes, Twitter. These costs are almost entirely omitted from the equation of Elon Musk.

That may be because there is a tacit pact between author and subject in the Isaacson great man biography: The author will unearth unflattering personal anecdotes and share stories about the subjects capacity to be cruel. In exchange, the subjects greatness will be treated as an assumption, the raison detre for the book itself. In honor of Isaacsons habit of using pithy, memorable phrases to describe a phenomenon, we might call it the Isaacson Accord.

And so it is in Elon Musk, whose subject is described as a visionary and a risk-taking innovator and, most pointedly, the one launching us toward Mars and an electric-vehicle future. Musks many fans will surely take those descriptors as a given. But that seems all the more reason to challenge the assumptions. Because the Isaacson Accord turns out to be a devils bargain. We get a lot of palace intrigue, well-told anecdotes and some genuine insight into Musks familial psychology; but the good stuff almost comes in spite of Isaacsons constant framing of Musk as a moody but brilliant world-mover.

Worse, in exchange for unprecedented access, the Isaacson Accord demands that a lot of the most difficult and pressing questions go unasked and, therefore, unanswered.

Isaacson repeatedly says one of Musks unparalleled strengths as a manager is his intimate knowledge of the factory floors where his products are made. Yet there is not a single mention of the sweeping allegations of racial discrimination at Teslas flagship Fremont factory that resulted in juries finding Tesla liable for millions in damages. Workers of color say they were called the N-word and saw swastikas painted on the bathroom. In 2021, Tesla was ordered to pay $137 million to one employee who suffered racist abuse, though that amount was later reduced.

Likewise, there is no examination of the union drives at Tesla plants, or the wrongful termination case Tesla lost after firing a worker involved in organizing. In all the discussion of Teslas self-driving Autopilot program, there is no mention of the blockbuster revelation from a former engineer that one of the first key promotions of Autopilot was staged, contributing to the false sense of security buyers had in the program.

The bottom line: This is the story Musk himself wants told. Sure, he might have excluded a handful of the details that proved personally embarrassing, but nothing here challenges the idea that Elon Musk is an all-too-human hero valiantly trying to save humanity from the threats he sees cascading down upon us. Its the book Musk would have written himself.
Everything about Beth Styles is colorful, from the purple streaks in her shoulder-length black hair to the vibrant patterns of the vintage clothing and jewelry she wears regularly. It makes sense that she would infuse that same colorful vibe into the freshly remodeled midcentury modern ranch home she shares with husband, Collin, and their 5-year-old daughter, June.

As the former owner of Parsimonia Vintage, a local vintage clothing boutique she operated on South Grand Boulevard until early 2022, Beth Styles has always had a love for things from the past that stems from her grandmothers and aunts taking her to estate sales as a girl.

"From a really young age I was drawn to stuff from the 1950s and 1960s. I liked the colors, I liked the design and that just followed me," Beth says. "It goes beyond just the aesthetics  I love the stories and the history that comes with these homes."

After living for six years in a Victorian in the Tower Grove East neighborhood near her shop, she and Collin began house hunting in the inner-ring suburbs, focusing on Webster Groves, where Beth grew up, and Kirkwood.

After selling their house quickly, the couple moved into a rental home in Crestwood while they took the time to look for the perfect house. "During that time I was very proactive, driving around Webster and Kirkwood and writing down addresses of midcentury homes," Beth remembers.

It was then that she discovered the historic Barrett Brae subdivision that straddles Kirkwood and unincorporated St. Louis County. The Styleses put offers on three other homes and continued looking for about six months before their 1956-built home came on the market.

Though the dated yellow exterior wasn't tremendously eye-catching from the outside, Beth was drawn to the interior photos that showed a huge bank of windows overlooking the back yard and knew it had potential. "I'm really good at seeing past aesthetics to what we could do," she says.

They purchased the house in early 2021 and began a two-year gut remodel focused on adding details that hearkened back to the home's midcentury roots, but with a modern take.

The exterior got a facelift with fresh paint from Sherwin-Williams' midcentury modern collection in a rich turquoise color called Burma Jade. A slab patio on the side of the house was surrounded by a vinyl fence that was visible from the street. The Styleses removed the fence and replaced it with a new breezeblock privacy wall that looked more period appropriate.

Beth elected to paint the interior walls a clean white and bring in a rainbow of vintage-inspired hues in the furnishings, accessories, artwork and textiles. A colorful abstract painting commissioned by local artist Carrie Gillen was the basis around which she decorated the living room. Gillen's unique process involves twisting the fabric of the canvas before painting it for a striking texture.

The painting pops against a wall of custom dark-stained white oak paneling made by carpenter Josh Brunkhorst of Pernikoff Construction Co., the Styleses' contractor. Brunkhorst also created a custom bookcase/room divider in the entry based on a design the Styleses came up with. New floors of terrazzo-look porcelain tile add to the vibe.

In the home's two bathrooms, the couple installed actual vintage-colored porcelain sinks and toilets in pink and mint green  taking them back to their 1950s origins  and complementing them with colorful Fireclay ceramic tile on the walls.

The kitchen is more subdued with white Fireclay tile and dark brown custom cabinets by Bridgewood Cabinetry. Open shelving against the back wall allows for the display of Beth's collection of green Jadeite dishes.

Furnishings throughout the house range from midcentury modern classics like a vintage Adrian Pearsall glass and walnut coffee table to new takes on midcentury style from retailers such as Ikea, West Elm and Article.

"I have a good mix of vintage and new pieces, but I remember the different estate sales and love that all of it has a story that came with it," Beth says.

The Styleses had an opportunity to show off their completed renovation to an appreciative audience when they participated in the ModernSTL Barrett Brae Home Tour just a week after moving in last May. Being on the tour gave the couple a chance to meet many of their new neighbors, and Beth was especially delighted when the sons of the home's original owners who grew up in the house attended and got to see the changes.

Since purchasing the house, Beth has shared her renovation journey on Instagram via the handle @dear_saint_giles, showing the step-by-step transformation.

"I like the idea of being a steward of this house for the time you have it, and then it will hopefully move on to someone else," she says.

Beth and Collin Styles

Ages  Beth is 39, and Collin is 41.

Occupations  Collin is a director of operations at TSV Sound and Vision, and Beth is a stay-at-home mom and former owner of Parsimonia Vintage boutique.

Home  The historic Barrett Brae subdivision in Kirkwood

Family  They have a 5-year-old daughter, June.

At Home: Beth and Collin Styles of Barrett Brae
BEAUFORT, S.C.  Alex Murdaugh appeared publicly for the first time since his murder trial at a Thursday state court hearing over the slew of financial crimes allegedly committed by the disbarred South Carolina attorney.

The man found guilty this March of fatally shooting his wife and youngest son in June 2021 got a fleeting break from the maximum-security prison where he is serving a life sentence without parole. The prosecution and defense agreed Thursday that some of the 101 total charges brought against Murdaugh will be heard at a trial beginning the week of Nov. 27.

Murdaugh sat in an orange jumpsuit, occasionally whispering with his lawyers, as he learned how he will spend the week after Thanksgiving.

It won't be long before Murdaugh finds himself back in another courtroom. A federal hearing over a similar bevy of charges is scheduled next Thursday in Charleston. There, Murdaugh is expected to plead guilty to theft and wire fraud  possibly marking the first time he will have legally taken responsibility for any of the more than 100 charges that piled up since he first reported his family members' deaths over two years ago.

Adding to the saga's twists are recent allegations that the court clerk improperly influenced the jury in the murder case. In a request for a new trial filed last week, defense attorneys accused Rebecca Hill of telling jurors not to trust Murdaugh's testimony and pressuring them to quickly deliver a verdict.

The murder trial cast a shadow over Thursday's proceeding. Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian asked that the state trial wait until they finish litigating the federal case and the matter of jury tampering. He argued it would be difficult to get a fair trial within a year of the widely watched murder trial's conclusion.

"Where are you going to get a jury? Mars?" Harpootlian told Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman.

Newman, the same judge who presided over the nearly six-week murder trial earlier this year, said the indictments were issued across many counties home to people capable of serving on a jury. He said he would not presume that jurors could not be assembled.

Murdaugh was indicted for taking $8.8 million in legal settlements from clients who were badly injured or the families of those killed on the job. Victims included the family housekeeper who died in a fall at the Murdaugh home. He also is accused of stealing nearly $7 million from his law firm over a nine-year period during which he made almost $14 million.

Other charges relate to an eight-year drug ring and money laundering scheme that prosecutors say involved $2.4 million in checks written to a friend who used some of the money on a painkiller distribution network.

He faces an additional nine counts of tax evasion for allegedly ducking just under $487,000 in state incomes taxes. Convictions would carry up to five years in prison for each count.
NEW YORK  A New Yorker upset that the city has been housing homeless migrants on his block has set up a loudspeaker to deliver an unwelcoming message to his new neighbors: "Immigrants are not safe here."

The message, recorded in six languages, blares all day from a loudspeaker on Scott Herkert's well-groomed front lawn on Staten Island, exhorting migrants to "go back" to another part of the city because the community doesn't want them. It urges people brought to a temporary shelter inside a long-vacant Roman Catholic high school not to get off the bus. The message also claims the building has rats and cockroaches.

It is one of several ways some people have let shelter residents know they are not welcome. Hundreds of protesters have also held a large rally outside the former school, urging the city to house migrants elsewhere.

The women and families placed by the city inside the former Saint John Villa Academy have heard the message loud and clear.

"We have to close our eyes and close our ears," said Aminetou El Alewai, a 39-year-old woman from Mauritania who moved into the shelter last week. "We are good people. We are not criminals. We came because of problems in our country."

As thousands of migrants continue to arrive in New York City, officials have scrambled to open new emergency shelters, turning to tent facilities, school gyms and parks to comply with a state law requiring housing for the homeless. Though Staten Island is home to only a small fraction of those shelters, they have generated an outsize share of animosity.

The hostile reception coincides with increasingly dire rhetoric from Mayor Eric Adams, who warned last week that the migrant crisis would "destroy New York City." The Democrat has insisted that the more than 100,000 who have arrived so far are welcome, but he has said the cost of housing tens of thousands of people could be as much as $12 billion over the next three years. Adams has rejected allegations from advocates of using migrants as "props" in an ongoing bid for federal money.

Staten Island is known for leaning conservative and Republican in a mostly liberal, Democratic city.

Herkert, a New York state court system employee, also has a tarp on his lawn painted with a profane version of the phrase, "No way!" Gesturing at the largely empty street in front of his home Tuesday, Herkert said the new shelter has upended his block's quiet charm and brought toilets and dumpsters to the other side of his fence.

While the loudspeaker message  in Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Urdu, Chinese and English  warns that the former school is infested with roaches and mold, Alewai said she has found it to be perfectly clean, if a bit uncomfortable.

As Alewai spoke, parents picked up their children from a neighboring private school, directing nervous glances and, in one case, harsh words at the new arrivals.

"I am sorry for the trouble of the woman who was just talking," Alewai said in French. "I came as a refugee to New York and they brought me here. Indeed, I am not comfortable here."

Both employees and residents of the shelter said protesters have cursed at and threatened them, frequently playing loud music late into the night. Employee and lifelong Queens native Gabrielle Dasilva said she was recently told to go back to her home country.

A spokesperson for the mayor's office, Kayla Mamelak, said the administration was "disturbed to learn about the false messages being played outside the St. John's Villa Academy respite site" and police are working to "maintain the peace in the area."

"As always, New York City continues to provide care for asylum seekers with compassion and care," she said.

City Councilman David Carr, a Republican who attended Saint John Villa Academy, defended the audio recording as protected First Amendment activity and said his constituents have good reason to worry about the high cost of housing migrants.

"This is an opportunity for folks in the neighborhood who are angry to demonstrate that constructively," Carr said. "They're just trying to ensure that their voices are heard."
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Bonnie Meyer and George Tesson met at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Bonnie was a graduate of Normandy High School, George of Mehlville.

George earned a degree in chemical engineering, Bonnie in anthropology. George did not really want to be an engineer and never worked in the field. He had a series of jobs. As a young man, he was a construction worker and played in a rock band. Later, he became a piano teacher.

Bonnie never worked in anthropology. She went back to school to get a more practical degree. She became a psychiatric nurse.

They are retired now. They live in the comfortable and modest University City home where they raised their two kids, both of whom are successfully out in the world. Nicole is a physical therapist. Cameron designs and paints sets for various theater companies.

I visited the couple Tuesday. Cameron was there. I asked what it was like to be St. Louis royalty. Cameron laughed.

I was painting a set at Circus Flora this summer and a woman introduced herself and said, Youre a Tesson? Im a Chouteau.

That goes way back. Most St. Louisans associate Tesson with Tesson Ferry Road. Jean Baptiste Tesson did not get a license for the ferry until around 1830. The familys history in this city goes back further than the ferry.

Louis Honore Tesson, who was born in Quebec in 1733, was a fur trapper and trader in Fort de Chartres on the eastern side of the Mississippi River just south of St. Louis. He was one of our regions first Europeans. Not long after 14-year-old Auguste Chouteau founded St. Louis in 1764, Tesson came over. He continued his fur-trading business and picked up tailoring. He and his wife, Magdelina, had nine children.

Louis was 47 when he participated in the regions only Revolutionary War battle. The British attacked St. Louis in May 1780. Actually, it was a small contingent of British soldiers with several hundred Native American allies. The French had ceded their interests in the region to Spain, so Louis, whose allegiance was to France, found himself in the Spanish Militia fighting for the Americans. The Brits and their allies were beaten back, but Louis and one of his sons was captured in the battle. Somehow, they escaped. Louis later moved to the small village of Carondelet, where he died at age 74.

Large families were the norm in those days. One of the nine kids of Louis and Magdalena had 12 kids. Descendants were numerous.

The ferry across the Meramec River is what gave the family a name that would live on long after the ferry ceased to be  who could have known?  but did the Tesson Ferry produce great wealth? Probably not. Certainly not enough to cover the entire clan. Louis had also received two land grants from the Spanish government, perhaps for his service in the militia, but their worth too was diluted by the number of descendants.

Also, possible skullduggery. Family lore includes a murky story about a forged signature  actually, a forged X  and the proof of the forgery was that the deceased had been literate and would not have signed with an X.

For whatever reasons, the branch of the family that led to the house in University City has long been middle class.

Georges grandfather John worked for the brewery. He made barrels. Georges father, Oliver, was the first in the family to go to college. He didnt finish. He became a traveling salesman. He sold textiles  towels and curtains. His territory was Illinois, Indiana and Missouri. His wife, Justina, did his paperwork. She could type 120 words a minute on a manual typewriter.

George was raised in South County. Everybody had the same question. Yes, Im related to the ferry people, George would say. I remember going to the library, he said. The Tesson Ferry branch. The woman looked at my card and then looked at me. Yes, I said.

If there is any kind of Tesson family gathering, George and Bonnie have not heard of it. There must be hundreds of people who could trace themselves back to that fur trader. Most of them probably do not realize it. Also, their names might not be Tesson.

For instance, the unofficial family genealogist is Maurita Lutton. Thanks to her work, done before the internet, George can trace his lineage directly from Louis Honore Tesson. Name by name.

Cameron is a ninth-generation St. Louisan.

Bonniers fathers people came here from Germany somewhere around 1840 in a time when the German population of St. Louis surged. George, his father, his grandfather and his great-grandfather all married women of German descent. Previous male ancestors had married women of French descent.

It reflects St. Louis history, Bonnie said.

Of course, nothing in this country is completely linear. While Bonnies paternal ancestors came over around 1840, her mothers people came over before the Revolution.

But back to the purpose of my visit. What does it mean to be one of first families of St. Louis?

Its a fun fact, Cameron said.

I have nothing to show for it, George said, and he smiled. The middle class can be such a comfortable place. Especially in retirement. Two adult kids doing well. Great memories.

What more could Louis Honore Tesson have desired for the descendants?
MADISON COUNTY  Authorities on Saturday identified three people who were killed early Friday in a crash on Illinois Route 4 just north of U.S. Route 40 in St. Jacob.

Police were called to the crash about 3:45 a.m., the Illinois State Police said.

Officers believe a man was driving south on Route 4, just north of Old State Route 4, when he crossed the center line and crashed head-on into a northbound car with two women in it.

All three people died, police said.

State police on Saturday identified the first driver as Chase Bowles, 21. The two women in the northbound vehicle were identified as Emily Morton, 21, and Jayda Fulkerson, 21.

Police said they do not know yet what caused the man to cross the center line.
ST. LOUIS  A Lake Saint Louis man was charged Friday with killing his father.

Joseph Liszewski, 37, told authorities various narratives about his fathers killing, and police say he went to Ameristar Casino after the murder, waiting hours before alerting anyone. When Lake Saint Louis officers arrived at the home, they found a trail of blood on the path leading to the front door, where Liszewski was standing.

The trail of blood through the kitchen and hallways led them to Liszewskis father, who was covered in blood in the master bedroom, investigators say.

On Thursday, Liszewski was booked on a $1 million bond after his arrest at the scene in the 100 block of Rue Grand Drive, which is where court documents say he lived.

Police reported Liszewski initially informed them that his father injured himself by stepping on a shotgun. He also told police that he shot his father in the jaw. He told investigators the incident started around midnight on Thursday.

Prosecutors say they have video of Liszewski at Ameristar Casino later that same morning around 5:30 a.m., which they say was after the killing. He was also arrested with his father's ID and credit cards on him, court records show.

It was hours after Liszewski came from the casino that he texted a woman that he did something terrible for her. Police say she is a friend of Liszewski.

Officers arrived at the home shortly before 2 p.m. after receiving a 911 call from the woman. She made the call after discovering the whole house trashed with blood and guns everywhere," ultimately discovering Liszewskis fathers body.

Court records show Liszewski has previously pleaded guilty to habitual drunken driving charges. Along with his fathers murder, he is also charged with unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon.

Liszewski did not have an attorney on record as of Friday.
TAIPEI, Taiwan  When she first moved to the Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen after graduating from college, Marguerite Wang imagined she would spend her career working hard in a big city. Instead, she's living with her parents in her hometown in northeastern China.

A record of more than one in five young Chinese are out of work, their career ambitions at least temporarily derailed by a depressed job market as the economy struggles to regain momentum after its long bout with COVID-19.

Wang, who was laid off from a gaming company in December, is among an estimated 16 million young Chinese who, daunted by the difficulties of finding decent jobs, have moved back home. She asked that her English nickname be used out of concern that speaking to foreign media might hurt her job prospects.

After spending six months unsuccessfully applying for jobs in Shenzhen, the 29-year-old did something she had never imagined doing: she asked to move back home. Now she spends her days watching soap operas and studying Japanese to apply for a masters program in Japan.

Adult children returning to the nest is by no means unique to China, and many Chinese do live in extended families. But by some measures, young Chinese are enduring the countrys worst job market in generations, and many are coping by taking refuge with their parents.

The urban unemployment rate for the 16-to-24 age group reached a record 21.3% in June. In July, the government stopped publishing age-specific data, prompting speculation the politically sensitive numbers had shot up even higher.

If full-time adult children were counted as unemployed, the jobless rate would be more than double the official rate of almost 20 percent in March, Zhang Dandan, a Peking University economics professor, said in an op-ed in the Chinese business magazine Caixin in July.

That would be a more accurate assessment of the unemployment crisis, said Zhang, who declined an interview request from AP. Her article was later removed from one of Peking Universitys WeChat accounts, where it had been shared.

The job drought is a ticklish problem for the ruling Communist Party, which is overseeing a sluggish post-pandemic economic recovery worsened by a downturn in the property market.

The economy grew at a 6.3% pace in April-June compared to the same period a year earlier, when parts of China were under draconian COVID-19 lockdowns. Exports have been sinking as other major economies slow.

Chinas overall urban unemployment rate is officially 5.3%, but young people have been disproportionately affected. Over the past two years, Beijing has cracked down on industries such as high tech and education that usually hire young college graduates. That led to mass layoffs and shutdowns in both sectors.

Other fields such as agriculture and construction lack enough workers, but most college graduates want less physically demanding white-collar positions. Research by online recruitment firm Zhilian Zhaopin showed a quarter of this years graduates wanted to work in the tech field.

There are job opportunities, but the job opportunities are low quality, said Xiang Biao, head of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany. So for the only child of a family, who received education, who grew up in a so-called time of abundance, its very difficult to embrace that kind of job.

An abundance of good jobs has been a mainstay of the social contract between the ruling party and young Chinese, Xiang said. A shortage of decent jobs undermines the Communist Party's assertion that the country's strong economy proves Chinas political model is superior to Western democracies.

There's no evidence of significant political unrest over the unemployment problem, but late last year, protests against the government's stringent "zero-COVID" policies sprouted across the country in the most direct challenge to the party in over 30 years. An official report in November noted that the growing anxiety, disappointment and confusion generated by college students could shake confidence in China's economic future.

Resorting to the usual Communist Party exhortations to toughen up, in June Chinese President Xi Jinping urged young people to eat bitterness  or endure hardship  to create a better China. Earlier this year, the Communist Youth League urged college graduates to roll up their sleeves and take up blue-collar jobs.

Instead of eating bitterness, Xiang said, full-time adult children are taking advantage of the wealth accumulated by their parents to sit out the job drought, rest up and prepare for exams for relatively stable government jobs or for postgraduate studies.

The trend also reflects changing attitudes among parents who typically would push their children to succeed financially and socially but now increasingly value their emotional well-being, especially when they see their them facing practical difficulties, said Mu Zheng, an assistant professor of sociology at the National University of Singapore.

Having acquired a degree of financial security after decades of sustained economic growth, many parents now have the wherewithal to provide more support to their grown children.

Marguerite Wang, the former gaming company employee, said she mostly keeps her parents company in return for pocket money.

She's cherishing the slower pace of life and time for reflection.

I dont want to be in the same kind of work situation as before, she said, where I didnt have a private life and all my energy went into my work, but I actually didnt know what I was so busy for.

Cities With the Most Construction Industry Jobs Cities With the Most Construction Industry Jobs Construction employment still remains below pre Great Recession levels The construction industry employs a diverse set of workers The Mountain West relies most heavily on the construction industry for jobs Small and midsize metros with the most construction industry jobs 15. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 14. Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX 13. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 12. Richmond, VA 11. Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 10. Raleigh-Cary, NC 9. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA 8. Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO 7. Jacksonville, FL 6. Salt Lake City, UT 5. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 4. Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 3. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 2. Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX 1. Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise, NV
Just because a business does not make any money, does not mean that the stock will go down. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. Having said that, unprofitable companies are risky because they could potentially burn through all their cash and become distressed.

So, the natural question for Eden Research (LON:EDEN) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. In this article, we define cash burn as its annual (negative) free cash flow, which is the amount of money a company spends each year to fund its growth. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

See our latest analysis for Eden Research

When Might Eden Research Run Out Of Money?

A company's cash runway is the amount of time it would take to burn through its cash reserves at its current cash burn rate. As at December 2022, Eden Research had cash of UK2.0m and no debt. Looking at the last year, the company burnt through UK1.7m. Therefore, from December 2022 it had roughly 14 months of cash runway. That's not too bad, but it's fair to say the end of the cash runway is in sight, unless cash burn reduces drastically. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time.

How Well Is Eden Research Growing?

We reckon the fact that Eden Research managed to shrink its cash burn by 48% over the last year is rather encouraging. And considering that its operating revenue gained 49% during that period, that's great to see. We think it is growing rather well, upon reflection. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. So you might want to take a peek at how much the company is expected to grow in the next few years.

How Easily Can Eden Research Raise Cash?

Eden Research seems to be in a fairly good position, in terms of cash burn, but we still think it's worthwhile considering how easily it could raise more money if it wanted to. 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. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations.

Story continues

Since it has a market capitalisation of UK23m, Eden Research's UK1.7m in cash burn equates to about 7.5% 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.

So, Should We Worry About Eden Research's Cash Burn?

The good news is that in our view Eden Research's cash burn situation gives shareholders real reason for optimism. Not only was its cash burn relative to its market cap quite good, but its revenue growth was a real positive. Considering all the factors discussed in this article, we're not overly concerned about the company's cash burn, although we do think shareholders should keep an eye on how it develops. Taking a deeper dive, we've spotted 6 warning signs for Eden Research you should be aware of, and 2 of them make us uncomfortable.

If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow.

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.
CHICAGO  It took four and a half months for Shannon Ross life to unravel.

Ross, who describes himself as Indigenous and a person of color, was arrested in Chicago in October 2019 on weapons charges and ultimately found not guilty. But that came only after he spent months in jail awaiting trial, lost his home, car, job and countless moments with his children.

Ross couldnt afford the $75,000 bond set during a hearing that he recalls lasted only a few minutes.

I had to lose everything to prove that I wasnt guilty, he said. It messes with you mentally, psychologically. It messes up relationships; it messes up the time you put in to build your life up."

But Illinois is about to overhaul the system that upended Ross life. Illinois' Pretrial Fairness Act, which abolishes cash bail as a condition of pretrial release, will take effect Sept. 18, making Illinois the first state to end cash bail and a testing ground for whether  and how  it works on a large scale.

Judges can still keep people accused of serious crimes behind bars pretrial, but first would have to go through a more rigorous review of each case.

Critics say cash bail policies are especially unfair to Black people and other people of color. A 2022 federal civil rights report on cash bail systems found that courts tend to impose higher pretrial detention penalties on Black and Latino people, citing a study that showed Black men received bail amounts 35% higher than white men, and Latino men received bail amounts 19% higher than white men.

Cook County Public Defender Sharone Mitchell Jr. described Illinois previous cash bail system as a cousin to slavery.

The vast majority of people in the system are poor, and theyre Black and brown, and they have no power. It is an incredibly unfair system, he said. You go to a bond hearing, it sounds like a slave auction. People are talking very fast. Theyre putting price tags on peoples freedom.

Between 1970 and 2015, there was a fivefold increase in the number of people jailed before trials, according to the 2022 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights report. Data shows more than 60% of defendants were detained prior to trial because they couldnt afford to post bail, and that nearly 74% of the 631,000 people jailed daily in the United States are awaiting trial.

Typically in state courts, a judge decides if a defendant poses too much of a threat to the community to be released, or if they can be freed with conditions, according to the nonprofit Bail Project.

Some states have tried to ease cash bail rules.

In 2017, New Jersey essentially replaced its cash bail system with a risk assessment process that gauged the potential danger a released defendant could pose to the community. But cash bail is still allowed in some instances in that state and others that have curtailed the practice, such as New York and Alaska.

California has made several efforts to reform its cash bail system, but lawmakers balked at sweeping reform.

Proponents of cash bail argue that it ensures released defendants show up for court proceedings, and say that without it, violent criminals who are released pending trial could have the opportunity to commit more crimes. But New Jersey data showed that after the state moved away from cash bail, the number of defendants who were charged with a new crime or who failed to appear in court remained steady.

Race certainly seemed to play a role when Nikuya Brooks bond was set at $150,000 after her first-time arrest on drug charges in 2017, according to the Chicago mother of three. No one in her family could pull together 10% of the bond for her to walk free.

Brooks, who is Black, said a white woman she was jailed with had prior convictions and the same charges as Brooks, but received a lower bond.

According to Brooks, she didn't know her ex was transporting ecstasy while she was in the car. Police stopped the vehicle and arrested both. She said she spent a year in DuPage County Jail before her trial, unable even to hug her children.

I really wanted to fight my case because Im not a criminal, she said. Im not a drug dealer. Im a mom. You know, I bake cookies for the PTA. I ran a Girl Scout troop.

Brooks said other women in jail told her if she pleaded guilty, prison visits offered more freedom and that she might be able to hug or kiss her children. She told her public defender she wanted to make a deal, and ended up serving about two more years in prison.

Years later, she still struggles to find employment because of her criminal record.

Youre already being punished because youre being detained, she said. But youre also being punished twice because youre poor.

Ross, who was cleared of the weapons charges that put him in jail, said he also struggles to find secure housing and income four years later. He lost his job as a forklift operator while jailed. Once he made bail with the help of the Chicago Community Bond Fund, Ross started a business online during pretrial house arrest. But he said his credit score tanked after he couldnt make payments from jail.

I feel like it was a Catch-22, Ross said. And the worst part about it is I knew I was not guilty.

Reflecting on their experiences, Brooks and Ross said being locked up pretrial harmed their chances in court. Youre automatically stigmatized if youre incarcerated and youre fighting your case, especially Black women, Brooks said. They hope the new law will change that for others in Illinois.

Its more equal for everyone, said Ross. I feel like it's more justice in the criminal justice system.

The best cities to move to for diversity The Best Cities to Move to for Diversity The minority population share has nearly doubled over the past 40 years Minority populations in the US are more likely to experience poverty Hawaii stands out as one of the best states for diversity The best small and midsize cities for diversity 15. Albuquerque, NM 14. Portland, OR 13. Jacksonville, FL 12. Seattle, WA 11. San Francisco, CA 10. Mesa, AZ 9. Colorado Springs, CO 8. Arlington, TX 7. Sacramento, CA 6. San Diego, CA 5. Virginia Beach, VA 4. Anaheim, CA 3. Aurora, CO 2. Tucson, AZ 1. San Jose, CA
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SHREVEPORT, Louisiana (KTBS) -- His mother told him he was going to meet God. Thats when she rolled him off the Cross Lake bridge, and he make a big splash.

It felt like a cannonball, Elijah Black said.

It wasnt fun and he doesnt want to meet God again.

Thats the description Elijah gave child services investigators four days after his mother, Ureka Black, 34, dropped him and his infant brother from the bridge. Ten-month-old Joshua Black did not survive.

Ureka Black is charged with second-degree murder in Joshuas death and attempted second-degree murder for injuring Elijah. Shes pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity.

Elijahs description of what took place on that Friday afternoon on Sept. 24, 2021 is included in a report prepared by the state Department of Children and Family Services and filed into the court record in connection with Blacks upcoming trial. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday in Caddo District Court.

In addition to Elijah, interviews with Ureka Black, her teenage daughter, her three sisters and first responders are included in the 22-page report.

Ureka Blacks attorneys initially said she was not competent to stand trial. However, she was examined by two phychiatrists as part of a sanity commission, and both said she was competent.

During an interview with DCFS on Oct. 19, 2021, Ureka Black expressed love for her children. And she told investigators if there was anything she could tell Elijah about what happened she would say it was the monster. The monster is not a particular person, she said, but anything that anyone is afraid of or doesnt understand.

She talked about her fractured relationship with family members and accused various ones of abusing and mistreating her children. She essentially was homeless, having left Shreveport to move to Texas then returning because she and the children didnt have a place to stay.

When talking about the incident, Ureka Black told the DCFS investigator she remembered going to sleep in her car. She started crying when thinking about Joshua and said she would hug and kiss him if she could and tell him she loves him.

Investigators determined Ureka Black drove Elijah and Joshua over the Cross Lake bridge then threw both over so they could meet with God.

Shreveport police Cpl. Garrett Hayes told the DCFS investigator he got a call from a Pointe Place property owner about a child found floating in the lake. A lawn crew noticed the child.

Mason Guy, a lake patrol officer, went out on his boat to make sure other watercraft stayed out of the area. A boater went up to him and said a person in long pants and a shirt was swimming on the other side of the bridge without a life jacket on.

At first, the officer thought the boater was just talking, but then he saw something make a ripple in the water and he saw Elijah floating on his back with his eyes closed. He thought the child was dead because he was not moving.

Guy said, Hey, little man, and Elijah opened an eye and started to panic. Guy grabbed his left arm but began to loose his grip. And he knew if he let go the child would go under.

So, Guy told Elijah to hold his arm while he grabbed his pants and pulled him into the boat. He snuggled Elijah close to him then flew the boat onto the rocks on the shore. Thats when Elijah went limp.

First-responders were about to perform CPR when they realized Elijah was alive and breathing. His left side was bruised, and the left side of his face was swollen and bruised, leaving officers to speculate Elijah hit the water on his left side.

There was no explanation as to how Elijah remained afloat. Investigators said their measurements indicate Elijah fell roughly 77 to 80 feet from the bridge.

Elijah was found about a half-mile from where Joshua was located. Joshuas body was already in rigor mortis. Investigators assume the brothers had been in the water an hour or two hours before they were found.

During their separate interviews, Ureka Blacks three sisters said they did not know what happened or why. All described Ureka Black as overly protective of her children, which also included an older daughter who was in her grandmothers custody. Ureka Black did not want even family members taking photographs of the children.

One sister speculated Ureka Black may have taken some type of pills the night before. Another said Ureka Black was severely burned when she was a child and always had mental health concerns. She often isolated herself from her family.

Ureka Blacks mother heard her daughter had been sleeping in her car for about six months and was in a state of depression because she could not get a job. She claimed her daughter took Ecstasy pills the night before her sons were thrown into the lake.

Elijah was interviewed at the Gingerbread House four days after his rescue. He described spending the day with his mother, her friend and his brother at a motel. They went to a store and got snacks for his older sister, dropped his mothers friend off then took the snacks to his sister.

Ureka Black fixed a bottle for Joshua, and he went to sleep. She drove to the bridge, got out and opened his door.

Elijah said his mother told him to get out of the van because he needed to go with God. Then she rolled him off the bridge.

Elijah said he was tired of talking about the bridge, so the forensic interviewer stopped asking questions. But then he said she could ask one more question.

She asked Elijah where Joshua was. He told her Joshua did not go into the water because he could not swim. He said he was the only one who went into the water. The interview ended.

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WASHINGTON  In the months since a single senator froze military promotions over the Pentagons abortion policy, the uniformed officers affected have been largely silent, wary of stepping into a political fray. But as the ramifications of Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tubervilles freeze have grown, more of them are speaking out.

This past week, some of the militarys most senior leaders voiced their concerns. They said the damage the holds will do to the military will be felt for years, as young talented officers decide theyve had enough and choose to get out.

Were on the fringe of losing a generation of champions, Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly, the head of Air Combat Command, told reporters at a defense conference in Maryland. He said hes talking to his junior officers, many with families, and they are people who will take a bullet for the nation, the Constitution. But when it comes to dragging their family through this, theres a red line.

Uniformed military leaders typically avoid commenting on political decisions, not only because they dont want to antagonize lawmakers who can block their future military promotions, but also because they dont want to be seen as challenging civilian control of the military, a core tenet of U.S. government.

But now even the Pentagons soon-to-be highest military leader is speaking out. Navy Adm. Christopher Grady, the militarys No. 2 officer as Joint Chiefs vice chairman, will have to fill in as chairman starting Oct. 1 with the retirement of Gen. Mark Milley if his replacement, Air Force Gen. C.Q. Brown, cant get confirmed in the next two weeks. Brown is also subject to Tubervilles hold.

We need C.Q. Brown to be confirmed as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Grady said Wednesday at the Air and Space Forces Association conference.

Tuberville announced the holds late last year after the Supreme Court overturned nationwide protection of abortion rights, and the Biden administrations civilian Pentagon head, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, responded by instituting a policy that Tuberville says violates federal law. Under the policy, service members, who often do not get a say in where they are assigned, are reimbursed for travel costs incurred for seeking an abortion or other reproductive care if they are serving in a state that outlawed those services.

Tuberville says the policy violates a federal law that says Defense Department funds may not be used for abortions, except in cases of rape, incest or where the life of the mother is threatened.

In March, he exercised a privilege that allows any single senator to place a hold on a nomination, except he put a blanket hold on all military general officer nominations and said he would not lift it until the policy is rescinded.

Its not the first time general officer promotions have been frozen by a single senator.

In July 2020, Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois put a blanket hold on military promotions in response to reports that Trump was interfering with the promotion of Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a witness in the former presidents impeachment inquiry. Duckworth dropped the hold two weeks later after learning Vindman was selected for promotion. Vindman retired, citing a campaign of bullying, intimidation and retaliation after delays to his promotion convinced him there was not a viable future for him in the military.

Six months into Tubervilles hold, 315 military officers are now affected, and the impact cuts deeper in some services. In the small and still growing U.S. Space Force, at least eight general officers nominations are on hold  but thats one third of all of its 25 senior officers. In the Marine Corps, at least 18 general officers among the Corps cadre of 88 cant move to their new commands, or are being stretched too thin by having to cover the duties of their current job while also being responsible for the vacancy they cannot officially fill.

For younger officers stuck in limbo, the fact that folks cant plan for their moves or get their kids in school is hurting them, Grady said. There is a cumulative cost to this and we need to be very attuned to that.

Its disruptive, said Gen. Chance Saltzman, chief of Space Force operations. The people that we want in the jobs, that we know theyre going to be value-added in, were not in a position to put them there.

However, the head of Army forces in the Pacific, Gen. Charles Flynn, told reporters this past week the holds were not affecting his operations. I dont see any practical challenges that its creating in the region, he said, according to a transcript provided by the Army.

Kori Schake, the director of foreign and defense policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, said while military officers are concerned about the holds and their use as a political cudgel, it is inappropriate for them to speak out.

Its not just the president who provides civilian control of the military; constitutionally, Congress also serves that function, Schake said. We wouldnt want our military criticizing the presidents partisan political acts, so we shouldnt want them doing it about Congress, either.

On Thursday, Tuberville watched as Adm. Lisa Franchetti, who would become the first female chief of naval operations, testified about the impact of the holds during her confirmation hearing at the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Franchetti said if the holds are lifted, it will take three to four months to get the three-star general officers in place, but it will take years to recover from the impact the promotion delays are having on lower-level officers.

The situation is not instilling confidence in our allies, and it is instilling confidence in our adversaries, said Kelly, a career fighter pilot whose retirement was deferred because of the hold.

60 historic photos from American military history 60 historic photos from American military history 1868: Sioux Wars 1862: Abraham Lincoln at Antietam during Civil War PhilippineAmerican War 1915: Mexican Border War 1927: US occupation of Nicaragua 1934: US occupation of Haiti 1917: Welcoming 1918: Service for war dead 1918: Newspaper headlines on Armistice Day 1919: Ship of soldiers returning home 1941: Attack on Pearl Harbor 1942: Battalion of army engineers Circa 1940s: Women building a bomber 1943: Lockheed P-38 Lightning 1943: Medal of honor 1943: Sailor rescuing pilot from a plane wreck 1944: Paratroopers preparing for D-Day 1944: Operation Overlord 1944: Tuskegee Airmen Circa 1940s: Burial at sea for USS Intrepid casualties 1945: Women's Army Corp 1945: Raising the flag on Iwo Jima 1945: Marine charging during Battle of Okinawa 1945: Sharing food 1945: Leaving Nordhausen 1945: Manhattan skyline 1945: Japan surrenders First Indochina War Circa 1950: Bed of shells 1951: The Mighty Mo 1962: Kennedy and military leaders 1965: US combat unit in Vietnam 1965: US infantry 1965: American soldiers arriving in Vietnam 1967: US Army rifleman charge Viet Cong 1967: Soldiers engaged in long crawl to crest 1968: Soldier shaving colleague's head 1968: Hill Timothy 1969: Naval patrol craft 1975: The fall of Saigon 1975: Evacuation 1989: US soldiers look into a prison cell 1990: Operation Desert Shield 1990: Persian Gulf War 1991: USS America 1991: US soldiers watch oil refinery burn 1991: Kuwaitis with American soldiers 1991: The border Kow in Saudi Arabia 1992: Intervention in Somali Civil War 2003: Shock and awe 2003: Oil fires burn in Iraq 2003: Families mourn soldiers killed during war with Iraq 2003: The fall of Baghdad 2005: 1st Marine division honors comrades killed in Iraq 2006: Marines return after one-year deployment to Iraq 2008: US Army battles Taliban in Kunar Province 2017: United States in Afghanistan 2014: Airstrikes targeting Islamic State group US leaves Afghanistan US sends aid to Ukraine
Summer may not have been the hottest on record everywhere in the U.S., but in places that normally have hot summers, the heat was relentless.

Data from NOAA this week indicated that summer 2023  the three hottest calendar months of the year  was the 15th hottest on record nationally.

Locations that already have hot summers  from New Mexico to south Texas, eastward across the Louisiana and Florida Gulf Coasts  did have their hottest summer on record. This includes the major population centers of Houston, Tampa Bay and New Orleans.

One area spared from a hot summer was the Ohio Valley, as that part of the country was cooler than average. However, none of the states sharing a border with the Ohio River had one of their 25 coolest summers on record. West Virginia was the coolest of that group, in 32nd place.

Summer rainfall had much more variation nationally  even over shorter distances. California and Nevada had one of their 10 wettest summers, while Arizona, New Mexico and Texas all had one of their ten driest summers.

Louisiana was also especially dry, with the lack of rainfall worsening the heat this year and contributing to their hottest summer on record.

Summer was not just hot on land. The oceans received much more attention this year, as they reached their hottest level on record. Included within those waters is the Gulf of Mexico, so sea breezes moving inland to cool down New Orleans and Tampa did not offer much relief this year.

Specifically measuring the impact of the warming climate to temperatures this summer is challenging. However, examining the national period of record back to 1895 provides some perspective. Nationwide, only 3 of the 15 hottest summers on record came before the start of the 21st century: 1934, 1936 and 1988. In effect, the summer of 2023 was still warmer than 97 percent of the 20th century summers in the United States.

In addition to the warming climate constantly humming in the background, there is building evidence suggesting that jet stream patterns, which govern how weather systems move, are becoming slower to change in the shorter term. The end result is that a particular weather pattern persists longer than it did a couple of generations ago. Louisiana jumps into this fray once again, as Shreveport had 11 consecutive days that were at least 105 degrees, exceeding the previous record by four days.

A statistical analysis from the non-profit Climate Central examined the likelihood of the higher temperatures occurring this summer in the background of the warming climate. Reviewing the temperatures at 244 cities nationwide, they found that 71 percent had at least a week with temperatures twice as likely to happen in the warming climate.

Expressing this likelihood as the Climate Shift Index, the data analysts at Climate Central found even more of an impact in some of those same cities along the Gulf Coast.

Houston had 63 days this summer when the high temperature reached a level that was three times more likely in the warming climate. Tampa had 60 such days, New Orleans had 52.

While the warming climate may not have caused the heat at any particular site, it makes it more likely. Much like replacing lower numbers on a roulette wheel with higher numbers, cooler days will still happen, but they become much less common. And hotter days will become much more frequent.

The hotter weather increases the incidents of heat illness, especially for people who work outside  from construction workers in urban areas to farm workers in rural areas. Meteorological fall may have started on Sept. 1, but in most of those same places, it was the hottest first week of September on record.

Cooler days and evenings of fall are coming, but as the climate continues to warm, sweater weather will be arriving progressively later in the calendar than in generations past.

In that way, summers are getting longer.

Sean Sublette is the chief meteorologist of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in Virginia.
Regarding the reluctance of Webster University to answer the Post-Dispatch's intrusive questions about the financing of a private, non-tax supported university, I say, good for them. ("Editorial: Webster U loses money, pays eye-popping salaries and refuses to discuss it." Sept. 12.) Its none of your business. Private means private.
LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / September 15, 2023 / Planet 13 Holdings Inc. (CSE:PLTH)(OTCQX:PLNHF) ("Planet 13" or the "Company"), a leading vertically-integrated multi-state cannabis company, today announced the completion of its previously announced plan of arrangement pursuant to which the Company was continued from the jurisdiction of the Business Corporations Act (British Columbia) and domesticated under the Nevada Revised Statutes to the State of Nevada (the "Nevada Domestication").

The Nevada Domestication was overwhelmingly approved by shareholders at Planet 13's Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders held on Thursday, July 27, 2023. The British Columbia Supreme Court issued its Final Order on August 3, 2023. The Company completed the Nevada Domestication on September 15, 2023 after market close when the necessary filings were made with, and made effective by, the Secretary of State of the State of Nevada.

Upon completion of the Nevada Domestication, each issued and outstanding common share was for all purposes deemed to be one issued share of common stock of the Company. In connection with the Nevada Domestication, the Company expects that, effective at market open on September 18, 2023, the Company's common stock will begin quotation on the OTCQX U.S. market rather than the OTCQX International market and the OTCQX ticker symbol for the Company's common stock will change from "PLNHF" to "PLNH". The intended change in the OTC market reflects the Company becoming a Nevada corporation following the Nevada Domestication and the new ticker symbol reflects the removal of the OTC foreign company designation following the Nevada Domestication. No action is required by shareholders with respect to the OTC market or ticker symbol change. The Company's common stock will continue to trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the ticker symbol PLTH. The CUSIP number has changed from 72706K101 to 72707C108.

In addition, the Planet 13 Holdings Inc. 2023 Equity Incentive Plan became effective as of September 15, 2023, upon completion of the Nevada Domestication, replacing the Planet 13 Holdings Inc. 2018 Stock Option Plan and the Planet 13 Holdings Inc. 2018 Share Unit Plan, as amended (collectively, the "Prior Plans"). All outstanding awards granted under the Prior Plans as of the Nevada Domestication will remain subject to the terms of the Prior Plans.

For more information on Planet 13, visit the investor website (www.planet13holdings.com/investors).

About Planet 13

Planet 13 (www.planet13holdings.com) is a vertically integrated cannabis company, with award-winning cultivation, production and dispensary operations in Las Vegas and in Orange County, California. Planet 13 also holds a medical marijuana treatment center license in Florida and a conditional Social-Equity Justice Involved dispensing license in the Chicago region of Illinois. Planet 13's mission is to build a recognizable global brand known for world-class dispensary operations and a creator of innovative cannabis products. Licensed cannabis activity is legal in these states but remains illegal under U.S. federal law. Planet 13's shares trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the symbol PLTH and are quoted on the OTCQX under the symbol PLNHF.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are often, but not always, identified by phrases such as "plans", "expects", "proposed", "may", "could", "would", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases. In this news release, forward-looking statements relate to the effective time of the Company's OTC trading market change, the new OTCQX ticker symbol and continued trading under the existing CSE ticker symbol, and the Company's mission.

Such forward-looking statements reflect what management of the Company believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon such forward-looking statements and that actual results may vary from such forward-looking statements. These assumptions, risks and uncertainties which may cause actual results to differ include, among others, those assumptions, risks and uncertainties discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and any of the Company's subsequent periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as to the date of this press release and we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements should they change, except as required by law.

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

For further inquiries, please contact:

LodeRock Advisors Inc., Planet 13 Investor Relations

[email protected]

Robert Groesbeck or Larry Scheffler

Co-Chief Executive Officers

702-815-1313

[email protected]

SOURCE: Planet 13 Holdings

View source version on accesswire.com:
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma--(Newsfile Corp. - September 16, 2023) - Permanent Roofing Systems (405-778-8955) has announced a new roof repair service for victims of hail, wind and storm damage in the Oklahoma City area.

The recently announced emergency repair service corrects the often invisible damage left behind by strong hailstorms. Following a full inspection to assess any damage, Permanent Roofing Systems provides customers with a personalized repair plan, tailored to the roof's specific needs. Whether it be leaks, weakened structures or damaged shingles, Permanent Roofing Solutions provides a rapid repair service to ensure no further damage occurs.

For more details, please visit https://roofingokc.net

Greg Melancon, Founder ofPermanent Roofing Systems

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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As part of their new storm damage roof repair service, the company offers impact-resistant materials such as Class 4 shingles, a roofing shingle with the highest level of impact resistance. According to research from IKO Global, Class 4 shingles can withstand the impact of a 2-inch ball dropped from 20 feet, making this the ideal material for storm damage repair.

As the company explains, Oklahoma City is no stranger to storms and the capital is classed as a high-risk area for tornadoes and hailstorms. When inevitable damage occurs, Permanent Roofing Solutions can deliver prompt and precise repairs to both cosmetic and functional damage. Following severe weather spells, the company advises customers to complete a full inspection of their roofs for damage and leaks as any untreated damage, no matter how small, can lead to major structural problems further down the line.

In addition to its hail damage repair service, the company also provides residential and commercial roofing installation services. For customers in search of more versatile roofing options, Permanent Roofing Solutions offers a metal roof installation, repair and replacement service.

About Permanent Roofing Solutions

With a background in the insurance claims industry, Greg Melancon, founder of Permanent Roofing Solutions, has ample experience working alongside insurance agents when fixing, repairing or replacing an Oklahoma roof. Greg is well known for meeting insurance adjustors on-site, providing detailed evidence to ensure that customers' building insurance cases are met.

Greg Melancon states, "With top-notch materials, impeccable craftsmanship, and a dedication that's second to none, we don't just earn customers - we forge partnerships. Our legacy of crafting roofs that withstand time's tests is unparalleled."

Interested parties can find more information by visiting https://roofingokc.net/storm-wind-hail-damage.

Contact Info:

Name: Greg Melancon

Email: [email protected]

Organization: Permanent Roofing Systems

Address: 2305 SE 94th St., Oklahoma City, OK 73160, United States

Website: https://roofingokc.net

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180586
Amidst increasing local reports of injuries caused by commercial auto crashes, Reyna Law Firm Houston (832-998-6003) has announced legal services aimed at victims of negligent drivers.

Houston, Texas--(Newsfile Corp. - September 16, 2023) - Reyna Law Firm Houston is now offering legal representation in direct response to a dramatic rise in negligence-related trucking accidents throughout the city. Acknowledging the financial and medical aid typically required by victims of such incidents, the firm's legal services include free and confidential consultations and ongoing representation through the subsequent damage claim process.

For more information, see https://www.reynainjurylaw.com/houston.

Reyna Law Firm Houston Announces Negligent Truck Accident Victim Representation

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The personal injury attorneys point to the frequent commercial traffic entering and exiting Houston on a regular basis as the reason for increasing traffic collision rates. Reyna Law Firm's new services are brought forward accordingly, meeting local demand for legal guidance in the immediate and extended aftermath of heavy vehicle crashes.

With accident victims requiring swift access to appropriate legal advice in advance of filing damage claims, Reyna Law Firm monitors ongoing developments in Texas personal injury law. Its new services take into account relevant state regulations pertaining to liability in auto accident cases, with its lawyers positioned to investigate negligence on the part of truck drivers.

Whether collisions stem from dangerous driving, exhaustion, or inadequately maintained vehicles, Reyna Law Firm's new services aim to determine whether negligence played a significant part.

Their new services involve aggressive pursuits of monetary compensation in line with the rights of blameless auto accident victims in Texas. Typical routes to such outcomes can involve settlement negotiations with insurers or courtroom trial proceedings, with Reyna Law Firm acting on behalf of injured parties.

An Academy of American Attorneys 500 Million Dollar Club member, Reyna Law Firm targets substantial fees to the sum of amounts covering pain, emotional distress, and other considerations. Its new services also weigh up losses suffered as a direct result of auto accidents, ranging from lost earnings to vehicle repair costs and hospital bills.

Consultations allow Reyna Law Firm to outline cases and the potential value of damage claims prior to its new investigative representation services.

Interested parties in and around the Houston area can find further details about Reyna Law Firm's services and its approach to negligent driving-related accident cases at https://www.reynainjurylaw.com/houston.

Contact Info:

Name: James Lewis

Email: [email protected]

Organization: Reyna Law Firm Houston

Address: 10101 Southwest Fwy Ste 400, Houston, TX 77074, United States

Website: https://www.reynainjurylaw.com/houston

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/180588
Paid press release content from The Financial Capital. The StreetInsider.com news staff was not involved in its creation.

Legendary mining Financier and philanthropist Frank Guistra owns 13.4% of Blackwolf. After the September 5, 2023 Cantoo news of a telescoping porphyry feeder complex Guistras stake increased.



Last week Blackwolf Copper and Gold (TSXV:BWCG)(OTC PINK:BWCGF) announced that it has completed a 3-hole 1,356 meter maiden drill program at the Cantoo Property located in southeast Alaska.

Initial visual observation of the drill core suggests significant alteration and mineralization consistent with a porphyry system, stated BWCG.

Assay results are pending for these initial drill holes as well as the summer surface sampling program and will be released when available, explained Blackwolf CEO Morgan Lekstrom. In order to make good use of the summer exploration window, the drill has been moved to the Harry Property while we await these results."

Retail investors, who do not typically have expertise in geology, engineering or exploration logistics, were not all convinced this was good news.

Was hoping for a bit of the high-grade stuff vs a porphyry, fretted one shareholder on an investor bullboard. If its so good and theyre in the right rocks, why didnt they stay and keep drilling?

Lekstrom addressed investor-concerns on Elon Musks re-branded X.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1699212364439302253

We hit multiple stacked veins in the system, explained Lekstrom. As well as Porphyry style mineralization alteration. That is the cherry on top. We hit what we were looking for. And there's porphyry style mineralization alteration there.

We moved the drill to Harry  the project that we just purchased from Optimum Ventures for $9 million. The valley that Harry sits in tends to fog in quicker closer to winter, so it makes logical sense for us to go out there, while we're waiting for assay results.

Note: In an industry where changing the font on your deck from Helvetica to Calibri counts as a marketing innovation, Lekstroms shortform video updates on X are refreshing and noteworthy. Using the same platform, he recently highlighted the geological savvy and family history of Blackwolf Executive Chairman Rob McLeod.

Originally from the mining town of Stewart, BC, Rob McLeod is a 3rd-generation miner with expertise and a track record in BCs Golden Triangle. He founded Underworld Resources which sold to Kinross Gold for C$140 million, and developed IDM Mining which sold to Ascot Resources in 2019.

My grandfather and my father were underground miners, McLeod confirmed to Guy Bennett, CEO of Global Stocks News. They became businessmen. My uncle developed the Scottie Gold Mine, he was also Mine Manager at the Premier Mine, which Ascot is currently restarting  about 600 meters from Cantoo.

The BruceJack Mine purchased by Newcrest is named after my grandfather, Jack McLeod, and my cousin Bruce, McLeod continued. Geological knowledge, community and business relationships dont guarantee success. But they do improve the odds. My primary focus now is the development of Blackwolf.

The Cantoo Property was explored a century ago with archival equipment. Surface work during 2023 targeted multiple stacked shallow-dipping vein structures and breccias, including a 30 m (100ft) wide structure. Blackwolf's Cantoo surface samples returned grades up to 30.4 grams per tonne gold, 2,860 grams per tonne silver and 5.8% copper.

September 5, 2023 Pre-Assay Cantoo Inaugural Drilling Highlights:

Three core holes up to 676 meters long

Significant alteration and mineralization, consistent with a porphyry-style system similar to copper-gold +/- molybdenum deposits in the Golden Triangle;

Strong silicification zones including veining with sulphides were intersected, that corresponds with surface expressions identified from surface sampling; and

 As GWCG awaits assay results from Cantoo, the drill has been moved to test gold-silver targets at the Harry Project

According to the current BWCG Investor Presentation, legendary mining Financier and philanthropist Frank Guistra owns 13.4% of Blackwolf. After the September 5, 2023 Cantoo news of a telescoping porphyry feeder complex Guistras stake increased, as he purchased 567,000 BWCG shares on the open market, following an acquisition of 200,000 shares in August, 2023 (Lekstrom and McLeod are also buying).

We intend to drill a couple of thousand meters on the newly acquired Harry project, Lekstrom confirmed to GSN. Then head back to Cantoo, so we can make informed, financially intelligent decisions on where to drill next, based on the assay results.

Contact: [email protected]

Full Disclaimer

Contact Info:

Name: Guy Bennett

Email: Send Email

Organization: Global Stocks News

Website: http://www.globalstocksnews.com



Release ID: 89107707

If you encounter any issues, discrepancies, or concerns regarding the content provided in this press release, or if there is a need for a press release takedown, we urge you to notify us without delay at [email protected]. Our expert team will be available to promptly respond within 8 hours  ensuring swift resolution of identified issues or offering guidance on removal procedures. Delivering accurate and reliable information is fundamental to our mission.
At Tram Hoa, there will be no scarcity of fresh flower bunches delicately and meticulously adorned, being representative of customers conveying heartfelt messages on significant occasions.



Fresh flowers are deemed as a "language" expressing the beauty of subtle messages and are often favored as gifts on special occasions. Giving flowers is an art since not everyone truly comprehends the meaning of each sort of flower to suit each circumstance. If people are having trouble coming up with floral choices to gift to loved ones, Tram Hoa may be an ideal suggestion.

Herein, customers can find every sort of flower in many styles including modern, artistic, or traditional. Modern-style flower arrangement designs are often decorated by Tram Hoa with flowers such as gerberas, hydrangeas, and sunflowers. They convey symbolism of prosperity, fortune, and success, being appropriate for housewarming, new year, grand opening, and others. Traditional-style flower designs with solemn and delicate beauty may be a suitable choice for traditional holidays. Suitable for special occasions such as birthdays, promotion parties, and the rest, customers can select artistic-style foral shelves with elegant, eye-catching beauty and outstanding colors at Tram Hoa.

In addition to congratulations flowers, Tram Hoa also provides love flowers, birthday flowers, condolence flower stands, floral baskets, and bouquets. The fresh flower bunches at Tram Hoa are meticulously crafted, combining various types of flowers with meaningful cards, conveying heartfelt sentiments from customers on special occasions. The flower herein has clear origins, carefully preserved in order to ensure quality and freshness for over 3 days. These flower bunches are methodically chosen and arranged by professional arrangers to deliver the best possible products.

In the event of special requests, Tram Hoa will assist customers in choosing the most suitable floral arrangements. Before delivery, customers will receive product photos for adjustments as needed. To facilitate sending flowers, Tram Hoa has been developing online flower ordering and free delivery in the inner city areas within only 2 hours. With a network of flower shops linked across the country, Tram Hoa is present in all 63 provinces and cities in Vietnam, available to assist customers in any situation. Furthermore, Tram Hoa offers various benefits, like discounts for customers ordering flowers via the website or new customers.

For more information, please take a look at: https://tramhoa.com

About Tram Hoa

Tram Hoa provides professional floral arranging and delivery services. Connecting flower shops nationwide, Tram Hoa has been building a professional flower delivery network across all 63 provinces in Vietnam. Besides creating easy and convenient shopping experiences, Tram Hoa also continuously tries to improve customer service with professionally trained consultants to assist customers with the most delicate attitude.

Contact Detail:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tramhoavn

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tramhoavn/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tramhoavn/





About Us: /Tram Hoa/

Contact Info:

Name: Tram Hoa

Email: Send Email

Organization: Tram Hoa

Address: 443/56 ien Bien Phu Street, Ward 3, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: (+84) 34 827 8722

Website: https://tramhoa.com/



Release ID: 89107710

Should you detect any errors, issues, or discrepancies with the content contained within this press release, or if you need assistance with a press release takedown, we kindly request that you inform us immediately by contacting [email protected]. Our expert team will be available to promptly respond and take necessary steps within the next 8 hours to resolve any identified issues or guide you through the removal process. We value the trust placed in us by our readers and remain dedicated to providing accurate and reliable information.
Over the last year, a good number of insiders have significantly increased their holdings in Condor Gold Plc (LON:CNR). This is encouraging because it indicates that insiders are more optimistic about the company's prospects.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

Check out our latest analysis for Condor Gold

The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Condor Gold

The Independent Non-Executive Chairman James Mellon made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK3.5m worth of shares at a price of UK0.40 each. That means that even when the share price was higher than UK0.21 (the recent price), an insider wanted to purchase shares. It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.

In the last twelve months Condor Gold insiders were buying shares, but not selling. They paid about UK0.24 on average. This is nice to see since it implies that insiders might see value around current prices. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

There are always plenty of stocks that insiders are buying. So if that suits your style you could check each stock one by one or you could take a look at this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Insider Ownership Of Condor Gold

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. From our data, it seems that Condor Gold insiders own 8.9% of the company, worth about UK3.6m. Whilst better than nothing, we're not overly impressed by these holdings.

Story continues

So What Do The Condor Gold Insider Transactions Indicate?

The fact that there have been no Condor Gold insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. The transactions are fine but it'd be more encouraging if Condor Gold insiders bought more shares in the company. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. At Simply Wall St, we've found that Condor Gold has 5 warning signs (3 are a bit unpleasant!) that deserve your attention before going any further with your analysis.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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.
Paid press release content from The Financial Capital. The StreetInsider.com news staff was not involved in its creation.

Viet A Equipment is a firm specializing in delivering commodities as well as screw air compressors repair and maintenance services in Ha Noi with nearby provinces.



Since a screw air compressor malfunctions or is unusable, that may cause losses for the work quality along with the productivity of a business. If breakdowns are substantial, they will even result in an explosion or fire. Recognizing those risks, Viet A Equipment offers screw air compressor maintenance and repair services assisting clients in periodically checking and identifying timely machine problems to avoidance of serious damage that reduces the productivity of the enterprise.

With more than 10 years of experience, Viet A can maintain and keep in good repair screw air compressors deriving from various brands such as Atlas Copco, Ingersoll Rand, Sullair, Compair, Hitachi, Kobelco, Airman, Elgi, Fusheng, Hanbell, Compkorea, Buma, Hanshin, Yee, Kyungwon and others. Operating under the slogan "timely, dedicated, responsible", Viet A is available to aid customers 24/7 whenever screw compressor systems have problems, irrespective of holidays.

When using the repair and maintenance service at Viet A, customers will have the system status checked and surveyed for free. After the staff has checked thoroughly, Viet A will clearly quote all expenses before clients agree to repair. In addition, Viet A also assists in taking care of screw air compressors for 1-3 months, warranting 2000 machine running hours, giving advice on optimal solutions for screw air compressors problems, handling quickly or lending an air compressor for emergencies, and many other benefits.

The common screw air compressors malfunction that Viet A is definitely able to handle such as the machine operating without suitable pressure; dried oil, the compressor head assembly being stuck, uneven operation; leaking oil at the suction neck; compressed air mingling with oil and water; the control screen set being broken; unusually loud noises since operating; suspending working.

In addition to screw air compressor repair and maintenance services, Viet A also distributes a variety of commodities such as air compressors, air dryers, air compressor accessories, electric motor reducers, pneumatic diaphragm pumps, electric motors, gear reduction boxes, and the rest. Viet A applies warranty and free technical support for all commodities according to company policy. Simultaneously, the unit also has free delivery policies within up to 40km distance from the headquarters to the customer address, regardless of bulky products weighing over 50kg.

For more information about the services here, please take a look at: https://thietbivieta.com

About the company

Viet A Equipment Joint Stock Company is one of the distributors of air compressors, air dryers, air compressor accessories, electric motor reducers, pneumatic diaphragm pumps, electric motors, gear reduction boxes, maintenance services, technical repair services, and more in Vietnam.

Launching in 2012, Viet A has constantly enhanced the quality of goods, services, and human resources, emphasizing the development of teams with experience and professional skills. The Viet A technician team is all well-trained with at least 5 years of experience.

Contact Detail:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thietbicongnghiepvieta/

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About Us: /Viet A Equipment Joint Stock Company/

Contact Info:

Name: Viet A Equipment

Email: Send Email

Organization: Viet A Industrial Equipment and Services Company Limited

Address: Northern Office: No. 19 - Alley 22  Tan Thuy Street, Phuc Dong Ward, Long Bien District, Ha Noi City Southern Office: No.17 Street, Linh Trung Ward, Thu Duc District, Ho Chi Minh City

Phone: (+84) 988 947 064

Website: https://thietbivieta.com/



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Release ID: 89107709

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The popular desktop-based VoIP software now brings seamless, enterprise-level communication capabilities to mobile platforms



sipVine, a leading provider of hosted business VoIP services, is thrilled to announce the expansion of its sipSoft softphone solution to mobile devices. Previously only available on desktop platforms, sipSoft now extends its functionalities to iPhones and Android devices, all managed through sipVine's enterprise solution.

The expansion of sipSoft to mobile platforms marks a significant milestone for us, says Robert Conner, sipVines CEO. "Our partnership with a market-leading softphone provider allows us to control both provisioning and billing, providing increased benefits and efficiencies for our clients.

This mobile version of sipSoft offers businesses an unprecedented level of flexibility. Employees on the move can now make and receive calls on their mobile devices as if they were at their office desk phones. This means that the caller ID displayed during outbound calls will represent the business, not individual cell numbers.

In addition, the mobile sipSoft application is highly beneficial for service or support teams who operate in on-call environments. Team members can be included in ring groups, and those who are on-call can activate their softphone functionality, making call logging and recording more straightforward.

The sipSoft application retains the familiar user experience of a cell phone while adding robust features typically found on office desk phones. These features include the ability to dial extensions internally, transfer calls, and conduct conference calls.

Some of the most attractive features of sipSoft for mobile devices includes:

Contacts can be effortlessly synced from your cell phone or easily added with the push of a button

Call history is logged when the application is turned on



However, at the same time, sipSoft offers some of the robust features that exist with a traditional desk phone, such as the ability to transfer calls, conduct conference calls, and internal extension dials.

sipVine really offers the best of both worlds, Conner says. It includes features that are attractive to the entire team, whether youre in sales, customer service, or management. The entire objective behind launching sipSoft for mobile devices is to get teams flexibility and convenience with how and where they communicate.

If you are an existing sipVine customer, reach out to your sales representative or technical support to learn more about adding the sipSoft solution to your suite of services. If you are interested in sipVine's Hosted VoIP phone service to achieve greater flexibility in your communication strategies, please contact the team at 816-802-8000 or [email protected].

About sipVine

Based in North Kansas City, Missouri, sipVine provides a hosted VoIP phone solution specifically designed to meet the needs of business customers. sipVines solution is flexible and expandable, with all the features, options, and configuration of a traditional corporate phone system. sipVine can deliver both the equipment and phone service coast to coast.

For more information, please contact our team today https://www.sipvine.com/contact-us

Contact Info:

Name: Samuel Edwards

Email: Send Email

Organization: Marketer

Website: https://marketer.co



Release ID: 89107680

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CHONGQING, China , Sept. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On September 15 , Xiamen Ampace Technology Limited (hereinafter referred to as "Ampace"), a company renowned for its commitment to pioneering lithium battery research and innovation, marked its inaugural presence at the 21st China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition, unveiling its cutting-edge "Kun-Era" series of lithium batteries. During this event, Ampace has inked pivotal strategic cooperation agreements with a host of leading electric motorcycle companies and prominent battery-swapping enterprises.

Chongqing LONCIN Motorcycle Co., Ltd.

Chongqing LONCIN Motorcycle Co., Ltd. specializes in motorcycles and engines with products spanning over 100 countries and regions. At last year's China International Motorcycle Trade Exhibition in Chongqing , the first e-motorcycle R5T, introduced under the BRICOSE brand by LONCIN, proudly featured Ampace batteries.

Nanjing VMOTO Motorcycle Co., Ltd.

Nanjing VMOTO Motorcycle Co., Ltd. stands as a global heavyweight in the realm of new energy e-motorcycles and serves as a provider of new energy solutions. Ampace's inaugural product in the e-motorcycle sector, the 7245, supplied power to VMOTO's esteemed TC-MAX, catering to the high-end cross-riding segment.

Yadea Technology Group Co., Ltd.

Yadea Technology Group Co., Ltd. holds a commanding position within the electric vehicle industry. The "Kun-Era" battery, designed to substantially extend vehicle range while alleviating range anxiety, is poised to support Yadea's endeavors in promoting "green mobility" both domestically and internationally.

Segway-Ninebot Technology Co., Ltd.

In the micro-vehicle sector, Ampace plays a pivotal role as a key strategic partner of Segway-Ninebot Technology Co., Ltd. Ampace provides customized lithium batteries for Segway-Ninebot's flagship models. In 2019, Segway-Ninebot launched the E-125 electric scooter, powered by Ampace's 7427 power battery pack. Impressively, the cumulative supply of 7427 battery packs has now exceeded 100,000 sets.

Zhejiang CFMOTO Power Co., Ltd.

Zhejiang CFMOTO Power Co., Ltd. occupies a prominent position as a major player in the high-displacement fuel motorcycle market, with its products being exported to nearly 100 countries and regions globally. The "ZEEHO" brand, launched by CFMOTO Power, encompasses products such as AE6 and AE8, all of which feature Ampace lithium batteries.

Indonesia's Premier Battery-Swapping Company-- SWAP

Ampace has meticulously designed a comprehensive urban battery-swapping solution. With the introduction of the dedicated "Kun-Era" battery for e-motorcycles and urban battery-swapping, Ampace's highly efficient urban battery-swapping solution is poised to elevate the service quality and experiences of SWAP users even further.

Contact: Janice Ye , yeqq@ampacetech.com

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SOURCE Xiamen Ampace Technology Limited
BEIJING , Sept. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- China and Zambia announced their decision on Friday to elevate bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, with both sides hailing their "profound" traditional friendship.

The move came during Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema's seven-day state visit to China at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping . Business is high on the agenda, as the African leader covered five companies in his first two days, including the Yantian International Container Terminal , BYD, Huawei, Tencent and ZTE. He arrived in Beijing on Thursday.

During the two leaders' talk on Friday, Xi said that China stands ready to work with Zambia to transform the profound traditional friendship into a strong driving force for win-win cooperation in the new era and push bilateral relations to a new level.

Win-win cooperation

Across the vast savanna between Tanzania and Zambia , the Tanzania-Zambia Railway is a symbol of true friendship and sincere assistance of the Chinese people toward the people of Africa .

Back in the 1960s, a time when many countries and international organizations all declined to help, China provided an interest-free loan of 988 million yuan to the project with no conditions attached. In addition, China sent a large amount of equipment and materials, as well as experts for the construction, management and maintenance of the railway and the training of local technicians.

To this day, the two sides have expanded their investment and trade ties in many sectors, with trade volume between the two countries reaching a record high of $6.73 billion in 2022, official data shows.

China hopes to jointly build the Belt and Road with Zambia and expand cooperation in infrastructure construction, agriculture, mining and clean energy to achieve common development and revitalization, Xi said during his meeting with Hichilema.

Xi added that China encourages more quality Zambian products to enter the Chinese market and supports more Chinese enterprises in investing in Zambia .

The voice of the Global South

China's development has led to the progress of countries in the Global South, increased their representation and voice in international affairs, and promoted the development of international order in a more just and rational direction, Hichilema said on Friday, thanking China for supporting the African Union's entry into the G20.

Zambia cherishes the friendship forged by the older generations of leaders of the two countries, the president said.

China - Zambia friendship dates back to the era when China actively supported the national liberation movement of southern Africa . On October 25, 1964 , the second day of Zambia's independence, the two countries established diplomatic relations.

During their talk, Xi stressed that the traditional friendship forged by the two countries' older generations of leaders has stood the test of the changing international landscape.

The Chinese president also urged the two countries to continue practicing genuine multilateralism, firmly upholding international fairness and justice, striving to increase the voice of developing countries, and safeguarding the common interests of the two countries and other developing countries.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-09-15/ China - Zambia -announce-elevation-of- China - Zambia -ties-1n7CifQXzyM/index.html

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cgtn-china-zambia-elevate-ties-to-comprehensive-strategic-cooperative-partnership-301929675.html

SOURCE CGTN
MISSION VIEJO, Calif. , Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 10,000 people are missing after Storm Daniel tore through Libya on September 10th , triggering deadly flooding. More than 11,000 people have been confirmed dead, with the number expected to rise. International charity, Human Appeal, has launched emergency aid relief via its partner to support the Libyan population hardest hit with food, water, medical aid and basic essentials.

The aid is needed to help avert hunger and disease after severe flooding destroyed local infrastructure bringing with it the risk of cholera spreading.

Many of Libya's eastern towns have been affected but in Bayda and Derna the devastation is cataclysmic. In the port city of Derna, home to 100,000 people, entire communities have been washed away after two dams collapsed.

The humanitarian situation on the ground is tragic with 25 percent of Derna has been destroyed, with buildings razed to the ground and entire neighbourhoods inaccessible. Survivors, desperate to hear news of their missing loved ones, are traumatised and in desperate need of relief aid.

Human Appeal via its partner is supporting aid relief efforts in the eastern cities of Derna and Bayda working tirelessly to deliver lifesaving emergency aid to shattered families. We are also supporting the provision of nutritious milk to thousands of children affected by the devastating floods.

Drawing on Human Appeal's 31 years of experience in delivering humanitarian relief globally to areas affected by climatic disaster, initial assessments indicate families with children are in vital need of emergency relief, including food, clean water and medical aid.

For more information please visit: www.humanappealusa.org

Or for media requests please contact [email protected]

About Human Appeal USA

Here for Every Human. Human Appeal is a non-profit organisation working across the globe to strengthen humanity's fight against poverty, social injustice and natural disaster. Through the provision of immediate relief and the establishment of self-sustaining development programmes, we aim to invest in real, effective solutions.

Human Appeal USA is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.

Tax ID # 87-2410117. Your donations are tax deductible.

Human Appeal Inc. 26050 Acero, Suite 415, Mission Viejo, CA 92691, USA .

USA Tel: 877 225 2251

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/human-appeal-sends-aid-to-libya-to-avert-hunger-and-disease-from-deadly-flooding-301929598.html

SOURCE Human Appeal
Nurses are planning a one-day strike for September 27 because Dana-Farber is undermining the stability of its nursing workforce in Merrimack Valley and putting patient care quality at risk by not settling a fair contract

METHUEN, Mass. , Sept. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ --The registered nurses of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute  Merrimack Valley , represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, issued notice to DFCI on Friday evening that they plan to hold a one-day strike on Wednesday, September 27 unless the institute agrees to a fair contract that provides secured benefits and competitive pay, enabling nurses to provide the high-quality cancer care Merrimack Valley patients deserve.

The nurses are prepared to strike for 24 hours  and picket in front of DFCI  MV during regular clinic hours  after repeatedly trying to get Dana-Farber executives to reach reasonable compromises on key issues, including a competitive wage step scale and a commitment to maintaining benefits throughout the life of their contract. Nurses were required by labor law to give DFCI at least 10 days' notice before the strike.

Dana-Farber executives have forced DFCI  MV nurses into a position to strike even as Dana-Farber has announced plans to shift its affiliation from Brigham and Women's Hospital to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and construct a freestanding inpatient cancer hospital. This plan will cost many millions of dollars, while DFCI refuses to make reasonable investments in its existing nurse and nurse practitioner workforce in Merrimack Valley .

DFCI  MV nurses voted 97% to authorize a strike on August 2 . Despite multiple negotiation sessions with a federal mediator since the vote, DFCI has refused to agree to meet the needs of nurses and instead wants the right to take away benefits unilaterally and unfairly and refuse to offer daily overtime. There is another negotiation session scheduled for September 19 , and it is expected that the federal mediator will call the nurses back for an additional negotiation session or sessions prior to the strike date.

"We are prepared to strike if necessary to protect cancer care quality and access for Merrimack Valley patients," said Kerrin Albert , Infusion RN at DFCI  MV. "We would prefer that Dana-Farber executives simply meet the needs of our nurses so we can maintain a stable workforce, but instead they have put us in this position to fully exercise our rights as union members."

"Dana-Farber executives have left us with no other choice but to schedule a one-day strike to ensure nurses are properly valued and patients continue to have excellent cancer care available in Merrimack Valley ," said Kate Mitchell , FNP-BC, AOCNP at DFCI  MV. "Our number one goal is to provide patients with the advanced cancer and blood disorder treatments they need. Dana-Farber has the resources to make sure nurses are empowered to provide that essential care and should settle a fair contract."

"On September 27 , we would prefer to be with our patients, guiding them through treatment and knowing Dana-Farber truly values the care we provide," said Errin D'Arcangelo , Oncology Nurse Navigator at DFCI  MV. " If Dana-Farber Merrimack Valley nurses are on the strike line September 27 , it will be because Dana-Farber executives have refused to commit to competitive pay and secure benefits as part of a fair contract."

DFCI  MV nurses held an informational picket on June 2 attended by nurses, community members, union supporters, and elected officials. Among those in attendance supporting the nurses were State Senator Pavel Payano , D- Lawrence , and State Representative Ryan Hamilton , D- Methuen .

"As you know, these healthcare professionals are on the front lines of caring for patients and liaising with families," Rep. Hamilton wrote in an August 2 letter to Dr. Laurie Glimcher , president, and CEO of Dana-Farber. "They play a vital role here in Merrimack Valley by supporting patients through the hardship of a cancer diagnosis and bolstering our fight against this disease. But a lack of basic employment protections, the denial of equal retirement and benefits options, and a substantial gap in pay between nurses based in Boston and nurses based in Merrimack Valley are threatening the good work of these community members."

DFCI  Merrimack Valley opened in 2020 with 24 exam rooms and 32 infusion bays. The location offers expanded cancer and blood disorder care and outpatient services for adult patients in the region. DFCI  MV nurses voted in June and July 2022 to form a union and join the MNA in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. The MNA also represents approximately 600 nurses at the DFCI main campus in Boston under a separate contract.

Bargaining Highlights

DFCI  MV nurses are negotiating a first MNA contract with DFCI. A federal mediator joined negotiations this summer.

DFCI has refused to make a commitment to maintaining benefits through the contract and wants the right to take away benefits unilaterally and unfairly.

DFCI has refused to offer daily overtime  a typical standard in MNA contracts because of the nature of the scheduling of nurses and healthcare professionals.

DFCI has refused to agree to competitive wages to help recruit and retain nurses. MV nurses have proposed wages that are less than what DFCI Boston nurses earn, and DFCI has still said no.

DFCI's approach in negotiations has been disrespectful to nurses and the community. Merrimack Valley patients deserve to be valued equally to patients in Boston or anywhere else. DFCI must settle a fair contract with MV nurses to demonstrate its commitment to local patients.

Dana-Farber Financial Highlights

MassNurses.org  Facebook.com/MassNurses  Twitter.com/MassNurses  Instagram.com/MassNurses

____________________________________________

Founded in 1903, the Massachusetts Nurses Association is the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Its 25,000 members advance the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Legislature and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

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SOURCE Massachusetts Nurses Association
By Greg Torode and Martin Quin Pollard

BEIJING (Reuters) - The disappearance of China's defence minister, the latest in a string of upheavals in the country's top ranks, is stoking uncertainty about President Xi Jinping's rule as an internal security clampdown trumps international engagement.

The growing unpredictability could affect the confidence other countries place in the leadership of the world's second-biggest economy, diplomats and analysts say.

Defence Minister Li Shangfu, who has missed meetings including with at least one foreign counterpart since he was last seen in late August, is under investigation in a corruption probe into military procurement, Reuters reported on Friday.

Newly installed Foreign Minister Qin Gang vanished with scant explanation in July, the same month as an abrupt shake-up of the military's elite Rocket Force, which oversees China's nuclear arsenal.

As Xi, China's commander-in-chief has focussed inward, he caused concern among foreign diplomats this month by missing a Group of 20 summit in India, the first time he has skipped the global leaders' gathering in his decade in power.

Faced with the growing uncertainties, some diplomats and analysts are calling for a hard look at the true nature of Xi's regime.

"Clear-eyed assessments are needed - this isn't just a question of whether China is a partner or a competitor, it is a source of economic, political and military risk," said Drew Thompson, a former Pentagon official who is now a scholar at the National University of Singapore.

Due to a lack of transparency surrounding the changes, various explanations were plausible "and this feeds the crisis of confidence that is brewing around China," Thompson said.

China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.

PROXIMITY ISN'T PATRONAGE

Regarding Defence Minister Li's disappearance and investigation, a ministry spokeswoman told reporters on Friday she was not aware of the situation. The State Council and Defence Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Since his appointment in March, Li has been the public face of Chinas expanding military diplomacy, expressing concern over U.S. military operations during a high-profile security conference in June and visiting Russia and Belarus in August.

He had been expected to host an international security meeting in Beijing in October and represent the People's Liberation Army (PLA) at a meeting in November of regional defence chiefs in Jakarta.

With corruption long permeating China's military and state institutions, some analysts and diplomats believe Xi's anti-graft crackdowns mark political purges across the Communist Party.

"Regardless of the reason... the sense that this could keep happening could have an impact on foreign actors' confidence in engaging with their Chinese counterparts," said Helena Legarda, lead analyst with the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin.

The Li upheaval is unusual for its speed and its reach into Xi's hand-picked elites.

"This is all so sudden and opaque. One thing we can now see is that proximity does not equate to patronage in Xi's world," said Singapore-based security analyst Alexander Neill, an adjunct fellow with Hawaii's Pacific Forum think-tank.

CONTINUITY RISK

Although not in a direct command position, Li serves on Xi's seven-person Central Military Commission and is one of China's five state councillors, a cabinet position that outranks regular ministers. Some scholars believe he is close to General Zhang Youxia, who sits above him on the commission and is Xi's closest ally in the PLA.

Li, sanctioned by Washington in 2018 for an arms deal with Russia, shunned a meeting with U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at Singapore's Shangri-la Dialogue security conference in June, where a handshake marked their closest interaction.

Austin and other U.S. officials are keen to resume high-level talks between the two militaries regional tensions roil. But Beijing counters that it wants Washington to be less assertive in the Asia-Pacific.

Regional envoys say deeper Chinese military diplomacy is vital, particularly with the U.S. but also with other powers, as China increasingly deploys forces around Taiwan - the democratically governed island it claims - and across disputed parts of the East and South China Seas.

If Li's fate "reflects Xi's increasingly inward focus, it is not good for those of us who want greater openness and lines of communications with China's military," said one Asian diplomat.

As the PLA has an unprecedented level of military engagements with Southeast Asian forces this year, the recent swift changes back in Beijing "spur speculation and some concern about the continuity of policy", said political scientist Ja Ian Chong at the National University of Singapore.

"A shake-up of the military at this time is likely to draw attention, given the heightened activity of the PLA near Taiwan and the East China Sea, as well as stepped-up paramilitary activity in the South China Sea, since such actions create potential risk of accidents, escalation and crises," Chong said.

(Reporting By Greg Torode in Hong Kong and Martin Quin Pollard in Beijing; Editing by William Mallard)
FILE PHOTO: A woman takes part in a protest against the Islamic regime of Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, in Istanbul, Turkey December 10, 2022. REUTERS/Dilara Senkaya

(Reuters) -Iranian security forces cracked down on protests in Kurdish areas of the country on Saturday and briefly detained the father of Mahsa Amini, a year after the young woman's death in custody set off some of the worst political unrest in four decades.

The Revolutionary Guards detained a dual national suspected of "trying to organise unrest and sabotage", the official news agency IRNA reported, one of several arrests of "counter revolutionaries" and "terrorists" reported.

As night fell on Saturday, a heavy security force presence in Iran's mostly Kurdish areas appeared to have deterred large-scale protest rallies but human rights groups reported sporadic confrontations in several areas of the country.

The death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman arrested by the morality police last year for allegedly flouting mandatory dress codes, triggered months of some of the biggest protests against the Islamic Republic's Shi'ite clerical rule ever seen and drew international condemnation.

Despite the heavy security presence on Saturday, there were indications of protest actions at various points around the country. Videos posted on social media showed people gathered on a main avenue in the capital Tehran cheering a young protesting couple as drivers honked their car horns in support.

IRNA reported that fire engulfed the women's ward at the Qarchak prison in Tehran province before being put out after convicts awaiting execution set fire to their clothes. It said there were no casualties.

The Kurdistan Human Rights Network, which said the incident was linked to the protests, said special forces entered the ward, beat up the women and fired pellet bullets.

In a separate incident, human rights group Hengaw said security forces opened fire in the Kurdish city of Mahabad, wounding at least one person. It also said several people were wounded in the city of Kermanshah but there was no official confirmation of either incident.

In Amini's home town of Saqez, in northwestern Iran, the semi-official Fars news agency reported that police using a pellet gun had seriously injured a man who "ignored a police warning". It said the man was in an intensive care ward after undergoing an operation, but provided no more detail.

Social media postings also carried footage of residents of cities including Tehran shouting slogans against Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei such as "Death to the Dictator!" as well as protests in areas including Gohardasht, in the city of Karaj west of Tehran, and in Mashhad in the northeast.

One video posted on social media showed a group of demonstrators in Gohardasht chanting "We are a great nation, and will take back Iran" while drivers honked their horns and shouted encouragement. Reuters could not immediately authenticate the video.

In the demonstrations that followed Amini's death more than 500 people, including 71 minors, were killed, hundreds injured and thousands arrested, rights groups said. Iran carried out seven executions linked to the unrest.

On Saturday, Mahsa's father, Amjad Amini, was warned against marking the anniversary of his daughter's death before being released, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network said, and the family was not able to hold a planned vigil at her graveside.

IRNA denied in a report that Amjad Amini had been arrested, but it did not say whether he was briefly detained or warned.

Earlier, social media and reports by rights groups spoke of security forces taking up positions around Amini's home in Saqez, in western Iran.

'HISTORIC MOVEMENT'

The crackdown on protests came as the condemnation by the United Nations nuclear watchdog of Tehran's decision to bar several inspectors from the country underlined Iran's isolation from the West.

In Washington, hundreds of protesters gathered in a park across from the White House holding portraits of Amini. Speakers led the crowd in chants of "Say her name ... Mahsa Amini," and also recited "We are the revolution" and "Human rights for Iran!"

In a statement on Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden said: "Mahsa's story did not end with her brutal death. She inspired a historic movement  Woman, Life, Freedom  that has impacted Iran and influenced people across the globe."

Britain on Friday imposed sanctions on four Iranian officials and the U.S. said it was sanctioning more than two dozen individuals and entities connected to Iran's "violent suppression" of protests.

Without naming Biden, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani rejected as "double standards and lies" Western expressions of support for women's rights in Iran.

State media also dismissed reports of disturbances and strikes in multiple cities in Iran's Kurdistan region. IRNA said Saqez was "completely quiet" and that calls for strikes in Kurdish areas had failed due to "people's vigilance and the presence of security and military forces".

The agency quoted an official in the Kurdistan province as saying: "A number of agents affiliated with counter-revolutionary groups who had planned to create chaos and prepare media fodder were arrested in the early hours of this morning."

In a report last month, Amnesty International said Iranian authorities "have been subjecting victims' families to arbitrary arrest and detention, imposing cruel restrictions on peaceful gatherings at grave sites, and destroying victims' gravestones".

Many journalists, lawyers, activists, students, academics, artists, public figures and members of ethnic minorities accused of links with the protest wave, as well as relatives of protesters killed in the unrest, have been arrested, summoned, threatened or fired from jobs in the past few weeks, according to Iranian and Western human rights groups.

Iran's Etemad daily reported in August that the lawyer for Amini's family also faced charges of "propaganda against the system". If convicted, Saleh Nikbakht faces a jail sentence of between one and three years.

(Editing by Toby Chopra, Alex Richardson, Nick Macfie and Daniel Wallis)
By Christopher Scicluna

VALLETTA (Reuters) - A Maltese rescue team found hundreds of dead bodies on a beach in the flood-stricken Libyan city of Derna on Friday, the Malta Civil Protection Department said on Saturday.

"There were probably about 400, but it is difficult to say," Natalino Bezzina, who is leading the Maltese team, told the Times of Malta newspaper.

Malta deployed a team of 72 rescuers from the army and the civil protection department on Wednesday.

The discovery was made by a four-person team which first found a group of seven bodies, including those of three children, inside a cave by the sea.

The bodies are believed to have been washed out to sea by heavy flooding after rainfall from Storm Daniel caused two dams to collapse, sweeping away a quarter of the coastal city.

Bezzina told Maltese media that a small CPD team came across the cave that was half submerged and found bodies inside.

As they continued the search, they were joined by Libyan dinghies also searching for casualties and survivors. Then they came across a small bay filled with debris and several hundred dead bodies.

(Editing by Ros Russell)
BUCHAREST (Reuters) - Romanian farmers asked the government on Saturday to unilaterally ban the import of Ukrainian grain and other food products after the European Commission decided to lift restrictions.

Romania is one of five eastern EU countries alongside Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia that saw a surge of Ukrainian grain imports after the Russian invasion, which distorted local markets and prompted protests from farmers, leading the EU to approve trade restrictions until Sept. 15.

Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced their own unilateral bans on Friday. The Romanian government said it would wait for Ukraine to present its plan to prevent a surge on Monday before deciding how to protect Romanian farmers.

"If a country like Poland, which strongly and thoroughly supports Ukraine against the Russian aggression has taken such a unilateral decision after the Sept. 15 deadline expired, we don't understand why Romania would be reserved about doing the same," the farmers' association said in a statement.

"Our request in no way affects the transit of Ukrainian farm products through Romania to other destinations, as it is going on at present."

Ukraine shipped 9.2 million metric tons of grains through the Romanian Black Sea port of Constanta in the first eight months of the year, and 8.6 million tons overall in 2022.

Constanta is Ukraine's main route out for exports after Russia abandoned a deal that lifted a de facto Russian blockade of Ukraine's Black Sea ports in mid-July.

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie; Editing by David Goodman and Ros Russell)
Get thousands off a new Audi or Certified Volvo with the Costco Auto Program.

Are you a Costco member? If so, you can tap into the Costco Auto Program for a new or used vehicle of your choice for a standard discount. As part of a limited-time offer, the program will provide an additional discount  up to $5,000  on certain models of Certified Volvo and new Audi vehicles.

How the Costco Auto Program works

Costco has established relationships with over 3,000 dealerships across the country that meet its standards for customer service. Costco also trains dealers to implement its discount program, so you shouldnt find a clueless salesperson when you get to the dealership.

The program is free to all Costco members , but the lowest membership tier costs $60 per year. Before you join Costco in order to get one of these promoted auto discounts, know that only customers who have been members since July 31, 2023, will qualify.

To get access to a discount, register with the Costco Auto Program online or by phone to receive a certificate with your unique promotion code. Then present your certificate and unique promotion code to any Volvo Cars USA dealer or Audi dealer (in person).

Sweet, right? And remember that new and used electric vehicles may qualify for up to $7,500 in EV tax credits that could further whittle down the price of your car.

The Certifed Volvo Discount

If you take possession of your Certified Volvo by October 2, 2023, your discount code will provide you with a coupon for these two deals:

$1,250 member-only incentive on the Volvo XC40

$1,500 member-only incentive on the Volvo XC60 or XC90

Buying a used car can be nervewracking. Luckily, the Volvo used vehicle certification program has an impressive roster of perks and safeguards for buyers. These include:

A five-year, unlimited miles warranty that may be extended to 10 years.

A 170 points inspection.

Certification is limited to cars that have less than 80,000 miles.

A CARFAX Vehicle History Report.

Complimentary roadside assistance.

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The Audi discount

If you take possession of your new and unused 2023 or 2024 Audi by October 31, 2023, your discount code will provide you with a coupon for these deals:

$1,000 member-only incentive on Audi A3, S3, A4, S4, Audi Q3, Audi Q5, Audi SQ5, Audi Q5 Sportback, Audi SQ5 Sportback, Audi Q5 TFSI e, Audi Q8, Audi SQ8.

$1,500 member-only incentive on Audi A5 Coupe, S5 Coupe, A5 Sportback, S5 Sportback, A5 Cabriolet, S5 Cabriolet, A6, S6, Audi Q4 e-tron, Audi Q4 e-tron Sportback, Audi Q7, Audi SQ7, Audi Q8 e-tron, Audi Q8 e-tron Sportback.

$5,000 member-only incentive on Audi A8, S8, e-tron GT, RS e-tron GT.

Other discounts offered by the program

If you're looking for a car besides Audi or Volvo, the Costco Auto Program may still help you save at the dealership. For current Costco members, log in to your account and go to the auto program website. As with any other service for purchasing new or used cars, you enter the make and model you're looking for, and follow directions. Before you are given a final price, you will provide personal details and contact information so that dealers may reach out to you.

Costco has already negotiated a discounted price with the dealer, so you can avoid the dreaded haggling with the finance office at the dealership.

If you think you can get a price elsewhere, you can decline the offer and go to a different dealer.
(Edouard Renner/Stars and Stripes)

Germany, September 1947: An unidentified staff sergeant of the Fourth Air Force of the U.S. Air Force shows the food rations for one U.S. service member stationed in Germany. The photograph  with a list of the exact month rations quantities  ran in the Weekend section of the European Stars and Stripes on Oct. 4, 1947. It illustrated an article explaining to the apparently grumbling dependent wives of service members why the shelves of the commissary dont seem to hold what they want and the produce and eggs are not always fresh.

With food production and food distribution in civilian Germany still suffering from years of war, food for the service member  and the ever-increasing number of dependents that arrived  had to be shipped from the United States. The original caption noted that the allotted 3,700 calories per day, per service member cost the Army approximately 95 cents.

Looking for Stars and Stripes historic coverage? Subscribe to Stars and Stripes historic newspaper archive! We have digitized our 1948-1999 European and Pacific editions, as well as several of our WWII editions and made them available online through https://starsandstripes.newspaperarchive.com/
Members of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency participate in a ceremony for National POW/MIA Recognition Day at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Sept. 15, 2023. (Tyrae D. Straw/U.S. Army)

Between World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War and other recent conflicts more than 80, 000 Americans remain missing.

On Friday dozens of veterans, military officials and the families of missing military personnel gathered at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl to commemorate National Prisoner of War and Missing in Action Recognition Day.

The Oahu-based Defense POW /MIA Accounting Agency is responsible for tracking down the remains of those missing. Between World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War and other recent conflicts more than 80, 000 Americans remain missing.

Of the 161 missing military personnel whose home of record is Hawaii only eight have been accounted for.

Fern Winbush, deputy director of the DPAA said that families of MIAs do not have the gift of knowing exactly where their loved ones are. These families await answers, and it is because of them that the men and women of the Defense POW /MIA Accounting Agency remain committed, focused and determined.

Winbush said that this year the agency has accounted for 123 service members missing from World War II, the Korean War and Vietnam. DPAA works in countries and territories around the globe where Americans have fought.

Winbush highlighted how the United States and in particular Vietnamwho were bitter enemies for years after North Vietnam defeated the American-backed Southhave worked together. Since the U.S. and Vietnam normalized relations the remains of 733 missing U.S. military personnel in the country have been recovered and returned.

Allen Hoe, a prominent Honolulu lawyer and veterans advocate, spoke during the ceremony to share his own experience. During the the Vietnam War Hoe was assigned to an elite Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol unit operating regularly behind enemy lines.

With my skills as a medic and a Native Hawaiian warrior I did not want to miss out on combat experience, if you will, a crude teenage mentality,  said Hoe.

Members of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Joint Service Color Guard posts colors during the National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony hosted by the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, Honolulu, Hawaii, Sept. 15, 2023. (Tyrae D. Straw/U.S. Army)

In May 1968 Hoes unit was helping provide security for a small base used by Army Green Berets when a massive North Vietnamese military force attacked, inflicting heavy casualties. After the battle 17 American service members were unaccounted for.

In 1971 during a search of the battleground the military was able to find five of them. A sixth, Army Spec. Julius Long, returned alive during Operation Homecoming in 1973 after having been captured and held prisoner in North Vietnam for five years.

Over the years Hoe became close with the families of his missing comrades. Years after the war as the U.S. and Vietnam normalized relations a U.S. search team conducted eight investigations at the vicinity of the battle and interviewed former North Vietnamese military veterans who had fought there in hopes of finding missing Americans. Meanwhile Hoes two sons followed in his footsteps in joining the Army.

His son Nainoa Hoe commissioned as an infantry officer. When 1st Lt. Nainoa Hoe got orders to deploy to Iraq, he asked his father if he could have the battle flag that Allen Hoes unit had flown in Vietnam, which he had kept, to honor the men his father served with.

Nainoa never met my buddies who were MIA, but he never forgot their names,  said Allen Hoe.

Nainoa Hoe was killed by a sniper during the Battle of Mosul in January 2005. In March 2006, investigators again searched the battleground in Vietnam and this time found the remains of Allen Hoes platoon leader and another soldier.

Every family deserves the right to bury their kin,  said Hoe. The children of the missing in action, many of which grew up only knowing their fathers through pictures, still strive for answers today. On this day, we honor their fathers.

Bernarr Kumashiro, who attended the ceremony, is the younger cousin of Pfc. Masura Kumashiro of Honolulu. The younger Kuma shiro went missing while fighting in the Korean War as a member of the Oahu-based 25th Infantry Division where he and his fellow soldiers were defending Hills 717 and 682 in North Korea.

On September 8, 1951, Masura Kumashiro was declared Missing in Action. In December 31, 1953after the armistice agreement that brought fighting between North and South Korea to stophis status was changed to presumed Killed in Action Remains Not Recovered.

Im happy and pleased to see this many people,  he said of the ceremony. He said he had never attended, but was deeply moved and intends to return next year.

(c)2023 The Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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Six female veterans were honored Sept. 15, 2023, during an Outstanding Combat Female Veterans of North Carolina Ceremony Program held in High Point, N.C. (Combat Female Veterans Families United/Facebook)

HIGH POINT (Tribune News Service)  More than 150 people gathered in High Point Friday to recognize female military veterans whose legacy of serving in combat areas dates from the founding of the nation.

Six female veterans were honored during the fifth annual Outstanding Combat Female Veterans of North Carolina Ceremony Program.

The luncheon was held at the High Point Elks Club, the first time that the event has been held in the city. Previous locations for the ceremony have included Kernersville and Raleigh.

Navy veteran Robin Hamilton of High Point, a primary organizer of the event, told The High Point Enterprise that the Combat Female Veterans Families United organization would like to continue holding the annual luncheon in High Point.

State Department of Military and Veterans Affairs Secretary Walter Gaskin said that female veterans have stood shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts.

Gaskin, a retired lieutenant general in the Marine Corps, said female veterans have gone far too long without their valor and heroism being publicly recognized.

Veterans honored at the luncheon

 Tammy Williamson of Mebane, Marine Corps, served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and now heads up the Triad-Triangle chapter of the Montford Point Marine Association as group president.

 Jacqueline Kohler of Clemmons, Army, served in the Afghanistan war and now volunteers with Triad Honor Flight group that takes area veterans to Washington, D.C.

 Katina Patterson of Madison, Army, served in the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan and Iraq wars and now works for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs helping veterans file claims.

 Lisa Clark, of Asheville, Air Force, served in the Persian Gulf war and has a decades-long career as a nurse in military and civilian roles.

 Carolyn Comfort of Asheville, Army, served in the Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars and now volunteers as one of five Military Womens Memorial North Carolina ambassadors.

 Kathleen Gainey, of Asheville, Army, served in the Persian Gulf and Iraq wars and now volunteers in roles as a mentor and board member for organizations.

Women have served in or near combat settings dating back to the American Revolution, according to Combat Female Veterans Families United. But the involvement escalated from the middle of the 20th century during World War II to the present day. Approximately 7,000 women were deployed to serve in the Vietnam War, more than 40,000 served in combat zones during the Persian Gulf War and an estimated 150,000 women were deployed to the Afghanistan and Iraq wars from 2001-12, Combat Female Veterans Families United reports.

Women now account for 15% of active service members in the U.S. military.

Luncheon guest speaker Carlvena Foster of High Point, vice chairwoman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, said the achievements of female combat veterans need to be recognized by the public at large. The theme of the luncheon was A Round of Applause, which Foster said was appropriate to recognize the service of the veterans.

(c)2023 The High Point Enterprise (High Point, N.C.)

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Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A man who drunkenly slapped an elderly passer-by and spat in his face for no reason in an attack in Dublin city centre has been spared jail.

Conka Conev (59) was given a two-month suspended sentence after a court heard he was disgusted and ashamed of his own actions.

Conev, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court to assault and threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour.

A garda told Judge Bryan Smyth he was on patrol on OConnell Street last October 23 when he was flagged down by the victim.

The man told the garda that Conev had slapped him on the side of the face and spat in his face for no reason.

The accused was extremely drunk and also went to assault the gardai before he was stopped and arrested. He had previous public order convictions.

A victim impact report was submitted to court but not read out.

Hes very remorseful, disgusted and ashamed of his conduct, defence solicitor Philip Hannon said of Conev.

The accused accepted the facts of the case do not read well.

Conev was of little means, as he was not on social welfare.

When he came to Ireland from Bulgaria, he supported himself for a number of years by playing keyboard on the street, but individuals stole the keyboard.

He further declined after that, Mr Hannon said.

Conevs situation had recently improved with some support from a charity. He now had stable hostel accommodation but was in very poor health.

Judge Smyth said he would be jailing the accused but for his circumstances. Instead, he suspended the two-month sentence for a year.
Judge John OLeary found the facts proven and struck out the matters, leaving the woman without a conviction.

A young boy repeatedly found wandering the streets near his family home was able to open the front door and was quick on his feet and liable to run at any time, a court has heard.

The boys mother, who cannot be named to protect him, had since changed the locking mechanism on the front door, and the child was no longer able to open it.

Judge John OLeary found the facts proven and struck out the matters, leaving the woman without a conviction.

The defendant, from west Dublin, admitted six counts of neglect on dates between April 2019 and July 2021.

The boy was just four years old when the first offence took place, but had turned six by the time the last offence happened.

Sergeant Tom Powell told Blanchardstown District Court gardai received a call on April 29, 2019, that a boy was wandering along a street in Clondalkin.

Gardai attended the scene and brought the boy, who was four at the time, to the garda station.

His mother attended the station and brought him home.

The boy, in his pyjamas, was found on Fonthill Road in Clondalkin on August 12, 2020; on Ninthlock Road in Clondalkin on June 1, 2021; and on Neilstown Road on June 17, 2021.

Sgt Powell said the defendant collected her son from the station on each occasion. And on each occasion, the matter was referred to Tusla.

The court had heard the boy had wandered up to 2km, or between 10 and 15 minutes, away from his home.

Sgt Powell said the woman had 21 previous convictions, mostly for road traffic matters.

Defence solicitor Simon Fleming said the boy suffered from ADHD. He knew he was not allowed outside on his own, but he was able to open the front door and get out.

As a result, the child would take any opportunity to bolt.

The defendant had since changed the front door, and installed a more complicated locking system, and the child was now unable to unlock the door.

Mr Fleming said the boy, who is now eight years old, attended a special needs school, and the school had encountered the same problem. The staff had discovered that the child was quick on his feet and was liable to run at any time.

Mr Fleming said the womans partner had been the primary focus of the garda investigation, and he had received jail time for these offences.

Mr Fleming said the woman was a good mother.

She had fully engaged with Tusla, it had since closed its investigation and had no ongoing concerns for the boy.

Mr Fleming asked the judge to leave the mother without a conviction, saying this had been an unfortunate case.
Key Insights

Metro's estimated fair value is 5.36 based on Dividend Discount Model

Metro's 6.89 share price signals that it might be 28% overvalued

Our fair value estimate is 30% lower than Metro's analyst price target of 7.64

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of Metro AG (ETR:B4B) 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. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex.

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. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

View our latest analysis for Metro

The Method

We have to calculate the value of Metro slightly differently to other stocks because it is a consumer retailing company. Instead of using free cash flows, which are hard to estimate and often not reported by analysts in this industry, dividends per share (DPS) payments are used. 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. The dividend is expected to grow at an annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 0.4%. We then discount this figure to today's value at a cost of equity of 4.4%. Relative to the current share price of 6.9, the company appears slightly overvalued at the time of writing. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate)

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= 0.3 / (4.4%  0.4%)

= 5.4

dcf

The Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Metro 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 4.4%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. Beta is a measure of a stock's volatility, compared to the market as a whole. We get our beta from the industry average beta of globally comparable companies, with an imposed limit between 0.8 and 2.0, which is a reasonable range for a stable business.

SWOT Analysis for Metro

Strength

Debt is well covered by earnings.

Weakness

Expensive based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Opportunity

Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the German market.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Annual earnings are forecast to decline for the next 3 years.

Next Steps:

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. It's not possible to obtain a foolproof valuation with a DCF model. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. What is the reason for the share price exceeding the intrinsic value? For Metro, we've compiled three pertinent factors you should look at:

Risks: Take risks, for example - Metro has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of. Future Earnings: How does B4B'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. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the XTRA every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks 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.
Solicitor Peter Lavery said his client had a very difficult medical condition.

The woman said she was shocked to learn the cannabis was worth 4,000.

A 40-year-old woman who was growing cannabis plants to self-medicate, has received the benefit of the Probation Act.

Emma Robinson, Garrybawn, Tom Bellew Avenue, Dundalk, pleaded guilty to cultivation of five cannabis plants and to possession of the drug, on 26 May 2022.

Court presenter Sgt Laura Blanche said that at 10pm gardai searched the defendants property and in a small foil-lined tent found five plants and a heat lamp.

Ms Robinson admitted cultivating the cannabis plants. She said she had planted five seeds to self-medicate.

The drugs were valued 4,000.

There were no previous convictions.

Solicitor Peter Lavery said his client had a very difficult medical condition. The cannabis assisted her. A medical report was handed into court.

It was not a sophisticated operation. She had bought the seeds in a shop in Ireland. She did not want to come into contact with drugs dealers and was shocked at the value of the cannabis.

Judge McKiernan asked how the defendant came to garda attention.

Sgt Blanche replied she could not speak to that, while Mr Lavery said it may have been the smell of the cannabis.

The court applied the Probation Act.
Local reports said several people threw objects at police as they took the suspect in handcuffs to their patrol car.

Police in Majorca have arrested an Irish holidaymaker who allegedly threatened other tourists at his hotel with a knife following a row about politics.

Officers are said to have forced their way into his room and pepper-sprayed him after he resisted their attempts to detain him after being told by receptionists he was out of control.

The unnamed holidaymaker has been described as well built and tall.

The alarm was raised around 1am on Wednesday at a hotel in the municipality of Andratx in the western part of Majorca.

It was not immediately clear today whether the man held has already appeared in court.

Local reports said several people threw objects at police as they took the suspect in handcuffs to their patrol car.

The arrest was made by officers employed by Alcudia Town Hall.

No-one from the force could be reached early this morning for further comment.
Protestors were kept separate from the Let Women Speak event by gardai and barriers

Writer Graham Linehan at a 'Let Women speak' event at Merrion Square in Dublin. Photo: PA Media.

Gardai separate counter-protesters at the 'Let Women speak' rally at Merrion Square in Dublin. Photo: PA.

Posie Parker', real name Kellie-Jay Keen, speaking at a rally at Merrion Square in Dublin. Photo: PA

A demonstration was held in Dublin city today in protest against a rally held by an anti-trans campaigner.

British activist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, better known as Posie Parker, held one of her Let Women Speak events in Merrion Square this afternoon.

A counter-protest was planned in support of trans people following Parkers announcement she was coming to Dublin. The LGBTQ+ community and allies were encouraged to bring all the noise and joy you have and drown out supporters of Posie Parker.

Demonstrators gathered outside Dail Eireann at 11am and marched towards Parkers Merrion Square event. Protestors were kept separate from the Let Women Speak event by gardai and barriers.

Gardai separate counter-protesters at the 'Let Women speak' rally at Merrion Square in Dublin. Photo: PA.

The pro-trans counter protest chanted trans rights are human rights and get Posie Parker off our streets.

Critics of Parker have labelled her anti-trans. She has described herself in interviews as a womens rights activist.

Let Women Speak rallies are advertised as free speech events where anyone is allowed to turn up and speak.

Parker had originally planned to hold a Let Women Speak event in Dublin in April, but the event was cancelled as it coincided with the visit of US President Joe Biden.

Father Ted writer and creator Graham Linehan, who has been vocal about trans people and trans rights, was spotted in attendance at todays event.

Writer Graham Linehan at a 'Let Women speak' event at Merrion Square in Dublin. Photo: PA Media.

Linehans Twitter account was suspended in 2020 following repeated violations of rules against hateful conduct and platform manipulation related to posts about trans people. He has since been allowed back on the platform, now called X.

A stand-up show with Linehan on the bill in Edinburgh was forced to find an alternative venue last month after the original venue said his views on trans people did not align with our overall values.

Journalist and author Helen Joyce, who has also been outspoken about trans issues, was seen hugging Parker at the rally.

Parker has been met with opposition at her rallies worldwide  a speaking tour she had planned for New Zealand was abandoned due to protests.
Cannabis, weed, green, whatever you want to call it. Its a massive problem all over the place, reveals Garda Dwayne OBrien.

YOUNG people these days are more likely to be on drugs than booze.

And many of them are being forced into taking drugs because of peer pressure from their pals, who may suspect them of ratting on the one using if they dont.

Others are also taking the rap for more serious criminals, who use them as pawns if theres a raid on a drugs supply den.

Thats the experience and opinion of officers in Blanchardstown who open up in the Virgin Media series about their daily dealings with youth in the north west Dublin suburb.

Cannabis, weed, green, whatever you want to call it. Its a massive problem all over the place, reveals Garda Dwayne OBrien.

drinking

Anywhere you go, people are doing it. When we are driving around and the windows open we can definitely smell it and we know its close by.

If I was to turn around and [ask] now are people drinking alcohol more or drugs? Id say drugs and thats as clear as day.

His colleague Garda Johnny Santry agrees.

The day of the young lads beside the fire with the two cans seems to be gone, he points out. Nor is it all joints and coke and pills etc

You will get people wholl say, its just a bit of weed.

Screen grab from documentary 'Guards' on Virgin Media

But you need to educate yourself to the harms of smoking herbal cannabis and taking other drugs.

People are saying theyre taking it because they cant sleep, so prolonged use of them is actually making them worse.

Det Sergeant Selina Proudfoot believes young people are pressurised by their pals into drug use.

I think theres big pressure from groups, especially groups of young lads, where its hard not to be the one that says theyre not going to smoke it, she observes.

Then theres this distrust of people if they dont take drugs in their groups.

Thats crazy, but their mentality is if hes not smiling or not smoking hes not to be trusted.

So theres a lot of clannishness, that they end up having to take drugs or its part of your culture to take them.

Desperate drug users also take to robbing money to feed their habit and, in one incident, a knife-wielding man robbed a shop, then went home and changed his clothes, but was later caught by the K Unit.

He robs the till for money. The goal is to get out of there as quick as he can, says Gda OBrien, who points out that relatively little money was taken. .

The question is why he did it. Its as clear as day why he did it, he was under pressure. You know that goes back to whether he has lost drugs, I dont know.

Screen grab from documentary 'Guards' on Virgin Media

Whether he has put himself into a drug debt because hes addicted to drugs, theres a lot of that at play.

This individual who I know on a normal day, hes usually very polite and normally respectful to the Guards.

In this circumstance he was quite high. You could see he was under the influence of something.

What we see on a daily basis is everything is linked backed to drugs, its a massive issue. How do we stop it.

Criminals are also becoming more sophisticated.

What weve seen over the years is how criminal gangs will use young people, said Det Inspector Thelma Watters.

Those young people feel that they belong to that crime gang, where realistically they are actually disposable, so they are a worthless asset that any crime gang can lose at any stage.

They know very little about how that crime gang works, so they wont know the inner workings of it, so theres not a whole pile they can disclose if they are caught.

In one search operation, the unit received intelligence that a certain house was a supply centre of three types of drugs, heroin, cannabis and crack cocaine.

The scenario with that household is they are long-term criminals, theyre drug-dealing, adds Sgt Proudfoot.

Their thing is they have a fire going throughout the year. They have their base in the sitting room, thats where the supply is kept and if the Guards come it gets thrown into the fire.

So, logistically, its very hard for us so you try to get in as fast as you can and the best thing for us is a fire extinguisher to try and extinguish the fire before that happens.

She says the situation is normal for the family and those around them.

You can imagine this family and say the mother and father are drug dealers for decades and so are their children, she maintains.

I can imagine youre friends of one of the sons and youre a little bit vulnerable, not much going on at home and then all of a sudden youre spending time with this family scenario where its completely acceptable for them for weighing up heroin on the kitchen counter and nothing being said.

Gardai have to put up with being abused during such searches, even being spat at.

They all put on a show, fumes Sgt Proudfoot. Thats normal, where they would not want the street to know that there [have] been drugs found in the house. They open the door and theyre screaming at you. We dont listen.

We dont want to get involved in a scenario where your Dad is selling drugs, thats why were taking him. They dont want to be honest.

They dont really want the community to know that theyre flooding it with drugs, that theyre living off drugs and they wont work, she adds.

l Guards airs on Virgin Media One on Mondays at 9pm
Are you thinking about putting your name forward for the Waihi Beach Community Board by-election?

Nominations are open for another six days  so now is your chance to be your communitys representative.

The Waihi Beach Community Board is looking to fill a vacant seat, following the resignation of its deputy chair, Alan Kurtovich, in August 2023.

It is a great privilege to be a member of a community board, and demonstrates the commitment that members have to their region.

Community board members will have strong networks within the Waihi Beach community, keep up to date on local issues and be willing to influence change for the betterment of residents in the Waihi Beach ward.

To be eligible to stand for election, candidates must be enrolled as a Parliamentary elector, along with being a New Zealand citizen. They also must be nominated by two electors of the Waihi Beach Ward area.

Ready to step up? Get your nomination in now!

Nomination papers can be found on the Western Bay of Plenty District Council website, or at the locations listed below. Nominations close on Friday, September 22, 2023, at midday.

By-election key dates:

 nominations open/roll open Friday, August 25, 2023

 nominations close/roll closes midday Friday, September 22, 2023

 voting opens Friday, September 27, 2023

 voting closes midday Saturday, November 18, 2023.

Nomination papers will be available from:

 Waihi Beach Library and Service Centre, 106 Beach Road

 Western Bay of Plenty District Councils Main Office, Barkes Corner, 1484 Cameron Road, Greerton, Tauranga

 https://www.westernbay.govt.nz/council/elections/waihi-beach-by-electionElectoral

 0800 number  0800 922 822
Taurangas student body will show their support for people suffering family violence due to the initiative of Otumoetai College student Robert Unsworth.

The Year 13 student has created a family violence awareness day that students can get behind, called Purple Token Day  to be held next Thursday, September 21.

Purple Token Day is a non-uniform day, inviting students to wear a purple item and donate to family violence prevention charities.

I saw there were lots of initiatives for family violence prevention in New Zealand but none really that catered to the student body, says Robert.

After discovering some unsettling facts about family violence in Aotearoa, Robert says this grew his passion for starting Purple Token Day.

Im not sure that a lot of people understand how big of an issue it is in New Zealand because I definitely didnt.

Robert say theres a very low percentage  at 30 per cent  of family violence cases reported in our country.

The main reason people dont report their cases is because they dont know what their future will look like if they report, if they escape their home with violence especially if they have kids.

They wont know if their kids will have a good life.

However, Robert says Purple Token Day shows there is support and solidarity for family violence victims.

They just need to do the first step and then theyve got all the support they need.

While trying to understand more about family violence, Robert reached out to MP Angie Warren-Clark, who is a former Tauranga Womens Refuge manager.

We were just bouncing ideas off each other and she said: The mufti day idea is a great idea. You should run with that and from there shes been supporting me.

Robert, who has all Tauranga secondary schools on-board with Purple Token Day, says Bethlehem College took part early and raised $1300.

That goes straight to Tauranga Womens Refuge. Its so cool. I just know it will be so beneficial.

Im hoping to raise as much awareness on this issue as possible and show as much support for the family violence victims so they are encouraged to speak up.

Purple Token Day is Thursday, September 21. Encourage local secondary school students to get in purple and donate!
Adding a Lotto ticket to their grocery shopping has paid off for one lucky Lotto player from Papamoa who will be celebrating after winning $19,802 with Lotto Second Division in Saturdays live Lotto draw.

The winning ticket was sold at Fresh Choice Papamoa.

In the South Island, one lucky Lotto player from Christchurch will be toasting a special win after winning $1 million with Lotto First Division in Saturday nights live Lotto draw.

The winning ticket was sold at another Fresh Choice store - Fresh Choice Prebbleton in Christchurch.

Powerball was not struck on Saturday and has rolled over to Wednesday night, where the jackpot will be $10 million.

Strike Four has also rolled over and will be $400,000 on Wednesday night.

Anyone who bought their ticket from Fresh Choice Prebbleton should check their ticket as soon as possible in-store, on MyLotto, or through the MyLotto App.

14 Lotto players win Second Division

As well as the Papamoa Lotto player, another 13 lucky Lotto players will be dancing in their living rooms after each winning $19,802 with Lotto Second Division in Saturdays live Lotto draw.

One lucky player also won Powerball Second Division, taking their total winnings to $37,481.

The winning Powerball Second Division ticket was sold at Greenmeadows New World in Napier. The winning Second Division tickets were sold at the following stores:

Store Location Pak n Save Botany Auckland MyLotto (x4) Auckland MyLotto (x2) Waikato Fresh Choice Papamoa Papamoa Greenmeadows New World (+PB) Napier MyLotto Palmerston North MyLotto Wellington New World Stoke Nelson Greymouth Lotto & Souvenirs Greymouth MyLotto Clutha

Anyone who bought their ticket from any of the above stores should check their ticket as soon as possible in-store, on MyLotto, or through the MyLotto App.

With 100 per cent of Lotto NZs profits supporting thousands of great causes each year, every time you play one of Lotto NZs games, youre a Kiwi helping other Kiwis.
Hong Kong: National education activities kick off

Chief Executive John Lee delivered a video message at the Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country - National Day Celebration & Joint School National Education Activities Kick-off Ceremony today.

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The Education Bureau, which held the event, announced that it will launch the second phase of the "Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country" series of national education activities in the 2023-24 school year with the aim of cultivating in students a correct sense of nationhood and patriotism as well as enhancing their national pride.



Tung Wah Group of Hospitals (TWGHs), Po Leung Kuk (PLK) and a number of school councils will join efforts with the bureau in presenting the activities.



In his video speech, Mr Lee said that the collaboration would further unite the strengths of different stakeholders of the school sector to provide students with first-hand experience from multiple perspectives and deepen their understanding of Chinese culture.



Apart from stressing that the project will enrich students learning experiences, enhance their understanding of the motherlands rapid development and remarkable achievements in recent years, he noted that it will also carry on the mainstream values characterised by the love of both the motherland and Hong Kong at the core, and in conformity with the one country, two systems principle.



The Chief Executive encouraged the education sector to set an example with words and deeds, and guide the students to gain a deeper understanding of the developments of the country and the world, and nurture them into a new generation with quality.



The ultimate aim of all these enhancements is to enable the students to make a contribution to the development of the country in the future, Mr Lee added.



Officiating at the ceremony, Secretary for Education Choi Yuk-lin highlighted in her speech that the Love Our Home, Treasure Our Country national education activities in the current school year are rich and diverse, enabling students to have a better understanding of national security as well as the countrys history, culture and national affairs.



To celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China, students from government schools, TWGHs and PLK expressed their warm congratulations through performances featuring drums, martial arts, Chinese music, dance and chorus. A choral performance of all participants marked the ceremonys finale.

This story has been published on: 2023-09-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Extra Space Storage Inc (NYSE:EXR) has been making waves in the market with a daily gain of 1.47% and an Earnings Per Share (EPS) of 6.13. However, the stock has experienced a 3-month loss of -11.14%. This prompts the question: Is the stock significantly undervalued? In this article, we will delve into a detailed valuation analysis of Extra Space Storage (NYSE:EXR) to answer this question. So, let's get started!

Company Overview

Extra Space Storage Inc (NYSE:EXR) is a fully integrated real estate investment trust that owns, operates, and manages almost 2,400 self-storage properties across 41 states. With over 180 million net rentable square feet of storage space, the company has a strong presence in the industry. The company's market cap stands at $27.10 billion, with sales reaching $2 billion. Despite its current stock price of $128.06, the GF Value estimates its fair value at $191.47, suggesting that the stock might be significantly undervalued.

Extra Space Storage (EXR): A Hidden Gem in the REITs Industry?

Understanding the GF Value

The GF Value is a proprietary valuation method that estimates a stock's intrinsic value. It takes into account historical trading multiples, an internal adjustment factor based on the company's past performance and growth, and future business performance estimates. The GF Value Line provides a snapshot of the stock's fair trading value. If the stock price is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. Conversely, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher.

Based on this analysis, Extra Space Storage (NYSE:EXR) appears to be significantly undervalued. The stock's current price is significantly below the GF Value Line, suggesting a high potential for future returns. This is further supported by the company's strong business growth and positive future performance estimates.

Story continues

Because Extra Space Storage is significantly undervalued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much higher than its business growth.

Extra Space Storage (EXR): A Hidden Gem in the REITs Industry?

Financial Strength Analysis

Assessing the financial strength of a company is crucial before investing in its stock. Investing in companies with poor financial strength can lead to a higher risk of permanent loss. The cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage are good indicators of a company's financial strength. Extra Space Storage has a cash-to-debt ratio of 0.01, which is lower than 86.77% of 718 companies in the REITs industry. This indicates that the financial strength of Extra Space Storage is relatively poor.

Extra Space Storage (EXR): A Hidden Gem in the REITs Industry?

Profitability and Growth

Investing in profitable companies carries less risk, especially if they have demonstrated consistent profitability over the long term. Extra Space Storage has been profitable for 10 years over the past 10 years. Its operating margin of 53.29% is better than 52.93% of 665 companies in the REITs industry. Overall, GuruFocus ranks Extra Space Storage's profitability as strong.

Growth is a crucial factor in the valuation of a company. Extra Space Storage's 3-year average revenue growth rate is better than 87.38% of 634 companies in the REITs industry. Its 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 16.9%, which ranks better than 78.73% of 536 companies in the REITs industry. This indicates that the company's growth is relatively strong.

ROIC vs WACC

Comparing a company's return on invested capital (ROIC) to its weighted cost of capital (WACC) is another way to evaluate its profitability. If the ROIC is higher than the WACC, it indicates that the company is creating value for shareholders. Over the past 12 months, Extra Space Storage's ROIC was 8.88, while its WACC came in at 8.01.

Extra Space Storage (EXR): A Hidden Gem in the REITs Industry?

Conclusion

In conclusion, the stock of Extra Space Storage (NYSE:EXR) appears to be significantly undervalued. The company's financial condition is poor, but its profitability and growth are strong. To learn more about Extra Space Storage 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.


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Syracuse, N.Y. -- Deka Dancil stands in front of the Onondaga County sheriffs office, a bullhorn in her hand.

These were two young, Black boys who didnt have to die, she says.

The gathering of 20 begins to chant: No Peace. No Justice.

Then they say the names, Dhal Apet, 17, and Lueth Mo, 15.

The unarmed teens were shot and killed Sept. 6 by Onondaga County sheriffs deputy John Rosello when they were in a stolen car investigated in connection with late-night burglaries.

The boys were Black, American sons of South Sudanese refugees. Rosello is white, from a department that is more than 90% white.

Throughout the Syracuse area, people are figuring out what this tragedy means.

There have been two small protests and a march. At one of them, an organizer remarked at how small the turnout was. Elected officials have largely been silent.

The response seems muted when compared to the 2020 marches for justice and George Floyd. It was the beginning of Black Lives Matter in a community where the statistics seem to tell the opposite story. The city has among the nations highest rates of concentrated poverty among Black residents, and is still working to undo the segregation created by redlining and the construction of I-81.

Many U.S. communities across the nation have grappled with racially charged police killings. Last month, Ohio police officers shot and killed a pregnant Black woman accused of shoplifting. In that case and the Syracuse shooting, police said the car was coming at the officer, whose choice was to fire or get run over.

Now those conversations and introspections have come to Syracuse.

New York Attorney General Tish James will decide whether Rosellos actions were justified. A video of the incident raises enough questions on both sides that experts have said its not clear cut. Sheriff Toby Shelley and Rosellos union have defended him. Theres been a wave of back the blue on social media.

Community figures who spoke with Syracuse.com said there is more than one more problem to untangle, more than one person to blame.

Due process is gone

Rickey Brown, a Black parent of two young men who works as a diversity consultant, said every time there is a police shooting of an unarmed Black man, the narrative is the same.

The officer was afraid for his life, Brown said. It was either him or the person on the other end of the gun.

But in watching the video captured by a home security camera, Brown said he saw scared teenagers trying to flee, not hit the deputy. Brown questions why the deputy didnt wait for backup. Why didnt the deputy turn on his body-worn camera or his dashboard camera?

Brown said he realizes the teens were in a stolen car. Perhaps they should have been arrested, he said, but not killed.

The officer is being afforded due process, Brown said. Thats something that was taken away from the children.

Brown said the response of Sheriff Toby Shelley made the situation worse. Before the video was released to the public, he defended Rosellos actions, saying he had no place to go to escape the oncoming car. For days, that version was unchallenged.

The video did not coincide with what we heard from the sheriff, Brown said. Either he purposefully mischaracterized, or were in a place where we can be force-fed this information and take it again and again.

Some people have leveled blame at the parents of the teens. Brown said he doesnt think thats fair.

I completely empathize with the parents. Its challenging, he said.

Kids make mistakes, he said, in spite of all the things you have given them. All the things you have done to build their character.

Where to put the blame

Community activist Mary Nelson, who is Black and raising four teens in the city schools, said she sees the shooting of the teens in two parts: the deputy and the parents.

A childs life is gone, Nelson said. That hurts me more than anything.

She has so many questions that she worries will not be answered. Why did the deputy have to shoot? It seems he could have gotten away.

The mother and grandmother questioned whether the teens would have been shot if they were white, pointing to what happened to the white 18-year-old who shot and killed 10 Black people in a Buffalo grocery. Police cuffed him and put him in the police car. No officer fired a shot at him, Nelson pointed out.

People are mad about the police. Im even more so about the parents; your child should have been in the house, said Nelson, whose youth center runs after school until 6 p.m.

Everyone needs to work together better to make sure kids are being given opportunities that keep them out of trouble, and that they are being held accountable, she said.

I will not criminalize the kids

Protestors gather on State St. in front of the Justice Center to voice their concerns over the shooting deaths of Lueth Mo, 15, and Dhal Apet, 17 Wednesday Sept 6th . Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com

The teens would have attended Henninger High School this year in the Syracuse school district.

Superintendent Anthony Davis said the school community has been working to support the students friends and family. The day after the shooting, teachers stopped by Mos house to comfort the family.

Like the other shootings his district has dealt with, this one had ripples that went beyond Mo and Apet.

The hard part is the trauma reaches past just those people involved. That spider web goes way out, Davis said.

Davis is Black. He has raised Black sons, and now runs a school district where the nearly 50% of the students are Black and more than 20% are Latino.

I dont know police protocol, he said. Im just very disappointed with the results, that two kids were killed.

He said hes still trying to understand everything that happened.

I will not criminalize the kids, Davis said.

There has been a lot of talk about teen crime in the city. Deputies have been investigating a string of car thefts and burglaries by groups of teens who seem to be competing with each other. A different group of young people stole a Lexus by driving it through the glass showroom at Drivers Village this summer. Mo and Dhal were in a stolen Hyundai that was connected to two burglaries that the deputy was investigating when he shot the teens, the sheriff said.

The shootings tax the frayed trust many in the Black community have with the police. Davis said the officers who work within the schools have built relationships with students. This is a thing they will likely talk about with each other. Because of that, he thinks that trust will remain.

But he is less certain about what happens to the trust between the larger community and the police.

Its different, Davis said. In the (school) buildings, I think well be OK. Outside the buildings, Im not sure.

As he spoke, about 50 teens  some members of the Mo and Apet families  marched toward the sheriffs office, carrying pictures of the dead boys. They were calling for Rosello, the deputy who shot the two teens, to be charged with a crime for the shooting.

Weighted consequences

We need to do some changing, the Rev. H. Bernard Alex said.

Alex is a pastor at Victory Temple Fellowship Church and the president of the Syracuse chapter of the National Action Network, a civil rights organization founded by Rev. Al Sharpton.

This is not something another roundtable or think-tank suggestion can fix, he said.

He sees part of it simply: There should be a policy that if an officer doesnt turn on his body-worn camera for an incident like this, he should be fired immediately.

Shelleys predecessor, former Sheriff Eugene Conway, resisted getting body-worn cameras for the department. They finally bought the cameras a little more than a year ago, but its unclear how often the cameras are used. Under Conways leadership the office bought, then returned, a device that would have turned on the deputys body-worn camera and dashboard camera as soon as he drew his gun.

There have to be weighted consequences to assure a community who is tired of this, said Alex, who is on the town of DeWitts police commission. This is across the country. People are tired of police against community, community against police.

Alex, though, emphasized that the community should not meet this violence with more violence. We dont need that, he said.

Alex said that the pain goes beyond the slain teens families. Rosello has to live forever with having killed two people.

Dancil, who is a field organizer for the New York Civil Liberties Union and a community activist in Syracuse, said she had to force herself to watch the video of the shooting.

She is Black, and the mother of two boys. One is an infant and one is 7.

Mo and Apet were just boys, too, she said.

She said the officer was violent from the moment he drove up on the scene, ramming the car the teens were in. If the police hit me with their car, Im not thinking they want to talk, Dancil said at a rally earlier this week. Im feeling that my safety is in danger.

Dancil said the NYCLU is asking for a full review of the incident, including why the officer did not turn on his cameras. She stopped short of saying that he should be fired. That decision is for the attorney general to make, she said.

But it is hard for her to watch the video and not think of her own boys, growing up.

If they make a mistake, I dont want them to die, Dancil said.

More coverage from Syracuse.com:

Video of deputy shooting teens leaves experts uncertain: What was his purpose for firing?

Video of shooting: Did sheriff accurately describe fatal shooting of 2 Syracuse teens? You decide

After seeing video of deputy shooting teens, Syracuse community calls for protest and patience

Sheriff Toby Shelley says he stands by deputy who fatally shot two Syracuse teens

Onondaga County DA: This is the key to the investigation of fatal shootings by deputy

Video shows deputy shooting two Syracuse teens in stolen car

Patrol car of deputy who fatally shot 2 teens in stolen car had dash camera but it wasnt on

Sheriffs office identifies deputy who fatally shot 2 Syracuse teens in stolen car

Deputy who killed teens should have activated body cam, experts say. What do you mean, he never had time?

2 families grieve teens deaths from a deputys gun: They did not deserve to die - syracuse.com

State Attorney General opens investigation into teens fatally shot by deputy in DeWitt

See sheriffs explanation of why deputy fired shots that killed two teens (Video)

2 teens killed in DeWitt by deputy who fired at vehicle which nearly ran deputy over, sheriff says

Two people killed by police in shooting in DeWitt, authorities say

Marnie Eisenstadt writes about people and public affairs in Central New York. Contact her anytime email | Twitter| Facebook | 315-470-2246.
As a teen, Heidi Schreck financed her college education by giving speeches about the United States Constitution in contests at American Legions posts. In What the Constitution Means To Me, now on the boards at Syracuse Stage, the adult Schreck revisits those speeches, taking a hard look at the marvels and shortcomings of our sacred founding document.

The play initially takes the form of a reenactment of a contest when she was 15. Her speech itself is performed with chirpy optimism, but Schreck often leaves the teen persona to go deeper, moving between a straightforward look at the Constitution and personal and family history illustrating what the the document means to her and us in our lives as we live them. Some of those reminiscences are comic, but others are harrowing and perhaps too familiar.
Syracuse, N.Y.  Downtown filled up by lunchtime Friday and never slowed down until well into the night as thousands celebrated the 25th anniversary of Syracuse Italian Festival.

The Festa Italiana is three days of food, music, dancing and history all in front of City Hall. Come with an empty stomach because youll find plenty of meatballs, sausage, Italian pastries and even homemade Italian ice. You can also find plenty of Italian beer and wine. Some of the favorites from the New York State Fair are serving their food as well, including Villas Pizze Fritte.

On Friday, the Mere Mortals played the main stage at 7 p.m., leading into Prime Time Horns. The headliners on Saturday are Ruby Shooz at 5 p.m., Infinity at 7 p.m. and Rydher at 9 p.m.

The free event continues Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 7 p.m.

13 1 / 13 Syracuse Festa Italiana 2023 Charlie Miller

There are live raffles, a bocce ball tournament, street performers and storytelling sessions which tell the history of Syracuses Italian community.

Visit festaitalianasyracuse.org for more information and a detailed schedule.

****

Charlie Miller finds the best in food, drink and fun across Central New York. Contact him at (315) 382-1984, or by email at cmiller@syracuse.com. (AND he pays for what he and his guests eat and drink, just so you know.) You can also find him under @HoosierCuse on Twitter and on Instagram. Sign up for his free weekly Where Syracuse Eats newsletter here.
Join NY Cannabis Insider for our next full-day conference on Sept. 21 at the Pearl Street Grill & Brewery in Buffalo.

Happy weekend, everyone.

Nearly two years after New Yorks Cannabis Control Board held their first meeting, members approved final regulations for the states cannabis industry. Lets take a look at NY Cannabis Insiders coverage of this major milestone, and the other stories we covered this week.

The CCB on Tuesday unanimously approved 344 pages of rules and regulations, which will allow businesses applying for cannabis licenses  including cultivator, processor, distributor, microbusiness and retail dispensary  to start submitting documents on Oct. 4.

Board members passed the regulatory package without debate. A public comment period at the end of Tuesdays meeting lasted nearly two hours, as licensed growers, processors, retailers and other stakeholders aired concerns, criticisms and defenses of both the newly approved rules and how state cannabis regulators have handled New Yorks legal weed rollout.



Sign up for the NY Cannabis Insider Newsletter

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We finalized the details on NY Cannabis Insiders first-ever Buffalo conference. Were hosting this event at Pearl Street Grill & Brewery in Buffalo on Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Details and tickets available here.

The conference will focus on the state of the industry discussion from several key stakeholder perspectives, such as cultivators, processors, retailers, politicians, attorneys, and medical operators. It will also host Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes on a panel, along with a keynote address by Andrew DeAngelo, a strategic advisor to the global cannabis industry and the co-founder of Harborside, the Last Prisoner Project, and the California Cannabis Industry Association.

Lightning-round business planning consultations will be available for attendees, in addition to networking opportunities, lunch, happy hour and more. Business owners and CAURD license holders are eligible for half-price tickets by entering the discount code 50PERCENT during registration.

Paula Collins, a tax attorney dedicated to the cannabis industry, contributed a column this week in which she lays out some dilemmas New York cannabis regulators will have to confront before the general cannabis business license application period starts next month.

In a guest column, Mack Hueber, president of cannabis beverage company ayrloom, argued against a ban on flavored vapes.

The last thing New Yorks cannabis entrepreneurs need are more flaming hoops to jump through, like a vape flavor ban that, as proposed, would apply to flavors such as ice cream or gelato, vanilla, cereal, candy, chocolate, dessert, concept flavors, and soda including any strain names that might fall into this category, Hueber writes.

Continuing our NYs women in cannabis series, we ran a profile on Holly Hager, co-founder and COO of House of Puff, a NYC-based boutique that makes luxury smoking accessories for the modern woman.

Have a great weekend everyone, well be back with plenty more next week, and hope to see you at our event in Buffalo on Thursday!
United Auto Workers have recently lost their blue check verification despite paying for it on X (previously known as Twitter), a move which was reportedly from Elon Musk. This is amidst the UAW's current strike against the Big Three of the US automobile industry, with Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis failing to reach an agreement with the union about their concerns.

Tesla is best known for stopping a union of its workers before, with the report claiming that this might cause a chain reaction for the clean energy company's non-unionized workers.

Musk Removed X Blue Check Verification for UAW

(Photo : OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images)

The Intercept reported that Elon Musk had stripped away United Auto Workers' paid blue verification checkmark on their platform on X, and this was because of the union's actions in recent times.

However, venturing to the official X account of the union, @UAW, the blue verification checkmark is there. Ryan Grim also claimed that it was put back by Musk.

Reports claimed that previous events have seen UAW lose its verification checkmark, with Grim also stating this but later deleting the post, and this in turn would cause their X account to lose its reach on the internet, effectively narrowing its transmission to the public.

This event transpired after Ford, GM, and Stellantis failed to reach an agreement, with UAW wanting to double the automaker's labor costs.

Read Also: X Agrees to Talk to More Than 2,000 Fired Employees After Elon Musk's Purge-Compensation Coming?

United Auto Workers Strike: Tesla's Non-Union

Because of the disagreement between the Big Three and UAW, the union force went on a strike earlier today, with as many as 13,000 workers joining.

It was regarded by The Intercept that this petty move from Musk is a way to stop this from going big, especially as it might "trickle down" to Tesla, a company that has thwarted unionization.

Elon Musk's Control Over X

Since Elon Musk bought Twitter from its old management and turned it into a private company with him at the top, massive changes arrived on the platform, including its infamous name change to X. The then-beloved social media saw massive backlash over this change, as before this, it ushered in massive changes to what it has to offer, with many of its features joining its paid subscription.

Apart from the many changes in the social media platform, X also looked forward to establishing FinTech services in the app, a feature that Musk is famously known for from his earlier days in establishing 'X.com,' now PayPal. However, US regulators received a letter from a law firm regarding the personal data handling of its customers, saying that it could not be trusted.

While there are many teams, departments, and executives on X now, it is widely known that Musk has the final say in different issues, topics, and concerns on the platform. The report said that Musk had a petty involvement in the recent UAW's loss of its paid blue verified checkmark because of the union strike, especially as Tesla may be affected should this continue.

Related Article: X Premium Unveils Privacy Boost, Concealing 'Likes' Tab for Subscribers

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A recent study by data experts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, in collaboration with the United Nations Global Pulse, examined whether YouTube promoted anti-vaccine sentiments during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to MedicalXpress, researchers conducted an algorithmic audit to investigate whether YouTube's recommendation system inadvertently directed users seeking vaccine-related content toward anti-vaccine material.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a surge in anti-vaccine sentiments and the proliferation of medical misinformation. It was fueled by various factors, including pre-existing vaccine skepticism, the rapid spread of information through social media, and a general atmosphere of uncertainty and fear.

Finding Anti-Vaccine Content on YouTube

The study involved participants trained by the World Health Organization (WHO) and individuals from Amazon Mechanical Turk, who were tasked with intentionally finding an anti-vaccine video starting from an initial WHO COVID-19 informational video.

The team compared their findings with videos from YouTube's programming interface and the Up-Next recommendations to clean browsers devoid of user-identifying data.

Employing machine learning techniques, the researchers analyzed over 27,000 video recommendations on YouTube to classify anti-vaccine content.

Lead author of the study, Margaret Yee Man Ng, an Illinois journalism professor, stated, "We found no evidence that YouTube promotes anti-vaccine content to its users. The average share of anti-vaccine or vaccine hesitancy videos remained below 6% at all steps in users' recommendation trajectories."

Initially, the study sought to gain insights into YouTube's content recommendation techniques, aiming to determine if they unintentionally guided users towards anti-vaccine sentiment and hesitancy.

Contrary to public perception, the study reveals that YouTube primarily recommended health-related content not explicitly tied to vaccination.

Ng noted that "the videos that users were directed to were longer and contained more popular content, and attempted to push a blockbuster strategy to engage users by promoting other reliably successful content across the platform."

Read Also: YouTube Removes False Claims About Cancer Treatments Following Updated Medical Misinformation Guidelines

Video Recommendations of YouTube

The research also sheds light on how users' real-world experiences differed from the personalized recommendations obtained through YouTube's programming interface. This is significant as it highlights the impact of user-specific browsing histories on video recommendations.

The study emphasizes that understanding recommendation systems is crucial for transparency and accountability, allowing users to comprehend the choices being made for them by platform designers.

In summary, the study finds no substantial evidence suggesting that YouTube actively promoted anti-vaccine content during the pandemic.

The platform's recommendation system primarily directed users towards broader health-related content rather than specific vaccination-related material. The team's findings were recently published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.

Related Article: Why COVID-19 'Super-Dodgers' are Valuable to Health Experts; Are You One of Them? Here's How You Can Help

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
In a pioneering effort, researchers have introduced a novel technique to enhance the resilience of artificial neural networks (ANNs) by incorporating random noise into their inner layers.

According to TechXplore, ANNs, similar to the structure of the human brain, are fundamental to various AI systems. However, like the human brain, ANNs can occasionally misinterpret inputs, potentially leading to critical errors in decision-making processes.

Introducing Random Noise in Deeper Layers of Network

This novel approach, crafted by recent graduate Jumpei Ukita and Professor Kenichi Ohki from the Department of Physiology at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, introduces random noise not only at the input layer but also in deeper layers of the network.

This is a practice typically avoided due to concerns about its impact on normal functioning. However, the duo found that this noise actually heightened the network's adaptability without compromising its regular performance.

The result was a marked reduction in susceptibility to simulated adversarial attacks, demonstrating the efficacy of their method. Ukita emphasizes that the ongoing arms race between attackers and defenders in the realm of AI systems necessitates continuous innovation to safeguard the systems that are integral to our daily lives.

This research signifies a significant leap forward in fortifying the reliability and security of artificial neural networks. Artificial intelligence has permeated various aspects of modern life, from voice assistants on smartphones to search engines powered by intricate AI algorithms.

These systems are predominantly constructed using ANNs, which are modeled after the structure of the human brain. While they can process immense amounts of data and make decisions, they can sometimes be confounded, either accidentally or by the deliberate actions of external entities.

Read Also: British Judge Uses ChatGPT to Write Ruling, Hails AI's Vast Potential

Arms Race Between Attackers and Defenders

Unlike human perception, an ANN might interpret seemingly ordinary visual inputs in entirely different ways. For instance, a medical diagnostic system could erroneously identify a healthy condition as a medical issue.

Such discrepancies pose significant challenges, especially in autonomous vehicles and medical diagnostics applications. While defenses against such attacks exist, they have their limitations.

Hence, this is the reason why the new approach was devised. They drew inspiration from their background in studying the human brain.

"These attacks work by supplying an input intentionally far from, rather than near to, the input that an ANN can correctly classify. But the trick is to present subtly misleading artifacts to the deeper layers instead," Ukita said in a press statement.

"Once we demonstrated the danger from such an attack, we injected random noise into the deeper hidden layers of the network to boost their adaptability and therefore defensive capability. We are happy to report it works," Ukita added.

The researchers observed a reduction in susceptibility to simulated adversarial attacks, showcasing the efficacy of their method. However, they acknowledge the need for further development to make it more robust against a wider range of attacks.

Ukita emphasizes the ongoing arms race between attackers and defenders of AI systems. He underscores the necessity for continuous innovation to safeguard the systems integral to our daily lives.

This research marks a significant stride in fortifying the reliability and security of artificial neural networks. The findings of the team were published in the journal Neural Networks.

Related Article: MIT Researchers Develop New AI Tool to Customize 3D-Printable Models With Ease

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Germany has officially joined the NASA-led Artemis Accords, becoming the 29th signatory to the international agreement, with the ultimate goal of expanding space exploration to Mars and beyond.

The signing ceremony took place at the German Ambassador's Residence in Washington, where Dr. Walther Pelzer, Director General of the German Space Agency at DLR, signed on behalf of Germany.

Germany Enters the Artemis Accords

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and other notable figures were in attendance, including Jennifer Littlejohn from the US Department of State and Andreas Michaelis, the German ambassador to the United States.

Nelson expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "I'm thrilled to welcome Germany to the Artemis Accords family. Germany has long been one of NASA's closest and most capable international partners, and their signing today demonstrates their leadership now and into the future - a future defined by limitless possibilities in space and the promise of goodwill here on Earth."

The Artemis Accords serve as a practical framework for collaboration in space exploration, particularly among nations involved in NASA's Artemis program.

Pelzer emphasized the longstanding successful partnership between Germany and the United States in space endeavors. He highlighted the significant contributions of German companies in the space sector to the Artemis program.

Pelzer noted that the Artemis Accords opened up many new opportunities for industry and scientific research in Germany and Europe. In conjunction with the US Department of State, NASA introduced the Artemis Accords in 2020 with seven other founding member nations.

These accords reinforce key obligations outlined in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and reaffirm the commitment of the US and participating nations to agreements such as the Registration Convention and the Rescue and Return Agreement.

Additionally, they advocate for best practices and responsible behavior in space exploration, including the transparent sharing of scientific data.

Anticipated in the coming months and years are further signatories to the Artemis Accords. In collaboration with its global partners, NASA remains committed to establishing a secure, harmonious, and prosperous future in space.

By working in tandem with both existing and new partners, NASA aims to infuse fresh vigor and capabilities into the shared quest for exploration and discovery.

Read Also: France Joins Artemis Accords for Moon Exploration, Becomes 20th Signatory Country

The Artemis Program of NASA

The Artemis program spearheaded by NASA has ambitious goals, including landing the first woman and person of color on the moon, conducting groundbreaking scientific research, and exploring more of the lunar surface than ever before.

While NASA leads the Artemis charge, international collaborations will be pivotal in achieving a sustained and robust presence on the moon, laying the groundwork for the inaugural human mission to Mars.

Given the increasing number of countries and private entities engaged in lunar activities, a unified set of principles is essential to regulate outer space's civil exploration and utilization.

The Artemis Accords are designed to fulfill this crucial need. They not only bolster the commitments of the US and signatory nations to critical agreements but also advocate for responsible conduct and the transparent sharing of scientific knowledge.

Related Article: Argentina Becomes the 28th Country to Sign NASA's Artemis Accords

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
In a distressing turn of events, a highly lethal strain of the Nipah virus, originating from Bangladesh, has resurfaced in India.

Reportedly has a staggering fatality rate of 90%, health authorities are on high alert as they scramble to contain the outbreak. At the same time, experts emphasize the urgent need to pinpoint the virus's source.

Understanding the Nipah Virus

The Nipah virus, a zoonotic pathogen, first appeared in 1999 when it spread among pig farmers in Malaysia.

Named after the village where it was discovered, Nipah has been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) alongside diseases like Ebola, Zika, and COVID-19 due to its potential for triggering global epidemics.

As a zoonotic virus, it typically spreads from animals to humans, often through contaminated food, but it can also be transmitted directly between people.

The Deadly Bangladesh Strain

This recent outbreak in India, particularly in the state of Kerala, has been linked to the Bangladesh strain of the Nipah virus.

The Nipah virus was also identified in Bangladesh in 2001, and nearly annual outbreaks have occurred there since then.

Dr. Raman Gangakhedkar, a renowned epidemiologist and former head of epidemiology at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), tells News18 that this strain has a fatality rate of 90%. "It will kill nine people out of 10 infected, approximately," he cautioned.

The symptoms of this strain include respiratory distress syndrome, leading to breathlessness among initial symptoms and often requiring ventilator support.

In comparison, the Malaysian strain of Nipah is known for manifesting neurological symptoms.

Read Also: FDA Approves New Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines Targeting Omicron Variant XBB.1.5

Race to Find the Source

Dr. Gangakhedkar emphasized the urgency of finding the virus's source to prevent further spread.

He likened the process to a "crime thriller," where authorities must identify the index patient, trace the virus's origin, connect events leading to the patient, and trace everyone in contact with them.

During the 2018 outbreak, investigators discovered that the first patient had direct contact with fruit bats while cleaning a well in a Kerala village. This revelation led to recommendations such as washing fruits before consumption and avoiding bitten fruits.

Previous Outbreaks and Preparedness

Kerala, a state accustomed to dealing with Nipah outbreaks, has successfully contained previous instances through extensive testing and strict isolation measures.

In 2018, the virus claimed 17 lives during its first appearance in the state.

Dr Rajiv Bahl, the head of the ICMR, tells the public that health authorities in India have already contacted Australia to acquire monoclonal antibody doses to combat the virus.

While a vaccine remains elusive, these antibodies have shown promise in treating Nipah.

India's National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV) has been conducting an extensive survey, revealing evidence of Nipah virus circulation in bat populations across nine states and one Union Territory.

Dr. Gangakhedkar urged reinforcing surveillance mechanisms to detect and respond to outbreaks promptly.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: China Adopts COVID-19-Style Measures to Tackle Mpox Surge, 500 Cases Detected in August

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A recent global poll conducted by research firm Glocalities has unveiled a remarkable trend: over 68 % of people worldwide express their support for solar energy, a figure that significantly surpasses those backing fossil fuels, which stands at just 14%.

Solar Energy is Becoming More Cost-Competitive than Fossil Fuels

The world is catching up with the solar power trend as more households use a renewable energy source as an electricity substitute. With many people relying on low-cost solar panels, solar energy is now in the position to be more cost-competitive than fossil fuels.

According to Interesting Engineering, the transition from the use of fossil fuels to solar power has shown significant progress in the solar power infrastructure.

With the likes of the US, China, and India taking the lead, more solar panel installations and solar farms are expected to be available soon.

Government Support Powers Solar Energy Use

Government incentives and legislation, such as renewable energy targets, tax rebates, and feed-in tariffs, have played pivotal roles in encouraging the adoption of solar energy. These policies have propelled solar power as a formidable contender in the energy landscape.

Solar energy's impact extends to off-grid areas and developing nations, where access to conventional energy sources is limited. It has emerged as a reliable and sustainable alternative, improving the quality of life in these regions.

Related Article: Fossil Fuel Peak: OPEC Counters International Energy Agency's Claims, Says Its Leads to 'Chaos'

What the Survey Says About Solar Power and Fossil Fuel

Glocalities's survey which is backed up by The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative and Global Citizen has asked 21,000 respondents from 21 countries.

The data was gathered from January to June 2023. According to the findings, solar power is the most favored source of energy with two-thirds of the votes (68%). It was followed by wind energy at 54%, hydropower (35%), and nuclear energy (24%).

Meanwhile, only 14% of the participants preferred to use fossil fuels over other alternatives.

Challenges in Solar Adoption

While solar energy garners widespread support, it faces challenges that hinder its complete adoption. These include issues with intermittency, energy storage, and the need for grid infrastructure adjustments to accommodate dispersed solar power sources.

Glocalities emphasizes the need for global leaders to demonstrate greater support for solar energy and renewables to drive broader adoption of clean energy. The organization believes that global users should consider the transformative impact of solar power.

With the gradual decline in the use of fossil fuels, is it time to fully embrace solar power in our daily lives? Only time will tell, but if there's a way, people will seek safer solutions that can benefit both of them and the environment at the same time.

Elsewhere, researchers discovered that there's a special bacteria that can eat up plastics in our oceans.

The latest study from scientists at North Carolina State University suggests that a genetically modified microorganism can be the solution to get rid of our plastic waste in the seas.

Read Also: SolarEV City: Researchers Suggest Combining Solar Power With EVs in Lighting Up Cities Like Paris

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
TikTok, the popular short video-sharing app, on Friday, was slapped with a 345 million euro fine (around $368 million) for failing to protect childrens privacy under the European Unions (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules.

Irelands Data Protection Commission (DPC), which started its investigation in 2021, examined how TikTok Technology Limited (TTL) processed childrens data between July 31 and December 31, 2020.

During its investigation, the Irish watchdog found that users between the ages of 13 and 17 were steered through the sign-up process to the TikTok platform in such a manner that their accounts were set to public by default in settings. This meant that anyone (on or off TikTok) could view the content posted by the child user or contact them, posing several possible risks to children under the age of 13.

It was also found that the Family-Pairing setting was faulty, as it allowed a child users account to be paired with a non-child user, which the company failed to verify if it belonged to a parent or guardian. This allowed the non-child user to enable Direct Messages for child users above the age of 16, posing several possible risks to the child user.

Further, TTL failed to provide sufficient transparency information to child users, thus hampering the capability of the teen user to fully understand the platforms data processing practices.

In addition, the DPC found that TTL implemented dark patterns by nudging users towards choosing more privacy-intrusive options during the registration process and while posting videos.

The DPC investigation conceded violations of Articles 5(1)(c), 5(1)(f), 24(1), 25(1), 25(2), 12(1), 13(1)(e) and 5(1)(a) GDPR. It adopted its final decision regarding its inquiry into TikTok on September 1, 2023.

TikTok faces severe consequences for privacy breaches, which include a reprimand, as well as an order requiring TTL to bring its processing into compliance by taking necessary action within three months, and an administrative fine totaling 345 million.

We respectfully disagree with the decision, particularly the level of the fine imposed. The DPCs criticisms are focused on features and settings that were in place three years ago, and that we made changes to well before the investigation even began, such as setting all under 16 accounts to private by default, TikTok said in a statement.

In a blog post, Elaine Fox, TikToks Head of Privacy for Europe, said the company would evaluate next steps with regard to the fine and order imposed by the DPC.

We believe our settings have always given users control over whether to choose a public or private account, but in January 2021 (eight months before the DPC launched its investigation), we became the first major platform to make all existing and new accounts for 13- to 15-year-olds private by default, Fox wrote, highlighting additional changes designed to strengthen younger users privacy.

Fox also noted that TikTok will start rolling out a redesigned account registration flow for new 16- and 17-year-old users that will be pre-selected to a private account later this month.

Earlier this year, TikTok was fined more than 12 million by the UKs Information Commissioner Office for illegally processing the data of 1.4 million children under 13 who were using its platform without parental consent.
Rogelio Enriquez: "It seems that all famous chefs are men, but in the kitchens of Madrid there are a lot of women who do not appear in the photos and we want to bring them to light"
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons impeachment trial on corruption allegations is among several such proceedings that have occurred in U.S. history.

Impeachment is a political proceeding, not a court one. Typically in a U.S. legislative body, it is the House of Representatives that impeaches an officeholder, charging him or her with wrongdoing. The Senate then conducts a trial, and a guilty verdict results in ejection from office. Sometimes that includes a stipulation that prevents future qualification to hold office.

In Texas, an impeachment charge from the House results in immediate suspension from office, as is the case for Paxton. The Senate is deliberating articles of impeachment to determine whether Paxton is permanently removed. He is accused of trying to protect an Austin real estate developer who was indicted in June on federal charges of making false statements to banks.

In the past 25 years, impeachment has been used three times against two presidents. The current GOP-led House has opened an impeachment inquiry into Democratic President Joe Biden, although it has not proceeded beyond that yet.

Nonetheless, impeachment remains a rarely used means of removing someone from office for serious legal or ethical misconduct and has played a significant role in U.S. history.

Some notable cases:

PRESIDENTS

Three U.S. presidents have been impeached, one twice, but all were acquitted by the Senate:

 Democrat Andrew Johnson, who had been Republican Abraham Lincoln's vice president, was targeted for impeachment by Radical Republicans in 1868 for 11 high crimes and misdemeanors, including replacing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton while Congress was not in session.

 Democrat Bill Clinton was impeached in 1998 for perjury, obstruction of justice and abuse of power, notably denying a sexual relationship with Monica Lewinsky in a lawsuit filed by Paula Jones.

 Republican Donald Trump was impeached in 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress in seeking Ukranian authorities' intervention to influence the 2020 presidential election. He was impeached in 2021 for incitement of insurrection in trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Trump is the only U.S. president to be impeached twice.

GOVERNORS

Among 15 state governors who have been impeached, eight have been removed from office. They includes Republican Gov. Evan Mecham of Arizona for financial crimes in 1988, the first gubernatorial impeachment in 60 years.

 Republican Gov. William Holden of North Carolina was impeached, convicted and removed from office in 1871 for illegally using military force when he reacted to white supremacists violence by declaring martial law and having state troops arrest 100 Ku Klux Klansmen. The state Senate voted in 2011 to pardon him, but the House failed to concur.

 Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois was impeached and removed from office in 2009 for misdeeds including attempting to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by then President-elect Barack Obama.

STATE ATTORNEYS GENERAL

Paxton has company as an impeached state attorney general.

 South Dakota Republican Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg was impeached and convicted in 2022 for his involvement in a 2020 crash in which the car he was driving hit a pedestrian. The impeachment charges accused him of committing a crime that led to a death and of misleading investigators.

 In Kansas, Republican Attorney General Roland Boyton was impeached with Auditor William French for their suspected involvement in a 1933 scandal in which the well-connected son of an influential banker, given access to the state vault, stole bonds and forged them. Boyton and French were acquitted.

JUDGES

Before Paxton, Texas had not held an impeachment trial since the 1970s, which ended in the conviction of a state judge.

Other impeached judges in the U.S. have included:

 U.S. District Judge Alcee Hastings was acquitted of a criminal charge of conspiracy to solicit a bribe in 1983, but he was impeached and convicted by the Senate in 1989. He was not barred from holding public office, however, and he was elected as a Democrat to a congressional seat from Florida from 1993 until his death in 2021.

 District Judge Charles L. Crum of Montana, whose strict adherence to constitutional principles and voicing of nonconformist views during World War I were perceived as pro-German and anti-patriotic, was impeached and removed from office in 1918. In 1991, the Montana Senate approved a resolution exonerating him.

___

AP researcher Jennifer Farrar in New York and AP statehouse correspondents from across the U.S. contributed.
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Federal prosecutors are asking the judge overseeing a case targeting Donald Trumps alleged efforts to subvert the outcome of the 2020 presidential election to help stop his wave of inflammatory attacks.

Following a grand jurys indictment in the case, the former president has repeatedly and widely disseminated public statements attacking Washington DC residents as well as members of the court, prosecutors and prospective witnesses, according to a filing in US District Court on 15 September.

His statements threaten to undermine the integrity of these proceedings and prejudice the jury pool, prosecutors warned. Shortly after a request from US Department of Justice special counsel Jack Smith for the partial gag order, the former president lashed out on his Truth Social platform and called him deranged.

Prosecutors have asked US District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan to take immediate steps to ensure a fair trial and an impartial jury, including drafting a narrowly tailored order that restricts certain prejudicial extrajudicial statements from Mr Trump.

An unsparing assessment of Mr Trumps remarks charts the former presidents ongoing and baseless narrative casting doubt on the integrity and veracity of US elections, his remarks targeting his perceived political opponents, including family members of the judges and prosecutors overseeing the criminal cases against him, and how his bullhorn dog-whistle statements are heard among his supporters who elevate those threats.

The former presidents rhetoric is often cited as an example of stochastic terrorism, in which an influential figure targets a person or group that sparks a captive audience to attack them while maintaining a degree of plausible deniability. Civil rights groups and current and former elected officials have repeatedly warned that unchecked calls for political violence from the man expected to receive a major political partys nomination for president are an unprecedented tipping point.

The defendant has an established practice of issuing inflammatory public statements targeted at individuals or institutions that present an obstacle or challenge to him, including bogus statements surrounding US elections that have engendered widespread mistrust in the administration of the election, and the individuals whom he targeted were subject to threats and harassment, according to prosecutors.

Mr Trump knows that when he publicly attacks individuals and institutions, he inspires others to perpetrate threats and harassment against his targets, according to the filing, and that he continues those attacks precisely because he knows that in doing so, he is able to roil the public and marshal and prompt his supporters.

The filing includes several posts from Mr Trumps Truth Social account, which the former president has used as a bully pulpit to his supporters to direct the narratives surrounding the criminal cases against him while casting himself as a victim of political prosecution.

Mr Trump has posted publicly about individuals whom he has reason to believe will be witnesses in this trial, and his relentless public posts marshaling anger and mistrust in the justice system, the Court, and prosecutors have already influenced the public, according to prosecutors.

The special counsels office has also faced multiple threats, according to the filing.

Within hours of the filing being made public, Mr Trump took to his social media account to level more insults at Mr Smith and repeat claims that the indictments against him are politically motivated.

He wrote: Biden Prosecutor, Deranged Jack Smith, has asked the Court to limit 45th President, and leading Republican Nominee (by more than 50 points, & beating Dems!) DONALD J. TRUMP'S, PUBLIC STATEMENTS. So, I'm campaigning for President against an incompetent person who has WEAPONIZED the DOJ & FBI to go after his Political Opponent, & I am not allowed to COMMENT? They Leak, Lie, & Sue, & they won't allow me to SPEAK? How else would I explain that Jack Smith is DERANGED, or Crooked Joe is INCOMPETENT?

Mr Trumps lawyer John Lauro has also been accused of violating a local rule about making public statements about the case, which prohibit attorneys from releasing public extrajudicial statements regarding the identity, testimony, or credibility of prospective witnesses and the merits of the case or the evidence in the case.

In a separate filing on Friday, prosecutors have warned a judge that people connected to the case have faced threats and harassment fuelled by the former presidents inflammatory public statements.

Prosecutors asked the court to withhold the names and other identifying information of certain individuals targeted by Mr Trump with inflammatory statements, as well as excerpts from witness interview transcripts that describe the alleged threats and harassment they received, according to the filing.

The government seeks to establish that Defendant has publicly criticized his perceived adversaries and is aware that this criticism has led to their harassment, the judge wrote.

Fridays filings mark the most direct responses from prosecutors yet in the face of the former presidents persistent efforts to undermine the criminal cases against him while revving up his base of support in his defence.

Earlier this week, Mr Trump filed a request for Judge Chutkan to recuse herself, a motion that Mr Smiths office said had no valid basis.

A federal criminal indictment surrounding attempts from Mr Trump and his allies to illegally overturn 2020 election results is one of four criminal cases against him, including a separate Georgia case targeting Mr Trump and 18 co-defendants in an alleged criminal enterprise that sought to subvert that states election outcome.
'It's game over': Nike's beloved Portland store has permanently closed amid a rise in retail theft  here's how a nationwide crime spike is costing US retailers an estimated $100B

Nike is permanently closing its beloved Portland factory store  one year after it shuttered the location, apparently due to problems with theft.

Multiple news outlets published statements from the stores local business association and the company itself has confirmed the closure.

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It seems retail giant  like so many other major brands  may have taken a hit to its bottom line due to a dangerous surge in petty theft shoplifting and organized retail crime.

In fact, the National Retail Federation (NRF) estimated in its 2022 security report that theft is costing the retail industry roughly $100 billion.

The Nike store, which opened in 1984 and quickly became a local institution, first closed in October 2022 with no official statement other than a message on the company's website saying Closed for the next 7 days  but the store never reopened.

At the time, local news station KGW-TV reported thieves were stealing armloads of Nike merchandise and walking out the front door with no fear of being stopped.

'A major economic blow'

Nike officials sent a letter to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler in February, confirming theyd closed the factory store the previous October because of deteriorating public safety conditions and rapid escalation in retail theft, according to KGW-TV.

The retailer allegedly requested off-duty police officers to provide security  which Nike would pay for  but the city couldn't spare any law enforcement officers.

The Soul District Business Association (SDBA) released a statement, according to multiple news outlets, calling Nikes departure a major economic blow. SDBA director John Washington said the news landed like a lead balloon and that we had all been holding our breath since  the store quietly shuttered its doors due to internal and external theft and safety issues.

Story continues

But, like so many of us riding out the fallout of the pandemic and protests, we held out hope that Nike, city officials and community leaders would recalibrate and realign order. But it looks like it's game over."

Read more: Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now use $100 to cash in on prime real estate  without the headache of being a landlord. Here's how

Retail challenges

Nike would by no means be alone in experiencing an alarming uptick in retail crime  and rising concern over the issue is happening all over the country.

According to a report from the NRF, a majority of retailers surveyed between 2020 and 2022 reported annual increases in organized retail crime activity at their stores.

Many cities have seen retail store closures in recent months  with rampant crime being just one of the major factors in this.

In addition to theft concerns, retailers across the U.S. are also struggling to regain the same levels of foot traffic that they enjoyed pre-pandemic.

What to read next

Worried about the economy? Here are the best shock-proof assets for your portfolio. (Theyre all outside of the stock market.)

Rising prices are throwing off Americans' retirement plans  here's how to get your savings back on track

Jeff Bezos and Oprah Winfrey invest in this asset to keep their wealth safe  you may want to do the same in 2023

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
In the annals of history, King Fasil, or Fasiledes as he is known, decreed Gondar as the enduring capital of Ethiopia in the year 1636. Under the successive reigns of noble monarchs, a remarkable transformation unfolded. What was once a humble encampment evolved into a walled-in fortified compound of great import, christened Fasil Ghebbi. This compound encompassed six grand edifice complexes, nearly twenty regal palaces and esteemed structures, and an impressive tally of some thirty venerable churches.

Francesco Bandarin Photo of Castles of Gondor

The castles of Gondar, also known as the Gondar Castle Complex or the Royal Enclosure, are a collection of historical buildings located in Gondar, a city in northern Ethiopia.

The Gondar Castle Complex was the Ethiopian Empire's royal residence and administrative center during the 17th and 18th centuries. The complex consists of several castles, palaces, churches, and other structures, each reflecting different architectural styles. Notable structures include Fasil Ghebbi, which is the main palace compound, and Debre Birhan Selassie Church, known for its iconic murals.

The architecture blends indigenous Ethiopian, Arabian, and European influences. Fasilides' Palace, in particular, showcases impressive towers, balconies, and decorative elements. The Debre Birhan Selassie Church is famous for its stunning frescoes and artwork depicting biblical scenes and angels on the ceiling. The church's walls are adorned with religious paintings, making it a significant cultural and religious site.

The Bath of Fasilides is a well-preserved pool and bathing area with great historical and cultural importance. It is part of the Gondar Castle Complex, which served as the royal residence and administrative center during the reign of King Fasilides and his successors in the 17th century.

The Bath of Fasilides plays a central role in celebrating the Timket festival, commemorating Jesus's baptism in the Jordan River. During this festival, the pool is filled with blessed water, and thousands of pilgrims and celebrants gather to immerse themselves in the holy water as a symbolic act of purification and renewal.

Emperors Who Lived lived in the Castles of Gondar.

The castles of Gondar, collectively known as the Gondar Castle Complex or the Royal Enclosure, served as the Ethiopian Empire's royal residence and administrative center during the 17th and 18th centuries. These castles were the seat of power for emperors, and their courts lived within the complex.

Emperor Fasilides, who reigned 1632-1667, was the first emperor associated with the establishment of Gondar as the capital of Ethiopia. He played a significant role in constructing many of the structures within the Gondar Castle Complex.

Emperor Yohannes I, reigned 1667-1682, succeeded Fasilides as emperor and continued to reside in Gondar. He made further contributions to the development of the complex.

Emperor Iyasu I, who reigned 1682-1706, was another emperor who lived in the Gondar castles. He expanded and enhanced the architectural elements of the complex.

Emperor Dawit III, who reigned from 1716-1721, also resided in the Gondar Castle Complex during his brief reign.

Emperor Bakaffa, who reigned 1721-1730, was one of the emperors who lived in the complex. He is known for his patronage of the arts and culture.

Emperor Iyasu II reigned from 1730-1755, and continued the tradition of residing in the Gondar castles. He is also known for his efforts to strengthen the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.

For Ethiopian emperors, such as those who resided in the Gondar Castle Complex, the historical records and inscriptions generally provide information about their reigns, achievements, and contributions to the empire.

The Gondar Castle Complex was a hub for political, cultural, administrative, and residential activities during the reign of Ethiopian emperors.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Noel Pearson in Summer Hill. Credit: Steven Siewert Joining Pearson was Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who said the country had four weeks to change the country for the better. He said the advisory body was nothing scary, nothing to be fearful of here. Its an advisory body that will have the power of its ideas, he said. If we are fearful of change we will never make one because all change requires a step, by definition, into doing something that we havent done before. You cant change a country for the better through fear. You can only change it for the better through hope and optimism and being positive. Albanese set the crowd of 100 people a challenge to reach 10 people a day over the next 28 days and change minds.

Thats how this will be won, with one-on-one conversations, he said. In a separate interview marking the one-month deadline until referendum day, Indigenous Australians Minister Linda Burney maintained she was not contemplating defeat on October 14, and expressed her desire to stay on in the role when asked about her post-referendum plans in the context of the toll of the campaign and her recently disclosed medical issues. I am resilient, she said. I think that in many ways just like Cathy Freeman didnt give up and Vincent Lingiari didnt give up, Im here for the right reasons. Im here to make this country a better place and I will continue to do that. After a week in which Burney came under intense Coalition pressure in question time over the Voice, and was accused by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of responding with irrelevant scripted answers, Burney verged on tears as she spoke of the challenge facing Yes campaigners and Indigenous Australians over the next four weeks and beyond. Im not contemplating defeat, so Im not going to talk about if there is a No vote. But the most important thing is the message of love overcoming fear, Burney said, as she went on to draw an analogy to her experience caring for her disabled husband Rick Farley before his death in 2006.

Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney campaigning for a Yes vote in Sydney on Friday. Credit: James Brickwood I dont want to get upset, but in my own life I have seen and been in a situation where I saw my husband become very sick and extremely disabled. For six months he was like that before he actually died. And I know that no matter what happened in that situation it was our love for each other that was the important thing. And thats what will happen because we as a people, and the Yes campaign, we are not going to give up. The Aboriginal affairs agenda is huge ... a whole range of issues to do with the issues facing First Nations people, that will not stop. But in terms of this referendum, it is our one chance as a nation to recognise and do better. Her comments came before she was caught on a live microphone on Friday while campaigning alongside NSW Premier Chris Minns, where she appeared to suggest she had been treated appallingly by the federal opposition during the parliamentary fortnight. Weve just finished two weeks of gruelling parliament. To me, its just unbelievably racist and bullying. The way they have treated me is appalling, Burney said to Minns.

She later issued a clarifying statement saying her office, social accounts and email had been inundated with racist abuse. About 50,000 people had signed up to take part in the Walk for Yes events around the country, Pearson said while addressing the Redfern rally alongside Yes23 campaigner Rachel Perkins and Indigenous former AFL player Michael OLoughlin. The largest walks are expected in Sydney and Melbourne in what Yes23 campaigners hope will help arrest sliding momentum. A Resolve poll this week showed support for the Voice had slumped to 43 per cent after the first week of the campaign and the No case was leading in every state except Tasmania. Prominent No campaigner Warren Mundine said his side was not worried about the Yes camp having a larger ground campaign, claiming that people are rejecting the message that it is based on  that Aboriginal people dont have a voice, which is utter nonsense.

Warren Mundine at the press club on Thursday. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Asked about the Yes campaigns struggles on Saturday, Minns said he believed the campaign still had time to make the arguments and assure people the Voice would be a positive change and would not replace representative democracy. Nothing will take precedence over the House of Representatives and the Senate. Nothing. Thats our system, our system works, Minns said. Some people are saying that its already over before its begun. Its not. Most people I speak to either arent engaged on the issue yet or havent thought deeply about it.
Wall Street legend Warren Buffett has always been a proponent of value investing. The Oracle of Omahas decades of almost unparalleled success have been built on recognizing when a stock is priced significantly below its inherent worth and then betting big on it. Touting the merits of patience and the long-term effect of compounding returns, Buffett is a master of his profession.

However, even the most successful investors portfolios include stocks that go through down periods. Its probably safe to say that during those times, Buffett, who is known for his sage advice to be greedy when others are fearful, might be making plans to increase his holdings if he is convinced a certain stock will eventually recover.

With this in mind, we used TipRanks database to pinpoint a pair of equities sitting in Buffetts portfolio that have been underperforming this year. These are not low stakes; true to form, he has multi-billion-dollar holdings in both, and has been a shareholder of each for over 5 years. Lets see what Wall Streets stock experts make of them right now.

Kraft Heinz (KHC)

First on the underperforming Buffett list is a stalwart of the consumer goods sector, Kraft Heinz; one of the largest food and beverage companies in North America and owner of such popular brands as Philadelphia cream cheese, Jell-O, and Velveeta.

While food and drink are essential, Krafts stock has definitely underperformed in recent months  KHC is down by 15% year-to-date. That hasnt phased Buffett, or caused him to reduce his holdings in the stock. The billionaire investing legend has been a shareowner in KHC since 2015, and his firm currently holds 325,634,818 shares worth $10.89 billion. The scale of the holding makes Berkshire the largest owner in Kraft Heinz.

Kraft Heinz can boast of owning 8 brands capable of generating $1 billion-plus annually, and has a global reputation as a trusted provider of the foods and drinks that people love to eat. The company generated approximately $26 billion in total revenue last year, and saw both revenue and earnings show year-over-year increases in the latest financial report, from 2Q23.

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That said, while Krafts Q2 top line came to $6.72 billion, growing 2.55% y/y it missed the forecast by $81.9 million, with the company noting a sharp 7% drop in volume. At the bottom line, the companys EPS of 79 cents compared favorably to the 70-cent figure from the year-ago quarter and came in 3 cents per share better than expected.

Buffett has always liked dividend stocks, prioritizing high-yielding dividend payers to generate a strong passive income from his holdings. KHC is set to pay out a common share dividend of 40 cents per share on September 29. The dividend annualizes to $1.60 per share and gives a yield of 4.74%. Krafts dividend has been held at its current level since 2019.

Turning to the Streets analysts, we find Deutsche Banks Stephen Powers taking a bullish position on Kraft Hienz. Powers notes headwinds in the industry, but sees the company as fundamentally strong.

While we acknowledge and understand recent negative sentiment around packaged food stocks owing to (i) skepticism around demand/ volume recovery, (ii) potential retailer pushback on pricing, and (iii) the risks of trade down or intensifying competitive dynamics, we remain constructive on KHCs improved fundamentals (i.e., structurally stronger portfolio, clearer growth/ corporate strategy, expansion opportunities in Foodservice and Emerging Markets, healthier levels of reinvestment spending vs. pre-pandemic, enhanced capabilities across the company, better management execution, etc.) and supportive valuations. Hence, we remain Buy rated, Powers stated.

That Buy rating is backed by a $47 price target that points toward 40% share appreciation in the coming year. (To watch Powers track record, click here)

Overall, KHC stock gets a Moderate Buy rating from the Streets analyst consensus, based on 15 recent reviews that break down to 5 Buys and 10 Holds. The shares are trading for $33.45 and their $40.47 average price target implies ~21% upside potential in the next 12 months. (See KHC stock forecast)

Bank of America Corporation (BAC)

The second stock on our list, Bank of America, is a major name in the global banking industry, and with $3.12 trillion in total assets, is one of the worlds largest bank firms.

That said, BAC shares are down some 11% this year, even as the S&P 500 has posted a net gain of 16%. The share price decline hasnt kept Berkshire Hathaway from maintaining an extensive holding in BAC; the firm has ~1.033 billion shares in the bank, making up 8.5% of the Berkshire portfolio. The Buffet stake in BAC is valued at more than $29 billion, and Berkshire Hathaway is Bank of Americas largest single shareholder, owning nearly 13% of the outstanding shares.

Bank of America has a wide-ranging business, in both consumer and commercial accounts, small- and mid-market business banking, and large-scale institutional banking. The banks total revenue grew by 11% y/y, according to the 2Q23 financial release, to reach $25.2 billion, coming in $258.8 million over the estimates. This supported a net income of $7.4 billion, up 19% y/y, with an EPS of 88 cents that beat the forecast by 4 cents per share. Bank of America finished Q2 with $373.5 million in total cash and liquid assets, compared to just $198 million at the end of 2Q22.

This bank company is known for its strong capital return policy and in Q2, the bank returned $2.3 billion to its stockholders through share repurchases and dividends. The stocks dividend was last declared on July 19, for a September 29 payout at 24 cents per common share, marking a 9% increase from the previous quarter. The dividend annualizes to 96 cents per share and yields 3.3%.

While Bank of Americas strong dividend history must be attractive to Buffett, based on his own long-stated preferences, Well Fargo analyst Mike Mayo takes a different tack. Hes impressed by BACs size, seeing the banks gigantism as an overall positive, an asset that cannot be denied.

In our view, Bank of America is among the best positioned large-cap banks as it relates to deposits (esp. consumer), cost management, credit quality, and reputation as a leader in stakeholder capitalism. In addition, BAC is a leader in tech among banks, which should help it further grow its leading deposit share toward its goal of one-fourth in the U.S. and aid in its effort to show superior operating leverage. Indeed, its tech benefits should help BAC show about the best 2023 spread of revenue vs. expense growth, leading to higher incremental Consumer Bank profit margins. Overall, BAC is a Goliath at a time when Goliath is winning, Mayo opined.

Mayo goes on to give the stock an Overweight (i.e. Buy) rating, and his $40 price target indicates confidence in a 39% gain on the one-year horizon. (To watch Mayos track record, click here)

Overall, BAC boasts a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 16 recent analyst reviews, including 8 Buys, 6 Holds, and 2 Sells. The $28.84 trading price and $35.13 average price target combine to suggest ~22% one-year upside potential. (See BAC stock forecast)

To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment.
Harvard B-School Dean Srikant Datar

Harvard B-School Dean Srikant Datar has been called incompetent by an anonymous HBS professor over his handling of allegations that Francesca Gino committed research misconduct

In the immediate aftermath of a $25 million lawsuit brought by Professor Francesca Gino, Harvard University has issued what amounts to a gag order on Harvard Business School faculty to stop professors from speaking out about the controversy. The ordersent in an email last month from Harvards Office of the General Counselasked faculty to avoid any discussion of this matter outside the presence of the OGC or outside counsel.

The warning from the university was sent to the business school faculty after Gino, who is on an unpaid administrative leave due to claims of research misconduct, filed her lawsuit alleging defamation, breach of contract, and gender discrimination against Harvard Business School Dean Srikant Datar, Harvard, and Data Colada. The general councils emails also informed the business school faculty that they will have a technical hold placed on their email accounts that would prevent them from permanently deleting any email. Once a technical hold is in place it will appear as if it were deleted, but a copy of it will be retained for litigation purposes only), according to the email obtained by the student newspaper, The Harvard Crimson.

The universitys Office of General Council also attempted to muzzle any public discussion of the document it sent. This memorandum is confidential and should not be shared or discussed with anyone else without prior consent of the Office of the General Counsel, according to the letter. Any discussions about this matter, written or oral, may be subject to discovery in any subsequent legal proceeding, unless those discussions occur as part of a discussion with Harvards attorneys for the purpose of seeking or obtaining legal advice.

ANGRY OVER THE HARSHNESS OF GINOS TREATMENT, ONE PROFESSOR CALLS DEAN DATAR INCOMPETENT

Francesca Gino and Harvard Business School

Francesca Gino

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Despite the notice, angry faculty have begun to speak out, though anonymously, to openly criticize HBS Dean Datar over his decision to ban Gino from campus, take away her professorial title and health benefits, and begin the process of stripping her of tenure. The overly harsh sanctions against Gino, one professor told The Crimson, resulted from the incompetence of a dean. Hes not like past deans, and he wont be like future deans.

The only time Datar met personally with Gino was to met out his discipline of her. At that meeting, she recounted, the dean immediately told the teary professor that she would not be allowed to speak.

Another professor told the student newspaper that the treatment of Ginos case is an example of gender inequity. Another faculty member interviewed by the paper pointed to examples of male faculty at the university who have been accused of  and found to have committed  research misconduct but remained on the faculty. As an example, the professor singled out Charles J. Ogletree, a former Harvard Law School professor who committed nearly verbatim plagiarism in his book All Deliberate Speed but remained a member of the law school faculty until his recent death in early August.

In her lawsuit, Gino also cited several instances of alleged research misconduct by male professors who were not similarly disciplined. She noted one prior investigation of research misconduct by an unidentified male professor at Harvard Business School in which the school protected the confidentiality of the male junior faculty member, and subsequently promoted him to tenure.

ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE THAT THIS WOULD HAPPEN TO A MAN

An HBS professor told The Crimson that its impossible to imagine that this would happen to a man.

The case has attracted widespread attention, in part because Harvard has never forcibly stripped a professor of tenure but also because Professor Gino has maintained she is innocent of the charges and her colleagues believe her to be of utmost integrity. It didnt help that Harvard Business School Dean Datar unilaterally put in place a new policy on how to respond to allegations of research misconduct with which to judge her. That policy was made effectivewithout collaboration or communication with facultyone month after Harvard was contact by the authors of a blog, Data Colada, who initially made the allegations of fraud against Gino.

Three Harvard Business School professors, who anonymously spoke to The Crimson, believe the deans lack of consultation was an unusual move. They pointed to the role faculty typically play during policy creation, including small group discussions and advisory votes. There isnt a single faculty member that was aware of this interim policy until Francescas lawsuit came out, a professor said. We were governed by a policy for two years that we were completely unaware of. The professors added that several faculty are worried about Datars unilateral adoption of a new, school-wide policy.

WHY ON EARTH WOULD I MANIPULATE DATA?

Gino has been a well-liked, award-winning behavioral scientist Since joining Harvard in 2010, she authored or co-authored more than 100 academic and journal articles and racked up nearly 33,000 Google citations. Shes been featured in Ted Talks, wrote two bestselling books, and was named one of the worlds 50 most influential management thinkers by Thinkers 50 three different times. In 2015, at age 36, Poets&Quants named her one of our 40-Under-40 Best MBA Professors. But it all came tumbling down with accusations that she had manipulated data in several research studies.

The case has generated mixed feelings among the faculty. One source has told Poets&Quants that a third of the professors at HBS are horrified and angry with Dean Datar, while another third appear supporting, with the remaining faculty not knowing what to think. Regardless, two law school professorsone from Harvard and one from Yalehave publicly expressed the belief that Gino has a legitimate claim over breach of contract. And a forensic firm now working on her behalf apparently believes it has already disproved claims of intentional fraud on at least one of the three scholarly articles singled out by Data Colada and Harvard Business Schools own investigation.

In an unpublished rebuttal obtained by The Crimson, Gino denied claims in Data Coladas first blog post that a study on reducing dishonest behavior published 11 years ago in 2012 contained manipulated data as alleged by the bloggers. Gino argues that the data fraud allegations against her were false and claimed that the findings of her study would hold even if excluding the data Data Colada had flagged was excluded from the study. The only reason anyone would ever manipulate data would presumably be to drive results, she wrote. But this analysis demonstrates that even if you were to throw out all of the observations that, according to Data Coladas own rules, should be considered suspicious, the findings of the original study still hold.

Why on earth would I manipulate data, if not to change the results of a study? she wrote.

SOME ERRORS COULD HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED BY A LAB MANAGER AND RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

Gino also asserted that Data Colada cherry-picked the data it chose to include in its analysis. While Gino denies any research misconduct, she remains unable to explain exactly how the discrepancies in her data occurred. I know that this still begs the question: So what actually happened in this study? she wrote. The honest answer is I still do not know for sure.

Gino, however, pointed to the analog format of the study as a possible source of error. The original data from the study no longer exists, as the study was conducted on paper, she wrote. So you can see how mistakes could creep in, she added. In this case, were talking about two duplicate ID values  sloppy and unfortunate, yes, but perhaps not terribly surprising given the paper-based system that was used.

These errors, Gino wrote, could have been introduced by the lab manager and research assistants who performed the data collection. Here is what almost certainly happened: The RAs conducting the study simply stacked the paper copies by condition, and then manually entered the data in the order in which the papers were stacked, Gino wrote. At the time, Gino argued, there was no reason to care about the order of the data entries. Gino concluded the letter by writing that there would be more to come as she continued combing through the data with her team. I am confident that the forensic work-in-progress were doing on Data Coladas other blog posts will end up yielding strong refutations of those allegations as well, she added.

HARVARD ULTIMATELY WILL BE VINDICATED

Gino has also disputed Data Coladas second blog post which alleged manipulation in her 2015 study linking authenticity to morality. According to The Crimson, Gino believes the internal records saved by Qualtrics for that study suggest that some external study participant had tampered with the data by filling out the form multiple times in rapid succession. The entries that Data Colada had flagged as suspicious and manipulated, HBS professors told the paper, all shared IP addresses out of China and California and were linked to old computer taglines  running Mac and Windows operating systems dating back to 2001. The emails associated with those data entries were also nonexistent addresses.

The timing of the entries also indicated that one person was repeatedly filling out the form, as each followed one immediately after the other without any overlap  which would be expected if multiple people were responding in parallel  according to one professor. The motivation for one person to fill out the form several times could have come from an attempt to win an Amazon gift card, an incentive offered to all who participated in the survey, according to The Crimson.

Meantime, Harvard Business School seems to think it will prevail in its defense of Ginos lawsuit. Harvard ultimately will be vindicated, claims Harvard Business Schools PR representative in an emailed statement to The Crimson. Professor Gino has raised allegations in her lawsuit that Harvard strongly denies, wrote HBS spokesperson Brian Kenny. We believe that the investigation  carried out by three senior HBS faculty members  was thorough, fair, and fully complied with HBSs policy and procedure for dealing with allegations of research misconduct.

DONT MISS: HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL DEAN HAS SOME EXPLAINING TO DO or THE ACADEMIC MOB COMES FOR A HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL THOUGHT LEADER

The post Harvard Attempts A Gag Order On Harvard Business School Faculty Over Francesca Gino appeared first on Poets&Quants.
A classic fast-food chain will open its doors Tuesday for your next road trip.

McDonald's will open at the Topeka service area on Interstate 70, at mile marker 188 on the Kansas Turnpike. The site previously housed Hardees, Dunkin' Donuts, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut.

Newly styled decor is seen at the McDonald's restaurant opening at the Topeka service area off Interstate 70.

The new McDonald's is expected to feature a large lobby with about 200 seats in its 7,300-square-foot space. It will create more than 30 new jobs for the community. It features interior designs with unique Kansas murals and more than five self-serve kiosks.

Kevin Dobski, who owns the McDonald's with his wife, Mary Kate, said the turnpike location is larger than normal.

Workers finish the new drive-through lane Tuesday at the McDonald's restaurant location at the Topeka service area off Interstate 70.

"It's a huge restaurant and probably a bit different than our standard McDonald's operation where we're drive-thru heavy," Dobski said.

Dobski is the son of Tom and Marilyn Dobski, longtime McDonalds operators in Topeka and Lawrence. The turnpike location will be Kevin Dobski's fourth.

Soft opening for new McDonald's on Kansas Turnpike will be Tuesday

The Topeka service area at KTA mile marker 188 on Interstate 70 will now include a Love's Travel Stop and McDonald's restaurant.

The new Topeka service area location will open Tuesday. The grand opening ceremony will be in November after the building undergoes restroom renovations for Love's Travel Stop, Kevin Dobski said.

Love's Travel Stop will replace the five current EZ GO convenience stores on the Kansas Turnpike and 11 in Oklahoma and Nebraska. This is the first time Loves footprint will include locations on a turnpike and is part of the companys commitment to add stores in areas of high demand, a Love's news release said.

"I think a lot of change also helps because Love's will anchor the gas station side," Dobski said, "and McDonald's nationally, we're thrilled to be going into business with them long-term because I've never been in a dirty Love's bathroom when I drive to Oklahoma."

Local McDonald's restaurant owner Kevin Dobski talks about what will make the Topeka service area location unique Tuesday as construction continues in the 7,300-square-foot space.

'Cold weather fans rejoice': Here's what Farmer's Almanac predicts for Kansas winter

Keishera Lately is the business reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. She can be reached at klately@cjonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @Lately_KT.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: McDonald's, Love's Travel Stop to open at I-70 Topeka service area
After a grueling downturn, home prices in Californias Bay Area are finally rebounding  to the chagrin of buyers still in the market.

The median house price in the area gained 5% in August to $1.26 million versus a year earlier at $1.2 million. According to the latest data from Compass, this marked the first time in 13 months that the price didnt decline.

The upward trend is expected to continue and the speedy rebound means that local homebuyers may face a competitive market once again, especially without many listings to choose from  unless they opt for downtown condos.

"San Francisco as a market or the peninsula as a whole is pretty brutal," Ben Lo, a Bay Area-based millennial who started house hunting after getting engaged in July, told Yahoo Finance. "It is not just the highest price, but you needed to remove contingencies on inspections, you needed to pay all cash, there's just so much more to it in San Francisco.

For just over a year, buyers got a break, while sellers lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in equity as the market digested higher mortgage rates and widespread tech layoffs.

Thats largely over.

"I expect that all Bay Area Counties will have a positive year-over-year appreciation rate in the coming few months," Patrick Carlisle, chief market analyst for the San Francisco Bay Area at Compass, wrote to Yahoo Finance, "Five of the nine [counties] turned positive in August, the rest should turn positive very soon."

The nine counties in the Bay Area include San Francisco, Santa Clara, Alameda, San Mateo, Contra Costa, Napa, Marin, Solano, and Sonoma. The five counties with positive annual growth were Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Sonoma, and Napa.

"Painted Ladies" near Alamo Square in San Francisco.

Limited desirable inventory

Like the national housing market, limited inventory largely contributed to the price rebound in the Bay Area.

"Buyer demand rebounded in 2023 from the deep low point of late 2022," Carlisle wrote in his market report. "Along with the substantial decline in new listings, this has created an imbalance in supply and demand, leading to faster sales, more multiple offers, and more sales over asking price.

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For instance, Santa Clara, with a population of nearly 2 million and the heart of Silicon Valley, had 1,190 active and coming-soon listings as of Sept. 1. As the biggest county in the Bay Area by resident count, Santa Clara's available homes for sale in September declined by 28% year over year and 40.5% over the last four years.

"I've had a couple of $3-$4 million buyers looking for months," Jennifer Rosdail, a KW agent based in San Francisco, said of her clients searching in Marin County, north of San Francisco. "They don't even go look at houses because nothing comes on the market for them."

Single-family homes in residential neighborhoods are hot commodities in the Bay. The lack of supply has lifted real estate prices. The median price for a single-family house in Santa Clara climbed 5% annually to $1.8 million in August, according to Compass.

Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

"There's been very little supply," Rosdail said, "The costs for single-family homes have gone up. There are just so few on the market that are desirable."

Traditional buyers are challenged further by the increasing number of all-cash buyers. The percentage of all-cash buyers in Santa Clara, for example, rose to over 28%, an eight-year high, according to Compass data.

"For me, the definition of 'desirable home' kind of changed," Lo said. "There's desirable in terms of white picket fence, backyard, and beautiful home, and then there is desirable in terms of [a home] that fits in the income bracket."

"If anything, we're in [a place] where we're looking for more compromises," Lo said.

The volatility of San Francisco

Not all homes are seeing a positive trend; the most notable exception is high-rise condos in downtown San Francisco.

"San Francisco is a very dense and complicated place. There are two very different things going on," Rosdail said. "The prices for single-family homes have gone up, there's so few on the market that are desirable."

As for condos in downtown San Francisco?

"We could show 20 places," Rosdail said.

Apartment and office buildings in the SoMa neighborhood in San Francisco.

Recent tech layoffs and rising street crime have pushed away potential buyers. The six month-rolling median downtown condo price declined from over $1.1 million in 2019 to below $900,000 this August, a level last seen in 2014, according to Compass data.

"A lot of them are second homes," Rosdail said. "They became undesirable during the pandemic because the only reason you'd want to live right downtown is to get to work."

Many tech firms were more than ready to embrace remote working when the pandemic started, causing much of San Franciscos offices to sit empty since then. CBRE data shows office vacancy reached 31.8% in Q2 2023, a new record for the already struggling city.

In San Francisco County, which includes downtown San Francisco and is the most densely populated Bay Area county, home prices declined 10% annually in August, recording 14 consecutive months of year-over-year losses that started in June 2022, the Compass report shows. But as elsewhere in the Bay Area, Carlisle expects that to change.

"Single-family homes were down 20% year over year in San Francisco earlier this year. But now that decline is quickly declining and should soon turn positive," Carlisle said.

While San Francisco houses recorded an annual 10% loss in August, the decline has been decelerating since April, when prices fell 20% year over year.

"I think people are drawn by the vibrant energy, whether it's family, work, or the Golden Gate Bridge," Lo said. "There's a novelty to San Francisco."

"It's the loveliest city on Earth," Rosdail added.

Rebecca Chen is a reporter for Yahoo Finance and previously worked as an investment tax certified public accountant (CPA).

Click here for real estate and housing market news, reports, and analysis to inform your investing decisions.
MCU adds another feather to Central Indias education arena





By Bhavana Aparajita' Shukla

CENTRAL Indias only university of journalism and mass communication is all set to add a new chapter in its threedecade journey with the formal inauguration of a new campus. On September 15, the new project was inaugurated by Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar and paved the way to provide education with a more modern and smart approach to lakhs of students who come from different parts of the State and country here. As the new premise is not just an expansion of land area at the facilitys accommodation of modern techniques and innovation e.g. it has a Newuseum where decade old literature of journalism can be stored in digital format. Talking to The Hitavada, ViceChancellor K G Suresh said This is the first in the State a digital record on the history of media in India is available here. Concept came to light from an American museum dedicated to news and journalism that promoted free expression and the first amendment to the United States constitution, while tracing the evolution of communication and meditation centre also. With the augmentation of learning and teaching techniques in modern form, an education centre can develop an ambience for better understanding. A visit to this new campus suggest that It has an amphi-threater, library, digital library and an auditorium with 800 seats etc. It is techno-friendly, nature friendly and with modern teaching tools.

Since January 2023, the new session has begun in new premises but it has taken some around nine months to come up with full fledged facilities. Since moving records of thousands of students as around one lakh candidates enroll in every new session since last three years, hundreds of computers and more than 50,000 books etc. from old building situated in heart of the city to the new campus sprawls in 50 acres with 58 lakh sqft built-up area at a place located in outskirts of the State capital, Bisankhedi is not an easy, as an official. The project of construction of such a huge building at the outskirts of the capital was begun in 2016, could only get kick start in 2020 and it took around six years to get completed. Established in 1990 by the Madhya Pradesh Government, MCNUJC is named after Pt Makhanlal Chaturvedi, the great editor, poet, litterateur and freedom fighter. The university earned name and fame at national level but it has also attracted short episodes of controversies in its three decade old journey. But with time, brushing aside trivia issues of political interference, the University is touching new horizons whether it is a matter of the countrys first Ecomedia-labs or organising G-20 meetings, the universitys team is successfully accomplishing such tasks and moving forward. Talking to The Hitavada, Vice-Chancellor K G Suresh, says If there is determination, work itself gets completed.

To give a kick-start, we have to accelerate tender and other procedures as per Governments norms. For ground work there was a need for personnel who can supervise construction work around the clock except seven hours of night when the construction work remains on hold. In our team, all the members are from teaching and official staff. To deploy our human resources was another challenge. In addition to keeping the universitys academic calendar, we have to accomplish the task. Former Environmental Minister of Norway Erik Solheim has lauded VC's initiatives to connect students with ecology and environment science. The fourth convocation of Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University of Journalism and Communication was also held here on Friday. Teachers expressed great happiness that for the first time in the history of the university, the convocation ceremony was being organised in the universitys own Makhanapuram campus. PG and MPhil students, passed out in batches between June 2018 and June 2023, and PhD scholars have been conferred degrees in the ceremony.

Dr (Professor) K G Suresh: we could accomplish the task. It is a matter of pride that our scholars are being conferred degrees in presence of honourable Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Minister Rajendra Shukla. Incharge-Registrar Avinash Vajpaiyee: could main exam, result and admission process on time. Even during COVID19 period, there was no delay in the ongoing session and results. Dr Pavitra Shrivastav, HoD, Public Relations and Advertising:use to update our curriculum. and at the same try to add more values to the existing system. We have started a Newuseum, where historic articles, newspapers and other precious pieces from the media world will be available at MCU. In addition to this, streamwise new courses are being introduced e.g. this year, we have started a new edition of English journalism. In collaboration with UNICEF, in Madhya Pradesh we have organised several programmes on evidence based reporting and child safety for journalists in all campuses of the university at Bhopal, Rewa, Khandwa and Noida. In future too, we will enhance such programmes at our campuses spread across the State.
Hong Kong is poised to assume a greater role in the international banking sector and elevate its status as a yuan internationalisation hub with the appointment of Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) CEO Eddie Yue Wai-man to a key position at the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), analysts say.

Yue on September 1 took up a three-year chairmanship at the BIS Meeting of Governors from Major Emerging Market Economies (EMEs), replacing former deputy governor of the Brazilian central bank Luiz Awazu Pereira da Silva, who retired from the post, according to a statement of BIS earlier this week.

Since 1998, Hong Kong has been the Asia-Pacific regional office of BIS, which is known as a bank for the central banks. The Basel, Switzerland-based institution was founded in 1930 with 63 shareholding central banks to support their pursuit of monetary and financial stability and international cooperation.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

"BIS is an important international organisation for central banks worldwide," said Chan Tsz-Ching, a senior adviser for Bank of East Asia and former Hong Kong head of Citigroup. "The appointment showed its endorsement of Hong Kong's ability to lead international cooperation among emerging markets."

"Hong Kong needs to work hard to perform in its new leadership role in the international organisation to strengthen its role as a connector between mainland China and the world," he said.

The headquarters of the Bank for International Settlement in Basel, Switzerland. Photo: EPA alt=The headquarters of the Bank for International Settlement in Basel, Switzerland. Photo: EPA>

Yue's assumption of the key role at BIS comes ahead of several international meetings to be held in Hong Kong, a city that is keen to show the rest of the world that it is back to normal after three years of disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Story continues

China Investment Corp, the nation's US$1.35 trillion wealth fund, will assemble its global advisers in Hong Kong on September 19 and 20, in its first meeting outside the mainland since its council was established 14 years ago.

The second-day highlight will be an investment forum at the Ritz-Carlton in western Kowloon, featuring major political figures from former governor of the People's Bank of China Zhou Xiaochuan to former German chancellor Gerhard Schroder, as well as finance heavyweights like BlackRock vice-chairman Mark McCombe and Oaktree Capital Management managing director Robert O'Leary.

Meanwhile Hong Kong's de facto central bank is organising the second edition of the Global Financial Leaders' Investment Summit, set for November 6 to 8 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Central, to be followed by the BIS annual governors' meeting on November 27. The two events will mark the 30th anniversary of the HKMA's establishment in April 1993.

"Emerging market economies are playing an increasingly important role in the global economy and international financial system," Yue said in a statement on Tuesday. "The BIS EME Governors Meeting provides a useful venue for major EMEs across the world to exchange views on pertinent economic and financial issues."

Yue said he would work with other EME governors from Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa "to promote economic development and monetary and financial stability".

The BIS has always supported the internationalisation of the yuan, according to Wilson Chan Fung-cheung, a former banker with over 20 years of industry experience in Hong Kong. Photo: Shutterstock alt=The BIS has always supported the internationalisation of the yuan, according to Wilson Chan Fung-cheung, a former banker with over 20 years of industry experience in Hong Kong. Photo: Shutterstock>

The BIS EME Governors Meetings are held three times a year to discuss economic and financial developments, as well as other policies of central banks.

"Mr Yue's new role will uplift Hong Kong's position among global central banks," said Wilson Chan Fung-cheung, associate director of City University of Hong Kong's master of business administration programme. "It shows the BIS has confidence that Hong Kong can act as a hub for international central banks to cooperate in setting key policies for the world."

"Mr Yue is also expected to further promote Hong Kong as an offshore yuan trading centre at the BIS, which has always supported the internationalisation of the yuan," said Chan, who had been a veteran banker in the city for over 20 years.

BIS last year set up a yuan reserving pool called the Renminbi Liquidity Arrangement, paving the way to provide yuan liquidity to participating central banks in case of market volatility. The HKMA and the central banks of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Chile are joining the pool.

The BIS Innovation Hub, which conducts research into new financial products, including central bank digital currencies, is also located in Hong Kong.

This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright  2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Shares of Polaris Inc. (NYSE:PII  Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of Hold from the twelve analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $121.64.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on PII shares. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Polaris from $115.00 to $121.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 26th. Raymond James lowered shares of Polaris from a strong-buy rating to a market perform rating in a report on Tuesday, July 18th. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Polaris from $100.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 26th. Robert W. Baird reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $140.00 target price on shares of Polaris in a research note on Thursday, September 7th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of Polaris from $138.00 to $110.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday.

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Insider Buying and Selling

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Polaris

In related news, SVP Dougherty Lucy Clark sold 38,887 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $134.67, for a total value of $5,236,912.29. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 18,414 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,479,813.38. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website . In related news, CEO Michael T. Speetzen sold 58,301 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $136.14, for a total transaction of $7,937,098.14. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 56,067 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,632,961.38. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link . Also, SVP Dougherty Lucy Clark sold 38,887 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $134.67, for a total value of $5,236,912.29. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 18,414 shares in the company, valued at $2,479,813.38. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 145,464 shares of company stock valued at $19,593,994 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 2.75% of the companys stock.

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of PII. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Polaris by 71.2% in the second quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 250 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 104 shares during the period. Virginia Retirement Systems ET AL bought a new position in Polaris in the second quarter valued at about $556,000. Comerica Bank bought a new position in Polaris in the second quarter valued at about $6,898,000. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky lifted its holdings in Polaris by 9.9% in the second quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 10,236 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,238,000 after acquiring an additional 921 shares during the period. Finally, CreativeOne Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of Polaris by 12.6% in the second quarter. CreativeOne Wealth LLC now owns 4,234 shares of the companys stock worth $512,000 after buying an additional 473 shares during the period. 87.36% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Polaris Price Performance

NYSE:PII opened at $106.67 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $6.05 billion, a PE ratio of 9.96 and a beta of 1.68. Polaris has a 12 month low of $91.86 and a 12 month high of $138.49. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.20 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. The companys 50-day moving average price is $121.30 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $114.71.

Polaris (NYSE:PII  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 25th. The company reported $2.42 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.21 by $0.21. Polaris had a net margin of 6.89% and a return on equity of 57.98%. The company had revenue of $2.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.14 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $2.42 earnings per share. Polariss quarterly revenue was up 7.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Polaris will post 10.41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Polaris Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 15th. Investors of record on Friday, September 1st were paid a $0.65 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 31st. This represents a $2.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.44%. Polariss payout ratio is 24.28%.

About Polaris

(Get Free Report

Polaris Inc designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets powersports vehicles worldwide. It operates through three segments: Off-Road, On-Road, and Marine. The company offers off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-side vehicles; military and commercial ORVs; snowmobiles; motorcycles; moto-roadsters, quadricycles, and boats; and aftermarket parts and apparel.

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Shares of The Sage Group plc (LON:SGE  Get Free Report) have earned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the eight brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is GBX 860.83 ($10.77).

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reiterated a hold rating and issued a GBX 800 ($10.01) target price on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Thursday, May 25th. Canaccord Genuity Group upped their price target on The Sage Group from GBX 915 ($11.45) to GBX 970 ($12.14) and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, May 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated an overweight rating on shares of The Sage Group in a research note on Tuesday, July 11th. Barclays upped their price target on The Sage Group from GBX 810 ($10.14) to GBX 850 ($10.64) and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday, July 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a buy rating and issued a GBX 980 ($12.26) target price on shares of The Sage Group in a research report on Monday, July 3rd.

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The Sage Group Stock Performance

The Sage Group Company Profile

Shares of SGE stock opened at GBX 1,028.50 ($12.87) on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 954.64 and a 200 day moving average price of GBX 865.80. The stock has a market cap of 10.59 billion, a PE ratio of 5,142.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.54. The Sage Group has a 1 year low of GBX 665.60 ($8.33) and a 1 year high of GBX 1,053 ($13.18). The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 96.94, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.86.

(Get Free Report

The Sage Group plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides technology solutions and services for small and medium businesses in North America, Northern Europe, and internationally. It offers cloud native solutions, such as Sage Intacct, a cloud accounting software products and financial management software; Sage People, a HR and people management solution; Sage 200, a finance and business management solution; Sage X3, a business management solution; Sage Accounting, a solution for small businesses, accountants, and bookkeepers to manage customer data, accounts, and people; Sage Payroll for small businesses manage their payroll; and Sage HR for small and mid-sized businesses for record management, leave management, staff scheduling, and expenses services.

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ASOS Plc (OTCMKTS:ASOMY  Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of Reduce by the nine analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, five have assigned a hold recommendation and one has issued a buy recommendation on the company.

ASOMY has been the subject of a number of research reports. Bank of America cut shares of ASOS from a buy rating to an underperform rating in a research report on Monday, July 24th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of ASOS from GBX 500 ($6.26) to GBX 450 ($5.63) in a research report on Wednesday, May 31st. Credit Suisse Group decreased their price target on shares of ASOS from GBX 550 ($6.88) to GBX 450 ($5.63) in a research report on Wednesday, June 7th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on shares of ASOS from GBX 725 ($9.07) to GBX 485 ($6.07) in a research report on Monday, June 19th. Finally, Citigroup raised shares of ASOS from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, May 19th.

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ASOS Price Performance

ASOS Company Profile

Shares of ASOS stock opened at $5.05 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $5.11 and a 200 day moving average price of $6.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32. ASOS has a twelve month low of $4.06 and a twelve month high of $12.03.

(Get Free Report

ASOS Plc operates as an online fashion retailer worldwide. It offers womenswear and menswear products. The company sells its products under the ASOS Design, ASOS Edition, ASOS Luxe, ASOS 4505, Collusion, Reclaimed Vintage, Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge, HIIT, AsYou, Dark Future, UNRVLLD/SPPLY, Crooked Tongues, Daysocial, Actual, and Weekend Collective brands, as well as through third-party brands.

Further Reading

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Canandaigua National Bank & Trust Co. acquired a new stake in Mueller Industries, Inc. (NYSE:MLI  Free Report) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund acquired 2,543 shares of the industrial products companys stock, valued at approximately $222,000.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Mueller Industries by 1.8% during the first quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 151,495 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $11,132,000 after buying an additional 2,653 shares in the last quarter. Toroso Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Mueller Industries in the 1st quarter worth approximately $3,478,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Mueller Industries by 24.1% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 459,899 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $33,794,000 after purchasing an additional 89,206 shares in the last quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its stake in Mueller Industries by 281.8% during the first quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 531,416 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $39,047,000 after purchasing an additional 392,246 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV boosted its holdings in Mueller Industries by 0.7% during the first quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 36,977 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,717,000 after buying an additional 265 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.50% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director John B. Hansen sold 2,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $78.33, for a total value of $195,825.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 59,681 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,674,812.73. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 2.80% of the companys stock.

Mueller Industries Stock Down 1.0 %

NYSE:MLI opened at $73.91 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $79.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $77.07. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.49 and a beta of 1.11. Mueller Industries, Inc. has a 1-year low of $57.10 and a 1-year high of $91.93.

Mueller Industries (NYSE:MLI  Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 25th. The industrial products company reported $3.12 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.72. Mueller Industries had a net margin of 17.46% and a return on equity of 33.92%. The company had revenue of $897.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.04 billion. The firms revenue was down 22.0% on a year-over-year basis.

Mueller Industries Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 1st were paid a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.62%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 31st. Mueller Industriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 10.54%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Separately, StockNews.com raised Mueller Industries from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, September 11th.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on MLI

Mueller Industries Profile

(Free Report)

Mueller Industries, Inc manufactures and sells copper, brass, aluminum, and plastic products in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, South Korea, the Middle East, China, and Mexico. It operates through three segments: Piping Systems, Industrial Metals, and Climate. The Piping Systems segment offers copper tubes, fittings, line sets, and pipe nipples; PEX plumbing and radiant systems; and plumbing-related fittings and plastic injection tooling.

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Commerce Energy Group (OTCMKTS:CMNR  Get Free Report) and TransAlta (NYSE:TAC  Get Free Report) are both utilities companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, earnings, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and risk.

Profitability

This table compares Commerce Energy Group and TransAltas net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Commerce Energy Group N/A N/A N/A TransAlta 7.95% 21.41% 2.73%

Institutional & Insider Ownership

64.9% of TransAlta shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.9% of Commerce Energy Group shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 13.1% of TransAlta shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Commerce Energy Group N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A TransAlta $2.29 billion 1.07 $38.46 million $0.70 13.34

This table compares Commerce Energy Group and TransAltas top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

TransAlta has higher revenue and earnings than Commerce Energy Group.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Commerce Energy Group and TransAlta, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Commerce Energy Group 0 0 0 0 N/A TransAlta 0 0 3 0 3.00

TransAlta has a consensus target price of $15.10, suggesting a potential upside of 61.76%.

Summary

TransAlta beats Commerce Energy Group on 7 of the 7 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Commerce Energy Group

(Get Free Report)

Commerce Energy Group Inc. through its subsidiaries provides electric power and natural gas to residential, commercial, industrial and institutional customers in California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Maryland, New Jersey, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, and Ohio. The company was founded in 1997 and is based in Costa Mesa, California.

About TransAlta

(Get Free Report)

TransAlta Corporation engages in the development, production, and sale of electric energy. It operates through Hydro, Wind and Solar, Gas, Energy Transition, and Energy Marketing segments. The Hydro segment has a net ownership interest of approximately 922 megawatts (MW) of owned hydro electrical-generating capacity located in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. The Wind and Solar segment has a net ownership interest of approximately 1,878 MW of owned wind and solar electrical-generating capacity, as well as battery storage facilities located in Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Quebec in Canada; and the states of Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wyoming in the United States. The Gas segment has a net ownership interest of approximately 2,775 MW of owned gas electrical-generating capacity, and facilities located in Alberta and Ontario in Canada; Michigan, the United States; and Western Australia. The Energy Transition segment has a net ownership interest of approximately 671 MW of owned coal electrical-generating capacity, as well as operates the Skookumchuck hydro facility in Centralia; and engages in the highvale mine and the mine reclamation activities. The Energy Marketing segment is involved in the trading of power, natural gas, and environmental products. It serves customers in various industry segments, including commercial real estate, municipal, manufacturing, industrial, hospitality, finance, and oil and gas. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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Bosideng International (OTCMKTS:BSDGY  Get Free Report) and Levi Strauss & Co. (NYSE:LEVI  Get Free Report) are both consumer cyclical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership, risk, dividends, valuation and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares Bosideng International and Levi Strauss & Co.s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Bosideng International N/A N/A N/A Levi Strauss & Co. 7.12% 23.46% 7.56%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Bosideng International and Levi Strauss & Co.s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Bosideng International N/A N/A N/A $3.90 4.90 Levi Strauss & Co. $6.17 billion 0.89 $569.10 million $1.10 12.52

Analyst Recommendations

Levi Strauss & Co. has higher revenue and earnings than Bosideng International. Bosideng International is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Levi Strauss & Co., indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Bosideng International and Levi Strauss & Co., as provided by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Bosideng International 0 0 0 0 N/A Levi Strauss & Co. 0 5 4 0 2.44

Levi Strauss & Co. has a consensus price target of $16.90, suggesting a potential upside of 22.73%. Given Levi Strauss & Co.s higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Levi Strauss & Co. is more favorable than Bosideng International.

Dividends

Bosideng International pays an annual dividend of $2.03 per share and has a dividend yield of 10.6%. Levi Strauss & Co. pays an annual dividend of $0.48 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.5%. Bosideng International pays out 52.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Levi Strauss & Co. pays out 43.6% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Levi Strauss & Co. has increased its dividend for 1 consecutive years.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

19.0% of Levi Strauss & Co. shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.8% of Levi Strauss & Co. shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Levi Strauss & Co. beats Bosideng International on 11 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Bosideng International

(Get Free Report)

Bosideng International Holdings Limited engages in the research, design, development, manufacturing, marketing, and distribution of branded down apparel products, original equipment manufacturing (OEM) products, and non-down apparel products in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through four segments: Down Apparels, OEM Management, Ladieswear Apparels, and Diversified Apparels. It engages in the business of sourcing and distributing of branded down and brand authorization, OEM products, and ladieswear apparels; and non-seasonal apparels, including school uniform and children's wear. The company provides down apparel products under the Bosideng, Snow Flying, Bengen, etc. brands; ladies wear products under the JESSIE, BUOU BUOU, KOREANO, and KLOVA brands; and school uniforms under the Sameite brand. It also offers network consulting and e-business of down and non-down apparel; logistics and storage services; and brand design and development services, as well as operates as an advertisement agency. The company distributes its products through ladies retail, self-operated retail, and retail outlets operated by third party distributors. Bosideng International Holdings Limited was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Central, Hong Kong.

About Levi Strauss & Co.

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Levi Strauss & Co. engages in the design, marketing, and sale of apparels and related accessories for men, women, and children in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. It offers jeans, casual and dress pants, activewear, tops, shorts, skirts, dresses, jumpsuits, shirts, sweaters, jackets, footwear, and related products under the Levi's, Dockers, Beyond Yoga, Signature by Levi Strauss & Co., and Denizen brands. The company also licenses Levi's and Dockers trademarks for various product categories, including footwear, belts, wallets, bags, outerwear, sweaters, dress shirts, kids wear, sleepwear, and hosiery. In addition, it sells its products through third-party retailers, such as department stores, specialty retailers, third-party e-commerce sites, and franchisees who operate brand-dedicated stores; and directly to consumers through various formats, including company-operated mainline and outlet stores, company-operated e-commerce sites, and select shop-in-shops located in department stores, and other third-party retail locations. Further, the company operates approximately 3,200 brand-dedicated stores and shop-in-shops. The company was founded in 1853 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

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Altria Group (NYSE:MO  Get Free Report) and Japan Tobacco (OTCMKTS:JAPAF  Get Free Report) are both consumer staples companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings and institutional ownership.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

58.9% of Altria Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 24.7% of Japan Tobacco shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.1% of Altria Group shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

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Profitability

This table compares Altria Group and Japan Tobaccos net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Altria Group 27.40% -225.61% 24.54% Japan Tobacco N/A N/A N/A

Dividends

Analyst Ratings

Altria Group pays an annual dividend of $3.76 per share and has a dividend yield of 8.6%. Japan Tobacco pays an annual dividend of $79.71 per share and has a dividend yield of 369.3%. Altria Group pays out 98.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Japan Tobacco pays out 35.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Altria Group has increased its dividend for 14 consecutive years. Japan Tobacco is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Altria Group and Japan Tobacco, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Altria Group 1 2 2 0 2.20 Japan Tobacco 0 0 0 0 N/A

Altria Group currently has a consensus price target of $47.50, indicating a potential upside of 9.17%. Given Altria Groups higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Altria Group is more favorable than Japan Tobacco.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Altria Group and Japan Tobaccos top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Altria Group $25.10 billion 3.08 $5.76 billion $3.81 11.42 Japan Tobacco N/A N/A N/A $225.55 0.10

Altria Group has higher revenue and earnings than Japan Tobacco. Japan Tobacco is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Altria Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Altria Group beats Japan Tobacco on 9 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Altria Group

(Get Free Report)

Altria Group, Inc., through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company provides cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; cigars and pipe tobacco principally under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco products and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; and on! oral nicotine pouches. It sells its tobacco products primarily to wholesalers, including distributors; and large retail organizations, such as chain stores. The company was founded in 1822 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

About Japan Tobacco

(Get Free Report)

Japan Tobacco Inc., a tobacco company, manufactures and sells tobacco products, pharmaceuticals, and processed foods in Japan and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Tobacco Business, Pharmaceutical, and Processed Food. It offers tobacco products, such as cigarettes, heat-not-burn tobacco products, E-vapor products, fine cut tobacco products, cigars, pipes, smokeless tobacco products, and hookah and kretek products. The company also provides reduced-risk products, including infused tobacco capsules and heated tobacco sticks. In addition, it researches and develops, manufactures, and sells prescription drugs for the therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, kidney and metabolism, immunity/inflammation, and central nervous system. Further, the company provides frozen and room-temperature products, such as frozen udon noodles, packed rice, and frozen okonomiyaki; bakery products; and seasonings, including yeast extracts, assembled, kelp and bonito extracts, and oyster sauces. It offers its products under the Winston, Camel, MEVIUS, and LD brands. Japan Tobacco Inc. was incorporated in 1985 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

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Confluence Investment Management LLC cut its stake in Rio Tinto Group (NYSE:RIO  Free Report) by 6.1% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 16,498 shares of the mining companys stock after selling 1,068 shares during the period. Confluence Investment Management LLCs holdings in Rio Tinto Group were worth $1,053,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. Ambassador Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Rio Tinto Group by 3.6% in the 4th quarter. Ambassador Advisors LLC now owns 4,398 shares of the mining companys stock worth $313,000 after buying an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. increased its holdings in Rio Tinto Group by 2.8% during the 1st quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 5,731 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $393,000 after purchasing an additional 154 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. increased its holdings in Rio Tinto Group by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 15,118 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $1,037,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Gallacher Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Rio Tinto Group by 3.6% during the 1st quarter. Gallacher Capital Management LLC now owns 4,634 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $318,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC increased its holdings in Rio Tinto Group by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 13,815 shares of the mining companys stock valued at $948,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares in the last quarter. 10.03% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Rio Tinto Group Stock Performance

RIO opened at $65.85 on Friday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $63.72 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $64.79. Rio Tinto Group has a 1 year low of $50.92 and a 1 year high of $80.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 1.99 and a quick ratio of 1.37.

Rio Tinto Group Increases Dividend

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 21st. Investors of record on Friday, August 11th will be given a $1.77 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 10th. This represents a dividend yield of 6%. This is an increase from Rio Tinto Groups previous semi-annual dividend of $1.10.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on RIO. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Rio Tinto Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, June 5th. Citigroup upgraded Rio Tinto Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, June 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Rio Tinto Group from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley upgraded Rio Tinto Group from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, May 26th. Finally, Liberum Capital upgraded Rio Tinto Group from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, July 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Rio Tinto Group presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $72.00.

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About Rio Tinto Group

(Free Report)

Rio Tinto Group engages in exploring, mining, and processing mineral resources worldwide. The company operates through Iron Ore, Aluminium, Copper, and Minerals Segments. It offers aluminum, copper, iron ore, diamonds, gold, borates, titanium dioxide, salt, silver, molybdenum, and lithium. The company also owns and operates open pit and underground mines, refineries, smelters, and concentrator facilities, as well as power stations, research, and service facilities.

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AMTD Digital (NYSE:HKD  Get Free Report) and Integrated Ventures (OTCMKTS:INTV  Get Free Report) are both small-cap business services companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and valuation.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

0.4% of AMTD Digital shares are held by institutional investors. 30.1% of Integrated Ventures shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

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Earnings & Valuation

This table compares AMTD Digital and Integrated Ventures gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio AMTD Digital $33.07 million 31.87 $41.74 million N/A N/A Integrated Ventures $6.55 million 0.79 -$570,000.00 N/A N/A

Profitability

AMTD Digital has higher revenue and earnings than Integrated Ventures.

This table compares AMTD Digital and Integrated Ventures net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets AMTD Digital N/A N/A N/A Integrated Ventures -153.62% -51.35% -29.99%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for AMTD Digital and Integrated Ventures, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score AMTD Digital 0 0 0 0 N/A Integrated Ventures 0 0 0 0 N/A

Risk and Volatility

AMTD Digital has a beta of 2.78, suggesting that its share price is 178% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Integrated Ventures has a beta of 3.1, suggesting that its share price is 210% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

AMTD Digital beats Integrated Ventures on 7 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About AMTD Digital

(Get Free Report)

AMTD Digital Inc., through its subsidiaries, designs and develops a digital platform to provide financial, media, content and marketing, and investment solutions in Asia. The company operates through Digital Solutions ServicesFinancial Services, Digital Solutions ServicesNon Financial Services, Digital Media, Content, and Marketing Services, and Digital Investments segments. It offers deposit, personal loan, credit card, fund transfer, cross border remittance, insurance, and other payment services. In addition, the company operates SpiderNet ecosystem, a platform to enhance their investor communication, investor relations, and corporate communication to enhance their valuation. Further, it offers movies, podcasts, webinars, and videos through online media platforms. Additionally, the company invests in hotel related activities. AMTD Digital Inc. was incorporated in 2019 and is based in Paris, France. The company is a subsidiary of AMTD IDEA Group.

About Integrated Ventures

(Get Free Report)

Integrated Ventures, Inc. engages in the digital currency mining operations. The company manufactures equipment; and sells mining rigs, as well as develops blockchain software. It also provides transaction verification services for digital currency networks of cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, litecoin, Zcash, and ethereum. As of June 30, 2022, the company owned approximately 2,744 miners in Kearney, Nebraska; Tioga, Pennsylvania; and Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The company is based in Tioga Pennsylvania.

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On September 14, 2023, George Chamoun, the CEO of ACV Auctions Inc (NASDAQ:ACVA), sold 245,474 shares of the company. This move has sparked interest among investors and analysts alike, as insider selling can often provide valuable insights into a company's prospects.



Who is George Chamoun?

George Chamoun is the CEO of ACV Auctions Inc, a leading online automotive marketplace. Chamoun has been instrumental in guiding the company's growth and strategic direction. His leadership has been pivotal in establishing ACV Auctions as a significant player in the automotive industry.



About ACV Auctions Inc

ACV Auctions Inc is a prominent online automotive marketplace that provides dealers and commercial partners with a method of buying, selling, and sourcing vehicles. The company leverages technology to create a transparent and efficient marketplace, disrupting the traditional way of doing business in the automotive industry.



Insider Sell Analysis

Over the past year, George Chamoun has sold a total of 1,294,285 shares and has not purchased any shares. This recent sale of 245,474 shares is a continuation of this trend.



The insider transaction history for ACV Auctions Inc shows zero insider buys over the past year, with 41 insider sells during the same period. This could indicate that insiders believe the stock is currently overvalued.



Insider Sell: CEO George Chamoun Sells 245,474 Shares of ACV Auctions Inc (ACVA)





The above graph shows the trend of insider selling over the past year. The consistent selling by the insider could be a signal to investors about the company's future prospects. However, it's essential to note that insider selling does not necessarily indicate a negative outlook. Insiders may sell shares for personal reasons or portfolio diversification.



Stock Price and Valuation

On the day of the insider's recent sale, shares of ACV Auctions Inc were trading at $15.85 each. This gives the company a market cap of $2.51 billion. The stock's valuation is a critical factor to consider in conjunction with insider selling. If the stock is overvalued, the insider selling could be a signal that the stock's price may decrease in the future.



In conclusion, while the insider's selling activity may raise some eyebrows, it's crucial for investors to consider the broader context. Factors such as the company's financial health, market conditions, and the insider's reasons for selling should all be taken into account before making investment decisions.



This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Weyerhaeuser (NYSE:WY  Get Free Report) SVP Denise M. Merle sold 7,500 shares of Weyerhaeuser stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.29, for a total transaction of $242,175.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 147,601 shares in the company, valued at $4,766,036.29. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Weyerhaeuser Trading Down 0.5 %

NYSE WY opened at $32.55 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $23.79 billion, a PE ratio of 33.91 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a fifty day moving average of $33.23 and a 200 day moving average of $31.24. Weyerhaeuser has a 1 year low of $27.36 and a 1 year high of $36.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.74 and a quick ratio of 1.42.

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Weyerhaeuser (NYSE:WY  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.21 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.01 billion. Weyerhaeuser had a net margin of 8.80% and a return on equity of 8.32%. The companys revenue was down 36.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.06 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Weyerhaeuser will post 1.19 earnings per share for the current year.

Weyerhaeuser Dividend Announcement

Institutional Trading of Weyerhaeuser

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 1st were paid a dividend of $0.19 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 31st. This represents a $0.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.33%. Weyerhaeusers dividend payout ratio is currently 79.17%.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Adalta Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Weyerhaeuser by 3.1% during the 2nd quarter. Adalta Capital Management LLC now owns 166,075 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $5,565,000 after acquiring an additional 5,000 shares in the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in Weyerhaeuser by 3.4% during the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 186,197 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $6,244,000 after acquiring an additional 6,047 shares in the last quarter. Wambolt & Associates LLC grew its stake in Weyerhaeuser by 19.5% during the 2nd quarter. Wambolt & Associates LLC now owns 8,986 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $301,000 after acquiring an additional 1,467 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its stake in Weyerhaeuser by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 4,746,256 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $159,047,000 after acquiring an additional 44,797 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Tennessee Treasury Department grew its stake in Weyerhaeuser by 74.1% during the 2nd quarter. State of Tennessee Treasury Department now owns 201,482 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $6,752,000 after acquiring an additional 85,761 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 79.54% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Bank of America raised shares of Weyerhaeuser from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $34.00 to $38.00 in a report on Monday, July 10th. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Weyerhaeuser in a report on Thursday, August 17th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Weyerhaeuser from $35.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Monday, July 31st. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and set a $40.00 price objective on shares of Weyerhaeuser in a report on Monday, July 31st. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price objective on shares of Weyerhaeuser from $35.00 to $40.00 in a report on Friday, July 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $38.29.

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About Weyerhaeuser

(Get Free Report)

Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world's largest private owners of timberlands, began operations in 1900. We own or control approximately 11 million acres of timberlands in the U.S. and manage additional timberlands under long-term licenses in Canada. We manage these timberlands on a sustainable basis in compliance with internationally recognized forestry standards.

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George Risk Industries (OTCMKTS:RSKIA  Get Free Report) is one of 38 publicly-traded companies in the Communications equipment, not elsewhere classified industry, but how does it contrast to its competitors? We will compare George Risk Industries to related companies based on the strength of its profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, analyst recommendations, risk and valuation.

Profitability

This table compares George Risk Industries and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets George Risk Industries 31.19% 12.38% 11.19% George Risk Industries Competitors -28.14% -29.37% -9.22%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

0.1% of George Risk Industries shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 37.2% of shares of all Communications equipment, not elsewhere classified companies are held by institutional investors. 59.8% of George Risk Industries shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 15.2% of shares of all Communications equipment, not elsewhere classified companies are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score George Risk Industries 0 0 0 0 N/A George Risk Industries Competitors 107 408 841 39 2.58

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for George Risk Industries and its competitors, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

As a group, Communications equipment, not elsewhere classified companies have a potential upside of 30.67%. Given George Risk Industries competitors higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe George Risk Industries has less favorable growth aspects than its competitors.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares George Risk Industries and its competitors revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio George Risk Industries $19.98 million $4.76 million 9.51 George Risk Industries Competitors $293.58 million -$36.52 million -13.57

George Risk Industries competitors have higher revenue, but lower earnings than George Risk Industries. George Risk Industries is trading at a higher price-to-earnings ratio than its competitors, indicating that it is currently more expensive than other companies in its industry.

Risk and Volatility

George Risk Industries has a beta of 0.35, meaning that its share price is 65% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, George Risk Industries competitors have a beta of -8.56, meaning that their average share price is 956% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Dividends

George Risk Industries pays an annual dividend of $0.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.1%. George Risk Industries pays out 48.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Communications equipment, not elsewhere classified companies pay a dividend yield of 0.9% and pay out 31.5% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

Summary

George Risk Industries beats its competitors on 8 of the 12 factors compared.

About George Risk Industries

(Get Free Report)

George Risk Industries, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells various electronic components worldwide. The company offers computer keyboards, proximity switches, security alarm components and systems, pool access alarms, EZ Duct wire covers, water sensors, electronic switching devices, security switches, and wire and cable installation tools, as well as door and window contact switches, environmental products, liquid detection sensors, and raceway wire covers. Its products are used for residential, commercial, industrial, and government installations. The company serves security alarm distributors, alarm installers, original equipment manufacturers, and distributors of off-the-shelf keyboards. George Risk Industries, Inc. was founded in 1965 and is based in Kimball, Nebraska.

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HBW Advisory Services LLC trimmed its position in shares of iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (BATS:GOVT  Free Report) by 6.9% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 17,617 shares of the companys stock after selling 1,305 shares during the quarter. HBW Advisory Services LLCs holdings in iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF were worth $403,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of GOVT. Bank of Montreal Can grew its holdings in iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF by 8.2% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 24,695 shares of the companys stock worth $642,000 after purchasing an additional 1,879 shares during the period. Prudential PLC purchased a new stake in iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF in the first quarter worth about $1,071,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF by 3.2% in the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 338,812 shares of the companys stock worth $8,440,000 after purchasing an additional 10,375 shares during the period. Equitable Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF by 10.4% in the first quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. now owns 406,752 shares of the companys stock worth $10,132,000 after purchasing an additional 38,476 shares during the period. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF by 34.3% during the first quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 558,798 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,920,000 after buying an additional 142,658 shares during the last quarter.

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iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF Stock Performance

BATS:GOVT opened at $22.31 on Friday. The firms 50 day moving average price is $22.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $22.94.

iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF Announces Dividend

iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF Company Profile

The company also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, July 5th were issued a dividend of $0.0506 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 3rd.

(Free Report)

The iShares U.S. Treasury Bond ETF (GOVT) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the ICE U.S. Treasury Core Bond index. The fund tracks a market-weighted index of fixed-rate nonconvertible U.S. Treasury securities with a remaining maturity of one year or more. GOVT was launched on Feb 14, 2012 and is managed by BlackRock.

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Prelude Capital Management LLC raised its position in HDFC Bank Limited (NYSE:HDB  Free Report) by 11.9% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,459 shares of the banks stock after buying an additional 1,008 shares during the period. Prelude Capital Management LLCs holdings in HDFC Bank were worth $631,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Fithian LLC purchased a new position in HDFC Bank in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,319,000. Spire Wealth Management purchased a new position in HDFC Bank in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. Thompson Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in HDFC Bank in the 1st quarter worth approximately $34,000. OLD Mission Capital LLC purchased a new position in HDFC Bank in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Finally, Ridgewood Investments LLC purchased a new position in HDFC Bank in the 1st quarter worth approximately $37,000. 17.24% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have weighed in on HDB shares. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of HDFC Bank in a research note on Tuesday, June 20th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of HDFC Bank in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of HDFC Bank in a research report on Monday, July 17th. They set a buy rating on the stock.

HDFC Bank Stock Down 1.8 %

HDB stock opened at $65.01 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $120.91 billion, a PE ratio of 20.32, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a current ratio of 0.36. The firms 50 day moving average price is $66.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $66.60. HDFC Bank Limited has a one year low of $55.22 and a one year high of $71.76.

HDFC Bank (NYSE:HDB  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 17th. The bank reported $0.80 EPS for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $4.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.93 billion. HDFC Bank had a net margin of 22.03% and a return on equity of 17.31%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that HDFC Bank Limited will post 2.84 EPS for the current year.

HDFC Bank Profile

(Free Report)

HDFC Bank Limited provides banking and financial services to individuals and businesses in India, Bahrain, Hong Kong, and Dubai. The company operates in three segments: Wholesale Banking, Retail Banking, and Treasury Services. It accepts savings, salary, current, rural, public provident fund, pension, and demat accounts; fixed and recurring deposits; and safe deposit lockers, as well as offshore accounts and deposits, and overdrafts against fixed deposits.

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Mapletree Logistics Trust (OTCMKTS:MAPGF  Get Free Report) and EastGroup Properties (NYSE:EGP  Get Free Report) are both real estate companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their institutional ownership, dividends, valuation, risk, profitability, earnings and analyst recommendations.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Mapletree Logistics Trust and EastGroup Properties top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Mapletree Logistics Trust N/A N/A N/A $0.12 10.33 EastGroup Properties $530.41 million 15.30 $186.18 million $3.75 47.68

EastGroup Properties has higher revenue and earnings than Mapletree Logistics Trust. Mapletree Logistics Trust is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than EastGroup Properties, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Mapletree Logistics Trust 0 1 1 0 2.50 EastGroup Properties 0 4 6 0 2.60

This is a breakdown of current ratings for Mapletree Logistics Trust and EastGroup Properties, as provided by MarketBeat.

EastGroup Properties has a consensus target price of $185.60, indicating a potential upside of 3.80%. Given EastGroup Properties stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe EastGroup Properties is more favorable than Mapletree Logistics Trust.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

16.9% of Mapletree Logistics Trust shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 90.7% of EastGroup Properties shares are held by institutional investors. 1.5% of EastGroup Properties shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Mapletree Logistics Trust and EastGroup Properties net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Mapletree Logistics Trust N/A N/A N/A EastGroup Properties 31.03% 8.04% 4.04%

Dividends

Mapletree Logistics Trust pays an annual dividend of $0.05 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.8%. EastGroup Properties pays an annual dividend of $5.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.8%. Mapletree Logistics Trust pays out 39.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. EastGroup Properties pays out 135.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. EastGroup Properties has increased its dividend for 12 consecutive years. Mapletree Logistics Trust is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Summary

EastGroup Properties beats Mapletree Logistics Trust on 12 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Mapletree Logistics Trust

(Get Free Report)

MLT, the first Asia-focused logistics REIT in Singapore, was listed on the SGX-ST Main Board on 28 July 2005. MLT's principal strategy is to invest in a diversified portfolio of income-producing logistics real estate and real estate-related assets. As at 30 June 2023, it has a portfolio of 193 properties in Singapore, Australia, China, Hong Kong SAR, India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea and Vietnam with assets under management of S$13.5 billion. MLT is managed by Mapletree Logistics Trust Management Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd.

About EastGroup Properties

(Get Free Report)

EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE: EGP), a member of the S&P Mid-Cap 400 and Russell 1000 Indexes, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust focused on the development, acquisition and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States with an emphasis in the states of Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and North Carolina. The Company's goal is to maximize shareholder value by being a leading provider in its markets of functional, flexible and quality business distribution space for location sensitive customers (primarily in the 20,000 to 100,000 square foot range). The Company's strategy for growth is based on ownership of premier distribution facilities generally clustered near major transportation features in supply-constrained submarkets. The Company's portfolio, including development projects and value-add acquisitions in lease-up and under construction, currently includes approximately 57.6 million square feet.

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NewLake Capital Partners (OTCMKTS:NLCP  Get Free Report) and Digital Realty Trust (NYSE:DLR  Get Free Report) are both real estate companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations and risk.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares NewLake Capital Partners and Digital Realty Trusts top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio NewLake Capital Partners N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Digital Realty Trust $4.69 billion 8.31 $377.68 million $1.29 99.81

Digital Realty Trust has higher revenue and earnings than NewLake Capital Partners.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets NewLake Capital Partners N/A N/A N/A Digital Realty Trust 8.34% 2.65% 1.10%

Analyst Recommendations

This table compares NewLake Capital Partners and Digital Realty Trusts net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for NewLake Capital Partners and Digital Realty Trust, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score NewLake Capital Partners 0 1 0 0 2.00 Digital Realty Trust 2 5 3 1 2.27

NewLake Capital Partners presently has a consensus price target of $19.25, indicating a potential upside of 40.31%. Digital Realty Trust has a consensus price target of $120.93, indicating a potential downside of 6.07%. Given NewLake Capital Partners higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe NewLake Capital Partners is more favorable than Digital Realty Trust.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

99.7% of Digital Realty Trust shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.4% of Digital Realty Trust shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Digital Realty Trust beats NewLake Capital Partners on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About NewLake Capital Partners

(Get Free Report)

NewLake Capital Partners, Inc. is an internally-managed real estate investment trust that provides real estate capital to state-licensed cannabis operators through sale-leaseback transactions and third-party purchases and funding for build-to-suit projects. NewLake owns a portfolio of 32 cultivation facilities and dispensaries that are leased to single tenants on a triple-net basis.

About Digital Realty Trust

(Get Free Report)

Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL, the company's global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data "meeting place" and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges. Digital Realty gives its customers access to the connected communities that matter to them with a global data center footprint of 300+ facilities in 50+ metros across 27 countries on six continents.

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Principal Financial Group (NYSE:PFG  Get Free Report) and Unum Group (NYSE:UNM  Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation and institutional ownership.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for Principal Financial Group and Unum Group, as provided by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Principal Financial Group 5 8 0 0 1.62 Unum Group 0 5 5 0 2.50

Principal Financial Group currently has a consensus price target of $76.54, suggesting a potential downside of 0.53%. Unum Group has a consensus price target of $53.78, suggesting a potential upside of 10.81%. Given Unum Groups stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Unum Group is more favorable than Principal Financial Group.

Volatility & Risk

Profitability

Principal Financial Group has a beta of 1.31, suggesting that its stock price is 31% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Unum Group has a beta of 1.09, suggesting that its stock price is 9% more volatile than the S&P 500.

This table compares Principal Financial Group and Unum Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Principal Financial Group 11.52% 15.85% 0.54% Unum Group 11.90% 15.10% 2.22%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

70.7% of Principal Financial Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 79.4% of Unum Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.8% of Principal Financial Group shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.9% of Unum Group shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Dividends

Principal Financial Group pays an annual dividend of $2.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.4%. Unum Group pays an annual dividend of $1.46 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.0%. Principal Financial Group pays out 40.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Unum Group pays out 20.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. Principal Financial Group has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years and Unum Group has raised its dividend for 14 consecutive years.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Principal Financial Group and Unum Groups top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Principal Financial Group $17.49 billion 1.06 $4.81 billion $6.47 11.89 Unum Group $11.99 billion 0.79 $1.31 billion $7.21 6.73

Principal Financial Group has higher revenue and earnings than Unum Group. Unum Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Principal Financial Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Unum Group beats Principal Financial Group on 10 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Principal Financial Group

(Get Free Report)

Principal Financial Group, Inc. provides retirement, asset management, and insurance products and services to businesses, individuals, and institutional clients worldwide. The company operates through Retirement and Income Solutions, Principal Global Investors, Principal International, and U.S. Insurance Solutions segments. The Retirement and Income Solutions segment provides retirement, and related financial products and services. It offers products and services for defined contribution plans, including 401(k) and 403(b) plans, defined benefit plans, nonqualified executive benefit plans, employee stock ownership plans, equity compensation, and pension risk transfer services; individual retirement accounts; investment only products; and mutual funds, individual variable annuities, and bank products, as well as trust and custody services. The Principal Global Investors segment provides equity, fixed income, real estate, and other alternative investments, as well as asset allocation, stable value management, and other structured investment strategies. The Principal International segment offers pension accumulation products and services, mutual funds, asset management, income annuities, and life insurance accumulation products, as well as voluntary savings plans in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Southeast Asia. The U.S. Insurance Solutions segment provides specialty benefits, such as group dental and vision insurance, group life insurance, and group and individual disability insurance, as well as administers group dental, disability, and vision benefits; and individual life insurance products comprising universal, variable universal, indexed universal, and term life insurance products in the United States. It also offers insurance solutions for small and medium-sized businesses and their owners, as well as executives. Principal Financial Group, Inc. was founded in 1879 and is based in Des Moines, Iowa.

About Unum Group

(Get Free Report)

Unum Group, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial protection benefit solutions primarily in the United States, the United Kingdom, Poland, and internationally. It operates through Unum US, Unum International, Colonial Life, and Closed Block and Corporate segments. The company offers group long-term and short-term disability, group life, and accidental death and dismemberment products; supplemental and voluntary products, such as individual disability, voluntary benefits, and dental and vision products; and accident, sickness, disability, life, and cancer and critical illness products. It also provides group pension, individual life and corporate-owned life insurance, reinsurance pools and management operations, and other miscellaneous products. The company sells its products primarily to employers for the benefit of employees. Unum Group sells its products through field sales personnel, independent brokers, consultants, and independent contractor agency sales force. Unum Group was founded in 1848 and is based in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

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Healthcare Realty Trust Incorporated (NYSE:HR  Get Free Report) has been assigned a consensus recommendation of Hold from the five analysts that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $20.75.

HR has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. StockNews.com upgraded Healthcare Realty Trust to a sell rating in a report on Wednesday, August 30th. Barclays decreased their price target on Healthcare Realty Trust from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Friday, August 11th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on Healthcare Realty Trust from $19.00 to $17.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, August 22nd.

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Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Healthcare Realty Trust

Insiders Place Their Bets

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Healthcare Realty Trust

In related news, Director John Knox Singleton purchased 31,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 16th. The stock was bought at an average price of $17.11 per share, for a total transaction of $538,965.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 50,582 shares in the company, valued at approximately $865,458.02. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website . Insiders own 0.49% of the companys stock.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Virginia Retirement Systems ET AL bought a new position in shares of Healthcare Realty Trust in the second quarter worth $3,417,000. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky grew its position in Healthcare Realty Trust by 7.2% in the second quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 64,964 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,226,000 after acquiring an additional 4,380 shares in the last quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC grew its position in Healthcare Realty Trust by 184.8% in the second quarter. Orion Portfolio Solutions LLC now owns 33,072 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $624,000 after acquiring an additional 21,459 shares in the last quarter. Bragg Financial Advisors Inc grew its position in Healthcare Realty Trust by 16.4% in the second quarter. Bragg Financial Advisors Inc now owns 140,516 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $2,650,000 after acquiring an additional 19,834 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State of Tennessee Treasury Department grew its position in Healthcare Realty Trust by 14.4% in the second quarter. State of Tennessee Treasury Department now owns 139,594 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $2,633,000 after acquiring an additional 17,561 shares in the last quarter.

Healthcare Realty Trust Stock Down 1.0 %

NYSE HR opened at $16.68 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $6.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -36.25 and a beta of 0.77. Healthcare Realty Trust has a twelve month low of $16.21 and a twelve month high of $23.69. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $18.09 and a 200 day simple moving average of $18.82.

Healthcare Realty Trust Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, August 15th were given a $0.31 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, August 14th. This represents a $1.24 annualized dividend and a yield of 7.44%. Healthcare Realty Trusts payout ratio is -269.57%.

Healthcare Realty Trust Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Healthcare Realty Trust is a real estate investment trust that integrates owning, managing, financing and developing income-producing real estate properties associated primarily with the delivery of outpatient healthcare services throughout the United States. As of June 30, 2023, the Company was invested in over 700 real estate properties totaling more than 40 million square feet and provided leasing and property management services to over 35 million square feet nationwide.

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Henderson Smaller Companies (LON:HSL  Get Free Report) crossed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of GBX 731.85 ($9.16) and traded as low as GBX 722 ($9.04). Henderson Smaller Companies shares last traded at GBX 722 ($9.04), with a volume of 122,461 shares.

Henderson Smaller Companies Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 14.87, a quick ratio of 0.20 and a current ratio of 0.32. The stock has a market cap of 539.33 million, a P/E ratio of -213.61 and a beta of 1.22. The companys 50 day moving average price is GBX 731.85 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 777.50.

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Henderson Smaller Companies Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, October 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 24th will be given a dividend of GBX 19 ($0.24) per share. This represents a yield of 2.54%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 24th. This is a boost from Henderson Smaller Companiess previous dividend of $7.00. Henderson Smaller Companiess dividend payout ratio is -769.23%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Henderson Smaller Companies Company Profile

In related news, insider Kevin Carter purchased 3,000 shares of Henderson Smaller Companies stock in a transaction on Friday, September 8th. The stock was acquired at an average price of GBX 710 ($8.88) per share, for a total transaction of 21,300 ($26,654.99). Company insiders own 4.53% of the companys stock.

(Get Free Report)

The Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust plc is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Henderson Investment Funds Limited. It is co-managed by Henderson Global Investors Limited. The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United Kingdom. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.

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John Hancock Investments  John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund (NYSE:HTY  Get Free Report) shares crossed below its fifty day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of $4.70 and traded as low as $4.51. John Hancock Investments  John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund shares last traded at $4.52, with a volume of 38,430 shares traded.

John Hancock Investments  John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund Stock Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $4.70 and a 200 day moving average price of $4.74.

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John Hancock Investments  John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 11th will be paid a $0.16 dividend. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 14.16%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, September 8th.

About John Hancock Investments  John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund

John Hancock Investments  John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. It is co-managed by Analytic Investors, LLC and Epoch Investment Partners, Inc The fund invests in the public equity markets across the globe.

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On September 13, 2023, Goncagul Icoren, the Chief People Officer of Energy Vault Holdings Inc (NYSE:NRGV), sold 7,500 shares of the company. This move is part of a series of transactions made by the insider over the past year, which have seen a total of 52,500 shares sold and no shares purchased.



Energy Vault Holdings Inc is a company that specializes in the development of renewable energy storage products. The company's innovative technology is designed to store energy in a multi-level system that can be dispatched on demand, providing a reliable and cost-effective solution for the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources.



The insider's recent sell has raised questions about the company's current valuation and future prospects. On the day of the insider's recent sell, shares of Energy Vault Holdings Inc were trading for $3.09 apiece, giving the stock a market cap of $421.427 million.



Insider Sell: Chief People Officer Goncagul Icoren Sells 7,500 Shares of Energy Vault Holdings Inc (NRGV)





The insider transaction history for Energy Vault Holdings Inc shows a trend of more sells than buys over the past year. There have been 2 insider buys in total, compared to 18 insider sells. This could indicate that insiders believe the stock is currently overvalued, or it could simply be a result of personal financial planning on the part of the insiders.



The relationship between insider trading and stock price is complex. While it's true that insiders have more information about the company's prospects than the average investor, their trading activity is not always a reliable indicator of future stock price movements. In some cases, insiders may sell shares for reasons unrelated to the company's performance, such as to diversify their personal investment portfolio or to meet personal financial obligations.



However, the fact that the insider has sold a significant number of shares over the past year could be a cause for concern for potential investors. It's also worth noting that the stock's price has remained relatively stable despite the insider's selling activity, which could suggest that the market has already priced in the insider's bearish sentiment.



In conclusion, while the insider's recent sell is noteworthy, it's important for investors to consider the broader context and not to base investment decisions solely on insider trading activity. As always, a thorough analysis of the company's fundamentals and market conditions is essential when evaluating potential investment opportunities.



This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Level Four Advisory Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD  Free Report) by 34.5% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 12,120 shares of the consumer goods makers stock after acquiring an additional 3,108 shares during the quarter. Level Four Advisory Services LLCs holdings in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV were worth $809,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its position in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 11.7% in the 4th quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 11,088,566 shares of the consumer goods makers stock worth $665,758,000 after purchasing an additional 1,162,780 shares during the period. Fisher Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 2.0% in the first quarter. Fisher Asset Management LLC now owns 9,648,869 shares of the consumer goods makers stock valued at $643,869,000 after buying an additional 190,516 shares during the period. Capital International Investors boosted its position in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 3.6% during the first quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 7,344,543 shares of the consumer goods makers stock valued at $444,214,000 after acquiring an additional 252,914 shares during the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 82,251.7% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,778,048 shares of the consumer goods makers stock worth $286,874,000 after acquiring an additional 4,772,246 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised its position in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 7.8% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 2,510,014 shares of the consumer goods makers stock worth $150,701,000 after acquiring an additional 181,496 shares in the last quarter. 5.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BUD has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, June 22nd. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $64.00 to $68.50 in a research note on Thursday, July 20th. Evercore ISI cut their target price on shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from $80.00 to $70.00 in a research note on Thursday, June 8th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. They issued a hold rating for the company. Finally, TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV in a research report on Friday. They set an outperform rating on the stock. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $66.07.

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Stock Up 0.0 %

Shares of NYSE BUD opened at $56.87 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 0.64 and a quick ratio of 0.43. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV has a 1 year low of $44.51 and a 1 year high of $67.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $98.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.35, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.26. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $56.87 and a 200-day moving average price of $59.31.

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 2nd. The consumer goods maker reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.68 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $15.12 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $15.33 billion. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV had a return on equity of 14.69% and a net margin of 10.59%. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.73 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV will post 3.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Company Profile

(Free Report)

Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV produces, distributes, markets, and sells beer and beverages. It offers a portfolio of approximately 500 beer brands, which primarily include Budweiser, Corona, and Stella Artois; Beck's, Hoegaarden, Leffe, and Michelob Ultra; and Aguila, Antarctica, Bud Light, Brahma, Cass, Castle, Castle Lite, Cristal, Harbin, Jupiler, Modelo Especial, Quilmes, Victoria, Sedrin, and Skol brands.

Further Reading

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DnB Asset Management AS increased its holdings in Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:MOH  Free Report) by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 36,750 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 994 shares during the period. DnB Asset Management ASs holdings in Molina Healthcare were worth $11,071,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of MOH. Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its position in Molina Healthcare by 0.5% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 6,315 shares of the companys stock worth $1,766,000 after purchasing an additional 33 shares in the last quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. New York Life Investment Management LLC now owns 8,454 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,261,000 after buying an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. lifted its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 4.3% during the 3rd quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 921 shares of the companys stock valued at $304,000 after buying an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Czech National Bank lifted its position in shares of Molina Healthcare by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 6,879 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,840,000 after buying an additional 43 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Molina Healthcare by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 3,067 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,013,000 after purchasing an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.11% of the companys stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

MOH has been the topic of a number of research reports. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on Molina Healthcare from $380.00 to $365.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 20th. UBS Group started coverage on Molina Healthcare in a research report on Tuesday, June 20th. They set a neutral rating and a $310.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Molina Healthcare from $348.00 to $341.00 in a report on Friday, July 7th. Morgan Stanley restated an overweight rating and set a $365.00 target price on shares of Molina Healthcare in a report on Friday, July 14th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald restated an overweight rating and set a $359.00 target price on shares of Molina Healthcare in a research note on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $351.31.

Molina Healthcare Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of MOH stock opened at $327.58 on Friday. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $312.37 and its 200 day moving average price is $293.09. Molina Healthcare, Inc. has a 1-year low of $256.19 and a 1-year high of $374.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.10 billion, a PE ratio of 20.76, a P/E/G ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.66, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 1.52.

Molina Healthcare (NYSE:MOH  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 26th. The company reported $5.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.05 by $0.60. The business had revenue of $8.33 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.32 billion. Molina Healthcare had a return on equity of 35.87% and a net margin of 2.81%. The businesss revenue was up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $4.55 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Molina Healthcare, Inc. will post 20.78 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Barbara L. Brasier sold 1,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.89, for a total transaction of $455,835.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 3,232 shares in the company, valued at approximately $982,172.48. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, Director Steven J. Orlando sold 723 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $301.25, for a total transaction of $217,803.75. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 20,265 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,104,831.25. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Barbara L. Brasier sold 1,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, July 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $303.89, for a total value of $455,835.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 3,232 shares in the company, valued at approximately $982,172.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 17,938 shares of company stock worth $5,474,336 over the last three months. 1.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Molina Healthcare Profile

(Free Report)

Molina Healthcare, Inc provides managed healthcare services to low-income families and individuals under the Medicaid and Medicare programs and through the state insurance marketplaces. It operates in four segments, Medicaid, Medicare, Marketplace, and Other. The company served in across 19 states. The company was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Long Beach, California.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MOH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Molina Healthcare, Inc. (NYSE:MOH  Free Report).

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Old North State Trust LLC decreased its position in shares of Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT  Free Report) by 63.2% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 698 shares of the aerospace companys stock after selling 1,200 shares during the period. Old North State Trust LLCs holdings in Lockheed Martin were worth $330,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Lee Financial Co grew its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 367.6% during the first quarter. Lee Financial Co now owns 477 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $210,000 after purchasing an additional 375 shares in the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its stake in Lockheed Martin by 240.0% in the 1st quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 4,124 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $1,821,000 after purchasing an additional 2,911 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in Lockheed Martin by 56.8% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 23,153 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $9,995,000 after purchasing an additional 8,389 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Lockheed Martin by 18.4% during the 1st quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 28,807 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $12,716,000 after buying an additional 4,472 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its position in shares of Lockheed Martin by 20.4% during the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 107,366 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $47,391,000 after buying an additional 18,201 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.26% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Susquehanna dropped their target price on shares of Lockheed Martin from $575.00 to $550.00 and set a positive rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 19th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $500.00 to $475.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, July 19th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Lockheed Martin from $433.00 to $440.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 19th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Lockheed Martin in a research note on Thursday, August 17th. They set a buy rating for the company. Finally, Citigroup cut their price target on Lockheed Martin from $579.00 to $555.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $499.43.

Lockheed Martin Stock Performance

NYSE LMT opened at $424.05 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $106.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.65. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $448.46 and its 200-day moving average price is $460.55. Lockheed Martin Co. has a fifty-two week low of $381.55 and a fifty-two week high of $508.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a current ratio of 1.36.

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 18th. The aerospace company reported $6.73 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $6.45 by $0.28. The business had revenue of $16.69 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.92 billion. Lockheed Martin had a net margin of 10.48% and a return on equity of 71.67%. The businesss revenue was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $6.32 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts predict that Lockheed Martin Co. will post 27.07 earnings per share for the current year.

Lockheed Martin Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 22nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, September 1st will be paid a $3.00 dividend. This represents a $12.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 31st. Lockheed Martins payout ratio is currently 43.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Lockheed Martin

In other Lockheed Martin news, Director John Donovan acquired 548 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 19th. The shares were bought at an average price of $457.07 per share, with a total value of $250,474.36. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,378 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,543,982.46. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.17% of the companys stock.

Lockheed Martin Profile

(Free Report)

Lockheed Martin Corporation, a security and aerospace company, engages in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of technology systems, products, and services worldwide. It operates through four segments: Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space.

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Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board decreased its position in The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV  Free Report) by 28.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 6,908 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 2,742 shares during the quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Boards holdings in Travelers Companies were worth $1,184,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Nordwand Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Travelers Companies during the 1st quarter worth about $26,000. FWL Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Travelers Companies during the 4th quarter worth about $28,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Travelers Companies during the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in Travelers Companies during the 1st quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, AM Squared Ltd acquired a new position in Travelers Companies during the 1st quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors own 81.12% of the companys stock.

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Travelers Companies Price Performance

NYSE TRV opened at $164.80 on Friday. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $166.56 and a 200 day simple moving average of $172.32. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $149.65 and a 52-week high of $194.51. The stock has a market cap of $37.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.55, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 0.33 and a current ratio of 0.33.

Travelers Companies Announces Dividend

Travelers Companies ( NYSE:TRV Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 20th. The insurance provider reported $0.06 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $2.05 by ($1.99). Travelers Companies had a return on equity of 10.75% and a net margin of 5.77%. The firm had revenue of $10.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.97 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.57 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was up 10.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 12.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 8th will be issued a dividend of $1.00 per share. This represents a $4.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.43%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 7th. Travelers Companiess dividend payout ratio is currently 42.60%.

Insider Transactions at Travelers Companies

In other news, EVP Michael Frederick Klein sold 10,000 shares of Travelers Companies stock in a transaction on Monday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.05, for a total transaction of $1,750,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 14,080 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,464,704. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 1.29% of the companys stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

TRV has been the topic of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Travelers Companies from $185.00 to $194.00 in a research report on Thursday, July 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Travelers Companies from $183.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 20th. Citigroup upped their price target on Travelers Companies from $188.00 to $191.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, July 24th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an equal weight rating and issued a $185.00 price target on shares of Travelers Companies in a research note on Friday, July 21st. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their price target on Travelers Companies from $208.00 to $176.00 in a research note on Thursday, July 6th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $196.08.

Read Our Latest Analysis on Travelers Companies

About Travelers Companies

(Free Report)

The Travelers Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides a range of commercial and personal property, and casualty insurance products and services to businesses, government units, associations, and individuals in the United States and internationally. It operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance.

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Prelude Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Alamos Gold Inc. (NYSE:AGI  Free Report) (TSE:AGI) by 20.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 60,075 shares of the basic materials companys stock after acquiring an additional 10,075 shares during the quarter. Prelude Capital Management LLCs holdings in Alamos Gold were worth $735,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of AGI. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC acquired a new position in Alamos Gold during the first quarter worth $49,000. Antonetti Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Alamos Gold during the first quarter worth $57,000. Venturi Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Alamos Gold during the first quarter worth $71,000. Engineers Gate Manager LP acquired a new position in Alamos Gold during the third quarter worth $81,000. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its holdings in Alamos Gold by 58.8% during the first quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 9,901 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $83,000 after buying an additional 3,665 shares during the last quarter. 54.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Alamos Gold Stock Performance

AGI opened at $12.43 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $4.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.31, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.09. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $12.07 and a 200 day moving average of $12.16. Alamos Gold Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $6.35 and a fifty-two week high of $14.12.

Alamos Gold Dividend Announcement

Alamos Gold ( NYSE:AGI Get Free Report ) (TSE:AGI) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The basic materials company reported $0.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.12 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $261.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $251.17 million. Alamos Gold had a net margin of 16.98% and a return on equity of 6.00%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 36.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.07 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that Alamos Gold Inc. will post 0.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 14th will be given a dividend of $0.025 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 13th. This represents a $0.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.80%. Alamos Golds dividend payout ratio is presently 24.39%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have weighed in on AGI shares. TD Securities upgraded shares of Alamos Gold from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, July 28th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and issued a $10.00 target price on shares of Alamos Gold in a report on Tuesday, August 8th. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Alamos Gold in a report on Thursday, August 17th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, CSFB lowered their target price on shares of Alamos Gold from $13.00 to $12.50 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 17th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $14.70.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Alamos Gold

About Alamos Gold

(Free Report)

Alamos Gold Inc engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and extraction of precious metals in Canada and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold and silver deposits. It holds 100% interest in the Young-Davidson mine and Island Gold mine located in the Ontario, Canada; Mulatos mine located in the Sonora, Mexico; and Lynn Lake project situated in the Manitoba, Canada.

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State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System lessened its holdings in The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX  Free Report) by 3.0% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 150,011 shares of the companys stock after selling 4,650 shares during the quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement Systems holdings in Clorox were worth $23,738,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. EP Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Clorox during the first quarter valued at approximately $2,962,000. Level Four Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Clorox during the first quarter valued at approximately $332,000. ProShare Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Clorox by 3.1% during the first quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 1,227,132 shares of the companys stock valued at $194,181,000 after buying an additional 36,874 shares during the period. Verity Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Clorox by 7.4% during the first quarter. Verity Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,558 shares of the companys stock valued at $247,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the period. Finally, Old North State Trust LLC lifted its stake in shares of Clorox by 96.3% during the first quarter. Old North State Trust LLC now owns 1,266 shares of the companys stock valued at $102,000 after buying an additional 621 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.98% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Kevin B. Jacobsen sold 3,346 shares of Clorox stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.82, for a total value of $538,103.72. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 23,224 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,734,883.68. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.41% of the companys stock.

Clorox Stock Performance

Shares of CLX stock opened at $146.20 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $18.10 billion, a PE ratio of 122.86, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.28. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.38. The Clorox Company has a 52 week low of $124.58 and a 52 week high of $178.21. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $155.33 and its 200-day simple moving average is $157.95.

Clorox (NYSE:CLX  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 2nd. The company reported $1.67 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.19 by $0.48. The company had revenue of $2.02 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.88 billion. Clorox had a net margin of 2.02% and a return on equity of 163.56%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 12.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.93 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that The Clorox Company will post 5.87 EPS for the current year.

Clorox Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 25th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 9th were issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This is a positive change from Cloroxs previous quarterly dividend of $1.18. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.28%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 8th. Cloroxs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 403.36%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on CLX. StockNews.com raised shares of Clorox from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, September 8th. Barclays upped their price target on shares of Clorox from $117.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Friday, August 4th. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of Clorox from $155.00 to $176.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, August 7th. Finally, Atlantic Securities raised shares of Clorox from an underweight rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, August 3rd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Clorox has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $150.38.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on CLX

Clorox Profile

(Free Report)

The Clorox Company manufactures and markets consumer and professional products worldwide. It operates through four segments: Health and Wellness, Household, Lifestyle, and International. The Health and Wellness segment offers cleaning products, such as laundry additives and home care products primarily under the Clorox, Clorox2, Scentiva, Pine-Sol, Liquid-Plumr, Tilex, and Formula 409 brands; professional cleaning and disinfecting products under the CloroxPro and Clorox Healthcare brands; professional food service products under the Hidden Valley brand; and vitamins, minerals and supplement products under the RenewLife, Natural Vitality, NeoCell, and Rainbow Light brands in the United States.

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UMH Properties, Inc. (NYSE:UMH  Get Free Report) has earned a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the four ratings firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating on the company. The average 12 month price objective among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $20.60.

UMH has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wolfe Research cut UMH Properties from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 11th. Wedbush upped their price target on UMH Properties from $19.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, August 11th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on UMH Properties in a report on Thursday, August 17th. They issued a sell rating for the company.

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View Our Latest Analysis on UMH Properties

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

UMH Properties Price Performance

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in UMH Properties during the 1st quarter worth $58,000. Federated Hermes Inc. raised its stake in shares of UMH Properties by 54.9% in the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 2,414 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 856 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP raised its stake in shares of UMH Properties by 1,600.0% in the 2nd quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 3,400 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 3,200 shares during the period. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. raised its stake in shares of UMH Properties by 22.4% in the 2nd quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 4,546 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 832 shares during the period. Finally, Ridgewood Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of UMH Properties in the 1st quarter valued at about $72,000. 71.65% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

NYSE UMH opened at $14.50 on Monday. UMH Properties has a twelve month low of $13.73 and a twelve month high of $18.87. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95, a quick ratio of 5.84 and a current ratio of 5.84. The stock has a market capitalization of $946.42 million, a PE ratio of -43.94, a P/E/G ratio of 4.36 and a beta of 1.28. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $15.56 and a 200 day simple moving average of $15.45.

UMH Properties Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, August 15th were given a $0.205 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, August 14th. This represents a $0.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.66%. UMH Propertiess payout ratio is -248.48%.

About UMH Properties

(Get Free Report

UMH Properties, Inc, which was organized in 1968, is a public equity REIT that owns and operates 135 manufactured home communities containing approximately 25,700 developed homesites. These communities are located in New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Alabama, South Carolina and Georgia.

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James Holcomb, Chief Business Officer of Patterson-UTI Energy Inc (NASDAQ:PTEN), has recently sold 11,816 shares of the company's stock. The transaction took place on September 13, 2023. This move by the insider is significant and warrants a closer look.



James Holcomb has been with Patterson-UTI Energy Inc for several years, serving in various capacities before assuming his current role as Chief Business Officer. His deep understanding of the company's operations and strategic direction makes his stock transactions particularly noteworthy.



Patterson-UTI Energy Inc is a leading provider of oilfield services and products to oil and gas exploration and production companies in North America. The company operates through three segments: Contract Drilling, Pressure Pumping, and Directional Drilling. It is known for its innovative technologies and commitment to safety and environmental stewardship.



Over the past year, James Holcomb has sold a total of 112,285 shares and has not made any purchases. This recent sale of 11,816 shares is part of this larger trend.



Insider Sell: James Holcomb Sells 11,816 Shares of Patterson-UTI Energy Inc

The insider transaction history for Patterson-UTI Energy Inc shows a total of 8 insider sells over the past year, with no insider buys. This trend could indicate that insiders believe the stock is currently overvalued, prompting them to sell their shares.



On the day of the insider's recent sale, shares of Patterson-UTI Energy Inc were trading at $15.95, giving the company a market cap of $6.47 billion. The price-earnings ratio was 9.74, higher than the industry median of 9.26 but lower than the company's historical median price-earnings ratio.



With a price of $15.95 and a GuruFocus Value of $25.26, Patterson-UTI Energy Inc has a price-to-GF-Value ratio of 0.63. This suggests that the stock may be a possible value trap, and investors should think twice before buying.



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Insider Sell: James Holcomb Sells 11,816 Shares of Patterson-UTI Energy Inc

The GF Value is an intrinsic value estimate developed by GuruFocus. It is calculated based on historical multiples that the stock has traded at, a GuruFocus adjustment factor based on the company's past returns and growth, and future estimates of business performance from Morningstar analysts.



In conclusion, the recent sale of shares by James Holcomb, along with the overall insider sell trend at Patterson-UTI Energy Inc, may suggest that insiders believe the stock is overvalued. However, with a price-to-GF-Value ratio of 0.63, the stock may also be a possible value trap. Investors should carefully consider these factors before making investment decisions.



This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


MFP takes aim at minister for Boss help

BANGKOK: The Move Forward Party (MFP) called for the prime minister to reconsider the recent appointment of Education Minister Pol Gen Permpoon Chidchob due to allegations he helped Vorayuth Boss Yoovidhya, the scion of the family behind the Red Bull empire, escape prosecution.

policecorruptioncrimepolitics

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 16 September 2023 10:16 AM

Education Minister Pol Gen Permpoon Chidchob gives his policies to educational executives and officials during a meeting on Thursday. Photo: Education Minister Newsline / Facebook

At the press briefing on Friday (Sept 15), MFP MP Teerajchai Phunthumas spoke about the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) decision to formally accuse a number of people it found were involved in mishandling the infamous 2012 Vorayuth hit-and-run case, reports the Bangkok Post.

One of them is Pol Gen Permpoon, who was an assistant to the then-national police chief Pol Gen Somyot Poompunmuang.

In the early hours of Sept 3, 2012, Vorayuth crashed his Ferrari into a motorcycle driven by Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichian Klanprasert in the Thong Lor neighbourhood.

Instead of stopping to help the victim, Vorayuth, then in his early 20s, drove off, dragging the victims body 200 metres from the accident scene. He did not report it.

After repeatedly ignoring orders to appear in court, he fled the country in 2017.

The statute of limitations on some charges has already expired.

Mr Teerajchai said Pol Gen Permpoon had altered the official speed estimate to below the safety threshold and had reassigned police officers who wanted to request a red arrest warrant, leading to the court dismissal and Vorayuths escape to London.

Even though the punishment given to Pol Gen Permpoon is a disciplinary one, Mr Teerajchai noted that Srettha Thavisin is both the prime minister and president of the Police Commission.

He will be expected to consider the suitability of Pol Gen Permpoon for the education portfolio.

People question the fairness of the justice system with regard to the rich and poor. In this case, some people have been offered assistance to flee the country and escape prosecution to this day, said Mr Teerajchai.

He added the NACCs report had confirmed the names of people involved in the hit-and-run case, so the government should assign another investigation to prosecute more accomplices as well as to repatriate Mr Vorayuth to face his punishment.

The Royal Thai Police can send a notice to European police to apprehend Mr Vorayuth using his biometrics to identify him, an order which can be made by the ruling government.

But I doubt that Mr Srettha will proceed to bring this case out of the dark because Pol Gen Permpoon is a Bhumjaithai Party MP, and those seats are important to the coalition, said Mr Teerajchai.

Meanwhile, Mr Srettha told the press he had not read the report yet.
Rawai sea gypsy arrested for meth

PHUKET: A team of local district officials, drug suppression officers and Chalong Police have reported arresting a 20-year-old man at the Rawai sea gypsy village for possession of 20 methamphetamine (ya bah) pills.

drugscrimepolice

By The Phuket News

Saturday 16 September 2023 11:02 AM

An official report still calling sea gypsies Thai Mai (New Thais) confirmed that the raid at the sea gypsy village was on Thursday night (Sept 14). The report was posted online late yesterday.

The Phuket District Narcotics Suppression Operation Team, led by Weerasak Khamkerd, joined by officers from the Chalong Police arrived at the sea gypsy village, in Moo 2, Rawai, and arrested Charin Bangchak, 20, who was found with 20 orange ya bah pills packed in a clear plastic tube in his pocket in his shorts.

Charin was taken to Chalong Police Station and charged accordingly, said the report.

Charin confessed to all the charges, the report noted.

The raid was attributed to being a part of the ongoing crackdown on drugs ordered by Muang Phuket District Chief Pairote Srilamoon.

The campaign, dubbed proactive measures to prevent and suppress drugs will last three months, from September to November, the report noted.

The campaign aims to put pressure on users, dealers and those involved with drugs to suppress the epidemic of drugs in the area to be reduced and eliminated in all forms.
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Dowlais Group fair value estimate is UK1.97

Dowlais Group is estimated to be 38% undervalued based on current share price of UK1.21

Our fair value estimate is 20% higher than Dowlais Group's analyst price target of UK1.65

Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of Dowlais Group plc (LON:DWL) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model is the tool we will apply to do this. There's really not all that much to it, even though it might appear quite complex.

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you 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 Dowlais Group

The Calculation

We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. To 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.

A DCF is all about the idea that a dollar in the future is less valuable than a dollar today, so we need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK108.8m UK202.8m UK248.3m UK281.7m UK309.3m UK331.8m UK350.1m UK365.0m UK377.5m UK388.0m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x6 Analyst x5 Analyst x3 Est @ 13.42% Est @ 9.81% Est @ 7.28% Est @ 5.51% Est @ 4.27% Est @ 3.40% Est @ 2.80% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 12% UK97.2 UK162 UK177 UK180 UK176 UK169 UK159 UK148 UK137 UK126

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK1.5b

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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 (1.4%) 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 12%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = UK388m (1 + 1.4%)  (12% 1.4%) = UK3.7b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK3.7b ( 1 + 12%)10= UK1.2b

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 UK2.7b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of UK1.2, the company appears quite undervalued at a 38% 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

Now the most important inputs to a discounted cash flow are the discount rate, and of course, the actual cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Dowlais Group 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 12%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.780. 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 Dowlais Group

Strength

Debt is well covered by cash flow.

Weakness

Interest payments on debt are not well covered.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Auto Components market.

Opportunity

Forecast to reduce losses next year.

Has sufficient cash runway for more than 3 years based on current free cash flows.

Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%.

Significant insider buying over the past 3 months.

Threat

Dividends are not covered by cash flow.

Looking Ahead:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching 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 Dowlais Group, there are three pertinent items you should look at:

Risks: Be aware that Dowlais Group is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about... Future Earnings: How does DWL'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 British 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.
Jadavpur University (JU) formed an anti-ragging committee and anti-ragging squad to prevent incidents of ragging among first-year students. In response to a recent case of ragging at the university, the authorities of Jadavpur University have taken decisive measures to combat this menace on campus.

The incident involved first-year students, and the university has vowed to ensure the safety and well-being of its students.

Following the incident, the university administration has decided to suspend the involved students for one year as per the guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

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Furthermore, they have reported the matter to the local police, demonstrating their commitment to taking the issue seriously.

In a formal announcement made on Thursday, JU introduced a new anti-ragging committee and an anti-ragging squad, both comprising dedicated officers from two local police stations, Jadavpur and South Bidhannagar (for the Salt Lake campus). The presence of parent representatives, a voluntary organisation working on gender equality, and a counselling institution on the committee highlights the comprehensive approach taken to tackle the issue.

Notably, the engineering departments former chairperson, Aritra Majumdar, who currently guides PhD students, was not included in the committee, possibly due to his role in the incident, sources said.

The involvement of Anupam Deb Sarkar, a faculty member with a strong background in mathematics, has sparked discussions in the committee given his association with the accused student. In light of this development, the universitys decision to include Rajat Ray, the dean of students, on the committee has raised eyebrows.

While Ray might not have had a direct role in the incident, his inclusion signifies the universitys intention to address the issue comprehensively.

Professors from various departments are also playing a part in this committee. This involvement clearly demonstrates Jadavpur Universitys commitment to eradicating ragging from its campus.

The proactive steps taken by the university underscore its dedication to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all students.
On September 17, an ardaas in Delhi will mark the beginning of Parineeti Chopra, an actress, and Raghav Chadha, a politician,s wedding celebrations.

It is learnt that the wedding celebrations will take place in several different places. Beginning in Delhi, they will travel to Udaipur for the main wedding festivities before returning to Delhi for a second banquet.

According to a close source, the wedding festivities are scheduled to start in Delhi on September 17 with ardaas and shabad kirtan, followed by some private gatherings for the close family members, after which the entire family, along with the bride and groom, will travel to Udaipur for the grand wedding.

On September 23, there will be a welcoming lunch in Udaipur called Grains of Love, which will be followed by a party with a 90s theme. The wedding will take place on September 24 at the Taj Lake, with the majority of the festivities taking place at the Leela Palace in Udaipur.

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Pastel is the weddings theme and colour, and everything will reflect this, from the decorations to the couples dress. According to news reports quoting sources, Parineeti and Raghav chose the theme because it reflects their personalities and even instructed the visitors to attempt to adhere to it.

The couple once again intends to wear colour-coordinated costumes to their wedding, and while the bride-to-be has her wedding wardrobe planned out, Raghav has yet to choose his outfits.

He has various possibilities produced for himself for each occasion, and he will do the final fitting to decide on the clothing in a day or two. The insider continues, Even the bride and grooms outfit is understated and basic, representing their personalities with traces of their intertwined love story.

Additionally, the guest list is virtually complete, and invitations have already been delivered. Politicians including Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal, Kapil Sibal, Bhagwant Mann, Sanjay Singh, and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the spokesperson for the Congress, are among those likely to attend.

There will also be a Bollywood flair to the guest lists with very close friends of Parineeti expected to join the celebrations, including her sister Priyanka Chopra.
Its gotten so much easier for job seekers to find out how much a potential job may pay.

Half of US job postings in August advertised at least some employer-provided salary information, according to a new report by the job board Indeed. That marked the highest share yet recorded by the firm. Overall, the share of postings with pay transparency has nearly tripled from its February 2020 level of 18%.

The increase is largely due to a host of pay transparency laws enacted over the past few years by states and the share of postings with pay data likely will rise with New York States disclosure law going into effect this month.

"Now that the share of postings advertising pay is passing the halfway point, it looks like salary transparency is here to stay," Cory Stahle, an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab, told Yahoo Finance.

"Given the near-tripling transparent postings in the last few years, its not looking very likely that well return to the days of having pay in 15 to 20% of job listings, even in light of a cooling labor market."

By the end of this year, roughly one in four workers across the country will be covered by a state or local law that requires businesses to be transparent about their pay range.

New York state's pay-transparency law, which requires employers to disclose a salary range in job listings, takes effect on Sunday, while New York City's law has been in place since last year.

In preparation for the new law, many employers in New York state had already jumped on board. More than six in 10 (61%) of job postings in New York State featured some level of pay transparency in August, almost double from a year prior (31%), according to the Indeed data.

In California and Washington state, laws requiring employers to post salary ranges on all advertised job postings went into effect on Jan. 1. Similar pay disclosure laws are in place in Colorado, while Maryland and Rhode Island require salary information to be provided when an applicant requests it.

Story continues

(Photo: Getty Creative)

More than eight in 10 (81%) of listings in Colorado featured salary data, making it the most transparent state. Its law took effect in 2021 and was the first in the country to require employers to reveal the salary nitty gritty.

Other states with a lofty share of salary data listed on their job postings also have laws on the books, including California, where 70% of listings include pay details, and Washington state with 75%.

While salary transparency rates are rising overall, that growth is not occurring evenly across state lines and geographic regions. In general, employers in the West provide pay details in postings at the highest rate, while employers in the South are less likely to advertise salary upfront, according to the research.

And, for the most part, employers are not disclosing the pay information out of the goodness of their hearts. Pay transparency rates have grown the most in cities subject to pay disclosure laws.

Better bargaining power for job seekers

The upshot of having the new laws for job seekers is that knowing a salary range for a position can help job hunters catch a whiff of what a job is likely to pay and how far they can push in negotiating compensation.

And for many employers, posting those salaries, well, paid off.

"When it comes to pay transparency, SHRM research has found that 70% of organizations that list pay ranges in job postings say doing so has led to more people applying, while 66% said disclosing pay has increased the quality of applicants theyre seeing," Emily Dickens, chief of staff and head of public affairs at SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, told Yahoo Finance.

"Moreover, 65% of companies that list pay ranges said it makes them more competitive in attracting top talent."

(Photo: Getty Creative)

One concern, though, is that now job openings have begun to decline, employers may opt to pull back on how much they reveal about their pay structure.

"Its possible that employers may continue to advertise pay in postings, but reduce the precision of that information as recruiting intensity fades," Stahle said.

There are many reasons why employers resist posting detailed salary data. For example, knowing what a job pays elsewhere can make it more appealing for current employees to jump ship for higher pay. It can also give them the courage to request a raise based on the salaries posted by their employer for new hires in the same or similar position.

In fact, 36% of 1,300 HR professionals surveyed by the Society for Human Resource Management said transparency laws caused more current employees to ask about receiving a pay raise.

As the need to hire eases, some of that might "already be happening," Stahle added. "Job postings containing pay information are less likely to advertise an exact salary or wage than they were a few years ago (only 22% mentioned precise pay this spring, down from 38% before the pandemic)," he said.

(Photo: Getty Creative)

While there is much to be applauded for the open pay disclosure, the biggest flaw so far is laughably wide pay ranges, often covering more than a six-figure span.

"Indeed data shows that pay ranges have widened in areas with new pay transparency requirements since last year," Stahle said.

For example, the gap between the low and high end of salaries in San Jose increased to 25% from 17.5% in one year. A recent job posting for a software engineer at Google in San Jose pays a salary ranging from $157,000 to $235,000 plus bonus, equity, and benefits.

"People are shortchanging themselves if they look at just the salary number and not all the components that go into a compensation package," Dickens said. "Employers covered by the new law need to publish their salaries, but they remain free to also publish full compensation if it is in their interest to do so."

In general, though, salary ranges have widened most in mid-to-high paying sectors like pharmacy and medical information and have narrowed in lower-paying jobs like driving and food preparation and services, where finding and retaining workers is hardest right now, Stahle said.

"To some degree, this information, even when the range is wide, is going to help job seekers," Julia Pollak, chief economist at ZipRecruiter, the employment search site, previously told Yahoo Finance. "It'll help them to focus on jobs that actually provide the pay that they want, rather than going down a rabbit hole, writing out a whole application, then finding that the job pays much less than they need."

Kerry Hannon is a Senior Reporter and Columnist at Yahoo Finance. She is a workplace futurist, a career and retirement strategist, and the author of 14 books, including "In Control at 50+: How to Succeed in The New World of Work" and "Never Too Old To Get Rich." Follow her on Twitter @kerryhannon.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and the Oppositions INDIA alliance. Addressing a gathering in Bihars Madhubani, Amit Shah said that the combination of RJD and JDU is like oil and water and cautioned CM Nitish Kumar that the INDIA alliance will take him down.

The JDU-RJD combination is like oil and water. They will never mix. I want to tell Nitish Babu that no matter how high the self-gain is, water and oil are never one. Oil has nothing to lose, it only maligns the water. The alliance you have made to become the prime minister, that alliance will take you down, the Union home minister said.

Shah said that Bihar is returning to jungle raj under the government of RJD-JDU alliance.

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There is Lalu-Nitish government in Bihar. I have been reading the newspapers of Bihar. Shooting, looting, kidnapping, and killings of journalists and Dalits have increased. This selfish alliance is taking Bihar towards Jungle-raj. Now Lalu Yadav is active and Nitish Kumar is inactive You can only imagine how Bihar will run if their government returns, he said.

Taking potshots at the Oppositions INDIA alliance, the BJP leader said that Lalu Yadav wants his son Tejashwi to become Bihar CM while Nitish Kumar as prime ministerial ambitions.

But it is not possible because the position of the Prime Minister is not vacant. Narendra Modi is going to take that position again, he said.

Nitish Kumar is considered to be the architect of Oppositions INDIA alliance to take on the BJP in the next general elections. While Nitish himself has denied having any ambitions of becoming the prime minister, his party has recently announced that he is ready to lead the country.
The encounter with terrorists in the Gadul forests of Kokernarg in Jammu and Kashmirs Anantnag district entered its fourth day on Saturday with security forces still trying to reach the perpetrators hiding in a cave on top of the mountain. Four jawans, including a Colonel, a major and a DSP rank officer have been killed in action so far.

The identity of the fourth has not yet been revealed. It is also being reported widely that one more jawan is missing. Another injured is fighting the battle of life an death in a hospital.

The encounter started on the intervening night of September 12-13 after the Army received specific inputs about the presence of 2-3 terrorists in Godul forest. A joint operation was launched by Indian Armys 19 Rashtriya Rifle and Jammu and Kashmir police.

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However, the trek to the mountain cave where terrorists are hiding was a narrow stretch and as the security forces were closing in, the terrorists, who could view the climbing soldiers clearly, started heavy firing.

Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak and DSP Humayun Bhat sustained bullet injuries. Since they were climbing through a narrow path, it became difficult for the rest of the soldiers to extract them. According to reports, the injured jawans kept bleeding until the next morning when they were extracted with the help of Army choppers. They succumbed to the injuries during the course of medical treatment.

Two more jawans sustained injuries and one of they died in the hospital. The Army is yet to provide information on the missing soldier.

Why is it taking so long to neutralise the terrorists?

The one word answer to this question is  Terrain. The terrorists are hiding in a cave like structure on top of the mountain. They came well prepared given the encounter has entered day four. It appears they stored enough food, and ammunition to last several days.

It is quite challenging for the security forces to reach the terrorists as there is a hill and dense forest on one side and a cave on the other side. The only path to the cave is literally a slope and fear of fall is also there, as seen in the various footages from the encounter site.

What the Army is doing now?

The Army is now taking the help of technology. It has deployed small drones to drop bombs on the cave. They are also using rocket launchers and mortars to hit the terrorists.

A purported video recorded from a drone camera shows the exact structure where the terrorists have been hiding. The video shows a terrorist running towards the dense forest after the cave like structure was hit by a bomb. However, the authenticity of the video cannot be confirmed.

#WATCH | Kokernag, Anantnag (J&K): Security forces are using IEDs to target those areas in the forest where they suspect terrorists are hiding. Drones and quadcopters are put in place to track down these areas. pic.twitter.com/pUsP8MZjCt  ANI (@ANI) September 15, 2023

In a statement released on X, the ADGP Kashmir Police has said that 2-3 terrorist have been surrounded by security forces and they will soon be neutralised.

Also, it is being claimed by some media reports that the number of terrorists hiding in the cave could be more than what the Army is anticipating. Earlier some reports citing defence experts suggested that it could well be an ambush by terrorists.

The security forces have refuted these claims and said that it was a joint operation based on specific inputs. The ADGP has also asked Army veterans and defence experts to avoid ambush hypothesis.
Narendra Damodardas Modi, the current Prime Minister of India, turns 73 on September 17, 2023. His party BJP has decided to celebrate his birthday in a grand way by organizing bike rallies, and other programs across India. Coming from a very humble background, PM Modis journey from a tea seller to Indias Prime Minister has been an inspiration to many. The prime minister has inspired a new generation of Indians with his vision for a strong and prosperous India.

Born in Gujarat Vadnagar, Modi is the third of six children born to Damodardas Mulchand Modi and Hiraben Modi. His father ran a small tea stall at Vadnagar railway station where he would help him during his childhood. After his fathers death, his mother brought him up by working as a house help in neighbourhood homes.

Despite his humble beginnings, Modi was a bright student, who was destined to do great things for his country. He joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization and ideological mentor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party at a young age.

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Although Modi was active in politics since his early 20s, he came to prominence after 1990s. He was appointed as the general secretary of the Gujarat BJP. He played a crucial role in BJPs victory in 1995 Gujarat Assembly elections. This was the moment his stature started growing manifolds in the BJPs state unit.

In 2001, PM Modi was appointed as Chief Minister of Gujarat. From that day onwards, PM Modi has never looked back. As CM of Gujarat, Modi oversaw a period of rapid economic growth in the state. He implemented a number of popular social welfare schemes, including SWAGAT online programme, Vibrant Gujarat Summit, Praveshotsav, Gunotsav and celebration of various national festivals.

Also Read: PM Vishwakarma sunshine awaits artisans on Modis birthday

His popularity continued to grow in Gujarat and he led the BJP to consecutive election victories in the state. Soon, his Gujarat model of governance started gaining nationwide praise and the BJP declared him its prime ministerial face in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

He led the BJP to a historic victory in the 2014 general elections and became the prime minister of the country. As Prime Minister of India, Modi launched a number of ambitious initiatives, including the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission), the Make in India campaign, and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (Prime Ministers Peoples Money Scheme).

Modi returned to power in 2019 with even more resounding victory in general elections. The impact of PM Modis leadership on India has been significant as the country moved to 5th place among the worlds largest economies. The Prime Minister has now vowed to make Indias worlds third-largest economy by 2030.

Despite the criticism from Opposition over a host of issues, Narendra Modi remains the most popular politician in India and the world. Modi is seen as a leader capable of taking tough decisions in the interest of the country. While his legacy is still being written, there is no doubt he has been a transformative figure in Indian politics.
Amid growing differences in their bilateral ties, Canada has announced to postpone its October trade mission to India, according to Shanti Cosentino, a spokesperson to Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng.

At this time, we are postponing the upcoming trade mission to India, the spokesperson, Shanti Cosentino, was quoted as saying by Aljazeera.

The announcement has come just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly scolded his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau during a brief discussion on the sidelines of the G20 India Summit.

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PM Modi, according to a government press release, raised the issue of extremist elements seeking the secession of an Indian state. PM Modi told Trudeau that allowing pro-Khalistani separatists to operate from Canadian land was not in the interest of both New Delhi and Ottawa.

Trudeau, who had announced to pause discussions on the free trade agreement between India and Canada ahead of his New Delhi visit to attend the G20 summit, told PM Modi that Ottawa will uphold freedom of expression but wont allow violence on its soil.

Earlier in the day, sources in the Indian government said that negotiations over the India-Canada free trade agreement were on hold, due to objections over political developments in Canada.

Trudeau Plane Snag: India offered Canadian PM VVIP aircraft to return home, he refused

In May this year, Candadian Trade Minister Ng and her Indian counterpart, Piyush Goyal, had issued a joint statement announcing joint efforts to boost trade and investment between the countries by year-end.

India is a big economy and Ottawa was eager to expand trade ties with the country. However, Trudeau governments relatively soft stand on Khalistani separatists is seen as a major catalyst behind the strained bilateral relations between the two countries.

While Trudeau was in India for the G20 Summit, Khalistani secessionists held a so-called referendum in Surrey, British Columbia. The separatists used objectionable language against Indian leadership and made remarks against the territorial integrity of India.

Earlier in June this year, they organized a parade celebrating the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, who was killed by his two Sikh bodyguards. Recently, a Hindu temple was vandalised in Canada by extremist elements with Khalistan referendum posters.
The first Congress Working Committee meeting under party president Mallikarjun Kharge will take place on Saturday in Hyderabad where top party leaders will discuss their strategy for the upcoming assembly elections in five states. Ahead of the meeting, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said that an extended working committee meeting will also take place on Sunday.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the meeting, Kharge said that senior Congress leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will attend the meeting.

This is the first CWC meeting after I took charge as the party president. An extended working committee meeting will also take place tomorrow where discussions related to the party will be done. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and all senior leaders will be present in the meeting and have discussions regarding the upcoming elections in 5 states and plan accordingly, Kharge said.

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Earlier on the eve of the meeting, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal informed press that a total of 90 leaders have been invited to attend the meeting but only 84 have confirmed their presence.

We will hold the first CWC (Congress Working Committee meeting) in Hyderabad in which the preparations for the upcoming elections will be discussed. We have invited 90 people, out of which 84 people will attend, he said.

Interestingly, an extended CWC meeting will be held on Septmeber 17, the same day when government has called an all party meeting to discuss the business of the Parliaments special session. It is not yet clear whether Congress will be part of the all-party meeting.

We invited 159 people and 149 people will attend the extended CWC meeting on September 17. We will organise a Vijayaberi public meeting  on the same day. On September 18, our leaders apart from MPs will go to all Assembly constituencies, Venugopal added.

Ahead of the meeting, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has reportedly said that a discussion on the actual election prospects but also highlighted the need to be prepared in case the government decides early elections.

Inevitably one of the key topics is going to be current political developments in the country and the actual election prospects and certainly those who have been representing us in the India Alliance meetings, we want to brief the committee about whats happening thereWe hope that the elections are in the usual time which is six to nine months away. But its also possible that the government might advance the elections as weve been hearing and we need to be prepared sooner rather than later, the Congress leader said, according to an English daily.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday urged the lawyers to step forward and ensure that justice is delivered to the victims and the underprivileged.

Addressing a programme organized by the Bar Association in Sirsa today, the CM said by practicing law, advocates are also doing a social service. He said lawyers should be concerned about the victims who do not have the means to get justice.

Khattar said lawyers should fight cases for the poor even without fees. He said the government is also providing legal assistance to the underprivileged and the needy through legal aid and advocates should also give their equal cooperation in this work.

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The CM said that justice to the deprived and the oppressed is the most crucial factor in creating a strong society. He called upon the advocates to contribute in building a healthy society by fulfilling their responsibilities diligently.

Meanwhile, the CM urged individuals involved in the food processing industry to leverage the potential of digital platforms in the current era to directly deliver their products to consumers.

In direct communication with beneficiaries of the food processing industry through an audio conference during his special discussion program in Sirsa today, Khattar said in this era digital platforms are also proving to be highly effective in the field of food processing.

Most consumers now seek the availability of food items online when making their purchases. Therefore, all those involved in the food processing industry have the opportunity to directly market their products to consumers using digital platforms, he added.

The CM said factors such as a rising population, urbanization, and health-conscious consumers have led to an increasing demand for high-quality products.

In 2022, the food processing industry in the country was valued at Rs 26 lakh crore, and it is anticipated to grow to Rs 35 lakh crore within the next three years. This indicates significant potential for investment and development within this sector, the CM said.

He said 28,000 food processing units are operating in Haryana and urged all entrepreneurs in the food processing industry to leverage the benefits offered by the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

The CM said 6,44,544 enterprises have been registered and certified as MSMEs on the Enterprise Registration Portal in Haryana, with 27,370 of these being MSMEs specifically within the food processing sector.

A total of 4,860 units have applied to avail various benefits under the policy. Out of these, benefits have already been distributed to 1,501 units, while the process of providing benefits to 719 more units is currently underway.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS on Saturday expressed concerns over the ethnic violence in Manipur due to a conflict between Meiteis and Kukis and said that its volunteers are in touch with both communities. Speaking at an event in Pune, RSS Joint General Secretary Manmohan Vaidya said that the situation in the state continues to be worrisome but the decisions will have to be taken by the government.

The situation in Manipur is worrisome. Our workers have informed us about it. But mainly the decision has to be taken by the government. There is a conflict between the Meitei and Kuki communities. Our volunteers are in touch with people from both the community Vaidya said.

According to official police data, 175 people have been killed and more than 1100 hundred injured in the clashes between the members of the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities. At least 33 persons are still missing, the data said. However, people following the incidents in the state fear the actual number of dead could be much higher.

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The remarks from RSS, the ideological mentor of the ruling BJP, have come just two days before the special session of the Parliament when the Opposition is planning to raise the issue. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi demanded adequate time to discuss the issue of Manipur in the Parliament.

The Opposition has accused the BJP of dividing the state. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the BJPs politics on Manipur is an onslaught on Bharat Mata. Read More: Rahul attacks Modi again over Manipur

There is blood everywhere, there is murder everywhere, rape everywhere. That is the situation in Manipur and the Prime Minister spoke for 2 hours, 13 minutes in Parliament, but he spoke on Manipur for just 2 minutes. He laughed, joked. His cabinet laughed, joked, Rahul Gandhi said during a no-confidence motion debate in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, an ally of the BJP-led NDA in both the centre and the state, also called on the government to urgently heal divisions between the warring communities. When asked if the PMs visit could heal the situation, Sangma said that it would be too late for the damage has already been done.

However, as the head of the country, the Prime Minister should visit the state and attempt to instill confidence in the people who have been affected by the violence, he added.

Read More: As head of state, PM should visit Manipur: Meghalaya CM | Exclusive Interview
The Congress partys Jan Aakrosh Yatra in Madhya Pradesh would be launched on Ganesh Chaturthi on 19 September.

MP Congress Chief Kamal Nath, Congress Madhya Pradesh in-charge Randeep Surjewala and other party leaders told media persons in Bhopal today that the Jan Aakrosh Yatra would be held across the state from 19 September to 5 October.

Kamal Nath said the yatra would be 11400-km long. The 17-day yatra would cover all assembly constituencies of the state and would cross through various cities, towns and villages.

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The Congress would carry out Aartis and worship of rivers Narmada, Kshipra, Betwa and Tapti, when the yatra would cross from there.

Besides, Congress leaders in the yatra would also offer prayers and pay obeisance at all religious places and temples that come in the route of the yatra.

The Congress leaders accused the BJP government of having failed on all fronts. They alleged that there is utter corruption prevalent in all departments of the BJP government.

The Congress leaders asserted that the Jan Aakrosh yatra is being taken out on public demand.

They claimed that the people of MP are totally fed up with the BJP and want to throw out Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the BJP government in the upcoming state assembly polls in the state in November this year.

Randeep Surjewala charged that there is Jan Aakrosh in MP, because the BJP government has ruined all sections of the society.

He said the BJP government fired upon farmers who were demanding their rights. He also alleged that the BJP government blatantly indulged in corruption in the name of religion in the construction of the Mahakal Lok at Ujjains Mahakaleshwar Temple.

Kamal Nath charged that the ghotala raj under the BJP has ruined an entire generation of the youth of MP. Nath alleged that there have been many scams including the Patwari exam scam, Nursing College scam, Vyapam scam, police constable recruitment scam and many more during the rule of the BJP under Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

The Congress partys proposed Jan Aakrosh Yatra is being seen as the oppositions counter-attack on the ruling BJPs ongoing Jan Aashirwad Yatra, which is scheduled to conclude in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25 September in Bhopal.

Some Congress leaders said that in the Sanatan Dharma, Ganesh Chaturthi is considered the festival that is auspicious for the beginning of all good things and the Congress partys Jan Aakrosh Yatra would also mark the beginning of the end of the BJPs misrule in Madhya Pradesh.
In the wake of the Nipah virus outbreak, educational institutions in Kozhikode, Kerala, will be closed for a week until Sunday, September 24. This closure encompasses schools, colleges, and tutoring centers. Concurrently, the district administration has confirmed the continuation of online classes throughout this period.

Keralas Health Minister, Veena George, has revealed that the current contact list of infected individuals includes 1,080 people, with 130 newly added today. Among these, 327 individuals are healthcare workers. In other districts, 29 people are listed as contacts of Nipah-infected individuals, with 22 in Malappuram, one in Wayanad, and three each in Kannur and Thrissur.

Of these contacts, 175 fall into the high-risk category as common citizens, and 122 are healthcare workers. The Health Minister noted that the number of people on the contact list is expected to rise as the test result of the person who passed away on August 30 has returned positive, marking the index case of Nipah in the district.

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Currently, the state has reported six positive cases of Nipah Virus, with four individuals undergoing treatment in hospitals. Additionally, 17 individuals who attended the cremation of the man who passed away on August 30 have been placed in isolation.

To ensure effective management, hospitals treating Nipah cases are required to establish medical boards that meet twice daily and provide reports to the health department. These measures are in accordance with the states infectious disease control protocols, as directed by the district collector.
Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and Congress leader Kamal Nath on Saturday said that the joint rally of Oppositions INDIA bloc in Bhopal has been cancelled. After the first INDIA coordination committee meeting on Wednesday, DMK MP TR Balu had announced that the opposition bloc will start its joint campaign in Madhya Pradesh, where elections are due later this year. He had said that the first rally will be held in Bhopal in the first week of October.

However, when Kamal Nath was asked by reporters about the rally, he said, not happening, it has been cancelled.

Reacting to the development, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan said that the rally was cancelled due to the public anger over Sanatana Dharma remarks by Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, whose party DMK is part of the INDIA alliance.

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The people of MP will not tolerate this insult to Sanatana. Understand that our faith has been attacked. This attack will not be tolerated at any cost. There is public anger, hence the rally was cancelled. People will not let this go, CM Chouhan said.

As many as 28 Opposition parties have come together to form an alliance named INDIA  an abbreviation of Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance. The alliance held its first coordination committee meeting in New Delhi at NCP leader Sharad Pawars residence. During the meeting, the Opposition leaders discussed seat-sharing agreement and joint campaigning.

According to reports, the leaders agreed to share seats in Maharashtra and Jammu and Kashmir but West Bengal became the bone of contention as TMC is less interested in sharing power with the Left and the Congress.

However, sources have told that the party is also not completely ready to share seats in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh where it has a strong base. While no official reason has been given so far, the sources said, Congress feels it has favourable election prospects in Madhya Pradesh, therefore, it doesnt want joint rallies of INDIA bloc to start from the state.

The party doesnt want to look weak or in need of an alliance to take on the BJP in the state ahead of the assembly elections, the sources said.

The INDIA alliance has resolved to fight the Lok Sabha elections together as far as possible and it is likely that rallies in states where Congress is strong could take place after the Assembly polls are over. Meanwhile, joint rallies could start from states like Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar and Tamil Nadu where Opposition parties are already in alliances with each other.
Key Insights

AnnAik's estimated fair value is S$0.059 based on Dividend Discount Model

AnnAik's S$0.068 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate

Industry average of 618% suggests AnnAik's peers are currently trading at a higher premium to fair value

Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of AnnAik Limited (Catalist:A52) as an investment opportunity by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. This will be done using the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine.

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for AnnAik

Step By Step Through The Calculation

As AnnAik operates in the metals and mining sector, we need to calculate the intrinsic value slightly differently. Instead of using free cash flows, which are hard to estimate and often not reported by analysts in this industry, dividends per share (DPS) payments are used. This often underestimates the value of a stock, but it can still be good as a comparison to competitors. The 'Gordon Growth Model' is used, which simply assumes that dividend payments will continue to increase at a sustainable growth rate forever. The dividend is expected to grow at an annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 2.0%. We then discount this figure to today's value at a cost of equity of 8.7%. Compared to the current share price of S$0.07, 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.

Story continues

Value Per Share = Expected Dividend Per Share / (Discount Rate - Perpetual Growth Rate)

= S$0.004 / (8.7%  2.0%)

= S$0.06

dcf

The Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. 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 AnnAik as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 8.7%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.347. 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 AnnAik

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 Metals and Mining market.

Current share price is above our estimate of fair value.

Opportunity

Significant insider buying over the past 3 months.

Lack of analyst coverage makes it difficult to determine A52's earnings prospects.

Threat

No apparent threats visible for A52.

Looking Ahead:

Whilst important, the DCF calculation shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For AnnAik, we've compiled three essential factors you should consider:

Risks: As an example, we've found 3 warning signs for AnnAik (1 is potentially serious!) that you need to consider before investing here. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for A52's future outlook? Check out our management and board analysis with insights on CEO compensation and governance factors. Other Solid Businesses: Low debt, high returns on equity and good past performance are fundamental to a strong business. Why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals to see if there are other companies you may not have considered!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every Singaporean stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Ahead of the Congress working committee meeting in Telangana capital city Hyderabad, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi said that her party is ready to write a new chapter of development of the state and the country. The message of Sonia Gandhi was shared by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Twitter (now renamed X).

Referring to the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014 to create the separate state of Telangana, Sonia Gandhi said, We had made a promise to the people of Telangana. We have fulfilled that promise.

Now, its time to lead the state into a new era of progress and prosperity. The Congress Working Committee stands ready to write a new chapter of development with dignity for all people of Telangana and our nation, she said.

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During the Congress Working Committee meeting which started in Hyderabad with a flag hoisting ceremony, top Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge will chalk out a plan for the upcoming assembly elections in five states.

Before departing for Hyderabad, Kharge said, This is the first CWC meeting after I took charge as the party president. An extended working committee meeting will also take place tomorrow where discussions related to the party will be done. Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and all senior leaders will be present in the meeting and have discussions regarding the upcoming elections in 5 states and plan accordingly, Kharge said.

Ahead of the meeting, Congress national general secretary KC Venugopal said that the party will win all the five assembly upcoming elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana.

Several pre-poll surveys have given the Congress party upper hand in at least two states and predicted a neck and neck fight in at least two more states.
In the midst of the ongoing debate and political controversy surrounding DMK minister Udhayanidhi Stalins statements, the Madras High Court has asserted that Sanatana Dharma represents a collection of timeless responsibilities. These responsibilities are derived from various sources related to Hinduism or those who follow the Hindu way of life. They encompass obligations to the nation, the monarch, the monarchs obligations to the populace, responsibilities to ones parents and spiritual teachers, caring for the underprivileged, and a multitude of other duties.

Justice N. Seshasayee, in his ruling dated September 15, acknowledged the spirited and, at times, raucous debates surrounding pro and anti-Sanatana Dharma perspectives. The court expressed genuine concern about the ongoing discourse.

Furthermore, the court emphasized that when exercising the right to free speech in matters pertaining to religion, individuals must ensure that no harm is inflicted, emphasizing that free speech should not be construed as hate speech.

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Somewhere, an idea appears to have gained ground that Sanadhana Dharma is all about, and only about, promoting casteism and untouchability. Untouchability in a country of equal citizens, cannot be tolerated, and even if it is seen as permitted somewhere within the principles of Sanathana dharma, it still cannot have a space to stay, since Article 17 of the Constitution has declared that untouchability has been abolished. It is part of the fundamental right, the court said.

And, under Art. 51A(a), it is the fundamental duty of every citizen to, abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions... Therefore, untouchability, either within or outside Sanatana Dharma can no longer be Constitutional, though sadly it still exits, it added.

The court referred to the arguments on behalf of the petitioner Elangovan and said he had submitted with considerable force that nowhere Sanatana Dharma either approves or promotes untouchability, and it only insists the practitioners of Hinduism to treat all equally.

 As religious practices move with time, some bad or evil practices may un-noticingly creep into it. They are the weeds required to be removed. But why should the crop be chopped?  This, in short the essence of the submissions of the learned counsel, the court noted.

The court listening to a petition that contested a circular released by a local government college. This circular had requested female students to express their views regarding Opposition to Sanadhana on the occasion of the birth anniversary of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK founder CN Annadurai.

After acknowledging that the college had already retracted the circular, the court dismissed the plea.

This Court is conscious to the very vociferous, and at time noisy debates on pro and anti Sanathana Dharma. It has also broadly understood Sanathana Dharama as a set of eternal duties, and that it cannot be traced to one specific literature, but has to be gathered from multiple sources which, either relate to Hinduism, or which those who practice the Hindu way of life, have come to accept, the court said.

It includes the duty to the nation, duty to the King, Kings duty to his people, duty to ones parents and Gurus, care for the poor, and whole lot of other duties. If the topic chosen by the impugned circular is now tested on the plane of these duties, it would then mean that all these duties are liable to be destroyed. Should not a citizen love his country? Is he not under a duty to serve his nation? Should not the parents be cared? With genuine concern for what is going round, this Court could not help pondering over it, the order said.

The court said it is conscious that every citizen has a fundamental right to free speech under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.

While right to free speech is inalienable, it is also important to underscore that one is adequately informed, as it adds value to what is spoken. It should not be forgotten that the Constitutional framers have very consciously has not made right to free speech as an absolute right. They have restricted it with Article 19(2), the order said.

It said Article 25 has granted all citizens the fundamental right to practice any religion.

Every religion is founded on faith, and faith by nature accommodates irrationality. Therefore, when free speech is exercised in matters pertaining to religion, it is necessary for one to ensure that no one is injured, the court said.

In other words free speech cannot be hate speech, as the Honble Supreme Court has cautioned. The users of free speech must not ignore to factor these aspects while exercising their right. If this is ignored, the course of any debate will get derailed, and the objective behind it will lose significance, it added.

The court said it would be appreciable, if free speech encourages dispassionate, and healthy public debates, and helps society to move forward.

How free speech is seen exercised these days? If the free speech made through the social media is taken as a basis, anyone who has little to do with science, or rocket, or space, will be lecturing on rocket science. While this is also accommodated within the right to free speech, yet it may he helpful to gain some attention, and may not take it beyond.

It would be appreciable, if free speech encourages dispassionate, and healthy public debates, and help the society to move forward, along the lines which the Constitution envisages. At the end of the day, every citizen traces his existence to the Constitution, and hence it is his duty to abide by its values, its ethos, and to hold an uncompromising abidance to its spirits. This should not be forgotten. Hope it prevails, the order said.

(With Inputs from Agency)
In Bengaluru on Friday, in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, more than 15 senior leaders and former corporators from the Bharatiya Janata Party and JD(S) joined Congress, dealing a blow to the two parties ahead of the Lok Sabha elections next year. According to ANI, the following former councilors have joined the Congress: L. Shrinivas, Anjanappa, H. Suresh, Venkata Swamy Naidu, Narayana, Ramu, Balanna, Kabaddi Babu, and M. Nagraj.

According to news agency IANS, the event took place in the Bharat Jodo Auditorium at the party office in Bengaluru. They received Congress flags from DK Shivakumar, who also invited them to the party. This is the Congress third big operation after luring BJP and JD-S leaders from Bengalurus Yeshwantpur and R R Nagar constituencies.One of the BJP s former leader L. Srinivas claimed that he spent 33 years working for the BJP before joining the grand old party, the congress.

DK Shivakumar attacked the BJP, claiming that the saffron partys leaders were mistreated and are now knocking on our doors. BJP and JD-S leaders from the Padmanabhanagar seat, who were a key component in establishing control over the Bengaluru city corporation, have joined the Congress. They have not been treated well by the BJP leaders, and now they are knocking on our doors, according to Shivakumar, who was quoted by IANS.

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Shivakumar had promised the high command that he would win more than 20 seats in the Karnataka Lok Sabha. According to sources cited by IANS, he is attempting to convert more than 20 MLAs from the BJP and JD(S) to the Congress. Shivakumar, who defended the action, had questioned whether the BJP was justified in overthrowing elected governments in Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.

On Friday, DK Shivakumar showed confidence in the Congress and predicted that it will do well in Karnataka during the Lok Sabha elections. He accused the BJP of engaging in compromise politics in light of a potential alliance with the Janata Dal-Secular.
Three Pakistani terrorists were Saturday killed in an encounter with a joint team of the Army and J&K Police in a forward area of North Kashmirs Uri.

Kashmir Zone Police said that the encounter started early in the morning in the Hathlanga area of Uri in Baramulla district.

Arms and ammunition has been recovered in the area. The encounter broke out after Army recieved inputs that some terrorists are trying to cross the LoC to enter India.

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According to the Army sources, Pakistani Army also provided cover fire to the terrorists. However, alert security forces neutralised the terrorists.

Meanwhile, the search operation for terrorists who killed two Army officers, a police DSP and a soldier in the Kokernag (Anantnag) area of South Kashmir entered fourth day today.

Army was dropping bombs in the thickly forested area where the terrorists are believed to be hiding. In a drone footage, a terrorist is seen running for shelter as a drone hovers over him.

Reinforcements of Army, CRPF and Police have been deployed in the area.
As the parliamentary elections approach, the National Peoples Party (NPP) led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma occupies a strategically significant position in the political landscape. With alliances both at the national level with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and regional considerations in states like Meghalaya, the NPPs stance and actions are of importance.

Heres an overview of the partys position and responses to key questions as shared by Mr. Sangma during an exclusive interview with The Statesman:

Question: How is your alliance with the NDA going, and what will be the NPPs stance in the upcoming parliamentary elections?

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Conrad Sangma: The NPP has a long-standing alliance with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the national level and forms a coalition with the BJP in Meghalaya. While we maintain our historical ties, its essential to establish our unique identity and presence in specific areas. We emphasize the importance of contesting elections on our own terms, driven by our vision to provide a strong platform for the North East region. While we maintain a cooperative approach with the NDA, we are prepared to assert our independence if we perceive any marginalization.

Question: Youve recently met with heads of various regional parties at the national level, including Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. Is a new political alliance shaping up?

Conrad Sangma: My recent meeting with KCR of Telangana was to learn from successful governance models. For that matter I keep on visiting states like Delhi, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu to study the successful models and explore how we can replicate them for the benefit of the people of Meghalaya. My visit was completely related to economics, however, political issues do come up.

As is said while committed to our NDA affiliation, the NPP remains open to the possibility of contesting elections independently if the situation so demands.

Question: There are rumors of many BJP members within the state joining the NPP in Meghalaya. What is your response to this?

Conrad Sangma: In the dynamic landscape of politics, I acknowledge that individuals may switch sides. We believe in providing space for such shifts while keeping our primary focus on advancing the North East agenda. This commitment extends to being willing to contest elections even against the BJP if circumstances require it.

Question: How has connectivity improved in a remote state like Meghalaya concerning development issues?

Conrad Sangma: We commend the success of the UDAN Scheme, advocating for subsidized flight rates between Shillong and Delhi. We have also urged the Civil Aviation Ministry to consider upgrading Shillong to an international airport. Additionally, there have been marked improvements in road connectivity, particularly between Shillong and Guwahati, as well as enhanced interconnectivity among North Eastern states.

Question: Regarding the resolution of the Coal Mining Ban in Meghalaya, what is the way forward?

Conrad Sangma: Despite the challenges posed by bans and legal battles, our government has made progress toward resuming mining operations in four mines. The coal mining ban had detrimental effects on government revenue, job opportunities, and the local economy, highlighting the significance of reinstating mining for the states financial stability and the livelihoods of many families.

Question: What is your stance on Uranium Mining in Meghalaya?

Conrad Sangma: Our government maintains a cautious stance on uranium mining, emphasizing the need for comprehensive consultations with all stakeholders to address safety concerns. At present, we do not support uranium mining in Meghalaya.

Question: What are your thoughts on the Manipuri Imbroglio and what could have been done to stop the ethnic violence?

Conrad Sangma: The Manipur issue and the damage it has caused are immense. Decisions, including the possibility of a leadership change or invoking Presidents rule, lie with the Central government. However, we stress the urgency of substantial political engagement to rebuild confidence and heal divisions between Kukis and Meities in Manipur.

Question: Could Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit heal the situation?

Conrad Sangma: Unfortunately, it may be too late as much damage has already been done, leading to growing mistrust between Kuki and Meitie communities after prolonged violence. However, as the head of the country, the prime minister should visit the state and attempt to instill confidence in the people who have been affected by the violence.

Question: The North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), a platform of non-Congress parties, was launched to create a unified voice for the North East. Has it delivered on its objectives?

Conrad Sangma: While acknowledging NEDAs potential as a platform for addressing regional issues and fostering cooperation among North Eastern states, there are concerns about its underutilized potential due to infrequent meetings. NEDA could have played a significant role in addressing critical issues such as the Manipur dispute and the Assam-Mizoram border issue. Additionally, there was a proposal to establish a cultural center in Assam to promote regional unity and development, but that has not materialized.

Question: You have been vocal on issues concerning the North East states, such as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Can we expect Conrad Sangma to take on the leadership role on issues that concern the entire North East region in the future?

Conrad Sangma: My leadership is dedicated to championing North East issues and unifying the regions voice on the national stage. I see youth empowerment, tourism promotion, and the Act East policy as potential drivers for creating a unified North East voice in Indian politics. I have taken up issues like the CAA with the central government, even though I didnt receive support from the BJP. In politics, numbers matter, so as we expand our base, I will continue to advocate for the North East agenda with the center for the overall benefit of the region.
India is progressing economically. But due to this progress, the number of billionaires in the country has risen from only nine in 2000 to 101 in 2017 and to 140 in 2021. In effect, inequality grows when private individual finance framework grows strongest and wealthier than the state system. This has indeed happened in India. Interestingly, a report of Oxfam shows that a daily wage labourer working at the current minimum wage will take as many as 941 years to earn equivalent to the annual income of a Chief Executive Officer of an industrial organization. Another battle of inequality is fuming in the use of natural resources or capital like forests, lands and water. This battle is also related to the consumption that is at the centre of the climate change debate. Like in the climate change debate, in this case as well there is a sharp division between the developed and the developing and the poor countries. While the developed countries are obsessive consumers of natural resources and pump non-comparable level of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere, the developing and the poor countries are just consuming natural resources for survival. The World Bank in its report entitled The Changing Wealth of Nations 2021 is unequivocally clear on one aspect: wealth is increasing in the world but will not be sustainable in countries that have degraded their natural environment or capital. These countries are the ones who depend more on natural resources for income and sustenance, which dominantly are the poor and developing countries. This is a cause of concern. The report says: Because low-income countries have so few other assets, proportionately, renewable natural assets such as ecosystems are crucial for them, comprising around 23 per cent of other total wealth. This is the highest fraction of total wealth coming from renewable natural capital among all income groups. Like GHGs emissions, poor and developing countries need to use their natural resources even if at unsustainable levels, because these are the only resources available for their sustenance. Many estimates have pointed out that nearly half of the worlds population ekes out a living from degraded resources like land and forests. In the future, these resources might not be able to sustain productive livelihoods. But there is no alternative. The report also mentions that wealth per capita has grown in low-and middleincome countries due to an increase in agricultural areas and also in harvesting resources like fisheries. But this gain is also at the cost of natural resources. However, the central point is that where the ecology is the main economy, prosperity cannot be assured without the use of natural resources. So the poor and developing countries, or those whose survival and prosperity critically depend on natural resources, will be again put under pressure to bring down consumption. Like in the case of GHGs emission, consumption of natural resources is very unequal. A citizen of a rich country consumes oil and other resources up to 30 times more than those of poor countries. But despite excess consumption, rich countries have reported high levels of natural wealth because their basic survival does not depend on natural resources as much as in poor countries. It is the time for another equity battle, over access and use of natural resources. It is widely agreed that economic prosperity alone will not achieve social progress. High levels of inequality risk leaving much human potential unrealized, damage social cohesion, hinder economic activity and undermine democratic participation. Leaving no one behind is thus a crucial part of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 10 calls for progressively reducing not only income inequalities but also inequalities of outcome by ensuring access to equal opportunities and promoting social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, religion or status within society. Social inequalities and educational inequalities go hand in hand. While education is seen as a great equalizer, inequality in access or quality education risks reinforcing social and economic inequalities. The essential economic role of education implies that unequal education can be a driver of unequal outcomes between different groups in society. What is more, educational inequality is at the root of low social mobility across generations. If only the children of wealthy and successful parents have access to the best educational opportunities, inequalities will be more persistent across generations compared to a society where education is less dependent on family background. Understanding of nature and determinants of educational inequality are therefore crucial to the study of overall economic opportunity in a society. Inequalities are humanmade and can be eradicated only through human initiatives. In many ways they are related to individual endeavors as well as moves taken by society and governments. The countries where governments necessarily spend more on education, health, labour welfare and social services, have better attributes to equality. Development Finance International and Oxfam have conducted studies on determining ranking of countries on equality. They inform that Norway, Denmark and Germany are relatively best endowed with equality across the parameters of gender, economics, labour, public service and taxation system. In the words of Professor Himanshu of Jawaharlal Nehru University: What is particularly worrying in Indias case is that economic inequality is being added to a society that is already fractured along the lines of caste, religion and gender. It is not that earlier policy-makers were not conscious of the horrific effects of inequality. On 25 February 1956, Jawaharlal Nehru had said, Democracy has been spoken of chiefly in the past as political democracy, roughly represented by every person having a vote. In the past, a democracy was understood as political democracy, where one person has one vote and one value. But a vote by itself does not represent very much to a person who is down and out, to a person, let us say, who is starving or hungry. Political democracy by itself is not enough except that it may be used to obtain gradually increasing measure of economic democracy, equality and the spread of good things of life to others and removable of gross inequality. B R Ambedkar had also expressed similar views, stating: On the social plane, we have in India a society based on the principle of graded inequality, where we have a society in which there are some who have immense wealth as against many who live in abject poverty. In politics we will be recognizing the principle of one value. We must remove this contradiction. On the eve of departure of the British, on 14 August, 1947 Jawaharlal Nehru reminded the country that the task ahead included the ending of poverty and ignorance and disease and inequality of opportunity. There is also constitutional affirmation. Article 38 (2) of the Indian Constitution says: The state shall, in particular, strive to minimize the inequalities in income, and endeavor to eliminate inequalities in status, facilities and opportunities, not only among individuals but also amongst groups of people residing in different areas or engaged in different vocations. However, in todays India most of the policies do not carry the motto of inequality reduction, nor do any political strategies. We should avoid the politics of communalism, hate and monopolisation of wealth and power in the name of development. Because the philosophy of equity never fits into such politics. We should never forget what Amartya Sen said: I believe that virtually all the problems in the world come from inequality of one kind or another. The success of a society is to be evaluated primarily by the freedoms that members of the society enjoy.

(Concluded)

The writer is a retired IAS officer

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Nicole Shanahan has been making headlines recently due to her discreet divorce from Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google. As an attorney and entrepreneur, her name has been associated with rumors of a possible romantic involvement with billionaire Elon Musk. Lets delve into who Nicole Shanahan is.

Hailing from Oakland, California, Nicole Shanahan is a prominent American businesswoman, attorney, media personality, and entrepreneur. She is best known as the founder of ClearAccessIP, a company she led as CEO and creator for nearly seven years. Since January 2020, she has assumed the role of President at the Bia-Echo Foundation.

However, Nicoles connection to the tech world is not limited to her professional endeavors. She was formerly married to Sergey Brin, a renowned computer scientist and co-founder of Google, alongside Larry Page.

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In her professional journey, Nicole has held positions such as an IP Paralegal at Aeon Law Firm, followed by a stint at Logan Law Firm. She currently serves as a legal consultant with the International Practise Group, drawing from her experiences, including her internship at CodeX, where she gained insights into practicing law in the digital age.

Born in 1989, Nicole Shanahan is 34 years old and has deep roots in Oakland, California, where she spent her childhood and adolescence. Her educational path began at a local Oakland primary school, followed by studies at a nearby middle school. She completed high school education at a nearby high school before pursuing higher education at the University of Puget Sound. There she focused on Asian Studies and Community Involvement.

Nicoles upbringing was shaped by her mother, as her parents had separated, and she was raised by her single mother. Her father was a businessman, while her mother dedicated her time to homemaking.

Nicole Shanahans professional accomplishments have contributed to her comfortable financial status. She has an estimated net worth ranging between $5 and $6 million.

Before her marriage to Sergey Brin, Nicole was previously married to Jeremy Kranz. In 2014, Kranz filed for divorce from Shanahan, though the details of their marriage and divorce remain undisclosed. Their divorce judgments were issued in April 2015, paving the way for her subsequent marriage to Sergey Brin.
Sergey Brin, a co-founder of Google, has recently concluded his divorce from Nicole Shanahan, an attorney and entrepreneur. Rumors had circulated about Shanahans alleged involvement in a romantic relationship with billionaire Elon Musk. But before delving into the details, lets get to know Sergey Brin.

At 50 years old, Sergey Mikhailovich Brin stands as an American billionaire business magnate, renowned for co-founding Google alongside Larry Page. Until December 3, 2019, Brin held the position of President at Googles parent company, Alphabet Inc. He, along with Page, continues to play a pivotal role at Alphabet as co-founders, controlling shareholders, and board members. As of September 2023, Brin ranks as the 8th-richest person globally, boasting an estimated net worth of $107 billion according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

Brins journey to success began when he emigrated to the United States from the Soviet Union at the age of six. He pursued his bachelors degree at the University of Maryland, College Park, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather by studying mathematics and computer science.

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After completing his undergraduate studies, he enrolled at Stanford University with the goal of obtaining a Ph.D. in computer science. It was there that he crossed paths with Larry Page, and together they embarked on the journey to create a groundbreaking web search engine.

Their innovative project gained immense popularity at Stanford, leading them to suspend their Ph.D. pursuits and establish Google in Susan Wojcickis Menlo Park garage.

More about Sergey Brin:

Born in Moscow, in the Soviet Union, to Russian Jewish parents, Mikhail and Eugenia Brin, both graduates of Moscow State University (MSU), Brins father is a retired mathematics professor at the University of Maryland, while his mother is a researcher at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center.

In May 2007, Brin tied the knot with Anne Wojcicki, a biotech analyst and entrepreneur, in the Bahamas. Together, they welcomed a son in late 2008 and a daughter in late 2011. However, in August 2013, their marriage faced turmoil due to Brins extramarital affair with Amanda Rosenberg, Google Glasss marketing director. Eventually, in June 2015, Brin and Wojcicki finalized their divorce.

On November 7, 2018, Sergey Brin married Nicole Shanahan, a legal tech founder, and the couple welcomed a daughter in late 2018. Sadly, Brin and Shanahan decided to separate on December 15, 2021, with Brin officially filing for divorce on January 4, 2022.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Saturday said that US President Joe Biden is set to host Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on Thursday, noting that it will be their third meeting.

At the press briefing, Sullivan said, President Biden will host President Zelensky of Ukraine here at the White House on Thursday. And this will be their third meeting.

Noting Russias desperate attempts to seek help from countries like North Korea, Sullivan further said, It certainly comes at a critical time as Russia desperately seeks help from countries like North Korea for its brutal war in Ukraine as Ukrainian forces continue to make progress in the counteroffensive

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He further emphasized on USs support to Ukraine and said that Biden is looking forward to hear Zelenskyys perspective on this.

President Biden looks forward to hearing President Zelenskys perspective on all of this and to reaffirm for the world and for the United States, his commitment to continuing to lead the world in supporting Ukraine as it defends its independence, its sovereignty, and its territorial integrity, Sullivan said during the briefing.

However, according to NSA Sullivan, the US always keeps on preparing new military packages for Ukraine.

We are always preparing a new military package for Ukraine. We do these drawdown packages essentially every couple of weeks.

He further highlighted that there will be an announcement soon on additional weapons for Ukraine.

I think you can anticipate that there will be a further announcement of additional resources and capabilities, additional weapons to go to Ukraine, he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit Washington, US, next week as he sets to make the case for ongoing aid-related discussions for his country, reported Al Jazeera.

Biden administration has asked Congress to provide USD 24 billion for Ukraine support, including USD 13.1 billion in additional military aid and USD 8.5 billion for humanitarian aid, reported Al Jazeera.

However, some of the politicians, particularly from the Republican party have resisted at the idea of providing more money and supplies to Ukraine, as it attempts to repel Russian forces.

Moreover, his visit coincides with the Congress debate over federal spending, as the lawmakers face an impending September 30 deadline to pass a budget.

Although, Congress has approved aid over USD 113 billion. But their last funding was in December, before Republicans took control of the House of Representatives, according to Al Jazeera.

Furthermore, Zelenskyys visit to Capitol Hill will be his second visit since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022.

His first visit was in December when he delivered an impassioned speech before Congress, rallying lawmakers against Russian aggression.

Although, in the past, Zelenskyy has made few visits international visits since the invasion, but he is set to be in the US next week for the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York, reported Al Jazeera.
In a move set to impact several Indian students, the fee for applying for a study visa from outside the UK is set to increase by 127 pounds beginning next month, following a legislation being laid in the British Parliament.

The UK Home Office said on Friday that the fee for applying for a student visa from outside the country will rise by 127 pounds to 490 pounds, to equal the amount charged for in-country applications.

Changes have also been made to the cost for a visit visa for less than six months, which is rising by 15 pounds to 115 pounds.

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Subject to Parliamentary approval, the immigration and nationality fees will increase from October 4, the Home Office announced.

With more than 120,000 Indian students studying in the UK in 2021-2022, Indian students make up among the largest international student communities in the country, according to data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

The government said that changes to immigration and nationality fees have been done to pay for vital services and allow more funding to be prioritised for public sector pay rises.

Also increased were the fees for indefinite leave to enter and indefinite leave to remain; convention travel document and stateless persons travel document; health and care visa; fees in relation to certificates of sponsorship and confirmation of acceptance for studies; the in and out of country fee for the super-priority service and the out of country fee for the priority service.

The changes do not include the planned increase to the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which are scheduled to be introduced later in the Autumn.

The IHS was first introduced in 2015 at 200 pounds per application. It doubled to 400 pounds in 2018 and rose to 624 pounds in 2020.

In July, the government announced a 15 per cent increase in the cost of most work and visit visas, and an increase of at least 20 per cent in the cost of priority visas, study visas and certificates of sponsorship.

Income from fees charged plays a vital role in the Home Offices ability to run a sustainable immigration and nationality system, a Home Office statement read.

Careful consideration is given when setting fees to help reduce the funding contribution from British taxpayers, whilst continuing to provide a service that remains attractive to those wishing to work in the UK and support broader prosperity for all, the statement added.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks Conservative government has been under intense pressure over the public sector pay, which has resulted in a series of strikes over the past year hitting schools and hospitals.
Ivanko_Brnjakovic / iStock.com

The holidays are a time of celebration and cheer for many people, but they often come with a hefty price tag. In fact, the National Retail Federation (NRF) forecasts that the average person is going to spend just over $832 this winter holiday season on gifts and celebrations. This amount isnt too far off from previous years.

Costcos Best Deals? Employee Reveals 10 Standout Buys for Your Money

Find Out: How To Get Cash Back on Your Everyday Purchases

Because the holiday season can be expensive, many people experience financial stress around this time of year. Not only can holiday shopping put a serious strain on their wallets, but it can also dampen their overall experience.

Fortunately, there are ways to lighten the financial burden when shopping for the holiday season, one of which is to start your shopping now. GOBankingRates spoke with Samantha Landau, consumer expert at TopCashback USA, and Brad Godwin, senior vice president and head of partnership at Shopkick, about the benefits of shopping for the holidays early. Heres what they said.

Youll Have Time To Make a Budget-Friendly List

Having a holiday shopping list can save you a lot of time in the store, but getting started early can also help ensure you have enough time to come up with gift ideas for your friends and family. Plus, having a list can keep you from going over your budget.

The first step to getting organized this holiday season is to build a list of what youre planning to buy, said Landau. This can help you avoid buying items last-minute and can keep you on track with your budget.

And once youve got a working list in order, you can then take your time hitting the stores.

Early holiday shopping allows consumers to take advantage of all their time before the holidays and jot down gift ideas for each person on their list, added Godwin. Having a clear idea of what they want to buy can save them time and help them stick to their budget.

Hidden Gems: Affordable Luxury Goods at Aldi

Shopping Early Can Help You Find Some Great Deals

Another advantage of creating a list and starting your holiday shopping early is that youre more likely to catch early shopper deals and discounts that way. You might also be able to buy gifts and holiday dAcor before they get marked up or go out of stock.

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Landau noted that your holiday shopping list doesnt have to be comprehensive, but having one can make it easier to research and record current or upcoming deals.

While the list does not need to include everything at this point in time, its good to get a general understanding of how much you plan on spending and how many people you are buying for, said Landau. You can use this list to research if there are any noteworthy deals, which can help you determine if its worth buying early or waiting for a sale.

You Can Save Money While Having Peace of Mind

If youve ever waited to shop for the holidays until the last minute, you probably know how stressful it can be trying to find gifts for people at a reasonable price point. But when you shop early, you can avoid the stress of trying to find the perfect gift, while potentially easing the financial strain.

According to a recent survey conducted by TopCashback, nearly one-third (31%) of Americans have already started their holiday shopping this year, said Landau. Knowing that youve got the perfect gift can be a great relief as we head into the hectic holiday season. Plus, it gives you more room to spread out your budget over the coming weeks in order to make holiday expenses a bit more affordable.

Preordering Could Save Money and Time

The winter holidays are a prime time for exciting new items to hit the shelves. But while these items might make for great gifts, youre probably not the only person who thinks so.

If you start shopping now, you could benefit from preordering some of these new goods. In some cases, preordering also comes with a price discount. Thats why Landau suggested researching whats coming out and putting in an order now.

If a new or popular gift is on your shopping list this holiday season, research to see when it is available for purchase, said Landau. Buying it in advance may save you money and stress. And while pre-orders may seem like a guarantee that youll get the product, youll still want to purchase the item as soon as possible to avoid the pre-sale running out of supplies.

It Gives You More Time To Compare Prices and Deals

Another reason why its smart to start your holiday shopping early is that it gives you more time to compare prices of different gifts across retailers.

Buying gifts in advance means that consumers dont have to always settle for the first deal they come across, said Godwin. There is time to compare prices across different retailers to ensure theyre getting the best value for their money.

You Can Take Advantage of Cash Back

Cash-back rewards, often gained from using a credit or debit card, can be a fantastic way to save money when holiday shopping. The same goes for free browser extensions dedicated to finding you the best deals on your online shopping.

When shopping online for your holiday gifts, make sure to use a cash-back site, like TopCashback, which guarantees the highest percentage of your money back at over 7,000 retailers nationwide, including Macys, Walmart and Sephora, said Landau.

Other free browser extensions that can help you save money include Honey and CamelCamelCamel, the latter of which can also track the costs of items over time.

You Might Be Able To Avoid Shipping Costs

If you plan to shop online, you may need to pay for shipping and handling costs. The closer it is to the holiday season, the more likely you are to have to pay for expedited shipping to ensure the gifts youve purchased arrive in time. Not only can this be a hassle, but it can also be stressful and costly.

But by shopping early, you can avoid some or all of the cost of shipping.

A major perk to shopping early for the holidays is consumers dont feel rushed to receive their items, said Godwin. They can pick their gifts up in store when possible, and if they need anything shipped, they can choose the longest and least expensive option because their gift will still arrive well before it is needed.

The cost-savings potential here is particularly significant if youre an avid online shopper. Its also beneficial if you dont have Amazon Prime or if you dont qualify for free shipping at retailers like Walmart or Target.

You May Still Benefit From Price Adjustments

One downside of shopping early for the holidays is that certain items might go on sale soon after purchase. For example, Landau noted, you might score some great deals if you wait to shop until late November.

The good news is that some stores offer price adjustments or will refund the extra money you spent on items that later become cheaper. Youll typically have a brief window to take advantage of this, though  usually no more than 14 days from when you purchased the item.

More From GOBankingRates

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Im a Personal Finance Expert: Why You Should Start Your Holiday Shopping Now To Save Money
KINGFISHER  Pioneer Telephone Cooperative has come a long way from Fay  and Oakwood, Omega and Loyal, the tiny communities wired together in Oklahoma's first telephone co-op, started in 1953.

That was then. Seventy years later, Pioneer's first four telephone exchanges have grown to 76 networks covering 11,000 square miles, 16% of the state.

This is now: those old exchanges, plus fiber-optics and broadband internet.

"The future is now for Oklahomans. Jobs can now stay at home, on the farm or ranch. Rural Work From Home can happen, and companies like Pioneer are making it happen" and have been, for the last 70 years, said Dean Carter, marketing manager.

Early Pioneer Telephone operators at their cord boards.

Pioneer Telephone, Oklahoma's first telephone co-op, was formed by Cimarron Electric, the states first electric co-op

The state's first electric co-op, Cimarron Electric, founded in 1936, formed Pioneer, which cut its own edge with Fay, Oakwood, Omega and Loyal. Pioneer is still on the edge, adding a broadband team this year, and continuing to install hundreds of millions of dollars worth of fiber-optics across its territory in western Oklahoma.

About $280 million in funding is coming from the Federal Communications Commission's Alternative Connect America cost Model (ACAM) over 12 years. Pioneer will add $100 million of general funds over 10 years to fill in the gaps, said Dean Carter, marketing manager.

That $380 million in will provide 18,953 rural locations with support and fiber-optic internet access, he said.

"A first for many Oklahomans," Carter said. "I personally live in Okarche and just received fiber from Pioneer one year ago. It is a massive under taking to replace all copper lines with fiber and a massively expensive task on top of that. Our customer base is 2.85 customers per mile average, while urban areas are on average 20.3 blocks per mile at a rate of 12 houses per block and 243 customers per mile if not more."

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Pioneer Telephone Cooperative headquarters is in Kingfisher.

'The internet is the Wild West,' and Pioneer Telephone Cooperative aims to tame it

With 500 employees, 300 at headquarters in Kingfisher and the rest at its 24 retail centers, Pioneer serves 94,000 "revenue generating units" across its territory, "from Hollis to Newcastle to Woodward and Weatherford  all corners of western Oklahoma," he said.

Because "customers could have multiple products and services with us," Carter said, Pioneer counts "revenue generating units," rather than customers or patrons, who are members of the co-op, or investors, and receive dividends.

"Internet/broadband is our business, (as well as) telephone, cellular, streaming TV, ETS circuits (ethernet services), and VoIP and hosted VoIP (voice over internet protocol digital phone service)," he said.

"The internet is the Wild West," Carter said.

Blake Callaham, general manager of Pioneer Telephone Cooperative, points out the coop's telephone exchanges on a map at the headquarters in Kingfisher.

We asked him to talk about Pioneer Telephone's experience on the telecommunications frontier the past 70 years. He did so after consulting with Blake Callaham, general manager; Mike Gore, division manager for telecommunications installation; Randy Mowdy, division manager for customer experience; and Mike Baustert, vice president of operations and engineering.

Q: 'Pioneer,' 'Telephone' and 'Cooperative' sound old-fashioned. But Pioneer is anything but that. Talk about how far the co-op has come.

A. When you see we have enough fiber in the ground to stretch across the U.S. three times, that shows our commitment to our co-op and rural America. We provide the fastest technology on the planet to the farm, a small community which keeps jobs in towns and schools alive and thriving. Not many companies get the pleasure to serve such a wide-ranging demographic.

We can help farmers run very sophisticated equipment, run live cameras for their calving operation, sell and manage crops from their home office, and participate in Teams calls with other professionals and legislators to ensure their way of life. ...

"Pioneer will enhance the quality of life for our Members and Sunscribers through continual innovation and technology."

Broadband is the future. Everything will run and sit on top of broadband.

Equipment at Pioneer Telephone Cooperative headquarters in Kingfisher.

Q: Where does Pioneer Telephone Cooperative fit in the telecommunications industry?

A. With over 94,000 agreements on landline telephone, internet, stand alone internet, ETS internet, business broadband internet, multigig internet, TV streaming, VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol-home phone), hosted VoIP-business phone, wireless internet, long distance.

Pioneer Telephone Cooperative is one of the largest telecom cooperatives in the United States and is nationally recognized as an industry leader in rural telecommunications. Pioneer is a multi-service telecommunications corporation providing service to thousands of accounts in communities encompassing 45 counties in western and southern Oklahoma, as well as eight counties in southern Kansas.

Q: Who are Pioneer Telephone Cooperative's competitors and how does it compete?

A. This is tricky! Everyone is a competitor. The internet is now the Wild West. Big players are entering the market and overbuilding each other. The little guys like Pioneer, focus on the underserved. We continue to elevate the cooperative model. We focus on customer service and bringing the latest and greatest technology to our members, as well as some other exchanges that are not Pioneer exchanges.

Pioneer is an ILEC, Incumbent Local Exchange Carrier providing service near Competitive Local Exchange Carriers, four underserved exchanges, Weatherford, Woodward, Fairview and Cashion. We compete against the bigger companies that do not see value/profit in these smaller exchanges and choose to focus on large metro areas. Some of the bigger carriers are Blue Peak, Optimum (Suddenlink), AT&T.

Q: Are formerly urban customers who move into Pioneer Telephone Cooperative's rural service areas surprised to see advanced technology?

An old wall phone is on display at Pioneer Telephone Cooperative in Kingfisher, which is observing its 70th anniversary in 2023.

A. Now metro customers, even out-of-state customers, move to rural small town Oklahoma for better cost of living and still have the same offerings a large metro offers. Remote work is now a standard in our work environments. That's an entire topic on its own, but Pioneer offers it to our employees.

What better service for an ISP (internet service provider) than to allow its employees the freedom to work from home? This option might even attract more rural employees, that can now work from their farm or ranch to help the family provide a second income or operate a business from home.

Q: Pioneer Telephone Cooperative was born on the cutting edge of telecommunications in 1953 and remains on the edge in 2023, but did it ever fall behind?

A pink "Princess" telephone, introduced in 1967 and popular in the 1970s, is on display at Pioneer Telephone Cooperative in Kingfisher.

A. No, we have always been the first to do things. We were the first telephone cooperative in Oklahoma. We grew to the third largest in the United States for years, and are currently in the top 10. We were the first to launch IPTV, Internet Protocol TV, over copper telephone lines.

We grew to be one of the largest independent cellular carriers in the nation, covering over 400 towers in western Oklahoma and Kansas, with tens of thousands of customers. We were the first ISP to provide fiber to Competitive Local Exchange Carrier towns like Weatherford Woodward, Fairview and Cashion.

Q: Has Pioneer Telephone Cooperative ever considered becoming a for-profit business?

A collection of 1940s and 1950s desk phones on display at Pioneer Telephone Cooperative in Kingfisher.

A. No. A cooperative is what we are and will be. We do have other products and services that are in our CLEC (Competitive Local Exchange Carrier) environment that are not a cooperative. They are intended to make money and be profitable to help all of our customers grow and receive more products and services in the future. We do both, but the cooperative is the parent company.

Q: What are some examples of recent Pioneer Telephone Cooperative projects?

Fiber splitters work on an installation project in Frederick.

A. Pioneer Telephone Cooperative serves some of Oklahoma's smallest communities. Here are some recent projects.

Construction of 226 miles of buried fiber-optic cable outside Thomas and Custer to serve more than 300 designated locations at a cost of $5.3 million.

A $2 million fiber-optic build-out in Okeene and Thomas , which will cover 37 miles of fiber and serve hundreds of residents.

$5.4 million for deploying 67 miles of fiber to reach residents served with copper in Seiling, Mooreland, Lahoma, Cleo Springs, Meno and Ringwood.

An old desk phone is on display at Pioneer Telephone Cooperative in Kingfisher.

Fiber build-outs in Oakwood, Seiling and Okarche financed through the Rural Utilities Service ReConnect and ACAM programs for 70 miles of fiber at a cost of $1.9 million.

Construction of 163 miles of mainline fiber-optic cable facilities to serve more than 365 designated locations near Geary and Calumet , costing $5 million.

Carter and Sentinel build-outs covering 203 miles, 300 customers and costing $6.9 million.

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ioneer Telephone Cooperative management: Mike Gore, division manager for telco installation and building maintenance; Randy Mowdy, division manager for customer experience; Blake Callaham, general manager; and Mike Baustert, vice president of operations and engineering.

Senior Business Writer Richard Mize has covered housing, construction, commercial real estate and related topics for the newspaper and Oklahoman.com since 1999. Contact him at rmize@oklahoman.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter, Real Estate with Richard Mize. You can support Richard's work, and that of his colleagues, by purchasing a digital subscription to The Oklahoman. Right now, you can get 12 months of subscriber-only access for $1 a month.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How Pioneer Telephone in Oklahoma stays on the cutting edge
Hollywood star Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness have announced that they are separating after 27 years of marriage.

The ex-couple shared the news in a joint statement to People magazine.

"We have been blessed to share almost three decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth, they said in the joint statement.

Jackman, 54, and Furness, 67, further said their "family has been and always will be our highest priority as we undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love and kindness".

They urged for "privacy" as they navigate the "transition in all of our lives".

Jackman and Furness met on the set of Australian television series Corelli in 1995 and married the following year.

The two Australian actors are parents to two childrenOscar, 23, and Ava, 18.

In April this year, Jackman had marked the 27th anniversary of his marriage with Furness through an Instagram post.

"I love you so much. Together we have created a beautiful family. And life. Your laughter, your spirit, generosity, humour, cheekiness, courage and loyalty is an incredible gift to me," the actor had posted.
On the first day of the meeting of the newly formed Congress Working Committee (CWC) in Hyderabad, one of the focus areas was the security threats faced by the country, both internally and externally. The CWC extended sympathies to the families of security personnel who lost their lives in the recent encounter in Kashmir.

It is inexcusable and an insult to their sacrifice that while this tragedy was unfolding and the nation mourning, the BJP and the prime minister were indulging in a celebratory extravaganza in the national capital congratulating themselves on G20, read the resolution. Through another resolution, the CWC demanded the removal of Manipur chief minister and the imposition of the Presidents rule in the state.

In his opening remarks at the CWC meeting, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, The entire nation is witnessing the tragic events still unfolding in Manipur. Modi government allowed the fire of Manipur to reach Nuh in Haryana. These incidents tarnish the image of modern, progressive, and secular India.

The CWC condemned incursions by China into India-held territory and called upon the government to come clean on the border dispute.

Speaking to media persons on this issue at the meeting venue, former finance minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram said, They (Chinese) are changing our borders. They are standing firm in their positions. The Chinese havent retreated an inch. We are losing territory and the Chinese are commanding the territory.

The CWC passed resolutions that were related to economy and political situation of the country.

The CWC expressed its grave concern at increasing unemployment and continuous rise of prices, and rejected the call for a new Constitution and the mischievous argument that basic structure of the Constitution can be changed.

The Congress also wants the women's reservation bill to be passed during the special Parliament session. The CWC rejected the proposal of one nation, one election. It welcomed the INDIA alliance and resolved to work towards its strengthening.

The CWC demanded that the prime minister should declare the Himachal Pradesh floods as a national disaster and extend financial help. The CWC mourned the demise of former Kerala Chief Minister Oomen Chandy.

The meeting began at Taj krishna in Banjara Hills with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge hoisting the Congress flag at the venue. Present at the meeting were former party presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. The other attendees included Priyanka Gandhi, permanent members of CWC, and special invitees.

On the second day of the three-day event, an 'extended' CWC meeting will be held, which will be attended by 147 members, including all PCC state presidents and CLP leaders. In the meeting, election strategies for five poll-bound states and organisational issues will discussed. In the evening, a public meeting under the banner 'Vijayabheri' will be held in Thukkuguda, on the outskirts of Hyderabad as a precursor to the election campaign.

The state, along with Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram and Chhattisgarh, will go for polls later this year. The public meeting venue has been named after Rajiv Gandhi. At the meeting, six guarantees will be unveiled by Sonia Gandhi which would be implemented in Telangana within one month of coming to power. The date of the meeting is significant, as September 17 was the day when the Hyderabad state, ruled by the Nizam, merged with the Republic of India. Political parties celebrate the day as integration or merger day depending on their political stance. On the final day, September 18, leaders will campaign in 115 assembly constituencies and release chargesheet against the BRS government.

There was an important addition to the party as well, as former BRS minister and senior leader Tummala Nageswara Rao joined the party in the presence of Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday.

The ruling party BRS tried to eclipse the CWC meeting in their own style. Supporters of the party allegedly put up posters across the city. While one set of posters had the heading Corrupt Working Committee with images of Congress leaders who faced charges or cases of corruption, another poster spoke about unfulfilled promises and wrong policy decisions of the party. Not stopping at that, the BRS also held a public meeting in Nagarkurnool where Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao addressed a large gathering after inaugurating a key irrigation project.
Five members of a family, including three children, died when a portion of the roof of their house here collapsed on Saturday morning, police said.

The incident took place in Anand Nagar railway colony under the Alambagh police station area. According to railway officials, the building had been declared "condemned" and the family had been asked to vacate the house but it did not do so, police said.

Station House Officer (SHO) Shiv Shankar Mahadevan told PTI that Satish Chandra (40) and his family members were fast asleep when the roof of their house collapsed partially.

Sanitation workers informed the police about the incident around 8 am, following which teams of police personnel and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reached the spot, he said.

Chandra, his wife Sarojini Devi (35) and their children Harshit (13), Harshita (10) and Ansh (5) died in the incident, he said.

Fire department officials said information about the incident was received around 8:10 am.

The five family members were pulled out from the rubble by locals and later admitted to the nearest hospital by the fire department, they said.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Upendra Kumar Agarwal told PTI that railway officials informed him that the building had been declared "condemned" and a notice was served to the residents of the house to vacate it but they did not comply.

The house was "on the brink of collapse", he said.

Chandra's mother worked with the railways and the house was allotted to her. After she passed away, Chandra was to be given a job on humanitarian grounds as he was dependent on her, Agarwal said.

Lucknow District Magistrate Surya Pal Gangwar also visited the area to take stock of the situation.

In a post on X, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives in the incident.
Tiger Shroff, Sunny Leone and Neha Kakkar are reportedly among Bollywood celebrities who attended the Rs 200 crore wedding of Sourabh Chandrakar, the promoter of Mahadev Online Book betting app, in Dubai in February. And this has brought the celebs under ED scanner and reports claim that the agency might summon them in connection with an ongoing investigation against the app's promoters.

The Enforcement Directorate says Chandrakar spent Rs 200 crore on his wedding of which a major share went to Bollywood celebrities who attended and performed at the wedding. Other celeb attendees include Ali Asgar, Atif Aslam, Bhagyashree, Bharti Singh, Elli AvrRam, Kriti Kharbanda, Krushna Abhishek, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Vishal Dadlani, according to multiple reports. The family members of the bride and groom travelled in private jets from Nagpur while the celebs were reportedly flown in from Mumbai.

The ED, which is investigating a Rs 5,000 crore money laundering case against Chandrakar and his business partner Ravi Uppal, both from Bhilai, has frozen and seized Rs 417 crore worth of assets.

"The ED has recently conducted wide spread searches against the money laundering networks linked with Mahadev app in cities like Kolkata, Bhopal, Mumbai etc. and retrieved large amount of incriminating evidences and has frozen/seized proceeds of crime worth Rs 417 crore," according to the agency's statement cited by PTI.



What is Mahadev Online Book app?



The Mahadev Online Book app is an umbrella syndicate arranging online platforms for enabling illegal betting websites. The Dubai-based company operates by franchising branches to their known associates on 70-30 per cent profit ratio and was allegedly using the online book betting application to enrol new users, create user IDs and launder money through a layered web of benami bank accounts, according to the ED.



The company was allegedly involved in large-scale hawala operations wherein proceeds of betting were siphoned off to off-shore accounts. The ED said the company carried out large expenditure in cash within India for advertising of betting websites to attract new users and franchise seekers.

-- with inputs from PTI
As the Jammu and Kashmir Police continue the hunt for terrorists who killed three security officers on September 13, the focus is on a local Lashkar e Tayyaba (LeT) hand Mohammad Uzair Khan, who remains trapped in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district.

A resident of Nagam Kokernag, Mohammad Uzair Khan, son of Bashir Ahmad Khan, reportedly joined the LeT ranks in July 2022.

Out of the 81 active terrorists in Kashmir, the largest numbers belong to the LeT at 48, followed by 19 of Jaish e Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen's 12 and two Al Badr terrorists.

The growing influence of the LeT, which is actively recruiting locals and sending its foot soldiers from launch pads in PoK, remains a matter of concern for security forces. Uzair wasnt one of the A-listed terror operatives who was on the most wanted list. He was included in the C category of militants who were newly recruited and assisted their operational commanders.

This gives security officials reason to believe that the deadly attack was the handiwork of a potent module with handlers based across the border.

The active 81 terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir include 48 foreign terrorists from Pakistan and 33 locals, as per the latest figures with the police. The largest number of active terrorists is in South Kashmir, 56, which includes 28 foreign and local terrorists. They operate from districts such as Anantnag, Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam which remain terror hotbeds in the Valley.

In north Kashmir, there are 16 active terrorists, out of which 13 are foreigners and operate in Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora. Nine terrorists are active in central Kashmir, comprising Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal, of which seven have come from across the border. These figures, as of August 2 this year, reveal the cross-border terror machinery still active in Kashmir not only trying to recruit and radicalise youth but also carrying out attacks to unleash terror.

At least ten prominent handlers of terrorist outfits like LeT, JeM and HM are on the most wanted list of security forces and actively planning terror strikes from across the border. These include Pakistan-based Saifullah Sajid Jutt, an LeT and Peoples Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF) handler. PAFF is a proxy outfit recently banned by the government for using both physical and social media platforms to radicalise and recruit terrorists in the Valley.

The list also include TRF chief Sheikh Sajad Gull from Srinagar, Hizbul handler Mushtaq Ahmad Zarga along with LeTs Hashir Rafiq Parray and Mohammad Jameel Sheergojar (Bandipora), Mohammad Umer Mir and Bilal Ahmad Mir (Sopore) and Arbaz Ahmed Mir the LeT commander in Kulgam. JeMs Ashiq Negroo and Al Badrs Burhan Hamza from Pulawama were learnt to have fled to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) from where they planned terror operations.

These handlers, as per intelligence inputs, are actively operating alongside at least five foreign terrorists in Kashmir  LeT operational commanders Abu Zargam, Abu Hurraira, Khalid, Umer and JeMs Moosa Sulaimani  all hailing from Pakistan.

At the same time, the hunt for locals continues with three making it to the A list. They are Riyaz Ahmad Dar from Pulwama, Kulgam resident Basit Ahmad Dar, an alleged TRF operational chief operating in Kashmir valley and Farooq Ahmad Bhat who is actively undertaking terrorist activities on behalf of Hizbul Mujahideen.

Meanwhile, the desperate hunt for foot soldiers like Uzair continues as Pak-based terror outfits prepare for a cold and bloody winter in Kashmir where nearly 600 terrorists got neutralised in the last three years -- bringing the terror graph to an all-time low.
With yet another outbreak of Nipah virus reported in Kerala, ICMR is planning to start work on developing a vaccine against the viral disease. A fresh case of Nipah virus was confirmed in Kozhikode, taking the total number of people infected in the state to six, two of had died earlier.

"Our biggest asset at the moment is that we have developed vaccines on diverse platforms during Covid such as DNA vaccine, mRNA vaccine, adenoviral vector vaccine, protein subunit vaccine, and nasal vaccine, and we can use these diverse platforms to develop the new vaccine against disease such as Nipah infection," ICMR DG Rajeev Bahl said, adding the procedure involves looking for partners - who can make it, and on which platform.

The first Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala was in 2018, with Kozhikode being the epicentre. Malappuram, too, was affected then. Seventeen people had died. There were Nipah virus outbreaks in West Bengal, too, in 2001 and 2007.

Bahl said that all efforts are on to contain the spread of the virus in Kerala. All patients are contact of an index patient, he said.

India to procure 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia

India has reached out to Australia for procuring 20 more doses of monoclonal antibody for the treatment of Nipah virus infection.

"We got some doses of monoclonal antibody from Australia in 2018. Currently the doses are available for only 10 patients," Bahl said, adding globally monoclonal antibody has been given to 14 patients infected with Nipah virus outside India and all of them have survived.

"Only phase 1 trial to establish the safety of the medicine has been done outside. Efficacy trials have not been done. It can only given as compassionate use medicine," he said.

According to him, no one so far has been administered the medicine in India.

"Twenty more doses are being procured. But the medicine needs to be given during the early stage of the infection," he said, adding it can only given as compassionate use medicine.

Nipah has higher mortality than Covid

Bahl said mortality among the infected is very high in Nipah (between 40 and 70 per cent) compared to the mortality in Covid, which was 2-3 per cent.

On why cases keep surfacing in Kerala, Bahl said, "We do not know. In 2018, we found the outbreak in Kerala was related to bats. We are not sure how the infection passed from bats to humans. The link couldn't be established. Again we are trying to find out this time. It always happens in the rainy season."

ICMR's National Institute of Virology in Pune is conducting whole genome sequencing of the virus to know which exact variant is in circulation in Kerala.

Meanwhile he said the Mobile BSL 3 Laboratory which has been sent to Kozikodhe to enable testing at the district itself there testing of samples have already begun.

In view of high mortality, Bahl said taking precautions is the best option. He advised people to follow social distancing, wear masks and stay away from raw food that could be exposed to bats.

Guidelines for Sabarimala pilgrimage

Kerala High Court has asked the state government to issue guidelines, if required, for the pilgrimage to Sabarimala when it opens for the monthly puja in view of the Nipah outbreak.

The court asked the Travancore Devaswom Board commissioner to hold discussions with the health secretary and take a decision on the matter.

The hilltop shrine in Pathanamthitta district opens for five days every Malayalam month. This month, it will open for pilgrims on Sunday.

The state government, meanwhile, informed the court that restrictions have been imposed in Kozhikode.
Three militants were killed in an ongoing encounter between security forces and militants at the Hathlanga area of Uri in north Kashmir's Baramulla district close to the Line of Control on Saturday.

The encounter started during a search operation jointly carried out but the Army and Kashmir Police in the area. The police also added that the search for the rest of the terrorists are going on.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the Kashmir zone police confirmed that the encounter broke out in Hathlanga in Baramulla's Uri.

"Encounter has started between #terrorists and Army & Baramulla Police in forward area of #Uri, Hathlanga in #Baramulla district. Further details shall follow", read the post on X.

#BaramullaEncounterUpdate: 01 terrorist killed. Search going on. Further details shall follow. https://t.co/22dP32S8dT  Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) September 16, 2023

Later, police again said in a post on X that another militant was killed in the firefight. After a few hours, third militant was also killed in the encounter. There is no information yet on whether the militants killed had freshly infiltrated or were operating in the area.

Hathlanga is a remote village near the LoC around 10 km from Uri town. The village falls beyond the anti-infiltration fence at the LoC. Due to lack of proper amenities, the villagers in the area dependent on the Army for emergencies. The Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is visible from the village. The villagers generally work as porters for the Army. Some men also work in the Army and para-military like BSF and CRPF. The villagers mostly grow maize, some cereals and a few vegetables. They also raise cattle and sheep for survival.

The encounter comes at a time when an operation is underway in Anantnag district to neutralise terrorists, who have taken positions in the forest area. Drones were deployed in the area to locate the terrorists.

Additional Director General of Police (Kashmir) Vijay Kumar had said that the operation was launched based on specific inputs.

The recent Anantnag encounter has claimed three lives--Major Ashish Dhonchak, 19 Rashtriya Rifles Commanding Officer Col Manpreet Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Humayun Bhat and a soldier. The security forces have maintained a tight cordon in the area after the incident.

The Army officials were killed in an encounter with the terrorists at Gadole in Kokernag area of the south Kashmir district.
As the operation against militants in the Gadole forests in Kokernag entered its fourth day, Lt. Gen Upendra Dwivedi, the Army Commander for the Northern Command, conducted a review of the ongoing operation in Anantnag on Saturday.



During the review, he was briefed by the commanders on the high-intensity operation, which involves the use of advanced technology for surveillance and firepower delivery, along with precision strikes by the Army.

The operation has turned out to be one of the longest in the Valley in over a decade. The Army has established a multi-layer cordon around the forest to intensify the search for militants responsible for the killing of two army officers, Colonel Manpreet Singh and Major Asheesh Danchok of 19 RR, as well as Deputy Superintendent (DSP) of J&K Police Himanyun Muzamil Bhat on August 13 during an anti-militancy operation.

To flush out the militants, the Army deployed under-barrel grenade launchers (UBGLs), rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), and an Israeli Heron unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The UAV detected movement in Gadole after a cave-like hideout was bombed, and the Army subsequently used UBGLs and RPGs to target the suspected hideout. The J&K Police has said the militants involved in the killing of the three officers and a soldier are trapped in the forest.

In response to statements by some retired police and army officers suggesting that the officers may have been targeted in an ambush, Assistant Director General of Police for Kashmir Vijay Kumar stated that the operation was based on specific intelligence and urged against the ambush hypothesis. He emphasised that the operation was ongoing and that the trapped militants would be neutralised.

The officers, Singh, Dhanchok, and Bhat, sustained fatal injuries when militants fired at them from advantageous positions while they were closing in on the militants in the Gadole forest. Due to continued militant fire, the injured officers and some soldiers could not be promptly rescued. They were later airlifted to the hospital, but their severe injuries and blood loss proved fatal.

Intermittent firing continued throughout Friday in the Gadole forests, where the J&K Police stated that two to three militants, including a local militant named Uzair Khan, were hiding. Heavy firepower, quadcopters, and UAVs were deployed to locate the militants, and helicopters conducted strafing runs in the area.

Civilians living near the operation area were relocated to safer locations. As of now, there has been no confirmation regarding the death of any militants. The rugged terrain and dense vegetation in Gadole provide natural cover for militants and pose challenges for security forces. To prevent militants from escaping in the dark, high-beam lights were installed, and a multi-layer cordon was established.

Two soldiers who were injured on the third day of the operation received medical treatment in the hospital, and the body of a missing injured soldier was recovered.

The Kokernag encounter is one of the longest in south Kashmir since August 5 of the current year when three soldiers from the army's 34 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) were killed at Halan Manzgam forest in Kulgam district. This marks the second time a colonel has been killed since the incident on March 30, 2020, when five security personnel, including a Colonel, a Major, and a sub-inspector, were killed during an 18-hour-long encounter in north Kashmir's Handwara.
Princeton University ranked 1st in Forbes new American Top Colleges ranking. Photo: Mahlon Lovett (2000)

Princeton University tops the list in Forbes Americas Top Colleges 2023 ranking.

The annual list ranks 500 colleges across the U.S. based on metrics such as student success, return on investment, and alumni influence. This years top 50 includes the typical Ivy League schools but also more than a dozen public colleges including the University of California-Berkeley (#5); the University of Michigan (#23); the University of Virginia (#29); and the University of Maryland-College Park (#34).

WHAT MADE PRINCETON STAND OUT

This year, Princeton landed the number one spot in both the Forbes and Wall Street Journal rankings. In Forbes, the Ivy League school climbed from No. 4 on last years ranking, scoring high across a number of criteria with median early-career salaries north of $88,000 and a 98% six-year graduation rate. Additionally, Princeton provides generous financial aid, covering 100% of tuition and housing for families earning up to $65,000 for the class of 2026. The school offers an average grant aid of $47,136, with average student debt being quite low at just $7,216.

Yale University came in second this year, jumping up from number eight last year. The school scored highly for its impressive $58,715 average grant aid and low average debt of $4,968. Yale grads also cash in comfortable salaries with a median 10-year salary of $163,900. Stanford University ranked third this year, dropping one spot from last year. The California institution had an average grant aid of $56,211 and average debt of $8,868. Median 10-year salary for Stanford grads was $173,800.

Ranking: The Forbes 2023 Top Colleges In America

Memorial Glade and the Campanile at the University of California-Berkeley. Photo by Tia Chen-Wong

PRIVATE SCHOOLS DOMINATE THE TOP 10

Among the top 10 schools in the ranking, eight are private institutions including Princeton, Yale, Stanford, and MIT. Only two public schools landed in the top 10: UC-Berkeley and the University of California-Los Angeles.

Story continues

Public versus private schools start to even out once the ranking hits the top 25, with public schools such as the University of California-San Diego, the University of Michigan, and the University of California-Santa Barbara making the list.

MIT GRADS EARN TOP PAY

If youre looking for high long-term pay, look no further than Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While the school dropped from number one last year to number four this year, MIT still ranks highly in terms of pay with a median 10-year salary of $182,800. Harvey Mudd College (#71 overall) ranks second in pay at $177,800.

Despite ranking lower overall on the list, Babson College (#117) ranks fifth in terms of pay with grads earning an average 10-year salary of $171,000. Its a similar story for schools like Santa Clara University (#95), where grads earn $167,100, and SUNY Maritime College (#209) where grads earn $164,100. Columbia University, which ranks sixth overall, comes up short on pay with grads earning an average 10-year salary of just $150,900.

Ranking: The Forbes 2023 Top Colleges In America

Harvard University from the air

HARVARD OFFERS THE BEST GRANT AID

With an average grant aid of $59,840, Harvard University (#9) tops the list for financial support. Other generous Ivy League schools include Yale (#2) which offers $58,715 in average aid and Columbia University (#6) which offers $57,726 in average aid. Colby College (#89), which offers $57,726 on average, found its way into the top 5 schools for aid.

Wisconsin public schools fared poorly in aid. The four lowest ranking schools in aid were all University of Wisconsin colleges. University of Wisconsin, La Crosse (#338) ranked the lowest in aid with an average of only $3,135. University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire (#412) ranked second-lowest in aid with an average of $3,571.

PRIVATE LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE IN ILLINOIS HAS LOWEST DEBT

Prinicipia College (#394), a private liberal arts college in Elsah, Illinois has the lowest student debt at just $2,016. Other private colleges with low debt include Berea College (#342) at $2,303 and Boston College (#88) at $3,581. Out of all the Ivy League colleges, Yale had the lowest student debt at $4,968.

Despite ranking number 28 overall, the University of Chicago came in top 10 for highest debt, with students graduating with an average debt of $13,636. Columbia (#6 overall) grads also carried high debt with an average of $13,338.

Ranking: The Forbes 2023 Top Colleges In America

Stanford University

METHODOLOGY

To compile this years ranking, Forbes started with a list of U.S. colleges based on the Carnegie Classification, which categorizes institutions by degree offerings, research output, and specialty focus. This list included doctoral research universities, masters universities and colleges, baccalaureate colleges, and colleges with specialized programs in engineering, business, and art.

Schools were evaluated using data from several sources, including federal education databases, such as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and College Scorecard. Additional data came from PayScale, a Seattle-based software and data company, Third Way, a Washington, D.C.-based public policy think tank, the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, and Forbes own lists.

To ensure a clean and meaningful ranking, Forbes excluded institutions with plans to close and schools with fewer than 300 undergraduate students. Once Forbes compiled its list of schools, it ranked the remaining colleges based on the following criteria:

Alumni Salary (20%): Forbes assessed alumni earnings by considering median income data from two sources: PayScales 6-year and 10-year post-graduation earnings and College Scorecards median earnings data for graduates 6 years and 10 years after enrollment. Each of the four income segments was weighted at 5%.

Debt (15%): Forbes measured typical student debt by multiplying the median federal loan debt per borrower by the percentage of students with federal student loans. Additionally, Forbes examined each colleges five-year loan repayment rate.

Graduation Rate (15%): Forbes evaluated colleges using their six-year graduation rate, accounting for transfer students and other factors. 10% of Forbes model considered the overall six-year graduation rate, while an additional 5% looked at graduation rates for Pell Grant recipients.

Forbes American Leaders List (15%): Forbes assessed the leadership and entrepreneurial success of college graduates by comparing mentions across various Forbes lists, including the Forbes 30 Under 30, Forbes 400, Richest Self-Made Women, Most Powerful Women, and others.

Return On Investment (15%): To determine return on investment, Forbes looked at price-to-earnings for each college. This was calculated by comparing the total net cost of a degree to post-enrollment earnings compared to high school graduate salaries in the state (weighted at 10%). Additionally, Forbes also considered a price to earnings for low-income students (weighted at 5%).

Retention Rate (10%): Forbes measured student satisfaction by calculating a three-year average retention rate using IPEDS data, excluding the year 2020 due to COVID-19 disruptions.

Academic Success (10%): Forbes assessed academic performance by looking at the number of recent graduates who received prestigious scholarships, such as the Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater, and Rhodes. It also considered the average number of alumni who earned PhDs over the past three years. Each measure was weighted at 5%.

Go to next page to see how where top 50 colleges and universities finished, along with school data on average grant aid and post-graduate pay and debt.

Ranking: The Forbes 2023 Top Colleges In America

Locust Street on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania

Read the full Forbes ranking here.

The post Ranking: The Forbes 2023 Top Colleges In America appeared first on Poets&Quants.
Opposition Congress is all set to launch seven simultaneous Jan Aakrosh rallies to give voice to peoples anger against the BJP government. The rallies will commence on September 19  the Ganesh Chaturthi day  and cover a total of 11,400 km across all 230 assembly constituencies in a fortnight.

The launch of the rallies was announced by Congress general secretary in-charge for Madhya Pradesh Randeep Surjewala on Saturday at a press conference in the presence of state Congress chief Kamal Nath and other senior leaders who would lead the seven rallies.

Surjewala said that people are extremely angry at the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government that has been in power for 18.5 years. The main reasons for this anger are the decreased income and fatal firing on farmers, Vyapam and Patwari recruitment scams, cancellation of 3.22 housing rights allotments, corruption in Ayushman health scheme and distribution of school uniforms and food. The incident in which a BJP leader insulted tribals by urinating on them has also caused public outrage, the Congress leader added.

Surjewala further said that the public anger surged also because the government did not even spare Lord Mahakal (indicating corruption in the Mahakal Lok project), irregularities in the womens marriage scheme and deliberate fire in Satpura Bhawan (state administrative building) to burn files to hide the corruption.

Also, more than 58,000 incidents of rapes and 67,000 instances of abduction were reported during the 18 years of BJP rule, turning Madhya Pradesh into the state with highest crime against children, tribal and Dalits, Surjewala said.

He said that people are full of enthusiasm for Congress and Kamal Nath as during his governments short tenure (2018-20), loans of 27 lakh farmers were waived, power bills of 87 per cent of consumers were brought below Rs 100 per month and strong action was initiated against mafia and adulterators.

Surjewala also referred to the 11 guarantees of the Congress this time including Rs 1500 monthly cash assistance to women, domestic gas cylinders for Rs 500, 100 units of free power and 200 units at half rate, reinstatement of the old pension scheme and others. He also said that the BJP government in the state has become an artificial, contaminated and merely decorative government that is not able to fulfil the aspirations of any sections of people.

Kamal Nath reiterated that the upcoming assembly polls were about safeguarding the future of Madhya Pradesh rather than selecting any party or ideology. He expressed confidence that the people of Madhya Pradesh will take the right steps in that direction.

The Congress rallies come even as the five simultaneous Jan Ashirwad Yatras of the ruling BJP are nearing their end. Senior leaders from the state and from across the country are participating in these 'yatras' that will conclude in a formal event on September 25 in the likely presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

CM Chouhan has already taken a swipe at the proposed Jan Aakrosh Yatra of Congress saying that those who are getting the blessings of the people (BJP) are taking out Jan Ashirwad Yatra, while those who are facing anger are taking out a Jan Aakrosh Yatra.

Jan Aakrosh rallies: The Yatra routes
The Eknath Shinde-led government in Maharashtra announced a special package of Rs 59,000 crore for the state's backward Marathwada region on Saturday.



The decisions related to the package were taken at a special cabinet meeting that was held at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, formerly Aurangabad, on Saturday. The cabinet meeting marks 75th anniversary of Marathwada Mukti Din when the region joined the Union of India after the annexation of the Nizam-ruled Hyderabad state in 1948.

The special package includes irrigation projects worth 14,000 crore in the central Maharashtra region, which is expecting heavy drought conditions due to shortage of rainfall. Besides Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, seven districts including Dharashiv (formerly Osmanabad), Jalna, Beed, Latur, Nanded, Hingoli and Parbhani are also part of the Marathwada region. Eight lakh hectare agricultural land in the region will be irrigated after implementation of this package.

During the press conference, Chief Minister Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar announced various projects aimed at the overall development of eight districts in the Marathwada region.

Recalling that the previous Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Agadi government did not pay any attention to development in this region, Fadnavis said the proposed Parli-Beed-Ahmednagar railway line has been stuck as the Maha Vikas Agadi government did not pay for the state component of the project.

"It was only after our government came to power that we decided to pay state component of the project work and that is how the work has started again," said Fadnavis. He also claimed that Thackeray's governement systematically killed the ambitious 'Marathwada Water Grid' project by not releasing any funds for it.

Ajit Pawar said the development of religious and temple-centric tourism in Marathwada is an important part of decisions taken on Saturday, adding that various temples in the region including Tulja Bhavani Temple at Tuljapur will be given funds generously for their development.

Responding to a query on Adarsh Cooperative Credit Society scam, CM Shinde said he has met local MP Imtiyaz Jaleel to discuss the issue. Crores of rupees of customers have been duped. We will order taking possession of the properties of Adarsh Cooperative Credit Society and sell them to repay the customers," said Shinde.
Hours after Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng indefinitely postponed a trade mission to India, New Delhi has asked Ottawa to take action against assailants of an Indian Sikh student, 17, who was beaten up in the British Columbia province in alleged hate crime.

The latest diplomatic tensions comes in the backdrop of worsening bilateral ties between the two nations over the activities of pro-Khalistan groups in Canada. Pausing trade talks scheduled for October, Shanti Cosentino, a spokesperson for minister Ng, said, "At this time, we are postponing the upcoming trade mission to India."

This comes hours after officials from New Delhi reportedly said the trade talks with Canada will resume after the two countries resolve political issues.

The latest developments comes five days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi snubbed Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau at the New Delhi G20 summit by allowing only a short meeting on the sidelines instead of a formal bilateral meeting, according to Reuters.

"The Prime Minister highlighted that India-Canada relations are anchored in shared democratic values, respect for rule of law and strong people-to-people ties," stated the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) . "He conveyed our strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada. They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship.

"The nexus of such forces with organized crime, drug syndicates and human trafficking should be a concern for Canada as well. It is essential for the two countries to cooperate in dealing with such threats," it added.

Regarding the assault on the Sikh teen assaulted in British Columbia's Kelwona district on Monday, the Indian Consulate General in Vancouver urged Canada to investigate the alleged hate crime. The high school student who is an Indian citizen was allegedly "kicked, punched and pepper-sprayed," said reports.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated, "On September 11th, 2023, just before 4:00pm, Kelowna RCMP were dispatched to a pepper spray incident at the intersection of Rutland Rd S and Robson Rd E. Officers determined a 17-year old Sikh student was either bear or pepper sprayed by another teenaged male after exiting a public transit bus on his way home."

 with inputs from agencies
Senior Russian defence officials showed North Korean Kim Jong Un Russias hypersonic missiles and nuclear-capable aircraft at an airfield close to Vladivostok on Saturday.



Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu received Kim at Knevichi airfield, located 50 kilometres away from Vladivostok and the North Korean leader inspected a guard of honour. The Russian defence ministry said in a release that samples of cutting-edge aircraft from the Russian Aerospace Forces were displayed at the Knevichi airport.

Kim Jong-un saw a Tu-160 supersonic strategic bomber, a Tu-95MS turboprop strategic bomber, and a Tu-22M3 long-range supersonic missile bomber at the Knevichi airfield. These aircraft make up the Russian Federation's air component of its strategic nuclear forces. Lieutenant General Sergei Kobylash, Commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces's Long Range Aviation, gave a report on the features, armament, and combat capabilities of these strategic missile carriers, the Russian defence ministry said. He also views the Tu-214 long-range aircraft.

Kim was also shown Russian MiG-31I missile carrier with the latest Kinzhal hypersonic air-launched missile. This Russian aircraft system has no equivalent anywhere in the world and has shown to be very combat-effective, the defence ministry said.

Kim also inspected Russias Pacific Fleet frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov in Vladivostok. Admiral Nikolay Evmenov, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy, spoke about the characteristics of the ship and anti-submarine weapons  four-tube torpedo tubes and RBU-6000 rocket launchers, the ministry said. He also checked the artillery system of the ship.

However, the Kremlin on Friday said no bilateral agreements were signed between the leaders, including on military-technical cooperation. "No agreements were signed on this issue or on other issues and there were no such plans," Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by TASS.
The Seattle Police Officers' Guild on Friday defended its official, Daniel Auderer, who joked about the death of a 23-year-old Indian student after she was struck by a speeding patrol car earlier this year.

Though the incident happened in January, the bodycam footage, released by the Seattle Police Department on Monday, reveals Auderer mocking the Indian students death. The footage paved way for protest erupting in several areas with slogans raised to "end police terror".

Jaahnavi Kandula was killed after she was struck by a police vehicle driven by officer Kevin Dave. According to the Seattle Times newspaper, he was driving 74 mph (more than 119 kmph) on the way to a report of an overdose.

In the footage, Auderer laughed about the deadly crash and dismissed any implication against Dave. He was heard saying, "Yeah, just write a check. USD 11,000. She was 26 anyway, she had limited value." Following the outage, he defended himself saying that his comments were taken out of context".

In a letter addressed to Gino Betts, director Office of Police Accountability, Auderer said he was under the impression of the conversation being private. He stated that he was giving an update to Guilds president Mike Solan while he was in his patrol car and the talks took turn to the lawyers arguing "The value of human life".

"What crazy argument can a lawyer make in something like this?...I responded with something like "She's 26-years-old, what value is there, who cares' I intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers...," he said. I was being sarcastic to express that the (lawyers) shouldn't be coming up with crazy arguments to minimise the payement," Auderer wrote.

The Seattle Office of Police Accountability said that it has opened an investigation into the incident.

I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and... how I have watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy. At the time I believed the conversation was private and not being recorded. The conversation was also not within the course of my duties, he said.

A photo of Jaahnavi Kandula is displayed with flowers | AP

I understand that without context, the comment could be interpreted as horrifying and crude. Without context, the comment is insensitive to the family of the victim when in reality I was involved in a conversation regarding the callousness of the legal system. At the time I had no idea who the victim was, Auderer wrote.

The Guild's statement read "The video captures only one side of the conversation. There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet...SPOG has full confidence that the civilian led police accountability system known as the Office of Police Accountability / OPA will conduct a thorough and fair investigation."

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco on Wednesday termed the handling of Kandula's death in a road accident as "deeply troubling".
10 Land Customs Stations to come up in Bihar along Indo-Nepal border: Shah

Jogbani (Bihar), Sep 16 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday announced that the Central government has identified 10 places to establish Land Customs Stations (LCS) in Bihar along the international border to improve bilateral trade between India and Nepal.

An LCS is a facility providing transit, customs, immigration and cargo handling services for goods and passengers travelling between two neighbouring countries.

The Centre is in the process of establishing a total of 19 Land Customs Stations along the Indo-Nepal border to improve the bilateral trade between India and Nepal. Out of the 19, ten will be established in Bihar, Shah said.

The Land Customs Stations in Bihar will be set up at Galgalia (Kishanganj district), Bairgania (Sitamarhi), Bhimnagar and Kunauli (Supaul), Jainagar (Madhubani) Valmiki Nagar (West Champaran) and several other places.

Shah was addressing a function after inaugurating a newly constructed residential building complex of the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI) near Jogbani Integrated Check Post in Araria district of Bihar.

The government of India is working on three principles 'coordination, cooperation and collaboration' for further improvement of its trade with Nepal, Shah added.

The Union home minister also inaugurated the residential building complex of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in Bihar's Bathnaha virtually.

Shah said, The LPAI is working towards taking India's trade relations with neighbouring countries forward and it is also acting as the key player of the country for friendship and fraternity with neighbouring nations.

He asserted that the Centre has taken several major steps to improve border infrastructure, bilateral trade, people-to-people connectivity, and village development to boost ties with neighbours.

He said, "There are many border-related issues in Bihar, like infiltration, land grabbing and illegal trade".

These problems can be solved by the central and state governments together and with strict measures with no appeasement policy, he said adding that all these issues will be addressed in the near future.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre is building strong infrastructure in the border areas and efforts are on to provide benefits of welfare schemes in border villages while developing connectivity. For Modi-ji, every village at the border is the first village of the country, he said.
New Delhi (India), September 16: Regalo Kitchen, a name synonymous with innovation and excellence in the modular kitchen industry, was honoured as "India's Best Modular Kitchen Company" at the prestigious World Association for Small and Medium Enterprises (WASME) World MSME Business Summit 2023, held on September 15th in Delhi. The coveted award was presented to Mr. Shiv Kumar, the founder of Regalo Kitchen, in recognition of the company's outstanding contributions to the Indian modular kitchen landscape.



This significant achievement is expected to fuel Regalo Kitchen's ambitious expansion plans, particularly in North India. The company had previously announced its intention to open 15 new franchise outlets within the next 36 months, a fitting tribute to its 15th foundation day.



Regalo Kitchen's investment in cutting-edge technology and a commitment to enhancing customer experiences has set the stage for a dynamic outreach to potential customers in the coming months. The company's dedication to innovation and customer-centric solutions has solidified its position as the top modular kitchen brand in India.



Mr. Shiv Kumar expressed his gratitude for the award, saying, "This award is dedicated to our 15 years of a long journey on our mission to build a great company for our Indian consumers. It is a testament to our commitment to excellence and innovation."



In an interview with Regalo Kitchen's Founder and CEO, Mr. Surender said, "This award is a recognition of our 500+ team members' hard work towards making Regalo India's number one modular kitchen brand. We continue to invest in innovation and technology to provide an unparalleled customer experience."



Regalo Kitchen's journey to becoming the top modular kitchen company in India has been marked by its relentless pursuit of excellence, innovative kitchen designs, and its commitment to customer satisfaction. The company's collaboration with leading universities in India has paved the way for cutting-edge kitchen designs that cater to the evolving needs of Indian households.



As the modular kitchen industry continues to evolve, Regalo Kitchen's dedication to excellence and innovation positions it at the forefront of the Indian modular kitchen industry. With this prestigious award from WASME, Regalo Kitchen is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the modular kitchen industry in India.



For more information about Regalo Kitchen please visit www.regalokitchens.com



(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
HYDERABAD, India , Sept. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In association with the World's prestigious bodies AMBA and Business Graduates Association, Woxsen University has organised Global Executive Summit on 14-15th September at Woxsen University campus, Kamkole. This 2-day event centred around the theme Re-Imagining Higher Education, #Future You has brought together the world's most influential Academicians, C-Level Executives & Business Leaders, aimed at sharing insights and strategies for success in today's rapidly changing academic and business landscape.



Building upon the success of the 2022 Global Impact Summit and Executive Council Forum, the Global Executive Summit 2023 seeks to create a Learner-Centred education landscape. The renewal of joint call to action in the form of a Manifesto was signed by Dr. Raul V. Rodriguez, Vice-President, Woxsen University; Victor Hedenberg, Membership Director, AMBA & BGA (UK); Mr. Nishit Jain, Sr. Spl. Advsior, EFMD Asia and Dr. Kashi Balachandran, Emeritus Professor, NYU Stern School of Business. The signatories have pledged to collaborate and execute a comprehensive plan of action that will empower their institutions to embrace learner-centred education and align with the aspirations of Vision 2023.



Global Executive Summit Manifesto 2023



Key Issues



Plan of Action



1. Technological implementations to be achieved



 Conduct a comprehensive technology assessment of the university's infrastructure and systems.



 Develop a roadmap for integrating emerging technologies into teaching and administrative processes.



 Invest in upgrading hardware and software to support new technological initiatives.



2. Industry-oriented lifelong learning



 Establish partnerships with industry leaders and organizations to understand their needs.



 Design and offer skill-based courses and certifications aligned with industry demands.



 Provide opportunities for students to engage in internships and real-world projects.



3. Next steps in internationalisation strategies



 Strengthen existing collaborations with international universities.



 Develop joint research programs with global counterparts.



 Increase the number of international faculty and guest lectures.



4. The future steps to reduce tuition costs



 Analyse the university's financial structure and identify areas for cost optimization.



 Explore grant opportunities, scholarships, and financial aid programs.



 Implement sustainable cost-saving measures without compromising on quality.



5. Defining and redefining leadership in Higher Education



 Develop leadership training programs for faculty, staff, and students.



 Foster a culture of inclusive and participatory leadership across the campus.



 Recognize and showcase successful leadership examples within the university.



6. The new student experience



 Enhance academic support services and counselling for students.



 Improve campus facilities and create vibrant student spaces.



 Organize extracurricular and cultural events to foster a sense of community.



The Chief Guest of the summit, Fernando Heredia Noguer, Consul General of Spain in Mumbai embarking upon the India-Spain diplomatic relations said, "Spain has 67 years of diplomatic relations with India. Some of the top universities of Spain are already partnered with Woxsen and I would like to encourage Woxsen to extend collaborations with many more universities in Spain."



"In an ever-changing world, business schools need to study the problems, Come up with an output which creates an impact, all through a Collective Impact Model. They should do CSR, ERS activities, help local schools and use their business school expertise to make the world a better place," said the Guest of Honour, Dr. Stephanie Bryannt, EVP & Global Chief Accreditation officer, AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), a top business school accreditation in the world, while expressing her views on how business schools can change the world.



The Global Executive Summit 2023 saw a stellar & illustrious line-up of Representatives of International Accreditation Bodies, Heads of leading universities with Global FT ranking, Business Tycoons & Officials from Government of India such as



Amy Memon, Regional Head, South Asia, AACSB



Victor Hedenberg, Membership Director, AMBA



Nishit Jain, Sr. Spl. Advsior, EFMD Asia



Evgenia Pashkevich, Associate Dean, IBS Ranepa



Shivraj Kanungo, Vice Dean, The George Washington University



Dr. Mario Joao Cortinhal, Dean, ISCTE Instituto Universitario deLisboa



Ashish Kumar Jaiswar, Head of Business Dpmt., London South Bank University



Chandirka Parmar, PRME Chapter Chair, India



Jonathan D' Souza, CHRO, Welspun One Logistics Parks



Soubir Bhatt, Chairman & CEO, V&E Swiss Worldwide



Anurag Sharma, Ex Director(on shore), ONGC



Mannepalli Baladitya, Air Marshall(Retd.), Indian Air Force



Srinivas Kollipara, Group President, Xelpmoc



In a fireside chat with the Guest of Honour on 'What's the most impactful change in designing the wow experience for students?,' Dr. Kashi Balachandran, Emeritus Professor, NYU Stern School of Business, said "Indian students should go abroad and international students should come down to India. There is nothing like an exposure that a student can get by exploring different countries, engaging with people from various cultures."



The 2-day Summit addressed many key topics through Plenary sessions that included Reimagining the role of higher education in 2023, How does technology impact the future workforce, Exploring the journey for the lifelong learner in collaboration with industry certification, Is the future of higher education leadership balancing multiple purposes, what if internationalization ceased to exist as we know it and what if tuition wasn't a barrier to graduation?



Dr. Raul V. Rodriguez, Vice-President, Woxsen University speaking about the summit said, "Global Executive Summit reflects our dedication to shaping the future of higher education, fostering sustainability, and driving innovation through a learner-centred approach. Together, we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of academia and business, inspiring positive change and paving the way for a brighter tomorrow."



The power-packed summit witnessed high-level discussions on topics ranging from higher education, global economics and emerging markets to disruptive technologies and innovative processes. Through a combination of keynote speeches, panel discussions, and interactive sessions, the attendees have gained valuable insights on the latest trends and best practices in their industries, and learnt how to stay ahead of the curve in an increasingly competitive marketplace.



About Woxsen University, Hyderabad: Woxsen University, located in Hyderabad, is one of the first private universities of the state of Telangana, India. Renowned for its 200-acre state-of-the-art campus and infrastructure, Woxsen University offers new-age, disruptive programs in the fields of Business, Technology, Arts & Design, Architecture, Law, Liberal Arts & Humanities, Sciences. With 100+ Global Partner Universities and Strong Industry Connect, Woxsen is reckoned as one of the top universities for Academic Excellence and Global Edge. Woxsen is Ranked #1, All India Top Emerging Engineering Colleges, Outlook I-Care 2023, Rank #12, All India Top 100 B-Schools by Times B-School Ranking 2023, Rank #15, All India Top Pvt. B-School, BusinessWorld 2022, #16 Top 50 Business schools for Research in India, IIRF 2023.



Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2212730/FernandoHeredia.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2212731/StephanieBryannt.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2212732/Kashi_Balachandran.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
New Delhi, Sep 16 (PTI) Civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday said the Rajasthan government's "staggered response and tardy pace" of handing over land have delayed the process of development of an airport in Kota.

The comments have come days after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot blamed the Centre for delays in the construction of the proposed greenfield airport in Kota.

"The back-and-forth, staggered response and tardy pace of handing over of the land by the State govt. have delayed the process of development of the #KotaAirport. It shows that CM @ashokgehlot51 Ji is least interested in the development of Kota Greenfield Airport or civil aviation in the State," Scindia said in a post on social media platform X.

In a detailed response to the Congress Chief Minister's remarks, Scindia, who is also a BJP leader, said that till date, the state government has only allotted 33.4 hectares of land in favour of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) whereas the proposed total land requirement is 440 hectares.

According to Scindia, the process of diversion of remaining land is yet to be carried out by the state in spite of several reminders by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and AAI.

"It is yet to deposit amounts related to diversion within its own departments," he said.
New Delhi, Sep 16 (PTI) The Delhi government has rolled out the process to engage consultants for redevelopment of 26 non-conforming industrial clusters in the national capital, officials said on Saturday.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a meeting with representatives of these industrial clusters in July had said the government will soon engage consultants and bear 90 per cent of the redevelopment cost.

The Delhi State Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) on Friday issued a request for proposal (RFP) for preparation and approval of re-development plans for non-conforming industrial clusters as per Delhi Master Plan, from DDA-empanelled architect consultants.

There are 26 notified non-conforming industrial clusters, including Libaspur, Mundka, Khayala, Samayour Badli, Karawal Nagar, Hastsal, Sultanpur Majra, and Shahdara, among others, housing over 50,000 factories.

The Delhi government in its budget for the financial year 2022-23 announced redevelopment of non-conforming industrial clusters as one of the key focus area.

It was envisaged that the government will facilitate redevelopment of the non-conforming industrial clusters by way of subsidizing the process of plan approval from local bodies in the ratio of 90:10.

The government will bear 90 per cent of the total expenditure for preparation and approval of redevelopment plan from the local body and the rest 10 per cent will be borne by the association of the concerned non-conforming industrial cluster, said the RFP document.

There is a need for engaging consultants for getting the redevelopment plans prepared for these clusters where 70 per cent of plots have industrial activities.

The redevelopment process involves preparation of redevelopment plans for widening of roads, laying of services, development of open space and parking, among others amenities, it said.

Almost all the non-conforming industrial clusters in the city are deficient in facilities and lack organised layout, making them improper for efficient industrial activities, officials said.

"The redevelopment of such areas needs to be based on clearly defined parameters in terms of the types of industries which may be permitted, spatial planning norms and environment related conditionalities regarding the provision of essential infrastructure with the participation of the owners/entrepreneurs in a systematic manner," said the document.

The redevelopment plan norms will include minimum 4 hectare contiguous area and more than 70 per cent plots having industrial activity. After notification of clusters, the redevelopment scheme shall be prepared by the concerned local body or land-owning agency, it said.

The redevelopment norms also prescribe that around 10 per cent area of these clusters will be reserved for roads and service lanes while 8 per cent area will be reserved for parks and greenery.

Further, infrastructure requirements like effluent treatment plant, power sub-station, pump house, fire station and police post will be set up on 10 per cent of total cluster area, added the document.
(Reuters) -SoftBank is looking for deals in artificial intelligence (AI), including a potential investment in OpenAI, after the blockbuster listing of its Arm unit, the Financial Times reported on Saturday.

SoftBank's founder and chief executive, Masayoshi Son, is looking to invest tens of billions of dollars in AI, the newspaper said, citing two people familiar with Son's thinking.

Son said in June that his tech investing conglomerate planned to shift its stance to "offence mode" amid excitement over advances in AI.

The Japanese tech investment company could also look to strike a broad strategic partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, FT said.

Son has expressed excitement about AI technology, adding he is a "heavy user" of ChatGPT, the AI-powered chatbot from Microsoft-backed startup OpenAI. He has also said that he speaks "almost everyday" to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

SoftBank is looking at a range of alternatives to OpenAI as well, including a preliminary approach to buy Graphcore, a UK-based AI chipmaker, the report added.

In an emailed response to Reuters, Graphcore denied there was an attempt or offer from SoftBank to buy the company.

SoftBank and OpenAI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Chip designer Arm secured a $54.5 billion valuation in its U.S. initial public offering (IPO) on Wednesday, seven years after SoftBank took the company private for $32 billion.

In August, SoftBank posted a surprise loss but said it was dipping its toes back into new investments after its Vision Fund returned to the black for the first time in six quarters.

The investment giant has been in "defence mode" since May 2022 after tech valuations crashed due to sharply higher interest rates and jitters that hit the global banking sector.

(Reporting by Lavanya Ahire in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh in Bangalore; Editing by William Mallard and Mark Potter)
Mumbai, Sep 16 (PTI) Popular TV actor-couple Rubina Dilaik and Abhinav Shukla on Saturday said they are expecting their first child.

Dilaik, best known for winning the 14th season of the reality show "Bigg Boss", shared the news on Instagram, alongside a series of pictures that showed the actor flaunting her baby bump.

"We promised we will together explore the world since we started dating, got married and now will do as a family welcoming the little traveller soon!" the actor captioned the post.

Dilaik, 34, tied the knot with 40-year-old Shukla in 2018.

Her Instagram post saw many congratulatory comments from their industry colleagues, including Sriti Jha, Nia Sharma, Himanshi Khurana, and Rajiv Adatia, among others.

As an actor, Rubina has appeared in shows such as Choti Bahu and Shakti - Astitva Ke Ehsaas Ki. Abhinav is known for featuring in Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka, Bigg Boss 14 and Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 11, among others.
Beirut, Sep 16 (AP) A Syrian dentist, a confectioner who made mouthwatering Arabic sweets, a carpenter.

Syrians from all walks of life had left their war-torn country for the Libyan city of Derna over the past years, looking for work and better opportunities.

Now, dozens of them are missing and feared dead after Mediterranean storm Daniel unleashed catastrophic flooding that tore through the coastal city on Sunday night, wreaking destruction and washing entire neighbourhoods out to sea.

The death toll has eclipsed 11,000 and more than 10,000 are missing. Five days on, searchers are still digging through mud and hollowed-out buildings in Derna, looking for bodies.

According to a war monitoring group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 42 Syrians have been confirmed dead in Libya while the real number could be as high as 150.

The victims include both Syrians who were living and working in Libya long term, and Syrian migrants who were using Libya as a transit point in efforts to reach Europe, most often by way of perilous voyages across the Mediterranean Sea, in unsafe boats organised by smugglers.

Two years ago, Nisma Jbawi's 19-year-old son Ammar Kanaan left their home in Syria's southern province of Daraa  one of the epicentres of the 2011 uprising against the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

He headed to Libya, where he planned to work and save money to pay Syrian authorities a fee of about USD 8,000 that would spare him from compulsory military service.

Jbawi said her son last spoke with her on Sunday afternoon. He told her he would close the sweet shop where he worked and go home because a strong storm was expected. She tried repeatedly to call him on Monday, without success. His WhatsApp account shows his phone was last online at around 1.30 am Monday.

We still have hope, she said, tears choking her up.

As the storm pounded Derna late Sunday, residents said they heard loud explosions when the dams outside the city collapsed.

Floodwaters washed down Wadi Derna, a river running from the mountains through the city and into the sea.

On Tuesday, Kanaan's uncle drove to Derna from the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi where he works  only to find that the building where his nephew lived had been washed out to sea.

All who were inside are presumed dead, Jbawi said.

Rami Abdurrahman, who runs the Observatory, said he has not been able to confirm a single survivor out of the 150 Syrians missing in Derna since Sunday night. But definite numbers are hard to come by in the chaotic aftermath of the destruction.

Like Syria, where the civil war has killed half a million people and forced more than 5 million to become refugees around the world, Libya as been through its own years of conflict.

The oil-rich North African country has been split between rival governments in the east and west since 2014, backed by with various militia forces and international patrons.

Derna is governed by Libya's eastern administration, where military commander Khalifa Hiftar wields significant power.

Still, for some Syrians, Libya offered prospects of a better life. Syrians can easily get into Libya on a tourist visa and find work  wages are higher than what many earn at home.

Zeid Marabeh, 19, came to Libya two years ago from the central city of Homs and worked as a carpenter.

He recounted to The Associated Press over the phone from Derna how he watched water surging toward his building on Sunday night.

Then I heard a loud boom, Marabeh said. It was the moment the dams collapsed.

When water levels started rising in his neighbourhood, he frantically ran toward higher ground  the nearby Eastern Shiha hill. From there, he saw the water destroy almost everything in its path.

He went back on Monday morning, after the waters subsided, to check on his uncle and relatives. The building where they lived had disappeared.

His uncle, Abdul-Ilah Marabeh, his aunt Zeinab and their 1-year-old daughter Shahd were gone, he said.

Marabeh said he looked through the rows of bodies laid out on their street but could not find his uncle's family.

In the Syrian capital of Damascus on Thursday, members of the Qalaaji family were receiving condolences for their eight family members killed in Derna.

Firas Qalaji, his wife Rana Khateeb and their six children were to be buried in Libya, the family said in a statement.

Ghina al-Qassim said her nephew, Hani Turkomani, was a dentist who arrived in Derna some nine months ago to improve his life. His cousins, already there, had found him a job.

After the floodwaters subsided, the cousins, who survived the tragedy, went looking for him.

They said his apartment was full of water and mud but a large hole in the wall raised their hopes that he might have escaped from the building or been pulled out by rescue workers, al-Qassim said.

God willing, she added. (AP) FZH
Seoul (S korea), Sep 16 (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russian nuclear-capable bombers and other warplanes in Russia's Far East on Saturday as he continued a trip that has sparked Western concerns about an arms alliance that could fuel Russian President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine.

After arriving in the city of Artyom by train, Kim traveled to an airport just outside the seaside city of Vladivostok where Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other senior military officials gave him an up-close look at Russia's strategic bombers and other warplanes.

Seemingly all of the Russian warplanes shown to Kim on Saturday were among those that have seen active use in the war in Ukraine, including the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers that have regularly launched cruise missiles.

Shoigu, who had met Kim during a rare visit to North Korea in July, also showed Kim one of Russia's latest missiles, the hypersonic Kinzhal carried by the MiG-31 fighter jet, according to Russia's Defence Ministry.

Kim's to visit to Russia, highlighted by a summit with Putin on Wednesday, comes amid momentum in military cooperation between the countries in which North Korea could potentially seek Russian technologies to advance Kim's military nuclear program in exchange for providing Russia with badly needed munitions.

Later in Vladivostok, Kim was expected to see Russian naval ships of the country's Pacific fleet, which could be another hint at what he wants from Russia, possibly in exchange for supplying munitions to refill Putin's declining reserves as his invasion of Ukraine becomes a drawn-out war of attrition.

The visit follows Kim's tour on Friday of a factory producing advanced Russian warplanes.

Kim in recent months has emphasised the need to strengthen his navy to counter the advanced naval assets of the United States, which has been expanding its combined military exercises with South Korea to counter the North's growing threat.

Analysts say Kim's focus on naval strength could be driven by ambitions to obtain sophisticated technologies for ballistic missile submarines and nuclear-propelled submarines as well as to initiate joint naval exercises between Russia and North Korea.

Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of Russia's Primorsky region, earlier announced Kim's arrival in the city of Artyom, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) northeast of Vladivostok.

Kozhemyako released a video showing Kim's arrival on a messaging app channel that saw Kim smiling as he got off his green-and-yellow train and was greeted by children presenting flowers.

After meeting with Putin at Russia's main spaceport, a location that communicated Kim's desire for Russian assistance in his efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance assets and missile technologies, North Korea's leader reappeared Friday in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur for a visit to a plant producing Russia's Su-57 fighter jets.

Experts have said potential military cooperation between the countries could include efforts to modernise North Korea's outdated air force, which relies on warplanes sent from the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday that during his visit to the aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Kim expressed sincere regard for what he described as Russia's rapidly advancing aviation technologies, which he said were outpacing the outside potential threats.

North Korean state media have been reporting Kim's activities in Russia a day late while crafting the details to meet government propaganda purposes.

Russia's Cabinet on Friday released a video showing Kim on an elevated platform looking at the cockpit of an Su-57 while listening to its pilot.

Kim also beamed and clapped his hands when an Su-35 fighter jet landed after a demonstration flight.

During a luncheon hosted by Russian officials, Kim's top military officer, army Marshal Ri Pyong Chol, said his leader's visit to the facility added another glorious page to the relations between the countries, KCNA said. Kim's delegation also includes the top commanders of North Korea's air force and navy.

Putin on Friday briefed Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko about his summit with Kim. During their meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Lukashenko suggested Belarus could join Russia and North Korea in three-way cooperation.

Kim's trip to Russia, his first since April 2019 when he met Putin in Vladivostok, came days after he attended a ceremony at a North Korean military shipyard where the country unveiled a purported nuclear attack submarine.

State media claimed it is capable of launching tactical nuclear weapons from underwater.

But South Korea's military expressed doubt about the operational capabilities of the sub, which was the result of reshaping an existing submarine to install missile launch tubes.

Kim has announced goals to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines, which can quietly travel long distances and approach enemy shores to deliver strikes, a key asset in his efforts to build a viable nuclear arsenal that could threaten the United States. Analysts say such capacities would be unfeasible for the North without external assistance.

Putin on Friday reiterated that Russia would abide by UN sanctions, some of which ban North Korea from exporting or importing any weapons. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov separately said that no agreements on bilateral military cooperation were signed after the Putin-Kim meeting Wednesday.

Experts say North Korea and Russia aren't likely to publicize any deals on weapons to avoid stronger international criticism.

Kim, whose visit to Russia is his first foreign trip since the COVID-19 pandemic, has been eager to boost the visibility of his partnerships with Moscow and Beijing as he attempts to break out of international isolation and insert Pyongyang in a united front against Washington. Some South Korean experts say that Kim could also pursue a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In another sign of the North's post-pandemic opening, KCNA said Saturday that a team of North Korean athletes departed from the country's capital, Pyongyang, to participate in the Asian Games starting next week in Hangzhou, China.

South Korea's government says around 190 North Korean athletes are registered for the event.

Since last year, the US has accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, many of them likely copies of Soviet-era munitions.

South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Russia have already been used in Ukraine.

Some analysts question how much Russia would be willing to share its sensitive weapons technology in exchange for North Korean conventional arms. But others say that is now a possibility to consider as Russia becomes desperate to refill its drained reserves.

After a meeting in Seoul discussing the allies' nuclear deterrence strategies, US and South Korean officials on Friday stepped up their condemnation of the recent moves by Russia and North Korea.

Sasha Baker, the US acting undersecretary of defence for policy, said Washington will continue to try to identify and expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment, again, to prosecute their illegal war on Ukraine.

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin said Washington and Seoul, while increasing security cooperation, would ensure that Moscow faces consequences if it helps advance North Korea's weapons program. (AP) FZH
Seoul, Sep 16 (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russia's nuclear-capable bombers, hypersonic missiles and an advanced warship from its Pacific fleet on Saturday as he continued a trip in Russia's Far East that has sparked Western concerns about an arms alliance that could fuel Russian President Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine.

After arriving in the city of Artyom by train, Kim travelled to an airport just outside the port city of Vladivostok where Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and other senior military officials gave him an up-close look at Russia's strategic bombers and other warplanes.

All the Russian warplanes shown to Kim on Saturday were among the types that have seen active use in the war in Ukraine, including the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers that have regularly launched cruise missiles.

Shoigu, who had met Kim during a rare visit to North Korea in July, also showed Kim one of Russia's latest missiles, the hypersonic Kinzhal, carried by the MiG-31 fighter jet, that saw its first combat during the war in Ukraine, according to Russia's Defence Ministry.

Kim and Shoigu later travelled to Vladivostok, where they inspected the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate of Russia's Pacific fleet. Russia's navy commander, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, briefed Kim on the ship's capabilities and weapons, which include long-range Kalibr cruise missiles that Russian warships have regularly fired at targets in Ukraine.

Kim's visits to military and technology sites this week possibly hint at what he wants from Russia, perhaps in exchange for supplying munitions to refill Putin's declining reserves as his invasion of Ukraine becomes a drawn-out war of attrition.

Kim's trip to Russia, which included more than four hours of talks with Putin on Wednesday, comes amid momentum in military cooperation between the countries in which North Korea could potentially seek Russian technologies to advance Kim's nuclear, missile and other military programmes in exchange for providing Russia with badly needed munitions.

Videos released by Russia's Defence Ministry showed Shoigu greeting Kim at the airport along with honour guards lined up near a red carpet. Kim was seen peering at the Kinzhal missile and gesturing and asking questions about the warplanes' capabilities as he discussed technical details with Shoigu and other military officials through translators.

Kim was also seen talking to Shoigu and Yevmenov about a purported nuclear attack submarine the North unveiled last week as they stepped out of the Shaposhnikov frigate.

The visit follows Kim's tour on Friday of a factory producing advanced Russian warplanes.

Kim in recent months has emphasised the need to strengthen his navy to counter the advanced naval assets of the United States, which has been expanding its combined military exercises with South Korea to counter the North's growing threat.

Analysts say Kim's focus on naval strength could be driven by ambitions to obtain sophisticated technologies for ballistic missile submarines and nuclear-propelled submarines as well as to initiate joint naval exercises between Russia and North Korea.

Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of Russia's Primorsky region, earlier announced Kim's arrival in the city of Artyom, about 40 kilometres northeast of Vladivostok. Kozhemyako released a video showing Kim smiling as he got off his green-and-yellow train and was greeted by children presenting flowers.

After meeting Putin at Russia's main spaceport, a location that pointed to Kim's desire for Russian assistance in his efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance assets and missile technologies, North Korea's leader reappeared Friday in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur for a visit to a plant producing Russia's Su-57 fighter jets.

Experts have said potential military cooperation between the countries could include efforts to modernize North Korea's outdated air force, which relies on warplanes sent from the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Pyongyang's official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday that during his visit to the aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, Kim expressed sincere regard for what he described as Russia's rapidly advancing aviation technologies, which he said were outpacing the outside potential threats.

North Korean state media have been reporting on Kim's activities in Russia a day late while crafting the details to meet government propaganda purposes.

Russia's Cabinet on Friday released a video showing Kim on an elevated platform looking at the cockpit of an Su-57 while listening to its pilot. Kim also beamed and clapped his hands when an Su-35 fighter jet landed after a demonstration flight.

During a luncheon hosted by Russian officials, Kim's top military officer, army Marshal Ri Pyong Chol, said his leader's visit to the facility added another glorious page to the countries' relations, KCNA said. Kim's delegation also includes the top commanders of North Korea's air force and navy.

Kim's trip to Russia, his first since April 2019 when he met Putin in Vladivostok, came days after he attended a ceremony at a North Korean military shipyard where the country unveiled the alleged nuclear attack submarine.

State media claimed it is capable of launching tactical nuclear weapons from underwater. But South Korea's military expressed doubt about the operational capabilities of the sub, which was the result of reshaping an existing submarine to install missile launch tubes.

Kim has also announced goals to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines, which can quietly travel long distances and approach enemy shores to deliver strikes, a key asset in his efforts to build a viable nuclear arsenal that could threaten the United States. Analysts say such capacities would be unfeasible for the North without external assistance.

Putin on Friday reiterated that Russia would abide by UN sanctions, some of which ban North Korea from exporting or importing any weapons. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov separately said that no agreements on bilateral military cooperation were signed after the Putin-Kim meeting Wednesday.

Experts say North Korea and Russia aren't likely to publicise any deals on weapons to avoid stronger international criticism.

Kim, whose visit to Russia is his first foreign trip since the COVID-19 pandemic, has been eager to boost the visibility of his partnerships with Moscow and Beijing as he attempts to break out of international isolation and insert Pyongyang in a united front against Washington. Some South Korean experts say that Kim could also pursue a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In another sign of the North's post-pandemic opening, KCNA said Saturday that a team of North Korean athletes departed from Pyongyang to participate in the Asian Games starting next week in Hangzhou, China. South Korea's government says around 190 North Korean athletes are registered for the event.

Since last year, the US has accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, many of them likely copies of Soviet-era munitions. South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Russia have already been used in Ukraine.

Some analysts question how much Russia would be willing to share its sensitive weapons technology in exchange for North Korean conventional arms. But others say that is now a possibility to consider as Russia becomes desperate to refill its drained reserves.

After a meeting in Seoul discussing the allies' nuclear deterrence strategies, US and South Korean officials on Friday stepped up their condemnation of the recent moves by Russia and North Korea.

Sasha Baker, the US acting undersecretary of defense for policy, said Washington will continue to try to identify and expose and counter Russian attempts to acquire military equipment" from North Korea or elsewhere. (AP)



GRS

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London, Sep 16 (PTI) The British government has announced that a proposed hike in visa fees will become effective from October 4, when a visit visa for under six months will cost GBP 15 more and student visas will be GBP 127 more expensive for travellers from around the world, including Indians.

Following legislation tabled in Parliament on Friday, the UK Home Office said the changes mean that the cost for a visit visa for less than six months will rise to GBP 115 and the fee for applying for a student visa from outside the UK will rise to GBP 490  to equal the amount charged for in-country applications.

It comes after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had announced in July that the fees and health surcharge paid towards the UKs state-funded National Health Service (NHS) by visa applicants are set to rise significantly to meet the countrys public sector wage increase.

We are going to increase the charges that we have for migrants who are coming to this country when they apply for visas and indeed something called the Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS), which is the levy that they pay to access the NHS, he said at the time.

All of those fees are going to go up and that will raise over GBP 1 billion, so across the board visa application fees are going to go up significantly and similarly for the IHS, he said.

The Home Office indicated a 15 per cent increase in the cost of most work and visit visas, and an increase of at least 20 per cent in the cost of priority visas, study visas and certificates of sponsorship.

Income from fees charged plays a vital role in the Home Offices ability to run a sustainable immigration and nationality system. Careful consideration is given when setting fees to help reduce the funding contribution from British taxpayers, whilst continuing to provide a service that remains attractive to those wishing to work in the UK and support broader prosperity for all, the Home Office said this week.

The hike in fees applies across most visa categories, including health and care visa; applications to register and naturalise as a British citizen; fees for up to six months, two, five and 10-year visit visas.

The hike also applies for the majority of fees for entry clearance and certain applications for leave to remain in the UK, including those for work and study; fees for indefinite leave to enter and indefinite leave to remain; and fees in relation to certificates of sponsorship and confirmation of acceptance for studies.

The changes are subject to parliamentary approval and are expected to be in force from October 4, the Home Office said.
Lahore, Sep 16 (PTI) A Pakistani court on Saturday raised an objection on a plea to reopen the case of Independence war hero Bhagat Singh's sentencing in 1931 and to set it aside by exercising the principles of review and honour him with posthumous state awards.

Singh was hanged by the British rulers on March 23, 1931, along with his comrades Rajguru and Sukhdev after being tried under charges of hatching a conspiracy against the British regime.

Singh was initially jailed for life but was later sentenced to death in another fabricated case.

On Saturday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) raised an objection to reopening the decade-old case and constitution of a larger bench to listen to the petition that pleads to set aside the sentence of Singh by exercising principles of review and order the government to honour him with posthumous state awards.

"The Lahore High Court on Saturday raised an objection to reopen the Bhagat Singh case and constitution of a larger bench for its early hearing. The court objected that the petition is not maintainable for the constitution of a larger bench," Advocate Imtiaz Rashid Qureshi, chairman of the Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation and one of the petitioners, told PTI.

Qureshi said that the petition of a panel of senior lawyers of which he is part has been pending in the LHC for a decade.

"Justice Shujaat Ali Khan in 2013 had referred the matter to the chief justice for the constitution of a larger bench, since then it has been pending," he said.

The petition says that Bhagat Singh fought for the independence of the sub-continent.

The petition further says that Singh is respected in the subcontinent not only by the Sikhs, and Hindus but also Muslims. Founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah twice had paid him tribute during his speech in the Central Assembly.

"It is a matter of national importance and should be fixed before a full bench," Qureshi pleaded.

He said Singh's name was not mentioned in the First Information Report of the murder of British police officer John P. Saunders for which he was sentenced to death.

About a decade ago, the Lahore police had searched through the records of the Anarkali police station on the court's order and managed to find the FIR of the murder of Saunders.

Written in Urdu, the FIR was registered with the Anarkali police station on December 17, 1928, at 4.30 pm against two 'unknown gunmen'.

The case was registered under sections 302, 120 and 109 of the Indian Penal Code.

Qureshi said that the special judges of the tribunal handling Bhagat Singhs case sentenced him to death without hearing 450 witnesses in the case.

Singhs lawyers were not given the opportunity to cross-question them, he said.

"We will establish Bhagat Singh's innocence in the Saunders case," he said.
Kuala Lumpur, Sep 16 (AP) Hundreds of people staged an anti-government rally Saturday in the Malaysian capital, accusing Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of helping his key ally escape prosecution in exchange for political support.

Prosecutors unexpectedly dropped 47 corruption charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Sept 4, late in the process of his trail. The court approved the application for dismissal but refused to grant Zahid a full acquittal, which means he can be recharged.

Speakers addressing the crowd Saturday in Kuala Lumpur accused Anwar's government of interfering with the case to let Zahid off the hook in return for political support. Some protesters in the opposition-backed rally wore white shirts emblazoned with the words Fight Corruption. They marched in the city centre chanting, Charge Zahid, Reform is dead and Down with Anwar.

Protester Muhamed Yahya said there was a hidden hand at work that led to the charges against Zahid being dropped.

They used the back door, he said.

Prosecutors said Zahid's case was temporarily halted because further investigation was needed. Anwar has said it was former Attorney General Idrus Harun's decision just before he retired and denied interfering in the case. The dropped charges have led to renewed calls for reforms that would separate the attorney general's roles as the government's legal adviser and its public prosecutor.

Zahid heads the United Malays National Organisation party, and his support has been pivotal in helping Anwar form a unity government after November's general election led to a hung Parliament. The dismissal of charges sparked new criticism, particularly in light of the Anwar government's anti-corruption stance.

A lot of promises were not fulfilled by Anwar's government, said protester Zolazrai Zolkapli.

Their promises were all lies. When we have been cheated by their propaganda and cheated by their manifesto, we come here to show our support for the rally, he said.

Police had declared the gathering unlawful, as no permission was granted to hold it, but they didn't stop the protest, which ended peacefully after several hours.

Zahid was detained on graft charges in 2018 after UMNO lost power, facing 12 counts of criminal breach of trust, 27 counts of money laundering and eight counts of bribery involving more than 31 million ringgit ($6.7 million) from his family foundation. Prosecutors alleged that money intended for charity was misappropriated for his personal use, including to shop and pay off his credit cards. More than 110 witnesses have testified in his case. (AP) SCY

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London, Sep 16 (AP) Hundreds gathered in central London on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who died in police custody in Iran last year, sparking worldwide protests against the country's conservative Islamic theocracy.

Chanting Women! Life! Freedom!," the crowds held her portrait and rallied around the memory of a young woman who died on Sept 16, 2022, after she was arrested for allegedly violating Iran's mandatory headscarf law. Similar protests took place in Rome and Berlin.

In Iran, authorities sought to prevent the anniversary from reigniting the protests that gripped the country last year. Amini's father was detained outside his home after the family indicated that they planned to gather at her grave for a traditional service of commemoration, the Kurdish rights group Hengaw said. People in downtown Tehran reported a heavy security presence, and security forces were seen in western Iran, where the Kurdish minority staged large protests last year.

Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman from the western region, died three days after she was arrested by morality police, allegedly for violating laws that require women to cover their hair in public. While authorities said that she suffered a heart attack, Amini's supporters said she was beaten by police and died as a result of her injuries.

Her death triggered protests that spread across the country and rapidly escalated into calls for the overthrow of Iran's four-decade-old Islamic theocracy.

Authorities responded with a violent crackdown in which more than 500 people were killed and in excess of 22,000 others were detained, according to rights groups. The demonstrations largely died down early this year, but there are still widespread signs of discontent. For several months, women could be seen openly flaunting the headscarf rule in Tehran and other cities, prompting a renewed crackdown over the summer.

Activists around the world sought to renew the protests on the anniversary of Amini's death.

On Saturday, about 100 protesters gathered in front of the Iranian Embassy in Rome under the Women, life, freedom, banner.

Now it is important that all the world start again to demonstrate in the streets, because what we want is to isolate this regime and in particular we want to push all the states not to have political and economic agreements with Iran, protester Lucia Massi said.

Iran blamed last year's protests on the United States and other foreign powers, without providing evidence, and has since tried to downplay the unrest even as it moves to prevent any resurgence.

The protests were partly fuelled by the widespread economic pain Iranians have suffered since then-President Donald Trump withdrew from a nuclear deal with world powers and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran. But that suffering also may have made it difficult to sustain prolonged demonstrations, as many Iranians struggle to make ends meet.

President Joe Biden issued a lengthy statement on Friday acknowledging the anniversary of Amini's death, and the United States announced new sanctions on Iranian officials and entities. UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also noted the anniversary and imposed new sanctions on Iranian officials.

Soheila Sokhanvari, an Iranian-British artist, moved to the UK to study a year before the 1979 revolution that brought Iran's conservative Islamic leaders to power. She was in London preparing for a solo exhibition on pre-revolutionary feminist icons last year when she heard about Amini's death.

The protests that followed marked the first time the world has seen a revolution which is instigated by women, she told The Associated Press earlier this month.

But I think what's really important about this protest is that Iranian men, for the first time in the history of Iran, they're actually standing with women and they're supporting the women and they're showing respect for the women, she said. That's very original and it's never happened in the history of Iran. (AP) SCY

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Seoul (S Korea), Sep 16 (AP) North Korean leader Kim Jong Un arrived Saturday at a Russian city near the far eastern port of Vladivostok where he's expected to see Russia's Pacific Fleet.

The visit follows Kim's talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Vostochny spaceport on Wednesday and his visit Friday to an aircraft-making plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.

The US and it allies are concerned that Kim's visit is focused on providing Moscow with weapons for its war in Ukraine in a possible arms-for-technology deal. (AP) FZH
Patna, Sep 16 (PTI) Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has defended the opposition INDIA bloc's decision to boycott alleged pro-BJP news anchors.

The RJD leader was talking to reporters here on Friday, upon his return from Delhi, where the decision to this effect was taken during a coordination committee meeting of the INDIA coalition.

He also admonished his party colleague and cabinet minister Chandra Shekhar for his controversial remarks on Ramcharitmanas.

"The sub-committee concerned took the decision not to take part in shows organised by those who are rabidly pro-BJP and try to give things an incendiary turn," said Yadav, upon being asked about the opposition coalition's move, which has irked the ruling party at the Centre and also drawn flak from some journalists' bodies.

About the utterances of Chandra Shekhar, who holds the education portfolio, the deputy CM said, "In my view, he should avoid raising unnecessary controversy and concentrate more on the functioning of his department."

The RJD leader, however, added, "I also have a complaint against too much of media glare around such negative things. The education department in the state recently held a teachers' recruitment drive which was unprecedented in scale. I hardly saw any coverage in the mainstream media."

Yadav also sought to make light of the Bihar visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is scheduled to hold a rally in Madhubani district and attend a Sashastra Seema Bal function in Araria on Saturday.

"The visit may be of benefit to the home minister's party. What is Bihar going to get out of it? His government has failed to provide the state a special package, what to speak of the long-standing demand for a special category status," Yadav alleged.

"The home minister has been visiting Bihar almost every month. I wish he took some time off to go to Manipur which is ruled by his party and where the situation resembles a civil war," the RJD leader added.

He also scoffed at speculations in a section of the media that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who received a warm welcome from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a G20 event last weekend, could plan yet another volte-face.

The young leader remarked, "Things do not happen that way. But, if the BJP people feel happy imagining such a scenario, let them enjoy some sweets. It will make them halt their hate propaganda across the country for some time."
ORLANDO, Fla.  SpaceX waited a day, but ended up launching the companys 65th orbital mission of the year.

A Falcon 9 carrying 22 of the companys Starlink internet satellites lifted off at 11:38 p.m. Friday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Stations Space Launch Complex 40.

The first-stage booster for the mission made its fifth flight with another landing on the droneship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic.

It marked the 49th Space Coast launch of the year with all but three coming from SpaceX.

Across all of its launch pads, though, it was SpaceXs 65th orbital launch of the year: 36 from Cape Canaveral, 10 from Kennedy Space Center and 19 from Californias Vandenberg Space Force Base.

That doesnt include the Starship and Super Heavy launch attempt from Texas in April that ended short of orbital altitude. Its awaiting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for a second attempt with the new massive rocket already on the new and improved launch pad.

The company already surpassed its 2022 record of 61 launches back on Sept. 3 and is on track to reach at least 80 for the year.
Jodhpur, Sep 16 (PTI) Asaram has moved the Rajasthan high court for parole after his plea for relief was rejected a second time, his counsel said on Saturday.

Allowing his application, the high court on Friday issued a notice to the state government seeking a reply in two weeks.

Asaram, a self-styled godman, has been serving a life sentence following his conviction on April 25, 2018, for sexually assaulting a teenage student of his ashram.

His counsel Kalu Ram Bhati said that the District Parole Committee rejected his parole application a second time on the ground that his release on parole could cause law and order issues.

"Asaram had moved an application seeking 20 days' parole but the committee rejected it citing a negative report from the police," he said.

Bhati in court argued that Asaram had been serving the jail term for 11 years and even the Social Justice and Empowerment department had recommended parole for him.

"Moreover, his behaviour in this entire period in the jail has been satisfactory and he deserved parole owing to his old age and health," he argued.

Additional Advocate General Anil Joshi, however, sought some time to file his reply, after which, the division bench of Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Rajendra Prakash Soni directed him to file his reply in two weeks' time.

Asaram moved high court in July after his application seeking parole had been rejected by the committee on the ground that he was not entitled to parole under the provisions of the Rajasthan Prisoners Release on Parole Rules, 2021 (the Rules of 2021).

His counsel had then argued that the rule did not apply to Asaram as he had been convicted and sentenced before it came into force.

The high court, disposing of his application, had then directed the committee to reconsider Asaram's parole application in light of the old 1958 rules.
Kochi, Sep 16 (PTI) A special court in Kerala on Saturday framed charges under various provisions of the POCSO Act and the IPC, including aggravated penetrative sexual assault, rape and murder, against a Bihar resident accused of abducting, raping and killing a five-year-old girl at Aluva here in July.

Ernakulam special POCSO court judge K Soman read out the charges, numbering around 15, to the accused -- Ashfaq Alam -- who said that he did not commit all of the offences he was accused of, special public prosecutor (SPP) Mohan Raj said.

At the same time the accused did not specify what offences he had committed, the SPP said.

"The trial will commence from October 4," the SPP said.

The court framed charges against the accused under Sections 3, 4, 5 and 6 -- which deal with the offences of aggravated penetrative sexual assault and penetrative sexual assault -- of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act which carry a punishment of minimum of 20 years imprisonment.

Some of the other major offences for which charges were framed against the accused were under the Sections 302 (murder), 376(m) (endangering life while committing rape) and (n) (repeated rape), 366A (procuration of a minor girl), 364 (kidnapping for murder) and 328 (causing hurt by administering an intoxicant or poison) of the IPC.

All these offences carry punishments ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment.

Ernakulam rural SP Vivek Kumar IPS, who also confirmed the court order, said that the police team -- headed by Aluva Deputy SP Prasad and Inspector of Police Manju Das -- did a good job as they were able to wrap up the investigation in 30 days.

"The charge sheet was filed on the 35th day after the crime was committed and charges were framed on the 46th day," the senior officer of the district said.

He said it would be the endeavour of the police and the prosecution to ensure the trial is completed within a month.

The officer also said that there were 99 witnesses in the case, but it would be up to the court to decide whom all to examine.

According to the police, the accused was arrested by Ghazipur police (east Delhi) in 2018 for attempting to sexually molest a 10-year-old girl there and later came out on bail.

On July 28, the five-year-old girl was abducted, raped and killed allegedly by Alam who lived in the same building as the victim.

The child's family too hails from the same state. Her body was found dumped in a sack in a marshy area behind a local market in the nearby Aluva area here the following day.

The accused was arrested on July 28 itself, but could not be interrogated as he was in an inebriated state, police had said.
Muzaffarnagar (UP), Sep 16 (PTI) Police on Saturday arrested a couple for the "unlawful" conversion of a Dalit man to Islam in the Thana Bhawan area of Uttar Pradesh's Shamli district, officials said.

"We have arrested one Shokeen and his wife Kamerbetoon alias Mahi, both residents of Okhla in New Delhi, regarding the unlawful conversion of a Dalit man," Superintendent of Police Abhishek said.

The couple allegedly converted the man to Islam a few days ago, he said.

The police have lodged a case against the couple under provisions of the Indian Penal Code and the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act.

"The accused are also said to be involved in the conversion of some other people from the village. Our teams are investigating," Abhishek said.
Emma Orlando was determined to get on the property ladder, but realised she would never save enough for a deposit while spending 1,000 or so a month on rent. So, three years ago, she took a dramatic step.

I moved into a campervan to cut down on my costs, says the 28-year-old.

It took just over three years living and working in it to save a 50,000 deposit for the house I have now bought in Newquay in Cornwall.

Emma fitted out her van with the help of a friend, watching online videos on how to do it. She also continued her job as a freelance marketer using wi-fi installed in her van.

Vanlife: Shots of live in campervans have become a social media staple in recent years, but for some aspiring first-time buyers living in a van is route to saving a deposit

I stayed in a campsite in Cornwall with a beautiful ocean view that cost 300 a month,

Once the van was ready, Emmas costs were minimal. She says the cost of running the van was no different to that of a car, and included road tax and filling up with diesel.

The dream of home ownership is being pushed ever further out of the reach of first-time buyers thanks to rising mortgage rates and wages failing to keep up with soaring house prices.

The average first-time buyer deposit is now 34,500 according to estate agent Zoopla  a sum few can achieve without family help. As a result, aspiring first-time buyers are being forced to adapt, with 700,000 more adults living with their parents than a decade ago.

And a small number are opting to live in a campervan to boost their savings. The rise in remote working makes it an increasingly popular option as many employees are no longer tethered to where they work. Many like Emma opt for scenic destinations.

The National Caravan Council, a UK trade body for motorhome owners, says campervan sales have been rising steadily since 2013, peaking during the Covid lockdowns.

Spokeswoman Rebecca Hutton says: Due to rising rents, a lack of affordable housing and the cost of living, there are reports of some people choosing to purchase a motorhome, caravan, or campervan as an alternative to more traditional forms of housing.

Amy Nicholson says that living in a van slashed her outgoings

Amy Nicholson moved into a van two years ago, after living with her parents in Kent. The 36-year-old says: I lived with them during much of the pandemic and my mental health wasnt great. So I decided to sell my car  my only asset  and buy a van to have some freedom.

With her parents help, Amy converted an empty van, even installing solar panels for electricity, all under the watchful eye of Indie, her mothers dog. Before moving in with my parents I was spending 1,200 a month on rent and bills on a flat in Kent, she says. So Im making a big saving.

With the solar panels, Amy only needs to pay for the gas for her cooker  about 40 a year  and campsite stays. The lower costs mean she has saved enough to buy and renovate a cottage in Newquay  with some help from her parents.

Kitted out: Lewis Nyman and one of his vans that he rents out as a business - he lived in another one himself to save money

Lewis Nyman has similarly managed to boost his savings. He had been paying 750 a month in a house share, then more than 1,000 a month to rent a flat in Brighton.

But, thanks to living in a campervan for the past couple of years, he has built up 25,000 of savings.

Lewis, 36, now hires out a fleet of electric campervans in Brighton as a business. Like most people who have embraced the lifestyle, he finds it ideal in summer  and tough in the winter.

He says: One year it got down to minus three in the van and was so cold the gas turned to liquid. I couldnt even ignite the heater.

He is able to work remotely, so now plans to head to Spain or Portugal for the colder months.

Robert and Mariona Bolohan, who are 29 and 27, moved into a van more than a year ago after struggling to save up for a deposit on a home.

However, they find they like the lifestyle and are managing to run three web-based branding and translation businesses from the van while saving up to 2,000 a month.

So they are in no rush to move out. When we do sell the van, well have a deposit of 65,000 to invest in a property in our native Catalonia, Spain, to renovate, says Robert.
McDonald's Corporation is a U.S.-based multinational restaurant chain that serves hamburgers, fries, chicken sandwiches and drinks. The company is the largest restaurant chain by revenue and serves more than 69 million customers daily. Total revenue topped $23 billion in 2022, with most revenue coming from its franchisees. The company operates in 100 countries and is the world's second-largest private employer, with more than 200,000 executives, managers, cooks and front-line staff.

McDonald's most iconic food items include French fries and the Big Mac. McDonald's serves hot and crispy fries. Its Big Mac is a double-decker burger with cheese, lettuce, tomato and "secret sauce," a combination of thousand island and French dressing that evokes a sharper flavor.

Richard and Maurice McDonald founded McDonald's in 1940. Its first restaurant location was in San Bernardino, California, and it quickly rebranded into a hamburger stand. The new concept met colossal success, and soon, the two were franchising their brand to other operators. The key to the brother's success was the Speedee Service System introduced in 1948. This system modeled concepts established by earlier chains.

The company introduced the golden arches in 1953 in Arizona and reached a significant turning point in 1955 when Ray Kroc entered the picture. He came aboard as the company's franchising agent and bought the company while expanding it. His first restaurant was the company's ninth total, but many agree that Kroc created the modern McDonald's Corporation. During his tenure, McDonald's expanded its footprint, enhanced its menu and grew into international territories.

The fictional character Ronald McDonald came to life in 1963. He lives in McDonaldland with his pals Mayor McCheese, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, the Fry Kids and the Hamburglar. He was invented as a marketing ploy to attract children and has become one of the nation's most beloved characters. At the peak of his popularity, the company employed more than 300 full-time clowns to portray Ronald McDonald.



Today, McDonald's Corporation operates and franchises McDonald's restaurants globally. The company generates revenue via sales in company-owned stores and rents, fees and royalties from its franchisees. The company's business model is to aid franchisees with real estate purchases and buildings so that it can collect on rent and other fees and brand royalties. As of 2022, the company owns about 45% of the land its restaurants sit on and 70% of the buildings. This model not only generates additional revenue and earnings but helps to insulate it from ups and downs in the consumer cycle.

As of December 31, 2023, the company operated about 38,000 restaurants, which includes the closing or divestiture of business in Russia.
Magna International Inc. designs, engineers, and manufactures components, assemblies, systems, subsystems, and modules for original equipment manufacturers of vehicles and light trucks worldwide. It operates through four segments: Body Exteriors & Structures, Power & Vision, Seating Systems, and Complete Vehicles. The Body Exteriors & Structures segment provides body and chassis, exterior, and roof systems, as well as battery enclosures and engineering and testing services, including fascia and trims, front end modules, integration panels, liftgate modules, active aerodynamics, engineered glass, running boards, truck bed access products, breakthrough lightings, quarter windows, encapsulated glasses, and side doors. The Power & Vision segment offers ?electric drive systems and components, such as emotors, inverters, onboard chargers, gearboxes, and e-clutch; dedicated hybrid drives, dual and hybrid dual clutch, and manual transmissions; AWD/4WD products and rear drive modules; transmission, driveline components, and ICE; engineering services; advanced driver assistance systems sensors and, and electronic control units; interior and exterior mirrors, camera and driver monitoring systems and electronics, actuators, door handles, and overhead consoles; forward, rear, and auxiliary lighting products; latching, door modules, window, power closure, and hinges and wire forming systems; and modular and textile folding roofs, and hard and soft tops. The Seating Systems segment provides seat structures, mechanism and hardware solutions, and foam and trim products. The Complete Vehicles segment offers vehicle engineering and manufacturing services. The company also designs, engineers, and manufactures tooling products. Magna International Inc. was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Aurora, Canada.
The following companies are subsidiares of HCA Healthcare: 2490 Church LLC, 360 Community Alliance LLC, 4600 Waters Avenue Professional Building Condominium Association Inc., 52 Alderley Road LLP, AC Med LLC, ACH Inc., ADC Surgicenter LLC, AOGN LLC, AOSC Sports Medicine Inc., AR Holding 1 LLC, AR Holding 10 LLC, AR Holding 11 LLC, AR Holding 12 LLC, AR Holding 13 LLC, AR Holding 14 LLC, AR Holding 15 LLC, AR Holding 16 LLC, AR Holding 17 LLC, AR Holding 18 LLC, AR Holding 19 LLC, AR Holding 2 LLC, AR Holding 20 LLC, AR Holding 21 LLC, AR Holding 22 LLC, AR Holding 23 LLC, AR Holding 24 LLC, AR Holding 25 LLC, AR Holding 26 LLC, AR Holding 27 LLC, AR Holding 28 LLC, AR Holding 29 LLC, AR Holding 30 LLC, AR Holding 31 LLC, AR Holding 4 LLC, AR Holding 5 LLC, AR Holding 6 LLC, AR Holding 7 LLC, AR Holding 8 LLC, AR Holding 9 LLC, ASD Shared Services LLC, Acadiana Care Center Inc., Acadiana Practice Management Inc., Acadiana Regional Pharmacy Inc., Access 2 Health Care Physicians LLC, Access Health Care Physicians LLC, Access Management Co. LLC, Ace Leasing II LLC, Acute Kids Urgent Care of Medical City Childrens Hospital PLLC, Acworth Immediate Care LLC, Administrative Physicians of North Texas PLLC, Advanced Bundle Convener LLC, Advanced Plastic Surgery Center of Terre Haute LLC, Advanced Practice Providers of Gulf Coast PLLC, Alaska Regional Medical Group LLC, Albany Family Practice LLC, Aligned Business Consortium Group L.P., All About Staffing (India) Ltd., All About Staffing Inc., All About Staffing Philippines Inc., Alleghany General and Bariatric Services LLC, Alleghany Hospitalists LLC, Alleghany Primary Care Inc., Alleghany Specialists LLC, Alliance Surgicare LLC, Alpine Surgicenter LLC, Alta Internal Medicine LLC, Alternaco LLC, Altitude Mid Level Providers LLC, Ambulatory Endoscopy Clinic of Dallas Ltd., Ambulatory Endoscopy Holdco LLC, Ambulatory Laser Associates GP, Ambulatory Services Management Corporation of Chesterfield County Inc., Ambulatory Surgery Center Group Ltd., American Medicorp Development Co., Anchorage Surgicenter LLC, AppleCare/Memorial Immediate Care Joint Venture LLC, Appledore Medical Group II Inc., Appledore Medical Group Inc., Appomattox Imaging LLC, Arapahoe Surgicenter LLC, Arlington Diagnostic South Inc., Arlington Neurosurgeons PLLC, Arlington Primary Care PLLC, Arlington Primary Medicine PLLC, Arlington Surgery Center L.P., Arlington Surgicare LLC, Arthritis Specialists of Nashville Inc., Ashburn ASC LLC, Ashburn Imaging LLC, Athens Community Hospital Inc., Atlanta Healthcare Management L.P., Atlanta Home Care L.P., Atlanta Market GP Inc., Atlanta Outpatient Surgery Center Inc., Atlanta Surgery Center Ltd., Atlantis Surgicare LLC, Atrium Surgery Center L.P., Atrium Surgicare LLC, Augusta CyberKnife LLC, Augusta Inpatient Services LLC, Augusta Management Services LLC, Augusta Multispecialty Services LLC, Augusta Primary Care Services LLC, Augusta Specialty Hospitalists LLC, Augusta Urgent Care Services LLC, Aurora Endoscopy Surgicenter LLC, Austin GI Surgicenter LLC, Austin Heart Cardiology MSO LLC, Austin Medical Center Inc., Austin Physicians Management LLC, Austin Urogynecology PLLC, Aventura Cancer Center Manager LLC, Aventura Comprehensive Cancer Research Group of Florida Inc., Aventura Healthcare Specialists LLC, Aventura Neurosurgery LLC, BAMI Property LLC, Backlogs Limited, Bailey Square Ambulatory Surgical Center Ltd., Bailey Square Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Bannerman Family Care LLC, Barrow Medical Center CT Services Ltd., Basic American Medical Inc., Basil Street Practice Limited, Bay Area Healthcare Group Ltd., Bay Area Surgical Center Investors Ltd., Bay Area Surgicare Center Inc., Bay Area Surgicenter LLC, Bay Hospital Inc., Bayonet Point Surgery Center Ltd., Bayshore Family Practitioners PLLC, Bayshore Multi-Specialty Group PLLC, Bayshore Occupational and Family Medicine PLLC, Bayshore Partner LLC, Bayshore Radiation Oncology Services PLLC, Bayshore Surgery Center Ltd., Bayside Ambulatory Center LLC, Bedford-Northeast Community Hospital Inc., Behavioral Health Sciences of West Florida LLC, Behavioral Health Wellness Center LLC, Bellaire Imaging Inc., Belleair Surgery Center Ltd., Belton Family Practice Clinic LLC, Big Cypress Medical Center Inc., Blacksburg Family Care LLC, Blossoms Healthcare LLP, Blue Ridge-TKC LLC, Bone & Joint Specialists Physician Group LLC, Bonita Bay Surgery Center Inc., Bonita Bay Surgery Center Ltd., Bountiful Surgery Center LLC, Boynton Beach EFL Imaging Center LLC, Bradenton Cardiology Physician Network LLC, Bradenton Outpatient Services LLC, Brandon Imaging Manager LLC, Brandon Regional Cancer Center LLC, Brentwood ASC LLC, Brigham City Community Hospital Inc., Brigham City Community Hospital Physician Services LLC, Brigham City Health Plan Inc., Brighton Surgicenter LLC, Brookwood Medical Center of Gulfport Inc., Broward Cardiovascular Surgeons LLC, Broward Healthcare System Inc., Broward Neurosurgeons LLC, Brownsville Specialists of Texas PLLC, Brownsville Surgery PLLC, Brownsville Surgical Specialists PLLC, Brownsville Surgicenter LLC, Brownsville-Valley Regional Medical Center Inc., Buford Road Imaging L.L.C., Byron Family Practice LLC, C. Medrano M.D. PLLC, C/HCA Capital Inc., C/HCA Development Inc., C/HCA Inc., CAREOS Surgicenter LLC, CC Clinic PLLC, CCBH Psychiatric Hospitalists LLC, CCH-GP Inc., CFC Investments Inc., CH Systems, CHC Finance Co., CHC Holdings Inc., CHC Management Ltd., CHC Payroll Agent Inc., CHC Payroll Company, CHC Realty Company, CHC Venture Co., CHC-El Paso Corp., CHC-Miami Corp., CHCA Bayshore L.P., CHCA Clear Lake L.P., CHCA Conroe L.P., CHCA Mainland L.P., CHCA Pearland L.P., CHCA West Houston L.P., CHCA Womans Hospital L.P., CHCK Inc., CJW Infectious Disease LLC, CJW Wound Healing Center LLC, CLASC Manager LLC, COL-NAMC Holdings Inc., COSCORP LLC, CP Surgery Center LLC, CPS TN Processor 1 Inc., CRMC-M LLC, CUC PLLC, CVMC Property LLC, Calder Immediate Care PLLC, California Imaging Center Manager LLC, California Urgent Care LLC, Calloway Creek Surgery Center L.P., Calloway Creek Surgicare LLC, Cancer Centers of North Florida LLC, Cancer Services of Aventura LLC, Capital Anesthesia Services LLC, Capital Area Cardiology, Capital Area CareNow Physician Associates, Capital Area Multispecialty Providers, Capital Area Neurosurgeons, Capital Area Occupational Medicine PLLC, Capital Area Primary Care PLLC, Capital Area Primary Care Providers, Capital Area Providers, Capital Area Specialists PLLC, Capital Area Specialty Providers, Capital Area Surgeons PLLC, Capital Division - CCA Inc., Capital Division Inc., Capital Network Services Inc., Capital Professional Billing LLC, Capital Regional Healthcare LLC, Capital Regional Heart Associates LLC, Capital Regional Psychiatry Associates LLC, Cardiac Surgical Associates LLC, Cardio Vascular Surgeons of North Texas PLLC, Cardiology Associates Medical Group LLC, Cardiology Clinic of San Antonio PLLC, Cardiology Specialists of North Texas PLLC, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons of Texas PLLC, Care for Women LLC, CareNow, CareOne Home Health Services Inc., CarePartners HHA Holdings LLLP, CarePartners HHA LLLP, CarePartners Rehabilitation Hospital LLLP, CareSpot Professional Services of Middle Tennessee LLC, CareSpot of Brentwood (210 Franklin Road) LLC, CareSpot of Cool Springs (100 International Drive) LLC, CareSpot of Donelson (2372 Lebanon Road) LLC, CareSpot of Hendersonville (280 Indian Lake Boulevard) LLC, CareSpot of Hermitage (5225 Old Hickory Boulevard) LLC, CareSpot of Lebanon (1705 West Main Street) LLC, CareSpot of Mt. Juliet (S. Mt. Juliet Road) LLC, CareSpot of Murfreesboro (1340 Broad Street) LLC, CareSpot of Nashville (2001 Glen Echo Road) LLC, CareSpot of Nashville (West End Avenue) LLC, Career Staffing USA Inc., Carlin Springs Urgent Care LLC, Carolina Forest Imaging Manager LLC, Carolina Regional Surgery Center Inc., Carolina Regional Surgery Center Ltd., Cartersville Medical Center LLC, Cartersville Occupational Medicine Center LLC, Cartersville Physician Practice I LLC, Catalog360 Limited, Cedar Creek Medical Group LLC, Cedars International Cardiology Consultants LLC, Cedars Medical Center Hospitalists LLC, Centennial Cardiovascular Consultants LLC, Centennial CyberKnife Center LLC, Centennial CyberKnife Manager LLC, Centennial Heart LLC, Centennial Hospitalists LLC, Centennial Neuroscience LLC, Centennial Psychiatric Associates LLC, Centennial Surgery Center L.P., Centennial Surgical Associates LLC, Centennial Surgical Clinic LLC, Centennial Womens Group LLC, Center for Advanced Diagnostics LLC, Center for Advanced Imaging LLC, Center for Digestive Diseases LLC, Center for Occupational Medicine LLC, Centerpoint Cardiology Services LLC, Centerpoint Clinic of Blue Springs LLC, Centerpoint Hospital Based Physicians LLC, Centerpoint Medical Center of Independence LLC, Centerpoint Medical Specialists LLC, Centerpoint Orthopedics LLC, Centerpoint Physicians Group LLC, Centerpoint Womens Services LLC, Central Florida Cardiology Interpretations LLC, Central Florida Division Practice Inc., Central Florida Health Services LLC, Central Florida Imaging Services LLC, Central Florida Management Services LLC, Central Florida Obstetrics & Gynecology Associates LLC, Central Florida Physician Network LLC, Central Florida Regional Hospital Inc., Central Health Holding Company Inc., Central Pasco LLC, Central San Antonio Surgical Center Investors Ltd., Central Shared Services LLC, Central Tennessee Hospital Corporation, Central Texas Cardiac Arrhythmia Physicians PLLC, Centrum Surgery Center Ltd., Charleston CareNow Urgent Care LLC, Chatsworth Hospital Corp., Chattanooga ASC Acquisition Inc., Chattanooga Diagnostic Associates LLC, Chattanooga Healthcare Network L.P., Chattanooga Healthcare Network Partner Inc., Chelsea Outpatient Centre LLP, Chesterfield Imaging LLC, Chicago Grant Hospital Inc., Childrens Multi-Specialty Group LLC, Chino Community Hospital Corporation Inc., Chippenham & Johnston-Willis Hospitals Inc., Chippenham & Johnston-Willis Sports Medicine LLC, Chippenham Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Chippenham Pediatric Specialists LLC, Chiswick Outpatient Centre LLP, Christiansburg Family Medicine LLC, Christiansburg Internal Medicine LLC, Christina Cano-Gonzalez M.D. PLLC, Chugach PT Inc., Church Street Partners, Citrus Memorial Hospital Inc., Citrus Memorial Property Management Inc., Citrus Primary Care Inc., Citrus Specialty Group Inc., Citrus Surgicenter LLC, City of San Antonio H2U Employee Health and Wellness Center PLLC, Clarksville Surgicenter LLC, Clear Creek Surgery Center LLC, Clear Lake Cardiac Catheterization Center L.P., Clear Lake Cardiac GP LLC, Clear Lake Family Physicians PLLC, Clear Lake Medical Tower Owners Association Inc., Clear Lake Merger LLC, Clear Lake Multi-Specialty Group PLLC, Clear Lake Regional Medical Center Inc., Clear Lake Regional Partner LLC, Clear Lake Surgicare Ltd., ClinicServ LLC, Clinical Education Shared Services LLC, Clinishare Inc., Coastal Bend Hospital CT Services Ltd., Coastal Bend Hospital Inc., Coastal Carolina Home Care Inc., Coastal Carolina Multispecialty Associates LLC, Coastal Carolina Primary Care LLC, Coastal Healthcare Services Inc., Coastal Imaging Center L.P., Coastal Imaging Center of Gulfport Inc., Coastal Inpatient Physicians LLC, Coliseum Health Group Inc., Coliseum Health Group LLC, Coliseum Medical Center LLC, Coliseum Park Hospital Inc., Coliseum Primary Care Services LLC, Coliseum Primary Healthcare - Macon LLC, Coliseum Primary Healthcare - Riverside LLC, Coliseum Professional Associates LLC, Coliseum Same Day Surgery Center L.P., Coliseum Surgery Center L.L.C., College Park Ancillary LLC, College Park Endoscopy Center LLC, College Park Radiology LLC, Colleton Ambulatory Care LLC, Colleton Diagnostic Center LLC, Colleton Medical Anesthesia LLC, Colleton Medical Hospitalists LLC, Colleton Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery LLC, Collier County Home Health Agency Inc., Collin County Diagnostic Associates PLLC, Colorado Health Systems Inc., Columbia ASC Management L.P., Columbia Ambulatory Surgery Division Inc., Columbia Arlington Healthcare System L.L.C., Columbia Bay Area Realty Ltd., Columbia Behavioral Health Ltd., Columbia Behavioral Healthcare Inc., Columbia Behavioral Healthcare of South Florida Inc., Columbia Call Center Inc., Columbia Central Florida Division Inc., Columbia Central Group Inc., Columbia Champions Treatment Center Inc., Columbia Chicago Division Inc., Columbia Coliseum Same Day Surgery Center Inc., Columbia Development of Florida Inc., Columbia Doctors Hospital of Tulsa Inc., Columbia Eye and Specialty Surgery Center Ltd., Columbia Florida Group Inc., Columbia GP of Mesquite Inc., Columbia Good Samaritan Health System Limited Partnership, Columbia Greater Houston Division Healthcare Network Inc., Columbia Health System of Arkansas Inc., Columbia Healthcare System of Louisiana Inc., Columbia Healthcare of Central Virginia Inc., Columbia Hospital Corporation at the Medical Center, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Arlington, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Bay Area, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Central Miami, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Corpus Christi, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Fort Worth, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Houston, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Kendall, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Massachusetts Inc., Columbia Hospital Corporation of Miami, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Miami Beach, Columbia Hospital Corporation of North Miami Beach, Columbia Hospital Corporation of South Broward, Columbia Hospital Corporation of South Dade, Columbia Hospital Corporation of South Florida, Columbia Hospital Corporation of South Miami, Columbia Hospital Corporation of Tamarac, Columbia Hospital Corporation of West Houston, Columbia Hospital Corporation-Delaware, Columbia Hospital Corporation-SMM, Columbia Hospital at Medical City Dallas Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Hospital-El Paso Ltd., Columbia Integrated Health Systems Inc., Columbia Jacksonville Healthcare System Inc., Columbia LaGrange Hospital LLC, Columbia Lake Worth Surgical Center Limited Partnership, Columbia Medical Arts Hospital Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Center Dallas Southwest Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Center at Lancaster Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Center of Arlington Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Center of Denton Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Center of Las Colinas Inc., Columbia Medical Center of Lewisville Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Center of McKinney Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Center of Plano Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Medical Group - Centennial Inc., Columbia Medical Group - Daystar Inc., Columbia Medical Group - Parkridge Inc., Columbia Medical Group - Southern Hills Inc., Columbia Medical Group - Southwest Virginia Inc., Columbia Medical Group - The Frist Clinic Inc., Columbia Midtown Joint Venture, Columbia North Alaska Healthcare Inc., Columbia North Central Florida Health System Limited Partnership, Columbia North Florida Regional Medical Center Limited Partnership, Columbia North Hills Hospital Subsidiary L.P., Columbia North Texas Healthcare System L.P., Columbia North Texas Subsidiary GP LLC, Columbia North Texas Surgery Center Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Northwest Medical Center Inc., Columbia Northwest Medical Center Partners Ltd., Columbia Ocala Regional Medical Center Physician Group Inc., Columbia Ogden Medical Center Inc., Columbia Oklahoma Division Inc., Columbia Palm Beach GP LLC, Columbia Palm Beach Healthcare System Limited Partnership, Columbia Park Healthcare System Inc., Columbia Park Medical Center Inc., Columbia Parkersburg Healthcare System LLC, Columbia Pentagon City Hospital L.L.C., Columbia Physician Services - Florida Group Inc., Columbia Plaza Medical Center of Fort Worth Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Primary Care LLC, Columbia Psychiatric Management Co., Columbia Resource Network Inc., Columbia Rio Grande Healthcare L.P., Columbia Riverside Inc., Columbia South Texas Division Inc., Columbia Specialty Hospital of Dallas Subsidiary L.P., Columbia Specialty Hospitals Inc., Columbia Surgery Group Inc., Columbia Surgicare of Augusta Ltd., Columbia Tampa Bay Division Inc., Columbia Valley Healthcare System L.P., Columbia West Bank Hospital Inc., Columbia Westbank Healthcare L.P., Columbia-CSA/HS Greater Canton Area Healthcare System L.P., Columbia-CSA/HS Greater Cleveland Area Healthcare System L.P., Columbia-Georgia PT Inc., Columbia-Osceola Imaging Center Inc., Columbia-Quantum Inc., Columbia-SDH Holdings Inc., Columbia/Alleghany Regional Hospital Incorporated, Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation of Central Texas, Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation of Northern Ohio, Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corporation of South Carolina, Columbia/HCA Heartcare of Corpus Christi Inc., Columbia/HCA International Group Inc., Columbia/HCA John Randolph Inc., Columbia/HCA Middle East Management Company, Columbia/HCA Physician Hospital Organization Medical Center Hospital, Columbia/HCA San Clemente Inc., Columbia/HCA of Baton Rouge Inc., Columbia/HCA of Houston Inc., Columbia/HCA of New Orleans Inc., Columbia/HCA of North Texas Inc., Columbine Psychiatric Center Inc., Columbus Cardiology Inc., Columbus Cath Lab Inc., Columbus Cath Lab LLC, Columbus Doctors Hospital Inc., Commonwealth Perinatal Services LLC, Commonwealth Specialists of Kentucky LLC, Community Hospital Family Practice LLC, Comprehensive Radiation Oncology LLC, Comprehensive Radiology Management Services Ltd., Concept EFL Imaging Center LLC, Concept West EFL Imaging Center LLC, Congenital Heart Surgery Center PLLC, Conroe Hospital Corporation, Conroe Montgomery Physicians Group PLLC, Conroe Orthopedic Specialists PLLC, Conroe Partner LLC, Conroe Specialists of Texas PLLC, Continental Division I Inc., Coral Springs Surgi-Center Ltd., CoralStone Management Inc., Corpus Christi Healthcare Group Ltd., Corpus Christi Heart Clinic PLLC, Corpus Christi Primary Care Associates PLLC, Corpus Christi Psychiatric Specialists PLLC, Corpus Christi Radiation Oncology PLLC, Corpus Christi Surgery Center L.P., Corpus Christi Surgery Ltd., Corpus Christi Surgicenter LLC, Corpus Surgicare Inc., Countryside Surgery Center Ltd., Crewe Outpatient Imaging LLC, Cumberland Medical Center Inc., Cy-Fair Medical Center Hospital LLC, DFW Physicians Group PLLC, DOMC Property LLC, DS Real Estate Holdings LLC, Daleville Imaging L.P., Daleville Imaging Manager LLC, Dallas CardioThoracic Surgery Consultants PLLC, Dallas Cardiology Specialists PLLC, Dallas Hand Surgery Center PLLC, Dallas Medical Specialists PLLC, Dallas Neuro-Stroke Affiliates PLLC, Dallas Pediatric Neurosurgery Specialists PLLC, Dallas/Ft. Worth Physician LLC, Davie Medical Center LLC, Daytona Medical Center Inc., Dean 4641 LLC, Deep Purple Investments LLC, Del Sol Bariatric Clinic PLLC, Delray EFL Imaging Center LLC, Denton Cancer Center PLLC, Denton County Hospitalist Program PLLC, Denton Pediatric Physicians PLLC, Denton Regional Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Denver Clinic Surgicenter LLC, Denver Mid-Town Surgery Center Ltd., Denver Surgicenter LLC, Derry ASC Inc., Diagnostic Breast Center Inc., Diagnostic Mammography Services G.P., Diagnostic Services G.P., Dickson Surgery Center L.P., Doctors Bay Area Physician Hospital Organization, Doctors Hospital (Conroe) Inc., Doctors Hospital Columbus GA-Joint Venture, Doctors Hospital Surgery Center L.P., Doctors Hospital of Augusta LLC, Doctors Hospital of Augusta Neurology LLC, Doctors Osteopathic Medical Center Inc., Doctors Same Day Surgery Center Inc., Doctors Same Day Surgery Center Ltd., Doctors-I Inc., Doctors-II Inc., Doctors-III Inc., Doctors-IV Inc., Doctors-IX Inc., Doctors-V Inc., Doctors-VI Inc., Doctors-VII Inc., Doctors-VIII Inc., Doctors-X Inc., Doctors Memorial Hospital of Spartanburg Limited Partnership, Dominion Hospital Physicians Group LLC, Dublin Community Hospital LLC, Dublin Heart Specialists LLC, Dublin Multispecialty LLC, Dura Medical Inc., E.P. Physical Therapy Centers Inc., EASTSIDE URGENT CARE LLC, EHCA Diagnostics LLC, EHCA Eastside Occupational Medicine Center LLC, EHCA LLC, EHCA Metropolitan LLC, EHCA Parkway LLC, EHCA Peachtree LLC, EHCA West Paces LLC, EIRMC Hospitalist Services LLC, EMMC LLC, EP Health LLC, EP Holdco LLC, EPIC Development Inc., EPIC Diagnostic Centers Inc., EPIC Healthcare Management Company, EPIC Properties Inc., EPIC Surgery Centers Inc., EPSC L.P., East Falls Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery LLC, East Falls Family Medicine LLC, East Falls Plastic Surgery LLC, East Florida - DMC Inc., East Florida Behavioral Health Network LLC, East Florida Cardiology Network LLC, East Florida CareNow Urgent Care LLC, East Florida Division Inc., East Florida Emergency Physician Group LLC, East Florida Healthcare LLC, East Florida Hospitalists LLC, East Florida Imaging Holdings LLC, East Florida Primary Care LLC, East Houston Primary Care PLLC, East Houston Specialists PLLC, East Layton Internal Medicine LLC, East Orthopedics PLLC, East Pointe Hospital Inc., Eastern Idaho Brachytherapy Equipment LLC, Eastern Idaho Brachytherapy Equipment Manager LLC, Eastern Idaho Care Partners ACO LLC, Eastern Idaho Care Partners Holdings LLC, Eastern Idaho Care Partners LLC, Eastern Idaho Health Services Inc., Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center Inpatient Services LLC, Eastside Behavioral Health Associates LLC, Eastside General Surgery LLC, Eastside Heart and Vascular LLC, Eastside Medical Center LLC, Eastside Surgery Center LLC, Edmond General Surgery LLC, Edmond Hospitalists LLC, Edmond Physician Hospital Organization Inc., Edward White Hospital Inc., El Paso CareNow Urgent Care PLLC, El Paso Healthcare Provider Network, El Paso Healthcare System Ltd., El Paso Healthcare System Physician Services LLC, El Paso Nurses Unlimited Inc., El Paso Primary Care PLLC, El Paso Surgery Centers L.P., El Paso Surgicenter Inc., Eldridge Family Practitioners PLLC, Elite Family Health of Plano PLLC, Elite OB-GYN Services of El Paso PLLC, Elite Orthopaedics of El Paso PLLC, Elite Orthopaedics of Irving PLLC, Elite Orthopaedics of Plano PLLC, Elstree Outpatient Centre LLP, Emergency Physicians at Wesley Medical Center LLC, Emergency Providers Group LLC, Emergency Psychiatric Medicine PLLC, Encino Hospital Corporation Inc., Endocrinology Associates of Lees Summit LLC, Endoscopy Surgicare of Plano LLC, Endoscopy of Plano L.P., Englewood Community Hospital Auxiliary Inc., Englewood Community Hospital Inc., Envision Stakes LLC, Eye Care Surgicare Ltd. a Missouri limited partnership, FHAL LLC, FMH Health Services LLC, Fairfax Surgical Center L.P., Fairview Medical Services LLC, Fairview Park GP LLC, Fairview Park Limited Partnership, Fairview Partner LLC, Family Care Partners LLC, Family Care of E. Jackson County LLC, Family First Medicine in Brownsville PLLC, Family Health Medical Group of Overland Park LLC, Family Health Specialists of Lees Summit LLC, Family Medicine of Blacksburg LLC, Family Practice at Forest Hill LLC, Family Practice at Retreat LLC, Family Practitioners of Montgomery PLLC, Family Practitioners of Pearland PLLC, Fannin MOB LLC, Fannin MOB Property Management LLC, Far West Division Inc., Fawcett Memorial Hospital Inc., Florida Care Partners LLC, Florida Care Partners Orlando LLC, Florida Home Health Services-Private Care Inc., Florida Outpatient Surgery Center Ltd., Flower Mound Surgery Center Ltd., Focus Hand Surgicenter LLC, Foot & Ankle Specialty Services LLC, Forest Park Surgery Pavilion Inc., Forest Park Surgery Pavilion L.P., Fort Bend Hospital Inc., Fort Chiswell Family Practice LLC, Fort Myers Market Inc., Fort Pierce Immediate Care Center Inc., Fort Pierce Orthopaedics LLC, Fort Pierce Surgery Center Ltd., Fort Walton Beach Medical Center Inc., Fort Worth Investments Inc., Forward Pathology Solutions LLC, Four Rivers Medical Center PHO Inc., Frankfort Hospital Inc., Frankfort Wound Care LLC, Freeport Family Medicine LLC, Fremont Womens Health LLC, Frisco Surgicare LLC, Frisco Warren Parkway 91 Inc., Frist Clinic Express LLC, Ft. Pierce Surgicare LLC, Ft. Walton Beach Anesthesia Services LLC, G. Rowe M.D. PLLC, G. Schnider M.D. PLLC, G. Voorhees M.D. PLLC, G.P. Martin Fletcher & Associates LLC, GA PHYSICIAN SERVICES LLC, GA Urgentcare Holding LLC, GHC-Galen Health Care LLC, GI Associates of Denton PLLC, GI Associates of Lewisville PLLC, GME Services of Osceola LLC, GPCH-GP Inc., GYN-Oncology of Southwest Virginia LLC, Gainesville GYN Oncology of North Florida Regional Medical Center LLC, Gainesville Physicians LLC, GalTex LLC, Galen (Kansas) Merger LLC, Galen BH Inc., Galen Center for Professional Development Inc., Galen College of Nursing, Galen Diagnostic Multicenter Ltd., Galen GOK LLC, Galen Global Finance Inc., Galen Health Institutes Inc., Galen Health Partners Limited, Galen Holdco LLC, Galen Hospital Alaska Inc., Galen Hospital of Baytown Inc., Galen Hospital-Pembroke Pines Inc., Galen International Holdings Inc., Galen KY LLC, Galen MCS LLC, Galen MRMC LLC, Galen Medical Corporation, Galen NMC LLC, Galen NSH LLC, Galen Property LLC, Galen SOM LLC, Galen SSH LLC, Galen Virginia Hospital Corporation, Galen of Aurora Inc., Galen of Florida Inc., Galen of Illinois Inc., Galen of Kentucky Inc., Galen of Mississippi Inc., Galen of Virginia Inc., Galen of West Virginia Inc., Galen-Soch Inc., Galencare Inc., Galendeco Inc., Galichia Anesthesia Services LLC, Galichia Emergency Physicians LLC, Garden Park Community Hospital Limited Partnership, Garden Park Hospitalist Program LLC, Garden Park Investments L.P., Garden Park Physician Group - Specialty Care LLC, Garden Park Physician Group Inc., Gardens EFL Imaging Center LLC, Gastroenterology Specialists of Middle Tennessee LLC, General Hospitals of Galen Inc., General Medical Clinics Limited, General Surgeons of Houston PLLC, General Surgeons of North Richland Hills PLLC, General Surgeons of Pasadena PLLC, General and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Conroe PLLC, Generations Family Practice Inc., GenoSpace LLC, Georgia Health Holdings Inc., Georgia L.P., Georgia Psychiatric Company Inc., Glemm SA, Good Samaritan Hospital L.P., Good Samaritan Hospital LLC, Good Samaritan Surgery Center L.P., Goppert-Trinity Family Care LLC, Grace Family Practice LLC, Gramercy Eye Surgicenter LLC, Gramercy Surgery Center Ltd., Grand Strand Regional Medical Center LLC, Grand Strand Senior Health Center LLC, Grand Strand Specialty Associates LLC, Grand Strand Surgical Specialists LLC, Grandview Health Care Clinic LLC, Grant Center Hospital of Ocala Inc., Grayson Primary Care LLC, Greater Gwinnett Internal Medicine Associates LLC, Greater Gwinnett Physician Corporation, Greater Houston Preferred Provider Option Inc., Greater Tampa Bay Physician Network LLC, Greater Tampa Bay Physician Specialists LLC, Greater Tampa Bay Physicians - Pinellas LLC, Green Oaks Hospital Subsidiary L.P., Greenview Hospital Inc., Greenview PrimeCare LLC, Greenview Specialty Associates LLC, Gulf Coast Division Inc., Gulf Coast Electrophysiology Associates PLLC, Gulf Coast Inpatient Specialists LLC, Gulf Coast Medical Center Primary Care LLC, Gulf Coast Medical Ventures Inc., Gulf Coast Multispecialty Services LLC, Gulf Coast Physician Administrators Inc., Gulf Coast Provider Network Inc., Gwinnett Community Hospital Inc., Gynecology Specialists of Utah LLC, H2U Wellness Centers - Del Sol Medical Center PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers - Las Palmas Medical Center PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers - Medical City Dallas PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers - St. Davids Medical Center PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers LLC, H2U Wellness Centers  Clear Lake Regional Medical Center PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers  Conroe ISD PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers  Conroe Regional Medical Center PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers  Corpus Christi PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers  El Paso PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers  PISD PLLC, H2U Wellness Centers  San Benito CISD PLLC, HBP Lone Star Inc., HCA - IT&S Field Operations Inc., HCA - IT&S Inventory Management Inc., HCA - IT&S PBS Field Operations Inc., HCA - IT&S TN Field Operations Inc., HCA - Information Technology & Services Inc., HCA - Raleigh Community Hospital Inc., HCA - Viera ALF LLC, HCA - WHS Progressive LLC, HCA - WHS Services LLC, HCA ASD Financial Operations LLC, HCA ASD Sales Services LLC, HCA American Finance LLC, HCA Carenow Limited, HCA Central Group Inc., HCA Central/West Texas Physicians Management LLC, HCA Chattanooga Market Inc., HCA Development Company Inc., HCA Eastern Group Inc., HCA Global Capital LLP, HCA Gulf Coast GME PLLC, HCA Health Services of California Inc., HCA Health Services of Florida Inc., HCA Health Services of Georgia Inc., HCA Health Services of Louisiana Inc., HCA Health Services of Miami Inc., HCA Health Services of Midwest Inc., HCA Health Services of New Hampshire Inc., HCA Health Services of Tennessee Inc., HCA Health Services of Texas Inc., HCA Health Services of Virginia Inc., HCA Health Services of West Virginia Inc., HCA Healthcare Mission Fund LLC, HCA Healthcare UK Limited, HCA Holdco LLC, HCA Human Resources LLC, HCA Imaging Services of North Florida Inc., HCA Inc., HCA International Holdings Limited, HCA International Limited, HCA LewisGale Regional Cancer Centers Clinical Co-Management Company LLC, HCA Long Term Health Services of Miami Inc., HCA Luxembourg 1 Sarl, HCA Luxembourg 2 Sarl, HCA Luxembourg Equities Sarl, HCA Luxembourg Finance Limited, HCA Luxembourg Investments Sarl, HCA Management Services L.P., HCA Medical City Limited, HCA Medical Services Inc., HCA Midwest Comprehensive Care Inc., HCA Outpatient Clinic Services of Miami Inc., HCA Outpatient Imaging Services Group Inc., HCA Patient Safety Organization LLC, HCA Pearland GP Inc., HCA Physician Services Inc., HCA Plano Imaging Inc., HCA Property GP LLC, HCA Psychiatric Company, HCA Purchasing Limited, HCA Realty Inc., HCA Richmond Cardiac Clinical Co-Management Company LLC, HCA SF LLC, HCA SFB 1 LLC, HCA Sarasota Orthopedic and Spine Clinical Co-Management Company LLC, HCA Squared LLC, HCA Staffing Limited, HCA Swiss Capital 1 LLP, HCA Swiss Capital 2 LLP, HCA Switzerland Finance GmbH, HCA Switzerland Holding GmbH, HCA Switzerland Limited, HCA UK Capital Limited, HCA UK Holdings Limited, HCA UK Investments Limited, HCA UK Limited, HCA UK Services Limited, HCA Wesley Rehabilitation Hospital Inc., HCA Western Group Inc., HCA-Access Healthcare Holdings LLC, HCA-Access Healthcare Partner Inc., HCA-California Urgent Care Holdings LLC, HCA-EMS Holdings LLC, HCA-EmCare Holdings LLC, HCA-Georgia Urgent Care Holdings LLC, HCA-HBPS Holdings LLC, HCA-HealthONE LLC, HCA-Solis Holdings Inc., HCA-Solis Mammography Service Holdings of Continental LLC, HCA-Solis Mammography Service Holdings of Gulf Coast LLC, HCA-Solis Mammography Service Holdings of North Texas LLC, HCA-Solis Mammography Service Holdings of TriStar LLC, HCA-Solis Mammography Services LLC, HCA-Solis Master LLC, HCA-Urgent Care Holdings LLC, HCAPS Anesthesia Manager LLC, HCAPS Conroe Affiliation Inc., HCOL Inc., HD&S Corp. Successor Inc., HDH Thoracic Surgeons LLC, HHBY Holdings LLC, HHNC LLC, HICCH-SCL LLC, HM Acquisition LLC, HM OMCOS LLC, HMMG 1226 LLC, HPG Energy L.P., HPG Enterprises LLC, HPG GP LLC, HPG Solutions LLC, HSS Holdco LLC, HSS Systems LLC, HSS Virginia L.P., HTI Gulf Coast Inc., HTI Health Services of North Carolina Inc., HTI Hospital Holdings Inc., HTI MOB LLC, HTI MSO LLC, HTI Memorial Hospital Corporation, HTI Physician Services of Utah Inc., HWCA PLLC, Hamilton Memorial Hospital Inc., Hamsard 3160 Limited, Harley Street Clinic @ The Groves LLP, Hathor Chelsea Ltd., Healdsburg General Hospital Inc., Health Care Indemnity Inc., Health Insight Capital LLC, Health International Billing Partners Limited, Health Midwest Medical Group Inc., Health Midwest Office Facilities Corporation, Health Midwest Ventures Group Inc., Health Partners of Kansas Inc., Health Service Partners Inc., Health Services (Delaware) Inc., Health Services Merger Inc., Health to You LLC, HealthCoast Physician Group LLC, HealthONE Aurora Investment LLC, HealthONE Care Partners LLC, HealthONE CareNow Urgent Care LLC, HealthONE Clear Creek LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Bariatric Medicine LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Behavioral Health LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Cancer Care LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Cancer Specialties LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Cardiovascular LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Medical Specialties LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Neurosciences LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Obstetrics and Gynecology LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Occupational Medicine LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Oncology Hematology LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Orthopedic Specialists LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Otolaryngology Specialists LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Pediatric Specialties LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Primary Care LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Spine Specialists LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Spine Surgeons LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Surgery Neurological LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Surgical Specialties LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Transplant Services LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Womens Services LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services - Youth Rehabilitation LLC, HealthONE Clinic Services LLC, HealthONE High Street Primary Care Center LLC, HealthONE IRL Pathology Services LLC, HealthONE Institutes for Clinical Research LLC, HealthONE Lowry LLC, HealthONE Radiation Therapy at Red Rocks LLC, HealthONE Radiation Therapy at Thornton LLC, HealthONE Ridge View Endoscopy Center LLC, HealthONE Surgicare of Ridge View LLC, HealthONE Urologic LLC, HealthONE at Breckenridge LLC, HealthONE of Denver Inc., HealthOne Heart Care LLC, HealthOne Lincoln Investment LLC, HealthOne Westside Investment LLC, HealthTrust Europe Company Limited, HealthTrust Europe LLP, HealthTrust Locums Inc., HealthTrust Workforce Solutions LLC, Healthcare Oklahoma Inc., Healthcare Purchasing Alliance LLC, Healthcare Sales National Management Services Group LLC, Healthcare Technology Assessment Corporation, Healthco LLC, Healthnet of Kentucky LLC, Healthserv Acquisition LLC, Healthtrust Inc. - The Hospital Company, Healthtrust MOB Tennessee LLC, Healthtrust Purchasing Group L.P., Healthtrust Utah Management Services Inc., Healthy State Inc., Heart Specialist of North Texas PLLC, Heart of America ASC LLC, Heart of America Surgicenter LLC, Heartcare of Texas Ltd., Hearthstone Home Health Inc., Heartland Womens Group at Wesley LLC, Heathrow Imaging LLC, Heathrow Internal Medicine LLC, Hendersonville Hospital Corporation, Hendersonville Hospitalist Services Inc., Hendersonville OB/GYN LLC, Hendersonville ODC LLC, Hendersonville Primary Care LLC, Henrico Doctors Hospital - Forest Campus Property LLC, Henrico Doctors Neurology Associates LLC, Henrico Doctors OB GYN Specialists LLC, Henrico Surgical Specialists LLC, Heritage Family Care LLC, Heritage Hospital Inc., Heritage Medical Care LLC, Hermitage Primary Care LLC, Hidalgo County Family Practitioners PLLC, Hidden Lakes Health Center PLLC, Highlands Regional Medical Center, Hip & Joint Specialists of North Texas PLLC, Homecare North Inc., Hometrust Management Services Inc., Horizon Orthopedics LLC, Horizon Surgical LLC, Hospital Corp. LLC, Hospital Corporation of America, Hospital Corporation of Lake Worth, Hospital Corporation of Tennessee, Hospital Corporation of Utah, Hospital Development Properties Inc., Hospital Partners Merger LLC, Hospital Realty Corporation, Hospital-Based CRNA Services Inc., Hospitalists at Centennial Medical Center LLC, Hospitalists at Fairview Park LLC, Hospitalists at Greenview Regional Hospital LLC, Hospitalists at Horizon Medical Center LLC, Hospitalists at Parkridge LLC, Hospitalists at StoneCrest LLC, Hospitalists at Wesley Medical Center LLC, Hospitalists of the Wabash Valley LLC, Houston - PPH LLC, Houston CareNow Urgent Care PLLC, Houston Healthcare Holdings Inc., Houston NW Manager LLC, Houston Northwest Concessions L.L.C., Houston Northwest Operating Company L.L.C., Houston Northwest Surgical Partners Inc., Houston Obstetrics and Gynecology for Women PLLC, Houston Pediatric Specialty Group PLLC, Houston Urologic Surgicenter LLC, Houston Womans Hospital Partner LLC, ICU Associates of West Houston PLLC, IMX Holdings LLC, IRL Pathology Services MidAmerica LLC, Idaho Behavioral Health Services LLC, Idaho Physician Services Inc., Illinois Psychiatric Hospital Company Inc., Imaging Realty LLC, Imaging Services of Appomattox LLC, Imaging Services of Jacksonville LLC, Imaging Services of Louisiana LLC, Imaging Services of Louisiana Manager LLC, Imaging Services of Orlando LLC, Imaging Services of Richmond LLC, Imaging Services of Roanoke LLC, Imaging Services of West Boynton LLC, InVivoLink Inc., Independence Neurosurgery Services LLC, Independence Regional Medical Group LLC, Independence Surgicare Inc., Indian Path Hospital Inc., Indianapolis Hospital Partner LLC, Institute for Womens Health and Body LLC, Institute of Advanced ENT Surgery LLC, Integrated Regional Lab LLC, Integrated Regional Laboratories LLP, Integrated Regional Laboratories Pathology Services LLC, Intensive Care Consortium Inc., Internal Medicine Associates of Huntsville PLLC, Internal Medicine Associates of Southern Hills LLC, Internal Medicine of Blacksburg LLC, Internal Medicine of Pasadena PLLC, Internist Associates of Houston PLLC, Isleworth Partners Inc., J. M. Garcia M.D. PLLC, JCSH LLC, JDGC Management LLC, JFK Internal Medicine Faculty Practice LLC, JFK Medical Center Limited Partnership, JPM AA Housing LLC, Jackson County Medical Group LLC, Jackson County Pulmonary Medical Group LLC, Jacksonville CareNow Urgent Care LLC, Jacksonville Multispecialty Services LLC, Jacksonville Surgery Center Ltd., James River Internists LLC, John Randolph Family Practice LLC, John Randolph OB/GYN LLC, John Randolph Surgeons LLC, Johnson County Neurology LLC, Johnson County Surgery Center L.P., Johnson County Surgicenter L.L.C., Jordan Family Health L.L.C., Jupiter EFL Imaging Center LLC, KC Pain ASC LLC, KC Surgicare LLC, KPH-Consolidation Inc., Kansas CareNow Urgent Care LLC, Kansas City Cardiac Arrhythmia Research LLC, Kansas City Gastroenterology & Hepatology Physicians Group LLC, Kansas City Neurology Associates LLC, Kansas City Pulmonology Practice LLC, Kansas City Surgery Center Properties LLC, Kansas City Vascular & General Surgery Group LLC, Kansas City Womens Clinic Group LLC, Kansas Healthserv LLC, Kansas Pulmonary and Sleep Specialists LLC, Kansas Trauma and Critical Care Specialists LLC, Kathy L. Summers M.D. PLLC, Kendall Healthcare Group Ltd., Kendall Regional Medical Center LLC, Kendall Regional Urgent Care LLC, Kennedale Primary Care PLLC, Kingwood Multi-Specialty Group PLLC, Kingwood Surgery Center LLC, Kingwood Surgicenter LLC, Kissimmee Surgicare Ltd., Kyle Primary Care PLLC, L E Corporation, LAD Imaging LLC, LGMC Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, LOC @ The Christie LLP, LOC @ The London Bridge Hospital LLP, LOC Partnership LLP, LPN TeleBehavioral Health PLLC, Lafayette OB Hospitalists LLC, Lafayette Urogynecology & Urology Center LLC, Lake City Imaging LLC, Lake City Regional Medical Group LLC, Lake Forest Family Health PLLC, Lakeside Radiology LLC, Lakeside Womens Services LLC, Lakeview Cardiology Specialists LLC, Lakeview Hospital Physician Services LLC, Lakeview Internal Medicine LLC, Lakeview Medical Center LLC, Lakeview Regional Medical Center Inpatient Services LLC, Lakeview Regional Physician Group LLC, Lakeview Urology & General Surgery LLC, Lakewood Surgicare Inc., Laredo Medco LLC, Largo Medical Center Inc., Largo Physician Group LLC, Las Colinas Primary Care PLLC, Las Colinas Surgery Center Ltd., Las Encinas Hospital, Las Palmas Del Sol Cardiology PLLC, Las Palmas Del Sol Internal Medicine PLLC, Las Palmas Del Sol Urgent Care PLLC, Las Vegas ASC LLC, Las Vegas Surgicare Inc., Las Vegas Surgicare Ltd. a Nevada Limited Partnership, Lawnwood Cardiovascular Surgery LLC, Lawnwood Healthcare Specialists LLC, Lawnwood Medical Center Inc., Layton Family Practice LLC, Leaders in Oncology Care Limited, Leadership Healthcare Holdings II L.P. L.L.P., Leadership Healthcare Holdings L.P. L.L.P., Lees Summit Family Care LLC, Leslie Cohan M.D. PLLC, Lewis-Gale Hospital Incorporated, Lewis-Gale Medical Center LLC, Lewis-Gale Physicians LLC, Lewisville Primary Care PLLC, Lewisville Surgicare LLC, Lincoln Surgery Center LLC, Live Oak Immediate Care Center LLC, London Oncology Clinic LLP, London Pathology Limited, London Radiography & Radiotherapy Services Limited, Lone Peak Hospital Inc., Lone Star Intensivists at Gulf Coast PLLC, Lonestar Provider Network, Longview Regional Physician Hospital Organization Inc., Lorain County Surgery Center Ltd., Los Gatos Surgical Center a California Limited Partnership, Los Robles Regional Medical Center, Los Robles Regional Medical Center MOB LLC, Los Robles SurgiCenter LLC, Loudoun Surgery Center LLC, Louisiana Psychiatric Company Inc., Loveland Surgicenter LLC, Low Country Health Services Inc. of the Southeast, Lowry Surgicenter LLC, M. Jamshidi D.O. PLLC, MCA Investment Company, MCA-CTMC Holdings LLC, MEC Endoscopy LLC, MFA G.P. LLC, MFM Fact PLLC, MGH Medical Inc., MH Anesthesiology Physicians LLC, MH Angel Medical Center LLLP, MH Asheville Specialty Hospital LLC, MH Blue Ridge Medical Center LLLP, MH Eckerd Living Center LLLP, MH Highlands-Cashiers Medical Center LLLP, MH Hospital Holdings Inc., MH Hospital Manager LLC, MH Master Holdings LLLP, MH Master LLC, MH McDowell Imaging LLLP, MH Mission Hospital LLLP, MH Mission Hospital McDowell LLLP, MH Mission Imaging LLLP, MH Physician Services LLC, MH Transylvania Imaging LLLP, MH Transylvania Regional Hospital LLLP, MHS Partnership Holdings JSC Inc., MHS Partnership Holdings SDS Inc., MHS SC Partner L.L.C., MHS Surgery Centers L.P., MMC Sleep Lab Management LLC, MOSC Sports Medicine Inc., MOVCO Inc., MP Management LLC, MRT&C Inc., MSL Acquisition LLC, MVH Professional Services LLC, Macon Healthcare LLC, Macon Northside Health Group LLC, Macon Northside Hospital LLC, Macon Psychiatric Hospitalists LLC, Madison Behavioral Health LLC, Mainland Family Medicine PLLC, Mainland Multi-Specialty Group PLLC, Mainland Primary Care Physicians PLLC, Management Services Holdings Inc., Manatee Surgicare Ltd., Marietta Outpatient Medical Building Inc., Marietta Outpatient Surgery Ltd., Marietta Surgical Center Inc., Marion Community Hospital Inc., Mark Gottesman M.D. PLLC, Martin Fletcher & Associates L.P., Martin Fletcher Associates Holdings Inc., Mary Alice Cowan M.D. PLLC, Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists of Corpus Christi PLLC, Maternal Fetal Services of Utah LLC, Maury County Behavioral Health LLC, Mayhill Cancer Center LLC, McAllen Comprehensive Upper Extremity Center PLLC, McKinney Surgeons PLLC, Mechanicsville Imaging LLC, Mecklenburg Surgical Land Development Ltd., Med City Dallas Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Med Corp. Inc., Med Group - Southern Hills Hospitalists LLC, Med-Center Hosp./Houston Inc., Med-Point of New Hampshire Inc., Medi Flight of Oklahoma LLC, MediCredit Inc., MediPurchase Inc., MediStone Healthcare Ventures Inc., MediVision Inc., MediVision of Mecklenburg County Inc., MediVision of Tampa Inc., Medical Arts Hospital of Texarkana Inc., Medical Associates of Ocala LLC, Medical Care America Colorado LLC, Medical Care America LLC, Medical Care Financial Services Corp., Medical Care Real Estate Finance Inc., Medical Care Surgery Center Inc., Medical Center - West Inc., Medical Center Imaging Inc., Medical Center Surgery Associates L.P., Medical Center of Baton Rouge Inc., Medical Center of Plano Partner LLC, Medical Center of Port St. Lucie Inc., Medical Center of Santa Rosa Inc., Medical Center of Southwest Florida LLC, Medical Centers of Oklahoma LLC, Medical City Dallas Hospital Inc., Medical City Dallas Partner LLC, Medical City Dallas Primary Care PLLC, Medical City Frisco, Medical City OB-GYN PLLC, Medical City Pediatrics PLLC, Medical City Specialty Surgicenter of Dallas LLC, Medical City Surgery Center of Alliance LLC, Medical City Surgery Center of Frisco LLC, Medical City Surgery Center of Lewisville LLC, Medical City Transplant PLLC, Medical Corporation of America, Medical Group - Dickson Inc., Medical Group - Southern Hills of Brentwood LLC, Medical Group - Southern Hills of Nolensville LLC, Medical Group - StoneCrest FP Inc., Medical Group - StoneCrest Inc., Medical Group - Stonecrest Pulmonology LLC, Medical Group - Summit Inc., Medical Imaging Inc., Medical Imaging of Colorado LLC, Medical Office Buildings of Kansas LLC, Medical Oncology Associates LLC, Medical Partners of North Florida LLC, Medical Plaza Ambulatory Surgery Center Associates L.P., Medical Specialties Inc., Memorial Family Practice Associates LLC, Memorial Health Primary Care at St. Johns Bluff LLC, Memorial Healthcare Group Inc., Memorial Neurosurgery Group LLC, Memorial Satilla Specialists LLC, Memorial University Medical Center, Menorah Medical Group LLC, Menorah Urgent Care LLC, Mercy ASC LLC, Metairie Primary Care Associates LLC, Methodist Ambulatory Surgery Center of Boerne LLC, Methodist Ambulatory Surgery Center of Landmark LLC, Methodist Cardiology Physicians, Methodist CareNow Physician Associates, Methodist CareNow Urgent Care PLLC, Methodist Healthcare System of San Antonio Ltd. L.L.P., Methodist Inpatient Management Group, Methodist Medical Center ASC L.P., Methodist Physician Alliance, Methodist Physician Practice Services LLC, Methodist Physician Practices PLLC, Metroplex Surgicenters Inc., Metropolitan Multispecialty Physicians Group Inc., Miami Beach EFL Imaging Center LLC, Miami Beach Healthcare Group Ltd., Miami Dade Surgical Specialists LLC, Miami Lakes Surgery Center Ltd., Miami-Dade Cardiology Consultants LLC, Michael Mann M.D. PLLC, Mid-America Surgery Center LLC, Mid-America Surgery Institute LLC, Mid-Cities Surgi-Center Inc., Mid-Continent Health Services Inc., MidAmerica Division Inc., MidAmerica Oncology LLC, Middle Georgia Hospital LLC, Middle Georgia Urgent Care Services LLC, Middle Tennessee Neurology LLC, Midtown Diagnostics LLC, Midwest Cardiology Specialists LLC, Midwest Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery LLC, Midwest Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons of Kansas LLC, Midwest Division - ACH LLC, Midwest Division - CMC LLC, Midwest Division - LRHC LLC, Midwest Division - LSH LLC, Midwest Division - MCI LLC, Midwest Division - MMC LLC, Midwest Division - OPRMC LLC, Midwest Division - RBH LLC, Midwest Division - RMC LLC, Midwest Division Spine Care LLC, Midwest Doctors Group LLC, Midwest Heart & Vascular Specialists LLC, Midwest Holdings Inc., Midwest Infectious Disease Specialists LLC, Midwest Medicine Associates LLC, Midwest Metropolitan Physicians Group LLC, Midwest Oncology Associates LLC, Midwest Trauma Services LLC, Midwest Womens Healthcare Specialists LLC, Mikrod Services Inc., Mill Creek Outpatient Services LLC, Millenium Health Care of Oklahoma Inc., Mission Bay Memorial Hospital Inc., Mission Community Anesthesiology Specialists LLC, Mission Employer Solutions LLC, Mission Health, Mission Health Partners Inc., Missouri Healthcare System L.P., Mobile Corps. Inc., Mobile Heartbeat, Mobile Heartbeat LLC, Montgomery Cancer Center LLC, Montgomery Hospitalists LLC, Montgomery Regional Hospital Inc., Montgomery Surgery Associates LLC, Mountain Division - CVH LLC, Mountain Division Inc., Mountain View Hospital Inc., Mountain View MRI Associates Ltd., Mountain West Surgery Center LLC, MountainStar Behavioral Health LLC, MountainStar Brigham General Surgery LLC, MountainStar Canyon Surgical Clinic LLC, MountainStar Cardiology Ogden Regional LLC, MountainStar Cardiology St. Marks LLC, MountainStar Intensivist Services LLC, MountainStar Medical Group - Cache Valley LLC, MountainStar Medical Group - Ogden Regional Medical Center LLC, MountainStar Medical Group - St. Marks Hospital LLC, MountainStar Medical Group Neurosurgery-St. Marks LLC, MountainStar Medical Group Timpanogos Primary Care LLC, MountainStar Medical Group Timpanogos Specialty Care LLC, MountainStar Specialty Services LLC, MountainStar Urgent Care LLC, MountainView GME Primary Care LLC, Mountainstar Brigham OBGYN LLC, Mountainstar Cardiovascular Services LLC, Mountainstar Ogden Pediatrics LLC, Movement Disorders of North Texas PLLC, Mt. Ogden Utah Surgical Center LLC, NPAS Inc., NPAS Solutions LLC, NT Urgent Care PLLC, NTGP LLC, NTMC Management Company, NTMC Venture Inc., NTX Pathology Program PLLC, Nashville Psychiatric Company Inc., Nashville Shared Services General Partnership, Nashville Surgicenter LLC, Natchez Medical Associates LLC, Natchez Surgery Center LLC, National Association of Senior Friends, National Contact Center Management Group LLC, National Patient Account Services Inc., National Transfer Center Management Services LLC, Navarro Memorial Hospital Inc., NeighborMD Management LLC, Network MS of Florida Inc., Network Management Services Inc., Neuro Affiliates Company, Neuro-Hospitalist of Clear Lake PLLC, NeuroHospitalist of McAllen PLLC, Neurological Eye Specialists of North Texas PLLC, Neurological Specialists PLLC, Neurological Specialists of McKinney PLLC, Neurology Associates of Hendersonville LLC, Neurology Associates of Kansas LLC, Neurosurgery Atlanta LLC, Neurosurgery of Kingwood PLLC, Neurosurgical Associates of North Texas PLLC, Neurosurgical Specialists of El Paso PLLC, Neurosurgical Specialists of North Texas PLLC, Nevada Surgery Center of Southern Hills L.P., Nevada Surgicare of Southern Hills LLC, Nevada Urgent Care Holdings Inc., New Iberia Healthcare LLC, New Iberia Holdings Inc., New Port Richey Hospital Inc., New Port Richey Surgery Center Ltd., New Rose Holding Company Inc., Niceville Family Practice LLC, North Augusta Imaging Management LLC, North Augusta Imaging Services LLC, North Augusta Rehab Health Center LLC, North Austin Plastic Surgery Associates PLLC, North Austin Surgery Center L.P., North Brandon Imaging LLC, North Central Florida Health System Inc., North Central Methodist ASC L.P., North Charleston Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC, North Florida Cancer Center Lake City LLC, North Florida Cancer Center Live Oak LLC, North Florida Cancer Center Tallahassee LLC, North Florida Division I Inc., North Florida Division Practice Inc., North Florida GI Center GP Inc., North Florida GI Center Ltd., North Florida Immediate Care Center Inc., North Florida Neurosurgery LLC, North Florida Outpatient Imaging Center Ltd., North Florida Physician Services Inc., North Florida Physicians LLC, North Florida Radiation Oncology LLC, North Florida Regional Company Care LLC, North Florida Regional Freestanding Surgery Center L.P., North Florida Regional Investments Inc., North Florida Regional Medical Center Inc., North Florida Regional Psychiatry LLC, North Florida Regional Trauma LLC, North Florida Rehab Investments LLC, North Florida Surgical Associates LLC, North Georgia Primary Care Group LLC, North Hills Cardiac Catheterization Center L.P., North Hills Catheterization Lab LLC, North Hills Orthopaedic Surgeons PLLC, North Hills Surgicare L.P., North Houston - TRMC LLC, North Miami Beach Surgery Center Limited Partnership, North Miami Beach Surgical Center LLC, North Palm Beach County Surgery Center LLC, North River Physician Network LLC, North Shore Specialists of Texas PLLC, North Suburban Spine Center L.P., North Tampa Imaging LLC, North Texas - MCA LLC, North Texas Cardiology PLLC, North Texas Craniofacial Fellowship Program PLLC, North Texas Division Inc., North Texas General L.P., North Texas Geriatrics PLLC, North Texas Heart Surgery Center PLLC, North Texas Internal Medicine Specialists PLLC, North Texas Medical Center Inc., North Texas Neuro Stroke OP PLLC, North Texas Pulmonary Critical Care PLLC, North Texas Sports and Orthopedics Center PLLC, North Texas Stroke Center PLLC, North Texas of Hope PLLC, North Transfer Center LLC, Northeast Florida Cancer Services LLC, Northeast Methodist Surgicare Ltd., Northeast PHO Inc., Northern Utah Healthcare Corporation, Northern Utah Healthcare Imaging Holdco LLC, Northern Utah Imaging LLC, Northern Virginia CareNow Urgent Care LLC, Northern Virginia Community Hospital LLC, Northern Virginia Hospital Corporation, Northern Virginia Surgicenter LLC, Northlake Medical Center LLC, Northlake Physician Practice Network Inc., Northlake Surgical Center L.P., Northlake Surgicare Inc., Northside MRI Inc., Northwest Fla. Home Health Agency Inc., Northwest Florida Healthcare Systems Inc., Northwest Florida Multispecialty Physicians LLC, Northwest Florida Primary Care LLC, Northwest Medical Center Inc., Notami (Opelousas) Inc., Notami Hospitals LLC, Notami Hospitals of Florida Inc., Notami Hospitals of Louisiana Inc., Notami Hospitals of Missouri Inc., Notami LLC, Notco LLC, Nuclear Diagnosis Inc., OB Hospitalists of Womans Hospital PLLC, OB/GYN of Brownsville PLLC, OB/Gyn Associates of Denton PLLC, OBS Diagnostic and Treatment Centre LLP, ODP Holdings LLC, ODP Manager LLC, ODP Properties LLC, OHH Imaging Services LLC, OPRMC-HBP LLC, Oak Hill Acquisition Inc., Oak Hill Family Care LLC, Oak Hill Hospitalists LLC, Oakwood Surgery Center Ltd. LLP, Ocala Health Company Care LLC, Ocala Health Imaging Services LLC, Ocala Health Primary Care LLC, Ocala Health Surgical Group LLC, Ocala Health Trauma LLC, Ocala Regional Outpatient Services Inc., Ocala Stereotactic Radiosurgery LLC, Ocala Stereotactic Radiosurgery Partner LLC, Occupational Health Services of PRH LLC, Occupational and Family Medicine of South Texas, Ogden Imaging LLC, Ogden Internal Medicine & Urology LLC, Ogden Regional Health Plan Inc., Ogden Regional Medical Center Professional Billing LLC, Ogden Senior Center LLC, Ogden Tomotherapy LLC, Ogden Tomotherapy Manager LLC, Okaloosa Hospital Inc., Okeechobee Hospital Inc., Oklahoma Holding Company LLC, Oklahoma Outpatient Surgery Limited Partnership, Oklahoma Physicians - Medical Specialties LLC, Oklahoma Physicians - Obstetrics and Gynecology LLC, Oklahoma Physicians - Primary Care LLC, Oklahoma Physicians - Surgical Specialties LLC, Oklahoma Surgicare Inc., Old Fort Village LLC, On-Site Primary Care PLLC, Oncology Services of Corpus Christi LLC, Oncology Services of Corpus Christi Manager LLC, OneSourceMed Inc., Online Pathology Services Limited, Orange County Healthcare LLC, Orange Park Hospitalists LLC, Orange Park Medical Center Inc., Orlando CareNow Urgent Care LLC, Orlando Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Orlando Outpatient Surgical Center Ltd., Orlando Surgicare Ltd., Orthopaedic Specialty Associates L.P., Orthopaedic Sports Specialty Associates Inc., Orthopedic Hospital Ltd., Orthopedics Specialists LLC, Osceola Neurological Associates LLC, Osceola Physician Network LLC, Osceola Regional Hospital Inc., Osceola Regional Hospitalists LLC, Osceola Surgical Associates LLC, Outpatient Cardiovascular Center of Central Florida LLC, Outpatient GP LLC, Outpatient Services - LAD LLC, Outpatient Services Holdings Inc., Outpatient Surgical Services Ltd., Outpatient Womens and Childrens Surgery Center Ltd., Overland Park Cardiovascular Inc., Overland Park Medical Specialists LLC, Overland Park Orthopedics LLC, Overland Park Surgical Specialties LLC, Oviedo Medical Center LLC, Ozarks Medical Services Inc., P&L Associates, P/SL Hyperbaric Partnership, PET CT LLP, PMM Inc., POH Holdings LLC, PSG Delegated Services LLC, PTS Solutions LLC, Pacific Partners Management Services Inc., Palm Beach EFL Imaging Center LLC, Palm Beach General Surgery LLC, Palm Beach Healthcare System Inc., Palm Beach Hospitalists Program LLC, Palmer Medical Center LLC, Palms West Gastroenterology LLC, Palms West Hospital Limited Partnership, Palms West Surgery Center Ltd., Paragon Physicians Hospital Organization of South Texas Inc., Paragon SDS Inc., Paragon Surgery Centers of Texas Inc., Paragon WSC Inc., Paragon of Texas Health Properties Inc., Parallon Business Solutions LLC, Parallon Enterprises LLC, Parallon Health Information Solutions LLC, Parallon Holdings LLC, Parallon Payroll Solutions LLC, Parallon Physician Services LLC, Parallon Revenue Cycle Services Inc., Park Central Surgical Center Ltd., Park Ridge Surgery Center LLC, Park South Imaging Center Ltd., Park View Insurance Company, Parkersburg SJ Holdings Inc., Parkland Hospitalists Program LLC, Parkland Oncology LLC, Parkland Physician Services Inc., Parkridge East Specialty Associates LLC, Parkridge Hospitalists Inc., Parkridge Medical Associates LLC, Parkridge Medical Center Inc., Parkridge Professionals Inc., Parkside Surgery Center Inc., Parkway Cardiac Center Ltd., Parkway Hospital Inc., Parkway Surgery Services Ltd., Parthenon Insurance Company Limited, Pasadena Bayshore Hospital Inc., PatientKeeper, PatientKeeper Inc., Patients First Neurology LLC, Pavilion 2 Condominium Property LLC, Pavilion 2 Medical Office Building Condominium Association Inc., Pavilion Surgicenter LLC, Peach State Anesthesia Partners LLC, Pearland Institute for Womens Health PLLC, Pearland Partner LLC, Pediatric Anesthesia Consultants of San Antonio PLLC, Pediatric Cardiac Intensivists of North Texas PLLC, Pediatric Critical Care of Clear Lake PLLC, Pediatric Hospitalists of Conroe PLLC, Pediatric Intensivist Group LLC, Pediatric Intensivists of El Paso PLLC, Pediatric Intensivists of North Texas PLLC, Pediatric Specialists of Clear Lake PLLC, Pediatric Specialty Clinic LLC, Pediatric Surgicare Inc., Pediatrics of Greater Houston PLLC, Pensacola Primary Care Inc., Physician Associates of Corporate Woods LLC, Physicians Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Physicians West Surgicenter LLC, Pinellas Medical LLC, Pinnacle Physician Network LLC, Pioneer Medical LLC, Plains Healthcare System Inc., Plano Ambulatory Surgery Associates L.P., Plano Heart Institute L.P., Plano Heart Management LLC, Plano Surgery Center - GP LLC, Plano Surgery Center Real Estate LLC, Plano Surgicenter Real Estate Manager LLC, Plano Urology PLLC, Plantation General Hospital L.P., Plaza Medical Specialists PLLC, Plaza Primary Care PLLC, Plaza Transplant Center PLLC, Podiatry of Clear Lake PLLC, Poinciana Medical Center Inc., Port St. Lucie Surgery Center Ltd., Portland Primary Care LLC, Portsmouth Regional Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Portsmouth Surgicenter LLC, Preferred Hospitals Inc., Preferred Works WC LLC, Premier ASC LLC, Premier Medical Management Ltd., Primary Care Medical Associates Inc., Primary Care Plano PLLC, Primary Care Services of Orlando LLC, Primary Care South PLLC, Primary Care West PLLC, Primary Care of West End LLC, Primary Health Asset Holdings Ltd., Primary Health Group Inc., Primary Health Inc., Primary Health Network of South Texas, Primary Health Physicians PLLC, Primary Medical Management Inc., Proaxis Therapy HealthOne LLC, Provident Professional Building Condominium Association Inc., Psychiatry Services of Osceola LLC, Pulaski Community Hospital Inc., Pulaski Urology LLC, Pulmonary Renal Intensivist Group LLC, Putnam Community Medical Center of North Florida LLC, Putnam Hospital Inc., Putnam Radiation Oncology LLC, Putnam Radiation Oncology Manager LLC, Putnam Surgical Group LLC, Quantum/Bellaire Imaging Ltd., Quick Care Centers LLC, Quivira Internal Medicine Inc., RCH LLC, RMC - Pulmonary LLC, RMC Transplant Physicians LLC, RMCA Professionals Mgmt LLC, ROi CPS LLC, Radford Family Medicine LLC, Radiation Oncology Center of Thornton LLC, Radiation Oncology Manager LLC, Raleigh Community Medical Office Building Ltd., Rapides After Hours Clinic L.L.C., Rapides Healthcare System L.L.C., Rapides Regional Physician Group LLC, Rapides Regional Physician Group Primary Care LLC, Rapides Regional Physician Group Specialty Care LLC, Rapides Surgery Center LLC, Raulerson GYN LLC, Raulerson Gastroenterology LLC, Raulerson Primary Care LLC, Raymore Medical Group LLC, Red Rock Holdco LLC, Red Rock at Smoke Ranch LLC, Red Rocks Surgery Center LLC, Redmond Anesthesia Services LLC, Redmond Hospital Services LLC, Redmond Neurosurgery LLC, Redmond Park Health Services Inc., Redmond Park Hospital LLC, Redmond Physician Practice Company, Redmond Specialty Services LLC, Regional Hospital Healthcare Partners LLC, Research Cardiology Associates LLC, Research Family Physicians LLC, Research Internal Medicine LLC, Research Neurology Associates LLC, Research Neuroscience Institute LLC, Resource Optimization & Innovation L.L.C., Reston Hospital Center LLC, Reston Hospitalists LLC, Reston Surgery Center L.P., Retreat Cardiology LLC, Retreat Hospital LLC, Retreat Internal Medicine LLC, Retreat Surgical Associates LLC, Rhodes Limited-Liability Company, Richmond Imaging Employer Corp., Richmond Multi-Specialty LLC, Richmond Pediatric Surgeons LLC, Ridgeline Surgicenter LLC, Rim Building Partners L.P., Rio Grande Healthcare MSO Inc., Rio Grande NP Inc., Rio Grande Regional Hospital Inc., Rio Grande Valley Cardiology PLLC, Rio Grande Valley CareNow Urgent Care PLLC, Rio Grande Valley Urology PLLC, Riverside CyberKnife Manager LLC, Riverside Healthcare System L.P., Riverside Holdings Inc., Riverside Hospital Inc., Riverside Imaging LLC, Riverwalk ASC LLC, Roanoke Imaging LLC, Roanoke Neurosurgery LLC, Roanoke Surgery Center L.P., Roanoke Valley Gynecology LLC, Robotic Radiosurgery LLP, Rocky Mountain Pediatric Hematology Oncology LLC, Rocky Mountain Surgery Center LLC, Rome Imaging Center Limited Partnership, Roodlane Medical Limited, Rose Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Rose Health Partners LLC, Rose Medical Plaza Ltd., Rose POB Inc., Rosewood Medical Center Inc., Rosewood Professional Building Ltd., Round Rock Hospital Inc., Round Rock Trauma Surgeons PLLC, Royal Oaks Surgery Center L.P., S.A. Medical Center Inc., SAPN LLC, SCRI Global Services Limited, SCRI Holdings LLC, SCRI Scientifics LLC, SJMC LLC, SSHR Holdco LLC, SSJ St. Petersburg Holdings Inc., STPN Manager LLC, SWMC Inc., Sahara Outpatient Surgery Center Ltd., Salem Hospitalists LLC, Salem Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Salt Lake City Surgicare Inc., Samaritan LLC, San Antonio Division Inc., San Antonio Regional Hospital Inc., San Antonio Surgicenter LLC, San Bernardino Imaging LLC, San Joaquin Surgical Center Inc., San Jose Healthcare System LP, San Jose Hospital L.P., San Jose LLC, San Jose Medical Center LLC, San Jose Pathology Outreach LLC, San Marcos ASC LLC, San Marcos Surgicenter LLC, Sante Fe Family Practitioners PLLC, Sarah Cannon Development Innovations LLC, Sarah Cannon Research Institute LLC, Sarah Cannon Research Institute UK Limited, Sarasota Doctors Hospital Inc., Savannah Behavioral Health Associates LLC, Savannah Health Network LLC, Savannah Health Services LLC, Savannah Inpatient Services LLC, Savannah Multispecialty Associates LLC, Savannah Pediatric Care LLC, Savannah Primary Care Associates LLC, Sebring Health Services LLC, Selma Medical Center Hospital Inc., Senior Health Associates LLC, Short Pump Imaging LLC, Silicon Valley Health Holdings LLC, Silicon Valley Surgery Center L.P., Silicon Valley Surgicenter LLC, Sky Ridge Spine Manager LLC, Sky Ridge Surgery Center L.P., Skyline Medical Group LLC, Skyline Neuroscience Associates LLC, Skyline Rehab Associates LLC, Skyline Specialty Associates LLC, Smith Laboratories Inc., Solis Mammography at Bayshore Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Clear Lake Regional Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Conroe Regional Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Denton Regional Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at HCA Houston Tomball LLC, Solis Mammography at Kingwood Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Las Colinas Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Medical Center Alliance LLC, Solis Mammography at Medical Center Arlington LLC, Solis Mammography at Medical Center of Lewisville LLC, Solis Mammography at Medical Center of McKinney LLC, Solis Mammography at Medical Center of Plano LLC, Solis Mammography at Medical City Dallas LLC, Solis Mammography at Pearland Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Rose Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Skyline Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at StoneCrest Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at West Houston Medical Center LLC, Solis Mammography at Womans Hospital of Texas LLC, Solis Mammography of Cedar Hill LLC, Solis Mammography of CyFair LLC, Solis Mammography of Dallas LLC, Solis Mammography of Flower Mound LLC, Solis Mammography of Frisco LLC, Solis Mammography of Garland LLC, Solis Mammography of Grand Prairie LLC, Solis Mammography of Houston NW LLC, Solis Mammography of Katy LLC, Solis Mammography of Louetta/249 LLC, Solis Mammography of Mainland LLC, Solis Mammography of Mansfield LLC, Solis Mammography of Mesquite LLC, Solis Mammography of Montgomery LLC, Solis Mammography of North Cypress LLC, Solis Mammography of North Loop LLC, Solis Mammography of Sugar Land LLC, Solis Mammography of West Plano LLC, Solis Mammography of Womans Place LLC, South Atlantic Division Inc., South Austin Surgery Center Ltd., South Austin Surgical Management LLC, South Austin Surgicenter LLC, South Brandon Imaging LLC, South Florida Division Practice Inc., South Texas Surgicare Inc., South Transfer Center LLC, South Valley Hospital L.P., Southeast Georgia Health Services LLC, Southern Hills Medical Center LLC, Southern Hills Neurology Consultants LLC, Southern Kentucky Medicine Associates LLC, Southern Kentucky Surgicenter LLC, Southern Texas Physicians Network, Southpoint LLC, Southtown Womens Clinic LLC, Southwest Florida Health System Inc., Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center Inc., Southwest Medical Center Family Practice LLC, Southwest Medical Center Multi-Specialty Group LLC, Southwest Medical Center Surgical Group LLC, Southwest Medpro Ltd., Southwest Surgical Clinic Inc., Southwest Virginia Orthopedics and Spine LLC, Spalding Rehabilitation L.L.C., Specialists in Obstetrics and Gynecology PLLC, Specialty Associates of West Houston PLLC, Specialty Physicians of Northern Virginia LLC, Specialty Surgicare of Las Vegas LP, Spotsylvania Condominium Property LLC, Spotsylvania Medical Center Inc., Spotsylvania Multi-Specialty Group LLC, Spotsylvania Regional Surgery Center LLC, Spring Branch Family Practitioners PLLC, Spring Branch Medical Center Inc., Spring Hill Hospital Inc., Spring Hill Imaging LLC, Spring Hill Physicians LLC, Springview KY LLC, Spruce Pine Healthcare LLC, St. Davids Austin Area ASC LLC, St. Davids Cardiology PLLC, St. Davids CareNow Urgent Care PLLC, St. Davids Healthcare Partnership L.P. 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Pierce Inc., Surgicare of Good Samaritan LLC, Surgicare of Gramercy Inc., Surgicare of Greenview Inc., Surgicare of Hanover Inc., Surgicare of Houston Kingwood LLC, Surgicare of Houston LLC, Surgicare of Houston Womens Inc., Surgicare of Indianapolis Inc., Surgicare of Kansas City LLC, Surgicare of Kingwood LLC, Surgicare of Kissimmee Inc., Surgicare of Lakeview Inc., Surgicare of Las Vegas Inc., Surgicare of Laurel Grove LLC, Surgicare of Lorain County Inc., Surgicare of Los Gatos Inc., Surgicare of Los Robles LLC, Surgicare of Loveland LLC, Surgicare of Madison Inc., Surgicare of Manatee Inc., Surgicare of McKinney Inc., Surgicare of Medical City Dallas LLC, Surgicare of Memorial Endoscopy LLC, Surgicare of Merritt Island Inc., Surgicare of Miami Lakes LLC, Surgicare of Mountain West LLC, Surgicare of Mt. Ogden LLC, Surgicare of Nashville LLC, Surgicare of Natchez LLC, Surgicare of Newport Richey Inc., Surgicare of North Austin LLC, Surgicare of North San Antonio Inc., Surgicare of Northeast San Antonio Inc., Surgicare of Orange Park II LLC, Surgicare of Orange Park Inc., Surgicare of Orange Park Ltd., Surgicare of Orlando Inc., Surgicare of Overland Park LLC, Surgicare of Palms West LLC, Surgicare of Park Ridge LLC, Surgicare of Pasadena Inc., Surgicare of Pavilion LLC, Surgicare of Physicians West El Paso LLC, Surgicare of Pinellas Inc., Surgicare of Plano Inc., Surgicare of Plantation Inc., Surgicare of Port Charlotte LLC, Surgicare of Port St. Lucie Inc., Surgicare of Portsmouth LLC, Surgicare of Premier Orthopaedic LLC, Surgicare of Reston Inc., Surgicare of Ridgeline LLC, Surgicare of Riverside LLC, Surgicare of Riverwalk LLC, Surgicare of Roanoke LLC, Surgicare of Rome Inc., Surgicare of Rose LLC, Surgicare of Round Rock Inc., Surgicare of Royal Oaks LLC, Surgicare of Silicon Valley LLC, Surgicare of Sky Ridge LLC, Surgicare of Sky Ridge Womens Center LLC, Surgicare of South Austin Inc., Surgicare of Southeast Denver Inc., Surgicare of Southern Hills Inc., Surgicare of Southern Kentucky LLC, Surgicare of Southwest Houston LLC, Surgicare of Spotsylvania LLC, Surgicare of St. Andrews Inc., Surgicare of St. Andrews Ltd., Surgicare of St. Davids Austin LLC, Surgicare of Steamboat Springs LLC, Surgicare of StoneCrest LLC, Surgicare of StoneSprings LLC, Surgicare of Stuart Inc., Surgicare of Sugar Land Inc., Surgicare of Swedish LLC, Surgicare of Tallahassee Inc., Surgicare of Terre Haute LLC, Surgicare of Thornton LLC, Surgicare of Travis Center Inc., Surgicare of Tulsa Inc., Surgicare of Utah LLC, Surgicare of Wasatch Front LLC, Surgicare of West Hills Inc., Surgicare of Westlake Inc., Surgicare of Wichita Inc., Surgicare of Wichita LLC, Surgicare of Willis LLC, Surgicare of Wilson County LLC, Surgicare of Winchester LLC, Surgicenter of East Jefferson Inc., Surgicenter of Johnson County Ltd. a Kansas limited partnership, Surgicenter of Kansas City L.L.C., Surgico LLC, Swedish MOB Acquisition Inc., Swedish MOB I Ltd., Swedish MOB II Inc., Swedish MOB III Inc., Swedish MOB IV Inc., Swedish MOB LLC, Swedish Medpro Inc., TBHI Outpatient Services LLC, TCMC Madison-Portland Inc., THN Physicians Association Inc., TUHC Anesthesiology Group LLC, TUHC Hospitalist Group LLC, TUHC Physician Group LLC, TUHC Primary Care and Pediatrics Group LLC, TUHC Radiology Group LLC, Tallahassee Community Network Inc., Tallahassee Medical Center Inc., Tallahassee Orthopaedic Surgery Partners Ltd., Tampa Bay Health System Inc., Tampa Surgi-Centre Inc., Tarrant County Surgery Center L.P., Tchefuncte Cardiology Associates - Lakeview LLC, Teays Valley Health Services LLC, Telehealth Physician Services LLC, Tennessee Healthcare Management Inc., Tennessee Valley Outpatient Diagnostic Center LLC, Terre Haute Hospital GP Inc., Terre Haute Hospital Holdings Inc., Terre Haute MOB L.P., Terre Haute Obstetrics and Gynecology LLC, Terre Haute Regional Hospital L.P., Texas CareNow Physician Associates, Texas HSS LLC, Texas Institute of Medicine and Surgery, Texas Psychiatric Company Inc., The Austin Diagnostic Clinic PLLC, The Cancer Care Center of North Florida LLC, The Cardiovascular Partnership for Quality LLC, The Charter Cypress Behavioral Health System L.L.C., The Christie Clinic LLP, The Glynne Medical Practice Limited, The Harley Street Cancer Clinic Limited, The London Breast Institute UK Ltd, The Medical Group of Kansas City LLC, The Neurohealth Sciences Center LLC, The Physicians Clinic Limited, The Prostate Centre Limited, The Rankin Foundation, The Regional Health System of Acadiana LLC, The Wasatch Endoscopy Center Ltd., The West Texas Division of Columbia Inc., Timpanogos Pain Specialists LLC, Timpanogos Regional Medical Services Inc., Total Imaging - Hudson LLC, Total Imaging - North St. Petersburg LLC, Total Imaging - Parsons LLC, Town Plaza Family Practice LLC, Travel Medicine and Infections LLC, Travis Surgery Center L.P., Tri Cities Health Services Corp., Tri-City Multi-Specialty LLC, Tri-County Community Hospital Inc., Tri-County Surgical Specialists LLC, TriStar Bone Marrow Transplant LLC, TriStar Cardiovascular Surgery LLC, TriStar Family Care LLC, TriStar Gynecology Oncology LLC, TriStar Health System Inc., TriStar Joint Replacement Institute LLC, TriStar Maury Behavioral Healthcare LLC, TriStar Medical Group - Centennial Primary Care LLC, TriStar Medical Group - Legacy Health LLC, TriStar Medical Network LLC, TriStar OB/GYN LLC, TriStar Orthopedics LLC, TriStar Physicians LLC, TriStar Radiation Oncology LLC, Trident Ambulatory Surgery Center L.P., Trident Behavioral Health Services LLC, Trident Eye Surgery Center L.P., Trident Medical Center LLC, Trident Medical Services Inc., Trident Neonatology Services LLC, Tulane Clinic LLC, Tulane Professionals Management L.L.C., Tuscan Imaging Center at Las Colinas LLC, U.S. Collections Inc., Ultra Imaging Management Services LLC, Ultra Imaging of Tampa LLC, University Healthcare Specialists LLC, University Healthcare System L.C., University Hospital Ltd., Uptown Primary Care Associates LLC, Urgent Care Enterprise LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Ann & Simmons LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Cactus & Southern Highlands LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Charleston & Decatur LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Charleston/Sloan LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Craig & Clayton LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Craig & Decatur LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Durango & Cheyenne LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Durango & Flamingo LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Eastern & Horizon Ridge LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Rainbow/Mardon LLC, Urgent Care Extra - Warm Springs & Green Valley LLC, Urgent Care Extra Silverado & Maryland LLC, Urgent Care Extra-Tropicana & Jones LLC, Urgent Care Nevada LLC, Urological Specialists of Arlington PLLC, Urology Associates (London) Limited, Urology Center of North Georgia LLC, Urology Services of El Paso PLLC, Urology Specialists Devonshire LLP, Urology Specialists London LLP, Urology Specialists of Kingwood PLLC, Urology Specialists of Richmond LLC, Urology Surgery Center of Colorado LLC, Utah CareNow Urgent Care LLC, Utah Imaging GP LLC, Utah Medco LLC, Utah Surgery Center L.P., VH Holdco Inc., VH Holdings Inc., VHSC Plantation LLC, VIP Inc., Valify, Valify Inc., Value Health Holdings Inc., Value Health Management Inc., Vascular and Endovascular Specialists LLC, Venture Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Venture Medical Management LLC, Village Oaks Medical Center Inc., Virginia Care Partners ACO LLC, Virginia Gynecologic Oncology LLC, Virginia Hematology & Oncology Associates Inc., Virginia Hospitalists Inc., Virginia Psychiatric Company Inc., Virginia Quality Care Partners LLC, Vision Consulting Group LLC, Vision Holdings LLC, W & C Hospital Inc., WCP Properties LLC, WHG Medical LLC, WHMC Inc., WJHC LLC, Walterboro Community Hospital Inc., Warren County Ambulance Service LLC, Wasatch Front Surgery Center LLC, Washington Holdco LLC, Waterway Primary Care LLC, Weatherford Health Services LLC, Weatherford Mammography JV LLC, Weatherford Regional Medical Center, Welbeck Street Diagnostic Centre LLP, Wellington Diagnostic Services LLP, Wesley Cath Lab LLC, Wesley Manager LLC, Wesley Medical Center LLC, Wesley Physician Services LLC, Wesley Physicians - Anesthesiologist LLC, Wesley Physicians - Cardiovascular LLC, Wesley Physicians - Medical Specialties LLC, Wesley Physicians - Obstetrics and Gynecology LLC, Wesley Physicians - Primary Care LLC, Wesley Select Network LLC, Wesley Urgent Care LLC, West Boynton Beach Open Imaging Center LLC, West Creek Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, West Creek Medical Center Inc., West Florida - MHT LLC, West Florida - PPH LLC, West Florida Behavioral Health Inc., West Florida Cardiology Network LLC, West Florida Cardiology Physicians LLC, West Florida CareNow Urgent Care LLC, West Florida Division Inc., West Florida Gulf Coast Primary Care LLC, West Florida HealthWorks LLC, West Florida Imaging Services LLC, West Florida Internal Medicine LLC, West Florida PET Services LLC, West Florida Physician Network LLC, West Florida Professional Billing LLC, West Florida Regional Medical Center Inc., West Florida Specialty Physicians LLC, West Florida Trauma Network LLC, West Florida Urgent Care Network LLC, West Hills Hospital, West Hills Surgical Center Ltd., West Houston ASC Inc., West Houston Healthcare Group Ltd., West Houston Internal Specialists PLLC, West Houston LLC, West Houston Medical PLLC, West Houston Outpatient Medical Facility Inc., West Houston Surgicare Inc., West Jacksonville Medical Center Inc., West Jordan Hospital Corporation, West LPN Fort Worth Oncology PLLC, West LPN Inc., West Los Angeles Physicians Hospital Inc., West McKinney Imaging Services LLC, West Paces Services Inc., West Park Surgery Center L.P., West Valley Imaging LLC, West Valley Medical Center Inc., West Valley Medical Group LLC, West Valley Medical Group Specialty Services LLC, West Valley Therapy Services LLC, Westbury Hospital Inc., Western Plains Capital Inc., Westlake Surgicare L.P., Westminster Community Hospital, Westside Surgery Center Ltd., Wichita CareNow Urgent Care LLC, Wildwood Medical Center Inc., Willis Surgicenter LLC, Wilson County Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Womans Health Group PLLC, Womans Hospital Merger LLC, Womans Hospital of Texas Incorporated, Women Practitioners of Houston PLLC, Women Specialists of Bayshore PLLC, Women Specialists of Clear Lake PLLC, Women Specialists of Mainland PLLC, Womens & Childrens Center LLC, Womens & Childrens Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Center LLC, Womens & Childrens Pulmonology Clinic LLC, Womens Center at Brookside LLC, Womens Health Center of Central Florida LLC, Womens Health Center of SWVA LLC, Womens Hospital Indianapolis GP Inc., Womens Hospital Indianapolis L.P., Womens Link Specialty Obstetrical Referral Clinic PLLC, Womens Multi-Specialty Group LLC, Womens Surgical Specialists of Texas PLLC, Womens and Childrens Professional Management L.L.C., Womens and Childrens Specialists LLC, hInsight-Airstrip Holdings LLC, hInsight-BMA Holdings LLC, hInsight-Customer Care Holdings LLC, hInsight-Digital Reasoning Holdings LLC, hInsight-Healthbox Holdings LLC, hInsight-I2 Holdings LLC, hInsight-InVivoLink Holdings LLC, hInsight-LS Holdings LLC, hInsight-Loyale Healthcare Holdings LLC, hInsight-Mobile Heartbeat Holdings LLC, hInsight-NX LLC, hInsight-PWS I Holdings LLC, hInsight-Procured Holdings LLC, and hInsight-VAI Holdings LLC.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Textron: AAI Corporation, AAI Services Corporation, ALSTOM Gears, Able Aerospace, Able Aerospace Services Inc., Able Engineering & Component Services, Aeronautical Accessories LLC, Airborne Tactical Advantage Company LLC, Arctic Cat, Arctic Cat ACE Holding GmbH, Arctic Cat France SARL, Arctic Cat GmbH, Arctic Cat Inc., Arctic Cat Production LLC, Arctic Cat Production Support LLC, Arctic Cat Sales Inc., Arctic Cat Shared Services LLC, Arctic Cat UK Ltd., Arkansas Aerospace Inc., Avco Corporation, Aviation Service servis letal doo, Aylesbury Automation, B/K Navigational Equipment sro, BELL TEXTRON ASIA (PTE.) LTD., Beech Aircraft Corporation, Beech Holdings, Beechcraft Defense Support Holding LLC, Beechcraft Domestic Service Company, Beechcraft Germany GmbH, Beechcraft International Holding LLC, Beechcraft International Service Company, Beechcraft New Zealand, Bell Textron Canada International Inc., Bell Textron Canada Limited, Bell Textron Co. Ltd, Bell Textron Inc., Bell Textron Korea Inc., Bell Textron LLC, Bell Textron Miami Inc., Bell Textron Prague a.s., Bell Textron Rhode Island Inc., Bell Textron Services Inc., Bell Textron Supply Center BV, Bell Textron Technical Services Inc., Benzlers, Brazaco Mapri Industrias, Burkland, Cessna Aircraft Company, Cessna Citation European Service Center SAS, Cessna Dusseldorf Citation Service Center GmbH, Cessna Finance Corporation, Cessna Finance Export Corporation, Cessna Mexico S de RL de CV, Cessna Spanish Citation Service Center SLU, Cessna Zurich Citation Service Center GmbH, Citation Parts Distribution International Inc., Cushman Inc., Datacom Technologies, David Brown Group, Doncaster Citation Service Centre Limited, E-Z-GO Canada Limited, Energy Manufacturing, Flexalloy, HBC LLC, Hawker Beech de Mexico S de RL de CV, Hawker Beechcraft Argentina SA, Howe & Howe Inc., Howe and Howe Technologies, Industrial Technology Inc., InteSys Technologies, International Product Support Inc., KSB Annecy SAS, Kautex (Changchun) Plastics Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Chongqing) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Guangzhou) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Pinghu) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Shanghai) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex (Wuhan) Plastic Technology Co. Ltd., Kautex Corporation, Kautex Craiova srl, Kautex Germany Holding GmbH, Kautex Inc., Kautex Japan KK, Kautex Shanghai GmbH, Kautex Textron (UK) Limited, Kautex Textron Benelux BVBA, Kautex Textron Bohemia spol sro, Kautex Textron CVS Limited, Kautex Textron GmbH & Co. KG, Kautex Textron Iberica SL, Kautex Textron Management Services Company de Puebla S. de RL de CV, Kautex Textron de Mexico S de RL de CV, Kautex Textron do Brasil Ltda., Kautex of Georgia Inc., Kaywood Products Corp., Klauke, LCI Corporation International, LLC Textron RUS, Maag, McCord Corporation, Mechtronix, Medical Numerics Inc., Midland Industrial Plastics, MillenWorks, MillenWorks Themed Technologies, MotorFist LLC, OPINICUS Simulation and Training Services LLC, OmniQuip International, Opinicus, Optical Boring Co., Opto-Electronics, Opto-Electronics Inc., Overwatch Systems Ltd., PEINER Umformtechnik, Pipistrel, Pirelli Tyres - General Rubber Goods (GRG) division, Premiair Aviation Maintenance Pty Ltd, Produtos Plasticos Sociedade Unipessoal Lda., Progressive Electronics, Ransomes, Ransomes Inc., Ransomes Investment LLC, Ransomes Jacobsen France SAS, Ransomes Jacobsen Limited, Ransomes Limited, Ransomes Pensions Trustee Company Limited, Replacement Part Solutions LLC, Response Technologies LLC, Rotor Blades Limited, Sukosim Verbindungselemente, TRU Simulation & Training Spain SL, TRU Simulation + Training Inc., TRU Simulation + Training LLC, TekGPS Engineering Srl, Textron Airland LLC, Textron Atlantic LLC, Textron Aviation Australia Pty. Ltd., Textron Aviation Canada Ltd., Textron Aviation Defense LLC, Textron Aviation Finance Corporation, Textron Aviation Inc., Textron Aviation Prague Service Center sro, Textron Aviation Rhode Island Inc., Textron Aviation Services de Mexico S de RL de CV, Textron Capital BV, Textron Communications Inc., Textron Far East Pte. Ltd., Textron Finance Holding Company, Textron Financial Corporation, Textron Financial Corporation Receivables Trust 2002-CP-2, Textron Fluid and Power Inc., Textron France Holding SAS, Textron France SAS, Textron Global Services Inc., Textron Ground Support Equipment Inc., Textron Ground Support Equipment UK Limited, Textron IPMP Inc., Textron India Private Limited, Textron Innovations Inc., Textron International Inc., Textron International Mexico S de RL de CV, Textron Limited, Textron Management Services Inc., Textron Motors GmbH, Textron Motors North America Inc., Textron Outdoor Power Equipment Inc., Textron Realty Corporation, Textron Shared Service Centre (Canada) Inc., Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc., Textron Sweden AB, Textron Systems Australia Holding Pty Ltd, Textron Systems Australia Pty Ltd, Textron Systems Canada Inc., Textron Systems Corporation, Textron Systems Electronic Systems UK (Holdings) Limited, Textron Systems Electronic Systems UK Limited, Textron Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Textron UK Pension Trustee Limited, Textron Verwaltungs-GmbH, Turbine Engine Components Textron (Newington Operations) Inc., United Industrial Corporation, Westminster Insurance Company, Williams Machine & Tool, and Zhenjiang Bell Textron Aviation Services Limited.

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Wells Fargo & Company is a multinational financial services company that has established itself as a prominent player in the global financial industry. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, California, Wells Fargo operates in 35 countries and serves over 70 million customers worldwide. Its rich history and successful mergers and acquisitions have contributed to its significant global presence.

As a comprehensive financial services provider, Wells Fargo offers a wide range of banking, investment, mortgage, and consumer financial services. The company's mission is to satisfy its customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo aims to achieve this by providing exceptional service, acting with integrity, fostering diversity and inclusion, and contributing positively to the communities it serves.

Wells Fargo's extensive product and service portfolio caters to various market segments. The company serves individual consumers, small businesses, corporations, and institutional investors. Its key customers encompass a broad spectrum, ranging from everyday banking customers to high-net-worth individuals and large corporations. Wells Fargo aims to meet the diverse financial needs of its customers through personalized solutions and innovative offerings.

The company has achieved several notable milestones and received recognition for its contributions to the financial industry. Wells Fargo has been ranked as one of the "Big Four Banks" in the United States, alongside JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, and Citigroup. It is also recognized as one of the largest banks in the country by total assets, deposits, and market capitalization. Wells Fargo's commitment to delivering quality financial services has earned it a position among the most valuable bank brands.

Wells Fargo is led by an experienced and capable management team that guides the company's operations and strategic direction. The leadership team consists of individuals with diverse backgrounds and extensive finance, banking, technology, risk management, and customer service expertise. The Chief Executive Officer and President of Wells Fargo is Charles W. Scharf, who brings a wealth of experience in the financial industry. The management team also includes key executives such as Michael J. Santomassimo as the Chief Financial Officer and Scott Powell as the Chief Operating Officer. Each management team member contributes their professional background, accomplishments, and expertise to ensure the company's success.

Wells Fargo has demonstrated consistent financial performance over the years, driven by its diverse business segments and strategic initiatives. The company has reported steady revenue growth, reflecting its ability to attract and retain a large customer base. Wells Fargo's revenue metrics indicate its success in generating income through its various financial services and product offerings.

Earnings metrics illustrate the company's profitability and stability. Wells Fargo's focus on prudent risk management practices and diversified revenue streams contributes to its ability to generate sustainable earnings. Profit margin metrics showcase the efficiency of Wells Fargo's operations. The company's ability to manage costs effectively while generating revenue is key to maintaining healthy profit margins. Debt levels play a significant role in evaluating the company's financial position. Wells Fargo's management strives to maintain a conservative approach to managing debt, ensuring a strong balance sheet and financial stability.

Wells Fargo's valuation metrics are influenced by a range of factors, including its market position, financial performance, growth prospects, risk profile, and investor sentiment. Factors driving Wells Fargo's valuation include its brand recognition, customer base, diversified business segments, and ability to generate consistent earnings. Changes in investor sentiment, market conditions, and regulatory developments can also impact the company's valuation over time.

Investors closely monitor Wells Fargo's stock performance, assessing its ability to deliver value over the long term. The stock has had issues in the past due to news or events that have affected the company's share price, such as regulatory actions, the global pandemic, and strategic initiatives. These factors should be considered in analyzing its market performance.

Wells Fargo operates in the highly competitive financial services industry, which is subject to evolving regulatory frameworks and technological advancements. Understanding the broader industry in which the company operates is crucial to assessing its competitive positioning.

Wells Fargo competes with other major banks and financial institutions domestically and internationally. The company leverages its brand recognition, extensive product and service offerings, customer relationships, and technological capabilities to gain a competitive advantage. However, it also faces challenges such as regulatory compliance, changing customer preferences, and disruptive market forces.

Wells Fargo has identified several growth opportunities within its diverse business segments. The company aims to deepen relationships with existing customers, attract new customers and expand its presence in key markets. In consumer banking, Wells Fargo focuses on enhancing digital capabilities, improving customer experience, and providing innovative solutions to meet evolving customer needs. The company seeks to leverage its strong brand and customer base to drive growth and increase customer loyalty. In wealth and investment management, Wells Fargo aims to capitalize on the growing demand for comprehensive financial planning and advisory services. The company's expertise in wealth management positions it well to capture opportunities in an increasingly complex investment landscape.

As with any financial institution, Wells Fargo faces various risks and challenges. It is important to comprehensively analyze potential risks and challenges to understand their potential impact on the company's performance. Factors such as regulatory changes, cybersecurity threats, economic downturns, and reputational risks pose challenges to Wells Fargo's operations. The company has implemented robust risk management strategies, invested in technology and security measures, and enhanced compliance frameworks to mitigate these risks. Ongoing efforts to prioritize ethical conduct, transparency, and stakeholder trust are integral to managing risks effectively.
North Dakota regulators decided Friday to reconsider Summit Carbon Solutions' proposal to build the $5.5 billion carbon capture pipeline through the state, instead of forcing the Ames company to reapply for a permit.

Iowa opponents have argued that Summits petition for a hazardous liquid pipeline in the state should be paused until it receives approval in North Dakota, which is where the Ames company plans to sequester 15 million tons of liquid carbon dioxide annually.

Summit proposes to capture carbon dioxide from about 30 ethanol plants in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota, liquefy it under pressure and transport it via 2,000 miles of pipeline before sequestering it deep underground in North Dakota.

A sign reading "No CO2, no eminent domain" stands along a rural road east of Bismarck, North Dakota, in opposition to Summit Carbon Solutions' proposed $5.5 billion, 2,000-mile pipeline network to carry carbon dioxide emissions from dozens of ethanol plants in five states, including Iowa, to central North Dakota for permanent storage deep underground.

North Dakota Public Utilities Commissioner Sheri Haugen-Hoffart argued in favor of having Summit file a new application because of the "breadth of the changes" needed to be made in response to deficiencies the panel outlined last month in unanimously denying the companys permit request.

Haugen-Hoffart said Summit executives had six months to address landowner and community concerns about the route location "and they didn't."

More: Summit Carbon Solutions reapplies for critical North Dakota pipeline permit

Now, Summit proposes 570 changes to the route, plus a large shift around Bismarck, the state's capital, she said. Summit "should pause and look at all the deficiencies that were in this initial application," Haugen-Hoffart said. "These issues are huge."

Commission Chairman Randy Christmann and Timothy Dawson, a substitute commissioner, voted to allow Summit to tackle problems with its application instead of restarting with a new application.

Christmann said the commission is charged with making a "just, speedy and inexpensive determination." And requiring both supporters and opponents to repeat earlier testimony violates that directive, Christmann said.

Story continues

With a new permit application, "all that earlier testimony is wiped out, and that concerns me," he said, adding that some participants may not testify in a new hearing, believing the information wouldn't need to be restated.

"That person would think that we're smart enough to remember it, and we probably are, but we can't use it anymore," Christmann said.

The commissions decision to reconsider Summits application doesnt mean the panel will grant the corridor certificate or the route permit, Christmann said. It only allows additional evidence for the company to try to persuade us that they are addressing the deficiencies.

Christmann said the panel would set a hearing schedule and clarify the issues to be considered.

In August, the commission said Summit had failed to meet "its burden of proof" to show the pipeline's location, construction and operation would have minimal adverse impact on the state's environment and residents.

Among the concerns: Some political leaders opposed the project's route around Bismarck, saying the pipeline route would constrain future residential growth and raise safety concerns. In response, Summit has proposed to reroute the pipeline 10 miles north of Bismarck and away from areas slated for development.

Summit CEO Lee Blank said Friday the company has listened to and learned from the concerns raised by the commission.

More: Iowa agribusiness magnate's access to Gov. Kim Reynolds paves way for pipeline, lawyer says

"Subsequently, we rerouted around Bismarck, made adjustments to drill or bypass game management and geo-hazard areas, and collaborated with the State Historic Preservation Office to record the findings of cultural surveys, Blank said in a statement.

Summit said it has easement agreements with 76% of landowners along the route in North Dakota.

Donnelle Eller covers agriculture, the environment and energy for the Register. Reach her at deller@registermedia.com or 515-284-8457.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: North Dakota regulators debate reconsidering Summit's pipeline permit
Peoples Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for The Peoples Bank that provides banking, financial, and trust services to government entities, individuals, and small and commercial businesses in Mississippi. It accepts various deposits, such as interest and non-interest-bearing checking accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). The company also offers business, commercial, real estate, construction, personal, and installment loans; and personal trust, agencies, and estate services, including living and testamentary trusts, executorships, guardianships, and conservatorships. In addition, it provides self-directed IRAs; and escrow management, stock transfer, and bond paying agency accounts to corporate customers. Further, the company offers various other services consisting of safe deposit box rental, wire transfer, night drop facilities, collection, cash management, and Internet banking services. The company was founded in 1896 and is headquartered in Biloxi, Mississippi.
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.






MILAN (AP)  European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen plans to travel Sunday to the Italian island of Lampedusa, which was overwhelmed with thousands of migrants arrivals this week, at the invitation of Italys premier, who is calling for a naval blockade of North Africa.

Von der Leyens spokesman, Eric Mamer, confirmed on Saturday that she would make the trip at the invitation of Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni.

Tensions on the small island were rising Saturday, as both residents and migrants chafed at the long wait times to transfer people from the crowded reception center to the Italian mainland. Nearly 7,000 migrants arrived on Lampedusa from Tunisia this week, and the Red Cross said that 3,800 remained on the island on Friday.

Media reports indicated that was down to about 2,000, with authorities working to transfer most of those by the end of Saturday.

Residents gathered in the center of town Saturday to protest plans to put up a tent city on Lampedusa, and demanded a meeting with a Sicilian regional law enforcement official. A representative told the official that islanders have run out of patience after three decades of coping with arrivals.

Meanwhile, footage aired by SKY TG24 showed police using shields to prevent migrants inside the reception center from surging to the gate. Elsewhere, migrants sat along a roadside looking fatigued in the heat, waiting for a transfer.

Migrants continued to arrive Saturday, but in far smaller numbers, around 500. They included the body of a newborn, who reportedly was born during the crossing. The mother was being treated at a clinic on the island.

On Saturday, Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi called for concrete measures aimed at blocking the departures at their origins during a video conference with his French, German and Spanish counterparts, and EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson.

The group agreed to work on an operational response during an upcoming gathering of EU justice and interior ministry officials later this month.

Story continues

Meloni on Friday vowed extraordinary measures to deal with an influx of migrants, calling anew for a naval blockade of North Africa and saying that Europe needs a paradigm change to deal with issues pushing migration, including conflict, instability, soaring grain prices and climate crises.

Obviously, Italy and Europe can't welcome this massive influx of people, especially when these migrant flows are being managed by unscrupulous traffickers, she said.

Most of the migrants arrived from Tunisia, despite an EU accord with the North African country to stem smuggling operations in exchange for economic aid.

The crisis is causing tensions in Melonis government, as the head of the League, Matteo Salvini, has raised his criticism on the EU-Tunisia deal.

As Meloni hosts von der Leyen in Lampedusa, Salvini on Sunday has invited French far-right leader Marine Le Pen to an annual League rally in the northern Italian town of Pontida.

___

Follow APs coverage of global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration
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[September 15, 2023] Leland Little's Signature Fall Auction Achieves Active Bidding and Strong Results Tweet

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C., Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Strength and consistency were demonstrated at Leland Little's Signature Fall Auction. The Signature Week was led off on Thursday, September 7th with a Fine Wine Auction. Later that evening the auction house held their Signature Lecture Series, this session focusing on a distinctive form of early Southern furniture, cellarettes, presented by Andrew Ownbey of Longleaf Antiques. As stated by Mr. Ownbey, "Arguably one of the most iconic and desired southern furnishings is the Cellarette. Found in many early inventories described simply as "Bottle Cases" this form finds its history rooted in very utilitarian beginnings." On Friday the gallery held their Rare Spirits Auction; the Signature Week culminated on Saturday with their Signature Fall Auction. The Signature Week Achieved over 1.7M This sale featured objects from the Estate of the late Mr. & Mrs. Charles and Cynthia Salzhauer, of Oxford, North Carolina, which showcased a beautifully curated collection of antique American furniture as well as decorative and fine art. The top achieving lot from this Estate was Lot 127, A Very Fine Japanese Large Carved and Painted Wood Sculpture of a Lady, which sold for $30,000 (all prices noted reflect a20% Buyer's Premium).



The top lot of the auction was an acrylic on canvas by Maud Gatewood (NC, 1934-2004), titled Breakers (Lot 239), which rose to $49,200. Another top lot of note was a beautiful, Loose Oval Cut Ceylon Sapphire (Lot 65), weighing 6.44 carats, which sailed above estimate and sold for $32,400. International Art achieved high bidding and an auction record was set when the gavel fell on an oil on canvas by Paul Emile Pissarro (French, 1884-1972), titled, Gerbes de Bles, Soleil Couchant (Lot 161). This work, which captures the essence of the fall season, sold for $30,000. Also of note was an India ink and watercolor on paper, titled Mujer cargando ayate (Lot 264), by Diego Rivera (Mexican, 1886-1957) which achieved $27,600.

Asian Art attracted active bidding. Two lots of note were an ink and colors on paper by Chen Wen Hsi (Singaporean, 1906-1991), titled Two Gibbons (Lot 113), which brought $18,000 and an impressive lacquer painting by Bui Huu Hung (Vietnamese, b.1957), titled Women in the Family, which rose to $31,200 (Lot 130). Other lots of note include a 1959 Gibson ES-355 Hollow Body Electric Guitar (Lot 195), which sailed past its estimate bringing $22,800 and a Massachusetts Officer's Civil War Grouping with Very Rare "MS" Marked Colt Revolver (Lot 270), which sold for $13,200. "We received, with appreciation and gratitude, several opportunities and collections that we were honored to represent, which culminated in this highly vetted Signature Fall Auction which was enthusiastically met by the market." - Leland Little Leland Little Auctions has specialized in the sale of fine high end collectible objects for over 20 years. We are proud to provide trusted stewardship to both our buyers and sellers. For more information please visit LelandLittle.com. Leland Little

[email protected]

919-644-1243 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leland-littles-signature-fall-auction-achieves-active-bidding-and-strong-results-301929609.html SOURCE Leland Little Auctions

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[September 15, 2023] API Management Market to grow by USD 6.70 billion between 2021 - 2026 | Growth Driven by Growing use of digital payment solutions - Technavio Tweet

NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The API Management Market report has been added to Technavio's offering. With ISO 9001:2015 certification, Technavio has proudly partnered with more than 100 Fortune 500 companies for over 16 years. The potential growth difference for the API management market between 2022 and 2026 is USD 6.70 billion. The continuous growth in digital payments drives the API management market. Digital payments are expected to constitute almost 90% of the total spent in Canada by 2030. As a result, several banking institutions across the globe are offering digital payment solutions to improve banking processes, which helps many banking companies gain a competitive advantage over their rivals. Hence, such factors are expected to replace plastic cards with virtual account numbers, allowing businesses to manage a wide range of corporate expenses smoothly. 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 Market Challenge - A lack of a strong and high-quality network challenges the growth of the API management market. In order to use software seamlessly, enterprises need to maintain a constant Internet connection around the clock. In case the software is unable to update real-time transactions, especially in the investment banking sector, it can lead to huge monetary losses for enterprises. In December 2021 , the average broadband Internet speed in emerging economies was 50% slower than the global broadband Internet speed. Hence, such challenges impede the growth of API management during the forecast period. Learn about additional key drivers, trends, and challenges available with Technavio. Read Free Sample PDF Report Now The API management market has been segmented by Deployment (cloud and on-premise) and Geography (North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa). The cloud segment will be significant during the forecast period. This type of API allows applications to communicate and transfer data to and from the cloud and it also integrates different cloud and on-premises applications, supporting developers and administrators even further in automating API provisioning, activation, setup, monitoring, and troubleshooting. Hence, such factors drive the growth of the cloud segment of the API management market during the forecast period.

will be significant during the forecast period. This type of API allows applications to communicate and transfer data to and from the cloud and it also integrates different cloud and on-premises applications, supporting developers and administrators even further in automating API provisioning, activation, setup, monitoring, and troubleshooting. Hence, such factors drive the growth of the cloud segment of the API management market during the forecast period. 26% of the global market's growth will originate from North America during the forecast period. Factors like increased smartphone penetration and connectivity will facilitate the application programming interfaces management market growth in North America. View the Free Sample Report for insights into the contribution of all the segments and regional opportunities in the report. Key Companies in the API management market: Akamai Technologies Inc., Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Axway Software SA, Boomi LP, International Business Machines Corp., Kong Inc, Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp., Salesforce.com Inc., SAP SE, Sensedia SA, Software AG, TIBCO Software Inc., Torry Harris Business Solutions, Workato, WSO2 Inc., Broadcom Inc., Postman Inc. Related Reports: The speech-to-text API market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 19% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 3,269.94 million. The venture capital investment market size is estimated to decline at a CAGR of 20.88% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 737.56 billion.







API Management Market Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2021 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2022-2026 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 20.56% Market growth 2022-2026 USD 6.70 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022-2023 (%) 11.1 Regional analysis North America, APAC, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa Performing market contribution North America at 26% Key countries US, China, Japan, Germany, and UK Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Akamai Technologies Inc., Alphabet Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Axway Software SA, Boomi LP, International Business Machines Corp., Kong Inc, Microsoft Corp., Oracle Corp., Salesforce.com Inc., SAP SE, Sensedia SA, Software AG, TIBCO Software Inc., Torry Harris Business Solutions, Workato , WSO2 Inc., Broadcom Inc., and Postman 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.

ToC: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market Sizing Historic Market Sizes Five Forces Analysis Market Segmentation by Deployment 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 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 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/api-management-market-to-grow-by-usd-6-70-billion-between-2021---2026--growth-driven-by-growing-use-of-digital-payment-solutions---technavio-301928643.html SOURCE Technavio

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[September 16, 2023] University of Phoenix Supports Tempe Union High School "Reading Under the Stars: The Ethic of Belonging" Event Tweet

University of Phoenix Office of Educational Equity (OEE) is proud to support the Tempe Union High School District's "Reading Under the Stars: The Ethic of Belonging" event. Reading Under the Stars is a community-driven initiative that promotes literacy and shares stories to help foster a deep sense of belonging among individuals of all backgrounds. The event will take place on September 19, 2023, at the Mesa Community College Planetarium, and promises to be an evening filled with rich storytelling and a shared commitment to inclusivity. Tondra Richardson, MBA, Director of Student Diversity & Inclusion at the University of Phoenix, expressed her strong support for the event, stating: "At University of Phoenix, we firmly believe that education is a path to empowerment, and books are a gateway to understanding the world around us. 'Reading Under the Stars: The Ethic of Belonging' aligns perfectly with our mission to create a supportive and inclusive learning environment. We are honored to support this event and believe it will make a meaningful impact in bringing our community together." The event will feature a variety of activities, including reading sessions, storytelling, and opportunities for attendees to engage in discussions about the importance of diversity and inclusion in literature and society. Families, students, and community members are encouraged to attend this inspiring evening of educational storytellng.



There are two additional Reading Under the Stars sessions scheduled following the September 19 session. Those sessions will take place on January 4, 2024, and March 25, 2024. All three sessions afford participants a safe space in which they can broaden their understanding of the transformational power of belonging. The work being done in the Reading Under the Stars program compliments the University's longstanding commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, as well as the OEE's mission to foster cultural awareness, provide thought leadership and form community alliances to promote and sustain educational equity and diversity initiatives. The OEE supports University of Phoenix students and faculty year-round with public programs like Educational Equity Webinar Series, the Inclusive Leadership Summit and an internal offering for staff and faculty, The Inclusive Cafe.

As a leader in providing accessible and innovative education, the University of Phoenix recognizes the transformative power of literacy and believes in the importance of fostering a sense of belonging for all individuals. Learn more here about the Reading Under the Stars event. About University of Phoenix University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelor's and master's degree programs and a Career Services for Life commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230916339615/en/

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They rallied and cheered and then they marched.

Hundreds of UAW members and supporters in red took the unions contract fight against the Detroit Three downtown along Jefferson Avenue Friday night from the UAW-Ford National Programs Center and joined up with striking Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan workers in a show of joint solidarity.

Say it loud, say it proud, Detroit is a union town, they chanted at one point.

Then they took their shouts and cheers past the front doors of the Renaissance Center and the home of General Motors.

After contract negotiations stalled with all three Detroit automakers, United Auto Workers from Local 862 picket in solidarity outside the UAW-Ford Joint Trusts Center for a rally in Detroit on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.

It was an exclamation point and a rousing moment less than a day since thousands of workers at three assembly plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri began a historic strike against Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Stellantis, owner of Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat. It marks the first time the United Auto Workers union has struck all three automakers at the same time, and it comes at a moment of heightened interest in unions and unionizing.

As the rally and march took place, men and women in formal wear navigated their way toward Huntington Place for the Charity Preview for the North American International Detroit Auto Show, highlighting what might have otherwise been the big story on a Friday night before the show opens to the public.

People walk to the 2023 North American International Detroit Auto Show Charity Preview as UAW members protest near Huntington Place in Detroit on Friday, September 15, 2023.

Numerous politicians, including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, joined union leaders on stage before the march.One of the highlights for the crowd, shouting Bernie at times, was U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, who told them that the struggle is about whether the economy works for all of us or just a few.

Weekly wages for workers are comparably lower than they were 50 years ago, Sanders said, and CEO pay is hundreds of times the what the average worker makes.

Sanders said theres been a massive redistribution of wealth.

Bernie Sanders talks to United Auto Workers and community members during a rally outside the UAW-Ford Joint Trusts Center in Detroit on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.

Instead of going from the top to the bottom. Its going from the bottom to the top, he said. Were going to reverse that trend.

Story continues

He called on the CEOs to end your greed and negotiate a fair contract.

UAW President Shawn Fain struck many of the themes hes been known for, blasting the CEOs and calling out the claims that have been made that the unions demands would wreck the economy.

Were not going to wreck the economy. Were going to wreck their economy, he said.

Following the march, Fain also answered media questions, many of which focused on the state of negotiations. Fain said the union had been available for bargaining and that there would be a meeting with Ford on Saturday morning. He indicated the strike could be spread, however.

Weve been very clear about our demands and if the companies dont come to the pump and deliver for these members and give them their fair share of economic and social justice, well amp up the pressure. Well take more plants out," Fain said, noting that it would be up to the companies. "Well see how they are tomorrow and as things progress or dont progress. Well make decisions as a board and as a union and well take the next step."

When asked if that could be as soon as Saturday, Fain said that "it could be in a day. It could be in a week."

The messages from union leaders struck the right tone for Steve Horn, 52, of Oak Park, as he watched the rally. Horn works as a hi-lo driver at Ford's Rouge plant.

He likes what he's been hearing from the union.

"I'm out here to support my union to get better wages because of inflation because we saved you guys in 2008 when you went bankrupt and to show you we deserve that favor back," he said.

The union's more assertive tone has also gotten more union workers engaged, he said, noting that in the past people did their own thing.

"Now everybody is talking," he said.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: UAW members on march during strike: 'Detroit is a union town'
Here's the pro-biz cover story that hopes to encourage the humbled local professional class now competing with students out of college, AI and functional alcoholism amid recent firing from what was formerly Kansas City's largest private employer.

The basics:



"Cerner employees out of a job have multiple in-demand skill sets. Oracle Corp.'s acquisition of Cerner Corp. has spurred multiple layoffs, but former Cerner employees now hunting for a job have some advantages."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . (Sorry, paywall) . . .


Local right-wing leaders advocate private school options which can work, are interesting but often leave a lot of room for small time in-fighting and personal probs.

Big picture . . .

More Americans are giving up on public schools, even in nicer neighborhoods.

Here's their side of the story . . .



Education freedom is a market-based, family-centric approach not just to schooling, but to learning  which McDonald differentiates between. Increasingly, learning is self-directed, which McDonald refers to as being unschooled.



Unschooling is really separating education from schooling in every possible way, she says. It sort of recognizes that schooling is one way to be educated, but its not the only way. And with unschooling, or whats more broadly known as self-directed education, young people are in charge of their own learning. There is no adult-imposed curriculum, no sort of coercion around what children will learn and when. Its all really driven by childrens interests and passions.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Sadly, nothing is sacred as we share what might be the most important news item of the day . . .

SACRILEGE!!! KANSAS CITY CRIMINALS REFUSE TO SPARE BROADWAY CHURCH AMID RESTORATION!!!

Again, this is bad news given that KCMO has invested in HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS in streetcar transit expansion just one block over.



Check this national news perspective on Westport restoration & urban investment efforts gone horribly wrong as our local crime numbers continue to impact the economy and quality of life . . .



Youssef purchased the 101-year-old church in 2022 hoping to use it as a wedding venue with a boutique hotel. But costly burglaries, theft and vandalism have blown out his budgeting and have cost him around $60,000, between replacing the materials and tools, paying workers to fix the damages, lost revenue and mounting interest on his loans.



Overall reported crime increased nearly 8% from 2020 to 2022, according to Kansas City Police Department data. The agency is "down nearly 300 officers from what would be our full strength," a spokesperson told Fox News, adding that violent crime has "risen over historic levels" in recent years.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
For once . . . Denizens of this embattled enclave can't blame their East side neighbors for all of their problems. This time around Fear of the military industrial complex terrifies a formerly middle-class community.

Here's part of the story and drama that was played out on local social media spying apps:



The 41-year-old resident of Kansas Citys Waldo neighborhood sat up in bed. He thought perhaps a vehicle had blown up a few blocks from the residence he shares with his wife and 8-year-old daughter at 77th Street and Troost Avenue.



A quick bit of online research by his wife on the neighborhood Facebook page provided some assurance: Neighbors a few blocks away had been informed by police that there was a training exercise going on  and gunfire or helicopters heard that night were probably a part of it.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
The Beijing World Culture Forum is an initiative of China that attracts people of culture and tourism from many parts of the world

Representing the Hellenic Republic, Deputy Culture Minister Christos Dimas spoke at the World Culture Forum held in Beijing about the ties between Greece and China in the field of culture, ANA reports.

"The cultural relations between Greece and China have a long and rich history that dates back to antiquity. It is remarkable that the relations between the two countries go back to the past, but it is also remarkable how important their contribution and influence are to the development of world culture," Dimas underlined.

The Beijing World Culture Forum is an initiative of China that attracts people of culture and tourism from many parts of the world. During his speech, the Deputy Minister of Culture said that the Forum is an opportunity to "promote the importance of our cultural heritage, not only as an object of awe and admiration but also as an inspiration and starting point for new cultural achievements."

In particular, the goal of the Greek delegation in Beijing is the exchange of ideas and cultural practices between the two countries, as well as the promotion and greater extroversion of modern Greek culture.

He also stressed that the exchange of ideas and cultural practices between the two countries has enriched both cultures and contributed to the development of human civilization as a whole.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Groubani
Q My partner is over-the-top affectionate in public. Im the opposite and dont want to be showy about our personal feelings for each other.

But my holding back from close hugging and kissing in front of others, especially his friends, bothers him. Hes even said some of his closest buddies wonder if Im a cold person and therefore not the right match for him.

Actually, I do love him, and show it to him in our private time together. I just dont like public displays of affection. I dont even understand why some people choose to demonstrate their level of feelings to others.

I value our time alone together, the closeness of our bodies, the lovemaking that follows. Its special to us and no one else. Sharing any of those feelings publicly seems, to me, to tarnish what we have for just each other.

But I dont want to hurt my partner. How do I handle this difference between us?

The private partner

A Search your own background and why/how you came to feel so strongly about this matter.

Since you express true love for your partner, be very open whenever alone with him about those strong positive feelings. But also explain to him the best you can why public affection feels much less comfortable for you.

And dont hold back on asking yourself some questions: Is it just any display of affection, such as holding hands in public?

Perhaps some of your preference for privacy relates to your own family background. In some very conservative homes, parents may purposefully decide not to show overt affection in the belief children shouldnt be exposed to anything that suggests body contact.

That background could unfortunately be seen as a negative signal to children from puberty on, that affection is a forerunner to sexual curiosity.

Meanwhile, even if you were raised with any of that attitude, youve risen above it in your private romantic life with your partner.

So be open, explain all this to your guy, and show him your love.

Reader Commentary: Regarding the woman who wrote, Not Quite Me Too (Aug. 29):

This happened to me, and to many, many young females (and certainly some young males too) who didnt, for fear of angering a boss or a person in authority, push away someone suddenly grabbing, squeezing, pressuring and frightening us.

A dentist recommended by a family friend dismissed his assistant during my examination and fondled my breast. I was 16. My father said I didnt have to go there ever again, but the damage was done.

At age 19, while working weekends in a restaurant because I needed the money, I was repeatedly pressured to stay late to clean up. Several times, the owner locked the door and force-kissed me, tongue included.

I quit but couldnt trust men for years. My dating life was a shambles. And even when I finally married, I was insecure about our relationship, suspicious if he stayed out late, and always watching for the slightest joke or teasing between him and another female. We divorced, and he claimed it was all my fault.

I still feel that he and all the other men who tried to use me for their moment of power over me made it impossible for me to have a trusting relationship with any man.

Ellie: Invest in yourself by getting professional advice for moving past this painful history.

Reader Commentary Regarding the wife whose husbands employer offered him a job in the U.S.

Companies have programs helping with transition. Theyll normally pay for moving expenses, and may help with housing, if the cost of living is higher, and pay for the familys scouting trip. Ive seen many transplants.

Some worked out very well, others lasted only a few months and moved back home due to cultural differences and lack of family support.

Successful transplants embraced it and the chance to explore the country/region. It wont be easy for the children but moving even a shorter distance would be a huge change for them.

It may or may not limit your husbands career, but one colleague turned down a promotion to the U.S. years ago for family reasons and was told hell never be promoted again. Hes now president of our company.

Most employers will understand if the time isnt right due to family.

Ellies tip of the day: Loving someone neednt be displayed publicly to others, but instead mutually felt and enjoyed.

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.
The sun is barely up in Glenwood Springs, Colo., and Im cursing myself for not buying a bottle of booze the night before. After all, you dont bring flowers to pay respects at a legendary Wild West gambler and gunslingers grave, especially not the resting place of John Henry Doc Holliday.

Inspired by stories of the Old West and movies like Tombstone, where Val Kilmer played Doc with laid-back, icy menace, Im keen to see Hollidays grave before our small group of travel writers prepares to ride out  by van, rather than horses  for more exploring in Colorado.

Nobody knows exactly where Holliday rests in Linwood Cemetery, a short hike up a steep trail near downtown. Theres only a white marble marker with his name that confirms hes somewhere in the overgrown graveyard. There are tales of a recalcitrant gravedigger who wasnt very good about keeping records. As with most things we encounter in Colorado, Hollidays link to Glenwood Springs had nods to history and American frontier folklore.

Our trip is taking us by road and rail from Denver, the modern Mile-High City, to the historic mountain town of Durango, giving us a taste of the Old West. Traced on a map, our flat C-shaped route travels west and then south, through some of Colorados most thrilling scenery.

The state is home to 58 fourteeners (mountains more than 14,000 feet, or over 4,200 metres, above sea level), along with expanses of desert dotted with sagebrush, massive red rock shapes and flat-topped mesas. I gaze out the windows of our van and imagine cowboys herding longhorn cattle or galloping by, full tilt, on horseback.

Along the way, our itinerary stops in Colorado mountain towns, dreamlike settings in deep valleys. Dozens of these sites also have mineral hot springs spas and resorts, so youre never far from a relaxing and healthful soak.

The waters helped build Glenwood Springs, which changed its name from Defiance in the late 19th century to entice visitors to its geothermal pools. The Ute Indigenous people, who had used the healing springs and natural steam caves for centuries, called them yampah (big medicine).

The hot springs brought Doc Holliday here, too. He hoped the Glenwood Springs waters and steam caves would cure his tuberculosis. They didnt. He died in a main street hotel in 1887.

The Glenwood Hot Springs Resort, built in 1888, still draws wellness seekers to the largest natural hot springs pool in the world. I decide to try the newish Iron Mountain Hot Springs just outside the town centre instead. Its family friendly, but I prefer the adults-only area, where we sip cocktails and hop between a series of small free-form pools built along terraces overlooking the Colorado River.

About an hours drive from the hot springs, we find a place I didnt expect in the Wild West: wine country. There are 30 vineyards around the small Western Slope town of Palisade, the rows of grapes rising to red mesas and mountains. Surprise number two: they make good wine in Colorado. I enjoy the Colterris 2020 Coloradeaux red blend with more than one meal.

Close by, near the city of Grand Junction, the Colorado National Monument is another revelation. It isnt a marble statue, as the name implies. The protected site is often called a smaller version of the Grand Canyon, but theres nothing miniature about these canyons, cliffs, and towering rock formations with names like Independence Monument and Kissing Couple.

We sit on a flat ledge a safe distance from the rim and look across the dramatic landscape, shaped by more than a billion years of weathering, erosion and collapse. Trails wind far below, along the canyon floor. Its humbling to see something so ancient and magnificent.

Before there were road trippers, people travelled by rail to reach remote Colorado mountain towns. Our route includes a journey on the historic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad from Silverton to Durango. The line has been hauling freight and passengers through the Rockies since 1882.

But first, to catch the train in Silverton, we must drive the Million Dollar Highway, the white-knuckle route from the mountain town of Ouray. Originally carved out as a wagon trail to get supplies to mines in the 19th century, it has to be one of the worlds most exhilarating  and harrowing  drives.

Some say the highway gets its name from the cost to build it, reportedly a million per mile. Others credit the million-dollar views. Others have said they wouldnt drive it again for a million bucks. This is a go-slow road, where snaking hairpin turns travel past alpine meadows and through the San Juan Mountains passes as the road reaches elevations of more than 3,300 metres. There are no guardrails.

In Silverton (population: 650), we have time to stroll the main street of this charming, isolated mountain town, which was born with the mining boom. Shops, bars and restaurants occupy colourfully painted Victorian buildings. Its also a hot destination for skiers and snowboarders.

We board a long carriage on the train. The open windows offer great views of the vintage steam engine on turns and along canyon-hugging rails ahead as it puffs through Animas Canyon. The leisurely, rail-rocking journey to Durango, some 70 kilometres away, feels like an old frontier painting come to life.

We sip locally brewed beer as the train follows the churning Animas River, spotting the mountainside remains of ghost towns and mine sites abandoned after the collapse of the 1800s gold rush and silver boom.

Long before miners and railroads led to the building of frontier towns, the Ancestral Puebloans, in whats now Mesa Verde National Park, were creating masterpieces of architecture with their cliffside dwellings in the 12th century. Our travels take us to the largest cliff dwelling in North America, Cliff Palace, a powerful link to the Indigenous people who began to live here more than 800 years ago.

Every time I come here, its the same. Im excited. I get goosebumps, says National Park Service ranger Michael Piper before he leads us along narrow paths and up a series of ladders to reach the sacred structure.

Built from 1190 to 1260, Cliff Palace has 150 rooms. An estimated 100 people once lived there. Was it a village, or a place for higher learning, administration or ceremonies? Also mysterious is the reason why the site was abandoned around 1300.

The power of the ancestral people who built Cliff Palace feels palpable as I stand inside the cliff hollow, marvelling at towers and rooms that slot together perfectly. We gather around the remains of a kiva, one of 23 circular underground rooms used for ceremonial practice. Think about the people who were here, Piper says. Imagine their children, the cooking fires, the conversations.

As we climb up the steep, narrow stairway, carved into the rock, to reach the top of the cliff, I instinctively reach out to steady myself. My hand slips into a small groove.

Thats them, Piper says of the slice, carved from the red rock by a Cliff Palace inhabitant. Its how they climbed up and down. It feels like a handhold on Colorado history.

Linda Barnard travelled as a guest of the Colorado Tourism Office, which did not review or approve this article.
The United Auto Workers strike Friday, which shut down assembly plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri, may have bypassed Illinois for now, but the state remains in the middle of everything as the labor dispute goes forward.

From Fords Chicago Assembly Plant on the citys Southeast Side to the small river town of Belvidere near Rockford, where the union and the state hope to restart the idled Stellantis Jeep plant, the course of negotiations could dramatically shape the auto industry in Illinois for years to come.

Seeking pay increases, shorter workweeks and improvements to retiree pensions and health care plans amid record profits for the Big Three automakers, the UAW took the unprecedented action of striking against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis simultaneously after a four-year contract expired at midnight Thursday.

This is uncharted territory, because they dont strike all three, they typically strike one, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions, a market research firm.

The UAW, which represents 146,000 members across the U.S., directed workers at a GM plant in Missouri, a Stellantis plant in Ohio and a Ford factory in Michigan to walk off the job and onto the picket line, calling for a strike against all three manufacturers for the first time in the Detroit-based unions 88-year history.

At the Chicago Ford plant, which has about 5,500 workers on three shifts making the Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor SUVs, local union leadership was at the ready Thursday night, if the call from Detroit had come down.

I had my finger on the button to activate our strike committee, said Chris Pena, president of UAW Local 551.

Ford also employs about 1,000 hourly workers at a nearby stamping plant in Chicago Heights who are members of UAW Local 588.

In 2019, Ford spent $1 billion to transform the nearly century-old Torrence Avenue facility, which phased out production of the Taurus sedan to focus on building SUVs. The Explorer, which is made exclusively at the Chicago Assembly Plant, is among Fords best-selling vehicles.

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While Ford has seen robust profits in the wake of the pandemic  the automaker had a net income of nearly $3.7 billion on $86 billion in revenue during the first six months of 2023, according to the companys most recent earnings report  workers have had a rougher ride, Pena said, citing everything from COVID-related fatalities to stagnant compensation since making concessions during the Great Recession.

Were ready to go to get what we feel is owed to us, and thats better wages, a cost-of-living allowance and pensions for all, Pena said. We feel were owed that when we see billion-dollar profits quarterly thrown into our face after they keep taking from us. And were the ones making those profits happen.

A Ford spokesperson did not respond to questions about the strike or the potential impact on its Chicago operations.

UAW Local 551 plans to meet Sunday afternoon at its union hall to discuss the strike and possible next steps, Pena said.

Ideas on the table include solidarity rallies, social media campaigns and other efforts to generate public support for the broader strike. More than anything, the Chicago Assembly workers will be on standby for a call to be the next plant to strike, if needed, Pena said.

There could be more riding on the outcome of the strike in Belvidere, where Stellantis indefinitely idled the 60-year-old auto plant and laid off its last 1,200 union workers in February after halting production of the Jeep Cherokee amid dwindling sales. Production of the next-generation Cherokee is reportedly shifting to the Stellantis plant in Toluca, Mexico.

Stellantis bypassed Belvidere when it announced last year it would produce its next-generation Charger and Challenger EVs in Windsor, Ontario, where it is also building a $5 billion battery plant.

But Gov J.B. Pritzker hasnt given up hope on convincing Stellantis to stay in Belvidere, offering the company significant incentives to reopen the plant.

While Stellantis could use Belvidere as a bargaining chip in the negotiations by agreeing to put a product back in the plant, it hasnt risen to the top of the list for the UAW President Shawn Fain thus far, according to industry analyst Fiorani.

It has been very quiet, Fiorani said. The idea of them moving a product in there is never off the table when it comes to negotiating with the union. But I really havent heard him call out Belvidere specifically.

Rich Boyer, vice president and head of the UAWs Stellantis department, and representatives of UAW Local 1268 in Belvidere, did not respond to requests for comment.

Fiorani said concurrent negotiations between the Big Three and Unifor, the union representing Canadian autoworkers, makes it unlikely Stellantis will reverse its decision to build EVs in Windsor instead of Belvidere. A more likely solution might involve any number of vehicles being built in Mexico, he said.

However, if that vehicle is not an EV, it would be a short-term fix at best, Fiorani said.

Stellantis spokesperson Jodi Tinson declined to comment on plans for the Belvidere plant.

The states toolbox includes the Invest in Illinois Act, which created a $400 million closing fund to incentivize EV manufacturers and other businesses to locate, expand or remain in the state through favorable financing. The 2021 Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois Act incentivizes EV manufacturers to locate in the state through tax credits, including a December amendment upping the incentive to 75% of state income tax for automakers that retain employees as they transition to EV production.

If Stellantis doesnt come through, Illinois is exploring other options  including foreign EV manufacturers  to fill the void. In July, Pritzker led a delegation to the United Kingdom seeking to sell the state as a destination for EV manufacturing. Sources familiar with the mission said the effort may bear fruit.

The state also recently optioned a large parcel of land next to the Belvidere plant to entice manufacturers to consider the site.

We think that theres an opportunity to bring more companies in, particularly large manufacturers, said Dan Seals, CEO of Intersect Illinois, the states public-private economic development arm. The reason for securing a parcel like that would be to make it easier for that to happen.

Seals said the best possible outcome would be for Stellantis to move back into the plant. But as time goes on, the skilled workforce that built Jeep Cherokees begins to move on, seeking new jobs and making it more challenging for the automaker to turn the lights back on, he said.

If Stellantis doesnt reopen the plant, the state is likewise prepared to move on and has already received a number of inquiries about the Belvidere site, Seals said.

The last UAW strike in 2019 against GM lasted 40 days, trickling down to parts suppliers. With reduced inventory in the wake of the pandemic, ongoing supply chain disruptions and a potentially protracted and widening strike against all three automakers, the economic fallout could be significantly worse this time around, Fiorani said.

Smaller parts suppliers could be forced out of business by a long strike, Fiorani said. Dealerships and customers, meanwhile, will need to navigate an average inventory supply of about 40 days  better than the pandemic lows, but far below pre-pandemic levels. If the strike lasts longer than 40 days, the new car inventory supply likely will be depleted, he said.

As a consequence, that would mean higher prices for both new and used cars for consumers.

Scott Kunes, COO of Kunes Auto and RV Group, a family-owned, Wisconsin-based dealership group with more than 40 stores across the Midwest, including seven in northern Illinois, said they have stocked up as much as possible on new and used cars in anticipation of the strike.

But it is far from an old school car dealer sales pitch to say the inventory wont last long.

If this is a prolonged strike, it could have pretty dire consequences to our inventory supply, Kunes said.

Like the semiconductor shortage, Kunes said his dealerships will turn to used cars when new cars arent available. But the supply of late-model used cars is somewhat depleted by lower new car inventories.

Kunes said his dealerships are taking strike production disruption into account in setting the prices on the current inventory of new and used cars.

We dont have a strike fund that can pay employees if our shelves are empty, Kunes said. So well turn to the used car market, and that is going to force used car prices to rise again. New car prices will go up as well. Weve already begun to look at some of the models that we know are the most constrained.

One beneficiary of the strike may be electric truck manufacturer Rivian, which is a nonunion shop.

Rivian launched production in September 2021 and now has about 7,000 employees building electric pickup trucks, SUVs and Amazon delivery vans in a formerly vacant, 3.3 million-square-foot auto plant in downstate Normal.

The EV automaker, which has struggled to ramp up production amid supply chain disruption, recently raised its 2023 annual target to 52,000 vehicles. In addition to gaining production traction, Rivian opened its first showroom in Chicago last week.

Production remains at full throttle and the year-end target is unchanged. A Rivian spokesperson declined to comment on the UAW strike Friday.

For Fords Chicago plant, Friday was business as usual for workers on the assembly line, Pena said. But operating on an expired contract, with brethren striking in three other states, the plants 5,500 union employees are keeping a close eye on negotiations and remaining on standby, he said.

No one wants to strike, Pena said. But we are ready, if it comes down to it. And we know that sacrifices are going to be made, and the only power we have is to hurt the company and their profits, because thats when they start to listen.

rchannick@chicagotribune.com
The United Auto Workers announced a renewed commitment to its strike Saturday, following news of Ford Motor Co. and General Motors possibly laying off thousands of employees.

The layoff announcements represent an attempt to intimidate striking workers, said UAW President Shawn Fain.

"Let's be clear: If the Big Three decide to lay people off who aren't on strike, that's them trying to put the squeeze on our members to settle for less," Fain said.

The UAW began its historic strike Thursday, as contract negotiations with Detroit's three major automakers collapsed. About 13,000 UAW members at three plants in three states, including Michigan, are striking, seeking a contract that guarantees better pay and benefits for workers.

UAW Statement on Reports of Layoffs of Non-Striking Workers



UAW President Shawn Fain released the following statement following reports of planned layoffs of non-striking workers at GM and Ford.#StandUpUAW pic.twitter.com/Fi8Np9Yjgx  UAW (@UAW) September 16, 2023

Ford and GM announced possible layoffs to thousands of employees at plants in Michigan and Kansas. Ford temporarily laid off around 600 workers Friday at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, and GM expects 2,000 to be laid off at the Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City.

Ford operations were affected by the strike, leading to the 600 layoffs, said Jessica Enoch, communications director.

"Our production system is highly interconnected, which means the UAWs targeted strike strategy will have knock-on effects for facilities that are not directly targeted for a work stoppage," Enoch said. "In this case, the strike at Michigan Assembly Plants final assembly and paint departments has directly impacted the operations in other parts of the facility.

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GM expects to run out of stamping parts at its Fairfax plant as soon as the coming week, leading to the potential layoffs at the facility.

"We have said repeatedly that nobody wins in a strike, and that effects go well beyond our employees on the plant floor and negatively impact our customers, suppliers and the communities where we do business," GM said in a statement.

Contract negotiations were expected to resume Saturday and continue throughout the weekend.

The union remains dedicated to its cause and is ready to support any autoworkers affected by the Ford and GM layoffs, Fain said.

"Their plan wont work. The UAW will make sure any worker laid off in the Big Threes latest attack will not go without an income," Fain said. "Well organize one day longer than they can and go the distance to win economic and social justice at the Big Three."

The UAW statement did not go into detail about how laid off workers would be compensated.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: UAW's Fain blasts reports of layoffs from Ford, GM amid strike
Hoping for some advice on our August 2024 itinerary. In particular the routes and if I am missing something important!

We will have 16 days in Norway, plan to hire a car in Alesund, return it in Bergen, fly to Stavanger for the last few days (hire a 2nd car) the fly out of Norway from Stavanger.

We have limited time but hoping to see as much as possible but not overdo the driving each day.

I am a hiking addict but my husband is NOT so having to make concessions and not do the longer hikes :(

We both love scenery and water and Norway has lots of both!

Days 1-3 spent in Oslo

Day 4 Fly To Alesund and spend rest of day here. (overnight Alesund) Lots to see here.

Day 5 Drive to Andalsnes - that afternoon hike Litlefjellet (overnight Andalsnes)

Day 6 In the morning hike to Rampestreke via the steps from Andalsnes and then cablecar back down

Drive Trollstigen and stay overnight at Juvet Landscape Hotel (bucket list)

Day 7 Drive to Geiranger via Valldall / Gudbrandsjuvet

In the afternoon visit the various viewpoints of the Fjord (overnight Geiranger)

Day 8 Day in Geiranger - thinking of doing the combined tour Kayak to Steven Sisters + Skagefla Farm hike (overnight Geiranger)

QUESTION In another posters itinerary there was comments to avoid staying in Geiranger due to the crowds - we will be there mid-August. Is there somewhere nearby that would be a better option?

Day 9 Drive to Loen - QUESTION - which route is best - I see I can either catch a car ferry to Hellesylt OR drive the entire way via Oppstryn

That afternoon see Briksdal Glacier (overnight Loen)

Day 10 Drive to either Balestrand OR Fjaerland - cannot decide what would be nicer.

Drive to Balestrand is via the Gaularfjellet scenic route so I am leaning towards that route / overnight location.....

Day 11 Drive to Borgund (Stave church) then EITHER Laersdal tunnel (sounds cool!) OR the snow road (which is best?) ending in Aurland (staying overnight in Aurland) Any thoughts on either route here??

Perhaps do the Stegastein Lookout + Prest hike that afternoon

Day 12 Drive to Bergen via Voss / Tvindefossen PLUS

QUESTION - is it worth the long detour to walk to Bondhusvatnet based on what we have already seen??

(overnight Bergen)

Day 13 Bergen LOTS to see!

Day 14 Fly to Stavanger - pick up hire car

Day 15 Preikestolen hike

Day 16 Departing flight from Stavanger

Please let me know your thoughts on my questions, and happy for any constructive criticism on any of it !
National Carnival Commission chairman-Winston Gypsy Peters.. is hoping that the NCC could be more involved in Tobago's October Carnival in the future.
Black receives 2023 Bullock Prize for service to the UA system

UAF photo by JR Ancheta

Jessica Black was awarded the 2023 Edith R. Bullock Prize for Excellence by the University of Alaska Foundation.

The University of Alaska Foundation Board of Directors has awarded the 2023 Edith R. Bullock Prize for Excellence to Jessica Black. Black, associate vice chancellor for rural, community and Native education at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, has been a faculty member since 2006. She received the award Wednesday during the Foundations board meeting in Fairbanks.

The Bullock Prize is awarded annually to a member of the university community in recognition that a truly great university grows as a result of personal commitments to excellence. The prize includes an unrestricted $20,000 award and is the most prestigious award presented by the UA Foundation each year.

Dr. Blacks extraordinary contributions to the University of Fairbanks as a researcher, assistant professor and project leader, and her commitment to transforming higher education to be more inclusive and equitable, have created a welcoming environment where Alaska Native knowledge is embraced, and where Alaska Native students, faculty and staff are welcomed, said Laura Bruce, UA Foundation chair. While her expertise and knowledge are sought out across the globe, she is widely respected as a leader in the local community and within the university for helping others understand how we can all benefit from an indigenous perspective.

As an accomplished scholar and dedicated community volunteer, Dr. Black demonstrates a strong commitment to inclusion and equity in higher education and contributes to strengthening UAFs role as a global leader in Alaska Native and Indigenous programs, said UAF Chancellor Dan White. "Dr. Black is an accomplished researcher, educator, and administrator.

At UAF, Black teaches courses in Alaska Native governance, policy, leadership and research. Her research focuses on Alaska Native well-being, specifically on the importance of salmon and other natural resources. She is the co-principal investigator for a National Science Foundation-funded research project titled Tamamta (All of Us): Transforming Western and Indigenous Fisheries and Marine Sciences Together. The project will transform graduate education in fisheries and marine sciences. She is also the lead principal investigator on another NSF grant, Tamamta Iqallupet Anirtungnaqlluki: We are Trying to Save Our Fish. This statewide research project aims to build relationships, gather Indigenous stewardship knowledge and practice, and document inequities in fisheries science and management.

Black is widely published in peer-reviewed journals, has contributed to several publications and is a frequent presenter on topics of Alaska Native governance and well-being.

Outside UAF, Black's community service endeavors are exceptional and far-reaching. She is president of the Fairbanks Native Association board of directors, where she supports the mission to improve the quality of life for individuals and families within the community.

Black holds a bachelors degree in social work from UAF, and both her masters and Ph.D. in social work from Washington University in St. Louis.

The Bullock Prize was established with a generous gift from the late Edith R. Bullock, whose 30 years of service to the university included service on the UA Board of Regents and the UA Foundation Board of Directors. It has been awarded to 35 individuals since 1990. Faculty, administrators, students and volunteers are eligible for the prize.

The University of Alaska Foundation is an independent, nonprofit corporation established in 1974 to work in partnership with Alaskas three universities to seek, secure and steward philanthropic support. For more information on the foundation and how to contribute, please visit www.alaska.edu/foundation.
Lam Research Corp (NASDAQ:LRCX) has recently experienced a daily loss of -5.08% and a 3-month gain of 0.68%. With an Earnings Per Share (EPS) of 33.14, the question arises: is the stock fairly valued? This article aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of Lam Research's valuation and encourage readers to delve into the subsequent financial assessment.

Introduction to Lam Research

Lam Research manufactures equipment used to fabricate semiconductors, focusing on the etch, deposition, and clean markets. These are key steps in the semiconductor manufacturing process, particularly for 3D NAND flash storage, advanced DRAM, and leading-edge logic/foundry chipmakers. Lam Research's flagship Kiyo, Vector, and Sabre products are sold in all major geographies to key customers such as Samsung Electronics, Micron, Intel, SK Hynix, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. With a stock price of $623.11 and a GF Value of $608, Lam Research appears to be fairly valued. The following sections will provide a more in-depth exploration of the company's value.

Unveiling Lam Research (LRCX)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding the GF Value

The GF Value is a proprietary measure of a stock's intrinsic value, calculated based on historical trading multiples, a GuruFocus adjustment factor based on past performance and growth, and future business performance estimates. The GF Value Line on our summary page gives an overview of the fair value that the stock should be traded at. If the stock price is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher.

At its current price of $623.11 per share, Lam Research has a market cap of $82.60 billion, showing signs of being fairly valued. As Lam Research is fairly valued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be close to the rate of its business growth.

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Unveiling Lam Research (LRCX)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide

Link: These companies may deliver higher future returns at reduced risk.

Assessing Lam Research's Financial Strength

Companies with poor financial strength offer investors a high risk of permanent capital loss. To avoid this, an investor must review a company's financial strength before deciding to purchase shares. Both the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage of a company are a great way to understand its financial strength. Lam Research has a cash-to-debt ratio of 1.07, which ranks worse than 63.78% of 900 companies in the Semiconductors industry. However, the overall financial strength of Lam Research is 8 out of 10, indicating strong financial health.

Unveiling Lam Research (LRCX)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide

Profitability and Growth of Lam Research

Companies that have been consistently profitable over the long term offer less risk for investors. Higher profit margins usually dictate a better investment compared to a company with lower profit margins. Lam Research has been profitable 10 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $17.40 billion and Earnings Per Share (EPS) of $33.14. Its operating margin is 29.93%, which ranks better than 93.22% of 944 companies in the Semiconductors industry. Overall, the profitability of Lam Research is ranked 10 out of 10, indicating strong profitability.

Growth is one of the most important factors in the valuation of a company. If a company's business is growing, it usually creates value for its shareholders, especially if the growth is profitable. Conversely, if a company's revenue and earnings are declining, the value of the company will decrease. Lam Research's 3-year average revenue growth rate is better than 75.49% of 869 companies in the Semiconductors industry. Its 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is 27%, which ranks better than 56.61% of 772 companies in the Semiconductors industry.

Comparing ROIC and WACC

Another way to look at the profitability of a company is to compare its return on invested capital (ROIC) and the weighted cost of capital (WACC). ROIC measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. WACC is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. We want to have the return on invested capital higher than the weighted cost of capital. For the past 12 months, Lam Research's return on invested capital is 36.85, and its cost of capital is 13.92.

Unveiling Lam Research (LRCX)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide

Conclusion

In conclusion, the stock of Lam Research shows every sign of being fairly valued. The company's financial condition is strong, and its profitability is strong. Its growth ranks better than 56.61% of 772 companies in the Semiconductors industry. To learn more about Lam Research 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.


Ukraine's state budget for 2024 should envisage at least UAH 1.6 trillion in spending on defense and security.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said this in his nightly video address, Ukrinform reports.

Video: Office of the President / Telegram

I wish you health, dear Ukrainians!

It was an important day. The Military Cabinet - there were some details that I cannot talk about now, but that will be very effective in the war.

I held a meeting with Prime Minister Shmyhal and Minister of Finance Marchenko on next year's budget.

I outlined the key parameters - what should be prioritized in the state budget.

The key is to protect our state and people. Defense and security are the first priority, and the funding for defense and security will be at least at the level of this year, i.e. one trillion six hundred billion hryvnias. At least!

Next year, we will add significant budget funds for the defense industry - for the production of weapons in Ukraine. And for the drones. Both for the purchase of what is needed abroad and for the Ukrainian production. In addition, almost 100 billion hryvnias will be allocated for the production of weapons, overseen by the Ministry of Strategic Industry, and for the Ukrainian drone army, which is showing very good, impressive results. I will support all of this.

A separate budget priority is to support our veterans.

We also keep social expenditures as a priority. At least 469 billion hryvnias. There will be additional funds for the healthcare system - at least 24 billion plus to this year's expenditures. There will be a plus for the education system, primarily to support teachers and lecturers.

We are investing the necessary funds in digitalization, including our Mriia, a new tool for children, parents, and teachers that we have already presented in advance. Next year, Mriia should be fully operational and available to Ukrainians in every corner of the world!

Of course, there will be a significant indexation of pensions - we plan to do it in March, as required by law.

But, in addition to all this, we place a very important economic emphasis in the budget. We are adding incentives for the economy - production, jobs, investments. All the things needed to help Ukraine recover faster.

Government officials will present the details of such incentives. This includes the connection to the power grid for investors, the continuation of grant programs, mortgage programs, and the development of Ukrainian industrial parks.

I instructed the Prime Minister to prepare the basis for raising the minimum wage in Ukraine in the first half of next year.

Absolutely all elements of state work must be adjusted so that we can determine the timing of the end of this war here in Ukraine ourselves. With our victory. Our weapons that will reach all the goals necessary for Ukraine. Our economy that will be able to provide Ukrainians with the jobs they need. Social functions of the state that must be fulfilled. State functionality, especially digital functionality, which must become more advanced than anywhere else in Europe. All these are our tools to bring Ukraine's victory closer.

And our cooperation with our partners - with everyone in the world who is interested in peace with us.

Today I held a meeting on Ukraine's integration with the European Union and NATO. Another meeting, a long meeting, was about preparing negotiations with partners, different ones: from the G7, from the Global South. All this will happen.

One more thing. As always, I want to thank our warriors. Today, I am especially grateful to our pilots. Well done, guys! We are all proud of you.

I thank everyone who fights and works for Ukraine! Everyone who is now in combat, at combat posts, on combat missions. I thank everyone who trains our troops, who produces weapons for Ukraine, who finds in the world everything that Ukraine needs. I thank you all!

Glory to Ukraine!
Ukraine's defense forces eliminated about 271,440 Russian invaders between February 24, 2022 and September 15, 2023, including 470 in the past day alone.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said this in a post on Facebook, Ukrinform reports.

In addition, Ukraine's defense forces destroyed 4,612 (+13) enemy tanks, 8,814 (+4) armored fighting vehicles, 5,972 (+28) artillery systems, 774 (+5) multiple rocket launchers, 521 (+4) air defense systems, 315 warplanes, 316 helicopters, 4,714 (+17) tactical unmanned aerial systems, 1,455 cruise missiles, 20 warships/cutters, 1 submarine, 8,492 (+34) trucks and fuel tankers, and 889 pieces of specialized equipment.
British intelligence believes that the Russians are unlikely to be able to quickly restore the 'Rostov-on-Don' submarine and the 'Minsk' ship, which were hit in Sevastopol, which in turn caused serious damage to the Russian Black Sea Fleet.

The British Ministry of Defense reported this on social network X (Twitter), citing intelligence data, Ukrinform reported.

As reported, in the early hours of 13 September 2023, multiple missiles struck the Sevmorzavod shipyard within Russia's Black Sea Fleet (BSF) Sevastopol naval base. The landing ship Minsk and Kilo 636.3 class submarine Rostov-na-Donu were hit while undergoing maintenance in dry docks.

Despite the Russian Ministry of Defence downplaying the damage to the vessels, open-source evidence indicates the Minsk has almost certainly been functionally destroyed, while the Rostov has likely suffered catastrophic damage, the report says.

Any effort to return the submarine to service is likely to take many years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars. There is a realistic possibility that the complex task of removing the wreckage from the dry docks will place them out of use for many months. This would present the BS with a significant challenge in sustaining fleet maintenance, British intelligence emphasizes.

It is noted that the loss of the Rostov removes one of the BS's four cruise-missile capable submarines which have played a major role in striking Ukraine and projecting Russian power across the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean.

As reported, powerful explosions occurred in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol on September 13 at night. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported a cruise missile attack on the Ordzhonikidze shipyard, which damaged two ships. According to OSINTtechnical analysts, a large Ropucha-class amphibious assault ship and a Kilo-class submarine were damaged.

A representative of the Defense Ministry's Main Intelligence Directorate, Andriy Yusov, commenting on the extent of damage to enemy ships, said that the Russian large amphibious assault ship 'Rostov-on-Don' and a submarine were beyond repair after the attack by the Defense Forces on the Ordzhonikidze ship repair plant in Sevastopol.
The bodies of 51 fallen Ukrainian soldiers have been repatriated to the government-controlled territory.

The Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War reported this on Telegram, Ukrinform reported.

The Ukrainian side took a number of measures that resulted in the repatriation of the bodies of 51 fallen soldiers to the territory controlled by the Ukrainian government.

The transfer of the bodies took place thanks to the joint work of the Coordination Headquarters, the Civil-Military Cooperation Department of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Office for Persons Missing in Special Circumstances.

In total, the bodies of 1,832 Ukrainian defenders have been repatriated in two years.

Ukraine will continue to search for and return the bodies of all our heroes who gave their lives in the battles for Ukraine's independence, the Coordination Center emphasized.

As reported by Ukrinform, on August 29, the bodies of 84 fallen soldiers were returned to Ukraine from the territories temporarily occupied by Russia.
Since Russias full-scale invasion, 80 Ukrainian rescuers have been killed and another 287 have been injured.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said this at an event on the occasion of the upcoming Rescuer's Day, Ukrinform reports with reference to the presidents press service.

"287 employees of the State Emergency Service were wounded while performing their duties. 80 Ukrainian rescuers were killed," the President said.

He also noted that since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, 435 Ukrainian rescuers have been awarded state awards, and three SES employees have been awarded the title of Hero of Ukraine.

The President emphasized that the daily work of the State Emergency Service employees resulted in thousands of lives saved, over 100,000 fires extinguished, and over 430,000 explosive devices disarmed.

"Ukrainian invincibility is literally the result of your work, in particular. It is often extremely risky, but heroic, when a bulletproof vest becomes a mandatory element of a rescuer's overalls, when it is necessary to save people, and the shelling continues. When you work in the cities and districts shelled by Russia every day," the Head of State noted.

Zelensky stressed that Ukrainian warriors often do impossible things to chase away the occupiers and bring the Ukrainian victory closer.

"This heroism at the front should be based on the dedication and focus of people in the rear. Everyone who works for the sake of our country. Those whose profession is to save and help, and those who feel life in such a way, respect life so much that they become the rescuers of other lives," he said.

"I thank all of you - all of you who are rescuing - for setting this kind of example - an example of dedication and focus on the interests of the state and people," he added.

As a reminder, Ukraine marks Rescuer's Day on September 17.
On the morning of September 16, 2023, Russian troops shelled the Dnipropetrovsk regions Marhanets community.

The relevant statement was made by Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration Head Serhii Lysak on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to Lysak, on the evening of September 15, 2023, Russians also opened fire on the city of Nikopol with heavy artillery. Civilians remained unharmed.

The effects of Russias attack on the Marhanets community are yet to be checked.

No enemy shelling was recorded in the rest of the Dnipropetrovsk regions districts.
Ukraines Defense Forces continue holding the defense in the east and south, conducting the offensive operation in the Melitopol direction and offensive actions in the Bakhmut direction.

The relevant statement was made by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Twenty-four combat engagements have occurred on the front in the past 24 hours. Russian troops launched 59 air strikes and opened fire with multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) on Ukrainian positions and civilian objects 36 times.

Russian occupiers attacked Ukraines territory with 17 Shahed-136/131 suicide drones. All of them were destroyed by Ukraines air defense units.

Over 100 settlements in the Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions were affected by Russian artillery attacks. The enemy launched air strikes on the Chernihiv regions Leonivka and Hremiach; the Kharkiv regions Strilecha and Kotliarivka; the Luhansk regions Novoselivske, Novoiehorivka, Makiivka, Nevske and Bilohorivka; the Donetsk regions Spirne, Vesele, Bohdanivka, New York, Krasnohorivka, Urozhaine and Staromaiorske; the Zaporizhzhia regions Mala Tokmachka and Robotyne.

In the Volyn and Polissia directions, the operational situation remained rather unchanged.

In the Siverskyi and Slobozhanskyi directions, Russian troops are maintaining military presence and conducting sabotage activities within the border areas to prevent Ukrainian forces from being redeployed to other directions.

In the Bakhmut direction, Russian occupiers made unsuccessful attempts to break through Ukraines defense near the Donetsk regions Yahidne and Bodanivka. Following offensive (assault) actions, Ukrainian forces achieved success near Klishchiivka.

In the Marinka direction, Russians conducted unsuccessful offensive actions near the Donetsk regions Marinka. The enemy made 13 unsuccessful attempts to push Ukrainian forces away from their positions.

In the Avdiivka, Marinka and Shakhtarske directions, Ukrainian warriors are retaining the initiative, pushing the enemy, conducting assault actions and liberating Ukrainian territories.

In the Melitopol direction, Ukraines Defense Forces continue the offensive operation, inflict significant losses on Russian invaders, and force enemy troops to retreat from their positions. Following assault actions, Ukrainian warriors achieved partial success near the Zaporizhzhia regions Verbove and Novoprokopivka, and are gaining a foothold within the recaptured frontiers.

In the Kherson direction, Ukrainian forces continue carrying out counterbattery measures, destroying enemy ammunition depots and successfully attacking the enemys rear areas.

Over the past day, Ukraines Air Force has launched three strikes on Russian personnel, ammunition and military equipment clusters.

Ukrainian missile, artillery and unmanned aerial vehicle units hit three enemy personnel, ammunition and military equipment clusters.
Following assault actions, Ukraines Defense Forces have achieved partial success near the Zaporizhzhia regions Verbove and Novoprokopivka in the Tavria direction.

The relevant statement was made by the Joint Press Center of the Defense Forces in the Tavria direction on Facebook, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Ukrainian forces continue holding the defense in southern Ukraine and conducting the offensive operation in the Melitopol direction. The Ukrainian military are destroying enemy troops, step by step liberating the temporarily occupied areas, and gaining a foothold within the re-captured frontiers.

Following assault actions, Ukrainian warriors have partially succeeded near the Zaporizhzhia regions Verbove and Novoprokopivka, are pushing the enemy forces from the positions they are holding, and gaining a foothold within the re-captured frontiers, the report states.

In the Tavria sector, Russian troops have launched two missile strikes and 15 air strikes in the past 24 hours. Fifteen combat engagements occurred. Additionally, the enemy launched 535 attacks with tanks, multiple launch rocket systems and cannon artillery.

Ukraines missile and artillery units have completed 791 fire missions in the Tavria direction over the past day. The enemys total losses reached 196 troops (57 invaders killed and 138 injured).

Nineteen Russian military equipment units were destroyed, namely two armored fighting vehicles, two artillery systems and mortars, 13 unmanned aerial vehicles, one motor vehicle, and one special equipment unit.

A reminder that, between February 24, 2022 and September 16, 2023, Russias total combat losses in Ukraine reached 271,790 troops.

Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Following Russias recent missile attack on the city of Kharkiv, at least five civilians have been reported injured.

The relevant statement was made by Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Head Oleh Syniehubov on Telegram, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The occupiers launched five S-300 missile strikes on Kharkivs Kholodnohirskyi district. According to the preliminary data from medics, five civilians were injured, Syniehubov wrote.

In his words, those affected received minor and moderate injuries. There is no threat to their lives.

Emergency services are working at the scene.
Southwest Airlines Co (NYSE:LUV) recently reported a daily gain of 2.59%, despite a 3-month loss of -11.7%. The company's Earnings Per Share (EPS) stands at 0.88. These figures prompt the question: Is the stock significantly undervalued? This article provides a comprehensive valuation analysis of Southwest Airlines Co, aiming to answer this question. Read on to gain valuable insights.

Introduction to Southwest Airlines Co

Southwest Airlines Co is the largest domestic air carrier in the United States, boasting over 700 aircraft in an all-Boeing 737 fleet. The company primarily specializes in short-haul, leisure flights, operating a low-cost carrier business model. Despite its focus on shorter routes, the airline also offers some longer routes and a few perks for business travelers. The current stock price stands at $29.69, while the GF Value, an estimate of fair value, is $62.13. This discrepancy suggests that the stock may be significantly undervalued, warranting a deeper exploration of the company's value.

Unveiling Southwest Airlines Co (LUV)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide

The GF Value of Southwest Airlines Co

The GF Value is a proprietary measure, providing an estimation of a stock's intrinsic value. It is calculated considering historical trading multiples, a GuruFocus adjustment factor based on past performance and growth, and future business performance estimates. The GF Value Line represents the fair value that the stock should ideally be traded at.

Southwest Airlines Co's stock appears to be significantly undervalued based on the GF Value. The current price of $29.69 per share and a market cap of $17.70 billion suggest that the stock is trading below its intrinsic value. Therefore, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be much higher than its business growth.

Unveiling Southwest Airlines Co (LUV)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide

Link: These companies may deliever higher future returns at reduced risk.

Financial Strength of Southwest Airlines Co

Investing in companies with poor financial strength can result in a higher risk of permanent capital loss. Hence, it is crucial to review the financial strength of a company before investing. A good starting point is to look at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage. Southwest Airlines Co has a cash-to-debt ratio of 1.31, which is better than 72.42% of 939 companies in the Transportation industry. The company's overall financial strength is ranked at 6 out of 10 by GuruFocus, indicating fair financial health.

Story continues

Unveiling Southwest Airlines Co (LUV)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide

Profitability and Growth of Southwest Airlines Co

Investing in profitable companies is generally less risky, especially those demonstrating consistent profitability over the long term. Southwest Airlines Co has been profitable for 9 out of the past 10 years, with revenues of $25.10 billion and Earnings Per Share (EPS) of $0.88 in the past 12 months. However, its operating margin of 2.07% is worse than 76.41% of 937 companies in the Transportation industry, suggesting fair profitability .

Growth is a critical factor in a company's valuation. Southwest Airlines Co's 3-year average revenue growth rate is worse than 71.02% of 911 companies in the Transportation industry. Its 3-year average EBITDA growth rate is -22.3%, which ranks worse than 89.76% of 820 companies in the industry, indicating poor growth .

ROIC vs WACC

Comparing a company's Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) to its Weighted Average Cost of Capital (WACC) is another way to evaluate its profitability. If the ROIC exceeds the WACC, it indicates that the company is creating value for shareholders. Over the past 12 months, Southwest Airlines Co's ROIC was 1.4, while its WACC came in at 7.46.

Unveiling Southwest Airlines Co (LUV)'s Value: Is It Really Priced Right? A Comprehensive Guide

Conclusion

In conclusion, Southwest Airlines Co (NYSE:LUV) appears to be significantly undervalued. The company's financial condition and profitability are fair, but its growth ranks worse than 89.76% of 820 companies in the Transportation industry. For more details about Southwest Airlines Co's stock, check out its 30-Year Financials here.

To discover high-quality companies that may deliver above-average returns, consider checking out the GuruFocus High Quality Low Capex Screener.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.


Together with other Allies, Norway will stand firm in support of Ukraine against Russian armed aggression. The Russian invasion of Ukraine must fail, and this is important for Ukrainian and European security.

The relevant statement was made by Norwegian Defence Minister Bjrn Arild Gram at the opening of NATO Military Committee Conference in Oslo, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

We, as allies, stand firm together in the support of Ukraine against Russian aggression. The Russian invasion of Ukraine must fail. This is important for Ukrainian and European security, Gram said.

In his words, Norways support for Ukraines defence is remaining steadfast, and the Norwegian side will continue to provide military and civilian aid.

There is political agreement in Norway on a multi-year support programme for Ukraine, at approximately 7,5 billion Euro, distributed over five years. This will be done through the Nansen support programme for Ukraine, Gram noted.

He emphasized that NATO must continue to stand together with Ukraine, opposing Russian aggression in whatever form it will take. In this regard, Norway decided on a long term commitment to help fund NATOs CAP program as well.

According to Gram, NATO is the cornerstone of Norwegian security policy. He praised NATOs efforts in strengthening security and predictability on the northern flank and welcomed Finland and Sweden into the Alliance.

Separately, Gram noted the importance of the initiative made by Norway and Germany regarding the protection of undersea infrastructure.
Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi showed how Ukrainian defenders liberated Andriivka, Donetsk region, from Russian invaders.

According to Ukrinform, the relevant video was published by the commander on Telegram.

"The liberation of Andriivka. Excellent work of our soldiers. The performance of tasks in the Bakhmut direction continues, the army is moving forward," Syrskyi underscored.

As reported by Ukrinform, on September 15, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that the Defense Forces recaptured Andriivka in the course of the assault and are entrenching themselves on the achieved lines.

Photo is illustrative
The body of a former British soldier, who had gone missing in Ukraine as a volunteer fighter, was reported as found by Ukrainian authorities.

The relevant statement was made by Sky News, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Police searching for a missing ex-British soldier have been informed by Ukrainian authorities that they have found a body, the report states.

Former paratrooper Daniel Burke, 36, from South Manchester was reported missing on August 16, 2023. His family had not heard from him and believed he had travelled to Ukraine.

Greater Manchester Police said it was working with Mr. Burkes family and Ukrainian authorities to support a formal identification and bring his body back to the United Kingdom.

This is an upsetting time for Daniels family, we have family liaison officers in contact with the family and offering support, Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes said.

According to Hughes, Mr. Burkes family asked for privacy at this difficult time.

The detectives team is working with the Ukrainian authorities to make formal identification with a view to repatriating Mr. Burke following that process.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed two Buk-M3 anti-aircraft missile systems deployed by Russian invaders in temporarily occupied Svitlodarsk, Donetsk region.

The Department for Strategic Communications (StratCom) of the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces posted this on Telegram, publishing the corresponding video, according to Ukrinform.

"Today, around 12:30, in temporarily occupied Svitlodarsk, the Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully demilitarized two Buk-M3 anti-aircraft missile systems," the report says.

According to StratCom, both enemy anti-aircraft missile systems were used for the defense of nearby units of the headquarters of the brigade and division of Russias Airborne Forces.

As reported by Ukrinform, as of September 16, the Defense Forces of Ukraine destroyed thousands of enemy military equipment, including 4,616 tanks, 315 aircraft, 20 ships/boats and 1 submarine.
Ukraines National Agency for Corruption Prevention (NACP) has added one of the world's largest diamond producers and exporters, Shree Ramkrishna Exports (SRK), to the list of international sponsors of war. The company has tripled its diamond purchases from Russia since 2021.

Ukrinform reported this with reference to the NACP.

The Indian company continues to cooperate with the aggressor by purchasing diamonds from Russia, despite the sanctions imposed on Russia in this area. In 2023, the company tripled its purchases of diamonds from Russia compared to 2021, the report said.

India is one of the main buyers of diamonds, primarily rough diamonds from Russia, and the world's largest diamond production center. About 95% of the world's diamonds are produced in this country. Approx. three quarters of the diamonds come from Russia. But they are not accompanied by any official documents that could confirm their origin.

SRK has annual revenues of over USD 1.3 billion.

After purchasing rough diamonds, the company cuts, polishes, grades, and exports them. Despite the international sanctions imposed in April 2022 against the world's largest diamond miner, Russia's Alrosa, SRK continued to buy diamonds in Russia, entering secret deals to purchase gems worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

At the same time, SRK reports on its website that rough diamonds come only from countries participating in the Kimberley Process and are not of conflict origin and that they check all raw materials to ensure ethical considerations are met.

"Nevertheless, in 2021, SRK purchased more than USD 59 million worth of diamonds from Russia. Already in 2022, after Western sanctions were imposed on Russia, it purchased over USD 198 million worth of diamonds. In 2023, the company is also actively continuing its cooperation with the aggressor. In the first half of the year alone, it purchased diamonds worth more than USD 132 million. It is three times more than in 2021," the NACP emphasized.

In total, Russia exported diamonds worth USD 3.8 billion in 2022. But even such insignificant amounts compared to oil revenues are of great importance to Russia. These revenues allow Russia to finance its war against Ukraine and maintain its economy, the NACP stressed.

In December 2021, Arpit Narola, a member of the company's board of directors, said in an interview with a Russian TASS correspondent that the interaction between Russia and India in the diamond industry can be called a great example of how two countries far from each other can cooperate in each other's interests. The whole world wears Russian diamonds with Indian cuts, Narola added. The company is actively developing relations with Russia. SRK receives high-quality uncut stones from Russia, he said. According to the company, cooperation between the two countries in the diamond sector is developing rapidly. One can say that it is developing and growing at the speed of an S-400 missile. This also indicates the Indian company's likely ideological support for Russia's militaristic policy.

Thus, while Western companies avoid the Russian market, SRK actively buys Russian diamonds on favorable terms, thus actively sponsoring the aggression against Ukraine.

Read also: Heineken sells its assets in Russia

As the NACP reminded, the agency is the body responsible for developing a compliance system in the private sector. During compliance procedures, contractors are subject to integrity checks, including socially responsible business conduct in accordance with OECD standards. The list of International Sponsors of War on the War and Sanctions portal is a powerful reputational tool for achieving integrity of supply chains in the international dimension, for international businesses to leave Russia, and thus for reducing the terrorist countrys financial and technological capacity to kill Ukrainians. One of the platform's "levers of pressure" is cooperation with the World-Check database. It is used by banks and insurance companies to assess risks. That is why for global companies, the consequences of being on the list are worse than continuing to do business with the aggressor country.

As Ukrinform reported, Ukraine has added tobacco companies Philip Morris International and JTI to the list of war sponsors.
In Ukraine, as of September 15, 2023, agrarians harvested 35.2 million tonnes of new grain and oilseeds.

According to Ukrinform, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine reported this.

"35.2 million tonnes of new crops were harvested by farmers in all regions of Ukraine: 29.5 million tonnes of grains and 5.7 million tonnes of oilseeds," the statement said.

The grain was harvested from 6.763 million hectares with a yield of 43.6 centners per hectare (c/ha).

As of September 15, Ukraine has harvested 22.151 million tonnes of wheat from 4.69 million hectares (yield, 47.2 c/ha), 5.823 million tonnes of barley from 1.504 million hectares (yield, 38.7 c/ha), and 386,600 tonnes of peas from 154,400 hectares (yield, 25 c/ha). The country has already harvested 58,800 tonnes of corn from 11,900 hectares (yield, 47 c/ha).

100,200 tonnes of buckwheat was harvested from 70,000 hectares (yield, 14.4 c/ha). 109,400 tonnes of millet was harvested from 47,400 hectares (yield, 23,1 c/ha). 831,000 tonnes of other grains and pulses were harvested from 286,000 hectares.

Ukrainian farmers in all regions are finishing the rapeseed harvest and have already harvested over 3.999 million tonnes of seeds from 1.395 million hectares (yield, 28.7 c/ha). As of September 15, Ukraine has already harvested 1.035 million tonnes of sunflower from 498,600 hectares (yield, 20.8 c/ha). 624,800 tonnes of soybeans were harvested from 257,000 hectares (yield, 24.3 c/ha).

617,100 tonnes of sugar beet were dug on 14,100 hectares.

As Ukrinform reported, the Ukrainian Grain Association predicted that in 2023 Ukraine would harvest up to 80.5 million tonnes of grains and oilseeds.
In 2024, Ukraine will need USD 10-15 billion for rapid recovery.

According to an Ukrinform correspondent, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said this at a press conference.

"Next year, the amount will not change. Rapid recovery remains in the range of USD 10-15 billion," he stated.

Shmyhal noted that Ukraine has currently financed USD 3.3 billion in rapid recovery expenditures. The rest of the expenses will be financed next year.

"We did not plan to finance the Recovery Fund from the state budget for the next year. We expect to raise funds from our partners," the Prime Minister said.

He added that creating the positions of special representatives of the presidents of Ukraine's partner states is part of the agreement to raise funds for the Recovery Fund.

Shmyhal emphasized that the main source of funding for Ukraine's recovery should be the confiscated assets of Russian citizens. He said that the Ministry of Justice, together with a group headed by the head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, have developed a special compensation mechanism that will raise funds for the country's recovery. The mechanism has three components: the international register of losses of Ukraine (which is already in operation), the compensation commission, which should determine how to use the funds effectively, and the fund to which the money will be transferred.

"We are making progress in negotiations with the U.S., Canada, and the EU on such a mechanism for attracting Russian funds. We are discussing how to confiscate them. No one has any doubts about how to confiscate money from oligarchs. As for sovereign assets, the discussion is still complicated. We want all these assets to be confiscated in favor of Ukraine," Shmyhal noted.

The Prime Minister stressed that the process of confiscating Russian funds in favor of Ukraine is ongoing but remains difficult.

As Ukrinform reported, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said at the Yalta European Strategy that over UAH 60 billion had already been allocated for rapid reconstruction in Ukraine.
The French Republic has sent 31 humanitarian aid shipments for Ukraines energy sector since the Russian full-scale invasion started.

The relevant statement was made by the Ukrainian Energy Ministry, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Ukraine has received 31 humanitarian aid shipments from France weighing about 240 tonnes, including 141 generators and other necessary power equipment, the report states.

According to the ministry, Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko held a meeting with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the French Republic to Ukraine Gael Veyssiere.

In the course of the meeting, Galushchenko noted the similarity of the Ukrainian and French energy systems, which opens up additional opportunities for cooperation, namely in terms of expert assessment.

The parties discussed the situation at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and the threats posed by the Russian occupation of Europes largest nuclear power plant.

Galushchenko expressed gratitude to the French side for its active participation in the discussion of the Peace Formula of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky within such working groups as Radiation and Nuclear Safety, Energy Security. Separately, the Ukrainian minister thanked for the aid provided.
The embargo on Ukrainian grain imports to Poland will remain in effect until Warsaw works out an appropriate model of cooperation with Kyiv in this area.

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said this in his speech to voters in the settlement of Mietne near Warsaw on Saturday, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

According to him, either the European Commission will extend the import ban, extend the embargo, or Poland will introduce its embargo for the next months, quarters until a model of cooperation with Ukraine is worked out.

Read also: EU does not extend ban on Ukrainian grain exports

As reported, Poland unilaterally imposed a ban on Ukrainian grain imports to the Polish market on September 16.

In May 2023, the European Commission banned the import of wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower from Ukraine to Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Romania at the insistence of these countries. On June 5, the ban was extended until September 15, 2023.

The European Commission decided not to extend temporary restrictions on Ukrainian grain exports to five neighboring countries. However, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary imposed their own restrictions on Ukrainian grain imports.
Europe always wins when treaties work and promises are kept. However, if the neighbors decisions are not neighborly, Ukraine will respond civilly.

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in his video address, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

The full text of the speech is provided below:

I wish you good health, dear Ukrainian men and women!

I had a phone call with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Restrictive measures against our agricultural exports by the European Union have been cancelled. Now, it is important that European unity works on a bilateral level  with the neighbors. That the neighbors would support Ukraine during the war. Europe always wins when treaties work and promises are kept. Well, if the neighbors' decisions are not neighborly, Ukraine will respond civilly.

I held a lengthy meeting with government officials and the Office regarding our further tactics in protecting our agreements and free trade with the EU. By helping each other and safeguarding our shared freedom in Europe, especially economic freedom, we strengthen everyone in Europe. And this is particularly important now in the face of the genocidal aggression unleashed by Russia.

I held a new meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Staff today. First and foremost is the front. Commander-in-Chief Zaluzhny, commanders  reports on the situation in the main directions.

Chief of Defense Intelligence Budanov  a separate report.

Minister for Strategic Industries Kamyshin  substantially about the production of weapons and rounds in Ukraine. Every week we record the progress of the state in its own defense production.

There is a significant and much-needed result for Ukraine near Bakhmut  our soldiers liberated Andriivka. The 3rd assault division, all involved forces, headquarters, commander General Syrsky. Guys, thank you all!

Our active actions continue near Klishchiivka and Kurdiumivka.

The 36th separate marine brigade operates strongly near Opytne and Vodiane. Thank you, guys!

Near Verbove  our unyielding warriors, thank you! Near Novoprokopivka  well done!

I am proud of all the warriors who bring our victory closer!

Today, on the eve of the Rescuer's Day, I congratulated the team of Ukraine's State Emergency Service and thanked them for their courageous and selfless work. I took part in awarding laureates of the Ukrainian action "Hero  Rescuer of the Year". And this event is much more than one of the official events. Our gratitude to the employees of the State Emergency Service. Every state and departmental award for rescuers is a reflection of the fact that people's lives are protected.

I had a meeting with Karim Khan, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

We talked about the approach of justice for Ukraine and for all people who suffered from Russian war crimes.

The responsibility must be clear, concrete, completely fair  just like the warrant for Putin's arrest issued by the International Criminal Court. What the Russian dictator was really afraid of. And now, he tries not to leave Russia, because the force of law exists, and it is strong. And the world has every opportunity for the law to overcome the aggression of the bandit force.

We are preparing for important international events scheduled for the second half of September. I had several long meetings about this today. We are doing everything to ensure that there are significant results for Ukraine  both in new defense packages from partners and in the decisions of international institutions.

We also work to strengthen Ukraine's institutions, for the ability of our state to finally destroy oligarchic and corrupt influences. Influences that, in particular, Russia used for so long to weaken Ukraine, to constantly "eat away" the sovereignty of our state.

Today, I held a broad and meaningful meeting with representatives of law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the government, and the Office. We are preparing conceptual steps that will give Ukraine and our entire society more justice, and democracy in our state  guaranteed sustainability.

One more.

Today, the Ukrainian Jewish community, together with all the Jews of the world, celebrates Rosh Hashanah. I congratulate everyone who is celebrating, and I wish the next year will be peaceful  finally peaceful for all of Ukraine, for all our people. Ukraine deserves peace because it is doing everything for victory.

I thank everyone who fights for freedom and independence! I thank everyone who helps!

Glory to Ukraine!

Video: Office of the President of Ukraine
If we want to find a potential multi-bagger, often there are underlying trends that can provide clues. Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Vontier (NYSE:VNT) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. Analysts use this formula to calculate it for Vontier:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.17 = US$575m  (US$4.2b - US$846m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Thus, Vontier has an ROCE of 17%. On its own, that's a standard return, however it's much better than the 13% generated by the Electronic industry.

View our latest analysis for Vontier

roce

In the above chart we have measured Vontier's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report for Vontier.

How Are Returns Trending?

On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Vontier doesn't inspire confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 17% from 22% five years ago. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It may take some time before the company starts to see any change in earnings from these investments.

In Conclusion...

Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Vontier's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. Although the market must be expecting these trends to improve because the stock has gained 55% over the last year. However, unless these underlying trends turn more positive, we wouldn't get our hopes up too high.

Story continues

One more thing: We've identified 2 warning signs with Vontier (at least 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) , and understanding these would certainly be useful.

While Vontier isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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.
Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak has held the eight meeting with the representatives of diplomatic corps accredited in Ukraine regarding the implementation of the Peace Formula proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The meeting was dedicated to the implementation of the sixth point of the Peace Formula, i.e. the withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities, an Ukrinform correspondent reports, referring to the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Diplomatic officials from over 70 countries participated in the discussion, which took place at the Antonov airport in the Kyiv regions Hostomel.

Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the consequences of Russian attacks on the airport, inspect the destruction of the office premises of the Antonov State Enterprise, hangars, and see with their own eyes the hangar and the remains of the legendary An-225 Mriya aircraft.

Having greeted the participants, Yermak emphasized that the sixth point of the Peace Formula is being discussed in the place where one of the most important battles of this war took place in the first days of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine  the battle for Kyiv.

On February 24, 2022, the battle for Ukraines capital began here. Here, the myth about the invincibility of the Russian army was shattered. Here, the Kremlins ambitions to take Kyiv in three days were dispelled. And here, during five weeks of occupation, the Russian world showed its true essence: robbery, torture, mass murders, Yermak said.

In his words, thanks to Ukrainian warriors, this place became truly heroic.

We had a unique Mriya It evoked wonder and admiration from the entire world. It brought goodness, delivered goods to the most remote corners of the planet. The aggressor destroyed this symbol of Ukraine. But, even its remnants, which you see here, have become a new symbol of our resistance. And I am confident that, in the future, they will become a symbol of recovery, Yermak stressed.

The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine noted that, with the loss of the Mriya aircraft, Ukrainians received a goal  a just and lasting peace, which is possible only when Ukraines independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity are restored and the armed formations of the aggressor are withdrawn from the countrys territory.

Yermak emphasized that the withdrawal of Russian troops is a mandatory condition for peace, and any other options are unacceptable, as they can lead to a prolongation of the war.

Since 2014, Russia has been using the temporarily occupied territories to expand its aggression against Ukraine, causing severe humanitarian consequences and civilian casualties, massive migration flows and artificially altering the national and ethnic composition of these territories. Therefore, ceasing fire and freezing the conflict without the liberation of all Ukrainian territories is an obviously unacceptable scenario. It will only contribute to the preservation of the criminal regime in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and create conditions for the continuation of the war, Yermak stated.

The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine also mentioned that the Defense Forces will continue to do everything to knock out the aggressor from Ukraine, and the success of Ukrainian fighters is the key factor in restoring the territorial integrity of the state.

Restoring Ukraines territorial integrity without turning the war into a frozen conflict will determine global security for decades to come. This can serve as a universal mechanism for ending international armed conflicts in the future. The relevant instruments implemented in the context of the war in Ukraine can potentially become universal and be reflected in United Nations General Assembly resolutions, Yermak told.

He urged those present to work on such mechanisms and expressed hope for fruitful results from their meeting.

In addition, a briefing was held for diplomatic officials.

In particular, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate at the Ukrainian Defense Ministry spoke about the defense of Hostomel and the impact of these events on the further success in the defense of Ukraines capital.

Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Roman Mashovets briefed the participants on the current situation at the front, namely about the counteroffensive actions of Ukraines defense forces in each of the operational directions.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov focused on the specifics of the military and political aspects of the implementation of the Peace Formula.

Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk familiarized the event participants with the details of the operation of the newly created working group, responsible for the implementation of the sixth point of the Peace Formula.

Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksii Danilov outlined the key aspects of the global context of Russias war against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian side urged the representatives of foreign states not only to work together to end the war in Ukraine, but also to join efforts to create new security mechanisms. The need for further support for the Ukrainian military, strengthening Ukraines air defense and creating conditions for Ukrainian dominance in the sky was also emphasized.

Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
Fredericksburg City Council on Tuesday voted down a five-townhome project at 400 Princess Anne St. that was proposed by local developer Mike Adams of JON Properties.

The council voted 43 to deny a second read of a rezoning request for the property that would have removed it from the Railroad Overlay District. The developer requested the rezoning because the projects proposed density of 37 units per acre would have exceeded the maximum residential density permitted in that district.

Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw and councilors Matt Kelly, Kerry Devine and Charlie Frye, who represents Ward 4 where the project would have been located, supported denying the request.

The project would have filled in a parking lot behind the building that houses 25 30 Espresso with five townhomes.

The Planning Commission on July 26 voted 42 to recommend approval of the project with five conditions, including a requirement that any mature tree that is removed or dies within five years of construction be replaced with two trees.

City staff recommended adding a sixth condition requiring the facade of the new building be predominantly masonry.

Staff began discussing the project with Adams in November 2022, and the project design went through multiple modifications to mitigate its impact on adjacent properties, improve the streetscape and preserve public open space.

Residents of the neighborhood who wrote letters to Council or spoke during public hearings have all been opposed to the project, saying the area is growing too dense, too quickly.

I continue to say that no matter how much lipstick you put on this project, it is out of character to the community, said Denise Malczewski. Recently, weve had two large multifamily developments bring in 37 units and this project would bring that to 42 new units within a block, within 65 feet of one another.

In August, Council voted on first read to approve removal of the property from the Railroad Overlay District, but on Tuesday the majority determined they could not support it.

Also on Tuesday, the council decided to defer to Sept. 26 a decision on whether to approve a new expanded special use permit for St. Marys Catholic Church.

The new permit would replace seven existing special use permits the church has and allow it to expand its religious institutional use to properties it owns on Augustine and Stafford avenues and Royston Street in the College Heights neighborhood.

Specifically, there are three buildings, two on Royston Street and one on Stafford Avenue, that are currently vacant or used as residences, and the permit would allow these to be used for small-group meetings.

Staff and the Planning Commission are recommending approval of the expanded special use permit, which sets up a primary church area closer to William Street and an ancillary church area with lighter use in the buildings that move further into the College Heights neighborhood.

Residents of College Heights have long expressed concern about what they see as the churchs encroachment into the neighborhood, especially as it affects parking and residential character.

They continued to raise these concerns at a public hearing Tuesday, as did council members.

I dont doubt the good works of St. Marys, said Devine. I do know that the neighborhood is under stress from the growth of St. Marys.

Kelly said he thinks the neighborhood needs to hear from the church about how far its plans stretch.

Consistently, even from my time (on the College Heights Civic Association in the 1980s), the question was, Wheres it going to end? The community has never really gotten an answer to that, he said.

St. Marys pastor John Mosimann said that from his position, the church has no more designs on any more houses in the neighborhood, but he added that he cant speak for future pastors or the bishop.

In an effort to alleviate the concerns of some neighbors, Devine made a motion to defer a vote on the permit to give City Attorney Kathleen Dooley a chance to work with church staff to potentially set limits on the hours when the Royston Street houses can be used for meetings.

Council will consider the issue again on Sept. 26.
Washington, Sept 16 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Sep, 2023 ) :Mexico on Friday extradited the son of Sinaloa Cartel kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to the United States to face narcotics charges, US Attorney General Merrick Garland said.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez, also known as "El Raton" or "The Mouse," was indicted earlier this year on drug trafficking charges linked to the fentanyl crisis plaguing the United States.

His father was convicted in 2019 of running what was believed to be the world's biggest narcotics syndicate and is serving life in a supermax prison in the state of Colorado.

Garland hailed the extradition as "the most recent step in the Justice Department's effort to attack every aspect of the cartel's operations." "The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country.

" The White House also lauded the extradition as part of "ongoing cooperation" with Mexico, a sign the administration of President Joe Biden is eager to get past the friction with Mexico over anti-narcotics efforts.

"We thank our Mexican counterparts for their partnership in working to safeguard our peoples from violent criminals," said the statement by Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, released by the White House.

Cooperation between Mexican and US security forces plunged last year after Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador disbanded a unit that had worked closely with US Drug Enforcement Administration agents for more than a quarter century.

The Mexican leader had accused US agents of "abusive interference" in his country's affairs.
(@FahadShabbir)

Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi, in his address to an international conference in Amsterdam on Saturday, highlighted the significant achievements made by Radio Pakistan in its digital migration journey

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Sep, 2023 ) :Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi, in his address to an international conference in Amsterdam on Saturday, highlighted the significant achievements made by Radio Pakistan in its digital migration journey.

Addressing the international conference on Radio Resource Control and Management via Zoom, he said Radio Pakistan had achieved significant milestones in its journey of digital migration.

Despite facing numerous challenges and obstacles, Radio Pakistan has been on its path of progress, he said while stressing that the broadcasting landscape was evolving globally, including in Pakistan.

He said digitalization of Radio Pakistan was currently in progress, with efforts were underway to digitize its entire archives.

The minister said Radio Pakistan was transitioning towards Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) technology to align its broadcasts with international standards.

With the installation of DRM transmitters, he said Radio Pakistan's broadcast would not only be accessible throughout the country but also in neighboring nations.

Solangi noted that the DRM technology was expected to reduce Radio Pakistan's operational costs by up to 40 per cent, with the added benefit of energy saving.

The minister also highlighted an important feature of DRM transmitters, which included an emergency warning system capable of issuing immediate alerts during natural disasters. The initiative would also facilitate disaster management authorities in carrying out relief efforts in affected areas.

Solangi expressed his gratitude to the DRM Consortium, especially Chairperson Ruxandra Obreja, for their cooperation in introducing DRM technology in Pakistan.

He expressed hope that continued collaboration between the DRM Consortium, Radio Pakistan's management, and engineers would lead to a successful digital rollout in the near future.

The minister said with this historic achievement, a new chapter was added to Radio Pakistan's glorious and historic 76-year journey.

He congratulated the current Director General of Radio Pakistan and the DRM Steering Committee for their unwavering dedication and hard work, noting that their efforts were turning a dream into reality.
The main goal of Fremont-based RVR Bank is to build long-term relationships with customers and the community. That mission, said RVR Bank CEO and President Chuck Johannsen is going well as the company expands its regional footprint and moves into the future with a new name and rebranding campaign.

RVR Bank became the new name on June 1 of the familiar bank many had known as the former First State Bank. Now, all six branch locations, associated websites and apps and any sponsored teams or community organizations bear the moniker RVR Bank.

Johannsen said the move has been a wild success and reaffirms the banks commitment to community and customers.

We have a board that are local business people and they have always had the same outlook: that we need to be supporting the people who support us. That is not something new, we have been doing this for years. Our plans are to continue to do that, and to continue to provide support into our new markets, Johannsen said.

Johannsen and RVR Bank marketing manager and sales director Cindy Slykhuis sat down with the Tribune for a telephone interview for the Tribunes Fall Businesses to know special section.

Slykhuis said reinvesting money back into the communities RVR Bank serves is a critical mission for the banks 80 full-time staff as well as the board and all others associated with the bank.

We really do make it a point to give our time to the community. We go out at various times of the year for community projects. One of the things we did in June was a week of service. Pretty much every morning and every afternoon, we were out in our three communities doing service projects, Slykhuis said. We put in a couple of hundred hours of service in Fremont, Arlington and Blair in that one week. There are also things like Leadership Fremont, the Fremont Youth Academy and now, Leadership Midland.

Those are all leadership programs sponsored through the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce. And while we underwrite those programs, we also give our employees the time to help coordinate them, to help plan the days, to do all of that, Slykhuis added. We are particularly proud of the Chamber, and you cant do that without being partners. We dont just write checks, we also give our time and help, which is crucial.

RVR Bank also engages in a robust community youth banking education program, in which students at Fremont Public Schools, Archbishop Bergan Catholic Schools and Trinity Lutheran School all get to learn about how to manage money, finances and the ins and outs of financial literacy.

That element of teaching the next generation of Fremonters and Dodge County residents about money matters is an example of the community vision the banks founders saw many decades ago, Johannsen said.

We were chartered in 1956, but I would say our bank became what it is today in vision and values and who we are when a group of shareholders created the company we are today back in 1987. That is what has propelled us forward, having the core group of shareholders who had a vision of the bank and how it could serve the community. That is the catalyst of what we have today with RVR Bank, Johannsen added.

Slykhuis said RVR bank also provides all the services and technology of big, urban-centered banks while maintaining a small-town feel and relationships that are cozy and matter.

I think sometimes there is the perception that if you are a local bank or a community bank, you dont have the full suite of products that a Wall Street bank might have. That is just not true. We have all of the technology. Weve got the products you need, Slykhuis said. What we bring to the table is the relationships. You get to know your banker here. We tend to stick around. You see those same faces day after day, year after year. We also reinvest in the community. If you want to work with a bank that is going to be there to sponsor your sons or daughters team, this is the bank you want to be with. When it comes to RVR, we are really strong in working with small businesses. That is a niche for us. If you need someone to walk alongside you for, say, starting a business, growing a business or passing that business onto a next generation  we are really good at that.

Name change, rebrand was official on June 1

RVR Bank became the new name of the group of banks in June, when officials with First State Bank & Trust officially changed the name and launched a new brand identity on Thursday, June 1. A joyful and uplifting celebration event was hosted that day inside the banks 23rd Street facility as more than 120 cheering local residents and bank staffers watched, ate appetizers and treats and socialized.

Now known as RVR Bank, the associated business First State Financial Services also had its name changed to RVR Wealth.

The name-changing announcement event was coordinated in collaboration with the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce, which hosted its weekly coffee event at the bank offices at 1005 E. 23rd St.

As the dozens of attendees filed into the building for the event, a newly constructed RVR Bank sign on the side of the building greeted folks, while inside, bank employees donned bright blue RVR Bank T-shirts. Coffee and doughnuts were served and commemorative blue and white popcorn bags were given out.

In an Aug. 29 interview, Johannsen and Slykhuis said the new name and brand has been well-received and had a positive impact in the three-plus months it has been official.

I would say, so far, so good. It is one of those things where we put it out there and overwhelmingly, it has been good, Slykhuis said. It has been a good move and think people can resonate with the 'Relationships, Values, Results' moniker and we are excited to have a name that is all ours.

Johannsen agreed and also noted that the new name of RVR Bank came about after much thought and deep analysis and market research. He said company leaders, staff, investors and customers have been thrilled with the new moniker, while maintaining the same mission of serving all the communities that RVR Bank is located in.

With the acquisition of Two Rivers Bank over in Blair and Arlington, it was a situation where we were operating under two different names. So this process was one that we talked about even before we acquired Two Rivers, Johannsen said. We really wanted to take the time to research our market and then also research the new market and do some surveys and really hone in on who we are and what we believe we are. Throughout the whole process, we found this new name really resonated to what we what we want to do in this community and all our communities. It was a great exercise and I think, so far, we feel very, very pleased with the outcomes.

Slykhuis also noted that there are many banks that share the name First State Bank, and having a more individualized name such as RVR Bank was a great way to differentiate RVR Bank from others with the same name.

There are a lot of First State Banks out there and a lot of people dont know that we are not all connected. I think there was a First State Bank in Western Nebraska that also changed its name the week we did, Slykhuis explained. There were probably seven different First State Banks in Nebraska, and there are probably 100 of them in the country and are not connected. You take a branch network and multiply that by all the locations, and you have hundreds if not thousands of different First State Bank locations and they are not connected.

"It is nice to have something that is just ours. People also know that if they are banking with RVR Bank, they are banking with RVR Bank. They dont have to worry about, Oh, are we calling the right place. Did we download the right app, Slykhuis added.

New name, same values and services

Despite the name change, Johannsen said the mission of RVR Bank is the same as is has been since the initial bank was founded in 1956 and the 80 full-time staffers are just as dedicated to clients and community as they have always been.

I would say our goals have not necessarily changed. The new name has allowed us to provide some new services that we want to accomplish in our market. We want to make sure we are serving our clients like we have in the past, but were specifically wanting to hone in on those three items we talked about, Johannsen added. We want to build trust, we want to build long-term relationships through obviously our expertise and all the different services we have. And, then, obviously what people want  that personalized financial solution. That is what our mission is, to provide those kinds of outcomes for our clients.

We are a community bank. We are community focused. We want to be a leader in the community and we want to provide the types of services our community wants and expects, Johannsen added. A primary focus of us also sponsorships, supporting our community  we are only as good and strong as our community is. Over the years, we have always been at the forefront of providing dollars for our local to support our teams, our schools, our churches and our nonprofits. We just feel like that is who we are.
The one-year anniversary of the death of Mahsa "Jina" Amini was marked Saturday by a strong military presence and a general strike by tradespeople and shopkeepers in Kurdish cities across numerous provinces of Iran  along with protest rallies in cities worldwide.

Numerous images circulating Saturday on social media also showed a significant number of military and security forces around the Amini family residence in Saqqez in Iran's Kurdish region.

Last week, despite repeated summons from security authorities, Amjad Amini and Mozhgan Eftekhari, Mahsa's parents, said they intended to hold "religious and traditional ceremonies" Saturday at their daughter's gravesite in observance of the anniversary of her "tragic passing" while in the custody of Iran's morality police.

Over the past few days, Amini's family said that security authorities requested they abstain from arranging the anniversary ceremony, but her father steadfastly underscored the significance of hosting the commemorative event.



Amjad Amini was detained for a short time Saturday before being released, according to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network. Iran's official IRNA news agency denied he was arrested, though it would not confirm if he was briefly detained or warned.

Amjad Amini recently told VOA's Persian Service, "To honor the name and memory of our Jina, a martyr with an innocent and pure soul, and to provide solace to the hearts of our family, relatives, and all her well-wishers, we are resolute in commemorating the anniversary ceremony this year. Nevertheless, considering the prevailing circumstances, we cannot extend formal invitations to the public or advise them against attending."

Images obtained by VOA showed that multiple businesses were closed in some Kurdish cities, including Sanandaj, Divandareh, and Baneh.

Over the past few days, signs of protest have been met with harsh suppression by security forces and a significant deployment of military personnel in city centers and thoroughfares.

Images circulating on social media Saturday showed Iranians in New Zealand participating in a protest gathering on the anniversary of Amini's death. Iranians there carried placards in solidarity with the Iranian protest movement and raised their voices in chants advocating for democracy and freedom in Iran.

Iranians living in Australia organized a protest gathering in Melbourne's central square and published images showed Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a former detainee in Iran, addressing the crowd.

Moore-Gilbert was arrested in Iran in 2018 and following nine months of detention, she received a 10-year prison sentence on espionage charges. After enduring 804 days in prison, she was released in exchange for the freedom of three Iranian citizens residing abroad and subsequently returned to Australia.

Images received by VOA also showed Iranians protesting in front of the Islamic Republic Embassy in Japan.
Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu has disappeared from public view for more than two weeks and his unexplained absence has triggered speculation about his fate.

Analysts say Lis disappearance, which follows a series of abrupt purges of top-level officials in recent months, reflects Chinese President Xi Jinpings desire to strengthen his control over Chinas military.

"This incident shows the Peoples Liberation Army may be in an unstable state and Xi might hope to create a high level of obedience within the military by abruptly replacing top-level officials like Li," Ying Yu Lin, an expert on Chinese military affairs at Tamkang University in Taiwan, told VOA in a phone interview.

Li, who became Chinas defense minister in March, made his last public appearance Aug. 29, when he delivered a keynote speech at the third annual China-Africa Peace and Security Forum.

The Washington Post reported Friday that Li is under investigation for corruption and will likely be removed from his post, citing two unnamed American officials. Reuters reported that the investigation is related to the procurement of military equipment without specifying the types of equipment involved in the case.

Beijing has avoided answering questions related to Lis whereabouts. During the daily press briefing Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said she had no information about Lis case when asked. Friday readouts from the Foreign Ministrys daily press briefings do not mention Lis case.

Currently, Li is still listed as Chinas defense minister and a member of the Chinese Communist Partys Central Military Commission.

Part of a broader shakeup?

Experts say while it is not unprecedented for high-level officials to be investigated and charged with corruption, Lis case, which follows the leadership shakeup at the Peoples Liberation Armys Rocket Force and the abrupt removal of former Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July, suggests a large-scale anti-corruption campaign may be under way within the Chinese Communist Party.

"It suggests to me that a major round of anti-corruption campaigns is underway in Beijing," Brian Hart, a fellow with the China Power Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told VOA by email.

Since becoming party general secretary in 2012, Xi has made the anti-corruption campaign a hallmark of his leadership, launching large-scale purges in different sectors and, in some cases, removing political opponents.

With its long history of struggling to contain corruption scandals, the Peoples Liberation Army has been a target of Xis anti-corruption campaign. In Harts view, Lis disappearance and the purging of top commanders of the PLA Rocket Force suggest corruption remains a problem that Xi has not been able to fully eradicate.

"Li rose through the ranks through the PLAs procurement system, which has always been a major epicenter for corruption," Hart said in a written response. "Its worth noting that the current senior Chairman of the Central Military Commission, Zhang Youxia, also led the procurement system before Li, so if he is not put under investigation, it could signal that he is too big or too close to Xi to take down."

Throughout his career, Li has been known as an expert in weapons development and he has long been in charge of the PLAs acquisition of rockets and other advanced weapons. And, like Xi, Li is also the son of a veteran of the Mao Zedong era, according to Professor Lin from Tamkang University.

Damaging Chinas international credibility

Apart from strengthening his control over Chinas military, some observers think Xis abrupt purges of top-level officials may also damage Chinas international credibility and reduce other countries confidence in Beijing.

"While other countries may be dealing with a certain minister from China, that person could be replaced next month or in a few years," said Professor Lin. "This may increase other countries distrust in Beijing during future interactions."

According to Reuters, several Vietnamese officials said Li was pulled out of a bilateral gathering on defense cooperation between Vietnam and China last week due to unexplained "health reasons."

The incident is similar to the removal of former Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in July, during which Chinese authorities claimed health issues were behind Qins extended absence from public view.

Since the defense minister and foreign minister are both public-facing officials, some experts say the unexplained removal of Qin and the disappearance of Li will damage the credibility of Chinas governance model.

"The recent developments are hurting Chinas claim of the superiority of its governance system," Alfred Wu, an expert on Chinese politics at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy in Singapore, told VOA in a phone interview.

"Xi claimed that Chinas governance model could become an alternative to the U.S.-dominant world order, but when they keep removing top-level officials abruptly, which country would like to learn this from China?"

Impact on party, military

While recent purges of top officials may affect Chinas international image, most experts think the impact on the Chinese military and the Communist Party will be limited. "I dont think the removal of these top officials will create any chilling effect on others," Wu said.

"Officials who havent been affected by the purge will treat these incidents as a signal that they have more space to operate," he added. "Under Xis one-man rule, officials need to compete to get better positions under the blessing of Xi."

Even though Lis disappearance will not directly affect the PLAs operations and capabilities, Hart said he thinks the incident may reduce confidence in the PLA internally.
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP)  Renowned Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero, whose depictions of people and objects in plump, exaggerated forms became emblems of Colombian art around the world, has died. He was 91.

Lina Botero told Colombian radio station Caracol that her father died Friday morning in Monaco of pneumonia complications.

Botero depicted politicians, animals, saints and scenes from his childhood in an inflated and colorful form that was instantly recognizable. During his lifetime the artist attained global fame and influence, despite his humble origins, and his paintings were exhibited in museums globally. His imposing bronze sculptures can be found in parks and avenues of many European and Latin American capitals.

"His success was truly immense" Botero's son Juan Carlos, wrote in a biography of his father, published in 2010. "Fernando Botero has created a unique style, that is original and easy to recognize."

Botero's paintings fetched millions of dollars at international auctions, and the artist was highly esteemed in his native Colombia, not just because of his success abroad but due to the generous donations he made to his home country, including 23 statues, that are now in a park in downtown Medellin, and have become one of the city's most visited attractions.

Botero also donated 180 paintings to Colombia's Central Bank that were used to create the Botero Museum in Bogota. His sculpture of a white, chubby pigeon, standing proudly on a pedestal, became an emblem of Colombia's efforts to make peace with rebel groups and is currently placed in a prominent gallery inside the nation's presidential palace.

Many Colombians appreciated Botero's art because it evokes nostalgia for the country as it was in the early 20th century. His characters wear bowler hats and sport neatly trimmed mustaches. They move around in a colorful universe of green hills and lush trees, where homes are made with clay roof tiles.

"The painter of our traditions and our defects, the painter of our virtues has died," President Gustavo Petro wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, on Friday.

Botero was born on April 19, 1932, in Medellin, Colombia. As a child he was enrolled by an uncle in a bullfighting school that he soon left, but it was a world captured later in his paintings. Botero decided at age 14 to dedicate his life to the arts, after managing to sell some sketches of bullfights to fans outside the city's bullfighting arena. His mother supported the decision but told him he would have to pay for his studies.

As a teenager, Botero participated in a group exhibition in Bogota and had his first individual exhibition there in 1951. In the following year, he went to Madrid to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando.

From Europe, he traveled to Mexico to study the work of Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco.

During his travels, Botero married Gloria Zea, with whom he had three children, Fernando, Lina and Juan Carlos. Returning to Bogota in 1958, he was appointed professor at the School of Arts of the National University. He later divorced and took up residence in New York in 1960, where he arrived with just a few hundred dollars in his pocket.

In the 1960s Botero began experimenting with the volume of objects and people in his paintings. His original and plump creations attracted the attention of art critics and, by then, the painter had created hundreds of drawings as well as some 1,000 paintings.

In 1964 Botero married Cecilia Zambrano, whom he also later divorced. In 1970 they had a son, Pedro, who died four years later in a car accident in Spain. Botero captured the pain of his son's death in the painting "Pedrito," which depicts his son riding a toy horse and wearing a blue police officer's uniform. He also donated 16 works to the Museum of Antioquia, in Medellin, to honor the boy, and in turn the museum named a room in memory of "Pedrito Botero."

In the 1970s, Botero put aside painting and began to experiment with sculptures in bronze, marble and cast iron, which brought him great success. In 1978 Botero returned to painting, and then alternated between the two disciplines.

In his paintings, the artist depicted scenes of daily life, such as a family picnic or a party in an early 20th century ballroom. But he also tackled political subjects, like the death of drug dealer Pablo Escobar, and the emergence of rebel groups.

In 1995, his bronze sculpture "The Bird," weighing more than 1.8 tons and displayed in a park in Medellin, was dynamited by unknown attackers, causing the death of 22 people and injuring more than 200.

In 2005, Botero created a series of 79 paintings that depicted U.S. soldiers torturing Iraqis at the infamous Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad, just a year after the incident came to light. The artist struggled to get the paintings shown in U.S. museums, but they were eventually exhibited at the University of California, Berkeley, which still houses some of the paintings.

"I was moved by the hypocrisy of the situation," Botero said of his Abu Ghraib series in a 2007 interview with Semana Magazine. "A country that presents itself to the world as a model of compassion and as a defender of human rights, ended up torturing people in the same prison where Sadam Hussein tortured people."

Botero said he would paint every day from morning until night, and in absolute silence, so as not to allow anything to distract him.

"Fernando Botero is one of the most disciplined people you can meet. His friends and family affirm that he works every day of every year. For Botero there are no rest dates, no holidays, no weekends," his son, Juan Carlos Botero, wrote in his book. At Christmas, "he is painting. On his birthday, he is painting. On New Year's, he is painting."
A Syrian dentist, a confectioner who made mouthwatering Arabic sweets, a carpenter.

Syrians from all walks of life had left their war-torn country for the Libyan city of Derna over the past years, looking for work and better opportunities.

Now, dozens of them are missing and feared dead after Mediterranean storm Daniel unleashed catastrophic flooding that tore through the coastal city on Sunday night, wreaking destruction and washing entire neighborhoods out to sea.

The death toll has eclipsed 11,000 and more than 10,000 are missing. Five days on, searchers are still digging through mud and hollowed-out buildings in Derna, looking for bodies.

According to a war monitoring group, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, 42 Syrians have been confirmed dead in Libya while the real number could be as high as 150.

The victims include both Syrians who were living and working in Libya long term and Syrian migrants who were using Libya as a transit point in efforts to reach Europe, most often by way of perilous voyages across the Mediterranean Sea in unsafe boats organized by smugglers.

Two years ago, Nisma Jbawis 19-year-old son, Ammar Kanaan, left their home in Syrias southern province of Daraa  one of the epicenters of the 2011 uprising against the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

He headed to Libya, where he planned to work and save money to pay Syrian authorities a fee of about $8,000 that would spare him from compulsory military service.

Jbawi said her son last spoke with her on Sunday afternoon. He told her he would close the sweet shop where he worked and go home because a strong storm was expected. She tried repeatedly to call him on Monday, without success. His WhatsApp account shows his phone was last online around 1:30 a.m. Monday.

We still have hope, she said, tears choking her up.

As the storm pounded Derna late Sunday, residents said they heard loud explosions when the dams outside the city collapsed. Floodwaters washed down Wadi Derna, a river running from the mountains through the city and into the sea.

On Tuesday, Kanaans uncle drove to Derna from the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi where he works  only to find that the building where his nephew lived had been washed out to sea.

All who were inside are presumed dead, Jbawi said.

Rami Abdurrahman, who runs the Observatory, said he has not been able to confirm a single survivor out of the 150 Syrians missing in Derna. But definite numbers are hard to come by in the chaotic aftermath of the destruction.

Like Syria, where the civil war has killed half a million people and forced more than 5 million to become refugees around the world, Libya has been through its own years of conflict.

The oil-rich North African country has been split between rival governments in the east and west since 2014, backed by various militia forces and international patrons. Derna is governed by Libyas eastern administration, where military commander Khalifa Hiftar wields significant power.

Still, for some Syrians, Libya offered prospects of a better life. Syrians can easily get into Libya on a tourist visa and find work  wages are higher than what many earn at home.

Zeid Marabeh, 19, went to Libya two years ago from the central city of Homs and worked as a carpenter.

He recounted to The Associated Press over the phone from Derna how he watched water surging toward his building on Sunday night.

Then I heard a loud boom, Marabeh said. It was the moment the dams collapsed.

When water levels started rising in his neighborhood, he frantically ran toward higher ground  the nearby Eastern Shiha hill. From there, he saw the water destroy almost everything in its path.

He went back on Monday morning, after the waters subsided, to check on his uncle and relatives. The building where they lived had disappeared. His uncle, Abdul-Ilah Marabeh, his aunt, Zeinab, and their 1-year-old daughter, Shahd, were gone.

Marabeh said he looked through the rows of bodies laid out on their street but could not find his uncles family.

In the Syrian capital of Damascus on Thursday, members of the Qalaji family were receiving condolences for their eight family members killed in Derna.

Firas Qalaji, 45, his wife, Rana Khateeb, and their six children were to be buried in Libya, the family said in a statement. Mohammed Khier Qalaji said in Damascus on Saturday that his brother, a car mechanic, had been living in Libya since 2000.

He said that he has another brother, Shadi, in Derna, who survived the floods despite swallowing large amounts of water. He said Shadi was only able to find the bodies of his brother and one of his nieces  the bodies of the rest were still missing.

He said that three hours before the storm, Firas and his family had a video call with his mother and sisters in Damascus and they started reciting verses from the Muslim holy book, the Quran. Forgive me mother, he quoted his brother as telling their mother.

It was as if he felt something was about to happen, Mohammed Kheir Qalaji said.

Ghina al-Qassim said her nephew, Hani Turkomani, was a dentist who arrived in Derna some nine months ago to improve his life. His cousins, already there, had found him a job.

After the floodwaters subsided, the cousins, who survived the tragedy, went looking for him. They said his apartment was full of water and mud but a large hole in the wall raised their hopes that he might have escaped from the building or been pulled out by rescue workers, al-Qassim said.

God willing, she added.
Hundreds of Ethiopian migrants are stranded in conflict-torn Yemen, unable to work for better wages and without the means to get back to their home.

Tens of thousands of Ethiopians head to Arabian Peninsula countries each year, seeking better work opportunities. Often, they undertake a perilous journey, and end up being trafficked and stranded along the way.

Roman, who first went to Saudi Arabia at 18, said that despite getting gainful employment, working conditions were extremely challenging.

"There were two of us working together and then my co-worker left," said Roman. "When she left, I was overwhelmed with a lot of work."

Roman said there was no rest, and she was not able to eat. "I couldn't even wash my clothes, my feet," she said. After that, she said, "I escaped from the house."

IOM halts returns The International Organization for Migration (IOM), which oversees voluntary humanitarian returns from Yemen, recently paused the return of migrants from Ethiopia's Tigray and Amhara regions due to insecurity in the two regions.

The IOM cannot stop the migrants from returning to Ethiopia but is currently not facilitating their return to Tigray and Amhara regions.

Ethiopian migrants protested that decision in front of an IOM facility in the Yemeni city of Aden last week, which led to fighting and the deaths of an unconfirmed number of people.

Tewodrose Tirfe, chairman of the Amhara Association of America, an Amhara rights advocacy group, said the decision is unilaterally the Ethiopian government's and is a discriminatory policy, which has singled out migrants who have Amhara and Tigrayan ethnic roots.

"These Ethiopians can be repatriated back to their country and be  provided services, housing and other services that they need in Addis Ababa and other parts of the country," said Teodrose. "Just because they are Amharas they do not have to return, they do not have to go to the Amhara region and Amharas live all across all of Ethiopia."

The two-year war in Ethiopia's Tigray region came to an end in November of last year, after a peace deal was signed between Tigrayan forces and the federal government.

This year, another conflict started in the country's second most-populous region, the Amhara region, home to a regional militia known as Fano.

In early August, the Ethiopian government declared a state of emergency in the Amhara region, following open fighting. Poor economy drives migrants

Messay Mulugeta, an associate professor at Addis Ababa University, said that there needs to be an economic solution to dissuade migrants from taking unsafe journeys. "Even though there are other reasons people leave, most of it comes from economic issues," he said. "If there were job opportunities, and if there was a larger economy that could accommodate everyone, then migration might still continue, but it would be possible to be done in a professionally safe way."

A recent report from Human Rights Watch said Saudi border guards killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants and asylum-seekers who tried to cross the Yemen-Saudi border between March 2022 and June of this year.

The rights group said the shootings could amount to crimes against humanity.
From head to toe, MOD Dermatology offers everything one could need for skin, hair and nail care.

The business provides an array of services from skin examinations to surgical procedures and pediatric care.

We treat all aspects of dermatology, said Dermatology Physician Assistant Amanda Hotovy.

Dr. Melanie Ortleb opened MOD Dermatology (Modern Dermatology) in Omaha in 2018. Ortleb is a Nebraska native who studied at the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a degree in biotechnology. She then earned her medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and completed her dermatology training at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Ortleb is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology and a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and Nebraska Dermatology Society.

Since 2018, the practice has grown to three physicians  board certified dermatologists, four physician assistants and a couple estheticians. Their Fremont location opened in July.

We do have both male and female providers so if theres someone who prefers a male provider, we do have a male physician and two female physicians, Hotovy said.

Hotovy has lived in the Fremont community for about three years, and when the practice was looking to expand, setting up an office in Fremont made sense, she said. There were many patients who were traveling to Omaha from Fremont, Columbus and the surrounding areas. Now, they can save on the commute by coming to Fremont.

MOD Dermatology brings in the only board certified dermatologist to Fremont after the retirement of a previous dermatologist. MOD also has a Mosh Surgeon to treat skin cancer..

Hotovy started her career working in orthopedic trauma surgery for three and a half years before switching to working as a dermatology physician assistant. She has been with MOD for about three years. In her role, she gets to do procedures, surgeries and see clinical patients.

I love the physicians I work with and I love dermatology, Hotovy said. I love the relationship that you build with your patients.

At MOD, practitioners practice medical, surgical, pediatric and cosmetic dermatology. Hotovy stressed that they treat all ages of patients from birth through geriatric.

Medical dermatology treatments offered at MOD include: skin cancer, rosacea, acne, psoriasis, eczema and atopic dermatitis, dermatitis and rashes, alopecia and hair loss, vitiligo, nail diseases and arts and molluscum. Cosmetic services offered include Botox, fillers, microneedling, chemical peels and more.

Hair treatment includes treatment for: hair loss  scaring hair loss or non-scarring hair loss, hair thinning, receding hairlines or genetic hair loss. Nails include treatment for nail diseases, brittle nails, nail fungus and bacterial infections. And although its not common, skin cancer under the nails.

MOD also focuses on prevention of skin cancer which includes performing full body skin examinations. Mosh Surgery is a specific treatment for skin cancer. The provider needs to be Mosh certified and have done a fellowship in Mosh Surgery.

When providing skin examinations, MOD will use a dermatoscope or dermoscopy light. This is a lighted magnifying device that allows the physician or physician assistant to see every part of the skin, she said.

It allows you to see every mole at 10x magnification to see even the most subtle changes of moles so you can catch skin cancers a lot earlier than what you can see with the naked eye, Hotovy said.

Dermoscopy light can detect if a mole, which may look ugly to the naked eye, has or doesn't have a uniform network. Because practitioners can see areas at a deeper level, they avoid doing more biopsies than needed.

At the same time, youre picking things up at the earliest clue of something being atypical, she said.

Hotovy said it is suggested to get a full body scan in your 20 to 30s so you can establish a baseline. These should be done every year or two after that to prevent getting skin cancer. Practitioners are looking for certain features when using this tool, and its those changing cells that will help determine if something is biopsied, she added.

I think that a lot of people dont realize the importance of full body scans. You get your yearly physical, many people (think) that your primary care provider is looking at your body (and say) theyre looking at my moles or theyre looking at my skin, but seeing who is trained to pick up on skin cancers and atypical moles, is the best way to get evaluated," she said.

Its beneficial to come in and be seen before there is something to be concerned about, she said. Its easily treatable if caught early, she added.

Hotovy explained that the physician will go area by area during the full body skin examination and look at everything benign or that the patient is concerned about. Many times skin cancers are areas that the patient did not notice are there, she added. If its caught earlier, the treatment needed could be less aggressive.

On any day, common conditions seen are acne, full body skin exam and psoriasis, Hotovy said, adding, they see anything that involves hair skin and nails. Whatever your concern, the team at MOD will create a treatment plan just for you, Hotovy said.

The benefit to having board certified dermatologists onsite is if there is anything that uncommon to the physician assistants, Hotovy said, they can work side by side with, collaborate with and work through things with the physicians.

Hotovy is in Fremont about twice a week and so is Dr. Tina Kinsley. Other physicians are in Fremont about once a week.

According to the MOD site, Kinsley has 16 years of dermatology experience. Kinsley earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, completed medical school while in the military at the Uniformed Services University in Bethesda, Maryland, and completed her dermatology residency in San Antonio, Texas, at the joint Air Force/Army dermatology residency training program. Kinsley served for 17 years and left the Air Force as a Lieutenant Colonel.

A referral is not necessary to be seen at MOD, Hotovy said. Some insurances will require a referral, but anyone can call and make an appointment.

The Fremont location will be staffed five days a week from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Best way to set up an appointment is to call 402-505-8777 or visit their website at moddermatology.com. The Fremont location is at 1810 N. Bell St.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Lampedusa on Sunday, an official said, as dozens of the Italian island's citizens protested over a recent surge in migrant arrivals.

Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called on Friday for the European Union to act jointly "with a naval mission if necessary" to prevent migrants from North Africa crossing the Mediterranean.

Nearly 126,000 migrants have arrived in Italy so far this year, almost twice the number by the same date in 2022. Lampedusa has recently borne the brunt of the arrivals, with thousands of landings this week, more than the island's permanent population.

"President Von der Leyen will be traveling to Lampedusa tomorrow on the invitation of Italian PM Meloni," EU Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Meloni on Saturday and reiterated France's support for Italy in facing the surge in migrant arrivals, the French presidency said.

France's interior minister, Gerald Darmanin, will visit Italy in the coming days to meet his counterpart, the Elysee added.

The French and Italian ministers also spoke Saturday by phone with their German counterpart and EU representatives, Darmanin said in a post on X.

Germany has decided to keep taking in migrants and refugees arriving in Italy, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said on Friday, two days after it announced the suspension of an agreement with Rome to receive new arrivals.

Dozens of Lampedusa residents held protests on Saturday against a plan to build new tent camps to host migrants.

"I have two children at home. In the past years, I did not care about this issue. But now I have an instinct of protection for my children because I don't know what will happen to Lampedusa in the future," one of the protesters said.

"Lampedusa says stop! We don't want tent camps. This message is for Europe and for the Italian government. Lampedusa residents are tired," another protester said.

An image showed three women blocking a Red Cross truck carrying food for migrants.

Italian media reported that about 1,000 migrants had arrived in Lampedusa on Saturday.

The Italian Coast Guard found the body of a newborn baby on a boat carrying about 40 migrants to Lampedusa, ANSA news agency reported on Saturday, adding the baby was born during the trip and died soon after birth.

Earlier this week, a 5-month-old baby boy drowned off Lampedusa after a boat carrying migrants across the sea from North Africa capsized.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted Saturday of all charges at a historic impeachment trial that divided Republicans over whether to remove a powerful defender of former President Donald Trump after years of scandal and criminal charges.

The verdict reaffirmed Paxton's durability in America's biggest red state and is a broader victory for Texas' hard right after an extraordinary trial that displayed the fractures within the GOP nationally heading into the 2024 elections. In the end, Paxton was fully cleared by Senate Republicans, who serve alongside his wife, state Senator Angela Paxton.

Angela Paxton was not allowed to vote. But she attended all two weeks of the trial, including the reading of the verdict, when all but two of her fellow 18 Republican senators consistently voted to acquit her husband on 16 impeachment articles that accused him of misconduct, bribery and corruption.

Ken Paxton, who was absent for most of the proceedings, did not attend the verdict.

The Senate also voted to dismiss four impeachment articles that weren't taken up at the trial. It clears the way for Paxton to reclaim his role as Texas' top lawyer, more than three months after his stunning impeachment in the Texas House forced him to temporarily step aside.

The outcome far from ends Paxton's troubles. He still faces trial on felony securities fraud charges, remains under a separate FBI investigation and is in jeopardy of losing his ability to practice law in Texas because of his baseless attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

The jury of 30 senators spent about eight hours deliberating behind closed doors before emerging for the historic vote.

In the Senate gallery, among those who staked out an early seat for the impeachment vote were three of Paxton's former deputies who reported him to the FBI in 2020 and were key witnesses during the trial for House impeachment managers. One of them left before the conclusion of the verdict as it became clear the votes were going Paxton's way.

There was no visible reaction from the former deputies  David Maxwell, Ryan Vassar and Blake Brickman  after Paxton was acquitted on Article 6, termination of whistleblowers.

The trial had plunged Texas Republicans into unfamiliar waters as they confront whether Paxton should be removed over allegations that he abused his office to protect a political donor who was under FBI investigation.

The trial confronted Paxton, whose three terms in office have been marred by scandal and criminal charges, with a defining test of his political durability after an extraordinary impeachment that was driven by his fellow Republicans. For nearly a decade, Paxton has elevated his national profile by rushing his office into polarizing courtroom battles across the U.S., winning acclaim from Donald Trump and the GOP's hard right.

Making one final appeal to convict Texas' top lawyer, impeachment managers used their closing arguments Friday to cast him as a crook who needed to go.

"If we don't keep public officials from abusing the powers of their office, then frankly no one can," Republican state Representative Andrew Murr, who helped lead the impeachment in the Texas House, said in his closing arguments.

In an angry and defiant rebuttal, Paxton lawyer Tony Buzbee on Friday unleashed attacks on a wide-ranging cast of figures both inside and outside the Texas Capitol, mocking a Texas Ranger who warned Paxton he was risking indictment and another accuser who cried on the witness stand.

Leaning into divisions among Republicans, Buzbee portrayed the impeachment as a plot orchestrated by an old guard of GOP rivals. He singled out George P. Bush, the nephew of former President George W. Bush who challenged Paxton in the 2022 Republican primary, punctuating a blistering closing argument that questioned the integrity of FBI agents and railed against Texas' most famous political dynasty.

"I would suggest to you this is a political witch hunt," Buzbee said. "I would suggest to you that this trial has displayed, for the country to see, a partisan fight within the Republican Party."

The case centers on accusations that Paxton misused his office to help one of his donors, Austin real estate developer Nate Paul, who was indicted in June on charges of making false statements to banks. Paul has pleaded not guilty.

Eight of Paxton's former deputies reported him to the FBI in 2020, setting off a federal investigation that will continue regardless of the verdict. Federal prosecutors investigating Paxton took testimony in August before a grand jury in San Antonio, according to two people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because of secrecy rules around the proceeding.

During closing arguments, the defense told senators there was either no evidence for the charges or that there wasn't enough to rise beyond a reasonable doubt. The House impeachment managers, by contrast, walked through specific documents and played clips of testimony by the deputies who reported Paxton to the FBI.

One of the impeachment articles centers on an alleged extramarital affair Paxton had with Laura Olson, who worked for Paul. It alleges that Paul's hiring of Olson amounted to a bribe. She was called to the witness stand but ultimately never testified. Another article alleges the developer also bribed Paxton by paying for his home renovations.
The sentencing of two prominent human rights activists to prison terms in Bangladesh has triggered shock and outrage among global rights campaigners who called their court trial "politically motivated" and said that the two activists were paying the price for exposing serious human rights violations by government forces.

A court in Dhaka on Thursday sentenced Adilur Rahman Khan, 63, and Nasiruddin Elan, 57  secretary and director of Bangladeshs leading human rights organization Odhikar  to two years each in prison in a criminal case related to a fact-finding report they prepared on the extrajudicial killing of Islamic group protesters in Dhaka in 2013.

Reacting to Thursdays ruling, Angelita Baeyens, vice president of international advocacy and litigation at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, said that it was a "sad day for the people of Bangladesh, whose rights Adil and Elan have fought so hard and so courageously to protect."

"They are two of the most widely respected human rights advocates worldwide. They are being punished for speaking truth to power," Baeyens told VOA.

The Odhikar fact-finding report documented that security forces killed at least 61 people, including children, during an action to disperse a protest on May 6, 2013. The government put the death toll at 13.

Charging that Odhikar compiled a "distorted" fact-finding report on the 2013 incident, the prosecution filed a criminal case against Khan and Elan the same year.

After the publication of the report, Khan and Elan were arrested in August 2013, before being released on bail some weeks later. Both were out on bail for 10 years until being sent to prison Thursday, following the verdict in the case.

After the pronouncement of Thursdays verdict, public prosecutor Nazrul Islam Shamim said that the Odhikar report carried "false information."

"We are not satisfied with the judgment. We will move the High Court seeking an increase in the jail terms," Shamim said.

When the two activists were being taken from the court to Dhaka Central Jail, Khan told reporters that they had been denied justice.

"We will appeal the verdict in the higher court," said Khan, who is himself a Supreme Court lawyer.

'Prosecution failed to prove the charges'

The lawyer for the two activists, Ruhul Amin Bhuiyan, told VOA that if the trial had been conducted through a fair process, Khan and Elan would have been acquitted.

"The prosecution completely failed to prove the charges against the two accused. The accused did not commit any crime at all," Bhuiyan said. "I believe that they will be acquitted after we move to the higher court."

Odhikar, one of Bangladeshs top human rights organizations, is globally known for its work in Bangladesh and cooperates closely with United Nations bodies and other international rights groups. Its reports are often cited in the U.S. State Department country reports.

Odhikar has reported on thousands of extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, cases of torture in custody and other human rights violations committed by the security forces while Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been in office.

Last year, the government accused Odhikar of spreading "propaganda against the state by publishing misleading information" on its website and canceled the groups operating license.

Thursdays verdict comes at a crucial time, ahead of the countrys general election in January. The opposition political parties and dissidents are reportedly facing a crackdown in Bangladesh now, and several Western nations, including the U.S., have expressed concerns over the political tensions in the country.

Ruling triggers global condemnations

The ruling against Khan and Elan has triggered a wave of condemnation from rights activists around the world.

In a joint statement, 39 international rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights and Amnesty International, urged the Bangladesh authorities to quash their convictions, and end all reprisals and immediately release Khan and Elan.

"We stand with Khan and Elan and urge the authorities to release them immediately and unconditionally, as they have been detained solely for their human rights work. The authorities should reverse their convictions," the statement said.

In a Thursday statement, the International Federation for Human Rights said that the conviction of Khan and Elan was "based on politically motivated charges" and aimed "to intimidate human rights activists in the country."

Human rights campaigner Saad Hammadi, a Global Governance Fellow at the Canada-based Balsillie School of International Affairs, said that the imprisonment of Khan and Elan "not only sends a chilling message to others about the harsh consequences they could face for speaking out, but also shows a lack of the government's appetite to protect the rights of critical voices."

"Successive governments in Bangladesh have adopted repressive measures to protect themselves and their political interests. The Bangladeshi authorities can and should change this course for the benefit of human rights in the country," Hammadi told VOA.

Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman, former liaison officer of Hong Kong-based rights group Asian Legal Resource Centre, said that "legally speaking, there are many things extremely wrong with the trumped-up case" against Khan and Elan.

"The Sheikh Hasina regime has been using the criminal justice system as a political tool to imprison dissidents and prominent HRDs [human rights defenders] for giving voice to the voiceless people of the country," Ashrafuzzaman told VOA.

"The judges and prosecutors who have been engaged in serving the regime's agenda of imprisoning the HRDs in a politically motivated case must be ashamed of their actions."

RFK Human Rights Baeyens said that the very open targeting of the "brave rights defenders" by the highest levels of the government, is a "big blow for everyone who believes in justice, democracy, and fundamental freedoms."

"The world cannot keep silent as Hasinas regime silences critical voices and erodes the little that remains of democracy in Bangladesh," Baeyens said.
Authorities in India are scrambling to contain a rare outbreak of Nipah, a virus spread from animals to humans that causes deadly fever and has a high mortality rate. Here is a look at what is known so far:

What is the Nipah virus?

The first Nipah outbreak was recorded in 1998 after the virus spread among pig farmers in Malaysia. The virus is named after the village where it was discovered.

Outbreaks are rare but Nipah has been listed by the World Health Organization  alongside Ebola, Zika and COVID-19  as one of several diseases deserving of priority research because of their potential to cause a global epidemic.

Nipah usually spreads to humans from animals or through contaminated food, but it can also be transmitted directly between people.

Fruit bats are the natural carriers of the virus and have been identified as the most likely cause of subsequent outbreaks.

Symptoms include intense fever, vomiting and a respiratory infection, but severe cases can involve seizures and brain inflammation that results in a coma.

Patients have a mortality rate of between 40% and 75% depending on the public health response to the virus, the WHO says.

There is no vaccine for Nipah.

What has happened during previous outbreaks?

The first Nipah outbreak killed more than 100 people in Malaysia and prompted the culling of 1 million pigs to try to contain the virus.

It also spread to Singapore, with 11 cases and one death among slaughterhouse workers who had come into contact with pigs imported from Malaysia.

Since then, the disease has mainly been recorded in Bangladesh and India, with both countries reporting their first outbreaks in 2001.

Bangladesh has borne the brunt in recent years, with more than 100 people dying of Nipah since 2001.

Two early outbreaks in India killed more than 50 people before they were brought under control.

The southern state of Kerala has recorded two deaths from Nipah and four other confirmed cases since last month.

Authorities there have closed some schools and instituted mass testing.

This marks Kerala's fourth recorded spate of Nipah cases in five years. The virus killed 17 people during the first instance in 2018.

The state has stamped out previous outbreaks within weeks through widespread testing and strict isolation of those in contact with patients.

Are animal-to-human viruses becoming more frequent?

Having first appeared thousands of years ago, zoonoses  diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans  have multiplied over the past 20 to 30 years.

The growth of international travel has allowed them to spread more quickly.

By occupying increasingly large areas of the planet, experts say, humans also contribute to disruption of the ecosystem and increase the likelihood of random virus mutations that are transmissible to humans.

Industrial farming increases the risk of pathogens spreading among animals while deforestation heightens contact among wildlife, domestic animals and humans.

By mixing more, species will transmit their viruses more, which will promote the emergence of new diseases potentially transmissible to humans.

Climate change will push many animals to flee their ecosystems for more livable lands, a study published by the scientific journal Nature warned in 2022.

According to estimates published in the journal Science in 2018, there are 1.7 million unknown viruses in mammals and birds, with 540,000 to 850,000 of them having the capacity to infect humans.
Iranian security forces cracked down on protests in Kurdish areas of the country on Saturday and briefly detained the father of Mahsa Amini, a year after the young woman's death set off some of the worst political unrest in four decades.

The Revolutionary Guards detained a dual national suspected of "trying to organize unrest and sabotage," the official news agency IRNA reported, one of several arrests of "counter revolutionaries" and "terrorists" reported.

As night fell on Saturday, a heavy security force presence in Iran's mostly Kurdish areas appeared to have deterred large-scale protest rallies but human rights groups reported sporadic confrontations in several areas of the country.

Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, died last year in the custody of the morality police who arrested her for allegedly flouting mandatory dress codes. Her death triggered months of some of the biggest protests against the Islamic Republic's Shiite clerical rule ever seen and drew international condemnation.

Despite the heavy security presence on Saturday, there were indications of protest at several points around the country. Videos posted on social media showed people gathered on a main avenue in the capital, Tehran, cheering a young protesting couple as drivers honked their car horns in support.

IRNA reported that fire engulfed the women's ward at the Qarchak prison in Tehran province before being put out after convicts awaiting execution set fire to their clothes. It said there were no casualties.

The Kurdistan Human Rights Network, which said the incident was linked to the protests, said special forces entered the ward, beat up the women and fired pellet bullets.

Security forces open fire

In a separate incident, the human rights group Hengaw said security forces opened fire in the Kurdish city of Mahabad, wounding at least one person. It also said several people were wounded in the city of Kermanshah but there was no official confirmation of either incident.

In Amini's hometown of Saqqez, in northwestern Iran, the semi-official Fars news agency reported that police using a pellet gun had seriously injured a man who "ignored a police warning." It said the man was in an intensive care ward after undergoing an operation but provided no more detail.

Social media postings also carried footage of residents of cities including Tehran shouting slogans against Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei such as "Death to the Dictator!" as well as protests in areas including Gohardasht, in the city of Karaj west of Tehran, and in Mashhad in the northeast.

One video posted on social media showed a group of demonstrators in Gohardasht chanting "We are a great nation and will take back Iran" while drivers honked their horns and shouted encouragement. Reuters could not immediately authenticate the video.

In the demonstrations that followed Amini's death more than 500 people, including 71 minors, were killed, hundreds injured and thousands arrested, rights groups said. Iran carried out seven executions linked to the unrest.

Crowds chant 'Mahsa Amini'

On Saturday, Mahsa's father, Amjad Amini, was warned against marking the anniversary of his daughter's death before being released, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network said, and the family was not able to hold a planned vigil at her graveside.

In Washington, hundreds of protesters gathered in a park across from the White House holding portraits of Amini. Speakers led the crowd in chants of "Say her name ... Mahsa Amini," and also recited "We are the revolution" and "Human rights for Iran!"

In a statement on Friday, U.S. President Joe Biden said: "Mahsa's story did not end with her brutal death. She inspired a historic movement  Woman, Life, Freedom  that has impacted Iran and influenced people across the globe."

Britain on Friday imposed sanctions on four Iranian officials and the U.S. said it was sanctioning more than two dozen individuals and entities connected to Iran's "violent suppression" of protests.

Without naming Biden, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani rejected as "double standards and lies" Western expressions of support for women's rights in Iran.

State media also dismissed reports of disturbances and strikes in multiple cities in Iran's Kurdistan region. IRNA said Saqqez was "completely quiet" and that calls for strikes in Kurdish areas had failed because of "people's vigilance and the presence of security and military forces."

The agency quoted an official in the Kurdistan province as saying: "A number of agents affiliated with counter-revolutionary groups who had planned to create chaos and prepare media fodder were arrested in the early hours of this morning."

In a report last month, Amnesty International said Iranian authorities "have been subjecting victims' families to arbitrary arrest and detention, imposing cruel restrictions on peaceful gatherings at grave sites, and destroying victims' gravestones."

Many journalists, lawyers, activists, students, academics, artists, public figures and members of ethnic minorities accused of links with the protest wave, as well as relatives of protesters killed in the unrest, have been arrested, summoned, threatened or fired from jobs in the past few weeks, according to Iranian and Western human rights groups.
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, three West African Sahel nations ruled by military juntas, signed a security pact on Saturday promising to come to each other's aid in case of rebellion or external aggression.

The three countries are struggling to contain Islamist insurgents linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group and have also seen their relations with neighbors and international partners strained because of the coups.

The latest coup in Niger drove a further wedge between the three and countries of the regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States, which has threatened to use force to restore constitutional rule in the country.

Mali and Burkina Faso have vowed to come to Niger's aid if it is attacked.

"Any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracted parties will be considered an aggression against the other parties," according to the charter of the pact, known as the Alliance of Sahel States.

It said the other states will assist individually or collectively, including with the use of armed force.

"I have today signed with the Heads of State of Burkina Faso and Niger the Liptako-Gourma charter establishing the Alliance of Sahel States, with the aim of establishing a collective defense and mutual assistance framework," Mali junta leader Assimi Goita said on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

All three states were members of the France-supported G5 Sahel alliance joint force with Chad and Mauritania, launched in 2017 to tackle Islamist groups in the region.

Mali has since left the dormant organization after a military coup, prompting Niger's now-ousted President Mohamed Bazoum to say in May of last year that the force was now dead.

Relations between France and the three states have soured since the coups.

France has been forced to withdraw its troops from Mali and Burkina Faso and is in a tense standoff with the junta that seized power in Niger after it asked France to withdraw its troops and its ambassador.

France has refused to recognize the authority of the junta.
Leonard Peltier supporters arrested, fined during Washington protests

U.S. Park Police issued citations to more than two dozen supporters of imprisoned Native American activist Leonard Peltier during a rally outside the White House Tuesday.

The event was co-hosted by the South Dakota-based activist group NDN Collective and the human rights group Amnesty International.

As VOA reported in 2016, Peltier, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa tribe of Lakota and Dakota descent, was convicted in the murders of two FBI agents during a 1975 standoff at Wounded Knee on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and given two consecutive life sentences.

His supporters say he was framed for murders he didnt commit. Federal agents say evidence shows he was guilty of shooting agents at close range and that he has shown no remorse.

Peltier, 79 and in ill health, has spent 46 years in prison, losing multiple appeals for parole and White House clemency.

The U.S. Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 allows compassionate release for prisoners over 70 who have completed at least 30 years of their sentences. But because Peltier was sentenced before the law went into effect, he is ineligible.

We come together here to remind the United States that Leonard Peltier is the longest-incarcerated political prisoner in the history of the United States, NDN Collective CEO Nick Tilsen (Oglala Lakota) said Tuesday.  We cannot let his fight for freedom go quietly. It's time  48 years is long enough.

Park Police spokesman Sergeant Thomas Twiname said that officers issued citations to 27 demonstrators for the misdemeanor violation of incommoding, that is, crowding or obstructing a sidewalk.

Nobody was put in handcuffs, he said. They were given citations, and then the individuals left.

Indigenous researchers stress Indigenous sovereignty over biomedical data

The Daily Yonder this week highlights the work of the Native BioData Consortium (NativeBio), a nonprofit research collective led by Indigenous scientists and scholars seeking to use health data to improve and protect the health, welfare and cultures of Indigenous peoples.

Government agencies and scientific researchers have a history of unethical research among Native Americans. In the 1950s, for example, the U.S. Air Force gave capsules filled with radioactive Iodine-131 to Alaska Natives as part of a thyroid function study, putting them at risk of developing thyroid cancer.

In the early 1990s, an Arizona State University professor took blood samples from the Havasupai Tribe to understand the prevalence of diabetes in that community. Those samples ended up in the hands of researchers in other institutions, who used them for research on schizophrenia, inbreeding and theories about ancient migrations from Asia to North America.

NativeBio, located on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in South Dakota, works to break down mistrust of science.

Our main mission is to be a safe harbor for all indigenous people, and even marginalized people around the world whose data has been collected since the 70s and is being collected now, and not giving them enough consideration or control of how their data is used or commercialized, said Joseph Yracheta, executive director of NativeBio.

Read more:

Native tribes, mining groups, at odds over massive lithium find in Nevada

Scientists say that lithium discovered three years ago in a collapsed supervolcano in Nevada could meet global demand for decades.

A new analysis of the southern portion of the McDermitt caldera in Nevada called Thacker Pass shows that claystone made up of the mineral illite contains 1.3% to 2.4% of lithium in the crater, nearly double the levels in more common lithium-bearing magnesian smectite clay.

Since 2021, local tribes and environmental groups have tried without success to halt mining construction at Thacker Pass, which lies in the traditional homelands of the Paiute, Shoshone and Washoe people.

Read more:

US court sentences man for looting Native American archaeological site

A California man has been sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay more than $10,000 in restitution for illegally digging up and removing Native American human remains and cultural artifacts from public land in violation of federal law.

The case dates to July 2015, when wildfire fighters stumbled upon an excavated site in the Sierra National Forest.

Human remains and artifacts were located among large piles of sifted dirt, hand tools and a large screen sifting box, the Justice Department stated in 2018.

A video camera at the site captured Vance Franklin Myers excavating the site multiple times, sometimes in the company of a woman, a small child and a dog.

The items he looted were valued at nearly $60,000.

Archaeologists stabilized the site, human remains were reburied, and artifacts were returned to the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians.

Read more:
The Pentagon's Central Command has ordered interviews of roughly two dozen more service members who were at the Kabul airport when suicide bombers attacked during U.S. forces' chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, as criticism persists that the deadly assault could have been stopped.

The interviews, ordered by General Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, were triggered in part by assertions by at least one service member injured in the blast who said he was never interviewed about it and that he might have been able to stop the attackers.

The interviews are meant to see if service members who were not included in the original investigation have new or different information.

The decision, according to officials, does not reopen the administration's investigation into the deadly bombing and the withdrawal two years ago.

But the additional interviews will likely be seized on by congressional critics, mostly Republican, as proof that the administration bungled the probe into the attack, in addition to mishandling the withdrawal.

Some families of those killed and injured have complained that the Pentagon hasn't been transparent enough about the bombing that killed 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. servicemen and women.

U.S. Central Command's investigation concluded in November 2021 that given the worsening security situation at the airport's Abbey Gate as Afghans became increasingly desperate to flee, "the attack was not preventable at the tactical level without degrading the mission to maximize the number of evacuees."

The Pentagon has said that the review of the suicide attack turned up neither any advance identification of a possible attacker nor any requests for "an escalation to existing rules of engagement" governing use of force by U.S. troops.

Central Command plans to speak with a number of service members who were severely wounded in the bombing at the Abbey Gate and had to be quickly evacuated from the country for medical care. They represent the bulk of the planned interviews, but a few others who weren't wounded are also included. Officials also did not rule out that the number of interviews could grow as a result of those initial conversations.

"The purpose of these interviews is to ensure we do our due diligence with the new information that has come to light, that the relevant voices are fully heard and that we take those accounts and examine them seriously and thoroughly, so the facts are laid bare," Central Command spokesperson Michael Lawhorn said in a statement.

Officials on Friday began informing family members of those killed in the bombing as well as members of Congress about the latest plan. Kurilla has asked for an update in 90 days.

In emotional testimony during a congressional hearing in March, former Marine Sergeant Tyler Vargas-Andrews told lawmakers that he was thwarted in an attempt to stop the suicide bombing. He said Marines and others aiding in the evacuation operation were given descriptions of men believed to be plotting an attack before it occurred.

He said he and others spotted two men matching the descriptions and behaving suspiciously, and eventually had them in their rifle scopes, but never received a response about whether to take action.

"No one was held accountable," Vargas-Andrews told Representative Mike McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "No one was, and no one is, to this day."

The March hearing was set up to examine the Biden administration's handling of the withdrawal. Taliban forces seized the Afghan capital, Kabul, far more rapidly than U.S. intelligence had foreseen as American forces pulled out. Kabul's fall turned the West's withdrawal into a frenzy, putting the airport at the center of a desperate air evacuation by U.S. troops.

In April, President Joe Biden's administration laid blame on his predecessor, President Donald Trump, for the deadly withdrawal. A 12-page summary of the results of the "hotwash" of U.S. policies around the ending of the nation's longest war asserts that Biden was "severely constrained" by Trump's decisions.

It acknowledges that the evacuation of Americans and allies from Afghanistan should have started sooner but blames the delays on the Afghan government and military, and on U.S. military and intelligence community assessments.

The administration has refused to release detailed reviews conducted by the State Department and the Pentagon, saying they are highly classified.

A review by U.S. Inspector-General for Afghanistan John Sopko concluded that actions taken by both the Trump and Biden administrations were key to the sudden collapse of the Afghan government and military, before U.S. forces completed their withdrawal in August 2021.

That includes Trump's one-sided withdrawal deal with the Taliban, and the abruptness of Biden's pullout of both U.S. contractors and troops from Afghanistan, stranding an Afghan air force that previous administrations had failed to make self-supporting, the review concluded.
Two cargo vessels were bound for Ukrainian ports on Saturday, becoming the first ships to use a temporary corridor to sail into Black Sea ports and load grain for African and Asian markets, Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said.

Ukraine last month announced a "humanitarian corridor" in the Black Sea to release ships trapped in its ports since the start of the war in February 2022 and to circumvent a de facto blockade after Russia abandoned the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which allowed Kyiv to export grain.

Five vessels have so far left the port of Odesa, using the corridor that hugs the western Black Sea coast near Romania and Bulgaria.

Ukraine, a leading global food producer and exporter, also wants to use the corridor for its food exports.

The bulk carriers, Resilient Africa and Aroyat, were making their way through the Black Sea to Ukrainian ports to load almost 20,000 tons of wheat for Africa and Asia, Kubrakov said.

Data from ship tracking company MarineTraffic showed that the Aroyat was at Ukraine's Chornomorsk port, while the other vessel was en route in the Black Sea.

Ukraine's Agriculture Ministry said on the Telegram messaging app that the wheat would be shipped to Egypt and Israel.

"While the U.N. is not involved in the movement of those vessels, we welcome all efforts for the resumption of normal trade, especially of vital food commodities that help supply and stabilize global food markets," a U.N. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters.

"We continue our efforts to facilitate exports for agricultural products from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation," the official said.

The loadings are a test of Ukraine's ability to reopen shipping lanes at a time when Russia is trying to re-impose its de facto blockade, having abandoned the grain deal in July. Moscow has launched frequent drone and missile attacks on the Ukrainian grain export infrastructure.

The Black Sea grain deal was brokered by the U.N. and Turkey in July 2022 to combat a global food crisis worsened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine and Russia are among the world's top grain exporters.

Ukraine made several attacks in recent days using sea drones and missiles on Russia's Black Sea naval fleet in and around the Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed from Ukraine by Russia in 2014.
For more than three decades, Somalia's digital identity system remained stagnant, untouched by the major technological changes sweeping the globe. That standstill is now coming to an end, says Somali Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre.

In a historic move, Barre convened a two-day conference in Mogadishu on Saturday, marking the official return of civil registration and the issuance of national ID cards.

Today marks a great day for Somalia as we finally lay the foundations of a reliable and all-inclusive national identification system that is recognized worldwide, Barre said.

After the official inauguration of the system Saturday by the prime minister in Mogadishu, the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who was in the city of Dhusamareb commanding the fight against al-Shabab militants in central Somalia, received his national identification card.

The ID card issuance was started by the president and the PM and it is part of a rollout in the country, which every Somali citizen is eligible to acquire, a government statement said.

It is a significant milestone in Somalias state-building journey. The national ID rollout is set to enhance security and address crucial national issues, Mohamud said as he received his card.

Digital identity systems, often referred to as eID, are the bedrock of Somalias new digital services. The government says they empower citizens to exercise their liberties and businesses to operate efficiently.

Through this system, the government reaffirms its endeavor to ensure that Somali citizens enjoy equal rights with regard to the participation of all national commitments, Barre said.

Barre cited the need to combat security threats, terrorism and identity fraud as compelling reasons to introduce a national ID.

This system will boost our businesses and economy, our banks, communication and Hawala money transfer systems. It will strictly deal with terror networks and the fight against extremism, Barre said.

In a video message to the conference from the front line in central Somalia, Somalias minister of Interior, Federal Affairs and Reconciliation, Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, reiterated the importance of a reliable national ID for the government's fight against al-Shabab militants.

A national identification system is a powerful tool in our fight against extremism, providing a sense of belonging and identity to our citizens, Fiqi said. National ID is not only a piece of plastic, but it represents access to essential services like health care, education, elections and economic opportunities to the Somali people.

In March, Somalia's upper house passed the National Identification and Registration Authority Bill, which enables every Somali citizen to legally register their identity and gain access to the government and private services to which they are entitled.

Somali government officials, businessmen, members of civil society and international partners were among participants in the conference in Mogadishu.

Speakers at the conference included United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia Catriona Laing and the World Bank country manager, Kristina Svensson.

Those who spoke at the conference expressed optimism that the national ID will help in the fight against the al-Shabab terror group.

The story of Somalia's digital identity resurgence finds its roots in the turbulent year 1991, when the national citizen registry collapsed. National unrest, instability, disorder and economic turmoil led to the downfall of government leadership and the disintegration of the registration system.
The long-awaited re-opening date of the Bell Street viaduct/bridge in Fremont is still a mystery, as workers with M.E. Collins construction company continue with the intensive repairs to the critical north-south overpass.

Justin Zetterman, Fremonts director of Public Works, said on Friday, Sept. 15, that neither he nor officials with M.E. Collins have an expected re-opening date. The original timeline listed a possible end of October or early November re-opening.

Were still working away at it. I do not have any clear update on a completion date. We are working with the construction company on a re-opening date, Zetterman said. We will have an announcement soon.

The Bell Street viaduct/bridge goes over the Union Pacific railroad tracks that cross through the city and when open is used by thousands of motorists each day. The viaduct closed on May 30 for the repair project and work was on a steady pace until unexpected rainy weather in July caused delays.

The rain in July has affected us a bit, Zetterman admitted in regard to a completion date. That many rainy days never helps. There are a few more weeks of work on the north side of the bridge, and they will be replacing quite a few segments of pavement on the south side.

Other projects ongoing around city

In other work around the city, Zetterman said the repaving project for Lincoln Avenue from First Street to 23rd Street is in the final stages and should be completed in mid-October after the final striping is painted onto the new pavement.

We still have some manholes and valves (on Lincoln Avenue) to raise up to the new height of the pavement, he said. The final striping will be done in early October.

Another project being done that may affect drivers into the downtown area of Fremont from the south is the Broad Street  Old Highway 77 viaduct/bridge, which is currently in the beginning stages of a rehabilitation project being done by the Nebraska Department of Transportation.

That is just a project that is part of the (old) Highway 77 relinquishment by the state to the city. They are doing work on it before it is fully turned over to the city, Zetterman explained. It will never fully close. Sometimes, traffic may be reduced to one lane in each direction.

New train crossing cameras still not installed

The equipment and cameras for several new high-tech monitoring stations that are designed to offer assistance in knowing when trains are blocking the the Union Pacific railroad tracks that cross both South Johnson Road and Luther Road have been delivered to the city, Zetterman said on Sept. 15.

In late May, the Fremont City Council agreed to enter into a second agreement with Texas A&M University to help install and teach how to operate two new railroad camera monitoring systems along Union Pacific railroad crossings at Luther and South Johnson roads.

The cameras were considered a high priority in May, because of the impending seven-month closure of the Bell Street viaduct-bridge. They are identical to ones already in use on the northwest side of the city.

The two new monitoring systems cost the city about $15,000 while another $30,000 was paid to Texas A&M University Transportation Institute to fund learning how to use the cameras as well as install them.

Zetterman said although the new monitoring systems and all equipment needed has been delivered to the city, the new cameras set-ups have not been installed and there is no timeline to do so at the moment.

That took much longer than we expected, Zetterman admitted.

When the cameras were OKd by the city council, several council members wondered if the new systems would be even installed before the Bell Street viaduct-bridge repairs were completed. City staff thought the cameras would assist the citys police and fire departments in navigating responses to incidents south of the train tracks when trains were blocking both roads.
A new Taiwanese military assessment highlights the threat posed to the self-governing island by China's third and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, which is expected to enter service after completing sea trials sometime next year.

The assessment, laid out in Taiwan's National Defense Report 2023, also calls for developing a decentralized command platform across military services based on lessons learned from observing Russia's war on Ukraine.

The report, released this week, says the Chinese-designed Fujian incorporates major technological advances over the People's Liberation Army Navy's two existing carriers, both based on a Russian design.

Most significantly, aircraft taking off from the ship will be boosted into flight with three electromagnetic catapult devices, which are more effective than the steam catapult devices used on other carriers. To date, electromagnetic catapults are used only by the United States on its most advanced Gerald R. Ford-class carriers.

The added power of the catapults allows for heavier aircraft and shorter runways, which combined with other design improvements will allow the Fujian to carry as many as 40 jet fighters, according to Taiwan's report. China's two previous carriers can handle 18 and 32 fighters respectively.

"This is a major maritime threat that we must actively deal with in the future," said Major General Huang Wen-Chi, the assistant deputy chief with the General Staff for Intelligence of Taiwan's Defense Ministry, in releasing the report this week.

The report says the Fujian will enhance China's ability to seal off the Taiwan Strait, potentially delaying or preventing the U.S. military from entering the theater to help defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese attack.

While Taiwan's military sees the vessel as a major threat, independent analysts point out that much of the technology is new to China and so far untested. Even the U.S. Navy encountered many surprises when it began using electromagnetic catapults, said Kitsch Liao, assistant director of the Global China Hub at the Atlantic Council.

"A problem that [the U.S. military] often encounters is that the catapult is too accurate," Liao told VOA. "Every time it is ejected, it will cause a lot of structural stress on the aircraft, which may damage the aircraft very quickly. The U.S. military has its own way of solving this problem, and I am not sure whether the PLA has a way to solve it."

China also lags far behind the United States in training its pilots to fly off a carrier like the Fujian, according to Richard Chen Yeong Kang, a former Taiwanese Navy admiral and currently an adviser to the Taiwan Center for Security Studies.

He told VOA that compared with U.S. Navy pilots  who perform missions at sea for many years  PLA Navy pilots perform missions from carriers only two to three times a year. He estimated the combat effectiveness of the Chinese pilots at only one-third that of their American counterparts and said it may reach only one-half after five years.

Liao estimated it will take two years of training for the Fujian to achieve real ocean-going combat capabilities.

The National Defense Report also recommended that Taiwan improve its ability to survive an attack by developing a "common operating picture" allowing better communication and coordination across the territory's military services and with its allies.

Taiwan confirmed in May that, with American assistance, it will obtain the NATO Link-22 radio system to connect with the U.S. to form a common operating picture. According to the Financial Times in June, the U.S. is expected to begin delivering four MQ-9B drones to Taiwan in 2025.

By then, Taiwan's Defense Ministry has said, the island expects to begin sharing real-time intelligence with the United States and Japan and building a common operating picture with those two countries.

Lin Ying-yu, assistant professor at the Graduate Institute of International Affairs and Strategic Studies at Tamkang University and a member of an advisory committee to the National Defense Report, said that in the early stages of a war, the PLA would likely give priority to attacking Taiwan's main military command center and early warning radars in Taipei.

That makes it imperative for Taiwan to switch to a decentralized command and control system, he said, although that will require improved personnel training and upgraded equipment.

"It is already difficult for Taiwan to conduct joint operations," Lin told VOA. "What's more, how do you conduct good command when all branches of the military are under attack and in a chaotic situation?

"In addition to technology, it is important for personnel to be able to communicate across branches," he said.

Adrianna Zhang contributed to this report.
A Ukrainian minister told Reuters that the future of Ukraines battle against Russia holds more drones, more attacks and fewer Russian ships.

Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraines drone production has increased by more than 100 times since last year.

Fedorov also told the news agency that Ukraine is testing artificial intelligence systems that can detect targets kilometers away, as well as guide drones despite disruptions from electronic warfare measures.

Meanwhile, the British Defense Ministry, in its daily intelligence update on Ukraine, said there is a realistic possibility that Russia will resume using air-launched cruise missiles against Ukrainian infrastructure targets in the winter.

The ministrys update said that Russia has likely created a significant stockpile of the missiles, since open-source reports indicate that Russia began reducing its use of the missiles in April.

Russian leaders have highlighted efforts to increase the rate of cruise missile production, the ministry said.

The report also said the missiles were at the heart of most strike missions that Russia launched against Ukraines national energy infrastructure between last October and March. They allowed Russia to release munitions from deep within Russian territory.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock spoke Friday in Washington, and both reiterated their long-term support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

SEE ALSO: US, Germany Commit to Long-Term Support for Ukraine Speaking to reporters following their talks, Blinken said Germany and the U.S., along with dozens of other nations around the world, are committed to providing military, economic and humanitarian aid to Ukraine. He said they also discussed Ukraines long-term ability not only to survive but to thrive following Russias invasion.

Baerbock echoed Blinkens remarks, saying support for Ukraine goes beyond arms deliveries to include humanitarian issues and repairing infrastructure. She said she discussed with Blinken how the U.S. and Germany can coordinate their assistance to Ukraine even more closely.

The two top diplomats were asked about Ukraines ongoing requests for long-range missile systems that could reach deep into Russia and the Wests reluctance to provide them.

Baerbock said Germany and other NATO allies have told Ukraine from the beginning of Russias invasion that arms supplies would be limited to Ukraines self-defense and reclaiming territory within Ukraine.

The German foreign minister has been in the United States much of this week. She traveled to Texas on Tuesday and Wednesday, visiting an air base where German pilots are trained. She met Thursday with U.S. lawmakers to discuss their continued support for Ukraine.

Ukraine grain shipments

Blinken said he and Baerbock also discussed the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which Russia ended in July, and alternatives to getting grain out of Ukraine and to developing nations that need it.

Following a meeting on Friday in Bucharest with Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, Romanian Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu said the nation planned to double the monthly transit capacity for Ukrainian grain through its Constanta port to 4 million metric tons in the coming months.

Speaking at a joint news conference, Kubrakov said they hope to double the ports capacity by the beginning of October, which could help Ukraine solve at least 50% of its export issues.

Ukraine military advances

Ukraine's military said Friday it has recaptured the village of Andriivka, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) south of the key front-line, Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut, following intense battles with Russian troops.

The latest victory in Ukraines protracted, multipronged counteroffensive comes just days ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys expected visit to Washington.

Also Friday, Britains Defense Ministry confirmed that a missile strike targeting the naval headquarters of Russias Black Sea fleet in Crimea earlier this week delivered a blow that may have crippled portions of the facility for weeks or possibly months to come.

The landing ship Minsk and the Kilo 636.3 class submarine Rostov-on-Don were undergoing maintenance at the Sevmorzavod shipyard in the bases dry docks when the missiles hit during a predawn strike Wednesday.

Open-source evidence, the ministry said, indicates the Minsk has almost certainly been functionally destroyed, while the Rostov has likely suffered catastrophic damage.

According to the ministrys report, any effort to get the submarine up and running would likely take many years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

In addition, the British ministry said there is also a realistic possibility that the intricate task of removing the damaged vessels from the dry docks could put the docks out of commission for months and present Russia with a significant challenge in sustaining fleet maintenance.

According to the British ministry, the Rostov was one of the four Black Sea fleets cruise-missile capable submarines that have played a major role in striking Ukraine and projecting Russian power across the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean.

Zelenskyy White House visit

Fridays developments precede Zelenskyys anticipated arrival in Washington next week as the U.S. Congress continues to debate $21 billion more in aid to Ukraine to support its fight against Russia.

U.S. lawmakers are increasingly divided over whether to provide Ukraine with more aid. President Joe Biden is seeking $13 billion in military aid and $8 billion in humanitarian aid, but some Republican lawmakers oppose sending more aid to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy is expected to meet with Biden next week at the White House after the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York.

SEE ALSO: Zelenskyy to Visit Washington as Congress Debates More Ukraine Aid Although Ukraines counteroffensive push against the Russian invasion has been slower than expected, Zelenskyy celebrated Thursday what he described as Ukraines destruction of a Russian air defense system on the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

A special mention should be made to the entire personnel of the Security Service of Ukraine as well as our naval forces, Zelenskyy said in his nightly video message. The invaders air defense system was destroyed. Very significant, well done!
The U.N.'s World Heritage Committee on Friday placed two major historical sites in Ukraine on its list of such sites that it considers to be in danger.

The iconic St. Sophia Cathedral in the capital, Kyiv, and the medieval center of the western city of Lviv, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites central to Ukraine's culture and history. The decision Friday to put those two on the body's list of sites "in danger" has no enforcement mechanism but could help deter Russian attacks.

Neither site has been directly targeted since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and Lviv has largely been spared from the fighting. But Russia has unleashed waves of strikes on Kyiv and other cities, hitting residential areas and critical infrastructure with Iranian-made attack drones.

The decision was made at the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee, which is being held in Saudi Arabia. The committee maintains UNESCO's World Heritage List and oversees conservation of the sites.

A Ukrainian government official welcomed the move.

"We are very happy to have a very rich history and culture of our country, and we would like to say that it has been over thousands of years, and we try to preserve it for our future generations," Deputy Culture Minister Anastasia Bondar said. "So it's very much important that the whole world community will join us also."

The gold-domed St. Sophia Cathedral, located in the heart of Kyiv, was built in the 11th century and designed to rival the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The monument to Byzantine art contains the biggest collection of mosaics and frescoes from that period, and is surrounded by monastic buildings dating back to the 17th century.

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves, is a sprawling complex of monasteries and churches  some underground  that were built from the 11th to the 19th century. Some of the churches are connected by a labyrinthine complex of caves spanning more than 600 meters.

The two sites on the Dnipro River, a 15-minute drive from one another, are "a masterpiece of human creative genius," according to UNESCO.

The other site is the historic center of Lviv, near the Polish border. A fifth-century castle overlooks streets and squares built between the 13th and 17th centuries. The site includes a synagogue as well as Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic religious buildings, reflecting the city's diversity.

"In its urban fabric and its architecture, Lviv is an outstanding example of the fusion of the architectural and artistic traditions of Eastern Europe with those of Italy and Germany," UNESCO said. "The political and commercial role of Lviv attracted to it a number of ethnic groups with different cultural and religious traditions."

Lviv is more than 500 kilometers from Kyiv and even further from any front lines, but it hasn't been spared. Russian cruise missiles slammed into an apartment building in the city in July, killing at least six people and wounding dozens.

UNESCO added Ukraine's Black Sea port city of Odesa to its list of endangered heritage sites in January. Russian forces have launched multiple attacks on the city, a cultural hub known for its 19th-century architecture. Russia says that it only strikes military targets.

Under the 1972 UNESCO convention, ratified by both Ukraine and Russia, signatories undertake to "assist in the protection of the listed sites" and are "obliged to refrain from taking any deliberate measures" which might damage World Heritage sites.

Inclusion on the List of World Heritage in Danger is meant to rally urgent international support for conservation efforts. The list includes more than 50 sites around the world.
The U.S. hopes that with the transfer of blocked Iranian funds from banks in South Korea to Qatar completed, the five Iranian Americans held in the Islamic Republic will be home in the coming days.

In an interview with VOA Persians Farhad Pouladi, John Kirby, the National Security Council's coordinator for strategic communications, also spoke about U.S. support for the Iranian people on the eve of the first anniversary of Mahsa Aminis death while in the custody of Iran's morality police. Kirby also answered questions about Haiti and the flood of migrants in New York City.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.

Farhad Pouladi, VOA Persian's White House Correspondent: Thank you, Admiral, for doing this. So, we are coming to the first anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of Irans morality police. What more can the United States do to support the Iranian people in their struggle for freedom?

John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications: Well, look, we've laid out some additional sanctions here just this week. We've got many, many sanctions in place against Iranian leaders, particularly those that were involved in her death and in the persecution and violence against protesters in Iran. We stand for the Iranian people, and we stand for their right to protest peacefully, and to speak for themselves and for their desires and what they want to see out of the government in Tehran. Our beef is not with them. In fact, we're standing solidly behind them.

VOA: Has there been any recent contact with the Americans that are coming home? I mean, do you have ... a time frame [for] when the Americans are coming home, and has the Swiss Embassy, which is representing the U.S., had any contact with them? Do you have any updates on their physical and mental situation?

Kirby: We have, through the Swiss protecting power, we have been able to maintain contact with all the Americans that are in house arrest. From what we can tell, they appear to be in good health. Well obviously want to make sure that they have appropriate access to medical care when they get out of the country. Im not at liberty to talk about the timing here. The next critical step in the process was to move the funds from South Korea to Qatar, and now the next step coming is going to be seeing if we can get them home. We hope that that will happen in the coming days, but I just don't have any specific updates.

VOA: The EU3  Britain, France and Germany  announced yesterday they will retain sanctions on Iran that were scheduled to expire after October 18 under the 2015 nuclear deal known as the JCPOA. So why not trigger the snapback mechanism in the agreement, which would keep all the U.N. sanctions in place?

Kirby: I just dont have anything with respect to snapback to speak to today. Again, we're not focused right now on getting back into the JCPOA. That's not on the agenda right now. We're doing everything we can to get our Americans home and to continue to hold Iran accountable for their destabilizing behavior.

VOA: Any update on the increased U.S. naval presence in the Persian Gulf in order to deter Iranian naval and air transgressions? Because today we had a report that two new tankers have been seized by Iran.

Kirby: Again, I would refer you to the Pentagon on that. I know we have bolstered some of our military presence in and around the Gulf for exactly that reason, to respond to and to try to deter attacks on shipping. This is yet another piece of destabilizing behavior that the Iranians continue to conduct that weve got to make sure that we've got the capabilities and resources to deter that as much as possible.

VOA: Is the U.S. involved in the process of Kenya sending a police force to Haiti, and where does the U.S. stand on that?

Kirby: We're grateful for Kenya's willingness to do that. We have long said we believe that some sort of policing force, international policing force, would be appropriate. And obviously it has to be acceptable to the people of Haiti. But the violence has got to stop and the instability has got to stop.

VOA: The U.N. General Assembly is hosted in the city of New York, whose mayor said the city is facing a profound crisis with thousands of migrants that need attention from the president. What is the U.S. doing about it?

Kirby: New York City wouldn't be under this pressure if governors in other parts of the country weren't shipping migrants without any regard for their care to cities in the North. We understand that there's pressure being applied there. We're going to continue to do everything we can, as I've said many times before, to improve legal pathways into the country and to shore up our security efforts at the border to dissuade illegal immigrants from coming in. Part of that is, of course, making sure that the Border Patrol has the resources that they need, and we have added to their resources. We still have U.S. military troops down there bolstering their efforts. The president has asked Congress for additional funds for more Border Patrol agents. And on day one of this administration, he submitted an immigration reform bill that Congress has yet to act on. So, we will continue to do everything we can, within the authorities that we have, to shore up the border to make sure that legal pathways are expanded, to discourage people from taking that dangerous, dangerous journey without having to apply for legal entry, and to make sure our brave Border Patrol agents have the resources that they need.

VOA: Admiral, thank you very much for your time. Thank you.

Kirby: My pleasure.
U.S. lawmakers from both major parties have voiced their resolve to rally international pressure for an end to the suffering of the people of Myanmar at the hands of the military junta that cut off democratic rule in the country in February 2021.

"We are rededicating ourselves to human rights and peace for the people of Burma," said Representative Chris Smith, a Republican and the co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, following a hearing on human rights in Myanmar this week.

"We need to do much more for the people who are suffering so horrifically at the hands of a barbaric regime," Smith told VOA. He called for renewed efforts "to stop the weapons from flowing," whether it be from India, China or Russia, and said there needs to be "a more aggressive embargo, particularly on oil, which is a source of great revenue for the junta."

Representative Ilhan Omar, a Democrat, said members of the committee "want to make sure that the genocide that was experienced by the Rohingya and everything that has gone on in Myanmar will not be forgotten  that we keep it in the forefront here in Congress."

Omar told VOA the hearing had served to make sure that the world is working together to "care about the people of Myanmar, try to provide humanitarian aid, make sure that there is a civilian government, but also not forget the displaced, and the internally displaced people and refugees, as we try to think about humanitarian aid."

Democratic Representative James P. McGovern, a long-standing advocate for human rights, is co-chair of the Lantos commission, which according to its website "is charged with promoting, defending and advocating for international human rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human rights instruments."

McGovern said in his opening remarks that the primary question for the commission is whether Congress, the Biden administration and the international community "are doing all that we can to be wind at the backs of those fighting for human rights and to restore democracy in Burma."

He said the hearing was also an opportunity to review the effectiveness of the Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability (BURMA) Act, which was signed into law in December 2022. It contains a number of economic and diplomatic measures to bring pressure for a restoration of democracy in Myanmar.

"Its implementation is underway," McGovern said, "so today's discussion is an opportunity to take stock of what has been done and ask: What has been achieved, how do we know if we're making progress and what more can we do?"

Testimony

U.S. State Department officials who testified at the hearing detailed the government's efforts to exert economic and political pressure on the junta while highlighting support for humanitarian assistance, including for Rohingya refugees in neighboring Bangladesh.

U.N. Special Rapporteur Tom Andrews, a witness at the hearing and a former U.S. congressman, called for the United States to intensify sanctions against the military rulers, targeting their primary revenue source: oil and gas sales.

"We need to have more sanctions imposed," Andrews said. "I urge the U.S. to join the European Union and immediately impose sanctions on the junta's single largest source of revenue, the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise."

The company, also known as MOGE, is estimated to generate $1.5 billion in annual revenue, about half of the country's foreign currency earnings.

"If you can stop the money, you can cut their ability to continue these atrocities," he said, referring to civilian deaths at the hands of the military.

In a post-hearing interview with VOA, Andrews said he was encouraged by the hearing. "The fact that the United States Congress is asking these questions of the administration is a very positive sign," he said.

Lucky Karim, a prominent Rohingya human rights activist, also testified at the hearing, bringing attention to the plight of the Rohingya community and the need for a sustained commitment by the U.S. and the international community.

"We want more participation from the U.S., the United Nations, Bangladesh and influential countries which care about human rights," Karim said.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly rendered Lucky Karim's name. VOA regrets the error.
Editor's note: Here is a look at immigration-related news around the U.S. this week. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com.

Federal Judge Says DACA Is Illegal, So What's Next?

A federal judge has ruled again that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program is illegal. The policy protected from deportation hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children. The decision does not immediately affect DACA recipients, whose status remains the same through the legal appeals process. They also can continue to renew their status, as they are required to do every two years. So, what is next? VOAs immigration reporter Aline Barros has the story.

Florida Authorities Arrest Undocumented Migrant Under States New Law

A Mexican citizen taken into custody for allegedly driving without U.S. papers and transporting undocumented people was one of the first people to be arrested under Florida's controversial SB 1718, considered the most restrictive state law regarding migrants in the United States. Yeny Garcia reports.

52 Documentary: Emma's Torch

What would you do if you had to find work in a new country, far from home? Emma's Torch, a New York-based nonprofit, offers refugees and asylum-seekers a chance to train in the culinary arts. Founder Kerrie Brodie, a daughter of Lithuanian immigrants, was inspired to provide those in need with a pathway to independence in America  through the restaurant industry. Meet Mazen and Rosette from Syria, Vanya from Ukraine, Jhack from Senegal and other graduates of the program who are building a future in food.

Immigration around the world

Rohingya Say No Return to Myanmar Without Guaranteed Citizenship

Members of Myanmars Muslim Rohingya community living as refugees in Bangladesh are again voicing opposition to efforts to repatriate many of them. They say that the Myanmar government has not met their demands over citizenship rights and that it is not safe for them to go back to Myanmars Rakhine state. Shaikh Azizur Rahman reports.

UN Rights Rapporteur 'Extremely Concerned' About Forced Repatriation Amid North Koreas Border Reopening

A U.N. human rights official says that while the reopening of North Korea's borders is a welcome development as Pyongyang eases its COVID-19 controls, there are also concerns, including the imminent risk of forced repatriation of North Koreans detained in other countries. Reported by VOAs State Department Bureau Chief Nike Ching.

5 Killed as Rival Factions Clash in Lebanon's Largest Palestinian Refugee Camp

Clashes intensified Wednesday in Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp, leaving at least five people dead and more than a dozen wounded, Lebanese state media and security officials said. Scores of civilians have been forced to flee to safer areas. The Associated Press reports.

Malawi Police Recover Ammunition in Containers Confiscated From Refugees

Police in Malawi have recovered ammunition and cash in steel containers searched during the forced relocation of refugees illegally staying outside a refugee camp. Malawi police confiscated the large containers from refugees and asylum-seekers on suspicion they contained rifles, ammunition and counterfeiting machines for criminal activities. Lameck Masina reports for VOA from Blantyre, Malawi.

UN: Hundreds Killed in Ethnic Attacks in Sudan's West Darfur

Ethnically motivated attacks perpetrated by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and allied militia have killed hundreds in the West Darfur region, the United Nations human rights chief said on Tuesday. Bloodshed, violence and displacement have escalated since fighting between the Sudanese army and RSF erupted in April, driving the country to the brink of civil war. Reuters reports.

News brief

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security released the 2024 Homeland Threat Assessment and reports the agency continues to identify a high risk of foreign and domestic terrorism in 2024.
Ukraine's military said Friday it has recaptured the village of Andriivka, some 10 kilometers south of the key frontline Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut, following intense battles with Russian troops.

The latest victory in Ukraines protracted, multipronged counteroffensive comes just days ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyys expected visit to Washington.

Also Friday, Britains Defense Ministry confirmed that a missile strike targeting the naval headquarters of Russias Black Sea Fleet in Crimea earlier this week delivered a blow that may have crippled portions of the facility for weeks or possibly months to come.

The landing ship Minsk and Kilo 636.3 class submarine Rostov-on-Don were undergoing maintenance at the Sevmorzavod shipyard in the bases dry docks when the missiles hit during a pre-dawn strike on Wednesday.

Open-source evidence, the ministry said, indicates the Minsk has almost certainly been functionally destroyed, while the Rostov has likely suffered catastrophic damage.

According to the ministrys report, any effort to get the submarine up and running would likely take many years and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

In addition, the British ministry said, there is also a realistic possibility that the intricate task of removing the damaged vessels from the dry docks could put the docks out of commission for months and present Russia with a significant challenge in sustaining fleet maintenance.

The Rostov was, according to the British ministry, one of four of the Black Sea Fleets cruise-missile capable submarines that have played a major role in striking Ukraine and projecting Russian power across the Black Sea and Eastern Mediterranean.

Zelenskyy White House visit

Fridays developments precede Zelenskyys anticipated arrival in Washington next week as the U.S. Congress continues to debate $21 billion more in aid to Ukraine to support its fight against Russia.

U.S. lawmakers are increasingly divided over whether to provide Ukraine with more aid. President Joe Biden is seeking $13 billion in military aid and $8 billion in humanitarian aid, but some Republican lawmakers oppose sending more aid to Ukraine.

Zelenskyy is expected to meet with Biden next week at the White House after the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York.

Although Ukraines counteroffensive push against the Russian invasion has been slower than expected, Zelenskyy Thursday celebrated what he described as Ukraines destruction of a Russian air defense system on the annexed Crimean Peninsula.

A special mention should be made to the entire personnel of the Security Service of Ukraine as well as our naval forces, Zelenskyy said in his nightly video message. The invaders air defense system was destroyed. Very significant, well done!

New sanctions

Earlier on Thursday, the U.S. sanctioned more than 150 businesses and individuals in Russia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Georgia to crack down on evasion of trade restrictions aimed at blocking funding for Russias war against Ukraine, now in its 19th month.

The newest sanctions package is one of the biggest imposed by the State Department and the U.S. Treasury. It targets those who are selling Western technology to Moscow to aid its war effort, particularly businesses and people in Turkey, a member of the Western military alliance that supports Ukraine.

The sanctions, which block any assets the businesses and individuals might have in the U.S., are also aimed at hobbling the development of Russias energy sector, which provides war funding, including Arctic natural gas projects, along with mining and factories producing and repairing Russian weapons.

In addition, the U.S. sanctions target several Turkish and Russian companies that the State Department says help Moscow source U.S. and European electronic components  such as computer chips and processors  that can be used in civilian and military equipment.

The State Department also is targeting Turkish companies that have provided ship repair services to a company affiliated with Russia's Defense Ministry.

Before the war, James O'Brien of the State Departments sanctions coordination office said that Russia imported up to 90% of its electronics from countries that are part of the G7 major industrial nations, but sanctions have dropped that figure closer to 30%.

Fighting continues

On the battlefield, Ukraines military said it shot down 17 of the 22 drones that Russia used to target multiple areas of Ukraine in overnight attacks.

The Ukrainian military said Russia launched several waves of attacks directed at the Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Sumy and Dnipropetrovsk regions.

Russias Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down multiple Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk region of western Russia early Thursday.

Russia also said it repelled an attack on a patrol ship in the Black Sea, with Russian forces destroying five unmanned boats.

Over Russian-controlled Crimea, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram it destroyed 11 Ukrainian drones.

Some information in this article came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Libyan authorities sealed off an inundated city on Friday to allow search teams to dig through the mud and hollowed-out buildings for 10,000 people missing and feared dead after the official toll from flooding soared past 11,000. Authorities warned that disease and explosives shifted by the waters could take yet more lives.

Two dams collapsed in exceptionally heavy rains from Mediterranean storm Daniel early Monday, sending a wall of water several meters high gushing down a valley that cuts through the city of Derna.

The unusual flooding and Libya's political chaos contributed to the enormous toll. The oil-rich state has been split since 2014 between rival governments in the east and west backed by various militia forces and international patrons.

The disaster has brought rare unity, as government agencies across Libya's divide rushed to help the affected areas. But relief efforts have been slowed by the destruction after several bridges that connect the city were destroyed.

Heaps of twisted metal and flooded cars littered Derna's streets, which are caked in a tan mud. Teams have buried bodies in mass graves outside the city and in nearby towns, Eastern Libya's health minister, Othman Abduljaleel, said.

But officials worried that thousands of bodies were still hidden in the muck  or floating in the sea, where divers were sent to search.

Adel Ayad, a survivor of the flood, recalled watching as the waters rose to the fourth floor of his building.

"The waves swept people away from the tops of buildings, and we could see people carried by floodwater," among them his neighbors, he said.

Health officials warned that standing water opened the door to disease  but said there was no need to rush burials or put the dead in mass graves, as bodies usually do not pose a risk in such cases.

"You've got a lot of standing water. It doesn't mean the dead bodies pose a risk, but it does mean that the water itself is contaminated by everything," Dr. Margaret Harris, spokeswoman for the World Health Organization, told reporters in Geneva. "So you really have to focus on ensuring that people have have access to safe water."

Imene Trabelsi, a spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, warned that another danger lurked in the mud: landmines and other explosive remnants left behind by the country's protracted conflict.

There are leftover explosives in Libya dating back to World War II, but most of the remaining ones are from the civil conflict that began in 2011. Between 2011 and 2021, some 3,457 people were killed and wounded by landmines and explosive weapon remnants in Libya, according to the international Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor.

Even before the flooding, Trabelsi said the "efforts and the capacity" to detect and demine areas were limited. After the floods, she said, explosive devices may have been swept to "new, undetected areas."

To allow emergency crews to do their work, residents were being evacuated from Derna and only search-and-rescue teams would be allowed to enter, Salam al-Fergany, director general of the Ambulance and Emergency Service in eastern Libya, announced late Thursday.

The Libyan Red Crescent said as of Thursday that 11,300 people in Derna had died and another 10,100 were reported missing. The storm also killed about 170 people elsewhere in the country.

Officials have said that Libya's political chaos has contributed to the loss of life.

"Government institutions are not functioning as they should," Lori Hieber Girardet, the head of the risk knowledge branch the U.N. Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Khalifa Othman, a Derna resident who is searching desperately for missing loved ones, said he blamed authorities for the extent of the disaster.

"My son, a doctor who is graduated this year, my nephew and all his family, my grandchild, my daughter and her husband are all missing, and we are still searching for them," he said. "All the people are upset and angry  there was no preparedness."
Photo: Music Box Films

Youll remember Anaita Wali Zadas eyes. As Donya, an Afghan refugee in the wry and wistful Fremont, the first-time actor is a steadily building wave, a maelstrom of intention and purpose. At times, she does nothing but look or listen as someone offers unsolicited advice, but through her coiled tension, watching and waiting are not passive acts. Take a scene at an Afghan restaurant, where the owner urges Donya to watch a soap opera with him. Director Babak Jalali places the television in front of Donya, and Donya in front of the man, centering her within the layered frame. With every admonishment for her to pay attention, her arms grow stiffer, her expression stonier, her energy bristling. Like the mise-en-scene itself, Donya is stratified, caught in between what others want for her and what she wants for herself.

Fremont, which Jalali co-wrote with Carolina Cavalli, is another chapter in the Iranian-British filmmakers interest in people carving out paths in the nearly forgotten fringes of nationality or identity. His first film, 2009s Frontier Blues, followed four intertwined stories in Irans northern border with Turkmenistan, and 2016s Radio Dreams cast the Afghan rock group Kabul Dreams as themselves in a film about a Persian-language radio station in San Francisco; both films used nonprofessional actors in their quietly droll, piercingly observed portraits of overlooked places. International conflicts linger in the backgrounds of these stories (Taliban rule and the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan factor into Radio Dreams, Jalalis third feature Land, and now Fremont), but Jalali is more compelled by how these events trickle into individuals lives than in which groups or nations are at fault. And in Wali Zada, a former TV presenter and journalist who left Afghanistan with her sister because of the Taliban, Jalali has found someone whose own lived experiences inform her character, a 27-year-old who had to flee her home country and settle in Fremont, California, as a result of her work as a translator for the U.S. Army. (About 89,000 Afghan nationals moved to the U.S. as part of Operation Allies Welcome, with nearly 3,000 settling in Sacramento, Oakland, and other Northern California cities. Some groups estimate that nearly 80,000 other interpreters were left behind after the final U.S. withdrawal in August 2021.)

Donya hasnt quite abandoned her old military routines, regimenting her life into compartments of loneliness: the apartment building she shares with other Afghan refugees; the fortune-cookie factory where she works with women who mostly pass the day in silence; the restaurant where she watches the soap opera with the older male proprietor; the psychiatrists office where she suffers through nearly offensive comparisons between her experiences and those of Jack Londons fictional dog White Fang. Wali Zada is so still and her face so indecipherable that Donya resembles a specter  a ghost haunting what should be her actual life. Jalali emphasizes that isolation with his exclusive use of black-and-white and a preference for static shots of Donya alone in the frame. But in Dari, the Afghan dialect of Persian that Donya speaks to herself and with her neighbors, her name means world, and the experience of watching Donya venture out into it is acutely affecting.

Shot in a boxy aspect ratio and with a certain playfulness, Fremont cuts out of its images what it considers irrelevant. Donyas surroundings are reduced to thin perimeters that allow her to be the sole focus of the frame, giving detailed process scenes, like close-ups of Donyas hands forming the fortune cookies or back-and-forth dialogue, including a late-night conversation between Donya and her neighbor Salim (Siddique Ahmed), immediacy and presentness. (The film would make a wonderful pair with the similarly themed and visualized Limbo, about a group of asylum seekers waiting on a Scottish island for a decision about their appeals.) Jalali has an eye for how other people observe or ignore their surroundings. He contrasts Donyas challenging and unsettled stare with the curiosity and openness of more personally resolved, recognizable-to-us faces (Gregg Turkington as the inane therapist Dr. Anthony, actual Bay Area native Boots Riley as a diner at the Chinese restaurant that receives the fortune cookies Donya makes, The Bears Jeremy Allen White as a gently awkward love interest who describes Donya as Afghanistani). Divergences build between Donya and the men jostling to be her father figures, and between Donya and the other Afghans around her, one of whom rudely ignores her polite small talk. Fremont says the most, though, when its communicating all that Donya doesnt voice. Her hushed agitation molds the film with defiance and yearning, breathing life and interiority into its visual extremes.

Translation is really a three-part act: interpreting what someone is saying in one language, choosing how to communicate that information and tone in a different language, and recreating the experience with the limitations inherent in speaking for another person. Its experimentation and invention at the same time. And as Fremont incrementally moves Donya around the frame  breaking out of her centered close-ups into more askew and zoomed-out positions  to show her growing certainty of self and her willingness to change her habits, the movie does its own translation of who we think she is versus who she actually is. A moment in the third act so jarringly punctures our assumptions about Donya and our role as witnesses to her self-actualization that Fremont nearly blows itself up. But Wali Zadas gaze is a form of language, too, and by the end of Fremont, its her emotional fluency that we all understand.
The Fremont Area Association of Retired School Personnel met for its September general meeting at the Congregational Church. After a prayer, lunch was served by church members.

September is the memorial service for FAARSP members who have passed this last year, Alice Colgan and Marilyn Shanks. Wanda Samson led the first part of the service while Linda Betkie led the second part honoring members who had passed in each decade of the associations existence. Beth Radtke assisted in both parts of the service.

President Ruth Register acknowledged the dedication and love of the association that presidents have. In the 50-year history of FAARSP there have been 21 presidents of which six are still living. Register honored the living presidents by saying it is important for the group to say thank you to these six members for the role they have played throughout the years. The six presidents honored were Vernelle Werblow, Nola Cox, Janet Kletke, Mary Jane Thulin, Kathy Cahill and Ruth Register. Each received a thank you plaque in their honor. Even though Register is still in office, she used the opportunity to inform the membership that she would not be accepting a nomination for another term when hers is soon over.

Shonda Shirley of CHAD/FAARSP presented the banner awarded to FAARSP at the CHAD annual meeting in August. The association was presented the Partner in Health award for their support of the work of CHAD with their 10 straight years of increased giving. Shirley explained the process to new members as the 2023 campaign kicked off and members picked up their giving envelopes.

Kletke read several short stories from members with their past experiences and events. These memories are never forgotten. Betkie, communication director, and Samson, financial director, both presented their reports which were approved. Samson reported that there are 91 members with hopes of a couple more joining.

Coordinators gave their updates on their projects. Radtke on donation items, Kletke on Salvation Army bell ringing, Norma Register on Holiday Meal collection, Ruth Register on veterans Christmas bag deliveries, Shirley on CHAD giving campaign, Carol Martin on historical information and Marta Calhoun on the Last Baby Born.

Split the pot for the scholarship fund was won by Sally Ganem. Winner of the free lunch for November was Cathy Chapman. Wendy Brenner reported that she had completed and delivered the project to The Bridge for their annual holiday auction.

The next drive-thru for Low Income is Oct. 11 at 2832 N. Belvedere. Items being collected are canned meals such as ravioli, Spaghettios, hash.. The public is welcome to help out by dropping off items between 3-4:30 p.m.

Members signed up to help with the Christmas bag deliveries to veterans in care centers. The group continues to collect used stamps for the Stamps for the Wounded project. Trim stamps to one-quarter inch around them. They can be dropped off at any meeting or drive-thru. The group is continuing to collect school supplies all year. Bring to meetings and drive-thru. Also, continue to collect empty pill bottles. Please remove labels.

Finally, FAARSP and CHAD are hosting a free kidney screening called KED from 3-6 p.m. on Oct. 5 from 3-6 p.m. at the United Methodist Church. It is open to the public. It is quick and you get printed results immediately. This report can be given to your doctor.

The next meeting is Nov. 8 at the United Methodist Church. The group will be giving a special program to honor the veterans in FAARSP.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution urges Americans to reflect on the United States Constitution during this months annual observance in honor this foundational document of national governance.

The DAR initiated the observance in 1955, when the service organization petitioned the U.S. Congress to dedicate Sept. 1723 of each year to the commemoration of Constitution Week. Congress adopted the resolution, and on Aug. 2, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into Public Law #915. The celebrations goals are threefold: to encourage the study of the historical events that led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787; to remind the public that the Constitution is the basis of Americas great heritage and the foundation for its way of life; and to emphasize U.S. citizens responsibility to protect, defend and preserve the U.S. Constitution.

We are so proud DAR led the way in making Constitution Week an official commemoration and our members enthusiastically promote the celebration annually in communities across the country by erecting community displays, sponsoring municipal proclamations, ringing bells and staging programs to raise awareness of the Constitutions tenets and importance, said DAR President General Pamela Rouse Wright. We encourage all citizens to join us in celebrating this powerful document that is so important to American history and to reflect on the impact the Constitution has had on the lives of American citizens past and present.

DAR has been an advocate for the awareness, promotion and celebration of Constitution Week. The annual observance provides opportunities for educational initiatives and community outreach, two mission areas of importance to the National Society. By fostering knowledge of, and appreciation for, the Constitution and the inalienable rights it affords to all Americans, DAR helps to keep alive the memory of the men and women who secured our nations foundational liberties.

One of the largest patriotic womens organizations in the world, DAR has 190,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters across the country and several foreign countries. DAR members promote historic preservation, education and patriotism via commemorative events, scholarships and educational initiatives, citizenship programs, service to veterans, meaningful community service and more. For additional information about DAR and its relevant mission, visit dar.org.
Dramatic video footage shows pilot ejecting seconds before plane crash.

A five-year-old girl was killed after one of Italy's Frecce Tricolori aerobatic jets crashed near the northern city of Turin on Saturday afternoon, Italian media reports.

The girl's parents and her nine-year-old brother were taken to hospital with burns, reports news agency ANSA, and the pilot of the aircraft survived after ejecting with a parachute seconds before impact.

The tragedy occurred after take-off at Turin's Caselle airport and the plane, which had been flying in formation, crashed near the town of San Francesco al Campo, about 20 km northwest of Turin.

Terribile incidente a Torino, dove un aereo delle Frecce Tricolori e precipitato durante una esercitazione, uccidendo una bimba di 5 anni e, secondo le prime notizie, ferendo il suo fratellino e i suoi genitori. Salvo il pilota, che si e lanciato all'ultimo con il paracadute. pic.twitter.com/AlW6TWqxTo  Matteo Salvini (@matteosalvinimi) September 16, 2023

According to initial media reports the plane hit a car in which the family was travelling.

An investigation has been opened into the incident which may have been caused by a 'bird strike', sources told ANSA.

The plane had been on its way with others to participate in an air show at Vercelli, about 65 km north-east of Turin, before taking part in an event on Sunday to celebrate the centenary of Italy's air force. The event has been cancelled.

Italy's deputy premier and transport minister Matteo Salvini posted dramatic video footage of the incident which he described as "a frightening tragedy".
Meloni seeks EU help to block migrant crossings.

The Italian government is ready to introduce "extraordinary measures" to deal with a surge of migrant arrivals, premier Giorgia Meloni pledged in a video on Friday night.

Claiming the pressure on Italy from migrants was "unsustainable", Meloni called for a joint response from the European Union, including "a naval mission if necessary" to stop migrant crossings from north Africa.

Meloni was speaking in response to the record numbers of migrant landings this week on the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa which is struggling to cope with the influx.

The premier said she has invited EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen to travel with her to Lampedusa to see the situation first-hand, as well as asking European Council president Charles Michel to put immigration on the agenda of an EU summit next month.

Lavoriamo ogni giorno per mantenere gli impegni che abbiamo sottoscritto con voi, in ogni ambito, a partire dal ripristino della legalita e nel contrasto allimmigrazione illegale. pic.twitter.com/taHCjmNapy  Giorgia Meloni (@GiorgiaMeloni) September 15, 2023

Meloni also called on the European Commission to immediately transfer 250 million to Tunisia as part of a recent deal she helped to broker with the north African state to stem migrant flows across the Mediterranean.

She said the cabinet would pass emergency measures on Monday including raising the detention limit for those who enter Italy illegally to 18 months and mandating the army to build larger reception centres for illegal immigrants "in places with very low population density".

The number of migrant arrivals in Italy since the start of this year is nearly 126,000, almost double the figure during the same time frame in 2022, presenting political difficulty for Meloni's right-wing administration which came to power almost a year ago vowing to crack down on illegal immigration.

Lampedusa, which has a population of 6,000 permanent residents and is closer to Africa than the Italian mainland, has been at the centre of the immigration debate for more than a decade.

Next month marks the 10th anniversary of a migrant boat tragedy off Lampedusa, in which 366 people drowned on 3 October 2013, putting the tiny island in the international spotlight.
The relationships between Trump and his three eldest children are likely to be on display as they are all scheduled to take the witness stand in the civil fraud trial in New York over the Trump Organizations business practices.
Wallets might be snapping shut across the country, but Australians havent completely axed their discretionary spending.

Over the past six weeks, retailers across the country have lifted the lid on their financial performances for the past year, and cautiously attempted to predict the spending outlook.

Super Retail Group chief executive Anthony Heraghty says car parts and accessories perform strongly no matter the economic environment. Credit: Attila Csaszar

The numbers suggest that, even though consumers are holding back on shopping sprees, there are some product categories on which they wont compromise.

Here are some of the purchases we just cant quit.
The prolonged therapeutic use of unapproved medicinal cannabis products, especially in the vulnerable paediatric population calls into question the appropriateness of the TGA to continue to place the risk of prescribing of these products with the medical profession whilst an unregulated industry continues to grow... the document reads. There is little scrutiny on whether the risk-benefit ratio remains favourable over time for patients who use them. This concern is especially relevant when it comes to long-term use of THC-containing products, especially in children, who are more vulnerable to the deleterious effects of this cannabinoid. The leading reason for prescribing cannabis is to treat pain. Scientists and advocates had long hoped that when proper research was done, cannabis would prove to be a powerful treatment for chronic pain. Monash Universitys Rachelle Buchbinder is worried about an opioid epidemic being replaced by a medical cannabis epidemic. Credit: Mario Borg Professor Rachelle Buchbinder, a world-leading pain researcher based at Monash University who published a review of the data in 2021, said there was now enough evidence to conclude that the drug did not work for pain.

Based on the trial evidence, there is small to very-small to no benefit in pain, or in function, or in sleep quality, she said. Loading Its very concerning. And Im worried about an opioid epidemic just being replaced by a medical cannabis epidemic. This is another commercially driven treatment where the harms are going to be outweighing the benefits. This is going in the wrong direction. Professor Michael Vagg, dean of the Faculty of Pain Medicine at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists, said the cannabis boom was ethically more concerning than opioids because at least opioids were shown to be effective in treating pain.

The cannabinoid use boom that is beginning is much more blatantly commercial than the increase in opioid prescribing. It is also ethically concerning that the vast majority of prescribing is for chronic pain, and is being done by non-specialists who have a very narrow focus on pharmaceutical management of pain. Professor Iain McGregor, academic director of the Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, strongly disagreed with Vagg and Buchbinder, pointing to self-reported data showing significant and sustained quality-of-life improvements. Sensory measures of pain may not change that much with cannabis. But what does seem to change is peoples ability to get on with and enjoy their lives. And thats fantastically useful. To try to equate medicinal cannabis uptake with the opioid epidemic is grotesque. Opioids kill people. Cannabinoids do not. Because medical cannabis is not an approved medicine, internal TGA documents warn it is unable to police its safety and quality, which is unpredictable. Internal TGA data tracked 521 adverse event reports linked to medical cannabis up to February this year, 77 requiring hospitalisation and 16 being life-threatening.

The TGA was also notified of four deaths in children using medical cannabis, although the deaths appear related to underlying health conditions, the documents note. An analysis of prescription data to mid-2021 by a team of Australian researchers showed a sharp change in prescription patterns from 2019. Before 2019, most prescriptions were for people over the age of 45, and they were mostly prescribed cannabis oils. But after 2019, prescriptions for younger men increased, with data suggesting this group preferred either dried cannabis flower or inhalation products  possibly vape cartridges. Dr Elizabeth Cairns, the University of Sydney researcher who led that analysis, said there were good medical reasons some users would prefer flower, like needing quick relief for pain or anxiety.

Peter Crock, chair of Medicinal Cannabis Industry Australia, said it was clear recreational users were turning to the scheme. Theres no doubt theres an element of that. However, moving users away from illegal products towards purer medical cannabis was a valuable piece of harm-minimisation, Crock said. Peter Crock, in 2017 when he headed the Cann Group. Critics of the drug were missing the point, he said. Yes, there isnt clinical evidence for cannabinoids  because its been prohibited. Its a circular argument thats really frustrating. Saying theres a higher risk from cannabinoids than from opioids is an inappropriate direct comparison.

In comments on online forums seen by this masthead, users swap advice on strain selection  Durban Poison or Maali Sky?  and marvel at the easy access to legal bud. I cannot believe this is happening, wrote one, after getting a script three hours after applying online. Holy sh-t! Loading Injured workers are also increasingly convincing government insurer WorkSafe to cover the cost of medical cannabis; 108 workers received cannabis subsidies in the last 11 months. A WorkSafe spokeswoman said the insurer does not support the use of medicinal cannabis except in exceptional circumstances. A spokesman for the TGA this month said the use of an unapproved therapeutic good for a patient is a clinical decision made at the discretion of the medical practitioner. The prescriber and their patient take full responsibility for the use of the unapproved product.
On Sept. 11, 2001, America suffered a series of terrible losses. Some lost offices or jobs when the Twin Towers came crashing down. Some lost a sense of safety and security as we watched buildings crumble on TV. Most tragically, many of us lost dear friends or family members to these atrocious attacks on our nation.

Nebraska was no stranger to the widespread suffering caused by 9/11. Some of our own were lost that day, and we remember them on this 22nd anniversary of the attacks.

Navy Capt. Larry Getzfred of Elgin was serving as the senior watch officer in the Pentagons Navy Command Center when the building he was in was hit. Julie Geis of Beaver Crossing, a former softball player for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, was working in the World Trade Center that fateful day. Fellow UNL graduate Monte Hord, a Central City native, was at the World Trade Center as well, along with University of Nebraska-Omaha graduate Jerrold Paskins. Jennifer Dorsey Howley, a graduate of my own Lincoln Southeast High School, was working in the World Trade Center and expecting her first child at the time of the attacks. Today is a day to remember these Nebraskans and reflect on the lives which were tragically cut too short.

As we mourn those who died in the attacks, we also honor the many men and women who risked or sacrificed their lives to protect others that day. The 9/11 attacks caused more law enforcement officer deaths than any other single incident in our countrys history. The Officer Down Memorial Page counts almost 500 officers from 10 different agencies in New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia who have passed away as a direct result of 9/11.

In New York City alone, the New York City Fire Department deployed half its personnel to the World Trade Center, and the New York City Police Department sent Emergency Service Units and other personnel to respond. These heroes were joined by off-duty first responders who selflessly stepped in during a time of need.

U.S. Strategic Command, based in Nebraska, played a critical role that day as well. STRATCOM officials watched the attacks with the same shock and horror as the rest of us  but then they jumped into action. Within hours of the first attack, President George W. Bush arrived at Offutt Air Force Base. From underground command centers, STRATCOM officials provided President Bush with the information he needed to respond to the horrific events of that day.

The valiant self-sacrifice of all these individuals should be acknowledged. Every day in America, hundreds more officers follow in their footsteps by working jobs that put their lives at risk to preserve the lives of others. These men and women demonstrate the meaning of patriotism: placing the good of their country, community, and neighbor above themselves.

As Americans and Nebraskans, we lost many precious things on Sept. 11  the most precious of all being the lives of friends and family. I know that along with these losses, we have gained new perspectives. As we mourn our losses, we hug our loved ones a little tighter. We show more honor and appreciation for the men and women who dedicate their lives to keeping us safe. And we remember the gift it is to live in this great country.

Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.
Bogota: Colombian artist Fernando Botero, whose sculptures and paintings of playful, rotund subjects in sometimes harrowing situations made him one of the worlds richest artists, died on September 15 at age 91.

Heralded as South Americas answer to Picasso, Botero also tackled violence and political topics, including Colombias internal conflicts, as well as portraying daily life.

Columbian artist Fernando Boteros artwork is showcased at the Bowers Museum. Credit: AP

His works have featured in exhibitions across the world. His canvases and sculptures sell for more than $2 million each, according to Sothebys.

The artists bodacious subjects were portrayed in everyday situations  a corpulent naked woman lounging on a bed or a stout man riding a humorously out-sized horse  but served the artists more serious goal of transporting the reader to what he called a superlative dimension, where commonplace situations took on exaggerated proportions.
Today

Partly to mostly sunny and cool; a chilly but dry treat for Halloween.

Tonight

A partly cloudy, cool, and dry evening with trick-or-treat temps in the mid 40s, then mostly cloudy after midnight with a spotty rain or snow shower towards morning.

Tomorrow

Mostly cloudy with a scattered rain or snow shower in the morning, then turning partly sunny. Brisk and chilly.
N. CATASAUQUA, Pa.  The lack of information concerning a double homicide in Northampton County had rumors swirling among neighbors Friday night.

Friends of the victims found dead in a North Catasauqua home Thursday afternoon  a 39-year-old woman and a 16-year-old girl  say they hope justice is around the corner for their loved ones.

"She don't deserve this. It's horrific," said Julie Klein, a close friend who attended the same church as the victims.

Friends of the victims are trying to make sense of what happened.

"I bought some flowers, and then, I say a little prayer. I prayed for justice and for her soul," said Golde Mari, a close friend who attended the same church as the victims.

Mari says they spent many holidays with the victims, worshipped at the same church in Bethlehem, and even helped them move into the house.

"They're good people," added Klein. "That's why we're shocked. They have no known enemies here. She was so excited to be here in this neighborhood."

Klein says it's hard to make sense of the homicides without many details.

"It's only, like, speculations," she explained. "Totally different stories, so I don't want to bear with different stories. I want to go with the truth."

Officers from the North Catasauqua Police Department were dispatched to the residence just after 11:20 a.m. Thursday, where distraught family members of the victims told police they had discovered their relatives' bodies inside the home.

Northampton County Coroner Zachary Lysek said the victims died of "sharp force injuries" and ruled the manner of death homicide.

There's nothing, at this time, from authorities on a suspect or potential motive.

"I know they're trying their best now to do the investigation, and I trust that they're going to do something about it because we also need justice," urged Klein.

Friends say the 16-year-old was loved dearly and her mother was dedicated  working overtime to save for her family, with a larger-than-life personality.

"I can still feel her aura like she's still alive," Klein said. "I don't want to think that she's gone completely."

A friend of the teenage victim came to the scene Friday to leave flowers in her friend's memory.

"I'm so upset," said Alivia Jenny. "I'm like, I don't even, I don't have any words to say anymore."

But Jenny did have words to describe her longtime friend who she had just learned was stabbed to death.

"She was the sweetest person you could ever talk to," Jenny said. "She always was friends with others."

Jenny said she and the girl grew up together, and she spent a lot of her childhood in the house in the 1100 block of Railroad Street with her friend and her friend's mother.

"I always was over here. I would walk down from my old house, then hang out, eat dinner here," Jenny said. "She would make dinner for us every night. I would sleep upstairs in the attic with her."

When Jenny was asked why she chose to leave the flowers in memory of her friend, she said, "Because I love her, and I just...I just love her."

There's no word yet on when authorities plan to release the identities of the victims or a possible suspect.

69 News did reach out to Northampton County District Attorney Terry Houck, who said there's no additional information at this time.

He has previously said there's no danger to the public.
OXFORD BOROUGH, Pa.  Two police officers were recognized for their quick action to help save residents from a burning apartment building in Oxford Borough, Chester County, on Wednesday night.

According to a letter from Oxford Mayor Phillip Harris, Officers Karilanna Eller and Scott Richards responded to a fire alarm at 21-23 S. Third St. within two minutes  then went door-to-door evacuating residents.

Video from Richards' body camera shows the officers directing residents to exit toward the rear of the buildings as fire rages on the other side of a window  which Eller and Richards closed to contain the flames.

The Union Fire Department, Oxford Ambulance and Medic 94 also responded to the scene, Harris said.

According to Harris, South Third Street will remain closed between Market and Hodgson Streets for an "undetermined amount of time" as cleanup efforts continue.
SPANISH LOOKOUT, BELIZE  A family of Christian missionaries from Bucks County and their extended family members were injured after the 16-passenger van they were all riding in crashed with an unlit construction vehicle.

The crash occurred Wednesday, Sept. 6, along Iguana Creek Road in Spanish Lookout, Belize  a settlement about 50 miles west of the country's capital, Belize City.

According to a press release on behalf of the family, missionaries Spring and Nathanael Davis and their four children, of Sellersvile, have served in Belize for six of the past eight years.

The family was working with the Fountain of Life Church in Spanish Lookout and being visited by their relatives of the Bennetch and Ziegler families at the time of the crash, the press release said.

Although nearly all 16 people in the van suffered fractures and other serious injuries, everyone is expected to survive.

A GoFundMe was set up to help the families with unexpected medical bills, and it has raised more than $71,000 of its $100,000 goal as of 12 p.m. Saturday.

A Facebook page was also set up to provide recovery updates for those involved in the accident.
WASHINGTON, D.C.  On Friday, Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) introudced a bill that his office says is designed to expand child healthcare access.

Known as the "Medicaid for Every Child Act," the bill would automatically enroll every American in Medicaid at birth and let them retain eligibility until age 18, with no redetermination requirement.

Parents could opt their children out of Medicaid if they have secured another form of healthcare through the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or private insurance through employer or marketplace.

As Americans, it is our solemn obligation to ensure every child has the support they need to reach their full potential, Casey said in a press release. Yet right now, too many of our kids are struggling to stay healthy because their families cant afford the care they need."

Also on Friday, Casey expressed his support for the "FEND Off Fentanyl Act," which proposes a crackdown on what the senator calls the "fentanyl supply chain." The bill would target chemical suppliers of fentanyl in China, who traffic the drugs to Mexican drug carels and into the United States, Casey said in a separate press release.

We need to crack down on the Chinese producers of synthetic fentanyl and the Mexican cartels that bring it across the border by hitting them where it hurts their bottom line."

According to the press release, Casey's call to pass the bipartisan bill came amid the release of a report detailing an increase in overdose deaths among Pennsylvanians under age 40. Accidental overdoses were the No. 1 cause of death for younger Pennsylvanians in 2022, according to the report.
A multi-million-dollar federal grant will help restore and enhance thousands of trees in southeast Colorado Springs, improving the environment, beautifying the area and enriching community well-being, parks and forestry officials said Friday.

"Understanding the health benefits associated with the tree canopy, and being able to have that nature close by and within your immediate area  is a great comparison to what this grant is going to be able to provide to a much greater area within southeast Colorado Springs," said Kim King, assistant director of the city's Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service is awarding Colorado Springs' forestry division a $9 million grant officials will use over the next five years to "improve the health and condition of the tree canopy" in more than 12,000 trees in southeast Colorado Springs and in areas adjacent to downtown, including the Stratton Meadows, Hillside, Meadows Park, Mill Street and a portion of the Knob Hill neighborhoods, they said.

Those parts of town, with lots of pavement, buildings and other surfaces that absorb and retain heat, are what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency describes as "urban heat islands" that increase energy costs, air pollution and heat-related illnesses and deaths.

The southeast part of town is the driest and has some of the poorest soils, city forester Dennis Will said, so there are fewer trees there than in other parts of the city. Trees in the area need to be irrigated to stay alive.

The project area meets federal criteria defining it as economically disadvantaged and/or has poorer environmental health than other sections of Colorado Springs, grant writer Stephanie Surch said.

Nine million dollars in grant funds  the largest dollar amount awarded to any of the eight Colorado cities that received the grant  is a "significant" amount of money that will go a long way toward improving the tree canopy in this area, Will said. In comparison, city forestry's annual budget is about $3.1 million.

Officials will use the grant funds to hire two foresters who will work exclusively in the identified project area, taking inventory of the tree canopy and determining which trees need to be pruned or removed.

The city will then hire contractors to prune and remove existing trees as well as plant about 600 new trees in the project area.

Officials want to partner with neighborhood residents to plant trees in locations where they are more likely to survive, such as on private property rather than in rights of way that aren't irrigated, Will said.

The city could also plant new trees in neighborhood parks and open spaces, he said.

"We think  getting the community involved, having a vested interest as well, will help change that cycle of planting trees in non-irrigated areas and them not surviving," Will said.

More trees in these communities will provide several benefits for the residents living and recreating there, he said.

Trees shade homes and reduce the amount of energy needed to cool them down in the summer; they protect homes from wind by slowing the breeze, therefore slowing the cooling effect during winter; they provide aesthetic beauty; they absorb pollution from the atmosphere; and they serve as wildlife habitats, among other benefits, Will said.

Officials will work with neighborhood partners such as CONO (the Council of Neighbors and Organizations) and various community centers to educate residents on the benefits of having more trees in the area and how to maintain them.

"That's something (the city forestry division) has been lacking over the last 10 years or so," Will said. "I'm really looking forward to that component."

Colorado Springs' forestry division manages about 300,000 urban street trees and 20,000 park trees. The city has been a Tree City USA community since 1977, longer than any other Colorado community.
SEATTLE  Outrage grew Friday over a Seattle police officer's remark that the life of a young woman killed by a speeding patrol car had "limited value." Diplomats from India asked for an investigation following the death of the Indian graduate student as people in Seattle protested the officer's callous jokes caught on bodycam video.

The footage released this week shows Officer Daniel Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, joking with the rank-and-file police union's president after a different officer's speeding police car on Jan. 23 slammed into Jaahnavi Kandula at a crosswalk.

Protesters on Thursday evening gathered at the Seattle intersection where the 23-year-old graduate student was fatally struck by Officer Kevin Dave's SUV. The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is conducting a criminal review of the crash.

Auderer responded to the crash to evaluate whether Dave was impaired, The Seattle Times reported. Dave had been driving 74 mph in a 25 mph zone on the way to an overdose call.

Later, Auderer left his body-worn camera on as he called Seattle Police Officers Guild President Mike Solan to report what happened. In a recording released by the police department Monday, Auderer laughs and suggests Kandula's life had "limited value" and the city should just write a check for $11,000.

At the demonstration Thursday, 5-year-old Layla Allibhai sat atop father Mo Allibhai's shoulders while holding a sign saying: "I have unlimited value. So did Jaahnavi."

Protesters also carried signs saying "Jail killer cops" and "Convict Kevin Dave."

"I think this has galvanized people because it's so blatant and disrespectful to put a value on a human's life at $11,000," Patricia Hunter, co-chair of the Community Police Commission, said Friday. "And it galvanizes people to see that the culture at Seattle Police Department has some issues that need to be immediately addressed."

Hunter's commission was formed to hold police accountable, along with the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of Police Accountability. Hunter said its next step is to work with those partners to see what charges might be brought in the case, what policies might have been broken and "to amplify the voices of the community which are enraged over this video, so that justice can be done."

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco tweeted that took the "deeply troubling" matter up with authorities in Seattle and in Washington, D.C., and it wants a thorough investigation and action against those involved. Newspapers in India are following the case.

In a statement Friday, the U.S. State Department called the situation disturbing.

"We are aware of, and are disturbed by, what was said about Ms. Kandula's death in the bodycam footage recently released by the Seattle Police Department," the State Department said. "We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere condolence to Ms. Kandula's family and loved ones."

The Seattle Police Officers Guild said Friday it understands the outrage caused by the "highly insensitive comments."

"It sullens the profession of law enforcement, the reputation of all Seattle Police officers and paints Seattle in a terrible light," the union said. "We feel deep sorrow and grief for the family of Jaahnavi Kandula as this video has revictimized them in an already tragic situation as they continue to mourn her death. We are truly sorry."

But the union noted that the bodycam footage captures only Auderer's side of the conversation: "There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet."

Solan, who had been on the other end of the call with Auderer, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

Auderer, in an Aug. 8 statement he provided to the Office of Police Accountability that the union released Friday, said Solan lamented the death and his own comments were intended to mimic how the city's attorneys might try to minimize liability for it.

"I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy," Auderer wrote. "I understand that without context the comment could be interpreted as horrifying and crude."

He denied his remarks were "made with malice or a hard heart."

Kandula was from Andhra Pradesh, a state in India's southern coastal region. Relatives told The Seattle Times that Kandula came to Seattle so she could one day support her mother back home in India. Kandula was on track to receive a master's degree in information systems this December from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was fully acquitted Saturday of corruption charges in a historic impeachment trial, a resounding verdict that reaffirms the power of the GOP's hard right and puts an indicted incumbent who remains under FBI investigation back into office.

The outcome demonstrated Paxtons lasting durability in Americas biggest red state after years of criminal charges and scandal. And more broadly, it delivered a signature victory for the Texas GOPs ascendent conservative wing, following an impeachment that gave a rare window into divisions among Republicans nationally heading into 2024.

Today, the truth prevailed. The truth could not be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors, Paxton said in a statement. He only attended a few hours of the two-week trial and was not there for the verdict.

The trial was a showcase of both sober testimony and occasional spectacle. In accusing Paxton of abusing his office, former advisers recounted how Texas' top lawyer allegedly pressured them to help a political donor who was under FBI investigation. The testimony included arguments over who paid for home renovations, whether Paxton used burner phones and how his alleged extramarital affair became a strain on the office.

Paxton denied wrongdoing and his attorneys argued there was either no evidence or that there wasnt enough to rise beyond a reasonable doubt. They portrayed Paxton as the victim of a plot orchestrated by Republican rivals and waved to political conspiracies involving George P. Bush, the nephew of former President George W. Bush, who unsuccessfully challenged Paxton in last year's GOP primary.

Paxton was endorsed in that race by former President Donald Trump, who reaffirmed his support in the waning days of the trial and applauded the verdict. The Ken Paxton Victory is sooo BIG. WOW!!! Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform.

More than three months after an overwhelming impeachment in the Texas House  where Republicans have a solid majority  Paxton was just as convincingly acquitted by Senate Republicans who serve alongside his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton.

Angela Paxton was not allowed a vote in the trial. But she attended all two weeks of the proceedings, including one dramatic moment when a woman was called to publicly testify about an affair she had with the state senator's husband. The woman ultimately never took the witness stand, but her relationship with Ken Paxton was central to a case that accused him of going to potentially criminal lengths to help a local real estate developer named Nate Paul, who was under FBI investigation at the time.

The voting to acquit Paxton one-by-one on 16 charges of misconduct, bribery and corruption took more than an hour. Needing at least nine GOP senators to cross party lines, impeachment managers never got more than two on any one charge.

Onlookers in the Senate gallery for the verdict included three of Paxton's former deputies who reported him to the FBI in 2020 and testified in the trial. As the acquittals stacked up, one of them left midway through the verdict.

When the voting finally finished, Angela Paxton walked over to the defense table and hugged her husband's lawyers.

Democratic state Sen. Nathan Johnson described nearly eight hours of deliberations among the 30 senators as a hard and seemingly sincere process. And then it collapsed, he said.

Johnson said it eventually became clear there would not be enough votes to convict and that it may have led some senators to change their minds.

When enough people fall away from conviction, it exposes any remaining Republican to very strong attack from the right, Johnson said. We reached the wrong result and it was the result of political pressures.

Another Democrat, Sen. Royce West, said the deliberations were not combative. It was fluid," he said.

The outcome far from ends Paxtons troubles. He still faces trial on felony securities fraud charges, remains under a separate FBI investigation and is in jeopardy of losing his ability to practice law in Texas because of his baseless attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Eight of Paxtons former deputies reported him to the FBI in 2020 over his relationship with real estate developer Paul, setting off a federal investigation that remains ongoing. Federal prosecutors investigating Paxton took testimony in August before a grand jury in San Antonio, according to two people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of secrecy rules around the proceeding.

Paul was indicted in June on charges of making false statements to banks. He has pleaded not guilty. Testimony in the trial included a former Texas Ranger, who said he warned Paxton he was risking indictment in trying to help Paul pursue claims of wrongdoing by federal agents and a judge.

But reelected twice, including last November, Paxton has remained politically resilient despite the legal troubles and dysfunction in his office.

After starting his career in the state legislature as a Tea Party insurgent, Paxton has elevated his national profile by rushing his office into polarizing courtroom battles across the U.S., winning acclaim from Trump and the GOPs hard right.

Shortly after the verdict, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott welcomed Paxton back to work without reservations.

Attorney General Paxton has done an outstanding job representing Texas, especially pushing back against the Biden Administration, Abbott said. "I look forward to continuing to work with him to secure the border and protect Texas from federal overreach.

Associated Press writer Jake Bleiberg in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

Find APs full coverage of the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton at: https://apnews.com/hub/ken-paxton
Authorities arrested a person they believe is responsible for a series of online threats made toward Liberty High School over the span of several months.

Colorado Springs police announced in a release Friday that a juvenile male was arrested after unspecified evidence was found during a search of a northeast Colorado Springs residence.

The juvenile is suspected of felony incitement of death or destruction, and misdemeanor interference with staff, faculty, or students of educational institutions.

In the release, police said the social media threats resulted in an "unsettled atmosphere at the school," as well as "numerous threat assessments and emotional impact on students and faculty." The school was also placed on "secure" status numerous times.

The Gazette previously reported that, at the end of August, threatening social media posts targeting Liberty had "gone viral." School officials later said the threats were not credible and praised students for "coming forward."

Police said the department's School Resource Officer Unit investigated each threat, before identifying a single suspect. A joint investigation with District 20 security, CSPD, and the FBI led to the execution of Friday's search warrant.

Police say that the case is still actively being investigated; witnesses and anyone with information is asked to call the Colorado Springs Police Department at (719) 444-7000; or, leave an anonymous tip for Crime Stoppers at (719) 634-STOP (7867) or 1-800-222-8477.
Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. is a financial technology company that provides software, services and solutions to financial institutions, merchants and other businesses worldwide. The company was founded in 1968 and is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, with operations in more than 110 countries. FIS is a Fortune 500 company and is one of the largest global providers of banking and payment technologies.

FIS offers a wide range of products and services, including core banking and payment processing solutions, risk management, fraud detection, compliance services, mobile banking, digital wallets and other consumer-facing products. The company serves diverse customers, including banks, credit unions, merchants, governments and corporations.

Stephanie Ferris is the CEO and President of FIS. She joined the FIS team after FIS purchased WorldPay. At WorldPay, she specialized in revenue synergies and long-range strategic planning. Other notable team members include John Durrant, the President of Banking Solutions. John has focused on enterprise payment systems, product experience and small-business banking for over a decade.

Over the past few years, FIS has seen a weak financial performance. The company has been reporting losses for approximately three years. FIS's debt levels have increased in recent years due to the company's acquisition of Worldpay in 2019, which added roughly $16 billion in debt to FIS's balance sheet. Since 2019 FIS has maintained a debt level of around $35 billion. With a price-to-earnings ratio higher than the industry average and a price-to-book ratio lower than the industry average, FIS's valuation metrics suggest that the company is trading at a premium compared to its peers. FIS's stock price has performed poorly in recent years, consistently falling since Q2 of 2020.

FIS operates in the financial technology industry, which is experiencing significant growth and disruption. The rise of digital banking and payments has led to increased competition, innovation in the industry and regulatory and cybersecurity challenges.

FIS's primary competitors include global financial technology companies like Fiserv, Square and PayPal. In addition, FIS competes with traditional banks and payment processors investing in digital technology.

FIS has several growth opportunities, including new product launches, acquisitions and expansions into new markets. In 2020, the company launched several new products, including a real-time payments solution and a digital wallet. FIS also acquired the payments technology company Worldpay for $43 billion in 2019. The acquisition has positioned FIS as one of the largest payment processors in the world and has expanded the company's global footprint. It is important to note that in 2023 FIS began discussing spinning WorldPay off into a separate entity.

FIS is also exploring opportunities to expand into new markets, particularly in emerging economies such as Asia and Africa. The company has partnered with regional financial institutions to provide digital banking and payment solutions.

While FIS has seen strong financial performance and growth opportunities, the company has several potential risks and challenges. One significant risk is the increasing competition in the financial technology industry, particularly from new entrants and non-traditional players such as tech companies and fintech startups.

In addition, regulatory and compliance challenges could impact FIS's operations and growth. The financial technology industry is highly regulated, and changes in regulations or compliance requirements could increase costs and limit growth opportunities for FIS.

Cybersecurity threats are another significant risk facing FIS and the financial technology industry. As the company processes and stores sensitive financial data, any breaches or cyber-attacks could significantly damage FIS's reputation and financial performance.

Changes in consumer preferences and behavior could impact FIS's growth and profitability. As digital banking and payment solutions evolve, consumers may prefer alternative solutions, such as cryptocurrency or blockchain-based systems, which could impact FIS's traditional business model.
NiSource Inc., an energy holding company, operates as a regulated natural gas and electric utility company in the United States. It operates through two segments, Gas Distribution Operations and Electric Operations. The company distributes natural gas to approximately 859,000 customers in northern Indiana, as well as approximately 2.4 million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Kentucky, and Maryland. It operates approximately 54,800 miles of distribution main pipelines, as well as associated individual customer service lines; and 1,000 miles of transmission main pipelines. The company generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 486,000 customers in 20 counties in the northern part of Indiana, as well as engages in wholesale electric and transmission transactions. It owns and operates coal-fired electric generating stations with a capacity of 722 megawatts (MW) in Wheatfield and 455 MW in Michigan City; combined cycle gas turbine with a capacity of 563 MW in West Terre Haute; natural gas generating units with a capacity of 155 MW in Wheatfield; hydro generating plants with a capacity of 9 MW in Carroll County and 7 MW in White County; and wind generating units with a capacity of 102 MW and 302 MW in White County, Indiana. The company was formerly known as NIPSCO Industries, Inc. and changed its name to NiSource Inc. in April 1999. NiSource Inc. was founded in 1847 and is headquartered in Merrillville, Indiana.
iShares China Large-Cap ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the FTSE China 25 Index (the Underlying Index). The Fund's portfolio of sectors include Financials, Telecommunication, Oil & gas, Technology and Consumer goods. The underlying Index is designed to represent the performance of the companies in the Chinese equity market, which are available to the international investors. The underlying Index consists of 25 Chinese companies. BlackRock Fund Advisors (BFA) is the investment advisor of the Fund.
Primerica, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products to middle-income households in the United States and Canada. The company operates in four segments: Term Life Insurance; Investment and Savings Products; Senior Health; and Corporate and Other Distributed Products. The Term Life Insurance segment underwrites individual term life insurance products. The Investment and Savings Products segment provides mutual funds and various retirement plans, managed investments, variable and fixed annuities, and fixed indexed annuities. The Senior Health segment offers segregated funds; and medicare advantage and supplement products. The Corporate and Other Distributed Products segment provides mortgage loans; prepaid legal services that assist subscribers with legal matters, such as drafting wills, living wills and powers of attorney, trial defense, and motor vehicle-related matters; ID theft defense services; auto and homeowners' insurance; home automation solutions; and insurance products, including supplemental health and accidental death. It distributes and sells its products through licensed sales representatives. Primerica, Inc. was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia.
In 1973, Skee Hipszky, 18, became a volunteer for El Paso County Search and Rescue.

In 2023, Hipszky, now 68, remains a volunteer with El Paso County Search and Rescue, and is now by far the organizations longest-tenured volunteer.

Sometimes you think Wow, have that many years gone by already? Hipszky said on his 50th anniversary volunteering for the organization.

Hipszky is a former life support instructor at UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central, now retired, with a passion for medicine and helping people. He guesses that he has conducted more than 3,500 operations since joining the organization 50 years ago.

Those operations are often dramatically different from one to the other; last week, in Hipszkys most recent operation, he and others went to go help a young woman who injured her ankle on Barr Trail and needed assistance getting out.

That operation was tame for Hipszky, compared with some of the other stories he has to tell.

Hipszky recalled in 1994 that search and rescue was tasked with helping a group of cross-country skiers who were seriously injured in an avalanche and stuck on Pikes Peak.

Hipszky and others were sent to Pikes Peak to provide medical treatment and begin evacuation, but shortly after their arrival an unexpected blizzard roared through with winds of over 70 mph, trapping everyone on the mountain.

It was absolutely miserable, Hipszky recalled. It literally became a life and death situation for rescuer as well as for the patients.

The blizzard resulted in the whole crew being trapped on the mountain overnight with no way to get down until the next morning, when a brief break in the storm allowed a helicopter to pick up everyone.

Some of Hipzskys fellow volunteers recall working on operations with him where he literally saved someones life, operations that didnt even come to mind when Hipszky spoke about his career.

Tim Hayden and Brian Kinsey have been volunteers with El Paso County Search and Rescue for more than 30 years, and the pair recalled a time when the organization was called on to help a man who was having chest pains at the top of the Manitou Incline.

Hayden said that as Hipszky was arriving on scene the man went into cardiac arrest; another member of El Paso County Search Rescue began performing CPR while Hipszky used a defibrillator to keep the man alive. The man ended up surviving and writing about it in a blog only a week later, Hayden said.

Hipszky had taught the other member who had performed CPR how to do so only a week before the incident, according to Hayden.

Wilderness saves like that are very rare, Hayden said. Skee clearly saved that guys life.

Those operations, as well as the more than 3,500 others Hipszky has been a part of the past 50 years, were done as a volunteer. El Paso County Search and Rescue is an organization made up of only volunteers, and the entirety of their equipment is donated or bought with donated funds.

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I cant tell you how many times Ive missed dinner or Ive missed a movie; you just paid tickets to go see the movie and the pager goes off, Hipszky said. Im glad I have such a supportive wife.

Its even become a family affair for the Hipszkys, with his wife, Ginger, occasionally helping out the organization, doing weather forecasting and speaking with the National Weather Service when needed.

El Paso County Search and Rescue is a finalist for the Land Rover Defenders Service Award, where the organization with the most votes gets a new Jeep Land Rover outfitted with the necessary equipment for wilderness search and rescue operations.

For Hipszky, being apart of Search and Rescue has always been about being able to use what he loves to help people. Hipszky said that his love for the outdoors, love for mountain climbing and love for helping others is what got him to join Search and Rescue 50 years ago, and those reasons are why he remains so dedicated to the organization to this day.

I truly feel like this was my calling, my purpose in life, Hipszky said.

Christopher Valentine, the public information officer for Search and Rescue and a new volunteer to the organization, talked about how Hipszkys experience and dedication in the organization is unmatched.

He is a leader by example, Valentine said of Hipszky. One of those people that you just know that if you have a question, hes been there, done that, you can you can lean on him. Hes always hes always there to offer advice.

While Valentine hasnt experienced some of the more adrenaline-inducing operations that Hipszky has, Kinsey and Hayden  each with over 30 years of experience themselves  had similar things to say about Hipszkys dedication to the organization.

He is someone you kind of wanted to emulate, Hayden said. Always being there, always being available and always being prepared.

He always seems to be the first at an operation, Kinsey said. Hes willing to take on any role ... and hes been a coordinator and leader the entire time Ive been with (Search and Rescue).

For Hipszky, he says the gratification he gets from helping others is more than enough reward for what he does.

Hipszky recalled how on a small handful of occasions he would be out in public and someone he had helped rescue in an operation would come up and thank him.

I was taught by my parents to help others and not expect anything in return, Hipszky said.

Its really weird, but gratifying, to have people come up to you out of nowhere and say, thank you for helping me, or you guys helped my son or my nephew on one of the trails.

Now at 50 years with Search and Rescue, Hipszky has no plans to slow down, joking  or perhaps saying in earnest  that hes looking forward to his 60th anniversary.
Associated British Foods plc operates as a diversified food, ingredients, and retail company worldwide. It operates through five segments: Grocery, Sugar, Agriculture, Ingredients, and Retail. The Grocery segment manufactures and sells grocery products, including hot beverages, sugar and sweeteners, vegetable oils, balsamic vinegars, bread and baked goods, cereals, ethnic foods, and meat products to retail, wholesale, and foodservice businesses. The Sugar segment is involved in growing, processing, and selling sugar beet and sugar cane to industrial users. The Agriculture segment manufactures and sells animal feeds; and provides other products and services for the agriculture sector. The Ingredients segment manufactures bakers' yeast, bakery ingredients, enzymes, lipids, yeast extracts, and cereal specialties. The Retail segment is involved in buying and merchandising clothing and accessories through the Primark and Penneys retail chains, which offer womenswear, menswear, kids wear, accessories, homeware, and beauty products. The company was incorporated in 1934 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Associated British Foods plc is a subsidiary of Wittington Investments Limited.
Dominion Energy, Inc. produces and distributes energy in the United States. It operates through four segments: Dominion Energy Virginia, Gas Distribution, Dominion Energy South Carolina, and Contracted Assets. The Dominion Energy Virginia segment generates, transmits, and distributes regulated electricity to approximately 2.7 million residential, commercial, industrial, and governmental customers in Virginia and North Carolina. The Gas Distribution segment is involved in the regulated natural gas sales, transportation, gathering, storage, and distribution operations in Ohio, North Carolina, Utah, southwestern Wyoming, and southeastern Idaho that serve approximately 3.0 million residential, commercial and industrial customers. It also has nonregulated renewable natural gas facilities in operation. The Dominion Energy South Carolina segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 782,000 customers in the central, southern, and southwestern portions of South Carolina; and distributes natural gas to approximately 435,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in South Carolina. The Contracted Assets segment is involved in the nonregulated long-term contracted renewable electric generation and solar generation facility development operations; and gas transportation, LNG import, and storage operations, as well as in the liquefaction facility. As of December 31, 2022, the company's portfolio of assets included approximately 31.0 gigawatt of electric generating capacity; 10,600 miles of electric transmission lines; 78,500 miles of electric distribution lines; and 93,500 miles of gas distribution mains and related service facilities. The company was formerly known as Dominion Resources, Inc. Dominion Energy, Inc. was incorporated in 1983 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.
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.
Canadian Pacific Kansas City (NYSE:CP) pays an annual dividend of $0.56 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 0.81%. The dividend payout ratio is 16.82%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, CP will have a dividend payout ratio of 16.37% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Read our dividend analysis for CP.
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.
Evergy (NYSE:EVRG) pays an annual dividend of $2.45 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 5.07%. EVRG has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The dividend payout ratio is 74.47%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, EVRG will have a dividend payout ratio of 62.98% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Read our dividend analysis for EVRG.
CMS Energy Corporation operates as an energy company primarily in Michigan. The company operates through three segments: Electric Utility; Gas Utility; and Enterprises. The Electric Utility segment is involved in the generation, purchase, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity. This segment generates electricity through coal, wind, gas, renewable energy, oil, and nuclear sources. Its distribution system comprises 208 miles of high-voltage distribution overhead lines; 4 miles of high-voltage distribution underground lines; 4,428 miles of high-voltage distribution overhead lines; 19 miles of high-voltage distribution underground lines; 82,474 miles of electric distribution overhead lines; 9,395 miles of underground distribution lines; 1,093 substations; and 3 battery facilities. The Gas Utility segment engages in the purchase, transmission, storage, distribution, and sale of natural gas, which includes 2,392 miles of transmission lines; 15 gas storage fields; 28,065 miles of distribution mains; and 8 compressor stations. The Enterprises segment is involved in the independent power production and marketing, including the development and operation of renewable generation. It serves 1.9 million electric and 1.8 million gas customers, including residential, commercial, and diversified industrial customers. The company was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Jackson, Michigan.
Tejon Street in downtown Colorado Springs was a bustling Friday afternoon as the Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial weekend commenced.

Weve been planning this for months, Maura Betts said, each of her hands occupied by her two children, standing watchfully by her side.

Waiting for a table at Red Gravy restaurant, the family of three stood cheerfully in the rain on a cooler than usual day.

Betts lost her father to a structural fire while growing up in Toronto. Amid looking for a way her children could better know their grandfather, she decided to embark on a trip to Colorado Springs for this years memorial weekend.

The firefighting community is just full of endless love, Betts said. Im so grateful to be able to bring my boys into a space that has always been so special and important to our family.

More than 4,000 firefighters, family and friends, traveled from around North America to Colorado Springs for the 37th annual remembrance weekend; a time to honor International Association of Fire Fighter members who died in the line of duty or from work-related illness.

Working to provide local support, Colorado Springss IAFF Local 5 has been working to provide a fulfilling weekend for all those coming into town, organizing over 500 volunteers to assist in Saturday's memorial ceremony and related events.

We pick em (attendees) up at the airport, drop em off, and run em to dinner, said Curt Crumb, Local 5 president. Obviously the day of the memorial is what were all here for.

According to Crumb, who's been a local firefighter for 25 years, the organization represents roughly 75% of all firefighters in Colorado Springs.

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Its both solemn and nerve-wracking, all emotions you can have in a very hectic week, Crumb said of preparations ahead of the ceremony. Its a tremendous honor to have it here.

The remembrance ceremony is scheduled at 11 a.m. Saturday at Memorial Park, where 572 names of fallen firefighters will be added to a granite wall.

Each honorees name will be read aloud followed by the toll of a bell.

According to Ryan Heffernan, a spokesperson for the IAFF, this years ceremony will remember firefighters who died between January 2021 and December 2022.

Notably, two-thirds of this years honorees died as a result of occupational cancer.

Were really working to drive the surge of this epidemic of the disease out of firefighters, Heffernan said.

Weekend events included a Friday night barbecue along with massed pipes and drums parades at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday on Tejon Street.

Its a time to remember, uplift and honor the lives of our fallen, effernan said.
Compania Cervecerias Unidas S.A. operates as a beverage company in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The company operates through three segments: Chile, International Business, and Wine. It produces and sells alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer under proprietary and licensed brands, as well as distributes Pernod Ricard products in non-supermarket retail stores. The company also produces and sells non-alcoholic beverages, including carbonated soft drinks, nectars and juices, sports and energy drinks, and ice tea; and mineral, purified, and flavored bottled water, as well as ready-to-mix products with instant powder drinks. In addition, it is involved in the production and distribution of pisco, cocktails, rum, flavored alcoholic beverages, gin, and cider. The company serves small and medium-sized retail outlets; retail establishments, such as restaurants, hotels, and bars; wholesalers; and supermarket chains. It also exports its products to Europe, Latin America, the United States, Canada, Asia, Oceania, and internationally. The company was founded in 1850 and is based in Santiago, Chile. Compania Cervecerias Unidas S.A. is a subsidiary of Inversiones y Rentas S.A.
The following companies are subsidiares of Becton, Dickinson and Company: Accuri Cytometers, Accuri Cytometers Inc., Alverix Inc, Alverix Inc., Atto Bioscience Inc, BD Holding S. de R.L. de C.V., BD Infection Prevention BV, BD Kiestra BV, BD Kiestra Total Lab Automation, BD Rapid Diagnostic (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., BD San Luis Potosi S.A. de C.V., BD Switzerland Sarl, BD Ventures LLC, BD West Africa Limited, BDX INO LLC, Bard (Thailand) Limited, Bard ASDI Inc., Bard Access Systems Inc., Bard Acquisition Sub Inc., Bard Australia Pty. Limited, Bard Benelux N.V., Bard Brachytherapy Inc., Bard Brasil Industria e Comercio de Produtos Para a Saude Ltda., Bard Canada Inc., Bard Chile S.p.A., Bard Czech Republic s.r.o., Bard Devices Inc., Bard Dublin ITC Limited, Bard EMEA Finance Center Sp.z o.o., Bard European Distribution Center N.V., Bard Finance B.V. & Co. KG., Bard Financial Services Ltd., Bard Finland OY, Bard France S.A.S., Bard Global Holdings I LLC, Bard Global Holdings II LLC, Bard Global Holdings III LLC, Bard Healthcare Inc., Bard Healthcare Science (Shanghai) Limited, Bard Hellas S.A., Bard Holding SAS, Bard Holdings Limited, Bard Holdings Netherlands B.V., Bard Hong Kong Limited, Bard IP Holdings Inc., Bard India Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., Bard International Holdings B.V., Bard International Inc., Bard Istanbul Healthcare Limited Company, Bard Korea Ltd., Bard Limited, Bard MRL Acquisition Corp., Bard Malaysia Healthcare Sdn. Bhd., Bard Medica SA, Bard Medical Devices (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Bard Medical R&D (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Bard Medical SA (Proprietary) Limited, Bard Mexico Realty S. de R.L. de C.V., Bard Norden AB, Bard Norway AS, Bard Pacific Health Care Company Ltd., Bard Peripheral Vascular Inc., Bard Poland Sp. z.o.o., Bard Productos Plasticos e Medicos Ltda., Bard Reynosa S.A. de C.V., Bard S.r.l., Bard Sdn. Bhd., Bard Shannon Limited, Bard Singapore Private Limited, Bard Sourcing Office Singapore Pte. Ltd., Bard Sweden AB, Bard UK Newco Limited, Bard de Espana S.A., Becton Dickinson (Gibraltar) Holdings Ltd., Becton Dickinson (Gibraltar) Limited, Becton Dickinson (Gibraltar) Management Limited, Becton Dickinson (Mauritius) Limited, Becton Dickinson (Pty) Ltd., Becton Dickinson (Thailand) Limited, Becton Dickinson A.G., Becton Dickinson A/S, Becton Dickinson Argentina S.R.L., Becton Dickinson Asia Holdings Ltd., Becton Dickinson Asia Limited, Becton Dickinson Austria GmbH, Becton Dickinson Austria Holdings GmbH, Becton Dickinson B.V., Becton Dickinson B.V. Saudi Limited Company, Becton Dickinson Benelux N.V., Becton Dickinson Biosciences Systems and Reagents Inc., Becton Dickinson Canada Inc., Becton Dickinson Caribe Ltd., Becton Dickinson Croatia d.o.o., Becton Dickinson Czechia s.r.o., Becton Dickinson Dispensing Belgium BVBA, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Denmark A/S, Becton Dickinson Dispensing France SAS, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Ireland Limited, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Norway, Becton Dickinson Dispensing Spain S.L.U., Becton Dickinson Dispensing UK Ltd., Becton Dickinson Distribution Center N.V., Becton Dickinson East Africa Ltd., Becton Dickinson Euro Finance Sarl, Becton Dickinson Europe Holdings S.A.S., Becton Dickinson France S.A.S., Becton Dickinson GSA Beteilgungs GmbH, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings I Inc., Becton Dickinson Global Holdings II LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings IV LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings V LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings VII LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Holdings VIII LLC, Becton Dickinson Global Services Centre Sdn. Bhd, Becton Dickinson GmbH, Becton Dickinson Guatemala S.A., Becton Dickinson Hellas S.A., Becton Dickinson Holdings Limited, Becton Dickinson Holdings Ltd., Becton Dickinson Holdings Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson Hungary Kft., Becton Dickinson India Private Limited, Becton Dickinson Industrias Cirurgicas Ltda., Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy AB, Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy Holdings UK Limited, Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy Systems Inc., Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy Systems Inc. S.A. de C.V., Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy UK, Becton Dickinson Insulin Syringe Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings II Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings III Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson International Holdings Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson Israel Ltd., Becton Dickinson Italia S.p.A., Becton Dickinson Ithalat Ihracat Limited Sirketi, Becton Dickinson Korea Holding Inc., Becton Dickinson Korea Ltd., Becton Dickinson Ltd., Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Finance S.a.r.L., Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Global Holdings Sarl, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings II S.a.r.L, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings III S.a.r.L, Becton Dickinson Luxembourg Holdings V S.a.r.L., Becton Dickinson Malaysia Inc., Becton Dickinson Management GmbH & Co. KG, Becton Dickinson Matrex Holdings Inc., Becton Dickinson Medical (S) Pte Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Devices (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Devices (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Products Pte. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Medical Technology (Jiangsu) Co. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Netherlands Global Holdings II C.V., Becton Dickinson Netherlands Holdings B.V., Becton Dickinson Netherlands Holdings II B.V., Becton Dickinson Norway AS, Becton Dickinson O.Y., Becton Dickinson Overseas Services Ltd., Becton Dickinson Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd., Becton Dickinson Penel Limited, Becton Dickinson Philippines Inc., Becton Dickinson Polska Sp.z.o.o., Becton Dickinson Portugal Unipessoal Lda., Becton Dickinson Pty. Ltd., Becton Dickinson Research Centre Ireland Limited, Becton Dickinson Rowa Germany GmbH, Becton Dickinson Rowa Italy Srl, Becton Dickinson S.A., Becton Dickinson Sample Collection GmbH, Becton Dickinson Scot Financing L.L.P., Becton Dickinson Scot Financing L.P., Becton Dickinson Sdn. Bhd., Becton Dickinson Slovakia s.r.o., Becton Dickinson Sweden AB, Becton Dickinson Sweden Holdings AB, Becton Dickinson Switzerland Global Holdings SarL, Becton Dickinson Technology Campus India, Becton Dickinson U.K. Limited, Becton Dickinson UK Financing I Limited, Becton Dickinson UK Financing II Limited, Becton Dickinson Venezuela C.A., Becton Dickinson Venture LLC, Becton Dickinson Verwaltungs GmbH, Becton Dickinson Vostok LLC, Becton Dickinson Worldwide Investments Sa.r.L., Becton Dickinson Zambia Limited, Becton Dickinson and Company Ltd., Becton Dickinson de Colombia Ltda., Becton Dickinson de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Becton Dickinson del Uruguay S.A., Bee IT Solutions, Benex Ltd., Biometric Imaging, Bridger Biomed Inc., C. R. Bard (Portugal) - Produtos e Artigos Medicos e Farmaceuticos, C. R. Bard Do Brasil Productos Medicos Ltda., C. R. Bard GmbH, C. R. Bard Inc., C. R. Bard Netherlands Sales B.V., C.R. Bard Inc, CME America LLC, CME Ltd., CME Medical (UK) Limited, CME UK (Holdings) Limited, CRISI Medical Systems, CRISI Medical Systems Inc., Caesarea Medical Electronics, Cardal II LLC, Care Fusion Development Private Limited, CareFusion (Barbados) SrL, CareFusion (Shanghai) Commercial and Trading Co. Limited, CareFusion 213 LLC, CareFusion 2200 Inc., CareFusion 2201 Inc., CareFusion 302 LLC, CareFusion 303 Inc., CareFusion Asia (HK) Limited, CareFusion Corporation, CareFusion Corporation., CareFusion D.R. 203 Ltd., CareFusion France 309 S.A.S., CareFusion Israel 330 Ltd., CareFusion Italy 312 S.p.A., CareFusion Manufacturing LLC, CareFusion Mexico 215 S.A. de C.V., CareFusion Netherlands 328 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands 503 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands 504 B.V., CareFusion Netherlands Financing 283 C.V., CareFusion Resources LLC, CareFusion S.A. 319 (Proprietary) Limited, CareFusion Solutions LLC, CareFusion U.K. 244 Limited, CareFusion U.K. 305 Limited, CareFusion U.K. 306 Limited, Carmel Pharma AB, Carmel Pharma Inc, Cato Software Solutions, Cell Analysis Systems Inc, Cellular Research, Cellular Research Inc., Clearstream Technologies Group Limited, Clearstream Technologies Limited, Clontech Laboratories Inc, Corporativo BD de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Critical Device Corporation, Cubex, Cytognos, Cytopeia Inc, DLD (Bermuda) Ltd., DVL Acquisition Sub Inc., Davol Inc., Davol International Limited, Davol Surgical Innovations S.A. de C.V., Difco Laboratories Incorporated, Distribuidora BD Mexico S.A. de C.V., Dutch American Manufacturers (D.A.M.) B.V., Dymax Corporation, Embo Medical Limited, Enturia de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Enturican Inc., FJ International Inc., FlowCardia Inc., FlowCardia LLC, FlowJo LLC, Franklin Lakes Enterprises L.L.C., GSL Solutions, Gamer Lasertechnik GmbH, GenCell Biosystems, GenCell Biosystems Ltd., GeneOhm Sciences Canada ULC, GeneOhm Sciences Inc, Gentest Corporation, Gesco International Inc., Gesco International LLC, Glentech Inc, HandyLab Inc, HandyLab Inc., IBD Holdings LLC, Iontophoretics Corporation, JoHome LLC, Kabushiki Kaisha Medicon (Medicon Inc.), Liberator Health and Education Services Inc., Liberator Health and Wellness Inc., Liberator Medical Holdings Inc., Liberator Medical Supply Inc., Limited Liability Company Bard Rus, Loma Vista Medical Inc., Loma Vista Medical LLC, Luther Medical Products Inc, Lutonix Inc., Med-Design Corporation, Med-Design Investment Holdings Inc., Med-Safe Systems Inc, Med-Safe Systems Inc., MedChem Products Inc., Medafor Inc., Medegen LLC, Medinservice.com Inc., Medivance Inc., NAT Diagnostics Inc., NAT Diagnostics Inc., NOW Medical Distribution Inc., NOW Medical Distribution LLC, Navarre Biomedical LLC, Navarre Biomedical Ltd., Neomend Inc., Nippon Becton Dickinson Company Ltd., Omega Biosystems Incorporated, P.R.C. (Isialys) Societe a responsabilitie limitee, PT Becton Dickinson Indonesia, PharMingen, PharMingen., Plasso Technology Ltd, PreAnalytiX GmbH, Pristine Access Technologies Inc., ProSeed Inc., Procesos para Esterilizacion S.A. de C.V., Productos Bard de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Productos Para el Cuidado de la Salud S.A. de C.V., Puls Medical Devices AS LC, PureWick Corporation, Roberts Laboratories Inc., Rochester Medical Corporation, Rochester Medical Ltd., Saf-T-Med Inc, Safety Syringes Inc., Scanwell Health Inc., Sendal S.L.U., SenoRx Inc., SenoRx LLC, Shield Healthcare Centers Inc., Sirigen Group Limited, Sirigen II Limited, Sirigen Inc., Sistemas Medicos ALARIS S.A. de C.V., Specialized Cooperative Corporation, Specialized Health Products Inc., Specialized Health Products International Inc., Specialized Health Products International LLC, Staged Diabetes Management LLC, Straub Medical AG, Straub Medical AG, Surgical Site Solutions Inc., TVA Medical Inc, TVA Medical Inc., Tepha Inc, Tepha Inc., Tissuemed Ltd., Tri-County Medical & Ostomy Supplies Inc., TriPath Imaging Inc., Tru-Fit Marketing Corporation, Vas-Cath Incorporated, Vascular Pathways Inc., Velano Vascular, Velano Vascular Inc., Venclose Inc., Venetec International Inc., Venetec International LLC, Visitec, Y-Med Inc., Y-Med LLC, and ZebraSci Inc..

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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.
9 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for Duolingo in the last twelve months. There are currently 6 hold ratings and 3 buy ratings for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "hold" DUOL shares. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in DUOL, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

View DUOL analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks.
Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA provides dialysis and related services for individuals with renal diseases in Germany, North America, and internationally. The company offers dialysis treatment and related laboratory and diagnostic services through a network of outpatient dialysis clinics; materials, training, and patient support services comprising clinical monitoring, follow-up assistance, and arranging for delivery of the supplies to the patient's residence; and dialysis services under contract to hospitals in the United States for the hospitalized end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and for patients suffering from acute kidney failure. It also develops, manufactures, and distributes various health care products, including polysulfone dialyzers, hemodialysis machines, peritoneal dialysis cyclers, peritoneal dialysis solutions, hemodialysis concentrates, solutions and granulates, bloodlines, renal pharmaceuticals, systems for water treatment, and acute cardiopulmonary and apheresis products. In addition, the company develops, acquires, and in-licenses renal pharmaceuticals; offers renal medications and supplies to patients at homes or to dialysis clinics; and provides vascular, cardiovascular, endovascular specialty, vascular care ambulatory surgery center, and physician nephrology and cardiology services. The company sells its products to dialysis clinics, hospitals, and specialized treatment clinics directly, as well as through local sales forces, independent distributors, dealers, and sales agents. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Bad Homburg, Germany.
GE is a multi-national conglomerate that was originally incorporated in 1892. The company was founded by Thomas Edison as the Edison General Electric Company and shortened its name to General Electric following a merger with two other early electric pioneers. The name was later shortened again to GE. The company is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts but has operations on a global scale. One of the original 12 Dow stocks, the company was a component of the index for 122 years until its ousting in 2018.

Originally intended to make and market Edisons incandescent lamp and following products, the company grew over the years through mergers, acquisitions, and natural expansion into newly created fields. Among the many early accomplishments is the creation of RCA and NBC which will both become forces of their own. Other major innovations include the worlds first turbine superchargers, industrial gas turbine engines, and the first jet engine. In the field of computing, General Electric Company is credited as being one of the 8 major computer companies of the 1960s and shares responsibility for todays digital world. In regard to its employees, two were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work with the company.

Today GE operates as a high-tech industrial company in Europe, China, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. The company operates through four segments including Power, Renewables, Aerospace, and Healthcare although there are plans in the works to split the company into three separate entities. The three new companies would be GE Vernova (power and renewables), GE Health, and GE Aerospace. The spin-offs are expected to be completed by 2025.

The Power segment offers a variety of turbine engines for power production as well as the full range of services from plant construction to retrofit and refit. The Renewables segment is focused on solutions for renewable energy including wind and hydro and the technology to operate them. The Aviation segment manufactures aircraft engines of all varieties and the Healthcare segment offers technology for imaging, monitoring, diagnostics, and drug discovery to health and medical facilities.

General Electric is committed to helping the world transition to a greener way of life and is exiting the new-build coal-fired power industry. Instead, its advancements in wind, grid efficiency, and natural gas are being deployed around the world helping to reduce emissions and generate cleaner energy for businesses, industry, and communities. The company is targeting 2030 for its own carbon neutrality and 2050 for net zero emissions.
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.
Four hundred and sixty-nine bell tolls rang out at Memorial Park on Saturday, each attached to the name of a fallen firefighter or paramedic.

Its the first time in three years that firefighters and their loved ones from across the country gathered in person for a proper goodbye at the Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial.

The annual event, now in its 36th year, shifted online in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19. A necessary measure at the time, attendees say nothing can compare to the healing they experience while together in Colorado Springs.

Its just really cathartic to be able to be in the presence of the celebration of so many other givers, said Lori Jackson, whose husband, Troy, served in Colorados South Metro Fire Department until his death in 2019. She wore his station pin and 25-year work ring in his honor. In person, being with people, hugging those around you that are important, makes it so much more personal.

Jackson was one of an estimated 8,000 people in attendance, marking one of the largest ceremonies in the events history. The memorial doubled up in honoring those who died in 2019 and 2020, who were previously remembered at the online ceremonies. The decision to once again honor them with a proper in-person memorial was easy, according to International Association of Fire Fighters spokesman Mike Smaldino.

You can see it in pictures, you can see it in video, but its a lot different when you can see it in person, Smaldino said.

This years batch of honorees join the more than 8,000 names already etched into the parks granite memorial wall. Among them are Billy Cahill and Joey Marano of Somerville, Mass.

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The two are described as universally loved by friends James Keenan and Linda Sullivan. Keenan worked his entire career with Cahill from the time he was hired in 1985, calling Cahill one of the funniest guys youd ever wanna meet due to his dry sense of humor. Cahill died in 2020.

You dont want them to forget them, Sullivan said. And this, this is one of the things thats gonna be here forever on that wall. Sharing stories about them is what its all about. Each of these people were amazing.

Sullivan is no stranger to the memorial. This year marked her third ceremony since her husband, Paul, died of pancreatic cancer in 2015. Her first ceremony was filled with nerves and raw emotion, she said. Subsequent returns have been much more reflective as she is able to focus instead on helping those around her, a story not unusual to a woman who has worked to connect with others suffering losses to cancer.

Shortly before his death, firefighter Marano called on Sullivan to talk to his wife and prepare her for whats to come. As somebody who has been through it all before, she said, there was no hesitation.

Thats what we do: We help each other, and thats the beauty and the brotherhood of the fire department, Sullivan said.

Sullivan is one of many loved ones who returns to the memorial year after year to honor fallen firefighters, according to IAFF spokesman Smaldino. They are emblematic of the healing process.

Youre never gonna forget, but you are gonna heal, Smaldino said. It might be a long road, but you are gonna be able to get moving again.

And following the somber ceremony, Keenan said, is another tradition that returns to Colorado Springs this year: a night out downtown, where firefighters and loved ones come together to celebrate life and heal.

Its gonna be a party, Keenan said. Thats what firefighters do.
Capital One Financial Corporation was founded in 1988 with the goal of revolutionizing the credit card industry. The companys ground-breaking services were data-driven, opened the doors of credit to millions of people, and today Capital One is one of the worlds largest banks.

The companys commitment to connecting people with responsible credit helped to rank it 10th in the US in regard to total assets and 72nd globally. The company has nearly $400 billion in assets in late 2022 and operated a network of subsidiary institutions including Capital One bank. Capital One Financial Corporation is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, and operates a network of branches and offices throughout the US, Canada, and the UK.

Capital One Financial Corporation is the holding company for Capital One Bank (USA), National Association; and Capital One, National Association, which provides various financial products and services in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Capital One Financial Corporation operates in three segments: Credit Card, Consumer Banking, and Commercial Banking. The Credit Card segment operates a wide range of revolving consumer credit cards while the Consumer Banking segment offers a range of traditional banking and investment products including auto and home loans, savings, and certificates of deposit. The Commercial segment offers business accounts, financing, commercial and multifamily real estate, and commercial and industrial loans.

In the US, the company serves its clients through digital channels, branches, cafes, and other distribution channels located in New York, Louisiana, Texas, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and California. Digital services include online accounts, account services, loan applications, and investments. Among the many features of banking with Capital One are fee-free checking accounts, cloud-based financial tracking services, and Capital One Cafes. The company operates more than 40 cafes across the US where anyone, not just account holders, can get a coffee or snack as well as improve their financial education. The cafes are equipped with ample public space, nooks for private work, and even event space for meetings.

Capital One continues to advance the digital financial industry to this day. The company was among the first to move its operations to the cloud, doing so in 2012, and it is now developing machine learning, open source, and cloud technology applications to help detect and prevent fraud, secure accounts, and improve banking services.

Capital One is committed to aiding the worlds fight against climate change. To that end, it is pursuing several avenues that include influencing its value chain, fostering a sustainable office culture that is in sync with its surroundings, promoting and financing sustainable energy projects, and transparency in regard to its climate goals.
The following companies are subsidiares of UnitedHealth Group: 1070715 B.C. Unlimited Liability Company, 1st Avenue Pharmacy Inc., 310 Canyon Medical LLC, 4C MSO LLC, 4C Medical Group PLC, 5995 Minnetonka LLC, ABCO International Holdings LLC, ACN Group IPA of New York Inc., ACN Group of California Inc., AHN Accountable Care Organization LLC, AHN Central Services LLC, AHN Target Holdings LLC, AMIL International S.a.r.l., APS  Assistencia Personalizada a Saude Ltda., ASC Holdings of New Jersey LLC, ASC Network LLC, ASC Operators-East Bay LLC, ASC Operators-San Francisco LLC, ASC Operators-San Luis Obispo LLC, ASC Operators-Santa Rosa LLC, ASC Operators-South Bay LLC, ASV-HOPCo-SCA Cornerstone LLC, ASV-HOPCo-SCA Florida LLC, AbleTo Behavioral Health Services P.C., AbleTo Inc., Accurate Rx Pharmacy Consulting LLC, Administradora Clinica La Colina S.A.S., Administradora Country S.A.S., Administradora Medica Centromed S.A., Advanced Surgery Center of Clifton LLC, Advanced Surgical Center LLC, Advanced Surgical Hospital LLC, Advocate Condell Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Advocate Southwest Ambulatory Surgery Center L.L.C., Advocate-SCA Partners LLC, Aliansalud Entidad Promotora de Salud S.A., All Savers Insurance Company, All Savers Life Insurance Company of California, Alliance Surgical Center LLC, Allina Health Heart and Vascular Surgery Center LLC, Allina Health Surgery Center-Brooklyn Park LLC, Aloha Surgical Center LLC, Ambient Healthcare Inc., Ambient Holdings Inc., AmeriChoice, AmeriChoice Corporation, AmeriChoice of New Jersey Inc., American Health Network of Indiana Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Indiana II LLC, American Health Network of Indiana LLC, American Health Network of Kentucky LLC, American Health Network of Ohio Care Organization LLC, American Health Network of Ohio II LLC, American Health Network of Ohio LLC, American Physicians Inc., Amico Saude Ltda., Amil, Amil Assistencia Medica Internacional S.A., Angiografia e Hemodinamica Madre Theodora Ltda., Anne Arundel-SCA Holdings LLC, Anne Arundel-SCA Surgicenter LLC, Antelope Valley Surgery Center L.P., Analisis Clinicos ML S.A.C., Apothecary Holdings Inc., AppleCare Medical Management LLC, Aquitania Chilean Holding SpA, Arcadia JV Holdings LLC, Arcadia Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., ArchWell Health LLC, ArchWell Health MSO LLC, ArchWell Health Professional Services Holding Co., ArchWell Health Professional Services of Alabama LLC, ArchWell Health Professional Services of North Carolina P.C., ArchWell Health Professional Services of Oklahoma LLC, Archwell Health Professional Services of Arizona LLC, Archwell Health Professional Services of Nebraska LLC, Arise Physician Group, Arizona Physicians IPA Inc., Arlington Surgery Center LLC, Aspectus Inc., Associacao Lusiadas Knowledge Center  Health Education and Research, Audax Health Solutions LLC, Aurora Hospitalist P.C., Austin Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Avella Specialty Pharmacy, Aventura Medical Tower Surgery Center LLC, Avery Parent Holdings Inc., Aveta Inc., AxelaCare Intermediate Holdings LLC, AxelaCare LLC, B.R.A.S.S. Partnership in Commendam, BOSC Holdings LLC, BSC Holdings LLC, Ball Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Banmedica Colombia S.A.S., Banmedica Internacional SpA, Banmedica S.A., Barranca Surgery Center LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings II LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings III LLC, Beach Surgical Holdings LLC, Beaver Medical Group P.C., Bedford Physicians Risk Retention Group Inc., Behavioral Healthcare Options Inc., Beltway Surgery Centers L.L.C., Benefit Administration for the Self Employed L.L.C., Benefitter Insurance Solutions Inc., Bergan Mercy Surgery Center LLC, Bergen-Passaic Cataract Laser and Surgery Center LLC, Bessler MD PLLC, Bind Benefits Inc., Bind LH Holdings Inc., Bind Re Inc., Birmingham Outpatient Surgery Center Ltd., Birmingham Outpatient Surgical Center LLC, Bloomfield ASC LLC, Blue Ridge Day Surgery Center L.P., Blue Ridge GP LLC, Blue Ridge Properties LLC, Boca Raton Outpatient Surgery & Laser Center LTD., Bordeaux Barbados Holdings I SRL, Bordeaux Barbados Holdings II SRL, Bordeaux Barbados Holdings III S.r.l., Bordeaux Holding SpA, Bordeaux International Holdings Inc., Bordeaux UK Holdings I Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings II Limited, Bordeaux UK Holdings III Limited, Bosque Medical Center Ltda., Brandon Ambulatory Surgery Center LC, BriovaRx Infusion Services 102 LLC, BriovaRx of Florida Inc., BriovaRx of Maine Inc., BriovaRx of Massachusetts LLC, CCEC Anesthesia Management LLC, CDC Holdings Colombia S.A.S., CLISA  Clinica de Santo Antonio S.A., CMO  Centro Medico de Oftalmologia S/S Ltda., CMS  Central de Manipulacao e Servicos Farmaceuticos Ltda., COI  Clinicas Oncologicas Integradas S.A., Cabin Enterprises LLC, Cabin Holdings LLC, California Medical Group Insurance Company Risk Retention Group, Camp Hill Ambulatory Centers, Camp Hill-SCA Centers LLC, Capital City Medical Group L.L.C., Cardinal Holding Company LLC, Care Improvement Plus Group Management LLC, Care Improvement Plus South Central Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus Wisconsin Insurance Company, Care Improvement Plus of Texas Insurance Company, Care Logistics LLC, CareMount Dental Member LLC, CareMount Health Solutions ACO LLC, CareMount Health Solutions Employer LLC, CareMount Health Solutions LLC, CareMount Holding LLC, CareMount Medical Foundation Inc., CareMount Value Partners IPA LLC, Carr PLLC, Casa de Saude Santa Therezinha Ltda., Castle Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, Castle Rock SurgiCenter LLC, Catalyst360 LLC, Catamaran 2 Unlimited Company, Catamaran Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, Catamaran S.a.r.l., Cedar Park JV Partners LLC, Cedar Park Surgery Center LLC, Cemed Care  Empresa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Center for Quality Improvement LLC, Center for Restorative Surgery at Maple Grove LLC, Center for Surgery of North Coast L.P., Central Indiana Care Organization LLC, Central Ohio Care Organization LLC, CentriHealth Corporation, CentrifyHealth LLC, Centro Medico Hospitalar Pitangueiras Ltda., Centro Odontologico Americano S.A.C., Centro de Entrenamiento Capacitacion en Reanimacion y Prevencion Limitada, Centro de Servicios Compartidos Banmedica SpA, Centromed Quilpue S.A., Centros Medicos y Dentales Multimed Ltda., Centura-SCA Holdings LLC, Centurion Casualty Company, Channel Islands Surgicenter L.P., Channel Islands Surgicenter Properties LLC, Charleston Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Charleston Surgery Properties LLC, Charlotte Surgery Center LLC, Charlotte Surgery Properties LTD., Charlotte-SC LLC, Chatham Orthopaedic ASC LLC, Childrens Surgery Center LLC, Citrus Regional Surgery Center L.P., Claims Management Systems Inc., Cleburne Surgical Center LLC, Clinical Partners of Colorado Springs LLC, Clinton Partners LLC, Clinica Alameda SpA, Clinica Bio Bio SpA, Clinica Ciudad del Mar S.A., Clinica Davila y Servicios Medicos S.p.A., Clinica Iquique S.A., Clinica Medico Cirurgica de Santa Tecla S.A., Clinica Portoazul S.A., Clinica San Felipe S.A., Clinica Santa Maria S.p.A., Clinica Sanchez Ferrer S.A., Clinica Vespucio S.A., Clinica del Country S.A.S., Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare Inc., Coalition for Advanced Pharmacy Services Inc., Cobranzas Banmedica SpA, Cogent Healthcare IPA of New York Inc., Cogent Healthcare Inc., Cogent Healthcare Management of New York Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Arizona P.C., Cogent Healthcare of California Prof. Corp., Cogent Healthcare of Georgia P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Illinois LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Iowa P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Jackson MS LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Jacksonville LLC, Cogent Healthcare of Mississippi Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Missouri Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Montana P.C., Cogent Healthcare of New Jersey P.C., Cogent Healthcare of North Carolina P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Oregon P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Pensacola L.L.C., Cogent Healthcare of Tennessee P.C., Cogent Healthcare of Virginia Inc., Cogent Healthcare of Washington P.C., Cogent Medical Care P.C., Cogent Patient Safety Organization Inc., Cogent/Endion Medical Care of New York P.C., Collaborative Care Holdings LLC, Collaborative Care Services Inc., Collaborative Realty LLC, Colmedica Medicina Prepagada S.A., Colonial Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Colorado Innovative Physician Solutions Inc., Colorado Springs Surgery Center Ltd., Comfort Care Transportation LLC, Comprehensive Hospital Physicians of Florida Inc., ConnectYourCare Inc., ConnectYourCare LLC, Connecticut Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Connecticut Surgery Properties LLC, Connecticut Surgical Center LLC, Consorcio Regenero S.A., Constructora Inmobiliaria Magapoq S.A., Consumer Wellness Solutions Inc., Continuum Physicians Group Inc., Continuum Physicians Group of Washington PLLC, Cornell Surgicenter LLC, Cornerstone Surgery Center LLC, Cornerstone Surgicare LLC, Corpus Christi Endoscopy Center L.L.P., Country Scan Ltda., Critical Care Physician of New York P.C., Critical Care Physicians of Illinois LLC, Critical Care Physicians of New Jersey PC, Critical Care Physicians of Pennsylvania P.C., Cross Timbers Surgery Center LLC, Cypress Care Inc., DBP Services of New York IPA Inc., DSP Flint Real Estate LLC, DSP-Building C LLC, DTC Surgery Center LLC, DWIC of Tampa Bay Inc., Dallas Inpatient Specialist PLLC, Danbury Surgical Center L.P., Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company LLC, Definity Health, Dental Benefit Providers Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of California Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois Inc., Denton Endoscopy Surgery Center LLC, Denton Surgery Center LLC, Derry Surgical Center LLC, Diagnostico Ecotomografico Centromed Ltda., Diasnostico por Imagenes Centromed Ltda., Digestive Disease Center L.P., Dilab Medicina Nuclear Ltda., Diplomat Blocker LLC, Diplomat Corporate Properties LLC, Diplomat Pharmacy, Diplomat Pharmacy Inc., Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy Great Lakes Distribution Center LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Chicago LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Ft. Lauderdale LLC, Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy of Los Angeles County LLC, Distance Learning Network Inc., Divisadero Holdings LLC, DocASAP Inc., DocASAP India Technologies Private Limited, DocASAP US LLC, Doctor + S.A.C., Dry Creek Surgery Center LLC, Dublin Surgery Center LLC, Duluth Surgical Suites LLC, Durable Medical Equipment Inc., E Street Endoscopy LLC, EM Orange Tree LLC, EP Campus I LLC, EPIC Health Plan, EPIC Management Services LLC, East Bay Endoscopy Center L.P., East Brunswick Surgery Center LLC, Echo Locum Tenens Inc., Electronic Network Systems Inc., Elual Participacoes S.A., Emerald Coast Surgery Center L.P., Emisar Pharma Services LLC, Emmaus Holdings LLC, Emmaus Surgical Center LLC, Empire Physician Management Company LLC, Empremedica S. A., Endion Hospitalist North P.C., Endion Hospitalist of Western New York P.C., Endion Medical Healthcare P.C., Endion Medical Services P.C., Endoscopy Center Affiliates Inc., Enterprise Life Insurance Company, Equian, Equian LLC, Equian Parent Corp., Esho  Empresa de Servicos Hospitalares S.A., Everett MSO Inc., Excelsior Insurance Brokerage Inc., Executive Health Resources Inc., Executive Surgery Center L.L.C., Eye Clinic Oftalmologia Clinico Cirurgica e Diagnostico Ltda., Eye Specialists Surgery Centers LLC, FMG Holdings LLC, Family Health Care Services, Family Home Hospice Inc., Ferrell Physician Services P.C., Fideicomiso Clinica Barranquilla Portoazul FA-517, First Coast Orthopedic Center LLC, First Family Insurance LLC, Florence Surgery Center L.P., For Health Inc., For Health of Arizona Inc., Fort Sutter Medical Building a California Limited Partnership, Fort Worth Endoscopy Centers LLC, Fortified Provider Network Inc., Foundation Surgery Affiliate General of Huntingdon Valley LLC, Foundation Surgery Affiliate of Huntingdon Valley L.P., Franklin Surgical Center LLC, Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, Freeway Surgicenter of Houston LLC, Frontier Medex Tanzania Limited, FrontierMEDEX Inc., FrontierMEDEX Kenya Limited, FrontierMEDEX US Inc., Fundacion Banmedica, GLBESC LLC, GRANTS PASS SURGERY CENTER LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center LLC, Gainesville Surgery Center L.P., Gainesville Surgery Properties LLC, Genoa, Genoa Healthcare Inc., Genoa QoL Wholesale LLC, Genoa Technology Canada Inc., Genoa Technology Inc., Genoa Telepsychiatry Inc., Genoa of Arkansas LLC, Gladiolus Surgery Center L.L.C., Glenwood Surgical Center L.P., Glenwood-SC Inc., Global One Ventures LLC, Golden Gate Endoscopy Center LLC, Golden Outlook Inc., Golden Rule Financial Corporation, Golden Rule Insurance Company, Golden Triangle Surgicenter L.P., Grandview Surgery Center LTD., Greater New Haven ASC LLC, Greensboro Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Greenville Surgery Center LLC, Greenway Surgical Suites LLC, Grossmont Surgery Center L.P., Grove Place Surgery Center L.L.C., H&W Indemnity SPC Ltd., H.I. Investments Holding Company LLC, HCP ACO California LLC, HCentive Technology India Private Limited, HFHS-SCA Holdings LLC, HMG Holding Corporation, HMG Holdings LLC, HMP of Baltimore  USH P.C., Harken Health Insurance Company, Harrison Endo Surgical Center LLC, Hawthorn Place Outpatient Surgery Center L.P., Hays JV Partners LLC, Hays Surgery Center LLC, Health Care-ONE Insurance Agency Inc., Health Inventures Employment Solutions LLC, Health Inventures LLC, Health Plan of Nevada Inc., HealthCare Partners ASC-LB LLC, HealthCare Partners Affiliates Medical Group, HealthCare Partners Management Services California LLC, HealthCare Partners RE LLC, HealthEast Surgery Center-Maplewood LLC, HealthFirst IPA Inc., HealthMarkets Group Inc., HealthMarkets Inc., HealthMarkets Insurance Agency Inc., HealthMarkets LLC, HealthMarkets Services Inc., HealthSCOPE Holdings Inc., HealthScope Benefits Inc., Healthcare Solutions Inc., Healthplex America LLC, Healthplex Dental Services Inc., Healthplex I.P.A. Inc., Healthplex Inc., Healthplex Insurance Company, Healthplex of CT Inc., Healthplex of DC Inc., Healthplex of MD Inc., Healthplex of ME Inc., Healthplex of NC Inc., Healthplex of NJ Inc., Healthplex of TX Inc., Heartland Heart and Vascular LLC, Help Seguros de Vida S.A., Help Service S.A., Help SpA, Hemonefro  Hemodialise e Nefrologia Ltda, Highlands Ranch Healthcare LLC, Home Medical S.A., Honodav SpA, Hospice Inspiris Holdings Inc., Hospitais Associados de Pernambuco Ltda., Hospital Alvorada Taguatinga Ltda., Hospital Ana Costa S.A., Hospital Santa Helena S.A., Hospital de Clinicas de Jacarepagua Ltda., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of Broome County PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Binghamton P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Buffalo P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Newburgh P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Nyack P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physician of New York - Patchogue P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alabama  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alabama  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alaska  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Alaska  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Goodyear Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Nogales Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Phoenix II Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Phoenix Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Sierra Vista Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Tucson II Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona - Tucson Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arizona  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arkansas  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Arkansas  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Buncombe County PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Apple Valley PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Bakersfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Camarillo PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Crescent City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Fairfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Fremont PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Grass Valley PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Jackson PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Oceanside PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Oxnard PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Salinas PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Bernardino II PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Bernardino PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - San Leandro PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Sonoma PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Stockton II PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Stockton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Thousand Oaks PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California - Vacaville PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of California  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado - Brighton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado - Denver PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Colorado  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Manchester LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Rockville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut - Wallingford LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Connecticut  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of DC  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Delaware  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Delaware  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Ft. Lauderdale LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Jacksonville II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Jacksonville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida - Palm Coast LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Florida  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Fredericksburg LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Atlanta PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - East Point PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Lavonia PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia - Savannah PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Georgia  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii - Kealakekua Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Hawaii  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho - Nampa PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Idaho  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Downers Grove LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Elmhurst LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Rockford LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois - Winfield LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Illinois  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Clinton LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Mishawaka LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana - Terre Haute LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Indiana  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa - Cedar Rapids PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa - Mason City PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Iowa  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Topeka LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Wichita II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas - Wichita LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Kansas  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Alexandria Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Bossier City Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Lake Charles Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana - Shreveport Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Louisiana  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine - Bangor PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine - Lewiston PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maine  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Cheverly PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Cumberland PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Frederick PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Laurel PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland - Rockville PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland P.C., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Maryland  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Brockton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Dorchester PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Framingham PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Holyoke PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Natick PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Norwood PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Springfield PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Stoughton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Taunton PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts - Worcester PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Massachusetts  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Alpena PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Dowagiac PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Escanaba PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Grand Blanc PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Grayling PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Kalamazoo PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Plainwell PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Port Huron PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Saginaw PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan - Tawas City PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Michigan  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Minnesota  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Minnesota  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Mississippi  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri - Bridgeton Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri - Richmond Heights Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri  TCG Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Missouri  TCS Inc., Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Billings PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Butte PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Miles City PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana - Missoula PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana  TCG PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Montana  TCS PC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Multiple Practice Sites LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nebraska  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nebraska  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Henderson Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Henderson II Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Las Vegas Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada - Las Vegas II Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada  TCG Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Nevada  TCS Bessler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Hampshire  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Hampshire  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of New Jersey - 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Rockwall PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Round Rock PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio II PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio III PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio IV PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio V PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio VI PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Antonio VII PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - San Marcos PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Texarkana PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas - Tyler PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas  TCG PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Texas  TCS PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Utah  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Utah  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Vermont  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Vermont  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Alexandria LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Front Royal LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Mechanicsville LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Midlothian LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond II LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Richmond LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia - Winchester LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Virginia  TCS LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Arlington PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Auburn PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bellingham PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Bremerton PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Burien PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - Coupeville PLLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Washington - 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Casper LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming  TCG LLC, Hospitalist Medicine Physicians of Wyoming  TCS LLC, Hospitalists Management Group LLC, Humedica, Humedica Inc., Hygeia Corporation, Hygeia Corporation Ontario, IEC Holdings LLC, IHD Holdings LLC, INOV8 Surgical at Memorial City LLC, INSPIRIS of Texas Physician Group, Illinois Independent Care Network LLC, Imagen Technologies Inc., Impel Consulting Experts L.L.C., Impel Management Services L.L.C., InTouch Pharmacy LLC, Indiana Care Organization LLC, Indiana Endoscopy Centers LLC, Inland Surgery Center L.P., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3001 S.A., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3600 Ltda., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo S.A., Inmobiliaria Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Inmobiliaria Vinamed Ltda., Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Alameda S.A., Inpatient Services P.C., Inpatient Specialists of California P.C., Inspiris, Inspiris Inc., Instituto Radium de Cammpinas Ltda, Inter-Hospital Physicians Association Inc., International Healthcare Services Inc., Inversiones Clinicas Santa Maria SpA, Ironman Holdco Inc., Ironman Intermediate Holdco LLC, Isapre Banmedica S.A., JPM Healthcare LLC, Johnston Surgicare L.P., Joliet Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Jordan Ridge Family Medicine LLC, Joyable Inc., Kansal Inc. A Professional Corporation, Knox Diagnostic Imaging Center LLC, Kokomo Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, LDI Holding Company LLC, LDI Management Services LLC, LGH-A/Golf ASTC L.L.C., LHC Group, La Esperanza del Peru S.A., Laboratorio ROE S.A., Laboratorios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Landmark Group Holdings LLC, Landmark Health Holdings LLC, Landmark Health LLC, Landmark Health NY IPA LLC, Landmark Health NY PO LLC, Landmark Health Technologies Private Limited, Landmark Health of California LLC, Landmark Health of Massachusetts LLC, Landmark Health of North Carolina LLC, Landmark Health of Oregon LLC, Landmark Health of Pennsylvania LLC, Landmark Health of Washington LLC, Landmark India LLC, Landmark Intermediate Holdings LLC, Landmark MSO LLC, Landmark Medical of Idaho PC, Landmark Medical of Massachusetts PLLC, Landmark Medical of Tennessee PC, Landmark Primary Care LLC, Laser Acquisition Holdings III LLC, Leehar Distributors LLC, Lemhi Ventures Fund I LP, Lemhi Ventures Fund II LP, Level2 Medical Services P.C. Alaska, Lexington Surgery Center Ltd., Liberty Anesthesia Services LLC, LifePrint Health Inc., LifeWell. Ltd. Co., Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization LLC, Limestone Medical Center LLC, Litomedica S.A., Logan Surgical Suites LLC, Lotten-Eyes Oftalmologia Clinica e Cirurgica Ltda., Louisville S.C. Ltd., Louisville-SC Properties Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook L.P., Lusiadas - Parcerias Cascais S.A., Lusiadas A.C.E., Lusiadas Algarve S.A., Lusiadas S.A., Lusiadas SGPS S.A., Lutheran Campus ASC LLC, MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Company, MCNA Health Care Holdings LLC, MCNA Insurance Company, MCNA Systems Corp., MD Ops Inc., MD-Individual Practice Association Inc., ME AHS UC LLC, MGH/SCA LLC, MHC Real Estate Holdings LLC, MIAMI SURGERY CENTER LLC, MSLA Management LLC, Main Line Spine Surgery Center LLC, Managed Care of North America Inc., Managed Physical Network Inc., Mansfield Endoscopy Center LLC, March Holdings Inc., March Vision Care IPA Inc., March Vision Care Inc., March Vision Care of Texas Inc., Marin Health Ventures LLC, Marin Specialty Surgery Center LLC, Marin Surgery Holdings Inc., Marlin Holding Company LLC, Maryland Ambulatory Centers LLC, Maryland-SCA Centers LLC, Massachusetts Assurance Company Ltd. PIC, Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center LLC, McKenzie Surgery Center L.P., MedExpress Primary Care West Virginia Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care Alabama LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Inc. - Ohio, MedExpress Urgent Care Maine Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care New Hampshire Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach LLC, MedSynergies, MedSynergies LLC, Medical Clinic of North Texas PLLC, Medical Hilfe S.A., Medical Support Los Angeles Inc., Medical Surgical Centers of America Inc., Medical Transportation Services LLC, Melbourne Surgery Center LLC, Memorial City Holdings LLC, Memorial City Partners LLC, Memorial Houston Surgery Center LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Orange Coast LLC, MemorialCare Surgical Center at Saddleback LLC, Mesquite Liberty LLC, Metro I Stone Management Ltd., Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of Tennessee, Midlands Orthopaedics Surgery Center LLC, Midwest Center for Day Surgery LLC, Mile High SurgiCenter LLC, Mississippi Medical Plaza L.C., Mobile Medical Services of New Jersey PC, Mobile-SC LTD., Modality Accountable Care Organisation Limited, Moen M.D. P.C., Mohawk Surgery Center LLC, Monarch Management Services Inc., Montgomery Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Monument Health LLC, Moore Orthopaedic Clinic Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Morris County Surgical Center LLC, Mt. Pleasant Surgery Center L.P., Multiangio Ltda., Murrells Inlet ASC LLC, Muskogee Surgical Investors LLC, Mustang Razorback Holdings Inc., My Wellness Solutions LLC, NAMM Holdings Inc., NPN IPA Washington PLLC, NSC Channel Islands LLC, NSC Greensboro LLC, NSC Greensboro West LLC, NSC Lancaster LLC, NSC Seattle Inc., NSC Upland LLC, Naperville Surgical Centre LLC, National Foundation Life Insurance Company, National Pacific Dental Inc., National Surgery Centers LLC, Navigator Health Inc., Nebraska Spine Hospital LLC, Neighborhood Health Partnership Inc., Netwerkes LLC, Nevada Pacific Dental, New Orleans Regional Physician Hospital Organization L.L.C., New West Physicians Inc., New York Proton Management LLC, Newton Holdings LLC, Niagara Hospitalist P.C., Nomad Buyer Inc., North American Medical Management California Inc., North Coast Surgery Center Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, North Dallas Surgical Center LLC, North Kitsap Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, North Puget Sound Oncology Equipment Leasing Company LLC, Northern Nevada Health Network Inc., Northern Rockies Surgery Center L.P., Northern Rockies Surgicenter Inc., Northern Utah Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Hills JV Partners LLC, Northwest Medical Group Alliance LLC, Northwest Spine and Laser Surgery Center LLC, Northwest Surgicare LLC, Northwest Surgicare Ltd. an Illinois Limited Partnership, OC Cardiology Practice Partners LLC, OCC MSO LLC, OSB  Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Lda., Omesa SpA, OmniClaim LLC, Oncocare S.A.C., One World Surgery, Ophthalmology Surgery Center of Dallas LLC, Optimum Choice Inc., Optum Bank Inc., Optum Biometrics Inc., Optum Care Inc., Optum Care Networks Inc., Optum Care Services Company, Optum Care of New York Management Inc., Optum Clinics Holdings Inc., Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings Inc., Optum Compounding Services LLC, Optum Digital Health Holdings LLC, Optum Direct To Consumer Inc., Optum Financial Inc., Optum Frontier Therapies Holdings LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies II LLC, Optum Frontier Therapies LLC, Optum Genomics Inc., Optum Global Solutions Colombia S.A.S., Optum Global Solutions India Private Limited, Optum Global Solutions International B.V., Optum Global Solutions Philippines Inc., Optum Government Solutions Inc., Optum Growth Partners Holdings Inc., Optum Growth Partners LLC, Optum Health & Technology Holdings US Inc., Optum Health & Technology Hong Kong Limited, Optum Health & Technology India Private Limited, Optum Health & Technology Servicos do Brasil Ltda., Optum Health & Technology Singapore Pte. Ltd., Optum Health & Technology US LLC, Optum Health Plan of California, Optum Health Services Canada Ltd., Optum Health Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, Optum Health Solutions UK Limited, Optum Health and Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services LLC, Optum Inc., Optum Infusion Services 100 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 101 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 103 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 200 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 201 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 202 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 203 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 204 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 205 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 206 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 207 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 208 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 209 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 301 LP, Optum Infusion Services 302 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 305 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 308 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 401 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 402 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 403 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 404 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 500 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 501 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 550 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 551 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 553 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 554 Inc., Optum Insurance of Ohio Inc., Optum Labs Inc., Optum Labs LLC, Optum Life Sciences Canada Inc., Optum Management Consulting Shanghai Co. Ltd., Optum Networks of New Jersey Inc., Optum Operations Ireland Unlimited Company, Optum Oregon MSO LLC, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas Inc., Optum Perks LLC, Optum Pharma Services Holdings Inc., Optum Pharmacy 601 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 700 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 701 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 702 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 704 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 705 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 706 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 707 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 800 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 803 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 805 Inc., Optum Pharmacy 806 Inc., Optum Public Sector Solutions Inc., Optum Rocket LLC, Optum SCA CS JV Holdings LLC, Optum Senior Services LLC, Optum Services Inc., Optum Services Ireland Limited, Optum Services Puerto Rico LLC, Optum Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Optum Technology LLC, Optum UK Solutions Group Limited, Optum Venture Global Partners II LP, Optum Venture Global Partners LP, Optum Venture Partners II LP, Optum Venture Partners III LP, Optum Venture Partners LP, Optum Washington Network LLC, Optum Women's and Children's Health LLC, Optum of New York Inc., Optum360 LLC, Optum360 Services Inc., Optum360 Solutions LLC, OptumCare ACO New Mexico LLC, OptumCare ACO West LLC, OptumCare Clinical Trials LLC, OptumCare Colorado ASC LLC, OptumCare Colorado LLC, OptumCare Colorado Springs LLC, OptumCare Endoscopy Center New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Florida CI LLC, OptumCare Florida LLC, OptumCare Holdings Colorado LLC, OptumCare Holdings LLC, OptumCare Management LLC, OptumCare New Mexico LLC, OptumCare New York IPA Inc., OptumCare Portland LLC, OptumCare South Florida LLC, OptumCare Specialty Practices LLC, OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, OptumHealth Holdings LLC, OptumHealth International B.V., OptumInsight Holdings LLC, OptumInsight Inc., OptumInsight India Private Limited, OptumInsight Life Sciences Inc., OptumRx Administrative Services LLC, OptumRx Discount Card Services LLC, OptumRx Group Holdings Inc., OptumRx Health Solutions LLC, OptumRx Holdings I LLC, OptumRx Holdings LLC, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio LLC, OptumRx IPA III Inc., OptumRx Inc., OptumRx NY IPA Inc., OptumRx PBM of Illinois Inc., OptumRx PBM of Maryland LLC, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin LLC, OptumRx PD of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx Pharmacy Inc., OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada Inc., OptumRx of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumServe Technology Services Inc., Oregon Healthcare Resources LLC, Oregon Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., OrthoNet Holdings Inc., OrthoNet LLC, OrthoNet New York IPA Inc., OrthoNet West Inc., OrthoNet of the South Inc., OrthoWest MSO LLC, Orthology Inc., Orthopedic Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopedic Surgery Center of Palm Beach County LLC, Orthopro Management LLC, Ovations Inc., Owensboro Ambulatory Surgical Facility Ltd., Oxford Benefit Management Inc., Oxford Health Insurance Inc., Oxford Health Plans CT Inc., Oxford Health Plans LLC, Oxford Health Plans NJ Inc., Oxford Health Plans NY Inc., P2P Link LLC, PCCCV Inc., PHC Subsidiary Holdings LLC, PHYSICIANS DAY SURGERY CENTER LLC, PMI Acquisition LLC, PMSI Holdings LLC, PMSI Settlement Solutions LLC, POMCO Inc., POMCO Network Inc., PPH Holdings LLC, PPH Management Company L.L.C., PPH-Columbia Inc., PPH-Gardendale Inc., PS Center LLC, PacifiCare Health Systems, PacifiCare Life Assurance Company, PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company, PacifiCare of Arizona Inc., PacifiCare of Colorado Inc., Pacific Cardiovascular Associates Medical Group Inc., Pacific Casualty Company Inc., Pacifico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud, Panama City Surgery Center LLC, Park Hill Surgery Center LLC, Parkway Surgery Center LLC, Patient Care Associates L.L.C., PatientsLikeMe, Patrimonio Autonomo Nueva Clinica, Payment Resolution Services LLC, Peninsula Eye Surgery Center LLC, Penzo Enterprises LLC, Peoples Health, Peoples Health Inc., Perham Physical Therapy LTD, Perimeter Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., Pharmaceutical Technologies LLC, Physician Alliance of the Rockies LLC, Physicians Health Choice of Texas LLC, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland Inc., Physicians' Surgery Center of Downey LLC, Pinnacle III LLC, Plano de Saude Ana Costa Ltda., Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico Inc., Plus One Holdings Inc., Pocono Ambulatory Surgery Center Limited, Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes Multiestrategia, Polo Holdco LLC, Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Post-Acute Care Center for Research LLC, Practice Partners in Healthcare LLC, Preferred Care Network Inc., Preferred Care Network of Florida Inc., Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., Preferred Care Partners Inc., Preferred Care Partners Medical Group Inc., PreferredOne, PreferredOne Administrative Services Inc., PreferredOne Insurance Company, Premier Choice ACO Inc., Premier Surgery Center of Louisville L.P., Premiere Medical Resources LLC, Presidio Surgery Center LLC, Prime Health Inc., PrimeCare Medical Network Inc., PrimeCare of Citrus Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Corona Inc., PrimeCare of Hemet Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Inland Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Moreno Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Redlands Inc., PrimeCare of Riverside Inc., PrimeCare of San Bernardino Inc., PrimeCare of Sun City Inc., PrimeCare of Temecula Inc., PrimeDoc St. Francis P.C., PrimeDoc of Richmond P.C., ProHEALTH Care Associates L.L.P., ProHEALTH Care Associates of New Jersey LLP, ProHEALTH Medical Management LLC, ProHealth Physicians ACO LLC, ProHealth Physicians Inc., ProHealth Proton Center Management LLC, ProHealth/CareMount Dental Management LLC, Procura Management Inc., Professional Coverage Services PLLC, Progressive Enterprises Holdings Inc., Progressive Medical LLC, Promotora Country S.A., Pronounced Health Solutions Inc., Prosemedic S.A.C., Prospero Benefits Management LLC, Prospero Care Management LLC, Prospero Management Services LLC, Providence & SCA Development LLC, Providence & SCA Off-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA On-Campus Holdings LLC, Providence & SCA Outreach Markets Holdings LLC, Pulse Platform LLC, QoL Acquisition Holdings Corp., R Cubed Inc., RABessler M.D. P.C., ROC Surgery LLC, ROCS Holdings LLC, RX Ricardo Campos Ltda., Rally Health Inc., ReMedics LLC, Real Appeal Inc., Redding Surgery Center LLC, Redlands Ambulatory Surgery Center, Redlands-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., Reliant MSO LLC, Reliant Medical Group Inc., Reliant Medical Group The Endoscopy Center LLC, Research Surgical Center LLC, Resonancia Magnetica de Colombia Ltda., Resonancia Magnetica del Country S.A., RightCare Solutions Inc., River Valley ASC LLC, Riverside Corporate Wellness LLC, Riverside Electronic Healthcare Resources Inc., Riverside Medical Management LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Meadowlands LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Newark LLC, Robert A. Bessler MD PLLC, Rockville Eye Surgery Center LLC, Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization Incorporated, Rush Oak Brook Surgery Center LLC, SC Affiliates LLC, SCA AHN JV Holdings LLC, SCA Alaska Surgery Center inc., SCA Athens LLC, SCA Austin Holdings LLC, SCA Austin Medical Center Holdings LLC, SCA Aventura Holdings LLC, SCA BOSC Holdings LLC, SCA Bloomfield Holdings LLC, SCA Cedar Park Holdings LLC, SCA Clifton LLC, SCA Colorado Springs Holdings LLC, SCA Community Service Foundation, SCA Cottonwood Holdings LLC, SCA Danbury Surgical Center LLC, SCA Denver Holdings LLC, SCA Development LLC, SCA Duluth Holdings LLC, SCA Duncanville Holdings LLC, SCA Duncanville MSO LLC, SCA ESSC Holdings LLC, SCA Englewood Holdings LLC, SCA Global One Holdings LLC, SCA Greenway Holdings LLC, SCA Grove Creek Holdings LLC, SCA Guilford Holdings LLC, SCA Hays Holdings LLC, SCA Health Value Enterprise LLC, SCA Heartland Holdings LLC, SCA High Point Holdings LLC, SCA HoldCo Inc., SCA Holding Company Inc., SCA Holdings Inc., SCA IEC Holdings LLC, SCA Indiana Holdings LLC, SCA Lutheran Holdings LLC, SCA Maple Grove Holdings LLC, SCA Mohawk Holdings LLC, SCA Murrells Inlet LLC, SCA Northern Utah Holdings LLC, SCA Northwest Holdings LLC, SCA Outside New Jersey LLC, SCA Pacific Holdings Inc., SCA Pacific Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Palisades Holdings LLC, SCA Pennsylvania Holdings LLC, SCA Pinnacle Holdings LLC, SCA Premier Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, SCA Providence Holdings LLC, SCA ROCS Holdings LLC, SCA Rockledge JV LLC, SCA Rush Oak Brook Holdings LLC, SCA SSSC Holdings LLC, SCA Sage Medical LLC, SCA Sage Medical MSO LLC, SCA San Diego Holdings LLC, SCA Skyway Holdings LLC, SCA South Ogden Holdings LLC, SCA Southwestern PA LLC, SCA Specialists of Florida LLC, SCA Specialty Holdings of Connecticut LLC, SCA Stonegate Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Surgicare of Laguna Hills LLC, SCA Teammate Support Network, SCA West Health Holdings LLC, SCA Westgreen Holdings LLC, SCA Woodbury Holdings LLC, SCA eCode Solutions Private Limited, SCA of Clarksville Inc., SCA-Albuquerque Surgery Properties Inc., SCA-Alliance LLC, SCA-Anne Arundel LLC, SCA-Applecare Partners LLC, SCA-Bethesda LLC, SCA-Blue Ridge LLC, SCA-Bonita Springs LLC, SCA-Brandon LLC, SCA-Castle Rock LLC, SCA-Central Florida LLC, SCA-Charleston LLC, SCA-Chatham LLC, SCA-Chevy Chase LLC, SCA-Citrus Inc., SCA-Colonial Partners LLC, SCA-Colorado Springs LLC, SCA-Connecticut Partners LLC, SCA-DRY CREEK LLC, SCA-Davenport LLC, SCA-Denver LLC, SCA-Denver Physicians Holdings LLC, SCA-Derry LLC, SCA-Doral LLC, SCA-Downey LLC, SCA-Dublin LLC, SCA-Encinitas Inc., SCA-Eugene Inc., SCA-First Coast LLC, SCA-Florence LLC, SCA-Fort Collins Inc., SCA-Fort Walton Inc., SCA-Franklin LLC, SCA-Frederick LLC, SCA-Freeway Holdings LLC, SCA-Ft. Myers LLC, SCA-GRANTS PASS LLC, SCA-Gainesville LLC, SCA-Gladiolus LLC, SCA-Glenwood Holdings LLC, SCA-Grove Place LLC, SCA-Hagerstown LLC, SCA-Hamden LLC, SCA-Hilton Head LLC, SCA-Honolulu LLC, SCA-Houston Executive LLC, SCA-IT Holdings LLC, SCA-Illinois LLC, SCA-JPM Holdings LLC, SCA-Kissing Camels Holdings LLC, SCA-MC VBP Inc., SCA-Main Street LLC, SCA-Marina del Rey LLC, SCA-Mecklenburg Development Corp., SCA-Memorial City LLC, SCA-Memorial LLC, SCA-Merritt LLC, SCA-Midlands LLC, SCA-Midway Management LLC, SCA-Mobile LLC, SCA-Mokena LLC, SCA-Morris Avenue LLC, SCA-Morris County LLC, SCA-Mt. Pleasant LLC, SCA-Naperville LLC, SCA-Naples LLC, SCA-New Jersey LLC, SCA-Newport Beach LLC, SCA-Northeast Georgia Health LLC, SCA-PORTLAND LLC, SCA-Palm Beach LLC, SCA-Palm Beach MSO Holdings LLC, SCA-Panama City Holdings LLC, SCA-Paoli LLC, SCA-Phoenix LLC, SCA-Pocono LLC, SCA-Practice Partners Holdings LLC, SCA-River Valley LLC, SCA-Riverside LLC, SCA-Riverside Partners LLC, SCA-Rockville LLC, SCA-Sacred Heart Holdings LLC, SCA-San Diego Inc., SCA-San Luis Obispo LLC, SCA-Sand Lake LLC, SCA-Santa Rosa Inc., SCA-Somerset LLC, SCA-South Jersey LLC, SCA-Sparta LLC, SCA-Spartanburg Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis LLC, SCA-St. Lucie LLC, SCA-SurgiCare LLC, SCA-Swiftpath LLC, SCA-VERTA LLC, SCA-VLR Holdings Company LLC, SCA-Wake Forest LLC, SCA-Western Connecticut LLC, SCA-Westover Hills LLC, SCA-Winchester LLC, SCA-Winter Park Inc., SCA-Woodlands Holdings LLC, SCAI Holdings LLC, SCLHS-SCA Holdings LLC, SCP Specialty Infusion LLC, SHC Atlanta LLC, SHC Austin Inc., SHC Hawthorn Inc., SHC Melbourne Inc., SJ East Campus ASC LLC, SRPS LLC, SSSC Holdings LLC, SVHS-SCA Florida JV LLC, Sacred Heart ASC LLC, Saden S.A., Sage Medical Prof. LLC, Salem JV Holdings LLC, Salem Surgery Center LLC, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy Inc., San Diego Endoscopy Center, San Diego Sports and Minimally Invasive Surgery Center LLC, San Francisco Endoscopy Center LLC, San Luis Obispo Surgery Center a California Limited Partnership, Sand Lake SurgiCenter LLC, Santa Barbara Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Cruz Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Helena Assistencia Medica S.A., Santa Rosa Surgery Center L.P., Santos Administracao e Participacoes S.A., Sanvello Health Holdings LLC, Sanvello Health Inc., Sanvello Health Limited, Scanner Centromed S.A., Seashore Surgical Institute L.L.C., Seisa Servicos Integrados de Saude Ltda., Senate Street Surgery Center LLC, Senior Benefits L.L.C., Serquinox Holdings LLC, Servicios Integrados de Salud Ltda., Servicios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Servicios Medicos Bio Bio Ltda., Servicios Medicos Ciudad del Mar Ltda., Servicios Medicos Santa Maria Ltda., Servicios Medicos Vespucio Ltda., Servicios de Entrenamiento en Competencias Clinicas Ltda., Serviclinica Inmobiliaria S.A., Serviclinica S.A. Ex Los Leones La Calera, Servisalud Inmobiliaria S.A., Servisalud S.A. Ex Los Carrera Quilpue, Shark Holdings P.C., Sierra Dental Plan Inc., Sierra Health Services Inc, Sierra Health Services Inc., Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc., Sierra Health-Care Options Inc., Sierra Home Medical Products Inc., Sierra Nevada Administrators Inc., Sistema de Administracion Hospitalaria S.A.C., Small Business Insurance Advisors Inc., Sobam  Centro Medico Hospitalar S.A., Sociedad de Inversiones Santa Maria SpA, Solstice Administration Services Inc., Solstice Administrators Inc., Solstice Administrators of Alabama Inc., Solstice Administrators of Arizona Inc., Solstice Administrators of Missouri Inc., Solstice Administrators of North Carolina Inc., Solstice Administrators of Texas Inc., Solstice Benefit Services Inc., Solstice Benefits Inc., Solstice Health Insurance Company, Solstice Healthplans Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Arizona Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Colorado Inc., Solstice Healthplans of New Jersey Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Ohio Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Tennessee Inc., Solstice Healthplans of Texas Inc., Solstice of Illinois Inc., Solstice of Minnesota Inc., Solstice of New York Inc., Solutran LLC, Somerset Outpatient Surgery L.L.C., Sound Inpatient Physicians Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians Medical Group Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians of Ohio LLC, Sound Inpatient Physicians of Texas I Inc., Sound Inpatient Physicians  Michigan PLLC, Sound Intensivists of Nevada RBessler M.D. PLLC, Sound Kenwood Hospitalists of Cincinnati Inc., Sound Kenwood Hospitalists of Cincinnati LLC, Sound Physicians Advisory Services Inc., Sound Physicians Alaska Hospitalist Group LLC, Sound Physicians Anesthesiology of Texas PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Arizona Inc., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Georgia P.C., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Kansas LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Kentucky PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Louisiana Inc., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Michigan PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Nevada Bessler PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Southern California P.C., Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Texas PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of Washington PLLC, Sound Physicians Emergency Medicine of West Virginia PLLC, Sound Physicians Holdings LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Arizona Inc., Sound Physicians Intensivists of Georgia PC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Virginia LLC, Sound Physicians Intensivists of Washington PLLC, Sound Physicians Palliative Care of Maryland P.C., Sound Physicians Telemedicine Inc., Sound Physicians of Florida IV LLC, Sound Physicians of Georgia III P.C., Sound Physicians of Hawaii Inc., Sound Physicians of Idaho PLLC, Sound Physicians of Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians of Indiana LLC, Sound Physicians of Iowa PLLC, Sound Physicians of Kankakee Illinois LLC, Sound Physicians of Massachusetts II P.C., Sound Physicians of Massachusetts Inc., Sound Physicians of New Jersey LLC, Sound Physicians of New York PLLC, Sound Physicians of North Carolina PLLC, Sound Physicians of South Carolina LLC, Sound Physicians of Wyoming LLC, South Arlington Surgical Providers LLC, South County Surgical Center LLC, South Sound Inpatient Physicians PLLC, Southern California Medical Practice Concepts LLC, Southland Hospitalists P.C., Southwest Medical Associates Inc., Southwest Michigan Health Network Inc., Southwest Surgery Center LLC, Southwest Surgical Center LLC, Space Coast Surgical Center Ltd., Spartanburg Surgery Center LLC, Specialists in Urology Surgery Center LLC, Specialized Pharmaceuticals Inc., Specialty Benefits LLC, Specialty Billing Solutions LLC, Specialty Surgical Center LLC, Spectera Inc., Spectera of New York IPA Inc., Sports and Spinal Physical Therapy Inc., St. Cloud Outpatient Surgery Ltd. a Minnesota Limited Partnership, St. Cloud Surgical Center LLC, St. Louis Cardiovascular Institute LLC, St. Louis Specialty Surgical Center LLC, Stonegate JV Partners LLC, Stonegate Surgery Center L.P., Summer Street ASC LLC, SunSurgery LLC, Surgery Center Holding LLC, Surgery Center at Cherry Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Cottonwood LLC, Surgery Center at Grove Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Kissing Camels LLC, Surgery Center at South Ogden LLC, Surgery Center at St. Vincent LLC, Surgery Center of Boca Raton Inc., Surgery Center of Colorado Springs LLC, Surgery Center of Des Moines LLC, Surgery Center of Easton LLC, Surgery Center of Ellicott City Inc., Surgery Center of Fairfield County LLC, Surgery Center of Fort Collins LLC, Surgery Center of Lexington LLC, Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, Surgery Center of Maui LLC, Surgery Center of Mt. Scott LLC, Surgery Center of Muskogee LLC, Surgery Center of Rockville L.L.C., Surgery Center of Southern Pines LLC, Surgery Center of The Woodlands LLC, Surgery Centers of Des Moines Ltd. an Iowa Limited Partnership, Surgery Centers-West Holdings LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates, Surgical Care Affiliates LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates Political Action Committee, Surgical Care Partners of Melbourne LLC, Surgical Caregivers of Fort Worth LLC, Surgical Center of Greensboro LLC, Surgical Center of San Diego LLC, Surgical Center of South Jersey Limited Partnership, Surgical Center of Tuscaloosa Holdings LLC, Surgical Eye Experts LLC, Surgical Health LLC, Surgical Health of Orlando LLC, Surgical Hospital Holdings of Oklahoma LLC, Surgical Management Solutions LLC, Surgicare LLC, Surgicare of Central Jersey LLC, Surgicare of Jackson LLC, Surgicare of Jackson Ltd. a Mississippi Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Joliet Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Ltd. a California Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Minneapolis LLC, Surgicare of Minneapolis Ltd. a Minnesota Limited Partnership, Surgicare of Mobile LLC, Surgicare of Mobile Ltd., Surgicare of Oceanside Inc., Surgicare of Owensboro LLC, Surgicare of Salem LLC, Surgicenters of Southern California Inc., Symphonix Health Holdings LLC, T.M. Carr M.D. P.C., THE SURGICAL CENTER OF THE TREASURE COAST L.L.C., THR-SCA Holdings LLC, TeamMD Holdings Inc., TeamMD Iowa Inc., TeamMD Physicians of Texas Inc., TeamUP Insurance Services Inc., Tecnologia de Informacion en Salud S.A., Texas Health Craig Ranch Surgery Center LLC, Texas Health Flower Mound Orthopedic Surgery Center LLC, Texas Health Orthopedic Surgery Center Alliance LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Alliance LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Bedford LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Chisholm Trail LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Irving LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Las Colinas LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Preston Plaza LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Rockwall LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Southwest Fort Worth LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Waxahachie LLC, Texas Health Surgery Center Willow Park LLC, The Advisory Board Company, The Alaska Hospitalist Group LLC, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company, The Eye Surgery Center of the Carolinas L.P., The Intensivist Group of Langhorne LLC, The Lewin Group Inc., The Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head LLC, The Polyclinic MSO LLC, The Surgery Center of Easton L.P., The Surgical Center of Connecticut LLC, Thomas Johnson Surgery Center LLC, Three Rivers Holdings Inc., Three Rivers Surgical Care L.P., Tmesys LLC, Topimagem Diagnostico por Imagem Ltda., Touchpoint Health Plan, Trails Edge Surgery Center LLC, Trauma Surgery Affiliates LLC, Travel Express Incorporated, Treasure Valley Emerald Properties LLC, Treasure Valley Hospital Limited Partnership, Tri-City Medical Center ASC Operators LLC, Tri-County Surgery Center LLC, Trinity Cardiovascular Care PLLC, Tufts Health Freedom Insurance Company, Tufts Health Freedom Plans Inc., Tuscaloosa Surgical Center L.P., U.S. Behavioral Health Plan California, UCSD Ambulatory Surgery Center LLC, UCSD Center for Surgery of Encinitas L.P., UCSD Surgical Center of San Diego LLC, UCSD-SCA Holdings I LLC, UCSD-SCA Holdings II LLC, UHC Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, UHC International Services Inc., UHC of California, UHCG Holdings Ireland Limited, UHCG Services Ireland Limited, UHCG  FZE, UHG Brasil Participacoes S.A., UHG Holdings UK IV Limited, UHG Holdings UK V Limited, UHG Holdings UK VI Limited, UHIC Holdings Inc., UMR Inc., UPHT-SCA Holdings LLC, USHEALTH Academy Inc., USHEALTH Administrators LLC, USHEALTH Advisors LLC, USHEALTH Career Agency Inc., USHEALTH Funding Inc., USHEALTH Group Inc., USMD ASC IV1 LLC, USMD ASC IV2 LLC, USMD Administrative Services L.L.C., USMD Affiliated Services, USMD Holdings Inc., USMD Hospital at Arlington L.P., USMD Hospital at Fort Worth L.P., USMD Inc., USMD PPM LLC, Unidad Medica Diagnostico S.A., Unimerica Insurance Company, Unimerica Life Insurance Company of New York, Unison Health Plan of Delaware Inc., United Behavioral Health, United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A. Inc., United Group Reinsurance Inc., United Health Foundation, United HealthCare Services Inc., United Medical Park ASC LLC, United Resource Networks IPA of New York Inc., United in Advancing Health Equity Foundation, UnitedHealth Advisors LLC, UnitedHealth Group Employee Assistance Fund, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, UnitedHealth Group International Finance Ireland Unlimited Company, UnitedHealth International Inc., UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services LLC, UnitedHealthcare Benefits Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas L.L.C., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service Beijing Co. Ltd., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Global Medical UK Limited, UnitedHealthcare Inc., UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of America, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Designated Activity Company, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services Inc., UnitedHealthcare International Asia LLC, UnitedHealthcare International I B.V., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III B.V., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VIII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International X S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Parekh Insurance TPA Private Limited, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley Inc., UnitedHealthcare Service LLC, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits LLC, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Colorado Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky Ltd., UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc., UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oregon Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Utah Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Washington Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Rockies Inc., Unity Health Network LLC, Upland Holdings LLC, Upland Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Urgent Care Holdings Inc., Urgent Care MSO LLC, Urology Associates of North Texas P.L.L.C., VERTA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC, VPay Benefits Corporation, VPay Inc., VPay Intermediate Holdings LLC, Valley Hospital L.L.C., Valley Physicians Network Inc., Vascular Labs of the Rockies ASC LLC, Vascular Labs of the Rockies PLLC, Via Vitae MSO LLC, Vida Integra S.p.A., Vida Tres S.A., Virtua-SCA Holdings II LLC, Virtua-SCA Holdings LLC, Vivify Health Canada Inc., Vivify Health Inc., WESTMED Practice Partners LLC, Wake Forest Ambulatory Ventures LLC, Walnut Creek Endoscopy Center LLC, Walnut Hill Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Surgery Center LLC, Wayland Square Surgicare Acquisition L.P., Wayland Square Surgicare GP Inc., Waypoint Minnesota PC, WellMed Medical Management Inc., WellMed Medical Management of Florida Inc., West Coast Endoscopy Holdings LLC, WestHealth JV Holdings LLC, WestHealth Surgery Center LLC, Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgical Center LLC, Westgreen Surgical Center LLC, Wilson Creek Surgical Center LLC, Winchester Endoscopy LLC, Winter Park LLC, Winter Park Surgery Center L.P., Woodbury Surgery Center LLC, XAS Infusion Suites Inc., XLHealth Corporation, XLHealth Corporation India Private Limited, divvyDOSE, divvyMED LLC, eCode Solutions LLC, gethealthinsurance.com Agency Inc., hCentive Inc., inPharmative Inc., naviHealth Care at Home LLC, naviHealth Coordinated Care LLC, naviHealth Coordinated Care SC P.C., naviHealth Holdings LLC, naviHealth Inc., naviHealth Michigan HBPC P.C., and naviHealth SM Holdings Inc..

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iShares Silver Trust (the Trust) owns silver transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares issued by the Trust. The Trust's each share represents a fractional undivided beneficial interest in its net assets. The assets of the Trust consist of silver held by the Trust's custodian on behalf of the Trust. The activities of the Trust are limited to issuing baskets of shares in exchange for the silver deposited with the custodian as consideration, selling silver as necessary to cover the sponsor's fee, Trust expenses not assumed by the sponsor and other liabilities, and delivering silver in exchange for baskets of shares surrendered for redemption. The Trust seeks to reflect the performance of the price of silver before payment of its expenses and liabilities.
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.
Manulife Financial Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides financial products and services in Asia, Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company operates through Wealth and Asset Management Businesses; Insurance and Annuity Products; and Corporate and Other segments. The Wealth and Asset Management Businesses segment offers investment advice and solutions to retirement, retail, and institutional clients through multiple distribution channels, including agents and brokers affiliated with the company, independent securities brokerage firms and financial advisors pension plan consultants, and banks. The Insurance and Annuity Products segment provides deposit and credit products; and individual life insurance, individual and group long-term care insurance, and guaranteed and partially guaranteed annuity products through multiple distribution channels, including insurance agents, brokers, banks, financial planners, and direct marketing. The Corporate and Other segment is involved in property and casualty reinsurance businesses; and run-off reinsurance operations, including variable annuities, and accident and health. The company also manages timberland and agricultural portfolios; and engages in insurance agency, investment counseling and dealer, portfolio and mutual fund management, property and casualty insurance, and mutual fund dealer businesses. Manulife Financial Corporation was incorporated in 1887 and is headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
Mativ Holdings, Inc. operates as a performance materials company. The company operates through two segments, Advanced Technical Materials and Fiber-Based Solutions. The Advanced Technical Materials segment manufactures and sells polymer, resin and fiber-based substrates, nets, films, adhesive tapes, and other nonwovens. This segment serves filtration, protective solutions, release liners, healthcare, and industrials end-markets. The Fiber-Based Solutions segment provides packaging, printing, and specialty papers; and various paper-based products for the consumer channel, such as bright papers, cardstock, stationery paper, envelopes, journals, and planners. It also offers combustibles products comprising conventional papers and filter wraps, low-ignition propensity papers wrappers for small cigars, and hemp-based alternatives; noncombustibles; and lightweight papers. This segment serves cigarette and cigar manufacturers, and commercial print and combustibles end-markets. The company sells its products in the United States, Europe and the former Commonwealth of Independent States, the Asia Pacific, the Americas, and internationally. The company was formerly known as Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. and changed its name to Mativ Holdings, Inc. in July 2022. Mativ Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Merck & Co., Inc. is a US-based multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company. It was officially founded in 1891 as the US arm of Merck Group, headquartered in Germany. Merck Group was founded in 1668 when Friedrick Jacob Merck purchased a pharmacy in Darmstadt, Germany. The company transformed from a pharmacy into a drug manufacturer in 1827 with the commercialization of morphine and the perfection of the manufacturing process. The company will later gain recognition for isolating and commercializing the manufacture of cocaine as well.

Merck Group sent Theodore Weicker to New York as its representative in 1889 and he quickly began to set up operations. The original investment of $200,000 resulted in a facility in lower Manhattan and the addition of Merck family member George Merck to the project. They began operations in 1891 and were in business as the US branch of Merck Group until 1917 and the onset of World War I.

World War I brought about the Trading With The Enemy Act of 1917 and the nationalization of Merck Groups US operations. Those operations were repurchased at a government auction only 2 years later with the help of Goldman Sachs and Lehman Brothers, but the split was done. The company retained rights to the Merck name in the US but remained independent. One of many noteworthy achievements in the post-War period is the discovery of streptomycin, which was revolutionary in treating tuberculosis.

In 1953 the company merged with Sharp& Dohme to form the then 2nd largest US drug manufacturer. The merger brought smallpox vaccines to the portfolio and opened a new avenue of research for the business. Since then, advancements in vaccine technology include treatments for mumps and chickenpox. Other notable advancements include the discovery of statins as a cholesterol inhibitor and work in veterinary medicine.

Today, Merck & Co operates through 2 segments and under 2 different names with a headquarters in Kenilworth, NJ. The company operates as Merck & Co in the US and as Merck Sharp & Dohme outside the US and Canada. The 2 segments are Pharmaceutical and Animal Health. Revenue topped $49 billion in 2022 and employed more than 68,000 people. The company has 8 research facilities near major university systems, including 7 in the US and 1 in the UK. As of 2022, the company had 82 pipeline products in Phase 2 trials, 30 in Phase 3 trials and 3 under review.

The Pharmaceutical segment researches discover and commercializes human health products in several areas of medicine. These include but are not limited to oncology, acute care, immunology, neuroscience, virology, cardiovascular, and diabetes. This segment has 6 blockbuster drugs as of late 2022, with each generating more than $1 billion in revenue. The leading treatments are Keytruda for treating cancer-related immune conditions, Gardisil which is a vaccine for HPV and Januvia for treating Type-II diabetes. The Animal Health segment discovers, develops, manufactures, and markets veterinary healthcare products and services. Both segments sell to healthcare facilities and distributors.
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.

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Phillips 66 operates as an energy manufacturing and logistics company in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Midstream, Chemicals, Refining, and Marketing and Specialties (M&S). The Midstream segment transports crude oil and other feedstocks; delivers refined petroleum products to market; provides terminaling and storage services for crude oil and refined petroleum products; transports, stores, fractionates, exports, and markets natural gas liquids; provides other fee-based processing services; and gathers, processes, transports, and markets natural gas. The Chemicals segment produces and markets ethylene and other olefin products; aromatics and styrenics products, such as benzene, cyclohexane, styrene, and polystyrene; and various specialty chemical products, including organosulfur chemicals, solvents, catalysts, and chemicals used in drilling and mining. The Refining segment refines crude oil and other feedstocks into petroleum products, such as gasolines, distillates, aviation, and renewable. The M&S segment purchases for resale and markets refined petroleum products, including gasolines, distillates, and aviation fuels. This segment also manufactures and markets specialty products, such as base oils and lubricants. The company was founded in 1875 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
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.
Olo Inc. operates an open SaaS platform for restaurants in the United States. The company's platform enables on-demand digital commerce operations, which cover digital ordering, delivery, front-of-house management, and payments. Its solutions include Order, a suite of solutions powering restaurant brands' on-demand commerce operations, enabling digital ordering, delivery, and channel management through ordering, dispatch, rails, switchboard, network, virtual brands, kiosk, catering, and sync modules; Engage, a suite of restaurant-centric marketing solutions optimizing guest lifetime value by strengthening and enhancing the restaurants' direct guest relationships, through the guest data platform, marketing, sentiment, and host modules; and Pay, a frictionless payment platform that enables restaurants to grow and protect their digital business through customer payment experience that offers advanced fraud prevention to improve authorization rates for valid transactions, and increase basket conversion through its Olo Pay module. The company was formerly known as Mobo Systems, Inc. and changed its name to Olo Inc. in January 2020. Olo Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
The iShares International Equity Factor ETF (INTF) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the STOXX International Equity Factor index. The fund tracks an index of large- and mid-cap equities in developed markets outside the US. Stocks are selected and weighted to maximize exposure to five factors: momentum, quality, value, low volatility, and size. INTF was launched on Apr 28, 2015 and is managed by BlackRock.
Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. no longer investing. It is a private equity and venture capital firm specializing in expansion financings, growth capital, management buyouts, recapitalizations, industry consolidations, corporate spinouts, growth stage, and early stage financings. It initially invests in a Series A-C round and opportunistically in a seed round. The firm prefers to make investments in companies engaged in the technology, financial services, and healthcare sector. Within the technology sector, it invests in software as a service, adtech / digital media, Internet of Everything, enhanced security, predictive analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, enterprise software, technology enabled services, internet/new media, financial technology, cloud, mobile, social, big data, in memory, and selected business services with capital requirements of up to $25 million. Within healthcare sector, the firm invests in molecular and point-of-care diagnostics, medical devices, regenerative medicine, medical technology, digital health, healthcare technology, specialty pharmaceuticals, and selected healthcare services. It invests throughout the United States with a focus on Mid-Atlantic region, and Southeastern Canada. The firm primarily invests between $5 million and $25 million in growth equity financing and between $5 million and $10 million in early-stage financing. It typically invests in the capital structures including owner financed and bootstrapped companies, corporate division or business unit, and venture capital-backed seeking a growth partner. The firm prefers to be the largest shareholder in its portfolio companies, with ownership in the range of 20 percent to 50 percent. However, it may occasionally take a majority or smaller stake in its portfolio companies. It prefers to invest in companies having proprietary technology and intellectual property. The firm prefers to take a Board seat in its portfolio companies. The company was founded in 1953 as Lancaster Corporation and changed its name to Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. in 1981. Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. is based in Radnor, Pennsylvania with additional office in Weston, Massachusetts.
Howmet Aerospace Inc. provides advanced engineered solutions for the aerospace and transportation industries in the United States, Japan, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Italy, Canada, Poland, China, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Engine Products, Fastening Systems, Engineered Structures, and Forged Wheels. The Engine Products segment offers airfoils and seamless rolled rings primarily for aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines; and rotating and structural parts. The Fastening Systems segment produces aerospace fastening systems, as well as commercial transportation, industrial, and other fasteners; and latches, bearings, fluid fittings, and installation tools. The Engineered Structures segment provides titanium ingots and mill products, aluminum and nickel forgings, and machined components and assemblies for aerospace and defense applications; and titanium forgings, extrusions, and forming and machining services for airframe, wing, aero-engine, and landing gear components. The Forged Wheels segment offers forged aluminum wheels and related products for heavy-duty trucks and commercial transportation markets. The company was formerly known as Arconic Inc. Howmet Aerospace Inc. was founded in 1888 and is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
SPDR S&P MidCap 400 ETF is an exchange traded fund. SPDR MidCap 400 Trust focuses to correspond to the price and yield performance of the S&P MidCap 400 Index. The S&P MidCap 400 covers over 7% of the United States equities market, and is part of a series of S&P the United States indices. The index also includes companies, which should have four consecutive quarters of positive as-reported earnings, excluding discontinued operations and extraordinary items. Its investment sectors include financials, industrials, information technology, consumer discretionary, healthcare and materials. Bank of New York acts as an investment manager.
8 Wall Street research analysts have issued "buy," "hold," and "sell" ratings for TransAlta Renewables in the last twelve months. There are currently 7 hold ratings and 1 buy rating for the stock. The consensus among Wall Street research analysts is that investors should "hold" RNW shares. A hold rating indicates that analysts believe investors should maintain any existing positions they have in RNW, but not buy additional shares or sell existing shares.

View RNW analyst ratings or view top-rated stocks.
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Xinyuan Real Estate Co., Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, engages in residential real estate development and construction in the People's Republic of China, the United States, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom. The company develops residential projects, such as multi-layer apartment buildings, sub-high-rise apartment buildings, high-rise apartment buildings; auxiliary services and amenities, such as retail outlets, leisure and health facilities, kindergartens, and schools, as well as office, mixed-use, and commercial properties. It also acquires development sites through public auctions of government land and acquisitions of entities. In addition, the company provides property management services for its developments and other real estate-related services; offers landscaping, engineering and management, real estate consulting, leasing management, management consulting, and technical services; operates retail stores; and installs intercom systems. Further, it engages in the purchase, sale, lease, and brokerage of real estate; sale of construction materials; development and sale of robots; operation of internet platform for real estate property financing; and provision of electronic commerce and catering services. The company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. [Xinhua/Huang Jingwen]



BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Great Hall of the People on Friday.

Xi pointed out that Prime Minister Hun Manet chose China as the destination for his first bilateral visit after taking office, which fully demonstrates the great importance the new Cambodian government attaches to consolidating and developing China-Cambodia friendship.

China and Cambodia are ironclad friends, Xi said, adding that over the past 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two sides have always maintained a high degree of mutual trust, treated each other as equals, achieved win-win results, and firmly supported each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests.

Xi stressed that China firmly supports Cambodia in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions, and stands ready to maintain regular strategic communication with Cambodia and deepen the exchange of governance experience.

He said the two sides should make good use of the mechanism of the intergovernmental coordinating committee and implement the new action plan for building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future.

Xi also called on both sides to enrich the China-Cambodia "Diamond Hexagon" cooperation framework, jointly build the "Industrial Development Corridor" and the "Fish and Rice Corridor," and promote the early implementation of relevant key cooperation projects.

China is willing to carry out regular law enforcement and security cooperation with Cambodia and continue to crack down on cross-border crimes such as online gambling and telecom fraud, said Xi.

He said the two sides should continue to host activities to celebrate the "China-Cambodia Friendship Year" and expand cooperation in the fields of youth, localities, education, tourism and health so that China-Cambodia friendship will bring more benefits to the two peoples.

Xi pointed out that no matter how the international and regional situation may change, China is always Cambodia's most reliable friend and staunch supporter, and that China stands ready to join hands with Cambodia to uphold international fairness and justice and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.

Hun Manet said that he chose China as the destination for his first official visit to show that the new Cambodian government will continue to firmly pursue a friendly policy toward China and further carry forward the ironclad friendship between Cambodia and China.

The prime minister said Cambodia will abide by the one-China principle, firmly support China in safeguarding its core interests, and support the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi.

Cambodia appreciates China's long-term strong support and assistance for Cambodia's economic and social development, and is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen Belt and Road cooperation, and push for further development of bilateral cooperation in industry, agriculture, investment, culture and other fields under the "Diamond Hexagon" framework, Hun Manet said.

Hun Manet noted that the Cambodian side is willing to closely cooperate with China in regional and international affairs to push the bilateral ties to a new height.

Wang Yi was present at the meeting.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. [Xinhua/Pang Xinglei]

(Source: Xinhua)
Click the photo and watch the video.



* Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema, in Beijing on Friday.

* The two heads of state announced the elevation of the China-Zambia relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

* China firmly supports African countries in pursuing independent development paths, and firmly supports African countries in becoming an important pole in the world politics, economy and civilization, Xi said.

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema, in Beijing on Friday.

The two heads of state announced the elevation of the China-Zambia relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Hichilema is paying a state visit to China from Sept. 10 to 16 at the invitation of Xi.

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema, who is paying a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. [Xinhua/Huang Jingwen]



Upgrading Bilateral Ties

Xi said that the traditional friendship forged by the two countries' older generations of leaders has stood the test of the changing international landscape, and the Tanzania-Zambia Railway has become a symbol of China-Africa friendship.

Xi said China has always viewed and developed China-Zambia relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and stands ready to work with Zambia to transform the profound traditional friendship into a strong driving force for win-win cooperation in the new era and push bilateral relations to a new level.

The Chinese president said China supports Zambia in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests and exploring a development path suited to its own conditions. He expressed China's willingness to strengthen inter-party exchanges and exchanges of state governance experience with Zambia. The two countries should support each other on issues related to their respective core interests and major concerns.

The success of Chinese modernization shows the diversity of modernization models in the world, and China's high-quality development and modernization process will continue to bring new opportunities to all countries including Zambia, Xi said.

China hopes to jointly build the Belt and Road with Zambia and expand cooperation in infrastructure construction, agriculture, mining and clean energy to achieve common development and revitalization, Xi said.

Xi said China encourages more quality Zambian products to enter the Chinese market and supports more Chinese enterprises in investing in Zambia.

He called on the two sides to make a success of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties next year, and step up exchanges and cooperation in education and training, health care, culture, tourism and other fields.

Hichilema said Zambia cherishes the friendship forged by the older generations of leaders of the two countries. He said Zambia thanks China for its positive role in resolving the Zambian debt issue. The Zambian side abides by the one-China principle, highly appreciates the guiding philosophy and principles of Chinese modernization, and hopes to learn from China's development experience.

Hichilema said Zambia is ready to work with China to take the establishment of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership as an opportunity to deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and in mining, agriculture, economy and trade, science and technology, infrastructure construction, health care and other fields.

After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in areas including Belt and Road cooperation, green development, digital economy, investment cooperation, inspection and quarantine.

Commenting on the elevation of China-Zambia relations, Li Wentao, executive director of the Institute of African Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the two countries, as long-standing partners, will seek cooperation in a wider range of areas and achieve more consensus in international affairs after upgrading their ties.

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema, who is paying a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. [Xinhua/Liu Weibing]



Advancing China-Africa Cooperation

Noting that the collective rise of developing countries and their increasing international influence have become an irreversible trend of the times, Xi said China and Zambia need to strengthen solidarity and coordination, practice genuine multilateralism, firmly uphold international fairness and justice, strive to increase the voice of developing countries, and safeguard the common interests of the two countries and other developing countries.

Xi said China-Africa cooperation has become a pacesetter in South-South cooperation and international cooperation with Africa. The features of China-Africa friendship, including sincerity and equality, win-win cooperation, safeguarding justice, openness and inclusiveness, have never changed.

China firmly supports African countries in pursuing independent development paths, and firmly supports African countries in becoming an important pole in the world politics, economy and civilization, Xi said.

China is ready to work with Zambia and other African countries to implement the outcomes of the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue, including the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization, strengthen strategic alignment, deepen cooperation in various fields, support African countries in enhancing their capacity for independent development and realizing economic recovery and sustainable development, and jointly build a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, according to Xi.

Hichilema said China's development has led to the progress of countries in the Global South, increased their representation and voice in international affairs, and promoted the development of international order in a more just and rational direction.

Zambia thanks China for supporting the African Union's entry into the G20, Hichilema said.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is an important platform for promoting the development of African countries, he said. Thanking China for hosting the FOCAC meeting in 2024, he said Zambia is willing to work with China to push Africa-China cooperation to a new level, jointly cope with global challenges such as energy and food security, and inject more stability into the world.

Hichilema's visit came on the heels of Xi's state visit to South Africa and Beninese President Patrice Athanase Guillaume Talon's trip to China. The recent frequent high-level exchanges between China and African countries will boost the China-Africa ties, said Li Wentao.

China and Africa are engaged in cooperation in many fields, the essence of which is to promote Africa's independent development, Li said.

(Source: Xinhua)
BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua)  Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chinese president, on Friday sent a congratulatory letter to the sixth cross-Strait youth development forum that opened on the same day in Hangzhou City of Zhejiang Province.

Xi emphasized the vital role of youth as the hope of the country and the future of the nation, hailing the forum as an important platform for youth from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to exchange ideas, foster mutual understanding, and learn from each other.

Xi expressed his hope that through the forum, more young people across the Taiwan Strait would become close friends and good partners working together for a better future.

Stressing that realizing national rejuvenation is the shared aspiration of all the Chinese people, Xi welcomed young people from Taiwan to pursue and fulfill their dreams on the mainland.

He called on young people across the Taiwan Strait to keep pace with the trends of history and safeguard the overall interests of the Chinese nation and national unity.

Xi also urged them to remain committed to the right path of peaceful development of cross-Strait relations, and ensure that the future of cross-Strait relations remains firmly in hands of Chinese people on both sides of the Strait.

(Source: Xinhua)
BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday sent a congratulatory letter to the China-Europe Railway Express Cooperation Forum, which was held on the same day in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu Province.

In his letter, Xi said China-Europe Railway Express had built a new platform for economic and trade cooperation along the route, effectively guaranteed the stability of the global industrial chain and supply chain, and injected new impetus into the development of the world economy.

China will continue to work with all sides to uphold the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, and make new and greater contributions to building a community with a shared future for mankind, Xi said.

Themed "Deepening Interconnectivity and Promoting Win-Win Cooperation," the forum was jointly hosted by the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Transport, the General Administration of Customs, China State Railway Group and some local governments.

(Source: Xinhua)
Community members rally together to serve free fish fry for veterans in the region
The City of Philadelphias Office of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy (OACCE) has backtracked on its offer to artist Wesley Wofford to create a sculpture of abolitionist Harriet Tubman to be permanently placed in front of City Hall. The OACCE decision, in response to attacks from right-wing, racialist forces, is a shameful capitulation. The decision encourages the imposition of a de facto quota system, setting a dangerous precedent in terms of the production of artwork based on race, gender or ethnicity.

The controversy erupted in 2022, when the city hosted a sculpture of Tubman for three months outside City Hall to commemorate 200 years since the celebrated abolitionists birth and her connection to Philadelphia, the city she first fled to when she escaped from bondage in 1849. The nine-foot, bronze Harriet Tubman: The Journey to Freedom, a traveling sculpture depicting the famed abolitionist leading a child by the hand, was created by Emmy- and Academy Award-winning artist Wesley Wofford, who is white.

'The Journey to Freedom' by Wesley Wofford [woffordsculpturestudio.com)

The sculpture received a very positive reaction. The media estimated that close to 4 million people either traveled to see the work or viewed it via social media. In March 2022, prompted by this positive response to Woffords work, the city of Philadelphias OACCE, unable to purchase this piece, offered Wofford a $500,000 commission to design a similar sculpture to place permanently in front of City Hall.

The news of Woffords commission drew both national and local attention and interest. The city called for a virtual public engagement session on June 15, 2022 to provide a platform for artists to discuss the sculpture and offer their feedback. However, this opening was inevitably seized on by advocates of identity politics to inject racialist poison into the process.

Some of the comments from participants reveal the degraded intellectual character and fundamentally mercenary aims of upper middle class identity politics.

According to Art Forum, one participant, Maisha Sullivan-Ongoza of the Sankofa Artisans Guild, sought to compare Wofford to a white slave owner for daring to create an artwork based on Tubman. According to Sullivan-Ongoza, Tubman risked life and limb to be free so that no one white person would benefit off her person. And now we have someone white benefiting off her.

Needless to say, Sullivan-Ongoza has no problem with any artist-entrepreneurs of the proper racial makeup financially benefiting off of Tubmans person. Various race-obsessed participants denounced the lack of a process, meaning that the city did not consult them first before awarding the commission.

For his part, Wofford has argued that Art is supposed to be a universal language that transcends gender, race and culture.

For a time, city officials defended Wofford. Kelly Lee, the director of the OACCE, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Philadelphia would not be commissioning this permanent Harriet Tubman statue if not for the publics positive response to Woffords temporary statue.

The city even went so far as to publish statements online from Tubmans maternal relatives stating that the beloved abolitionist worked with people of all races who were like-minded, and Mr. Wofford is like-minded  Harriet Tubman stood for people of all races.

These enlightened comments were drowned out by the race zealots. Eventually, the citys Democratic Party-led government capitulated to these forces. Within a month, the citys website announced it would be going in a new direction with its Tubman project. After extensive engagement with the community and stakeholders, it said, the City has decided to initiate an open Call for Artists to commission a permanent statue that will be located on the North Apron at City Hall.

The city received 50 applications. Unsurprisingly, the top finalists were all African American. The New York Times quoted artist Tanda Francis, one of the finalists, saying that Tubman was an ancestor. We [black people] should be telling our story.

On September 5, the winning sculpture was selected. It is currently being reviewed by members of the city and the Tubman estate. Results will be announced in October, with plans to install the monument by fall 2024.

There are issues of considerable historical, political and artistic importance raised by this tawdry affair.

Harriet Tubman (1822-1913), born in Dorchester County, Maryland to enslaved parents, was a major figure of the Civil War era.

Tubman is best known for guiding dozens of slaves to freedom in the North in the years following her own escape in 1849 until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. The work was immensely dangerous, and her life was in constant danger.

During the war, Tubman first served as a cook and nurse in the Union Army. She later worked as a scout and a spy. She is credited with being the first woman to lead an armed expedition, in the June 1863 raid on Combahee Ferry, South Carolina, which led to the freeing of over 750 slaves. She is widely celebrated as a remarkable fighter for human freedom.

In regard to race and art, the Times writes that the controversy over the Tubman statue is part of a broader conversation in the art world about to what extent racial identity should matter. Continuing, it argues that Some say that artists should have the freedom to pursue their vision on any subject regardless of their race or ethnicity, while others believe that identity and expression are inextricably linked and that art about Black people should only be created by someone who has shared their history. The Timess sympathies clearly lie with the latter view. This is the newspaper that spawned the deplorable and historically false, and discredited, 1619 Project.

The Wofford-Tubman episode is only the latest in a series of race-based provocations and attacks on democratic rights in art. One of the most notorious incidents of this sort was the campaign in 2017 to censor white artist Dana Schutz at the Whitney Museum of American Art for her depiction of black youth Emmett Till, murdered in 1955 Mississippi for allegedly flirting with a white woman.

The World Socialist Web Site wrote at the time: The program of ethnic or racial particularism in art and culture, which insists that the various peoples and nationalities are incapable of communicating with and understanding one another, is thoroughly repugnant. It is part of the anti-Enlightenment tradition, which rejects rationalism, democracy, egalitarianism and universality.

Thomas Garrett and Harriet Tubman in Wilmington, Delaware sculpture (National Park Service)

Some 30 miles south of Philadelphia, in Wilmington, Delaware, there is a well-known, nine-foot-tall bronze sculpture of Tubman and Thomas Garrett, a prominent white figure in the Underground Railroad. Garrett assisted some 2,300 slaves to freedom over the course of four decades. According to the National Park Service, the sculpture commemorates the trust and friendship between Quaker Thomas Garrett, and Harriet Tubman during their most critical collaborations from about 1854 through 1860. Garrett raised money to aid Tubmans missions and supported her in his home. The sculpture, entitled Unwavering Courage in the Pursuit of Freedom, was created for the City of Wilmington by Mario Chiodo, a white artist from the Bay Area. The sculpture is popular with local residents.

The advocates of removing white or any other color artists from the artistic process have nothing to do with the heroic struggle led by Tubman against slavery. They are traveling in an opposed direction.

One can only imagine what the reaction of such social forces would be to the appearance of Harriet Beecher Stowesa white womans1852 anti-slavery novel Uncle Toms Cabin were it to be published today!

The racialist censorship of Wesley Woffords Journey to Freedom lifts the lid on the foul, anti-democratic swamp that makes up modern-day identity politics. It should be opposed.
On Friday, September 8, Mark Dial of the Philadelphia Police Department surrendered to authorities for charges against him in the killing of Eddie Irizarry, 27. Dial shot Irizarry dead on August 14 as the young man sat in his car. District Attorney Larry Krasner announced that Dial would face first-degree murder charges, along with voluntary manslaughter and aggravated assault.

Eddie Irizarry [Photo: Irizarry Family]

Charges were brought against Dial only because the killing was captured by a neighborhood security camera. Initially, authorities followed standard operating procedure for all such killings. They blamed the victim, asserting that Irizarry had left his car and lunged at police with a knife.

But then the neighborhood video footage emerged showing Officer Dial moving rapidly from his car, within a few seconds firing several shots through the windows of the parked vehicle, killing Irizarry.

The revelation forced the release of police body cam videos, which the Philadelphia Police Department had initially refused to share with Irizarrys family attorney, Shaka Johnson. The footage is even more damning than that taken from the neighborhood security camera. It shows Dial cursing, I will f**king shoot you! before immediately firing six shots at Irizarry within a few feet of the driver side window and windshield. A few seconds later officers open the door, revealing Irizarry, covered in blood and moaning, still seated behind the cars steering column.

The video shows that Irizarry was given no chance to communicate prior to the shots being fired. Nothing in the video suggests that Irizarry posed the slightest threat to Dial and his partner, who remains officially unidentified.

The footage forced police to abandon their initial claim that Irizarry lunged with a knife. But attorneys for Dial have a new story. Dial now claims he opened fire because he thought Irizarry had a gun.

This is only the most recent line of defense to shield the Philadelphia Police Department. After her initial attempt to blame Irizarry fell apart, Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw claimed that it was a mistake. Attorney Johnson replied, that was not a mislead, that is a blatant lie, and an attempt to sort of mislead an investigation, and quite frankly, to corrupt the court of public opinion.

It was not until nine days after the shooting, on August 23the day after the neighborhood surveillance video of the killing was releasedthat Dial was handed a 30-day suspension. Even then, the official reason for the suspension was not for the shooting itself, but because Dial had refused to obey an order from a superior and had not cooperated with the internal police investigation.

The decision by the authorities to finally charge Dial with murder comes in the face of growing anger in the city. Since Irizarrys death, there have been protests near the area where he was killed, Willard Street. One group marched to the police station where Dial was stationed and demanded he be fired.

Cherish Honkala, a resident of Philadelphia and activist, spoke of the constant anxiety and fear of police in the community. People are deathly afraid of the police here, especially if youre a young man, she said. Anybody thats driving, I dont care who they are, if they get pulled over, they go into a panic attack. The sentiment is widely shared across the US.

The charges against Dial come two months away from the 2023 Philadelphia mayoral election between Democrat Cherelle Parker and Republican David Oh. Parker campaigned in the primaries on a law-and-order platform, pledging to hire 300 more police officers and to implement unconstitutional stop-and-frisk policies against residents. Parker has been silent on Irizarrys shooting.

The Philadelphia Police Department is notorious for its violence. There have been some 2,600 formal complaints against it between 2016 and 2019. Among these, only 24 percent of cases were resolved in favor of the civilians. Between 2020-2023, there were 41 reported incidents of officer-involved shootings, resulting in 16 deaths, none of them police officers.

The vast majority of victims of police shootings and brutality are working class people, such as Irizarry, an auto mechanic born and raised in Puerto Rico. Irizarrys murder is another in a long line of police killings in the US. As of writing, 726 people have been killed by police in 2023. Well over 1,000 people are killed per year by police in America.

Media coverage of the recent developments in the Irizarry case has been overshadowed by salacious, round-the-clock coverage of Danelo Cavalcante, the escaped convict on the run for nearly two weeks prior to his September 13 capture. During the search for Cavalcante, militarized police units were dispatched across Pennsylvania, involving uniformed officers carrying semi-automatic rifles and even police combat units. Such extreme displays of overwhelming force are aimed to intimidate the population amidst unprecedented wealth inequality and social tension.
In one of his rare international visits, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un travelled by armoured train to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Siberia where the two held a series of meetings this week. Since coming to power 12 years ago, Kim has made just seven trips abroad, four of which were to China.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un at the Vostochny cosmodrome outside Tsiolkovsky, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the city of Blagoveshchensk in the far eastern Russia, on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. [AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool ]

The two leaders are being driven together by US imperialisms aggressive methods. Pyongyang has been under crippling US and UN economic sanctions and bans for decades over its nuclear and missile programs. Also heavily sanctioned, Moscow confronts the US and NATO in the escalating war in Ukraine aimed at destabilizing and subordinating Russia as Washington prepares for military conflict with China.

Putin laid out the red carpet for Kim on Wednesday at the Vostochny space centre, a rocket launch facility. The two leaders met for several hours before reaching what North Korea described as a satisfactory agreement on the immediate cooperation matters.

No details were released amid intense speculation in the Western press that Putin was seeking to replenish Russian stocks of munitions from North Koreas large stockpiles in return for Russian aid and technological assistance.

Asked if military-technical cooperation had been discussed with Kim, Putin said that there were certain limitations in placea reference to UN sanctions on North Koreabut indicated that there were areas open for discussion. At a state banquet for Kim on Wednesday, Putin suggested that Russia might help North Korea develop its space and satellite program.

Kim pledged at the banquet to establish a new era of 100-year friendship between the two countries. Referring to the war in Ukraine, he declared North Koreas full and unconditional support for what he described as Russias sacred fight. He said that North Korea would always stand with Russia on the anti-imperialist front.

Despite the effusive rhetoric, neither regime is waging a struggle against imperialism. Both are steeped in reactionary nationalism. Far from opposing imperialism, both are looking for a deal with Washington to advance their economic and strategic interests.

Putins invasion of Ukraine, in response to Washingtons deliberate goading by provocatively pushing NATO towards Russias borders, was based on the fatal illusion that US imperialism could be pressured to make concessions. Putin represents the interests of the Russia oligarchs who amassed their fortunes by plundering the resources of the Soviet Union following its dissolution in 1991.

Kims posturing in opposition to hegemonic forces, along with his blustering threats and missile tests, amount to a desperate appeal for negotiations with US imperialism to end the countrys longstanding economic isolation. Far from being socialist or communist, Pyongyang wants to open up the country as a source of ultra-cheap labour for global corporations.

Moreover, relations between the two countries have been far from close. Putin has accepted an invitation to visit North Korea, but last did so in 2000, more than two decades ago. Relations soured after Moscow backed sanctions by the UN Security Council following North Koreas testing of nuclear weapons.

The US and its allies have issued warnings against any military co-operation between Russia and North Korea. White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby expressed Washingtons concerns, declaring: No nation on the planet, nobody, should be helping Mr Putin kill innocent Ukrainians.

In reality, the US bears the chief responsibility for provoking the war and the mounting casualties on both sides. Along with its NATO allies, Washington has funnelled tens of billions of dollars in advanced weaponry into the Ukrainian military in an effort to inflict a decisive defeat on Russia, with complete disregard for the impact on the Ukrainian population.

Significantly, the national security advisers of the US, South Korea and Japan issued a joint statement, warning against violations of sanctions by North Korea and Russia. The statement threatened clear consequences if either country were to breach their obligations under UN sanctions, particularly those related to arms and military cooperation.

All three countries expressed grave concerns over the discussions between the two leaders, which included topics related to military cooperation, including the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), despite repeated warnings from the international community, it declared.

The joint statement is the first of its kind. It follows the Camp David summit held last month between Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol that established close military and strategic collaboration between the three countries. While the US has military alliances with Japan and South Korea, Tokyo and Seoul put aside their longstanding antagonism amid Washingtons accelerating war drive against China.

Significantly, even as it denounces Russia for seeking military supplies from North Korea, the US has been buying armaments from South Korea to replenish stockpiles depleted by arms shipments to Ukraine. The New York Times reported that South Korea has been shipping large amounts of artillery shells to the United States for months. The deals have been kept quiet, as Seoul insists it is not providing lethal weapons directly to Ukraine.

The turn by Russia and the US to North and South Korea respectively for supplies of armaments highlights the fact that the Korean Peninsula is one of the most heavily militarised regions of the world. A peace treaty was never signed to end the brutal 195053 Korean War waged by US imperialism and its allies. The state of war formally continues. Both Koreas have military forces and reservists numbering in the millions, large military stockpiles and extensive military industries.

The North Korean leader continued his trip to Russia with a visit to the countrys largest aviation manufacturing plant in the eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The plant builds and develops fighter jets, including the SU-35S. Putin told Russian media that Kim would also travel to the port city of Vladivostok where Russias Pacific Fleet is stationed.

Based on the South Korean intelligence service, the Financial Times reported earlier this month that Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu proposed joint military exercises with North Korea and China at a meeting with Kim during a visit to Pyongyang in July.

Whether or not that is the case, the accelerating war drive by US imperialism against Russia and China is leading to the formation of economic and military blocs akin to those in the 1930s that led to World War II.
When property mogul Tim Gurner launched his attack on arrogant workers, demanding pain in the economy to increase the unemployment rate by 50 percent, there was a storm of outrage.

Gurner made no comment the following day even though asked to do so. But by Thursday wiser heads, clearly concerned that the real logic of the profit system was being so nakedly exposed, had prevailed.

Accordingly, Gurner issued a public apology for his outburst, saying, I made some remarks about unemployment and productivity in Australia that I deeply regret and were wrong.

However, as Gurner delivered his mea culpa, a report from the Productivity Commission was issued which was essentially in line with his call for a productivity increase. It outlined its analysis in the measured tones which are used to disguise and cover over the essential class relations of the profit system that Gurner had so graphically exposed.

After noting that productivity levels, output per hour worked, had fallen to their lowest in 60 years, just 1.1 percent per year, it claimed that had they been maintained at the level of the 1990s, average real incomes today would be about $25,000 higher than current levels.

Productivity Commission deputy chair Alex Robson [Photo: Griffith University]

According to Productivity Commission deputy chair Alex Robson, in the year to June productivity declined by 3.6 percent. In the five quarters to March last year it declined in all but one and gross domestic product per hour worked was now at its lowest level since March 2016.

In order to penetrate this analysis and reveal its essential content it is necessary to establish some basic points about the political economy of capitalism.

When terms such as output and productivity are employed, the image which often arises is of an increase in the physical quantity of goods and services. But the production of material wealth is not the aim and driving force of capitalism. It is solely the accumulation of money in the form of profit.

No measure of output as a whole or output per hour can be made based on the physical quantity of the goods and services produced. That would be like trying to compare apples and oranges, as the saying goes.

The measure of output is money. Productivity, therefore, is measured not in terms of the physical product or services resulting from labour but by the amount of money or value which is added in the process of production.

Thus, while workers in a particular industry may, over a period, produce a greater quantity of physical goods than they did in the past, their productivity, as measured in money terms, may not necessarily rise.

If, for example, a given number of workers produces a greater quantity of goods, but the monetary value has fallen, then the productivity of their labourthe amount of money obtained for every hour workedwill have gone down despite the fact they have worked faster and harder.

Conversely, as can be seen in Australia, the productivity of labour is highest in mining and agriculture not because workers in these industries work harder or smarter than workers anywhere else in the economy but because the price of their output has increased.

The point at issue here is that output per hour, measured in monetary terms, has got little to do with how hard workers work but instead with the relations in the capitalist market on a national and global scale. Moreover, productivity is determined by a host of other factors, such as technology and the organisation of production, which are controlled by the owners of the means of production not the workers.

Clearly global conditions are at work because labour productivity has been falling in all the major economies. Even as it declined to its lowest point in six decades, the productivity of labour in Australia was higher than in the US, Canada, Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Japan and New Zealand over the ten years to 2021.

But notwithstanding the fact that labour productivity is largely beyond the control of workers, the campaign for it to increaseLabor Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the government has a laser-like focus on Australias productivity performanceserves important objectives.

If prices remain constant or fall, then the only way of boosting productivity is a reduction in the workforce, often via new technology, or through a speed up of work so that the product comes on to the market faster, there to be turned into money.

Time is of the essence in the capitalist system. Time is money and that was one of the motivations for Gurners outburst.

He was concerned that his capitalmuch of it borrowed funds on which he is paying interestwas tied up for too long in a physical form and not being turned into an increased quantity of money fast enough because of the attitude and arrogance of tradies and other workers.

The key point here is that productivity is not about the increased production of goods and services and the expansion of material wealth.

That is simply a by-product of the capitalist system of production, the essential aim of which is the expansion of capital through the extraction of additional or surplus value from the labour of the working class.

In the final analysis, the source of this surplus is the difference between the wage of the worker and the value which that worker adds to the raw materials and means of production in the course of the working day. The more the productivity of labour can be increased, the greater is that surplus.

Gurners remarks sparked widespread opposition but also support from sections of the financial press and the corporate world.

Yesterday, the Australian Financial Review ran an editorial headlined Heed the truth bombs on the productivity puzzle. It noted that while Gurner had apologised, his frank talk is grappling with the serious puzzle that is the slide in Australias post-pandemic labour productivity back to 2016 levels.

It noted that both the outgoing governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and the incoming governor Michele Bullock have said that unemployment must rise to at least 4.5 percent.

Back in June, Bullock made it clear that unemployment she called it moderation in labour demandwas a central objective of the RBA. Bullock stated that the balance between labour supply and demand had recently improved and noted that the significant tightening of monetary policy had played a role as intended.

While corporate chiefs were in the main ducking for cover after Gurners diatribe, he received support from powerful voices. Minerals Council of Australia chairman Andrew Michelmore, for example, said workers in some parts of the economy were enjoying a lifestyle that was not sustainable. A rise in unemployment was needed to break the cycle, he said.

The role of the Productivity Commission is to try to cover up this class-war agenda with the claim that increased productivitythat is more intensive exploitationis the road to real wage growth.

Facts, however, speak louder than the pie in the sky claim that workers somehow missed out on $25,000 of additional income they would have received if only they had worked harder.

Since March 2012, productivity increased across the economy but real wages per hour fell by 0.2 percent. And this trend has accelerated with data published at beginning of the year showing that in 2022, workers experienced the biggest fall in real wages on record.
On Wednesday, 76-year-old US senator, multi-millionaire venture capitalist, and 2012 Republican nominee for president Mitt Romney announced he would not seek re-election in 2024.



Coinciding with his announcement, the Atlantic published select excerpts from a soon-to-be released biography of the senator, revealing that Romney and several of his colleagues, Pentagon officials and police agents knew that then-President Donald Trump would be leading a violent coup on January 6, 2021, yet said nothing publicly.



Romneys statements that it was well known among members of Congress and those charged with protecting it that Trump was instigating an attack on the Capitol were made in hours of interviews, emails and journal entries shared by the senator with Atlantic reporter McKay Coppins, author of Romney: A Reckoning.

Sen. Mitt Romney, Republican-Utah, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, heads to a vote before a national security briefing on Ukraine at the Capitol in Washington, March 16, 2022. [AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite]

In his interviews with Coppins, the senator said that on January 2, 2021, four days before the attack on the Capitol, he received a distressing text from Senator Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, requesting that Romney urgently call him. January 2 was the same day that Trump and top coup lawyers, including Cleta Mitchell, called Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and demanded that he find the 11,780 votes Trump needed to overtake Biden.



Speaking with Romney, King relayed that an unnamed high-ranking Pentagon official confirmed to him that police agencies had been tracking, online, Trump paramilitaries who were planning on attacking Congress on January 6. Coppins wrote that King told Romney: Theres talk of gun smuggling, of bombs and arson, of targeting the traitors in Congress who are responsible for this travesty, by which King was referring to Trumps lie that the 2020 election was stolen.



King told Romney his high-level Pentagon source had informed him that Romneys name was circulating in right-wing circles on the internet and that he was not sure if Romney will be safe.



Coppins wrote that after the call with King, Romney immediately sent a text to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

In case you have not heard this, Romney wrote to McConnell, I just got a call from Angus King, who said that he had spoken with a senior official at the Pentagon who reports that they are seeing very disturbing social media traffic regarding the protests planned on the 6th. There are calls to burn down your home, Mitch; to smuggle guns into DC, and to storm the Capitol. I hope that sufficient security plans are in place, but I am concerned that the instigatorthe Presidentis the one who commands the reinforcements the DC and Capitol police might require.



According to Romney, McConnell never replied to his text.

None of the official investigations into the January 6 coup, including the multiple hearings held by the now defunct House January 6 Select Committee, made any mention of the fact that some 96 hours before the siege, leading members of the Senate, high-ranking Pentagon officials and police agents knew that Trump and his allies in the Pentagon would be blocking the dispatch of military reinforcements to defend Congress in the face of a fascist attack.



Instead, both Democrats and Republicans have claimed that so-called intelligence failures led to the Capitol being overrun. In its final report, the bipartisan Select Committee sought to exonerate the Pentagon for refusing to authorize the deployment of the D.C. National Guard by ludicrously claiming miscommunication issues prevented D.C. troops from arriving at the Capitol for 199 minutes. The House committee was led by Democratic Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and then-Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the Republican daughter of Dick Cheney, vice president under George W. Bush and leading war criminal in the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.



The Democratic Party and the Biden administration have sought throughout to present the attack on the US Capitol as the work solely of Donald Trump and a narrow circle of co-conspiratorsdownplaying or concealing the complicity of the Republican Party, the Pentagon, the FBI and at least two Supreme Court justices (Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas). This systematic coverup is designed to protect the institutions of the capitalist state as US imperialism wages war against Russia, prepares for war with China and confronts a growing insurgency by the working class, which is being made to bear the costs of wars and bailouts of the corporate elite.



Romneys revelations underscore the deadly seriousness of Trumps failed coup, which the Republicans, the pseudo-left and right-wing libertarian journalists such as Glenn Greenwald have sought to downplay as simply a riot that got out of hand.



Trumps coup nearly succeeded due to the deliberate stand-down of security forces and the refusal of the Democrats, desperate to protect the state apparatus from an aroused working class, to call for popular resistance.

In his interviews with Coppins, which serve as a parting shot before he exits public life, Romney admits that A very large portion of my party really doesnt believe in the Constitution.



As the Republicans transform into a fascist party, the Democrats continue to do everything in their power to uphold its legitimacy. In an interview on MSNBCs Morning Joe following Romneys revelations, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who announced earlier this month she would be seeking re-election in 2024, characterized Romneys pending retirement as bad news.



He is such an example of courage in the United States Senate and the Congress, Pelosi gushed. The country needs a strong Republican Party. I say that all the time.


Unemployed workers outside an inner-western Sydney Centrelink office in March 2020 [Source: WSWS Media]

In the decade 20092019, 93 percent of economic growth in Australia benefitted just the richest 10 percent of the population. This extraordinary statistic was reported within a study, Inequality on Steroids: The Distribution of Economic Growth in Australia, published by the Australia Institute think tank earlier this year.

The data point to a historic accumulation of wealth by the ultra-rich, resulting in record inequality.

The proportion of economic growth monopolised by the richest 10 percent in Australia is significantly larger than that in the United States, Britain, Canada, and the European Union over the last period. These countries and areas nevertheless saw the wealthiest 10 percent of their populations absorbing more than 50 percent of economic growth between 2009 and 2019.

The Australia Institutes study divided the years 19502019 into five periods, each spanning from the beginning of a national recession to the eve of the subsequent recession.

In the first period, 19501960, just 4 percent of economic growth went to the top 10 percent of the population. In the second period, 19611981, this figure was 16 percent, leaving 84 percent of the benefits of economic growth for the lower 90 percent of the population.

These decades roughly coincide with the rise and fall of post-World War II reformismlike other advanced capitalist countries, the Australian ruling elite confronted the threat of social revolution fuelled by determined struggles waged by different sections of the working class. Limited wealth distribution measures were enacted, together with the expansion of public healthcare, education and other social services.

There was a major shift in the third period, 19821990: 48 percent of economic growth in these years benefitted the top 10 percent. This drastic increase in the proportion of wealth funnelled to the top of society was engineered by the Hawke-Keating Labor governments (19831996), which worked hand in hand with the trade unions to privatise and deindustrialise the economy, drive down real wages, and boost corporate profits at the expense of the social position of the working class. This was part of a global process of pro-business free market restructuring in the 1980s and 90s.

In the fourth period examined by the Australia Institute, 19912008, 36 percent of economic growth benefitted the top 10 percent. This served as the prelude to the final period, 20092019, when nearly all economic growth was monopolised by the most affluent 10 percent of the population. This decade was presided over almost evenly by consecutive Labor and Liberal federal governments, each of which spearheaded the process of extreme wealth accumulation by the financial elite.

There is no question that social inequality is currently accelerating even further. The Labor government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, again with the critical assistance of the trade union apparatuses, is enforcing major real wage cuts for workers amid a cost of living crisis. Big business reaped enormous subsidies during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and continues to register record profits. At the same time, the government is funnelling hundreds of billions of dollars to the war machine as it lines up with US imperialism in preparation for a war of aggression against China.

The Australia Institute made no serious attempt to politically analyse its findings on the historic distribution of economic growth in Australia. The so-called progressive think tank is itself part of the political establishment, receiving funding from wealthy patrons as well as from sections of the trade union bureaucracy.

The Inequality on Steroids report suggested that one cause of extreme inequality has been the weakening of unions in the Australian labour market. In reality, the unions are complicit in the hyper-accumulation of wealth, working with corporations against workers in imposing industrial agreements that erode real wages.

The Australia Institute concluded its study with a nervous warning to the financial elite that escalating inequality threatens social unrest. How long can Australia sustain an economic and social setting which excludes the bulk of its people from sharing in the economic gains? the report asked.

The devastating social consequences of extreme social inequality was underscored in another report, commissioned by the Actuaries Institute and titled, Not A Level Playing FieldExploring Issues of Inequality.

This paper, issued last May, compared measures of social well-being between people in the highest wealth quintile (the top 20 percent of the population) and the lowest wealth quintile (the bottom 20 percent). Unsurprisingly, the poorest layers of the population experience significantly worse conditions in a wide range of measures, spanning physical health, mental health, drug abuse, education, and many more.

For instance, the rate of home ownership in the lowest quintile is 34 percentage points lower than that of the highest quintile. The report notes that for younger people (aged 2534) in the lowest quintile, the rate of home ownership has more than halved since the 1980s. Those in the lowest quintile are four times more likely to have been recently unable to pay rent or mortgage costs. This situation is worsening, with housing costs rapidly rising for both renters and mortgage-payers. The report points out that since housing costs take up a greater proportion of disposable income for less wealthy households, the increases in housing costs will affect the poorer population more severely, exacerbating already severe inequality in home ownership and housing stress.

Grim outcomes of inequality are seen regarding health, both mental and physical. Those in the lowest quintile are twice as likely to commit suicide, and twice as likely to suffer psychological distress than those in the highest quintile. Australians in the lowest wealth quintile were also found to be three times more likely to die of COVID-19 infection than those in the highest quintile.

Additionally, those in the bottom quintile are about three times as likely to have been the recent victim of a violent crime, seven times as likely to experience homelessness, and thirteen times as likely to give birth as a teenager.

The Actuaries Institute report also described educational attainment as both a driver of inequality and an outcome affected by inequality. The Labor governments education minister Jason Clare frequently asserts that public education in Australia serves as the great equaliser in an unequal worldbut the reality is very different.

Students from poorer households are unlikely to achieve the same grades as those from wealthier backgrounds. This is due to the impact of inequality, such as housing stress, greater risk of crime and violence, and food insecurity, all of which worsen learning outcomes. High school learning outcomes strongly affect prospects for university admission, and by extension, career prospects. In this way, those from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to remain disadvantaged in life, and in turn have children who will face the same disadvantages.

This flows directly from the systematic under-staffing and under-funding of public schools, especially those in working class areas, and the lavish provision of public subsidies for private schools, including elite high-fee institutions.

The Not A Level Playing Field paper concluded by noting that there was strong evidence of pressures that will lead to greater future inequality, unless policy action is taken.

The only policy action being taken by the Australian ruling class is that which fuels inequality by eroding working class living standards while boosting corporate profits and the personal wealth of a narrow upper class layer. This polarisation of wealth will inevitably trigger enormous social and political upheavals.
Among the many joys of reading, the greatest is its power to absorb the reader so effortlessly and completely that it entrances us. Entrancement is more than simply providing a short-lived escape, it's the ability to induce effortless concentration, wipe out any distractions, and make us lose awareness of time and place. It alters our state of consciousness, much akin to dreaming, entering a hypnotic state or being lost in thought.

When I finish one great book and decide what to read next, there isnt necessarily a rhyme or reason to what I choose. Yet, toward the start of fall, I feel pressure not to waste precious time on a book that doesnt induce the kind of entrancement I am looking for. For many readers, it may be a variety of genres that will achieve this level of absorption and engagement. For me, works of historical fiction seem to accomplish this more readily. Below, you will find three wonderful novels in this genre that may do this for you.

The Glass Chateau, by Stephen P. Kiernan.

This powerful story follows a group of individuals desperately seeking healing and redemption in the months immediately following World War II. The main character, Asher, is a resistance fighter who killed 20 Germans and watched as his wife and young daughter were killed before his eyes. Like many survivors, rage, grief and self-incrimination are his constant companion as he wanders through the French countryside.

Asher arrives at le Chateau Guerin exhausted and seeking a bed and sustenance. Instead, he finds an atelier housing people as damaged as himself. Despite their varied backgrounds, they live together and slowly learn to soothe themselves, remove violence from their hearts, and heal their suffering. Their work involves turning sand into stained glass windows for the bombed-out cathedrals in France.

Asher decides to hide his Judaism from the devout Catholic owners of the atelier, hoping they will not dispel him. As Ashers talents grow, he helps create splendid cathedral windows. But will he finally find the peace and self-forgiveness he needs most of all?

Why Read it? This expertly woven, beautifully written novel is set against the turmoil of post-World War II France and is inspired by the life and work of artist Marc Chagall. It is an immensely captivating work of historical fiction and will touch any reader who has experienced love, loss, tragedy, and the struggle to find hope.

The Paris Daughter, by Kristin Harmel.

In 1939 Paris, Elise and Juliette, two young mothers who are both United States citizens married to French men, accidentally meet in the Bois de Boulogne. Little do they realize that war will soon put their friendship to the supreme test.

When Elises husband, a well-known Parisian artist, is killed by the Nazis for participation in a communist group, she suddenly discovers she is in grave danger herself. Forced to make a horrible choice, Elise begs Juliette to care for her 2-year-old daughter, Matilde, as she escapes the city.

Juliette finds herself deeply content as she cares for both Matilde and her same-age daughter, Lucy, and her two young sons. Yet, tragedy strikes, and a bomb kills some of Juliettes beloved family and reduces her home and family-run bookshop to rubble. With nothing left for her in Paris, she travels back to the U.S. to begin to pick up the pieces of her life.

As the war ends, Elise eagerly returns to Paris desperate to reunite with her daughter but discovers that Juliette has vanished from Paris. Tormented by not knowing what happened in the bombing, Elise goes to New York to find Juliette and finally learn what happened to her daughter.

Why Read It? This stunning, emotion-packed, and captivating work of historical fiction is not just another WWII novel. It is a powerful, unforgettable exploration of motherhood, sacrifice, and the lengths we will go to protect our children.

The Beach at Summerly, by Beatriz Williams.

With the close of World War II and the return of soldiers, the wealthy Peabody family, including their two surviving sons, move back to summer on Winthrop Island. The Peabodys are a wealthy Boston family that owns a mansion there that has long been looked after by Emilia Winthrops father. As children, Emilia played each summer with the handsome Peabody brothers, especially young Shep Peabody, oblivious to the class differences between them. Now at age 20, something much deeper is brewing between them. When the boys' aunt, Olive Peabody, arrives from England, young Emilia begins babysitting for her and is completely enthralled by her worldliness, sophistication and tales of wartime England.

Flash forward to 1954 and Emilia, now a professor at Wellesley College, reflects on that fateful summer when she became heavily involved with Olive Peabody and inadvertently caught in a web of international espionage that dramatically altered the course of her life.

Why Read It? Part mystery, part romance, this richly crafted and highly immersive novel is inspired by actual episodes from the Cold War era. This not-to-be missed story also celebrates the courage and tenacity of a young woman.

More: Still want to read more about books? Click here

Book Smart is a monthly column by Nancy Harris, of Scituate, a practicing psychologist and a former instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: New WWII historical fiction reads for September 2023
Alex Murdaugh appeared publicly for the first time since his murder trial at a Thursday state court hearing over the slew of financial crimes allegedly committed by the disbarred South Carolina attorney.

The man found guilty this March of fatally shooting his wife and youngest son in June 2021 got a fleeting break from the maximum-security prison where he is serving a life sentence without parole. The prosecution and defense agreed Thursday that some of the 101 total charges brought against Murdaugh will be heard at a trial beginning the week of November 27.

RELATED: Alex Murdaugh's Lawyers Request New Trial, Accusing Court Clerk of Tampering with the Jury

Murdaugh sat in an orange jumpsuit, occasionally whispering with his lawyers, as he learned how he will spend the week after Thanksgiving.

It wont be long before Murdaugh finds himself back in another courtroom. A federal hearing over a similar bevy of charges is scheduled next Thursday in Charleston. There, Murdaugh is expected to plead guilty to theft and wire fraud  possibly marking the first time he will have legally taken responsibility for any of the criminal counts that have piled up since he first reported his family members deaths over two years ago.

Alex Murdaugh Arrives In Court smiling wearing an orange jumpsuit

Alex Murdaugh arrives in court in Beaufort, S.C. Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. Murdaugh appeared publicly as a convicted murderer for the first time at the state court hearing regarding the slew of financial crimes allegedly committed by the disbarred South Carolina attorney. Photo: James Pollard/AP

Adding to the sagas twists are recent allegations that the court clerk improperly influenced the jury in the murder case. In a request for a new trial filed last week, defense attorneys accused Rebecca Hill of telling jurors not to trust Murdaughs testimony and pressuring them to quickly deliver a verdict.

The murder trial cast a shadow over the Thursday proceeding. Defense attorney Dick Harpootlian asked that the state trial wait until they finish litigating the federal case and the matter of jury tampering. He argued it would be difficult to get a fair trial within a year of the widely watched murder trials conclusion.

Where are you going to get a jury? Mars? Harpootlian told Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman.

Newman, the same judge who presided over the nearly six-week murder trial earlier this year, said the indictments were issued across many counties home to people capable of serving on a jury. He said he would not presume that jurors could not be assembled.

RELATED: Alex Murdaugh's Phone and Tablet Privileges Suspended After Lawyer Records Prison Call for Documentary

Murdaugh has been indicted for taking $8.8 million in legal settlements from clients who were badly injured or the families of those killed on the job. Victims included the family housekeeper who died in a fall at the Murdaugh home. He is also accused of stealing nearly $7 million from his law firm over a nine-year period during which he made almost $14 million.

Other charges relate to an eight-year drug ring and money laundering scheme that prosecutors say involved $2.4 million in checks written to a friend who used some of the money on a painkiller distribution network.

Alex Murdaugh's New Mugshot

Alex Murdaugh's New Mugshot Photo: South Carolina Department of Corrections

He faces an additional nine counts of tax evasion for allegedly ducking just under $487,000 in state incomes taxes. Convictions would carry up to five years in prison for each count.

Also pending Thursday were case updates for two men who have already been found guilty in federal court for assisting with those plots. The alleged co-conspirators cycled into court separately one after the other to learn what their futures would hold.

RELATED: Buster Murdaugh Still Believes His Father Alex Is Innocent, Fears His Mom and Brother's Killer "Still Out There"

The judge held off setting a trial date for the 21 state charges against Russell Laffitte. The ex-CEO of Palmetto State Bank was sentenced in August to seven years in federal prison for helping Murdaugh steal nearly $2 million from clients. A jury last November found him guilty of six federal charges related to wire and bank fraud.

An old college friend of Murdaughs got a 10-year state prison term that will run alongside a federal sentence and another 10-year state prison term that will run consecutively. Cory Fleming pleaded guilty last month to 23 state charges that he helped steal millions of dollars in settlements from the sons of the familys housekeeper. The former attorney had recently been sentenced to nearly four years in prison on similar federal charges. The judge in that case said he would tell Newman that no more time behind bars should result from the state charges.

A mugshot of Cory Fleming

Cory Fleming Photo: Richland County Detention Center via AP

Lawyers representing the victims asked the judge for additional penalties to deter future deception from lawyers tempted to betray disadvantaged clients. State prosecutor Creighton Waters said Fleming should not get buy-one-get-one-free and sought consecutive state sentences. The state court needs to have a say, too, he said.

To be a con man, it depends on trust. It depends on reputation. It depends on the inherent reliability of having a law license on your wall, Waters said.

RELATED: Alex Murdaughs Friend Sentenced to 4 Years for Helping Him Steal Millions from Sons of Dead Housekeeper

The defense said Flemings 29 years of upstanding legal work documented by other lawyers testimony should not be overshadowed by a lapse in judgment. The defense argued that two separate state and federal sentences for the same conduct would not be necessary.

Standing in the very courtroom where he said he said he saw up close practicing law how criminal behavior can change ones life, Fleming apologized to the families and profession whose trust he said he betrayed.

Despite knowing this firsthand, I made some very bad decisions and broke the law, Fleming said.

Newman said he would not defer to the federal court when making decisions. Throughout a judicial career spanning over 20 years, he added, he had never sentenced a lawyer until Murdaugh came before him this March.

He called Flemings case unprecedented and the greatest crime for a lawyer in South Carolina history. Fleming faced as many as 195 years in prison, he noted.

I cannot imagine anyone going to a lawyer in South Carolina at this moment and having complete trust in what a lawyer says to them, Newman said.
There's nothing like a chilling true crime story to help keep you on the straight and narrow. Netflix has taken notice of our collective interest in real crime stories, and it continuously delivers stellar documentaries and docuseries about incidents that happened in real life. With an ever-expanding list of choices, we know how hard it can be to land on something special. So, to help you choose your next nail-biting venture, here's EW's list of the best true crime documentaries on Netflix.

<i>Abducted in Plain Sight</i> (2017)

The thought of your child being taken from you is every parent's worst nightmare, which makes the lack of intervention in this twisted story all the more upsetting. Abducted in Plain Sight, also known as Forever B, recounts the two different kidnappings of a pre-teen Jan Broberg in the 1970s by her neighbor Robert Berchtold, the way he infiltrated her entire family's lives, and the stranger-than-fiction experiences she was subjected to. (Hint: aliens make an appearance.) While the true crime genre prides itself on keeping you guessing, we seriously doubt you're prepared for the realities of how Berchtold was able to get away with it. Have fun screaming at your television!

Where to watch Abducted in Plain Sight: Netflix

Director: Skye Borgman

Abducted in Plain Sight

<i>American Murder: The Family Next Door</i> (2020)

This unusual documentary examines the heart-wrenching true story of what happened to Shanann Watts and her children when they disappeared from their Colorado home in 2018. Playing out as a found-footage film, American Murder: The Family Next Door is unique in that it unravels the details without traditional narration or extra dramatization. Instead, the chilling events unfold through the use of home movies, social media posts, phone calls, text messages, newscasts, and security footage from police officers and interrogation rooms. The result is an eerily intimate view into a terrible tragedy, and the film will leave you pondering the many public theories that have since come to light.

Where to watch American Murder: The Family Next Door: Netflix

Director: Jenny Popplewell

Related content: American Murder director on reclaiming Shanann Watts' voice from her killer

American Murder: The Family Next Door

<i>Athlete A</i> (2020)

This award-winning documentary follows the revelation that USA Gymnastics (USAG) doctor Larry Nassar had been sexually assaulting countless female athletes under his care. The expose began when reporters at The Indianapolis Star got a tip that they should investigate USAG. As the truth slowly came out, gymnast Maggie Nichols (referred to as "Athlete A" to protect her identity) was key to shedding light on the abuses that had been going on for years, supposedly with a nod from at least one of the organization's higher-ups. One of the rare examples of true crime being inspiring, Athlete A is a valuable record of recent history and a beacon of accountability.

Where to watch Athlete A: Netflix

EW grade: A- (read the review)

Director: Bonni Cohen, Jon Shenk

Athlete A

<i>Cocaine Cowboys</i> (2021)

This fast-paced, gritty docuseries dives into the drug wars of the 1980s and how cocaine  and the money that followed it  transformed south Florida. The film describes the heyday of drug trafficking in Miami in particular, exploring how the kingpins held power through scare tactics and keeping the body count sky high. With detailed interviews, crime scene photos, and fascinating stories, Cocaine Cowboys gives us a behind-the-scenes look into a world that seems far away.

Where to watch Cocaine Cowboys: Netflix

Director: Billy Corben

COCAINE COWBOYS: THE KINGS OF MIAMI, from left: Salvatore 'Sal' Magluta, Augusto 'Willy' Falcon, 'Willy & Sal', (Season 1, ep. 101, aired Aug. 4, 2021).

<i>Dirty Money</i> (20182020)

Corporate corruption is always entertaining, and Dirty Money carries that torch further. Each episode in its two seasons takes a deep dive into how greed, creative accounting, and outright fraud can cause widespread damage while those in the know make out like bandits. True incidents like the Volkswagen emissions scandal and the underhanded actions behind the growth of Wells Fargo are brought to life through interviews with both victims of these financial crimes and those who committed them. It's as infuriating as it is entertaining, and it's a great way to get a fully fleshed-out true crime story in quick hit episodes.

Where to watch Dirty Money: Netflix

Dirty Money

<i>Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist</i> (2018)

It's not hard to see how the murder of Brian Wells in 2003  now known as the "collar bomb" or "pizza bomber" case  still piques the curiosity of true crime enthusiasts even two decades later. This four-part docuseries reveals that nothing is as it seems, given that Wells may have actually been under duress himself when he tried to rob a bank in Erie, Pa., in 2003. Tune in for the twisted timeline of events that led to a senseless murder, and stay for the fascinating correspondence the directors maintained with the alleged mastermind behind the robbery-gone-wrong.

Where to watch Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist: Netflix

Director: Barbara Schroeder, Trey Borzillieri

Evil-Genius

<i>The Family</i> (2019)

For some people, few things are scarier than a religious cult  unless that cult is also pulling the strings behind a powerful government. That's exactly what The Family claims is going on in Washington, D.C., as an influential group of Christian men called the Fellowship Foundation wields its influence to bring about its favored goals on a global scale. The five-part limited series teases out the few known details about the group, shedding light on the many conspiracy theories that surround its members, practices, and ambitions. If even just some of the criminal activity alleged in the series is true, it's pretty diabolical stuff.

Where to watch The Family: Netflix

The Family 2019

<i>Girl in the Picture</i> (2022)

This one's for the die-hard mystery lovers. When a woman is found dying on a roadside leaving behind a husband (or so he says) and son, it seems like an open-and-shut case of a tragic hit-and-run accident. However, discovering her true identity and what happened to her son after her death was a daunting task for the FBI and other authorities  exposing how a federal fugitive had kidnapped and abused the young woman decades prior. With more twists and turns than a long and winding road, Girl in the Picture offers an unforgettable ride.

Where to watch Girl in the Picture: Netflix

Director: Skye Borgman

Girl in the Picture. Suzanne Sevakis in Girl in the Picture.

<i>Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich</i> (2020)

Based on the 2016 book of the same name by James Patterson, this docuseries details the criminal case against convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Over four episodes, Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich explains how the billionaire leveraged his wealth, power, and connections to continue committing these crimes for years. Featuring interviews with victims, including Virginia Giuffre and Maria Farmer, former staff members, and law enforcement, it's a harrowing tale you think you've seen play out in the news, but trust us  this docuseries reveals much more of the story.

Where to watch Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich: Netflix

Director: Lisa Bryant

Related content: 5 of the most shocking moments from Netflix's Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich

FILTHY RICH

<i>The Keepers</i> (2017)

The most affecting cold case docuseries on Netflix is without a doubt the still-unsolved murder of Sister Catherine Cesnik. In 1969, the young nun was an English and drama teacher at a private all-girls high school in Baltimore before she went missing. Her body was found in 1970, and we learn through interviews with former students that she suspected a priest at the school of sexually abusing students. Each episode leaves you with more questions than answers, and by the end, there's still no definite conclusion. But the story leaves its mark nonetheless, with EW's critic praising The Keepers as "synthesized with the compounds that have rejuvenated this very old, often dubious genre and made it a buzzy, conscionable kick."

Where to watch The Keepers: Netflix

EW grade: A- (read the review)

Director: Ryan White

Related content: Netflix's The Keepers sparks petition for Archdiocese to release files

The Keepers Catherine Cesnik

<i>Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey</i> (2022)

This isn't just another crazy cult story. Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey documents the meteoric rise and fall of Warren Jeffs, the leader and self-proclaimed prophet in the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), and how he manipulated young girls into an abusive polygamous relationship with him. Directors Rachel Dretzin and Grace McNally interviewed survivors to get to the heart of what happened to so many women who thought they were following a holy path  and what it took for them to finally summon the courage to escape.

Where to watch Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey: Netflix

EW grade: A- (read the review)

Director: Rachel Dretzin, Grace McNally

Keep Sweet: Pray and Obey

<i>The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker</i> (2023)

After a video of Caleb "Kai" McGillvary animatedly recounting a crime he witnessed (and stopped with his hatchet) while hitchhiking in California in 2013 went viral, the young man became a national sensation. However, as the overnight spotlight drew cheers from admirers of his heroism across the country, it also caught the attention of authorities in New Jersey who thought Kai may be responsible for a murder on the east coast. This true crime documentary shows how the media's quick obsession with the Canadian fueled his rise to fame and played a major part in his 2019 murder trial. Even if you haven't seen the video, you've probably seen a meme, song, or another piece of pop culture referencing Kai's memorable reenactment of "smash, smash, smash"  and The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker does a great job of telling the much larger, darker story.

Where to watch The Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker: Netflix

Director: Colette Camden

Related content: Kentucky man sues Netflix for misuse of his photo in true crime documentary about killer

Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker

<i>Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street</i> (2023)

Chronicling the crimes of disgraced financier Bernie Madoff, the four-part docuseries details how he pulled off one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in history, taking Wall Street for a ride we'll be referencing for decades to come. Using interviews with victims, former employees, whistleblowers, investigators, and never-before-seen footage of depositions given by Madoff himself, it's clear that he's a master of manipulation, though the filmmakers point to the failure of regulators to act on the many red flags they saw along the way.

Where to watch Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street: Netflix

Director: Joe Berlinger

Related content: Kevin Bacon lost 'most' of his money in Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme

Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street. Bernie Madoff in Madoff: The Monster of Wall Street

<i>Making a Murderer</i> (20152018)

Over two seasons, viewers are walked through the events that landed Steven Avery in prison for nearly 20 years before he was eventually exonerated, only to end up back behind bars once accused of murdering a young photographer on his property. However, things are not as straightforward as they seem, with the docuseries generating plenty of publicity and calls to release Avery, all while Wisconsin officials cry foul over its depiction of their work. The show became a sensation, with EW's A-rated review declaring, "It's not only a gripping true-crime story, it's also the most moral one I've seen in a long time."

Where to watch Making a Murderer: Netflix

EW grade: A (read the review)

Director: Moira Demos, Laura Ricciardi

Related content: New documentary series will follow up on Making a Murderer

Steven Avery

<i>Our Father</i> (2022)

As far as true crime documentaries go, this one shows how dreams can actually become the stuff of nightmares without any murder or gory mayhem. Our Father details the shock and horror several people experienced when they learned they are in fact half-siblings fathered by Donald Cline, a popular fertility doctor in Indianapolis who used his own sperm to impregnate dozens of patients without their knowledge. The film takes us through the families' discoveries and reveals the most unsettling truth of all: There's little, if any, accountability for this kind of fertility fraud.

Where to watch Our Father: Netflix

Director: Lucie Jourdan

Related content: What to Watch: Our Father is a harrowing fertility horror story

Keith Boyle as Donald Cline in Our Father

<i>Sins of Our Mother</i> (2022)

Sins of Our Mother is not for the faint of heart. Through firsthand accounts, viewers are introduced to Lori Vallow and her descent into intense religious fanaticism, with beliefs that people are filled with either "dark" or "light" spirits (or worse, spiritless "zombies" she and her fifth husband were tasked with killing off), that she could communicate with angels, and that the world would end in 2020. Soon, people started to turn up dead or missing, including two of Vallow's children  and this limited docuseries examines the build-up and aftermath of the troubled mother's alleged crimes. Even those who are only mildly interested in true crime stories won't be able to turn away from this one.

Where to watch Sins of Our Mother: Netflix

Director: Skye Borgman

SINS OF OUR MOTHER, April Raymond, 'A Mother Knows', (Season 1, ep. 103, aired Sept. 14, 2022

<i>The Staircase</i> (20042018)

This 13-episode true crime miniseries covers the murder trial of Michael Peterson, a novelist who was accused of killing his wife, Kathleen, in their home after police found her bloody body at the bottom of a staircase. The question facing law enforcement seems straightforward enough: Was Kathleen's death a cold-blooded murder or an honest accident? But when Michael's secrets and a bit of international intrigue get thrown into the mix, everything starts to get hazy. The family at the center is left questioning everything as a documentary crew films their journey right from the start. With universal acclaim and real footage from the courtroom and family interviews over several years, The Staircase is one of the most intriguing true crime series on Netflix.

Where to watch The Staircase: Netflix

Director: Jean-Xavier de Lestrade

Related content: Colin Firth to star in adaptation of The Staircase true crime docuseries

The Staircase

<i>Tiger King</i> (2020)

The drama that erupted between feuding big cat keepers "Joe Exotic" and Carole Baskin captivated audiences just as the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill. Viewers were drawn into the world of the tiger trade in the heart of the nation, the bizarre characters that run the industry, and the various crimes they commit in their power struggle. With accusations of everything from animal abuse to attempted murder (plus a weird sex cult), Tiger King is one wildly entertaining true crime series.

Where to watch Tiger King: Netflix

Director: Eric Goode, Rebecca Chaiklin

Related content: Tiger King producers share update on Joe Exotic's animal park: 'I suspect a lot of them will die'

Tiger King

<i>Wild Wild Country</i> (2018)

Wild Wild Country tells the story of the controversial Indian guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, who set out to build his utopia in rural Oregon, much to the chagrin of local residents and ranchers. As tensions escalate, so does the growing cult, leaving the surrounding community cornered both physically and bureaucratically until their jaw-dropping last resort. The universally acclaimed docuseries is wildly devourable, and goes one step further by calling the audience's own values into question, testing the separation between church and state by turning the entire ideal on its head.

Where to watch Wild Wild Country: Netflix

Director: Maxclain Way, Chapman Way

Wild Wild Country

<i>Wormwood</i> (2017)

This creative docudrama examines the life and aftermath following the mysterious death of Frank Olson, a biological warfare scientist who worked for the CIA. Frank's son walks viewers through the strange events that led to his father's demise in 1953, including how the government's story about it evolved over time. And once sources start talking about Project MKUltra, viewers are in for quite the trip.

Where to watch Wormwood: Netflix

Director: Errol Morris

wormwood
"Been talking about getting this tattoo since my pregnancy," shared Tiesi in an Instagram video on Friday

AlanVPhotos Bre Tiesi and Nick Cannon with son Legendary

Bre Tiesi and Nick Cannon are celebrating parenthood!

On Friday, the Selling Sunset star, 32, revealed on social media that she and Cannon, 42, got matching tattoos in honor of their son Legendary Love Cannon.

"Been talking about getting this tattoo since my pregnancy, but you know we had to wait for the best @alenatattoos to do it ," wrote Tiesi in a behind-the-scenes video posted on Instagram. "Ive always wanted a neck tat  what a way to end NYFW!"

Related: Nick Cannon and Bre Tiesi Have a Stylish Parents' Night Out at New York Fashion Week

The tattoos each spelled out their adorable 14-month-old son's name in black font. Tiesi's new piece of ink was positioned on the side of her neck and Cannon opted to get his new body art on his chest.

Both parents received praise in the comment section for honoring their son with the special tribute. Tiesi's Selling Sunset costar Chrishell Stause wrote, "Looks amazing."

Bre Tiesi/ Tiktok Nick Canon and Bre Tiesi get tattoos for son, Legendary

A fan of the real estate agent also added, "For any child to have two parents that love him and celebrate him is blessed. Beautiful video ."

On Snapchat, Tiesi gave further insight into the importance of the new piece of ink by showcasing clips of her and Cannon choosing where their tattoos would be placed. She wrote on top of one of the uploads, "Decisions, Decisions."

Bre Tiesi/ Snapchat Bre Tiesi gives behind the scenes of tattoo process on Snpachat

Apart from son Lengedary, Cannon is a father to twins Moroccan and Monroe, 12, with ex-wife Mariah Carey; sons Golden Sagon, 6, and Rise Messiah Cannon, 11 months, and daughter Powerful Queen, 2, with Brittany Bell; twins Zion Mixolydian and Zillion Heir, 2, and daughter Beautiful Zeppelin, 10 months, with Abby De La Rosa and daughter Onyx Ice Cole, 9 months, with LaNisha Cole.

He is also a father to two children with Alyssa Scott: son Zen, who died at 5 months in December 2021 after being diagnosed with brain cancer, and daughter Halo Marie, 9 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 juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.



Cannon's matching tattoo with Tiesi comes after the two attended the Falguni Shane Peacock New York Fashion Week show together on Monday. While speaking to PEOPLE about their son in August, Tiesi shared that "every next phase is just more beautiful, so I try to just be present."

AlanVPhotos Bre Tiesi, Nick Cannon and their son Legendary

"It's so cool to be able to actually be here with him and capture these moments," she added. "I have his first steps, which I was so worried I was going to miss." Tiesi explained that seeing Legendary reach the important milestone was something that gave her a bittersweet feeling.

"It's such a beautiful thing but it's also sad at the same time, because they grow up so quick," she said. "I'm torn on how to feel about it."



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Well give The Chis Papa a pass this week  hes grieving his murdered father, after all  but does the kid really have to rip into poor Kenya like that?

Papas girlfriend comes to offer her condolences in the latest episode, and he wastes no time telling her that his father didnt like the idea of their being together. Then he ends their fledgling relationship, recounting how Pastor Jackson said Papa wasnt ready to handle the responsibility of dating the mother of a young child. And now I see he was right, he tells her. Ouch.

More from TVLine

Still, like we said: Papas not in a great place during the episode. Read on to see how everyone else is doing as the pastors funeral unfolds in Long Live.

THE AFTERMATH | Bakari weeps as he comes for Nuck, shoving a gun right up under the older mans jaw and demanding to know if Nuck looked the pastor in the face before he strangled him. Nuck, unbothered, reminds Bakari that his associate will retaliate immediately if the teen does anything to Nuck. So Bakari drops his gun, sobbing as he asks why Pastor Jackson had to die. He was like a father to me, man, Bakari says. But Nuck coldly replies that Jackson was talking too much, and that Bakari cant trust anyone who isnt involved in Doudas operation.

Meanwhile, Kevin and Jake find Papa crying in the church, but he asks them to leave him alone; they reluctantly do. On their way out of the sanctuary, they bump into Bakari, whose arrival brings Papa to his feet. He strongly suspects that Doudas people were behind the pastors death. My dad was a noble man, and he got killed for it! he shouts. A broken Bakari says he loved Papas father like he was his own. Hes not your father, hes mine! Papa yells. And now, hes gone.

But Papas anger at Bakari has cooled by the time they both go to the funeral home. As they stand before Pastor Jacksons casket, they talk about what he wouldve wanted, and Papa says his dad wouldve liked for them to be our best selves. The boys hug, crying on each others shoulders.

Later, Douda has the unmitigated gall to show up at the funeral, but Mrs. Jackson immediately orders him out. He protests, saying he didnt kill the pastor. Of course not, she replies. You sent one of your pawns to do it. Later in the service, when Papa is overcome while giving a eulogy, Jake and Kevin rush to his side and stay there to buttress him as he goes on. After the burial, the community gathers for a memorial candlelight vigil, organized by Victor.

The Chi Recap Season 6 Episode 7

KIESHA IS ONE FOOT OUT THE DOOR | Kiesha also knows that Douda was behind the death, and shes so mad at Emmett for being wrapped up with the former mayor, she wants to leave: If I cant count on you to protect us, were not staying here. He manages to change her mind, vowing that hell do anything to protect their family if shell just give him some time to fix things. Fine, she says, but Im sleeping in the guest room until you figure this out. And if anything else happens, she warns, Im gone.

Then, without telling Emmett, Kiesha goes to see Nuck and tells him Emmetts relationship with Douda and the organization is worrying her. He, too, promises that he wont let anything bad happen to her and is pulled up short when she replies, You already have! (Ouch! And true!) She gently tells him that if he has her back, then youve gotta have Emmetts back, too. Still, Nuck wont make any promises about her safety. And of course, Nuck cant help but rub his conversation with Kiesha in Emmetts face later in the hour.

As if worrying about her familys safety werent enough, Kiesha also undergoes a join therapy session with Nina. Its rough. Kiesha says that she and Kevin didnt have enough of their moms attention when they were growing up. In the truth-telling that follows, Nina confesses that she never planned to get married or have children. She quickly adds that she loves her kids, but all Kiesha can hear is that her mother never wanted her. This is where the healing begins, the therapist says as tears stream down the ladies faces.

The Chi Recap Season 6 Episode 7

ELSEWHERE AROUND TOWN | Maisha gets mad when Jemma shows up late to a recording session, and madder when she learns the manager was with Bakaris sister When someone tries to break into Dejas place, Shaad grabs a gun and scares them off. But Deja is horrified to learn that hes keeping weapons in the house. She demands that he get rid of them ASAP, so he throws them in a bag and returns them to Bakari outside the funeral home. A desperate Bakari then stashes them in Lynaes closet Victor and Fatima start talking about starting a family In the interest of being as honest with Jake as he wants Jake to be with him, Victor confesses to his brother that he was there when Q was killed  except he doesnt name Q, and he lets Jake assume that his involvement was limited to helping dump the body. You cant do st for the community if your ass is locked up, Jake advises him.

Now its your turn. What did you think about the episode? Are you ready for next weeks midseason finale? Sound off in the comments!

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The mother of four and husband John Legend are toasting a decade of love after getting married in Lake Como, Italy, in 2013

Chrissy Teigen/Instagram Chrissy Teigen shows of a stunning silver dress for her 10-year wedding celebration with John Legend

Chrissy Teigen is enjoying her 10th wedding anniversary celebrations in style!

On Saturday, the model and cookbook author, 37, showed off an outfit she was wearing as she and husband John Legend toasted to their Sept. 10, 2013, legal marriage and the lavish Sept. 14, 2013 ceremony that followed in Lake Como, Italy, a decade later.

Teigen shared several images of a chic structured silver dress in an Instagram post.

The piece  which Teigen credited designer Georges Hobeika with, while also tagging stylist Alana Van Deraa and others  featured stunning silver details and two straps that kept it in place.

Teigen accessorized the attire with a pair of matching heels and a pair of dangly earrings, and credited makeup artist Kristine Studden with completing her look.

Related: Chrissy Teigen Teases 10th Wedding Anniversary Celebration with John Legend: It's 'Commmming!!!'

"We come to this place for magic," Teigen captioned the post, referencing a quote from Nicole Kidman's fan-favorite AMC Theatres commercial.

"John did not get my amc theater caption," she then added in a comment. "So I want to change it because now I sound weird."

Chrissy Teigen/Instagram Chrissy Teigen poses in her 10-year anniversary dress

Related: John Legend Shares Photos of All Four Kids as He Rounds Up Life 'Lately': 'Babies, Babies, Babies'

Within the post, the mother of four also uploaded a text exchange between herself and Brooklyn Decker, who asked Teigen if she and Legend, 44, were saying "new vows to each other."

"Not reallllllly," she responded. "Like we do NOT want a vow renewal it's so corny but that's what it's sounding like isn't it LOL."

After Decker, 36, explained to her friend that it was "100%" a vow renewal, Teigen responded with "God DAMMIT."

Teigen also posted a few other images on her Instagram Story from the couple's time in Italy, including an image in which Legend could be seen rocking a baby blue blazer that stylishly complimented his wife's dress.

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Chrissy Teigen/Instagram Chrissy Teigen and John Legend poses with friends for a selfie during their 10th anniversary celebration

Earlier this week, Teigen revealed on her Instagram Story that the 10th anniversary weekend is commmming with an image of a poolside location.

The most perfect day, she added alongside the hashtag, "#johnXchrissy."

The pair, who first met in 2006 and made their relationship official with a red carpet debut at the 2008 Grammy Awards, share four children together: Luna, 7, Miles, 5, and babies Esti and Wren  both of whom they've welcomed in 2023.

Phil Riportella/Instagram A look at Chrissy Teigen and John Legend's anniversary party, shared by Phil Riportella

While speaking with PEOPLE earlier this month, Teigen explained how life has been with four little ones for her and Legend to care for  especially with preexisting travel plans.

"We just got back from a little trip to Mexico. We actually planned this a long time ago before we knew that we'd have the type of babies that could do this kind of thing," she said. "But luckily, we got so lucky with Esti and Wren that they are actually the easiest parts of our family now."

She added that her youngest is "such a sleepy love bug," while Esti "came out swinging."

"She was ready to live and thrive and she's just so sweet and smiling," Teigen said.

"Miles and Luna are the coconuts. They're crazy, bonkers and a lot to keep up with, but they help us so much with the babies," she then added of her two eldest. "We did the right thing, being able to travel with all of them, and we had a really fun couple of weeks with them."



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Read the original article on People.
The parents of Kaylee Goncalves  one of the four University of Idaho students fatally stabbed last year  says that evidence shows that their daughter fought her attacker back but that she was "trapped."

Goncalves, 21, was murdered at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho, on November 13, 2022, along with Madison Mogen, 21, Xana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20. Bryan Kohberger is charged with four counts of first-degree murder in the case and one count of burglary. His trial was set to begin October 2, but he waived his right to a speedy trial last month, which has postponed the case indefinitely.

RELATED: University of Idaho Murder Suspect Bryan Kohberger Waives Rights to Speedy Trial, Delaying Case

Steve Goncalves, the father of Goncalves, says in an upcoming 48 Hours episode called The Night of the Idaho Murders, that Mogen was the first victim, citing the coroner. Mogen and Goncalves were asleep in the same bed in a room on the home's third floor, Steve added, when Mogen was attacked, followed by Goncalves.

A social media photo of Kaylee Goncalves

Kaylee Goncalves Photo: Instagram

"There's evidence to show that she awakened and tried to get out of that situation," Steve told 48 Hours. "She was assaulted and stabbed."

The victim's mom, Kristi Goncalves, elaborated on that theory, saying that her daughter had multiple fatal wounds and that she was not in a position to easily escape an attack.

"The bed was up against the wall," Kristi told 48 Hours. "The headboard was touching the wall and the left side of the bed was touching the wall. And we believe that Maddie was on the outside and Kaylee was on the inside. The way the bed was set up ... she was trapped."

RELATED: Lawyers For University Of Idaho Quadruple Murder Suspect Bryan Kohberger Suggest He Has Alibi

Kristi added that she thinks the killer was caught off guard that Mogen and Goncalves, who were best friends, were in the same bed. "I do think that his plan went awry," the grieving mom said. "I do think that, you know, he intended to kill one and killed four."

Some of Kernodle's family members also recently spoke out, including the victim's father, Jeffrey Kernodle, who was asked about reports that his daughter also may have fought her killer back.

Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen

Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin, Kaylee Goncalves and Madison Mogen Photo: Instagram

"I believe so," Jeffrey responded. "It's upsetting to think about."

Goncalves' parents had launched their own investigation into the case, and claim they may have found a link between Kohberger, their slain daughter, and Mogen. They told 48 Hours they tracked down what they believe is the suspect's Instagram account, and that he followed those two victims' accounts on the social networking platform.

RELATED: University of Idaho Murder Suspect Bryan Kohberger Was Out on a Solo Drive the Night of the Killings, His Attorneys Say

"From our investigation of the account, it appeared to be the real Bryan Kohberger account," Kristi said.

Kristi and Steve said they also believe that Kohberger had been to the off-campus home before the murders occurred, based on investigators' findings. "He had to know when people were coming, people going," Steve said.

Bryan Kohberger sits with his attorney

Bryan Kohberger sits with his attorney during a hearing in Latah County District Court on January 5, 2023, in Moscow, Idaho. Photo: Getty Images

Kristi added, "I think he at least had opened that door, went in, tested the waters, looked around."

But Kohberger's lawyers have said in court filings that, "There is no connection between Mr. Kohberger and the victims," according to CBS News.

RELATED: "I'm Not Going To Scar Myself": Mom of University of Idaho Murder Victim Says She'll Try To Avoid Graphic Testimony

Kohberger was arrested for the quadruple murders on December 30, 2022 at his parents' Pennsylvania home. He was a criminal justice graduate student at Washington State University, which is just about a 10-minute drive from the University of Idaho, at the time of the slayings.

Prosecutors in the case have said that DNA links Kohberger directly to a knife sheath found at the crime scene, on the bed next to the bodies of Mogen and Goncalves.
In this Jan. 18, 2014, file photo, Greg Whiteley poses for a portrait at The Collective and Gibson Lounge Powered by CEG, during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. | Victoria Will, Invision via Associated Press

Greg Whiteley, the director behind the Netflix docuseries Last Chance U and Cheer, was interviewed by The New York Times on Wednesday in connection with the release of his latest project, Wrestlers.

After he was born in Provo, Utah, and raised in Bellevue, Washington, Whitely went to New Mexico to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he told the Times.

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As part of his mission, Whiteley would go door to door, inviting people to listen to a message about Jesus Christ. As it turns out, his mission would help prepare him to become a successful documentary filmmaker.

I was amazed at how quickly people would disclose the most vulnerable things at a doorstep within 90 seconds of meeting them, Whiteley told the Times.

Whitely also discussed his mission in a 2022 Deseret News profile.

Daily, youre put in uncomfortable situations, and you survive all of them, he said.

Here are highlights from the interview in the Times:

Whiteley and his crew settled in and familiarized themselves with the rhythms of the operation. Perhaps most important, he quickly established that he wasnt trying to burn anyone or manufacture the gotcha moments that fuel reality TV, which those on both sides of the camera are adamant that Wrestlers is not.

He tells stories by spending countless hours with his characters, not by asking hot-take questions about drug abuse and romantic problems (both of which are present in Wrestlers).

Whiteley is always after what is real, which in this case sets up a rich irony: a painstakingly authentic look at an endeavor often derided for being fake.

Heres the link to the full article from The New York Times.


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Donald Trump Jr is no stranger to taking on a rather unique, and controversial, business route like his father, former US President Donald Trump .

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On Sept 14, a clip of the Liberal Privilege author promoting a brand called Blackout Coffee has been making the rounds on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter. In the clip reposted by @RonFilipkowski with the caption Junior is selling conservative coffee, we see Donald Jr heavily promoting a coffee brand with conservative values.

Junior is selling conservative coffee. pic.twitter.com/E5AzWZrNli  Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) September 15, 2023

In the video from his podcast Triggered, Donald Jr says: You dont have to choose between what you believe and what you buy. youre gonna be drinking coffee anyway and if you do show support a brand aligns with your conservative values. Its American-made, its family-owned. And they support what we believe in.

Click here to read the full article.

He emphatically adds, So from sourcing the beans to roasting the coffee and that processed customer support and shipping blackout coffee will never compromise on taste or quality and they do it all while supporting freedom loving values.

NATIONAL HARBOR, MARYLAND  MARCH 03: Donald Trump Jr. speaks during the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel And Convention Center on March 03, 2023 in National Harbor, Maryland. The annual conservative conference entered its second day of speakers including congressional members, media personalities and members of former President Donald Trumps administration. President Donald Trump will address the event on Saturday. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

One X user wrote in response, How does coffee become conservative, do they plant the beans in a MAGA hat? Another user added, Junior is gonna have to sell a lot of coffee to cover Big Daddys legal bills. I never thought Id see the day when Presidential candidates have to sell coffee, T-shirts and gimme hats to get elected to the formerly greatest office in the world.

When you go on the brands site, they claim they are known for supporting traditional American values, military, first-responders, and hard-working people all across the country. They are in support of the US military, and were founded on the principles of conservative values. The founders believe in the importance of hard work, personal responsibility, family, respect and traditional American values, per their What We Stand For snippet.

Now, promoting ones values in a brand is nothing new, weve seen it time and time again from all sides of the spectrum. But whats unique about this venture Donald Jr is going down, is the collection he made with them.

When you look further into the site, you see there is a Donald Jr collection with products approved by him, ranging from dark roast coffee, along with different mugs that read things like Give me coffee, or give me death, and Pro life-god-guns, and coffee, to name a few.

Donald Jr has been known to do varying business ventures that have raised eyebrows such as his quarterly journal and gift shop (which was under fire for promoting toxic masculinity), along with selling merch of his father Donalds mug shot from his site.

Before you go, click here to see the biggest presidential scandals in US History.



Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton

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Among all the great horror movies on Netflix, a surprisingly hefty amount of its spooky exclusive titles deal with the subject of vampirism. However, the platform has never distributed a vampire movie quite like El Conde, which could also be considered the latest biopic by Spencer and Jackie director Pablo Larrain and certainly the one that takes the most liberties so far. Before you use your Netflix subscription to better understand what we mean, allow us to give you a SPOILER-FREE inside scoop into what there is to expect from this intriguing 2023 movie release.

El Conde Reimagines A Former Chilean Dictator As A Vampire

Four days before El Conde released on Netflix on September 15th marked the 50th anniversary of when General Augusto Pinochet assumed power over Chile, serving as its authoritarian leader for a record 17 years before he later passed away in 2006.

This engrossing piece of revisionist history depicts the infamous dictator (Jaime Vadell) as a bloodsucking creature of the night who, after 250 years on Earth, announces that he is ready to die, arousing the attention of his greedy children. If this sounds like the workings of a comedy, that is because the film is one, but also much more.

A Dark Satire With Savage Political Commentary And Gruesome Gore

Larrain and Guillermo Calderons script for El Conde  which won Best Screenplay at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, according to The New York Times  takes a darkly funny approach in its historical analyses, using vampirism as a metaphor for fascism and the creatures manipulative power to represent dictators propensity for corruption. The films own unique rules for vampirism are also explained by a narrator whose identity is later revealed in, arguably, the films most biting example of political satire (no pun intended). Despite these unsettling themes and moments of gore, it just barely resembles a horror film in its general style of execution, but does boast a frequently unnerving tone thanks to its orchestral soundtrack, which is also used to juxtapose some the films viscerally morbid moments.

It's Available To Watch Dubbed Or With Subtitles

El Conde means The Count in Spanish, which is the films primary language, but like most international movies released on Netflix, viewers can select to hear the dialogue dubbed over in various languages  including English, French, and more. The platform also has the option to hear the film in its original Spanish, but to follow along with subtitles in the language of their choosing.

The Film Is 110 Minutes

Unlike most horror-comedy movies of a more overtly farcical nature, El Conde is a predominantly earnest slow-burn that takes its time to offer the viewer a thought-provoking and provocative experience. That being said, it is not a particularly long movie with a runtime 10 minutes shy of two hours.

El Conde Is Rated R

Even in its beautiful black and white cinematography, the aforementioned gore and violence depicted in El Conde is not for the faint of heart and easily earns it an R rating. This categorization is also supported by some language and moments of strong sexual content, graphic nudity, and allusion to sexual assault.

Fans of vampire lore, pitch-black satire, and inventive historical rewrites will find just what they are looking for in this new 2023 Netflix original movie release. Log in to stream El Conde on Netflix now.
A painful wound has been reopened for the family of Shanquella Robinson after learning that a Tubi series used aspects of the real-life tragedy as a plot in a recent episode of one of the networks shows. As a result, the crime drama Street Legal has been served a cease-and-desist letter alleging the deceased young womans likeness was used without the approval of her family or overseers of her estate.

We must express our profound dismay at the distressing misrepresentation and unauthorized use of Shanquellas identity and the events surrounding her tragic passing, reads the letter sent on behalf of Shanquellas loved ones from attorney Sue-Ann Robinson. As widely reported by REVOLT, the 25-year-old died within a day of arriving in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in October 2022 to celebrate her birthday with a group of purported friends.

Soon after her passing, a video surfaced online showing the woman naked and seemingly disoriented as she was pummeled with punches by a woman in the group. The disturbing footage contradicted stories about Shanquellas death that were shared by friends with her parents, Bernard and Salamondra Robinson.

Season 2 episode 2 of Street Legal, titled Frenemies, reads: Within 24 hours, a group of friends traveling to Cabo, Mexico, for a birthday celebration turns into a crime scene, and everyone has a different story. Are they friends or enemies? The cease-and-desist letter states the covertly exploited depiction of Shanquella is an infringement upon the familys and her estates legal rights to publicity. It continues, This unauthorized use has caused significant emotional distress and harm to the Robinson family, as it has dredged up painful memories and portrayed our loved one in a manner that is inaccurate, disrespectful, and damaging to her reputation.

Demands for remedial steps to rectify the issue include that the episode be removed from Tubi and additional platforms and that distribution of related materials referencing Shanquellas likeness be halted. Other actions outlined require a public apology be issued and that the Robinson family be compensated for their emotional anguish and the damage the defamatory depiction has caused to the young womans legacy.

At the time of this report, Street Legal actor and producer Dennis L. Reed II had not issued a public comment on the matter. However, as of Saturday (Sept. 16), multiple posts resharing the letter can be viewed in his Instagram Story.

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Looks like Food Network star Guy Fieri will be featuring a couple Rhode Island restaurants once again.

The self-proclaimed Mayor of Flavortown is no stranger to the Ocean State  he's featured multiple local eateries on his show " Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives " and is married a Rhode Island native. Crazy Burger Cafe & Juice Bar in Narragansett will be featured on "Triple D Nation," a show in which Fieri revisits some of the best restaurants he had featured in the past, according to a post on their Facebook page.

He first visited Crazy Burger in Season 8, Episode 3, "Stacked, Stuffed and Loaded," and, according to the Food Network, he "marveled at the menu featuring more than 30 burgers, including the roasted tempeh Poco Loco Vegan Burger or the Mahi Mahi Taco Burger."

Crazy Burger Cafe and Juice Bar has been a popular destination at 144 Boon St., Narragansett, since 1995.

Crazy Burger, which opened in 1995 and is located at 144 Boon St., is a longtime local favorite, and got some national attention when it made Yelp's Top 100 Burgers in America list back in May. Yelpers loved the Goofy Gorgonzola Burger, the plant-based burgers and the Mahi Mahi Taco Taco Burger.

And on Saturday morning, Italian Corner posted a video to its Facebook page saying "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" was "in the house" (The market and deli had previously posted that it would be closed on Sept. 16 for "minor maintenance.") In the video, special lights are set up, a woman with a Triple D sweatshirt is showing people where to stand and boom microphones are being moved into place.

DINERS, DRIVE IN AND DIVES IN THE HOUSE | By Italian Corner | Facebook

Located at 10 Boyd Ave. in East Providence, Italian Corner recently posted that it was ending its Saturday night sitdown dinner service to focus on the deli and catering business. It was first featured in Season 15, Episode 9, which first aired Oct. 15, 2012.

Evelyn's Drive-in in Tiverton also operated on limited hours Friday  takeout window only until 3 p.m.  to accommodate their special guest for a day of shooting at the popular waterfront seafood destination. While owners Jane Bitto and her husband, Domenic, are keeping their clams shut, per production's request, on specific details of Fieri's most recent visit until the episode airs, they did offer some morsels.

After being contacted by Fieri's production team, "Triple D" crews set up shop Friday at 5 a.m. for a 10-hour day of filming at the Tiverton restaurant, perched above Nanaquaket Pond. A group of 12 Evelyn's customers also got the unique opportunity to dine and chat with Fieri as part of the shoot.

But these aren't the only Rhode Island eateries to be featured on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives." Here's a list of Ocean State spots to make Triple D.

Evelyn's Drive In

Located on Main Road in Tiverton, Evelyn's Drive-In has made a name for itself over the past 34 years as a popular waterfront tourist destination in the summer months. Known for its classic dishes: lobster rolls, New England and Rhode Island-style chowders, clam cakes, crab cakes, Evelyn's lobster chow mein rocked Fieri's world. "As wrong as it is, it's right," he joked on the show.

Dining with a view: Evelyns Drive-In is set on picturesque Nannaquaket Pond in Tiverton.

Aunt Carrie's

On the episode, Fieri said he'd been coming to Aunt Carrie's, a Rhode Island "legend," when he visits his in-laws, and on the show, he learns from owner Elsie Foy how to make clam cakes (in what he described as a "cement mixer"). Aunt Carrie's has been serving clam cakes and more at 1240 Ocean Road for over 100 years. In fact, it's a James Beard Foundation America's Classics winner for offering a taste of its place.

Aunt Carrie's has something most clam shacks do not: a dining room.

Destination Narragansett: Some of the best restaurants that capture the essence of summer

Louis Family Restaurant

According to Fieri, Louis Family Restaurant, located at 286 Brook St. in Providence, gets "16 tickets to Flavortown" for its BBQ Chicken & Cheese Ravioli, which is made from scratch with 16 ingredients. You'll get big portions of really delicious food, from the meatloaf dinner or lasagna to the grilled pumpkin muffins.

Louis Family Restaurant is an iconic breakfast and lunch spot on Brook Street, serving students of Brown University, and the neighborhood.

Edgewood Cafe

Fieri visited Edgewood Cafe, located at 1864 Broad St., Cranston, in his "Pubs & Grubs" episode. Located in the historic Edgewood section of Cranston, the BYOB spot is owned and operated by Chef John Walsh, a Johnson & Wales alum. Fieri particularly enjoyed the littlenecks over pasta.

Anthony's Seafood

Anthony's Seafood, at 963 Aquidneck Ave. in Middletown, was featured on Season 15, Episode 8, "Burgers, Noodles and Quahogs." As the title suggests, he got to try a stuffed quahog, but he also loved the more unique Kung Pao Calamari.

Anthony's Seafood in Middletown serves up nearly a half-pound of hand-picked meat with a little peppered mayonnaise and chopped celery. A leaf of lettuce placed between the bun and the lobster helps prevent sogginess.

Italian Corner

This Italian market and deli, located at 10 Boyd Ave., East Providence, was featured on the "Handcrafted" episode. Owner Massimo Dell'Olio showed Fieri how he makes the Brasato Sandwich, which was likened to an Italian roast beef sandwich. Fieri lamented the fact that his late father-in-law, who liked to travel around Rhode Island with Fieri trying out different Italian delis, could not be there to try it. Fieri also got to see how Dell'Olio makes tortellini. Italian Corner recently posted that it was ending its Saturday night sitdown dinner service to focus on the deli and catering business.

You can pick up all you need to whip up a delicious dinner like this at The Italian Corner in East Providence.

Angelo's Civita Farnese

Angelos Civita Farnese Restaurant, 141 Atwells Ave., Providence, (was featured in the "East Coast Comfort" episode, in which Fieri enjoyed the braciola  thinly sliced beef rolled and wrapped around spices  and the meatballs and fries smothered in marinara sauce. Angelo's features large booths and Italian classics  a "people pleasing menu," according to Projo food editor Gail Ciampa, who counts Angelo's among Rhode Island's best Italian restaurants.

Angelo's Civita Farnese serves up calamari in its family business on Federal Hill in Providence.

Mediterraneo Caffe

Fieri left Angelo's and headed across the street to Mediterraneo Caffe, 134 Atwells Ave., Providence, where he tried spaghetti a la vongole, little neck and baby neck clams sauteed in white wine and served with white sauce, and another Italian classic, chicken piccata. Fun fact: Even Steven Spielberg has visited this Federal Hill restaurant. Former Mayor Vincent A. "Buddy" Cianci Jr. had a regular table at the Atwells Avenue restaurant. Mediterraneo Caffe closed in 2015.

Fieri visited Mediterraneo on Atwells Avenue in 2012, but the restaurant closed in 2015.

Liberty Elm Diner

Fieri visited this now-shuttered diner in Season 8, Episode 8, "Comfort Classics," and enjoyed some RI classics, johnnycakes and coffee milk.

Editor's note: This article has been updated from its original version to include new information, and includes reports from The Herald News.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Guy Fieri: Crazy Burger, Italian Corner, Evelyn's on Triple D Nation
Last week, SK hynix was embroiled in what has been dubbed the Ghost RAM controversy. Today, further TechInsights investigations, highlighted by Bloomberg, have found that the chips are actually years-old. SK hynix now seems to be in the clear concerning U.S. regulations on supplying tech to China.

Huaweis controversial Mate 60 phones use SK Hynix memory that has been available for years, TechInsights found https://t.co/ppKz4sVGmLSeptember 15, 2023

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A teardown last week found many new Chinese-made components in the recently launched Huawei P60 Pro smartphone, but there were also various SK hynix branded RAM and NAND chips. If these were supplied after U.S. sanctions on Huawei had been imposed and enacted, SK hynix could have found itself in hot water over breaching agreed restrictions.

The Huawei P60 Pro was a remarkable device in that it launched with the Kirin 9000S system-on-chip, built on SMIC's 2nd gen 7mn process. The phone was described in China as a triumph of Chinese industrial ingenuity. The impression was that U.S. sanctions made Chinese homegrown technology stronger and more advanced. After some eager teardowns, it was discovered that quantities of South Korean ICs were also behind the design, specifically SK hynix Ram and NAND.

Bloomberg's report on the latest findings notes that SK hynix strongly denies doing business with Huawei post-sanctions. Multiple investigations are going on into how Huawei acquired these chips. However, the U.S. government and SK hynix can now be guided by TechInsights discovering that Huawei has been using old stock. This information raises questions about how much old RAM and NAND stock Huawei has or can obtain to satisfy the market for its Mate 60 Pro.

The Korea Herald also published updated statements from SK hynix execs on this hot topic. They don't offer any new information but show the components maker is sticking by its original assertions. "We have had absolutely no business (with Huawei)," reiterated SK hynix Vice Chairman Park Jung-ho to reporters. "We are investigating the circumstances... and we need to check more closely what kind of DRAM is being used in that phone."

According to official statements from SK hynix, the firm is "strictly abiding by the US government's export restrictions." It claims to have stopped supplying chips to Huawei in the fall of 2020.
Pre-wedding jitters happen to everyone. Its a major life change, and navigating this feeling is a natural part of getting married. In the new biography Jackie: Public, Private, Secret, its alleged that Jackie Kennedys pre-wedding jitters ahead of her wedding to John F. Kennedy took such a toll on her that she nearly called off the wedding entirely.

However, when confiding about these jitters, one member of the Kennedy family threatened to murder Jackie in light of the news.

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A wedding planner assistant named Adora Rule opened up in the new biography Jackie: Public, Private, Secret about Jackies pre-wedding jitters, including how Jackies sister-in-law Ethel Kennedy threatened to kill her if she left JFK at the altar.

A scene from the Kennedy-Bouvier wedding. Groom John walks alongside his bride Jacqueline at an outdoor reception, 1953. Newport, Rhode Island. (Photo by Bachrach/Getty Images)

Ethel allegedly said, per the Boston Globe: I swear to God if that girl leaves Bobbys brother at the altar, Ill kill her with my own two bare hands. She doesnt know how lucky she is to marry into this family.

Click here to read the full article.

As many know, Jackie and John did end up marrying at St. Marys Church in Newport, Rhode Island, in Sept 12, 1953, and were together until he was murdered in 1963.

Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Ethel Kennedy during RFK Pro Celebrity Tennis Tournament  August 23, 1975 at Forest Hills Stadium in New York City, New York, United States. (Photo by Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

Now, as for Ethel and Jackies relationship, it was reportedly quite a rocky one. While both of them lost their husbands to assassins, with Jackie losing John in 1963 and Ethel losing her husband Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, their relationship wasnt a strong one. While its been reported, per People, that they got along on the surface level, their relationship was very strained due to different ideals, per New York Magazine.

Jackie: Public, Private, Secret by by J. Randy Taraborrelli

Price: $35.00 $28.99, originally $35.00

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Court documents accuse the coroner of "abuse of a corpse" and claim that he left a human body in "a sealed black body bag" overnight during warm weather

WKYT

A Kentucky coroner who is accused of having left the body of a dead man to decompose in a hot car overnight is facing a lawsuit, along with several other county officials.

The Sept. 12 complaint, filed by Basill Peyton, the brother of deceased Nathan Peyton, claims Morgan County Coroner Raymond Vancleave negligently mishandled Nathan's corpse when he died on Dec. 30, 2022, according to multiple reports.

In the court documents filed by Basill, he accuses Vancleave of "abuse of a corpse" and claims that the coroner left his brother's body in "a sealed black body bag" overnight in a vehicle on an unseasonably warm day."

Vancleave, who has since resigned as Morgan County coroner, did not immediately respond to PEOPLEs request for comment.

The complaint also named former Judge-Executive John Stacy, and county fiscal court magistrates Brandon Evans, Carter Bolin, Donnie Keaton, Darrell Patrick and Leroy Phipps, claiming they should have been aware of the coroner's past negligent behavior.

According to WKTV, when Basill found Nathan dead, the body was in good condition. However, the complaint alleges that "instead of transporting the corpse of Nathan Dean Peyton to the State Medical Examiner's Office in Frankfort, Kentucky," coroner Vancleave kept possession of the body inside his SUV for almost an entire day.

Nathan's body "rapidly decomposed," per the court documents.

CWKYT The former Morgan County Coroner in Kentucky is being sued for allowing a corpse to decompose in his SUV overnight.

The lawsuit alleges Vancleave had previously had his access revoked to the morgue, freezer and cooling systems at local hospitals due to his alleged past failure to retrieve bodies in a timely fashion, which county officials were allegedly aware of.

On Dec. 31, 2022, Vancleave allegedly transported Nathan's body to the state medical examiners office in Frankfort for an autopsy that was not requested by the family of the deceased.



The court documents claim that state medical examiner Sarah Maines noted that the body was moderately decomposed.

Related: Katie Meyer's Family Sues Stanford University Says School's 'Reckless' Decision Led to Her Death

However, on Jan. 1, when the body was retrieved by a representative from a local funeral home, the condition of the corpse had further deteriorated, with court documents noting the corpse was "decomposed so badly due to mishandling" that the "smell emanating from the body bag was pungent and putrid."

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.

The funeral of Nathan, which took place on Jan. 6, had to be conducted with a closed casket because the level of advanced decomposition meant the body could not be embalmed, according to the court documents, which also claim that multiple visitors to the funeral home "vomited and became ill because of the foul and pungent odor coming from Mr. Peyton's coffin."

Related: Man Whose Body Was Found Naked in Barrel on Malibu Beach Was Shot in Head: Coroner

When they buried him, he had to remain in the body bag. Closed casket, Basill told WKYT. People actually got sick from the odor that was emanating from the casket."

The lawsuit is seeking an unspecified amount of damages for Basill, who says he has "sustained and endured great and severe mental and physical pain and suffering."



A lawyer for Vancleave did not immediately reply to PEOPLE'S request for comment.

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Read the original article on People.
Jeremy Morton-Maxson received distressing news on Sept. 2, 2022, when the urologist who conducted his surgery informed him that the hospital had misplaced his tumor

Image: Getty/Joe Raedle

A lawsuit filed in Washington alleges that a hospital removed a potentially cancerous bladder tumor from a man before misplacing it.

Jeremy Morton-Maxson, a 39-year-old Seattle resident with a family history of bladder cancer, received guidance from a urologist to undergo tumor removal for testing. The recommendation came after he noticed blood in his urine in March 2022, as stated in both the lawsuit and a news release provided to McClatchy News.

According to a complaint filed in late June, Morton-Maxson had surgery on Aug. 17, 2022, at the University of Washington Medical Center's Northwest Hospital. Following the surgery, his doctors conveyed that the tumor was "likely cancer," emphasizing the need for a pathologic review to confirm the diagnosis.

However, Morton-Maxson found himself in a state of anxious anticipation for several weeks, as there was no definitive diagnosis provided, the release stated.

Related: Daughter Sues Hospital for 'Assault, Battery, and False Imprisonment' of Kidney Patient Father

Morton-Maxson received distressing news on Sept. 2, 2022, when the urologist who conducted his surgery informed him that the hospital had misplaced his tumor, preventing it from being analyzed. This development, as detailed in the complaint and release, prompted Morton-Maxson to file a lawsuit against the University of Washington and those responsible for his medical care, citing negligence and liability.

While the lawsuit does not specify the medical providers involved, it was first reported by The Seattle Times on Sept. 6.

"Anyone who has battled cancer knows the uncertainty surrounding the disease is crippling, and in my case, the uncertainty is amplified by the hospitals mistake, Morton-Maxson said in the news release. I am a young man, and I wake up every morning with this hanging over my head, Morton-Maxson added.

In response to Morton-Maxson's complaint in King County Superior Court, UW Medicine stated on Aug. 14 that his tumor, identified as a papillary lesion, had not been located or reviewed by the hospital's pathology department after his surgery. In a statement, Morton-Maxson's attorney, Austin Neff, expressed that his client was left with "limited recourse and difficult choices."

If the tumor was malignant, a pathology report would have told us how aggressive the cancer is and help his care team make critical decisions, including what targeted therapies would have served Jeremy best, Neff said in the release.

Hero Images/Getty Images

Related: Lili Reinhart Gets Candid About About Her Ongoing Battle with Body Dysmorphia and OCD

Consequently, doctors presented Morton-Maxson with two choices: either endure "painful and invasive diagnostic" tests every two months for bladder examination or opt for preventive chemotherapy, according to the release.

Preventive chemotherapy did not align with Morton-Maxson's preferences, as he believed the surgery could have potentially eliminated any cancer risk, he told The Seattle Times. As a result, he chose the alternative option of undergoing diagnostic procedures every 60 days. He has not encountered any further urinary issues, as reported by the newspaper.

Throughout this ordeal, Morton-Maxson claims that UW Medicine has yet to issue an apology for the loss of his tumor.

I understand that we all make mistakes  I know how understaffed, overworked, and underpaid hospital nurses and technicians are, which I am sure played into this, Morton-Maxson said. But in those instances, you need to hold up your hand and say I messed up and I am sorry. 

Following the incident, Morton-Maxson has endured pain, suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress, inconvenience, disability, and various other challenges, as indicated in the complaint. He is pursuing legal action to seek compensation for these damages.

Morton-Maxson expressed that had UW Medicine taken responsibility for their mistake and offered an apology, the matter would not have escalated to a legal case.

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It was a violation of the standard of care not to have the papillary lesion removed at surgery and undergo pathologic evaluation, UW Medicine responded to Morton-Maxsons complaint.



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The Brooklyn community welcomes Little Amal during her visit through the five boroughs of New York City in 2022. The 12-foot puppet will walk through Akron's North Hill neighborhood Sept. 23 as part of her current journey across the United States.

When Little Amal comes to Akron Sept. 23, the community will help her find her way.

Little Amal is a 12-foot puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl who is on a 6,000-mile trek across the United States through Nov. 7. In each of the 35 U.S. cities that she's visiting between Boston and San Diego, Little Amal is looking for a place to stay and seeking community, just like many refugees do.

Amal Walks Across America, produced by The Walk Productions with Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa, chose Akron as one of the cities Little Amal will visit due to its multicultural North Hill neighborhood. The community is home to former refugees and immigrants including Nepali-Bhutanese, Afghan, Congolese, Karen and Burmese peoples.

"They picked Akron because of the strong ties to the refugee communities," said Katie Beck, co-artistic director of Gum-Dip Theatre, which is one of the Akron organizations collaborating for Amal's visit.

Also welcoming Little Amal Sept. 23 are the city of Akron, the North Hill branch of Akron-Summit County Public Library, the North Hill Community Development Corporation and the National Center for Choreography-Akron.

NoHi food truck park: Food truck park in North Hill runs through October. Here's what we know

Little Amal, who was created as a performance art project to celebrate human migration and cultural diversity, has traveled across 13 countries and met more than a million people since 2021. She has visited Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Poland, the Netherlands and Canada.

The puppet is an international symbol of human rights, especially for refugees.

Now, Little Amal's making a two-month trek to more than 100 events across the United States in what's described as one of the larges public art festivals in the country's history. Audiences throughout her U.S. trek have been witnessing Amal making new friends, learning about different cultures and missing her friends and family back home as she navigates her first weeks as a refugee child in this country.

Akron is the 12th of 37 U.S. cities she's visiting, which include stops in Cincinnati and Columbus Sept. 22.

Above all, the puppet stands for unity and hope. Her walk in each city is meant to bring communities together, focus on the urgent needs of refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers and highlight the rich cultures and contributions of immigrants.

A child connects with Little Amal in New York in 2022.

In Akron, the community is invited to join in Little Amal's walk starting at North Main Street and Tallmadge Avenue at 2 p.m. Sept. 23. The street will be blocked off for her and the community to walk .3 miles north to People's Park, where the North Hill Community Development Corporation will host the third annual International Day of Peace celebration from 3 to 5 p.m. at 765 N. Main St.

Gum-Dip Theatre is leading the artistic end of Little Amal's visit, including organizing dancers, music and the narrative concept for the puppet's walk in Akron.

'Encounter: Akron,' made for city's people, reaches beyond assumptions about what dance is

Little Amal's walk in Akron will symbolize the burdens that refugees face navigating a new place while trying to find a sense of safety and belonging. Bricks, which symbolize both those burdens and the labor of Italian immigrants who laid brick roads and building foundations in North Hill more than a century ago, serve as inspiration now for Little Amal's story.

Ten dancers choreographed by Dominic Moore-Dunson and Elyse Morckel will introduce the bricks through dance. A Nepali band also will play along the walk children also will fly paper blimps attached to sticks, symbolizing Akron's innovation, alongside the puppet.

Gum Dip Theatre: Former refugees discuss bridging cultures in 'Brokers Without Borders'

As community members line the street to see Little Amal, they'll be invited to take a brick and write a burden they're carrying on one side and a word or phrase of hope on the other side. They will then place their brick on a tarp that Little Amal will be dragging on her walk.

As the load gets heavier, community members will help Amal move the pile.

At the end of the walk at Peoples Park, participants will form a human chain to remove the bricks from Little Amal's tarp. They will then lay them into pathway that leads into the park, laying the burden side of the bricks down and the hope side up.

Amal will help move the bricks and watch the community build the walkway, which will symbolize a bridge of hope for future generations.

The brick laying will be followed by the International Day of Peace celebration that will include a party, live band and free food. North Hill residents, creatives and businesses also will be honored with Actions of Peace awards.

Why Little Amal's visit to Akron is important

"Amal's message is about not forgetting about refugee children. And there are so many former refugees in our community who still have family in refugee camps or in their past countries. And so this event really raises awareness about that," said Beck, who worked for five years in community development in North Hill, including as former executive director for the North Hill CDC.

"It's just important to keep that message alive."

Little Amal interacts with children in Queens, New York, in 2022.

With the help of Little Amal's journey, the Choose Love Amal Fund aims to raise $5 million for refugee children around the world, including education, food, shelter and medical care.

To follow Little Amal, see @walkwithamal on Instagram, and Twitter, Walk with Amal on Facebook, @littleamalthewalk on TikTok as well as video at walkwithamal.org.

Making of the Little Amal puppet

The Little Amal puppet was designed and built by Handspring Puppet Company, which created the award-winning puppets for the hit play "War Horse." Amal is inspired by a character in Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson's play "The Jungle" about a refugee camp in Calais, France.

Nine puppeteers rotate on Little Amal's journey. The puppet, made of molded cane and carbon fiber, is operated by three or four puppeteers at a time, one on each arm, one on a pair of stilts inside Amal's torso, and one supporting her back as needed. The puppeteer inside Amal's torso also controls the strings that bring her face, head and eyes to life.

Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Little Amal to visit Akron to celebrate rich stories of refugees
Something we never thought wed hear was that the late Princess Diana found a former US President to be the sexiest man alive. At a party merely months before she died in a tragic car accident on Aug 31 1997, fellow guests at an A-list packed party remember Diana calling former US President Bill Clinton the sexiest man alive.

In a 2012 interview with CNBC, investor Warren Buffett talked about the times he met the late Princess of Wales, including at a party hosted by Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham. He discussed the second encounter happening very shortly before Dianas death, where he sat across the table from her.

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She had been to the White House that day and she had said that Bill Clinton was the sexiest man alive, he recalled. And I didnt ask her who the least sexy guy in the world alive was. I was afraid I might get my play in there.

PA NEWS PHOTO 265437-16 : 24/9/96 : DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES (LEFT), AND US FIRST LADY HILLARY CLINTON AT BREAKFAST IN THE WHITE HOUSE. (Photo by John Stillwell  PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)

Now, Diana was actually pals with both Bill and Hillary Clinton, both of whom were in attendance for her funeral. Diana met them back in 1996 while attending an event supporting the Red Cross, per IBTimes.

Click here to read the full article.

Not much else is known about their unlikely friendship, but Bill was quoted saying, per Hello, Hillary and I knew Princess Diana and we were very fond of her.

Diana: A Closely Guarded Secret by Ken Wharfe

Image: John Blake - Credit: John Blake

John Blake

For years, Inspector Ken Wharfe was one of Princess Dianas closest confidants. The late Princess of Wales former bodyguard offers an intimate account of the famous royals life in Diana: A Closely Guarded Secret. The memoir offers new insight into what we thought we knew about Princess Diana, with unfiltered anecdotes and reflections on her life through Wharfes eyes.

Diana: A Closely Guarded Secret by Ken Wharfe

Price: $15.95 $15.15

Buy On Amazon

Before you go, click here to see all of our favorite photos of Princess Diana.



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"Many news outlets have incorrectly stated that he is required to register," Desiigner 's attorney, Ryan Garry, told PEOPLE

ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Desiigner poses on the red carpet prior to the premiere of the season two of FX television show 'Dave' at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA, 10 June 2021. 'Dave' season 2 will be available to stream on FX on 11 June. Dave Season 2 premiere in Los Angeles, USA - 10 Jun 2021

The rapper Desiigner has been sentenced after exposing himself on an airline earlier this year. However, despite recent reports, he will not be required to register as a sex offender.



The 26-year-old Panda rapper, whose real name is Sidney Royel Selby III, was sentenced to 120 hours of community service, fined $5,000 and will remain on probation for two years after he was charged with masturbating on a flight from Tokyo to Minneapolis on April 17.



After a flight attendant spotted the rapper exposing himself, the criminal complaint claimed he quickly covered himself, only to be caught masturbating about five minutes later by members of the Delta flight crew. At the time, authorities said that he continued to do so after being asked multiple times to stop.



Prince Williams/Getty Rapper Desiigner

It was previously reported that Desiigner would also have to register as a sex offender for indecent exposure, but his attorney, Ryan Garry, tells PEOPLE exclusively in a statement that those claims are untrue.



Regarding the issue of Mr. Selby registering as a sex offender, many news outlets have incorrectly stated that he is required to register as an absolute condition of his probation. They are wrong, Garry told PEOPLE of Desiigner.



Since this was a federal misdemeanor, the sentencing judgement states that if the State of California or some other government entity requires that Mr. Selby must register as a sex offender, then he must, the attorney continued.



However, the parties in this case have come to the legal conclusion, after significant research and consultation with lawyers in California, that this misdemeanor conviction is not one that will cause Mr. Selby to have to register as a sex offender, Garry added. "If some government agency in California disagrees with our analysis, then we will address the matter at that point in time.

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.

ETIENNE LAURENT/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Desiigner poses on the red carpet prior to the premiere of the season two of FX television show 'Dave' at The Greek Theater in Los Angeles, California, USA, 10 June 2021. 'Dave' season 2 will be available to stream on FX on 11 June. Dave Season 2 premiere in Los Angeles, USA - 10 Jun 2021

Legal documents obtained by PEOPLE state that the District of Minnesota charged the Tiimmy Turner rapper for one count of obscenely and indecently exposed genitalia in a public place.



When questioned by the FBI, the rapper said he didnt get much in Japan and found one of the flight attendants attractive so he exposed himself, the Associated Press reported following the incident.

Related: A Career Flight Attendant on the Wildest Bad Behavior She's Seen In-Flight: Urination, Strip Teases & More

Mr. Selby has applied himself and taken great steps to addressing what happened on the airline flight, says attorney Garry. Mental health, especially these days, is an absolute thing. He was traveling back from his performances overseas feeling extremely dehydrated and exhausted.



"Mr. Selby has accepted complete responsibly, is very remorseful for his conduct, and I am happy to report that he is doing great, is very positive, and glad to put this misdemeanor case behind him. He is looking forward to great things ahead, which I expect the world will see in the near future.



The New York native who was previously signed to Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label issued an apology to his fans and said that he would be taking a step back to focus on his mental health after performing at Rolling Loud Thailand.

Related: Southwest Passenger Facing Federal Charges for Allegedly Grabbing Flight Attendant and Demanding a Kiss

"For the past few months, I have not been OK, and I have been struggling to come to terms with what is going on," Desiigner shared in a lengthy Instagram Story. "While overseas for a concert I performed at, I had to be admitted into a hospital, I was not thinking clearly."

Prince Williams/Getty Rapper Desiigner attends Teyana Taylors Album Release Party at Universal Studios Hollywood on June 21, 2018 in Universal City, California.

He continued by mentioning he was on medication when he departed from his flight.

I am ashamed of my actions that happened on that plane. I landed back to the States and am admitting myself in a facility to help me. I will be canceling all shows and any obligations until further notice," he wrote. "Mental health is real guys, please pray for me. If [you're] not feeling like yourself, please get help."



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The Royal Hotel, the setting of Kitty Greens ulcer-inducing thriller, is a sun-baked bar in a rural Australian mining town surrounded by terrain so monotone that Canadian backpackers Hanna (Julia Garner) and Liv (Jessica Henwick) cant keep their eyes open on the way in. The two young women arrive at their barmaid jobs with a sense of palpable disorientation. Theyve quite literally woken up in Oz, and they dont know the people, the customs, the nicknames for the local ales, or the way out.

The customers are, as you might expect, gruff and girl-starved. (The chalkboard sign heralding their first shift reads: Fresh meat.) Hanna and Liv are steeled for that. Theyre not idiots, even if their knowledge of Australia is pretty much limited to Fosters beer and kangaroos. Still, Green, a keen and steely talent, puts them  and us  through hell.

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The worst part? This setup is true. Green and her co-writer Oscar Redding (a bonafide Australian man) have based the script on Pete Gleesons 2016 documentary Hotel Coolgardie, named for this desolate stretch of land where #MeToo has yet to arrive. The doc followed the miseries of two Finnish girls, one of whom never recovered from the gig. This fictionalized adaptation tweaks the characters names  goodbye Canman, hello Teeth  and forgoes the originals flatly-lit cinematic neutrality. It does keep, however, a second pair of barmaids whove adapted to their circumstances too much  think Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter.

Green knows that audiences are expecting an outback horror flick (has this region ever produced a romantic comedy?), so she serves up every one of the genres conventions: bleak landscapes, ominous quiet, giant snakes, never-ending black skies and, above all, the dreadful apprehension that no one is coming to help. (The moody cinematography is by Michael Latham.) Hanna and Liv study the men to figure out who they can trust when the towns incel frustrations explode. The pubs owner, Billy (a fully immersed Hugo Weaving), is an obvious cad. Of the clientele, Teeth (James Frecheville) is polite but possessive. Matty (Toby Wallace) is a slippery joker. Dolly (Daniel Henshall) is a mean drunk. Even a visiting Swede (Herbert Nordrum) who made out with Hanna back in Sydney seems to put more energy into trying to impress the lads. The dating pool is primordial.

Theres a way these movies usually go: a sexual attack and then bloody, vengeful catharsis. Green uses our anticipation to her advantage. She gets us looking for danger in every scene  and we usually find it. The director is using this bar as a terrarium of a toxic dynamic that exists, well, everywhere. Shes taken us here, to this extremely specific place, to sharpen our awareness of the tiniest red flags that flap around the globe.

Henwicks Liv, the more chillaxed of the pair, tends to wave off the small stuff. Billy only calls them the c-word because, as Liv explains, its a cultural thing. Hanna, played with watchful intensity by Garner, is more alert  in part because shes more likely to be sober, or at least, not pass-out drunk. As in her last film with Green, The Assistant, an almost zoological study of what it might have been like to work for Harvey Weinstein, Garner has a gift for revealing the churn inside a character who rarely feels safe enough to say exactly what she thinks. One of the smartest moments in the movie comes when Liv tries to pump her best friend up with empty feminist platitudes  she can handle this, shes strong  and Hanna finally snaps. No Im not! she explodes. Im weak and Im scared and I want to go home!

The actors recognize that handling a room of drunks is performance. Tips hinge on knowing when to flirt and when to scowl. When all of the drunks are bigger than you (one of the male actors is a towering 611, a full foot and a half taller than either female lead), the job is more like high-wire improv over a tank of sharks. Over and over, we in the audience find ourselves wanting to shout advice at the screen like we would in a regular horror movie: laugh at that joke, dont laugh at that one and for gods sake, stop doing shots. When we pause to examine our own reactions, we get walloped by Greens heaviest point. Why are we micromanaging the victims but never yelling, Leave them alone! at the men?

Yet, Green is a storyteller with such control that we dont leave the theater feeling patronized or hectored. Shes thought everything out, and planned it so that every scene in The Royal Hotel is as gripping as it is pointed. The film grabs us from the get-go, as soon as the opening sequence plunges us into the Sydney party scene where the girls are about to realize theyre in desperate need of some quick cash. Neon lights flashing, dudes pressing in on all sides, soundtrack blasting a sleazy club-kid cover of Men at Works Down Under, Hanna slithers her way to the bar to order another round. The male bartender says her card is declined. Hes not even nice about it. And we dont think to tell him to smile.

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Comedian and actor Russell Brand is facing a series of sexual assault allegations contained in a joint investigation by several British media outlets led by The Times. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

Sept. 16 (UPI) -- Comedian and actor Russell Brand is facing multiple allegations of rape and sexual assault Saturday following an in-depth investigation by a team of British media outlets.

The explosive and lengthy piece published by The Times, The Sunday Times and Channel 4 Dispatches includes allegations of rape as well physical and mental abuse from multiple women in both Britain and the United States between 2006 and 2013, during the height of Brand's fame.

The 48-year-old celebrity has denied the claims in a video posted on his YouTube channel.

The Times investigators said they gave Brand's representatives eight days to respond to the accusations before publishing the story. Lawyers eventually replied that they were unable to give a response because of the "large litany of questions" posed to them.

Reporters also laid out in detail how they conducted their multi-pronged investigation, collecting evidence including phone, text and email records and interviewing witnesses over several months.

The explosive and lengthy piece published Saturday in The Times, includes allegations of rape as well physical and mental abuse from multiple women in both Britain and the United States over several years. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI

Some of the allegations date back to a time when Brand worked at BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4, as well as during the time he lived in Los Angeles as a Hollywood actor.

It was at that point in his life, a woman who admitted she previously had consensual sex with Brand, contends she arrived at his Los Angeles home where she was raped. She details being held against her will in the home while Brand pinned her against a wall and assaulted her after she refused to join him with another woman in the bedroom.

Russell Brand, 48, has denied the claims in a video posted on his YouTube channel. File Photo by Paul Treadway/UPI

The woman sought treatment at a rape crisis center later the same day, The Times reported it confirmed her account by viewing medical records. It also verified an apology text sent from Brand's U.S. phone number to the woman, along with her reply.

In The Times' story, one woman accuses Russell Brand of raping her in his Los Angeles home, while another in Britain said they had a relationship when he was 30 and she was 16, which ended after a sexual assault. File Photo by Rune Hellestad/UPI

Another woman in Los Angeles, who was working with Brand at the time, said the actor assaulted her in his home, causing her to try to escape. He later yelled at her, firing her and threatening legal recourse if she told anyone about the episode, according to The Times story. It also says reporters spoke to witnesses outside the home who heard screaming during the incident.

Brand had a short-lived 14-month marriage to pop star Katy Perry from 2010 to 2011. Perry, who is 10 years younger, said in a 2013 interview with Vogue that Brand "was really hurtful, and it (relationship) was very controlling."

The story also alleges Brand had a short relationship in Britain with a 16-year-old girl after first meeting her while shopping. The girl's mother is quoted in the story as saying she believed Brand, who was 30 at the time, was grooming her daughter. The mother said she was unable to do anything other than express her concerns because her daughter had passed the legal age of consent in that country.

Now 30, the alleged victim in that case told the newspaper Brand also physically assaulted her, forcing her at one point into a non-consensual sexual act, which led to the end of the brief relationship.

The story uses pseudonyms to protect the identities of all the accusers.

Brand's literary agency issued a statement saying it eventually dropped him as a client.

"Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him," the Tavistock Wood agency said, adding it has "terminated all professional ties to Brand."

Reporters also interviewed dozens of comedians for the story, many of whom said they became aware of Brand's dark side on the standup circuit.

"I know for many, many years that women have been warning each other about Russell," Scottish comedian Daniel Sloss told The Times. Sloss was the only comedian who allowed the publication to use his real name.

Brand was a client of John Noel Management from 2002 until 2017, and the agency told The Sunday Times it was not in a position to answer questions because of legal reasons.

Britain's Channel 4, meanwhile, said it is "appalled to learn of these deeply troubling allegations, including behavior alleged to have taken place on programs made for Channel 4 between 2004 and 2007," a spokesman told the Sunday Times in a statement.

"We are determined to understand the full nature of what went on. We have carried out extensive document searches and have found no evidence to suggest the alleged incidents were brought to the attention of Channel 4," the broadcaster said.
The Boeing 777 was en route to Rome when it had to return to its original place of departure in New Jersey

Gary Hershorn/Getty United Airlines airplanes sit on the tarmac at Newark Liberty Airport in front of the Empire State Building in New York City on February 3, 2023, in Newark, New Jersey.

A United Airlines flight dropped 28,000 feet in almost 10 minutes on Wednesday because of a situation the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) described as a pressurization issue.

CNN reported, citing data from FlightAware, that United Airlines Flight 510 bound for Rome, Italy, from Newark, New Jersey, experienced a dramatic descent from 37,000 feet at 10:07 p.m. to almost 9,000 feet at 10:15 p.m.

The Boeing 777 flew from Newark Liberty International Airport on its scheduled 8:37 p.m. departure time Wednesday. However, the plane returned around 12:27 a.m. Thursday to address a possible loss of cabin pressure, a United spokesperson confirmed to PEOPLE.

The plane had 270 passengers and 14 members of the crew, Fox News reported.

Related: Passenger Who Landed Airplane with No Flying Experience Speaks Out: 'Life or Death Situation'

In a statement to PEOPLE, a United spokesperson said: "United flight 510 returned to Newark Liberty International Airport yesterday to address a possible loss of cabin pressure. The flight landed safely and there was never any loss of cabin pressure. We arranged for another aircraft to take our customers to their destination."

Last month, an American Airlines flight dropped 15,000 feet in three minutes. The FAA said that Flight 5916, which was en route to Gainesville, Florida, from Charlotte, North Carolina, "landed safely at Gainesville Regional Airport in Florida around 4:55 p.m. local time. 

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University of Florida professor Harrison Hove, who was a passenger on that American Airlines flight, posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Aug. 10: Something failed midflight and depressurized the cabin. The burning smell can apparently be attributed to using the oxygen canisters. The wing flaps came out to immediately lower our altitude so there would be more oxygen. It was terrifying but turned out ok.

In June, a Delta Airlines plane landed safely in Charlotte, North Carolina, after pilots received a nose gear unsafe notification, per Deltas website. At the time, the plane, which left from Atlanta at 7:25 a.m. EDT, was carrying 96 passengers. Following their evacuation from the plane after landing, the passengers were transported via bus to the terminal.

In a statement, Delta said: After a series of maneuvers and ongoing communication with CLT air traffic controllers to further trouble shoot the indication, pilots landed the plane at CLT, with the nose gear up, at 8:58 a.m. EDT.

Related: WATCH: Passenger Captures Immediate Aftermath of Lufthansa Plane That 'Dropped': 'We All thought This Was It'

In his LinkedIn post, Delta CEO Ed Bastian apologized for what happened and thanked airline staff. I want to extend my sincere thanks to the crew of Delta flight 1092 who took such great care of our customers today after the aircrafts nose gear failed to deploy. Our crews train extensively for situations like this and Im proud of their professionalism in landing the aircraft safely.

"To our customers onboard, please know that your safety is our No. 1 priority  always," Bastian continued. "We have your back, and our teams are working to get you to your final destination just as quickly as possible. Thanks as always for the trust you place in us.



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A son of the notorious drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman arrived in the United States on Friday following his extradition from Mexico to face drug trafficking charges, officials said.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez, 33, was charged in April with two dozen others as part of a crackdown targeting a global drug trafficking network run through Mexico's Sinaloa cartel. According to the charges, the cartel used precursor chemicals shipped from China to fuel the fentanyl crisis plaguing the U.S.

He was flown to Chicago but is also charged in New York and Washington, D.C.

PHOTO: This frame grab from video, provided by the Mexican government, shows Ovidio Guzman Lopez is detained in Culiacan, Mexico, on Oct. 17, 2019. (CEPROPIE via AP, FILE)

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Guzman Lopez was extradited to the U.S. on Friday "as a result of United States and Mexico law enforcement cooperation."

"This action is the most recent step in the Justice Department's effort to attack every aspect of the cartel's operations," Garland said in a statement. "The fight against the cartels has involved incredible courage by United States law enforcement and Mexican law enforcement and military servicemembers, many of whom have given their lives in the pursuit of justice."

"The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country," he added.

MORE: Ovidio Guzman, son of El Chapo and alleged major fentanyl trafficker, arrested in Mexico

Guzman Lopez had been wanted by U.S. authorities since 2019 and captured by Mexican armed forces in January in a small town just outside the city of Culiacan, the capital of the Mexican state of Sinaloa.

He was captured in an overnight raid that had been in the works for more than six months, officials said at the time.

The arrest followed an infamous incident in 2019, in which authorities briefly detained Guzman Lopez at a home in Culiacan, before word spread and heavily armed gunmen flooded the city. Massive shootouts occurred between cartel members and Mexican armed forces around the city. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ordered Guzman Lopez released in order to avoid more bloodshed.

PHOTO: Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman is escorted to a helicopter by Mexican security forces at Mexico's International Airport in Mexico city, Feb. 22, 2014. (Bloomberg via Getty Images, FILE)

MORE: El Chapo's wife released from halfway house following prison sentence

His father, Guzman, is serving a life sentence in the U.S. after being convicted in 2019 of conducting a continuing criminal enterprise, including large-scale narcotics violations and a murder conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracies, unlawful use of a firearm and a money laundering conspiracy.

Guzman's wife, Emma Coronel Aispuro, was released from her California halfway house this week after being convicted of helping run the Mexican drug cartel for which her husband was the boss.

Aispuro was sentenced in November 2021 to 36 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to money laundering and conspiring to distribute cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana for import into the U.S. She was also ordered to pay almost $1.5 million in fines.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of El Chapo, brought to US to face drug trafficking charges originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Let's be honest, there is nothing better than bagging cheap flights. Genuinely, NOTHING BETTER. And thankfully the British Airways flight end of summer sale has begun, meaning you can now bag return flights to New York for as little as 333. Yes, you ready that currently return flights to New York for under 350. Get ready Carrie Bradshaw, were coming for you.

The cheapest New York flights seem to be for November this year, ideal for a pre-Christmas trip, living our best Elf life. Dont have enough holiday left for the year? Prices are still at 333 for return flights in February and March 2024, just as spring is starting in the city.

New York flights arent the only exciting option on offer in the end of summer sale with both flights and hotels to a variety of destinations included, which equals some big savings on your next trip abroad.

The discounts are eligible on trips up until the end of 2024, meaning you could plan that big trip youve always dreamt of to Los Angeles for next summer from 412 return flights or have a quick winter sun getaway before the end of the year to Miami for 418 return this November.

Getty Images

North America not your thing? Not to worry as there are also plenty of offers available on flights to Dubai, Mauritius, Tel Aviv and Mumbai too.

The sale not only offers discounted flights but also hotel and flight packages too. How does seven nights in Barbados for 749 sound? Or how about a little closer to home with seven nights in Portugal from 219. Yeah were booking straightaway.

The sale ends on 3rd October, so youve got to be quick when it comes to booking that dream getaway.

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Better get putting in those holiday requests.

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As fast food restaurants like McDonald's and Taco Bell have expanded globally in the decades since their introductions, Chick-fil-A has, for the most part, stayed in the U.S. It opened locations in South Africa in the 1990s, but both closed by 2001. While the company has seen some success in Canada with its ten locations, it's finally making definite moves further, announcing in a press release that it will open a store in the U.K. in 2025, with four more stores to follow by 2027.

Despite the company's statement that the stores will bring jobs and that it plans to invest $100 million over the next ten years in the United Kingdom, the announcement brings with it reminders of past controversies. The company made a previous attempt to enter the U.K. market with a pop-up shop in the town of Reading, England, in 2019. In response to CEO Dan Cathy 's comments in 2012 that many deemed as opposing gay marriage, LGBTQ activists and supporters protested the fast food restaurant's opening. The result was Chick-fil-A moving out of the Oracle shopping center at the end of its six-month lease. In 2020, protests against a location in Scotland also caused its closure.

Read more: Fast Food Chicken Chains, Ranked Worst To Best

The Company Has Tried To Improve Their Image

activists protesting Chick-fil-A - Jeremy Sale/Shutterstock

Reading Pride was the group that organized the protests against Chick-fil-A's Reading location with the tagline, "Get the Chick Out." The group's chief executive told Berkshire Live, "This was not about their (or their CEO/founding family's) beliefs, we're not that thin-skinned. It was about their reported actions, that's where we drew the line and decided to act."

After Chick-fil-A left the United Kingdom, it turned its focus back to North America, increasing its store count in the U.S. and adding stores in Canada. And though Dan Cathy never waivered on his statements regarding traditional marriage, he told the Toledo Blade in 2014 that he wouldn't be talking about it anymore. "The bottom line is we have a responsibility here to keep the whole of the organization in mind, and it has to take precedence over the personal expression and opinion on social issues."

Chick-fil-A has donated a lot of money to charities every year, and one of the biggest criticisms Chick-fil-A has faced was its donations to groups characterized as opposed to gay rights. In 2019, it stopped donating to some groups that were considered anti-LGBTQ, intending to focus its funds on organizations focused on homelessness, education, and hunger, such as Feeding America and its Community Scholars program. Chick-fil-A plans to continue its strategy in the U.K., donating to local organizations while also introducing its Shared Table program.

Read the original article on Mashed.
And its selling out fast.

Lecia Landis/Dotdash Meredith Photo: Getty Images

Well always be fond of Nutella for introducing us to the creamy, nutty, chocolaty spread you can use to elevate any recipe or eat straight from the jar. For many, its the gold standard of chocolate hazelnut spreads. Nutella fans are so nuts about the spread that they created a holiday, World Nutella Day, celebrated each year on February 5. The brand thanked those fans earlier this year by bringing two new products to the United States for the first time, products that are global fan favorites enjoyed by Nutella fans in many other countries.

Theyre the first new products Nutella has introduced to the United States since 2012 when it brought Nutella & GO!breadsticks or pretzels with Nutella for dippingto the States. One of the new products is now available in warehouse stores, offering some good deals on these newer exciting snacks fans cant wait to get their hands on.

New Products for U.S. Nutella Fans to Savor

Late last month, Costco shoppers started seeing Nutella B-Ready in stores. Instagrams Costco So Obsessed posted about spotting the snack at the warehouse store: One of my besties has been raving about these Nutella B-Ready bars, so I had to get them!

If youre unfamiliar with Nutella B-Ready, its a crispy wafer shell filled with Nutella and sprinkled with puffed wheat crisp. In the United States, the B-Ready comes in 2-, 6-, and 36-count packs with prices ranging from $1.89 to $13.99. The 36-packs are available at Costco and Sams Club.

The other new U.S. product this year is Nutella Biscuits, crunchy biscuits with a heart-shaped design on the top and filled with Nutella, available in a 20-count bag. You may have already seen them on store shelves in the cookie aisle at major retailers.

If you love Nutella, either one of these products would be a welcome addition to your snack cabinet and something quick to satisfy your Nutella craving when you dont have the time to make some homemade chocolate hazelnut spread treats such as Nutella Hazelnut Cookies or Nutella Bread Pudding.



Read the original article on All Recipes.
Disney fans, brace yourself: There are so many new projects in the works for Walt Disney World Resort. While recent Disney World announcements have mostly been focused on trip-planning changes like dining plans and theme park reservations (with the exception of some pre-pandemic projects like TRON Lightcycle / Run and Journey of Life, Inspired by Moana), we're now all at once learning about brand-new attractions that are currently being developed.

LEXIE SACHS

All of these surprises were revealed at Destination D23, a fan event celebrating the 100th anniversary of Disney. Good Housekeeping attended and got a firsthand glimpse of these announcements. Although there are still plenty of details to come for all of the projects, we're sharing everything we know so far.

Here are (in no particular order) the top 10 new experiences coming to Walt Disney World resort:



1. Figment meet and greet at EPCOT

This iconic purple dragon made his debut in the late 1980s and is currently having a big comeback. Known for sparking creativity and encouraging imagination, Figment has a dedicated following of fans, and his merchandise often flies off the shelves at Walt Disney World. Fans can now meet this beloved character at the Imagination! pavilion, right by his signature ride, Journey Into Imagination with Figment. Just be prepared for long lines; he's currently in high demand!

Matt Stroshane

2. Encanto and Indiana Jones experiences at Animal Kingdom

Ever since Encanto first hit the big screen, fans have been begging for it to be brought to life at Walt Disney World. Now, it's looking like that'll be a reality. Imagineers are going to "reimagine" the area currently known as Dinoland U.S.A in Disney's Animal Kingdom. There are currently Africa and Asia sections of the park, so this new area will be inspired by "tropical Americas," which was described as the biodiverse areas near the equator.

While there aren't many details provided just yet, an illustration was shared that shows both Casita (i.e., the magical house) from Encanto and a temple to represent the Indiana Jones franchise. Our guess is that the existing Dinosaur ride will be converted to one that's similar to Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland.

Disney

3. A Pirates of the Caribbean lounge at Magic Kingdom

This announcement was pretty vague, but what we do know is that there will be a lounge coming to Adventureland (where the Pirates of the Caribbean ride is located), and it's currently in the design process. Disney described it as a "first-of-its-kind experience" that will "will extend the story of Pirates of the Caribbean."

Disney

4. More character interactions, like Moana and Asha from Wish

Disney announced that the opening date of Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana will be October 16, then revealed a new Moana meet and greet would open right by the attraction in EPCOT. Disney also shared that Asha, the main character of its upcoming animated movie, Wish, will be coming to parks. Wish will be in theaters on November 22, so we expect fans will be rushing in to the parks to meet her.

5. Updates to classic Magic Kingdom attractions

Two park favorites  the Haunted Mansion ride and the Country Bear Jamboree musical  will be getting enhancements. The Haunted Mansion will have the addition of the Hatbox Ghost, a well-loved (albeit creepy) character from the Haunted Mansion franchise. The Country Bear Jamboree, which features animatronics singing western songs, will be adding new music. Disney shared that they're working with Nashville musicians to get the "authentic country sound."

Disney

6. A new fireworks show at EPCOT

If you love the nighttime spectaculars at Walt Disney World, this one's for you. Luminous: The Symphony of Us will open on December 5. According to Disney, it's set to include "fireworks, fountains, lasers, lighting effects and music." Judging from the image, we expect there to be a space theme to it. This will be replacing EPCOT's current nighttime show, EPCOT Forever, which focuses on the past, present and future of EPCOT.

Disney

7. The expansion of Magic Kingdom

New attractions at Walt Disney World often replace older attractions, especially when there's limited space for parks to expand. Walt Disney Imagineering said Magic Kingdom was "about to go into overdrive," announcing that they are planning to add  not replace  a monumental area in Magic Kingdom. Though no specific details were given, they shared it would be similar in scale to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge and Pandora  The World of Avatar. They also confirmed there will be new attractions, restaurants, shows and more.

Matt Stroshane

8. A Zootopia show in Animal Kingdom

Located inside the iconic Tree of Life in Animal Kingdom, the show currently has a concept of visiting the different biomes seen in the film. You'll also get to see favorite characters, like Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde. The current show at this location, It's Tough to be a Bug, uses 3D effects to make guests feel like they're insects.

Disney

9. Test Track will be reimagined

The thrill ride that lets you design and test out a car through high speeds and an obstacle course is being "reimagined" in partnership with the ride's sponsor, Chevrolet. Disney shared that it would be inspired by World of Motion (the original ride in this spot), and that they are "reaching back into history for inspiration" and "bringing that spirit of optimism to the next iteration of the Test Track attraction."

Disney

10. The Opening of World Celebration in EPCOT

Last but not least, a new area of EPCOT  which has been undergoing major transformations in recent years  is set to open this December. World Celebration will add to the current areas of World Showcase (which represents countries from around the world), World Discovery (which focuses on innovation and technology) and World Nature (which highlights the land and sea). Disney has shared that this area will connect guests with each other and with the world around them, and has teased that much of its annual festivals will be incorporated into this space.

Disney

Other highlights include the announcement that Soarin' Around the World (the EPCOT ride that simulates a hang glider) will switch back to Soarin' Over California. We also learned that Disney Cruise Line will add more ships to its fleet and a new private island, and that new lands are almost ready to go in Disney parks around the world. You can learn more about the surprise announcements at the Disney Parks Blog.

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No, they didn't find a way to squeeze water out of goats, although that would be quite interesting. Goat water is actually a type of stew and the national dish of Montserrat. The British overseas territory, located southeast of Puerto Rico in the Lesser Antilles chain of Caribbean islands, has a population that barely tops 5,000, but its culinary offerings are among the most unique on Earth, born from a complicated collision of Caribbean, English, Irish, and African cultures. No dish better exemplifies this melting pot model than goat water.

Goat water, also known as kiddy stew, contains slow-cooked cubes of goat meat with onions, and green peppers. These ingredients are simmered in a meaty broth that's neither too thick nor too thin  about the consistency of cream. The slightly gamey taste of goat is elevated by a blend of herbs and spices.

The most widely-circulated recipe for goat water comes from The Montserrat Cookbook released by the local Old People's Welfare Association. First published in 1969, the recipe calls for garlic, cloves, marjoram, and mace (a derivative of the nutmeg fruit), and suggests adding a splash of rum or whiskey at the end. Scotch bonnet chile pepper, one of the defining flavors of the Commonwealth Caribbean, is a very common addition that lends some serious heat to the dish. With its bold, spicy flavor profile, goat water seems like a far cry from the stew that originally inspired it, but that's all part of the dish's fascinating backstory.

Read more: Simple Rice Tricks You'll Wish You Knew Sooner

The Multicultural History Of Goat Water

Caribbean island beach - butabanatravel/Shutterstock

It makes sense that goat water is the national dish of Montserrat, as its origins tell the story of the island itself. The earliest residents of Montserrat were the Saladoid, Arawak, and Caribs, but they abandoned the island by the time Christopher Columbus caught a glimpse of it on his second voyage to the Americas.

Montserrat was ultimately colonized by Europeans in a rather unusual way. As the British established colonies throughout the Caribbean, they brought with them many Irish indentured servants, including to the nearby island of Saint Kitts. In 1632, the British governor of Saint Kitts banished all Irish people from the island, and they subsequently moved to Montserrat. More Irish came later by way of Virginia, fugitives from indentured servitude, and by 1678, a full 70% of Montserrat's population was of Irish origin, earning it the nickname "Emerald Isle of the Caribbean."

This wave of immigration brought a particular dish to the shores of Montserrat: Irish stew. The dish is traditionally made with lamb meat, but this was ultimately replaced by goat. Goat meat is a significant part of many Caribbean cuisines, as highlighted by Jamaica's famous curried goat. Between the 1660s and the 1830s, thousands of African slaves were also forced to Montserrat, exerting further influence on the development of goat water, which drifted further and further from its Irish ancestor with the addition of local ingredients like the Scotch bonnet.

Variations Of Goat Water Can Be Found Throughout The Caribbean

Jamaican mannish water - YouTube

Goat water certainly holds a special significance to Montserrat  it's the island's national dish after all  but it is also extremely popular on other Caribbean islands with a history of British colonialism. Variations of goat water can be found on tables in Antigua, Grenada, and Saint Kitts and Nevis. However, the most notable take on goat water comes from Jamaica, where it is known as mannish water. Like Monsterrat's goat water, mannish water uses any available parts of the goat, and gets a boost of flavor from Scotch bonnet peppers and rum. It differs from the Montserratian version in the addition of root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, and yams.

Mannish water has a pretty bawdy reputation. It is often served at social gatherings, but especially at weddings, where it serves a particular purpose for the groom. Mannish water is said to be an aphrodisiac, and even capable of certain male enhancements. There are varying accounts that both support and counter this claim, but there's one thing everyone seems to agree on: It's a darn tasty stew.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.
You should clean your air ducts every three to five years, but the specifics depend on your home.

Getty Images

If you turn on the air conditioning unit to stay cool in the summer, or if you turn on the heat to stay warm in the winter, you have an HVAC system, or Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning. This system needs to be cleaned every so often to ensure its operating efficiently and providing quality air in your home.







Meet the Experts

Traci Fournier is the Vice President of Operations of One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning in Texas.



Tim Jarvis is the Owner and Founder of Jarvis Service Company in Alabama.



Angela Pritchard is the COO of Pritchard Heating & Air in North Carolina.



Sara Long is the Founder and COO of Top Notch Heating and Air, a woman-owned business in Arkansas.









How Often Should You Clean Air Ducts

Cleaning air ducts in your home is likely not on the forefront of your mind, but ensuring the system is maintained can reduce contaminants in your home and improve air quality. The frequency of duct cleaning will be determined by the quality of the duct system, the filtration being used, the amount of airborne contaminants, and the hours of operation, says Traci Fournier, Vice President of Operations of One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning. Systems installed in high-humidity climates will also require more frequent attention. But there is a range of how frequently you should have them cleaned.

Typically, experts recommend having your air ducts professionally cleaned every three to five years. However, there are some circumstances that depend on your home and may require cleaning before the three year mark to reduce dust, pet dander, pollen or mold in your home.

Pets

If you have pets or have allergies, you may want to have your air ducts cleaned more often. Homes with pets, especially those with shedding animals like dogs or cats, tend to have a higher accumulation of pet hair and dander in the air ducts. This can lead to decreased indoor air quality and may exacerbate respiratory issues for sensitive individuals, says Tim Jarvis is the Owner and Founder of Jarvis Service Company in Alabama. Depending on the number of pets and the severity of shedding, a cleaning schedule of every two to three years may be more appropriate to ensure healthier indoor air quality.

Allergies

And if someone in your household suffers from allergies, such as dust mites, pollen, or mold spores, its recommended to have air ducts cleaned more regularly. Jarvis recommends that homes with allergy prone occupants have air ducts cleaned every two years for better indoor air quality and minimize allergen exposure.

Renovating the Home

Aside from pets and allergies, if youve recently renovated your home, youll want to call in professionals to clean your air ducts. Renovation projects, such as construction, sanding, painting, and drywall work, generate significant amounts of dust and debris, says Jarvis. These particles can easily find their way into the HVAC system through open ducts, contaminating the air ducts and the entire indoor air environment. Plus, its possible that some harmful materials may have moved around. During renovations, harmful substances like asbestos, lead, or other hazardous materials may be disturbed, he says. Cleaning the air ducts can help prevent the spread of any residual contaminants throughout the home.

Signs Your Air Ducts Need to Be Cleaned

Want to know if its time for your air ducts to be cleaned? Check for these signs. And if you notice any of these signs in your home, experts recommend calling an HVAC company to have them inspect your air ducts and see whether a cleaning is necessary.

Increased Energy Bills

An uncleaned system may result in higher energy bills. When the HVAC system has to work harder to push air through dirty ducts, it consumes more energy, resulting in higher utility costs, says Jarvis.

Musty or Unpleasant Odors

Sometimes strange smells may come from the air vents and is an indicator that its time for a cleaning. Lingering musty or foul odors coming from the air vents may indicate the presence of mold or mildew in the ductwork, he says.

Presence of Vermin or Insects

If you notice signs of vermin or insects in your home, such as droppings or nesting materials, they could have made their way into the air ducts, says Jarvis.

Reduced Airflow

Too much dust or dirt could cause buildup in the vents. Reduced airflow can lead to inefficient heating and cooling and may indicate the need for air duct cleaning, he says.

Visible Dust and Debris

If you notice dust and debris visibly accumulating around the air vents and registers, it could indicate that the air ducts are also contaminated, says Jarvis. Dust particles may become visible on furniture, floors, or walls near the vents.

Visible Mold Growth

According to Jarvis, If you can see mold growth inside the ductwork or around the vents, it's essential to address the issue promptly. Mold can release spores into the air, posing health risks to occupants.

Air Duct Cleaning Benefits

Cleaning air ducts every three to five years is important to ensure the system is running at capacity and can reduce dust and mold in the home. According to Fourner, benefits of cleaning air ducts include:

Gets rid of dust mites and reduces allergies and asthma issues



Increases the efficiency and lifespan of your HVAC system



Refreshes and improves the air of your home



A well-maintained air duct saves you money in the long run



Removes bugs and vermin

What Happens If Air Ducts Are Not Cleaned?

Air ducts are an important component of maintaining air quality in the home. When they arent cleaned, this could have a variety of consequences, such as increase in energy bills, the system not functioning at capacity as well as strange odors. According to Angela Pritchard, COO, Pritchard Heating & Air in North Carolina, Failing to have your air ducts cleaned on a consistent basis can lead to poor air quality in your home, excess dust, musty odors, decreased HVAC efficiency, increased energy bills, and decreased airflow causing uneven heating and cooling through your home.

Can You Clean Your Air Ducts?

Experts advise against homeowners cleaning their own air ducts because it requires special equipment and tools, knowledge as well as properly disposing of the debris and any health hazards. If youre not equipped properly, you could inadvertently be exposed to toxins.

Homeowners can minimize dust in their home by cleaning air filters monthly. Cleaning your air filters monthly and installing higher quality pleated air filters will also help eliminate the dust in your home, says Sara Long, founder and COO of Top Notch Heating and Air, a woman-owned business based in Arkansas. This will help reduce dust and debris in the BVAC system and air ducts, she says.

Should You Hire Someone to Clean Your Air Ducts?

Yes. Hiring professionals is recommended to clean your air ducts. Although some homeowners may prefer to DIY, this is a household task where its best to pay the money and leave it to the experts. According to Fournier, Professionals have the expertise, specialized equipment, and knowledge to thoroughly clean the ducts without causing damage [and] they can identify any underlying issues or areas that require repair.

And if youre still not convinced, make sure to check your HVAC warranty because attempting to DIY could cancel your warranty. It's essential to note that if you have a warranty on your HVAC system, cleaning the air ducts yourself might void the warranty, says Fournier. Therefore, it's advisable to review the warranty terms or consult with the manufacturer or an HVAC professional before proceeding with DIY duct cleaning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does cleaning air ducts really make a difference?

Yes, cleaning air ducts can ensure the HVAC system is working efficiently, can reduce your energy bill, decrease dust, debris and mold in the home.

Will cleaning my air ducts make my house less dusty?

Yes. cleaning air ducts will reduce dust in the home.

Does air duct cleaning prevent mold?

Yes, cleaning air ducts can minimize mold in the home.

How much does duct cleaning cost?

Air duct cleaning costs are determined by a variety of factors, including accessibility, vent locations, area of the home, and the size. The costs can range from $450 and $1000. Pritchard says, The size of the home and the style of duct, whether flex, metal, or duct board, can all factor into the increase in cost.

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Read the original article on Southern Living.
Born and raised in Tel Aviv, chef Tom Aviv became a household name in Israel after winning "MasterChef Israel" in 2016, despite having no formal culinary training. He went on to open multiple restaurants in Israel and Morocco: Coco Bambino, which blended Italian and Israeli flavors; Fat Cow, an award-winning burger spot; the meat-centered Trigger & Tom Butchery; and Milk & Honey, an all-day casual eatery recognized for modern top-tier halal cuisine (and it is the first restaurant owned by an Israeli chef to be opened in Casablanca).

Then, earlier this year, Aviv came stateside and opened Branja, a retro Miami restaurant that's inspired by Tel Aviv in the 70s.

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How to update your Rosh Hashanah menu without enraging your family, according to a "Top Chef"

Through his career, Aviv has become known for blending big, ostentatious flavors with far-reaching global inspiration  but that's not to say that he has forgotten the classics. In anticipation of Rosh Hashanah, Aviv spoke with Salon Food about how to make and braid the perfect challah. Here are his tips.

Salon Food: What are some of the most common mistakes you think people make when baking challah?

Tom Aviv: The saying "baking is a science" very much applies to making challah. The biggest, and most common, mistake that can ruin your challah is not following the recipe exactly. Don't guess or change the amount of each ingredient, as this can cause flat bread, bread that is too dense and other issues.

Additionally, make sure you follow the recipe in order. If you put the salt and yeast in at the same time it will prevent the yeast from working and the bread will not rise. The yeast should be added last, after all of the dry ingredients.

A crucial mistake that is often made is not passing the flour through a sieve before using it. If you don't sift the flour, the result is bread that is too dense and heavy. Sifting is what gives challah its soft, airy texture.

It may be tempting to frequently check on your challah in the oven to see how it's cooking, but this is a mistake. Opening the oven makes the temperature go down, and causes the challah to flatten, so only take a peek when necessary.

If you're having a large gathering and making large quantities of challah, don't try to cook multiple loaves at once. This prevents the heat from spreading evenly throughout the bread.

Challah really involves just a few simple ingredients. Do you have any tips for choosing the best ingredients for the bread?

When it comes to flour, there's a lot of fancy options, but the best for challah is just regular, white flour. Challah is a comfort food, so don't try to "healthy it up" with wheat flour, it will just make the bread too dense.

Personally, I like to add honey to my challah in addition to sugar. It plays up the sweetness while giving it a unique taste. Mixing honey and water and brushing it on top of challah dough before baking can also give the bread a nice, sweet crust

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When it comes to fat, I always use oil and not butter. I find that butter makes challah feel more like a brioche and a bit too soggy.

Contrary to popular belief, challah can be vegan! In place of eggs, just add a little more oil and water.

Do you have any tips for home bakers who may be intimidated by braiding challah?

The most intimidating part of making challah is creating the right consistency of the dough. There are a few simple tricks that can help you achieve perfect dough every time:

The elements can impact your challah ingredients, especially the flour. The flour's consistency can change day to day depending on the humidity and temperature of where it is stored. The best way to get a perfect dough consistency is to add in a little bit of water at a time, instead of all at once, until you get a dough that is firm and not too sticky.

And when it comes to challah dough, more mixing is better. Don't just mix for five minutes. Ten, even 15, minutes in the mixer can help you achieve perfect dough.

There is a traditional challah shape, but if you're intimidated by the braiding, you can skip this step. Challah can be whatever shape you want  and a simple bun shape will taste just as delicious.

Read more

from Salon Food
A Swiss International Air Lines plane arrived in Bilbao, Spain, on Saturday, Sept. 9, with all of its passengers but none of their checked bags.

The flight departed from Zurich, but the bags never left, Kavin Ampalam, spokesperson for Swiss International Air Lines, told Insider.

Where were the suitcases left?

According to Swiss-German newspaper Blick, the passengers waited for their luggage for more than two hours by the baggage conveyor in Spain without any information as to what was happening.

After the long wait and with no airline crew members in sight, representatives from the Spanish airline Iberia were the ones to inform passengers that the plane arrived in Bilbao without a single piece of passenger luggage, per Blick.

Blick reported that the flight left Zurich an hour and a half late, which the pilot explained by citing a shortage of skilled workers. Nothing about the luggage being left behind was ever announced to passengers.

Ampalam told Insider that the luggage problem was also caused by staffing issues. It couldnt be loaded into the plane because of a lack of ground staff, Ampalam said.

Related

Why were the suitcases left behind?

Ampalam told Insider the decision to leave the bags was made because the same plane had to fly another set of passengers from Bilbao to Zurich before the night flight ban at 11 p.m.

Ampalam added that the crew waited for over an hour for the bags to be loaded before making the decision to leave without the luggage.

I just find it arrogant to knowingly ruin peoples holidays like that. Because it has to be done knowingly, one of the passengers affected told Blick.

We deeply understand the frustration and anger of the passengers, especially because many of them were traveling on vacation, Ampalam told Insider, noting that the airline is currently reviewing our processes to prevent such cases from happening again.

All the luggage that was left in Switzerland was flown to Bilbao on Monday night, per Insider.
Need another reason to make the move across the river? Jersey Citys Newport neighborhood just got an exciting new additiona fleet of Teslas that residents of the master-planned enclave can rent for a quick trip to Ikea or a day trip to the Catskills.

As New York Citys real estate market soars ever higher, the so-called sixth borough has been luring Manhattanites searching for bigger apartments at lower prices. Newports luxury high-rises, including the award-winning Ellipse and The Beach, already have a slew of swanky perks like rooftop pools, fitness centers, and co-working lounges. But now, theyll have the bonus of exclusive access to two Teslas parked on-site.

More from Robb Report

Envoy, an electric car-sharing platform, has partnered with the waterfront community to give residents access to its collection of Tesla Model 3s. The idea, according to the Newport developer, the LeFrak Organization, is meant to attract those who dont own or lease a vehicle and to also serve as a zero-emission mobility alternative to mass transit that can be used on demand. Residents can reserve the EVs via Envoys app at a discounted hourly or daily rate.

Newports luxury apartment buildings, including The Beach, will now provide residents with access to Teslas that they can rent.

We all have to do what we can to protect our environment. This is why we at Newport are excited about this partnership, said Jeremy Farrell, managing director of development and community relations for LeFrak, in a press statement. Through this partnership with Envoy, a market leader for sustainable vehicle sharing, Newport is yet again demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and the community.

Over the last few years, car-sharing programs have increased in popularity and become a competitive perk for high-end properties. Currently, Envoy has vehicles in over 100 apartment complexes, office buildings, and hotels across the country, with plans to expand to major cities including Austin, Portland, Denver, Boston, Chicago, and New York.

We are excited for Envoys entry into New Jersey and to collaborate with Newport to bring Mobility as an Amenity service to this incredible waterfront community and allow residents and tenants to take advantage of more sustainable means of transportation, easily and conveniently, added Aric Ohana, CEO of Envoy.



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If you're looking for a sip of caffeinated goodness while in the U.K., be prepared to be offered a brewed cup of tea more often than a mug of coffee. An estimated 100 million cups of tea are consumed in Britain every day, totaling 36 billion per year.

Whether it's bright and early or mid-afternoon, there is no bad time to enjoy a cup of tea in the U.K. It's not uncommon for British people to sip on a cup of tea to start their morning, then enjoy a cup with their lunch, and have a few more before heading to bed. In fact, the UK Tea and Infusions Association found in their 2023 census that a whopping 91% of respondents regularly drink tea while 15% of those enjoy between five and six cups of tea per day. For many British people, they don't need a reason to indulge in a cup of tea, it is simply an embedded part of their culture, though the best kind of tea is a widely popular debate.

Read more: Mistakes Everyone Makes When Brewing Tea

Tea Used To Be Reserved For The Wealthy

Painting of British tea party - Fine Art Photographic/Getty Images

While tea is clearly an integral part of British culture today, surprisingly, most tea plants are not actually native to the U.K. -- the countries that produce the most tea are China, India, and Kenya. So how did a plant and cultural practice deriving from Southeast Asia become synonymous with the British? Many historians say we have Catherine of Braganza, daughter of Portuguese King John IV, to thank for introducing British people to the glamorous act of tea drinking. Portugal's trade routes gave them direct access to foreign goods that the British were not able to easily obtain, one of which was loose-leaf tea. When Catherine married King Charles II, she packed enough tea to begin a cultural craze amongst the admiring citizens of England. Researchers at The University of Cambridge have even called the queen "a tea addict" because of her excessive tea-drinking habits that were highly influential amongst her royal court.

Once those closest to Catherine began to pick up on the exotic new trend, tea began to transform from a faraway potion brewed by neighboring countries to a beverage sought after by Britain's most rich and fashionable. While tea is readily available and enjoyed by practically everyone in British culture today, only the highest of classes could afford to enjoy tea on a regular basis when it was first introduced, due to its high price and short supply.

Today, Tea Is An Affordable And Delicious Beverage That Everyone Can Enjoy

Person pouring milk into tea - Fotostorm/Getty Images

Trade route complications initially made it extremely expensive to import tea from China all the way to Britain. Tea taxes were so expensive back in 1689 that it almost caused sales in Britain to stop altogether. People resorted to purchasing the leaves from tea smugglers who sold unregulated tea for a lower cost, sacrificing the safety and quality of the goods. The government stepped in practically one hundred years later in 1784 to regulate taxes and keep tea smuggling at bay. The British, noticing just how desired this tea was to the public, began to work directly with the East India Company. The tea distributors based in India were exclusively trading with China until demand from the British expanded the trade routes from India -- much of which was under British rule at the time -- directly into Britain.

With the expansion of East India Company's trade directly with Britain, tea prices drastically declined and tea became more widely available for the lower classes of England to enjoy. At one point in British history, tea was even more sought after than booze. Tea rooms and cafes became increasingly popular in the 1800s, offering the brewed beverage as a cheaper alternative for members of the Protestant church looking to abstain from alcohol. To this day, if you see a British person enjoying a beverage, there is about a 40% chance it is some type of tea.

Read the original article on Mashed.
Seasonal foods are hitting grocery store shelves, which means fall fanatics can get their fill of all things autumnal via festive-flavored treats like Van Leeuwen's 2023 fall collection of ice cream. The company, which began in New York City in 2008, makes a diverse line of French ice cream and vegan ice cream with unique and trendy flavors ranging from Peanut Butter Brownie Honeycomb to Earl Grey Tea to Marionberry Cheesecake. Van Leeuwen sells its frozen desserts at grocery stores across the country, online, and in its scoop shops.

The company specializes in French ice cream, which means its dairy-based varieties are made with twice as many egg yolks as standard ice cream. This makes the ice cream thicker and more custard-like compared with American varieties. For vegans, Van Leeuwen produces ice cream made with dairy-free alternatives like coconut, cashew, and oat milk and no eggs. As far as Van Leeuwen is concerned, it is the company's dedication to crafting its French ice cream and vegan ice cream with high-quality ingredients that has helped it cultivate a reputation of creating "the best ice cream on Earth."

The company's latest release is a collection of fall-centric French ice cream varieties that will delight and surprise fans of one-of-a-kind flavors. All of these limited edition flavors are available exclusively at Walmart. We've tasted them all and ranked them from worst to best to help you decide which ones from the new autumn line-up are worth a try.

Read more: Frozen Desserts You Should And Shouldn't Buy

Idaho Potato Malted Milkshake & Fries Ice Cream

Van Leeuwen milkshake and fries ice cream - Kirstie Renae/Mashed

If you enjoy dipping your hot french fries into ice cream or a Wendy's Frosty, Van Leeuwen has come up with a bizarre flavor, dubbed Idaho Potato Malted Milkshake & Fries, that might be for you. The eye-opening flavor combo is a blend of Idaho potato french fries and malted ice cream. A diner lover's dream? Not so much, in our opinion.

When you open the top of this pint, you immediately get a whiff of french fries. As it turns out, starch and salt are not smells we like for ice cream. The texture of the Malted Milkshake & Fries ice cream is the densest of all the flavors we tried. Instead of being creamy, smooth, and custard-like, it is hard to dig into and has to be stirred to get somewhat creamy. Even then, the real Idaho potato french fries that are included in the ice cream are so finely minced that it is not even close to the experience of dipping crispy fries into creamy ice cream. It's more like if you asked that your fries be blended into your ice cream. As for the malted ice cream base, we don't get much malt flavor, which would be a good addition for this combo. We taste mostly savory (but cold and mushy) blended up fries with a hint of salt.

We couldn't take more than a couple of bites, so this one lands at the bottom of our list.

Purple Velvet Ice Cream

Van Leeuwen purple velvet ice cream - Kirstie Renae/Mashed

According to Van Leeuwen, red velvet is out, and Purple Velvet is the new "it" flavor of ice cream. We have to disagree. The flavor lands this low on our ranking not due to it tasting bad or being a strange flavor combination, but because, in our opinion, it tastes like basic chocolate ice cream. Although its pale purple color makes it somewhat unique visually, we wouldn't pay Van Leeuwen prices (around $5 or more per pint, depending on where you purchase it) for a chocolate ice cream this standard.

The company says its Purple Velvet flavor is a purple chocolate ice cream with a cream cheese frosting swirl. However, in our pint there is very little cream cheese swirl to be found. Generally, the cream cheese frosting is what really sets most red velvet-style desserts apart from plain chocolate. We have to hunt for the cream cheese swirl in ours, and when we do find it, we can't really taste it. Purple Velvet's lackluster flavor paired with the fact that it isn't as festive or autumnal as many other flavors in this collection leads us to relegate it to near the very bottom of our list.

Cranberry Crumble Ice Cream

Van Leeuwen cranberry crumble ice cream - Kirstie Renae/Mashed

The hype is high for Van Leeuwen's Cranberry Crumble ice cream. On the surface, this fall-inspired flavor has all the elements we look for in a unique, seasonal ice cream flavor. The ice cream base is cream cheese flavored, and mixed in are bits of oat crumble and swirls of cranberry. In theory, this has all the makings of an ice cream worthy of following a Thanksgiving dinner. However, the reality doesn't live up to our expectations.

The cream cheese ice cream base doesn't taste enough like cream cheese. The result is more like a basic vanilla ice cream. We do enjoy the oat crumble because it not only evokes a similar feeling of eating a homemade fruit crumble, but it also adds a great texture and earthy flavor that isn't found too frequently in ice cream. As for the cranberry swirl, it has a great, jammy consistency with bits of cranberry pieces; however, the flavor is just off. Perhaps we wanted more cranberry swirl or hoped that the cranberries would be sweeter, but either way Cranberry Crumble is a bit of a letdown. Something is missing, and although we can't say exactly what, we know this flavor could be leveled up a bit. For those reasons, Cranberry Crumble is at the low end of our list.

Apple Pie Ice Cream

Van Leeuwen apple pie ice cream - Kirstie Renae/Mashed

What says fall is here more than a spicy and sweet apple pie? Van Leeuwen swings for the fences with its Apple Pie flavored ice cream, and it nearly hits a home run. This ice cream variety is made with a sweet cream ice cream base, a swirl of caramelized apple, and pieces of brown sugar crust.

We are pleasantly surprised at how the usually under-utilized fall spices like clove and allspice are so present in this flavor. It makes the ice cream stand out from other typical apple pie-flavored desserts, which usually prioritize cinnamon. By putting the focus on some of the more unique spices of fall, this ice cream feels like a more elevated take on apple pie. The base is perfectly sweet and creamy, offset quite nicely by the bits of sweet graham cracker-tasting crust. The crust pieces are the right size, have good texture, and definitely help add to the apple pie vibes we are looking for.

What holds this flavor back is, in our opinion, a lack of actual apples in the caramelized apple swirl. Although the apple flavor is present and tastes good, it doesn't pack as much of a realistic apple punch as we would like. In fact, the ingredients list includes only apple puree concentrate instead of whole apples. We wish there were real spiced apples in the caramel swirl, but as it stands, Van Leeuwen's apple pie is a solid, surprisingly spicy fall treat.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Ice Cream

Van Leeuwen sticky toffee pudding ice cream - Kirstie Renae/Mashed

If you're American, it's unlikely that you've eaten much sticky toffee pudding at holiday gatherings. However, we're not sure why this classic British dessert hasn't taken off in the states yet because it contains all of the quintessential flavors we love during the fall and winter, including moist sponge cake, fruity dates, delectable toffee sauce, and vanilla ice cream. Van Leeuwen's take on sticky toffee pudding is a great adaptation of the flavor into an ice cream.

The base is a brown sugar and date flavored ice cream that is blended with yellow cake pieces and swirls of caramel. The taste of brown sugar hits you immediately, offering a great sweetness and autumnal warmth that we crave this time of year. The yellow cake pieces are small enough to seem well distributed but not so small that we feel like a blender has been taken to them. Although we do get a hint of date flavor, there aren't any date pieces. Not only are we a bit disappointed in the lack of dates, but we also think there is not enough of the caramel swirl. After all, something called Sticky Toffee Pudding should be sticky and filled with toffee, no?

Overall, this is a great festive flavor that stands out for its uniqueness and sense of nostalgia. It hits all the right notes, but it could use just a bit of oomph to be called truly perfect.

Honey Cornbread With Strawberry Jam Ice Cream

Van Leeuwen honey cornbread strawbery jam ice cream - Kirstie Renae/Mashed

After one taste of Van Leeuwen's Honey Cornbread with Strawberry Jam ice cream, we know why this limited edition flavor is being rereleased this year (it was also among the company's summer 2022 limited edition flavors). This vanilla ice cream is packed with chunks of honeyed cornbread and swirled with strawberry jam.

Don't let the idea of cornbread in your ice cream scare you because this tastes just like a homemade strawberry shortcake but elevated and with a tad more texture. The honey cornbread adds a hint more flavor than the standard pound cake you might expect in a strawberry shortcake, which we appreciate. The cornbread is dry and crumbly, but that works in this dessert because the vanilla ice cream base provides all the moisture you need. The strawberry swirl tastes very much like a true strawberry jam and isn't frozen solid in the pint. It is perfectly textured and adds great fruit flavor. In fact, it is so good we think the pint could use even more.

This flavor is near perfect and only lands in third place on our ranking because it doesn't exactly strike us as an autumnal flavor profile. It's definitely more reminiscent of spring and summer. If only we could enjoy it all year long. Van Leeuwen, we're begging you to make this a permanent flavor!

Sweet Potato Marshmallow Casserole Ice Cream

Van Leeuwen sweet potato casserole ice cream - Kirstie Renae/Mashed

Another rerelease from Van Leeuwen is its Sweet Potato Marshmallow Casserole ice cream, and we can see why the company (and fans) would want it back, especially during this time of year. The ice cream base is sweet potato flavored. Added in are whole marshmallows -- just like mom used to put on top of the holiday casserole -- and a swirl of caramel because what ice cream is complete without a good swirl!

The sweet potato ice cream base comes off more as pumpkin than true sweet potato, but we don't mind that because it pairs perfectly with the flavors of fall spices that we want this time of year. There is just enough caramel swirled throughout. If Van Leeuwen had included much more caramel, the ice cream wouldn't feel as close to a sweet potato casserole flavor as it does. Last, but certainly not least, are the marshmallows. We are surprised at how well-textured the marshmallows are, especially given that they are served whole in a frozen dessert. They are perfectly soft and squishy just like they should be, and we absolutely love the depth of texture and taste they give this flavor.

Even if you're wary of the sweet potato casserole name, we highly recommend trying this flavor for a truly autumnal, Thanksgiving-inspired dessert that will have you feeling like fall.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Ice Cream

Van Leeuwen pumpkin cinnamon roll ice cream - Kirstie Renae/Mashed

Van Leeuwen's Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll ice cream is another rereleased variety that we can absolutely see why the company has brought back. This flavor is fall in a pint! The base is a pumpkin ice cream surrounded by cinnamon caramel and bits of cinnamon roll pieces. The star of the show with this Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll is the cinnamon caramel. Straight out of the freezer, the cinnamon caramel is stretchy and gooey, just as a caramel sauce should be. If you believe that most swirled ice creams don't have enough of the swirl, this flavor is for you. The ice cream itself definitely has pumpkin flavor, complimented by flavors of nutmeg and cinnamon, but it can be overshadowed by the caramel. We could have gone for more pumpkin, but the ice cream is definitely autumnal as is.

The only criticism we have for this flavor is the texture of the cinnamon roll bits. They are slightly too dry and don't really add much to the eating experience. Although we do love having something to chew in ice cream, we want the cinnamon roll bits to either be very soft like the inside of a cinnamon roll or extra crispy like the sugar-burnt edges of a cinnamon roll. The reality is in between.

Overall, there's not much we would change about this flavor. We hope Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll will be an annual release for Van Leeuwen because it is truly the perfect fall bite.

Read the original article on Mashed.
Waterloo Sparkling Water understands that consumers love a seasonal, limited-time-only offering. This is why the brand has reintroduced two of its most popular sparkling water flavors just in time for your holiday gatherings and festive tailgating. Its Cranberry and Spiced Apple infusions feature bold tastes developed by resident flavor artists who spend up to nine months curating 30 to 50 variations on a theme before settling on the fullest artistic expression of a recipe.

Like all Waterloo Sparkling Water varieties, these offerings are made from Non-GMO Project Verified natural flavors and purified carbonated water. They are designed for maximum "sessionability," a term used by its flavor artists to describe a product that is refreshing, enjoyable, and easy to drink throughout the day.

Having previously sampled many of the other Waterloo Sparkling Water varieties, we were eager to try these seasonal specials. We assessed them on aroma, carbonation, taste, and overall experience to determine the best fall flavors.

Read more: 21 Best Sparkling Water Brands Of 2023, Ranked

What Does The Waterloo Cranberry Taste Like?

Waterloo Cranberry Sparkling Water - Monika Sudakov/Static Media

It would be hard to imagine Thanksgiving without cranberry sauce. Indeed, cranberry is synonymous with fall, which is why this was a natural fit for development as a seasonal, limited-time-only offering by Waterloo Sparkling Water. The key was to capture the tartness and poppability of cranberries without losing the refreshing, crispy characteristic of these sparkling waters.

Upon the initial aroma when we opened the can, we didn't immediately detect the cranberry notes. The carbonation, which is quite fizzy, somewhat overwhelms your senses. As we allowed the carbonation to settle down, the tartness and faint berry-forward notes began to come through. The flavor of this sparkling water is very mild, with hints of tannins and delicate sweetness coating your tongue.

As with some other Waterloo Sparkling Water flavors we have experienced, this one shines after sitting for a while. Once the carbonation has mostly disappeared, the full aroma and taste of cranberry begins to emerge without the cloying sweetness typically associated with the jelly-like stuff you buy in a can. This variety would be great to serve alongside your Thanksgiving turkey or as an ingredient in an autumnal mocktail, like a sangria or a spritzer.

What Does The Waterloo Spiced Apple Taste Like?

Waterloo Spiced Apple Sparkling Water - Monika Sudakov/Static Media

The Waterloo Spiced Apple sparkling water had us at first sniff. If you have ever sampled a piping hot glass of spiced cider, you will know what this sparkling water smells like. The moment you pop the can open, the sweetness of crisp apple punctuated by cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and a hint of vanilla fill your nostrils and find their way straight to your heart.

While the taste is not as accentuated as the smell, it is redolent of these ingredients, yet not sweet at all. If the in-house flavor artists were trying to attempt to recreate a mood, they succeeded. As the carbonation begins to fizzle out, the flavors only intensify.

We could certainly see drinking this paired with your favorite pie at Thanksgiving or using it in an old-fashioned ice cream soda instead of plain seltzer. The apple and spices paired with chocolate syrup and vanilla ice cream would be a delicious surprise for your tastebuds.

Nutritional Information For Waterloo Cranberry And Spiced Apple

Waterloo nutrition label - Monika Sudakov/Static Media

Like all Waterloo Sparkling Water varieties, the Cranberry and Spiced Apple offerings have zero calories, are sugar-free, caffeine-free, and contain no artificial flavorings or sweeteners. Flavors are obtained from natural oils, extracts, and essences from the fruit featured in a recipe before being paired with spices and other naturally sourced flavorings. This way, they can ensure each can is certified Vegan, Kosher, Gluten-free, Non-GMO, and Whole 30 Approved.

The water used in Waterloo Sparkling Water recipes is obtained regionally to minimize carbon footprint. The goal is to keep the distance from the point of origin to the customer to less than 500 miles per can. This water then undergoes a complex filtration process to remove contamination from fluoride, sodium, and more.

This ultra-filtered water is subsequently flavored and carbonated to the optimal PH balance and bubbliness for each recipe. Waterloo Sparkling Water varieties are lower in acid than classic soft drinks or juices, making it a better option for those seeking to minimize acid intake. The cans used by Waterloo Sparkling Water are also BPA-free.

Where You Can Find Waterloo Cranberry And Spiced Apple And How Much Will They Set You Back?

Waterloo seasonal sparkling waters - Monika Sudakov/Static Media

Finding the limited-time-only Cranberry or Spiced Apple varieties of Waterloo Sparkling Water shouldn't be challenging. The brand indicates a two-fold increase in advanced commitment from 30% more retailers of the flavors from previous annual sales. Nationwide retailers who have committed to carrying the products include Whole Foods, Target, Walmart, HEB, Central Market, Natural Grocers, Sprouts, select Safeway Albertsons divisions, Hy-Vee, Schnucks, Cub Foods and Fresh Thyme, and more.

Before purchasing, be sure you have plenty of storage space for these fizzy waters. Waterloo Sparkling Water recommends storing its beverages in cooler temperatures because its products are carbonated more vigorously than other sparkling water varieties. Anything above 85 degrees Fahrenheit is contraindicated.

Prices may vary by location and retailer. You will want to stock up on these flavors quickly; once supply runs out, you won't get a chance to purchase again until next year.

The Final Verdict

Waterloo Spiced Apple and glass - Monika Sudakov/Static Media

By now, it is no secret that we are big fans of Waterloo Sparkling Water and its limited-time-only autumnal potables, Cranberry and Spiced Apple. We enjoyed them both, but if we had to choose, our favorite would be the Spiced Apple. This flavor screams nostalgia and childhood to us in a way that makes us almost believe in Santa Claus again.

If you are particularly cheeky like us, you might want to tap into your inner flavor artist and combine the two. We had two cans at once, so we decided to pour a glass of half Cranberry and half Apple Spice. It was like a full Thanksgiving meal in one delectable concoction. The sweetness and spice of the apples helped tame the tartness and tannins of the cranberries to create a complex blend that Willy Wonka himself might dream up if he were developing an autumnal candy offering.

The bottom line is, run, don't walk. These riveting refreshments will be gone before you know it, and you won't want to miss out on sampling them. You won't be disappointed.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.
President Joe Biden is coming under fierce criticism from Republicans in Congress for a prisoner exchange deal with Iran that will grant Tehran access to billions of dollars in oil revenues previously frozen by U.S. sanctions.

But Biden is not the first U.S. president to make concessions to hostage takers, and to face political heat back home over his decision.

The entrance to the former U.S. Embassy, which has been turned into an anti-American museum, in Tehran on Aug. 19, 2023. (Vahid Salemi / AP file)

Whats different this time is that Biden and his team are making no secret of the link between the funds unblocked for Iran and the freedom of five imprisoned Americans, explicitly acknowledging the trade-off.

Some of the officials involved in the planned prisoner swap, due to take place any day, were involved in a similar agreement with Iran during the Obama presidency, but this time the rhetoric is less evasive.

The reality is that hostages come home in negotiated settlements, said Washington Post columnist Jason Rezaian, who spent 544 days imprisoned by Iran until his release in January 2016. There is always some sort of concession.

Jason Rezaian, former Tehran bureau chief for the Washington Post, in 2019. (Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images file)

Bidens predecessor, Donald Trump, agreed to prisoner swaps with Iran involving Iranian nationals prosecuted in U.S. courts, and held a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in 2018 after three detained Americans were released.

In the 1980s, Ronald Reagans administration secretly sold weapons to Iran to try to win the release of Americans held by Iranian-backed proxies in Lebanon, a scheme that Reagan initially denied but later apologized for. Other U.S. administrations have faced accusations of giving a green light to third parties to deliver ransom payments to secure the freedom of American hostages.

U.S. law prohibits paying ransom to terrorist groups seizing American hostages, part of a no concessions policy that dates back to the early 1970s. But Americans unjustly imprisoned by other governments are defined as wrongfully detained, and U.S. law does not prohibit the executive branch from offering concessions to another state to get them out.

In Rezaians case in 2016, the Obama administration transferred $400 million in cash to Iran at the same time Rezaian and other imprisoned Americans were freed, followed by another $1.3 billion. The money stemmed from a decades-old dispute between the U.S. and Iran over funds set aside for U.S. arms sales that were aborted after the 1979 revolution that toppled the pro-American monarchy in Tehran. The Obama White House said negotiations with Iran over the $1.7 billion settlement were separate from discussions about the prisoner release.

The payments and prisoner release coincided with the January 2016 implementation of a nuclear deal the Obama administration and other world powers reached with Iran. The White House at the time announced it had reached a settlement with Tehran on the decades-old arms deal but did not disclose the timing of the payments.

When the details about how the administration made the payments became public months later, White House officials insisted it was merely a coincidence that wooden pallets of cash were flown to Iran just as the American prisoners were released. President Barack Obama defended the decision when asked about it at a news conference, saying the money was not payment for the Americans release.

President Donald Trump meets with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un at the start of their summit in 2018. (Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images file)

The State Department spokesperson at the time, John Kirby, later conceded that the administration had used the $1.7 billion as leverage to obtain the American prisoners release and refused to hand over the money until they had taken off on a flight from Tehran.

This time, the Biden administration, which includes Kirby and many other officials who were involved in the 2016 episode or worked for the Obama administration, made no effort to play down the link between the money being released and the planned release of prisoners.

The Biden administration has been much more open about some of these difficult choices in negotiating the release of detainees, including the latest agreement, said Vina Nadjibulla, a senior research fellow at The Soufan Center, an independent organization for research and policy on global security issues.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken made no apologies for the prisoner swap deal when asked about the agreement on Friday.

When it comes to getting Americans out of jail and back home, and unjustly detained anywhere in the world, Im happy to take any criticism that comes my way. for that, Blinken told reporters. I view it as job one to do everything I can to bring Americans home.

The United States and other Western governments have few points of leverage when a terrorist organization or an authoritarian government imprisons their citizens as bargaining chips. Negotiations often revolve around prisoner swaps, policy changes or releasing frozen assets.

Iran is not going to release these American citizens out of the goodness of their heart. That is not real life. That is not how this works, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said earlier this week in defense of the prisoner swap terms with Iran. We have to make tough choices and engage in tough negotiations to bring these American citizens home.

State Department Spokesman John Kirby in 2016. (Mandel Ngan / AFP via Getty Images file)

The Biden administration has also been criticized for not including detained U.S. legal residents in the prisoner swap deal, given that Washington agreed to give Iran access to such a large sum of frozen oil revenues.

The prisoner exchange only applies to five American citizens, but not detainees like Shahab Dalili, who holds a green card and whose children and wife are all U.S. citizens. His son, Darian, recently held a sit-in for days outside the State Department, demanding his father be included in the swap and accusing the administration of betraying his father.

Dalili and other green card holders, including Jamshid Sharmahd, a software developer living in California who was kidnapped during a 2020 stopover in the United Arab Emirates and taken to Iran, have not been officially designated by the U.S. government as wrongfully detained, which would oblige the administration to take more decisive action.

When asked about prisoners with green cards, State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters recently that the department is not going to get into the specifics of specific cases.

Previous presidents from both parties have made uncomfortable trade-offs to get Americans out of captivity. During Trumps tenure, an American and an Australian held by the Taliban were released in 2019 as part of a deal that saw the release of three Taliban leaders from Afghan jails. The move came as U.S. officials were trying to get peace talks moving with the Taliban.

But skeptics say Bidens prisoner exchange deal with Iran goes too far and rewards Tehran for imprisoning Americans.

Iran took full advantage of President Bidens appeasement strategy, said Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, saying the prisoner exchange agreement would put more Americans at risk and put money into the hands of the number one state sponsor of terrorism.

This should serve as a reminder that Iran is not to be trusted, especially as this administration pursues a flawed nuclear agreement with Tehran, Ernst said in an email to NBC News.

Darian Dalili protests outside the White House on Aug, 14, 2023, as he calls for the release of his father, Shahab Dalili. (Andrew Cabalerro-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images file)

A former senior Trump administration official called the deal bad policy that encourages further hostage taking.

We proved repeatedly that America can rescue hostages without paying ransom. In the case of Iran alone, we negotiated the release of two Americans without sanctions relief, cash payments or a change in the policy of maximum pressure, said the former Trump official.

The official added, After this latest Biden hostage deal, there is no question Iran will jail more Americans who are currently enjoying their freedom, because of this policy of paying for hostages.

Since the 1970s, researchers examining whether ransom payments result in more seizures of hostages have found a mixed picture with contradictory trends. The Biden administration says the term ransom does not apply to the prisoner exchange with Iran, as it involves lifting a freeze on oil revenues that belong to Iran.

Hostage taking by terrorist organizations has gradually declined in recent years, but the number of Americans wrongfully imprisoned by foreign governments has been rising for more than a decade. Most of the detentions are carried out by a handful of countries, China, Iran, Russia and Venezuela, with great power rivalries fueling the hostage diplomacy.

However, a new report released Wednesday showed the number of Americans held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad has fallen for the first time in over 10 years. At least 59 Americans are currently held hostage or wrongfully detained abroad.

Since August last year, 25 wrongfully detained Americans have been released, the largest number of American prisoners freed in one year, according to the report by the Foley Foundation, a nonprofit organization that advocates for the freedom of journalists and Americans held hostage abroad.

Families of former hostages and other advocates believe the trend reflects a change in how the U.S. government now approaches cases of detained Americans after new legislation was adopted and new offices and policies crafted. The murder of several American captives by ISIS militants in 2014 prompted President Obama to launch a review and an overhaul of how hostage cases were handled.

The U.S. government now has a special envoy who oversees cases of Americans held overseas. That office, along with the adoption of the Levinson Act, has given hostage cases a higher priority and more senior-level government attention, according to Nadjibulla of The Soufan Center.

But what is still missing is a concerted strategy to deter regimes from taking hostages in the first place, she and other experts said.

The U.S. and its allies need to collectively impose serious penalties on abductor states, including financial sanctions, travel bans or asset freezes, experts said.

The reality is that governments like Irans, but also Russia, China and others are incentivized by the lack of anything credible deterring this behavior, former prisoner Rezaian said.

At the U.N. next week, Canada and the U.S. plan to renew their effort for governments to back a declaration against arbitrary detention. Dozens of countries have already signed on, promising to take collective action.

Given the long history of wrongful detentions in Iran, some former officials have floated the idea of banning Americans from traveling to Iran, just as the U.S. has with North Korea. U.S. passports are invalid for travel to North Korea without special exceptions granted by the secretary of state.

Hostage taking presents painful dilemmas for American presidents, with high stakes for U.S. national security and domestic politics. The Iran hostage crisis in 1979, in which 52 Americans at the U.S. embassy were held captive for more than a year, arguably cost Jimmy Carter the White House. For the victims and their families, the toll of indefinite incarceration is excruciating.

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been imprisoned in Russia since March, and at a press conference in New York on Wednesday, his mother spoke of the agony of her sons plight.

Evan has now been wrongfully detained by Russia for nearly six months for doing his job as a journalist, said his mother, Ella Gershkovich. We are still in shock. Every day is a day too long. I miss him every day.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Actor Ashton Kutcher has stepped down from his role as chairman of the board for his anti-child sex abuse organization Thorn.

The organization posted the letter to its blog on Friday; the letter itself was dated on Thursday.

The resignation comes days after Kutcher and his wife, actress Mila Kunis , received backlash for writing character letters on behalf of fellow That 70s Show actor Danny Masterson before he was sentenced for rape this week.

The couple have since apologized for writing the letters.

Ashton Kutcher, left, and Mila Kunis arrive at the Oscars on Sunday, March 27, 2022, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The couple are apologizing for character letters they wrote on behalf of actor Danny Masterson ahead of this week's sentencing of their fellow "That '70s Show" cast member. A judge in Los Angeles on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, sentenced Masterson to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women in 2003. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

After my wife and I spent several days of listening, personal reflection, learning, and conversations with survivors and the employees and leadership at Thorn, I have determined the responsible thing for me to do is resign as Chairman of the Board, effectively immediately, Kutcher wrote. I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve.

Time was the first to report news of the move by the actor. He and his ex-wife Demi Moore started Thorn in 2012 after learning about child sex trafficking in Cambodia.

As you know, I have worked for 15 years to fight for people who are sexually exploited. Victims of sexual abuse have been historically silenced and the character statement I submitted is yet another painful instance of questioning victims who are brave enough to share their experiences, the actors letter continued. This is precisely what we have all worked to reverse over the last decade.

The Dude, Wheres My Car? actor then apologized to the victims of sexual abuse and the organization itself.

The mission must always be the priority and I want to offer my heartfelt apology to all victims of sexual violence and everyone at Thorn who I hurt by what I did. And to the broader advocacy community, I am deeply sorry.

He ended his letter by commending Thorn for its tireless advocacy and dedication to the cause.

I remain proud of what we have accomplished in the past decade and will continue to support Thorns work.

Just last week, Masterson was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison for raping two women.

FILE - Danny Masterson appears at the CMT Music Awards in Nashville, Tenn. on June 7, 2017. Masterson is going back on trial on three charges of rape. A deadlocked jury led to a mistrial for Masterson in November. Opening statements in his retrial will begin on Monday. (Photo by Wade Payne/Invision/AP, File)

The judge sentenced the actor after rejecting a defense motion for a new trial. The sentence was the maximum allowed by law. It means Masterson will be eligible for parole after serving 25 1/2 years, but can be held in prison for life.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Ann Atkinson (right) answers a question during a Freedom of Expression Committee hearing on July 18, 2023, in a Senate Hearing room at the Arizona State Capital in Phoenix.

A 75-page report on free expression at Arizona State University concludes that allegations the school censored conservative speech in connection with an event last spring are not "supported by fact."

"While the public controversy and discussion of the event were uncomfortable and challenging, the overalleffort of those involved sought to balance the rights and obligations of all ASU students, faculty and community members, in a complicated environment filled with strong differences of opinion," the report reads.

The report, put together by ASU officials in conjunction with an outside legal firm, was delivered to state lawmakers on Friday. Officials and hired counsel reviewed thousands of documents and interviewed witnesses, according to the report.

While they did not find that university officials or faculty chilled conservative speech, the school will commit to a multistep action plan "in the spirit of continuous improvement."

Those steps include the launch of a free speech discussion series in the school's Barrett Honors College, free speech training for event organizers and an annual reminder for all ASU students on how they can report free speech concerns.

"ASU will be taking the actions identified in ... this report to further support the availability of the broadest range of ideas and opinions on any campus and to ensure that our 'academic family dinner' is raucous and civil, challenging and educational, and disruptive and comfortable all at the same time," the report reads.

The review, which was ordered by state lawmakers, follows a campus free speech controversy ignited by an event titled "Health, Wealth and Happiness."

Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, speaks at Gammage Auditorium on Feb. 8, 2023.

Several conservative speakers, including Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and radio show host Dennis Prager, participated in the event. It was hosted by the T.W. Lewis Center for Personal Development at Barrett Honors College and went forward in February despite protests from some students and faculty.

The free speech storm tied to the university intensified after Ann Atkinson, the former director of the center, publicly alleged that she lost her job over bringing Kirk and other conservative speakers to Tempe  a claim the university strongly denies. Later, Republican state lawmakers launched a committee to investigate the incident.

Lawmakers and faculty react

Rep. Analise Ortiz, D-Phoenix, a member of the free expression committee, said the report only further demonstrates that ASU handled the event appropriately.

"It is frustrating that the university has had to dedicate so much time and bandwidth to address a manufactured problem," she said. "The Legislature should put this matter to rest and focus on matters that support our state universities, their students and their staff."

Jenny Brian, faculty chair at Barrett Honors College, said she had yet to fully read the report but felt that ASU has been "thorough and fair-minded" on free speech issues, calling the university "a critical space of free expression and open democratic exchange."

But Atkinson, who offered Republican lawmakers anonymous written testimony from ASU students during a committee hearing on the matter, said she finds it concerning that the school is continuing to support faculty members when "multiple students" took steps to report them for chilling conservative speech and expression.

The report confirms that several student statements received by the university about the February event expressed concern that faculty members' social media activity or signing a letter of protest to Barrett Honors College Dean Tara Williams could have potentially discouraged students from attending the event.

However, the report found no evidence that any faculty member told students not to attend the February event or implied that going to it might impact their grades. Numerous professors encouraged students to make their own judgments on the event, the report states. To date, no student has publicly stepped forward to accuse a faculty member of intimidating them or threatening their grade.

"It is unsurprising that, after investigating itself, ASU remains steadfast in its denial of wrongdoing," Atkinson said.

Republican lawmakers on the legislative committee did not immediately respond to The Arizona Republic's request for comment.

Report sheds new light on ASU agreement with Lewis Center donor

The Lewis Center was primarily supported through donations from wealthy homebuilder Tom Lewis and was "unique for a university program," according to the report.

Lewis has said that the center was intended to promote conservative thought. In earlier interviews with The Republic, Atkinson described the center's values as including "individual liberty, free enterprise, personal responsibility, faith, family, community service and civic responsibility."

Lewis also required the center to offer specific classes, according to the report. Classes offered by the center listed Lewis' own book as required reading, the report states. Lewis' book, which is published by the T.W. Lewis Company, includes dust jacket praise from ASU President Michael Crow and the president of the University of Kentucky, where the honors college is named for Lewis.

Lewis' donor agreement specified permissible topics for invited speakers, too, according to the report. For the February event, Atkinson "personally discussed the centers programming intent with speakers to ensure that the programs they presented would conform to the donors expectations," the report states.

While planning the February event, which was held at ASU's Gammage Auditorium, Atkinson corresponded with Christa Cooper, vice president of operations at the T.W. Lewis Company. She raised questions about whether Kirk should be included and noted that he was preparing to publish a book titled "The College Scam: How Americas Universities Are Bankrupting and Brainwashing Away the Future of Americas Youth," according to email records included in the report.

"Based on the title, I am thinking it may not be the best idea to include him in the Gammage event," Atkinson wrote in a June 2022 email. "We should seriously consider whether he would distract from the message."

It's unclear whether Cooper ever responded. But by mid-June, Atkinson had finalized the event lineup, which included Kirk, according to the report. The Lewis Center cut a $25,000 check to Prager for his speaking fee, the report says.

Atkinson told The Republic that she is "grateful for both the participation and meaningful contributions" of all of the event's speakers.

Following the event, relations between Atkinson and her higher-ups seemed normal, the report states. Lewis, however, decided to withdraw his donation. In a letter to ASU officials, he said he was disappointed by "the alarming and inappropriate hostility" shown by some students and faculty to Kirk, Prager and other event speakers.

He noted that the event was "fully consistent" with his donor agreement.

ASU officials declined to comment about the donor agreement and Lewis' influence over classes and other Lewis Center functions.

Sasha Hupka covers higher education for The Arizona Republic. Do you have a tip on Arizona's universities, community colleges or trade schools? Reach her at sasha.hupka@arizonarepublic.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @SashaHupka. Follow her on Instagram or Threads: @sashahupkasnaps.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU says conservative claims of censorship 'not supported by fact'
A Boone County Circuit Court judge Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit filed by landowners against Lebanon and the Indiana Economic Development Corp. that challenged the annexation of more than 5,000 acres for a new development headlined by a $1.6 billion Eli Lilly development.

The lawsuit, filed by 11 landowners in January, claimed the annexation was illegal because it was not included in the city's comprehensive plan, which was adopted in January of 2020 and is a guideline for how the city should develop. The challenge also addressed the zoning of the annexed land, which it said was illegal due to Lebanon's development guidelines.

City officials passed an updated development plan for Lebanon and the annexed land in mid-August.

Lebanon Mayor Matt Gentry, a Republican, called the legal challenge "an attempt to delay a 100% voluntary annexation that had no reason to be filed" in a social media post.

"All that resulted from this frivolous lawsuit was a waste of taxpayer dollars and an affirmation that the City of Lebanon followed the law precisely," said Gentry. "I am glad we have received the Courts decision to dismiss this case with prejudice. The City of Lebanon will continue to work with the IEDC to develop the LEAP Lebanon district into a world-class research and innovation district that will bring boundless opportunities and benefits to the citizens of Lebanon and the State of Indiana."

Zionsville lawyer Michael Andreoli, who represented the landowners, said the court took the case under advisement for so long "to allow the city to fix what theyve done wrong" and rework the annexation and rezoning into the comprehensive plan. He denied the case was frivolous.

Boone County Preservation Group, a local group formed in opposition to the LEAP District, said that though the lawsuit did not rule in favor of the landowners, the legal challenge had the desired effect, which was that the city and the IEDC changed their development plans and zoning to exist within the city's comprehensive plan.

We supported this filing to force the local government to follow its own rules and ensure the correct processes were used when approving such an enormous project, Jim Love, a Boone County resident and group member, said in a statement. Lebanon went back and corrected the issues brought in the suit, leaving the case moot. However, we got the desired outcome and hope this serves as a warning to all levels of government that they cannot cut corners in the future.

The district is anchored by Eli Lilly's $3.7B investment in 12 buildings encompassing 1.6 million square feet, including two 330,000 square-foot three-story peptide manufacturing facilities.

Though Lilly is the only company to commit publicly to LEAP thus far, the IEDC is marketing the site to manufacturing and technology companies, earlier this summer requested $122 million to attract a $50 billion semiconductor facility to the district.

Contact business reporter Claire Rafford at 317-617-3402 or email crafford@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Boone County judge dismisses lawsuit challenging massive development
A recent poll by UC Berkeleys Institute for Governmental Studies found that regular voters in California, or people who voted in five or more of the last seven elections, are disproportionately older, richer, more educated and whiterthan California as a whole. In any given election, Californias electorate does not reflect its population, and two-thirds of voters surveyed want the government to do something about it.

The state has taken some steps to make voter registration easier (online voter registration, same-day registration and the New Motor Voter Act), but theres a lot more work to do. There are currently 4.7 million eligible but unregistered voters in the state  most of whom are Black, Latino or Asian American and Pacific Islander  the largest unregistered state electorate in the country, and surpasses the population of 24 states.

To achieve any semblance of a democratic process in future elections, California must improve its voter registration system and support community-based organizations that can educate and engage voters, ahead of and in-between elections.

The Berkeley polls demographic findings are consistent with historic barriers to civic participation for Black, immigrant, low-income and minority communities. The governments complicity in slavery, involuntary medical testing and enabling the prison-to-deportation pipeline has created distrust in our communities, often resulting in a resistance to political participation. Combined with mass incarceration, which has targeted communities of color and even stripped the ability to vote, California has erected significant barriers. They must be undone.

Over 140 grassroots organizations are backing Senate Bill 299, which would establish fully automatic voter registration for eligible voters, a change thats proven to increase voter participation by underrepresented communities in other states. Automating registration through the Department of Motor Vehicles would allow voter outreach to emphasize on the more important task of getting Black, Latino and AAPI to cast ballots.

California needs to support this work.

And while creating a path toward 100% voter registration is an obvious first step to addressing our unequal history, adequate funding is also needed to effectively diversify voter turnout in California. Its not surprising that 64% of the polls respondents support more funding for community organizations to handle voter outreach since organizations like ours are convincing infrequent voters that their voices matter. Many are translating election information in a dozen languages, on the phone, by mail and in door-to-door outreach.

Historically, California has allocated very little funding for voter education. Only during the pandemic elections in 2020 and 2021 did the state invest tens of millions of dollars to support the Secretary of States education work. Californias electorate cant meaningfully improve their circumstances without this level of consistent investment to course-correct a century of negligence.

In a time when other states are limiting voting access, California has a chance to move in the opposite direction by expanding voting access and engaging communities that have been historically excluded from political power. By ensuring that every eligible Californian is automatically registered to vote and that communities have access to the resources they need to participate in elections, California can become a stronger democracy that better reflects our states diversity.

Christopher Wilson is the vice president of operations at PowerPAC. James Woodson is executive director of the California Black Power Network.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Californias electorate doesnt reflect the states diversity
The 20 contestants of The Debut: Dream Academy were put to the test on Friday (Sept. 15) when they completed the first mission of the competition. And the newest YouTube installment of the girl group competition also says goodbye to its first two finalists.

The mission was a showcase with the goal to level up your skills as a global girl group, as the contestants were previously split into two dance teams and two vocal teams. Team members are crucial business partners, and its important to know proper work etiquette with your business partner, HYBE Chairman Bang Si-Hyuk explained in the first episode, which aired last week.

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The girls were split into four teams for the mission, with two vocal teams and two dance teams. The first dance team consisted of Daniela, Megan, UA, Adela and Hinari, while the second dance team featured Emily, Ezrela, Marquise, Yoonchae and Mei. The first vocal team included Karlee, Lexie, Iliya, Brooklyn and Manon and the second vocal team consisted of Sophia, Lara, Celeste, Samara and Nayoung.

Fans voted on WeVerse and YouTube for their favorite contestants after the jaw-dropping performances, but ultimately, the first two contestants eliminated in the mission were 19-year-old Adela from Slovakia and 14-year-old Hinari from Japan (pictured below).

Adela

Hinari

The remaining 18 contestants have flown from Los Angeles to Korea for Mission No. 2, where they will continue the competition at a training & development facility where many K-pop groups have trained.

When the 20 finalists were announced last month, Chairman Bang said at a press event in LA: I have wanted to form an international group based on K-pop methodology for a while. To do this, I believed we needed a capable partner. When I met [Interscope Geffen A&M Records CEO] John [Janick], from the first moment, we both felt instantly that we had a connection, musically and creatively. I am very proud of the rich history we have made and the tremendous talent we have found. I am proud of the opportunities we have created within the K-pop universe.

For his part, Janick added: Since we began our partnership two years ago, Bang and I have often spoken about our shared beliefs in artist development, music and creativity. To develop a global group with Bang, with the best of K-pop methodology, and our Geffen team, is truly special and will bring to life a first-of-its kind experience in music. Each candidate is incredibly talented, dedicated, and driven, making this an exciting moment for music fans around the world.

Watch the episode above.

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Sean Penn urged the White House to take a more aggressive approach toward arming Ukraine, telling a crowd at a screening of his film Superpower that those who are influencing U.S. policy need to get out of the pure caution business.

I dont mind being foolish in saying that I deeply believe, whether Democrat or Republican, if this was an issue that one of the parties chose to commit to, in arming Ukraine, that not only would it be a principal win, but it would be a political win. I think we are hungering for that kind of decisiveness, Penn told CBS News Major Garrett.

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Caution has been very important, humanly and politically  But many times in emergencies, restraint is the enemy of action, Penn added. I think that there are influential people, perhaps influential with our president, who they themselves need to be encouraged to get out of the pure caution business because it starts to translate into cowardice.

The screening at the Motion Picture Association on Thursday, drawing attendees including Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Eric Swalwell and Oksana Markarova, comes as the Biden administration has requested more than $21 billion in additional defense and other aid to Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to return to Washington next week amid divisions in Congress over providing the additional funds. Others in Congress, like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), have criticized the Biden administration for being slow in approving the transfer of weapons and other equipment to the country, including F-16 fighter jets.

Asked what the U.S. and other allies could provide to Ukraine that has not been so far, Penn said, No more smoke and mirrors. No more talking about it being maintenance crews being incapable or lack of air strips, because they have all of those things.

While the concern has been the U.S. fueling the conflict with nuclear-armed Russia, Penn noted that in the international legion, there are former American and other non-active duty, the equivalent of NATO force on the ground in escalating things, who are already in the fight there, from the United States and other countries. And from the beginning, there has been a great will by those who are expert in the platform, from the ground crews to the maintenance, all of it, and pilots, ready to overlap with these guys as they train into the platform. Penn also said that if if we dont have enough to keep our stockpiles up then the president should enact the Defense Production Act on behalf of the Ukrainians and supply them with everything now.

Superpower was co-directed by Penn and Aaron Kaufman, and centers on Ukraines fight to repel the Russian invasion and maintain its freedom. Penn interviewed Zelensky for the film, which was originally to be the story of the Ukrainian leaders trajectory from comedian to president of the country. The project debuts on Paramount+ on September 18.

Among those also at the screening were CBS News Susan Zirinsky, whose See It Now Studios also was a presenter of the project; MPA chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin, CNNs Jim Acosta, Paramount Globals Dede Lea and Harry Dunn.

At the screening, Penn expressed concern over U.S. public opinion waning for Ukraine support, as Zelensky recently replaced his defense minister and Ukraines counter-offensive has dragged on.

I do see that we should be very concerned when our media, our population, our politicians, who were so committed to the idea, so moved by all the flags of Ukraine that went up, Penn said. Now we are looking for an excuse. Oh well, hes having to move his minister of defense. Thats a natural part of leadership in such a dynamic situation, and I think its just looking for excuses to look the other way. You know, sometimes you have got to just change up the parent.

But he said that the unity of the Ukrainian people against Russia is a story of supporting democracy. He said that whats essential understanding how much more money it is going to cost us not to fully equip them in the long and the political and moral clarity of our sacred duty to honor that which we claim to represent as our country ourselves, as being fought and sacrificed for so bravely in so many ways.

Theyve made their decision, and thats what weve got to do. Make a fing decision.

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Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno attends a press conference in Tokyo Friday, Sept. 1, 2023. Japans government announced Friday it will impose sanctions against three groups and four individuals for supporting North Koreas missile and nuclear development program. (Kyodo News via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

TOKYO (AP)  Japans government announced Friday it will impose sanctions against three groups and four individuals for supporting North Koreas missile and nuclear development program.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Friday that the sanctions, in tandem with the United States and South Korea, are in response to North Koreas attempted launch of a spy satellite Aug. 24 and its firing of two missiles Wednesday, as United Nations Security Council resolutions ban any North Korean launches using ballistic missile technologies.

The additional sanctions, approved during Friday's Cabinet meeting, freeze the assets of the three North Korea-based hacker groups linked to cyberattacks  Andariel, BlueNoroff and Korea Expo Joint Venture  as well as four individuals, three of them based in China, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

The United States imposed sanctions Thursday on two people: a North Korean and a Russian linked to a Moscow-registered firm accused of supporting the North's ballistic missile program.

Japan, the United States and South Korea have been stepping up their strategic three-way cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region to jointly deal with their shared concern of growing threats of North Korea and China.

Matsuno said Japans government strongly calls on the North to take concrete actions to respond to Tokyos proposal to settle the issues of abductions of Japanese nationals during the 1970s and 1980s by North Korea, along with its nuclear and missile programs.

He said relatives of the abductees are getting old and that Japan seeks talks between Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as soon as possible.

North Korea has failed twice in recent months to launch a spy satellite. The nations National Aerospace Development Administration said it would make a third attempt in October.
Three months after Arizona regulators approved utility Salt River Projects plan to expand a natural gas power plant in Pinal County, the Sierra Club is challenging that decision in court.

A lawsuit filed Sept. 1 by the environmental organization in Maricopa County Superior Court asserts the Arizona Corporation Commission erred in approving the gas-fired expansion at the Coolidge Generating Station, which is situated adjacent to the historically Black community of Randolph. The expansion project would lock in decades of new gas use with increased air pollution and adverse health impacts, the lawsuit contends.

The commission voted 4-1 in June to approve SRPs revised and downsized Coolidge plant expansion, reversing a prior decision to deny a permit. The commission approved the expansion despite unanswered questions about the need for the project and the environmental impacts, according to the lawsuit. After that decision in June, the Sierra Club requested a new hearing that was not acted on by the commission.

The lawsuit contends approving the project was unlawful and unreasonable because the commission didnt support its decision with substantial evidence about the need for the expansion or its impact, didnt conduct an evidentiary hearing and violated due process.

Salt River Project

The lawsuit asks the Superior Court to invalidate the June decision. Earlier, in January 2023, the Superior Court affirmed the commissions original decision to deny the expansion.

SRP issued a statement indicating it was aware of the lawsuit and views the Sierra Club arguments as being without merit and should be rejected.

The commissioners, in explaining their votes, called out the need for the Coolidge expansion "to assist in meeting customers electric demand and enhancing reliability of the grid," SRP said. "They also noted the work between SRP and the Randolph parties in entering a settlement agreement, which addressed the commissions concern for the Randolph community."

Compromise had been reached

Salt River Project's natural gas generating station can be seen behind a basketball court and people's homes immediately east of Randolph.

The commission ultimately agreed to the expansion after SRP reached an agreement with Randolph residents, pledging to increase its health and financial commitments and make infrastructure improvements including a new block wall around part of the power plant, new landscaping and additional road paving to reduce dust.

The settlement calls for SRP to spend $23.8 million for the community, or $12.3 million more than it had offered earlier. Incentives include up to $4 million in scholarships for Randolph residents and their descendants, $2 million to build a community center, $200,000 to operate it and up to $1.5 million to rehabilitate as many as 60 homes.

SRP also agreed to downsize the expansion, reducing the number of additional natural gas turbines to 12 from the 16 it had sought originally and to locate them about 400 feet farther away from the unincorporated community of roughly 150 residents. The utility also agreed to limit the 12 units to running at 30% of capacity on a yearly basis.

Proper protocol not followed, lawsuit says

However, that agreement had not been provided to the commission or other interested parties at the time of the vote, making it impossible to fully evaluate its terms, according to the lawsuit.

In its most recent decision, the ACC voted to approve a project without details or specifics  trusting SRPs claims and allowing it to get away without following the rules, Sandy Bahr, director of the Sierra Clubs Grand Canyon Chapter, said in a statement. Its up to the Superior Court to ensure proper protocol isnt ignored when utilities like Salt River Project propose a project that carries significant community and environmental harm and when the Arizona Corporation Commission ignores its responsibilities to ensure that people are heard.

In a news release announcing the lawsuit, the Sierra Club, which counts more than 14,600 members in Arizona, included comments from two Randolph residents, Nicolas Bauer and Jeff Jordan, who expressed health and safety concerns about the expansion.

The bottom line is that this project will still disproportionately expose Randolph residents to increased levels of air pollution, impacting public health for the foreseeable future, Jordan said in a statement.

In its statement, SRP said the 575-megawatt Coolidge expansion project will provide enough energy to serve more than 139,000 average-sized homes at once and support the integration of solar, wind and power-storage resources. "Like all of SRPs generation facilities, it will comply with all local, state and federal air-quality regulations, which are protective of human health and the environment," the statement said.

Reach the reporter at russ.wiles@arizonarepublic.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sierra Club files lawsuit over Coolidge power plant expansion
A second delivery driver has died in Texas amid record-high temperatures, just as the regulation of workplace heat safety enters a new legal limbo across the state.

A law eliminating several cities mandated water breaks for construction workers during heat waves took effect Friday, after the state appealed a judges Wednesday ruling finding the Republican-led measure unconstitutional. In the meantime, cities like Houston said they planned to continue enforcing their mandates while the case moves forward.

The wrangling comes days after Christopher Begley, a 57-year-old UPS driver of nearly 30 years, died at a hospital Sunday after collapsing during his route outside Dallas the preceding Wednesday, according to the company and union representatives. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. An autopsy report hasnt been released, but co-workers and local union leaders say they believe his death was heat-related.

It has been a deadly summer for workers across the country, including in Texas, which has seen some of the worst of this years climate-change-fueled heat waves. OSHA told NBC News it has opened investigations into more than 20 heat-related workplace fatalities in Texas this year alone.

Begley died less than a week after UPS workers approved a new five-year contract with historic heat safety provisions covering 340,000 employees. The protections  some of the best in the industry  include air conditioning and exhaust heat shields in new vehicles and more fans in package cars, but they will take time to phase in. Begley fell sick on the job on Aug. 23, the day after the vote approving the contract was announced.

We are saddened by the loss of our driver Christopher Begley and extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends, UPS said in a statement. We are cooperating with the authorities as they continue to investigate the cause of death. We train our people to recognize the symptoms of heat stress, and we respond immediately to any request for help.

UPS said that a supervisor came to assist Begley after he collapsed and that he was provided with water and a cool place to rest but declined medical attention. After approving him to take the rest of the week off, the company was notified four days later that Begley had been hospitalized and later died on Aug. 27, a spokesperson said.

Garfield Hooper, a longtime co-worker and Begleys union shop steward at their UPS building said, Its been a real struggle for us in the southern region because of the heat. You never know how your body is going to react until it starts to go down.

Two months earlier, 66-year-old U.S. Postal Service mail carrier Eugene Gates collapsed on his Dallas route, during a June day when the National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning, and later died. USPS acknowledged Gates death at the time, saying it was deeply saddened, but didnt comment on the circumstances. OSHA is investigating the fatality as potentially heat-related.

The agency lists over 70 industries, including delivery, construction, agriculture and many types of manufacturing, as high-risk for heat illness. Recent research has found that hotter temperatures significantly raise the likelihood of injury on the job  not just in outdoor settings but at indoor workplaces, too, like the nations fast-growing warehouses  including injuries that arent obviously heat-related.

Determining that heat caused a death can be difficult for medical officials who sign death certificates, said Kristie Ebi, a professor in the University of Washingtons Center for Health and the Global Environment who studies health and heat waves.

Official counts of people who die from heat and heat causes during a period of high temperatures are a significant undercount, she said, adding that heat can exacerbate many factors in workplace fatalities. Researchers have found excess deaths during heat waves to be an order of magnitude larger than what the official number is, she said.

Heat safety concerns have drawn increasing attention from Washington officials, primarily Democrats, as temperatures rise. But federal efforts to ramp up protections are racing against both the political calendar and the climate.

Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, held a news conference Thursday with acting Labor Secretary Julie Su to draw attention to workplace heat risks. It is not rational and it is not right to take workers water breaks and other protections away from them in the middle of a historic heat wave, he said, citing the policy dispute in his home state.

Casar, one of the lawmakers pushing to heighten heat safety measures on the Hill, was previously a labor organizer who campaigned for several of the water break ordinances that the Texas law targets. We should be providing workers with more protections, not fewer protections, he said.

Current federal workplace heat safety requirements are minimal, though OSHA recently made the issue a top priority through several initiatives, including ramping up heat-related inspections. The agency is also working on a heat risk prevention rule that would beef up enforcement, but that will take years to go into effect. In the meantime, state and local governments can pass their own measures, experts said, often far more quickly, as Oregon and Washington state did after the 2021 heat dome.

Heat waves are becoming longer, hotter and more frequent, Ebi said, but government and corporate decisions will affect how steeply heat-related deaths rise. The understanding of what heat does to our bodies is well known, she said. There are so many actions that can be taken to protect people during those periods.

A small number of city and county governments have created chief heat officer positions to improve those protections, including in Miami, Phoenix and Los Angeles. Ebi said she isnt aware of any such roles in Texas.

Essentially all heat deaths are preventable, she said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
After pleading guilty Friday to multiple federal charges, former Anaheim mayor Harry Sidhu may face decades in jail for crimes related to the $150 million sale of Angel Stadium.

On Aug. 16, Sidhu, 66, announced his intentions to plead guilty to charges involving corruption and leaking confidential city information during the stadiums sale to the L.A. Angels Major League Baseball club in 2018, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

In return for the information leak, he was recorded saying he expected a $1 million campaign contribution following the sale.

The leaked information to Angels representatives ensured the purchase would be made on terms favorable to them.

Sidhu pleaded guilty to several charges including obstruction of justice, wire fraud, and making false statements to the FBI and the FAA.

After a Santa Ana courthouse hearing on Friday, Sidhu had reached a plea deal on the case.

Former Mayor Sidhu appreciates the thorough investigation by the United States Attorneys Office leading to this fair settlement, said Paul Meyer, Sidhus attorney. He deeply regrets the violations in this matter.

Former Anaheim mayor Harry Sidhu, 66, seen leaving a Santa Ana courthouse on Sept. 15, 2023 after pleading guilty to federal charges related to the $150 million sale of Angel Stadium. (KTLA)

Former Anaheim mayor Harry Sidhu, 66, plead guilty to multiple federal charges related to the $150 million sale of Angel Stadium. (KTLA)

Teams line up during the national anthem at Angel Stadium prior to the Los Angeles Angels baseball game against the Kansas City Royals, on Friday, April 6, 2012, in Anaheim, Calif. The mayor of the Southern California city of Anaheim is resigning amid a swirling political scandal over the sale of Angel Stadium to the baseball team. Mayor Harry Sidhu is quitting his post effective Tuesday, May 24, 2022, his lawyer, Paul S. Meyer, said in a statement Monday. He said the stadium negotiations were lawful and that Sidhu didnt ask for campaign contributions linked to the deal. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

The former mayor of Anaheim, Harry Sidhu, plead guilty to multiple federal felony charges including obstruction of justice, wire fraud, and making false statements to the FBI and the FAA on August 16, 2023. (KTLA)

Fans line up outside Angel Stadium of Anaheim for an opening day baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Chicago Cubs in Anaheim, Calif., on April 4, 2016. Harish Singh Sidhu, the former mayor of the Southern California city of Anaheim has agreed to plead guilty to obstructing an FBI corruption investigation into the $150 million sale of Angel Stadium to the owner of the Major League Baseball team, federal prosecutors announced Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

Elected to office in 2018, Sidhu resigned from his mayoral position in May 2022 while being investigated by federal officials in relation to the stadium deal.

Sidhu also admitted to cheating California tax authorities and making false statements to the Federal Aviation Administration regarding the purchase of a helicopter, officials said.

In late 2020, Sidhu admitted to defrauding the state of about $16,000 in sales tax to purchase that helicopter.

While being investigated, authorities said Sidhu knowingly destroyed evidence by deleting multiple email messages and documents with the intent to impede and obstruct the FBIs investigation of public corruption.

Sidhu admitted to deleting a September 2020 email about secret mock Anaheim City Council meetings involving himself, two other city council members and Angels representatives including the team president and a team lawyer.

The mock city council meetings preceded scheduled public meetings about the proposed sale. Sidhus deleted email had an attachment that detailed the scripted talking points for each participant.

While serving as Anaheims mayor, Mr. Sidhu took a series of actions that compromised the citys negotiating position by providing confidential information and secretly working to influence the citys decision-making process  all of which had a detrimental effect on the city and its residents, said First Assistant United States Attorney Joseph T. McNally.

The public places a lot of trust and confidence in elected officials, which Mr. Sidhu violated, said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, L.A. Field Office.

The former head of the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce also pled guilty to charges related to the case.

Sidhu is scheduled to be sentenced on June 14, 2024. He could face up to 50 years in prison, however, his actual sentencing will likely be lower due to the plea agreement according to a Department of Justice spokesperson.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
Corrections & Clarifications: An earlier version of this article had incorrect information about Frank Barrios' employment. He was a former state employee.

Lifelong Phoenix resident Frank Barrios, a champion of upholding the citys Mexican American influence, died Monday afternoon at his home. He was 81.

The cause of death was a year-long bout with pancreatic cancer, according to his friend, historian Pete Dimas.

Barrios dedicated his life to promoting the history of the Mexican American experience in the Valley via preservation efforts he championed and a book he authored. Educated as a civil engineer, Barrios was a former state employee whose family traced its Arizona roots to the 19th century.

"Frank was not trained as a professional historian. He did it out of his heart," Dimas said in a Wednesday interview with The Arizona Republic. For Barrios, working as a historian "was a personal drive to make sure that the stories that dealt with the beginnings and the growth of Phoenix were not omitted."

It was most important for Barrios to spotlight the interest of the citys Mexican American residents to earn an education and win political clout, Dimas said.

Fighting to prevent Mexican American erasure in Phoenix

Frank Martin Barrios was born on April 8, 1942, an only child to Alphonso Barrios, a native of Tecate, Baja California Norte, who served in World War II, and Dolores Gold Barrios, who was born and raised in the Valley. Frank was raised in the predominantly Latino neighborhood south of Roosevelt Street and east of Seventh Street in Phoenix.

In the mid- to late 2000s, Barrios sought restoration of the long-afflicted Sotelo-Heard Cemetery at 12th Street and Broadway Road. The historically Latino burial grounds had been vandalized and its upkeep ignored.

Barrios work researching history and archiving photographs culminated with the 2008 release of his Images of America book, "Mexicans in Phoenix." The book looked at Mexican Americans in the Valley from the 1860s through the communitys political activism in the 1970s.

Barrios maternal grandfather, Martin Gold, was a Yugoslavian immigrant and Arizona businessman who married into the Martinez family, which had been in the territory going back to the 1890s. Many of the photos and information featured in his book were from Barrios family collection, including the books cover image.

The now-defunct Phoenix Museum of History centered exclusively on "Anglo-Saxon pioneers," Barrios said in a 2008 interview with The Republic, adding that he strived to tell the stories of ethnic Mexicans who he argued built the city.

"They were very prominent here. They had a large presence here," Barrios said of Mexicans in Phoenix in the interview. "But history glossed over them. This is their history that has not been properly told."

Frank Barrios, a longtime member of the Pioneers' Cemetery Association, has worked for a decade to bring a measure of dignity to the Sotelo-Heard cemetery.

Some of the photos Barrios archived were part of a temporary exhibit at the history museum, including a 1915 photo showing young Mexican Americans dressed in the Edwardian fashion of that period as they posed in front of Camelback Mountains Praying Monk formation.

"Most of the citys history has been written by non-Hispanics, tending toward a certain point of view. Also, politics has been dominated by non-Hispanics, and much of what happens is told through those that make the laws," Barrios said in an interview with The Republic at the time, adding that Mexican Americans are "a subset of the American experience that are just as patriotic, just as strongly pro-American as any other group."

Expecting he would have little time before his death due to the typical short-term prognosis of pancreatic cancer, Barrios started working to ensure the rich history he had been collecting was not lost. Dimas said Barrios gathered historic photographs, written texts and oral histories in his possession and endowed these items to the Arizona Historical Society.

A history of community efforts in Arizona

Barrios earned his degree in 1966 from Arizona State University and worked in the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Phoenix before joining the Arizona Water Commission, according to an online obituary. He would become the commissions manager when it was known as the Arizona Department of Water Resources, where he retired from in 1998.

"Most people who know Arizona's water history agree the state's sustainable growth has only been possible because of the tireless work of Frank Barrios and many others in the water community during that critical time of anticipated Arizona population growth," read the obituary.

He was a member of the League of United Latin American Citizens and ran unsuccessfully for election for the Central Arizona Water Conservation District in 2006 after a 2003 appointment to the board by Gov. Janet Napolitano.

From 2014 to 2017, Barrios was president of the St. Vincent De Paul charity in Phoenix.

"He was so kind and so humble and so generous with himself and his service to the poor," said his friend, Susan Junker, on Wednesday.

In that spirit, when Phoenix was considering budget cuts on senior centers, Barrios in a January 2009 article in The Republic said, "Consider the needy and the poor. Consider all options before making cuts."

Barrios enjoyed hiking and was a loyal fan of the Diamondbacks and Suns.

Frank Barrios is pictured on Sept. 20, 2018, at Pioneer & Military Memorial Park in Phoenix. Some of the headstones from the historic Sotelo-Heard Cemetery have been moved to their current location to prevent vandalism.

He is survived by several cousins.

A rosary service will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Sept. 20 at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home at 4800 E. Indian School Road in Phoenix.

The funeral will be held at 9 a.m. on Sept. 21 at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church at 4715 N. Central Avenue, with a gathering held after at the church grounds of Anderson Hall.

Reach breaking news reporter Jose R. Gonzalez at jose.gonzalez@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter @jrgzztx.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Historian for Phoenix's Mexican community, dies at 81
Prosecutors in Delaware brought three gun-related charges against Hunter Biden on Thursday, with a grand jury indicting the presidents son after special counsel David Weiss said he would pursue charges following the evaporation of a plea deal.

The court filings detail charges Hunter Biden would have entered a diversion program for under the failed plea agreement, charging him with failing to disclose drug use when seeking to buy a weapon  resulting in two charges  as well as for unlawful possession of a firearm while addicted to a controlled substance.

The most serious charges carry up to 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.

The indictment does not list any tax crimes  a matter that also would have been covered by the agreement that would have had Biden plead guilty to two charges of willful failure to pay taxes.

Weiss, who is also the U.S. attorney for Delaware, was elevated to special counsel status in August, shortly after discussion around the plea agreement broke down, signaling he may instead seek to bring charges outside the state.

Weiss suggested those charges could come in D.C. or California  two venues where IRS agents who spoke to Congress about the investigation claimed they found the stronger evidence of tax crimes.

The two whistleblowers also claimed the investigation was slow-walked by the Justice Department  a key thread Republicans are investigating in their broader impeachment inquiry.

Weiss indicated this month he would bring an indictment against Biden before the end of September.

In the same round of filings, Bidens attorneys said their client was still abiding by the terms of the diversion agreement surrounding the gun charge, signaling they expected that provision to remain in effect.

READ: Hunter Biden indictment

Bidens attorney, Abbe Lowell, did not immediately respond to a request for comment, while the White House referred questions to the Department of Justice.

The charges come the same week that House Republicans kicked off an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, who they allege improperly interfered in Ukraine to benefit his son when he served on the board of energy company Burisma.

The White House has denied any wrongdoing, including an unproven allegation from Republicans that the president may have accepted a bribe from a Ukrainian oligarch.

Some Democrats have sought to distance Hunter Bidens legal woes from the challenges facing the president.

The evidence suggests Hunter Biden is guilty of unethical and/or illegal behavior. The evidence suggests Joe Biden is guilty of absolutely nothing more than being a father, Rep. Dean Philips (D-Minn.) wrote in a Tuesday post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Thursdays indictment alleges that Hunter Biden lied on a form when seeking to purchase a Colt Cobra 38SPL, denying any drug use.

Robert Hunter Biden certified on the Form 4473 that he was not an unlawful user of, an addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, and any other controlled substance, when in fact, as he knew, that statement was false and fictitious, prosecutors wrote in the filing.

Hunter Biden has acknowledged his struggles with addiction, including in a memoir where he said he was at one point using crack cocaine daily.

President Biden has also spoken publicly about his sons addiction, including in response to attacks from Republicans like former President Trump, who brought the issue up at a 2020 debate.

My son, like a lot of people, like a lot of people you know at home, had a drug problem, President Biden said at the time. Hes overtaken it, hes fixed it, hes worked on it, and Im proud of him.

Updated at 3:16 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
For nearly a year, Donald Trump has been forcefully trying to replace the state judge overseeing his upcoming bank fraud trial against the New York Attorney General. But by taking the remarkable step of suing the judge and AG together in a higher court this week, the former president has created the illusion of a united front against himone that could be used as an excuse to yank the judge off the case.

There is now mounting concernamong legal observers and those involved in the case who spoke exclusively to The Daily Beastthat Trump is creating the groundwork for a bogus legal challenge. The idea, they said, would clearly be an attempt to throw yet another wrench in the gears on the eve of a gargantuan trial, which was set to begin Oct. 2.

A source familiar with the inner workings of the investigation said theyre now preparing for something of a one-two punch, with Trumps lawyers positioning themselves to argue that Justice Arthur F. Engoron cant possibly be fair and impartial at trial, because he is now a defendant standing opposite the former president in a new ongoing casenever mind that Trumps the one who decided to sue him.

Trumps New York Fraud Trial in Limbo After His Legal Gambit Works

You cant claim a conflict if you created one. Its very unlikely that would succeed, said Cynthia Godsoe, a professor at Brooklyn Law School.

Trump is about to face off with New York Attorney General Letitia James in state court, where she is trying to demolish his real estate empire by draining its profits and revoking its business charters. Her offices massive investigation discovered what it called a pattern of persistent and repeated business fraud by the Trump family, which vastly overstated the value of buildings and properties to score billions of dollars in bank loans and insurance policies.

James, a Democrat, poses a serious threat to Trumps riches with her $250 million-plus lawsuit. But so does Judge Engoron, whose grip on the gavel has only tightened as the investigation has progressed since 2020.

From the outset, Engoron has been holding the Trumps accountableand theyve been trying to get him off the civil case.

In August 2020, the investigation first surfaced in public when the AGs office asked a judge to step in and force the Trump Organization, some outside contractors, and the real estate tycoons son Eric to comply with subpoenas. The first judge quickly and voluntarily recused herself, landing the case before Engorona longtime state law clerk who quietly moved up through the ranks in Manhattans local courts. Defense lawyers immediately asked for the case to be transferred to a judge at the more business-friendly commercial division, but the civil divisions administrative judge quickly shot that down.

Then came the judicial orders. In September 2020, Engoron instructed the Trump Organization to start turning over documents sought by investigators and ordered Eric Trump , two lawyers, and then-chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg to testify behind closed doors.

At first, he seemed to give the Trump side the benefit of the doubt. When he noted that one lawyer was hardly punctilious in responding to the subject subpoenas, he granted extra time to sort through the records.

Let the punishment fit the crime; to err is human, to forgive is divine, Engoron wrote.

But as the years went by, Engoronwho is known for keeping his coolbecame much less willing to play along with what became obvious delay tactics.

In February 2022, he ordered the former president and the three heirs he made company executives to show up for depositions and turn over records. Then, when Trump failed to do that, Engoron held him in contempt of court and fined him $110,000. Trump eventually relented.

Over the course of several court hearings, Trumps previous lawyer in the case, Alina Habba, frequently made snippy remarks directed at the court and his law clerkquestioning their ability to make fair decisions and voicing expectations that hed continually rule against her client.

When the AG filed her lawsuit in September 2022, the case was immediately assigned to Engoron, who was already familiar with its long and arduous history. But Trump lawyers once again triedand failedto get the case moved to a judge in the commercial division.

In the months since, Engoron has kept summarily dismissing every legal theory the Trumps have flung at him, firmly rejecting the notion that this was merely a politically driven witch hunt and affirming that the AG did indeed have the authority to pursue this lawsuit.

But the Trumps appear to have scored something of a victory this summer, when the First Department appellate court agreed that some business deals might be too old for the AG to include in this lawsuit and instructed Engoron to draw a cutoff. The judge hasnt done that yet and was expected to do so in the coming weeks, but the Trump lawyers jumped the gunasking for a three-week delay in the trial and an immediate cutoff clarification from Engoron. When he rejected that too, lawyers on Thursday made the surprise move of filing whats called an Article 78 petition against Engoron himself.

According to legal scholars, that kind of legal action is usually used to stop a state or city agency from breaking the law. Its also the kind of time-sensitive lawsuit meant to rein in a judge whos abusing their authority or about to make a hugely detrimental error in a case.

Diane Peress, a former prosecutor who also spent a decade at the New York AGs office, remembers using it only twice during her careerwhen trying to stop a judge from releasing grand jury transcripts that she said could have put a witness in danger. But this time, it seems out of bounds.

Does this Article 78 seem to be premature? Yes. Its kind of transparent that theyre asking this as they ask for a three-week delay. Its like, That didnt work, so lets throw a wrench in the machinery, said Peress, who teaches at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

According to New York state law, judges who get hit with this kind of lawsuit are typically represented by the AGs office. But that would naturally create a conflict here, because the judge is overseeing a case involving the AG. So the court system itself is providing his lawyers, and hes expected to take no stance at all as the case makes its way through a five-person appellate panel in the next two weeks. On paper, however, the case still creates the appearance of an us-versus-them scenario, with Trump on one side and the judge and AG on the other.

Peress said the decision to target Engoron this way is nothing more than a political gambitand an empty one at that.

She likened it to the way Trump has recently turned his unbridled rage from the prosecutors who keep indicting him to the judges overseeing those criminal cases, like U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan in Washington and Justice Juan Merchan in New York. She noted its a move Trump has not taken against the MAGA-friendly U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon in Florida, whom he appointed himself and who now oversees his case involving classified documents he hoarded at Mar-a-Lago.

Is it a Trump tactic, one more of these tactics to get rid of the judge? Hes done it with all the rest of the judges. He finds reasons to try and knock them off the case, Peress said.

Hes doing everything he can to provoke some kind of animosity and hostility with the judge, she added. Harassing them on social media or bringing an Article 78, these are all different ways of provoking the judge into a position where you can show that the judge cant be fair and impartial. This is just one more strategy.

Trumps legal team did not respond to a request for comment.

The former president, who is drowning in legal trouble as he runs a 2024 presidential campaign, keeps running into brick walls as his characteristic defiance crashes head-on with the American justice system. And this one is no different.

If Trump decides to use this latest lawsuit against Engoron as a pretext to try getting rid of him, hes likely to get quickly shot down. One reason Article 78 proceedings are rarely used is because they tend to irritate the judgeespecially if an appellate court has to correct themand the case stays with them. The law was designed to do exactly that, according to Brooklyn Law School professor Jayne Ressler.

Judge Wont Let Banks and Insurers Hide Their Trump Docs

The idea is that they didnt want to set up a scheme where you just bring an Article 78 against the judge and get a new judge, she said. Otherwise, it would be so easy to say, I dont like how this case is going. Article 78! Then boom, you get a new judge.

If litigants and people charged with crimes could do that, theyd do it all the time.

The higher courts are aware of the fact that you want to judge-shop, Peress said.

Instead, any attempt to boot Engoron off the case must be viewed through a political lens, legal scholars said. If Trump thinks hes destined to lose the case before the AG, then any long-shot legal gamble or loud protest wont make things any worse than they already are.

Hes lost before he started. Hell say he never got a fair shake and this is the perfect excuse. Any regular individual would do the opposite. But this is Trump. When the coffin is closed, he drills a hole, Ressler said. Hes literally cornered, so he might create a political ploy. So now, when he loses, this is his out.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Ambling down a quiet block in Oak Park, Shalom Sanders was the first to arrive at his synagogue for Friday evening services to mark the start of the Jewish New Year. A widower, he was looking for connection with others and with God.

"It's the beginning of the 10 days of repentance," Sanders explained before entering the doors of Kehillat Etz Chayim in Oak Park, a small Orthodox congregation. "It's not really a happy holiday, it's a day of prayer, that's basically what Rosh Hashanah is, and Yom Kippur even more so. ... My wife passed away two years ago. That's the only thing I think about right now. Not that happy for me. I'm alone."

The Oak Park man is one of thousands across metro Detroit who are gathering at synagogues, temples and homes for the High Holidays, a 10-day period that began Friday at the start of the Jewish new year with Rosh Hashanah and concludes with Yom Kippur later this month. Sanders' search for connection is echoed by others during the holiday season as Jewish centers strive to remain relevant with growing numbers who flock to the internet or leave organized religion.

"In an era in which families spread around the world, and in a time when technology can lead to terrible loneliness, the presence of a loving synagogue community creates the connections that offer stability and support," said Rabbi Aaron Starr of Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, the oldest and largest Conservative synagogue in Michigan.

Shalom Sanders (right) speaks with Rabbi Asher Lopatin at Kehillat Etz Chayim, a synagogue in Oak Park, on Sept. 15, 2023.

The High Holidays represent a somber, reflective time of the year, and given the social and political challenges currently facing many, some worshippers will use this time to contemplate both their own spiritual lives and how it fits in the world.

"Society is experiencing rapid change and radical uncertainty on perhaps a grander scale than ever," Starr said. "As a result, our world is becoming more polarized. Social trust is plummeting while social medias ills and evils proliferate. Acts of hatred, especially antisemitism, are increasing. In the last 10 years or so, sadness and loneliness have gripped our nation. Anger manifests in ways small and large, public and private."

Starr plans to talk about some of these issues in his sermons during the High Holidays, which often draw the largest crowds of the year to Jewish houses of worship.

Despite challenges, "I think that we can proceed into this New Year with a sense of hope," Starr said. "I am hopeful because this is not the first era of global turbulence. Weve overcome worse. I am hopeful, too, because I believe that we are ripe for a new chapter in Jewish life."

Rabbi Asher Lopatin , of Kehillat Etz Chayim, said that more kindness is needed.

"It just feels like the world is in upheaval," Lopatin said, talking about geopolitical challenges involving Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. "You think about issues we have in our world with global warming, fires and storms, democracy under threat all over the world. ... It's time to try to reclaim the world. I think it's really poignant this year. I don't care what side of the political spectrum you're on, it just feels like we have to pull it together ... and we have to be kind to each other and we have to find a way of connecting with others."

One way that kindness is playing out in metro Detroit is with a service for people with dementia at Fleischman Residence Chapel in West Bloomfield on Sept. 24. The sixth annual service during Yom Kippur seeks to include those who deal with memory issues.

The music and rituals in our High Holiday service evoke strong memories for individuals with memory loss who have enjoyed them throughout their lives," said Debi Banooni, director of the Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish Community Adult Day Program, which runs the service.

Starr and other rabbis are wrestling with how their historic religious centers can remain key parts of communities.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Detroiters explore meditation, breathing for peace as faith leader visits

"With the decline in religious identification intersecting todays rapid change and radical uncertainty, more people are feeling lost, more teens are struggling to find their place, people are becoming meaner and too many Americans are losing hope," Starr said. "America needs religion, but Americans dont want the religious institutions that were currently offering."

Antisemitism is also a major issue of discussion this year with growing threats to Jewish centers, including in metro Detroit. President Joe Biden spoke Thursday with 1,200 rabbis on the eve of the High Holidays, addressing their concerns, as reported by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA).

"This month, as you attend a shul for the High Holidays, I know youre concerned about security, Biden said on the call. As your president, I want to make clear to you and to all your congregations: I have your back. I am committed to the safety of the Jewish people.

Rabbi Asher Lopatin brings food and snacks for congregants at Kehillat Etz Chayim, a synagogue in Oak Park, on Sept. 15, 2023, as high holidays start.

At Kehillat Etz Chayim, private security helped guard the center Friday evening as members arrived.

Lopatin said he's pleased to see Americans push back against antisemitism.

"We really feel that the country is coming around more," he said. "And more cities are putting out statements against antisemitism. ... There are radical elements on the left and on the right who just don't like Jews. On the other hand, our society is trying to fight back."

Rosh Hashanah is about a "new beginning ... hope for the best for the next year," congregant Larry Winer said. Over the 10-day period, he is "hoping to have a good time, relaxing time and time to think."

Entering Kehillat Etz Chayim minutes before services started Friday, Lisa Gilan paused to talk about what the holidays mean for her.

"It's a time to reflect on the past year and also set goals for the coming year," Gilan, of Huntington Woods, said. "We want ... peace and to see antisemitism go down both locally and around the world, and for everybody to come together ... to celebrate good things."

Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com, Facebook.com/nwarikoo, X @nwarikoo.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jews in Michigan reflect on new year and High Holidays
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are coming to the end, but the former president and first lady are still spending time with each other and family as they face health concerns, according to their grandson.

Hes been in hospice now for several months, but they are happy, said Jason Carter, chair of The Carter Center, in remarks to USA Today on Thursday.

They are together. They are at home. Theyre in love, and I dont think anyone gets more than that. I mean, its a perfect situation for this time in their lives.

His comments arrive after The Carter Center, a humanitarian organization that the couple founded in the 80s, announced in February that the former president was entering hospice care at their home in Plains, Georgia.

In May, the center shared that the former first lady had been diagnosed with dementia.

Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter arrive at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a solar panel project in their hometown of Plains, Georgia, on Feb. 8, 2017.

Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter arrive at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a solar panel project in their hometown of Plains, Georgia, on Feb. 8, 2017.

In a Friday story by People magazine, Jason Carter said that when his grandfather first entered hospice care, he thought the 98-year-old only had a matter of days left.

He said the past several months have instead been surprising for Jimmy Carters loved ones, referring to the time theyve spent together as a real blessing.

Its given us this ability to reflect on our personal relationships and experience the outpouring from around the world for him and for [Rosalynn], he said.

One of the people showing their appreciation is President Joe Biden, who is in touch with Jimmy Carter on a relatively regular basis, the grandson told USA Today.

He added that Biden has written to the former president just to let him know that hes continuing to think about my grandfather, pray for him.

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are joined by 2-year-old grandson Jason as they return to the White House after a holiday weekend in Calhoun, Georgia, on April 11, 1977.

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter are joined by 2-year-old grandson Jason as they return to the White House after a holiday weekend in Calhoun, Georgia, on April 11, 1977.

Jason Carter told People that his grandparents, who celebrated Rosalynn Carters 96th birthday last month, remain there for one another through their health challenges.

They are in love at home together and at peace with whatever comes, he told the magazine. That love story that really defines their life continues to define it.

The Carter Center looks to honor the former president through a digital mosaic featuring messages, photos and videos for his 99th birthday in October.

Related...
Kim Jong Un 's transportation is a fascinating topic we have reported on extensively in the past . When it comes to cars, it's not just what he rolls around in , but how he gets his hands on them while under deep embargoes and sanctions that is just as interesting. Now we have gotten a rare look at how his armored limousines are loaded onto his armored train . A giant ramp and a very skilled driver are the magic sauce that make it happen, based on what we are seeing in the video below.

https://twitter.com/Ramy_Sawma/status/1702680641781780539?s=20

As you can see, it is a very tight fit getting the Maybach limo wedged into the train car from a slanted grade. The ramp looks purpose-built just for this use.

An army of bodyguards and specialists, including wheel-men, that protect and transport regime officials - with Kim being the focus - are the top military people the country has to offer. It's a force unlike any other, and clearly, learning how to execute the toughest of parallel parking jobs with ease is part of the skill set.

Just imagine the stress related to this. You really, REALLY don't want to scratch the dictator of North Korea's smuggled-in custom Maybach!

The video was shot during Kim's ongoing tour of the Vladivostok region in Russia's far east as the two countries are cozying-up with major arms deals likely in the works. Russia needs to tap Kim's massive arsenal of tube artillery to support its war in Ukraine and North Korea needs... whatever it can get. This includes everything from hard currency to advanced weapons and technological transfer related to them. The direct meeting between Putin and Kim underlined just how high a priority this reinvigorated Russian-North Korean relationship has become.

Regardless, while the North Korean dictator primarily uses armored Pullman Guard limousines based on the Mercedes S-class, a limo built from a Maybach 62 is also in his fleet. The first time we can remember seeing it was during another visit to the same region back in 2019. Now it is playing a prominent role in this visit, too.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's Maybach arrives at Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur region on September 13, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un both arrived at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East, Russian news agencies reported on September 13, ahead of planned talks that could lead to a weapons deal. (Photo by Vladimir SMIRNOV / POOL / AFP) (Photo by VLADIMIR SMIRNOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The Maybach 62 went out of production in 2013, with the brand name being absorbed back into its parent company  Mercedes Benz  and subsequent being used as an additional designation for top luxury models of the S-class. Kim's Maybach is clearly a modified variant of the basic 62 with armor and other enhancements. While the Pullman Guards were present during his recent movements in Russia, Kim appeared to use the Maybach as well.

Kim is a plane and car guy. His interest in limousines, in particular, have come up before during major moments in the international spotlight. In 2018, Trump gave Kim a tour of the " the Beast"  one of the Presidential Limousines operated by the Secret Service  during the meeting of the two in Singapore. On this trip to Russia, a similar moment occurred, with Putin having Kim experience his custom made in Russia "Aurus Senat " limousine .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_9CRSsl9cI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQBV1_OAn30

While train travel may seem antiquated to many, it has a special significance and historical symbolism to the North Korean regime. Considering Kim rarely leaves North Korea and especially the region, it's seen as an ideal form of transportation for many missions. And the fact that you can pack everything up onboard, include his motorcade, is a major plus. Now we know how exactly they go about loading and unloading Kim's armored chariots.

Contact the editor: Tyler@thedrive.com
Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, listens during Sutherland Institutes 2023 Congressional Series at the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. Friday was Stewarts last day in office. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Rep. Chris Stewart says it didnt quite sink in that his time in Congress had come to an end until he looked into his rearview mirror and saw the Capitol receding behind him.

After more than a decade representing Utahs 2nd District, Stewart was familiar with that drive to the airport and the flight attendants who greeted him as he boarded the plane.

But an unexpected congratulations over the intercom and subsequent applause from the other travelers put the five-term congressman in an even more pensive mood. He proceeded to spend the four-hour-long flight filling a notebook with lessons and stories from his time in office.

I wrote pages of things that Ive learned, Stewart told the Deseret News during a phone call just hours before he would cease to be a U.S. representative. And it made me realize its been such a good experience.

From receiving top-secret briefings as a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence  Theres nothing in intelligence that I havent been exposed to and that I dont know, he said  to traveling to Moscow, Russia, to discuss international relations and to western China to visit the Uyghur people, Stewart says the greatest insight he has been gifted with is an understanding of the difficulties and challenges people face.

Related

I essentially spent all day talking to people, Stewart said of his time in office, recalling he once had his staff keep track of all the people he met in a week. The average came out at just under 280.

Its just such a great experience if you want to improve or to learn, Stewart said.

But while Stewart says he worked until his final minute, signing and submitting his final bill as he walked out the door, there was only so much he could do in his final days to impact what he says was a lousy week in Congress.

Theres a lot of anger among my colleagues. And I think more so than Ive ever seen since Ive been back there, Stewart said.

Stewarts retirement comes as the House is staring down 11 legislative days to pass 11 remaining annual spending bills before government funding expires on Sept. 30. If the appropriations bills do not advance through a House vote and a reconciliation process with the Senate before that time, a government shutdown will ensue.

That is, unless a continuing resolution is passed as a stopgap funding measure. While this seems like House Speaker Kevin McCarthys preferred solution as the House works its way through the spending packages, the conservative House Freedom Caucus has demanded a number of conditions that make avoiding a government shutdown increasingly difficult.

McCarthy is now in a tenuous position, partially because of his slim four-seat majority. This razor-thin margin will shrink to three once Stewart is gone, and could fall to zero with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., receiving chemotherapy treatment for blood cancer; Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., facing federal charges; and Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., recovering from hip surgery.

Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, left, talks with Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in the House chamber as the House meets for a second day to elect a speaker and convene the 118th Congress in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. | Alex Brandon, Associated Press

Uncertainty around Speaker McCarthy

Ive been through some emotional times back there from the Republican conference, Stewart said, referencing the government shutdown shortly after he entered office and the motion to vacate the chair when John Boehner was House speaker. But this time is unique, he says.

Theres a lot of anger and uncertainty right now, Stewart said. Theres a lot of us who think Kevin is a uniquely talented leader. We support him. And yet a few of our colleagues have made it impossible for him to be successful. And that makes us angry.

And while Stewart has said on numerous occasions he will miss the kind of public service he was able to do on Capitol Hill, he wont miss this. Im not going to miss this contention and the anger that so many people are kind of wallowing in right now.

But McCarthy is sure to miss him. Stewarts role as one of 61 representatives on the highly coveted appropriations committee (members are already angling for his seat) made him a key player in spending discussions, and his experience made him an especially influential voice in mediating between factions within the conference.

Stewarts hunch is that after a few more days of interparty drama, House Republicans will settle on a continuing resolution deal with some conditions attached, likely relating to border security. But if asked to bet on it, Stewart says hed offer up the change in his pocket.

This ones different for some reason. Theres a lot more uncertainty and theres a kind of a simmering anger that hasnt been there in the past on both sides, Stewart said. So if anyone tells you that they think they know whats going to happen, I promise you they dont. Kevin doesnt.

Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, questions former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch at the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, Nov. 15, 2019, during the second public impeachment hearing of President Donald Trumps efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. | Andrew Harnik, Associated Press

What Utah loses with Stewarts resignation

According to Kelly Patterson, a senior scholar at the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at BYU, its also important to remember what Utah loses with the resignation of its most senior member in the House.

Immediately you lose seniority and influence, Patterson told the Deseret News in June. And it takes time for a new representative to build relationships, gain the trust of leadership in order to move into those exclusive committee assignments. And its not to say that the person who emerges wont be competent, its just theyre starting over.

Stewart says he can relate to the pains of transitioning from one position to the next.

Its lonely to sit in an office thats being packed up, Stewart said, describing his last few days. Part of it is packing up the last day, but part of it is having your staff just kind of move on, and going to an office that used to be super busy and full of people and the last couple of weeks its been three or four people there.

However, Stewart made it his priority to get each member of his staff a position that was better than what they currently had, he said. One such effort has surprised Stewart, the staffer in question and the state.

Rep. John Curtis and Rep. Chris Stewart speak with Celeste Maloy at the 2nd Annual Conservative Climate Summit at Utah Valley University in Orem on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. | Laura Seitz, Deseret News

Stewart on Celeste Maloys GOP primary win

As soon as he decided he would resign, Stewart says he sat down with his former chief legal counsel Celeste Maloy, and encouraged her to run for his seat. Maloy officially entered the 2nd Congressional District special election race in mid-June, and on June 20, the congressman endorsed her.

Days later, Maloy won the state Republican Party nominating convention in a surprise upset, followed by a victory in the Sept. 5 Republican primary. Maloy is favored to win the general election on Nov. 21 where she will face Democratic opponent Kathleen Riebe.

I think its hilarious that she literally is going to move from a cubicle across the front office into my office. I just think thats a great story, Stewart said.

Stewart says despite the chaotic state of his conference, hes comforted by the fact Maloy will be able to come in and pick up where he left off.

Shes very, very bright. She works so hard, but the main reason I wanted Celeste to represent the 2nd Congressional District is for sincerity and for humility, Stewart said. Theres a lot of smart people in Washington. There are not very many humble people. And I think humility is the single greatest asset when it comes to real leadership.

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As to how he will spend his time once he is no longer in the business of legislating and campaigning, Stewarts answer is simple. He will spend even more time with the projects and the people he loves.

Stewart announced his intention to retire from Congress on May 31, citing his wifes health concerns. He later clarified she had suffered a stroke a year earlier and continued to struggle with vision loss.

Things are harder and it wasnt fair to her to be in a situation where her health wasnt what it used to be and to be gone all the time, Stewart said at an event on Sept. 8. As much as I loved serving and as much as I wanted to continue to serve, we needed to be together.

When asked Whats next at the same event, Stewart said he had plans to start an organization with Robert OBrien, national security adviser under former President Donald Trump, where Ill be able to continue to work in the area of intelligence and international relations and it will be really satisfying, but I wont be gone all the time.

Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, at a backyard event in Farmington on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020. | Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News
Gov. Gavin Newsom wants retail thieves to know that crime doesnt pay.

Up and down the state, smash-and-grab gangs have been rampaging through some of the states most luxurious stores to snatch Gucci suitcases, Saint Laurent purses, Chanel jewelry and Nike sneakers while security guards and shoppers look on in shock.

More from WWD

To fight this crime, the governor on Thursday revealed he was disbursing $267 million in state funds over the next three years to 55 city and county law enforcement agencies and prosecutors. The money aims to beef up retail theft investigative units, increase arrests, install advanced surveillance technology, train loss-prevention officers, create new task forces and increase cooperation with businesses and the community.

Enough with these brazen smash-and-grabs. Were ensuring law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to take down these criminals, Newsom said in a statement.

RELATED: Rash of Smash-and-grab Robberies in Los Angeles Leave Retailers Unsettled and Angry

On Friday, state and local law enforcement officials receiving these funds outlined in a press conference how they would use the money to apprehend the criminal minds behind these robberies.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said the $15.3 million his department is receiving will provide extra staff and overtime to cope with the rise in retail crime. We are approximately 600 officers short. This grant will allow us to expand our overtime efforts and will also help us to deploy more foot-beat officers and more plainclothes team officers, he said. Weve been successful with these operations, but theres just not enough of us to do more. We need to do more.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, whose department is receiving $2 million, said the funds will allow her to add a dedicated prosecutor for this specific crime. At this point, retail theft cases are spread across a number of lawyers in our general felonies unit and in my white-collar crimes unit, she said. This allows one lawyer to dedicate themselves to build cases from start to finish.

Los Angeles County Assistant Sheriff Holly Francisco said her department was awarded $15.6 million to combat crimes that have grown more dangerous as criminals are deploying bear spray, pepper spray and using weapons when they invade stores. That money will be used to fund a fully staffed and equipped investigative unit with the ability to specifically focus on combating these crimes, she said.

The Los Angeles Police Department also received $15.6 million in funds approved by the Board of State and Community Corrections in a competitive grant process for which each law enforcement agency had to apply.

San Francisco and Los Angeles are the two main California cities that have seen a swarm of brazen, mostly daytime thefts that have left shoppers and store owners shocked by the throng of masked robbers converging on just one store.

Recently, Los Angeles experienced several smash-and-grab thefts in just a few weeks. On Aug. 12, a swift-moving band of 30 people entered a Nordstrom at Westfield Topanga shopping center and absconded with $300,000 worth of merchandise from displays near the entrance, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Ksubi opted to close its doors the next day after its Los Angeles location was targeted in a mob-style theft on Aug. 15.

On Aug. 8, a flash mob of about 30 to 40 people invaded a Saint Laurent store at the Americana at Brand near Los Angeles, snatching about $400,000 in merchandise, the Glendale Police Department said.

On July 31, several individuals wearing masks piled through the entrance of a Gucci store in Westfield Century City, running away with suitcases valued at $4,000 and purses that fetch as much as $4,200 each. Two security guards, overwhelmed by the number of people, watched in disbelief.

Weeks earlier, another Gucci store was robbed in San Franciscos Union Square where intruders took $48,000 worth of merchandise, according to the San Francisco Police Department.

Following the rash of Los Angeles robberies, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass in August set up her own special task force to address the wave of robberies, which will be investigated with the help of other local law-enforcement agencies.

The Los Angeles Police Departments primary duty is to ensure the safety and security of our community members and businesses, she said at the time. Retail theft not only affects businesses financially but also has a broader impact on the overall well-being of our community.

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Around 8 p.m. on the opening night of South Carolinas alligator hunting season, Kim Bolen Lawhon helped launch a 17-foot johnboat from Blounts Landing near Eutawville. Joined by her husband and two friends, they searched around the Sixteen Island region of Lake Marion, looking for a gator that measured seven feet or longer.

After an hour of cruising and searching with spotlights, they finally glimpsed a likely target. They headed straight for it but the gator quickly went under. One of the hunters cast a line anyway and hooked the gator with a heavy fishing rod.

Measuring the 12-plus footer back at the boat launch.

None of us really knew what size [gator] we had hooked, even after fighting it for the first 10 minutes, Lawhon, a mother of two boys, told Carolina Sportsman . It would suddenly come up to the surface, just barely giving us a glimpse, and then back down hed go to roll.

The four hunters soon got another big treble hook in the gatorthis one rigged to a thick rope. The gator fought hard for the next three hours and they couldnt see what they were up against until they finally got it close to the boat.

Thats when we all saw that he was what we call a grown man, Lawhon said. Thats when we realized just how big this monster really was.

For comparison, Lawhon stands next to the massive gator and holds her hand up against one of its feet.

A series of videos posted to Lawhons Facebook page show the chaos that ensued when they finished off the huge alligator. Using a semi-auto handgun, Lawhon shoots at the gator three times and hits it in the head at least twice. ( South Carolina regulations allow hunters to dispatch alligators with handguns or bangsticks, but not rifles.)

With the alligator dead in the water, the trio tried but failed to haul it over the gunnels of the johnboat. So, they tagged it and secured it with rope, and then motored back to the boat ramp where 10 or more people were already waiting to help.

Read Next: This 900-Pound Gator Is the Second-Heaviest Ever Harvested in Florida

They took the huge gator to Palmetto Processing. It weighed around 700 pounds and measured 12 feet, 2 inches long. In a photo of Lawhon taken at the processor, shes wearing a t-shirt that reads: Hunting Mom. Like a Normal Mom But Cooler.

Shirt says it all, Lawhon wrote in a Facebook post . Wish my boys were a part of this special moment but next tag we all in the boat!
Prepare to embark on a culinary journey that celebrates the essence of Jamaican cuisine. From the rich undertones of thyme to the bold heat of scotch bonnet peppers, each ingredient plays a crucial role in creating an unforgettable taste experience. This easy-to-follow recipe strikes the perfect balance between heat and sweetness, ensuring a delightful accompaniment to any main course or a flavorful standalone side dish.

Erin Johnson's spicy Jamaican cabbage recipe is a delightful symphony of flavors that will transport your taste buds to the sun-kissed beaches of Jamaica. Bursting with a tantalizing blend of spices, this vibrant dish beautifully combines the earthy sweetness of cabbage with a fiery kick of heat. "This is a perfect side dish for a cookout or for a casual night at home by the grill," Johnson says. "I love having this as a side dish for fish tacos or any grilled meat or fish."

Read more: Mistakes Everyone Makes When Prepping Vegetables

Gather Your Spicy Jamaican Cabbage Ingredients

Jamaican cabbage ingredients - Erin Johnson/Mashed

To make this spicy Jamaican cabbage, you can start by gathering your ingredients: an onion, scotch bonnet peppers, garlic, tomatoes, scallions, thyme, cabbage, bell peppers, carrots, salt, and pepper. You'll also need some cooking oil to saute everything together.

If you're having trouble locating scotch bonnet peppers in your area, don't fret. Johnson tells us, "This is traditionally made using scotch bonnet peppers, but those can be hard to find. I use habaneros because they are readily available, but you could use jalapenos for a milder heat or eliminate them altogether." Choose your own adventure based on your tolerance for heat.

Saute The Aromatics And Veggies

garlic and onion in pot - Erin Johnson/Mashed

Get out a large pot and heat it over the stovetop at a medium flame. Once it is hot, add the sliced onion and diced scotch bonnet pepper. Stir and saute these veggies until they are fragrant. Then, add the garlic, tomatoes, scallions, and thyme. Continue to cook the mixture for about 5 minutes  your vibrant, veggie-packed dish is well on its way.

Steam The Cabbage

cooking cabbage in pot - Erin Johnson/Mashed

Now, it's time to add the star of the show: cabbage. Add the shredded cabbage to the pot and cover it with a lid to steam for 10 minutes. During this time, the tough raw cabbage will begin to cook down and become tender.

Don't worry, this side dish is nothing like the mushy steamed veggies you were served in your childhood. Johnson is very cognizant of adding texture to this dish, which is why all of the veggies have not been added yet. She says, "I like to leave the peppers and carrots with a little crunch for a textural difference." We'll add those in the final step.

Add The Remaining Veggies And Seasonings

cooking cabbage and peppers - Erin Johnson/Mashed

Lastly, add the bell peppers and carrots to the pot. Stir everything together again before placing the lid back on, then allow the dish to cook for a final 10 minutes before seasoning to taste with more salt and pepper. From there, it's ready to serve.

As far as leftovers, Johnson advises, "Reheat this in a skillet on the stove for best results." The skillet will not only warm the dish through, but it will ensure that the veggies get browned and take on more flavor, whereas the microwave could make them a bit mushy. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, where Johnson says they will last for up to 3 days.

Spicy Jamaican Cabbage Recipe

spicy Jamaican cabbage on plate - Erin Johnson/Mashed

Prep Time: 10mCook Time: 25mYield: 6 servingsIngredients

1 teaspoon cooking oil

1 onion, sliced

1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

3 large scallions, chopped

1 bunch thyme

 head cabbage, shredded

2 bell peppers, cut into strips

2 small carrots, julienned

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pot. Saute the onion and scotch bonnet pepper until fragrant. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, scallions, and thyme, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the cabbage, stir, cover, and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and carrot, cover, and cook for 10 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Read the original article on Mashed.
Fourteen drivers. Ten spots. One race.

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs continue Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick have punched their tickets to the Round of 12 with victories at Darlington and Kansas, respectively. Thats it.

Martin Truex Jr., the regular-season champion, rebounded from an 18th-place finish at Darlington to start Kansas in third. But he didnt last atop that leaderboard, puncturing the center of his right rear tire during Lap 4.

Its difficult, Brad Keselowski , currently fifth in the playoff standings, said in a video conference. You look at these scenarios, and theres a lot of opportunity to be aggressive and gain some position, but they come at high risk. Youre just constantly doing risk analysis in real-time.

Bubba Wallace, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Michael McDowell join Truex on the wrong side of the elimination line. Wallace, who had won at Kansas last fall, started Sundays race strong but ultimately suffered a flat right-rear tire while running in second place.

Its even tighter above that elimination line, where defending Cup Series champion Joey Logano finds himself in 11th and Kevin Harvick sits in 12th in his final postseason.

NASCAR Cup Series drivers Denny Hamlin (No. 11) and Joey Logano (No. 22) spar late during Sundays AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan. Mike Dinovo/USA TODAY Sports

The playoffs are always tough. Any NASCAR race can come down to perfecting little details or depend on some unpredictable factors breaking a drivers way. But in the playoffs, the margin for error grows thinner and thinner. Even for a driver like Truex, the fields No. 2 seed who was celebrating his regular-season title just two weeks ago.

The whole 10 weeks is super tough, but obviously as you get further and further into the rounds, it gets even harder, said Ryan Blaney, who is 25 points over the elimination line in sixth. The bonus points get pretty jumbled up at that point.  Usually, if you get down to the Round of 8, you probably dont have a lot of playoff points, you probably have to go win one of those three. It is tough. Everyone approaches it differently.

History isnt on Truexs side here. The 2017 Cup Series champion has struggled at Bristol, never winning there and only recording four Top 10 finishes in 32 starts. His last top five finish there was back in spring 2012.

Chris Buescher won this race last September and has been among the hottest drivers down the stretch, winning three of the last seven races. But last weeks 27th-place finish  his worst since April 2 at Richmond  puts the RFK Racing driver in a tie for ninth place with Christopher Bell, just 13 points above the bubble.

As much as is at stake for the 16 drivers in the playoff race, they wont be the only ones flying around the 0.533-mile bullring. And even if theyre not vying for a playoff spot, the Bristol night race is always one that matters more, Alex Bowman told reporters in the Darlington Raceway media center two weeks ago.

Thats one of the trophies you want to win, one of the Victory Lanes you want to be in, Bowman said. When I was a kid growing up, thats always the race I wanted to go to.

NASCAR Cup Series driver Shane Van Gisbergen (91) reacts after winning the Grant Park 220 of the Chicago Street Race at Chicago Street Race. Mike Dinovo/USA TODAY Sports

SVG signs with Trackhouse Racing

Shane van Gisbergen, the New Zealand-born driver who stunned the NASCAR world by winning the inaugural Chicago Street Race in his Cup Series debut, has signed with Trackhouse Racing and will compete in a combination of NASCARs three series next year.

A three-time champion in the Supercars tour, the Auckland, New Zealand, native will race in Cup, Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series in 2024, Trackhouse announced Wednesday evening.

This announcement means so many things to me, Van Gisbergen said in a release. Im proud of what I have achieved here in Australia, but Im excited by this new chapter in my career and the opportunities that it brings.

May 6, 2023; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Noah Gragson (42) during Cup Practice and Qualifying at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports Mike Dinovo/Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

NASCAR lifts Gragson suspension

Noah Gragson has been reinstated after completing diversity and inclusion training, NASCAR officials announced Tuesday.

Its still unclear if Gragson, who was suspended indefinitely on Aug. 5 for liking a racially insensitive meme on Instagram, will return to a NASCAR series. Hes already been released from Legacy Motor Club, which announced John Hunter Nemechek will drive its No. 42 car next year.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to NASCAR for reinstating me, Gragson, 25, wrote in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter. Over the past several weeks, I have dedicated myself to personal growth and reflection, and I believe I have become a better person because of it. I couldnt have done it without the support of my family and the NASCAR industry.

I am now more focused and committed than ever to representing my future team in the best way possible. Im eager to get back behind the wheel and compete at the highest level, giving it my all on and off the track. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey, and I cant wait to make the most of this second chance.

Odds for Saturday nights race

Kyle Larson is the favorite to win at 11-2 odds. Hes followed by Denny Hamlin (15-2), William Byron (15-2), Christopher Bell (8-1) and Brad Keselowski (17-2).

How to watch the Bass Pro Shops Night Race

Where: Bristol Motor Speedway (Bristol, Tenn.)

TV: USA

Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR

Date: Saturday, Sept. 16

Time: 7:30 p.m. ET

Distance: 266.5 miles (500 laps)

Stages: Stage 1 ends on Lap 125; Stage 2 ends on Lap 250; the Final Stage ends on Lap 500.
Rabbi Samuel Spector and Cantor Laurence Loeb review the materials before prerecording the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur service at Congregation Kol Ami in Salt Lake City on Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020. | Yukai Peng, Deseret News

Earlier this year, the Anti-Defamation League issued a startling report that showed the number of antisemitic incidents in the United States  assaults, vandalism and harassment  was higher in 2022 than in any year since the league began keeping records in 1979.

Those who think hate crimes against Jews are a thing of the past  something belonging to black-and-white films from Nazi Germany  are sadly mistaken. They exist and are on the rise.

The report identified Utah as one of the safest states from such crimes, with six reported incidents in 2022. But that doesnt give a clear picture of what congregations face each week, requiring security to be present during services and constant training in response to aggression and violence. Thats happening everywhere.

In 2021, someone etched a swastika on the window of a Jewish synagogue in Salt Lake City. As Utah Rabbi Avremi Zippel told reporters at the time, A swastika is not a political statement. A swastika is an image of hate. A swastika represents one thing and one thing only and that is death to the Jews. And this, the Deseret News reported him saying, is becoming unfortunately more commonplace.

Rosh Hashanah, the celebration of the Jewish new year, begins Friday evening and ends at sundown Sunday. Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism, will be observed Sept. 24-25 this year. It is the day of atonement, traditionally including 25 hours of fasting and earnest prayer. Many observant Jews spend most of the day in a synagogue.

These sacred days of observance would be a good time for the rest of the community to pledge to confront and resist hatred of any form directed toward Jews. Locally, it should be a time to renew the long-standing and historic bond between Judaism and the greater Utah community at-large.

That renewal includes remembering history. Jewish settlers came to Utah, or the territory of Deseret, as it was known then, not long after the first pioneers. They came because word had spread as to how friendly pioneer settlers were toward them.

A history published on mormonsandjews.org notes some of these new settlers established profitable businesses. In 1865, Brigham Young offered a hall gratis for religious services. On the High Holy Days that year, 50 Jews attended services, including some from Bozeman, in Montana Territory.

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Among those early business leaders were the Auerbach brothers, Frederick, Samuel and Theodore. President Young helped them start a department store in Salt Lake City that remained a downtown fixture until 1977.

It includes remembering history, such as the election of Simon Bamberger as Utahs first Jewish governor in 1916, an election the states website said came with the support of prominent members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Bamberger took office at a time when the state had a budget deficit, which disappeared under his administration. He chose not to run for a second term.

Surely, the history of Utah provides neither precedent nor cover for those who would commit crimes of hatred against any religious adherents, let alone members of the Jewish community.

Nationally, the rise in antisemitic behavior ought to kindle revulsion in every patriotic soul. These crimes affect not only Jews, but also people wrongly believed to be Jewish, such as a University of Arizona professor who was shot to death last year by a student who mistook him for a Jew.

The Anti-Defamation League report cataloged 2,298 incidents of harassment nationwide in 2022, either verbal or in writing, containing either slurs, stereotypes or conspiracy theories. This was a 29% increase over 2021.

Antisemitic vandalism rose by 53%, and assaults were up by 26%. The United States is but one part of a global increase in antisemitic harassment and crimes.

After the University of Arizona professor, Thomas Meixner, was killed, the Arizona Republic published an opinion piece by Michael Masters, head of a national security organization for the Jewish community. He argued that the crime happened because no one took seriously the visible threats the assailant had made. He had sent threats via texts. The school had expelled the assailant but took no further steps to prosecute him or bar him from campus.

The lesson there is for no one to remain silent or passive in the face of hate-based threats. History is too replete with lessons about the outcome of such neglect.

Instead, the community should use the upcoming holy days to pledge intolerance toward antisemitic behavior of all kinds, wherever it is found.
State crimes committed by outlaw lawyers who endanger the rule of law on behalf of a president (or, in the current instance, a former president) are not without precedent in modern American history. Most recently, such crimes have happened under the "law and order" administrations of Republican Presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Donald Trump.

To be specific, "outlaw lawyers" describes attorneys who have abandoned the practices of representing or counseling clients consistent with their oaths to support the Constitution and laws of the United States as well as those of all states where they are licensed to practice.

For the purposes of this examination, Reagan and his vice president, George H.W. Bush (the chief architect of the Iran-Contra affair), along with George W. Bush more than a decade later, are bracketed and set aside. That's primarily because their state crimes were international in scope  which certainly is no excuse, but posed no viable or practical threat to the domestic rule of law or to American democracy as such.

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"Criminal labels and orange jumpsuits": How Trump weaponizes his own fears

Let's consider the two relevant domestic case studies, one of them still very much a work in progress. With respect to the threat to the rule of law and American democracy, Nixon's Watergate scandal pales in comparison to Trump's failed coup. We can also say that in the case of Nixon and his outlaw lawyers, justice was swift and relatively unforgiving. In the case of Trump's outlaw lawyers, justice has already been delayed too long, and the verdict is still out on how much legal accountability will materialize.

There are at least five lawyers among the unindicted co-conspirators mentioned in Jack Smith's Aug. 1 indictment of Donald Trump on charges related to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. In addition, the related Georgia RICO indictments of Trump and 18 co-defendants on Aug. 14 involve a roster of alleged lawless lawyers, including but not limited to Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Jenna Ellis, Sidney Powell and Kenneth Chesebro. The multiple overlapping conspiracies laid out by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, supported by a broad array of evidence, appear far more threatening to our rule of law and constitutional democracy than were the Watergate crimes.

What makes the failed coup attempt by Trump and his co-conspirators much more serious than any previous threat to American democracy since the Civil War is that the Republican Party's infrastructure and its majority in the House of Representatives, along with many members of the U.S. Senate, are all-in on defending these crimes and in supporting an anti-democratic and authoritarian agenda.

This anti-democratic agenda is visible not only in the fact that Trump has already more or less secured the 2024 GOP presidential nomination (whether or not he is convicted of a crime and sent to prison), but also in the continuing "extracurricular" activities in red states, including disenfranchisement, restricting voter access, and overtly racial or partisan gerrymandering in Alabama, Wisconsin and various other states.

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To be sure, serious crimes were committed during Watergate. Nixon's team of former CIA operatives broke into Democratic Party headquarters (at the Washington office complex that lent the scandal its name), and then Tricky Dick and his lawyers worked to cover up the president's connection to the burglary with a list of criminal activities that included wiretapping, political spying, sabotage and the destruction of evidence.

As with the financing of Trump's Jan. 6 coup effort, still under investigation by Jack Smith, the Watergate break-in was largely financed from illegally laundered contributions channeled through Nixon's re-election campaign and directed by its officials. The final outcome, of course, was the first and only presidential resignation in our history, the penultimate chapter of an apparent deal to avoid criminal prosecution that concluded with a presidential pardon from Gerald Ford, Nixon's successor.

What makes Trump's 2021 coup attempt much more serious than any previous threat to American democracy since the Civil War is that the Republican Party's infrastructure remains all-in on defending these crimes.

In the current context, it's well worth reviewing the punishments applied to Nixon and his band of outlaw lawyers, as well as the implications of the meager criminal sanctions with respect to its deterrent value in the Trump era. Presumably the goal was, or at least should have been, to set the value of sanctions at a level sufficient to ensure that future presidents would find it more difficult to convince outlaw lawyers to come up with ever more innovative ways to steal an election or overturn the government.

Of the 15 Watergate lawyers who faced criminal charges, most were suspended from practicing law for at least some time, while a number, including former White House counsel John Dean  who became an important witness against the president  were disbarred. Nixon himself was also disbarred, although after Ford's pardon he could not be charged with any alleged crimes committed as president.

Some of the disbarred attorneys sought to rejoin the legal profession, without much success. Most notably, former Attorney General John Mitchell tried to get his law license back while appealing his convictions on numerous charges, including obstruction of justice, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and making false statements to Congress and the grand jury. In denying his request in 1976, a New York appellate court wrote that for Mitchell "to continue to appear in our courts and to continue to give advice and counsel" would "invite scorn and disrespect for our rule of law."

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Three years after the Watergate convictions, U.S. District Judge John J. Sirica reduced the prison sentences of Mitchell, former White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman and former Nixon aide John Ehrlichman, cutting their maximum terms in half. All three were eventually paroled after serving one year in federal prison.

As we begin to lurch forward and perhaps out of the Trump era, his outlaw lawyers, if and when convicted, should face ethics proceedings, legal sanctions, permanent disbarment and more than token punishments. None of the attorneys involved in Trump's "fake elector" schemes has yet faced trial, but four of the five unindicted co-conspirators identified by Jack Smith's federal indictment already face ethics proceedings likely to end their legal careers. The one exception is Kenneth Chesebro, who is also a defendant in the Georgia RICO case, although New York officials have already barred him from practicing law in that state.

Giuliani, Eastman, Powell, Ellis and several others face current disbarment proceedings in New York, California and Washington, D.C.

Trump's attempted subversion of democracy would never have been possible without his outlaw posse of accomplices and enablers.

For the moment, Trump's outlaw attorneys have all pleaded not guilty in Fani Willis' RICO case. Time will tell how many of them may later adjust their pleas in order to stay out of prison. There is considerable speculation in that regard surrounding the aforementioned Kenneth Chesebro, who faces trial next month alongside alleged co-conspirator Sidney Powell.

Now that Judge Scott McAfee has severed the Chesebro-Powell trial from those of Trump and the 16 other co-defendants, it may be a long time before we see other accused defendants cutting deals or turning state's evidence.

In the final analysis, Trump's attempted subversion of democracy would not have been possible without his posse of accomplices and enablers, as Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt argue in their new book, "Tyranny of the Minority: Why American Democracy Reached the Breaking Point."

While more than 1,000 people have been charged so far for the Capitol insurrection of Jan. 6, with more than 700 convicted and sentenced  including long prison sentences for leaders of the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys  the majority of House Republicans who voted against the certification of Joe Biden as president have not been held accountable. They and the rest of the GOP continue to support the antidemocratic, authoritarian and criminal behavior of Donald Trump, as well as that of his outlaw attorneys.

If and when the day finally dawns when Trump and his lawless lawyers are found guilty of crimes against American democracy and the rule of law, their punishments must be severe. Not out of any desire to seek revenge or inflict individual suffering, but simply in order to deter future wannabe dictators and their criminalized attorneys.

Read more

from Gregg Barak about the Trump indictments
An Alabama woman bought a $25 wedding dress from Goodwill on Labor Day that turned out to be worth $6,000.

Emmali Osterhoudt, a nursing student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, visited a Goodwill store in Green Springs to find picture frames for her apartment's gallery.

"After I purchased my frames, I told my roommate, let's go to the 50% off section," Osterhoudt said. "I saw this beautiful wedding dress that looked like it was my size. I tried it on in the dressing room, and it was a perfect match."

Osterhoudt has been obsessed with weddings after watching shows like "Bride Wars." Osterhoudt, who is not engaged but plans to be soon, purchased the dress for her future marriage.

When she returned to her apartment, she wondered how much it was worth. To her surprise, she searched for designer Galia Lahav and discovered that her dress was valued at $6,200.

Emmali Osterhoudt

Lahav is a beloved brand for celebrity brides. Simone Biles, Beyonce, Paris Hilton, and Ronda Rousey have all worn the designer.

Excited about the news, Osterhoudt went to TikTok and shared her story about the shocking discovery. The video garnered almost 3 million views.

"I've been so grateful for the love shown by people in the comment section," Osterhoudt shared. "Usually, when videos go viral, you get some nasty comments, but I have mostly received love."

Osterhoundt mentioned that Lahav was moved by her story and will donate dresses to Goodwill nationwide.

Shocking Video: Video shows 20 rattlesnakes being pulled out of Arizona man's garage: 'This is crazy'

About Emmali Osterhoudt

Osterhoudt, born in Germany, moved to Enterprise, Alabama, due to military ties. She's set to graduate from the University of Alabama in 2024 with a nursing degree.

Emmali Osterhoudt

Most young adults would try to monetize social media fame, but Osterhoudt is sticking to her dream of becoming a registered nurse.

"I never knew this video would blow up," she said. "I will not become an influencer. I'll continue to do videos, but nursing will be my career."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Woman buys $6,000 designer wedding dress for $25 at Alabama Goodwill
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The Arizona State Capitol building was flooded in green, white and red lights on Friday night, as the state Legislature's home served as this year's official Mexican Independence Day celebration in Phoenix.

Just after 8 p.m., hundreds of attendees made their way to the set-up stage area with Mexican flags hanging from their backs, with the flag painted on their faces and donning the country's colors, as they waited for the celebration to begin.

Some lined up at the food truck line, which included local Mexican food vendors El Caldero de Dona Cecy, Chelitas Taqueria, Birrieria & Catering Las Yaquecitas and Cervantes Ice Cream. Others took advantage of the various businesses tabling the event, like Munoz Tax Services, Prensa Arizona and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.

For the second consecutive year, the Consulate General of Mexico in Phoenix held the El Grito celebration at the Arizona State Capitol to commemorate the 213th anniversary of Mexico's independence.

Observed on Sept. 15, the celebration is highly characterized by the commemoration of the "Grito de Dolores," when Catholic priest Don Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the bells of his church in Hidalgo, Guanajuato on Sept. 16, 1810, and called for his people to rise up against Spanish rule, sparking a fight that would last 11 years.

The battle cry he emitted that day is one carried out every year on the night of Sept. 15  a celebration that Phoenix happily partook in.

The ceremony began with artistic dance performances from Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli and Ballet Folklorico Viva Arizona, as well as charreria performances from Rene Salgado from Rancho El Arbolito and live music from the Osos del Valle of Phoenix College.

I invite each and every one of you not to let our (Mexican) roots be lost in our children, said Citlali, a member of the Ballet Folklorico Viva Arizona, who is originally from Agua Prieta, Sonora. It is important that our roots, our food, our clothing and our very peculiar language are not lost.

Mexican Independence Day: A celebration dear to Mexicans in the US

Sen. Ana Hernandez, Rep. Mariana Sandoval, the Southern Arizona Office Director Marisol Flores Aguirre, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and Senate President Warren Petersen addressed the attendees with different speeches recognizing the economic and cultural bonds that exist between Arizona and Mexico, the history of El Grito and their personal connection with Mexico and its people.

Speaking in Spanish, Warren spoke of leading a Senate for all peoples of Arizona.

They say 'My house is your house,' but I'm going to tell them, my senate is your senate, and my capitol is your capitol, Petersen said. For me, the Spanish language is very beautiful. When I was young I dedicated myself to learning Spanish and that is why God has blessed me. It has helped me become a better politician, businessman and person. I have been able to meet many people that I would not have met. The most important thing was meeting my beautiful wife Denise, who was born in Sonora, Mexico, in the municipality of Bacum.

The ceremony culminated with the performance of "El Grito de Dolores," carried out by Consul General of Mexico in Phoenix, Jorge Mendoza Yescas.

The military band from Colegio Bachilleres de Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, presented the flag to Yescas, and he belted out the names of several Independence Day heroes, including Don Miguel Hidalgo, Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez and Ignacio Allende, before calling out "Viva Arizona!" and "Viva Mexico!" three times, as is custom.

The ceremony was finalized with him waving the flag atop the stage and the singing of the Mexican National Anthem by Chihuahua-born Yaella Robles.

I feel that it is very nice to see the spirit of the people who are proud to be Mexican, said Brigitte Guadalupe Esqueda Gallegos, a member of the band from Colegio Bachilleres. I even feel that it depends on how much importance you give it, like 'I am Mexican and all this happened and I am going to celebrate it.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona State Capitol hosts Mexican Independence Day celebration
A long-standing suit against the City of Gadsden involving benefits for retired first responders has been settled, Mayor Craig Ford announced.

The dispute followed a 2002 decision by the city to move first responders into Alabamas state retirement system. They previously were part of a self-insured pension plan, the Policemen's and Firemen's Retirement Fund of the City of Gadsden, established by the Legislature in 1939.

That plan was funded by employee contributions, but concerns had arisen over its solvency.

Forty-nine plaintiffs filed the suit in 2009, contending they did not receive promised benefits. The case has meandered through the legal process and has been to the Alabama Supreme Court and back four times, according to city officials.

Nineteen of the original plaintiffs have died. The remaining 30 will share in a $100,000 payout from the city, including legal fees.

One thing Ive learned as a new mayor is you inherit a lot of issues, said Ford. Some officers and firefighters in this case were on duty when I was still in high school. These individuals served our city with pride and honor, and I felt led to reach a good-faith settlement in this decades-old lawsuit.

I want all first responders to know that this administration and the City of Gadsden appreciate your service, and it does not go unrecognized."

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Longstanding suit by Gadsden first responders settled
The Biden administration is preparing to pitch Americans on another round of Covid vaccines  and while much of the country still appears willing to listen, theres a wide partisan divide in whos likely to get them.

More than half of voters say theyre likely to seek out the newest shot, as Covid cases trend upward and the U.S. heads into its fourth winter with the virus, according to new polling conducted by POLITICO and Morning Consult.

The 57 percent who will probably or definitely get vaccinated signals that a sizable share of the population remains open to the vaccines, even as they increasingly become the subject of political attacks and disinformation. Many Republicans, led by presidential frontrunners former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis , have opposed the Biden administrations Covid response. On Wednesday, DeSantis state surgeon general went as far as discouraging most Floridians from getting the latest booster.

Nearly eight in 10 Democrats, 79 percent, say they will definitely or probably get the new vaccine, which will be made widely available by the end of this week. But only 39 percent of Republicans expect to seek out the updated shot, reflecting the sharp political divide thats hampered the Covid response in recent years.

Still, both those numbers are much greater than the 17 percent of all Americans who got last years vaccine, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That suggests theres ample room to make inroads with those who held out but might be open to getting a booster in the next few months.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services said the department plans to "use every lever at our disposal to inform people about options to protect themselves and their families from severe illness and respiratory viruses."

CDC Director Mandy Cohen is planning to tour the nation following the vaccine rollout to promote the Covid shot as well as vaccinations for flu and RSV, she said in an interview.

Covid vaccination rates have declined sharply since 2021, when President Joe Biden pinned the success of his first 100 days in office to getting the vast majority of people vaccinated. More than 80 percent of Americans eventually received their first shot.

But dwindling government resources, general pandemic fatigue and growing resistance to the vaccine from GOP lawmakers and voters combined to drive down enthusiasm for each successive vaccine round.

This latest vaccine drive faces a pair of new obstacles. For the first time, the federal government is ceding much of the responsibility for distributing the vaccines to the private sector, raising the risk of confusion as health providers and patients adapt to the new system. The rollout also comes in the midst of a hotly contested GOP presidential primary, where candidates have already played up their opposition to Covid precautions.

DeSantis, who has previously expressed skepticism of the vaccines as Florida governor, hosted a roundtable this week during which state surgeon general Joseph Ladapo claimed healthy people dont need to worry about the virus, and that getting the latest shot was not a good decision for young people and for people who are not at high risk.

Cohen dismissed Ladapos stance, emphasizing that the vaccine is safe and critical to protecting people.

Any efforts to undercut vaccine uptake are unfounded and frankly dangerous, she said.

The polling results show an entrenched bloc of Republicans who are solidly against vaccination, with 44 percent saying they definitely wont get the shot. Another 17 percent said they probably wont seek it out.

But those who identify as Independents are more split, with 52 percent saying they probably or definitely wont get vaccinated.

Among parents of children under 18, a slight majority  53 percent  of those surveyed by POLITICO and Morning Consult said they would likely get their children the newest vaccine. That includes 71 percent of parents who identify as Democrats and 42 percent of Republicans.

The POLITICO | Morning Consult poll was conducted Sept. 9-10, just prior to the shots approval by the Food and Drug Administration and the CDCs recommendation that all Americans get them. The poll surveyed 1,967 registered voters online and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Chelsea Cirruzzo contributed to this report.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  The Clark County school board will vote on whether or not to approve a nearly $4.5 million settlement in a lawsuit against vape manufacturers Thursday.

In August 2022, the Clark County School District joined other US school districts in a lawsuit against Juul Labs, Inc. and Altria Group, Inc., previously known as Philip Morris Companies, Inc. Altria Group owns approximately 30 percent of Juul, according to CCSD officials.

The board will decide whether to approve a settlement of $4,410,746, of which court costs and attorney fees will be deducted. Those costs and fees could cost up to approximately 30 percent of the settlement, according to the boards 2022 agreement.

The Clark County School District incurred costs due to student vape pen use on campuses in terms of detection, reporting, staffing, monitoring, confiscation, and remedial action, the district said in 2022.

The lawsuit makes a public nuisance claim saying the vape product threatened community safety. The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations or RICO Act was also exercised, citing damage to business or property.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Former President Donald Trump denied ordering Mar-a-Lago security video erased after federal prosecutors slapped him with a subpoena for the footage.

In a new interview with NBC News, Trump said he never told anyone to tamper with the tapes, although he falsely insisted he could have refused to hand the footage over to the feds.

The tapes werent deleted. In other words, there was nothing done to them, Trump told Kristen Welker in her debut interview as host of Meet the Press, where the full interview will air Sunday. And, they were my tapes. I could have fought them. I didnt even have to give them the tapes.

Trump added that he would be willing to testify about the footage under oath, although legal analysts doubt he would ever take the stand voluntarily.

A Mar-a-Lago IT worker told prosecutors that property manager Carlos DOliveira said the boss wanted him to delete security footage in the days after the feds hit Trump with a subpoena.

Trump also falsely claimed in another interview that he was allowed to do whatever I want with the documents.

Im allowed to have these documents. Im allowed to take these documents  classified or not classified, he said on an episode of SiriusXMs The Megyn Kelly Show that aired Thursday.

Trump is charged with mishandling classified documents and obstruction of justice in the documents case. DOliveira and body man Walt Nauta are also charged with allegedly helping him hide the documents from the feds and even his own defense lawyer.

He also faces a separate federal trial next March over his alleged effort to overturn his loss to President Biden in the 2020 election, as well as a Georgia state conspiracy case related to some of the same issues and a New York trial on charges tied to hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels.

Trump also told Welker that he considered granting himself a pardon before leaving office, but decided against it.

Legal experts say it is a constitutional grey area whether a president has the power to pardon himself.

I could have done it (but) I would never give myself a pardon, he told Welker, adding that its very unlikely he would do so if he is reelected in 2024. Because I didnt do anything wrong.
Former President Donald Trump on Friday told two powerful social conservative groups that Republicans need to do a better job talking about the issue of abortion.

"We can win elections on this issue, but it's very delicate and explaining it properly is an extremely important thing. You have to be able to speak and explain it properly. A lot of politicians who are pro-life don't know how to discuss this topic, Trump told the leadership summit of the Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee in Washington, D.C.

Trump echoed his concerns later at the Family Research Council and FRC Actions annual Pray, Vote, Stand conference across town and said abortion was an issue in the midterms and explaining it properly is very important.

Trump said politicians don't know how to talk about it and cautioned that if they don't speak about it correctly, they're not going to win.

Trumps warning to two influential anti-abortion groups comes one year after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and as the issue continues to divide the Republican Party over just how far candidates should go in advocating for abortion restrictions. Some GOP leaders  including Trump  have expressed concerns that hardline anti-abortion policies and muddled Republican messaging on abortion was politically costly in the 2022 midterms.



Trump, who has called himself the most pro-life president in history and often touts his role in appointing the three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade, has been reluctant to offer specifics on where he stands although he has been clear he believes some Republican positions on abortion have been too harsh.

Trump has so far resisted pressure from anti-abortion leaders to embrace a federal abortion ban but said on Friday night that conservatives now have the power to negotiate at the state level. He also emphasized his support for exceptions to abortion bans in the case of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is at risk.

In both speeches, Trump ticked through his conservative record in the White House, including moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and reinstating the Mexico City Policy, which blocks U.S. federal funds from being used for abortions and was revoked by President Joe Biden.

Donald Trump didnt just deliver, he exceeded expectations, and he taught us not to accept less than what weve been promised, said Penny Nance, the chief executive of Concerned Women for America.

Trumps appearance at the events in Washington underscores the influence evangelical conservative Christian voters have on the Republican nominating process, especially in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses. Trump travels to Eastern Iowa on Wednesday to meet with volunteers and deliver a speech to supporters.

The former president continues to dominate national Republican primary polls and currently holds a double-digit lead over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who also appeared at both events Friday.

DeSantis signed into law a six-week abortion ban, but has not said he would support federal restrictions. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley has taken a more moderate approach and has called for consensus on the issue. Meanwhile South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former vice president Mike Pence have both called for Republican candidates to embrace a 15-week federal abortion ban.

Pence told reporters on Friday at the Family Research Council event he believed Republicans, including Trump, are trying to marginalize the cause of life.

The fact that the former president has not only refused to endorse a 15-week national law that would ban or limit abortion after a child was able to experience pain, but also the fact that he actually blamed election losses in 2022 on us overturning Roe v. Wade  that sends a signal to pro-life Americans about the priority hell put on the cause of life should you return him to the White House, Pence told reporters.

According to polling, a majority of Americans support abortion until at least six weeks into a pregnancy.
VINCENNES, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)  Body camera and dash camera footage from a recent traffic stop involving a man driving a Power Wheels Jeep in Vincennes, Indiana was released Friday.

The footage was obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Nexstars WTWO.

In the video, an Indiana State Police Trooper is seen patrolling the area of Second Street in Vincennes when he pulls up behind 51-year-old John McKee driving the childs toy.

After initiating the traffic stop, the trooper asks where McKee is headed, and McKee informs him hes heading home from the Hucks gas station with a can of gas, as he gestures to the back of the plastic Jeep.

Chickasha man sentenced to serve 25 years in prison for killing his father

Wheres your gas can at? The officer asks.

Oh man, I left it back there! McKee responds.

After checking with dispatch regarding the situation the trooper then administers field sobriety tests, which McKee fails.

(Image taken from ISP dashcam footage)

(Image taken from ISP bodycam footage)

(Image taken from ISP bodycam footage)

(Image taken from ISP bodycam footage)

(Image taken from ISP bodycam footage)

The trooper then informs McKee he needs to go to the hospital for a blood test and begins searching the vehicle. The trooper found six batteries designed for or compatible with the Power Wheels Vehicle strewn about the passenger seat and back compartment of the Jeep.

It was later confirmed at Good Samaritan Hospital that McKee was under the influence of methamphetamine and marijuana, according to police.

He was arrested and taken to the Knox County Jail on a charge of operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a prior conviction. Indiana State Police Sgt. Todd Ringle confirmed that McKees former conviction was for operating a vehicle while impaired.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
The storm formerly known as Hurricane Lee has passed the Brockton and Taunton area, headed north. The top emergency management folks in both cities report few effects.

Steve Hooke, director of Brockton's Emergency Management Agency, said the city experienced only "some gusty winds." Hooke, who is running for an at-large city council seat in Tuesday's preliminary election, said in a noon phone call that residents should "go out and enjoy the day."

Hooke did caution that if residents come across a downed wire, to stay clear of it and call 911.

In Taunton, Police Chief Ed Walsh reported about 11:15 a.m. Saturday that he was not aware of any damage from the storm.

Saturday morning: So far, so good

Good morning! The Enterprise and Gazette are monitoring the storm and will bring you live updates when needed. So far we're not hearing much in terms of storm damage from the winds or rain associated with what was once Hurricane Lee.

There was a power outage affecting about 1,450 people on Brockton's East Side on Friday night, but according to the Eversource outage map, those customers have had service restored.

Hurricane Lee reached land Friday morning following a 10-day journey across the Atlantic where it spent several hours at Category 5 status. The storm will continue to hit eastern New England and Atlantic Canada Saturday with heavy rain, strong winds and pounding surf.

AccuWeather hurricane expert Dan Kottlowski said the worst conditions began late Friday as "Lee tracks more than 100 miles to the east Saturday morning."

Lee completed its transition from a hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone this morning, still with 80 mph hurricane-force winds.

What is a "post-tropical cyclone"?

When a hurricane loses its tropical characteristics and becomes more "extra-tropical," associated with fronts and a larger wind field, said meteorologist Sara Johnson, with the National Weather Service in Gray/Portland, Maine. "Please do not let the naming convention detract from the still dangerous storm which is expected to bring strong winds and dangerous seas to the area," Johnson said.

Hurricane Lee - still powerful: What is a subtropical storm and how is it different from a tropical or extratropical system?

How big is Hurricane Lee? It's as wide as the state of Montana and 15 Rhode Islands

Is Brockton in a hurricane evacuation zone?

According to MEMA, evacuation during a hurricane may become necessary when there is a risk of a storm surge. The destructive power of storm surges and large battering waves is often the greatest threat to life and property, the agency wrote on its website.

However, Brockton, Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, East Bridgewater, Stoughton, Easton and Raynham are not in a hurricane evacuation zone.

Coastal Plymouth is located in hurricane evacuation Zone A, meaning it's in an area of increased risk of flooding from storm surges.

How can Brockton residents stay up to date on hurricane information?

Residents will automatically receive emergency alerts and weather warnings through their radio, television and cellphones with the nationwide Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather radio also provides emergency weather alerts and warnings. Follow MEMA on Twitter and Facebook, and call 211 for non-emergency assistance in Massachusetts. For local information, follow the Brockton Emergency Management Agency on Twitter and Facebook.

How should I prepare for power outages?

MEMA recommends ensuring smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are working and have fresh batteries ahead of an impending hurricane. Charge all electronics and get in touch with your medical provider and utility companies ahead of this weekend if your life-supporting medical equipment relies on electricity. Call National Grid of Massachusetts (800-465-1212) to report power outages during the storm.

Dinah Pulvar, USA Today reporter, and Amelia Stern, Enterprise reporter, contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Brockton and Taunton weather: Towns brushed by Hurricane Lee
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The Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music has set up a group to research central European music history with the aim of exploring the past 350 years of Hungarian music in the context of its region.

The group has started carrying out research covering Hungarian language culture, the former Kingdom of Hungary and Habsburg Empire, central and eastern Europe in Soviet times, and connections with various German-speaking countries under the auspices of the musicology department headed by Lorant Peteri, the academy said.



The group also held its first international conference under the title Rethinking Central European Music as part of this years Bartok World Violin Competition, organised by musicologists Anna Belinszky, Gergely Fazekas and Peteri.

Academy of Music teachers and other Hungarian institutions are joined by specialists from the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Romania, Switzerland and Serbia, including the University of Cambridge, the University of Surrey, Royal Holloway (University of London), and researchers from Leiden University.
The message of European Mobility Week is that Budapest is not just made up of motorists, cyclists and public transport passengers, but also residents who want to get around, Gergely Karacsony, the citys mayor, said on Friday, opening the environmental campaign in the capital.

The Budapest city councils job is to offer Budapest residents sustainable means of transport, Karacsony told a press conference in City Hall Park.



The city has become less liveable in recent years, with more and more people moving outside its borders and driving in to work, putting a burden on the environment, he said.



This negative spiral is what wed like to reverse, he said, adding that the city councils aim was to add more pedestrian crossings and protected bicycle lanes while keeping public squares for residents.



Karacsony noted that the mobility week had started out as a single car-free day, but the city administration today thinks about this issue in a far more complex way.



Budapests leadership does not see the parts of the city as mere transport vessels between the workplace, school and the home, but rather as the place where we live, and whose quality fundamentally impacts how we live, he said.



Meanwhile, the mayor said the claim that the city was seeing a sudden surge in congestion was false, citing international statistics as showing that there were fewer traffic jams in the capital.
MCCOOL JCT.  When input costs went through the roof in 2021 and 2022, Fillmore County farmer Jordan Uldrich decided that he needed a better strategy for fertilizer and weed managementone that wasnt going to break the bank, but that would still be effective. The following winter, I got my PhD on YouTube, he joked. He watched hundreds of videos on soil health and decided to give cover crops a try on some of his acres to reduce the need for inputs in the 2023 growing season.

Uldrich was one of the speakers at a recent farmer-led soil health field day held in McCool Junction. The event drew a crowd of about 50 and was hosted by Americas Conservation Ag Movement, Trust in Food, and the Farm Journal.

Uldrich spoke to the gathered farmers about lessons hes learned in year one of implementing cover crops. He wont know until harvest time if the investment will pay off. However, if there is little yield drag from the new management practices, he predicts that the changes hes implemented will save him $25 per acre.

It doesnt have to cost us a bunch of money to try something new, he told his fellow farmers. What I did only cost me my time, ingenuity, and some elbow grease.

Everyone has a few acres they could use to experiment with new practices that wont cause financial ruin if it doesnt work out, he suggested. It would be foolish to not stand on our forefathers shoulders, to move forward as the next generation of stewards of the land. There is no reason we cant help each other find a way to make the puzzle pieces of sustainability and profitability fit together for our future.

Building on Uldrichs message, Jenny Rees, Nebraska Extension educator, presented on a two-year study using perennial cover crops. While the study is still in progress, Rees shared information about what they have learned so far about the practice and how it might be incorporated on row crop acres in this area. She reminded producers in the room that they should take a broad view of the economic benefits of different management practices. The one-year snapshot of profit and loss might make it look as if practices like cover crops are too costly; however, if you zoom out to the two-to-five-year picture, the practices may pay off over time.

Reess presentation included success stories as well as failures so that when other farmers get started with these practices, they can avoid making the same mistakes as those in the study. Rees works with the On-Farm Research program and invites farmers to participate to find out answers to their agronomic questions.

Some of the most interesting material from the field day took place outside. The weather was ideal for a soil demonstration from USDA NRCS State Soil Health Specialist Aaron Hird.

Hird showed soil samples from a conventionally farmed field and a no-till field to show the differences in soil structure and function. He also demonstrated a variety of indicators of soil health that were observable without special equipment or a laboratory, such as its aggregate stability and infiltration rate. Hird suggested that farmers who are curious about their soil health should reach out to their local NRCS office and schedule a visit with a soil specialist who could assess basic soil health indicators, collect soil for sampling, and provide recommendations. There is funding available through NRCS, local NRDs, and several other sources for practices that can improve the soils function.

Jimmy Emmons, a Leopold Conservation Award winner, third generation Oklahoma farmer, and vice president of No-Till on the Plains, took the field day attendees to a nearby soybean field to show the benefits of leaving cover crop residue on the soil as armor against compaction from livestock grazing or farm vehicles. Livestock integration was a main theme of the field day, as there were several speakers that touted the soil health and financial benefits of adding livestock to row crop operations.

Emmons suggested that thanks to climate smart initiatives, there has never been a better time to get started with conservation agriculture practices. There is money available from public and private sources to reduce the burden of cost for producers who are making management changes for soil health.

Representatives from Ducks Unlimited and The Nature Conservancy also spoke at the event to let producers know about programs and funding available for conservation practices, such as the Nebraska Soil Carbon Project. This program, which is available to farmers in the Central Platte and Upper Big Blue Natural Resources Districts, provides funding and technical assistance to farmers who add cover crops, diverse rotations, and no-till practices to their acres.

York County producer Hank McGowan was one of the featured farmers for the event. McGowan talked about cover crops as a buffer against extreme weather variability (in recent years he has experienced hail, drought, and tornadoes) and how cover crops have greatly improved his soils infiltration rate, reduced erosion, suppressed weeds, and increased his overall profitability.

Cover crops improve soil organic matter much faster than no-till practices alone, said McGowan, so they are a great solution if youre trying to restore function to degraded soil. McGowan has been adding new management practices and transforming his acres a bit at a time for the past few years. His goal is to move the needle even further to reduce synthetic nitrogen application in the future.

McGowan admitted that drilling in a cover crop in the fall does make harvest time more of a hassle, but it is manageable. The extra work in the fall leads to a simpler spring planting season, with less inputs needed.

While weed suppression wasnt his primary goal in planting cover crops, McGowan says he was surprised to see how effective the practice has been at combating marestail and waterhemp.

Adding rye to lock up residual nitrogen in the soil while also feeding his cattle has been an added benefit. McGowan says he is glad to be doing his part to address the nitrate problem in the drinking water supply in McCool Junction where he lives and farms, as the community recently had to drill a new well because the level of nitrate had gotten too high in the municipal water supply.

These things will test your faith, said McGowan of cover crops and no-till practices, especially when your fields dont look as clean as your neighbors. However, his faith in conservation practices has paid off and he is seeing the dividends on his acres. Its been working better than I expected it to. I was told it would take five years before I saw improvement, but its not true. I saw some benefits immediately.
People were evacuated north of North Plattes Bailey Yard for several hours after a a strong acid exploded about noon Thursday inside a stationary container aboard a railcar.

The blast from the ignition of perchloric acid caused several nearby railcars to catch fire, Union Pacific Railroad said in a statement about two hours later.

No Union Pacific personnel were injured, and our employees have been safely evacuated, U.P. spokeswoman Robynn Tysver told The Telegraph.

The explosion did not result from a derailment, as the car had been stationary in the yard for a couple hours, she added.

Perchloric acid is a hazardous material used in explosives, as well as some food, drug and biocidal products, Tysver said in the U.P. statement. The railroad was continuing its investigation Thursday afternoon.

North Platte-area first responders quickly shut down U.S. Highway 30 between Front and Splinter roads, between mile markers 170 and 172 and directly north of the explosion site in Baileys west hump. U.S. 30 traffic was also being stopped at Buffalo Bill Avenue inside North Platte.

Residents along that stretch of the highway and up to 1 mile north were evacuated after reports of heavy toxic smoke coming from the yard, according to texts received from the citys emergency notification system.

Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park and State Recreation Area closed, as did the Golden Spike Tower and Visitor Center just south of the yard.

About 2:30 p.m., a follow-up notice warned people between Front and Homestead roads, U.S. 30 and West A Street outside North Platte to be prepared to evacuate in the next one to two hours due to wind and weather changing.

To keep people out of the broader evacuation zone, North Platte police said, Nebraska Department of Transportation workers posted barricades in late afternoon on both West A and West Front streets at Lakeview Boulevard.

But U.S. 30 reopened to traffic about 5 p.m., and a text notice was issued about 15 minutes later saying the fire was out and the evacuations had been lifted.

Winds were blowing from the southwest at about 10 mph around the time of the blasts. Shortly afterward, dark smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from atop the eight-story Golden Spike Tower.

Volunteer Gregg Robertson said he was talking to someone inside the tower when I just saw something and I looked and it was just a big ball of flame.

And then it was just fire, fire, fire, constant for 10, 12 minutes maybe. And then the fire went down and smoke kind of increased, and then it was just sparks coming out.

Robertson said he saw two smoke plumes rising from the blast site. The east plume was like black smoke. The west plume was orange smoke, something like Ive not seen from a fire, he said.

Theres something was burning that  I dont want no part of smelling what it was, because it was some kind of chemical over there going on.

David Thornton, who was visiting the Golden Spike Tower from Great Britain, said he saw the explosions through his binoculars.

I could see what looked like a sort of shower of sparks coming out, he said. Once I saw the smoke, I trained my binoculars on it and I could see (that) there was what looked like an explosion. But I didnt hear any sort of (audible) report.

The Nebraska State Patrol during the lunch hour was allowing limited local traffic to go westbound on U.S. 30 at its junction with Hoover Road near the old Taft School building. At least one motorist was advised to wear a mask.

Two men who live in that vicinity, talking aboard utility-type vehicles on nearby Scouts Rest Ranch Road, agreed that they heard four explosions in all.

It just shook the ground, Charlie Morland said. You could feel it shake the vehicles and stuff. I knew it was a pretty violent explosion.

The other man, a retired railroader who declined to give his name, said the blast happened across from Bailey Yards mini diesel shop about one-fourth of a mile west and south of Taft School.

It shook our house pretty good, he said.

This story includes reporting from Telegraph staffers Ryan Herzog, Andrew Bottrell, Joan von Kampen and Tyler Soper.
New Delhi: From its humble beginnings as a street soda shop in 1907, this iconic ice cream brand has transformed into a household name, representing the epitome of frozen delight. The journey of Vadilals success is not just a tale of frozen treats; its a story of vision, innovation, and generations of dedication.

Here's the story of the Vadilal ice cream brand. (Also Read: Who Is Vineeta Agarwal, Wife Of IIT Alumnus Turned CEO, Once Had Package Of Rs 100 Crore But Was Fired Due To...)

Vadilal Ice Cream: Foundation

Vadilal Gandhi, a visionary resident of Ahmedabad, sowed the seeds of this remarkable legacy in 1907. His modest venture started with the sale of soda, a refreshing beverage that resonated with the local community. (Also Read: 10 Most Followed Personalities On Twitter And Their Follower Counts)

Soon, Vadilal Gandhi introduced an additional delight  handcrafted ice cream. The response was overwhelming; people flocked to taste his delectable creations.

Passing Over To Next Generation

Ranchod Lal Gandhi, the son of Vadilal Gandhi, was given control of this growing company and took it upon himself to grow the heritage. Ranchod Lal Gandhi's visionary leadership resulted in the opening of the first store, appropriately named Vadilal Soda Fountain, in Ahmedabad in 1926. This was a turning point because ice creams came into the picture.

In the same year, Ranchod Lal Gandhi introduced an imported ice cream maker from Germany, demonstrating his unwavering dedication to quality and innovation. This action not only improved the flavour but also opened new doors for growth.

When India attained freedom, Vadilal had already built up four locations throughout the city, paving the way for future expansion.

Achieving Milestone

Significant turning points may be seen throughout Vadilal's path. By making "The Largest Ice Cream Sundae" in November 2001, the company secured their place in the Limca Book of Records.

180 people worked together to create this enormous work of art, which required a record-breaking 60 minutes to build 4,950 litres of ice cream, 125 kg of dry fruits, 255 kg of fresh fruits, and 390 litres of various sauces.
New Delhi: A few years back, following Jack Dorsey's resignation as CEO of Twitter, Parag Agrawal was named the company's new CEO. Vineeta, who has a BS in biophysics from Stanford University, an MD from Harvard Medical School/MIT, and a PhD, is married to Parag.

Vineeta Agrawal: Profession

Vineeta is a doctor who serves as an adjunct clinical professor at Stanford School of Medicine, according to her Twitter page. (Also Read: Turn Your Dream Business Idea Into Reality: Start With Just Rs 2 Lakh And Earn Monthly Income Of Rs 80,000)

She also contributes to the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, which advertises itself as a platform that links businesspeople with financiers, executives, engineers, researchers, business professionals, and others in the IT sector. (Also Read: 10 Most Followed Personalities On Twitter And Their Follower Counts)

Vineeta Agrawal: Education

Vineeta has a BS in biophysics from Stanford University, as well as MD and PhD degrees from Harvard Medical School/MIT, according to her online resume.

Vineeta Agrawal: Personal Life

Vineeta Agarwala is married to Parag Agrawala who has been employed at Twitter for about ten years. They reside in San Francisco, California, and have a kid named Ansh.

Parag Agrawal: Nomination As CEO

After co-founder Jack Dorsey left, a little-known person by the name of Parag Agrawal was named CEO of the microblogging website Twitter. He anticipated that by selecting Agrawal for the "bone-deep" trust, the 37-year-old would steer the business in the correct direction.

Parag Agrawal: Education

Agrawal, who earned his PhD from Stanford University after earning his BTech in computer science and engineering at IIT Bombay, has a very secretive personal life.

Parag Agrawal: Professional Journey

Parag joined Twitter in 2011. Prior to that, he had brief stints with Yahoo, with&T, and Microsoft. In all three businesses, the majority of his labour was focused on research. He first focused on ad-related products at Twitter, but over time, he also experimented with artificial intelligence.

Parag joins a growing group of Indian-American CEOs of major IT firms, including Sundar Pichai of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, Satya Nadella of Microsoft, and Arvind Krishna of IBM.
Ganesh Chaturthi, also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, is a revered Hindu festival that commemorates the birth of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed God of wisdom and prosperity. Celebrated with immense zeal across India, this festival holds cultural, social, and religious significance.

The festivities commence with the creation of elaborately crafted clay idols, followed by prayers, rituals, and grand processions. Each tradition and custom associated with Ganesh Chaturthi carries a unique symbolic meaning, fostering a sense of unity and devotion among communities.

Ganesh Chaturthi Traditions and Customs

1. Idol Creation and Installation

Artisans sculpt clay idols of Lord Ganesha, emphasizing creativity and craftsmanship. The installation of these idols in homes and pandals marks the commencement of the celebrations.

2. Prayers and Offerings

Devotees perform special prayers, offering modakas (sweets), fruits, and flowers to Lord Ganesha, seeking his blessings for wisdom, prosperity, and the removal of obstacles.

3. Poojas and Aartis

Elaborate ceremonies and aartis (rituals) are conducted, accompanied by the chanting of sacred hymns and mantras, creating an atmosphere of spirituality and devotion.

4. Modak: The Divine Sweet

Modak, a sweet dumpling, holds special significance as Lord Ganesha's favorite food. Its preparation and distribution symbolize the indulgence of the deity.

5. Visarjan: Farewell to Ganesha

On the final day, a grand procession accompanies the immersion (visarjan) of the idols into rivers or seas, bidding an emotional farewell to Lord Ganesha, with a promise of his return.

Ganesh Chaturthi, a beloved festival, embraces diverse traditions and customs. From the artistic creation of idols to heartfelt prayers and elaborate ceremonies, each ritual carries deep symbolism.

Devotees seek Lord Ganesha's blessings for a prosperous life, showcasing their love through the offering of modak, his favorite sweet. The festival culminates with a poignant visarjan, symbolizing the cyclical nature of life.

Ganesh Chaturthi not only honors the birth of Lord Ganesha but also exemplifies the unity and devotion within the community as they come together to celebrate this joyous occasion.

(This article is intended for your general information only. Zee News does not vouch for its accuracy or reliability.)
The anti-terror operations in Kokernag continued for the fourth day today and the body of one terrorist was captured in drone footage. On the fourth consecutive day of the operation in the Gadole forests of the Kokernag area in Anantnag District, a top police source confirmed to Zee News that two dead bodies have been seen via drone footage by the security forces near the operation site. According to the source, one body is of the killed terrorist and another body is of the Indian army soldier who was killed yesterday as his body could not be retrieved due to the heavy firing from the terrorist side.

The source also said that there are two terrorists still alive and retaliating against the security forces in the area. The operation is most likely to continue tomorrow as well. The security forces resumed the operation this morning after a night halt. Its the fourth day of the encounter and it has been over 80 hours since the operation was started. With the first light today, the joint operation by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and CRPF resumed.

Drones have been pushed in to destroy the hideouts of the terrorists in the area. Jammu and Kashmir police had earlier said that the terrorists had been spotted and cornered. At least two to three terrorists including Uzair Khan of the Lashkar have been surrounded in the cordon. The Indian army had said that the Army and Police are using modern equipment like drones and other high-tech gadgets to conduct the operation.

Security forces also destroyed around six natural caves which probably were used by terrorists as hideouts in the jungle area. Two terrorist hideouts were blasted and recoveries were made from those hideouts. Security forces recovered one AK 47 rifle, ammunition, food, and utensils from these hideouts.

Earlier, two Indian Army officers and a DSP of Jammu and Kashmir Police were killed in an ongoing encounter. The killed army colonel was identified as Manpreet Singh while the army major was identified as Aashish Dhonchak. The DSP of the Jammu and Kashmir Police was identified as Humayun Bhat.

In another operation in North Kashmir's Uri sector of Baramulla district, three terrorists were killed while they were trying to infiltrate the Indian territory. The operation between terrorists and security forces started early this morning in the Hathlanga area of Uri in North Kashmir's Baramulla district. The security forces had a tip-off about the presence of terrorists in the area who were trying to infiltrate. The Indian Army in a press meet said that Pakistani army was assisting the terrorists during infiltration and even opend fired at the Indian Army as well.
JHANJHARPUR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday warned that Bihar's areas close to the borders (seemant) will become "infested with infiltrators" if Prime Minister Narendra Modi was not voted back to power. Shah, widely regarded as the BJP's "principal strategist", made the remark at a rally in Jhanjharpur parliamentary constituency, situated close to Nepal and Bangladesh.

The home minister, who spoke for close to 30 minutes, charged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Rashtriya Janata Dal president Lalu Prasad of pursuing "appeasement politics" through measures like cuts in holidays of government schools. "I would like to congratulate the people of Bihar for putting up a resistance that forced the state government to withdraw its order whereby holidays on Rakshabandhan, the festival of brothers and sisters, and Janmashtami, devoted to Lord Krishna, were done away with," said Shah.

The allusion was to the recent protests by teachers across the state which led the education department to withdraw the new calendar which was brought in with the aim of ensuring that classes were held for the requisite number of days in a year. Continuing with the tirade against "tushtikaran" (appeasement), the home minister slammed the Congress, a partner in the state's ruling alliance, for dragging its feet on Ram temple at Ayodhya and Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Showering praises on PM Modi for abrogation of Article 370 and making possible the construction of the temple "by January next year", the home minister, however, struck an alarming note. "If the Lalu-Nitish duo (jodi) returns to power in Bihar and Narendra Modi does not come back as Prime Minister, the entire region will become infested with infiltrators (saara seemant kshetra ghuspaithiyon se bhar jaaega)", said Shah.

"In such a situation, many types of issues will arise in Bihar (anek prakaar ke sawaal khade honge). Do you want the area to be teeming with infiltrators," the home minister asked. He, however, exuded confidence that the BJP-led NDA, which performed well in Bihar in the last couple of Lok Sabha polls, will win "all 40 seats" of the state in 2024.

Shah also slammed the INDIA coalition for the alleged denigration of "Sanatana Dharma" and claimed that the Congress-led coalition did away with the previous name "UPA" because it had been associated with "scams involving Rs 12 lakh crore". "Some of the scams involved Lalu Prasad, who was then the railway minister, to which Nitish Kumar is now turning a blind eye for the sake of his prime ministerial ambitions", alleged Shah.

"But Nitish should know there is no vacancy for the post of the prime minister. His alliance with Lalu is like trying to mix oil with water. The oil does not get dissolved, but water gets contaminated", Shah remarked. Shah also alleged while the chief minister was thinking of becoming the prime minister, his ally was busy making plans to help son (Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav) occupy the highest seat of power in the state.

The former BJP president began his speech with evocative salutations to goddess Sita, who is believed to have been discovered by King Janaka not very far from the venue of the rally. The home minister, who slammed the INDIA bloc for alleged denigration of Bihar, underscored the benefits that were likely to accrue to Bihar under the Centre's Ramayana Circuit tourism scheme, which covers many districts of the state.

He also claimed that at the G20 presidency, the showcasing of Nalanda and Madhubani paintings were proof of the high esteem in which PM Modi held Bihar's heritage. "It was at the instance of PM Modi that African Union was included in the G20. I have been travelling across the country since then. Young people feel proud of India's growing influence", claimed the Union home minister.

Charging the Nitish Kumar government with being in deep slumber (Kumbhkaran ki neend) as Bihar, particularly the Mithila region, were reeling under floods and lawlessness (jungle raj), Shah claimed the Modi government has so far given Rs 5.92 lakh-crore for various projects in Bihar, as against the UPA that spent less than half the amount.

Shah, who reached the venue by a chopper he took at Darbhanga, credited the Modi government for the airport at the north Bihar town and said an allocation of Rs 1,200 crore has been made to upgrade the one at Patna. He also blamed the state government for the stalling of construction of AIIMS at Darbhanga "which would have made Bihar a state with more than one such hospital (after Patna)". "The Nitish Kumar government had allotted a tract of land that was unsuitable for the project. Moreover, they have now taken the entire 81 acres back", alleged Shah.
September 17, the anniversary of Telangana's integration into the Indian Union, has gained significant importance in the state in recent years. This year, as Assembly polls are scheduled, the date is being used for political campaigning. All three major parties in the state  the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Congress, and BJP  have planned notable events to coincide with this date, featuring speeches by their top leaders. While Union Home Minister Amit Shah reached Hyderabad this evening, Congress leaders are already camping in the city for the party's key meeting.

Since 2020 when the BJP began making efforts to establish a foothold in the state, September 17 has become a focal point for competing narratives. The government led by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) under K Chandrashekar Rao, which hadn't officially celebrated this day since coming into power in 2014, declared in 2022 that it would observe September 17 as Telangana National Unity Day and organize a series of events over three days. On the other hand, the BJP-led Centre stated it would recognize the day as Telangana State Liberation Day, highlighting it as the day Telangana broke free from Nizam's rule.

Once again, the BJP is planning a substantial event at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad, with Home Minister Amit Shah in attendance. During his visit, Shah will pay homage to the soldiers who fought against the Nizams Army and the Razakars, and hoist the national flag.

While the Congress had a limited presence in marking September 17 last year, this time it has acknowledged the days significance and historical importance. The party has scheduled a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Telangana for the day. A Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) leader emphasized that September 17 was an opportune day to unveil electoral plans and commitments.

In conjunction with the CWC meeting, the Congress is also organizing a major public gathering at Tukkuguda in Hyderabad district. Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, along with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, is expected to attend and unveil the partys "five guarantees" for the upcoming polls later this year. Congress leaders mentioned their intention to announce specific pledges or commitments for youth, SC-STs, and minorities during this public gathering.

On the other hand, the ruling BRS has slammed both the BJP and the Congress. The BRS will also be celebrating the day across the state and will utilise the occasion to promote the state government's policies. With elections around the corner, a triangular contest in Telangana cannot be ruled out.
Four Republican and two unaffiliated voters filed suit in state court in Denver on Wednesday seeking to block the secretary of state from placing Donald Trump on any future primary or general election ballot in Colorado.

A Trump spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the suit.

The lawsuit contains prominent political names on the plaintiffs' side, including former Republican Senate Majority Leader Norma Anderson and Denver Post columnist Krista Kafer among those challenging Trump's eligibility for the ballot. Former Republican legislative candidate Mario Nicolais, former solicitor general Eric Olson and the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington are part of the legal team that brought the suit.

"Four years after taking an oath to 'preserve, protect and defend' the Constitution," the 115-page lawsuit alleges, "Trump tried to overthrow the results of the 2020 election, leading to a violent insurrection at the United States Capitol to stop the lawful transfer of power to his successor. By instigating this unprecedented assault on the American constitutional order, Trump violated his oath."

Anderson v Griswold lawsuit

The plaintiffs have grounded their claims in state law and in the 14th Amendment's prohibition on certain state and federal officials ever holding federal office if they "shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion."

The extraordinary move to bar a presidential candidate from the ballot  as that candidate is also facing multiple criminal charges  relies on a recent case in New Mexico, in which courts removed a local elected official from his position due to his involvement in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

In a statement, Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said she is "hopeful that this case will provide guidance to election officials on Trump's eligibility as a candidate for office."

Among the Republican plaintiffs are former U.S. Rep. Claudine Cmarada, who represented Rhode Island in Congress and lives in Colorado, and Michelle Priola, the wife of state Sen. Kevin Priola, the Henderson Democrat who switched parties a year ago after winning election to his seat twice as a Republican. Anderson's daughter-in-law, Pam Anderson, was the 2022 Republican nominee for Colorado secretary of state who lost to Griswold.

The Colorado GOP slammed the lawsuit on social media, declaring that "Never-Trumpers, RINO's, & Democrats are colluding to block [Trump] from accessing the 2024 Colorado Republican Primary Ballot," using a derisive acronym for "Republicans in name only."

The state party went on to accuse Griswold of "likely invit[ing] the lawsuit so a judge could make the decision to block Trump instead of you doing it yourself."

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"Per Colorado Law, the Colorado Republican Party will decide who gets on the primary ballot not you or a leftwing judge," the Colorado GOP added on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

In a fundraising email sent on Wednesday, state GOP chair Dave Williams said the party plans to "consider all options, whether litigation or otherwise, to preserve the right of Republican voters to vote for President Trump" or other Republican candidates on Colorado's ballot.

Some groups have demanded that states top election officials bar Trump under the clause that prohibits those who engaged in an insurrection or rebellion against the Constitution from holding higher office. None has taken that step, looking for guidance from the courts on how to interpret a clause that has only been used a handful of times since the 1860s.

The lawsuit Wednesday was the first filed by an organization with significant legal resources. It may lead to similar challenges in other states, holding out the potential for conflicting rulings that would require the Supreme Court to settle.

The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, helped ensure civil rights for freed slaves  and eventually for all people in the U.S. But it also was used to prevent former Confederate officials from becoming members of Congress after the Civil War and taking over the government against which they had just rebelled.

The clause cited in the lawsuit allows Congress to lift the ban, which it did in 1872 as the political will to continue to bar former Confederates dwindled. The provision was almost never used after that.

The clause cites presidential electors  but not presidents themselves  as being disqualified if they previously swore an oath to uphold the Constitution and then broke it.

The 14th Amendment was used last year to bar from office a New Mexico county commissioner who entered the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. That was the first time it was used in 100 years. In 1919, Congress refused to seat a socialist, contending he gave aid and comfort to the countrys enemies during World War I.

In its complaint, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington asked the court to expedite the matter so it can be resolved before Colorado's primary ballot is set. Colorado is scheduled to hold its presidential primary on March 5, 2024. State law sets a deadline of Jan. 5, 2024, for the secretary of state to certify the ballot.

The case is Anderson et al. v. Griswold et al.

Nicholas Riccardi of the Associated Press contributed to this article.
New Delhi: IAS couple Tina Dabi and Pradeep Gawande on Friday welcomed a baby boy in their family. Tina Dabi, the former collector of Jaisalmer and the topper of the 2015 IAS batch, has become a mother to a son. She gave birth to the baby boy in a Jaipur hospital on Friday. Tina and Pradeep are overjoyed at the arrival of their first child. They are receiving warm wishes from their friends and well-wishers. Tina had taken maternity leave from July and had left Jaisalmer with an emotional farewell. She had requested a non-field posting in Jaipur during her pregnancy.

Tina and Pradeep had tied the knot in 2022 in front of a portrait of BR Ambedkar. Pradeep belongs to the 2013 IAS batch and hails from Latur in Maharashtra. He is a doctor by profession and completed his MBBS from Aurangabad. He is currently serving in the Rajasthan cadre. Tina and Pradeep met each other during the Covid pandemic and fell in love.

Before becoming the district collector of Jaisalmer, Tina was the joint secretary in the Rajasthan finance department. She had done a lot of work for the welfare of the Hindu refugees who came from Pakistan and settled in Jaisalmer. She had also initiated a special campaign to improve the condition of women and female education in the district.

IAS Tina Dabi's Success Story

Tina Dabi's success story as the first Dalit woman to top the UPSC exam made her a household name. Her marriage with her batchmate Athar Amir Khan was a high-profile affair attended by many politicians. However, they got divorced later and Tina married Pradeep. Tina Dabi's sister Ria Dabi had shared some pictures of Tina's baby shower celebration last week on social media.

Tina's Social Media Following

Tina Dabi enjoys a huge fan following on social media platforms. She has 16 lakh followers on Instagram, 4.50 lakh on Twitter and more than 4.25 lakh followers on Facebook. She often shares glimpses of her personal and professional life with her fans.
New Delhi: A woman IAS and IPS officer who had a social media spat in Karnataka are back in the headlines. Six months after the dispute with IPS officer D Roopa Moudgil, the Karnataka government has given a new posting to IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri. Rohini Sindhuri is the chief editor of the Karnataka Gazetteer Department. Meanwhile, the government has ordered to transfer IPS officer D Roopa Moudgil to the post of IGP of the Internal Security Division (ISD). This is the first time in seven months that Roopa has got a chance to perform her duty.

The two IAS and IPS officers of Karnataka who had a fight on social media in February have returned to work. The Karnataka government has given them new assignments.

Who is IAS Rohini Sindhuri?

Rohini Sindhuri is an IAS officer of the 2009 batch of Karnataka cadre. She is originally from Andhra Pradesh. She has worked on various positions so far. Six months after the controversy with IPS officer D Roopa Moudgil, the government has assigned a new position to IAS officer Rohini Sindhuri. Currently, Rohini Sindhuri is the chief editor of the Karnataka Gazetteer Department.

What Position Did Rohini Sindhuri Get?

The government has issued an order to give Rohini Sindhuri this position, which she had been waiting for for many days. She has been instructed to take charge of the post of chief editor of the Karnataka Gazetteer Department until further orders.

Public Spats Between The Two

In February this year, IAS Sindhuri and IPS Roopa indulged in a public spat after the latter made shocking allegations against the former. Roopa, the Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Managing Director, took to her social media account and alleged several "wrongdoings" of Sindhuri, who was the then Muzrai Department Commissioner.

Roopa accused the 2009-batch IAS officer of misconduct and released personal pictures of Sindhuri alleging that it was shared by her with a few male officers. Sindhuri, however, termed the allegations as baseless and said that Roopa, an IPS officer of the year 2000 batch, is making such comments against her out of personal hatred, and was behaving as if she had lost her mental balance.

Sindhuri said that she will take legal action for Roopa's actions amounting to misconduct and criminal offenses under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. The two senior officers had also accused each other of violating the Civil Services Conduct rules, and that they had brought it to the notice of the appropriate authorities.

The two have been indulged in a public spat in the past as well, and have also been involved in controversies separately in their official capacities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 17, will celebrate his 73rd birthday by launching 'YashoBhoomi', a world-class venue for hosting various events and exhibitions in the country. 'YashoBhoomi' is the first phase of the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) project at Dwarka in New Delhi. 'YashoBhoomi' is one of the biggest MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) facilities in the world, with a total project area of over 8.9 lakh square metre and a total built up area of more than 1.8 lakh square metre. It has 15 convention rooms, including the Main auditorium, the Grand ballroom and 13 meeting rooms, with a combined capacity of hosting 11,000 delegates. The Convention centre has the country's largest LED media facade.

The Main auditorium can seat around 6,000 guests and has an innovative automated seating system that can change the floor configuration according to the event. The auditorium also has wooden floors and acoustic wall panels for a world class experience. The Grand Ballroom can host around 2,500 guests and has a unique petal ceiling. It also has an extended open area that can seat up to 500 people. The 13 meeting rooms are spread across eight floors and can accommodate different types of meetings.

'YashoBhoomi' also boasts of one of the largest Exhibition halls in the world, with an area of over 1.07 lakh square metres. These Exhibition halls can be used for organising exhibitions, trade fairs, and business events, and are connected to a grand foyer space that has a copper ceiling with skylights. The foyer also has various support areas such as Media rooms, VVIP lounges, Cloak facilities, visitor information centre, ticketing among others.

The design of 'YashoBhoomi' is inspired by Indian culture and features terrazzo floors with brass inlay representing rangolis patterns, suspended sound absorbent metal cylinders, lit up patterned walls. 'YashoBhoomi' is also committed to sustainability and has a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment system with 100 per cent wastewater reuse, rainwater harvesting, rooftop solar panels and a Green Cities Platinum certification from CIIs Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).

'YashoBhoomi' will also be connected to Delhi Airport Metro Express line with the opening of the new metro station at Dwarka Sector 25. Delhi Metro will also increase the speed of Metro trains on Airport Express Line from 90 to 120 km/hr reducing the travel time. The journey from New Delhi to 'YashoBhoomi' Dwarka Sector 25 will take about 21 minutes.
New Delhi: Hapur's Superintendent of Police, Abhishek Verma, has consistently garnered attention throughout his career. His notable actions range from conducting the 'Operation Langra' against miscreants and criminals to the controversial use of baton charges on lawyers. This Uttar Pradesh IPS officer has been making headlines since the early stages of his professional journey.

Born on December 25, 1990, Abhishek Verma hails from Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh. He pursued his undergraduate studies in electronics engineering and, in 2016, achieved the distinction of becoming an IPS officer through the Uttar Pradesh Cadre selection process.

At the onset of this year, SP Verma found himself facing death threats from a notorious criminal in Uttar Pradesh with a history of criminal activity. This individual demanded a ransom of Rs 10 lakh from the government official. The culprit, who identified himself as Rohit Saxena, menacingly warned SP Verma that harm would come to his family if the ransom was not promptly delivered. It later transpired that this malefactor was indeed a known history-sheeter from Bareilly. Remarkably, SP Verma had previously served in Bareilly as a Deputy Superintendent of Police and had apprehended Saxena for unresolved criminal cases.

Verma was honored with a commendation plaque and a prestigious gold medal in recognition of his exceptional efforts in swiftly rescuing a kidnapped child in Greater Noida and apprehending the criminals involved, all within a remarkable 24-hour timeframe. Furthermore, he received accolades for his unwavering dedication to upholding law and order in the district, effectively curbing criminal activities.

Nonetheless, SP Verma found himself under scrutiny and faced criticism when reports emerged of the police allegedly resorting to baton charges against lawyers on August 29 in Hapur. These lawyers had been protesting against the filing of a case against a female advocate and her father approximately a week prior, stemming from a contentious encounter between the woman lawyer and the police while she was en route to Ghaziabad in her car.
New Delhi: Expect Malaika Arora to surprise you in ways, one doesn't really expect when it comes to fashion. She can pull off a desi look and turn heads in Western attire with equal elan. Malla recently took to her Instagram handle and dropped a photoshoot looking absolutely an eye-candy in a cobalt blue thigh-high slit gown.

MALAIKA ARORA'S SEXY PHOTOSHOOT

Malaika wore a Deme Love gown by the talented designer Gabriella Demetriades (Arjun Rampal's partner). The stunner was seen flaunting her hourglass figure in the sexy gown. She was all dolled up for the launch of season 3 of Celebfie Cruise With The Stars held in Mumbai.

MALAIKA ARORA'S LOVE LIFE

Malaika'a love life has always been under the scanner. Recently, reports of her and beau Arjun Kapoor's break-up surfaced online after the latter went on a solo trip and posted a few pictures. Netizens started a debate about whether the duo had split. However, looks like it was just plain rumour. Also, Malaika was recently seen attending AP Dhillion's party alone, which further led to the break-up speculation.

Well, Mala and Arjun have been together since 2019. She was earlier married to actor-producer Arbaaz Khan but they got divorced in 2016. The couple continues to stay friends and are co-parenting their son, Arhaan Khan.

Malaika runs a yoga studio by the name of Diva Yoga Centre and often urges people to either take to yoga or hit the gym. She recently featured in the song 'Tera Ki Khayal' with Guru Randhawa besides making her digital debut with the Disney+ Hotstar show - 'Moving In With Malaika' - where she gave fans access to her life through unfiltered conversations.
New Delhi: Theres a good news for those who admire Nothing brand but their pockets havent allowed to buy the products. Keeping this kind of customers in mind, Nothing is going to launch an affordable brand called CMF. The brand is expected to release affordable prodcuts such as wireless earbuds, smartwatches, etc.

Now, CMF is going to launch in India on September 26 at 2:30 pm IST. The sub-brand will keep the innovation and design and functionality in align with Nothing, which is popular for unique and transparent design, its own operating system, and elegant functionality.

General Manager of Nothing Manu Sharma announced that CMF by Nothing is going to launch on Sepetmber 26 in his X (fomerly Twitter) account. He hasnt revealed any more information about the launch, dubbed as Wonderful By Design.

Mark your calendar, CMF by Nothing launch on 26 Sep. pic.twitter.com/3bg3TFsZkU  Manu Sharma (@buildingnothing) September 14, 2023

CMF is a new sub-brand of UK-based Nothing dubbed as Colour, Material and Finish in left to right order.

Nothing is founded by Carl Pei, which has become a popular msmartphone brand in India. The brand portfolio contains Phone (1) and Phone (2), Ear Stick and Ear (2). Nothing Phone (2) is the latest entry launched this year itself after the phenomenal success of its predecessor last year.
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U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert was escorted by security from a performance of "Beetlejuice" on Sunday night in Denver after audience members complained the Garfield County Republican was talking loudly, singing and using her cellphone camera during the musical, a spokesman for the city-owned Buell Theatre said.

Two patrons were asked to leave the auditorium during the touring Broadway musical's second act following "numerous complaints" from fellow patrons about inappropriate behavior, Brian Kitts, a marketing and communications staffer with Denver's Arts and Venues, told The Denver Gazette on Tuesday.

The patrons, who weren't named, were warned at intermission by theater staff but continued their behavior into the second act, at which point they were escorted from the venue, he said.

Denver Gazette news partner 9News obtained surveillance footage of the incident from the Buell Theatre:

Heidi Bosk, associate director of press and promotions for the Denver Center of the Performing Arts Broadway, said: "We were informed that two patrons were not adhering to the policies, which eventually led to them being escorted from the theatre. For privacy purposes we do not disclose patron information."

Boebert's campaign disputed the venue's description of her behavior but confirmed that the two-term congresswoman and a fellow theater-goer were removed from the performance on Sunday night after she snapped a photo during the performance, which is prohibited.

I can confirm the stunning and salacious rumors: in her personal time, Congresswoman Lauren Boebert is indeed a supporter of the performing arts (gasp!) and, to the dismay of a select few, enthusiastically enjoyed a weekend performance of 'Beetlejuice,'" Boebert campaign manager Drew Sexton said in a text message to Colorado Politics.

He noted that a local newspaper called the musical "zany," "outrageous" and a "lusty riot."

According to a Buell incident report, theater staff received three complaints that the two patrons had been "vaping, singing, causing a disturbance." The two "were argumentative" and insisted they were responding to the performance the same as surrounding audience members after ushers told them that they "need to be respectful to their neighbors" and that they would be asked to leave if there were more complaints.

About five minutes into the second act, following the intermission, Buell staff received another complaint about Boebert and her companion, this time alleging they were "being loud" and using a recording device. When an usher asked to speak with them outside the theater, they refused to leave and repeated their refusal after being told they would be trespassing.

"I told them I would (be) going to get Denver Police. They said go get them," the Buell staffer wrote in the incident report.

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After stepping into a nearby vestibule to radio for support, the staffer said the two patrons "left the theatre on their own" and eventually exited the building after being told they could be banned.

Outside the auditorium, according to the incident report, the two patrons argued with theater staff, saying "stuff like, 'Do you know who I am?' 'I am on the board' (and) 'I will be contacting the mayor.'"

Praising the show's "fantastic cast, tremendous visual, and plenty of loud laughs for attendees," Sexton, Boebert's campaign manager, said she "strongly encourages everyone to go see 'Beetlejuice,'" during its run, which concludes Saturday night, but added "a gentle reminder to leave their phones outside of the venue."

A Denver police spokesperson told The Denver Gazette that officers were called to the theater to handle a couple of patrons who were creating a disturbance but were called off before they got there, so no police report was filed.

It isn't the first time Boebert has been subject to criticism for her behavior while seated in an audience.

During President Joe Biden's first address to a joint session of Congress on April 28, 2021, Boebert drew attention from the press gallery and the Secret Service when she loudly opened a silver foil blanket and draped it across her lap, later saying she was trying to bring attention to the children who were among a record number of migrants crossing the southern border with Mexico.

A little less than a year later, Boebert and fellow House Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia heckled Biden during the Democratic president's first State of the Union address, with the two briefly chanting "Build the wall!" when Biden talked about immigration. Minutes later, Boebert shouted, You put them in, 13 of them, when Biden described veterans "in a flag-draped coffin" while voicing support for legislation to assist veterans exposed to toxic fumes from military burn pits.

Her interjection drew boos from the chamber and a strong rebuke later that night from fellow Colorado lawmaker Jason Crow, an Aurora Democrat, who said Boebert's outburst "was entirely inappropriate  certainly a stain on her."

On Tuesday afternoon, Boebert took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, to describe what happened at the Buell on Sunday.

"It's true, I did thoroughly enjoy the AMAZING Beetlejuice at the Buell Theatre and I plead guilty to laughing and singing too loud!" Boebert wrote above a link to purchase tickets to the show.

"Everyone should go see it if you get the chance this weekend and please let me know how it ends!"
The Colorado Republican Party wants to oppose a lawsuit filed last week in state court that seeks to disqualify Donald Trump from appearing on any future primary or general election ballot in Colorado.

The lawsuit, filed last week in Denver District Court by four Republican and two unaffiliated Colorado voters, alleges that the former Republican presidents efforts to overturn the 2020 election disqualify him from the ballot under the post-Civil War 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which bars people who engaged in insurrection or rebellion from holding state or federal office.

In a motion filed on Thursday, Colorado Republicans ask to intervene in the case, arguing that the political party has different interests than either Trump or Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat and the states chief election officer, who are named as defendants in the lawsuit.

This case has only just begun, and the Colorado Republican Committee has an interest in ensuring that its rights to designate its candidates pursuant to its rules and state law are declared and protected as promptly as possible so that it may determine who its designated presidential candidates will be, the GOPs motion says.

The state GOPs chief legal adviser in the case is the Washington, D.C.-based American Center for Law and Justice, whose chief counsel, Jay Sekulow, represented Trump during his first impeachment trial in the Senate.

Denver District Court Judge Sarah Block Wallace noted in an order issued late Thursday that neither Trump nor the lawsuits plaintiffs oppose the state Republicans motion to intervene, but that Griswold might. The judge told Griswold to be prepared to discuss the bases for that opposition at a status conference set for 10 a.m. Monday.

The Colorado GOPs interests are already represented by Trumps (counsel), a spokeswoman for Griswold told Colorado Politics in an email.

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Trumps campaign didnt respond to a request for comment submitted through the attorney representing Trump in the case, former Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler.

Helmed by liberal watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, the lawsuit asks the court to expedite the matter so it can be resolved before Colorados March 5, 2024 primary ballot is finalized. State law sets a deadline of Jan. 5, 2024 for the secretary of state to certify the presidential primary ballot.

In an interview with Colorado GOP Chairman Dave Williams posted online on Wednesday, Sekulow referred to the lawsuit as this attempt to edit the ballots, basically censor the ballots, adding that Williams must be concerned because you want your citizens, the Republicans in Colorado to have a choice.

Williams said the lawsuit, which he called an undemocratic attempt to limit choices, is unifying Republicans in the state.

I think everyone tends to agree that if you dont support Donald Trump, the right answer is to simply organize, to campaign against him, not kick him off the ballot, Williams said. I think most people will understand that this is bigger than Donald Trump. Its bigger than any one candidate. This is about ensuring that were securing the voting rights of everyone that wants to participate in the election.

Thats whats really at stake here is voter integrity and voter access, Sekulow said.
Colorado Democrats officially backed both of the ballot measures that voters will face this November.

The Colorado Democratic Partys state central committee voted on Thursday to endorse Proposition HH and Proposition II. The two measures, referred to the ballot by the state legislature, are the only statewide issues up for consideration in the upcoming election.

Colorado Democrats are working hard to put more money into Coloradans pockets, and to invest in giving our kids a great education and thats exactly what Propositions HH and II do, said Shad Murib, chair of the Colorado Democratic Party.

Prop HH asks voters whether to use the surplus from the Taxpayers Bill of Rights to reduce property taxes, fund school districts and backfill counties, water districts, fire districts, ambulance or hospital districts and other local governments. The TABOR surplus would otherwise be refunded to Colorado taxpayers.

Prop II asks voters whether to spend $23.65 million on expanding Colorados free preschool program by letting the state keep the money collected through taxes on cigarettes, tobacco and other nicotine products, and maintaining those current tax rates, instead of reducing them.

The fights over both measures have largely been split along party lines.

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The bill to refer Prop II to the ballot passed the state legislature with all but three Democrats voting yes and all Republicans voting no. The Prop HH bill received similar near-unanimous support from Democrats and unanimous opposition from Republicans, with House Republicans even walking out during the bills final vote in protest.

Critics of Prop HH, including the Denver Republican Party, have called it an underhanded way to gradually eliminate TABOR refunds by compounding the amount the government is allowed to keep and spend on property tax relief and state education funding.

The legislature could have given you property tax relief without you forfeiting your TABOR refund check like we have been doing the past two years, said state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, R-Brighton, co-chair of the No on HH issue committee. The legislature and the governor want to take your TABOR refund check and continue their spending spree.

Supporters of Prop HH say it will soften the blow of rising property tax rates and, for the 2023 tax year, result in higher TABOR refunds for Coloradans earning under $100,000 per year, thanks to a companion measure that will temporarily equalize refunds if Prop HH passes.

The Republican Party is selling the same old tired plan of giving irresponsible corporations and the wealthiest among us a handout, and Coloradans arent buying it, Murib said. These measures cut the cost of living for working people, renters, seniors, homeowners and businesses.

Prop II is less contentious, with no issue committees forming to oppose the measure so far. During the legislative debate earlier this year, supporters said the measure would improve early childhood education. Opponents said its unfair to target smokers with the taxes.
Downtown Colorado Springs' September Sidewalk Sales will take on added importance Saturday for the area's retailers, restaurants and attractions.

An underground electrical fire early Monday morning knocked out power for a number of downtown businesses over multiple blocks, causing several to close their doors for a day or more. The outage left some stores and restaurants scrambling to make up for lost sales and added expenses, such as bringing in generators or disposing of spoiled food.

As a result, the Downtown Partnership advocacy group is encouraging shoppers and diners to support stores and restaurants by coming downtown Saturday during the third weekend of the September Sidewalk Sales, where some businesses offer special sales and discounts. Additional September Sidewalk Sales will take place Sept. 23 and 30.

"We just want to remind folks that our independent shops and restaurants downtown are your friends and neighbors," said Susan Edmondson, the Downtown Partnership's president and CEO. "Over 90% of our storefront businesses are locally owned and operated."

Saturday's forecast calls for sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s, which will be great weather for area residents to embrace downtown businesses, Edmondson said. In addition to the event's participating merchants, musician Andy Clifton will perform from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday outside Inherent Clothiers, 123 N. Tejon St.

"It's been a really rough week for, particularly, our retailers as well as some of our restaurants, with this fire," Edmondson said. "So it's a great chance to come out and support local, and have a good time doing it."

Monday's fire, in which flames were seen shooting up through manholes on Kiowa Street, between Tejon Street and Nevada Avenue, was caused by an underground equipment failure, Colorado Springs Utilities officials have said.

Dozens of businesses were affected and unable to operate; Utilities officials announced late Thursday that all power had been restored to affected customers.

Eclectic CO., a retail co-op at 214 N. Tejon St. that houses multiple vendors and artists who sell apparel, gifts and other items, was forced to close Monday, but reopened Tuesday, said co-owner and founder Peri Bolts. Eclectic also has a location at 2518 W. Colorado Ave. in Old Colorado City.

"It wasn't too bad," she said. "It stings, but it's not going to wreck us."

Still, an event such as the September Sidewalk Sales  apart from the holiday shopping and tourism seasons  will help draw attention to downtown businesses such as hers and others, Bolts said.

"Any small incentive or any little thing that we can do to bring locals down and remind you that there are great shops and restaurants downtown, any little thing like that we can do is great," Bolts said. "It's not the be-all, end-all of our September, but it is a great little reminder to people, if the weather's still nice, we have a lot of great stuff all the time, but why not come and check it out on a beautiful Saturday?"

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Good Eye at 115 N. Tejon St., which sells new and vintage women's clothing, jewelry and accessories, is always closed on Monday, but remained shuttered Tuesday because of the power outage, said owner Nickie Frye.

The loss of power and Tuesday's store closure, Frye said, compounded an outage Sept. 7 by Square, the payment processing platform that she uses for credit card sales.

"It's actually connected also to our website, and so we had nothing on that day (Sept. 7) as well," Frye said of Square. "It's out of your control and so I spent that day worrying about how long that was going to be down and what I was going to do in the meantime.

"And then," she said, "to have no power at all, it's just another thing that's completely out of my control, but I need to come up with a solution that works for my business and my staff."

Some businesses operated temporarily with generators and lanterns because of the power outage, Frye said. She purchased lanterns and was prepared to use her phone's Square app to run customer transactions, though her power then was restored Wednesday.

"We just let Tuesday go," Frye said. "These things happen, so as a small-business owner, you're kind of used to being thrown into a position where you have to come up with something on the fly and just be creative. This was just so unexpected. This was something that we never could have imagined.

"Having a zero dollar day is just very bad," she added. "If my neighbors are doing well, I'm doing well. The whole downtown is thriving when everybody has a good day. When everybody's down, it's a bad day for all of us."

One positive thing that came out of the power outage: Downtown business people pulled together and shared ideas and information about what happened and how to respond, Frye said. She said she and others also sought to patronize neighboring businesses to help them out.

"Downtown is pretty much, 100%, small locally owned businesses. We are not chains," Frye said. "These are people who live in the community. And it's important to be supportive of that, and it's really cool to have that unique shopping and dining experience. That's not anywhere else in Colorado Springs. And we need to support it. If we don't, we're going to lose it."

As such, Saturday's September Sidewalk Sales will help shine a spotlight on downtown businesses, Frye said.

"Most of us are offering special deals, also," she said. "So it's a good time to consider starting holiday shopping or just come down for fun. Even just coming down and saying hello, and walking around and making a small purchase somewhere, it helps. It helps all of us."
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names put a period on the dispute between two tribal groups on the new name for Colorados Mount Evans, selecting Mount Blue Sky on Friday.

The vote was 15-1, with three abstentions.

Last November, Colorados Geographic Naming Advisory Board unanimously recommended approving the change to Mount Blue Sky, a name supported by the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma.

The recommendation went to Gov. Jared Polis, who forwarded it to the federal naming board.

But a request from a tribal government for a government-to-government consultation regarding the renaming abruptly halted the federal boards vote in March.

The vote has been held up for the past six months because of objections from the Northern Cheyenne of Lame Deer, Montana, the only original Colorado tribe, which is vehemently against the Mount Blue Sky name. The phrase blue sky is part of the sacred Tribal Arrow Ceremony and, thus, the Northern Cheyenne believe it would be sacrilegious for it to be spoken in common language, the tribe argued.

Northern Cheyenne tribal leaders have, instead, long advocated to rename Colorados most famous peak to Mount Cheyenne-Arapaho.

That disagreement weighed heavily with several members of the federal board at its Friday meeting.

Chris Hammon of the U.S. Geological Survey, a member of the committee on domestic name, said there is overwhelming agreement that the name had to change. He added he would prefer the tribal parties come to consensus but noted that wasnt going to happen.

I dont think we can reach consensus that will satisfy everyone, added Andy Flora of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce. But whatever name we pick, I hope it starts the healing process sought by the tribal parties, rather than more division, he said.

There were six names submitted to the federal board, dating back to June 2018, according to Jennifer Runyon of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

Colorados two Democratic U.S. senators weighed in after the vote.

We must better face the dark history of the Sand Creek atrocities by honoring the lives that were lost, said U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper. Renaming one of Colorados tallest peaks to honor the Arapaho and Cheyenne people is an important step forward.

This renaming was the result of a thoughtful process, led by local communities and Tribes, and Im grateful to everyone who contributed, added U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet. As we work to address the wrongs done to the Cheyenne & Arapaho Tribes, and to Native people across the country, this is a strong first step.

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Jim Ramey, Colorado state director for The Wilderness Society, which backed the Mount Blue Sky name, noted that, one of the Front Ranges stunning Fourteeners, this mountain looms large in the backdrop of the Denver skyline.

Changing its name was long overdue, and I thank the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes for leading this effort, Ramey said. Now, its time to finish the job by changing the name of the Mount Evans Wilderness, which no longer makes sense. Congress should act swiftly to change the name of the wilderness area so that we can all begin to learn, heal and grow together.

Mount Soule was the first name change submission, intended to honor Capt. Silas Soule, the whistleblower whose missives to Washington D.C. resulted in a federal investigation of the 1864 Sand Creek massacre, where 230 peaceful Cheyenne women, children and elders were slaughtered by Colorado troops under the command of Col. John Chivington.

While Chivington was never held accountable for the massacre, territorial Gov. John Evans was ordered to resign in 1865 by President Andrew Johnson for his role in tasking Chivington with eliminating Native peoples on Colorados Eastern Plains.

The second name submitted was Mount Rosalie, meant to honor Rosalie Bierstadt, the wife of renowned Colorado artist William Bierstadt.

Mount Blue Sky was third, followed by Mount Cheyenne-Arapaho.

The fifth proposal was to keep the Mount Evans name but change the honoree to Anne Evans, Gov. Evans daughter and a Denver philanthropist. The final name was for Mount Sisty, which would honor Wilson Sisty, founder of the Colorado Department of Wildlife.

That wasnt all the board handled for Colorado on Friday.

They also rejected two name changes.

Cimarron Peak was a previously unnamed peak in Jefferson County, near Conifer, that has been awaiting a name change since 2019. The Colorado board discussed but never approved it, and on Friday the federal group turned it down without explanation.

The final name change on Friday for Colorado came a previous request by the federal board to rename Calkins Lake in Longmont to Union Reservoir. The federal board sought the name change, noting the reservoir name had been in common use for years. However, the Calkins family disagreed, pointing out to the Colorado board the lake was named after Carlton Chase Calkins, an early settler of Longmont who also served two years in the Colorado House.

The federal board pointed out in its request that the name Calkins Lake was recorded from documents in the 1890s to 1910s. In between then and the 1970s, it was referred to by both names, but by 1977 Weld County documents referred to it only as Union Reservoir.

The Colorado board voted to keep the Calkins Lake name and recommended the federal board do the same, and on Friday, the latter sided with the state and voted, 19-0, to reject Union Reservoir. The board members then affirmed Calkins Lake as the official name.
As a person of faith, your financial investments should reflect your values.

Our faith traditions encourage using your money to support our community, those in need, and faith institutions. Accumulating money with no beneficial purpose is not what most traditions encourage.

Faith-based investing, which, in this articles context, includes banking, seeks to align your faith values with the selection of stocks, funds, managers or banks where you place your money.

This may fall into what is known as ESG (environmental, social, governance) investing. It can follow techniques used in secular investing, with the added attention to alignment with your faith values.

Poring through corporate financial reports, analyst advisories and recent news to determine how a corporations activities fit your faith values can be daunting. While there are various ESG screening/rating services available by subscription or included with certain investment accounts, there are also good ones that are available at no cost.

For example, if you wanted to avoid companies involved with nuclear weapons, check PAXs list at hwww.DontBankOnTheBomb.com/nwproducers. If you wish to screen out banks that finance climate-damaging fossil fuel projects, see RANs database at www.BankingOnClimateChaos.org. This database does not include credit unions, but the local ones have information on the types of investing and financing projects they offer for their members.

The AsYouSow website offers an easy-to-use interface of databases for screening investment funds as related to fossil fuels, deforestation, gender equality, civilian guns, commercial prisons, military arms and tobacco at InvestYourValues.org. Current data spreadsheets for stocks and funds are at www.AsYouSow.org/invest-your-values/download-data.

Faith organizations have become more transparent with their finances as members interest in conscientious investments increases. This carries over to state treasuries where investments of public funds are overseen.

State taxpayers and public workers cannot currently determine if Oregon general and retirement system funds are being placed in investments consistent with long-term benefit to Oregonians. At issue is the transparency of investments in private equity funds, as noted by Divest Oregon.

More than half of the $100 billion in the state public worker retirement system is in private investments. The Oregon Treasury has declined to disclose where those private equity funds invest our money.

This information is not only inaccessible but also complicated due to funds composed of dozens of equities or bonds. It may be too difficult to establish absolute purity of investments and portfolios.

For example, a fossil fuel-free fund might still have a small percentage of its holdings related to fossil fuel infrastructure.

Just do the best you can as you strive to make investments consistent with your faith values.

Your faith values may also call you to support future legislation to enhance transparency in our public funds. Learn about a few investments that may benefit you and our world at the Rally for a Livable Planet on Sunday, Sept. 17, in Central Park.
The yuans share climbed to 5.8% in value last month, overtaking the euro on 5.43% for the first time in at least six years

Oct 31, 2023 07:16 PM
Meals at Clear Lake Community Schools meals will be featuring more Iowa foods and healthier options, thanks to a pair of grants awarded this week, according to a press release from the district.

Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) awarded a Healthy Meals Incentives grant in the amount of $88,754 to support the district's efforts to use high quality, tasty foods that increase student consumption of healthy choices, offer farm to school programming, hands-on cooking experiences, support the local farm economy, and community engagement.

Another grant from the Iowa Local Food for Schools (LFS) awarded $16,000 to similarly procure local foods that are healthy, nutritious and unique to their geographic area.

In addition to increasing local food consumption, funds also build and expand economic opportunity for local, socially disadvantaged producers and small businesses, according to the press release. Through this program, producers are able to sell to K-12 schools participating in the National School Lunch Program.

Julie Udelhofen, food service director, says that through the LFS program, We will continue and expand the array of fresh, nutrient dense fruits, vegetables, and proteins served to all grades. Our goal is to introduce a wide array of local products while highlighting where these items are grown and who the producer is. It is surprising that many kids do not recognize a beet, kohlrabi, or a whole pear. And even fewer realize they are grown right here in North Central Iowa."

According to recent research, students attending a school involved in farm to school programs are more willing to try and eat healthier options which leads to better brain function, improved mood, and boosts mental health.

The Healthy Meals Incentives grant is part of an allocation of nearly $30 million by the U.S. Department of Agricultures Food and Nutrition Service to 264 schools across 44 states and the District of Columbia.

This grant will allow us to take a more active role in nutrition education of the students we feed every school day. We will also expand our digital marketing efforts that will include a newsletter with recipes, nutrient information, and farmer profiles enabling us to reach a broader audience. It will also help us build stronger community relationships between the farmers providing fresh produce, community partners such as Healthy Harvest of North Iowa and the Iowa Food Hub, the students and their families to effectively linking members of the food chain," said Udelhofen.

As part of the Healthy Meals Incentives grant program, AFHK and its partners will provide Clear Lake Schools Food Service Department with in-depth, individualized technical assistance to support and guide the implementation of key strategies to improve school meal quality, as well as help the district to develop creative solutions to provide nutritious foods for the children we serve.

Offering healthier school meals is key to helping our nations kids get the nutrients they need today and for their long-term development, said Action for Healthy Kids CEO Rob Bisceglie. Through this historic investment in school nutrition, we will help school districts across the country overcome challenges and develop solutions to provide nutritious foods for the children they serve.

Students in every community deserve access to healthy and nutritious meals, said USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small. Todays announcement demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administrations commitment to creating healthier, brighter futures for our children. With these funds, small and rural school districts will be able to modernize their operations and provide more nutritious meals, helping students succeed in the classroom and beyond.
Tony Award-winning actress Sutton Foster was welcomed warmly to Mason City on Thursday, being presented the ceremonial key to the city by Mayor Bill Schickel before delivering a dazzling performance at the North Iowa Community Auditorium as a part of the NIACC Performing Arts and Leadership Series presented by First Citizens Bank of Mason City.

Foster recently starred in the 2022 Broadway revival of The Music Man, portraying the lead role of Marian the Librarian alongside Hugh Jacksons Professor Harold Hill.

Youve carried our beloved Meredith Willsons creation to new heights, said Schickel. The pride we feel in you, Sutton, can not be overstated. Your visit to the real River City, USA, serves as a testament to the magic and transformative power of the arts, which we love here in River City.

The Music Man composer Meredith Willsons boyhood home and life in Mason City inspired his work that opened to instant success on Broadway in 1957.

The revival, which was nominated for six Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical, gave Willsons words and music a breath of new life 65 years after they were written, according to Variety, in a show described as vintage Broadway, but gussied up in grand, glorious style. The show shattered box-office records for a revival of a musical, grossing $163 million before it closed in January.

During her visit, Foster got a chance to walk on the Meredith Willson historic footbridge, which served as inspiration for the musicals climactic love scene, before touring the restored Meredith Willson boyhood home, the Mason City Public Library and The Music Man Square, where she was bestowed a ceremonial key to the city by Mason City Mayor Bill Schickel.

Foster and the gathered crowd were then treated to a performance from Mason City High School seniors Brynn Christianson, Maggie Gerritts and Annemarie Hansen, who sang Willsons May the Good Lord Bless and Keep You.

Its an honor to be here, Im actually a bit overwhelmed walking through (The) Music Man Square. It was a pretty special year of my life, to be able to be a part of The Music Man on Broadway, and it really means a lot to be here.

In her portrayal of Marian Paroo, Foster brought a gift for physical humor and comic timing in addition to nifty tap dancing and a gorgeous voice, in the Associated Press review.

Schickel was among a group of Mason Cityans who attended The Music Man last year, where he similarly presented a ceremonial key to the city to the entire cast of the production. Pat Blanchard of Mason City also attended the Broadway show, and she was impressed with Fosters performance; She dazzled us, Blanchard said.

Thursday evenings performance, where Foster was accompanied on piano by Michael Rafter, included, of course, several tunes from The Music Man, but also of standards like Anything Goes and Que Sera Sera along with selections from her previous roles in The Drowsy Chaperone, Little Women, Young Frankenstein, Shrek The Musical, Anything Goes, and Thoroughly Modern Millie.

Foster confessed to the audience that Goodnight, My Someone from The Music Man was hers and her daughters bedtime song long before she was ever cast as Marian.

Foster, who recently wrote a book entitled Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life, at one point sat down, brought out a white tote bag and began to crochet as she sang.

Its my favorite thing to do. Sit. Talk. Crochet. Sing. When I was a little girl, my mom wasnt a crocheter, she was a cross-stitcher, Foster said.

She would make all sorts of things. Christmas ornaments, bookmarks. Shes just passed away, but the things she made with her hands live on forever. If someone gives something to you, makes something for you, treasure it.

Music and theater instructor Casey Tecklenburg of La Porte City said before the show I love Sutton, Ive seen and heard her all over, he said. Tecklenburg has admired Fosters work on TV and in recordings, but never had the opportunity to see a live show before Thursday. Its great when you get someone with this big of a name come to Mason City, and of course the star of The Music Man would deserve to be an honorary citizen.

With Mason Citys proud heritage as the home of Meredith Willson, Mayor Schickel said, having people like Sutton Foster here really solidifies our [support] of music and the arts.

Foster concluded her performance and her visit to River City by singing Willsons timeless ballad Till There Was You, then took her bow for the standing ovation from the crowd.
Sometimes the gap between whats real and not real is so narrow that its impossible to tell truth from fantasy.

For example, recently the front page of a newspaper I receive featured two stories that make perfect sense to almost every farmer and little sense to almost everyone who doesnt farm.

The first laid out current Land Grant University research that farmers can tap in their quest for 300 bushels-an-acre corn yield.

The second related that Californias recent adoption of Proposition 12  the voter-endorsed law that requires minimum growing space for egg-laying hens, veal calves and breeding pigs  is far and away (the) top priority of the states pork group.

Both are typical front page fare for any ag-centered newspaper. What was missing in each story for any non-farming reader, however, was the proverbial why?

Why, for example, invest in costly public research for a land-punishing effort to grow 300 bu. per acre corn, or about 126 bu. more than the estimated 2023 national average yield when, according to the U. S. Department of Agriculture, 15 percent of this years crop will go unsold?

And, too, why strive to grow more corn per acre when 35 percent of todays subsidized crop goes into ethanol, an alternative fuel deeply dependent on government mandates and under increasing assault by electric vehicles?

Similar questions arise about the pork groups top priority, California voters who have said three times they want their eggs, pork, and veal born and raised without the use of animal-confining cages and crates. Why are 40 million customers wrong and the ever-thinning ranks of the pork industry right?

Even more worrisome than these debatable ag issues is the reality what everyone needs to consider for anyone to even talk about corn yields or pork markets now or a generation from now: todays radically changing environment.

Elizabeth Kolbert, a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer for the New Yorker, starts that discussion in her 2021 book, Under a White Sky, by noting where the Bible starts it: That man should have dominion over all the earth and every creeping thing has, she suggests, become a prophecy that has hardened into fact.

Facts like how mankind has (T)ransformed more than half the ice-free land on earth  some 27 million square miles, dammed or diverted most of the worlds major rivers, and our fertilizer plants and legume crops fix more nitrogen than all terrestrial ecosystems combined

Meanwhile, ...today people outweigh wild mammals by a ratio of more than 8 to 1 and if you (a)dd in the weight of our domesticated animalsmostly cows and pigs that ratio climbs to 22 to 1.

Those dark facts (she lists more) suggest that what we have blandly labeled global change actually points to only a handful of comparable examples in earths history as life-changing as what we have done now; the most recent being the asteroid impact that ended the reign of the dinosaurs, 66 million years ago.

Too bleak? Hold on, Kolbert isnt finished.

Our only earths present state is so off-the-charts, she writes, that Humans are producing no-analog  no comparable  climates, no-analog ecosystems, a whole no-analog future.

After setting that cheerless scene, most of the book explains current ideas to  as her subtitle suggests  alter The Nature of the Future now that weve changed the future of nature.

All the forward-leaning research and in-the-field efforts that Kolbert outlines highlight just how much we must alter the alterations weve already made to nature in order for nature to have any future.

If that sounds too woo-woo and wonky to make much sense, welcome to a world where August 2023 became the hottest month ever in history by breaking the previous record set in July 2023.

None of this is new; we see it in our fields and barns and feel it in our bones. Change is here and even harder change is coming.

The really hard part will be to change with it; in short, to stop telling the market what we will produce and start listening to the market for what it needs us to produce.
The following passages are adapted from articles recently published in North American law review journals.



Passage A



In Canadian and United States common law,

blackmail is unique among major crimes: no one has

yet adequately explained why it ought to be illegal.

The heart of the problemknown as the blackmail

(5) paradoxis that two acts, each of which is legally

permissible separately, become illegal when combined.

If I threaten to expose a criminal act or embarrassing

private information unless I am paid money, I have

committed blackmail. But the right to free speech

(10) protects my right to make such a disclosure, and, in

many circumstances, I have a legal right to seek

money. So why is it illegal to combine them?



The lack of a successful theory of blackmail has

damaging consequences: drawing a clear line between

(15) legal and illegal acts has proved impossible without

one. Consequently, most blackmail statutes broadly

prohibit behavior that no one really believes is criminal

and rely on the good judgment of prosecutors not to

enforce relevant statutes precisely as written.



(20) It is possible, however, to articulate a coherent

theory of blackmail. The key to the wrongness of the

blackmail transaction is its triangular structure. The

blackmailer obtains what he wants by using a

supplementary leverage, leverage that depends upon

(25) a third party. The blackmail victim pays to avoid

being harmed by persons other than the blackmailer.

For example, when a blackmailer threatens to turn in

a criminal unless paid money, the blackmailer is

bargaining with the states chip. Thus, blackmail is

(30) criminal because it involves the misuse of a third party

for the blackmailers own benefit.



Passage B



Classical Roman law had no special category

for blackmail; it was not necessary. Roman jurists

began their evaluation of specific categories of

(35) actions by considering whether the action caused

harm, not by considering the legality or illegality of

the action itself.



Their assumptiontrue enough, it seemswas

that a victim of blackmail would be harmed if shameful

(40) but private information were revealed to the world.

And if the shame would cause harm to the persons

status or reputation, then prima facie the threatened

act of revelation was unlawful. The burden of proof

shifted to the possessor of the information: the party

(45) who had or threatened to reveal shameful facts had

to show positive cause for the privilege of revealing

the information.



In short, assertion of the truth of the shameful

fact being revealed was not, in itself, sufficient to

(50) constitute a legal privilege. Granted, truth was not

wholly irrelevant; false disclosures were granted even

less protection than true ones. But even if it were true,

the revelation of shameful information was protected

only if the revelation had been made for a legitimate

(55) purpose and dealt with a matter that the public

authorities had an interest in having revealed. Just

because something shameful happened to be true did

not mean it was lawful to reveal it.



1. Which one of the following is the central topic of each passage?



(A) why triangular transactions are illegal

(B) the role of the right to free speech in a given legal system

(C) how blackmail has been handled in a given legal system

(D) the history of blackmail as a legal concept

(E) why no good explanation of the illegality of blackmail exists





2. In using the phrase the states chip (line 30), the author of passage A most clearly means to refer to a governments



(A) legal authority to determine what actions are crimes

(B) legitimate interest in learning about crimes committed in its jurisdiction

(C) legitimate interest in preventing crimes before they occur

(D) exclusive reliance on private citizens as a source of important information

(E) legal ability to compel its citizens to testify in court regarding crimes they have witnessed





3. Which one of the following statements is most strongly supported by information given in the passages?



(A) In Roman law, there was no blackmail paradox because free speech protections comparable to those in Canadian and U.S. common law were not an issue.

(B) Blackmail was more widely practiced in Roman antiquity than it is now because Roman law did not specifically prohibit blackmail.

(C) In general, Canadian and U.S. common law grant more freedoms than classical Roman law granted.

(D) The best justification for the illegality of blackmail in Canadian and U.S. common law is the damage blackmail can cause to the victims reputation.

(E) Unlike Roman law, Canadian and U.S. common law do not recognize the interest of public authorities in having certain types of information revealed.





4. Which one of the following is a statement that is true of blackmail under Canadian and U.S. common law, according to passage A, but that would not have been true of blackmail in the Roman legal context, according to passage B?



(A) It combines two acts that are each legal separately.

(B) It is a transaction with a triangular structure.

(C) The laws pertaining to it are meant to be enforced precisely as written.

(D) The blackmail victim pays to avoid being harmed by persons other than the blackmailer.

(E) Canadian and U.S. common law have no special category pertaining to blackmail.





5. Based on what can be inferred from the passages, which one of the following acts would have been illegal under Roman law, but would not be illegal under Canadian and U.S. common law?



(A) bribing tax officials in order to avoid paying taxes

(B) revealing to public authorities that a highranking military officer has embezzled funds from the militarys budget

(C) testifying in court to a defendants innocence while knowing that the defendant is guilty

(D) informing a government tax agency that ones employers have concealed their true income

(E) revealing to the public that a prominent politician had once had an adulterous affair





6. The relationship between the ways in which Canadian and U.S. common law and classical Roman law treat blackmail, as described in the passages, is most analogous to the relationship between which one of the following pairs?



(A) One country legally requires anyone working as a carpenter to be licensed and insured; another country has no such requirement.

(B) One country makes it illegal to use cell phones on trains; another country makes it illegal to use cell phones on both trains and buses.

(C) One country legally allows many income tax deductions and exemptions; another country legally allows relatively few deductions and exemptions.

(D) One country makes it illegal for felons to own guns; another country has no such ban because it makes gun ownership illegal for everyone but police and the military.

(E) One country makes it illegal to drive motorcycles with racing-grade engines on its roads; another country legally permits such motorcycles but fines riders who commit traffic violations higher amounts than it does other motorists. (A) why triangular transactions are illegal(B) the role of the right to free speech in a given legal system(C) how blackmail has been handled in a given legal system(D) the history of blackmail as a legal concept(E) why no good explanation of the illegality of blackmail exists(A) legal authority to determine what actions are crimes(B) legitimate interest in learning about crimes committed in its jurisdiction(C) legitimate interest in preventing crimes before they occur(D) exclusive reliance on private citizens as a source of important information(E) legal ability to compel its citizens to testify in court regarding crimes they have witnessed(A) In Roman law, there was no blackmail paradox because free speech protections comparable to those in Canadian and U.S. common law were not an issue.(B) Blackmail was more widely practiced in Roman antiquity than it is now because Roman law did not specifically prohibit blackmail.(C) In general, Canadian and U.S. common law grant more freedoms than classical Roman law granted.(D) The best justification for the illegality of blackmail in Canadian and U.S. common law is the damage blackmail can cause to the victims reputation.(E) Unlike Roman law, Canadian and U.S. common law do not recognize the interest of public authorities in having certain types of information revealed.(A) It combines two acts that are each legal separately.(B) It is a transaction with a triangular structure.(C) The laws pertaining to it are meant to be enforced precisely as written.(D) The blackmail victim pays to avoid being harmed by persons other than the blackmailer.(E) Canadian and U.S. common law have no special category pertaining to blackmail.(A) bribing tax officials in order to avoid paying taxes(B) revealing to public authorities that a highranking military officer has embezzled funds from the militarys budget(C) testifying in court to a defendants innocence while knowing that the defendant is guilty(D) informing a government tax agency that ones employers have concealed their true income(E) revealing to the public that a prominent politician had once had an adulterous affair(A) One country legally requires anyone working as a carpenter to be licensed and insured; another country has no such requirement.(B) One country makes it illegal to use cell phones on trains; another country makes it illegal to use cell phones on both trains and buses.(C) One country legally allows many income tax deductions and exemptions; another country legally allows relatively few deductions and exemptions.(D) One country makes it illegal for felons to own guns; another country has no such ban because it makes gun ownership illegal for everyone but police and the military.(E) One country makes it illegal to drive motorcycles with racing-grade engines on its roads; another country legally permits such motorcycles but fines riders who commit traffic violations higher amounts than it does other motorists.
Email special events to news@registerbee.com. The deadline is noon Wednesday.

SATURDAY, SEPT. 16

GOSPEL CHORUS ANNIVERSARY: The Gospel Chorus of Silver Creek Baptist Church will celebrate its anniversary at 5 p.m. with different groups on the program.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 17

ANNIVERSARY SERVICE: The Staunton Baptist Church, 6101 Straightstone Road, Long Island, will observe its 122nd church anniversary beginning at 11 a.m. with guest preacher pastor Quincy Mitchell of Crystal Hill Baptist Church in Halifax.

BLAIRS BAPTIST CHURCH TENT REVIVAL: Blairs Baptist Church, 5260 U.S. 29, Blairs, will hold a tent revival Sunday-Wednesday at 7 p.m. Different speakers and music each night. Child care is provided with a light snack and games in the gym.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 24

HOMECOMING SERVICE: Calvary Baptist Church, 416 Edgewood Drive, will celebrate its 105 year homecoming service at 11 a.m. Sept. 24. Guest speaker will be Pastor Joel Fletcher from Pittsylvania Baptist Association. Service is available inside and also channel 88.1 FM in parking lot. A luncheon will be served after worship service.

NEW EPHESUS MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH ANNIVERSARY: New Ephesus Missionary Baptist Church, 375 Ephesus Church Road, Semora, North Carolina, will celebrate its 151st church anniversary at 2 p.m.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 25

HOMECOMING SERVICE: Fairview Baptist Church will celebrate its homecoming at 11 a.m.

SATURDAY, OCT. 7

FOOD PANTRY: The Union Hall Baptist Church Food and Clothing Ministry, 6861 Strawberry Road, across from the church, will be open from 9 a.m. to noon with food and clothing of all types. For information, call 434-724-4354 or 434-250-8964.

STEW AND YARD SALE: Stew and yard sale at Oakland Community Church, 180 Snakepath Road, Blairs (formerly Oakland United Methodist Church). Yard sale starts at 7:30 a.m.; stew is pre-order only, call 434-432-9257, cost $7 per quart, with pick up at 10:30 a.m.

ONGOING

DIVORCE CARE SEMINAR-SUPPORT GROUP: Group meets at Hillcrest Baptist Church from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays for 13 weeks. For more information, call 434-685-4594.

GRIEFSHARE: GriefShare presented at Bibleway Cathedral, 215 Grant St., will be held every Thursdays now through Dec. 7 at 6 p.m. All sessions are free, workbook $20. Facilitators Elder Katherine Harvell, Assistant Pastor Larry Campbell. For information (434) 793-3340.

Shockoe Missionary Baptist Church, 857 Java Road, Java, hosts a monthly Wellness Walking Ministry from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., meeting every fourth Saturday. All ages are welcome to participate. The Health and Wellness Ministry will meet at 9 a.m. before each walking session. For information, contact Kathy B. Ramsey at 434-251-0379 or atbjrk@gmail.com.

Ascension Lutheran Church, 314 West Main St., worships Sundays at 11 a.m. in the sanctuary and live on Facebook at www.facebook/ascensionlutherandanville.

Mount Vernon United Methodist Church offers in-person services at 10 a.m. each Sunday as well as online worship services every Sunday at mtvernonumc.org or www.facebook.com/MountVernonUMC.

Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1172 Franklin Turnpike, will have in-house worship services on Sundays at 11 a.m. Free books available anytime from a Little Free Library located on a post next to the driveway.

Saint Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, 406 Gay St., has in-person services at 10 a.m. for hour of power on the first and third Sundays.

North New Hope Baptist Church, 123 Old Piney Forest Road, has resumed in church worship services at 11 a.m. and Sunday school at 9:30 p.m.

Mount Sinai Glorious Church of God, 716 Jefferson St., will hold services in the sanctuary with Sunday school at 10 a.m. and morning worship at 10:30 a.m. Participants are asked to wear a mask and to practice social distancing. The service also will be streamed on Facebook.

Mount Freeman Baptist Church, 2100 Laniers Mill Road, hosts in-person service at 11 a.m. Sunday. There will be no Sunday school.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church will livestream worship service at 9 a.m. Sundays in English and noon in Spanish at www.facebook.com/sheartchurch.

Staunton River Baptist Church, Long Island, will hold drive-in services at 10 a.m. each Sunday.

Sacred Heart Catholic Church celebrates Mass every weekend with a vigil Mass at 5 p.m. Saturday and at 9 p.m. Sunday in English and noon in Spanish.

Watson Level Missionary Baptist Church holds Sunday worship services each week at 11 a.m. Because of COVID-19, a face mask is required for all attendees and social distancing is mandatory.

Calvary Church of the Nazarene, 2450 Franklin Turnpike, from 6 to 7 p.m. every Sunday, will hold Ladies Need Encouragement, an hour of worship and prayer. Participants are asked to bring a Bible and practice social distancing. The event is for ages 10 and up with adult supervision. For more information, call 540-907-8836.

Mount Zion Temple, now located at 503 Hughes St., presents The Word Homelitic Institute at 10 a.m. every Sunday. Transportation is provided by calling Bishop David K. Fuller at 434-429-8960.
Danville fire authorities blamed an electrical issue in a light fixture for the Friday afternoon blaze that damaged a historic church.

It was shortly before 3:45 p.m. when crews were summoned to Loyal Baptist Church on Holbrook Street in Danville.

The first arriving firefighters found smoke coming from the roof of the expansive brick church.

The fire began from a sconce light on the second floor balcony and entered the attic, Danville Fire Department Battalion Chief William Smotherman wrote in a Friday evening news release. The fire grew very quickly and burned through thick timbers in a very short amount of time.

Crews made their way into the sanctuary and used the stairs to discover fire pushing from the attic, through the ceiling and into the sanctuary, Smotherman said.

Since the bulk of the flames were located within the attic, it was a difficult task for firefighters to reach whats called the seat of the fire.

Fire crews were able to extinguish the flames and save the church, Smotherman said. That meant setting up two aerial fire vehicles to open the roof, allowing for vertical ventilation of trapped smoke and heat.

Although the church was saved, the blaze caused considerable damage.

Photos from the churchs Facebook page show a large, collapsed ceiling exposing charred beams with what appears to be insulation dangling.

Burned pieces of the ceiling are spread throughout the seating balcony area with water covering the floor. Other parts of the church also suffered water damage.

The church plans to have an 11:30 a.m. High Street Baptist Church in Danville. Originally it was going to be a parking lot service, but the forecast for rain promoted the change.

The historic structure was part of the 2015 Danville Historical Societys Holiday Tour, a yearly endeavor to spotlight significant structures and architecture in the Danville area.

A Virginia historic highway marker downtown traces the origins of the congregation as being organized between 1865 and 1866 on Old Hospital-Dance Hill by former slaves, the Danville Register & Bee reported in 2015. This marker recognizes the spot on Loyal Street, just behind the citys present Patton Street courthouse, where these emancipated slaves built their first church in 1870.

Worship continued at this site until 1924 when the congregation built its present edifice on Holbrook Street, according to previous newspaper reporting. The name then was changed simply to Loyal Baptist Church. Their landmark Tudor Gothic form rises from the ridge of Holbrook Street, giving the church a physical presence from many parts of Danville.

The fire marshal ruled the cause as faulty electrical wiring.

A total of 21 crew members from the fire department responded to the blaze that took three hours to put out.

A special thanks to the Danville Police Department for traffic and scene control; the Danville Life Saving Crew for providing on scene medical monitoring and drone coverage; and the Danville Utility Department for controlling the utilities of the church, Smotherman wrote in the release.
RINGGOLD  The Danville-Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce on Monday hosted the first of four forums for candidates running for office in the county.

Mondays rather quick session allowed candidates for the Dan River district seat on the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors and contenders for the clerk of court position three minutes to speak before an audience.

Hopefuls have until early October to answer questions posed by the public. Those answers will be sent to members of the media.

The other forums, all from 6 to 8 p.m., are scheduled Monday at Gretna High School, Sept. 25 at Tunstall High School and Oct. 2 at Chatham High School.

Nancy Eanes, who currently represents the Dan River district, is facing a challenge from Eddie Hite Jr.

Eanes was appointed in June after Tim Chester stepped down.

Citing health issues, Chesher submitted his resignation April 20. During a board of supervisors meeting just two days before, Chesher disclosed that his cancer  a diagnosis he dealt with last year  had resurfaced.

Novembers special election will fill Cheshers term that last through 2025.

Supervisors

Eanes was the first to step to the podium to speak, and with the backdrop of a day of tragedy, she vowed to never forget 9/11.

The incumbent said shes lived in Pittsylvania County her entire life and even graduated from Dan River High School, the very spot the forum was hosted.

She touted working and training with great leaders, including her time at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research, which represented a large chunk of her education career.

Eanes, the current chair of the department of social services board, is in her fourth year of driving a school bus for the county. Thats something she started when COVID-19 begin to subside and the need for school bus drivers grew.

As you can see, Ive been part of several different departments in Pittsylvania County, she said, noting she would listen to the concerns of residents.

I will try to protect you, and your children, and your family, from the evils we face in this world, she said. I will be the supervisor who will be listening and supporting you.

Hite then took his turn starting by saying hes lived his whole life in the Dan River district.

With economic development as a focus, Hite said hes served 10 years on the Pittsylvania County Industrial Development Authority, with almost eight of those years as chair.

When he took over as treasurer of the IDA, he noted the group didnt get along with the board of supervisors.

I make the statement that we were going to start working together, he explained. He initiated meetings and continued to grow the relationship.

I want to continue to work toward economic development, he said. Weve got to get jobs.

He said his sister, brother and daughter have all left the region for higher paying positions elsewhere.

He also said the school system is great in Pittsylvania County.

We need to keep that up, keep supporting our teachers, he said.

Rounding out his points, he said public safety is another priority in his campaign, acknowledging its going to be a huge challenge.

Supervisors need to work together to move the county forward, Hite shared.

This county should be the one county when they look at Virginia they want to come to, he said. With your support we can do that.

Clerk of court

Pittsylvania County voters have a record number of candidates to pick when it comes to clerk of court. The six hopefuls are Karen Dixon, Angie Reece Harris, Heidi Jones, Seth Scarce, Jarrett Stone and Jennifer Wyatt.

The candidates also were given three minutes to speak Monday and will return for the other three forums throughout the county.

Harris said she was the GOP-nominated candidate for the position. Shes worked in the county circuit court for 15 years and previously worked in the Danville Circuit Court. Its been 30 years, guys. She said if elected, she could hit the ground running with my 30 years of experience.

Jones is in her eighth year as deputy clerk in the office, having been trained by some workers with more than 20 years of experience. She said she attended classes for the Virginia Judicial System to get a better grasp of codes. She said if elected, she would like to continue with the preservation of historic records by digitalizing them. I have a passion for service, she said.

Stone, a lifelong resident of the county who lives in Callands, said voters have a wonderful group of people to choose from for clerk. He was a deputy for 20 years and is certified in courtroom security. I have more years of service to Pittsylvania County than any of my opponents, he said. He also said hes been going door to door campainging because he wants to know who Im working for.

Wyatt, currently employed with the Danville Sheriffs Office, said she quickly rose through the ranks and is the re-entry program coordinator. She also referenced the historic day and said 9/11 was the reason she signed up for the Marines, where she served a tour of duty in Iraq. I believe that being elected by the people to serve the people is one of the greatest honors, she said.

Dixon, who said shes gained 34 years of experience in several positions, works for the court service unit. She started her judicial system career in Halifax County as a deputy clerk. When a job opened in Danville, she applied for a transfer. Then she moved to the county as an intake officer. Life then took her to Philadelphia, then back to Virginia in Harrisonburg. I want you to know I am a people person, she said. I never met a stranger.

Scearce, who works in the sheriffs office as an information technology technician, also grew up in the region and graduated from Tunstall High School with honors. He went to DCC then started working for BB&T. With 11 years of experience in IT, he said says he can help in growing in the digital age. Running as an independent, Scearce said its important to let citizens know that I will help all who come through the doors.
RALEIGH  If Susie Sharp were alive today, shed definitely express appreciation for the honor the Historical Society of North Carolina will bestow on her later this month in her beloved hometown of Reidsville. But shed also likely request those arranging the event not to overdo it.

Thats the way she was, an old school Democrat descended from a family of Southern aristocracy and among the seventh generation of Sharps to reside in Rockingham County.

Susie Sharp was Chief Justice Susie Sharp. She was the first woman to serve as a Superior Court judge in this state, the first woman appointed to the North Carolina Supreme Court and the first woman in the nation to be elected chief justice of a states highest court.

Those legal posts were only a few of Sharps many firsts in a judicial career that spanned more than 40 years and left a significant legalistic mark on this state.

As one way to recognize major events in Sharps life, the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources will unveil and dedicate a state highway historical marker citing the justices many legal and judicial accomplishments in a public ceremony on Sept. 29 at 3:30 p.m. on the corner of Main and Lindsey streets in Reidsville. The marker will be across the street from Main Street Methodist Church, the justices home church only blocks from Justice Sharps family home at 629 Lindsey Street.

Following the unveiling of the marker, the Historical Society will host a forum to discuss events of the justices legal career with her former colleagues on the court and staff.

Sharp was born in 1907 in Rocky Mount, but her family returned to Reidsville when she was a child and she always called it home.

When she retired, she had planned to return permanently to Reidsville. But she came back only in death. Sharp died in March 1996 and is buried in the citys Greenview Cemetery.

Her life and legal career is a storybook tale, as the official biography, Without Precedent, published in 2008, disclosed.

Sharp achieved success as a jurist, her friends say, because she worked diligently without ever giving up or giving in. She conceded that it was not always easy but was always necessary.

Sharp was the only woman in her law school class of 60 men at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and wasnt fazed by a series of anonymous handwritten notes from male classmates who made it clear they didnt want a female in their class.

She ignored the advice of a prejudicial judge who told her when she joined the Rockingham County bar that she would do well to look for other work because shed never make it as a lawyer.

When she began her law practice with her father James Sharp in Reidsville, she was an enigma. Some residents had never seen a woman attorney, and many didnt want to deal with her.

One curious fellow entered the law office, and he told her he didnt need anything, but had heard a woman lawyer was there and he just wanted to see what she looked like.

When Sharp was appointed by Gov. Kerr Scott to a superior court judgeship in 1949, lawyers and courtroom clerks were unsure how to address her. She was initially called your honoress or the she judge.

One journalist even wondered in print how she would be able to hear a rape case. Her rapid and reasonable response was that without a woman, there would never have been a rape and it seemed only fitting that a woman should preside at the payoff.

After a series of reappointments by governors to serve as a superior court judge, Gov. Terry Sanford appointed Sharp to the state Supreme Court in 1962, calling that act one of his most important.

During the early 1970s, Sharp was recommended for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court by Sen. Sam Ervin Jr., but the President ignored that advice.

Sharp won elections over 17 years before retiring at age 72 in 1979. Public records show her many successes as a lawyer and judge.

Her friends and former colleagues cite her personal habits and judicial rulings as enlightening, revealing and occasionally perplexing. But all say she served with dignity and distinction in building a reputation as a knowledgeable, capable, no-nonsense judge.

Sharp was an opera fan, and chided colleagues whom she felt needed more of that kind of culture.

She hated smoking and didnt allow it in the court conference room. Sharp abstained from alcohol and delighted in court decisions that tightened drinking laws.

As chief justice, Sharp routinely led the justices to lunch from the court building in downtown Raleigh to a nearby cafeteria. She assiduously buzzed each member at exactly noon daily that it was time for their lunch walk, and she always walked at the head of the line of the justices.

Sharp didnt like copy machines and rejected suggestions for new clerical equipment, insisting on thin carbon copies of documents.

Supreme Court justices never had what she called a Xerox machine until after she retired from the court.

Sharp also had a carefully controlled sense of humor, something only her close friends saw because she was always guarded in responses to events, political or otherwise, and kept her private side out of public view.

Sharp never married and never believed that a woman could have both a career and a marriage. Trouble comes when a woman tries to be too many things, she said.

Sharps former colleagues say she was extremely bright in the law in both oral arguments and writing, maintained a revered desire to realize the consequences of her rulings and looked at law as an instrument of making democracy better.

Always civil, even in disagreement, Sharp was creative in her literal thinking, fearless in her allegiance to understanding laws, rigid but reasonable, always holding her own in debate, courageous, ethical, and a decisive agent about changes in laws.

Sharp succeeded, she often said, because she was a woman, but felt this womens angle had been overemphasized.

She was not always predictable, but always felt at ease with herself and her views. She worked for womens rights, but within her limits, which caused her supporters some angst.

Her strong, and unbending opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment, in lockstep with her friend Sen. Sam Ervin Jr., is credited with helping keep the ERA from ever being approved by the state legislature.

Sharp said of ERA supporters, with a grin: Forgive them Lord, for they know not what they do.

She also was a realist, never putting judges on a pedestal as some tend to do. She once told a prospective Supreme Court employee that if he came to work there, hed find people with feet of clay, meaning with typical human flaws.

Sharp later often used a slightly altered version of a Mississippi court pronouncement to explain her views. Judges, she said, are but men, encompassed by error, seasoned with sin, and fettered by fallibility. What woman couldnt meet these expectations?

That may best define Susie Sharp at her finest.
Two people died in separate shooting in Greensboro on Saturday, Greensboro police said.

Khasim Burgess, 18, died at a local hospital after Greensboro police found him with a gunshot wound at 3:48 a.m. in the 400 block of Rocky Knoll Road in the citys southeastern section, police said.

A second gunshot victim from that incident, a 22-year-old man, arrived at Wesley Long Hospital Saturday in a private vehicle, police said. The man, whom police didnt identify, suffered a non-life-threatening injury.

In the second shooting, Tony Brewer, 34, died after being found with gunshot wounds at 7:20 a.m. in the 700 block of McPherson Street in the citys northeastern section, police said.

Police did not release any information about suspects in either shooting death.
As confetti and streamers rained down around Jhonatan Marin Mesa during Guilford County Schools annual Celebration of Excellence on Thursday, his Hunter Elementary School colleagues waved Colombian flags and held up a giant poster with his face on it.

Marin Mesa, a first-grade Spanish teacher, is Guilford County Schools 2023-24 Teacher of the Year  the first Latino educator to receive that honor, according to a district spokeswoman.

The staff at Hunter nominated and voted for him to represent the school, and district leaders selected him from among the school-level winners.

He will go on to compete at the regional level and possibly even the state or national level for Teacher of the Year honors.

Its a major milestone for the Colombian native who taught English there and now Spanish here. Marin Mesas passion to learn English led him into teaching as a way to make a career out of what he studied. Then teaching became a passion, too.

He just teaches with so much energy, Hunter Principal Trent Walton said. Kids adore him... His colleagues hang on every word he says.

Walton said Marin Mesa starts each day in his class with music and blends it in throughout the day. Often, it is music from Colombia.

He always is dancing and he gets all his kids dancing, Walton said. When you walk in that room, you dont want to leave.

Marin Mesa is part of Hunters dual-language program.

In dual-language programs, students learn all of their subjects, including reading and writing, in two different languages. Students swap between Marin and another teacher, who teaches in English. Classes are mixed between native Spanish and English speakers.

School officials are trying out this method at Hunter and Allen Jay elementaries because research showed it to be a good tool for helping close achievement gaps by middle school for students who are learning the English-language. Meanwhile, students who speak English at home get to learn Spanish alongside native Spanish-speaking peers.

If you look at the data, at schools that have dual-language programs, usually the dual-language kids are the highest performing, Marin Mesa said.

He first came to the United States in 2010 for a six-month appointment as a teaching assistant in the Fayetteville school district.

For me, it was an opportunity to open my horizons, to get out of my country, to learn from this country, but also to share my country, he said.

That led to later teaching positions in the U.S. and eventually to his recruitment to Guilford County Schools dual-language program. Marin Mesa and his wife, who is now a curriculum facilitator at Allen Jay, went back to Colombia for a year for immigration paperwork reasons, prior to his starting at Hunter Elementary in fall of 2019.

He said his contributions at Hunter include encouraging greater use of technology in the building and teaching students about how to care for the Earth and one another.

I want to make sure that people embrace each other as they are and that they dont consider that different is weird, he said.

For his Spanish-speaking students who are learning English, Marin Mesa tries to help them connect with their roots and understand that Spanish can be an asset. Obviously, it has been for him.

What I try to do is encourage them to accept this culture, he said. Without forgetting the last.
The real-estate developer behind a proposed major housing development in Summerfield has made financial contributions to the political campaigns of Senate majority leader Phil Berger since 2018, according to records from the N.C. Board of Elections.

David Couch, the developer and a longtime Summerfield resident, has contributed a total of $27,000 to Berger, and four of these donations reached the $5,600 spending limit. He also made a $1,000 donation to Phil Berger Jr., Bergers son, for his 2020 campaign for N.C. Supreme Court Justice.

Couch plans to build a mixed-use development named The Villages of Summerfield Farms that includes 600 apartments with other retail and housing options. The state Senate on Wednesday approved the second reading of a bill sponsored by Berger that would de-annex about 970 acres off Pleasant Ridge Road for Couchs project. If it passes a third reading on Tuesday, it would go back to the House for approval.

Dylan Watts, a spokesperson for Berger, told the News & Record that the senator does not even allow policy matters and campaign contributions to be discussed in the same conversation.

Senate Republicans receive contributions from thousands of individuals each cycle, Watts wrote. Contributions to campaigns are not conditioned on supporting or not supporting a policy matter.

On Wednesday, Summerfield Mayor Tim Sessoms told the News & Record that this would be the largest de-annexation in our states history and would set a terrible precedent for the 500-plus municipalities in North Carolina.

Some residents have taken to social media to oppose the development, posting comments on the Town of Summerfields Facebook page, which has urged residents to send messages opposing the de-annexation bill to their elected representatives.

One of the residents opposed to the development is Blondie Martin, who grew up in Summerfield and moved back for the communitys rural character.

Its not going to make me more or less against the development, she said of Couchs contributions to Berger. However, I am against buying decisions.

John Dinan, a professor of political science at Wake Forest University, says that campaign contributions are made in cases where legislators are already inclined to be supportive of a certain policy or position.

This is not to rule out the possibility that campaign contributions can increase the chances that individuals or groups can get their views heard by the legislature, Dinan wrote in an email to the News & Record, but political scientists generally dont see much possibility of campaign contributions changing a legislators mind and leading them to behave in ways they wouldnt have ordinarily behaved.

B.J. Barnes, a former mayor of Summerfield, borrowed a quote from President Ronald Reagan when asked about Couchs contributions to Berger.

If they give me money, its because they agree with the way I think, and not the other way around, Barnes said.

Barnes told the News & Record that it wasnt too late for a compromise, and that further negotiation between the town and Couch would be the best option for all parties.

The question is do they have the heart or willingness to do it, said Barnes, who has also served as sheriff of Guilford County. This bill wont be a good thing for anybody. After this, youre going to be splitting towns apart across the state.

Barnes added that the problem was that people want to tell Couch how he can use his property.

When I was mayor, I tried to explain to people that if he sold his acreage, youd be dealing with four developers, Barnes said. Its better to be on the same page with one person and moving forward together.

The bill will have a third reading before the N.C. Senate on Sept. 19.
State hires manager for Indian Country program

TJ Altekruse has been named Indian Country economic development program manager for the Montana Department of Commerce.

He will spearhead efforts to promote economic development and prosperity within Montana's Indian Country communities.

Scott Osterman, department director, said Altekruses expertise and dedication to the economic development of our tribal communities aligns perfectly with our mission.

Altekruse has a bachelor's degree in business management from Oral Roberts University and background in economic development, community engagement and a deep commitment to serving Montana's tribal communities.

"Montana is home to diverse and vibrant tribal nations, and I look forward to collaborating with them to create opportunities, strengthen partnerships and uphold the vitality of our people, Altekruse said.

Altekruse will develop and implement economic development strategies; help with collaboration; oversee the allocation of resources and funding to support projects driving economic growth, job creation, and improved infrastructure within tribal communities; and data analysis and reporting.

For more information about the Indian Country Economic Development Programs, visit business.mt.gov.

Applications to open for agriculture program funding

The Montana Department of Agriculture is opening of the FY2024 funding cycle for the Growth Through Agriculture Program.

Montanans interested in innovating or expanding agricultural businesses are invited to apply for funds through the state grant and loan program.

The Growth Through Agriculture program continues to help Montana businesses and agricultural operations add value, scale up, and access new markets, said MDA Director Christy Clark. 

The program was established by the Legislature to strengthen and diversify Montanas agriculture industry by developing new agricultural products and processes. GTA grants and loans are awarded by the Agriculture Development Council, consisting of seven members appointed by the governor. GTA funding requires the investment of at least $1 in matching funds for every $1 in grant or loan assistance received.

Pre-applications for funding open Oct. 2 and are due Oct. 23.

Selected proposals from pre-applicants will be invited to submit a full application in January, followed by grant award decisions in February.

Information on submitting a pre-application, program guidelines, FAQs, and previously funded projects can be viewed online at agr.mt.gov/GTA. Applicants may apply for grants up to $50,000 and loans up to $100,000. Examples of eligible project activities include equipment purchases, construction costs, advertising and promotion, and consultant services.

Those needing application assistance should contact their local Food and Agricultural Development Center at agr.mt.gov/Food-and-Ag-Development-Centers.

Cancer center coming to central Montana

Central Montana Medical Center in Lewistown broke ground Wednesday on a $15.6 million cancer center that will bring comprehensive cancer care services to central Montana.

The project is made possible by $9 million in grants from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and the support of the community.

The 17,830-square-foot cancer center will offer medical and radiation oncology services to nine rural counties in central Montana, providing high-quality cancer care closer to home for nearly 50,000 residents.

The CMMC cancer center will help relieve the stress and burden of patients and families who now travel up to 220 miles, sometimes five days a week, to Great Falls or Billings for diagnoses, radiation treatments and other services.

Central Montana Medical Center plans to add a full-time oncologist in partnership with Billings Clinic Cancer Center, a part-time radiation oncologist and a linear accelerator machine.

CMMC is dedicated to raising $4 million through fundraising efforts and securing debt financing for the rest. Currently, more than $12.2 million has been raised including the lead gift from the Helmsley Charitable Trust in 2021.
DECATUR  Decaturs annual Arts in Central Park offers more than just a one-stop-shop of local artists.

Painted pianos sat in all four corners of the park on Saturday, ready for visitors to play whatever song they know, or dont know. Before she made her way into Central Park to look at the artwork, Mary Engleton stopped to play one of only two songs she said she knew.

But first we went and bought pumpkins, then we went to Donnies Pizza for brunch, she said. Now we came here and I had to play the piano before we went looking at all the art.

During this weekends Arts in Central Park, nearly 40 individual artists as well as four artist groups displayed their artwork in the downtown park. Art pieces include paintings, ceramics, jewelry, metalwork and photography. The event will continue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

We kicked off the day with a really good crowd, said Jerry Johnson, executive director of the Decatur Area Arts Council.

For more than 60 years, the juried fine arts fair has taken place on the third weekend in September. Along with the artists on display, the event also hosts childrens activities from the Childrens Museum of Illinois and the Kids ArtShop, allowing children the opportunity to purchase art for under $5.

This is the second year its been inside the Transfer House, which has worked out great, Johnson said. Its perfect for what we use it for.

Arts In Central Park The annual artists event will continue from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in Decaturs Central Park. Admission into the park is free.

Laura Klink, arts in education coordinator for Decaturs Gallery 510, helped select the judges for the juried arts fair. This year is the first for Klink as a volunteer, although she has attended as a customer for nearly 25 years.

Its been eye-opening, she said. But we couldnt do it without the community volunteers and artists.

Arts in Central Park 2023 Awards Best of Show-Herb Brown Gold Reign Jewwlry PAINTING/DRAWING First-Haven Tunin Second-Arlaina Marie Third-Laine Henson GLASS First-Kelly Flynn Second-Lora Tipsword JEWELRY First-Lori Huddleston-Morris Second-Brooke Serbousek CERAMICS First-Jacqueline Worden PHOTOGRAPHY First-William Richards WOOD First-Chester Stogner Second-Donald Markham MISC/OTHER First-Dallas Galbraith

Two judges from outside the Macon County arts community were chosen to select the best in the categories of painting/drawing, glass, jewelry, ceramics, photography, wood and miscellaneous, as well as the Best in Show. Winners of the fair will be announced at a later date.

Gallery 510 will work with the judges to discuss the placements, Klink said.

Arts in Central Park events began Friday evening with a sneak peek at the artists products.

They tend to spend more time among the artists that evening, Johnson said about the guests. Thats what its all about anyway.

Although her work has been viewed in various galleries throughout Decatur, Susan Watts brought her watercolor paintings to Arts in Central Park. For the artist, the event is also social, allowing her to see old friends.

This may be the only time I see them, she said. And I see new people. I just love to share my work, whether it sells or not. Its just fun.

Chester Stogner traveled from Carlyle to display his carvings. He was working, creating a feather, while selling his products on Saturday. Like many of the other artists, he carved special pieces for the Kids ArtShop.

They put them in there for children to buy art, Stogner said.

One of the young shoppers was 4-year-old Zander Tener. He found a necklace he was able to buy for $4.

I like it because its blue, he said.

However, a favorite piece that he bought was a rock that sparkled when it hit the light.

But the other one I found in the rocks outside, he said about a similar sized rock.

The Kids ArtShop was one of the more popular stops during the first full day of the artists event.

Weve been swamped, but its a wonderful thing, said volunteer Jennifer Stout.

The ArtShop pieces are smaller versions of the art found throughout the park, made by the same artists.

Children have the opportunity to come in here and buy art. They are not buying junk, Stout said.

Close The very first recorded downstate flight in Illinois took place in 1910 in Decatur, just seven years after the Wright Brothers had first flown their way into history. Today, the Decatur Airport, described by local aviation enthusiast Dr. Stephen Huss as the community's "front door" welcomes visitors from across the world daily. It celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2021 with a very successful air show. Decatur was the original home of the Decatur Staley's, now the Chicago Bears. The football team originated in 1919. Two years later they relocated to Chicago, changing the name to the Bears by 1922. Decatur is home to three breweries. Although somewhat new to the community, the establishments, including Decatur Brew Works, Door 4 Brewing Company and Golden Fox Brewing, have already made a mark in the microbrew scene. The bicycle trails run through the west side of Decatur, from Rock Springs Conservation Area through Fairview Park, across Stevens Creek and through the historic areas. Although the bicycle represents the 12-miles worth of trails, walkers and runners are also welcome along the park districts trail system. Located in the heart of the city, Lake Decatur is the source of much enjoyment. Lake Decatur includes 30 miles of shoreline, from which many people take time to fish, enjoy the wildlife, watch the annual fireworks or just relax  activities they also can enjoy from the comforts of a bo Krekels burgers are a must-have for visitors and Central Illinois natives when they find their way back to Decatur. With four Decatur locations, as well as other restaurants in Macon, Mount Zion, Pawnee and Springfield, the award-winning burger has been an iconic meal since its introduction in 1949. A new attraction to the city is the giant butterfly wings painted on the south side of the Decatur Civic Center. The painting was designed by Kelsey Montague, who has completed 300 similar pieces around the globe. Students at Decatur's Dennis School also spearheaded the effort to make the monarch butterfly the state insect. The city is surrounded by corn fields, which feeds the community's grain processing plants, which, in turn, help feed the world. Decatur resident Robert R. Montgomery invented the first wire-screen swatter in 1900. Central Park's fountains, which has included 10 Gallon Lil, the M.L. Harry Memorial Fountain, and a memorial fountain, have been placed prominently in the center of the park for decades. The most recent rendition was dedicated 20 years ago. It is a popular backdrop for homecoming, prom, wedding and other memorable photos. Decaturs golf courses offers stay-and-play packages, allowing golfers to play multiple rounds of golf, thus remaining in Decatur to patronize its various businesses, including hotels and restaurants. In the past, tournaments were hosted at area golf courses. The ice cream cone represents the Mr. Softee food truck that can be found at various Decatur activities. Mr. Softee comes down here almost all summer long and goes to all of our different events, Hammel said. The Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park and Memorial, located along the Sangamon River in Macon County, marks the approximate location of Abraham Lincolns first home in Illinois. It is one of many locations in the community that lay claim to a connection to the 16th president. There are 16 Wayside Exhibits throughout the city with information about those connections. Decatur is known as the soybean capital of the world. The versatile pod is used in oils, tofu, animal feed and other foods. The Devon Lakeshore Amphitheater has brought music fans from all over to enjoy a show on the shore of Lake Decatur. The music began in 2019. After a forced break in 2020 because of COVID, the 2021 summer concert season returned with international, national and local acts taking the stage once again. Meanwhile, the Central Park stage plays plays host to its fair share of acts, including the Decatur Municipal Band on Monday nights during the summer. Decatur has talented performers gracing the local stages on many weekends. We have a lot of great theatrical groups, Hammel said. Theatre 7, Decatur Underground Theater, Mid-Summer Moon Productions and Millikin University provide shows at various venues, including the Decatur Civic Center, Richland Community College and Lincoln Theater. The Farm Progress Show brings the international agriculture business to Decatur every two years. In 2005, Progress City, on the campus of Richland Community College, hosted the first show at its permanent biennial location. Decatur commuters understand the trains importance to the mural. Three of the country's seven major Class I railroads run through Decatur, which puts it in a unique position. As they have in the past, these railroads and Midwest Inland Port form a multifaceted transportation hub capable of delivering the goods for Central Illinois and the world. But it could be all the trains that drive everybody crazy, Hammel said. The iconic symbol of Decatur is found throughout the city and beyond, including its likeness on ornaments and other decorations. The house was constructed in 1896 at the intersection of Main and Main Streets as a transfer point for electric streetcar riders. The 160-ton structure was moved in November 1962 to the east side of Central Park. The story behind the Decatur Transfer House mural Decaturs Transfer House is a work of art. But visitors to the 125-year-old building in Central Park will find it is home to a piece of local art, too  a mural with images representing the citys iconic or memorable features. The mural was designed by artist Shani Goss in partnership with the Decatur Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Below is the list of murals images and what they represent, according to the artist and the Decatur Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Hammel noted the images may conjure up different thoughts about how they tie into the community. The very first recorded downstate flight in Illinois took place in 1910 in Decatur, just seven years after the Wright Brothers had first flown their way into history. Today, the Decatur Airport, described by local aviation enthusiast Dr. Stephen Huss as the community's "front door" welcomes visitors from across the world daily. It celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2021 with a very successful air show. Decatur was the original home of the Decatur Staley's, now the Chicago Bears. The football team originated in 1919. Two years later they relocated to Chicago, changing the name to the Bears by 1922. Decatur is home to three breweries. Although somewhat new to the community, the establishments, including Decatur Brew Works, Door 4 Brewing Company and Golden Fox Brewing, have already made a mark in the microbrew scene. The bicycle trails run through the west side of Decatur, from Rock Springs Conservation Area through Fairview Park, across Stevens Creek and through the historic areas. Although the bicycle represents the 12-miles worth of trails, walkers and runners are also welcome along the park districts trail system. Located in the heart of the city, Lake Decatur is the source of much enjoyment. Lake Decatur includes 30 miles of shoreline, from which many people take time to fish, enjoy the wildlife, watch the annual fireworks or just relax  activities they also can enjoy from the comforts of a bo Krekels burgers are a must-have for visitors and Central Illinois natives when they find their way back to Decatur. With four Decatur locations, as well as other restaurants in Macon, Mount Zion, Pawnee and Springfield, the award-winning burger has been an iconic meal since its introduction in 1949. A new attraction to the city is the giant butterfly wings painted on the south side of the Decatur Civic Center. The painting was designed by Kelsey Montague, who has completed 300 similar pieces around the globe. Students at Decatur's Dennis School also spearheaded the effort to make the monarch butterfly the state insect. The city is surrounded by corn fields, which feeds the community's grain processing plants, which, in turn, help feed the world. Decatur resident Robert R. Montgomery invented the first wire-screen swatter in 1900. Central Park's fountains, which has included 10 Gallon Lil, the M.L. Harry Memorial Fountain, and a memorial fountain, have been placed prominently in the center of the park for decades. The most recent rendition was dedicated 20 years ago. It is a popular backdrop for homecoming, prom, wedding and other memorable photos. Decaturs golf courses offers stay-and-play packages, allowing golfers to play multiple rounds of golf, thus remaining in Decatur to patronize its various businesses, including hotels and restaurants. In the past, tournaments were hosted at area golf courses. The ice cream cone represents the Mr. Softee food truck that can be found at various Decatur activities. Mr. Softee comes down here almost all summer long and goes to all of our different events, Hammel said. The Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park and Memorial, located along the Sangamon River in Macon County, marks the approximate location of Abraham Lincolns first home in Illinois. It is one of many locations in the community that lay claim to a connection to the 16th president. There are 16 Wayside Exhibits throughout the city with information about those connections. Decatur is known as the soybean capital of the world. The versatile pod is used in oils, tofu, animal feed and other foods. The Devon Lakeshore Amphitheater has brought music fans from all over to enjoy a show on the shore of Lake Decatur. The music began in 2019. After a forced break in 2020 because of COVID, the 2021 summer concert season returned with international, national and local acts taking the stage once again. Meanwhile, the Central Park stage plays plays host to its fair share of acts, including the Decatur Municipal Band on Monday nights during the summer. Decatur has talented performers gracing the local stages on many weekends. We have a lot of great theatrical groups, Hammel said. Theatre 7, Decatur Underground Theater, Mid-Summer Moon Productions and Millikin University provide shows at various venues, including the Decatur Civic Center, Richland Community College and Lincoln Theater. The Farm Progress Show brings the international agriculture business to Decatur every two years. In 2005, Progress City, on the campus of Richland Community College, hosted the first show at its permanent biennial location. Decatur commuters understand the trains importance to the mural. Three of the country's seven major Class I railroads run through Decatur, which puts it in a unique position. As they have in the past, these railroads and Midwest Inland Port form a multifaceted transportation hub capable of delivering the goods for Central Illinois and the world. But it could be all the trains that drive everybody crazy, Hammel said. The iconic symbol of Decatur is found throughout the city and beyond, including its likeness on ornaments and other decorations. The house was constructed in 1896 at the intersection of Main and Main Streets as a transfer point for electric streetcar riders. The 160-ton structure was moved in November 1962 to the east side of Central Park.
DECATUR  The first house of its kind in Decatur was given a special open house on Friday, allowing potential home buyers a glimpse of the future.

The house, located at 439 S. Maffit St., is the first home completed for the citys Abandonment to Rehab program.

Valerie Wallace is the realtor with Main Place who will be showing the house to potential buyers. It is on the market for $64,900. It has been totally renovated, from top to bottom, she said. Everything is brand new.

The house was not in good shape when Mike Davis, Central Illinois Land Bank Authority executive director, first saw it. Theres a lot of work that went into this building, he said.

The program, a partnership between the city and CILBA, rehabilitates vacant and abandoned homes that would likely be demolished. Funding for the home rehabilitation was provided from grants with most coming from the Illinois Housing Development Authority.

Along with exterior and interior remodeling to the three bedroom, one bath house, the home received new plumbing, HVAC, electrical, driveway and a garage. Buildings around the house were demolished.

Today is the beginning where potential meets reality, said Cordaryl Pat Patrick, community development director for the city of Decatur. Our goal is to create safe, healthy, sustainable, affordable housing, and to create a climate for individuals to move from rentership to homeownership.

According to the citys statistics, 42% of renters in Decatur pay 30% or more of their income towards housing.

The goals for Decatur Mayor Julie Moore Wolfe are to find the houses before they are in such bad shape that they need to be demolished, and at the same time build up neighborhoods. We know that when you have more people owning homes, they invest in their neighborhood; they take care of the property; they take pride in it, she said. Its really critical that we get people into homeownership and help give them the skills that they need to keep the property up.

Although the East Maffit Street house is the first refurbished house through the program, the city plans to keep the work going.

This is kind of our anchor of neighborhood revitalization, Moore Wolfe said. Everything that has gone in over here has really worked to clean the neighborhood up.

A grant for the city to provide roof replacements is one the next steps.

A $400,000 grant from the state was matched by the city, according to Davis. I hope to do about 60 roof replacements over the next two years in Decatur, he said.

More than 300 applications have already been submitted for the projects with a goal to finish at least 20 within the next two months. Then well keep the trend going in the spring, Davis said. First-time home buyers build equity in the house, which is important to others as well, the program directors said.

Thats a huge win for that person. Thats a huge win for the community, Davis said. And its a big win for Decatur.

The opportunity to enhance the neighborhood is also a selling point for Wallace. Im hoping theres more, she said. Im excited about what this has to offer.

18 photos of the Staley Pump House through the years
Oh Beez Sweet Shop opens yogurt shop

Oh Beez Sweet Shop, in the former Krave Frozen Yogurt at 1455 E. Village Parkway, Mount Zion, will host its grand opening from 1 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16.

Contests and giveaways will be part of the opening festivities.

Regular business hours will be 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 3 to 10 p.m. Friday, 1 to 10 p.m. Saturday, and 1 to 8 p.m. Sunday. More information is available on the restaurants Facebook page at OhBeez Sweet Shop.

The owner, TyKyna Cole, opened the self-serve, frozen yogurt restaurant this week. Six core flavors include straw very berry, cake batter delight, chocolate, vanilla, sea salt caramel pretzel and cookie madness. Blue raspberry and Dole pineapple whip are the Italian ice flavors.

There are four machines that are open, and we are looking into what those specialty flavors will be, Cole said.

After customers fill the cups with frozen yogurt, they can add various toppings such as fresh fruits, gummy candies, nuts, chocolate, sprinkles and cereals. Kids love the cereals, Cole said.

The price is determined by the weight of the cup.

Several other menu items remained the same after Krave closed, including pizza and breadsticks. Fountain drinks will be available by the grand opening, Cole said.

Kraves Escape Room also closed. Instead, Cole plans to change the room into selfie lounges.

Other additional sweet treats for customers to purchase are baked goods and a selection of candies. Acai Bowls will also be an option. The superfruit sorbet is topped with other healthy items. Fresh fruit, granola, peanut butter, honey, whatever you want, Cole said. Its a dessert, its a meal, it's breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Big Hungry Donuts set to open by year's end

A new donut shop will be opening in the Mount Zion area by the end of the year.

Whitney Minnes is the owner of Big Hungry Daylight Donut. The restaurant will take the place of the Black Iron Coffee location at 2890 Mount Zion Road, Decatur.

Minnes has partnered with the Oklahoma based Daylight Donuts to create the local pastries. They have been in business almost 75 years, Minnes said. So well buy their flour.

Along with donuts, the restaurant will sell fried sausage rolls using the same flour and Heinkels sausage. Were going to offer plain or jalapeno and cheddar, Minnes said.

The opening day is not set. However, expectations are to begin serving customers by the end of the year, the owner said.

Black Iron Coffee equipment is still in the building with the merchandise being sold through an online auction this month. The coffee shops drive-thru will remain for Big Hungry Donuts.

Once everything is out of the building, we can get in, Minnes said. But we do have some minor modifications well have to make.

Svendsen's Florist looking for new owners

The owners of Svendsens Florist, located at 2702 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Decatur, is looking for a buyer for the business.

My husband and I are planning on retiring at the end of the year, said owner Johanne Maple. Hopefully, we would like to find someone to come in and take it over to fill a wonderful spot for Decatur.

Maple and her husband, Mark, have their business listed with a real estate agency. We have a sign out front, she said. We also have information in the store too.

If the business is not sold by the end of the year, the couple will continue with their plans to retire. Were just hoping someone will come along, Maple said. If not, well probably close.

Photos: Downtown Decatur Christmas Walk 2022
DECATUR  A judge is taking under advisement a motion to dismiss the charges of possessing multiple photos and video containing sexual images of children against a Decatur couple.

Judge Lindsey Shelton, after hearing arguments from Douglas Nichols' attorney Andrew Wessler and State's Attorney Scott Reuter, said she would issue a written opinion rather than make a verbal ruling in court on Friday due to the complexity of the case.

Nichols and his wife, Kelly, are due back in court on Sept. 26.

Wessler called the case against the couple a witch hunt and contends in his motion to dismiss the indictment that the photos and videos are merely innocent, everyday images of children with whom the defendants have a personal relationship with.

The legal question, he said, is what is lewd?

The grand jury that returned the indictment, he said, was asked to make a legal determination on whether the images meet the legal definition of lewd, and his contention is that this is not the grand jury's prerogative.

There is not an iota of sexual suggestion or activity in any of these photographs, he said.

Reuter said he does not dispute the case law cited by Wessler in his motion that requires photos and videos meet the legal definition of lewd in order to be considered pornography, and that photos parents take, for example, of small children in the bathtub, are not sexually suggestive. He said he brought that up to the grand jury, that such photos are normal and natural and the defense would likely bring that up.

It's not just pictures of naked children that we're dealing with, as the defense would have you believe, he said. We're dealing with this issue of what constitutes lewdness.

The grand jury did not find all the photos and videos in the Nichols' possession to meet that legal definition of child pornography, he said.

If they're not lewd, there's no need to go on about who made them or who had them or whatever, Reuter said. I think it's clear that all of these that the grand jury selected have an element of lewdness that takes us beyond the issue of whether or not legally, are these not lewd, Reuter said. Are these pictures in and of themselves, child pornography.

Photos: 40th annual National Night Out
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has taken his feud with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to the billboards of Chicago.

The Republican governor is funding an advertising campaign in the Greater Chicago area to recruit Illinois law enforcement to his home state of Florida, offering a $5,000 signing bonus to relocate, according to a statement. The effort is part of a broader 2022 recruitment law signed by DeSantis that so far has lured 2,700 officers to Florida  though only about 37 from Illinois.

I look forward to welcoming the Illinois men and women in blue to the law-and-order state, DeSantis, 45, said in the statement.

The two governors have been increasingly trading barbs, as DeSantis tries to raise his national profile to salvage his White House bid. Last month, Pritzker said DeSantis isnt smart enough to be president after DeSantis blasted an Illinois bill allowing non-U.S. citizens apply to be police officers.

DeSantis has slipped in polls since announcing his candidacy for the Republican nomination in May. Hes now significantly behind former President Donald Trump and his campaign has gone through multiple shakeups.

Pritzker, meanwhile, is struggling to tackle violent crime in Chicago, after a surge during the pandemic. Billionaire Ken Griffin has cited violence as one of the reasons for moving his company, Citadel, to Miami, and has supported DeSantiss tough-on-crime policies.

Other business leaders, including the bosses of McDonalds Corp. and exchange operator CME Group Inc., have also highlighted crime as a concern.
Among other things, sitting Illinois judges are prohibited by Illinois Supreme Court Rule 4.1 from making speeches on behalf of a political organization, or solicit funds for a political organization or candidate, except when theyre up for election or retention.

So, you might ask, what the heck was Illinois Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Rochford thinking when she decided to accept an invitation to be the keynote speaker at the Lake County Democratic Women annual fundraising gala on September 9? The registered political action committee is one of the most influential independent county-wide campaign groups of its kind in all of Illinois, having helped recruit, train and then elect dozens of local candidates over the years (including Justice Rochford herself).

Illinois voters deserve a fair and impartial state Supreme Court that's free of and from politics, which does not appear to be the case here," said Illinois Republican Party Executive Director Shaun McCabe in a press release last week about Rochfords speech.

The Illinois Supreme Court's Code of Judicial Conduct (Canon 4, Page 48-50) is clear: sitting judges who aren't up for election shall not speak at political functions supporting the election of candidates, the Illinois Republican Partys press release claimed. A Republican Party official said later that we can expect a formal complaint will be filed soon.

The controversy boils down to two questions about the Supreme Courts rule: 1) Did Justice Rochford make a speech on behalf of a political organization? And 2) Did her role as keynote speaker mean she was soliciting funds for the Lake County Democratic Women PAC?

Rochfords defenders say no to both questions. She gave a non-political speech to a political group, not on behalf of it. And she didnt do anything to solicit any money for the political action committee.

Justice Rochford herself issued a rare statement to me last week: I receive speaking requests from many groups and organizations. I believe it is important for judges to appear in public and help educate people about the Judicial Branch. My speech at this event was about the work of the Illinois Supreme Court, its non-partisan nature and the collegiality that is fostered by our unique lodging arrangement during court terms. The content of my speech was not political in any way and so should not be construed to have been provided on behalf of any political candidate or organization.

Others who were at the event confirmed Rochfords claim that she said nothing which could be construed as partisan or campaign-related in nature.

I totally get the narrow and lawyerly interpretation. Any formal Republican complaints are likely doomed because of it. These are lawyers, after all. Words are carefully chosen for good reason.

And, more importantly, we elect our judges in Illinois, so that means we do have to accept that they are inherently political beings. If they were all appointed and confirmed by the state Senate, or whatever, it would be a different story.

But, I mean, come on.

Keynote speakers are usually invited because they help legitimize the organization and, as a result, drive increased attendance. And robust attendance is obviously very crucial to the success of any annual fundraiser.

So, while Rochford didnt technically speak on behalf of the group, she did help the Lake County Democratic Women further prove its bona fides by agreeing to speak.

And while she did not directly raise money for the group which helped nominate her in a competitive Democratic primary and then elect her over a Lake County Republican general election opponent, it should have been abundantly clear that her very presence undoubtedly helped the group raise at least some campaign money that it might possibly not have brought in without her.

Justice Rochford has been around politics for a very long time. She most certainly knows that this speech was far different from presenting to a law school symposium, or bar organization.

Im not saying that judges and justices should cloister themselves away like monks. But they should at least try to keep up appearances when theyre not actively campaigning, especially during an era when every decision by just about every Supreme Court in the land, including the US Supreme Court, is being analyzed for political bents.
My wife and I recently returned from a trip to New York City to visit with our son who resides there. We had a wonderful time, but today I want to focus on our return trip. The weather turned bad that afternoon, so our flight from New York to Charlotte, North Carolina was running behind. Consequently, we missed our connecting flight from Charlotte to Asheville where our car was parked.

Before deboarding the plane, a flight attendant told the passengers that for those who missed their connecting flight, please proceed to the airline service counter. By the time we arrived, there were easily 50 people in front of us.

We had been standing in line for over an hour when someone from the airline approached me, and quietly asked where we were heading. I told her we needed to get to Asheville. Go to gate D7, she whispered. We hurried to gate D7 and found it deserted of passengers. The attendant at the counter tapped away on her keyboard for a few seconds and said, Theres a flight to Asheville leaving in 30 minutes, if you hurry you can make it. The attendant then slapped a pair of tickets in our hands and we were off and running.

We made our flight, and even though we got home late, we slept in our own bed that night. I do not know why the woman with the airline singled me out to ask me where we were going. Perhaps it was my exhausted expression. Regardless, her information made all the difference. Consider how that stopping to encourage someone can make a positive difference in their lives. Imparting to others an encouraging word, kindness, compassion, or a helping hand, can be the beacon of hope they have been looking for. Every day we encounter others who may not show it on the outside, but they are looking for guidance and direction.

Gods Word says in Isaiah 30:21, Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it. When we are daily walking with God and listening for His voice, God has wonderful ways of speaking to us and guiding us. But we have to be listening. That guidance can come from a gentle whisper of Gods Spirit, a message you heard on Sunday morning, the advice of a trusted friend, or even a kind word from a stranger. Reflect on how that just is God guides us, we can then be that calm and helpful voice to others in need.

We always need hope, and we always need guidance. God will provide it.
Hong Kong: Police passing-out parade held

The Police College held a parade today to mark the passing-out of 28 probationary inspectors and 127 recruit police constables (RPCs), with 14 RPCs being the first batch of police constables recruited through the Auxiliary Selected Appointment Programme (ASAP).



Liaison Office of the Central Peoples Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Director Zheng Yanxiong inspected the passing-out parade as the Reviewing Officer.



While addressing those gathered at the ceremony, Mr Zheng stressed that the Hong Kong Police Force is an important strength in safeguarding one country, two systems.



He added that the force had united as one, lived up to its trust, and bravely shouldered the important mission of safeguarding national security and maintaining social stability, especially in the face of a series of unprecedented tests in recent years.



He also noted that the force has made significant contributions to Hong Kong in its new stage of advancing from stability to prosperity, following the transition from chaos to order.



Lauding the Hong Kong Police Force as the best police force in the world, Mr Zheng said police officers are serving in a profession of honour, playing the role as guardians in protecting the country and citizens.

Apart from pointing out that he is proud of their career choice, he said he hopes the graduates will not forget this honour and encouraged them to cherish and defend such an honour in their careers.



As a two-year pilot programme, the ASAP provides incentives for auxiliary police officers to join as regular police officers, and at the same time they can maintain the impartiality and fairness of the current selection and training.



Officers nominated under the programme can join the force as RPC after a 14-week residential training and assessment.

This story has been published on: 2023-09-16. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Photo: The Canadian Press FILE - This Oct. 17, 2019 frame grab from video provided by the Mexican government shows Ovidio Guzman Lopez at the moment of his detention, in Culiacan, Mexico. Mexican security forces were forced to release the son of Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman that day after his gunmen shot up the western city of Culiacan. (CEPROPIE via AP File)

Mexico extradited Ovidio Guzman Lopez, a son of former Sinaloa cartel leader Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, to the United States on Friday to face drug trafficking charges, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement.

This action is the most recent step in the Justice Departments effort to attack every aspect of the cartels operations, Garland said.

The Mexican government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Mexican security forces captured Guzman Lopez, alias the Mouse, in January in Culiacan, capital of Sinaloa state, the cartels namesake.

Three years earlier, the government had tried to capture him, but aborted the operation after his cartel allies set off a wave of violence in Culiacan.

Januarys arrest set off similar violence that killed 30 people in Culiacan, including 10 military personnel.

The army used Black Hawk helicopter gunships against the cartels truck-mounted .50-caliber machine guns. Cartel gunmen hit two military aircraft forcing them to land and sent gunmen to the citys airport where military and civilian aircraft were hit by gunfire.

The capture came just days before U.S. President Joe Biden visited Mexico for bilateral talks followed by the North American Leaders Summit.

On Friday, Garland recognized the law enforcement and military members who had given their lives in the U.S. and Mexico. "The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country.

In April, U.S. prosecutors unsealed sprawling indictments against Guzman and his brothers, known collectively as the Chapitos. They laid out in detail how following their fathers extradition and eventual life sentence in the U.S., the brothers steered the cartel increasingly into synthetic drugs like methamphetamine and the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

The indictment unsealed in Manhattan said their goal was to produce huge quantities of fentanyl and sell it at the lowest price. Fentanyl is so cheap to make that the cartel reaps immense profits even wholesaling the drug at 50 cents per pill, prosecutors said. The brothers denied the allegations in a letter.

The Chapitos became known for grotesque violence that appeared to surpass any notions of restraint shown by earlier generations of cartel leaders.

Fentanyl has become a top priority in the bilateral security relationship. But Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has denied assertions by the U.S. government and his own military about fentanyl production in Mexico, instead describing the country as a transit point for precursors coming from China and bound for the U.S.

Lopez Obrador blames a deterioration of family values in the U.S. for the high levels of drug addiction in that country.
HICKORY  Gastroenterology Associates announced the addition of Behnam Laderian, M.D., to the practice. Laderian is board certified in internal medicine and board eligible in gastroenterology. He is currently accepting new patients.

Laderian joins physicians Caroll Koscheski, John Meier, Simon Allport, Gaa Richardson, Susan Nikrooz, Kristen Mussari, Disha Shah and Bradley Zins at the specialty practice.

The medical team now includes 16 health care providers with nine gastroenterologists and seven advanced practice providers.

We are very excited to have Dr. Laderian join our practice, said Stacey Coffey, chief executive officer. The providers and staff of Gastroenterology Associates are committed to providing excellent GI care to the patients of our community. Dr. Laderian is a wonderful addition to our team of providers supporting our mission of quality, patient-centered care.

Laderian will provide care for patients in the endoscopy center and clinic at Gastroenterology Associates, as well as hospital patients of Catawba Valley Medical Center and Frye Regional Medical Center.

Laderian earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and received his medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Following an internship and residency at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa, he went on to complete fellowship training at Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans.

Laderian holds memberships in the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

Founded in 1996, Gastroenterology Associates, P.A. specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of digestive and liver diseases. Gastroenterology and hepatology services include advanced evaluation and treatment of diseases of the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, pancreas, biliary system (gallbladder and bile ducts) and liver.

The practice includes a team of 16 healthcare providers, nine gastroenterologists and seven advanced practice providers. All providers are affiliated with Catawba Valley Medical Center and Frye Regional Medical Center.

The physicians are GI specialists committed to delivering quality health care, expertise, and advanced techniques in endoscopy in a comfortable, compassionate environment.

Gastroenterology Associates features a 3,500-square-foot endoscopy center recognized for outstanding quality measures by the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. It is accredited by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, Inc. and licensed by Medicare and the state of North Carolina.

Gastroenterology Associates serves patients in a 50-mile region including eight counties: Catawba, Alexander, Caldwell, Burke, Lincoln, Iredell, Watauga and Wilkes.

The practice is in the Medical Specialties Center at 415 N. Center St. in Hickory.

Learn more at gastro-associates.net.
TAYLORSVILLE  The Alexander County Board of Commissioners and the Alexander County Sheriffs Office have approved a three-year agreement with the town of Taylorsville to provide a school resource officer at Taylorsville Elementary School and another at the Alexander Early College and Student Success Center.

The two new SROs were in place on Tuesday morning following Monday nights meeting of the board of commissioners.

Alexander County Schools received a state safety grant in November 2022, which prompted commissioners to approve six SRO positions for schools not located in the town limits.

Interim Town Manager Aaron Wike said the town has been trying to fill two SRO positions for months, but has had no success. Therefore, he reached out to Sheriff Chad Pennell to determine if an agreement would be possible with the county.

Sheriff Pennell said he could have officers in place immediately if commissioners approve the agreement, but he does have some concerns about the officers employment after the three-year agreement ends.

Safety is our number one priority, so we dont want to put this off one day if we dont have to, said Pennell. But, in three years, where will the SRO be? You cant have an interim deputy.

Commissioner Larry Yoder agreed. Whats going to happen in three years or even this year when the grant runs out? Im all for safety, but how will it work?

Wike said there is no intention to terminate the SROs when the agreement ends.

Commissioner Kent Herman said, Theres really no alternative but to do this, as long as the sheriff is good with it.

Each SRO will cost approximately $70,000 in salary and benefits, plus equipment, weapons, vehicles, and more. The town will pay all costs associated with the two SRO positions.

Pennell said his office employed eight SROs, which increases to 10 SROs following approval of the agreement. The sheriff said he has two available vehicles with equipment that could be used for the two SRO positions, which would expedite the appointments to the schools.

The safety of our children is paramount, so we must do what needs to be done to protect them during school in this day and age, said Marty Pennell, chairman of the Alexander County Board of Commissioners. We appreciate the willingness of the Sheriffs Office to take on this added responsibility. We also appreciate the school system for its efforts to secure grant funding for SROs and hope that another round of funding will be awarded. This is another excellent example of teamwork here in Alexander County.
100 years ago, Sept. 16, 1923

50 years ago, 1973

25 years ago, 1998

CHARLESTON  The attorney for the man who allegedly shot himself inside a Coles County Sheriffs Department squad car wants his trial on weapons and other charges moved out of Coles County. The attorney also wants a different judge to preside in the case against Cody Burch. Thats because two Coles County judges, including the judge who has the case now, were possible targets in the murder-for-hire case against Burchs mother. Burch, 21, of rural Charleston was shot in the head inside a squad care enroute to the county jail in Charleston on Feb. 5, 1997. He allegedly shot himself after officers failed to find a handgun he concealed. Burch was blinded because of the shooting and later filed a federal lawsuit against the county and the sheriffs department. Meanwhile, Burchs mother, Kennie Lynn Burch, 52, awaits trial on charges of solicitation of murder for hire...MATTOON  A local couple who knew Ken Starr as a college student says he was very smart and very independent as a freshman and sophomore at Harding University in Arkansas. Mattoon chiropractors Don and Nancy Selvidge attended Harding at the same time as Starr in 1964-65. Selvidge said Starr initially pledged to the fraternal organization Frater Sodalis, which is primarily for students interested in becoming ministers or missionaries. Selvidge was a sophomore when Starr was a freshman, and recalls that Starr wasnt the most cooperative pledge...CHARLESTON  The City Council approved the sale of Hall Park for $2,800 Tuesday. The 6,700-square-foot park at 14th Street and Harrison Ave. was sold to George Birch of Charleston. He lives on Harrison Ave., adjacent to the park. Birch outbid Kevin Myerscough of Charleston for the small triangle of land. Myerscough had offered to purchase the park for the assessed value of the land, $2,500. The park was dedicated to A.O. Hall in 1970 in honor of his 34 years as a public servant. A stone monument to Hall and two concrete benches are located in the park...MATTOON  Many residents of Mattoon may not have realized they had a new mayor Tuesday. For a day, that is. Real Mayor Wanda Ferguson took the new mayor, Judge Claudia Anderson of Danville, to the Salvation Army for an advisory board meeting and to tour the police and fire stations Tuesday. Anderson said she earned the position of mayor for a day at the YMCA May Merriment, which she attended with friends Mr. and Mrs. Jim Glenn. But after only a days work, Anderson has resigned her position. Id rather be a judge in the juvenile division than mayor, she said. Although the police chief took me on a tour of his facility, which was interesting, Im on the side of sending people to spent a little less time in facilities like this. Anderson said she was staying away from issues such as leaf burning, brick streets, and taxes while serving in her mayoral capacity...CHARLESTON  EIU is considering changing historic all-female Pemberton Hall into a co-ed honors program facility. EIU housing director Bill Schnackel said that it would make the sense to move the honors program into Pemberton because it is located across the street from the honors office and it doesnt fill as fast as other dorms on campus. As one of EIUs oldest buildings, the ivy-laden Pemberton Hall also has a distinctive classic, academic look that would be well suited for the honors programs, Schnackel said. Renovations would take place in the lounge, entryway and large dining room, said Vicki Woodard of EIUs media relations office.
CHICAGO  The new COVID-19 vaccine designed to better target the virus spreading variants has started to arrive in Chicago.

The question of whether or not people should get the shot is a no-brainer for the medical school experts and Chicago Department of Public Health leaders studying it.

A million people in the United States have died from COVID, said CDPH Medical Director Stephanie Black. We have to respect all of that and take it seriously. Everyone really should be vaccinated.

Here are answers to questions about the vaccine shared by experts and public health officials with the Tribune.

What is the new vaccine?

Its just that, said Dr. Robert Murphy: A new vaccine, and not an updated booster.

Its like a flu shot. Every year, you get a flu shot, said Murphy, executive director of the Havey Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. This is a completely new vaccine.

Compared with the first widely-used COVID-19 vaccine and the bivalent booster shots introduced in fall 2022, the new vaccine is better designed to protect against the spreading omicron variant, Murphy said.

And even as the specific omicron subvariants it targets become less predominant, the vaccine should still provide protection against common emerging subvariants, said Dr. Susan Bleasdale, University of Illinois Healths medical director of Infection Prevention and Control.

It will provide more protection than what people have been vaccinated with in the past, Bleasdale said.

The CDC approved the two mRNA from manufacturers Pfizer and Moderna and is reviewing another more traditional protein-based vaccine from Novavax. All three vaccines use not-alive material based on the actual virus and cannot cause COVID-19 infection, Bleasedale said.

Past versions of the vaccine will be replaced by the better-suited updates, she added.

If youre going to get a COVID vaccine, this is the one youre going to get, Bleasedale said.

Who should get the vaccine and when?

The vaccine is recommended by the CDC for every American more than 6 months old. Most people should get just one shot, the agency recommends.

They tried very hard this time to keep it simple, Murphy said.

But the recommendation comes with some caveats. People who are immunocompromised or older than 65 can get a second dose four months after their first, according to the CDC. Children under 5 who havent been vaccinated or contracted the virus should get a regimen of shots, Murphy said.

As long as its been two months since your last COVID vaccine, you can get the new shot right away, the CDPH told the Tribune.

If youve recently contracted the virus, the CDC says you can get vaccinated as soon as symptoms are gone. Murphy said he advises his patients to wait a month or two before getting a COVID-19 vaccine after theyve been sick with the virus.

They already have such a high immunologic response. Theyll have a lot of side effects from the vaccine, he said. But for many at-risk people, a shorter timeline could be appropriate, he added, so people with recent infections considering vaccination should talk to their doctor.

Bleasdale said its particularly important for people to get the shot who are older, immunocompromised or have risk factors that could lead to complications with COVID-19, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

I want to make sure that people who are at the highest risk are really making this a top priority, she said.

Both doctors and the CDPH urged all people to consider getting the new vaccine.

How do I get the vaccine  and is it free?

People with private health insurance, Medicaid or Medicare should go to a pharmacy or doctors office to get the new vaccine, according to the CDPH.

Federal, state and local programs, including mass vaccination clinics, have also been designed to get uninsured people vaccinated at no cost, Bleasdale said.

So no one should hesitate to get it based on their insurance status, she said.

Murphy noted the shot does cost money for insurers. The vaccines triple-digit cost can be covered by hundreds of programs for uninsured people, but it will take some digging.

You can do it, but its going to be a little bit challenging to find where you can get it, he said. Its really unfortunate.

Vaccination may come with some small administrative costs not covered by insurance, Bleasdale said.

Why should I get this vaccine?

There are two reasons to get vaccinated, Murphy said.

One, to protect yourself. Two, to protect everyone around you, he said.

Clinical trials for the new vaccines and the widespread use of older COVID-19 vaccines show the inoculations are safe and effective at presenting severe illness, he said. For people not at high risk of severe illness, the vaccines may be able to help them stave off the emerging threats of long COVID, like lingering brain fog, he said.

Youre going to have less chance of having it and less chance of giving it, he said.

The older vaccines have already led to dramatic decline in COVID-19 deaths, Bleasdale said. And if vaccinated people do get sick with COVID-19, they will likely be more functional and get back to activities sooner, she said.

Its also important for us as a community, Bleasdale said, adding that vaccination can help prevent high capacity in hospitals.

Fewer than a quarter of Chicagoans received the bivalent booster shot offered last fall, CDPH data shows.

Its just excruciating to not see better picking up of the vaccine, Black said.

With COVID-19 still infecting people in Chicago, the vaccine can help people get back to their normal lives and do things like travel during the holidays, she said.

This vaccine is kind of a ticket to being able to do that, she said.

Its particularly important for people who are at high risk, she said. But the virus can and has killed and hospitalized people of all ages  harsh consequences vaccination helps prevent, she said.

What is the status of COVID-19s spread right now?

Its hard to tell how widely the virus is spreading with access to lab-confirmed tests severely curtailed, Murphy said.

We dont really know. Its incredible how stupid the system is, he said criticizing cuts in testing funding.

Hospitalizations have risen around 10% each week over the last seven weeks nationwide, Murphy said.

The virus remains more transmissible than the flu and around three times more likely to lead to death or hospitalization, he said. He expects new vaccines to come annually, possibly earlier in the year before apparent late summer spread, he added.

Bleasdale said the country is no longer in a pandemic, but instead faced an endemic disease in the spreading coronavirus.

COVID-19 is with us, its not going away, and we know how to manage it, she said, citing mask wearing, vaccinations and isolating when sick as the best tools.

Borah said, As it gets colder, as people head indoors, as our behavior changes with the fall and winter months, we do expect levels of flu, RSV and COVID activity to increase over the coming weeks and months in Chicago, he added.

What do I do about my lost vaccination card?

A lost vaccine card is no problem, Murphy said. The place where someone was previously vaccinated can issue a replacement, he said.

But its a good idea to keep track of all your vaccinations, he added.

A state vaccination registry can also help medical professionals track down pasts shots, Bleasdale said. But the new, annual vaccine makes keeping track more straightforward: You need the new one each year.

If you lost your vaccination card, thats OK, it really doesnt matter about past vaccinations, she said.

And if someone completely fills vaccination card, they can request a new one and staple it to the old one, according to the CDPH.

Can I get this at the same time as my flu shot?

It is safe to get both the flu shot and COVID-19 vaccine at the same time, the CDC says. The side effects are generally the same whether the shots are administered separately, the agency added.

Bleasdale argued it might be best to get the possible aches out of the way together.

You can get both at the same time, she said. Its often easier to get it done at the same time, and it doesnt affect your ability to build immunity. And you dont want to forget to get the other one.

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
Q: Many license plates have the slogan First in Freedom. Is there an event that this refers to?  N.C.

Answer: The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles offers three different designs for license plates that are standard issue license plates. They are the First in Flight, the First in Freedom, and the In God We Trust, with the U.S. motto and the state motto, To Be Rather Than To Seem.

The First in Freedom plate has two dates on it that celebrate important dates in North Carolina history. May 20, 1775, is the signing of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence and April 12, 1776, is the signing of the Halifax Resolves.

In May 1775, a group of men got together in Mecklenburg County to discuss what was happening in the country in regard to British rule. After a rider brought news of the Battle of Lexington in Massachusetts, they created a document that stated that Mecklenburg County was declaring that they wanted American independence.

The document was delivered to the Continental Congress meeting in Philadelphia in the summer of 1775, according to History.com. The North Carolina delegation to the Congress decided that it was too soon to present an independence declaration and held on to it.

According to an article on the Charlotte Museum of History website, www.charlottemuseum.org, the Meck Dec, as it is known, is shrouded in controversy. The first problem is no original copy of the records, including the declaration, exists. The records were destroyed in a fire in 1800 at the home of John McKnitt Alexander, the secretary of the delegation and a signer of the declaration.

In 1829, the N.C. General Assembly decided to put an end to the controversy. A special committee was named to investigate the declaration and report back. The committee talked to witnesses. Those who were there in May 1775 and other observers throughout North Carolina and also in Georgia and Tennessee. In 1831, they reported their findings in a 32-page document.

Much of the testimony from the witnesses was compelling.

For supporters of the story, the eyewitness testimony was conclusive. In addition, advocates point to the records of John McKnitt Alexander, which were found after his death. These fragmentary and rough notes, although undated and torn, communicate a clear picture of the events of May 19-20, according to the Charlotte Museum article.

To add to the controversy, in 1838, Peter Force, a historian, found a document that has become known as the Mecklenburg Resolves that was dated May 31, 1775.

These Resolves became (and in fact remain) the key to the entire case for the skeptics of the story. According to their theory, the people of Charlotte passed the Mecklenburg Resolves on May 31, 1775 (which is unarguable, since they have been found), but these fall short of a declaration of independence, the article said.

The Mecklenburg Resolves are available on the Library of Congress website, www.loc.gov.

The Halifax Resolves, on the other hand, is not a mystery. According to the National Park Service, the Halifax Resolves ordered North Carolinas delegation to the second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, not only to form foreign alliances, but also to seek and vote for independence from Great Britain. This action made North Carolina the first of the colonial governments to call for total independence.
Laura Steele, a former High Point police officer convicted in March on charges stemming from the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, was sentenced Friday to 12 months and one day of incarceration and 36 months of supervised release, according to online court records.

Steele, of Thomasville, was among four people associated with the Oath Keepers who were convicted March 20 of conspiracy and obstruction charges.

U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta also ordered that Steele be placed on home detention for the first six months of supervision. All terms of incarceration and supervision for multiple charges will run concurrently or simultaneously, court records show.

Steele was ordered to self-surrender, according to the summary of minutes from Fridays court proceeding.

In the weeks leading up to the sentencing, Steeles attorney Peter Cooper asked that she serve only six months of home detention  a stark contrast from the 97 to 121 months of incarceration recommended by prosecutors.

Cooper was not immediately available for comment Friday evening. He had previously requested the court to consider home detention be followed by a period of supervision and community service.

Court documents filed recently by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia state that Steele deserves a significant sentence.

Laura Steele is arguably the most culpable of all five defendants being sentenced. As someone who spent a career in law enforcement, she was in a better position than most to appreciate the grave dangers posed by her conduct and the conduct of her co-conspirators on January 6, prosecutors said in a sentencing memorandum.

Steele and four other defendants were convicted of participating in an unprecedented conspiracy to stop members of Congress from performing their constitutionally required duty to review and certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, prosecutors wrote. ...the seriousness of this offense cannot be overstated.

Cooper, on Steeles behalf, wrote that Steele was a supporter of former President Donald Trump and looks back on Jan. 6, 2021 with regret. Quite simply her experiences on that day have left an indelible sour taste in her mouth and she wants to put it in the past and close the door as quickly as possible.

He wrote that Steele was very frightened about what could happen at her sentencing but she wishes to make the Court aware that she knows shes here based on her own actions and takes responsibility.

When she was charged, Steeles indictment alleged that she submitted an application to the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers on Jan. 3, 2021. The Oath Keepers are a far-right antigovernment extremist group. In her application, according to court documents, she said she had been in law enforcement for 13 years, working as a SWAT officer and a K-9 officer.

Steele was hired by the High Point Police Department in March 1992, and was suspended without pay for two days in July 2004 for violation of professional behavior and conduct. She was fired on Aug. 27, 2004, for conduct toward superior personnel, absence from duty and violation of communication policy.

In 2001, she worked as a school-resource officer as part of her duties with the High Point Police Department. She was investigated and cleared in two separate incidents in which she pepper-sprayed students.

In a previous interview with the Winston-Salem Journal, Cooper said that Steele had worked as a public service officer with Novant Health since 2014. She had been registered with the Private Protective Services Board since 2018, but that registration was suspended due to the federal charges. According to court documents, she is on leave from her security job.

According to the indictment, she, her brother and others dressed in paramilitary clothing went into the U.S. Capitol in a military-style stack formation, meaning members kept their hands on the backs or vests of the person in front of them as they moved into the building.

It was also alleged that Steele and her brother used a burn pit in Steeles backyard the next day to destroy evidence, including their clothing.

In June 2021, Gordon Young, Steeles brother, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
A federal judge on Friday ordered three years of probation for fired Wells Fargo & Co. executive Carrie Tolstedt, the latest criminal and legal step involving the banks fraudulent customer account scandal that erupted publicly in September 2016.

Tolstedts sentence includes six months of home confinement.

In March, Tolstedt, 63, became the first former or fired Wells Fargo to plead guilty to criminal charges involving the scandal.

According to the U.S. Justice Department in a March news release, Tolstedt pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of a bank examination involving the banks federal regulator the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

The ruling from Judge Josephine Staton in the Central District of California came after federal prosecutors had recommended a 12-month prison term and a subsequent 12-month probation period. A March plea agreement allowed for up to 16 months in prison.

Tolstedts sentence also includes a $100,000 fine and 120 hours of community service.

Most of the sentencing filings were sealed by the judge, but she allowed Tolstedts attorneys to submit a redacted version of their sentencing memorandums.

Her attorneys asked that Staton considered that a custodial (prison) sentence is not necessary to afford adequate deterrence or protect the public ... is not necessary to achieve just punishment and respect for the law ... and the need to avoid unwanted sentencing disparities supports a probationary sentence.

Her attorneys claimed that while Tolstedt has the lead role in the OCC filing that led to her criminal case, the May 22, 2015, memorandum was a collaborative effort that was drafted by numerous subject-matter experts in coordination with numerous bank lawyers.

U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally said in making his sentencing recommendations earlier in September that 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.

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.

In May 2015, Tolstedt participated in the preparation of a memorandum that the OCC 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.

Fines and penalties

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.

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.

The SEC imposed a permanent officer-and-director bar against Tolstedt involving the financial services sector.

In March, Tolstedt paid a $17.5 million fine ordered by the OCC.
The body of Kalvin Michael Smith, whose conviction for the brutal assault of a store clerk stoked intense debate about racial bias in the justice system, was found in an automobile on Wednesday, Winston-Salem Police said Friday.

The vehicle was parked in 100 block of Charleston Court, at an apartment complex near Miller Street, Chief William Penn Jr., said.

He declined to say how long Smith had been dead, saying that the case is still under investigation.

Smith, who had no known address, had not been reported missing, Penn said.

The Forsyth County Medical Examiners office identified Smith as the deceased man on Friday. His next-of-kin was then notified.

Preliminary evidence discovered during the investigation suggests no foul play was involved in Mr. Smiths death, Penn said.

The cause of death will not be available until toxicology reports are returned, which could take several months, Penn said.

Smith was 25-years-old when he was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and armed robbery in the 1995 attack on Jill Marker, an assistant manager of the Silk Plant Forest store off Silas Creek Parkway.

The assault left Marker with severe brain damage and in need of 24-hour care.

A five-part series in the Winston-Salem Journal in 2004 raised questions about the police investigation and subsequent prosecution, focusing on whether the brain injuries Marker sustained in the attack would have enabled her to identify Smith as her attacker.

It also raised questions about the actions of lead detective Don Williams.

Other entities also had concerns about the integrity of the case, including the Innocence Project at Duke University law school, which took on Smiths case.

Later, a review committee formed by the Winston-Salem City Council reported that it had no confidence in the police investigation and said it found no credible evidence that Smith was in the store that day.

A citizens group hired a former FBI assistant director, Chris Swecker, to review the case. He, too, concluded that Smith deserved a new trial.

Throughout his imprisonment, Smith maintained his innocence in the Marker case.

After 20 years in prison, he was released in November 2016 after a motion alleged his trial attorney, William Speaks, failed to present certain evidence that might have shortened his prison sentence.

Smith was then 45 years old.

Smith was never exonerated for the crime and remained a convicted felon.

He told the Journal in a 2017 interview: When I can walk down the street and people have no doubt Im innocent, Im free. Until then, Im not free.

Because of his convicted felon status, Smith never received any compensation for the time he spent in prison.

"People think I have money," Smith told the Journal. "But I don't have anything.

Smiths case gained considerable attention in Winston-Salem, coming 10 years after the wrongful conviction of Darryl Hunt in 1984 for the rape and murder of a white woman.

The case amplified the deep racial divides in the city, with Black leaders raising suspicions of the police investigation, suspicions that proved on target with Hunts exoneration in 2004.

Hunt spent much of his life championing the cause of the wrongfully convicted. He lent his support to Smith, speaking on his behalf at community rallies.

Their stories overlap in another way. Hunt was found dead inside a vehicle in 2016, the victim of suicide. He had been missing for days.

Augustus Dark, Smiths father, said he only had one comment to make on his sons death.

This county, this state has blood on its hands, and thats all I got to say, Dark said.

Mark Hoisington, Markers brother, said that Smiths death brings an odd sense of closure.

But it is closure, Hoisington said. The only thing I can say from the family perspective is that he finally got what was coming to him, as harsh as that sounds.

He planned to visit Marker, now 61, on Saturday and tell her the news about Smiths death.

Im sure it will make her feel at ease, Hoisington said.

Close Kalvin Michael Smith (center), walks out the gate of the Forsyth Correctional Center to be greeted by one of his attorneys, Cheryl Andrews, as he was released from having served his term for the 1995 assault of Jill Marker. Attorney Jim Coleman (right), of the Duke Wrongful Conviction Center, gives a thumbs up to waiting media as Kalvin Michael Smith (left), is released from the Forsyth Correctional Center. Kalvin Michael Smith hug his nephew, Jerrod Davis, as Smith arrives at his father's home after being freed from prison. Kalvin Michael Smith hug his father, Gus Dark, as Smith arrives at his home after being freed from prison Thursday. Smith spent 20 years in prison for an assault at the Silk Plant Forest his supporters say he didn't commit. Augustus "Gus" Dark, waits on the front porch of his home as he waits for his son Kalvin Michael Smith to arrive at his home after being freed from prison. Augustus "Gus" Dark, talks on the phone just after his son, Kalvin Michael Smith, arrived at his home after being freed from prison. Kalvin Michael Smith pulls some of his personal belongings from the trunk of Jim Coleman's car after changing clothes at his father's house. Kalvin Michael Smith (center) leaves the Forsyth Correctional Center a free man. Kalvin Michael Smith (center) leaves the Forsyth Correctional Center a free man. Attorney Cheryl Andrews fends off media as Kalvin Michael Smith leaves the Forsyth Correctional Center a free man. Kalvin Michael Smith (center) leaves the Forsyth Correctional Center a free man with attorney Cheryl Andrews (far left), and a swarm of media. Attorney Cheryl Andrews (center) directs Kalvin Michael Smith (right) towards a waiting car as he is released from the Forsyth Correctional Center. Kalvin Michael Smith is Released from Prison Kalvin Michael Smith (center), walks out the gate of the Forsyth Correctional Center to be greeted by one of his attorneys, Cheryl Andrews, as he was released from having served his term for the 1995 assault of Jill Marker. Attorney Jim Coleman (right), of the Duke Wrongful Conviction Center, gives a thumbs up to waiting media as Kalvin Michael Smith (left), is released from the Forsyth Correctional Center. Kalvin Michael Smith hug his nephew, Jerrod Davis, as Smith arrives at his father's home after being freed from prison. Kalvin Michael Smith hug his father, Gus Dark, as Smith arrives at his home after being freed from prison Thursday. Smith spent 20 years in prison for an assault at the Silk Plant Forest his supporters say he didn't commit. Augustus "Gus" Dark, waits on the front porch of his home as he waits for his son Kalvin Michael Smith to arrive at his home after being freed from prison. Augustus "Gus" Dark, talks on the phone just after his son, Kalvin Michael Smith, arrived at his home after being freed from prison. Kalvin Michael Smith pulls some of his personal belongings from the trunk of Jim Coleman's car after changing clothes at his father's house. Kalvin Michael Smith (center) leaves the Forsyth Correctional Center a free man. Kalvin Michael Smith (center) leaves the Forsyth Correctional Center a free man. Attorney Cheryl Andrews fends off media as Kalvin Michael Smith leaves the Forsyth Correctional Center a free man. Kalvin Michael Smith (center) leaves the Forsyth Correctional Center a free man with attorney Cheryl Andrews (far left), and a swarm of media. Attorney Cheryl Andrews (center) directs Kalvin Michael Smith (right) towards a waiting car as he is released from the Forsyth Correctional Center.

The family always maintained that police had gotten the man who beat Marker, he said.

Smith struggled with assimilation upon his release from prison. He was charged with several misdemeanors, many of which were dismissed and was shot in what his father called a random act of violence in March, 2017, just a few months after he was released.

In 2022, he was convicted on charges that he was driving a stolen vehicle and that he stole alcohol three different times from a local ABC store.

In addition, he was convicted in 2018 of misdemeanor assault on a female.

It just seemed like everybody and everything was just trying to pull me in all kinds of directions, Smith said in the 2017 interview with the Journal. I didnt get a chance to figure out what I was going to do. It got overwhelming. I just cut everything off.

Close Supporters sign letters to Gov. Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper asking for the release from prison of Kalvin Michael Smith during a gathering of about 100 people at Union Baptist Church on Sunday, July 31, 2016 during a rally dubbed "A Pilgrimage for Justice of Kalvin Michael Smith & Dontae Sharpe". William J. Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP, address the gathering of about 100 people at Union Baptist Church during a rally dubbed "A Pilgrimage for Justice of Kalvin Michael Smith & Dontae Sharpe". Standing with Barber is Smith's father Augustus Dark (center) and Stephen Boyd, chair of the Silk Plant Forest Truth Committee. Augustus Dark, father of Kalvin Michael Smith, talks about his son's 19 years in jail as he address the gathering of about 100 people at Union Baptist Church. William J. Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP, address Kalvin Michael Smith supporters at Union Baptist Church. Stephen Boyd, chair of the Silk Plant Forest Truth Committee, reads a letter from Kalvin Michael Smith to a gathering of about 100 people at Union Baptist Church on Sunday. Jaylon Herbin, a Winston-Salem State student who has worked with the family of Kalvin Michael Smith addresses the gathering. Kalvin Michael Smith supporters sign letters to Gov. Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper asking for the release from prison of Kalvin Michael Smith during a gathering of about 100 people at Union Baptist Church on Sunday, July 31, 2016 during a rally dubbed "A Pilgrimage for Justice of Kalvin Michael Smith & Dontae Sharpe". Kalvin Michael Smith supporters sign letters to Gov. Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper asking for the release from prison of Kalvin Michael Smith. Kalvin Michael Smith supporters line up to sign letters to Gov. Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper asking for Smith's release from prison. About 100 people gathered at Union Baptist Church on Sunday, July 31, 2016 during a rally dubbed "A Pilgrimage for Justice of Kalvin Michael Smith & Dontae Sharpe". NAACP rally for Kalvin Michael Smith Supporters sign letters to Gov. Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper asking for the release from prison of Kalvin Michael Smith during a gathering of about 100 people at Union Baptist Church on Sunday, July 31, 2016 during a rally dubbed "A Pilgrimage for Justice of Kalvin Michael Smith & Dontae Sharpe". William J. Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP, address the gathering of about 100 people at Union Baptist Church during a rally dubbed "A Pilgrimage for Justice of Kalvin Michael Smith & Dontae Sharpe". Standing with Barber is Smith's father Augustus Dark (center) and Stephen Boyd, chair of the Silk Plant Forest Truth Committee. Augustus Dark, father of Kalvin Michael Smith, talks about his son's 19 years in jail as he address the gathering of about 100 people at Union Baptist Church. William J. Barber II, president of the North Carolina NAACP, address Kalvin Michael Smith supporters at Union Baptist Church. Stephen Boyd, chair of the Silk Plant Forest Truth Committee, reads a letter from Kalvin Michael Smith to a gathering of about 100 people at Union Baptist Church on Sunday. Jaylon Herbin, a Winston-Salem State student who has worked with the family of Kalvin Michael Smith addresses the gathering. Kalvin Michael Smith supporters sign letters to Gov. Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper asking for the release from prison of Kalvin Michael Smith during a gathering of about 100 people at Union Baptist Church on Sunday, July 31, 2016 during a rally dubbed "A Pilgrimage for Justice of Kalvin Michael Smith & Dontae Sharpe". Kalvin Michael Smith supporters sign letters to Gov. Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper asking for the release from prison of Kalvin Michael Smith. Kalvin Michael Smith supporters line up to sign letters to Gov. Pat McCrory and Attorney General Roy Cooper asking for Smith's release from prison. About 100 people gathered at Union Baptist Church on Sunday, July 31, 2016 during a rally dubbed "A Pilgrimage for Justice of Kalvin Michael Smith & Dontae Sharpe".

The Rev. John Mendez, the retired pastor at Emmanuel Baptist Church, was among the community leaders who believed Smith was wrongfully convicted and fought for his release.

Mendez said he was saddened by Smiths death and sees it as a reminder that incarcerated people need help when they are trying to integrate back into society.

When a person has been wrongly incarcerated and is released, they need a lot of community support and not just when the situation is on everybodys mind and the media is still covering it, Mendez. Being incarcerated as long as he was really contributed to his death. You cant go through all of that and come out healthy.

Smith fought to prove his innocence through various appeals, one of which was pending at the time of his death.

Close The crowd listens to speakers during a student-led rally for Kalvin Michael Smith and Dontae Sharpe. The crowd listens to speakers. Demonstrators walk to the Forsyth County Courthouse. Demonstrators walk to the Forsyth County Courthouse. Demonstrators assemble in front of the Forsyth County Courthouse. Demonstrators walk to the Forsyth County Courthouse. Stephen Boyd speaks to the crowd. Kalvin Michael Smith's father, Augustus Dark, speaks during a student-led rally for Kalvin Michael Smith (Winston-Salem Journal, Lauren Carroll) 20160425w_nws_smith Anne Donovan speaks to the crowd. Bennett Heine speaks to the crowd. Kalvin Michael Smith's father, Augustus Dark (center) marches with other demonstrators. Stephen Boyd speaks to the crowd. Rev. Alvin Carlisle holds his son Alex, 7, tight. Demonstrators listen to speakers. Kalvin Michael Smith's father, Augustus Dark, speaks. Protest for Kalvin Michael Smith The crowd listens to speakers during a student-led rally for Kalvin Michael Smith and Dontae Sharpe. The crowd listens to speakers. Demonstrators walk to the Forsyth County Courthouse. Demonstrators walk to the Forsyth County Courthouse. Demonstrators assemble in front of the Forsyth County Courthouse. Demonstrators walk to the Forsyth County Courthouse. Stephen Boyd speaks to the crowd. Kalvin Michael Smith's father, Augustus Dark, speaks during a student-led rally for Kalvin Michael Smith (Winston-Salem Journal, Lauren Carroll) 20160425w_nws_smith Anne Donovan speaks to the crowd. Bennett Heine speaks to the crowd. Kalvin Michael Smith's father, Augustus Dark (center) marches with other demonstrators. Stephen Boyd speaks to the crowd. Rev. Alvin Carlisle holds his son Alex, 7, tight. Demonstrators listen to speakers. Kalvin Michael Smith's father, Augustus Dark, speaks.
Services

Ardmore Baptist Church, 501 Miller St., Winston-Salem, will have services at 8:15 and 10:45 a.m. Sunday. Pastor Tyler Tankersley continues a sermon series analyzing the deeper meaning of meals and food shared in the scriptures. This weeks sermon is titled A Meal that Invites exploring Deuteronomy 14:22-29. The 10:45 service will be live streamed on YouTube and Facebook. Sign-ups for All Together Ardmore fall classes and small groups begin Sunday. Sign-ups are available on the church website. For more information, go to www.ardmorebaptist.org.

Mount Carmel United Methodist Church, 4265 Ebert Road, Winston-Salem, will have worship at 10 a.m. Sunday. Sunday school is at 8:45 and childrens church starts at 9:30 a.m. There will be a New Beginnings dinner church for all ages from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays beginning Sept. 13. Everyone is invited for a free meal, a message and music in the church fellowship hall.

Victory on the Frontline Church and Event Center, 4307 Welcome-Arcadia Road, Arcadia, Sunday morning starts at 9:30 with a light breakfast. Sunday school for all ages starts at 10. Victory worship service begins at 11 with a gospel concert by New Salem with a message from Pastor Michael Duffy. Choir practice will be at 6 p.m. Wednesday, a fellowship meal will be served at 6:30 and the Just as I Am casual and family service is at 7. For more information, call 336-577-2873 or email mktvfl@att.net.

Green Street United Methodist Church, 639 S. Green St., Winston-Salem, will have an in-person service at 8:45 a.m. Sunday. The 11 a.m. service is held in-person and is streamed online via Facebook and YouTube and is a blended service featuring jazz and blues musicians as well as hymns, spirituals and elements of social gospel. The 8:45 a.m. service is a quiet, contemplative space including prayer, scripture, preaching and communion. Masks are optional in the building for services with some exceptions. For more information, go to www.greenstreetumc.org.

New Unity Missionary Baptist Church, 2946 Ivy Ave., Winston-Salem, invites you to join Pastor Willie Davidson and the New Unity Church Family each Sunday morning at 10 a.m. for in-person worship service. Let us praise the Lord together. Masks are available.

Trinity Methodist Church, 3819 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem, invites you to worship at 10 a.m. each Sunday. The Rev. Doug Miller is the lead pastor ordained in the Global Methodist Church. During worship there will be special music, busy bags for children, and prayers for the community and our congregation. There are two Sunday school classes for adults. One is at 9 a.m. and the other is at 11 a.m. You are invited to the Connection Cafe which consists of light refreshments and coffee at 9:15 a.m. in the fellowship hall. For more information, call the church office at 336-765-0150.

First Baptist Church  East, 700 N. Highland Ave., Winston-Salem, will have a worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday. Pastor A. Ray Campbell, the interim pastor, will deliver the message. The service is available on Facebook and YouTube. For more information, go to fbcwinston.org.

Parkway United Church of Christ, 1465 Irving St., Winston-Salem, worships at 11 a.m. Sunday. The sermon series on Touchstones for Building Trustworthy Community will continue. For more information, go to www.parkwayunited.org, or call 336-723-1395.

Lewisville United Methodist Church, 6290 Shallowford Road, Lewisville, will have contemporary worship at 9 a.m. Sunday in the fellowship hall. Sunday school is at 10 a.m. and traditional worship is in the sanctuary at 11 a.m. For more information, go to lewisvilleumc.org.

Unity Moravian Church, 8300 Concord Church Road, Lewisville, will have adult Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. and worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday. The service at 11 is in-person and live streamed. A nursery is provided. Childrens church is offered during the worship service. For more information, go to www.unitymoravianchurch.org or call 336-945-3801.

Mount Tabor United Methodist Church, 3543 Robinhood Road, Winston-Salem, offers two Sunday services: 9 a.m. modern worship in the Alspaugh Worship Center, and 11 a.m. traditional worship in the sanctuary. Both services are available online at http://youtube.com/MountTaborUMCVideoStreaming and the Mount Tabor United Methodist Church Facebook page. For more information, visit www.mttaborumc.org or call 336-765-5561.

Winston-Salem Friends Meeting, Quaker church, meets at Fairview Moravian Church, 6550 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem. Sunday morning live services begin with Unprogrammed (silent) Worship at 9:15, First-Day (Sunday) school for adults at 9:30, and Meeting for Worship at 10:30. David Teague will bring the message Sunday. We are a community of seekers who meet together to worship God. We seek to express our faith through action, focusing on peace and social justice. We seek to find the Light of God in ourselves and in others. We seek to treat all persons with equality and integrity. For more information, email mary.simmons51@icloud.com.

New Philadelphia Moravian Church, 4440 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem, will meet in-person at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Sunday and will live stream its 9:30 service on Face-book.com/newphiladelphiamoravianchurch. You do not need a Face-book account to view the service. If you are unable to view the live stream, a recorded version is on the churchs YouTube page.

Ardmore United Methodist Church, 630 S. Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem, has a traditional service at 10 a.m. and a contemporary service at 11:15 a.m. Sunday with a summer Prayground on the playground during each service. The Rev. Bob Kerr and the Rev. Katy Medinas Lockley welcome all and lead the worship service. On Sunday there will be a combined casual service at 11 a.m. with a cookout following. Services are streamed on Youtube. For more information, go to ardmoreumc.org or call the office at 336-723-3695.

Lewisville Baptist Church, 125 Lewisville-Clemmons Road, Lewisville, invites all to celebrate Jesus Christ at 10 a.m. Sundays. Services are live streamed on Facebook and YouTube. Sunday school is at 9 a.m. There will be midweek activities for all ages at 6 p.m. Wednesdays. For more information, go to lewisvillebaptist.com.

Kingswood Church, 6840 University Parkway, Rural Hall, welcomes all to their Sunday services. Sunday school for all ages begins at 10 a.m. The traditional worship service begins at 11 and is led by the Rev. Mark Muckler. Weekly worship services, and other ministry related events, are also available online on the Kingswood Facebook page. For more information, call the church at 336-969-5437.

Olivet Moravian Church, 2205 Olivet Church Road, Winston-Salem, will have Sunday school at 9 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall and an inside worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday. The worship service will also be livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube. For more information, call the church office at 336-924-8063.

Salem Creek Friends Meeting (Quakers) meets in the parsonage of Fries Memorial Moravian Church, 271 N. Hawthorne Road, Winston-Salem. The unprogrammed meeting for worship starts at 10 a.m. each Sunday. For more information, email clerk@salemcreekfriends.org.

Burkhead United Methodist Church, 5250 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem, invites you for worship at 10:30 a.m. each Sunday. Sunday school classes begin at 9:15 and 9:30. The service is also available on the website and the Facebook page. For more information, go to www.burkheadumc.org or call 336-765-6590, ext. 3.

Konnoak Hills Moravian Church, 3401 Konnoak Drive, Winston-Salem, will have a worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday. The church receives a drive-thru food offering for Sunnyside Ministry each Sunday. Drop off non-perishable donations from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Primary needs are canned vegetables, crackers, pasta, rice, cereal, dry/powdered milk and bread. For more information, call 336-788-9321.

Union United Methodist Church, 8935 Shallowford Road, Lewisville, will have a Sunday worship service at 9:30 a.m. with Sunday school at 10:45. For those who cannot worship in person, the service is live streamed and archived on Facebook. Live and archived services may also be viewed on the churchs website, unionumclewisville.org.

Clemmons First Baptist Church, 3530 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, will have Sunday school at 9:15 a.m. At 10:30 a.m. Sunday there will be an in-person worship service. The Rev. David Pace will bring the message. The service will also be live streamed on Facebook and YouTube. For more information, call 336-766-6486 or go to cfbctoday.org.

First Waughtown Baptist Church, 838 Moravia St., Winston-Salem, doors will open at 8 a.m. for Sunday school at 8:15 a.m. The 10 a.m. worship service begins with devotion at 9:45. This weeks lesson is Jesus Glorifies God (Scriptural Reference  John 7:14-24; Key Verse John 7:18). Senior pastor Dennis W. Bishop will continue the series on How the Holy Spirit Helps Us as Believers to Manage Life on an Every-day Basis (Foundation Scripture  Deuteronomy 8:18). Facemasks are optional. People who wish to worship virtually can find services on YouTube, www.youtube.com (First Waughtown); Facebook, www.facebook.com/FirstWaughtown/; and the First Waughtown web-site, www.firstwaughtown.org. Services posted online are a one-week delay.

Home Moravian Church, 529 S. Church St., Winston-Salem, will have in-person and live stream worship at 10 a.m. Sunday. Bible discussion via Zoom and in-person will be held after the service using the adult programing link on the churchs website.

Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, 1905 N. Jackson Ave., Winston-Salem, will have joint Sunday school Bible study at 10 a.m. and morning worship at 11. COVID protocols are practiced. Paul W. Hart is the pastor.

Pfafftown Christian Church, 3323 Transou Road, Pfafftown, invites everyone to worship in the sanctuary at 11 a.m. each Sunday. The Rev. Rodney Stilwell is the pastor, and the Rev. Timothy Shoaf is the minister of Music and Programs. Other events and ministries are listed online at www.pfafftownchristian.org. For more information, call 336-692-5214 or the church office at 336-924-9925.

New Friendship Baptist Church, 4258 Old Lexington Road, Winston-Salem, will have Sunday school at 9:15 a.m. A morning worship service will begin at 10:30 a.m. For more information, call the church office at 336-788-3112.

Clemmons Presbyterian Church, 3930 Clemmons Road, Clemmons, invites you to worship at 10 a.m. Sunday. The Rev. Leigh Wisner will bring the morning message. The service will be in-person and live streamed on YouTube at youtube.com/ClemmonsPresbyterianChurch. For more information, go to www.clemmonspresbyterian.org or call 336-766-4631.

First Baptist Church of Stanleyville, 851 Ziglar Road, Winston-Salem, will have Sunday services at 8:45, 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday school is at 10 a.m. On Wednesday, a prayer and worship service is at 6:30 p.m. and Children in Action and Mission Friends are at 7 p.m. For more information, go to www.stanleyvillebaptist.com.

Rural Hall Christian Church, 280 Bethania-Rural Hall Road, Rural Hall, will hold the following in-person services on Sundays: The BLEND at 10 a.m. with Christian classes for all ages and congregational worship at 11 a.m. Youth ministries will continue at 6 p.m. Sundays, unless otherwise announced. For more information, go to RuralHall-Church.org and the churchs social media pages.

Shallowford Presbyterian Church, 1200 Lewisville Clemmons Road, Lewisville, offers a service in-person and live stream via YouTube at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. For more information, go to spcnc.org or call 336-766-3178.

Central Tabernacle Church, 715 Waughtown St., Winston-Salem, invites you to worship Sunday. Refreshments will be served during hospitality time at 9:30 a.m. Sunday school for all ages is at 10. Morning worship and Junior Church begin at 11. Pastor Sandra Bovender will bring an inspiring message. At 6 p.m. Wednesday the adults will continue their Bible study on the book of John taught by Bob Bennett. Handouts for the study are available each week.

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 4055 Robinhood Road, Winston-Salem, the 10:30 a.m. service Sunday will be held in-person, and also livestreamed at uufws.org/virtualworshipservice. The Rev. Kayla Parker will present Back to the Basics. The annual Homecoming Potluck will be held following the service. The Forum will be at 9 a.m. Anna Keller will discuss why choosing safer productsfrom shampoo to laundry detergentmatters for you, for others, and for the planet. The Forum will be in person, and also live streamed at https://uufws.org/virtualforum. For more information, go to www.uufws.org.

St. Philips Moravian Church, 911 S. Church St., Winston-Salem, is worshipping regularly in the brick church in Old Salem at 11 a.m. Sundays. All are welcome for traditional Moravian worship in the historically African American church.

Union Cross Baptist Church, 4350 High Point Road, Kernersville, invites you to Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. and morning worship led by Adam Woods at 11 a.m. each Sunday.

Bible Fellowship Baptist Church, 4950 Warner Road, Pfafftown, will have services at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday. The topic at 11 a.m. will be Discovering the Beautiful Son of God, based on the Gospel of John. The topic at 5 p.m. will be Unusual Things in the Bible. There will be Bible study at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The topic will be Doing the 52, studying 52 chapters, 52 verses, in 52 weeks. For more information, go to BFBCnow.org or call 336-462-4844.

Faith and Family Baptist Church, 105 Nathan Ave., Winston-Salem, schedule of services: Sunday worship services are at 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Sunday school is at 9:45 a.m. and the midweek service is at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The church live streams all services at www.facebook.com/faithandfamilybaptist. A Facebook account is not required to access the video, scroll down for the live stream. Archive services are available there if you are unable to watch live. For more information, contact Pastor Robert Hutchens at 336-782-3747.

Liberty Baptist Church, 1548 Old Hollow Road, Winston-Salem, invites you to join them for services. They offer Facebook live for all services on the Facebook page of Gary Styers. For their schedule of services and more information, go to www.libertybaptistnc.org.

Rural Hall Moravian Church, 7939 Broad St., Rural Hall, has in-person Sunday School for all ages at 10 a.m. Sundays, followed by worship service at 11 with the Rev. Andrew Craver. Worship services are also available via online streaming at https://www.youtube.com/user/RHMoravian. For more information, go to www.rhmc.org.

St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, 357 Old Hollow Road, Winston-Salem, will have Sunday school at 10 a.m. and worship with Pastor Emily Schlaman Larsen at 11 a.m. Sunday. The nursery is open. Weekly sermons are available on YouTube for people who prefer to join worship remotely. Search for: St. Andrews Presbyterian Church Winston Salem NC. For more information, go to www.standrewsnc.org.

First Christian Church, 2320 Country Club Road, Winston-Salem, will have an in-person worship service at 11 a.m. Sunday. Childrens worship and youth worship are available. A noon-day prayer service will be held at noon Wednesday. Worship services are also available by online streaming at www.wearefcc.church. For more information, go to www.wearefcc.church or call the church at 336-722-2714.

St. Paul United Methodist Church, Winston-Salem, will live stream its 11 a.m. worship service Sunday at www.facebook.com/stpaulumcws/live. Facebook does not require an account for access to the page. Additional information regarding prayer services and Bible study may be found on the churchs website www.stpaulumcws.org or by calling the church at 336-723-4531.

Fundraiser

Bible Fellowship Baptist Church, 4950 Warner Road, Pfafftown, is accepting donations for its roof replacement project. For more information, call Pastor Loyd Taylor at 336-462-4844.

Special events

New Friendship Baptist Church, 4258 Old Lexington Road, Winston-Salem, will have their 196th anniversary homecoming Sunday. Pastor Emeritus Harold Fletcher, Union Grove Baptist Church, Lexington, will be the guest speaker at 10:30 a.m. Following the worship service, there will be a covered dish luncheon in the fellowship hall. Please bring enough food to share. For more information, call the church office at 336-788-3112.

The Forsyth County Sunday School Union will sponsor its annual Political Forum at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Zion Memorial Baptist Church, 101 N. Dunleith Ave., Winston-Salem. For more information, contact Marcus Neal at 252-266-4374.

Union United Methodist Church, 8935 Shallowford Road, Lewisville, will have an Ice Cream Social at 5 p.m. Sunday at the church. Various tasty flavors and toppings will be offered. All members of the community and extended communities are welcome and encouraged to join us. Bring a yard chair and come check us out.

Parkway United Church of Christ, 1465 Irving St., Winston-Salem, the Forest Edge Cearcall spiritual community will have a Fall Equinox, Mabon, gathering at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday on the land behind Parkway United Church of Christ. The ritual will include a fire, smudging with herbs, and a short wander on the land. Informal community time will follow with cider, cider doughnuts, pumpkin muffins, and gluten-free options.

Burkhead United Methodist Church, 5250 Silas Creek Parkway, Winston-Salem, will have its September Third Thursday program at 11:30 a.m. Sept. 21. The program will be Journeying Out West, visiting parts of our country through those who have been there. The October program will be at 11:30 a.m. Oct. 19 for a Hot Dog of a Halloween celebration with the YMCA. Bring a lunch to each program. For more information, go to www.burkheadumc.org or call 336-765-6590, ext. 3.

Bible Fellowship Baptist Church, 4950 Warner Road, Pfafftown, will have a Singspiration at 5 p.m. Sept. 24. It will feature the Knotts Bluegrass Band. For more information, call Pastor Loyd Taylor at 336-462-4844.

Friedberg Moravian Church, 2178 Friedberg Church Road, Winston-Salem, will have a car, truck, and tractor show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 14. Admission is free. Registration is $10 on the day of the show. Trophies will be awarded. There will be a silent auction, vendors, live music during the day. Food and beverages will be available. For more information, go to friedberg.church or call 336-764-1830.

Information for the Religion Calendar should be emailed to news@wsjournal.com by 3 p.m. the Wednesday before you want it to run. It can be mailed to Religion Calendar, Winston-Salem Journal, 418 N. Marshall St., #100, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.
The majority of the states 140 hospitals are being accused of massive price markups of up to 1,120% on routine care and basic services, along with a lack of pricing transparency, in the latest in a series of reports on healthcare systems.

According to the 19-page report released Monday, State Health Plan researchers reviewed hospital prices and hospital compliance with federal price transparency rules addressing 16 common shoppable services.

The report leads with too many North Carolina hospitals are violating federal rules to hide their prices from patients.

The anticompetitive infractions thwart patients ability to make informed decisions about their health care.

The study was commissioned by state Treasurer Dale Folwell as part of his push against the states not-for-profit healthcare systems. It is at least the sixth such report since October 2021.

The state treasurer has oversight authority of the SHP, which covers more than 727,000 participants that include current and retired state employees, teachers and legislators. It is North Carolinas largest purchaser of medical and pharmaceutical services.

Patients are under siege in North Carolina, Folwell said.

Too many hospitals continue to give the middle finger to presidential executive orders.

According to the latest SHP report, 71 of the 140 hospitals reviewed disclosed commercial insurance prices for the 16 medical procedure categories, while 59 disclosed the out-of-pocket costs.

Thousands of families have lost their upward mobility to hospital lawsuits, but we dont even know if they were sued over inflated prices, Folwell said.

When patients tried to fight back, they argued that they could not even tell whether they had been charged a fair price.

Folwell, a two-term state treasurer, is running for the Republican nomination for governor in 2024.

Study findings

Researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School provided data analysis based on June 2023 data from Turquoise Health, a software company that collects and displays hospital prices for patients and researchers to facilitate price transparency in health care.

Regarding the 1,120% price markup cited in the report, SHP researchers said the breakdown for an automated urinalysis test was $2.36 for the median Medicare Advantage cost, compared with $21.20 for the median cash out of pocket, and $28.80 for the median commercial insurance cost.

Median is defined as the middle value in a list of numbers.

In terms of the most costly of the 16 cited medical procedures  a major joint replacement of lower extremity, typically a knee  the median Medicare Advantage cost was $13,869, compared with $26,305 for commercial insurance and $28,838 cash out of pocket.

Researchers said that uninsured patients are exposed to high price markups. Across the majority of the 16 shoppable services, hospitals charged uninsured patients more than 150% more than Medicare Advantage rates.

There were three categories in which the median Medicare Advantage cost was more than both the commercial insurance and cash out of pocket: routine obstetric care for vaginal delivery, including pre-and-post care; electrocardiogram; and removal of tonsils and adenoid glands for patient younger than age 12.

Too many hospitals are hiding their prices, overcharging patients, and then suing them for medical debt, Folwell said.

Another Folwell-commissioned report by Duke University, released Aug. 17, found that more than 7,500 North Carolina patients and family members were sued over medical debt over the past five years. Atrium Health represented about 42% of the lawsuits.

Atrium said in August that as a current practice, Atrium Health does not file any lawsuits against patients, nor do we execute on any liens or foreclose on property that were filed previously. Atrium declined to say when it ended the practice.

State attorney general report

You can lead health care consumers to comparative pricing, but can you get them to shop?

Thats the question that has resurfaced recently with the January 2021 implementation of a hospital price transparency initiative by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Every hospital will be required to provide clear, accessible pricing information online about the items and services they provide, CMS said.

That includes requiring hospitals to provide a cost estimator and a public list of prices for all procedures. Hospitals may face civil monetary penalties for noncompliance.

The initiative, developed by the Trump administration, is the latest attempt at aiding consumers who want to comparison shop for health care, whether a hip replacement, annual physical or colonoscopy.

Its also meant to address concerns about surprise medical bills, typically patients being billed at an out-of-network rate without being notified of the higher out-of-pockets costs associated with that level of care.

In January, the state Attorney Generals Office released a statement that said the Triads three main healthcare systems  Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Cone Health and Novant Health Inc.  are in full compliance with meeting federal regulations to improve price transparency for patients.

Meanwhile, 16 hospitals were not compliant with the requirement that they provide a machine-readable list of services and prices. Hospitals listed in that category are Alleghany, Ashe, Hugh Chatham in Elkin, Northern in Mount Airy and Randolph in Asheboro.

NCHA response

The Triads three major healthcare systems  Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist, Cone Health, Novant Health Inc.  deferred comment on the report to the N.C. Healthcare Association.

The NCHA typically has responded to Folwell-sponsored healthcare system reports by citing primarily patient billing policies and procedures.

NCHA and our members support transparency so consumers can make better-informed decisions. It is the right thing to do and is in the best interests of our patients and communities, the NCHA said in a statement.

A report issued in July from patientsrightsadvocate.org found that North Carolina is No. 7 on the Top-20 states with the highest percentage of hospitals complying with the price transparency rule.

This effort toward pricing transparency is a work in progress, the NCHA said.

We will learn more over time about what is helpful to consumers, and will continue working with patients, physicians, insurers and government entities to develop ways to help patients better understand out-of-pocket costs prior to making healthcare decisions and to more easily navigate the healthcare billing process.

The NHCA said part of the medical debt issue is that many patients have insurance plans that significantly contribute to medical debt.

High-deductible plans, narrow networks and restrictive policies that prevent timely care compound this problem.

Some patient debt can also be incurred when patients who would otherwise qualify for financial assistance decline to apply, or do not go all the way through to complete the process of qualifying for assistance.

NCHA cited that numerous studies have shown that residents of states that did not expand Medicaid are more likely to have significant medical debt.

The Republican-controlled N.C. General Assembly passed a Medicaid expansion bill in March, but its implementation is contingent on funding contained in the 2023-24 state budget bill.
Photo: Kannika Paison/E+/Getty Images "Last year was a really, really heavy RSV season," said Jesse Papenburg, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Montreal Children's Hospital.

Three new shots for respiratory syncytial virus have been approved or are on the horizon for Canada, which could mean a sea change in the toll RSV takes on the very young and very old  if the shots were widely and freely available in this country.

But it appears that wont be the case for the coming viral respiratory season.

Respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, burst into public consciousness last fall as one of the three viruses behind a tripledemic that overwhelmed hospitals, particularly in the pediatric sector. Unlike for influenza and COVID-19, there was until recently no vaccine to counter RSV.

Now there are three new interventions designed to take the sting out of RSV: a once-a-season monoclonal antibody that provides passive immunity to babies, which Health Canada approved in April; a vaccine for people 60 and older, which Health Canada authorized last month; and a vaccine for pregnant women, which Canadian regulators are still reviewing but which the United States Food and Drug Administration greenlit on Aug. 21.

The purpose of vaccinating women against RSV late in pregnancy is to provide antibodies to their newborns, who risk developing complications such as pneumonia and bronchiolitis if they contract RSV.

Last year, was a really, really heavy RSV season, said Jesse Papenburg, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Montreal Childrens Hospital. But the truth is, year in and year out, we deal with an influx of patients due to RSV in the winter months.

That means deploying shots to blunt the impact of RSV would be, in Dr. Papenburgs words, huge.

The reasons for limited availability of new RSV shots in Canada vary by product, but come down partly to the slower-than-the-U.S. pace at which some important actors in Canadas health care system make decisions about new vaccines.

Take Arexvy, the first Health Canada-approved vaccine for people 60 and older, the other demographic group hit hard by RSV. The Canadian regulator authorized the shot on Aug. 4.

With the notable exception of Ontario, no province or territory has committed to publicly funding Arexvy this season. Ontario announced on Thursday that it would cover the shot for seniors living in long-term care and some high-risk retirement homes.

Every other jurisdiction that responded to The Globe and Mails inquiries said, through spokespeople, that they were waiting for official guidance on the RSV vaccine for seniors from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), the expert panel that makes vaccine recommendations.

NACI, however, doesnt plan to issue recommendations for RSV vaccines for older adults this year, according to Anna Maddison, a spokeswoman for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).

She said by e-mail that NACI is instead prioritizing recommendations for new products to protect infants from RSV, including the highly anticipated maternal vaccine. But even those recommendations wont be ready until the first half of 2024, too late for this respiratory virus season.

Taking the necessary time to do a robust comparative analysis will allow Canadian jurisdictions to consider multiple different product options, and also to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of those options, which will be critical for decision making, Ms. Maddison wrote.

Samir Sinha, the director of geriatrics at the Mount Sinai and University Health Network hospitals in Toronto, called it, honestly disappointing, that NACI wont issue guidance on the RSV shot for seniors this year. Dr. Sinha is recommending it for all his patients, despite knowing cost could be a barrier in the absence of public coverage.

Arexvy-maker GSK said the vaccine for older adults will be available, beginning this month, at pharmacies across the country for a cost of $230. Some private insurers are expected to cover it as well.

Laura Tamblyn Watts, chief executive officer of CanAge, a national seniors advocacy organization, said NACI needs to be reformed and properly resourced so it can provide more timely guidance. Right now, the committee is made up of doctors, scientists and other experts who volunteer their time without pay on top of busy full-time jobs, Dr. Papenburg included. (He spoke on his own behalf, not NACIs.)

Its incredibly frustrating for Canadians, particularly caregivers or vulnerable Canadians, to know that there is a vaccine, Ms. Tamblyn Watts said of the RSV shot, but we havent invested even in the process for review of those vaccines, let alone in getting them to people.

When it comes to protecting babies from RSV, there is one option that has been available on a limited basis in Canada since the early 2000s: Palivizumab, a man-made protein that mimics RSV antibodies to protect infants from the virus.

Palivizumab is expensive and cumbersome to administer because it must be injected monthly during RSV reason. As a result, public coverage has been limited to high-risk babies, such as those born prematurely.

In April, Health Canada approved nirsevimab, a long-acting monoclonal antibody that is injected just once a season and which slashes the risk of hospital admissions and health care visits for RSV in infants by about 80 per cent.

Some Canadian jurisdictions were hoping to deploy nirsevimab for high-risk babies this season. But now, because it is unclear how many doses Sanofi, nirsevimabs maker, will send to Canada or when those doses might arrive, several provinces, including British Columbia and Quebec, told The Globe they are sticking with palivizumab this season.

Others are leaving the door open to nirsevimab, just in case, as they roll out their usual palivizumab programs. Bethany Rubin, a spokeswoman for Sanofi Canada, said in a statement that nirsevimab is coming to Canada this season, but she declined to comment on supply.

Supply could be tight because of how widely nirsevimab is expected to be distributed south of the border, where the U.S. counterpart to NACI endorsed it for all babies under eight months of age, regardless of risk status, and for some high-risk toddlers entering their second RSV season.

The U.S. CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted unanimously in favour of that recommendation on Aug. 3, less than a month after the U.S. FDA approved nirsevimab.

Anna Banerji, a professor of pediatrics, infectious disease and public health at the University of Toronto, has long advocated for palivizumab to be given to all babies in Nunavut and other Inuit communities, where RSV is a scourge that regularly sends infants to southern intensive-care units for treatment. Thats a huge societal cost for the babies, the family and the community, she said.

Dr. Banerji is hoping the lower cost of once-a-season nirsevimab will persuade the Nunavut government to make it available to all, not just high-risk babies such as those born prematurely. For now, Nunavuts department of health is waiting to see what NACI has to say about protecting infants against RSV in the 2024-2025 season.
If all you've seen of Robert Redford's 1972 film Jeremiah Johnson is the ubiquitous "bearded guy nodding approvingly" clip from the movie that has been used as a popular internet reaction meme for about a decade, here's your chance to check out the full, compelling source material. In director Sydney Pollack's film  the first Western to ever be accepted into the Cannes Film Festival, where it was in competition for the highest prize, the Palme d'Or  Redford plays the title character, a veteran of the Mexican-American War who becomes an isolated mountain man enduring cruel winters alone in the Rockies, supporting himself as a trapper while engaged in personal war with the Crow warriors responsible for the deaths of his common-law wife and adopted son. Based partly on the life of mountain man John Jeremiah Johnson, the film features terrific location filming shot in many areas across Utah.
Ben Moore, associate professor of art at Luther College in Iowa, will present the next Hixson-Lied Visiting Artist Lecture at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, in Richards Hall Room 15. The lecture is free and open to the public.

The School of Art, Art History and Designs Hixson-Lied Visiting Artist and Scholar Lecture Series brings notable artists, scholars and designers to Nebraska each semester to enhance students education.

Moore makes two-dimensional, mixed-media works based on perceptions of reality and time travel. He is the department head of Luther Colleges Visual and Performing Arts Department. His areas of specialty include painting, drawing, foundations and digital media.

He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in art from Luther College, and his Master of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Iowa. He also studied printmaking and drawing at Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice, Italy.

Moore has exhibited extensively throughout the United States and done guest artist talks and workshops at the University for Creative Arts in Canterbury, U.K.; Primary Art Centre in Nottingham, U.K.; and Stella Maris College, the Government College of Fine Arts and the Chomandal Artists Village in Chennai, India.

The remaining lectures in the series are:

 Oct. 4: Raymond Meeks. Meeks has been recognized for his books and pictures centered on memory and place, the way in which a landscape can shape an individual and, in the abstract, how a place possesses you in its absence. He lives and works in the Hudson Valley in New York.

 Oct. 11: Brigitte McQueen. Originally from Detroit, McQueen adopted Omaha as her home in 2007. Previously the manager of the Underground at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, McQueen founded the Union for Contemporary Art in 2011.

 Oct. 25: Christine Hult-Lewis. Hult-Lewis is the interim pictorial curator at the Bancroft Library, the special collections library at the University of California Berkeley. She co-authored the award-winning Carleton Watkins: The Complete Mammoth Photographs (Getty, 2011).

 Nov. 30: Terry James Conrad. Conrad is assistant professor and program head of printmaking at the University of Iowa and an Iowa Print Media Faculty Fellow. He also serves as the University of Iowa liaison to Frogmans Print Workshops.

Underwritten by the Hixson-Lied Endowment with additional support from other sources, the series enriches the culture of the state by providing a way for Nebraskans to interact with luminaries in art, art history and design. Each visiting artist or scholar spends one to three days on campus to meet with classes, participate in critiques and give demonstrations.

For more information on the series, contact the School of Art, Art History & Design at 402-472-5522 or e-mail schoolaahd@unl.edu.
I was asked why I was going to Nebraska, and when I get home, they better have packed a lunch because it will take me hours to just give them the highlights.

That comment was from a New Jersey participant in a week-long visit sponsored by Friendship Force of Lincoln for guests from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Missouri and Alberta, Canada from Aug. 24-30. Food and Agricultural Innovations in Nebraska was the focus, with tours on Innovation Campus in Lincoln, the Nebraska State Fair and Otoe County stops at agriculture-related businesses.

We saw the behind-the-scenes of farming and how much brain power, not just time and muscles, goes into producing the crops and livestock, a participant said.

This was the first trip by Friendship Force international to Lincoln since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lincoln group collaborated with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Agriculture.

Another participant commented, The agenda/schedule I received in advance was impressive. The reality did not disappoint. I came to learn, and learn I did. There was a wide variety of experiences, but they all related to some aspect of the agricultural theme. The organization of this journey was exceptional, and the thoughtful detail that went into it was definitely apparent.

Evaluations by the national and international participants gave high marks to their experiences of staying with local Friendship Force members in their homes, and to the luncheon at the Governors Residence with Gov. Jim Pillen. One participant said, I was impressed by how he tied his remarks to Friendship Force ideals. He was so down-to-earth for a politician.

Visits like these to Lincoln and Nebraska require months of planning and coordination with the university, government and businesses. Arlene Rea, past president of Friendship Force of Lincoln, coordinated this visit.

Upcoming Friendship Force events

The annual meeting of Friendship Force of Lincoln will take place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, at the Grand Lodge at the Preserve. Members of the public are invited to attend, learn about Friendship Force activities and enjoy a social time with pies and coffee. Reservations must be made with Julie Splichal at juliesplichal@hotmail.com.

Friendship Force members meet at local ethnic restaurants on a regular basis. The next Lets Eat Out event will be Oct. 7 at 11:30 a.m. at the Asian Taste Thai Restaurant, 501 West A St. All are welcome to attend and can make reservations with Bruce Keim at brucelkeim@gmail.com.

Also in October, Lincoln will host journalists from the nation of Georgia through the Congressional Office of International Leadership (COIL), administered by the U.S. State Department. The journalists will study various types of news media and will meet with members of Nebraskas traditional and digital media.

Friendship Force of Lincoln has been invited to visit two communities in Java, Indonesia in June 2024. Lincoln participants will stay in local homes and experience the cultures of their hosts. Information on these and other activities can be found at www.facebook.com/FFLincoln.

Annual membership in Friendship Force of Lincoln is $50. The FFL website with local club information is www.friendshipforcelincoln.org.

Friendship Force of Lincoln is one of 350 chapters or clubs affiliated with Friendship Force International, a nonprofit organization based in more than 45 countries and on six continents, with 15,000 active members and over 300 journeys taking place each year. Friendship Force is dedicated to the principle that each person can contribute to global goodwill through personal friendships. The international website, www.friendshipforce.org, lists journeys in the United States and internationally.
Everyday at 11:11 a.m., an all-employee meeting  fittingly, 11 minutes in duration  is held at Firespring.

That's been the routine for 15 years, since CEO Jay Wilkinson borrowed it from Brian Scudamore, a friend and the founder of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?.

Those working on the Lincoln campus gather near a stage known as the firepit. The Omaha, Council Bluffs, Iowa offices and those working from home log on, via Zoom.

There is a reason for the random start time. Research shows that the best time to have every employee in its headquarters is between 11-11:30 a.m.

"It was a no-brainer that the meeting was going to be at 11:11 a.m. and be an 11-minute meeting," said Wilkinson, harkening back to his childhood and his fixation with numbers containing magical properties.

He said the daily meetings have been magical.

Over those 11 minutes, team leaders get updates on the status of projects, consider possible pitfalls and recognize individuals in a 200-person workforce that are going above and beyond.

It's created a unique culture  one you don't find everywhere  at Firespring, which for 31 years, has been providing marketing, printing and technology solutions to help businesses and nonprofits prosper.

On Friday, the fire starter, the name for the employee meeting, went a lot longer than 11 minutes as Firespring was recognized with a Legacy Award by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

"It's a little humbling, actually," Wilkinson said. "... I'm wired to not necessarily reflect on the past. I'm also not wired to live in the present."

Wilkinson is always looking ahead. On the other hand, the word "Legacy" causes him to look to the past  when, as a 27-year-old, he opened the doors with just six employees in August 1992. This was before the internet. Before the technological revolution that has only scratched the surface of what's to come.

"I didn't really know what it was going to become," he said.

Thirty-one years later, he still has the same response. In fact, the world, Wilkinson said, is set to embark on another life-changing era for technology.

"I think we're on the precipice of the biggest shift in business that will happen over the next five years," he said. "It will completely eclipse every other innovation  the computer age, the industrial age  all of that will be eclipsed over the next five years.

"It's exciting to be alive at this point in time."

In five years, Wilkinson sees Firespring being completely employee-owned "and positioned to thrive for another 100 years. "

More important, he said, the company will transition to one that uses its profits to benefit Lincoln's nonprofit organizations.

At that time, Wilkinson said he would be leading the Do More Good movement, the nonprofit arm of the Firespring business that he put in place a few years back to give back to Lincoln, while also encouraging other businesses to do likewise.

That's what caught the attention of the Small Business Administration, which is celebrating its 70th year of service.

"We looked at their employee environment and, more importantly, what they do for the community," said Tim Mittan, the SBA's director for the Nebraska district office.

Firespring's south Lincoln campus at 1201 Infinity Court was built with the help of the SBA. The building is modern and features employee lounges and conversation pits as well as a slide that workers use to get from their second-floor desks to the main floor.

"Who in the world comes up to put a slide in your office?" said Lincoln City Councilman Justin Carlson. "Who in the world assembles your whole staff around one table for a meal?

"It's innovative, straight up and it's so good for Lincoln," he said.
An Oregon man who went to prison this week after getting caught driving on the edge of Lincoln with nearly 500 pounds of marijuana and thousands of THC vape cartridges in his trailer raised questions at his sentencing about the body-cam footage of the stop.

A forensic analyst who Christopher Klipfel hired believes that the Lancaster County Sheriff deputy's video may have been trimmed, though he stopped short of saying that was his opinion.

"I have questions in my case," Klipfel said, minutes after his attorney, Sarah Newell, attempted to reopen the bench trial to offer the expert's written report, which said additional investigation would be necessary.

Klipfel said he went through an addiction to meth in the early 90s, made bad decisions and went to prison for it. But he's a different man today.

He said he didn't mean to disrespect District Judge Lori Maret or the court, but he's a business guy.

"When you've got a problem with something, you've got to look into it," Klipfel said.

He said the events of April 21, 2022, have completely changed his life and he was running out of money to fight the case. He's already cashed in his 401(k), paid for an expert and fired his previous lawyer for not having video of the stop analyzed before trial.

"I'm tired. I don't want to fight anymore," he told the judge. "I don't want to try to prove ... that some guy didn't do his job appropriately."

It all started with a traffic stop on an April morning last year, when Lincoln Police Officer John Hudec spotted Klipfel, who was pulling a black trailer with a Ram rental pickup, cross the lane line on the shoulder as he headed east on Interstate 80.

Hudec ended up stopping him on U.S. 77, under the Rosa Parks Way bridge.

The stop, recorded on Hudec's body-worn camera, showed things slowly progressing from him searching for his ID and rental papers and talk of a warning ticket, to Hudec taking Klipfel back to his cruiser, pulling up his address online and accusing him of having a grow-operation on his property in Oregon.

When Klipfel denied it, Hudec said: "I can see it on the map."

Because Klipfel couldn't initially find his emailed rental agreement, another member of the interdiction task force, Lancaster County Sheriff's Sgt. Jason Mayo, opened the pickup door to get the VIN number.

That's when, Mayo said, he smelled marijuana and saw paraphernalia from a THC vape pen.

Asked if he had anything illegal in his truck or trailer, Klipfel, still in the front seat of Hudec's cruiser, said no, then quickly turned down a request to search them.

"Well, we have probable cause at this point," Hudec told him.

Klipfel said they didn't.

"Yes, we do," Hudec said, in video of the stop provided to Klipfel in discovery.

When Klipfel wouldn't give the combination, the officers cut the locks on the trailer to find two large plywood boxes.

There's no denying what they found inside: 18 black, odor-proof bags with 481 pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana and 4,272 THC vape cartridges.

But Klipfel since has called foul, saying prosecutors only turned over 33 seconds of bodycam footage from Mayo  none of it capturing the moment the sergeant opened his truck door to get the VIN number, smelled marijuana and found part of a vape pen  despite his recorder appearing to be on at other points in Hudec's video.

At sentencing, Klipfel's attorney offered a motion for new trial and an exhibit with a report of a forensic expert who said it was his opinion the red activity light on Mayo's camera supports that his camera was in an active state of recording. However, he said further investigation would be required to conclude whether additional recordings had been created or the 33-second video trimmed.

Maret, the judge, denied the request, saying no affidavit evidence had been offered to indicate there was any truth to the allegation that the state withheld evidence or that called the credibility of the officers into question.

Even if all of it were true, she said, both officers testified in person at a motion to suppress the drugs in the case and she had received and reviewed the video evidence twice at the hearing and the bench trial that followed.

Maret ultimately found him guilty of two counts of possession with intent to deliver and possession of money during a drug crime.

"The court does not believe that the outcome would have been any different," she said Thursday.

Newell said Klipfel, who owns and operates a business, had some financial difficulty and made a lapse in judgment. He has taken responsibility for it, she said, though still remains frustrated with "what he perceives as some nefarious dealings on the part of law enforcement."

"We would submit it's not unreasonable to expect law enforcement to follow their own rules, and there's a fair question here about whether that has been the case," Newell said.

In the end, Maret said an acceptance of responsibility includes "actually doing that and not making excuses for what happened."

In a pre-sentence interview, Klipfel said he hadn't been "caught fairly."

"As if this was somehow a game. I would submit to you, yes, you are a business man. And this was a business endeavor, and there was a cost-benefit analysis that went along with it," she said.

She said Klipfel stood to gain if he got away with it. But he had to know that if he got caught he would be facing at least some time behind bars.

"Whatever your hang-up is with how law enforcement caught you or why they caught you or what they did after they caught you really has nothing to do with the fact that you did it," Maret said, sentencing Klipfel to 10 to 14 years in prison.

Lancaster County's biggest drug seizures I-80 bust turned up $100K, led to 1,830 pounds of drugs, sheriffs captain says The Lancaster County Sheriffs Office says it found $103,194 in suspected drug money and arrested a 25-year-old North Carolina man in a traffic stop on Interstate 80 west of Lincoln shortly before 10 a.m. Friday. Capt. Ben Houchin said Brandon Montoya, of Charlotte, was stopped in a westbound Toyota Tundra for following too closely and driving on the shoulder. During the stop, Houchin said, the deputy developed suspicions Montoya was involved in illegal activity. A search turned up the money, which was sealed and in a suitcase, and a ledger. Houchin said deputies reached out to law enforcement in Charlotte, where Montoya lives and rents a storage unit, believing that there was a strong possibility they would find a large amount of narcotics there. He said the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department took the information, got search warrants and found 1,290 pounds of marijuana and THC edibles in Montoya's storage unit and at his home, tens of thousands of empty and loaded bottles of THC oil, marijuana cigar tubes and THC vape cartridges, 10 pounds of THC wax, 40 pounds of marijuana, packing materials, a 9mm Glock handgun and $90,000 in cash. Houchin said the drugs added up to 1,831 pounds. Pair accused of hauling 645 pounds of pot on I-80 through Lincoln area Two men remained at the Lancaster County jail Thursday, a day after prosecutors charged them in connection with 645 pounds of marijuana found in their rental truck. Brandon Arrington, 30, of McDonough, Georgia, and Edward Babb of Houston both are facing four felonies: two counts of possession with intent to deliver and two counts of no drug tax stamp. In an affidavit for their arrests, a Lancaster County Sheriff's deputy said he stopped a GMC Penske rental truck with Virginia plates Tuesday after seeing its passenger side tires cross onto the shoulder of Interstate 80 near the Lincoln Airport exit. During the traffic stop, the deputy became suspicious the men were involved in criminal activity. They both denied a request to search the truck, but the deputy deployed his police dog around it after seeing what he believed to be marijuana residue on the floorboard. The search turned up 645 pounds of marijuana and 4.74 pounds of THC vapor pens in the truck's cargo area inside cardboard boxes wrapped in plastic wrap, according to court records. On Wednesday, at their first court appearances on the charges, Lancaster County Judge Matt Acton set their bonds at $250,000. 515 pounds of marijuana $1 million in vacuum-sealed bags $500K of meth 300 pounds of marijuana 55 pounds of cocaine $235K in cake mix cans 250 pounds of marijuana in fake compartment 218 pounds of marijuana 214 pounds of marijuana 145 pounds of marijuana 116 pounds of marijuana 110 pounds of marijuana, shatter Lancaster County deputies find 109 lbs of pot in I-80 traffic stop A California woman was arrested Friday morning after Lancaster County sheriff's deputies found more 100 pounds of marijuana in her vehicle during a traffic stop. At about 9:30 a.m., Pakou J. Yang, 37, of Oroville, was pulled over on Interstate 80 about three miles east of the Pleasant Dale interchange for following another vehicle too closely. During the stop, a deputy determined the 2018 Nissan that Yang was driving was a one-way rental, which the deputy described in court records as a common sign of drug trafficking. She also became "extremely nervous" while being questioned by the deputy. Deputies searched the vehicle after a drug-sniffing dog indicated the presence of drugs. They found 109.5 pounds of vacuum-sealed marijuana in the trunk, according to court records. Yang was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and no drug tax stamp. She remained in jail Friday on $50,000 bail. Lincoln drug bust nets an estimated $125K in pills, pot, LSD and mushrooms Investigators with the Lincoln/Lancaster Narcotics Task Force carried a search warrant into a home on the 2800 block of North Third Street on Friday, and they carried out a lot more. They found more than 4 pounds of marijuana, nearly 3 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, 3,604 oxycodone pills, 1,281 Alprazolam pills, 855 hits of LSD, 209 THC syringes, nearly $2,300 in cash and four firearms. The drugs had an estimated street value of about $125,000, Lincoln Police Officer Erin Spilker said Tuesday. The seizure started just before 9 a.m., when investigators visited the home on a tip that someone was selling drugs out of it, she said. They contacted three men: 22-year-old Gustav Rockey, his roommate and a 20-year-old visitor. The visitor had an outstanding warrant  and THC wax in his wallet  and was arrested. Rockey and his roommate each turned over a glass pipe and bags of marijuana and were allowed to leave. Investigators then applied for the search warrant and found the drugs, guns and cash in the home. They found Rockey three days later near First Street and Cornhusker Highway and arrested him on three counts of suspicion of possession of drugs with intent to deliver, possession of money while violating a drug law and possession of a firearm with a drug law violation. Theyre still searching for others who live in the house, Spilker said. $118,000 in suspected drug money 100 pounds of marijuana 100 pounds of marijuana Father and son arrested in cocaine bust, Lincoln police say A father and son were arrested Thursday by the Lancaster County Narcotics Unit after investigators found 6.8 pounds of cocaine, a pound of marijuana and almost $4,000 in cash at an apartment complex near Capitol Beach. Police arrested Russell Rucks Sr., 50, and Russell Rucks Jr., 28, on suspicion of possession of cocaine with intent to deliver and money during a drug violation. Officer Erin Spilker said the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force served a search warrant at the apartment where both live at 500 Surfside Drive as part of an ongoing drug investigation. Investigators had been looking for the elder Rucks and ended up arresting both men prior to the warrant being served. Spilker said Rucks Sr. had 8.9 grams of cocaine and over $1,600 cash in his pocket. She said the search at the apartment turned up drugs throughout the apartment they shared. 22 pounds of meth $30,000 worth of drugs
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip  Israeli fighter jets bombed the Zorob familys two-story home in the Gaza Strip in 2019, leaving nothing but a pile of debris and despair.

Four years later, the 10-member family lives in a 215-square-foot hut covered with nylon sheets as they wait to move into a permanent home.

A sprawling housing project, part of a $500 million Egyptian-funded renewal effort in Gaza, has raised hopes for hundreds of needy families like the Zorobs who have lost their homes in the conflict with Israel.

But weeks before the spotless white buildings are set to be completed, there is no word on who qualifies for the 1,400 apartments  or even how to apply for one, as Gazas Hamas rulers and the rival, internationally recognized Palestinian Authority bicker over who will be in charge.

No one cares, said 31-year-old Mohammed Zorob, blaming both sides for the delays. They are sitting under air conditioners with their children and they dont care about us.

The Zorobs are among an estimated 2,000 families, or roughly 12,000 people, whose homes have been destroyed in fighting with Israel in recent years, according to Gazas Housing Ministry. An additional 90,000 people live in damaged homes that have not been repaired, it said.

A sputtering economy weakened by an Israeli-Egyptian blockade, Hamas international isolation and a lack of funding from the fatigued international community have all combined to hinder reconstruction efforts. But looming behind all of these problems has been the ongoing rivalry between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.

In 2007, Hamas, an Islamic militant group that opposes Israels existence, seized control of Gaza from the PA a year after winning parliamentary elections. The violent takeover left the PA in control only of semi-autonomous areas of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, even as it claims to be the legitimate international representative of both areas.

Israel considers Hamas a terrorist group and immediately imposed a blockade with Egypt in what it says is a measure to prevent Hamas from arming. The closure has devastated Gazas economy and helped fuel four wars and numerous smaller rounds of violence. Repeated reconciliation attempts by Hamas and the PA have failed.

The project marks the first Egyptian-funded infrastructure project in the enclave following a series of Arab-funded developments meant to ease Gazas housing crunch. Egypt, which often mediates between Israel and Hamas as well as between the rival Palestinian factions, announced the aid after an eight-day war in 2021.

Two senior Egyptian officials confirmed the Cairo government is working with the rival Palestinian factions on the project. They said Egypt has called on the sides to form a joint committee to oversee the distribution of homes, but little progress has been made.

Unfortunately, each side wants to control the process, said one official, noting that the matter had come up in discussions during a recent visit to Egypt by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. This is not a project for either Hamas or Fatah. Its for the Palestinian people.

Both Egyptian officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Jawad al-Agha, the deputy housing minister in Gazas Hamas-led government, said his office has submitted a proposal to Egypt on how the apartments should be allocated. But he gave no details and said no decisions have been made, pending a meeting between the sides.

The PAs Housing Ministry in the West Bank did not return messages seeking comment.

The deadlock has left thousands of families in limbo. Most have been waiting for nearly a decade, after losing their homes during a 50-day war between Israel and Hamas in 2014.

The Zorob family home was struck during a 2019 battle between Israel and the Islamic Jihad militant group. Moments before the airstrike, Israel called the family and ordered them to evacuate. No one was hurt, but the home was destroyed.

The family said it has no connection to any militant group and does not know why their home was targeted.

Mohammed Zorob, father of a 2-month-old boy, said he had spent five years building an apartment on the second floor of the building. Imagine spending five years of your life building your home, and in a blink of an eye, Israel targets the building, he said.

His father, Moneer, said conditions in their ramshackle home are intolerable. I suffer the heat, humidity, and in the winter we suffer from water leaking into the house, he said. The one-room house in the family's front yard  made of concrete and nylon  includes a cramped kitchenette and small toilet.

Moneers wife, Maha, said caring for a grown daughter with cancer has added to the difficulties. Her daughter has a weak immune system and must be kept away from relatives with even a common cold.

Where can I isolate her while I have one room only? she said.

Ibrahim Abrash, a former Cabinet minister and political writer, said international donor nations have become frustrated with the repeated cycles of violence and distracted by other crises, most notably the war in Ukraine.

But he said the ongoing fighting between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas remains a major obstacle to repairing Gaza.

When donors, Egypt or others, grant money, the question is, 'Who is the legitimate Palestinian party that can be trusted to supervise?' he said.

Hazem Isleem, a 42-year-old father of seven, echoes the disillusionment felt by many.

Working as a security guard at Gaza Citys Shifa Hospital, Isleem had the harrowing experience of watching his own family come through the hospital gates. His 11-year-old daughter Farah lost a leg in the 2021 conflict that also destroyed their home. The family now lives in a rented apartment he can barely afford.

Once word got out about these new housing units, I clung to hope. But that hope is turning into despair, he said.

Photos: Israel steps up Jerusalem home demolitions
Federal sign-off Tuesday recommending updated COVID-19 vaccines for Americans 6 months and older means the first of the new shots should begin arriving in Nebraska pharmacies and clinics within days.

And with a recent uptick in COVID-19 activity in Nebraska and the nation as a whole, those new shots come at a good time, said Dr. Mark Rupp, chief of the infectious diseases division at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Im enthusiastic about folks getting the vaccine and hopefully tempering ongoing COVID transmission, he said.

While COVID case counts and hospitalizations are nowhere near what either Nebraska or the nation saw in earlier waves, Rupp said, Nebraskans are hearing more anecdotal reports of friends, neighbors and family members testing positive for the virus. Patients hospitalized at Nebraska Medical Center with COVID-19 now figure in the double digits after being in the single digits  and on some days, zero  earlier this summer.

Concentrations of virus particles in wastewater in the state, as well as the U.S. as a whole, had increased to the highest levels since last spring, although the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services latest report showed a downturn in preliminary data for Sept. 6.

But quashing transmission of the virus now can only help, particularly with another respiratory illness season on the horizon. Last years confluence of COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, strained some hospitals and clinics.

Rupp said previous versions of the vaccine have been shown to be effective at preventing infection with and transmission of the virus in the first months after vaccination. Over time, however, protection against infection wanes. Americans who got last falls booster now are nearing a year since their last dose.

I think were going to be able to take this in stride, particularly if we have more and more people affording themselves of the protection that is offered by the vaccine, he said.

The vaccines continue to show good protection against severe illness and death. Fortunately, fewer people over time have developed severe disease requiring hospitalization.

But it certainly is continuing to occur, he said.

The new vaccines also are patterned on variants of the virus that are a closer match to those circulating now than past shots, Rupp said. Available data also suggests the new booster is effective against emerging strains, including BA.2.86, that had initially raised alarms.

Its not perfect, and it certainly doesnt prevent people from developing mild disease, he said, but (the vaccine) does continue to protect against more severe illness.

Should everyone get them?

Nationally, some have debated whether the new vaccine should be recommended for most Americans or just those at greater risk of serious illness, such as the elderly and immune compromised, as has occurred in some countries.

Rupp said that argument makes some sense. But from a public health standpoint, he said, it makes sense to vaccinate a broader swath of Americans. While younger people are at less risk of severe disease, they can still become seriously ill. They can also spread the virus to those at higher risk.

This is much the philosophy that weve had with influenza virus now for years and years, that this is a good vaccine, its a safe vaccine, we should be using it broadly across society to protect everyone but in particular to protect those who are most vulnerable, Rupp said. Really, at all age groups, this is a good public health strategy.

While some have raised concerns about rare cases of myocarditis among young men after vaccination, the risk of the complication has proved greater after infection, he said.

The condition, while still rare, was more common with initial doses of the vaccine than with the booster available last fall, Rupp said. Some researchers believe the initial cases were related to the fact that there was little time between the first two doses. Most believe the will be less risk with the new booster.

While the federal government has signed off on the mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna, he said, consumers likely will have another option. Regulators also are expected to authorize an updated version of the protein-based Novavax shot in the coming weeks.

What uptake of the vaccines will look like, however, remains to be seen. Only 17% of Americans got the last booster. Nebraska did slightly better with 17.7% of its population getting the shot.

Can I get them together? And when?

The new vaccine also comes as people are beginning to think about getting shots to protect against other respiratory illnesses, including influenza and RSV. A new RSV vaccine was approved in May for people over 60. Another was OKd for pregnant women to protect them and their infants.

Rupp said people can safely get their COVID and flu shots at the same time. The two shots were given together last year with no issues. The CDC also says its OK to get COVID, flu and RSV shots together.

However, he cautioned that its still a little early to get the flu shot. As with the COVID vaccines, its protection wanes over the months. For people who can time their shots, he recommended getting the COVID shot now, given that the coronavirus is circulating in the community, and the flu shot between mid-October and early November so theyre at maximum immunity in January and February, when flu typically peaks.

When it comes to the RSV shot for older people, he said, patients should speak to their health care provider about their individual risk and timing. Studies indicate that shot provides a fair amount of protection even into the following year.

However, a small amount of data has indicated that getting the RSV vaccine with other shots may somewhat decrease protective antibodies. Whether that translates into less protection in the real world, however, isnt known, he said.

So the official word is you can give all three of those vaccines together, they are safe, he said. But I think there are some reasons people would want to time their vaccines to give them maximum protection against things in conjunction with what we see in the community.

As of Friday, the new COVID-19 booster did not yet appear to be available anywhere in Nebraska. The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department said it was still awaiting final guidance from the federal government and would provide more information in the near future.

The updated vaccine is coming at crucial time, said Health Director Pat Lopez. We expect to see more cases of COVID-19 in the months ahead along with other respiratory viruses. We recommend residents get the updated vaccine as soon as its available locally so they have heightened protection as we move into fall and winter.

Long COVID and other considerations

Rupp said people also need to remember that the COVID vaccines reduce the risk of long COVID, including in young people.

And while fewer people are testing for COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, he said, testing and getting a diagnosis allows people to access the effective treatments available for flu and COVID.

Its also still reasonable to try to reduce risk in other ways, he said, by avoiding crowded, high-risk settings with poor ventilation, particularly for those at higher risk of serious illness. Those who cant avoid such situations shouldnt feel shy about wearing a KN95 respirator to further minimize the risk.

We need to get ... more accepting of seeing those folks wearing their masks, he said. It may protect them, it may also be protecting you, so we should be welcoming that.

Cost

Unlike past years, most people now will get COVID vaccines where they get flu shots, at pharmacies and doctors offices. But instead of the federal government picking up the tab, the cost this year will be covered by Medicare and private insurers.

Free vaccines, however, will be available to the uninsured and underinsured through health departments, federally qualified health centers and some pharmacies through whats known as the Bridge Access Program. Locations are expected to be available later this week on the Vaccines.gov website.

Top Journal Star photos for September 2023
MONDAYAl-Anon: 8 p.m., Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 3350 Lathrop Ave.

Retired Involved Nurses Group: 11:30 a.m., Crystal Bay, 3900 N. Main St. Lunch is at noon. The cost of membership is $15 and lunch is $15. A business meeting will follow. For more information or reservations, call Marge Orth, secretary, 262-884-0742.

WEDNESDAYCaledonia Senior Card Club: Sheepshead, for ages 55 and older, noon to 3 p.m., Franksville Memorial Park, 9614 Northwestern Ave., Franksville. For more information, call 414-856-9550.

Kiwanis Club of West of Racine: 7:30 a.m., in-person at Living Faith Lutheran Church, 2915 Wright Ave. Kiwanis is an international organization dedicated to serving the children of the world. To attend a meeting, contact Shirley Meyer, membership chair, at 262-260-8101 or email aquashirl4@yahoo.com.

FRIDAYRacine Founders Rotary Club: 7 a.m., Racine Country Club, 2401 Northwestern Ave.

DAILY/OTHERS

Caledonia Historical Society Meeting: 6:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at the 1900 Botting Machines Shed in the Caledonia Historic Village, 7330 5 Mile Road. The meeting is open to the public. https://caledoniahistoricalsociety.org

Overeaters Anonymous: 7 p.m. Monday and Thursday, Living Faith Lutheran Church, 2915 Wright Ave., a free fellowship group for all eating disorders using the 12 steps and 12 traditions. For more information call 262-652-5635.

Racine Duplicate Bridge Club: Each week two ACBL-sanctioned duplicate bridge games are played in Racine  at 12:15 p.m. Monday and Friday at The Lanes, 6501 Washington Ave., Mount Pleasant. People must have proof of COVID-19 vaccination to play. Call Henry Kensler, club manager, at 262-652-6173 for reservations. Recent winners are:

Sept 8: Dee Becker and Donald Urquhart, first place; Susan Gentz and Robert Gentz and Daniele Langer and Mark Langer, tied for second/third place.

Sept 11: George Urquhart and Janet Urquhart, first place; Mark Langer and Donald Urquhart, second place; Dee Becker and Robert Gentz, third place.

The Ladies' New Heart Luncheon: Noon, Tuesday, Sept. 19, at the Parkway Chateau, 12304 75th St., Kenosha. June Salb will discuss "Patience." The cost is $14 and no child care is provided. For reservations, call Nancy at 262-914-1821 or Kathy at 262-653-0503.

Racine NAACP: Monthly membership meetings are scheduled for Sept. 23, Oct. 28, Nov. 18 and Dec. 23. Meetings begin at 10 a.m. at the Dr. John Bryant Center, 601 Caron Butler Drive, Racine.

Racine Welcome Club: Drop in coffee 9-11 a.m. Sept. 29 at Panera Bread, 5304 Washington Ave., Racine. The group is open to women interested in making new friends, learning about community resources, and being involved in philanthropic and social activities. Call 262-994-0957 for more information.

Racine Art Guild: The Racine Art Guild will meet from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, at Wustum Museum, 2519 Northwestern Ave. All members and interested artists are welcome. The program will be a sketch night. Members will be going to the Racine Theatre Guild and sketching costumes.

Racine Jr. Womens Reunion: A reunion for all past members of The Racine Jr. Womens Club is scheduled for 7-9 p.m. Oct. 18 at the old Womens Club (now Preservation Hall) 740 Lake Ave. For more information please contact Terri Clarke at tclarke217@gmail.com.

Lighthouse Quilters Guild: Open to quilters of all skill levels, 7 p.m., on the last Monday of each month at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection, 322 Ohio St. For more information, lighthousequiltersguild.com.
Photo: The Canadian Press Waves crash against a breakwater in Port Maitland, N.S. as post-tropical cyclone Lee approaches on Saturday.

UPDATE: 10:05 a.m.

Power outages blanketed western Nova Scotia and parts of New Brunswick on Saturday morning as post-tropical cyclone Lee barreled toward the Maritimes, with forecasters warning residents to brace for destructive winds, heavy rains, more outages and possible flooding.

Nova Scotia Power reported more than 125,000 customers without electricity as of 1:30 p.m. local time, and the number was climbing quickly. In the capital, the arrivals and departures board at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport was a sea of red text indicating cancelled flights.

Pam Lovelace, a Halifax municipal councillor for an area that includes the famous Peggy's Cove lighthouse, said some coastal roads are already under water or strewn with large rocks pushed up by menacing storm surges. Several boats along the harbour in St. Margarets Bay were flooded and trees were blown over into power lines, she added.

Emergency crews were warning people to stay off the roads and stay away from coastal areas as Lee's approach caused the weather to intensify. Anxiety was high and people were worried, she said -- especially as they'd already contended with devastating forest fires and disastrous floods earlier this year.

"People are exhausted ... It's so much in such a small time period," Lovelace said in an interview. "From a mental health perspective, we're asking people to check in on their neighbours."

People are also being asked to prepare to evacuate if needed, she added.

Hurricane Lee transitioned into a powerful post-tropical storm on Friday as it made its way north across the Atlantic ocean toward New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. As of early Saturday afternoon, Environment Canada meteorologist Jill Maepea said Lee was about 90 kilometres southwest of Yarmouth, N.S., with the centre of the storm on track to make landfall later in the afternoon.

The storm was initially expected to land in southwestern Nova Scotia, but Maepea said there was speculation its path would arc further west, possibly crossing the Bay of Fundy to land in southern New Brunswick.

"It will be very close," Maepea said in an interview. "But regardless of landfall, the whole area is seeing lots of heavy rain, strong winds and waves."

The raging storm was travelling at about 41 kilometres an hour across the Atlantic ocean, whipping up sustained winds of around 120 kilometres an hour, she said.

Lee had already soaked parts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia with up to 60 millimetres of rain, and Maepea said some areas would see totals of more than 100 millimetres. Officials had recorded waves of up to 12 metres high in offshore areas, she added.

"There has been some coastal flooding reported this morning during high tide, and coastal flooding is also possible during high tide this evening," she said.

A hurricane watch was in place for Grand Manan Island and coastal Charlotte County, N.B., and for most of Nova Scotia's Atlantic coast, stretching from Digby County through to Halifax County. A tropical storm warning remains in effect for most of Nova Scotia and for New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy coast and parts of the province along the Northumberland Strait.

In St. George, N.B., a family from the United States gathered around a table in the Granite Town Hotel, checking for the latest news on their devices. More than 31,000 people in the province were without power as of 1:30 p.m., and the lights were flickering above them.

Paul Sherman is from the coastal town of Eastport, Maine, and said he's used to wild storms and bad weather, though his traveling companions  his sister, his two daughters and their husbands  were not. But the family came prepared, he added: they'd packed snacks and playing cards to keep them busy.

"We're having a good time," he said. "It's a family thing, so as long as we're together, just about anything can happen and we don't care."

The Halifax Regional Municipality said those winds weren't expected to let up. In an update at about 11:20 a.m. local time, the city urged residents to get umbrellas, patio furniture, garbage bins and flower pots inside, and to clear any debris from catch basins to reduce the chance of flooding.

"Residents are urged to remain off the roads for non-essential travel as there are several reports of downed trees and powerlines across the region," the release said. "Many shoreline roads are now closed due to washouts and impassible conditions."

Lovelace said the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove was closed to the public.

"We really need people to stay away from the coastline," she said. "If your boat is in the water right now, there is nothing you can do to get it out. The storm surge last night at high tide was massive, tonight it's going to be even worse."

ORIGINAL: 6:40 a.m.

Power outages blanketed western Nova Scotia on Saturday morning as post-tropical cyclone Lee barreled toward the Maritimes, with forecasters warning residents to brace for destructive winds, heavy rains, more outages and possible flooding.

Nova Scotia Power reported nearly 120,000 customers without power as of 9:45 a.m. local time, and the number was climbing quickly. In the capital, the arrivals and departures board at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport was a sea of red text indicating cancelled flights.

Heavy rains had already begun in Yarmouth, about 375 kilometres west of Halifax at the province's southwestern tip. Lee was expected to make landfall there later in the day.

At the Rodd Grand Yarmouth hotel on Friday night, two men from western Canada were keeping a close eye on the changing sky.

We're from out West and we don't get hurricanes, said Jerry Osborn, who is from Calgary. He was travelling with his friend, Clay Carlson, who is from Campbell River, B.C. We get plenty of forest fires and even the odd tornado in Alberta. But hurricanes? We don't get those."

Hurricane Lee transitioned into a powerful post-tropical storm on Friday as it made its way north across the Atlantic ocean toward New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. As of Saturday morning, Lee was about 150 kilometres south of Yarmouth, N.S., with the centre of the storm on track to arrive later in the afternoon, Environment Canada said in an update. Its affects were likely to be felt within a radius of several hundred kilometres.

The raging storm was travelling at about 41 kilometres an hour across the Atlantic ocean, whipping up sustained winds of around 130 kilometres an hour, the agency said.

More than 100 millimetres of rain are forecast in some areas, with Environment Canada warning of possible flooding in parts of southwestern Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, including Saint John and Moncton. Areas along Nova Scotia's central Atlantic coast could see breaking waves of between four and six metres, and storm surge warnings were in effect from Shelburne County eastward to Guysborough County.

Wind gusts could reach 120 kilometres an hour, toppling trees and downing power lines.

Some structural damage to roofing materials and siding, exterior fixtures and fencing are expected," the agency said.

A hurricane watch was in place for Grand Manan Island and coastal Charlotte County, N.B., and for most of Nova Scotia's Atlantic coast, stretching from Digby County through to Halifax County, while a tropical storm warning remains in effect for most of Nova Scotia and for New Brunswick's Bay of Fundy coast and parts of the province along the Northumberland Strait.

Nearly 30,000 people were without power in New Brunswick, with many in the cities of Moncton, Saint John and Fredericton.

Nicole Poirier, the vice president of operations at NB Power, said Friday that about 300 response crews had already fanned out across the province in anticipation of widespread outages.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened the federal incident response group on Friday to discuss Lee's potential effects in Atlantic Canada and parts of eastern Quebec.

The group, which typically consists of cabinet ministers and senior officials, meets only to discuss events with major implications for Canada, such as the recent port strike in British Columbia or the wildfires in B.C. and the Northwest Territories.
SENIOR GROUP OFFERS LECTURE

SOMERS  Adventures in Lifelong Learning, an organization of mostly retired people ages 55 and older, is hosting The Freedom to Read at 2 p.m. Sept. 22 in the Rita Room L131 at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

Nyama Y. Reed, who has more than 20 years of experience in librarianship and has been director of the Whitefish Bay Public Library for nine years, will present discuss the challenges to public libraries and reading.

Annual membership for ALL is $50 and includes access to lectures, focus groups, classes and day trips at a cost. To learn more, visit www.uwp.edu/ALL or call 262-595-2793.

AURORA OFFERS CLASSES BURLINGTON  Aurora Health Care is offering these classes:

Free Blood Pressure Clinic  8 a.m. to noon and 1-4:30 p.m. every Wednesday. To make an appointment, call 262-767-8000.

Exercise class  3:30-4:30 p.m. Sept. 19, 26; Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; Nov. 7, 14, 21, 28. Wisconsin Parkinson Association Movement and Music Exercise Classes are free and held in Classroom C at Aurora Wellness Center, 300 McCanna Parkway, Burlington. The classes incorporate stretches, strength training, posture, balance and walking drills, as well as vocal exercises. Modifications will be provided to ensure a safe and effective setting for all participants. Caregivers also are welcome. To register, email maryw@wiparkinson.org or call 414-430-3561.

Preparing for Labor and Birth  6-8:30 p.m. Oct. 11 and 18, and Nov. 8 and 15 via Zoom. This two-session class will teach expectant parents what they need to prepare for the childbirth experience, including anatomy, the process of labor and delivery, and medical and non-medical care options. Relaxation techniques for coping with contractions will be briefly practiced. To register, visit aurora.org/events.

Memory Cafe  9:30-10:30 a.m., Oct. 20 and Nov. 17 at Aurora Wellness Center, Classroom C. The free Memory Cafe is a comfortable social gathering that allows people experiencing memory loss and a loved one to connect, socialize and build new support networks. For information, or first-time attendees, contact Chad at 262-212-3596 or csutkay@touchinghearts.com.

Walk with a Doc  8:30-9:30 a.m., Oct. 21 and Nov. 18. The topic for September is vaccine updates (Kristin Cassidy M.D.). Octobers topic is Whats in with Skin? (Sarah Kaldem N.P.) and the topic for November is foot health and longevity (Kevin Liberty DPM). Walk with a Doc is free and no registration is required. Participants should meet in the front entrance vestibule by the flagpole at Burlington High School.

Stepping On Workshop  1-3 p.m. Mondays, Sept. 18 through Oct. 30 at Aurora Wellness Center, Classroom C, 300 McCanna Parkway, Burlington. This free workshop is for those age 60-plus who live independently and can help participants avoid dangerous and costly falls. Attendees will learn to identify and remove or avoid fall hazards both inside and outside their homes; how vision, hearing, medication and footwear affect their risk of falling; strength and balance exercises they can adapt to their individual level; and how to get back on their feet the right way if they do fall. To register, visit aurora.org/events or call 800-499-5736 for more information.

Infant CPR & Safety  6-7:15 p.m. Sept. 27, Oct. 25 and Nov. 29 via Zoom. This non-certification class is recommended for families with infants and small children to learn rescue breathing, CPR, safe sleep guidelines, SIDS reduction strategies and infant/child safety. To register visit aurora.org/events.

Breastfeeding Basics  6-7:30 p.m. Oct. 5 and 7:30-9 p.m. Nov. 2 via Zoom. This course will help expectant mothers have a better breastfeeding experience by learning how to establish a healthy supply of milk; how to help baby latch; how to know if baby is getting enough milk; different breastfeeding positions and who to call if help is needed. To register visit aurora.org/events.

Stroke Support Group  1-2:30 p.m. Oct. 16 in Classroom C, lower level, at Aurora Lakeland Medical Center. This free group provides emotional support through opportunities to interact with other who have experienced stroke. Informational programs also will be provided about topics related to stroke/brain attack. The group welcomes individuals newly diagnosed, as well as those with a history of stroke. To register, visit aurora.org/events, call 800-499-5736 or email communityeducation@aah.org.

Bringing Baby Home  Nov. 2 via Zoom. This class helps families prepare for their baby by covering the essentials of caring for baby during the first few months, including feeding, diapering, comforting, sleep schedules, signs of illness and when to call the pediatrician. To register visit aurora.org/events.
A Columbia County man was arrested and charged on Friday in the shooting death of his partner.

Larry Manthe, 79, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide with domestic abuse and use of a dangerous weapon modifiers stemming from the death of Alice Langer, 76, at a home in the town of Wyocena, according to the Columbia County Sheriffs Office.

On Oct. 6, 2022, department deputies responded to a welfare check call from Langers family members saying they could not get in contact with Langer for more than 15 hours. The deputies found Langer dead in her house from a gunshot wound to her head.

Langer and Manthe were living together and had been in a long-term relationship. The department also learned that Langer was planning to end her relationship with Manthe and move out of the house.

Columbia County Sheriff Roger Brandner and District Attorney Brenda Yaskal will release further information following Manthes initial court appearance on Monday afternoon. He is currently being held at Columbia County Jail.
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

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Photo: The Canadian Press Ontario winemakers have long raised concerns about the province's tax regime. Barrels of wine are shown in the cellar at Southbrook Organic Vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.

Jakub Lipinski recounts a long-running joke in Ontario's Niagara Region: if you want to make a small fortune in wine, you start with a big fortune.

Lipinski, whose family runs Big Head Wines, was recently at the Ontario legislature to show support for a private member's bill local New Democrat representative Wayne Gates plans to introduce in the fall to eliminate a tax on wineries.

Ontario winemakers have long raised concerns about the province's tax regime. Lipinski says 65 per cent of the price of a bottle is taxes and especially after the challenges that COVID-19 brought, it would help the industry to have one of them cut.

"Especially after the last few very difficult years, it would be nice to have a little bit more relief from the government," he said at a press conference with Gates.

Gates' bill, which he also introduced in 2020 but which did not go anywhere before the legislature prorogued a year later, would eliminate a 6.1-per-cent basic tax on all on-site retail sales of 100 per cent Ontario wines.

Bill Redelmeier of Southbrook Vineyards said the vast majority of small wineries are not making money or are losing money.

"Most winery owners are in it for the passion, not for the profits," he said at the press conference. "This 6.1 per cent is an additional insult on top of all of the other things that are happening. To remove this tax would be fair, would be easy."

The tax doesn't apply to foreign-imported wines and punishes domestic producers, Gates said.

"In my opinion, this tax only serves to harm our Ontario wines and creates an unfair advantage to foreign winemakers," he said.

"The change is long overdue. Frankly, policies like this keep our local wineries and industry down. For far too long, our domestic wineries have been overlooked and outright ignored."

A recent Deloitte report commissioned by Ontario Craft Wineries, Tourism Partnership of Niagara and Wine Growers Ontario said the province's wineries are taxed at a rate "not seen in any other wine-producing nation."

The 6.1-per-cent tax represents a rate not seen anywhere else and is a "particular pain point for small wineries."

"(It is) essentially a tax on small businesses, and it represents a major barrier for those trying to excel in the wine industry," the report said.

"Reforming this tax would not only help the industry, but it would also bring about considerable economic growth and provide more employment opportunities."

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has also called for the removal of the tax.

The province did not respond to request for comment.
KEARNEY  Katy Buse is just 17 years old, but her eyes were opened this summer by a seven-day mission trip to El Salvador.

In August, the Kearney High School senior was among 13 members of New Life Church who went to Santa Ana, El Salvador, to help build a house, paint a high school and more.

I learned that other cultures are beautiful. They are something to cherish, not to try to change. It taught me to have a joy and a love for people, no matter their circumstances, Katy said.

The trip was offered by Kingdom Builders, New Lifes robust 20-year program that aims to spread the Gospel both here and around the world. The church calls the trips Global Outreach.

GO travelers also went to Guymaro, Cuba, and New York City this year, and several more trips are planned this fall.

I have a big heart for what Gods doing around the world, said Pastor Jeff Baker, who has been to nearly 50 countries in the last 20 years. Healthy Christianity is being part of something bigger than yourself, and the church itself has to lead the way.

Every January, the church publishes a Kingdom Builders Project Guide, a polished 34-page color booklet that outlines the years travel opportunities and wider information about the churchs missions around the world.

Kingdom Builders 2023 budget is $522,485. Every penny comes from church members donations that are given separately from tithing.

Baker called those totals astronomical, adding, The amount that people give affects an organizations DNA. If we pulled the plug on missions, this church would die.

Working with local missionaries, GO travelers do whatever is asked of them, from painting and building houses to serving meals to playing with children.

Jerry Ott, a retired middle school science teacher, was also on the El Salvador trip. It was his third GO trip, but not his last. I would go back tomorrow if I could, he said.

At one site, people with addictions brought a plate, a bucket or a canister to get a soup mixture to eat. This was extremely humbling, even indescribable for me, Ott said.

Guymaro, Cuba

Debbie Waltemath went to Cuba May 24-31 for the third time. God kept putting Cuba in my heart through weird things like movies and books, so I went for the first time five years ago. The people are hospitable, kind and so welcoming, she said.

This time, she took her husband Pat  a veteran of GO trips in El Salvador and Panamaand their son Derek, 22. It had been a dream for quite awhile to go somewhere as a family, Pat said.

Derek had never been out of the U.S. When the plane landed, I realized we werent in Nebraska any more, he said.

The next seven days confirmed that. Derek remembers a pastor who walked around town dressed like a clown and honking a horn to attract children. Hed blow that trumpet like a wake-up call in the Army and lead the kids up to the church, Derek said.

The Cuban travelers visited churches ranging from large established sanctuaries to one that was just 30 feet wide and 60 feet long. Others were starter churches in homes, simple crude lean-tos that were topped by a tarp.

One evening, they helped distribute meals to waiting lines of people. They also passed out candy to children. Some had never seen candy before.

Wed just give toothpaste and deodorant and they would hug us and kiss us. They have so little, but they were so generous. They would feed us, give us something to drink, Debbie Waltemuth said.

New York

Seven New Life members went to New York City July 17-22, including Stephanie Evans, an administrative assistant at New Life. Shed hoped to go to El Salvador, but her passport was delayed, so she flew to the Big Apple instead.

At the Living Waters Fellowship in Brooklyn, the group served in a soup kitchen, assisted with a childrens ministry and partnered with City Relief, a mobile social outreach ministry.

It was my first time in New York and I was a bit nervous, but once I got grounded, I used my servant heart to connect with people, to encourage them and pray with them, she said.

My heart grew a little bigger and my love for the power of God did too, she added.

Craig Bennett

Perhaps the most wide-eyed traveler this year was Craig Bennett. He has served on the Kingdom Builders task force for 20 years, but he had never applied for a passport until he was nudged into being the trip leader.

Every year, theyd ask him to go. Every year, hed say he was too busy. He works for Miller & Associates, and with a wife and two sons and his deep involvement in church activities, time was a solid excuse. But not solid enough.

In late 2019 they told me I was going, and I geared up, but then in 2020, due to COVID, that trip got canceled, he said.

He finally got his chance in May. He was named team captain, which meant coordinating prayer time on the trip along with other aspects, and being prepared for the unexpected.

Bennett not only led three pre-trip meetings; he took $10,000 in cash, donated by church members, to distribute to churches and ministries in Cuba. He made decisions about distribution on the spot.

We gave money to places with need, whether it was a church or a Christian college or a program for people with addictions, Bennett said. We would prayerfully ask the Holy Spirit what we could give. The average income in Cuba is just $25 or $30 a month, so $4 goes a long way.

Invigorating

Bennet called serving on the Kingdom Builders task force invigorating. The task force supports overseas missionaries; in 2022, the church gave $218,562 to support 35 missionaries and projects.

Based on a number of factors, We prayerfully consider where God is leading us to go the next year, he said.

Kingdom Builders pays half the trip cost for first-timers because we know it will change their lives, Baker said. The program averages 10 to 15 newcomers each year.

Changed lives

Bennett said the trip made him ponder many things, including the depth of his faith. Ive seen people who are challenged physically, occupationally, financially, and oppressed by their government have a stronger faith than many of us in the U.S. who are blessed with so much more, he said.

Their faith and love for Christ encourages me to be cautious with being comfortable and content with faith. Some are stretched and reliant on God each day for every meal. Many times, I take it for granted, he added.

Pat Waltemath was shaken by meeting people who rely on God for everything, including the next dollar. We were in the trenches for eight or nine days with people waiting on God for their next meal or the next bill to be paid. We have hot and cold running water, a soft bed and a toilet seat. We take that for granted.

Bennett agreed. Id be in tears. We have so much, and we are so ungrateful. The simplicity of their lives is what makes them special, he said.

Dont expect others here to understand what youve experienced because although you can talk about it, being there is completely different, Debbie Waltemath said.

We are blessed

Such realizations are why Baker believes these trips are so powerful.

I dont think you understand how blessed you are until you see how the rest of the world actually lives, Baker said. Of the seven or eight billion people on this planet, few live like us. When you go to Cuba, there is no Walmart, no Hy-Vee, no Target. Everyone scrapes together on what pesos they put together just to get by.

On the Cuba trip in May, Baker spent 10 days with a man who feeds the homeless. This man had 16 men in his addiction program, but he had just $4 to his name when I ran into him. Yet he had joy, He told me, I believe the Lords gonna provide. He always comes through at just the right time.

Baker added, Thats what we mean by living by faith and trusting God: not having much but dreaming big dreams.

Baker hopes that all New Life members  roughly 1,400 collectively at its Kearney, North Platte and Ogallala campuses  can someday have a GO experience.

You wipe away governments and country lines, and all humans have the same needs, no matter where they live. Everyone wants to feel needed, wanted and loved, Baker said.
TWIN LAKES  Prisoners of War and those classified as Missing in Action were honored Saturday at the Wisconsin American Legion 1st District POW/MIA Silent March in Twin Lakes.

The event included a quiet, solemn procession up Lance Drive and East Main Street, ending in the grassy area outside the Twin Lakes Chamber of Commerce, where a ceremony was held.

Held annually, the Silent March rotates among the American Legion posts in the five southeastern Wisconsin counties that comprise the 1st District. This years host was Post 544 in Twin Lakes.

The march came one day after National POW/MIA Recognition Day, which is observed the third Friday of each September.
Every Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana, which this year began on Friday night Sept. 15, I send out a abbreviation of my sermon to my congregants of Temple Beth Torah, This year may we all be inscribed for blessing in the Book of Life.

We read about the silver trumpets in the Book of Numbers 10:1-10,

The LORD said to Moses: Make two trumpets of hammered silver and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out. Also at your times of rejoicing  your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals  you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the LORD your God.

The function of the trumpets is the key to their meaning. The first function was to gather the people together. The second function was to send the people forth.

The trumpets teach us two things based on these two functions. They teach us what we need to learn as Jews, and the trumpets also teach us what we need to learn as human beings.

So what are the Jewish values meant for Jews that the silver trumpets gathered us together to learn?

I pick one, kol yisrael aravim zeh la zeh. All Israel is bound together one to another. Found in tractate Shevuot 39a and other places, this famous rabbinic teaching presents us with the glue that holds together our belief in Jewish peoplehood. It is the belief that we are not just a random collection of individuals; we are a holy people bound together by common beliefs and a shared history. We are a people who are bound together because we were created by God.

Professor Michael Wyschograd grasped this point perfectly in his brilliant 1983 work, The Body of Faith. He taught, Judaism is not a set of ideas. There are ideas that are specifically Jewish and that can be presented as the teachings of Judaism. But they do not constitute Judaism. Separated from the Jewish people, nothing is Judaism. If anything, it is the Jewish people that is Judaism.

Our love of other Jews does not preclude our ability to love everybody else. In addition to kol yisrael aravim zeh la zeh our tradition also teaches us in Leviticus 19:18, vahavta lreiacha kamocha, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. Our particularity is a foundation not an obstacle to our universalism. We may be a tribe, but our tribal mission extends to all the world. As Isaiah taught (49:6), It is too little that you should be My servant, in that I raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the survivors of Israel: I will also make you a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach the ends of the earth. The rabbis also taught, The only real sorrow is that which Jews and gentiles share.

So the first purpose of the silver trumpets was to gather the Jewish people together.

The second purpose of the trumpets was to send the people out into the world and we must turn to that purpose now. If kol yisrael aravim zeh ba zeh was the belief that gathered us, what was the belief that sent us forth?

I pick a teaching from tractate Eruvin 13b, eilu veilu divrei elohim chayim. Both this and that are the words of the living God.

Rabbi Abba said that Shmuel said: For three years Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel disagreed. These said: The halakha is in accordance with our opinion, and these said: The halakha is in accordance with our opinion. Ultimately, a Divine Voice emerged and proclaimed: Both these and those are the words of the living God. (eilu veilu divrei elohim chayim).

Eilu veilu introduced humility and compromise into the way we talk about God and the world. Hillel thought the mezuzah should be upright and Shammai thought it should be horizontal and so because of eilu velu they compromised and agreed that the mezuzah should be slanted.

Eilu veilu also led the rabbis to affirm the truths in other faiths. They taught, (tzadikei umot haolam yesh lahem helek bolam habah) The righteous of all nations shall have a place in the world to come.

What these religious giants learned two millenia ago we need to learn today. Today our culture and our political elites are facing an eilu veilu test. Can we learn from those with whom we disagree? Can we agree that in public discourse and interpersonal communications the only people we ought to label as Nazis are actual Nazis?

One of the functions of the silver trumpets was to announce Rosh Hashana. I can hear them now. They are calling to us. Their sound says to us, gather and their sound says to us, go forth.

Amen.
For years, Regina Siegel has cheered on her husband and three children in Oktoberfest parades. This year, theyll get a chance to cheer her on as Mrs. Oktoberfest.

Siegel has been named the 2023 Mrs. Oktoberfest. She received the title during an evening reception at UW-La Crosse on Saturday. Siegel says its a tribute she didnt expect.

It is an absolute honor and privilege to be selected as Mrs. Oktoberfest 2023, Siegel says. I have huge shoes to fill as the women before me have exemplified the morals, values and dedication that have shaped our community into what it is today.

Siegel said she was honored when friends nominated her for the position last winter. Months later, she didnt think anything out of the ordinary when one of those friends, Mrs. Oktoberfest 2019-20 Darryle Clott, and her husband, Marv, invited her to dinner to talk about her past experiences in education. Clott told her to bring along her husband, La Crosse County Sheriff John Siegel.

As we were chatting, I went to unzip my binder to begin to share what I put together, and all of a sudden Marv stood up with a glass of champagne for each of us and we all joined him for a toast to what I figured would be friendship and a beautiful night, Siegel explains. Before I knew what was going on, 2017 Mrs. Oktoberfest Lynn Gundlach and her husband, Dan, popped out of nowhere and soon there were six glasses of champagne being raised, and the four of them toasted me as Mrs. Oktoberfest 2023.

Siegel, a UW-Stevens Point education graduate, spent more than 20 years in the education field in La Crosse, along with central Wisconsin. She also holds a masters degree in educational leadership from Marian University and a superintendents licensure from Viterbo University.

Siegel comes from a family of educators. Her parents, Bob and Maggie Larsen, were a school counselor in Oak Creek and teacher in Racine, respectively. Her maternal grandparents  grandma was valedictorian of her class  were dairy farmers who helped instill a love of learning and strong work ethic. In 2018, she was named vice president of organizational development at Trust Point in La Crosse.

Siegel has served on many local, regional and state boards and committees. Among them: The Childrens Museum, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater La Crosse, Girl Scouts of Riverland Council, Governors Task Force on Education, and various school and university groups. She is also an active member of the Rotary Club of La Crosse and is currently president of the Rotary Works Foundation.

Throughout her career, Siegel says she has enjoyed building relationships and serving others, whether as an educator, working with a client on their finances, or mentoring young professionals.

Ive also focused on giving back to the community and sharing the love of volunteerism and giving with others, she says. My husband, John, and I have been blessed with opportunities to share that love with our children, and it has been magical to watch their desire to give back become integral parts of who they are.

Siegel has selected Be Kind  Always! as her theme for the year. She says people encounter difficult things daily  and that we often dont know what trials others are experiencing.

I encourage everyone to strive to share a kind and generous heart because you may be the one and only positive person someone encounters in any given day, week, month or longer, she notes. Kindness shouldnt be reserved for just friends and family members. Kindness is important for everyone, including those who dont look, act or believe the same way that you do.

Siegel says she added always to her message because while it is easy to be kind when in a good mood and with those we know best, it can be challenging to treat others kindly on your own bad days.

If we all lived by this motto, our local and global communities would be even stronger and things like road rage, bullying and racism would be much less prevalent, she says.

Shortly before she knew she was Mrs. Oktoberfest, Siegel took part in an ancestry test. She discovered she is at least 20% German, with origins likely from Bavaria where Oktoberfest originated.

She says that discovery makes the honor extra special  and possibly explains why shes enjoyed Oktoberfest activities as long as she can remember, including the royal family visits while she worked in education.

When I was the principal of Emerson Elementary School in La Crosse, one of the highlights of the year was always the visit from the Oktoberfest Royal Family where Crazy George led the entire staff and student body in songs and stories of Oktoberfest and our outstanding community, she says. Its incredible to think that Ill now be a part of that merriment as we visit so many schools, nursing homes and other organizations throughout the area.
Bail hearings are less ambiguous than they were six months ago, but La Crosse County District Attorney Tim Gruenke said the outcomes are mostly the same.

Voters in April approved two constitutional amendments that give judges more tools to hold criminal defendants in jail before trial. The amendments allow judges to consider public safety risks and a defendants past convictions for violent crimes when setting bail. Gruenke said the amendments havent significantly altered the judicial systems approach to bail and pre-trial detention.

Anecdotally, I dont think much has changed, Gruenke said.

Prior to the amendment, the Wisconsin Constitution appeared to restrict cash bail for any purpose other than assuring a defendants appearance in court. While it made reference to protecting the community and preventing intimidation of witnesses, it also stated Monetary conditions of release may be imposed at or after the initial appearance only upon a finding that there is a reasonable basis to believe that the conditions are necessary to assure appearance in court. Judges could also set conditions of release, such as GPS monitoring, no contact or no alcohol.

Republicans in the state Legislature pushed the amendments after Darrell Brooks killed six people and injured 60 in 2021, when he drove an SUV through a Christmas parade in Waukesha. At the time, he was free on a $1,000 cash bond and facing charges of second-degree reckless endangerment stemming from a domestic violence case.

Voters, by 2-to-1 margins, approved separate amendments to:

Give judges more latitude to establish conditions to protect the public from serious harm when releasing defendants before trial.

Allow judges to consider past convictions for violent crimes when setting bail for a defendant accused of a violent crime.

Gruenke, who had expressed skepticism of the two amendments prior to their passage, said judges already had the tools to keep someone like Brooks incarcerated. The most common was to set a bail amount well beyond a defendants ability to post. Judges often ruled that the sheer gravity of the offense made a defendant a flight risk.

For example, bail was set at $1 million for Khamthaneth Rattanasack and Nya Thao, who were charged in a July 23, 2021, triple homicide in La Crosse County. While neither prosecution has reached a final resolution, both men remain behind bars. Rattanasacks original $1 million is unchanged as he awaits an Oct. 30 plea hearing, while Thao had his bail reduced from $1 million to $500,000 after his trial ended in a hung jury.

Brooks himself is another example. He was ordered held on a $5 million bond, even though the amendments had yet to be ratified.

I think judges set an amount thats very high so that they cant post, Gruenke said. Its used as a way to keep dangerous people in custody.

Clearer direction

Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell supported the two amendments. While he couldnt recall prosecuting a case in which he was unable to keep a dangerous defendant in jail until trial, he said the amendments make the grounds for pre-trial detention more clear.

You can now argue that protection of the community requires a cash bond, Newell said. Its more concrete.

Newell isnt sure whether the constitutional change has triggered an increase in the number of defendants held on bail.

I dont have the data, and I dont know if theres any way to track it because every case is different, Newell said.

In conjunction with the amendment, lawmakers passed legislation to guide judges on how to weigh past offenses when setting bail. The bill lists over 100 offenses that qualify as violent crimes judges can consider.

Prosecutors can also pursue a pre-trial detention process in which a defendant can be held without bond for 60 days. The procedure requires a separate hearing in which prosecutors must present clear and convincing evidence as opposed to probable cause.

Neither Gruenke nor Newell has sought a pre-trial detention. Gruenke said the likely outcome after 60 days is reverting back to a high bail request.

We dont use the statute because theres a lot of work to it, he said. Its not practical to use.

Newell agreed.

Its just not a well-written statute, he said. Its very confusing on how it comes into play.
A new Stateline analysis shows that U.S. residents under 40 were relatively unscathed by COVID-19 in the pandemic but fell victim to another killer: accidental drug overdose deaths.

Death rates in the age group were up by nearly a third in 2021 over 2018, and last year were still 21% higher.

COVID-19 was a small part of the increase, causing about 23,000 deaths total between 2018 and 2022 in the age group, which includes the millennial generation (born starting in the early 1980s), Generation Z (born starting in the late 90s) and children. Vehicle accidents and suicide (about 96,000 each) and gun homicide (about 65,000) all took a cumulative toll from 2018 to 2022, according to a Stateline analysis of federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Overdose deaths, however, took almost 177,000 lives in that time.

Accidental overdose became the No. 1 cause of death in 13 states for people under 40, overtaking suicide in nine states and vehicle accidents in five others; its now the top cause in 37 states. The only other change was in Mississippi, where homicide became the main cause of death, overtaking car accidents. In 40 states and the District of Columbia, overdose was the biggest increase in deaths for young people.

States are responding to the skyrocketing death rates with harm reduction strategies that can include warning of the new danger of recreational drugs laced with deadly fentanyl, training and equipping people to counteract overdoses when they see them, and even considering controversial supervised drug use sites to keep addicts safer.

A fourth great wave of accidental overdose deaths driven by drugs spiked with powerful fentanyl is now washing over young America, said Daliah Heller, vice president of drug use initiatives at Vital Strategies, an international advocacy group that works on strengthening public health.

Prescription opioids led to one surge in drug dependency from 2000 to 2016, then when supply waned in response to crackdowns, users turned to heroin, synthetic opioids and finally fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin and easier to get in the pandemic, Heller said.

Jonathan Diehl of Silver Spring, Maryland, died in 2019 at age 28 after using heroin he likely did not know was spiked with fentanyl, said his mother, Cristina Rabadan-Diehl. Jonathan Diehl earned a degree in construction management and was starting a promising new job in home heating and air conditioning four days before he died, his mother said.

I think Jonathans trajectory was very common, said Rabadan-Diehl, who now works as an adviser on substance use disorders. He started with opioid pills, and when the government started putting restrictions on prescriptions, he as well as millions and millions of Americans transitioned into the illegal market. And then fentanyl made its appearance.

Now, a fresh wave of overdose deaths  different from the first three  is fed by fentanyl making its way into all kind of recreational drugs, and by pandemic isolation that led to more solitary drug use, Heller said.

Somebody might think theyre getting a Xanax (for anxiety), or methamphetamine or cocaine, Heller said. They have no experience with opioids, its not what theyre expecting and now they have a much higher risk of overdose and death.

Authorities generally classify overdose deaths as an accident or suicide based on individual investigations of the circumstances surrounding each death.

States struggling the most with deaths of young people, driven mostly by accidental overdoses, include New Mexico, which eclipsed West Virginia and Mississippi since 2018 to have the highest death rate in the nation for people under 40  about 188 deaths per 100,000, up 43% since 2018.

Other states with high death rates for the age group include West Virginia (170 deaths per 100,000), Louisiana and Mississippi (164), and Alaska (163).

In New Mexico, where accidental overdoses became the main cause of death for people under 40 in 2022, overtaking suicide and rising 90% to 394 deaths since 2018, the overdose problem has generally been concentrated in poverty-plagued rural areas such as Rio Arriba County on the Colorado border.

Democratic state Rep. Tara Lujan, who has relatives in that county, sponsored harm reduction legislation signed into law last year. It is similar to laws in many other states that include wide distribution of naloxone to reverse overdoses, legalized testing equipment for deadly additives like fentanyl, and good Samaritan laws that allow friends to report overdoses without legal consequences for their own drug use.

Lujan hopes to reintroduce a bill that would create so-called overdose prevention centers or harm reduction centers where drugs can be used in a supervised and safe environment. The legislation died in committee this year after Republicans called the idea state-sponsored drug dens.

Its all issues that were in place before the pandemic, but the pandemic made everything completely off the rails, Lujan said. My committee meetings have been packed with family members saying, We know they wont quit on their own, but we dont want them to die.

Only New York City has two such facilities in operation, run by advocates; the sites claim some success in reversing overdoses. But federal law enforcement authorities are threatening to shut them down without a specific state mandate, since otherwise they fall under a federal law banning operations that allow illegal drug use on-site.

Photos: Tranq, the new fentanyl additive worsening Americas opioid epidemic
As surely as temperatures rise during the summer, climate alarmists serve up more stories of life-threatening heat domes, apocalyptic fires and biblical floods -- all blamed squarely on global warming. Yet the data is often cherry-picked.

Heat waves are clearly made worse by global warming. But saturated media coverage of high temperatures in summer fails to tell the bigger story: Temperature-driven deaths are overwhelmingly caused by cold.

Globally, a recent Lancet study found 4.5 million cold deaths, nine times more than global heat deaths. The study also finds that temperatures increased half a degree Celsius in the first two decades of this century, causing an additional 116,000 heat deaths annually. But warmer temperatures now also avoid 283,000 cold deaths annually. Reporting only on the former leaves us badly informed.

Across the world, governments have promised to achieve net zero carbon emissions at a cost beyond $5.6 trillion annually. Scared populations will, of course, be more likely to clamor for the perceived safety of such policies. But these policies help tackle heat and cold deaths poorly.

Even if all the worlds ambitious carbon-cutting promises were magically enacted, these policies would only slow future warming. Stronger heat waves would still kill more people, just slightly fewer than they would have. A sensible response would focus first on resilience, meaning more air conditioning and cooler cities through greenery and water features. After 2003s heat waves, France required air conditioning in nursing homes, reducing heat deaths 10-fold despite higher temperatures.

Avoiding both cold and heat deaths requires affordable energy access. In the United States, cheaper gas from fracking allowed millions with low budgets to keep warm, saving thousands of lives.

Along with temperature spikes, alarming images of forest fires share the front pages this summer. Youd quickly get the sense that the planet is on fire. But since NASA satellites started accurately recording fires across the planets entire surface two decades ago, the amount of land area burned annually has fallen.

Fires have burned much more in the Americas this year than over the past decade. But fires have burned much less in Africa and Europe compared to the last decade. While Greece has burned much more, most of Europe has burned much less.

The fire in Hawaii is deeply tragic. Yet blaming it on climate change is lazy and unhelpful. While the Associated Press reported that Maui County was tinderbox dry, it has been drier in past years.

Cutting carbon emissions is one of the least effective ways to help prevent future fires. Much faster, more effective and cheaper solutions include controlled fires to burn away vegetation, improving zoning and better forest management.

Floods are similarly routinely ascribed to global warming. But a report for the United Nation's climate panel indicates low confidence in general statements to attribute changes in flood events to anthropogenic climate change. The experts emphasize that neither river nor coastal floods are statistically detectable from the background noise of natural climate variability.

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres's claim that an era of global boiling has arrived is entering ridiculous territory. The reality is more prosaic. Global warming is a real problem, but not an end-of-the-world catastrophe that justifies the costliest policies.

The commonsense response would be recognizing that both climate change and carbon-cutting policies incur costs. We should carefully negotiate a middle path, aiming for effective approaches that do the most to reduce damages at a reasonable cost.

To do better on climate, we must resist the misleading, alarmist climate narrative. Panic is a terrible adviser.
United Auto Workers union members striking outside the Wentzville Assembly Plant in Wentzville, Mo. on Sept. 15, 2023. Members of the UAW began a strike Friday at three plants in the Midwest, walking out amid a contract dispute over pay, pensions and work hours at the three Detroit automakers. (Neeta Satam/The New York Times)

The United Auto Workers strike Friday, which shut down assembly plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri, may have bypassed Illinois for now, but the state remains in the middle of everything as the labor dispute goes forward.

From Fords Chicago Assembly Plant on the citys Southeast Side to the small river town of Belvidere near Rockford, where the union and the state hope to restart the idled Stellantis Jeep plant, the course of negotiations could dramatically shape the auto industry in Illinois for years to come.

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Seeking pay increases, shorter workweeks and improvements to retiree pensions and health care plans amid record profits for the Big Three automakers, the UAW took the unprecedented action of striking against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis simultaneously after a four-year contract expired at midnight Thursday.

This is uncharted territory, because they dont strike all three, they typically strike one, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions, a market research firm.

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The UAW, which represents 146,000 members across the U.S., directed workers at a GM plant in Missouri, a Stellantis plant in Ohio and a Ford factory in Michigan to walk off the job and onto the picket line, calling for a strike against all three manufacturers for the first time in the Detroit-based unions 88-year history.

At the Chicago Ford plant, which has about 5,500 workers on three shifts making the Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator and Police Interceptor SUVs, local union leadership was at the ready Thursday night, if the call from Detroit had come down.

Automated machinery on the assembly line at the Ford Chicago Assembly Plant where the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator sport utility vehicles are made in 2019. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune)

I had my finger on the button to activate our strike committee, said Chris Pena, president of UAW Local 551.

Ford also employs about 1,000 hourly workers at a nearby stamping plant in Chicago Heights who are members of UAW Local 588.

In 2019, Ford spent $1 billion to transform the nearly century-old Torrence Avenue facility, which phased out production of the Taurus sedan to focus on building SUVs. The Explorer, which is made exclusively at the Chicago Assembly Plant, is among Fords best-selling vehicles.

While Ford has seen robust profits in the wake of the pandemic  the automaker had a net income of nearly $3.7 billion on $86 billion in revenue during the first six months of 2023, according to the companys most recent earnings report  workers have had a rougher ride, Pena said, citing everything from COVID-related fatalities to stagnant compensation since making concessions during the Great Recession.

Were ready to go to get what we feel is owed to us, and thats better wages, a cost-of-living allowance and pensions for all, Pena said. We feel were owed that when we see billion-dollar profits quarterly thrown into our face after they keep taking from us. And were the ones making those profits happen.

A Ford spokesperson did not respond to questions about the strike or the potential impact on its Chicago operations.

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UAW Local 551 plans to meet Sunday afternoon at its union hall to discuss the strike and possible next steps, Pena said.

Ideas on the table include solidarity rallies, social media campaigns and other efforts to generate public support for the broader strike. More than anything, the Chicago Assembly workers will be on standby for a call to be the next plant to strike, if needed, Pena said.

There could be more riding on the outcome of the strike in Belvidere, where Stellantis indefinitely idled the 60-year-old auto plant and laid off its last 1,200 union workers in February after halting production of the Jeep Cherokee amid dwindling sales. Production of the next-generation Cherokee is reportedly shifting to the Stellantis plant in Toluca, Mexico.

Stellantis bypassed Belvidere when it announced last year it would produce its next-generation Charger and Challenger EVs in Windsor, Ontario, where it is also building a $5 billion battery plant.

But Gov J.B. Pritzker hasnt given up hope on convincing Stellantis to stay in Belvidere, offering the company significant incentives to reopen the plant.

While Stellantis could use Belvidere as a bargaining chip in the negotiations by agreeing to put a product back in the plant, it hasnt risen to the top of the list for the UAW President Shawn Fain thus far, according to industry analyst Fiorani.

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It has been very quiet, Fiorani said. The idea of them moving a product in there is never off the table when it comes to negotiating with the union. But I really havent heard him call out Belvidere specifically.

Rich Boyer, vice president and head of the UAWs Stellantis department, and representatives of UAW Local 1268 in Belvidere, did not respond to requests for comment.

Fiorani said concurrent negotiations between the Big Three and Unifor, the union representing Canadian autoworkers, makes it unlikely Stellantis will reverse its decision to build EVs in Windsor instead of Belvidere. A more likely solution might involve any number of vehicles being built in Mexico, he said.

However, if that vehicle is not an EV, it would be a short-term fix at best, Fiorani said.

Stellantis spokesperson Jodi Tinson declined to comment on plans for the Belvidere plant.

The states toolbox includes the Invest in Illinois Act, which created a $400 million closing fund to incentivize EV manufacturers and other businesses to locate, expand or remain in the state through favorable financing. The 2021 Reimagining Electric Vehicles in Illinois Act incentivizes EV manufacturers to locate in the state through tax credits, including a December amendment upping the incentive to 75% of state income tax for automakers that retain employees as they transition to EV production.

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If Stellantis doesnt come through, Illinois is exploring other options  including foreign EV manufacturers  to fill the void. In July, Pritzker led a delegation to the United Kingdom seeking to sell the state as a destination for EV manufacturing. Sources familiar with the mission said the effort may bear fruit.

The state also recently optioned a large parcel of land next to the Belvidere plant to entice manufacturers to consider the site.

We think that theres an opportunity to bring more companies in, particularly large manufacturers, said Dan Seals, CEO of Intersect Illinois, the states public-private economic development arm. The reason for securing a parcel like that would be to make it easier for that to happen.

Seals said the best possible outcome would be for Stellantis to move back into the plant. But as time goes on, the skilled workforce that built Jeep Cherokees begins to move on, seeking new jobs and making it more challenging for the automaker to turn the lights back on, he said.

If Stellantis doesnt reopen the plant, the state is likewise prepared to move on and has already received a number of inquiries about the Belvidere site, Seals said.

The last UAW strike in 2019 against GM lasted 40 days, trickling down to parts suppliers. With reduced inventory in the wake of the pandemic, ongoing supply chain disruptions and a potentially protracted and widening strike against all three automakers, the economic fallout could be significantly worse this time around, Fiorani said.

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Smaller parts suppliers could be forced out of business by a long strike, Fiorani said. Dealerships and customers, meanwhile, will need to navigate an average inventory supply of about 40 days  better than the pandemic lows, but far below pre-pandemic levels. If the strike lasts longer than 40 days, the new car inventory supply likely will be depleted, he said.

As a consequence, that would mean higher prices for both new and used cars for consumers.

Scott Kunes, COO of Kunes Auto and RV Group, a family-owned, Wisconsin-based dealership group with more than 40 stores across the Midwest, including seven in northern Illinois, said they have stocked up as much as possible on new and used cars in anticipation of the strike.

But it is far from an old school car dealer sales pitch to say the inventory wont last long.

If this is a prolonged strike, it could have pretty dire consequences to our inventory supply, Kunes said.

Like the semiconductor shortage, Kunes said his dealerships will turn to used cars when new cars arent available. But the supply of late-model used cars is somewhat depleted by lower new car inventories.

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Kunes said his dealerships are taking strike production disruption into account in setting the prices on the current inventory of new and used cars.

We dont have a strike fund that can pay employees if our shelves are empty, Kunes said. So well turn to the used car market, and that is going to force used car prices to rise again. New car prices will go up as well. Weve already begun to look at some of the models that we know are the most constrained.

One beneficiary of the strike may be electric truck manufacturer Rivian, which is a nonunion shop.

Rivian launched production in September 2021 and now has about 7,000 employees building electric pickup trucks, SUVs and Amazon delivery vans in a formerly vacant, 3.3 million-square-foot auto plant in downstate Normal.

The EV automaker, which has struggled to ramp up production amid supply chain disruption, recently raised its 2023 annual target to 52,000 vehicles. In addition to gaining production traction, Rivian opened its first showroom in Chicago last week.

Production remains at full throttle and the year-end target is unchanged. A Rivian spokesperson declined to comment on the UAW strike Friday.

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For Fords Chicago plant, Friday was business as usual for workers on the assembly line, Pena said. But operating on an expired contract, with brethren striking in three other states, the plants 5,500 union employees are keeping a close eye on negotiations and remaining on standby, he said.

No one wants to strike, Pena said. But we are ready, if it comes down to it. And we know that sacrifices are going to be made, and the only power we have is to hurt the company and their profits, because thats when they start to listen.

rchannick@chicagotribune.com
How the F-35 Makes Nuclear War Easier

Sept. 15, 2023, (EIRNS)Polish President Andrzej Duda lamented the fact yesterday that despite Warsaws insistent requests, Poland still doesnt have any NATO nuclear weapons on its soil. According to the Polish head of state, the worst threat to his country is posed by a neighbor that has nuclear weapons. We dont have nuclear weapons. And I dont know if we ever will. No indications of this for now, he reported, emphasizing that in such a situation NATO was the only guarantee.

But Polands purchase of the F-35 stealth fighterPoland has 32 on order with plans for 32 moremeans that Poland will be a nuclear-capable state, as will every other member of NATO that is buying the stealth jets. At least thats the theme of an article for War on the Rocks platform by one Frank Kuhn, project coordinator for the Cluster for Natural and Technical Science Arms Control Research at Peace Research Institute Frankfurt. With so many NATO members now committed to buying the F-35, most important among them being Germany, NATOs nuclear-sharing program will gain credibility that it now lacks because of various uncertainties and the current aging fleet of F-16s and Tornados that now make up NATOs nuclear force.

The F-35A Lightning II, which is set to replace current legacy fighters in almost all NATO states that take part in nuclear sharing, is a significantly more capable aircraft than the legacy fighters it is replacing, Kuhn writes. Together with the modernized B61-12 nuclear bomb, it will reconstitute NATOs regional deterrence capabilities and help to deter further Russian aggression. Furthermore, the procurement of the F-35A by a large number of NATO membersand by Germany in particularwill alleviate doubts about the political credibility of the nuclear sharing commitment.

Because the F-35A will become the foremost fighter jet in Europe and users cannot make any modifications to the airplane, it also offers new opportunities for alliance members in Eastern Europe to send jets and pilots to Western Europe and train for the nuclear sharing mission, he says further. As pilots from Eastern Europe, due to their heightened threat perception, may well be more willing to employ nuclear weapons in a potential conflict with Russia, such direct participation would reassure Eastern European allies that the nuclear commitment is politically credible. He names, in this regard, Poland, the Czech Republic, Finland, and Romania.

In short, it means that all of these countries will be able to train to carry nuclear bombs even if they dont have any on their territory, making them all members of the nuclear club along with the U.S., Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Belgium. Such a program, which is not currently possible because all states operate different aircraft types, would significantly increase the political credibility of NATOs nuclear sharing arrangement, Kuhn claims.
G77+China Aims for New Economic World Order in Havana Summit

Sept. 15, 2023, (EIRNS)The two-day G77+China Summit, for which Cuba is the presiding nation for 2023, began in Havana yesterday. The Summit theme is, Challenges to Development: The Role of Science, Technology and Innovation in Development. At least 30 heads of state are attending in person out of the 130 member nations, in addition to 100 delegations. Included among the heads of state are Brazilian President Lula da Silva, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and the Presidents of Argentina, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, several African and Middle Eastern nations among others. Representing Chinese President Xi Jinping, is Li Xi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Standing Committee of the Chinese Communist Party.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel opened the summit together with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres. The Cuban President first pointed to the austere nature of the event due, he said, to the effects on Cuba of the more than sixty years of the U.S. economic blockade. Listing the ills from which the nations of the South sufferpoverty, misery, hunger, death from curable diseasesDiaz Canel denounced the current world order as unjust and unsustainable. Its time, he said, for the pending democratization of the system of international relations to finally be realized. Its time to end the centuries of colonial and neocolonial dependence, and tear down the barriers that have obstructed developing nations access to knowledge.

In his address to the summit, Guterres began with a call for the creation of a new global financial architecture, and said that institutions like the UN Security Council, the IMF and World Bank reflect a past era in which many developing nations were chained by colonial domination. The global financial architecture should respond more to the needs of developing countries, he said. Speeches are expected from 57 participants. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said the summit would end tomorrow with a statement defending the right to development in an increasingly exclusive, unfair, unjust and plundering international order.

In the foyer of the Havana Convention Palace where the summit is being held, there is a wonderful exhibit of six decades of Cuban development (in Spanish) in the areas of science, technology and innovation. Because of the U.S. economic blockade, Cuba was forced to build its own scientific capabilities in areas such as biotechnology which are admired internationally. Teresita Vicente, in charge of academic and cultural relations at the Cuban Foreign Ministry, told Xinhua I dont think the development of the nations of the South would be complete if they didnt take science, technology and innovation into account.
Washington Unleashes New Batch of Sanctions against Moscow

Sept. 15, 2023, (EIRNS)The U.S. State Department announced more sanctions against Russia, yesterday, aimed at Russian economic projects in the Arctic, its energy sector and its defense production. This came two days after the Sept. 12 keynote to the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum by Russian President Vladimir Putin, in which he said that economic development in Eastern and Northern Russia is the priority for the 21st century.

The new U.S. State and Treasury Departments sanctions target over 150 individuals and entities, including in Turkiye, the U.A.E. and Georgia, in connection with Russias unlawful invasion of Ukraine, said Tony Blinken in a statement issued yesterday. As part of todays action, the U.S. government is targeting individuals and entities engaged in sanctions evasion and circumvention, those complicit in furthering Russias ability to wage its war against Ukraine, and those responsible for bolstering Russias future energy production.

The targets include more than 70 entities and individuals involved in expanding Russias energy production and export capacity, operating in Russias metals and mining sectors, and aiding Russian individuals and entities in evading international sanctions, (in reality, they arent international sanctions but rather unilateral sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the EUed), the statement says.

Additionally, the Department is designating numerous entities producing and repairing Russian weapon systems, including the Kalibr cruise missile used by Russian forces against cities and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, and an individual affiliated with the Wagner Group involved in the shipment of munitions from the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea to the Russian Federation. Concurrently, the Department of the Treasury is imposing nearly 100 sanctions on Russias elites and its industrial base, financial institutions, and technology suppliers, including one official of the Wagner Group for advancing Russias malign activities in the Central African Republic.

Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov characterized the new round of sanctions as futile attempts to harm Russia and destroy its economy. Either out of despair, or because of illusions, the U.S. authorities fanatically invent new measures to harm our country, he said. He noted that thousands of illegal sanctions have already been imposed on Russia, but contrary to the expectations of Western countries, they have not been effective in defeating our economy.

Antonov concluded, Its high time Washington realized that the spiral of sanctions will lead nowhere. Our country will never cease to defend its national interests while firmly upholding the principles of equality and indivisibility of security in international relations. Recent Russia-Africa, BRICS, and G20 summits have shown that we have many supporters on this issue.
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

G77 Meets in Havana for a New Economic World Order, as Global North Unleashes More Sanctions

Sept. 15, 2023, (EIRNS)Today was the first of the two-day Summit of the G77+China, meeting in Havana, chaired for 2023 by Cuba, whose Foreign Minister said in advance of the gathering that there will be a call for a new economic world order. Minister Bruno Rodriguez said on Sept. 15 to reporters that the Summit statement will underscore the right to development in an increasingly exclusive, unfair, unjust and plundering international order.

There are reports that some 30 heads of state and government are among the delegations, and that from most, if not all of the 130 member nations of the G77+China sent delegations. This Havana Summit of the G77, which was founded in the 1960s, now serves as a platform to add to the momentum of the Global Majority for a new world economic order, which means conditions for security for all. It is noteworthy that one of the worlds most pressing problems is the deficit of development, in the view expressed today to CGTN by UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis (Trinidad and Tobago), speaking about the upcoming General Debate that starts on Sept. 19.

There is a telling irony that the current G77+China Summit is in Cuba, which has been under sanctions since 1962 from the United States, which has not deviated in 60 years from its foreign policy of coercion and punishment. Sanctions, military threats, economic warfare and other aggressions have come to be the defining behavior of the Global NATO alignment against the worlds nations in recent decades.

In the last 24 hours, the United States has issued dozens of new sanctions against entities and individuals in Iran, Turkiye, Georgia and the U.A.E., as well as new sanctions against Russia. Barely a day after President Putins speech at the plenary of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Sept. 12, where he said that developing the Far East and North of Russia were his nations priority for the 21st century, U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken issued a statement, along with 150 sanctions, which included targeting of individuals and entities involved in this regions economy. Blinken stated, As part of todays action, the U.S. government is targeting individuals and entities engaged in sanctions evasion and circumvention ... and those responsible for bolstering Russias future energy production.

However, there is no turning back the tide of humanity coming in for economic development and progress. Whatever its specific deliberations this weekend, the Group of 77+China represents 80% of the worlds population.

The present danger comes from the cornered Global NATO nations bent on more and more provocative actions, to the point of triggering nuclear annihilation. One expression of the escalating danger is the fact that so many European nations have lined up to acquire the U.S.-manufactured F-35 stealth jet, a nuclear-capable fighter craft. This means that all these nations will at some near point be nuclear capablewith trained pilots and support systems for nuclear arms. This will be unlike before, when there were different aircraft, and only five European nations with nuclear arms. One deluded description of this is that it will provide enhanced nuclear credibility for deterrence, when in fact, it will provide enhanced likelihood for nuclear obliteration.

These prospects must be stopped. The world needs volunteer, self-appointed ambassadors for the new world economic and security framework now under discussion in Havana. Join up with the Schiller Institute.
The first subway station in New York City was designed to be a masterpiece and was considered a jewel in the crown when it opened.

The trains in New York Citys public transportation system, its subway, mostly run underground. Today, the main concern of subway designers is that their systems work correctly.

New Yorks subway opened in 1904. City Hall Station was one of New York Citys first underground subway stations. Now called Old City Hall Station, it was built during a time when many public buildings and spaces were designed to appear majestic. The goal was to demonstrate that New York could compete culturally with great European cities, sometimes called metropolises.

It was a statement that New York City had arrived at the level of the great European metropolises like London and Paris, Rome, Madridthat New York City was taking its place as a world city, said Clifton Hood. Hood is a history professor at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York.

Inside Old City Hall Station, the top is not flat in shape but curved instead. The walls rise up to create a high, round shape known as a vault. Square pieces of glass, called tiles, shine. Some of the lights in the station are called chandeliers. These are beautiful hanging lights that hold many individual light bulbs and look like huge pieces of jewelry.

Polly Desjarlais is with the New York Transit Museum. She said she was blown away when she first saw the old station. She used words like lovely, elegant and really unique space to describe the station.

I've heard [the station] be described as a celebration of curves, because there are a lot of curves. Everything is sort-of rounded, Desjarlais said.

But those beautiful curves are why the station is no longer part of the normal subway system. Its rounded platform cannot fit long 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 said. As the subway got busiertrains got longer, and we added carsWe were growing those platforms and making them longer...

Although it is no longer part of the subway system, Old City Hall Station is still being used. One train line, the No. 6, uses the Old City Hall Station to turn around. And while the public cannot enter the station from the street, the members of the New York Transit Museum can see the station a few times a year at a cost of about $50.

Over the years, there have been ideas to make the old station a restaurant or a place for travelers to the city to visit. However, security concerns put those ideas to rest. Today, the unofficial way for the public to see the old station is by taking the No. 6 train and staying on after the last stop. Then, the train turns around at the Old City Hall Station, and riders will be able to see the majestic space.

I'm Caty Weaver.

Dora Mekouar reported this story for VOA. Gena Bennett adapted it for VOA Learning English.

_________________________________________________

Words in This Story

masterpiecen. a work of outstanding art

jewel in the crown expression something that is the best among similar, often costly or beautiful things

majesticadj. having or showing extreme beauty

curved adj. a smooth, rounded line or shape

bulb n. an electric device that produces light

platformn. an area where people stand to wait for or enter and exit a train
An increasing number of young Chinese adults are moving back in with their parents because they cannot find jobs.

Estimates show that up to one in five young Chinese are currently out of work. The situation is linked to a depressed economy and weak job market as China tried to recover from its COVID-19 policies.

Traditionally, it is not unusual for adult Chinese children to remain living with their parents and other family members in the same home. But experts say the countrys current economic conditions are forcing many young adults to move back home because they are jobless and find it hard to support themselves.

One example is 29-year-old Marguerite Wang. She moved from her familys home in northeastern China to the southern city of Shenzhen after graduating from college.

Wang spoke to reporters from The Associated Press about her experience. She said she had enjoyed her independence and life in the city. But when she lost her job with a gaming company in December, she decided to move back in with her parents.

Wang said she spent six months actively searching for a new job in Shenzhen. When her efforts proved unsuccessful, she decided it would be best to return home. Now she spends her days watching television and studying Japanese as she prepares to seek acceptance to a masters degree program in Japan.

Wang told the AP she now mostly spends time with her parents, who give her spending money. For the moment, she is enjoying the slower way of life back home. And she is not sure what job she wants to seek next.

I dont want to be in the same kind of work situation as before, Wang said. She added that while she was employed, she did not have much of a private life. I actually didnt know what I was so busy for, she said.

Government data shows the unemployment rate in Chinese cities for people aged 16 to 24 reached a high of 21.3 percent in June. In July, the Chinese government stopped publishing age-specific data, the AP reported. This led some observers to think the politically sensitive numbers had climbed even higher.

Chinas economy grew at a rate of 6.3 percent in the April through June period compared to the year before. In the previous year, China was still under heavy COVID-19 restrictions. Chinese exports have also fallen sharply as other major world economies suffer slowdowns.

The countrys overall unemployment rate in cities is officially 5.3 percent. But economic experts note that young people have been more affected than others.

Over the past two years, the Chinese government has placed new rules on industries such as technology and education. The moves led to major job reductions and closures in both industries, which traditionally hire young college graduates.

Other fields such as agriculture and building are lacking enough workers. But most college graduates want less physically demanding positions.

There are job opportunities, but the job opportunities are low quality, said Xiang Biao. He is head of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Germany. So, for the only child of a family, who received education, who grew up in a so-called time of abundance, its very difficult to embrace that kind of job.

The current situation also shows the changing feelings of parents, said Mu Zheng, an assistant professor of sociology at the National University of Singapore. He told the AP that parents who would push their children to succeed financially and socially might now offer to provide support to their jobless children.

Mu noted that many parents had already reached a high level of financial security after many years of economic growth. And some of those parents are now agreeing to provide the needed support to their adult family members.

Im Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press reported this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English.

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Words in This Story

opportunity  n. a situation that makes it possible to do something

abundance  n. a lot of something

embrace  v. to accept
Felony charges against a migrant mother from Venezuela who was arrested after allegedly blocking traffic and scuffling with police over bathroom access were dropped Friday by the Cook County states attorneys office.

After additional review of the facts, evidence, and the law related to this incident, we concluded that we could not meet our burden of proof to move forward with the prosecution of this case, the states attorneys office said in a statement. Today in the interest of justice, we asked the court to dismiss this case and the charges were dropped.

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[ What to know about Chicago's migrant crisis ]

Dayrelys Coy, 21, had been charged with three counts of resisting or obstructing police, which is a Class 4 felony, as well as a misdemeanor citation of obstructing traffic, according to police and court records. The Sept. 9 confrontation with police began after she tried to bring her 3-year-old child into the public bathroom at a Southwest Side police station.

The mother told the Tribune she felt relieved when she learned that the charges had been dropped.

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Estamos bien, gracias a Dios, she said hours after her court appearance, meaning that thanks to the lord, she and her son are doing well.

For now, she and her son are safe, but she is reserved about making further comments.

Coy was arrested after she and other migrants blocked traffic in a protest over bathroom conditions at the 8th District police station. In a previous interview with the Tribune, Coy said that officers had denied them access to the public bathrooms and told them to use the portable bathroom outside.

Migrants struggle with the rain and cooler temperatures, while trying to stay dry outside the 8th District police station, 3400 W. 63rd St. in Chicago on Sept. 11, 2023. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

Coy, whose child has a cleft lip, had said she felt it was unsafe and unsanitary to take her child into that bathroom. Migrants told the Tribune the portable bathroom was cleaned only periodically and not enough for the more than 60 people, including 30 young children, who live at the station.

Bathrooms at police stations are open to the public unless undergoing repairs. The confrontation highlights the tension at police stations across the city, which have become landing spaces for thousands of migrants, mostly from Venezuela, arriving in Chicago to seek asylum as they wait for temporary housing in a city-run shelter. There are 2,000 migrants living in stations across the city, according to the latest numbers.

After the confrontation, the police station cleaned and opened up the bathrooms to the public, said Erika Villegas, lead volunteer of the Police Station Response Team at the 8th District station. She also said two more portable bathrooms have been added outside the station.

We are relieved and glad that this mother doesnt have to deal with this hurdle, Villegas said.

The mother and her son had been living at the station for more than three months, Villegas said and she hopes that now that they are in a city-run shelter, they can quickly start the process to find a permanent apartment.

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When that happens, she said, the team will be there to help them move in and furnish it.

We are wishing her and her son the best of luck and hope to see them in the future when we help them move into the apartment, Villegas said.
HEALTH | 'FOREVER CHEMICALS'

BOSTON  Boston firefighter Daniel Ranahan had heard about colleagues getting cancer but he was stunned when doctors discovered a tumor in his chest.

He was only 30 and had been in the Boston Fire Department less than a decade. But as he investigated his diagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma in October 2020 and sought successful treatment, he learned he and others wore gear that contained the toxic industrial compound PFAS.

"You always hear about the dangers. You just never think it's going be you," said Ranahan, who stopped working due to the cancer and is among thousands of firefighters nationwide who sued PFAS manufacturers and companies that make firefighting gear and foam, seeking damages for their exposure.

"These guys put this on day in and day out to protect neighborhoods and wherever they are working," he said. The Associated Press was not given access to his doctors due to the ongoing litigation, making it difficult to independently verify his claims.

The multilayered coats and pants worn by firefighters have become the latest battleground over PFAS, or per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances. It's found in everything from food packaging to clothing and is associated with health problems including several types of cancer. In March, the Environmental Protection Agency for the first time proposed limits on the chemicals in drinking water.

Growing concern

The news that PFAS compounds are in their gear  primarily meant to repel water and contaminants like oil and prevent moisture-related burns  is worrisome to firefighters.

The International Association of Fire Fighters or IAFF says that cancer has replaced heart disease as the biggest cause of line-of duty deaths. Firefighters have been shown to be at higher risk than the general population of getting several types of cancer.

Firefighters are exposed to a laundry list of carcinogens coming from fires burning hotter and faster than ever before  often due to increased petroleum products in homes. But as they learn more about PFAS, firefighters have grown suspicious that their personal protective equipment or PPE is sickening them.

"We had no idea that the gear that we were putting on every day was essentially loaded with PFAS," said IAFF General President Edward Kelly, who was elected in 2021 on a campaign in part to address dangers of PFAS in gear.

'Proven science'

Sam Dillon, president of Boston Firefighters, Local 718, said the union had to act.

"When we break it down, the problem to us becomes very simple," he said. "There is proven science that PFAS is a known carcinogen. There is also proven science that PFAS is in protective gear that firefighters wear. So when it's brought to our attention that there is a known carcinogen in the protective ensemble that our members wear, it is grave concern to the union and it's our job to address that issue."

One defendant in the lawsuits, 3M Co., said in a statement that it "manufactures a variety of personal protective equipment products that meet nationally recognized standards to help protect first responders facing high-hazard environments." Last year, the company announced it would stop manufacturing PFAS by the end of 2025 and would work to discontinue using the chemicals in its products.

Another defendant, W. L. Gore & Associates, says the PFAS compound PTFE used in its clothing is nontoxic and safe.

"Based on the body of available and reliable science, Gore concludes its firefighting products are not the cause of cancers impacting firefighters, who by the nature of their important work are sometimes exposed to cancer-causing chemicals from fires," said company spokesperson Amy Calhoun.

The American Chemistry Council said in a statement that "PFAS based materials are the only viable options for some key equipment that meet the vital performance properties required for firefighting gear."

Raising awareness

The PFAS has been in the gear for decades. But the wife of retired Worcester, Massachusetts, fire lieutenant Paul Cotter who had cancer raised concerns about PFAS in gear in 2016. Until then, many firefighters had not heard of PFAS or did not know it was in their gear.

Gear makers told Diane Cotter there were only trace amounts of PFAS and it was safe. "I was attacked by firefighters when discussing the idea that chemicals in the gear could be causing cancer," she said.

Cotter sent patches of gear to Graham Peaslee, a University of Notre Dame professor who studies PFAS, for testing.

"It was loaded with PFAS. That was the first eye opening moment that there may be more than just trace amounts," said Peaslee, who also found the chemicals on gloves and in firehouse dust.

"They come off and they pose risks," he said.

Exposure levels

Courtney Carignan, an exposure scientist and epidemiologist at Michigan State University, said she found PFAS at twice the levels of the general population in the blood of more than half of the 18 firefighters she tested in Nantucket and Fall River, Massachusetts. She also found PFAS in gear was transferred to the skin of firefighters.

But Carignan is still investigating how much the gear contributed to increased levels of PFAS in the blood and whether PFAS exposure may be causing or contributing to cancer.

"Even though we know PFAS is in the gear, we still don't know how much exposure that is," she said.
When Lavenia Vulpal was a sophomore, in 2022, a teen paid people to phone in threats to Memorial High School.

Between Feb. 28 and April 27 of that year, Vulpal and her classmates were subjected to five swatting threats, a prank intended to get SWAT teams called to a specific address. At one point, students had to evacuate to West Towne Mall.

The threats were eventually found to be without merit. But the feelings of anxiety that ensued in their aftermath were real, said Vulpal, now a senior.

I think many of the issues that arose during that time kind of brought into perspective areas that we are lacking as a district, as a school, she said. I do think about it every time I walk in the door.

During the 2022-23 academic year, Madison police responded to more than 800 calls at Madison School District schools, according to data the Wisconsin State Journal received from the police.

Most of the calls were relatively innocuous, such as checking property or responding to a disturbance.

But there were also 49 calls related to threats, 20 fights and 17 weapons offenses.

On June 1, for example, a 16-year-old boy was arrested after threatening to bomb La Follette High School. The next day, police responded to La Follette again, this time for a 16-year-old boy who had brought a gun to school in his backpack.

Already this school year, which started two weeks ago, one student has faced a felony battery charge, accused of attacking his principal severely enough to cause a concussion, and officers responded to Memorial High School the evening of Sept. 13 regarding possible threats made on social media, according to the polices blog of notable calls.

When youre walking through the hallway and you see police cars lined up outside through the window, you know, a lot of concerns come up, Vulpal said. It does make a lot of people feel uncomfortable.

Staff response

These incidents weigh heavily, too, on the minds of school security staff.

The School Board ended its school resource officer contract with Madison police with a unanimous vote in 2020, so police officers are no longer stationed in schools. But there are people such as Safety and Security Director Sedric Morris and Director of Cross Systems & Critical Response Gina Aguglia Sr. working to keep students safe.

In the districts Office of School Safety, staffers are tasked with building walkthroughs, perimeter checks, teacher supports, classroom responses, and supervising lunches and buses, among other things.

Even when resource officers were in place, Aguglia says the district didnt tap them for all behavioral issues and incidents, turning to its Behavior Education Plan and school-based supports to address the majority of incidents.

The plan, which varies between grade levels, hinges on a progressive approach rather than a zero-tolerance policy in mitigating behavioral issues. Using a system of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, district security staff meet regularly to analyze data, review behavioral plans for individual students and monitor progress.

In cases of physical violence, middle and high school students are given verbal redirection, support and warnings for first incidents. If the behavior continues, they are given in-school suspensions. The districts plan outlines that out-of-school suspensions can come as a result of first and second offenses of excessive physical aggression such as fights or attacks, aggressive contact with a school staff member, or repeated violent behaviors.

Working with police

And the districts connection with the police department hasnt been severed.

Since the removal of SROs, we have developed some really positive ways of working with MPD, Aguglia said. A big part of my job is liaising with MPD to ensure that we balance safety of all students and staff with appropriate and responsible release of information per our policies and procedures.

Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes was a proponent of school resource officers and was particularly concerned that without them there would be a delayed response to potentially life-threatening incidents involving weapons.

It is something that absolutely keeps me up at night, because our responsibility as adults, not just as police officers, is to take care of those persons who cant take care of themselves, he said.

A quarter of last years police incidents were prompted by fights, weapons offenses, threats, battery and disturbances.

But, Aguglia said, the majority of the time we are calling the police proactively because of information we have that could lead to an unsafe situation and not always in response to specific student behavior.

Morris added that, in many instances, fights and other behavioral issues originate outside of school hours, and the incidents that take place in the hallways and classrooms are continuations of previous altercations.

A lot of the stuff we are seeing is coming in from the community  continuation of fights or issues that start outside of school and then come into school the next day, Morris said. Social media also creates a lot of issues with students making threats towards each other.

Mental health crisis

Combined with pandemic-related feelings of isolation and widespread concern about national school shooting statistics, incidents such as these served as a catalyst for the formation of the Board of Education School Safety Ad Hoc Committee, which Vulpal co-chairs. The committee works to address specific safety concerns, including districtwide communications after incidents of violence, staff responses to those situations and mental health support offerings for students.

The district employs social workers and psychiatrists, but Vulpal said their services arent widely advertised and the district needs to discuss student mental health more.

Students oftentimes are kind of left kind of in a position where they need to ask for resources, she said. As a student, I never really knew that there was even resources.

From September to March last year, Vulpal and her fellow committee members turned student suggestions and feedback into a list of actions for the Board of Education to consider in improving safety in Madison schools. Among the committees suggestions are improved training for faculty and staff in de-escalating incidents of violence or students mental health crises, as well as wider advertising and discussion of mental health resources for students.

Students have been speaking out about the problems that they face, she said. Because of that, theres been a little more attention to these problems.

Having just embarked on her senior year, Vulpal says she hopes to see further safety improvements before she graduates.

According to district spokesperson Ian Folger, security staff are working toward their own goals this year. Having received a $196,445 grant from the state Department of Justice, the district will be digitally mapping all of its buildings, giving first responders a comprehensive look at the layout of each facility, where fire extinguishers and AEDs are, for instance, to allow faster response times.

Folger said staff are finalizing the districts safety plan. Created in 2018, the plan is updated every three years, encompassing physical safety elements such as fortified glass on windows and doors and controlled building access, as well as addressing students psychological well-being with trauma-informed education and teachers taking on a collaborative approach to lessons rather than an authoritarian one.

We do want to make sure that we are committed to following through all these implementations, following through these recommendations, not just leaving it for other people to take care of, Vulpal said. School is supposed to be a safe place.

As schools rely on tutoring to rebound from learning loss, finding tutors proves difficult As schools rely on tutoring to rebound from learning loss, finding tutors proves difficult Challenges facing schools
JUNEAU  A 19-year-old Waukesha man made his initial appearance in court on Thursday after being charged with causing a bomb scare during this summers Pride event in Watertown.

Marcus Schroeder appeared before Dodge County Circuit Court Commissioner Steven Seim on Thursday. Schroeder was placed on a $5,000 signature bond with conditions that he does not post or comment about the case on social media and he does not have violent or abusive contact with anyone. He could face up to 1 years in prison and two years of extended supervision if convicted of the felony charge.

According to the criminal complaint:

Watertown police received a 911 call at noon on July 28 form a man who identified himself as Marcus and said there was a man who walked up to him and said there was a bomb set to explode at Riverside Park at 12:05 p.m. At the time, the Riverside Park was hosting a Pride in the Park event. The event already had a strong law enforcement presence. The 911 call was the only report of a bomb threat.

Police had multiple contacts with Schroeder that day. Watertown police viewed the video surveillance at the park and were able to develop a timeline of Schroeders actions at the park. He was seen with a group of people in the park at 10:22 a.m. He was seen walking up to the band shell area with what was assumed to be protester around 11:45 a.m. He was seen making his way out of the park around 11:54 a.m. He then was seen two minutes later walking out of the park by himself and called in the bomb threat at 11:57 a.m.

Schroeder called back at 12:03 p.m. to see if anything was being done about threats as his friends were in the park. He returned to the park at 12:30 p.m. and caused a disturbance while protesting and was escorted from the park.

Schroeder was arrested for obstruction and resisting an officer and playing amplified music in the park without a permit around 4 p.m. that afternoon.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 19.
If parents do not have child care, they cannot go to work. The Wisconsin child care industry is on the brink of collapse, and in absence of significant and swift action from the state, the widespread closure of daycare centers will be catastrophic for our economy and families. Parents will be forced to exit the workforce in droves to take care of their children.

The good news? A proven program provided vital support and kept this essential industry afloat during a global pandemic. Child Care Counts, created with federal dollars during the pandemic, helped more than 4,300 child care providers keep their doors open, retain or recruit 22,000 child care professionals, and ensure high-quality care for more than 113,000 kids.

But the child care crisis long predated the pandemic. Indeed, over the past 20 years, Wisconsin has lost more than half its child care providers, and 50% of the state is now a child care desert, meaning 1 slot for every 3 children who need care.

Child care package passes Assembly after Wisconsin Democrats voice opposition The bills would create a loan program for child care providers, lower the minimum age of child care workers and increase the number of children that workers could supervise.

With federal pandemic dollars ending, this crucial program is set to expire in just a few months, leaving child care providers questioning how they will make ends meet. Recent surveys have shown that if the Child Care Counts program isnt extended by the state, 25% of Wisconsin providers would likely close permanently, 60% of providers would likely raise tuition, and others would cut wages for already underpaid workers. That would spur an exodus from the workforce, resulting in even more closures.

Legislative Democrats unanimously supported full funding for Child Care Counts in the state budget, while every single Republican in the Legislature voted to eliminate funding. In the wake of that recent decision, child care providers around the state have already announced closures and tuition hikes.

On Wednesday, the Legislature has another opportunity to stand up for early childhood educators, working families and our kids. Gov. Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature to invest $1 billion into the workforce, including funding Wisconsins Child Care Counts program. We enthusiastically and whole-heartedly support this investment, and call on our Republican colleagues to answer the plea of parents, child care providers and employers throughout Wisconsin.

Republicans have offered no serious proposals to address our workforce shortage  and their refusal to fund child care will make the problem significantly worse. Inaction will make child care even more unaffordable and will lead to parents leaving the workforce and families losing economic security. Rather than investing in a proven program to create more child care slots by ensuring providers can afford to pay teachers a living wage, Republicans recently advanced a package that will put our children in danger.

The Republicans grand plan for child care does nothing to attract and retain early childhood educators, but rather focuses on the deregulation of child care centers, allowing more children per teacher and decreasing age requirements for providers.

While this approach may work on a spreadsheet, it does not work if youve actually spent time with children. Imagine being responsible for nine 2-year-olds. And then imagine doing it for $12 an hour with few benefits. This is not a sustainable or safe practice for our children or our early childhood educators, many of whom have college degrees in their field.

As parents ourselves, we know what a leap of faith it is to leave our kids in the hands of other caregivers, and we also know it is an economic necessity for most Wisconsin parents. Ensuring that our babies, toddlers, and pre-kindergarteners receive high quality care in safe environments should be a priority for all Wisconsin lawmakers and citizens. These little ones are our future, and 90% of brain development happens before age 5.

The Child Care Counts program helps providers keep their doors open, retain talented staff by supporting wages, and keep tuition manageable by closing the gap between the cost of providing care and what parents can afford to pay. While more can and should be done to make the child care industry and provider wages more sustainable, funding Child Care Counts is a necessary first step to stabilize the industry and prevent the loss of care for an estimated 80,000 children across the state, according to The Century Foundation.

Democrats are working for Wisconsin, and we will continue to be tireless advocates for child care providers, working families, and children. Early childhood educators are the workforce behind the workforce  as necessary infrastructure for our economy as roads and bridges. We must provide the resources necessary for the child care industry to function, so parents can work today and so our youngest Wisconsinites have the brightest possible tomorrow.
SPOTLIGHT | ALASKAN PUBLIC HEALTH

Sanitation workers Thomas Noatak and Joseph Moses start every workday riding a four-wheeler along the muddy roads of this small Yup'ik village on southwestern Alaska's vast Kuskokwim River, looking for human waste.

They're checking honey bucket bins  large steel containers where residents dump their waste at neighborhood collection points. When they find a bin full enough to warrant a trip to the dump site just outside town, they load it up and haul it nearly a mile over deeply potholed and rutted streets, hoping to do it without splashing.

Many Alaska villages don't have running water and flushing toilets. Instead of using a bathroom, people retire to a room in a house, pull a curtain and use a honey bucket  typically a 5-gallon bucket with a toilet seat on top and a plastic bag inside. Instead of showers, they rely on steam baths or sponge baths. Water for drinking and washing has to be hauled in.

All that's changing in Akiachak, where most of the village's nearly 700 people began getting modern plumbing for the first time this spring and summer  and finding their lives transformed.

"I was so happy, I kept doing my dishes," said Katherine Was silie. But for her and many other tribal members, it was saying goodbye to the honey bucket that had the biggest impact: "I'm really happy I got that throne."

More than 3,000 homes in Alaska, concentrated mostly in 32 villages, lack running water. The people who live in them are among more than 2 million Americans who don't have basic indoor plumbing, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

It's not just an inconvenience. It's a health issue, with higher rates of respiratory illnesses and skin infections like impetigo and boils where plumbing doesn't exist.

Native infants in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta are hospitalized at five times the national rate for respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, according to the Yukon-Kuskokim Health Corp., which provides services for the region about 400 miles west of Anchorage. The hospitalization rate for pneumonia is 11 times higher for Alaska Native children from villages without plumbed water.

Sewer and water hookups change that, said Dr. Ellen Hodges, the corporation's chief medical officer.

"We think most of the benefit from piped water comes from that access to fresh, regular running water, being able to wash your hands, clean down surfaces in your home," Hodges said. "It is sort of astonishing to me that in this day and age and all the technological advances that we don't have this in more of our villages."

In Akiachak, west side residents have had the hookups for nearly two decades. But work on the east side  where most of the town's people live  was slowed for years until village officials met certain conditions to unlock $28 million in federal and state funding.

Before getting running water, they had to haul water from the river or laundry to their home or collect rainwater.

Installing the hookups required connecting and burying water and sewer mains, building two additional lift stations, and providing interior plumbing in every home  kitchen and bathroom sinks, a toilet, a shower and ventilation.

Having most everyone on the water and sewer system appears to be paying benefits already, said Fritz George, president and chairman of the Akiachak Native Community, or the village's tribal government. "It seems like we have a healthier community, healthier children," he said.

"Not even half a year, and people don't want to go back to the honey bucket," Carl Ekamrak, the elder-in-charge of the Akiachak Moravian Church, said with a chuckle.

Honey buckets aren't gone entirely. Living in Alaska is expensive  a pound of black pepper costs $34 and a can of corned beef hash is $11, for example  so some residents are unwilling or unable to pay the $100 monthly cost for the water service.

But most are, including Ray Nose, a maintenance worker at the school who said he was "gladly" paying.

"It's changed us for the better," Nose said. "I used to haul water all the time, dumped honey buckets. Now it's a breeze."

Mary Lou Beaver grew up in Akiachak, packing water from the river as a girl, collecting rainwater and using an outhouse. Now retired from teaching and living in Anchorage, Beaver  who was visiting her old village to help relatives after a death  is glad that those memories will become relics of the past.

She said Americans should be equal, with access to running water for all.

"Why did it take so long?" she asked.

The entire project is important not only to this generation but also to the ones that follow because brushing teeth, taking baths and doing dishes will become normalized, leading to healthier communities, said Robert Sitton, a superintendent on the construction project for the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium.

Ronald Nose, who worked on the original west side project when it began in 1998 and is now helping complete the east side's system, remembers as a child packing wood and water from the Kuskokwim River to a village steam house so people could take steam baths to get clean.

He's proud of the part he's played bringing clean water into people's homes.

"It's a lot easier, a lot cleaner," he said. "You wash your own clothes in your own home, shower, wash dishes, way easier without packing water. Life-changing."

It took no time at all for Mary Frederick to get used to indoor plumbing when she got it nearly two decades ago  and she hated it when the stilts supporting her elevated home collapsed and forced her to revert back to the honey bucket system for a while. Her house has since been repaired, prompting Frederick to proclaim "Hallelujah!" that she can once again simply flush a toilet.

"I'm glad I don't have to smell the honey bucket no more," she said.
CLIMATE POLITICS

From Europe to Africa to southeast Asia, tens of thousands of climate activists launched protests Friday to call for an end to the burning of planet-warming fossil fuels as the globe suffers dramatic weather extremes and record-breaking heat, with plans to continue through the weekend.

The protests  driven by several mostly youth-led, local and global climate groups and organizations, including Greta Thunberg's Fridays for Future movement  took place in hundreds of cities in dozens of countries worldwide.

Several thousand people marched in Vienna, holding signs demanding higher taxes for carbon emissions and an end to meat consumption. Members of the student climate awareness group Last Generation sat down in front of Parliament, and speakers called on government to quit oil and gas and pass laws to save the climate.

Some 250 protests were held in Germany, including thousands of people who gathered at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and marched in a long procession through the city's government district.

In Quezon City in the Philippines, activists lay in front of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and held signs demanding fossil fuels  from coal to natural gas  be phased out. Outside the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources office in Jakarta, Indonesia, protesters held signs calling for end to dirty fuels and greenwashing as police officers looked on.

In Jammu, India, protesters played dead in a protest against deforestation.

In Sweden, climate activists gathered in front of Parliament next to the Royal Palace where Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf was celebrating his 50th anniversary on the throne.

In Congo, dozens joined a protest march through the city of Goma, shouting slogans and waving banners and placards calling for an end to corporate control of fossil fuels.

A week before the planned protest, the United Nations warned that countries are way off track to curb warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit since pre-industrial times, as agreed in Paris in 2015. This July was the hottest month on record.

Another major demonstration is planned Sunday in New York.
KYIV, Ukraine  Ukrainian forces recaptured a war-ravaged settlement in the country's embattled east, Kyiv's military leaders said Friday, a small territorial win in a churning counteroffensive marked so far by small victories but no major breakthroughs.

The taking of the village of Andriivka, 6 miles south of Russian-occupied city of Bakhmut, underscores just how difficult Ukraine's multipronged counteroffensive is shaping up to be.

In the east and south, Ukraine reported minimal territorial gains after months of intense fighting and heavy losses, despite being bolstered by NATO-standard weapons worth billions of dollars.

Meanwhile, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was to travel to Vladivostok to see Russia's Pacific fleet, while his official media said Saturday he was "deeply impressed" by a factory producing the most advanced Russian warplanes. Kim's trip to Russia, highlighted by a summit with President Vladimir Putin, sparked Western concerns about an arms alliance in which North Korean munitions fuel Putin's war in Ukraine and Russian technologies advance Kim's nuclear threat.
ITALY

VENICE, Italy  Venice on Thursday again escaped the tarnish of UNESCO's list of world heritage sites in danger, drawing a victory cheer from the mayor but scorn from environmentalists and scientists alarmed by the impact of mass tourism and climate change on the storied lagoon city.

At a meeting in Saudi Arabia, member states disregarded expert findings that Venice's "outstanding universal value" was under "a growing and increasingly urgent threat." Instead, they praised the city's conservation efforts, in particular a last-minute pilot project approved two days ago that will make Venice the first city to charge entry.

Venice similarly avoided joining the list of sites in danger two years ago after the Rome government announced a ban on big cruise ships past St. Mark's Square and through the Giudecca canal.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro welcomed the decision as proof that "Venice is not at risk, calling the experts' recommendations "misleading."

Civic groups, however, continue to emphasize the threat to Venice from mass tourism, which they say is transforming the city into a mere destination, depriving it of lifeblood as a thriving center that would attract both residents and new businesses.

The much-ballyhooed pilot project, charging $5.30 to day-trippers on 30 high-traffic days next year, only reinforces a low-brow image of Venice, they said.

"When you see how beautiful Venice is, what an incredible lifestyle the city can offer, when mass tourism isn't killing it, you realize that Venice is to some extent wasted on short-term visitors, said Jane Da Mosto, executive director of the NGO We Are Here Venice. "Venice is a place where more people should be able to live and create more lives and families and jobs and exciting work opportunities.

Expressing disappointment in UNESCO's decision, Da Mosto said the language used by some of the delegates "made me think they might be using material provided by Italian diplomatic channels."

"I really hope UNESCO will do something courageous to restore our hope in the convention governing world heritage sites, she said.

The Union of Concerned Scientists said the decision "signals an alarming trend of nations not being held accountable for protecting some of the most iconic and irreplaceable natural and historic sites around the globe." It noted that Venice is "increasingly vulnerable to severe flooding and water damage."

The city's 6-billion-euro underwater barriers, cited by several member states as evidence of Venice's commitment to preservation, have been employed since severe flooding in 2019 to protect the city from the most serious flooding. But the project has been riven by corruption, cost overruns and long delays, and is not yet fully complete  a lapse noted by the experts.

'Too much tourism'

As the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting loomed, housing activists in Venice this weekend announced that the number of tourist beds had officially surpassed the number of residents: 49,693 to 49,304.

That imbalance drains the city of services and clogs the city's tight alleyways and water buses with suitcase-laden tourists, pushing more Venetians to move to the mainland, a trend that dates back decades.

"Too much tourism is just a threat for our city," said Remi Wacogne, an activist with the OCIO civic observatory on housing. "All sorts of measures should be taken, starting with regulating short-term rentals, which are responsible for most of the increase in tourist beds."

Venice officials, however, have failed to limit short term rentals, despite being the only city in Italy allowed to do so under a special statute.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee recommended Venice for the list of sites in danger, citing the negative impact of mass tourism, damage to the lagoon by large ships and oil tankers entering via the Malamocco canal, and climate change leading to more frequent high tides, as well as uncoordinated development.

After the decision, the committee reiterated its concerns, and underlined that "further progress still needs to be made for proper conservation" of Venice and its lagoon.

Italy has until December 2024 to present a detailed plan, which will be discussed at the World Heritage Committee meeting in 2025.

UNESCO officials have emphasized that a downgrade is not meant to be punitive, but to alert the world community that more needs to be done to address issues plaguing a World Heritage site.

Venice's top budget official, Michele Zuin, was defiant heading into the vote, saying Venice wanted to avoid the endangered list. "But it is not as if we are slaves of UNESCO."
Magic Valley Unitarian Universalist Fellowship

Speaking Truth to Power: Understanding the First Amendment

On September 17th, 1787, the Framers of the Constitution concluded their work in Philadelphia by signing the document that would soon bind us together in common enterprise and community. Then, as now, there is still much work to be done to build and strengthen our union. In 2004, the U.S. Congress passed a law providing for a recognition of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day every September 17th. This occasion gives us the opportunity to reflect on our progress toward a more perfect union.

Join congregant and CSI Associate Professor Perri Gardner for a discussion of our shared values and principles as enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. This service will take a special focus on our 1st Amendment freedoms of expression and speech. Pocket Constitutions will be distributed to all members, friends, and visitors!

Our service Sunday will be both in person at our location 160 Ninth Ave. E. in Twin Falls, as well as on ZOOM beginning at 10:30 a.m.

To access ZOOM, please email mvuuf83301@yahoo.com for ZOOM sign-in information. In the subject line write ZOOM Service.

Newcomers of all religious paths or none at all are always welcome. Unitarian Universalists believe in the dignity of every person regardless of race, creed  or none at all  immigrant status or sexual orientation.

Everyone is welcome NO EXCEPTIONS. We believe in justice, equality and compassion in human relations; and acceptance of one another. We are handicapped accessible.

Please park at the rear of the building or on the street. Childcare is available.

Join us Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at 160 Ninth Ave. E. in Twin Falls.

For further information, please call 208-420-1345 or email us at mvuuf83301@yahoo.com.

The Episcopal Church of the Ascension

The Episcopal Church of the Ascension invites you to a celebration of Holy Eucharist at 9 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 17. All are welcome at Ascensions services of worship, including children.

Ascension Churchs Sunday service is available online at Ascensions YouTube channel The Episcopal Church of the AscensionTwin Falls. The building is handicapped accessible and located at 371 Eastland Drive N., Twin Falls. More information about Ascension can be found at www.episcopaltwinfalls.org or 208-733-1248.

During the month of September, Ascension Church is gathering pet food to be given to the Twin Falls Animal Shelter. Bring your donations of pet food to the church on any Sunday between 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

The Blessing of the Animals free event (weather permitting) will be held outside on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, at 3 p.m., at Ascension Church Courtyard. Everyone from the community is invited to come with pets. All species are welcome; please bring animals caged or leashed. Let us know if you plan to attend so we have enough blessing scarves and catnip. It is a popular and fun event. Dont miss it!

First Presbyterian Church of Twin Falls

209 Fifth Ave. N.

Pastor: Don Hammond

Worship Time  10 a.m.

Adult Bible Study  8:30 a.m.

Everyone is Welcome!

Community Outreach: Sandwich Saturday  Free bag lunch at 10:30 a.m. every other Saturday (Sept. 16) located outside the church.

Blessing Box  always available. Food for the needy, take some food or be a blessing to someone else and leave some. Located outside the church entrance.
Vehicle traffic is stopped on Monroe Street in celebration of Mexican Independence Day on Sept. 16, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

The city announced it was closing roadways in the Chicagos central business district Friday night as a public safety measure ahead of the caravans celebrating the Mexican Independence Day.

There will be closures from Division Street to 18th Street and fromDuSable Lake Shore Drive to Halsted Street intermittently throughout the night, according to a statement from the citys Office of Emergency Management and Communications.

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Plan accordingly and allow extra time if traveling in the area, spokesperson Mary May said in the statement.

Critical care workers and those who work and live in the affected zone can access through the points below.
Jerome County and embattled Prosecuting Attorney Brad Calbo have parted ways, almost 15 weeks after he was charged with domestic violence on the Oregon coast.

During an emergency meeting Thursday, commissioners signed an agreement spelling out the terms of Calbos resignation, including agreeing to pay him through the end of September.

Calbo was not in attendance, as he sits in a county jail in Newport, Oregon. He was given a 90-day sentence last week as part of a plea deal.

Commission Chairman Ben Crouch said he wishes the situation could have been resolved sooner, although glad the matter has been settled so commissioners can go forward with the business of the county.

After Calbo was initially charged in early June, released from jail and living in Magic Valley, commissioners were eager to meet with him face to face to discuss his intentions but were unsuccessful.

Commissioner Charlie Howell told the Times-News via text message that the county was left in no mans land, wondering how to proceed with responsibilities. Commissioners also hired a law firm to help them navigate the situation with Calbo.

Calling the emergency meeting was needed, rather than wait for Mondays regularly scheduled meeting, Howell said, to bring structure back to the county and prosecutors office, to give everyone paths to move forward and reassure the public and staff they were being taken care of.

The resignation agreement indicates Calbos last day as the prosecuting attorney was Aug. 31, although he will get paid through Sept. 30, as well as remain covered by the countys existing insurance plans through then.

Calbos annual salary was about $135,000 per year, Howell said.

As part of the arrangement, both commissioners and Calbo agree not to disparage or denigrate the other party, orally or in writing.

Calbo was booked in the Lincoln County, Oregon, jail on Aug. 14 after being charged with violating a no-contact order with the victim in Jerome. He had been out of jail on a release agreement.

His sentence on Sept. 7 of 90 days in jail with credit for time served was part of a plea deal worked out with the Oregon prosecutors. Originally, Calbo, 55, was charged with two felonies and two misdemeanors.

He pleaded no contest to attempted strangulation, indicating that he understood that a jury or judge could find him guilty of the charges, records say. After serving his term, he will have 36 months of supervised probation. He also received probation for assault in the fourth degree.

Both charges were misdemeanors. Charges of coercion and menacing were dismissed.

Once out of jail, Calbo must submit to special conditions, including abiding by a no-contact order with the victim, including no contact by phone, letter, email, text or social networking websites, records say.

Contact between Calbo and the victim will be permitted through counsel only.

He will also be prohibited from drinking alcoholic beverages. The victim in the domestic violence dispute said Calbo was intoxicated when he physically assaulted her.

He must also successfully complete an approved course on domestic violence by December 2024.
Weve outlined the signs of Alzheimers disease and addressed five of the 11 myths as taught by the National Institute on Aging in previous columns. Approximately 6 million Americans of all ages have Alzheimers disease, with most of them 65 or older (nia.nih.gov).

Lets now debunk the final six myths that can add more confusion to an already highly stressful family or individual situation.

6. If Im frequently forgetting things, it must be Alzheimers

Even though memory problems are typically one of the first signs of Alzheimers, not all memory problems mean a person has the disease. Some forgetfulness is normal as we age.

Talk with your doctor to determine whether the memory changes youre noticing are normal or may be a sign of something more serious. In some cases, depression or medication side effects can cause memory and other thinking problems. With treatment, it may be possible to reverse some memory problems due to these reasons.

7. You can buy supplements to prevent or cure Alzheimers

There are many websites and advertisements that promise certain supplements can effectively treat or cure diseases such as Alzheimers. In some cases, these may seem reliable, offering advice on healthy aging and Alzheimers to gain peoples trust and promote their products. However, there is no scientific evidence backing these claims, and currently, no supplement has been proven to delay, prevent, treat, or cure Alzheimers.

8. You can prevent Alzheimers disease

There is no proven way to prevent Alzheimers. However, there are steps you can take to help reduce your risk for this disease. A risk factor is something that may increase a persons chance of developing a disease. Some risk factors can be controlled, while others, such as the genes you inherit, cannot.

In general, leading a healthy lifestyle may help reduce risk factors that have been associated with Alzheimers and other age-related health problems.

These include:

Controlling high blood pressure

Maintaining a healthy weight

Staying mentally and physically active

Preventing head injury

Sleeping seven to nine hours each night

9. Doctors cannot definitively diagnose someone with Alzheimers until after death

Before researchers developed biomarker tests in the early 2000s, the only sure way to know whether a person had Alzheimers disease was through autopsy, a procedure that is performed after death. Now, lab and imaging tests are available to help a doctor or researcher see the biological signs of the disease in a living person.

For example, it is now possible for doctors to order a blood test to measure levels of beta-amyloid, a protein that accumulates abnormally in people with Alzheimers. Several other blood tests are in development. However, the availability of these tests is still limited. NIA-supported research teams continue to study options for faster, less-expensive, and less-invasive ways to diagnose Alzheimers.

10. An at-home genetic test can tell me if I have (or will have) Alzheimers

You may have heard about at-home genetic tests. These tests extract DNA from a persons saliva and provide reports of the genetic data. Its important to note that no genetic test can diagnose Alzheimers disease.

Genetic tests can identify certain rare genetic variants that cause early-onset Alzheimers, as well as genetic variants that increase a persons risk for the disease. FDA has approved one of these tests for at-home use. This test shows if a person carries a form of the APOE gene, APOE 4. People with this variant are at an increased risk for Alzheimers, but it does not mean that they will definitely develop the disease.

Talk with your doctor about these types of genetic tests. You also may want to schedule an appointment with a genetic counselor to help you consider whether a test is right for you and to understand the results.

11. If Im not a scientist, I cant do anything to help fight Alzheimers

Even if you are not a scientist, there are many ways that you can help advance Alzheimers disease research! Volunteers participating in clinical trials and studies have led to meaningful advancements in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimers.

By joining a trial or study, you become a partner in helping researchers advance their knowledge toward effective diagnostics, treatments, and preventions. All types of volunteers are needed, including people living with dementia, caregivers, and healthy volunteers.
Your news on your smartphone

Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
The theme for Hispanic Heritage Month this year is Latinos: Driving Prosperity, Power, and Progress in America.

Quote Regardless of how any of us feel about the countrys porous southern border, the reality ... is that Idahos economy cant survive without migrant workers.

Wed contend there are few places across this great country where thats any more real than right here at home in the Magic Valley. We simply would not be the economic engine we are today without the deep contributions of Hispanic workers and their families  over the last many decades  and its why we should come together as one during the next month to celebrate our friends and neighbors from Mexico, Central and South America, and other countries, and further learn about their history and culture.

The agriculture, dairy and food processing industries that make the world go round in south-central Idaho are fully dependent on migrant laborers, and always have been. Twin Falls, Jerome and Cassia counties  without those industries, without those workers  would be little more than desolate desert with an interstate freeway going through it.

Thats not hyperbole.

Consider just this one fact from the Idaho Dairymens Association on the states $10.7 billion dairy industry: Of all on-dairy jobs, 89% are held by foreign-born workers, hailing primarily from Mexico.

What would our way of life look like in an alternate world without a thriving dairy industry propped up largely by Spanish-speaking workers?

The success and growth of Idahos dairy industry was not achievable without the contributions of a predominantly Hispanic workforce, Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymens Association, said during a slideshow presentation last month in Rupert at the quarterly gathering of Business Plus. These hardworking, family-oriented individuals have toiled beside our dairy farm families for generations to help build the industry we are today. The Idaho Dairymens Association believes that one of its most impactful initiatives revolves around promoting and protecting these talented employees and their families.

During the same event, Daragh Maccabee, CEO of Jerome-based Idaho Milk Products since 2017, punctuated the reality: The biggest risk to the milk industry is that we wont have people to milk the cows.

Think about that the next time you reach for a gallon of milk at the grocery store or pour your next glass.

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month is not to excuse President Joe Bidens failure, and that of previous administrations, to secure the United States border with Mexico. It is a national crisis that requires true leadership and more than a slogan on a hat.

Its not a secret that Idahos dairy and agriculture industries employ undocumented migrant workers, potentially into the thousands, and that will continue until meaningful reform makes it possible for those men and women to legally enter the country without waiting up to three years for a green card.

They dont have years to wait. They need to work  and we need them to do the work. Regardless of how any of us feel about the countrys porous southern border, the reality, as Maccabee plainly told us, is that Idahos economy cant survive without migrant workers.

While we know most of us appreciate and understand this reality, not all do. One of them called the Times-News Hispanic life and affairs reporter this week, spouted hate and made a threat. We documented the call, reported it and know the callers identity.

This caller may believe to be speaking for the majority. Our message to the caller: Your narrow-mindedness is in the minority.

As much as this month is a time to honor Hispanic people and culture, its also a time to stand up to racism and hate. In the Magic Valley, like so many other places, it takes all of us  no matter our skin color, our language, our history. There is no place for discrimination here; were better than that.

Hispanic Heritage Month, enacted into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, started Friday on the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Saturday and Monday, respectively.

The College of Southern Idaho, the states first designated Hispanic Serving Institution, will host events in Twin Falls and at its Jerome and Mini-Cassia centers through Oct. 15, the final day of the celebratory month. We encourage you to join in, learn, and make new friends.

We are better and stronger as one. Lets celebrate that for the next month.

Your news on your smartphone Your story lives in the Magic Valley, and our new mobile app is designed to make sure you dont miss breaking news, the latest scores, the weather forecast and more. From easy navigation with the swipe of a finger to personalized content based on your preferences to customized text sizes, the Times-News app is built for you and your life. Dont have the app? Download it today from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
The Board of Investments increased its 2023 target from the original $17 billion to $26 billion, according to Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Fred Pascual.

Pascual revealed the new target as he underscored the Philippines readiness to welcome global investors at the 10th Milken Institute Asia Summit held on Sept. 14, 2023 in Singapore.

Pascual, in panel entitled Global Overview: Illuminating Pathways Through Complexities, promoted the Philippines as a burgeoning hub for global investments, emphasizing the nations strategic focus on sectors such as telecom, media, technology, semiconductor, aerospace and healthcare. He identified these sectors to be the key drivers for the Philippines to enhance its participation in the global value chain.

The DTI chief said the Philippines is one of the fastest-growing economies globally in the last two decades, securing a pipeline of big-ticket investments exceeding the initial target under the Marcos Jr. administration.

He said the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), coupled with the revitalized and forward-thinking Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP), sets a promising trajectory to bolster the nations position in the global market. He also explained that the administration is working on industry-specific and firm-centric plans to ensure the development of trade policies in the country.

Pascual noted the pivotal role of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the Philippine economy, referring to them as the backbone and lifeblood of the country.

Were doing a lot of things to introduce digitalization in their operations, the DTI chief said, highlighting the governments concerted efforts to foster digital transformation.

Pascual said that as part of this digital shift, the DTI launched a Philippine E-commerce Platform to expand the market reach of small businesses, both nationally and globally. He also emphasized the establishment of a center for artificial intelligence, designed to serve the needs of both small and large businesses in optimizing the application of AI in their operations.

He also shared the implementation of an Industry 4.0 pilot factory aimed at equipping businesses, especially MSMEs, with the knowledge to integrate new technologies into their operations.

The government is revisiting the legal framework governing Internet transactions through the introduction of the Internet Transaction Act, which seeks to protect consumers and facilitate the participation of small businesses in the digital economy.

He also linked these to the efforts of harmonizing national regulations with regional and international standards, including the recently launched Digital Economy Framework Agreement in Jakarta.

Pascual highlighted the young Filipino population, with a median age of 25 and a significant presence in the IT and business process outsourcing sectors, which stands as a driving force in the nations transition into the digital economy. Pascual also cited the emerging field of cybersecurity as a potential industry that presents both a new challenge and an opportunity that should be developed by the government.

Were trying our best to develop the capability of our young population, he said, in response to the growing global demand for cybersecurity experts.

Pascual cited the proactive strategy of the government in pursuing free trade agreements (FTAs), including the recently concluded one with South Korea, as part of the countrys broader strategy to expand its market access, particularly for exports.

He said the administration is optimistic on its goal of becoming a middle-income country in the next two to three years.

He said the government remains dedicated to ensuring food security for the Filipino population. Through the DTIs Three-Year Food Logistics Action Agenda, the current administration aims to reduce the friction from farm gate to the consumer to ensure the availability, accessibility, and affordability of food for Filipinos.

The Philippines warmly welcomes businesses and investors. Our trade policies are designed to facilitate a secure and seamless exchange of goods and services, emphasizing critical aspects like consumer protection, privacy, and intellectual property rights. Through collaboration between the public and private sectors, we can create a harmonized and cohesive global trade environment, he said.

The Milken Asia Summit is a prestigious event known for gathering the worlds most influential leaders and thinkers that continues to foster dialogues that shape the future of Asia and the world. It features a roster of high-profile speakers including global policymakers, industry leaders and financial experts.
State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) said Saturday it remitted P25 billion to the Bureau of Treasury (BTr), which represents the banks share in the initial seed capital in the Philippines pioneering sovereign wealth fund.

DBP president and chief Executive Michael de Jesus said the bank deposited the amount to the BTr on Sept. 14, ahead of the Sept. 17 deadline set by Republic Act No.11954, or the Maharlika Investment Fund Act of 2022, which represented DBPs tangible commitment to the Maharlika Investment Fund  a priority initiative of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

DBP is enthused with our full contribution to the MIF, de Jesus said. We are one with President Marcos, Jr. in ensuring the immediate establishment of the Maharlika Investment Corp. [MIC} which would shepherd the initiatives that would reshape and redefine the countrys economic landscape.

Under the law, the national government, DBP and Landbank of the Philippines are mandated to provide the initial capital of the MIC, contributing P50 billion, P25 billion and P50 billion each respectively.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the Maharlika Investment Fund Law on July 18, 2023, with the implementing rules and regulations taking full effect on Aug. 28, 2023.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the completion of the remittance of the two largest state-owned financial institutions in the country would pave the way for the full operationalization of the MIC.

He said numerous foreign and domestic investors were eagerly awaiting the full establishment of the MIC, as the national government is expected to complete the process of appointing highly-qualified and capable individuals who will comprise the MIC governing board.

We are witnessing a growing interest for investments in the MIF from multilateral financial institutions and foreign investors. With the regulatory requirements in place, and after securing the seed capital from state-run institutions, we are confident that the Fund will be operational by yearend, Diokno said.

De Jesus said the MIF and MIC are expected to be properly and effectively managed through a strong leadership and corporate governance as envisioned by the administration.

He said the corporation should be able to optimize the use of the governments financial assets to generate substantial returns and support infrastructure projects in order to promote efficient management of wealth and assets.

DBP foresees that in the next four to five years, the country should be reaping the gains from both on the financial and developmental fronts as a result of the trailblazing activities of the MIC, de Jesus said.

Land Bank of the Philippines earlier said it remitted to the Bureau of the Treasury its P50-billion contribution to the Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC) as mandated by Republic Act No. 11954 which establishes the MIF.

Finance Secretary and LandBank chairman Benjamin Diokno said the banks P50-billion investment to the MIF was also settled with the BTr on Sept. 14, 2023.

The MIF law has put in place adequate safety nets to ensure full disclosure and transparency in the management of the Fund, as well as the integrity and professionalism of the management team that will be entrusted to lead the Maharlika Investment Corp., LandBank president Lynette Ortiz said.
The Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP) signs partnership with The Pod Network (TPN) for the PRSP Education Committee Breaking Down the Buzz, a 12-episode PR Students and Young Professionals Congress Podcast Series. Previously a students congress, it has evolved into a podcast for academe and young professionals for this year. The partnership includes the development of evergreen and topic-based content for students and young practitioners to have access to continuous and experience-based learnings via easy access to a platform favored by its target audience. This is a pioneer event in the PR industry and for allied industries in using craft and technology for innovative and sustainable activations.

Shown signing the agreement are officers of PRSP Education Committee & The Pod Network, including (seated, from left) PRSP trustee Joe Zaldarriaga of Meralco, PRSP Trustee & Education Committee chair Aye Ubaldo, PRSP president Harold Geronimo of Megaworld, The Pod Network CEO and co-founder Alan Fontanilla and TPN CFO John Philip Co. Also present are committee members (standing from left) Abigail Mendoza of Meralco, Judy Villaroman-Aguilar of Evident Communications, Rudy Villar of TOG Integrated, Riza Myfel Del Rosario, Podcast Manager of TPN and Joselle Jamison, head of data of TPN.
The Philippines has participated in the 18th International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Traveler Identification Program (TRIP) Symposium and Joint International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Biometrics Forum in Montreal, Canada, Malacanang said on Saturday.

Communication Secretary Cheloy Garafil said the Philippine delegation that attended the symposium from Sept. 12 to 14 included officials and staff of the Presidential Communications Office, the Philippine Embassy in Canada, the APO Production Unit, Inc., and the Bureau of Immigration.

Garafil said the TRIP Symposium served as a platform for attendees to exchange information on all aspects of traveler identification management.

The symposium, she said, emphasized the importance of enhancing international cooperation and collaboration to improve the experience of travelers while addressing the multiple threats faced by international civil aviation.

The two-part symposium, attended by more than 1,000 attendees from over 30 countries and jurisdictions, tackled technological developments, enhanced policies and best practices on traveler identification and border control to ensure safe and seamless travel, Garafil said in a statement.

Among the topics discussed in the symposium include biometrics technology, machine-readable travel documents, document issuance and control, inspection systems and tools, interoperable applications, and, capacity building and assistance to states.

Garafil said the ICAO/INTERPOL Joint Biometrics Forum also provided insights on best practices, specifications, and technical mechanisms, allowing the successful application and use of biometrics.

She added that the forum also focused on INTERPOLs role in counterterrorism.

In his opening remarks delivered on Sept. 12, ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar emphasized the need to push for innovation and international cooperation in improving traveler mobility and aviation security.

Salazar said the ICAO TRIP Strategy to ensure smooth passenger travel is composed of five key components  evidence of identity, document issuance and control, machine-readable travel documents, inspection systems, and interoperable applications.

He also emphasized the role of technology in both document issuance and inspection processes to enhance the integrity of travel documents.

He added that digital credentials and technologies, such as facial recognition, are vital in ensuring the legitimacy of travelers.

Funded and directed by 193 national governments, ICAOs core function is to maintain an administrative and expert bureaucracy supporting diplomatic interactions and to research new air transport policy and standardization innovations as directed and endorsed by governments through the ICAO Assembly or by the ICAO Council elected by the assembly.
The city governments of Las Pinas and Taguig have started distributing cash assistance to rice retailers affected by the mandatory rice price ceilings in public markets.

Mayor Imelda Aguilar has distributed P15,000 in cash assistance to 139 beneficiaries in Las Pinas in response to rising rice prices. She said the City Agriculture Office and the City Social Welfare and Development Office are working on a more comprehensive plan to support local rice traders and vendors.

The cash assistance aims to provide immediate relief to these small businesses, empowering them to continue operations and contribute to stabilizing the rice supply in the community.

In Taguig, Mayor Laarni Cayetano attended and supervised the first day of cash distribution to 15 micro rice retailers in Embo barangays.

She said apart from local programs, her administration will support measures of the national government to sustain progress in the community.

We are ready to unite and help the national government so that we can reach out to those who are in need, said Cayetano.

The cash payouts, amounting to P15,000, are in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s directive to assist rice retailers most affected by Executive Order No. 39, which temporarily imposed a rice price ceiling.

EO 39 sets regular milled rice prices at P41 per kilo and well-milled rice at P45 per kilo.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has initiated the distribution of P15,000 aid to qualified rice traders in Metro Manila.

Mayors in Metro Manila also provided financial aid, free marketplace rent, and livelihood assistance to rice retailers.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is assisting local government units to monitor the prices of rice in public markets in support of the implementation of EO 39.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. earlier urged the Metro Manila Councilors League to pass an ordinance to assist rice retailers with the capital loss that they may have incurred.

Mandaluyong City is one of the first local government units that passed an ordinance to help rice retailers suspend the assessment and collection of market stall fees from rice retailers in Mandaluyong Public Markets 1 and 2 from September 5, 2023, to October 5, 2023.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Saturday reported massive coral harvesting in Rozul Reef in the West Philippine Sea where Chinese militia vessels were seen swarming.

AFP Western Command head Vice Admiral Albert Carlos said the area was completely stripped of its corals.

The areas where there was swarming, we have pinpointed these. And then when they left, we sent out our divers to do a water survey and we saw there were no more corals. There we only debris, Carlos said.

Rozul Reef, also known as Iroquois Reef, lies within the countrys 200 nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf.

This is alarming because as far as WesCom is concerned, it is our duty to protect sovereign rights for Filipinos. Our fellow countrymen should be the ones enjoying the resources in our EEZ, he added.

The military official, however, said they are not yet officially blaming the Chinese militia vessels even if they have their own suspicions.

It is just our suspicion for now. We are not saying they are harvesting our corals. But we suspect that somebody is harvesting our corals and that means they are violating our sovereign rights, he said.

Last week, the AFP WesCom organized aerial patrols in the West Philippines Sea where at least 30 Chinese fishing vessels were spotted in the countrys territorial waters. Of the number, 23 Chinese vessels were located at Rozul Reef.

For his part, AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said several countries have expressed their desire to participate in a joint patrol in the West Philippine Sea.

Aguilar said that aside from the United States, a long-term ally of the Philippines, Japan, Australia, Malaysia, France, India, Canada, and Singapore have also expressed their intention for a joint sail.

We are in engagement with whoever offers to help us, whoever shares our desire, our objective to establish a rules-based international order. We are studying carefully. All the offers are on the table, Carlos added.

Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing for the establishment of Philippine maritime zones to strengthen and enforce the countrys claim over the West Philippine Sea, as affirmed by a 2016 arbitral ruling invalidating Chinas massive maritime claim in the region.

The senator has filed Senate Bill 2394, or The Philippine Maritime Zones Act, to clearly define the countrys maritime zones, harmonizing domestic laws on maritime territory with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The proposed measure would cover internal waters, archipelagic waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and continental shelf by international law.
This frame grab from video, provided by the Mexican government, shows Ovidio Guzman Lopez being detained in Culiacan, Mexico, Oct. 17, 2019. (AP)

A son of Joaquin El Chapo Guzman arrested after a bloody firefight with Mexican authorities earlier this year has been extradited to Chicago to face sweeping narcotics trafficking charges.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez, 32, reputed to have taken over the powerful Sinaloa cartel after his fathers arrest seven years ago, was one of four El Chapo sons, nicknamed the Chapitos, charged in an indictment unsealed in Chicago earlier this year.

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Of the sons, Guzman Lopez, who is known as El Raton, or The Mouse, was the only one in custody. He was captured in Culiacan, Mexico, in January after an intense battle that left 10 soldiers and 19 suspects dead, according to news reports.

Guzman Lopez, who was being held in Mexico pending extradition proceedings, was flown to Chicago on Friday afternoon, according to Joseph Fitzpatrick, spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office in Chicago. He could make an initial appearance at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse as soon as Monday.

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A lawyer for Guzman Lopez was not listed on the court docket as of Friday.

[ Violence hits Mexico cartel stronghold as Chapo son nabbed ]

Guzman Lopez was among 28 reputed members of the notorious Sinaloa cartel charged as part of a multijurisdictional fentanyl-trafficking investigation unveiled in April by Attorney General Merrick Garland, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration chief Anne Milgram and other top federal prosecutors, including acting Chicago U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual.

In outlining the charges, Garland described the violence of the Sinaloa cartel and how its members have tortured perceived enemies, including Mexican law enforcement officials. In some cases, cartel members also have fed victims, some still alive, to tigers owned by Guzmans sons, Garland said.

The Chicago indictment, which was filed under seal in January, alleged Guzman Lopez assumed day-to-day control of the cartel after his fathers arrest in 2016. The indictment accuses the sons of orchestrating the shipment of thousands of pounds of cocaine, marijuana, and other drugs into the U.S. by boat, plane and other means.

Guzmans other sons charged in Chicago, Jesus Alfredo Guzman Salazar, Ivan Archivaldo Guzman Salazar, and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, remained at large as of Friday.

[ El Chapos sons among 28 Sinaloa cartel members charged by US ]

The indictment was filed as part of the same case originally filed in Chicago in 2009 against El Chapo himself as well as many of his top henchmen, which is widely considered the largest narcotics case ever brought in Chicago.

Those charges alleged the Sinaloa cartel used jumbo jets, submarines and tunnels to smuggle massive amounts of drugs into the U.S., much of which was later distributed in wholesale quantities in Chicago. The cartel members then laundered billions of dollars in proceeds back to Mexico.

Among the cartels top distributors were Pedro and Margarito Flores, twin brothers who rose from the obscurity of the Little Village neighborhood on the West Side to working directly for El Chapo before cutting a secret cooperation deal with the government.

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The twins decision to cooperate with federal authorities in 2008 culminated with Pedro Flores testifying against El Chapo at his trial in New York in December 2018.

El Chapo was convicted in New York in 2019 and is serving a life sentence at a maximum security federal prison in Colorado.

The indictments announced in April, meanwhile, differed significantly from previous investigations by including allegations that the cartel is now trafficking fentanyl, a synthetic narcotic 50 times more potent than heroin.

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Nearly 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2021. The Drug Enforcement Administration says most of the fentanyl trafficked in the United States comes from the Sinaloa cartel.

In addition to cartel leaders, the indictments also charged Chinese and Guatemalan citizens accused of supplying precursor chemicals required to make fentanyl. Others charged in the cases include those accused of running drug labs and providing security and weapons for the drug trafficking operation, prosecutors said.

In announcing the cases, Garland said the charges describe in detail how the Sinaloa Cartel operates  without respect for human rights, for human life, or the rule of law.

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Two of the defendants were accused of testing the potency of the cartels fentanyl on victims while they were tied down, Garland said. In another instance, cartel members experimented on a woman they had been ordered to shoot, injecting her instead with fentanyl until she overdosed and died, he said.

In another allegation contained in the charges, after an addict died testing a batch of the cartels fentanyl, one of the defendants sent the batch to the United States anyway, Garland said.

Chicago Tribune wire services contributed.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com
Saturday night I noticed Spy Ops, a new documentary series, had dropped on my Netflix account. If you havent heard about it, or seen any of it, its about intelligence operatives from MI6 to the CIA sharing insider stories of spy craft, Cold War campaigns, and coups carried out by covert agents.

The first episode picks up just 15 days after Sept. 11, 2001, when CIA operatives landed in Afghanistan with suitcases full of cash and a mission to dismantle the Taliban.

It was amazing to watch what a handful of hardened warriors with muscles in their arms, missiles from the air, and pure rage rushing through their veins, managed to accomplish.

The U.S. was angry, and with just cause after Osama bin Laden decided to make war with America.

As nearly always, I began having feelings about this unfolding of events when it was occurring.

Going after Osama bin Laden was justified, and dismantling the Taliban, who provided his safe haven to operate, had a clear purpose. But when we began stretching our mighty American arms into the sovereign affairs of another nation, we eventually became mired in a very human quality that is common the world over: you can change the situation, but you cant change people.

Afghanistan is the way it is not so much because of the bad luck that has befallen the country, but because of generations of could be argued were bad choices. It is not for me to render judgment on those decisions, but it is a fair observation to say that the decisions one makes generally have an effect on the life that person lives. The same occurs for countries.

Eventually, I became stubborn in my conviction that our just cause was limited to hunting down and killing Osama bin Laden, and I believe if we had focused on this mission alone, it would have occurred much sooner. Instead, we became bogged-down in conflict with an Islam sect, drawing the ire of Muslims everywhere and, as one songwriter noted, a damn Texan started his own war in Iraq.

I couldnt stop with the first episode, so I watched the second: Operation Just Cause, a tightly wrapped telling of the United States invasion of Panama during the presidency of George H.W. Bush for the purpose of disposing Manuel Noriega, its de facto ruler.

If you dont know how the Panama Canal came to be, its fascinating. France started the project in 1881 but gave it up because they didnt have the engineering quite right, investors became pessimistic, and diseases like malaria killed laborers faster than they could employ them.

Theodore Roosevelt negotiated the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty, giving the U.S. control of the Canal Zone. We took up the project in 1904 and forged a waterway between the two oceans by 1914 at a cost of $350 million. This was the most expensive construction project in U.S. history at the time; it took over 40,000 workers to build and 6,000 of those workers died before it was completed.

And then President Jimmy Carter gave it away. On Oct. 1, 1979, the Canal Zone ceased to exist and I remember thinking that this was going to bite the U.S. within my lifetime.

Noriega was an ally of the U.S., Cuba, Russia, and anyone else who padded his palm with green. Eventually we invaded the sovereign nation of Panama and backed Noriega into a Catholic church near the brothel where he had escaped. We prodded him out with a freshly pressed uniform delivered to his hiding place on the promise we wouldnt embarrass him too much in front of his countrymen when he departed the church and was placed under arrest.

Panama was glad to get rid of Noriega, but, even today, they are not over the U.S. invasion.

Its funny how little things on a worldly scale can seem so simple to us and appear to be totally invisible to the politicians.

Ive come to the conclusion that the primary cause of blindness in the world is not cataracts, macular degeneration, or glaucoma: its politics.
The old aphorism was never truer, laws are like sausages. Its best not to see them being made. The big news this week has been the state budget and why, almost three months late, it hasnt passed.

Casino gambling is the stumbling block. House Speaker Tim Moore announced there werent enough votes in his chamber to pass the gambling bill, a proposal that would establish four casinos in our state. Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger strongly favors casino passage. One of them would be in his home county.

Lawmakers took off most of the month of August for a summer vacation. In the interim, the Freedom Caucus had time to organize and strategize how they would prevent the passage of gambling. A late August poll taken by the John Locke Foundation found that 54.6% strongly or somewhat support casinos, however 46% worried that casinos would have unfavorable social consequences. More importantly, almost 76% think gambling should be put to a vote of the people, allowing the pros and cons to be aired.

Special interest groups are putting on a full-court press. Democracy North Carolina reported that more than $530,650 had been contributed to lawmakers in the first six months of 2023 in support of gambling or marijuana businesses. We dont know how much more has been expended since July. Has North Carolina become a pay to play state?

But Phil Berger was not to be denied and knows how to play hardball. He determined to put the casino legislation inside the state budget, daring those opposing it to either pass the budget with casinos in it or vote against the entire budget. The Freedom caucus revolted, calling his hand.

Moore repeated he only had 41 sure votes for passage and would not put anything on the floor that he didnt have the votes to pass. In a move seldom seen in legislative politics, Berger went public in criticizing Moore and the House, saying they had had a secret agreement that casinos would be in the budget and now Moore was reneging. Not so, said the obviously peeved speaker. He made the agreement with the contingency that he could get enough votes for passage. And he didnt have them.

Midweek the mood was contentious and gloomy for budget passage. Moore instructed House members to return to their homes, saying a budget wasnt likely anytime soon.

Why is gambling holding up passage of the budget? Is it just a power play by Berger and casino advocates? Why not just remove the casinos from the budget and get on with it? And no less than Donald Trump Jr. has called national attention to this donnybrook in our state, saying this isnt the MAGA way.

But the legislators arent the only players in this scenario. Gov. Roy Cooper will have to either approve or veto any budget passed, and he has no idea about all the special provisions, pork projects, controversial and partisan items Republicans have inserted thus far. He desperately wants to have Medicaid expansion funded but will there be so much poison Cooper will veto a budget?

Here is what we have learned: Bergers home is located near Danville, Virginia, where a new casino opened recently. It is attracting large crowds and a count of car license plates reveals a large number of them come from North Carolina. Phil Berger understands the math. Virginia is gaining large revenues from gambling proceeds. But theres more.

We were told legislative fiscal research reveals that North Carolina might suffer budget shortfalls as soon as the 2025-26 fiscal year, due to increased government spending and tax cuts. Casino tax revenues could help prevent those shortfalls without having to raise taxes.

Theres also the matter of Bergers authority being challenged. He is flexing his muscles to show who really has the power in our state and tells lawmakers that their pet projects might get scrapped from the budget if they dont vote right. Berger is playing hardball.

The bottom line is that the impasse seems unsolvable and while the folks elected to do the peoples business are playing political games there are real world consequences to their folly.

Teachers and state employees have no idea what or how much in pay increases to expect. Maybe this is a reason why North Carolina schools are 3,500 teachers short of what is needed. Important state projects are put on hold or canceled because of the delays. And you have to know the rest of the country is watching. People wishing to locate plants in our state have to be wondering if they can rely on a state to provide the infrastructure, schools, economy and support they need.

This is embarrassing and unnecessary. We deserve better and would remind lawmakers that, even though they have gerrymandered our state mercilessly, elections are coming soon.
Mozambican analysts say that the Public Prosecutors Office is in bad faith and overzealous in asking for a longer prison sentence for a member of the Republic Police (PRM) who has been indicted for crimes of incitement to collective disobedience and an attempted coup detat.

He is a member of the Rapid Intervention Unit, from Inhambane, who is accused of sending messages via the Whatsapp social network, mobilizing other members of the corps to rebel against salary delays and threatening to remove President of Filipe Nyusi, and paralyzing the country.

For jurist and political analyst Egidio Placido, the Public Prosecutors Office is in bad faith, because, from the way things are being presented, it doesnt seem that the agent has actually committed the crime of which he is accused, stressing that the role of the Public Prosecutors Office is not just to accuse people; it is also to exonerate them.

The jurist said that asking for the maximum sentence seems to me to be an excess of zeal; it is a message that the Public Prosecutors Office is collaborating on political issues aimed at creating a police state, a repressive state, by resorting to judicial issues.

Paul Fauvet, a political analyst and doyen of Mozambican journalism, says that the Public Prosecutors Offices request makes no sense, because it is completely outside what the justice sector should be looking at. Fauvet stressed that the discontent of the police and military over wage arrears is not enough for a coup detat in Mozambique.
The health situation in the areas affected by the earthquake that struck Morocco is under control, said Richard Brennan, Emergency Director at the Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO).

In a statement to the Qatari channel Al Jazeera, broadcast Friday afternoon, Brennan said that the health situation in Morocco is under control.

The Minister of Health and Social Protection, Khalid Ait Taleb, had earlier said that the health sector had been able to mobilize the entire logistical and human arsenal to meet the needs of populations affected by the earthquake that struck Al Haouz and several other provinces of Morocco.

We were able to bring the situation under control without having to mobilize human resources from other regions, the Minister had said, stressing that all those involved in managing this disaster were working at full speed to help those affected.

relatedly, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, commended on Friday Moroccos distinguished history of building up and investing in its own response capacities, highlighting, in this regard, the countrys action in the aftermath of the Al Haouz earthquake.

Morocco has mobilized tremendous resources to respond to the earthquake, pulling survivors from the rubble, providing medical care, and distributing essential aid, the UN official told reporters in Geneva.

Mr. Griffiths also highlighted the incredible generosity of local organizations and volunteers from across the country.

The United Nations stands ready to support the immediate and longer-term national efforts, including on coordination, he said.
Race and Change Across Cultures and Generations: A Journey in Stories and Music

Join the Missoula Public Library and Humanities Montana for a Montana Conversation with Kitty Oliver. This multimedia program blends memoir and music with cross-cultural stories and research into an innovative dialogue on the complexities of race and ethnic relations in the U.S. today with international perspectives. Drawing on her landmark Race and Change Oral Histories archive of native-born and immigrant voices that she is expanding in her travels, Oliver explores how far weve come and how progress can be made in a hopeful way that inspires our youth. This program is held on Sept. 18 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Cooper Room A/B on Level Four of the library. Funding for Montana Conversations is provided by Humanities Montana through grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Montanas Cultural Trust, and private donations.

NEA Big Read: Campus Book Discussion - 'The Cold Millions'

Dont miss this opportunity to participate in the Missoula communitys NEA Big Read! All are welcome to join this informal conversation on "The Cold Millions" by Jess Walter on Sept. 19 from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. at the UM Mansfield Library Commons on Level Three. The Big Read program is presented in partnership with the Missoula Public Library and Mansfield Library, with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Please register in advance at: umt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_73DaCxpRD0Fuq8e.

Home ReSource Spontaneous Construction Exhibit

Come to the library to celebrate creative reuse with Home ReSource, the nonprofit working for sustainability in western Montana. MPL will display functional art created during Home ReSource's Spontaneous Construction event (SponCon), held Saturday, Sept. 16 at their reUse store at Wyoming and Russell. View the functional art created by local builders, artists and hobbyists from items otherwise destined for the landfill from Sept. 20 through Oct. 12, with a reception on Oct. 6's First Friday art walk. The SponCon items will be sold during a live auction and fundraiser at Missoula County Fairgrounds on Oct. 13 for the benefit of Home ReSource's programs that are building a just, vibrant, and sustainable community for all.

Symphony Kids  Missoula Symphony Library Concert Series #1

Visit Missoula Public Library on Sept. 20 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Imaginarium on Level Two to hear Missoula Symphony's principal flute and principal harp and discover the angelic voices of these two instruments. Enjoy this Flute & Harp Duo in an intimate concert experience designed for kids and families, where the audience can sit up close with the musicians to listen to the music and ask questions at the end of the concert.

NEA Big Read: 'The Cold Millions' author event with Jess Walter

On Sept. 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Cooper Room A/B on Level Four of the library join Missoula County Commissioner Josh Slotnick in welcoming New York Times bestselling author Jess Walter for this lively presentation and discussion of his book and our 2023 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read title, "The Cold Millions." This NEA Big Read program is presented in partnership with the County Commissioners Office and Fact & Fiction Bookstore, with support from the NEA.

NEA Big Read - An Evening with Author Jess Walter in Seeley Lake

On Sept. 21 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the West Wing of the Seeley Lake Community Foundation Building, located at 3150 MT Hwy 83 North, join Missoula County Commissioner Juanita Vero in welcoming New York Times bestselling author Jess Walter for this lively presentation and discussion of his book and our 2023 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read title, "The Cold Millions." This NEA Big Read program is presented in partnership with the County Commissioners Office and the Seeley Lake Community Foundation, with support from the NEA.

NEA 2023 Big Read: Kid Gloves and Brass Knuckles - The Life of Nancy Cooper Russell with Mary Jane Bradbury

Against the backdrop of the social and political reform of the early 1900s, Nancy Cooper Russell, wife of Charles M. Russell, was a woman ahead of her time. A self-taught businesswoman with the ability to take charge, Nancy helped Charles Russell become the highest paid living artist of his time. Art historians consistently give her credit for being the reason the world has the extraordinary Russell paintings and sculptures that grace galleries and private collections today. On Sept. 23 from noon to 1 p.m. in the Imaginarium on Level Two of the library, historic interpreter Mary Jane Bradbury brings Nancy Russell to life and describes the world of art that celebrated the myth of the West at the beginning of the 20th century. This interactive program is appropriate for all lovers of art and good stories  from children to adults.

NEA Big Read: MakerSpace Walk-In Hours  Lasered Leather

On Sept. 23 from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the MakerSpace on Level One of the library enjoy this special NEA Big Read activity. Drop in and use the Makerspace's laser cutter to cut and engrave your own free piece of leather with a design to commemorate this year's NEA Big Read. The NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the controversial Christian womens conference, Re-Imagining. This event set out to honor women during the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Decade: Churches in Solidarity with Women 1988-1998.

Ive been interested in feminist theology since the late 1980s and listened to tapes of the 29 speakers presentations following the 1993 event. I was deeply moved by the passionate voices of Christian women with a progressive outlook on the faith. A friend and former Morganton resident, Amelia Stinson-Wesley, who attended the gathering, shared with me her experience at Re-Imagining.

In 1993, fresh from Duke with her Masters Degree in Divinity, Amelia headed off to the conference of 2,200 women and 83 men in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Minneapolis churches and the Presbyterian Church USA sponsored Re-Imagining, and United Methodists paid the way of 46 top staff members to attend.

When I spoke with her recently, Amelia said, I went because I was interested in seeing and participating in efforts related to interdenominational work that particularly related to women.

Addressing injustices to women worldwide and promoting equal partnership with men at all levels of religious life were aims of the event.

It was a great conference. We really liked the presenters and liturgy. I can still sing some of the songs we sang like the blessing for dinner.

Thirty years later, the Rev. Stinson-Wesley resides in Pineville, is married to a United Methodist pastor and pastors her own congregation in east Charlotte at Memorial United Methodist Church. She and Tom are parenting college-age children, Kyra and Evan, who were born while they lived in Morganton.

In Morganton, Amelia served as pastors wife and stay-at-home mom and was briefly interim director at Options. Tom pastored St. Matthews United Methodist Church from 1998 through 2006.

When Amelia reflects on Re-Imagining, she retains her positive view of the gathering but became very aware of the backlash several months after it was over. Conservative publications within mainline Presbyterian and Methodist denominations criticized the rituals, presentations, and art displays for goddess worship and heresy. Publicizing their negative version of the conference led to church members withholding donations, and seven months later, organizer Mary Ann Lundy, director of Presbyterian Church USAs Women Ministry Unit, was fired.

Traditionally, the Christian deity has been referred to only as male, so its disconcerting for some to hear Mother God or female pronouns for the deity. Referring to the Christian deity in feminine imagery is not goddess worship.

One of the conference presenters, Dr. Virginia Ramey Mollenkott (1932-2020,) graduated from fundamentalist Bob Jones University in South Carolina before earning her PhD at New York University. One of her 12 books is The Divine Feminine: Biblical Imagery of God as Female, spotlighting Bible verses such as Luke 13:34 which compares Jesus to a mother hen protecting her chicks.

During the conference, a Bless Sophia chant was used throughout. Bless Sophia/dream the vision/share the wisdom/dwelling deep within. This was meant to invoke a female image for Wisdom from Proverbs 8 and 9.

Presenters included Korean, Chinese, Japanese-American, such as Protestant theologian Rita Nakashima Brock, African-American, such as Dr. Delores Williams, Sri Lankan, a Zimbabwe musician and others.

Dr. Delores Williams, (1937-2022) a theologian who helped develop Womanist Theology in response to feminist theologys primary focus on white women, created controversy in the question-and-answer session after her presentation on Re-Imagining Jesus. She emphasized that Jesus came for life and (to show us) how to live together, what life was all about, and further said the cross is used almost exclusively for Jesuss significance with too little focus on his ministry. She referenced the mustard seed, fishes and loaves, adding, I dont think we need folks hanging on crosses, and blood dripping, and weird stuff. We need the sustenance, the faith, the candles to light.

Amelia said, I did not realize cutting-edge theology was going to be presented at Re-Imagining. In fact, what I heard did not feel or sound particularly radical as I had just left a very academic setting. We heard a lot of different theology in seminary so it was not jarring to hear the theology there.

In the early 1990s, Amelia said Duke took inclusive language (referring to the deity not exclusively as male) seriously. We had to sign a pledge in divinity school that we would use inclusive language.

Thirty years later, Duke requires no such pledge, and Amelia says seminaries have regressed on this issue.

She added, I use all kinds of imagery, but I had learned that as a religion major at Meredith in the late 80s. From the Bible there are masculine, feminine, inanimate, and animistic images. God is a she-bear in Hosea (13:8.)

Father God does speak to some people and so does Mother God. Using any one image of God repetitively can be a barrier to people meeting Jesus. If a persons father is abusive, then father references may not work. I try not to let my language be a stumbling block. Some people have a great relationship with their earthly father and sometimes father is wrapped up in authoritarianism and abuse.

Amelia Stinson-Wesleys life remains focused on her congregation and her family. In addition, she is founder and director of a nonprofit, World Connections for Women, which supports human rights and womens economic development, primarily in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. She has also served on the school board in Mecklenburg County.

One lingering impression from Re-Imagining for Amelia was the use of art.

Butcher block paper covered all the tables, and we were given oil pastel crayons and encouraged to make art during the speeches, plenaries, and presentations, she said. Ive kept that practice with me. I think letting people make art while others are talking is a good way for listeners to focus.

Did Re-Imagining have any lasting effects? She said, Its hard to measure liturgy shifts. Re-Imagining was one step toward fuller and more inclusive language for God but its really hard to say if it changed.
There were no public comments on the proposed Downtown Revitalization Project during a public hearing at the Muscatine City Council meeting Thursday and only one comment from council before unanimous approval.

Council member Jeff Osborne thanked the city employees for putting together the proposal before the vote. The council approved the plans, specifications, form of contract and a cost estimate for the project. The project is expected to cost about $1,157,000, which will be paid with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, as well as Tax Increment Financing and property owner resources.

Id just like to say good work to the staff for finding this grant and bringing this to the downtown area, Osborne said. I hope it sparks beyond the current scope, but it is certainly a wonderful start.

The bid opening will be at 11 a.m. Oct. 11 at Muscatine City Hall.

Martin Gardner completed the design and developed a cost estimate for the project. All property owners in a target block were invited to an orientation meeting in May, 2022, to discuss goals and visions. The owners of all but two properties on the north side of the 200 block of East Second Street participated in a facade improvement project.

The project is an extension of a program that began in 2021 in which the city puts aside $100,000 a year to support a local facade program. The council approved submitting the application for the grant during its Oct. 10, 2022 meeting. The grant will address 11 properties on a target block. The city had included $250,000 in this years budget as a match. At the March 16 meeting, a grant award for $650,000 was accepted. There will be no impact on the citys general fund from the project.

Photos: Scenes from the city of Luxor Egypt Luxor Tourism Egypt Luxor Tourism Egypt Luxor Tourism Egypt Luxor Tourism Egypt Luxor Tourism Egypt Luxor Tourism Egypt Luxor Tourism Egypt Luxor Tourism Egypt Luxor Tourism Egypt Luxor Tourism
WASHINGTON  Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Tuesday he is directing a House committee to open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden over his family's business dealings, launching historic proceedings ahead of the 2024 election.

McCarthy said the House Oversight Committee's investigation so far has found a "culture of corruption" around the Biden family as Republicans probe the business dealings of Biden's son, Hunter Biden, from before the Democratic president took office.

"These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction and corruption, and they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives," McCarthy, R-Calif., said outside the speaker's office at the Capitol.

"That's why today I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden," he said.

The announcement comes as the Republican leader faces mounting pressure from his right flank to take action against Biden while he also is struggling to pass legislation needed to avoid a federal government shutdown at the end of the month.

An inquiry is step toward impeachment, and McCarthy essentially outlined potential charges. He is is planning to convene lawmakers behind closed doors this week to discuss the Biden impeachment, and top House chairmen are heading Wednesday to brief the Senate.

The Republican leader is once again at a political crossroads  trying to keep his most conservative lawmakers satisfied and prevent his own ouster. It's a familiar political bind for McCarthy, who is juggling the impeachment inquiry and a government shutdown threat with no clear end game.

Government funding is to run out on Sept. 30, which is the end of the federal fiscal year, and Congress must pass new funding bills or risk a shutdown and the interruption of government services.

Minutes after McCarthy spoke a chief Republican critic stood on the House floor deriding the inquiry as "a baby step" and reviving the threat of ousting the speaker. "We must move faster," said Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla.

Biden's White House has dismissed the impeachment push as politically motivated.

"Speaker McCarthy shouldn't cave to the extreme, far-right members who are threatening to shut down the government unless they get a baseless, evidence-free impeachment of President Biden. The consequences for the American people are too serious," White House spokesman Ian Sams has said.

Former President Donald Trump was twice impeached by the House but acquitted by the Senate. He now faces more serious charges in court, indicted four times this year, including for trying to overturn the 2020 election Biden won.

"This is a transparent effort to boost Donald Trump's campaign by establishing a false moral equivalency between Trump  the four time-indicted former president" and Biden, who faces "zero evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever," said Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee.

House Republicans are probing the business dealings of Hunter Biden but so far have not produced hard evidence linking them and the president. They have shown a few instances largely during the time the elder Biden was Barack Obama's vice president when he spoke by phone with his son and stopped by dinners his son was hosting with business partners.

An impeachment inquiry would provide more heft to the House investigation, especially as it battles in court for access to Biden family financial records.

Republicans contend the Justice Department has not fully probed the allegations against Hunter Biden, and say he received preferential treatment in what they call a sweetheart plea deal that recently collapsed. The Department of Justice has appointed a special prosecutor in that probe.

"We will go wherever the evidence takes us," McCarthy said.

The White House has insisted Biden was not involved in his son's business dealings. And Democrats on the Oversight Committee are stepping up to fight against what they view as unfounded claims against him ahead of the 2024 election.

What's unclear is if McCarthy even has the support of rank-and-file Republicans behind him, as he decided to launch the formal proceedings without yet putting it to the test with a House vote.

McCarthy holds just a slim majority in the House, and several Republicans have said they see no evidence to warrant an impeachment inquiry into Biden, especially amid all the other challenges facing Congress.

Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman leading the Oversight Committee, is digging into the Biden family finances and is expected to seek banking records for Hunter Biden as the panel tries to follow the flow of money.

On Tuesday, Comer demanded the State Department produce documents about the work Biden did as vice president during the Obama administration to clean up corruption in Ukraine. Comer wants to understand the State Department's views of former Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin, whom Biden and many Western allies wanted removed from office because of allegations of corruption.

This comes as federal government funding is set to run out on Sept. 30, which is the end of the federal fiscal year, and Congress must pass new funding bills or risk a shutdown and the interruption of government services.

Conservatives who power McCarty's majority want to slash spending, and the hard right is unwilling to approve spending levels the speaker negotiated with Biden earlier this year.

McCarthy is trying to float a 30-day stopgap measure to keep government running to Nov. 1, but conservatives are balking at what's called a continuing resolution, or CR, as they pursue cuts.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said late Monday exiting McCarthy's office she has "red lines" against any new money being spent for COVID-19 vaccines or mandates or Russia's war in Ukraine.

Another Republican, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a top Trump ally, is warning that McCarthy could face blowback from conservatives if he does not push hard for spending cuts.

At the start of the year, Gaetz and other Republicans secured agreements from McCarthy as he struggled to win their votes to become House speaker.

Under the House rules, McCarthy's opponents are able to call a vote at any time to try to oust the speaker from office.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Wyatt Bruner, a native of Napa, is currently serving in the U.S. Navy as a member of Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron 50 located in San Diego, according to a news release.

Bruner joined the Navy four years ago. Today, Bruner serves as an information systems technician.

I joined the Navy because I was inspired by my grandfather, and I wanted a better opportunity than just going to college, said Bruner. "My grandfather was in the Navy and was a senior chief petty officer aboard the USS Yorktown. I wanted to do something different, and I knew that the Navy would bring that."

Growing up in Napa, Bruner attended Napa High School and graduated in 2018.

Today, Bruner said he relies upon skills and values similar to those found in Napa to succeed in the military.

My hometown taught me to be present and to have a work ethic, said Bruner. "When I was in high school, I was in wrestling, which taught me about life in a broader spectrum and about work ethic. That work ethic is important, not just in the wrestling room, but out in school and my work."

These lessons have helped Bruner while serving on Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission 50.

The CMV-22B is the Navys version of the U.S. Marines V-22 Osprey. It is designed to replace the C-2A Greyhound, which has provided logistical support to aircraft carriers for four decades.

CMV-22Bs are vertical takeoff and landing tilt-rotor aircraft, which have an increased operational range, faster cargo loading/unloading, increased survivability and enhanced communications compared to the C-2A Greyhound.

As a member of the Navy, Bruner is part of a world-class organization focused on maintaining maritime dominance, strengthening partnerships, increasing competitive warfighting capabilities and sustaining combat-ready forces in support of the National Defense Strategy, said the news release.

The Navy is important to national defense because a large portion of the Earth is our sea, said Bruner. Keeping our sea under control from evil forces is important to keeping, not only the United States safe, but the world safe and a better place.

Bruner said he has many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during military service.

My proudest accomplishment in the Navy is helping the Navy as a whole and being part of something bigger than myself, said Bruner. "It gives me fulfillment and a sense of purpose when I am serving in the Navy."

As Bruner and other sailors continue to perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.

Serving in the Navy means giving a chance to better myself while protecting the ones that I love, said Bruner.

Bruner is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

I would like to thank Petty Officer 1st Class Cherita Lewis-Navarro for instilling leadership characteristics within me, said Bruner. "I would also like to thank my family for being my number one support system on my journey."

PHOTOS: Napa's 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony
People sit on a vehicle roof in celebration of Mexican Independence Day on South Michigan Avenue on Sept. 16, 2022, in Chicago. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

For many decades, since the early 70s, there was a grandiose celebration for Mexican Independence Day in downtown Chicago; a majestic parade and a ceremony the night of Sept. 15 in Grant Park where people would gather with their flags and their pride to hear El Grito, from Mexican and city leaders.

The event commemorated the cry of the Mexican people to rise against the Spaniards. It was the heart of the celebration for the growing population in Chicago and nearby cities.

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It was a beautiful and heartfelt celebration even though there werent very many of us yet, said Teresa Fraga, now the president of the Mexican Cultural Committee of Chicago.

But the celebration came to an end about 10 years ago and the reason is unclear. But it left a huge void, especially as our community grew year after year, Fraga said.

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Now, more than one third of the citys population is Mexican or of Mexican descent, one of the nations largest populations of Mexican immigrants. And over the last years that celebratory void has been filled by hundreds, if not thousands who gather downtown at night on the days leading up to Mexican Independence Day, caravanning through the streets with Mexican flags and yelling Viva Mexico.

Its a spectacle unique to Chicago for the ubiquitous celebration. But the proud waving of flags through the streets has been tainted by concerns about safety and traffic delays. Earlier this month, Mayor Brandon Johnsons administration issued a warning announcing that the caravans that create a threat to public safety will not be tolerated, fueling many to criticize the response as lacking consideration of a decadeslong city tradition.

A group celebrating Mexican Independence Day moves in a vehicle down Roosevelt at Wabash as Chicago police stationed at that corner block vehicular traffic from going downtown on Sept. 16, 2023. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

Caravans as a way to commemorate Mexican Independence Day have long existed in Chicago, though mostly in neighborhoods and away from downtown. Initially, people showed their pride of Mexican identity and culture by wrapping their cars with Mexican flags or driving through the streets waving flags, honking through the neighborhoods shaped by Mexican immigrants.

Families would gather on corners of major intersections or outside their homes with more flags, waiting for the celebrating cars to pass and cheer together the night before and the night of Mexican Independence Day, Sept. 16.

Aside from the official parades and ceremonies, cruising with the Mexican flag is a tradition very much rooted in our community, said Salvador Pedroza, 65, a business and cultural leader, and member of the Little Village Chamber of Commerce.

He recalls the excitement he felt every September when Mexican flags were on rows of homes and cars in the community after he arrived in Chicago when he was 15 in 1974.

He joined the cruising by decorating his convertible at the time, taking his children with him so they could feel the same joy and pride that he felt. It was that pride, he said, which led him to become more involved in the community, and for years he helped to organize the parade in Little Village.

But in the last decade, he said, police began to close streets in Little Village and other predominantly Mexican and Mexican American neighborhoods, prohibiting revelers from gathering and cars from cruising in the area.

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Its not clear when or why Chicago police began to close streets, Pedroza said, but he can only attribute it to safety concerns.

The street closures in the neighborhoods, combined with the presidency of Donald Trump who was criticized for anti-immigrant rhetoric and racist comments against Mexicans, drove the tradition to downtown Chicago  to the corner of Michigan Avenue and East Wacker Drive, close to Trump Tower.

People with large Mexican flags, cars blasting music, and sometimes even live bands would briefly gather, recalled Ricky Flores, a Chicagoan born to immigrant Mexican parents from Brighton Park.

We wanted to show our pride and show that we werent afraid of him and other people who dont want us and our parents here. This is our city too, Flores said.

But the word spread fast and the number of people, which included families with children, showing up has grown each year, Flores said.

In 2019, hundreds took over downtown on the eve of Mexican Independence Day. Traffic on East Wacker Drive remained stagnant for hours as people honked car horns, danced and cheered while waving Mexican flags in a crowd that was mostly peaceful, police said at the time.

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Since then, the gatherings have become massive, paralyzing traffic on Michigan Ave and DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Though they have remained mostly peaceful, authorities have raised concerns over traffic congestion blocking first responders, drag racing and drifting, and violence.

Still, many Mexican leaders in the city and those who live the tradition say that the caravans should be embraced and controlled rather than policed and criminalized. Out of hundreds of revelers, said Pedroza, only a handful may cause problems.

But that is bound to happen in any massive celebration, he added.

The caravans have become a symbol of Mexicans in Chicago and how they embrace and celebrate their roots and identity.

For many, the caravans evoke nostalgia. Its a couple of days a year when people are surrounded by their paisanos.

It is important for those who live in the country without legal permission, said Pedroza. After all, he said, many left their native towns out of extreme necessity and established a new home in Chicago.

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But they miss it, maybe every day, and hope to one day return, Pedroza said.

So for a little while, he said, being surrounded by the red, while and green flag, the music, and the people can make them feel less alone and hopeful. And for the children of immigrants like Flores, the caravans and other celebrations ensure that the customs and pride are not forgotten, he said.

Many other ethnic groups also partake in similar celebrations to commemorate their Independence Day. During the September festivities, people from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua join to honor their Independence Day on Sept. 15, as do Chileans on Sept. 18.

Despite its meaning and the significant presence of Mexican immigrants and Mexican Americans in the city, attempts to organize a central celebration or find a way to control the celebrations downtown have failed, said Fraga.

Last year, Fraga, said she and several other members of the Mexican Cultural Committee of Chicago met with former Mayor Lori Lightfoot to request the citys support to host a formal feast and a ceremony for El Grito at Pritzker Pavilion, but Lightfoots term ended and no plan was solidified.

Following the headlines of caravans taking over downtown over the past years, Ambassador Reyna Torres Mendivil, consul general of Mexico in Chicago, said she also had conversations with city officials during the Lightfoot administration seeking to work together to regulate the celebration safely.

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The significance and magnitude of the Mexican community, Torres Mendivil said, must be acknowledged. This year, she collaborated with the Office of Emergency Management and Communications and the Police Department to promote a safe celebration in a PSA video.

There are no planned street closures at this time, however, residents can expect possible increased traffic within the central business district, according to Mary May, spokesperson for the OEMC.

CPD and OEMC will be working throughout the weekend to manage traffic and public safety. And staged city assets will be in place if any activities begin to escalate.

We remind those participating in events to be respectful of their neighbors and communities, as well as workers at critical facilities such as hospitals. They should also be mindful of first responders and emergency vehicles that are required to pass through areas where celebrations are occurring citywide.

Paul Callejas has been partaking in the caravans since he was a child, he said. First in Little Village and now downtown. While he understands the importance of mitigating traffic, he hopes that authorities remain aware of the tradition and let revelers celebrate freely.

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The Mexican community has grown vastly, no longer centered in Little Village, known as the Mexico of the Midwest, but throughout Chicago and nearby suburbs. Though he appreciates the parades that take place through September in different neighborhoods, We deserve a dignified celebration downtown, in our city, he said.

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The last parade and ceremony hosted downtown by Sociedad Civica Mexicana de Illinois, or Mexican civic society of Illinois, in collaboration with the Mexican Consulate and other organizations, took place in 2013, according to reports from HOY Chicago. The festivities ended for several reasons, but misunderstandings between entities and finances were the main ones.

Mendivil said that over the last few years, there have been efforts to get the organizations to work together to host an official and central celebration, but it hasnt been easy. She also factored in the costs, which would require collaboration from the business sector and sponsorships.

Pedroza doesnt lose hope that the a celebration downtown will one day happen again and that perhaps, the caravans will be somehow regulated so that the tradition can live on.

We deserve that, he said. The Mexican communtiy has grown, we have the cultural and the financial power.

larodriguez@chicagotribune.com
Napa County sheriffs deputies arrested a driver at the end of a vehicle pursuit Wednesday night from Napa to Vallejo, authorities reported.

At 8:30 p.m., a Napa Police officer stopped a vehicle driven by 40-year-old Manuel Martinez-Ortiz outside the Safeway at 3375 Jefferson St., but the motorist drove off and fled west on Trancas Street toward Highway 29, according to Henry Wofford, spokesperson for the Napa County Sheriffs Office.

After Martinez-Ortiz turned onto southbound Highway 29, sheriffs deputies took over the pursuit, Wofford said. Heading south over the next 15 minutes, the driver ran a red light at the intersection with Highway 12/121 in south Napa, then ran through a stop sign at the Eucalyptus Drive crossing in American Canyon, according to Wofford.

Deputies stopped the vehicle at the interchange of Highway 37 and Interstate 80 in Vallejo, where Martinez-Ortiz was detained after deputies fired a pepperball round when he failed to leave his vehicle, Wofford said.

Martinez-Ortiz was taken to Kaiser Permanente Vallejo Medical Center, where he told deputies he had blacked out during the incident, and had taken methamphetamine and at least three Ecstasy pills, according to Wofford. After being allowed to use a hospital rest room, he tried to run but was quickly stopped by a deputy, Wofford added.

The driver was later booked into the Napa County jail, where booking records listed him as Manuel Ortiz Martinez. He was being held Friday on $250,000 bail on felony counts of evading law enforcement officers and escape, as well as driving under the influence and other misdemeanor counts.

PHOTOS: 'Every 15 Minutes' simulates a DUI crash's effects for Napa students
A former Napa Valley man has been charged with two felony arson counts for a 2020 fire that destroyed his Capell Valley Road home.

According to the Napa County District Attorneys office and a police report, on Aug. 29, 2020, while the LNU Lightning Complex wildfires burned across Napa and surrounding counties, Darryl Pridmore reported a fire at his residence. The blaze completely destroyed the house at 1997 Capell Valley Road, according to the report.

The fire was deemed suspicious by Cal Fire and later the Napa County Sheriffs Office, the report said.

Tuesday morning, at a hearing in Napa County Superior Court, Pridmores attorney, Thomas McKenna, announced that his client intended to plead not guilty to the charges. Pridmore, who now lives in Alabama, appeared via Zoom.

Police documents from 2020 indicate that Pridmore reported the fire at 9:16 p.m. on Aug. 29, 2020. Pridmore then filed an insurance claim with his insurer, State Farm.

Investigators had doubts.

Pridmore claimed he accidentally started the fire while refueling his generator, however the generator was on a stone patio and surrounded by stone and fire resistant cement walls, the report read.

Pridmore claimed he could not get to his phone to call 911 because it was destroyed in the fire. However, Verizon records showed the phone was active during the time of the fire, as well as afterwards.

While Pridmore claimed the fire started while he was adding fuel to his generator, firefighters observed generator with gas cap on when they arrived. They observed Pridmore return at 6:40 a.m. the next morning and unscrew the cap. Pridmore suffered no injuries, the report said.

A number of images from Pridmores Capell Valley Road house were submitted as evidence, including photos of the generator with cap, inside and outside the house, before and after the fire, and other fire debris.

Carlos Villatoro, spokesperson for District Attorney Allison Haley, declined to provide those images for this story because this is an active case.

If convicted, Pridmore could be sentenced to between three and nine years in prison.

Reached by telephone on Tuesday after his hearing, Pridmore referred calls to his attorney. His lawyer, McKenna, declined to comment on this story.

The eruption of the 2020 LNU Lightning Complex was not the first time Pridmores home faced wildfire. In October 2017, the Atlas Fire swept through the same area. A story on the website of KXTV, the ABC affiliate in Sacramento, from that time noted that Pridmore had been a volunteer firefighter for 30 years.

Pridmores next court appearance is set for Oct. 24 in Napa County Superior Court. He plans to appear via Zoom, according to his attorney.

The LNU fires, which were sparked by lightning, burned from Aug. 17 to Oct. 2, 2020. The disaster destroyed an estimated 1,491 structures and damaged a further 232 in Napa, Lake, Sonoma, Solano and Yolo counties. Six people were killed and another five injured. It has been reported as the fifth-largest fire complex in California history.

From Our Readers: Photos from Napa County wildfires Hennessey Fire Napa County wildfires Napa County wildfires Napa County wildfires 2020 Hennessey Fire Hennessey Fire Napa County wildfires Hennessey Fire Hennessey Fire Napa County wildfires Hennessey Fire Hennessey Fire Hennessey Fire Napa County wildfires Napa County wildfires Hennessey Fire Hennessey Fire Hennessey Fire Hennessey Fire Hennessey Fire Hennessey Fire LNU Complex fires LNU Complex fires Hennessey Fire Hennessey Fire Hennessey Fire Hennessey Fire
Central Bank chief: Armenia residents deposits increased by about 25%

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A humanitarian disaster is unfolding in Eurasia, and lawmakers are joining with human rights advocates demanding the Biden administration respond, National Journal reports.

On Thursday, dozens of people filed into a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing to find out what the administration is doing to prevent a major crisis on Europes border, National Security Correspondent for the Journal, Cristina Maza, says.

Human rights advocates and legal experts say that ethnic cleansing is taking place. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez echoed that sentiment, arguing on the Senate floor that Aliyev and his regime are trying to starve these people into death or into political submission. During the Thursday hearing, Menendez asked why the administration isnt using sanctions to combat sanctionable behavior.

David Phillips of Columbia Universitys Institute for the Study of Human Rights said the U.S. should use Magnitsky Act sanctionswhich bar individuals from entering the U.S. and freeze their assetsand other legal mechanisms to hold Azerbaijans Aliyev personally responsible for starving the people of [Artsakh] Nagorno-Karabakh.

The international community recognizes Nagorno-Karabakh as part of Azerbaijan, but most of the territorys population is ethnic Armenian. That state of affairs is a legacy of the Soviet Union, where the Bolsheviks consolidated power in the South Caucasus and made Nagorno-Karabakh an autonomous region within Azerbaijan even though most of the population was not Azeri.

Some experts now warn that more bloodshed could ensue if the humanitarian situation isnt resolved soon. Azerbaijan is allegedly amassing weapons and forces near the line of contact with Nagorno-Karabakh, just as Russia did in the lead-up to its invasion of Ukraine last year. People on the ground say an attack by Azerbaijan on Armenia is also not out of the question.

Artak Beglaryan, a resident of Nagorno-Karabakh and its former state minister, said the situation in the capital, Stepanakert, is deteriorating rapidly.

The food and the reserves, also of medication and fuel and other essentials, are finishing or have finished already, Beglaryan said. The shops are quite empty. We dont have enough fuel to do agricultural work or transport vegetables from farms to the capital.

Azerbaijan may be facing some repercussions from the unfolding crisis. Section 907 of the U.S. Freedom Support Act bans direct U.S. aid to the Azerbaijani government. But successive U.S. administrations have used their ability to waive the restriction to sell military equipment and provide other assistance to Azerbaijan each year.

This year is the first in decades when an administration has not renewed the waiver over the summer. Sources say the administration is withholding the waiver to put pressure on Azerbaijan over the blockade.

Menendez argued that Azerbaijans human rights violations and threats to stability should trump any potential benefits the US could reap by assisting Baku.

Menendez said, I dont see how we can have a positive result when we have the amassing of troops by Azerbaijan. I dont see how we could have a positive result when Azerbaijan kills in cold blood unarmed Armenian soldiers and sexually abuses and mutilates a female Armenian soldier. I dont see how Section 907 leads to a more peaceful resolution when they are on the verge of ethnically cleansing 120,000 Armenians in Karabakh, Cristina Maza writes.
Brian Pohrte of St. Charles, a member of the St. Charles Canoe Club, came out Saturday to help out during a clean-up effort along the Fox River. (David Sharos/The Beacon-News)

Saturday was a busy one along the Fox River as an army of volunteers descended along the banks and into the water to clean the waterway during Its Our Fox River Day hosted by the River Corridor Foundation.

The clean-up effort took place all along the waterway, from Waukesha, Wisconsin, down to Ottawa, Illinois.

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In St. Charles, organizers said a total of nine stations were operating during the event that was coordinated in partnership with the River Corridor Foundation, the St. Charles Park District and The Conservation Foundation.

John Rabchuk of the River Corridor Foundation said the two-hour effort, which kicked off at 9 a.m. at Ferson Creek Park on Route 31 in St. Charles, always draws a large crowd.

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Last year we had more than 160 volunteers which resulted in one of the largest clean-up efforts ever, Rabchuk said. About half the people last year signed up on the last day. I think they were waiting to see what the weather would be like, but I wouldnt be surprised if we had record attendance this year.

Rabchuk said as far as the number of items collected out of the river it depends on the water level.

The first couple of years we did things we picked up a lot of things along the shorelines and last year or maybe the year before the river was very low as it is this time, and we were able to wade out into the river in some areas and find things that were there a long time, he said.

Some of those items, Rabchuk said, included car seats, construction equipment with barriers and cones, a couple of docks that must have broken loose upstream and more.

I dont know what the tonnage is but I would say its at least a ton each time or more, he said. The park district sends a truck around to each of the nine sites and picks up the trash thats been collected by the crews assigned to that site. They bring it back to Ferson Creek Park where we can get a picture of it.

Over the years, Rabchuk said he is discouraged to see any trash at all, but the last couple of years there has been more pocket trash like water bottles.

Volunteers make their way to the registration desk at Ferson Creek Park in St. Charles on Saturday for an event focusing on cleaning up the Fox River. (David Sharos/The Beacon-News)

Whats discouraging is the bigger things like rugs or car seats. Every year is unique and I never pretend to know whats going to happen until we get out there, he said.

Rabchuk said the clean-up effort is essential to the health of the Fox River.

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It makes a difference, Ill tell you that, he said.

Elgin resident Gary Swick, a member of the Friends of the Fox River group, was on hand with a number of other members and said this is the biggest populated event in the watershed so far.

I really appreciate the team effort and they know here how to put this on and its very organized, he said. Historically, this has been our biggest group along the whole waterway. Our goal last year was to have groups watershed-wide  all 200 miles  and we achieved that and we had over 50 events last year and again this year.

Organizers expected a large walk-up crowd which was certainly the case as dozens streamed toward the registration desk 15 minutes before the events start time.

Laura Miller Hill of St. Charles, a St. Charles Natural Resources Commission member, was on hand with her husband Greg.

We look forward to this every year. Ive done it over the years with different groups and we pull out a lot of trash and it makes a big difference, she said. There are a lot of people who come. Were going to have a Boy Scout troop with our group.

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She said shes seen a lot of tires in the river, adding that some things we dont pull out as they are habitat for animals at that point.

John and Holly Cabel and their son Charlie of St. Charles took part Saturday in a clean-up effort along the Fox River in St. Charles. (David Sharos/The Beacon-News)

Mostly its plastics, cigarette butts and paper, she said. I know that people throw things in the water but I also think a lot of things get washed off of piers.

Crews with boats were also working the waterway Saturday.

Brian Pohrte of St. Charles, a member of the St. Charles Canoe Club, was getting ready with his kayak in order to find trash in the water that those working on the banks of the river couldnt reach.

We want to make sure this area is cleaned up and looking good and its also a good opportunity to see the rest of the members from our community, he said. Well probably have about a dozen club members out today.

John Cabel and his family from St. Charles came for the fourth year and said they wanted to help with the clean-up effort in order to care for the community.

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We care about the community, he said. The river, we use it. Were on the river all the time.

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
2023 'My Story of Chinese Hanzi' international competition closes successfully

People's Daily Online) 17:12, September 15, 2023

Li Xikui, vice president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), delivers a speech at the final of the 2023 "My Story of Chinese Hanzi" international competition held in Jincheng city, north China's Shanxi Province. (People's Daily Online/Lu Pengyu)

The final round of the 2023 "My Story of Chinese Hanzi" international competition, themed "" (Homeland), came to a successful conclusion in Jincheng city, north China's Shanxi Province, on Sept. 14, 2023.

The competition kicked off in June this year, and attracted over 3,000 contestants from more than 70 countries around the world.

After the preliminary and semifinal rounds, 10 finalist teams from Poland, Kenya, Pakistan, Chad, Nigeria, Ghana, Laos, Sudan, Mongolia, and Russia were selected to compete in the final held in Jincheng. Using fluent Mandarin Chinese, the contestants expressively shared their visions of an ideal "homeland" during the last round of the competition.

A total of nine judges, including renowned professors, a famous writer, and experts in Chinese language and culture, were invited to score the contestants performances. They evaluated the contestants on criteria including proficiency in Chinese, storytelling skills, core values in their stories, and contribution to exchanges between civilizations.

After an intense and exhilarating competition, Ojimmadu Raphael Ebube from Nigeria won the Grand Award, while Sejoud Isam Mahir Hassan from Sudan and Lydia Nduta Njoroge from Kenya won the First Prize.

Champions of the Australian and South Korean divisions of the competition also took part in the final and made their acceptance speeches.

Under the theme of "" (Homeland), the event aimed to promote ideas that are valued in Chinese civilization, such as "The whole world is one family," "All people are my brothers and sisters, and all things are my companions," and "Harmony among all nations".

The event served as a platform for sharing the Chinese people's aspiration to promote harmonious coexistence between civilizations and build a beautiful world together with people of various countries of the world.

Many officials from the host and organizers of the competition attended the final of the event. Li Xikui, vice president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), delivered a speech at the final round. He emphasized the significance of mutual respect and learning between civilizations for the progress of mankind and the harmony and prosperity of the common homeland of humanity.

The competition was hosted by CPAFFC and co-organized by People's Daily Online, the Communist Party of China (CPC) Jincheng Municipal Committee, the People's Government of Jincheng Municipality, and Shanxi House of the Huangcheng Chancellor Group.

(Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun)
As artist Carlos Lara painted the Naperville Riverwalk Saturday from a perch looking down on it, a light rain fell.

But the drizzle didnt bother him, he said. For one thing, the oil-based paint he was using wouldnt be affected by the mist. For another, who wouldnt be enlivened by the DuPage Symphony Orchestra, whose rendition of Eleanor Rigby was being performed nearby, he said.

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The ambience, the landscaping of Naperville is amazing, so its inspiring to be here, said Lara, seated on a hill overlooking the DuPage River.

Saturday afternoons rain didnt stop people from attending the Naperville Riverwalk Fine Art Fair, which runs through Sunday. (Giles Bruce/Naperville Sun)

The Naperville resident was joined by dozens of fellow artists from across the country at the 38th annual Riverwalk Fine Art Fair, hosted by the Naperville Art League and funded in part by the city of Naperville. Organizers expected about 70,000 people to pass through the show Saturday and Sunday.

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This is one of the premier art fairs in Chicago, said Chris Hughes, a teacher with the Naperville Art League, noting that artists have to compete to get in. The quality of this art fair is really good. You can see the variety, be it traditional art to sculpture to modern and abstract art.

Beata Nowak, president of the Naperville Art League, said inclusivity was a focus of this years event, with a diverse group of artists and tributes to Mexican heritage tied in to the first day of the event being held on Mexican Independence Day.

Gloomy skies were offset by colorful art displays that filled the Naperville Riverwalk Fine Art Fair Saturday. Held by the Naperville Art League, the annual event continues Sunday. (Giles Bruce/Naperville Sun)

The overall vibe of the art was also different for 2023, Nowak said.

Its just such a unique feel, she said. A lot of the art feels more intuitive this year, and happy. You can feel the artists soul.

It seems like this year is more vibrant, full of color, she added, in contrast with the gray skies above her Saturday afternoon.

In a nearby booth, Bolingbrook artist Kwame Boama Mensa-Aborampa said his art is inspired by the bustling street markets he visited as a child in his native Ghana. HIs paintings are urban scenes, full of crowds and concrete, buzzing with human activity.

Bolingbrook painter Kwame Boama Mensa-Aborampa says his art, one piece of which is seen here at the Naperville Riverwalk Fine Art Fair, is inspired by the busy street markets he visited as a child in Ghana. (Giles Bruce/Naperville Sun)

He uses the pointillist technique, dabbing with tiny dots of acrylic paint to form something much greater. Its his second year at the Naperville art fair.

People here also appreciate my work, and they purchase it, he said. You always want to make sure that they like what you do.

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His mother and grandmother sparked his creativity by taking him to those busy markets in his youth, but do they like his work?

They love it, he said.

Giles Bruce is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
First lady Jill Biden visited Emory University Sept. 15 to learn about groundbreaking research focused on training the immune system to treat, prevent and cure cancers and other diseases. Biden toured the lab of Emory professor Philip Santangelo, whose team is working to develop new mRNA-based drugs to turn on or turn off genes in individual immune cells.

As a mom who watched my son die of cancer, the one thing I never gave up on was hope. As a mother, you cant, Biden said after the tour. This work gives families the power to hold on to that hope just a little bit longer. Because this work could change lives.

Last month, President Joe Biden announced that a new federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has selected Emory as the first recipient of new funding to support transformative biomedical and health breakthroughs. The three-year, $24.8 million cooperative agreement from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) supports the goals of the Biden Cancer Moonshot.

Over the past few years, COVID-19 vaccines developed using mRNA technology have saved millions of lives around the world, the president said in the announcement. Now, a skilled team at Emory University in Atlanta will work to adapt these technologies to turn more cancers into curable diseases. This is a bold endeavor that has the potential to transform the fight against cancer and other difficult diagnoses.

Tuning the immune system

Santangelo is a professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Emory and Georgia Institute of Technology, and a researcher at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.

During Fridays visit, the first lady and ARPA-H Director Renee Wegrzyn joined Emory President Gregory L. Fenves on a tour of Santangelos lab to learn more about his goal of developing new mRNA-based drugs to precisely turn on or turn off genes in immune cells.

With many chronic infections and diseases, including many forms of cancer, the immune system is suppressed or dysregulated  allowing cancer cells to multiply unchecked, for example, or, in the case of organ transplantation, attacking healthy cells that the body needs.

What we have zeroed in on is that one of the commonalities among many, many diseases that afflict Americans is immune dysregulation. That is important in cancer, autoimmune diseases and other diseases, Santangelo said during the tour. So we want to basically develop mRNA drugs that would allow us to tune the immune system.

This molecular toolbox could be used to manipulate how a patients immune system functions, prompting it to target and attack tumor cells, or to tolerate transplanted organs  without the severe side effects that are common with more traditional treatments like chemotherapy.

During the tour, Biden and Wegrzyn received a firsthand look at some of the initial steps in the discovery process.

Jose Assumpcao, a postdoctoral fellow in the Santangelo Lab, demonstrated a machine that uses a robotic arm to transfer mRNA candidates and mix them with immune cells for testing  basically how we discover new RNA molecules that are part of the bigger drug, but they themselves are not the drug, Santangelo explained.

Lab manager Loren Sasser then demonstrated a formulation device that mixes the candidate mRNAs with a drug carrier. After more processing, the end result would be a new treatment ready for testing.

Getting those into clinical trials, really being able to get that out to people, is something that is extremely challenging, Santangelo said during the tour. Having partners in government, in industry and across the landscape is going to be incredibly important. We cant do this alone, and thats why the Cancer Moonshot and the support from the administration is huge  because its the only way to fuel this kind of work.

Curing the uncurable

After the tour, Biden, Wegrzyn and Fenves spoke to the press about the potentially life-saving impact of Emorys work on the project, dubbed CUREIT  Curing the Uncurable via RNA-Encoded Immunogene Tuning.

We just came from touring the lab, and its incredible to see how pieces of this project come together, testing thousands of possibilities to find the one that could change our world, Biden said.

The Biden Cancer Moonshot, she noted, takes its inspiration from the United States efforts after the launch of the Sputnik satellite in 1957  to launch bold ideas with lightning speed, to give scientists and engineers the freedom to reach beyond the possible, to unravel the unknown.

"Just two weeks ago, ARPA-H made its first award to a research team right here at Emory. And as we just saw, they are finding ways to train our immune systems to fight cancer and other diseases. And that is the heart of the Biden Cancer Moonshot, she said.

Your work can change lives here in Georgia and around the world, Biden continued. Through the Cancer Moonshot, were putting American innovation to work for patients. And together, we will make it so the word cancer loses its power, so fewer families know the pain of losing a loved one to this disease. Its ambitious, yes, but its within our reach.

As director of ARPA-H, Wegrzyn said she is excited to celebrate the remarkable partnership between Emory and the new agency, which marks the beginning of a transformative journey towards advancing health care for all Americans.

The Emory team is bringing to life an ambitious vision to use mRNA to activate and directly tune the beneficial immune system to levels that are most effective, in a way that today's vaccines and current approaches simply cannot, Wegrzyn said. The RNA technology employed by CUREIT is a versatile platform that can revolutionize treatments for various conditions from lupus to transplant rejection, and even infectious diseases like long COVID.

Fenves thanked Biden and Wegrzyn for putting their trust in Emory and for working so hard to bring treatments, cures and research solutions to the American people with tremendous vision and speed.

Receiving the first grant from ARPA-H is both a huge honor and a reflection of the way Emory approaches its mission, he noted: At Emory, it isnt enough to simply accomplish something great, to reach a goal or earn recognition. We measure our success through lives changed and lives saved.

The new biomedical technologies being developed by Santangelos research team are nothing short of revolutionary. And with this funding from ARPA-H  and its mission to not only develop cutting-edge cures and treatments, but to speed up the process of making these breakthroughs available to the public, from the lab to the bedside  we are going to save lives here in Georgia and across the country, Fenves pledged.

The Santangelo Lab is collaborating with other researchers from Emory University and Winship Cancer Institute (John Lyons, Inaki Sanz, Christian Larsen and Rafi Ahmed), as well as researchers from Yale University (Richard Edelson), the University of Georgia (R. Jeff Hogan and Eric Lafontaine) and Transimmune AG (Justin Duckworth) on the CUREIT project.

Photos by Sarah Woods, Emory Photo/Video.
PNN New Delhi [India], September 16: During The Launch Of 'Kanakia Silicon Valley', Actor R Madhavan And Ex-ISRO Scientist Nambi Narayanan Together Salute The 'Rocket' Of Another Kind. Both Dignitaries Were Present During The Unveiling Ceremony Of 'Kanakia Silicon Valley', A Luxurious Township In Powai, Mumbai, Where A Rocket-Like Structure Has Been Specially Erected To Salute India's Recent Sojourn To Moon. In the spirit of India's glorious sojourn to the moon, Kanakia Developers have now come up with the monumental idea of paying rich tribute to the giant stride India has taken to the space which has not only made the world to sit and take notice of our great achievement but it has also made each and every Indian proud to the core! At the spacious residential complex of 'Kanakia Silicon Valley', a special Rocket-like structure has been erected as it is a great and gratifying symbol of upliftment and upward mobility in one's life. The huge residential township consisting of 1000 flats at 'Kanakia Silicon Valley' is being constructed in the posh suburbs which is conveniently located at Powai, Mumbai. The grand unveiling of 'Rocket: Landscape Amenities, Club Reboot and Cloud' was done on 9th September, 2023 with great fun-fare. The unveiling was done by none other than our own Rocket man R Madhavan who made the film 'Rocketary: The Nambi Effect' on ex-ISRO space scientist Nambi Narayanan. The writer, actor, director and producer of the film, R Madhavan was also bestowed upon with the National Award in the Best Film category for his monumental efforts to make this film. Interestingly, along with R Madhavan, the great aerospace scientist Nambi Narayanan himself was also present who looked very pleased to be invited for the unveiling ceremony. The specially erected Rocket-like structure reminded him of his glorious days as a scientist at ISRO. 'Kanakia Silicon Valley' is the newest address for those who desire to live a luxurious life in comfortable and spacious homes with all the modern amenities within the vicinity of the township. Situated at the posh suburb of Powai in Mumbai, 'Kanakia Silicon Valley' caught the eye of the buyers after seeing a Rocket-like structure built within the premises of the township. The Rocket in the township is a special tribute to India's space missions over the years and the country's recent sojourn to the moon through which India was able to scale new heights. Along with the township, the Rocket was also unveiled with much fun-fare. With all its glitter and glamour, effective and attractivelighting thrown in and the bursting of crackers it seemed as if one of the real Rockets is being sent to another space mission. What made the occasion extra special was that the Rocket was unveiled in the presence of Rocket Boys: R. Madhavan and ex-ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan who cheered for the Rocket of another kind. Talking as a chief guest during the unveiling of 'Kanakia Silicon Valley' R Madhavan said, "I am glad someone thought of paying tribute to the rich legacy of our space missions over the years and our recent stride to the moon through Chandrayaan-3, in a unique and innovative way. I am happy that I and Nambi Narayanan sir both have been chosen to inaugurate this prestigious project. The thoughtfully constructed Rocket-like structure in the premises symbolises the spirit of India which has reached a place over the moon where no one has ever attempted to land before." The construction at 'Kanakia Silicon Valley' is in full swing. Out of the total 1000 flats being constructed under the project, total 550 flats are now ready and other 450 flats would be ready in another few months. Situated at the premium location of Mumbai, the jaw dropping grandeur of 'Kanakia Silicon Valley' is to be seen to be believed! It consists of 40 world class amenities which include one of the biggest swimming pools, a grand club house, ultra modern home theatre, aqua gym, two cafes with soul smoothing ambiences, high end gymnasium spread across 4.5 acres of landscape in the vicinity of 8.5 acres of township. 'Kanakia Silicon Valley' is reminiscent of a futuristic township which stands for qualitative, luxurious and spacious living with all the modern amenities which anyone can ever imagine. The Kanakia's believe that specially built Rocket in the township will inspire people from present and future generations so that they dream big and do better than ever before in life. The idea behind such a unique structure is the manifestation of dreams that every person has about owning a home one day. During the unveiling ceremony Himanshu Kanakia, MD (Kanakia Group), Ashish Kanakia, CEO Cineline India Ltd., Vishal Doshi, Vice President - Sales and Marketing (Kanakia Group) were also present. MD Himanshu Kanakia said, "Erecting a permanent Rocket-like structure in the vicinity is our way to salute all the efforts of our space scientists who have been working hard to make India proud.Rocket is the symbol of vertical mobility and it has been created in such a way that every inch of the ambiences of the property could inspire and ignite millions of dreams together." Established in 1985, Kanakia Developers is known to build world class residential projects and homes which came from out of the box ideas. The promoters of Kanakia Developers not only believe in providing luxurious and comfortable living to the customers but they have always been imaginative while fulfilling the dreams of their esteemed home buyers. Be it 'Boomerang', 'Wall Street' or 'Paris', every residential project built till now by Kanakia's reflects their commitment to provide with luxurious lifestyle to the home buyers at affordable rates. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
NewsVoir New Delhi [India], September 16: Seeds Fincap Pvt. Ltd., an MSME focused financial institution with presence in six states through a network of 72 branches, has raised its Series A1 round funding from Lok Capital. The investment will be used as growth capital by the company to accelerate expansion in existing and new geographies in the upcoming fiscal year. Lok Capital has committed to invest INR 500 million in Series A, of which the first tranche of INR 320 million has been closed. Bolstering its capabilities and laying the foundation for transformative growth, this financial boost not only strengthens SEEDSs financial prowess but also stands as a resounding endorsement of the institution's unwavering dedication to promoting financial growth. Charting Ambitious Expansion Plans Seeds Fincap was founded by Subhash Acharya and Avishek Sarkar in 2021 with the objective of meeting the financial needs of small businesses with customised products with a clear focus on risk management and leveraging technology. With Assets Under Management (AUM) of INR 212 crore, Seeds Fincap has over 700 employees, and an impressive track record of facilitating over 40,000 disbursements totalling INR 340 crore. Seeds Fincap Pvt. Ltd.'s strategic expansion plan includes entering new geographies while simultaneously expanding its footprint in existing states. This investment from Lok Capital aligns with the company's vision to reach more underserved areas and offer financial inclusion opportunities to a broader audience. Subhash Chandra Acharya, MD and CEO of Seeds Fincap Pvt. Ltd., commented on this milestone, "With the support of Lok Capital, Seeds Fincap Pvt. Ltd. is gearing up for an exciting phase of growth and empowerment. We are thrilled to embark on this exciting phase of growth and expansion. The Series A funding is a testament to our dedication to empowering MSMEs and fostering economic development at the grassroots level Seeds Fincap Pvt. Ltd.'s accomplishment in securing Series A funding marks a pivotal juncture in its journey to redefine financial empowerment in India. Vishal Mehta, Founder and Partner at Lok Capitalnoted,We have been impressed by Seeds' systems driven approach, leveraging technology, hands-on operational management, and a strong focus on credit and risk. This aligns with our approach to investments in the financial services domain, and we look forward to working with the team as they expand into underserved geographies in north and central India. Lok Capital's investment in Seeds Fincap Pvt. Ltd. reaffirms their commitment to backing innovative financial services companies that are solving access to finance for key demographic segments in India. Empowering MSMEs Seeds Fincap has consistently set itself apart by addressing the financial needs of underserved Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). The institution customizes its financial services to seamlessly align with the unique requirements of small and medium-sized enterprises, a sector often grappling with limited access to suitable funding avenues. From Grassroots Initiatives to Flourishing Ventures A distinctive hallmark of Seeds Fincap Pvt. Ltd. is its unwavering commitment to empowering small and medium entrepreneurs while fostering tangible growth and development at the grassroots level. By cultivating an environment conducive to entrepreneurial success and the expansion of small businesses, the institution actively contributes to employment creation, particularly among local youth. A Catalyst for Economic Progress The impact of Seeds Fincap's initiatives extends far beyond individual enterprises. Its proactive approach translates into heightened economic activity, setting in motion a positive ripple effect that reverberates throughout the community. The institution's emphasis on supporting and nurturing small-scale enterprises naturally stimulates growth across various sectors. Seeds Fincap Pvt. Ltd. is a dynamic financial institution with a robust presence in six states, operating through 72 branches. The company's mission is to provide exceptional financial solutions and opportunities to underserved Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), contributing to economic growth and employment generation at the grassroots level. With a focus on promoting the local economy and fostering entrepreneurship, Seeds Fincap is committed to making a positive impact on the communities it serves. Lok Capital was founded in 2004 and has managed four funds so far with 40+ investments and 30+ exits made. Lok Capital IV invests in financial services, fintech, agritech, healthtech and climate tech seeds Fincap marks Lok Capital IVs fourth investment following MoneyView (consumer finance fintech), Aquaconnect (aquaculture platform) and SuperBottoms (reusable diaper brand). Lok has offices in Chennai, Bangalore and Gurgaon. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 16 (ANI) Actor Jr NTR won Best Actor award at South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) for his powerful performance in 'RRR'. The award ceremony took place in Dubai on Friday night. While receiving the trophy, Jr NTR expressed gratitude to his fans and whole 'RRR' team. He said, "I would love to thank my co-star, my brother, my friend Charan for standing beside me as a pillar of support for RRR. Last but not least I would love to thank all my fans. I bow down to my fans who have always been with me through my ups and downs. You have been my pillar of support at all times. You people shed a tear along with me whenever I was in pain and smiled in unison with me when I am happy. 'RRR' is a fictional story based on the lives of two Telugu freedom fighters, Alluri Seetharama Raju and Komaram Bheem. Ram Charan and Jr NTR played lead roles, respectively. The film collected over Rs 1,200 crore worldwide. Alia Bhatt, Ajay Devgn and Shriya Saran also starred in the film directed by SS Rajamouli. In the coming months, Jr NTR will be seen headlining Telugu drama 'Devara', which will also feature Saif Ali Khan and Janhvi Kapoor. (ANI)
On Saturday, Kher took to Instagram and announced the wrap of his film.

"And it is #Wrap for me for #CalorieFilm! Thank you the wonderful crew from #Canada and #India for your love, warmth, patience and appreciation! It has been a great learning experience to be a part of this wonderful gem of a film! Till we meet again! Jai Ho! #540th #JoyOfMovies #Cinema," he wrote.

Kher also dropped a picture of him offering prayers at the Golden Temple in turban look.

'Calorie' is Kher's 540th project.

Last week, he shared the details of the film, saying its script "tugged" at his heart deeply.

"ANNOUNCEMENT: Happy to share that I have started the shoot of my 540th project! #Calorie is an Canadian film directed by critically acclaimed Canadian director #EishaMarjara and produced by #JoeBalass. The film is shot in Amritsar and Montreal! The script of this human tragedy tugged at my heart deeply. Some stories need to be told! #Caloriefilm #MagicOfCinema #CompassProductions," he posted.

The film is directed by Canadian director Eisha Marjara.

In the coming months, he will also be seen in The Vaccine war, Telugu drama, 'Tiger Nageswara Rao' and 'Emergency' among others. (ANI)
The NIA Special Court, Lucknow on Thursday sentenced to death two persons for the murder of retired School Principal Ramesh Babu Shukla, in furtherance of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) conspiracy. They have been sentenced to death under three separate charges, while concurrently being awarded life sentences and simple imprisonment under various other criminal offences. The duo had even earlier been sentenced to death in another case (ISIS Kanpur case) of the NIA."Atif Muzaffar and Md Faisal Khan, both residents of Kanpur Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, have been awarded the death penalty and also fined Rs 5 lakh under section 302 read with section 34 of IPC. They have been also sentenced to death, along with a Rs 50,000 fine, under section 120B of IPC, besides being awarded the death penalty with a fine of Rs 5 lakh under section 16(1)(a) of UA(P) Act," read NIA press release. The court further convicted them under section 18 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and pronounced life imprisonment with Rs 1 lakh in fine on the said charge. In addition, they have been sentenced to three years simple imprisonment with a fine of Rs 10,000 under sections 3, 25 & 27 of the Arms Act."The NIA Court on September 4, 2023, found the accused guilty of killing the retired school principal of Swami Atmaprakash Brahmachari Junior High School in Kanpur. Shukla was killed by the duo on October 24, 2016, near Pyondi village in Kanpur. One of the accused in the instant case, Mohammad Saifulla, had died in an exchange of fire with the Anti-Terrorist Squad, UP, on the night of March 7, 2017," read the release.On July 12, 2018, the NIA had filed a Chargesheet against the two accused. The chargesheet revealed that they were deeply radicalised by the ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a proscribed terrorist organisation, and wanted to eliminate all those whom they believed to be disbelievers. The two men had conspired to further the ideology of ISIS by carrying out terrorist acts in India and had planned to target non-Muslims. In furtherance of their criminal conspiracy, they murdered Ramesh Babu Shukla, with the intention of striking terror among the masses. The case was initially registered as case No 884/2016 dated October 24, 2016, at PS Chakeri, Kanpur Nagar, UP, and re-registered by the NIA on November 18, 2017.Atif Muzaffar and Md Faisal Khan were earlier sentenced to death and imposed a fine of Rs 1000 in an ISIS case, in Kanpur, UP (RC-03/2017/NIA-LKW). The case was initially registered as FIR No 03/2017 dated 8th March 2017 at PS ATS, Lucknow and re-registered by NIA on March 14, 2017. Investigations in the case had established that the accused were members of ISIS and had sworn bayat (allegiance) to the Islamic State and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Atif Muzaffar was the groups Amir (leader) and was influenced by the propaganda of Dr Zakir Naik. He was found to be accessing IS-related websites frequently, from where he was downloading content and videos and sharing the same with the others in his group. "The accused persons were involved in the propagation of ISIS ideology and promotion of its activities in India. NIA investigations revealed that the accused had prepared and tested some IEDs and had unsuccessfully tried to plant them at various locations in UP," stated the press release. A notebook seized from their Haji Colony (Lucknow) hideout was found to contain handwritten notes about potential targets and details about bomb-making. Investigations had also led to the discovery of several photographs of the accused making IEDs and even with weapons, ammunition and ISIS flag. The group had reportedly collected illegal weapons and explosives from various places. (ANI)
Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday praised Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Hema Malini's coffee table book 'Chal Mann Vrindavan' and said that the book beautifully highlights the history, culture and religion associated with the historical city of Vrindavan. "Chal Mann Vrindavan beautifully highlights the history, culture and religion associated with the historical city of Vrindavan. Actor and BJP MP Hema Malini has greatly contributed to this book. She has highlighted many features (of Vrindavan) history, culture and religion," said Anurag Thakur at the book launch event in Mumbai. Meanwhile, speaking on 'Chal Man Vrindavan's book, Hema Malini who is MP from Uttar Pradeshs Mathura said that the book has the complete detail of the Brij area and it was a blessing for her to write it. "It will tell about Vrindavan and complete details about the entire Brij area...This was a blessing for me," said BJP MP. Last month at the book launch event in Delhi, Malini said, "Chal Man Vrindavan is written in two languages, Hindi and English. It will tell about Vrindavan and complete details about the entire Brij area, Govardhan, Nandgaon, Barsana, Mathura and all the surrounding the '84 kos'. How Holi is played there, how the raas leela is organised. This book will make the reader feel like he has reached Vrindavan... I thank Ashok Bansal and his entire team for making this book and making me a part of it." The book is authored and edited by Ashok Bansal and published by Harivansh Chaturvedi, president, of Bimtech Foundation. (ANI)
Ahmedabad Crime Branch on Thursday busted an interstate criminal racket involved in the theft of more than 500 luxury cars from the Delhi NCR (National Capital Region) and neighbouring areas after altering the cars electronic security systems and arrested two key members of the gang, said police on Friday. Police have recovered 10 of the stolen vehicles which include cars like Fortuner, Innova, Scorpio and Creta from their possession and 1.32 crore in cash, added police. According to the police, the arrested accused have been identified as Ashraf Sultan, commonly known as Gaji, hailing from Meerut in the state of Uttar Pradesh, and Irfan, alias Pintu, a resident of Jharkhands Ranchi. Chaitanya Mandlik, DCP Crime Branch said, During the interrogation, police got to know that the apprehended suspects collaborated with around 25 other gang members from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, and West Bengal to carry out their extensive car theft. This interstate gang had stolen over 500 cars by bypassing the advanced security system of cars nowadays. Further detailing about the modus operandi of the gang DCP said that the gang used laptops for breaking down anti-theft systems in the cars. Subsequently, they would alter the engine chassis numbers of the stolen cars to match those of other vehicles registered in northeastern states. After securing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the Regional Transport Office (RTO) in the seven sister states, they proceeded to finalise the sale. To facilitate the transaction, customers would make advance online payments for booking the stolen vehicles. These stolen four-wheelers were sold in states other than the ones they were stolen from. (ANI)
Portage's newest probationary firefighter, Michael Bim-Merle, takes the oath of office administered by Mayor Sue Lynch at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2023. Bim-Merle won't be the newest member of the department for long; there are five others who will be sworn in soon, Fire Chief Randy Wilkening said. (Doug Ross/Post-Tribune)

Area fire departments have broken from traditional recruitment strategies to attract more job applications.

We used to get 120, 130, 140 applications, Hammond Fire Chief Jeffery Smith said. In August, the department accepted applications but got just 40 people interested enough to apply for three openings by the end of the year. Next year, he anticipates eight additional openings as firefighters retire.

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Bob Schulte, Valparaiso Fire Departments division chief for planning, hired on 20 years ago. He was competing against 100 other job applicants. Now the department gets a fraction of that number.

Police and fire jobs just arent attractive to younger crowds as they used to be, Smith said.

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Valparaiso, Portage and Chesterton are among departments that have lowered the minimum age to 18.

Portage Fire Chief Randy Wilkening said thats just one of the changes his department has made in a new era of recruitment.

9/11 opened up some eyes, he said, as Americans saw 343 New York City firefighters die because of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. That discouraged applicants from seeking such a dangerous job, he said.

Schulte saw it differently. There was a surge of patriotism after 9/11, he said.

They both agree with Smith, however, that in the past five years or so there has been a decline in the number of applicants.

Service jobs that go outside into weather, that require a lot of labor, people dont want those jobs anymore, Wilkening said.

COVID-19, which took a toll on firefighters and paramedics responding to medical emergencies, also had an effect, he said.

I guess its just not as desired a job as it used to be, Smith said. People can work from home now and make good money, he added.

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Hammond is participating in a statewide survey on first responder pay, Smith said, to see how departments compare with each other and with similar careers.

Compared to other medical professionals, paramedics are woefully underpaid, Wilkening said.

Weve got great benefits, so its not that, Smith said. Our pension is pretty good here in Hammond.

One thing potential firefighters need to know is that they participate in a state police and fire pension program but not Social Security. Smith will get some Social Security income upon retirement from side jobs he held, but thats a bare minimum. A friend who worked at one of the mills has paid into Social Security all his working life. Hes making 70% more in Social Security than Im going to make, Smith said.

Valparaiso has a young department, with nearly half of its 75 firefighters hired within the last four years  four in 2020, nine in 2021, six in 2022 and nine so far this year. The majority of it was people retiring. A couple of people left for other careers, Schulte said.

Schulte and a colleague from Portage are instructors of a vocational fire and rescue program taught at the Multi Agency Academic Cooperative in Valparaiso. The program was launched four years ago under the auspices of the Porter County Career and Technical Education Center.

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Weve hired four people right out of that program, Schulte said.

Celina Weatherwax, president of the Multi Agency Academic Cooperative Foundation, said she identified the training for high school students as a good fit for the MAAC. I saw that there was an opportunity to use the campus more during the day, she said.

It also has been a boon to area fire departments. Since its inception, the program has graduated 83 certified firefighters, more than half serving in volunteer fire departments, career departments and the armed forces, she said.

Overall, its been incredibly successful, Weatherwax said. One of the MAACs greatest success is the high school fire and rescue program, she said.

When the students start, the retention rate is really high. Some of the students who leave the program do so because their parents move or for similar reasons.

Students not only grow as individuals but also learn to work with others as they learn firefighting skills, she said.

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Many go on to take EMT classes at the MAAC sponsored by Northwest Health, Weatherwax said.

Once job applicants fill out the written application, they undergo a series of tests that whittle down the list.

Portage has simplified its testing requirements. Written tests are now valid for two years and can be scheduled anytime. Swim and ladder climb tests are now valid for a year. Previously, they had to be repeated for every hiring process.

Portage and Valparaiso have separate websites for interested job applicants  BePortageFire.org and JoinValpoFire.org. Its a clearinghouse for hiring, Schulte explained.

Weve also been progressive in that we now use online testing, Schulte said. A written test costs $55, but the department offers applicants a code for a $30 discount. Tests can be done at the applicants convenience rather than all at the same time.

The first round of interviews is done virtually. Those who make the cut are invited to do an in-person interview.

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The whole process is easy, Schulte said. You could do the majority of it, other than your in-person interviews, from your couch.

We also have our process open all year round, he said.

Weve been fortunate that weve had a steady influx of qualified candidates, Schulte said, despite the decline in total applicants.

I dont know that everybody has the call to service. It takes a servants heart, he said. We can teach you to be a good firefighter, and we can teach you to be a good paramedic, but we cant teach you to be a good person.

Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday alleged that Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi had granted permission to some of their people to destroy the Constitution of the country. "Some people are not happy with the development of the country...They want to destroy the Constitution...Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi have given permission to these people to do so...Constitution nowhere states that one has the right to humiliate any religion," Union Minister Anurag Thakur said. Thakur on Thursday said that the Congress party is ashamed of Sanatana Dharma and that they want to end Sanatana Dharma. In his address to the public in Bhilwara's Shahpura Thakur said, "Congress is ashamed of Sanatana Dharma, they want to end Sanatana Dharma, they want to insult Hindus and they want to crush the Constitution." He further added, "Every day Congress and leaders of their supporting parties say that they will end Sanatana Dharma. They have now also started boycotting journalists and have started filing complaints. Whether it is in Chennai or Bengal, they are filing complaints out of fear." Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president JP Nadda on Friday hit out at opposition bloc INDIA and alleged that the agenda of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi is to "abuse and disrespect" Sanatan Dharma. While addressing the public at the flag-off ceremony of the Parivartan yatra BJP president said that both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have formulated an agenda to abuse and disrespect Sanatan Dharma. "Nowadays, there have been many talks on Sanatana Dharma. On 1st September this INDI alliance held a meeting in Mumbai. On 3rd September their strong ally DMK's Chief's son Udhayanidhi Stalin insulted Sanatan Dharma. The next day on September 4, Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank Kharge who is also Minister in the Karnataka government disrespects Sanatan Dharma," Nadda said." Till now Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have been silent on this. I allege that both mother and son have formulated the agenda to abuse and disrespect Sanatan Dharma in the Mumbai meeting which is handed over to DMK and other parties. This is the agenda of Mata Sonia and Beta Rahul," he added. (ANI)
Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Amit Shah will address a public rally in Jhanjharpur on Saturday under the Lok Sabha Pravas programme of the party ahead of the general election next year. Shah will visit Bihar today and is set to address the gathering in Karpuri Gram Stadium of Jhanjharpur. Speaking to ANI, Union Minister of State Home Nityanand Rai said that the union minister is coming to convey the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Home Minister Amit Shah is coming to Bihar with the message of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and under the Lok Sabha Pravas program, the Home Minister is going to address huge public meeting in Jhanjharpur. The public meeting will be amazing and unique because when I was holding meeting with people of Madhubani district for preparation of this program then I felt that the people have enthusiasm to attend the meeting of Home Minister, Rai said. He further said that whenever Shah comes to Bihar, he talks about the development of the state. He talks about the welfare of the poor and about the welfare schemes being run by the Centre, Rai added. Hitting out at the Mahagathbandhan government in the state, MoS Rai said, RJD - JDU people have done nothing for development of Bihar. They do not believe in developmental politics but they only do appeasement politics and talk about parivarvad so how will they understand the Home Minister's words. Home Minister Shah always worries about how to development Bihar. However, a senior RJD leader, while talking to ANI, on the condition of anonymity said that the government has no problem with Shah visiting the state. We have no objection how many times Union Home Minister is coming to Bihar but definitely, we want that whenever he comes to Bihar then he should speak about development of Bihar and also speak on special status to Bihar, not jumlas, he added. Rashtriya Lok Janta Dal (RLJD) National General Secretary Madhaw Anand said that the people of the state will be benefitted with Shahs visit. Home Minister Amit Shah ji is the second most popular leader of the country after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Home Ministers Bihar visit will definitely prove beneficial for the people of state because he is aware of the bad condition of Bihar be it- its development or law and order, he said. He further said that people of the state is waiting for the arrival of the union minister in Jhanjharpur. Top BJP Leaders of Bihar including State President Samrat Choudhary, Bihar BJP Incharge Vinod Tawade, MoS Home Nityanand Rai, Former BJP state President Sanjay Jaiswal already reached Madhubani for Shah's public meeting in Jhanjharpur. Both BJP and the JD(U) had contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in alliance winning 17 and 16 seats respectively with united LJP (Lok Janshakti Party) winning six out of the 40 Lok Sabha seats from Bihar. During his visit, Shah will inaugurate the Integrated Check Post (ICP) on Indo-Nepal Border at Jogbani and SSB battalion headquarters in Bathnaha virtually. In August 2022, Nitish Kumar quit NDA in Bihar and joined hands with the grand alliance (Mahagathabandhan) and currently, he is playing an instrumental role in uniting opposition against the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. This will be Shah's sixth visit to the state in one year since his party was ousted from power in the state in August 2022. Last year, Amit Shah visited Purnia which is considered to be the capital of the Seemanchal region. Later, in October, he visited Sitab Diara, the birthplace of socialist veteran Jai Prakash Narayan. In February this year, he visited Valmakinagar and Patna and addressed Kisan Samagam organized on the occasion of the birth anniversary of peasant leader Sahajanand Saraswati in Patna, in a bid to woo the Bhumihar community that he came from. On April 2, 2023, Shah visited the state fourth time and addressed a public meeting in Nawada and cancelled the program of Rohtas (Sasaram) in view of violence in the area. Last time Union Home Minister Shah arrived in Bihar on June 29, and addressed a mega-rally at Lakhisarai in Munger Lok Sabha constituency which is the home turf of JDU President and Lok Sabha MP Lalan Singh.(ANI)
The case was filed at Pune District and Sessions court on Friday.

Tushar Gandhi also filed a complaint against the Pune police for not allegedly taking action on his complaint.

"But till now police did not take any action on our complaint, Therefore we have filed a criminal case against Bhide and Pune police," Tushar said

After filling the criminal case through his lawyer, Tushar Gandhi said, "It's unfortunate for the nation that the police were not performing their duties due to political pressure".

Filed a private citizens criminal suit against Manohar AKA Sambhaji Bhide for defaming Bapu and slandering his parents, and also against Pune Police for not acting on a complaint I submitted a month back, Tushar posted on microblogging site X.

The complaint was filed at Deccan Gymkhana police station when Tushar Gandhi along with his advocate and some other Gandhians visited the police station last month.

They had given the written complaint against Sambhaji Bhide and sought registration of an FIR against him under sections 153 A, 499 and 505 of the Indian Penal Code

Bhide while addressing a gathering in the last week of July in Amarvati district had allegedly made objectionable remarks against Mahatma Gandhi and his lineage following which police filed First Information Reports against Bhide in Amravati and Nashik District of Maharashtra.

However, Tushar Gandhi demanded that a case be filed at Deccan Gymkhana Police station in Pune city against Sambhaji Bhide. (ANI)
PM Modi's birthday falls on September 17.

On behalf of Akshar River Cruise's owner, Manish Sharma and his team, a special meal was organised at the restaurant for the children of Signal School, which is run by the Ahemdabad Municipal Corporation for specially-abled children.

"The River Cruise restaurant was the dream project of PM Modi. This is the only River Cruise restaurant in the country", said owner Manish Sharma while speaking to ANI.

"Today, we celebrated the PM's birthday along with specially-abled and poor children at the restaurant", added Sharma.

Meanwhile, the mayor of the Municipal Corporation, Pratibha Jain, was also present at the occasion.

'Akshar River Cruise is a floating restaurant and has been a joint venture of Akshar Travels, Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC), and Sabarmati Riverfront Development Corporation.

A 162-capacity cruise takes the passengers on a one-and-a-half-hour journey with a meal.

The floating restaurant has a sprinkler facility against fire, a lifeboat, life jackets, and other facilities for safety.

Union Home Minister, Amit Shah virtually inaugurated the project in July this year.

Meanwhile, the Centre has decided to run several healthcare programmes during 'Seva Pakhwada', starting September 17, coinciding with the 73rd birth anniversary of Prime Minister Modi, till Gandhi Jayanti on October 2.

The programmes will be launched under the 'Ayushman Bhava' campaign of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), which was launched by President Droupadi Murmu on September 13 virtually.

'Ayushman Bhava' is an umbrella campaign comprising three major components Ayushman Apke Dwar 3.0, Ayushman Mela, and Ayushman Sabha to be launched during the 15-day period, starting September 17.

In addition, PM Vishwakarma Yojana will be launched tomorrow, on the occasion of Vishwakarma Pooja and the Prime Minister's birthday.

The main objective behind launching PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman Yojana is to support artists, craftsmen and small business owners financially and help them grow their businesses by providing them capital support.

The government of India has reserved a budget of Rs 13,000 crore for the implementation of PM Vishwakarma Yojana. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise is the nodal ministry of PM Vishwakarma Yojana.

Earlier PM Vishwakarma Yojana was announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman during her 2023-2024 budget speech. The full name of PM Vishwakarma Yojana is PM Vishwakarma Kaushal Samman Yojana. It is also known by other name i.e. "PM VIKAS Yojana" or "PM Vishwakarma Scheme".

On August 16, 2023, the Union Cabinet gave its nod to implement PM Vishwakarma Yojana in the whole of India. (ANI)
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday reiterated his ambition to achieve a USD 1 trillion state economy with the country aiming to achieve a USD 5 trillion economy. Whileinaugurating various development programs at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said, "Our country has become the fifth-largest economy in the world. It is the goal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to achieve a USD 5 trillion economy and it is our (Maharashtra's) goal to achieve a USD 1 trillion economy." Indian economy is currently ranked fifth and is behind the US, China, Japan, and Germany. In 2014 when Narendra Modi was sworn in as the Prime Minister, India was the 10th largest economy. In 2022, India became the fifth-largest economy overtaking the UK. Shinde also hailed the success of the G20 summit headed by India and the soft landing of the Chandrayaan 3 mission on the South Pole. "The whole world came for G20 and the miracle to bring all these people to India was done by PM Modi. India is the first country to do a soft landing on the south pole of the Moon. This was done by our scientists and PM Modi gave inspiration for it," CM Shinde said. India recently successfully hosted the G20 summit in the national capital, hosting over 40 global leaders and their delegations. At the Leaders Summit, the New Delhi Declaration was adopted unanimously with full consensus. A major standout of the declaration was bringing all global powers on the same page and forging consensus on an issue as divisive as the Russia-Ukraine war. A major and historic takeaway of Indias presidency of the G20 Summit has been the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the Group of 20 (G20). (ANI)
Expressing hope that Bharatiya Janata Party will again come to powein 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said that the parivartan Yatra will be a major change in the state. He said that BJP will ensure human development as the party had done during its previous regime, "Under the leadership of PM Modi, the country is witnessing a major transformation," said Goa CM who came to Chhattisgarh to participate in Parivartan Yatra. He also highlighted the several schemes of the Modi-led government including SwachhBharat Yojana, PM Nal Jal Yojana, Mudra Yojana and other schemes. "The schemes being run by the government at centre has impacted in Chhattisgarh in terms of implementation," he added. "Government of India is ready to pay all the production of rice while the state government is misleading the public/farmers here," he said, adding that the government is bearing the expenditure of farming. He also pointed the central government's Ayushman Bharat Yojana. "By intensifying the districts as aspirational district, the government of India is ensuring all the facilities". Highlighting the benefits of national educational policies, he said that the students in tribal dominated areas face problem due to english language therefore the studies will be carried out in regional language. "The government has opened IIMs and IITs," he said. Slamming the Congress-ruled state in Chhattsagrh, Goa CM said that due to the negligence of the state government, people did not got the benefit of PM Awas yojana. He dubbed the state government as "advertising government" and "spending money in advertisements". "Congress should release its report card on the promises they made in their poll manifesto", said Goa CM, adding that the government failed to fulfill 10 per cent of their promises. "The government failed to fulfill its promise of liquor ban". Accusing the state government of being indulged in coal and liquor scam, he exhorted people to "support BJP for uprooting the state government". He also attacked the state government over the issue of law and order. "By changing the name of alliance, their intention cannot be changed. The partner of INDI alliance, DMK in Tamil Nadu, are attacking 'Sanatan Dharma', and they (opposition parties) are standing with them," said the Goa CM. "The developments that took place in Goa under threleadership of double engine government is remarkable and everyone can see that,"he said. Sawant also alleged that the state government has not implemented single scheme properly. Taking a dig at the state of healthcare in the state, Goa CM alleged, "39,000 children died in Chhattisgarh due to lack of treatment." (ANI)
The Delhi Police on Saturday argued that accused BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh was never exonerated by the oversight committee. Delhi Police said this during arguments on the charge in the women wrestlers sexual harassment case against Singh. Delhi Police also argued that a mere gesture is enough to constitute an offence under section 354 IPC. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) Harjeet Singh Jaspal after hearing the part arguments of Delhi police adjourned the matter till September 23. Special public prosecutor (SPP) Atul Srivastava for Delhi police argued that the accused was never exonerated of the allegations by the oversight committee. The committee never said that the allegations were false or unsubstantiated. SPP also argued that the committee gave recommendations only for future purposes. It was not an adjudication. The adjudication and Prosecution Proceedings are different in nature. It is not like that even if an accused is exonerated, he cannot be prosecuted. "Was the oversight committee a committee under the Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment Act, 2013 (POSH), the court asked? The SPP replied in the negative. He also read the oversight committee in the court and said that the tasks given to the committee were different and were not mirror images. The issue itself was different. They have made some recommendations; these are not outcomes, these are recommendations for future purposes, the SPP submitted. "Nowhere have they stated that these allegations are not substantiated or are false," the SPP said. Delhi Police also argued on the point of offence under section 354 IPC. The SPP said that if there is a reaction on the other side of my action, then there is a use of force. "It is for me to have the knowledge that whatever I do may outrage the modesty. The accused must follow self-restraint, " the SPP submitted. "Mere gesture is also enough to constitute an offence under section 354 IPC, he added. The SPP submitted that if he has put up questions like 'Do you have a boyfriend' or has asked to have sexual relations, this constitutes 354A read with 354 IPC. On the last date of the hearing on September 1, Senior advocate Rebecca John argued that the oversight committee was an eyewash to assuage the sentiments. Its report needs to be junked as there was no clear finding, and it was not constituted according to the rule of the POSH Act, the senior counsel had argued. She had further argued that the court has territorial jurisdiction to try this case as some of the offences are committed in Delhi, the counsel argued. The counsel also argued that there is no need to take sanction under sanction 188 for prosecution as some of the offences committed are within India. The charges need to be framed against the accused persons as there were multiple acts by the accused, there was a pattern and there is one individual who committed the offence. However, the counsel for complainants had submitted that the incident mentioned by one of the complainants is from 2012 and prior to the amendment to the offence of sexual harassment. But she is still a relevant witness in this case. She may be treated as a witness now, the senior counsel argued. (ANI)
Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma has heavily come down on INDIA bloc and said that an atmosphere of anti-Sanatana Dharma has been created across India after formation of INDIA. Sarma made the remark while addressing a program in Madhya Pradeshs Katni district on Saturday. Today, when our Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to bring in a new enthusiasm and we are also seeing its result as well. At the same time, Congress has formed a new alliance and kept its name as something like INDI and even I dont remember its name properly. They started saying we have become INDIA so we will win the election. If I take Mahatma Gandhi's name, will I become Mahatma Gandhi, CM Sarma said. After this alliance was formed, an atmosphere of anti-Sanatana Dharma was created across the nation. One of the parties of this alliance which is in power in Tamil Nadu, DMK whose minister (referring to Udaynidhi Stalin) calls Sanatan Dharma Malaria, he added. The development that is happening in the whole Bharat today is the blessing of the Hindu people and it is the Hindus who have given this beauty to our nation. On this Hindu and the Sanatan Dharma, Rahul Gandhis friends are saying that the Hindu and Sanatan Dharma is malaria, he added. I want to tell Rahul Gandhi, if you are not with DMK then remove them from your alliance. Congress says that this is their (DMK) freedom of speech. I want to ask Rahul Gandhi that if someone said this to a Muslim, did you used to say the same thing? If even a single Congress leader spoke against a Muslim, you used to throw him out of the party, but if a leader spoke against a Hindu, you did not say anything, Assam CM said. Meanwhile BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad also slammed the INDIA bloc and said that all the mischief was done with Sanatana Dharma and it would not be tolerated at all. The way the INDI Alliance is insulting Sanatana Dharma, Lord Ram, but Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and former CM Kamal Nath are silent. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is incredible, there is nothing to say about him. Somewhere called Sanatan Dharma Dengue, somewhere aids and one of the ministers in Bihar was saying Sanatan Dharma is like Potassium Cyanide, Prasad told ANI Do they (INDI alliance) have the courage to use such language against any other religion... All the mischief is done with Sanatana Dharma. We will not tolerate this, the nation will also not tolerate this, he added. (ANI)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has given his approval for the establishment of 23 new Sainik Schools in partnership mode. This decision follows the government's commitment to set up 100 new Sainik Schools in collaboration with NGOs, Private Schools, and State Governments, commencing from Class 6 onwards, read the Ministry of Defence press release. The Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) for this ambitious initiative has already been inked by the Sainik Schools Society with 19 New Sainik Schools, distributed across the nation. With this latest approval, the total number of new Sainik Schools operating under the partnership mode and under the aegis of the Sainik Schools Society has now reached 42. This expansion is in addition to the existing 33 Sainik Schools following the erstwhile pattern, read the press release. The primary objectives behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of establishing 100 new Sainik Schools are to provide high-quality education in alignment with the National Education Policy. It aims to equip students with better career opportunities, including the option to join the Armed Forces. Additionally, it offers a unique opportunity for the private sector to collaborate with the government in the noble task of nation-building by nurturing today's youth into responsible citizens of tomorrow, read the release. The new Sainik Schools, while affiliated with respective education boards, will operate under the supervision of the Sainik Schools Society, adhering to the Rules and Regulations established for new Sainik schools in partnership mode. These institutions will not only follow the regular affiliated board curriculum but will also provide education based on the Academic PLUS curriculum in line with the Sainik school pattern, read the release. For a comprehensive list of the 23 approved new Sainik Schools categorized by State/UT, interested parties can refer to the official web portal at https://sainikschool.ncog.gov.in/. This initiative aims to empower students, providing them with a platform for excellence and contributing to the nation's overall growth and development. (ANI)
This undertaking aims to revitalize decoaled land, overburden dumps, and non-coal bearing areas through large-scale plantation efforts, read the Ministry of Coal press release.

The latest assessment reveals that during this financial year, coal companies have successfully completed plantation on a vast expanse of 2338 hectares of land, cultivating over 43 lakh saplings.

Over the past five years, an impressive total of 10,000 hectares of land have been brought under plantation, with over 2.24 crore saplings contributing to this remarkable endeavor.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has praised the unwavering dedication of coal companies in their efforts to reclaim decoaled land through the creation of "Eco-Parks", read the press release.

This commendation came during the inauguration of the Chhattisgarh East Rail Corridor, a dedicated environmentally sustainable coal evacuation route.

As part of their mission-mode efforts, coal companies are actively engaged in the bio-reclamation of available land. The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has supported such plantation initiatives, recognizing them as "compensatory afforestation", read the release.

Consequently, all coal companies have submitted proposals to their respective State Forest Departments for the notification of approximately 2800 hectares of decoaled afforested land as "Accredited Compensatory Afforestation Areas" (ACA), read the release.

This ACA designation will count towards fulfilling future requirements for the diversion of coal-bearing forest land for upcoming coal mining activities, read the release.

To promote and manage bio-reclamation and plantation efforts, all coal subsidiaries have established dedicated cells.

The Coal Ministry has prioritized environmentally sustainable measures, ensuring a just transition in coal-producing areas and underlining the government's commitment to both environmental conservation and responsible coal production.

This initiative represents a significant stride towards achieving the nation's sustainable development goals. (ANI)
Elon Musk departs following a meeting in the office of US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on Sept. 13, 2023. (Stefani Reynolds/AFP/Stefani Reynolds/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS)

Last week, excerpts from a new Elon Musk biography revealed that Musk thought providing Ukraine with Starlink communication satellites gave him the power to dictate military strategies. Last September, we have learned, Musk refused to activate the satellites over Sevastopol, Crimea, just prior to a crucial planned attack against the Russian navy.

Despite his lack of military training or experience, and ignoring pleas from Ukrainian generals, Musk declared that Ukraines planned mission and strategy was going too far and inviting strategic defeat. Confident in his own rectitude, Musk unilaterally thwarted Ukraines mission, allowing Russias fleet to then fire Kalibr missiles at Ukrainian cities.

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Musk has also argued on social media, where he has 150 million fawning fanboys hanging on his every word, that Kyiv should give up territory Moscow seized in 2014 and drop any bid to join NATO, well-honed strategies of that military alliance be damned, leading a top advisor to Zelensky to lament Musks cocktail of ignorance and big ego.

Musks God complex is infecting his brain

Training the same caliber of ignorance and arrogance onto Twitter, his newest toy, Musk frequently brags that he has freed the bird, meaning, cut online content moderation. In so doing, Musk has handed dangerous antisemites, white nationalists and fascists a megaphone. Instead of accepting the predictable market reaction, Musk is now blaming the Anti-Defamation League  not the hate speech hes protecting  for losing approximately half of his advertising revenue.

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Over the past week, X/Twitter was awash in an explosion of vile antisemitic tropes as #BanTheADL trended among white nationalists and their abettors. Musk fed the controversy by blaming the Anti-Defamation League for loss of advertising revenue, suggesting the organization had scared advertisers away from the platform.

Musk also tweeted that X had no choice but to sue the ADL, to clear our platforms name on the matter of anti-Semitism, after he amplified an antisemitic call to ban the ADL from X entirely. Talk about blaming the victim.

Free market forces, not censorship or the ADL, cost X advertisers

Post-Tribune Twice-weekly News updates from Northwest Indiana delivered every Monday and Wednesday By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >

Musk styles himself grandly but naively as a free speech absolutist, despite the fact that free speech protections have never applied to privately-run platforms like Twitter. The First Amendment prohibits the government from abridging free expression, not private purveyors of media content like X who must sell ads to stay afloat.

If private platforms fail to police hate speech, or worse, cause it to increase dramatically, as Musk has done, they will struggle to monetize their platforms through advertisements. No company selling coffee, shoes, or dating services wants to be associated with online hatred  its bad for brand image.

It doesnt take an economist to understand that whenever free speech and free markets collide, whoever is paying the rent will dictate the terms of coexistence. If advertisers wont pay to have their brand appear on the same platform parading antisemitism, white supremacy, or Christian Nationalism, thats not censorship. Its the free market.

A free marketplace of ideas will drown in hate if not moderated

Musks delusions of free speech absolutism led him to terminate key employees engaged in content safety, allowing online hatred to flourish, predictably setting the company up to lose advertisers. That he is now attempting to blame the ADL for Xs loss in revenue, instead of his own poor management decisions, is a Trumpian strongman finger-point exercise in projection. It also trots out an old and tired antisemitic trope: that Jews control the hidden levers of commerce.

Promoting free speech while protecting it requires a deft balancing act and high emotional intelligence. Musk lacks the maturity required to manage a public square, and lacks comprehension of the dangers of extremism, to say nothing of world history.

If Musk wants to run his private town square into the ground and make it a cesspool of hate, thats his prerogative. But he should not blame the victim(s) when his advertisers run away.

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Sabrina Haake is a Chicago attorney and Gary resident. She writes the Substack newsletter The Haake Take.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Jitendra Awhad on Saturday said that a request letter has been written to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for the provision of local train services in the state capital on Ganesh Chaturthi. "Many people travel to Mumbai for Ganesh darshan on Ganeshotsav and are not able to return since they get late at night. Therefore, we have written a request letter to the Railway Minister and the Chief Minister to provide local trains at night," said NCP leader Jitendra Awhad. We have written the request letter so that local trains can provide services, especially to the people of Konkan so that they can attend the Ganeshotsav celebrations since roads are not in good condition in that region, Awhad added. He further said that like every year, five bus services have been arranged from Kalwa for Konkanians travelling home for the festival. "Train services are available 24 hours a day during the goddess festival in Calcutta, so why can't there be local train services in Mumbai for Ganesh Chaturthi," Awhad stated. The government should make an effort to make Ganesh worshipers happier and start more local trains for Ganesh ji darshan, he added. Mumbais famous Lalbaugcha Rajas first look was unveiled on Friday evening, days ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Ganesh Chaturthi, a ten-day festival that starts on the fourth day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month 'Bhadrapada', will start on September 19 this year. The festive period is also known as 'Vinayak Chaturthi' or 'Vinayak Chavithi'. It is celebrated with much fanfare in Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra with lakhs of devotees converging into mandals to seek blessing from Lord Ganesh. For the festivities, people bring Lord Ganesh idols to their homes, observe fasts, prepare mouth-watering delicacies, and visit pandals during the festival. (ANI)
The Delhi Police has arrested two persons, including a Nepali resident for stealing an Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) Rifle of Nagaland Armed Police Battalion personnel, the police said on Saturday. The two accused persons have been identified as Vikas (25), a resident of Nepal and Kabir (21), a resident of Delhi. The Special Wing from Central District Police solved the theft case registered at Kamla Market Police Station in Delhi. According to DCP Central Sanjay Sain, on Wednesday, an Assistant Commandant from Nagaland Armed Police Battalion reported that one service INSAS Rifle 5.56 with 20 live rounds and a mobile phone had been stolen by someone from Sentry post at Delhi's Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg area. A case was registered under section 380 of IPC at Kamla Market Police Station. Noting the seriousness of the crime, a police team swung into action. The team scanned a large number of CCTV footage and after cumbersome efforts of analysis of those footages, they zeroedin on two persons who were seen stealing one INSAS Rifle 5.56 with cartridges and slipping away from the spot in a cycle rickshaw. The team then started a search for the e-rickshaw and after concerted efforts throughout the day, the team finally succeeded in tracing it in the wee hours of Friday. It was found out that the rickshaw was owned by a Nepali resident. The accused, Vikas was then traced and with the help of other rickshaw pullers in the vicinity, he was apprehended. His associate, Kabir was also apprehended from his residence. The stolen Rifle along with 20 rounds were also recovered from their possession. (ANI)
Sources said that the Congress party expressed resentment since the central government had sent the invitation to Kharge only on Friday at noon while the flag hoisting ceremony is scheduled on Sunday, the day of Prime Minisrter Narendra Modi's birthday.

Sources also suggested that the Congress party has accused the government of deliberately inviting the Congress president at the last moment, since it was aware of the pre-scheduled meeting of the Congress Working Committee in Hyderabad on September 16-17.

Ealrier the Congress expressed its displeasure for not inviting party chief Mallikarjun Kharge to the G20 dinner hosted by President Droupadi Murmu on September 9.

The Congress as well as other opposition parties criticised the government for not inviting President Murmu at the inauguration of the new Parliament building.

However, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh read the President's message in the new Parliament House during its inauguration. (ANI)
He emphasized the substantial demand for such an institution within the constituency, particularly among middle-class families, highlighting the importance of providing quality education to the students.

In addition to advocating for the Kendriya Vidyalaya, Singh took the opportunity to apprise Minister Pradhan of ongoing initiatives in the region.

He mentioned that a building for the National Skill Training Institute (NSTI) is currently under construction in Ghanahati, Shimla. Singh urged the consideration of introducing new vocational trades tailored for women, such as Draughtsman Civil and Fashion Design and Technology, under the Craft Instructor Training Scheme.

Singh highlighted that while training programs like Desktop Publishing, Stenographer, and Secretarial Assistant (English) for female candidates are currently operational under the Craftsmen Training Scheme, there is untapped potential in the form of the existing infrastructure for Food Production/Food Beverage Service. However, this potential is not being fully utilized.

He requested a thorough examination of the proposal submitted by the relevant authorities to enhance the NSTI project.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attentively listened to Vikramaditya Singh's proposals and concerns and assured him of all possible support.

The meeting between the two ministers underscores the commitment to advancing education and skill development initiatives in the region, with a particular focus on expanding opportunities and improving the quality of education for the constituents. (ANI)
Top brass cops from both Police and TTD accompanied the State Police Chief in the inspection along four mada streets surrounding the temple.

The DGP viewed the Entry and Exit points at different galleries, the refilling system of devotees during Garuda Vahana Seva and also discussed the Bundobust arrangements for the visit of the CM of AP YS Jaganmohan Reddy on September 18 and 19 besides the security measures ensuring hassle-free Srivari Darshan and Vahana Darshan to the multitude of visiting pilgrims.

Later a high-level security meeting was held within Seva Sadan 2 meeting hall.

After the meeting speaking to the media he said, parking facilities for 15 thousand vehicles in Tirumala, a Geo-tagging facility for children, Focus on crowd management, traffic management, the safety of VIPs and devotees, besides behaving politely towards the devotees and ensuring them hassle-free darshan is our priority.

Security arrangements should be continuously monitored at Mada Streets, Inner Ring Road and Outer Ring Road", he maintained.

DIGs Rajasekhar Babu, Ravi Prakash, SPs Parameshwar Reddy, Tirumalesh, CVSO Narasimha Kishore and other sleuths from police and TTD were present. (ANI)
The meeting holds significance as it was held days after party's supremo Chandrababu Naidu was arrested in an alleged multi-crore skill development scam case.

As per sources, in the TDP Parliamentary Party, party MPs chalked out strategy for the upcoming five-sitting long Special Session of Parliament, beginning September 18.

The TDP Parliamentary Party (TDPP) decided to bring the arrest of Chandrababu to the notice of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha and also the prevailing situation in Andhra Pradesh following the remand of Mr Chandrababu.

Chandrababu Naidu was sent tojudicial custodyon September 10 for 14 days, till September 23, by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in Vijayawada in connection with an alleged Skill Development Corporation scam.

Earlier, TDP workers held a protest on Monday in Chittoor against the arrest andjudicial custodyof the TDP chief in the alleged skill development case.

The case in which Naidu is arrested pertains to the establishment of clusters of Centers of Excellence (CoEs) in the state of Andhra Pradesh, with a total estimated project value of Rs 3300 crore, as per the officials.

The agency officials also claimed that the alleged fraud has caused a huge loss to the state government in excess of Rs 300 crore. (ANI)
Tel Aviv [Israel], September 16 (ANI/TPS): The Israeli government has planned to send a high-level delegation to next weeks UN General Assembly in New York City, the Tazpit Press Service has learned. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is going to meet with US President Joe Biden on the sidelines of the General Assemblys opening session. Netanyahus delegation is expected to include Foreign Minister Eli Cohen; National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi; Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer; Health and Interior Minister Moshe Arbel; Minister of Environmental Protection Idit Silman; and Israeli Ambassador to the United States Michael Herzog. Silman is planned to be involved in a climate event on Tuesday, and Arbel is to participate in a pandemic preparedness meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday meetings on universal health coverage and tuberculosis. TPS could not confirm their schedules. Netanyahu is currently slated to address the international body on Thursday afternoon in New Yorkwell outside the prime-time Israeli television window he reportedly desires. He is attempting to switch to a pre-Shabbat slot in Israelon Friday morning in New York, according to reports. Much has been made of the lack of a formal White House invitation for Netanyahu to visit the Oval Office. A senior Israeli official insisted to TPS this week that such a meeting between Biden and Netanyahu is forthcoming; however, scheduling constraints barred such a meeting next week. The official said that will happen this fall, with Netanyahu repeatedly insisting that Biden invited him to visit during a July phone call. The White House has been more coy, refusing to say whether a location was agreed upon, leading some to speculate that a less prestigious meeting would only take place on the U.N. sidelines. Meanwhile, the Prime Ministers Office and Israels diplomatic press corpsdefused a threatened media boycottof Netanyahus trip. Journalists traveling with Netanyahu will be able to return to Israel on the same flight as the Prime Minister. Thethreat was promptedwhen journalists were initially told they would not be able to fly back with the Prime Minister, as is customary. The Prime Ministers Office cited the time pressure of Netanyahu leaving the US after the Sabbath and the urgency of arriving in Israel before the start of the Yom Kippur holiday. Netanyahu is scheduled to depart for the US on Sunday evening, immediately after the end of Rosh Hashanah, and land in San Francisco the following day. He is expected to visit Silicon Valley for a tour of the tech industry and meet with Elon Musk, the owner of X, formerly known as Twitter. (ANI/TPS)
The Taliban on Friday arrested 18 International Assistance Mission (IAM) employees in Ghor province of Afghanistan, including an international staff member, reported Khaama Press. Since the arrest, they have been taken to Kabul. However, the arrests took place in two separate incidents, according to Khaama Press. On September 3, three individuals were detained, and, recently, the remaining 15 were arrested, the organization stated as per the statement by IAM, reported Khaama Press. The International Assistance Mission (IAM) in a statement shared deep concern and grief towards the detention of its employees. Moreover, IAM further reported that all 18 detainees have been transferred to Kabul. However, the organization has not mentioned the exact cause yet, but the Taliban's Ghor spokesperson suggested the arrests were due to the alleged promotion of Christianity, reported Khaama Press. We are unaware of the circumstances that led to these incidents and have not been advised of the reason for the detention of our staff members. The well-being and security of our colleagues are paramount to us, and we are doing everything possible to ensure their safety and secure their swift release, IAM said in a release, according to Khaama Press. Meanwhile, IAM reaffirmed its dedication to secure the release of its detained employees and expressed its resolve to maintain operations in Afghanistan. However, the IAM has invested over USD 40 million in enhancing healthcare, education and community development in Afghanistan. IAM is vigilantly tracking evolving developments and actively striving for the safe return of its employees, reported Khaama Press. Earlier, the US' special envoy to Afghanistan, Thomas West has underlined serious challenges impeding de-facto authorities' efforts to normalise relations with the international community, the majority of which are the result of their policies, reported Khaama Press. He emphasised that such normalisation is difficult until there is a significant change in their treatment of the populace, anticipating that the international community will remain united. The Taliban (IEA) must prioritise meeting security duties, West said, according to Khaama Press. The international community and the US insist that the current Afghan leadership establish a more inclusive political structure that protects women's rights to education and work. (ANI)
China is planning to launch a solar exploration satellite to a previously unexplored orbit between the Earth and the sun in order to carry out solar probe and space weather monitoring.

The appraisal work of Xihe-2 solar exploration mission to the Sun-Earth L5 Lagrangian Point are in the pipeline, said Fang Cheng, one of the satellite's designers, at the ongoing 10th Conference on Advanced Space Technology in Shanghai.

The Chinese team is working hard to launch the solar probe into planned orbit around 2026, according to the appraisal plan.

The Sun-Earth Lagrangian L5 point, approximately 150 million kilometers away from Earth, is a uniquely advantageous location for space weather research and monitoring, as it enables imaging of solar activity at least three days prior to a terrestrial viewpoint and measures the solar wind conditions four to five days ahead of Earth impact.

"The Sun-Earth L5 point is still a virgin place for exploration," said Fang, a professor from Nanjing University. "It is scientifically meaningful and feasible in engineering."

Xihe-2, a mission launched by Nanjing University, China Meteorological Administration and Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, is expected to investigate the origin and evolution of the magnetic field in the solar active region, and reveal the three-dimensional structure and physical mechanism of solar bursts.

It can also provide data for timely early warning and accurate forecasting of space weather, according to Fang.

On Oct. 14, 2021, China sent its first solar exploration satellite Xihe into a sun-synchronous orbit to conduct solar H-alpha spectral imaging.
Teachers at the Karachi University (KU) on Thursday boycotted evening classes on campus in protest against non-payment of their remuneration, which has been withheld for more than a year, Dawn reported. Dawn is a Pakistani English-language newspaper. The teachers, while speaking to Dawn, said they were forced to resort to the boycott after KU Vice-Chancellor Professor Khalid M. Iraqi in a recent meeting told their representatives that the evening programme was running into losses and that teachers could stop taking those classes if they were not being paid for their services. President of the Karachi University Teachers Society (Kuts) Professor Soleha Rehman said: Its quite disheartening for everyone in attendance at the meeting to listen to these remarks from the vice-chancellor. Hence, all the teachers unanimously decided to boycott the classes in protest for an indefinite period. The fee structure of the evening programme was three times higher than the morning programme, she added. The total pending amount is estimated to be around Rs 30 million. In addition, teachers are also deprived of their enhanced salaries, she said, as per Dawn. Professor Rehman regretted that the vice chancellor was unable to offer any relief to the teachers on any count. She said that the teachers were also deeply concerned over the removal of two major private tertiary-care hospitals from the universitys panel list. When this matter was raised during the same meeting, the vice chancellor said the teachers being government employees should go to the public sector hospitals for treatment if they encounter problems with health facilities on the university panel, she said. According to the teachers, the vice chancellor had also refused to waive off semester fees of the university employees and their children, a facility earlier available to the teaching and non-teaching staff. In replying to these concerns, VC Professor Iraqi said the meeting in question was exclusively based on a single-point agenda of waiving off MPhil and Ph.D. semester fees of the KU employees and their children. Only this matter was discussed in the meeting. Whatever else is being said about the meeting isnt true, he emphasised, adding that the fee could be waived only by the university syndicate. (ANI)
A spokesperson for Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng confirmed the change on Friday, though no reason was offered for the delay.

The spokesperson, Shanti Cosentino, said: At this time, we are postponing the upcoming trade mission to India.

This comes at a time when negotiations for a free trade agreement between India and Canada have been stalled, sources informed on Friday.

The sources cited certain political developments in Canada as the reason for the pause in the negotiations, and added talks will resume once issues are settled between both the governments.

There were reports earlier that the two countries could reach an interim trade deal by the end of this year.

Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng and her Indian counterpart Piyush Goyal in May issued a joint statement saying they hoped to boost trade and investment between their two countries by the years end.

But those talks have hit several high-level snags, as per Al Jazeera.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a pull-aside discussion with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the G20 Summit raised strong concerns about the continuous anti-India activities by extremist elements in Canada.

Prime Minister Modi stated that it was essential for the two countries to cooperate in dealing with such threats.

The Prime Minister conveyed our strong concerns about continuing anti-India activities of extremist elements in Canada. They are promoting secessionism and inciting violence against Indian diplomats, damaging diplomatic premises, and threatening the Indian community in Canada and their places of worship, said an official statement after the Modi-Trudeau meeting.

While Trudeau was in India for the G20 Summit, Khalistani secessionists held a so-called referendum in Surrey, British Columbia.

The separatists used objectionable language against Indian leadership and made remarks against the territorial integrity of India.

Recently, a Hindu temple was vandalised in Canada by extremist elements with Khalistan referendum posters, Australia Today reported.

The incident happened in British Columbia province in Canada.

#Breaking Another #Hindu temple vandalised in #Canada by #Khalistan extremists bogus #Khalistanreferendum posters put at door of @surreymandir to create fear among #Indian community, Australia Today said on Twitter. (ANI)
The Seattle Police Officers Guild on Friday said the video of police officer Daniel Auderer joking about Indian-origin woman, Jaahnavi Kandulas death, captures only one side of the conversation and there is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet. The Seattle Police said the video fails to explain the full story/context. Some viral videos of police actions shared by media, fail to explain the full story/context. This Seattle Police video is an example of that reality. The video captures only one side of the conversation. There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet read an official statement by the Seattle Police Officers Guild. The SPOG said it has full confidence that the civilian-led police accountability system known as the Office of Police Accountability/OPA will conduct a thorough and fair investigation into the incident. The police said it understands the attention and outrage surrounding the viral video which captures highly insensitive comments regarding the death of Jaahnavi Kandula by Officer Daniel Auderer. Without context, this audio is horrifying and has no place in a civil society. It sullens the profession of law enforcement, the reputation of all Seattle Police officers and paints Seattle in a terrible light. We feel deep sorrow and grief for the family of Jaahnavi Kandula as this video has revictimized them in an already tragic situation as they continue to mourn her death. We are truly sorry, the police said through the official statement. On Monday, the Seattle Police Department released footage from accused officer Daniel Auderer's body camera. Auderer left his body camera on after responding to the South Lake Union area where a marked patrol vehicle driven by another officer Kevin Dave struck and killed Indian-origin woman Jaahnavi Kandula, according to an NBC News report. In the footage Auderer, who serves as vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, is driving and can be heard talking about the accident that involved 23-year-old graduate student Kandula in a call with the guild's president Mike Solan. In the video, Auderer can be heard saying "she is dead" before bursting out into laughter. Referring to Kandula, Auderer said, "No, its a regular person." Towards the end of the clip, he can be heard saying, through bursts of laughter, "Yeah, just write a check. Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway," misstating the age of the victim. He further said, "She had limited value," New York Post reported. Auderer said that he did not believe a criminal investigation was being carried out. He said, "I mean, he was going 50 mph. Thats not out of control. Thats not reckless for a trained driver." However, a report released in June revealed that Dave was driving 74 mph in a 25-mph zone while responding to a different high-priority call, NBC News reported citing KIRO 7. The Seattle Police Officers Guild said it wants the community to know the actions that Daniel took to hold himself accountable. Upon being made aware of the existence of this video, Daniel immediately took ownership of his actions and authored a statement requesting that the Director of OPA (Gino Betts) consider the course of Rapid Adjudication. Rapid Adjudication is a disciplinary process that was agreed to by the City of Seattle and the SPOG to expedite police employee misconduct investigations so accountability can be swiftly addressed, and reasonable discipline imposed. This was done by Daniel more than 4 weeks before the release of the video. The Seattle Police said: There is no doubt that any loss of life is tragic. We as police officers swear an oath of service that mandates that we do our best to protect and preserve life at all costs, even if we were to lose our own lives in the performance of our duties. The police said: With that understood, we also know that in our service to others, tragedy can strike at any moment. This was unfortunately the case in the tragic death of Jaahnavi Kandula. (ANI)
Over two millennia ago, a profound spiritual journey began amid the calm Himalayan scenery and throughout the wide plains of the Indian subcontinent. In addition to influencing India's spiritual environment, India's historical ties to Buddhism have also helped modern policymakers strengthen India's soft power by developing cultural ties that are felt throughout South, Southeast, and East Asia, The Bhutan Live reported. India, the place of origin of Buddhism, has a close spiritual connection to the faith. Scholars and priests travelled throughout far-off nations on pilgrimages while carrying the Buddha's teachings during the height of India's supremacy. Buddhism was spread throughout Tibet, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia as a result of this mystical journey, frequently via Sri Lanka's dynamic centre. While the Theravada school of Buddhism thrived in South Asia and spread throughout Southeast Asia, Tibetan Buddhism developed in the North and had an impact on Tibet and China. Indian art, culture, and architecture still reflect the country's ancient past, and the iconic three lions of the Ashoka pillar are featured on the flag of the nation. The fact that approximately 10 million people in India still practise Buddhism in 2023 is evidence of the religion's lasting influence, according to The Bhutan Live. The Bhutan Live covers Bhutan news, politics, Bhutan culture, Bhutanese Buddhism and more, for a unique understanding of the Himalayan region. The large Tibetan community in India, which first migrated there in 1959 after China occupied Tibet in 1950, is also connected to Buddhism. Since then, India has offered sanctuary to prominent Tibetan religious figures, Tibetan nobles, and common Tibetans who have fled into exile. Notably, the head of each of the four major schools of Tibetan BuddhismGelug, Kagyu, Nyingma, and Sakyaas well as many other respected Tibetan lamas reside in India, including the fourteenth Dalai Lama, a revered spiritual figure. Although these sects' primary monasteries are still in Tibet, India acts as a haven for the preservation of Tibetan Buddhist traditions. India has actively pushed Buddhist philosophy and culture in recent years. The International Buddhist Confederation was founded in 2011 with the help of the Indian government by the Global Buddhist Congregation (GBC), which brought together representatives from different Buddhist traditions around the world. This important organisation worked to protect various Buddhist traditions, support academic inquiry, and spread awareness of Buddhism. Since the mid-2000s, China has also organised worldwide Buddhist conferences known as the World Buddhist Forums (WBF) in an effort to promote its appointed Panchen Lama and win the respect of the Buddhist world. Although China's efforts were overshadowed by the GBC meeting in India in 2011, the succeeding WBF in 2012 was noticeably subdued, as reported by The Bhutan Live. In March 2017, India held a Buddhist conference in Nalanda that brought Buddhist lamas together under one umbrella further solidifying India's standing in the Buddhist community. The Indian government has incorporated Buddhism into its bilateral diplomatic efforts since Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office in 2014, especially with Japan and Mongolia. Private organisations have also contributed to the growth of these ties, as evidenced by the joint Buddhist and Hindu conclave in September 2015 that concentrated on conflict resolution and environmental awareness, The Bhutan Live reported. (ANI)
Former US President Donald Trump slammed special counsel Jack Smith hours after the prosecutor asked for a partial gag order to restrict his statements in connection with the trial related to Trumps alleged effort to overturn the 2020 election, The Hill reported. The "narrowly tailored" gas order has been requested to restrict Trump's continuous near-daily social media attacks on people involved in the case. Trump claimed that Jack Smith wants to take away his rights under the First Amendment. During a speech at the Concerned Women of America conference in Washington, Trump said, Deranged Jack Smith, hes the prosecutor, hes a deranged person, wants to take away my rights under the First Amendment. He wants to take away my right of speaking freely and openly. Never forget our enemies want to stop us because we are the only ones that can stop them. They want to take away my freedom because I will never let them take away your freedom, The Hill quoted Trump as saying. Trump also stated that his public statements are being limited, while he is the leading Republican nominee and beating the Democrats. He also attacked President Biden calling him incompetent and accused him of weaponing FBI and the Department of Justice. Biden Prosecutor, Deranged Jack Smith, has asked the Court to limit 45th President, and leading Republican Nominee (by more than 50 points, & beating Dems!) DONALD J. TRUMPS, PUBLIC STATEMENTS, Trump wrote on Truth Social platform. He added, So, Im campaigning for President against an incompetent person who has WEAPONIZED the DOJ & FBI to go after his Political Opponent, & I am not allowed to COMMENT? They Leak, Lie, & Sue, & they wont allow me to SPEAK? How else would I explain that Jack Smith is DERANGED, or Crooked Joe is INCOMPETENT? Meanwhile, Jack Smith has requested a limited gag order to prevent Trump from saying certain prejudicial extrajudicial statements, seeking a narrow, well-defined restriction on what the former president can say about the case, The Hill reported. The order would include limiting what he can say about court testimony and witnesses in order to prevent interference in the trial. The defendant knows that when he publicly attacks individuals and institutions, he inspires others to perpetrate threats and harassment against his targets, prosecutors wrote in the filing. Since the indictment in this case, the defendant has spread disparaging and inflammatory public posts on Truth Social on a near-daily basis regarding the citizens of the District of Columbia, the Court, prosecutors, and prospective witnesses, the Hill quoted the DOJ as saying. The 19-page gag-order request includes numerous Truth Social posts made by Trump since his four-count indictment in August on charges of conspiracy to defraud the US government and conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, according to New York Post. Smith has cited several posts in which Trump refers to US District Judge Tanya Chutkan as a fraud dressed up as a judge in Washington, DC who is a radical Obama hack and a biased, Trump-hating judge. The special counsel also referenced a post where Trump bemoans that he cannot get a fair trial in Washington, DC, because it is filthy and crime ridden and over 95 per cent anti-Trump, New York Post reported. The order has been opposed by Donald Trumps attorneys. Notably, the multiple legal cases against Trump includes the four federal indictments with charges related to falsification of business records, mishandling of classified documents after leaving the White House and his alleged efforts to remain in power after losing the 2020 election to President Biden. In this federal election interference case, led by Smith, the former president was charged with conspiracy to defraud the US, alongside obstruction and other lesser charges, The Hill reported. (ANI)
A delegation of international political party representatives visited Changjiangyuan village in Golmud city, northwest China's Qinghai province Wednesday, as part of the thematic briefing on "Qinghai's Achievements in Practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era". The village, located at the source of the Yangtze River, showcases the transformative changes that its residents experienced in China's poverty relief drive.

The villagers used to be nomadic herders living amid harsh conditions. In 2004, the local government started a relocation project to protect the ecological environment of Sanjiangyuan and improve the herders' living conditions. They built Changjiangyuan village to provide a comfortable living for the former herders.

They now live in spacious, well-equipped homes with water, electricity, and winter heating. Every family has its own small courtyard.

Changjiangyuan village also built a 43,000-square-meter primary school equipped with modern teaching facilities. The school's vice principal, Suo Nanji, said that the children here can now learn in similar conditions as those in cities. The foreign delegates visited various classes, such as culture, P.E., music, and dance, and shared in the children's joy.

Rajan Bhattarai, a member of the standing committee of the Communist Party of Nepal, commended China's remarkable achievements in poverty alleviation, noting their significance as lessons for others.

The herders have taken on new roles as "eco-custodians" and can earn more by running eco-tourism franchises. The village also founded a cooperative that makes ethnic handicrafts, allowing women to work from home. The government provides living allowances to the elderly and children in the village and creates multiple avenues to increase villagers' income.

Today, 146,000 herders in Qinghai province have benefited from ecological conservation efforts. This achievement reflects Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization: "Clear waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, just as valuable as gold and silver."

In August 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping visited Changjiangyuan village. He was pleased to see villagers living well and said, "We should respect, adapt to, and protect nature. Brighter days are ahead."
A day after being given bail, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) President Parvez Elahi was once again taken into custody by the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) Punjab for non-payment of his bail bond, The News International reported on Saturday. This comes just a day after he was given bail in the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) attack case by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Islamabad. Due to the non-payment of the bail bond, the Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) cell arrested Elahi from Adiala jail, The News International reported. The former Chief Minister of Punjab province has been taken to the judicial complex for his transitory remand today. The officials said that Elahi will be taken to the ACE headquarters in Lahore by evening, adding that he has four corruption cases registered against him. Earlier on Friday, ATC Judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain had accepted Elahi's bail against the surety bond of Rs20,000 which Elahi's legal team failed to pay, according to The News International. Notably, the PTI president was apprehended hours after his release from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) custody on September 1, despite the fact that the Lahore High Court (LHC) had explicitly restricted the authorities from arresting him earlier that day. The September 1 order was a reiteration of similar orders issued by the high court on July 13, 2023. Elahi has been arrested and detained repeatedly since the May 9 riots. Elahi is being taken to Lahore on a one-day transitory remand which was approved by duty judge Shahrukh Arjumand after his arrest today, The News International reported citing sources. The court has also ordered to produce the PTI president before the relevant court by tomorrow. Speaking to media persons, Parvez Elahi's counsel Sardar Abdul Razzaq said that no corruption case has been registered against his client in Punjab. "Elahi's bail amount wasn't paid yet. He was not even released before being re-arrested in another case," The News International quoted the lawyer as saying. . Razzaq said that Elahi was taken into custody from the jail premises and was taken to court for transitory remand. "Elahi has been arrested for the 12th time," he added. (ANI)
A public gathering in Lahore will be held on October 21 by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to welcome party leader Nawaz Sharif, who will be returning to Pakistan from the United Kingdom after a roughly four-year exile, reported ARY News. In a meeting with the media on Tuesday in London, President Shehbaz Sharif made the long-awaited announcement of the three-time former premier's homecoming. 'Massive' rally to be held at Minar-e-Pakistan on October 21, according to sources in the party leadership. The party leader will go from the airport to Minar-e-Pakistan through rallies in a bulletproofcontainer. The PML-N leadership has instructed all party members to travel to Lahore on October 21 in this regard, according to ARY News. Maryam Nawaz has been instantly called to London by Nawaz Sharif, the supreme leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). PML-N chief organiser Maryam Nawaz is expected to travel to London next week, ARY News reported citing sources. She will meet her father, Nawaz Sharif, and stay in London for a week, according to further sources. PML-N sources claim that Maryam will inform Nawaz Sharif of his homecoming reception schedule. They will confer when deciding how to organise Nawaz Sharif's welcome-home party in Lahore. They will also talk about political and constitutional issues, according to reports. Amid speculations, Former Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed on Tuesday that his elder brother and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif will return to Pakistan on October 21, Geo News reported. This comes ahead of the upcoming elections in Pakistan after the National Assembly was dissolved last month. Nawaz Sharif will reach Pakistan on October 21," Shehbaz told Geo News on Tuesday.The statement came after a meeting of thePML-N's top leadership headed by Nawaz in London. Nawaz who has been in self-imposed exile in London since November 2019 owing to health reasons was disqualified for life in 2017 by the Supreme Court for not declaring a receivable salary. While speaking to the media after the high-level party huddle in London, Shehbaz said that the date for Nawazs return was finalised after consultation with the party members. He added that the credit for Pakistans attainment of nukes, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and the ending 20 hours of electricity load-shedding in the country goes to Nawaz. Shehbaz added the journey of development will continue from where Nawaz had left in 2017 when he was removed from power under a false and baseless case. Nawaz wasnt deprived of power but Pakistans people were deprived of development and prosperity. (ANI)
Nepali Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda departed for New York, United States on Saturday evening leading a delegation to the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. The Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist Center will fly to China after addressing the United Nations General Assembly on September, 21, the Prime Minister informed the lower house on Friday. In order to address the United Nations General Assembly, I have received the invitation from United Nations Secretary General. The 78th General Assembly is being held at the UN headquarters in New York (USA), presenting Nepal as the head of state sharing the Nepali democratic values, inclusive political representation and our attempt to make Nepal prosper- these issues are to be presented in front of the international community. I take this as an important opportunity, Dahal said in his address on Friday. The theme of the General Debate of the 78th UNGA has been chosen as Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity: Accelerating Action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards Peace, Prosperity, Progress and Sustainability for All. During his five-day stay in New York for the General Assembly, the Nepali PM will also attend the opening session of the General Debate of the 78th UNGA and attend a reception being hosted by US President Joe Biden on September 19. While in New York, he is also scheduled to address the UN SDGs Summit and Climate Ambition Summit, among others, on the sidelines of the UNGA. He will also hold a meeting with the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and bilateral meetings with his counterparts from various countries. The next day after the address, the Nepali Premier announced that he would be on an official visit to China with a total of eight deals. Though the Prime Minister informed parliament about his scheduled visit to China following his visit to New York, no issues of significant issues are on the table. As per Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources, the Nepal government had hinted to propose converting the loan for the construction of China-funded Pokhara International Airport to a grant but has received a red-flag. As a Prime Minister of Nepal, the official visit to China would further strengthen the relation between the two countries that has remained for ages and the areas of cooperation would further expand, the PM said. As per Dahal, he will be meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping on September 23 in Hangzhou and also participate in the inauguration ceremony of the 19th Asian Games to be held there. He also will meet Chinese counterpart Li Qiang in Beijing on September 25. The Prime Minister will fly back to Kathmandu via Tibet on September 30. Meanwhile, the Office of the President said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Purna Bahadur Khadka will look after the prime ministers responsibilities in his absence. Defence Minister Khadka is second in rank in the Cabinet. President Ramchandra Paudel assigned the responsibility to Khadka at Prime Minister Dahals recommendation, as per a statement issued by the Office of the President. (ANI)
Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai met US Special Representative for Afghanistan, Thomas West via video conference and discussed the evolving situation in Afghanistan under the Taliban administration, The Khaama press reported on Saturday. The Afghanistan-based news agency reported that during the dialogue, the former president emphasized the vital role of girls' and boys' education in driving Afghanistans economic development and securing a promising future. Apart from this, he highlighted the economic situation of Afghanistan and also thanked the US for providing aid in Afghanistan. Karzai, in a statement on his X account, highlighted that they discussed the economic situation of Afghanistan and emphasized the importance and impact of girls and boys education on Afghanistans economic growth and bright future, along with the necessary support for irrigation to benefit farmers and provide suitable alternative livelihoods. Previously, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said that Hamid Karzai currently does not hold any political position in the country and is an ordinary individual. Earlier, Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai on the countrys 104th independence anniversary, urged the Taliban to reopen girls schools and universities, emphasizing that true independence requires educational access for all, Khaama Press reported. The de facto authorities of Afghanistan, after seizing power in August 2021 have restricted women's and girls' freedom of movement, barred girls from attending secondary school, excluded women from the majority of the workforce, and forbade women from using public restrooms and gyms, reported the Afghan news agency. Taliban has imposed draconian restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly and movement for women and girls. The Taliban's decision to ban female students above grade six from going to school has drawn widespread criticism at the national and international levels. A number of international bodies, including the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, expressed concern over restrictions on women's and girls' education and work. Since the Taliban took control, the basic rights of women and girls have been violated. (ANI)
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on the faculty and students at Northeastern University to make greater contributions to the full revitalization of northeast China and Chinese modernization.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter sent Friday, in which he extended his congratulations on the university's 100th anniversary and greetings to its faculty members, students and alumni.

Since its inception, Northeastern University has cultivated a large number of talent, making positive contributions to the country as well as the nation, said Xi.

He expressed his hopes that the university could cultivate more high-caliber talent based on the country's strategic needs, expand its leading edge in strong disciplines, and continue to produce high-level scientific research results.

Northeastern University was founded in 1923. Its faculty and students recently wrote to Xi, vowing to seize the opportunities brought about by the full revitalization of the northeast and contribute more to the country.
A shooting left one person dead and another hospitalized in South Los Angeles on Friday night.

The shooting took place outside of a Bank of America near Broadway Street and Manchester Avenue around 7:30 p.m., according to Los Angeles police.

Arriving officers found a 30-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A second victim, a woman, was found with a gunshot wound on her leg. She was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

One person was killed and another was hospitalized after a shooting in South Los Angeles on Sept. 15, 2023. (OnScene.TV)

One person was killed and another was hospitalized after a shooting in South Los Angeles on Sept. 15, 2023. (OnScene.TV)

One person was killed and another was hospitalized after a shooting in South Los Angeles on Sept. 15, 2023. (OnScene.TV)

One person was killed and another was hospitalized after a shooting in South Los Angeles on Sept. 15, 2023. (OnScene.TV)

One person was killed and another was hospitalized after a shooting in South Los Angeles on Sept. 15, 2023. (OnScene.TV)

One person was killed and another was hospitalized after a shooting in South Los Angeles on Sept. 15, 2023. (OnScene.TV)

One person was killed and another was hospitalized after a shooting in South Los Angeles on Sept. 15, 2023. (OnScene.TV)

One person was killed and another was hospitalized after a shooting in South Los Angeles on Sept. 15, 2023. (OnScene.TV)

The suspects were described as two Black males wearing black hoodies and running northbound from the area, police said.

Images from the scene so show a large police presence as the area between the bank and an Arco gas station was cordoned off. A canopy can be seen being set up around the male victims body.

Its unclear what led up to the deadly shooting as the incident remains under investigation.

The victims identities have not been released. Anyone with information can call LAPD at 1-877-527-3247.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
THE BRONX, N.Y. (WPIX)  A kilo press that packages large quantities of drugs was found inside a New York City day care center where four small children overdosed on Friday, leaving one of the children dead, according to the NYPD.

Joe Kenny, the NYPD Chief of Detectives, said at a press briefing that officers responded to find three of the children unresponsive inside the Divino Nino day care center in the Bronx on Friday afternoon, all exhibiting symptoms of opioid exposure.

Narcan was administered and revived two of them, a 2-year-old boy and 8-month-old girl. But 1-year-old Nicholas Dominici could not be saved.

Opioids, obesity now ranked as top public health threats in new poll

Mayor Eric Adams , who also spoke at the briefing, said he had been in contact with the mother and father who lost their baby son. Its believed fentanyl could have been involved in the childs fatal overdose.

To see the pain they are experiencing is something that all of us New Yorkers are experiencing and all of us that are parents, the Mayor said at the early Saturday press conference.

Chief Kenny said a fourth child had been removed from the day care at 12:15 p.m. Friday by his mother and brought home.

The 2-year-old boy was acting lethargic and unresponsive, so the mother brought him to Bronx Care, where Narcan was administered.

His life was saved, Chief Kenny said.

Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan noted opioids are powerful drugs driving the citys overdose crisis.

A small child is not someone we would think would be at risk of interaction.  It can come through inhalation, ingestion, or through touching the skin, intoxicating the recipient, Vasan said at the briefing.

Sadly, small children have been exposed to opioids like fentanyl before, often in homes, sometimes with deadly results.

This crisis is real, Adams said, and it is a real wake-up call for individuals who have opioids or fentanyl in their homes.

The Health Commissioner said Divino Nino was a home-based childcare site that opened in January this year under the official authority of the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

Vasan revealed the citys Department of Health conducted inspections on behalf of the state, with the most recent one being a surprise inspection last week on September 9.

No violations were found during that visit, Vasan said.

70,000 childcare centers across the U.S. could shut down due to funding issues

Kenny said investigators are actively looking for the people who were utilizing the kilo press found in the day care.

Tonight is every parents worst nightmare, Police Commissioner Edward Caban added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)  Friday marks the 60th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing that killed four Black girls in Birmingham during the height of the Civil Rights Movement.

I dont hate the bombers, but I hate what they did: Pastors daughter remembers 16th Street Baptist Church bombing

A service will be held Friday morning at the church as part of a weeklong commemoration of Denise McNair, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson, and Addie Mae Collins, who were killed in the blast.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the nations highest court, will deliver a keynote address at the remembrance Friday morning at the historic church.

The bombing took place the morning of Sept. 15, 1963, when dynamite planted by Ku Klux Klan members exploded at the church, killing the girls. The girls were gathered in a downstairs washroom prior to Sunday services when the blast erupted.

A fifth girl, Sarah Collins Rudolph, was severely injured in the blast but survived.

Lisa McNair, the sister of Denise McNair, has asked city churches to join in tolling their bells Friday morning to remember the four girls killed in the bombing.

See all of CBS 42s coverage of the 60th anniversary of the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Two Chicago police officers were injured overnight Friday when someone tired to batter an officer and when they tried to subdue the person another offender intervened, striking the officer with a wooden stick, police said.

The attacked happened around 1 a.m. in the 2500 block of South Homan Avenue. Police said an officer was hit with a heavy wood stick.

Two officers were taken to an area hospital and listed in good condition. Two people were arrested, and charges were pending.
Two men died in unrelated shootings in Dallas on Friday, police said.

Officers responded to the 3000 block of South Boulevard in south Dallas around 4:40 p.m. regarding a shooting call. They found a 32-year-old man inside the residence who had been shot, officials said. The victim, identified as Kyle Cousin, died at the scene from his injuries.

The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Chad Murphy at 214-283-4934 or chad.murphy@dallaspolice.gov.

Police responded to the 8400 block of Old Hickory Trail in the Red Bird area around 9 p.m. regarding another shooting. They found a man inside a vehicle who had been shot, officials said. The man died at the scene from his injuries.

Authorities havent released the identity of the victim pending family notification, police said. The investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Chris Walton at 214-671-3632 or christopher.walton@dallaspolice.gov.

No arrests have been announced. Tips about these cases can also be called into Crime Stoppers at 214-373-8477.
Within two hours of each other, two Marine V-22 Ospreys diverted Thursday due to "cockpit caution indications" in the aircraft while flying near Japan's southwestern island chain.

The aircraft landed safely, according to the service, and no injuries or fatalities were reported by the Marine Corps on Thursday.

Maintenance teams are evaluating the Ospreys -- which landed on islands more than 400 miles apart -- and the aircraft were to return to Futenma Air Station on Okinawa once deemed ready for flight. Outside of the warning indicators, the Marine Corps did not say what specific issue caused the flights to divert.

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"Operating [III Marine Expeditionary Force] aircraft safely and effectively is a top priority," Maj. Rob Martins, a spokesperson for the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing on Okinawa, told Military.com on Thursday.

One aircraft diverted at roughly 1:45 p.m. local time and landed at Amami Airfield, which is on an island about 200 miles southwest of mainland Japan. The other aircraft, which was flying alongside another V-22 Osprey, received a similar "cockpit caution indication" two hours later and landed at Japan's Ishigaki Airport, which is near the east coast of Taiwan.

The flight diversions come two weeks after a V-22 Osprey crashed during a routine multinational training event in Australia, killing both pilots and the flight's crew chief. In the wake of the crash, Acting Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith ordered a service-wide safety review.

The safety review also came days after a Marine Corps F/A-18D Hornet crashed in southern California, killing the single pilot onboard. In total, four Marines died due to flight mishaps in the month of August.

Military.com asked the Marine Corps whether pilots are operating with an abundance of caution following the review and the deadly Osprey incident, in which 20 other Marines survived the crash off the Tiwi Islands north of Australia.

"Our pilots are trained in a way that ensures a high degree of aviation safety," Capt. Alyssa Myers, an aviation spokesperson for Marine Headquarters, said in an emailed statement Friday.

"Marine Corps pilots always seek to learn any available lessons they may derive from an incident, especially one that tragically results in the loss of life," she added. "Any responsible organization such as the Marine Corps should always strive to learn what we can from a tragedy."

The Osprey is the Marine Corps' primary assault troop transport. It is also used by the Navy and Air Force, though the lion's share of the V-22 fleet is owned by the Marine Corps for expeditionary operations that require quick delivery of Marines from ship to shore.

While the Osprey has claimed the lives of more than 50 service members since the 1990s, it has fewer mishaps per 100,000 flight hours compared to other aircraft, according to available safety data. However, that data is outdated by at least five years.

A clutch issue in the Osprey has caused concern for more than a decade. In 2022, the clutch malfunction caused an Osprey -- call sign Swift 11 -- to crash, killing five Marines. The Marine Corps has said that it has reduced incidence of the clutch malfunction significantly, but families of those who died in the crash last year remain skeptical.

Last year, the Marine Corps reported that another deadly Osprey incident was attributed to pilot error. The Australian crash that occurred last month is still under investigation, and the cause of the crash is currently unknown.

This week, members of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing paid tribute to the three Marines who died during the crash last month: Cpl. Spencer Collart, Capt. Eleanor LeBeau, and Maj. Tobin Lewis.

"The memorial service was a tribute to their valor," the unit's post on social media said, "and a reminder that their legacy will live on in our hearts forever."

Editor's note: This story was updated with a new statement from Marine Headquarters on Osprey pilot training.

-- Drew F. Lawrence can be reached at drew.lawrence@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @df_lawrence.

Related: Marine Crew Chief Who Died in Australia Osprey Crash Remembered at Hometown Vigil
ST. LOUIS (KTVI)  In St. Louis, in a neighborhood known as the Hill, one dish stands out as a true local legend: toasted ravioli.

The dish  made by breading and deep-frying ravioli, which is then topped with parmesan and served with dipping sauce  is generally believed to have been invented in St. Louis. But two different restaurants in the Hill have laid claim to the invention for decades  and both insist it was the product of a kitchen mix-up from back in the 40s.

You wont believe what Dennys was originally called

In 1987, the New York Times interviewed a local restaurateur named Louis Amighetti, who credited a restaurant called Angelo Oldanis with the invention. He said the owner of that restaurant told his new assistant, a German cook, to prepare the ravioli. Misunderstanding the instructions, the cook dumped the ravioli into a pot of hot oil, rather than boiling water, Amighetti said.

Trying to salvage the dish, the owner of Angelo Oldanis allegedly brushed some grated cheese on top. The fried ravioli were an immediate hit, spawning copycats across the neighborhood, Amighetti said.

Toasted ravioli is widely believed to have originated at a St. Louis restaurant  but which restaurant is the subject of debate. (Getty Images)

But another restaurant called Oldanis (no relation to Angelo Oldanis) had also maintained its claim to the dish, which  as the story goes  was also created by accident when a cook, tipsy on red wine, dropped some ravioli into the fryer, St. Louis magazine reported.

As the story goes, the owners put the deep-fried ravioli on the bar and patrons gobbled them up. Oldanis had also claimed its owners invented the name toasted ravioli, so as not to give customers the impression that the dish was super fatty or greasy, according to an account reported by St. Louis mag.

Today, Oldanis is now known as Mamas on the Hill, and Angelo Oldanis is now called Charlie Gittos.

The official websites of both Mamas and Charlie Gittos proudly assert their claims to the dish to this day. Both also defended their position when asked about the origins by St. Louis mag in 2015. (At the time, the co-owner of Mamas explained to St. Louis mag that their original chef at Oldanis was cranky and half-lit, perhaps leading to the mistake Mamas now embraces.)

A third local restaurant chain, Lombardos, had also briefly tossed its hat into the ring to claim ownership of toasted ravioli, but Epicurious once debunked  or at least cast some doubt  that Lombardos was serving toasted ravioli before the 1940s.

A brief history of the smore, Americas favorite campfire snack

The debate over who created the first toasted ravioli has never been settled, but it doesnt really matter to the average St. Louis foodie: The dish is one of this citys regional favorites, along with St. Louis-style pizza and ooey-gooey butter cake.

The restaurant owners in the Hill, on the other hand, are still hungry for recognition.

When my grandpa was 100, we went to a restaurant where they said they invented toasted ravioli, the owner of Mamas told USA Today in 2018, and he got upset  even more than 60 years later.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
The Greenville Zoning Board of Appeals denied Whataburgers request to keep its drive-thru open 24 hours after hearing from neighbors that it would decrease property values and be a nuisance.

Asked whether they would go ahead with the project without the 24 hour drive-thru, which all their 900-plus restaurants have, look for another location or call off plans to build in Greenville, Whataburger said, We are continuing to work with our city partners and are confident we will be able to serve up Goodness 24/7 in Greenville.

They also have the option of appealing the decision in Circuit Court.

Six residents of the East Lynne neighborhood, which is directly behind the proposed site, asked board members to deny the request.

Michael Austin said the drive-thru late hours would increase traffic through the neighborhood, be noisy and overlit and create unpleasant smells.

It would be a never-ending nuisance, he said. With no bathrooms open people would be urinating.

Grace Bowser handed board members a printout of a tweet in which Whataburger said its midnight, whats your order and what song are you blasting.

This is a quiet neighborhood. People work during the day hours, she said, adding that if you google that address the recommendation is to go through the neighborhood to get to another major street behind it.

Not everyone out during those hours have good intentions, she said.

City staff had recommended denying the request.

The board voted 6-1 to deny. Stephanie Gates voted to approve.

The location on Laurens Road, a main thoroughfare into downtown Greenville, is full of commercial businesses and other fast food restaurants but the roads beside and behind the former Title-Max building are residences.

The building would be torn down, and another to be owned by the Whataburger company would be built. The closest residential property is 175 feet from the property line on Lindsay Avenue.

A document filed with the Board of Zoning Appeals says the Laurens Road Whataburger expects to do $3.4 million in sales a year.

The company said about 10 cars an hour from midnight until 5 a.m. would use the inner drive-thru, speakers and lighting would be kept as low as possible and there would be landscaping to hold down the noise.

There would be no outside seating, minimizing loitering, they said.
A 24-year-old man is accused of a gang-related shooting on Canal Drive, seriously injuring a teen.

Police believe Alexis Y. Salcedo Valdivia was behind the wheel of a blue Honda Civic on June 5 when he opened fire on a Mazda 3 loaded with rival gang members on the 6000 block of the road. He appeared in court this week after being arrested on Monday.

Three of the shots hit the drivers door, and one of them hit a teen in the chest, according to court documents. The injury left him in serious condition at Kadlec Regional Medical Center.

He has been charged in Benton County Superior Court with drive-by shooting and illegally possessing a firearm. He is being held in the Benton County jail in lieu of $500,000 bail.

Another man, Alejandro Cervantes, 30, has been charged with illegally possessing a stolen vehicle, and illegally having two guns, in connection with the case.

Kennewick police were called in to investigate the shooting after a wounded teen was brought to Kadlec in a Mazda 3, according to court documents. Initially Washington State Patrol troopers were investigating the shooting, but they discovered it happened on Canal Drive.

They learned the teen was in the Mazda 3 with four other gang members or gang associates when a blue Honda Civic approached their vehicle about 1:30 a.m.

Both vehicles were caught on a traffic camera going north on Volland Street near Hood Avenue. Then another gas station at the corner of Canal Drive and Edison Street showed both of the cars speeding through the area.

A witness heard about five shots at 1:40 a.m. near the 6000 block of Canal Drive, which is near Lawrence Scott Park. Police found two 9 mm shell casings in the area.

When the teen victim recovered, he told officers the Civic approached the Mazda near the Maverik gas station.

Once he realized the blue Honda Civic had driven up next to him, he recalled hearing three gunshots fired toward him and he was struck once in chest, according to court documents.

The alleged shooters description matched Salcedo Valdivia, court documents said.

Finding the shooter

Police got some help tracking down evidence when Kennewick officers found Cervantes, one of Salcedo Valdivias fellow gang members, driving a stolen car at the Maverik gas station on June 6.

He had two guns in the car, a 9 mm pistol and and a .22 caliber pistol. Cervantes said he didnt touch the 9 mm handgun.

When police tested the gun, they discovered that it was the one used in the shooting the day before.

Investigators checked Cervantes phone and discovered a conversation between him and Salcedo Valdivia, where Cervantes was looking to buy some pills.

Before the shooting, Salcedo Valdivia said he was going to look for some rival gang members. Then after the shooting, he said he had jest (sic) lit up his rival gang members.

Police said that lit up means he said he shot at them.

The shooting is one of three that happened in the area in a relatively short time. Two rival gang members allegedly traded shots on Clearwater Avenue area near WinCo Foods on May 23.

Then on June 30, Aaron Lighthall, 25, allegedly opened fire on a truck on Clearwater Avenue. While none of the bullets made it inside, one of the people was cut with flying debris.
 Flash

An international conference focusing on cooperation between Europe and China within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) was held in Sofia on Wednesday to mark the BRI's 10th anniversary. The event was attended by over 120 participants from 20-odd countries and regions.

"The organization of such forums in our country, attended by experts from various fields, proves that Bulgaria can serve as a strategic location for Chinese businesses," Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev said in a letter address to the conference participants.

"I am convinced that with strong political will and energy, Bulgaria will be able to embrace the opportunities offered by the Belt and Road Initiative," Radev said.

Deng Li, secretary general of the Secretariat of Cooperation Between China and Central and Eastern European Countries and China's vice minister of foreign affairs, said in a letter that the BRI has not only contributed "Chinese wisdom" to the peaceful development of the world, but also offered Chinese solutions to promoting win-win cooperation among countries.

Over the past decade, guided by the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, the BRI has remained committed to the vision of open, green and clean cooperation, and pursued the goal of high-standard, sustainable and people-centered development, Deng said.

China's Ambassador to Bulgaria Dong Xiaojun said at the two-day event that the BRI "originates from China but belongs to the world."

Rositsa Kirova, vice president of Bulgaria's National Assembly, said that her country and the European Union (EU) need a solid, stable and respected partner such as China, especially to preserve peace in the world.

All the initiatives that would enable the deepening of relations between China and Bulgaria should be supported, Kirova said.

Nikolay Pavlov, Bulgaria's deputy minister of economy and industry, said the Bulgarian government attaches great importance to cooperation with China. "For us, the expansion of bilateral commercial and economic ties is a priority," he said.

"We welcome Chinese companies that are interested in entering the EU market and establishing their production bases and development centers in Bulgaria," he said.

Zahari Zahariev, chairman of Bulgaria National Association for the Belt and Road, said that the topic of the conference was complex and comprehensive. The BRI has marked many milestones in global development over the past decade, he said.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Las Vegas police arrested a second man on charges connected to a November 2021 homicide, they said in a news release Friday.

On Nov. 2, 2021, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to a residence in the 3300 block of Denali Preserve Street after reports of a shooting.

Arriving officers found a man in the backyard who was shot. The victim was taken to Sunrise Trauma where he was pronounced dead. He was later identified by the Clark County Coroners Office as Joel Damian-Marin, 48, from Las Vegas.

The investigation by the LVMPD Homicide Section showed that Damian-Marin was woken up by dogs barking. He went to his backyard, where he was shot by the suspect, officials said.

Through the investigation, detectives were able to identify 25-year-old Clayton Perkins as a suspect. He faced charges of open murder with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit murder.

Police identified Gilbert Vaneyck, 23, as the second suspect in the case. He was in custody at the Clark County Detention Center for unrelated charges and was rebooked for conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Gilbert Vaneyck faces charges in a November 2021 homicide. (LVMPD)

Vaneyck is being held on a $15,000 bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 19.

Anyone with any information is encouraged to contact the LVMPD Homicide Section by phone at 702-828-3521 or by email at homicide@lvmpd.com. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 702-385-5555 or on their website.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
The Naval Special Warfare Command that oversees the Navy SEAL BUD/S training program intends to take disciplinary action against three top officers who were in leadership roles during the death of a SEAL trainee last year, according to the service.

A Navy official confirmed to Military.com that Capt. Brian Drechsler, Capt. Bradley Geary and Cmdr. Erik Ramey were notified that the service intends to take them to admiral's mast -- a nonjudicial form of punishment -- over their roles in the death.

SEAL candidate Kyle Mullen, 24, died of acute pneumonia shortly after completing the first, brutal portion of SEAL training known as "Hell Week" on Feb. 4, 2022. At the time, Drechsler was the Naval Special Warfare Center's commanding officer, Geary was in charge of the Basic Training Command, and Ramey was the command's top medical official.

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Rolling Stone was the first outlet to report the development and, according to its sources, the trio face charges of negligent dereliction of duty.

The three officers had all previously received nonpunitive letters of reprimand over the incident. While the letters themselves carry no punishment, they typically render an officer unpromotable. Drechsler also left his post as commander of the Naval Special Warfare Center ahead of schedule.

Geary's lawyer, Jason Wareham, confirmed that his client is facing mast in an email to Military.com and said that the officer "is disappointed by his command's decisions" and that they are assessing the "dubious legal and factual basis for this [mast]."

The Navy, through a spokesman, has confirmed, broadly, that Naval Special Warfare Command "has decided to proceed with accountability actions for certain individuals."

The spokesman added that "as the actions are ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further on any specific or potential accountability actions until they are completed."

Military.com reached out to the lawyers for Ramey and Drechsler but did not receive a reply from either in time for publication.

Since masts like the ones these three officers are facing are nonjudicial punishments -- they don't involve many due-process protections or a jury -- service members have the right to refuse them.

If a service member refuses a mast, it leaves commanders with the option of either dropping the charges or referring them to a formal court-martial. The latter would be a formal legal proceeding that would afford any of the officers more latitude in defending themselves, but it would also be a far more public and lengthy affair.

Mullen's death was investigated twice by the Navy. The first investigation was conducted by Naval Special Warfare Command itself and revealed major problems at the legendary training program.

Investigators found that recruits were not given adequate medical care and the course fostered a culture where seeking help in emergency situations was discouraged.

One sailor told investigators that "he and the other students were instructed not to call 911 and not to go to the emergency room."

The investigation determined that Mullen died of pneumonia but that his condition was aggravated by an enlarged heart.

A second investigation, this time conducted by a Navy command that was completely separate from the SEAL community, revealed even more troubling issues with the culture at the Coronado, California, schoolhouse.

That investigation found that the staff at the training facility was overzealous and ran largely unchecked, while students were so determined to pass that they would either lie to doctors or turn to doping.

The report noted that after Mullen's death, the investigators found a stash of performance-enhancing drugs in his car, including testosterone and human growth hormone, but it stopped short of saying he had used the substances because his blood and urine were unable to be tested for them.

Geary's leadership was highlighted by investigators since he had been made aware of problems with the program that were leading more recruits than usual being dropped from the course.

According to investigators, at the time he largely chalked it up to the fact that "the current generation had less mental toughness."

The report also noted that Geary made a deliberate decision to reduce the role of the school's civilian instructors -- veteran SEALs put in place to be a check on the less experienced and sometimes overzealous active-duty instructors.

In the wake of the report, Geary went public with his version of events and criticism of the investigation, giving interviews to "Good Morning America", Fox News and The New York Post, among others.

Geary told "Good Morning America" that Mullen's death was "a perfect storm of factors" and that he didn't feel responsible for it.

"What I feel responsible for is speaking truth to ensure that it never happens again," Geary told "Good Morning America."

In a later interview with Fox News, Geary and Wareham pointed to Mullen's enlarged heart as a detail that was not known to him and his staff. Because they didn't have reasonable notice, they couldn't act to protect Seaman Mullens [sic], even from himself," Wareham told Laura Ingraham in a TV interview.

Meanwhile, Wareham told Military.com that "the Navy's decision to proceed with nonjudicial punishment lacks a foundation in credible evidence and appears to be motivated primarily by political expediency."

"When all the key facts emerge, the Navy's improper actions will be exposed -- and it will be undeniable that Capt. Geary is being scapegoated as part of a larger scheme to cover up massive failures and abuses of power at the highest levels of the Navy," the lawyer said.

-- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin.

Related: Navy SEAL Instructors 'Hunted' Weaker Candidates Amid Poor Medical Care, Drug Use
If you already have one or more kids in childcare, it's likely not news that it's an expense that's getting even more expensive. Roughly two-thirds of parents have reported spending 20% or more of their household income on childcare, marking a notable increase from the 51% that reported that rate of spending in 2022, CBNC reported based on an annual report from Care.com.

This reality can leave many parents stuck between a rock and a hard place, as childcare is often a non-negotiable expenditure. If you're in that situation, here are some tips to consider to help you better afford the childcare help you need.

1. See if your employer offers assistance

One possible avenue towards childcare savings is your employer. According to Bankrate , "some employers offer child care assistance as an added benefit for their employees." And even if this specific benefit isn't offered, other benefits you may have previously overlooked like "educational assistance, pre-tax transportation plans, adoption assistance and gym memberships (some offer child care) are all ways you can cut costs," noted What to Expect .

Reach out to your HR representative to learn what options are available, or pull out your employee benefits package for a review.

2. Tap your (DC)FSA or a tax credit

As CNBC explained, often employers will offer a child care FSA or dependent care FSA (DCFSA), which "typically allows you to set aside up to $5,000 per year using pretax dollars from your paycheck." You could use those funds to reimburse a portion of your childcare costs.

Just know that if you take advantage of a DCFSA, you can't then also claim the child care tax credit, another cost-cutting option at your disposal. As Money Crashers explained it, the child care tax credit "returns a percentage of your child care expenses, depending on your income, with a cap of $3,000 per qualifying child ($6,000 for two or more children)."

As such, you might want to "speak with an accountant before opening a DCFSA, especially if you have more than one qualifying child, to determine which option makes the most sense for you," Money Crashers advised.

3. Get into the nitty gritty of your budget

You may think you've already stretched your budget as tight as it can get, but on further review, there are almost always new opportunities to cut back that you can identify. You can then use those extra funds you find to help with covering child care.

And if you don't already have a budget, creating a plan is essential to making your money work harder for you. As What to Expect contended, "if you create a family budget to reduce expenses (and stick to it), youll come out ahead." Plus, by mapping everything out, there's the added bonus of realizing that childcare costs are usually on a "fixed timeline," which "can help alleviate the pain of reducing your expenses," pointed out What to Expect.

4. See if you can secure a discount

Per Bankrate, "many child care providers will offer a discount for additional children after your first." If you're dropping off more than one kid at the same daycare and not already receiving a discount, it's worth talking to your provider to see if they might be able to work with you.

Similarly, you might look into pooling resources with other families that you know through work or, your neighborhood, or your local playground. As Bankrate noted, "sharing one care provider may be less costly than hiring a private nanny to watch over your children."

5. Reassess your work schedule

While the prospect of rearranging your work schedule may seem daunting, it could offer some much-needed relief. For instance, you might approach your employer about working from home one or more days per week or going part-time, given that "some day care centers charge by the day instead of the week," according to Ramsey Solutions .

Or, if you have a co-parent, you might attempt to coordinate your schedules to better stagger your availability to take care of the kids and cut down on the amount of time you need to rely on outside childcare. You might even explore this option with a family member, adjusting your work schedule around their availability to help out.
Six people, including a 15-year-old, who said they were members of a religious group called Soldiers of Christ were arrested after police said they found the remains of a woman whod been beaten and starved.

Eric Hyun, 26, Gawom Lee, 26, Joonho Lee, 26, Juoonhyum Lee, 22, Hyunji Lee, 25, and the teenager are suspected of false imprisonment, tampering with evidence, concealing the death of another, and murder after the woman was discovered in the trunk of a car parked outside of a spa on Tuesday night, the Gwinnett County Police Department in Georgia announced on Thursday.

Speaking at a press conference, Cpl. Juan Madiedo said detectives believe that the woman was in her 20s or mid-30s and had come to the U.S. from South Korea over the summer to join the group. Authorities have not released her name as they attempt to first contact her family.

A police photo shows the parking lot where the woman's body was found inside a car trunk.

A police photo shows the parking lot where the woman's body was found inside a car trunk.

Madiedo said she weighed only 70 pounds, adding that medical examiners believe malnourishment contributed to her death.

Detectives believe that Hyun parked the car that held the womans body in the lot earlier that day, then called a family member to pick him up to take him to an Atlanta-area hospital to treat injuries unrelated to the death, Madiedo said. When the family member returned to the car to pick up a personal item, they looked in the trunk and called 911, authorities said.

According to Hyuns arrest warrant, the womans body had been burned and wrapped in a blanket before being placed in the trunk.

Madiedo added that investigators believe the womans body had been in the car for a few days.

Authorities then searched a home in Lawrenceville belonging to the Lees and where they said Hyun had visited and previously lived. The suspects have family ties, police said.

We do believe that the basement of the location was where these individuals did the beatings and kept the victim there until she passed away, Madiedo said.

A police photo shows the basement where authorities say a woman was beaten and left malnourished for weeks.

A police photo shows the basement where authorities say a woman was beaten and left malnourished for weeks.

Authorities added that they believe the woman had experienced the beatings and malnourishment for weeks before her death. Madiedo said investigators dont believe she was sexually assaulted.

With their shared religious affiliation, the suspects also face charges accusing them of being associated with a criminal gang.

Its unclear whether or not they are represented by attorneys. The Gwinnett County District Attorneys Office said a court date has not yet been scheduled.

Related...
Demonstrators march in Parliament Square as they hold a banner, in London, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, as today marks the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

LONDON (AP)  Hundreds gathered in central London on Saturday to mark the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman who died in police custody in Iran last year, sparking worldwide protests against the country's conservative Islamic theocracy.

Chanting Women! Life! Freedom!,'' the crowds held her portrait and rallied around the memory of a young woman who died on Sept. 16, 2022, after she was arrested for allegedly violating Irans mandatory headscarf law. Similar protests took place in Italy, Germany and France.

Were calling on everyone to remember those killed, but also continue the fight, because this fight has to go to the end. Mahsa Jina Amini and the many others cannot have died in vain, said Maryam Namazie, an Iranian human rights activist in the U.K. We have to have a better society as the result of this huge, Herculean fight.

In Iran, authorities sought to prevent the anniversary from reigniting the protests that gripped the country last year. Aminis father was detained outside his home after the family indicated that they planned to gather at her grave for a traditional service of commemoration, the Kurdish rights group Hengaw said. People in downtown Tehran reported a heavy security presence, and security forces were seen in western Iran, where the Kurdish minority staged large protests last year.

Hengaw reported a widespread general strike in Kurdish areas on Saturday, circulating video and photos that appeared to show streets largely empty and shops shuttered. Human Rights Activists in Iran, another group that closely follows events within the country, also reported the general strike. There was no acknowledgement of the strike in state media.

Hengaw reported that a man was in critical condition after being shot by security forces near Saqqez, in the Kurdish region. The semi-official Fars news agency said that he was shot after ignoring orders to stop at a checkpoint and that his condition was stable.

Videos on social media purported to show tear gas being fired in Mashhad and Karaj, a satellite city of Tehran. The New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran also reported the tear gas being used. Iranian state media did not acknowledge any such incidents.

Amini, a Kurdish-Iranian woman from the western region, died three days after she was arrested by morality police, allegedly for violating laws that require women to cover their hair in public. While authorities said that she suffered a heart attack, Aminis supporters said she was beaten by police and died as a result of her injuries.

Her death triggered protests that spread across the country and rapidly escalated into calls for the overthrow of Irans four-decade-old Islamic theocracy.

Authorities responded with a violent crackdown in which more than 500 people were killed and in excess of 22,000 others were detained, according to rights groups. The demonstrations largely died down early this year, but there are still widespread signs of discontent. For several months, women could be seen openly flaunting the headscarf rule in Tehran and other cities, prompting a renewed crackdown over the summer.

Activists around the world sought to renew the protests on the anniversary of Aminis death.

On Saturday, about 100 protesters gathered in front of the Iranian Embassy in Rome under the Women, life, freedom, banner.

Now it is important that all the world start again to demonstrate in the streets, because what we want is to isolate this regime and in particular we want to push all the states not to have political and economic agreements with Iran, protester Lucia Massi said.

In Paris, Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced that a garden in the French capital now carried Amini's name. The mayor called Amini an Iranian resistance hero and said Paris honors her memory and her battle, as well as those of women who fight for their freedom in Iran and elsewhere.

The Villemin Garden that now also bears Aminis name is in Paris' 10th district, next to a canal with popular boat tours for tourists.

Iran blamed last years protests on the United States and other foreign powers, without providing evidence, and has since tried to downplay the unrest even as it moves to prevent any resurgence.

The protests were partly fueled by the widespread economic pain Iranians have suffered since then-President Donald Trump withdrew from a nuclear deal with world powers and reimposed crippling sanctions on Iran. But that suffering also may have made it difficult to sustain prolonged demonstrations, as many Iranians struggle to make ends meet.

President Joe Biden issued a lengthy statement on Friday acknowledging the anniversary of Aminis death, and the United States announced new sanctions on Iranian officials and entities. U.K. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also noted the anniversary and imposed new sanctions on Iranian officials.

Soheila Sokhanvari, an Iranian-British artist, moved to the U.K. to study a year before the 1979 revolution that brought Irans conservative Islamic leaders to power. She was in London preparing for a solo exhibition on pre-revolutionary feminist icons last year when she heard about Aminis death.

The protests that followed marked the first time the world has seen a revolution which is instigated by women, she told The Associated Press earlier this month.

But I think whats really important about this protest is that Iranian men, for the first time in the history of Iran, theyre actually standing with women and theyre supporting the women and theyre showing respect for the women, she said. Thats very original and its never happened in the history of Iran.

___

Kwiyeon Ha in London, Paolo Santalucia in Rome, John Leicester in Le Pecq, France, and Emily Schultheis in Berlin, contributed to this report.
In February 2013, Pope Benedict XVI did something truly remarkable: He resigned the papacy.

In his letter of resignation he explained that physical strength has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.

At 85, the rigor and demands of his job were overwhelming  they would overwhelm a man half his age.

It was an honest, if not obvious, admission.

Popes, like other leaders, are typically older, if not elderly, when elected, and they serve until death.

No pope had voluntarily renounced the papacy in 800 years; it simply wasnt done. Which made Benedicts decision, in recognizing his own physical limitations, an act of great humility.

Ten years hence, his example is one for Americas aging political class.

To begin, theres President Joe Biden , whose physical health and mental acuity are a frequent topic of conversation in the news media and around dinner tables across America. At 80, Biden is the oldest individual to hold his office, which is at least as demanding as the papacy.

If elected to the second term he is seeking, he would be 86 at its conclusion.

From an actuarial perspective, having survived in good health this long, Biden would probably live out his term  or at least come close.

But whether he would be able to effectively and coherently lead the free world is another serious question entirely.

Hardly a month goes by without video of the president physically stumbling or making a statement that is wholly indecipherable.

His noticeably light public schedule, with typically only afternoon events and weekends for rest, suggests Bidens stamina is limited, despite the repeated and plainly mendacious claims of the White House press secretary that his staff cant keep up with his vigor.

The American public is not convinced.

A recent Associated Press-NORC poll, found that 77 percent of the public, including 69 percent of Democrats, believe Biden is too old to be effective for four more years.

Thats a political problem for his party, as well as a concern for the stability of the nation.

But that problem extends across party lines.

Donald Trump, the GOP frontrunner, is no spring chicken. At 77, his age and health are a concern for about half of voters, although his primary liabilities as a public leader have more to do with things other than his age.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to freeze up during a news conference last month in Kentucky.

The physical health of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has posed some serious concerns within the GOP.

Last month, the 81-year-old appeared to freeze  becoming physically unable to speak  when engaging a gaggle of reporters. It was the second such occurrence in two months.

While McConnell was quickly cleared by his physician and has spoken publicly without incident in the ensuing weeks, concerns about his health remain.

His position is not nearly as taxing as that of the president, but from a political and public policy perspective, its still one of significance. His role is demanding, physically and mentally.

And McConnell isnt even the oldest member of the Senate. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, at 90, takes that title. Her health has been in precipitous and obvious decline for years.

She has been incapacitated and unable to attend votes for long periods of time, yet she still sits on some of the most powerful committees in the chamber. Her ability to serve, however, really isnt a question anymore. It is clear she cannot.

The health of our aging political class isnt a novel concern. Politicians are notorious for overstaying their welcome, and voters are guilty for keeping them in office.

But with so many powerful leaders raising health concerns, renewed calls for an incapacity amendment for congressional leaders arent out of the question.

There of course is already one for the president, and its reasonable to wonder if it will be needed in the coming years, if Biden continues on his current political path.

Politicians, like popes, should be able to work with dignity, even in their waning years.

They would better serve their offices and legacies (not to mention the people they represent) if they followed the example of Benedict and went out on their own terms, with honor and humility.
By Rozanna Latiff and Danial Azhar

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) -A string of dropped corruption cases in Malaysia has raised questions over Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim 's commitment to fighting graft, with lawmakers and analysts warning it could risk alienating voters, deepen divisions within the ruling coalition, and jeopardise his reform agenda.

With his "reformasi" rallying cry, Anwar campaigned as an anti-corruption advocate for over two decades as opposition leader.

Many hoped his appointment as premier last November would sweep in reforms and improve Malaysia's international standing - tarnished in recent years by the multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).

But Anwar now faces accusations, including from his own party, of betraying progressive voters and allies, after state prosecutors this month dropped 47 charges against Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and failed to appeal against the acquittal of former premier Najib Razak in a 1MDB-linked case.

Anwar has said he does not interfere in court cases, but the independence of the country's attorney generals have often been questioned as they are appointed by the prime minister.

Hassan Karim, a lawmaker from Anwar's People's Justice Party, said he felt "let down" by the premier, whom he described as a close friend.

"Anwar is concerned more about the survival of his government and his power rather than the reform agenda that he had promised to the people," he told Reuters.

The attorney-general's chambers (AGC) and Anwar's office did not respond to requests for comment.

Ahmad Zahid and Najib, who is serving a 12-year jail sentence on separate 1MDB charges, are both from the once-dominant United Malays National Organisation that Anwar has long campaigned against.

Anwar joined hands with his former rivals last year to gain a parliamentary majority.

The AGC has said it dropped charges against Ahmad Zahid to review new evidence, and reiterated that its decisions were made independently.

That has not stopped critics questioning why charges were dropped after four years in court and after a judge had already ruled that prosecutors had established a prima facie case.

On Saturday, around 1,000 people turned up at a protest in Kuala Lumpur organised by Malaysia's opposition, calling for Ahmad Zahid to be prosecuted and chanting "reforms are dead."

Youth party MUDA pulled support for Anwar's coalition over the graft case, with its sole lawmaker Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman saying that dropping the case against Ahmad Zahid was crossing a "red line."

"When you campaign on a clear platform of reforms and anti-corruption, and you do the exact opposite, be prepared to be punished by the public," he said.

GROWING DISCONTENT

Anwar's reform promises are being closely monitored by voters and foreign investors, already wary after the 1MDB scandal.

Malaysians are also watching to see if Najib could get any reprieve. Najib has sought a royal pardon over his conviction and requested other charges that he faces to be reviewed.

The dropping of the cases comes amid worries over a roll-back in democratic freedoms after Anwar's government blocked several news portals, opened sedition and graft probes against opposition figures, and increased scrutiny of the country's LGBTQ+ community.

"We came in as progressives but now we are seen as regressive," said a government lawmaker who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh, another lawmaker from Anwar's party, warned that the government could lose supporters if it failed to fulfil reform promises -- including separating powers of the public prosecutor and the attorney-general, and reviewing subsidies.

Voters' frustration is already showing.

A local election held this month soon after the decision in Ahmad Zahid's case showed voter turnout declined by nearly a third compared to the November election, according to Wong Chin Huat, a political scientist at Malaysia's Sunway University.

Despite a win by a candidate from Anwar's coalition, Wong said the data indicated growing public discontent with the government, with some Anwar supporters shifting towards the opposition.

"If Anwar continues to take his liberal and minority base for granted, they may turn to other parties or simply abstain," Wong said.

(Reporting by Rozanna Latiff and Danial Azhar; Additional reporting by Hasnoor Hussain; Editing by A. Ananthalakshmi and Kim Coghill)
By Greg Torode and Martin Quin Pollard

BEIJING (Reuters) - The disappearance of China's defence minister, the latest in a string of upheavals in the country's top ranks, is stoking uncertainty about President Xi Jinping 's rule as an internal security clampdown trumps international engagement.

The growing unpredictability could affect the confidence other countries place in the leadership of the world's second-biggest economy, diplomats and analysts say.

Defence Minister Li Shangfu , who has missed meetings including with at least one foreign counterpart since he was last seen in late August, is under investigation in a corruption probe into military procurement, Reuters reported on Friday.

Newly installed Foreign Minister Qin Gang vanished with scant explanation in July, the same month as an abrupt shake-up of the military's elite Rocket Force, which oversees China's nuclear arsenal.

As Xi, China's commander-in-chief has focussed inward, he caused concern among foreign diplomats this month by missing a Group of 20 summit in India, the first time he has skipped the global leaders' gathering in his decade in power.

Faced with the growing uncertainties, some diplomats and analysts are calling for a hard look at the true nature of Xi's regime.

"Clear-eyed assessments are needed - this isn't just a question of whether China is a partner or a competitor, it is a source of economic, political and military risk," said Drew Thompson, a former Pentagon official who is now a scholar at the National University of Singapore.

Due to a lack of transparency surrounding the changes, various explanations were plausible "and this feeds the crisis of confidence that is brewing around China," Thompson said.

China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Saturday.

PROXIMITY ISN'T PATRONAGE

Regarding Defence Minister Li's disappearance and investigation, a ministry spokeswoman told reporters on Friday she was not aware of the situation. The State Council and Defence Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Since his appointment in March, Li has been the public face of Chinas expanding military diplomacy, expressing concern over U.S. military operations during a high-profile security conference in June and visiting Russia and Belarus in August.

He had been expected to host an international security meeting in Beijing in October and represent the People's Liberation Army (PLA) at a meeting in November of regional defence chiefs in Jakarta.

With corruption long permeating China's military and state institutions, some analysts and diplomats believe Xi's anti-graft crackdowns mark political purges across the Communist Party.

"Regardless of the reason... the sense that this could keep happening could have an impact on foreign actors' confidence in engaging with their Chinese counterparts," said Helena Legarda, lead analyst with the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin.

The Li upheaval is unusual for its speed and its reach into Xi's hand-picked elites.

"This is all so sudden and opaque. One thing we can now see is that proximity does not equate to patronage in Xi's world," said Singapore-based security analyst Alexander Neill, an adjunct fellow with Hawaii's Pacific Forum think-tank.

CONTINUITY RISK

Although not in a direct command position, Li serves on Xi's seven-person Central Military Commission and is one of China's five state councillors, a cabinet position that outranks regular ministers. Some scholars believe he is close to General Zhang Youxia, who sits above him on the commission and is Xi's closest ally in the PLA.

Li, sanctioned by Washington in 2018 for an arms deal with Russia, shunned a meeting with U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin at Singapore's Shangri-la Dialogue security conference in June, where a handshake marked their closest interaction.

Austin and other U.S. officials are keen to resume high-level talks between the two militaries regional tensions roil. But Beijing counters that it wants Washington to be less assertive in the Asia-Pacific.

Regional envoys say deeper Chinese military diplomacy is vital, particularly with the U.S. but also with other powers, as China increasingly deploys forces around Taiwan - the democratically governed island it claims - and across disputed parts of the East and South China Seas.

If Li's fate "reflects Xi's increasingly inward focus, it is not good for those of us who want greater openness and lines of communications with China's military," said one Asian diplomat.

As the PLA has an unprecedented level of military engagements with Southeast Asian forces this year, the recent swift changes back in Beijing "spur speculation and some concern about the continuity of policy", said political scientist Ja Ian Chong at the National University of Singapore.

"A shake-up of the military at this time is likely to draw attention, given the heightened activity of the PLA near Taiwan and the East China Sea, as well as stepped-up paramilitary activity in the South China Sea, since such actions create potential risk of accidents, escalation and crises," Chong said.

(Reporting By Greg Torode in Hong Kong and Martin Quin Pollard in Beijing; Editing by William Mallard)
 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema, in Beijing on Friday.

The two heads of state announced the elevation of the China-Zambia relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Hichilema is paying a state visit to China from Sept. 10 to 16 at the invitation of Xi.

Upgrading Bilateral Ties

Xi said that the traditional friendship forged by the two countries' older generations of leaders has stood the test of the changing international landscape, and the Tanzania-Zambia Railway has become a symbol of China-Africa friendship.

Xi said China has always viewed and developed China-Zambia relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and stands ready to work with Zambia to transform the profound traditional friendship into a strong driving force for win-win cooperation in the new era and push bilateral relations to a new level.

The Chinese president said China supports Zambia in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests and exploring a development path suited to its own conditions. He expressed China's willingness to strengthen inter-party exchanges and exchanges of state governance experience with Zambia. The two countries should support each other on issues related to their respective core interests and major concerns.

The success of Chinese modernization shows the diversity of modernization models in the world, and China's high-quality development and modernization process will continue to bring new opportunities to all countries including Zambia, Xi said.

China hopes to jointly build the Belt and Road with Zambia and expand cooperation in infrastructure construction, agriculture, mining and clean energy to achieve common development and revitalization, Xi said.

Xi said China encourages more quality Zambian products to enter the Chinese market and supports more Chinese enterprises in investing in Zambia.

He called on the two sides to make a success of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties next year, and step up exchanges and cooperation in education and training, health care, culture, tourism and other fields.

Hichilema said Zambia cherishes the friendship forged by the older generations of leaders of the two countries. He said Zambia thanks China for its positive role in resolving the Zambian debt issue. The Zambian side abides by the one-China principle, highly appreciates the guiding philosophy and principles of Chinese modernization, and hopes to learn from China's development experience.

Hichilema said Zambia is ready to work with China to take the establishment of a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership as an opportunity to deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and in mining, agriculture, economy and trade, science and technology, infrastructure construction, health care and other fields.

After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of a number of bilateral cooperation documents in areas including Belt and Road cooperation, green development, digital economy, investment cooperation, inspection and quarantine.

Commenting on the elevation of China-Zambia relations, Li Wentao, executive director of the Institute of African Studies at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said the two countries, as long-standing partners, will seek cooperation in a wider range of areas and achieve more consensus in international affairs after upgrading their ties.

Advancing China-Africa Cooperation

Noting that the collective rise of developing countries and their increasing international influence have become an irreversible trend of the times, Xi said China and Zambia need to strengthen solidarity and coordination, practice genuine multilateralism, firmly uphold international fairness and justice, strive to increase the voice of developing countries, and safeguard the common interests of the two countries and other developing countries.

Xi said China-Africa cooperation has become a pacesetter in South-South cooperation and international cooperation with Africa. The features of China-Africa friendship, including sincerity and equality, win-win cooperation, safeguarding justice, openness and inclusiveness, have never changed.

China firmly supports African countries in pursuing independent development paths, and firmly supports African countries in becoming an important pole in the world politics, economy and civilization, Xi said.

China is ready to work with Zambia and other African countries to implement the outcomes of the China-Africa Leaders' Dialogue, including the Initiative on Supporting Africa's Industrialization, strengthen strategic alignment, deepen cooperation in various fields, support African countries in enhancing their capacity for independent development and realizing economic recovery and sustainable development, and jointly build a China-Africa community with a shared future in the new era, according to Xi.

Hichilema said China's development has led to the progress of countries in the Global South, increased their representation and voice in international affairs, and promoted the development of international order in a more just and rational direction.

Zambia thanks China for supporting the African Union's entry into the G20, Hichilema said.

The Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) is an important platform for promoting the development of African countries, he said. Thanking China for hosting the FOCAC meeting in 2024, he said Zambia is willing to work with China to push Africa-China cooperation to a new level, jointly cope with global challenges such as energy and food security, and inject more stability into the world.

Hichilema's visit came on the heels of Xi's state visit to South Africa and Beninese President Patrice Athanase Guillaume Talon's trip to China. The recent frequent high-level exchanges between China and African countries will boost the China-Africa ties, said Li Wentao.

China and Africa are engaged in cooperation in many fields, the essence of which is to promote Africa's independent development, Li said.




NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  The family of a Dover man who went missing on a hunting trip in Alaska has experienced yet another setback.

Steve Keel went missing in Alaska more than a year ago, and his wife, Liz Keel, recently reported human remains she believes are Steves had been located at the bottom of a lake. In a social media post, Liz said the remains are believed to be those of her husband.

Steve, an avid outdoorsman, was on a caribou hunting trip with a friend when he vanished. They arrived in Alaska on Aug. 20, 2022, and drove almost 500 miles north to the town of Deadhorse.

Liz told News 2 Steve and his friend were in constant contact with their families throughout the trip. Steve left the campsite on Aug. 28, 2022, to get supplies at a spot about a mile away where they stored their caribou meat, but never returned.

Scholarship fund to honor Stewart County hunter missing in Alaska

Liz explained Steves body was located in a lake in August by a team of divers using cadaver dogs, sonar, and a forensic device.

She alerted Alaska state troopers, who reportedly started the process of activating divers from a nonprofit group as the state does not have its own trained divers.

Our team could have recovered Steve right then, but Alaska troopers said no, they would do the recovery. Part of our team had to leave and part stayed to keep an eye on the area, explained Liz in a social media post.

Alaskan search team raising money to help find missing TN hunter

It took a few weeks for authorities to organize recovery efforts and when a recovery team arrived, they were not able to relocate the position of Steves remains, according to his wife.

The Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team reported on social media Thursday the search for Steve Keel has not been resolved while thanking multiple departments for their assistance.

(Courtesy: Alaska Dive Search Rescue and Recovery Team)

On Friday afternoon, Austin McDaniel, communications director with the Alaska State Troopers-Department of Public Safety, released a statement on the search, which reads in part, The highly specialized dive team used divers and a cadaver dog to thoroughly search for Keel and were not able to locate any human remains within the lake that the group had identified, or anywhere in the immediate areaThrough physical examination of the area by divers, the item that the group believed to be a body from a sonar image was determined to not be human remains.

Its already getting colder in Alaska. As the weather turns, it will become more difficult for search teams to continue their operations. Still, Liz writes on the Search for Steve Facebook page that they will be doing everything we can moving forward to bring Steve home.

In the days following his disappearance, the Dover community jumped in to help look for Keel. Four Middle Tennessee men flew to Alaska to search on their own, and Keels own sons made the trip, but there was never any sign of him.

Click here for complete coverage of Steve Keel.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
Sen. Mitt Romneys (R-Utah) impending exit from political life is dealing a significant blow to the anti-Trump movement as they face life without one of their most prominent leaders and the potential White House return of the former president.

Romneys decision to retire from the Senate at the end of 2024 comes after he voted to convict former President Trump in both impeachment trials  the only Republican senator to do so  and spent the past 18 months hammering Trump for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Other top anti-Trump figures believe the void his retirement creates cannot be easily filled and could set back the movement even further.

Its a great loss to the Senate and to the Republican Party, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), an outspoken Trump critic, said in an interview. Sadly, it is a problem that far too many good people who actually care more about getting things done than performative politics, theyre coming to the conclusion that its not worth dealing with the circus in Washington.

Weve got to find a way to get a new generation of leaders to step up, but we cant afford to let the circus be the only show in town, Hogan continued. My concern is that those of us who still care about the party and the country and would like to get us back on track  we cant all give up and walk away. Weve got to continue to fight, even though its an uphill battle and even though, currently, it doesnt look so good.

Romney, 76, said in interviews this week that the prospect of a House GOP-led legislative slog, the dwindling space for bipartisan work in a potential second term, and the lack of desire to work into his 80s played key roles in his decision.

But his decision is the latest blow to the anti-Trump movement, which has lost more of its political figures with every election cycle. Only two of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump remain in Congress after the 2022 midterms. The most outspoken among them, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), who served as vice chairwoman of the House committee investigating Jan. 6, handily lost a primary to a Trump-backed challenger.

In the Senate, two of the seven Republicans who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment opted to retire before the midterms. A third resigned earlier this year to take a job as a university president.

Moderate former GOP Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker opted not to seek another term in 2022 while Hogan was term-limited. And New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R), another Trump critic, is not running for reelection in 2024.

Adding insult to injury for the group, Trump is also the leader in the GOP presidential field, while those critical of him, like former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, have found it tough to make inroads with voters.

Outspoken anti-Trumpers are worried that the lane for that type of Republican is closed off for the foreseeable future, which means it will be impossible to fill the void left by the Utah senator.

I really just dont think it [gets filled], said Tim Miller, who served as a top aide to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bushs (R) 2016 bid and is a writer-at-large for The Bulwark, an anti-Trump publication. I dont think that there is a comeback. The voters in the Republican Party do not want these kinds of candidates.

I dont really even think were done, Miller said, referring to the key losses suffered by anti-Trump voters via retirement or primary defeats. He noted that Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), who voted to convict Trump in 2021, could be atop that list in the coming years. I think theres another, probably, decade. Romney is sort of the tip of the spear.

Former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.), a frequent Trump critic, argued the conundrum Republicans of his ilk face is simple: Their views are tailored for a general election, but no anti-Trump Republican can make it through a primary, with the independent lane not serving as much of an option.

They just dont see a path forward for themselves, and thats the tragedy, Dent said in an interview. This has been the tragedy all along  that Trump dominates the primary but is a catastrophe in the general elections, particularly in swing districts and swing states. This is the conundrum Republicans have to come to grips with.

Romneys loss is also expected to be felt in the future of bipartisan negotiations, especially in what could be a second term for President Biden, and he might not be alone in creating that void in the moderate ranks within the upper chamber.

Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) are facing tough reelection fights next year, though neither has publicly announced whether they are seeking another term. This comes after nearly a half-dozen Senate Republicans who were all known for their work across the aisle declined to seek reelection, many of which were replaced by candidates who were much more pro-Trump.

Im sad, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who was a political anomaly last cycle, having voted to convict Trump over his role in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and subsequently won reelection, said about Romneys announcement. I think [Romney] plays a very key role in the Senate, certainly in our conference. I think he is a voice of reason and integrity and he certainly has his fair share of political courage.

Romney could continue to serve as one of the leading critics of Trump, but he would have to do it from outside of public office. Still, he will have potentially the largest platform of those in that world should he decide to keep it up.

Hogan argued that while it can be a struggle for some to maintain their influence on the outside, it is by no means impossible. He himself has been a frequent presence on cable news, pens op-eds, does fellowships and speaks on college campuses.

You dont have to be in elected office to be a voice, Hogan said. But he conceded that youve got to work at building and maintaining your brand.

Its almost like I still have some of the clout of being governor without the real responsibilities, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Trump-loving internet conspiracy theorist is in the custody of the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department after approaching a rally for his apparent spiritual compatriot Robert F. Kennedy Jr. while armed, The Daily Beast has learned.

L.A. authorities are holding a man on felony charges and $35,000 bail after arresting him at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre yesterday, where the disinfo superspreader Kennedy was holding a Hispanic heritage event.

On Twitter, Kennedy credited his private security team with intercepting the manwho he claimed was armed with loaded pistols and spare ammunition magazines and a U.S. Marshals badgeand holding him for police.

He identified himself as a member of my security detail, Kennedy wrote. Team members moved to isolate and detain the man until the LAPS arrived to make the arrest.

The LAPD identified the accused as 44-year-old Adrian Paul Aispuro. A TikTok video posted in late July bears Aispuros name, and features an individual sporting an identical shirt, shoulder holsters, sunglasses, and facial hair as a photo Kennedy shared of the man detained at his rallyand has the same tattoo of the word FREE in Gothic lettering across his hand.

The clip shows an unseen cameraman walking along the front of a ranch-style house with a Betsy Ross flag, till he reaches the garage where Aispuro stands beside a motorcycle, with a pistol at his hip and a badge hanging around his neck. The man makes a number of bizarre statements, referring to either himself or the person filming as Gods gangster, and encouraging viewers to visit Rumblea YouTube alternative known for hosting extremist contentand view the content of two hosts who have promoted QAnon-flavored conspiracy theories about aliens, shape-shifting reptilians, and the supposed deep state cabal.

Aispuro also expressed a belief his name has a special numerological significance, and a desire to communicate with the rival Hells Angels and Mongols motorcycle gangs.

Do your fucking research on that last name and youll know who youre fucking with, the alleged offender said. Lets break some fucking kneecaps. Lets go for a ride, dog. Lets fuck it up. Im putting this planet on lockdown. Defcon One, regulators mount up, stay-at-home orders effective now. Thats whats happening. Take care of each other, protect the women and children. If I dont make it back, call the president, your commander in chief, Donald J. Trump.

In the video, Aispuro also gave a Gmail address that matched his account name on TikTok. An identical handle has left multiple comments on paranoid Rumble videos, including from one of the hosts he recommended on TikTok, and which indicate a hatred of inoculation regimens and an admiration for the ex-president.

ANAGRAM FOR VACCINE: CC NAIVE!!! reads one such comment.

MAGA to MEGA: MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! MAKE EARTH GREAT AGAIN! reads another.

Aispuros brother Raymond confirmed to The Daily Beast that his brother remains in custody at present, but called bullshit on Kennedys claim that the accused attempted to approach him. Raymond Aispuro, who said police also detained him at the theater and searched his vehicle, highlighted videos posted online showing cops cuffing his brother on the sidewalk outside the Wilshire Ebell.

He said his brother is an unemployed emergency medical technician who lives with their parents, does not have a car, and asked him for a ride to what the accused told him was a single-day security job.

He told me that he was in communication with someone about a gig, like a private contract gig, a one-time deal, and he had to go that day to work it, Raymond Aispuro said. I dont know who he talks to or what, I just get whatever vague information he gives me.

I really do think this is a situation where he got wrong information or he trusted someone he shouldnt have, he added.

He went on to call his brother a loner who does not have a girlfriend or wife, and spends hours online watching videos about aliens, which he sometimes shares while the two work out together. Raymond Aispuro said the two rarely discuss politics, but acknowledged that his brother is a strong Trump supporter, and that neither of them have taken the COVID-19 vaccinehaving heard, in 2016, a disturbing unconfirmed story about someone who had gotten the flu vaccine.

He does want, hes said it multiple times, Donald Trump to be president of the United States again to fix this country, Raymond Aispuro told The Daily Beast.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Sgt Roger Hansen rescued a baby burro after his mother was killed on September 5 in Arizona. He was named Roger, after his rescuer.

After narrowly avoiding death by way of car earlier this month, a baby burro from Arizona lives on.

A female burro and her day-old foal old were roaming a roadway near Lake Pleasant, an hour north of Phoenix, when the mother was hit and killed by a car Sept. 5, according to a post by the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

The baby boy burro was slightly injured, but remained in the area.

AZDPS Sgt. Roger Hansen was one of the troopers sent out to survey the scene.

Because he knew the baby burro would not survive out in the wild, he contacted a local wild horse and burro sanctuary nearby to see if they could take him in. The baby burro was then loaded up in the back of his patrol vehicle.

After arriving at the rescue, the baby burro was promptly matched with a nursing burro.

The little guy quickly settled in and adjusted to his adoptive mom, and has been eating, running, and playing just like a little burro should. Ms. Thomas grandson even named the little burro Roger in honor of Sgt. Hansen, the post stated.

When Roger is old enough to leave the rescue, a state trooper plans on adopting him.

Wild horses and burros represent pioneer spirit of the Old West

The population of wild burros and horses, as it stands this year comes to about 82,883. The Bureau of Land Management manages, protects, and controls wild horses and burros cross 26.9 million acres of public land, under the 1971 Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.

Congress finds and declares that wild free-roaming horses and burros are living symbols of the historic and pioneer spirit of the West; that they contribute to the diversity of life forms within the Nation and enrich the lives of the American people; and that these horses and burros are fast disappearing from the American scene, the act stated.

Congress created the act to protect these creatures from capture, branding, harassment, or death. the bureau has the right to remove excess wild horses and burros to protect the health of public lands, according to the bureau's website.

Wild horses can be found across 10 Western states, while wild burros are spotted in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and Oregon.

Some of the horses that are seen around the public lands were released or escaped from Spanish explorers, ranchers, miners, the U.S. Cavalry and Native Americans, the Bureau of Land Management reported. These animals are known for their sure-footedness, strength, intelligence and endurance. Excess wild horses or burros removed by the bureau can be purchased or adopted.

Some interesting facts about wild burros

Wild burros come in a diverse range of colors, including black, brown, pinto and palomino.

They are almost 4 feet tall on average and weigh 500 pounds.

Burros feed on a variety of plants like grasses, Mormon tea, Palo Verde and plantains.

They tend to hydrate through the plants they consume, but often go a long time without drinking.

Burros tend to assess a situation before fleeing.

More: 5 burros found fatally shot in Californias Death Valley National Park, officials say

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Baby burro rescued by Arizona state trooper earlier this month
Out of the morning mist on Tuesday came the first of 120 boats plying the Mediterranean toward the tiny island of Lampedusa.

In roughly 24 hours, some 7,000 to 8,000 North African migrants would land upon the Italian island in numbers more than double its 6,000 population.

Lampedusa is a gateway for migrants hoping to resettle in continental Europe. Like the citizens in our own gateway cities of Yuma and Nogales, the people of Lampedusa are used to migrant traffic.

But this was way more than anyone could handle.

Italians blast leaders over migrant surge

An Italian police officer sprays a migrant with fresh water after he crossed a fence on the Italian island of Lampedusa on Sept. 14, 2023.

The Red Cross stations built to serve as many as 400 arrivals were overwhelmed and trampled.

Italian officials were alarmed.

When 120 boats arrive in a few hours it is no longer a chance episode, it is an act of war, Matteo Salvini , the Italian deputy prime minister, told The Times (of London). I am convinced that there is coordination behind this exodus.

The Italian people blamed their prime minister, Giorgia Meloni , who was elected on the promise she would stop rampant immigration, even if it took a naval blockade, reported the Washington Post.

Her rhetoric has proven empty. Italys 123,800 immigrant arrivals this year have doubled last years.

In France, Marine Chiaberto, a leader in the far-right party Reconquete!, tweeted out, Italy is submerged, France and Europe too. Immigration threatens the balance of the continent and the survival of our civilization.

Europe, US are experiencing similar forces

The immigrants who descended on Lampedusa largely came from sub-Saharan Africa by way of Tunisia, which, itself, has been overwhelmed with immigrants and is treating them harshly to compel them to leave.

The global south with its fast-growing population and often broken economies is pushing upward to the global north, where birth rates are low and jobs are more plentiful and better paying.

Another view: Gov. Hobbs should post guards at open border gates

The same global forces that apply pressure on Western Europe are also creating enormous stress on the United States and Arizona.

Lampedusa has lighted the imagination in Western Europe, allowing people to see very quickly what is occurring more slowly and incrementally across the continent.

Police shooting in France sparked riots

This follows rioting that broke out in France this summer after French police officers shot and killed a 17-year-old French citizen of Algerian and Moroccan descent. Police said the young man had nearly run down officers in his car, but video emerged that showed the police were never in danger.

Rioting broke out in larger cities across the country.

Protesters from largely immigrant communities attacked and burned city buses, city halls, churches and historic places. In one town, protesters drove a car into the mayors home and injured his wife and son.

Some 45,000 police officers were needed to quell the violence.

In the United States, we have watched a large influx of Latin American immigrants and now emerging groups of African migrants cross our southern border.

Liberal US cities feeling migration pain

In fiscal 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported record-breaking migrant encounters on the Southwest border  some 2.38 million.

In the first four months of the FY 2022, more than 8,600 pounds of fentanyl were seized at the border, wrote 16 members of Congress, including Arizonas Juan Ciscomani, to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

This is enough (fentanyl) to kill more than 1.9 billion people.

Boas: East Coast snobs sound like us on the border

Border states have been bussing immigrants to New York, Washington, D.C., and Chicago, and Democratic mayors and citizens in those cities are beginning to complain in the way border states complain about immigration.

New York Mayor Eric Adams said the problem will destroy New York City.

Is Lampedusa a sign of things to come?

The Italians, led by their far-right and restrictionist prime minister, are solving the crisis in Lampedusa by relocating the migrants to Sicily and the Italian mainland, reports the German broadcast network DW.

Which poses some important questions for Republicans and Democrats in the United States:

Is Lampedusa an outlier or a harbinger of things to come?

If global upward migration continues, should we get control of it?

And finally, the most important question of all:

Even if we want to control it, can we?

Phil Boas is an editorial columnist for The Arizona Republic. Email him at phil.boas@arizonarepublic.com.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Migrants overrun an Italian island. Is it a harbinger for Arizona?
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed a law Thursday restricting release of her travel and security records after the Legislature wrapped up a special session marked by a fight to more broadly scale back the state Freedom of Information Act.

The law, which took effect immediately, allows the state to wall off details about the security provided the GOP governor and other constitutional officers, including who travels on the State Police airplane and the cost of individual trips. Proposed changes to the 1967 law protecting the public's access to government records were among several items Sanders had placed on the agenda for a session that met this week.

Sanders has argued the restrictions are needed to protect her and her family, citing threats she's faced since taking office and going back to her time as White House press secretary for former President Donald Trump .

We protected the police officers who protect our constitutional officers and my family in keeping their security information and tactics exempt from Freedom of Information Act disclosure, Sanders said before signing the measure, about two hours after lawmakers gave it final it approval.

Sanders and Republicans in the Legislature had initially pushed for more widespread exemptions to the open-records law, but backed off after facing growing criticism that it would erode government transparency.

Some of the opponents of the broader exemptions for other state agencies that had been proposed initially endorsed the legislation after it was pared down to the security measures. But it still faces criticism that it will keep the public in the dark about how taxpayer dollars are being spent.

Democratic Rep. Andrew Collins said protecting the governor and her family is a good reason to exempt some records from release, but it should only be done as narrowly as possible.

But I dont think this is drawn as narrowly as possible, Collins, who voted against the bill, said.

Sanders sought the security exemptions as the State Police was sued by an attorney and blogger who accused the agency of illegally withholding records about the governors travel and security. But Matthew Campbell, who runs the Blue Hog Report website, asked a judge to dismiss the lawsuit after Campbell said he tested positive for COVID-19 and would be unable to attend a hearing that had been scheduled for Thursday. Campbell posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he may refile the suit.

The new law requires the state to file a quarterly report with the Legislature listing the monthly costs of protecting the governor by category. The law is also retroactive to June 1, 2022, a provision State Police said was needed to protect preparation made for whoever became the next governor after the party primaries that year.

Supporters of the bill said the governor's higher profile has raised the security risk she and her family faces.

With no offense to any of our previous governors, I cant think of one at least in recent memory that was a household name the way our current governor is, Republican Rep. David Ray told House members before the vote.

The broader exemptions originally sought prompted an outcry from media groups, transparency advocates and some conservatives who said it would create massive holes in the state's open records law.

Sanders left open the possibility of later seeking the other changes, which she has said is needed to improve government efficiency.

We're not going to stop continuing to fight for more government efficiency and effectiveness, and I think this is just the beginning of this process, Sanders said.

David Couch, an attorney who has spearheaded successful ballot initiatives on medical marijuana and the minimum wage, said he's looking at the possibility of one that would enshrine the state's open-records law in the constitution.

I think it would be overwhelmingly popular, Couch said.

Sanders signed other measures from the session, including legislation cutting the state's top individual income tax rate from 4.7% to 4.4% and the corporate rate from 5.1 to 4.8 percent. The legislation also creates a one-time nonrefundable tax credit of up to $150 for individuals and up to $300 for married couples making less than $90,000 a year. The reductions are estimated to cost the state more than $248 million in the first year.

Sanders also signed legislation prohibiting state and local governments from requiring someone to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The measure reinstates a similar 2021 law that expired last month. Any public entities that would require someone to be vaccinated in order to receive federal funding would have to seek approval from the Legislative Council to receive an exemption under the law.
A fugitive wanted in connection with kidnapping and aggravated assault was captured late Friday in Coolidge after a daylong manhunt, officials said.

Schools in Pinal County were put on lockdown Thursday afternoon as police searched for an "armed and dangerous" fugitive.

Coolidge police said multiple agencies were searching for the suspect, identified by the U.S. Marshals Service as Donald Hill, 45, in an area west of 10th Street and West Vah Ki Inn.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, the agency was assisting the Pinal County Sheriffs Office with the search for Hill. He was considered dangerous, the agency said in a Thursday night news release.

The agency said Hill was spotted by the Sheriffs Office near that area, but deputies did not manage to arrest him. On Friday, the U.S. Marshals Task Force, Pinal County Sheriffs Office and Coolidge police observed Hall in an apartment near California Avenue and Vah Ki Inn Road, according to authorities.

Hill was taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals Service on Friday night in Coolidge, according to the Coolidge Police Department.

Hill was arrested near North California Avenue and East Vah Ki Inn Road, according to police.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Fugitive captured in Coolidge after schools locked down
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a premier of a documentary film called "Midnight at the Border" at the Saban Theater on Aug. 3 in Los Angeles. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

A man was arrested at a Robert F. Kennedy Jr. campaign event in Los Angeles on Friday after he allegedly impersonated a U.S. Marshal while carrying a loaded gun, police said.

The event took place at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in the 4400 block of West 8th Street, where Kennedy was giving a speech to mark Hispanic Heritage Month by discussing the need for a comprehensive policy to secure the border and ease immigration pressure, according to a news release.

The man appeared at a side entrance to the theater, claimed to be part of Kennedys security team and told personnel that he needed to be taken to the candidate immediately, Kennedys team said in a subsequent news release. Security guards detained him and called police, the release said.

Police received a radio call at about 4:30 p.m. reporting a man with a loaded gun, a shoulder holster and a badge that stated he was a U.S. Marshal, said J Chavez, public information officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. The man did not brandish a gun or threaten anyone, he added.

The man was arrested and taken to Wilshire Station, then booked on suspicion of a felony charge of carrying a concealed firearm, Chavez said. Police identified him as Adrian Paul Aispuro, 44. He remained jailed Saturday in lieu of $35,000 bail, booking records state.

Kennedy's team said that police also took custody of a second man who arrived with Aispuro and had a backpack containing a handgun, multiple knives and extra ammunition. Police said they had no record of a second arrest.

Kennedys father, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated at Los Angeles' Ambassador Hotel in 1968 just after winning Californias Democratic primary. His uncle, President John F. Kennedy , was assassinated in 1963.

In the wake of the incident, Kennedy's campaign said it plans to again apply for U.S. Secret Service protection for the candidate after applications filed in May and August were rejected.

The protection is extended only to "major" presidential and vice presidential candidates, as identified by the Secretary of Homeland Security, and generally only within a year prior to the election, although exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis for "extraordinary" circumstances, according to guidance released by the Secret Service.

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.
An armed man impersonating a U.S. marshal was arrested at a Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. campaign event on Friday, the candidate said.

Kennedy said a man with two holstered weapons carrying a U.S. Marshals badge and federal ID approached him at a Los Angeles campaign event on Friday. The man claimed to be part of Kennedys security detail.

Kennedy said his security identified the man and apprehended him until Los Angeles Police arrived.

Im very grateful that alert and fast-acting protectors spotted and detained an armed man who attempted to approach me at my Hispanic Heritage speech at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles tonight, Kennedy posted on social media.

Im still entertaining a hope that President Biden will allow me Secret Service protection, he added.

Los Angeles Police confirmed that the suspect, identified as Adrian Aispuro, was arrested for posing as a federal agent at the event. The department said the man did not brandish the weapon or threaten anyone at the event.

His bail is set at $35,000 bail, according to LAPD jail records.

Kennedy has long pushed for secret service protection, claiming that withholding the protection is proof that Biden is not properly entertaining his primary challenge.

The Biden administration denied his secret service request in June, Kennedy claimed.

The Secret Service is authorized to protect major presidential and vice presidential candidates within 120 days of a general presidential election, though usually only does so for determined major candidates.

It would be unusual for a primary candidate to get secret service protection this early in the primary process.

The Homeland Security secretary, in consultation with an advisory committee of House and Senate leadership, determines which candidates are in that major category.

Kennedys long-shot primary challenge to Biden has weakened in recent months. Following a slight surge in interest this summer, just 9 percent of Democrats say they will now vote for Kennedy, according to recent polling.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
 Flash

A police officer in Seattle, U.S. state of Washington, was recorded laughing about the death of an Indian student being hit and killed by a police car early this year, sparking outrage in the country and internationally.

More than 200 people on Thursday took to the Seattle intersection where 23-year-old Jaahnavi Kandula was fatally struck in January, calling for accountability for the officer who killed her and for Daniel Auderer's comments about the crash, which some described as "disgusting" and "abhorrent."

Kandula was struck by police officer Kevin Dave's car on Jan. 23 and died that night. She was due to graduate in December with a master's degree in information systems from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University.

Body-camera footage released this week showed Auderer, vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, joking with the police union's president by laughing and saying that Kandula "had limited value."

"Jaahnavi Kandula's death was a horrible tragedy, and the scale of her loss should not be diminished or mocked by anyone," Indian American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said on Thursday, urging the Seattle police to pursue the investigation with seriousness.

"The recording of a Seattle police officer making light of her death and questioning the value of her life is disgusting and unacceptable," he added.

Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal also strongly condemned the incident, highlighting the harmful consequences of normalizing xenophobia and racism.

In a unanimous resolution, the National Federation of Indian American Associations called upon all relevant authorities to prioritize investigation, community engagement, and respect for the rights and dignity of all individuals.

"The family has nothing to say. Except I wonder if these men's daughters or granddaughters have value. A life is a life," Kandula's uncle, Ashok Mandula, was quoted as saying in a report by The Seattle Times.

India's ambassador to the United States, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, raised the issue in Washington, D.C., and sought prompt action on the killing of Kandula, and the highly insensitive behavior of the police officer.

"We have taken up the matter strongly with local authorities in Seattle and Washington State as well as senior officials in Washington, D.C., for a thorough investigation and action against those involved in this tragic case," the Consulate General of India in San Francisco said in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

The Seattle Police Department's traffic collision investigation squad later reported that Dave struck Kandula at approximately 63 mph (101 km/h) in a 25 mph (40 km/h) area, and Kandula was thrown approximately 138 feet (42 meters).

In a statement this week, the police department said that the recording was identified by an employee "who was concerned about the nature of statements heard on that video."

The video was sent to the city's Office of Police Accountability "for investigation into the context in which those statements were made and any policy violation that might be implicated," the statement said.

The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office is now conducting a criminal review of the crash.




The Army is ending its reenlistment bonus, at least for a short while, as the service experiences notably high retention rates.

A Sept. 12 internal Army Military Personnel Center message shared with Military.com detailed that the Selective Retention Bonus Program was shut down on "the effective date of this message."

This past April, the Army hit its retention goal for the fourth year in a row, Military.com previously reported. The active-duty force retained 55,000 soldiers who were otherwise scheduled to leave the service.

Read Next: Service Was a Second Chance for the Space Force's Enlisted Leader. He Tried to Give Others the Same Shot.

Those high retention efforts have paid off, it seems, and the bonuses will not be available through the remainder of the fiscal year, which ends in two weeks on Sept. 30.

"We have seen positive momentum over the last several months, and we are currently on track to recruit more young Americans than we did last year," said Madison Bonzo, an Army spokeswoman. "We have two weeks left in the fiscal year, and we are still actively recruiting."

In 2023, the Army retained 3,700 more soldiers compared to the previous fiscal year. Rather than put more money into an already stellar retention year, the Army decided to pause the program for the remainder of the fiscal year.

"While not every soldier receives a bonus, the increased retention increased the expenditures," Bonzo said. "In previous years, the Army was able to shift funds from other programs but, rather than put other programs at risk, we elected to suspend the bonuses."

The Selective Retention Bonus Program is offered every year to qualified soldiers "who reenlist in the Regular Army for continued duty in certain military occupational specialties" depending on the needs of the service at that time, according to the U.S. Army Human Resources Command website.

Soldiers will not be able to contract under the old selective retention bonus until it is reinstated, according to the internal message.

Those soldiers who want to reenlist and obtain their bonus, but who have an exit date in the next couple of weeks, can re-up their existing contracts for as little as three months, according to Bonzo.

Meanwhile, bringing new soldiers into the service has been more difficult for the Army.

Last year, the service ended up 15,000 new soldiers short of its goal of 60,000 recruits. The Army is doing a lot better this year, but is still expected to fall a little short of its more ambitious recruiting goal of 65,000 new soldiers this year.

In July, at the Aspen Security Forum, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth called it a "stretch goal," according to CNN, and said the service will bring "more young Americans into the Army" than the previous year.

"So, I think by several thousand, we're going to do better than we did last year," Wormuth said in Colorado. "And that's positive, but we've got more work to do."

Bonzo said the selective retention bonus program will be reinstated "in the very near future."

-- Thomas Novelly can be reached at thomas.novelly@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.

Related: Too Heavy to Fight? How the Army Is Combating the Obesity Crisis to Find Recruits
Hundreds of auto workers in Kansas City, Kansas, will likely be laid off next week as General Motors said Friday that employees striking at a St. Louis area plant could lead to the Fairfax assembly plants closure.

The assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri, provides stamped parts to Fairfax, but because of striking there, the Wyandotte County plant and its 2,000 team members can expect to be idled as soon as next week, the company said in a statement published by numerous news outlets, including the Detroit Free Press.

We have said repeatedly that nobody wins in a strike, and that effects go well beyond our employees on the plant floor and negatively impact our customers, suppliers and the communities where we do business, General Motors said in the statement. What happened to our Fairfax team members is a clear and immediate demonstration of that fact.

Amid labor negotiations with Detroits three automakers, the United Auto Workers union said Thursday it would go on strike at three vehicle assembly plants: the one in Missouri; a Ford factory in Wayne, Michigan, near Detroit; and a Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio.

A union leader at the KCK plant could not be reached for comment Friday.

The Fairfax assembly plant, in northeast KCK along the Missouri River, produces the Chevy Malibu sedan and the Cadillac XT4 crossover SUV. It employs 2,234 people, according to a company website.

The other local plant, the Ford assembly plant in Claycomo, produces F-150 pickup trucks and Transit vans. It employs roughly 7,250 people.

The union and Detroits three automakers remain far apart in contract talks, the Associated Press reported Thursday afternoon. The UAW is demanding a 36% boost in pay and the automakers  General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, formerly Fiat Chrysler  have countered with offers that are roughly half of that increase.

The strike is the first against all three companies at the same time in the unions 80-year history.
In the 1950s and early 1960s, the Pentagon conducted numerous nuclear bomb detonations in the American Southwest and the Pacific Ocean. These tests involved atomic soldiers who observed, worked on or supervised the explosions to study the effects of radiation exposure.

Nearly six decades have passed since those events, and the U.S. Department of Defense is recognizing these soldiers with a commemorative medal. Today, most of these veterans have died, with cancer and old age causing the number of survivors to dwindle.

Holland resident Ron Benoit, who grew up during World War II, was drafted into the Army in 1953 and trained as a military police officer. He and 29 other MPs were sent to the Marshall Islands. Benoit was aboard ship with other servicemen to witness hydrogen bomb tests.

When that bomb went off, we had glasses on you couldnt even see the sun with, Benoit said. The bomb was 1,000 times bigger than the atomic bomb in Japan.

After the tests were over, all the servicemen were put below deck as the deck was washed down using water from the Pacific in an attempt to clean the radiation from the nuclear fallout.

Since Benoit was an MP, his job was to stay by the doors to make sure no servicemen snuck out or tried to open the door during this process. Unfortunately, he was stationed outside the door, causing him to be exposed to more radiation.

Its like [the Pentagon] doesnt want to admit what happened, Benoit said. I wish itd be known, at least admit what the hell happened.

Joe Mondello from Shrewsbury was initially given orders to go to Korea during the Korean War to be a foreign observer directing fire against the enemy. His duties, however, changed, and he was sent to Nevadas Camp Desert Rock, where the U.S. government tested atomic bombs.

Mondello witnessed atomic bombs tests from close range.

It was a really dangerous mission. I really thought I wasnt getting out of there alive, Mondello said.

The real problem was the effects of the radiation, Mondello said.

That was something they never brought up, Mondello said. You could survive the blast but in the meantime, youre taking all that radiation in through your eyes, your nose, your mouth. If it doesnt kill you in a few months, years later is when it shows up. Thats what happened to me.

Once he got out of the military, Mondello started to have issues with his hearing, vision and and heart. He began losing his hair in large portions.

Mondello had to pay his medical bills out of pocket for years because he was sworn to secrecy. Atomic veterans could not tell even their doctors what they had been exposed to until the 1990s.

Most hospitals were totally puzzled by my hair loss, they had no explanation at all, Mondello said. They couldnt treat me, they didnt know what was causing it.

Eventually, his hair did start to grow back. Mondello called himself lucky because many of the soldiers in his position got cancer from their radiation exposure.

Atomic veterans had been denied government compensation until 1990, nearly three decades after the nuclear tests concluded. In 1990, the Department of Justice formed a different compensation program established by Congress and signed into law by President George H.W. Bush.

But Mondello said he only got compensation for PTSD, not health issues caused by his exposure to radiation.

In 1996, Congress repealed the Nuclear Radiation Secrecy Agreements Act, allowing atomic veterans to finally discuss their experiences without worrying about fines or treason charges.

In August of 2022, the PACT Act was signed, expanding benefits to veterans exposed to toxic substances. More than 8,000 people who helped clean up radioactive sites became eligible to apply for monthly disability payments.

While all this work is appreciated, Benoit and Mondello said they want the government to admit their wrongs.

Just admit it, thats all I say, Benoit said. I mean, Jesus. We put our lives out there that would normally get recognized for.

Over the past 13 years, veterans like Benoit, Mondello and Leo Quinn of Worcester have worked with U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern to ensure atomic veterans are honored for their service.

After listening to the stories of atomic veterans, McGovern said he was shocked they were ignored by the government.

Rep. Jim McGovern honors atomic veterans at a ceremony in Virginia.

I wanted to introduce a bill to give these service members appropriate recognition, McGovern said.

McGovern successfully worked to include the legislation within defense appropriations bills that passed the House, but every time it got to the Senate, it would be dropped. McGovern believes the Pentagon had a role.

I gotta give it to Congressman McGovern because hes worked diligently for 13 years, Benoit said.

McGovern wrote a letter to President Joe Biden at the start of his term, advocating for recognition of this group of veterans.

On Wednesday, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency awarded the remaining atomic veterans a commemorative service medal at a formal ceremony in Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Mondello and Benoit said the "medal" is more like a coin. Mondello believes he deserves more for his service.

I think its a joke, Mondello said. Its unfortunate because a lot of the men in the military are great leaders. That job is a sacrifice.

Benoit reiterated Mondellos concerns. Neither Mondello nor Benoit were able to attend the service due to health troubles. McGovern said he has plans to have a ceremony honoring local atomic veterans soon.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Atomic veterans from Central Mass. discuss their sacrifices
Austrian Foreign Minister Karin Kneissl and Russian President Vladimir Putin dance during her wedding on August 18, 2018 in Gamlitz, Styria, Austria. Roland Schlager/APA/Pool/AFP via Getty Images

Austria's former foreign minister Karin Kneissl has moved to St. Petersburg to manage a think tank.

A Russian military plane flew her and her ponies to Russia.

The politician was affiliated with a far-right party and once danced with Putin at her wedding.

An Austrian former foreign minister has moved to St. Petersburg along with her two ponies, flown in on a Russian military plane, Russian media reported.

Last week, Karin Kneissl and her ponies were airlifted on a military transport plane that had to be diverted from carrying troops via a Russian air base in Syria to St. Petersburg, said a report by Russian investigative website The Insider (a separate news outlet to this publication).

Kneissl, 58, drew widespread criticism in 2018 when she invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to her wedding and danced with him when she was in office.

She said she had decided to move to Russia to run a think tank at St. Petersburg University, reported Russia's state-owned Tass news agency.

"I co-founded the Gorki center and manage it," Tass quotes her as saying. "Since there is a lot of work there and it requires a lot of attention, I cannot do this in passing. I decided to move to St. Petersburg for this work."

Kneissl was the foreign minister of Austria from 2017-2019 and lost her position after a scandal engulfed the far-right Austrian Freedom Party, which appointed her.

She then moved to France and then Lebanon, where she said she was living to "survive" while commuting to Russia to work, per BBC News.

Her connections to Russia run deep  she was a regular contributor to the Russian state-backed news channel RT, widely viewed as the Kremlin's propaganda arm. She was also once a board member of the state-owned oil company Rosneft.

Kneissl said on social media that she took a Russian military plane to St. Petersburg along with her possessions  and ponies  as due to sanctions against Syria there were no commercial flights or DHL.

"I, therefore, had the option of accompanying a Russian transport flight from Syria to Russia, for which I am very grateful," she wrote in a Telegram post, per The Guardian.

The Gorki center, unveiled by Kneissl in June, was set up to "help define the policies for the Russian Federation" with a focus on the Near and Middle East, per The Guardian.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Authorities are searching for a man who allegedly exposed himself to a young girl who was walking home from school in San Dimas.

The incident allegedly took place on Thursday near Valley Center Avenue, just south of Cypress Street at around 4 p.m., according to the L.A. County Sheriffs Department.

The victim, an 11-year-old girl, was walking when the suspect, who was driving nearby, stopped to get the girls attention. As he spoke to her through his passenger side window, he began touching himself intimately, authorities said.

The girl quickly ran away from the man while the suspect drove away from the area.

Authorities described the suspect as a Black male adult who was driving a dark blue, two-door sedan.

San Dimas detectives are investigating the incident while deputies are monitoring and providing safety checks in the area.

3 teens arrested for Corona park shooting

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the San Dimas Sheriffs Station at 909-450-2700. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
United Auto Workers member Brian Rooster Heppner raises his fist as he cheers during a rally in Detroit, Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. The UAW is conducting a strike against Ford, Stellantis and General Motors. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

NEW YORK (AP)  The United Auto Workers said Saturday it had reasonably productive conversations with Ford, as its limited strike against the Big 3 automakers carried into a second day.

The union is trying to reach a deal with not only Ford but also General Motors and Stellantis for better pay in an era of big profits for the industry, which is trying to transition from gasoline-powered engines to electric vehicles.

Stellantis on Saturday also gave details about its most recent offer to the union, which brought its wage proposal roughly in line with its competitors. The owner of Chrysler said its offer would provide cumulative raises of nearly 21% for hourly wages, with an immediate 10% increase if a contract is ratified.

That, though, is still below the 36% increase over four years the UAW is seeking, along with other demands that would increase costs for auto companies.

Mark Stewart, chief operating officer for North America at Stellantis, on Saturday called it part of a really competitive overall proposal, as it tries to compete with non-union automakers outside the Big 3 that have lower costs.

Stewart also described a possible solution related to a plant in Belvidere, Illinois, that has already been idled, which is a big issue for the union. But that offer left the table after the deadline to avert a strike passed. Stewart declined to discuss details about the proposal.

Thats how they see these workers. A bargaining chip, UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement. Belvidere Assembly was a profitable plant that just a few years ago supported around 5,000 workers and their families. Now that number is zero, and Stellantis wants to keep playing games.

Nearly 1 in 10 of Americas unionized auto workers went on strike Friday. The strikes are limited for now to three assembly plants: a GM factory in Wentzville, Missouri, a Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan, near Detroit, and a Jeep plant run by Stellantis in Toledo, Ohio.

Automakers have since told some non-striking workers not to report to work, including 600 who were told not to report Friday to a Ford plant.

Politicians have been pushing automakers to consider workers who gave up pay and benefits to help their employers during the Great Recession.

Now that our carmakers are enjoying robust profits, its time to do right by those same workers so the industry can emerge more united and competitive than ever, former President Barack Obama said in a statement Saturday.






With two hours to go before contracts expire and a strike could begin, UAW President Shawn Fain appeared on a livestream video to explain what will happen of an agreement is not reached with Ford, GM and Stellantis by midnight.

Tonight, for the first time in our history," he said, "we will strike all three of the Big Three at once.

If deals with the Detroit Three are not reached, the union will employ what Fain called a "stand-up strike." He called on locals to stand up and strike at one location per automaker:

If a strike lingers, other units/facilities could be called into play, Fain said, perhaps on a widespread basis.

"This strategy will keep the companies guessing," he said. All options remain on the table.

Fain concluded his message saying, "The money is there, the cause is righteous, the world is watching, and the UAW is ready to stand up. This is our defining moment.

A first-ever simultaneous strike at the Detroit Three carmakers by the United Auto Workers grew all but certain with little progress reported in the remaining hours before a contract deadline expires.

The union  which represents 146,000 U.S. auto workers - is asking for 40% pay raises through September 2027 and major improvements in benefits as part of what it calls "audacious" demands.

The UAW has outlined plans for a series of strikes targeting individual U.S. auto plants if agreements are not reached by 11:59 pm ET Thursday, rather than a full walkout.

Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley told CNN the proposal to hike wages by 40% would "put us out of business." He said there were no talks going on, and that the automaker has received no counteroffer to its plan to offer 20% pay hikes.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday spoke with UAW President Shawn Fain and leaders of the car companies to discuss the status of negotiations, the White House said.

Just 10 days ago, Biden had expressed optimism that a strike could be averted, saying: "I'm not worried about a strike ... I don't think it's going to happen."

General Motors earlier said it hiked its contract offer to a 20% wage hike for U.S. autoworkers over four and a half years - including 10% in the first year - to avoid a strike that is set to begin at midnight if no deal is reached.

GM CEO Mary Barra told employees the company still hoped to reach a deal: "Remember: we had a strike in 2019 and nobody won." GM reported a $3.6 billion pre-tax loss in 2019 after the 42-day walkout.

The third Detroit automaker, Chrysler parent Stellantis, has offered pay hikes of 17.5%, the union has said.

Coordinated strikes would represent arguably the most ambitious U.S. labor action in decades and could impact U.S. economic growth, depending on how long they last.

The UAW's demands include restoring defined benefit pensions for all workers, 32-hour work weeks and additional cost-of-living hikes, as well as job security guarantees and an end to the use of temporary workers.

Ford's Farley said if the UAW proposal had already been in effect the company would have lost about $15 billion from 2019-2022 instead of earning about $30 billion and "gone bankrupt by now."

He criticized the lack of talks Thursday. "Nothing is going on," he told CNBC.

The UAW responded to the comments on social media saying Farley "made $21 million last year."

'DISASTROUS OUTCOME'

The UAW's Fain said Wednesday a strike was likely as automakers rejected the pension, 32-hour work week and other benefit improvements sought. He also criticized proposed changes to profit sharing that would cut payments to workers.

UAW organizing director Brian O. Shepherd said in an online event Thursday that the strike strategy is to give "negotiators maximum flexibility" to get autoworkers "the contract they deserve." He added a full walkout "is still on the table."

Fain has said the pay raises offered by the Detroit Three to auto workers were inadequate even as automakers said the union had yet to formally respond to their latest, more generous offers.

"The clear winner in this Game of Thrones Battle between the UAW vs. GM/Ford is Tesla," said Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives. The Detroit automakers could face higher costs and complexity in the future that Tesla and other non-union automakers will not face as they expand electric vehicle production, he said.

AID FOR SUPPLIERS

The U.S. auto sector, including parts manufacturers, employs almost 1 million people, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Biden administration officials are discussing emergency aid to protect smaller firms that supply U.S. auto manufacturers, according to a source with knowledge of the matter. The White House declined to comment.

Fain outlined a strategy to "create confusion" with a series of work stoppages targeting individual U.S. plants if no deal is reached.

Stopping work at a key engine or transmission plant, for example, could have a cascading effect by depriving other factories of parts they need to produce vehicles. Another option would be to strike at profitable pickup truck or SUV assembly plants.

Fain said it was still possible that at a later date all of the auto workers could strike.

A full strike would hit earnings at each affected automaker by about $400 million to $500 million per week assuming all production was lost, Deutsche Bank has estimated.

Some losses could be recouped by boosting production schedules after a strike, but that possibility fades as a strike extends to weeks or months. A UAW strike would not affect European and Asian carmakers like Toyota, Honda and Mercedes, whose U.S. plant workers are not represented by the union.

The UAW said it was planning a rally in Detroit on Friday that will include Fain, Senator Bernie Sanders and other members of Congress, coinciding with a first of day of expected walkouts.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) strike is bringing disputes over electric vehicles (EVs) into the spotlight, testing the Biden administrations balancing act between two key Democratic constituencies.

The Democratic party has often had to walk a tightrope to address supporters who rank climate change as a top concern while also reassuring union members in the automotive and energy industries.

The UAWs decision to strike, in part over a union push for what UAW President Shawn Fain has called a just transition that protects workers amid the shift to electric vehicles, is putting new pressure on those tensions in a way experts say could drive a wedge between the constituencies  or bring them together.

I think theres always been that tension between the labor movement and the environmental groups, said Marick Masters, a professor of business at Wayne State University. I think the environmental group is the dominant group within that alliance  the forces behind electrification of the vehicle fleet are almost unstoppable within the Democratic Party.

Bridging the gap, he said, is a matter of just trying to do as much as you possibly can to make the transition as fair and just as possible, [which] will require the administration to make more accommodation to labor.

How that will be done is uncertain, he added.

About 13,000 UAW members went on strike at midnight Friday after the union and three major Detroit automakers  General Motors, Stellantis and Ford  could not reach an agreement. The stalemate largely relates to disagreements over wages, benefits and job protections, but the transition to electric vehicles also played a major role.

The electric vehicle issue is the backdrop to everything, Masters said, in terms of what the companies can afford to give the unions in this contract, in terms of where the union needs to go in organizing autoworkers in the future.

In particular, Masters said, Teslas status as both a nonunion company and the largest U.S. electric vehicle manufacturer is an elephant in the room for union autoworkers.

Its something theyre very concerned about, what the overall effect might be in depressing wages in the industry, he said.

The Biden administration has set ambitious electrification targets as part of its climate goals, saying that it aims to achieve those goals with high-paying union jobs.

Workers, however, have raised concerns that automakers are using the shift to electric vehicles to undercut wages. A whitepaper from researchers at the University of Houston indicated that for workers at existing EV facilities, the median salary is  considerably lower than what the current [union] jobs are, said co-author Ramanan Krishnamoorti, a professor of petroleum engineering at the university.

That is a big reflection of where the UAW is coming into this whole conversation, Krishnamoorti told The Hill. One of the big opportunities everybodys been hoping for has been this big penetration of EVs coming into the market over the next five years being catalyzed by what the Big 3 are doing, referring to the three major automakers.

An extended strike, he added, could put a big dent in U.S. progress on the transition to electric vehicles.

The Teslas of the world arent capable of delivering the magnitude that we need, as well as the price point that the consumer demands, he said.

The UAW, which endorsed Biden in 2020, has yet to make an endorsement in the 2024 race, calling for more support from the White House amid the transition to EV before they back the president.

Republicans have sought to capitalize on these worker frustrations, with former President Trump hitting Biden over the issue in an appeal to voters in the pivotal swing state of Michigan as he seeks another term in the White House.

But Trevor Dolan, the industry and workforce policy lead at conservation group Evergreen Action, told The Hill the strike is not a negotiation with President Biden or the Democratic party  or a dispute between environmental and labor interests.

The UAW is not saying we want to slow down the transition to electric vehicles; theyre saying that in the transition  we dont want to see a backslide by automakers, Dolan said.

Evergreen Action was one of several progressive and environmental organizations to sign a statement calling on the automakers to protect UAW jobs earlier this week.

Whats at issue in the negotiations is workers and the climate movement more broadly are confronting corporate greed here, Dolan said. The Big 3 are trying to undercut existing master agreements [among union autoworkers].

Fain himself has praised the Biden administration for reject[ing] the false choice between a good job and a green job.

In fact, the strike is working toward making Bidens goals for both the climate and labor a reality, said Matthew Huber, a professor of geography in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

The UAW  strike action is ultimately trying to realize one of the Biden Administrations core policy goals and political selling points: you can have good, family-sustaining union jobs alongside climate action. The problem is the automakers see EV production as a way to trim labor costs and shift production to non-union plants, Huber said.

The UAWs ultimate proposal is that if it takes less labor to produce EVs, why not shorten working hours and maintain pay with the cost of living? he added. This would certainly lend credence to the Biden Administrations claim that climate action can improve working and middle class lives.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(Bloomberg) -- Chinas top official in Hong Kong said the citys authorities should be vigilant against anti-Chinese forces and continue to rigorously enforce the national security law, suggesting no let-up in the crackdown on dissent.

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There are still hostile foreign forces trying to disrupt Hong Kongs development and stability, while anti-China elements are attempting a comeback, Zheng Yanxiong was cited as saying in local reports. The head of Chinas Liaison Office in Hong Kong was speaking to officers at a police college on Saturday.

Zheng called on the officers to build a solid defense line for national security.

Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong in June 2020 in response to the previous years mass protests against the government, which fostered anti-China sentiment.

Authorities in Hong Kong and China have signaled national security is still a top priority in the Asian hub. In July, officials placed a HK$1 million ($127,750) bounty on eight overseas activists, alleging they had committed offenses under the national security law even after leaving Hong Kong.

The US State Department decried the move, saying extraterritorial applications of the law is a dangerous precedent, that threatens people rights and freedoms.

More than 270 individuals have been arrested by national security police, while dozens including pro-democracy activists and former opposition lawmakers are facing charges under the law which carries a sentence as life-long imprisonment.

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Biden leads Trump and DeSantis in swing state Michigan by 3 and 6 points respectively.

Trump won the state in 2016 and Biden flipped it back in 2020.

The UAW strike could throw a major wrench into Biden's efforts to boost the economy.

President Joe Biden currently leads former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in Michigan, the Midwest battleground state key to his reelection chances next year.

In a poll conducted by Susquehanna Polling & Research that was first disclosed with The Hill, Biden led Trump by 3 points (46%-43%) and held a 6-point advantage (48%-42%) over DeSantis in the Wolverine State.

Biden also has some room to grow among Democrats, as he earned the support of 87% of Democrats in the poll, compared to the 90% of Republicans who said that they'd back Trump. (In the 2020 presidential race, 97% of Michigan Democrats backed Biden and 94% of Republicans supported Trump, according to CNN exit polling.)

The president also leads Trump 44%-37% among independent and unaffiliated voters, a critical bloc that in 2020 gave him strong margins in suburban Detroit and helped him win Kent County, home to Grand Rapids.

The survey offers some bright news for Biden, who has sought to appeal to the blue-collar, working-class votes who often play the decisive role in determining the outcome of statewide elections.

In 2016, Trump narrowly won Michigan over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a huge blow to Democrats as the party's presidential nominees had carried the state in every election from 1992 to 2012. Biden flipped the state back into the Democratic column in 2020, winning by roughly 3% over Trump.

The state has largely been a bright spot for the party since the 2020 election.

Last year, Democrats swept the state up and down the ballot, with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, state Attorney General Dana Nessel, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson all winning reelection, while the party also captured full control of the state legislature. With the current Democratic stranglehold over state politics in Lansing, they're looking to 2024, when Biden will be on the ballot and the party is looking to defend the Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow.

But Democrats are experiencing some turbulence.

The United Auto Workers union is on strike against the "Big Three" automakers  Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis  after worker contracts expired late Thursday. At the moment, only three plants (a Ford factory in Wayne, Michigan; a GM assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri; and a Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio) have workers who have gone on strike as the union continues to push company leaders for higher wages and stronger benefits.

Biden, who calls himself "the most pro-union president in American history," on Friday expressed sympathy for union workers and called on the companies to share their profits with workers.

"No one wants to strike," Biden said during his remarks at the White House. "But I respect workers' right to use their options under the collective bargaining system, and I understand the workers' frustration."

The strike has the potential to hurt the economy in a region where Biden has sought to highlight his work on the issue. The president has struggled in polling when it comes to voter sentiments on his handling of the economy, and he has aggressively pitched his economic message in recent months.

Biden on Friday dispatched acting Labor secretary Julie Su and White House economic advisor Gene Sperling "to offer their full support for the parties" in the contract talks.

Susquehanna Polling & Research polled 700 registered Michigan voters from September 7 through September 12; the survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

Read the original article on Business Insider
DENVER (KDVR)  You may have noticed recently how many drivers have chosen to forgo the classic white Colorado license plate with the green mountains for a trendy all-black plate. But how much do these dark specialty plates cost?

Its hard to drive around Colorado without noticing the seemingly new blackout license plates, which resemble the black California plates but with white instead of yellow lettering.

Need a new license plate? There are more choices than you think

While the black plates seem like they came out of nowhere and grew in popularity, the plates are actually historical. According to the Colorado Disability Funding Committee, the blackout background plate replicates the 1945 Colorado license plate.

The release of the plate was made available in conjunction with Senate Bill 22-217, which raises money for grants to assist persons with disabilities.

The blackout plate isnt the only historical plate being offered. The Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles sells a blue plate based on the 1914 license plate, a red plate thats a replica of the 1915 one, and the Greenie plate that was used from 1962-1999.

Blackout license plate

How much do the black plates cost?

Most specialty license plates come with an additional fee.

If you want to buy any of the historical plates, including the blackout version, you may pay three separate fees.

See the winning designs for Colorados 150th-anniversary license plate

Drivers are required to pay an annual $25 fee, which will go toward the Colorado Disability Funding Committee.

If you are looking to personalize your plates, there will be a $60 one-time issuance fee and a $50 annual fee, along with the $25 Colorado Disability Funding fee.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
While Washington "does not encourage nor enable" Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied weapon systems outside of the country, it is "fundamentally" Kyiv's decision how to use those weapons, U.S. State Secretary Antony Blinken said at a press conference.

A journalist asked Blinken about the U.S.'s hesitation to provide Ukraine with long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) allegedly caused by fears Kyiv would use them to strike Russian soil.

"When it comes to how Ukrainians use these systems, the targeting decisions are theirs. They're not ours," the official replied.

"And they (Ukrainians) have to make judgments about what can be most effective in working to regain their full sovereignty, their territorial integrity," added the official.

Blinken emphasized that the provision of weapon systems is insufficient to ensure Ukraine can deter Russian military aggression.

"Ukrainians have to be able to use them effectively, and sometimes with new, sophisticated systems, that requires training, and of course we're engaged in that. They need to be able to maintain them and then to fit into a coherent military program that makes sense in helping Ukraine achieve its objectives," he explained.

Ukrainian officials have spent months lobbying the U.S. government for ATACMS, which can travel over 300 kilometers.

On Sept. 8, ABC News reported, citing unnamed U.S. officials, that Washington would likely send the missile systems to Ukraine in an upcoming security assistance package.

Read also: Retired US General Petraeus: Now its inevitable  we should give the ATACMS

In a Sept. 15 press conference, Blinken spoke along with Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. She said that concerns over potential Ukrainian strikes inside Russia are not an argument for Germany when considering the issue of supplying long-range weapons, as Ukraine has the right to defend itself.

"The argument is that there are sensitive issues to be clarified, especially for our system, Taurus, and it's not as easy as it might sound in the first place We've made it clear repeatedly that we're in intensive discussions and examining what we can do," Baerbock told reporters.

German-made Taurus air-launched missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometers. Ukraine submitted a request for Taurus missiles in May.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on Ukraine's partners on Aug. 11 to provide Kyiv with long-range missiles such as Taurus and ATACMS, emphasizing that they will be deployed only on Ukraine's territory.

Read also: German MPs urge Scholz to provide Ukraine with Taurus missiles

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A lawsuit accuses the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) of failing to perform required grazing permit reviews across the West, with the worst lapses occurring in Nevada.

About 15 million acres in Nevada that did undergo a review failed to meet federal standards due to damage caused by livestock, the lawsuit says. Thats about 63% of lands that underwent a review.

The lawsuit filed Thursday by the Western Watersheds Project (WWP) and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) claims that only 9% of the permits issued in Nevada have been reviewed. PEER looked at 25 years of data (1997-2022). A map shows the severity of the problem:

Most of the land where standards werent met, or the determination wasnt complete, fall within Nevadas borders. (WWP/PEER lawsuit against BLM)

The groups allege that the BLM sidestepped federal rules under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), allowing grazing to continue without review sometimes for more than a decade.

8 News Now has reached out to the BLMs Southern Nevada office for comment.

The lawsuit states, Livestock grazing can adversely affect a variety of resources, including soils,

plants, water quality, and water quantity, due to cattle and sheep eroding or compacting soils,

eating vegetation, and trampling streambanks and wetlands. These impacts can degrade habitat

for thousands of fish, wildlife, and plant species found on western public lands. Livestock can

also damage cultural sites by trampling them, rubbing against them, or disturbing or desecrating

the surrounding soil and vegetation. All of these impacts must be assessed in a NEPA analysis.

DN-1-ComplaintDownload

But reviews are not happening enough in Nevada and other states, the lawsuit claims.

PEER analyzed data from 1997 to 2019 on land health evaluations for BLMs 21,000 grazing allotments. It found 109 million acres were being grazed, but almost 41 million acres had not been evaluated for NEPA compliance  about 27%.

That figure was much higher for Nevada: 43%, the highest level of all western states.

Wild horse advocates have criticized the BLM for rounding up the animals, claiming its livestock  not wild horses  thats damaging the ranges. Horses arent even mentioned in the lawsuit, but other animals are listed including sage grouse, bighorn sheep and the Lahontan cutthroat trout.

sage grouse_1442922550029.jpg

Grazing lands that overlapped habitats for these animals were actually reviewed less frequently than other BLM allotments, according to WWP analysis. The same was true for grazing lands that overlapped national monuments or national conservation areas.

The lawsuit calls for BLM to reestablish rules to determine the priority and timing of environmental analyses for livestock grazing allotments, permits, and/or leases. The BLM must begin review, with particular attention to reviews for some leases that have been renewed without NEPA analysis.

Among those are four Nevada areas where federal defendants have unlawfully withheld or unreasonably delayed performing their duty to conduct NEPA analysis: Tuscarora Field Office, Wells Field Office, Humboldt River Field Office and Basin and Range National Monument/Irish Mountain.

The BLM owns 67% of the land in Nevada. Combined with land controlled by other federal agencies, 80.1% of Nevada is under federal control.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Migrants are seen between the two U.S.-Mexico border fences dividing Tijuana and San Diego on Sept, 12. (Carlos Moreno / Associated Press)

After the migrants stepped off a bus in San Diego, Border Patrol agents ushered them across the street to a parking lot, then left.

The migrants stood there, asking questions: When were the agents coming back? Hadnt the agents promised them a hotel room for the night?

After arduous journeys from countries including Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Turkey, Cameroon, Guinea, Ghana and Burkina Faso, they were finally on U.S. soil, free to seek out friends and relatives around the country while their immigration cases were being adjudicated. But the joy they should have felt seemed absent, overtaken by their confusion about what to do next.

The Border Patrol agents had dropped them off with no explanation Wednesday around 6 p.m. by the Iris Avenue trolley station.

Most didnt have working phones. Some tried to find Wi-Fi to contact loved ones about flights or hotels. Two men from Senegal briefly borrowed a hot spot from a bus driver.

Even if they managed to make travel arrangements, where would they sleep that night?

Why did they leave us here so late in the day? a Peruvian man asked in Spanish. He, like other migrants interviewed by The Times, asked not to be identified because of danger in their home countries and concerns about retaliation in their asylum cases.

Two women are handcuffed at the San Diego-Tijuana border before they get on a bus to go to a Border Patrol station for processing. The women had been among a group of hundreds held between the border walls. (Kate Morrissey / For The Times)

With more Border Patrol buses expected to drop off migrants at San Diego trolley stops over the next few weeks and groups of migrants being held in open areas between border walls, the federal government is leaning into controversial tactics to lower the number of people held in Border Patrol stations along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Many migrants will probably be left to sleep outdoors, though volunteers are trying to help.

Customs and Border Protection, Border Patrols parent agency, said agents are following its "standard processes to quickly decompress the areas along the Southwest border and safely and efficiently screen and process migrants to place them in immigration enforcement proceedings consistent with our laws."

In California, migrants typically receive short-term help, including food and hotel rooms, from shelters funded by the federal government and in some cases the state. Staff members arrange transportation for migrants to join friends or family in other cities.

But as a result of Californias budget deficit, a shelter run by Catholic Charities has had to scale back beds for migrants from 1,600 to 800, according to Vino Pajanor, the nonprofits CEO. Many, from shelter operators to state officials, point to the federal government as being ultimately responsible for paying for shelter services, rather than the state.

The other area shelter, which is run by the San Diego Rapid Response Network and usually receives asylum seekers processed through the port of entry, is full and only able to accept the most vulnerable.

Were hoping this is temporary, Pajanor said. We dont want people on the streets.

As conditions worsen in some countries in Central America, South America, Africa and elsewhere, people fleeing government violence, repression, criminal gangs or a lack of economic opportunity make dangerous treks across the hemisphere, through Mexico and north to the U.S. border.

Maria Teresa Fernandez, a volunteer providing humanitarian aid to migrants stuck between the border walls, hands cough drops to several men who weren't feeling well on Sept. 13. (Kate Morrissey / For The Times)

Border crossings dropped in June after larger numbers of migrants arrived in the spring. Crossings increased in July and have reportedly continued to increase, though data are only available through July, when the Border Patrol apprehended more than 132,000 people and about 51,000 more came through ports of entry. The total is still a bit less than the same time a year ago, as well as when crossings peaked in December and again in the spring.

Only about 17% of migrants crossed the border in California in July, according to CBP data. With border areas in Texas and Arizona receiving much higher numbers of migrants, Border Patrol officials have been flying and busing new arrivals to San Diego for processing.

But federal funding for California shelters has not kept up with the demand, said Kate Clark, an attorney with Jewish Family Service who manages the San Diego Rapid Response Network shelter.

California officials have asked shelters to prioritize migrants including families with young children, those with medical conditions and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Scott Murray, a spokesperson with the California Department of Social Services, said that the prioritization is necessary and urged the federal government to invest in migrant sheltering operations as a critical component of border security infrastructure and welcoming people fleeing violence and persecution.

In late December 2022, when winter storms forced flight cancellations and local shelters couldnt move people out fast enough, the Border Patrol similarly chose to release people to San Diego trolley stations.

On Wednesday night at the parking lot near the trolley station, the migrants from the Border Patrol bus conversed in Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese, Turkish, Arabic and other languages. Many are seeking asylum, and Border Patrol officials have allowed them to stay in the country until judges hear their cases.

A pair of brothers had fled Cameroon. There, an intense conflict between French speakers, who run the government, and English speakers, who are an ethnic minority, has left many imprisoned and tortured or killed. Many human-rights monitors are concerned that what is happening in the country amounts to genocide.

Several other men in the parking lot had fled Guinea, where the U.S. State Department has reported that since a military coup in 2021, residents are subject to arbitrary killings and detention, political repression and government corruption, among other major human-rights violations.

One of the men from Guinea complained of the conditions he had experienced in U.S. immigration custody  several days locked in a cold room, unable to see the sun, bathe or brush his teeth. He hoped to make it to a family member in New York.

"It's really difficult," he said in French. "But it was our decision to come here. It's our problem."

Meanwhile, at the border wall, a woman from Nicaragua wept underneath a metallic sheet tied to the wall as she talked about escaping threats from the regime of President Daniel Ortega, which has increasingly repressed dissent in the country. Her son already fled to the United States last year. More recently, she said, the government came after her. Now, she hoped to join her son in the Midwest.

"It's not fair that we can't live just because we have a different political belief," she said in Spanish.

A mechanical engineer from Colombia said he had crossed the border two nights ago and huddled with other migrants under a tarp tied to the border wall to shelter from the rain that fell through the early morning. He said he fled Colombia because of the increased violence from criminal groups there and would join a friend in Florida who was willing to help him get settled.

When asked about his dreams of the future, his answer was simple: "Really, initially, my life. To have my life safe. And from there, to work. I know it won't be easy, but I'm good at what I do."

Many of these asylum seekers may eventually be found ineligible because of a Biden administration rule introduced this year that seeks to punish those who did not cross with an appointment at a port of entry and who passed through another country between leaving their home and arriving in the U.S.

On Wednesday, hundreds of migrants were waiting in custody on U.S. soil between two rows of border wall behind a water treatment plant. Members of Congress from California, including Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Long Beach) and Rep. Juan Vargas (D-San Diego), opened an investigation into the practice after migrants were left between the walls for as long as a week this spring.

Most migrants on Wednesday said they had been waiting one to two days, though messages received by The Times since then from a man from Mali held between the walls indicate the waits are already growing longer.

An official familiar with the situation but not authorized to speak to the media said that the number of people between the walls is growing faster than agents can move them out. When agents began their shift on Tuesday night, about 430 people were waiting between the walls, officials said. The agents moved about 250 people to stations for processing but found that by the end of the shift, more than 600 people were between the walls.

As in the spring, Border Patrol agents provide some water and granola bars to the migrants, according to many who were waiting there.

CBP blamed smugglers and denied that the people there were in its custody. It noted that agents were processing families first.

"Our USBP agents leverage all available resources to apprehend, transport, screen, and process migrants as expeditiously and safely as possible," the agency said through an unnamed spokesperson.

Adrian Jasso, left, of American Friends Service Committee and Yvonne Griffin of Women's Work consulting organize food donations to give to migrants held between the border walls. (Kate Morrissey / For The Times)

Jenn Budd, a former Border Patrol agent turned immigrant rights activist, said that the agency has the resources to process people so they're not left waiting between the walls.

"This is unnecessary," Budd said as she stood by the border wall on Wednesday. "They spend all their money on militarization and nothing on asylum and how to process people."

Volunteers from the American Friends Service Committee and Friends of Friendship Park, among others, have set up stations next to the border wall. On Wednesday, they handed sandwiches and water bottles, as well as pieces of cardboard to sleep on, to the migrants stuck on the other side.

Everything they are handing out comes from private donations, according to Adriana Jasso of the American Friends Service Committee. She said they especially need more water and Gatorade.

That afternoon, agents moved several buses of migrants to Border Patrol stations for processing. Among them was a woman who was visibly in pain and held her hip as she walked. One agent told another that the woman said she had fallen.

As with the other migrants, the agents handcuffed the woman's wrist to a fellow migrant and sent her onto the bus. She paused when she reached the steps and motioned for the other migrant to wait. Many of the migrants on the bus will likely be released to the trolley stations in the coming days.

On Wednesday night, volunteers led by Immigrant Defenders Law Center arrived at the Iris Avenue trolley station to help the migrants who had just been dropped off.

They offered Wi-Fi hot spots, sandwiches and rides to hotels or the airport. They also found a church where some could shower and sleep.

Some migrants said they found flights departing on Thursday and Friday to places including New York, Massachusetts and Ohio.

Their court dates are mostly next spring and summer. After that, a judge will determine whether they are eligible for asylum.

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.
UPDATE: Police said Sunday morning that Richard Gelzer has been safely located.

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Boston Police are seeking the publics help in finding a 76-year-old man from Roxbury.

Richard Gelzer was last seen at about 5:30 p.m. on Friday, in the area of 25 Ruggles St., police said.

Police described Gelzer as a Black male, about 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighing approximately 150 pounds, and wearing a yellow jersey with dark pants. He is known to frequent the Nubian Square/Tropical Foods and the Mass. Ave. area. Police said he suffers from mental health issues.

Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to call 911 or Boston detectives at 617-343-6683.

People can also provide information anonymously by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1-800-494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463).

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
A Disney wedding is nothing out of the ordinary. Thousands of couples get married every year at one Disney property or another. But the same married couple had four, yes, four Disney weddings in seven years, with more future Disney weddings planned. That will get some attention, and thats exactly what happened in a recent Reddit post.

Shellie, known on social media as the Serial Bride, and her husband first got married at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in 2016. Theyve since returned three times for vow renewal parties with all the extravagance as the original, with new themes, new receptions, and, of course, all new dresses.

Since their 2016 wedding, Shellie and her husband have had a Star Warsthemed vow renewal, theyve gotten wedding pictures taken at Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and they did a second vow renewal with a theme based on Pixars Up.

Shellies Instagram bio says she and her husband plan on a fifth Disney wedding on July 27, 2024.

Once you have a Disney wedding, Shellie told NBC News, youre just addicted and you want another one.

Shellies not alone in her love of Disney weddings, and shes not the only one who wants to hold multiple ceremonies at Disney. Many Disney brides even communicate on the popular Disney message board, DisBoards.

But its the number of Disney weddings that Shellie is undertaking, along with the cost and resources expended, that has garnered so much attention.

Weddings at Disney can start as low as $15,000, but that can go up real fast depending on how many guests attend, food, choice of venue, and other variables, including if you want any special Disney characters to make an appearance.

Disney weddings or a viable retirement plan, one commenter posted. Take your pick.

Another added, Being an adult and liking Disney is fine. These people take it wayyy too far though.

One simply said, What a nightmare.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
China to impose sanctions on two U.S. companies over Taiwan arms sales

Xinhua) 09:20, September 16, 2023

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- China has decided to impose sanctions on two U.S. companies due to their involvement in arms sales to Taiwan, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday.

In disregard of China's firm opposition, the U.S. government deliberately supplies weapons to China's Taiwan region. This seriously violates the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, contravenes international law and basic norms governing international relations, and undermines China's sovereignty and security interests. The United States is going further down the wrong and dangerous path of arming Taiwan, Mao said at a daily press briefing.

Mao said Lockheed Martin Corporation, St. Louis, MO directly participated in the U.S. arms sale to Taiwan announced on August 24 as the principal contractor. Northrop Grumman participated in several U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

"In accordance with the Anti-Foreign Sanctions Law of the People's Republic of China, China decides to impose sanctions on these two above-mentioned U.S. defense corporations," she said.

The Chinese government never wavers in its resolve of safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Mao stressed.

"We call on the United States to earnestly abide by the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-U.S. joint communiques, stop arms sales to Taiwan, stop military collusion with Taiwan, and stop arming Taiwan, otherwise it will be met with China's resolute response," she added.

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie)
BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Government of the People's Republic of China and the Royal Government of Cambodia on Saturday issued a joint communique.

The following is the full text of the joint communique:

Joint Communique between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Royal Government of Cambodia

At the invitation of Premier Li Qiang of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei HUN Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, paid an official visit to the People's Republic of China from 14 to 16 September 2023. During the visit, President Xi Jinping met with Samdech Thipadei HUN Manet, having in-depth exchanges on building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future in the new era, and on international and regional issues of shared interest, charting the course for future China-Cambodia relations.

Premier Li Qiang also held talks with Samdech Thipadei HUN Manet, and Chairman Zhao Leji of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress met with Samdech Thipadei HUN Manet.

1. Both sides speak highly of the substantial development of China-Cambodia relationship, which has been carefully nurtured by generations of leaders of both countries and has been constantly growing from strength to strength in the last 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties. Both sides emphasize that no matter how the international situation changes, the two sides will unswervingly develop their ever-lasting friendship and deepen cooperation for mutual benefits, with a view to promoting the building of a high-quality, high-level and high-standard China-Cambodia Community with a Shared Future in the new era as a showcase for a community with a shared future for mankind. The two sides speak highly of the achievements of "China-Cambodia Friendship Year" events celebrating 65 years of diplomatic relations, and stand willing to carry forward traditional friendship through coming generations.

2. Both sides reaffirm their respect and support for each other's choice of development path that suits their respective national conditions. The Cambodian side speaks highly of China's great achievements in the decade of the new era and Chinese modernization that offers an alternative to modernization for mankind and fresh opportunities for Cambodia. It is trusted that China will achieve its second centenary goal of building a great modern socialist country in all aspects towards great national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization. The Chinese side speaks highly of Cambodia's economic and social achievements and firmly believes that with the blessing of His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia, and leadership of the new Royal Government of Cambodia headed by Samdech Thipadei Prime Minister, Cambodia will make greater strides in national development and people's well-being as well as play a more important role in maintaining peace and prosperity in the region and beyond.

3. The Chinese side reaffirms resolute support to Cambodia's endeavors to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and development interests while expressing firm opposition to any foreign interference in Cambodia's internal affairs.

The Cambodian side reaffirms resolute adherence to the One-China principle, that the Government of the People's Republic of China is the sole lawful government representing the whole of China, and that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China's territory and China's internal affairs, brooking no foreign interference. Cambodia opposes any attempt to interfere in China's internal affairs or to block or contain China under the subterfuge of Taiwan, or any form of separatist activities seeking "Taiwan independence". Cambodia resolutely supports China's every effort to achieve national reunification, and will not develop any form of official relations with Taiwan.

Both sides express firm opposition to politicization of human rights, double standards and interference in other countries' internal affairs under the guise of human rights or democracy. Both sides agree to strengthen cooperation against interference and Color Revolution.

4. Both sides agree to maintain high-level strategic engagements to advance coordination and cooperation on bilateral relations and major issues of common concern. Both sides agree to give full play to the role of China-Cambodia Intergovernmental Coordination Committee, in the implementation of Action Plan on Building a China-Cambodia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era between the People's Republic of China and the Kingdom of Cambodia (2024-2028), and the roles of China's National People's Congress, National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and National Assembly and Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and inter-party channels, as well as the MOU on Cooperation and Exchanges between the Communist Party of China and the Cambodian People's Party, with a view to deepening exchanges of experience in governance, close cooperation and better fulfill China-Cambodia Community with a Shared Future in the new era.

5. Both sides agree to deepen strategic synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and Pentagonal Strategy and focus on developing a diamond cooperation framework with six priority areas, with a view to deepening China-Cambodia comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation and achieving high-quality and sustainable common development.

- Give full play to China-Cambodia Working Mechanism for Production Capacity and Investment Cooperation, with the vision of developing Preah Sihanouk Province as a model of the multipurpose Special Economic Zone (SEZ), jointly conducting studies on Industrial and Technological Corridor in Cambodia. Build on the Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone (SSEZ) as the flagship project and Phnom Penh-Sihanoukville Expressway to attract more competent Chinese enterprises to increase investment in Cambodia while encouraging cooperation among companies of the two countries in the field of agro-industries, transportation infrastructure, electricity, energy and manufacturing. The Chinese side supports railroad development in Cambodia and will jointly conduct studies on preliminary planning and design as well as economic and technical feasibility studies, while advancing roads, sewage treatment and other supporting infrastructure development, as well as electricity and power grid cooperation.

- Expedite progress of the Fish and Rice Corridor, focusing on agricultural products such as fish, rice, tropical fruits, vegetables, agricultural inputs (fertilizer, pesticide, animal feed), to enlarge agri-trade volume between both countries. To achieve Fish and Rice Corridor objective, cooperation on agricultural sector should focus on developing aquaculture, agro-processing, ecological agriculture, modern machineries, new agricultural technology and human resources. Modern agricultural demonstration zones will be established in Cambodia and cooperation and exchanges in digital agriculture will be carried out.

Deepen the inspection and quarantine cooperation between the two countries. Explore cross-border information exchanges through "single window" while deepening cooperation in animal and plants quarantine, food safety and speeding up negotiations on quarantine protocols for the export of Cambodian quality agricultural and food products to China.

- Give full play to the guiding role of China-Cambodia Economic and Trade Cooperation Committee to support the mutually beneficial trade and investment cooperation between enterprises of the two countries. Implement the China-Cambodia Free Trade Agreement while tapping full potentials of bilateral trade and enhancing the competitiveness of Cambodian products in China through bilateral e-commerce cooperation mechanisms, China International Import Expo, China Import and Export Fair, China International Consumer Products Expo, Global Digital Trade Expo, China-ASEAN Expo, etc. Promote high-quality implementation of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) while advancing China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 negotiations. The Cambodian side supports Hong Kong SAR in joining RCEP.

- Enhance cooperation in hydropower, photovoltaics, and other clean energy sources, to explore green, stable and reliable energy cooperation solutions, promote establishment of China-Cambodia Low-carbon Demonstration Zone Project of South-South Cooperation on Climate Change in Preah Sihanouk Province, carrying out cooperation in policy dialogue, joint research, capacity building with a focus on climate change, pollution management and circular economy; conduct cooperation in areas of shared interests such as comprehensive water resources management, flood and drought disaster prevention and drinking water safety in rural areas.

- Maintain high-level military engagements to strengthen communications and exchanges between relevant departments and services of two armed forces, deepening pragmatic cooperation in training, joint exercise, medical services, logistics and demining etc., as well as enhancing coordination and cooperation on multilateral fora.

Continue to deepen practical police cooperation and capacity building at both national and local levels of the two countries in combating cross-border gambling, telecommunication fraud; carry out security cooperation on major Belt and Road projects.

- The Chinese side affirms continued support to economic development and improvement of people's livelihood in Cambodia through further implementation of the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and projects such as rural roads, bridges, water supplies, schools and hospitals. The Cambodian side expresses appreciation for China's staunch support.

- The Cambodian side reiterates a warm welcome to Chinese tourists and the commitment to providing quality service and security. Both sides agree to enhance exchanges between cultural and tourism institutions/responsible ministries of the two countries to promote the implementation of the Executive Program on Cultural Cooperation between the two governments, while encouraging cooperation between cultural and tourism sectors of both countries through joint project development of tourism products, human resources and mutual support of tourism marketing and promotion as well as comprehensive supports in institutional building efforts. Continue to implement the China-aid Project of Royal Palace Restoration in Angkor and promote cooperation in the protection and restoration of the Preah Vihear Temple and other cultural heritages. Support air transport enterprises of both countries to increase China-Cambodia flights in accordance with market demands to facilitate bilateral economic and trade cooperation and personnel exchanges.

Continue to support Cambodian youths to study in China. Promote the Youth House for Cambodia-China Friendship to be the platform for strengthening youth exchanges and training between the two countries. Promote the establishment of Confucius Institutes and high-quality development of Chinese language education in Cambodia. Enhance cooperation in vocational education within the framework of China-Cambodia Vocational Education Alliance, while promoting mutual recognition of vocational skills registration standards. The Chinese side will continue to provide government scholarships to Cambodian students.

Enhance exchanges and cooperation in health sector including traditional Chinese medicine and traditional Chinese medical science, promoting the establishment of China-Cambodia Traditional Chinese Medicine Cooperation Center. The Chinese side will keep dispatching traditional Chinese medical teams to Cambodia.

Both sides support all forms of bilateral people-to-people exchanges and push forward cooperation projects to deepen civilization exchanges and livelihood improvement between the two countries' NGOs, with a view to promoting mutual understanding between the two peoples.

6. Both sides stand ready to safeguard the international system with the UN as its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms governing international relations embodied in the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Both sides oppose all forms of hegemonism, power politics, unilateralism in any manifestation, and exclusive blocs targeting specific countries. The two countries are committed to strengthening cooperation on building a new type of international relations and building a better community with a shared future for mankind.

Both sides stand ready to safeguard the basic norms and core values of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and support the necessary WTO reform, especially the restoration and normal functioning of the binding two-tier dispute settlement mechanism. The two countries, both as developing countries, are willing to strengthen cooperation within the WTO framework to jointly safeguard the lawful rights of the developing nation members and promote the WTO to play a better role.

Both sides agree on adherence to true multilateralism. The Cambodian side applauds China's important constructive role in promoting global peace and development and stands ready to participate in the GDI cooperation towards early implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals. Cambodia supports Global Security Initiative (GSI) and Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), and stands ready to work with China on global security governance towards common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and to uphold the humanity's common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom.

Both sides reiterate commitment to open regionalism towards building a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful, and amicable home in the region, deepening China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to build an even closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future. Both sides agree to enhance Lancang-Mekong Cooperation to promote the building of an even closer community with a shared future for Lancang-Mekong countries.

7. Both sides believe that with joint efforts of China and ASEAN Member States, the situation in the South China Sea has maintained overall stability. The two countries call on relevant parties to carry forward the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) fully and effectively, to enhance maritime cooperation, and reach an early conclusion on a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) on the basis of mutual consensus, to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation. Any attempt to use the South China Sea issue to undermine regional peace, stability and trust is counterproductive and should be avoided.

8. Both sides express satisfaction with the outcomes of the visit. Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei HUN Manet expresses sincere appreciation for the warm and friendly hospitality extended by Chinese leaders and people, and invites Chinese leaders to visit Cambodia at mutual convenience.

During the visit, the two sides signed Action Plan on Building a China-Cambodia Community with a Shared Future in the New Era between the People's Republic of China and the Kingdom of Cambodia (2024-2028) and several other cooperation documents on "Industrial and Technological Corridor", "Fish and Rice Corridor", Infrastructure, Digital Economy, Green Development, Inspection and Quarantine, Forestry and Wildlife, and Development Cooperation.

Beijing, 16 September 2023


David G. Burnet became the President of the Republic of Texas on March 17, 1836, days after the new nations birth. His position was only an interim position, but the 47-year-old New Jersey native was overwhelmed with reports of military defeats and retreats. The newborn republic may not have survived.

Burnet had not been elected as a delegate to the independence convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos, but instead was supposedly on his way to assist William B. Travis and his defense of the Alamo when he stopped in an effort to recruit the delegates to fight. The decision to stop in Washington saved his life as all the defenders at the Alamo were killed on March 6 and news reached the convention a few days later. Delegates considered Sam Houston as the interim president of the independent Texas, but he was away commanding the army. Stephen F. Austin was in Washington, DC, lobbying for support from the United States.

The convention instead settled on Burnet as interim president by a narrow vote on March 17, with Lorenzo de Zavala as interim vice-president. Presidential runner-up Samuel P. Carson was named secretary of state and immediately left for the United States to seek recognition of Texas independence and possible annexation.

Texas settlers were now fighting for their lives as the Mexican Army seemed unstoppable. Fearing the new government would be captured, Burnet chose to flee to a safer location. He ordered the government to move to Harrisburg (later renamed Houston). The retreat touched off a wave of panic and lead to the decisive battle at San Jacinto. As the overwhelmed Texas army retreated to the east, a long column of refugees accompanied them, desperate to seek safety, even as far as the United States.

Burnet attempted to enlist the support of the United States but was unsuccessful. He wrote an executive order declaring martial law and ordering all able-bodied men to enlist, but it was Gen. Sam Houston, the overall commander of Texas forces, who had the attention of Texans. Houston criticized Burnets decision to leave Washington as untimely and cowardly, making the bad situation steadily worse. After reaching Harrisburg, Burnet moved the government again to Galveston and was prepared to leave Texas altogether. Burnet, in turn, criticized Houston for failing to fight the army of Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Houston, aware of his limited resources and manpower, was waiting for the right moment to strike.

Houston and his forces won the day at San Jacinto on April 21, scattering Mexican forces and capturing a fleeing Santa Anna several days later. Burnet, so far removed from Houston, had lost contact with the army for several days and did not learn of the victory until well after it had occurred. As Texas troops nursed their wounds and basked in their victory, Burnet arrived on the scene, only to criticize Houstons actions.

By Oct. 22, Burnets term as interim president ended. Seven months had allowed Texas to stabilize, but his efforts to raise funds for Texas only had limited success. Sam Houston followed as the first elected president of Texas.

In 1838, Burnet returned to politics as vice-president, elected on a separate ticket from the new president, Mirabeau B. Lamar.

Burnet and Houston continued to clash with each other repeatedly through the years.

By any measure, Houston had been far more successful politically and far more popular, but this never stopped the two from their many squabbles. Their arguments, along with Houstons rivalry with Lamar, became staple features of Texas politics during those years. In spite of these rivalries, Houston towered over both men. Several times, an incensed Burnet challenged Houston to a duel over his insults. Houston always laughed off or ignored Burnets challenges.

Burnet supported Lamars antagonistic approach to Mexico, hoping to redirect the valuable trade of Mexicos northern provinces to Texas in the process. The result was one military disaster after another that left Mexico threatening another invasion of Texas and an empty treasury. In 1840, while Lamar was forced to receive medical treatments in New Orleans, Burnet served as acting president. He tried to convince the Texas Congress to launch a raid into Mexico, fearing Texas was about to be attacked. Houston and his allies blocked the reckless move.

In 1841, Burnet ran for president against Houston. He and his allies launched a series of bitter attacks on Houston as an alcoholic. Houston appealed to practical interests, such as stabilizing the finances of Texas through less military spending, easing tensions with Mexico, and encouraging more trade with foreign nations instead of more fighting. He told his supporters, Our motto ought to be fewer officers and more corn-fields. In spite of the spirited support that Burnet received, he and his supporters could not put a dent in Houstons popularity or reputation. Burnet was soundly defeated in the election, receiving a scant 26% of the vote.

After 1841, Burnet never ran for election again. However, he did not stay out of public service. After statehood was achieved in 1845, the states first governor, James Pinckney Henderson, appointed Burnet in May 1846 as the states secretary of state. He would serve ably until January 1848.

In 1866, Burnet was appointed by the state legislature to serve in the U. S. Senate, but the Senate refused to seat him because of his support of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Burnets health continued to decline. His increasingly erratic behavior has led some historians to suggest that he may have been suffering dementia.

Burnet died at his home in Galveston in 1870 at the age of 82. In 1852, the state named Burnet County in his honor. A statue to Burnet was erected in the Northeast Texas community of Clarksville in 1936 as part of the states centennial celebrations. Regardless of how his performance may be judged, Burnet was an important figure in a defining era for Texas.

Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan. He holds a doctorate from the University of North Texas. Bridges can be reached by email at drkenbridges@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Bridges: David G. Burnet was an early leader of Texas
Shelby awarded funding from Ohio EMA

COLUMBUS  Sima Merick, executive director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, announced a seventh round of reimbursements of more than $60,000 from the State Disaster Relief Program (SDRP) for areas statewide impacted by severe storms last year.

The reimbursements include communities impacted by the June 2022 severe storms in Richland, Holmes, Noble and Tuscarawas counties. In Richland County the City of Shelby was awarded $17,230.79.

In November 2022, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine authorized the use of the SDRP to help provide relief to several counties impacted by severe weather in February, May, June and July of 2022. The SDRP is a reimbursement program that can be used in occurrences where storm damage amounts do not meet the threshold for federal assistance.

The SDRP is authorized for counties whose damages meet a countywide per capita indicator. Governor DeWine's authorization allowing the use of the fund permits the Ohio EMA to request funding from the Ohio Controlling Board.

Local motorists alerted to several road projects

A variety of projects in Richland County are impacting motorists over the next week.

Vine Street, from Fifth Avenue to Vanburen Avenue in Mansfield, is closed for water main repairs. It's expected to reopen Tuesday.

The Richland County Engineer's Office says Baseline Road, between Planktown North Road and Ohio 13 in Bloominggrove/Butler Townships, is closed to thru traffic between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. now through Tuesday, weather permitting. The closure will allow for a resurfacing project. Local, school and emergency traffic is being maintained using flaggers.

The Engineer's Office also reports Straub Road, between Ohio 13 and Woodville Road in Washington Township, is now open following the completion of a bridge repair.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is also reporting the U.S. 30 eastbound and westbound rest areas near I-71 will close Monday for sidewalk removal, curb ramp removal and replacement, painting parking stalls, and other auxiliary painting. The rest areas are expected to reopen Friday.

Upcoming meetings:

 Mansfield NAACP Unit #3190 Executive Committee, 5:30 p.m., General Membership 6:30 p.m., Monday,

 Crestview Local Board of Education, 6 p.m., Monday, Crestview Middle School assembly room, 1575 Ohio 96, Ashland

 Pioneer Career and Technology Center Board of Education, 7 p.m., Monday, BOE conference room, Pioneer CTC, 27 Ryan Road, Shelby

 Shelby City Council, 7 p.m. Monday, Shelby Justice Center, 29 Mack Ave., Shelby

 Mental Health & Recovery Services Board of Richland County, 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, board office, 87 E. First St., Mansfield

 Mansfield City Council Caucus/Council, 7 p.m., Tuesday, Municipal Building, 30 N. Diamond St., Mansfield

 Plymouth-Shiloh Local Board of Education, 5 p.m., Wednesday, Administrative Office Building, 365 Sandusky St., Plymouth

Mansfield News Journal

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Shelby awarded EMA funds for storm damage, road projects, meetings
Brown honored by Blue Ridge Quilts of Valor

William Douglas Brown of Brevard was recently honored by Blue Ridge Quilts of Valor members for his service during World War II.

World War II veteran William Douglas Brown receives a quilt from quilters Didi Salvatierra, left, and Sheila Solen.

Quilters Didi Salvatierra and Sheila Solen presented an originally designed and crafted patriotic quilt to Brown in his home. His wife, Perry, and friends JD Bolt and Elizabeth Cantrell were in attendance at the formal ceremony which is conducted for all recipients of the (international) Quilts of Valor Foundation.

Seaman First Class Brown served in the US Navy from 1945-47, reaching the rank of E-3 Seaman. His service began at boot camp in Memphis, Tennessee, followed by machinist mate training in Norman, Oklahoma and Ariel gunnery training in Pensacola, Florida.

Browns quilt was made by Patty Smith, a friend of Blue Ridge Quilts of Valor. Founded in 2003, Quilts of Valor Foundation quilters have presented 354,712 to veterans throughout the United States, Canada, Germany, and Iraq. For more information about Quilts of Valor or to nominate a veteran or active service member for a quilt, visit Quilts of Valor Foundation at qovf.org.

DAR invites public to Constitution Week Program

The Joseph McDowell Chapter and the Abraham Kuykendall Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution are inviting the public to the Bells Across America program on Constitution Day at 3:45 p.m. Sept. 17 in front of the Historic Henderson County Courthouse.

The 2021 ceremony for Bells Across America featured Mayor Barbara Volk, center, issuing a proclamation.

According to a news release, bells will sound for a full minute across America at 4 p.m. to commemorate the 236th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. The celebration will occur at the same time across America, with each time zone adjusting its time so that it will happen simultaneously.

Historian Don Hendrix will be the speaker, and Mayor Barbara Volk will present a proclamation proclaiming Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week in Hendersonville.

This celebration of the Constitution was started by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1955 when the DAR petitioned Congress to set aside September 17-23 annually for the observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was later adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed into public law on August 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Litter Sweep Days set for September

The City of Hendersonville and Henderson County in partnership with N.C. Department of Transportation are organizing Litter Sweep Days to be from Sept. 16-30 and a litter clean-up event from 2-4 p.m. Sept. 24 along Berkeley Road.

Litter Sweep Days encourages community members to take action in reducing roadside litter while learning about waste reduction, according to a news release.

Individual/Group Litter Pick Up (Sept. 16-30): Participants can volunteer to pick up trash during NCDOT's Fall Litter Sweep. Participants should coordinate with NCDOT for litter pick-up supplies, location, and trash pick-up. Visit http://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/ww_JCyPAVriyD2oYEfZR64f?domain=ncdot.gov for more information.

After participating in the litter sweep, fill out this participation survey to report yourself or your group: http://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/-a7WCADXvPf10lOjMi9Jujt?domain=surveymonkey.com. The individual or group that picks up the most bags of trash will be recognized at a future City Council and Board of Commissioners meeting as a Litter Sweep Warrior.

Litter Pick-Up Event (2-4 p.m. Sept. 24): The City of Hendersonville and Henderson County will be organizing a separate event for members to pick up litter along Berkeley Road. Registration is required to attend the event. Contact Sustainability Manager Caitlyn Gendusa at 828-712-4464 or cgenudsa@hvlnc.gov to sign up.

AAUW to host Serving Students and Supporting Teachers event

Hendersonville: AAUW will be hosting Serving Students & Supporting Teachers from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Art Place at 2021 Asheville Highway.

Founded in 1986, the Henderson County Education Foundation was formed to improve the educational experience for Henderson County students and teachers. A presentation about the Foundations initiatives and programs will be presented by Executive Director Peggy Marshall and students.

There is no charge for the event but due to limited space, seats must be reserved by Sept. 17 at ssmreb@bellsouth.net. Lunch is also available. For more information, go to https://hendersonville-nc.aauw.net/.

League of Women Voters to meet

The League of Women Voters of Henderson County will hold a gathering to kick off its fall schedule of events from 2-4 Sept. 17 at Flat Rock Village Hall.

Members and friends from the community are invited to attend and hear what the League is doing to educate and advocate for its mission of Empowering Voters and defending Democracy. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.lwvhcnc.org.

This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Brown honored; Constitution Week, Litter Sweep Days set; League of Women Voters to meet
Colorado Rep. Ken Buck called upon his fellow House Republicans in an op-ed published Friday in the Washington Post.

He disapproved of Republican efforts made towards an impeachment inquiry against President Biden.

We are barreling toward a government shutdown without making progress on cutting our out-of-control spending, Buck wrote. Yet Republican leadership has decided to divert attention to an impeachment inquiry into President Biden.

The GOP, Buck argued, wont be able to connect Biden to his neer do well sons corruption. Hunter Bidens shady business deals undermined Americas image, he wrote, but House Republicans wont be able to find a smoking gun between Hunter Biden and his father.

The impeachment inquiry examines the 2016 firing of Viktor Shokin, a Ukrainian prosecutor, that Biden helped facilitate while he was Vice President. Speaker McCarthy (R-Calif.) formally announced the inquiry on Tuesday.

Buck wrote that the dominant narrative in right-wing media is that Shokin was an anti-corruption zealot with an active investigation into Burisma, the company where Hunter Biden held a seat on the board of directors, and from which he reportedly received large monthly payments.

The impeachment inquiry comes from Republicans, who Buck claims, are itching but relying on an imagined history.

Condemning his fellow Republicans efforts, Buck also pointed to the 2019 pursued impeachment led by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He denounced that impeachment effort and said the recent GOP effort is no better.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
AUSTIN  The appeals court decision to allow the buoys to remain in the Rio Grande at least temporarily as the federal lawsuit against Texas moves forward gives Gov. Greg Abbott the opportunity to maintain the offensive on his signature wheelhouse issue.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has set an Oct. 5 hearing on whether to keep in place the order by Senior U.S. Judge David Allan Ezra that ordered the $1 million, 1,000-foot chain of floating barriers as part of Abbott's Operation Lone Star to be removed pending the outcome of the lawsuit.

Buoys used in the Rio Grande to stop unauthorized boarder crossings sit in a staging area along the river on Saturday, July 16, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas.

And while they remain in place, Abbott is not taking his foot off the gas when it comes to his hard line against unlawful immigration. In recent days, the three-term Republican has posted photos and videos on social media showing sections of a state-paid border wall being erected on the Texas side of the Rio Grande in the same region as where the buoys are floating near Eagle Pass.

"Texas is working night and day to add more border wall," Abbott said on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a clip showing crews working past dark on the project.

He also continues to boast about the number of immigrants who have been cleared to remain in the United States temporarily who have boarded buses for state-paid-for trips to cities outside Texas where Democratic mayors are in charge. On Wednesday, he boasted that 37,400 such migrants since he launched that initiative in April 2022 have been sent to such cities as New York, Washington, Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

Critics of the busing policy have derided it as a publicity stunt designed to ensure continued appearances on conservative news outlets. Those critics are at least partially right. The video clips on migrant being dropped off in the far-away places have brought Abbott countless hours of airtime and page after page of print coverage.

But the "stunt" part might be off the mark. "Stunt" carries the connotation of being frivolous, and often times the trips have been anything but. In August, a 3-year-old girl from Venezuela died after she boarded bus bound for Los Angeles with her mother at the Texas border. USA TODAY reported the child died from bacterial Shigella Flexneri Colitis and Aspiration Pneumonia along with diarrhea and vomiting, which caused electrolyte abnormalities and swelling of the brain.

Jimmy Barboza, Mariangel Gonzalez and Jismary, 3, of Venezuela, boarded a Texas-sponsored bus from Brownsville to Chicago last month after being allowed into the U.S. to seek asylum. Jismary had a low-grade fever and other symptoms as she boarded the bus and later died en route, a new report says, raising questions as to the medical screening process on the state-sponsored bus trips.

Texas officials said the child was tested before boarding and showed no sign of illness.

Meanwhile, New York Mayor Eric Adams , who has been something of a foil for Abbott on the immigration issue, has said the 14,000 migrants bused to his city is straining public and private resources to the breaking point.

More: 'I dont see an ending to this' NYC Mayor Eric Adams calls influx of migrants a national crisis

"This issue will destroy New York City, Adams told his city earlier this month. "The city we knew, were about to lose."

The New York Times reported Friday that New Yorkers are taking their frustration over the influx of immigrants to the streets.

This is our battle for our neighborhoods, for our children, for our grandparents," Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels, was quoted in The Times as saying. "For your equity.

Abbott, for his part, used Adams' concerns to needle the Democratic mayor, who referred to the Republican Texas governor as "a madman."

Riffing on Frank Sinatra's anthem to the Big Apple, "New York, New York," Abbott told Fox News on Tuesday that Adams "may have made it to be mayor of New York, but he could not last a week in Texas."

The final fate of the buoys will not likely be decided until as late as November as pretrial filings are still being accepted in the Western District of Texas' Austin courthouse. And even while they remain in the water, which is relatively shallow in Eagle Pass, they are likely more a visual opportunity than an actual impediment to fording the Rio Grande.

At 1,000 foot, the buoy chain is roughly three city blocks long, That means someone encountering the buoys at the center line, needs to walk only a block and a half in either direction to avoid them altogether.

But in politics, the visuals often drive the narrative. And as long as Abbott has the ability to control the visuals, he can remain on offense.

John C. Moritz covers Texas government and politics for the USA Today Network in Austin. Contact him at jmoritz@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly called Twitter, @JohnnieMo.

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Why the Rio Grande buoys continue to be a political asset to Abbott
California is suing five big oil companies for lying about climate change, the governors office announced Saturday.

For more than 50 years, Big Oil has been lying to us  covering up the fact that theyve long known how dangerous the fossil fuels they produce are for our planet. It has been decades of damage and deception, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said in a press release Saturday.

Wildfires wiping out entire communities, toxic smoke clogging our air, deadly heat waves, record-breaking droughts parching our wells, Newsom continued. New California taxpayers shouldnt have to foot the bill. California is taking action to hold big polluters accountable.

The lawsuit, filed Friday, notes extreme weather faced by the state in the last year. It also accuses [o]il and gas company executives of knowing for decades that reliance on fossil fuels would cause these catastrophic results, yet suppressing that information from the public and policymakers by actively pushing out disinformation on the topic. The five companies named in the suit are ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips and BP.

The suit, filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) and filed in state Superior Court in San Francisco County, is attempting to have the oil companies pay into an abatement fund for the ongoing public nuisance their conduct has created in California, among other disciplinary measures for their actions.

With our lawsuit, California becomes the largest geographic area and the largest economy to take these giant oil companies to court, Bonta said in the press release. From extreme heat to drought and water shortages, the climate crisis they have caused is undeniable. It is time they pay to abate the harm they have caused. We will meet the moment and fight tirelessly on behalf of all Californians, in particular those who live in environmental justice communities.

In a statement, Shell said climate change has been a matter of public record for decades.

Addressing climate change requires a collaborative, society-wide approach, Shells emailed statement read. We do not believe the courtroom is the right venue to address climate change, but that smart policy from government and action from all sectors is the appropriate way to reach solutions and drive progress.

In their own emailed statement, a spokesperson for Chevron called climate change a global problem that requires a coordinated international policy response rather than piecemeal litigation for the benefit of lawyers and politicians.

California has long been a leading promoter of oil and gas development, the Chevron spokesperson said. Its local courts have no constructive or constitutionally permissible role in crafting global energy policy.

A spokesperson from BP told The Hill they had no comment.

The Hill has reached out to ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips.

 Updated at 2:18 pm EDT Sep. 17.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A water fountain at a school in Flint, Mich., is off limits due to high amounts of lead and other contaminants. California lawmakers recently passed a bill that would require schools in the state to test all potable drinking water outlets for lead. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

California lawmakers have passed a bill that would require kindergarten-to-12th-grade schools in the Golden State to test for brain-damaging lead in all drinking water outlets.

Assembly Bill 249 would require community water systems that serve schools built before 2010 to test all potable water outlets for lead, and to report results to the school, educational agency and state water regulators. Outlets exceeding lead levels of 5 parts per billion would have to be shut down immediately. Testing would be required before 2027, and would also apply to preschools and child day care facilities on public school property.

The measure, authored by Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), passed in the Senate and the Assembly this week. It now heads to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk for a final decision.

The legislation comes on the heels of alarming data revealing that one in four of the states child-care centers has dangerously high levels of lead in their drinking water, suggesting that thousands of infants, toddlers and children are being exposed to the potent neurotoxin.

The highest results came from a facility in San Diego that recorded 11,300 parts per billion at the time of testing  well above the states limit of 5 ppb in child-care centers.

Read more: Drinking water at 1 in 4 California child-care centers tests dangerously high for lead

If lead levels are exceeded, the bill requires schools or educational agencies to notify parents and guardians, shut down the outlet, and find an alternative source of lead-free drinking water. Results of the lead sampling would have to be publicly available online. Schools or educational agencies would need to provide results upon request if they lack a website.

Schools that have replaced all potable water outlets as part of a modernization that occurred after 2010 would be exempt from testing.

The Senate Appropriations Committee estimated the law would cost the California State Water Resources Control Board in the low tens of millions of dollars in the first years, and millions annually thereafter, money that would come from the general fund or a special fund. The cost would include the development and implementation of a new data collection system, database maintenance and data quality control oversight, inspection of facilities, and responding to complaints and levels that exceeded limits, among other things.

The committee estimated potentially significant one-time costs for districts or other educational agencies to remediate lead pollution if it is found.

The bill was co-sponsored by the Environmental Working Group and Children Now, a nonprofit focused on childrens health.

Several major groups expressed opposition to the bill.

The Assn. of California School Administrators and the California Assn. of School Business Officials argued, among other things, that immediately shutting off outlets that exceed the lead standard could leave an entire school without potable water for a prolonged time. They added that intermediate responses, such as flushing water for 30 seconds, have proved to lower lead levels, and that exemptions should be made for schools that have installed water filtration systems.

The California Municipal Utilities Assn., which represents over 50 agencies that supply water to 75% of state residents, and the California Special Districts Assn., which represents nearly 1,000 independent special districts, said that while they agree with the authors goals, the bill could result in duplication or conflict with pending federal requirements.

They argued that the Environmental Protection Agencys revised Lead and Copper Rule , which for the first time includes testing in schools and child-care facilities, would overlap with the bills current compliance date.

Read more: California's biggest environmental cleanup leaves lead contamination and frustration

[W]ater systems likely would have to comply with two comprehensive testing regimes without any additional public health benefit, they said in a joint letter. And if the state law and federal law conflict, it is unclear how water systems would be expected to fulfill both sets of requirements.

To avoid duplicate testing, the State Water Board would provide, among other things, application waivers to schools or water systems from having to also comply with federal requirements.

AB 249 is an echo of a similar bill enacted in 2017. AB 746 required water systems serving schools built before 2010 to test for lead in potable faucets, but the action level was higher, at 15 ppb, and it did not specify the number of outlets where testing was required.

The drinking water data released in May by the state Department of Social Services marked the first time in state history that child-care facilities have been required to test for lead, a law that was also authored by Holden and passed in 2018.

Lead is a particularly serious threat to children and pregnant people. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there is no safe level of lead exposure in children, and that even at low levels, ingestion can lower a childs IQ, impair their development and hearing, contribute to learning and behavior problems, and damage their brains and nervous systems. Lead in drinking water cannot be seen or tasted, and damage from lead poisoning is irreversible.

The metal commonly enters drinking water through lead fixtures, faucets and pipes, which are likely to be found in older homes and buildings built before 1986, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Lead can also enter drinking water when plumbing materials that contain the metal corrode.

The EPA estimates that as much as 20% of a child's exposure to lead comes from drinking water.

Lead exposure among children is also borne unequally. Low-income families and people of color are more likely to live in communities with old and aging infrastructure, according to the CDC, and children from disadvantaged neighborhoods also bear the cumulative effects of other pollutants and malnutrition, and attend under-resourced schools.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
China's plans to help Africa's industrialization is a welcome move as it will help revolutionize the continent's economies, said a Zambian expert.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
A lawsuit against California Treasurer Fiona Ma alleging sexual harassment can go to trial, a judge ruled Thursday.

Judith Blackwell, a former high-ranking employee of Mas office, filed the lawsuit in July 2021 in Sacramento Superior Court. In addition to sexual harassment, it claimed wrongful termination and racial discrimination.

The lawsuit alleged that Ma often rented hotel rooms in Sacramento for staff to stay in after working late. Blackwell alleged that while sharing rooms, Ma called her into her bedroom multiple times, exposed her nude rear end, and climbed into Blackwells bed with her.

In his ruling, first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Christopher Krueger dismissed Blackwells allegations of racial discrimination and wrongful termination. But he said Blackwells allegations, if believed by a jury, could establish that Ma sexually harassed her.

Ma also frequently shared hotel rooms with her then-chief of staff Genevieve Jopanda, a Sacramento Bee analysis of expense reports in 2021 found. That was to save money, Ma said at the time.

Ma has denied the allegations and filed a motion to dismiss Blackwells case. Her spokesman, Steve Maviglio, told the Associated Press Friday that her office is pleased that a number of the allegations were thrown out and that the treasurer can have her day in court.

The allegations are meritless by a disgruntled employee, and we look forward to having them proven false, Maviglio said.

A settlement conference is scheduled for Wednesday, according to court records.

Ma, a Democrat, served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors before she was elected state treasurer in 2018. The treasurer manages state investments, serves on the board of its pension funds and oversees programs that provide tax credits for affordable housing and financing for public works projects.

Ma was also previously elected to the state Assembly. She has said she plans to run for lieutenant governor in 2026.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Members of the public exit the gallery on the tenth day of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxtons impeachment trial at the Texas Capitol in Austin on Sept. 16, 2023. Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune

A road trip to Austin to attend an Arctic Monkeys concert became a rare chance for Texas A&M political science majors Sophia Lopez and Allison Dominguez to watch a live historic moment on Saturday: the impeachment vote of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton at the Texas Capitol.

[Ken Paxton was acquitted. See how each Senator voted.]

By the time they reached the Capitol, the senators in attendance had already voted to acquit Paxton on 16 articles of impeachment, clearing Paxton of accusations that he had engaged in official misconduct including taking bribes from real estate developer and campaign donor, Nate Paul.

Paxtons wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, attended the trial but did not cast a vote.

But the two Aggies made it in time to watch lawmakers hold press conferences and discuss the two week trial proceedings and the resulting verdict to acquit, which now allows Paxton to return to work.

Lopez, 18, and Dominguez, 19, thought the decision to acquit Paxton could hurt the Texas governments reputation across the country.

He obviously did something wrong. The evidence was there, Lopez said. Dominguez agreed.

The fact that they just decided to let it go is really sad, she said.

Capitol visitor Marshal Atwater, 35, had come Saturday to hear a concert outside the Texas Senate chamber in the rotunda. He said the acquittal was not surprising to him because he thinks the members in the Republican-majority Senate are dug into ideological positions, and it speaks to the polarized world that weve been living in.

Louis DeAngelis, 29, was visiting the Texas Capitol with a friend from Massachusetts when the Paxton verdict came down. DeAngelis, who works in video production in Austin, said the verdict showed that people in power are not generally held to the same standard as everyone else.

Matthew McCoy, a 22-year-old University of Texas government major watched the vote in the gallery above the Texas Senate floor. McCoy, who is also the communications director of the University of Texas Democrats, said he was disappointed but not surprised as he watched the vote on Paxtons fate.

Miles away from Austin, Texans across the state reacted with either disappointment or relief that the trial was over and Paxton would be returning as attorney general, a post he has held since 2015.

In Houston, 59-year-old Tracy Chargois said she had been following the trial closely after getting more involved in politics after the 2016 election. The acquittal was not surprising to her. This is about politics, not the truth, she said. Its all about party affiliation and power. [The Senate] didnt do what they needed to do. They arent doing their job.

Sheryl Johnson, also in Houston said she had been watching the trial closely with her family. The 59-year-old was frustrated with the result and described Texas politics as garbage because it's the good old buddy system. And they dont want change.

In West Texas, 57-year-old Maurice Torano of Odessa was ecstatic to hear that Paxton was cleared of the charges. Torano said the prosecution team had no real evidence and considered them an embarrassment to the Legislature. It's a sham, Torano said.

Another Odessa resident, who would only identify herself as Traci S. said she was glad Paxton had been cleared and would be able to return to his job. The 61-year old woman compared the trial against Paxton to the various criminal charges brought against former President Donald Trump: Theyre doing what theyre doing to Trump  and by they, I mean Democrats. [Ken Paxton] was doing a fine job.

Rico Chavez, 43, of Odessa, disagreed. He thought Paxton was guilty and was disappointed by the verdict. These people in high places get privileges that we dont. It seems like the government overlooks criminal activity. Thats why it is so corrupt.

The Texas Tribune Festival is almost here! Join us Sept. 21-23 in downtown Austin for 125+ unforgettable conversations featuring nearly 300 speakers. Be there for Texas biggest politics and policy event when you buy your tickets today.
When the Brazilian prosecutor in charge of a homicide case targeting Danilo Cavalcante saw footage of the 34 year-old crab-walk out of a U.S. prison last month, he thought the fugitive might try to head home, where he stood to receive a considerably lighter sentence.

Cavalcante fled Brazil in 2018, several months after allegedly shooting a man whose family members said owed him money. Today, Cavalcante faces life in a U.S. cell for the brutal killing of his girlfriend.

I thought he wanted to escape to Brazil, Tocantins state prosecutor Rafael Pinto Alamy told The Associated Press on Thursday. He would have to comply with the prison rules here, which are much more lenient.

A court hearing in Cavalcantes Brazilian homicide case has been set for Oct. 11. The case is expected to go to a jury, probably next year, Alamy and Cavalcantes lawyer told the AP.

Brazil does not deliver life sentences. Even had Cavalcante been sentenced to the maximum 30 years, Alamy said, he might have been able to walk free after some 12 years with reductions for good behavior.

Just after midnight on Nov. 5, 2017, Cavalcante allegedly killed a man outside a restaurant in Figueiropolis, a small rural town of about 5,200 inhabitants in Tocantins, a state in Brazils hinterland.

The 20-year-old victim, Valter Junior Moreira dos Reis, was shot five times, according to a police report seen by the AP. His sister later told officers she thought Cavalcante had attacked him because of a debt her brother owed him related to damage done to a car, the report read.

Cavalcante then ran to his car and fled the scene, a direct witness told officers.

Authorities in Brazil opened an investigation and, within a week, a judge had ordered his preventive arrest, documents show. Law enforcement was not able to find Cavalcante, who was not from the area.

According to the Brazilian investigative television show Fantastico, Cavalcante was able to travel to capital Brasilia in January 2018. It is unclear whether he used fake documents to travel, but he was only included in a national warrant information system in June of that year, the prosecutor working on the case told the AP.

Even if he had traveled with his own identification, he was only a fugitive in the state of Tocantins, Alamy said.

Cavalcantes arrest in the U.S. on Wednesday made the front page of many Brazilian newspapers. Coverage of the manhunt has likewise been splashed across papers and television programs throughout his 14 days on the run, despite the fact that the country is relatively more accustomed to jailbreaks and fugitives who, sometimes released from jail temporarily, decline to return.

Cavalcantes lawyer, Magnus Lourenco, said he was unsure his client would be notified of the October court hearing in time, and that it might be delayed.

In the meantime, loved ones of the victim in Brazil have expressed relief that Cavalcante will resume paying for his crimes, even if in another country.

Were pleased (with his capture), but there was no justice for my brother in Brazil. Justice is very slow, Dayane Moreira dos Reis, the victims sister, told newspaper Folha de S. Paulo. We spent seven years without any answers. We (now) hope hell stay in prison for his whole sentence.

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"Pages of history" features excerpts from The News Journal archives including The Morning News, the Evening Journal and the Every Evening.

Sept. 17, 2003, The News Journal

Aid sought for New Castle County flooding victims

Gov. Ruth Ann Minner will declare flood-damaged communities of New Castle County disaster areas today, the first step to getting federal disaster assistance.

Glenville was the area hardest hit by the floods on Monday. New Castle County building inspectors declared 149 of 195 homes in the community uninhabitable. Residents of the Stanton-area community spent Tuesday evening cleaning up the damage.

The front page of The News Journal from Sept. 17, 2003.

Other areas cleaning up included Yorklyn and an area near Hockessin where the historic Wooddale Covered Bridge was destroyed by floodwaters, cutting off 15 families from their homes on Foxhill Lane and Wooddale Road.

Employees at the NVF plant on Yorklyn Road were digging through debris and waiting for the electricity to be turned on. Bill Campbell, executive vice president of the company, said windows of the plant were destroyed by the force of the currents and the first floor was washed out.

The torrential rains that lingered over areas of Delaware and Pennsylvania caused a dramatic surge in all four of the states major streams, especially along Red Clay Creek.

Mondays sudden jump in creek levels caught residents and forecasters by surprise. Federal monitors show the Red Clay rose nearly 7 feet in two hours Monday morning at Kennett Square, Pa., just north of the Delaware line.

Near-record flooding was reported along Brandywine Creek, White Clay Creek and the Christina River near Newark.

More weather-related news: Here's how to keep safe and tips in case of a flood, tornado or heat wave hits Delaware

Sept. 18, 1893, Evening Journal

All Washington alive with processions, music and singing; Capitol centennial celebrated

One hundred years ago today, with all the ceremonies which the period would allow, the corner stone of the Capitol building was laid by President George Washington, and today the citizens of the magnificent city that has grown about the site selected for the structure, together with the highest officials of the nation and the public men from all sections of the land, celebrated the centennial anniversary of the event with exercises so impressive in character as to fitly mark an epoch in the history of this splendid building.

Front page of the Evening Journal from Sept. 18, 1893.

First with a military and civic pageant, then with oratory and music, the event was commemorated. The participants were the representatives of all the branches of the government, including President Cleveland and his Cabinet and the members of both houses of Congress and the highest judicial officers of the country, together with thousands of the people themselves.

Sept. 19, 1975, The Morning News

Patty Hearst , SLA trio nabbed in San Francisco

Newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst and her three fugitive companions were captured without a fight in San Francisco yesterday, ending one of the longest and most bizarre manhunts in American history.

The sudden and unspectacular apprehension  by FBI agents and San Francisco police  provided a whimper ending to the violent history of the Symbionese Liberation Army.

Front page of The Morning News from Sept. 19, 1975.

Miss Hearst, the 21-year-old daughter of Randolph A. Hearst, president of the San Francisco Examiner, was held on a total of $500,000 bail on criminal charges in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Her attorney, Terence Hallinan, said her family would seek to provide the money.

Among the others arrested, William Harris and his wife, Emily, are avowed members of the SLA, the small terrorist band that claimed credit for the assassination of Marcus Foster, the black school superintendent in Oakland, Calif., and later kidnapped Miss Hearst from her Berkeley apartment Feb. 4, 1974.

The Hearst casecaught the nations fancy from the beginning. Miss Hearst, scion of a publishing fortune, had been takenfrom her Berkeley apartment in the dead of night. A nation of television viewers watched her parents ordeal, their pleas that she be set free  and later, after the bombshell of her claimed conversion to the terrorism of the SLA  their pleadings that she give herself up.

Miss Hearst, in one of many tape-recorded messages sent to a radio station, announced April 3, 1974  two months after her abduction  that she was renouncing her family.

Catch up on history: Pages of history: The News Journal archives, week of June 26

Sept. 20, 1881, Every Evening

President Garfield dead

President Garfield died at 10:35 last night, thus ending his long sufferings.

Mrs. Garfield bore the trying ordeal with great fortitude and exhibited unprecedented courage after her husband was shot more than two months ago.

Front page of the Every Evening from Sept. 20, 1881.

Soon after 9 oclock on the morning of Saturday, July 2, the President entered the station of the Baltimore & Potomac Railroad at Washington, in company with Secretary of State Blaine, being about to join his wife at Long Branch for an extended trip through the northern states.

The President was well advanced into the room when suddenly two pistol shots were heard and Mr. Garfield was seen to stagger. At the same moment the unknown assassinattempted to escape. Mr. Blaine rushed out to grapple with him but in an instant the miscreant was seized by half a dozen men, and soon after, amid the threats of the excited and bewildered crowd, conveyed to jail.

Meanwhile the wounded President sank upon the floor and several physicians were called. A hasty examination showed that one shot had taken effect, that entered upon the right side, striking the 11th rib, and burying itself.

Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Stanton flooding, Capitol Centennial: News Journal archives, Sept. 17
Mandy Cohen wants to win back Americas trust.

The new CDC director spent her first two months on the job telling audiences in New York, Wisconsin and Washington state the agency has made mistakes, a mea culpa of sorts meant to show that she understands past shortcomings.

Trust is easily broken and, as folks know, trust takes time to rebuild, Cohen told POLITICO. It isnt something you can fix overnight. I know that this is a long-term way of thinking about it.

Her trust tour, which has several more stops in the works, comes as the Biden administration begins its latest Covid-19 vaccine push and at a time when her agency faces scrutiny over its decisions and messaging during the pandemic. She is contending with a public that has, for the most part, moved beyond Covid and growing vaccine skepticism fueled by some presidential candidates and public health officials.

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo on Wednesday warned healthy adults under the age of 65 against taking the newly approved Covid-19 vaccine.

Cohen called efforts to undercut vaccine uptake unfounded and, frankly, dangerous.

I want to make sure folks know, particularly in Florida, that vaccination remains a safe way in terms of protecting against severe disease, hospitalization and death, she said. Its important for Americans to get these shots.

There is reason to believe people are receptive to the administrations message. More than half of voters are likely to seek out the newest Covid shot, according to new polling conducted by Morning Consult and POLITICO. Nearly eight in 10 Democrats say they will definitely or probably get the new vaccine, and roughly four in 10 Republicans expect to seek out the updated shot.



Cohen will personally make the case in the coming weeks traveling across the country, including places with high uninsured rates to tout the administrations Bridge Access Program, which provides Covid-19 vaccines for uninsured people.

Beyond visits to states, Cohen, who became director in July, has met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill  including Republicans who have been critical of the agency  regularly appears in Instagram videos to discuss public health initiatives and is behind an agency overhaul to make data/information more accessible. She wrote an op-ed on Thursday, extolling Covid vaccines and sharing that her husband and two young daughters would soon get the shot.

A part of trust building is making sure people know I wouldnt recommend something for the American people I wouldnt recommend to my own family, she told POLITICO.

Cohen is following a path that former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, who last year ordered an agency overhaul in the wake of criticism over its Covid-19 response.

I dont want to say I started the work, Cohen said. This is a continuation and acceleration of that work.

Walensky did not respond to a request for comment.

Reforming how the CDC communicates is a crucial part of the campaign. That includes revamping the agency website to be more consumer friendly, said CDC communications director Kevin Griffis.

She knows, as a leading health authority, that the public, at times, had their trust challenged, Paula Tran, a Wisconsin state health official who met with Cohen this summer, told POLITICO.

Theres a new curriculum for CDC scientists that explains how to use clear language, Griffis said, and Cohen regularly meets with CDC employees to talk through concerns and changes in Meetups with Mandy.



Cohen led the North Carolina health department during the height of the pandemic and said that leveling with people about what she knew  and didnt know  helped build trust, a lesson she said she is bringing to the CDC.

She pointed to how the agency discussed the emerging variant BA.2.86, which has gotten weekly scientific updates, and often describes what the agency still doesnt know about the variant as evidence of this work.

We are already starting a path [of better scientific communication], Cohen said.

And as the agency works on its public messaging, Cohen has instructed states to do the same.

At a meeting in Washington state, Cohen told health leaders to prepare clear and consistent messaging on the upcoming respiratory illness season, including how to get Covid-19 vaccines.

She talked about how we need to be transparent with decision making, and we need to be transparent with our data, said Tao Kwan-Gett, Washington states chief science officer.

For the Wisconsin health department, challenges with the CDC in recent years have centered on getting real-time data to the public, Tran told POLITICO. As the pandemic response became more localized, the department said inconsistencies emerged across school districts, local agencies and counties on Covid guidance.

We look to the CDC to provide that national coordination around what our major public health priorities are and how we can continue to strengthen public health infrastructure, Tran said.

After Cohen visited the department in August, Tran said she was pleased by Doctor Cohens collaborative nature and partnership and listening to our colleagues at the very local level.
Felony charges against a migrant mother from Venezuela who was arrested after allegedly blocking traffic and scuffling with police over bathroom access were dropped Friday by the Cook County states attorneys office.

After additional review of the facts, evidence, and the law related to this incident, we concluded that we could not meet our burden of proof to move forward with the prosecution of this case, the states attorneys office said in a statement. Today in the interest of justice, we asked the court to dismiss this case and the charges were dropped.

Dayrelys Coy, 21, had been charged with three counts of resisting or obstructing police, which is a Class 4 felony, as well as a misdemeanor citation of obstructing traffic, according to police and court records. The Sept. 9 confrontation with police began after she tried to bring her 3-year-old child into the public bathroom at a Southwest Side police station.

The mother told the Tribune she felt relieved when she learned that the charges had been dropped.

Estamos bien, gracias a Dios, she said hours after her court appearance, meaning that thanks to the lord, she and her son are doing well.

For now, she and her son are safe, but she is reserved about making further comments.

Coy was arrested after she and other migrants blocked traffic in a protest over bathroom conditions at the 8th District police station. In a previous interview with the Tribune, Coy said that officers had denied them access to the public bathrooms and told them to use the portable bathroom outside.

Coy, whose child has a cleft lip, had said she felt it was unsafe and unsanitary to take her child into that bathroom. Migrants told the Tribune the portable bathroom was cleaned only periodically and not enough for the more than 60 people, including 30 young children, who live at the station.

Bathrooms at police stations are open to the public unless undergoing repairs. The confrontation highlights the tension at police stations across the city, which have become landing spaces for thousands of migrants, mostly from Venezuela, arriving in Chicago to seek asylum as they wait for temporary housing in a city-run shelter. There are 2,000 migrants living in stations across the city, according to the latest numbers.

After the confrontation, the police station cleaned and opened up the bathrooms to the public, said Erika Villegas, lead volunteer of the Police Station Response Team at the 8th District station. She also said two more portable bathrooms have been added outside the station.

We are relieved and glad that this mother doesnt have to deal with this hurdle, Villegas said.

The mother and her son had been living at the station for more than three months, Villegas said and she hopes that now that they are in a city-run shelter, they can quickly start the process to find a permanent apartment.

When that happens, she said, the team will be there to help them move in and furnish it.

We are wishing her and her son the best of luck and hope to see them in the future when we help them move into the apartment, Villegas said.
China has reportedly stopped its spy balloon operations seven months after one of its balloons was spotted in skies above the U.S.

Sources familiar with Chinas spy balloons told CNN that Chinese leaders have made the decision to not launch additional balloons after one was shot down by the U.S. in February. Since then, US officials have not seen any new launches, CNN reported.

Chinese embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu told CNN that the incident in February was unexpected and isolated.

Since the incident happened, China has stated repeatedly that the balloon is found to be an unmanned civilian airship used for meteorological and other research purposes, and that its accidental entry into US airspace is entirely an unexpected, isolated incident caused by force majeure, Liu told CNN.

US intelligence officials said they think the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) didnt intend for the balloon to cross skies in the United States. The balloon took off from the small Chinese province of Hainan and crossed into Alaska, Canada and downward toward Idaho and Montana.

American fighter jets shot down the balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4. The FBI conducted an analysis of the balloon remnants and the Pentagon announced that no intelligence was gathered.

CNN reported that it is not known how long China will suspend its spy balloon operations. Christopher Johnson, a former senior China analyst at the CIA and current senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said it might be dependent on how a potential meeting between President Biden and CCP leader Xi Jinping goes.

Theyre each expected to be at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco in November.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie on Friday took jabs at former President Trump and President Biden in a new fundraising pitch, suggesting their time in Washington has expired.

Both the Trump and Biden families are past their sell-by dates in this country. Its time to move on, Christie said on X, previously known as Twitter. Im tired of the what about-ism. The conduct in both of these families is troubling.

Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, said conspiracies within both families need to be looked at. He was seemingly referencing a recent federal indictment against Hunter Biden , the presidents son, over gun charges and the former presidents slate of legal troubles.

Trump faces three criminal trials in the coming months, including two cases over allegations he attempted to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

In his donor push, Christie asked followers to join the 75% of Americans in moving on from them, including a link to his donor page.

The former governor is one of Trumps most vocal critics in the 2024 race, and has previously said that the charges laid against the former president are extremely serious.

He has also added to the ongoing criticism of Biden and Trumps ages  80 and 77 respectively. If elected, either candidate would be the oldest president in history at the end of their second term.

Republicans have constantly brought up the presidents age in attacks, though polls show that a significant number of Democrats also carry concerns. Still, Democrats have complained that Trump hasnt gotten the same scrutiny.

Christie raised $1.6 million in the first month of his campaign in June, according to the most recent federal campaign filings. The next FEC fundraising deadline is at the end of this month, Sept. 30.

Trump remains the frontrunner in the GOP primary, garnering about 55 percent of support in recent national polling averages. Christie has just over 3 percent support.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A coalition of civil rights organizations requested a White House meeting to learn more about actions taken since President Bidens anti-hate summit one year ago.

Civil rights groups requested a meeting with the White House earlier this week and asked for updates on what it has done to address the rise of hate-based violence on the heels of the murders of three Black Americans in Jacksonville, Florida.

In a letter sent to the White House Domestic Policy Council, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 200 civil rights organizations, requested to meet with the White House Initiative on Hate-Motivated Violence ahead of the one-year anniversary of the United We Stand Summit that President Joe Biden hosted on Sept. 15, 2022.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (L) and Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden (R) answer questions during the daily press briefing at the White House on August 29, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Last years summit gathered civil rights groups, policymakers, law enforcement, faith-based organizations and survivors of hate attacks. Attendees discussed substantive actions that can be taken to address a rise in hate-based killings since 2019 that was identified through FBI data.

In addition to the summit, the Biden-Harris administration formed the White House Initiative on Hate-Motivated Violence and announced actions it would take to prevent hate-fueled violence.

Those actions included working with educational institutions to prevent hate and bullying, increasing access to federal prevention resources and assisting financial institutions and law enforcement to detect and combat the financing of domestic extremism, among others.

In the letter addressed to Neera Tanden, the White House domestic policy director, the coalition of civil rights groups also requested a public report detailing progress made on the ambitious government initiative.

Public reporting is an important way to promote transparency, and its also important to continue to engage communities, Nadia Aziz, senior director of the fighting hate and bias program at The Leadership Conference, told theGrio. We want an all-of-government approach. So requesting this meeting is just another step towards advancing that priority.

U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris participate in a meeting with governors visiting from states around the country in the East Room of the White House on February 10, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

While the Department of Justice has convicted more than 80 defendants for committing hate crimes since Biden took office, civil rights groups are calling for other federal agencies to do their respective work to prevent hate-based violence that is overwhelmingly committed by white men who harbor white supremacist or neo-Nazi beliefs. For example, the Department of Housing and Urban Development could improve public education on anti-harassment rules in housing.

A lot of hate crimes happen or start as arguments between neighbors, Aziz said. Theres so much that can be done to help inform people and to help us better respond.

Aziz said what is most needed is more data on hate crimes, which has been challenging to collect on the local level.

Hate crimes and hate violence have been occurring since before the United States was founded. And even though we have a lot of information about them, we still need more information and more data, she told theGrio.

Civil rights organizations have been calling for mandatory hate crime data reporting by law enforcement agencies in order to use that data to understand better when and how hate crimes happen.

There are long-term effects, not just for survivors of hate crimes [and] people whove lost family members, but also the community as a whole, Aziz explained. Theres so much more that can be done to better understand this and help inform how we respond.

From left, a woman who goes by the name of Queen, views crosses put up in memory of the victims of Saturdays shooting as artist Roberto Marquez, of Dallas, paints and Will Walsh, of Nocatee, Fla., helps construct posts Monday, Aug. 28, 2023, near the site of the attack at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Fla. (Corey Perrine/The Florida Times-Union via AP)

Another challenge to combating hate-fueled violence is the use of online platforms by extremist groups and white nationalists to both organize and finance their movements.

Amy Spitalnick, an expert on domestic extremist trends, told theGrio that theres no question that social media and broader online platforms have been central to the rise [in] hate-based violence.

Spitalnick, who successfully brought a lawsuit against domestic extremist groups and leaders connected to the Charlottesville violence in the wake of the Unite the Right rally in 2017, said she is particularly concerned about how online platforms are used to finance white nationalist groups.

Over the last few years, there has been a significant increase in the use of cryptocurrency and similar currencies among these extremist groups, said Spitalnick, who serves as CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and senior advisor at Human Rights First.

Weve seen that among the defendants in the Charlottesville case. Weve seen that among other domestic extremist groups, she shared. Spitalnick said other online crowdfunding platforms like Give Send Go are also being used to raise money for domestic terrorism activity.

In their list of actions to combat hate-fueled violence, the White House directed the Treasury Departments Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence to develop reports and resources on such financing to help inform the public and private sectors.

Members of the right-wing group Patriot Front march across Memorial Bridge in front of the Lincoln Memorial on December 04, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

In a statement provided to theGrio, the White House acknowledged the recent horrific mass shooting in Jacksonville, Florida, reminds us all that this work remains as urgent as ever.

Since the Summit, the Biden-Harris Administration has been working to improve communities ability to prevent, respond to, and recover from hate-fueled violence, and we will continue providing additional information about these efforts soon, the statement continued.

The Leadership Conference said it hopes to directly engage with the White House to learn how these actions have been implemented and share that progress with the public.

On Friday, marking the 1-year anniversary of the United We Stand Summit, the White House released a lengthy fact sheet listing the multi-agency actions it has taken over the past year.

Those actions include prioritizing civil rights violations and hate crimes within the Justice Department and $32 million in grants issued by the DOJ for law enforcement agencies, community organizations, and civil rights groups for investigations, support services and research.

The administration also launched its United Against Hate program in 94 of its U.S. Attorneys Offices, as well as grants and guidelines issued by the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services for HBCUs and other higher institutions to both respond to and prevent hate-fueled violence, among several other actions.

The White House did not confirm a meeting as requested by The Leadership Conference; however, a Biden-Harris official noted with theGrio that the White House regularly meets with civil rights leaders and organizations.

Aziz said the letter and its requests are intended to hold the administration and all government officials accountable for making sure theyre keeping us safe and speaking out against white nationalist ideologies.

She added, Theres a lot that can be done, and were all in this together. It takes an all-of-society approach.

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 Civil rights groups request White House meeting on combating hate-fueled violence appeared first on TheGrio.
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Nine members of a family, including a bridegroom, died on Friday night in a road accident in the Ghotki district of Pakistan's southern Sindh province, police said.

According to highway patrolling police, a vehicle carrying nine family members was hit by a container-mounted trailer in the Rwanti rural area at the Sukkur-Multan Motorway in Ghotki.

Police, rescue teams, and local residents rushed to the site and retrieved three bodies and six injured from the wholly destroyed vehicle. However, all the wounded passengers succumbed to their injuries during treatment at a hospital, added the police.

Police said that the ill-fated family hailed from Babarloi town of Khairpur district of Sindh and was traveling to eastern Punjab province for a marriage ceremony when they encountered the accident.

Police attributed the tragic accident to the over-speeding of both vehicles and registered a case against the trailer driver. 
CLOVIS, NM  A string of reported jewelry store burglaries led Clovis police to a suspect who was arrested earlier this week for a similar incident in Amarillo at the JCPenney.

According to the Clovis Police Department, on Wednesday, Aug. 30, an attempted breaking and entering was reported to Diamonds Evermore, located at 1407 N. Main. Police said the next day, on Thursday, Aug. 31, a burglary was reported to the JCPenney department store at the North Plains Mall, 2809 N. Prince in Clovis. Another burglary was reported to the Zales jewelry store inside the same mall on Sept. 4.

Because of the spike in criminal activity at the North Plains Mall, Clovis police increased their patrols around the mall. Police said that in the early morning hours of Friday, Sept. 8, an officer patrolling the mall found a broken window, and additional officers responded and searched the mall. Officers found this time that a suspect had burglarized the Keepsake jewelry store located inside the mall.

All of these incidents were assigned to the Clovis Police Department Detective Division for further investigation. During the course of these investigations, it was learned that Junayd Howard, 25, of Clovis, was arrested by the Amarillo Police Department on Tuesday, Sept. 12, for a reported burglary with similar circumstances as these burglaries.

"This arrest began our communication with the Amarillo Police Department. Through a combined investigative effort between the Clovis Police Department and the Amarillo Police Department, detectives learned Junayd had been selling jewelry, since the report of the first burglary in Clovis, to pawn shops in Lubbock, TX, Dallas, TX, and Albuquerque, NM," a news release states. "Investigators were able to match items stolen from the Clovis burglaries to items being pawned by Junayd. Based on this information investigators were able to obtain a search warrant for Junayds Clovis home. During this search, investigators were able to locate items believed stolen during the Clovis burglaries."

A warrant was issued for Howards arrest for six counts of commercial burglary, three counts of larceny over $20,000, six counts of criminal damage over $1,000, one count of attempted breaking and entering and one count of criminal damage under $1,000.

On Friday, Sept. 15, the Potter County Sheriffs Office was contacted, and Junayd is being held on this warrant in their detention facility, Clovis police reported.

Anyone who may have any information related to these burglaries is asked to contact the Clovis Police Department at 575-769-1921. Information can also be provided anonymously by using the Clovis Police Departments tip411 program, accessed by going to www.police.cityofclovis.org or contacting the Curry County Crime Stoppers at 575-763-7000.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Clovis police issue warrant for burglaries at mall jewelry stores
Colorado officer who placed handcuffed suspect into police vehicle that was hit by a train sentenced to 30 months probation, 100 hours community service

A police officer in Colorado who placed a handcuffed suspect into a police SUV that was then hit by a train, was sentenced to supervised probation and public service, her attorney said.

Fort Lupton officer Jordan Steinke will serve 30 months of supervised probation and 100 hours of public service, according to attorney Mallory A. Revel.

In July, Judge Timothy Kerns found the former officer guilty of reckless endangerment and third-degree assault, but found her not guilty of a felony charge of criminal attempt to commit manslaughter, CNN previously reported.

Theres no reasonable doubt that placing a handcuffed person in the back of a patrol car parked on railroad tracks creates a substantial and unjustifiable risk of harm by the train, Kerns said while reading the verdict.

Steinke had joined a traffic stop in Weld County, Colorado, last September, pulling over Yareni Rios-Gonzalez, who was suspected of brandishing a gun at another driver in a road rage case earlier that evening.

Steinke placed Rios into the cruiser of Platteville police officer Pablo Vasquez, who was the first to arrive on the scene and parked in the middle of a marked railroad crossing.

Body camera and dash camera video released by police showed Rios screaming for help as the train approached and struck the vehicle. She suffered nine broken ribs and a broken arm in addition to other injuries, but survived the crash.

Steinke spoke directly to Rios prior to her sentencing.

I understand, recognize and empathize that Ms. Rios-Gonzalez and her family have endured a great deal of physical, emotional and psychological pain, Steinke said. As a police officer, I never intended for another human to come to harm under my watch. I feel very much responsible for what happened to you that night. What happened that night has haunted me for 364 days.

Rios attorney also told the court that Rios did not feel strongly about Steinke serving jail time and felt very sorry for her instead.

Fort Lupton is about 30 miles north of Denver.

CNNs Andy Rose contributed to this report.

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With a new violin in hand, I walked into a nursing home for seniors in southeastern L.A. County, eager to see the look on my buddy Nathaniels face.

A once-promising career as a classical musician was hijacked half a century ago with a diagnosis of mental illness. But a continuing love of music keeps him alive, and I had promised to replace his broken violin and cello.

When I arrived, a nurse informed me that Mr. Ayers, as I call him, wasnt there. Hed been hospitalized after what appeared to have been a colossal screw-up. A month earlier, when he was transferred from a nearby facility to the nursing home, thered been a miscommunication about his condition and treatment plan. As a result, his glucose levels were dangerously high.

I drove to the hospital, worried and angry. Mr. Ayers has lived a hard life, spending the bulk of his 72 years in institutions and on the streets. When I met him in 2005, the Juilliard-trained musician was living on Skid Row in Los Angeles, playing a violin that was missing two strings. Weve been close ever since, and Ive tried my best to monitor his care as hes bounced from one facility to another.

By chance, the same day I learned of Mr. Ayers hospitalization, my column on nursing homes was published. President Bidens call to beef up staffing was a small step in the right direction, I wrote, but overdue inspections and delays in complaint investigations needed attention, as well. I quoted Tony Chicotel, of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, who asked: Has California nursing home oversight ever been worse?

Read more: Column: For all his setbacks, he still finds hope and sanity in the music

I found Mr. Ayers asleep in his hospital bed, sharing a room with two other patients who were also snoozing. I didnt want to wake him, or them, so I left a note asking him to call me. A nurse advised I hold onto the violin so it wouldnt get stolen.

Mr. Ayers was treated  crisis averted, thankfully  and later returned to the nursing home. But when I went back to give him the violin, the medical staff warned me to keep my distance. Mr. Ayers was congested and his eyes were glassy, and they were about to test him for COVID-19. I handed him the violin, which brought a smile to his face, and then I flagged down the nursing director.

She told me she would check the records and call me later. When she did, she confirmed that there had been some kind of communication breakdown regarding his condition and meds. She also said that after I dropped off the violin, Mr. Ayers was shipped back, yet again, to the hospital. He had tested positive for COVID-19.

While this was happening, L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer contacted me to push back a bit on my column about nursing home oversight. In L.A. County, she said, a host of improvements have been made since numerous deficiencies were cited by both the auditor-controller and the office of the inspector general. Many of the additional recommended reforms were beyond county purview, she said, and would need to be addressed by the state.

Read more: Column: A homeless musician changed my life. I wish I could do more to change his

Ferrer put me in touch with two members of her team  Dr. Nichole Quick and Dr. Zachary Rubin. They said great strides had been made in controlling the spread of infectious diseases at nursing homes, and the complaint investigation backlog had been virtually eliminated.

But problems remain. Some facilities are antiquated, Dr. Rubin said, staffing is an issue in some places, and turnover rates are high. There are good owner-operators and bad operators, Quick said.

As I noted previously, lax state licensing controls have allowed owners with shoddy records to stay in business. And a $30-million court settlement earlier this year in a negligence and wrongful-death case against a nursing home highlighted an alarming reality  ownership webs involving private equity partners can put a squeeze on nursing home staffing and lower the quality of care in the interest of maximizing profits.

Nathaniel Ayers plays the violin along 4th Street in downtown Los Angeles in 2008. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

I do want to say that in my hundreds of visits with Mr. Ayers at multiple facilities over the years, Ive been impressed by countless hardworking employees dedicated to the care of patients whose physical and mental challenges can make the job extremely difficult. That many of these employees  primarily women of color  take home puny paychecks, while investors line their pockets, is unconscionable.

It's no surprise that workers at nursing facilities in Los Angeles, Montrose, Norwalk and Claremont have voted to authorize a strike. In a statement, Service Employees Union Local 2015 said members are "demanding an end to skyrocketing staff turnover" and insisting on safer staffing levels "to ensure that all residents receive the high quality care they deserve."

I saw the risks play out when I visited Mr. Ayers several months ago on a Saturday and found him in distress, yelling out in vain for assistance. It took me close to an hour to find his nurse, and while I searched, housekeeping employees told me staffing is often low on weekends.

After the treatment plan confusion earlier this month, I filed a formal complaint with the county Department of Public Health and shared everything I knew with investigators who visited both facilities. (I'm withholding the names of those places as the investigation proceeds.)

Read more: Column: Ive written about L.A.s mental illness crisis for almost 20 years. We have to do better

Quick could not discuss an active investigation but told me a discharging facility definitely has a requirement to make sure that medical records are forwarded in a transfer. Quick said if that didnt happen in this case, and there was no medication reconciliation on the receiving end, it wouldnt be the first time.

"There's a ways to go on this," she said of the need to make hand-offs more seamless.

Unfortunately, many patients dont get regular visits from family or friends and have no advocates. Quick said the work of the county's Long Term Care Ombudsman program is critical because it collaborates with the county, conducts investigations and makes unannounced visits to check on care and conditions.

But Molly Davies, CEO of Wise & Healthy Aging, which runs the ombudsman program, told me she has funding for only 30 staffers and 17 volunteers.

Nathaniel Ayers plays the cello in the hospital. When Steve Lopez met him in 2005, the Julliard-trained musician was living on Skid Row in Los Angeles, playing a violin that was missing two strings. (Steve Lopez / Los Angeles Times)

With over 1,800 skilled nursing, assisted living and board-and-care facilities to cover, this is not enough, said Davies, who is advocating for a direct and adequate source of funding for her program. As it is, she cobbles together money from various sources.

Some of these issues are complicated by fragmented authority at federal, state and local levels, but ageism plays a role. We simply aren't caring enough to smooth the way for our elders and let them age with dignity. How hard can it be to shore up the ombudsman program and put more eyes and ears in facilities that are, to many patients, not just clinics, but homes?

Let me end, though, on a more upbeat note.

On Tuesday, Mr. Ayers called from the hospital, played his violin over the phone, and asked when Id come by. He sounded well, and an administrator told me he was no longer positive for COVID. The next day, I took him a cello, and he treated me to a symphony.

First he played a portable keyboard he had lugged with him to the hospital, then the cello and finally the violin, turning a drab hospital room into a concert hall.

A couple of nurses came by and listened from the doorway. A doctor paused and smiled. The music traveled out of the room, down the hall and past the rooms of other patients, medicine for the soul.

steve.lopez@latimes.com

To file a complaint against a healthcare facility in California, visit the Department of Public Health website. You can also go to California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform at CANHR.org or call (800) 474-1116. In L.A. County, try the Wise & Healthy Aging Ombudsman page at wiseombudsman.org , or call (800) 334-9473 during working hours or (800) 231-4024 after hours.





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Major comedian and Davis native Hasan Minhaj includes embellishments in his stand up routine, according to a new piece in the New Yorker.

The story, published online Friday, said Minhaj told the magazine that the stories he tells on stage contain about 30% hyperbole, exaggeration, fiction.

For example, Minhajs 2022 Netflix special The Kings Jester includes a story about someone sending an envelope of white powder to his house, the powder getting on his daughters skin, and rushing her to the hospital. However, while the envelope did arrive, his daughter was not exposed to it or hospitalized, he told the New Yorker.

During the same special, Minhaj told a story set in the Sacramento area. He said an FBI informant named Brother Eric who infiltrated his familys Sacramento-area mosque in 2002, shortly after 9/11, when Minhaj was in high school. Brother Eric gained the trust of the mosque community and had dinner at Minhajs house, Minhaj said in the set. Minhaj, suspicious of the man, decided to mess with him and told him he was getting his pilots license, which resulted in police arriving and slamming MInhaj against the hood of a car, he said in the set.

The magazine found there was indeed a man known as Brother Eric, named Craig Montelih, who worked on counterterrorism measures for the FBI. But he didnt start the work until 2006, and worked only in Southern California, the magazine found.

In a statement from a spokeswoman, Minhaj said: All my standup stories are based on events that happened to me. Yes, I was rejected from going to prom because of my race. Yes, a letter with powder was sent to my apartment that almost harmed my daughter. Yes, I had an interaction with law enforcement during the war on terror. Yes, I had varicocele repair surgery so we could get pregnant. Yes, I roasted Jared Kushner to his face.

I use the tools of standup comedy  hyperbole, changing names and locations, and compressing timelines to tell entertaining stories. Thats inherent to the art form. You wouldnt go to a haunted house and say Why are these people lying to me?  The point is the ride. Standup is the same.

Minhaj, 37, graduated from Davis Senior High School, attended UC Davis and is a well-publicized Sacramento Kings fan. His comedy focuses on his experiences growing up Indian American, Asian American and Muslim in predominantly white Davis.

Minhaj came to fame as a correspondent on Comedy Centrals The Daily Show before landing his own similar Netflix show called Patriot Act, which won an Emmy but was canceled after two years. He hosted the 2017 White House Correspondents Dinner, and is a leading candidate to replace Trevor Noah as the next host of The Daily Show, according to the magazine.

After performing at the Punch Line Sacramento comedy club in Arden Arcade last month, the comedian is about to begin performing his Off With His Head stand-up tour that will take him to 16 cities through mid-December, where hell perform for three nights in New York. The only California stop on the tour will be in Paso Robles on Oct. 20.
It will replenish a labour force depleted by an ageing population. It will generate lots of extra tax revenue for the Government and stop debt from spiralling out of control. And it will inject some much needed dynamism into a business culture that would otherwise stagnate. For the last two decades, there has been a suffocating consensus that higher immigration is vital for the economy. Anyone who argued otherwise was ignoring the evidence.

But hold on. A major paper published this week punctures that notion, arguing against the idea that changing demographics will be ruinous to certain countries. This ought to trigger a grown-up debate about immigration  and perhaps an admission that, while it may have plenty of benefits, it wont necessarily always make us richer.

Professor David Miles sits at the heart of the economic establishment. A member of the Office for Budget Responsibility committee, he is used to forecasting the long-term impact of government policies. Yet, in a paper for the Journal of the Economics of Ageing, he last week challenged the consensus view that a country with a falling population is inevitably condemned to stagnation, indebtedness and declining living standards.

The quality of life... can certainly be higher with a smaller population, he wrote, arguing that while immigration can keep the ratio of young workers to pensioners stable, that calculation ignores the extra capital spending required to accommodate all those extra people. It calls into question the assumption that the worlds richest nations would be far worse off with a shrinking population. Predictions of dire effects, he said, are implausible.

That has not been the standard position of the OBR. It has forecast a 250 billion black hole in the UKs public finances by the 2070s caused by lower birth rates and longer life expectancy. And it has certainly not been the mainstream view.

For years, the economic establishment has insisted that, while there may be concerns about the effects of mass immigration on our social fabric, no sensible person could argue against its economic benefits. It brought in lots of young workers, who would take on jobs that needed doing, and lots of highly skilled workers, who would become NHS doctors. They replenish the Treasury coffers and plug skills gaps.

Immigration, it was claimed, would bring some much needed energy and dynamism to the country. Imposing any restrictions on it would do huge damage to the economy. As a consequence, the population of the UK rose by around four million in the two decades to 2021.

Even after we left the EU, and were able to put some restrictions back on the numbers, the Government, fearful of its impact on the economy, failed to take back control in the way most people understood it. The result? Net migration hitting a record 600,000 in one year alone.

There are many things that ail the British economy, but in the 20 years since we have adopted an increasingly open borders approach, the country has not become noticeably richer. In Italy, where net migration levels are higher even than Britain, the economy has stagnated, recording close to zero growth over two decades.

Japan has run very low levels of immigration, becoming the first major economy to experience population decline (the total number of Japanese nationals fell by 800,000 last year, while the overall population shrank by 500,000). Its economy has hardly experienced world-beating growth, but its 1.1pc expansion in 2022 was respectable. And, of course, measuring by GDP per capita, that growth is even higher.

In the UK, meanwhile, World Bank data suggests per capita GDP has fallen in real terms, from $50,000 per person in 2007 to $45,000 2022.

There is no question that immigration brings some major benefits. It makes the business culture more dynamic. Research from The Entrepreneurs Network has shown around 40pc of the owners of the UKs fastest-growing businesses are foreign-born. Those who arrive on our shores due to pull factors are often extremely ambitious, committed and hard-working. And it is true that immigrants can fill jobs that would otherwise be vacant; Canada has shown what can be achieved when a country draws on highly skilled migrants.

But at a time when, by some calculations, over 5 million people are on out-of-work benefits, questions ought to be asked over why immigration is required to fill these gaps. Opening borders can put a huge strain on infrastructure, especially in a nation unwilling to reform its bloated, creaking healthcare system and where politicians talk a good game on building homes but never, ever seem to walk the walk. And immigration can incentivise companies to rely on importing cheap labour for low-paid jobs that could be automated instead.

For the last two decades, there has been a suffocating economic consensus that mass immigration is always positive. The Conservatives have bought into that; the Labour Party even more so. And yet, finally this is starting to break down. Perhaps we can finally have a serious discussion instead  one that sets aside Leftie shibboleths and instead challenges the belief that net migration in the hundreds of thousands will automatically make us richer.

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Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district court has increased bail for oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky from Hr 509 million ($14 million) to Hr 3.8 billion ($105 million) after he was handed new charges in the PrivatBank case, Suspilne reported on Sept. 15.

According to Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), Kolomoisky in 2013-2014 embezzled around $157 million from PrivatBank, which he co-owned at the time. This is the latest in a series of accusations made against the infamous oligarch since the start of September.

A prosecutor of the Bureau of Economic Security asked the court to set the new bail at the same amount Kolomoisky had allegedly embezzled, Suspilne wrote.

The prosecutor also said that the oligarch had lost his Ukrainian citizenship and is now a citizen of Israel, which creates a risk of him hiding abroad.

Last year rumors swirled that President Volodymyr Zelensky had stripped Kolomoisky of his Ukrainian citizenship, although that was never confirmed by the presidential office.

Government advisor Serhiy Leshchenko, however, recently published photographs of court documents listing the oligarch as a citizen of Israel and Cyprus.

Read also: Oligarch Kolomoisky is behind bars. How did he get there and can he find a way out?

Kolomoisky's lawyer, in turn, argued that the requested bail is "unreasonable" as the prosecutor allegedly did not provide any evidence that the oligarch could pay such an amount, Suspilne reported. The lawyer also called the risks "unfounded" since Kolomoisky is already in custody.

On Sept. 2, Kolomoisky was arrested until Oct. 31, with the initial bail set at $14 million. Earlier the same day, the SBU searched the oligarch's properties and charged Kolomoisky with fraud and money laundering related to his oil and gas holdings.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) handed Kolomoisky additional criminal charges on Sept. 7, accusing him of embezzling $250 million from PrivatBank in 2015.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The court has increased the amount of bail for businessman Ihor Kolomoiskyi from just under UAH 510 million (approx. US$13.3 million) to UAH 3.891 billion (approx. US$185.76 million).

Source: Suspilne from the courtroom

Details: Kyivs Shevchenkivskyi District Court has changed the pre-trial restriction for Kolomoiskyi, who on 15 September was served with a new notice of suspicion on three counts relating to the embezzlement of UAH 5.8 billion. The oligarch's bail has been changed to UAH 3.891 billion.

The prosecution had asked the Kyiv court to increase the bail to just under UAH 5.88 billion due to the new notices of suspicion.

The prosecutor noted that since Kolomoiskyi has lost his Ukrainian citizenship and is now a citizen of Israel, there is a risk of him absconding abroad.

Quote: "The defence lawyer stated that the charge was unfounded because no members of the criminal group, except for Kolomoiskyi, have been identified. In addition, neither Privatbank nor other depositors reported the crime during all those years. He also said that the National Bank of Ukraine should have carried out checks and audits following losses in the amount of [UAH] 5 billion, but they were not carried out.

According to the defence, since Privatbank was not state-owned but privately-owned during the period in question, damage could only have been caused to the bank's shareholders  Boholiubov or Kolomoiskyi.

The lawyer also stated that the amount of the bail was unreasonable because the prosecutor from the Economic Security Bureau had provided no evidence that Kolomoiskyi is able to pay that amount. He also called the risks unfounded, since Kolomoiskyi is already in custody and therefore cannot escape or hinder or influence witnesses in any way."

Background:

On 2 September, the Security Service of Ukraine, the Economic Security Bureau and the Prosecutor General's Office served Kolomoiskyi with a notice of suspicion under Articles 190 and 209 of the Criminal Code for fraud and legalisation (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means. The case concerns the legalisation of UAH 5.8 billion (approx. US$155.6 million) by transferring the sum abroad via banking institutions under his control. Under the pre-trial restrictions selected by Kyivs Shevchenkivskyi District Court, Kolomoiskyi was remanded in custody for a period of 60 days with the option to post bail in the amount of almost UAH 510 million (approx. US$13,315,927). Kolomoiskyi does not intend to post bail until his appeal is considered.

On 15 September, Ihor Kolomoiskyi was served with a new notice of suspicion under three articles of Ukraines Criminal Code: illegal actions in respect of remittance documents, payment cards and other means providing access to bank accounts, electronic money and equipment for their production; misappropriation of property by an official through abuse of office, committed by an organised group on an especially large scale; and legalisation (laundering) of the proceeds of crime.

According to the investigation, in 2013-2014 Kolomoiskyi illegally appropriated UAH 5.8 billion (approx. US$155.6 million) after setting up a criminal group made up of employees of Privatbank, of which he was founder and a shareholder.

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Everyone ages 6 months and older should get the new COVID booster this fall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said this week. Dr. Joe Gastaldo, medical director of infectious diseases for OhioHealth, says how soon you should get the shot depends on a number of factors including whether you've had the virus recently or any health conditions that put you at greater risk.

As fall approaches, so too does yet another COVID-19 booster shot.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved the next generation of COVID shots. The shots, which are updated for variants circulating this year, could become available in Ohio in the coming weeks.

With a new booster on the way, The Dispatch checked back in with one of the most familiar faces throughout the pandemic  Dr. Joe Gastaldo, medical director of infectious diseases for OhioHealth.

Read More: Can Ohio State students sue for a refund of their COVID-19 semester fees?

Gastaldo weighed in on what people should know about the new booster, when exactly it will likely be available and when people should get it. Although more federal guidance is forthcoming, Gastaldo said it's likely that doctors will recommend anyone eligible for the original COVID vaccines get this latest dose as well.

"It's very important to get this," Gastaldo said. "The virus is not going away. It is endemic, and we still have to be cognizant of unknowns with this virus."

Here's what else the doctor had to say about the latest round of COVID vaccines:

Dr. Joe Gastaldo, medical director of infectious diseases for OhioHealth, and other Ohio health experts say it's important to stay on top of your COVID vaccines, especially as we head into fall and winter, when the number of cases of respiratory illness tends to go up.

When should Ohioans start getting the new booster shot?

It won't be long, Gastaldo said, before the new COVID shot is shipped out to pharmacies and health care providers nationwide.

Once the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention signs off on the shot, Gastaldo said it would likely be a matter of days before the new booster is available.

Supplies of the updated vaccine were expected to be available to providers by the end of this week, Ohio Department of Health Director Bruce Vanderhoff said Thursday night.

He said the vaccines would continue to be readily available to Ohioans, including to those without insurance.

If you have medical insurance, and that includes Medicare or Medicaid, vaccines should be covered as a preventive health service, which means you likely will have no out-of-pocket costs, Vanderhoff said. Those without insurance can take advantage of several programs to ensure they can continue to get free vaccines, as well.

But when it comes to the question of when Ohioans should make an appointment for their next COVID jab, Gastaldo said there is no one right answer.

"It depends on the person, if someone's had COVID recently, or if you're healthier," the doctor said.

A person who has had COVID can wait between four and six months before getting the new booster. That's due to the fact that catching the disease boosts a person's immunity on its own temporarily, Gastaldo said.

Ohioans over the age of 65 and those who are immunocompromised should get the shot right away, Gastaldo said. Relatively healthy individuals may be able to wait to get the booster if they want to time it around when they'll be seeing people over the holidays, he said.

Does it protect against newer variants?

The short answer is yes.

Testing has shown the new COVID shot is effective at preventing serious disease from newer variants, including the XBB.1.5 strain and the eg.5 variant.

Similar to the process followed annually by the flu vaccine, the latest COVID shot was reformulated to target the most likely variants of the virus that would be circulating this fall and winter, Gastaldo said.

Read More: Life in a COVID ward: Frontline workers struggle to save lives, taking each day as it comes

Although it's possible another unknown strain could yet develop, Gastaldo said the new booster has proved to be able to ward off serious infections of the latest variants.

"There's a soup of variants out there and we make the best prediction we can," Gastaldo said.

How safe is this booster and can Ohioans get it with other shots?

As in years past, Gastaldo said it is still safe to get the new COVID booster and the flu shot at the same time. In fact, Gastaldo said eligible Ohioans could even get the COVID booster, the flu shot and a vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) all in the same visit to the doctor's office or local pharmacy.

Vaccines for RSV, another respiratory illness that can cause serious infection in infants and the elderly, became available for the first time this year. Ohioans over the age of 65 and soon-to-be moms in their third trimester of pregnancy can get vaccinated for RSV, the doctor said.

The latest COVID boosters are just as safe as previous versions of the vaccine, Gastaldo said. Supporting that is the fact that mRNA COVID vaccines have been given to hundreds of millions nationwide with relatively few negative outcomes by comparison, according to the FDA.

The latest dose uses mRNA just as the original shots from Pfizer and Moderna both did, Gastaldo said. The difference is that the formula's genetic makeup has been retooled to better target the latest variants.

"I feel quite comfortable as a clinician recommending these (shots)," Gastaldo said. "There's so many different eyes that are looking at things. ... I have a lot of confidence in the process that gets us these vaccines."

mfilby@dispatch.com

@MaxFilby

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Is the new COVID booster safe? OhioHealth's Dr. Joe Gastaldo weighs in
The crew of the Navy intelligence ship Pueblo reunited Thursday in San Diego to commemorate 55 years since North Korea captured the vessel.

North Korea attacked and seized the Pueblo and its 83-person crew on Jan. 23, 1968, in international waters off the coast of Wonson. One crew member was killed in the initial attack, and the remaining sailors and Marines were held hostage for 11 months.

The crew was finally released and reunited with their families in San Diego just before Christmas in 1968.

While North Korea claimed that the ship crossed into territorial waters, the U.S. disputed the allegation and claimed the ship always remained in international waters.

Held hostage for 11 months, this Navy crew was freed two days before Christmas

Pueblo crew members present at the reunion Thursday included Don Peppard, 86; Bob Chicca, 79; and Rick Rogala, 76. All of them suffered severe physical injuries while being held hostage.

Peppard, a cryptologic technician who worked in the ships code office and maintained highly classified documents, now serves as the president of the U.S.S. Pueblo Veterans Association. He was subjected to regular beatings as a prisoner. Guards regularly pointed guns at him while in captivity, leading him to believe hed be shot at any moment. He was also told he could be executed as he crossed the Peace Bridge in Panmunjom as North Korea released him from custody.

Chicca, who served in the Marine Corps as an interpreter and later retired as a staff sergeant, was struck by shrapnel in North Koreas original attack on the Pueblo. He then was blindfolded, tied up and kicked as he was taken to Pyongyang. During his captivity, the North Koreans conducted two surgeries on him, which took an additional nine surgeries to correct once he was released from captivity.

Rogala, who was a seaman apprentice and, at 19, the youngest member of the crew at the time of the Pueblo crisis, was asked to denounce the United States and defect to North Korea as a hostage. Due to the injuries he sustained, the Department of Veterans Affairs determined Rogala was totally and permanently disabled.

Cmdr. Lloyd M. Bucher, the commanding officer of the spy ship Pueblo, talks with his released crew at the Balboa Naval Hospital on Christmas in 1968. (National Archives)

A federal district judge determined in 2021, in the case John Doe A-1 et al. v. Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, that Pueblo crew members and families were eligible for $2.3 billion in damages.

The decision means the Pueblo crew is entitled to payouts from the U.S. Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund, but dried-up funds have prevented the victims and families of the Pueblo crisis to receive all theyve been awarded.

As a result, the crew is urging Congress to pass legislation to allocate proper funding so they can receive all to which they are entitled.

The Pueblo was never decommissioned and remains the second-oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy, according to the Naval History and Heritage Command. It is now open near The Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum in Pyongyang.
Staff members patrol the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province, on July 7, 2023.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

This aerial photo taken on July 7, 2023 shows the scenery of the Gahai Lake in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

A staff member checks an infrared camera in the Shouqu National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province, on July 5, 2023.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Fang Xin)

Staff members patrol the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province, on July 7, 2023.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Fang Xin)

This photo taken on July 7, 2023 shows bar-headed geese in Gahai Lake in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

This photo taken on July 7, 2023 shows a tern flying over the Gahai Lake wetland in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

This photo taken on July 7, 2023 shows bar-headed geese at the Gahai Lake wetland in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Zhang Keren)

This aerial photo taken on July 7, 2023 shows the Gahai Lake wetland in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

This aerial photo taken on July 7, 2023 shows the scenery of the Gahai Lake wetland in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Zhang Keren)

A staff member (1st L) briefs tourists on the situation of the wild animals and plants in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province, on July 7, 2023.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

This aerial photo taken on July 7, 2023 shows the scenery of Gahai Lake in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

This photo taken on July 7, 2023 shows a tern flying over the Gahai Lake wetland in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

This aerial photo taken on July 7, 2023 shows the scenery of Gahai Lake in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Zhang Keren)

This photo taken on July 7, 2023 shows bar-headed geese at the Gahai Lake wetland in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Staff members observe wild animals in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province, on July 7, 2023.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Staff members patrol the Shouqu National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province, on July 5, 2023.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

Staff members patrol the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province, on July 7, 2023.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Fang Xin)

Staff members observe wild animals in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province, on July 7, 2023.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)

This aerial photo taken on July 7, 2023 shows the scenery of the Gahai Lake in the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Zhang Keren)

Staff members patrol the Gahai-Zecha National Nature Reserve in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Gansu Province, on July 7, 2023.

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture serves as a vital water reserve for the Yellow River, the second longest waterway in China.

Gannan has a 433-kilometer stretch of the Yellow River. The water supplement in Gannan accounted for about half the river's total runoff at the source region.

To better guard the ecology of this area, staff members of the national nature reserves in Gannan have spared no efforts in protecting wild animals and plants on the plateau.

Thanks to their long-term hard work, the deterioration of the natural and ecological environment in the region has been radically curbed, and Gannan has witnessed the rising population of diverse wild animals. (Xinhua/Chen Bin)
A Black Minnesota family who relocated in 2022 to a predominantly white community of North Branch in southeastern Minnesota experienced two incidents of targeted racial vandalism recently.

Their move was driven by a desire for a quieter environment and a bigger house to raise their daughter, but they didnt anticipate encountering such bigotry in their new home.

Natosha Jackson and Jay Franklins ordeal began with racist vandals painting a white supremacy/ KKK symbol on their garage last month.

Natosha Jackson, Jay Franklin and their daughter were victims of vandals. (Photo: YouTube screenshot/WCCO  CBS Minnesota )

The next act against them was an offensive depiction of a hanging, seemingly taking aim at Jay Franklin, sprayed in red paint on the garage door. On the caricature, there appeared to be a noose around the stick figures neck. The perpetrators put the first letter of Franklins name within the characters head with the N-word written next to it. This made Jay believe that whoever did this to the family must know him.

Related:Cowardly Act: Vandals Spray Paint N-Word and Swastikas on Properties In Predominately Black Montgomery Neighborhood; Police Launch Hate Crimes Investigation

That made me look like somebody knew me or somebody kind of targeted me. I just kind of felt like that was crossing the line. That was just a little too much, Franklin said in an interview with WCCO.

Franklin says he just wants his family to be safe.

Im just here to protect my family and take care of them, Franklin said. But I just wouldnt want anything to escalate or get out of hand or get crazy.

Jackson and Franklin were not the only ones upset by these acts, but so were their neighbors.

Without being asked and as a sincere act of support, the neighbors power-washed and painted the garage door. The community wanted the family to know that these acts were not indicative of what people in the community really believed. One person came to their home asking if he could pray with them.

In fact, the neighbors also brought tokens of friendship like gift cards, letters, and flowers to lift the familys spirits.

Just saying, Hey, were sorry that you guys are going through this. This is really not how our community is, Franklin shared.

According to the U.S. Census, the city of North Branch is 95 percent white and 0.4 percent Black.

Jackson, who said she is ready to move if her loved ones continue to feel unsafe in their home, shared that more people have offered support and been positive toward them than anything.

The North Branch Police Department is investigating and suggested that the family install cameras as a way to spot the vandals should it happen again.

Read the full story at Atlanta Black Star.
Virginia has seen nearly $1.7 million in outside spending for candidates in key 2023 races.

The VCIJ and OpenSecrets report revealed that $1.4 million in funding has gone to GOP candidates.

All 140 seats in the Virginia legislature are up for grabs in districts that were recently redrawn.

In the fight for control of the Virginia legislature, independent political groups backed by "dark money" organizations have poured almost $1.7 million into the state for the 2023 election cycle, with the vast majority of money going to Republicans, according to a report by the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO and OpenSecrets.

The financial records were reflected in expenditure details filed with the Virginia Department of Elections and cover contributions made through September 12.

The funding from outside groups has raised a slew of concerns about good governance in a state where district lines were scrambled after a bipartisan independent redistricting committee put into place by voters deadlocked  paving the way for court-ordered maps that led many incumbents to retire rather than run in dramatically reshaped districts.

So far, the most prolific spender in the state this year has been Americans for Prosperity, the conservative nonprofit group that was launched as a political vehicle by the Koch brothers. The group lobbies against climate crisis regulations and an increase in the federal minimum wage while backing tax cuts and right-to-work laws.

"Voters have a right to know which wealthy special interests are spending this money to secretly influence their vote and their government," Elizabeth Shimek, a senior legal counsel for campaign finance at the Campaign Legal Center, told the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism and OpenSecrets. "People have a right to cast an informed ballot."

These outside spending groups have so far contributed heavily to Republicans  giving their candidates more than $1.4 million compared to $245,000 for Democratic candidates  creating a roughly 6 to 1 advantage for the GOP.

All 140 seats in the Virginia legislature  100 in the House of Delegates and 40 in the state Senate  are up for grabs in November.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who has been touted as a potential late entrant into the 2024 Republican presidential primary, is looking to enact a more conservative agenda in the blue-trending state.

Elected in 2021 in what was a major victory for Republicans, Youngkin has poured his energy into keeping the party's narrow hold on the House of Delegates and flipping the Democratic-led Senate in the blue-trending state.

But Democrats, who are seeking to maintain Senate control and win back the House, are competing hard for key seats in vote-rich metropolitan Richmond, Hampton Roads, and Northern Virginia.

Abortion  which has animated Democrats, independents, and a slice of Republicans since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year  will be a key issue for voters this year.

Youngkin has so far been unsuccessful in moving a 15-week abortion ban through the legislature, blunted by Democrats in the Senate.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A floatplane crash in Washington state left one man dead and another critically injured Friday morning.

After attempting to take off multiple times around 11 a.m., the plane took a nosedive into Lake Sammamish near a Seattle suburb from about 50 feet up in the air, according to Heather Wong, the public information officer for the Bellevue Fire Department. Bystanders said it sounded like the engine was stalling, she told USA TODAY.

The plane was a Sea Wind 3000, National Transportation Safety Board spokesperson Sarah Sulick said.

First responders arrived and found local residents trying to rescue the planes occupants. The fire department sent swimmers looking for other victims and determined only two people were on the floatplane before it crashed.

After the incident, a local resident swam underneath the plane and pulled one of the victims on a bystanders boat, Wong said. Both plane occupants were pulled on a private boat to shore, where bystanders performed CPR until fire crews took over.

One survivor is in critical condition and en route to the hospital. The other sadly did not survive, the department wrote on social media Friday afternoon.

The marine unit of the King County Sheriffs Office was also on the scene, Eric White, the departments public information officer, told USA TODAY. Law enforcement did not immediately release the victims names, but they were adult men, according to Wong.

'Truly heroic:' Law enforcement praises bystanders who did CPR

Officials lauded the actions of bystanders who sprang into action to help.

While we never want anybody to put themselves in a position they are uncomfortable with, the willingness of these residents to jump in to try and save a life was truly heroic, Wong said. I would plug taking a CPR class. You never know when you may be the closest person to save someone.

Its not the first time a floatplane crash in Washington state has turned fatal. An accident in September 2022 in Puget Sound near Whidbey Island left the pilot and nine passengers dead. The families of the victims ultimately sued the plane manufacturer, alleging the crash was entirely preventable. The cause of Fridays crash was not immediately clear.

The NTSB is investigating the crash, the spokesperson said.

Zachary Schermele is a breaking news and education reporter for USA Today. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Floatplane crash near Seattle suburb leaves 1 dead, another injured
The death toll from last month's Maui wildfires has dropped from at least 115 to 97 people, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green announced Friday.

In a video posted to social media Friday afternoon, Green said that the "number dropped a little bit because the Department of Defense and all of their physical anthropologists were able to help us discern better who was in cars or in houses."

He did not immediately elaborate on why the death toll had been projected by Maui County officials at 115 for several weeks.

Of the 97 who died, 74 have been identified, Green said.

There are also another 31 people missing, Green added, which he referred to as "open reports."

"We'll get these numbers more and more refined, but fewer people have been lost," the governor said.

On Aug. 8, several wildfires broke out on the island of Maui, the most devastating of which destroyed about 80% of the historic coastal town of Lahaina.

County, state and federal officials have since given varying numbers as to how many people are considered missing in the Lahaina fire, citing challenges created by the extent of the devastation and the difficulty in finding and identifying human remains. Initially, the number was pegged at more than 1,000 before being reduced to fewer than 400 in late August.

However, since mid-August, Maui County officials had been consistent with reporting the "confirmed" death toll at 115.

The cause of the wildfires, which burned a combined 5.39 square miles and destroyed at least 2,200 structures, remains under investigation. Local and state officials have received considerable criticism for their response leading up to, during, and after the Lahaina fire erupted.

Herman Andaya, former chief of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, resigned his post one week after the fire after facing questions about his controversial decision not to activate the island's warning sirens when the Lahaina wildfire was spreading. Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen has also taken criticism for his inability to account for his own actions during the early hours of the blaze.

Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez has brought in the nonprofit UL Fire Safety Research Institute as a "third-party private organization" to assess the response of local government agencies to the fires.

Nature: Cenote in Mexico

Sheila Johnson on her memoir "Walk Through Fire"

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An inflatable surface to air missile is manufactured in the Czech Republic to send to Ukraine

Just protruding from a tree line in southern Ukraine, a sophisticated air-defence system comes into the sights of a Russian spotter drone.

Ukrainian efforts to conceal the 120 million German-donated Iris-T SLM in camouflage netting had failed.

Soon after the system was spotted, a Lancet kamikaze drone launched by nearby Russian forces smashed into it.

Pieces of shrapnel flew off into the trees, while the Iris-T launcher became briefly engulfed in a fireball  a prized scalp for Moscow.

Well, thats what the Ukrainians would have their enemy believe.

Maskirovka  which translates as little masquerade  the strategy of denial, disinformation and deception has been central to Soviet military planning for generations.

Smoke and mirrors

But now it is Ukraine that is using smoke and mirrors to sucker Russian forces into wasting valuable resources on dummy targets.

The Iris-T destroyed in the southern region of Kherson was a dummy.

Dozens of decoys like this have been littered across the front lines by Kyiv in a bid to level the playing field.

Ukraine is acutely aware that Moscows occupational forces have more long-range munitions available to them.

Its a tactic of making the Russians use their drones for nothing, a Ukrainian source told the Telegraph.

Fake versions of the American Himars rocket launcher, M777 artillery howitzers, Leopard 2 tanks, soviet-era Buk surface-to-air missile launchers and radar systems have all been laid out on the battlefield.

From above, Russian drone operators can easily be duped into believing they have unearthed a prized enemy system. In reality they are blasting targets made of wood, cardboard and scrap metal.

Some inflatable targets are also being laid down.

Ukrainian officials hold their cards close to their chests on the deception operations.

Locking on to the target in Kherson

They would prefer it if the Russians genuinely believed they had destroyed a Himars or an Iris-T rather than mocking them, one official said.

However, news reports and battlefield footage circulated on social media have shown decoys being targeted.

Metinvest, the firm that owns the Azovstal iron and steel works in Mariupol, is the main producer of fakes.

Rinat Akhmetov, the companys owner, and Ukraines richest man, personally approved and provided much of the funding for the decoy project.

In the early days of the war, the decoys were there to make up for a lack of weapons donated by Ukraines Western allies.

They were deployed to convince Russian forces that Ukraine had more weapons in a particular area, in the hope it would deter them from advancing.

More recently, the dummies have been used to fool Russia into wasting its own long-range weapons, which it is struggling to replace.

The firms initial replicas were crude. But like the weapons donated to Ukraine, they have grown in sophistication.

The enemy is not stupid. We have to adapt  we always look to add something new in our work, a spokesman for Metinvest told the Kyiv Post.

Early examples of fake Himars were wooden frames mounted on pick-up trucks.

The latest versions are made of metal and contain real heat and radar sources to trick Russias thermal imaging cameras and other monitors.

With Russia often failing to completely destroy the decoys, the sturdier, metal frames can be hauled off the battlefield for repairs.

Metinvests version of the US-donated M777 155mm howitzer uses a drainpipe to replicate its barrel and is sent to the front lines in flatpack, according to the firm.

Cheap fakes

It costs about 800 to manufacture and can be erected in about 30 minutes.

In comparison, the actual weapons cost about 3 million, with the missiles used by Russia to destroy them costing up to 5 million.

The conflict in Ukraine, experts say, has become characteristic of a style of warfare where low-cost weapons are being used to destroy high-costing equipment.

A British-donated Challenger 2 tank, the first of its kind to be destroyed by enemy fire, was taken out by a Russian loitering munition, likely costing 24,000.

The British Armed Forces main battle tank is believed to cost 4 million.

While the art of blow-up tanks and mock weapons is not a new phenomenon  the United States fielded an entire ghost army, complete with sound effects and false radio signals during the Second World War  Ukraine believes the approach still works.

They [Russians] feel happy that theyve destroyed our kit, but in reality the kit is not damaged, a source said.

Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
The Defence Forces repelled more than 10 Russian attacks in Klishchiivka and more than ten attacks in Marinka (both in Donetsk Oblast) on Saturday.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 20:00 on 16 September

Details: During the day, 30 combat clashes were recorded. Russia launched eight missile strikes and more than 50 airstrikes and carried out 22 attacks from multiple launch rocket systems on the positions of Ukrainian troops and settlements. The civilian population of Kharkiv suffered from missile strikes.

There are dead and wounded among the civilians due to Russian terrorist attacks. Over 15 private residential buildings, a secondary school, and other civilian infrastructure facilities were destroyed and damaged.

The operational situation in Ukraine's east and south remains difficult.

On the Volyn and Polissia fronts, the operational situation has not changed significantly. There were no signs of forming offensive groups. Certain units of the Armed Forces of Belarus perform tasks in the areas bordering Ukraine.

On the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts, Russia maintains a military presence in the border areas and continues attacking settlements from the territory of the Russian Federation. The occupiers carried out airstrikes near Stepka (Sumy Oblast), Mala Vovcha, and Pletenivka (Kharkiv Oblast). Artillery and mortar attacks were carried out on more than 20 settlements, including Halahanivka, Chernihiv Oblast; Rudak, Seredyna-Buda, Bachivsk, Sadky, and Riasne, Sumy Oblast and Strilecha, Hatysche, and Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast.

On the Kupiansk front, Russia launched air strikes near Synkivka and Kopanka, Kharkiv Oblast. Russia fired artillery and mortars at the settlements of Fyholivka, Lyman Pershyi, Petropavlivka, Zapadne, and Kindrashivka, Kharkiv Oblast.

On the Lyman front, Russia did not conduct any offensive actions. Airstrikes hit areas of the settlements of Novoiehorivka and Nevske (Luhansk Oblast), and Serebrianka and Spirne (Donetsk Oblast). Artillery and mortar attacks affected more than ten settlements, including Nevske and Bilohorivka, Luhansk Oblast and Dronivka, Siversk, and Verkhnokamianske, Donetsk Oblast.

On the Bakhmut front, the Defence Forces repelled more than 10 Russian attacks in Klishchiivka, Donetsk Oblast. Russia tried to restore the lost position in Kurdiumivka and Andriivka, Donetsk Oblast. Russia launched an airstrike near Klishchiivka, Donetsk Oblast. More than 20 settlements were under artillery and mortar fire, including Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bohdanivka, Ivanivske, Klishchiivka, and Kurdiumivka, Donetsk Oblast.

On the Avdiivka front, Russia conducted unsuccessful offensive operations in Sieverne, Donetsk Oblast. Avdiivka and Sieverne, Donetsk Oblast, were hit by air strikes. About ten settlements were affected by artillery and mortar attacks, including Oleksandropil, Keramik, Stepove, Avdiivka, Nevelske, and Pervomaise in Donetsk Oblast.

On the Marinka front, our defenders successfully repelled more than 10 Russian attacks near Marinka during the day. Russia launched an air strike near Krasnohorivka, Donetsk Oblast. About ten settlements were under artillery and mortar fire from Russians, including Krasnohorivka, Marinka, Pobieda, Konstiantynivka, and Yelyzavetivka, Donetsk Oblast.

On the Shakhtarsk front, the village of Staromaiorske, Donetsk Oblast, was attacked by Russian air strikes. About ten settlements were affected by artillery and mortar attacks, including Vyhledar, Bohoiavlenka, Novoukrainka, Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva, and Urozhaine in Donetsk Oblast.

On the Zaporizhzhia front, Russia launched air strikes in the areas of the settlements of Svitla Dolyna, Mala Tokmachka, Orikhiv and Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Artillery and mortar attacks were carried out on over 20 settlements, including Charivne, Mala Tokmachka, Orikhiv, Pavlivka, Kamianske, and Stepnohirsk, Zaporizhia Oblast.

On the Kherson front, Russia launched air strikes in the settlements of Beryslav and Lvove, Kherson Oblast. Russian artillery and mortar attacks were carried out on about ten settlements, including Antonivka and Kherson in Kherson Oblast.

At the same time, the Defence Forces of Ukraine continue to conduct an offensive operation on the Melitopol front, taking offensive action on the Bakhmut front, killing Russians and liberating the occupied territories step by step. Our soldiers have succeeded in Klishchiivka, Donetsk Oblast, thanks to the results of their offensive actions.

Russian occupation forces are quartered in private buildings of residents in some settlements of the Berdiansk district of Kherson Oblast. At the same time, they increasingly resort to a practice of leaving private buildings after filtration measures and forcibly relocating residents to several families in one private building.

During the day, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine carried out two strikes on command posts, 12  on the clusters of Russian personnel, weapons and military equipment, and another 5  on Russian anti-aircraft missile systems.

Units of Rocket Forces and Artillery hit three Buk-M1 anti-aircraft missile systems and five Russian artillery systems.

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!
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, center, sits between defense attorneys Tony Buzbee, left, and Mitch Little, right, before his impeachment trial resumes in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (Sam Owens/The San Antonio Express-News via AP, Pool)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP)  Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was fully acquitted Saturday of corruption charges in a historic impeachment trial, a resounding verdict that reaffirms the power of the GOP's hard right and puts an indicted incumbent who remains under FBI investigation back into office.

The outcome demonstrated Paxtons lasting durability in Americas biggest red state after years of criminal charges and scandal. And more broadly, it delivered a signature victory for the Texas GOPs ascendent conservative wing, following an impeachment that gave a rare window into divisions among Republicans nationally heading into 2024.

Today, the truth prevailed. The truth could not be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors, Paxton said in a statement. He only attended a few hours of the two-week trial and was not there for the verdict.

The trial was a showcase of both sober testimony and occasional spectacle. In accusing Paxton of abusing his office, former advisers recounted how Texas' top lawyer allegedly pressured them to help a political donor who was under FBI investigation. The testimony included arguments over who paid for home renovations, whether Paxton used burner phones and how his alleged extramarital affair became a strain on the office.

Paxton denied wrongdoing and his attorneys argued there was either no evidence or that there wasnt enough to rise beyond a reasonable doubt. They portrayed Paxton as the victim of a plot orchestrated by Republican rivals and waved to political conspiracies involving George P. Bush, the nephew of former President George W. Bush, who unsuccessfully challenged Paxton in last year's GOP primary.

Paxton was endorsed in that race by former President Donald Trump, who reaffirmed his support in the waning days of the trial and applauded the verdict. The Ken Paxton Victory is sooo BIG. WOW!!! Trump posted on Truth Social, his social media platform.

More than three months after an overwhelming impeachment in the Texas House  where Republicans have a solid majority  Paxton was just as convincingly acquitted by Senate Republicans who serve alongside his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton .

Angela Paxton was not allowed a vote in the trial. But she attended all two weeks of the proceedings, including one dramatic moment when a woman was called to publicly testify about an affair she had with the state senator's husband. The woman ultimately never took the witness stand, but her relationship with Ken Paxton was central to a case that accused him of going to potentially criminal lengths to help a local real estate developer named Nate Paul, who was under FBI investigation at the time.

The voting to acquit Paxton one-by-one on 16 charges of misconduct, bribery and corruption took more than an hour. Needing at least nine GOP senators to cross party lines, impeachment managers never got more than two on any one charge.

Onlookers in the Senate gallery for the verdict included three of Paxton's former deputies who reported him to the FBI in 2020 and testified in the trial. As the acquittals stacked up, one of them left midway through the verdict.

When the voting finally finished, Angela Paxton walked over to the defense table and hugged her husband's lawyers.

Democratic state Sen. Nathan Johnson described nearly eight hours of deliberations among the 30 senators as a hard and seemingly sincere process. And then it collapsed, he said.

Johnson said it eventually became clear there would not be enough votes to convict and that it may have led some senators to change their minds.

When enough people fall away from conviction, it exposes any remaining Republican to very strong attack from the right, Johnson said. We reached the wrong result and it was the result of political pressures.

Another Democrat, Sen. Royce West, said the deliberations were not combative. It was fluid," he said.

The outcome far from ends Paxtons troubles. He still faces trial on felony securities fraud charges, remains under a separate FBI investigation and is in jeopardy of losing his ability to practice law in Texas because of his baseless attempts to overturn the 2020 election.

Eight of Paxtons former deputies reported him to the FBI in 2020 over his relationship with real estate developer Paul, setting off a federal investigation that remains ongoing. Federal prosecutors investigating Paxton took testimony in August before a grand jury in San Antonio, according to two people with knowledge of the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of secrecy rules around the proceeding.

Paul was indicted in June on charges of making false statements to banks. He has pleaded not guilty. Testimony in the trial included a former Texas Ranger, who said he warned Paxton he was risking indictment in trying to help Paul pursue claims of wrongdoing by federal agents and a judge.

But reelected twice, including last November, Paxton has remained politically resilient despite the legal troubles and dysfunction in his office.

After starting his career in the state legislature as a Tea Party insurgent, Paxton has elevated his national profile by rushing his office into polarizing courtroom battles across the U.S., winning acclaim from Trump and the GOPs hard right.

Shortly after the verdict, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott welcomed Paxton back to work without reservations.

Attorney General Paxton has done an outstanding job representing Texas, especially pushing back against the Biden Administration, Abbott said. "I look forward to continuing to work with him to secure the border and protect Texas from federal overreach.

___

Associated Press writer Jake Bleiberg in Glen Ridge, New Jersey, contributed to this report.

___

Find APs full coverage of the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton at: https://apnews.com/hub/ken-paxton
Delta is adding daily nonstop flights from its Atlanta hub to western cities like Santa Barbara.

Flights from LA and Atlanta to Aspen will be offered year-round in 2024.

The new routes are part of the airline's expanded domestic service launching next summer.

One way to fight off the end-of-summer blues is by planning your trips for next year. If you have your eyes set on heading west  Delta has some good news for you.

Next summer, the airline is rolling out new, returning, and expanded routes to western cities like Santa Barbara and Seattle, it announced Friday. The carrier will also be resuming a handful of recently suspended routes, including nonstop daily service between Detroit and Anchorage.

You can book the new routes starting Saturday, September 16, the company said in a press release.

Delta needed a win after overhauling its SkyMiles loyalty program and limiting Sky Club access, a move that enraged customers (who expressed their discontent from all corners of the web).

"By reopening service to Santa Barbara and delivering more ways to access sought-after destinations throughout the U.S. West, we're more ready than ever to take our customers on their next great adventures," Joe Esposito, Delta's Senior Vice President of Network Planning, said in a statement.

Here's a closer look at Delta's new and expanded routes for next summer, including the launch dates and frequency of the flights:

Salt Lake City and Atlanta to Santa Barbara

Alexander Spatari/Getty Images

Starting on June 7, 2024, Delta is launching a new route between Santa Barbara and Atlanta with non-stop flights offered once a day.

The carrier is also relaunching twice-daily flights between Salt Lake City and Santa Barbara, a service it suspended in 2020.

Atlanta to Fresno

AP Photo/John Pain

Also beginning on June 7, 2024, Delta is launching new services between Atlanta and Fresno, California. The city serves as a gateway to Yosemite National Park, Sequoia National Park, and the Sierra National Forest. The flights will be offered once a day, the carrier said in a press release.

Dallas-Fort Worth to Seattle

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

Delta's third and final new route scheduled for launch next summer is between Dallas-Fort Worth and Seattle. The non-stop flights will be offered twice a day beginning on July 8, 2024.

The new route will compete with similar services from Dallas-based carriers American Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

Atlanta and Los Angeles to Aspen

Aspen, Colorado airport will now be served year-round, for both skiers and hikers. Danielle Bauter

Delta flights from Atlanta and Los Angeles to Aspen, Colorado  two routes that were previously only offered during the winter season  will be offered year-round in 2024, the carrier said in a press release.

Non-stop flights from Los Angles to Aspen will be offered once a day year-round. The Atlanta route will operate twice a day during the winter and once a day during the off-season.

Atlanta to Reno

Esteban Martinena Guerrer/Shutterstock

Starting June 7, 2024, Delta is reinstating daily flights from Atlanta to Reno, Nevada. The route, which was previously suspended in 2021, will allow Delta passengers easy access to Lake Tahoe, the company said in a press release.

Detroit to Anchorage

Anchorage, Alaska. Blue Poppy/Getty Images

Starting June 7, 2024, Delta is also reinstating nonstop daily service between Detroit and Anchorage  a route that was previously suspended in 2021. Delta also offers routes to four additional Alaska cities: Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, and Sitka.

"Detroit complements Delta's year-round service to Anchorage from Seattle and Minneapolis St. Paul and summer seasonal service from Atlanta and Salt Lake City," the carrier said in a press release.

Read the original article on Business Insider
BURTON, OHIO  Abortion rights activists shocked themselves and the Ohio political world when they resoundingly defeated an August proposal that would have made it more difficult to enshrine abortion protections in the states constitution.

The next test comes on Nov. 7, when voters will decide whether to adopt a constitutional amendment to preserve access to abortion in a state that has veered increasingly to the right since 2016.

But despite their high-profile victory in August, abortion rights activists know it doesn't mean November will be a cakewalk  and Democrats still face hurdles when it comes to the 2024 political cycle.

NBC News spoke with more than a dozen state and local party officials, volunteers and voting activists, along with more than 20 Ohio voters, about how abortion shaped their perspectives on upcoming elections.

I think if we start early enough, and we talk to voters about the issues that are important to them, and we bring everything down to the local level, I think it bodes well, especially for Senator Brown, said Janet Carson, chairwoman of the Geauga County Democratic Party as well as the Ohio Democratic County Chairs Association.

'Blown away'

It was an all-hands-on-deck effort in the lead-up to the Aug. 8 vote.

Volunteers knocked on hundreds of thousands of doors. Local party leaders ordered 120,000 "Vote No" postcards. One million calls spread the word, according to an Ohio Democratic Party spokesperson.

But in the aftermath of the special election, advocates werent expecting such a wide margin of victory  especially a victory that rested in part on their ability to turn out independent and Republican voters.

I was blown away, said Katie Paris, founder of Red Wine & Blue.

That margin  14 points  marked a resounding win for reproductive rights advocates and the latest boost for Democrats in a string of abortion-related votes in red-leaning states across the country.

People celebrate the defeat of Issue 1 during a watch party (Jay LaPrete / AP file)

Particularly notable was the pro-abortion rights turnout garnered in certain deep red regions like Geauga County, in Ohios northeast. The county went to former President Donald Trump by 23 points in 2020, but voted against the August initiative by about four points. It also saw the highest voter turnout of any Ohio county, at just over 53%.

We had many, many Republicans and independents come into our headquarters, not only to sign the petitions, but to buy yard signs and buttons and volunteer to go door to door, said Carson. Very, very surprising how many people outside of the Democratic base were motivated to make sure Issue 1 did not pass.

Geauga County is part of a trend particularly prominent in the states northeast, where Democrats used to be able to rely on the previously deep-blue Mahoning and Trumbull counties, and somewhat on the blue-leaning Ashtabula and Portage counties. In 2020, all four of the counties went to Trump. In August, all four of the counties voted "No" on Issue 1  the stance promoted by pro-abortion rights advocates.

Fifteen Ohio counties that supported Trump in 2020 voted against the August ballot initiative touted by state Republicans.

Mary Miller, an independent voter in Geauga County, voted Republican most of her life, up until the 2016 election, when she supported Hillary Clinton. A supporter of reproductive freedom, she canvassed outside the polls on election day in August.

Unfortunately, I feel like I was asleep at the wheel, Miller said of her view on abortion protections before the end of Roe v. Wade. She did not realize how strong and engaged the anti-abortion group was, and said she was absolutely shocked when Roe was overturned.

A crowd cheers during an anti-abortion

Kathy DiCristofaro, the former womens caucus chair for the Ohio Democratic Party, was part of the mobilization effort ahead of the August election, including the initial signature collection movement to get abortion protections on the ballot. It wasnt just Democrats looking to contribute signatures, she said, estimating that about 25 to 30 Republican women called her asking how to sign.

Its womens safety. They would talk about that, said DiCristofaro, a resident of Trumbull County in the state's northeast. And they dont believe the Legislature has any idea of how hard, you know, some of these situations are that families have to make.

But activists don't expect everyone who voted against the August initiative to support Novembers amendment. Some voters in August were influenced by not wanting to raise the threshold for amendments, rather than abortion.

The August initiative, if passed, would have raised the threshold for future state constitution amendments from a majority to 60%.

Youre going to lose some voters who voted for that out of a sense of democracy being under attack that may not support the language in November, said David Pepper, former chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party. But voters might also be more motivated to go to the polls in the first place, he added.

People stand in line to vote (Sholten Singer / The Herald-Dispatch via AP file)

John Lateulere, a moderate Republican in Geauga County, voted against Augusts initiative because he thought it gave outsized power to the secretary of state and smaller counties.

We took Ohio from a state that was truly very democratic and proposed to put it in a state that is very autocratic, he said of the August initiative, later adding that he feels conflicted over whether to vote for the amendment in November.

Some Republicans are confident that GOP voters who voted against the August initiative will come home in November.

Theyre not all of a sudden saying, Hey, Im going to get rid of my values, my faith, my pro-life position, said Mike Gonidakis, president of Ohio Right to Life.

Organizers noted that in order to win in November, they needed to continue to garner votes from across the political spectrum. Ohioans needed to vote on the initiative language rather than simply their party affiliation, said Dr. David Hackney, one of the five members of the committee representing petitioners in the initial amendment petition.

Swimming upstream

Ohio Democrats arent under the impression that the state is suddenly flipping blue in 2024, though they are optimistic that the state will be competitive  especially when it comes to Sen. Sherrod Brown 's re-election bid.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

When we have the resources and investments we need, were able to win close races, and when we dont, we arent, said Matt Keyes, a spokesperson for the Ohio Democratic Party. It once again shows the value in investing in Ohio and taking Ohio seriously as a battleground state.

Brown, a longtime fixture in Ohio politics, first sealed his spot in the Senate seat by defeating then-Republican incumbent and now-Gov. Mike DeWine in 2006. Brown also spent more than a decade in the House after serving in state politics.

One of his 2024 competitors is Ohios Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who has been vocal in his opposition to the abortion protection amendment. LaRose also leads the state ballot board that is facing a lawsuit over changing Novembers ballot language by inserting the term unborn child.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose (Drew Angerer / Getty Images file)

In the aftermath of the November election, Brown will be inheriting a major league infrastructure thats been in place for a year, Pepper said.

But Democrats face a branding issue in Ohio, explained former Congressman Tim Ryan, who lost his race for a 2022 Senate seat to conservative Trump-ally JD Vance.

Ryan said the perception in Ohio is that Democrats want to focus on divisive social issues, rather than issues like the economy. The challenge for Democrats in Ohio is communicating that they are not a Washington, D.C. Democrat, youre an Ohio Democrat, like a Sherrod Brown, he explained.

Until theres like a complete overhaul of the Democratic brand nationally in places like Ohio, youre, youre swimming upstream, he said. To fix the branding issue, Ryan says Democrats should talk about issues  including abortion  in terms of freedom.

On the national scale, the Biden campaign is working to seize on Republicans abortion stances in the lead-up to the presidential election. A campaign email to surrogates after the first Republican debate laid out messaging points, including that the MAGA candidates spent two hours shouting over each other on  who has the best plan to ban abortion nationwide.

Within the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris is taking a leading public role in touting the administrations views on reproductive rights. Harris is an obvious spokesperson, but the president has been really quite clear about where he is on wanting to restore Roe protections through federal legislation, said Jennifer Klein, director of the White House Gender Policy Council.

But with a razor-thin Senate majority, a Republican-controlled House and a hyperpolarized Hill, the White House faces an uphill battle.

We need the right people in Congress to be able to work with, Klein said.

Yet anti-abortion ballot initiatives arent resonating in deep-red states like Kansas and Kentucky. In August 2022, Kansas voters rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have removed language enshrining abortion access. In November 2022, Kentucky voters struck down a proposal that would have added language to the state constitution explicitly saying it does not protect the right to abortion.

After all the dust settles, everyone will probably be going through the Ohio process of the prior year with a fine tooth comb, as we then turn towards a larger map in 24, Hackney said.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia stands ready to further deepen cooperation with China under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), said a senior Ethiopian official.

"Ethiopia attributes its double-digit growth in the past decades to investment from China. The kind of infrastructural development booming in Ethiopia is basically because of Chinese investment in roads, bridges and railways," Temesgen Tilahun, deputy commissioner of the Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC), told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"In relation to the Belt and Road Initiative, we are the co-beneficiaries of this global initiative in all aspects," Tilahun said.

He said cooperation with China in implementing the BRI over the past decade has contributed to the realization of various infrastructure projects and the boom in the manufacturing sector, while creating abundant job opportunities for Ethiopian youth.

"The Ethiopian government values its economic and political relations with China at a very high level. Our partnership is strategic and based on mutually beneficial manner," Tilahun said. "We have been committed to our economic and political partnerships in the past, and we will definitely continue to strengthen and further cement this particular relationship that we have with China."

Commending the past 10 years' achievements of BRI cooperation, the EIC deputy commissioner said the Ethiopian government had outlined five priority investment sectors for bilateral cooperation, including agriculture and agro-processing, manufacturing, tourism, information communication technology, and the mining sectors.

"We, at the EIC, encourage Chinese investors to explore the huge opportunities and potentials that we have in these particular five sectors," Tilahun said.

Noting the need to deepen Ethiopia-China, in particular, and Africa-China BRI cooperation in general, Tilahun called on Africa and China to further cement ties to attain mutual and win-win outcomes.

"What I recommend is that the speed and magnitude of implementing the Belt and Road Initiative should be strengthened," he said. "Most countries would like to benefit from this particular initiative."

Tilahun further underscored the need to avoid unwanted distractions with regard to cooperation under the BRI.

"China and Africa should not be distracted by whatever global disruptions are happening across the world. We have to stay focused and maintain the kind of achievement that we have witnessed in the past 10 years," he said. 
A trio of Democratic senators sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday over concerns that tech billionaire Elon Musk may have personally impacted the war in Ukraine and by extension, U.S. foreign policy.

Musk confirmed earlier this month that he refused access to his Starlink satellite internet service to the Ukrainian military when they wanted to use it for an offensive operation in Crimea last year.

These allegations raise serious concerns about whether Mr. Musk has personally intervened to undermine a key U.S. partner at a critical juncture  and if so, how and why he was allowed to do so, what actions the Department of Defense (DoD) will take or has taken to address these actions and prevent further dangerous meddling, and whether further legislation is needed for DoD to effectively pursue these ends, Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote in the letter.

The allegations were first raised in a biography about Musk released in early September. The SpaceX CEO contested some specifics of the account, but confirmed that he did limit access to Starlink.

The senators asked Austin to fully investigate the extent of the allegations and find out what actually happened.

The confusion over what actually happened during this Ukrainian attack  and Mr. Musks specific role  demands answers, the senators wrote.

Specifically, the biographys account states that when Ukraine asked for Starlink access for a drone strike on the Russian Navy in Sevastopol, Musk intervened.

The book claims he was concerned Russia would respond to an attack on their warships with a nuclear strike. Ukrainian officials begged him to turn the service on, but he refused, the author wrote.

Such reports appear to indicate that Mr. Musks decision provided de facto protection to Russian military assets which continue to launch strikes on Ukrainian population centers and critical infrastructure and enforce a Russian embargo on grain shipments in the Black Sea, the senators letter continued. These actions have claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Ukrainians and driven an increase in global food prices, bringing the world to the brink of a food security crisis.

The revelation brought Musk criticism from Ukrainian authorities and praise from Russians, including Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Starlink internet system has been credited for assisting Ukraines advances, though they have been limited by Musks insistence that it not be used on offensive operations into Russia and threats the program would be shut down.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ukraine will be able to carry out more drone attacks on Russian military ships, Deputy PM and Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said in an interview with Reuters on Sept. 16.

In 2023, the production of Ukrainian drones has surged by over 100 times compared to the previous year, and Fedorov predicts that by the years end, this number may rise even further to reach 120-140 drones.

Read also: Russia attacks Ukraine with 17 drones overnight, all UAVs successfully shot down

We will have more drones, more attacks, and fewer Russian ships. Thats for sure, said Fedorov.

Ukraine is currently testing artificial intelligence systems capable of identifying targets several kilometers away and guiding drones toward them, even in cases where external communications are disrupted by electronic warfare methods, Fedorov explained, noting that this is similar to the way Russian Lancet drones operate.

Read also: ChatGPT now officially available in Ukraine, says information technology minister Fedorov

Fedorov revealed that Kyiv is already purchasing such drones, and they can detect and identify targets in forests, whether its a human, a tank, or a vehicle.

Just this week, Ukraine conducted several successful strikes on the occupied Crimea.

Powerful explosions rocked the occupied city of Sevastopol on Sept. 13. Russia claimed it was an attack by missiles and sea drones (unmanned boats), acknowledging damage to a shipyard and two ships supposedly undergoing repairs.

Read also: Ukraine confirms attack on Sevastopol shipyard, two Russian ships damaged

Ukrainian intelligence stated that a large landing ship named Minsk and the Rostov-on-Don submarine were hit and cannot be repaired.

On the following day, Ukrainian defense forces targeted two patrol ships, the 22160 Vasily Bykov type, belonging to Russia, in the southwestern part of the Black Sea, resulting in damage. Maritime drones were utilized in this special operation.

Then on Sept. 15, sources within Ukraines SBU security service reported that an SBU maritime drone had targeted a Russian missile ship, the Samum.

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
Nick Iarossi, a lobbyist and longtime supporter of Gov. Ron DeSantis, approached the Florida Republican in July with a frank suggestion: Talk more about yourself.

More specifically, talk more about your military service.

I literally said, Why havent you told anybody, Iarossi said. He kind of laughed about it and said, Well, I dont like talking about myself. That was his immediate reaction.

I said, Well, you need to talk about yourself because people need to know this, because this says a lot about you.

DeSantis appears to have listened to Iarossi and other allies who have encouraged him to spend more time talking about his military service, a part of his biography they see as a key differentiator as he competes for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. On the campaign trail these days, DeSantis rarely leaves an event without letting potential voters know about his time in the military. He brought up his deployment to Iraq three times during the first GOP presidential primary debate. His service as a Navy JAG officer was featured in a summer ad that aired in Iowa and New Hampshire and nationally on Fox News and Newsmax.

I understand the importance of putting service above self, DeSantis said in an address Friday to the Concerned Women for America Summit in Washington, DC.

In a crowded GOP primary field, DeSantis is the only veteran running. Like other parts of his biography  his young family, his middle class roots  his allies see his military background as something that separates him from the pack, especially the front-runner, former President Donald Trump, who received a draft deferment during the Vietnam War for bone spurs.

Other candidates can relate to the experience of being the family member of someone in the military. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haleys husband has deployed with the National Guard and former Vice President Mike Pences son is a Marine. President Joe Biden often talks about the service of his late son, Beau, who served in Afghanistan.

But only DeSantis has worn a uniform.

Retired Capt. Dan Bean, who served as DeSantis commander during the governors time in the US Naval Reserves, said its absolutely critical that he talk about it now.

I think if youre going to put the armed forces into danger, you need to understand what youre doing, you need to understand what youre asking them to do, said Bean, who has actively campaigned for DeSantis in the 2024 GOP primary. And so youre not asking someone to do something you havent done yourself.

In a closed-door meeting with donors last month, top advisers to Never Back Down, a pro-DeSantis super PAC, acknowledged that many voters remained unaware of the Florida Republicans military background, according to audio of the remarks first reported by CNN.

We feel like Americans are yearning for somebody that has military experience and somebody that would be shaped by that with the way they deal with foreign policy. And thats an incredible differentiation he has with the rest of the field, one source familiar with the campaigns thinking told CNN.

To that end, the DeSantis campaign and Never Back Down are leaning into that messaging, airing ads focused on the Florida governors time as a JAG officer in the US Navy.

When our country was under attack, Ron DeSantis fought back, a narrator in one campaign ad says, as footage of the September 11, 2001, attacks plays on screen. He joined the Navy, became a JAG officer, volunteered to serve in Iraq, deployed with Navy Seal Team One and earned a bronze star.

DeSantis served in Guantanamo Bay and Iraq

DeSantis was in Harvard Law School when he first considered joining the military as an alternative to a legal career in the private sector, he wrote in his recent autobiography, The Courage to be Free. Recruiters recommended against enlistment, he said in his book, but floated the idea of joining a specialty program that combined a law degree with service. He ultimately earned a commission with the US Navy as a JAG officer.

One recruiter told me that the assumption was that the Iraq campaign would be over relatively quickly, and that there would be a need for military JAGs to lead prosecutions in military commissions of incarcerated terrorists at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, he wrote.

On the campaign trail, DeSantis says his decision was influenced by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. DeSantis had recently graduated from Yale University and was teaching history at a private boarding school in Rome, Georgia, when the World Trade Center towers fell.

I was like, you know, as an American, Ive got to do my part however small, DeSantis told supporters at a campaign event in Gilbert, South Carolina, in June.

DeSantis likened his early JAG career to the character played by Kevin Bacon in A Few Good Men.

Though I never got to put anyone like Colonel Nathan R. Jessup (Jack Nicholsons character) on the stand, he wrote in his book.

Even as DeSantis speaks more frequently about his military service, much remains unknown about his time wearing the countrys uniform. His military experience is covered in just a handful of pages of his book. Lately, he often leaves unmentioned that he was a JAG officer, telling crowds that he was deployed alongside or attached to Navy SEALs in Iraq.

The extent of his service is also masked by the inherent opacity that surrounds the military, particularly in the places he served. Most of what has been gleaned about his military record to date comes from a small batch of US Department of Defense service records, his book and details provided by his current and past campaigns.

In 2006, DeSantis was stationed at the Joint Force Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility which held detainees in the War on Terror following the 9/11 attacks. It was a part of his service record that he referenced regularly in his first race for US Congress in 2012 at a time when President Barack Obama faced persistent GOP criticism for his promise to close the controversial prison.

While in the Navy, he supported operations at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, which is home to some of the worlds most ruthless terrorists, DeSantis first campaign website said.

In his recent book, though, DeSantis touches on that time in a single sentence, referring to it as a temporary-duty-travel stints.

Before launching his campaign for president, DeSantis faced questions about his role at Guantanamo Bay. He had a terse exchange during a news conference in Israel when asked whether he authorized the force-feeding of prisoners there, allegations he has firmly denied.

I was a junior officer. I didnt have authority to authorize anything, DeSantis told Piers Morgan in an interview earlier this year.

In 2007, DeSantis deployed to Fallujah in Iraq, where he served alongside Seal Team One. The deployment came during the troop surge orchestrated under President George W. Bush. DeSantis wrote that his role was to provide counsel to the SEAL commander about the rules of engagement on the battlefield. He said he saw his job was to help SEALs accomplish their mission, not impede them.

I rejected the posture some judge advocates in the military take by simply trying to shoot down any proposed operations or reading the (rules of engagement) so broadly that it paralyzes individual operators, he wrote.

Bean, DeSantis former commander, said these were often life and death decisions.

Youre talking about what the rules of engagement are, trying to keep your folks out of trouble, Bean said. Trying to keep your folks from getting killed.

DeSantis returned to the United States in 2008 and served as a special assistant to the US attorney in the Middle District of Florida. He was honorably discharged from active duty in 2010 and served in the Naval Reserves until 2019, when he was sworn in as Floridas 46th governor.

It was a great experience, and I had a lot of admiration for the Navy as an institution, but it felt like the right time, wrote of his decision to leave.

Using his biography to set himself apart

DeSantis has leaned on his military experience in past campaigns to introduce himself to voters.

Emblazoned on his first campaign website in 2012 were the words: Veteran. Citizen. Not a politician.

When he campaigned for governor in 2018, he sent his resume to Florida voters, noting his Fallujah deployment and that he earned a Bronze Star. Pictures of DeSantis in his Navy whites and in military fatigues reached voters mailboxes over and over.

Its unclear why DeSantis has not again put that experience front and center during his presidential campaign. But he is known to be a deeply private person who is reluctant to share details about his personal life. For years, DeSantis didnt publicly talk about the unexpected death of his younger sister in 2015, nor has he willingly spoken about his churchgoing habits or his childhood.

Bean hypothesized the Florida governor doesnt want to be seen as bragging about himself

I think hes reticent to do that, said Bean.

While DeSantis saw his national political star rise by taking on cultural clashes in Florida, voters are now hearing more about his biography. If elected, DeSantis would be the first veteran to occupy the Oval Office since President George H. W. Bush.

Kristin Davison, the chief operating officer of Never Back Down, told donors last month that when DeSantis shares his background, voters actually left Trump and came to him.

On the trail, DeSantis is continuing to talk about his service more, recalling his time in Iraq or acknowledging the meaning of his service.

I would have made so much more money but to be able to serve alongside other patriots, you know, to wear the uniform of your country, you know, thats something that money cant buy, you know, he said at a June stop at a VFW in Reno, Nevada.

Iarossi, the Florida lobbyist, said details like that provide a level of authenticity.

Those biographical facts, Iarossi said, lend credibility to his message and to his story.

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A dog really is a mans best friend, especially for the search team that tirelessly searched nearly two weeks for a convicted murderer who escaped from a Pennsylvania prison.

Yoda, the 4-year-old Belgian Malinois police K9 that helped takedown fugitive Danilo Cavalcante during the two week long manhunt after he escaped from prison.

Yoda, the dog who helped take down convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante after an extensive hunt that made national headlines, has connections to metro Detroit as a member of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. This four-legged K9 officer stepped up, subduing the criminal and preventing his escape.

According to USA Today, Cavalcante, 34, was serving a life sentence for the murder of his ex-girlfriend in 2021. He was captured on Wednesday after a reported burglary and his heat signal was detected by a plane.

Cavalcante, with a rifle, tried to escape by concealing himself and crawling through underbrush but was surrounded by law enforcement.

Yoda, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois, was then released to attack, biting Cavalcante in the head and leg. Yoda was eventually called off when Cavalcante, unable to use his rifle, surrendered and then placed under arrest.

More: Escaped prisoner Danelo Cavalcante captured: What he told investigators about his plans

Cavalcante, a Brazilian national, allegedly killed a man in Brazil in 2017 before killing his ex-girlfriend in the U.S. in 2021. According to the Associated Press, Cavalcante planned to carjack someone and flee to another country, likely Canada or Puerto Rico, before being captured.

In this handout photo provided by the Pennsylvania State Police, fugitive Danelo Cavalcante is taken into custody on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023, by the Pennsylvania State Police in Pennsylvania. Cavalcante had been on the run since escaping from the Chester County Prison on Aug. 31. He was captured in a wooded area about 15 miles north of the prison.

According to WXYZ-TV (Channel 7), Yodas U.S. Border Patrol unit is based out of Detroit. It was called in to assist after Cavalcante had been on the run for two weeks. No injuries to Yoda or any other officers were reported.

A district attorney will determine whether Cavalcante should face additional charges.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Pennsylvania murderer Danelo Cavalcante captured by Detroit police dog
With David Bednar unavailable, Colin Holderman was handed the ninth inning with a two-run lead in the Pittsburgh Pirates favor.

Holderman (0-3) struggled with wildness, and a defensive miscue on a potential game-ending double play handed the New York Yankees a 7-5 win over the Pirates.

Read the full story from our partners at Sports Now Group Pittsburgh here.

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This is an installment of Good Fit, a column about exercise.

I walk to and from my office daily. It takes 25 minutes, if you dont stop at all to look at your phone. (It takes me 35 to 40.) That includes a few steep hills, of the kind I didnt believe existed in Ohio before I moved here. (They do.) On the weekends, I go on at least one longer hike in our nearby state park, featuring a few more of those punishing Appalachian hills. These are, comparatively speaking, little baby walks, never longer than two hours.

This is a reasonable amount of aerobic activity, if falling slightly short in terms of the recommended amount of intensity, particularly given all the breaks for checking my emails and responding to social media pings. I used to do CrossFit, and part of the reason I stopped going to the box was the fact that the workouts included so much jumping and runningactivities Ive disliked for years. My current low-cardio routinewalks, weightlifting, and some yogasuits me better. But Ive still wondered if I could be getting a little more of the kind of exercise that makes you breathe hard.

Then I saw a blog post by Whole30 co-founder Melissa Urban, who made a very convincing case that a practice called ruckingwalking with a backpack full of weightscould turn my little walks into more satisfying cardio. Googling, I saw that Jason McCarthy, whose company GoRuck makes rucking equipment and promotes the practice through clubs and meet-ups, calls it cardio for people who hate to run, and lifting for people who hate the gym. Hey! That first one is me!

Ruckingthe name, and the practicecomes from the military. There is a subfield of military medicine dedicated to studying how much people can carry, how fast they can walk while carrying it, how tired theyll be at the end of a given walk-while-carrying, and how to prevent injury in the course of doing all that. (This is information that is important to armies, for reasons you can probably guess.)

Rucking proponents who argue for civilian adoption of the practice say that it burns three times the calories of walking without a load, strengthens your back and shoulders, helps with bone density, and has a low injury rate. People do it to train to go into the military; to get ready for long backpacking trips; to prepare for ruck-specific feats of strength like the Norwegian Foot March or the CrossFit Hero WOD Chad 1000x (which requires you to do 1,000 box step-ups with a 20- or 30-pound pack); or just to make the walking they already do a little more intense.

That last one is me. At first, I wondered whether the equipment I get in the mail from GoRucka 20-pound plate, a simple plate carrier, and a larger backpack with a carrier pocketwill work any better than me just putting that 20-pound plate (or some tomato cans, for that matter) in my battered old Kelty. The GoRuck stuff is not cheap ($465 total for those three items, though GoRuck sent them to me for free to test out), and some ruckers do recommend getting a more affordable bag at a military surplus store, or just packing weights into a regular backpack. But when I try out the specialized versions, I see that the packs lie very flush to my back, the straps are wide and padded, and when I walk, the weight doesnt shift around at all. When I pack the larger GoRuck pack with the 20-pound plate, my laptop, and my lunch, it zips up comically tight, becoming a dense little nugget on my back. This bag, packed for my office walk, is probably about 30 to 35 pounds. (If you really want to find out how much a packed ruck is, you could do the old step on the scale with and without the backpack and subtract trick, but I ditched our scale in a fit of body positivity a few years ago, so Im operating with a bit of uncertainty here.)

Rucking, I remember while sweating under my new pack going up a hill on a sunny day, my heart pounding, is supposed to be about embracing feeling bad. This is one of those you can do hard things fitness practices, like CrossFit, Wim Hof baths, and barefoot walking, that have a little bit of throwback, anti-modern ideology underlying it. Rucking finds champions in people like writer Michael Easter, whose book The Comfort Crisis contains this line: We are living progressively sheltered, sterile, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged, safety-netted lives. Rucking, Easter argues, is, basically, a paleo practicefunctional, occurring outside, can be social (you can ruck alongside anyone who can walk or roll), contributory to the development of the species. Our most radical strength feats were muscling loads great distances over rough ground, he writes of early humans. The modern age has given us soft pleasures, like sitting all day, driving everywhere, or walking encumbered only by a simple fanny pack, the thinking goes, when really, we were built to suffer.

At first, rucking lives up to this reputation: It sucks. Walking with the loaded pack, I do a lot of shifting about, subconsciously trying to escape the weight. I put all the weight on one shoulder, slipping the other out so that my trapezius muscles can get a rest; I switch to the other; I put my hands under the pack and lift it up so that I get a minute of relief before going back to the grind. Why am I doing this, again? I start to leave the plate at home on alternate days.

After a while, though, on one walk home or another, my brain dredges up some advice I saw in a YouTube video about the biomechanics of rucking, made by physiologist and trainer Mike Prevost. I start to take shorter, quicker steps, and walk with my body more straight up and down, rather than bending over slightly and taking big steps (the pattern I fall into as a default, because Im hoping to eat up ground and be done with this torture quicker). Prevost prescribes that ruckers soften their knees and engage the muscles on the sides of their hips so that the pelvis stays stable in the course of a step.

Putting this advice in action helps a ton, as does learning to use the weight of the pack to pull my shoulders back. GoRuck believes that rucking promotes good posture. My experience is that it does, but only if you do not fight the pack by straining forward. Once I got the trick of leaning back, I felt oddly great. Having the weight on there made me more careful about foot placement, and I began to walk more smoothly, my slightly bent knees forcing me to press into my feet and actively create my bodys forward motion. It was fun, and I stopped pausing and checking my phone as often. Is it weird to say that it is comforting to have 30 pounds on your back? It started to feel that way. And when I take the pack off, at the end of the walk, I feel as if Im flying.

I run ruckings health claims by kinesiologist Robert Huggins, who had a few words of caution for would-be ruckers. You want to gradually introduce the load to the body if you havent done it before, he said. Just like if you were going to go do squats for the first time. Adding and getting used to weight in small increments applies especially if its hot out. Huggins, who hopes that people rucking in the summer (or, lets be honest, September) read up on the dangers of heat exertion, compares the human body with a car. Think about an unloaded pickup truck, and then you throw a whole bunch of dirt in the back of the pickup truck and you wont get the same mileage; everything has to work harder, and there will be points of strain on the truck. You want the suffering to be possible to push through, not something that is going to physically break you.

Overdoing it doesnt seem like a danger for me. I still dont have the time to ruck for long distances, and nothing Im carrying is as much as what the typical load is for a soldier. People who ruck a lot and post on the r/Rucking subreddit warn against overloading in a fit of overconfidence, but when it comes to self-motivated exercise, trying too hard has never been my particular problem. People on that sub are walking double-digit miles with a 40-pound pack, posting their wins; I am still trying to talk myself into adding a 10-pound plate to my 20-pounder, to bump up my daily load. And Im definitely not signing up for a GoRuck Club, to meet other ruckers and make this new habit a way of life, like GoRuck hopes I will. But: by definition, rucking is moving from point A to point B with a backpack, said another Redditor. If thats itIm doing it. If you hate running too, I recommend it.
Most people have seen the five brightest naked-eye planets, and yet there is a sixth planet that can be spied without optical aid  the planet Uranus. Of course, you'll have to know exactly where to look for it.

Fortunately, it is currently well placed for viewing in our sky and with the bright moon now out of the way this week; it will be a good time to look for it.

Barely visible to the unaided eye on very dark, clear nights, Uranus is currently shining at magnitude +5.7 (On this scale, larger numbers represent dimmer objects.).

So, Uranus verges near the limit of what's visible with the naked eye under dark skies. It's now visible during the late-evening hours in the constellation of Aries, the Ram. By around midnight, it will be situated about one-third of the way up from the eastern horizon to the point directly overhead, and is positioned roughly midway between two prominent sky landmarks. To its west or right is the brilliant planet Jupiter, while to the east or left is the Pleiades star cluster.

Related: Night sky, September 2023: What you can see tonight [maps]

It is best to study the accompanying map first, then scan that region with binoculars; you'll be looking for a small starlike object shining with a pale-greenish tinge.

an illustration of stars in the night sky, with Uranus visible

TOP TELESCOPE PICK:

A Celestron telescope on a white background

Want to see the planets of the solar system in the night sky? We recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102 as the top pick in our best beginner's telescope guide.

Using a magnification of 150-power with a telescope of at least three-inch aperture, you should be able to resolve it into a tiny, featureless disk. Uranus, which lies nearly 2 billion miles (3.2 billion km) from the sun, has a diameter of 31,800 miles (51,200 km) and according to flyby magnetic data from NASA's Voyager 2 probe in 1986, has a rotation period of 17.4 hours.

At last count, Uranus has 27 moons, all in orbits lying in the planet's equator in which there is also a complex of eleven narrow, nearly opaque rings, which were discovered in 1978.

Uranus likely has a rocky core, surrounded by a liquid mantle of water, methane, and ammonia, encased in an atmosphere of hydrogen, helium, methane and small amounts of acetylene and hydrocarbons. A bizarre feature is how far over Uranus is tipped. Its north pole lies 98 degrees from being directly up and down to its orbit plane. Thus, its seasons are extreme: when the sun rises at its north pole, it stays up for 42 Earth years; then it sets and subsequently, the north pole is in darkness for 42 Earth years.

a pale green planet

First thought to be a comet

The man who discovered Uranus was William Herschel, an English organist who was also an amateur astronomer.

In late winter of 1781, Herschel finished building a new seven-inch reflecting telescope and began to explore the sky with it. On the night of March 13, he had his telescope trained on the constellation of Gemini, the Twins. There to his great surprise he noticed a star with a greenish hue that was not charted on any of his sky maps.

An assiduous amateur observer, Herschel was quick to realize that what he found could not be a star, for it appeared in his telescope as a glowing disk as opposed to a twinkling point of light. Continuing to observe his find night after night, Herschel discovered that it was moving among the stars of Gemini. Finally, he decided that he had discovered a new comet and wrote up a detailed report of his observations.

The report of a new comet excited astronomers all over Europe, and they eagerly trained their telescopes on Herschel's discovery. But the more they studied it, the more they began to wonder if it really was a comet. For one thing, it seemed to be following a nearly circular orbit out beyond Saturn. Finally, it became clear that Herschel had not discovered a comet but a new planet.

For a while, it actually bore Herschel's name. Herschel himself proposed the name Georgium Sidus  "The Star of George"  after his benefactor, the King of England. However, the custom for a mythological name ultimately prevailed and the new planet was finally christened Uranus after the Greek god of the sky.

Prior to Uranus' discovery, the outermost planet was considered to be Saturn, named for the ancient god of time and destiny, but Uranus was the father of Saturn and considered the most ancient deity of all. It takes 84 years to make one circuit around the sun.

Uranus led to Neptune

Interestingly, the discovery of Uranus in 1781 eventually led to the discovery of yet another new world, some 65 years later. Since it appeared bluish in color, the new planet was named Neptune after the god of the sea. More on this in a moment.

But in contrast to Uranus, which is right on the threshold of naked-eye visibility, Neptune is much too faint to be perceived without any optical aid.

At magnitude +7.8, Neptune is more than six times dimmer than Uranus. It is also slightly smaller than Uranus, with a diameter of 30,800 miles (49,600 km). With the demotion of Pluto to the category of a "dwarf" planet in 2006, Neptune acquired the title of the farthest of the "classical" planets from the sun; it currently lies at a distance of 2.74 billion miles (4.41 billion kilometers) from Earth. In the year 2011, Neptune completed one full trip around the sun since its 1846 discovery.

a small blue planet

How to locate Neptune

Nonetheless, if you have access to a dark, clear sky and carefully examine our map, you should have no trouble in finding it with a good pair of binoculars.

Once again, study the accompanying map.

an illustration of the night sky showing stars and the planet Neptune

Neptune is now among the faint stars of Pisces the Fishes. In Pisces, there is a dim, albeit popular asterism known at the Circlet whose ring-like shape is easily recognized south of the southern side of the Great Square. Your clenched fist held at arm's length is equal to about 10 degrees in width. About 5 degrees (or a "half fist") below the Circlet is a +5.5 magnitude star 20 Piscium. Now center binoculars or a low-power telescope on this star and Neptune will be less than a half-degree away. It will appear as a tiny, bluish star.

But trying to resolve Neptune into a disk will be more difficult than it is with Uranus. You're going to need at least a four-inch telescope with a magnification of no less than 200 power just to turn Neptune into a tiny dot of light.

Night sky September 2023

Gas world

Voyager 2 passed Neptune in 1989 and showed it to possess a deep blue atmosphere, with rapidly moving wisps of white clouds. Also evident was a Great Dark Spot, rather similar in nature to Jupiter's famous Great Red Spot. That storm has since disappeared, but new ones have appeared on different parts of the planet. Voyager 2 also revealed the existence of at least five rings and four ring arcs around Neptune, mostly composed of very fine particles.

The atmosphere of Neptune is apparently composed chiefly of hydrocarbon compounds. Based on the rotation rate of its magnetic field, a rotation rate of 16.1 hours has been assigned to Neptune. Neptune is also our solar system's windiest planet with winds whipping clouds of frozen methane across the planet at speeds of more than 1,200 miles (2,000 km) per hour.

Neptune has 14 moons, one of which, Triton, was discovered just 17 days after Neptune itself was discovered. Triton has a tenuous atmosphere of nitrogen and at nearly 1,700 miles (2,700 km) in diameter, it is even larger than Pluto. Because Triton is moving in a retrograde (backward) orbit around Neptune, there has been some suggestion that it was originally a Kuiper Belt asteroid that Neptune may actually captured in the distant past.

Perturbing Uranus

As was alluded to earlier, Neptune's discovery came about from long-term observations of Uranus. By plotting the path of a planet, astronomers can draw up tables that show them exactly where the planet will be at any given time. So, after the discovery of Uranus, they set about plotting is orbit. But this methodology didn't seem to work. Sometimes Uranus turned up ahead of its predicted position; sometimes it lagged behind. So, astronomers began to think that an unseen body lay beyond Uranus. Perhaps its gravitational field was perturbing its motion and that was the explanation of Uranus' odd behavior.

Not until the 1840's did anyone attempt to put that idea to the test. Then, as so often happens in science, two men attacked the problem at the same time without knowing of each other's work. In England, young John Couch Adams (1819-1892), a student at Cambridge University, proved by mathematics that there must be an unknown object beyond Uranus and indicated where it might be found. Meanwhile in France, the astronomer Urbain J.J. Leverrier (1811-1877) also solved the problem.

Neither knew what the other was doing, but ultimately, both men had figured out the probable path of the supposed object that was disturbing the orbit of Uranus. Both believed that the unseen body was then in the constellation of Aquarius the Water Carrier.

So, both Adams and Leverrier appealed to their fellow astronomers for help in locating the planet.

Adams forwarded his results to Sir George Airy (1801-1892), the Astronomer Royal, with specific instructions on where to look for it. For some unknown reason, however, Airy delayed a year before starting the search. Was it because of his lofty position as Astronomer Royal that he was reticent on following instructions from a mere student?

In contrast, Leverrier wrote to the Berlin Observatory requesting that they search in the place his directed. Upon receiving Leverrier's letter, Johann Gottfried Galle (1812-1910) and Heinrich d'Arrest (1822-1875) at Berlin did exactly as they were instructed and found the new planet in less than an hour!

"Almost" discoveries

A strange fact about Neptune is that it was very nearly discovered by none other than Galileo with his crude telescope, more than two-and-a-half centuries earlier.

It was while observing Jupiter and its system of four large satellites on Dec. 28th, 1612 that, in the same field of view, Galileo unknowingly recorded Neptune as an eighth magnitude star. Just over one month later on Jan. 27, 1613, Galileo recorded two stars in his telescope field, one of which was Neptune. The next night when he looked again, he noted that the two stars seemed further apart. If he had only continued to keep watch in the following nights, he would have almost certainly would have realized that one of the "stars" was indeed moving.

But Galileo should not be faulted for not recognizing Neptune, for later observers too, stumbled across it without realizing what it really was. Among them was the skilled French astronomer, Lalande (1795); the English astronomer, John Herschel (1830); and the Scottish astronomer, Von Lamont, just days before Neptune was actually discovered by Galle and d'Arrest in 1846. All thought it was nothing more than an ordinary star.

And yet, if only Galileo had followed through with his observations, the eighth planet would have been discovered before the seventh!

Want to check out Uranus and Neptune? See our guides on the best telescopes, the best binoculars, and the best telescopes for seeing planets.

And if you're looking to snap photos of Uranus, Neptune or the night sky in general, check out our guide on how to photograph the planets, as well as our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium . He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine , the Farmers' Almanac and other publications.
What does it mean to be 'touched out'? Moms, experts explain

It's not uncommon for moms to feel "touched out," but not every parent or caregiver knows what it means to be "touched out," what causes it or how to avoid that overwhelming, irritating feeling.

Amy Malofy, 39, recalls the specific moment she realized she was a touched out mom. The mom of one had just finished moving from Nevada to Maryland, along with her wife and their 1-year-old daughter.

"We were finally settled and unpacked and the baby was having a hard day," Malofy tells TODAY.com. "She hadn't slept well the night before, so I hadn't slept and she just wanted to be held."

While trying to clean, Malofy says her daughter "crawled to me and was pulling herself up on my leg."

"I was already overwhelmed from moving and unpacking," she adds. "My daughter wouldn't stop crying, she just wanted to be held and comforted and I just wanted to clean the kitchen."

Feeling a visceral aversion to touch, Malofy yelled at her daughter in a moment of frustration.

"She cried harder," Malofy says. "Then we both cried on the kitchen floor for about 30 minutes."

What Does Being 'Touched Out' Mean?

Dr. Linda Ojo, a reproductive psychiatrist, says the phrase "touched out" explains the "overwhelming discomfort from receiving physical touch after being immersed in physical touch all day."

"(It's) a feeling that if one more person touches you, you will crawl out of your skin," Ojo tells TODAY.com. "A typical example is the breastfeeding baby latched to mom for much of the day with a toddler grasping at her ankles, sticking their finger in your ear or simply cuddling with you."

Leslie S., 34, says she first felt "touched out" after the birth of her third child.

"I was trying to nurse her and our two toddlers wanted to also be held, so I sat on the floor with them both in my nap and nursed the baby," Leslie, who asked that her last name be withheld to protect her family's privacy, says.

"One of the girls had been hospitalized, my husband had just undergone meniscus knee surgery, both older children had been very sick for several weeks and I was still working ... I felt overwhelmed and deeply desired time to myself."

Ojo explains that in the simplest of terms, feeing "touched out" is a type of "sensory overload," adding that a "lack of personal space" and "overstimulation from noise" can also serve as contributing factors.

Leslie says he felt guilty about being "touched out" because her children's "desire to be held is intrinsic and part of their development."

"I also struggled with the contrasting deep love I have for our children and wanting to fulfill their needs, and the desire to use the restroom alone," she adds.

Saima Toppa, a psychotherapist who focuses on pregnancy, fertility and maternal mental health, says it's common for mothers to feel guilty when they're "touched out."

"There's this guilt that comes up  the idea that 'I can do more,'" Toppa tells TODAY.com. "A critical part of self-care, as a mother and a parent, is to recognize your limits. The phenomenon of being 'touched out' is a way to recognize you're at the brink.

"If you're feeling that aversion to physical touch," she adds, "that's a sign that you need a more aggressive self-care approach."

How Feeling 'Touched Out' Can Impact Romantic Relationships

Ojo says that while the "touched out" phenomenon is often restricted to conversations surrounding breastfeeding and toddlers, it's not uncommon for the feeling to extend to a parents' romantic partner(s).

"The underlying distress may be coming from losing control of your body," she explains. "After a full day of being incessantly touched and poked and prodded and suckled on, it's not a stretch to imagine that there is no desire to be touched by a partner. This can certainly impact intimacy and in some cases cause parents to reject their partners."

Malofy says that "feeling touched out definitely changed my relationship with my wife."

"There was a lot of misplaced resentment," she says. "My wife was frustrated because I didn't want to be touched, and I was frustrated because I missed my wife. I missed the intimacy."

A 2019 study published in the journal Sex & Reproductive Healthcare found that having a child "represented a new focus, resulting in a form of intimacy that as more sensual than sexual" between parenting partners.

The study also found that "pain, fear and new priorities changed couple's intimacy, making their sex life a challenge."

"You can love your child and crave space from them," Toppa says. "You can love a partner and still want space. This is the existential state for humans."

How To Avoid Feeling 'Touched Out'

Olivia Howell, 38, co-slept with her two sons and as a result says she was "touched out for years."

"I felt like I never had one second of physical space for myself," Howell says. "It was definitely detrimental to my mental health."

After years of feeling like her body wasn't her own, Howells says she hit a breaking point one evening when her boys refused to go to sleep.

"I was so frustrated," Howell tells TODAY.com. "I'm a single mom, it was during the pandemic, and I remember going into their playroom and screaming so loud  I had to get the feelings out of me somehow."

Howell then texted a friend and said he was "waving the white flag."

"She's a sleep specialist, so she ended up helping me get the kids on a sleep schedule and back into their own beds," she adds. "That changed my life completely."

Toppa says it's necessary to "re-evaluate your life and your current self-care regimen" in order to set boundaries that can keep a parent from feeling "touched out."

"It might be something simple, like going outside for a walk without your children or partner for 10 minutes," she says. "It might mean going to the gym or reconnecting with friends."

Toppa also says that finding ways of "reconnecting to yourself" and "feeling your own strength and resilience" can also help.

"Connect to whatever gives you that life-force," Toppa adds. "Once you care for yourself, most people will be able to turn towards the meaningful relationships in their life again."

What The 'Touched Out' Phenomenon Says About Modern Motherhood

Ojo says moms often feel guilty for being "touched out" because they're told they're "they're supposed to love their children unconditionally."

"This is in complete contrast to the sometimes visceral negative emotions a mother may feel towards a child," she says. "Two things  feeling touched out and being a loving parent  can co exist."

Moms are more likely to feel touched out because they are still doing the majority of the childcare and housework, despite a historic number of moms also working outside the home.

Feeling "touched out" is also associated with a loss of bodily autonomy and brings up questions and issues surrounding consent, Toppa says.

"When you're pregnant, you experience this other being inside of you and the feeling that your body is not entirely yours," Toppa says."Then your child grows, becomes a baby then a toddler, and you're being touched and touched not always with your consent and not always in a welcomed way.

"There's a lot of emotional ramifications for that," she adds.

Amanda Montei, mom of two and author of "Touched Out: Motherhood, Misogyny, Consent and Control," says those emotional ramifications are "directly tied to the way in which, culturally and politically, we see motherhood as tied to self-sacrifice and erasure of identity."

"There are accusations that if you show up as a full person ... you are narcissistic or selfish," Montei says. "And there's this burden on women to fix this feeling rather than see it as a social, political and economic issue (and) a symptom of a broader maternal mental health crisis."

In 2012, a federally funded National Maternal Mental Health Hotline was established in response to a rise in maternal mental health issues. In one year, the hotline received more than 12,000 calls and texts, according to data first shared with NBC News.

Toppa says the stigma associated with feeling touched out is why more moms should talk openly about this phenomenon.

"It's part of how we heal from being touched out," she says.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
GM CEO Mary Barras $29 million pay package is 362 times what her companys median employee makes. For Ford CEO Jim Farley, the ratio is 281 times. Its 365:1 for Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares and his average employee.

The yawning pay gaps, a sore point among many rank-and-file workers across corporate America, is becoming one of the United Auto Workers most potent political rallying cries as it kicks off an unprecedented strike at the Big Three auto manufacturers. The historic labor action puts an exclamation point on more than a decade of halting efforts by lawmakers in Washington  most of them Democrats  to expose and narrow the disparity between the countrys wealthiest individuals and the vast majority of Americans.

More specifically, the strike threatens to fuel scrutiny of what critics say is excessive executive pay and how it contributes to risk-taking beyond the auto industry.

Midwestern lawmakers have started trumpeting the stats on Capitol Hill as they lean into solidarity with the striking workers. The UAW claims that the Big Three automakers saw their average CEO pay increase by 40 percent in the last four years while union members got 6 percent raises.

I dont want to hear whining from these companies that they cant afford to pay workers what theyre worth, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said on the Senate floor Thursday.



Exploding executive compensation has bedeviled concerned policymakers for years, with attempts at imposing transparency measures and greater corporate accountability doing little to slow the trend. But the UAW strike is putting a fresh target on CEO pay at a precarious moment for big business, with populism holding sway on the left and the right.

Asked about her pay in a CNN interview Friday, Barra said 92 percent of her compensation is based on the performance of the company. She touted profit-sharing that GM offers employees.

So when the company does well, everyone does well, she said.

Likewise, a Ford spokesperson said that more than 90 percent of Farleys $21 million in compensation last year was made up of variable components based on how well the company performed. Farleys compensation was up by 21 percent compared to his predecessor Jim Hacketts in 2019, according to Ford. GM and Stellantis did not respond to requests for comment.

Median CEO pay at the largest U.S. public companies hit $22.3 million last year, according to research firm Equilar  a 7.7 percent increase from 2021. And between 1978 and 2021, executive compensation at large American companies increased by more than 1,400 percent, the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute said.

It climbed 37 percent faster than stock market growth and 18 percent faster than average full-time worker pay over the same period, the EPI analysis found.

Theres no defensible argument that thats because CEOs have just gotten a lot smarter or more effective over time, said Sarah Anderson, director of the Global Economy Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, a progressive think tank.



Disgust with Wall Street executives after the 2008 financial crisis spurred a Democratic Congress and President Barack Obama to enact a series of measures to address C-suite pay in 2010. But regulations to restrict pay packages that encourage excessive risk-taking have yet to be finalized, thanks to bureaucratic gridlock among several agencies working on the rules as well as regulator turnover between the Obama and Trump administrations.

A separate requirement that public companies disclose CEO compensation in comparison to their median employee salary became effective in 2018. It has done little to rein in executive pay, according to an academic study released last year by researchers at the University at Buffalo and the University of Colorado.

At the heart of the tension between management and union members is executive pay thats tied to a companys stock price and becomes more valuable as market returns increase.

Rank and file employees dont have such an immediate linkage, which leads to these compensation-related conflicts, said the University at Buffalos Michael Dambra, who worked on the pay disclosure study.

The argument that firms would make is that the job of a CEO has gotten exponentially more difficult in terms of responsibilities, litigation risks and outside pressure, Dambra added. Stock-based compensation allows for an alignment of interests between shareholders and managers. These are market (i.e. competitive) prices, and CEOs that are underpaid relative to their peers would leave.

But Dambra said employee advocates would counter that this explosion in CEO pay is extortion, and CEOs have captured boards, and they are earning more compensation than economically fair.



President Joe Biden said Friday that auto companies have profited in recent years thanks to the extraordinary skill and sacrifices of UAW workers and that profits have not been shared fairly, in my view, with those workers.

This years regional bank failures rekindled concern in Congress about executive risk-taking. It spurred Brown and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) to craft a bill that would enable regulators to claw back pay from the CEOs of failed lenders and also make it easier to remove executives.

Despite resistance from industry  which argues that the bill would make it harder to recruit top talent  the proposal attracted broad bipartisan support at the Senate Banking Committee and is awaiting Senate passage.

Other unions are trying to elevate the CEO pay issue in negotiations. The Writers Guild of America West, which represents striking Hollywood writers, waged a successful campaign to convince Netflixs shareholders to reject the companys executive pay package in a non-binding vote.

Everybody understands the fundamental unfairness of people who contribute to profits of a company getting such a small fraction of what the handful of individuals at the top are making, said Anderson of the Institute for Policy Studies. I think were seeing a much brighter spotlight on this issue, and that strengthens the hand of these unions going into negotiations.

Jasper Goodman, Declan Harty and Eleanor Mueller contributed reporting.
The publics trust in nonprofits declined from 59% in 2020 to 56% in 2022, according to Independent Sector, a coalition of nonprofits, foundations and corporate giving programs that tracks trends in philanthropy.

One likely explanation for this erosion of confidence in organizations that are supposed to do good works: news of nonprofit leaders and fundraisers who improperly pocket funds.

On Sept. 8, 2022, for example, New York state authorities charged former Trump administration aide Steve Bannon and others involved in a group called We Build the Wall with allegedly committing money laundering, fraud and conspiracy for deceiving donors and misusing their funds.

And reports surfaced in August that whistleblowers are accusing a nonprofit based in Oklahoma of allegedly diverting money meant to aid Native American women and lining its leaders pockets.

As an expert on nonprofit accounting, I can see why you might be hesitant to donate to charities these days. But Im confident that taking certain steps before making donations makes it less likely your money will be squandered.

Online tools

While the overwhelming majority of charities are legitimate, looking into a charity before supporting it can help you avoid supporting scams and make better-informed decisions.

Often you can quickly do this by visiting a watchdog website that assesses nonprofits. Good options include Guidestar, Charity Watch, Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance.

Some of these monitoring organizations assign ratings or grades to nonprofits. Others, such as the Better Business Bureau, report on national nonprofits as well as receive complaints about charities acting inappropriately.

You can review what a charity monitor says about a group you want to support to get a sense of its trustworthiness.

If you search those sites for a nonprofit without finding the group youre looking for, it can be a red flag. But rather than jumping to the conclusion that it isnt a legitimate charity, consider a few other factors.

It is possible that the group is too new or too small to be monitored.

For example, Charity Navigator only monitors charities with two or more years of at least

Viruses may be 'watching' you  some microbes lie in wait until their hosts unknowingly give them the signal to start multiplying and kill them

https://theconversation.com/viruses-may-be-watching-you-some-microbes-lie-in-wait-until-their-hosts-unknowingly-give-them-the-signal-to-start-multiplying-and-kill-them-189949 Sat, 16 Sep 2023 14:16:38 +0000 tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/189949

Phages, or viruses that infect bacteria, can lie dormant within chromosomes until they're triggered to replicate and burst out of their hosts. Ivan Erill, Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

After more than two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, you might picture a virus as a nasty spiked ball  a mindless killer that gets into a cell and hijacks its machinery to create a gazillion copies of itself before bursting out. For many viruses, including the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, the mindless killer epithet is essentially true.

But theres more to virus biology than meets the eye.

Take HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. HIV is a retrovirus that does not go directly on a killing spree when it enters a cell. Instead, it integrates itself into your chromosomes and chills, waiting for the right moment to command the cell to make copies of it and burst out to infect other immune cells and eventually cause AIDS.

Exactly what moment HIV is waiting for is still an area of active study. But research on other viruses has long hinted that these pathogens can be quite thoughtful about killing. Of course, viruses cannot think the way you and I do. But, as it turns out, evolution has endowed them with some pretty elaborate decision-making mechanisms. Some viruses, for instance, will choose to leave the cell they have been residing in if they detect DNA damage. Not even viruses, it appears, like to stay in a sinking ship.

My laboratory has been studying the molecular biology of bacteriophages, or phages for short, the viruses that infect bacteria, for over two decades. Recently, my colleagues and I have shown that phages can listen for key cellular signals to help them in their decision-making. Even worse, they can use the cells own ears to do the listening for them.

Escaping DNA damage

If the enemy of your enemy is your friend, phages are certainly your friends. Phages control bacterial populations in nature, and clinicians are increasingly using them to treat bacterial infections that do not respond to antibiotics.

The best studied phage, lambda, works a bit like HIV. Upon entering the bacterial cell, lambda decides whether to replicate and kill the cell outright, like most viruses do, or to integrate itself into the cells chromosome, as HIV does. If the latter, lambda harmlessly replicates with its host each time the bacteria divides.

But, like HIV, lambda is not just sitting idle. It uses a special protein called CI like a stethoscope to listen for signs of DNA damage within the bacterial cell. If the bacteriums DNA gets compromised, thats bad news for the lambda phage nested within it. Damaged DNA leads straight to evolutions landfill because its useless for the phage that needs it to reproduce. So lambda turns on its replication genes, makes copies of itself and bursts out of the cell to look for more undamaged cells to infect.

Tapping the cells communication system

Some phages, instead of gathering intel with their own proteins, tap the infected cells very own DNA damage sensor: LexA.

Proteins like CI and LexA are transcription factors that turn genes on and off by binding to specific genetic patterns within the DNA instruction book that is the chromosome. Some phages like Coliphage 186 have figured out that they dont need their own viral CI protein if they have a short DNA sequence in their chromosomes that bacterial LexA can bind to. Upon detecting DNA damage, LexA will activate the phages replicate-and-kill genes, essentially double-crossing the cell into committing suicide while allowing the phage to escape.

Scientists first reported CIs role in phage decision-making in the 1980s and Coliphage 186s counterintelligence trick in the late 1990s. Since then, there have been a few other reports of phages tapping bacterial communication systems. One example is phage phi29, which exploits its hosts transcription factor to detect when the bacterium is getting ready to generate a spore, or a kind of bacterial egg capable of surviving extreme environments. Phi29 instructs the cell to package its DNA into the spore, killing the budding bacteria once the spore germinates.

In our recently published research, my colleagues and I show that several groups of phages have independently evolved the ability to tap into yet another bacterial communication system: the CtrA protein. CtrA integrates multiple internal and external signals to set in motion different developmental processes in bacteria. Key among these is the production of bacterial appendages called flagella and pili. Turns out, these phages attach themselves to the pili and flagella of bacteria in order to infect them.

Our leading hypothesis is that phages use CtrA to guesstimate when there will be enough bacteria nearby sporting pili and flagella that they can readily infect. A pretty smart trick for a mindless killer.

These are not the only phages that make elaborate decisions  all without the benefit of even having a brain. Some phages that infect Bacillus bacteria produce a small molecule each time they infect a cell. The phages can sense this molecule and use it to count the number of phage infections taking place around them. Like alien invaders, this count helps decide when they should switch on their replicate-and-kill genes, killing only when hosts are relatively abundant. This way, the phages make sure that they never run out of hosts to infect and guarantee their own long-term survival.

Countering viral counterintelligence

You may be wondering why you should care about the counterintelligence ops run by bacterial viruses. While bacteria are very different from people, the viruses that infect them are not that different from the viruses that infect humans. Pretty much every single trick played by phages has later been shown to be used by human viruses. If a phage can tap bacterial communication lines, why wouldnt a human virus tap yours?

So far, researchers dont know what human viruses could be listening for if they hijack these lines, but plenty of options come to mind. I believe that, like phages, human viruses could potentially be able to count their numbers to strategize, detect cell growth and tissue formation and even monitor immune responses. For now, these possibilities are only speculation, but scientific investigation is underway.

Having viruses listening to your cells private conversations is not the rosiest of pictures, but its not without a silver lining. As intelligence agencies all around the world know well, counterintelligence works only when its covert. Once detected, the system can very easily be exploited to feed misinformation to your enemy. Similarly, I believe that future antiviral therapies may be able to combine conventional artillery, like antivirals that prevent viral replication, with information warfare trickery, such as making the virus believe the cell it is in belongs to a different tissue.

But, hush, dont tell anybody. Viruses could be listening!

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. If you found it interesting, you could subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

It was written by: Ivan Erill, University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

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Ivan Erill receives funding from the US National Science Foundation
This aerial photo taken on Sept. 14, 2023 shows Tanorn village in Bati district of Takeo province, Cambodia. (Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua)

BATI, Cambodia, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Launched in January 2021, the nearly-completed Cambodia-China Friendship Village for Poverty Alleviation Project has brought great changes to the remotely poor Tanorn village here, lifting residents out of poverty and improving the education environment for their children.

Situated in Takeo province's Bati district, roughly 60 km south of the country's capital Phnom Penh, the tiny Tanorn village, with a total area of 72 hectares, is home to 127 households with 615 people.

Tanorn village chief Pang Samedy said the village was once isolated due to poor access roads, with no clean water, electricity, school, and health center, but the situation completely changed after the China Foundation for Peace and Development (CFPD) funded the poverty alleviation project in the village.

"Now, residents can grow paddy rice twice per year, with proper access roads, and they have access to solar power and clean water, and some have received funds for raising chicken and ducks, or growing vegetables," he told Xinhua on Thursday.

"The project has improved living standards for the villagers from zero to a moderate level," he said.

Samedy said residents in Tanorn village are happily enjoying the fruits of the China-funded development project.

"I would like to express my profound thanks to China for helping develop Tanorn village, turning this poor village into a moderately prosperous village," he said.

Pech Navy, a 43-year-old villager, said the project has changed her family's lives -- she has now been able to travel to work at a garment factory and her children can go to school after the project has built a concrete road connecting the village to the outside world.

"Previously, it was quite difficult to travel from the village to the capital Phnom Penh, or to work at a garment factory because of poor access roads," she told Xinhua.

Working at the garment factory, Navy can earn about 250 U.S. dollars per month.

It was even more difficult for villagers to sell paddy rice or pigs because brokers did not come to buy them due to poor road conditions, she added.

"Now, the project has provided concrete roads, solar power, and clean water. Our livelihoods are better than before because, with good roads, we can travel to work at the garment factory and return home easily, so we can meet our children every day," the mother of three children said.

The project has also built a two-story concrete building with 12 classrooms for the Angkomnob Primary School in a Bati district, which has greatly benefited children in Tanorn village.

Navy's 13-year-old daughter Sal Samnang, a sixth-grader of the school, said the project has also provided school supplies to all students of the school.

"I have received gifts from the Chinese project, including a bicycle, a bag, a water bottle, a lunch box, pens, pencils, and erasers as well as other materials," she told Xinhua.

"I would like to thank China for constructing this school building for us and having brought better development to my village," she added. 

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 14, 2023 shows a China-aided school building at the Angkomnob Primary School in Bati district of Takeo province, Cambodia. (Photo by Van Pov/Xinhua)
Drew Barrymore attempted to explain on Friday why she chose to resume production of her talk show, despite receiving widespread criticism from members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) as the union continues its strike.

I dont exactly know what to say because sometimes when things are so tough, its hard to make decisions from that place, Barrymore said in a now-deleted video statement that was posted on Instagram. My decision to go back to the show  I didnt want to hide behind people  I wont polish this with bells and whistles and publicists and corporate rhetoric.

Ill just stand out there and accept and be responsible, she added.

The Drew Barrymore Show is taped in the CBS Broadcast Center in New York and distributed under Paramount Global  one of the major media companies writers are striking against. The talk show returned to the studio this week as members of the WGA including at least three writers employed by the show  picketed outside.

The actress, talk show host and producer defended her decision, maintaining that her team was acting in compliance with the WGAs strike rules. Barrymore added that the controversial move was spurred by a concern for all of those impacted by a pause to production and not a PR machine.

I wanted to do this because as I said, this is bigger than me, and there are other peoples jobs on the line, she said.

The apology was removed five hours after it was posted to social media after other celebrities, including actors Alyssa Milano and Bradley Whitford, hit back at Barrymore.

Drew Barrymore would like you to know that undermining union solidarity at the most crucial moment in Hollywood labor history makes her the victim, Whitford wrote in a mocking post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Barrymore has faced a slew of backlash since restarting her show amid the Hollywood writers strike.

On Tuesday, just one day after the shows first episode was filmed, the National Book Foundation announced it was rescinding Barrymores invitation to host the National Book Awards ceremony.

The foundation, in its decision, stressed that the awards event is an evening dedicated to celebrating the power of literature, and the incomparable contributions of writers to our culture.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(NewsNation)  NewsNation has exclusively learned that comedian and The Price is Right host Drew Carey , a former fiance of Dr. Amie Harwick, has been subpoenaed by the defense to testify in her murder trial.

Carey and Harwick were engaged to be married in 2018, and Carey later had a text exchange with Harwick before she died, as he discussed in a 2022 interview with CBS 48 Hours.

Its unclear if Carey will actually take the stand during the trial, but NewsNation has learned that his name is on the defenses witness list.

Bob Barker, longtime host of The Price Is Right, dead at 99

Harwick, a popular Hollywood sex therapist, died early Feb. 15, 2020, after falling 20 feet from her bedroom balcony. Her ex-boyfriend, Gareth Pursehouse, is accused of her murder.

Prosecutors say Pursehouse broke into Harwicks home and waited for hours for her to come home before he strangled her and threw her body off the balcony.

A syringe filled with a lethal dose of nicotine was also found on the balcony. The defense is claiming Pursehouse was suicidal and intended to use it on himself. They claim Harwick fell from the balcony by accident.

I think its a disaster for the defense to call Drew Carey, attorney Mercedes Colwin said during an appearance on NewsNations Elizabeth Vargas Reports. Dont make this into a circus.

The jury would have to accept that [Pursehouse] broke in, that he attacked her, that he strangled her, but he didnt kill her. And thats a big ask for the jury to accept, said attorney Jesse Weber, who also appeared on the show.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
One woman is dead and a man is injured after a driver lost control of the car and crashed head-on into a tree.

On Wednesday, Riverside police responded to a single-vehicle crash into a tree on Victoria Avenue, west of John Street. When officers arrived, they found the passenger, 22-year-old Joanna Huizar, dead at the scene.

The 23-year-old driver of the vehicle, whose name was not mentioned, was driving the wrong way in the westbound lane of Victoria Avenue approaching John Street, according to a Riverside Police Department news release. He lost control of the car while rounding a curve and crashed into a palm tree in the center median.

The driver sustained major injuries and was transported to a nearby hospital to be treated.

The cause of the crash is unclear. However, investigators believe driving under the influence contributed to the crash.

Anyone with additional information related to this collision or the passengers whereabouts prior to the crash is urged to contact Detective Ryan McHugh at 951-826-8720 or by email at RMcHugh@RiversideCA.gov.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
The E-3s Long Goodbye: A longtime workhorse for the AWACS 552nd is slowly phased out

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (KFOR)  On a morning fit for a funeral, light rain and gray skies, a few of the remaining Airborne Warning and Control System (or AWACS) E-3s were standing ready but silent on the tarmac.

One of them next in line for a trip to dry storage in Arizona, a fitting retirement for lots of old things.

One Oklahoma State Fair monorail engine survives in a rural Canadian County backyard

For this air frame, a gradual one.

Col. Kelly is commander of the 552nd Air Wing and in charge of the big switch from the heavy version of the 707 air frame to a newer aircraft built on a Boeing 737 framework.

Inside Dock 4, another E-3 is undergoing whats called an isochronal inspection.















Everything gets a thorough going over.

The old E-3s still need to be ready to fly for 7 to 10 years.

The airmen and women performing the mission to extend the life of these aircraft might not even remember their time as an air passenger workhorse.

To See the Light: This Edmond Church embarks on a 2-year mission to restore its huge stained glass windows

My own history with the E-3 and the 552nd goes back to December of 1990 as I was invited along to an active-duty mission over the sands of the Middle East during Operation Desert Shield.

Name a conflict or national emergency and former AWACS Commander Brig. General (retired) Ben Robinson insists the E-3 was probably in the area watching the skies.

From software experts like Colonel Jaclyn McCormick, who works the back of the aircraft, to pilots like Captain Dmitri Venus, who work the controls in front, the eye is still on the mission, with a very small window to look both to the past and the future.

Late in the afternoon, skies clear, and a regular schedule of flights continue.

10 of the E-3s have already flown for good.

2 more are scheduled to fly in the coming days.

But the watch and the mission continue.

For more information on the E-7, the new air frame the AWACS will soon deploy, go to the Boeing website.

For more information on the AWACS 552nd Air Wing, go to their website.

Great State is sponsored by Oklahoma Proton Center

Follow Galens Great State adventures on social media!

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, has been extradited from Mexico to the United States, the US Department of Justice has announced.

The extradition was a result of United States and Mexico law enforcement cooperation, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement Friday that referred to Guzman as a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.

This action is the most recent step in the Justice Departments effort to attack every aspect of the cartels operations, Garland added.

Guzman was flown to Chicago and landed Friday afternoon, Northern District of Illinois Assistant US Attorney Joseph D. Fitzpatrick told CNN.

An initial court appearance hasnt been set, but the US Attorneys office expects it to happen on Monday, he said.

CNN is looking to identify Guzmans attorney for comment.

Guzman was arrested by Mexican authorities in January of this year following a dramatic operation in the northern state of Sinaloa that led to 29 deaths and has been in custody since then. The US has been seeking his extradition for drug trafficking.

Following his arrest in Culiacan, chaos erupted in the city with authorities asking citizens to shelter at home as law enforcement clashed with cartel members in various parts of the city.

At least 19 suspected gang members and 10 military personnel died during those clashes. No civilian deaths or injuries were reported.

Guzman had previously been arrested in October 2019, but was released on the orders of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to avoid bloodshed, and subsequently went into hiding until his arrest in 2023.

His extradition follows the release from a US prison of Emma Coronel Aispuro, El Chapos wife, on Wednesday. She had served nearly two years for drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

The state of Sinaloa, where Culiacan is located, is home to one of the worlds most powerful narcotics trafficking organizations, the Sinaloa Cartel, of which El Chapo was the leader.

The US State Department believes that Guzman and his brother, Joaquin Guzman-Lopez, inherited a great deal of the narcotics proceeds following the death of another brother, Edgar Guzman-Lopez.

It alleges they began investing large amounts of the cash into the purchasing of marijuana in Mexico and cocaine in Colombia.

They also began purchasing large amounts of ephedrine from Argentina and arranged for the smuggling of the product into Mexico as they began to experiment with methamphetamine production, the State Department said.

The brothers are also alleged to oversee an estimated 11 methamphetamine labs in the state of Sinaloa, according to the State Department.

In his statement following the extradition, Attorney General Garland paid tribute to the law enforcement officials involved.

The fight against the cartels has involved incredible courage by United States law enforcement and Mexican law enforcement and military service members, many of whom have given their lives in the pursuit of justice, Garland said.

I am grateful to them and to the departments prosecutors for their work and their sacrifice. I am also grateful to our Mexican government counterparts for this extradition. The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country.

Guzmans father, El Chapo, famously escaped from Altiplano prison on July 11, 2015, through a mile-long tunnel that featured a motorcycle on tracks.

He was later captured and convicted in the US four years later of 10 counts, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, drug trafficking and firearms charges.

He was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years and ordered to pay $12.6 billion in forfeiture.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
The son of infamous Mexican cartel boss Joaquin El Chapo Guzman was extradited to the U.S. on Friday to face drug trafficking charges, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced.

Ovidio Guzman Lopez faces charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and other violent crimes. He was arrested by Mexican authorities in January and indicted on U.S. charges in April.

Guzman Lopez was charged alongside two of his brothers, neither of whom are in custody. The trio are believed to be the more violent sect of the Sinaloa cartel and have taken over leadership of the group after their fathers arrest.

The extradition of Lopez is testament to the significance of the ongoing cooperation between the American and Mexican governments on countering narcotics and other vital challenges, and we thank our Mexican counterparts for their partnership in working to safeguard our peoples from violent criminals, DHS advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall said in a statement Friday.

The Sinaloa cartel is recognized as one of the driving forces bringing illegal fentanyl to the United States through Mexico.

This action is the most recent step in the Justice Departments effort to attack every aspect of the cartels operations, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. The fight against the cartels has involved incredible courage by United States law enforcement and Mexican law enforcement and military service members, many of whom have given their lives in the pursuit of justice.

Between 2019 and 2021, fatal overdoses increased by approximately 94 percent, with an estimated 196 Americans dying each day from fentanyl, the Justice Department said in April.

Fentanyl seizures by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have increased dramatically in recent years, according to CBP data. The total amount of fentanyl seized in 2020 was surpassed in the first two months of the 2023 fiscal year.

El Chapo was convicted in 2019 of running an international drug empire and smuggling operation. He had previously escaped a Mexican high security prison in 2001 and another in 2015.

He was captured again in 2016 and extradited to the U.S., where he now is serving a life sentence without parole in the countrys most secure supermax prison in Colorado.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of jailed drug lord known as El Chapo, was extradited to the United States on Friday.

Guzman Lopez was arrested in Sinaloa, a state in the countrys northwest, on Jan. 5 for his ties to the drug trade and his role in his fathers cartel.

Almost nine months later, a joint operation led by the DEA and the U.S. Marshals Service has brought the 33-year-old into federal custody in Chicago.

His pursuit by U.S. authorities was blamed for violence in Mexico.

When Guzman Lopez was arrested in January, alleged cartel members took to the streets, stealing cars and setting numerous vehicles on fire.

An intense gunfight known as the Battle of Culiacan erupted in the region when Guzman Lopez was previously arrested in another case in 2019. He was later released after cartel members attacked Mexican armed forces.

Guzman Lopez was eventually indicted in April and charged with large-scale drug trafficking, money laundering and violent crimes connected to his fathers 2017 arrest and extradition.

His three brothers, Ivan Guzman Salazar, Alfredo Guzman Salazar and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, were also indicted at the time but are not in custody and reportedly remain at large.

Prosecutors said the four siblings, known as the Chapitos, played a significant role in the Sinaloa Cartel.

When they were indicted, Attorney General Merrick Garland called the organization the largest, most violent and most prolific fentanyl trafficking operation in the world.

In a statement Friday, Garland said: The fight against the cartels has involved incredible courage by United States law enforcement and Mexican law enforcement and military service-members, many of whom have given their lives in the pursuit of justice.

El Chapo, the notorious drug kingpin who brought the cartel to prominence, is currently serving a life sentence in a maximum security prison in Colorado, following his own conviction in 2019 at a trial in Brooklyn Federal Court.

His wife, 34-year-old Emma Coronel Aispuro, was just released from jail on Wednesday, after serving almost two years for charges of drug trafficking.
EL PASO, Texas (Border Report)  The processing of cargo will be temporarily suspended at the Bridge of the Americas in South El Paso to allow border officers to assist with the processing of migrants, particularly family units and unaccompanied children.

Border commuters fume as CBP closes pedestrian crossing to process wave of migrants

CBP said in a news release that beginning Monday, CBPs El Paso Office of Field Operations will temporarily suspend cargo processing at the Bridge of the Americas, whose cargo lot is typically open from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.

CBP officers will be processing migrants who have arrived between ports of entry.

During the suspension, truckers are asked to use other cargo facilities in El Paso, including those at the Ysleta, Santa Teresa, and Tornillo ports of entry.

Earlier this week, CBP closed Ped West, a pedestrian border crossing at the San Ysidro Port of Entry so officers can assist with migrant processing. Officials told Border Report that the move was necessary because processing facilities in the San Diego area have been operating over capacity.

The pedestrian border crossing had been closed since the start of the coronavirus pandemic but opened only its northbound lanes about eight months ago.

Border Patrol releasing migrants onto streets of San Diego

The Department of Homeland Security this week released hundreds of asylum-seekers who were recently processed at Border Patrol stations in San Diego. Border Report was there as migrants exited several white unmarked buses in South San Diego.

In Arizona, border agents have also been overwhelmed with a recent wave of migrants, according to a congressman whose district stretches to the U.S.-Mexico border.

Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the U.S.-Mexico border

In a letter addressed Wednesday to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, R-Arizona, said border agents and officers are overwhelmed and border communities are overrun.

For months now, the quantity of migrants crossing the border has steadily increased to record-breaking numbers, he said. We have now seen days with more than 10,000 migrants encountered. Today, there have been over 200 migrants released onto the streets of southeastern Arizona border communities in the Tucson Sector alone.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
An employee of a drone manufacturing company was detained in Moscow on Friday, 15 September on suspicion of leaking data on the Internet.

Source: Russian state-owned news outlet RIA Novosti

Details: According to a Russian informant working in law enforcement, the man had access to "some important information" about the company, which he posted on the GitHub portal [a web service for hosting IT projects - ed.].

The detainee worked as a network engineer at the Kronstadt company.

The company confirmed that he had indeed disseminated confidential information in the course of his duties. He uploaded trade secrets, personal and technical accounts, as well as valid passwords to them, to the github.com website.

A criminal case was initiated in this regard under Article 183(2) of the Russian Criminal Code, "Illegal receipt and disclosure of information constituting a commercial, tax or banking secret".

Kronstadt specialises in the development and production of military drones of various classes. One of the company's main developments is the Orion reconnaissance and strike drone, which the Russians are using in the war against Ukraine. The company's current projects include the development of Sirius attack drones and the Grom heavy UAV.

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!
Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gestures as he speaks during a press conference at the end of the G20 Summit, in New Delhi, India, Sunday, Sept.10, 2023. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

ISTANBUL (AP)  President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that Turkey may part ways with the European Union, implying that the country is thinking about ending its bid to join the 27-nation bloc.

The EU is making efforts to sever ties with Turkey, he told reporters before departing for the 78th U.N. General Assembly in New York.

We will evaluate the situation, and if needed we will part ways with the EU.

He was responding to a question about a recent report adopted by the European Parliament, which stated the accession process cannot resume under the current circumstances, and calls on EU to explore a parallel and realistic framework for EU-Turkiye relations.

Turkey applied to join the European Union in 1999, and accession talks began in 2005. Accession negotiations were frozen in 2018 because of democratic backsliding, according to the European Parliament.

Erdogan's statement on Saturday came more than a week after Turkey's foreign minister affirmed his countrys resolve to join the EU and urged the bloc to take courageous steps to advance its bid.
An exhibitor sorts out commodities from Thailand at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)

NANNING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending.

The participation figure marks an 18.2-percent rise from last year's expo, which was attended by 1,653 enterprises.

This year's event sees the participation of a larger number of brands from the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as many Chinese companies specializing in digital, smart and low-carbon technologies, including drones and equipment for environmental protection, said the Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Shu Jueting.

Nineteen forums will be hosted during the four-day event to discuss China-ASEAN cooperation on e-commerce, environmental protection, the blue economy and other fields.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and the 20th anniversary of the China-ASEAN Expo.

Since the first China-ASEAN Expo was held in 2004, the event has actively built a platform for ASEAN enterprises to enter the Chinese market. Enditem

Visitors buy commodities at the pavilion for Vietnamese commodities at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)

Visitors buy Malaysian cookies at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)

Traders from Vietnam sell durians at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

An exhibitor promotes Thai cosmetics at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

Visitors wait in line to taste Thai rice at the pavilion for Thai commodities at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)

Visitors buy commodities at the pavilion for Indonesian commodities at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)

Visitors buy coffee from Thailand at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

Visitors buy Thai cosmetics at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

Visitors buy commodities at the pavilion for Burmese commodities at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)

Visitors buy Singaporean toys at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

A visitor buys commodities at the pavilion for Thai commodities at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)

A visitor tastes durian pulps from Vietnam at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

A visitor tries a Korean facial cleanser at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

Visitors buy slippers from Vietnam at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)

Visitors buy commodities at the pavilion for Lao commodities at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Zhou Hua)

Visitors buy Vietnamese agarwood products at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Lu Boan)

A Vietnamese merchant promotes commodities to visitors at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Zhang Ailin)

People visit the pavilion for commodities from ASEAN countries at the Nanning International Conference and Exhibition Center in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Sept. 18, 2023.

The 20th China-ASEAN Expo opened on Saturday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with nearly 2,000 enterprises attending. About 640 enterprises from the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) presented a wide range of featured commodities during the expo. (Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang)
(Bloomberg) -- European Union finance ministers are moving closer to an agreement this year on implementing new fiscal rules as Germany and Italy show readiness to compromise after months of sparring over how to rein in the blocs debt.

Most Read from Bloomberg

There is a will to accelerate, to find an accord and to eventually reach a compromise, Paolo Gentiloni, the EUs economy chief, said on the sidelines of a meeting of finance chiefs in Santiago de Compostela, Spain on Saturday. This is an important and positive development.

This was echoed by Spanish Economy Minister Nadia Calvino, who told a news conference at the end of the event that member states have committed to agree on new fiscal rules this year. She earlier told reporters there is agreement on about 70% of the European Commissions legislative reform proposals for the Stability and Growth Pact.

A key development in Santiago has been German willingness to consider options expressed by countries with higher debt levels like Italy that include allowing more leeway on certain investments for a limited time, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Italian Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti proposed excluding items such as defense efforts to support Ukraine and certain EU recovery fund spending from deficit calculations, one of the people said. In return, Italy is open to a single common rule on debt reduction.

Fiscal Camino

Still, EU Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told the news conference that ministers still face a challenging fiscal camino, in reference to the religious pilgrimage known as the Camino de Santiago, which ends in the northwestern Spanish town and attracts thousands each year.

The rules were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic and then again until the end of 2023 due to Russias invasion of Ukraine to allow governments more leeway for crisis spending. They are due to be reinstated in January, and the EUs executive arm wants member states to reach a deal this year.

The sticking point has been whether to apply automatic and uniform rules to all member states. The debate highlighted divisions between Germany and its allies who want less flexibility, and more dovish countries like France and Italy that are concerned excessive pressure to reduce debt quickly could jeopardize economic growth.

The final text must strike the right balance between the need to pursue sustainable debt reduction while ensuring fiscal space for necessary investments, said Calvino, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency until Dec. 31.

Under the Commissions plan, deficit and public-debt limits of 3% and 60% of gross domestic product would remain unchanged. Governments would set out multi-year plans with fiscal targets, with debt ratios expected to be lower by the end. A minimum fiscal adjustment of 0.5% of GDP per year would be required as long as deficits exceed the cap.

--With assistance from Jana Randow, Jorge Valero, Kamil Kowalcze and William Horobin.

(Updates with comments from news conference, starting in third paragraph.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Former lawyer and blogger Serhii Kryzhanivsky was placed under round-the-clock house arrest on Sept. 15 for allegedly advocating a violent change of government, Hromadske reported.

Kryzhanivsky ran a YouTube channel, "Serhiy Kryzhanivsky LIVE," that primarily published videos about Presidential Office Head Andrii Yermak.

Kryzhanivsky called Yermak "a lieutenant general of the Russian FSB (Russia's Federal Security Service)."

An investigation by Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) found that Kryzhanivsky's videos were in violation of Article 109 of the Criminal Code  public calls for violent overthrow of the government, as well as distribution of materials calling for such actions.

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"The former lawyer's video messages were immediately picked up by Russian internet resources, including Wagner's Telegram channels," the SBU said, adding that Russian media would then present Kryzhanivsky's views as popular opinion among ordinary Ukrainians.

The Solomyanskyi District Court of Kyiv placed the ex-lawyer under house arrest for two months and ordered him to wear an electronic bracelet.

Kryzhanivsky founded the law firm Kryzhanivsky and Partners. His YouTube channel had over 120,000 subscribers.

In August, the SBU detained an ex-lawyer in Odesa for allegedly collaborating with Russian security services.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
By Cassandra Garrison

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - For Jaime Maussan , a Mexican journalist and longtime UFO enthusiast, they are one of the most important discoveries in the history of humankind.

But for many scientists these two tiny mummified bodies with elongated heads and three fingers on each hand, images of which were beamed around the world this week when they were presented to Mexico's Congress, are an already-debunked - perhaps criminal - stunt.

At Maussan's office, in the Mexico City business district of Santa Fe, staff members carefully carry the two closed boxes with glass lids containing the bodies into a green-screened studio, where Reuters had exclusive access on Friday.

Everyone huddles around to get a better look. The bodies appear ancient and share characteristics with humans: two eyes, a mouth, two arms, two legs. Maussan claims they were found around 2017 in Peru, near the pre-Columbian Nazca Lines.

He says he can prove they are unlike anything known on Earth. On social media and in the hearing, he shared scientific analysis and study results he argues proves the bodies are about 1,000 years old and not related to any known Earthly species.

One of them, described by Maussan as a female, was discovered to have eggs inside, he said.

"It is the most important thing that has happened to humanity," Maussan, 70, said of his crusade to bring awareness to the findings, sitting in his office that is heavily decorated with colorful alien-themed artwork and paraphernalia.

"I believe that this phenomenon is the only one that gives us the opportunity to unite," he added.

Elsa Tomasto-Cagigao, a respected Peruvian bio-anthropologist, is frustrated such claims are still being given publicity, citing similar alleged finds that were found to be frauds.

"What we said before still stands, they are presenting the same rehash as always and if there are people that keep believing that, what can we do?," she said by phone. "It is so crass and so simple that there is nothing more to add."

Previous such finds have been dismissed by the scientific community as mutilated mummies of pre-Hispanic children, sometimes combined with bits of animal parts.

David Spergel, former head of Princeton University's astrophysics department and chair of a NASA report into unidentified anomalous phenomena, said on Thursday that such samples should be made available for testing by the world's scientific community.

TESTING CONUNDRUM

Maussan shared on social media and in his presentation the results of DNA and carbon dating tests that he said he commissioned on "the beings."

A Mexican scientist, at the request of Reuters, reviewed the results and concluded they indicated normal life on Earth.

Maussan told Reuters on Friday that the test results were not directly related to the two bodies that he showed Congress this week, however. In fact, he said, they were conducted on an entirely different body, known as Victoria, that remains in Peru.

"They were found in the same place. They have the same physical appearance, they are the same," Maussan said of Victoria and the two bodies he presented in Mexico. Testing was not done on those two bodies in order to avoid damaging them, he said.

Maussan is no stranger to controversy. He has made claims about other remains in the past that have been widely criticized. He participated in a 2017 TV documentary about other remains found near the Nazca Lines, which experts like Tomasto-Cagigao and paleontologist Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi have said appeared to feature doctored mummies.

Now, he has angered Peruvian officials.

Peruvian Culture Minister Leslie Urteaga has questioned how the specimens, which she said were pre-Hispanic objects, left Peru and says a criminal complaint has been filed.

"I'm not worried. I have done absolutely nothing illegal," Maussan said.

How the bodies arrived in Mexico is a question he says he cannot answer. Borrowed by Maussan for the hearing, they are in the possession of a Mexican man, who was in Maussan's office on Friday and who declined to be identified.

When asked how the bodies - whom he called Clara and Mauricio - came to be in his possession, the man replied only that he would reveal all "at the appropriate time."

Jose de Jesus Zalce Benitez, Director of the Health Sciences Research Institute of the Secretary of the Navy, participated in the congressional hearing, bolstering Maussan's claims. Now joining him at his office, he calmly explained his interpretation of the science.

"Based on the DNA tests, which were compared with more than one million species ... they are not related to what is known or described up to this moment by science or by human knowledge," he said.

Julieta Fierro, the scientist at Mexico's National Autonomous University's (UNAM) Institute of Astronomy who reviewed Maussan's test results for Reuters, sees far less mystery in the data.

She said that the presence of carbon-14 in studies done by UNAM proves that the samples were related to brain and skin tissues from different mummies who died at different times.

The proportion of the radioactive carbon-14 isotope that is absorbed by living organisms into their tissue decays over time, which allows scientists to determine the approximate year of death of the specimen.

On other planets, the amount of carbon-14 in their atmospheres would not necessarily be the same as on Earth, she said.

All in all, the results "do not show anything mysterious that could indicate life compounds that do not exist on Earth," Fierro said.

(Reporting by Cassandra Garrison in Mexico City; additional reporting by Marco Aquino in Lima; editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Rosalba O'Brien)
Nurses, researchers and workplace safety officers worry new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention might reduce protection against the coronavirus and other airborne pathogens in hospitals.

A CDC advisory committee has been updating its 2007 standards for infection control in hospitals this year. Many health care professionals and scientists expressed outrage after the group released a draft of its proposals in June.

The draft controversially concluded that N95 face masks are equivalent to looser, surgical face masks in certain settings  and that doctors and nurses need to wear only surgical masks when treating patients infected by common, endemic viruses, like those that cause the seasonal flu.

The committee was slated to vote on the changes at a public meeting on Aug. 22, but it postponed the vote until November. Once the advice is final, the CDC begins a process of turning the committees assessment into guidelines that hospitals throughout the United States typically follow. After the meeting, members of the public expressed concern about where the CDC was headed, especially as Covid cases rise. Nationwide, hospital admissions and deaths due to Covid have been increasing for several consecutive weeks.

Health care facilities are where some of the most vulnerable people in our population have to frequent or stay, said Gwendolyn Hill, a research intern at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, after the committees presentation. She said N95 masks, ventilation, and air-purifying technology can lower rates of Covid transmission within hospital walls and help ensure that people are not leaving sicker than they came.

We are very happy to receive feedback, Alexander Kallen, chief of the Prevention and Response Branch in the CDCs Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, told KFF Health News. It is our goal to develop a guideline that is protective of patients, visitors, and health workers. He added that the draft guidelines are far from final.

In June, members of the CDCs group  the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee  presented a draft of their report, citing studies that found no difference in infection rates among health providers who wore N95 masks versus surgical masks in the clinic. They noted flaws in the data. For example, many health workers who got Covid in the trials were not infected while wearing their masks at work. But still, they concluded the masks were equivalent.

Their conclusion runs contrary to the CDCs 2022 report, which found that an N95 mask cuts the odds of testing positive for the coronavirus by 83%, compared with 66% for surgical masks and 56% for cloth masks. It also excludes a large clinical trial published in 2017 finding that N95 masks were far superior to surgical masks in protecting health workers from influenza infections. And it contradicts an extensive evaluation by the Royal Society, the United Kingdoms national academy of sciences, finding that N95 masks, also called N95 respirators, were more effective against Covid than surgical masks in health care settings around the world.

Its shocking to suggest that we need more studies to know whether N95 respirators are effective against an airborne pathogen, said Kaitlin Sundling, a physician and pathologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in a comment following the June meeting. The science of N95 respirators is well established and based on physical properties, engineered filtered materials, and our scientific understanding of how airborne transmission works.

Workers gather N95 masks as they come off an assembly line (John Tlumacki / Boston Globe via Getty Images file)

Her assertion is backed by the California occupational safety agency, Cal/OSHA, whose rules on protecting at-risk workers from infections might be at odds with the CDCs if the proposals are adopted. The CDC must not undermine respiratory protection regulation by making the false and misleading claim that there is no difference in protection between N95 masks and surgical masks, commented Deborah Gold, an industrial hygienist at Cal/OSHA, at the August meeting.

Researchers and occupational safety experts were also perplexed by how the committee categorized airborne pathogens. A surgical mask, rather than an N95, was suggested as protection for a category they created for common, endemic viruses that spread over short distances, and for which individuals and communities are expected to have some immunity. Three committee representatives, researchers Hilary Babcock, Erica Shenoy, and Sharon Wright, were among the authors of a June editorial arguing that hospitals should no longer require all health care workers, patients, and visitors to wear masks in hospitals. The time has come to deimplement policies that are not appropriate for an endemic pathogen, they wrote.

However, in a call with KFF Health News, Kallen clarified that the committee put coronaviruses that cause colds in that category, but not yet the coronavirus causing Covid.

The committees next tier consisted of viruses in a pandemic-phase, when the pathogen is new and little immunity through infection or vaccination exists. It recommended that health workers wear an N95 mask when treating patients infected by bugs in this category. Its third, highest tier of protection was reserved for pathogens like those causing measles and tuberculosis, which, they claimed, can spread further than lower-tier threats and require an N95.

Virologists said the committees categories hold little water, biologically speaking. A pathogens mode of spreading isnt affected by how common it is; common viruses can still harm vulnerable populations; and many viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, can travel significant distances on microscopic droplets suspended in the air.

Large COVID outbreaks in prisons and long-term health care facilities have demonstrated that the behavior of infectious aerosols is not easily classified, and these aerosols are not easily confined, wrote the deputy chief of health at Cal/OSHA, Eric Berg, in a letter of concern to the CDC committee, obtained by KFF Health News.

An N95 protective mask hangs next to a hand sanitizer dispenser on a reception's desk at a clinic (Emily Elconin / Bloomberg via Getty Images file)

The committee pitted its assessment of N95 masks against their drawbacks. Its draft cites a study from Singapore in which nearly a third of health care personnel, mostly nurses, said wearing such masks negatively affected their work, causing acne and other problems exacerbated by hot and humid conditions and prolonged shifts. Rather than discard the masks, the authors of that study recommend better-fitting masks and rest breaks.

Noha Aboelata, a doctor and the CEO of Roots Community Health Center in Oakland, California, agrees. There are other strategies to bring to bear, like improved mask design and better testing, she said, if we decide its unacceptable to give a patient Covid when they go to the hospital.

Aboelata is one of hundreds of doctors, researchers, and others who signed a letter to CDC Director Mandy Cohen in July, expressing concern that the CDC committee will weaken protections in hospitals. They also warned that scaling back on N95 masks could have repercussions on emergency stockpiles, rendering doctors and nurses as vulnerable as they were in 2020 when mask shortages fueled infections. More than 3,600 health workers died in the first year of the pandemic in the United States, according to a joint investigation by KFF Health News and The Guardian.

The concerned clinicians hope the committee will reconsider its report in light of additional studies and perspectives before November. Referring to the draft, Rocelyn de Leon-Minch, an industrial hygienist for National Nurses United, said, If they end up codifying these standards of care, it will have a disastrous impact on patient safety and impact our ability to respond to future health crises.

KFF Health News, formerly known as Kaiser Health News (KHN), is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF  the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.Follow NBC HEALTH on Twitter & Facebook.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Ukrainian sources say they used an experimental drone called Sea Baby to strike a Russian missile ship.

The attack took place off the coast of occupied Crimea, where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is based.

Russia confirmed that an attack took place but said it was repelled.

Ukraine used an experimental sea drone to strike and damage a Russian missile ship off the coast of occupied Crimea, Ukrainian sources claim.

The attack on the Samum missile ship took place on Thursday off Sevastopol Bay amid ongoing Ukrainian attacks on Russia's Black Sea Fleet.

Ukrainian sources confirmed the attack to Reuters and Ukrainian media, claiming that a sea drone had hit the rear of the ship and caused "significant damage."

An image circulated on social media appeared to show the ship being towed for repairs, but Insider was unable to verify it.

The Ukrainian account contradicts Russia's defense ministry, which confirmed that the Samum was attacked but claimed that it was repelled and that the drone was destroyed, per Reuters.

Russia has only two ships like the Samum, which are relatively small in size but claim to be able to match destroyers in terms of firepower, according to the Defense Express.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) used an experimental Sea Baby drone in the attack, which can operate in stormy conditions and evade detection behind high waves, Ukrainian media outlet New Voice reported.

The waves reached 1.5 to 2 meters, or around 5 to 6.5 feet, during the operation, sources told the outlet.

The Sea Baby drones are a "unique invention" of the SBU, its head Vasyl Maliuk previously said, and were used to attack the Crimean Bridge last month.

In recent months Ukraine has been using sea drones to "paralyze" Russia's Black Sea Fleet, a Ukrainian intelligence chief previously said.

Russia has been using its fleet to impose a de facto blockade on Ukraine's food exports by blocking the country's ports.

Ukraine has long maintained that its goal is to take back the peninsula of Crimea, which was occupied by Russia in 2014.

Read the original article on Business Insider
FILE PHOTO: A photo of Mahsa Amini is pictured at a condolence meeting organised by students and activists from Delhi University in support of anti-regime protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini

By Parisa Hafezi

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's rulers have intensified a clampdown on dissent one year since the death in police custody of Mahsa Amini sparked protests that spiralled into some of the worst political turmoil since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

HOW DID THE PROTESTS START?

Protests began soon after the Sept. 16 death of Kurdish Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, 22, who had been arrested by morality police three days earlier for allegedly violating Iran's mandatory Islamic dress code.

Amini, described as a shy person who minded her own business and stayed clear of politics, was detained as she stepped out of a train station in Tehran.

News of her death circulated on social media. Protests erupted at her funeral in her hometown Saqez and then spread across the country with demonstrators chanting "Woman, life, freedom" in a furious challenge to Iran's clerical rulers.

While Amini's family said she had been killed by blows to her head and limbs, the authorities said she had died due to existing medical problems, further fuelling anger over her death.

WHAT DID PROTESTERS WANT?

With women and young people often at the forefront, protesters targeted symbols of the Islamic Republic, burning pictures of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and chanting "Death to the Dictator".

Women, including schoolgirls, took off and burned headscarves, revolting against laws obliging women to cover their hair and wear loose-fitting clothes.

The protests were particularly intense in areas home to ethnic minorities that have long faced discrimination by the state, including Kurds in the northwest and Baluchis in the southeast.

Meanwhile, a growing number of women were disregarding the dress code. After a chess player and a climber competed without wearing headscarves other prominent women defied the authorities by violating the hijab law and voicing support for the protests.

Authorities have imposed travel bans and jail terms on several public figures from athletes to actresses.

QUELLING THE PROTESTS

Security forces restricted access to messaging apps and fiercely confronted the leaderless protesters using tear gas, clubs and, in some cases, live ammunition, even as the protests rumbled on into the new year. A paramilitary volunteer militia, the Basij, played a prominent part in the crackdown.

Rights groups said over 500 people - including 71 minors - were killed, hundreds wounded and thousands arrested. Iran carried out seven executions linked to the unrest.

Authorities have not given any official estimated death toll, but said dozens of the security forces were killed in the "riots".

DID ANYTHING CHANGE?

Buttressed by the Revolutionary Guards, the ruling elite appears to remain deeply entrenched in power despite its initial difficulties in subduing the protests.

Morality police largely vanished from the streets after Amini died in their custody. But as the protests fizzled they returned to streets and surveillance cameras were installed to identify and penalise unveiled women.

Authorities described the veil as "one of the principles of the Islamic Republic" and ordered both private and public sectors to deny services to any women who had discarded it, temporarily closing thousands of non-compliant businesses.

But with many Iranians saying the number of unveiled women continues to grow, the parliament is considering longer prison terms for anyone who flouts the dress code and harsher penalties for celebrities and businesses that violate the rules.

Outside Iran, Western countries imposed new sanctions on security forces and on dozens of Iranian officials over the protests, further straining already difficult ties.

HOW WILL IRAN'S LEADERS SHORE UP THEIR POSITION?

Recent actions by security forces suggested Iran's rulers intended to brook no flicker of dissent as the anniversary of Amini's death approached.

Activists have accused authorities of a campaign to intimidate and instil fear, arresting, questioning, threatening or firing people connected to protests.

Journalists, lawyers, activists, students, academics, artists, public figures and family members of killed protesters, especially among ethnic minorities, have been targeted in recent weeks.

Iranian officials have blamed the unrest on foreign foes, notably the U.S. and Israel, raising the stakes for anybody facing arrest.

However, in cracking down they risk widening a rift between the clerical leadership and ordinary Iranians increasingly dismayed by an economy hammered by sanctions and mismanagement, a potential source of future unrest.

(Writing by Parisa Hafezi; Editing by Angus McDowall and William Maclean)
The authorities reported explosions in Kharkiv on the morning of 16 September.

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration; Ihor Terekhov, the Mayor of Kharkiv

Quote from Syniehubov: "Occupiers are attacking Kharkiv."

Details: Meanwhile, Terekhov said that explosions were heard in Kharkiv.

Authorities urge everyone to be careful and stay in shelters.

Syniehubov later added that the Russians had hit Kharkiv at least four times. Emergency services have rushed to the sites of the strikes.

Meanwhile, the air-raid warning was issued in many oblasts of Ukraine, including the city of Kyiv. As the Air Force reports, there is a threat of ballistic missile attack.

Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron!
Wright State University has seen an increase in its total student enrollment this semester, according to a university spokesperson.

>>A.J. Green returns to Cincinnati to officially retire as Bengal

For the first time since the fall of 2015, the total number of students at WSU has increased.

Enrollment surpassed 11,000 students for the Fall semester of 2023, which saw a 2.2% increase compared to last years headcount, the spokesperson said.

The number of first-time students who have enrolled at the university has also increased.

1,713 first-time students have been welcomed to the university this semester, which is an 11.2% increase from last years enrollment.

The spokesperson said this is the second year in a row that the number of first-time students at the university has increased by more than 10%, the spokesperson said.

Daytons WSU campus saw a 30.5% increase in the number of enrolling first-time students, compared to the start of the Fall 2021 semester.

>>Arson investigation underway, reward offered after 2 fires at Ohio mobile home

For reference, first-time students are considered those who have enrolled right after high school, those who have not enrolled in college right after high school, and adults who have not attended college, the spokesperson said.

The number of new graduate students at WSU has also increased by 7.4% to 842 students, compared to 784 students in 2022.

This is a great sign not just for Wright State but also for the economic development of the region, with 92% of the first-time cohort represented from the state of Ohio and, most importantly, the Dayton region, WSU President Sue Edwards said.

The university has also seen an overall increase in the number of Pell Grant-eligible students who enrolled as first-time students this fall, with 40.6% of the first-time cohort meeting federal Pell eligibility requirements, the spokesperson said.

>>Motorcyclists gather to honor POW-MIA Remembrance Day

As a public institution, Wright State is committed to ensuring every student, regardless of socioeconomic background, has access to a high-quality, affordable education, said WSU Vice President for Enrollment Management Susan Schaurer said.
A music video set for Rapper Sexxyy Red at a Broward Flea Market on Thursday night may be connected to a fatal shooting that occurred nearby, deputies said.

Around 8 p.m., Broward Sheriffs Office deputies were called to a disturbance at the Oakland Park Flea Market, in the 3100 block of West Oakland Park Boulevard, authorities said. The 911 call was in relation to a music video shoot.

A Broward DJ promoted on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, that a Sexyy Red music video shoot was happening in the same area as the shooting hours prior.

Sexxy Red, whos real name is Janae Nierah Wherry, also re-posted on X videos from the music shoot.

Sexyy Red in Broward County  pic.twitter.com/kpFLLtsU43  If it ain't Reese, it dont Gleece (@LiveeAihhReese) September 15, 2023

While deputies were at the flea market handling the disturbance call, they heard multiple gunshots coming from a nearby gas station. Rushing over, they found two people suffering from gunshot wounds.

One was pronounced dead at the scene and the other was taken to a hospital. Their condition was not immediately known.

A witness told investigators that several subjects went up to the victims before the shooting and fled in a dark-colored car.

Deputies were able to stop the car and apprehend the subjects. While they were arrested, it was on unrelated charges.

Detectives are still trying to confirm if the music video and the shooting are related.

Investigators are asking anyone with information on this case to contact BSO Homicide Detective John Curcio at 954-321-4212 or submit a tip through the SaferWatch app.

If tipsters wish to remain anonymous, they can contact Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-8477 or online at browardcrimestoppers.org. Tipsters can also dial **8477.
BEIJING, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- China and Cambodia have further consolidated their decades-long friendship and pledged further efforts to build a community with a shared future, with a series of consensus reached during Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet's official visit to China.

Hun Manet's three-day trip from Thursday to Saturday is his first official visit after taking office in August, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping met with him. The Cambodian premier also held talks and met with other Chinese state leaders.

During his meeting with Hun Manet on Friday, Xi described the friendship between China and Cambodia as "ironclad." The fact that Hun Manet chose China as the destination for his first bilateral visit fully demonstrates the great importance the new Cambodian government attaches to consolidating and developing China-Cambodia friendship, Xi said.

For his part, Hun Manet stressed that the new Cambodian government will continue to firmly pursue a friendly policy towards China and further carry forward the two countries' friendship.

China and Cambodia set up diplomatic ties in the 1950s and established a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in 2010. A bilateral free trade agreement between the two countries took effect on Jan. 1, 2022, and their bilateral trade value of the year reached about 16 billion U.S. dollars.

Wu Jiewei, a professor of Cambodian studies at Peking University, said Hun Manet's visit is expected to accelerate cooperation in all fields between China and Cambodia and consolidate the two countries' long-standing friendship.

During their meeting, Xi called for joint efforts to implement the new action plan for building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future.

Wu believes the action plan is of great significance at the current time when both countries are in a new stage of development. "It will not only promote the overall development of China-Cambodia cooperation but also promote exchanges between the two peoples and bring more benefits to them," he said.

The two leaders agreed to promote cooperation based on the "Diamond Hexagon" cooperation framework, which covers political cooperation, production capacity, agriculture, energy, security, and people-to-people exchanges. They also expressed the willingness to deepen Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation and jointly build the "Industrial Development Corridor" and the "Fish and Rice Corridor."

China and Cambodia have seen fruitful achievements in BRI cooperation. The Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, for example, is a flagship project under the initiative. In the first eight months this year, the value of imports and exports passing through the economic zone reached 2.22 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 27.3 percent.

Gu Jiayun, a scholar of Cambodian studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, said economic development has been a focus for Cambodia over the past two decades and BRI cooperation meets the country's needs.

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the China-Cambodia diplomatic ties and the Year of China-Cambodia Friendship. Based on a relationship featuring mutual trust, equal treatment, and win-win cooperation over the past 65 years, China and Cambodia are pushing forward the building of a community with a shared future that emphasizes mutual support on issues of each other's core interests.

"No matter how the international and regional situation may change, China is always Cambodia's most reliable friend and staunch supporter," Xi said.

When holding talks with Hun Manet on Friday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said China is ready to work with Cambodia to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, leverage the leading role of high-level exchanges, strengthen strategic communication, and push for new progress in building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future.

After the talks, Li and Hun Manet witnessed the signing of several bilateral cooperation documents in industry, agricultural infrastructure, the digital economy, green development, inspection and quarantine, and development cooperation.

"The two countries will promote and deepen their cooperation with greater openness and inclusiveness, and their futures will be more closely connected," said Wu, the Peking University professor. 
A home invasion in Fayette County led deputies to capture a suspect wanted for murder out of state.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

It was Thursday when deputies were called to a home in north Fayette County in regard to a possible intruder.

According to the sheriffs office, by the time authorities arrived, the homeowner had shot the intruder to protect his family.

The intruder, later identified as Michael James Brooks II, 28, of Columbus, Ohio.

TRENDING STORIES:

During the investigation, deputies learned that a red Ford truck, believed to be Brooks would-be getaway vehicle was found outside the home. Authorities said the truck was reported stolen out of Ohio and showed a different states license plate.

The sheriffs office also learned that Brooks had gone to several homes in the neighborhood before targeting the home in question.

According to Fayette officials, Brooks has an extensive criminal history.

He is wanted in connection to the home invasion and fatal stabbing of Sarah Faster, which occurred on September 9, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio. Brooks is also wanted in connection to the hijacking of a red Ford F-150 in Kettering, Ohio, which later linked him to this home invasion case.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

Fayette officials said Brooks acted alone and this was an isolated incident. Officials also confirmed that the homeowner did not know Brooks.

Brooks is in the hospital for his injuries in the home invasion. He faces charges of home invasion, burglary and theft by receiving in Fayette County.

He has an arrest warrant for the Ohio murder, which will be served on the 28-year-old once he is released from medical care.

The Fayette County Sheriffs Office said they are collaborating with the Columbus Division of Police in Ohio to gather more information and evidence related to Brooks criminal activities.

IN OTHER NEWS:








The Southern District Court of Ohio on Friday heard oral arguments from the federal government and the Chamber of Commerce in the latters lawsuit challenging the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, with both sides rehashing long-held assertions.

The Chamber has requested that the Medicare negotiation program be blocked from operating, with the organization asking for a decision by Oct. 1, by which companies whose products have been named must sign an agreement if they choose to engage in the process.

Here are some of the key points that were argued on Friday:

Lack of standing

In a prior motion to dismiss, the federal government argued the Chamber of Commerce has no standing to file a lawsuit as it is not a pharmaceutical company itself and does not meet the standard for suing on behalf of one of its member organizations.

Attorneys speaking on behalf of the federal government took this argument further on Friday, noting that AbbVie, one of the member organizations that the Chamber has cited, was not named as one of the companies that have been asked to negotiate. Pharmacyclics, a subsidiary of Abbvie, has been asked to negotiate as its leukemia treatment Imbruvica was among the first 10 drugs named.

The defendants in the case called into question Pharmacyclics status as a member of the Chamber of Commerce, claiming it had not been known as a member until after the lawsuit was filed. Government lawyers argued that Pharmacyclics should be the entity to file a lawsuit, not AbbVie or the Chamber.

Attorneys arguing for the Chamber pushed back on this, arguing that the federal government, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in particular, has historically treated corporate entities and their subsidiaries as one.

Financial harm

The Chamber further argued that AbbVie itself was already experiencing financial harm due to the program, and as such talks have not begun yet and any prices that are set through the program will not go into effect until 2026. Many of the suits that have been filed against Medicare price negotiation have claimed harm has already occurred, though plaintiffs have been vague on the specifics.

During their opening arguments, lawyers speaking for the government notably and explicitly said they did not dispute the possibility that companies will experience financial losses due to the negotiation program, but also alluded to certain benefits that manufacturers will enjoy as well, without going into further detail.

What constitutes coercion

A reoccurring criticism running throughout the several lawsuits against Medicare negotiation has been that the consequences of not participating leave companies no choice but to engage in a process they disagree with.

Companies that dont sign agreements to negotiate face possible excise taxes  which attorneys for the Chamber said no company would be able to pay  or would have to remove all their products from Medicare and end their relationship with the lucrative government program.

The government reiterated that the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program is voluntary and that decades of settled precedents have established that providers have no vested interest in future Medicare participation.

Government attorneys argued courts have previously found when nursing homes that are financially dependent on Medicare funding have gone out of business, there is no compulsion to remain in Medicare because it is a voluntary program and such businesses retain the option of going out of business. Essentially, the attorneys argued the threat of going defunct does not amount to a coercive action.

They further argued that this option to walk away from negotiations actually gave companies a degree of leverage in encouraging CMS to come up with a price manufacturers would deem acceptable.

Preliminary injunction

The Chamber has asked for a preliminary injunction on the Medicare negotiation program by Oct. 1.

The threshold for a preliminary injunction includes demonstrating that the requesting party will succeed in the case based on the merits, that it will suffer irreparable harm without an injunction, that the opposing party wont suffer substantial harm if the injunction is granted and that it is within the publics interest.

Based on their argument that the program is inherently unconstitutional, the Chamber said blocking it would be in the publics interest. The Chamber attorneys also repeated the claim that AbbVie had already experienced real costs that are unrecoverable due to the program.

The government again fell back on its argument that AbbVie, the member on behalf of whom the Chamber has claimed to be suing, will not directly suffer harm and thus the criteria for an injunction had not been met.

Government attorneys further argued that considering that a final judgment in the case is likely to be issued before January 2026, when the negotiated prices go into effect and the potential financial harm could be incurred, an injunction is unnecessary.

U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman said he appreciated the high level of arguments presented on Friday and acknowledged the time constraints in giving a decision on the request for a preliminary injunction within the next two weeks.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
This week the internet was shocked to discover that men are obsessed with the Roman Empire.

Some women found out their partners think of the Roman Empire as often as on a daily basis.

People are now discussing the "female version" of the trend.

Earlier this week, the internet was shocked to discover that men are obsessed with the Roman Empire  so much so that some even think of it on a daily basis.

The revelation came as a surprise to many partners, who have been sharing viral reactions to the men in their lives admitting how frequently they pondered the Roman Empire on TikTok and X, formerly known as Twitter.

The conversation took a new turn on Thursday when LA-based professional charcuterie artist Emmy Rener asked TikTokers to weigh in on a new question: what is the female version of the Roman Empire?

"What is something random that we all think about on a very regular basis that is female specific?" she said.

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The answers Rener has received in comments and stitched videos on her TikTok revealed stark differences between men's and women's regular thoughts.

Kidnapping and violent crime are top of mind, some women say

Many of those responding to the TikTok said they would often think of serious subjects like being the victim of violence.

Danyelle Leyden, a TikToker who regularly shares content about her life and family, said being kidnapped was top of her mind in a response video.

"Definitely being kidnapped, or just in general somebody's gonna get me," Leyden said.

Speaking to Insider, Leyden said the number of women who have similar recurring thoughts to her is revealing societal differences.

"It speaks volumes for society that women are so cautious and have to feel on guard most of their lives," Leyden said. "I think unfortunately most women have had past experiences that led them to be this cautious."

"For me it also put into further perspective that as women we feel like prey subconsciously," she added.

Some people expressed similar views in the comment section of Leyden's TikTok. "Same," one user wrote in a comment that has over 6,500 likes. "I'm constantly thinking 'what if someone walks though my front door right now, what will I grab?'"

This embedded content is not available in your region.

"I think it's being murdered, or assaulted," Melissa Urban said in a TikTok. She captioned the clip: "With a splash of did I leave the curling iron on."

In yet another stitch with Rener's original clip, "Awkward" star Greer Grammer expressed similar thoughts.

"Taylor Swift or getting kidnapped, I think about those two things every day. Every day," she said in her own post.

Princess Diana, the Salem Witch Trials, and the Titanic are common, too

Other common answers among women on TikTok included Princess Diana, Greek mythology, the Titanic, Helen Keller, and the Salem Witch Trials.

"I firmly believe that there are four," user @gertiethehippo said in a TikTok responding to Rener's question. "The six wives of Henry VIII, the Titanic, obviously, not the movie but the Titanic, the Romanov's, and, of course, Greek mythology."

Princess Diana. Tim Graham Photo Library/Getty Images

Further responses also included Taylor Swift and Stevie Nicks epic 1997 performance of "Silver Springs," which resurfaced and went viral earlier this year following the release of "Daisy Jones and The Six," Today reported.

Others said they also thought about the Roman Empire.

Carly Maris, a postdoctoral fellow at San Diego State University whose research interests including Rome, Persia, and Egypt, responded to the trend on TikTok, saying that for her "personally, the female version of the Roman Empire is the Roman Empire."

"Ladies, when they would do a good job at something they would get little leaf hats, they wore special dresses, their favorite color was purple," she added.

Emmy Renner, creator of the original female version of the Roman Empire TikTok, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Read the original article on Insider
Sen. John Fettermans (D-Pa.) office announced he will drive from his home in Pennsylvania to an auto plant outside Detroit on Saturday to join the thousands of striking auto workers on the picket line.

I know which side Im on. As long as these brave workers continue to walk the picket line, my entire team and I will have their backs, the freshman senator wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. We will support them any way we can until they reach a fair deal.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) and the Big Three automakers  Ford, General Motors and Stellantis  failed to reach an agreement before the workers contracts expired at midnight on Friday.

The union negotiations were centered on pay increases, shorter work weeks, better retirement benefits, career security and concerns about how a shift toward electric vehicles could affect jobs. A majority of the union members agreed to authorize a strike if the deadline passed without a deal.

Its time to decide what side youre on, Fetterman wrote. Are you on the side of the Big 3 CEOs who made $74 million last year & are now claiming they cant afford to pay their workers? Or are you on the side of the [UAW] workers who build the American cars & trucks we Pennsylvanians drive?

President Biden, who has campaigned on being pro-union, on Friday acknowledged that the Big Three companies needed to go further.

I believe they should go further.  Record corporate profits, which they have, should be shared by record contracts for the UAW, Biden said in remarks at the White House.

No one wants a strike, he added. But I respect workers rights to use their options under the collective bargaining system and I understand the workers frustration.

Not all workers are slated to strike at once, either.

UAW President Shawn Fain called on three facilities to kick off the stand up strike after a deal wasnt reached.

This strategy will keep the companies guessing, he said during a Facebook Live event shortly after the strike began. It will give our national negotiators maximum leverage and flexibility in bargaining, and if we need to go all out, we will. Everything is on the table.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
This article was originally published in El Paso Matters.

Angelique Estrada, who uses they/them pronouns, remembered the single health class she took in middle school that only briefly mentioned sex education.

It wasnt really about sex ed, it was just about getting your period, the 18-year-old recalled. Thats really all I had in school.

Paola Duran, 19, shared a similar experience during her freshman year in high school.

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I took a health class, and that was basically all the sex ed that I really knew, Duran said. Growing up in a Hispanic household you dont really hear much about sex, except dont do it.

Tales of limited sex education are nothing new for Texas as one of 18 states that do not require it to graduate high school. Instead, students in Texas take a health class in middle school, which includes lessons on puberty, abuse prevention and sexually transmitted diseases.

Though some school districts, including the Socorro Independent School District, work with local health organizations to expand their sex ed curriculum, the majority of Texas students learn from a single state-approved health textbook.

That changed for Estrada and Duran when the teens became interns with the Fronterizx Community Project, or FCP, where they learned about sex education and participated in projects to share their knowledge with their peers.

Interns are paid $15 an hour to attend workshops, create online content and give presentations on sex education throughout the borderland. The organization also pays students a $50 self care and travel stipends.

There is just so clearly a gap in the school system and students crave the information and want to talk about it, said FCP program coordinator Corinthia Fraire. Our goal is to fill in that gap in a way that is welcoming to young people and to create a space for them to be able to have different discussions.

Data shows that gap exists throughout Texas.

It is estimated that just under 17% of schools in the state offer abstinence-plus sex education  also known as comprehensive sex education  which focuses on teaching medically accurate information about contraception, according to a 2017 study conducted by the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund. Just over 58% of schools in the state offer abstinence-only sex education classes and about 25% do not offer it at all, according to the study.

Schools that do offer sex education must stress abstinence as the preferred birth control method for unmarried young people. Schools are also required to provide parents with access to their health and sex ed curriculum and can also opt their child out of any part of the lesson.

FCP coordinator and former intern, Angelica Bustos said that many schools that do offer sex education still fail to address the needs of LGBTQ students and those who are already sexually active.

They dont have anybody to ask questions to because their teachers dont always have the opportunity to answer those questions freely without getting in trouble, Bustos said. Then they go home and they cant ask those questions because they dont quite feel comfortable asking their parents.

As part of FCP, interns learn about topics you would expect to find in any comprehensive sex ed class, like contraception and teen pregnancy, but also get to have discussions that may be considered taboo at home or in school, like gender identity, masturbation and pleasure. Other times they talk about social issues like birth control accessibility and teen mental health.

Duran, who took part in the program in 2021, said she learned about the stigma minority women and non-binary people face when talking about sex.

I just learned that its important to have conversations and its important to destigmatize a lot of these topics, she said.

Estrada, who was an intern in 2022, said students also learned about condoms, consent and the importance of communication.

FCP is funded by the West Fund, a non-profit that offers financial assistance to patients seeking abortion care in El Paso, Juarez and Southern New Mexico. The fund paused its services in June 2022 after the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe V. Wade.

Since FCP was founded in 2018, dozens of high school students have taken part in the various iterations of the program.

Initially, the organization aimed to address unwanted teen pregnancies by trying to change local school policies and improving access to sex education.

If we were to update any policies, we would need to directly hear from the people who are being impacted, which is young people, Fraire said.

The first cohort of interns was hired to give presentations on teen birth rates and the impacts of teen pregnancy at local School Health Advisory Council  or SHAC  meetings. These councils are made of members from the community and are meant to give school districts guidance on their health education and sex ed curriculum.

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and FCP interns were no longer able to attend SHAC meetings, they began giving virtual presentations to school boards, holding townhalls and gathering signatures for a petition to try to improve access to sex education in El Paso schools.

Though their efforts failed, Fraire said the group was able to learn from the experience and began changing their goals.

Some of the feedback we got from the youth was that they would receive their sex education as pamphlets or like notebooks without any type of lecture and was more self guided and optional, Fraire said. Knowing the long journey it would take to change school policies, we decided to take matters into our own hands and focus on curating a curriculum and teaching different topics ourselves.

To take part in the internship students must get their parents permission and sign an agreement ensuring they understand what type of conversations their kids will be having. Fraire said parents are also invited to attend and listen in on discussions and activities.

For now, Fraire said FCP is limited to hiring six to eight interns a year but hopes to grow the organization to be able to offer in-depth sex education internships to more El Paso teens.

This article first appeared on El Paso Matters and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
The first merchant vessels to use a temporary corridor in the Black Sea to sail to the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk are now en route there, Ukraines Minister of Community Development, Territories, and Infrastructure Oleksandr Kubrakov said on his Facebook page on Sept. 16.

After other vessels used the temporary corridor to exit the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Pivdennyi, which had been under a Russian naval blockade, the bulk carriers Resilient Africa and Aroyat confirmed their readiness to follow the designated route to Chornomorsk.

Read also: UN proposes easing some sanctions on Russia to revive grain export deal

Kubrakov noted that in Chornomorsk, the vessels are to load nearly 20,000 tons of wheat destined for African and Asian countries. They are sailing under the flag of Palau, with crews consisting of citizens from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Egypt, and Ukraine.

He added that the corridor had previously been used for the evacuation of vessels that were present in Ukrainian ports Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdennyi when Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine occurred.

Read also: Russia would revive the grain deal if most sanctions are lifted  Putin

Furthermore, the minister added that since Aug. 15, five vessels have used the temporary corridor, including the container ship Joseph Schulte and the bulk carriers Primus, Anna-Theresa, Ocean Courtesy, and Puma.

Grain Deal Disruption  Details

The Kremlin on July 17 announced the suspension of the grain deal brokered through the United Nations and Turkey in July of the previous year, which had allowed the unblocking of three Ukrainian ports for food exports.

Additionally, Russia declared the withdrawal of security guarantees for shipping within the framework of the Black Sea grain initiative. Ukraine proposed to Turkey and the United Nations to continue the operation of the grain corridor without Russias involvement. In response, the Kremlin issued threats regarding the possibility of resuming the agreement without Russia.

Read also: Ukraine should soften its stance on Black Sea grain deal  Erdogan

Subsequently, Russia has intermittently attacked the south of Ukraine, including Odesa Oblast, targeting ports and destroying stocks of Ukrainian grain.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin stated that Russia is willing to consider the possibility of returning to the grain deal if all its conditions are met. Turkey publicly mentioned that, together with the United Nations, they propose linking the subsidiary of Rosselkhozbank to SWIFT and unfreezing the assets of Russian companies in order to revive the grain initiative.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Florida Animal Friend, a prominent nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing pet overpopulation, has proudly announced its 2023 grant recipients.

A total of $779,590 in grants will be awarded to municipal and nonprofit organizations in Florida, marking the largest amount ever granted in the organizations 18-year history.

The funds will be used to support essential spay and neuter programs across the state.

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Florida Animal Friend is renowned for its distinctive Florida dog and cat license plate, the sales of which contribute to these vital grants. These grants, which provide up to $25,000 each, aim to bolster organizations offering free or low-cost spaying and neutering services for cats and dogs, they reducing the number of homeless animals and ultimately curbing euthanization rates.

In the first quarter of each year, municipal and nonprofit agencies are encouraged to submit funding proposals for spay/neuter projects in Florida. These proposals undergo a rigorous evaluation process, considering factors such as the organizations ability to target key animal populations, increase surgery numbers, maintain a favorable cost-to-benefit ratio, demonstrate a solid track record, and ensure long-term sustainability.

The alarming statistics of pet overpopulation in the United States, with an estimated 6 to 8 million homeless cats and dogs and over 1 million being euthanized annually, emphasize the urgency of expanding access to free and low-cost spay and neuter programs.

The Florida Animal Friend grant program operates through the sale of a specialty license plate, available at the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles in all counties across the state.

Florida Animal Friend is delighted to award funding to the following organizations:

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About Florida Animal Friend

Founded in 2005, Florida Animal Friend is on a mission to save countless lives of cats and dogs by supporting organizations that provide free or affordable spaying and neutering services throughout Florida. The organization strives to raise awareness of available programs for pet owners and homeless animals, with annual grants funded through the sales of the unique Florida Animal Friend license plate.

For further information about the organization or to purchase a license plate, please visit www.floridaanimalfriend.org and http://www.floridaanimalfriend.org.

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Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. has announced Septembers chosen books to celebrate and embrace Hispanic Heritage Month.

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The monthly reading challenge is to promote literacy and reading in Pre-K through Grade 12. Each month, Commissioner Diaz highlights five recommended books -- one per selected grade range.

This months books celebrate Hispanic heritage and feature Spanish-speaking authors, Diaz Jr. said in a statement. Throughout these stories of resiliency, redemption, friendship, loyalty and sportsmanship, readers will experience a devotion to culture and a passion for literacy.

The commissioners book recommendations for September are:

PreK  Rin, Rin, Rin/Do, Re, Mi by Jose-Luis Orozco

Grades K-2  Amigo by Carlos Zamora

Grades 3-5  A Taste of the Mexican Market - El Gusto Del Mercado Mexicano by Nancy Maria Grande Tabor

Grades 6-8  Julieta and the Diamond Enigma by Luisana Duarte Armendariz

Grades 9-12  The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton

To keep up with the book releases each month, click here to visit the Commissioners Book of the Month page on FDOE website.

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KHARTOUM, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Chairman of Sudan's transitional Sovereign Council and General Commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan on Saturday headed to Uganda on an official visit, the Sovereign Council said in a statement.

Al-Burhan will hold talks with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni about ways to enhance bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern, the statement said.

Al-Burhan is accompanied by acting Foreign Minister Ali Al-Sadiq and Director of the General Intelligence Service Ahmed Ibrahim Mufadel, it added.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital 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. 
The Florida Republican Party will no longer require candidates to sign a loyalty pledge to qualify for the partys 2024 primary ballot, seen as a major win for former President Trump.

The pledge would have bound candidates to support the eventual GOP nominee. Trump has refused similar pledges, including those required for primary debates, citing his large lead in national and state polls.

The issue placed him at odds with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis , who is seem as Trumps chief primary rival. If the former president chose not to sign a pledge, he would have been excluded from the states general election ballot.

Anti-Trump candidates like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Texas Rep. Will Hurd have also signaled their hesitancy to sign loyalty pledges.

The state party decided to drop the pledge in a vote Friday.

By putting this in place, whether it was intentional or not, the party looks like it was favoring a certain candidate, state Sen. Joe Gruters said in the meeting, The Associated Press reported. This has turned into a proxy battle  the Trump world versus the DeSantis world.

The move could have also violated national Republican party rules over changing election qualifications too close to an election running date.

When people say, Well, Trump doesnt want to sign the loyalty oath, its not about that. Its about the party putting up artificial roadblocks that didnt exist four months ago, Gruters said.

The Florida GOP initially pitched the pledge as a way to bolster party unity.

The days of party grifters such as Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger using Republican Party resources to secure a title and then weaponize that title against our own team must end, Florida GOP Chair Christian Ziegler told The Hill in July.

Contested primaries are part of the process, but we must always remember that the Democrats are the true threat to the America we love, and we must be unified to defeat every single one of them, he added.

The Hill has reached out to the Trump and DeSantis campaigns for comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A 32-year-old woman remained in the Flagler County jail Friday charged with child abuse after she left her 11-year-old son in a room at the Hammock Beach Resort & Spa with a dead man, drugs and sex toys, according to a charging affidavit.

Amy Kemper, 32, was charged with child neglect without great bodily harm and taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. She was being held on $15,000 bond.

Kemper called first responders on Sept. 10 to the resort about CPR in progress on an unresponsive 60-year-old man.

Kemper confirmed that drug activity had taken place overnight and she said the man had used cocaine and marijuana, according to a charging affidavit.

Flagler County Sheriffs Office investigators responded to the scene.

Detectives learned that Kempers 11-year-old son was in the room overnight while Kemper had used narcotics with the man and while she engaged in sexual activities with him and another adult man, according to the sheriff's office.

Kemper told deputies that she believed the man was snoring unusually. She then left with the other man while leaving her son with the "snoring" man.

Kemper and the other man returned several hours later to find the first man dead and the 11-year-old child still in the room, according to the sheriff's office.

Detectives found drug paraphernalia in the room, including a clear plastic bag containing marijuana residue, three bags of tobacco leaf rolling paper and a silver tray containing white-powder residue in the bathroom sink. Numerous sex toys were located in the room's bathroom, the affidavit stated.

The Department of Children and Families took custody of the 11-year-old child.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida woman charged after leaving son, 11, with dead man
A former Justice Department (DOJ) official criticized former President Trump for his risky rhetoric after federal prosecutors moved to limit what he can say about the federal elections case.

DOJ special counsel Jack Smith requested a limit on what Trump can say publicly regarding case testimony and witnesses, fearful that Trump could negatively impact the prosecution. Trump responded by saying Smith wants to take away my right of speaking freely.

Its a risky business, Tom Dupree, who served under the George W. Bush administration as a principal deputy assistant attorney general, told CNNs Jake Tapper on Friday.



Hes playing with fire, to some extent in making these comments, Dupree continued, Because I dont think this is a judge who is going to stand for a lot of this stuff.

Smiths case against Trump alleges that he helped orchestrate a scheme to overturn the 2020 election results. The former president has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S., obstruction and other lesser charges.

Dupree said he expects Judge Tanya Chutkan to agree with federal prosecutors and impose some limit on Trumps conduct, or at least warn him and his attorneys that she may in the future.

I would expect that [Chutkan] will take this very serious and that she may either admonish the president, she may instruct his lawyers to direct their client to knock if off, he said.

Trump has long made a habit of criticizing his opponents in public, including those who could serve as witnesses in the cases upcoming trial  such as former Vice President Mike Pence.

Its a different world now that youre in court, Dupree said. Its one thing to make those comments in the context of a political campaign or the political fray, its another thing to make it when you are a criminal defendant and you are making comments about witnesses who are poised to testify against you.

The federal election fraud case is scheduled to go to trial in March.

The former president faces three other criminal cases for the falsification of business records, alleged effort to remain in power after losing in 2020 to President Biden and the mishandling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Smith is also handling the documents case.

Trumps bevy of legal troubles have filled his calendar in the upcoming months, with all three cases scheduled to go to trial early next year and multiple civil cases also pending.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A former federal prosecutor said its not likely that federal prosecutors will be able to secure a fair jury for former President Trump in Washington, D.C.

It will be impossible, or very hard, to get a fair and unbiased jury pool, former prosecutor Gene Rossi told CNN on Friday.

Rossi explained that Trumps actions surrounding his legal battles could taint the trial  including issuing public statements about his case and against potential witnesses. Special counsel Jack Smith requested a limited gag order on Trumps actions Friday.

I think Donald Trump wants to poison this jury in the worst way because he knows that the evidence against him is so strong, and the only way he can win is to create a jury pool that is so tainted, Rossi said.

Trump responded to Smiths request on Friday, claiming the prosecutor wants to take away my right of speaking freely.

Prosecutors argue that the former presidents speech should be limited related to the case, and that he should not be allowed to talk about testimony or witnesses.

Rossi said he believes that a gag order will be implemented, and that Trump could even be jailed if he continuously violates it.

Give him a couple of mulligans. Let him hang himself after a gag order, he said, adding If he breaks the rules two or three times, you have to do something about it and incarceration would possibly be a remedy. It would have to be.

Trump has floated similar arguments about a potentially unfair trial in the nations capital.

He told the judge presiding over his Georgia elections trial earlier this month that he may attempt to move it to federal court. The case in Atlanta would draw from a mostly-Democratic pool of jurors in Fulton County.

Smiths case against Trump alleges that he helped orchestrate a scheme to overturn the 2020 election results. The former president has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the U.S., obstruction and other lesser charges.

The case is expected to go to trial in March.

Trump faces four criminal trials in the upcoming year, two alleging that he attempted to overturn the 2020 election. He also faces allegations that he mishandled classified documents and falsified business documents in New York.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ex-Sen. Bob Corker said he wasn't surprised to hear of Mitt Romney 's retirement from the Senate.

"I understand why he might want to spend time doing other types of things," Corker told Politico.

Corker, who served 12 years in the Senate, said he's had no trouble adjusting to life outside.

Many former members of Congress have struggled with forging new identities outside of Capitol Hill.

Ex-Sen. Bob Corker is not one of them.

While the Tennessee Republican, who served from 2007 to 2019, told Politico that it was an "honor" to serve in the upper chamber, he remarked on the satisfaction he's had from enjoying fresh experiences.

And, upon hearing that fellow Republican Mitt Romney would not seek reelection to his Utah Senate seat in 2024, Corker said that he wasn't surprised by the lawmaker's impending departure, pointing to his record of service and the partisanship that has made bipartisan consensus more politically perilous.

Romney played a critical role in crafting the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law championed by President Joe Biden and was one of only three GOP senators who voted to confirm Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.

"[W]hen you go to Washington as a person who's accomplished a lot, and especially as a businessperson, you're there to solve problems and to make a difference," the former senator told the outlet. "I know the environment right now is not as conducive to that as it was at other times, so I understand why he might want to spend time doing other types of things."

"I mean, let's face it: There's just not a great deal of problem-solving taking place. The big problems of our nation aren't even being discussed," he continued. "When you're used to accomplishing a great deal, and when the environment is such that the real problems of our nation continue to be unaddressed, I think people like Mitt Romney decide to spend time doing other things."

Corker, the onetime chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who publically clashed with then-President Donald Trump over global affairs, also told Politico that he continues to feel energized since his retirement. The ex-lawmaker has assumed top roles in real estate, healthcare, and banking as part of his post-Senate life.

"I was 66 years old when I left, and I still get up at 4:30 in the morning feeling as active and energetic as I've ever felt  I really do," Corker said. "When I wake up in the morning, I'm ready to go and I'm excited about the work that I have before me each day."

Read the original article on Business Insider
A former North Carolina police officer convicted in the Capitol riot will spend 366 days in jail, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday evening.

Prosecutors said Laura Steele of Thomasville was arguably the most culpable of the five defendants sentenced Friday. The 55-year-old former High Point officer joined the Oath Keepers militia group days before the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, according to court filings.

That days violence has been tied to five deaths and about 140 officer injuries. In Washington, D.C., Friday, Steele was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, six months of home confinement and three years of supervised release for her role in the riot. Prosecutors argued Steeles crimes, which amounted to eight counts, justified eight to 10 years in jail.

Steele, who is married to a high-ranking High Point officer, ignored good judgment she learned through more than a decade as an officer and SWAT team member to the detriment of this community and to the country, prosecutors said.

According to a federal affidavit, law enforcement identified Laura Steele (left) and brother Graydon Young in this image taken Jan. 6, 2021, from a Washington Metro Area Transit Authority surveillance video.

She helped lead a military stack formation up the Capitol steps through a mob of Donald Trump supporters enraged by the former presidents claims of a stolen election, photos show.

But that was not what she had signed up for nor experienced, her lawyers wrote in court filings.

Steeles defense hinged largely on the remorse that followed her after she entered the Capitol, realized it was not the place to linger and got out as quickly as possible. Her lawyers  rather than the year and one day in prison Steele now faces  asked for no jail time, community service and four years of home detention. Thats six months for each of the eight counts she faced.

A Washington D.C. jury in March convicted Steele and three co-defendants  Connie Meggs, Sandra Parker, William Isaacs  of felony counts related to obstructing an official proceeding, destruction of government property, and conspiracy to prevent members of Congress from discharging their duties by certifying the results of the 2020 election.

A jury acquitted Bennie Parker of the other charges but convicted him of conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding and entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds.

Steeles lawyers maintained she was simply a follower of her brother and right-wing pundits who exacerbated fears as the faithful watched Trumps claims of a stolen election intensify and seemingly come true.

She had zero desire to be associated with any storming, her lawyers contend.

She was there to help those in need of assistance, they said. When she found herself at the Capitol, her lawyers said, she made the fateful decision to get in line and push up the steps. She was following Kelly Meggs direction to go inside and stop the vote count, according to the Department of Justice news release. She was behind the only person she knew there: her brother, Graydon Young of Englewood, Fla.

While Steele joined the Oath Keepers days before the riot, Young was already a member of the right-wing militia group accused of leading, planning and executing the Capitol attack.

Fate was to intervene, they said, when Young told Steele the Oath Keepers needed security for various VIPS and dignitaries at the rally. She never intended to engage in nefarious conduct.

But she joined rioters who were trying to push through a line of D.C. Metropolitan Police Department officers to the Senate Chamber, prosecutors said.

Young, who has accepted a plea deal on a conspiracy charge, broke down on the witness stand in an earlier trial and apologized for his actions, according to Politico.

He testified that at one point during the riot he and Steele began to worry about the groups plans for possible gun violence and their own legal liability. They left for North Carolina and burned their gear in Steeles backyard that night.

Anyone of reasonable mind would know the wrongfulness of joining a mob of criminals, prosecutors wrote, let alone someone who had once sworn an oath to defend against them.

Steele is among at least 28 North Carolina defendants who have been sentenced so far.

Since Jan. 6, 2021, more than 1,100 people have been charged in nearly all 50 states, including more than 398 charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony.

At least 29 defendants across the nation have backgrounds in law enforcement, Jonathan Lewis, a research fellow with the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, told The Charlotte Observer in March.

The investigation remains ongoing, and anyone with tips can call 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or visit tips.fbi.gov.

Hotbed of rebellion

Two years removed from the riot at the U.S. Capitol, the case file of the United States of America vs. residents of North Carolina continues to thicken. Experts say NC's role as a recruiting, training and planning ground for the Jan. 6 attacks is largely unmatched by any other state. This report examines the state's ties to violence, highlights cases to watch and breaks down what's next.
Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport has hired a consultant to study lead levels in the air, following calls from residents across the fence who cited a Sun Sentinel investigation which found that South Floridas smaller airports top the country in emissions of the toxin.

The investigation revealed that the city-owned airport currently ranks 18th in the nation for lead emissions out of over 5,500 airports, according to 2020 calculations from the Environmental Protection Agency, behind county-owned Miami Executive and North Perry, which rank 11th and fifth, respectively.

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The study should be finished in a matter of weeks, Arlene Borenstein, a spokesperson for the airport, told the Sun Sentinel on Friday, and will measure lead in the air using the same ratios the EPA did in previous studies of lead emissions at airports. It will not look at soil.

The main purpose of the study is to reiterate the fact that all is okay, Borenstein said.

She could not immediately provide further details on how the lead measurements will be taken.

The EPA previously calculated lead emissions at the nations airports using data about the number of flight operations and the type of aircraft at the airports. Small piston-engine planes, which mostly run on leaded fuel, emit the toxin into the air. The actual amount of lead in the air has not been studied at South Floridas airports.

Residents surrounding North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines are still waiting for Broward County, which owns and operates the airport, to study lead emissions there. Pembroke Pines commissioners passed a resolution in August asking the county to do a study as soon as possible. Miramar followed suit in September.

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At a homeowners association meeting in July, residents of the Lofts at Palm Aire Village, a community separated from the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport grounds by a fence, had asked Mayor Dean Trantalis and other city officials to study the air and soil at the airport.

At the time, Trantalis said he hadnt heard about the issue before. Later, he told the Sun Sentinel that he was planning to bring together department heads that were involved and take a step forward.

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After that meeting, Michael Ray, a resident of the Lofts at Palm Aire, emailed Fort Lauderdale city officials a resolution from the homeowners association asking for a study of lead in the neighborhoods around the airport. They told him that Trantalis had asked to have the item come before the commission at an upcoming meeting.

When Ray asked when the item would be heard, city officials forwarded him an email from Rufus James, the manager of Fort Lauderdale Executive, saying that airport staff have contracted with a consultant who is performing a Study and will prepare a report of the findings and will share the report with the community once its completed.

It remains unclear when, or if, the original resolution will come before the commission.
Huawei surprised the world when it released the Mate 60 Pro, its new flagship smartphone running on the Kirin 9000S system-on-a-chip. That chip is rumored to be made by China-based SMIC using a 7nm-class fabrication process, putting it into competition with Western chipmakers and phone creators despite US sanctions on Chinese companies.



Now, it seems that Foxconn, a supplier and assembler for Apple and other tech companies, is reportedly paying workers more to work on Huawei's handset in its Shenzhen-based plant than it does working on Apple's iPhones, according to a report from the South China Morning Post.



"The new hires will know what phone they are making after the factory allocates them to different teams based on current demand, but these days they have a higher chance of making handsets for Huawei," a recruiter for Foxconn named only by their surname, Xu, told the publication.



Apple's iPhones are made by Foxconn's integrated digital product business group, or iDPBG. In contrast, Huawei's phones are made as part of the FIH group, which the SCMP explains works "under a subsidiary previously known as Foxconn International Holdings." The SCMP reports that FIH was offering 26 yuan (about $3.60) per hour, according to two recruiters, while the iDBPG was offering 21 yuan per hour (about $2.89).



It's unclear if all of the differences are simply due to the popularity of the Mate 60 Pro in China. Xu told the SCMP that FIH employees are often paid higher but that the group that makes iPhones "typically offers better welfare programmes for workers than others," suggesting better benefits.



Either way, a spring of new smartphones is entering the Chinese market, the biggest in the world. Huawei's Mate 60 Pro hit stores earlier this month, with Digitimes reporting that the company's orders for the phone have hit 15 - 17 million units.



The Mate 60 Pro, running on a homegrown chip and Huawei's own HarmonyOS, has seemingly ignited a bit of patriotism in China, with images on local social media of massive lines outside stores selling the phone. In the meantime, China has reportedly repressed the use of iPhones for government work, though the foreign ministry suggested that China had not issued any policy or law to ban the use of phones from "foreign brands" such as Apple.



Meanwhile, Apple announced the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro lines earlier this week, with pre-orders opening earlier today. The two phones hitting so close together has created a competitive storm and requires plenty of workers to assemble them.



Apple, like many firms, has been slowly diversifying its supply chain. For the first time, iPhones made in India will launch on the same day as iPhones assembled in China. Those Indian iPhone factories are also owned by, you guessed it, Foxconn. Apple's diversification comes in the face of geopolitical tension but also helps the company sell more phones in India without paying tariffs on the phones going into that country.



Apple will undoubtedly sell its fair share of the iPhone 15 in China, but it's facing a homegrown challenger surfing a wave of technological nationalism. And for now, it seems that Huawei and Foxconn are willing to pay to make sure there's enough to put a Mate 60 Pro in every hand that wants one.

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A recent story in The Cut stirred up a debate about whether friendships can survive kids.

A lack of infrastructural support in the US and UK makes it especially hard.

But social media and group chats can be a lifeline for parents struggling to stay in touch.

There are few shifts in life as momentous as having a baby, and it's no surprise that it can take a toll on our relationships.

A recent story in The Cut asked the question of whether friendships can survive between parents and non-parents, eliciting plenty of strong reactions on social media and in group chats. It's not a new question, but it feels particularly acute at a time when infrastructural support for parents is falling apart. Childcare costs are skyrocketing, a loneliness epidemic is brewing, and individual friendships are more precious than ever as community-oriented spaces disappear.

Insider gathered a group of editors  a mix of parents and non-parents  to talk about why the friendship transition to kids is so tough to deal with.

Below is a conversation with Zak Jason and Megan Willett-Wei, parents in New York City; Spriha Srivastava, a mom in London; Conz Preti, a mom in Maine; and Ariel Schwartz, a child-free woman in New York City. It's been edited for clarity and brevity.

Ariel Schwartz: Let's start with the assumption that friendships can survive children. So why is this such a hot-button topic?

Megan Willett-Wei: From my perspective, the topic of adult friendships has been one of the biggest zeitgeist discussions of my lifetime  friendship breakups is a great example of this  probably stemming from a fear surrounding tech and what social media is doing to us all. I'm probably more aware of the ebbs and flows of my different friendships than my parents were or cared to be at my age simply because we're talking about it more often. We're also told that friendships start to change in your 30s, the prime age when a lot of people either start having kids or are deep in the throes of parenthood, and I suspect it makes us self-conscious and sad to think about "losing" friendships, even if it's just the specter of change.

We've lost the community support 'village' that would make friendships easier

Zak Jason: I think friendships have become super essential to our lives. We've lost the "village," the close-knit multigenerational family and community of support, and friends have become more and more our chosen village. Like 150 years ago, the vast majority of people over 65 lived with their kids and grandkids. That number has been dropping and dropping since. So the stakes of losing time with friends when they have babies can feel incredibly high.

Schwartz: I've often thought about how the fact that we've lost that "village" you mention, Zak, makes things so tough. Community childcare support isn't a cultural norm in the US and it makes friendships in the parent/non-parent divide harder than they need to be. Lots of us non-parents want to babysit and generally help with childcare, and I wish that was more of an implicit assumption in our society. It's not, and it can require a lot of communication on both sides to make it happen. I wish it was easier.

Spriha Srivastava: Related to this, raising a child away from family takes its toll. There is a strong culture of community childcare back in India [where I'm from]. Friends like family step in to look after your child and help you. It wasn't the same here in the UK. We felt like we had to do it all. There is a lot of pressure and you have no brain space on weekends or at the end of the day to socialize, make new friends.

Childcare costs take a toll

Jason: In America, the more common expectation is that you basically buy the village, with daycare and babysitting etc. ... if you can afford it. This was the most sobering childcare stat I read this week: "A New York City family would have to make more than $300,000 a year to meet the federal standard for affordability  which recommends that child care take up no more than 7 percent of total household income  to pay for just one young child's care. In reality, a typical city family is spending over a quarter of their income to pay for that care, according to the U.S. Department of Labor."

Conz Preti: The main reason we left New York City when we found out we were going from one kid to three (yay twins!) was that we just couldn't afford it. Finding childcare in Maine was easier when we moved. We were able to send our son to a Montessori school 15 minutes away. Having our three kids in that school cost us less than what our friends were paying for one in New York City.

Srivastava: One thing I realized living outside of India and raising a child away from family  your ability to make friends when you have kids also depends on how much you are willing to spend on childcare. Childcare is expensive in the UK and staying away from family means we are always looking for our nanny or a babysitter to cover things like weekend dinner with friends or house parties or movies. There is a big cost to all that and it's even more relevant now that the UK is in the midst of a huge cost of living crisis.

Preti: I always joke that we have more childcare when we are in Argentina than in the US, because my parents, aunts, cousins, are all ready to jump in and take care of the kids. I am able to do so much more when I'm there, versus here where I'm racing against the clock.

Focus/Getty Images

The postpartum experience can have a big effect on friendships

Willett-Wei: The biggest omission with a lot of these conversations, in my opinion, is the postpartum experience. I have rarely heard an easy birth story. I personally had a C-section, leading my body to change in a way I hadn't anticipated when it came to my physicality. Add to that the complex dump of hormones and a lack of sleep and suddenly, you are quite literally in survival mode, if not dealing with very intense anxiety, depression, or forgetfulness. I felt like a completely different person. So with all of this in mind, no wonder friendships go on the backburner and sometimes parents are just unaware it's happening since there's so much else on our plates.

Schwartz: I knew nothing about the intensity of the postpartum experience until my parent friends started having kids. In fact, I don't think I fully understood until a lot of them were out of that period, because of all the factors you mentioned, Megan. I think if we talked about it more, it would really help with the hurt feelings in friendships that can come up during that time.

Jason: Does the postpartum experience feel hard to communicate or broach to friends without kids? Or do you feel pressure not to talk about it much, from the big societal pressure to remain efficient and productive and put together?

Willett-Wei: It definitely depends on the friendship! But I think you're getting at something big around the idea of perfectionism for parents, especially women and female-identifying people. I am very aware of my appearance and my home's appearance when I have friends over, or how well my kid is behaving, even if that friend professes not to care.

Infertility can make some friendships painful

Preti: Another thing that affected my friendships was infertility. I had a miscarriage between having my son and the twins and struggled to get pregnant for a bit. I look back now and noticed I stopped hanging out with my friends who were pregnant or had babies back then. It was a reminder of what I couldn't have. And I think so many people struggle with that in silence.

Srivastava: I relate to this. We took a while to conceive and it was a tough ride. It wasn't fun looking at negative pregnancy results every month. On the other hand, we were flooded with baby shower and first birthday party invites. Trying not to be selfish about this, we attended some of them but also struggled in silence through the process.

Having kids doesn't necessarily affect dads' friendships the same way

Willett-Wei: I think in heteronormative marriages and partnerships, the burden to "keep up appearances" usually falls on the woman. We're not often talking about "dads not being friends anymore with their single friends" as often as we do with moms. I'm fortunate enough to be in a marriage where my husband is carrying the mental toll with me and we encourage each other to take nights and weekends off with friends. Not everyone has that relationship or luxury  perhaps due to work schedules, priorities, or the way they were raised.

Jason: I just joined Insider a couple months ago, and my wife gave birth to our second kid seven weeks ago. I'm trying to get into a groove and establish myself here while also being an equally present, involved, loving parent to our two daughters (and occasionally see friends). But that I'm even able to try do all that right now is because there's an imbalance, especially physically. My body isn't the one feeding my infant every two to three hours all day every day. So that's part of it, I think, where I've become a parent but my body hasn't transformed. That might make the gap between dads with and without kids a little less severe.

For me, group chats have been a lifeline for maintaining adult friendships. I'm 34 and have a 2-and-a-half-year-old a 7-week-old. My friend group is a mix of people who've started to have kids in the past few years and people who don't yet have or don't want kids, and the group chat is beautiful chaos because of it. One dad will share an adorable quip his toddler just made, then another friend will go into graphic detail about a Hinge date gone horribly wrong, and we all live vicariously through it. But how does my friend who shares his Hinge dates really feel about all our dad chat? I don't know! Ashamed to say I haven't asked.

Read the original article on Insider
CongratssssSSSssssSSssss to the top Burmese python wranglers!

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials, joined by Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nunez, announced the 10 winners of this year's Florida Python Challenge, seeing 80 Burmese Pythons captured among the champions.

The python removal competition began at midnight on Aug. 4 and concluded on Aug. 13 with more than 200 snakes removed from the south Florida swamps. This brings the total number of pythons caught from challenge over the years now to nearly 1,000, which does not include the pythons captured by year-round hunters.

Meet one of the winners: 'My office is the Everglades': Florida woman gave up real estate job to hunt Burmese pythons

What is the Florida Python Challenge?

The Florida Python Challenge is a 10-day competition created by FWC to encourage participants to remove pythons from seven commission-managed lands in South Florida.

The Burmese python is a large, nonvenomous constrictor snake that is an invasive species in Florida. Burmese pythons were introduced to Florida via the pet trade and are now well established in the Everglades, where the snake represents a threat to the ecosystem.

FWC officials claim the intent of the challenge is to not only remove the predators but also to spread awareness of the dangers they pose.

How many Burmese pythons were collected during the challenge this year?

The annual Python Challenge this year had 1,050 participants from 35 states and Belgium removed 209 Burmese pythons from South Florida.

Here's a look at the winners from this year's python challenge:

Overall Ultimate Grand Prize  Paul Hobbs

Hobbs, with the help of his father and son, took home $10,000 for catching 20 Burmese pythons during the challenge.

Grand Prize Runner-Up  Ronald Kiger

Kiger took home $7,500 for removing 14 Burmese pythons during the challenge.

Most pythons removed (Military)  Justin Morgan

Morgan, a U.S. Army veteran, received $2,500 for removing seven Burmese pythons.

Most pythons removed (Professional)  Quentin Archie

Archie received $2,500 for capturing 13 Burmese pythons.

Most pythons removed runner-up (professional) - Richard Catrambone

Catrambone received $1,500 for 12 Burmese pythons removed.

Most pythons removed (Novice)  Bob Blank

Blank received $2,500 for removing seven Burmese pythons.

Most pythons removed runner-up (Notive) - Michael Clem

Clem received $1,500 for four Burmese pythons removed.

Longest python captured (Military)  Jeff Lince

Lince received $1,000 for catching the longest Burmese python in the military category at 7 feet, 9.5 inches.

Longest python captured (Professional)  Tom Rahill

Rahill received $1,000 for catching the longest Burmese python in the professional category at 8 feet, 3.6 inches.

Longest python captured (Novice)  Amy Siewe

Siewe received $1,000 for catching the longest Burmese python in the novice category at 10 feet, 8.6 inches

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Over 200 Burmese pythons caught in 2023 challenge. See all 10 winners
CHANGSHA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Capture an image of your tongue, and you'll promptly receive a comprehensive analysis report featuring tongue image attributes, diagnostic results and therapy advice. This technological breakthrough that utilizes extensive medical data and academic insights is the product of AthenaEyes, a Chinese AI company specializing in healthcare.

The driving force behind this efficient application is the computational prowess harnessed from an intelligent computing center developed by Dawning Information Industry Co., Ltd. (also known as Sugon). This center fuels the operations of over 20,000 applications from more than 100 enterprises in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province.

Unlike traditional computers, the intelligent computing center adopts an innovative liquid cooling technology to increase the power density of a single cabinet to 220 kW, which is four to eight times that of traditional air-cooled units.

"The computing center adopts an open architecture, which can underpin the transformation and upgrading of various industries," said Zhou Jingjing, deputy general manager of Sugon's subsidiary in Hunan.

According to a white paper released by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, by the end of 2022, the total scale of China's computing power hit 180 EFLOPS, of which the general computing power and intelligent computing power accounted for about 76.7 percent and 22.8 percent, respectively.

The rapid development of AI large models has spurred the demand for intelligent computing power, which increased by 41.4 percent compared with last year.

The applications such as 5G, industrial internet, cloud computing and AI call for colossal computing power, said Fan Chun, a researcher from the Peking University Changsha Institute for Computing and Digital Economy.

"For example, efficient computing power is in dire need when cloud computing and AI process and analyze large amounts of sensor data generated through industrial internet applications," Fan added.

In 2022, China launched the "East Data, West Computing" plan -- a mega project to establish eight national computing hubs and 10 national data center clusters to channel more computing resources from the country's eastern regions to its less developed yet resource-rich western areas.

The country's computing industry has been actively promoting exchanges and cooperation among partners along the industrial chain to build a coordinated and win-win industrial ecology.

At the recently held 2023 World Computing Conference, China Electronics Corporation and Huawei launched the PengTeng Ecosystem series program, aimed at in-depth cooperation in industrial computing standards, partnership programs, and technical collaboration.

The scale of China's computing industry hit 2.6 trillion yuan (about 362.2 billion dollars) in 2022, according to the conference, which concluded Saturday.

"The efficiency and service quality of economic and social operations can also be significantly improved with the introduction of computing power into various applications," Fan said.

By leveraging cloud computing and AI technology, we can achieve intelligent city management, enhance industrial manufacturing and boost healthcare services, Fan added. Enditem
A commemorative event was held in Kyivs Illinskyi Square on Saturday, 16 September in memory of the founder of Ukrainska Pravda, Georgiy Gongadze , and all murdered Ukrainian journalists, marking the 23rd anniversary of Gongadzes killing.

Source: a Facebook page on the event; Detector media

Details: Demonstrators, journalists and human rights defenders recalled Gongadze's contribution to the fight against Russia's aggressive foreign policy, which it has been pursuing against neighbouring countries for many centuries, and honoured the memory of the Ukrainian and foreign journalists who have been killed by Russian troops since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine.

Honouring the memory of Gongadze and murdered Ukrainian journalists

ALL PHOTOS: DMYTRO LARIN, UP

Speakers at the event also spoke of the clampdown on citizen journalists and the crimes being committed against them by the occupying Russian authorities in occupied Crimea and other territories temporarily not controlled by Ukraine.

Honouring the memory of Gongadze and murdered Ukrainian journalists

ALL PHOTOS: DMYTRO LARIN, UP

The War Is Not Over Yet, an exhibition of photographs focussing on Russia's crimes against the media and journalists in Ukraine since 24 February 2022, was opened during the demonstration.

Honouring the memory of Gongadze and murdered Ukrainian journalists

ALL PHOTOS: DMYTRO LARIN, UP

For reference: 23 years ago, on the night of 16-17 September, Ukrainska Pravdas founder Georgiy Gongadze was abducted by law enforcement officers in the centre of Kyiv. He was later brutally murdered.

Read more in this column by Sevgil Musaieva, editor-in-chief of Ukrainska Pravda: "The truth is hard to accept. In memory of Georgiy Gongadze"

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!
FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Germany has decided to keep taking in migrants and refugees arriving in Italy, the interior minister said late on Friday, two days after it announced the suspension of a voluntary agreement with Rome to receive new arrivals.

Under an European Union solidarity scheme, Germany had pledged to help member states such as Italy that are particularly overwhelmed by migrants by taking in 3,500 people, but it announced the suspension of the accord on Wednesday.

It said Rome was not honouring its obligations under the EU's so-called Dublin rules to process asylum applications in the EU country of first arrival.

But interior minister Nancy Faeser said the recent arrival of thousand of migrants in the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa meant Germany would take in people after all.

"The reason we have suspended the procedure .... is that Italy has shown no willingness whatsoever to take back people under the Dublin procedure. Now it's of course clear that we will meet our obligation of solidarity," Faeser told German broadcaster ARD.Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called on Friday for the EU to act jointly "with a naval mission if necessary" to prevent migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa.

She promised tough action in response to the surge in migrant arrivals this week in Lampedusa, where the landing of 7,000 migrants triggered appeals for help from local politicians.

The Italian Coast Guard found a newborn baby dead on a boat carrying migrants to the island during a rescue operation, ANSA news agency reported on Saturday.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Helen Popper)
Last November, voters in Kentucky turned out in large numbers to reject the idea of adding an amendment outlawing abortion to the state constitution. But almost a year later abortion is still illegal in Kentucky  thanks in large part to Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who defended against a challenge to the states existing abortion ban in court this year. Now Cameron, the Republican candidate running for governor in November, is signaling not only that he thinks abortion and contraception are virtually synonymous, but he would work to further restrict birth control in Kentucky if elected.

Earlier this year, Cameron filled out a survey from Northern Kentucky Right To Life that asked if he would actively support legislation that would make it a criminal offense to perform, to assist with, or to pay for an abortion. In a separate question, the survey defines abortion as including the emergency contraceptive Plan B and three other types of birth control: Norplant, Depo Provera, and the pill. (Northern Kentucky Right to Life did not respond to multiple inquiries about the survey.)

Cameron answered yes.

He answered yes to several other questions as well, ranging from whether he would support amendments to the U.S. and Kentucky constitutions declaring that personhood begins at the point of fertilization (which would effectively outlaw emergency contraception and some IUDs and represents a much more aggressive amendment than the one decisively defeated last year), to whether he would support the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. (Roughly one-fifth of Kentuckians get their health care through Medicaid, which was expanded under the ACA; Cameron has previously said he would not reverse the Medicaid expansion.)

On Friday, Cameron pushed back against news coverage of his survey responses. It is absolutely ridiculous to suggest I oppose or want to criminalize birth control or contraception, his campaign told Rolling Stone in a statement. Its worth noting that Cameron was not alone: According to the anti-abortion organization that collected the surveys, the Republican candidates for secretary of state, auditor of public accounts, state treasurer, and commissioner of agriculture gave the same set of answers.

The responses  while stunning for mainstream political candidates  track with the growing mission creep among anti-abortion groups and the politicians courting them in the wake of Roe v. Wades reversal. Increasingly, those groups, with help from GOP officials they endorse, are targeting access to birth control in addition to access to abortion.

In his Dobbs concurrence last year, Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that the court should reconsider a host of landmark decisions  including Griswold v. Connecticut, guaranteeing protection for birth control. Elected Republicans and anti-abortion activists have been picking up what Thomas put down: Last fall, Idahos No Public Funds for Abortion Act went into effect, which prohibits health clinics at public universities from dispensing or telling students where to obtain emergency contraception except for in cases of rape. In Ohio this year, 35 Republicans in Ohios Assembly have backed a bill that would declare personhood begins at fertilization, threatening access to Plan B and IUDs. And just last week in Oregon, an anti-abortion group filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate a state law that requires companies to offer insurance coverage for contraception.

Meanwhile, last year in the U.S. House of Representatives, 195 Republicans  93 percent of the caucus  voted against codifying federal protections for birth control.

At the same time, many Republicans like Cameron have issued statements ridiculing the idea that they are anti-birth control. Cameron justified his opposition to the ACA mandate requiring coverage for birth control by saying he simply believes in upholding the fundamental right to religious freedom. No one should be compelled to act against their religious beliefs. That includes taxpayers. Camerons responses are firmly on brand for the Republican, who has embraced, as attorney general of Kentucky, some of the most hostile positions toward womens reproductive health as possible.

Earlier this year, the Biden administration implemented a rule blocking state officials from obtaining information about reproductive health care  including birth control and fertility treatments  that residents get outside of their home states. Cameron opposed the rule, joining attorneys general from several other GOP-controlled states in a letter accusing the administration of attempting to wrest control over abortion back from the people in defiance of the Constitution and Dobbs.

Cameron has also joined an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to uphold a lower court decision that revoked FDA authorization for the abortion drug mifepristone. (The Court declined.) He joined a separate letter threatening the pharmacy chains Walgreens and CVS with legal action if they chose to dispense abortion medication. (The letter had an impact: Walgreens declared it would not dispense the medication  an outcome Cameron was very pleased by.)

Beyond defending the states near-total abortion ban  a law that does not include any exceptions for rape or incest  one of Camerons highest-profile efforts as attorney general has been picking a fight with Yelp over its decision to flag for users that crisis pregnancy centers do not offer abortions or referrals to abortion providers. For this, Cameron accused the company of discrimination.

In addition to securing the backing of Northern Kentucky Right to Life, Cameron has won endorsements from a host of other anti-abortion groups, including National Right to Life, Kentucky Right To Life Victory PAC, and Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America.

On the campaign trail, Cameron has made his views on abortion the centerpiece of his candidacy, declaring his vision for Kentucky is a vision in which we make sure that those that are unborn are able to reach their God-given potential.Kentucky, meanwhile, has the second-highest maternal mortality rate in the nation.

This story has been updated to reflect a response shared by the Cameron campaign.

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Click here to read the full article.
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) on Friday doubled down on claims of a Pentagon cover-up over information about UFOs  commonly dubbed unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs).

Burchett requested that the inspector general of the intelligence community investigate claims that military officials are withholding information from Congress about UAPs following a hearing last month.

Inspector General Thomas A.Monheim responded Friday, saying that there is no information to share.

As a matter of discretion, IC IG notes that it has not conducted any audit, inspection, evaluation, or review of alleged UAP programs within the responsibility and authority of the DNI that would enable this office to provide a fulsome response to your questions, Monheim wrote.

The letter from Burchett specifically asked which officials or facilities were involved in the investigation of possible UAPs, and the inspector generals reply did not provide those details.

The IC IG office did nothing to look into the information they received from David Grusch on UAP crash retrieval programs? Burchett said on X, formerly Twitter, on Friday. They have no information they can give to Congress??? Cover-up.

The Tennessee Republican is among a group of a half dozen members of Congress who led a hearing into UAPs in July, saying that additional information from military leaders is needed and that the government must be more transparent in communicating information about the objects.

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) also previously stated that senior military officials have stonewalled the groups questions about UAP programs.

I dont believe that it is fair to the American people to not be able to see information that absolutely has the ability to impact them directly, especially from a national security perspective, she said

The bipartisan group of lawmakers has requested a House subcommittee with subpoena power to force military officials to answer the groups questions.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A group of Republican senators sent a letter to President Biden Saturday urging him to immediately provide the missiles Ukraine needs to win its war against Russia.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) shared the letter in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, arguing that not sending the weapons would only prolong the war and cost lives.

Cotton was joined by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C) in his request.

We  urge you to immediately send MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) to Ukraine, they wrote. Additional delay will only further undermine U.S. national security interests and extend this conflict.

Providing Ukraine with the missiles could fill a gap in the Ukrainian militarys long-range fires capability, according to the lawmakers.

The recent Ukraine strike on the Sevastopol naval port using long-range weapons from the United Kingdom proved the effectiveness of such weapons and would maximize future counteroffensive and follow-on operations, they said.

Their request is urgent, the senators wrote, as there are reportedly 30 days left in the typical fighting season.

The Senate Armed Services Committee unanimously approved an amendment to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act and asked the Department of Defense to consider sending long-range missions to Ukraine.

The U.S. is fully capable of providing these weapons without any appreciable risk to its own combat capability, the letter said.

In August, the U.S. also announced a $200 million security assistance package. The federal government has provided roughly $43 billion in aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February 2022.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
QUINCY  Gov. Maura Healey , House Speaker Ron Mariano , Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, state legislators and local officials toured Snug Harbor Elementary School in the Germantown neighborhood Thursday to celebrate the establishment of universal free breakfast and lunch in public K-12 schools across Massachusetts.

"This is Massachusetts values in action," Healey said. "We did it. Today we celebrate making free school lunch and breakfast permanent in Massachusetts."

The program, included in the 2024 budget signed by Healey on Aug. 9, includes $172 million to provide free breakfast and lunch to every student of Massachusetts public schools.

Of the $172 million, $69 million is funded by the "Fair Share Amendment," a 4% surtax on income over $1 million. The ballot amendment was approved by voters in November 2022. Revenues from the surtax on high earners can only be spent on education and transportation. According to a Healy administration policy brief, the amendment will make possible $1 billion of new investments in these areas in 2024.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, center, details the new Universal Free School Meals program at Snug Harbor School in Quincy as Mayor Thomas Koch, left, and Erin McAleer, of Project Bread, listen on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023.

For Mariano, the event marked a return to the halls of Snug Harbor Elementary School, where he taught for 12 years.

"I have a lot great memories here," he said. "I made a lot friends. I met a lot of kids coming through here that I still see around the city."

Recalling his days as a teacher, Mariano said the measure was an easy decision.

"I can remember coming into this school and having kids put their heads down on the desk at 8 o'clock because they were exhausted," he said. "I'd ask, 'Did you eat today?' ... If they don't start out with something in the morning, you're not going to have them by lunch time. You will lose them."

Snug Harbor School students enjoy lunch in the cafeteria as officials outlined the new Universal Free School Meals program, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023.

Mariano said that he and his colleagues are committed to funding the program far into the future. "They'll be times when we'll have to dig for the money," Mariano said. "It's not going to be easy every year."

Project Bread President and CEO Erin McAleer said that no child will ever again sit hungry in a Massachusetts classroom. The organization provides food assistance throughout the state.

McAleer said she was raised by a single mother who constantly worried about putting food on the table and couldn't afford school lunch every day.

Quincy Superintendent of Schools Kevin Mulvey, second from right, talks about the new Universal Free School Meals program at Snug Harbor School in Quincy as officials listen. Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023.

"I think about my mom and the many parents out there who no longer have this worry," McAleer said. She thanked the many organizations and individuals who pushed for the program, saying that over 23,000 messages were sent to legislators in support of universal school meals.

Superintendent of Quincy Public Schools Kevin Mulvey said that free meals helps put all students on the same playing field for academic success. He said the program will also end the stigma of "lunch shaming" based on income status.

"In Quincy we have successfully increased the number of meals we serve to our students by 25% by the beginning of the free meals program, which is amazing," Mulvey said.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

Reach Peter Blandino at pblandino@patriotledger.com

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Gov. Healy touts free school breakfast, lunch program in Quincy
Russian forces launched attacks against eight Ukrainian oblasts in the past day  Sumy, Luhansk, Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Kherson, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv.

The attacks damaged or destroyed multiple homes, industrial facilities, and civilian infrastructure, regional authorities reported.

Casualties were reported in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where a Russian air strike against Orikhiv wounded two women aged 71 and 53, according to Governor Yurii Malashko.

Russias military targeted a total of 20 settlements in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, damaging 31 houses and outbuildings, Malashko said on Facebook.

Orikhiv is a frequent target of Russian attacks since the town is located in the southeastern part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, close to the front line. It is also one of the staging points for Kyivs counteroffensive to the south.

On Aug. 12, Russian forces struck the town of Orikhiv with a guided bomb, killing one person and injuring 12 others, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.

Read also: Russias new guided bombs pose increasingly serious threat to Ukraine

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
One of the men convicted of killing 15-year-old Dystiny Myers will not be released on parole after Gov. Gavin Newsom once again blocked his release this week.

According to a San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office news release, Newsom granted San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dows request to reverse the parole of Jason Greenwell on Thursday.

Greenwell was convicted of second-degree murder for the killing of Myers in Nipomo in 2010. The body of the Santa Maria teenager was found beaten and partially burned near Santa Margarita Lake.

Dystiny Myers, 15, of Santa Maria was found beaten and partially burned in Santa Margarita on Sept. 26, 2010. Five people were convicted of murder in her death.

He was one of five defendants who were convicted for the crime, along with Ty Michael Hill, Frank Jacob York, Rhonda Wisto and Cody Miller.

Greenwell was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison, and became eligible for parole in January 2021. According to the release, Greenwell has to date only served 13 years of his sentence.

This was the second time Greenwell was granted release by the Parole Board, according to the District Attorneys Office. It was also the second time Newsom blocked Greenwells parole.

He was first granted parole suitability in November 2021, but Newsom reversed the decision in March 2022, after the District Attorneys Office sent a letter requesting Greenwell stay in prison.

Jason Adam Greenwell demonstrates how Ty Michael Hill bound a drugged Dystiny Myers before she was beaten and killed on Monday, March 18, 2013, in San Luis Obispo Superior Court.

Greenwell was then once again granted parole suitability in April, prompting another letter from the District Attorneys Office once again urging Newsom to block the parole.

In his written decision Thursday, Newsom said the evidence showed Greenwell still poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison at this time.

I commend Mr. Greenwells continued rehabilitative efforts and encourage him to continue on this positive path, Newsom wrote. However, I find that he must do additional work before he can be safely released.
Xi meets Cambodian prime minister

Xinhua) 09:22, September 16, 2023

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Great Hall of the People on Friday.

Xi pointed out that Prime Minister Hun Manet chose China as the destination for his first bilateral visit after taking office, which fully demonstrates the great importance the new Cambodian government attaches to consolidating and developing China-Cambodia friendship.

China and Cambodia are ironclad friends, Xi said, adding that over the past 65 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two sides have always maintained a high degree of mutual trust, treated each other as equals, achieved win-win results, and firmly supported each other in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests.

Xi stressed that China firmly supports Cambodia in exploring a development path suited to its national conditions, and stands ready to maintain regular strategic communication with Cambodia and deepen the exchange of governance experience.

He said the two sides should make good use of the mechanism of the intergovernmental coordinating committee and implement the new action plan for building a China-Cambodia community with a shared future.

Xi also called on both sides to enrich the China-Cambodia "Diamond Hexagon" cooperation framework, jointly build the "Industrial Development Corridor" and the "Fish and Rice Corridor," and promote the early implementation of relevant key cooperation projects.

China is willing to carry out regular law enforcement and security cooperation with Cambodia and continue to crack down on cross-border crimes such as online gambling and telecom fraud, said Xi.

He said the two sides should continue to host activities to celebrate the "China-Cambodia Friendship Year" and expand cooperation in the fields of youth, localities, education, tourism and health so that China-Cambodia friendship will bring more benefits to the two peoples.

Xi pointed out that no matter how the international and regional situation may change, China is always Cambodia's most reliable friend and staunch supporter, and that China stands ready to join hands with Cambodia to uphold international fairness and justice and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.

Hun Manet said that he chose China as the destination for his first official visit to show that the new Cambodian government will continue to firmly pursue a friendly policy toward China and further carry forward the ironclad friendship between Cambodia and China.

The prime minister said Cambodia will abide by the one-China principle, firmly support China in safeguarding its core interests, and support the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi.

Cambodia appreciates China's long-term strong support and assistance for Cambodia's economic and social development, and is willing to work with China to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, deepen Belt and Road cooperation, and push for further development of bilateral cooperation in industry, agriculture, investment, culture and other fields under the "Diamond Hexagon" framework, Hun Manet said.

Hun Manet noted that the Cambodian side is willing to closely cooperate with China in regional and international affairs to push the bilateral ties to a new height.

Wang Yi was present at the meeting.

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie)
Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaks at the Summit of the Group of 77 (G77) and China in Havana, Cuba, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

HAVANA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said Friday that China is ready to work with Group of 77 (G77) members to open a new chapter in South-South cooperation in quest for greater development through stronger solidarity.

Li made the remarks while attending the Summit of the Group of 77 and China in Havana of Cuba as the special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping, expressing China's willingness to work with G77 members to build a Global South community with a shared future, and usher in a new era of common development.

He said the world is undergoing changes on a scale unseen in a century. Developing countries are becoming stronger. South-South cooperation is playing an increasingly important role in driving the momentum of collective rise of developing countries and in sustaining the continued global economic growth.

"At the same time, however, unilateralism and hegemonism are becoming rampant. Some countries are resorting to such practices as unilateral sanctions, decoupling, and disruption of industrial and supply chains, seriously undermining the legitimate development rights and interests of developing countries and our space for development," said Li, stressing that developing countries widely expect to enhance solidarity and cooperation, and make efforts to make global governance more just and equitable.

He put forward a three-point proposal in respect of cooperation between the G77 and China, calling on G77 members to stay true to the original aspiration of the G77 for independence and greater collective strength through unity. Besides, he encouraged the advocating of equity, justice and inclusiveness. And he appealed for pursuing development, revitalization and win-win cooperation.

"We need to foster new drivers for our own development, focusing on cooperation in areas of food security, poverty alleviation, industrialization, green development, digital technology and artificial intelligence," Li said, adding that efforts should be made to ensure all countries equally benefit from digital dividends, and no developing country will be left behind or left out in the development of new technologies and industries.

"China is the largest developing country in the world. No matter what stage of development it reaches, China will always be part of the developing world and a member of the Global South," he said, stressing that South-South cooperation is always a high priority in China's cooperation with other countries.

Li said China will continue to maintain close communication and coordination with G77 members in order to optimize allocation of development resources, deepen South-South cooperation, ensure efficient use of public goods of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) cooperation, the Global Development Initiative (GDI) and other initiatives, close the development divide, and resolve problems in development.

In mid-October, China will host the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. "We look forward to welcoming you at the Forum and to your perspective on future BRI cooperation and the way forward for greater development," said Li.

"As long as we adapt to the changing times, strengthen solidarity, friendship and cooperation, and lend each other support in pursuing a path to modernization suited to our respective national conditions and characteristics, we will surely be able to better safeguard the common interests of developing countries, have a greater say in global governance, and achieve common development and shared prosperity," said Li. 
The Ventura City Council approved spending $1.5 million to convert the La Quinta Inn at 5818 Valentine Road into housing for low income and homeless individuals. The project will also need state and federal dollars to complete. This is not the Quinta Inn the friends managed for a few hours in Nashville.

Three friends took it upon themselves to manage a Nashville hotel for a few hours.

After a late night of partying, the trio was unable to check into their room at La Quinta Inn & Suites because there were no employees in sight.

The saga was first documented on TikTok early Wednesday morning in a 40-second clip with a caption stating, When you arrive to the hotel and there is no staff so you have a new job. Weve been working for two hours.

After checking to make sure no one had fallen asleep behind the desk or in one of the back offices, the friends began to answer phones, greet customers, even set up the breakfast buffet.

They did manage to find one employee, a maid, who didnt know what was going on but said she had not seen anyone in a couple of hours. They also reached out to the general manager, who was on a business trip in California and wasnt aware that there were no employees on the floor.

So, instantly were like manager mode. We run businesses back home. Manager mode kicks in, alright, lets see what we can do, Kenzie, one of the friends shared.

The friends fielded several complaints from customers about unauthorized payments as well as a lack of hotel personnel available. Police later showed up to hotel, but gave them permission to do whatever you have to do as he began to leave, the friends reported.

The friends recounted the tale in a handful of TikTok videos.

Heres what we know.

What came of the impromptu hotel takeover?

This embedded content is not available in your region.

One friend was taking calls, the other was helping guests get checked in and checked out and yet another was helping serve breakfast.

They managed to hold the fort down until a La Quinta Inn employee showed up. By then, the trio had managed to get everyone settled. The friends then asked if they could check into their room, but the employee told them they would be charged a $25 resort fee.

A general manager from another Wyndham Hotels & Resorts made an appearance a short time later. They caught him up on the drama that ensued and were met with utter disbelief and gratitude for holding the hotel down.

Well get them checked in. Were not charging you anything, the manager reportedly told them.

The crew headed up to the sixth floor to decompress in one of the only rooms available, thinking everything was fine. But as soon as they entered the room, they spotted a naked woman inside.

The lady proceeded to tell them she would be staying at the hotel for the next two weeks. The friends let her know they were not trying to steal her room and that they had received the room key from management.

They went down to the lobby for the last time to let the manager know what happened.

Did the TikTokers stay or not stay at La Quinta Inn after all?

This embedded content is not available in your region.

No.

After they reported what they saw to the Holiday Inn general manager, Kenzie asked if they could stay at his hotel.

Can we please just go stay at your hotel? Because this has just honestly been a shitshow of a mess.

The friends end up with three suites and free breakfast after the manager makes a call back to his hotel, gushing over how amazing they had been. He took their contact information and said that he would be in touch.

He said he will be in touch. So, I dont know what that means but maybe were getting a Holiday Inn, Kenzie joked.

If they do get a Holiday Inn, the friends have asked their viewers to come stay with them.

La Quinta Inns & Suites, a Wyndham Hotels & Resorts property has not publicly commented on the incident.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Friends visiting Nashville document hotel takeover on TikTok
The Biden campaign and its allies are rallying around Vice President Harris, rejecting chatter that President Biden should reconsider his running mate heading into 2024.

A series of opinion columns published this week all suggested one way for Biden to juice enthusiasm among Democrats and quell concerns about his age heading into a second term would be to replace Harris on the ticket.

The columns drummed up a fresh news cycle about Harriss political value, putting some Democrats on the spot about whether she is the best option to run alongside Biden and frustrating Biden allies who view the vice president as an asset heading into the 2024 campaign.

It is the kind of chatter that is meant to undermine the president, his administration and his accomplishments, said Karen Finney, a veteran Democratic strategist.

Hes running for reelection, and he is running with the vice president, as they made it very clear in the announcement, she added. All of the talk is really absurd and unproductive.

Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), one of Bidens most influential supporters in the House and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, definitively said Biden should not replace Harris as his running mate and argued her gender and race are playing too much of a role in discussions about her place in the administration.

I think that Kamala Harris has done a great job. People want her in her first term, first two years, to be the kind of vice president that Joe Biden was in the sixth and seventh year of his vice presidency, Clyburn said on CNN.

Everybody gets a learning curve in this business, he continued. You arent born a United States congressman. You arent born a vice president. Youve got to learn the job. She got elected, she has learned the job. She is doing the job efficiently and effectively.

While questions over Bidens age  he is 80 and would be 86 at the end of a second term  have dominated the news cycle in recent weeks, Harriss role in the discussion took center stage this week.

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) raised eyebrows when she declined to say whether she thought Harris was the best running mate for Biden.

He [Biden] thinks so, and thats what matters. And by the way, shes very politically astute.  People shouldnt underestimate what Kamala Harris brings to the table, Pelosi told CNNs Anderson Cooper on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Pelosi said in a subsequent interview that the Biden-Harris team is our team. Were very proud of it. And were all going to work very hard to make sure they are reelected.

Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) on Thursday was asked on CNN whether Harris was the best running mate for Biden, and again he refused to explicitly say yes.

So I have not seen any public opinion polling. You might be a stronger vice presidential running mate than her or me or anybody else, Raskin told Jake Tapper. I dont know who else, if youre talking about the polling. But I will tell you, as a matter of substance and public policy, shed be an excellent choice. And she and the president have done an excellent job.

The questions for Clyburn, Pelosi and Raskin followed multiple columns from the chattering class suggesting Biden should reevaluate his running mate.

Washington Post columnist David Ignatius wrote Tuesday that Biden should not run again in 2024. In making the case, Ignatius wrote that voters would focus more on Bidens running mate because of his age. He noted that Harriss approval rating sits at 39.5 percent in polls, according to FiveThirtyEight data, slightly below Bidens, which is at 41.1 percent.

Harris has many laudable qualities, but the simple fact is that she has failed to gain traction in the country or even within her own party, Ignatius wrote.

Journalist Josh Barro wrote in his newsletter Tuesday that Biden should be focused on making sure his running mate is the very best option to help him win, govern and lead, concluding someone like Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) would make the Democratic ticket stronger.

The right question is not should Biden fire Kamala? its who *should* he pick for VP? Barro wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, when sharing the piece. If you make a list of what makes a good running mate  popular, credible as a future party leader, helpful in key states  youd never say Kamala is the #1 choice.

In a column published Wednesday for New York Magazine titled The Case for Biden to Drop Kamala Harris, Eric Levitz said the vice presidents low favorability rating, her unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2020 when she dropped out before the Iowa caucuses and the fact she would be the de facto leader for the Democratic nomination in 2028 are all valid concerns about keeping Harris on the ticket.

Levitz acknowledged the move could potentially offend and demotivate swaths of voters given her status as the first woman and first person of color to hold the vice presidency.

Nate Silver, who founded FiveThirtyEight and has done polling analysis for years, wrote in a Sept. 6 column that polls released in the past year that asked voters about a hypothetical Harris matchup with former President Donald Trump show she fares worse than Biden does.

On average, Silver wrote, Biden and Trump were tied 44-44, while Harris trailed Trump 46-42, a small margin Silver said could still prove critical in a close election.

Biden allies were quick to dismiss the debate as a production of Beltway media that has no basis in reality.

Ah yes. Because all of our success over the last four years has been guided by The Columnists, Sam Cornale, executive director of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), wrote sarcastically on X.

Julie Zebrak, a Democratic consultant, chastised Tapper for repeatedly pressing Raskin on the issue after the lawmaker called Harris excellent.

@POTUS selects his running mate  not @CNN, Zebrak wrote on X.

Biden campaign aides highlighted the enthusiasm and turnout at Hampton University on Thursday when Harris visited the school as part of a college tour designed to engage younger voters. Harris is expected to visit roughly a dozen other colleges and universities in the coming weeks.

The Biden campaign also noted that a fundraising email signed by Harris and sent out Wednesday after House Republicans launched an impeachment inquiry into Biden was the best-performing email sent in her name so far this election cycle.

VP Harris is a force on the campaign trail. True in 2020, during the midterms, and will be again for the next 14 months, said TJ Ducko, a Biden campaign spokesperson.

Harris has faced scrutiny over her job performance throughout her time as vice president, with critics questioning her handling of pivotal issues, like causes of migration and voting rights, highlighting the frequent turnover in her office early in her term and seizing on public missteps.

When Biden launched his reelection campaign in April, many of his advisers and allies lauded Harris as a crucial part of his bid for a second term. They pointed to her work on reproductive rights, which drove Democratic turnout in the 2022 midterms, and her ability to connect with younger voters and Black voters, two critical constituencies for Democrats.

Some Biden allies have suggested Harris is facing unreasonable or unfair expectations that are rooted in sexism or racism because she is the first woman of color to hold the role of vice president.

Why is America down on her to the extent they are? former Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) said on MSNBC. Because she has done nothing to deserve this. I mean, this is a woman of great accomplishment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Fewer people died in last months Maui wildfires than previously believed, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green (D) announced Friday.

The death toll was revised to 97 from 115 after federal fire investigators assisted local authorities in identifying remains, Green said.

Thank God, fewer people passed away, he said in a video message shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

That toll could still rise again, however. Green said there are currently 31 open cases that are being investigated  and only 74 of the dead have been identified.

The wildfire was the deadliest in the U.S. in more than a century. High winds quickly entrapped and enveloped the town of Lahaina on Mauis west coast, effectively completely destroying it. The blaze caused about $5.5 billion in damage, the Federal Emergency Management Agency estimated.

Green added that over 8,000 people are in temporary housing due to the fires.

The death toll becomes more accurate over time as authorities have more time to assess remains, Defense Department lab director John Byrd said Friday.

We look at body bags that come in and we do an initial inventory and we assess how many people are represented there, he said. When you do the first tally of all those that have come in, the number tends to be too high because as you begin to do more analysis and examination you realize that actually youve got two bags that were the same person or you have two bags that were the same two people but you didnt realize that.

The numbers start a little too high on the morgue side and eventually settles until at some point its going to be a final accurate number, Byrd continued. I would say were not quite there yet.

House Republicans announced a probe into the Biden administrations response to the fires on Friday, saying they will investigate how FEMA has managed the recovery efforts.

The deadly wildfire in Maui shocked the nation and left many, especially those directly impacted by the tragedy, with serious questions that remain unanswered today, Reps. James Comer (R-Ky.) and Pete Sessions (R-Texas) said in a joint statement. President Biden built his entire reputation on empathy and compassion but failed to deliver an appropriate response when it mattered most.

A separate House hearing on the fire will be held later this month.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Vitalii Denysov, the head of Sputnik Moldova news agency, expelled from Moldova on 13 September, is a senior Russian officer and a native of Ukraine.

Source: The Insider

Details: As the outlet found out, Denysov is probably a personnel officer of the 72nd Special Service Center (military unit 54777), who, in the interests of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU) is engaged in information dumping and disinformation to foreign audiences.

Denysov was born in Zakarpattia Oblast and, after school, entered the Lviv Higher Military-Political School, where organisers of cultural and educational work and military journalists were trained.

Later, Lviv Higher Military-Political School, where Denysov studied, was renamed the Academy of Ground Forces of Ukraine. In July this year, the Russian army attacked the academy building with Kalibr missiles and destroyed one of the buildings.

In 1992, cadet Denysov refused to take the oath to Ukraine and, together with other school refusers, moved to Moscow.

There he was accommodated not far from the headquarters of the GRU in an officer's dormitory at 38 Khoroshevskoe Highway) The tax database confirms that he was listed as an employee of the main printing body of the Ministry of Defence of the Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.

In 2005, the department granted him an apartment on Admiral Lazarev Street and another officer's license from the Ministry of Defence.

In 2013, Denysov worked in the Main Investigation Department in Moscow Oblast.

The Insider's source at the Ministry of Defence reported that Denysov moved from the Investigation Department to the 72nd Special Service Center (military unit 54777). This centre collects and analyses information from the GRU residencies abroad and also deals with fake information.

In 2016, officer Denysov was awarded the rank of Colonel of the Airborne Forces, and in 2019 he was appointed editor-in-chief of Sputnik in the non-recognised South Ossetia. After that, he headed Sputnik in Baku.

In 2022, Colonel Denysov was sent to Chisinau to gather information and promote a pro-Kremlin agenda, but after the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops, internet sites and the local Sputnik broadcast were blocked.

Reminder:

On 13 September, Vitalii Denysov, Russian propagandist and the head of Sputnik Moldova, was expelled from the country. This decision was explained by his interference in the internal affairs of Moldova.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia summoned the temporary representative of Moldova in Moscow in connection with the deportation of Denysov.

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 CEO of General Motors, Mary Barra is making nearly $30 million this year. Aly Song/Reuters

Auto workers are striking for a 40% pay increase from General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra is so far offering auto workers a 20% pay increase.

Barra is making about $29 million this year and has received a 34% increase over the last four.

For the first time in history, workers at all of Detroit's three major automakers are on strike.

The United Auto Workers union is demanding, among other things, a 40% hourly pay increase over four years. So far, they have only been offered a 20% increase.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra, meanwhile, is the highest-paid of the three CEOs, making about $29 million a year. She has received a 34% increase over the last four years.

In a CNN interview, Barra defended her high earnings. She said 92% of her salary is based on the company's performance, and that the company offers profit sharing to its employees. So, her logic went, the better the company performs the more money everyone makes.

"When the company does well, everyone does well," Barra said.

Especially her, apparently.

When the CNN reporter pressed Barra on whether or not the pay discrepancies at the company are fair, the CEO deflected, reiterating only that "a very compelling offer" was on the table for the union to consider.

"Not only are we putting a 20% increase on the table, we have profit sharing," Barra said.

That 20% increase is still 14 percentage points less than Barra's was over the last four years.

The strike began Friday morning after the union failed to reach an agreement with the companies before their deadline. It could cost the companies $5 billion over just 10 days.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The summer of puddles and steady rainfall in Seacoast New Hampshire and southern Maine is about to get wetter as the effects of Hurricane Lee arrive this weekend, with rainfall, high waves and potential flooding on the radar.

The Category 1 storm was brewing in the mid-Atlantic a few hundred miles south of Nantucket as of Friday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center. The approaching system has prompted tropical storm, high surf, strong wind and flooding advisories up and down the Maine and New Hampshire coastline.

As graduating Dover High School students recieve their diplomas, rain falls on the graduating class of 2023 on Thursday, June 8.

The weakened Lee, originally a Category 3 hurricane, is expected to bring only small rainfall totals to the Seacoast New Hampshire and southern Maine, according to Gray, Maine National Weather Service meteorologist Nikki Becker.

But while Lee may only bring sprinkles, rainfall totals for the year to date could play a role in how the hurricane impacts communities around the region.

Becker reported that the hurricane may only drop between a few tenths to a half inch of rain around the Seacoast and southern Maine, with precipitation totals likely to increase higher north along the coastline. The potentially small hurricane rainfall totals, however, will add onto a notably high, ongoing rainfall total around Maine and New Hampshire in 2023.

Here is a look at all warnings and advisories currently in effect for Hurricane Lee's expected impacts. #MEwx #NHwx pic.twitter.com/FiknSZo2R6  NWS Gray (@NWSGray) September 15, 2023

How much rain has fallen in Maine and New Hampshire in 2023?

This week, heavy rain caused intense flooding in western New Hampshire and most of Vermont, leaving washed out roads, flooded homes and other damage behind.

The National Weather Service does not collect rainfall totals for municipalities in the Seacoast, though it does tally amounts in Portland, Maine and in Manchester and Concord, New Hampshire.

Beginning Jan. 1 through this Thursday, Sept. 14, Portland has seen 40.62 inches of rainfall and melted snow. The 30-year rainfall average in Portland for that same time period, Becker explained, is 31.95 inches.

In Concord this year within that same stretch of time, New Hampshires capital city has received 36.04 inches, higher than the 30-year average of 28.32 inches. Manchesters 40.88 inches for the year to date is also higher than average, which is 27.66 inches.

Youre looking at a month or two months worth of rain higher than normal so far this year, as compared to the last few years where we've had summer droughts, Becker said.

Rain has frequently come down in the Seacoast this summer, particularly in June, where it rained more than two-thirds of the month amid colder-than-normal temperatures.

Every year is different. There are always anomaly years. There are always anomaly high years, low years and average years, Becker added. The pattern we have been in this year has led to us having higher amounts of precipitation than what we normally have.

Previous rainfall on Seacoast could make Hurricane Lee impact worse

How could the Seacoasts total rainfall throughout 2023 play a role in this weekends forecasted stormy weather? Becker pointed to built-up excess moisture, which can super-saturate soil and make trees more likely to topple over in the event of increased wind speeds amid weather events, such as during hurricanes or tropical storms.

Fallen trees can down power lines or cause damage to residential properties, roads and nearby cars.

Central Maine Power noted this week that Maine has experienced an extraordinarily wet summer this year, causing tree stress due to increased soil saturation, flooding, and nutrient runoff.

Katie Menende, leader of Central Maine Powers vegetation management program, stated that the number one cause of power outages in the utilitys service area so far this year has been from stressed trees falling or losing limbs.

Depending on Hurricane Lees track and the strength of the storms winds, we could see worsened impacts to Maines power grid because of these conditions, Menende said.

Higher yearly rainfall also increases the risk of flooding.

When the soil moisture is saturated, the excess rain after saturation is going to become runoff, which can lead to easier bouts of flooding, Becker explained. That can also mean flash flooding too if you have a lot of rain received in a short period of time.

Utility crews called into Maine ahead of storm

Central Maine Power called in around 500 power restoration crews on Friday to help assist with potential power outages that could occur over the weekend. The additional crew members began assembling in Kittery at the Maine Visitor Information Center to be briefed and assigned to various locations in the companys service area.

Over the course of the evening, power restoration crews will be dispatched to locations across our service area, said Central Maine Power spokesperson Jon Breed. On the eve of this storms arrival, one of our concerns continues to be tree stress and soil saturation from heavy rains this past summer. These conditions, when combined with strong winds and full foliage, can make it easy for trees to fall.

Hurricane Lee is expected to make landfall in Nova Scotia as a tropical storm on Saturday night. Also churning in the Atlantic is Tropical Storm Margot, which Becker stated could combine with Lee to create higher sea swells on Saturday.

At 5 p.m. Friday, the National Hurricane Center reported that Lee was about 290 miles off Nantucket, moving at 20 miles per hour with maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour. Its hurricane force-winds at the time extended outward 115 miles, with its tropical storm-force winds reached outward up to 345 miles.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Rain data for NH, Maine in 2023, and why it makes Hurricane Lee worse
New estimates show how the number of unauthorized migrants living in the United States grew slightly despite global restrictions on travel at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to reach 11.2 million.

That's an increase of 200,000 from 2019, according to a new report from the nonpartisan Migrant Policy Institute, which analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey.

The estimates of the unauthorized immigrant population in the U.S. are based on the 2021 survey, meaning that those numbers do not reflect the historic increase in encounters along the U.S.-Mexico border over the past two years and the expansion of humanitarian parole programs since the removal of pandemic restrictions at the border.

Ariel Ruiz Soto, one of the report's authors and a senior policy analyst at the Migrant Policy Institute, said this means the numbers today are likely much higher even though the federal government has boosted deportations.

"If you look at the border today, you'll see that of the thousands of people that come every day in the country, more of them are seeking asylum. And that asylum process takes a long time," he said. "So because of the way that we measure our estimates, asylum seekers who seek protection defensively, meaning that they irregularly and are in the process of removals would have to wait for years to go to an immigration court would be included in our estimates. And because of that, it is likely that the numbers will certainly have increased in 2022 and 2023."

What the available data does show is the continuation of a trend that has been building for nearly two decades, a reversal in migration from Mexico. Since peaking at 7.7 million in 2007, the Migrant Policy Institute said the number of unauthorized immigrants from Mexico has dropped to 5.2 million in 2021 as more of them return to Mexico.

That means that Mexican immigrants account for less than half (46 percent) of the total unauthorized immigrant population in the United States. As the share of Mexican immigrants has fallen, representation from other countries has surged.

Ruiz Soto said they especially saw an increase in the number of migrants from places farther away. In addition to Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, the institute's analysis identified a notable rise in unauthorized immigrants from South American countries such as Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil. Three Asian countries round out the top 10 countries of origin: India, China and the Philippines.

Opinion piece on immigration in Arizona: A little border chaos makes 'The View' sound less Manhattan and more Phoenix

The overall unauthorized immigrant population has remained relatively stable at about 11 million for nearly two decades. The report attributed that to U.S. immigration removal policies, adding that nearly 4.7 million immigrants have been deported from the country since 2008.

While the unauthorized immigrant population increased by 200,000 during the pandemic, Ruiz Soto said, the travel restrictions not only kept people out, but many immigrants were unable to leave the country. Additionally, in the aftermath of pandemic lockdowns, the U.S. began to expel all migrants at the border using a public health rule known as Title 42. Under that policy, the U.S. turned away 2.8 million migrants.

The report noted that while they used the term "unauthorized" to refer to the immigrants living in the United States without a legal visa or green card, those numbers include thousands of individuals with temporary protections, including humanitarian parole or deferred action or DACA recipients.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Unauthorized immigrant population grew slightly during pandemic
CHANGSHA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Robots that help us diagnose minor issues at home, self-driving taxis that stop when we signal, and trains that can recognize potential faults - these once-futuristic visions of tomorrow's world are here today.

Fueled by increasingly sophisticated algorithms, abundant data, and innovative ideas, a smarter way of living is now in full motion and on display at the World Computing Conference, which concluded Saturday in Changsha, the capital of central China's Hunan Province.

MORE CONVENIENT LIFE

Behind a throng of inquisitive onlookers, one exhibition booth is almost hidden as attendees crowd around a human-sized robot offering health advice.

After a participant describes symptoms, the robot performs a rapid analysis, provides diagnoses, and offers recommendations.

The machine is powered by an intelligent system that can provide comprehensive healthcare support, from self-assessment and medication reminders to intelligent self-diagnosis, video consultations, and emergency assistance, said Xiao Xiangjiang, chairman of Chaoneng Robot.

Xiao added that the robot is already supporting several large medical institutions in China, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore.

Behind the convenience lies the application of computing power, such as artificial intelligence and large-scale modeling technology. Moreover, it is not just the medical industry that is benefiting from intelligent computing products. They are also applied across diverse industries, markedly enhancing efficiency.

The GeoHan intelligent system, developed by Talkweb Information Co., Ltd., an integrated hardware and software product supplier, is one prime illustration.

The system excels at delivering personalized, energy-efficient solutions. For instance, it helps banks promote clean energy, low-carbon sustainability, and circular design principles, and makes healthcare information platforms safer and more efficient.

"In recent years, advanced computing has been integrated into various industries, emerging as a vital force driving national economic development, social progress, and technological innovation, ultimately making people's lives more convenient," said Li Xinyu, chairman of the company.

SMARTER LIFESTYLE

Actions that once demanded attentive human driving, such as evading pedestrians or obstacles, ensuring a safe following distance from the vehicle ahead, or managing challenging unexpected road situations, are now effortlessly executed by fully electric robotaxis.

Numerous autonomous driving companies in China are dedicated to advancing autonomous driving technology and accelerating its commercialization.

Driverless robotaxi services developed by Baidu's autonomous driving platform, Apollo Go, are now available in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.

The smart taxi's onboard equipment, including cameras, laser radar, and millimeter-wave radar, plays a crucial role in sensing signals from the vehicle's surroundings, transmitting them to a data processor, and issuing instructions, according to the company.

Just as cars have "learned" to drive autonomously, trains have also "learned" to conduct self-diagnostic fault checks. In April this year, a 20,000-ton heavy-duty train completed its first autonomous driving trial run along the Shuozhou-Huanghua railway.

The core technologies developed by CRRC Zhuzhou Institute Co., Ltd. allow the train to identify and diagnose technical faults automatically, said company representative Hou Zhaowen.

If equipment on the train malfunctions, the network control system will issue a warning signal to the driver, prompting him/her to address the issue promptly, said Hou.

In the context of booming cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and 5G, among other emerging technologies, analysts believe that computing power has become vital infrastructure that will shape China's future technological landscape and its economic and social development.

The computing technology and computing sector, among many others, play significant roles, said Zhao Zhiguo, an official with the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), during the conference.

Zhao added that they demonstrate remarkable dynamism and immense potential through revolutionary innovation and are becoming a crucial force propelling comprehensive digitization.

In recent years, the country has made solid progress in developing computing infrastructure, and the computing power industry is following a smart, green, and safe development path. The scale of China's computing power industry has expanded at an annual rate of nearly 30 percent in recent years, according to MIIT. 
Two diagrams of the moon that show where water is located.

High-energy electrons located in a tail of plasma around the Earth are weathering the moon and, more excitingly, seem to have given rise to water across the lunar surface.

The new findings, reached by a team of researchers led by Shuai Li, a scientist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, could also explain how water gathers in pockets across the moon that never see sunlight called permanently shaded regions (PSRs).

Knowledge of water distribution and concentration across the moon isnt only essential for understanding how Earth's natural satellite has evolved, but it's also important for planning future prolonged crewed missions to the moon. Water could be harvested by those space explorers not just as sustenance, but also to generate fuel that can be used for staging missions from the lunar surface. These missions could use the moon as a stepping stone for exploration deeper into the solar system, including on Mars.

Li and teams theory connects water on the moon to the magnetic bubble that surrounds the Earth called the magnetosphere. The magnetosphere shields our planet from high-energy charged particles delivered from the sun in the solar wind.

Related: A big telescope on the moon could peer deeper into the universe than James Webb

As the solar wind smacks into the magnetosphere, it deforms this magnetic shield, creating a long magnetic tail on the side of the Earth facing away from the sun, aka the nightside of the planet. This tail is aptly called the magnetotail. High-energy electrons and ions from the solar wind (and from Earth itself) form a plasma sheet within the magnetotail.

So, as the moon orbits Earth, it passes through the magnetotail. As a result, just as the magnetosphere shields the Earth, the magnetotail shields the moon from charged particles while allowing light to still reach the lunar surface.

"This provides a natural laboratory for studying the formation processes of lunar surface water," Li said in a statement. "When the moon is outside of the magnetotail, the lunar surface is bombarded with solar wind. Inside the magnetotail, there are almost no solar wind protons, and water formation was expected to drop to nearly zero."

He and the team used data collected between 2008 and 2009 by the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (MMM) instrument onboard the Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft to assess how water formation changes as the moon passes through the magnetotail.

"To my surprise, the remote sensing observations showed that the water formation in Earths magnetotail is almost identical to the time when the moon was outside of the Earths magnetotail," Li explained. "This indicates that, in the magnetotail, there may be additional formation processes or new sources of water not directly associated with the implantation of solar wind protons."

In particular, Li found that radiation caused by high-energy electrons in the magnetotail exhibits similar effects to those caused by ions in the solar wind.

A diagram shows how the magnetosphere of Earths grows a magnetotail.

A diagram shows how the magnetosphere of Earths grows a magnetotail. (Image credit: NASA/Goddard/Aaron Kaase)

Related Stories:

 NASA's Juno probe finds giant swirling waves in Jupiter's magnetosphere

 The moon has a hidden tide that pulls on Earth's magnetosphere, new study reveals

 NASA's Lunar Trailblazer satellite is ready to hunt for water on the moon

Li had initially started thinking about the interaction between the magnetotail and the moon by considering weathering processes on the lunar surface that occur as the moon passes through the magnetic tail of Earth. This revealed that oxygen in the magnetotail rusts iron in the polar regions of the moon.

"Altogether, this finding and my previous findings of rusty lunar poles indicate that Mother Earth is strongly tied with its Moon in many unrecognized aspects," Li added.

The team intends to follow up this discovery by investigating the plasma environment around the moon and water content at the lunar poles during different points in the moons passage through the magnetotail.

This work will be conducted as part of the Artemis program, which, as soon as 2026, will also send the Artemis III mission to the moon. That endeavor is meant to return humanity to the moon for the first time in 50 years and send the first woman and the first person of color to the lunar surface.

The teams research was published Sept. 14 in the journal Nature Astronomy.
This week:

My beloved Morning Show has returned.

I cant stop laughing about this celebrity auction.

Gimme gimme gimme this Mamma Mia! oral history.

An instant Real Housewives icon.

Some sage celebrity advice.

This Celebrity Auction Will Make You Laugh

It is a rare moment when major Hollywood celebrities behavior is altruistic and noble, while at the same time absolutely hilarious. We are fortunate to be experiencing such a time right nowand the extremely online among us, bless them all, are having a field day with it.

A slew of famous peopleactors, directors, musiciansare participating in an eBay auction to support the Union Solidarity Coalition, with the net proceeds going to benefit health-care funds for crew members who have been affected by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

Many of the experiences available for bidding are of the normal variety youd expect from something like this: Zoom with the stars of Manifest; have dinner with Bob Odenkirk and David Cross; ask Sarah Silverman 20 questions in 20 minutes. Others are more creative. Adam Scott will walk your dog for one hour. John Lithgow will paint a watercolor portrait of your dog. (Lots of opportunities to pamper your dog.) Lena Dunham will paint a mural in your house, which several people on social media remarked comes off as a threat.

The most genius members of our societythose who make memesreally ran with this one, Photoshopping fake items to bid on. Its the perfect viral trend because some of the real-life items are so ridiculous that you really wouldnt be able to tell which of the entries you stumble on while scrolling through social media are real and which are fake. (Except, of course, the ones that are of the shadier variety: Kate Winslet will tell you the four gay actors she knows who havent publicly come out, referencing a 2021 quote she gave, or Caitlyn Jenner will run over your nemesis with her car. Those are just obviously fake and hilarious.)

ok, now IM sending in a bet on this one for charity pic.twitter.com/8ODkoa19C5  mich | tms era (@pikemargulies) September 14, 2023

this celebrity auction is getting out of hand https://t.co/rutxicKvKR pic.twitter.com/f6o5H72NGY  Spencer Althouse (@SpencerAlthouse) September 14, 2023

Its the rare meme trend where almost every single attempt is legitimately funny, and, though its been going on all week, hasnt gotten old. Now if youll excuse me, I need to run to the bank to apply for a loan so I can bid on Natasha Lyonne will help you solve the New York Times Sunday crossword. (Real item!)

The Mamma Mia! Oral History

It is my firm belief that the greatest, purest joy a human can experience during their time on this Earth is while watching a production of Mamma Mia!or either of the two films based on the ABBA musical.

Short of that, theres the bliss of reading Vogues oral history of Mamma Mia!. Timed to the films 15th anniversary, its a tell-all that goes on for about 450,000 wordsand, as far as Im concerned, could have gone forever.

The creators of the original musical, members of ABBA themselves, the films production team, and many of its stars all participate, and, in a rarity for these things, actually dish.

Universal Pictures

There are casting scoops on stars who were consideredMeryl Streep was always the first choice for Donna, but Michelle Pfeiffer was floated as a possibilityand who gave great auditions and were nearly cast. When it came to choosing a Sophie, Emily Blunt, Felicity Jones, and Natalie Dormer were great but not available; Gemma Arterton, Carey Mulligan, and theater stars Tammy Blanchard and Celia Keenan-Bolger made strong impressions; Amy Adams, Brittany Murphy, Jessica Biel, Kirsten Dunst, and Mandy Moore were among the actresses who were seen.

Dominic Cooper had to be begged to audition for Sky. Neither Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, nor Stellan Skarsgard had to audition, though they all confess to being convinced that they were about to royally humiliate themselves in a very public way for being in the movie. Everyone talks about the Voulez-Vous shoot as if they had been to war. On nights after long shoots, everyone got absolutely wasted togetherStreep included.

If youre a person of taste who has seen the Mamma Mia! films a few dozen times a yearjust me?the whole thing is a blast to read.

A Real Housewives Star Is Born

In this weeks episode of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, one of the cast members breaks down in tears. Thats hardly unusual in and of itself when it comes to this showbut the circumstances this time certainly are.

New cast member Monica Garcia got choked up while confessing to her mother that she had splurged on a Louis Vuitton bag that she could not afford. She felt inferior to the richer women in the cast, who are always flaunting designer brands, and wanted something to make her feel like she belonged. It was really touching and relatableand finally an acknowledgment of the ludicrous wealth that the women on these shows are so typically nonchalant about.

Later in the episode, Monica confides in castmate Heather Gay that she was excommunicated from the Mormon church after admitting to sleeping with her brother-in-law for 18 months, and then spends an hour digging through the trash and tampon disposal bin in a public bathroom searching for Lisa Barlows $60,000 lost ring.

This is what you call a stellar Housewives debut, Bravo fans. Im obsessed.

Words to Live By

From the people who brought you the iconic Kim Cattrall quote and headline I dont want to be in a situation for even an hour where Im not enjoying myself comes a new mantra, this one courtesy of Fleabag star Andrew Scott: We need a bit more of people not liking things. Amen.

Observer screenshot

What to watch this week:

Theater Camp: One of the most delightful movies of the year can now be streamed at home. (Now on Hulu)

El Conde: Pablo Larrain imagines if Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet was a vampire. (Now on Netflix)

American Horror Story: Delicate: No ones seen Kim Kardashians American Horror Story debut yet. But good or bad, it will definitely be fun to watch. (Wed. on FX)

Sex Education: Its the final season! I just love this show so much! (Thurs. on Netflix)

What to skip this week:

Wilderness: Not even Taylor Swifts music can save it. (Now on Prime Video)

A Haunting in Venice: Please put an end to these Poirot movies! (Now in theaters)

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Despite a reputation as one of the nations hottest markets, with steady population growth since the pandemic, enrollment is dropping in Hillsborough Countys traditional public schools.

Twenty-day student counts released this week show schools run by the school district had a net loss of 1,581 students when compared with the 20th day of 2022-23.

By comparison, charter schools  which get state funding but are managed independently  grew by 2,528 students. The charter total, which now accounts for 17% of public school students, includes two schools from the IDEA network that report to the state and not the district.

Hillsboroughs K-8 schools grew by 2,292 students, reflecting the growing popularity of that format. But elementary and middle schools showed a net loss of 3,723.

The countys population is expected to have grown by 8.3% between 2021 and 2026, a greater rate than the state, region or nation, according to the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council.

But the school districts data makes it clear that the added population is being offset by educational choices that families exercise outside the traditional school system.

District leaders are concerned not only about charter growth but also the long-term effects of a state law that this year expanded the use of tax-paid vouchers for home-school and private school education.

Step Up For Students, the entity that manages the voucher program, has tried to allay fears that these scholarships will trigger an exodus from public schools. In a statement released in response to questions from 31 community organizations, Step Up said only 13% of 122,895 students who are new to the voucher system came from public schools.

Specific to Hillsborough, Step Up told the Tampa Bay Times that 867 students who previously attended public schools are newly enrolled in private schools on a Florida Tax Credit or Family Empowerment scholarship. This represents only 0.39% of the 224,149 full-time students enrolled in Hillsborough schools in 2022-23, communications chief Scott Kent said in an email.

Still, issues such as these are being invoked as the district tries to hold the line on teacher pay. At a negotiating session Wednesday, the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association presented a proposal that would start pay for the largest group of teachers at $48,000 annually, with a ceiling of $74,100 after 25 years. An earlier, more ambitious proposal showed salaries ranging from $50,000 to $80,200.

But, citing the 20-day numbers, district human relations manager Danielle Shotwell told the teachers, We stand by our initial proposal, with salaries ranging from the state minimum of $47,500 to $70,750.

We are down 1,500 students, Shotwell said. Charters are up 2,000. So I guess we know where some of them are going, right? That is something we all share a concern about  all of us. But as those numbers decrease, the budget has to be adjusted.

The union, seeking to prove the district can afford a raise package, delivered a detailed presentation in which it showed that, in recent years, the district has spent far less than budgeted on teacher pay. This happens for a number of reasons, including unfilled vacancies. The yearly differences have ranged from $57 million to $123 million.

The general fund reserve account, meanwhile, has also grown from 6.4% of revenues in 2022 to 20% in the year that ended in June.

We believe that the money is there and available to use, union executive director Brittni Wegmann said. We know that our budgets at home are built on priorities. And when you have money available, would you hold it back to people in our family who are struggling to pay their bills?

The district says it will have a response to the union presentation at the next bargaining session on Monday.

Similar arguments were made when the two sides reached an impasse last year. The district said then that the difference between money budgeted for teacher pay and money spent does not equate to a windfall, as many expenses change over the course of the year.

There is also the prospect that federal COVID-19 relief funds will be cut off. When that happens, the district will have to return to its core budget for items that were being covered with the relief money.

One remedy the district pursued under former Superintendent Addison Davis was a plan to even out enrollment levels and close schools that could not be run effectively. Just Elementary closed in June. Five more campuses  Adams, Monroe and McLane middle schools and Cleveland and Kimbell elementary schools  are scheduled to close at the end of this school year.

District leaders plan to reopen Just and Adams under new formats.
One Florida homeowner wrote to the News-Press to highlight a state law that protects homeowners rights to dry clothes on a clothesline  even if their homeowners association says no.

Terri Krass, a 62-year-old former school superintendent, was a resident of the upscale Cross Creek Estates, which had a rule against clotheslines, the News-Press reports.

However, on a vacation in Maine, Krass discovered Florida Statute 163.04, the News-Press says. That law explicitly allows Florida residents to use solar collectors, clothes lines, or other energy devices based on renewable resources, and prohibits HOAs from banning them.

Krass immediately installed an umbrella clothesline, according to the News-Press. Unfortunately, some of her neighbors pushed back.

They acted like I was white trash and I was going to ruin the community, Krass told the News-Press. Other homeowners trying to take advantage of Floridas law have also met resistance.

Thankfully, other neighbors had a more positive reaction, according to Krass. Some wanted to put up their own clotheslines  a smart money-saving move.

Alexander Lee, founder of Project Laundry List, told the News-Press that electric dryers account for 6% to 10% of a homes electrical usage, meaning homeowners who switch to a clothesline could save up to one-tenth of their power bill. Plus, clothes and sheets smell fresh when dried outside in the sun.

Meanwhile, this switch also benefits the planet by lowering the demand for electricity. While electricity is a more eco-friendly power source than polluting fuels like gas and oil, much of it is still generated by oil- and coal-burning power plants. Decreasing energy use overall would help cut down on air pollution, especially heat-trapping carbon pollution that warms up the planet.

Krass wanted to spread the word about the benefits of clotheslines. I think you would be doing many homeowners a favor if you shared this information in your column, she told the News-Press. Clotheslines have a major impact on energy usage and are environmentally sound.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more, waste less, and help yourself while helping the planet.
Hondas newest electric scooter, called the Motocompacto, looks like a roving suitcase. Announced this week , the Motocampacto is designed to be foldable and lightweight, meaning that the handlebars and seat can be tucked into the suitcase-shaped main body of the vehicle. The idea is that this should make it easy to transport and easy to store. According to Honda, it should be able to reach a maximum speed of 15 mph and [has a] zero-emissions range of up to 12 miles.

Additionally, Motocompacto can be fully charged in just 3.5 hours in both the folded and ready-to-ride configuration using a common 110 v outlet. At a price tag of $995, it will be available for purchase later this year.

The Motocompacto is an updated, electric take on an early '80s Honda design called the Motocompo. Similarly, the Motocompo was also a collapsible scooter, but it looked more like a handymans duffle bag in its condensed form. The intent was that it could fit into the cargo space of the Honda City kei car, presumably so it could serve as a final mile solution , where it carried people to their destination beyond where they were allowed to park a car.

[Related: Electric cars are better for the environment, no matter the power source ]

While Motocompacto should be able to carry out the same jobs as the original model, it comes with more modern conveniences. Motocompacto is perfect for getting around cityscapes and college campuses. It was designed with rider comfort and convenience in mind with a cushy seat, secure grip foot pegs, on-board storage, a digital speedometer, a charge gauge and a comfortable carry handle, Honda said in the press release. A clever phone app enables riders to adjust their personal settings, including lighting and ride modes, via Bluetooth.

Honda's Motocompacto in motion. Honda

Its wheels and frames are made with heat-treated aluminum, and it has bright LED headlight and taillight, side reflectors, and a welded steel lock loop on the kickstand that is compatible with most bike locks." It weighs around 41 lbs, comparable with how heavy a carry-on suitcase typically is.

[Related: BMWs electric scooter will hit 75 mph and has motorcycle vibes ]

The vehicle is part of Hondas larger goal to release more electric models of its fleet by 2030, and to sell only electric or fuel cell models by 2040 . It joins other major carmakers around the world , like GM , Ford , Hyundai , Volvo , and more, which are all committing to lowering global carbon emissions by offering more new EVs as options for consumers. The Motocompacto is set to be sold in conjunction with the companys newest lineup of all-electric SUVs, Jane Nakagawa, vice president of the R&D Business Unit at American Honda Motor Co., said in a statement. Motocompacto supports our goal of carbon neutrality by helping customers with end-to-end zero-emissions transport."

Watch an intro video to the Motocompacto below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzkSthZHRiI
*Editors note: In response to reader questions and concerns regarding housing conditions in Washington state, the Northwest Service Journalism team and Bellingham Herald staff have teamed up to offer insight into housing horrors plaguing current renters. This is the first of a series, reader questions for future stories can be submitted at the bottom of this article.

When looking for your ideal rental in Washington state, there are so many factors adding to the cornucopia of associated stress. You have to know your must-haves, your deal-breakers and your budget in mind, all while knowing and protecting your rights as a renter. Then comes the process of filtering through available rentals, touring and applying. It takes time, energy, and money.

How are renters supposed to balance all this and pay the required fees along the way, while sussing out any attempts to violate your renters rights? Use this guide as a breakdown of fees and deposits, plus what they can and cant be used for, according to the Revised Code of Washington.

Renters have more rights than people realize. Here are some of them:

Rental fees, common deposit issues

Across the state, readers have contacted McClatchy staff about landlords illegally keeping security deposits, raising rent exponentially and taking advantage of tenants who dont stand up for themselves.

Since many people do not have the time, energy or resources to file in small claims court, its difficult to determine the exact number of people whose fees and deposits have been illegally retained.

But there are resources outside of small claims court:

Tenants Union of Washington State

Local advocacy groups - look for other tenants rights organizations

Dispute resolution centers - offer free or low-cost mediation in most Washington counties

Local legal advocates - professionals connecting locals through legal processes, often offering free services for low-income individuals

The sun sets behind the Eleanor Apartments on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 1510 N. Forest St. in Bellingham, Wash. The affordable housing complex is designed to house tenants who make 30% and 50% of the areas median income.

What is a screening fee?

When vetting potential renters, landlords can screen for rental eviction, credit histories and criminal backgrounds. Screening fees fund this report, whether done through an outside company or by the landlord.

By law, the landlord must tell you in writing that they are running the report, everything the report will include and what would lead to a denied application. You cannot be charged a fee in excess of report costs. A landlord that breaks either of these rules can be sued.

If you are denied as a tenant because of the report, the landlord also must tell you their reasoning in writing. If you think the rejection was unfair, you can file a complaint in small claims court.

What is a security or damage deposit?

Around your move-in, the landlord will collect a security deposit, which can be used to cover damages or unpaid rent. This can also be used to cover your last months rent, but only if agreed upon in writing by both parties.

Most rentals will come with a security deposit. When you pay this deposit, your landlord is required by law to give you a receipt (if there are multiple deposits, a receipt for each), a written rental agreement, a written checklist or statement on the units condition signed by both parties, and the name and address of where the deposit is kept in writing.

Lease Agreement

If you dont get a checklist from your landlord, you can file to get the deposit back plus any court costs and fees.

What happens to your deposit when you move out?

When you move out, the landlord can only keep some of the security deposit if you damaged the unit or owe rent. They have to act within 30 days of you moving out to either send back your deposit or a written communication explaining why any amount of the deposit is kept.

What if you owe money?

If you owe the landlord more than you deposited, the landlord may be able to sue you. If the landlord uses your deposit incorrectly, you may be able to file to keep it.

What can a damage deposit be used/not used for?

Alternatively, your landlord may opt for a damage deposit, which can only be used to cover damages, not back rent. You have the right to request an installment plan for a deposit. In Washington state, any non-refundable deposit paid by renters must be adequately explained in the rental agreement signed by both parties.

Neither type of deposit can be used for standard upkeep, such as wear from ordinary use. Deposits can be used for holes, broken windows, excessive mess and other significant damage, not for worn flooring and chipped or faded paint.

How do you protect yourself from losing a damage deposit?

Your deposit should only be applied to damages caused by you or your guests. You should never be charged for damage caused by natural disasters, unknown people or former tenants. To avoid being charged for damage that was caused before you moved into the unit, tenant advocates recommend documenting the state of your rental by taking photos and videos during a walk-through.

Why is taking photos and writing things down crucial?

Documentation is a vital aspect in pleading a case about a disputed deposit, according to Washington Law Help, which is funded by the Legal Services Corporation and operated through the Northwest Justice Project. In order to increase your odds of reaching a resolution outside of court or winning a case in small claims court, document as much as you can about your rental experience.

Media proof like photos and video taken on a cell phone, written agreements and statements, and receipts are all significant documentation.

Will you owe a cleaning fee?

When you move out, you may also be charged a cleaning fee, depending on the rental agreement. This wont be covered by deposits and will not be returned regardless of how clean or messy you were.

What is an application/holding fee?

Some landlords will accept a holding fee, ensuring they wont rent to someone else before you move in. This cannot be more than 25% of your first months rent.

A holding fee cannot be kept if the landlord decides not to rent to you.

Dianne Dillingham tours one of the 32 new 700 square-foot, one-bedroom apartments available for residential living at the Owyhee in Downtown Boise.

If you back out and decide not to move in, the landlord can keep the holding fee. If you do move in as agreed, the landlord must apply the fee toward either your security deposit or your first months rent. Landlords who wrongly keep this fee can be sued.

In Washington, its illegal for a landlord to accept fees from prospective tenants in order to be placed on a wait list for consideration. Holding fees must go toward holding the unit, not a spot on a wait list.

Last months rent paid in advance

As the name suggests, any money you pay in advance for last months rent must be used for your last month of rent. It cannot be applied to damages, deposits or anything else. This money has to be refunded if you give proper notice of an early move-out, or if you move out early at the landlords request.

Do you have questions, concerns or a story about housing in Washington? The Northwest Service Team wants to hear from you:
Hugh Jackman and wife Deborra-lee Jackman are separating, TODAY.com has confirmed.

The couple was married for 27 years and announced the news with a statement to People.

We have been blessed to share almost 3 decades together as husband and wife in a wonderful, loving marriage. Our journey now is shifting and we have decided to separate to pursue our individual growth, the statement reads.

Our family has been and always will be our highest priority. We undertake this next chapter with gratitude, love, and kindness. We greatly appreciate your understanding in respecting our privacy as our family navigates this transition in all of our lives.

How Hugh and Deborra-lee Jackman met

The 54-year old Wolverine actor and his wife, 67, met in 1995 on the set of the television series Correlli, an Australian drama in which Deborra-lee Jackman, then Deborra-lee Furness, starred as the show's titular character. They married one year later.

In a 2018 interview with TODAY, Hugh Jackman said that he knew immediately he wanted to marry the actor.

I knew two weeks into meeting Deb that we were going to be together for the rest of our lives, he shared.

In the end, what do you want from your life partner? he explained. You want to be fully seen and you want to be able to fully see them for exactly who (they) really are. And Deb and I had that from the beginning.

Three years later, the couple celebrated 25 years of marriage and Hugh Jackman reflected on their lives together with a series of posts on social media.

Being married to you Deb is as natural as breathing, the actor captioned the post which featured photos from their wedding day.

From nearly the moment we met ... I knew our destiny was to be together. In our 25 years  our love has only grown deeper. The fun, excitement and adventure more exhilarating; the learning even greater.

Hugh and Deborra-lee Jackman share two children

The Australian couple have two children: 23-year-old Oscar Jackman and Ava Jackman who is 18. In 2012, Hugh Jackman opened up about adopting their two children after having experienced miscarriages. At the time, the actor said that he and his wife had always wanted to adopt. Deborra-lee Jackman would go on to co-found the nonprofit Hopeland, which advocates for adoption when it comes to kids in need and helps support children separated from families.

The couple appeared on TODAY in 2018 to discuss her inspiration for the nonprofit.

We tried to adopt in Australia but it was too tricky, she told Jenna Bush Hager. It drove me to advocating for 10 years. She has traveled the world to support children in need of home safety and security.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
The claim: Hurricane Lee was geoengineered using jet stream manipulation and frequency technology

A Sept. 9 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) features a weather forecast map showing a storm off the East Coast of the U.S.

"Category 5 Hurricane Lee," narrates a man over the video. "It is a hurricane being engineered, built up in power and strength over the Atlantic Ocean, and it is being directed at the East Coast. How is this possible? Through manipulation of jet streams, damming up and releasing. Also, if you look up Hurricane Lee's path, you can go and look at the mainland frequency techs set up to help steer and manipulate the path of Hurricane Lee."

The post garnered more than 1,000 likes in two days.

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Our rating: False

Geoengineering technology isn't advanced enough to create or manipulate hurricanes, according to numerous experts. Hurricane Lee was formed the same way as most other hurricanes  as a result of a combination of specific atmospheric conditions.

Experts say manmade technology isn't strong enough to manipulate hurricanes

Hurricane Lee was declared a Category 5 hurricane on Sept. 7, reaching winds of 160 mph in the Atlantic Ocean. As of Sept. 12, the hurricane weakened to a Category 1 as it headed north toward New England and Canada on Sept. 15.

As has been the case with many previous natural disasters, online users are falsely linking the hurricane to geoengineering, a type of large-scale intervention in the Earth's natural systems designed to help counteract climate change.

There are two general types of geoengineering, the University of Oxford explains on its website. Solar geoengineering aims to reflect a portion of the sun's energy into space to counteract increases in temperature, while carbon geoengineering aims to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

But geoengineering doesn't  and can't  create large-scale weather events like a hurricane.

Josh Horton, program manager of Harvard's Solar Geoengineering Research Program, told USA TODAY the most commonly discussed type of solar geoengineering, stratospheric aerosol injection, is "very imprecise and could not possibly be used to create or influence a specific weather event like a hurricane."

And the process "simply doesnt exist and is not being conducted," Horton said.

Simon Nicholson, co-director of American Universitys Institute for Carbon Removal Law and Policy, and Alan Robock, a climate science professor at Rutgers University, previously told USA TODAY there's no technology that can control hurricanes.

Fact check: Experts say technology capable of creating hurricanes doesn't yet exist

Frank Marks, former director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Hurricane Research Division, told USA TODAY the agency doesn't support any weather modification or geoengineering activities related to tropical cyclones.

"Any claims that any of those types of activities had any impact on Hurricane Lee are totally incorrect," Marks said in an email. "Any man-made influences on Hurricane Lee were likely inadvertent and the same as those related to the changes in climate. There is nothing special about Hurricane Lee that has not occurred in past tropical cyclones."

A research program called Project Stormfury attempted to modify hurricanes in the 1960s by adding silver iodide to clouds but failed. Hugh Willoughby, a participant in the program, told USA TODAY there's no technology with enough energy to control weather systems.

"Even a 10-megaton (hydrogen bomb) releases only about as much energy as a single thunderstorm cell," Willoughby said in an email. "The difference is the H-bomb releases its energy in a few microseconds whereas the thunderstorm takes half an hour. It would take many thunderstorms' worth of energy to change the track of a hurricane."

Methods cited in video aren't realistic

The specific methods of weather manipulation mentioned in the video aren't realistic either, according to experts.

Jessica Matthews, program manager of the High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program, also known as HAARP, previously told USA TODAY the program's research equipment, which includes high-frequency transmitters, cannot create or amplify natural disasters.

The radio frequencies HAARP transmits are not absorbed in either the troposphere or the stratosphere  the two levels of the atmosphere that produce Earths weather," Matthews said. "Since there is no interaction, there is no way to control the weather."

As for jet stream manipulation, Willoughby told USA TODAY the technique is possible but highly unrealistic. He said the method would be "hugely expensive," comparable to the cost of the Cold War or World War II, "and would require 200 years or so to achieve its goals."

Hurricane Lee formed by specific atmospheric conditions

Marks told USA TODAY that Hurricane Lee was formed the way "almost all tropical cyclones form, especially those on the tropical Atlantic."

He directed USA TODAY to a page published by the NOAA that describes the specific conditions necessary for tropical cyclones to form. The water needs to be of a certain temperature and the air a particular level of moisture, the storm needs to be located a sufficient distance from the equator, and vertical wind shear (the change of wind speed and direction with height) needs to be minimal.

Having these conditions met still isn't sufficient, however, according to the website.

Fact check: False claim chemtrails and HAARP are used to manipulate the weather

Marks said Hurricane Lee was caused by an atmospheric phenomenon called an African Easterly Wave, which is a type of wave that originates and travels from Africa at speeds of about 3 mph westward, according to the NOAA page.

"About 85% of intense hurricanes and about 60% of smaller storms have their origin in African Easterly Waves," according to the website.

USA TODAY previously debunked a similar claim that Hurricane Hilary was caused by geoengineering.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Our fact-check sources:

Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or e-newspaper here.

Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video falsely links geoengineering and Hurricane Lee | Fact check
TRIPOLI, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya said Saturday that the UN is actively collaborating with local authorities and aid agencies to provide aid to those in need following a visit to Derna, the hardest-hit city by floods in eastern Libya.

"I left Derna today with a heavy heart after witnessing the devastation caused by the floods on lives and properties... This crisis is beyond Libya's capacity to manage, it goes beyond politics and borders," Abdoulaye Bathily said in a post on social media platform X.

Bathily added that the UN is actively collaborating with local authorities and aid agencies on the ground providing aid to those in need while conducting further assessment of the situation to enhance coordination of the response efforts in Derna and other affected areas.

On Sept. 10, Mediterranean storm Daniel made landfall in Libya, bringing heavy storms and flash floods along its path in the northeast of the war-torn country and causing extensive damage to residential areas and infrastructure.

At least 5,500 people were dead and another 10,000 missing in the disaster, according to the official update on Wednesday. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 38,640 people have been displaced in the most affected areas in northeastern Libya.

The United Nations last week launched an emergency Flash Appeal at the Libyan government's request to coordinate humanitarian relief totaling 70 million U.S. dollars.

Meanwhile, the UN under-secretary general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator announced the immediate release of 10 million dollars from the UN's Central Emergency Relief Fund to support people affected. 
The surf ran up the beach, eager to greet the front steps of a pair of homes in Rodanthe on Friday.

These homes, sitting on the open beach just past the end of East Point Drive, werent alone in the surf. Up and down the beach, waves churned around the pilings of several other houses.

Hundreds of miles away, in the Atlantic, Hurricane Lee continued to make its way north, now a Category 1 hurricane with 80-mile-per-hour winds stretching 70 miles from its center. Its winds would start to reach Canada on Saturday, sparing North Carolina and the Outer Banks from the worst impacts.

N.C. Department of Transportation crews monitored N.C. Highway 12 throughout the day, building up dunes as drivers steered through overwash. Highway signs warned everyone to stay out of the ocean because of the increased risk of rip currents, warnings that were largely heeded. At Oregon Inlet, a fleet of charter fishing boats sat at their docks, bobbing in water but not daring to test seas with waves of nine to 12 feet off of the Outer Banks.

But in Rodanthe, where about a dozen homes sit eastward of any dune line, the homes had no choice but to end up in the surf. In recent years, five oceanfront homes have fallen, sending lumber and nails and insulation up and down the coastline, and leaving behind abandoned septic tanks that can burst open.

Surf edges towards homes in Rodanthe Friday, Sept, 15, 2023 as Hurricane Lee churns in the Atlantic hundreds of miles offshore.

When they were built, the homes werent on Park Service land, but rapid erosion means theyre now located on a beach that belongs to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Government agencies from the National Park Service to the N.C. Division of Coastal Management to Dare County are worried about the homes and their potential impacts.

They all have different degrees of vulnerability based on their exposure to the ocean, meaning how close they are, and then how sensitive the structure is based on its construction, David Hallac, the superintendent of the Park Services Cape Hatteras National Seashore, told The News & Observer.

The beach around Rodanthe is eroding more than 10 feet per year, according to a May study prepared for Dare County. That study also found the dune line in the area offers little to no storm protection.

Alyson Flynn, a coastal advocate and environmental economist for the N.C. Coastal Federation, moved to the Outer Banks in 2017. Even then, she said, the northern Rodanthe homes seemed to be situated much more safely than they are now.

There was a whole other street in front of some of those homes that you could actually drive out on, Flynn told The N&O. Ive slowly seen that kind of wash away.

Ocean overwash settles in the street behind beach homes in Rodanthe Friday, Sept, 15, 2023 as Hurricane Lee churns in the Atlantic hundreds of miles offshore.

The N.C. Division of Coastal Management and Park Service have established a working group to discuss the options for threatened oceanfront homes and other structures.

That group has held two meetings, with a third scheduled for Oct. 11. Originally scheduled for Aug. 30, the third meeting was rescheduled due to potential impacts from Hurricane Idalia moving past the Outer Banks.

We know the situation is only going to get worse. These are barrier islands, they are dynamic environments that are intended to move, and especially in an age of sea-level rise this problem is only going to get worse. The need to get ahead of it is paramount, Sierra Weaver, a Southern Environmental Law Center senior attorney, told The N&O.

Cleaning up home collapses

This May, a one-story home that had been located on East Point Drive fell into the ocean while a surf advisory warned of eight- to 12-foot waves. Debris from the home was strewn across at least a half-mile of the beach, McClatchy reported at the time.

A trio of homes on Rodanthes Ocean Drive collapsed in 2022, including one in February that was broken apart in the surf and left debris spread across the beach for miles.

Hallac warned that a collapsed homes impact on nearby beaches can grow dramatically if it is left in the ocean. During some of the recent collapses, debris has been found about a dozen miles away from where the home fell.

The debris is bobbing around right in the surf zone. It can go from 10,000 pieces to 100,000 pieces as the waves break it up. Then debris can spread long distances along seashore beaches, Hallac said.

The sun rises in Rodanthe Friday, Sept, 15, 2023 as Hurricane Lee churns in the Atlantic hundreds of miles offshore.

The Park Service urges homeowners to have contractors and other resources ready to go to remove the debris from a fallen home or clean up a septic tank thats been cracked open by waves.

But, Hallac said, Thus far, I dont think weve had an owner that was prepared to really clean up promptly. But to be fair, Im not sure that anybody knew what it took to do a complete, quick cleanup.

When a home falls, Weaver stressed, it doesnt just impact the owner who needs to pay to clean it up or decide what to do with their homes.

Its not just about the houses and where theyre going, Weaver said, but what are we talking about in terms of the American public and their ability to use this national resource, this national treasure out there on the Outer Banks.

Surf crashes around beach homes in Rodanthe Friday, Sept, 15, 2023 as Hurricane Lee churns in the Atlantic hundreds of miles offshore.

After the March collapse, Hallac decided to deploy Park Service staff to clean up the debris. Using about 40 staff members, most of the larger debris was cleaned up within days and the rest within a week. Other cleanups around Rodanthe have taken more than a month because the debris spread so quickly.

Several homes in Rodanthe have yellow tags on them, indicating that theyre uninhabitable, Bobby Outten, the Dare County manager, told The N&O. The countys building inspectors make that determination for a number of reasons, ranging from the destruction of stairs making the house inaccessible to the destruction of a drain line running to the homes septic tank or the bending of one of the pilings holding the structure up.

We can shut them down, we can make them uninhabitable where they dont create income and all that, but beyond that we dont have any tools, Outten said.

The septic systems pose a particular problem in an oceanfront environment. Sometimes, the moving sand uncovers the tanks, leaving them vulnerable to powerful waves that can crack them open and spill their contents across the beach.

Often, those septic tanks arent hooked up to a home anymore and it will be unclear who is responsible for it.

We hope that the owner is going to pump the tank out and remove it, but I can tell you thats not always happened, Hallac said.

The Coastal Federation and Southern Environmental Law Center have urged local and state officials to establish new rules around septic tanks to limit their impacts in vulnerable coastal environments like Rodanthe.

The N.C. Coastal Resources Commission is considering one potential change, updating septic-tank rules to require any relocated septic tank that is on the ocean-facing side of the vegetation line to receive a state permit. It would also require owners to remove the existing septic tank and its components as part of placing a new one, preventing the addition of more unaccounted-for tanks.

These rules are trying to make it so that these tanks arent on a public beach anymore and try to stop this situation of being able to continually replace your septic tank, Flynn said.

Nourishment, buyouts and other options

No Swimming flags flap in the wind on Avon Pier Thursday Sept, 15, 2023 as Hurricane Lee churns in the Atlantic hundreds of miles offshore.

Many homeowners in Rodanthe have advocated for a beach nourishment project, arguing the best way to protect their homes is by putting more sand in front of them. But the project could come with a price tag of as much as $40 million, and Dare County doesnt have the money to pay for it.

Outten estimated that Dare County has $8 to $10 million in its beach nourishment fund, which the county uses to pay for projects up and down the Outer Banks.

County leaders want the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to study funding nourishment in Rodanthe using federal money. But studying the possibility would take as much as three years, and then the project would need to be funded.

The problems that we have will persist until we figure out a funding source to make it work there, Outten said.

A home sits in the surf in Rodanthe Friday, Sept, 15, 2023 as Hurricane Lee churns in the Atlantic hundreds of miles offshore.

Not everyone is in favor of nourishing the beach around Rodanthe.

A previous nourishment project in the area was conducted to protect a then-vulnerable portion of Highway 12, the road that serves as a vital lifeline to Rodanthe, Avon and Hatteras. But that portion of road, once known as the S curves because of its windiness, no longer exists. Its been replaced by the new Jug Handle Bridge, which swings out into the Pamlico Sound and bypasses the flood-prone areas entirely.

Without the road, Flynn said, a nourishment project would be conducted solely to protect private homes. Thats different than every other nourishment project on the Outer Banks, which also protect the road and other infrastructure.

It would be difficult to see the benefit other than the protection of private property. So thats certainly not ideal in our minds, Flynn said.

Some owners have already started paying to move their homes back from the ocean, buying time and hoping for a solution.

Another option would be for Dare County to condemn the ocean-threatened houses, buy them and tear them down to prevent debris from scattering across the shore. But Outten quickly discounted that, saying it would displace money that could be used for a beach nourishment project.

If we bought 10 houses, next year theres going to be 10 more, Outten said. So what did we accomplish? Because the erosions still occurring.

Dare County did explore the possibility of using funds from the N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency to buy and destroy homes in the area.

But it quickly became clear that establishing a so-called strategic buyout zone for what are almost entirely second homes in Rodanthe wouldnt be high on the states list of priorities for disaster-relief funds, Outten said.

If you take care of all the underserved communities and then you take care of all the primary residences, theres really not a lot of money left, Outten said.

North Carolina isnt the only place with valuable property next to an eroding shoreline, Outten said. He points to the Great Lakes and Nantucket as places that are facing similar issues. But, like everyone sorting through the different levels of bureaucracy and responsibility right now, Outten isnt sure where a solution will come from.

Flynn, the Coastal Federation advocate, is optimistic the inter-agency working group will point officials toward solutions.

Its a difficult situation, but were able to be role models and basically set precedent for when other states and areas have this problem, Flynn said. Theres really no clear model right now from any other state on how to best address this. I think many eyes are going to be on North Carolina.

Photos: Hurricane Lees impact felt along NC coast

This story was produced with financial support from the Hartfield Foundation and the 1Earth Fund, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners, as part of an independent journalism fellowship program. The N&O maintains full editorial control of the work.
As of 5 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, Hurricane Lee, now post-tropical cyclone Lee, is moving north off the coast of Cape Cod Massachusetts, bringing possible hurricane conditions to southern New Brunswick and Nova Scotia later today and into tomorrow.

At Horseneck Beach the surf was fairly calm and a few cars were passing to look at the conditions as of 8 a.m. The wind was calm at Padanamaram in Dartmouth as well.

Waves caused by Hurricane Lee crash onto the rocks as a vehicle crosses the Gooseberry Island causeway in Westport.

A man walks across as waves generated by Hurricane Lee crash onto the Gooseberry Island causeway in Westport.

On Saturday morning, Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan, said he "was already out and about" had just checked in at the Department of Community Maintenance barn on Lewiston Street.

"So there have been no calls to Lewiston Street. We have been prepared to go, but so far no reports of trees down, no calls for anything important. So we have skated by this one and we are pretty calm right now," he added.

What happened overnight?

Area police and fire departments reported a quiet night. New Bedford, Fairhaven, Dartmouth, Mattapoisett, and Marion officials said they didn't have any storm-related problems to report overnight. There were also no power outages recorded in any of the communities, according to the Eversource website.

A man gets out of his car to take a photo of the waves being generated by Hurricane Lee from the Gooseberry Island causeway in Westport.

The Boston weather service office said the region did not experience a lot of coastal flooding with the early morning high tide, but did experience minor flooding in Nantucket Harbor and some "splashover" in Scituate. A Canadian buoy to the east of Lee's center, roughly 350 miles east of Boston, has reported wave heights ramping up from 20 at 1 a.m. to 36 feet by 8 a.m.

Track the storm: Follow Hurricane Lee's path with our tracker. Storm to bring rip currents, storm surge

Where is Hurricane Lee now and how strong is it?

Per the National Hurricane Center's 5 a.m. forecast discussion, Hurricane Lee "completed its transition to a post-tropical cyclone" overnight, forming into a comma-shaped storm lacking the convection and organization of a tropical storm or hurricane.

However, the NHC notes that Lee remains a "potent" storm, with winds measuring up to 75 mph recorded 110 miles from its center.

Lee is traveling north, outside of the Gulf Stream, at about 25 mph.

Several trees have been reported down in Washington County, Maine, the National Weather Service office in Caribou, Maine reported. Gusts up to 80 mph were reported on Grand Manan Island, a Canadian island just offshore of Washington County where the Gulf of Maine becomes the Bay of Fundy.

'Sobering' data: US has set a record for natural disasters and climate catastrophes in 2023

Is the Seastreak Ferry running today?

Seastreak Ferries has cancelled all service between New Bedford, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket today, and all Marthas Vineyard service will be diverted to Vineyard Haven on Sunday.

Sunday's diverted schedule includes:

8:45 a.m. New Bedford departure will arrive in Vineyard Haven, not Oak Bluffs; 12:30 p.m. Marthas Vineyard departure will depart from Vineyard Haven, not Oak Bluffs; 2 p.m. New Bedford departure will arrive in Vineyard Haven, not Oak Bluffs; 5:30 p.m. Marthas Vineyard departure will depart from Vineyard Haven, not Oak Bluffs

The address for the Vineyard Haven dock is 1 Water St., Vineyard Haven.

Questions can be directed to 1-800-BOATRIDE (262-8743), or via email at contactnb@seastreak.com.

Block Island Ferry cancels high speed ferry Saturday, adjusts traditional ferry schedule

According to the Block Island Ferry website, all high speed ferry departures have been cancelled for Saturday, Sept. 16.

The ferry service also cancelled the 8:15 a.m. traditional ferry departing Block Island and 9 a.m. traditional ferry departing Pt. Judith.

Traditional ferry service will resume from Block Island and Pt. Judith starting at 11 a.m., according to the website.

Is Hurricane Lee causing flight delays at T.F. Green?

As of 8 a.m. Saturday morning, flights into and out of Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport remain largely unaffected by Hurricane Lee.

The flight tracker on the airport's website shows all flights scheduled for the day running on time.

State of Emergency declared in Massachusetts ahead of Hurricane Lee to help with response

Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts on Friday and is requesting that FEMA issue a pre-disaster emergency declaration. A state of emergency and an emergency declaration makes Massachusetts eligible for direct federal assistance for response costs, personnel, equipment, supplies and evacuation assistance.

Healey activated 50 National Guard troops for storm preparation and to be prepared to respond with high-water vehicles if needed.

Scott Belliveau who is currently living in South Carolina had his friends Bob Warren, seen here removing the headsail, and Fran Grenon prepare his sailboat moored in Mattapoisett, MA harbor for the possible hurricane Lee making landfall at the end of the week.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency opened its state of emergency operation center at its Framingham headquarters at 7 a.m. The state will also set up operation centers in Franklin and Tewksbury to support local and state agencies and organizations.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has urged residents to stay off the roads in the height of the storm.

~ Kinga Borondy, Massachusetts Statehouse reporter with the Worcester Telegram.

Power outage estimates: Affects could be 'minor to moderate'

Carl Sawejko, coordinator of Emergency Management Services for Swansea, was on the statewide briefing coordinated by MEMA and the National Weather Service at 3 p.m. Friday.

Sawejko said that storm officials anticipated that affects of the storm will likely be minor to moderate, and wind gusts could peak early Saturday.

Power outage risks associated with Hurricane Lee Sept. 15, 2023, Friday night through Sunday.

Storm officials also indicated, according to Sawejko, that utility company Eversource anticipates that at the peak of the storm 140,000 could be impacted with National Grid estimating that at the height, 139,000 of its customers could be impacted.

To report an outage to Eversource, call 800-592-2000; to report an outage to National Grid, call 800-465-1212.

Making plans for Nigel: National Hurricane Center tracking tropical depression expected to become hurricane soon

Looking ahead: Could another tropical storm follow Lee? Accuweather thinks so

The National Hurricane Center is currently tracking a tropical depression that formed in the Atlantic. It is expected to become a tropical storm Saturday, and could become a hurricane late this weekend. The developing storm will likely be named Nigel, unless something else pops up very soon ahead of it to grab the next name on this year's list.

The storm could follow a path similar to that Hurricane Lee's over the past week, according to AccuWeather.

The National Hurricane Center is predicting maximum sustained winds could reach 120 mph in four days, making it a Category 3 storm. And that's a conservative estimate, forecasters said.

 Cheryl McCloud, USA Today Network

Emergency numbers to know:

To report a downed power line, medical, fire, or other emergencies, dial 911

Eversource: 800-592-2000

National Grid: 800-465-1212

Verizon: 800-VERIZON

Comcast: 800-XFINITY

Police non-emergency lines:

Acushnet: 508-998-0240

Dartmouth: 508-910-1700

Fairhaven: 508-997-7421

Fall River: 508-676-8511

Freetown: 508-763-4017

New Bedford: 508-991-6350

Somerset: 508-679-2138

Swansea: 508-674-8464

Westport: 508-636-1122

New Bedford Department of Public Infrastructure: 508-979-1550

Fall River Department of Community Maintenance: for downed trees or branches, 508-324-2762; for sewer/storm drain flooding, 508-672-4530; for Water Department-related issues, 508-324-2721

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: New Bedford and Fall River weather: Hurricane Lee's rain, high surf
By Francois Murphy

VIENNA (Reuters) -U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi on Saturday condemned Iran's "disproportionate and unprecedented" move to bar multiple inspectors assigned to the country, hindering its oversight of Tehran's atomic activities.

Iran's move is a response to a call led by the United States, Britain, France and Germany at the International Atomic Energy Agency's Board of Governors this week for Tehran to cooperate immediately with the IAEA on issues including explaining uranium traces found at undeclared sites.

Grossi made clear, however, that he believed Iran had overreacted.

"I strongly condemn this disproportionate and unprecedented unilateral measure which affects the normal planning and conduct of agency verification activities in Iran and openly contradicts the cooperation that should exist between the agency and Iran," he said in a statement.

Iran's move, known as "de-designation" of inspectors, is allowed; member states can generally veto inspectors assigned to visit their nuclear facilities under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and each country's safeguards agreement with the agency governing inspections.

But the IAEA said Tehran's decision went beyond normal practice. It said Iran had told it that it would bar "several" inspectors, without giving a number.

"These inspectors are among the most experienced agency experts with unique knowledge in enrichment technology," the agency said. "With today's decision, Iran has effectively removed about one third of the core group of the Agency's most experienced inspectors designated for Iran."

Iran defended its move and accused the United States, Britain, France and Germany of politicising the IAEA watchdog.

"Unfortunately, despite Iran's positive, constructive and continuous interaction of the with the agency, the three European countries and the United States abused the (IAEA's) Board of Governors for their own political purposes," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani told state media.

"Of course, Iran will continue its positive cooperation within the framework of the agreements that have been made, and emphasise the necessity of the agency's neutrality," he added.

A Vienna-based diplomat said Iran had de-designated all the French and German members of the IAEA inspection team. There were already no U.S. or British members.

"This measure, while formally permitted by the NPT Safeguards Agreement, has been exercised by Iran in a manner that affects in a direct and severe way the ability of the IAEA to conduct effectively its inspections in Iran," the IAEA said.

Grossi added: "I call upon the Iranian Government to reconsider its decision and to return to a path of cooperation with the Agency."

The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting By Francois Murphy; Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed in Washington and Dubai newsroom; Editing by Mike Harrison and and Ros Russell)
Rafael Grossi , Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said he does not believe that Russia, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, will transfer nuclear know-how to fellow pariah state North Korea.

Grossi was speaking in an interview with South Koreas Yonhap news agency on Sept. 15.

"I cannot conceive that countries would engage in trade or in exchanges (of nuclear weapons technology) with a country that has such a problematic relation with the non-proliferation regime like the DPRK (North Korea)," Grossi said.

He also said that in its relations with North Korea, Russia was aware of its obligations as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

"I pretty much hope that this will continue to be the case," the IAEA chief added.

Grossi said that Moscow can "help" Pyongyang cooperate with the IAEA and "create confidence-building avenues" that have been severed with other countries.

At the same time, according to the director general, the IAEA sees "very concerning elements" in the activities at North Korea's nuclear test site in Punggye-ri, which remains prepared to conduct nuclear tests.

Read also: What weapons can North Korea send to help Russia against Ukraine  interview

"What we have is a program that is completely out of any supervisory control, any interaction with any independent monitoring authority or expertise in nuclear safety," Grossi said, adding that the IAEA is following the developments with "enormous interest."

"Were available, were engaged and we want, of course, for North Korea to engage with us," Grossi said.

Earlier, UK newspaper the Financial Times wrote that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un is ready to conclude a deal with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, under which North Korea will provide Russia with weapons and ammunition to continue its full-scale war against Ukraine, in exchange for which Pyongyang may receive grain, oil, military technology or foreign currency.

It is also possible that Russia could transfer sensitive military technologies to the DPRK that could increase threats to its neighbors, particularly South Korea and Japan.

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has stated that the United States is "concerned" about the possible consequences of North Korea and Russia's cooperation in the field of nuclear missile technology.

Kim Jong Un's visit to Russia  What is known

Kim arrived in Russia on the morning of Sept. 12. He met with Putin, visited the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Far East, and called the war against Ukraine a "sacred struggle," wishing the Kremlin dictator "victory."

Read also: Russia turning to North Korea a sign of weakness  Ukrainian intel

Washington has already warned that if the arms transfer does take place, Russia and North Korea will face new sanctions. At the same time, Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraines Defense Intelligence, is certain that Russia has been receiving 122mm and 152 mm shells and Grad missiles from North Korea for a month-and-a-half.

At the end of July, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to North Korea amid a dispute with Russias Wagner mercenary company over an alleged shortage of ammunition. Later, in January, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that the DPRK had transferred missiles and shells to Russian forces.

Early on Sept. 15, Kim arrived in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur in Russia to visit a fighter jet manufacturing plant there.

The Kremlin said that no military agreements were signed during the visit of the DPRK leader to Russia.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Idaho Gov. Brad Little has fired off his own response days after three U.S. senators sent a letter to University of Idaho President Scott Green asking the school to reconsider its plans to acquire the University of Phoenix.

Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Dick Durbin of Illinois and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut wrote to Green on Monday, detailing their concerns about the proposed acquisition of the online, for-profit university and the potential liabilities the U of I would incur, including thousands of pending student loan writeoffs.

Little said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, that Warren, Durbin and Blumenthal should focus less of their time on Idaho and more on securing the U.S.-Mexico border.

I see you have taken an interest in Idaho  thousands of miles from Massachusetts, Illinois and Connecticut, Little said in his post Friday. While you are focused on the past, here in Idaho we are focused on the proposed deals potential.

The University of Phoenix formerly had an Idaho campus in this office building at 1422 S. Tech Lane in Meridian. This Google Street View image was taken in August 2015 from Interstate 84 just north of the site.

He accused their states of being the most costly for higher education, while Idaho ranks among the least costly.

The letter from Warren, Durbin and Blumenthal was not signed by either of Idahos two senators, Republicans Mike Crapo and Jim Risch , a U of I alum.

Risch said in a statement emailed to the Idaho Statesman that any transaction like this should be closely examined and that the other senators have no connection or interest in the matter. He said they should respect Idahos ability to determine whats best for itself.

Crapo said in a statement that he has faith in the U of Is leadership to determine their path forward.

The letter Warren, Durbin and Blumenthal sent to Green claimed the acquisition could harm students and taxpayers  not only in Idaho, but across the country.

The University of Idahos planned acquisition of the University of Phoenix has drawn the attention of three U.S. senators.

We are concerned that U of Is acquisition will allow Phoenix to continue to abuse students under the guise of a trusted, public university, the senators wrote. Many for-profit colleges have a long history of preying on vulnerable students  including veterans, low-income students and students of color. Phoenix is no exception.

They said they worried U of I would be on the hook for the University of Phoenixs discharged federal student loans. That happened to the University of Arizona when it acquired the online, for-profit Ashford University in 2020.

Green replied to the three senators on Wednesday.

His letter, provided to the Statesman by a spokesperson for the university, thanked the senators for their interest in the schools affairs and informed them that the U of I is well prepared for any potential liabilities that may accompany the transaction.

Student loan debt is certainly something we pay attention to at U of I, Green said. It is a conversation we have had with the new management of University of Phoenix and was considered as part of our due diligence.

Three U.S. senators asked U of I to drop U of Phoenix deal. Were Idahos among them?

Conflict of interest: Idaho AG gave officials legal advice, then investigated them

Ex-law professor sued U of I over alleged race, gender discrimination. They just settled
Authorities on Saturday released the names of three people killed in a head-on collision in Madison County.

Chase Bowles, 21, of Alton; Emily K. Morton, 21, of Nixa, Missouri; and Jayda N. Fulkerson, 21, of Marine died in the crash on Friday, according to Illinois State Police.

The collision occurred at 3:44 a.m. on Illinois 4 just north of Old State Route 4.

Illinois State Police said in a news release that its preliminary investigation showed Bowles was driving southbound in a Buick Verano when he crossed the center line for unknown reasons, hitting Mortons northbound Ford Escape. Fulkerson was Mortons passenger.

All three were pronounced deceased at the scene.
Former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis says she cant support her ex-boss in the 2024 presidential elections due to his malignant, narcissistic tendency to never admit that hes wrong.

Ms Ellis, who is one of 18 co-defendants charged alongside Donald Trump for trying to overturn the 2020 Georgia election results, called for conservative voters to desert the GOP frontrunner on her radio show Jenna Ellis in the Morning on Thursday.

I know him well as a friend and a former boss, I have great love and respect for him personally, she said during a conversation with conservative commentator Steve Deace, first reported by Media Matters.

I simply cant support him for elected office again. Why I have chosen to distance is because of that frankly malignant, narcissistic tendency to simply say that hes never done anything wrong.

Ms Ellis has previously signalled she would support Ron DeSantis in 2024, and said Mr Trumps grip on Republican voters was concerning.

The total idolatry that I am seeing from some of the supporters that are unwilling to put the constitution and the country and the conservative principles above their love for a star is really troubling.

Ms Ellis was among Mr Trumps most loyal lieutenants as he sought to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.

A beaming Jenna Ellis in a booking photo taken in Fulton County in August (Reuters)

In March, she was censured by a Colorado judge after a misconduct hearing and admitted she made multiple misrepresentations that the 2020 elections were stolen.

She handed herself in to authorities in Fulton County in August after being indicted on charges of violating Georgias RICO Act and soliciting the violation of oath by a public officer.

Ms Ellis has protested her innocence, writing on social media after her arrest that the Democrats and the Fulton County DA are criminalising the practice of law.

She has crowdfunded more than $200,000 for her legal defence fund.
Russian investigative news outlet The Insider reported that the head of Sputnik Moldova, who was recently deported back to Russia, is a Russian intelligence officer specializing in disinformation.

Vitaliy Denisov , head of the Moldova branch of the Russian state-owned Sputnik TV, was ordered to depart Chisinau on Sept. 13. Once he landed in Moscow, he told media that he was banned from Moldova for 10 years.

The Insider reported that Denisov, who originates from Zakarpattia in Ukraine, completed a military education in Lviv and moved to Moscow after Ukraine declared its independence.

He allegedly works for the 72nd center of Russia's special services, which specializes in analyzing information from other countries, creates fake information and is involved in organizations aimed at a Russian-speaking audience.

Following an earlier investigation about spies within the Russian mission in Chisinau, Moldova's government deported 36 Russian diplomats from the country, with a total of 68 people leaving, along with their households, The Insider reported.

However, the outlet believes that GRU, FSB and other Russian agents remain in the country.

Sputnik TV is one of Russia's primary channels of disinformation.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
KHARTOUM, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Violent confrontations resumed on Saturday between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in various areas of the capital Khartoum as the clashes in Sudan entered the sixth month.

The RSF launched violent attacks targeting the headquarters of the SAF's General Command in central Khartoum and other military bases in nearby Omdurman and Bahri cities, according to local media and eyewitnesses.

"Violent clashes broke out at dawn today (Saturday) in the vicinity of the General Command of the Sudanese army, in which all types of weapons were used," the independent Sudan Tribune news portal reported on its website, quoting eyewitnesses as saying.

Citing a military source, it reported that the SAF repulsed an attack by the RSF on the army's general command from the northeastern and southwestern directions, adding that the SAF has inflicted heavy losses among the paramilitary forces in lives and equipment.

Meanwhile, an eyewitness from eastern Khartoum told Xinhua that "since morning, there have been strong explosions in Burri and Imtidat Nasir neighborhoods, with clouds of smoke rising from the two areas."

In Bahri city, north of Khartoum, eyewitnesses said the RSF launched heavy artillery strikes on the Sudanese army's Signal Corps.

Violent battles are also taking place between the RSF and the SAF in the vicinity of the Engineers Corps, a strategic army base, in western Omdurman, northwest of Khartoum.

"There are violent battles in the vicinity of the Engineers Corps, with intensive sorties by the SAF warplanes," an eyewitness from the western Omdurman area told Xinhua on Saturday.

As the clashes just entered their sixth month, the RSF still controls large areas in the capital Khartoum, and some western areas, while the SAF controls large areas in northern, eastern and central Sudan.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the SAF and the RSF in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, resulting in at least 3,000 deaths and more than 6,000 injuries, according to figures released by the Sudanese Health Ministry. 
The Iowa Democratic Party has voted to hold the in-person portion of its 2024 presidential caucuses on Jan. 15  the same day Iowa Republicans plan to caucus.

That will be when Democrats will meet to conduct party business, elect precinct officers and determine unbound delegates to the county convention. It is also Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday.

Iowa Democrats will honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by renewing our commitment to protecting our freedoms so that we may ensure future generations continue to have a voice," Party Chair Rita Hart said in a statement.

The Iowa Democratic Party State Central Committee approved the Jan. 15 date at a meeting on Saturday. But the bigger question, still left unresolved, is how Democrats will handle the mail-in portion of their caucuses, which they will use to cast their presidential preferences.

Iowa Democrats submitted a delegate selection plan to the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee earlier this year proposing an entirely mail-in absentee process for casting presidential preferences. But they have not yet said when they plan to tally and announce the results of that mail-in caucus, suggesting it could be on caucus night or a different night entirely.

That has frustrated Iowa Republicans, who believe it looks too much like a primary and could threaten their own chances at retaining first-in-the-nation status.

It's also a sticking point for national Democrats, who are working to reorder the presidential nominating calendar.

More: The death of the Iowa Democratic caucus: How 50 years of jury-rigging doomed an American tradition

The Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee considered Iowa's plan in June and found it to be out of compliance with party rules.

The committee said it will not approve the plan unless Iowa Democrats ensure that the postmark deadline for mail-in presidential preference cards is March 5, 2024, or later  ensuring that Iowa's caucus results couldn't be announced until after the early voting window concludes and other states begin weighing in on Super Tuesday.

Iowa Democrats have not yet said how they plan to address that issue.

The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee is expected to further discuss Iowa's place on the nominating calendar at its October meeting.

"We are continuing to work with the Iowa Democratic Party to navigate a system that complies with our calendar," committee co-chair Jim Roosevelt said. "We understand that the Iowa party will have additional updates for us ahead of the October RBC meeting."

The presidential nominating calendar has been in flux since national Democrats began discussing the issue more than a year and a half ago.

In February, the DNC voted to boot Iowa Democrats from their first-in-the-nation spot in an effort to move away from caucuses and to promote states that better reflect the party's diversity.

The DNC's plan, proposed by Democratic President Joe Biden, would put South Carolina at the front of the line, followed by contests held in New Hampshire and Nevada on the same day, and then Michigan and, finally, Georgia.

But the party has so far struggled to implement that plan in the months since.

Georgia has declined to set its primary date ahead of Super Tuesday, instead opting for a March 12 contest.

And the committee voted Sept. 14 to again give New Hampshire more time to make the necessary changes to fall in line with the DNC calendar. State law in New Hampshire requires it to hold the first presidential primary, and state leaders have been adamant they will uphold that law, even if they face DNC sanctions.

The DNC has said it could impose penalties on states that hold rogue contests and on the candidates who file to appear on those states' ballots.

Biden has not said whether he will break the party's rules to appear on New Hampshire's ballot. But doing so would undermine his effort to put South Carolina at the front of the line.

It could put the president in the embarrassing position of losing an unofficial New Hampshire contest to fringe candidates who have less to lose and choose to file for the New Hampshire ballot. It's prompted some New Hampshire Democrats to begin an unofficial write-in campaign to make sure Biden is represented in that state.

Iowa Democrats have been less clear about whether they will defy the DNC to host an unsanctioned early contest.

Iowa also has a state law requiring it to hold the nation's first presidential caucuses. But because Iowas caucuses are run by state parties, its law is harder to enforce than in New Hampshire, where the primary election is run by the state.

A 1996 opinion issued by the Iowa Attorney General's office found that Iowa could not require political parties to change the date of their caucuses to be in compliance with that code section without raising constitutional questions.

Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa Democrats approve in-person Jan. 15 caucus date, same as GOP date
The father of Mahsa Jina Amini, the Kurdish Iranian woman whose death in police custody in Iran last year sparked a movement of nationwide anti-regime protests, was arrested Saturday on the first anniversary of his daughters death.

Security forces surrounded Amjad Aminis home in the Iranian city of Saqez in anticipation of the anniversary of Mahsas death amid heightened security nationwide.

According to the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, Amjad Amini was warned against commemorating his daughters death before being released by officials. The Iranian governments official news agency, IRNA, denied that Amjad Amini was arrested and did not confirm if he was briefly detained.

Mahsa Amini, who was 22 at the time of her death, was arrested by the Islamic Republic of Irans so-called morality police for an alleged breach of the countrys compulsory hijab laws and died in police custody Sept. 16 last year under suspicious circumstances.

Shortly after her passing, protests against the Iranian regime and its violence against women sparked in cities across Iran, and Mahsa quickly became the face of an anti-regime movement that protesters have sustained since September of last year.



The protests have been met with prolonged internet blackouts and violent attempts at repression from the Iranian government  Human Rights Watch estimates that at least 500 people have been killed or executed during the past years protests, including 69 children.

Members of the Iranian diaspora in cities around the world have also protested against the Islamic Republic, hoisting photos of Mahsa and other protesters in the air while chanting the movements slogan: Women, Life, Freedom.

President Joe Biden released a statement commemorating Mahsas death Friday, expressing solidarity with the Iranian peoples movement and committing to standing with them.

As we have seen over the last year, Mahsas story did not end with her brutal death. She inspired a historic movementWoman, Life, Freedomthat has impacted Iran and influenced people across the globe who are tirelessly advocating for gender equality and respect for their human rights. In the face of continued oppression and violence, the citizens of Iran remain committed to this movement and to their fight for a free and democratic future, Biden said.

The Biden administration also announced new sanctions against more than two dozen entities and individuals involved in repression in Iran, and vowed to continue imposing sanctions in response to the countrys human rights violations and its military support for Russia in the war against Ukraine.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed the new sanctions in a strongly worded statement released Friday.

The United States has joined countries around the world in supporting the Iranian people in their pursuit of justice, accountability, and respect for their human rights  during the protests and throughout the last year, Blinken said.

Despite Blinkens assurances that the U.S. government has been working to support the Iranian people in the face of brutal oppression, some Iranian activists still claim that the U.S. isnt doing enough.

This week, activists expressed frustration at Bidens deal to bring back five U.S. citizens detained in Iran in exchange for five Iranian nationals in U.S. custody as well as restricted access by Tehran to $6 billion in previously frozen Iranian funds. The prisoner exchange could happen in the coming days.

Activist Masih Alinejad, who has faced numerous threats against her life from the Iranian regime, quoted Blinkens post Friday, saying the U.S. didnt take appropriate actions against Iran following Mahsas death.

No, Secretary Blinken! Alinejad wrote. Unfortunately, the US government didnt take appropriate actions against the killer of Mahsa Jina Amini: It is heartbreaking that right on the anniversary of Mahsa Aminis murder at the hands of the morality police, America has given a gift to the gender apartheid regime in the form of $6 billion, as well as visas for the killers of Mahsa.

Nahal Toosi contributed to this report.
Iranian police arrested the father of Mahsa Amini who died in police custody, on the one-year anniversary of her death.

Ms Aminis death, which occurred while she was being held for not covering her hair properly, inspired a mass protest movement in Iran.

On Saturday, Iranian authorities prevented the Amini family from holding a ceremony to commemorate the anniversary, confining her father, Amjad, to his home after briefly detaining him, rights group said.

Security forces took up positions around Mr Aminis home in Saqqez, western Iran.

Ms Amini was 22 when she was killed by Tehrans morality police.

Authorities appear to have launched a crackdown in recent weeks ahead of the anniversary, targeting the Amini family after reports that it intended to hold a ceremony.

People take part in a rally outside the Iranian embassy in London to mark the one-year anniversary of Mahsa Aminis death - James Manning/PA

On Monday, Mr Amini was interrogated by security forces for an hour, who demanded he issue a statement denying plans to commemorate the anniversary, according to Radio Farda.

Ms Aminis uncle was reported to have been violently arrested the following day as five local intelligence forces gathered outside the 30-year-olds home in Saqqez.

A massive security force presence was deployed in Irans predominantly Kurdish areas on Saturday in anticipation of disruption, according to human rights groups.

However, state news said Ms Aminis hometown of Saqqez was completely quiet and that calls for strikes in Kurdish areas had failed because of peoples vigilance and the presence of security and military forces.

An official in the Kurdistan province was quoted as saying: A number of agents affiliated with counter-revolutionary groups who had planned to create chaos and prepare media fodder were arrested in the early hours of this morning.

Seven executions

In the protests that followed Ms Aminis death, more than 500 people, including 71 children, are believed to have been killed, while thousands more were injured and arrested. Iran carried out seven executions linked to the unrest.

Those believed to have taken part in protests, or relatives of those killed in the chaos, have apparently been arrested, summoned, threatened or sacked from their jobs in the past few weeks.

Amnesty International said last month that Iranian authorities have been subjecting victims families to arbitrary arrest and detention, imposing cruel restrictions on peaceful gatherings at grave sites, and destroying victims gravestones.

On Tuesday, the father and sister of Mohammad Hassanzadeh, a 28-year-old who was killed by police during protests last year, were arrested in the city of Bukan.

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.
FILE PHOTO: Protest against the Islamic regime of Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, in Istanbul

(Reuters) - Iranian security forces released Mahsa Amini's father on Saturday after briefly detaining and warning him against marking the anniversary of her death, a human rights group said.

"Security forces detained Amjad Amini today and returned him to his house after threatening him against marking his daughter's death anniversary," the Kurdistan Human Rights network said.

Mahsa Amini's death in police custody a year ago unleashed months of anti-government protests that spiralled into the biggest show of opposition to the authorities in years.

Iranian officials were not immediately reachable by Reuters for comment.

(dubai.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com)
A year after her death, thousands of people across the world are expected to march in memory of Mahsa Amini  but Iranian authorities have worked to ensure that there will not be a repeat of the demonstrations that swept the country last year.

Aminis death on Sept. 16, 2022, after being detained by the countrys morality police sparked a wave of mass unrest. The intense crackdown that followed has largely stifled the protest movement, with new detentions and draft laws being discussed in anticipation of the anniversary.

Yet the death of this 22-year-old Kurdish woman, who had been accused of not wearing her hijab properly, can still be felt in Iran, where many women now choose to walk the streets without a headscarf, defying the state, and in the dozens of foreign cities  in the U.S., Europe and beyond  that will hold demonstrations on Saturday.

A symbol of every womans struggle

The nationwide outpouring of anger that followed Aminis death quickly developed into the biggest challenge to Irans theocratic establishment since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Iranian women and girls defiantly removed and sometimes burned their headscarves in public, while others around the world cut their hair in solidarity.

Although Iran has had episodes of mass protests in recent decades, the uprising after Aminis death was shaped and dominated by women, who adopted the slogan Woman, life, freedom.

She represented the grievances of every single Iranian woman who has experienced the brutal repression of the hijab over 44 years, said Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director of the New York-based Center for Human Rights in Iran. So in a way, she became a symbol of every womans struggle.

Though the underlying human rights issues and economic troubles that drove much of the protests persist, the governments intense crackdown has largely quashed public unrest  and the authorities want to keep it that way.

Amini's father, Amjad Amini, was "briefly detained" by Iranian authorities on Saturday, according to the state-affiliated Fars news agency, ahead of planned protests across the world in support of women in Iran.

Image: Evening March To Commemorate Mahsa Amini Death First Anniversary (Maja Hitij / Getty Images)

Thousands of protesters across the country were detained after Aminis death and more than 500 are believed to have died, according to the U.N. Some were publicly executed.

Although thousands of protesters were officially pardoned, the countrys leadership has been trying to return to the status quo: reimposing strict dress codes and returning morality police to the streets. Irans parliament has also been looking into a new bill, which the United Nations has called a form of gender apartheid that could impose harsher penalties on women who refuse to wear the hijab.

In the weeks leading up to the anniversary, womens rights activists have been detained, accused of trying to organize more protests, and the human rights group Amnesty International reported a ruthless campaign of harassment and intimidation against the families of the killed protesters.

Security has been stepped up in the capital, Tehran, in recent days, although there have been no signs of protests in any major cities. Social media sites remain banned in the country, and state-run media has stopped short of talking about the anniversary, but has run articles in recent weeks about what it called lies told by the Amini family about how Mahsa died.

Image: (Mauro Scrobogna / AP)

Her father, Amjad, was summoned and interrogated after the family revealed plans to hold a memorial for their daughter, the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, a nonprofit that documents human rights violations in Kurdistan and Iran, said this week. NBC News has not verified the claim that he was interrogated.

In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned that those who try to create instability in the Islamic Republic would pay a big cost.

Asked about the governments efforts to suppress any protest activity ahead of the anniversary, Raisi said that his government was ready to listen to genuine protesters but would not tolerate attempts to destabilize the country.

You should be assured that the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been ready to listen to (the) words of protesters. On any issue, we are all ears, he said through a government translator.

And those who intend to abuse Madam Aminis name, under this pretext to be an agent of foreigners to create this instability in the country, we know what ... would happen to them, Raisi added.

The U.S. and its allies have sanctioned senior officials in Iran for their roles in the crackdown. As he announced a new round of sanctions on Friday, President Joe Biden said that Mahsas story did not end with her brutal death, adding that she had inspired a historic movement whose impact has been felt across the globe.

Protest rallies continue to take place across the world, after Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman, died on September 16, three days after her arrest for allegedly breaching Iran's strict rules for women on wearing hijab headscarves and modest clothing. (Yasin Akgul / AFP via Getty Images)

The regime has been preparing for this day for a very long time, said Afshin Shahi, an associate professor in Middle East politics at Englands Keele University. They are afraid that the protesters and the civil society may use this anniversary to rise up again.

The country is in a war of attrition where people continue to defy the regime, and the government continues with its agenda, making no concessions, he added.

Arrests and executions have led to a climate of fear, but the desire for change has not gone away, Shahi said.

Despite the renewed crackdown, Ghaemi, with the Center for Human Rights in Iran, still expects spontaneous protests across Iran, albeit on a much lesser scale.

The sense of defiance across the country remains strong, he said, and the basic message he hears a lot from the activists is that Iran has changed, and there is no turning back.

In that sense, the message is that this movement is well and alive, he said. And just because we are not on the streets does not mean that we are defeated.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Jeezy has filed for divorce from Jeannie Mai after two years of marriage.

The rapper called their union "irretrievably broken" in the petition filed Thursday.

In an Instagram post shared the day the petition was filed, Jeezy appeared unbothered by the split.

Jeezy and Jeannie Mai are calling it quits after two years of marriage.

The rapper behind "Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101" filed a petition for divorce on Thursday, calling his union to the daytime talk show host "irretrievably broken."

According to the filing, the pair will share custody of their one-year-old daughter, and their financials will be split following an existing prenuptial agreement.

The terms of the agreement remain unclear. Representatives for Jeezy and Jeannie Mai did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider.

In a cryptic Instagram post shared the same day the filing was submitted in the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia, Jeezy wrote in a caption that he is "too focused on who I'm becoming to focus on who's not coming with me."

Fans quickly seized upon the post after news of the divorce broke. Though comments were eventually limited on the photos of Jeezy posing next to his Mercedes S 580, several comments criticized the rapper for appearing to give up on the relationship and his daughter.

"2 years," one fan wrote with a crying emoji. "did yall even TRY!?"

Read the original article on Insider
A Jackson County judge ordered a 25-year-old man to spend life in prison for the 2021 kidnapping and murder of a Kansas Citian who was held for ransom and found dead in the Swope Parkway-Elmwood neighborhood.

Rashaud Q. Lewis, of Kansas City, received the maximum sentence for his conviction on second-degree murder during a court hearing on Friday. The 25-year-old, who was convicted in July alongside an alleged accomplice, was sentenced to 16 additional years in prison for kidnapping and armed criminal action.

Lewis stood trial for the murder of Gilberto Gutierrez, 52, who was reported missing May 11, 2021. The kidnapping victims body was discovered, doused with chemicals, under a tarp near 56th Street and Elmwood Avenue six days later.

Gutierrezs family called 911 after they found his bloody clothes and a zip tie inside a barn at his south Kansas City ranch. His keys and phone were missing, but his car was still parked in the driveway.

A witness reported receiving a call from the 52-year-olds cellphone. The caller demanded $100,000 in ransom, according to court documents.

Kansas City homicide detectives connected the disappearance to Lewis and 33-year-old Ahmad Herring, also convicted of murder and sentenced in July to nearly 50 years in prison.

Detectives were made aware of a white Dodge Charger associated with Herring that was thought to be involved in the disappearance. Herring fled a traffic stop three days after the kidnapping, and police found several items in the trunk connected to the investigation.

There were containers of bleach, vinegar and ammonia plus a receipt that showed the purchase of three blue drop cloths. Several cell phones were also seized as evidence.

As Herring was being held on a felony charge of eluding police, Lewis spoke with him over the recorded jail phone and said: Everything is good. Everything is 100. Authorities came to determine they were discussing a coverup of the crimes.

An anonymous tip also led police to a Kansas City residence where a relative of Lewis lived. Inside a garage was evidence that Gutierrez had been held against his will there, including zip ties.

Prosecutors relied in part on cell phone messages and calls made between Lewis and Herring that they said were evidence of their coordinated kidnapping and coverup.

In a sentencing memorandum for Lewis filed Tuesday, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Cailtin Brock wrote that Gutierrez, a father of three, husband, and hardworking immigrant, was discarded like trash on the side of a lonely stretch of road.

She said he undoubtedly spent the last days of his life on this planet in unimaginable terror as he was zip-tied, stabbed and beaten so severely that the medical examiner could not fully determine how many wounds he suffered.
DHAKA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- A freight train trial run was conducted successfully Saturday on a section of the railway built under the framework of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and via the Chinese-built Padma Bridge in Bangladesh.

Syed Ahmed, project director of Bangladesh Railway's Faridpur Rail Project, told journalists that the five wagons of the goods train carried 350 tons of stones during the trial run.

He said the train at a speed of up to 80 km per hour departed from Bhanga station in Faridpur district in central Bangladesh on Saturday morning, and returned to Bhanga station after reaching Mawa station.

Ahead of the BRI railway's opening, the Bangladeshi government last week launched the first passenger train on a major part of the newly-constructed mega BRI rail line crossing Padma Bridge.

The 172-km railway via the bridge is one of the most significant projects under construction by the China Railway Group Limited (CREC) and funded by the Export-Import Bank of China. 
If you rent your home in Kansas City, you probably had to pay a security deposit when you moved in. This amount is typically the same as one months rent, but Missouri law states that the amount can be up to two months rent.

That can be a lot of money for some families, so getting the deposit back when you move out is an important right for renters.

Heres what to know about security deposits and what rights a renter has under state and local laws.

What does Missouri law say about security deposits?

Missouri statute requires landlords to keep their tenants security deposits in an insured agency like a bank during the lease period  and allows them to collect any interest accrued on that money.

Landlords are then allowed to keep a portion of security deposits to cover damages or other expenses after the tenant moves out. State law gives a few examples of when they can do so:

To make up for unpaid rent during the lease period

To cover the cost of repairs for damage beyond ordinary wear and tear

To cover the cost of carpet cleaning, as long as the tenant agrees in advance to this cost and to potential additional cleaning costs if the carpet is seriously damaged

To make up for money the landlord loses due to the tenant not giving them sufficient notice that they are moving out

Landlords are also allowed to charge tenants for damages beyond the security deposit amount, but have to notify the tenant when they plan to inspect the unit for damages. The tenant also has the right to be present during the inspection.

What happens if a landlord withholds some or all of my security deposit?

If a landlord withholds money from a renters security deposit, they are required to provide an itemized list of the damages causing this money to be withheld.

If they withhold some or all of the security deposit unlawfully, the tenant is allowed to recover as damages twice the amount wrongfully withheld, according to state law. This right is also reaffirmed in Kansas Citys Tenants Bill of Rights.

For example, if a landlord keeps $500 of a tenants deposit money without providing an explanation for how its spent, or uses it to repair ordinary wear and tear, the tenant is entitled to double the withheld amount, or $1,000.

If you think your landlord is violating the law, you can contact the citys tenant advocate, Tiffany Drummer, by emailing tiffany.drummer@kcmo.org or calling 816-513-3026.

You can also fill out the citys Rental Property Tenant Complaint Form online.

What other rights do tenants have in Kansas City?

Passed in 2019, the Tenants Bill of Rights reaffirms the tenant rights that already exist at the state level, and expresses the citys support for future local, state and federal policies that protect renters.

That means tenants in Kansas City dont actually have any rights beyond those in the rest of Missouri. But these existing protections include a few you may not have heard of:

If a landlord does not fix a serious health or safety hazard in their unit, the tenant can spend up to half a months rent fixing it themselves and withhold that amount from their rent payment as long as they give the landlord two weeks notice and provide receipts for the repair costs.

Landlords cannot retaliate against tenants for reporting building or housing code violations to them or to code enforcement agencies.

Any tenant who terminates their lease cant be asked to pay rent past the end of the month in which they terminate it. And their landlord has to give them back their security deposit, unless their lease says otherwise.

Landlords cant retaliate against tenants for their membership in a tenants union.

Do you have other questions about tenants rights in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
A jury of state senators voted to acquit Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) on all of the 16 articles of impeachment he faced in his historic trial.

None of the articles of impeachment received the 21 votes needed to convict Paxton, meaning the Lone Star States top law enforcement officer  who had been suspended from his post since the House impeached him in May  will be reinstated to office.

A conviction on even one of the articles would have resulted in Paxtons ouster.

Paxton had been accused of misusing his office to benefit a real estate developer, Nate Paul, his friend and campaign donor. The House impeachment managers called multiple former Paxton aides to testify about their concerns regarding the attorney generals relationship with Paul, while the defense called forth current AG employees to counter that narrative.

The decision comes after eight days of witness testimony and another day of closing arguments. Jurors deliberated in private into Friday night and came together again on Saturday to cast their votes on each article in public on the Senate floor, without debate.

No more than 14 state senators voted to convict on any of the 16 articles considered, with just two of 19 Republican senators  Kelly Hancock and Robert Nichols  joining Democrats to convict on some of the counts.

When the Republican-majority House impeached Paxton in May, the vote was 121-31 to impeach.

Unlike a normal jury, the senators did not have to reach a group decision, but each decided on the articles in what presiding Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called like 16 trials in one.

Paxtons wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton , was ineligible to vote in her husbands impeachment, but was present throughout the impeachment proceedings, as witnesses took the stand to discuss her husbands dealings with Paul and his alleged extramarital affair.

State Rep. Jeff Leach (R), one of the House impeachment managers, said in closings that there comes a time for each of us  not to ask yourself what is safe, or popular, or politic, but what is right, and implored the jurors to sustain the articles of impeachment.

But Paxtons defense attorney Tony Buzbee in his argument contended the case was brought forward as political witch hunt against Paxton.

What is this case about? Its about nothing, Buzbee said.

They assumed that this man would run and hide, Buzbee said, pointing at Paxton. They assumed that Attorney General Ken Paxton would resign. Well, guess what? He did not resign. He is proud and is ready to go back to work. And after this is over, I expect he will go back to work.

After the votes, Patrick, said hed been quiet during the trial but wanted to set the full record straight on this trial and proceeded to knock the state House for its handling of the impeachment, arguing the lawmakers rammed through the case.

With all due respect to the House, we didnt need to be told in the final arguments how important this vote wasOur members already knew that and have known that for the last three months. If only the House members who voted for impeachment would have followed that instruction in the House, we may not have been here, Patrick said.

He said he plans to call for a full audit of the costs to Texas taxpayers of the impeachment process by the House.

Our founders expected better, Patrick said, adding that the impeachment should have never happened this year. And hopefully it doesnt again, unless we address this in the Constitution.

The Texas GOP said in a statement after the acquittal that House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) and his leadership team should be embarrassed for putting Texas through the time and expense of this political sham of an impeachment.

 Updated 2:34 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
If you want to see how rabid some in the anti-abortion world are look no further than Texas where some towns are setting themselves up to ban the use of roads in the towns for abortion trafficking  people helping women go out of state for an abortion

Say what?

As reported in The Washington Post, More than a year after Roe v. Wade was overturned, many conservatives have grown frustrated by the number of people able to circumvent antiabortion laws  with some advocates grasping for even stricter measures they hope will fully eradicate abortion nationwide.

Kendall P. Stanley

That frustration is driving a new strategy in heavily conservative cities and counties across Texas. Designed by the architects of the states heartbeat ban that took effect months before Roe fell, ordinances like the one proposed in Llano  where some 80 percent of voters in the county backed President Donald Trump in 2020  make it illegal to transport anyone to get an abortion on roads within the city or county limits. The laws allow any private citizen to sue a person or organization they suspect of violating the ordinance.

Those advocating such ordinances are targeting places with an airport or proximity to expressways to stop women from heading out of state as Texas has virtually banned abortion. Adjacent state New Mexico still allows abortions and many Texas women are headed that way.

Never mind the vigilante aspect of turning your fellow citizens in because you think they may be helping women get an abortion which is abominable on its face  since when do we stifle the free movement of citizens on our roads?

Heres what anti-abortionists fail to remember  no matter how many laws were on the books before Roe v. Wade, women had abortions.

From back alley quacks to the neighborhood abortionist to the doctor willing to perform an abortion if they could find a medical reason to perform one, there were abortions happening each and every day. And it has thus been that way for centuries.

If there is a will, as they say, there will be a way.

This means this  if you ban it, there will always be people ready, willing and able to find ways around said ban. Abortion activists did it before and they will do it again.

Pre-Roe v. Wade, The Jane Collective was a group of women in Chicago that helped women who needed an abortion to get one. In all they provided about 11,000 women with abortions.

Several members of the cooperative were arrested but as soon as that happened, another woman took her place.

Where theres a will or a need, there will always be a way, Texas.

The casual friend

There are the folks you see on a recurring basis that you might consider casual friends  not best buds but not just acquaintances either.

John Collins was one of those.

John, who was 58 when he died recently, was a butcher at Meijer. Along with his sidekick Eugene, hed frequently asked about the state of the newspaper business, from here to the Detroit Free Press. Warmed my heart it did, as commiserating about the newspaper industry is almost a cottage industry these days.

And he was a great butcher, always offering suggestions on this cut or that, or how he preferred his ribeye steaks.

Ill never forget the day I approached the counter (when they still had a solid meat counter) to get my usual one pound of salmon off the head end. The young butcher behind the counter was about to make the cut when John pointed to a spot just a little farther from the head.

The cut was made, the salmon slapped on the scale and the price tag made for 1 pound of salmon. Oh yeah, John knew his weight and just where to cut!

Its the easy-going familiarity that makes relationships like that work. Nothing too serious, just acknowledgment that we can spend a little time together, share a story and bring a smile to each others countenance.

Ill miss that.

 Kendall P. Stanley is retired editor of the News-Review. He can be contacted at kendallstanley@charter.net. The opinions expressed in this column are those of the writer and not necessarily of the Petoskey News-Review or its employees.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Kendall Stanley: Beyond the pale
The Kennedy Space Center post office has been, well, cancelled.



The contract facility, which was established at NASA's Florida spaceport on July 1, 1965, will close permanently "near the end of the fiscal year," or sometime before Sept. 30. Since 2013, the post office has been operated for NASA by Post Masters Mail and Print Services, a division of the nonprofit Anthony Wayne Rehabilitation Center (AWRC).



The agency's mail will now go through Cocoa Beach to Orlando for processing. But with the closure of the office, the public will no longer be able to request that stamped envelopes (called philatelic "covers") be postmarked with a cancellation device displaying the location of Kennedy Space Center.



Collectors' requests will instead be directed to Titusville, the next closest office to the space center, according to a notice from AWRC. Submitted covers will receive a Titusville postmark.



The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will also not service covers using the Kennedy Space Center postmark through its fulfillment center in Kansas City, Missouri.

Related: Facts and information about NASA's Kennedy Space Center

a white, stamped envelope showing a

Philatelic covers are stamped envelopes postmarked on the dates of significant events. Since the first rocket left Florida's Space Coast more than 70 years ago, collectors have had covers serviced at the post office nearest the site of the launch. In addition to Titusville, there are post offices today in Merritt Island, Cape Canaveral and at the Patrick Space Force Station.



Thomas Spaur, supervisor of the Kennedy Space Center post office, told Linn's Stamp News that the office recently averaged about 5,000 postmark requests each year. Since the 1969 launch of Apollo 12 and the end of the space shuttle program in 2011, drop boxes had been available at the spaceport's visitor center (today, the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex) for the public to have their envelopes submitted for servicing, but those bins are no more.

a letter from the kennedy space center contract postal unit.

RELATED STORIES:

 Photos: Space age postage stamps through history

 Space Foundation to award US Postal Service for 75 years of space stamps

 The Apollo Program: How NASA sent astronauts to the moon

Collectors' requests for postmarks dated for the last day of service should be submitted to the Kennedy Space Center post office by Friday (Sept. 15). Self-addressed stamped envelopes (or stamped envelopes addressed to others of the sender's choice) should be placed into a larger envelope addressed to:



US Postal Service/CPU

KMSC-003/Clerk In Charge

Kennedy Space Center, FL 32815-9998

Collectors and the public can also send stamped envelopes and postcards without addresses for postmark, so long as they supply a larger self-addressed envelope with adequate postage. After applying the postmark, the post office will return the covers (with or without addresses) in the addressed larger envelope.



After the Kennedy office closes, cover requests should be addressed to: Titusville Post Office, Attn: Supervisor, 2503 S. Washington Ave., Titusville, FL 32780.

Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2023 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved.
Ben Selvaratnam: Were seeing all types of criminality, from people who genuinely [cant] afford food to professionals who come in and steal to order - Rii Schroer for The Telegraph

In the back office of his family-run grocers in Croydon, south London, Ben Selvaratnam is reviewing CCTV footage. This is yesterdays incident, he says, looking at a video clip of two men loading a carrier bag with alcohol and laundry detergent. Some of them are quite brazen; they dont even run. Theyll just walk out, like, What are you going to do? he says. He rewinds and points to the men, who saunter straight to the cabinet containing chilled beers. Hes just there putting things in his bag. Theyre taking their time  they dont expect to be challenged.

The recent tide of retail crime started rising post-Covid, he says, beginning with an incident where a shoplifter violently attacked one of his employees in July 2021. We held [him] down because after being confronted, he hit one of the staff members I think we kept him there for about two hours. But the police never came. [They] said, theres no one to come see you. We asked what to do with him and they said, let him go. But he didnt leave  he just hung around outside being abusive. For the team that was very traumatic. It does feel like weve been left on our own.

There has been an underlying issue with shoplifting since Selvaratnam, 40, bought the business eight years ago, but it has exponentially worsened over the past year and a half. Shoplifting has reached a record high, according to data from the Home Office, which shows that between January and March this year, over 100,000 shoplifting offences were recorded. This equates to 1,100 reported crimes a day  a 37 per cent increase on the previous year and the biggest annual increase ever. Separate figures show that the proportion of shoplifting offences resulting in a sanction has plummeted from 47.5 per cent to 18.7 per cent since 2016.

Selvaratnam is on the front line and sees minimum two to three incidents a day. He is proud of his selection of wines, which are neatly presented by region and have been positioned next to the tills to try and deter shoplifters. But still people steal nine or 10 bottles at a time. If challenged, he says, some people smash them intentionally. Two of the doors installed in the chilled aisle have been smashed. Another flashpoint is the Post Office concession, where elderly and vulnerable customers often queue up to pay bills or deposit cash, which thieves try to snatch as it is handed over.

And thats just the start. Were seeing all types of criminality, he says, from people who genuinely [cant] afford food to professional[s] who come in and steal to order. Thieves target alcohol, confectionery, razor blades, coffee, meat Anything that has a resale value.

Scrolling through more footage, a woman reaches behind the Perspex screen installed to protect till staff and grabs disposable e-cigarettes in full view of the cashier; a group of teenagers saunter in, fill their pockets with confectionery and saunter out again; and in one particularly shocking incident (which took place on Monday last week), a man throws an iron nail at an unsuspecting shop assistant, who then had to go to A&E with a bleeding head.

Weve lost a number of staff at some point people have just said, its too risky, were getting abuse daily, says Selvaratnam. Recent data from the British Retail Consortium found that incidents of violence and abuse against retail staff have worsened considerably, rising from the pre-Covid high of 450 per day in 2019-20 to over 850 per day in 2022.

A spokesperson for the Met Police, referring to shoplifting in general, says: While it is not realistic for the Met to respond to every case of shoplifting in London due to demand, where a crime is being committed, a suspect is on the scene, and the situation has or is likely to become heated or violent, our call handlers will assess this and seek to despatch officers where appropriate. A London-wide roll-out of Op Retail, a successful pilot allowing more effective and streamlined reporting of shoplifting where no offender has been detained or violence occurred, will be taking place in the autumn.

The map of stores targeted by shoplifters has changed significantly. There used to be a fairly predictable pattern: city centre locations, especially London, were hardest hit by more retail crime. But now it is spreading out nationwide. In a Nisa Local in a small village in Cambridgeshire, owner Amit Puntambekar says he is losing about 200 a week or thereabouts in shoplifted stock, which is sometimes stolen so quickly he only realises later that day when the computer says there should be four of a product in stock and there are none left on the shelves. One repeat offender used the tactic of shoving steak up his top, which is actually quite common.

In the Co-op in suburban Great Baddow, near Chelmsford in Essex, store manager Tatiana Kozomara, 49, says shoplifters are becoming more and more aggressive. One man  who was stealing a box of 10 beers  backed me into the shelf. He was breathing right into my face, spitting on my face, she says.

It came to a head this summer, Kozomara was slapped and punched by a middle-aged woman who had been caught stealing ice cream. The police took no action. She has always kept a Bic biro tucked behind one ear at work for making notes. But now I am aware that Ive got it there as a weapon, if I need to defend myself quickly. Its horrible that Ive come to think that way about a pen.

Laura Gribbon, 49, has been a shop assistant in the mid-sized store for 14 years. She says they have nicknames for some of the shoplifters because they are in so regularly. Theres Beer Man, Scarface (who will use the in store cash machine to take money from his account before stealing) and Breakfast Man. Breakfast Man fills one of the shops baskets with everything he needs for a fry up: eggs, bacon, mushrooms, bread and baked beans, and walks out with the whole thing.

When I first saw him, says Gribbon, he dropped some mushrooms on the floor and then picked them up so he seemed a decent bloke... I wasnt prepared for him to walk off with the lot. The most commonly stolen items are 10-packs of lager and baby formula (now, they only have one tagged box of each type on display), washing powder and meat.

The impact on Gribbon and the others who work in the store is immense. I worry about the safety of our lovely elderly customers and the children who come in, says Gribbon. Im always watching the door, nervous about who is coming in next. I used to enjoy the job but now Im grumpy and tired. It wears you out. I dont feel safe walking to and from work. One shoplifter came up to me on the pavement outside the shop and threatened to slash my throat. He said he was going to carve me up in front of my children. Dealing with that shouldnt be part of my job description.

Employees are not expected to confront shoplifters. Were advised to film them on our cameras, but we have to tell them were doing it, says Gribbon. That usually makes them much more aggressive. If Selvaratnam himself is in-store and feels it is safe to do so, he intervenes, which has caused further problems. Because were policing [it], now, theyre targeting us, says Selvaratnam. Were not tolerating it. Weve had it before where we try to turn a blind eye. It never works. It just gets worse and worse.

Selvaratnam feels he has been forced into taking matters into his own hands - Rii Schroer for The Telegraph

The rising cost of living is one part of this picture. The saddest cases Selvaratnam sees are people obviously in need who attempt to steal food, such as rice, and hand it back when asked to pay. In Tower Hamlets, one of the citys poorest boroughs, the number one most shoplifted item isnt alcohol or e-cigarettes but Calpol. It shows how much the cost of living crisis is affecting our residents when they cannot afford basic medicines for their children, told the BBC.

But in Chelmsford, Kozomara says a man once stole a large box of sweets then went to wait for his prescription a few doors down at the pharmacy. She followed him in. He claimed to be homeless and hungry. She says: If a homeless person comes to me honestly, I will buy them a sandwich. Always. There is no need to steal from my shop. The meat and baby formula stolen from her store are often spotted later, being sold on at the local pub.

Some insist the rise in retail crime is being driven largely by a new demographic of repeat offenders and career shoplifters. Dame Sharon White, the John Lewis chairwoman, warned that criminals now effectively have a licence to shoplift.

This is not theft for need  its not people stealing a sandwich because otherwise they wouldnt eat, says Lucy Brown, director of security for the John Lewis Partnership. Lots of the shoplifting is unfortunately carried out by gangs that are organised. I would politely describe them as brand agnostic as theyll steal from anywhere, she says. This is a new thing, and I think it has come because there has been a progressive relaxation of the response to shoplifting. People view it as decriminalised  not only do they not see consequences theres also no shame attached to it. People think of it as entirely victimless.

In John Lewis, thieves tend to target high-value fragrance, wearable tech like headphones  things that are reasonably small and [have] value in the resale market, says Brown. In Waitrose, its alcohol, meat, tobacco substitutes and electric toothbrushes.

Large retailers, supermarkets and small businesses alike have turned to ever more desperate measures to stem the tide. The Co-op has rolled out the use of empty dummy display packaging to be swapped out at the till after revealing it was dealing with almost 1,000 shoplifting incidents a day in its network of 2,400 shops. It has also doubled its use of undercover tactical guarding and installed panic alarms.

As reported by a west London news website, the Chiswick Calendar, the local branch of the womenswear store Whistles has started locking the door; a regular customer stole a shelf-full of products in the beauty retailer Space NK; and the local deli and charity shops are even being targeted. Many complain that the police are slow to respond or take no action. Basically, we are the police now, said one shopkeeper. (Whistles says it does not currently operate any formal closed door policy in line with theft management across stores.)

Morrisons has joined Tesco and Co-op in equipping staff with body-worn cameras. The homeware shop Dunelm has resorted to locking higher-end bed linen in PIN-protected cabinets. A 600g tub of Lurpak was pictured encased in security netting in a south-east London branch of Aldi.

Ive been in food retail for 25 years, and Ive never seen crime as it is today, says Kate McCrae-Graham, the Co-ops operations director. I have genuinely never seen anything like it. Its got so bad because there is no consequence.

Tesco is just one of the supermarkets that has resorted to equipping its staff with body-cams - Shutterstock

The company says that the police are failing to respond to 71 per cent of even the most serious retail crimes, according to figures it obtained following a Freedom of Information request. Ive started to see patterns around county lines as well; there was one particular store in a lovely area that kept getting armed robberies, and I couldnt understand why [that] was, but thats because it sits on the boundary between two counties and had easy access onto the motorway, says McCrae-Graham. In the past 10 days Ive had three armed robberies in Bristol, as an example [and] two in Scotland. Thats incredibly unusual. It continues to escalate  you can see that both in the type of crime and also the geographical location.

Over the past couple of years Co-op has invested 200 million in tackling the problem, and McCrae-Graham says she is signing off additional funds constantly. But it makes no difference. Im now seeing customers trying to stop shoplifters  like a sort of vigilante approach. And that worries me as well.

Previously, large supermarkets have been hesitant to discuss shoplifting, but the Co-op decided to take a stand as theres a real risk to [employees] wellbeing  their physical safety and mental health, says McCrae-Graham. It cannot continue. She says the chain is looking at 100 million a year in leakage from lost stock. The standard everyday shoplifting that has always happened continues to happen, but now were seeing organised crime, were seeing people with addictions sent out with shopping lists to take stuff, she says. Every day Ill get a message about an armed robbery, a kiosk breach, a physical assault Its absolutely horrific.

The sorry state of affairs is laid bare by the fact that 10 of the countrys largest retailers are set to fund a 600k scheme, Project Pegasus, under which CCTV pictures of shoplifters will be run through the polices national database with facial recognition technology.

Selvaratnam feels he has been forced into taking matters into his own hands. If you let it go, [a shoplifter] is going to tell his friends and family and theyre going to come and do it more and more, he says. Im prepared to jump in.

Additional reporting by Ben Butcher

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(WFLA)  Krispy Kreme is offering free doughnuts to customers who order a beverage from its newest coffee line.

The offer is valid now through Sunday, Sept. 17 at participating stores. Customers who purchase one of the chains new coffee drinks  said to be made with richer roasts and better beans  will be treated to a doughnut of their choosing, while supplies last.

Krispy Kreme fans expect an awesome doughnut experience that exceeds their expectations. Its time we delivered coffee worthy of pairing with our iconic doughnuts, Dave Skena, the global chief brand officer for Krispy Kreme, said in a news release issued this week.

New bill could raise Florida teachers minimum salary

The new coffee line is made with 100% responsibly sourced beans, according to the company. Drink offerings include hot, iced and frozen beverages, made with classic-roast coffees, medium-roast coffees and espressos.

In total, Krispy Kreme says there are more than two dozen updated coffee beverages in the new line. The doughnut shop is also adding oat milk to its menu.

Krispy Kreme fans can get their free doughnut in-store, drive-thru or by ordering for pickup online using the promo code SWEETDUO.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
The German company Quantum Systems plans to transfer 100 new generation tactical drones to Kyiv; the drones will be later sent to the front.

Source: Kyiv Mayor Vitalii Klitschko, as cited by European Pravda

Details: Klitschko says the drones have already been tested in Ukraine.

Quote: "The German company Quantum Systems will transfer 100 tactical drones of a new generation, which have already been tested in Ukraine, to Kyiv. And the capital will send equipment to our defenders to the front," Klitschko wrote.

The mayor said that the relevant agreements with the investor and the company's management were reached at the annual summit of the Stern Stewart Institute in Germany.

Background:

In late spring, Quantum Systems, headquartered in Bavaria, Germany, announced the order of 300 additional medium-range reconnaissance drones Vector for military support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Ukraine's Defence Ministry placed a third order for 300 Vector drones after pre-orders for 105 drones in January 2023 and 33 in August 2022. As in previous cases, the order will be paid by the German government.

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!
Cecilia Moran, the owner of Hardcore Fitness in downtown Los Angeles, is photographed next to a mural of Lakers legend Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna on the exterior of her business. Moran told The Times she was ordered by her landlord to remove the mural by the end of the month. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

The mural can't be missed.

It depicts Lakers legend Kobe Bryant with his arm around teenage daughter Gianna  two of the nine people who died in a helicopter crash Jan. 26, 2020  with angel wings and halo-like glows around their heads.

It's larger than life, encompassing an entire wall on the side of Hardcore Fitness at 400 W. Pico Blvd., just blocks from Crypto.com Arena, the home court of the Lakers.

"It's a piece of art that is honoring an iconic person," the gym's owner, Cecilia Moran, told The Times in a phone interview Friday.

But soon it might be gone. Moran said she was informed Wednesday by her landlord that the mural needs to be removed by the end of the month to make way for advertising.

Read more: Kobe Bryant's memory runs through the heart of L.A., and on its walls

Moran told him she would not do it.

"I said I don't believe it's right," said Moran, who told The Times she has since received written notice from her landlord that he would have the mural removed and send her the bill if she doesn't take it down herself.

"That mural also benefits advertising and has a lot of meaning to the city and to Kobe fans. So I said I don't agree. I don't want to make the fans mad and I don't want to be disrespectful and I don't think that mural should be removed."

Hideharu Tanaka, a professor and dean at Kokushikan University in Tokyo, photographs his students in front of a mural of Kobe and Gianna Bryant outside Hardcore Fitness in downtown Los Angeles. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

The L.A. artist who painted the mural more than three years ago agrees.

"You gotta put some sense into it, man, and think about it and what it really means to L.A.," Louie Palsino told The Times. "Even if the landlord wants to make money, that's a landmark people come from all around the world to visit so it's good for him, his property, every party in this. I don't see much sense in taking it down for advertisement."

Read more: Kobe Bryant statue to be unveiled outside Crypto next year. How will he be immortalized?

Moran told The Times she did not seek her landlord's permission for the mural, but he knew the painting was going up before it was completed and never voiced an objection.

Maroud Omrani  the agent for 400 W Pico LLC, which owns the building  was reached by phone but did not comment.

In the days following the death of Bryant and his daughter, Moran was approached by Palsino about the mural. She agreed after she saw the loving photo of father and daughter that Palsino based it on.

"I fell in love with the idea of having [Kobe] looking after Gigi," said Moran, who had lost her own father the previous year. "I feel that's how my father was looking after me, so I said, 'Yes, let's do it.'"

Moran personally funded the project, spending an estimated $2,500 for supplies and equipment. The artist did his work for free  and cherished every moment.

"The community, when we did it, so many people from around the world came out and watched me do it," Palsino said. "I always considered that piece like a group effort. There were people bringing me food, feeding me. It was awesome, man, just the energy that people were putting out there was just great. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I got to share that moment with everybody."

A change.org petition looking to save the mural has more than 75,000 signatures as of Monday afternoon. Vanessa Bryant, Kobe's wife, has added the link to the petition to her Instagram bio.

"Maybe we can raise our voice together," Moran said. "I need more people to help me to preserve the mural and to find a way to make sure it's going to continue honoring someone who has positively impacted so many people's lives and has been a role model for a lot of people."

Read more: He's looking for Kobe Bryant everywhere, in murals across L.A. and the world

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  After months of skyrocketing hotel rates, things seem to be coming back down slightly for Novembers Formula One race weekend on the Las Vegas Strip.

Its going to be good for the economy, Stiato Agorastos, a Las Vegas local told 8 News Now.

Preparations are of course kicking into high gear, but some have noticed other big changes this week, namely a huge drop in hotel prices for F1 weekend.

We are seeing that equilibrium in the markets, John Netto, an expert in the release of economic data, said. That is very healthy.

Room rates at prime, mid-strip properties for November 16 through 19 more than tripled when they were first published last fall.

Since then, however, they have been reported to be cut in half. The prices are still much higher than normal, but Netto told 8 News Now this tactic commonly called anchoring, makes it feel like a bargain.

People feel like they are getting a deal because they have emotionally tethered themselves to this price point, Netto explained. Yet, while doing that, they are still paying seven to ten times the normal amount.

He told 8 News Now it also gives those with a little less money to spend better opportunities.

Theyll have some pricing for people, tourist John Milovich said. Who arent as fortunate to be staying at Bellagio and Caesars.

People who spoke with 8 News Now on the Las Vegas Strip Friday said this adjustment makes them even more excited for whats to come.

Las Vegas is a magnet for everybody, Milovich concluded.

Netto said he expects hotel prices to possibly fluctuate even more in the coming weeks.

8 News Now also asked him about Formula One prices for 2024, and he said he thinks they will remain steadier overall.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Rep. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and her ex-husband, Jayson Boebert, got married in 2005.

In March, Lauren Boebert announced the oldest of their four sons, Tyler, 18, was going to be a dad.

Lauren Boebert filed for divorce in May. It was finalized in October.

In May, Rep. Lauren Boebert announced that, "with a heavy weight on my heart," she had filed for divorce from her husband, Jayson Boebert, citing "irreconcilable differences."

Their divorce was finalized on Tuesday after a court hearing in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The split comes two decades after the couple first met while she was working at McDonald's at the age of 16, and he was 22.

Boebert, a two-term Colorado Republican, and Jayson married in 2005 and have four sons together. In March, she announced that their oldest son was expecting a child with his girlfriend, making Boebert a "36-year-old grandmother."

Here's a timeline of the Boeberts' 20-year relationship.

Circa 2003: Lauren Roberts and Jayson Boebert met at Burger King when she was 16 and he was 22.

Lauren Boebert, her husband, Jayson Boebert, and their four sons. Lauren Boebert for Congress

Lauren Boebert, who briefly worked at Burger King before returning to McDonald's, met Jayson when he stopped by for lunch with coworkers from the oil rig where he worked.

"From that moment, Jayson Boebert and I have been together," she wrote of their first encounter in her 2022 memoir, "My American Life." "He just took my breath away. I fell in love with Jayson immediately, and I knew, without doubt, that he was the man I was meant to be with  for better or for worse  forever."

She also wrote that they did not break any Colorado laws while they were dating and that her mother approved of their relationship. The age of consent in Colorado is 17.

January 2004: Jayson Boebert was arrested and charged with public indecency and lewd exposure after exposing his penis at a bowling alley.

Lauren Boebert in June 2021. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

In 2004, Jayson Boebert was arrested and charged with public indecency and lewd exposure after he exposed his penis to two women at the Fireside Lanes bowling alley in Rifle, Colorado. He pleaded guilty and served four days in jail and two years' probation.

In her memoir, Lauren Boebert says her husband didn't expose himself and simply "acted like he was going to unzip his pants" after having too much to drink. She adds that police were called after he threw a basket of fries at the owner of the bowling alley.

"He knew the truth  and the truth was, he didn't do what he was accused of," she writes. "But the entire experience opened Jayson's eyes to the reality that he needed the alcohol and anger management classes that came with the plea deal."

Representatives for Lauren Boebert did not respond to requests for comment.

March 2005: She gave birth to their oldest son, Tyler, when she was 18.

Boebert with her husband and four sons. Lauren Boebert for Congress

Lauren Boebert, who began working at McDonald's when she was 15, dropped out of high school in 2004 when she became pregnant.

"I was a brand-new mom, and I had to make hard decisions on successfully raising my child, or getting to high school biology class. And I chose to take care of my child," she told The Durango Herald while campaigning in 2020.

The Boeberts now have four sons: Tyler, now 18, Brody, Kaydon, and Roman. According to her website, her youngest son is 10.

June 2005: Lauren and Jayson Boebert got married.

Lauren Boebert and her husband, Jayson Boebert, in November. RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

In "My American Life," Lauren Boebert writes that she and Jayson had originally wanted to get married four months after they met, when she was still 16. They even drove to A Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas but found out when they got there that they couldn't wed until she turned 17.

May 2013: The Boeberts opened Shooters Grill, a gun-themed restaurant where waitstaff carried firearms as they served patrons.

Lauren Boebert poses for a portrait at Shooters Grill in Rifle, Colorado, on April 24, 2018. EMILY KASK/AFP via Getty Images

Menu items at Shooters Grill included an "M16 burrito" and a "bump stock corned beef hash," Insider's Madison Hall reported.

The Boeberts also owned another restaurant, Smokehouse 1776, which attracted controversy in 2017 when The Daily Beast reported dozens of people at a local Colorado rodeo came down with symptoms of food poisoning after consuming the restaurant's pork sliders.

A spokesperson from Lauren Boebert's campaign told The Daily Beast at the time that Smokehouse 1776 "did not receive a fine or have any other type of disciplinary action" after a county health-office inspection. The restaurant is no longer in business.

Shooters Grill closed last year after the restaurant's landlord did not renew its lease. Boebert, a staunch gun-rights activist, told the Post Independent at the time that she and her husband were hoping to revive the Shooters brand through a different venture.

November 2020: Lauren Boebert was elected to the House of Representatives.

Boebert speaks at a campaign rally in 2020. JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images

Boebert defeated her Democratic challenger Diane Mitsch Bush, becoming the first woman to represent Colorado's 3rd Congressional District.

That same year, she marked her 15th wedding anniversary in a post on Twitter.

"Happy anniversary to the most selfless man I know!" she wrote. "Thank you, Jayson, for standing with me in every season. I've learned by allowing our strengths to cover one another's weaknesses, we are steadfast and immovable. I love that I get to live life having you by my side!"

August 2022: Lauren Boebert's neighbors in Colorado called 911 after Jayson Boebert was accused of running over their mailbox during a dispute.

Lauren Boebert, left, and her husband, Jayson Boebert, in November. RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

On the evening of August 4, a neighbor called 911 after asking one of Boebert's sons to stop speeding down the street in a dune buggy, The Denver Post reported.

"He's going like 50 miles an hour, and this is a residential lane  there's kids," a neighbor told 911 dispatchers, according to calls obtained by the news outlet. "We tried to stop him, and he'd just freaking cuss at us and just left."

A second neighbor called 911 alleging that Jayson Boebert had struck the neighbor's mailbox with his truck. The neighbor added that Jayson Boebert claimed "that someone took a swing at his kid, and nobody did."

"I'm sure he's loaded to the hilt. Do you know who his wife is? Lauren Boebert. She's loaded. They all have guns," a neighbor said in a 911 call obtained by The Denver Post. "He just got chest to chest, face-to-face, looking to fight."

When Sheriff Lou Vallario arrived on the scene, he said all the parties "agreed to work it out as neighbors," The Denver Post said, adding: "No charges. No further action," according to the Post.

Representatives for Lauren Boebert did not respond to requests for comment.

November 2022: Lauren Boebert narrowly won reelection to Congress. Jayson Boebert joined his wife at the voting booth on Election Day.

Boebert watches her husband hand his ballot to an election staff member on Election Day. RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images

They were also joined by their son Roman.

A recount confirmed that Lauren Boebert won with 50.06% of the vote, while her Democratic challenger Adam Frisch received 49.89%, CNN reported.

December 2022: The Boeberts' teenage son called 911 to report that his dad was "throwing" him around the house. Jayson Boebert said "nothing physical" happened.

Lauren Boebert at the Capitol in December 2021. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

In the December 11 emergency call obtained by Insider's Haven Orecchio-Egresitz, the Boeberts' son was sobbing, gasping for air, and had trouble speaking while saying his dad was "throwing me around."

The teen also told the 911 dispatcher that his mother had been living in a farmhouse at an attached property because the family was having "problems."

Less than five minutes later, the teen called back and said that his dad "didn't really get physical with me." Then Lauren Boebert took the phone, telling the dispatcher that her son "doesn't need help" but agreed to let officers come talk to him and her husband.

Jayson Boebert told Insider that he had gotten into an argument with the teen but that "nothing physical" happened.

In a police log from the incident, an officer said Jayson Boebert said he got into a verbal argument with his son and told him to go to the farmhouse to be with his mother.

The teen "said he wasn't sure why he said that his dad hurt him, but he was upset," the log said.

The officer said there were no physical marks on the teen, both Jayson Boebert and Lauren Boebert were cooperative, and no crime was committed.

"The safety and well-being of my family are the most important things in the world to me," Lauren Boebert told Insider. "We've had some tough times and heartache. I've taken action to ensure there are better days ahead for all of us."

March 2023: Lauren Boebert announced that their then-17-year-old son, Tyler, was expecting a baby with his girlfriend, which would make her a "36-year-old grandmother."

Lauren Boebert speaks at CPAC in 2023. Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images

In an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Committee's women's breakfast, Boebert said that she and her husband were "so excited to welcome this new life," a baby boy due in April.

"Now, any of you who have young children who are giving life, there are some questions that pop up. There's some fear that arises," she said. "Now my son, when I approached him and told him, 'Tyler, I'm going to be a 36-year-old grandmother,' he said, 'Well, didn't you make Granny a 36-year-old granny?' 'I said, 'Yes, I did.' He said, 'Well then, it's hereditary.'"

April 2023: The Boeberts' grandson was born.

Lauren Boebert walks down the House steps holding her grandson. Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images

In June, the two-term Colorado Republican revealed that her grandson had been born while discussing her ongoing feud with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Fox News with Sean Hannity.

"Sean, I did not put my life on pause and leave my four boys and my now grandson to come here and just get in spats with people,' she told Hannity. "I came here to legislate and to be effective for Coloradans, Coloradans who are suffering from the Democrats' policy. Marjorie is not my enemy. Joe Biden's policy, the Democrats, that is my enemy that I am combating right now."

May 2023: Lauren Boebert confirmed that she filed for divorce from her husband, citing "irreconcilable differences."

Lauren Boebert attends a news conference in March 2023. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

The congresswoman sued for parental-decision making power and child support for the couple's four sons, Insider's Brent D. Griffiths reported.

"It is with a heavy weight on my heart that I have filed for divorce from my husband. I am grateful for our years of marriage together and for our beautiful children, all of whom deserve privacy and love as we work through this process," Lauren Boebert said in a statement to The Colorado Sun. "I've always been faithful in my marriage, and I believe strongly in marriage, which makes this announcement that much more difficult."

The statement continued: "This is truly about irreconcilable differences. I do not intend to discuss this matter any further in public out of respect for our children, and will continue to work hard to represent the people of Colorado's 3rd Congressional District."

September 2023: Lauren Boebert apologized for behavior that resulted in her getting removed from a performance of "Beetlejuice" at a Denver theater, citing her "public and difficult divorce."

Rep. Lauren Boebert vaping, left, and a Broadway performance of "Beetlejuice," right, in a composite image. 9NEWS via Denvers Arts and Venues, Getty Images

Lauren Boebert was captured on video vaping during a performance of the musical "Beetlejuice" at a Denver theater. The video also appeared to show her being fondled by her date during the play.

According to incident reports filed by officials and initially obtained by the Denver Post , Boebert and her date were issued a warning during intermission after three theatergoers complained that they were singing, filming on their phones, and vaping. Five minutes into the show's second act, they were escorted out for "being loud" and recording the show on their phones.

In a statement, Lauren Boebert apologized for her behavior, saying that she was "truly sorry for the unwanted attention my Sunday evening in Denver has brought to the community."

"There's no perfect blueprint for going through a public and difficult divorce, which over the past few months has made for a challenging personal time for me and my entire family," the statement continued. "I've tried to handle it with strength and grace as best I can, but I simply fell short of my values on Sunday. That's unacceptable and I'm sorry."

Jayson Boebert also came to his now ex-wife's defense, writing in a lengthy Facebook post that he was unfaithful "in so many ways" and he was the "root" of problems in their relationship.

"I am asking for you all to show grace and mercy towards Lauren in this troubling season," Boebert wrote. "She deserves a chance to earn your forgiveness and regain trust. I have broke her down in so many ways, but she will come out stronger as she always does, and so will I."

October 2023: Lauren Boebert and Jayson Boebert's divorce was finalized.

Lauren Boebert walks up the House steps for a vote. Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

Magistrate Katherine Barnes issued her final approval after a court hearing in Grand Junction, Colorado, Insider's Brent D. Griffiths and Evan Linko reported. Lauren Boebert will not pay any child support, with her lawyer, Annie Le Fleur, saying that Jayson Boebert provided "ample" support for the couple's children. Le Fleur also said at the hearing that the congresswoman will not be changing her name.

A spokesperson for Lauren Boebert's congressional office did not respond to a request for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Chinese soldiers attend the opening ceremony of the "Peace Angel-2023" joint humanitarian exercise in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Sept. 16, 2023. The China-Cambodia joint humanitarian exercise code-named "Peace Angel-2023" kicked off on Saturday morning with an opening ceremony held here in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- The China-Cambodia joint humanitarian exercise code-named "Peace Angel-2023" kicked off on Saturday morning with an opening ceremony held here in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

Senior Colonel Hao Linyuan, leader of the Chinese guidance and coordination group for the exercise, and Gen. Eth Sarath, deputy commander-in-chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces and chief of joint staff, delivered speeches at the event.

Hao said this joint exercise is an important bilateral cooperation created by the two militaries.

"It is not only a pragmatic measure to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of China and Cambodia, but also an exchange and mutual learning of medical services between the Chinese and Cambodian militaries," he said.

Sarath noted in his speech that this year marks the 65th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and Cambodia and the Year of China-Cambodia Friendship.

"This joint exercise reflects the unbreakable traditional friendship between China and Cambodia," he said.

He added that all participating troops passed the drill activities, learning from each other's experiences and improving professional skills will comprehensively promote the joint rescue technical capabilities of the Cambodian Royal Army in multinational operations, and will be able to respond to emergency disaster medical rescue missions at any time.

Officers and soldiers from China and Cambodia, military attaches from many countries to Cambodia, and observers from many Southeast Asian countries also attended the opening ceremony.

At the ceremony, Major General Pen Sokrit Vityea, head of the Cambodian working group for the exercise, said the exercise jointly organized by the Chinese and Cambodian militaries was an important part of China and Cambodia's humanitarian rescue and joint medical treatment.

It is also a vivid practice of military and medical exchanges and cooperation between Cambodia and China, he added.

Colonel Zhang Yi, head of the Chinese medical team, said the "Peace Angel-2023" medical team came for the traditional friendship between China and Cambodia, the development of the medical services of the two militaries and the bright prospects for the future.

"The Chinese medical team will work closely with the Cambodian officers and soldiers to share opportunities and build a win-win future, opening up a broader new world for cooperation between the two militaries," he said.

Li Zhenbiao, the chief director from the Chinese side of the exercise, said this joint exercise closely followed the actual situation of disaster medical rescue, highlighted the jointness of the two militaries, and set up multiple subjects such as joint command, joint rescue, joint medical evacuation of the wounded and sick, and joint prevention and control of communicable diseases.

Both sides mobilized more than 700 troops and used more than 1,000 sets of equipment including Y-20 transport aircraft, Y-9 medical ambulance aircraft, Mi-17 helicopters, disinfection drones, negative pressure ambulances, health and epidemic prevention vehicles, and tent hospitals, he said.

The evacuation of wounded and sick patients is carried out using air and ground relay methods, effectively improving the joint disaster medical rescue capabilities of the Chinese and Cambodian militaries, he added.

In the next few days, participating teams from both sides will also organize professional training, mixed group collaborative exercises, full-process joint training, and formal exercises. 

Chinese and Cambodian soldiers attend the opening ceremony of the "Peace Angel-2023" joint humanitarian exercise in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Sept. 16, 2023. The China-Cambodia joint humanitarian exercise code-named "Peace Angel-2023" kicked off on Saturday morning with an opening ceremony held here in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. (Xinhua)

Cambodian soldiers attend the opening ceremony of the "Peace Angel-2023" joint humanitarian exercise in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Sept. 16, 2023. The China-Cambodia joint humanitarian exercise code-named "Peace Angel-2023" kicked off on Saturday morning with an opening ceremony held here in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. (Photo by Phearum/Xinhua)

Cambodian soldiers attend the opening ceremony of the "Peace Angel-2023" joint humanitarian exercise in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Sept. 16, 2023. The China-Cambodia joint humanitarian exercise code-named "Peace Angel-2023" kicked off on Saturday morning with an opening ceremony held here in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)

Chinese and Cambodian soldiers attend the opening ceremony of the "Peace Angel-2023" joint humanitarian exercise in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Sept. 16, 2023. The China-Cambodia joint humanitarian exercise code-named "Peace Angel-2023" kicked off on Saturday morning with an opening ceremony held here in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. (Photo by Ly Lay/Xinhua)
Newly released security camera footage appears to show Rep. Lauren Boebert , the far-right Republican congresswoman known for her strong stance against drag queens and transgender people, claiming their mere existence sexualizes spaces, engaging in inappropriate behavior during a family-friendly musical at a packed theater. Boebert and her companion were asked to leave the show due to their disruptive actions during a performance of the musical Beetlejuice.

In the video, Boebert's companion, identified by multiple news sources as 46-year-old Quinn Gallagher (a Democrat who owns a bar at which drag shows have occurred), is seen touching Boebert's chest during the show. Boebert, in response, appears to place her hand near his crotch and whispers something to him, Mediaite reports .

The suggested age for Beetlejuice is 10 and over.

This footage of the public mutual groping went viral on social media, leading to widespread outrage.

The incident spawned various social media posts, including many wit the phrase "Not a drag queen," along with the video of Boebert involved in the handsy behavior.

Independent journalist and trans activist Erin Reed, who is engaged to Montana Rep. Zooey Zephyr, called out the right-wing hypocrisy demonstrated by Boeberts actions.

Lauren Boebert has talked a lot about LGBTQ people, 'appropriate behavior.' And now she gets caught fondling her partner in a packed theatre. Imagine for one moment a trans person was caught doing this. The news stories. The bills. The media circus, she wrote on X, formerly Twitter, adding, Still not a drag queen.

Hmmm  Erin Reed (@Erin Reed) 1694821937

Boebert and her companion were confronted by theater officials at their seats inside the Buell Theater, as previously shown in video footage obtained by Denver NBC affiliate KUSA. After a brief conversation, they were escorted out of the theater.

The security camera footage also captures Boebert taking flash photographs, dancing, and using a vape pen inside the theater. Subsequently, she left the venue after theater staff threatened to call police. Initially, Boebert jokingly attributed the incident to "laughing and singing too loudly" and denied vaping, suggesting that the smoke came from the theater's fog machine. However, a separate video contradicted this claim, showing Boebert using her vape pen and blowing smoke toward the audience.

An incident report stated that Boebert protested her removal, asking, "Do you know who I am?" and referring to her supposed board membership and intentions to contact the mayor.

Many people noted the apparent hypocrisy in Boebert's actions, given her history of making derogatory remarks about the LGBTQ+ community, painting its members as sexually deviant.

Boebert's critics enjoyed tremendous schadenfreude, with Boebert being the one caught engaging in public sexual behavior in a theater where children were present.

Boebert issued an apology late on Friday, expressing regret for the vaping incident, which she claimed to have no recollection of, and attributing her disruptive behavior to her ongoing divorce proceedings, The Colorado Sun reports .

"The past few days have been difficult and humbling, and I'm truly sorry for the unwanted attention my Sunday evening in Denver has brought to the community," she stated. "While none of my actions or words as a private citizen that night were intended to be malicious or meant to cause harm, the reality is they did and I regret that."

She added, "There's no perfect blueprint for going through a public and difficult divorce, which over the past few months has made for a challenging personal time for me and my entire family. I've tried to handle it with strength and grace as best I can, but I simply fell short of my values on Sunday. That's unacceptable, and I'm sorry."

The Advocate reached out to Boeberts spokesperson to ask for an explanation of how Boebert reconciles her behavior with her false smears on the LGBTQ+ community as inappropriately sexual but did not receive an immediate response.
Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert did a bit more than vape before she was booted from a performance of Beetlejuice the Musical in Denver last weekend.

A new surveillance clip obtained by TMZ appears to show the Republican representative getting aggressively handsy with her date during the family-friendly performance, recommended for children ages 10 and up by the The Broadway League.

Security cameras caught Boeberts male plus-one overtly fondling her breast, prompting her to dip her hand between his legs. The groping continued on for several minutes, with Boebert at one point grinning and squirming about in her seat before she placed another hand below her partners belt.

Its only the latest footage to emerge suggesting the congresswoman abandoned etiquette during the Sept. 10 performance of Beetlejuice at the Buell Theater. She was also caught vaping on camera as she searched for her seat at the venue. After the lights went down, Boebert was seen dancing disruptively in her seat and taking photos of herself  with the flash on  throughout the show.

According to an incident report from the Buell Theater obtained by USA Today, the pair of patrons received three different complaints and were accused of vaping, singing and causing a disturbance. The venue also released video of the couple being escorted out of the theater by staff, though they didnt identify those featured at the time.

During the confrontation, Boebert reportedly made comments amounting to do you know who I am and I will be contacting the mayor, according to theater representatives. The twosome also initially refused to leave, exiting only after they were informed a police officer was en route, the theater said.

On social media platform X, Boebert admitted to laughing and singing too loud, but her staff initially denied she vaped  even after a pregnant theatergoer asked the 36-year-old lawmaker to put away the device, according to the Denver Post. But as video footage started circulating on social media, Boebert, an ardent supporter of former President Donald Trump, was forced to again address her bad behavior.

She said that it was never her intention to lie, noting that she genuinely did not recall vaping that evening when I discussed the nights events with my campaign team while confirming my enthusiasm for the musical.

Boebert added that her actions simply fell short of my values, blaming her ongoing divorce for her inappropriate actions.

Theres no perfect blueprint for going through a public and difficult divorce, which over the past few months has made for a challenging personal time for me and my entire family, she said on Friday.

In May, Boebert filed for divorce from Jayson Boebert, her husband of 16 years, citing irreconcilable differences

The past few days have been difficult and humbling, and Im truly sorry for the unwanted attention my Sunday evening in Denver has brought to the community, her apology continued, according to several media outlets. While none of my actions or words as a private citizen that night were intended to be malicious or meant to cause harm, the reality is they did and I regret that.
Colorado Republican Lauren Boebert has issued an apology for not telling the truth about an incident that saw her thrown out of a production of Beetlejuice.

The apology comes as new footage from security cameras at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts shows that Rep Boebert was not just vaping, singing, and taking flash photos during the performance, but also appeared to engage in heavy petting with her male companion.

Her latest statement reads: The past few days have been difficult and humbling, and Im truly sorry for the unwanted attention my Sunday evening in Denver has brought to the community. While none of my actions or words as a private citizen that night were intended to be malicious or meant to cause harm, the reality is they did and I regret that.

Theres no perfect blueprint for going through a public and difficult divorce, which over the past few months has made for a challenging personal time for me and my entire family. Ive tried to handle it with strength and grace as best I can, but I simply fell short of my values on Sunday. Thats unacceptable and Im sorry.

In April Ms Boebert filed for divorce from her husband of 18 years, Jayson Boebert, and in June she announced she became a grandmother at the age of 36 after her 17-year-old son had a baby with his girlfriend.

The statement continues: Whether it was the excitement of seeing a much-anticipated production or the natural anxiety of being in a new environment, I genuinely did not recall vaping that evening when I discussed the nights events with my campaign team while confirming my enthusiasm for the musical. Regardless of my belief, its clear now that was not accurate; it was not my or my campaigns intention to mislead, but we do understand the nature of how this looks. We know we will have to work to earn your trust back and it may not happen overnight, but we will do it.

Im deeply thankful to those in the 3rd District who have defended me and reached out this week and offered grace and support when I needed it the most. lve learned some humbling lessons these past few days but I vow moving forward, I will make you proud.

The Colorado lawmaker has also previously accused the left of grooming children and railed against drag shows, tweeting in June 2022: Take your children to CHURCH, not drag bars.

The hypocrisy of her apparent public sexual behaviour in a theatre versus her criticism of drag and attacks on the LGBTQ+ community did not go unnoticed, with Clara Jeffery of Mother Jones tweeting: You do have to watch what you take your kids to, lest they sit next to a Congressperson vaping and engaging in sex acts.

Journalist John Harwood similarly wrote: Republican extremist in Congress engaging in wildly-inappropriate sexual behavior in crowded public theater explains that shes trying to handle her divorce with strength and grace as best i can.

Author Dave Cullen tweeted: Another 'family values' hypocrite attacks gays for endangering kids just for being ourselves  then does this at a show recommended for kids 11 & up. 

A spokesperson for the congresswoman previously denied she had vaped in the theatre, from which she was ejected on Sunday night after causing a disturbance, reported The Denver Post.

Ms Boeberts team previously claimed heavy fog machines and electronic cigarettes were used during the play, which lead to a misunderstanding that the controversial politician was using an electronic cigarette.

However, footage, obtained by NBC, shows Ms Boebert sitting in the theatre and raising her hand to her face before a puff of smoke comes out of her mouth.

The video also shows a woman sitting behind the congresswoman leaning in to speak to her. The Denver Post reported the woman was pregnant and asked Ms Boebert to stop vaping, to which the congresswoman replied no.

The woman, who described Ms Boeberts behaviour as outrageous, also alleged the congresswoman called her a sad and miserable person after she asked to move seats during the intermission.

Ms Boebert can also be seen in the footage taking flash photos during the show and raising her arms as if to dance.

Late on Friday, more footage emerged that appears to show the lawmaker and her companion fondling each other.

The Republican lawmaker, who was not named in an incident report from the night, was warned about her behaviour during an intermission after three complaints were made before she was eventually told to leave.

They told me they would not leave. I told them that they need to leave the theater and if they do not, they will be trespassing. The patrons said they would not leave. I told them I would (be) going to get Denver Police. They said go get them, an usher is quoted as saying in the report.

The report states that the two theatregoers were taken down to the vestibule, where they refused to leave, telling staff stuff like do you know who I am, I am on the board (and) I will be contacting the mayor. 

Police arrived and stayed in the theatre until Ms Boebert and her companion left, according to the report.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) has walked back her assertion that she was not vaping in a crowded Denver theater last weekend when she was kicked out of the venue. After surveillance footage emerged appearing to call BS on her claim, the Colorado Republican on Friday admitted in a statement that its clear now that was not accurate.

Whether it was the excitement of seeing a much-anticipated production or the natural anxiety of being in a new environment, I genuinely did not recall vaping that evening when I discussed the nights events with my campaign team while confirming my enthusiasm for the musical, she said in a statement shared with The Daily Beast.

In a subsequent text message to The Daily Beast, Boebert said she hoped people would understand her mistake.

Theres not a person walking the face of this planet that hasnt had a moment of weakness and fallen short and I think people will get that, she wrote. Ill show strength through humility moving forward.

Writing in the statement that she never intended to mislead anyone, she added: We know we will have to work to earn your trust back and it may not happen overnight, but we will do it.

Lauren Boebert Proves the One Thing She Needs Is Class

The past few days have been difficult and humbling, and Im truly sorry for the unwanted attention my Sunday evening in Denver has brought to the community. While none of my actions or words as a private citizen that night were intended to be malicious or meant to cause harm, the reality is they did and I regret that, she said, noting that she has been going through a challenging personal time following a public and difficult divorce.

After Boeberts ejection from a live production of the Beetlejuice musical made headlines over the weekend, a spokesperson played down claims that shed engaged in bad behavior in the theater, saying she was guilty only of singing along, laughing and enjoying herself. A woman who said she was seated behind the congresswoman at the musical told The Denver Post she had asked Boebert to stop vaping because she is pregnant, but the response she got was a curt, No.

NEW: GOP Rep Lauren Boebert denied vaping during a Denver Center for the Performing Arts musical before being kicked out Sunday. @Marshall9News got the video. Take a look. #copolitics pic.twitter.com/VtT67Vn4L9  Kyle Clark (@KyleClark) September 15, 2023

Ive never seen anyone act like that before, the unnamed woman was quoted as saying.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Lauren Boebert , the US congresswoman, has issued an apology after being kicked out of a performance of the musical Beetlejuice in Denver for inappropriate behavior, an experience she has called difficult and humbling.

Boebert, a Republican representative for Colorado, and a male guest accompanying her were ejected from the musical on 10 September for vaping, recording video and disturbing other patrons during the Sunday performance. Video also showed them eagerly groping each other while in their seats.

Related: Lauren Boebert: congresswoman kicked out of musical for causing disturbance

Boebert and her campaign manager initially denied that she was vaping and said she was removed for being too loud. But surveillance video obtained by the Denver television station 9News shows the congresswoman openly vaping during the performance.

Two sources also confirmed to 9News that Boebert was vaping, a prohibited action that ushers attempted to address with her several times.

A pregnant woman reportedly confronted Boebert and asked the congresswoman to stop vaping, the New York Post reported. But Boebert refused.

These people in front of us were outrageous, the unnamed woman said to the Post. Ive never seen anyone act like that before.

The CCTV video also shows Boeberts guest fondling her breasts after they had taken their seats. Boebert is also seen petting her guests crotch in the venue.

Boebert and her date were later removed by security in the second act of the musical as their disruptive behavior continued.

The CCTV footage shows a blurred-out gesture that Boebert flashed at theater security as she was escorted out. Business Insider reported that the gesture appeared to be a middle finger.

According to a report of the confrontation from theater security, Boebert and her guest became argumentative with officials. Do you know who I am? the congresswoman allegedly asked, according to the theater security report.

Boebert apologized for her behavior in a Friday evening statement.

The past few days have been difficult and humbling, and Im truly sorry for the unwanted attention my Sunday evening in Denver has brought to the community, Boebert, as reported by the Colorado Sun.

Boebert added that her public and difficult divorce has created a challenging personal time for me and my entire family.

Ive tried to handle it with strength and grace as best I can, but I simply fell short of my values on Sunday, Boebert said.

In May, Boebert filed for divorce from her husband, Jayson, after a long marriage.

Boeberts disturbance at the musical was first confirmed on Tuesday, though the congresswoman initially attempted to suggest she had been removed from the theater for enjoying the performance too much.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, Boebert wrote that she [pleaded] guilty to laughing and singing too loud!

The Colorado congresswoman is in her second term after narrowly being re-elected in 2022.

She is one of the most far-right representatives in Congress, widely known for bigoted statements she has made against LGBTQ+ people, Muslims and other marginalized communities.

A report from the Advocate, the LGBTQ+ news outlet, noted that the man who accompanied her to Beetlejuice was a Democrat named Quinn Gallagher who is the proprietor of a bar that has hosted LGBTQ+ events and drag performances, which have often been targets of the political right.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will take part in a meeting of the UN Security Council on Ukraine, on which, presumably, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy will also be present.

Source: Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN Vasily Nebenzya in a commentary to the Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti

Details: Nebenzya said that Lavrov will participate in the meeting.

At the same time, the permanent representative assessed the potential results from this meeting as "null".

"This will be another show, the main role in which is given to the Ukrainian president, Nebenzya said," the propagandists wrote.

Earlier: Bloomberg reported that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may visit New York in September to attend the UN General Assembly High-Level Week. His participation in the UN Security Council meeting is also under consideration.

Later it was revealed that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House next Thursday, 21 September. Reportedly, Ukraines president will also visit the US Congress.

As reported by Ukrinform, according to the previous schedule of speeches of the heads of delegations, Zelenskyy's speech at the UN General Assembly is expected in the morning of 19 September. On 20 September Zelenskyy will take part in an open debate of the UN Security Council on Ukraine.

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Sacramento lawmakers have approved and sent to the governor two measures that seek to require that Los Angeles redistricting be decided by an independent panel. Above, a view of downtown Los Angeles includes City Hall. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

The city of Los Angeles could be forced to establish an independent redistricting commission through two overlapping bills approved by state lawmakers this week.

If signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, the legislation would limit the City Councils influence over the lines that delineate their districts. The citys most recent redistricting efforts came under national scrutiny in the wake of the citys audio leak scandal last year.

City lawmakers also have spent months discussing redistricting reform and have pledged to put their own independent redistricting commission proposal before Los Angeles voters next fall.

Senate Bill 52 , which was introduced by state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles), would require cities with a population of at least 2.5 million to establish an independent redistricting commission. The bill also lays out guidelines for how such a commission should operate.

Because Los Angeles is the only city in California with a population of more than 2 million, the bill would apply only to L.A. for now. (The City Council voted in February to formally oppose an earlier version of Durazo's bill following a contentious debate in council chambers.)

A separate, broader bill written by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Los Angeles), would require large cities, counties and school districts to adopt independent redistricting commissions by 2030. Assembly Bill 1248 also lays out rules for how such commissions should operate. It would apply to cities and counties with more than 300,000 residents and school districts or community college districts that have more than 500,000 residents.

The two pieces of legislation are designed to work with each other. AB 1248 has a carve-out exempting cities with a population of at least 2.5 million people from its provisions, so long as SB 52 is also enacted. And SB 52 has a provision saying that it will become operative only if AB 1248 is enacted.

Paul Mitchell, an expert who has done more than 100 municipal redistrictings, praised the reform efforts, saying "I think anything that can move the true independent redistricting model down to more jurisdictions is beneficial."

No matter which path helps us to get there, I believe it is essential that we create a truly independent redistricting commission, Councilmember Nithya Raman said Friday. Raman introduced a motion to begin the process of creating an independent redistricting commission for the city with Paul Krekorian, the now-president of the City Council, in December 2021.

Read more: Sacramento likely can't force L.A. City Council reform. It's trying anyway

Under Los Angeles current redistricting system, elected city officials appoint members to the redistricting panel who can essentially act as their proxies, and the council has final say over the maps.

Changes to the City Charter  the civic constitution that governs Los Angeles and outlines the current redistricting system  require a public vote.

Whether this state legislation would supersede the need for a local charter amendment vote remains an open legal question.

But the question will be moot if Los Angeles voters approve an independent redistricting charter amendment in November 2024. (SB 52 has a so-called offramp for that situation, meaning the legislation would apply only if the City Charter does not establish an independent redistricting commission of its own that meets certain criteria, according to the text of the bill.)

Bryan told The Times that he would be "ecstatic" to see Los Angeles successfully establish an independent redistricting commission on its own next year, preempting the two bills' sway over the city's redistricting process.

"We really want this to be a grassroots effort and for local jurisdictions like Los Angeles to design for themselves an independent process through charter reform, or whatever reform is necessary in that locality," Bryan said. He described the legislation as a set of "guardrails" that would create an independent redistricting framework and put pressure on local jurisdictions to step up.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Lexington Catholic High School officials have fired a teacher who did not disclose an arrest, the Catholic Diocese of Lexington said Saturday.

Robert Pennington was hired by Lexington Catholic High School on August 1, 2023. During his application process, he neglected to include his tenure at Charleston West Virginia Catholic High School and did not disclose his arrest, Edward Bauer, director of communications for the Catholic Diocese of Lexington, said in a statement Saturday.

Pennington was charged with soliciting for prostitution in March, Charleston television station WCHS reported.

Charleston, West Virginia Municipal Court records indicate that the next court date for Penningtons case is scheduled for Dec. 20.

Pennington, then a teacher at Charleston Catholic High School and Blessed Sacrament Church, was suspended from his duties March 17 because of the accusation, WOWK reported.

According to a criminal complaint, WOWK said, Robert Charles Pennington gave an undercover detective money for sex.

WCHS reported the complaint said the incident happened in Kanawha County March 9, and it was the result of an undercover prostitution operation.

The Lexington diocese said in its statement Saturday that Pennington was never charged with a crime but was cited by Charleston police. Bauer did not immediately respond to requests for clarification, and Charleston police officials did not immediately comment Saturday.

The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston told WCHS at the time that Mr. Pennington has been suspended from his duties at Charleston Catholic High School and Blessed Sacrament Church pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation related to adult behavior by civil authorities. As it is ongoing, neither Charleston Catholic High School nor the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston can make further comment on the investigation.

On Lexington Catholics website, Bob Pennington was listed as Director of Spiritual Life/Religion Teacher.

When this information was discovered by the Lexington Catholic High School administration, they moved swiftly to investigate the situation and terminated his employment, Bauer said. We regret that this situation has occurred. We want to reassure parents, students, and alumni of Lexington Catholic High School that the safety and well-being of our students is a primary concern.
OTTAWA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- In the first week of September, the Canadian government unveiled draft rules for a new law titled "Online News Act" or Bill C-18, in a bid to tighten the screws on global tech giants such as Meta and Google. According to the new law, the web giants must pay Canadian news outlets in order to host their content.

To implement the new law, the Trudeau government has released draft rules which will come into force by December this year, Canadian federal authorities have said.

The Department of Canadian Heritage, which is one of the key central agencies to deal with the matter, said earlier in a statement that the new law was a culmination of years of calls for action and key government priorities.

"The Online News Act aims to ensure that dominant platforms compensate news businesses when their content is made available on their services. The act creates a bargaining framework to ensure that platforms compensate news businesses fairly," the department said on its official website while explaining the objectives behind the introduction of the new law.

"It encourages platforms to reach voluntary commercial agreements with a range of news businesses," it added.

The Trudeau government was motivated to enact the new law after the Canadian media industry repeatedly called for a tighter regulation of the tech companies Meta and Google that were allegedly pushing news businesses out of the online advertising market, observers said.

COLD RESPONSE FROM TECH GIANTS

The law and its rules have received a cold response from the two tech giants Meta -- the parent company of Facebook -- and Alphabet's Google. The tech companies have asserted that the new Canadian law is unworkable for their businesses.

Irked by the Canadian legislation, social media giant Meta has started blocking the sharing of news on its platforms in Canada since August.

And in a recent media interview, a Google spokesperson said, "We are currently reviewing the proposed regulations to assess whether they resolve the serious structural issues with the Canadian law."

The Canadian government has stated that if the tech giants fail to sign fair agreements with the Canadian news publishers independently, they would have to proceed to a mediated mandatory bargaining process.

"If, after mediation, the parties (tech companies and local media outlets) are still unable to reach an agreement, each party would submit a final offer, and an arbitral panel would choose one of the two offers," read the statement posted on the official website of the department.

Authorities say that the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is responsible for overseeing the bargaining framework under the act.

It is still not clear how the conflict between the Canadian government and global tech companies will play out. But media experts in Ottawa say the standoff between the Canadian government and global tech companies may end in the near future if the tech companies come forward themselves to find a compromise.

SEEKING SOLUTIONS

Bhanu Bhakta Acharya, an adjunct professor of media studies at the University of Ottawa, said that Meta and Google could sit at the negotiating table with the Canadian government to seek a solution, although the law has already been enacted despite their objections.

"The Bill C-18 has been modelled after a similar law in Australia. It was Australia which first forced tech companies Meta and Google to pay for the use of news content. Since the law has got royal assent and was approved by the Canadian federal parliament, the tech companies should now sit with the Canadian media publishers and settle the issue like what they did in Australia two years ago," Acharya told Xinhua in a recent interview.

The media expert further said that it is still not clear what would happen if tech companies continued blocking news on their platforms and did not agree to negotiate.

The draft regulations released by the Canadian Department of Heritage state that search engines or social media sites that have a total global revenue of 1 billion Canadian dollars (740 million U.S. dollars) or more in a calendar year and have been operating in Canada should abide by the new law.

Both Meta and Google would have to pay at least 4 percent of their annual revenues to Canadian local news outlets in exchange for sharing links to the news content, media reports said.

According to Canadian media reports, the new law will cost Meta and Google an annual 45 million U.S. dollars and 127 million U.S. dollars, respectively.

Canadian federal authorities have said that they will engage with Meta and Google to discuss the issue in the near future.

The National Post, a Canadian newspaper, last month quoted Canadian Federal Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge as saying that she was hopeful the government would resolve its standoff with tech companies.

St-Onge told the media that while she does not support Meta's approach, which takes "away the rights that their users should have to share journalistic information (with) their family and friends, the conversation itself was very positive." 
Soldiers of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade have posted new footage of the operation to liberate Andriivka in the Bakhmut district of Donetsk Oblast.

Source: 3rd Assault Brigade on Telegram

Quote: "The enemy was firing mortars, and the mortar bomb explosions were getting closer and closer. The assault troops continued to hunt the enemy down in the middle of the battlefield  in a village teeming with Russians."

Details: The video shows offensive actions by soldiers of the 3rd Company of the 1st Assault Battalion of the brigade.

Its clear from the images of burned trees and destroyed buildings that Russia has levelled this settlement to the ground.

Background:

Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar claimed that Ukraine's Defence Forces had liberated the settlement of Andriivka on the Bakhmut front. The command of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade officially retracted her statement, saying it was incorrect and premature. Ukrainian defenders said heavy fighting was ongoing near the settlements of Andriivka and Klishchiivka.

Later Hanna Maliar explained this was a "communication failure" between several information sources reporting directly from the scene of events.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on 15 September that the Armed Forces had gained control of Andriivka in Donetsk Oblast following assault operations and were continuing to conduct offensive operations. They also had partial success near Klishchiivka, Donetsk Oblast.

The 3rd Assault Brigade released a video of the mop-up of Andriivka: its fighters launched a UAV with a loudspeaker into the sky and the commander of the 2nd Assault Battalion gave the Russians an ultimatum: captivity or death.

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Capt. James Hilles of the Alliance Police Department shows the Live911 program on his office computer. The computers in the police cruiser show the same information.

ALLIANCE  Police said they saved a woman's life because a new tool sped up their response to a 911 call.

Capt. James Hilles and Law Director Caitlyn Weyer said the 68-year-old girlfriend of George "Joe" Appleby might not be alive today if not for Live911.

"That Live911 was truly a godsend," Weyer said.

"I said I ...": Alliance police release body camera footage, ID officers involved in fatal shooting

Live911 is a dispatching software that streams 911 calls into police cruisers, giving officers more information and faster response times. California-based HigherGround is behind the program that has more than 100 clients nationwide.

Currently, Alliance and Strongsville are the only Ohio cities that use the technology, according to a HigherGround spokesman. It's been positive in the Carnation City.

"We have solved a dozen cases that we would not have (without it)," Hilles said. "Like apprehending a domestic violence offender, who normally would have fled. Or hit-skips."

How does it work?

The city pays $8,700 annually for the program for the city's Police and Fire Departments. In an email, Auditor Kevin Knowles said federal stimulus money was used to buy the software and have it installed.

Live911 went online in October 2022 in Alliance. Hilles explained how it works:

He said when a person calls 911 with an emergency, the call streams into the police station and police cruisers. The officers listen as dispatchers gather information from the caller. It gives officers a head start on their response.

In October 2022, Alliance Police Department became only the second department in Ohio to install Live911 software in their computer and cruiser systems. The officers hear 911 calls in real-time and get a mapping display of which officer is closest to the emergency.

Hilles also said the software maps the location of the call onto officers' computer screens in cruisers based on a GPS locator, helping to alert the closest officer.

"It's showing exactly where the caller is at, and if they move, it'll follow them," he added.

Hilles said the system has cut down police response time to emergency calls by two to three minutes.

Before Live911, Hilles explained officers wouldn't know there was an emergency until a dispatcher alerted them, and they might be out of position. Now, officers know it, hear it and already have information from the caller before they arrive on scene.

For the Fire Department, Live911 streams into the fire stations. Fire Chief Jason Hunt said it has been a great addition.

Hilles said police officers get to hear the caller's sense of urgency  something that was missing in the pre-Live911 days.

"You know what you're going into. You don't have to get there and say, 'OK, well, I know what dispatch told me, but now I've got to find out the story,'" Hilles said. With Live911, "the officer has actually had contact and gotten the story. Now they can just go ... and be prepared to act."

He added: "Like they did (Sept. 3)."

The first officer got to South Linden in 1 minute, 18 seconds

On Sept. 3, a neighbor told 911 dispatchers that a man had a knife across the throat of his live-in girlfriend in an South Linden Avenue apartment.

"Please hurry," she told 911 dispatch.

On Sept. 3, 2023, an Alliance police officer shot and killed George "Joe" Appleby in this upstairs apartment on South Linden Avenue. Police said Appleby had a knife across the throat of a woman, partially cutting her, and used her as a shield. The fatal shooting is be investigated by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Listening on the other end were Alliance police officers in their cruisers, on the way to the call, and hearing the neighbor's concern. The call also provided the name of the suspect, George Appleby, whom Hilles said was known to Alliance police as a violent man capable of acting on his threats.

The first officer arrived on scene one minute, 18 seconds after the call. Four more then followed.

Police have said Appleby had a knife across the throat of his girlfriend, refused to drop it, and used her as a shield.

An officer  detective Robert Toussant  fired on Appleby as he held the knife to the victim's throat after another officer pried open the door to the apartment.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating the incident. Toussant and the other four officers who were on the scene at the time remain on paid leave.

"No officers were injured. No additional information is available at this time as this is an ongoing investigation," Dominic Brinkley, deputy press secretary for the Ohio Attorney General's Office, said in an email.

Meanwhile, Weyer and Hilles said Live911 helped officers save the woman's life. They said she or a neighbor could have died if they had responded later.

"I mean, by then, who knows," Hilles said. "Two or three minutes goes and maybe one of the neighbors intervenes and they get hurt, too. I mean he could've killed her and fled. But he didn't get time to because the officer was fairly close and the call came in."

Reach Benjamin Duer at 330-580-8567 or ben.duer@cantonrep.com. On X (formerly Twitter): @bduerREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Live911 is helping Alliance police, fire get to emergencies quicker
Hundreds gathered in downtown Milwaukee for the Social Development Commission's Summit on Poverty on Thursday and Friday. The two-day annual conference brought together community advocates, state agencies and local leaders for conversations about eradicating poverty in the greater Milwaukee area.

Over 800 people registered for the event and participated in sessions on subjects such as the role of higher education in combating poverty, housing discrimination, homelessness and food justice.

Here's four highlights from the conference:

Speakers highlight importance of storytelling

The first day included a conversation with actress Erika Alexander , star of '90s hit TV series "Living Single." In a sit-down interview with SDC government affairs & executive support manager Abra Fortson, Alexander offered insight into her decades-long career as an activist, entrepreneur and director. Alexander has produced award-winning projects like "Good Trouble," a 2020 film that chronicled the life of late Congressman John Lewis, and "Finding Tamika," a podcast about the prevalence of Black women and girls going missing in the United States.

Alexander guided attendees through her creative process for narrative storytelling, with a focus on Black people and other marginalized groups. Referencing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' push for book bans in libraries across the state, she said that Black people must reclaim ownership over their stories and not allow their history or future to be written without their perspective.

The Social Development Commission leadership team poses for a photo with Erika Alexander.

In 2014, Alexander co-wrote the graphic novel "Concrete Park" with her then-husband Tony Puryear. The comic is an Afrofuturist tale that explores the experiences of "Earth's outcasts" living on a distant desert planet. The outcasts are faced with the realities of succumbing to gang violence and polarization or coming together to create a unified new world.

"People said Black people don't like science fiction because they don't see themselves in the future," Alexander said. "We wanted to disrupt the conversation around race and poverty and class."

SDC spotlights housing accessibility programs

The Summit on Poverty included eight sessions focused on expanding housing resources for Milwaukee residents.

On Thursday, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council shared a presentation explaining common discrimination experiences faced by Milwaukee residents and identified protected classes in federal and state civil rights law. The civil rights enforcement agency takes on cases of illegal housing discrimination.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, SDC's Milwaukee Emergency Rental Assistance program served as a resource for Milwaukee residents seeking aid to remain in their homes. The organization gave $90 million dollars to 10,000 households for rent and utilities while also funneling participants into affiliated programs for career development and education.

In 2023, the organization is shifting its focus to homeownership in alignment with Wisconsin Help for Homeowners Program, said LaSonda Buck, SDC's housing director. The goal is to minimize the fear and anxiety that often emerges before a person's first attempt at buying a home, through counseling and financial management training.

"Everybody doesn't have to have a perfect credit score to own house, and I think that's what people are afraid of," she said. "We know there are some barriers or struggles, but the goal is to clean that up, get rid of those credit cards and liabilities and teach them how to do that credit repair."

Expert discusses child discipline and trauma

Howard University professor Stacey Patton speaks about how physical punishment perpetuates cycles of poverty.

The conference's second day included a keynote address by Stacey Patton, assistant professor at the Cathy Hughes School of Communications at Howard University. Patton spoke about common discipline practices in the Black community, including spanking children.

Patton's research explores the impact of physical punishment on children and its links to depression, abuse in romantic relationships and death. In her presentation, Patton referenced the New York Times bestselling novel "The Body Keeps the Score," which details how frequent abuse can lead to lifelong physical and mental trauma. Her research and community conversations seek to inform adults about the consequences children face when their lives are guided by "violent coercion."

Beating children, Patton said, is often used as a mechanism used to get them behave like responsible adults. However, her research explores the increased likelihood of family destabilization when young people are "taught to believe that violence is natural, normal and a successful means for getting information across."

"Childhood is about surviving adults," Patton said at the beginning and end of her presentation.

Participants share oral stories about food journeys

Artists use large poster board to document images and phrases mentioned at the Summit on Poverty.

Bringing together student researchers from across the state of Wisconsin, the Summit on Poverty began each day with "Poster Sessions" and student presentations. During this time, students shared analysis and data on topics like discrimination, food security and drug and alcohol abuse.

In partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the event also included a Story Cart booth. The initiative aims to create an archive of community history that can be used for public and educational use. In the booth, attendees recorded oral stories, drawings and videos.

The 2023 Story Cart theme is food and land justice and participants were encouraged to share their food journeys, detailing how they gather, prepare and consume food.

A collection of SDC's community partners  including the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, Self Help Credit Union, TMG and Wellpoint Care Network  also gathered in front of the Executive Ballroom to share resources with conference attendees.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Four highlights from Milwaukee's Summit on Poverty
Grandparents often have a tough time saying no to their grandkids - and scammers know it.

The Grandparent Scam has been around for decades, but now, scammers are getting more sophisticated and brazen.

Detectives are seeing it in Central Florida.

Longwood Police say just in the last week, theyve seen two elderly people have fallen victim to the scam.

 WATCH CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS

One of them is out roughly $30,000.

Channel 9 spoke to the two victims over the phone. Were not identifying them to protect their identity.

Both victims said the scammers quickly created a sense of urgency and fear to pressure them into losing hundreds or even thousands of dollars to allegedly help a family member.

The lawyer calls and says that our grandson and been in a car wreck, and hes okay, hes in jail. But the person he hit was a woman who was six months pregnant, and shes in the hospital. And we dont know if shes going to lose the baby or not, said one of the victims.

Thats how the classic scam often starts like this. In that case, the victim lost $1,000.

Read: I really thought he was going to kill me: Man accused of attacking woman in Seminole County

But now, scammers are getting even more advanced--pulling in artificial intelligence to clone a child or grandchilds voice to fool seniors.

The other victim, who lost roughly $30,000, said the scammers voice sounded almost identical to his sons.

In that case, the scammer, acting as his son, said he was in a car accident, had injured another driver, and was in jail in Volusia County. Scammers also posed as a lawyer, bondsman, and judge on the call, he said.

So how are the scammers able to clone a family members voice?

Detective Mathew Rice says, in some cases, scammers are calling the victims family members to do it.

Read: Man accused of sexually battering 6-year-old girl in Osceola County

Theyre asking people yes or no questions just to get a recording or a clip of that persons voice. And then theyre using them to further scams later with like family members, Rice said.

From there, Rice says the scammers mine family members social media - finding out who they are, their interests, and recent activities like vacations. Then, scammers create a storyline based on social media to prey on the victims fears.

Investigators said scammers have gotten even more brazen in the request - asking victims to leave an envelope of cash on their front steps and picking it up in person.

It happened in the case where the victim lost roughly $30,000.

Read: Volusia County man strikes gold, becomes multi-millionaire playing lotto scratch-off game

In that case, Rice says a third party of the scammer used a rideshare service like Uber to get to the home and pick up the cash.

It seems like theyre local, especially since they named a local law enforcement agency, they had a rideshare service, come pick up the cash, I dont think that a rideshare person is going to go deposit that money into a bank account for the fraudster, I think that theyre just going to go deliver it to him, Rice said.

Rice said to be skeptical. Dont answer calls from numbers you dont know and remember that no officer will call a family member and demand a bond be paid over the phone.

If a caller claims a family member has been arrested, Rice says you can call Longwood Police or your local law enforcement agency to verify.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
After a week of worrying about Hurricane Lee and a Saturday filled with its (barely) rainy remnants, Rhode Islanders may be looking to salvage the weekend with some fun.

We've got you covered. Check out The Providence Journal's top five things to do this Sunday. The weather report says it's going to be sunny and pleasant, with temperatures in the upper 70s.

Top pizza picks: Yelp, Washington Post say these are RI's best pizzas. Do you agree?

Rhode Island Seafood Festival

The Rhode Island Seafood Festival continues Sunday, Sept. 17 at India Point Park, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Rhode Island Seafood Festival continues Sunday, Sept. 17, at India Point Park, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This is a rain or shine event. Gate prices are $15 per adult per day (12 and younger do not need a ticket). The ticket price includes a full day of live music from local bands, as well as access to restaurant and art vendors. Food and drink are not included in the ticket price. For more information visit riseafoodfest.com.

Misquamicut Beach FallFest

Midway rides, a classic car show, a music tent and all the fair food you could want will be at Misquamicut FallFest this weekend.

The event takes place Sunday, Sept. 17, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Misquamicut State Beach in Westerly. Midway rides, a classic car show, a music tent and all the fair food you could want make this a classic festival for the beginning of fall. Tickets are $12. Children under 7 are admitted free. Rides are an additional cost. For more information, visit misquamicutfestival.org.

Guerrilla Tango on the pedestrian bridge

Break out your dancing shoes for "guerilla tango" this Sunday at the Michael S. Van Leesten Pedestrian Bridge in Providence.

On Sundays at 5 p.m., dance enthusiasts show up at the Michael S. Van Leesten Pedestrian Bridge in Providence with music and dance shoes and dance to traditional tango and a few alternative tunes. Organizers note that this is not a performance, but rather friends getting together to dance socially (though there is a tip jar for the DJ). Inclement weather will force a cancellation.

Bristol PorchFest

Guitarist Julio Amaro performs in this file photo from 2021. Performers to take the "stage" on front porches up and down High Street in Bristol this Sunday for Arts In Commo's PorchFest 2023.

Arts In Common presents the 2023 Bristol PorchFest on Sunday, Sept. 17, from 3 to 6 p.m. Whats a PorchFest, you ask? Twenty bands  duos, trios, and groups  will perform on 10 porches along High Street in Bristol, as spectators stroll around enjoying music  everything from jazz to roots to Klezmer, Bossa Nova and bluegrass?  at this free, family-friendly event. An after-party takes place at Unity Park from 5 to 8 p.m. and features live music and food. (Rain date is Sept. 24.) For more information, visit artsincommon.org.

Halfway to St. Patricks Day

The Guinness will be flowing at multiple spots in downtown Wilmington this weekend.

Muldowneys Pub, 121 Empire St., Providence, is celebrating the fact that St. Patricks Day (you read that right!) is just six month away with green beer and Guinness and Jameson specials all weekend. They promise they have lots of swag to give away and encourage attendees to wear green.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Top 5 things to do in RI Sunday, Sept. 17, after Hurricane Lee is over
A Los Angeles Police Department official is under investigation after being accused of stalking a female officer while they were romantically involved.

LAPD Assistant Chief Al Labrada is accused of allegedly placing an Apple AirTag tracking device on his ex-girlfriends car to monitor her whereabouts.

Following a recent breakup, the woman said she found the AirTag inside a waterproof Pelican box in her car. The device connected to the tag traced back to Labradas city-issued smartphone.

She filed a report with the Ontario Police Department on Sept. 7.

We deny all of those allegations, said Jeremy Tissot, Labradas attorney. Those are false allegations and we fully expect Mr. Labraba will be vindicated of all those allegations.

Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief, Al Labrada, is under investigation after being accused of stalking a female officer while they were romantically involved. (LAPD)

Apple AirTag tracking device. (KTLA)

Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief, Al Labrada, is under investigation after being accused of stalking a female officer while they were romantically involved. (LAPD)

Labradas cell phone was reportedly confiscated shortly after the report was filed. Besides reporting to internal affairs, the victim also allegedly filed a report with the inspector general.

Labrada joined the LAPD in 1993 and is one of three assistant chiefs who report directly to Chief Michael Moore. When Moore travels, Labrada, at times, becomes the acting chief in his place.

An LAPD spokesperson confirmed that an internal investigation has been reportedly launched into the matter, but no further details were released.

Labrabdas attorney said they intend to fight back against the allegations and are considering legal action as well.

Mr. Labrada is also considering pursuing and leaving all options open as to legal remedies including bringing action related to false and defamatory statements made against him, Tissot said.

The LAPD released a statement saying:

In response to the inquiry of a crime report involving the actions of Assistant Chief Labrada, the Department is aware and in communication with the involved agency. As this is a personnel matter the Department will make no further comment beyond the fact that Assistant Chief Labrada continues in his role as the Director, Office of Special Operations.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
FILE - Prison guards ride horses that were broken by inmates as they return from farm work detail at the Louisiana State Penitentiary on Aug. 18, 2011, in Angola, La. Men incarcerated at Louisiana State Penitentiary filed a class-action lawsuit Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, contending they have been forced to work in the prisons fields for little or no pay, even when temperatures soar past 100 degrees. They described the conditions as cruel, degrading and often dangerous. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP)  Men incarcerated at Louisiana State Penitentiary filed a class-action lawsuit Saturday, contending they have been forced to work in the prisons fields for little or no pay, even when temperatures soar past 100 degrees. They described the conditions as cruel, degrading and often dangerous.

The men, most of whom are Black, work on the farm of the 18,000-acre maximum-security prison known as Angola -- the site of a former slave plantation -- hoeing, weeding and picking crops by hand, often surrounded by armed guards, the suit said. If they refuse to work or fail to meet quotas, they can be sent to solitary confinement or otherwise punished, according to disciplinary guidelines.

This labor serves no legitimate penological or institutional purpose, the suit said. Its purely punitive, designed to break incarcerated men and ensure their submission.

It names as defendants Angolas warden, Timothy Hooper, and officials with Louisianas department of corrections and its money-making arm, Prison Enterprises.

Ken Pastorick, a spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety and Corrections, said the department hadn't officially been served with the suit.

We cannot comment on something we have not seen nor had any opportunity to review, he said.

The United States has historically locked up more people than any other country, with more than 2.2 million inmates in federal and state prisons, jails and detention centers. They can be forced to work because the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which abolished slavery after the Civil War, made an exception for those duly convicted of a crime.

The plaintiffs include four men who formerly or are currently working in the fields, along with Voice of the Experienced, an organization made up of current and formerly incarcerated people, around 150 of whom are still at Angola.

The suit said the work is especially dangerous for those with disabilities or health conditions in the summer months, with temperatures reaching up to 102 degrees in June, with heat indexes of up to 145.

Some of the plaintiffs have not been given the accommodations and services they are entitled to under the Americans with Disabilities Act, it said.

These men are forced to work notwithstanding their increased risk of illness or injury, the suit said.

It asserts the field work also violates their 8th Amendment rights to be free of cruel and unusual punishment, and that some plaintiffs in the suit were sentenced by non-unanimous juries and therefore were not duly convicted within the meaning of the 13th Amendment.

The men  represented by the legal advocacy organizations Promise of Justice Initiative and Rights Behind Bars  are asking the court to declare that work they are forced to do is unconstitutional and to require the state to end its generations-long practice of compulsory agricultural labor.
Loved ones are asking for the publics help for information on the murder of a father and his young daughter in Compton who were caught in the crossfire of rival gang shootings.

On Aug. 8, 2001, Stephen Murphy, 24, and his daughter, Kali Murphy, 2, were gunned down outside of a home on the 13100 block of Willowbrook Avenue.

With the gunmen still at large, loved ones have been seeking justice for over 20 years. A press conference held by the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department on Friday morning announced the reopening of the case once again.

The summer Stephen and Kali were murdered was a violent one in Compton, filled with constant strife and deadly gang-related activity.

Stephen and his daughter were caught in the crossfire as gunfire from passing cars struck and killed them both. They were scrambling for safety on his grandmothers front porch before they died.

Stephen Murphy, 24, and his daughter, Kali Murphy, 2, were killed in the crossfire of gang-related shooting in Compton on Aug. 8, 2001. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department)

Stephen Murphy, 24, and his daughter, Kali Murphy, 2, were killed in the crossfire of gang-related shooting in Compton on Aug. 8, 2001. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department)

Suspects and their vehicle believed to be involved in the murder of Stephen Murphy, 24, and his daughter, Kali Murphy, 2, in Compton on Aug. 8, 2001. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department)

Suspects and their vehicle believed to be involved in the murder of Stephen Murphy, 24, and his daughter, Kali Murphy, 2, in Compton on Aug. 8, 2001. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department)

Map showing the series of related shootings that occured on the night Stephen Murphy and his daughter Kali Murphy were murdered on Aug. 8, 2001. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department)

Stephen Murphy, 24, and his daughter, Kali Murphy, 2, were killed in the crossfire of gang-related shooting in Compton on Aug. 8, 2001. (Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department)

He was still holding his little girl when he died, Stephens uncle told the Los Angeles Times.

Their death was among a series of related shootings that night, spanning several blocks of Compton and Willowbrook.

They were just in the wrong place, at the wrong time, a loved one said during the Friday press conference.

In 2019, at the request of family members, both incidents were reviewed by the Homicide Bureau Unsolved Unit and the decision was made to reactivate the cases, said LASD Lt. Hugo Reynaga. This decision was primarily made from advancements in DNA technology that were not available back in 2001.

Stephen was a Los Angeles International Airport worker, a student, and was about to be married when he was killed.

Teen recalls getting brutally beaten at L.A. McDonalds

His loved ones said he was not affiliated with any gangs and was making a visit to his grandmothers home to show off his daughter when they were struck in the head by stray bullets.

LASD detectives believe the suspects responsible for their deaths are part of a local Black gang. Members of rival street gangs were clashing at the time and detectives said a day earlier, 22-year-old Richard Lawrence was killed on the 2000 block of North Grape Avenue.

Although Stephen and his daughter were not the intended targets, the series of shootings that followed may have been in retaliation for Lawrences death, officials said.

Sketches of four suspects and two vehicles involved were released, but so far, no arrests have been made. However, detectives believe that modern DNA testing will help them identify at least one suspect involved.

Weve been waiting for over 20 years for this to occur and we hope justice is brought to us, a family member said of the renewed interest in the cold case.

My uncle and cousin were loved and are loved and will never be forgotten, said Rashonda Jackson, Stephens niece. We have peace in our hearts knowing that they know they were loved and that justice will be served.

Anyone with information on the case can call LASD at 1-323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be submitted to L.A. Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or online at lacrimestoppers.org.



For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday said the top diplomat and others are literally being held hostage at the French embassy by the countrys new military leaders.

During an exchange with reporters in the eastern town of Semur-en-Auxois, Macron relayed the grave situation that is currently unfolding for French Ambassador Sylvain Itte, and the other diplomats.

In Niger, as I speak to you we have an ambassador and diplomatic members who are literally being held hostage at the French embassy, Macron said. They are preventing food deliveries and he is eating military rations.

The Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie (CNSP)  the military junta that orchestrated the takeover on July 26 and ousted President Mohamed Bazoum from power after two years in office  demanded that the ambassador be expelled from Niger on Aug. 25. The group gave France 48 hours to remove him.

France, who has condemned the coup, refused to comply and maintained that the junta did not have the authority to make such a request.

Since the takeover, tens of thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of Niger, insisting that Macrons forces leave the former French colony. Anti-French sentiments have intensified in recent weeks with demonstrators chanting the slogan Le France, degage which translates to France, get out.

Despite these strong calls, the French leader has continued to dismiss the legitimacy of the ruling army, a move which has received support from the European Union (EU).

The decision of the putschists to expel the French ambassador is a new provocation which cannot in any way help to find a diplomatic solution to the current crisis, EU spokeswoman Nabila Massrali said, according to reports from Le Monde.

The EU has also affirmed that it does not recognize and will not recognize the authorities resulting from the putsch in Niger.

As for how Macron will now respond to the tense situation in Niger, including the possible redeployment of 1,500 French soldiers that are currently stationed in the African country, he stressed that all decisions will be made with the countrys democratically elected president.

I will do whatever we agree with President Bazoum because he is the legitimate authority and I speak with him every day, Macron said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
(CNN)  Drew Barrymore is apologizing to television and film writers over her decision to resume production on her talk show as members of the Writers Guild of America remain on strike.

I believe theres nothing I can do or say in this moment to make it okay, Barrymore said in an emotional video shared Friday.

I wanted to own a decision so that it wasnt a PR-protected situation and I would just take full responsibility for my actions, she said. I know theres just nothing I can do that will make this okay for those this is not okay with. I fully accept that.

Barrymores show drew protest from the union after announcing last weekend they would resume production without WGA writers contributing.

To be clear, our talk show actually wrapped on April 20th so we never had to shut down the show, she wrote in her statement last week. However, I am also making the choice to come back for the first time in this strike for our show, that may have my name on it but this is bigger than just me.

In her video shared Friday, Barrymore called the situation complex and said it was never her intention to upset or hurt anyone.

Its not who I am, Barrymore said, appearing to get emotional. Ive been through so many ups and downs in my life, and this is one of them.

I deeply apologize to writers, she added. I deeply apologize to unions.

Hers is not the only talk show that has remained on air or resumed production amid the ongoing writers and actors strikes. (SAG-AFTRA has said Barrymore is in compliance with her contract as host of the program and the production is not struck.)

The View, Tamron Hall and Live with Kelly and Mark, are currently airing new episodes. Sherri Shepherd and Jennifer Hudsons talk shows are also scheduled to be back on the air Sept. 18, according to the programs.

Barrymore said she wasnt going to hide behind publicists and reiterated that she was taking full responsibility for the decision.

I certainly couldnt have expected this kind of attention, and we arent going to break rules and we will be in compliance, Barrymore concluded her video. I wanted to do this, because as I said, this is bigger than me and there are other peoples jobs on the line.

A spokesperson for CBS Media Ventures, which produces The Drew Barrymore Show, told CNN in a statement they are very mindful and sensitive to the complex circumstances surrounding the shows return and we will be in full compliance with all our labor agreements and any strike rules.

Production on new episodes is set to start Monday.

Our host works under a separate agreement with SAG-AFTRA (The Network Code) that allows Drew and other daytime hosts to continue hosting the show. While our show has been largely an unscripted talk show from the beginning, the new shows we are producing this season will be completely unscripted until the strike ends, according to the statement. No one on our staff will fill a writing position. If you watch the show, it is obvious that Drew has always brought raw, unfiltered, spontaneous, open and honest conversations to her viewers and that will continue.

The show also moves forward with important consideration to our staff and crew comprised of over 150 people, as well as our loyal viewers, the statement concluded. We fully support Drew and her entire team 100%.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Drew Barrymore deeply apologizes to the Writers Guild of America in an emotional video"
Iranian authorities detained the father of Mahsa Amini on the one-year anniversary of her death Saturday, Iranian journalists and rights groups have said.

Amini was killed in the custody of the morality police on September 16, 2022, after being arrested for allegedly failing to wear her headscarf properly. Her death triggered protests throughout Iran.

Iranian journalist and founder of activist outlet IranWire Maziar Bahari told CNN Aminis father, Amjad, has been regularly summoned by security officers in the months following his daughters death.

Today he was detained for a few hours, Bahari told CNN.

Aminis family had visited her grave in the western Kurdish city of Saqqez on Friday, the eve of the one-year anniversary of her death, IranWire reported Saturday.

Helicopters were seen hovering over the Aichi cemetery with numerous military personnel and police officers also stationed throughout the area, IranWire added.

The next day, Amjad was detained by authorities for three to four hours with his son, who was warned he would be banished to a remote village if he encouraged people to attend ceremonies marking the anniversary of Aminis death, Bahari told CNN.

Iranian authorities strongly denied reports of Amjads detention on Saturday with state media news outlet IRNA describing the reports as false in a post on Telegram.

This comes after Aminis uncle, Safa Aeli who resides in Saqqez, was also arrested by authorities on Tuesday, according to a member of the family and reports from the Human Rights Activists News Agency.

People participated in protests throughout Iran on Saturday to commemorate the anniversary of Aminis death as authorities deployed armed guards in many cities as a show of force, prompting heavy security presence.

Video obtained by CNN showed demonstrations throughout multiple Iranian cities including its capital, Tehran, as well as Mashad, Ahvaz, Lahijan, Arak and the Kurdish city of Senandaj.

Many protesters were seen chanting Women, Life, Freedom  a popular rallying cry used after nationwide protests began following Aminis death last year  while some protesters also chanted death slogans against Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

At least 13 Kurdish cities in the province where Amini hails from have gone on strike, Kurdish rights group Hengaw said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Aminis death last September sparked the largest protests Iran had witnessed in years, morphing into a larger social movement with demonstrators protesting the regimes treatment of women among other issues.

An ensuing crackdown by Irans security forces saw hundreds killed and thousands arrested.

The UN said in November last year more than 300 people were killed in the protests, including more than 40 children. US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency in January placed the number at more than 500, including 70 children.

Thousands more were arrested during the months of nationwide protest, the UN said in a report in June, citing research released last year by their Human Rights Committee.

Iran executed seven protesters for their involvement in the unrest, according to the UNs Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
FILE PHOTO: Colonel Assimi Goita, leader of Malian military junta, looks on while he stands behind Niger's President Mahamadou Issoufou during a photo opportunity after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) consultative meeting in Accra

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, three West African Sahel nations ruled by military juntas, signed a security pact on Saturday promising to come to the aid of each other in case of any rebellion or external aggression.

The three countries are struggling to contain Islamic insurgents linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State and have also seen their relations with neighbours and international partners strained because of the coups.

The latest coup in Niger drove a further wedge between the three and countries of the regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States, which has threatened to use force to restore constitutional rule in the country.

Mali and Burkina Faso have vowed to come to Niger's aid if it is attacked.

"Any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracted parties will be considered an aggression against the other parties," according to the charter of the pact, known as the Alliance of Sahel States.

It said the other states will assist individually or collectively, including with the use of armed force.

"I have today signed with the Heads of State of Burkina Faso and Niger the Liptako-Gourma charter establishing the Alliance of Sahel States, with the aim of establishing a collective defence and mutual assistance framework," Mali junta leader Assimi Goita said on his X social media account.

All three states were members of the France-supported G5 Sahel alliance joint force with Chad and Mauritania, launched in 2017 to tackle Islamist groups in the region.

Mali has since left the dormant organisation after a military coup, while ousted Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum said in May last year that the force is now "dead" following Mali's departure.

Relations between France and the three states have soured since the coups.

France has been forced to withdraw its troops from Mali and Burkina Faso, and is in a tense standoff with the junta that seized power in Niger after it asked it to withdraw its troops and its ambassador.

France has refused to recognise the authority of the junta.

(Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo; writing by Bate Felix; editing by Jason Neely)
A man has been accused of entering a campaign event for Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in Los Angeles on Friday with a loaded weapon and impersonating federal enforcement.

The Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement Saturday they were called Friday afternoon to the campaign event for a report of a man who had a loaded gun in a shoulder holster and a badge stating he was a U.S. Marshall. The FBI was also at the scene.

LAPD has identified the man as 44-year-old Adrian Paul Aispuro, who has been charged with carrying a concealed weapon, according to police.

Jail records show Aispuro was being held Saturday in lieu of a $35,000 bail. Public records did not indicate if Aispuro had an attorney.

Kennedy said in a Facebook post that his private security detail spotted Aispuro, adding that he is still entertaining a hope that President Biden will allow me Secret Service protection.

The Secret Service has said that the decision on whether to grant protection for a presidential candidate is made by the secretary of Homeland Security in consultation with congressional leadership. It is only granted within one year of Election Day except in extraordinary circumstances, based on threat assessment and other factors.

Kennedys father was assassinated in Los Angeles in 1968 while campaigning on the night of the California Democratic presidential primary.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
A Seattle community is outraged after it took police over 50 minutes to respond while a man vandalized the Wing Luke Museum in the International District.

Seattle police arrived at the Wing Luke Museum around 6 p.m. on Thursday, more than 50 minutes after a woman said someone was smashing windows with a sledgehammer while making racially biased remarks.

When the man was arrested, he allegedly continued to say things like the Chinese ruined my life.

When asked if he was smashing the windows because they belonged to a Chinese museum, the man reportedly told the officer that his briefcase was stolen for the third time and that he had to do something.

How many times can we keep doing the f****ing heroic thing and how many times do you have to actually beat a neighborhood down until it goes away, said museum director Barraquiel Tan.

He say that it was community members who stopped the man from causing further damage until police arrived.

Literally we have photos and videos of community sweeping glass, delivering pizzas it just all comes together but you can only do that so much without appropriate and timely law enforcement response, said Tan.

Police say the call came in at 5:33 p.m. but because of staffing issues officers were not dispatched until 6:03 p.m.

The Department is relieved no one was injured, we recognize an incident like this causes psychological and emotional injuries which are especially hard on a community that has experienced an overall rise in bias incidents over the last few years, said SPD in a statement.

The man was booked into the King County Jail for Hate Crime and Malicious Mischief.

During his appearance in court on Friday, the King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office asked him to be held on $75,000 bail. The court then set his bail at $30,000.

Since the arrest, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has released an official statement along with several social media posts in response to the crime:

I am appalled to learn about the apparent hate crime that occurred at the Wing Luke Museum yesterday. The targeting of our AAPI community is unacceptable, and I condemn the attack, and the hate-fueled motivations of the suspect who was arrested, in the strongest possible terms. Said Harrell. We know a targeted incident like this will have lasting psychological scars on AAPI communities that since the pandemic have experienced an increase in hate crimes. We will continue to work with neighborhood partners in the CID to rebuild trust and restore peace of mind.

I want to be very clear  we will not tolerate crime in Seattle. We will not look the other way while the fabric of our neighborhoods is destroyed. This status quo is not acceptable and while it will take time we are headed in a new direction with urgency. https://t.co/wqyswDmn2e  Mayor Bruce Harrell (@MayorofSeattle) February 4, 2022

The museum staff says the cost to replace the windows could be anywhere between $100,000 and $200,000.
Pittsburgh police are investigating shots fired reports on Woods Run Avenue, located in the Marshall Shadeland neighborhood.

Police say they got a 911 call around 11:45 p.m. reporting shots fired on the 1400 block of Woods Run Avenue. Responding officers initially didnt find any victims.

Then, a second 911 call came in reporting a man was shot outside Young Brothers Bar. There, officers found a potential victim, but the man wouldnt show officers his injuries and refused medical treatment.

Police called EMS and convinced the man to go to the hospital, after seeing a possible wound on his leg. EMS found a graze wound on his thigh. He was taken to the hospital in stable condition.

The Violent Crime Unit is investigating.

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SAN DIEGO  A 27-year-old man was sentenced to 15 years-to-life in prison after pushing an elderly man into a freight train at the Old Town Transit Station, prosecutors said Friday.

On New Years Day in 2022, Martin Andara was on his way to work in the morning at a Ralphs supermarket in Pacific Beach exiting the trolley and walking toward a connecting bus at the station when Ryan Rukstelis suddenly attacked Andara for no reason, San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a news release. Rukstelis could be seen on surveillance camera punching the 68-year-old man and then pushing him directly into a freight train that was moving past them.

Andara died from severe head trauma.

Woman dead in fall at US-Mexico border

This random, chilling attack took the life of a man who was loved by his family, friends and colleagues, Stephan said. It is a tragic case that was solved by excellent police work and brought to justice by the Elder Abuse Unit in our office.

During the investigation, police found that Rukstelis was at a trolley station in Mission Valley trying to remove a broken front panel of a vending machine hours before his attack on Andara, prosecutors said. Rukstelis was arrested three days after the attack.

On June 30, Rukstelis pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A man was shot and killed at an AutoZone in Nutbush Saturday, according to Memphis Police.

At 11:31 a.m., officers responded to a shooting at 4011 Jackson Avenue where a male victim was located and pronounced dead on the scene.

The AutoZone where the shooting took place happens to be the same location police responded to last year for a shooting rampage that still has the city on edge.

We were sitting over by the restaurant over there, and we heard one shot. Theres a lot of people over there but we didnt know what happened. We thought it was a celebration, said Docho Tapia.

He says he thought the noise was a firecracker coming from the Mexican Independence Day celebration happening across the street, but he soon heard several more pops and realized the sound was gunfire.

There were three shots, then another two shots, I dont know, they missed him. But after that, the shooting guy got in the car and left, said Tapia.

It was a scene similar to the one at the same AutoZone last September when Ezekiel Kelley allegedly walked into the store and shot a shopper while filming the incident on Facebook live.

AutoZone declined to comment on the incident.

Police say there is no suspect information available at this time. The investigation is ongoing.

If you have any information about this incident, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 15)  A mother and her daughter filed a lawsuit in a Makati City regional trial court against Etihad Airways for its alleged mishandling of an incident during a flight.

Christine Arimas and her daughter Kristine Mikaela Arimas were passengers of Etihad Airways bound for Manila.

According to their complaint, they boarded a flight from Geneva to Abu Dhabi on July 25, 2022 with a connecting flight to Manila the following day.

Two hours into the flight, another passenger allegedly grabbed Christine by the shoulders and forcibly pulled her out of her seat.

[T]he assailant started hurling racial invectives towards Christine. She recalls the assailant yelling at her face 'You crazy Asian people!' It was at this moment that the Plaintiff observed that the assailant's face was red and he was reeking of alcohol, the complaint said.

The report added that Mikaea was awakened by the commotion and saw her mother being held by the shoulders, shaken, and yelled at by a big, tall man.

A cabin attendant hurriedly wrapped his arms around the passenger and took him away from Christines seat.

But Christine said she noticed that the assailant was merely reassigned to a seat not too far from her and was never restrained nor guarded.

Worse, they continuously served the assailant with liquor for a good three more hours into the flight despite the aggression he had demonstrated while obviously intoxicated, she said.

The complaint added that she was assured that upon landing that the incident would be properly addressed by Etihad.

But she said that when they arrived in Abu Dhabi, the assailant casually walked away upon deplaning.

She pointed out that there was no coordination or endorsement made with law enforcers by the cabin crew.

The lead cabin crew then informed her that the incident will be reported to Etihads legal department and that they will be in touch.

Receiving no updates after a week, they sent a complaint through email to the company, stating that Etihad breached the contract of carriage by failing to ensure their safety and of abusing their rights by neglecting proper protocol in handling air rage incidents.

They were seeking compensation amounting to 21 million pesos for actual, moral, and exemplary damages, along with one million pesos for attorney's fees and litigation expenses.

The Makati court has given Etihad 30 days to answer the complaint.

"If you fail to answer within the time fixed, the plaintiff will take judgment by default and may be granted the relief applied for in the complaint," the court told the airline.

CNN Philippines is waiting for comments from Etihad.
A man in Australia tried to sue a Melbourne hospital for AU$1 billion for psychological damage.

He alleged he was "encouraged" to watch his wife have a cesarean section.

He said seeing his wife's blood and organs led to him developing a "psychotic illness."

A man in Australia accused a hospital in Melbourne of causing him to develop a "psychotic illness" after he watched his wife undergo a cesarean section, the local news outlet 7News was the first to report.

Anil Koppula tried to sue the Royal Women's Hospital for letting him watch his wife give birth via C-section in 2018.

He unsuccessfully sought 1 billion Australian dollars, which is about $643 million, a judgment on the lawsuit filed in the Supreme Court of Victoria in Melbourne last week shows.

The cesarean was ultimately a success, but the man said in the lawsuit that the hospital failed in its duty of care to him by letting him watch the procedure.

He said the hospital "encouraged" or "permitted" him to watch the operation and seeing his wife's organs and blood caused him psychological injury, according to the lawsuit.

A cesarean section is a common operation in which a surgeon delivers a baby "through a cut made in your tummy and womb," according to the UK's National Health Service.

The surgical procedure is often performed when another course is dangerous or difficult and poses a risk to the mother or baby.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 32.1% of all baby deliveries in the US in 2021 were by cesarean section.

Koppula filed the lawsuit several years after the operation, saying it caused the onset of a "psychotic illness" that led to a "breakdown of his marriage," the judgment said.

Koppula chose to represent himself in court, where Justice James Gorton dismissed the suit and deemed the claim an "abuse of process."

The trial proceedings included a medical examination of Koppula, with the panel concluding the degree of psychiatric impairment did not "satisfy the threshold level," according to the judgment.

Lawsuits that are seeking damages for non-economic losses, such as this one, require that an injury is "significant," the judgment said, citing Australian legislation.

With regards to the medical panel's conclusion, Koppula said he disagreed with it, though the judgment said that he was unable to "agitate the correctness" of it.

The case was dismissed on September 12.

This article has been updated with details from the judgment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A Maryland man pleaded guilty to threatening an LGBTQ+ advocacy group in the days following a mass shooting at a school in Tennessee earlier this year.

Adam Michael Nettina, age 34, pleaded guilty in a federal court in late August to the charge of making threats transmitted by interstate communications. As part of his plea agreement, Nettina also admitted to sending other threatening messages to state delegates from Maryland and Virginia who had voiced support for the transgender community. Nettina made the threats in the aftermath of the March 27, 2023, shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn., that left six people dead including three nine-year-old students. The deceased shooter, Aiden Hale, reportedly identified as transgender.

You have the right to your own opinions, but you dont have the right to threaten the lives of those who disagree with you, Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, said in a statement announcing the plea.

According to court documents, Nettina left a voicemail at the victimized advocacy group with the threats, Well cut your throats, well put a bullet in your head and Youre going to kill us? Were going to kill you ten times more in full. He admitted leaving the voicemail with the intent that it would be viewed by the group as a threat. Nettina admitted he targeted the group because of the actual and perceived sexual and gender identity of the workers and people supported by the group.

Nettina also admitted to threatening Maryland and Virginia state delegates for their public support of the trans community.

The FBI will not tolerate these acts of hate, and we remain committed to investigating civil rights violations and keeping our communities safe and free from fear, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBIs Criminal Investigative Division said in the statement.

The presiding judge, U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III has scheduled sentencing for November 3. Nettina faces a up to five years in a federal prison.
A large fire broke out at a building on St. Petersburg's Bukharestskaya Street in the early hours of Sept. 16, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti claimed on Telegram.

The building houses a restaurant and shopping center.

According to Russian media, the fire covers an area of 1,000 square meters. Ten emergency vehicles and nearly 40 people are at the scene working to extinguish the flames.

No information about injuries or casualties has been reported.

Russian media has also not reported the cause of the fire.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine liberates Andriivka; fighting ongoing in Klishchiivka

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Simmering tensions between Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) and Rep. Matt Gaetz (Fla.) are boiling over as the Florida Republican heightens his threat to oust the GOP leader from his post.

The bitterness between the two GOP lawmakers  which stretches back to the Speakers race in January  hit a fever pitch Tuesday when Gaetz warned that he would force a vote on taking McCarthys gavel if the California Republican did not meet a series of demands on spending and legislation.

McCarthy shot back in an expletive-laden rant Thursday, daring Gaetz to file the fing motion to try and boot him from the Speakership.

While the war of words between the pair of Republicans is nothing new, the current clash comes at a precarious moment for the House GOP conference, as McCarthy navigates the fine line of avoiding a government shutdown without angering his right flank to the point of losing his gavel.

Tensions between McCarthy and Gaetz were on the rise over the August recess, with the Florida Republican warning the Speaker that he could lose his gavel if he stands in the way of Gaetzs efforts to force votes on impeachment.

Gaetz had also been voicing frustration about McCarthy not following through on priorities he raised during the Speakers race.

That posturing culminated with a fiery floor speech Tuesday, when Gaetz sent a clear warning shot to McCarthy  even after the Speaker launched an impeachment inquiry into Biden without holding a formal vote. The Florida Republican dubbed the inquiry a baby step.

I rise today to serve notice: Mr. Speaker, you are out of compliance with the agreement that allowed you to assume this role, Gaetz said in his floor speech. The path forward for the House of Representatives is to either bring you into immediate, total compliance or remove you pursuant to a motion to vacate the chair.

Upping the pressure another notch, a coalition of conservatives blocked an effort Wednesday to advance legislation funding the Pentagon over demands for deeper spending cuts  amid increased conversations over potentially ousting the Speaker.

The tension was evident the next morning.

If you want to file a motion to vacate, then file the fing motion, McCarthy said during a closed-door GOP conference meeting Thursday, according to Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.).

The California Republican acknowledged he had displayed frustration during the meeting, saying after the gathering that he was frustrated with some people in the conference after the Pentagon appropriations bill tanked.

Gaetz responded by saying McCarthy should better handle his emotions.

Instead of emotionally cursing, maybe the Speaker should just keep his word from January on balanced budgets, term limits and single-subject spending bills, Gaetz told The Hill.

The battle between McCarthy and Gaetz first came into sharp focus during the drawn-out Speakers race in January, when the Floridian Republican withheld support for the GOP leaders Speakership bid throughout all 15 ballots. In the penultimate round of voting, Gaetz cast the final vote  present  leaving McCarthy with one vote fewer than he needed to clinch the gavel.

It was during the election for the gavel that McCarthy made a number of concessions to conservatives, including an agreement to decrease the threshold to force a vote on ousting the Speaker from five members to one.

Gaetz said McCarthy also entered into an agreement with conservatives in January that included promises on votes for term limits and a balanced budget plan and assurances that the House would pass individual spending bills. But the House has yet to vote on that legislation, and McCarthy is eyeing a continuing resolution to keep the governments lights on past Sept. 30  which Gaetz objects to.

Departing Washington on Thursday  with just eight legislative days left before the funding deadline  Gaetz pointed to the Speakers race as the foundation for his clash with McCarthy.

Ill tell you how I got there, Gaetz said when asked how the feud came to the fore this week. You know, during the August work period, I spent time with Americans from Florida to Arizona to California, and I got a common question: Has the deal you made with McCarthy been followed through, or are you going to do anything about it?

And, you know, I feel compelled to hold him to comply with the deal we made in January, he added.

Asked if there were any ongoing efforts to negotiate between just the two men, Gaetz claimed McCarthy never calls, he never writes.

Theres not much to negotiate. We did the negotiation in January, the Florida Republican added. Were not going to pay twice for the same hostage. We want full compliance with the deal we made in January.

McCarthy, for his part, has said Gaetz is taking him on for personal reasons, claiming that the Florida Republican thinks the Speaker is meddling in his Ethics Committee investigation.

The House Ethics Committee opened a probe into Gaetz in 2021 on allegations that he may have engaged in sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, the sharing of inappropriate images or videos on the House floor, the misuse of state identification records, converting campaigns funds to personal use and the acceptable of a bribe, improper gratuity or an impermissible gift.

The panel eventually deferred its investigation to the Department of Justice (DOJ) per their request, as the congressman was under investigation for alleged sex-trafficking. Gaetzs office announced in February that the DOJ had concluded its probe and decided not to charge him.

But in June, Punchbowl News reported that the Ethics Committee restarted its investigation into Gaetz, and one month later, CNN and ABC News said the panel was contacting witnesses for the probe.

Gaetz has not publicly accused McCarthy of playing a role in his Ethics Committee investigation. The Speaker, however, thinks that is the source of his conservative colleagues frustration and not how the appropriations and legislative processes are being handled.

I dont think thats the real problem that Matts most concerned about, McCarthy told Fox Newss Sean Hannity Wednesday, referring to appropriations and legislation.

Unfortunately, Matt had an Ethics complaint against him in the last Congress. He thinks he can use this to try to include, McCarthy continued. Im never gonna influence an independent committee.

Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), a member of the Ethics Committee, also tied Gaetzs frustration to the Ethics panel, underscoring that the Speaker is not involved in the groups decisions.

I understand Rep. Gaetz has some issue with the Speaker cause he thinks somehow that might help him with his Ethics matter. Im on Ethics, Im not gonna get into it, but I could I could tell you one thing, in my two terms now with being on there Speaker McCarthy has never spoke to me about any case, and he certainly is going to continue to treat every member the same. And if Gaetz doesnt like his treatment, well hes a gang of one, Joyce told CNNs Inside Politics Monday.

But Gaetz is vehemently rejecting that theory.

I am the most investigated man in the entire Congress, and right there you saw Kevin McCarthy lying like a dead dog because I have never asked him to interfere in any Ethics matter, Gaetz said Wednesday on MSNBCs The Beat with Ari Melber.

He said McCarthys implication that he wanted special treatment in regards to the complaint is an abject lie from a sad and pathetic man who lies to hold onto power.

Gaetz took the feud a step further Thursday, giving McCarthy a nickname in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: McFailure.

Emily Brooks contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ovidio Guzman, son of kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, is briefly captured by Mexican military police in a residential compound near the centre of Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa

By Dave Graham

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Ovidio Guzman, a son of imprisoned Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, was extradited to the United States on Friday to face fentanyl trafficking charges, in a boost for the Biden administration's push to curb the spread of the deadly opioid.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said Ovidio Guzman's extradition was the latest step in American efforts to attack "every aspect" of the drug trafficking operations run by the Sinaloa Cartel long associated with the Guzman family.

"I am also grateful to our Mexican government counterparts for this extradition," Garland said in a statement.

"The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country."

Two Mexican officials familiar with the matter also confirmed the extradition of the 33-year-old Guzman.

One of the heirs to his father's trafficking empire, Guzman was briefly arrested in the northern city of Culiacan in 2019 but released on the orders of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to avoid bloodshed when his cartel struck back.

He was captured in January after an intense firefight in the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa.

U.S. officials have portrayed Guzman and a number of his brothers as the face of the threat posed by fentanyl, a highly addictive poison that kills nearly 200 Americans daily. That death toll has piled pressure on the Biden administration and caused diplomatic strains between the U.S. and Mexico.

The U.S. government requested Guzman's extradition in February so he could face drugs charges in a U.S. court.

Extradition proceedings of prominent Mexican drug traffickers can take years. The removal of Ovidio Guzman was even quicker than that of his father, who was flown to the U.S. barely a year after his final arrest in Sinaloa in early 2016.

Several Mexican media, including news network Milenio, earlier reported that Guzman had been taken out of a maximum security prison in central Mexico to be flown across the border.

According to U.S. court documents, Guzman and his brothers allegedly controlled extensive international operations in the fentanyl trade, reaping hundreds of millions of dollars in profits by "flooding" the United States with the drug.

Their bet on the synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin helped intensify an opioid epidemic that put them in the sights of U.S. anti-narcotics agents.

The State Department has been offering a reward worth millions of dollars for information leading to the arrest or conviction or Ovidio Guzman and three of his brothers.

His father, "El Chapo" Guzman, rose to prominence at the helm of the Sinaloa Cartel. He was extradited to the United States in 2017 after twice escaping from prison in Mexico. The elder Guzman is now at a high-security "Supermax" lock-up in Colorado.

(Reporting by Dave Graham; Additional reporting by Drazen Jorgic in Mexico City, Kanishka Singh in Washington and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by William Mallard)
Facing litigation, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham amended her targeted and temporary gun ban Friday, this time limiting it to just public parks and playgrounds in areas of high violent crime.

Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, issued the order on Sept. 8, temporarily suspending the right to carry firearms in some public areas for at least 30 days. Now, she has amended the order to just include public parks and playgrounds.

U.S. District Judge David Urias delivered a setback to the order on Wednesday, blocking suspension of gun rights until another hearing in early October. But that's just one of about a half-dozen legal challenges Grisham is facing over the order, according to U.S. District Court of New Mexico records.

Her public health order targets cities and counties averaging 1,000 or more violent crimes per 100,000 residents a year since 2021, according to the FBI's crime data. The municipality must also experience more than 90 firearm-related emergency department visits per 100,000 residents from July 2022 to June 2023.

So far, Bernalillo County and Albuquerque are affected.

Suspension draws quick reaction: New Mexico governor's temporary gun ban sparks court battle, law enforcement outcry

Luiz Otero, center, holds a sign with his son Elias Otero's image, who was shot and killed a couple years ago in Albuquerque, new Mexico, as people attend a Second Amendment Protest in response to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's recent public health order suspending the conceal and open carry of guns in and around Albuquerque for 30-days, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

What is in the new order?

The temporary order is amended to be focused now (on) no open or concealed carry in public parks or playgrounds, where we know weve got high risk of kids and families, Grisham said Friday.

Parks overseen by the State Land Office and the state parks division of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department are not affected by the order, the governor's office said. The agencies oversee dozens of recreation areas.

Penalties for the original order vary. Grisham previously said at a news conference that her office was working with New Mexico's Department of Public Safety on enforcement.

State Attorney General Raul Torrez said he could not defend the 30-day prohibition against carrying firearms in and around Albuquerque.

Demonstrators display open carry firearms at a Second Amendment Protest in response to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's recent public health order suspending the conceal and open carry of guns in and around Albuquerque for 3--days, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Contributing: The Associated Press

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New Mexico governor amends gun ban to focus on parks amid lawsuits
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday banned firearms from parks and playgrounds in the Albuquerque area after a federal judge blocked her broader order suspending certain gun rights to combat violence.

The revised order comes a week after the Democratic governor announced a 30-day ban on the right to carry open or concealed firearms in public in an effort to curb gun violence and illegal drug use in Albuquerque and surrounding Bernalillo County.

"I respect the judges decision on the last public order, but I am far from done fighting to protect New Mexicans," Lujan Grisham wrote on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

U.S. District Judge David Urias on Wednesday granted a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of Lujan Grisham's ban, which had ignited bipartisan opposition, prompting bipartisan backlash at the state, local and federal level.

Raul Torrez, the state's Democratic attorney general said that he would not defend the governor's administration against a string of lawsuits stemming from the ban, arguing that he didn't believe it passed "constitutional muster." Bernalillo County Sheriff John Allen, a fellow Democrat, also refused to enforce the ban on constitutional grounds.

The narrowed order is the latest effort by Lujan Grisham to curb gun violence in New Mexico.

Im going to continue pushing to make sure that all of us are using every resource available to put an end to this public health emergency with the urgency it deserves, Lujan Grisham said in a statement Friday. I will not accept the status quo  enough is enough.

The governor's new order, though, might have a limited effect. Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller banned guns from almost all city parks in 2020, public radio station KUNM reported.

Efforts similar to Lujan Grisham's have been unsuccessful elsewhere.

Last year, a judge blocked enforcement of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney's executive order barring guns and other deadly weapons from the city's recreation facilities, including playgrounds, pools, courts and fields.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Freddy Ramirez III returned to his South Florida home to continue his recovery from a self-inflicted gunshot wound that kept him in a Tampa hospital for nearly two months, authorities said.

The support, and well-wishes from his MDPD family have played an integral role in his healing process, the department said in a statement Friday night. He has been deeply touched by the outpouring of support.

On the night of July 23rd, Ramirez shot himself in the head while driving home with his wife Jody from Tampa alongside Interstate 75. He had been attending a Florida Sheriffs Association convention.

Earlier in the night, Tampa police were called to their hotel room after a report said Ramirez, 52, pulled out his gun while arguing with Jody outside the hotel.

READ MORE HERE: New details released from night Miami-Dades police director wounded himself on I-75

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has said that she spoke with Ramirez before the shooting and he offered his resignation.

The couple have since put out a statement saying that Ramirez never unholstered his gun and found it profoundly disturbing that he was put in handcuffs by Tampa police.

Jody strongly wishes to emphasize that at no time was there even a hint of physical aggression between her and Freddy, the statement read. Nor is there the slightest evidence of such contact  not from Jody, not from a witness and not from any of the various security cameras operating throughout the hotel.

READ MORE: Freddy Ramirez was known for being an even-tempered and compassionate cop. Then he snapped

It is unclear exactly what Ramirezs condition is, but in the newly released statement he said, Thank you for the continued thoughts and well wishes. Stay Safe!
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 16)  The state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) on Saturday said it has also remitted its 25 billion share in the initial seed capital for the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF).

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 16)  The state-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) on Saturday said it has also remitted its 25 billion share in the initial seed capital for the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF).

DBP President and Chief Executive Officer Michael de Jesus said the amount was deposited into the Bureau of the Treasury on Thursday, the same day the Land Bank of the Philippines remitted its 50-billion contribution.

Under the Maharlika Investment Fund Act, the country's two largest government-owned financial institutions have until Sept. 17 to remit their shares for the seed capital. Apart from the DBP and the Landbank, the national government is also mandated to contribute 50 billion.

Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno said the remittances would pave the way for the full operationalization of the Maharlika Investment Corporation (MIC), which is managing the fund and has an authorized capital stock of 500 billion.

DBP is enthused with our full contribution to the MIF, De Jesus said in a statement. We are one with President (Ferdinand) Marcos, Jr. in ensuring the immediate establishment of the Maharlika Investment Corporation which would shepherd the initiatives that would reshape and redefine the countrys economic landscape.

De Jesus said they expect the country to reap gains from the Maharlika fund, both on the financial and development fronts, in the next four to five years.
It would not be an overstatement to say that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has been one the most consequential conservative lawmakers of the past century, if not the whole of American history. Over the course of his seven terms representing Kentucky in the United States Senate, McConnell has helped lead Republicans to major victories on tax policy, election finance laws, and, perhaps most significantly, helped shape a deeply conservative judiciary whose impact will be felt for generations. As the longest-serving Senate leader in history, McConnell is an institution unto himself, wielding the power of the position with sledgehammer force, and scalpel-like precision to push conservative priorities by any legislative means necessary.

While McConnell's name has become virtually synonymous with Senate Republicans as a whole, a series of public health scares coupled with a barrage of criticism from former President Donald Trump have called into question the 81-year-old lawmaker's future in the GOP, and in politics at large. Though McConnell has vowed to finish his tenure as minority leader through at least 2024, and complete his term in office through 2026, there is a growing sense that he is in his final act as a politician. And if that is indeed the case, what could the Republican party look like without Mitch McConnell at its helm?

What the commentators said

Though the details of any resignation should be left to McConnell himself, who "deserves a large measure of deference," the editors of the conservative National Review nevertheless insisted that it's time for the man they've dubbed "a legend" to step aside. While a "transition doesnt need to happen urgently," they wrote in late August, "the wheels should be turning."

"For his sake, and the sake of his colleagues" McConnell should "go out on his own terms," editor Rich Lowry told CNN after the piece was published.

Those terms, however, may already have been preempted. An effort to replace McConnell as Republican leader "is well underway " one GOP senator told The Hill on condition of anonymity. McConnell's recent health episodes "accelerates that." Among those senators most likely to replace McConnell are the "three Johns" according to The New York Times: Thune, Cornyn, and Barrasso, of South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming respectively. All three Johns are, or were, members of the Republican Senate leadership team, with Thune having replaced Cornyn as party whip in 2019, and Barrasso serving as chair of the party conference.

"If theres a favorite McConnell heir, no one is saying," according to Politico, which noted that both Thune and Cornyn have publicly committed to supporting McConnell for as long as he's in office.

Naming the elephant in the room, CNN pointed out that it's the trio's respective relationships with Trump that could play the crucial role in their future. Together they represent "a sliding scale of acceptance" toward the former president. Trump has called Thune a "RINO," accused Cornyn of being "The Stiff," and lambasted Barrasso as a McConnell "flunky" regardless of Barrasso's attempts to be "more careful not to alienate Trump," CNN reported.

No matter who replaces McConnell to lead Republicans, it's "unclear" whether his successor will have the "influence and authority to keep Senate Republicans together" ahead of a potentially contentious election season, New York magazine's Ed Kilgore said. Moreover, in the event of a second Trump presidency, it's not likely that any of McConnell's successors "can resist or even temper Trumps destructive plans" for his return to the White House. Democrats have come to accept McConnell as a "bulwark against the partys MAGA lurch, The Daily Beast reported. "You might prefer the devil you know instead of the devil you dont," one Democratic official explained.

What next?

Should McConnell step down early from both his leadership role and the Senate entirely, Republicans can rest easy that their control over his Kentucky seat will remain in the party's hands. In 2021 the state's GOP-controlled legislature changed the rules of vacancy appointments so that the governor  currently Democrat Andy Beshear  is required to name a successor from the departing figure's own party. Beshear, for his part, has promised "not to sensationalize" any hypothetical vacancy, telling USA Today that McConnell has promised "to serve out his term and I fully believe him."
(Bloomberg) -- Former Vice President Mike Pence said the US should ban TikTok, calling it a platform that allowed the Chinese government to obtain data on Americans without their knowledge.

Most Read from Bloomberg

We ought to be banning TikTok. TikTok is a platform for the Chinese Communist government. They are collecting data on Americans every single day, Pence said Friday in an interview with Bloomberg Television. Young Americans need to know that their privacy is being compromised.

Pences comments come before a policy speech he will deliver Monday on China. The relationship between the worlds two largest economies has gained growing attention in the 2024 presidential race. Republican candidates, including Pence, have criticized President Joe Biden, saying he must take a tougher line with Beijing over a number of issues.

Pence delivered a jab at one of his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.

I know that one of my competitors, Vivek Ramaswamy in the Republican primary, he had rightly described Tiktok as a digital fentanyl for American youth, and this week he signed up for Tiktok. He said hed met with one of their executives and they changed his mind, Pence said. Well, they are never going to change my mind.

The fight over TikTok is just one aspect of the growing tensions between the US and China over their technological ambitions. Biden has limited exports of advanced chipmaking technology over fears it could be used to help Chinas military. China in turn has imposed its own restrictions, including on US chipmaker Micron Technology Inc.s ability to sell products.

China is also seeking to ban the use of iPhones for state-owned enterprises  a blow to Apple Inc. that would broaden previously announced restrictions. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby this week told reporters that Chinas moves on Apple appeared to be retaliation.

Earlier: Chinas Apple iPhone Ban Appears to Be Retaliation, US Says

Huawei Technologies Co. also recently quietly revealed a mobile telephone that uses technology the US has sought to keep out of Beijings hands, questioning the efficacy of US chip restrictions.

We led the fight internationally against Huawei among Western nations, and we won that fight, Pence said. If you remember, the UK and other nations were going all in on Huawei, and the United States said its not going to happen.

Pence on Friday said Biden had dropped the ball on China. Still, he said the US should not seek to decouple from the country despite the threat it posed.

We have to recognize that Chinas the greatest economic and strategic threat of the United States of America, Pence said, but added, I think using access to the most powerful economy in the world, the United States of America, is a means of having China end decades of trade abuses, end intellectual property thefts, stop their military provocations, and end the human rights abuses.

Pence said his speech on Monday would be focused on giving China an opportunity to join the family of nations and respect the international rules of the road as I like to say.

The other piece of this, I believe in free trade with free nations, Pence said. We ought to be working on a free trade agreement with Japan. We ought to be looking to strengthen trading relationships with free nations across the Asia Pacific.

(Updates with additional quotes, details, from sixth paragraph)

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Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has confirmed that Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov is in critical condition due to serious illness, SBU Spokesperson Andriy Yusov told the Ukrainian news outlet Obozrevatel on Sept. 15.

"Yes, indeed, there is information that war criminal Kadyrov is in serious condition  his existing diseases have worsened and caused such a serious condition," Yusov said.

Obozrevatel had earlier reported claims from sources in Chechnya that Kadyrov had fallen into a coma. While Yusov did not provide details on Kadyrov's medical issues, he confirmed that the problem was not an injury and that his health was worsening.

"He has been ill for a long time, and it is about systemic health problems. But he has been in serious condition for the last few days," Yusov said.

Yusov said that the information about Kadyrov's health has been confirmed by multiple medical and political sources.

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Rumors of Kadyrov's declining health have circulated for months. In March, Kadyrov laughed off the speculation in a Telegram post.

"For those who console themselves with the hope that I am terminally ill, I am sorry to upset you," Kadyrov said.

According to Obozrevatel's Chechen sources, Kadyrov has been in a coma for several days and is waiting to be transferred from Chechnya to receive treatment abroad, likely in the United Arab Emirates.

Kadyrov is a staunch supporter of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and has sent Chechen troops  the notoriously ruthless kadyrovtsy  to wage Russia's war in Ukraine.

Read also: Meet the Chechens fighting Russia in Ukraine

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Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said that a potential arms deal between North Korea and Russia may not make a big difference in Russias invasion of Ukraine.

Would it have a huge difference? Im skeptical of that, Milley said Friday, according to The Associated Press. I doubt that it would be decisive.

But, Milley said a recent meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will likely lead to an arms deal between the countries.

Defense analysts have speculated that North Korea would send small arms to Russia in exchange for advanced weapons and satellite technologies.

What were seeing right now is Russia in quite a desperate mode and seeking support from North Korea, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said Thursday. Providing any type of ammunition would further continue the war.

The summit between the leaders this week came as North Korea ratchets up its military pressure on the U.S. and South Korea. The North has launched numerous missile tests in recent months and christened its first nuclear-capable submarine last week.

Meanwhile, Russia continues its invasion of Ukraine which has now raged on for over a year and a half. Gripped by western sanctions, Russia is reportedly on the defensive against a western-equipped Ukrainian military during its late-summer counteroffensive.

Milley is in Oslo, Norway to meet with other NATO leaders this weekend to discuss support for Ukraine and other security issues.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to visit Washington, D.C., in the upcoming week and meet with President Biden and members of Congress. The visit comes after the U.S. announced $1 billion in additional support for Ukraine, but also as continued support for the war effort is politically divided.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Two bulk carrier civilian ships have agreed to enter the port of Chornomorsk on the Black Sea and load up nearly 20,000 tons of grain for African and Asian countries, Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov reported on his Facebook page on Sept. 16.



According to Kubrakov, the Resilient Africa and the Aroyat are flying under the flag of the island nation of Palau and their crews consist of Turkish, Azerbaijani, Egyptian, and Ukrainian citizens. They are the first civilian ships that agreed to enter Ukrainian ports after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July.

Another five ships have been evacuated from Ukrainian ports through the temporary corridor since it was established in mid-August, Kubrakov added.

Ukraine's Naval Forces announced the new corridor on Aug. 10. The route was primarily meant to allow passage for ships that have been docked in the Ukrainian ports of Chornomorsk, Odesa, and Pivdennyi since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Kubrakov reported on Aug. 16 that the first ship had successfully sailed from Odesa through the temporary Black Sea corridor.

The navy warned that the military threat from Russia and mine risks remain along all the routes, adding that only vessels whose owners or captains officially confirm their readiness to sail under such conditions will be allowed to pass through.

The temporary corridor was established after Russia pulled out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative in mid-July.

Brokered by Turkey and the U.N. in July 2022, the grain deal was originally meant to guarantee the safe passage of ships transporting Ukraine's agricultural exports from the Black Sea during the invasion.

Russia withdrew from the grain deal in mid-July after repeated threats to do so and has since been targeting Ukraine's agricultural infrastructure, ports, and grain stockpiles.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov told Reuters on Sept. 16 that Ukraine's aerial drone production is expected to increase 120-140 times in 2023, compared with 2022.

Ukraine's aerial drone production has already increased 100 times this year compared to last year, the minister added.

According to Fedorov, Ukraine is conducting tests on AI systems capable of pinpointing targets several kilometers away and bypassing disruptive electronic warfare measures.

"At the moment it's all at the testing stage, but some drones we are buying use AI to recognize targets. In a forest, it can detect a target and recognize whether it's a person, tank, or a certain vehicle. These technologies are being used actively," Fedorov said.

Fedorov vowed that Ukraine would be able to conduct more strikes on Russian warships as a result of its ramped-up drone production.

Citing their sources in the Ukraine's Security Service (SBU), several Ukrainian media outlets reported on Sept. 14 that the SBU and the Ukrainian Navy carried out a drone strike on Yevpatoriia in Russian-occupied Crimea.

According to the media, the drones, coupled with Neptune missiles, destroyed a modern S-400 Triumph air defense system.

Ukraine's military intelligence also reported that a drone and missile strike on a shipyard in Sevastopol in Russian-occupied Crimea overnight on Sept. 13 damaged a Russian landing craft, a submarine, and port infrastructure.

Commenting on recent attacks near Crimea, Fedorov said that "there will be more drones, more attacks, and fewer Russian ships."

Read also: Deadly drone arms race intensifies as Ukraine, Russia embrace the future of war

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The Interior Ministry reported on Sept. 16 that over 35,000 Orthodox Jewish pilgrims have traveled to the city of Uman for Rosh Hashanah despite the danger posed by Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.

Known as the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah is one of the most important and widely-observed Jewish holidays. In 2023, Rosh Hashanah started on Sept. 15 and will end on Sept. 17.

Uman is located in Cherkasy Oblast in central Ukraine. The city serves as the burial place of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement, making it an important pilgrimage site for his followers during the holiday.

According to the Interior Ministry, the National Police, the National Guard, the State Emergency Service, the Medical Service, and other agencies are operating "around the clock" to enhance safety measures in Uman during the holiday.

Israeli police are also on site to assist in safety measures, the Interior Ministry added.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Missouri Attorney General Andrew Baileys lawsuit against discount retail giant Dollar General for deceptive pricing is encouraging news. Could Gov. Mike Parsons appointee to the position  in other words, hes unelected  finally understand his official duties?

He shouldnt stop there.

In recent years, other big-box retailers such as Walmart and Kohls have been accused of deceptive pricing. Missouri consumers deserve protection against dishonest business practices.

Baileys investigation into gun safe maker Liberty Safe should be a non-starter, though. As the states chief legal officer, Bailey should know the inquiry could prove to be a waste of valuable resources  manpower and taxpayers dollars.

Missourians should expect their attorney general to focus on consumer and environmental protection and other issues relevant to them. Last we checked, fighting culture wars against President Joe Bidens administration, private businesses  Target will have a word  or other statewide office holders was not in the job description.

Recently, we learned ardent supporters of the Second Amendment were hopping mad over Liberty Safes decision to cooperate with the FBI. Conservative pundits called for a boycott. The company should not have provided federal investigators with the password to the gun safe of an Arkansas man, they argued.

Never mind that federal authorities were investigating the man  Nathan Hughes, 34,  for his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

In swoops Bailey, the latest Missouri attorney general using the office to raise his political profile. Republican U.S. Sens. Josh Hawley and Eric Schmitt preceded Bailey in the office. Neither was shy about spending public money on frivolous legal matters.

Get this: In a statement announcing the probe, Bailey criticized Liberty Safe for following a lawful order.

Legal FBI search of Arkansas Jan. 6 suspect

According to Bailey, the FBI did not have a court order ordering Liberty Safe to provide the safes combination, he said in a news release.

Thats why my office is opening this investigation to ensure Liberty Safe is not deceiving its customers in its terms of service, Bailey said.

Well, Attorney General, what was the company supposed to do? We get it. Thanks to former President Donald Trump and his supporters, todays Republican Party is increasingly anti-government and anti-law enforcement.

But the FBI had a search warrant signed by a judge, according to Liberty Safe officials. Comply or face legal consequences. Thats how the law works.

Launching an investigation into a Utah-based company with no local ties seems performative.

This week, we asked Baileys office how many complaints from Missourians against Liberty Safe were on file. By publishing time, staffers hadnt answered. Our guess? We suspect not one.

Under pressure from pro-gun types, Liberty Safe responded in kind. Unlike before, customers can now decline a password reset on their safes, a reasonable compromise in this situation. As a result, Bailey should stand down.

Attempt to overturn DeValkenaere conviction

Here, the attorney generals office is supposed to represent the legal interests of Missouri and its residents. Lets remember, Bailey was appointed. At best, his job performance so far is questionable.

Bailey actively tried to overturn former Kansas City police detective Eric DeValkenaeres involuntary manslaughter conviction. He failed to defend the states interest during DeValkenaeres appeal.

By law, the attorney general must prosecute or defend all appeals to which the state is a party, including every felony criminal case which is appealed to the Missouri Supreme Court and courts of appeal, a passage on the AGs website reads.

We support legal action against Dollar General  protecting consumers from shady business practices is one of the AGs main duties. Baileys office must root out problem businesses and protect us from environmental harm caused by rogue chemical companies.

Baileys time and resources would be best served going after fraudulent companies taking advantage of our states residents. A look into how tow service providers operate in Kansas City would be welcome here.

The less time Bailey spends chasing national headlines, the better off all Missourians would be.
Xi, Hichilema announce elevation of China-Zambia ties

Xinhua) 09:24, September 16, 2023

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and his wife Mutinta before the talks between Xi and Hichilema in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. Xi held talks with Hichilema, who is paying a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema, in Beijing on Friday.

The two heads of state announced the elevation of the China-Zambia relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Xi said that the traditional friendship forged by the two countries' older generations of leaders has stood the test of the changing international landscape, and the Tanzania-Zambia Railway has become a symbol of China-Africa friendship.

Xi said China has always viewed and developed China-Zambia relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and stands ready to work with Zambia to transform the profound traditional friendship into a strong driving force for win-win cooperation in the new era and push bilateral relations to a new level.

The Chinese president said China supports Zambia in safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests and exploring a development path suited to its own conditions. He expressed China's willingness to strengthen inter-party exchanges and exchanges of state governance experience with Zambia. The two countries should support each other on issues related to their respective core interests and major concerns.

The success of Chinese modernization shows the diversity of modernization models in the world, and China's high-quality development and modernization process will continue to bring new opportunities to all countries including Zambia, Xi said.

China hopes to jointly build the Belt and Road with Zambia and expand cooperation in infrastructure construction, agriculture, mining and clean energy to achieve common development and revitalization, Xi said.

Xi said China encourages more quality Zambian products to enter the Chinese market and supports more Chinese enterprises in investing in Zambia.

He called on the two sides to make a success of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties next year, and step up exchanges and cooperation in education and training, health care, culture, tourism and other fields.

Noting that the collective rise of developing countries and their increasing international influence have become an irreversible trend of the times, Xi said China and Zambia need to strengthen solidarity and coordination, practice genuine multilateralism, firmly uphold international fairness and justice, strive to increase the voice of developing countries, and safeguard the common interests of the two countries and other developing countries.

Hichilema said Zambia cherishes the friendship forged by the older generations of leaders of the two countries. China's development has led to the progress of countries in the Global South, increased their representation and voice in international affairs, and promoted the development of international order in a more just and rational direction, Hichilema said.

Hichilema said Zambia thanks China for supporting the African Union's entry into the G20 and China's positive role in resolving the Zambian debt issue. The Zambian side abides by the one-China principle, highly appreciates the guiding philosophy and principles of Chinese modernization, and hopes to learn from China's development experience.

Hichilema is paying a state visit to China from Sept. 10 to 16 at the invitation of Xi.

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People before their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. Xi held talks with Hichilema, who is paying a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei)

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema, who is paying a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema, who is paying a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcoming ceremony for his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema at the square outside the east entrance of the Great Hall of the People before their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. Xi held talks with Hichilema, who is paying a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan pose for a group photo with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and his wife Mutinta before the talks between Xi and Hichilema in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 15, 2023. Xi held talks with Hichilema, who is paying a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Friday. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

(Web editor: Peng Yukai, Kou Jie)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 16)  Malacanang has denounced the recent killing of lawyer Maria Saniata Gonzales Alzate, who was shot dead in front of her house in Bangued, Abra.

We will ensure that our law enforcement agencies will work relentlessly to bring to justice those behind this heinous act, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said Saturday in a statement.

In a CCTV footage, the two gunmen fled on a motorcyle after firing multiple shots at Alzate on Thursday.

READ: Lawyer gunned down in Abra

British Ambassador to the Philippines Laure Beaufils also expressed concern over the killling of Alzate.

We urge the Filipino authorities to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice promptly and to create a safe environment for all lawyers, Beaufils tweeted. We extend our deepest sympathies to her family.

Abra Police Director PCol Froiland Lopez earlier urged the public to coordinate with the police for any information regarding the incident.

It is in the best interest of the government to protect lawyers so they may do their duty of ensuring justice without fear of threats and retaliation especially for those who continue to stand up for the rights and interest of the weak, vulnerable, and marginalised members of the society, the Commission on Human Rights said in a separate statement.

Alzate was a former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Abra chapter and a commissioner of the Commission on Bar Discipline since 2015.
Khadija Ait Si Ali was just starting to rebuild her life when the earthquake struck. Her husband died in a road accident seven months ago. They had been married for less than a year and she was five months pregnant.

I was planning to start looking for a job in two or three months, she told CNN, standing in the rubble of Tinzert, a tiny village in the Atlas Mountains that was leveled by last Fridays quake.

I thought thats all I needed. But now I need a house. Because we dont have a house.

Ait Si Ali and her 3-month-old baby have few options for help; everyone else here is also dealing with their own circumstances. My mother lost her house. Everyone in my family lost their houses. My husbands familys house is almost gone, the 26-year-old said.

Its a common story in this remote, rugged area of Morocco. Most people here live where they were born, where their ancestors have lived for centuries. Family is never too far. When the devastating earthquake struck the region, peoples vital support networks collapsed along with everything else.

The sheer number of people who have lost their homes means that, even a full week after the disaster, many are still without shelter, surviving out in the open under makeshift tents made of blankets or pieces of tarp.

With the winter approaching these mountainous villages soon, the recovery and rebuilding needs to start immediately.

Amal Zniber runs the Moroccan educational charity Amis Des Ecoles and has spent the past week distributing aid around the region. She said that due to the generosity of people from across the country there is now enough food and water, but waste is becoming a problem.

We need find ways to get rid of the waste and figure out how best to supply kitchens, toilets, showers (and) sleeping arrangements that are compatible with local culture and customs, Zniber told CNN.

Abdu Brahim and his wife Hanan Ait Brahim sort through the items they recovered from the rubble of their home, where their 7-year-old daughter died. - Ivana Kottasova/CNN

In the village of Tafeghaghte, about an hour and a half southwest of Marrakech, Abdu Brahim told CNN his family is still trying to find ways to stay warm and dry.

We need a tent and something to cook in. The dew makes everything wet in the morning. I need a tent for my children and my father, he is very old, he said.

Abdu Brahim and his wife Hanan Ait Brahim have spent the past few days sifting through the pile of rubble that used to be their home.

Their 7-year-old daughter was killed in the earthquake, alongside her aunt, uncle and cousin who lived in the house next door.

The couple tried to salvage anything they could from the rubble, sorting their dusty, damaged possessions into piles. Clothes and shoes. Kitchen items. Blankets and mattresses.

I am just trying to organize it all to see what we have and what we need, Hanan Ait said.

They worked methodically, in silence. At one point, Hanan Ait came across pencils and chalks that belonged to her daughter and tears started flooding her eyes.

The 51 people killed by the quake in this 500-strong community have been buried on the edge of the village. Their graves are one reason why Abdu Brahim said he cannot imagine leaving Tafeghaghte, despite the devastation.

Our life is here. We have land here, we have animals here, he said. When I think of all of the happiness in my life, its all here, he added. He told CNN he was determined to rebuild a home for his family.

Little by little, he said. It took him 20 years to build the house first time around; now he is starting from scratch, without the support of his brother.

The Moroccan government announced Thursday that people whose homes were completely destroyed will be eligible for 140,000 dirhams ($14,000) in assistance. Those with partially damaged homes will be eligible for 80,000 dirhams and everyone else who was impacted by the quake will receive 30,000 dirhams.

Abdelkarim Ait Amkhaines home in the nearby town of Ouirgane was destroyed in the quake and he has spent the past few days sleeping in a tent. He told CNN the financial assistance would be a significant help for people living in the mountains.

140,000 dirhams is a reasonable amount to be able to rebuild a home. It is the minimum requirement to build a modest home, he said, adding that his house is so badly damaged it will have to be torn down and cleared away before any new construction can start.

The village of Tafeghaghte was completely leveled in the earthquake on Friday, September 8. - Ivana Kottasova/CNN

Destroyed homes, crushed souls

Its not just the enormous physical damage that is hurting people here.

Khadija Ait Si Ali said she can still hear the terrible sound of the earthquake. You cannot imagine how strong it was A horrible noise, like something was exploding, but I didnt know what. Like there was a war, but it wasnt a war. Believe me, I thought it was the end of the world, she said.

The moment keeps coming back to her. During the day, we are OK, but believe me, at night, its scary. Its very scary because that night, everything was OK and suddenly it happen(ed). And I am afraid it will happen again. Even when I am very tired, I cant sleep, I keep waking up. I am up at 11, I am up at 12, I am up at 1, I am always waking up, waiting for it to happen, Ait Si Ali said.

Dr. Adil Akanour has seen this in a lot of his patients in the past few days. Akanour is a psychiatrist who has been deployed to a field hospital in Asni, a town also in the Atlas Mountains, alongside therapists and social workers.

There is a huge need (for psychological support), and, thankfully, much more recognition of the need than in the past, Akanour told CNN in the field hospitals psychiatric tent. A military doctor, he has experience in disaster and conflict zones.

People need to process the situation but we also try to help them prepare for the future, because it will take a long time to recover, he said.

The rebuilding might take a lot longer than many of the victims can imagine. The United Nations said that six months after Februarys devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria, more than 9 million people are still in need of support. According to data from Action Against Hunger, of the 3 million people who fled their homes because of the earthquake in Turkey, 1.5 million are still living in temporary settlements.

Akanour saw dozens of traumatized patients in the first few days after the earthquake. Fatme Akia Nayet, an elderly Berber woman whose village was badly impacted, has been repeating the names of all the people she knew who have died. Every time someone entered the hospital tent she was resting in, Akia Nayet started again.

Fatme Akia Nayet is being treated in the Asni field hospital. She repeats the names of people she knows have died. - Ivana Kottasova/CNN

Mariam Maroi, a 22-year old woman who was badly injured in the earthquake and then pulled out of the rubble, does not remember anything from the night of the disaster. Whenever she tried to speak, she began to cry.

Mariam Maroi was badly injured and pulled out of the rubble. She does not recall anything from the night of the earthquake. - Ivana Kottasova/CNN

Others were angry about the situation. In Moulay Brahim, a village not far from Asni, tensions were running high last Sunday, as the community kept waiting for official help to arrive. At one point, stones flew through the air, as an argument between two groups of people from the village reached boiling point.

Back in Tinzert, Khadija Ait Si Ali said that for now, she was just trying to focus on her baby and get through each day.

When it just happened, I knew I had to take my baby out of the house She was in her bed and as I was getting to her, the house was falling in front of me. I lost my husband and I am looking at my baby and I am so afraid I will lose her too. She is all I have, she said.

Ait Si Ali said she felt lost with nobody to turn to. I was planning to start looking for a job. But now I dont know what to do. I am just waiting, she added.

CNNs Celine Alkhaldi and Eyad Kourdi contributed reporting.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
Convicted murdered Danelo Cavalcante was captured 13 days after escaping from a Pennsylvania jail, ending a manhunt that had captivated the nation. But while his escape was caught on video, Cavalcante is just one of many prisoners over the years who have broken free from custody. Here are some of the most notorious prison breaks in history:

Escape from Alcatraz

When most people think of a prison break, the infamous 1962 escape from Alcatraz Island is likely the first that comes to mind.

Three inmates, Frank Morris, Clarence Anglin and John Anglin, "chiseled through walls with spoons and other kitchen utensils" over the course of 18 months, the Los Angeles Times reported. They then "wriggled through a chiseled shaft into a utility corridor and then onto the prison roof," escaping in a makeshift raft into the waters of the San Francisco Bay. The three men's evasion has taken on a mythical status, largely because Alcatraz was considered "the worlds most secure prison" at the time, the FBI noted. The men were never found, and most experts believe they drowned while trying to cross the bay. The FBI reported that in the 17 years it worked on the case following the escape, "no credible evidence emerged to suggest the men were still alive."

El Chapo

The former leader of Mexico's Sinaloa cartel, drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was considered to have as much power as the Mexican president. That is why Mexican authorities rejoiced when Guzman was arrested in 2014 and sent to a maximum security prison near Toluca.

The drug lord wouldn't be contained for long, though, breaking out of prison in 2015 by "escaping through a hole under his cell that led to an elaborate tunnel," PBS reported. Guards "found a 20-by-20-inch hole near the shower" in Guzman's cell that he had fled through. This marked the second time the drug kingpin had escaped from prison, after bribing his way out of a prior incarceration in 2001. Guzman was eventually captured less than a year later. He was extradited to the U.S. and is currently serving a life sentence at the ADX supermax facility in Florence, Colorado, generally considered the country's most secure prison.

Ted Bundy

Widely considered one of the most prolific serial killers in history, Ted Bundy's name remains commonplace in American culture decades after his death. His infamy is aided by the fact that Bundy, who confessed to murdering more than 30 women, escaped custody twice in less than a year.

In June 1977, Bundy, who had already killed numerous women by this point, "was charged with murder but escaped out the window of the courthouse library" in Aspen, Colorado, according to a History biography. He was caught eight days later, "only to escape again on Dec. 30, 1977, while awaiting trial." Following his second escape, he traveled to Florida, where he assaulted at least six more women, killing one of them. After a long manhunt, Bundy was finally arrested again two months after his second escape. He was eventually sentenced to death and executed by electric chair in 1989.

Assata Shakur

Assata Shakur's story is unique in that she has been a fugitive from the law since her escape from prison  even though officials know where she is.

A member of the Black Liberation Army (BLA) in the 1970s, Shakur "was convicted on one murder charge and six assault charges and sentenced to life in prison" in 1977 after a shootout with police, per The Guardian. Two years later, Shakur escaped from a maximum security facility in New Jersey with the help of the BLA. She eventually fled to Cuba. She has lived on the island since 1984 when she was granted asylum, despite American attempts to extradite her. In 2013, Shakur was named as one of the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists, and officials are still "offering a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the apprehension."

Omid Tahvilli

Another wanted fugitive, Omid Tahvilli has perhaps the most improbable prison breakout story of them all.

An Iranian-Canadian gangster, Tahvilli was behind bars in 2007 when he simply "walked out of a maximum-security prison in Canadas British Columbia wearing a janitors uniform," Reader's Digest reported. He was able to accomplish this by bribing a guard to "look the other way." A massive manhunt ensued, and though the guard who took the bribe was prosecuted, "Tahvilli remains an international fugitive." He is "considered to be extremely dangerous," Insider reported, especially given his mob connections to Iran and other countries.
DENVER (KDVR)  The U.S. Board on Geographic Names has renamed Mount Evans as Mount Blue Sky, making the new name official during the Council of Geographic Names Authorities conference Friday afternoon.

The change was years in the making, gaining traction in 2020 as part of a widespread movement to address past atrocities.

During the meeting, officials had discussed six different options for the name of iconic 14,271 fourteener mountain peak.

It was a popular national monument  until it was robbed to extinction

I think theres an overwhelming agreement that the name has to be changed, Chris Hammond, a member of the Domestic Names Committee, said.

I do hope that whatever name we pick does start the healing process, member Andrew Flora added.

Why was Mount Evans renamed?

Mount Evans was named after Colorado Territorial Gov. John Evans in 1895.

But attitudes toward Gov. Evans later soured due to his treatment of Native populations, and a push to rename the peak began gaining traction in recent years.

In June 1864, Evans had ordered all friendly Indians of the plains to relocate to places of safety. The next month, Evans issued a proclamation allowing Coloradans to kill and destroy any hostile Indian.

Ohios offensive national forest name may change

I, John Evans, governor of Colorado Territory, do issue this my proclamation, authorizing all citizens of Colorado, either individually or in such parties as they may organize, to go in pursuit of all hostile Indians on the plains  to kill and destroy, as enemies of the country, wherever they may be found, all such hostile Indians, he wrote in an 1864 proclamation.

Months later in November, 600 troops attacked Cheyenne and Arapaho camps in a valley by Big Sandy Creek, killing more than 200 Native Americans, most of whom were women, children, or the elderly, according to the National Park Service. The attack became known as the Sand Creek Massacre, after which Evans was forced to resign from his role.

Why was Mount Blue Sky chosen?

Its time to rename Mount Evans. There is no place to honor those who facilitated atrocities against Native Americans on Americas public lands, said an official proposal from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, along with The Wilderness Society.

Evans great-grandson Tom Hayden, as well as his sister, supported changing the name, according to the proposal.

You can be banned from a National Park: Heres how

The schedule for the meeting on Friday listed several other name options, including Mount Cheyenne-Arapaho, Mount Rosaly, Mount Sisty and Mount Soule. It also included an option to keep the name Mount Evans, but to change the commemoration to honor Evans daughter.

The name Mount Blue Sky was proposed in recognition of both tribes. The Arapaho were known as the Blue Sky People, and the Cheyenne have an annual renewal-of-life ceremony called Blue Sky, according to the proposal.

A years-long effort

In 2017, Denver resident Mark Olmstead started a petition on Change.org to rename Mount Evans. The next year, the Denver American Indian Commission declared its support of the idea, according to the proposal document.

In June 2020, Olmstead started another petition to change the name with input from the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, and it quickly garnered thousands of signatures.

The next month, Gov. Jared Polis signed an executive order to create the Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board amid a widespread movement to address past atrocities.

Man dies 1 mile short of campground on Grand Canyon rim-to-rim hike

The name Mount Blue Sky was proposed in 2020 by the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and the Wilderness Society, and the name was approved by Clear Creek County in March 2022.

The Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board unanimously voted for the change in November 2022, and Polis gave his official recommendation to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names in March 2023.

During the vote at Fridays meeting, a majority of the 15-person voting body were in favor of the name change, with only one opposing and three abstaining.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
By Siyabonga Sishi

ULUNDI, South Africa (Reuters) -Thousands of mourners gathered in South Africa's eastern town of Ulundi on Saturday for the state funeral of veteran politician and Zulu prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi .

Buthelezi, a controversial figure during the apartheid liberation struggle because of his bitter rivalry with the African National Congress (ANC), died last week aged 95.

The founder of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) served two terms as Minister of Home Affairs in the post-apartheid government after reconciling with his governing ANC rival, Nelson Mandela .

By the time Buthelezi decided to bury the hatchet, 20,000 people had been killed and hundreds of thousands fled their homes in fighting between his supporters and those of the ANC, as a result of which critics dubbed the Zulu prince a warlord.

In a sign of residual hostility, a group IFP supporters tried to drown out President Cyril Ramaphosa 's eulogy, by singing struggle-era songs and chanting: "He is not our president".

"Today is not a day to point fingers and cast blame," Ramaphosa said, before Buthelezi's coffin was brought out, draped in the national flag, for a 21-gun salute. "Let us look forward to the future with a ... focus on what unites us."

Some of the mourners were dressed in traditional Zulu outfits made of leopard and other animal skins and held shields crafted from cow hides. South African media reported that two giraffes and six impalas were slaughtered and skinned as part of the ritual preparations.

Buthelezi founded the IFP in 1975 and it became the dominant force in what is now KwaZulu-Natal. Like the ANC, Buthelezi was critical of white minority rule, which had relegated Zulus and other Black South African nations to downsized 'homelands'.

But his Zulu nationalist movement became entangled in bloody conflicts with the ANC in the 1980s and 1990s. The ANC was dominated by members of the rival Xhosa nation, and its leaders saw Buthelezi's on-off willingness to work with the apartheid authorities as a betrayal of all Black South Africans.

The two parties made peace when Buthelezi decided to participate in South Africa's 1994 election, the first national poll since the end of white minority rule, which brought Mandela to power.

KwaZulu-Natal became the stronghold of former president Jacob Zuma, a Zulu whom Ramaphosa's ANC faction ousted after several corruption scandals. Zuma denies any wrongdoing.

"(Buthelezi) was not a man who let a burning issue slide ... and yet he (had) an understanding of the immense difficulties we face in rebuilding this country," Ramaphosa said. "He ... defended the institutions of our democratic order."

The Zulu chief stepped down as IFP leader in 2019. He underwent a procedure for back pain in July but was later readmitted to hospital when it did not subside.

(Reporting by Siyabonga Sishi; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Mike Harrison and Ros Russell)
When an EF3 tornado tore through north Naperville in June 2021, the citys emergency preparedness was put to the test. Now, more than two years later, the city is working to address shortcomings of long-term disaster response plans made evident in the storms aftermath.

In a memo to City Manager Doug Krieger this week, Naperville Emergency Management Agency Coordinator Dan Nelson and Deputy City Manager Marcie Schatz detailed gaps in Napervilles emergency response  and how to fill them for future events  using lessons learned in 2021 and since.

As recently reported in the aftermath of Hurricane Idalia and the Maui wildfires, Amid the complexities of disaster recovery, the importance of community planning and collaboration cannot be overstated, the memo reads, quoting Jacksonville University professor Latisha Nixon-Jones in a Honolulu Civil Beat article from earlier this month.

Staff sees the opportunity to increase collaboration with community partners and nonprofits to assist in the response to future local disasters, they wrote.

The memo lays out 16 challenges to the citys current emergency response system. One half are internal to city operations. The other half concern the broader local community. For each, staff list one or more action items to streamline operations.

On the citys end, areas of improvement range from officials internal communication to the breadth of action plans Naperville has at its disposal to handle different potential hazards. Where residents are concerned, such things as citizen preparedness and the relationship between the city and community members in facilitating recovery are among the areas that need work.

Expected dates to see the items through extend out as far as 2026, with the most near-term item set to tie up at the end of this year. But time frames are fluid, city spokeswoman Linda LaCloche said Friday. Working on preparedness is an everyday action item, she said.

When it comes to emergency management and emergency response, were always training. Were always preparing, she said.

Thursdays memo was borne out of city reflection after facing the strongest tornado to hit Naperville in more than a century, LaCloche said.

On June 20, 2021, an EF3 twister touched down on Napervilles south side, striking the area near Ranchview Drive and 75th Street. Winds topped 140 mph and left eight people injured, hundreds of structures uninhabitable or damaged, and an untold number of trees destroyed.

For weeks after, the city  in conjunction with mutual aid from nearby municipalities  worked to assess damage and clean up debris. At the time, the city didnt feel any gaps in its immediate response, LaCloche said.

In an emergency, we responded well and were able to help the community, she said.

But in the months that followed, questions over how the community was coping loomed. In December 2021, the city held an open house and conducted a survey of residents to get a better understanding of where needs were.

Some concerns the city dealt with swiftly, such as damaged homes that still needed inspection, LaCloche said. Other conversations, however, sparked more far-ranging goals.

Long-term recovery is where we saw gaps, LaCloche said. Filling those were important to making sure residents received a high level customer service from the city so they could recover faster in the event of a future disaster, she said.

Take the third response challenge listed in staffs memo Thursday: Unclear Emergency Operations Center (EOC) roles, procedures, technology. LaCloche said with this item, the city will be working to define a chain of command within its emergency response teams so that, in the case of disaster, whos in charge during what circumstances is already decided.

When someone has been working for 24 hours, whos the next person in line? LaCloche said.

In a similar streamlining effort, the city is developing a new online tracking system for building permits and inspections. This is important during disaster recovery because if someone needs to repair, renovate or demolish their home, they need to obtain city building permits quickly, LaCloche said.

The system the city had been operating under for tracking and issuing those permits was cumbersome after the tornado, according to Thursdays memo. A better system means better, faster help for residents, LaCloche said.

With an electronic system, you dont need to pass around paper copies (of documents) from department to department, she said. It creates a better workflow and better customer experience.

Other planned improvements to Napervilles emergency response are driven less by workflow and more by teamwork.

After the 2021 tornado, LaCloche said the city wasnt prepared to facilitate the kind of philanthropy community-minded neighbors were seeking.

(They) wanted to donate immediately, she said. We werent prepared for that in the sense that it can be overwhelming.

Residents didnt have a clear idea of where they could donate so the funds would stay local, she said. For future emergencies, the city hopes to develop an agreement with nonprofit Loaves and Fishes Community Services to manage disaster donations specifically for Naperville. Likewise, it wants to create a volunteer management plan to give interested residents a formal way to be a part of recovery efforts.

Kelly Dougherty welcomes the idea. Dougherty is the co-founder of Naperville Tornado Relief, the neighborhood organization that helped raise $1.5 million to help restore the yards of homes hit hardest in the 2021 tornado.

Its absolutely encouraging, she said. It would be wonderful for some of those initial boots on the ground efforts to be coordinated by the city.

As they move forward with action items, city staff will continue to engage local organizations and community partners, and will keep the City Council informed of progress, Thursdays memo said.

There were gaps in our ability (as neighbors) to help, Dougherty said. It would be wonderful to have more of a centralized spot to call in and get assistance (during a disaster).

tkenny@chicagotribune.com
A National Guardsman with the alias Marker took part in the counteroffensive on the Slobozhanshchyna front. He is an officer in the Spartan Brigade.

Now the National Guardsman has shared his memories of the Ukrainian armys success on the Kharkiv front.

Marker says he had been waiting for the counteroffensive since the first day of the full-scale invasion.

"I expected the counteroffensive from day one, but we are the military, so I waited for the order, and when we entered Udy [a village in Kharkiv Oblast  ed.] and saw how the enemy abandoned everything  their Cargo 200s [i.e. dead soldiers], property, ammunition and weapons  and ran away from us, I realised thats how it would continue to be in the future," says the soldier.

Photo: NGU

Marker adds that it then became clear that the Russian armys claim to be the "world's second most powerful" is just a myth.

He recalls seeing the Russians positions being destroyed right in front of him, meaning that a lot of valuable things were left for the Ukrainian military to seize as the Russians retreated.

"After we entered Kupiansk, enemy equipment was discovered and our guys took possession of an entire KAMAZ truck full of ammunition. Later that evening, we were ordered to advance to Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi. When we entered, everything was still on fire, and there were a lot of dead Russians. Then we went to Kivsharivka, and from there to Stelmakhivka. We entered Stelmakhivka and took up positions, and the enemy was on the other side of the river," Marker noted.

After liberating these settlements, his brothers-in-arms, together with other soldiers, moved to Novoosynove, Hlushkivka and Bohuslavka before gaining a foothold in Novoselivske.

The Russians made continual attempts to storm the Ukrainian forces there, but no one gave up their positions.

Marker says he was surprised about how openly they were received in the liberated territories.

"Especially when we liberated villages, people would run out with flags to welcome us and theyd immediately say: 'There's an empty house over there, the occupiers lived there, it's a good idea to check there.' That is, they helped us straight away, telling us where the enemy might be," the National Guardsman says.

Marker says little about his personal motivation, but he remains certain that now it is the same for everyone  to liberate our territories and raise the Ukrainian flag there.

Earlier, we reported on a 55-year-old NGU driver who returned from working in Italy to fight in Ukraine.

We also brought you the story of the triplets serving in the National Guard of Ukraine who defended Kyiv Oblast from the invaders.

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!
U.S. District Court of Arizona (Photo/LinkedIn)

On Thursday, September 14, 2023, U.S. District Court Judge Susan R. Bolton in Phoenix ruled in favor of the Tohono Oodham Nation, the Gila River Indian Community and Native youth against a voter suppression law requiring proof of a physical address.

Considering more than 40,000 homes on Indian reservations across Arizona do not have physical addresses, the decision is viewed as a victory for Native Americans in the state.

The order holds that the proof of address requirements in Arizona HB 2492 are preempted by the National Voter Registration Act.

Under Judge Boltons ruling, the bills address requirements must be liberally interpreted so that no one is required to have a standard street address in order to vote and so that numerous documents can be used to satisfy the requirement, including an Arizona-issued ID listing only a P.O. Box or any tribal identification document, regardless of whether it has an address.

We applaud the Courts ruling, which ensures citizens living in their tribal communities will not be disenfranchised because they dont have an address. Native people in Arizona will continue to fight for their right to participate in democracy, said Native American Rights Fund Staff Attorney Allison Neswood.

The Gila River Indian Community is pleased with this decision, which will ensure our Community members can exercise their right to vote using tribal identification and our Reservation addresses, Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Lewis said. We continue to fight for our voice to be heard through our vote and will resist any attempts to suppress our votes because, as we have shown in the last several elections, our Communitys vote counts and the Native vote matters.

Tohono Oodham Nation Chairman Verlon Jose said, This is a great day for the Tohono Oodham Nation and all Arizona tribes. This decision reaffirms that tribal citizens have the same constitutional voting rights as every other American. The Nation will always fight to uphold our peoples right to vote, which is the foundation of our democracy. We want to thank the Native American Rights Fund for working with us to bring about this momentous ruling.

Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning.

Tohono Oodham Nation, Gila River Indian Community, and individual Native voters are represented by the Native American Rights Fund, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and Osborn Maledon, P.A., in litigation that has been consolidated with related cases under the case name, Mi Familia Vota v. Arizona.

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
It was an epic failure of navigation, and the U.S. Navys worst peacetime naval disaster.

On a foggy night a century ago, 14 destroyers of Squadron 11 made a 55-degree turn into what they thought was the Santa Barbara Channel.

They were actually a few miles away.

Rather than the new-fangled technology of radio direction finding, the captain of flagship USS Delphy relied on dead reckoning to plot his location  estimating the direction and distance traveled by compass heading and calculating speed against a clock.

Evidence later showed the Delphy led the vessels following it to their doom. The others were able to take corrective action that saved their vessels.

Ten minutes after the turn, nine destroyers crashed into the rocks off the coast at 20 knots  about 23 mph.

Seven of those destroyers sunk in 5 minutes, never return home to San Diego.

Two others were damaged, but able to back away.

A total of 23 sailors died on as a result of the disaster north of Point Conception on Sept. 8, 1923: three from the Delphy and 20 from the USS Young.

Initially, it was thought that many of the dead had been trapped inside the hull of the Young. Later, it was discovered they had been washed into the sea.

It took heroic efforts to save the almost 800 sailors who remained stranded amid crashing surf, as outlined in the book Tragedy at Honda by Charles A. Lockwood and Hans Christian Adamson.

The injured were taken by rail to hospitals in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo.

Sixteen sailors and two officers were tasked with standing watch over the wreck. They relied on local donations of food until the seas calmed and the Navy could supply them.

The Honda Point disaster was the largest peacetime loss of Navy ships in U.S. history

The monetary loss was estimated to be $13 million  roughly $233 million in 2023 dollars.

In addition to navigation errors and fog, contributing factors may have included a tsunami earlier in the month that had impacted waves and currents, as well as radio traffic related to the sinking of the mail ship Cuba near San Miguel Island. Everyone aboard the Cuba was saved.

In the aftermath of the disaster, Honda Point became a macabre tourist stop, with people bringing lunches to the area. It is now closed behind the fences of Vandenberg Space Force Base but Destroyer Rock is still marked on Google maps.

The San Luis Obispo Daily Telegram published several stories Monday Sept.,10, 1923, the first edition after the accident.

Five of Seven United States Navy destroyers that ran aground at Honda Point can be seen in this photo. From the left #296 USS Chauncey; center is USS Young, lying flat on starboard side; at right broken in two is the USS Delphy which lead the ill-fated journey. In background on rocks are the USS Woodbury and further out the USS Fuller. They wrecked north of Point Conception in heavy fog Sept. 8, 1923. It was the worst peacetime Navy disaster with the death of 23 seamen and the loss of the destroyers; 20 men died on the Young and three on the Delphy. Out of frame to the right were the USS S.P. Lee and USS Nicholas.

One known dead, 22 missing, as 7 ships pile up

Confusion of radio signals is blamed

Associated Press  SANTA BARBARA, Sept.10.  One dead, 22 missing of whom 19 are thought dead; three adrift on a life raft and possibly safe, and 13 injured in the hospital here is the record in human losses and serious injuries resulting from the disaster in which seven United States destroyers were piled on the rocks 75 miles north of this city Saturday night.

All vessels are believed a total loss although a navy tug and repair ship are standing by just at the edge of the tumbling breakers ready to render assistance if there is a possible chance.All the ships lie close in to the beach except the Woodbury and Fuller, but the water is shallow and the breakers cover a strip several hundred yards wide. The Young is a hopeless wreck, lying on her side, while the Delphy is broken up. The bottoms of tall the others are torn on the jagged rocks and their plight is hopeless. The surf has been heavy ever since the wreck and hour by hour the hulks of the warships have been driven further up into the sands.

The task of cutting through the hull of the young to release the bodies of nearly a score of men imprisoned there was begun this morning and it is thought that they will be recovered some time today. The bulk of the Young lies so close to the shore that the workers can almost step from the bluff to the tomb of the wreck victims.

Sailor dangles from rescue line in front of USS S.P. Lee in foreground and the USS Nicholas in background after seven United States Navy destroyers ran aground at Honda Point north of Point Conception in heavy fog Sept. 8, 1923. It was the worst peacetime Navy disaster with the death of 23 seamen and the loss of the destroyers.

Radio Signals Confused

All mystery as to the cause of the wreck has been cleared away in the opinion of the survivors of the wreck and seafaring men here, by the explanation that the navy ships were thrown more than 10 miles off their course by a confusion of radio signals.

Because of the wreck of the Pacific Mail liner Cuba on San Miguel island, off the coast nearly opposite the place where the destroyers met their doom, the radio operators on shore were trying to direct the course of the destroyer Reno to their assistance. The fog was so dense that the radio was the only guide.

The operators of the destroyer squadron, speeding along in the fog over a rough sea, picked up the signals intended for the Reno. The mistake was discovered and Arguello light station corrected the bearings for the destroyer fleet. The correction came about five minutes before the wreck. The ships changed their course but the correction came too late and the other ships piled up on the rocks and beach.

Seamans Death Dramatic

One of the most dramatic features of the wreck is the death of a seaman named Pearson or Pierson on board the Delphy. Blinded when the glasses he wore were broken and hurled overboard where he swallowed some crude oil, Pearson seems to have lost his reason, according to the statements of his comrades.

Two shipmates rescued him but in his delirium he fought them so hard that they could not get him ashore. They lashed him on board the ship. There he perished as the vessel broke in two before rescuers could get back to him.

Fisherman Is Hero

One of the heroes of the wreck is an Italian fisherman, Capt. G. Noceti of the fishing boat Breno de Roma of this city. With the aid of the two men who made up his crew, the fisherman took from the Woodbury and Fuller, the two destroyers lying farthest from the beach, 150 sailors and landed them safely on the beach. The skiff of the fisherman safely crossed the surf time and again. Had it not been for this Italian, it is thought that the loss of life would have been far heavier. One of the officers who was a witness of the work of Capt. Noceti declared that he should have a heros medal. And when he had removed the wrecked sailors to safety the fisherman returned to his nets. It was all in a days work.

Seafaring men point out that while the fisherman was plying back and forth through the surf, 11 destroyers lay offshore apparently helpless.
The Russian navy moved three amphibious landing boats out of the Black Sea and into the Azov Sea, Ukrainian Navy Speaker Dmytro Pletenchuk mentioned during a question and answer session.

A Russian landing boat and a submarine were allegedly damaged in Crimea during a Sept. 13 attack by Ukraine. Pletenchuk said that the ship that was hit, Minsk, can't be restored because of the nature of the damage and its advanced age.

His statement echoed British intelligence, whose report stated that the Minsk was almost certainly destroyed. The submarine Rostov-on-Don, meanwhile, took catastrophic damage and would take a huge investment of time and money to restore.



Ukraine's attack on Sept. 13 targeted the Sevmorzavod shipyard, important for maintaining ships in the Black Sea. Some of it was damaged, possibly slowing down its ability to repair Russian warships.

Ukrainian forces also hit a Russian S-400 missile installation, the second in several weeks, with damage believed to be high. This weakens Russia's air defense over Crimea and the land and sea around it, making its ships and land forces more vulnerable.



Crimea is critical for its naval infrastructure and line of supply for the Russian forces in Ukraine. Russian warships are important missile platforms that attack Odesa and other parts of Ukraine.

Read also: Russias southern mistake  Surovikin lines, Gerasimov tactics

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Time is precious when fighting crime.

Sworn officers and analysts huddle together around the clock, keeping a close eye on the streets of the capital city and Leon County from inside the dimly lit chambers of their very own Justice League headquarters.

Complete with live camera footage from more than 1,000 cameras, an active calls-to-service map and continuous data collection from FSU researchers and students, Tallahassee's Capital Region Real-Time Crime Center is equipped to solve crime in ways Tallahassee hasn't in years before.

Florida State University President Richard McCullough and others receive a tour of the Capital Region Real-Time Crime Center on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.

Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said he hopes the new center, designed to help detectives solve cases in a matter of hours rather than days, will act as a deterrent to criminals.

"We want to send a message to those who wish to commit crimes in our community," Revell said. "We will find you, and you will be held accountable."

On Friday, Revell joined Sheriff Walt McNeil and officials from Florida State University to cut the ribbon and officially open the Real-Time Crime Center, which began operating in February. Housed inside FSU's Sliger Building at Innovation Park, the center not only gives officers in the field vital intelligence as crimes are unfolding but also includes a research component that sets it apart from other centers elsewhere, officials said.

The center is a collaboration between the the Leon County Sheriff's Office, the Tallahassee Police Department, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the FSU Police Department and FSU's College of Criminology and Criminal Justice. It utilizes technology like cameras and license plate readers to identify suspects faster and helps keep lines of communication open among agencies.

The command center with dozens of screens featuring cameras, maps and more in the Capital Region Real-Time Crime Center on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.

Analysts are constantly monitoring calls to service and immediately begin gathering information on 911 callers and potential suspects while officers work the scene, said Leslie Rabon, director of the Real-Time Crime Center. In total, the center has 14 analysts who rotate shifts.

"This is a nerve center where we can give actionable information and intelligence and officer safety information to officers and deputies out in the field," Rabon said in a news release. "In this area, we have so many people who come in and out of our jurisdiction. Having everyone in one center together where we can share this very important information is critical because we can keep our officers safer and solve crimes faster."

The crime center has already played a vital role in several high-profile shootings and homicides, including an incident at Tom Brown Park in which a woman opened fire on police, prompting them to return fatal fire, a shooting at the McDonald's on Pensacola Street and the identification of a murder suspect from Tennessee.

It comes online in earnest at the same time that the city grapples with a summer surge of violence and bloodshed. Since June, the city has endured three separate double homicides and three murders in a single 24-hour span.

So far in 2023, 19 people have died  14 of them since June  and at least 53 have been injured, according to a Tallahassee Democrat analysis of gun violence.

McNeil called the crime center one of the "most important milestones" for local law enforcement over the past decade.

Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Capital Region Real-Time Crime Center on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.

"To believe you're going to be successful in fighting crime, it must be a united effort," the sheriff said. "All of us united for one cause, one purpose."

The center began operating with initial funding of $2 million from FSU. LCSO, TPD and FSU are equally splitting on-going operational costs; officials could not immediately provide a number on the annual cost.

Law enforcement from Florida A&M University and Tallahassee Community College are also in communication with the other agencies but are waiting for funds and manpower to become available before officially partnering, Revell said.

The center also encourages collaboration with the community. Businesses and homeowners can link their security cameras to the command center, allowing officers access to live footage at that establishment.

Because the center partners with Ring doorbells, people who have Ring cameras at home are able to send the center their footage straight from their app, Rabon said. Police agencies don't have to ability to tap into someone's camera on demand, but the app has a portal that enables customers to share footage if they want.

FSU students and researchers will provide officials with ongoing research and evaluations of whether crime reduction strategies are achieving desired outcomes, said Thomas Blomberg, a professor and director of research at the College of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

"We translate (research) into policies and practices," Blomberg said.

Florida State University Chief of Police Rhonda Harris speaks during a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Capital Region Real-Time Crime Center on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.

Research from the crime center will be available to help shape criminal justice policy in Tallahassee and communities across the country, officials said. Rhonda Harris, FSU police chief and assistant vice president for public safety, called it a "new model."

"I think this real-time crime center is going to change the ones that are out there now," she said.

Blomberg added that the Real-Time Crime Center is a great way for students to get invaluable hands-on experience in their field.

"They're partners in making a difference," Bloomberg said.

Elena Barrera can be reached at ebarrera@tallahassee.com. Follow her on Twitter @elenabarreraaa.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee Real-Time Crime Center officially on the case
The Putin regime has leaned heavily on propaganda to rally support for its war in Ukraine.

In doing so, it has come to rely on military bloggers to spread its message and back its efforts.

But some milbloggers have gained a level of influence that Putin may not be so keen about.

The Russian government appears to be cracking down on milbloggers  even if many of those military-focused bloggers actually support Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

While these blogs are a useful propaganda tool to drum up public support for the war, their vigorous criticisms of mistakes in Ukraine could undermine support for Vladimir Putin's regime. Several prominent bloggers have been arrested, a hint of the extent of the Kremlin's concern.

Milbloggers have "gradually, securely, and subversively  if unintentionally  challenged the Kremlin's management of the war in Ukraine, the performance of the Russian military, and, thus, the competence of the state," American researchers Donald Jensen and Angel Howard wrote in The Kyiv Independent in August.

Milblogs, mostly found on Russian messaging service Telegram, aren't just popular with a Russian public that has reason to distrust official media. Milbloggers also have become an indispensable tool for Western governments, think tanks, and media to track the Russian war effort.

Pro-Russian fighters patrol in Makiivka, a suburb of Donetsk, in February 2015. DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP via Getty Images

The blogs have revealed blunders such as Russian troops standing in formation and then being wiped out by HIMARS rockets. They have also shown how Russian troops are being sent to fight without adequate arms and ammunition or used as cannon fodder in meatgrinder-like battles such as at Bakhmut.

Media censorship is common in democracies during wartime. The US and British governments monitored and censored news reports during World War II to avoid disclosing sensitive information and undermining morale. Recent US administrations have also asked journalists not to print stories for reasons of national security. Even today, the Israeli media is subject to scrutiny by military censors, while the British government can issue DSMA notices that ask news organizations not to release stories.

But the relationship between Putin and milbloggers illustrates the complexities of social media in an authoritarian state.

Many milbloggers are ultra-nationalists with deep ties to the Russian military and intelligence agencies. It's a win-win relationship: Getting leaked information allows bloggers to grow rich from increased web traffic from news-hungry audiences, while the leakers gain some control over the milbloggers' agendas.

Putin speaks with residents during a visit to the Ukrainian city of Mariupol on March 18. POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The very fact that milblogs are allowed to exist as the Kremlin clamps down on most other media is evidence that the Russian government sees value in them.

Blogs are also weapons in the cutthroat world of Russian politics. Powerful politicians, such as Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, quietly sponsor milbloggers "as megaphones for their political aims," Jensen and Howard wrote.

Putin, who is dependent on and yet distrustful of the military, security services, and wealthy oligarchs, can use blogs to indirectly indicate who he favors and who is on their way down. Factions within the government can also use blogs to embarrass opponents and redirect blame for a mistake, such as a failing war.

Yet the risk is that milbloggers will become the genie released from the bottle. Igor Girkin, an ex-KGB officer who has become a prominent and pro-war blogger, was arrested in July after referring to Putin as a "lowlife" and "cowardly bum."

In August, a Moscow court ordered Girkin be held for at least another month. Andrey Kurshin, an ultra-nationalist who frequently criticized the Russian military's conduct in Ukraine, was also arrested in August.

Russian nationalist critic and former military commander Igor Girkin behind a glass enclosure for defendants during a court hearing in Moscow in August. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

But the Kremlin must walk a delicate line.

On one hand, milbloggers do provide a pro-war narrative. They encourage Russians to enlist and raise funds for soldiers ("of which they almost certainly embezzle a portion," Jensen and Howard noted).

Perhaps more important, milbloggers provide a safety valve for a Russian public that was never enthusiastic about invading Ukraine and now bears the cost of Western economic sanctions.

On the other hand, the roots of the Russian failure in Ukraine rest with Russia's senior leaders. Despite years of massive defense spending and Putin's boasts of "invincible" weapons, Russia couldn't subdue its smaller neighbor Ukraine, which has now launched a counterattack that threatens to eject Russian troops from Ukrainian territory.

There is much blame to go around, but if the crackdown is any indication, the Kremlin wants to prevent milbloggers from directing their criticisms at Russia's ultimate decision-maker: Putin.

Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds a master's in political science. Follow him on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(FOX40.COM)  The state of California announced it is investing over $250 million to combat retail theft, which marks the Golden States largest-ever single investment toward preventing and investigating organized retail crime.

Exactly $267,118,293 was awarded by the Board of State and Community Corrections to 55 local law enforcement agencies across California, a press release from the Governors Office read. The funding will be distributed to 34 police departments, 7 sheriffs departments, 13 district attorney offices, and one probation department on Oct. 1.

Video Above: Gov. Gavin Newsom talks homelessness, presidency, and more

The most significant bills sent to Gov. Newsom in 2023

Governor Newsom spoke about the investment on Thursday, saying, When shameless criminals walk out of stores with stolen goods, theyll walk straight into jail cells.

While most departments and agencies will be receiving their funds on Oct. 1, others have already begun to receive funding from the state to begin creating new task forces and increase arrests.

On Thursday, 41 sheriffs and police departments, were awarded up to about $24 million to help crack down on retail theft, including agencies in Los Angeles, Santa Clara, and Sacramento counties. The Sacramento County Sheriffs Office received about $9.5 million.

The largest investment went to the Fresno Police Department, which was a multi-agency proposal. The department was awarded a little more than $23.5 million.

District attorneys offices have also been awarded, receving up to $2 million to establish new teams dedicated to prosecuting organized retail theft, and establishing county-wide prosecution hubs for all retail-theft-related investigations.

Among the district attorney offices that were included are offices in Alameda, Orange, Placer, Sacramento, San Francisco and Yolo counties.

California among the top 10 happiest states in the country, study shows

According to the Governors Office, all funds for both grants will be allocated in annual installments over the next three years.

Enough with these brazen smash-and-grabs  were ensuring law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to take down these criminals, Newsom said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
Sara Lopez, 24, didnt learn Spanish from her parents because they didnt want her to go through the discrimination they faced for speaking the language back in the 1980s.

Their teachers were mostly white and would punish my parents or other students for speaking Spanish, Lopez, a Los Angeles resident, said.

For a while, Lopez felt embarrassed for not being able to understand or communicate in Spanish and was frequently teased and bullied for not speaking Spanish right.

Eventually, she said, her parents healed from their childhood experiences and started to encourage her to learn more Spanish. Lopez now takes pride in being a no sabo kid"  and wants people to understand there are many others who've had a similar experience.

In recent years, the phrase "no sabo," which is the incorrect way of saying "I don't know" in Spanish (the correct translation is "no se") has become synonymous with young Latinos who arent fluent in Spanish.

But what used to be a put-down term has now become a cultural hit online and a widespread meme: TikTok alone has more than 644 million video views with the hashtag #nosabo and #nosabokid is close to 400 million.

On social media, teens and young adults will poke fun at no sabo experiences. In one TikTok video, a "no sabo" teen asks her sibling if she's seen the "crayola" their mom is looking for, meaning carriola, or stroller. Another video shows a no sabo "olympics" where teens are quizzed on the correct Spanish word.

While most of the videos are playful and even hilarious, the growing trend of Latinos clapping back at the policing of Spanish has opened up an age-old debate on what it means to be Hispanic or Latino in the U.S.

Dr. David Hayes Bautista, professor and director at the UCLA Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture, said he likes to remind people that being Latino is separable from Spanish, and that being Latino isnt a monolith  some may speak Spanish, some may speak Indigenous dialects and some may only know English.

There are about 63 million Latinos in the United States, and no two people are Latino in the same way. Its not language that makes you Latino, Bautista said.

The debate is relevant for a growing number of Americans: Currently, a quarter of U.S. children are Latino.

For more from NBC Latino, sign up for our weekly newsletter.

In 2021, over 7 in 10 Latinos aged 5 and up spoke English proficiently  an increase of 59% since 2000  according to the Pew Research Center, while there's been a decline in those who speak Spanish at home.

As the #nosabo kids say in their own words online, they still hold a connection to their Latino culture despite any language challenges.

It's also resulted in Latinos who have decided to learn the language on their own terms in new and creative ways  and to take a look at how previous generations of Americans were discouraged from speaking Spanish, or even not allowed to.

When Spanish wasn't allowed

To be on the receiving end of no sabo criticism can be intense, as Diosa Femme, 29, the co-host alongside Mala Munoz of the podcast Locatora Radio, knows.

In late March, a clip of her speaking as a guest on a different podcast about how young Latinos are reclaiming the no sabo identity and how there's been a violent history against speaking Spanish went viral. Femme was labeled a no sabo kid and became public enemy No. 1.

Mala Munoz and Diosa Femme, hosts of the podcast Locatora Radio,

Some of the comments that I got on the video were things like, I dont know where these girls are getting their information from. Why is everyone a victim? Thats stupid, like really discrediting what I was saying, said Femme, whos Peruvian Mexican and actually fluent in Spanish. She grew up in a strict Spanish-speaking household in Los Angeles.

The outrage is what motivated Femme and Munoz to produce a two-part podcast episode on the issue to inform newer generations on the subject. These are things that happened in the Southwest  I didnt know that this was something that would be so contentious, Femme told NBC News.

Most Americans don't know California initially had a bilingual constitution  the region was formerly Mexican and Spanish. As Hispanics in the state Legislature began to lose political power, so did their right to speak Spanish publicly.

The U.S. has had a history of forcing Americans to speak English; this was the case with Native American boarding schools, for example.

"Mexican American children were put through similar violent language training, Alexandro Jose Gradilla, an associate professor of Chicano/a studies at California State University, Fullerton, said. They were physically hit and beat for speaking Spanish at school.  Teachers had the right to physically punish children.

A notable example took place in Marfa, Texas, at the Blackwell School, which has since been turned into a national historic site.

Built as a segregated school for Mexican American and Mexican children in 1909, students were beaten with paddles and forced to speak only English on campus. In 1954, the school held a mock funeral ceremony and buried slips of paper with Spanish words written on them. The school closed in 1965.

Munoz, 31, whose family comes from generations of farmworkers in Californias conservative Kern County, said her relatives struggled with passing down Spanish from generation to generation.

I grew up just constantly hearing the reason dad speaks terrible Spanish is because he wasnt allowed to speak Spanish. It was kept from him. They were being beaten at school. And thats why he speaks his Spanglish, and thats why we speak our hybridized Spanglish, said Munoz, who is Mexican American.

Femme said her mothers name was changed by her elementary school teacher to Maggie from Margarita. Her older brother was placed in an English-only track in elementary school after a speech pathologist said he was struggling because he spoke Spanish at home, which was detrimental.

Those examples are more common than we like to realize as a community because we, as Latinos, very much live in a culture of silence where we dont talk about the things that weve experienced, Femme said.

What the no sabo discussion is ignoring is that longer history of our public schools, our public cultures are very English-oriented, Gradilla said.

At the same time, generations of Latinos have been criticized for not speaking Spanish. Decades ago, the term pocho  like Chicano  was used as a derogatory term for Mexican Americans who were deemed ni de aqui, ni de alla, (not from here, not from there). Puerto Ricans born and raised in the U.S. were referred to as "nuyoricans" (since so many lived in New York) and criticized for not speaking Spanish like those on the island.

Becoming more fluent  without the shame

The bilingual card game

Carlos Torres, 31, and Jessica Rosales, 31, a Mexican American couple, both come from families who immigrated from Mexico. Their parents instilled in them that education and learning English were vital paths to success. And though their parents told them it was important to keep speaking Spanish, they didnt find many opportunities to do so.

Torres and Rosales created a card game last April, Yo Sabo, as a way to remember some tricky Spanish words and help monolingual Latinos reconnect with their childhood.

The card game can be played in three ways: in the first version, a player gives the English word and another guesses the Spanish translation; a second focuses on Latino trivia about Latino customs and traditions; and a third version involves charades.

"Now looking back at our memories, its like, how do we help families now that had that challenge and didnt have the opportunity to keep practicing? Rosales said. Now they have something fun to use.

Wendy Ramirez, 46, and Jackie Rodriguez, 35, started Spanish Sin Pena (Spanish Without Shame), a program for those trying to become fluent in Spanish.

I dont think people realize that even when parents are intentional about keeping the language they already have, it is so difficult because we live in a place where English is spoken everywhere, Ramirez said. Some parents are just trying to get by and survive and they dont have the time and space to make it a priority.

Their program came from experience; Ramirez found herself struggling to keep up with Spanish speakers when she was studying in Mexico City.

Founded in 2018, Spanish Sin Pena has now grown to more than a thousand registered users per year, mostly Latinos who want to learn Spanish to connect more with their culture. Classes are offered at different levels depending on ones fluency level.

Wendy Ramirez and Jackie Rodriguez, co-founders of Spanish Sin Pena (Spanish Without Shame) (Courtesy of Wendy Ramirez and Jackie Rodriguez)

Participants share stories, including tough conversations about their shame at not speaking Spanish and experiences with racism and colorism. But its also fun and not always serious  there are options to learn Spanish through cultural experiences like cooking classes, dance classes and cultural immersion trips to various countries.

Its difficult to have safe spaces like ours to ask questions and to not make it so heavy, Rodriguez said. Being able to see a whole community of people who share a story that sounds just like yours, thats healing.

Rodriguez has also been characterized as a no sabo kid but since starting Spanish Sin Pena, she now takes ownership of the term.

I love Spanglish and Im going to speak it for life and Im not ashamed about that, she said. A language isnt going to make me any less Latina. Its in my blood. Its in my hips. Its in my sazon (seasoning) when Im cooking.

Veronica Benavides, 36, grew up in Houston and had trouble communicating with her grandmother who only spoke Spanish. In high school, she was shamed for not speaking fluent Spanish by her peers.

My reaction was to reject it more  I felt a sense of disconnection there, she said.

It wasnt until college that she connected her experiences to history: Her parents didn't teach her Spanish because they attended English-only schools in the Rio Grande Valley and were punished physically and verbally for speaking it.

Benavides went on to learn Spanish and referred to herself as a "si sabo kid," which helped her develop a greater relationship with her grandmother.

Veronica Benavides makes a presentation to more than 80 teachers from the Aldine Independent School District in Houston, Texas. (Courtesy of Veronica Benavides)

I was like, Whoa, this woman had this whole life that I didnt know about. She had lovers. She had quarrels with her family; she had children that she had lost that I didnt know about. ... This whole family history, at least with me and my generation, could have been lost," Benavides said.

In 2021, Benavides launched Bilingual Generation, which partners with schools and families to deliver programs that support bilingualism as a tool for academic success.

This academic year, she's working with the school system she once attended as a kid in Aldine, a Houston suburb, to help bring dual language programming.

Torres, the "Yo Sabo" card game co-creator, said, that in the end, "Language is so fluid. It doesnt matter how much you know or how little you know  were all in this really together, just learning. ... We need to stop being our harshest critics.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
FILE - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon in Washington, July 18, 2023. The top American military officer says North Korea may be able to boost Russias supply of artillery munitions for the war in Ukraine. But Army Gen. Mark Milley says that's not likely to make a big difference. He made the comments as he arrived in Norway for NATO meetings that began Saturday, Sept. 16, and will focus in part on the conflict. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

OSLO, Norway (AP)  North Korea may be able to boost Russia's supply of artillery munitions for the war in Ukraine, but that is not likely to make a big difference, the top American military officer said as he arrived in Norway for NATO meetings that began Saturday and will focus in part on the conflict.

U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley , chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the recent meeting in Russia between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin will probably lead North Korea to provide Soviet-era 152 mm artillery rounds to Moscow. But he said it was not yet clear how many or how soon.

Would it have a huge difference? Im skeptical of that, Milley told reporters traveling with him. He said that while he does not want to play down the weapons assistance too much, "I doubt that it would be decisive.

Foreign governments and experts have speculated that Kim will likely supply ammunition to Russia in exchange for receiving advanced weapons or technology from Russia.

Milley and the other defense chiefs from NATO countries are meeting at the Holmenkollen ski area on the edge of Oslo over the next several days to discuss support for Ukraine and other regional defense issues. From there, Milley will attend the monthly meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Germany on Tuesday. That group, led by U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, is the main international forum for drumming up military support for Ukraine.

The NATO meetings come as Ukraine forces are making slow progress breaking through Russian battle lines in a counteroffensive that has not moved as quickly or as well as initially hoped. Kyiv's leaders are lobbying for a new round of advanced weapons, including longer range missiles.

Adm. Rob Bauer of the Netherlands, the chair of the NATO Military Committee, said Saturday at the opening of the meeting that history will show Ukraine has transformed modern warfare and they are moving forward every day. Every success is one step closer to victory." He said Russian forces "keep losing more and more ground, and the whole of Russia is suffering under the impact of economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation."

Milley said there is a continued need for more weapons and equipment in Ukraine and that allies and partners will be discussing how to address that. He said he believes there continues to be broad, bipartisan support in the United States and the U.S. Congress for the aid.

Later in the day, Bauer acknowledge that strains on military weapons production are increasing prices and decreasing the amount of ammunition and other stocks that countries have on hand. He said that while NATO is not organizing the donations, it is an issue that concerns alliance members.

When they think about giving away weapons or ammunition, they have to think ... what is the risk that I take against my own readiness?" he told reporters.

Most nations began the war with fuller warehouses of arms, but the volume of the weapons and the ammunition that Ukraine requires is huge, Bauer said. As a result, the amounts going to Ukraine and the amounts that industry can expand to provide are not in balance. He said he cannot say whether the problem has begun to hamper donations, but it is something for allies to consider.

American lawmakers are increasingly divided over providing additional assistance for Ukraine as the war is well into its second year. President Joe Biden has proposed a package of $13.1 billion more in military aid and $8.5 billion for humanitarian support. Conservative Republicans are pushing for broad federal spending cuts and some of those allied with former President Donald Trump are specifically looking to stop money to Ukraine.

The issue will be a prime topic in Washington in the coming week when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits the White House and Capitol Hill during his stop in the United States to attend the U.N. General Assembly.

In Norway, the NATO chiefs of defense will follow up their meeting Saturday with a smaller gathering Sunday of about a dozen Western and Indo-Pacific military leaders that Milley said will focus on lessons learned in the Ukraine war and how they can be applied to the Pacific. Milley said the group will include defense chiefs from Britain, Norway, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, France, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

The U.S. considers China its key national security challenge and tensions between the two nations have grown as Beijing continues an aggressive military expansion in the region. Over the past year, China has stepped up military activities around Taiwan, sending warships and warplanes on a near-daily basis.

China claims the self-ruled island as its own, and there are ongoing worries that Beijing is preparing to use force to try and take control of Taiwan. Global leaders have warned that failure to stop Russia's invasion of Ukraine could encourage other countries to try similar takeovers and upend the rules-based international order in place since the end of World War II.

Since last year, the U.S. has accused North Korea of sending ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, many of them likely copies of Soviet-era munitions. South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Moscow were used as part of the Kremlins invasion of Ukraine.

North Korea may represent the single biggest source of compatible legacy artillery ammunition outside of Russia, including domestic production facilities to further supplies, said Joseph Dempsey, research associate for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

But its old artillery systems, whose ammunitions could be supplied to Russia, have a reputation for poor accuracy.

Russian attacks against Ukraine have continued throughout the North Korean leaders visit, with two people killed and two more wounded during shelling on villages in Ukraines northeastern Kherson region on Saturday, Ukrainian officials said. Five more people were hurt in a separate rocket attack later in the day on an industrial region in Kharkiv city, Ukraines prosecutors office announced.

Meanwhile, Denis Pushilin, the acting head of the Russian-occupied part of the Donetsk region, said that five civilians were killed Saturday as artillery hit the residential buildings and infrastructure in the region. A 30-year-old man died during shelling on the Russian village of Plekhovo close to the Ukrainian border, the governor of Russias Kursk region wrote on social media.

___

Associated Press writer Katie Marie Davies in Manchester, England, contributed to this report.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russias nuclear-capable bombers, hypersonic missiles and an advanced warship from its Pacific fleet on Saturday as he continued a trip in Russias Far East that has sparked Western concerns about an arms alliance that could fuel President Vladimir Putin s war on Ukraine.

After arriving in the city of Artyom by train, Kim traveled to an airport just outside the port city of Vladivostok where Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and other senior military officials gave him an up-close look at Russias strategic bombers and other warplanes.

Kim Jong Un backs Vladimir Putin in Ukraine war

All the Russian warplanes shown to Kim on Saturday were among the types that have seen active use in the war in Ukraine, including the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22 bombers that have regularly launched cruise missiles.

Shoigu and Lt. Gen. Sergei Kobylash, the commander of the Russian long-range bomber force, explained to Kim that the Tu-160 had recently received new cruise missiles with a range of more than 6,500 kilometers (over 4,040 miles). Pointing at the weapons bay, Shoigu said that each bomber carries 12 missiles.

Russian officials have previously said that the new missile was under development, and the latest comments confirmed its deployment for the first time.

Shoigu, who had met Kim during a rare visit to North Korea in July, also showed Kim another of Russias latest missiles, the hypersonic Kinzhal, carried by the MiG-31 fighter jet, that saw its first combat during the war in Ukraine, according to Russias Defense Ministry.

More: North Korea could get satellite and nuclear weapons help from Putin. Why it matters.

Kim and Shoigu later traveled to Vladivostok, where they inspected the Admiral Shaposhnikov frigate. Russias navy commander, Adm. Nikolai Yevmenov, briefed Kim on the ships capabilities and weapons, which include long-range Kalibr cruise missiles that Russian warships have regularly fired at targets in Ukraine.

Kims visits to military and technology sites this week possibly hint at what he wants from Russia, perhaps in exchange for supplying munitions to refill Putins declining reserves as his invasion of Ukraine becomes a drawn-out war of attrition.

Kims trip to Russia, which included more than four hours of talks with Putin on Wednesday, comes amid momentum in military cooperation between the countries in which North Korea could potentially seek Russian technologies to advance Kims nuclear, missile and other military programs in exchange for providing Russia with badly needed munitions.

Videos released by Russias Defense Ministry showed Shoigu greeting Kim at the airport along with honor guards lined up near a red carpet. Kim was seen peering at the Kinzhal missile, gesturing and asking questions about the warplanes capabilities as he discussed technical details with Shoigu and other military officials through translators.

Kim was also seen talking to Shoigu and Yevmenov about a purported nuclear attack submarine the North unveiled last week as they stepped out of the Shaposhnikov frigate.

Later Saturday, Kim visited a local theater to watch Pyotr Tchaikovskys Sleeping Beauty ballet performance, Russias ambassador to Pyongyang, Alexander Matsegora, was quoted as saying by the Russian RIA Novosti state news agency. The agency said Kim left after the first act.

The visit follows Kims tour on Friday of a factory producing advanced Russian warplanes.

Kim in recent months has emphasized the need to strengthen his navy to counter the advanced naval assets of the United States, which has been expanding its combined military exercises with South Korea to counter the Norths growing threat.

Analysts say Kims focus on naval strength could be driven by ambitions to obtain sophisticated technologies for ballistic missile submarines and nuclear-propelled submarines as well as to initiate joint naval exercises between Russia and North Korea.

After meeting Putin at Russias main spaceport, a location that pointed to Kims desire for Russian assistance in his efforts to acquire space-based reconnaissance assets and missile technologies, North Koreas leader reappeared Friday in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur for a visit to a plant producing Russias Su-57 fighter jets.

Experts have said potential military cooperation between the countries could include efforts to modernize North Koreas outdated air force, which relies on warplanes sent from the Soviet Union in the 1980s.

Kims trip to Russia, his first since April 2019 when he met Putin in Vladivostok, came days after he attended a ceremony at a North Korean military shipyard where the country unveiled the alleged nuclear attack submarine.

State media claimed it is capable of launching tactical nuclear weapons from underwater. But South Koreas military expressed doubt about the operational capabilities of the sub, which was the result of reshaping an existing submarine to install missile launch tubes.

Kim has also announced goals to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines, which can quietly travel long distances and approach enemy shores to deliver strikes, a key asset in his efforts to build a viable nuclear arsenal that could threaten the United States. Analysts say such capacities would be unfeasible for the North without external assistance.

Putin on Friday reiterated that Russia would abide by U.N. sanctions, some of which ban North Korea from exporting or importing any weapons. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov separately said that no agreements on bilateral military cooperation were signed after the Putin-Kim meeting Wednesday.

Experts say North Korea and Russia arent likely to publicize any deals on weapons to avoid stronger international criticism.

Kim, whose visit to Russia is his first foreign trip since the COVID-19 pandemic, has been eager to boost the visibility of his partnerships with Moscow and Beijing as he attempts to break out of international isolation and insert Pyongyang in a united front against Washington. Some South Korean experts say that Kim could also pursue a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In another sign of the Norths post-pandemic opening, KCNA said Saturday that a team of North Korean athletes departed from Pyongyang to participate in the Asian Games starting next week in Hangzhou, China. South Koreas government says around 190 North Korean athletes are registered for the event.

Since last year, the U.S. has accused North Korea of providing ammunition, artillery shells and rockets to Russia, many of them likely copies of Soviet-era munitions. South Korean officials said North Korean weapons provided to Russia have already been used in Ukraine.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kim Jong Un inspects Russian warplanes and hypersonic missiles on trip
I recently booked a two night stay at a tiny cabin in British national park.

Living in isolation teaches you to be more independent, but I discovered that it's not for everyone.

Being off-grid requires you to be committed, self-reliant, and, above all, comfortable in solitude.

It's too quiet.

Roughly an hour into my two-night stay at a remote, off-grid cabin hours away from London, located in UK's South Downs National Park, I noticed the silence getting to me.

It's not that I couldn't hear anything at all  birds chirped loudly, wind rustled leaves on surrounding trees, and ever so often, I could hear the familiar hum of a bee. But quickly after my arrival, I was acutely aware of the lack of human voices around me.

Escaping the chaos of modern life, unplugging, and resetting by spending a night or two in a comfortable, quaint, off-grid cabin is an opportunity I know some people, especially those who live in the chaos of huge cities like London and New York City, would jump on.

I was excited by the prospect  I was keen to get back into journaling, finish the Isabel Allende book that had been sitting by my bed for months, and spend time writing creatively. But by the end of my trip, I realized I wasn't cut out for it.

Being off-grid made me feel independent but lonelier than ever

The upside to off-grid living is realizing how much you don't need.

The cabin, which cost roughly $192 per night and is run by Australian-founded company Unyoked, didn't have WiFi, a toilet with running water, or air conditioning.

Though the idea of using a composting toilet, which empties waste into a deep hole covered in wood chips, was terrifying, I quickly got over it and was surprised that there was no smell at all. The lack of AC wasn't ideal, given I'd mistakenly booked the visit during an unseasonably warm week in the UK, but I managed to sleep just fine with a sheet.

But as for the WiFi, although I initially thought I'd be fine without it, I ended up feeling desperate for the human connection it provides.

Noyen's off-grid cabin. Maria Noyen/Insider

As much as I tried not to look at the texts I'd received from family and friends or work emails, the thought of being cut off from such huge aspects of my life was not only distracting, but made me feel lonely.

One of the ways I tried to stave off my loneliness was by listening to the radio, a device provided to cabin guests from Unyoked. With Spotify, Apple Music, and podcasts, it'd been years since I'd done so. The voices of news presenters and their interviewees provided a level of comfort.

Still, it wasn't enough.

By the second day, after I'd finished my book, written extensively in my journal, taken a three-hour walk, and practiced yoga, I called it quits on my off-grid experiment. I FaceTimed my mom, checked in with my best friend and work, and responded to texts. Instantly, a feeling of relief washed over me.

There are lessons to be taken from living off-grid  an important one is that you don't have to live life in extremes

Don't get me wrong, being cut off from the world works for some people.

One such person was David Lidstone, a man who was content living off the grid in New Hampshire for nearly three decades.

In 2022, Lidstone told the Associated Press he had to abandon his hermit life because "society" wouldn't allow it. For context, he was ordered to abandon his remote cabin because it was built on someone else's property.

In any case, once Lidstone stepped back into society, he said there was another reason he couldn't go back to a life of solitude: people.

The author wrote in her journal and read extensively during the stay. Maria Noyen/Insider

"Maybe the things I've been trying to avoid are the things that I really need in life," he said. "I grew up never being hugged or kissed, or any close contact."

I know that in order to achieve the things I want to do, like read regularly and write creatively, I need to take time away from my phone and find comfort in silence.

But ultimately, I don't have to go to extremes to do either of those things.

Off-grid living isn't for everyone. It deprives you of human connection, something that most of us  myself and Lidstone included  need in order to thrive.

Read the original article on Insider
In a historic vote that will have long-term implications for the Texas GOP, state senators serving as jurors in Ken Paxton s impeachment trial acquitted the attorney general on allegations of taking bribes and using his office to help an Austin businessman, resolving the first of several legal proceedings Paxton is facing.

The verdict, reached Saturday after a two-week trial in the Texas Senate, clears the way for Paxton, a three-term Republican, to return to the post he has used to advance an ultraconservative agenda that has brought national acclaim from far-right Republicans.

In a statement after his acquittal, Paxton said: "Today, the truth prevailed. The truth could not be buried by mudslinging politicians or their powerful benefactors. I've said many times: Seek the truth! And that is what was accomplished."

Live updates: Texas Senate finds AG Ken Paxton not guilty of all impeachment charges

Paxton, first elected as attorney general in 2014, had been suspended without pay since May 27, when in the final days of the legislative session the Texas House voted overwhelmingly to advance 20 impeachment articles after a monthslong secret investigation. Sixteen of the articles, those tried in the Senate, involved bribery and misuse of office in Paxtons relationship with a campaign donor, prominent Austin real estate developer Nate Paul.

This impeachment trial, the first of a statewide office holder in Texas in more than a century, reverberated beyond the state and created infighting in the Texas Republican party after 60 of 83 House Republicans supported Paxton's impeachment.

More: Who are the key players in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial?

Late Wednesday, former President Donald Trump called for Paxtons acquittal on the social media site Truth Social, accusing moderate Republicans of attempting to undo the results of last Novembers election in which Paxton received more than 4 million votes.

Who would replace Paxton, one of the TOUGHEST & BEST Attorney Generals in the country? Trump wrote.

Attorney General Ken Paxton, middle, and his attorneys Tony Buzbee, left, and Mitch Little stand as senators arrive Friday for his impeachment trial at the Capitol.

Paxton, who was mostly absent from the trial, announced in recent days that he had agreed to a sit-down interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson to discuss the last two weeks in Texas politics. It should be interesting!

More: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton fundraises off Trump's support amid impeachment trial

Many of the allegations against Paxton have been public since 2020 when eight former deputies in his office made a complaint against him to the FBI. Four of those aides then filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the agency, prompting the House investigation this year into a request by Paxton for the Legislature to fund a $3.3 million settlement to resolve the lawsuit.

The trial dripped of political influence, with Paxtons supporters launching an online campaign against two unlikely allies they deem responsible: Democrats and flimsy conservatives labeled RINOs  Republicans in name only. In the lead up to the trial, Defend Texas Liberty, an ultraconservative political action committee, contributed $3 million to the campaign of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the trials judge. The group also promised political retaliation against House members who voted for impeachment.

Sen. Angela Paxton hugs defense attorney Tony Buzbee on Saturday after Ken Paxton was acquitted of all charges in his impeachment trial.

During the trial, the former Paxton deputies testified that in 2020 Paxton repeatedly skirted established agency policies by intervening in Pauls legal matters, including launching a counterattack against the FBI and other law enforcement agencies that were investigating Paul for possible financial crimes. Paul was later indicted on eight counts of mortgage fraud.

In response, Paxtons defense lawyers presented evidence they say shows Paxton acted within his legal and statutory authority, and floated a broad conspiracy theory claiming the deputies were in cahoots with outside forces, including Gov. Greg Abbotts office and one-time Paxton political opponent George P. Bush.

Whistleblowers, fraud and Nate Paul: A timeline of Texas AG Ken Paxton's impeachment trial

In legal circles, the trial was viewed as a battle between some of the states most decorated lawyers. Paxtons defense team included Houston attorneys Tony Buzbee, a former Houston mayoral candidate and current City Council candidate in that city, and Dan Cogdell, a prominent lawyer who is also representing Paxton in a state securities fraud case. Joining them were Dallas lawyer Mitch Little and six lawyers from the attorney generals office who took a leave of absence to assist Paxton, their boss.

Leading the prosecution were legal legends Rusty Hardin and Dick DeGuerin, both from Houston, who between them have handled some of the biggest cases in over 100 combined years of lawyering.

Paxton, 60, did not attend the trial but for a brief appearance on opening day, Sept. 5, when Buzbee on Paxtons behalf entered a not guilty plea on all counts with the attorney general standing nearby. Paxton then returned for closing arguments Friday.

The trial was similar to that of a criminal proceeding in that the standard for a conviction was beyond a reasonable doubt  the highest bar for guilt in Texas courts. It differed in that the senators did not have to come to a unanimous verdict. A conviction on any impeachment article required support from two-thirds of eligible senators, or 21 of 30 members. It also differed in that the verdict cannot be appealed.

Paxtons wife, Sen. Angela Paxton , R-McKinney, was excluded from voting but was required to attend each day. Her removal from voting left the Senate jury with 18 Republicans and 12 Democrats.

Sen, Angela Paxton keeps track of the votes Saturday in the impeachment trial of her husband, Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Angela Paxton was spared an uncomfortable moment Wednesday when a woman with whom her husband reportedly had an affair arrived at the Capitol to testify but later was deemed unavailable after House prosecutors and the defense team agreed to keep her from taking the stand. That woman, a former Capitol staffer named Laura Olson, was central to a bribery allegation, as prosecutors say Paxton got her a job with Pauls company. Had she testified, Olson was expected to invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Grumet: Paxton made Texans fear for their privacy, while keeping his personal life secret

Another bribery allegation involved a Paxton home remodel that prosecutors say was paid for by Paul and furnished by a contractor associated with Paul.

Now, with the impeachment trial over, Paxton moves on to other legal matters.

Arguably, the most serious pending action against Paxton is an ongoing federal investigation into his connection to Paul. In August, the American-Statesman reported that federal prosecutors in San Antonio seated a grand jury to consider such evidence. During the impeachment trial, Paxtons former chief of staff, Missy Cary, testified that she provided testimony to a federal grand jury in 2021.

In a separate case, a judge in Houston overseeing Paxtons 8-year-old felony securities fraud indictment recently told his lawyers and prosecutors to be ready for trial in February. That case, which accuses Paxton of procuring investments in a company without disclosing he was being paid to do so, is the basis of four impeachment articles that the Senate opted to hold in abeyance and address at a later time.

Paxton also faces two complaints with the Texas State Bar  one connected to the impeachment and the other for citing false evidence in challenging the results of the 2020 presidential election in four battleground states.

Rep. Ann Johnson, one of the House impeachment managers, waits for her turn to speak at a news conference Saturday after Attorney General Ken Paxton's acquittal in the Senate.

Attorney General Ken Paxton's attorneys speak at a news conference Saturday after the Texas Senate voted to acquit Paxton on all charges.

Texas Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Austin Osborn collects Sen. Nathan Johnson's vote on Article 1 in Ken Paxton's impeachment trial Saturday.

House impeachment manager Rep. Andrew Murr listens Saturday as Attorney General Ken Paxton is acquitted in the Senate.

Sen. Kelly Hancock hands in a vote during Saturday's impeachment trial.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick delivers final remarks Saturday at the end of Ken Paxton's impeachment trial.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton acquitted in impeachment trial
Saturday passed with no breakthrough in negotiations between major automakers and organized labor, despite the intervention of President Joe Bidens administration and multiple politicians declaring their support for the small-scale strike action launched after workers contract expired early Friday.

According to Reuters, the United Auto Workers said they had reasonably productive discussions with Ford, while Stellantisbetter known by its former name, Chryslersaid it had failed to end the walk-off at one of its plants in Illinois. Talks with General Motors reportedly remain underway.

The majority of the unions members remain on the job, as the UAW has targeted its actions only at certain critical facilities.

Ex-President Barack Obama has weighed in, calling on car manufacturers to take care of their employees.

Now that our carmakers are enjoying robust profits, its time to do right by those same workers so the industry can emerge more united and competitive than ever, Obama said.

On the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Obama recalled the controversial government bailout of the car giants now facing a labor action during the late-2000s financial crisis. The extension of more than $80 billion in federal assistance began in late 2008 under Obamas predecessor, then-President George W. Bush, and was coupled with wage and benefit concessions from the UAWwhich the union now seeks to reverse.

Fourteen years ago, when the big three automakers were struggling to stay afloat, my administration and the American people stepped in to support them. So did the auto workers in the UAW who sacrificed pay and benefits to help get the companies back on their feet. Now that our  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 16, 2023

Although the policy began under Bush, Obama reaped both the political whirlwind and the political rewards from the bailout, widely credited with saving the American auto industry.

Obamas comments followed remarks from President Joe Biden, who also noted large industry profits, and urged the companies to share their wealth.

Other Democrats took a stronger stance, with Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman announcing on Twitter he was headed to Michigan to join one of the picket lines.

Hold that line, @UAW! On my way to join you now pic.twitter.com/bh4BS5dvIG  John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) September 16, 2023

On the Republican side, indicted Rep. George Santos brought his uniquely chaotic energy to an endorsement of the strike.

The UAW has the absolute eighth to give everyone hell!



I stand by the hard working folks that get shafted by the ivory tower elites.



Pay the workers a fucking fair wage you greedy tax evading corporations!#UAWStandUp  George Santos (@MrSantosNY) September 15, 2023

Absolute right***  George Santos (@MrSantosNY) September 15, 2023

Santos Long Island-based district hosts the union hall of UAW Local 259, representing largely car dealership workers.

Ford and GM have confirmed to NBC that they have returned to the negotiating table with the UAW as the strike enters its second day.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Former President Obama backed the United Auto Workers strike on Saturday, telling automakers that its time to do right by workers.

Fourteen years ago, when the big three automakers were struggling to stay afloat, my administration and the American people stepped in to support them, Obama said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. So did the auto workers in the UAW who sacrificed pay and benefits to help get the companies back on their feet.

Now that our carmakers are enjoying robust profits, its time to do right by those same workers so the industry can emerge more united and competitive than ever, he added.

UAW began a strike against the Big Three automakers  Ford, General Motors and Stellantis  early Friday morning, a first in the unions history, after negotiations failed before reaching the end of the workers contracts. The union is demanding increased wages, shorter work weeks and better retirement benefits.

Profits at the Big Three firms increased by 92 percent in the last decade and CEO pay increased by 40 percent in the same period, according to an analysis from the Economic Policy Institute.

We are committed to winning an agreement with the Big Three that reflects the incredible sacrifice and contributions UAW members have made to these companies, UAW President Shawn Fain said in an address Thursday.

In late 2008, weeks after Obamas first election, the Bush administration announced a nearly $18 billion bailout for major automakers wrecked by the recession. Congress later invested about $80 billion of federal funds into Detroit automakers during the Obama administration, losing about $11 billion on its GM investment alone by the time the government sold the shares in 2013.

The Biden administration has also backed the UAW strike and President Biden encouraged automakers to return to the bargaining table with an increased offer on Friday.

I believe they should go further Record corporate profits, which they have, should be shared by record contracts for the UAW, Biden said.

Strikes are limited to a small number of specific plants chosen by union leadership hours before they begin. The pop-up strike tactic is meant to keep the companies guessing, Fain said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Russian occupying authorities in the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson Oblast continue to deport Ukrainian children to Russia, calling it "recreational holidays".

Source: Russian-imposed administration of Kherson Oblast on Telegram

Details: Russian officials said they had signed an agreement to send 20 children to the Okean children's camp in Primorsky Krai.

It is noteworthy that the children will be sent there for an indefinite period of time.

Background:

According to Daria Herasymchuk, Ukrainian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights and Child Rehabilitation, as of 1 August, it is known about the illegal deportation of 5,754 children to Russia.

Prior to that, it was revealed that the Russian Federation was preparing amendments to the legislation that would allow Russians to adopt Ukrainian children under a simplified procedure.

Only in Krasnodar Krai of Russia alone, more than 1,000 Ukrainian children were given for "adoption". These children were illegally taken from Mariupol, occupied by the Russian forces.

Ukrainska Pravda is the place where you will find the most up-to-date information about everything related to the war in Ukraine. Follow us on Twitter, support us, or become our patron!
(CNN)  Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, has been extradited from Mexico to the United States, the US Department of Justice has announced.

The extradition was a result of United States and Mexico law enforcement cooperation, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said in a statement Friday that referred to Guzman as a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel.

This action is the most recent step in the Justice Departments effort to attack every aspect of the cartels operations, Garland added.

Guzman was flown to Chicago and landed Friday afternoon, Northern District of Illinois Assistant US Attorney Joseph D. Fitzpatrick told CNN.

An initial court appearance hasnt been set, but the US Attorneys office expects it to happen on Monday, he said.

CNN is looking to identify Guzmans attorney for comment.

Guzman was arrested by Mexican authorities in January of this year following a dramatic operation in the northern state of Sinaloa that led to 29 deaths and has been in custody since then. The US has been seeking his extradition for drug trafficking.

Following his arrest in Culiacan, chaos erupted in the city with authorities asking citizens to shelter at home as law enforcement clashed with cartel members in various parts of the city.

At least 19 suspected gang members and 10 military personnel died during those clashes. No civilian deaths or injuries were reported.

Guzman had previously been arrested in October 2019, but was released on the orders of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to avoid bloodshed, and subsequently went into hiding until his arrest in 2023.

His extradition follows the release from a US prison of Emma Coronel Aispuro, El Chapos wife, on Wednesday. She had served nearly two years for drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

The state of Sinaloa, where Culiacan is located, is home to one of the worlds most powerful narcotics trafficking organizations, the Sinaloa Cartel, of which El Chapo was the leader.

The US State Department believes that Guzman and his brother, Joaquin Guzman-Lopez, inherited a great deal of the narcotics proceeds following the death of another brother, Edgar Guzman-Lopez.

It alleges they began investing large amounts of the cash into the purchasing of marijuana in Mexico and cocaine in Colombia.

They also began purchasing large amounts of ephedrine from Argentina and arranged for the smuggling of the product into Mexico as they began to experiment with methamphetamine production, the State Department said.

The brothers are also alleged to oversee an estimated 11 methamphetamine labs in the state of Sinaloa, according to the State Department.

In his statement following the extradition, Attorney General Garland paid tribute to the law enforcement officials involved.

The fight against the cartels has involved incredible courage by United States law enforcement and Mexican law enforcement and military service members, many of whom have given their lives in the pursuit of justice, Garland said.

I am grateful to them and to the departments prosecutors for their work and their sacrifice. I am also grateful to our Mexican government counterparts for this extradition. The Justice Department will continue to hold accountable those responsible for fueling the opioid epidemic that has devastated too many communities across the country.

Guzmans father, El Chapo, famously escaped from Altiplano prison on July 11, 2015, through a mile-long tunnel that featured a motorcycle on tracks.

He was later captured and convicted in the US four years later of 10 counts, including engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise, drug trafficking and firearms charges.

He was sentenced to life in prison plus 30 years and ordered to pay $12.6 billion in forfeiture.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "El Chapos son extradited from Mexico to the US, Justice Department says"
When Caleb Morse got a call from his Army buddy he served with in Iraq announcing he was in Louisiana, he had a feeling something was wrong.

He couldn't understand why his buddy, who lived in Colorado Springs, had suddenly shown up in the South. Morse says he told him, "Man, like, I love having you here. And my wife and kids love seeing you and everything else. And you're great to be around, but you would never move to Louisiana."

Caleb Morse joined the 2nd Infantry Division Special Troops Battalion in 2003. He served two tours in Iraq. / Credit: courtesy Caleb Morse

A few days later his friend showed up at Rustic Renegade, a gun shop and shooting range that Morse, 39, had opened in Lafayette, Louisiana, about a year earlier in 2018 after leaving the military where he served in the combat unit 2nd Infantry Division Special Troops Battalion. His friend arrived with his car and his dog. He opened the trunk and started to unload his car, Morse recalled. He started to bring all these guns inside the shop, Morse said, "And I'm like, brother, what are you doing?"

Morse knew from his time in the military that often when people start giving away their things they can be considering suicide.

He knew his friend was in a bad spot so Morse asked him to sit, but "I grabbed two cups of coffee and when I came back he was gone."

He didn't answer Morse's calls  "he had left cold, he didn't answer his phone"  but Morse still had his firearms. He decided to hold them at Rustic Renegade in case his friend ever came back.

Six months passed. Finally, his friend called and explained he had been in a bad spot and wondered where his guns were. Morse said he told him, "They're your guns, man. They're yours, you may want them back. And whenever you're ready, they're here for you."

More than half of all gun-related deaths in the United States are suicides, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In 2022, the CDC reported that 26,993 people died by firearm suicide. Deaths by gun suicide are at an all-time high and have steadily increased, nearly uninterrupted, since 2006 according to researchers at John Hopkins School of Public Health.

In the veteran population the problem is acute; in its 2022 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Report, the Department of Veterans Affairs found that the suicide rate in 2020 was 57.3 % greater for veterans.

Guns are more commonly involved among veteran suicides, at 71%, than the rest of the population, at 50.3%, according to the CDC.

Somehow, another veteran a short time later came into Morse's shop and told Morse he, too, was in a bad spot. The veteran asked Morse to hold his guns at Rustic Renegade. Morse decided to set up a system that logged the guns into the store's books and gave the veteran a receipt and told him to pick up his firearms when he felt better. Morse said he thought nothing of it. Other veterans dropped off guns "about a dozen times," in just over a year he said, when he got a call from Gala True.

True, an associate professor at Louisiana State University School of Medicine who researches community-engaged efforts to prevent veteran suicides, met Morse in 2021. She was coordinating with firearms retailers interested in providing options for those in crisis who wanted to store firearms outside their homes.

The Armory Project was launched in Louisiana in 2021 with three retailers interested in providing storage. There are now 11 retailers that offer storage according to the map built by the network. / Credit: courtesy The Armory Project

"We try to create time and distance between a person having a mental health crisis and a loaded firearm," True said. The Armory Project was launched in Louisiana in 2021 with three retailers interested in providing storage. Through a Veterans Administration grant, True and her team provided infrastructure and resources to the firearms retailers to build networks and partnerships.

Louisiana joined nine other states including Colorado, New Jersey, Mississippi, Maryland and Washington in the growing number of communities that have developed temporary storage off-site for firearms. In 2018, Colorado built its first statewide map showing storage or places considering storage. Other states have followed by building detailed online maps that show retailers that can temporarily hold firearms. The Biden Administration has supported off-site storage for suicide prevention.

Suicide prevention experts know people in crisis who don't have easy access to a gun will not likely find another way to kill themselves. Suicide prevention expert Mike Anestis, Executive director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center and a professor at Rutgers University, said no other methods are as "close to as lethal as firearms for a suicide death." Around 90 to 95% of suicide attempts with a firearm will result in death while less than 5% of all other attempts will result in death, he said.

In a country that already has an estimated 400 million guns in circulation the solution just can't be about banning firearms or stopping people from buying them, said Anestis.

Anestis said outside storage is a public health approach similar to approaches with issues like drunk driving is to "take the keys"  and limit access.

"We've learned the best way to prevent the outcome that you're trying to avoid, is to limit the individual's access to the method that can cause that outcome," said Anestis.

Gun owners have to be able to make decisions that allow them to retain control over their autonomy, as well as fits their values, said Anestis. Outside storage can be a legal  and truly effective  way to prevent injury and death, he said. Temporary storage also serves as a solution for firearm owners who might not want a gun in their home for various reasons, such as a grandchild visiting or if a teen or other family member inside the home is struggling.

True and Morse both say for these programs to succeed, gun shops need to be able to participate  so gun owners can feel they have a safe place to store their firearms. Gun owners generally can't just hand over their firearms to anybody they want. Federal law doesn't prohibit people from storing guns for each other on a personal basis, but each state has various regulations saying who can hold onto a gun and who is liable.

Some states, such as Washington and Vermont, allow immediate or extended family members to hold onto guns if a family member is in crisis. But other states, such as New York or Massachusetts, prohibit the transfer of any firearms. And since states have such a patchwork of laws, researchers  and firearms shops  feel those shops can be the best repository for outside storage. But the businesses need to be protected, said True. She said one of the main questions firearm shop owners asked when the Armory Project launched was "If a person goes on to harm themselves, can the firearm retailer be sued and lose their business?"

Morse said when he first decided to start his program, he contacted a lawyer, who said, "No, no, you're opening yourself to a ton of liability. What if you give them their firearm back and they kill themselves?"

Caleb Morse, 39, opened Rustic Reneagade, a gun shop in Lafayette, Louisiana after leaving the military. A veteran asked him to store his firearms at his shop in 2019 and Morse said he's stored about 100 guns since then. He went to the state capitol with his wife to testify about safe storage. / Credit: Courtesy Caleb Morse

Morse said he was going to store the guns anyway. He answered the lawyer: "I just want to give them a pause that moment in time where they say, 'Look, someone cares, maybe life isn't so bad.'"

In Louisiana, the coalition worked to pass legislation that said gun shop owners wouldn't be liable. The legislation passed "easily" with "very little concern," said True. Coalitions in Texas and Oregon are trying to pass similar laws, she said.

In July 2023 the ATF issued an open letter to FFL and gun shops clarifying how to legally and safely store firearms for individuals.

One option is providing gun storage lockers at the gun shop that an individual can open and put their firearms inside. "In this situation, an FFL does not 'receive' or 'acquire' the firearm into its inventory, nor does the FFL assume control of the individual's firearm," the letter said, which can reduce liability for gun shops that want to provide outside storage for others.

Morse said after two combat tours in Iraq, serving in the National Guard, and then working as a military contractor in Iraq for four years, essentially "running from my problems," he fell into a depression returning home to Louisiana. Like many other soldiers, he struggled upon entering a society that often doesn't understand military that served in combat. He said he survived due to the support of his wife, who is his high-school sweetheart, and his two children.

He said, "I know what it's like to have that dark place. I know what it's like to have that weight on your shoulders where you feel like you know what, I suck. You know, I failed."

Since that first time, Morse says he's stored about 100 firearms, if not more, for veterans who are thinking of hurting themselves or others, and installed outside storage lockers in his shop.

"And it's been a blessing," he said. "It's been a big blessing to help people."

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Family and friends of 21-year-old Ta'Kiya Young gathered on Aug. 25 outside the home of Young's grandmother. Young was killed by Blendon Township police in a Aug. 24 shooting.

Blendon Township has released body camera footage Friday morning from the fatal shooting of 21-year-old Ta'Kiya Young.

The footage is from both of the body cameras of the officers who were involved in the shooting, which happened around 6:20 p.m. Aug. 24 in the parking lot of the Kroger at 5991 S. Sunbury Road.

Young, who was pregnant at the time of her death, was shot once and died at Mount Carmel St. Ann's a short time later from her injuries. The child she was carrying, which her family has said was a daughter due in November, did not survive.

Blendon Township previously said Young and several other people shoplifted items from the store, including liquor, after which a store employee flagged down officers who were in the parking lot on an unrelated call.

Ta'Kiya Young shooting: Pregnant woman suspected of shoplifting alcohol shot dead by police in Ohio

In the video, a store employee can be heard telling an officer that Young, who got into a car parked caddy-corner to where the officer was trying to help someone locked out of their vehicle, had shoplifted. The officer goes to Young's driver's side window, which is rolled up, and tells her to stop and get out of the car, while gesturing with his hand to get out of the vehicle.

Young partially rolls down the window and says "For what?" as she has a bag over her left shoulder, which blocks her stomach from view of the officer. The second officer approaches the front of Young's vehicle as the first officer continues to tell her to get out of the car.

The video shows Young driving forward, hitting the second officer, whose feet are seen off the ground when he fires a single shot through the windshield. Young's vehicle continues moving forward until it hit the building.

Officers are seen on the video immediately breaking Young's driver side window to get her out of the vehicle.

Blendon Township Chief John Belford said in a statement Friday that within 10 seconds of getting Young out of her vehicle, officers called for paramedics. Within 70 seconds, a chest seal was being applied to Young's wound and within 90 seconds, an emergency room doctor who was in the parking lot at the time began helping police in treating Young.

The Franklin County Coroner's office declined to disclose where Young was hit, although in a statement Friday, Chief John Belford said officers applied a chest seal to Young's wound, indicating she was shot in the chest.

Blendon Township has not named either officer, citing Marsy's Law, which aims to protect crime victims but has been cited by police agencies as the reason they can't release the names of officers involved in such situations.

In a statement on Friday, the department said the first officer, who was not involved in the shooting itself, had his arm and hand inside the driver's window when Young accelerated, making him a victim of misdemeanor assault. The second officer, who fired his weapon, was struck by the vehicle and a victim of attempted vehicular assault, the statement said.

The department declined to tell The Dispatch how many years either officer has worked there, saying that doing so would effectively identify them, due to the size of the department. Of the department's 15 officers, the one with the least amount of experience has worked there for three years.

On Friday, Belford said the officer who was not involved in the shooting has returned from administrative leave and is back on patrol duty.

Police said Young was already in the vehicle when officers approached, and they were not aware she was pregnant.

Young's family, through their attorney, have expressed that the body camera footage would not be released sooner than Friday. The family will have the opportunity to view the video before it is released to the public. Young's family has also called for the officers involved in the shooting to be named, saying the use of Marsy's Law to not release the names is an overreach and abuse of the law.

After viewing the video Friday morning at Blendon Township government offices, Young's family had no comment.

Chanda Brown, one of the attorneys representing the family, said the video speaks for itself.

She said she didnt see any justification for the shooting.

"I saw a young woman get killed," Brown said.

Asked if the family would like to see charges brought against the officer, Brown said they wanted to see all the justice they could fight for.

"Theyre obviously upset and devastated," Brown said.

Belford said in a statement Friday that redacting the video was "extremely complex."

"Due to the fact that there were two body cameras that were constantly in motion and there were numerous reflective surfaces showing the faces of the two officers, redaction was extremely complex," he said. "This, combined with the legal review, took a great deal of time for our small department."

bbruner@dispatch.com

@bethany_bruner

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Police release Ta'Kiya Young shooting bodycam video near Columbus Ohio
In all likelihood, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis wrote letters in support of Danny Masterson thinking few besides the judge in Mastersons rape trial would read them. But after Masterson was sentenced on 7 September to 30 years to life for the rapes of two women, the letters were unsealed and posted online for wider review.

Kunis writes that upon first meeting Masterson as a teenager, I could sense his innate goodness and genuine nature. Kutcher, in his letter, notes his inability to recall an instance of Masterson lying to him in the 25 years theyve known each other. I do not believe he is an ongoing harm to society and having his daughter raised without a present father would [be] a tertiary injustice in and of itself, Kutcher writes. Both call him a role model.

Unfortunately for the TV sweethearts turned real-life married couple, those lines did not elicit a warm, That 70s Show-style audience reaction. Chrissie Carnell Bixler  one of five Masterson accusers who allege the Church of Scientology stopped them from reporting the former actor, a prominent church member, to Los Angeles police  criticized Kunis and Kutcher for their willful ignorance. Youre just as sick as your mentor, Bixler, also a That 70s Show alum, said of Kutcher in an Instagram story. Dear Mila, I pray you begin to process what you experienced as a child on set. The couples attempt at a have-your-cake-and-eat-it apology video, in which they pledge support to victims, represents some of their worst scene work.

Related: Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis sorry for pain caused by letters on behalf of Danny Masterson

Kutcher and Kuniss written arguments for Masterson have raised important questions about the ethics of celebrities rushing to the defense of industry peers accused of rape and other heinous crimes  and its an especially bad look for Kutcher, who co-founded a non-profit to combat child sexual exploitation and also has a history of making inappropriate comments about underaged actors, including Kunis when she was a minor. But fairly or unfairly, the character support letter has been a fixture of the American justice system since time immemorial  a final opportunity for supporters of the accused to make a direct plea for merciful punishment.

For Masterson and other individuals facing decades and decades behind bars, the idea is to build context about a persons life, says Jason Goldman, a New York-based criminal defense attorney. A negative experience in childhood, for example, could well be the antecedent for a particular crime. Its not an excuse, Goldman adds. Its a way to provide a reason as to why this person deserves less time  20 years instead of 30.

Judges review support letters all the time as part of their sentencing deliberation. Its only when celebrities are on trial that the writing is held up for scrutiny. When the actor Paul Reubens was charged in 1991 with exposing himself at an adult movie theater, his publicist said he was swamped with calls from the parents of Pee-wee Herman fans who were desperate to write letters of support. Within weeks of OJ Simpson being accused of murdering his ex-wife and her acquaintance, the Los Angeles county superior court was reportedly inundated with 350,000 letters vouching for him.

As the #MeToo movement was closing in on Harvey Weinstein, a trove of unsealed documents show the disgraced movie mogul making desperate appeals to Tim Cook, Quentin Tarantino and other powerful people for support letters arguing for him to remain in charge of his formidable production company  letters that almost surely would have been repurposed for Weinsteins legal defense, had anyone bothered to write him back. There are many false allegations and over time, well prove it, Weinstein wrote in an email to Jeff Bezos. But right now, Im the poster boy for bad behavior.

Last month, Iggy Azalea was denounced for the three-page letter she wrote in support of the musician Tory Lanez to David Herriford, the Los Angeles superior court judge deciding his sentence for shooting Megan Thee Stallion. In her letter, Azalea describes Lanez as a gardener who helps others bloom  flowery language thats a little too on the nose even for this florid emcee.

Hes always been incredibly respectful of me and I refuse to believe that he would do anything in malice especially to a woman, Azalea wrote, leaving out two prior assault allegations against Lanez. This was after the Aussie rapper spent several paragraphs running through her album sales (over 65 million), chart history (broken records previously held by the Beatles), trophy count (6 Grammys and  a multitude of other musical awards) and associated acts (from Beyonce to Pitbull  from Britney to Jenifer Lopez [sic]). In short, Azalea writes, like yourself, Im great at what I do and Im well respected by my peers. Kutcher and Kunis are similarly boastful in their letters.

Iggy Azalea in 2018. Photograph: Andrew Kelly/Reuters

Eric Bland, a South Carolina attorney representing victims of the financial fraud perpetrated by the legal scion turned convicted double murderer Alex Murdaugh, says celebrity supporters often fall into the trap of leading with their resumes. He calls it counterproductive. What judges are looking for more are the ordinary people in someones extraordinary life, he says. Otherwise the letters are just based on limited exposure to that person. If youre going to write a letter like that, you disclaim it by saying: Look, I havent seen him in 12 years.  I only know of this person in this particular context.

In Blands considerable experience, judges view celebrities as lightweights  but thats not to say the letters written in their name cant carry serious heft. Whats more, not all celebrities write support letters to protect their powerful friends or win over the court of public opinion.

In 2021, Carlos Macci, 71, was one of four men charged with selling the fentanyl-laced heroin that killed the actor Michael K Williams. Before Maccis sentencing in New York, The Wire co-creator David Simon spoke on behalf of Williamss friends, family and fans who say the actor  who played a Robin Hood-like drug dealer on The Wire and was candid off-camera about his struggles with addiction  never would have wanted Macci to rot in jail.

Beyond even The Wire and its arguments, Michaels commitment to challenging our nations rates of incarceration and our reliance on the drug prohibition continued with his documentary work and with his engagement with ex-felons and restorative justice groups, wrote Simon, a Baltimore police reporter before he was a prestige TV guru. Michael would look at Mr Macci and hope against hope that this moment in which he finds himself might prove redemptive, that his remaining years might amount to something more, and that by the grace of love and leniency, something humane and worthy might be rescued from this tragedy. Ultimately, Macci received a 30-month prison sentence, plus three years of supervised release.

Celebrity support letters may range from offensive to misguided, but they fit snugly within an industry where favor-trading and long memories are coins of the realm. For an average person without powerful friends, support letters are even more prized. In a criminal justice system where guilty narratives are easily crafted, the letters are a key cog in the system  one that helps balance the scale in its own small way. We have very, very long punitive sentences in America, Goldman says. These letters arent saying, Let him out tomorrow. Theyre saying, Heres one piece in the fuller picture.
Olivia Hill has made history as the first transgender person elected to public office in Tennessee, and shes part of a female majority on the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County.

She is one of five women elected to at-large seats on the Metro Council. Four won their seats in a runoff election Thursday, while the other, an incumbent, had enough votes to be elected in the general election August 3, The Tennessean reports. The council now has a record number of women  22, with 17 elected from districts and five at large. That means women have a majority of seats on the 40-member council.

I want to say that I am elated, Hill told The Tennessean. She was not only the first out trans person elected in Tennessee but the first one to appear on a ballot.

For every trans kid in the state of Tennessee that has felt discomfort or that they didnt belong ... . We are valid, she continued. We are who we say we are. And we are going to move forward.

Hill, a Nashville native and longtime LGBTQ+ advocate, was in the U.S. Navy from 1986 to 1995 and served in combat during Operation Desert Storm. After leaving the military, she worked at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. She spent 26 years at the universitys power plant, retiring in December 2021 as its senior supervisor.

She transitioned during her time at Vanderbilt, but she ended up suing the university, alleging she faced extensive discrimination as she was going through the process. She filed suit in September 2021, and she and Vanderbilt agreed to a settlement three months later, The Tennessean reports.

Hill also received honors from Vanderbilt, including the Chancellors Heart and Soul Award in 2019 and the citation as one of three LGBTQ Advocates of the Year by the universitys Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Life in 2020.

She told The Tennessean that on the council, she will work to fix the broken parts of Nashville. The council needs to focus on improving conditions for people who live in the city rather than devoting attention the already healthy tourist trade, she said.

Hill was endorsed by the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund. Nashville voters clearly reject the hateful rhetoric that has grown louder in Tennessee politics lately, said a statement from Victory Fund President and CEO Annise Parker. Olivias victory proves that transgender people belong everywhere decisions about them are being made, including local office. I know Olivia is well-prepared to take her seat on the Metro Council and work to make Nashville and Davidson County a more welcoming place for all.

Statewide, Tennessee has been carving away LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive rights. Among other things, state legislators have banned gender-affirming care for minors and enacted one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the nation.

The victors [in the at-large council races] reflect the inclusive, progressive nature of Nashville at time of pushback from the Tennessee General Assembly on diversity, reproductive and LGBTQ rights, and the citys authority to govern itself, David Plazas wrote in an opinion piece for The Tennessean.

The reelected at-large member, Zulfat Suara, is Muslim, and there has been much anti-Muslim sentiment in Tennessee, he noted. She and one of the newly elected at-large members are Black, the other three at-large members white.

The At-Large council members will be strong voices for Nashville who may end up frustrating lawmakers, but who also will be dedicated to defending their constituents against attacks and encroachments on their human and civil rights, Plazas added.
An Italian Air Force Frecce Tricolore acrobatic team pilot ejected less than a second before a deadly crash on takeoff from the Turin-Caselle Airport in northwest Italy.

Video posted to YouTube shows one of the team's Aermacchi MB-339PAN jets break from its five-ship formation while struggling to gain altitude. The pilot ejected just before impact. The flaming wreckage careened out of the airport perimeter and struck a car, killing a 5-year-old girl and sending her three surviving family members to the hospital with burns, per a report from Italy's ANSA news agency .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_THWypmVaNk

ANSA reported the plane had an engine problem during takeoff before the crash. Frecce Tricolore were reportedly en route to perform at the Vercelli Airshow on Saturday.

https://twitter.com/RadarBoxCom/status/1703083966519992751

The Turin prosecutor's office has begun an investigation into the crash, ANSA reported. The Frecce Tricolore have flown the MB-339PAN since 1982 and were previously equipped with the Fiat G.91 PAN.

The Frecce Tricolore performs at the 2015 Dubai Air Show. (U.S. Air Force via Wikimedia Commons)

Three members of the team and 67 spectators were killed in the Ramstein airshow disaster following a low-altitude mid-air collision in 1988.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RkTigWxL-c

We will update this story as more information becomes available.

Contact the author: stetson.payne@thewarzone.com
One year ago, two Orange County teenagers were found shot to death on a rural stretch of land off of Buckhorn Road.

Their disappearance and subsequent deaths led to a multistate investigation, murder charges and statewide juvenile justice policy changes.

Here is what we know about the investigation one year after their deaths.

Who are Devin Clark and Lyric Woods?

Devin Clark, 18, was a senior at Eastern Alamance High School and a wide receiver for the football team, according to a statement from the Alamance-Burlington School System.

Lyric Woods, 14, was a ninth-grader at Cedar Ridge High School in Hillsborough. She was an avid volleyball player and has started high school just a few days before her death.

The two teens were friends, according to social media posts made by family and friends after their deaths.

The Orange County Sheriffs Office is investigating the deaths of Devin Clark and Lyric Woods.

What happened to Devin Clark and Lyric Woods?

On the weekend of Sept. 16, 2022, Woods and Clark were reported missing by their families.

Woods stepfather said he last saw Lyric around 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16, at their house in Efland in western Orange County, according to a missing persons report filed with the Sheriffs Office. He learned the teen was missing around 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, when he went to wake her up, according to the report, filed about noon that day.

A copy of Clarks missing persons report released by the Mebane Police Department said he also was last seen around 11 p.m. on Sept. 16 but provided few other details. The report was filed Sept. 18 around 11:23 a.m., shortly before he and Woods were found.

A pair of bodies were found by two men riding four-wheelers in a rural field off of Buckhorn Road south of Efland around 3 p.m. on Sept. 18.

The bodies were later identified as Clark and Woods.

Autopsy reports and court arguments revealed that Clark and Woods were both shot multiple times with a 9 mm handgun.

Where does the case stand against their alleged killer?

On Sept. 20, 2022, a juvenile petition  the equivalent of an arrest warrant in the juvenile system  was filed against a 17-year-old.

Due to privacy laws in place at the time, police could not release the name of the juvenile charged until he was in custody and his case was elevated to superior court.

The juvenile then evaded police for nearly two weeks. He fled to Delaware, where he was apprehended by authorities on Oct. 5.

Issiah Mehki Ross of Mebane was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, and his case was transferred from juvenile court to superior court on Nov. 7.

When Ross turned 18 in December, he was transferred from a juvenile facility to the Orange County Jail, where he remains today.

No motive has been provided by the Sheriffs Office or Orange County District Attorney Jeff Nieman.

Ross appeared in court in January, where he was denied bond. His case continues to move through the court system.

Issiah Ross enters Orange County Superior Court for a hearing on Jan. 10, 2023 in Hillsborough. Ross faces two first-degree murder charges in the deaths of Lyric Woods, 14, and Devin Clark, 18. Ross was 17 at the time.

Was anyone else charged in the case?

On Nov. 2, two women from Delaware were charged for their alleged role in helping Ross hide from authorities.

Nakaysha Ross, Rosss older sister, 22, of Middletown, Delaware, and McKenzie Mitchell, 21, of Dover, Delaware, were charged Oct. 5 with felony hindering prosecution, FBI spokeswoman Sgt. India Sturgis said in an email to The News & Observer at the time.

The women were arrested at the Leander Lakes apartments in Dover, Delaware, where agents with a violent crimes task force located and detained Ross.

A person wears a t-shirt in support of slain teenager Lyric Woods during a hearing for Issiah Ross, 18, at the Orange County Courthouse on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023, in Hillsborough, N.C. Ross is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the Sept. 17 deaths of Woods, 14, and Devin Clark, 18.

What happened to their memorial?

On Friday, Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood stated that the memorial on Buckhorn Road marking the spot where the teens died had been vandalized.

The memorial was initially constructed by Woods grandfather, Stan Dean, last September.

The Sheriffs Office is offering a $3,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of the vandals.

Anyone with information is asked to call Investigator Keith Goodwin. His number is (919) 245-2918.

Lights illuminate a memorial for Lyric Woods, 14, and Devin Clark, 18, in Orange County on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022. The Orange County Sheriffs Office said Monday the two young people found shot and killed Sunday in western Orange County are Woods and Clark.

Lyric and Devins Law

In August, after it passed the General Assembly, Gov. Roy Cooper signed Lyric and Devins Law.

Under the new law, names, photos, alleged offenses and statements about the perceived threat level of juveniles can be distributed by law enforcement agencies while a suspect is at large.

Previous laws only allowed for this information to be released once charges had been elevated from juvenile court to superior court.

When Ross was evading capture, law enforcement were unable to publicly release his name due to his age. Ross dodged law enforcement for two weeks before he was apprehended by authorities in Delaware.

Eddie Caldwell, the executive vice president of the NC Sheriffs Association, a law enforcement lobbying group, said he believes the previous privacy protections delayed Rosss arrest.

The new law will allow us to show our community that we are doing our jobs, Caldwell said in a statement.

However, there are limits to this law.

In order for identifying information to be legally released, the case must meet the following requirements:

The child is accused of at least one offense that could go to superior court. A judge determines that the suspect is a danger to themselves or others. A judge finds good cause.

This law will go into effect on Dec. 1.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A shooting in West Memphis, Ark. left one dead and one injured Friday, according to the West Memphis Police Department.

The shooting took place just before 6 p.m. in the 300 block of West Jefferson Avenue. Police initially said this was a drive-by shooting.

Top Regional Stories:

A male victim and a female victim were located suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, police say.

According to police, EMS arrived and began life-saving measures, but the male victim, identified as 26-year-old Keion Wiley, succumbed to his injuries.

The female victim was transported and treated at Baptist Crittenden.

West Memphis Police say the investigation is ongoing. No arrests have been made at this time.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is urged to contact CID at 870-732-7554 or Crittenden County Crime Stoppers at 870-732-7444.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announces the opening of a formal impeachment inquiry against President Biden on Tuesday. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press)

As poorly as it reflects on the state of our country, The Times' letter writers have had ample experience commenting on presidential impeachments since 2019. First there was the impeachment of Donald Trump in December 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to the withholding of aid to Ukraine; then, in 2021, there was the second Trump impeachment for his incitement of the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection.

Now, the floodgate of letters has opened after House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) announced an impeachment inquiry against President Biden for, well, it's hard to say  something about a "culture of corruption."

The lack of specific allegations against the president hasn't resulted in a lack of letters, almost all of them critical of McCarthy and his fellow House Republicans. We published several earlier in the week, though dozens more have streamed in since then. I can only hope, for the country's sake, that the next interval between impeachment-related letters to the editor is longer than 32 months.



To the editor: How can McCarthy open an impeachment probe of Biden while hunting for evidence of corruption, all the while having been a victim of the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by rioters unleashed by Trump?

McCarthy experienced the horror of Jan. 6 and knows what real corruption and sedition look like.

The GOP needs to stop pretending Trump won the 2020 election, and it needs to acknowledge that the former president attempted a coup.

Carol Karas, Camarillo

..

To the editor: How the modern-day GOP views the presidential impeachment process:

If a Republican president commits serious criminal offenses, either allow him to resign before impeachment proceedings can begin (Richard Nixon), or vote to acquit him of all charges (Trump). Also, provide a full pardon whenever possible.

If a Democrat lies under oath about an extramarital dalliance (Bill Clinton) or has a close relative who independently engages in dubious conduct (Biden), impose impeachment proceedings with full force. Never mind the improbability of conviction, not where performative politics so pleases the party's base.

Finally, deny that the GOP abides a double standard for pursuing impeachment.

All of which strikes me as banana-republic politics on steroids.

Devra Mindell, Santa Monica

..

To the editor: The publics opinion of Congress, already at a near all-time low, took a double whammy this week.

Mitt Romney (R-Utah), one of the most principled members of the Senate, announced that he will not seek reelection in 2024. No matter your view of his politics, I think most Americans will agree that Romney has served with integrity and decency.

At the other end of the integrity spectrum, McCarthy did a 100% flip-flop on his pledge of just 12 days before and ordered an impeachment inquiry of Biden without holding a full House vote. It is clear that McCarthys only guiding principle is holding on to his job as speaker.

Gary Vogt, Menifee

..

To the editor: The GOP has become a party of sore losers. Its only objective is to get back at the Democrats for winning the election.

Now, it wants to impeach Biden for something his son did or didn't do. In Georgia, some Republicans want to remove Fulton County Dist. Atty. Fani Willis for taking their beloved leader and his accomplices to court.

The far-right extremists have a chokehold on McCarthy and will squeeze him until the next election, when they are hopefully booted out for their behavior.

Ernest Ogren, Torrance

..

To the editor: McCarthy wants to start an impeachment inquiry?

Well, concerning Trumps first federal indictment, McCarthy said this on June 8: "It is unconscionable for a president to indict the leading candidate opposing him. ... I, and every American who believes in the rule of law, stand with President Trump against this grave injustice."

No part of McCarthy's statement was true. Biden played no role in Trump's indictment. Rather, it was done entirely by a Justice Department special counsel and a federal grand jury made up of ordinary citizens.

What McCarthy is doing is exhibiting the kind of thinking now infecting the once honorable Republican Party.

Robert Archerd, Rancho Palos Verdes

..

To the editor: Speaker McCarthy, you've done it again.

You show no interest in actually governing, nor in real leadership. You simply have blind ambition for which you are willing to sacrifice everything: your integrity, the rule of law and our entire democratic system.

You kowtow to the right-wing fringe of your party, establishing a tyranny of the minority, because of the deals you struck to fulfill your ambition to be speaker. Now we are all paying the piper with threats of a government shutdown, sham investigations and now an impeachment inquiry with no evidence.

You should be ashamed, but shame is something else you bartered away for ambition.

David Rynerson, Huntington Beach

..

To the editor: At this moment, McCarthy should read "Profiles in Courage."

Unless, of course, it is a banned book.

Errol H. Stambler, Los Angeles

..

To the editor: Will someone please inform McCarthy that the president of the United States is Joe Biden, not Hunter Biden , before he takes Congress into a costly, foolish, time-consuming impeachment investigation?

Carl Pilsecker, Lakewood

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Oprah Winfrey reportedly owns around 1,000 acres of land across Maui, Hawaii.

After the August wildfires, Winfrey visited shelters and started a fund to help locals.

Some fans online criticized her call for donations, which she referred to as "vitriol" this week.

Oprah Winfrey has been a part-time resident of the Hawaiian island of Maui since 2004 when she purchased around 100 acres in its upcountry region.

Since then, she's amassed approximately 1,000 acres of land across the island, local news outlet KITV4 reported, and appears to have developed a strong connection to Maui.

"Y'all should come here," Winfrey said on Instagram in January 2023. "Hashtag Hawaii, state of health. That's the aloha spirit."

But in the midst of the Maui wildfires in August that devastated areas like the historical town of Lahaina and killed upwards of 115 people, Winfrey's relationship to Hawaii has been reexamined by some critics.

Here's what you need to know about Winfrey's Hawaiian properties, her response to the wildfires, and how she's handling the controversy.

Oprah Winfrey owns real estate around the world, but a large chunk of her property is on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

Oprah Winfrey. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images

As Insider previously reported, Winfrey owns an estate in Montecito, California, which she bought for $52 million in 2001, as well as a duplex in Chicago, a home in Antigua, a ski chalet in Telluride, Colorado, and more.

But her biggest real-estate investments in terms of acreage have been in Hawaii. She owns around 1,000 acres across two towns in Maui, Hana and Kula, local news outlets KITV4 and Maui Now reported.

After the devastating wildfires in Maui this August, Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson launched the People's Fund for Maui and donated $5 million each.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Oprah Winfrey have been friends for numerous years. AP Photo

On August 31, Winfrey and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who is of Samoan descent and partially grew up in Hawaii, launched the People's Fund of Maui with a post on Instagram.

Its goal is to help the people of Maui rebuild after the wildfires that left at least 115 people dead and thousands of structures damaged or destroyed, Insider reported. The damage has been valued at as high as $5.5 billion by the National Centers for Environmental Information.

All money donated to their fund goes directly to the residents of Lahaina, a town in Maui that was severely affected, they said.

The response was mixed, with some criticizing them for seemingly asking for donations while they have a reported combined net worth of $3 billion. Others praised them for creating the fund and donating money.

Oprah Winfrey meets people at a distribution and aid site on August 13, 2023. Matt McClain/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Some fans took issue with Winfrey, who is worth close to $3 billion, according to Forbes, and Johnson, who was worth $270 million in February 2022, according to Forbes, asking people for financial help. As Insider reported, $10 million is less than 0.5% of their total wealth.

"I support Maui and the cause. But why are you asking us common folk who live paycheck to paycheck. We struggle to put food on table. Who helps us?" one person commented on Oprah's TikTok.

However, a Facebook post published by Insider received thousands of comments, with some fans coming to the defense of the duo.

"They donated $10 million! I don't understand why there is such negative reaction to this, but I must emphasize that being wealthy and accomplished doesn't obligate someone to distribute their wealth," one Facebook user wrote.

Winfrey spoke about the backlash on "CBS Mornings" in September.

Winfrey on "CBS Mornings." CBS

Winfrey said she'd experienced "an onslaught of being terrorized and vilified online" on CBS Mornings on September 12, Insider reported. She also called any criticism "attacks, lies, conspiracy theories."

Johnson and Winfrey have not responded to Insider's requests for comment.

Celebrities, including Winfrey, have previously been called out for making big property purchases in Hawaii, as Native Hawaiians are priced out of the land and experience high rates of homelessness.

Oprah Winfrey in 2020. Steve Jennings/Getty Images

As well as Winfrey, Hawaii's billionaire landowners include Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel, and Mark Zuckerberg, Forbes reported.

Billionaires have previously faced criticism from locals for making big land purchases in Hawaii, saying they are pushing up the cost of property and pricing out locals, Forbes reported.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders have the highest rates of homelessness, and the number of Native Hawaiians or Pacific Islanders experiencing homelessness increased by 19% between 2020 and 2022  before the wildfires began and wiped out even more homes.

As ProPublica reported in 2020, legislation to begin giving land reparations to Native Hawaiians passed in 1995, with a directive to return land seized by the US government.

However, the US still owes Native Hawaiians 1,300 acres across the state, according to ProPublica.

Oprah's first purchase of land in Hawaii was 100 acres in Kula, part of Maui's upcountry, in 2003.

Kula, Hawaii. Google Maps

Maui's upcountry is a region of Maui that includes the volcano, Mount Haleakala. According to Hawaii Guide, it's set across the upper slopes of Haleakala and away from the shore.

"'Upcountry' is as much a lifestyle as it is a place. Many people who live Upcountry consider themselves to be quite different from those fancy 'city-slickers' who live in places like Kahului, Wailuku, Kihei or West Maui," according to Maui Guidebook.

The biggest towns in upcountry are Pukalani, Makawao, Kula, and Haiku.

She bought the land in Kula at the recommendation of her former trainer.

Oprah Winfrey's estate is seen on March 16, 2004, in Kula, Hawaii. Erik Aeder/Getty Images

Winfrey chatted with her magazine O about her first Hawaiian purchase in 2006.

She bought the Kula land  which included these two buildings, pictured  at the recommendation of her property manager (and former personal trainer) Bob Greene.

Greene mentioned to her that he had found the perfect spot in upcountry, but was "worried that some developer might swoop up the land and build condos," according to Winfrey.

Instead, she purchased the land and "has no plan to build any condos," according to the magazine.

She was originally going to build the "ultimate Hawaii homestead" on the land, her decorator said, but instead, she fell in love with the original house and renovated it to her liking.

Oprah Winfrey's estate is seen on March 16, 2004 in Kula, Hawaii. Erik Aeder/Getty Images

"The original plan was to do a quick job on the house then think about building the ultimate Hawaii homestead," Winfrey's decorator Ellie Cullman told O in 2006.

Instead, it became a much larger renovation of the existing house. Architectural designer Jeff Wooley, of John B. Murray Architect, changed the floor plan, stripped down the house, moved the staircase, and added a huge veranda so every part of the house would have a view, O reported.

"She liked [the home's] small scale," Cullman said. "She already has a large home in Santa Barbara  this seems to go back to something real and personal."

"I love, love, love my house," she is quoted saying in the article, calling it "a real, normal" home that "feels like a nice blanket."

The land also came with a 12-room bed-and-breakfast on 17 acres.

A view of the water from above in Kula (not Winfrey's land). Kjell Linder/Getty Images

In 2010, Hawaii News Now reported that Winfrey was planning on turning the 12-bedroom inn into "a high-end bed-and-breakfast" for her friends and other wealthy customers.

The next year, Real Estate Maui Hawaii reported that Maui's County Council had approved her request for a "a 10-year extension on her permit to operate the vacation rental."

However, it's unclear if she ever opened the business. Winfrey did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

In late 2021, Winfrey purchased a 3-acre property in Kula for $7 million. As she already owned the adjacent land, she was able to connect her properties after this purchase.

A jacaranda tree in upcountry Kula, also not Winfrey's land. Manuel Balesteri/Shutterstock

Maui Now reported that Winfrey purchased a 3-acre property that was adjacent to her other properties in Kula, adding to her almost 100 acres at the time.

The property, which is zoned for agriculture, also came with a 1,139-square-foot building, according to Maui Now.

Also according to Maui Now, Winfrey's properties were all owned through her companies, OW Ranch LLC, Oprah's Farm LLC, and Yellow Brick Road LLC.

Over the past year, she has reportedly purchased four parcels of land, totaling 870 acres, for $6.6 million.

A view from inside the botanical garden near Haleakala Volcano. EQRoy/Shutterstock

In March 2023, Maui Now reported that Winfrey spent $6.6 million on 870 acres of land in Kula.

First, two parcels of 10 acres each were sold in December 2022 to Winfrey's Los Angeles-based company Harpo Inc. for $100,000 each.

Two more parcels were sold in February 2023 by Ulupalakua Ranch to Harpo Inc: 520 acres for $3.89 million and 330 acres for $2.47 million.

For now, it seems that Winfrey intends to keep this land undeveloped. She did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

In addition to her upcountry land, Winfrey also owns land in Hana, a town on the easternmost tip of Maui.

Hana on a map. Google Maps

According to Maui Now, Winfrey bought "more than 200 acres of coastal land in Hana" through 2005. It is unclear what the land is used for, and she did not respond to Insider's request for comment about its status.

Although Winfrey has faced some criticism for buying the land, others have a different opinion since she's left much of it undeveloped and hires locals to help with upkeep.

Oprah Winfrey. Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Maui council member Yuki Lei Sugimura told local outlet KITV4 in March 2023 that she appreciated what Winfrey was doing with the land, calling agricultural land "treasured," and also praised Winfrey for hiring local residents.

"She's always been a great steward of our land, to preserve it," said Maui senator Lynn DeCoite, adding that she "wish[ed] we had more people like her," according to KITV4. DeCoite also noted that "much of the land" Winfrey has purchased has remained undeveloped.

The 2023 wildfires aren't the first time Winfrey's land was hit by a natural disaster. During a 2019 brush fire, Winfrey opened her private road to assist with evacuations.

Oprah Winfrey in 2019. Rachel Luna/Getty Images

Maui experienced "a very active fire season" in 2019, Fire Services Chief Rylan Yatsushiro told The Maui News in December that year. Throughout the year, 25,000 acres burned, according to The Maui News, compared to the 3,900 burned acres in 2018.

Winfrey shared on X that she had opened her private road to help citizens evacuate on July 12, 2019.

"Access to the road was given to county officials immediately. This was many hours ago. Hoping for the safety of all," she wrote.

The official account of the governor of Hawaii reposted her message on X, writing, "A big mahalo to @Oprah for giving @mauicounty access to your private road for use to assist in the #Mauifire."

As Maui rebuilds, Winfrey has been extending aid in various ways, through monetary donations, starting the fund, and distributing supplies throughout the island.

Oprah Winfrey, left, holds hands with Luz Vargas, right, at a distribution and aid site at Honokowai Beach Park on August 13, 2023. Matt McClain/The Washington Post/Getty Images

Besides starting the fund, Winfrey also visited shelters on Maui to help distribute aid in August, The New York Times reported.

She wrote about the experience on her website, Oprah Daily.

"At each hub, I asked people to tell me what they needed," Winfrey wrote. "I'm just trying to stay open and flexible."

"I'm just trying to provide and be open wherever possible. Each day presents itself with a new set of challenges and obstacles to try to overcome," she added.

Read the original article on Insider
(CNN)  The French ambassador to Niger and other French diplomats are literally being held hostage at the French embassy, according to French president Emmanuel Macron.

Speaking to journalists during a visit to the Cote DOr region in France on Friday, Macron said that food was prevented from being delivered to the embassy in Niamey, and that the ambassador was eating military rations.

The ambassador, Sylvain Itte, cannot go out, he is persona non grata and he is being refused food, Macron also said.

After seizing control of the West African country in July, the military junta ordered Itte to leave the country. It later revoked his visa and instructed police to expel him.

But the diplomat remained in place, according to the French presidency, with French authorities reiterating that they do not recognize the authority of the junta.
Supporters cheer as former President Donald Trump steps to the podium at his 2024 campaign rally in Waco on March 25, 2023. Credit: Leila Saidane/The Texas Tribune

Former President Donald Trump congratulated Attorney General Ken Paxton for beating the impeachment charges against him Saturday  and called on the GOP leader of the Texas House to resign.

Congratulations to Attorney General Ken Paxton on a great and historic Texas sized VICTORY, Trump wrote Saturday afternoon on his social media platform Truth Social. I also want to congratulate his wonderful wife and family for having had to go through this ordeal, and WINNING!

House impeachment managers had accused Paxton of misusing his office to help his friend and donor Nate Paul, an Austin real estate investor, harass and investigate his enemies. But in a series of dramatic votes, senators who had acted as jurors in Paxtons impeachment trial rejected all 16 charges and reinstated the third-term Republican to office.

Trump praised Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presided over the trial as judge, and Republican senators for rescuing Paxton, long a Trump loyalist. Trump turned his ire on House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Beaumont Republican who has often feuded with Trump ally Patrick.

It is time that Speaker Dade Phelan resign after pushing this Disgraceful Sham! Trump wrote.

Other prominent Republicans congratulated Paxton for beating the charges.

Congrats to [Paxton] on being acquitted of every single article of impeachment, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. This was the right outcome, consistent with the will of the voters. I look forward to seeing Paxton back in office, continuing to serve as the most effective conservative AG in America.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been quiet about his feelings on the impeachment trial, struck a neutral tone in the wake of Paxtons acquittal: the jury has spoken.

Attorney General Ken Paxton received a fair trial as required by the Texas Constitution, Abbott wrote in a statement. I look forward to continuing to work with the Attorney General to secure the border and protect Texas from federal overreach.

[Ken Paxton was acquitted. See how each Senator voted.]

But the verdict wasn't welcome news for all Texas Republicans  particularly those in the House who laid their political capital on the line to impeach him. Phelan blasted the Senate's verdict as extremely unfortunate after the House presented them "with extensive evidence of Ken Paxton's corruption, deception and self-dealing.

The impeachment process exists not to punish the offender, but to determine whether they have abused their power so egregiously that they are unfit for office and their removal is in the best interest of the state, Phelan wrote in a lengthy statement Saturday afternoon. It is unfortunate that the outcome of this process will ultimately relinquish control of the state's top law enforcement agency to an individual who, I believe, clearly abused his power, compromised his agency and its employees, and moved mountains to protect and benefit himself.

Republicans in the Texas Legislature took to social media to celebrate Paxtons acquittal  many praising the Senates push under Patrick to kill the effort while lambasting the House Republican-backed impeachment effort.

I stood against this witch hunt of an impeachment from day one, wrote state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, an Arlington Republican who voted against sending impeachment charges against Paxton from the House to the Senate. I told my colleagues that there was no evidence, but they were threatened and bullied by (Phelan) and his lieutenants. Senators had the freedom to vote without being bullied by leadership, and the truth prevailed.

[Ken Paxtons impeachment trial escalates Texas Republican civil war]

Other far-right Republicans vowed retribution against the House Republicans who pushed the impeachment inquiry  signaling a coming GOP civil war.

Speaker Phelan must step down now for empowering this Democrat effort while killing Republican priorities, said state Rep. Brian Harrison, a Midlothian Republican who also voted against the articles in the House and called for state auditors to probe what state tax dollars had been wasted on the effort.

Democrats, meanwhile, lamented the Senate verdict.

Despite overwhelming evidence of Attorney General Ken Paxtons corruption, (Patrick) and the Texas Republican Senate acquitted him, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, a San Antonio Democrat, wrote on X. So blatantly ignoring the Rule of Law in this case is very dangerous.

Is anyone surprised that Texas Republicans let Ken Paxton off the hook for blatant and rampant corruption? U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, wrote on X. We can't expect justice from them. We must #VoteThemOut.

Texas House Democrats, too, lambasted the outcome.

Senate Republicans failed to protect the public trust and they will be tied to Paxton's crimes for the rest of history, wrote state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, a San Antonio Democrat who heads the Texas House Democratic Caucus.

The Texas Tribune Festival is almost here! Join us Sept. 21-23 in downtown Austin for 125+ unforgettable conversations featuring nearly 300 speakers. Be there for Texas biggest politics and policy event when you buy your tickets today.
The parking garage of a hospital collapsed on Wednesday in Jacksonville, Florida, trapping over 100 cars belonging to hospital staff and patients. Nobody was hurt in the partial collapse, but car owners were told their vehicles will stay in the parking garage pending a full investigation by engineers, according to WJXT. Just when thats going to happen is unclear, however, and the unlucky owners are now being told their cars are indefinitely stuck.



The cause of the structural failure at the garage of Ascension St. Vincents in Riverside is still unknown. A forensic engineer who spoke with WJXT says the possible causes include fastener failure, water damage, defective concrete installation initially, undersize rebar compared to the building plans, excessive loads on structure, and wind damage, which is all to say, it could basically be anything for all we know.

Read more

City officials worried that the structure would deteriorate further, and that it would take the adjacent structures down with it, so everyone was evacuated. Local police claim there are approximately 111 vehicles inside of the parking garage. Not all of these cars are on the third floor, but Chief Powers suggested that its not safe enough to go in and pull out the cars that were unharmed, which seems to be most of them.

As of now, vehicle owners are not free to enter the premises and take their vehicles or belongings. Local police said they used drones to identify all of the tags on the trapped cars to notify their owners. Im sure, however, that owners were acutely aware of their vehicles being stuck inside of a crumbling building. And to think, some of those people were patients who had gone to the hospital that day or health care workers whove lately had to deal with...a lot.

Its unclear who is to blame in the incident, or who will bear the financial burden of making those car owners whole if their cars are unable to be rescued. The hospital is not accepting liability yet, and the construction company says the building owner is responsible for everything after completion of the project. The City of Jacksonville agrees, adding that the property owner is responsible for maintaining the building and keeping up with routine safety inspections.

The company that built the parking garage, Batson-Cook, reportedly had another parking garage collapse two years ago, according to a reporter at the press briefing following the collapse. But Batson-Cook is adamant that sole responsibility rests on the property owner.

Screenshot: YouTube

Screenshot: YouTube

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Partisan blows up two trucks with Russians in occupied Henichesk, says Atesh resistance group

A member of the Atesh guerrilla group conducted a successful sabotage attack in the Russian-occupied city of Henichesk on the morning of Sept. 15, blowing up two trucks with the Russian soldiers, the movement said in a message on Telegram.

The group said that agent from within the Russian armed forces found out the place of permanent deployment of equipment and personnel of his comrades from a neighboring unit at the entrance to the city, near abandoned industrial buildings. He hid a 10-kilogram explosive device there.

Read also:

When two trucks arrived at the unit and the Russian soldiers dismounted from the vehicles, the agent detonated the explosives, destroying two trucks and killing several Russian soldiers.

The agent escaped from the scene, Atesh said.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Tony Buzbee, the lead lawyer for Attorney General Ken Paxton, speaks to reporters after Paxton was acquitted on all 16 articles of impeachment at the Texas Capitol on Sept. 16, 2023. Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune

Opposing sides in Ken Paxtons impeachment trial lashed out in the moments after senators voted Saturday to send the embattled attorney general back to his job.

It was a joke for us to have to go through this, said defense attorney Dan Cogdell, who derided the bipartisan House-led impeachment as a sham. This should have never happened.

House impeachment managers who drove the effort to oust Paxton disagreed, saying in a separate Capitol news conference that it was the vote to acquit that deserved condemnation.

Managers presented overwhelming evidence that Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in the state of Texas at this time, said Rep. Ann Johnson, a Houston Democrat and vice chair of the House team. And the Republicans in the Texas Senate just returned him to the office of top cop.

Before commentary was shut down by Lt. Gov. Dan Patricks gag order in mid-July, the opposing sides pulled no punches, hurling accusations of corruption, political power plays and obfuscation.

[Ken Paxton was acquitted. See how each Senator voted.]

Freed of the gag order Saturday, the barbs continued  even as the impeachment managers claimed a measure of vindication despite losing every vote on 16 articles of impeachment.

Rep. Andrew Murr, R-Junction, said there was always a challenging threshold to meet in what was ultimately a political trial, but he added that the case brought important evidence into the sunlight and raised significant questions about Paxtons fitness for the job.

This trial painted an accurate and clear picture of an out-of-control attorney general who refused to listen to the desperate warnings of his conservative lawyers that he had entrusted to help run his office, Murr said. Mr. Paxton has still never explained why he was so determined to help one person, Nate Paul, over the desperate warnings of his most trusted aides.

Paxtons lead attorney, Tony Buzbee, praised the Herculean effort by the team in putting together a defense when we really didn't even know what we were defending  a jab at what he regularly called vague, disorganized or made-up accusations. He also thanked the senators for what he characterized as a fair trial.

We are proud of the case we put on, Buzbee said. We should not have had to prove our innocence. But that's what we did. And we believe that the court reached the right verdict.

Johnson, on the House side, expressed doubt that the trial was fair, given how Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick  who presided as judge  bashed the entire process in a post-trial speech from the Senate dais.

Patrick did seem to have prepared notes ready to attack members of the House and the House process, she said.

Murr also blasted the millions of dollars that Mr. Paxtons apologists have spent to influence and intimidate Texas senators and Texas constituents.

But Cogdell said that while the defense team was being paid by Paxton, the prosecution was being paid from state funds.The people that made money from the state are the prosecutors, not us, he said.

Asked if his checks were coming from Paxtons campaign or from his personal funds  a question that grew as Paxton solicited campaign donations during the trial, saying the money would help return him to office by the end of the month  Cogdell declined to say. I don't cross examine it when somebody writes me a check, he said. It's just not my nature.

The Texas Tribune Festival is almost here! Join us Sept. 21-23 in downtown Austin for 125+ unforgettable conversations featuring nearly 300 speakers. Be there for Texas biggest politics and policy event when you buy your tickets today.
Sen. Angela Paxton , R-McKinney, hugs defense attorney Tony Buzbee after the impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate on September 16, 2023. Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune

Texas senators have acquitted Attorney General Ken Paxton on 16 articles of impeachment. Paxton was accused of misusing the powers of the attorney generals office to help his friend and donor Nate Paul, an Austin real estate investor who was under federal investigation.

The House impeachment managers insisted that they proved their claims of bribery and corruption, arguing that the jury of 30 senators had no choice but to convict. Paxtons defense team successfully argued that the case was full of holes, circumstantial evidence and misdirection.

Sen. Angela Paxton, the attorney generals wife, was prohibited from participating in deliberations or voting.

[Ken Paxton was acquitted. See how each Senator voted.]

Ken Paxtons impeachment acquittal escalates Texas Republican civil war

Sept. 16, 2023 at 7:08 p.m.

Ken Paxtons impeachment trial was the latest  and among the most consequential  battle in an ongoing civil war between the Texas GOPs establishment members and a well-funded right wing that for years has claimed the party is insufficiently conservative.

Though the two factions generally agree on policy issues  and the Texas Legislature routinely leads the nation in passing socially conservative bills  the partys far right has often accused members, specifically in the Texas House, of partnering with Democrats to undermine conservative priorities.

Paxton has played a key role in that fight, and has used his office to back the issues favored by the states most conservative flank. In turn, he has received millions of dollars from ultraconservative donors such as oil tycoons Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, who have buoyed his campaigns as his legal woes mounted, approval ratings dropped and other, more establishment donors invested elsewhere.

 Robert Downen

For Paxton lawyers, the trial was a sham. House managers say it exposed a corrupt politician.

Sept. 16, 2023 at 5:46 p.m.

Opposing sides in Ken Paxtons impeachment trial lashed out in the moments after senators voted Saturday to send the embattled attorney general back to his job.

It was a joke for us to have to go through this, said defense attorney Dan Cogdell, who derided the bipartisan House-led impeachment as a sham. This should have never happened.

House impeachment managers who drove the effort to oust Paxton disagreed, saying in a separate Capitol news conference that it was the vote to acquit that deserved condemnation.

Managers presented overwhelming evidence that Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in the state of Texas at this time, said Rep. Ann Johnson, a Houston Democrat and vice chair of the House team. And the Republicans in the Texas Senate just returned him to the office of top cop.

 Karen Brooks Harper and Robert Downen

Texans respond to Paxton acquittal with delight, disappointment

Sept. 16, 2023 at 5:38 p.m.

Texans across the state on Saturday reacted to the news of Ken Paxtons acquittal with disappointment, blaming political polarization, or pleasure, saying the evidence fell short of convicting the attorney general.

Louis DeAngelis, 29, was visiting the Texas Capitol with a friend from Massachusetts when the Paxton verdict came down. DeAngelis, who works in video production in Austin, said the verdict showed that people in power are not generally held to the same standard as everyone else.

In West Texas, 57-year-old Maurice Torano of Odessa was ecstatic to hear that Paxton was cleared of the charges. Torano said the prosecution team had no real evidence and considered them an embarrassment to the Legislature. It's a sham, Torano said.

 Keaton Peters

Senate Democrats say Republicans wavered under political pressure during Paxton jury deliberations

Sept. 16, 2023 at 4:57 p.m.

Senate Democrats, disappointed by the acquittal of Attorney General Ken Paxton, accused their Republican colleagues of caving to political pressure, while many of the Republicans who voted against conviction said the House failed to prove its case.

Simply put, the burden of proof  beyond a reasonable doubt  was not met, state Sen. Charles Schwertner, a Georgetown Republican, said in a statement released after voting ended in the historic impeachment trial on Saturday.

Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, rejected that argument from Republicans, instead blaming the failure to impeach on outside influence placed on members.

Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, described the roughly eight hours of deliberations as intense, noting that some senators switched into tennis shoes in preparation for a long process. He said many GOP senators were engaged in good-faith discussions about the evidence.

But it makes me sad and exhausted because I feel like they didn't change anything, Johnson said. It didnt change the outcome.

 Kate McGee and Neelam Bohra

Trump congratulates Paxton on Texas sized impeachment victory

Sept. 16, 2023 at 4:53 p.m.

Former President Donald Trump congratulated Attorney General Ken Paxton for beating the impeachment charges against him Saturday  and called on the GOP leader of the Texas House to resign.

Congratulations to Attorney General Ken Paxton on a great and historic Texas sized VICTORY, Trump wrote Saturday afternoon on his social media platform Truth Social. I also want to congratulate his wonderful wife and family for having had to go through this ordeal, and WINNING!

Trump praised Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presided over the trial as judge, and Republican senators for rescuing Paxton, long a Trump loyalist. Trump turned his ire on House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Beaumont Republican who has often feuded with Trump ally Patrick.

It is time that Speaker Dade Phelan resign after pushing this Disgraceful Sham! Trump wrote.

 Joshua Fechter

Ted Cruz and other officials weigh in on Paxton acquittal

Sept. 16, 2023 at 2:33 p.m.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, congratulated Attorney General Ken Paxton for beating the impeachment charges against him Saturday.

Congrats to [Paxton] on being acquitted of every single article of impeachment, Cruz wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. This was the right outcome, consistent with the will of the voters. I look forward to seeing Paxton back in office, continuing to serve as the most effective conservative AG in America.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who has been quiet about his feelings on the impeachment trial, struck a neutral tone in a prepared statement following Paxtons acquittal: The jury has spoken.

Republicans in the Texas Legislature took to social media to celebrate Paxtons acquittal  many praising the Senates push under Patrick to kill the effort while lambasting the House Republican-backed impeachment effort.

 Joshua Fechter

Rep. Toth calls for Phelan to resign right now

Sept. 16, 2023 at 2:31 p.m.

In an interview after Saturdays Senate vote, state Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, called on House Speaker Dade Phelan to resign right now. Toth, a member of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, voted against Ken Paxtons impeachment in May.

The Texas House owes all of Texas a big apology, Toth said. This was a sham.

Toth also said the process has only hurt the Texas GOP, which has for years been plagued by infighting between its far-right members and its more moderate, but still deep-red, wing.

This is terribly destructive to the Republican Party of Texas, and these guys knew that, he said of House members who voted for impeachment. They were warned that right up front, right before the vote was taken. I think there's going to be retribution by the voters, I really do.

Asked what he thought Saturdays vote portended for the growing schism between the Texas Senate and House, Toth responded: I dont know. Its a mess."

 Robert Downen

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick blasts House over impeachment

Sept. 16, 2023 at 2:16 p.m.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick broke his personal silence Saturday on Attorney General Ken Paxtons impeachment after the Senate voted for acquittal, blasting the Houses impeachment process as deeply flawed.

The speaker and his team rammed through the first impeachment of a statewide official in Texas in over 100 years while paying no attention to the precedent that the House set in every other impeachment before, Patrick said from the dais after the verdict was finalized.

Patrick was the presiding officer of the trial  effectively the judge  and his feelings on the matter were the subject of much speculation. While he got praise for how he handled certain aspects, like the trial rules, he also drew scrutiny for accepting $3 million from a pro-Paxton group in late June.

Patrick began his remarks by acknowledging he had been unusually quiet in recent months because he wanted to respect his role in the process. He followed by unloading on the House for foisting the impeachment upon the Senate on short notice at the end of the regular session.

 Patrick Svitek

Sen. Angela Paxton remains emotionless as senate acquits her husband

Sept. 16, 2023 at 1:52 p.m.

As Texas Senate Secretary Patsy Spaw read aloud the votes acquitting Republican Attorney Ken Paxton on 16 impeachment articles  and a vote to dismiss the remaining four articles  the only sound in the gallery was the chirp of crickets, pouring rain and the occasional roar of thunder.

Sen. Angela Paxton, R-McKinney, sat with a blank expression as she took notes and occasionally looked up at the gallery.

Ken Paxton was not present for the verdict.

His attorney, Tony Buzbee, sat facing the chamber as he listened to the Senate acquit his client. The gallery, which has been fairly empty since the first day of the trial, was moderately filled with tourists and political onlookers. Throughout the vote, House managers looked somber.

Whistleblowers David Maxwell, Ryan Vassar, and Blake Brickman watched in the gallery with solemn expressions as the Senate handed their former boss back his job. Former Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore sat with them.

After the votes on the impeachment were all read, Sen. Paxton gave a quick nod to her staffer sitting in the back of the chamber.

Afterwards, Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick ripped the Houses impeachment, calling on the Legislature to amend a flawed process. Democratic state Sens. Sarah Eckhardt and Roland Gutierrez walked out during his comments.

After the Senate adjourned, Sen. Paxton packed up her bag and hugged Republican state Sen. Bob Hall and her husbands lawyers before leaving the chamber.

The crickets remained the loudest noise in the room.

 Kate McGee

Ken Paxton not present for verdict

Sept. 16, 2023 at 11:15 a.m.

Suspended attorney general Ken Paxton was not present in the Senate chamber as the senators have filed in to vote on the articles of impeachment in his trial.

Paxton was present Friday for closing arguments and on the first day of the trial while his lawyer pleaded not guilty on his behalf.

 Kate McGee

Impeachment vote imminent as Senate finishes deliberations

Sept. 16, 2023 at 9:41 a.m.

Senators have completed private deliberations on the 16 articles of impeachment against suspended attorney general Ken Paxton after more than eight hours of deliberations.

A series of votes on each article was expected to begin at 10:30 a.m., according to the Texas Senate website. But it was delayed until 11:10 a.m.

Support from at least 21 senators on any article would lead to Paxtons conviction and removal from office.

Paxton was present Friday morning for closing arguments, the first time he attended the trial since it opened Sept. 5, when his lawyer pleaded not guilty on his behalf. Its unclear if he will return for the votes.

 Kate McGee

Deliberations resume in Paxton impeachment trial

Sept. 16, 2023 at 9:21 a.m.

Senators are returning to the Capitol on Saturday morning to resume deliberations in the impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who is presiding over the trial, told senators to deliberate between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, or until theyve reached a verdict. If they do not reach a verdict on Saturday, senators are required to return Sunday at noon. Patrick said he would consider sequestering the senators at the Capitol if they do not reach a verdict by 8 p.m. Sunday.

Once a verdict is reached, Patrick said they will give a 30-minute notice before starting a vote on the Senate floor on whether to convict or acquit on 16 articles of impeachment.

 Kate McGee

Senators ended first day of deliberations without a verdict

Sept. 15, 2023 at 7:43 p.m.

Senators left the Capitol late Saturday after more than six hours of deliberating in the impeachment trial of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton without reaching a final verdict.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had told senators this afternoon to deliberate until at least 8 p.m. They are expected to return Saturday at 9 a.m. to continue deliberations.

 Kate McGee

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Former Vice President Pence backed Sen. Tommy Tubervilles (R-Ala.) holds on senior military promotions, supporting his protest over military abortion policy.

On day one, Ill direct the Department of Defense to to stop using taxpayer dollars to undermine pro-life laws in states around the country, Pence said in a speech Friday. Sen Tommy Tuberville is right, and the Pentagon is wrong,

Tubervilles protest prevents the Senate from passing bills signing off on senior military promotion en masse, instead requiring an entire roll call vote for each one. There are more than 300 pending promotions, including multiple military branch chiefs.

The protest has lasted nearly six months.

The leaders of the Army, Marine Corps and Navy are in acting roles because the Senate has not yet confirmed them, limiting their authority.

He started the hold over a Pentagon policy to allow military service members to take time off to receive abortion care.

Pence is among a small number of notable Republicans who have backed Tuberville, as the protests have garnered criticism from both political parties and from those in the military. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) called out the strategy this week.

I think holding these non-policymaking career military [officials] who cant be involved in politics at all is a mistake, and we continue to work on that and I hope at some point we can get it clear, McConnell said Tuesday.

Pence is the most outspoken anti-abortion advocate on the 2024 campaign trail. He was the first presidential candidate to endorse a 15-week national abortion ban policy and has signaled he would also consider banning abortion in cases where the fetus is not viable.

Im pro-life. I dont apologize for it, Pence told The Associated Press in July. I just have heard so many stories over the years of courageous women and families who were told that their unborn child would not go to term or would not survive. And then they had a healthy pregnancy and a healthy delivery.

Those inside the military have also criticized the move, saying it impacts national security as well may encourage some waiting for promotions to seek jobs outside the military.

Any claim that holding up the promotions of top officers does not directly damage the military is wrong  plain and simple, the Army, Navy and Air Force chiefs wrote in an op-ed earlier this month.

Attempts to negotiate with Tuberville from within the Republican Party have reportedly failed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Sept. 14 the creation of a new role  U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery.

The person to lead the new office is Penny Pritzker , 64, credited for her experience as an "accomplished public servant" and "transformative industry leader."

Pritzker has "deep familial ties to Ukraine," Biden added.

However, the brief description of the person chosen to "drive the United States' efforts to help rebuild the Ukrainian economy" only scratched the surface of Pritzker's resume.

The Kyiv Independent explains who Penny Pritzker is and what the new office is set to achieve.

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From business to politics

Born into one of the wealthiest families in the U.S., Pritzker's net worth is now valued at $3.3 billion, having started at least five companies and led dozens of businesses herself.

The Pritzkers are also known as one of the major philanthropic families of America.

In Chicago, where the family grew its fortune, there are parks, a museum, a zoo, and multiple educational institutions that carry the Pritzker name.

Yet Chicago was not mentioned in the appointment announcement. Instead, Biden referred to Pritzker's Ukrainian roots.

Her great-grandfather came to Chicago as a Jewish immigrant from the Kyiv region in 1881, taking on menial jobs and teaching himself English until he could enroll in law school.

The Pritzker name can be traced back to the village of Velyki Pritsky in Kyiv Oblast.

In the 20th century, Pritzkers grew their business empire and became best known for owning the Hyatt hotel group, as well as a range of other investments from real estate to cruise lines.

Penny Pritzker was an early supporter of Barack Obama. She soon moved from business to politics and helped fundraise for Obama's senate and, later, presidential bid.

Pritzker spearheaded the 2008 presidential fundraising campaign, which raised nearly $750 million. Five years later, President Obama appointed Pritzker as the commerce secretary, a role she held until the end of Obama's term in 2017.

Pritzker's family is also deeply involved in business and politics.

Penny Pritzker's brother, J.B. Pritzker, has been the governor of Illinois since 2019. Another brother, Anthony, heads the Pritzker Group, a private equity firm that has stakes in companies like Elon Musk's SpaceX.

A marathon, not a sprint

As Special Representative, her fundraising skills will be essential, as a major task will be to shape the priorities of international donors and align them with Ukraine's funding needs.

With Russia providing no signs it is ready for peace and the costs of Ukraine's reconstruction and recovery estimated to have spiraled beyond $400 billion, the task is immense.

Starting the job in the middle of the war means that Pritzker is taking on a challenge that "few would envy," said Dr. Alpaslan Ozerdem, dean at the Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution and expert on post-conflict reconstruction.

"She will need to connect many dots to build sustainable momentum in the economic recovery of Ukraine both before and after the war's end," Ozerdem told the Kyiv Independent.

Her experience in philanthropy will come in useful, Ozerdem believes, not least because "war-affected communities appreciate the sensitive approach of empathy, passion, and solidarity" that experienced philanthropists can bring.

Top-level experience

As Commerce Secretary, Pritzker was focused on helping grow American business not just in the U.S. but also abroad. In her first year in office, she visited 19 countries and led four trade missions.

Through this role, she gained "a top-level understanding of the U.S. economy and how to mobilize it for Ukraine," partly what makes her an "excellent choice" as special representative, according to Ozerdem.

The 2014 EuroMaidan Revolution and subsequent illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory by Russia put Ukraine in the spotlight for U.S. policymakers, including Pritzker.

In April 2014, she held a call with her Ukrainian counterpart, Economy Minister Pavlo Sheremeta, to discuss ways the U.S. private sector could support Ukraine's economic stability and attract new investment at the height of the crisis.

Six months later, Pritzker led a U.S. delegation to Kyiv to meet with Ukraine's senior government officials and with American companies.

In total, she made three official visits to the country as Commerce Secretary. Much of the focus of these trips was supporting the Ukrainian government in undertaking post-revolution reforms.

This experience will be key to her new role, as one of the tasks of the special representative will be to support Kyiv to make "reforms needed to strengthen its economy," Biden said.

Amidst the ongoing war, reforms to the ways the judiciary, government, and economy are run have also been central to Ukraine's path to starting accession talks with the European Union.

Similarly, U.S. assistance goes hand in hand with "accelerating Ukraine's reform process," Heather A. Conley, president of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, told the Kyiv Independent.

In an article for Foreign Policy in June, Conley called for Biden to create a position to lead Ukraine's reconstruction. "Given her background, Pritzker is extremely well placed to do this," Conley commented.

Private sector's role

Beyond shaping donor priorities and strengthening Ukraine's public sector, Pritzker will need to mobilize the U.S. private sector to invest in Ukraine.

As special representative, she will be responsible for mobilizing foreign investment, supporting the re-opening of businesses shut down by Russian attacks, and helping Ukraine grow its exports, Biden announced.

Conley explained that this will involve Pritzker providing the U.S. businesses with the tools they need to identify and invest in projects in Ukraine, such as war insurance and transparent procurement processes.

"The private sector is essential to Ukraine's long-term recovery," said Conley, adding that the U.S. particularly focused on Ukraine's energy, agricultural, infrastructure, and IT industries.

In the same way that "American companies played an important role in Europe's recovery following the Second World War," they should do the same for Ukraine's recovery, Conley believes.

Building bridges

One of the key tasks for Pritzker will be to build a broad base of understanding in the U.S. of why Ukraine needs to be supported not just militarily but also economically.

Conley hopes that Pritzker will travel across the U.S. and speak to Americans "about the importance of Ukraine's recovery to American security and prosperity," in the same way that leaders built support for the original Marshall Plan.

Daniel Runde, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and director of the center's Ukraine Economic Reconstruction Commission, agreed that building sustainable support for Ukraine's recovery in the U.S. will be a key challenge.

"She needs to build a political base for support beyond emergency assistance," he told the Kyiv Independent, adding that this will require investing time into bringing not just other Democrats, but also Republicans on board.

Another challenge will be for her to find allies not just in D.C. but also in Kyiv.

"Pritzker has so much to bring to the table," but her success in the role will depend on the levels of trust, respect, and legitimacy she builds with partners in Ukraine, Ozerdem said.

It will be a long road to recovery, he believes, but "if she makes sure that she goes to Ukraine with patience in abundance," she will be successful in her role.

Special Representative Pritzker reportedly plans to travel to Ukraine in the coming weeks to meet with Ukraine's political and business leaders.





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The 15th meeting in the Ramstein format will take place on September 19

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley will travel to Germany on Sept. 18 to chair a Ramstein meeting of the Contact Group on Defense Matters for Ukraine in the Ramstein format, Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform reported on Sept. 14.

Citing deputy Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh, Ukrinform reported that Austin and Milley would join defense ministers and high-ranking military representatives from nearly 50 countries.

Read also:

Singh also mentioned that this would be the 15th meeting of Ukraines military allies held at the Ramstein airbase.

Read also: Western media on Reznikovs resignation and what to expect from his successor Umerov

In Germany, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will hold his first in-person meeting with Austin since Umerovs appointment to the position.

There has been speculation in the Western and Ukrainian media that Washington may soon announce the supply to Ukraine of ATACMS long-range rockets, which Ukraine has been urgently requesting for more than a year.

The most recent Ramstein-format meeting occurred on July 18. Priorities during that meeting included the urgent delivery of weapons and equipment necessary for the liberation of Ukraines territory, with a particular focus on air defense systems, ammunition, and armor.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
A 19-year-old woman on foot fleeing from a police pursuit was struck and killed early Saturday in the eastbound lanes of the North Sacramento Freeway.

A spokesman for the California Highway Patrol said one person was struck by multiple vehicles on Interstate 80 just after 4 a.m. near the Raley Boulevard overpass. It was not clear how many vehicles struck the person, but the CHP said she was initially struck by a large vehicle.

CHP officials said that the fatality occurred after several occupants poured out of a vehicle that had crashed on the on-ramp where Raley Boulevard becomes Marysville Boulevard in Del Paso Heights. One of the vehicles occupants, a woman, entered the eastbound lanes of I-80 as a pedestrian and was hit.

Minutes before the fatality, the vehicle had been involved in a police chase, according to the CHP and the Sacramento Police Department.

A Sacramento police spokesperson said officers tried to pull over a vehicle about 3 a.m. in the area of Evergreen Street and Del Paso Boulevard in Old North Sacramento. The vehicle then led officers on a pursuit. Police called off the chase about 3:50 a.m. after officers lost sight of the vehicle, authorities said.

A few minutes later, police dispatchers relayed a call to police about a collision on the freeway, saying that it may have involved the suspect vehicle. Officers arrived and secured the scene before CHP arrived; the CHP said the woman struck was pronounced dead at the scene by firefighters.

The Coroners Office identified the woman as Fatina Chaney of Sacramento.

A debris field from other objects involved in the crash spanned all eastbound lanes and at least 200 feet of the freeway, prompting all eastbound lanes to be shut down, the CHP said. Two vehicles that had hit the woman also stopped at the scene to talk with authorities.

It was unclear if any of the other occupants of the pursued vehicle were detained; police said the incidents leading up to the fatality remained under an active investigation.

Eastbound lanes of the freeway were shut down at Norwood Avenue for about two hours as both agencies continued their investigations and cleaned up the debris field. Caltrans crews were also dispatched to repair guardrails that one of the vehicles struck after hitting the woman.
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. McCarthy says hes directing a House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. | J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press

New York Times columnist David French has written an excellent article excoriating House Speaker Kevin McCarthy  and Republicans more broadly  for hypocrisy and for dangerous escalation of American political combat by opening an impeachment inquiry without clear evidence of profound misconduct.

In other words, for using their power for a fishing expedition.

French is largely correct. But in my view, he misses one thing: In the sense that most ordinary people think of these things, none of this really matters.

I dont mean that impeachment will have no effect on coming elections. It clearly will have at least some effect, although it may not have the effect McCarthy expects. Nor do I mean that the degeneration of the use of impeachment as a political tool will not negatively affect our politics in the long run. It will.

And it will, of course, have immediate political effects within Congress. It may even save McCarthys speakership from radicals in his own party that want to dethrone him.

But as a tool for punishing or removing an out-of-control president, this exercise could not be more meaningless. President Joe Biden has as close to zero chance of being removed from office as you can get, and every player in Washington knows it.

I could cite to you the fact that several Republican senators have already thrown cold water on this inquiry, and given that Democrats essentially have 51 votes against impeachment already, there is a greater likelihood of two-thirds voting against conviction than the constitutionally required two-thirds voting for it.

Or I could cite the fact that McCarthy hasnt even held a vote on this in the full House, which is not required but has traditionally been done, and hes not doing this, in large part, because he almost certainly does not have the votes, even among his own troops in the House.

But that isnt really the issue either.

The real issue is that the constitutional provision for controlling an out-of-control, unethical or lawbreaking president is broken. It was broken before McCarthy launched this inquiry. Impeachment and removal no longer present a serious threat to a presidents continuation in office. Weve seen this repeatedly.

There have been four presidents who have faced removal from office vis-a-vis impeachment. The very old example of Andrew Johnson is the odd man out. He was impeached in the aftermath of the Civil War, over complicated issues concerning power over his own cabinet, exacerbated by partisanship. He survived conviction in the Senate by one vote.

Richard Nixon resigned rather than face an impeachment vote he knew he was going to lose, and a trial in the Senate that former presidential nominee Barry Goldwater, a member of Nixons own party, assured Nixon would convict him. But since then, things have changed.

Bill Clinton was impeached for obstruction of justice and perjury but not removed. Not even a majority of the Senate voted to remove him. Donald Trump was impeached twice, once for quid pro quos with a foreign power to help his own campaign, and then for the acts leading up to the attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. In neither case was he convicted, although a bare majority voted to remove him in the second impeachment.

Since Nixon, the pattern is clear: The vast majority of partisans in the House will vote to impeach the other guy, and the vast majority of partisans in the Senate will not vote to remove their guy from office.

Related

In the case of Nixon, the idea of civic duty beyond partisanship, an important trust given to the Senate, as the Federalist Papers put it, mattered to many Republican senators, particularly Goldwater, who told Nixon hed personally vote to convict.

But the opposite happened in the cases of Clinton and Trump, cases in which the facts were, in large part, not disputed.

In 2021, most partisans, with the notable exception of Mitt Romney (who voted for both Trump impeachments) and a few other Republican senators (only one of whom faced voters in 2022), were simply not willing to anger their voters by removing another member of their party from office. It wasnt really more complicated than that. The important trust given to the Senate was not a paramount concern. At least, not if it was bad for the next election.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2023. McCarthy says hes directing a House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. | J. Scott Applewhite, Associated Press

McCarthy knows this. As does every Democrat expressing outrage at McCarthys inquiry.

In this current environment, it is clear that impeachment, no matter how disturbing the facts, is not a serious threat to remove a rogue president from office, nor bar him from holding office in the future. Thus, it is free to be used as simply a tool to make interesting political theater. Impeachment is only happening now because nobody is really taking this seriously. Everybody knows Biden wont be removed.

So in a sense, French and others are correct that this is a fishing expedition and is lowering the bar for impeachment inquiries to begin. But this is happening in an environment where the intended consequence of impeachment, a subsequent conviction in the Senate, is, for all practical purposes, nonexistent.

The recent consternation over the prosecution of Trump, which I favor, is a direct result of this breakdown. If Trump had been removed and barred from office in 2021, which I believe he should have been, the consequences of a subsequent prosecution would not be anywhere near the same. It would not involve, as it does now, the prosecution of a potential political opponent of the current administration. Thus, one political dysfunction leads to another serious political problem.

Biden is clearly guilty, at minimum, of overlooking overtly sleazy behavior by his family in illicitly cashing in on his high offices. He may be guilty of more. It is a serious problem that this impeachment inquiry is occurring with relatively light evidence of any serious misdeeds. But what is perhaps more serious is the fact that, even if Biden is guilty of worse than we know now, there is little chance hell be removed from office.

This is the result of a quarter-century of political degradation. The impeachment and removal power of Congress is now neutered and amounts to little but political theater, meaning there is no clear way to hold a reprobate president accountable. And that is a much deeper problem.

Cliff Smith is a lawyer and a former congressional staffer. He lives in Washington, D.C., where he works on national security related issues.
(CNN)  It started with a bang at 3 a.m. Monday as the residents of Derna were sleeping. One dam burst, then a second, sending a huge wave of water gushing down through the mountains towards the coastal Libyan city, killing thousands as entire neighborhoods were swept into the sea.

More than 5,000 people are believed to have been killed with thousands more missing, though estimates from different Libyan officials and aid groups have varied and the toll is expected to rise.

The eastern Libyan city of Derna, the epicenter of the disaster, had a population of around 100,000 before the tragedy. Authorities say that at least 10,000 remain missing. CNN could not independently verify the figures.

Buildings, homes and infrastructure were wiped out when a 7-meter (23-foot) wave hit the city, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which said Thursday that dead bodies were now washing back up on shore.

But with thousands killed and many more still missing, there are questions as to why the storm that also hit Greece and other countries caused so much more devastation in Libya.

Experts say that apart from the strong storm itself, Libyas catastrophe was greatly exacerbated by a lethal confluence of factors including aging, crumbling infrastructure, inadequate warnings and the impacts of the accelerating climate crisis.

A ferocious storm

The extreme rainfall that hit Libya on Sunday was brought by a system called Storm Daniel.

After sweeping Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria, with severe flooding that killed more than 20 people, it formed into a medicane over the Mediterranean  a relatively rare type of storm with similar characteristics to hurricanes and typhoons.

The medicane strengthened as it crossed the unusually warm waters of the Mediterranean before dumping torrential rain on Libya on Sunday.

It brought more than 16 inches (414 mm) of rainfall in 24 hours to Al-Bayda, a city west of Derna, a new record.

While its too early to definitively attribute the storm to the climate crisis, scientists are confident that climate change is increasing the intensity of extreme weather events like storms. Warmer oceans provide fuel for storms to grow, and a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, meaning more extreme rainfall.

Storms are becoming more ferocious because of climate change, said Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading in the UK.

A history of flooding

Derna is prone to flooding, and its dam reservoirs have caused at least five deadly floods since 1942, the latest of which was in 2011, according to a research paper published by Libyas Sebha University last year.

The two dams that burst on Monday were built around half a century ago, between 1973 and 1977, by a Yugoslav construction company. The Derna dam is 75 meters (246 feet) high with a storage capacity of 18 million cubic meters (4.76 billion gallons). The second dam, Mansour, is 45 meters (148 feet) high with a capacity of 1.5 million cubic meters (396 million gallons).

Those dams havent undergone maintenance since 2002, the citys deputy mayor Ahmed Madroud told Al Jazeera.

But the problems with the dams were known. The Sebha University paper warned that the dams in Derna had a high potential for flood risk and that periodic maintenance is needed to avoid catastrophic flooding.

The current situation in the Wadi Derna reservoir requires officials to take immediate measures to carry out periodic maintenance of existing dams, the paper recommended last year. Because in the event of a huge flood, the result will be catastrophic on the residents of the valley and the city. It also found that the surrounding area lacked adequate vegetation that could prevent soil erosion. Residents of the area should be made aware of the dangers of flooding, it added.

Liz Stephens, Professor in Climate Risks and Resilience at the University of Reading in the United Kingdom, told CNN that there were serious questions to be asked about the design standard of the dam and whether the risk of very extreme rainfall events had been adequately taken into account.

Its very clear that without this dam break, we wouldnt have seen the tragic number of fatalities that that have happened as a result, she said.

The dams would have held back the water initially, with their failure potentially releasing all the water in one go, Stephens also told Science Media Center, adding that the debris caught up in the floodwaters would have added to the destructive power.

Derna has been battered in the past, its infrastructure upended by years of fighting.

From battling ISIS and then later, eastern commander Khalifa Haftar and his Libyan National Army (LNA), the citys infrastructure has crumbled and is woefully inadequate in the face of floods like the one brought by on by Storm Daniel.

A lack of warnings

Better warnings could have avoided most of the casualties in Derna, the head of the United Nations World Meteorological Organization, Petteri Taalas, said.

If there would have been a normally operating meteorological service, they would have issued the warnings and also the emergency management of this would have been able to carry out evacuations of the people and we would have avoided most of the human casualties, Taalas told reporters at a news conference Thursday.

Talaas added that the political instability in the country has impeded WMO efforts to work with the Libyan government to improve these systems.

Yet, even robust early warning systems are not a guarantee that all lives can be saved, said Cloke.

Dam failures can be very hard to forecast, and are fast and ferocious, she told CNN. You have this monstrous volume of water just taking out the city entirely, Cloke said. Its one of the worst types of floods that ever happens.

While dams are usually designed to withstand relatively extreme events, its often not enough, said Cloke. We should be preparing for unexpected events, and then you put climate change on top, and that ramps up these unexpected events.

The risk climate-fueled extreme weather poses to infrastructure  not just dams, but everything from buildings to water supplies  is a global one. Were not ready for the extreme events coming towards us, Cloke said.
A photo of the Russian missile warship Samum, which is being towed in the occupied Crimea after reportedly being hit by a Ukrainian attack drone, has surfaced online, the Telegram channel Crimean Wind reported on Sept. 16.

Earlier, NV sources reported that it was struck by an experimental Ukrainian SBU maritime drone, the Sea Baby.

Read also: How Ukraine prepared maritime drones for its successful second attack on the Crimean Bridge

The post says that the Samum was towed into Sevastopol Bay after the attack. H I Sutton, author of the Covert Shores blog and a noted OSINT analyst, said that Russians often tow ships into the port  including Bora-class missile boats.

Read also: Ukrainian company spends $2.7 million on assembling fleet of electronic-warfare resistant drones for military

"However the stern is low, supporting reports it was hit and damaged by a Ukrainian USV," Sutton wrote on X (Twitter).

Social media/Telegram

Sources in Ukraines SBU security service told NV that on Sept. 14, a Ukrainian naval drone hit the Russian ship Samum at the entrance to Sevastopol Bay.

The Ukrainian drone allegedly struck the Samum on its rear right side, inflicting substantial damage, according to sources. The hit caused the Samum to lose power, forcing the Russians to tow the crippled vessel back to port for repairs. It was taken under tow with the stern lower in the water and rolling to the starboard (right) side.

Read also: Powerful explosions rock Ukraines Russian-occupied Crimea

Earlier, on the morning of Sept. 14, Ukraine's Defense Forces targeted two Russian patrol ships of the Project 22160 Vasily Bykov class in the southwestern Black Sea, damaging both vessels. The Ukrainian operation involved the use of naval drones to attack the Russian patrol ships.

A day earlier, powerful explosions rocked the occupied port city of Sevastopol. Russia claimed there had been an attack by missiles and maritime drones ("unmanned boats"), and said a shipyard had been hit, and two ships that were under repair had been damaged.

Ukrainian intelligence said that the large landing ship Minsk and the submarine Rostov-on-Don had been hit. It said they were probably beyond repair.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Poland's Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski announced on Sept. 16 that Russian-registered passenger cars will be banned from entering the country, the Polish Press Agency reported.

According to Kaminski, the ban will come into effect on Sept. 17. Poland joins the Baltic countries and Finland, which have already announced similar bans on Russian-registered vehicles.

Trucks registered in Russia were already subject to such a ban in Poland.

"Now we are closing this matter. No Russian vehicle will enter Poland," Kaminski said.

"This applies to all vehicles, including those used commercially and privately-owned cars, regardless of whether the owner is a Russian citizen or citizen of another country. The rule is that a car registered in Russia has no right to enter Poland."

Tensions have been steadily rising between Poland and Russia since the start of Russia's all-out war against Ukraine.

Poland serves as a major transportation hub for allied weapons to Ukraine. In mid-March, Polish authorities announced it had broken up a Russian spy network planning sabotage acts and monitoring rail routes to Ukraine.

Read also: Sawomir Sierakowski: The strongest army in Europe?

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Poland has joined the Baltic countries and Finland in prohibiting vehicles with Russian registration plates from entering its borders.

This decision, which comes into effect from Sept. 17, aligns Poland with all European Union countries that share a land border with Russia and have already implemented such a ban.

Read also: Japan strengthens sanctions against Russia: Export restrictions extended to automobiles

Polish Minister of Internal Affairs, Mariusz Kaminski, announced this on Sept. 16, as reported by PAP. The ban on Russian vehicles entering Polish territory will come into effect from midnight on Sept. 17.

The date is a significant one  on this day in 1939 the Soviet Union executed part of its secret pact with Nazi Germany, invading Poland even as it was fighting off a German invasion that started on Sept. 1. The two dictatorships then divided Poland between them.

This prohibition is in accordance with a directive from the European Commission issued on Sept. 8, which prohibits vehicles registered in Russia from entering the EU. Kaminski emphasized that no vehicles with Russian registration plates will be permitted into Poland.

Read also: Ukraines SBU exposes illegal scheme for exporting luxury cars to Russia

Russian trucks have already been subject to this ban. Now we are finalizing the matter.

No Russian vehicle will enter Poland. Ladies and gentlemen, this applies to all vehicles, whether used for commercial purposes or privately owned, regardless of whether they are driven by a Russian citizen or a citizen of another country, the minister said.

He added that this measure is another aspect of sanctions imposed against Russia and its citizens due to Russias ongoing conflict with Ukraine.

Read also: SBU says Russian propaganda found in raids of Moscow Patriarchate church premises

Finland made a similar decision the day before by banning the entry of passenger cars with Russian registration plates. Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia had taken this step earlier in the week.

It is expected that Norway (not an EU member but part of the Schengen Zone) and Germany will also announce measures in response to the new recommendations from the European Commission.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia will implement their own bans on Ukrainian grain imports despite the European Commission's decision to end the embargo on Sept. 15, according to reports from multiple media outlets.

"Due to the incorrect decision of the European Commission not to extend the grain embargo... I signed a national regulation maintaining the embargo," Polish Development and Technology Minister Waldemar Buda said.

In May, the Commission imposed a ban on sales of Ukrainian wheat, maize, rapeseed, and sunflower seed in five EU countries: Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria. The nations requested the measure due to fears from local farmers that cheap Ukrainian imports would drive down agriculture prices.

While the Commission decided not to extend the ban after Sept. 15, citing data indicating that Ukrainian imports would no longer negatively impact local markets, three of the five countries will continue to restrict imports of Urkainian agricultural products.

"We will safeguard the interests of Hungarian farmers," Hungarian Agriculture Minister Istvan Nagy said in a Facebook post announcing Hungary's decision to continue the ban.

Hungary's ban covers 24 Ukrainian agricultural products, including certain vegetables, meats, and honey.

Slovakia will also continue to ban Ukrainian grain imports.

"We must prevent excessive pressure on the Slovak market in order to remain fair to domestic farmers," the Slovak government said in a statement.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
PROVIDENCE  A chaotic police chase that began in Burrillville and involved a highway shooting in North Smithfield ended Friday night, police say, near Women & Infants Hospital with two city police officers shooting at the suspects car, killing him and wounding his minor passenger.

At a Saturday news conference attended by city and state law enforcement officials, Providence Police Chief Oscar L. Perez Jr. identified the deceased man as Michael Pinto, 40, of Glocester.

Also injured was Providence police Lt. Eugene Chin, who the chief said had reached into Pintos car to try to get him to stop while he was stuck in traffic around the hospital, and a nurse who was struck by a vehicle, perhaps Pintos, as the suspect ignored officers orders to stop.

Burrillville Police Chief Stephen J. Lynch said his officers first encountered Pinto, who is known to local authorities, on Thursday when they tried to stop him on a motor vehicle violation. Pinto fled, Lynch said, and a brief chase ensued before officers broke off the pursuit.

Burrillville police saw him again Friday just after 7:30 p.m., and another pursuit began on the Burrillville/Glocester line. The chase went briefly into Uxbridge, Massachusetts, before it swung onto Route 146, stacked up with traffic.

Burrillville officers attempted to box him in with their vehicles and arrest him, Lynch said. Two officers got out of their vehicles and approached Pinto in front of his car. Pinto then drove his vehicle at one of the officers, said Lynch. Another officer fired two rounds into Pintos vehicle before it took off again, Lynch said, striking another Burrillville cruiser as he went. Burrillville police then lost sight of him.

Perez gave the following account of what happened next:

Perez said an initial intercity police broadcast, sometime around 8 p.m. Friday, went out that Pinto had shot at a pursuing Burrillville police officer. A short time later a corrected version was broadcast that a Burrillville officer had shot at Pintos car  two shots  after Pinto tried to ram an officer with his car while stuck in traffic on Route 146 South. Perez said Pinto also struck another cruiser with his car before taking off.

Soon after, the Burrillville officers lost sight of the car.

A Providence police officer later saw the car coming off Route 10 and onto Dean Street, said Perez.

Officers attempted to stop the car, but Pinto drove over a sidewalk and continued on in a reckless manner.

Providence police pursued him, and at the intersection of Eddy and Dudley streets he was caught in traffic.

Chin attempted to get Pinto out of the vehicle. Pinto put the car in reverse and hit the unmarked vehicle of Sgt. Matthew Rampone, who was directly behind the car. Chin had to let go of Pinto to avoid injury.

Pinto then drove over the sidewalk to flee from officers. He drove onto Gay Street by the emergency entrance at Women & Infants Hospital and again got caught in traffic. He mounted the sidewalk again, this time striking a nurse standing outside, who was later taken to the hospital with injuries.

Two officers, Rampone and Sgt. Joseph Lopes, then approached Pintos car, one from the front, the other from the rear. Pinto put the car in reverse, with Rampone and the nurse behind his car.

It is at this time that both Sgt. Rampone and Sgt. Lopes discharged their duty weapons, said Perez.

The officers removed Pinto from the car. It was then, Perez said, that police realized a second person was in the car, a teenage passenger, who had been wounded in the leg. Pinto later died at Rhode Island Hospital.

The two Providence police officers and the Burrillville officer are on administrative leave, common protocol in such police shootings, as state police and the attorney generals office investigate both shooting incidents, the police chiefs said.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Chase from Burrillville ends with suspect killed by Providence police
The suspect accused of opening fire at a nightclub in Sandy Springs overnight, killing one person has been arrested.

Officers responded to the La Dona nightclub on Northwood Drive just after 1 a.m. Saturday morning for a fight with a person shot.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Investigators say the victim punched a man, identified as Zerrick Wilson in the face inside the club.

Wilson, according to police then went outside and waited in the parking lot for the victim to leave.

TRENDING STORIES:

When the victim came outside, Wilson punched him several times and a fight began. Wilson then pulled out a gun and shot the victim several times, including a fatal shot in the chest.

Police identified the victim as Victor Garcia to Channel 2s Courtney Francisco. Wilson has been charged with murder.

Channel 2 Action News will continue to provide updates as they become available.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Poland will build a fence along its entire border with Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in an interview with Polish regional radio station Polskie Radio Olsztyn on Sept. 15.

Asked whether Poland would build a fence on the border with Russia like the one that is being constructed on the border with Belarus, Morawiecki said that first an electronic border protection system would be created.

Read also: Poland reinforces border with Belarus, Russia after Wagner mutiny

"But later we will create an appropriate physical barrier in certain areas, and finally along the entire length of the border with Konigsberg Oblast, the former Kaliningrad Oblast," Morawiecki said.

Radio Olsztyn said that the construction of the "electronic firewall" on the border with Russia was nearing completion. According to Polands Ministry of Interior and Administration, all work should be completed by the turn of September-October. The ministry said that this would make it possible to fully monitor the border.

Read also: Over 100 Russian Wagner mercenaries heading towards Suwalki Gap, says Polands Morawiecki

Poland's border with Russias Kaliningrad Oblast is 232 kilometers long.

In May, Poland reported that it was completing the construction of a protective wall on the border with Belarus  206 kilometers of the barrier was put into operation, with another 150 meters to be completed.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The ban on imports of Ukrainian grain to Poland will remain in place until a model of appropriate cooperation with Ukraine is built, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said.

Source: European Pravda with reference to RMF FM

Quote from Morawiecki: "For more than 12 hours now, from midnight on 16 September, we have single-handedly imposed a ban on the import of Ukrainian grain to Poland, despite the fact that the European Union has not done so.

We kept our word. As I said a few days ago: either the European Commission will extend the ban on imports, extend the embargo, or we will impose an embargo ourselves for the next months, for the next quarters, until we have worked out a model of cooperation with our eastern, Ukrainian neighbour."

Background:

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Storm Lee has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone as it approaches Nova Scotia but it is still producing hurricane-force winds, as the storm is expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon.

According to an 11am advisory by the National Hurricane Center, strong winds, coastal flooding, and heavy rain have already hit parts of New England and Canada. As of Saturday morning, the storm was about 105 miles from Eastport, Maine and 150 miles from Halifax, Nova Scotia with maximum sustained winds moving at 75mph.

Although both Massachusetts and Maine previously declared states of emergency, the former lifted its declaration on Saturday after impacts were minimal, the governor said.

The Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for hundreds of miles of coastline from Massachusetts to Nova Scotia, affecting some nine million people.

Forecasters predicted winds topping 40mph across the region, with peak winds reaching upward of 65mph ahead of landfall.

Lee is expected to move across the border and impact Atlantic Canada on Saturday night and Sunday. Storm surge is also a threat to coastal areas, particularly if it occurs at high tide.

Key Points

Rain-soaked New England hit by likely tornado ahead of Hurricane Lees arrival

State of emergency declared in Maine as Lee approaches

Bermuda pounded by heavy surf from Hurricane Lee

Where is the storm currently?

When will Hurricane Lee reach New England?

Lee makes landfall in Nova Scotia

21:18 , Megan Sheets

Storm Lee made landfall in Nova Scotia, Canada, as a post-tropical cyclone on Saturday afternoon at around 4pm, the National Hurricane Center announced.

It is said to have maximum sustained winds of 70 mph (110kmph).

Post-Tropical Cyclone #Lee made landfall in Nova Scotia around 4 pm AST. See below for details. pic.twitter.com/BEWSR6VNfD  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 16, 2023

21:00 , Kelly Rissman

A meteorologist weighs in

Robert Grove, a meteorologist for ECCC Weather Newfoundland and Labrador, predicted on X that Lee would make landfall in Yarmouth County within the next couple of hours.

By the looks of latest satellite imagery, it looks like #Lee has made that NE turn and should make landfall in Yarmouth county within the next couple of hours.#NSStorm https://t.co/024RyeyQgV pic.twitter.com/Q1jrxnaP8e  Robert Grove (@robertgwx) September 16, 2023

20:30 , Kelly Rissman

Lee has already caused problems  even before making landfall

A CTV Atlantic reporter captured some of the devastation already caused by the post-tropical cyclone in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Tree down in Southend Halifax which has brought down power lines. Right now over 30,000 people are without power in the city. #HurricaneLee @CTVAtlantic pic.twitter.com/El8UhJYAjN  Hafsa Arif (@_HafsaArif) September 16, 2023

20:00 , Kelly Rissman

Post-tropical cyclone Lee is very near western Nova Scotia

The National Hurricane Center issued another update at 2pm, writing that the storm is just 80 miles from Eastport, Maine and 150 miles from Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The maximum sustained winds are moving at 70mph.

The center of Lee is forecast to make landfall in Atlantic Canada later this afternoon, and is expected to be near hurricane strength when it touches down, the hurricane center wrote.

Timing graphic for Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee (National Hurricane Center)

19:40 , Kelly Rissman

The calm before the storm

As post-tropical cyclone Lee threatens to hit the East Coast and Canada, some appreciated the beautiful sunset ahead of the storm on Friday night.

Hurricane Lee is providing an incredible sunset on Monhegan Island, Maine.#mewx #hurricanelee pic.twitter.com/1PrK6As54n  Benjamin Williamson (@photographmaine) September 15, 2023

19:20 , Kelly Rissman

The forecasted timeline

Saturday morning: Heavy rains and strong winds are already affecting some regions in New England and Canada hurricane watches and tropical storm warnings are in effect

Saturday afternoon: The storm is expected to make landfall as soon as in the next few hours, according to the National Hurricane Center director.

Saturday night: Lee is expected to move across the border into Canada tonight

18:59 , Kelly Rissman

Massachusetts lifts states of emergency

Im relieved that the impacts of Hurricane Lee have been minimal across Massachusetts, so were lifting the states of emergency declared earlier this week.



Im grateful for residents and public safety officials who have been responding to and preparing for severe weather and  Maura Healey (@MassGovernor) September 16, 2023

18:45 , Kelly Rissman

A message from Maines Governor

MEMA warns that high winds from the storm, combined with full canopy trees and saturated ground, will result in downed trees. Avoid being on the roads if you can. If you must travel, avoid driving around downed trees or over downed wires and obey road closure signs and barriers. https://t.co/SEqgjzTblY  Governor Janet Mills (@GovJanetMills) September 16, 2023

18:30 , Kelly Rissman

President Biden Approves Massachusetts Emergency Declaration

Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Lee from September 15 to September 17, 2023.

The Presidents action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 14 Massachusetts counties.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures (Category B), limited to direct Federal assistance and reimbursement for mass care, including evacuation and sheltering support, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.Mr. E. Craig Levy, Sr. of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.

18:07 , Kelly Rissman

Maine lobstermen trying to rescue damaged boat as storm threatens

VIDEO: Maine lobstermen taking a skiff to try and rescue a lobster boat damaged from #Lee in Bar Harbor



The waves and wind are relentless against the little skiff, but theyre desperate to protect their livelihood



@amlikethewind for @NBCNews pic.twitter.com/48C9trldfF  Marissa Parra NBC (@MarParNews) September 16, 2023

17:15 , Kelly Rissman

Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee Causes Power Problems

In parts of Canada, residents are already suffering from power outages. On Saturday, over 100,000 people in Nova Scotia and over 40,000 in New Brunswick were dealing with no power.

Crews have been able to restore power to some customers ... however, conditions are getting worse. In many cases, especially when winds are above 80 km/h, it isnt safe for our crews, said Matt Drover of the Nova Scotia electric utility told Reuters.

16:44 , Kelly Rissman

An update from National Hurricane Center Director Dr Michael Brennan

Dr Brennan said that eastern Maine, southwestern Nova Scotia, and southern New Brunswick are likely to be impacted first  as soon as in the next few hours.

While the storm has been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, Dr Brennan said that the storm still has hurricane-force winds, with some areas experiencing gusts from 50-90mph, depending on the areas elevation.

He warned residents of Maine to stay inside for the next few hours or for the rest of the day, if possible.

Dr Brennan added that some areas are already experiencing significant power outages.

Watch the full update here.

16:11 , Kelly Rissman

National Hurricane 11am Advisory

The center of Lee is forecast to make landfall near or just east of the U.S./Canada border this afternoon. Lee is then expected to turn toward the northeast and move across Atlantic Canada tonight and Sunday, the National Hurricane Center predicted.

Its expected to to be at or just below hurricane strength when it makes landfall later today, and is supposed to weaken throughout the weekend.

Winds have lessened a bit from earlier this morning, and are now moving at 75mph as the storm is just 105 miles from Eastport, Maine.

Environment Canada has upgraded the Tropical Storm Watch to a Tropical Storm Warning for Prince Edward Island, Magdalen Islands, and portions of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, the advisory wrote. The Tropical Storm Warning has been discontinued from Westport, RI to Portsmouth, NH, including Marthas Vineyard and Nantucket.

15:45 , Kelly Rissman

Footage from Nova Scotia

Meteorologist Reed Timmer captured the storm scene from Baccaro Point lighthouse in Novia Scotia.

Live update from Baccaro Point lighthouse with powerful post-tropical cyclone Lee approaching with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. Watch out for flying donair. Over 60,000 power outages in Nova Scotia already. @accuweather pic.twitter.com/gz5ZrwdvPt  Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerAccu) September 16, 2023

15:14 , Kelly Rissman

Millions under storm watch as Lee threatens to hit the east coast

Millions are under storm watch as Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee is forecast to brush the New England coast before making landfall later Saturday in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, which along with New Brunswick will see the brunt of it.

But Lees effects were expected to be felt over an immense area. The National Hurricane Center predicted hurricane-force winds extending more than 100 miles (161 kilometers) from Lees center with lesser but still dangerous tropical storm-force gusts up to 345 miles (555 kilometers) miles outward.

14:45 , Kelly Rissman

According to an 8am advisory from the National Hurricane Centre...

A hurricane watch is in effect for:

New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Point Lepreau, including Grand Manan Island

Nova Scotia from Digby to Ecum Secum

A tropical storm warning is in effect for:

Westport Massachusetts northward to the U.S./Canada border

Marthas Vineyard

Nantucket

New Brunswick from the U.S./Canada border to Fort Lawrence, including Grand Manan Island

New Brunswick from Shediac to Tidnish

Nova Scotia from Fort Lawrence to Point Tupper

14:15 , Kelly Rissman

Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee is expected to make landfall on Saturday

Post-Tropical Cyclone #Lee Advisory 44A: Lee Expected to Make Landfall Later Today. Strong Winds, Coastal Flooding, and Heavy Rains Already Occurring in Portions of New England and Atlantic Canada. https://t.co/tW4KeGe9uJ  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 16, 2023

Hurricane Lee expected to be a large and dangerous storm when it reaches New England and Atlantic Canada

14:00 , Graig Graziosi

The National Hurricane Centre warned on Friday that Hurricane Lee would arrive in New England and Atlantic Canada as a large and dangerous storm.

The centre reported on Friday that Hurricane Lee was continuing to move further away from Bermuda and closer to New England and Atlantic Canada.

The storm is expected to bring hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 105mph(165km/h) with tropical storm-force winds extending outward up to 320 miles (520km) when it reaches eastern New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces.

Sinkhole swallows cars in wake of Massachusetts flooding in Massachusetts

13:00 , Graig Graziosi

A trio of cars were left dangling on the edges of a sinkhole outside a dealership in Massachusetts following severe flooding in the area earlier this week.

The sinkhole opened up in the city of Leominster after heavy rains destabilised the ground and opened up a 15-foot deep chasm.

Public works crews expressed concerns that the flood and subsequent sinkhole might have weakened the foundation of a home near the affected area. The couple living in the house were forced to leave on Monday night.

READ MORE

Sinkhole swallows cars in wake of devastating flooding in Massachusetts

WATCH: Hurricane Lee leaves a fingerprint on the Outer Banks

12:00 , Graig Graziosi

Lee downgraded to post-tropical storm

11:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Storm Lee has become a post-tropical cyclone as it approaches Nova Scotia but it is still producing hurricane-force winds, the US National Hurricane Center said on Saturday.

According to the 5am update, winds were still gusting at 8mph.

Storm Lee is about 220 miles from Eastport, Maine and 230 miles from Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is moving north-northeast at the speed of 25 mph.

Earth is outside its safe operating space for humanity on most key measurements, study says

11:00 , Graig Graziosi

Earth is exceeding its safe operating space for humanity in six of nine key measurements of its health and two of the remaining three are headed in the wrong direction, a new study has said.

Earths climate, biodiversity, land, freshwater, nutrient pollution and novel chemicals (human-made compounds like microplastics and nuclear waste) are all out of whack, a group of international scientists said in the journal Science Advances.

Only the acidity of the oceans, the health of the air and the ozone layer are within the boundaries considered safe and both ocean and air pollution are heading in the wrong direction, the study said.

We are in very bad shape, said study co-author Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany.

We show in this analysis that the planet is losing resilience and the patient is sick.

Read more

Earth is outside its safe operating space for humanity, study says

Hurricane Lee projected to make landfall in Nova Scotia

10:40 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Hurricane Lee is projected to make landfall in Nova Scotia sometime after 3pm ADT or perhaps later in New Brunswick with winds below hurricane force, according to the Canadian Hurricane Center.

The potential path could take the storm right into the Bay of Fundy, which separates the two provinces and has one of the highest tides in the world, with the difference between high and low tide as much as 12 metres.

The US National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for hundreds of miles of coastline from Massachusetts to Nova Scotia, affecting some nine million people.

We encourage all of those in the path of this large and dangerous storm to remain alert, the White House said as president Joe Biden issued an emergency declaration for Maine.

The enormity of Hurricane Lee on display thanks to satellite photos

10:00 , Graig Graziosi

This Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, 7:10a.m. EDT satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Lee in the Atlantic Ocean. Maine was under its first hurricane watch in 15 years and a state of emergency declared Thursday by Gov. Janet Mills. The hurricane watch applied to eastern Maine, while the rest of the state and an area extending south through Massachusetts was under a tropical storm warning. (NOAA via AP) (AP)

Hurricane Lee latest update

09:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Hurricane Lee was located about 250 miles south-southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, according to the National Hurricane Centers latest advisory.

It was gusting at a speed of 80mph on its path that could lead to landfall in Nova Scotia, possibly as a tropical storm.

On the forecast track, the center of Lee will continue to approach the coast of New England and Atlantic Canada through Saturday, the hurricane centre said.

Lee is then expected to turn toward the north-northeast and northeast and move across Atlantic Canada Saturday night and Sunday.

The probable path of Hurricane Lee (National Hurricane Center)

Tropical Depression 15 likely to become Hurricane Nigel in coming days

09:00 , Graig Graziosi

The National Hurricane Centre said Tropical Depression 15, which formed Friday morning in the Atlantic Ocean, would likely become Hurricane Nigel, and had the potential to develop into a major storm in the coming days.

The storm is expected to stay out at sea  much like Hurricane Margot, which is still churning in the Atlantic  the storm is the third hurricane in as many weaks to spin up.

Through September 13, the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season is above average for all tropical cyclone parameters that we track at Colorado State University, hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach tweeted earlier this week.

Biden approves emergency declaration for Main ahead of Hurricane Lee landfall

08:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

President Joe Biden on Friday approved the emergency in Main as Hurrican Lee approached the north-eastern part of the country.

About seven million people are now under tropical storm warnings across New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts.I thank President Biden for his swift approval of my request for an Emergency Disaster Declaration, which will give us access to additional resources as we work to keep Maine people safe during this storm, said Maine governor Janet Mills.

I continue to strongly urge all Maine people, especially those Down East, to take the necessary precautions to stay safe as Hurricane Lee moves closer.

The presidents approval authorises the federal department of homeland security and emergency management agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts.

08:00 , Graig Graziosi

How hard will Hurricane Lee hit New England?

Well, the cold North Atlantic may decide that.

New England is known for its fickle weather, powerful noreasters and blizzards.

Destructive hurricanes, however, are relatively rare and typically dont pack the same punch as tropical cyclones that hit the southeast.

Heres why the geography matters when it comes to Lees likely impact on the region.

READ MORE

How hard will Hurricane Lee hit New England? The cold North Atlantic may decide that

East Coast states prepare for Lee landfall

07:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Massachusetts governor Maura Healey joined Maine in declaring a state of emergency and asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency to issue a pre-disaster emergency declaration.

She also activated up to 50 National Guard members to help with storm preparations, including operating highwater vehicles to respond to flooded areas.

As weve seen in recent weeks, severe weather is not to be taken lightly. Flooding, wind damage, downed trees, tree limbs  all these things create real hazards and problems for people, Ms Healey said.

East Hampton, New York, barred swimming and, in at least some places, even walking on beaches because of dangerous surf.

Caution tape was strung up along the edge of the sand at the tony second-home communitys picturesque Main Beach, where waves already were roiling Friday afternoon, News12 Long Island reported.

In Rhode Island, governor Dan McKee said crews were working to secure the iconic 11-foot-tall Independent Man statue atop the State House dome. Workers wanted to safeguard the 500-pound statue against the storms wind and rain after a drone recently captured footage showing damage to the base.

In Maine, where people are accustomed to damaging winter noreasters, some brushed aside the coming Lee as something akin to those storms only without the snow.

We fear noreasters up here more than the remnants of a tropical storm, Andrea Silverthorne, who works in reception and reservations at the Inn on the Wharf in Lubec, Maines easternmost town, told the Associated Press.

07:00 , Graig Graziosi

Hurricane Lee to strike weather-worn New England after heavy rain, flooding and tornadoes

After a deluge of rain, flooding, sinkholes and tornadoes this week, New England is about to face Hurricane Lee.

As the Category 1 system impacted Bermuda, Maine was under its first hurricane watch in 15 years and a state of emergency declared Thursday by state governor Janet Mills. The water-logged region prepared for 20ft waves offshore and winds of up to 80mph, along with more rain.

The hurricane watch applied to eastern Maine, while the rest of the state and an area extending south through Massachusetts was under a tropical storm warning. Powerful winds and coastal flooding were expected to arrive on Friday afternoon in southern New England and spread north.

Although Lee did not contribute to the flooding that hit New England earlier in the week, it threatened to exacerbate conditions in a region that is already waterlogged.

The Coast Guard and emergency management agencies warned New England residents to be prepared, and utility companies brought in reinforcements to deal with any power outages.

Read more:

Hurricane Lee to strike weather-worn New England after heavy rain, flooding and tornadoes

Canadian PM convenes meeting to discuss Hurricane Lee

06:30 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Prime minister Justin Trudeau on Friday convened the incident response group, which meets only to discuss events with major implications for Canada.

Consisting of Cabinet ministers and senior officials, it was previously convened over events including the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and the record wildfire season this year.

Ian Hubbard, a meteorologist for Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Canadian Hurricane Centre, told the Associated Press that Lee wont be anywhere near the severity of the remnants of Hurricane Fiona, which washed houses into the ocean, knocked out power to most of two provinces and swept a woman into the sea a year ago.

But it was still a dangerous storm. Kyle Leavitt, director of the New Brunswick Emergency Management Organization, urged residents to stay home, saying, nothing good can come from checking out the big waves and how strong the wind truly is.

Hurricane Lee in images: A surfer takes advantage of waves produced by the storm

06:00 , Graig Graziosi

Surfers in New York and New England took their boards out one last time on Friday before Hurricane Lee arrives in the region on Saturday.

Surfers spend a day at Rockaway Beach as impact from Hurricane Lee delvers large surf and rip tides to much of the Northeast on September 14, 2023 in New York City (Getty Images)

16:53 , Kelly Rissman

Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee Causing Power OutagesIn Nova Scotia, over 130,000 people were without power on Saturday, while in New Brunswick over 40,000 people were dealing with power outages.

Crews have been able to restore power to some customers ... however, conditions are getting worse. In many cases, especially when winds are above 80 km/h, it isnt safe for our crews, said Matt Drover of the Nova Scotia electric utility told Reuters.

WATCH: Maritimers buckle down for Hurricane Lee

04:59 , Graig Graziosi

Residents of Canadas Maritime Providences prepared Friday for Hurricane Lee, which is expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon.

Watch how they prepare for the storm below.

Coastal Maine could see 15-feet high waves due to Hurricane Lee

04:33 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

The storm is projected to be more than 400 miles wide with tropical-storm-force winds when it reaches land, creating worries of power outages in Maine, the nation's most heavily forested state, where the ground is saturated and trees are weakened from heavy summer rains.

Lee remained a hurricane with 80mph winds at night as it headed toward New England and eastern Canada with 20-foot ocean swells, strong winds and rain.

Forecasters said there would be winds topping 40mph across the region, with peak winds reaching upward of 65mph ahead of landfall expected today.

While landfall was projected for nearby Nova Scotia, the Category 1 system was big enough to cause concerns over a wide area even if it weakens to a tropical storm.

Parts of coastal Maine could see waves up to 15-feet high crashing down, causing erosion and damage, and the strong gusts will cause power outages, said Louise Fode, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Maine.

As much as 5 inches of rain was forecast for eastern Maine, where a flash flood watch was in effect.

NOAA model shows Hurricane Lees predicted trajectory

04:00 , Graig Graziosi

The NOAA has released a new trajectory model showing the predicted path Hurricane Lee will take when it makes landfall near the US and Canadian borders on Saturday.

Hurricane Lee is a Category 1 storm, and is expected to bring high winds and strong storm surges to the region.

An NOAA map showing the predicted trajectory of Hurricane Lee as it continues on its path through New England and eastern Canada (NOAA)

How hard will Hurricane Lee hit New England?

03:49 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

New England is known for its fickle weather, powerful noreasters and blizzards. Destructive hurricanes, however, are relatively rare and typically dont pack the same punch as tropical cyclones that hit the Southeast.

New England, in the crosshairs of Hurricane Lee, is usually protected from the worst of a hurricanes wrath by the cold waters of the North Atlantic, and thats expected to help reduce Lee to a tropical storm by the time it arrives by today morning

A number of factors determine the path and strength of a hurricane. But the warm waters that can strengthen a hurricane are typically south of Cape Cod. North of there, the Atlantic waters are much colder

More here.

How hard will Hurricane Lee hit New England? The cold North Atlantic may decide that

More than 3 million people under hurricane or tropical storm watches

03:00 , Graig Graziosi

More than 3 million people between New England and Canadas Maritime Provinces are under either tropical storm or hurricane watches as Hurricane Lee moves closer to landfall.

The hurricane is expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon.

The storm is forecast to produce winds of up to 75mph (121km/h) in the affected region.

CBS News senior weather and climate producer David Parkinson predicted that the Maritime Provinces would see the worst of the storm, but noted that 15 foot waves would likely batter New England as the storm moves through.

Today is the last day to prepare warns meteorologist as Hurricane Lee closes in on New England

02:00 , Graig Graziosi

Stephanie Abrams, a meteorologist with The Weather Channel, warned residents of New England and Canadas Maritime Provinces that today was the last day to prepare before Hurricane Lee arrives with strong winds, 2 to 4 inches (50-100ml) of rain, and signficant storm surges.

Today is the last day to preparshe told CBS Mornings on Friday. Conditions go downhill tonight, and tomorrow, Lee will be battering parts of New England. The strongest winds are expected to be along the coast.

Hurricane Lee is expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon.

WATCH: Hurricane Lee and travel impacts

01:00 , Graig Graziosi

Nasa reveals how much hotter 2023 summer was than average

Saturday 16 September 2023 00:00 , Graig Graziosi

Warming seas, caused by the fossil fuel-driven climate criss, have helped to produce more severe hurricanes in recent years.

As Hurricane Lee closes in on New England and Canadas Maritime Provinces, NASA has marked 2023 as the hottest year on record, The Independents Stuti Mishra reports.

Earth recorded its hottest summer on record this year, data from the American space agency Nasa and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa) confirmed in new maps that reveal how quickly the world is heating up.

The last three months had the hottest summer in the Northern Hemisphere and the warmest winter in the Southern Hemisphere, Nasa and Noaa said on Wednesday in a release.

READ MORE

This was the hottest summer ever recorded on Earth, Nasa map reveals

Rhode Island works to secure Independent Man statue atop the capitol before Hurricane Lee arrives

Friday 15 September 2023 23:00 , Graig Graziosi

Governor Dan McKee of Rhode Island told the Associated Press that crews were working to secure the states iconic 11-foot-tall Independent Man statue above the State House dome on Friday before Hurricane Lees winds blow in on Saturday.

The 500-pound statue was shored up against the storms rain and winds.

Crews work atop the Rhode Island State House to secure the Independent Man statue and its base, revealed by drone footage to be separating from the dome. This was not part of the exterior restoration work, says @GovDanMcKee - cost is yet to be determined. -SK #WPRO pic.twitter.com/Oc9GXJXCmH  NewsTalk 99.7 & AM 630 WPRO (@wpro) September 15, 2023

Beaches close ahead of Hurricane Lee

Friday 15 September 2023 22:00 , Graig Graziosi

East Hampton, New York, shuttered its beaches on Friday ahead of Hurricane Lee.

Swimming  and in some cases even walking  at the beach was prohibited due to the dangerous surf rolling in as a result of the storm.

Local officials put up caution tape along the sand at Main Beach to ward off any last minute swimmers before the storms effects are felt in full, accoridng to News12 Long Island.

Rough surf spotted off the coast of North Carolina as Hurricane Lee makes it way north

Friday 15 September 2023 21:47 , Graig Graziosi

An X/Twitter user captured video of rough surf off the coast of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, stirred up by the churning of Hurricane Lee.

The storm is barreling north, where it is expected to make landfall on Saturday near the US-Canada border.

Surfers in New England and the Maritime Provinces have taken advantage of the 10 to 15 foot waves produced by the storm, but local emergency officials have warned that residents should seek shleter before the storm arrives in earnest late tomorrow afternoon.

This is the inlet at Wrightsville Beach North Carolina! The back of Hurricane Lee is packing a wallop as the tough surf crashes into the jetty The coastline is taking a beating with significant beach erosion! #HurricaneLee pic.twitter.com/vOIBhZOCyS  Rocco DiBari (@G12Rocco) September 15, 2023

Canadian Prime Minister calls incident response group as Canadian residents warned to stay home

Friday 15 September 2023 21:19 , Graig Graziosi

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau convened the nations incident response group on Friday ahead of Hurricane Lee.

The group consists of Cabinet ministers and senior officials, and is only convened ahead of or in response to events with major implications for the nation.

The storm is expected to bring 2 to 4 inches of rain to New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces as well as high winds and substantial storm surges.

Residents in Canada were urged not to let curiosity get the best of them and instead stay inside and safe during the storm.

Nothing good can come from checking out the big waves and how strong the wind truly is, Kyle Leavitt, director of the New Brunswick Emergency Management Organization, said Friday, according to the Associated Press.

WATCH: North Carolina prepares for Hurricane Lee

Friday 15 September 2023 21:00 , Graig Graziosi

Utility workers pour into New England as residents pull out ahead of Hurricane Lee

Friday 15 September 2023 20:38 , Graig Graziosi

Utility workers poured into New England on Friday in preparation for Hurricane Lees landfall on Saturday. The outer rain bands are already approaching the region, and forecasters have predicted high winds could topple powerlines and cause outages when the storm arrives.

At the same time, residents in coastal communities like Bar Harbor, Maine are pulling out of the area ahead of the storm. Mariners are returning home and many have reportedly been pulling their boats out of marinas in anticipation of storm surges resulting from the hurricane, according to the Associated Press.

Hurricane Lees outer rain bands are approaching New England

Friday 15 September 2023 20:13 , Graig Graziosi

The outer rain bands of Hurricane Lee are on their way to New England as the storm barrels towards the east coast of the US and Canada.

The hurricane is expected to dump between 2 and 4 inches (50-100ml) of rain in eastern Maine, western Nova Scotia, and portions of New Brunswick.

The percipitation  following on the heels of a previous storm system that rolled over the region  could produce small stream and localised flooding in the region.

Hurricane Lee expected to be a large and dangerous storm when it reaches New England and Atlantic Canada

Friday 15 September 2023 19:41 , Graig Graziosi

The National Hurricane Centre warned on Friday that Hurricane Lee would arrive in New England and Atlantic Canada as a large and dangerous storm.

The centre reported on Friday that Hurricane Lee was continuing to move further away from Bermuda and closer to New England and Atlantic Canada.

The storm is expected to bring hurricane-force winds extending outward up to 105mph(165km/h) with tropical storm-force winds extending outward up to 320 miles (520km) when it reaches eastern New England and the Canadian Maritime Provinces.

Satellite images capture the first bands of Hurricane Lee moving across New England and Maritime Provinces

Friday 15 September 2023 18:59 , Graig Graziosi

The GOESEast satellite captured images of Hurricane Lees bands moving across New England and Canadas Maritime Provinces on Friday.

Both Maine and Massachusetts have issued states of emergency, with the latter activating its National Guard in preparation for the storms landfall on Saturday.

#GOESEast has been capturing absolutely stunning imagery of Hurricane #Lee today. That cirrus shield though .... pic.twitter.com/j3xMZGVbxB  UW-Madison CIMSS (@UWCIMSS) September 15, 2023

New NOAA shows Hurricane Lees predicted trajectory

Friday 15 September 2023 18:30 , Graig Graziosi

The NOAA has released a new trajectory model showing the predicted path Hurricane Lee will take when it makes landfall near the US and Canadian borders on Saturday.

Hurricane Lee is a Category 1 storm, and is expected to bring high winds and strong storm surges to the region.

An NOAA map showing the predicted trajectory of Hurricane Lee as it continues on its path through New England and eastern Canada (NOAA)

Massachusetts declares state of emergency

Friday 15 September 2023 18:16 , Graig Graziosi

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has declared a state of emergency and has activated the National Guard ahead of Hurricane Lees arrival in the region later this evening.

The storm is continuing its push north in the Atlantic Ocean. Forecasters believe that the eastern edge of the storm will brush Cape Cod and coastal Massachusetts on its way toward the easternmost Canadian provinces.

Tropical storm warnings are in effect for Cape Cod, the Islands, and coastal Massachusetts. Wind speeds are predicted to reach up to 60mph (97km/h) on Saturday.

The National Weather Service said heavy rains are not anticipated for that region.
Ukrainian power engineers have prepared schedules of power outages in case of serious damage to the energy infrastructure caused by Russian attacks, but so far no outages are planned.

Source: Svitlana Hrynchuk, Ukraines Deputy Minister of Energy, on the air of the national 24/7 newscast

Quote: "When it comes to the readiness of generation and distribution networks, we do not plan outages, we do not plan blackouts. But we have one big challenge, which are repeated Russian attacks on our energy system. Naturally, we expect them. Our and foreign intelligence [services] say the Russians plan to continue attacks on the energy system.

However, this time our power engineers have more knowledge, and we have a better air defence system... We hope that this year we will be able to be more ready for attacks and recover faster if there is still some damage.

We do not plan blackouts and outages, but the distribution system operators have prepared outage schedules if suddenly the Russian attacks and damage are such that we have to implement these schedules."

Earlier: The Ministry of Energy said it had no plans to apply blackout schedules from 1 October.

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(CNN)  The United Arab Emirates has contradicted claims by the Nigerian government that it is to lift a year-long visa ban on Nigerian travelers.

An official from the Gulf state told CNN: There are no changes on the Nigeria/UAE travel status so far.

The source asked not to be named because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

The UAE said in a notice last October it will no longer issue visas to citizens from Nigeria and 19 other African nations. It did not provide further details. Obtaining a 30-day tourist visa was relatively easy until the UAE abruptly stopped issuing the visas to Nigerian nationals.

Flights between both countries were stopped last year after Dubais Emirates airline suspended its operations in Nigeria citing trapped revenues.

The carrier said it could not access and repatriate its funds amounting to $85 million withheld in Nigeria.

Earlier this week, Nigerias President Bola Tinubu met with UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi where both men finalized a historic agreement, according to a statement released by the Nigerian government.

The government said in the statement that the agreement paved the way for the lifting of the visa ban, including the immediate resumption of flights between both countries.

Furthermore, by this historic agreement, both Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are to immediately resume flight schedules into and out of Nigeria, without any further delay, a statement by Nigerias presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said.

However, a statement by the UAE government later Monday said both leaders had during the meeting, explored opportunities for further bilateral collaboration with the hope of reinforcing ties between the UAE and Nigeria, but did not mention lifting the visa ban or flights restarting.

In a follow-up statement, Nigerian government spokesman Ngelale said officials from both countries needed more time to finalize agreement details, contradicting his earlier statement.

Given the agreement struck between the two Heads of State, there is need to allow cabinet officials from both sides to work out the finer details and finalize the cross-sectoral agreements, he said, adding that Everyone can now allow the process to work itself out organically, devoid of speculation.

An elites playground

There was much jubilation from excited Nigerians when it was announced that the visa ban was lifted.

Dubai is a popular destination for thousands of Nigerian tourists. It is also a haven for real-estate investors from the country.

Before the pandemic, Nigerians ranked among Dubais largest foreign real-estate investors, with investments valued at nearly $2 billion, according to local media reports citing the Dubai Land Department.

Before the ban, Emirates Airlines operated two daily flights from Lagos, Nigeria, to Dubai, and one daily flight from the capital Abuja to Dubai.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy congratulated the Ukrainian Jewish community on their New Year, Rosh Hashanah, in his evening address on Sept. 15.

Read also: Thousands of Hasidic Jews gather in Uman for Prayer for Peace in Ukraine

"I congratulate everyone who is celebrating and wish the next year to be peaceful  finally peaceful  for the whole of Ukraine, for all our people," the president said.

Ukraine deserves peace because it is doing everything to win.

In his social media posts, the Ukrainian leader also wished that the New Year "will bring a new beginning and hope for a brighter future, give strength for the victory of good over evil and restoration of peace."

Earlier, Zelenskyy met with representatives of the Ukrainian Jewish community at the Presidents Office.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, which this year fell on Sept. 15-17.

Meanwhile, Hasidic Jewish pilgrims flocked to the central Ukrainian city of Uman to celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

Read also: Russia spreads fake news about alleged terror plot in Uman, Kyiv says

The grave of Tzadik Nachman at the Jewish cemetery in Uman is a place of pilgrimage for Hasidim from all over the world, and every year they come there to celebrate Rosh Hashanah.

Before the full-scale war, 20,000 to 40,000 Hasidim came to Uman. In 2022, despite the full-scale Russian invasion, more than 23,000 pilgrims came to the city, and this year, more than 30,000 were expected to visit.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as of the morning of Sept. 15, more than 32,000 Hasidic pilgrims had arrived in Uman.

This year, both Ukrainian and Israeli police officers are on duty at the pilgrimage sites.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
CAIRO (Reuters) - A court in Cairo on Saturday sentenced prominent publisher and activist Hisham Kassem, who had recently stepped up his criticism of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's rule, to six months in prison, his lawyer said.

Kassem is a leader of al-Tayar al-Hurr, or Free Current, a newly formed liberal group. The movement has appealed for political change to address an economic crisis and said it could field a candidate in presidential elections due to be held by early 2024.

No serious challenge is expected against Sisi, a former army chief who has continued backing from the security forces.

Kassem was convicted of libel and slander against a former cabinet minister and verbally assaulting officers at a police station after he was detained, said his lawyer, Nasser Amin. The economic court that issued the verdict also fined him 20,000 Egyptian pounds ($645).

An appeal hearing had been set for Oct. 7, Amin said.

Kassem's detention last month came after he had strongly criticised Sisi and the way he has led Egypt since 2014 in social media posts. Kassem, a former publisher of Al-Masry Al-Youm newspaper, had started then suspended a hunger strike while in detention.

Sisi has presided over a far-reaching crackdown on political dissent that has swept up critics from across the political spectrum.

Authorities have taken several steps since late 2021 that they say are aimed at addressing rights, including launching a human rights strategy and ending a state of emergency, but critics have dismissed the measures as largely cosmetic.

Some high-profile detainees have been pardoned or freed, but activists say new detentions have outnumbered releases and thousands of political prisoners remain in jail, with restrictions on free speech as tight as ever.

This week, the United States allowed much of its annual foreign military aid to Egypt to go ahead, saying the country was vital for U.S. national security interests.

(Reporting by Aidan Lewis and Omar Abdel-Razek; Editing by Nick Macfie)
A house in suburban Blue Springs exploded Friday afternoon, injuring three people inside, following a propane issue that occurred while a gas company was performing work there, according to police.

One of the three adults was taken to the hospital with critical injuries, Blue Springs Sgt. Ben McRae said at the scene. The other two suffered injuries described as minor.

The ranch-style structure sat in shambles, cordoned off by police tape, as investigators were working on the scene Friday evening. It appeared on the verge of collapse, its windows blown out and portions of the roof separated from the sides, near piles of brick.

An emergency call for the explosion came in around 2 p.m. about the home near the corner of East Pink Hill and Northeast Jellison roads, McRae said. As of Friday evening, the exact cause remained under investigation.

The Missouri State Fire Marshal was on scene along with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA. Blue Springs police were working with those agencies on Friday evening to determine who would ultimately handle the investigation.
Donald Trump may soon be hit with a limited gag order requested by federal prosecutors to Judge Tanya S. Chutkan, expressing concern that the former president's targeted rants on social media have led to several people receiving threats  including special counsel, Jack Smith.

"Since the indictment in this case, the defendant has spread disparaging and inflammatory public posts on Truth Social on a near-daily basis regarding the citizens of the District of Columbia, the court, prosecutors and prospective witnesses," prosecutors wrote. "Like his previous public disinformation campaign regarding the 2020 presidential election, the defendant's recent extrajudicial statements are intended to undermine public confidence in an institution  the judicial system  and to undermine confidence in and intimidate individuals  the court, the jury pool, witnesses and prosecutors."

The New York Times highlights in their coverage of the gag order that, "last month, at a public hearing in Federal District Court in Washington, Judge Chutkan sent an open shot across Mr. Trump's bow, telling his lawyers that she would not tolerate any remarks from the former president that might 'intimidate witnesses or prejudice potential jurors.' This gag order will solidify that she meant what she said.

On Friday evening, Trump responded to Smith's request by doing the thing he's being asked not to do. In a statement made on Truth Social, he wrote, "Biden Prosecutor, Deranged Jack Smith, has asked the Court to limit 45th President, and leading Republican Nominee (by more than 50 points, & beating Dems!) DONALD J. TRUMP'S, PUBLIC STATEMENTS. So, I'm campaigning for President against an incompetent person who has WEAPONIZED the DOJ & FBI to go after his Political Opponent, & I am not allowed to COMMENT? They Leak, Lie, & Sue, & they won't allow me to SPEAK? How else would I explain that Jack Smith is DERANGED, or Crooked Joe is INCOMPETENT?"
Driver Milton Barnes poses for a photo with customer David Bunn in front of his RIDE van in Wilson, N.C. on Aug. 24, 2023. The city of Wilson, North Carolina, ended its bus service in September 2020 to offer on-demand van trips anywhere in town for less than $3 a ride. Even during the pandemic, which sent public transit ridership plummeting, it surged 300% in Wilson. (Courtesy of Milton Barnes via AP)

When a small city abruptly parked all its buses to launch a publicly subsidized van service offering $1.50 trips anywhere in town, only one of its bus drivers  a big-city transplant  went along for the ride.

Milton Barnes used to oversee packed subway stations in Washington, D.C., a far cry from the sparsely filled buses he drove after moving to Wilson, North Carolina, to care for his elderly parents. Although transit ridership plummeted almost everywhere due to the pandemic, it has been surging in Wilson since its September 2020 switch from a fixed-route system to an on-demand one powered by a smartphone app.

All day long Im picking up people and dropping them off, Barnes, 59, the only driver to work under both systems, said while driving his van on a typically busy morning. When youve got door-to-door, corner-to-corner service, its going to be more popular.

Long wait times made the bus route almost unusable for David Bunn, even when his car broke down and he couldn't afford to replace it. Instead, Bunn, who has two broken discs in his back, would take a 5-mile (8-kilometer) roundtrip walk to pick up groceries. Then he spotted one of the public vans and dialed the phone number posted in a rear window.

I dont have to walk everywhere I want to go now, said Bunn, 64. They come pick me up, theyre respectful, and theyre very professional. Its a great asset to Wilson and a great service to me.

The city of less than 50,000 people is frequently cited as a model for how less-populated areas can capitalize on transit in the same way as bustling metropolises.

Wilson landed federal and state infrastructure grants to support the shared, public rides residents summon  usually within 15 minutes  through a service operating like Uber and Lyft, but at a fraction of the cost to riders. Trips are now $2.50, a dollar more than they were at launch, and Bunn quips, you can't drive a Pinto for that.

Other communities in North Carolina and elsewhere took notice and have tapped into available public funding to start programs of their own, heightening Wilson's competition for continuing grant money.

These smaller-scale, tech-based solutions to public transportation problems, known broadly as microtransit, have emerged as a great equalizer in the battle for infrastructure dollars that has traditionally pit the bus, train and subway needs of urban areas against the road construction projects sought by rural communities.

We dont view transit as something only for big cities, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told The Associated Press. We want people to benefit wherever they live, including in less-dense, rural areas. The point of transit is not to have a bus. The point of transit is getting people where they need to be.

Ryan Brumfield, director of the North Carolinas Department of Transportation integrated mobility division, said Wilsons transition to microtransit came largely by necessity. Officials seeking to lower Wilson's sluggish unemployment rate first had to address the fact that in some pockets of the 23-square-mile (59-square-kilometer) city, as many as 3 in 10 residents lacked access to a car to get to work.

That combination of a lot of people needing a service and it happens to be fairly dense makes on-demand a perfect fit, Brumfield said.

More than half the rides are for residents using the vans to maintain or get employment, said Rodger Lentz, Wilsons assistant city manager who pushed for the switch.

But need and convenience weren't the only reasons behind the city's 300% spike in public transit ridership. Image was a factor, too.

In small, southern towns, the perception of public transportation is that its for the low-income, said Gronna Jones, Wilson's transportation manager. Theres a stigma attached to riding the bus. Going to microtransit and nontraditional vehicles removed that stigma.

Wilson partnered with New York-based Via, one of the nations top microtransit companies, to create the software and launch the on-demand public van service known as RIDE.

Via started operations seven years earlier with what was then a consumer service offering shared van rides in parts of Manhattans Upper East Side where the New York City subway didnt go. But founder and CEO Daniel Ramot said he always considered Via a public transit company, not a private competitor to Uber, though it took a while for cities to buy in.

We literally could not get a meeting, Ramot said. They said it was the dumbest idea theyd ever heard, that it was never going to work, that public transit was buses and trains.

The first city to sign a public contract with Via was the Texas capital of Austin, where certain corridors were adequately served by city buses but others were considered transit deserts. Since then, Via has expanded operations to fill the transportation gaps in a broad range of communities in the U.S. and beyond.

On the Blackfeet Reservation in rural Montana, residents can use its app to order door-to-door rides. At one of the nations busiest airports, Chicagos OHare, overnight FedEx cargo workers now use it to get home.

Every movement is individual, said Melinda Metzger, executive director at PACE, a bus system in the Chicago area that teamed with Via this summer for the OHare pickup service. People are going different directions, and the biggest thing is patterns have changed. We have to understand and adjust to them.

Although the pandemic drastically altered the nation's transportation needs, it also helped illustrate one of microtransit's greatest assets: the ability to be nimble. Subway systems and even major bus lines lack flexibility to instantly change service as demand changes, but microtransit is designed exactly for such fluctuations, if it's tailored specifically to each community.

This is not the music man, where you just bring it from town to town, said Alvaro Villagran, director of federal programs at the Shared-Use Mobility Center, which helps grant recipients with microtransit projects. There are opportunities and challenges at the local level that need to be considered.

Still, the biggest challenge of all is largely universal: cost.

While the Biden administration has prioritized mass transit and microtransit projects, providing grants through the $1 trillion infrastructure law enacted in 2021, there is soaring demand for a limited amount of money.

Even Wilson wont be able to operate under its microtransit pilot program forever without finding new ways to pay for it, said Kai Monast, associate director of the Institute for Transportation Research and Education at North Carolina State University.

Monast predicts that although Wilson will remain committed to microtransit, the community eventually will return in part to a fixed-route system, adjusted heavily from the data gathered through years of on-demand van rides. But he trusts the city's creativity to make it more efficient.

It could be that theyll find an answer that has never existed before, Monast said.

___

McMurray reported from Chicago.
DORAL  Among those seated at a roundtable during a recent lunch gathering were Cuban entrepreneurs, not an unusual sight in the Miami-Dade city burgeoning with ambitious, successful expatriates from other countries. Except that these business people, including one who specializes in international trade and another who is rolling out a chain of cafeterias, are owners of surging private businesses inside the communist country.

The visiting merchants, who asked not to be identified by name, are part of a fast-growing class of businesses in Cuba known as the "pyme," pronounced pee-meh. The word is a euphemism for small- and medium-sized businesses, or pequenas y medianas empresas in Spanish.

Cuban government statistics suggest the proliferation of pymes is a key reason the number of Cubans employed by non-state owned enterprises, at 1.6 million, far exceeds those working in government companies, 1.17 million.

"There's been a massive migration from the state sector, particularly the state enterprise sector, but from all over the state, really, to the private sector," said Ricardo Herrero, executive director of the Cuba Study Group in Washington, D.C., who attended the luncheon.

"You look at the numbers, and if you put yourself in the eyes of a hardline communist, they are not very flattering."

The tide of Cuban entrepreneurs may be about to swell even more.

Next week, the Biden administration is expected to announce new measures allowing Americans to assist Cuban pymes directly, including long-awaited specific guidelines for loans to these independent companies from financiers in South Florida and beyond. The access to greater capital sources could lead to a boom for existing Cuban private businesses as well as for those budding entrepreneurs needing money to turn start-up talk into action.

Which is one of the reasons the pymes owners were dining at the trendy Doral eatery that day, telling their stories and answering questions as they took a break from wooing potential financiers, suppliers and clients.

Cold War with Cuba commands attention, small businesses fly under the radar

Yet the flourishing of a capitalist-like sector within Cuba's economy in the past two years is a development that has flown under the attention radar across South Florida. When it comes to conversations about the Cold War adversary 90 miles offshore, the focus remains squarely on geopolitics, the immigration crisis from the Caribbean island and the repressiveness of the post-Castros regime in Havana.

That will be the case again on Monday, for example, when Cuban leader Miguel Diaz-Canel is scheduled to speak at the United Nations in New York. In the lead-up to that appearance, one of the topics circulating through media this week was the "trafficking" of Cuban men to Ukraine to assist in Moscow's brutal invasion of the neighboring country.

The scant attention given to an unprecedented, if even fledgling, financial reformation has frustrated those who advocate policies to bolster the fortunes and longevity of Cuba's entrepreneurs.

Herrero points out the 2021 reforms that legalized small and medium business creation and ownership in Cuba was a direct result of the stunning and inspiring Patria y Vida movement in July of that year. Images of the widespread street protests circulated globally through social media and sparked solidarity demonstrations along roadways across Florida, but also led to the imprisoning of hundreds of activists and participants on the island.

However, Herrero said a month later, the regime led by Diaz-Canel was forced to "fast-track" the economic reforms that created the pymes and allowed the Cuban citizen-owned businesses to pay their suppliers from bank accounts in other countries. He said Cuba's government had initially planned to approve the law, which was part of a group of measures languishing since 2011, this year.

"Basically, the reformers won a major round," Herrero said. "But it's frustrating because no one is calling a victory here. We really won a round after the protests because they were forced to fast-track this law."

In this Oct. 2022 photo, demonstrators and government officials argue during a demonstration after six days of hurricane-related electric power blackouts.

Divided by politics, can pymes businesses create a common interest between Florida, Cuba?

Statistically speaking, the scorecard on that W is telling. All told, the data suggests nearly 30% of the country's workforce, just shy of 6 million people, gets paychecks from businesses not managed by Cuba's communist rulers.

The catalyst, those touting pymes say, is the two-year-old law that essentially legalized the status of what are known in the United States as limited liability companies. Before then, Cuban law largely limited private enterprise to sole proprietors, such as a hairdresser who decided to open a living room salon.

Despite the success they have encountered, the entrepreneurs at the lunch noted major obstacles still impede growth. One is the dire state of the country's infrastructure, from a short-circuiting power grid to potholed roadways. Another is the virtually nonexistent banking system.

The latter is what is leading to them to court financing in America.

The U.S. Treasury Department, which enforces many U.S. embargo rules under the 1996 Helms-Burton Act, appears ready to issue regulations on loans to pymes. Up to now, U.S. law permitted such lending, cubanologists say, but absent the specifics of what is allowed in total dollar amounts or terms per loan, banks and other institutions have stayed on the sidelines.

Once the details are released, it could open a spigot of capital and scale up involvement by Cuban-Americans.

"I believe that if we are going to find a point of common interest that Cubans on the island and Cubans here recognize, it is this," said Joe Garcia, a former Democratic congressman from Miami.

Garcia, who now consults on commerce with Cuba, said the pymes speak to universal principles embodied by private business from "butchers, bakers and candlestick makers"  investment in local communities and helping people directly with employment and financial mobility.

"And this is part of the great success of South Florida, entrepreneurship," he said. "That's what you are seeing in Cuba. Many of these people are doing this with a deep sense of trying to help their country. They are doing quite well, many of them, but they are also making the sacrifice and the investment of staying in their country, which is very laudable."

Patria y Vida protests : Social media, independent press at core of Cuba uprising. A lesson for US policy?

In and away from Miami, Cuban economic reforms still met with deep-seeded skepticism

But at the lunch gathering, the Cuban entrepreneurs were also met with a dose of skepticism.

"How does Raul Castro get his mordida?" asked Ruben Roca, a 1960s-era exile, referring to the Spanish slang word for a cut of the profits, or payoff.

The zinger by Roca, a former executive for the developer that built the Bayside complex in downtown Miami, reflected a widely embraced suspicion held by Cuban-Americans and other skeptics. Namely, that any independent activity in Cuba that is not overtly dissident lacks authenticity or is umbilical to the communist government and party apparatus.

Another impediment is doubt among many stakeholders that reform in Cuba will be more than a short-term fix, said an international attorney who has worked on commercial and investment deals with Cuba.

Adolfo Garcia represented clients as varied as one vying to develop an industrial zone in the Port of Mariel, the site of the 1980 boatlift, and a telecommunications outfit proposing to extend a fiber optic cable from Florida to Cuba. He said "recent history" doesn't bode well for pymes.

Garcia, who is based in Boston but winters in Palm Beach, said he supported the engagement policy of President Barack Obama a decade ago believing commerce would, over time, soften the inflexibility of the Cuban body politic. But the optimism proved unwarranted, he said, as hardliners devoted to the late dictator Fidel Castro won elections, gained leverage and hammered the country with hardline policies.

"The fact is the opening not only didn't work, it did not succeed as Obama and people like me thought, but it strengthened tremendously the hand of the hardliners," said Garcia, who was not at the lunch meeting.

Yes, the growth of the pymes has been extraordinary, but Garcia said he is "not encouraged" because ultimately they will be viewed as a threat.

"Clearly it is a system that prizes and values political control, complete control and influence, of the communist party and does not want a rival power source, which is what a thriving economy, a thriving capitalist private sector, does," he said. "It creates a force that is indirectly powerful politically because it has economic strength. It has the ability to endorse causes and efforts separate from the decisions that the community party would make."

The best outcome, Garcia theorizes, is for the new entrepreneurial class to lower ambitions, not score too many sales, not serve too many customers and not make too much money.

"Ironically, they are better off by not being too successful," he said.

Cuba entrepreneurs seen as Trojan horses on both shores of the Florida Straits

The skepticism, the pymes owners gathered in Doral conceded, is understandable. They acknowledged their fates and fortunes are wedged between hardliners who want an orthodox communist society and reformists willing to ease the government's grip.

That reality is not lost on Garcia, the former congressman.

"The Cuban government can shut this down at any time," he said. "You have to work within that reality."

The paradox is that pymes are seen as Trojan horses on both sides of the Florida Straits. Ideological communists perceive them as a threat to the Cuban Revolution, now in its 64th year. Anti-communist exiles in South Florida suspect they are a front for the Castro brothers' successors.

Herrero with the Cuba Study Group said bringing the pymes into the U.S. banking system would allay some of the local pessimism.

The pymes would have to comply with banking know-your-customer vetting rules, which guard against money laundering and other financial misdeeds. Plus, it will be harder to paint pymes as communist government patsies the more they operate outside Cuba's financial network.

Beyond that, growing Cuba's entrepreneurial class is in the best interests of both Washington and Havana, he said.

Their success would alleviate the "horrendous" economic situation in Cuba, given that the country is financially broke and teetering toward becoming a base for Russian organized crime, he said.

"The legalized private sector wants relations with the U.S. and the Cuban-American community. It's their natural market," Herrero added. "This is a prime opportunity for us to play on the ground and help develop a formal and vibrant private sector in Cuba and not cede the ground to those who want to hand off Cuba to Russia, and help them turn it into a hub for money laundering and organized crime, which is what the Russians want to do."

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cuban pymes businesses boom after 2021 protests, eye access to US banks
Now a post-tropical cyclone, Lee made landfall on the far western tip of Nova Scotia on Saturday afternoon as it churned 65 mph sustained winds to parts of southeastern New England and Atlantic Canada, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm made landfall on Long Island in Nova Scotia around 4 p.m. Atlantic Time (3 p.m. ET). It will move across the Bay of Fundy and move inland around Maine and the New Brunswick, Canadian border on Saturday evening.

Lee is forecast to weaken within hours after its landfall, but it will still be capable of heavy rains, coastal flooding and high winds as it tracks across the region overnight and early Sunday.

More than 200,000 residents across Maine and Canadas New Brunswick and Nova Scotia are experiencing power outages. A tropical storm warning is in effect for some areas.

Utility power crews are in the field assessing damages and actively responding to downed utility lines and other damage caused by the storm.

A city worker watches a wave crashing along a walkway during Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee, Saturday, September 16, 2023, in Bar Harbor, Maine. - Robert F. Bukaty/AP

States of emergency have been declared in Maine and Massachusetts. President Biden has authorized the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to step in to coordinate disaster relief and assistance for required emergency measures.

Lee had maximum sustained wind speeds of 70 mph, according to an update from the National Hurricane Center, which is equivalent to tropical storm-force winds.

Tropical storm-force winds currently extend outward over 300 miles.

An observation in Knox County, Maine, recently reported a wind gust of 63 mph.

In addition to ferocious winds, Lee was expected to unleash up to six inches of rain in far northern Maine on Saturday, with neighboring New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island also at risk of seeing heavy precipitation.

A pine tree lays on power lines after it was knocked over by Post-Tropical Cyclone Lee on September 16, 2023, in Eastport, Maine. - Joe Raedle/Getty Images

As the New England coast feels the effects, Bostons Logan International Airport saw a spike in flight cancellations Saturday morning. According to the flight tracking website FlightAware, 23% of all flights into Boston and 24% of flights originating out of the city have been canceled Saturday, for a total of more than 117 flight cancellations so far.

At the coast from the Long Island Sound north through Maine, flooding of 1 to 3 feet above ground level is possible if Lees storm surge coincides with high tide, according to National Hurricane Center director Michael Brennan.

Canada and US residents along shore urged to stay indoors

National Hurricane Center deputy director Jamie Rhome warned that people should avoid driving near shores and urged them to stay home to ride out the storm. He also noted theres a high rip current risk extending from southern Florida stretching thousands of miles north to Maine.

The waves from this big hurricane produce a current that goes out to sea and will pull you out, Rhome said Friday evening in a brief video update. So, if youre going to go to the beach this weekend, swim near a lifeguard.

In anticipation of those dangerous waves, local officials in Toms River, New Jersey, barred swimming this weekend at Ortley Beach, according to a news release from the township. Violators may be ticketed.

Lifeguards will be on duty Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to enforce the Red Flag ban on swimming. The beach itself will be open, officials said in a news release Friday.

Waves come ashore, on Saturday, September 15, 2023, in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. - Michael Dwyer/AP

Meanwhile in Canada, officials in New Brunswick cautioned residents to prepare for power outages and stock up on food and medication for at least 72 hours as they encouraged people to stay indoors.

Once the storm starts, remember please stay at home if at all possible, said Kyle Leavitt, director of New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization. Nothing good can come from checking out the big waves and how strong the wind truly is. Not only are you putting yourself at risk, but you are putting at risk the lives of the emergency services personnel who may have to assist you.

CNNs Caitlin Kaiser, Allison Chinchar, Michelle Watson, Jessica Xing and Maria Sole Campinoti contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has vowed to gut the system for H-1B temporary worker visas if he wins the White House.

Its the very system hes used in the past to hire high-skilled foreign workers for the pharma company that built much of his wealth.

From 2018 through 2023, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services approved 29 applications for Ramaswamys former company, Roivant Sciences, to hire employees under H-1B visas, which allow U.S. companies to employ foreign workers in tech and other specialized jobs.

Yet, the H-1B system is bad for everyone involved, Ramaswamy told POLITICO.

The lottery system needs to be replaced by actual meritocratic admission. Its a form of indentured servitude that only accrues to the benefit of the company that sponsored an H-1B immigrant. Ill gut it, he said in a statement, adding that the U.S. needs to eliminate chain-based migration.

The people who come as family members are not the meritocratic immigrants who make skills-based contributions to this country.

Ramaswamy stepped down as chief executive officer of Roivant in February 2021, but remained the chair of the companys board of directors until February this year when he announced his presidential campaign. As of March 31, the company and its subsidiaries had 904 full-time employees, including 825 in the U.S., according to its SEC filings.

When asked about the mismatch in the GOP presidential hopefuls policy stance and his past business practices, press secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the role of a policymaker is to do whats right for a country overall: the system is broken and needs to be fixed.



Vivek believes that regulations overseeing the U.S. energy sector are badly broken, but he still uses water and electricity, she said in a statement. This is the same.

Ramaswamy, who is himself the child of immigrants, has captured headlines for his restrictionist immigration policy agenda.

While not new to the GOP playbook, his rhetoric has at times gone farther than the other candidates, as he calls for lottery-based visas, such as the H-1B worker visas, to be replaced with meritocratic admission. Hes also said hed use military force to secure the border, and that he would deport U.S.-born children of undocumented immigrants.

H-1B visas are highly sought after, and the demand for these workers continues to increase: For fiscal year 2021, U.S. businesses submitted 780,884 applications for just 85,000 available slots, jumping by more than 60 percent.

Ramaswamy acknowledged his own experience with immigration during his opening remarks at the first GOP debate in Milwaukee.

My parents came to this country with no money 40 years ago, he said. I have gone on to found multi billion-dollar companies.

Ramaswamys stance on H-1B visas is reminiscent of the 2016 Trump campaign, when then-candidate Donald Trump, who has also hired a number of foreign workers under H-1B visas for his businesses, took a hardline stance on these foreign workers before later softening his rhetoric.

As president, Trump temporarily suspended new work visas and blocked hundreds of thousands of foreign workers from U.S. employment, as part of his sweeping effort to limit the number of immigrants coming into the United States.
(CNN)  A NASA astronaut on her inaugural spaceflight and two cosmonauts launched aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft toward the International Space Station Friday, marking the first time Russia has launched astronauts to the orbiting outpost in nearly a year.

The Soyuz MS-24 spacecraft launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 11:44 a.m. ET and began a quick, three-hour trajectory to rendezvous with the space station.

The crew on board includes NASAs Loral OHara, a former research engineer at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts who was selected to the NASA astronaut corps in 2017. Flying alongside her are two Russian colleagues, Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub.

Once at the space station, the group will prepare to take over operations from a trio of crew members that have been on the space station for nearly a year after launching aboard the Soyuz MS-22 vehicle.

That spacecraft sprang a coolant leak in December 2022, which officials from NASA and Russias space agency, Roscosmos, later said was caused by an external impact  likely a piece of space debris striking the vehicles exterior as it was docked with the ISS.

Roscosmos determined that the MS-22 was not safe enough to carry a crew home and launched a replacement spacecraft in February. That left the MS-22 crew stuck on the orbiting laboratory while Roscosmos prepared another vehicle to resume regular crew rotations.

The MS-22 crew includes NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, whose unexpected extended stay in space broke the US record for the most consecutive days in orbit earlier this month.

After OHara, Kononenko and Chub arrive and take over operations, Rubio and his crewmates are expected to make their long-awaited return to Earth as soon as September 27. That would give Rubio a total of 371 days in space, besting the previous record by more than two weeks. (The late Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov, who logged 437 continuous days in orbit, still holds the global record for the longest mission in space.)

Rubio will also become the first American astronaut to spend a full calendar year in space.

Rubio  and now OHara  traveled aboard Russian Soyuz vehicles as part of crew-swapping agreement between NASA and Roscosmos that was hashed out in the summer of 2022. In exchange, NASAs ISS transportation partner, SpaceX, has included Russian cosmonauts on its flights to the ISS.

Despite geopolitical tensions between the United States and Russia as the war in Ukraine has escalated, NASA has repeatedly said its partnership with Roscosmos is vital to continuing the space stations operations and the valuable scientific research carried out on board.

The most recent SpaceX flight arrived at the space station in August, carrying astronauts from NASA, Roscosmos, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the European Space Agency.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "NASA astronaut, 2 Russian cosmonauts launch to space station"
SEATTLE (AP)  A city watchdog agency is investigating after a body-worn camera captured one Seattle Police Department union leader joking with another following the death of a woman who was struck and killed by a police cruiser as she was crossing a street.

Daniel Auderer, who is the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, responded to the Jan. 23 crash scene where another officer, Kevin Dave, struck and killed Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, in a crosswalk. Dave was driving 74 mph (119 kmh) on the way to an overdose call, and Auderer, a drug recognition expert, was assigned to evaluate whether Dave was impaired, The Seattle Times reported.

Afterward, Auderer left his body-worn camera on as he called guild President Mike Solan to report what happened. In a recording released by the police department Monday, Auderer laughs and suggests that Kandulas life had limited value and the city should just write a check.

Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway, Auderer said, inaccurately stating Kandulas age. She had limited value.

Police officer recorded laughing, joking after pedestrian is fatally struck by cop car: She had limited value

The recording did not capture Solans remarks.

Neither Auderer nor Solan responded to emails from The Associated Press seeking comment.

However, a conservative talk radio host on KTTH-AM, Jason Rantz, reported that he had obtained a written statement Auderer provided to the citys Office of Police Accountability. In it, Auderer said that Solan had lamented the death and that his own comments were intended to mimic how the citys attorneys might try to minimize liability for it.

I intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers, Auderer wrote, according to KTTH. I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy.

A photo of Jaahnavi Kandula is displayed with flowers, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2023 in Seattle, at the intersection where she was killed by a Seattle Police officer driving north while responding to a nearby medical incident. A city watchdog agency is investigating after a body-worn camera captured one Seattle Police Department union leader joking with another following the death of a Kandula, who was struck and killed by a police cruiser as she was crossing a street. (Ken Lambert/The Seattle Times via AP)

Protesters march through downtown Seattle after body camera footage was released of a Seattle police officer joking about the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old woman hit and killed in January by officer Kevin Dave in a police cruiser, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Layla Allibhai, 5, sits atop father Mo Allibhais shoulders while holding a sign for Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old woman hit and killed in January by officer Kevin Dave in a police cruiser, as people protest after body camera footage was released of a Seattle police officer joking about Kandulas death, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Kyla Carrillo, center, leads a chant on the steps of the Seattle Police Departments West Precinct as people protest after body camera footage was released of a Seattle police officer joking about the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old woman hit and killed in January by officer Kevin Dave in a police cruiser, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

A protester writes a message in favor of police abolition with sidewalk chalk as people rally after body camera footage was released of a Seattle police officer joking about the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old woman hit and killed in January by officer Kevin Dave in a police cruiser, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

The station reported that Auderer acknowledged in the statement that anyone listening to his side of the conversation alone would rightfully believe I was being insensitive to the loss of human life. The comment was not made with malice or a hard heart, he said, but quite the opposite.

The case before the Office of Police Accountability was designated as classified. The Associated Press could not immediately verify the details of Auderers statement.

The station said Auderer reported himself to the accountability office after realizing his comments had been recorded, because he realized their publicity could harm community trust in the Seattle Police Department.

In a written statement on its online blotter, the department said the video was identified in the routine course of business by a department employee, who, concerned about the nature of statements heard on that video, appropriately escalated their concerns through their chain of command. The office of Chief Adrian Diaz referred the matter to the accountability office, the statement said.

It was not immediately clear if both Auderer and the chiefs office had reported the matter to the office, or when Auderer might have done so. Gino Betts Jr., the director of the Office of Police Accountability, told The Seattle Times the investigation began after a police department attorney emailed the office in early August.

Kandula was working toward graduating in December with a masters degree in information systems from the Seattle campus of Northeastern University. After her death, her uncle, Ashok Mandula, of Houston, arranged to send her body to her mother in India.

The family has nothing to say, he told The Seattle Times. Except I wonder if these mens daughters or granddaughters have value. A life is a life.

The King County Prosecuting Attorneys Office is conducting a criminal review of the crash.

The controversy over Auderers remarks comes as a federal judge this month ended most federal oversight of the police department under a 2012 consent decree that was meant to address concerns about the use of force, community trust and other issues.

Another Seattle police oversight organization, the Community Police Commission, called the audio heartbreaking and shockingly insensitive.

The people of Seattle deserve better from a police department that is charged with fostering trust with the community and ensuring public safety, the commissions members said in a joint statement.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
A red panda born at the San Diego Zoo is seen in an undated photo. (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance)

A red panda cub born at the San Diego Zoo  the first since 2006  has been named just in time for International Red Panda Day on Saturday.

The 3-month-old cub will now be called Pavitra, which means sacred in Nepali, zoo officials said in a news release.

She was born June 9 to parents Adira and Lucas.

Red pandas are listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species because of their dwindling population.

Threats include habitat loss, global warming and degradation related to increased human encroachment, officials said.

San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance collaborates with multiple partners to identify unprotected red panda habitats, train teams to monitor the health of the forest and provide awareness-building workshops in communities in Nepal where red pandas live, the news release read. San Diego Zoo guests may be able to catch a glimpse of Pavitra as she explores her outdoor Asian Passage habitat.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
The Seattle police union on Friday said the video of an officer joking about the death of an Indian woman run over by a police car doesnt explain the full story.

Jaahnavi Kandula was struck and killed by a speeding police car while she was using a crosswalk on Jan. 23 in Seattle. The police officer was driving 74 miles per hour when she was struck and killed.

Officer Daniel Auderer, vice president of the police union, joked later that the city should just write a check for the womans death, and that her life had limited value, in body camera footage released Monday.

Auderer was the officer assigned to check if Kandula was injured after the crash.

The release of the footage sparked massive protests in Seattle this week.

The police union said that there is more to the story than the bodycam footage would make one believe.

Some viral videos of police actions shared by media, fail to explain the full story/context, the union said in a statement. This Seattle Police video is an example of that reality. The video captures only one side of the conversation. There is much more detail and nuance that has not been made public yet.

According to the union, Auderer wrote a statement explaining his comments six months after the fact, from memory, when told of the videos existence.

In the statement, Auderer said his comments were sarcastic and meant to embody the argument of a shrewd city lawyer attempting to minimize a monetary settlement.

I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I have watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy, Auderer wrote. At the time I believed the conversation was private and not being recorded.

I understand that without context the comment could be interpreted as horrifying and crude. Without context the comment is insensitive to the family of the victim when in reality I was involved in a conversation regarding the callousness of the legal system, he continued.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
After replacing 2 senior military commanders in charge of its nukes, China is now investigating its defense minister, US officials say

General Li Shangfu , China's defense minister, hasn't been seen in public for more than two weeks.

US officials have said Li is under investigation, The New York Times reported.

Li has been accused of corruption over the procurement of military equipment, reports say.

US officials said China's defense minister Li Shangfu was under investigation by authorities and had likely been removed from his position after he was taken away for questioning by authorities last week, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Sources in direct contact with the Chinese military said the defense minister was suspected of corruption in procuring military equipment. A further eight officials from the government's military procurement unit, which General Li led from 2017 to 2022, are under investigation, two sources told Reuters.

Li, who has not been seen in public for more than two weeks, is the latest in a string of unexplained disappearances of high-ranking Chinese officials.

Foreign minister Qin Gang vanished from public view for a month in June, The New York Times reported. He was replaced by Wang Yi in July.

It comes two months after Xi Jinping, China's president, also replaced two of his most senior military commanders who were in charge of the country's nuclear arsenal.

A US official told The Journal that General Li's dismissal indicated problems with Xi's years-long campaign to reform the People's Liberation Army, China's military.

"Some of the PLA's enduring problems may be too big for Xi to solve, and they have a real impact on the PLA's ability to achieve what he wants them to," the official said. "We know that corruption in the PLA runs deep enough for this to be a factor. And we know it's had a profound effect on what they're able to do, and how they do it."

Su Tzu-yun, an expert on the Chinese military from the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, a Taiwan-funded think-tank, told The Times that the investigation signaled a "loss of face" for Xi Jinping, who had appointed General Li to the post in March.

"It's not going to force him from power, but it will erode his prestige as ruler," Su added.

General Li, 65, has not been seen in public for almost three weeks, and he canceled a scheduled meeting he was due to attend in Vietnam last week, Reuters reported.

Rahm Emanuel, the US ambassador to Japan, wondered if Li had been "placed under house arrest," in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Nearly 123,000 new students have received private-school vouchers after state lawmakers this year passed a major expansion of voucher programs, while a group that administers the programs says they will not bring an exodus from public schools as critics have predicted.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

As of Sept. 8, 242,929 students had enrolled in 2,098 private schools using vouchers through the states two main programs, the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship and Family Empowerment Scholarship, according to a report by Step Up for Students, an organization that administers the vast majority of vouchers in the state.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

That is an increase from the roughly 170,000 students who received vouchers through the programs during the 2022-2023 school year.

Of the nearly 243,000 students this year, 122,895 are new to the programs, though many had already been enrolled in private schools, according to Step Up for Students.

Of the 122,895 new students, 84,505 (69%) were already in private school, 16,096 (13%) came from public schools, and 22,294 are entering kindergartners, the report released Wednesday said. Does 16,096 represent an exodus from the public schools as critics forecast HB 1 (the bill that included the expansion) would cause?

As the bill was debated during this years legislative session, Democrats and other critics argued that such an expansion of the voucher programs would lead to large numbers of students exiting traditional public schools.

While Step Up for Students pushed back against the criticism, the non-profit Florida Policy Institute raised concerns about some of the newly released data.

RELATED STORY: Florida Governor signs universal private school voucher bill into law

As we continue to analyze the data provided by Step-Up For Students, what initially stands out is that roughly 7 in 10 new scholarship awards are going to students already enrolled in private school, at what FPI (Florida Policy Institute) estimates is a $676 million cost to the state, the Florida Policy Institute, which strenuously opposed the voucher expansion, said in a statement Thursday.

The non-profit added that the voucher money is going to subsidize tuition that families were already paying, an average of $8,000, that they can now use for other purposes.

The Florida Policy Institute and dozens of other groups wrote a letter to state education officials Wednesday asking for transparency on the voucher programs. Step Up for Students released a report responding to the inquiry.

The expansion, in part, involved eliminating income-eligibility requirements for receiving vouchers.

The report said that 27 percent of the voucher students enrolled this year in private schools are from households with incomes above $120,000  which is 400 percent of the federal poverty level for families of four  or from families who did not submit income information. About 29 percent are from families whose incomes are between 185 percent and 400 percent of poverty level, which would include household incomes of up to $120,000 for families of four. Another 44 percent are from families below 185 percent of the federal poverty level, or $55,000 in income for a family of four.

RELATED STORY: Private school vouchers for millionaires draws criticism from governor and Democratic lawmakers

Meanwhile, the states voucher program that serves students with special needs, called the Family Empowerment Scholarships for Students with Unique Abilities, also has grown. Step Up for Students reported that 79,035 students have been awarded the scholarships, compared to about 70,000 last year.

Step Up for Students also said that the number of students enrolled in the voucher programs this year has not surpassed an amount of money set aside in the state budget. The organization said that the budget assumed 261,324 students would receive vouchers through the programs for the broader population of students and 93,357 students would with vouchers through the program for students with special needs.

Lawmakers held some additional money in reserve in case costs exceeded the budgeted amount.

Since enrollments are currently trending below this line, it appears unlikely at this time that the state will need to dip into the extra funds set aside to support public and private school enrollments, Step Up for Students said.

The organization noted that it has received applications for 353,425 vouchers for the Tax Credit and Family Empowerment scholarships, and has awarded 340,731 vouchers. But not all of the awarded vouchers will be used.

It is important to note that Awarded only means a student was found eligible to receive a scholarship. It does not mean that all Awarded scholarships are used (and therefore funded). Every year there are more Awarded scholarships than there are Enrolled/Funded, the organization said.

Another change that came with this years expansion allowed homeschooled students to receive vouchers.

The law created what is known as the Personalized Education Program, which the state Department of Educations website said was created to serve Floridas home education population who would like access to an education saving account to fund their students learning.

RELATED STORY: Every student in Florida will be eligible for state-funded private school scholarships

According to Step Up for Students, 15,097 homeschooled students have enrolled in the new program.

The Florida Policy Institute has estimated that the states expanded voucher program will carry a $4.2 billion price tag, but Step Up for Students this week disputed that estimate.

Assuming all students currently enrolled remain enrolled, the value of all scholarships will be about $2.8 billion, or about $1.4 billion short (33%) of FPIs (Florida Policy Institutes) current estimate. That is a significant gap, the organization said.

The data published by Step Up for Students did not include information about the race and ethnicity of voucher recipients. The organization said such data would be forthcoming, but not until enrollments in private schools stabilized sometime after the first week of September, which would make for a larger and more representative database.

In its response to the newly published data, the Florida Policy Institute questioned why the report was not provided by the state education department, to which its inquiries were addressed.

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It is the responsibility of the FLDOE (Department of Education), the steward of taxpayer dollars and the department to which our letter was addressed, to proactively publish data as outlined in HB 1, the non-profit said.

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Forget Daves Hot Chicken. Could someone open a Daves Not Chicken?

Kidding! (Sorta.) One month after the Idaho Statesman published an article titled Meridian is for the birds. Yet another chicken chain opens this week, Im struggling to come up with an original way to say the same thing again.

Its not Slim Chickens this time. Not Clucks. Not Daves, either.

The latest poultry chain to flock to Boises little brother to the west?

Say hello to Houston TX Hot Chicken.

The modest, growing brand will celebrate its grand opening from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at 1184 S. Silverstone Way. The headline of a media release that rolled into the Statesman newsrooms email inbox? Houston TX Hot Chicken coming in hot with first Idaho location.

Founded in 2020, the brand  which abbreviates itself as HHC  also has locations in Texas (of course), Arizona, California, Nevada and Utah.

Whether you prefer things spicy or mild, Houston TX Hot Chicken has a sandwich for you.

Heres more from the marketing spiel: Houston TX Hot Chicken prides itself on serving fresh, never frozen, organic, halal, cage-free, antibiotic-free, and hormone-free chicken sandwiches and tenders ... In addition to their Original Hot Chicken Sandwiches, the concept also offers Tenders & Waffles, Fusion Fries, House Lemonades and more.

HHC Meridian will host a grand opening event on (Sept. 16) featuring complimentary, signature hot chicken sandwiches throughout the day for all attendees. ... Guests can also participate in HHCs signature Spice Challenge, where brave participants will sign a waiver before chowing down on three HHC tenders featuring their Houston, We Have a Problem seasoning. The first person to finish all three tenders and go at least three minutes without drinking any water can walk away with not only bragging rights, but also $1,000.

Free chicken sandwiches? Thats a sweet deal, right? And $1,000 for a bit of intense suffering  assuming that your emergency room bill isnt higher than that? Why not? (Dude, at 2 million Scoville Heat Units, that Houston, We Have a Problem spice might truly cause problems.) HHC offers seven dry-rub spice levels, by the way  including no spice and honey-butter, which has zero heat.

If you check out HHCs website (hhc.ooo), youll see that the menu is fairly standard for the cuisine style. The Original Hot Chicken sandwich with fries is $12.99. You can get two chicken tenders with a Belgian waffle and seasoned fries for the same price. Chopped chicken tenders come on top of Loaded Fries for, yep, $12.99. You also can get a Southwest Salad with the chopped tenders for $13.99. Or enjoy Chicken Tortilla Soup for $4.99.

HHC offers eight dipping sauces  half made in-house  for 50 cents each. And milkshakes range from standard flavors at $4.99 to the tasty-looking Cookie Crumble and Waffle Shake for $7.99.

Speaking of tasty, exactly how good is this place? Well, HHC says it was ranked Top Place to Eat in Vegas 2021 on Yelp.

Checking Yelp reviews randomly  lets hit the location in Henderson, Nevada, for example  it does look promising: 4.6 out of 5.0 stars.

Was it delicious? YES, wrote an August reviewer. Did it live up to the hype? Not really, but it was better than other fast-food chicken sandwiches.

If thats actually the case in chicken-crazed Meridian? HHC is probably worth checking out.

 Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.
Robert F Kennedy Jr grumbled that the White House hasnt granted him Secret Service protection after a heavily-armed man was arrested while posing as a member of his security detail.

Mr Kennedy recalled the incident on X, writing on Saturday: Im very grateful that alert and fast-acting protectors from Gavin de Becker and Associates (GDBA) spotted and detained an armed man who attempted to approach me at my Hispanic Heritage speech at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles tonight.

He claimed the man was wearing two shoulder holsters with loaded pistols and spare ammunition magazines and was carrying a US Marshal badge on a lanyard and belt clip federal ID.

He identified himself as a member of my security detail, Mr Kennedy wrote, adding that his team isolated and detained the man until the Los Angeles Police Department arrived.

He added, Im still entertaining a hope that President Biden will allow me Secret Service protection. I am the first presidential candidate in history to whom the White House has denied a request for protection.

The Secret Service website outlines who they are able to protect, which includes, major presidential and vice presidential candidates, and their spouses within 120 days of a general presidential election. Saturday marked 415 days until the general election in 2024.

The Daily Beast spoke to the LAPD, and identified the armed man as a Trump-loving internet conspiracy theorist named Adrian Paul Aispuro. The police reportedly arrested the 44-year-old on Friday and are holding him on federal charges  and $35,000 bail.

Im very grateful that alert and fast-acting protectors from Gavin de Becker and Associates (GDBA) spotted and detained an armed man who attempted to approach me at my Hispanic Heritage speech at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles tonight. The man, wearing two shoulder pic.twitter.com/vvJc0Gtk4o  Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) September 16, 2023

A TikTok videos caption includes Mr Aispuros full name. The video captures a man with a pistol and a badge hanging from his hips. He is wearing the same Emergency Medical Service shirt and is boasting the same tattoos and facial hair as in Mr Kennedys photo, while saying nonsensical statements.

Do your f***ing research on that last name and youll know who youre fucking with, the alleged offender said. Lets break some f***ing kneecaps. Lets go for a ride, dog. Lets f*** it up. Im putting this planet on lockdown. Defcon One, regulators mount up, stay-at-home orders effective now. Thats whats happening.

He paused before continuing: Take care of each other, protect the women and children. If I dont make it back, call the f***ing president, your commander in chief, Donald J. Trump.

The outlet confirmed with Mr Aispuros brother that he was being held in custody. Raymond Aispuro called Mr Kennedys claim bulls***.

He said that his brother is an unemployed emergency medical technician. Since he doesnt have a car, he asked his brother for a ride to a one-time security job. This description also aligns with what Mr Kennedy wrote  that the man had identified himself as a member of my security detail.

He told me that he was in communication with someone about a gig, like a private contract gig, a one-time deal, and he had to go that day to work it, Raymond Aispuro said. I dont know who he talks to or what, I just get whatever vague information he gives me.

I really do think this is a situation where he got wrong information or he trusted someone he shouldnt have, he added, in defence of his brother.

According to The Daily Beast, Raymond Aispuro called his brother a loner who spends a lot of time watching online videos about aliens. Although the brothers rarely discuss politics, he said, the arrested Aispuro is a strong Trump supporter and acknowledged that neither of them have taken the Covid-19 vaccine.

This perspective seems to align with that of the Democratic hopeful. Although Mr Kennedy now denies ever having been an anti-vaxxer, his record shows that he has long been opposed to vaccines.

He does want, hes said it multiple times, Donald Trump to be president of the United States again to fix this country, Raymond Aispuro told the outlet.
Doug Gablinske served in the Rhode Island House of Representatives from 2007-2011, worked in the Governors Energy Office in the 1980s and is a former executive director of the nonprofit The Energy Council of Rhode Island.

Five years ago, the Ocean State became the first state to sue energy producers over climate change, alleging public nuisance and consumer deception. The lawsuit in particular claims that 21 energy producers deceived the public about conduct beyond Rhode Islands borders.

The case, after five years of judicial process, will now be heard in a Rhode Island state court. This is unfortunate because climate change is a national and worldwide issue that is more appropriate for Congress or international bodies to address, not the courts. One only needs to have breathed or seen the Canadian air this summer in Rhode Island to realize that was not a locally generated problem.

But with the facts being what they are, it is critical the judge overseeing the case takes special care to ensure the strong emotions and political undercurrents surrounding climate change dont interfere with the courts obligation to be neutral and impartial.

More: In making the shift to electric vehicles, RI lags its neighbors. Can it catch up?

Judges have an absolute duty not to prejudice a decision based on anything but the facts before them as presented by both sides in the case. More than that, Rhode Islands judicial rules clearly prohibit judges from considering extra-record evidence concerning disputed adjudicative facts. But despite these clear obligations of the bench, a June 7 motion accuses the judge assigned to the case of venturing outside the court record in a recent jurisdictional discovery dispute surrounding Rhode Islands lawsuit, citing unrelated news articles and even offering personal commentary and interpretation regarding climate change.

The judge writes, for example, about damages to Rhode Island caused from sea-level rise, rising temperatures, and severe storms but the order before the court right now isnt focused on assessing the merits of these claims. The judge also cites several articles outside of the court record, including a report on last years United Nations climate conference at which the prime minister of a small South Pacific Islandfloated the idea of a non-proliferation treaty that stops fossil fuel production, as well as a call for reparations from the leaders of other small nations facing alleged climate damages.

Critically missing is any reference to the longstanding U.S. policy of opposing such compensatory and liability schemes. Even former President Barack Obamas special envoy for climate change, Todd Stern, said in 2015, we dont accept the idea of compensation and liability and never accepted that and were not about to accept it now.

As a former state lawmaker, I saw firsthand the importance of making fact-based, unbiased decisions. This includes recognizing that affordable fossil fuel supplies are critical to public health, welfare and safety, which Rhode Island law has acknowledged since 1976. In 2021, U.S. Energy Information Administration data notes Rhode Island relied on natural gas for 87 percent of its electricity, the largest share of any state.

We did this all purposefully, which discredits any allegation that Rhode Island officials were supposedly duped by energy producers. The same can also be said for the average Joe, who wanted to keep his home warm for his family and also afford to put food on his familys table.

More: RI climate suit gets boost with decision affirming it belongs in state court

While there are ways that government can and should encourage energy companies to invest more in green and renewable energy, climate lawsuits are the wrong way to go about it. With current high profits for energy producers, Rhode Island should be partnering with these companies and encouraging them to spend more of these resources to advance responsible clean energy solutions to prevent climate change, instead of suing them.

But since Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha seems set on pressing forward with this misinformed legal strategy and it appears that the states suit will be getting its day in court, it is important that the public gets an impartial and neutral arbiter to oversee the case at the very least.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Judges have a duty not to prejudice a decision based on anything but the facts before them as presented by both sides in the case.
Banners displaying the NATO logo are placed at the entrance of new NATO headquarters during the move to the new building

By Gwladys Fouche and Sabine Siebold

OSLO (Reuters) -A top NATO military official warned on Saturday that a drastic rise in ammunition prices means that allies' higher defence spending does not automatically translate into greater security and called for more private investment in defence companies.

"Prices for equipment and ammunition are shooting up. Right now, we are paying more and more for exactly the same," Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer , the chair of NATO's military committee, said on Saturday after a meeting of the alliance's chiefs of defence in Oslo.

"That means that we cannot make sure that the increased defence spending actually leads to more security."

NATO has been pressing for a boost in defence production to satisfy a demand for weapons and equipment that has soared since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as allies not only rush supplies to Kyiv but also build up their own inventories.

One major concern has been a shortage of 155mm artillery rounds, with Kyiv firing up to 10,000 of these shells per day.

In February, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned Kyiv was burning through shells much faster than the West could produce them.

Bauer pushed for more private investment in the defence sector to ramp up production capacity, urging pension funds and banks to stop labelling defence investments as unethical.

"Long term stability needs to prevail over short term profits. As we have seen in Ukraine, war is a whole of society event," he said, adding such investment was in the private sector's strategic interest as well.

"Forty percent of the (Ukrainian) economy evaporated in the first days of the war, that was private money to a large extent, that money is gone," he noted.

Bauer also pressed business leaders to speed up the expansion of production capacity.

There was, however, no correlation between a shortage of ammunition and the arduous progress of the counteroffensive in Ukraine, according to Bauer.

"The reason why it takes time is because it is extremely dangerous, because there's an enormous amount of mines in a very deep minefield - more than 10 kilometres - with five, six mines per square meter," he said, noting Ukraine was still advancing 200 or 300 meters per day.

In 2024, NATO will be holding its largest collective defence drills since the Cold War, with over 40,000 troops from across the alliance set to take part in the exercise Steadfast Defender in Germany, Poland and the three Baltic states.

(Reporting by Gwladys Fouche in Oslo and Sabine Siebold in Berlin; editing by Jason Neely and Ros Russell)
A Robert Kennedy Jr. campaign event in Los Angeles turned into a chaotic scene on Friday night, when a man loaded up with pistols and spare ammunition magazines was apprehended by city police.

In a statement made to X afterwards, Kennedy thanked everyone for jumping into action to steer the situation back towards safety, writing, "I'm very grateful that alert and fast-acting protectors from Gavin de Becker and Associates (GDBA) spotted and detained an armed man who attempted to approach me at my Hispanic Heritage speech at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles tonight. The man, wearing two shoulder holsters with loaded pistols and spare ammunition magazines was carrying a U.S. Marshal badge on a lanyard and beltclip federal ID. He identified himself as a member of my security detail. Armed GDBA team members moved quickly to isolate and detain the man until LAPD arrived to make the arrest. I'm also grateful to LAPD for its rapid response. I'm still entertaining a hope that President Biden will allow me Secret Service protection. I am the first presidential candidate in history to whom the White House has denied a request for protection."

According to Politico, LAPD did not provide the suspect's name or further details of the charges.
Romanian farmers asked the government to unilaterally ban Ukrainian grain imports after EU restrictions on overland export were lifted.



Due to Russia's attacks on Ukraine's main grain port of Odesa and civilian cargo ships going to or from it, Ukraine was forced to export huge volumes of grain through the EU.



As a result, grain imports in countries adjacent to Ukraine soared, distorting local markets and causing local farmers' grain to fall in price, which led to outcries and restrictions on both national and EU scales.



The farmer association said it wasn't against Ukrainian products passing through on the way to other destinations. The Romanian government said it would wait for Ukraine to present its plan to prevent a surge on Sept. 17 before deciding how to protect Romanian farmers.



Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced their own unilateral bans on Friday.

Read also: Poland, Hungary, Slovakia to extend bans on Ukrainian grain

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
(Bloomberg) -- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vowed to provide religious schools the same funding available to other private schools through an executive order on day one if he becomes president in 2025.

Most Read from Bloomberg

DeSantis, speaking to the Pray, Vote, Stand gathering of conservative religious groups in Washington on Friday night, promised to use the federal government to champion religious freedom and that hed establish offices at the Labor, Education and Health and Human Services Departments to advance that goal.

Those offices, he said, would protect religious liberty across all agencies of government. Religious expression is a fundamental civil right.

Such actions would almost certainly be challenged by opponents on constitutional grounds.

We will stop the federal government from targeting men and women on the basis of their faith, DeSantis told the crowd. Religious schools should not be pressured to violate the tenets of their faith.

DeSantis must attract more support among evangelical and other Christian voters as he tries to reverse the slide in his poll numbers in a campaign that has experienced money problems and staff shakeups since he began running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination.

The governor is currently polling at around 13% nationally, down about 43 percentage points from GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, according to a RealClearPolitics average.

Earlier:

In an interview with Fox News earlier Friday, DeSantis said he is focused on state polls. Hes concentrating on early primary states like Iowa, betting that an intense, tightly focused personal effort will counter the former presidents broader advantage.

Its a state-by-state thing, DeSantis told Fox News. So were focused our efforts on the early states. If it was a national primary, wed have a different strategy, and wed be applying our efforts differently.

DeSantis will have a chance to woo more religious voters on Saturday when he is scheduled to appear at a political dinner alongside several other Republican contenders hosted by the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition.

The governor will head to Texas next week to unveil his energy policy and meet with donors.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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Russell Brand has been accused of a rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse in a period spanning seven years and during the height of his fame.

The allegations from four women  including one who claimed she was just 16 when she was groomed by the comedian  have emerged as part of an investigation by Channel 4 Dispatches and The Sunday Times.

Brand, 48, who is in the middle of a UK tour, has vehemently denied the very, very serious criminal allegations, insisting that all his sexual relationships have been consensual.

On Saturday, senior Tory MPs responded to the claims by stressing the duty of Public Service Broadcasters to investigate the claims.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: We are aware of media reporting of a series of allegations of sexual assault. At this time, we have not received any reports in relation to this. If anyone believes they have been the victim of a sexual assault, no matter how long ago it happened, we would encourage them to contact police.

Just hours before the allegations were due to be made public, Brand posted a YouTube video declaring that he had received two extremely disturbing letters from journalists detailing a litany of extremely egregious and aggressive attacks.

In his outspoken broadside, he claimed the astonishing and rather baroque attacks had left him feeling he was being attacked by the mainstream media which had a serious and concerted agenda to silence him.

The allegations refer to a period between 2006 and 2013, when Brand was working as a presenter for BBC Radio 2 and Channel 4, as well as securing leading roles in Hollywood films.

Woman claims relationship started at 16

One woman claimed that she began a relationship with the comedian when she was a 16-year-old schoolgirl and he was 31.

The woman, who has not been named, said that she had a three-month relationship with Brand, who at that time was a BBC radio presenter. She claimed that he referred to her as the child.

She also said that he approached her in London in 2006 when she was recovering from an eating disorder and that her mother had been upset about her relationship with Brand, insisting her daughter text him her age.

However, she told The Sunday Times that she persisted with the relationship and that he was very charming and very attentive but became fascinated with her virginity, before they eventually had sex.

Although she was over the legal age of consent, she said that she felt he was grooming her, and alleges that he became controlling. She claimed that she had to punch him really hard in the stomach to get him off during one sexual encounter.

The relationship ended when she found him in bed with another woman, she said.

I think he was very skilful in the start of making his identity be, Im the womaniser. Im a sex addict. Im inappropriate but its all just a joke, its funny, she told the newspaper. Its a smokescreen for a lot more of his dark behaviour, she claimed.

In his statement, Brand admitted that he had been promiscuous but said the relationships were absolutely, always consensual.

Brand absolutely denies claims

He added: I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and Im being transparent about it now as well, and to see that transparency metastasized into something criminal, that I absolutely deny, makes me question: is there another agenda at play?

The investigation also includes an account by a businesswoman, named only as Nadia, who claimed Brand raped her against a wall at his Los Angeles home during a consensual relationship in 2012.

She said she had found his glazed-over look unsettling, leaving her not knowing whats going on in his head.

She is reported as claiming that when she declined his suggestion of joining a friend in the bedroom he forced himself upon her despite her repeatedly saying: Get off.

In a text message The Sunday Times claims it has authenticated, the woman, who was in her 30s, told him: When a girl say[s] NO it means no. Brand apparently replied: Im very sorry.

She told Dispatches that she is completely disgusted by the way she claims he treated her.

Another woman, named only as Phoebe and in her 20s, said she had a brief consensual relationship with him in 2013.

The pair, who apparently met at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, had begun working on projects together. When alone at his West Hollywood home she claims that he grabbed me and got me on the bed, adding how she saw something come over his eyes, I swear to God, like, black, his eyes had no more colour, they were black like the devil.

She claimed he sexually assaulted her, before he relented but then became super angry.

Claims legal action was threatened

Phoebe said she returned to work for Brand, who she claims he later threatened legal action if she reported or shared the incident.

The fourth woman claims she was sexually assaulted by Brand, and also claimed that he was physically and emotionally abusive towards her.

In Brands video, posted on a channel where he has made a number of anti-vaccination claims, he said he had been warned to watch out theyre coming for you, youre getting close to the truth.

He added that he believes he has been targeted because theres a serious and concerted agenda to control these kind [sic] of spaces, and these kind [sic] of voices.

Russell Brand CV

The investigation claims it examined Brands behaviour on and off screen during his time at both the BBC and Channel 4.

Dispatches claims junior members of the production team on Big Brothers Big Mouth, a spin-off show for Big Brother hosted by Brand, said he would pick women out of the audience, some of whom he would later have sex with.

It is understood that Tavistock Wood and Curtis Brown, the talent agencies, have now removed Russell Brand from the list of those they represent.

Referring to Brands departure from the BBC after he left a lewd message on the actor Andrew Sachss phone boasting about having had a sexual relationship with his granddaughter, a BBC spokesman said: Russell Brand left the BBC after a serious editorial breach in 2008  as did the then-controller of Radio 2.

The circumstances of the breach were reviewed in detail at the time. We hope that demonstrates that the BBC takes issues seriously and is prepared to act.

He added that the broadcaster had repeatedly evolved its approach to how it manages talent and  deals with complaints.

In a statement, Channel 4 said it was appalled by deeply troubling allegations, including behaviour alleged to have taken place on programmes made for Channel 4 between 2004 and 2007.

It adds that extensive document searches have found no evidence to suggest alleged incidents were brought to the attention of Channel 4.

We will continue to review this in light of any further information we receive, including the accounts of those affected individuals, it adds.

We will be asking the production company who produced the programmes for Channel 4 to investigate these allegations and report their findings properly and satisfactorily to us.

On Saturday night, Brand was booked to perform at Wembley Park Theatre, where hundreds of people filed into the venue to see his show.

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Comedian Russell Brand has vehemently denied very serious criminal allegations ahead of an expected expose to be aired by Channel 4s Dispatches programme tonight.

In a video posted to social media, the 48-year-old actor said he had received two extremely disturbing letters listing extremely egregious and aggressive attacks relating to his promiscuous past.

While he did not specify details of the claims, he insisted his relationships had been absolutely always consensual and that he had been transparent about his promiscuity.

The two-minute and 45-second long video clip, which was shared on his YouTube and various social media profiles, accused the outlets of having a serious and concerted agenda to silence him.

The allegations are said to relate to a period of his career when he was working within the mainstream media.

Since ending his career as a presenter and stand-up comedian, Brand has launched a podcast and currently runs a yoga and mental health-orientated YouTube channel named Awakening with Russell.

Russell Brand denies very serious criminal allegations

14:59 , Holly Evans

Russell Brand has shared a video on his YouTube channel denying some very serious allegations made against him, which are set to be shared in a documentary on Saturday and published in a newspaper.

The comedian and actor said he absolutely refutes the allegations against him, which he did not reveal in detail but referred to as very, very serious criminal allegations.

Brand, 48, said the allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when... I was very, very promiscuous.

Russell Brand denies very serious criminal allegations regarding promiscuous past

Russell Brand: A career in comedy defined by darkness and delusions

15:10 , Holly Evans

Scandal-ridden comedian. Hollywood husband. Drug addict-turned-wellness-guru. Left-wing activist. Conspiracy theorist. Over the course of two decades in the spotlight, the British stand-up and presenter Russell Brand has put forward many different personas to the public.

Now, another, darker side to the comic has emerged, after he released a video to deny unspecified serious criminal allegations, which he said related to his promiscuous past.

The 48-year-old comedian and actor said he absolutely refutes the claims and suggested two mainstream media outlets were making a coordinated attack against him. His denial comes ahead of an expected Dispatches investigation scheduled to air on Channel 4 at 9pm on Saturday night.

Read more from Katie Rosseinsky here

Russell Brand: A career in comedy defined by darkness and delusions

Full video: Watch Russell Brands denial ahead of TV investigation

15:12 , Holly Evans

Comedian Russell Brands released a video to social media denying criminal allegations that are due to be published this evening by two mainstream media outlets.

This is happening pic.twitter.com/N8zIKLbJN2  Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) September 15, 2023

Brand backed by Elon Musk and Andrew Tate as he denies serious criminal allegations

15:30 , Holly Evans

Elon Musk was quick to respond to Russell Brands video on Friday, in which the British comedian strenuously denied some very serious allegations made against him.

The allegations, which have not yet been revealed, are set to be explored in a documentary on Saturday and published in a newspaper.

Brand shared the three-minute video on his YouTube channel and X (formerly Twitter), the social media company owned by Musk.

Read more about Musks response here

Russell Brand backed by Elon Musk and Andrew Tate after video statement
LONDON (AP)  Three British news organizations reported Saturday that comedian and social influencer Russell Brand has been accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse based on allegations from four women who knew him over a seven-year period at the height of his fame.

Brand denied the allegations and said that all of his relationships have been consensual.

The Sunday Times, The Times of London and Channel 4s Dispatches said that one woman alleged she had been raped, while three others accused him of sexual assault. One of the women also said he had been physically and emotionally abusive.

The women said that they only felt ready to tell their stories after being approached by reporters, with some citing Brands newfound prominence as an online wellness influencer as a factor in their decision to speak.

Ashton Kutcher steps down from anti-child sex abuse group after Danny Masterson pushback

Before the stories were published, Brand posted a video online denying the allegations, which had been outlined in two extremely disturbing letters from a mainstream media television company and a newspaper. He didnt identify the news organizations by name.

Amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute, he said. These allegations pertain to the time when I was working in the mainstream, when I was in the newspapers all the time, when I was in the movies and, as I have written about extensively in my books, I was very, very promiscuous.

Now during that time of promiscuity the relationships I had were absolutely, always consensual, he added. I was always transparent about that then, almost too transparent, and I am being transparent about it now as well.

Brand also suggested that the reports were part of a coordinated attack designed to discredit him because of his views. Brand has been criticized for expressing skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines and interviewing contentious podcasters like Joe Rogan.

To see that transparency metastasized into something criminal, that I absolutely deny, makes me question, is there another agenda at play? Brand said.

CDC panel recommends new COVID booster: When can you get it?

Brand rose to fame as a stand-up comic in Britain in the early 2000s, which led to starring roles on Channel 4 and later BBC Radio, where he capitalized on a reputation for outrageous behavior and risque banter.

He later made the jump to Hollywood, appearing in films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall in 2008 and the remake of Arthur in 2011. Brand was married to U.S. pop star Katy Perry from 2010-2012.

In recent years, he transformed himself into a political commentator and influencer posting YouTube videos on subjects such as personal freedom and the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
In a year and a half since the start of its full-scale invasion, Russia spent about US$167.3 billion on the war against Ukraine, of which US$34 billion worth of equipment were destroyed by Ukraines Armed Forces alone.

Source: Forbes calculations based on data from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Details: According to Forbes, Russia spends about US$300 million a day on its war against Ukraine.

Direct military spending and the cost of Russia's lost equipment over 18 months of the war (from 24 February 2022 to 24 August 2023) is about US$167.3 billion. This estimate does not include constant defence spending not related to military operations, as well as economic losses of the aggressor country.

The largest items of expenditure: ensuring military operations (US$51.3 billion), salaries of the servicemen (US$35.1 billion), compensation to the families of the dead (US$25.6 billion) and wounded (US$21 billion) and the cost of destroyed equipment (US$34 billion).

After the rapid fall of the ruble, the "cost" of the Russian soldier for the budget of the Russian Federation decreased significantly. If for 2022 the total payments per one serviceman were about US$200 per day, now it is about US$120 per day.

Also, with the fall of the ruble, the cost of compensation to the military in US dollars decreased significantly. If at the rate of 60 rubles/$ the cost of compensation to the family of the deceased in the Russian Federation was about US$110,000, now it is only about US$65,000. The amount of compensation to the wounded, respectively, decreased from US$45,000 to US$27,000.

However, the level of Russian losses in recent months has remained at a significantly higher level than last year, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Accordingly, Russia is forced to spend more on compensation to the families.

The main item of expenditure of the Russian Federation on the war in Ukraine is ammunition and military support of the army. The total cost of this is US$51.34 billion. At the same time, the Russians spent over US$9 billion on providing for Russian artillery in a year and a half of the great war.

The total cost of missiles fired on the territory of Ukraine has already reached a hefty sum of more than US$21.1 billion.

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 Defense Ministry claimed that two drones were intercepted over Tver and Kaluga oblasts during the night of Sept. 16, Russian state news outlet RIA Novosti reported.

The ministry said that on-duty air defense units shot down both drones. One was allegedly destroyed over the territory of Kaluga Oblast, southwest of Moscow.

The other was reportedly intercepted over Tver Oblast, north of Moscow.

The ministry reported no casualties or damage.

Reports of drone strikes inside Russia have become increasingly common in recent weeks.

Read also: Deadly drone arms race intensifies as Ukraine, Russia embrace the future of war

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A new private military company has been created under the direct supervision of the Russian Defense Ministry to attract Wagner mercenary, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's National Resistance Center reported on Sept. 16.

The Russian Ministry of Defense is sending its representatives to Belarus and African countries, including Algeria, Mali, and Sudan, to convince as many Wagner mercenaries as possible to sign contracts with the Russian armed forces through the new company.

According to preliminary data, the former commander of the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS), Sergei Surovikin, has been made responsible for the creation of the new mercenary company.

Read also: Prigozhin's likely death seriously shakes Wagner PMC  U.K. Intel

The National Resistance Center notes that this means that the competition for trained human resources continues between the Belarusian PMC GuardService and the newly created Russian PMC.

Earlier, Surovikin was spotted in Algeria, having arrived there with a delegation from the Russian Defense Ministry. At the time, a member of the State Duma Defense Committee, General Andrei Gurulov, said that Surovikin was "trying to realize himself in Africa."

Read also: Former Wagner commanders confess to massive war crimes, including killing children

The NRC reported that Wagner units in Belarus who joined the so-called PMC GuardService signed contracts for security services and participation in hostilities in Africa.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed no agreements during their meeting on Sept. 13, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Sept. 15.

The two leaders met in Russia's eastern Amur Oblast to reportedly negotiate an arms sale agreement. The meeting lasted about five hours.

No agreements were signed neither on this nor on any other topics," Peskov claimed.

Putin told reporters that the talks focused on cooperation in missile and space technology.

Peskov echoed these claims, insisting that a weapons sale was not the purpose of Kim's visit.

"There were no such plans," he said.

The United States threatened to impose new sanctions on both Russia and North Korea if the countries entered into an arms deal. On Sept. 15, South Korea also said it would consider further sanctions against both nations.

On Sept. 14, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote that Putin would have to carefully hedge his claims about the relationship between Russia and North Korea in order to avoid triggering additional sanctions.

Read also: Deadly drone arms race intensifies as Ukraine, Russia embrace the future of war

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected warplanes, toured an airfield and visited a Pacific Fleet frigate on Saturday as the latest stop on his tour of Russia took him to Vladivostok.

Russian state media reported that Kim had met Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at the Knevichi airfield in Vladivostok before both men were accompanied by the commander-in-chief of the Russian Navy, Admiral Nikolai Evmenov, on a visit to the Pacific Fleet frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov.

Kim was welcomed by Shoigu upon his arrival and the two discussed military cooperation between armed forces and in the fields of their national defense and security, North Korean state news agency KCNA reported on Sunday.

The North Korean leader was also shown the ships central command center and its modern missile weapon control systems, the Russian Ministry of Defence said via Telegram.

The Russian defence ministry added that Admiral Evmenov had talked to Kim about the expanded capabilities of the new control systems, which allow Kalibr sea-based cruise missiles to be effectively used against sea and coastal targets at a distance of more than 1,500 kilometers from the ship.

Afterwards Kim was gifted a replica of the ship and left a comment in the frigates guest book, though the ministry did not reveal what he wrote.

The stop in Vladivostok is Kims latest in a tour of Russia and its Far East region that follows his meeting with President Vladimir Putin earlier this week, at which the North Korean leader appeared to endorse Moscows war on Ukraine.

The meeting has led to speculation around the potential for some kind of military cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang.

The ministry said on Saturday that the frigate had been selected to showcase the modernization within the Far East region which clearly demonstrates the capabilities of the shipbuilding industry.

Earlier in the morning, Kim and Shoigu had toured the Knevichi airfield in Vladivostok, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, where Kim was shown Russian aircraft including the Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3.

Kim also saw the Su-34, Su-30SM, Su-35S fighter jets along with the Su-25SM3 attack aircraft, RIA added.

The Kinzhal hypersonic missile system and Russias Tu-214 long-haul passenger airplane were also on display, it said.

Kim deeply impressed

On Friday, North Korean state media reported Kim had been deeply impressed by a visit to a Russian aircraft manufacturing plant.

Kim toured facilities for aircraft design and assembly at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Yuri Gagarin Aviation Plant, where he was struck by the rich independent potential and modernity of the Russian aircraft manufacturing industry, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

He met test pilots, climbed aboard a Su-57 fifth-generation fighter jet, and watched a test flight of the airplane, KCNA said.

The facility Kim toured on Friday is Russias largest aviation manufacturing plant and builds and develops warplanes for the ministry of defense, including Su-35S and Su-57 fighter jets, according to the Russian state media agency TASS. Kims late father, Kim Jong Il , visited it in 2002.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits an aircraft manufacturing plant in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur in Russia on September 15, 2023. - KCNA/Reuters

On Fridays visit Kim expressed sincere regard for Russias aviation technology and how it had undergone rapid development, outpacing the outside potential threats, and wished the plant success in its future development, KCNA reported.

After the tour and a luncheon, Kim left a message in the visitors book saying, Witnessing the rapid development of Russias aviation technology and its gigantic potential before signing it with the date and his name.

According to a Russian government press release on Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said Moscow saw the potential for cooperation both in aircraft manufacturing and in other industries with North Korea.

This is especially relevant for achieving the tasks our countries face to achieve technological sovereignty, he said in a statement circulated on Telegram.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits an aircraft manufacturing plant in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur in Russia on September 15, 2023. - KCNA/Reuters

Mutual benefits

While exact details remain scant on what sorts of talks have taken place behind closed doors, observers say its clear what each is looking for from the other.

Moscow is desperate for fresh supplies of ammunition and shells as its war with Ukraine drags on  and Pyongyang is believed to be sitting on a stockpile.

Meanwhile, after years of sanctions over its nuclear weapon and missiles program, North Korea is equally in need of everything from energy to food to military technology, all of which Russia has.

When the two leaders met at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russias Amur Region, a reporter asked Putin whether Russia would help North Korea launch its own satellites and rockets  to which Putin responded, Thats exactly why we came here.

The Russian president also said Kim shows great interest in space, in rocketry, and they are trying to develop space.

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Russia has built complex layers of defenses to hold back Ukraine's counteroffensive.

The first line has been hard to pass, but analysts say too many resources have been focused on it.

A change in command likely means Russia's not utilizing the depths of its defenses, analysts say.

Russia has made a tactical mistake in expending too much manpower and weaponry on its first line of defense and leaving its deeper lines weaker, analysts told The Kyiv Independent.

While Russia has built complex, multi-layered defenses, consisting of dense minefields, tank obstacles, and fortifications across hundreds of miles, they have not been using them strategically.

Ukraine's initially slow-moving counteroffensive has made some notable gains in recent weeks, particularly in breaking through the first defensive line on the Zaporizhzhia front in the south of the country.

Michael Kofman, a defense analyst and senior fellow at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, told The Kyiv Independent that Ukraine was now working on breaching the second line.

Ukrainian generals say that the second line of defense will likely be far easier to break through, the Kyiv Independent reported.

Although Russia has built a "defense in depth"  consisting of multiple positions spread across a territory that allow forces to fall back and grind down the enemy's advance  it has spent most of the counteroffensive using the bulk of its troops to defend in front of the first line, analysts told the paper.

Russian forces have also been conducting counterattacks ahead of this line, which Kofman said has been a "very costly strategy" as they have lost significant amounts of armored fighting vehicles and troops.

"The defense was counting on the [Russians] being able to retreat," Viktor Kivliuk, a retired Ukrainian colonel with the think tank Center for Defense Strategies, told the paper. "But if there is no one left to retreat from the first line, who will defend the second?"

"The enemy has a lot of infantry but not enough equipment and IFVs and is forced to run around on their legs where maneuvers are concerned," he said. "They're doing what commanders tell them, but their shortages prevent them from doing it correctly."

The defensive lines were built under the command of Sergei Surovikin, a Russian general who had been described as "absolutely ruthless" and with "little regard for human life" by former colleagues, as Insider previously reported.

Surovikin, who is nicknamed "General Armageddon," disappeared from public view following the Wagner Group mutiny in June because of his links to the group.

Now, with General Valery Gerasimov in charge, Russian forces appear to be using a different strategy than what the defensive lines were built for.

Kofman told the paper that while Surovikin wanted a classic positional defense, Gerasimov preferred an active defense, including regular counterattacks, Kofman said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The UK Ministry of Defence expects Russia to launch missile strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure in the winter, as it did last year.

Source: UK Ministry of Defence intelligence update for 16 September on Twitter, as reported by European Pravda

Details: UK Defence Intelligence recalled that Russia attacked Ukrainian energy infrastructure from October 2022 to March 2023. The Russian Federation mainly used Kh-101 missiles (AS-23a KODIAK) launched by strategic aircraft from Russian territory for the attacks.

The ministry stressed that since April 2023, Russia has begun to spend less on air-launched cruise missiles, while Russian leaders stressed efforts aimed at increasing the pace of production of such weapons, citing data from open sources.

Quote: "Russia is therefore likely able to generate a significant stockpile of ALCMs [Air-launched cruise missiles - ed.]. There is a realistic possibility Russia will again focus these weapons against Ukrainian infrastructure targets over the winter."

Note: In a previous review, UK Defence Intelligence assessed the damage caused by a missile strike by Ukraine to the Russian submarine Rostov-on-Don and the landing ship Minsk, which were undergoing dry-dock repairs in Sevastopol .

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Russian forces shelled five communities along the Sumy Oblast border on Sept. 15, the local military administration reported via Telegram.

The attacks caused 73 explosions throughout the day.

The Russian military dropped 12 mines on the community of Seredyna-Buda, causing a fire that destroyed two houses and two outbuildings. A residential building was also damaged.

The communities of Yunakivka, Khotin, Krasnopillia, and Velyka Pysarivka also came under fire on Sept. 15.

In addition to mines, Russian forces attacked the Sumy border with artillery, grenade launchers, rocket launches, mortar, and tank shelling.

Daily attacks launched with multiple weapons are a grim routine for the residents of the vulnerable communities in Sumy Oblast.

Read also: Beach during the day, air raids at night: Summer comes to end in Odesa

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VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Reuters) -North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers, hypersonic missiles and warships on Saturday, accompanied by President Vladimir Putin 's defence minister.

A smiling Kim was greeted in Russia's Knevichi airfield, about 50 km (30 miles) from the Pacific port city of Vladivostok, by Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu , who saluted him. The North Korean leader then inspected a guard of honour.

The United States and South Korea fear the revival of Moscow's friendship with Pyongyang could give Kim access to some of Russia's sensitive missile and other technology while helping arm Russia in its war in Ukraine.

Shoigu showed Kim Russia's strategic bombers - the Tu-160, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 - which are capable of carrying nuclear weapons and form the backbone of Russia's nuclear air attack force, Russia's defence ministry said.

"It can fly from Moscow to Japan and then back again," Shoigu told Kim of one aircraft.

Kim was shown asking about how the missiles were fired from the aircraft, at times nodding and smiling.

Shoigu showed him the MiG-31I supersonic interceptor aircraft equipped with "Kinzhal" hypersonic missiles. The Kinzhal, or dagger, is an air-launched ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads.

It has a reported range of 1,500 to 2,000 km (930-1,240 miles) while carrying a payload of 480 kg (1,100 pounds). It may travel at up to 10 times the speed of sound (12,000 kph, 7,700 mph).

Russia's ambassador to North Korea, Alexander Matsegora, told reporters that Kim's programme was "very intense" and that it was not yet clear how long he would remain in Russia, state news agency RIA reported.

It also quoted Oleg Kozhemyako, governor of Vladivostok's Primorye region, as saying he would have talks with Kim on Sunday on cooperation in sport, tourism and culture.

KIM VISITS RUSSIAN PACIFIC FLEET

After the aircraft and missiles, Kim inspected the Russian Pacific Fleet's frigate "Marshal Shaposhnikov" in Vladivostok and saw a demonstration of modern missile control systems, RIA said.

South Korea and the United States said on Friday that military cooperation between North Korea and Russia would violate U.N. sanctions against Pyongyang and that the allies would ensure there was a price to pay.

Russia has gone out of its way to publicise Kim's visit and drop repeated hints about the prospect of military cooperation with North Korea, which was formed in 1948 with the backing of the Soviet Union.

For Putin, who says Moscow is locked in an existential battle with the West over Ukraine, courting Kim allows him to needle Washington and its Asian allies while potentially securing a deep supply of artillery for the Ukraine war.

Washington has accused North Korea of providing arms to Russia, which has the world's biggest store of nuclear warheads, but it is unclear whether any deliveries have been made.

Kim on Friday inspected a Russian fighter jet factory that is under Western sanctions.

He and Putin discussed military matters, the war in Ukraine and deepening cooperation when they met on Wednesday. Putin told reporters Russia was "not going to violate anything", but would keep developing relations with North Korea.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters there had not been a plan to sign any formal agreements during the visit.

Russian diplomats said Washington had no right to lecture Moscow after the United States had bolstered its allies across the world, including with a visit of a U.S. nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine to South Korea in July.

While in Vladivostok, Kim watched the first act of the ballet "Sleeping Beauty", staged by St Petersburg's Mariinsky theatre, the RIA news agency reported.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Kevin Liffey; Editing by William Mallard, Mark Potter and Nick Macfie)
Earlier this year, Russia nationalized 500 properties on the occupied Crimean peninsula.

Now, they're auctioning them off, including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's apartment.

The news comes just days after Ukraine launched an offensive on a Russian naval shipyard in Crimea.

Russian officials occupying Crimea said earlier this year they had nationalized 500 properties in the region.

Now, Russian-installed officials in Crimea  placed there by Russian President Vladimir Putin after Russia annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014  say they will soon auction off about 100 of these properties, Reuters reported.

Among them is Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's apartment.

Authorities have already sold a handful of properties worth a combined $8.51 million, said Vladimir Konstantinov, speaker of the Crimean parliament, according to Reuters.

Russian officials first announced in May they would sell Zelenskyy's Crimea apartment and use the proceeds to fund their war in Ukraine, Insider previously reported. The penthouse apartment, located in a resort town on the Black Sea, is thought to be worth about $800,000.

The announcement of the planned auction comes after Ukrainian forces launched a missile strike against a Russian naval shipyard in Crimea on Wednesday morning, Insider previously reported. The tsrike damaged Russia's Minsk landing vessel and an attack submarine.

The Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars  a partisan group fighting Russian forces in the occupied territory  said a double agent in the Russian military helped them execute the strike, Insider reported.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Russian forces carried out an air strike on the city of Beryslav in Kherson Oblast on Sept. 16, injuring a 63-year-old woman, the Prosecutor General's Office reported.

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, the shelling started around 2 p.m. local time.

Approximately 15 homes were damaged as a result of the attack.

The Kherson Oblast Military Administration added that the woman was hospitalized for her injuries and was in moderate condition.

The city of Kherson and other settlements in the region on the Dnipro River's west bank have been continuously subjected to Russian shelling since they were liberated by Ukrainian forces in November 2022.

Russian troops were pushed to the river's east bank, from where they have since been firing at the liberated territories, resulting in regular civilian deaths and injuries.

Read also: From occupation to active war zone: Danger persists for Ukrainians in liberated territories

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General Eirik Kristoffersen, head of Norway's Armed Forces, poses for a picture at his office in Oslo

OSLO (Reuters) - Russian forces stationed in the Arctic near Norway are "20% or less" of the number they were before the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Norway's chief of defence said on Saturday.

Norway is part of NATO and shares a border with Russia in the Arctic. The Nordic country borders the Kola Peninsula, home to most of Russia's nuclear weapons as well as its Northern Fleet, which operates Russia's nuclear submarines.

Speaking after a meeting of the chiefs of defence of NATO countries held in Oslo, General Eirik Kristoffersen said Russian President Vladimir Putin knew "very well" that NATO was not a threat to Russia.

"On our border, on the Russian border, there is maybe 20% or less (Russian) forces left than it used to be before Feb. 24, 2022," he told a press conference.

"If he believed that we were threatening Russia, he couldn't have moved on his troops to Ukraine to fight the war there."

That pattern of Russian behaviour applies as well to how it has treated neighbouring Finland after it joined NATO in April, added Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of NATO's military committee.

Finland and Russia share a 1,300 km (810 miles) border, with Russian troops along that zone, as with Norway, below the numbers they were before the war.

"Russia knows NATO is not a threat because we are not intending to attack them. Otherwise they would have responded completely different to the accession of Finland," Bauer told the conference.

"They have talked about it, but they haven't in physical terms."

(This story has been refiled to correct the headline to reflect paragraph 1 and clarify the quote in paragraph 4)

(Reporting by Gwladys Fouche in Oslo and Sabine Siebold in Berlin; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Explosions boomed across Kharkiv on Sept. 16, with Oleh Synehubov, the head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, reporting that Russian forces had struck the city with at least four missiles.

Minutes earlier, air raid sirens around the country had sounded, with Ukraines air force warning that there was the thread of Russian ballistic missile launches against Ukraine. There were alerts in most northern, central, eastern and southern oblasts.

Read also:

Synehubov said that emergency services in Kharkiv had rushed to the impact sites. The citys mayor, Ihor Terekhov, also confirmed the explosions and urged residents to seek shelter.

This marks the first attack on Kharkiv since Aug. 6, when the occupiers targeted the city with S-300 missiles. These missiles are normally used against airborne targets, but can be figured to operate ground-attack, ballistic mode. Used in this way, however, they are much less accurate.

Read also: Kharkiv renames several streets in honor of fallen Ukrainian heroes

Since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces have subjected parts of Kharkiv Oblast to nearly daily artillery bombardments.

In the worst of these, Russian troops shelled the settlement of Nova Hnylytsia in the Chuhuiv District, employing cluster munitions, on Sept. 6.

A day later, Russian forces fired upon populated areas in Kharkiv Oblast from combat helicopters, resulting in the injury of a local resident and damage to several buildings.

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The Russian forces continue to ignore international humanitarian law, firing not only on the positions of Ukrainian troops but also on civilian infrastructure facilities in populated areas, terrorising civilians.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, information as of 06:00 on 16 September

Details: The Russians have injured civilians and destroyed residential buildings and civilian infrastructure facilities as a result of such terrorist actions.

Over the past day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have had success in the Klishchiivka area in Donetsk Oblast, as well as near Verbove and Novoprokopivka in Zaporizhia Oblast.

24 combat clashes took place on the front in the past day. The Russians launched 59 airstrikes and deployed multiple-launch rocket systems to attack 36 times, not only the positions of Ukrainian forces but also civilian targets.

Ukraine's Defence Forces are on the defensive in Ukraine's east and south, carrying out offensive operations on both the Melitopol front and the Bakhmut front, crushing the Russians, liberating the temporarily occupied territories step by step, and consolidating their positions.

Russian forces attacked Ukraine with 17 Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones, all of which were destroyed by Ukrainian air defence.

The Russians launched airstrikes on Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts.

More than 100 settlements in Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts came under Russian artillery fire.

On the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts, the Russians are maintaining troops covering the state border, conduct active sabotage activities in the border areas in order to prevent the transfer of Ukrainian troops to other fronts, and increase the density of minefields along the state border in Belgorod Oblast.

In the area of responsibility of the Khortytsia Operational-Strategic Group on the Bakhmut front, the Russians are continuing their attempts to break through the defence of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Yahidne and Bohdanivka in Donetsk Oblast. In turn, the Ukrainian Defence Forces have had success in the Klishchiivka area during their offensive operations.

In the area of responsibility of the Tavriia Operational-Strategic Group on the Marinka front, the Russians conducted unsuccessful offensive operations in the area of Marinka in Donetsk Oblast. They carried out 13 unsuccessful attempts to oust the Ukrainian units from their positions over the past 24 hours. In addition, all the attacks of the Russians in the area of Urozhaine in Donetsk Oblast turned out to cause significant losses for them both in terms of manpower and in equipment. At the same time, Ukrainian soldiers have taken the initiative, putting pressure on the Russians, conducting assault actions and recapturing their land on the Avdiivka, Marinka and Shakhtarsk fronts.

On the Melitopol front, Ukraines Defence Forces continue their offensive operation, inflicting significant losses on the Russian forces in manpower and forcing them to withdraw from the occupied positions. As a result of these offensive operations, the Defence Forces have partial success in the areas of Verbove and Novoprokopivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, dislodging the Russians from their occupied positions and consolidating their own positions.

In the area of responsibility of the Odesa Operational-Strategic Group on the Kherson front, the Armed Forces continue to conduct counter-battery combat, destroy supply depots and inflict successful strikes on the Russian forces rear.

During the past day, the Ukrainian Air Force inflicted three strikes on clusters of Russian personnel and military equipment.

Units from Rocket Forces and Artillery and UAVs hit three clusters of Russian personnel, weapons and military equipment.

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The commander of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, Andriy Biletsky , unveiled new footage of the operation to liberate the village of Andriyvka in Donetsk Oblast on Sept. 15.

It shows that in a desperate turn of events, Russian forces resorted to opening fire on their own soldiers.

According to Biletsky, the assault group of the 2nd Mechanized Battalion was in the process of capturing another group of prisoners when the Russians received word that the village was lost and their fighters were surrendering en masse. But in a chilling twist, the Russians issued orders to open fire on their own positions.

We dont abandon our own; we eliminate them. () Then the hit comes, Biletsky recounted.

At the command post, there was silence, and everyone turned pale. As the smoke cleared, all our targets were hit. One prisoner was torn to pieces, but two were fortunate, and they were spared, brought out to live. In war, luck plays a crucial role.

Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar initially announced the liberation of Andriyvka on Sept. 14. However, later on, fighters from the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade refuted this information, labeling it as premature.

Read also: 17 Russian soldiers killed in friendly fire incident  audio intercept

On Sept. 15, the capture of the village was officially confirmed by the Ukrainian militarys General Staff and subsequently by the 3rd Assault Brigade.

According to Malyar, the situation on the previous day had been highly dynamic, with multiple fluctuations throughout the day.

In a statement issued by the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade, they assert that they have successfully defeated the 72nd Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the Russian army, including its command, in the fighting. They claim to have cleared the way for a breakthrough on the right flank from Bakhmut.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces have also incurred significant losses in both equipment and personnel, the brigade said.

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Following successful Ukrainian attacks on a large landing ship and a submarine in occupied Sevastopol, the Russians have moved three large landing ships from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov.

Source: Dmytro Pletenchuk, spokesman for the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, on the national 24/7 newscast

Quote: "These processes concerning the liberation of our territory will continue in the future. By the way, it is telling that today the Russian invaders have for some reason moved three large landing ships from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov."

Details: Pletenchuk noted that the large landing ship struck in Sevastopol is beyond repair both because of the specific damage it sustained and because of its "rather venerable age".

He said this large landing ship had taken part in the so-called "Syrian Express", supplying weapons and personnel and solving logistical problems for the Russian forces in Syria.

Pletenchuk also stressed that the destruction of the submarine was "the first such casualty suffered by the Russian Federation when they lost a submarine as a result of hostilities".

Background:

The occupation authorities in Sevastopol claimed that a missile attack caused a fire to break out at a shipyard near Kilen-balka on the night of 12-13 September, and the Russian Ministry of Defence reported an attack by missiles and uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), which damaged two ships.

OSINT researchers reported that a Ropucha-class large landing ship and a Kilo-class submarine had been damaged at a shipyard in occupied Sevastopol. The Russian Telegram channel Baza wrote that the Minsk large landing ship and the Rostov-on-Don diesel-electric submarine were damaged as a result of the attack.

A photograph of the Minsk, a large Russian landing ship, emerged on social media, and experts who have studied it have concluded that it is beyond repair.

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The Russian Ministry of Defence has claimed to have shot down UAVs over the territories of Kaluga and Tver oblasts on the night of 15-16 September.

Source: Russian state-owned news agency RIA Novosti on Telegram

Details: Two aircraft-type drones were allegedly targeting facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation.

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Attorney General Ken Paxton, right, waits with his attorney Tony Buzbee for closing arguments to begin at his impeachment trial at the Capitol on Friday September 15, 2023.

By voting to acquit Ken Paxton and allow him to continue as attorney general, senators sent unmistakable messages Saturday  and none of them are good for Texas.

Their verdicts on 16 articles of impeachment say that a small group of hotheaded political warriors can intimidate elected officials away from doing the right thing. For lack of courage from all but a few members of the Republican majority in the Senate, we have a clear verdict that politics trumps right and wrong.

They say that state employees who witness serious wrongdoing at the highest levels better look the other way, or their careers and reputations will never recover.

They say that law enforcement and prosecutors are not to be trusted and can be targeted and denigrated for doing their jobs.

And worst of all, they say that a state official can bend his or her public office to benefit one person. He can disrupt usual procedures to help his friend. He can marshal taxpayer resources for someone, give that person broad access to his office at a time when that person is helping you conceal an extramarital affair  as long as there isnt a smoking gun to prove bribery.

Thats what Ken Paxton did. He bent the attorney generals office in outrageous ways to the benefit of developer Nate Paul.

Thats the most outrageous outcome here: The verdict normalizes behavior that every reasonable person should recognize as an inappropriate twisting of the voters sacred trust. It tells people with access to state officials that favors are readily available, as long as the officials they solicit are as ethically compromised as Paxton.

The standard to evict Paxton did not have to be whether he broke the law. Senators were called to vote on whether, based on the conduct outlined, Paxton was fit to continue in high public office. They failed the test.

The denigration of law enforcement Paxtons defenders engaged in to win his acquittal will have lasting effects. Even a decorated Texas Ranger had to be thrown under the bus because he testified to Paxtons wrongdoing.

Judges, officers and prosecutors everywhere should feel a chill; Paxton revealed a willingness to meddle in federal cases on behalf of those under investigation. Republicans who bought these claims can no longer credibly campaign with the back the blue slogan. To protect politicians as contemptible as Donald Trump and Ken Paxton, the GOP backs away from backing the blue.

Or at least a portion of it does. The trial was inherently political. Republican senators, with an assortment of political ambitions, did not want to alienate the core base of the party. Voters who consider themselves Republicans or just lean conservative  still a solid majority of the state  should ask themselves whether these activists represent their interests.

If they do, there may still be a reckoning for Paxton. It could also come from criminal courts. Paxton still faces long-delayed charges of securities fraud, and the FBI is investigating the Nate Paul allegations.

Paxton defense attorney Tony Buzbee, in his scattershot closing arguments Friday, suggested that the House impeachment team thought that the charges alone would chase Paxton out of office.

They assumed that this man would quit. They assumed that this man would run and hide, Buzbee said. But guess what? This man did not resign; he is ready to go back to work.

Hes right, but not for the reason he thinks. Its because Paxton is apparently incapable of shame for obvious malfeasance.

And the Texas Senate just endorsed his behavior.

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(Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Olaf Scholz is struggling to pull off his plan to harness the transition to green energy and unleash a decade of economic dynamism in Germany.

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As his government approaches the half-way mark in its four-year term, the vision of a radical push to eliminate carbon emissions  that would turbo-charge growth as well  looks to be slipping out of reach.

Germanys economic malaise amplified by weak global demand and an energy crisis has made life more difficult for Scholzs coalition. But the chancellor is also adding to the problem, sending conflicting signals to the investors who are crucial to the strategy.

After the first sign of pushback from voters sparked infighting between unruly political partners, Scholz failed to impose a clear line and instead oversaw months of public fighting over key parts of his plan.

Read a German version of this article.

This permanent back and forth, is the problem, said Jasmin Groeschl, a senior economist at Allianz SE Group. The coalition has argued a lot in recent months with a lot of different contradictory opinions that create uncertainty for people and also for companies, leading to less investment.

Scholz blames red tape for thwarting his ambitions, highlighting the loss of momentum to a program deemed essential for Europes bid to lead the fight against accelerating climate change.

With the world order in flux and war raging in Ukraine, the sense of drift under the chancellors watch is leaving room for the far-right Alternative for Germany to gain support.

The gloom around Scholzs stewardship of the regions biggest economy is a far cry from the bold optimism first projected by the Social Democrat chancellor when his three-way coalition with the Greens and Free Democrats took office at the end of 2021.

The alliance committed itself then to the goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2045, accompanied with the promise of a new Wirtschaftswunder  an economic miracle  similar to the one West Germany experienced after World War II.

Because of big investments in climate protection, Germany will achieve growth rates for some time which we last saw in the 1950s and 1960s, Scholz said in an interview in March with the Neue Berliner Redaktionsgesellschaft, a conglomerate of local papers.

Six months after that prediction, Germany is stuck in a rut. On Monday, the European Commissions outlook showed the regions biggest economy suffering a contraction of 0.4% in 2023  by far the worst performance foreseen for any of its peers. German officials now privately anticipate a similar outcome.

In an illustration of the challenge, Germanys chemical industry lobby this week said that it saw all indicators  ranging from production to prices and turnover  weaken in the second quarter, and it anticipates more deterioration.

China-led global weakness is part of the problem, hitting the German export-led manufacturing base. That has focused voters attention on the economy and raised questions about the domestic boom that Scholz had promised the green transition would deliver.

While its too early to expect any fruits of that long-term policy to be delivering already, voters can see that the first phase has been messy. A recent poll by public broadcaster ARD showed only 19% are content with his government, against 79% dissatisfied.

People have even become allergic to the term energy transition and the chancellor would really help things if he avoided using that term anymore, a high-ranking Social Democrat said under the condition of anonymity.

The governments dysfunction isnt helping. When the Greens economy minister, Robert Habeck , presented a proposal in April that would have banned new gas and oil boilers, a storm ensued as the business-friendly Free Democrats furiously opposed the plan.

In the end, Habeck was forced to dilute the heating law by giving homeowners more time to renew their systems, in a measure now expected to eradicate only three quarters of the emissions initially intended.

Companies would be willing to invest more in the green transformation if they knew what the future holds  what they can rely on, said Groeschl at Allianz. But they dont have that.

Scholz himself complains about bureaucracy slowing things down, and this month called for action to cut back regulations at the federal, state and municipal level. He even appealed to opposition lawmakers for help  a move seen by some commentators as a sign of despair.

Opposition leader Friedrich Merz from the Christian-Democrat-led conservative bloc countered that the majority no longer supports your climate policy.

Another big brake on growth and investment is energy costs. Although lower than last years records, gas and power prices are still between two to three times the level compared with before the war in Ukraine.

While the energy transition might one day shield Germany from geopolitical shocks to fossil fuel supplies and political pressure from countries such as Russia, for now its just a major headache thats threatening to drive business abroad.

Habeck has sought to aid energy-intensive companies with subsidies to smooth their transition into carbon-free production, but both Scholz and Finance Minister Christian Lindner of the Free Democrats have blocked his plan on the grounds, arguing that it makes no economic sense.

It would also add to a mounting bill, given that Scholzs cabinet approved a 212 billion ($231 billion) climate and transformation fund in July.

More worrying, say some economists, is the lack of a fully thought-through plan.

The government is on the wrong track here, said Veronika Grimm, a member of Germanys Council of Economic Experts, who reckons the country needs more radical action such as opening up markets. Theyre trying to maintain the status quo with high subsidies, but that wont work.

Measures she would support instead include more imports to ease pressure on the domestic market, a greater focus on emissions trading, investment in infrastructure and ramping up hydrogen generation, while ratifying trade agreements to secure more supply sources.

A special two-day cabinet retreat at the castle of Meseburg north of Berlin this month was supposed to find answers to Germanys economic woes, but ended without a new masterplan.

Martin Moryson, chief economist for Europe at DWS, still took heart from that meeting, and insists that Germanys incredible resilience in the face of recent crises shows its too soon to write off Germanys prospects as a motor of European growth.

The government clearly recognized in the Meseberg Program that the challenge lies in dismantling state bureaucracy, he said. I believe that something will improve here in the foreseeable future.

For now, as Germanys economy lurches in and out of contractions, Scholz is trying get voters on side by insisting that both he and they share frustrations with the way the country functions.

Germans are tired of the standstill, he told lawmakers. And so am I.

--With assistance from Petra Sorge.

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Widely available sawdust and plant-based materials could be the keys to filtering plastic from our drinking water, according to research led by scientists at the University of British Columbia.

Although its still at the testing stage, the studys filter technology may provide a natural and effective solution to the problem of microplastics in water supplies.

The filtration material, which the researchers named bioCap and described in a recent paper, is composed of wood sawdust and tannins. Tannins are natural plant compounds that make your mouth pucker if you bite into an unripe fruit, as a university news release described them.

The scientists showed in tests that the sawdust with tannins removed 95.2 to 99.9% of microplastics in a column of water.

There are microfibers from clothing, microbeads from cleansers and soaps, and foams and pellets from utensils, containers, and packaging, Orlando Rojas, director of the universitys BioProducts Institute and the projects lead researcher, stated for the news release. [O]ur bioCap solution was able to remove virtually all of these different microplastic types.

Microplastic particles are generally said to be no longer than 0.2 inches long  about the length of a grain of rice.

One study showed that 83% of drinking water samples taken from around the world contained microplastics, with 94% of U.S. samples containing them, the Guardian reported.

The World Health Organization said that no reliable information suggests that microplastic in drinking water is a human health concern. However, it also points to insufficient information on the topic and recommends generally firmer control of plastics getting into the environment.

Other experts are wary of microplastics because of the limited information, the known toxicity associated with certain plastics, and how widespread microplastics have become.

The bioCap technology may provide some peace of mind for those who would prefer to keep plastics out of their hydration routines.

Various other researchers are also looking at ways to remove plastic from water, including one team in Korea that reportedly removed a similar percentage of particles using advanced filtration.

The advantages bioCap has are its use of natural materials and its flexibility.

SciTechDaily called it a scalable and sustainable solution to microplastic pollution.

Most solutions proposed so far are costly or difficult to scale up, Rojas noted for the news release. Were proposing a solution that could potentially be scaled down for home use or scaled up for municipal treatment systems.

He added that bioCap uses renewable and biodegradable materials: tannic acids from plants, bark, wood, and leaves, and wood sawdust  a forestry byproduct that is both widely available and renewable.

Its unclear how long it might take before this technology could be used widely, but the research team suggested that it could be scaled up quickly with an industry partner. Rojas told the Vancouver Sun that the BioProducts Institute already works with forest companies to supply wood byproducts for their creative approach.

Microplastics pose a growing threat to aquatic ecosystems and human health, demanding innovative solutions, Rojas said.

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On Feb. 24, 2022, the day Russia invaded Ukraine, Sean Penn had a meeting scheduled in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for a film he was making on the comedian-turned-politician.

Even while presiding over his countrys defenses in the largest land war in Europe since World War II, Zelensky kept the meeting with the American actor and his crew  though he made them wait a few hours.

Its a seminal scene in Penns new documentary, Superpower, streaming this week on Paramount+. It speaks to both Penns knack for inserting himself into global crises and Zelenskys canny approach to the public relations battle within the war.

Penn would return to the United States a few days later and book a media blitz, including an appearance on Sean Hannitys Fox News show, which years earlier had labeled the actor an enemy of the state for his relentless bashing of the Bush administration.

Penn said he still didnt trust Hannity  comparing his appearance to the first session of physical therapy after a car crash  but cared more about spreading his message: America needs to help Ukraine win the war against Russia as fast as possible.

Superpower is a documentary about Ukraines wartime president starring Penn. It confronts his controversial quasi-diplomacy early on, showing historical news clips of pundits commenting on the actors various forays, from his meetings with Saddam Husseins deputies in Iraq to his friendship with Venezuelas Hugo Chavez.

Why does Penn insert himself into the pressing global issues of the moment, he asks himself in narration that runs through the film. Hes curious, and famous, which gives him access  like a meeting with Zelensky on invasion day, and then a longer meeting a few months later, when Zelensky pleads for more weapons and delivers a metaphor to drive home the point.

Dont give me one wing and tell me to fly. I will never fly, he says.

So far, the U.S. still has not provided the modern fighter jets Ukraine so desperately wants, and Zelensky admitted last week that Ukraine launched its counteroffensive too late, giving Russia months to fortify its defensive lines as Kyiv waited for Western heavy weapons to arrive.

Penn also befriends Andriy Pilshchykov, aka Juice, a fighter pilot who became one of Ukraines most celebrated war heroes before dying in a training accident this summer. Pilshchykov joined a delegation that visited the U.S. to lobby for F-16s.

Almost everyone Penn talks to in the movie wants the U.S. to provide more weapons faster, a view vehemently shared by the actor.

There are some revealing moments, even for those who closely follow the daily news coming out of Ukraine.

Theres great hope for what post-war Ukraine will look like, but also tremendous uncertainty. For example, Zelensky tells Penn he worries about the consequences of giving weapons to ordinary people  a fear that hits home in America.

At one point, Penn visits the front line, walking through trenches to within 150 feet of Russian positions just across a river. The local military leader is clearly harboring resentment toward Zelensky over how quickly his hometown was seized by invading Russians, but says hell save the questions until the war is done.

The film also zips through Ukrainian history and Zelenskys rise. Despite winning in a landslide over incumbent President Petro Poroshenko in 2019, Penns crew struggles to find an enthusiastic supporter of the new president in the months before the war.

One soldier fears Zelensky doesnt have the balls to take on Russia. The film returns to the soldier months into the war. He has changed his tune.

Following a screening of the film in Washington on Thursday, Penn was interviewed by Major Garrett of CBS News. Penn laid out a case that will surely be repeated throughout his promotion of the film, including an appearance on CBS Face the Nation on Sunday and a return to Hannity Monday night.

Penn argues that every day the U.S. and NATO are not helping Ukraine win the war is another day that Ukrainians are dying. And he said the common reasons US officials give for holding back fighter jets in particular  training, language, maintenance  were smoke and mirrors.

Many times in emergencies, restraint is the enemy of action. I think that there are influential people, perhaps influential with our president, who they themselves need to be encouraged to get out of the pure caution business, because it starts to translate to cowardice, he said.

Seated in the audience were former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), one of the only U.S. political figures interviewed in the film.

Susan Zirinsky, the longtime CBS executive who is now president of See It Now Studios, introduced the film on Thursday.

This is not meant to be fair and balanced. Quite frankly, even as a journalist, I dont think that thats possible, she said.

Penn, speaking after her, disagreed. I do think its fair and balanced, because theres only one fair and balanced side to this story. This is not an ambiguous conflict.

The film is being released as Congress gears up for a debate over just how much the U.S. should continue to be involved in Ukraine. While some members in the Republican party are outright opposed to ongoing support, the large majority of Congress continues to back Kyiv  though within that majority are divergent views on what that support should look like.

Penn is clearly aligned with Ukraine hawks in both parties, who have said the Biden administration has been too cautious since before the war started. And his movie makes little effort to explore why Biden and other western leaders have taken a more gradual approach. It does not make room for the type of debate advocated by the New York Times in an editorial this week.

Firmly backing Ukrainedoes not preclude an open debate on the scale and extent of Americas support, or on how the war might end. On the contrary, a commitment of this magnitude and consequence requires debate to justify public support, especially in todays sharply rived politics, the editors wrote.

Though most of Superpower was filmed a year ago or more, it does include a prophetic warning about how support for Ukraine will start to fragment over time.

A partisan divide has now clearly formed over the war, with a majority of Democratic voters in favor of continuing to fund Ukraines fight against Russia, while a clear majority of Republicans now oppose sending additional military aid to Kyiv.

And former President Trump is promising to end the war within a day if he returns to the White House, a plan that Russian President Vladimir Putin has openly applauded.

Zelensky is too savvy to wade into the partisan muck of Washington, even after being pulled into it during Trumps first impeachment. He will visit Washington again next week to personally make the case that Ukraines cause is Americas too, that Kyiv is the front line of a global fight against autocracy.

If we dont beat Putin in Ukraine, Zelensky warns near the end of the film, America will fight in some years against the same enemy.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY  An infant was inside a car when it was stolen from a store parking lot, leading to a massive manhunt for the man who police said ditched the car with the baby inside, and ran through neighborhoods west of Vero Beach Friday afternoon.

Police were still looking for him Monday.

The 10-month-old boy was found unharmed, still buckled into his car seat, inside the grey 2004 Honda Accord nearly 40 minutes after it was reported stolen, said Vero Beach police officials.

A father was driving a vehicle and went to a store," said Vero Beach police spokesperson Kelsea Marty. "He left his car running and his 10-month-old son in the backseat."

A 10-month-old boy was in a car stolen by a man who police say roughly 40-minutes later abandoned the vehicle with the child still inside and fled into neighborhoods west of Vero Beach off 20th Street and 43rd Avenue on Friday, September 15, 2023.

The man reported the car stolen with his child inside to police after returning from the store to the vehicle to get his wallet, she said.

The car was taken from a beauty supply store in the 1200 block of 16th Street at 4:26 p.m. and she said it was found at 5:03 p.m. near an apartment complex in the 4200 block of 15th Place.

(The thief) left the car on the side of the road and abandoned it, she said.

The man jumped a fence and ran through the Shadowbrook apartment complex, Marty said, then continued west on 14th Street.

Several Vero Beach police officers and Indian River County Sheriffs Office deputies including canine units were involved in what sheriffs official Capt. Joe Abollo said was a massive manhunt as the agencys helicopter searched overhead.

Sebastian police and canine units also helped with the manhunt, Marty said.

Police did not know if the man was armed or dangerous, but she said, hes out on the run.

The car was tracked as it traveled by automated license plate readers that scan images of tags from passing vehicles and feed the information to county law enforcement crime centers and dispatchers.

After a deputy found the abandoned vehicle, the infant was reunited with his family, said agency spokesperson Sgt. Kevin Jaworski.

Police did not have any information about the identity of the thief, but Marty said he was wearing a tank-top style undershirt, jeans and a black and brown hat.

The joint police-and-deputy search ended just after 7 p.m. Friday, but Marty said officers would continue looking for the man, who she said could face charges of kidnapping and grand theft auto.

Police asked anyone with information about the mans identity to call detectives at 772-978-4664.

Corey Arwood is a breaking news reporter for TCPalm. Follow Corey on Twitter(X) @coreyarwood, or reach him by phone at 772-978-2246.

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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Vero police search for man who stole car with infant inside; boy safe
The Seattle Police Officers Guild said Friday that there is much more detail and nuance to bodycam footage released this week that captures one of its leaders saying the life of a woman who was killed by another officer had limited value.

In the body camera footage released Monday by the Seattle Police Department, Officer Daniel Auderer, who is the vice president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild, laughs and suggests the city should just write a check after a marked patrol vehicle driven by Officer Kevin Dave struck and killed Jaahnavi Kandula in a crosswalk on Jan. 23. Dave was driving 74 mph on the way to a priority one call when he hit Kandula, 23, and Auderer was assigned to evaluate whether Dave was impaired, according to a police investigation report.

Eleven thousand dollars. She was 26 anyway, Auderers body camera captured him saying in a call to the guilds president, Mike Solan, misstating Kandulas age. She had limited value.

The recording did not capture Solans remarks.

Auderers comments have drawn outrage in Seattle, where some residents protested Thursday night to demand justice for Kandula.

The Seattle Police Officers Guild understands the attention and outrage surrounding the viral video which captures highly insensitive comments regarding the death of Jaahnavi Kandula by Officer Dan Auderer, the guild said in a statement. Without context, this audio is horrifying and has no place in a civil society. It sullens the profession of law enforcement, the reputation of all Seattle Police officers and paints Seattle in a terrible light. We feel deep sorrow and grief for the family of Jaahnavi Kandula as this video has revictimized them in an already tragic situation as they continue to mourn her death. We are truly sorry.

A vigil for Jaahnavi Kandula, the 23-year-old woman who was hit and killed by a marked Seattle Police Department vehicle. (KING)

In addition to its statement, the guild released a statement it says Auderer wrote to the director of the Office of Police Accountability in August  more than six months after Kandula was killed  after being told of the videos existence. The guild said he wrote the statement directly from memory and without the ability to watch the video.

In it, Auderer said that his comments were sarcastic and intended to mimic how a lawyer tasked with negotiating a settlement over Kandulas death might try to minimize liability for it.

Mike Solan asked me as he was lamenting the loss of life something similar to: What crazy argument can a lawyer make in something like this? What crazy thing can they come up with. I responded with something like: Shes 26 years old, what value is there, who cares. I intended the comment as a mockery of lawyers  I was imitating what a lawyer tasked with negotiating the case would be saying and being sarcastic to express that they shouldnt be coming up with crazy arguments to minimize the payment, he wrote in the statement. I laughed at the ridiculousness of how these incidents are litigated and the ridiculousness of how I have watched these incidents play out as two parties bargain over a tragedy. At the time I believed the conversation was private and not being recorded.

He said he knew the comment without context could be interpreted as horrifying and crude but said it was not made with malice or a hard heart, quite the opposite.

He also requested rapid adjudication of his case and said that he was willing to accept any reasonable discipline our accountability partners and the Chief of Police wish to hand down.

Auderer, Solan and the guild did not return NBC News repeated requests for comment this week.

Kandulas family previously told NBC News, We firmly believe that every human life is invaluable and not be belittled, especially during a tragic loss.

In a statement Monday, the Seattle Police Department said it learned of the conversation from an employee who listened to it in the routine course of business. That employee was concerned about the nature of statements and took their concerns through their chain of command to the chiefs office.

The office of Chief Adrian Diaz referred the matter to the accountability office, as department policy and the citys accountability ordinance require, the statement said.

The police department said the accountability office, which investigates police misconduct and recommends discipline to the police chief, is investigating the context in which the statements were made and whether any policies had been violated.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
This story was first published by Source New Mexico.

SANTA TERESA  The future of funding Spaceport drove the conversation at the Sept. 7 presentation before the interim New Mexico Finance Authority Oversight Committee meeting.

Republican and Democratic senators said that the state of New Mexico should fully claim responsibility for funding the New Mexico Spaceport Authority and its Truth or Consequences-adjacent spaceport.

Spaceport America was built with more than $220 million in taxpayer money, using a combination of bonds funded in part by a 0.25% tax from Sierra County and Dona Ana County enacted in 2007. Otero County rejected enacting a spaceport tax the same year.

Taking over Spaceport

Tensions sparked over a recent study released by the New Mexico State Arrowhead Center on projections about the Spaceports economic impact on the state.

The New Mexico Spaceport Authority sponsored the study. According to the analysis, between tourism and job spending, Spaceport generated $58 million to Dona Ana County and another $62 million in Sierra County.

Sen. Joe Cervantes (D-Las Cruces), a longtime critic of the Spaceport, said the facility burdened taxpayers in Dona Ana County, for little long-term benefit.

Looking at the economic analysis, youll see that the lions share of the economic benefits are going to Sierra County, by this analysis, Cervantes said. But the vast majority of the funding is from Dona Ana County.

Cervantes said he was skeptical that the self-reported job numbers from Spaceport tenants were accurate.

I would expect, not to be overly critical, but I would expect them to put a rosy picture on what theyre doing, he said.

Scott McLaughlin, the director of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, pushed back in an exchange with Cervantes.

The reason we hired the Center for Border Economic Development is because they are independent, McLaughlin said. And when they surveyed our tenants and our customers, we werent involved in that, they did that on their own.

While the spaceport was a risky venture, and may continue to be one, McLaughlin said it offers New Mexico economic development.

I cant guarantee the success of the spaceport, we cant guarantee the success of our customers, McLaughlin said. But if we, as a local region, as a state, want to do something to get us off the oil and gas, to really change the tide  I think aerospace is actually a very good bet.

Senators evoke Richardson

Former Gov. Bill Richardson, who died Sept. 1, loomed large in the conversation. Richardson struck the controversial deal with billionaire Richard Branson to build the Spaceport and develop New Mexico as a spaceflight tourism hotspot.

Sen. Ron Griggs (R-Alamogordo) credited the former governors enthusiasm for the project, noting it also received support from Republicans.

You have to believe, regardless of anything else, you have to believe the guy was not afraid to dream and to push things people were unwilling or unable to push, Griggs said.

Griggs said the legislatures remarkable revenues from oil and gas money offer the opportunity to take over the agency, and make it the best it can be.

Lets let the legislature take over the spaceport, and keep the local communities from having to do that, Griggs said.

Sen. Nancy Rodriguez (D-Santa Fe) said shed support that effort.

This discussion will never end until the state finally steps up to the plate, takes responsibility, bites the bullet and says this is a state project, a state building, a state economic development venture that the state has to fund, Rodriguez said.

Cutting tax question continues

The county tax paying for the spaceport has no scheduled end or sunset. A resolution the Dona Ana County Commission brought forward would cut the tax and end the program in 2029, when the bonds are projected to be paid off.

However, that measure was postponed, said county commissioner Shannon Reynolds, at the request of the New Mexico Finance Authority, until the Spaceport Authority, and both of its governing boards were included in additional meetings.

We have to get more people involved in the process, Reynolds said in a phone interview with Source NM.

Currently, 75% of the tax revenue received from the counties goes towards bond repayment. The remaining 25% of the tax goes to science and math programs at Las Cruces Public Schools and Gadsden Independent School District.

In an interview, McLaughlin said a discussion about removing the tax now is premature, while the bonds are outstanding.

Once we pay them off, then the discussion of what to do with that tax, I think thats a good discussion, he said. But maybe not right now, not why were still paying the bonds.

Capital outlay and more

The New Mexico Spaceport authority is about 60% funded by revenues it collects from rent and user fees, the rest paid by state appropriations, McLaughlin said.

Revenue in 2022 included $6.1 million in rent and interest, and another $1.4 million in tours and launch event revenue. The authority has a budget of about $11 million. The largest expense is $4.2 million for around the clock security and fire personnel on staff, he said.

But if we didnt have 24-hour firefighters, security, a lot of customers couldnt operate and we also put the assets at risk, he said. So its a burden we have to carry.

However, that self-funded percentage excludes capital outlay. The agency expects to request tens of millions in coming years to fund new construction and repairs.

This includes at least $18 million for a new reception center project, which is currently in the design phase, another $25 million for a taxiway addition to the spaceports runway and another hanger for general use, budgeted between $7 to $10 million.

The agency will also have to spend to fix the undulating roof on the Gateway to Space  the building built for Virgin Galactic. The roof has cracking and water damage, with an estimated cost of $3 million dollars to replace.

While the agency spent $5.1million on road improvements, paving and foundation improvements, it has a remaining $29 million unspent in capital outlay. The authority also has not yet posted a job for a capital outlay projects manager, saying they were delayed by a lag of emails with the State Personnel Office.

Sen. Crystal Diamond (R-Elephant Butte), who is on the Senate Finance Committee said she was uneasy appropriating more money, if the agency cant spend what it has.

Continue to spread it out as much as you can, between now and January, we will talk about your ask during this next legislative session, Diamond said.

Diamond pushed the agency to focus on other tenants beyond its anchor Virgin Galactic, saying their success should not define New Mexico Spaceport Authoritys success.

In fact, many New Mexicans cant differentiate between the two  what Spaceport is and what Virgin is, she said. Thats still something, that messaging, that were still trying to overcome.

Danielle Prokop covers the environment and local government in Southern New Mexico for Source NM. Her coverage has delved into climate crisis on the Rio Grande, water litigation and health impacts from pollution. She is based in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Senators float idea NM should take financial control of Spaceport